brightness of his Fathers Glory the express image of his person as the Apostle speaketh And that in pursuance of an Eternal Covenant he was in the fulness of time â—â—nt into the world not only to work out mans redemption by his Active and passive obedience to the Law But also as the first Minister of the Gospel as the head and Law-giver of the Gospel Church to reveal his Fathers will for the Worship of God in it to this purpose he tells us Matth. 11.27 That all things were delivered him by the Father Accordingly Matth. 26. he instituteth the Lords Supper and in Matth. 28.18 he instituteth the Ministry preaching the Gospel and Baptisme and Matth. 28.20 he authorizeth his Apostles to teach whatsoever he had commanded them And lest we should think that although the alteration of the Acts of Worship were within Christs commission yet the alteration of the solemn time of Worship was not he hath inspired three of the four Evangelists to tell us what he asserted that he was Lord of the Sabbath Matth. 12.8 Mar. 2.28 Luk. 6.5 Texts which I wonder Mr. Titham should fancy to have any thing in them for the old Sabbath For he who reads any of the Evangelists must yield the sense to be this at first sight That he had authority to expound the Law of the Sabbath contrary to the rigid sense of the Doctors of those times so as it should allow a liberty for acts of necessity piety and mercy The words do plainly assert our Saviour an Authority to alter the Sabbath for he is Lord of it Our Brethren by their daily practice yield our Saviour a liberty to alter the Acts of Worship hence they do not offer Sacrifices as the Jews did though by the way observe our Saviour never said to us You shall no longer Sacrifice they allow of Baptisme instead of Circumcision though it be worthy of our Brethrens observation that Mr. Titham and Mr. Pooly fell to Circumcision and consequently to a denyall of Christ and under the terror of that Text If you be circumcised Christ shall profit you nothing Our Brethren also allow the Ordinances of the Lords Supper and Preaching and certainly it is very unreasonable for our Brethren to allow their Lord and Saviour the authority to alter the Acts of Worship and to deny him a power as to the time of Worship Certainly the time is not so considerable as to the glory of God as the Acts of Worship are besides that as I said before to deny our Saviour this Authority is to deny him to be God Equall with his Father and to deny what three of the Evangelists expresly assert with an even and also The Son of Man is Lord even or also of the Sabbath day CHAP. V. That the Lord Jesus Christ in pursuance of his Commission for establishing the Gospel Church did alter the Sabbath from the seventh to the first day of the Week How this appears THis being obtained we have nothing to doe but to prove That our Lord did alter the Sabbath day In order to which proof Sheppard Thes Sab. th 24. what that holy and learned man Mr. Sheppard hath said is to be observed We are not to expect such evidence from Scripture concerning this change as fond and humorous wits sometimes plead for in this controversie Namely that Christ should come with Drum and Trumpet as it were upon Mount Zion and proclaim by word or writing in express words The Jewish Sabbath is abrogated and the first day of the week instituted in its room to be observed of all Christians to the end of the world For it is not the Lords manner to speak so in many things concerning his Kingdom but as it were occasionally or in way of history or Epistle to some particular Church or people c. The Scripture saith that Christ after his resurrection continued upon the Earth forty dayes speaking of things concerning the Kingdom of God Acts 1.3 and St. John chap. 21. tells us that all things which he said were not written for the World would not have held the books Indeed it is not expressely said that in that time he instructed them as to the change of the Sabbath as it is not said he any time spake to them about the ceasing of Circumcision Sacrifices the Paschall Lamb c. nor is it said what in particular he taught them within those forty dayes But certainly a moderate degree of charity will inforce us to believe that what we shall find in Holy Writ the Apostles and primitive Churches exemplarily practising in this thing they learned either by word of mouth or by infallible inspiration from their Lord and Master which is all one to us and we must be very uncharitable to think that those first and greatest Ministers of the Gospel the greatest Light ever set upon the Lords Hill should by word of mouth or practice teach the Primitive Christians so weighty a thing as the change of the Sabbath without any direction or authority from the Lord Jesus Christ The Apostles in what they did were followers of Christ Jesus and upon this account 1. Cor. 11.1 the Apostle calls to the