weak and beggerly Rudiments then it plainly appears that their seventh day sabbaths are weak and beggerly This reason remains good till some body shall shew me that the seventh day sabbath was not included in these words days moneths times and years My last Râ—ason why Christ never commánded the gentiles to â—â—serve the seventh day sabbath is because the Apostle gives a toleration to the Christians to keep every day as they are perswaded in their own minds either to esteem one day above another or every day alike Rom. 14.5 which liberty he could not have given them if Christ had confirmed the Law of Moses to the beleeving Gentiles But this Argument did meet with two Objections the one was that this could not be understood of every day according to the letter of the Text because the Apostle gives a toleration to eat all things and yet the Holy Ghost Act. 15. forbiddeth the eating of blood and things strangled c. In like manner say they must we restrain the words every day to be understood of every day but the sabbath To which I answer that the Holy Ghost hath put a restriction upon the word every thing but neither Christ the Holy Ghost nor the Apostle hath put a restriction upon this word every day therefore no mortal man ought to take that liberty to restrain the words of a Text when the Holy Spirit doth not restrain them The second thing Objected against this Argument from Rom. 14. is this viz. That if we are at liberty and under no restraint but may keep every day alike then there is no reason to observe any day The answer to this Objection maketh way for the last thing intended which is to shew that though Christ hath set us at liberty from those Mosaical Institutions for the observation of days and hath made all days alike in respect of any Mosaical sanctity yet it doth not therefore follow that we may spend every day to the service of the flesh and chuse whether we will set apart any time to the service of God as I have already hinted page 90. For first God hath freed us from that place of worship by the death of Christ unto which both Jews and Proselytes were enjoyned to come up to worship which was in the Temple at Jerusalem and now Christ hath made every place alike in that one place hath no more Legal or Mosaical sanctâ—ty then another doth it therefore follow that Christians may abuse this liberty and chuse whether they will meet to worship God in any place or no No more doth it follow that because Christ hath made all days alike in respect of any Mosaical sanctity that therefore we may chuse whether we will keep any day at all Again secondly Christ hath set us free from those Mosaical Laws which God made for the maintenance of the Levitical Priesthood and Legal Ministry and hath not injoyned us how much or how little the Ministers of the Gospel should be allowed doth it therefore follow that we may chuse whether we will allow them any thing or nothing In like manner it doth not follow because Christ hath taken away the Mosaical institution for the observation of days that therefore we may chuse whether we will observe any day or any time for the worship and service of God But to this it is objected That though Christ hath taken away that kind of maintenance yet he hath ordained that they which preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel 1 Cor. 9.1 I answer in like manner that though he hath taken away those Mosaical observations of days and times yet we are under a command to observe A time to worship as well as A maintenance for Ministers my Reasons are first because the light of Nature hath taught all people to set apart some time to worship and serve their God for if the light of Nature doth injoyn men to worship it doth also injoyn them to observe some time in which they ought to worship After this manner the Apostle argueth in the forecited Scripture for the maintenance of the Gospel-Ministery shewing that the light of Nature teacheth That they which plant a vineyard ought to eat of the fruit thereof and that they which plow should plow in hope to be paâ—takers of their hope the like reason if not much greater he urgeth why they that sow spiritual things should partake of temporal things so that though God hath freed us from that maintenance of Ministers and that place of worship that was commanded in the Law yet there remains a moral obligation upon us to observe some place to worship God in and also to provide a competent maintenance for those that administer spiritual things unto us In like manner there remains a Moral obligation upon us to observe A time to worship God though we are freed from all those days and times that the Law of Moses commanded his Disciples to observe But 2. This doth not only appear from the light of Nature but from the Scriptures also which command That we should not forsake the assembling of our selves together as the manner of some is Heb. 10.25 Now if we must frequent the Assemblies of Gods people then we must observe A time to worship or else we cannot observe the duty that is here injoyned for if we may chuse whether we will observe any time of worship as the Objection vainly supposeth then we cannot perform this duty of frequenting the Assemblies of the Saints which appears was a duty not only commanded but practised in the New Testament Jam. 2.2 Act. 11.26 1 Cor. 11.20 1 Cor. 14.23 in all which Texts we are informed of the whole Churches meeting together in one place according as they were required which they could not have done had they not agreed upon the place where and a time when to meet together so that if Christians must meet