had observed the same course towards Adam for that commandement as hee did for all the rest and for all the rest as for that which neverthelesse he did not For he ingraved the substance and tenor of all the other Commandements in Adams heart and made him to know them naturally without any instruction by word of mouth whereof he had no need But he wrote not in his heart the knowledge of the fourth Commandement seeing as they say he declared it unto them by audible words resounding in his eares that he might know it whence it followeth that all the rest are morall but this is not whereof we shall have occasion to discourse more largely in the first Chapter of the second part of this Treatise 2 Of those that defend the morality of one Sabbath day in the weeke some seeke to decline the weight and edge of the foresaid arguments by a frivolous distinction saying that morall things are of two sorts the one that are founded in the Law of nature and therefore oblige all men naturally The others that are of a positive Law depend on institution and notwithstanding are parts of the morall Law of a perpetuall necessity and of an immutable right as well as all other morall precepts are that the morall Law as it is morall is of farre greater extension then is the Law of nature and that the Sabbath is morall in this last sort 3 But first they speake against the ordinary sence and custome of all men who by the word morall understand that which is naturally and universally just that is which reason when it is not misled and the inward Law of nature dictateth by common principles of honesty or ought to dictate to all men of it selfe without any outward Vsher This Law all men take for the Law of nature and reciprocally they take the Law of nature for this Law which is proved by the ordinary and common distinction that all Divines make betweene the morall ceremoniall and judiciall Lawes which in former times God gave to the Iewes in which distinction they referre to the last hands and sorts all the positive ordinances which pertained to the ecclesiasticall or civill government and to the first the ordinances and rules of the Law of nature wherof these others were circumstantiall appendices and determinations Nay morall signifieth onely the duties of essentiall godlinesse and righteousnesse in things belonging naturally to good and holy manners towards GOD or towards man whether in doing good or departing from evill and not all things that may be usefull and in some sort may bee referred to the rules of good behaviour Otherwise things ceremoniall and judiciall as such should not bee distinguished from morall things for these also have an usefull reference to the foresaid duties of good and godly behaviour And therefore if the ordinance of the Sabbath although advowed to bee a positive Law is notwithstanding called morall it shall bee in one and the same respect both morall and ceremoniall and all ther ceremonies may after the same manner challenge the name of Moralities which is absurd 4 Secondly after they have confessed the Sabbath to bee a part of the positive Law grounded only on the order and discipline that GOD was pleased to establish they broach an affirmation without ground and without reason when they say therewith that it is of an immutable right and carrieth with it a perpetuall obligation For where and from whence is there any evidence of this doth this right belong to all things that are of the positive Law Their condition and nature giveth it unto them Will any Divine any Lawgiver any Logician make of this a probleme and hold for the affirmative Away with Sophistry and captious dealing It must bee the revealed will of God that matcheth positive with naturall Lawes and marketh them with the silver stampe of immutability Now if GOD hath not communicated this dignity with any positive Law ordained by him from the beginning of the world till this day what appearance is there that he hath given it as it were by birth-right to the Sabbath Have they to underprop this their assertion any cleere and evident testimony brought from the unreprocheable truth of holy Scripture For we make no account of any mans bare affirmation But the whole drift of the discourse following shall shew more and more God willing how short they come of their promises and of the But and Blank they aime at CHAPTER third REASON 3. 1. The Pagans never knew neither by Nature nor by Tradition the necessity of the keeping of a Seventh day of Sabbath 2. Yet they knew all morall duties commanded in the first and second Table of the morall Law 3. They knew also that God is to be served publikely and that a part of his service consisted in the offering of Sacrifices 4. They knew likewise by naturall light that some dayes are to be appointed for his service and are blamed for the transgression of all other Commandements that are morall c. 5. But are never blamed for the inobservation of one day of Seven 6. Nay they did laugh to scorne the Iewish Sabbath 7. Answer to an objection taken out of Philo against the foresaid affirmation 8. To another from IOSEPHUS 9. As also to other passages of diverse Authors Pagans Iewes and Christians which serve to overthrow it 10. The Pagans did never keepe regularly for their publike devotions any other Seventh day of the weeke 11. Yea are never reproved for any such omission 12. Reply to this answer 13. First answer to the said reply 14. Second answer unto it 1 MY third argument shall be taken from this that the Gentiles never knew by naturall light nor also by tradition come unto them from hand to hand by the care of their fore-Fathers the necessity of the keeping of the Seventh day of the weeke and never practised any such day Surely if it were a morality and a point of the Law of Nature or if GOD had prescribed it by a particular Commandement to Adam willing him to sanctifie it particularly and to celebrate in it the remembrance of his workes and rest hee had done it purposely that Adam should instruct his off-spring to the like seeing there was a like reason for them and for him Yea all his progeny and successors in whom abideth still the Law of Nature although darkened with sinne had knowne in some sort by the residue of the light of Nature glittering in them that they were bound to keepe a Seventh Day At least the notice of this Commandement which is pretended to have beene given to their first Father from the beginning should have come to them by Tradition successively from the Fathers to the Children till their dayes For we see that all the Gentiles by the light of Nature and by Tradition have had some knowledge of all things that in themselves are good and lawfull and of all morall precepts 2 They have knowne that one
and just that this last day of the creation should yeeld the possession of the day of rest unto it 2 To underprop this opinion they have broached diverse reasons amongst which we shall order in the first place the reason taken out of the second Chapter of Genesis ver 3. where Moses after hee had said that God finished all his workes in sixe dayes and rested on the seventh day addeth And God blessed the Seventh day and sanctified it because that in it he had rested from all his workes which hee created and made Of which words they conclude that as soone as ever the Creation was ended and the Seventh day begun to subsist in nature it was blessed and sanctified that is consecrated to Gods service and ordained even then to our first Parents while they were in the state of innocency to be kept by them for this end and therefore the observation of a Seventh day is morall is of the Law of nature and is in no wise ceremoniall seeing it was established before sin came into the world at which time there was no shadowes and figures of Christ because in that state of innocency our first Parents had not stood in neede of him nor of any direction to him by ceremonies If then in that estate wherein no corruption of sin had hindred them to serve God continually and the bodily imployments had been no great disturbance unto them in the practice of that duty God judged necessary to injoine unto them a seventh day to the intent that giving over all other care they should in it addict themselves only to the actions of his service and all religious exercises how much more in the state of sin wherein men have so many hindrances from Gods service both by sin and by the laborious occupations of their worldly callings is it necessary that a set day of rest be ordained unto them to cease wholly in it from the turmoile of their secular affaires and to give themselves only to holy and religious exercises belonging to Gods service This necessity is as great under the new Testament as it was under the old and therefore God hath not omitted to ordaine under both a Sabbath day yea a seventh day of rest which being established before sinne and consequently being morall bindeth all men perpetually 3 There be divers meanes to answer this objection First nothing obligeth us to believe that the words written in the third verse of the second Chapter of Genesis should be thus translated And God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it as if Moses had meant to expresse a time past long before his penning of this Booke and to tell that this blessing and sanctifying was made even from the time that the creation was finished and from the first seventh day of the world Whereas they may be translated thus And God hath blessed the seventh day and hath sanctified it understood as being said with a Parenthesis and in regard of the Ordinance which God had lately made in the daies of Moses concerning the seventh day when he gave by his Ministery the Law of the Israelites Which ordinance Moses made mention of in his relation to the history of the creation as of a thing established and knowne of the Israelites when he writ by occasion of that he had said that God after he had created all his works in sixe daies rested on the seventh day So we may give this exposition to Moses words God made all his works in six daies and rested on the seventh day and thence he tooke occasion to blesse and sanctifie now that day giving commandement by his Law to his people of Israel to keepe it in their generations So it shall be a narration made in this place occasionally according to the ordinary custome of holy Writers and specially of Moses when in the historicall relation of things that were come to passe long before they find occasion to speak of things happened since specially of those that were come to passe in their time when they wrote to interlace upon that occasion a short rehearsall of them with the narration of things more ancient and to speake of both in such a manner as if they had happened in the same time whereof I will here set downe some examples 4 First we find divers places named by anticipation As in the 12. Chapter of Genesis verse 8. It is said that Abraham removed unto a mountaine Eastward from Bethel which name of Bethel was not in the daies of Abraham the name of the place betokened by it in the foresaid words For it was not called Bethel till in it Iacob saw a ladder reaching to heaven and the Lord standing above it Then Iacob called it Bethel that is The house of God whereas before that time it was called Luz as may be seene in Genesis Chap. 28. vers 13. 19. But Moses writing the history of Abraham called it Bethel by an historicall anticipation because in his time Bethel was the ordinary name of that place We read in the fourth Chapter of Ioshuah vers 19. that the people came up out of Iordan and pitched in Gilgal which was not so called till Ioshuah in that place circumcised the people Chap. 5. vers 9. Likewise in the second Chapter of Iudges and first verse the Author saith that the Angel of the Lord came up from Gilgal to Bokim because the place which he calleth Bokim was so called when he wrote that history although it was not yet so called when the Angel came thither but received that name afterward from the teares which the people shed and powred out before God after the Angel had rebuked them For the Text saith that when the Angel of the Lord spake these words to all the children of Israel the people lift up their voice and wept Therefore they called the name of that place BOKIM vers 4 5. 5 Secondly we find the same anticipation in the description of things and actions As in the 16. Chapter of Exodus where Moses reporteth how God began first to give Manna to the Israelites which I pretend also to be the time of the first institution of the Sabbath and how the Israelites carried themselves about the ordering thereof and immediatly he addeth how he by Gods command ordained that an Omer of it should be filled to be kept for the generations of the Israelites vers 32. and gave an injunction to Aaron to take a pot to put in it that Omer full of Manna and to lay it up before the LORD to be kept for their generation vers 33. He reciteth also at once that as the LORD commanded him so Aaron laid it up before the Testimony to be kept vers 34. which things as it is evident were not done at the first when God gave them that bread to eat because then there was as yet neither Tabernacle nor Arke nor Tables of the Law But because when Moses wrote all these things were done and
of the maymednesse of his argumentation wherein is left out the rest commanded to men in the fourth Commandement if by the rest of God wee must understand Gods owne rest and not the rest which he ordained to men For I deny not but that this was also understood by the Apostle But as I have said courtly indirectly and by consequence taken from the rest which he expresseth from which this other hath its beginning and dependance although it be not of the same antiquity and that it cannot bee proved that the Apostle meaneth any such thing Moreover albeit we could not find a way to answer such a reply and to refute it there should not bee in that any great inconvenience seeing the thing it selfe affords an easie answer and the Apostle answereth not alwayes formally in all places to all replyes which might be made to his allegations It sufficeth if their vanity bee evident of it selfe or if they may be otherwise refuted as here the reply which is broached against the Apostle his reasoning might have beene easily CHAPTER Sixth Answer to the fifth Reason taken from the fourth Commandement and first to the generall argument taken from the nature of the said Commandement 1. First objection The fourth Commandement is a part of the morall Law and therefore it is morall 2. A generall answer shewing the nullity of this objection 3. A particular answer shewing that the Decalogue is an abridgment of the whole Law of Moses 4. Specially that the fourth Commandement is an abridgment of the ceremoniall Law 5. This is confirmed by the Prophets who by the profanation of the Sabbath understand the transgression of the whole ceremoniall Law 6. Falsity of an objection that the Prophets urged not the transgression of the ceremoniall Law 7. Second Objection The Decalogue had divers prerogatives which the ceremoniall and Iudiciall Law had not 8. Cleere refutation of this Objection 9. Third Objection God distinguisheth betweene his covenant comprehending the moralities only and his statutes and judgements which were ceremoniall lawes 10. Uanity of the said distinction 11. Fourth Objection The Summarie of the Decalogue is morall therefore all the precepts thereof are morall 12. Answer in this summary the ceremoniall Law is comprised 13. Refutation of the fifth Objection taken from the union of the tenne Commandements 14. Answer to the sixth Objection that our opinion mutilates the Decalogue of a Commandement and authoriseth the changing of times 15. Another Answer The fourth Commandement is morall in the principall substance thereof 16. But is ceremoniall in the determination of a particular seventh day for Gods service 17. Seventh Objection that if this were so God would not have named it in the Decalogue more then the place of his service 18. Answer these things are not alike 19. Eight Objection answered to wit that God might have named in the Decalogue the New Moones and other Holy dayes 20. The former answer confirmed 21. A farther answer shewing that under the Sabbath all Holy dayes were comprised as under the word Sanctifie all ceremoniall duties 22. Those of the contrary opinion confessing that there is some thing ceremoniall in the fourth Commandement cast themselves into a great absurdity 23. The falsitie of their doctrine that a seventh day in generall is only commanded shewed by Scriptures 24. And by reason 25. How it may be said that all dayes appointed for Gods service are grounded on the fourth Commandement 26. One of seven dayes cannot be morall and the seventh ceremoniall 27. Wherein consists the morality of the fourth Commandement 28. How the keeping of one of seven dayes may be gathered out of the fourth Commandement 29. Answer to the first inconvenience that of tenne Commandements nine only should be morall 30. Answer to the second inconvenience that Papists may affirme the second Commandement to bee likewise ceremoniall 31. Confirmed by the testimony of Pagans of the Prophets and of the Apostles 32. Answer to the third inconvenience that the second Commandement should also be ceremoniall 33. Confirmed by Bellarmine 34. Answer to the fourth inconvenience that the fourth Commandement might be taken out of the Decalogue 35. The retorsion shewing that the doctrine of the morality of the Sabbath giveth a great advantage to the Roman Church 1 THe principall reason alleadged to prove the morality of the Sabbath is taken from the fourth Commandement Remember the Sabbath day to keepe it holy c. And first they urge in generall the nature of the Commandement which is one of the ten of the morall Law which God Himselfe pronounced with his owne mouth ingraved with his owne hand upon two Tables of stone for a signe and token of perpetuall continuance and caused the said Tables to be put and kept in the Arke and therfore the fourth Commandement must of necessity be morall and perpetuall as the rest are otherwise nine Commandements onely shall be morall But these nine being morall it cannot be said reasonably that this is not morall And if any man should dare to say it profane men may be so licentiously bold as to make the same exception against the rest in all things wherein they cope with their particular vices saying also that they are not morall That they of the Roman Church who to shrinke from the objection which we make against their idolatry by the formall words of the second Commandement of the Law presume to answer that this Commandement is not morall and did belong to the Iewes only shall finde a sufficient colour to this answer if it were true that in the morall Law there is to be found a Commandement which is not morall and that the fourth Commandement is such a one And therefore as they have taken out of the Decalogue the second Commandement although without all reason seeing it is morall and perpetuall others may take out of it the fourth Commandement and comprehend it no more with the rest and that with as good reason seeing it is not morall and concerneth us not 2 To this I answer first that in vaine doe they seeke to shew that the Commandement of the Sabbath obligeth us because it maketh a part of that Law which God uttered with his owne mouth in the mountaine of Sina with so many evidences of his Majesty and wrote it with his finger upon two Tables of stone which he gave to Moses and caused to be put in the Arke as if these considerations did give greater force and efficacy to this Law to binde us as it did binde the Iewes to keepe it in all things that it comprehendeth for they might prove with as good reason that in these time under the Gospell we are bound to have a Tabernacle or Temple like unto that which the Iewes had of old and to observe the same service which they observed in it because God in the same mountaine with much Majesty shewed the patterne thereof to Moses and commanded him to make it after that patterne Whereas much
absurd and impertinently inferred upon our saying concerning the fourth Commandement because these two Commandements stand not in equall tearmes 33 If any Papists should make such an inference Bellarmine himselfe will lend us his helping hand to refute it For in the seventh Chapter of his second booke of Relikes and Images he acknowledgeth and affirmeth that saving the Commandement of the Sabbath all the rest are explications of the Law of nature and are naturall precepts which all Christians are bound to observe 34 This being so the Roman Church cannot cleanse her selfe of a great crime for cutting off from the Decalogue in all her service bookes the second Commandement and for not propounding it ordinarily to the people for that it fighteth against her idolatry And in my judgement it should be also an hainous fault although not in the same manner and respect to nip away from the Decalogue the fourth Commandement or to make no mention of it in the Church For though it be not morall and obligeth not Christians under the New Testament in the particulars which it expresseth yet sith it is morall in the foundation whereupon it is built and in the generall end that it aimeth at as hath beene said before and sith God would insert it in the abridgement of his Law which he gave of old to the people of Israel it should be foole-hardinesse to pull it away and to remove it out of the roome where God hath placed it Even as although that which is said in the preface of the Law concerning the deliverance of the people out of the land of Egypt and out of the house of bondage and in the fifth Commandement of the prolongation of dayes in the land of Cannaan is not addressed to us directly in that which these termes doe expresse yet it should be ill done to cut these clauses quite off or to make no mention of them when we learne write rehearse or teach the Decalogue We must keepe religiously and mention whatsoever God hath beene pleased to put in it But we must also understand every thing conveniently appropriating to us whatsoever belongeth to us as well as to the Iewes and to the Iewes only that which was proper to them And such was the ordinance of the seventh day 35 Which day if it be not acknowledged to be ceremoniall and therefore Subject to be abrogated by IESUS CHRIST and comprised among the points of the Law which the Gospell declared to be annulled place should be given to an inconvenience that will follow thereupon farre better then the former which is inferred upon the opinion that the fourth Commandement is ceremoniall for so the bridle should be loosed to the immoderate transcendent and irregular authority which Papists challenge to the Church to have power to change and alter the things which God himselfe hath established For it is evident that God by the fourth Commandement hath established the seventh and last day of the week to be a day of rest and it is agreed upon as most true that under the Gospel that seventh day hath been changed into another neither can it be sufficiently and clearely proved that Iesus Christ or his Apostles have made that innovation as shall be seene hereafter whence they doe inferre that the Church having done it of her selfe without commandement she may change the things established and ordained of God in the morall Law Whereunto it is impossible to give a pertinent answer but by saying as it is most true that the prescription of the seventh day of Sabbath although it be among the Commandements of the morall Law is not morall for that but pertaineth to the government of the Iewes and is to be numbred with these things which were but for a time to wit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 untill the time of reformation as the Apostle speaketh Hebr. 9. vers 10. of these shadowes of things to come whereof the body was in Christ as they are named Col. 2. vers 16 17. where amongst other shadowes the Sabbaths are specified That therefore the Church in not keeping any more the Sabbath prescribed by the fourth Commandement but another hath not usurped any authority upon the things established of God but hath followed the order of God who had not established that day but for a certaine time to wit untill the comming of the Messias by whose death the ceremonies were to be abolished and consequently the Sabbath day was to expire and give up the Ghost CHAPTER Seventh Answer to the particular reasons taken from the words of the fourth Commandement 1. First Objection The Sabbath was long before the Law because God commanded to remember it and remembrance is of things past 2. Three answers to this Objection 3. Second Objection from the first reason of the keeping of the Sabbath sixe daies shalt thou labour c. which is a reason of equity binding Christians as well as Iewes 4. Answer to this Objection shewing what is morall and obligatory in this reason what not 5. Third Objection If the labour of sixe daies be not ceremoniall the rest on the seventh day likewise is not ceremoniall refuted by three answers 6. Fourth Objection from the second reason in the words but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God it is Gods day therefore it is sacriledge to rob him of it 7. Two answers to this Objection 8. Fifth Objection from the third reason in the words In it thou shalt not doe any worke c. where a great regard is had unto servants beasts strangers whereunto Christians are also obliged 9. Answer shewing what in this reason is morall what belonging to order onely 10. Sixth Objection from the words For in sixe daies the Lord made heaven and earth and rested the seventh day shewing that God after his example will have all men to keepe the seventh day till the end of the world 11. First answer denying that God ordained the seventh day for a memoriall of the creation 12. Second answer although things past should be kept in perpetuall remembrance their memorialls ordained in the old Testament are not perpetuall 13. Third answer to the instance taken from Gods example shewing in which attributes God is to be imitated in which not 14. As also in which of his actions in which not we are to follow his example 15. This answer is applyed to the seventh day shewing that it hath not inherent in it any essentiall righteousnesse why God did rest in it but as many other actions hath no other foundation but Gods free-will 16. Whereby hee ordained the observation of that day to the Iewes and not to Christians 17. Who in the observation of their holy day follow not Gods example as they should if it had any morality in it 18. Instance the seventh day was changed into the first day of the weeke in remembrance of our redemption by Christ which is a greater worke then the creation 19. First answer hence it followeth that