Corinthians to be followers of him and Phil. 4.9 Those things which you have learned and heard and seen in me do ye It is true the Examples of the Apostles are not in all things our rules nor by us to be imitated But in those things which they did not upon some special reason and wherein we can imitate them unquestionably they are to be imitated and that in force of many Scriptures speaking to that purpose And in such things their example unquestionably amounts to a divine Institution What have we more than the example of the Apostolical Churches practice for our use of Water in Baptisme administring the Lords Supper to Women c. So that the business in question will much lye upon these two things Whether we can shew any Institution of Christ or practice of the Apostolical Churches in this case Here we will also freely grant our Brethren That the exercise of holy dutyes on a day will not argue such a day was observed as a Sabbath But if we will prove that the first day of the week was by the Apostolical Church observed as the Christian Sabbath we must prove That Day set apart for Sabbath Services more than any other day in the Week and honoured above any other day for that end To this purpose there have been three more eminent Texts in the New Testament insisted on almost by all Divines who have handled this controversie I shall not pretend to add any thing much considerable to what hath been largely and learnedly said by Dr. Young Mr. Caudry Mr. Sheppard Mr. Warren c. but I shall gather what they have said into fewer words and give it my Brethren in their own tongue and it may be more in their own dialect in a plain and familiar style for I write not
first day of the week more than any other Whereas both he and Mr. T. urge that the text only commands that every one should lay by himself not that he should give it to the Deacons Whence Mr. Tilham cavils that if this day had been their sabbath the Apostle would not have directed a survey of their estates how God had prospered them I have shewed before the Apostle commands this survey and a laying by themselves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 against the first day of the week We ask why against that day more than another but that it was a day when the Church used to meet and they might have an excellent opportunity to bring it in and have their hearts warmed by the duties of that day into a due chearfulness becoming them who give unto the Lord. But M. T. will not acknowledge a collection a Lords day or a sabbath duty For then he thinks the Apostle would not have added that there be no gatherings when I come Verily the mans ignorance is to be pitied Works of piety mercy and necessity are doubtless sabbath duties or our Saviour would never have healed lame persons on that day The Apostles meaning therefore doubtless is That there be no gatherings for these Brethren-strangers when I come But suppose it be yet Mr. T. tells us that a survey of their estates which the Apostle doth implicitly command that they may see how God had prospered them was no sabbath work But there is no need as I have said we should so translate it nor do I think it the sense that the laying aside should be on the first day of the week but against the first day of the week Here 's no survey of estates directed on that day In short say what we will our brethren so fond of this notion will make us believe that the strength of our argument from this text lies that we think that the Apostle here directed a collection on the first day of the week whereas we tell them that if it were so plain as if written with a Sun beam we do not think that would prove it a collection for the saints was a pious and charitable work but might be done or directed on any day But this is that we urge from the text It is plain from holy writ that the Apostles gave a peculiar honour to this day more than to any other day of the week Though on the seventh day the Apostles so long as the Jewish rites were indulged or so long as they had any hopes to convince the Jews when they came where the Jews had Synagogues went in and heard with them yea and preached to them Yet 1. They never met in a perfect Congregation of Christians on that day that we read of but on the Lords day they did Act. 20.7 2. The Apostle ordains their gospel sacrifice their collection for the poor Saints at Hierusalem rather against this day than any other But possibly we may find that as the Apostles unquestionably by direction from their Lord gave more honour to this day than to any other So our Lord himself also did so 1. This was the day on which he rose again from the dead This I am sure they will not deny and verily this is not inconsiderable Let us but here weigh two or three things 1. The Resurrection of Christ was the Lord Christs great work by which he shewed himself to be Lord and Christ and so confirmed