together to worship God they must also observe a time in order thereunto And as I have shewn that A time and place ought to be observed for Gods worship I shall in the last place shew that the first day of the week ought rather to be observed then any other day and that because the Churches of Christ have injoyned us to observe that time for publick worship therfore that time ought rather to be observed then another for we are bound to hear the Church of Christ in all things that she commands us to observe provided that the Church doth command nothing contrary to the commands of Christ now that the Church doth not command any thing contrary the commands of Christ in commanding us to observe the first day of the week appears because Christ hath not left us any one day or time in charge rather then another no more then he hath left any place of worship in charge rather then another and therefore the Church doth do nothing derogatory to the mind of Christ in appointing a time of worship no more
SATURDAY NO SABBATH Or the SEVENTH-DAY SABBATH Proved To be of no force to the Beleeving Gentiles in the times of the Gospel By the Law of Nature Moses Christ BEING An account of several publique Disputations held at Stone-Chappel by Pauls London Between Dr. Chamberlain Mr. Tillam and Mr. Coppinger of the one party And JER IVES of the other In which the Arguments and Answers on both sides are impartially recommended to publique view Together With an Appendix in which the said Question is more fully and plainly discussed for the better information of the weak and wherein all the Arguments levied for the defence of the Jewish Sabbath are answered By JER IVES Or of the New-moon or of the SABBATH-days which are a SHADOW of things to come but the Body is of Christ Col. 2.16 17. Strangers not Circumcised may do any work for themselves on the Jews SABBATH-days for the uncircumcised stranger is not commanded to keep the Jews SABBATH-days Maim Treat of the Sab Chap. 6. Sect. 1. Ch. 20 Sect. 14. London Printed for Dan. White at the seven Stars in Pauls Churchyard and Fran Smith in flying-Horse Court in Fleetstreet 1659. To the Beleevers in Christ especially they who are in bondage to the Jewish Sabbath and more particularly to those in Colchester Grace and Peace be multiplyed from the God of Peace IF our Souls were but affected with the sad and deplorable condition of the Churches of Christ by reason of those great divisions that are among them upon the advancing of every novel opinion we should take up the wish of the Prophet and say Oh that our head were waters and our eyes a fountain of tears especially if we consider what great dishonour it brings to God who is and would be known to be a God of peace and not of confusion in all the Churches of the Saints and as God is dishonoured so the edification of the Churches are hindred whilst their Religious discords prove as great an obstruction to their spiritual building as the confusion of Languages did to the building of Babylon and as discord among Christians hinders their edification so it hinders the conversion of others for if a Jew or an Infidel come among Christians and observes the several Opinions that are among them may they not have just cause to say You are mad Oh then as you tender Gods honour and your own edification and the worlds conversion follow the things that make for peace And in order hereunto let me give you some Cautions First That you be careful how you take up an opinion or receive anything for truth before you have well weighed and considered of it The foolish saith Solomon beleeveth EVERY thing but the prudent will consider his steps Prov. 14.15 plainly shewing that some are so foolish that if they do but hear a thing they will inconsiderately and rashly receive it Too much of this folly is at this time among professors who run to receive every new thing that they hear of before they are able to give a Reason for the truth of the thing they so receive These men often prove troublers of the Churches peace and turn the joy she had of a sudden Proselite into great sorrow that either by their unruly and disorderly promoting their new received opinions to the disturbance of the peace and hinderance of the growth of the Churches or else by their sudden departing from those Notions that they hastily and inconsiderately received For it is worth observing that those that hastily imbrace a thing though it be truth seldom do remain permanent Professors of it this our Lord Christ teacheth us in the parable of the sower Mat. 13.5 compared with the 20. where it is observable of the seed that fell among stony ground how that ANON it sprung up but it SUDDENLY withered away for want of root which Christ interprets to be for want of understanding as appears if you but compare this hasty Professor with the professor who is said to receive with understanding ver 23. whereas the other is said to receive it incontinently ver 20. he departeth from it as suddenly ver 21. I speak not this to the end that I might discourage people from hasting to keep Gods commands but that according to the Proverb they should make no more hast then good speed for sad experience tells us that the Churches have sped very ill by such rash inconsiderate members who have proved disturbers of the peace while they have been in and many times have made havock of the Churches peace in their going out by drawing others after them Secondly As I would caution you to be careful in receiving so I would likewise have you careful in the promoting any thing that you have so received In the first place take heed