of the Week which before was Blessed and Sanctified when the Creation upon the six days was finished which Seventh day was the end of the days of the Week So as Cain as bad as he was and Abel who obtained witness that he was righteous Heb. 11. 4. both as I think kept the Sabbath Cain outwardly but Abel no doubt by that witness of his Righteousness in an Holy Spiritual and Heavenly manner to whose offering the Lord had respect Gen. 4. 4. but to Cain's offering he had not respect And if the Seventh day then ended the Week as it now does and if none can tell us of any other end of days at that time I may thence infer these offerings were at least very probably if not certainly upon the Seventh-day-Sabbath and are a good Evidence for it And the Righteousness ascribed to Abel Heb. 11. 4. surely does import his Obedience to all Gods Wills then revealed whereof the Seventh day was eminently one and Abel's sacrificing the Firstlings of his Flock was another Gen. 4. 4. Which Offerings were Types of Christ and proper for the Sabbath-day which Abel offered unto God by Faith and was a more excellent Sacrifice then Cain's by which Abel obtained witness that he was Righteous God testifying of his Gifts and by it he being dead and yet speaketh Heb. 11. 4. I think he yet speaketh to us to be Righteous as he was and to observe the Seventh day And that Abel was a Person obedient unto God in all things we have the Testimony of Christ who calls him Righteous Abel Matth. 23. 35. A fourth Evidence is from Gen. 5. 22. Enoch walked with God three hundred years And ver 24. and Enoch walked with God and he was not for God took him Enquiry p. 23. Which Enoch was a Prophet and Jude 14. 15. Prophesied the Lords coming to execute Judgment upon all and to convince all that were ungodly Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all Corrupt or all no Worshippers thrice mentioned in the 15 ver 'T is true those who do not Worship God or do not Worship him aright are highly blameable but the true Signification of the Greek word being from Alpha privative and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to Worship the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 does tell us who they were whom Enoch reproved that is such as did not Worship God at all or not according to his appointments and does imply that Enoch did Worship God aright or else how could Enoch convince others if himself did not keep the Blessed and Sanctified Day and whether the word in Jude 14. 15. do not imply also that the rest of the then degenerated Posterity of Adam whom Enoch reproved did neglect the Blessed Day seems as I conceive very probable And these are Evidences for the Seventh-day-Sabbath before the Flood At present I pass by Gen. 13. 2 3 4 5 6 9 10. Jashebeth because by the Points it may be from the verb Jashab he dwelt Evidences that after the Flood the Sabbath was kept before the Law at Sinai Gen. 26. 2 4. Enquiry p. 23. 24. the Lord appeares to Isaac and promises that in his seed all the nations of the earth should be blessed ver 5. Because that Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge my commandments my statutes and my laws Blessing the Nations in his Seed includes a promise of Christ upon Abraham's Obedience How Abraham came to know all the Commandments Statutes and Laws I know not certainly It may be they being implanted in Adam who was created in Gods own Image Gen. 1. 26 27. were taught down along from Adam in gracious Families from Father to Son and so to Abraham And it may be also by special Revelation but this is certain that Abraham knew these how else could he keep or obey them and 't is certain he obeyed the Lords voice and kept his Commandments and his Laws and one eminent Voice and Law of God was Gen. 2. 2 3. and God blessed the seventh day and Sanctified it And Abraham kept my Commandments Gen. 26. 5. and in Exod 16. 27 28. how long refuse ye to keep my commandments the same Hebrew word with that Gen. 26. 5. and the Command which Israel brake Exod. 16. 27 28. Was that some of them upon the Seventh-day-Sabbath went out to gather Manna which they ought not to have done and so the Command which they brake it seems was one of those which Abraham kept And Gen. 26. 5. Abraham kept my Laws and in Exod. 16. 4. The Lord to Moses I will rain bread from heaven for you and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day that I may prove them whether they will walk in my Law or no and Exod. 16 27 28. when some brake the Sabbath and went out to gather Manna on the seventh Day the Lord says to Moses How long refuse ye to keep my laws it is the same Hebrew word with that Gen. 26. 5. where the Lord says Abraham kept his Laws and the Doctor does neither offer nor pretend that Abraham brake the Sabbath Now if the Law broken by the Israelites Exod. 16. 