the whole gospel and whatsoever he instituted in his worship It was that work of his which gave evidence to the vertue both of his life and death To this end saith the Apostle Christ both died and ROSE again that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living By this he was declared to be the Son of God with power Rom. 1.4 Hence is our justification Rom. 4.25 Hence our peace of conscience Rom. 8.34 Hence our lively hope and the answer of a good conscience 1 Pet. 1.3 It was our great Lords first holy-day as I may say Of the day of Christs suffering he saith THIS IS YOUR DAY and the power of darkness a day in which God hath given leave to the Devil and his instruments to play their pranks But this was His day This was the Lord Christs rest The day in which he rested from the work of Redemption As his Father had done on the seventh day from the work of Creation 2. May we not soberly think that our great Lord should and did choose to lie in his grave on the sabbath day on purpose to let us know that that sabbath died with him and to rise the next day that he might point out unto us the new sabbath which he had made for the new heaven and new earth which he had now created on purpose to rise upon the first day that his Father by the change of the day might have no loss as to the time consecrated by the fourth commandment Our Lord could have ordered his death so as he might have died and risen again on the 2 3 4 or 5 days he chooseth so to dye that he shall be buried during the whole Jewish sabbath and early in the next morning he ariseth Leâ— us in the next place consider what he did when he was risen The Evangelists record not so full a communion of our Lord with the world nor with his disciples after the resurrection for forty dayâ— he was seen of them In that time counting the day on which he rose were seveâ— Christian sabbaths or first days of the week We read only of our Saviours appearing the two first of them 1. On the day of his resurrection he appeareth to Mary Magdalene looking in the grave for him and to some disciples goiâ—â— to Emaus Luk. 24.13 and to the Eleveâ— met at Hierusalem Luk. 24.36 Joh. 20 1â— and again 2. After eight days saith St. Joh. 20.26 We read but of two apparitions more thâ— one at the Sea of Tiberias Joh. 21. Thâ— other in Galilee which St. Matthew littâ— more than barely mentions Mat. 28.16 17 We do not think Christs appearing made sabbath but Christs owning his disciple meetings on these dayes by appearing theâ— to them speaks not a little in the case especially if it be observed that nothing of any worldly discourse is mentioned as passing at these times but our saviour at the Sea of Tiberias talks with them in their art freely But say our brethren zealous for the old sabbath 1. If the disciples of our Saviour had kept that day as a sabbath he or they would not have gone such a journey as 60 furlongs almost eight miles 1. Beza saith either Josephus is mistaken or some error is crept into the copy for he it is but 30 furlongs 2. The length of their furlongs we know not For our Saviour it was now no laâ—our to him to move Certain it is the way was so short as Luk. 24.33 in that 〈◊〉 hour they could return
used to express the resting place of Thorns laid up to be burned 2 Sam. 23.7 Now because those dayes which it pleased God to set apart for himself were dayes in which he did require a cessation from labour to that end that they might better attend Religious dutyes these dayes were called Sabbaths and that as well before the giving of the Law upon Sinai Exod. 16.25 26 29. as after in innumerable Texts So as the word is indifferently used to signifie the weekly Sabbath as those other holy dayes which God appointed the Jews twice in Holy Writt we find the word with a little alteration doubled Exod. 16.23.35.2 we translate it a Sabbath of Rest In the Hebrew it is but the doubling of the same word or words or of a word from the same root and of the same significancy A rest of rest signifying it was not to be a bare cessation from labour but an holy religious rest So as the fourth Commandement is no more than Keep holy a day of Rest And because God had instituted but one such day in the revolution of a Week therefore by an usual figure the word doth sometimes signifie a week as Lev. 23.15.25.8 and so in the New Testament But that usage of the word in this case wâ— have nothing as yet to do with 2. A second thing which our Brethreâ— should know and observe is That thosâ— little particles a and the are English particles not found in the Hebrew but put 〈◊〉 by translation to make up the sense according to our way of speaking the Hebreâ— hath no more than Remember to keep holy dâ— of Rest or day of Sabbath and it is indifferent whether according to our Englisâ— way of speaking we put in a or the noâ— can any argument on either side be fetcheâ— from those supplyes