of being too hasty in the venting that thou hast newly received for if once a man hath vented an opinion in publick it will be hard to recant though it prove very erronious how sad is it then to see men dispute in publick for that to day when they doubted of the truth of it but yesterday 2. Be careful in promoting of any thing thou hast received passionately and uncharitably branding all that differ from thee as Law-breakers and denyers of Scriptures calling all Ranters Quakers Papists Atheists c. that deny the truth of thy opinion as Mr. Tillam doth in his Treatise of the Sabbath pag. 6. accusers of Christ and reproachers of the Apostle Paul pag. 122 123. again he calls those that do not agree with him in this point about the keeping of the seventh-day Sabbath base-born muck-worms pag. 26. But no wonder Mr. Tillam speakes at this rate since as he confesseth in his Book That sometimes his affection did out-run his judgment Likewise Mr. Spittlehouse in his Book called Error blasted wherein he useth a great many words in Capital Letters instead of Capital Arguments taking that for granted which he ought to have proved viz. Thát the Seventh-day Sabbath is a moral precept then having shamefully begged the Question he manfully infers That all that are otherwise minded are breakers of Jehovahs Royal Law when he himself from that Text much insisted on by them Mat. 5.17 to prove the Seventh-day Sabbath a command to beleeving Gentiles faints in the way of his proof by saying It is PROBABLE Christ preached that Sermon to the multitude as well as to the twelve among whom there were Gentiles But what if one should say It is certain that this was preached while the first Tabernacle was standing and that it is improbable that he preached to Gentiles because preaching to the Gentiles seemed so strange to Peter Acts the 10 might not a man have better ground to evince the one then he hath to infer the other viz. because Christ preached to the multitude that therefore two of the twelve were Gentiles and yet for all he confesseth that it is but a PROBABLE conjecture yet he hath the confidence
that after ten generations he might enter though not before and there was more then ten generations passed from Moses to the time of this Prophet Esay so that though the Eunuch could not enter at first yet after ten generations he might be admitted into the Jews Church Again I have hinted that these could not be gospel-Gospel-times because they that shall be thus admitted shall offer Sacrifices and Burnt-offerings to which you have not answered a word Furthermore he doth not bid them keep the sabbath because salvation WAS come but because it was TO come which shews that those were duties to be observ'd before the coming of JESUS CHRIST Lastly Mr. Tillam saith in his Argument that they are the Sons of Strangers and such Gentiles as could not be joyned to the Jews Religion but the Text saith the direct contrary viz. That the Son of the stranger HAD joyned himself to the Lord vers 3. and let not the son of the stranger which IS joyned to the Lord c. and the strangers that cleave to the Lord vers 6. them will I bring to my holy mountain c. Mr. Tillam There is in the Text Man and the Son of man to take hold of this Righteousness and therefore it must be understood of every man And whereas you say here is Burnt-offerings in the Text as well as keeping the Sabbath I answer what is meant by Burnt-offerings is doubtful it being a word of a various signification but he that takes believers to be Priests may take their Services to be Sacrifices and this I the rather think because the Text saith When this salvation is come then they shall keep the sabbath Mr. Ives Mr. Tillam adds to this Text divers things and the Scripture saith Add not to his words lest 〈◊〉 reprove thee and thou be found a lyar Prov. 306. As first he saith it is written They SHALL keep the Sabbath when this Salvation is come 〈◊〉 whereas the text doth not say so but bids them do justice and keep the Sabbaths because the salvation was neer to come that by so doing they might be a people prepared for the Lord according as John by his Ministry did prepare and make ready the people for the salvation 〈◊〉 Christ by perswading them to obedience Secondly the Text saith of these strangers as 〈◊〉 have already shewn that they WERE joyned to the Lord and Mr. Tillam in his Argument saith they were not and they could not be joyned to the Lord. Thirdly Christ saith if you will believe himâ—â— that this house in this 56 of Esay is the material Temple out of which he whipt those that bought and sold and this he calls a house of prayer according as it was written by the Prophet but Mr. Tillam saith if you will believe him rather then Christ that this house of prayer is the Church of the new Testament So then if by Christs interpretation the Prophet speaks of the material Temple then the Altars and Sacrifices must needs be material Altars and material Scrifices Fourthly I would demand of Mr. Tillam wherever Gospel-services are called BURNT OFFERINGS so that whereas he said he would bring plain Text to prove his practise he turns all plain Texts into Allegories and is this to argue without a Consequence Mr. Tillam The strangers mentioned in the Text are the Sons of Adam and the place unto which they shall be joyned is Gods house which they did not injoy at this time but were separated Moabs People must have ten Generations in the full profession of religion before they could be admitted and so must these Eunuchs again the Jews would not admit of Greeks into the Temple which were Gentiles which