4 28. were the Seventh-day-Sabbath as it certainly was then 't is very likely one of the Laws of God kept by Abraham Gen. 26. 5. tho the Sabbath be not particularly there named was the Seventh-day-Sabbath which the Israelites brake Exod. 16. for we have the same Hebrew word for both so that it does appear by Gen. 26. 5. That Abraham obeyed the Lords voice and kept his commandments and his laws and I see no good colour to doubt it And he that says Abraham kept not the Sabbath when God says Abraham kept his Commands and his Laws may as well deny that Abraham kept any other of the Commands or Laws of God a Sixth is from Exod. 5. 5. In Exod. 3. 18. the Lord to Moses Say to the King of Egypt the Lord God of the Hebrews hath met with us and now let us go we beseech thee three days journey into the Wilderness that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God which they could not freely do in Aegypt Exod. 8. 26. Now Horeb as Geographers observe was without hinderances about three days Journey from Aegypt concerning which Mountain God foretold Moses Exod. 3. 12. When thou hast brought forth the people out of Aegypt ye shall serve God upon this mountain Upon which Mountain the Law for the Sabbath was reinforced Exod. 20. 8. And in Exod. 4. 21 23. The Lord to Moses say unto Pharaoh thus saith the Lord Israel is my Son and I say unto thee let my Son go that he may serve me And Exod. 4. 29 30 31. When Aaron had spoken to the Israelites all the words which the Lord had spoken to Moses the people believed and when they heard that the Lord had visited the Children of Israel and that he had looked upon their Affliction then they bowed their Heads and worshipped and it were
not hard to say 't is probable that Aarons preaching to them all the words the Lord had spoken and their worshipping was upon the Sabbath day as will further appear in Exod. 5. 4 5 8 14 17 19. In Exod. 5. 1. Moses and Aaron went in and told Pharaoh Thus saith the Lord God of Israel let my people go that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness and 't is not over hard to imagine what that Feast was which by comparing Exod. 14. where the Aegyptians were drowned Exod. 15. 1 22 23. where is Moses's song and the murmuring at Morah and Exod. 16. 1 23. it s likely was the Feast of the Sabbath Exod. 5. 2. Pharaoh said Who is the Lord that I should obey his voice to let Israel go and ver 3. Moses and Aaron said the God of the Hebrews bath met with us let us go we pray thee and sacrifice unto the Lord our God and ver 4. the King said unto them Wherefore do ye Moses and Aaron let the people or make them to cease from their work get you to your burdens and Exod 5. 5. Pharaoh said behold the people of the land now are many and you make them rest from their burdens You make them rest Heb. Vehishbattem which as I take it is in the conjugation Hiphil praeterit tense second Person plural number from the root Shabath he kept Sabbath and signifies and yemake them to keep sabbath from their burdens the very same root in Gen. 2. 2. God sabatized rested or kept Sabbath on the seventh Day from all his Work which he had made and from the same root Gen. 2. 3. and God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made So as Pharaoh charges Moses and Aaron as making the Israelites to cease from their Work and as making of them to keep Sabbath from their Burdens And when the Word of God is so plain and full and certain and that by the Mouth of Pharaoh an enemy that Moses and Aaron did make the Israelites cease from their Work ver 4. and did make them keep Sabbath ver 5. For the Doctor to say against such a plain Word beside what was said before of Abel Abraham c. as he does p. 7. And I think sometimes afterward to the like effect that we have not the least mention of the Sabbath from Gen. 2. 3. 'till after Israels coming out of Aegypt may excuse my so long insisting on these Scriptures So we have here in Exod. 5. 5. express mention of the Israelites ceasing from their work and keeping the Sabbath and the Taskmasters exacting their daily Tasks every day Exod. 5. 13 14. shews this which are evidences for keeping the Sabbath before they came out of Aegypt and Exod. 5. 17. Pharaoh upbraids them as idle therefore ye say let us go to do Sacrifice to the Lord. And the Sacrifices though they were to be offered every day yet as a Feast-day were offered on the Sabbath And Exod. 8. 1 8 25 26 27 28. and Exod. 9. 1 13. and Exod. 10. 3 7 8 9 11 22 24 25. are agreeable to Exod. 3. 4. 5. and Exod. 12. 