c. All these things might be capable to afford unto us subject and occasion to celebrate a thankfull and religious remembrance of them on solemne daies answerable to these of the Iewes For although there were some particular reasons belonging only to the Iewes and taken from certaine circumstances for which God ordained these feasts and others unto them and though there was in them a figure of the good things to come by Iesus Christ Hebr. 10. vers 1. in which respects they cannot be observed by us which also by the confession of those against whom I dispute is to be found in the Sabbath day that is no let but that the generall reasons which are to be found in them may be unto us a ground of observation and that we may practise and celebrate as a memoriall or signe relative to the time past or present that which they practised as a figure relative to the time to come And what they observed in a respect circumstanced after a fashion which was proper to them that we may observe in another respect somewhat diversified and fitted to our estate Even as although we observe not the Sabbath for some particular reasons in regard whereof it is avouched that it was appropriated to the Iewes yet many doe maintaine eagerly that we ought to keepe it for some other generall reasons Yea sith almost all the Iewish ceremonies had some morall foundation reason or end which considered in it selfe regardeth us as well as them that might be set abroach as a subject and occasion to observe them under the Gospell 30 Yet for all that it followeth not that God obligeth us to such an observation Yea it should be contrary to the liberty and simplicity of the Gospel Likewise whatsoever generall reasons may be considered as capable in themselves to be motives unto us to observe the Sabbath it followeth not that God hath prescribed and determined the observation thereof under the Gospel 31 All these reasons which were motives to ordaine these ceremonies were not naturall essentiall and necessary reasons of their institution but depended simply on the will of God who had the power to make them and give value and authority to the said reasons by the observation of these ceremonies for a certaine time only and at another time without ceremonies or by ceremonies of another kind As he willeth us to give him thankes under the new Testament for the continuation of his favourable providence over us in the ordinary course of daies of moneths of the revenues of the earth for giving us not only the Law but also the Gospell of grace and for preparing for us the heavenly inheritance after the few and evill daies of the pilgrimages of this life all which things concerne us and yet he bindeth us not to celebrate in remembrance of these his blessings the ancient festivall daies nor any other Even so he will have us to celebrate the remembrance of our Creation and after we have bestowed daies upon our owne businesses to appoint also some for his publike service and to assubject unto it our wives our children our servants and all other persons depending of us As likewise to give a sufficient time of rest to our servants and beasts after we have kept them at worke for us which are the reasons of the fourth Commandement that concerne us also And yet of them no inference can be made that God will have us to observe one of seven or the last of the seven dayes of the weeke as in consideration of them he ordained the seventh day to the Iewes For we may doe it as well on another day ordained after another manner 32 He had ordained the Sabbath as all other ceremonies to be signes for that time and not for the time of the New Testament under which the world being as it were renewed all things pertaining to the order and government of the Religion were also to bee made new New Ministers new Sacraments c. were to be established as it is written Esa. 65. verse 17. Agg. 2. verse 6. Heb. 8. ver 13. Heb. 12. verse 26 27. 2 Cor. 5. verse 17. And therefore it was convenient and sutable to this New estate that there should be a new day of Gods service different from the day which the Iewes observed under the Old Testament But it was not necessary that it should be one of seven or that Christ Himselfe should have ordained it which notwithstanding they indeavour to prove by diverse other passages and arguments gathered out of holy Scripture pertaining directly to the New Testament and obliging all Christians living under it to keepe the Sabbath as much as the Iewes were under the Old Testament yea to keepe a certaine and set day of Sabbath not by ecclesiasticall constitution but by divine ordinance as they deeme CHAPTER Eight Answer to the Sixth Reason 1. Ob. Isaiah hath prophesied that under the New Testament strangers and Eunuches that is Christians shall keepe the Sabbath 2. First Answer The words of the Prophet may be understood of the state of the Church of the Iewes after the captivity of Babylon 3. Second Answer In the Old Testament the service of the New Testament is set downe in tearmes taken from the service under the Law 4. Which if they should be literally expounded Christians should be bound to keepe all the ceremonies of the Law 5. Wherefore this and such like passages are to be expounded spiritually of the spirituall service of the Christian Church 6. Another objection of the gate which Ezekiel saith shall be opened on the Sabbath day 7. First Answer the words of Ezekiel must be expounded mystically 8. Second Answer nothing can bee inferred from thence but that the Christian Church shall have solemne dayes for Gods service 9. Third Answer The Sabbath may be said to represent the rest of eternall life in heaven and the sixe worke dayes the turmoiles of this life 1 THey say to this purpose that the 56. Chapter of Isaiah is manifestly referred to the time of the New Testament and that God declaring there how he would not any more put a difference betweene the strangers and the Iewes and how the Eunuchs the barren and those that want Children shall no more be a reproach and shall not be excluded from the privileges of his house as they were under the Old Testament saith in plaine tearmes that those whom he calleth Eunuches and sonnes of the stranger shall keepe his Sabbaths verse 4 6. From whence they make this inference that God would have the Sabbath to be kept by Christians under the New Testament as well as by Iewes under the Old Testament 2 To this I answer that this argument hath little or no strength For it is well knowne that the Iewes doe referre it to the time that followed the captivity of Babylon 3 But not to debate about this question whether this prophesie is to be referred to the old or to the New
leagues Now if it had beene the intention of Iesus Christ to ordaine the first day of the week for a Sabbath day and to injoyn to all Christians a leaving and discontinuance of all ordinary worke on that day it is likely that he would not have forgotten to warne his two Disciples thereof on that first day and thetwo Maries to whom he shewed himselfe earely in the morning of that same day and by the other Disciples to whom he sent them had made them practise the observation of that day and he had shewed them the example of that observation in his owne person which he did not then Neither doe we find that he did it at any other occasion 14 In the twentieth of the Acts we perceive although uncertainely as I have shewed before some observation of the first day of the weeke by the faithfull of Troas They met not together till about the evening of that day For mention is made of an upper Chamber of many lights of Saint Pauls long preaching untill midnight and thereafter till breake of day Apparently they made choice of the night time and of an upper chamber for feare of the Infidels even as the Apostles on the first day of the weeke that CHRIST rose in were assembled at evening and held the doores shut for feare of the Iewes Iohn twenty verse 19. Now who doubteth but all that day from the Sunne rising till the evening that they came together to breake bread they were busied as in the other dayes of the weeke about the ordinary exercises of their trades handicrafts and callings as having liberty to worke on that day like as on all other dayes besides the care they had to shunne all giving of discontent to the Infidels amongst whom they lived and the drawing by an unnecessary cessation a most certaine persecution upon themselves There is no question to be made but that all Christians in the places of their residence among Iewes or Gentiles did the like 15 This is also a reason considerable in this question that albeit among the Lawes of Christian Emperours there be sundry which forbid the ordinary occupations of trades and handicrafts on Sunday as to keepe a Court of pleading and to goe to Law to open the shops for buying and selling to act stage playes in play houses and publike places to hold Markets and faires c. which Lawes were made to prevent in time to come the contempt of the exercises of Religion used on that day and to establish an order in the state and in the Church which they most judiciously and religiously thought to be more recommendable decent and well suting to the holy actions whereunto it was appointed yet all these Lawes shew that before they were published Christians were wont saving the houres of the publike exercises of Religion to apply themselves on that day to all the ordinary workes of this present life Yea there be many other Lawes of other Emperours and amongst others of Constantine that great and holy Emperour which permit on Sunday some of these ordinary imployments as to labourers to sow the ground to weed to reape to plant and set Vineyards if need bee to Bakers to bake bread to Masters to give liberty to their slaves to Iudges to put to death malefactors which undoubtedly these Christian Emperours had never permitted by their Lawes if it had beene in their time a received opinion in the Church that the observation of Sunday and cessation from all workes in it was necessary by vertue of a Commandement of our Lord Iesus Christ. 17 But knowing certainely that no dayes are instituted of God under the New Testament that Sunday was not kept by a commandement from heaven but by the use and custome of the Church That a discontinuance and intermission so exact of all workes pertained to the Ecclesiasticall policie and regiment of the Iewes and is no where and in no wise commanded in the Gospell they made no bones to permit diverse occupations which might seeme to have some pretext of necessity yet were not of such importance but that they might have beene done before Sunday or put off till the next day following it CHAPTER Fifth Declaration of diverse absurdities and difficulties insuing upon the contrary opinion 1. The opinion is that Christians are bound to refraine from all workes during the 24. houres of Sunday 2. First absurdity this opinion bringeth backe the servitude of the Iewish ceremonies 3. Second absurdity No man can tell where must be the beginning of the said 24. houres 4. Diverse disputations thereupon amongst the authors of this opinion 5. Third absurdity it troubleth the conscience leaving it without information concerning the imployment of that time and the doing of unnecessary workes therein 6. As also about the doing of charitable and necessarie workes 7. Fourth absurdity Confusion of the Doctors in the explication of this opinion 8. First they consent not in the explication of Christian abstinence from bodily workes on Sunday 9. Secondly they distinguish workes of necessity into those that are of present and those that are of imminent necessity and permit the first onely whereby they trouble tender consciences 10. They contradict their distinction by suffering some handicrafts men to worke on Sunday 11. As also by the permission of many actions which have no present necessity 12. Likewise by forbidding some workes in an apparent danger as to gather corne c. 13. Great absurdity and inconvenience of this prohibition 14. The Commandement Exod. 34. v. 21. to rest on the Sabbath day in earing time c. serveth not their turne 15. They hold that it is not lawfull for a man to receive any reward for his necessary labour done on Sunday 16. Great inconveniences and absurdities of this opinion 17. Answer to their objection about servile workes forbidden in the fourth Commandement 18. They hold also that servants ought not to serve their masters on Sunday 19. This doctrine crosseth their other decisions 20. They intangle themselves in the distinction of bankets 21. Absurdity of theâ—r rigid prohibition of all kind of recreation to all men on the Sabbath day 22. How farre Christians are bound to abstaine from worke on that day 23. How working is not or may be an hindrance of our sanctification 24. We ought to leave our workes on Sundayes during the time of service 25. Saving in some important necessity 26. Objections taken from the care of worldlings c. 27. Answer concerning the care of worldlings 28. How we ought to make the Sabbath our delight 29. Our Sunday is improperly called the Sabbath day THose against whom we dispute doe hold that our Sunday called also by them the Sabbath day which is the name given in the Scriptures to the day that the Iewes hallowed weekly obligeth us to keepe it during the whole space of foure and twenty houres by a religious abstinence from all manner of workes during all that time conformably to the
lib. 4. Of publike assemblies There is no great certainety at what times it was that Christians had their publike assemblies and yet lesse in what places Item The Christians serving of God was tied neither to certaine times nor places but rather by that which Iustin Martyr hath said of the Lords-day it is likely that necessity or custome assigned them to the time and that conveniencie designed the place Danaeus in Ethic. Christian. in praecep 4. Libertatem suam in die octava eligenda ostendunt Christiani se à Iudaicis ceremoniis Christi beneficio liberatos Porrò neque praecise octava dies ab omnibus Ecclesiis pro solenni 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 facienda observata est sed ab aliis Ecclesiis tertia dies id est Martis ab aliis quarta id est Mercurii vel alia ut tradit Socrates Scholasticus in lib. 5. c. 22. Dies autem Dominica quae Solis dicitur postea communi omnium Ecclesiarum consensu sub Imperatoribus Christianis statuta est quia videbatur haec etiam Apostolorum temporibus probata The Christians in making choice of the eighth day doe shew the liberty they have and that by Christ they are freed from the ceremonies of the Iewes But neither was the eighth precisely observed by all Churches for the keeping of their solemne assemblies but by some Churches the third day that is Tuesday by others the fourth that is Wednesday or some others as Socrates reporteth Hist. l. 5. c. 22. But the Lords-day which is also called Sunday by the unanimous consent of all Churches under the raignes of Christian Emperours wee pitch upon and the rather because it seemed to have beene approved of even in the Apostles times PASSAGES Concerning the Observation of the Sabbath in regard of a resting from the workes of our ordinarie vocations S. Augustin tom 6. Contra faustum Manichaeum l. 6. c. 4. Cessationem Sabbatorum jam quidem supervacuam ducimus ad observandum ex quo spes revelata est nostrae quietis aeternae Now we thinke the observation of Sabbaths to be superfluous since the hope of our eternall rest was revealed Contra Adimantum c. 16. Sabbati quietem non observamus in tempore sed signum temporale intelligimus ad aeternam quietem quae illo signo significatur aciem mentis intendimus The Sabbaths rest we observe not in time but we understand that it was a temporary signe and we fasten our eyes upon that eternall rest which is represented by that signe And Tom. 2. epist. 119. ad Ianuar. c. 12. Observare diem Sabbati non ad literam jubemur secundùm ocium ab opere corporali sicut observant Iudaei We are not commanded to observe the Sabbath day according to the letter by a rest from bodily worke as the Iewes observe it Calvin in ep ad Colos. c. 2. v. 16. Atqui dicet quispiam nos adhuc retinemus aliquam dierum observationem Respondeo nos dies nequaquam servare quasi in feriis aliqua sit religio aut quasi fas non sit tunc laborare sed respectum haberi politiae ordinis non dierum But some will say we till this day retaine some observation of dayes I answer wee doe not observe dayes as if there were any holinesse in them or as if it were not lawfull then to worke but we have regard to the good government and order of the Church not to dayes Uiret on the fourth command towards the end If I had that authority which Magistrates have I would take this course If I could not keepe men in better order either they should labour in the service of God or in some other worke which is not hurtfull or altogether unprofitable It were much better that those who spend their meanes in gaming and hunting Tavernes did labour according to the Commandements Notwithstanding I thinke it better to give order that that whole day be imployed as much as shal possible in Gods service and in works of mercy for if it were permitted to worke on this day as on other it were to be feared that by little and little they would come to make no difference betwixt this and working dayes c. From whence it is manifest that he did not think that a labour honest and lawfull in it selfe was unlawfull on the Lords-day but onely that it was expedient that the Magistrate suffer not men to labour on this as on other dayes to prevent inconveniences Zanchius in praecep 4. quaest 3. de festis blameth the Papists in that Gravius accusatur punitur in papatu si quis in die Paschatis aut Nativitatis Domini vel dio Dominico agrum coluerit etiamsi eo id fecerit tempore quo non occupantur in Templo quà m si quis eodem die perpotet inebrietur chore as ducat c. Amongst them hee is more sharpely accused and punished who on Easter Christmas or the Lords-day laboureth his ground although hee doe it not in time of Divine service than hee who tippleth is drunke and danceth on those dayes By which words he implieth clearely enough that he did not disprove an honest labour on Sunday so it be not done in time of Divine service Item Opera servilia per se non prohibentur in die festo sed eatenus tantùm prohibentur quatenus in cultu divino unà cum reliquis fratribus exercere to possis occupari impediunt Servile workes are prohibited on a Holy day not because they are evill in themselves but because they hinder us from joyning with our brethren in Gods worship And a little after hee quoteth and approveth of that which Constantine wrote to Helvid us that He should suffer the Countrey-men if necessity did so require to labour their grounds on the Lords-day to sowe and to doe other things necessary And addeth moreover Quantò magis licet haec opera servilia praestare si ita possis illis vatare ut interim tamen ab exercitio divini cultus minimè per illa voceris How much more lawfull is it to doe these servile workes if so they may be done that they be no disturbance to thee nor avocation from the exercise of Gods worship Danaeus in praecept 4. Nobis Christianis non tanta támve severa rigida cessatio imposita est Non ex lege Constantini licet serere metere die Dominico si commodum sit Et ita videmus quae sit libert as Christiana Vpon us Christians is imposed not so great nor such an exact and rigid cessation and rest as was upon the Iewes for even by Constantin's law it is lawfull both to sowe and to reape on the Lords-day if there be cause for it And so we see what is our Christian liberty Item Liberê hodiè solùm quantum ad communem Ecclesiae aedificationem pertinet ab operibus nostris cessamus ut Dei cultui inserviamus ut neminem offendamus On this day we
transgression was not a crime of so little importance that it can make any man beleeve that God would have exempted it from all kind of censure in the Gentiles when he checked their other sinnes seeing he blamed it so extreamely in the Iewes and made the reproofes of that sinne to sound so a loud in their eares 13 The instance before urged that God found not fault with the Polygamie of the Gentiles although it was against the institution of God in the beginning and also against the Law of nature as is said but not granted is found to be false For in the eighteenth Chapter of Leviticus where God speaketh to the Iewes forbids all unlawfull and impure cohabitations amongst many others in the 18. Verse he forbids them to take a Wife and her Sister or to her Sister that is to take another Wife with the first to vexe the first by conjunction with the other in the first wives life time For this is the signification of the Hebrew Phrase as wee may see by diverse examples Genesis 26. verse 31. Exodus 25. verse 20. Exodus 26. verse 3. 27. Moreover GOD addeth in the same Chapter of Leviticus ver 24. 27 30. that in this filthy crime as in all others that are there named the nations had defiled themselves for which the land had vomited them out CHAPTER Fourth REASON 4. 1. The Patriarkes from the Creation till the Law knew not the observation of a Seventh day in the weeke 2. The publike service of God began in the time of Enos and was in all likenesse of truth solemnized every day of the weeke 3. From Noah till the Law the families of the Patriarkes served God privately and kept not the Seventh day 4. Confirmation of this truth by Scriptures and by the consent of Ancient and Moderne Divines 5. Answer to the first reply the Patriarkes fasted and their fasts are not written 6. Answer to the second reply The Patriarkes are not reproved for Polygamie no more than for the inobservation of the Sabbath 7. Answer to the third reply taken from a pretended paritie of reason betweene the making of one man and one woman to be one flesh and Gods rest on the Seventh day 8. Answer to the fourth reply that no mention is made of the Sabbath day in the booke of Iudges and some others written after the Law was given in Horeb. 9. Conclusion of the foresaid Reasons taken from the Gentiles and the Patriarkes 1 IF the keeping of one Seventh day of rest had beene a morall Commandement and if GOD had given it to Adam to bee sanctified by him and his posterity at least the Patriarkes and holy Fathers amongst whom remained the exercise of true Religion had knowne that day and hallowed it by the ordinary duties of godlinesse as they knew and observed in the whole course of their life all other morall Commandements Wee finde in their lives written by Moses many proofes and examples of the Religious worship which they yeelded to Iehovah alone as to the only true only perfect only Almighty and all sufficient God walking in sincerity and integrity before his face Genesis 5. ver 22. Genesis 6. ver 9. Genes 17. ver 1. Of their hatred against Idols which were to them things so abominable that they buryed them under the ground as not only unworthy but also ougly to be seene and infectious to be touched Gen. 35. v. 2. 4. Of their religious care to hallow the Name of GOD by calling upon his holy Name Genesis 12. ver 8. by vowing vowes to his Divine Majesty Gen. 28. ver 8. by taking holily and religiously in their mouthes his glorious and fearefull Name in the necessary oathes that they made before him Gen. 21. ver 24. 31. Gen. 31. ver 35. Of the awfull observance and obedience wherewith they honoured Fathers Mothers Masters and all superiors Gen. 9. ver 23. Gen. 27. ver 13 14. Gen. 28. ver 5. Gen. 42. ver 6. Gen. 47. ver 12. Of the abomination and detestation that was in their inward parts against murther Genesis 49. ver 5 6. whoredome adultery incest Gen. 34. ver 31. Gen. 38. ver 24. Gen. 39. ver 10. Gen. 49. ver 4. Theft Gen. 31. ver 32. 37. Gen. 44. ver 8. 9. Leasings and false witnesse Genesis 20. ver 12. Gen. 42. ver 11. and consequently lust which is the fruitfull mother of all those vices Gen. 14. ver 22. 23. Gen. 39. ver 9. 10. But wee find no where that they kept holy a Seventh day for Gods outward service according to the fourth Commandement of the Law given afterwards in Mount Sina This only doe we find that they practised that service builded Altars offered sacrifices to the Lord indifferently in all dayes and at all houres as they had occasion Neither is it any where noted in holy Scripture that they had any set day farre lesse a Seventh day prefixed unto them for their exercises which were never particularly tyed to a Seventh day with preference to other dayes of the weeke Yea considering that the consecration of a certaine day for Gods service whatsoever it be is not properly necessary but when many may troope together and make up a body of a Church to solemnize that service publikely with great assemblies of people it may be justly questioned if when the Patriarkes were alone when they were with their little families might with them serve God every day easily and with great assiduity being as they were disposed to all exercises of godlinesse and not being incombred with the many and great affaires which ensnare those that give themselves too much to worldly businesses whether at all they kept any ordinary day more prrticularly then other dayes if they served not God alike every day without distinction of dayes unknowne at that time and more particularly if they erected not Altars and offered sacrifices on them as God gave them some particular occasions they not having a constant rule given unto them for the time and place of these devotions 2 When it is said in the fourth of Genesis verse 26. that in the time of Enos men began to call upon the Name of the Lord although this passage may suffer diverse interpretations yet it is likely and it is the most current interpretation that it betokeneth that Enos and the remnant of the faithfull associated with him being growen to a competent multitude withdrew themselves from the wicked and worldy brood of Cain and began to institute among themselves a more solemne service then had beene in former times and for the celebration of that service ordained of free choice set times and places For which cause the Scripture saith that they began to call upon the Name of the Lord to wit publikely and in a numerous assemblie which had not beene practised before If this be the true sence of these words yet it shall not follow by any necessary argument or reason that they established
