from other works on that day that hee might bee vacant to works pertaining to the service of God And saith hee yet further servile works as they respect either the service of sin or the service of man doe contrary the observanâ—e of the Sabbath in so much as they hinder mans application to divine things For a closure to perswade the spiritualizing of the Sabbath observe what one speaking of the word remember as it is prefixed to the fourth commandement saith To remember the keeping of the Sabbath saith hee is so to keepe it in mind as to prevent worldly busines falling on that day to desire after it to prepare for it to delight and glory in it as wee doe in those things wee keepe much in remembrance for when hee speaks of remembrance hee cals on us for such affections and actions as become remembrance therefore when God bids you remember the Sabbath hee commands you to desire it Thus David still explainâ— himselfe by the word remember in the Psalmes as Psalme 44. 4. and in other places For it is a rule amongst the Hebrewes in eâ—pounding of Scripture that verbâ— seâ—suâ— cum affectâ—◠〈…〉 so that by remembring the Sabbath wee should desire it delight in it and account the busines and imployment thereof honourable to us glorifying God in the consecrating it to him being joyfull in it and the duties of it both as the soules market day to provide it necessaries like as the Husband man is glad of the market to buy and sell in and as the soules holy-day for to procure it refreshing as Schoole-boies joy in a play-day and not bee weary of the day nor heavily doe the dutieâ— of it Broad CHAP. IV. Wherefore God ordained the Sabbath THe ends and purposes for which God ordained the Sabbath were many 1. That the Israelites might celebrate the memoriall of the Worlds creation as Exod. 31. 〈◊〉 It is a signe betweene me and the children of Israel for â—ver for in â—ixe dayes the Lord made Heaven and Earth and on the seaventh day rested and was refreshed 2. That they might remember their deliverance Consider whether God commanding the Israelites to keepe the Sabbath because hee had brought them out of Egypt this bee an Argument that the Sabbath was then first enjoyned out of Egypt where 〈◊〉 doubt they might not rest any day from their burdens And remember that thoâ— wâ—st a servant in the Land of Egypt and that the Lord thy God brought theâ— out thence through a mighty hand and outstretchâ—d arme therefore the Lord thy God 〈…〉 3. â— That Servants and 〈◊〉 might rest and bee refreshed after their hard labour in the weeke before as Exod. 23. 12. sixe dayes thou shalt doe thy worke and 〈◊〉 the seaventh day thou shalt rest that thine Oâ—e 〈◊〉 Asse may rest and the Son of thine hand 〈◊〉 and the stranger may bee refreshed 4. That the Israelites might have more leisure to serve God who on this day as also on festivall dayes commanded them to have an holy convocation Sixe dayes shall worke bee done but the seaventh day is a Sabbath of rest and holy convocation Levit. 23. 5. That they might know how that hee was the Lord that did sanctifie them as Exod. 31. 13. Verity my Sabbaths yee shall keepe for it is a signe betweene mee and you throughout your generations that yee may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctifie you 6. By some mens Doctrine the legall Sabbath served to put the Israelites in mind of keeping a spirituall Sabbath as the legall circumcision served to put them in mind of the spirituall circumcision of the heart hereof now in their understanding the Prophet Isaiah speaketh Chap. 58. 13. truly this spirituall Sabbath is the onely Sabbath in the judgement of Augustine Tertullian Chrysotome c. which Christians ought to keepe 7. The legall Sabbath was a type of the heavenly Sabbath it was a shadow of the blessed rest to come of which matter in the next Chap. Answer To the first of these I answer That the Israelites were a people contenting themselves with the outward part not savouring the inward and spirituall strength of things which is naturally the fault of all men till they bee better taught of God and for this reason God ever and anon made the Sabbath to follow as a Counter-checke to their carnall zeale And therefore when the making of the Tabernacle was commanded the Sabbath was even then exempted from its very worke to shew them that it was other worship that hee expected and that they were not to repose their happines and confidence in outward things but in God And as therefore in the time of Mannah hee commanded his Sabbath to shew them how that it was hee and not that which nourished them So likewise when the Tabernacle was commanded the Sabbath was urged upon them in this 31. Exod. to shew them how that it was God and not it that sanctified them And therefore did the one give place to the other So that the end of the Sabbath as it is expressed in this portion of Scripture betweene the 12. and 18. verses seemeth rather to consist in these words of the 13. verse for it is a signe betweene mee and the children of Israel for ever that yee may know that I the Lord do sanctifie you Those words which in the 17 verse make mention of the Worlds creation and Gods rest being rather added as a reason in this place to enforce this end For here it is not the meaning of the holy Ghost to discourse of the Sabbath simply but onely occasionally as appeareth by the coherence of the 11. 12. and 13. verses where the Sabbath is urged with a verily or a notwithstanding as it is in the Geneva that though hee had commanded the making of the Tabernacle yet hee would not have them repose their Religion or content in this outward Tabernacle or Temple for God dwelleth not in things made with hands but that they should looke to the spirituall part the Temple of their hearts that they should bee more carefull to build up and keepe that in repaire which did more properly distinguish them to bee the sanctified Israel of God Whosoever therefore is an Israelite indeed let him looke to make good this signe of his sanctification the sanctifying of the Sabbath by spirituall worship and service which doth excellently approve it to his conscience that God hath sanctified him that is chosen him to bee his and thus it is made holy to him as it is phrased in the 14. verse that is a day of blessing and sanctification for therein God bestoweth the best of his blessings because on that day wee are or ought to bee wholly imployed in the best of his ordinances such as belong to our soules and not to our bodies Therefore ought not this day to bee defiled with bodily imployments by such as are the Israel of God but to bee dedicated from earthly
first day of the weeke from the worke of our Redemption and re-creation therefore did he blesse and hallow it by his example to his Apostles whom he had extraordinarily called that they by their example should doe the like to others with those many manifestations of himselfe and admirable blessings which he then bestowed on them Which practice of Christ doth wonderfully make good both the Morality of the Sabbath and justifieth the alteration of it also to the first day of the weeke For whereas God at the first blessed it that is appointed it to be a day wherein he would especially confer spirituall blessings We see Christ accordingly doth still on this day blesse and enlighten his Apostles by appearing to them being together glorifying God Now if you will say that Adams posterity whom in your first Chapter you say it is probable had they continued in Innocency should alwayes have followed Gods example in working sixe dayes and resting the seventh should have sanctified the last of seven by Tradition from God and Adâ—ms examples I will easily yeeld you that by the like tradition from Christ and his Apostles example we doe now keep the first day of the weeke Broad CHAP. II. The latter Opinion maintained THe Primitive Christians for the most part held the latter opinion as I gather by this that followeth Iustin Martyr in his second Apologie writeth after this manner * Apol. ad calcem We hold these assemblies on the Sunday because on that day God began to make the world and also our Saviour Iesus Christ arose from the dead Hereby it is manifest that Iustin knew not of a Commandement from Christ or his Apostles for should a Rabbin yeeld a reason of their meeting on the Sabbath would it not be because God had so commanded it who on that day rested after the Creation and sanctified it And so would Iustin no doubt had he tooke their meeting to be enjoyned by Christ or his Apostles we hold these Assemblies on the Sunday because Christ hath so commanded who on that day rose againe from the dead Thus I am sure some would be ready to write in these dayes Answer The opinion of the Ancients how-ever you may force them to speake was that one day in a weeke or the seventh day was still of force by vertue of the fourth Commandement and that the individuall first day of the weeke was from Christ or his Apostles or both as appeareth in that they call the sanctifying of the Lords-day a keeping of the Sabbath So Ignatius who ad Magnes chargeth those Christians to worke on the Iewes seventh day doth yet say Let every of us keepe Sabbath spiritually * 〈…〉 ad Magnâ—s 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 speaking in opposition to the Iews manner of superstitious Sabbatizing so that he cryeth down both their day and manner of hallowing it * 〈…〉 of this page 50. in margin 〈…〉 temp â—51 if his and yet maintaineth the Sabbath to be yet still on foot and exhorteth them to the right keeping it S t. Augustine also saith So we also sanctifie the Sabbath the Lord saying Ye shall not doe any worke therein And as M t. Richard Byfeild saith The Apostle to the Heb. 4. 9. Doubted not to apply the name of Sabbath to the Christian people and our Reâ—â— saying That the people of God have their Sabbatisme left unto them For humane authorities in this point I further referre you to the 21 and 26. Chap. of M r. Richard Byfeild But to shew your leger-de-maine I proceed to that of Iustin Martyr In which I say he doth as Paul sometimes doth concerning his Apostleship Demonstrating it by such arguments as do properly constitute an Apostle So Iustin in his Apologie for Christians doth first shew the reason of the Christian Sabbath i. e. Our new Creation by Christ who by his resurrection brought light out of darknesse in the first day of the Creation But had you looked further as no doubt you did you might have seen his opinion to be more then you make it even witnessing Christ to have taught it to his Apostles as you shall finde it quoted by M r. Richard Byfeild Chap. 21. pag. 124. So that you deale with Iustin Martyr as men deale with Mag-pyes cut their tongues shorter to teach them to speake what they would have them And yet a Râ—bbin might have laid down the Reason and concealed the Commandement without solloecisme or errour unlesse you will say it was a fault in Rabbi Moses for so he proscribeth the Israelites to answer their children when they should aske them concerning the Passeover as you may see in the 12. Chap. of Exod. 26. 27. so also in the 13 Exod. 13 14 15 16. You shall see the reason of a dutie delivered from the parent to the children by precept from Moses without any specification of the Commandement it self Broad Si dies observare non licet menses 〈◊〉 lib. Com. 〈◊〉 Eâ—â—st ad Gâ—â— tempora annos nos quoque simile crimen incurrimus quartum Sabbati observantes parascenem diem dominicum ieiunium Quadragesima See the place and note that he doth not yeeld a peculiar reason for the observation of the Lords-day Constantinus imperator concessit rusticis Euseb. de vita Coâ—st lib. 4. Cap. 19. ut diebus dominicis agrorum culturae pro ut ipsi viderint fore necessarium inservirent Idoneum vero precationi tempus salutarem diem dominicum constituebat quippe qui tum verè praecipuâ—s est tum haâ—d dubie primus Note the reason Eusebius rendereth of this constitution of Constantine and consider withall that Constanâ—ine would not have so constituted if in his judgement our Saviour Christ had before appointed the Lords-day to this end Did ever a Christian Prince simply decree that the Lords Supper should be administred As many Christian Princes and Councels as have simply decreed the observation of the Sunday were doubtlesse of this opinion Answer For answer to this I referre you to M r. Richard Byfoild Chap. 29. where the Reader may herein receive satisfaction Broad As touching moderne writers Calvin saith 〈◊〉 lib. 2 cap. 8. sect 34. Veteres subrogarunt diem dominicum in locum Sabbati Zanchius saith In 4 Preceâ—t that the Lords-day Nullum habet Domini mandatum D r. Feild saith Book 4. Church Chap. 20. that the Lords-day is an Apostolicall tradition not precept The Book of Homilies not to stand upon other saith Homily of the place and time of prayâ—r That Christian people chose the first day which is as much in effect as that it is not Christs Commandement Will any man say that the people of Israel chose the seventh day Now of this opinion I am and these are my reasons 1. Had Christ or his Apostles commanded to sanctifie the Lords-day mention should have been made thereof in Gods word for the Scripture containeth in it all things
of his worship consist in the observation of times or places neither did Christ or his Apostles command us Christians to any day whatsoever yet this generall Commandement we have 1 Cor. 14. Let all things be done to edifying decently and in order yea and Nature teacheth that there should be Times and Places set apart for publike meetings as we see the Gentiles had by the very light of nature 2. This order to assemble on the Lords-day had his beginning in the time of the Apostles and was approved by them neither is there the least doubt to be made but that were Saint Paul now alive he would approve of it in like manner onely he would be much more earnest then I have been aâ— or can be to have all superstition cleere weeded out of mens minds After the Apostles time the succeeding churches observed the same order as partly appeareth by these sayings of Iustin Martyr and others before alleadged and thus it hath continued ever since and no doubt shall so continue to the second coming of Christ. Some of late have made it a question whether the Church may change the Lords-day into any other day of the weeke but in my judgement they might well have spared their pains therein for what can be imagined wherefore any Church should attempt such a matter unlesse it be to withdraw some from a superstitious conceit they have of the day Let this errour be reformed and there is no feare of a change Answer To this changing of the Lords-day into another I answer That as the order of the last day in the weeke was significant in the time of the Iewes So is the first day now as I have observed before and as therefore that was commanded so was this prophecyed by Isaiah * I have formerly shewne how both by Isaiah and David this was cleerly foretoâ—dand promised in the old Testament and accordingly practised in the new and therefore can no more be altered now without contradiction of divine authority then the other could in the time of the Iewes Except you can imagine God hereafter to bestow a benefit on us as much greater then our Redemption as our Redemption was then our Creation Besides the Church hath no liberty to alter any day the which hath a cleare ground and warrant in the word which the Christian Sabbath or Lords-day hath And moreover you say Christ is Lord of the Sabbath if so then sure the priviledge and authority of altering belongeth only to him Broad The Apostle Hebrews 13. giveth this charge Obey them that have the rule over you and submit your selves and againe Rom. 13. Wherefore ye must needs be subject not only for wrath but also for conscience sake Some peradventure hearing that God hath not immediately commanded us Christians to sanctifie the Lords-day as he did the Israelites to sanctifie the Sabbath will be ready to demand what need we then forbeare any worldly businesse on the Sunday for answer unto whom though unworthy of any let me also demand what need you repaire to the Church the place of prayer That you may so doe must we teach that God in expresse termes hath commanded to build Churches and in such places in every Parish Had these men lived in the time of the Law though they had forborne worke on the Sabbath yet certainly they would not have repaired to the Synagogues when they had been called they would have answered with Dathan and Abiram we will not come for God hath not bidden us come to such a place nor at such a time of the day Even in the time of the Law some things were lest to bee ordered by the Magistrate Should thy soâ—â—e being sent of thee into the field thinke with himselfe I need not goe for it is not written in the Scriptures that I should goe plow to day As God in generall termes hath charged thy sonne to obey his father so God in generall tearmes hath charged thee an inferiour to obey thy Governours both spirituall and temporall by whose joynt Commandement thou art bound to sanctifie the Lords-day and if thou wilfully breakest this double bond know that it is by the comming of another spirit upon thee then came upon Sampson heretofore even such a spirit as the man had that brake the yron chaines and setters in pieces Mark 5. Answer Pray you turne the point of this Argument into your owne breast and consider if the same authority which commandeth you to sanctifie the Lords-day doe not likewise in the Liturgy command you to pray for inablement to keep the fourth Commandement * Have a better nion of your 〈◊〉 then to think she wil command you to pray for that which you oâ—ght not to beleeve and practise but it sâ—emeth whosoever is in authority you will be supreme binding that authority that should rather bind you But if the authority be thus as you would make it in the hand of the Magistrate onely to appoint the time of Gods solemne worship and that the fourth Commandement is now of no force nor yet the prophecy or Apostolicke practice to bind us then you may say with Ames in his Medulla pag. 355. ut si ipsis videatur diem 〈◊〉 ex viginti aut triginta huic usui assignare non posint hoc nomine argui alicuius 〈…〉 aut scripturae Nay rather we may hence argue it as a fault in the Apostles and primitive times that they would take upon them of their authority to create so neere a semblance to the Sabbath and not rather an annuall remembrance of the Resuâ—â—ection and by an humane institution to shoulder out a divine one anâ— yet the substance thereof to wit the benefit of the Creation still remaineth to be remembred But it is strange that the Church should either assume this liberty or that we should give it to the Church 1. Seeing the fourth Commandement doth dictate to us both the proportion of time which we are to celebrate to God and the reason of that celebration the Time is the seventh day the reason is Gods resting from or consummating his greatest and beneficiallest worke which Christ the author and actor of the new Creation God and Man hath now fulfilled by his Resurrection and so pointed and appointed us the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the particular seventh day nothing dissenting from the Commandement nor destroying it but fulfilling and establishing it upon better tearmes 2. Seeing God commandeth to labour six dayes and to rest a seventh And Christ hath not exempted us from labouring in our calling to the end of our lives therfore a seventh day is to be kept for Sabbath weekly to the end of the world And it is not left in the power either of the Church or any humane authority doctrinally to shorten or enlarge this proportion of dayes for our labour and holy Rest or any way to abrogate or alter this Commandement Broad  Gal. 5. 13. For brethren ye