to the Text. These things being premised we say That there are three things or four whicâ— the Fourth Commandement requireth oâ— us 1. That we should keep some solemn time 〈◊〉 a time of holy Rest unto the Lord. 2. That it should be one day of seven a seventh part of our time 3. That it should be an intire day 4. That it should be such an intire day of seven as God hath appointed But that this day should be the seventâ— day in order from the Creation we say falleth not at least primarily under the Fourth Commandment I say primarily not secondarily it doth as that was the day which God had appointed to the Jews Now we say 1. That this is not a singularity but divers divine Precepts both of those which were temporary to the Jews and of those which are of perpetual concernment have just such an interpretation allowed even by our Brethren and by all judicious Christians God commanded Deut. 12.5.11 You shall offer all your sacrifices only in the place which the Lord your God shall choose I would ask our brethren whether this Precept did not oblige them to offer their Sacrifices in the Tabernacle while that lasted and in the Temple afterwards when God had chosen that and in Ezra's Temple when that was builded You shall remember saith God to keep holy a Sabbath day one day in seven for an holy rest such a one as God shall choose for a Sabbath why must this be the seventh from the Creation only and not that only till God should choose another which done the Commandment as much obligeth to that We say in the second Commandment God requires of us observance of the Acts of Instituted Worship which with the Jews quite differed from ours Yet the command obliged both them to sacrifice anâ— us to preach hear receive the Lords Supperâ— How so The Commandment only requireâ— of us in the generall to worship God according to his will The fifth Commandment requires us to Honour the King wheâ— it was given the Jews were bound to honour Moses their chief Magistrate at thaâ— time and many years after they were bound to honour Ahaz Hezekiah and all in forceâ— of the same Precept God requires by thâ— Fourth Commandment that his People in all Ages should keep holy to him a Sabbath day He expounds himself thus One day in seven in which we shall not labour hâ— any bodily labour and such a day as 〈◊〉 should appoint You will say then how did the Jews know or how shall we know what to keep We answer the Jewâ— knew by a Law given them of the same Age with that for Sacrifices many hundreds of years before the Law given at Sinai and by a temporary Law often repeated and quite of another kind from the Fourth Commandment which day must hold still if we can neither find it expired nor repealed nor another substituted in the room of it buâ— if we can find any such sacred Record The Fourth Commandment is not destroyed but established That required a Sabbath a day one of seven such day as God had or should appoint We plead only for a new appointment of the particular day to the New Earth the New World which God made by the sending of his Son into the world in the mean while the Fourth Commandement doth neither require this nor that day otherwise than as that day was at that time by another Law by God set apart Let us hear what our Brethren object 1. Some of them have observed an emphatical note in the Hebrew as much as that Sabbath Remember to keep holy the day of that Sabbath Answ We yield it that the affix Î is indeed sometimes emphatical but hundreds of places are to be shewed where it is not so as no argument of force can be drawn from it 2. But we may grant it so it is not that day but the day of that Sabbath if the note of Emphasis had been to the word signifying day it had been far more to our Brethrens purpose But what is it to our Brethrens purpose that it is the day of that rest or that Sabbath We will grant them that it is no ordinary rest but a special emphatical rest a spiritual holy religious rest which God requireth not a meer cessation from labour but a rest of rests as God sometimes calls it an holy rest in which we musâ— not think our own thoughts 2. But say our Brethren you grant thâ— God requires by the Fourth Commandement 〈◊〉 seventh day how can it be a seventh if it 〈◊〉 a first day can the first be the seventh Answ All this runs upon the formeâ— mistake that the fourth Commandemeâ—â— requireth the seventh in order from the Creation which we have denyed it require no more than such seventh Day as God haâ— or should appoint Suppose seven pieces oâ— Silver on a Table before us either the one or other of the outermost pieces may be the seventh accordingly as we begin to count We must suppose the seven dayes of the Week so to lye before the great Lord oâ— our time surely that is the seventh whicâ— God will appoint and make