true beleever hath authority and freedome to exempt himselfe from the keeping of the Sabbath for his owne need and to yeeld to such necessities which are more urgent and of greater importance then was the Sabbath of which sort was the narrow strait whereunto hunger had driven Christs Disciples that is no lesse forcible to fight against the morality of the Sabbath as appeareth by that which hath beene already said 10 Such then being the nature of the Sabbath it is evident that it is not morall that of its selfe it obligeth not the conscience to the keeping of it that if it bindeth conscience it commeth from GODS command by a positive Law such as he gave to the Iewes and that only when more inforcing reasons doe not dispense with the observation of it as there be some such Now the positive Lawes given to the Iewes being wholly abrogated no man can say that the Law of the Sabbath bindeth the conscience of Christians if it be not shewed that Christ will have this Law of the Sabbath to continue under the New Testament and hath commanded the keeping of a Seventh day as he might have done In which case that Law should bee obligatory not for any morality it hath in it but because Christ had ordained it for the order of the Church This I pretend cannot be shewed but rather that the stinting of the time of GODS publike service hath beene left to the free will of the Church and that even now at this time when a Seventh day is set downe we ought to keepe it in obedience to the Church as following herein the order which she hath thought good to institute and not through opinion of any necessity proceeding from GODS immediate command farre lesse of Religion inherent in the thing it selfe CHAPTER Eighth REASON 8. 1. The Apostle condemneth the Galatians for observing dayes and moneths and times and yeeres 2. It is answered that the Apostle condemneth onely the observation of dayes c. prescribed in the ceremoniall Law 3. Refutation of that answer out of the drift of the whole Chapter 4. Besides that it maketh the Apostle to condemne thà t which he approved and so to contradict himselfe if this answer were true 1 I further justifie this by the Apostle in his Epistle to the Galatians Chapter 4. verse 10. where hee blameth them for observing dayes and moneths and times and yeeres for they deemed that in the observing of them there was a point of Religion and of Gods service which they were necessarily obliged unto on Gods behalfe and that for conscience sake either because the thing it selfe deserved as much or through respect to Gods Commandement It is this surmise which the Apostle blameth For if the Galatians had kept some dayes but as a thing indifferent and an ecclesiasticall order for the publike practise of divine service by the exercise of the ministrie the celebration of the Sacraments and other holy duties more and more sanctified with prayers thankesgiving Psalmes Hymnes and spirituall songs knowing and being perswaded by the Lord Iesus that there was no divine obligation no Religion tyed to those dayes in themselves it is as sure as can be that they had not bin worthy to be censured for all that is done and may be done in the Church under the New Testament Hereupon I say that we fall manifestly into the Apostles censure if we keepe a Seventh day of Sabbath beleeving it to be a morall thing which God hath expresly commanded and therefore necessary and as such binding the conscience For this is evidently to observe dayes after the fashion which the Apostle condemneth 2 It is answered to this that the Apostle speaketh in that Chapter of judaicall dayes moneths times and yeeres only as they are ordained to be kept by the ceremoniall Law of Moses as for example to observe in things belonging to the Sabbath the Seventh day of the weeke Which law being abolished he blameth the Galatians that they indeavoured to set up again the observation of dayes after the manner of the Iewes but reproveth them not for keeping a Sabbath day 3 This answer giveth no content at all I acknowledge freely that doubtlesse the dayes kept by the Galatians were the same which the Iewes observed For to esteeme that they were dayes consecrated to Idols which they had beene enured unto when they lived in Paganisme and had observed unto that time even after their conversion is farre from all likelihood and contrary to the Text which speaketh of dayes belonging to these weake and beggarly rudiments which God had ordained in the infancy of the Church which were judaicall dayes and none other and from which Iesus Christ was come into the world to redeeme men And the Apostle blameth the Galatians universally for observing such dayes without exception of any other day which he ought to have excepted if there had beene any other obligatory Nay he blameth them not for keeping them after the fashion of the Iewes by the practice of the ceremoniall service which the Iewes yeelded to God on those dayes whereof he maketh no mention neither is there any likelihood that the Galatians did any such thing but for keeping them for Religions sake And his reprehension is such a one that the right thing he aimed at in it is to condemne the observation of any day whatsoever under the New Testament for Religion and conscience sake in reference to any obligation from the day it selfe The foundation of his reproofe as appeareth manifestly by the whole drift of his discourse is this that to be Religious about dayes and to be tyed unto them by Gods command was a point of bondage belonging to the rudiments of the Law and that the Gospell which is the Law of liberty cannot suffer this bondage Therefore hee speaketh in generall tearmes Yee observe dayes and moneths and times and yeeres and addeth not judaicall or after the Iewish fashion because also to keepe other dayes then those of the Iewes and that for conscience sake and for the same opinion of Religion which the Iewes had of their dayes although otherwise then they hâ—d beene as bad and contrary to the Gospell it is not so when dayes are kept simply for ecclesiasticall order although they were Iudaicall dayes And indeed the Sabbath day of the Iewes to wit the last day of the weeke was kept by the Apostles and by diverse Christians in the Primitive Church many yeeres constantly As likewise the feasts of the Iewish Passeover and Pentecost were observed by the first Christians without any fault or offence on their part because this observation was not practised by them in the same respects that they were by the Iewes that is through opinion of Religious necessity and divine obligation 4 Verily if wee be obliged in our conscience and by a divine commandement under the new Testament to the observation of a seventh day of rest â—eligiously as the Iewes were as is pretended although it
47. The first man made of the earth was earthy ordained to abide on earth But the second man is the Lord from heaven ordained to have his residence in heaven and to introduce thither all that are his So in all likelihood Adam was not to be transported into the kingdome of heaven although he had continued constantly in his first integrity and uprightnesse Nay in case hee had beene received into that glorious felicity that could not nor should not have befallen him by Iesus Christ as such an one that is as Saviour and Mediator And therefore it is not likely that God ordained in the state of innocency the Seventh day of rest which was never established by him but to be a figure of the heavenly rest and eternall blessednesse which Iesus Christ imparts to all those that beleeve in him 10 Secondly I inferre againe from the same doctrine that seeing the day of rest was first established to bee a figure of the heavenly rest whereof CHRIST is author it hath no obligatory force under the New Testament but ought to cease as have done all other signes figuring the graces which Iesus Christ hath brought unto us and among the rest the type and figure of the rest of the Israelites in the land of Canaan which the Apostle joyneth together with the rest of the Seventh day setting downe the one and the other as types in the same fashion and of the same nature of the heavenly rest 11 The exception which some take against this inference is most absurd when they say that if the Sabbath day was a type of the heavenly rest it ought to remaine in its vigor and strength till this rest come and all the faithfull have obtained it For to the end it should continue no longer it sufficeth that this heavenly and eternall rest hath beene purchased by IESUS CHRIST and that the faithfull possesse it already in part some of them being in heaven happy in their soules and resting from their labours the rest being here beneath where they receive the first fruits and an essay of that blessednesse by the spirituall consolations contentments and delights which in the middest of their greatest afflictions are shed abroad in their hearts by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in them Otherwise if the foresaid reason were of any value the other Sabbaths to wit the Sabbath of the seventh yeere and the Iubile of the fiftieth yeere which were Sabbaths of rest unto the the land should continue still because they were figures of that rest which is not yet come Nay all the signes of the Old Testament should remaine because they figured spirituall benefits which are alwayes to come either wholly or in part to all GODs Elect while they are here on earrh The signification of the Iewish circumcision to wit the circumcision of the heart shall not be brought to perfection and absolutely finished till wee be in the kingdome of heaven But it sufficeth for an absolute abolishment of all the signes of the Old Testament that Iesus Christ hath actually acquired all the benefits figured by them although the Elect inherite them not yet totally and perfectly As for the day which the Church hath appointed to be a day of rest under the New Testament it hath not beene ordained to serve for a type and figure which it neither could nor ought to doe but only for order and to be a meanes of the practise of holy duties whereunto some day was of necessity to be allowed CHAPTER Twelfth Answer to the replyes made unto the former Argument 1. First reply the Sabbath being morall from the beginning of the world the figure was accidentally annexed unto it 2. Answer The Sabbath was a legall figure and no thing else 3. Second reply The Sabbath was never a figurative and Typicall signe but only doctrinall marking the straite communion betweene GOD and those that are his and is still such a signe 4. Answer to this reply by the distinction of signes in those that are onely doctrinall and onely memoriall or which besides are figurative or typicall 5. Of which last sort was the Sabbath 6. And therefore it was to be abrogated as well as all other types and figures of the Law 7. Which were all not only typicall but also doctrinall 8. Why the signes of the Christian Church are not figures types 9. Third reply concerning the Raine-bow which is a signe only and no type at all answered 10. Some things yet subsisting which were signes figures and types under the LÃ w may be yet lawfully used but not as signes figures types 11. For cleering of this the types of the Law are distinguished into those whose whole essence consisted in their typicall use as the Circumcision Passeover sacrifices c. 12 And in those which besides the type may in the new Testament have some other good and religious use as abstinence of certaine meats observation of the first day of Moneths of feasts of Sabbaths c. but not as any part of Gods service or through necessity of obedience to Gods Commandement 13 Of this last sort is the Sabbath 14 Fourth reply The Sabbath did not figure Christ therefore it was not a type 15 Answer by a distinction of legall types in those which represented directly Christs person and actions 16 And in those which represented directly his benefits such as were the Circumcision all kinde of Sabbaths the weekely Sabbath all these are abrogated and therefore this also 17 All other judaicall ceremonies although they had no relation to Christ have beene abrogated how much more the Sabbath 1 TO the last reason heretofore alledged some doe reply that indeed in the Sabbath there was a kind of figure ceremony annexed only unto it accidentally but as for the thing it selfe the Sabbath hath beene since the beginning of the world and continueth still a morall thing seeing it was ordained to Adam before sinne came unto the world and to the Israelites before the Law since the giving whereof God added the ceremony to the day to the intent it might be a part not onely of the morall but also of the ceremoniall Law that Christ hath taken away the ceremony but a seventh day of Sabbath hath alwaies the same vigor and force it had from the beginning 2 It sufficeth to answer that this reply layeth a false foundation to wit that a seventh day of Sabbath is of it selfe morall that it was in the time of innocency ordained to Adam and commanded to the Israelites before the Law Whereas it was first ordained by the Law and not before and the figure was not annexed unto it as an accident to a thing already subsisting Nay it was never of its owne nature but a legall figure belonging to the government and ceremonies of the Law as hath beene already and shall be more abundantly confirmed in the refutation of the arguments broached for the contrary opinion 3 Others doe reply by denying that in the observation of
consideration thereof they were commanded to keepe the Sabbath day which is the thing that God pronounceth most expressely in the place lately cited Deut. 5. verse 15. and Ezek. 20. verse 11 12. where upon that hee had said ver 10. that hee caused the Israelites to goe forth out of the land of Aegypt he addeth and I gave them my statutes moreover also I gave them my Sabbaths c. 2 Secondly seeing the Sabbath day was ordained to be a memoriall of a benefit particular to the Israelites to wit of their deliverance out of the land of Aegypt and of their separation from all other nations it followeth that the Sabbath day obligeth not Christians under the New Testament as if it were morall and as if God had â—â—dained it by an expresse commandement to continue till the worlds end For this end of the Sabbath to be a memoriall of their deliverance and separation from all other people dwelling upon the face of the earth with the other end afore mentioned to be a figurative signe of Iesus Christ to come and of the saving benefits which were to be purchased by him made up the whole use of the Sabbath Of which end neither the one nor the other doth belong to the New Testament 3 The faithfull Christians are a people more spirituall then the Iewes were because they are under the Gospell which is an estate more spirituall and heavenly then was the condition of Gods people under the Law for which cause it is called the kingdome of heaven And therefore all dayes under the Gospell should be to all the faithfull that live in that blessed and heavenly estate as many Sabbath dayes more particularly then to the Iewes to rest from their sinnes and to give themselves to prayers calling upon the Name of the Lord to reading and meditation of his holy Word and to other religious exercises of godlinesse according to the words in Isaiah Chapter 66. v. 23. if they be applyed unto the estate of the Church under the Gospell as they may be and indeed are so expounded by many interpreters when it is there said that then there shall be no more New Moones nor Sabbaths distinguished by intervalls and spaces of times but one Sabbath shall succeed immediately to another Sabbath and that all the dayes of the weeke and of the whole yeere shall bee as Sabbaths unto them This is the conclusion of all that hath beene said in this first part which shall be more fully confirmed by the refutation of the arguments that are brought to maintaine the morality of the Sabbath Which refutation shall bee the subject of the second part of this Treatise THE SECOND PART wherein the reasons brought to justifie the morality and perpetuity of a Seventh day of Sabbath are confuted CHAPTER First First Answer to the first Reason 1. The opinion of those that hold the morality of a Seventh day of Sabbath cleerely set downe 2. Their first Reason taken out of Genesis Chapter 2. ver 2 3. Where it is said that God rested on the Seventh day from all his workes and blessed the Seventh day and sanctified it c. 3. First answer to this Reason Moses writing the History of the Creation after the Law was given declareth occasionally the cause that moved God to blesse and sanctifie the Seventh day to the Iewes according to the custome of the Scripture to joyne things done long before with those that were done long after as if they had beene done together and at one time 4. Confirmation of this by places named by anticipation 5. By that which is written Exod. 16. ver 33 34. where it is said that Aaron laid up in a Pot an Omer of Manna before the Testimony which was not done many yeeres after 6. And by the History of Davids combat with Goliah 1 Sam. 17. Where it is written ver 54. that David tooke the head of the Philistine and brought it to Ierusalem but he put his armour in his tent although there was a great intervall of time betweene these two actions 7. This joyning of things farre removed in time is not unsutable to him that speaketh or writeth 8. First instance against this answer taken from the connexion of the third verse with the second from the same tence used in both and from the identitie of the same seventh day spoken of in both c. 9. First answer to this instance shewing that in the holy Scripture things distant in-time are expressed by words of the same tence when the one hath some dependancie upon the other 10. Application of this answer to the blessing and sanctification of the seventh day in Moses his time joyned with Gods rest after the creation because it was the foundation of that blessing 11. Second answer It was not the same particular seventh day after the creation but the same by revolution which God sanctified 12. Third answer the Hebrew article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 confirmeth not that the seventh day which God blessed was the same seventh day wherein he rested 13. Second instance as Gods blessing of his creatures after they were made was present so was his blessing of the seventh day immediately after the creation 14. Answer to this instance the reason is not alike 15. Confirmation of the answer made to the words of Moses in Genesis by the conformity of the same words used in the commandement given to the Iewes concerning the Sabbath 16. As also because the Sabbath was not hallowed for Adam who in the estate of innocency had no need of such a day 17. First instance Adam was taught by Gods example that hee stood in need of such a day refuted 18. Second instance as God ordained Sacraments to Adam so he ordained to him a seventh day of rest refuted by a reason shewing the nullity of that consequence 19. And by the excellency of Adams condition to which the ordination of such a day was derogatory 20. Third instance as Gods rest on the Seventh day was the foundation of the commandement given to the Iewes to rest on that day so was it from the beginning refuted 1 THose that hold the second opinion doe say that the keeping of a Seventh day of Sabbath is a morall thing which from the beginning of the world should continue to the end thereof with this difference only that God before and till the comming of Iesus Christ had ordained that the last day of the weeke wherein hee rested from all the workes which hee had made when he created the world should be sanctified by all men in remembrance of the creation and of his rest on that day But since the manifestation of Iesus Christ it was his will that instead of the last day of the weeke the first day wherein Christ rising from among the dead rested from the work of our redemption should be observed in the Christian Church for a memoriall of this worke which being more excellent then the former it was beseeming
that only which was made in behalfe of the Israelites as is cleere by the repetition of the Law in the fifth Chapter of Deuteronomie where that which was absolutely said in Exodus Therfore the Lord blessed the Seventh day is restrained to the Israelites v. 15. Therefore the Lord commanded thee to keepe the Sabbath day And in Exodus 16. v. 29. The Lord hath given you the Sabbath And in the 31. Chap. ver 16 17. The Children of Israel shall keepe the Sabbath to observe the Sabbath throughout their generation for a perpetuall covenant It is a signe betweene mee and the children of Israel for ever For in sixe dayes the Lord made heaven and earth and on the Seventh day he rested where it cannot be denyed but that with the end of the Creation and Gods rest on the Seventh day is immediately joyned the institution of the Sabbath to the Israelites at least in quality of a signe If then in that place Moses might speake after this manner and say God created in sixe dayes heaven and earth and rested the Seventh day and therefore he hath ordained to the Israelites the Sabbath day for a signe wherefore in the second of Genesis might he not say after the same manner God made heaven and earth in sixe dayes and finished them on the Seventh day and rested from all his workes and this his Rest on the Seventh day hath moved him to blesse ánd sanctifie that day to wit to the Israelites to be a signe unto them according to that hath been said in the places before mentioned which are an evident and cleere explication thereof 11 Neither is it any wise necessary as is pretended that in the second Chapter of Genesis in the second and third verses one and the same singular seventh day should be understood and that God hath precisely sanctified the same seventh day wherein he rested and rested on the same day that he sanctified and therefore because in the second verse the first seventh day after the Creation is understood it must be taken so in the third verse For it sufficeth to understand in the third verse the same seventh day in likenesse and revolution and generally a seventh day correspondent continually in order to that which GOD rested on after his workes of the sixe dayes And this reason that God rested on the first seventh day might have been to God a most reasonable cause to ordaine long after the sanctification of a seventh day answerable in all points to that first seventh day The sequell of Moses his discourse is as fitting in this regard as in the other As if I said our Lord Iesus Christ rose againe and rested from the worke of our redemption on the first day of the weeke wherefore the Church hath dedicated the first day of the weeke that hee rose in to be holy and solemne the sequele is good although it be not the same first singular day that Christ rose on and the Church hath consecrated but the same onely in likenesse and revolution yea although there passed a long time after the Resurrection of our Lord and Saviour before the first day of the weeke could be well setled as a day of holy and religious exercises We say on Friday before Easter this day Christ hath suffered on the Ascension day this day Christ is ascended into heaven At Whitsunday On this day the Holy Ghost is come downe although those things came to passe on a certaine singular day which is past long agoe But we name so all the dayes following which correspond to that first day according to the similitude which is betweene them And we call the day of the Passion of the Ascension of the descent of the Holy Ghost those which are not such properly but onely have by revolution correspondancie with the first dayes wherein such things were done Even so when it is said in the third verse of the second Chapter of Genesis And therefore the Lord hath blessed the Seventh day and hath hallowed it because in it he hath rested from all his workes that is to be understood not of the same first day wherein hee rested but of a Seventh day answering unto it in the order and continuall succeson of dayes 12 The Article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 put in the third verse before the word that signifieth seven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 proveth not that it is a peculiar seventh even that seventh day that God rested in verse 2. For although the Article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be often used to betoken emphatically a thing singular and individuall already knowne and mentioned yet this is not universall For it is used much without any emphasis or expresse demonstration of any thing either singular or certaine yea simply to serve for an ornament and to make the word that it is joyned unto more full which use hath also in the Greeke tongue the article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Verily in the third ver which we speak of in this place it is cleere that the said Article cannot be restrained to a seventh singular day as it is in the second verse Nay it betokeneth more generally a seventh day comprehending in it many singular dayes which by similitude in regard of the order and succession of times have reference and analogie to the first seventh day mentioned in the said second verse and have followed it from time to time at the end of sixe dayes For it is such a seventh day that God hath sanctified and not a singular seventh And that seventh day may bee called a particular seventh and considered as particularised by the Article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it is in effect in as much as it is not indifferently all seventh day or any of the seven dayes of the weeke that God hath sanctified but it is the last of them We seeke only to know when God began to blesse and to hallow it to men to be kept by them And I maintaine that this hallowing began not incontinent after the Creation was finished but more than two thousand yeeres after Neither is the contrary proved by this passage of Genesis 13 No greater weight hath another instance which is much urged that as in the course of the Creation when it is said that God after he had created every living thing blessed them Gen. 1. v. 21 22 27 28. is to be understood a present benediction and not put off to a long time Even so when in the second of Genesis with the perfection of the Creation on the seventh day is joyned the blessing and hallowing of that day a present sanctification is to be understood 14 For the reason is not alike in the one and in the other First the blessing of all living creatures and the blessing of the seventh day are not to be taken in the same sence That is a blessing of actuall and reall communication of goods and graces This is a blessing of destination to be solemnized by men Secondly