12 13. After the Plague upon the first Born Pharaoh to Moses and Aaron rise up get you forth and go and serve the Lord as ye have said also take your Flocks and your Heards as ye have said and be gone and bless me also And that excellent History does shew how the Lord delivered his people out of Pharaoh's hand and all his strugling to hinder the Service of God and to debar them of the liberty to offer Spiritual Sacrifices unto him did all contribute to make the Deliverance more compleat from that oppressing Bondage sedately to serve God and keep his Sabbaths as in Exod. 16. 23. where they had a Feast of Bread from Heaven ver 4. and I think ver 13. of Quails also besides their Flocks and Heards Exod. 12. 12 13. Another proof that Moses and Aaron and the Israelites had the knowledge of the Seventh-day-Sabbath and did observe it and that before the Law at Sainai is from Exod. 16. As to the Doctor 's Opinion of a new Institution of another Sabbath Exod. 15. 23 25. at Marah I answer that upon their murmuring there because the Waters were bitter which were there cured by a Tree which the Lord shewed Moses he made a Statute and an Ordinance and there he proved them ver 25. 26. said If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of Jehovah thy God and wilt do that which is right in his sight and wilt give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes I will put none of these diseases upon thee which I have brought upon the Aegyptians for I am the Lord that healeth thee which seems expresly the Statute and Ordinances before mentioned which Statute and Ordinance confirms the Lords Commandments and all his Statutes but alters none of them so that the conceit of a new Sabbath day here instituted without any word from God is a meer conjecture by learned Mr. Chafie as afterward and what that Statute and Ordinance was the Doctor says p. 4. We cannot tell which I think is enough to set aside all new Epocha here And Exod. 15. 27. from Marah they came to Elim where they encamped by other Waters And Exod. 16. 1. They journyed from Elim to the Wilderness of Sin and there they murmured again for want of Bread and Exod. 16. 2 3. the Lord to Moses I will rain bread from heaven for you and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day ver 4. And the sixth day they shall prepare that which they bring in and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily ver 5. And at even the quails came up ver 13. And every man gathered the Manna every morning ver 4. 21. which was every Day of the Week except the seventh Day ver 22. So the Lord there reckons the days the sixth Day and the seventh Day after the same manner as at the first Gen. 1. and Gen. 2. And this as it seems was not at Elim nor at Marah but at another place and time viz. in the Wilderness of Sin which is between Elim and Synai Exod. 16. 1. But that the Lord there altered the way of numbring the days or instituted a new Sabbath day no such thing is there that I can find but reckons the sixth and seventh days which supposes the 1 2 3 4 and 5 to make up the Week in the same manner as Gen. 1. and Gen. 2. to which seventh Day as Exod. 5. 5. the Israelites in Aegypt were no strangers And the Sabbath ver 23. is here called the Holy Sabbath that is the Sabbath hallowed or sanctified by the Lord Gen. 2. 3. and the Sabbath is four times called the seventh Day from ver 26. to 30. But not a word
make for true Peace which Gods Word when it is obeyed does most certainly do and the foolish Questions are those which cross his Law and Word and are contrary to it and striving against his Law and Word is one of the worst Fruits of the Flesh which Wars against his Will and to use some of his Words in whomsoever that Temper is found I doubt it is for want of true Love and other Fruits of the Holy Spirit And when some study to spin out Disputes into so fine a Thread as to make the day begin and end at one time which God has so firmly settled to begin and end at another Gen. 1. 5 8 13 19 23 31. and to make the Week days all uncertain which is which c. is to make that dark and difficult which the Scriptures and Works of God have made plain I think within we complain of the Romanists and I think of others also and deservedly for loading their Worship with Ceremonies the number of which besides that they are meer humane Inventions and so of no spiritual Use are a burden which has broken down many eminently Holy and Learned in this Age and which divert the Mind from Spiritual Worship And I think it also somewhat of the same Mischief when Mens Minds are amused with uncertain dark Speculations whereby they are endeavoured to be turned away from plain and easie Obedience and Ground is layen for perpetual Doubts and Scruples whilst the Word says one thing and some of great Learning and Influence do and teach another And as to the Point in question I may say as the Doctor p. 70. I have upon the whole said as I weakly can so much as I think may satisfie others if they consider