shews that this Text speaks not of any other time then the time of the Gospel Whereas it is said by Mr. Tillam that the strangers mentioned in the Text are the sons of Adam who ever denyed that for whose Sons should they be else uuless he will fall into the Fancy of some that tell us of men before Adam And whereas he saith the Eunuch was to be separated to ten Generations as the Moabite was this hath been answered once and again and he takes no notice of it for the Moabite and the Eunuch also might enter into the Jews Church after ten Generations though not before and therefore boâ—h the one and the other might have been admitted in the times of this Prophet which was more then ten Generations from Moses as hath been said And whereas it is said the Jews would not admit of Greeks into the Temple and therefore not of these strangers The answer is easie for though the Jews would not admit of Greeks or strangers uncircumcised yet they would have admitted of them if they had joyned themselves to the Lord by Circumcision Mr. Ives If all these terms Sacrifice and Burnt-offerings and altar holy mountain and house of Prayer be Allegorical as you imagine by your thus interpreting the text then why may not the word Sabbath in the text be allegorically understood also Mr. Tillam My reason is because the text saith the house there spoken of should be called of all Nationâ— A house of Prayer which could not be true of the Temple of Jerusalem because all Nations could not be contained in it Mr. Ives It doth not follow that all Nations should not or could not so account of Gods house in Jerusalem as to call it a house of Prayer because that house could not contain them all And secondly the text saith not that all Nations should be contained in it but that all Nations should so call it and that of all Nations it was so called the Scripture saith Act. 2.5 that there were at Jerusalem devout men out of every Nation under Heaven And thirdly I shall desire again that the text in Esay under debate might be compared with Matthew 21.13 and 14. and then you will be able to judge whether Christ or Mr. Tillam is the best expositor of the house of God spoken of in the 56 of Esay which is all I shall say to this Argument and if this text respects not the Beleevers in Gospel-times as by what hath been said it doth not then hath not Mr. Tillam proved his Argument which was that the Gentiles that could not be proselyted which he understands for Christian Gentiles were bound to keep the seventh-day sabbath but I shall say no more Here Mr. Tillam left off being opponent and Mr. Ives became Opponent and Dr. Chamberlain Respondent Mr. Ives I am to prove that all beleevers are not bound to keep the seventh-day sabbath and in order hereunto I have urged this Argument That if beleeving Gentiles are not bound then all beleevers are not bound But beleeving Gentiles are not bound Ergo. The Minor being denied I proved it by this enumeration viz. If all beleeving Gentiles are bound to keep the seventh-day sabbath they are bound either by the Law of Nature Moses or Christ but all beleeving Gentiles are not
of value you should have denyed the Major which faith if the punishment be in force c. then the Law-maker hath APPOINTED some or other to inflict it here you might have denyed the Consequence and have told us that the punishment might he in force though mone were appointed because the law-maker might do it himself but this is not to the Question because the Question now is Who the law-maker hath appointed c. Mr. Tillam Well then I shall answer further That sometime the law-maker doth punish immediately and sometimes by his destroying Angel and sometimes by men and they are properly men who are Magistrates in his Congregation in the Church when he shall fulfil that prophesie of restoring Counsellors as at first and Judges as at the beginning It is observable that though Mr. Tillam saith The punishment is in force yet he hath not assigned who IS to inflict it but in stead thereof tells us first that God doth sometimes punish immediately to this it may be replyed that when he punisheth immediately it is when those whom he hath appointed to punish do not do their duty Secondly He tells us that sometime God doth punish the transgressors of his Law by his destroying Angels 〈◊〉 which it may be answered that this is most commonly when the Magistrates and Ministers of Justice do neglect to punish transgressors according as they ought yet this hinders not but all this while some are appointed to punish the seventh day Sabbath breakers if it ought to be kept by the Law of Moses Thirdly Mr. Tillam saith God appointeth men to punish the breach of the seventh-day Sabbath and these men he saith are Magistrates in the Church c. but withal he adds that such Magistrates shall be when the Prophesie of restoring Counsellors as at first and Judges as at the beginning shall be fulfilled But doth not this very saying leave Mr. Ives his Question unanswered For the Question is Who God HATH appointed c. and the Answer is That there SHALL be Magistrates in the Church when the forementioned Prophesie shall be fulfilled but who then shall do it now is the Question because the Text cited by Mr. Tillam that exhorts to remember the Law of Moses doth also call upon the same people at the same time to remember the Statutes and JUDGMENTS so that if beleeving Gentiles ARE bound to observe the Law of Moses they ARE bound to observe the JUDGMENTS also So that Mr. Tillam may as well put off the observation of the Statutes as the observations of those Judgments God would have inflicted