Apostles themselves observed the Lords day weekely or Sabbatically and not monthly or yearely as were the Iewes Sabbaths and Holy-dayes but in relation to the fourth commandement one in seaven as knowing it to bee a perpetuall rule not a temporary and vanishing ordinance which pertained to the bondage and servitude of weake and beggerly Rudiments of which the Apostle here onely speakes And as it was farre from the Apostles thought to reckon any of the ten commandements as a weake and beggerly Rudiment so let it bee abhorred of all Christian hearts and eares But may some say Obj. is not the signification of the Sabbaths institution abrogated by Christs resurrection and the comming of the Lords day The Sabbath is altered not abrogated Answ. and the signifâ—cation subordinated not annulled being instituted upon an universall and perpetuall reason for the Sabbath was no proper Iewish type but the Churches type in that wherein it was typicall as wee may see in the fourth Hebr. 9. There remaineth therefore Sabbatismus a Sabbath-rest to the people of God which words Willet in 2. Gen. saith conclude that both the type remaineth that is a Sabbatisme and the signification of the type everlasting rest And as you may further see 12 Matth. 8. in these words The Sonne of man is Lord even of the Sabbath-day which words compared with the verses foregoing shew that the Sabbath is of a ceremonious nature for Christ there rankes it among things ceremoniall in a ceremoniall sense but with a note of inequality as it is implyed in that word Even of the Sabbath-day and is as the rest of the morall Law of equall continuance with the Church which for this cause was reviued to the Iewes because at that time they were the onely Israel and Church of God but now translated to us under the Gospell the partition wall being broken downe with an alteration of circumstance according to the season as Isay was prophecied in the foreâ— quoted place of Isa. 65. 17. And whereas Doctor Heylyâ— part 2. pag. 27. saith That it is not probable that the Apostle Paul who so opposed himselfe against the Sabbath would erect a new this had not beene saith hee to abrogate the ceremony but to change the day I answer that by the comming of Christ some things suffered alteration as well as others abrogation wherefore the Apostles were to preach onely the abrogative types and ceremonies to bee abrogated of which sort I prove the Sabbath to bee none and according to the nature of the new creation to alter the other of which sort the Sabbath was and therefore suffered subordination not abrogation And therefore hath the Scripture recorded it to us 〈◊〉 the name of the first day of the weeke or the first day of seaven before it stile it the Lords day in a sâ—gnificant opposition to the old antiquated last day of the weeke I will conclude this Answer with Master Hookers authority who was a confident maintainer of the morality of the fourth commandement as you may see in his Eccles. Pol. pag. 377. who speaking upon this place of the Galath Hooker saith That for as much as the Law of the Iewes by the comming of Christ was changed and wee thereunto no way bound Saint Paul although it were not his purpose to favour invectives against the speciall sanctification of dayes and times to the service of God and to the honour of Iesus Christ doth notwithstanding bend his forces against that opinion which imposed on the Gentiles the yoake of Iewish legall observations as if the whole World ought for ever and that upon paine of condemnation to keepe and observe them such as in this perswasion hallowed the Iewish Sabbaths the Apostle sharply reproveth saying yee observe dayes and monthes and times and yeares c. Thus you see how Master Hookers opinion was concerning this text of Paul onely to cry downe those obsolete Iewish observations and nothing lesse then to impeach the authority of the fourth commandement or the Lords day as you may plainely discerne by turning over leafe to pag. 378. where hee layeth downe three sorts of holy times thus saith hee Hooker It pleased God heretofore to exact some part of time by way of perpetuall homage never to bee dispenced withall nor remitted againe to require some other parts of time with as strict exaction but for lesse continuance and of the rest which were left arbitrary to accept what the Church should in due consideration consecrate voluntarily unto religious uses Of the first kind amongst the Iewes was the sabbath-Sabbath-day Of the second those feastes which were appointed by the Law of Mosâ—s The Feast of Dedication invented by the Church standeth in the number of the last kind The morall Law requiring therefore a seaventh part throughout the age of the World to bee that way imployed although with us the day bee changed in regard of a new revolution begun by our Saviour Christ yet the same proportion of time continueth which was before because of reference to the benefit of creation and now much more of renovation thereunto added by him which was Prince of the World to come wee are bound to account the sanctification of one day in seaven a duty which Gods immutable Law doth exact for ever Thus you have Master Hookers opinion both of this text of the Gal. The morality of the fourth commandement the perpetuity of the Sabbath and the authority of the Lords-day Broad A little leaven leaveneth the whole lumpe Gal. 5. 9. Chrysost. on Gal. Why but they retained the Gospell onely they would have brought in a Iewish rite or two and yet the Apostle saith that thereby the Gospell is subverted to shew how but a little thing being untowardly mingled marreth all Luther on Gal. 2. Paul had note here his owne busines in hand but a matter of faith Now as concerning faith wee ought to bee invincible and more hard if it might bee then the Adamant stone but as touching charity wee ought to bee soft and more flexible then the reed or leafe shaken with the wind and ready to yeeld to every thing Broad A treatise of the Sabbath FOr as much as I know not whether taking my booke in hand thou mindest to read it over to the end I have therefore thought good by way of prevention in the beginning to let thee understand that howsoever there bee difference in opinion among the Godly learned yet they all for ought I know agree in this namely that the Lords-day had his beginning in the time of the Apostles and being of so great antiquity so generally received and so profitable to the Church of Christ that it ought to be observed of thee according to the practice of good Christians from time to time and the godly lawes of our most Christian governour living at this present I charge thee therefore as thou wilt answer it before Gods judgement â—ear that thou dost not take occasion hence to spend
that wee should ever after use the seaventh day to a blessed and holy end and expect a blessing from God thereon in so doing for els to what use was it that God did thus reveale himselfe and his resting and not rather conceale it if hee had meant it onely for a bare narration But it is evident by the second giving of the Law what and how hee meant it at the first thus Master Breerewood in his second tract pag. 9. The Sabbath saith hee is called holy not formally for any peculiar inherent holines it hath above other dayes but finally because it was ordained and consecrated to holy exercises in the service of God which gives answer to Bishop White pag. 40 who saith that the second Gen. 2. 3 expresseth not the manner how the Lord sanctified this day whether by imparting any speciall vertue to it above other dayes or by dedicating the same to any religious service to bee performed by Adam in the state of innocency c. You onely affirme that it is one thing for God to sanctifie a day and another to command man to sanctifie it but shew not the difference But you would imply as if the sencible refreshment of that day in a grosse sence were the cause that made God fall so farre in love with it where as both you and every man knowes that there are no passions of wearisomnes and refreshment in God that they should bee meant by his resting but that it is spoken ad captum vulgi for our better understanding 1. To exemplarize unto us how that spirituall and heavenly employments should bee a refreshing unto us in comparison of earthly imployments and so farre wee were capable of wearisomnes even in innocency at to have found other manner of refreshment in divine and spirituall things then in worldly affaires 2. To signifie the sensible refreshment and happy alteration that wee should have had in our heavenly rest from the state and condition that wee were in here on Earth But perchance you are of opinion with some that thinke Adam should not have beene translated but have lived immortally upon Earth had hee not falne But to this I answer that by the curse which was annexed to the tree of knowledge wee may know è contrario what manner of blessing was promised and intended by the tree of life now the curse involued both the first and second death here and in hell so c. * For a further argument I wish them to consider and compare Rom. 3. 23. with Rom. And they indeed that are of this opinion must prove the Sabbath not to signifie our rest in heaven nor to bee given in innocency As for your criticisme in the Margin it is not worth the weighing The substance of Gods institution in those words being thus much Hee blessed the seaventh day Pag. 202. that is saith Master Richard Bifield hee appointed it to bee a fountaine of blessing to the observerâ— of that day and sanctified it that is commanded it to bee set apart by men from common businesses and applied to holy uses Thus Calvin on the place this blessing saith hee Calvinâ— was nothing els but a solemne consecration whereby God claines to himselfe the studies and imployments of men on the seaventh day Thus Master Hildersham in his lectures upon the 51. Psalme pag. 704. saith it is worth the observing that our Saviour saith Marke 2. 27. That the Sabbath was at first made for Man for the great beneâ—it and behoofe of Man Man could not no not Adam in innocency have beene without it but with great danger and losse unto him So that the holy Ghost saith that twice of the Sabbath Gen. 2. 3. and Exod. â—0 11. that hee never said of any other day That the Lord blessed that day that is appointed it to bee a meane of a greater blessing to man if hee keepe it as God hath commanded him to doe then any other day or any of the ordinary workes of any other day can possibly bee So Marius on Gen. Marius 2. Hee blessed it that is hee consecrated it to his blessing to bee kept of men and sanctified it that is not as if hee stamped holines upon it as you would imply but because hee appointed it to his sanctification and praise and to the holy conversation of men In short Hee blessed the seaventh day and hallowed it that is hee digniâ—â—ed it with this priviledge above the sixe dayes that it should bee exempted from their prophane and civill actions and negotiations and dedicated to holy and sacred imployments And now whereas you say that Adam should have observed Gods example in innocency had hee stood I thinke so too Wherein you mightily contradict your selfe for why should Adam imitate that which even now you would have to bee onely an action in God but of no exemplary use to man But why should the Sabbath bee usefull to Adam in innocency who was so perfect and not much more usefull to Adam in innocency who was so perfect and not much more usefull to the Church of God after I would faine know But you goe on and say that Adam was thrust out Paradise what then God had his Church still which was principally respected by God in the giving of the Sabbath * As appeares in that as soone as God had taken and selected to himselfe a noted Church of the Israelites out of the World he renewes his institution and command of the Sabbath to them As it is said in the 4. Hebr. 9. There remaineth a Sabbatisme to the people of God that is to his Church for they are they which in the Scripture sense shall rest from their labours and therefore was the Sabbath still in force though pethaps not in use although they then and wee now ought to bee so much the more carefull to keepe it by how much wee stand in need of the blessing of God since the curse falne upon our selves and the whole creation Broad Neither did hee or his posterity sanctify any Day in an holy rest a long time after for ought that wee doe certainly find or may probably conjecture 1 The Iewes acknowledge that they doe not read of Abrahams keeping the Sabbath and I may adde neither of any others keeping or breaking it both before and a good while since Abrahams time although wee doe read of Circumcision Sacrifices and the breach of other Commandements together with punishments for the same 2 Before the Israelites comming out of Egypt I find no mention of Weekes which distinction of time the Sabbath causeth as of Dayes Moneths and Yeares whereas after their comming forth and institution of the Sabbath mention is made as well of Weekes as of any other 3 Tertullians judgment is that Adam Lib advers Iâ—d Noah Abraham c. kept not the Sabbath and of the same opinion are many others so Peter on Gen. 2. After that God had delivered the
day especially in seeing them keepe his Sabbaths spiritually and conscionably Certainely they that doe so shall be sure to be blessed and rewarded of God for it To this purpose it is worth the observing that as our Saviour sayth Marke 2. 27. That the Sabbath was at the first made for man for the great benefit and behoofe of man Man could not no not Adam in Innocency have beene without it but with great danger and losse unto him So the Holy Ghost sayth there twice of the Sabbath Gen. 2. 3. and Exod. 20. 11. that he never said of any other Day That the Lord blessed that Day that is appointed it to be a meane of a greater blessing to man if hee kept it as God had commanded him to doe then any other Day or any of the ordinary workes of any other Day can possibly be Two sorts of blessings there be which the conscionable observer of the Sabbath shall be sure to receive by it 1. The first are spirituall and they indeed are the chiefe blessings of all because they are durable and lasting and because they concerne the Soule which is the chiefe and most pretious part of man And for these was the Sabbath chiefely ordained that God might by it in the use of his Ordinances enrich our Soules with spirituall blessings in Heavenly things So the Lord saith Ez 20. 12. that he gave his Sabbaths to his People to that end that they might know that he was the Lord that sanctified them Wee shall find and know that the Lord will sanctifie us both begin and increase saving grace in our Hearts if wee keepe the Sabbath conscionably Yea the Lord hath promised Isaiah 56. 6. 7. to every one that keepeth his Sabbath from polluting that he will make them joyfull in his House of Prayer And Isaiah 58. 13 14. That if a man shall keepe the Sabbath heartily and spiritually then he shall delight himselfe in the Lord. By these two places it appeareth that God hath bound himselfe by promise to them that keepe his Sabbath not only to worke sanctification increase of holines and power over their corruptions which he professeth in that former place of Ezekiel was the very end he gave his Sabbaths for but also by his spirit of adoption to encrease in their hearts a lively sence of his favour assurance that he heareth and accepteth their Prayers Peace of Conscience Ioy in the Holy Ghost which are blessings the Christian Soule prizeth above all things in the World Ob. Why may you say may not a man receive increase of grace and spirituall comfort in the use of Gods ordinances on any other Day but only on the Sabbath Ans. Yes verily but these promises may give him assurance to receive them more richly and plentifully upon the Sabbath then on any other Day 2 The second sorts of blessings that the conscionable observers of the Sabbath receive by it are temporall for concerning them also wee have a promise Isaiah 58. 4. Gen. 18. 13 48. 4. Psa 1. 19. To conclude this point with the authority and judgment of a learned Bishop now living Bishop Hall Decad 6. Epis 1. Gods Day sayth he calleth for another respect then doe common Dayes The same Sunne ariseth on this Day and enlightens it yet because the Sun of righteousnes arose upon it gave a new life unto the World in it and drew the strength of Gods morall precept unto it Therefore justly do wee sing with the Psalmist This is the Day which the Lord hath made Now I forget the World and in a sort my selfe and deale with my wonted thoughts as great Men use who at some time of their privacy forbid the accesse of all suters Prayer Meditation Reading Hearing Preaching Singing good conferences are the businesses of this Day which I dare not bestow on any worke or pleasure but Heavenly I hate superstition on the one side and loosenes on the other But I find it hard to offendin too much Devotion easy in â—rophaneâ—es The whole weeke is sanctifyed by this Day and according to my care of this is my blessing on the rest Broad CHAP. III. I. Whereby the Sabbath was Sanctified THe Sabbath was sanctifyed by resting from worke Thus Zanâ—hy in effect likewise Vicest and D. Boys and this Analysâ—â— naturall Some make two parts the one affirmative the other negative but they are out of the way In the fourth Commandement we have to observe 1. The Commandement it self briefly delivered and is thus Remember the Sabbath to Sanctify it 2. Then followeth the explication in order God shewing what is the Sabbath the seaventh Day is the Sabbath to the Lord thy God And after how it is sanctified In it thou shalt not doe any worke I do not write as many doe that the Sabbath was sanctified by praying hearing of word and if thou marvailest thereat see at the end of the Booke 3. A reason is yeelded why God requireth this service For in the sixe Dayes the Lord made Heaven c. Here thou seest that God himselfe being expositor to sanctifie the Sabbath Day is not to doe any worke on the seaventh Day read also Ier 17 24. II. Whereby the Sabbath was profaned The Sabbath was prophaned by worke as Exod 31. 14. Profanare sine vioâ—are vâ—cat â—o die operari perin de at que professo Mart in Math 1â— 8. Every one that defileth the Sabbath shall surely bee put to Death for whosoever doth any Worke therein that Soule shall bee cut off from among his People Further the Sabbath was profaned by the least worke and thus hee prophaned it who only gathered stickes therein As he that â—ateth the least food may be said to breake his fast as well as he that eateth his belly-full So hee that did the lâ—ast worke brake the rest or Sabbath as well as he that laboured all Day Some would have the Sabbath prophaned by Drunkennes Lasciviousnes Dauncing c. In it God said Thou shalt doe noe Worke not in it thou shalt not worship Idols thou shalt not drinke excessively c. for he needed not these things being forbidden by other Commandements Ans 1. If by one Sinne then by another and then every man profaned the Sabbath 2. Any Day in the Weeke was as well defiled by Sinne as the Sabbath for every Day was alike exempt from Sinne. The punishment for prophaning the Sabbath was Death If then such as haunted the Ale-house and the like prophaned the Sabbath as well as he that gathered stickes they should much rather in reason have undergone the punishment Now although the Sabbath was defiled by worke and whosoever wilfully or carefully did any worke therein was to be put to Death Yet in two cases worke was to be done on the Sabbath In what cases the Sabbath might be prophaned 1. In case of necessity Thus the Disciples being hungry pulled the Eares of Corne and rubbed them in their Hands Math 11. which
we are apter to forget instructions then inclinations 2. Because this more restraineth the naturall liberty then all the rest they restraining only sinfull things this lawfull things yea our very words and thoughts about them 3. Because of the multitude of our sixe daies businesses which had need bee remembred to bee seasonably finisht else they will breed distractions 4. Because the Devill prompts us to forget it so to quench the Memory of the Creation and the Creator and so to bring in the Eternity of the World as he did amongst the Heathen and there with Athisme to prevent which wee are bid to remember to keepe this Commandement as a meanes to preserve the memory of God and to keepe a foote his worship 2. Because it is of most weight to bee remembred and that for three reasons 1. Is taken from the dependancy of the observation of all the rest of the Commandements on this for in keeping of the Sabbath the Lord is wont to sanctifie his People to the keeping of all the rest of the Commandements so that keeping this wee keepe all and neglecting this wee neglect all hence God saith Exod 31. 3. Verily my Sabbaths you shall keepe for it is a signe betweene mee and you throughout all your Generations that you may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctifie you moreover saith God Exod 20. 12. I gave them my Sabbaths to bee a signe betweene mee and them that they might know that I am the Lord that doth sanctifie them Looke all the conversion of sinners and you shall see where one hath beene converted on the Weeke Daies 7 have beene on the Sabbath 7 to one nay 10 to one if not a 100 to one God doth delight most to dispence his grace on that Day so that keepe that Day and you keepe an oportunity where God doth bestow his graces on the Sonnes of men but neglect it and you neglect an oportunity of getting grace of God Heathen Princes are wont on their coronation Day to shew themselves to their People in all their rioalty and cast about Silver and Gold so doth God sometimes in these his solemne Daies shew himselfe to be present with us in holy duties he scatters abroad his holy graces and delights so to do wee are not to appoint God the time when to come downe and speake to his People but they must waite the time he hath appointed now God doth delight to sanctifie Men on this Day of all the rest therefore the text saith He blessed it and hallowed it that is he did blesse it to be a meanes to sanctifie it to his People for else the Sunne shines no hotter on this Day then any other but that God hath blessed it as he blessed the bread to make us blessed to observe it therefore is a means to bring ablessing on our Family Towne Kingdome where wee live take many Men that are dejected for Sinne and 〈◊〉 tell you one of the first and chiefe in their neglect of the Sabbath though it be not written in their Hearts by nature On this Day God drawes nigh to his People and they to him by whom he will be found sooner on this Day then any of the rest and if wee get grace any Day its a thousand to one it is on this Day or else something added to it Esa 36. 4. The way to lay hold of the Covenant is to keepe the Sabbath there is some hope of a Mans salvation when he makes conâ—cience of keeping the Sabbath If thou turne away thy feete c. and consecrate it as glorious c. thou shalt delight thy selfe in the Lord saith Esay implying that a man that hath no delight in keeping of the Sabbath hath no delight nor pleasure in God but the way to get pleasure in God is to keepe the Sabbath 2. Reason why this cómandement is of most weight to be remembred is taken from the efficacy of it in it wee are made most spirituall and heavenly minded it frames our spirits to be fit for every good busines by keeping the Sabbath wee are kept from idle thoughts and by this meanes are moulded up into a Heavenly frame wee are not even of this World there is nothing of it doth hang about us There remaines a Rest to the People Heb 4 9. implying that the Saints in Heaven keepe a Sabbath rest meditating divine things learning from Christ Singing praises and are in a spirituall manner wrapt up in all spirituall busines and minding Heavenly things And wee by keeping it are wrapt up from all incumbrances otherwaies lawfull but now not fitting our spirits 3. Reason is taken from the memory of those things are kept in memory by it for by keeping in mind the Sabbath wee keepe in mind Gods chiefest benefits to us as our Creation and our Redemption by its translation from the seaventh to the eight Day and Ezech 20. 12. that it is a signe that God doth sanctifie us implying thus much that whereas there are three Persons who shew themselves in three Works tending to our Salvation This Sabbath is sanctified to us to put us in remembrance of them and their works as of the Father that Created us of Christ that Redeemed us of the Holy Ghost that Sanctifies us Thus are our chiefest blessings remembred by our keeping of this fourth Commandement and therefore it is of most weight to be remembred The legall Sabbath as you call it and which you speake of in your sixth end was more then to put them in mind of the spirituall Sabbath for it was the properst meanes of bringing it about to cause them actually to keepe a spirituall Sabbath for when as they were not to do any of their owne works nor to thinke any of their owne thoughts what could they construe hence but that they were to doe Gods and thinke Gods * Like as the Apostle collects Heb 11. 14. from our Fathers saying they were strangers and Pilgrims on the Earth that they that say such things declare plainly that they seeke a Countrey And therefore doth not that 58. Isaiah 13. intend only the negative part for so God should allow of Idlenes and take away the nature of the mind which is ever to be in motion but also the spirituall part which also is expressed there but if it had not it being delivered in the Negative they both ought and might thence have deduced the Affirmative and better part like as was done to them in their Typicall ordinances wherein the shell was to be cracked before they could find the kernell * It was Gods ordâ—nary way of delivery in those times like a skilfull Logitian that only mentioneth the Major and the Minor of a Syllogisme and leaveth the Conclusion to be gathered as a thing so easy because so necessary as none but Fooles and Dunces can be ignorant of and thus doth Christ deale with us also under the Gospell he giveth generall Rules for us thence to deduce