Customs of Moses and Circumcision is so called Acts 21.21 He was the first who wrote the Laws about them For any person to adhere to any Iewish custom after Christs death and resurrection is in effect to deny Christ to be come in the flesh Let me in the bowels of Christ beseech our Brethren to be serious in this thing I say again Whatsoever related to the Worship of God and fell not expresly under one of the ten Commandments and that primarily nor is established in the New Testament could be nothing else but a piece of Moses a Mosaical custom which Christ came on purpose to alter and to adhere still to them is to proclaim against Heaven I have no part in the Son of David Hence the Apostle tells the Galathians If they were circumcised Christ profited them nothing that is thinking themselves under an obligation to be circumcised and again he tells them he was afraid of them lest he had bestowed all his labour amongst them in vain preached the Gospel to them in vain why you observe dayes and months and times and years Gal. 4.11 that is Such Religious dayes as the Jews observed according to Moses I know many of our Brethren will tremble at the apprehension of this I believe many of them have said to the Lord Christ Thou at my portion and that their Souls in truth say None but Christ None but Christ and did they know it would not deny the Lord that bought them or by any action interpretatively deny his Authority to alter the customes of Moses I humbly beg of them that in tenderness to the Lord that bought them in love to their own Souls as I trust they fear every sin so they would fear their Souls sinning in this point of Judaizing which the Apostle as to other points layes so much stress upon both in his Epistle to the Romans and Galatians and Colossians and all along in every Epistle And in a further evidence of this let me beseech our Brethren in all seriousness to consider whither the poring upon this notion hath led others and let them who yet stand take heed lest they so fall There have not been many Leaders in this opinion known to the World in this latter Age. The first was John Thrask I never heard that he published any thing in Print in the Pulpit he did A man of so ordinary parts that it was some time before he could pass his examination to be made a Minister after this he preached this new Doctrine and was for it censured in the Star-chamber and recanted it and died obscurely at Lambeth But this is that which I desire may be noted he say our Historians equally preached up the obligation of the other Levitical rites The next was Theophilus Brabourn originally a Trader in Stockins after made a Minister and 1628. he published a book for the Jewish Sabbath a book to give it its due wherein a thousand times more is said for it and to answer arguments against his side than in all Books ever wrote before or since He hath been abundantly answered by divers though on differing Principles he lived till within these few years till he came to assert three Gods and grew to keep no Sabbath for on his seventh day he would ordinarily make Bargains take in interest Money let out more seal Writings c. Mr. Ockford was another what he was where or how he lived what he held more c. I cannot tell The next was Mr. Tilham who at Colchester in Essex made much stir about this point and wrote one or two Books He was reported before to have been a Papist sure I am his Books shew not the learning of an ordinary School-boy With him one Pooly a wild-headed Norfolk Preacher joyned he was a man of a rash giddy head and Principles Both these after went over Seas where I presume our Brethren know upon too good information they both were circumcised and to what else they ran I know not I speak not this God knows to upbraid or mock at our Brethren but by these examples to shew them the tendency of this opinion and practice whither it leadeth poor Christians This Tilhams Book though I think one of the weakest and absurdest ever wrote on the subject is what my Brethren in these parts glory in I know for a Teacher by a lively voice they had a person of much more worth than Brahourn Pooly or Tilham Mr. Rich. Breviter who I perswade my self is at rest with God he was a good Scholler and a person of a sober life and conscientious to his Principles and to whom the Name of Christ I think was truly precious how far he had drank in this opinion and to what degree he was perswaded of it I cannot tell Sure I am never so much as to print any discourse for it But I shall add no more upon this I am sure unpleasing subject 2. If our brethren would avoid this charge the next I am sure they cannot To observe the seventh day sabbath is to non-communion our selves from all Churches that ever were or are in the world I mean Gospel-Churches To say nothing of the time past Christian-Churches alwayes condemning them as Hereticks that kept that Sabbath upon which account the Ebionites were condemned I do not think unworthy of our