on the transgressors of his Statutes and it will not serve his turn to wait till God restoreth such men for the Law that commandeth the seventh day Sabbath of all the Congregation of Israel doth command all the Congregation to stone the Sabbath-breakers to death being lawfully convicted before a Magistrate of the fact So that if Moses Law that requireth the observation of the seventh-day Sabbath be in force to the Congregations of beleeving Gentiles as it was to the Congregations of circumcised Jews and the same punishment as hath been argued be in force to the one as well as the other then by the same Law the beleeving Congregations among the Gentiles are bound having convicted any among them of Sabbath-breaking to stone such a man to death now though such Congregations that do not keep the seventh-day Sabbath by vertue of Moses Law are not tyed thus to do yet all of Mr. Tillams opinion I mean all such Congregations that hold themselves bound by Moses Law to keep the seventh-day Sabbath I say all such Congregations stand bound to stone that member to death that shall be found to break it having lawfully convicted him by two or three witnesses neither have they any other rule by that Law to put away such an evil or such an evil doer from among them and this would hold good in all respects if God should at any time bring a Magistrate of the Commonwealth to be a member in Mr. Tillams Church then by his own grant if they shall convict a member for Sabbath-breaking before such a Magistrate then such a Magistrate by Moses Law ought to judge him guilty of death and then it roundly followeth that all Mr. Tillams Congregation must stone that man with stones till he die to put away the evil from among them Who then can be true to this seventh-day Sabbath-keeping principally as bound to it by Moses Law but they must also submit their necks to such a yoke as this which is not consistent with that Law of love and charity which ought to be preferred among Christians in the times of the Gospel Thus having given a faithful account of the Arguments and Answers urged by Dr. Chamberlain and Mr. Tillam and Mr. Ives the first day I shall now proceed to the Arguments and Answers insisted on by both sides the next day which was on Friday 7 of Jan. 1658. The people being assembled Mr. Ives repeateth the Question which take as followeth Mr. Ives The Question agreed to be further disputed this day is Whether all beleeving Gentiles are bound to keep the seventh-day Sabbath and I shall desire that whoever shall speak this day to this question either as Opponent or Respondent may apply themselves to the right rules of Disputation Mr. Tillam As to the question stated I do freely assent to the terms agreed on and do say that all believing Gentiles are bound to keep the seventh-day Sabbath but as to your other Motion viz. that we observe the Rules of Disputation this I told you yesterday and do tell you again that such a way of Disputation is vain Philosophy and the device of mans wisdom and therefore I shall not be tied to any such Method Mr. Ives Sir I do not tie you to this or that way only I think you mis-apply Scriptures when you bring them to prove that making Syllogisms is unlawful when such forms of Arguing are frequently found in Scripture however Sir give me leave to use it till I am perswaded of the unlawfulness of it and I shall give you your liberty to prove either by Syllogisms or by plain Texts That all believing Gentiles are bound to keep the seventh-day sabbath Mr. Tillam There is no plain Text that in so many words proves the Proposition Mr. Ives If there be no plain text to prove the Proposition then you must prove by consequence which is upon the matter the same with Syllogising and therefore I wonder you should be so much against such a way of discourse Mr. Tillam I am not against Consequences or Inferences from Scripture though I am against disputing in Mood and Figure Mr. Ives If you will not dispute by Mood and Figure then I shall tie you to bring plain Texts for what you affirm Mr. Tillam There is not a Text saith in so many words as I have told you that believing Gentiles are bound to keep
bestowed upon you labour in vain Mr. Coppinger These dayes mentioned in the Text they are not the Jewish but the Gentile Observations of days as appears by considering the eighth verse where it is said They did service to that which by nature was not God which must needs be understood of the Gentiles Mr. Ives Sir you did but even now tell us That the Jews and Gentiles were under one and the same Law and that the Law of Nature had all the Ceremonies of the Jews contained in it if you then said true what reason have you to imagine that the Jews might not do service to such as by nature were not gods even as the Gentiles did since the Gentiles had by your own confession one and the same law to inform them in the truth and to shew them what was errour But secondly the Jews did worship that which by nature was not God many a time and often and therefore it doth not follow that these words must be restrained to the Gentiles onely for the Jews made them a Calf and said it was their god Exod. 32 8. And to this might be added Isa 2.8 20. Mic. 5.13 1 King 9. 9. 