answer That the first Day of the Weeke or Lords Day having taken footing among the convert Gentiles to whom the Apostle wrote he might with lesse scruple use the word Sabbaths absolutely without exception considering that all Sabbaths eo nomine were outlawed Though now as the case stands we in these times are forced to re-assume the name Sabbath not thereby to shoulder out the more worthy name of Lords Day but to vindicate the authority of the fourth Commandement and to testify our judgements touching the new Sabbath like as the primitive times are reported to take up the wearing of the Crosse to testifie their profession and Confession of a Crucified Christ against their opposers 2. To your second Reason I answer That our warrant to worke on the Iewes seaventh Day is the fourth Commandement which proportioneth us out sixe Dayes for our worldly affaires and the seaventh for an holy rest which is the totall and morall sence and summe of that Commandement and which wee still observe the order being occasionall and temporary but the number morall and perpetuall as I have proved before And therefore the Apostles did imply a nullity of the one by the bringing in of the other according to the nature of the Commandement and the Prophecy of Isaiah 65. 16. So that if you thinke it meet to retaine the Lords Day in our Church as you do in your premonition then must you grant the order to be changed For it was never the Apostles meaning nor in their power when God by a perpetuall Law from the beginning had given us sixe Dayes for labour and destined the seaventh to an holy Rest to have turned it into five Dayes labour and two Dayes Rest. For amongst the Iewes when Holy-dayes were so frequent there was never any weekely Holy day ordayned to go cheeke by jole with the Sabbath but either Monethly or Yearely So that as Moses his Serpent eate up the Sorcerers so hath our seaventh Day eaten up theirs * As the Apostle sayth in another case 2 Cor 3. 10. Even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect by reason of the glory which excelleth Generatio unius est corruptio alterius Our new Heaven and new Earth have given us a new Sabbath and new Rest. For old things are passed away and all things are become new 3. To your third reason I answer That Paul in like case speaketh in divers places of Ministers maintenance and yet saith never a word to cleare the controversy of Tythes whether they bee or bee not Iure divino but he preacheth the substance to wit a meet maintenance to be necessary So in Pauls discourse of times and Dayes as also of other things although he satisfy not our Fancies who cannot see afâ—rre of yet doth he answer the will of the Holy Ghost who for reasons whereof wee are uncapable spareth to doe what wee expect And indeed the reason of Pauls not Preaching the Sabbaths alteration might be because it was neither safe nor convenient For it must needes have given great offence to the Iewes seeing it had a place amongst the morall Commandements who were so precise in the punctisioes of times as that they would have beene of your opinion that either their seaventh Day or none was morall and so would have taken advantage to vilifie his doctrine as if he had gone about to overthrow as well the Morall as Ceremoniall Law the sun shine of the Gospell being too bright for their weake Eyes to behold all at once And therefore the Aposile condescending to their infirmities chose rather to insinuate the Lords Day tâ—citly by his practice then by his doctrine For so iâ— behoved him in those times wherein hee became all to all that he might win some And therefore did he take occâ—â—â—on on the Iâ—â—ish Sabbaths to Preaâ—h the Gospell in their Synagogues when yet wee see how that privately hee sanctified the Lords Day with Châ—istians Therefore I conclude that this Scripture is nothing concerning the Weekely Sabbath whereof he writeth nothing at all directly for the reasons aforesaid but of the Iewish Ceremoniall Sabbaths which hee must needs cry downe if he set up Christ. The shadow must vanish when the substance comes in place And of this the converted Iewes were mostly as well perswaded without offence as the converted Gentiles But of this sort was not the Weekely Sabbath as I have proved elsewhere and as further is evident from the 92. Psal which is dedicated to the Sabbath Day but none of the rest of the Psalmes to any of the legall Ceremonies from which I may thus reason That seeing the Booke of the Psalmes was ordained for the consolation of the militant Church unto the Worlds end as may appeare by the Apostles exhortation it seemeth not consonant to reason that a part of Gods perpetuall worship should be dedicated to a temporary Ceremony To your fourth and fifth I answer that how the Sabbath is said to be shadowish wee have shewne before and shall have more occasion hereafter to enlarge it Amongst those two or three which justifie the morality of the Sabbath I would have you take in D r. Andrewes in his exposition of the fourth Commandement and M r. Hooker in his Eccles Pol and Bishop Hell whom I have already alleadged Broad 2. The Sabbath was a shadow from the beginning FOr Gods very Resting was Typicall as appeareth Heb 4. 4. observe that the Apostle there speaketh os the seaventh Day as rested upon by God and not as sanctified by him or enjoyned to be sanctified by Man so that the seaventh Day then became a Type when God rested therein the seaventh Day in order if not in time before it was sanctified was Gods rest and Consequently a shadow of the Rest remaining to the People of God Consider further that it doth not appeare by the Scripture when the Sabbath became a shadow and which was the first Sabbath that was such if the first of all were not Againe that all other shadowes and Types were such from their first institution If any thinke there was no shadow or Ceremony of Christ before Sin Ans Suppose that before there had beene no shadow or Type at all yet might the Sabbath bee a shadow or Type from the beginning thereof for it is very profitable that Adam fell the Day before Againe though there were no Ceremony of Christ before Sinne yet might there be a shadow of things to come that now shall be exhibited by Christ which had not Adam sinned God would have exhibited by himselfe There were it seemes three Types or shadowes in the beginning Paradice the Tree of Life and the seaventh Day Gods Rest of the comfort of all which Adam for his Sinne was deprived But afterwards God being mercifull to the posterity of Abraham they had the same Sabbath Mannah for the Tree of Life and the Land of Canaan for Paradice which was as it were another Paradice and a figure
our praying that prayer in a literall sense now in our times doth force no such conclusions Not to keepe the Sabbath of the Iewes For though the commandement expresse a seaventh day for number yet it doth not in terminis expresse the order saying Thou shalt keepe the last day in the weeke or of seaven and not the first c. though I acknowledge from other reasons proper to these times the commandement had then that meaning onely so that now the letter of the commandement is intended in our prayer onely with a circumstantiall variation according to the practice of the Church derived from the Apostles which explaines it to the meanest Againe not the seaventh day precisely from the Worlds creation for that hath suffered many variations nor did Adam keepe it but he meanes the seaventh day from the first gathering of Mannah Nor yet in the selfe same manner that the Iewes once did If by once hee meane in the strict time of the wildernes for reasons aforesaid So that by the letter of the commandement wee now may pray the Lord to encline our hearts to keepe holy a Sabbath and not the Iewes a seaventh day and not the last of seaven For the Law in the letter respecteth properly and principally the number implying onely the order occasionally for the season sake because the creation was then the greatest good which number it still retaines in the same letter and upon a new season implies a new order the reason whereon the order was built being circumstantiall as I have proved before nor the day that God rested on after the creation nor the extraordinary rest in the wildernes I say wee may ejaculate this prayer in a literall sense to the fourth commandement as well as to the fifth where weepray Lord encline our hearts to honour our parents that according to thy promise the dayes may bee long in the Land which thou givest us Now wee all knew that by Land there and then is implicitely meant the promised Land or Land of Canaan Yet the manner of expression which God useth in the penning of that Law as of that of the Sabbath admits a latitude Ephes. 6. 2. 3. not appropriating the promise to the Land of Canaan onely by saying that thy dayes may be long in that Land of Canaan which the Lord thy God giveth thee so that the Tribe and the halfe which planted on this side Iordan might have prayed this prayer at the reading of the fifth commandement as well as they with in the Land of Canaan by vertue of the letter of that Law and so in like manner may wee now So excellent is the wisedome of the Lawgiver That though in some temporary implicite circumstantiall sense his Lawes might more properly belong to those people to whom they were immediately given then to us and our times yet hee hath so ordered it that the Law is still usefull and binding for the substance of it even in the letter And therefore they that pray this ejaculation with understanding hearts doe not pray Lord encline our hearts to keepe a Sabbath which 〈◊〉 no Sabbath but Lord encline our hearts to keep a Christian Sabbath a Christian seaventh day and a Christian rest But in the conclusion Doctor Heylyn saith wee may thus expound this prayer viz. to pray unto the Lord to encline our hearts to keepe that Law as farre as it containeth the Law of Nature c. which yet Master Broad his partizan will not allow a pitifull shift to keepe all whole And such is Bishop Whites pag. 159. 160. The generality of whose conclusion there upon this ejaculation saving his private exposition may well serve to set forth the use of it now For saith hee our prayer to God prescribed in the Liturgy is not to beseeth him to encline our hearts to keepe the Law according to the speciall forme and circumstance of time commanded in the old Law which say I is the last day of seaven in memory of our creation but in such a manner as is agreeable to the state of the Gospell and time of Grace which say I is the first day of seaven in memory of our redemption and not as hee interprets it to wit according to the equity and mistery of the fourth commandement and according to the rule of Christian liberty which hath freed Gods people under the Gospell from the observation of dayes months times and yeares saith hee upon legall and ceremoniall principles true if hee meane judaicall ones and then hee cannot meane the Sabbath For to bee freed from it is no part of Christian liberty because not yet fulfilled by Christ Hebr. 4. 9. 10. But to returne to Master Broad by your Marginall note it seemes you could allow the Sabbath not in respect of the Iewes weakenes but of its owne worth and greatnes to bee of longer continuance then the holy-dayes but not perpetuall wherein you exceedingly wrong your cause for if of longer continuance why not perpetuall and if not perpetuall why of longer continuance the Holy-dayes and Iewish Sabbaths say you expired in Christ and if this common Sabbath be no other then a Iewish Holy-day why doth not it expire with the rest and if you can allow it beyond Christ I pray you what should hinder it for being perpetuall neither is it incredible to thinke that the common Sabbath and Iewish Holy-dayes bee of different natures when as they had different institutions different significations different locations and different extensions Broad ARG. I. No morall Commandement may be broken in case of necessity but the fourth Commandement may Ergo it is not morall THe Major is evident for a man may not Ly Steale or the like to save his Life The Minor is no lesse evident In case of necessity the whole Rest may be broken and not the strict only for to save the Life of his Cattle a man may labour all the Sabbath in seeking them covered with Snow in lifting them out of Pits c. Workes of necessity are not forbidden in the intention of the Lawgiver Obj. and therefore such do not breake the fourth Commandement Suppose the King by a generall Law shall forbid the eating of Flesh in Lent Answ. a sicke Man eating Flesh breaketh the Law though no doubt it be in the Kings intention that in such case Flesh may be eaten as it is in the Lawgivers intention that Worke in case of necessity may bee done David brake the Law of shew-bread Math 12. so is it in the Lawgivers intention that the fourth Commandement in case of necessity may be broken as other Ceremoniall precepts might in the time of the Law The whole Rest not the strict Rest only is Ceremoniall Obj. so that if a Man labour all the Sabbath in lifting his Cattle out of Pits in saving his goods from Burning in Fighting against the Enemy c. Yet he breaketh only the Ceremoniall part of the fourth Commandement Vnlesse such breake the
Creation when indeed evening and morning made the day and darknesse was to goe before light As for the disorder which you say this innovation must needs produce let it lye upon the Apostles who can answer it well enough and so may we building on the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles In the meane time Pauls example which is not in vaine set downe in the 20. Acts 6 7. where no day of the seven but only the last which was the first day of the weeke is thus disposed of is a sufficient warrant for us hence forwards to observe it from the 4 th Phil. 9. The things which you have seen in me doe and the God of peace shall be with you And as for that in your margin where you say that the number seven hath reference to other going before I answer you in this figure 7000007 where you see the first as well as the last in some respect may be the seventh to wit in number though not in place and order Broad But let it be imagined although I can scarce see how it can be imagined only that our day is become the seventh and last of the weeke what would follow hereupon That God might well be said to have rested on our day and to have enjoyned one day on Mount Sinai But then it might not be said that Christ rose upon one day He that saith both God rested and Christ rose upon one day may as wel say that God both rested and began to make the world upon one day which I will not beleeve any man will say untill I know it Answer I know none that goeth about to make Gods Rest and Christs Resurrection to be upon one and the selfe-same day Nor need it for it is enough that the one was and the other is observed holy as the seventh day in opposition to the six work-daies The change not onely being granted by us but argued as necessary and significantly materiall Broad 3. Opinion Others there are which by the seventh day in the beginning of the Commandement Amâ—s Theol. liâ— 2. cap. 15. sect 8. vâ—l unus è sâ—ptem but doth the Scripture so speak or doth he so much as goe about to prove 〈◊〉 He and others doe wisely to take that for granted which they cannot prove understand one of the seven daies but the seventh day is the Sabbath that is say they but one of the seven daies is the Sabbath and the first day is one of the seven daies as well as the seventh Answ. 1. Then shall the words seventh day have one sence in the 2. Gen. and another here Will any man say that God ended his worke upon one of the seven daies and not upon the seventh day only 2. Then shall the words seventh day have one sense in the beginning of the Commandement and another after for after it is said that God rested on the seventh day 3. Then had the Israelites sanctified our day or any other and not the seventh they had not broke the fourth Commandement Answer This opinion of the seventh day to intend one of seven is doubtlesse most true and is therefore spoken in the Commandement exclusively implying thus much That thou art not to keep the sixth day or one of six or the eight day or one of eight but the seventh day or one of seven For the substance of the Commandement hath respect unto the number for it opposeth seven to sixe as if it had said six daies shall be for labour and the seventh for Rest although I deny not but the example of God in respect of order was then significaÌ„tly binding during the inforcemeÌ„t of the reasonof the creation I would not be mistaken and be thought when I say one of seven to meane any one but as Ames in that place being rightly understood and set downe dies septimus vel unus è septem that is the seventh day or one of seven not of six or eight For I know the Iewes were to celebrate the seventh day the last in order both for example and signification sake during the Covenant of works For the order both was and is exceeding usefull in respect of its signification and helpeth much to the fulfilling the duty of sanctifying the Sabbath And therefore hath God been ever carefull not only to give the generall Commandement to his Church for the observation of the seventh day But he hath likewise prescribed them a terminus a quo a day or an occasion whence and whereby they were to number their seven daies which yet was not alwaies one thesame seventh day As unto Adam he gave the first day of his being created to number from and therefore was he carefull to give him this Commandement in due time to wit the second day of his Creation so soone as he had given an example that so he might remember it against the seventh day came So likewise to the Iewes he appointed by Moses the first day of Mannah for them to reckon upon And so to us by his owne and the Apostles examples he hath given the day of the Resurrection to be the ground of our Computation Broad 4. Opinion Some of late tell us of the substance and circumstances of the fourth Commandement Give way to this new doctrine of the substance and circumstance of a divine law and open a wide gap to manifold errors we shall now have seeking after the substance as there was after the Allegory heretofore by the substance they meane the sanctifying of one day in the weeke by circumstances the keeping of the seventh day and strict resting Answ. 1. That the sanctifying of one day in the weeke is the substance of the fourth Commandement you have not learned from the words thereof for they speake only of sanctifying the seventh day 2. No Prophet nor Apostle nor Father I beleeve hath thus interpreted the Commandement either in cleere or darke termes 3. No other Commandement of God is to be interpreted after such a manner 4. Then had not a Iew broken the Commandement though hee had laboured on the seventh day so that before he had sanctified one of the six daies If God had said Remember to sanctifie one day of the week six daies thou shalt labour and the seventh thou shalt sanctifie ye had some colour for your doctrine although this had bin nothing in very deed For God said thou shalt keep a Feast to me Neither was the resting of the land one yeare in seven the substance of that Law Exod. 23. 10. 11. thrice in the yeare thou shalt keep the Feast c. Exod. 23. 14 15 16. and yet the keeping of the Feast thrice in the yeare was not the substance of that Law who ever so imagined But onely God there first telleth the Israelites in generall what hee would have done and afterwards acquainteth them with his minde particularly and fully You your selves I am sure will acknowledge that the keeping of a feast thrice