pleased to subject him unto and to stint unto him that time to wit the seventh day for the particular time of his service even as he appointed unto him the garden of Heden for the place where he would have him to make his residence and there to apply himselfe to admire the workes of his Creator to serve and to worship him And indeed any man may with as good reason conclude that it must needs be a morall thing to serve God in Heden because it was the place where God had setled Adam to be served by him there in the state of his innocency as they doe which seeke to prove that it is a point of morality to keepe a seventh day of Sabbath because God ordained in that state a seventh day to Adam For the determination of a certaine time can no more be a morall point then the determination of a place neither of them being founded in the principles of nature and of naturall justice and equity as should be whatsoever is morall and as indeed is all that is written in the ten Commandements saving the Commandement of the seventh day of Sabbath which is a thing depending entirely on institution and government as shall be seene more fully afterwards Or why may it not be inferred that not only a seventh day but the last of seven is morall because if God ordained a seventh day to Adam it was the last of seven as those against whom we doe dispute doe avouch 6 Now if a seventh day could not be ordained to Adam in quality of a morall thing but onely as a point and rule of order granting that it was prescribed unto him it is inconsequent that it was to continue afterwards by a perpetuall ordinance given to all men For there is no necessity that all men after sinne came into the world ought to be alwaies ruled in Gods service by the same outward order that Adam was ruled by before he sinned seeing things pertaining meerly and simply to order are subject to alteration 7 It is most true that if in the state of innocency God had ordained to Adam a particular day amongst others to serve him it should be as much nay farre more fit and necessary that wee under the state of sinne should alwaies have alike ordinance for us But I say withall seeing it is supposed that Adam had one of seven daies prescribed unto him in that estate although he applyed himselfe every day to Gods service without distraction that we in the estate we are in and wherein we give our selves so seldome and so sparingly to Gods ordinary service by reason of our worldly imployments should have beene tyed to more then one in seven Yet for all that Seeing God hath never prescribed to sinfull men but one seventh day and that as I pretend for the time of the bondage of the Law only Seeing also under the new Testament although we be alwaies sinners he would not stint unto us any day but in that point hath left his Church free I inferre from thence that it is not likely that hee ordained and limitted to Adam a seventh day nay not any other day of Sabbath For by such a limitation he had tyed and inthralled him in that estate of innocency as much and more then his off-spring in the estate of sinne which seemeth to imply that hee was as much and more led daily away from Gods service then are poore sinners which goe farre beyond all reason CHAPTER Third Answer to the second Reason 1. Second reason for the morality of the Sabbath that before the Law was given the people of Israel went not out to gather Manna in the wildernesse on the seventh day of the weeke 2. First answer Of this argument the morality of the Sabbath cannot be inferred no more than of many ceremonies which were religiously observed long before the Law was given 3. Second answer In the wildernesse God commanded the observation of the Sabbath and of sundry other ceremonies before the Law was given and then onely beganne the keeping of the Sabbath 4. Therefore in vaine are urged the words of Exodus Chap. 16. vers 29 30. The Lord hath given you the Sabbath c. which have relation onely to the command newly made 5. Third answer If the institution of the Sabbath had beene more ancient and if it had beene kept by the Patriarches their children had knowne it and practised it in Egypt 6. Nullity of the reply made to this answer that they had forgotten it first because God did never rebuke them for the inobservation of the Sabbath in the land of Egypt 7. Secondly because many godly men which were in Egypt had not forgotten it and yet before the commandement concerning it was given in the wildernesse made never mention of it nay knew it not as is proved by the Text. 8. And by other places of the old Testament 9. Second reply that besides the generall reason which moved God to give the Sabbath to all men he appropriated it to the people of Israel for some other reasons besides 10. First answer to this reply it cannot be proved that GOD gave it to all men nay it is absolutely appropriated to the Iewes 11. Second answer There is not one of the reasons why God gave the Sabbath to the Iewes adapted to other nations although they were capable of many of them 12. Nor also to the Patriarches who had no notice of the Sabbath 13. If in the Scripture any thing be adapted to the Iewes which was common to other men it is knowne to have beene common either by the nature thereof or by the testimony of Scripture But it is not so of the Sabbath 1 THe second argument alledged for the morality of the Sabbath is that before the Law was given by Moses it was observed which is proved by the sixteenth Chapter of Exodus where it is said that on the seventh day the Israelites went not out to gather Manna but rested every man in his place on that day because it was the holy Sabbath unto the Lord which the Lord himselfe had ordained Whence they would conclude that it was already an ancient ordinance knowne of the Israelites to be such that for this cause they went not out on the seventh day to seek Manna that for the same cause God powred it not downe on that day lest it should be an occasion unto them of violating the Sabbath For all this was done before the Law was given the giving whereof is described afterwards in the same Booke of Exodus Chap. 20. 2 To this I answer first that although it could be most cleerely shewed that the Sabbath was observed from the beginning before the Law which notwithstanding cannot be proved that availeth nothing for the morality of the Sabbath We see that from the beginning and in all times before the Law the firstlings of the slocke and the first fruits of the ground were offered to God Genes 4. ver
others as well as to them and that by reason of some particular forme whereby GOD gave them more excellently unto them then unto others and of certaine circumstances wherewith hee accompanied them to make them more commendable unto them and move them to keepe them more carefully and that ordinances obligatory to all men were given them clothed with certaine ceremonies belonging to them onely But these are things which carry with them their owne evidence or which the Scripture teacheth otherwhere to have beene common to others But as for the seventh day of Sabbath it appeareth not neither by the nature thereof nor by any declaration of Scripture that it did belong to others then to the Iewes And therefore from this that we finde it never appropriated to any people but to them we conclude most rationally that it was never ordained to any people saving unto them CHAPTER Fourth Answer to the third Reason 1. Third Reason for the morality of a seventh day of Sabbath from the knowledge the Patriarkes had of the distinction of weekes and the use they made of it 2. First answer This argument hath no consequence 3. Second answer The faithfull before the Law observed not the distinction of weekes 4. Impertinent allegation of the Dove which Noah sent forth after seven dayes out of the Arke 5. As of the weeke of the feast of IACOBS mariage with Leah 6. Of the insufficiency of the arguments alleadged to prove the distinction of weekes it followeth that there was no such distinction before the Law 7. And yet it followeth not thence that the Patriarkes did not celebrate the remembrance of the creation which they had learned of their fathers and taught their Children by tradition 8. Although it was not necessary that they should have a solemne and stinted day and specially the last day of the weeke for that use 1 TO prove that the Patriarkes and other faithfull which were before the Law kept the seventh day of Sabbath some take an argument from the distinction of weekes which is pretended to have beene usuall in their time To this purpose they alleadge the eight Chapter of Genesis ver 8 9 10 11 12. where it is said that Noah having sent forth a Dove to know if the waters were abated from of the face of the earth and the Pigeon returning unto him into the Arke he stayed yet other seven dayes and sent her forth the second time and again other seven dayes and sent her forth the third time Whence they would faine inferre that Noah observed weekes and in them the seventh day They alleadge likewise out of the 29. Chapter of Genesis ver 27. that Iacob complaining of Laban who had beguiled him giving him Leah instead of Rachel for whom he had served seven yeeres Laban answered fulfill her weeke and we will give thee this also for the service that thou shalt serve with me yet other seven yeeres Moreover they adde this inconvenience that if the Patriarkes before the Law observed not the distinction of weekes and in them the seventh day they observed and solemnized not also the remembrance of the Creation which God performed in sixe dayes and of his rest on the seventh day 2 To that I answer first that although the Fathers before the Law had kept a regular distinction of weekes it should not follow that they observed the seventh day particularly and made of it a day of rest and of exercises of Religion For they might have kept that distinction simply as a distinction of time as they did of moneths and of yeeres without tying unto it any rule for the exercises of Religion no more than to these other 3 But Secondly I say that it appeareth not that before the Law they observed the foresaid distinction We find in the History of their lives that they have observed distinction of dayes of moneths of yeeres of which times expresse mention is there made as also the distinction of these times is grounded upon the two great heavenly lights to wit the Sunne and the Moone which God created purposely to bee for signes and for seasons and for dayes and yeeres as is to be seene in Genesis first Chapter verse 14. whereof the Patriarkes were well informed having a great knowledge of the Will of GOD and of naturall things Whereas the distinction of weekes is not grounded upon any naturall reason nor also upon any ordinance of GOD which may be proved to have beene made from the beginning Neither is there any where mention made of any observation of weekes before the Law The passages alleadged to demonstrate it being too feeble for that purpose 4 To the first of the eight of Genesis I say that the argument which is grounded upon it consists only in a simple and uncertaine conjecture Indeed Noah twice or thrice one seventh day after another did let out the Pigeon or as the Text saith after he had stayed seven dayes but the History telleth us not what reason hee had to observe after that manner an intervall of seven dayes And it were too great rashnesse to determine it Howsoever no man can gather from thence an ordinary and stinted distinction of weekes such as hath beene since the Law was given For to come to that they must suppose without any evidence produced or testimony brought that the first time that Noah sent out the Dove was the seventh day after he had let out the Raven and that the second time he sent forth the Pigeon precisely on the seventh day following after the first seventh day and so likewise the third time For if he let her out after seven dayes fully expired as the words may be taken it shall be on the eight day which should make a distinction of a space not of seven but of eight dayes Secondly in case it was on each seventh day that he sent out the Dove it must be supposed that it was precisely on the last or on the first day of the weeke and that hee observed exactly the one or the other for that purpose For if he sent her forth on some other day then the first or the last and sent her forth againe on the seventh day following that would only make a weeke perverted and irregular and not the seventh day established and ordained by the Law whereof the Sabbath day was the last day which can be farre lesse proved by the passage before cited to have beene observed by Noah For to make that good it must be certaine that he sent forth his Pigeon on the proper day of Sabbath and that of purpose to performe in so doing a work of sanctification belonging to that day Which not only is not certaine but is also against all likelihood For seeing the observation of the seventh day ordained by the Law obligeth man to rest from all servile workes and to cause all other living creatures that are in his possession to rest likewise if Noah had knowne and observed the Sabbath
day such as the Law ordained afterwards hee had kept himselfe quiet and had not applyed so holy a day to let forth the Pigeon that it might flye abroad here and there and to observe what tokens she should bring unto him of the decreasing of the waters which was rather a violation then a sanctification of the Sabbath according to the tenor of the Law And therefore although Noah had let out the Dove on the seventh day of the weeke that should not be attributed to any particular designe tyed to that day rather than to another but taken as done on that day indifferently as it might have beene done on any other day without seeking any other reason thereof 5 To the other passage taken out of the 29. Chapter of Genesis I answer that the weeke there mentioned is not necessarily to bee understood of a weeke of dayes ordinary and regular But it may be taken for a weeke of yeeres or for a number of seven yeeres and the pronoune THIS twice repeated for Rachel the sence of Labans words to Iacob being this As thou hast served seven yeeres and hast received Leah for reward to bee thy Wife fulfill also a weeke that is serve other seven yeeres for THIS that is for Rachel and she also shall be given thee to be thy wife and so is this place explained by many interpreters But if the pronoune 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the first place is understood of Leah and the weeke of a weeke of dayes and if Labans words to Iacob be taken as if he had desired him to fulfill a weeke of dayes ordained for the celebration of the solemnity of his mariage with Leah promising that after these seven dayes hee should also give him Rachel as others take it that also availes not For from thence is proved only that the custome was to bestow seven daies on the solemnities and pastimes of weddings But that there was then a weeke regular and ordinary whereof the last day was the same that God rested on from all his workes and was also to that people an holy day of rest it is a conclusion which cannot be gathered out of that history and will never be proved 6 Seeing therefore there is no sufficient proofe of a stinted distinction of daies before the Law this may be to me a contrary argument to prove that the Sabbath day was not then kept For seeing out of the observation thereof followeth of necessity the distinction of weekes if it had been observed from the beginning of the world frequent mention had bin then made of weeks and the men of those daies had counted by weeks as well as by daies moneths and yeeres which is not to be found Nay it is most likely that the distinction of weekes beganne first among the Iewes as soone as the Law was given and from the Iewes came to the Gentiles as a distinction of time very commodious and convenient though they corrupted it consecrating the seven daies of the weeke to the seven planets which they made Idols of and imposing unto them their names whereas the Iewes named them according to their order with relation to the Sabbath the first second third c. of the Sabbath 7 Yet although the faithfull before the Law did not keepe a distinction of daies the inconvenience propounded in the beginning of this Chapter followeth not to wit that if so be they did not celebrate the remembrance of the creation which God finished in sixe daies and from which he began to rest on the seventh day or that they had otherwise forgotten that great worke of God For considering the creation absolutely they could not be ignorant that God had created the world seeing the thing speaketh of it selfe and all creatures cry with a loud voice that they have one Author that hath made them seeing also the distinction of daies and months that was knowne unto them by the ordinary course of the heavenly lights led them of necessity to a beginning no lesse then the distinction of weekes which had in it no particular thing capable to teach them so much As for the Gentiles which were ignorant of the creation of the World and weened it to be eternall that was in them a grosse and blockish error against the light and documents of Nature Yet it was not universall For there have beene some in all times who have beleeved and taught that the world hath had a beginning and was made though they have erred in their opinions concerning the framing thereof 8 Adde to this that in the holy generation of these first faithfull the Fathers had alwaies a speciall care to teach it to their children by a continuall tradition which with the manifestation of the creation in generall might also make knowne unto them the particular order observed of God in that wonderfull worke to wit that in sixe daies he made heaven and earth and rested the seventh day For it is likely that Adam learned it of God that hee kept the knowledge thereof and imparted it to his children who called it to memory and at all occasions glorified for it the Lord their God So they might know without any regular observation of weekes on what day God began and on what day hee ended the creation of the world For the foresaid tradition being supposed by the distinction of moneths and yeeres which was alwaies observed it was easie to make that supputation although some even of the chiefe men among the Iewes as Philo in the first Booke of the life of Moses sticke not to say that the natall day of the world wherein it was finished beganne not to be knowne but by the Israelites when God at first rained Manna upon them in the wildernesse and that it was wholly unknowne to the Fathers in which affirmation I see no inconvenience 9 But howsoever it was no manner of way necessary that they should celebrate ordinarily the memory of the creation and of the rest of God on a solemne and stinted day yea on the last of the seven daies wherein GOD rested and marke the revolution thereof from day to day Neither doth it appeare that they did any such thing Nay it is farre more apparent that God gave the first knowledge and commanded the ordinary and common observation of this day when raining Manna upon the Israelites sixe daies consequently he gave then none on the seventh day saying it was the Sabbath day which he would have them to keepe in time to come and which he enjoined expresly unto them in the Decalogue declaring that on that day hee rested from the workes of the Creation CHAPTER fifth Answer to the fourth Reason 1. Fourth reason for the morality of the Sabbath taken out of the fourth Chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrewes vers 3 4. 2. Whence they gather that the Sabbath day was ordained to all men from the beginning of the world 3. And that by three arguments inforced upon the words
of the Apostle 4. First answer In that place the Apostle speaketh not directly of any rest ordained to man but onely of Gods rest 5. Second answer Indirectly Gods rest on the seventh day and the rest of the Iewes commanded to them afterwards being as types and figures of the heavenly rest applyed unto the said words prove not that both are one rest and the one as ancient as the other 6. Confirmation of this answer 7. Answer to the first argument It is not necessary to understand that Gods rest on the seventh day is a rest given to man as the two other rests of God must be so understood 8. Answer to the second argument shewing by the exposition of the words of the Apostle that there is no equivocation to be found in them although the rest of God in one place be not understood of a rest given to man as in the two other places 9. Answer to the third argument shewing there is no defect in the argumentation of the Apostle although he speaketh not directly of the rest ordained in the fourth Commandement THEY object also from the fourth Chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrewes that the Apostle citeth out of the 95. Psalme verse 11. and applyeth to the Hebrewes the threat denounced of old against the incredulous Israelites in the daies of Moses that they should never enter into his rest That the Psalmist adapted it also to the Iewes of his time exhorting them not to harden their hearts when they shall heare the voice of God as their Fathers have done lest they also should come short of entring into his rest That I say the Apostle citing that threat as applyed by the Psalmist to his time observeth that God at that time spoke on this wise I have sworne in my wrath if they shall enter into my rest although his workes were finished from the foundation of the world For he spake in a certaine place to wit in the second Chapter of Genesis of the seventh day on this wise And God rested the seventh day from all his workes And that from thence the Apostle maketh this inference that God in this threat wherein hee spake in Davids time of a rest to come whereof the Israelites should come short could not understand the rest of the seventh day mentioned in the second of Genesis because that rest had a great sway from the foundation of the world As hee sheweth also in the verses following that it could not be taken for the rest of the Land of Canaan because Ioshuah a long time before had brought the Israelites into that rest and therefore of necessity God spake of another rest then of these two to wit of a spirituall and heavenly rest which those that beleeve are admitted into and all those that beleeve not come short of 2 They endeavour to make out of this discourse this illation that the observation of the Sabbath day was ordained to all men from the beginning of the world even from that seventh day wherein God rested from all his workes For they put in this the force of the argumentation of the Apostle to wit That the rest of the seventh day was not to be understood in the threat denounced in Davids time against the Israelites that they should never enter into Gods rest because men were already entred into it from the beginning of the world as it is written And God rested the seventh day from all his workes and is so cited by the Apostle and by them urged as impossible to be understood onely of Gods resting from all his works after he had finished them and as of necessity to be taken for a rest ordained of God to men which at that same time hee brought them into 3 Because even as the Apostle by the other rest of the land of Canaan which he alledgeth also and by the heavenly rest which he mentioneth likewise understands a rest that men enter into and whereof they have an enjoying and possession the one and the other being called Gods rest because he puts them in possession of them likewise by the rest of God on the seventh day which hee maketh mention of as of a thing which had sway when the workes of God were finished from the beginning of the world he understands necessarily a rest which men enjoyed and practised at that same time after Gods example For otherwise and if it had not belonged to men in vaine had the Apostle excepted it as a thing that could not be understood in Gods threat As also there should be an equivocation in this that the Apostle making mention of three rests of God to wit of the rest of the seventh day of the rest of the land of Canaan and of the heavenly rest should by the first understand a rest whereby God onely rested and belonging to him alone and by the two others a rest which he had given or was to give to men for their rest That moreover if by the rest of the seventh day he had not understood a rest ordained to men from the beginning but only Gods owne rest his argumentation should be defective and subject to an easie reply because he had omitted the rest which out of all doubt God instituted at least in the fourth Commandement concerning which rest seeing hee excluded it not the Hebrewes might have replyed unto him that God understood and denoted it in that threat wherewith hee threatned the Israelites by David that they should not enter into his rest and so hee had not obtained his end which was to shew that God speaketh there of the heavenly rest and not of any other 4 To all this reasoning which to some that make use of it seemeth to be of great weight to others but light and probable I answer shortly that albeit it hath some shew it hath not strength enough to prove that which is in question to wit that the observation of the Sabbath day was ordained to man from the beginning of the world For the Apostle in the place above cited ver 3. 4. speaketh not expresly of any rest ordained to man nor that men had at that time entred into any rest nay he maketh no mention that God had blessed and sanctified the Sabbath day but saith that God did rest the seventh day as soone as his works were finished Therefore it is not his scope to teach that the rest of the seventh day was kept by men from the foundation of the world and that for that cause God could not understand it when in the daies of David he spake to the Israelites of a new entrance into his rest For if hee had propounded to himselfe that end doubtlesse he had uttered it in more expresse tearmes at least he had rather cited these words of the second Chapter of Genesis And God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it which had manifestly beene more unto the purpose then these others And the seventh day God rested from all his workes