1 King 11.23 where it is said that the Children of Israel worshipped Ashtoreth the god of the Zidonians and Chemosh the god of the Moabites and Milcom the god of the Children of Ammon c. and it 's further said that when God will bring them into their own Land and convert them to the knowledge of Christ that he will cleanse them from all their Idols Ezekiel 36.25 37 23. By which it appears â—hat the Apostles saying They did service to that which by nature was not God doth not prove this spoken of Gentiles onely since that the Idolatry of â—he Jews was one great cause of Gods scattering â—f them among the heathen as at this day Mr. Coppinger These days which the Apostle speaks of were the Gentiles dayes which they did obâ—erve in imitation of the Jews as the Jews had 〈◊〉 Table of the Lord and the Gentiles had a Table of Devils Mr. Ives If you consult the text together with what â—ath been said in my former Reply you will â—â—nde that this was spoken of the Jews and the â—â—ewish Rudiments from which Christ came 〈◊〉 redeem them as appears Gal. 4.3.4 Secondly because they were such Rudiments â—nder which the Jews were to continue till â—e time appointed of the Father Gal. 4.1 2. â—ow the Father never appointed any of the Gentiles Idolatrous Rudiments neither did God appoint any time for the Gentiles to conâ—â—ue in them therefore these could not be 〈◊〉 Idolatrous Rudiments of the Gentiles Thirdly they are complained of for observing â—â—ars which clearly shews that it doth not relate to the superstitious times of the Gentiles but to the times that were commanded of the Jews in the Law of Moses for it was never heard of that any Nation in the world did observe years besides the Jewâ— who indeed were to keep the seventh year and 〈◊〉 Jubilee year sacred and not to do any work 〈◊〉 them Fourthly and lastly the whole scope of this â—pistle to the Galatians is to reclaim the Jews from running back to the Mosaical Rudiments of the Law who did not onely Judaize themselves 〈◊〉 would have compelled the believing Gentiles to Judaize also as appears by Pauls blaming Peter 〈◊〉 so doing Gal. 2.14 and therefore he cautions 〈◊〉 not to be entangled again with the yoke of bondage 〈◊〉 chap. 5. vers 1. Which is the bondage of the Mosaical Law as appears vers 2. and the same bondage which he feared they were turning to in the 〈◊〉 serving days moneths times and years as any 〈◊〉 may see that compareth the eighth and ninth very of the fourth of the Galatians Mr. Coppinger The Apostle doth detect them for observiâ—â— the Rudiments of the world as opposed 〈◊〉 them of the Church of God and this was 〈◊〉 the time that they knew not God when 〈◊〉 chose such days as he did not appoint Secondly the Ordinances of the Law 〈◊〉 glorious therefore he could not relate to the 〈◊〉 when he speaks of beggerly Elements Thirdly he labours to perswade them from such Idolatrous times lest his labour had been in vain in drawing them from their Idols Fourthly These Galatians being under a strong temptation to the bondage of the Law and Paul having confuted them by telling of them that then they must be circumcised which â—ndeed was useless hereupon they are ready to turn to their own heathenish Idolatry again as the Apostle feared Mr. Ives I have assigned several reasons why these times could not relate to the superstitious times of the Gentiles to which you have answered not a word but in the stead thereof endeaâ—our to prove that these were spoke of Gentile Rudiments First you say they must be gentile Rudiments â—ecause they are called the Rudiments of the world â—nd opposed to the Rudiments of Gods Church I answer that this proves not against me but your self for the Jewish Laws were called the Rudiments of the world Gal. chap. 4. vers 3. which they â—ere to continue under as children under tutors â—ll the time appointed of the Father And you â—our self told us That those Rudiments of the Jews were commanded and given in charge to all â—he world though now you seem to deny it Again you say the Ordinances of the Law were gloâ—ious therefore they could not be called beggerly â—nd weak I answer First though they were glorious yet now Christ is come that glory is no glory in comparison as appears 2 Cor. 3.9 10. Secondly the Apostle saith that the glory thereof was done away and therefore they are weak Thirdly the Author to the Hebrews calleth the Commandments and Rudiments of the Law weak and unprofitable which is all one with weak and beggerly even as a man that is weak and beggerly is not able to do any thing to profit even so the Author to the Hebrews phraseth it in saying That there was a disanulling of the Commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof And whereas you say the Apostle labours 〈◊〉 draw them from Idolatrous times and not Jewâ—â—â— I have in the former Reply given answer to this by shewing that this Notion is contrary to the scoâ—â— of the whole Epistle and whereas you say 〈◊〉 Galatians were under a strong temptation to the bondage of the Law and the Apostle having confuted that opinion they presently run back to the other extream of heathenish Idolatry I answer 〈◊〉 this conceit supposeth two Epistles to the Galatians for if conviction from Judaism had been the fruit of one Epistle turning them from the other extreaâ— of Idolatry must be the fruit of another Epistle because that which was written to remove them 〈◊〉 of Judaism could not at the same time complâ—â—â— of their going to the other extream of Gentilism 〈◊〉 as I have said this Notion must be