keep unraced the ejaculation annexed to it in our Liturgy And M r. Dow pag. 9. saith in absolute tearmes They more fully expresse the nature of this Commandement who say It is partly Morall and partly Ceremoniall Broad 6. Opinion M r. Cleaver will have this strange matter come to passe by a Trope whereby one part is put for the rest He saith That in the precepts and prohibitions more is meant then in words is expressed Moral of the Law Chap. 4. Answ. I acknowledge that in the other nine Commandements more is meant then is expressed in words but here in the fourth Commandement that which is expressed in words is not meant It is a kind of Trope to put one part for the rest but when no part is put for the rest what manner of Trope may that be For this thou shalt sanctifie the seventh day wherein I rested is no part of Gods Law in these dayes and yet this in effect is all that God spake from Sinai Answer Although the fourth Commandement be a Law still in force yet as I said it bindeth us not to keep Sabbath the last day of the weeke though the seventh For the order was foretold to be altered in the 65. Isaiah 17. where it is prophecyed that Gods creating new heavens and a new earth shall make the old to be forgotten that is there shall be a wonderfull alteration and that which now men make most account of to wit the Creation then they shall account it the least sanctifying the memory of my resting from their Redemption in stead of my resting from their Creation And thus you wilfully slander us when you say that Thou shalt sanctifie the seventh day wherein I rested is no part of Gods Law in these dayes for we grant it but with an Orthodox distinction of Rest. For the Commandement it self looketh with a double face both wayes both to the Iewish Church and ours both to the old and new Creation And beareth his Title in the very front in that word Remember And as one well observeth There is no Commandement ushered with such a Memento as that of the Sabbath wherein saith he I thinke we may discerne Gods providence forearming weake Christians against the strong assaults of their own affections strugling against the restraint of a whole dayes libeâ—tie and of mans inventions oppugning Gods institutions for it is a Commandement of Remembrance so that as once we were to remember our Creation by it as appeareth bâ— the first promulgation of it in Exodus for there the Creation is only mentioned so like wise are we now to remember our Redemption by it as appeares by the second proâ—nulgation of it in Deuâ—eronomie where the old Creation is quite forgotten not a word mentioned of it and the new set forth in its Type of their â—gyptian deliverance Which observation taken from the various reasons annexed at severall times and in such an order for the inforcing of this Commandement compared with this Text of Isaâ—ah 65. 17. and the present event sutable doth both very much illustrate the perpetuitie of the Sabbath and yet prophecie the change both in one which also if we consider the nature of those times doth well prove the thing For though Christ speaketh plainly to us now yet to them he spake and prophecyed as I may so say in parables which rightly understood are no lesse proofes then ours And thus is the substance of the fourth Commandement preserved that is the dedicating of the seventh day to duties of Pietie and Mercy and sixe dayes to our other affaires as also prophecie fulfilled and the Apostles imitated But may some say Object Our Redemption was not finished on that day for that it still remaineth in acting by Christs intercession which is Bishop Whites objection page 299. Christs intercession after his dying and rising is as Gods providence was Answ. and is after his sixe dayes Creation And as notwithstanding his continuall providence his Creation was finished on the last day of the week So Now notwithstanding Christs intercession at Gods right hand our Redemption was finished on the first day of the weeke by his Resurrection And whereas Bishop White further objecteth pag. 299. That the day of Christs resurrection cannot properly be called a Sabbath or day of Rest because our Saviour was in action on that day about the necessary works of perfecting mans Redemption by applying teaching inspiring authorizing his Disciples I answer They were all Sabbath-day works and so was the seventh day a working day to God in many such like respects sutable to the first Creation and yet it was his Sabbath for this reason because he rested and ceased from that which he did before as M r. Hildersham noteth upon the Hebrew word Sabbat in his 135. Lect. on the 51. Psalme which holds in respect of Christ. Furthermore page 300. Bishop White saith That the Primitive Church devoted the first day of the weeke to the honour and service of Christ not because of Christs cessation from redemptive actions but because it was primus dies laetitiae The first day of joy and gladnesse for the resurrection of the Lord True But the cause of this joy was the perfection of our Redemption and Deliverance which we celebrate with a congratulatory commemoration on the first day like as we were to doe the perfection of our Creation on the last day of the weeke And pag. 303. hâ— saith That Christ rested upon his resurrection day no more then he did upon every day after untill his ascension and since his ascension untill the worlds end Answ. So he may say that God rested no more from his worke of Creation on the seventh day then he hath done ever since where by the way take notice That it is the consummation of the Creation and Redemption which is meant by their Resting and which we celebrate for else if Rest should respect barely their cessation then all the after time should be of equall estimation with the last day in respect of the Creation and with the first day in respect of the Redemption And now indeed I wonder why the Egyptian deliverance being in Deut. annexed by the dictate of the spirit as a reason to inforce the duty of the fourth Commandement or Sabbath in its second promulgation should not be thought a sufficient reason to inforce the same duty law upon us as well as the obedience of the whole Law is urged upon us by the same reason contained in the Preface * Deny the one and â—eny both but reâ—son and sobrietie will deny neither seeing that in both places it signifieth alike our spirituall Redemption and deliverance Especially seeing the holy Ghost in the fifteenth verse of the fifth of Deut. after he hath there affixed to the fourth Commandement our deliverance out of spirituall Egypt in its Type as the reason of it concludeth upon it mandatorily a duty not a libertie imposed upon us therefore in these
extant in the new Testament But they say That it is likely Christ did teach it to his Apostles before his death * As he did the place of meeting after his Resurrection Matt. 28. 16. which though it be more then I know yet sure I am their meeting thus emphatically recorded in Scripture to be on that very day and the day sennight of Christs Resurrection and answerably practised after by Paul is doubtlesse of binding authority and to an exemplary use and end And how-ever it be that Christ did or did not teach them by word of mouth before his death questionlesse in that thing at that time they were especially taught of God the instinct and secret guidance of the Spirit being in stead of a Commandement to them though perhaps for present they were ignorant of their owne practice as Mary was when she powred the boxe of oyntment upon Christs head that she did it for his burying and doing the same thing that day sennight We have just cause to thinke that Christ had an hand in it though it be not expressed in the word he having appeared to them the day before and the same effect ensuing upon the same occasion to wit his appearing to them being met againe And therefore what though the Puritanes as Bishop White stiles them from T. B. pag. 185. cannot shew the Lords-day to be made a Sabbath by any written Law he meanes no doubt in the new Testament may not the unerring spirit of the Apostles suffice us seeing that himselfe saith pag. 119. The inspiration of â—od is of as great efficacy and authority as his writing wherewith the Apostles doubtlesse were directed in the instituting of an exemplary perpetuall observation to the Church And whereas I say the instinct of the Spirit was as a Law or Commandement to the Apostles in this particular of instituting the Lords-day upon Christs Resurrection I would to this purpose commend the consideration of Moses his instituting the Sabbath upon the fall and gathering of a double portion of Mannah in 16. Exod. which yet we doe not finde in termes to be taught him of God then when that Law of Mannah was commanded ver 5. Fulke upon the 1 Revel is peremptory and saith That for the prescription of the Lords-day before any other of the seven they had without doubt either the expresse Commandement of Christ before his ascension when he gave them precepts concerning the kingdome of God and the ordering and government of his Church Acts 1. 2. or else the certaine direction of his Spirit that it was his will and pleasure it should be so and that also according to the Scriptures seeing that there is the same reason of sanctifying that day in which our Saviour Christ accomplished out Redemption and the restitution of the world by his Resurrection from death that was of â—anctifying the day in which the Lord rested from the Creation of the world Nor can it be denyed I thinke but that the Apostles had many things taught them privately by Christ which afterwards upon occasion they published some by precept and some by example * Matt 10. 27. And wee may be the rather induced that Paul had received it from Christ if so be we consider how ingenuous he is to acknowledge what he had not received in the 1 Cor. 7. 25. As concerning virgins saith he I have no Commandement of the Lord but I give you mine advice And Zanchy observes that he taught them not so much by words as by the efficacy of the Spirit which being their unerrable guide in all things concerning the Church we may well allow to be ours in this matter of the Lords-day by vertue of their exemplary Ordinance Their practice and example I doubt not you will say had been enough without precept and I remember none they have in any expresse tearmes from Christ for the ordaining Pastors and Ministers nor doe I think you will deny them to be iure divino But granting this is not commanded by Christ yet are you no gainer by it For I doe the rather thinke that because no expresse mention is made of it in the new Testament by way of Commandement it should seeme the rather to be the Sabbath Thus Eatonus de Sabbato pag. 69. de institutione iure diei dominicae ait Non opus erat mandato novo cum vetus illud mandatum de observando Sabbato in vigore esset adhuc est iam autem novum praceptum ferre de re illa quae veteri pracepto stabilita fuerat esset vetus praceptum abolore Christus autem non venit abolere legem sed implere And indeed God is most precise as we see both in Innocency and under the Iewes to prescribe the dayes of his solemne worship by speciall Commandement and so certainly would he have done this if it had been a new thing but being not commanded in the new Testament it ought the rather to be taken for granted in the matter of it from the fourth Commandement * And indeed to any sober minde that knoweth the Law of the Sabbath these things are sufficient to let us know that this is the Sabbath and in the manner to be regulated by the Apostles example which should be of force to us as well as Davids eatâ—ng the Shew-bread was to the Iewes else God would never have let such a day which hath ever in the Church been received as a weekly Sabbath to have been without an expresse Commandement especially considering how precise he was in that point even son the dayes that were appointed for the solemning of the Type in the Time of the Iews And yet as 〈◊〉 saith pag. 70. Nulla est consequeâ—tiâ— Non 〈…〉 dixit fecit Dominus noster de quibus 〈◊〉 â—pud Evâ—ngelistas facta est mentio satis auâ—◠〈…〉 It is no new thing both to beleeâ—e a thing to be 〈◊〉 diviâ— for which yet there is none other commandement expressed then practice as also to beleeve that it was commanded of God though there be no specification of any such Commandement in holy writ as for instance in the sacrificing that was before the Law where finde you any Commandement to sacrifice before you finde Abel sacrificing And yet I beleeve you doubt not but there was a command or something equivalent Neither can you other-wayes thinke but when Noah at his going into the Arke tooke with him beasts both cleane and unclean he was instructed from heaven which was which though no such instruction appeare Againe did not Christ in the instituting of the new Sabbath imitate his father in his manner of instituting the old in the old Creation For what Commandement did God give at first Was it any other then a declaration of his owne practice to Adam whom he had then extraordinarily made that he by his practice should teach it to his posterity So doth not Christ the like For because he rested by rising on the
Sabbath above them therefore and its equality with nature seeing God makes use of it so especially to exhibite the commandement of nature by amongst the Lawes thereof But now in that opinion wherein you and Master Breerewood jumpe I must differ from you both to wit that now onely the generall Law of nature remaines which is that some time is to bee sanctified to Gods worship and that this fourth commandement which you call Gods speciall commandement is utterly abrogated For as for the Law of nature which consisteth onely in an indefinite sequestring of some time to the service of God it comes infinitely short of that compleatnes and solemnity of time which our necessity requireth and which God deserveth at our hands and which if hee may bee his owne spokesman hee commandeth also Indeed to set apart some time as perhaps an houre in a Day or some such like time for prayer or meditation it may bee nature or conscience would affirme it requisite but to set a part so much time and in so solemne manner as it seemes God lookes for and our state requires neither nature nor conscience will so prompt us either now or as I thinke in innocency And therefore as I may well conclude that that first institution of God concerning the Sabbath was rather a supply to nature then any Law in nature which our Antisabbatarians unnecessarily labour to disprove * Though I must say of some argumâ—nts of some former Writers of this subject of the Sabbath who not then finding opposition which hath beene an ordinary meanes in the course of Gods providence for the more diligent inquisition after the truth of God and happy discovery thereof as Hierome saith of the Fathers How that before Arrius rose up They delivered some things innocently yet lesse varily and such as cannot avoid the calumny of peâ—verse persons and superadded of God after created nature by immediate and speciall revelation So I have just cause to beleeve that this was for many speciall and perpetuall respects For left God his solemne and publicke worship to have beene arbitrarily ordered by nature and not have by himselfe determined a speciall time therefore it would have falne out very crosse to Gods intentious either being slenderly and seldomely performed or at least very confusedly and disjoyntedly seeing that so many men have so many mindes and so many severall and various occasions which by man would never have beene determined at once to have kept so solemne and compleat a portion of time as it seemes God expected especially seeing nature never suggested it if God by an over-ruling mandat had not put it past posse and velle * As he did the eating of the Passeover though a man were in a journey or were uncleane by a law made Numb 9. which hee who is not the God of confusion wisely foresaw and prevented So that though some time even by nature is taught to bee set apart for Gods worship which I deny not yet I say that this is more private and personall not so solemne and publicke as God would have it and therefore may bee arbitrary without disorder and distraction which the other cannot if left to mans free-will and therefore is purposely revealed of God and is no law innate in nature because of the reason aforesaid for nature doth not discerne of numbers or why God should chose to be worshipped on the seventh day rather then on the eight or ninth but a commandement on the by of equall force antiquity and perpetuity with nature prescribed as a rule coincident with nature for the Church of God in all ages to imitate And to this purpose speakes Marius Marius in Gen. 2. Since saith hee it is the Law of nature that some time bee peculiarly insinuated for the worship of God it was meete that that should bee determined by a positive Law But against this it will be objected Why might not time as well as place bee left to the disposition and authority of Man to appoint seeing that time and place bee alike necessary in nature to all actions I answer Answ. time and place are in nature alike necessary to all actions in genere but so is not this or that particuler time or place save where by positive Law it is made so God did appoint the seaventh day for solemne worship and left all places at liberty till it pleased him to designe one onely place for Sacrifice-worship under the Law the necessity whereof being now abrogated by the Gospell the place is left to choyce One time may agree to all the world for worship but so cannot one place Againe it will be objected Obj. that Bishop White pag. 33. layeth it downe as an essentiall Character that Lawes and Preceps meerely positively morall oblige onely the Persons or State or Nation and Republike upon which they are imposed by the Lawgiver or to whom they are published by a legall promulgation So pag. 38. If it be a precept meerely positive it can oblige those people onely upon whom it was imposed Also pag. 77. hee saith flatly that although the seaventh day Sabbath had not beene a legall Ceremony yet if it were onely a positive morall precept the obligation hereof ceased under the Gospell So that by this rule the Sabbath should not bee of universall obligation being onely positively morall To all which himselfe gives the Answer pag. Answ. 27. where hee saith Lawes positive are common and generall either for all mankind as the Law of Polygamy and Wedlocke with in some degrees mentioned or els for one nation Republicke or Community of people So that wee see through forgetfulnesse his Character doth not hold but that a positive morall Law may bee perpetuall and universall as well as nationall of which sort we have reason to reckon the Sabbath because it and the Law of Polygamy which hee instanceth in were Twins both brought forth in the state of Adams innocency Broad I praise God for the comming forth of Master Breerewoods booke The difference is in â— manner onely verball for wee both hold that the generall law of nature remaineth and againe that Gods speciall Commandementis abrogated for though there bee some difference betweene us yet meane Schollers are able to judge of it might I have spoken with him I doubt nothing but that wee should soone have accorded in lesse then an houâ—es space Answer I could wish you had perused Master Richard Byfields reply to Master Breerewoods booke before you had sent abroad this Manu-script that so you might have thanked God for that which had beene thanke worthy But that you may not bee a stranger to him I will bee bold to bring you acquainted by putting you the oftner in mind of him in this my Answer Touching the substance of your difference mentioned in the Margin I have already spoken to it and shall have more occasion as I goe along Broad I published not long since a
of an eye which solemne contrivement sure was not to create a Iewish abrogative type and therefore is accordingly observed under the Gospell onely mutatis mutandis But to come to that which you would inferre which is that onely the last day of the seaven is to bee kept Sabbath I answer First that in respect of the point of time I thinke I need not bee large to prove the variation of it For I thinke it will be granted upon this one instance 10. Ios. 13. how that the Sabbath was not alwayes observed answerable to the first institution in respect of the point of time for that by the Suns standing still the weeke was lengthened beyond its due proportion Doctor Heylin pag. 48. alleadgeth that a man travailing the World Westward may lose a whole day now what shall that man doe at his returne saith hee if to sanctify one day in seaven bee morall I answer first Let him tell mee what a Iew should have done in that case when the Sabbath was confessedly obligatory and so should that man doe now Secondly I answer that though things that are morall by nature because they bind alwayes and in all places alike are ever the same Yet things that are morall onely by Discipline admit variety through exigency of time and occasion Thus it was lawfull for Adams immediate posterity to conjugate with their consanguinity which now the exigency of those times being over is utterly unlawfull by disciplinary morality Nay nature her selfe being disciplined from the alteration of time and variety of choyce now abhorres it as utterly undecent so the man that having in his lawfull calling of merchandizing lost a day and had during his travell in his particuler practise rent from the Church in her computation of time without a schisme being lawfully necessitated thereunto by the course of nature may as lawfully at his returne reduce himselfe againe unto the conformity and practise of the Church to avoid a wilfull rent and disorder like as they that were in a journey were to keepe the Passeover on a different time by themselves from the Church of the Iewes but at their returne they were to returne to the Churches observation Secondly but in regard of the order which I thinke you labour to maintaine to wit that the Sabbath ought to bee the last and not the first day of the weeke or else not to bee at all To that I answer that some reasons and circumstances even in the morall Law are occasionall and so changeable and yet the substance of the commandement is perpetuall and immutable * And as one well observes Diverse positive lawes which are morall perpetuall and bind all men in their generations though they bee firme and immutable in themselves and in their obligation yet because the duties of obedience which they impose upon men and the men upon whom the duties are imposed are in their state and condition mutable and changeable and the changes and alterations of things commanded in times places and other relations and respects doe not at all change the Law nor prove it ceremoniall and changeable As for instance the Law of beleeving in Christ is firme and unchangeable from the first promise that was made of him and yet the duty which hee requires is changeable and is changed now under the Gospell from that it was under the Law in circumstance for they were to beleeve in Christ to come but we as come for the changing of the day now since Christ does not make vâ—id but establish the Law of the Sabbath As in the first commandement where Israels corporeall deliverance is now changed into Israels ghostly deliverance So in the fifth commandement the land of Canaan is properly the land meant which had that promise belonging to it But now it is enlarged to all that in the feare of God obey that commandement throughout the World So this commandement had the reason of Gods resting from the creation occasionally affixed unto it because that then the creation was Gods greatest and eminentest worke and being occasionall and appointed for commemoration was therefore changeable whensoever he should rest from a greater worke that better deserved commemoration then that And yet the substance of the commandement remaineth unalterable which substance or unalterable part of the commandement consisteth in the number as seaven is opposed to all othâ—r numbers and not in the order But may some say Obj. those allegations out of the first and fift commandements hold not paralel with this reason of the fourth commandement because they were onely given in the time of the Iewes but this was from the beginning I answer both the one and the other was given for the Churches sake Answ. and therefore alterable according to Gods good pleasure and the state of the Church But you will further object When doe you find any thing altered that was as this is from the beginning I answer I find the curse which was annexed to the fall of man to bee taken away and brought under by the death and resurrection of Christ And well then may the reason of the then Sabbath bee altered by it when the curse is annulled it being the Churches type or ceremony and that thing changed wherein the ceremony consisted to wit the order from last to first according to the different state of the Church Like as it may bee supposed of the Iewes when they came to bee a sedentary Church they altered their gesture from standing to sitting but still retained the Passeover So wee still retaine the substance of the fourth commandement though wee have altered the ceremony which was grounded upon Gods example And now God having given us another example of another rest upon another day wee imitate his example and still keepe his commandement by observing the number but altering the order For indeed as by Gods ordination and disposition the Law and Sabbath goe together so they fare alike for the Law was to continue in the nature of a covenant till Christ came and so the Sabbath on the last day who bâ— fulfilling the righteousnes of the one did inherite the rest of the other being annexed thereunto and entailed thereupon whereof man failed by his fall and thereupon changed the natures of both subordinating the Law to the Gospell making it in stead of a cause procuring life to bee a rule and an effect of life and grace received and so the last day Sabbath to the first changing rest by workes into working by rest A happy change if wee make not our selves unhappy by allowing a rest to the Law but none to the Gospell for whereas before wee held by a tenure of feare our happines being all in the future for wee were all our life long to doe this and then to live now wee hold by the tenure of faith and our happines is in present for saith the Apostle Hebr. 4. 