brethrens sad thoughts That this day there is no considerable number of Christians under Heaven any where that keep the Sabbath they keep Our Brethren know that I am no great man for Traditions But certainly the custom and practice of the whole Church in all times and in all places not contradicted by any valuable number of persons of any perswasion is not to be despised by any but such as will arrogate to themselves more knowledge of the mind of God than all the world besides I must confess I doubt whether there be any one universal tradition except this nor is this purely such but my meaning is that there is no one thing as to which the practice of the whole Church in all ages is so on all sides confessed and out of doubt Now the strength of this lies here It is not reasonable to think that God should leave his whole Church in all times to such a mistake as to the solemn time of worship The general sense of the faithful is upon this account justly valuable in most controverted points I spare instances here they are abundantly given by Dr. Young Mr. Caudry and Mr. Warren Where the learned of our brethren may find them I professedly write to my neighbours who I know would be little edified by quotations in Greek and Latin To leave therefore the practice of the former times from the very Apostles times which is very significant at least together with what evidence we have in the holy writ 2. I say there is no present Churches of our brethrens mind or practice So as they plainly cast off communion with all Churches of Christ on
so Suppose that any one of us should seâ— to our neighbour our crop of Corn with a reservation to our selves of a seventh part according to the proportion of our Acres and we should say to them Remember I have reserved the seventh part to my self six parts I have sold you but a seventh is mine you shall not meddle with it Must this seventh upon such a demise needs be this or that Close surely no but such a seventh as either according to our bargain we shall choose or our Farmer shall set out This is the case all our time was Gods he hath freely given us six parts and reserved a seventh such a seventh as he shall appoint to himself Hath not God a liberty at his pleasure to set out a seventh to us 3. But say our Brethren it must needs be the seventh in order from the Creation for that was the day which God rested which is brought in the Commandement as an argument to urge upon us the sanctification of the Sabbath Ans 1. That our great Creators resting from his work of creation is brought as an argument to induce us to the observation of the Sabbath we freely grant but we say not as an argument for the particular day but for the same proportion of time God rested one day in seven therefore you must also so rest It is impossible we should rest that day in which God rested that day vanished and returned no more Our Brethren therefore can plead only for the seventh in the weekly Revolution and why not foâ— a seventh in Number only not in Order 2. But we may freely grant our Brethren that that argument held for the seventh iâ— order so far as it could be without any damage to our cause The Precept is onâ— thing the argument is another It doth not at all follow that because thâ— force of the Precept is perpetual thereforâ— the force of every argument should be sâ— also One argument brought hath a perpetual force Gods allowing us six dayes sâ— our own imployment what if the other haâ— a temporary force a force only for thaâ— time during which the Sabbath then instituted was to continue There is nothing more ordinary in Holy Writ than to annex arguments of an universal eternal force to Precepts that were to expire and arguments of a temporary particular vertue to Precepts that obliged for ever How often do we find this as an Argument affixed tâ— the Ceremonial and Judicial Laws confessed by all to oblige only the Jewes For 〈◊〉 am the Lord thy God To give but one instance Lev. 22 29 30. The Precept relates â—o a sacrifice of Thanksgiving it injoyned them to eat it all the same day to leave none of â—t till the morning for saith God I am the Lord God is all our Lord yet we are not â—ll bound to that Sacrifice or the rites relaâ—ting to it On the other side The Argument affixed to the first Commandement is I am the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the Land of Egypt out of the house of bondage The command in the next words Thou shalt have no other Gods but me concerns us as well as the Jews but the argument from the deliverance from Egypt and the house of bondage literally only concern'd them So here The Precept Remember to keep holy the Sabbath Day with the direction and first argument in those words Six dayes shalt thou â—aboâ—â— and do all that thou hast to doe but â—he seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God c. concerns all But the other Argument