they must be our Examples for A TIME of worship they must be so for a PLACE of worship for such places were as well commanded as such times Secondly The Apostle circumcised Timothy must we therefore circumcise Thirdly The Apostle Paul did observe the Law of the Nazarites Act. 21. must we therefore observe it Fourthly The Apostle said He must needs keep the feast of the Passeover Act. 18 21. Doth it therefore follow that we must keep the feast of the Passeover and yet after this manner do these men reason viz. that they must keep the seventh day sabbath because Paul kept it Fifthly The Text doth not say Paul did keep the sabbath any more then it faith he did reverence the sanctuary but that having the opportunity of these times and places in which the Jews were assembled he made use thereof to preach Christ unto them Argum. 12 Having urged and answered those Arguments taken from commands and Examples out of the Old and New Testament I come now to those Arguments that plead the seventh day sabbaths Morality from Natural Reasons and the first is That the seventh-day sabbath must needs be moral because as Mr. Spittlehouse told me before many witnesses that the seven Stars did preach the seventh day sabbath and therefore the Heathen kept the Saturday which is so called of Saturn the seventh Planet I answer that first this is vain Philosophy indeed But secondly Mr. Spittlehouse is an ignorant Philosopher and a more ignorant Astrologer in saying that Saturn is the seventh Planet which all writers in Astronomy and Astrology do declare to be the first Planet and accordingly so place it and call it and therefore the Heathen rather kept Saturday as the first day then the seventh day because Saturn is the first of all the seven Planets But thirdly The Heathen did keep every ninth day to Jupiter doth it therefore follow that these were sabbaths that God required Again Plutarch saith of Theseus that the Athenians offered to him their greatest sacrifices upon the eighth day of October because of his arrival that day from Cret◠and they did keep the eighth day of every month because he was derived of Neptune and therefore Philo the Jew puts this difference between Jews and Gentiles viz. that the Jews kept a day every week but the Gentiles did but keep one in a moneth by which it appears that the seventh day of the week was not more honoured by the Heathen then the ninth day of the week or the eighth day of the month on which they offered their greatest sacrifices But lastly If it were lawful thus to trifle might not a man as well prove Sunday or the first day of the week to be a sabbath according to the light of Nature because the Heathen worshipped the Sun as any body can prove Saturday to be a sabbath because the Heathen worshipped the Planet Saturn but enough if not more then enough of this vain reasoning Argum. 13 The thirteenth Argument is taken from the morality and perfection of the number seven that it is a perfect number and therefore when the seventh day comes we must rest for the proof of this notion they cite Scriptures that magnifie the number seven as Davids praying seven times a day and Christs casting seven Devils out of Mary Magdelene and seven yeers of plenty and seven yeers of famine in Egypt amp c. To all which I answer that one would think these men had suffered 7 yeers famine in a want of Arguments for their opinion of the seventh day or else they would never catch at such things as these but I remember Solomon faith to the hungry every bitter thing is sweet therefore if these men were not languishing for want of Arguments they would never feed themselves with such vain arguings For may not the Papists plead this Argument for their seven Sacraments as well as these men can plead it for the seventh day sabbath But secondly Are not other numbers both in Nature sacred and prophane writings as much set by as the number seven as God made two lights Gen. 1.16 and he made man two eyes two feet two hands and two ears so there was two tables of the Law and two Nations in Rebecca's womb and two Testaments the like enum eration may be found of other numbers both in sacred and prophane writing but this kind of arguing is more like Cornelius Agrippa's Occulr Philosophy then Christian Divinity Argum. 14 The fourteenth and last Argument is taken from the practise of the Church the three first Centuries after Christ whence they infer that if the Christians so long after kept the seventh day it is a sign that it was given them in charge by Christ To this I answer that the Christian Churches kept the feast of Easter 300 years after Christ doth this follow therefore that Christ gave the keeping of Easter in charge to them and that the Churches 300 years after Christ were zealous of Easter day is very obvious to all that have any acquaintance with the stories of those times see Euseb lib. 5. cap. 21.22 23 24. and herein were the Christians divided the Eastern Churches kept it at the same time the Jews kept their passeover and the West Churches kept it upon some Sunday following after in like manner were they divided about the observations of their weekly dayes the Ebionites saith Eusebius were a fort of Hereticks that were zealous of the Law and did own the Epistle to the Hebrews but denied the Epistles of Paul for that he spake against the Law those did keep the Jews seventh day with other Ceremonies of the Law and celebrate the Sundays in remembrance of Christs Resurrection as other Christians do lib 3. cap. 24. The like saith Epiphanius lib. 1. Haeres 3c thus we see how the Christians were divided in their practise about the weekly and yearly observation of dayes that we may as easily prove Christ left the feast of the Passeover in charge to the Christian world as that he left the seventh day in charge because as the one was practised so was the other for more then 300 years after Christ Having answered the Arguments levied for the Jews Sabbath I shall now urge reasons why the Jews Sabbath or the seventh day Sabbath is not of force to be believing Gentiles in the times of the Gospel either by the Law of nature Moses 〈◊〉 Christ Argum. 1 First the Gentiles are not commanded by the Law of Nature because nature doth never convince any of sin for not keeping the seventh day Sabbath and yet it did convince the Gentiles of sin for not keeping the other nine Commandments now had the Sabbath been a moral Law or a Law in nature then would nature as well have reproved her children for the profaning of it as it hath reproved them for the breach of all the rest and that nature hath reproved every man for the breach of all other laws which are moral appears if we