3. wee which have beleeved doe enter into rest according to
Israelites out of the Egyptian captivity a figure of our deliverance from Satans bondage as he led them through the Wildernes towards the Land of Canaan a Type of the Heavenly Paradise he gave them Mannah to to eate 1. Cor. 10. 3. so that they did eate the same Spirituall meate with us even the Lambe Christ Iesus slaine from the beginning of the World who though he be not called the Tree of Life yet tearmes himselfe the bread of Life that came downe from Heaven This Mannah they gathered sixe Dayes and on the seaventh Day Moses commanded them to rest for this Commandement was first given by the hand of Moses for ought that wee do find in the Scriptures and not long after God called it againe to their remembrance Consider that the word Remember is not used Deut. 5. nor else wherein the Law or the Prophets saying Remember the Sabbath Day to sanctify it Answer The summe of this your objection is that nor Adam nor his posterity for any thing we can find santifyed the Sabbath day till it was given the Israelites by the hand of Moses * I could reply that throughout the History of Ioshua Iudges Samuel we find not the observation of the Sabbath And touching that you say you finde no mention of Weekes before the Israelites comming out of Egypt I could put you to answer that Gen. 29. 27. fulfill her Weeke but it is truth and not victory that I seeke and therfore I rather desire to resolve my Reader then to pusle my opposer To which I answer that whether the Sabbath was observed or not observed yet notwithstanding it was of force For 1. I aske whether you thinke those words of Gods sanctifying the Sabbath in Innocency were but a bare narration without any use or efficacy towards man Yes say you they were spoken to man as considered in Innocency and had he still remained in Innocency then had he kept the Sabbath Wherto I reply that there was nothing that was instituted to Adam before his Fall but it was of force after his Fall excepting such things from which he was expresly debarred by manifest voyce of Scripture by the curse and fiery sword whereof the Sabbath is none Againe I say if this Institution were proper only to the state of Innocency how comes it to be renewed unto the Israelites and that upon the primitive reason Which indeed shewes it to be a thing given unto his Church for speciall use and to be coequall with the Law of Nature for wee see that so soone as God had chosen out of the world a remarkeable and established Church to which he renewed the Law of Nature he also as coincident there with reneweth the Law of the Sabbath including and determining in this positive Commandement of the Sabbath the Law of Nature like as other Commandements in the Law directly forbid the actions of sinnes inclusively the habits 2. Exconcessis Putting the case the Sabbath never was kept by the Patriarchs I answer to it two things First that neither did they keepe for the most part the Law of Marriage for generally they lived in Poligamy and yet was that Law of force even in their times for one man to marry but one Woman And therfore when the Pharises alledged Moses his Law of Divorcement for the priviledging them to put away their Wives which might better authorize their practice therein then the Patriarchs omission can justify our neglect of the Sabbath but how did Christ answer them saith he how was it from the beginning as who say tell not mee of Moses his Law which you plead only to maintaine your licentiousnes and which was only a concessary Law granted for the hardnes of your hearts but looke beyond Moses at God what he did in the state of Innocency for that must be the rule of your practice So say I looke not at the errours of the Patriarchs to do what they did when wee have Gods example to the contrary Secondly that to draw an argument de facto from mans not keeping the Sabbath against the right and institution of the Sabbath is improper * For by the same reason you may as well argue against the second exhibition of it because of the interruption which for any thing wee find it received in the time of the Babilonish Captivity as against the first because it appeares not that the Patriarchs observed it in their time Especially if wee consider man falne whereby the very Law of nature suffered but doubtlesse the Sabbath being grounded upon the covenant of works and having by the fall lost its vertue being thereby made void its Law was blotted out and quite raced by the speciall hand and permission of God and noe wonder seeing that even in innocency nay and after his Fall too during his abode in Paradise he remembred not to eate of the Tree of Life where by he should have lived for ever Gen 3. 22. by a like secret but just worke of God the cause wee shall further see anon being no Law of Nature but a necessary improvement and determination of the Law of Nature in that particuler for the better accomodating Man for the publicke and more solemne service and worship of his Creatour and therefore was renewed when Gods Church came to be publicke and nationall * Damascen de fide Orthod lib. 4. cap. 24. sayth that when there was no Law nor Scripture that then there was no Sabbath neither but when the Law was given by Moses then was the Sabbath set a part for Gods publicke worship as M. Breerwood implyes from his observation upon the word Remember annexed either saith he it is because it is not meerely morall and a Law of Nature as the others are and therefore being not so effectually imprinted by Nature in the heart of man needed a speciall admonition for the observance least it should slip out of mind c. as it seemeth it had done of a long time before and therefore was renewed with a Memento as who say doe thou remember to keepe holy the seaventh Day which thy Fore-fathers have so long forgotten Indeed it is evident that it was lost and Adam despoiled of it by his Fall because it was written in Moses his first Tables which were broken and defaced by a Fall to shew the fruit of Adams fall and renewed together with the rest of the Law in Moses his second Tables to shew that it suffered as well as the rest they in the Conscience it in the memory at the first ordeyning them and therefore is renewed together with the rest in the second with a Memento prefixed for this Memonto imports more then a bare Memorandum even a different quality of this Law from the rest els it was as requisite to have beene prefixed to the second as to the fourth Commandement considering the Israelites were as inclinable to Idolatry as they were averse from the Sabbath see Deut. 31. 16. And
So here in this 4. Hebr. this Gospel-rest and Sabbath-rest are interwouen being continuous and of the same nature relating one to another as true and perfect doe So that I say the Apostle meanes that God sware that for their unbeleefes sake they should not tast nor partake neither his rest on Earth in the Land of Canaan flowing with milke and hony and where with reioycing hearts they should liberally have eaten the good things of the Land idest the rest of the Gospell making their soules flow with the milke and hony of peace of conscience and joy in the holy Ghost and wherein are bid to come and eate that which is good and to drinke the wine on the lees and to fill themselves with marrow and fat things the spirituall Israel of God Neither that rest by which God himselfe rested from his works of creation verse 4. and which they also should have rested with him in Heaven when all things were or should bee finished by consummation verse 3. as once they were by perfection By their unbeleefe they made themselves uncapable both of the rest of Christ here who should have led their soules into a land of uprightnes flowing with the milke and hony of righteousnes peace and joy in the holy Ghost and of the rest of God hereafter that everlasting rest and Sabbath which they should have held with him in Heaven resting from their workes as hee did from his They should partake neither the one nor the other neither Christs rest nor Gods indeed no rest at all neither temporall spirituall nor eternall neither Canaans rest nor the Gospels rest nor the Sabbaths rest For verse 3. God sware in his wrath that they should nor enter into his rest no not although the works were finished from the foundation of the World neither beginning nor end lesse nor more first nor last of his rest should they tast or partake of by the works of the Law refusing the righteousnes of God by faith For hee inlargeth his enraged malediction from one part to the whole rest And thus much Mayer expresseth in short in his exposition of the 12. and 13. verses of this 4. Hebr. saying that those words cohere with the former thus Let us take heed that wee perish noâ— for want of beleeving the word being deprived of inward rest and peace here and shut out from the eternall rest hereafter For the word of God is full of life c. And here note by the way from those words although the workes were finished from the foundation of the World in the third verse how the Sabbath keeps and is expressed in its supereminency which it had before in its preferment to a place among the 10. commandements and precedency of rest in the wildernes for what doe they signifie but that they should not partake of his last and greatest rest hereafter with himselfe in heaven no more then of his lesse and present rest of Canaan and the Gospell Likewise also it appeaâ—es â—o bee no Iewish type from the different relations they had to Christ For the Iewish types did relate to him properly as the shadow to the body being created for his sake but the Sabbath as the Law accidentally to bee fulfilled and accomplished by him because they had miscarried by us And in this doth the supereminency of the Sabbath appeare in that Christ for himselfe as well as for us is a sharer in this types signification For in respect of this rest is hee said to sit now at Gods right hand by which gesture signifying rest is intimated as well his resting from the labours and paines hee underwent here as any other thing for whereas hee had the evill and wee the good of other types of this hee tasteth the sweet as well as wee And therefore hee saith to his Disciples If yee loved me yee would rejoyce because I goe to my Father Indeed Christ onely inherited the last day Sabbath according to the first covenant and hath left the first day Sabbath for us to inherite by the second covenant But you will say Obi. surely there cannot chuse but bee somewhat in it that the Sabbath was instituted by Moses upon the occasion of Mannah as it appeares in the 16. of Exod. before God gave the morall Law on mount Sinai I acknowledge Ans. though the Sabbath bee of a transcendent nature to the other types yet as all other things so also the Sabbath hath reference to Christ in regard of the state of the Church since the fall For as now the whole morall Law is fulfilled by Christ for us and therefore was given upon their deliverance out of their Egyptian bondage so also is the Sabbath in its celestiall signification made good to us now by a new accomplishment to wit onely by Christ Hee it is now that doth onely make us righteous in the sight of God and hee also it is that now alone maketh us partakers of the rest of God For as they were to enjoy and feed upon Mannah in Heaven with rest so they were to have this rest by Mannah id est Christ. And therefore I confesse that there is very much matter in it that thus the Sabbath doth precede the giving of the Law * There was almost nothing that befell the Israelites in the time of their being in the wildernes but it was typicall like as there was in Gods giving the promise to Abraham before circumcision Rom. 4. 11. * And indeed they should have made that use of this order of the Sabbath being instituted upon Mannah before the giving of the Law That the law which was to follow did not frustrate the promise of salvation and life which long before was made in Christ Gal. 3. 17 18. and therefore followed as conducing to it which went before but that the same rest or eternall Sabbatisme which should have beene by the Law is now to bee had by Christ. and doth also follow so immediatly the gathering of Mannah and that a double portion of Mannah for hereby is signified how that now our heavenly rest is not procured by our owne righteousnes of the Law though once it was annexed to it but that hee onely who by faith doth gather and lay up a large proportion of Christ shall certainely have this Sabbatisme of everlasting rest in Heaven succeed unto him See Rom. 5. 17. and for the very selfe same cause it is that now our Sabbath is celebrated after the day of Christs resurrection See also Doctor Taylor in his Christ revealed pag. 268. where hee saith that Mannah fell on the evening of the Sabbath in a double quantity signifying the double diligence that wee must use to get Christ while wee are in this life which is as the even of our eternall Sabbath And that upon condition of our diligence and care here below wee shall have supply enough of all grace without labour and gathering when Christ shall bee all in all to all
it selfe from Worldly works will bee then no part of our positive happines but onely a privative helpe to our absolute glorifying God there as it is to our better sanctifying of the Sabbath here And yet for all this as I have said before not to rest on that day but to imploy our selves worldlily in inward or outward works of mind or body in thought word or deed â—ill prove our sinne * To prove that the Lords day is to bee observed with the like strictnes of us as the ancient Sabbath was among the Iewes a neighbour Minister brings this argument If saith hee the reasons of the command of strict rest to the Iewes on the Sabbath belong as well to us as to them Then the command it selfe belongs as well to us as to them But the reasons rendered in the 4. commandement in the 58. of Isa. 13. Because it is the Sabbath of the Lord and because it is the Lords Holy-day and other reasons also as because carnall works anâ— imployments are impediments to the solemne and spirituall performance of Gods holy worship and service and againe all those duties which were commanded them as essentiall to a Sabbath such as were abstinence from carnall labours and pleasures which destroy the nature of a Sabbath which is 1. to rest 2. to rest a spirituall and holy rest to God These reasons saith hee belong as well to us as to them if any Sabbath or holy-day of the Lords remaineth to bee observed of us which there doth Revel 1. 10. Where by the way take notice it is called the Lords day and not the Lords time to answer an objection of some that say wee are not bound to keepe a whole day holy-day or Sabbath and therefore not to rest saving in the time of publicke assemblies besides wee find not any time in all the Scriptures set apart as holy-day to the Lord but a whole day was the space of time Therefore the commandement it selfe both in the negative part thereof not to follow labour not to follow pleasure and in the affirmative part to follow holy exercises is required of us Christians not onely by way of Analogy but as precise commands by just consequence For because hereby wee both falsifie our present duty which wee owe to the commandement which injoyneth it us as a significant privative meanes for sanctifying the Sabbath and also make void the usefull signification of the typicall sense which consisteth in our resting from all Worldly affaires that wee may the more fully devote our selves to things spirituall and heavenly such as are praising God meditating of the life and rest to come c. for of that nature shall bee our heavenly imployment Wee know the Israelites separation from the heathen did not make them the true Israel of God for they were made such onely by their faithfull and true serving of God and yet if they intermixed themselves with the heathen it was a prophanation and sin unto them So a cessation or separation of the Sabbath-day from Worldly imployments is no positive part of our sanctifying the Sabbath though it might bee in the time of the Iewes for that our sanctification consisteth in Spirit and truth not in the literall and outward performance of rest and yet must wee of necessity and duty cease that wee may sanctifie it For it is with the Lords-day as with all other things that if it bee sanctified to the end then it is sanctified to the meanes And as the Scripture saith a man cannot serve God and Mammon especially on this Day but wee should utterly forsake the one that wee may more compleatly cleave to the other By Mammon I meane as well our carnall pleasures all profits for on that day according to the Anti-type all should bee heavenly If ever wee did the will of God as it is done in heaven it should bee on that day And as Master Hildersham observes Lect. 51. Psalme pag. 710. Hildersham God hateth rioting on the Sabbath much more then hee doth working on the Sabbath as it is plaine by Isaiah 58. 13. where in one verse hee names and forbids twice the following of our pleasures as the chiefe prophanation of the Sabbath-day If thou turne away thy foote from the Sabbath from doing thy pleasure on mine holy-day and call the Sabbath a delight the holy of the Lord honourable and shalt honour him not doing thine owne wayes nor finding thine owne pleasure nor speaking thine owne words c. But Bishop White pag. 257. Obi. objects against Sunday Sabbatizers precepts as hee calleth them concerning the crying downe of carnall recreations and setting up spirituall duties to bee actually and without intermission continued the whole space of a naturall day which saith hee can bee no branch of the Law of Christ nor yet consentaneous thereunto for this reason Because the Law of Christ is sweet and easie Matth. 11. 30. and his commandements are not greevous 1. Ioh. 5. 3. I answer Ans. I never knew that this was to bee expounded after the flesh but after the Spirit By the same rule hee may cry downe all fasting all abstaining from beloved lusts and heavenly mindednes now under the Gospell and quite blot out the Apostles advice to use the things of this World as if wee used them not But may some say Obi. if rest bee no part of sanctifying the Sabbath how then are wee said to sanctifie it at night when wee goe to bed Not that your rest is any sanctification of it Answ. no more then your spirituall labour is a breach of it but because that in so doing thou dost an act of mercy to thy body when thou sleepest as well as when thou eatest at due times in a due measure And indeed thou oughtest to doe it with this or some such like consideration and not meerely sensually as an oxe or an asse for God should have speciall glory by every thing wee doe that day And whatsoever wee doe without a speciall and spirituall relation to God on that day that may properly bee called our worke and so our sin For though things necessary bee lawfull to bee done yet not as on the weeke day but with much more spiritualized affections and heavenly mindednes * To the same purpose speaks one that writ upon this subject saying men may not doe the lawfull works of their calling neither in providing meat drinke cloaths or other necessaâ—ies on the Lords-day with a bare respect of naturall good and worldly pâ—ofit because this is doing of his owne wayes and works and not the worke of God unto which Gods Holy-day it wholly consecrated and set apart So no bodily sports recreations and pleasures are to bee used meerely to cherish the flesh and refresh the body but only such as are in very deed needfull in themselves and used and intended by Gods people with this purpose and â—o this end that they may with more ability alacrity