it without Prejudice a temper which the Holy Spirit can give his People and I know when men have long espoused a Notion by which they have a benefit which Notion if they let go they loose or endanger that benefit It is no great wonder if they go on in their old way till God does awaken them but whether they go on with or without Doubts and Scruples I know not Nor do I know any thing can be so plainly said no not from direct Word and Law of God which by an Ingenious and Learned Man may not be cavilled at if he be so minded and God will suffer him and when the Lord has as it seems to me so plainly declared his Will if some will not submit to it who else can help it And when I have thus said I leave the Success to the Lord. Pag. 71. he mentions a late Book on this Subject to which I had drawn such Answer as I then could before I saw the Doctor 's but finding as far as I remember nothing therein in this case but what is offered with great Advantage by the Doctor or what may be answered by observing Readers I think to say but a little more to it P. 5. of his Preface he says Suppose the Authors he means the Author of the Enquiry Notion be Orthodox and the contrary that is his own Heterodox he gives us the pernicious tendencies thereof That is as I understand him suppose it to be the mind of Christ and a Sound and Orthodox Opinion that the Seventh day is the true Christian Sabbath which is a fair and I think a true Supposition yet he is against the Communicating of it as pernicious which seems to me somewhat harsh and suppose his own Opinion Erroneous and Heterodox yet he is for it and would not as I understand him have it contradicted to which I only Reply that I doubt the ancient Prophets the Apostles and the Reformers from Rome c. were not of that mind In his little Book he has these and other Reflections on the Author of the Enquiry or on that he there offers or on those who receive it c. As Judaical fanciful baffled absurd Heterodox and impious scrupulous superstitious a Weed and Thorn rotten Premises sandy Foundations false Measures Proofs invalid which it pitties him to see uncharitable rigorous deluded Brain of silly Zealots impertinency empty false Premises silly Conjectures against all Reason and common Sense c. which seem to me blameable And he hopes p. 56. himself has written by Gods Assistance and Guidance and p. 163. by Gods Assistance and p. 116. by Gods Help and he hopes his Guidance Which Expressions I think may be used sometimes and in some Cases but men should take heed how they use them as if they were divinely inspired when they use them so interwoven Pag. 70. to p. 79. the Doctor sums up what he has offered with all the advantages of a Learned Man as he sometimes does before with new words on which I might make some Remarks In that about the Fifth Command p. 82. he tells us His Humane Law that is to determine who is to be reputed the Father and this he applys first to natural Parents which as cases may be put may fall very heavy upon many Children whose Parents were married but not according to Human Law And that General Rule from Humane Law if I mistake him not he understands as determining the Law of God for he says p. 81. There be many things which the Word of God or the Divine Law doth determine in Thesi that is in a general Position which when in Hypothesi they come in practice will require the intervention of Prudentials or Humane Laws and he there and p. 82. puts cases upon the Eighth Seventh Sixth and Fourth Commands So his General Rule is applyed to Laws in both Tables And what he there says as to Natural Parents the like he says as to other Superiours as well as Natural Parents and those Laws which seem absolute says he have yet their tacit Limitations implyed To which I Reply That I think every Man should beware how he sets up Humane Laws to determine against Gods Law in any case for if Gods Law determine one thing to be a Duty or a Sin and Mans Law determine the contrary we are I think to obey God Acts 4. 19. whose Laws are Superiour to all Humane Laws And he that in the Duties required in either Table does allow the intervening or coming in of Prudentials or Humane Laws to controul or to determine the Word of God or the Divine Law under that colour or tacit Limitations implyed and of room for Prudence to interpose does I doubt unlord the Word and Law of God Mark 7. 13. which unlording the Word or making it of no effect Mark 7. 13. is also spoken by our Lord there in the case of the Fifth Command v. 9. to 13. and does open a gap to enervate that Law of God So that for any to say that his Hunane Law that is to determine who is to be reputed my civil Parent that is who is my lawful Prince whatever the Law of God determines in that case under the subtile Words of Room for