then she doth in appointing a place of worship and that Christ hath not left us a command to observe one day rather then another appears by that forecited text Rom. 14. therefore in all cases Christ hath given power to his Church to make laws as appears in that he hath given them power to appoint the place where the Church should assemble would it not then be sinful for any small inconsiderable number of the Church to appoint another place to meet in contrary to that which the whole church to which they are related have agreed to and chosen to meet in Even so in like manner will the Lord judge those men guilty of Schism that shall rent from the Churches to which they are related for no other cause but that they may keep a day in opposition to that day appointed by the Church for the exercise of Religion Now unless these men can prove by express text that Christ hath given us a command to observe the seventh day sabbath how will they escape the sentence of refusing to hear the Church and that other sentence of making divisions contrary to the Doctrine which they have received For in this case I shall appeal to the Consciences of all those men that keep the seventh day sabbath whether or no if they should agree upon a certain place to worship god in yet if after this agreement some few of the Church should at the same time in which their Church is assembled refuse to come to them and meet in another place where they list themselves would they not judge those men guilty of schism and disorder now by what Law can they do it since Christ hath appointâ—d no particular place of meeting but by the forementioned law that the Church ought to be heard in all lawful thing and therefore no private persons ought to contend against the Commands of the Church when she commands nothing contrary to sound Doctrine Now then since a time to worship is to be observed we remain bound in conscience to observe that day which the Church of Christ commands us to observe which is the first day of the week till any body can shew us where Christ hath commanded another day How then will those men excuse themselves from rending and tearing the body of Christ asunder tht rent from the Churches whereunto they were formerly related for no other reason but for that the Church observeth the first day of the week and refuseth to observe the Mosaical or Jewish seventh day sabbath Let me therefore from what hath been said beseeoh all that love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity to tender the peace of the Church and prefer the peace and prosperity thereof above their chief joy and rather let their tongue cleave to the roof of their mouth and their right hand forget its cunning rather then let their hearts forget the peace and prosperity of the Church whom Christ hath purchased with his own bloud and let not these Disputations about a sabbath day eat out of our memories the great sabbath of the Lord that is approaching in which every one that keeps Faith and a good Conscience shall rest with Christ from all their Labourings and Sufferings in this World as GOD did from his Labour when he made the World Oh then let us all labour and strive to enter into that rest into which Christ is entred and let us take heed that while we are labouring to enter into that seventh day rest with the unbeleeving Jews that together with them we fall not into the same example of unbeleef in denying Jesus Christ to be our only Lord and Saviour into which unbeleef and disobedience many have stumbled and fallen in these days who while they have been labouring to intangle others with the 〈◊〉 wish yoke of bondage have fallen from the Grace of the â—ospel of Jesus Christ Thus having with all sincerity and plainness as in the sight of God answered those Reasons that are alleadged for the seventh day sabbath and urged those Reasons why I am perswaded beleevers are not to observe it together with my Reasons why I beleeve we ought to observe the first day of the week I shall leave the whole to the blessing of Almighty God desiring that what is here offered according to the mind of God that God may have the glory and whatever hath fallen from my tongue in disputing or my pen in writing this controversie that savors of the flesh or humane frailty I hope the Father of mercies will pardon it and so I hope will every Christian Reader into whose hands this shall fall which is all that is desired from him who is Thy Friend in the Truth JER IVES FINIS ERRATA Reader SOme few Faults have escaped which thou art desired to Correct with thy Pen. IN the Epistle page 8 line 21. for aeman read a man Epist pag. 11. l. 16. for wrandrings r. wandrings Epist p. 12. l. 10. for hold r. holding In pag. 27. l. 8. for Jer. 35 36. r. ver 35 36. in p. 28. l. 22. for two causes r. two clauses p. 63. l. 24. for poople r. people p. 78. line 12 for seventh-sabbath r. seventh-day sabbath p. 81. for Commadments r. Commandments p. 90. l. 6. for no other r. any other p. 136. l. 1. for 156. r. 133.