in those words For in six dayes the Lord made Heaven and Earth the Sea and all that in them is and â—ested the seventh day wherefore the Lord blessed the seventh day and hallowed it We say only concerned the proportion of time not inforcing the same day in order or if it did had but a temporary force that day being then under divine institution and there being a need of that argument to quicken the Jews to observe it for those many years it was confessedly to continue after the giving of the Law in Sinai Nor indeed was it possible for all the World or for the Jews in successive times to keep the just seventh part of time from the Creation in a strict computation those who know any thing know how this computation was interrupted in Joshuah and Hezekiahs time and what a difference there is betwixt dayes in several climates and quarters of the World making it a thing impossible either for all people and the Precept concerns all or for the Jewish people afterwards dispersed over all the world to keep the punctual seventh day in order from the Creation according to a weekly revolution I conclude therefore that there is no pretence from the fourth Commandment for any to urge that we more glorifie God by obeying his will in the observation of the last than of the first day of the week yea it will anon appear we less obey God The fourth Commandement only requiring one intire day of seven and such a one as God had or should appoint If we prove God hath appointed another the fourth Commandment stands good and we are rebellious against God if we insist on the old Sabbath and neglect what God hath more lately appointed CHAP. IV. That the Lord Jesus Christ was Lord of the Sabbath and had a power as to alter all Laws relating to the acts of Worship so this Law relating to the solemn time of Worship I Cannot but be so far charitable to our Brethren ingaged against us in this controversie as to believe they will yield us what we have hitherto contended for so far as it extends only to a liberty for the Lord of Heaven and Earth after his giving the fourth Commandement to alter it for though we cannot assert such a liberty no not to the Eternal God as to such things in the ten Commandments which contain in them a morall goodness antecedaneous to the Precept being made so by the Eternall will of God and the things being of that nature that the contrary to them must necessarily impeach the glory of God which he cannot with consistency to his holy nature recede from yet for such things whose goodness meerly depends upon the Precept certainly without derogation to the Soveraign authority of God we must acknowledge a power reserved unto God to make an alteration of them So that though we cannot suppose that God should by any Precept successive to the morall Law give his creatures liberty not to glorifie him or to blaspheme him or to have any other gods besides him yet we must acknowledge a liberty to God if he pleased to alter the law for the time of his Worship that being a thing from which no glory further ariseth to God than as his will is obeyed Now I presume it a principle agreed betwixt us and our Brethren That Jesus Christ is God over all blessed for ever the
the Earth and deprive their souls of the great advantage which they might have by it and certainly this is no light thing to those who know their Saviours walks in the midest of the golden candlesticks and surely they should be near him where he is To evidence this I perceive many of them wholy absenting themselves from all religious meetings on the Lords day the only solemn time observed by all Christians near them it may be in prudence and to avoid scandal they do not openly labour but neither are they will that day worshiping God If any of them will that day go hear a Sermon I appeal to them whether they go as to a Sabbath duty with that preparation with that faith in the promises to them who keep the Lords Sabbath as they should go who expect a blessing from the Lord of the Sabbath Ah! my brethren is it nothing to you Is it nothing to you to have your places empty at the Lords solemn assemblies to be out when the joint-fighs prayers and tears of Gods people are poured out before the Lord if indeed you could judge none fearing God but your selves it were some plea but I know you have more charity why are you then divided from them why will you then lose the advantage of their prayers and deny them the advantage of your prayers I must profess were there nothing else to keep me off this very one thing would keep me off from that opinion Eccl. 3.10 Woe to him that is alone when he falleth for he hath not another to help him up Of the gifts and graces of how many precious ministers and the advantage you might have from them do you deprive your selves Have your souls no need of their interpretations of Scriptures their opening Gospel mysteries their