Deuteronomie are added to the fourth Commandement Keepe the Sabbath day to sanctifie it as the Lord hath commanded thee As for the Sanctification of the Sabbath day which God ordaineth and of which it is said that it cannot be called a ceremony I answer that indeed to speake universally and absolutely it cannot be so called For the Sabbath day was and ought to be sanctified by morall duties But in as much as it was tyed to the seventh day and was practised by sacrifices offerings and other services of the like kind and by an exact resting from all worldly travels such as GOD ordaineth in the fourth Commandement it is ceremoniall 3 Secondly they stand much upon the words following Sixe dayes shalt thou labour and doe all thy worke but the seventh day c. Where as they say there is a reason of the observation of the seventh day of Sabbath which hath its foundation in equity and justice For if God giveth to men sixe dayes for their owne affaires and for the workes of their worldly calling is it not more than just that they consecrate a seventh day to his service And is it not as just for Christians as for Iewes And therefore say they Christians sith they take sixe dayes for their workes are as much obliged as the Iewes to observe a seventh day of Sabbath to God They adde also that as the labour of sixe dayes which is mentioned in this reason and whence it is taken is not a ceremoniall thing no more should the rest of the seventh day be ceremoniall 4 I answer that in the foresaid reason there is a manifest justice and equity which continueth for ever But that justice is generally in this that if a man hath many dayes for himselfe and for his owne workes it is reasonable hee consecrate one amongst many for Gods service Yea there should be a great deale more justice to imploy if it were possible a greater number of dayes upon Gods service then upon our own businesse Nay to bestow them all Also in consequence of this justice and equity we have said before that under the New Testament in whose time the Christians are farre more beholden to God then the Iewes were sith God hath discharged them of many burdens of outward ceremonies which did lay heavy upon that people and hath called them to bee in some sort a people more franke and more affectionate to his service all the dayes of the weeke as much as possibly can be should be Holy dayes unto the LORD And because they cannot possibly meet together every day to serve in common which neverthelesse he looks for as well as for a particular service they must stint some ordinary day for that end and in this stinting must not shew themselves inferiors to the Iewes appointing lesse than one day among seven to Gods service This is all that can be gathered from the foresaid reason as it is obligatory for ever For to dedicate to God precisely a seventh day after we have bestowed sixe dayes upon our selves it cannot be denyed but that it is most just yet it is not more just nor better proportioned nor more obligatory of it selfe and in its own nature specially to Christians nay not so much as to consecrate to God one of sixe or of five or of foure For the moe we hallow to God the more doe we that which is just equitable and well ordered and the more doe wee performe our duty that wee are naturally bound unto towards him If then God ordained in times past under the Law that the day which he would have his people to dedicate unto him should be particularly one of seven it was not for any naturall justice which was more in that number or for any proportion which in it selfe was more convenient in that behalfe then the appointment of any other number but because it was his good pleasure to direct and rule for that season the time of his service and to impose no more than one day of seven upon a people loaden already with many ceremonies And therefore no particular justice being tied to this number of seven more than to any other this reason contained in the foresaid words of the fourth Commandement cannot be morall nor consequently perpetuall but only positive and for a short continuance in that it commandeth to worke sixe dayes and to rest the seventh day It is morall only in the foundation and substance thereof which is this that if God giveth us liberty to bestow a number of dayes upon our owne affaires it is reasonable that there be one day appointed wherein we ought to serve him We I say that are Christians and that as frequently nay much more than the Iewes did which we accord willingly to be perpetuall But with this restriction that under the New Testament the choice of one day amongst a number of other dayes is not stinted of God and that he bindeth us no more to one of seven then to one of sixe or of five 3 Whereas they adde that as the labour of sixe dayes is not a thing ceremoniall so neither should the rest on the seventh day be placed in that ranke I answer first inferring from thence a contrary argument that as to take paines in the workes of our temporall callings considering the condition of this present life is a thing just and necessary and may be called moral but to work of seven dayes six hath not in it any speciall necessity even so it is necessary just and morall to dedicate some time to Gods publike service but that such a time should be precisely one of seven dayes is by no meanes morall Secondly that which I say to be ceremonial in the 4. Cōmandement is the Commandement it selfe to wit that which God expressely and purposely injoyneth to be kept as belonging to his outward and publike service Now he commandeth not any thing in it precisely saving the observation and sanctification of the day of rest by refraining from all temporall callings And whereas it is said Sixe dayes shalt thou labour as that maketh no part of Gods service no more doth it make a part of the Commandement although God thereby warneth men that they ought not to passe their dayes in idlenesse but should apply themselves every day to the labour of an honest calling but is a permission put only by concession and relatively to the Commandement in this sence Thou art permitted to work six dayes but on the 7th day thou shalt abstaine from all kind of work Therefore it followeth not that if these words put occasionally in the Commandement doe not impart any ceremony the Commandement it selfe is not ceremoniall Thirdly the Scripture in the labour of sixe dayes establisheth not unto us any ceremonie as it doth in the rest of the seventh day which it maketh as expressely as can be a type of the heavenly rest as we have cleerely seene before And yet in relation to the heavenly rest figured by
the rest of the seventh day I may say that the painefull labour of sixe dayes before the Sabbath was a type and figure of these troubles and afflictions wherewith the faithfull are tossed to and fro during the ages of this life before they come to the rest of the kingdome of heaven and that so this labour also was ceremoniall 6 They take their third argument from these words The seventh day is the rest of the LORD thy God that is it is the day which God hath not only created and made as the other dayes but also hath put a part to the end that it be applyed to his service Whence it is often called The day holy to the Lord the rest of God or Gods Sabbath c. Of this they inferre seeing it is not lawfull to steale from God that which pertaineth unto him nor to commit sacriledge by devouring that which is holy Pro. 20. ver 25. we must if we will not incurre this crime consecrate alwayes to God one of seven dayes 7 But I answer first that if this argument be of any value it shall prove that it is the last of seven which all are bound to keepe alwayes as the rest of God For it is this particular seventh day which is understood in the words before alleadged and which also was the Sabbath holy to the Lord. Secondly I say that these words serve not at all to prove the morality and perpetuity of the Seventh day In them it is truly said that the seventh day is the Lords rest to wit because at that time he ordained it to the Iewes to be observed by them in their generations and if the Iewes had not observed but applyed it to their owne affaires undoubtedly they had beene guilty of sacriledge but doth it follow that because it is called the Lords Rest in regard of the ordinance whereby he injoyned the Iewes to keepe it we also are obliged under the New Testament to sanctifie it Doth he not also in the Old Testament when he speaketh of the Leviticall sacrifices and offerings c. call them most frequently His sacrifices His offerings and all the other Sabbaths of the Iewes His Sabbaths as well as the Sabbath of the seventh day In a word doth hee not claime all other things which hee commanded to the Iewes concerning his service as his owne Shall we then conclude by the same reason that seeing it is not lawfull to touch holy things and God did claime all these things as belonging unto him we must yet dedicate and consecrate them unto him under the New Testament Who seeth not the absurdity of this consequence and by the same meanes of the consequence which is inferred of these words The seventh day is Gods Rest For as these things which I have mentioned did belong to God but did oblige the Iewes only to observe them it fareth even so with the Sabbath 8 In the fourth place they urge also these words In it thou shalt not doe any worke thou nor thy Sonne nor thy Daughter thy man-servant nor thy maide-servant nor thine Oxe nor thy Asse nor any of thy Cattell nor thy stranger that is within thy gates Where they observe that God hath respect to the easing of servants and of cattell to the intent that when they have beene kept sixe dayes at worke a seventh of relaxation be given them to rest and as it were to breath a little and specially that the servants as well as their masters may set themselves about Gods service to learne and practise it For which cause in the fifth Chapter of Deuteronomie this particularitie is added at the end of the 4th Commandement That thy man-servant and thy maide-servant may Rest as well as thou The same is likewise to be found Exodus 23. verse 12. All this is of perpetuall justice and equity For God under the New Testament hath not stript and cast away the bowels of compassion and forsaken the care of servants and poore beasts They take also in consideration that the stranger is by name and specially obliged to keepe the Sabbath day by refraining from all kinde of worke from whence they inferre that it was not a Iewish ceremony but a morall point because nothing is universall binding strangers as well as Iewes saving that which is morall whereas the ceremonies were only for the Iewes and as it were a middle wall of separation between them and all strangers Eph. 2. ver 14. And therefore seeing the strangers which were Gentiles were by Gods command bound to keepe the Sabbath day as well as the Iewes and when they were in the Land of Canaan were constrained unto it by the Magistrates as may be seene in the 13. Chapter of Nehem. vers 28. it followeth that the observation of the seventh day of Sabbath is a morall point and not simply ceremoniall 9 I answer that to give refreshment to servants and poore beasts after they have beene wearied with labour and to be carefull that servants learne to serve God and apply them to so holy a duty as well as their Masters is a thing naturally just and equitable and that the words of the fourth Commandement as farre as they have respect to that duty doe denote a perpetuall morality and therefore Christians ought to give a time of relaxation and rest from labour to their servants and beasts instruct their servants in the feare of God and be carefull that they serve him both in their particular devotions at home and publike abroad with the rest of the faithfull in such times and places that are appointed for that service by the order of the Church which if they doe not they sin But to set apart for the rest and easing of servants and their imployment in Gods service one of seven daies rather then one of another number and to rest precisely on the seventh day according to the words of the Commandement The seventh day is the rest In it thou shalt not doe any worke that I say againe and againe is a thing simply belonging to order and Church-governement and bindeth not necessarily for ever As for the instance taken from the words whereby strangers are bound to keeke the Sabbath day it is altogether vaine and frivolous For there mention is made onely of strangers that were within the gates of the Iewes that is dwelling and sojourning among them These strangers were either Proselytes converted to the religion of the Iewes which were in effect obliged by religion to the observation of the Sabbath just as the Iewes themselves because they were of the same religion that the Iewes were of and by their conversion were become Iewes Or they were strangers Pagans and Infidels sojourning in Iudea for divers temporall occasions such as were those of whom mention is made in Nehem. Chap. 13. These indeed were constrained by the Magistrate to keepe or rather not to violate the Sabbath publikely as those were of whom mention is made in the foresaid Chapter
of Nehemiah not for their owne sake but only in consideration of the Iewes lest they should offend them and give them occasion to breake the Sabbath after their example For the observation of the Sabbath did no more oblige them naturally then the other observation of the Iewish religion lust as in all politick regiment which is well ordered it is usuall to hinder those that are strangers to the religion professed in it from giving any disturbance to the exercises of devotion namely in the solemnities and holy daies To urge this point is it not true that among the Iewes strangers were obliged to keep all other Sabbaths new Moons holy daies solemnities after the same manner that they were constrained to keepe the Sabhath that is not to violate them publikely and with offence Were they not forbidden as well as the Iewes to eate leavened bread during the seven daies of the Passeover Exodus 12. verse 19. as also to eate blood Levit. 17 vers 10. 12 13. Will any man upon this inferre that the ordinances of all these Sabbaths new Moones Feasts unleavened bread abstinence from eating blood were not ceremonies but morall ordinances obliging for ever all men and consequently all Christians under the new Testament Sure this must be concluded by the same reasoning the vanity whereof is by this sufficiently demonstrated and discredited 10 Fifthly they inforce their opinion with these words For in sixe daies the LORD maae heaven and earth the sea and all that in them is and rested the seventh day Whence they gather that sith the creation must be in perpetuall remembrance and God ordained to the Iewes the seventh day for a memoriall therof and of his rest all men ought to keepe it continually for the same end and in that follow his example which also hee proposeth in the words before mentioned to the end that as hee made his workes in sixe daies and rested the seventh day so likewise men following his example should give themselves to the workes of their calling during the sixe daies of the weeke and rest on the seventh day that they may apply it to the consideration of the works of God which they pretend to be no lesse obligatory towards Christians under the new Testament then towards the Iewes under the old Testament because wee cannot follow and imitate a better example then the example of God 11 To this I answer first that it may be denyed that Gods end in the institution of the Sabbath day was that it should be a memoriall of the creation of all his workes on sixe daies and of his rest on the seventh day That is not said any where but this onely is specified that God sanctified the seventh day because in it he rested from his workes after he had made them in sixe daies Which sheweth only the occasion that God tooke to ordaine and establish the Sabbath day but not the end of the institution thereof which is declared unto us in the foresaid places of Exodus 31. vers 13. and of Ezech. 20. vers 12. where it is said that God ordained it to be a signe between him and the Israelites that he was the Lord that did sanctifie them This end of the said institution as likewise the motive and occasion thereof are coupled together in the 16. and 17. verses of the said 31. Chapter of Exodus in these words The children of Israel shall keepe the Sabbath throughout their generations for a perpetuall covenant It is a signe betwene me and the children of Israel for ever Whereof a signe Certainly that they may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctifie them as it is written in the 13. verse This is the end of the Institution of the Sabbath which must be supplyed from thence After that it followeth For in sixe daies the LORD made heaven and earth and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed This is the occasion and motive of the said institution There be some that would faine of this For make That and joine the two members of the 17. verse as if they were but one after this manner It is a signe betweene me and the children of Israel for ever that in sixe daies the Lord made heaven and earth to inferre from thence that the Sabbath was ordained expresly to the end it might be a memoriall of the Creation but although the particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth That as well as For yet that in the foresaid verse it should rather signifie For and that the said verse should have two distinct members and each of them its owne particular sentence it appeareth probably both by the changing of the forme of speech that God useth speaking of himselfe in the first person in the first member It is a signe betweene mee and the children of Israel for ever and in the third person in the second member For in sixe daies the LORD made heaven and earth whereas if it had beene the continuance of the same period without distinction hee should have rather have said It is a signe betweene me and the children of Israel that I have created in sixe daies or that I am the Lord who have created in sixe daies heaven and earth c. As also by the Hebrew accent Athnach which it put at the end of the first member and is an accent denoting usually a pause and notable respiration and a distinction of a compleate sentence 12 Secondly to stand longer upon this first answer although I should yeeld that the seventh day of Sabbath was instituted of God purposely to be a memoriall of the Creation the argument is neverthelesse inconsequent For although things past should be in perpetuall remembrance It followeth not that the signes and memorialls of such things instituted under the old Testament should be perpetuall Nay they ought not to be if they have beene therewith types and figures relative to the Messias God made a covenant with Abraham and promised unto him to be God unto him and to his seed after him Gen. 17. vers 7. which is a perpetuall benefit and worthy to be remembred by all his spirituall posterity till the end of the world Yet the signe and memoriall that hee gave him at that time of this covenant to wit the Circumcision was not to be perpetuall and hath continued onely till the time of the new Testament Likewise all the Sacraments under the old Testament have beene signes and memorialls of perpetuall benefits to wit of justification sanctification c. Notwithstanding they ought not to persist for ever because they also were types The same is the condition of the Sabbath We may and ought to call to minde under the new Testament the benefit of the Creation and of Gods rest after it although we have no particular signe thereof which by Gods ordinance is a signe of remembrance In the Kingdome of heaven we shall celebrate eternally the remembrance of our Creation and Redemption without any
contained in the Law and in the Prophets 7 Againe the same is clearely seene by the intention and end of Iesus Christ in the passage that is in question which is to shew for the justification and clearing of himselfe that although he urged above all the observation of the most weighty points of the Law such as are the morall points and blamed the Scribes and Pharisees for tying themselves principally to the ceremonies as to Sacrifices Purifications Sabbaths c. which were of little importance in comparison with morall duties and exhorted his Disciples to be carefull that their righteousnesse should exceed the righteousnesse of these Hypocrites and for that cause was by them accused as a Destroyer of the ceremonies commanded by the Law and authorized by the Prophets neverthelesse he was not come to destroy them but to fulfill them 8 The instance that they make saying that the Lawes which Iesus Christ expoundeth in the verses following of the fifth Chapter of S. Matthew are all morall is too weake For they are not all such In them there is something which hath expresse regard to the ceremonies and a comparison of them with the moralities vers 23. 24. And some other things which belong to the politike or judiciall Law vers 25. 31. 38. 9 But besides this although they were all morall that inforceth not by a necessary proofe that in the seventeenth and eighteenth verses Christ hath spoken of morall duties or that the twentieth one the twentieth two and verses following have so strait a connexion with the 17 and 18. verses which goe before that they speake all of the same subject and matter For how ordinary is it in the same sequele of a discourse to diversifie the particular subjects and to passe from one to another And indeed our Lord IESUS CHRIST passeth most conveniently from the Ceremonies which the Scribes Pharisees accused him falsely to destroy to the moralities which they destroyed in effect The tenor of his discourse being this I am accused by the Scribes and Pharisees to destroy the ceremonies and ordinances of the Law because I blame the superstitious usage and preferring of them to morall duties which are of greater importance But that is most false For I destroy them not but doe shew their true usage and am come to exhibite the truth of them in my person neither is there any of them nor of the Prophesies that shall not be fulfilled in me But this accusation may be truly laid in the dish of the Scribes and Pharisees For they are the men which destroy the Law yea in things that in it are of greatest moment debasing and disrespecting it as if it were nothing in comparison of their traditions and ceremoniall observations Therefore I say unto you that except your righteousnesse shall exceed theirs yee shall in no case enter into the Kingdome of Heaven For they make glosses upon the morall Commandements which pervert their true sense and in so doing teach men to breake them This then being evident that in the foresaid 18. verse mention is made of the Law as much nay much more as it containeth the ceremoniall ordinances then the morall the argument taken from it remaineth without force on the behalfe of those that alledge it if they will not by the same meanes render us necessary keepers of all other ceremonies of the Law as well as of the Sabbath day which is not their intention 10 Neither doth that follow of the saying of Iesus Christ. For it is most true that he was not come to annihilate and destroy the ceremonies of the Law either by his Doctrine or by his Actions Not by his Doctrine by declaring them to be vaine idle and frustratory things not by his Actions by saying or doing any thing contrary unto them by casseering and abolishing them without fulfilling the truth of things figured by them The verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used by the Evangelist imports as much for it signifieth often to overthrow and destroy and is here equivalent to the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used by the Apostle in the same subject and to the same intention Rom. 3. vers 31. saying that through faith the Law is not made void but established where by the Law he understandeth not onely the morall Commandements but also the Ceremonies figures and prophesies as appeareth by the 21. verse where he speaketh of the righteousnesse of faith witnessed by the Law which belongeth to the whole Law given by Moses yea properly to the ceremoniall Law which led men directly to Christ which the morall Law did not but by an oblique and indirect way Christ I say was not come to destroy the Law of ceremonies but to fulfill them which he did both by teaching what was the end they tended unto and by a reall exhibition in himselfe of the body of their shadowes and of the truth of their figures which was no impediment unto him why he should not make them to cease after he had fulfilled them Nay much otherwise it was necessary hee should make them to cease seeing they had no other end but to figure and represent him which was not a destroying of them but rather the true meanes whereby he made them to obtaine their perfection making them to abut to their end In which respect the Apostle in the tenth Chapter to the Romans vers 4. calleth Christ the end of the Law Now the Sabbath day being a ceremoniall point of the Law injoyned in the 4th Commandement of the Decalogue in that wherein it was ceremoniall as hath beene shewed before Iesus Christ ought not destroy it but by fulfilling the truth that it figured make it to cease and expire as all other legall ceremonies And therefore although Iesus Christ in the foresaid passage had intended to speake onely of the Law of the ten Commandements the objection taken from this place should not be of any moment and consquence 11 Of this that wee have said ariseth an answer to the instance taken from the ninteenth verse following in the same Chapter Whosoever therfore shall breake or rather shall destroy one of these least Commandements and shall teach men so hee shall bee called the least in the Kingdome of Heaven Of which words presupposing still that Iesus Christ in them intendeth to speake only of the Commandements contained expresly in the Decalogue they inferre that seeing the Commandement of the Sabbath is one of them Iesus Christ condemneth for ever the inobservation or transgression and on the other part ordaineth and establisheth the observation thereof 12 Wherevnto granting unto them for their greater advantage that Iesus Christ in these words hath regard to the Commandements of the Decalogue only I answer that he speaketh of the dissolving annihilating and overthrowing of these Commandements For this the signification of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the originall And condemneth all those that dare to doe it But to abrogate the Sabbath day injoyned by