and cheerefulnes doe the holy works and duties of Gods worship and service which are proper to that day 2. For the precisenes of the rest which you here speake of I also affirme that that was proper onely to the Iewes as also to that time of their preregrination in the wildernes and not to us for because it was no part of the substance of the commandement or Sabbath but onely an adventitious or temporary circumstance for illustration sake begun and ended in the wildernes For the Iewes being a people in their time under a typicall discipline God chose that time and this occasion of feeding them with Mannah in the wildernes which the Scripture calleth Angels food because it came so immediatly from Heaven the more clearely to exemplifie the lively signification of the Sabbaths rest which being alwayes typicall should bee much more so in their time For they having other Sabbaths commanded them with strict rest this must bee imposed upon them with stricter rest else they should not learne its proper meaning and difference And for this cause did hee command it with so much strictnes at that time even to their not gathering nor preparing Mannah when as yet their other Sabbaths were commanded them with liberty to make ready what they should eate the better to testifie the different nature and eminent signification of that Sabbath above the other For the rest of the Iewish Sabbaths were not so absolute because they were onely appointed to signifie the rest which every beleever and the whole Church hath here by Christ on Earth to wit a rest but an interrupted rest like to their rest in the Land of Canaan not absolute but interrupted and of a mixt nature in regard of such things which are necessary to befall us in this life whereas the weekely Sabbath signified the rest which the company of beleevers should have in Heaven as it is in the fourth of Hebr. 9. There remaineth a rest therefore to the people of God which is absolute and without any mixture because that in Heaven wee shall bee at Gods immediate finding as they were thâ—n whilest they were in the wildernes but never after And therefore did so much of that rest as wherein it surpassed the other Sabbaths cease for after time both to them and us because that God ceased to raine Mannah which gave life to that circumstance of strict rest commanded them at that time So that Doctor Heylins observation pag. 145. How that after their returne from the Babylonish captivity in their redresse of their Sabbath sins they had no lesse care of the annuall Sabbaths and Sabbaths of yeares then of the weekely and the markets were no more restrained on the weekely Sabbath then on the annuall might have beene spared as making nothing for his purpose And therefore so to rest now in our dayes as not to provide our necessary food * And we have Christs example to warrant it in the 14. Luke by comparing the 8. 12. 13. verses seeing God ceaseth to raine Mannah were to create types to our selves and to cloud that light with a vaile of our owne making For the extraordinary strict rest was by God then onely commanded when by him they were extraordinarily accommodated to observe it which shall bee fulfilled onely in Heaven when againe wee shall onely bee at Gods immediate finding and shall againe eat Angel food as they did in the wildernes Saith Doctor Tailor * Christ revealed pag. 269. the not gathering Mannah on the Sabbath signified that in that eternall Sabbath wee shall enjoy Mannah without meanes So that in the meane time wee are not forbidden to bee charitable to our bodies by preparing necessary food * Iustin Martyr Neither thinke it greevous that we drinke some warme thing on the Sabbath seeing God also governeth the World on this day in like manner as he doth another dayes Although I could wish with all my heart that wee were more charitable to the soules of our servants then many of us are and not on that day so to pamper our bodies as to starve their soules that are under our charge and for whom we must give account especially if wee consider that other meaning which God had in prohibiting the gathering and preparing Mannah on the Sabbath-day so much inculcated by divines to wit that it is not earthly but heavenly Mannah that is the food and welfare of our soules which on that day our appetite ought chiefely to stand to as wee see by the example of Christs Disciples Matth 12. 1. And that this strict rest was onely proper to that season and not to us I further prove it by two contexts The first is out of the 16. Exod. 29. compared with the 27. where when the people went to gather Mannah contrary to Gods commandements Moses rebuked them saying Behold how the Lord hath given you the Sabbath therefore hee giveth you bread for two dayes tarry therefore every man in his place let no man goe out of his place to wit to gather Mannah on the seaventh day where wee see the reason of that extraordinary rest was because of Gods extraordinary provision * See Tunius his reason in his comment upon the 26 verse of this chap. so that when the one ceased the other which depended on it ceased also The second place is Numb â—5 32. where it is said that whilest the children of Israel were in the wildernes they found a man that gathered stickes upon the Sabbath-day marke the phrase whilest they were in the wildernes how it seemes to restraine that strict kind of rest to that place and that time for many worse breaches were made after they were out of the wildernes and yet noe such punishment inflicted Besides it is a rule that every morall duty may bee performed of all men but under the North-Pole they cannot bee one day without fire and they neare the equinoctiall cannot keepe their meate for heate therefore this cannot take place among them and so not generall to all nor perpetuall to bee observed for ever Whereas some interpret that Law of the Israelites not kindling fires to bee meant in relation to the building of the Tabernacle which though in it selfe it bee true that being one end happily of that inhibition yet it is not the onely meaning of that Law for they were not to bake nor seeth their food on that day as appeares Exod. 16. 23. as also by the example of the man that was stoned for gathering stickes on the Sabbath-day which it is propable was not for the Tabernacles use but to bake seeth or warme some food neither was it lawfull for them to kindâ—â— fires after the Tabernacle was finished during their abode in the wildernes But there are others that interpret those words of Exod. 16. 23. Bake 〈◊〉 yee will bake to day and seeth that yee will 〈◊〉 in this manner that is say they bake and boyle according as you use to doe
was a kind of reaping and threshing Where their Fingers were in stead of Hookes and their Hands of Thresholds Thus againe the Iewes pulled Oxen out of Pitts and thus in the time of the Maccabees they determined to fight in their defence on the Sabbath 1 Mac 2. 2. When they had Commandement from God or Christ Iosh 6. thus the Israelites by Commandement from God compassed Iericho thus the man by Commandement from Christ caryed his Bed Ioh 5. some say that the carying of the Bed was a meanes of publishing the miracle and thus defend the fact but there was other meanes to make the miracle knowne and they will not say I thinke that the Man on the next Sabbath might have done so againe on his owne â—ead that then which made his fact lawfull was only the Commandement of Christ who being Lord of the Sabbath could cause any man to prophane the same when he saw good Answer Herein you go about to prove ' that the' Sabbath was either only or chiefely sanctified by resting from Worke. First by your owne Analys of the fourth Commandement wherein you would make God to put the chiefest part of the Sabbaths sanctification in Rest. Secondly by your proofe out of Ier 17. 24. Thirdly by proving the Sabbath to be prophaned by workes which againe you prove by shewing how he that gathered Stickes on that Day was more severely punished then many a one that other wayes seemed more to prophane it 1. For your proposition it selfe which is that the Sabbath was sanctified by resting from worke To this I answer I wish the Geneva note upon the title of the 92 Psal which is a Psalme or Song for the Sabbath Day that this teacheth that the use of the Sabbath standeth in praising God and not only in ceasing from Worke. Whereunto I adde Mr. Calvin upon the 2. of Gen saith he God did not simply command man to keepe the seaventh Day holy as if he were delighted with rest but to the end he being free from all other businesses might more willingly and quietly apply his mind to the Creator of the World Furthermore saith he it is an holy rest which delivereth Men from the impediments of the World that they may wholy bend themselves to the service of God Secondly I answer that it was neither only nor principally sanctified by resting for then any labour even about the worship and service of God had beene unlawfull and by this doctrine the best way for them to have sanctified it had beene to have laine all Day in their Beds * But as one observes upon Gods commanding Adam to worke in Innocency that Idlenes was never Mans happines much lesse his holines and they had sanctified it better in the Night then in the Day and every man in his owne House then in publicke Congregations which but even now you your selfe contradict Which Dr. Heylin would have us beleeve it is whilest every where he would perswade us That holy labours and necessary were breaches of it among the Iewes such as were Circumcision offering sacrifices and fight or flight in time of danger c. Whereas hee ought to know that rest from our owne workes is only enjoyned Isai 58. 13. that so wee may be imployed in Gods * And therefore Exod 35. 2. It is called a Sabbath of rest to the Lord that is to the Lords use like as the same phrase in the 5 verse shewes where they are bid to take from among them an offring to the Lord. And therefore was not the worke of Circumcision unlawfull though a painefull one nor the worke of offering Sacrifices though a toylesome one much lesse workes of mercy and Charity For Christ sayth Math 12. 12. That it is lawfull to doe well on the Sabbath Day No worke was a breach of the Sabbath which was either in it selfe as were religious actions or upon occasion lawfull to be done upon the Sabbath And therefore in the beginning of that chapter he makes the Disciples rubbing the Eares of Corne for hunger occasioned in his service on the Sabbath Day to be equall with the Priests sacrificing in the service of the Temple which was in it selfe no prophanation of the Sabbath though in the 5 verse Christ said Have yee not read in the Law how that on the Sabbath Day the Priests in the Temple prophane the Sabbath for wee read no such thing in the Law that they prophaned the Sabbath But he meanes they did that on the Sabbath which the Pharisees might through their superstitious misprison as well call a prophanation of the Sabbath and count unlawfull as that action of his Disciples I deny not but Rest from worldly workes was a positive part of the Sabbaths sanctification in the time of the Iewes because of the holines which did then accompany it being a Type and that transcendent to all the rest as I have often said But that it was ever meant to be either the whole or principall part of the Sabbaths sanctification I utterly deny although they abusivâ—ly made it so even to the neglect of acts of mercy for which they were blamed by Christ the Lord of the Sabbath as you say by a superstitious misinterpretation of Gods commandement agreeing with selfe-love and sensuality as you doe by falsifying the true sence of the word Sanctifie 2. To come to your Analys whereby you would prove your position to it I answer That in it you confound the end and the meanes by making the Commandement it selfe which consisteth in the first and last words to be expounded by the middle part as if sanctification which alwayes signifieth to set apart to an holy use should be properly interpreted by resting from worke as if God would put up with negative service only or as if that which is negative could be the principall matter of a precept affirmative But indeed the rest which you would make to be the only interpretation is chiefely and properly of a subservient nature serving as a significant accomodation to the maine duty of holines commanded as may appeare First by the Rest which was commanded them on their other Sabbaths was it not chiefely removendo prohibens by removing an impediment the better to devote them to services which was then enjoyned them of feasting and sacrificing and humbling their Soules and doth not the same hold good to us in our Sabbath which is to be sanctified by all these at once in a spirituall sence That it was so to them is evident in the 23. Levit 27. 28. 29. 30. Where God having instituted the day of attonement telleth them how they were to sanctifie it in the 27 verse to wit it shall be an holy convocation to you and yee shall afflict your Soules and offer an offering to the Lord and then in the 28 and 29 verses he bids them yee shall doe no worke in that same Day and what 's the reasons why it followes for it is a
particular Conclusions To your last End I answer That it is most true that the Sabbath was a Type of the Heavenly Sabbath and a shadow of that blessed Rest to come and therefore transcendent to those Types which were properly lewish and of a Temporary nature whereas this Sabbath had its beginning with time and shall receive its ending with time when the workes are finished from the foundation of the World When as the Church of God is possessed of the Antitype then shall this universall Type vanish by the second comming of Christ as the Iewish Types have already vanished by his first comming Broad CHAP. V. 1. The Sabbath was a shadow SAint Paul in his second Chapter of the Epistle to the Coloss. hath these words Let no man judge you in Meat Coloss 2. 16. 17. or Drinke or in respect of an holy Day or of the new Moone Hoc est figurae fuerunt quae portenderent ea quae post essent verè exbiÌ„henda à Christo. Marlor or of the Sabbaths which are a shadow of things to come but the body is of Christ. Here by Sabbath the Weekely Sabbaths are meant as I gather 1. Because St. Paul useth another word which doth most properly signifie the festivall Dayes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Vnles by Sabbaths in this place the weekly Sabbaths be meant * Vide Tractâ— de Sab. cap. 2. erg 1. wee have not the least warrant in Gods word for working on the Iewes Sabbath The Sabbatarians heretofore might with more colour have put of any Text then this 3. Taking it for granted that wee 〈◊〉 not keepe the Iewes Sabbath how it is credible that S. Paul being Christs only Doctour about Dayes Rom 14. Gal 4. Coloss 2. and handling this matter purposely in three Epistles should not give us to understand as much in one of them and if in any in this 4. Thus it is taken by very many great Divines S. Aug termeth the Sabbath Sacramentum ambratile spir lit Instit lib 2. cap. 8. sect 28. cap 14. Calvin speaking of the fourth Commandement sayth umbratile veteres nuncupare solent so that it seemeth the Fathers generally for Sabbaths here understood the Weekely Sabbaths and therefore tearmed the fourth Commandement umbratile shadowish 5. I know no more but two or three in Print who take it otherwise and all that they can say is that it is Sabbaths in the plurall number See Math 28. 15. Acts 13. 14 16. 13. but Sabbaths importeth the Weekely Sabbath in many places Againe that with Sabbaths are adjoyned Meates and Drinkes and therefore that S. Paul speaketh of such Sabbaths as are in ranke with them which manner of arguing is tearmed Petitio principis This is all that ever I knew alledged by any which is so little that it only argueth a will to say something it is not so much as a shadow of sound proofe Besides this Text Coloss 2. There are other pregnant enough to prove that the Sabbath was a shadow Type or Ceremony as that Exod 31. 13. and and the like may be gathered by Heb 4. * See what I have written of this Textâ—â— my questions but of these Texts more shall bee said hereafter Answer 1. However there may be another word used to signifie Festivall Dayes yet you cannot deny but it is frequent to name their festivalls Sabbaths Because of the Rest and analogy which they had common with the Weekly Sabbath * Like as Magistrates are called Gods though there be other words to signify them And such is the sence of this Text as may probably appeare by these following reasons which you so slightly evade 1. Because it is Sabbaths in the plurall number for the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where it signifieth the Weekely Sabbath and not the Weeke it selfe is for most part either expressed in the singular number or if in the plurall then it is joyned with a word singular as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and after this manner it is also every where translated both in English and Latine but in this 2. Coloss 16. there are none of all these 2. Because Sabbaths are adjoyned with such things in this place of the Coloss which are indisputably abrogative and meerly Iewish * Such as are termed in the 14 verse the handwriting of ordinances and in the 17 verse are termed the shadowes of such things to come whose body is of Christ that is which are fulfilled in Christ and whose significations end when hee commeth But we know the signification as you your selfe confesse out of 4. Heb of the Sabbaths Rest is Heaven our Rest there which remaineth unfulfilled yet to the People of God as the same 4. Heb sheweth and therefore are these the likelier to be such For as Dr. Andrewes saith of the Sabbath how that it had beene folly to have put a ceremoniall Law amongst the Morall so say I in this case that it were strange if God who is the God of order and not of confusion should by his Apostle in this place mixe one of the ten Morall Commandements with the hand writing of Ordinances things meerely ceremoniall and abrogated To which two Reasons I adde these which follow 1. The Apostle himselfe did condescend to keepe the Weekely Sabbath with the Iewes not only for a time as he did some of the Iewish Holy-dayes as also their other rites but at all times and in all places as occasion offered as being a thing of a different nature from their Sabbaths which he taught 2. These three Holy-dayes New-moones and Sabbaths are but as I may so say Synonimies in sence signifying as it were one and the same thing in the intention of the Apostle by divers expressions for were not New moones Holy-dayes and Holy-daies Sabbaths so that if you dispâ—â—e from a seeming Tautology you may as well argue against New-moones as Sabbaths And I would know why Holy-daies and Sabbaths may not be as well one and the same in this place of the Coloss as in the 58. Isa 13. both of them in the one place signifying the Weekely Sabbath and in the other place the Iewish Sabbaths Which Synominy doth the rather appeare from that 4. Gal 16 which is the same in effect with this of the Coloss where the Apostle by Dayes Moneths Times and Yeares meaneth things of the same nature and Ordination to wit the Iewish abrogated Types and Ceremonies such as begun with Mans Fall or rather with Moses and ended with Christs Resurrection unto which the converted Gentiles did too much adhere not such as began in Paradice and shall end in Heaven But whereas it may bee objected that doubtlesse had not the Apostle intended all Sabbaths in the word plurall he would have made some particular exception of the Weekely Sabbath considering how considerable it was so to do if he would have had the Weekely Sabbath to bee understood to bee still of force To this I