powerful exhortations and arguments for holiness their directions for your Christian conversation I beseech you reflect upon your own souls since the time that in zeal to this opinion you divided your selves from the generality of Christians Have your souls prospered as formerly Have you so increased in the knowledge of God Have you had such love and zeal for God have you so grown in any exercise of grace Indeed it is not reasonable for any to think that you should you have not had the means This is not an age in which the Lord worketh in a way of miracles but produceth his great works by means fitted to them Our brethren must be very partiall to themselves and their present teachers if they think them for gifts and graces comparable to those godly and able ministers under whoâ— ministry they formerly sate The Historian sayes of Mr. Thrask that besides a voice he had nothing we know how little judgement Brabourn had in any thing but this one point And how little Mr. Tilham had there needs no further witness then his own book where is vanity and wickedness enough Souls cannot feed upon a meer aiery empty roaring voice it is the word of God they live upon the word of God truly judiciously and faithfully opened and powerfully applied I appeal to our brethrens consciences whether they judge their present teachers so able and fit for this work as the Godly able ministeâ— of Christ who have wholly given up themselves to the study of the Scriptures and to the search of the mind of God in them I do not speak for every one that hath the confidence to wear a gown But I am sure our brethren know and will acknowledgâ— that all parts of England are filled with some number or others of able faithful preachers Now certainly it is no small disadvantage to our brethren to deprive themselves of all the gifts and labours of these servants of God while they walk alone erecting teachers to themselves CHAP. VIII That for any to deprive themselves of the liberty God hath indulged us to labour six dayes in each week is not without guilt IT is the Apostles Precept that we should stand fast in the liberty with which Christ hath made us free and doubtless we are no more to deprive our selves of that liberty which our great Creator hath indulged us than to throw away the life health or estate with which he hath blessed us It is one thing for us as our free-will offering to set apart one of the dayes which God hath given us for our own occasions for the service of God another thing for us to think our selves obliged to do this and to do it in a pretended Conscience to a command when we have no such command Since it hath pleased God to cast my lot in the Countrey I must profess I have most heartily pitied some of my Brethren baptized into this perswasion to see them in the time of Harvest by their perswasion hindred of a third part of their time from making use of those seasons which the gracious God hath indulged them for gathering in the fruits of the Earth The seventh day of the week they rest being perswaded it is the Lords Sabbath and the next day again either out of conscience to a command or to avoid scandall and danger of the Laws and I have sometimes thus said with my self Alas for my Brethren they are zealously affected they would not else for a private opinion indanger the loss of their Crops which God hath given them how good were this zeal if it were in a good cause but hath God required such things at their hands hath not the Lord said Six dayes thou shalt labour and do all thou hast to do Suppose these men by this devotion to lose their crop or a great part of it or at least to lose much in it c. what satisfaction could they have other than from their own fancy will it in the great day of account appear any otâ—er than a self-robbery for a Will-worship either it will prove so or the whole Christian World is mistaken and hath been so from the very time Christ ascended up into Heaven Can my Brethren think That the Spirit that dwells in all Believers and leadeth them into all truth should leave all the Churches of the Lord Jesus Christ and come and reveal himself in this singular notion unto them Can our brethren think it is not possible that in this thing they should be mistaken Surely they cannot think but if whole Churches may err and if they can think that all the Churches of God in this thing have for 1600 years been mistaken they may be mistaken Further yet is it not â—robable that our Brethren should be mistaken Our Brethren must confess that the far greater number of Christians are of another mind yea and not only of those who are Christians at large baptized and owning Christ as the Saviour of the World but â—f those who are Christians indeed I mean who have not only imbraced the Doctrine â—f Faith but in whom is the work of Faith â—ith power purifying their hearts and who 〈◊〉 all their conversations