the fourth Commandement seeing it was a figure and type and that by fulfilling in himselfe and in his faithfull servants the truth of the thing figured by the outward Sabbath to free them from the necessity of the observation thereof was not a dissolving and overthrowing of it neither on his part nor on theirs but rather an effectuall ratification thereof as in the same sence he hath not dissolved any of the legall figures but hath fulfilled them all 13 Secondly I say that of necessity the broachers of this argument must advow that Iesus Christ doth not blame in this place all inobservation of the Sabbath neither doth he establish precisely and absolutely the observation thereof for ever according to all the tearmes and the whole sence of the fourth Commandement For it should from thence follow that he blameth for ever and ever the inobservation and commandeth for evermore the observation and sanctification of the last day of the weeke by a legall service in remembrance of the Creation of Gods workes in sixe dayes and of his rest on the seventh because the Commandement carrieth with it that necessity to which is contrary the practise of the Christian Church Therefore this limitation must be added that Christ's intention is to forbid the transgression and to command for ever the observation of the Commandement touching the Sabbath and of all the rest as farre as it may and ought to oblige us according to the tearmes of the Gospell Now we have shewed that it obligeth us not as it ordaineth one day of seven or a certaine seventh day or a legall sanctification but so farre only as it commandeth that Gods publike service be practised for ever according as it shall be established by him and that an ordinary day be appointed for that purpose And therefore Iesus Christ in this respect only and no further condemneth the transgression and injoyneth the observation of the fourth Commandement 14 Thirdly Iesus Christ in the place before alleadged hath not regard to the Decalogue only but universally to all the Commandements of God whether morall or ceremoniall contained in the Law and in the Prophets which he had spoken of in the 17. verse that is in all the bookes of the ancient Testament and to repulse the false accusation that the Scribes and Pharisees laid to his charge declareth what was his minde concerning all these Commandements to wit that there was not any one of them nay not of those that are the least or may by men be esteemed that ought to remaine unprofitable vaine and without effect and that the man whatsoever he be that either by teaching or by practise shall despise and reject any of them shall be despised and rejected of God That on his part he fulfilled them all and extended and setled the accomplishment of them for ever to wit of those that are morall by obeying them all in his owne person and charging his Disciples with their perpetuall observation and sanctifying them inwardly that they may observe them Of those that are ceremoniall by performing and exhibiting the truth of all things signified and figured by them which truth he should make to have an eternall continuance and efficacy towards all that are his although he was to make the use of the figures to cease as the intention of God and reason did require But that the Pharisees were the men who on their part made void the Commandements of GOD both ceremoniall and morall The ceremoniall by adding unto them over and above a thousand superstitious observations The morall by corrupting them with false glosses and interpretations and preferring unto them the traditions of men which he layeth to their charge in diverse places and namely in the verses following of this fifth Chapter of Saint Matthew Now according to this sence which is true and naturall it is evident that they which alleadge this passage can inferre nothing of it for their purpose 15 They pretend in vaine to fortifie and confirme it with the words of Saint Iames in the second Chapter and tenth verse where the Apostle speaking of the Law of the Decalogue saith that whosoever shall keepe the whole Law and yet offend in one point hee is guilty of all because the same God who hath injoyned one of the points hath also injoyned all the rest Whence they would inferre that the inobservation of the seventh day of Sabbath which is a point of the Law maketh a man guilty of the transgression of the whole Law that therefore wee are obliged to the observation thereof For I answer in few words that indeed Saint Iames saith that to faile or to commit a sinne against any Commandement of the Law maketh him that committeth it guilty of the universall transgression of the Law But I deny the inobservation of the Sabbath as it is commanded by the Law to be under the New Testament a sinne and a fault properly so called because in so farre as it commandeth the Sabbath it obligeth not any more For it was for the Iewes and not for us And therefore not to observe the Sabbath according to the tenor of the Law is not a fault and a sinne in any point as Saint Iames understandeth it So if one should say that he that hath kept the whole word of God if he offend in one point thereof should make himselfe guilty of all that saying should be true according to the meaning of Saint Iames But if any should inferre upon this that not to observe still under the Gospell all the legall ceremonies because they make a part and are points of the Word of God is a trangression whereby a Christian is made guilty of all this word and therefore he is bound to keepe them all it should be an absurd illation for not to keepe these ceremonies now is not a fault nor sinne to us because they oblige not any more No man sinneth against a Law or word but in as much as it obligeth But neither the word of God as it commandeth the legall ceremonies nor the decalogue as it commandeth the Sabbath is any more obligatory to us ward wherefore we sinne not now by not observing these points and therefore we make not our â—â—lves in that behalfe guilty of the Law and word of God who is author of all the points of this Law and of this word but hath not given them all to all men nor to continue in all times but some of them only to some men and to have vigor and being for a certaine time only CHAPTER Tenth Answer to the Eighth Reason 1. Eight reason Iesus Christ speaking to his Disciples advised them to pray that their flight should not be on the Sabbath day that is on our Sunday 2. First answer The Sabbath day is ever taken in the New Testament for the Sabbath of the Iewes and is so here taken by Christ. Neither is our day of publike service any where in holy Scripture called the Sabbath day 3. True
sence of Christs words and that they had relation to the Iewes only 4. Although he spake them to his Disciples 5. Second answer Although he had spoken to his Disciples only he might have had respect not to them but to their brethren among the Iewes that were weake in faith 6. Third answer Although by the Sabbath the Lords day were to be understood the morality of one of seven dayes in the weeâ— cannot be inferred from thence 1 IEsus Christ speaking in the 24. of Saint Matthew and twenty verse to his Disciples of the desolation that was to come upon Iudea and namely upon Ierusalem said unto them Pray ye that your flight be not in the winter nor on the Sabbath day Not in the winter because then the wayes are incommodious and there is neither driving nor marching but with difficulty Not on the Sabbath day by reason of the holinesse of that day which being appointed and set a part for Gods service although it was lawfull unto them to flie in it to save their lives yet they should not be able to doe it but with griefe and sore against their will being constrained to spend on trotting toyling and much hurrying up and down a day particularly consecrated to the publike exercises of Religion and so should have a just occasion to pray to God to keepe them from being brought to such a necessity Some alleadge this passage esteeming it to be pressing and of great weight For say they Iesus Christ speaketh to his Disciples of a thing that was to fall out forty yeeres after his Ascension when all the ceremonies of the Law should be abolished in the Christian Church and yet notwithstanding he speaketh unto them of the Religion of the Sabbath as of a thing that they ought alwayes to take to heart in so high a measure that they should be sorry and throughly grieved to be in that time of desolation constrained to flee on so holy a day instead of applying themselves to Gods service Therefore the Sabbath day was not a ceremony comming within the compasse of those that he was to abrogate but a morall point and of perpetuall necessity Otherwise he had not done well to intangle their mindes with an unnecessary Religion towards the Sabbath day in the time of their flight seeing it being abrogated by him they might with as little grieve in respect to the day get packing as fast as they could trot and toyle on that day as on another day 2 I answer that this argument is a silly one and of no value For Iesus Christ speaketh not in that place of Saint Matthew of the day of rest that Christians were to observe after his Ascension but of the Iewish Sabbath day as this word Sabbath day sheweth clerely which his Disciples were farre from understanding other wayes then for the last day of the weeke observed among the Iewes For it is certaine that it signified nothing else at that time seeing there was not as yet any other day of rest in vigour saving that alone And Iesus Christ had not at all made himselfe to be understood of them nay he had purposely given them occasion to mistake him if by the Sabbath day his intention was to denote another day then the last of the weeke because this alone carryed that name neither shall it bee found in the whole Scripture that any other day is specified by that name 3 The heavenly rest under the Gospell is once called by the Apostle in the Epistle to the Hebrewes Chapter 4. verse 9. by a name drawne from the Hebrew word Sabbath because it was figured by the Sabbath of the Iewes But our day wherein wee apply our selves to Gods outward service and to that intent doe cease from our ordinary labour is alwayes called in the New Testament The first day of the weeke or The Lords Day and not the Sabbath which name the Apostles and first beleevers had not failed to give unto it if Iesus Christ had so qualified and stiled it Now if they would never tearme it by such a name although it might have been in some sort attributed unto it but only The Lords Day or The first day of the weeke to distinguish it from the day which was so called among the Iewes For the same reason Iesus Christ in the foresaid place if he had minded to speake of the day which Christians were to observe after his death he had intitled it by some other name then of the Sabbath day to make a distinction betweene it and the day of the Iewes Wherefore those which use this argument doe most fondly suppose without proofe or likenesse of truth that by the Sabbath Iesus Christ meaneth the Lords day Now if it be understood of the Sabbath of the Iewes as it must for the foresaid reasons and as all the interpreters whom I have read and perused doe take it this argument being urged according to the ratiotination of those that have set it on foot shall yeeld against their intention this conclusion that after the death and ascension of our Lord Iesus Christ the Sabbath day of the Iewes ought to bee yet kept in the Christian Church and that the faithfull are obliged unto it by Religion and conscience and ought bee hartily sorrowfull when being constrained to flye on it to save their lives in a great desolation they should not be able to consecrate it to Gods service 3 The true sence of this passage is that indeed our Lord Iesus <
on the Sabbath day if not for your owne sake who being well informed and instructed in the faith shall know that yee may flee on that day and make no difficultie for conscience sake yet in regard of others who shall be distressed with the same necessity to flee with you but who being altogether ignorant of the liberty of the Gospell as the Iewes not as yet converted or the weake ones retaining after their conversion and profession of the Gospell a religious respect towards the ceremonies of the Law of Moses as many Christians who for conscience sake towards the Sabbath will be scrupulous to flie on it for whom in respect of their ignorance and weakenesse you ought to pray that your common flight be not on that day For yee are all members of one body 6 I say more that although Iesus Christ by the Sabbath day had signified the first day of the weeke which after his Ascension was to be observed by all Christians and had commanded his Disciples to pray that their flight should not fall out on Sunday least they should be compelled to imploy upon bodily working travelling and hurrying up and downe a day which otherwise they had applyed to GODs service of that no man can conclude neither that a seventh day of rest is a morall point nor also that Christs minde was to injoyne the observation of the first day of the weeke but only that he foresaw that after his Ascension the first day of the week should be kept by Christians of their owne free will through respect to his resurrection which should befall on that day and that it should be loathsome and grievous unto them to weary themselves with fleeing on a day wherein they were wont to rest from all worldly imployments and to addict â—hemselves to serve God in his house Verily although a day be not ordained of God to be stinted for his service yet if by the custome of the Church it be ordinarily imployed for that use a true Christian will be hartily sorry that hee should be forced by necessity to busie himselfe in other exercises then those which are proper to Gods service and he may with good reason make humble suit unto GOD that he be not brought to such a hard strait And therefore CHRIST might advise his Disciples to pray that their flight should not befall on the Saturday without any other inference that can be gathered from thence saving a future use and custome to observe such a day in the Church and not any obligation proceeding from him farre lesse a naturall and morall obligation towards a seventh day of the weeke which is the point in question CHAPTER Eleven Answer to the Ninth Reason 1. Ninth Reason the Apostles kept the Sabbath 2. First answer they entred into the Synagogues of the Iewes on the Sabbath day not for conscience sake but for the commodity of the place and time to convert the Iewes 3. Second answer In this and in the observation of other ceremonies they applyed themselves to the infirmity of the Iewes 4. Passages alleadged to prove that the Apostles absolutely and simply did keepe the Sabbath of the Iewes 5. First Answer Acts 13. ver 42. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be interpreted indifferently people folke 6. Second answer the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be interpreted of the weeke betweene 7. If wee read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they signifie in a day betweene the Sabbaths this answer is not refuted by the 44. verse 8. Third Answer The 44. Uerse may be truly translated not of the next Sabbath day but of the next weeke 9. Fourth Answer in both verses the Sabbath being taken for the next Sabbath they prove not that which is intended 10. The passage alleadged Acts 16. verse 12 13. cannot be understood but of those that were Iewes in Religion 11. Whether they had a Synagogue or not they met together out of the townes 12. There they had a place appointed for prayer c. called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is an Oratory or place of prayer 15. Where Saint Paul and his fellowes joyned with them to seeke to gaine them to Christ. 14. Why the Apostles which taught sufficiently the abrogation of the Sabbath and of Holy dayes did not preach against them as they did against Circumcision and other ceremonies 15. Answer to the last Reason concerning the Sabbaticall River 1 IT is with as little shew nay it is rather against themselves that to prove a necessary and perpetuall obligation to keepe the Sabbath some make use of that which is noted in diverse places of the Acts of the Apostles as in the Chapter 13. verse 14 43 44. and 16. verse 13. and 17. verse 2. and 18. verse 4. and other where that the Apostles after the Ascension of Iesus Christ kept the Sabbath going to the Synagogues of the Iewes and expounding the Scriptures there 2 For this argument if it were good for any thing would prove that under the New Testament the Iewish Sabbath day to wit the last of the week is to be kept because in the foresaid places mention is made of that day only But the going of the Apostles to the Synagogues on that day came not from any obligation of the law tying them to the Sabbath nor from any religious respect to that day as if it had beene still a necessary point of Gods service but because it was the ordinary day of the congregations of the Iewes whom they desired to convert and it was expedient for that end that they should be present at such times and places that the Iewes did meet in to wit on the Sabbath day and in their Synagogues as for the same reason they observed also the annuall feasts and indeavoured to bee at Ierusalem on such dayes as may be seene Acts 20. verse 16. I adde that they applyed themselves in this point as in many other legall ceremonies to the infirmitie of the Iewes Acts. 15. v. 29. Acts 16. verse 3. Acts 21. verse 24 26. and 1 Cor. 9. ver 20. to gaine them more easily to the faith and to preserve them in it after their conversion For it is certaine that the faithfull Christians converted from the Iewish Religion to the faith of Christ kept still a great zeale for the ceremonies as it is said in the Acts Chap. 21. verse 20. and consequently for the Sabbath day 4 There be some who would have the Iewish Sabbath to be still kept in the Christian Church and to prove that the Apostles did particularly and carefully observe the seventh day of the weeke without any occasion of condescent to the Religion and devotion of the Iewes towards the Sabbath doe alleadge the thirteenth Chapter of the Acts verse 42 43 44. where it is said that when Paul and Barnabas were on the Sabbath day gone out of the Synagogue of the Iewes the Gentiles besought them that they would preach the word unto them the next Sabbath
which being granted unto them the next Sabbath day almost the whole City wherein were comprised more Gentiles than Iewes came together to heare the Word of God They alleadge also the sixteenth Chapter of the Acts verse 13. where without any mention of Iewes or of Synagogue it is said that Paul and Silas being in Philippi a Towne of Macedonia where they sojourned certaine dayes on the Sabbath went out of the City by a river side where prayer was wont to be made keeping the Sabbath amongst the Gentiles without any respect to the Iewes 5 To this I may answer without great difficulty And first to the passage in the Acts Chapter 13. verse 42. I might say that this intreaty made to Paul and Barnabas to preach the next Sabbath day is not by all the interpreters ascribed to the Gentiles but to the Iewes who before as may be seene in the fifteenth verse had intreated them to propound some word of exhortation For the word Gentiles in some Greeke editions and in some versions is not to be found Besides this some are of opinion that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be taken not for the Gentiles as they are distinguished from the Iewes but indifferently for the multitude of people that was there present in this sence and the folke or people besought Paul and Barnabas which may be referred to the Iewes as well as to the Gentiles 6 But not to stand upon that I say Secondly that the originall Text doth not shew manifestly that the request made by the Gentiles to Paul and Barnabas was that they would preach unto them the next Sabbath day for it may signifie in the intermedium of the Sabbath that is in any time betweene the Sabbath wherein they had presently preached to the Iewes and the next Sabbath following For seeing the Sabbath was the day which the Iewes reserved for themselves and which the Apostles imployed amongst them for their instruction the Gentiles belike desired to take some other day for them wherein with more commoditie they might heare the word And verily there is no likelihood that Gentiles not as yet instructed neither in the Law nor in the Gospell would aske of their owne head the Sabbath day rather than any other and it is more likely that they did aske any other commodious day betweene the Sabbath of the Iewes such as Paul and Barnabas should be pleased to appoint unto them whiles they were not busied with teaching the Iewes The words in the originall are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which many interpreters doe translate not the next Sabbath day as if the Gentiles had chused that day but in the Sabbath or in the weeke betweene that is in any day betweene till the next Sabbath 7 And there are some which probably esteeme that these words should be red 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 should bee taken for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifie cleerely in any day whatsoever betweene the Sabbaths This interpretation is not sufficiently refuted by the allegation of the 44. Verse where it is clearely said that the next Sabbath day came almost the whole City together to heare the Word of God For it is not necessary that this 44. Verse should declare the accomplishment of the request made by the Gentiles in the 42. Verse It is rather likely that the Apostles having already fulfilled it betweene the two Sabbaths when the Sabbath day came wherein the Iewes according to their custome met together and Paul as his manner was preached unto them as we may see Acts 17. verse 2. and Acts 18. verse 4. the whole City being moved with curiosity by the rumour spread abroad of the former sermons made both to Iewes and Gentiles ranne together in a farre greater number than before to heare the word Thirdly seeing the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sabbath is sometimes taken both in the Old and in the New Testament not particularly for the Sabbath day but for the weeke as in Leviticus 23. verse 15. and 25. verse 8. in Saint Matthew 28. verse 1. in St. Luke 18. v. 12. wherefore may we not in the foresaid passages understand that the Gentiles seeing it was the end of that weeke intreated Paul and Barnabas to preach unto them the next weeke verse 42. and that they did so the next weeke conformably to their desire ver 44. without expression of the particular day of that week So the sence shall be this And the next weeke came almost the whole City c. But although we should grant that both in the request of the Gentiles verse 42. and in the accomplishment thereof verse 44. the Sabbath day must be understood it followeth not neither that the Gentiles ought to observe that day nor that the Apostles had any regard unto it for Religion and conscience sake but only that the Gentiles of whom mention is made in the 42. Verse having beene present at the Sermon which Paul and Barnabas made to the Iewes on the Sabbath day and not having a particular day or time appointed to them for the hearing of the word of the Gospell because the Christian Religion was not as yet received nor established in their Towne as the Iewish Religion was having her Sabbaths and Synagogues free which the Apostles resorted unto intreated them that they might heare them againe on another Sabbath day and in the Synagogue of the Iewes because it was a most fit time and place for them by reason of the liberty that the Iewes injoyned for the exercises of their Religion which Paul and Barnabas yeelded unto whereof the speech being spread abroad through the Towne great multitudes trouped together on the next Sabbath through curiosity and ran to the Synagogue of the Iewes to heare them So it was not any devotion neither of the Gentiles nor of the Apostles to the Sabbath but the simple commodity that moved them to make choice of it 10 To the other passage cited out of the sixteenth Chapter of the Acts verse 12 13. I say likewise that Paul and Silas tooke occasion to observe the Sabbath because the Iewes met together for the exercise of their Religion on that day For although it be not said that those which resorted unto the place of prayer were Iewes no more is it said that they were Gentiles But it may be gathered out of the Text that they were Iewes either by birth and of the same nation or by Religion and religious communion because they were persons which ordinarily assembled together to call upon God on the Sabbath day verse 13. and who already served God as amongst others it is said of Lydia verse 14. with whom the Apostles made no bones to joyne themselves Which cannot in any wise be taken of Gentiles Infidels and of their devotions to their Idols as is evident nor also