4. whereby their minds were to bee elevated above the Mannah that they should partake of on earth which they must enjoy with paines taking even to the Mannah which they should feed on in Heaven with rest from all labour and so is not yet fulfilled neither properly nor perfectly For wee must note that the Sabbath signified properly Gods rest or our rest with God not first Christs rest and then Gods though by reason of the admixtion of the Gospell in that time of the Law it signified Gods rest to bee by Christ as in its succession to Mannah hath beene shewne I say that properly it signified not Christs rest neither literally in respect of the time of the new covenant under the Gospell wherein we are set free from the burden which neither we nor our Fathers were able to beare nor spiritually in the soules of the regenerate freed from the Law for this their other Sabbaths did in regard this weekely Sabbath could not properly doe it at that time though now under the Gospell the Sabbath-day that attended the Law being done away this weekely Sabbath now supplieth the place of all their Sabbaths and now it selfe alone signifies our already entrance into our eternall rest inchoatively by being possessed of our soules spirituall rest in Christ a thing which whilest the Law was afoote it could not properly imply Because the Law gave no present rest but all future though in the time of the Law as aforesaid it was signified to bee made good to us by Christ. Yet it never properly signified the rest of Christ in the soule for then it had signified a present rest which was contrary to the Law and is now our priviledge under the Gospell The Sabbath-day being changed for that end from last to first For 4. Heb. 3. Wee which have beleved doe enter into rest where this rest of God is spoken of in a double respect to wit as denied to carnall Israel that sought to possesse themselves of it by works but granted to Gods spirituall Israel that seeke it of Grace through faith who shall not onely have it here after but even for present are possessed of it in their soules which happines the Law or first covenant never could afford So that although the Sabbath bee shadowish yet is it not the Iewes proper freehold but common with them and us being theirs onely as they were the elect Church and people of God to whom it universally belongeth and therefore was instituted even to Adam in innocency For the Church of God in the clearest state of it never was nor never shall bee upon earth without shadowish Sacraments and Sabbaths being her proper inheritance which were even in innocency where our eyes were clearer then they are now And seeing that the Sabbath is not properly Iewish it cannot bee said to bee abrogated because the substance is yet not come which is Heaven it selfe or our absolute rest and inablement to serve God there As was signified by that strict rest commanded to the Iewes on this Sabbath in the time of Mannah above other rests and other Sabbaths but onely changed to prove to us that the Gospell estates us in that rest and that presently which the Law should but could not And now in our dayes the stricter that wee rest from worldly distractions and the more sanctifiedly that wee keepe the Sabbath the nearer wee imitate Gods example * Who yet on the seaventh day that hee rested ceased not to cherish and maintaine all things that hee had made by his providence and in necessary and mercifull providence wee are to imitate God on that day as well as in resting and fulfill his intention in the institution of the Sabbath and the better wee performe our duty in glorifying God as the Iewes did in doubling their sacrifices on that day and the more comfort wee reape to our selves in lively moralizing thence our heavenly rest which we shall have hereafter free from all corruptions interruptions temptations * Doing God double service in Heaven to that wee doe him here For in proportion all that belong unto the Iewes concerning their resting and sanctifying the Sabbath belong likewise to us consideratis considerandis Broad CHAP. VI. ARguments prooving that the precept of the Sabbath is not morall nor perpetuall * Did some men teach onely that the precept of the Sabbath was greater and of longer continuance then the precepts of the holy-dayes it were not so strange but that the precept of the Sabbath and the precepts of the holy-dayes should bee of different natures the one morall and the other not is incredible Answer A pitifull shift that these Antisabbatarians and the Papists are driven to for the maintenance of their opinions even to the downe right adventuring to blot out that which God himselfe hath written with his owne hand a greater boldnes then King Belshazzar durst attempt touching the writing on the wall witnes Master Broad here and Vasquez the Iesuite else-where who being driven to acknowledge by comparing the words of the second commandement with the fourth of Deut. that the Scripture doth forbid the adoration of the true God himselfe in an Image and confessing with all that hee and his fellow Catholicks doe other wayes what saith hee then to the commandement why because it will not bee obeyed it must bee repealed and not admitted to have any place amongst the morall precepts of God it was saith hee a positive and ceremoniall Law and therefore ought to cease in the time of the Gospell thus making the commandemen of God of none effect to keepe their owne traditions Gab. Vasquez lib. 2. disput 4. cap. 4. sect 84. But the Iesuites come short of the subtilties of our age for they bluntly explode the second commandement whereas they might have let it stand still with a distinction Like as some of our Antisabbatarians For they cannot all agree upon the point doe let the fourth commandement stand though not for its owne sake or as a Law though wee must pray Lord encline our hearts to keepe this Law as wee doe to the rest but onely for some other causes and consideration dictated by our Antisabbatarians some one some another to keepe the ten commandements from a blancke I wonder what one man of a thousand hath wont to pray that prayer after the reading of the fourth commandement in their sense which if they will have passe for Doctrine they must either alter the frame of the commandement or else explode it as Master Broad doth But Doctor Heylyn part 2. pag. 241. objects that if this ejaculation bee to bee understood in a literall sense according as the words are laid downe in terminis it then must bee the meaning of it that wee should pray unto the Lord to keepe the Sabbath of the Iewes even the seaventh day precisely from the Worlds creation and keepe it in the selfe same manner that the Iewes once did To which I answer that
the 31. of Exod. wee read thus Verely my Sabbaths yee shall keepe for it is a signe betweene mee and you throughout your generations that yee may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctifie you The like was signified by cleane meats Levit. 〈◊〉 24 25 26. Act. 〈◊〉 12 13 14 15 20. Here by sanctifying is meant separating from other Nations to bee a peculiar people to himselfe In this sense Aaron and his Sons are said to bee sanctified Exod. 29. 44. Aaron and his Sons were sanctified and severed from the other Levites to bee the Lords Priests and the Israelites were sanctified and severed from other Nations to bee the Lords people of which sanctifying the Sabbath was a signe in as much as it was a day sanctified and seperated from other dayes of the weeke for the Lords service Now if God gave the Sabbath for a signe to the Israelites the Sabbath could not bee common to other Nations and consequently was a meere ceremony as was circumcision Abraham received the signe of circumcision and the Israelites received the signe of the Sabbath Hence I thus argue such as is the Sabbath such is the precept thereof The Sabbath is a signe therefore the precept thereof is significative or ceremoniall and is abrogated Here consider that if Noah had taught his household and Lot his Sons Abraham his Sons by Hagar and Keturah Isaack his son Esau and Melchisedech his people to keepe the Sabbath the Sabbath could have beene no signe to the Israelites for the World would have beene replenished with Sabbath-keepers at that time and a long time after so that no doubt wee should often read of this matter in Heathen writers Answer You say the Sabbath was given to the Israelites as a signe of their peculiar sanctifying or seperating to bee the people of God from all others and hence you fallaciously conclude that therefore it cannot bee common to others * See this confuted in Master Richard Bifield pag. 87 88. where hee sheweth how every signe of separation or consecration is not ceremoniall Nor doth every seperating or sanctifying marke oblige onely those that haâ—e that marke pag. 1 â—0 For though it be true that as a signe it was proper to them onely in their times and so also was the whole Law as it was renewed and given of God for a covenant betweene him and them * The giving them to the Israelites was a signe the Lord was nigh to them and therefore in vaine doth Master Dow alledge pag. 15. That in that the Sabbath is called a signe betweene God and the Israelites that hee was their Sanctifier and Deliverer out of Egypt which it could not bee if it were given to all Nations in Adam seeing the Law was the like and therefore doth hee say Psalme 147. 19 20. Hee hath shewne his word to Iacob and to Israel his judgements and statutes and that hee hath not dealt so with every Nation that is with any Nation neither have they knowne his judgements so that the Sabbath and the whole Law are alike significative and indeed have somewhat of signification in them in this second exhibition For as the Church it selfe was then typicall signifying the Church of Gods elect So was the Law as given to them as may appeare in that it was twice written to shew the double writing of it by nature and grace in the hearts of the elect So that both the Sabbath and the rest of the Decalogue as they are morall Lawes are forever common to the universall Church of God being not onely bare signes but of a double nature For the same thing may bee both proper and common in diverse respects As the Land of Canaan was proper to the Iewes as it was the Land of promise and yet it was common to many Nations in the use thereof to wit as it was a place of commerce and habitation and so is to this day And so the whole Decalogue wee know was common as it was the Law of nature to all Nations and People even in those times of the Iewes but yet is it in the fourth Chap. of Deut. 13. verse appropriated to the Iewes because it was given in a speciall manner as a Covenant betweene God and them and in that respect it is opposed to things that are common to all People in the 19. verse of that Chapter as the thing wherefore and whereby God will bee especially worshipped even for that very cause because as hee himselfe layeth downe the reason there they are distributed unto all People under the whole Heaven And yet is this Law no man will deny in the morall sense of it common to us now 〈◊〉 whereof the Sabbath is a part nay * For though wee refuse the Law as a Covenant yet wee entertaine and honour it as a rule of obedience Nor surely are wee to say that the Law because it was given to the Iewes must bee in the same respect to us as to the Iawes else it bindeth not at all if so bee it bee qualified according to our times and turned from a covenant to a rule Then granting this change and yet retention of the whole why not also of that part thereof which concernes the Sabbath and was also common to them that were not Iewes even in the time of the Iewes though not in nature of a speciall Covenant yet so as it was a Law of nature which the precise Sabbath I confesse is none but onely made equivalent by revelation and therefore did they then observe though set times of worshipping God yet happily not the whole day or at least not every seaventh for that most properly is the Churches right and rite Moreover the very Sabbath it selfe was of force by vertue of the fourth commandement to all that came with in the cognizance of it as well stranger as Iew And therefore could it not bee meant a signe of separation in your sense so as to appropriate it solely to them and thereupon to create it a meere ceremony Many things there were indeed among the Iewes that bare this sense expressely as the Paschall-Lambe whereof by expresse words no stranger was to eate untill hee was made as one that was borne in the Land by circumcision Exod. 12. 48. But it was other wayes in the commandement of the Sabbath for the stranger quatenus stranger was â—o observe it if they were within their gates * Nehem. 13. 16 19 20 21. Iubebantur feriari eo die qâ—emadmodum Iudaei indigenae saith Zanchy And not as the Antisabbatarians of our age would perswade that it belonged to the proselite stranger onely Againe I argue against you out of your owne place 31. Exod. That if God menat it as a bare signe peculiar to the Iewes why then doth hee fly backe to the primitive institution of it in the seaventeenth verse re inforcing the commandement there upon that reason which is common to all mankind The words are these
It is a signe betweene mee and the children of Israel for ever For in sixe dayes the Lord made Heaven and Earth and in the seaventh day hee rested Now wee know it was never the property of the Iewish types to looke backward to the state of innocency but forward But you will say that the first institution of the Sabbath was but a prophecy or fore-runner of the second To this I answer That it is very ill likely that any thing that was proper to the Iewes as a ceremony and not common to the whole Church of God for whose sake the World was made was prophecyed or fore-ordained in innocency For all the things that are made use of in Scripture from the state of innocency are spoken of as appertaining to the whole Church of God and not proper to any one People or time And so is the Sabbath made use of in the fourth Hebr. to signifie an everlasting rest to whom but to the People of God But you will aske mee how I know that this Law of the Sabbath was given in innocency and not after the fall I answer that this one reason may serve for all Because that whatsoever Moses maketh mention of before the fall wee have good reason to thinke it to bee done in innocency and to allow as well his Method as his matter in that particuler But hee placeth the Law of the Sabbath before the fall Ergo c. Besides your owne Hypothesis stoppeth this objection For if Adam should have kept the Sabbath had he continued in innocency as you suppose hee should its like it was revealed to him in that state And the rather was the Sabbath given in innocency that it might bee understood to bee equall with the Law of nature and to appertaine to the whole Church of God which afterwards was to bee of a double condition and so the Sabbath serves for a double end answerable to these conditions to wit in memoriall of the creation as it is in the 20. Exod. 11. and also in memoriall of our redemption as in the 5. Deut. 15. and as is the Sabbath such is the Law of a double obligation to us in respect both of our creation and redemption Note It is very observable in those two places how an order is kept which giveth authority to our second Sabbath and to the reason thereof for in the first giving the Law Exod. 20. the Sabbath is inforced by the creation and in the repetition or second giving of it in the 5. Deut. it is altogether inforced upon the redemption the creation not being once named or mentioned there in the Law of the Sabbath or fourth commandement lively intimating the subsistence of the fourth commandement under the Gospell and the binding authority of it in our dayes by the incorporation and addition of the reason of our new creation or spirituall deliverance by Christ into the commandement in stead of the old reason which is utterly omitted as if it were forgotten or at least overtopped and triumphed over by us that are the second generation of Israel * Answerable to that 65. of Isaiah 17. I will create new Heavens and a new Earth the â—ormer shall not bee remembred nor come into mind I wish our Antisabbatâ—rians to consider well that such a repetition of the fourth commandement not seorsim or by it selfe but together with the whole Decalogue in its proper place with such a materiall omission and addition or alteration cannot but bee significantly and doctrinally meant by the holy Ghost there But some argue from this connexion of the Sabbath to their deliverance out of Egypt that the Sabbath was therefore given to them for a memoriall of a particuler benefit to them and so belonged to the Ecclesiasticall Government of the Iewes and therefore though it were not typicall yet for that cause it ought to bee done away To whom I answer that upon the same reason they may as well abolish the whole Law and turne Antinomians if they ponder it connexed with its preface I will borrow Master Richard Bifield to conclude this point pag. 88. who saith that the Sabbath in those places of Exod. 31. 13. and Exod. 20. 12. 20 is called a signe in two respects First in that it is an Argument and Document betweene God and Israel and so betweene God and his People for ever whereby they may know that God hath sanctified them Secondly it is a signe not of any future thing but of a thing present as every adjunct that is a visible concomitancy is a signe of the subject present For in the observation of the Sabbath there is a publicke profession of that communion which intercedeth betweene God and us As then every solemne profession is a signe of that thing of which profession is made so also is the Sabbath called in this respect a signe Broad ARG. IV. GOd resting on the seaventh day it became his Sabbath or Day of rest as wee tearme that a mans birth-day wherein hee was borne and as the other dayes of the Weeke were Gods working dayes This his resting as I have shewed before Chap. 5. was typicall and it was the reason why God did sanctifie the day and commanded men to sanctifie it as appeareth by Gen. 2. 3. and Exod. â—0 11. Hence I thus reason such as the foundation is such is the building The foundation Gods resting on the seaventh day was typicall The Sabbath doctrin is builded on the sands and therefore his sanctifying it presently and mans sanctifying it afterwards was no lesse Finally consiner whether more then this may bee not spoken of Sion and the Temple then is spoken of the Sabbath This is my rest for ever Psalme 132. 14. My house shall bee called an house of prayer for all People Isa. 56. 7. I doe not know where the Sabbath is tearmed Gods rest for ever and for all People Answer My former Arguments have beene sufficient to give this its answer for I have alwayes granted the Sabbath to bee typicall from the fourth Hebr. Your comparison of the Sabbath with those phrases belonging to the Temple and Sion in holy writ is a meere flourish and readily answered out of the fourth of Hebr. where the typicall rest of the Sabbath is extended farre beyond the typicall rest of Canaan wherein Sion was for the holy Ghost saith there that the Sabbaths-rest still remaineth to the People of God implying the contrary of the other rest Broad CHAP. VII THE chiefest Arguments of the adverse part answered I come now to answer the chiefest Arguments of the adverse part I say the chiefest for with a cloud not of witnesses seeing they prove nothing but of Arguments such as they are whereby some go about to obscure the light I will not at this time have any thing to do hoping that as a mist it shall of it self vanish away from before the eyes of all those that read this Treatise with understanding ARGVMENT I. ADam
as touching your second reason why God should thus antedate the Sabbath and have such a speciall eye to Israel in the time of Innocency when there was no partition wall built up I see no reason nor could the ancient Iewes ever dreame of such an interpretation neither can you produce the like example in any thing else from all the Scripture to give some colour of probability to your conceit But some there are who screw their wits further then you to foyle this Doctrine of the Sabbath Ob. and for want of other objections stick not to say that those words Gen. 2. ver 3. were not at all delivered by God in Innocency but are onely by Moses speaking there of Gods rest aptly introduced in way of Anticipation declaring what God did then the better to give authority to the Sabbath that was instituted in his time To which I answer three things as followeth Ans. 1. That they may as well and better affirme the the foure and twentieth verse of that Chapter to be a deduction drawn and inserted orbiter by Moses Had these objectors lived in the time of the Iewes before this Gospell of Math. 19. 5. was written they would doubtlesse readily have sided for the maintenance of Moses his bill of divorce and have invented tricks against the law of marriage mentioned Gen. 2. vers 24. as now they doe against the law of the Sabbath mentioned vers 3. In both which Moses doth alike couple the example and duty whereas had it not been then preceptive why should Moses pussle our faith and transgresse the rules of method not contenting himselfe with the relation of the history alone as it is penned vers 2. especially seeing he needed not have begged any credit to the duty of the Sabbath by inserting it into that place For God had sufficiently warranted it under his owne hand in the Tables of stone from mount Sinai I say they have farre lesse reason to make this a Prolepsis of Moses his inserting then that of 24. vers of this second of Genesis which rather seemes to be an inference of Moses his owne collecting from Adams former words in the verse foregoing then this a Prolâ—psis of his inserting from Gods resting on the seventh day And the reason likewise is the same for whereas it was done saith D. Heylyn pag. 10. by Moses because of the Iewes adversenesse to observe that day and therefore they are minded of it by an intimation of the equity and reason of it even in the entrance of Gods book derived from Gods first resting on that day after all his works So in like manner they may alleadge this to be a minding of them of their duty in this from the equity and reason of Gods making them male and female at first because of the aversenesse of the Iewes to this conjugall law seeing that Moses was faine to grant them a bill of divorce for the hardnesse of their hearts besides the Polygamy that even the Patriarchs gave example of But I know no man affirme this later and if any doe let them compare this 24. verse with Math. 19. 4 5. and their mouthes will soon be stopped and as little reason have they to affirme the former but to grant this its being from the beginning as well as that 2. I answer That if these words Gen. 2. 3. were onely inserted of Moses and were not institutive but that Gods giving the law of the Sabbath to the Iewes was the first institution of it then these words of the fourth Commandement mentioned Exod. 20. 11. would have run in the present tense thus therfore the Lord blesseth or doth now blesse the seventh day and halloweth it and not in the preter tense thus therefore the Lord blessed the seventh day and hallowed it for this hath a reference with it implying it to have been done aforetime of God as indeed it was like of those last words of the third verse of the second of Gen. which God had created and made imply a precedent Creation in Innocency not referring to its institution upon the fall of Mannah as some object for then there was no mention made of blessing and hallowing 3. I answer That this appeares plainly to be the meaning of the Church of England though opposed by our late Doctors which in the Bible allowed by Canon Canon 80. in the contents prefixed to the second chapter of Gen. calleth it peremptorily the first Sabbath But Bish. White brings in this objection p. 42. That the Law of the fourth Commandement was not agreeable to the state of Innocency 1. For that in that happy estate there was no toylesome labour c. Sweat of face entred into the world after the fall and before the fall mans labour was matter of delight and pleasure To which I answer 1. That this is a good argument with those that grant him rest to be either the onely or principall sanctification of the Sabbath 2. That there was labour enjoyned Adam which though it was not toylesome yet as we have elsewhere observed it must necessarily take him off from immediate contemplation and more solemne service and worship and that he was so farre capable of wearisomnesse even in Innocency as to have found other manner refreshment in divine and spirituall things then in worldly affaires 3. No more was Gods labour in the worke of creation toilesome but delightfull and yet he saith of himselfe that he rested the seventh day Secondly he objects That Adam being a free man might have intermitted labour at any time when himself pleased To which I answer 1. So no doubt might God in his worke of Creation 2. And so Adam by voluntary worship in keeping every day Sabbath and not this should have lost an excellent and significant ordinance as I have proved the Sabbath to be Iust as they would now have an every day Sabbath under the Gospell to blow up the weekly Sabbath As if because that under the Gospell God hath promised that he will teach us * Or as if because it is promised that now under the time of the Gospell wee shall have the Law written in our hearts in opposition to it as it was graven in stone and so given to the Israâ—lites We should turne Antinomians and not allow the Law in a sutable sense to our times viz. as a rule of obedience and a repaire to decayed nature to belong to us Ier. 31. 31 34. therefore we might cast away the use of meanes whereby we are to get knowledge But as the best way to be taught of God is to use the meanes whereby he workes knowledge So the best way to keep this every day Sabbath is to sanctifie the Sabbath of the Lord that so the Lord of the Sabbath may sanctifie us as he hath promised And those that most truly and conscionably desire to keep an every day Sabbath to the Lord finde most need of a Sabbath being built up sensibly thereby the