Saint Athanasius in the homily of the seed saith of himselfe and of other faithfull Christians that they assembled together on the Sabbath day not through malady of spirit for Iudaisme but to worship the Lord of the Sabbath Gregory of Nisse calleth these two dayes to wit the Sabbath day and the Lords day brethren Sozomene in the seventh booke and 19 Chapter of his History saith that at Constantinople and almost in all other parts of the Easterne Church the ecclesiasticall assemblies met together on the Sabbath day and on the day following Socrates in the sixt booke and eight Chapter of his History calleth the Sabbath day and the Sunday the weekely feasts wherein Christians came together in the Churches and in the foresaid 21 Chap. of the fifth book amongst many diverse customes of the Churches of these times concerning their assemblies and exercises of Religion he alleadgeth a frequent and common observation of the Sabbath 12 Which sheweth that the Churches beleeved not Sunday to be of divine institution and subrogated to the Sabbath by our Lord Iesus Christ. For if they had beleeved any such thing they had not observed another day But knowing they had no particular commandement for any day of devotion they observed both the Sab because it had beene a long while a solemne day of devotion ordained of God to the Iewes and Sunday because it was made honourable by the Resurrection of our Lord Iesus Christ. This that we say shall be better seene by the consideration of the reasons which are broached to prove that the institution of the first day of the weeke to be a holy day is of God himselfe of Iesus Christ and of his Apostles CHAPTER Second Answer to the first Reason taken from some Texts of the Old Testament to prove the divine institution of the first day of the weeke 1. Answer to the Reasons taken from the Circumcision administred on the eight day and from the inscription of certaine Psalmes c. 2. Reasons taken out of the 110 Psalme 3. ver and of the 118. Psalme verse 24. 3. Answer In the hundred and tenth Psalme no mention is made of any particular day 4. Nor also in the hundred and eighteenth Psalme 5. And although there were a day of rest in every weeke cannot be inforced from thence 6. No more then the words of Isaiah Chapter 9. and of the Angels Luke 2. verse 10 11. can inforce a weekely observation of a day in remembrance of Christs birth 1 IT were a losse of time to stay here upon the refutation of the reasons taken from the ancient circumcision which was celebrated on the eight day and which some say to have beene a figure of the spirituall circumcision that we were to obtaine by our Lord Iesus Christ one the first day of the weeke which is as the eight day succeeding immediately to the seventh and last day thereof Nor also of these which are overthwartly wrested out of these Psalmes which have in their titles or inscription 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hascheminith that is super octava upon the octave as if in these titles mention were made of the first day after the seventh which is Sunday For although these reasons have beene alleadged by some of the ancients they broached them rather as allusions and allegories then as solid proofes to rely upon Wherefore leaving them I goe forward to the consideration of two others which have greater likenesse of truth 2 They would faine take advantage of the hundred and 10. Psalm and of the 3. ver as also of the hundred and 18. Psalme and of the 24 v. thereof as if in these places there were a prophesie that Sunday or the day of the Resurrection of our Lord Iesus Christ should be observed in the Christian Church In the hundred and 10 Psal. verse 3. mention is made of a day wherein Christ should raise an army in a holy pompe and his people should be a willing people In the hundred and 18 Psalme verse 24. the people is exhorted to rejoyce and be glad in the day which the Lord had made day wherein the stone which the builders refused should become the head stone of the corner verse 22. Stone which is Christ. Now Christ in his ignominious death was like a stone rejected by the builders that is by the governours and rulers of the Iewes and it was by his glorious Resurrection that he became the head stone of the corner Act. 4. ver 10 11. 3 To this I answer that no certaine argument can be drawne from the two foresaid allegations For who dare affirme that in them a particular day is denoted and not rather indefinitely the time of the publication of the Gospell and gathering together of the Christian Church which was done by the Apostles after the Resurrection of Christ It is said in the hundred and tenth Psalme ver 2. that the Lord should send out of Sion the Scepter of Christs strength the meaning of which words is that out of Ierusalem he should send forth and spread every where the preaching of the Gospell to wit by the Apostles and other Ministers and that in the day that is in the time wherein he should raise his army that is gather together his Church she should be a free voluntary and forward people Now the first assembling of the Christian Church happened not in one day more than in another but the Apostles applyed themselves to that worke every day preaching the Gospell wherefore we must not understand in that place of the Psalme any particular day but the whole time wherein this worke was done by the Apostles and their Disciples 4 I say the same of the hundred and eighteenth Psalme For Iesus Christ is not become the head stone of the corner simply by his Resurrection but in as much as after his Resurrection he hath by the preaching of the Gospell built up the faithfull upon himselfe as so many lively stones to be a spirituall house as we may see in the first epistle of Saint Peter Chapter 2. verse 4 5 6 7. And therefore this day which the Lord hath made and wherein the Psalmist exhorteth the faithfull to rejoyce is not a particular day but all this time blessed and sanctified by the LORD wherein should begin and goe forward this great worke of the preaching of the Gospell for the edifying in all places of the Church upon Iesus Christ for this is ordinary both in Scripture and in the common language when mention is made of a day wherein a thing is a doing or shall be done to understand not alwayes necessarily a certaine particular day but indefinitely the time of such a thing which may be such that it cannot bee performed in one particular day but requireth a continuation of time So the Apostle applying to the Christians of his time the words of God in Isaiah Chapter 49. 8. saith Behold now is the accepted time behold Now is the day of salvation
2 Cor. 6. verse 2. This time and this day is now also in our time and shall be till the worlds end Such was the worke whereof mention is made in the foresaid Psalme a worke which hath ever beene a doing since Christs Ascension into heaven and shall not be performed till he come visibly from heaven to judge the quicke and the dead 5 But granting that the Psalmist speaketh of a particular day which God ordained then for the Resurrection of Iesus Christ and wherein it was afterwards fulfilled it followeth not that he would binde the faithfull under the New Testament to make weekely of that day a day of rest For he exhorteth them only to rejoyce and be glad for it as for a day wherein a great thing and belonging to their salvation should bee performed which they may well doe according to the exhortation of the Psalmist although they make not that day every weeke a day of rest For they may and ought to rejoyce every day privately at home and also publikelie in the congregation as often as they meete together to serve GOD. 6 And if the question be of the stinting of a solemne day for the commemoration of this great worke the exhortation of the Psalmist obligeth them not more particularly to one ordinary day in the weeke then to a yeerely day Esay in the ninth Chapter prophesieth that the faithfull shall rejoyce with a great joy for the day wherein the child was borne and the Sonne was given and the Angels of GOD on that day brought to the Shepheards good tydings of great joy which should be to all people because unto them was borne that day in the City of David a Saviour which is CHRIST the LORD Luke 2. verse 10 11. And yet these words inforce not that the day of CHRISTS birth must necessarily be observed as a day of rest and farre lesse as an ordinary day everie weeke And the Church which hath thought fit to make commemoration thereof on a set day was pleased to appoint for that purpose one day only in the whole yeere Neither can there a greater obligation then this be inferred of the foresaid passage for the day of the Resurrection For we may yea wee ought to rejoyce for the day of the Nativity of Christ of his passion of his Ascension and likewise of his Resurrection but for all that we are not bound to make of them Sabbath dayes And so the foresaid places conclude nothing CHAPTER Third Answer to the second Reason whereby they seeke to prove that Sunday was sanctified by our Lord Iesus Christ for Gods service 1. Second Reason Christ forty dayes before the Ascension spake to his Apostles of things pertaining to the kingdome of God and therefore of the Sabbath 2. Answer by the kingdome of God are to be understood the essentiall points of our Christian Religion 3 Not the circumstances thereof which are left to the liberty of the Church 4. Nullity of the instance urged from the commandement given to Moses concerning the Sabbath 5. The Church had authority to sanctifie Sunday as well as other holy dayes for Gods service 1 THey alleadge out of the New Testament that our Lord Iesus Christ after his Resurrection was forty dayes with his Disciples speaking unto them of the things pertaining to the kingdome of God Act. 1. verse 3. that is to the training and government of the Christian Church which is often called the kingdome of God as Acts 19. verse 8. Acts 28. verse 23. Col. 4. verse 11. c. To which government say they did pertaine the determination of one day wherein the Evangelicall service ought to be publikely celebrated to God For as God when he gave the ancient Covenant by Moses and taught him how hee would have his Church to be trained had a particular care to name unto him a certain day for his service even so our Lord Iesus Christ when he taught the New Covenant to his Apostles and how under it he would have his Church to be governed by them and by their successors hath not omitted to appoint unto them a certaine day for his publike service 2 I answer that this argument is not founded but upon uncertaine conjectures and so concludeth nothing necessarily By the kingdome of God is meant ordinarily in the New Testament the word of the Gospell the Christian Religion the state and condition of the Church and is so taken in the places before alleadged Wherfore when it is said in the first of the Acts verse 3. that Iesus Christ spake to his Apostles of things belonging to the kingdome of God it is likely that the meaning of these words is that Iesus Christ spake unto them of things pertaining to the Gospell to the Religion and to the government of the Church and thence may be inferred that he declared and prescribed unto them all things that are of the substance of the Gospell of the Religion and of the essentiall matter of his service such as is the preaching of the points of faith and of doctrine and the administration of the Sacraments of the New Testament things that God himselfe ordaineth necessarily and will never leave to the liberty of men to dispose of as they think fit but will have all men in these points to depend on his declaration and ordinance As also they are most expresly declared in the New Testament as being established by our Lord Iesus Christ. 3 But as for the circumstance of a particular and ordinary time for the practising of these exercises no man can inferre of the foresaid Text that Iesus Christ prescribed it to his Apostles yea it is most likely that he resigned that care to the wisdome of his faithfull servants because there being no necessity nor essentiall importance of such a determination of one day it is more agreeable to the state of liberty which the Scripture assigneth to the Christian Church under the Gospell that Iesus Christ would have it to depend on her liberty and wisedome rather than prescribe it himselfe 4 Vnder the old testament God ordained by Moses a set day for the Sabbath because it was the time of bondage as also he prescribed for a mark of that bondage an exact cessation from all servile works yea of the least on that day and besides ordained unto them diverse other dayes and times for his service as also a particular place for the publike exercise thereof a Tabernacle a City a Temple c. 5 Now if under the New Testament he hath left altogether to the first liberty and wisedome of the Church the determination of places such as she shall thinke fit as also of diverse other times and dayes which she may ordaine and hath ordained in effect for the celebration of the remembrance of sundry benefits which God hath vouchsafed upon us through our Lord Iesus Christ and for the solemnization of them by the godly exercises of Religion I see no reason why we may not say that
he hath likewise left unto her Christian wisedome the determination of the day of his service which is more common and ordinary specially seeing in the whole New Testament there is not at all any expresse mention of a particular day instituted and ordained by him for that end which the Evangelists and Apostles had not as it were with one accord beene silent of if it were true that our Lord Iesus Christ had ordained such a day CHAPTER Fourth Answer to the third reason brought to prove the foresaid opinion 1. Third Reason Iesus appeared to his Disciples the same day of his Resurrection at evening and eight dayes after which was the first day of the weeke as also on that day the Apostles were filled with the Holy Ghost 2. First Answer Christ appeared to his Disciples in the beginning of the second day of the weeke 3. This is proved by the distinction of the day in a day Naturall Artificiall and Civill 4. It is proved by the creation that the Iewes began the naturall or civill day by the evening 5. Refutation of those which say that by the evening must be understood the time after noone and by the morning the time afore noone 6. The same is proved by an expresse commandement given to the Iewes to begin the naturall day and the celebration of the Sabbath of at on 〈…〉 7. Râ—utation of the reply made against this argument 8. It is proved also by the commandement given them to begin the eating of the Passeover and of unleavened bread at the end of the 14. day of the first moneth 9. Saint Matthew and Saint Marke speake figuratively when they call the day wherein things necessary for the Passeover were prepared the first day of unleavened bread 10. The same likewise is proved by the observation of the Sabbath in the dayes of Nehemiah 11. And by the practice of Ioseph and Nicodemus when they buryed the body of our Saviour 12. First argument brought by some out of the Old Testament to prove that the naturall day among the Iewes and consequently the Sabbath day began in the morning ended with the night 13. Refutation of that argument 14. Second argument taken out of the first Chapter of S. Iohns Gospell ver 39. answered 15. Third Argument out of the 28 Chap. of S. Matthew ver 1. 16. Answer to this Argument 17. Fourth argument out of the 20. Chapter of the Acts ver 7. and 11. answered 18. It followeth of all the foresaid answers and besides is more fully proved that IESUS CHRIST appeared to his Disciples after his Resurrection on the second day of the weeke 19. Second Answer although Iesus after his Resurrection had appeared twice to his Disciples on the first day of the weeke that proveth not the sanctification of that day for Gods service 20. This is proved by diverse arguments and reasons 21. The descending of the Holy Ghost on the first day of the weeke inforceth not the observation of that day THere is no greater force in the observation gathered out of the twentieth Chapter of Saint Iohn verse 19. and 26. where it is said that Iesus the same day of his Resurrection at evening being the first day of the weeke appeared to his Disciples where they were assembled and after eight dayes the doores being shut he came and stood in the midst of them to wit on the 〈…〉 pretend to have beene the day of Pentecost wherein he sent downe from heaven 〈◊〉 Holy Ghost upon the Apostles from which places they inferre that by this practise hee hath sanctified that day for the preaching of his Gospell and the administration of his service 2 To this I answer first that it may be debated if it be said in the foresaid passage of Saint Iohn that our Lord Iesus Christ appeared to his Disciples on the first day of the week and not rather after the first day already ended and the second begun Although the first interpretation was true and that it was the first day of the week wherin Christ shewed himselfe to his Disciples after his Resurrection it carryeth not with it any consequence prejudiciall to my opinion as shal be seene hereafter Yet I wil confirme the second interpretation as only true and take this occasion to speake of the distinction of dayes fetching froÌ„ thence the grounds of my reasoning 3 The day is ordinarily distinguished into a Naturall day and an Artificiall day The naturall day is composed of foure and twenty houres which is the time of the daily circuit of the Sunne arising going downe and returning to the place where he arose in which day is comprehended all the time of light and all the time of darkenesse The day is so taken ordinarily both in Scripture and in all common languages when mention is made simply of dayes As for example when we say a moneth hath thirty dayes such a thing shall bee done or come to passe within so many dayes Abraham Isaac Iacob died being full of dayes we understand all the time of their continuance as well of the night as of the day The Artificiall day continueth as long as the Sunne is upon the horizon of every place and by his light affordeth commodity to men to goe forth to their labour and to worke in their arts professions and trades The naturall day although amongst all people it be composed of foure and twenty houres yet it varieth in the distinction of the beginning and end thereof For some take the beginning thereof at midde day and count the continuance thereof till the next midde day Others from midde-night till the next midde night Some from the rising of the Sunne till his next rising againe and some from the sunne setting till the next setting This diverse supputation amongst diverse people proceeding from a civill constitution addeth to the distinction of the day in artificiall and naturall a third member to wit The civill day which is the same with the naturall day in regard of the continuance of foure and twenty houres but is diversely counted in diverse places in regard of the beginning and of the end thereof 4. Now among the Iewes this naturall or eivill day began by the evening and ended at the next evening Moses distinguisheth it so when he relateth the story of the Creation For he endeth alwayes the workes of each day in these words so was the evening so was the morning which was the first the second the third day c. Where by the evening he understandeth the whole night which beginneth by the evening and by the morning the whole day which beginneth by the morning considering the evening and the morning the night and the day or the light as integrant parts of the naturall day and the evening or the night as the first part which goeth before the other part which is the time of light As indeed this distinction is grounded on that order and course of proceeding which God kept in the Creation
or at hand Which terme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth properly to shine but is taken improperly by the Evangelist and signifieth to arrive to draw neere Or he hath regard unto to the evening star which was nigh rising Or rather to the lampes which on the evening of that day were lighted betimes and a little before the Sabbath as also great fires were kindled that at the comming of the Sabbath they should not have any such thing to doe Iosephus in the 16. booke of the antiquities of the Iewes Chapter 10. relateth a decree of Augustus Caesar that the Iewes should not be bound to appeare in judgement on the Sabbath day nor on the parasceue or day of preparation before the Sabbath after nine houres that is about three after Noone because soone after that houre at evening their Sabbath day began Of all this it is most cleere that the Sabbath gan by the evening and the night was the first part thereof 12 Against that I have laid downe some arguments are opposed to prove that even amongst the Iewes the naturall day and consequently the Sabbath-day began by the break of day and the night made the last part thereof First they alleage out of Exodus chap. 10. v. 13. That the Lord brought an East winde upon the Land of Aegypt all that day and all that night and when it was morning the East wind brought the Locusts and out of the booke of Numbers chap. 11. v. 32. that The people stood up all that day and all that night and all the next day and they gathered the Quailes In which places they pretend that the night which is put betweene two dayes is joyned with the first day as a part thereof and separed from the second 13 But these places and other such like that may bee found are nothing to the purpose For they speake of the artificiall day distinguished from the night which is expresly named without any declaration whether it pertained to the day preceding or to the day following to make with it the naturall day The placing of the day before the night is according to the order of the things related in these bookes and as they came to passe For the East wind began to blow in the day and continued all night to bring the Locusts and the people begun by the day and continued all night the gathering of Quailes Moreover when the day is considered distinctly and severally from the night the day as being of greatest dignity is named first without regard to the precedency of either in the order of nature and in the naturall day 14 It is written in the Gospell of Saint Iohn 1 chap. 39 vers that two disciples of Iohn Baptists went and saw where Iesus dwelt and abode with him that day for it was about the tenth houre from whence they infer that seeing these disciples entred into Christs lodging at the tenth houre that is two houres afore the going down of the Sunne according to the counting of the Iewes and it is said that they abode there that day we must understand that they abode also the night to the intent they might be instructed by the Lord which was not possible to be done in two houres wherefore the night was the last part of the naturall day But this ratiocination is of small weight For what necessity can move us to say that these two Disciples abode longer with Christ than the two last houres of the day preceding the setting of the Sun The particle for from whence it is inferred They abode with him that day For it was about the tenth houre is not properly in the Originall which is better translated by and than by for And it was about the tenth houre which may be fitly understood after this manner that being come to Christs lodging at the tenth houre they abode with him the remnant of that day and about night went home and tarried no longer with the Lord. It is true that in the space of two houres nay not if they had staied the whole night they could not be sufficiently instructed by the Lord. But also it was not then only that they came to him and abode with him for they might have returned afterwards now and then as indeed Andrew who was one of the two and brother to Simon Peter became one of his ordinary and domesticall Disciples 15 They make use also of the twenty eighth chapter of S. Matthew vers 1. Where it is said that in the evening or in the latter end of the Sabbath as it began to dawne towards the first day of the weeke came Mary Magdalen and the other Mary to see the Sepulchre the words of the Originall are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from whence they would infer that the Sabbath ended about the morning when it beginneth to shine and then began therewith the first day of the weeke 16 Whereunto I answer that the Evening or the latter end of the Sabbath whereof mention is made in this place must be understood of the evening properly so called when the Sun setteth which time is in this place specified as the end of the Sabbath day or of the whole weeke For the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath both significations Besides that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is fit to shew as much For it cannot be conveniently taken for an end of time confined unto the morning the conference of the other Evangelists demonstrate it more forceebly For S. Marke in the 16. chapter 1 2. verses saith that When the Sabbath was past Mary Magdalen and Mary the mother of Iames and Salome bought sweet smelling spices that they might come and anoint Iesus and being come very early in the morning to wit from home they came to the Sepulchre when the Sun was risen or if these words very early in the morning betoken also the time of their comming to the Sepulchre and signifie the same that is signified by the words following when the Sun was risen we must understand these last words not as if the Sun was already ascended upon the horizon but only that it was risen in regard of the first appearing of his shining beames above the horizon at the breake of day so both shall be true that the Sun was risen and that they came to the Sepulchre very early in the morning And this shall agree very well with the words of S. Iohn chap. 20. vers 1. Upon the first day of the weeke when it was yet dark and with these of S. Luke chap. 24. vers 1. Uery early in the morning the women came unto the Sepulchre where it is added that they brought with them the sweet odours which they had prepared from whence I infer that the Sabbath ended in the evening at the going downe of the Sun sith after the Sabbath was ended these women bought sweet smelling spices and prepared them to anoint the body of Iesus as S. Mark saith expresly To whom