should steale a loafe of bread for pure need he was not so great a sinner as he that through contempt or wilfull neglect omitted or carelesly performed the Sacrifices of the Law or other Ceremonies Broad Againe Touching Gods gracing of the fourth â—ommandement above the other temporary Constitutions He would needs know a reason why God should grace the Commandement of the Sabbath above the other temporary Constitutions Answ. The reason happily was because the Sabbath served more then any of the other I thinke I may say then all the other Ceremonies to the furtherance of the Morall Law True that on the first and last dayes of the Passeover the Israelites were to have holy Convocations as well as on the Sabbath but this Feast as other came but once in the yeere whereas the Sabbath was once in the weeke Answer If the Commandement of the Sabbath had had its beginning with the rest of the Ceremonies you might have had some colour for what you say But seeing it was first set on foot in Innocency and afterwards revived as an equall among and contemporary with the Morall Lawes why now it should only be preferred to be the Master of the Iewish abrogative Ceremonies and so Moses his tale of ten Commandements brought by us into the number of nine I can see small reason to perswade And I know no use the Sabbath was of then for advantage to the Morall Law * In confâ—ssing the Sabbath to be of such furtherance to the Morall law he must needs imply against himself that the Sabbaths Rest was a significant medium to the sanctification of the Sabbath and not the sanctification it self properly and only but it is of the same use to us now especially if it should have been usefull as it should in Innocency So that if the Sabbath faile which is the sinewes of Religion then farewell the power of Godlinesse For doubtlesse it was the very reason why it was given of God as a perpetuall and absolute necessary Concomitant and Appendix to the Morall Law superadded by him in the time of â—nnocency to the Law of Nature as I have said before that it might be a perpetuall help thereto and therefore as it begun with it so it shall end with it Broad Not to stand longer hereupon Consider that the Sabbath was instituted for divers weighty purposes as no other Ceremony the like whereof before Chapter 4. Secondly that it concerned all the Israelites generally both Priests and People and also very often as few Ceremonies the like Thirdly that as soone as it was instituted it was prophaned the like whereof I doe not finde did befall any other Ceremony And if this last consideration did minister sufficient occasion unto God to grace the Sabbath above other Ceremonies seeing the people had already disgraced it more then the other and thereby bewraied what they were likely to doe in time to come how much more the two former considerations concurring herewithall This much to give him and others satisfaction if it may be Answer You say very true of the Sabbaths super-excellency above all other Ceremonies and let me adde one which is That as it was before them in dignity time so shall it be after them to the end of the world But for your third reason of the prophanation of the Sabbath as soone as it was instituted which you say you finde not to befall any other I answer that you need not goe farre to seeke one for their gathering Mannah was prophaned with covetous gathering and disobedient keeping of it before the Sabbath And you may as well say that therefore it was commanded to be put into a golden pot and laid up before the Testimony as that because the Sabbath was prophaned therefore it was put among the ten Commandements Besides offering of incense was prophaned in the very first exercise of Aarons Priesthood by strange fire Levit. 10. 1. Broad Now out of that hath been here said an answer may be taken also unto these words of the Prophet Isaiah 58. 13. 14. No more can be gathered from that Text then from the placing of the fourth Commandement among the morall Commandements in the Decalogue which is that God much respected the keeping of the Sabbath And this I acknowledge but this he did likewise the paying of tythes and offerings Mal. 3. and doth the partaking of the Lords Supper 1 Cor. 11. Broad ARGVMENT 3. SOme of late would fetch an argument from Christs words Matth. 5. 18. where by the Law they understand the Decalogue only Answ. Then shall the word Law be taken in one sense vers 17. and in another vers 18. for by the Law in the 17. vers is meant * The five bookes of Moses Gen. Exod. Levit c. the whole Law of Moses as likewise Matth. 11. 13. It is altogether improbable that where there is a distribution of Scripture into parts by the Law should be signified the Decalogue only Againe when Christ cometh to instance afterward in many particulars of the law some of the instances are taken out of other places as vers 33. 38. 43. If it be said these particulars may be referred to some Commandements in the Decalogue Answ. So it would be said if Christ had instanced in any Ceremoniall precept throughout the whole Law The instances as also that which is said vers 16. and 20. doe shew that Christ spake of the Law Morall or that which is to be kept of Christians but seeing the instances are taken out of divers places it cannot be gathered by them nor by ought else here what is morall in Moses law * Five books and to be kept of Christians and what not were it that by the law the Decalogue is only meant yet seeing no more is said of the law vers 18. then is said of the Law and Prophets If every tittle of the Decalogue in their meaning be perpetuall then are we to blame that we keepe not the Iewes Sabbath and forbeare all worke therein This text might better have been urged by the Sabbatarianis heretofore vers 17. the meaning cannot be that every thing that is enjoyned in the Decalogue is perpetuall for then it should follow that every thing enjoyned likewise in the Prophets is perpetuall and to be observed of Christians Now that no more is said of the law vers 18. then is said of the Prophets vers 17. is manifest for there Christ saith that he came to fulfill the Prophets which is as much as one tittle of the Prophets shall not passe till all be fulfilled That Christ spake thus as it were vers 17. The Law and the Prophets shall be fulfilled in part and thus vers 18. The Law shall be fulfilled wholly is not to be imagined It would aske a long discourse to shew Christs meaning Let it then suffice to have shewn that this Text maketh nothing for the perpetuitie of the fourth Commandement Answer It is true that
these 17. and 18. verses of the 5 th Matt. doe intend as well the Ceremoniall as the Morall Lawes for Christ going about to bring himself into liking with the Iewes by removing the impediment of their Law shewing that he made for and not against it First concerning the Ceremoniall whereas they thought Christ had meant to have made those Laws to be no laws but to have brought in a new way of Righteousnesse and Salvation into the world he telleth them his coming was not to disparage or annihilate those lawes but rather to ratifie them by fulfilling them not so much to take away their being as to give them a better being Secondly concerning the morall Law whereas they trusted to it to their own destruction and misinterpreted it in favour to their carnall and corrupt mindes he came to shew them the true sence and meaning of God in it to wit that they were not to be saved by their own but by his fulfilling it and that God will as well be served in spirit as in letter So that he was so farre from abolishing this Morall law as that he did more enforce it and gave life to that which they had made to be but a dead letter And thus this text maketh for the perpetuitie of the fourth Commandement for that Christ fulfilled both the Lawes the one by adding the substance to the shadow the other by delivering men from the curse of it through grace and confirming it by a new exposition * New I meane to them and a manifestation of the spirituall part of it as a rule of manners for all ages which is evinced out of the 19. verse where notwithstanding he had formerly said how that he had fulfilled the Law yet doth he there presse them to obedience which must needs be of the Morall Law Moreover as Christ meant not to destroy the law so neither did he meane to confound the natures of lawes perpetuall and temporary which was a way to destroy them and consequently not to annihilate the use and being of any thing save only such as did help to build the partition wall and were ordained for the state and time of the Iewish Church before Christs coming Much lesse the Sabbath which sprung out of Paradise before any promise of Christ was made and which now in our State or Church is every whit as usefull and proper as ever serving to cherish the Morall law and to help us to heavenly mindednesse by its signification Nor doe we say as you would force upon us in your Margine that every tittle in the Decalogue is perpetuall to wit striâ—tly for that the Law like other Scripture being occasionally written in the strictnesse of the Letter did partake of those times and of the state of the Church to which it was then given but Evangelically and in a sutable sence to our times it is perpetuall Broad ARGVMENT 4. A Fourth Argument is taken from Christs words Mat. 24. 20. but this Text being rightly understood maketh nothing for them neither An exposition of Christs words Math. 24. 20. Pray that Your not of the Apostles only who were all well nigh dead or departed out of Iury before that time not of the Disciples alone who before the siege departed to Pella but of the Citizens of Ierusalem and generally of all the Iewes Flight that is calamity from which I councell you to fly there being no hope by any meanes to avoid the same He tearmeth it flight to note the certainty of their overthrow Be not in the Winter neither On a Sabbath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a feast or festivall Sabbath and I am induced thus to expound this Text. 1. Did Christ mean the weekly Sabbath yet this Text would stand them in no stead See M. 〈◊〉 Tract pag. 73. Because Christ seemeth not to meane any one particular day for he speaketh of daies as before vers 19. and again after ve 22. except those daies should be shortened 2. Because he counselleth them to fly as soone as they see Ierusalem besieged Luk. 21. 20. And indeed it had been a great folly knowing that the City should be destroied not to shift for themselves whilest they might but to tarry untill the last brunt 3. Because the calamity befalling at the Passeover became came farre more grievous then other wayes it would have been for a great number repairing to Ierusalem at that feast were shut in by the Romanes and thus Totâ— gente velut in carcerem conclusa as Iosephus speaketh it came to passe 1. Bâ—ll lud lib. 1. cap. 1. That the aire was infected and many died of the pestilence 2. That they sooner wanted food and many miscarryed through famine 3. That there was greater dissention among them for quot homines tot sententiâ—e and many perished by this meanes 〈…〉 Some of late restraining Christs words to the Disciples onely hold the reason of his counsell to be that so they might not be hindred from the sanctifying of one Sabbath which say they would be grievous to the soule as to 〈◊〉 in winter would be grievous to the body Answ. As though they might not be as well hindered from sanctifying the Sabbath in defending themselves against the Romans as in flying from them and againe in hiding themselves after their flight being scattered here and there as the manner is of such If the Disciples following Christs counsell Luke 21. would depart out of Ierusalem as soone as it began to be besieged it is likely that they might then depart in what day almost best pleased themselves or rather indeed in what night they would which is the time wherein men usually seeke to depart out of Cities besieged If they would tarâ—y untill the city were ready to be taken which in them had been extreame folly there is no likelihood that they could fly and escape at all But not to stand longer hereupon the verses both before and after doe sufficiently convince that Christ gave this counsell for the better avoiding of bodily calamities and the event hath manifested the same Answer I will not much dispute what Sabbath was meant by Christ in these words of his Math. 24. 20. For admitting the conclusion how that Christ gave this counsell for the better avoiding of bodily harmes and calamities and the increase of those troubles which at the least was such as was not from the beginning of the world to this time nor ever should be For that they were to typifie the calamities that should befall the wicked and unbeleevers at the last day I confesse this exposition of yours to be in my conceit very genuine and yet it may for that very reason intend the weekly Sabbaths as well as any of their festivals For as by the one the Iewes should be multiplyed at Ierusalem at that time and so should their misery be increased So againe by the other might their consciences be so straitned in
13 Acts 32. 33. These words 32. And we declare unto you glad tidings how that the promise which was made unto the fathers 33. God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children in that he hath raised us Iesus againe as it is also written in the second Psalme Thou art my â—onne this day haâ—e I begotten thee As touching the meeting on the first day of the weeke which you say we neither finde where nor by whom it began I have even now shewed you the originall of it both for time and persons to wit on the day of Christs resurrection by the Apostles and the day fennight after Had they only met the day of his reâ—urrection we might have thought it had been only accidentall and not of speciall providence or if it had been recorded that they had met any other day besides it might somewhat have weakened the force of this argument But meeting twice and it being recorded to be on the same day together with the effects thereof it doth wonderfully prove the thing to be of purposed providence both on Gods part in assembling them then and on Christs part in appearing to them thereby to give originall to this Ordinance which accordingly hath been so observed ever since And therefore it is not likely that the Apostles tooke it up by approbation from inferiour Christians nor yet that Christ honoured it only by way of approbation but also of institution for we see what honour he gave to it a principio by his often appearings thereon and the gift of the Holy Ghost Iohn 20. 22. on this day which you so Sophister like passe over and only instance in that which seemeth to serve your turne but that it was taken up from them Though this confessed approbation of Christs granteth it to be of the same authoritie with Baptisme which was brought in by Iohn Baptist and ratified by Christ. And if the people of the Iews held the Baptisme of Iohn to be from heaven and not of men though they had no expresse command for it but only his practice and though the chiefe Priests and Elders beleeved him not only for this reason because they held Iohn as a Prophet Matth. 21. 25 26. and this their beliefe of Iohn and his Baptisme producing sutable fruits of grace and holinesse in them was approved of Christ vers 32. I wonder how any dare deny the Lords-day to be of divine institution and affirme it humane that know and acknowledge Paul to be an Apostle the least whereof was greater then Iohn Baptist and the thing of such great consequence and benefit to the Church and otherwayes so backed But let us labour to imitate these contemned Publicanes and harlots in beleeving this point of the Lords-day to be from heaven by divine institution and not of men by humane ordination suffering Pauls practice as an Apostle to overrule 〈…〉 as Iohn Baptist as a Prophet did them and framing our practice to ouâ— faith like them And so obeying him and his Ministers let us not doubt in like case the approcation of Christ in our behalfes above the over-wiâ—e unbeleevers be they 〈…〉 And you shall 〈…〉 second Treatise pag. 22. 〈…〉 that oâ— taken 〈…〉 the Lords-day is in some sort de iure divino in some sort namely not by personall but by delegate authority that is not prescribed personally and immediatly by God himselfe but onely by vertue of that authority which by God was committed to the Apostles for the ordering and governing of his Church but being taken for divine Ordinance or Commandement it is not de iure divine And further he saith To entitle a Commandement divine is required 1. That the authority be divine wherby it is ordained 2. That the Author himselfe that ordaineth be so also that is that both the power whereby and the person that doth immediatly establish it be divine Which divine authority is confessed to be in the Apostolicall constitutions but the immediate Authors are denyed to be divine Now as all other events and actions receive their denomination from their immediate not remote causes so the constitutions of the Apostles although they proceed originally from the instinct and aspiration of the Holy Ghost Gods spirit yet proceeding immediatly from the institutions of the Apostles themselves which delivered them unto the Church in forme of Commandements they are to be tearmed humane constitutions and not properly divine Thus you have M r. Breerewoods opinion of the divine authority of the Lords-day much more Orthodox then yours only in answer to this later part where he saith that Apostolicall actions are to be tearmed humane from that principle That all actions are to receive their denominations from their immediate not remote causes He might have considered how that all the new Testament is called the word of God from the remote Cause the Spirit of God which inspired it though the Apostles and Evangelists writ it which were men and that by no expresse Commandement that we finde Bishop White averreth against T. B. pag. 91. That our weekly observation of the Lords-day in the time of the Gospell is an holy and godly practise for it is warranted by the example of the Apostles and those Primitive Churches which were planted by the Apostles and which received their Ecclesiasticall precepts and constitutions by tradition from the Apostles so that the Apostles first founded it as he further affirmes pag. 97. saith he It is an ignorant speech to tearme it a popish tradition for popish traditions had not their beginnings from the Apostles So also pag. 189. We beleeve saith he that the holy Apostles ordained the Sunday to be a weekly Holy-day because the Primitive Fathers who lived some of them in the Apostles dayes and others of them immediatly after and who succeedeth them in Apostolicall Churches did universally maintaine the religious observation of this day So againe pag. 192. It is probable that in the Churches at Corinth and Galatia the Lords-day was made a weekly Holy-day by the Apostles for they principally governed those Churches at this time 1 Cor. 16. 1 2. And yet Doctor Heylyn laboureth to prove this ordination of Paul to the Galathians to be upon a sabbath-Sabbath-day and not upon the Lords-day And againe pag. 192. It could not possibly have come to passe that all and every Apostolicall Church throughout the universall world should so early and in the beginning of their plantation have consented together to make the Sunday a weekly Service-day unlesse they had been thus directed by their first founders the holy Apostles themselves c. Lastly it is a true that a long time after Christs Resurrection was the name of Lords-day given to the first day of the weeke * I have shewed before the significant use of the Sabbath paffing under the name of the first day of the week in scripture before it come to be stiled the Lords-day to wit when the first day of the week began to be most currantly