Secondly granting that the night mentioned in the foresaid place was the last part of the first day of the week nothing can be proved from thence but this only that after the resurrection of our Lord Iesus Christ the faithfull among the Gentiles celebrating in their congregations the first day of the weeke in remembrance of the said resurrection began it in the morning about the time that Christ rose as perhaps the nations of whom they were began the day by the morning but it followeth not that such was the beginning of the day among the Iewes 18 These things being thus cleered it shall follow that when Iesus Christ did shew himselfe to his Disciples in the time mentioned in the 20. of S. Iohn vers 19. it was not in the first day of the week but after it in the second day The conference of the twenty foure of Saint Luke sheweth that at least it was midnight when Iesus Christ appeared first unto them For it is said in that chapter that the same day of his resurrection he drew neere to the two Disciples that were going to Emmaus went with them came thither with them towards evening the day being far spent and that they supped there That after the Lord had left them vanishing away out of their sight they rose up the same houre returned to Ierusalem distant from Emmaus threescore stades that is a three houres journey entred where the Apostles were told them all the things that had happened unto them in the way and in the Village that after this Iesus stood in the midst of them therefore it was far in the night whence it followeth that seeing among the Iewes the day ended at evening and another day began the first day of the week was then finished many houres before and the second day was well forward The words of the Text say nothing that is not consonant to this These they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the evening or the end of the first day of the weeke being come in the same sense that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is taken in the foresaid place of Matthew Chap. 28. verse 1. the Disciples being assembled and the doores shut for feare of the Iewes came Iesus and stood in the midst of them which words have no other sence but this that at the evening of the first day which was also the end thereof the Disciples being assembled and having shut themselves up in a certaine place Iesus Christ a while after appeared unto them So of that hath beene said it is manifest that the opinion of Christs appearing to his Disciples on the first day of the weeke is not grounded on a sure foundation 20 But although it were generally agreed on that Iesus Christ appeared the first time to his Disciples on the first day of the weeke and the second time eight dayes after I say that his appearing to his Disciples at two diverse times since his Resurrection on the first day of the weeke cannot inforce by any good consequence that his intention was to authorize that day and to sanctifie it to bee a day of rest To prove this with some shew of reason it were necessary that Iesus Christ during the whole time of his abode on earth after his Resurrection should have shewed himselfe unto them regularly and constantly on each first day of the weeke and not in any other day For if he appeared not unto them every first day of the weeke we may inferre quite contrary that it was not his purpose to sanctifie that day unto them more than another And if he appeared unto them on other dayes it may be said with as good reason that he consecrated them to be Sabbaths as that he sanctified the first day of the weeke to be a Sabbath 21 Now we read nothing of his appearing to his Disciples on each first day of the weeke constantly and regularly after his Resurrection till his Ascension Nay it is written in the first Chapter of the Acts verse 3. that after his passion he shewed himselfe alive unto them by many infallible proofes being seene of them forty dayes and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdome of God whereby wee see cleerely that he shewed himselfe on many other dayes then the first of the weeke For Saint Luke had not said that he was seene of them forty dayes by many infallible proofes if hee had not beene seene of them but five or sixe dayes of these forty And there is no appearance that he was forty dayes on earth after his Resurrection to shew himselfe only every first day of the week and to withdraw himselfe remaining solitary and apart all the dayes betweene In the one and twentieth Chapter of Saint Iohn ver 4. wee see that he shewed himselfe to them on a day when they were gone a fishing commanded them to continue their fishing and did then a notable miracle neither is it said that it was the first day of the weeke And if it was they wrought on it and kept it not holy Moreover when it is said in the twentieth Chapter of Saint Iohn verse 26. that eight dayes after the first day of the weeke wherin he first appeared unto them he shewed himselfe again to his Disciples a question may be made if it was on another first day of the weeke For this should be true if in the number of eight be included the first day of the weeke and the eight day following But if they be not included and if we take the words of the Apostle that after eight dayes fulfilled and past Iesus shewed himselfe unto them as the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beare that sence then it was not on another first day of the weeke but one the next day after that he stood in the midst of them And so the argument built upon this sand shall fall to the ground 20 Neither doth the sending of the Holy Ghost upon the Disciples and Apostles assembled on Pentecost day evince a divine institution of the LORDS day granting that it was also on the first day of the weeke For by what consequence shall it follow that by this miracle IESUS CHRIST intended to make that day an ordinary day of rest and of Gods service Seeing by the same reason it will follow that all the dayes wherein Christ did some solemne action have beene established and ordained to be stinted and ordinary Sabbaths in every weeke which is not so CHAPTER Fifth Answer to the Fourth Reason 1. Fourth Reason The first day of the weeke was kept by the Apostle and the Disciples at Troas Acts 20. ver 7. 2. First Answer The words may be taken of a certaine day and not of the first day of the weeke c. 3. Second Answer taking them for the first day of the weeke it followeth not that that day was an ordinary Sabbath but only was kept by occasion of the Apostles departure on the next morrow 4. Third Answer it
may be that day is named because of the miracle done on it and not to shew that it was a Sabbath day seeing the Apostle did preach every day wheresoever he sojourned 5. Nullity of the instance they assembled to breake bread that is to celebrate the Lords Supper 1. Because that breaking of bread may be taken for a common refection 6. 2. Because the Christians did every day celebrate the Lords Supper without respect to Sunday 7. Fourth Answer nothing can be gathered from the meeting of the Disciples at night to prove the sanctification of the day that went before 8. Fifth Answer supposing the first day of the weeke was kept at Troas it followeth not that it was kept in all other Churches 9. Sixth Answer putting the case That it was kept every where it followeth not that Christ or his Apostles had ordained it THey alleadge againe out of the twentieth Chapter of the Acts verse 7. that Paul being come to Troas and the Disciples being assembled to breake bread that is to celebrate the Lords Supper upon the first day of the weeke St. Paul came to their assembly and preached unto them continuing his speech untill midnight being ready to depart on the morrow c. Where they note that this meeting of the faithfull of Troas on the first day of the weeke is propounded there as a thing ordinary and accustomed and not as occasioned extraordinarily by the Apostles arrivall to the Towne For it is said in the sixt verse that he and his company abode there seven dayes and in the seventh verse that upon the first day of the weeke which was the seventh day preceding his departure on the day following the Disciples being come together he preached unto them Which sheweth manifestly that he stayed expressely till that first day of the weeke as being the ordinary day of the meeting of the faithfull Otherwise having been already amongst them five or sixe dayes before he might have taken as well another day as that day 2 To this I answer first that there is no necessity to grant that the assembly of the faithfull of Troas mentioned in the foresaid Chap. met on the first day of the weeke For the termes of the originall which are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be as wel translated on a certaine day of the weeke or on a Sabbath day on a day which was a Sabbath Because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is taken in holy Scripture sometimes for the week sometimes for the Sabbath day in the weeke and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sometimes for one sometimes for the first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is taken so in a like construction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 On a certaine day Lu. 5. v. 17. Luk. 8. ver 22. Luk. 20. v. 1. And the Article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is superfluous as it is often elsewhere Rom. 5. v. 15. and 1 Cor. 9. v. 19. and 2 Cor. 2. verse 6. and 2 Cor. 9. verse 21. This sence is approved not only as admittable but also as more probable than any other by great Divines And although we should explaine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by first wee may translate vpon the first day of Sabbath to wit which occurred in these seven dayes that Paul was in Troas and which was the last of seven so according to this sence an argument may be brought for the Iewish Sabbath day rather than for the Sunday of Christians 3 But Secondly although we should grant that the words should be translated upon the first day of the weeke as the same phrase is taken Luk. 24. verse 1. Iohn 20. verse 1. Which interpretation I yeeld unto willingly it is to no purpose in this question because upon the meeting of the faithfull of Troas the first day of the week to heare the word of God it followeth not that the observation of this day was ordinary and regular for the end which is supposed It may be they did this indifferently on that day as they did in all other dayes as they had occasion It may be also that they came together on the night of that day because Saint Paul was ready to depart on the next morrow and they desired to see him to heare him to receive the Communion with him and recommending him to God bid him the last farewell As hee likewise was desirous to speake unto them and to intertaine them immediately afore his departure which in such an occasion was very convenient and requisite Of such an action done for particular causes can any reasonable man with the least shew of reason inferre a generall custome tyed ordinarily to that day amongst all Christians 4 It may be likewise that this their meeting on the first day of the weeke is marked as an occasion only of the narration which is made incontinently after of the disaster that befell the young man Eutychus who being fallen into a deepe sleepe in the place of the assembly where Paul preached sunke downe with sleepe from the third loft and being taken up dead was miraculously raised to life by the Holy Apostle But is not specified to denote an order accustomed by that Church to meet together every weeke on that day And indeed seeing Paul in the visitation of the Churches tooke not heed to the observation of particular dayes but as long as he abode among them was carefull to preach and instruct them every day least he should loose the time and leasure that he had and which ordinarily was not long in each place as we may see Acts 19. verse 9. and Acts 20. verse 16 31. who shall beleeve that having taried sixe dayes at Troas he or the Disciples let slip sixe of them without any meeting to heare him Now if they came together in the former dayes as well as on the first day of the weeke as it is more seeming to be true the argument taken from their meeting on the first day of the weeke is utterly undone 5 If it be said that they met together on this day as being a day more solemne then the rest and because also they came to breake bread that is to receive the Lords Supper the argument is of no value For the breaking of bread that mention is made of in that place may be taken not for the Lords Supper but for a common refection and one of the feasts of charity which in those dayes were frequent amongst the faithfull as we see in Saint Iude verse 12. It may be so taken in the second Chap. of the said booke of the Acts as many interpreters in both these places understand it so And it seemeth that the conference of the 42 verse with the 46 in the second Chapter and of the seventh verse with the eleventh requireth it 6 Moreover seeing it is most certaine that the Apostolike and primitive Church did most frequently celebrate the holy Supper yea in many places daily as may be seene in the foresaid verses of the second Chapter of
the Acts if they be understood of the Lords Supper and in the 118 Epistle of Saint Augustine second Chapter no man can inferre of the meeting of the faithfull of Troas on the first day of the weeke to communicate to the Lords Supper that day to have beene more solemne unto them then any other day of the weeke And it may be they delayed the communion till that day rather than till another because Saint Paul was to take his journey on the morrow after judging they should doe well to end their conversation with him which they had injoyed during seven dayes by the celebration of this Sacrament which is a band of friendship and of brotherly conjunction and so to testifie their mutuall love and Christian respects and by that meanes take and give a full assurance that their separation and absence in the body which was to happen the next day should never be able to disunite it 7 Adde unto this that no mention being made in the foresaid passage but of a meeting in night time which began at the even of this first day of the weeke without telling us on what exercises the day was imployed by the faithfull I cannot see how an inference can be made upon a meeting by night that the day preceding that night was then and ought to be for ever sanctified for a Sabbath day 8 Further supposing it was an ordinary custome in Troas to keepe the first day of the weeke it followeth not that it was then observed every where abroad We find in other places of the Acts as amongst others in the 11 Ch. v. 26 and in the 14. Ch. v. 23 27. mention made of many meetings of the faithfull whereof the day is not particularized and if we consider well the circumstances of these places it is likely that it was as well on others dayes of the weeke as on the first and that in those dayes Christians made no difference of dayes Nay in the booke of the Acts we find often that the faithfull held their assemblies on the Sabbath day of the Iewes Acts 13. verse 14 44. Act. 16. verse 13. Act. 17. verse 2. c. 9 But to grant willingly that the Churches after they were once established were wont to keepe the first day of the weeke that concludes not this day to have been appointed by Christ by or his Apostles but onely that it was observed by use and custome at the first through respect to the resurrection of the Lord which custome grew up afterwards into a constitution of the Church binding all Christians unchangeably to the observation of it CHAPTER Sixth Answer to the fifth Reason 1. Fifth reason from the fifteenth Chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians where the observation of the first day of the weeke is commanded by the Apostle 2. First answer The Apostles words may be understood of a certaine day or of each day of the weeke 3. He doth not establish a generall and continuall order but a particular collection for that time onely 4. Second answer The same words may be interpreted of every Sabbath day of the Iewes 5. Third answer Although they should be expounded of the first day of the weeke they inforce not an Apostolicall injunction concerning that day 6. Because his injunction is of the collection onely and not of the day 7. This is clearely proved by the words the of Text. 8. Fourth answer Albeit the Apostles had injoyned the keeping of that day it followeth not that they received it of the Lord because it was onely a point of order left to their wisedome and all order is in it selfe imitable 9. An instance from the fourth Chapter to the Philippians and the ninth verse 10. Refuted by three answers THey argue also from the sixteenth Chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians vers 1 2. where the Apostle saith Concerning the collection for the Saints as I have given order to the Churches of Galatia even so doe ye Vpon the first day of the weeke let every one of you put aside by himselfe as God hath prospered him that there be no gatherings when I come Where they pretend to have found clearely an Apostolicall Ordinance injoyning the observation of the first day of the weeke for the exercises of religion For in these words mention is made of the keeping of it for the collections which could not be levied so commodiously as in the ordinary day of Ecclesiasticall assemblies Now as they say the Apostle ordained nothing but what he had received of the Lord 1 Cor. 11. vers 23. Therefore seeing hee ordained to observe the first day of the weeke this day must needs be an Ordinance of Christ and of his Apostles 2. Whereunto I answer as before First that these words of the Originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifie not necessarily upon the first day of the weeke or on each first day but may signifie indefinitely on a day on a certaine day or in each day of the weeke as they are interpreted by some Divines And so the Apostles exhortation shall have this sense that the Corinthians on a certaine day of the weeke at their choice or on every day of the weeke should keepe in store by themselves a part of the goods that God had liberally bestowed upon them that the whole summe which should be gathered amongst them might be laid out for the subvention of the faithfull of Ierusalem which at that time was required of them and be ready at his comming 3. For this is worthy to be noted that the Apostle doth not establish in these words a generall and continuall order of collections to bee received and practised in all the Christian Churches for the entertainment of their poore and publikely levied in their meetings and congregations but onely a particular collection which he enjoyned to the Church of the Corinthians and to some other Churches of the Gentiles for the poore strangers of Iudea which collection he himselfe was to come and to receive after he had sent before him some of the brethren to put it in order Whereof hee advised the Corinthians aforehand that they might prepare it before his comming and that nothing more were to be done at his comming This is manifest by the second third and fourth verses of this Chapter by the eighth and ninth Chapters of the second Epistle and by the fifteenth Chapter of the Epistle to the Romanes vers 25. He required also that it should be prepared not by a publike distribution in the Ecclesiasticall assemblies but by a particular separation that every one should make a portion of his goods at home and by himselfe For such is the meaning of the words in the originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let every one of you lay aside by himselfe putting in store as God hath prospered him which words doe signifie a particular and domesticall reservation and not a publike distribution which consequently was to be done indifferently
in any day whatsoever according as every one should have the commoditie till the Apostles comming and was to cease after he at his comming had received the whole summe that these contributions should amount unto And so of this passage cannot be gathered the observation of any day and farre lesse of the first day of the weeke for Ecclesiasticall meetings whereof according to this Exposition which hath a great likenesse of truth no mention is made in it 4 But secondly although the Apostle had intended to stint the Corinthians to a particular day wherein they were to put a part every one with himselfe a portion of their goods to goe and distribute it that same day in their Ecclesiasticall assemblies for all that it appeareth not that he meant by that day the first day of the weeke For these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be translated in this other sense On a Sabbath day or on every Sabbath day as excellent interpreters alleage and approve this exposition and hath nothing for the divine institution of our Sunday 5 Thirdly put the case that the Apostle speaketh of the first day of the weeke as of a day appointed for Ecclesiasticall meetings and in them for Gods service and for publike collections no other thing can be proved from thence saving that it was a custome received in the Church of Corinth in the Churches of Galatia and probably in others to meet together on the first day of the weeke but in no wise that the Apostle had given them an injunction concerning that day It is true that in the foresaid words mention is made of an injunction given by the Apostle but of the collections only not of the time wherein they were to be made which time the Apostle supposeth onely as received and observed among them on the first day of the weeke but commandeth it not 6 Fo◠the words are Concerning the collection for the Saints as I have given order to the Churches of Galatia even so doe yee 1 Cor. 16. vers 1. where we see the injunction hath reference to the collections as to the end thereof and by no meanes to the day that they were to be levied in He saith againe in the next verse Upon the first day of the weeke let every man lay aside by himselfe and put in store c. where also the injunction is of the collection and the day is not named by way of commandement but onely as supposed to be ordinary for the ecclesiasticall meetings and consequently for the collections 7 I say therefore that it appeareth not that the Apostles have instituted the first day of the weeke But although they had ordained it it should not follow that they had received of the Lord an expresse commandement so to doe It is true that in matters concerning the doctrine of the Gospel and things essentiall to Gods service they have taught nothing but what they received of the Lord as the Apostle protested 1 Cor. 11. vers 23. and as Christ had given them the commandement Matth. 28. vers 20. But as for things which are wholly of order they had power to dispose and ordaine of them with Christian wisedome as they should thinke fit 8 Of that hath beene said we may see the vanity of the argumentation framed by some Divines upon the words of the Apostle to the Philippians chap 4. vers 9. The things which ye have both learned and received and beard and seene in me do them They saw in him the observation of the first day of the weeke which we call Sunday therefore he willeth them to keepe also that day 9 Whereunto I answer first that by a like ratiocination they may conclude that the Apostle would have the faithfull to observe and celebrate all the dayes of the week but namely the Sabbath of the Iewes for he was heard and seene often preaching all the dayes of the weeke but principally every Sabbath day for his manner was to doe so Acts 17. vers 2. Secondly that the foresaid argumentation may have some value it must presuppose that it was an order established by the Apostle and observed regularly by him to celebrate the first day of the week For to beleeve that whatsoever he was seene to do sometimes accidentally and by occasion the faithfull ought necessarily to doe it alwayes were a too great impertinency For he was seene shave his head according to the ceremony of the Mosaicall Nazareat Num. 6. vers 18. Acts 18. vers 18. Acts 21. vers 24. 26. and circumcise Timothy Acts 16. v. 3. But such a presupposition hath no foundation as hath beene shewed Thirdly the Apostle himselfe betokeneth by the connexion of the 9. vers with the 8. going before what things he would have the Philippians to do by imitation of his example and according to his instructions to wit whatsoever things are true honest just pure loveable of good report if there be any vertue or any praise that is these things properly which are a part of godlinesse towards God and of love towards the neighbour But to observe for Gods service the first day of the weeke rather than an other day is not of that nature as being a thing meerely indifferent and established by custome onely It is also a conjecture without apparance that the Apostle among the things which he designeth in the ninth verse meant to comprise the observation of Sunday CHAPTER seventh Answer to the sixth Reason 1. Sixth Reason Mention is made in the Revelation Chap. 1. vers 10. of the Lords day 2. Answer It may be so called in two other respects rather than that which is pretended 3. Instance It is called the Lords day because he ordained it as for that cause the Sabbath is called the Lords rest the Eucharist the Lords Supper 4. Nullitie of this instance 5. Many excellent Divines of the Protestant Churches speake of the first day of the weeke as of a custome of the Church not as a commandement of Christ. 1 IT is said in the first Chapter of the Revelation and the tenth verse That Iohn was in the Spirit on the Lords day whence also they would faine inferre that the first day of the weeke which hath obtained the name of The Lords day was instituted by the Lord Iesus or by his Apostles to be a day dedicated to the exercices of godlinesse 2 But from hence we cannot conclude a divine or Apostolicall institution of that day for S. Iohn might make mention of that day in respect of the Lords rising on such a day and not to signifie that it ought to be appointed or was already set a part more solemnely than any other day for Gods service and for the commemoration of Christs benefits and especially of his Resurrection Yea although he had qualified it with this title in respect of the consecration thereof which was ordinary at that time and in consideration whereof it had commonly the name of The Lords day amongst Christians
in their times as it hath had many hundred yeeres sithence in the Christian Church which honoureth the first day of the weeke with the name of the Lords day it followeth not that this consecration did proceed from the institution of Christ or of his Apostles Seeing it might be founded in the onely practice and custome brought in among the faithfull The ancient Fathers speaking of the observation of Sunday give no other reason thereof saving the Lords Resurrection on that day and not any commandement of the Lord which they had not forgotten if there had beene any 3 Certaine Divines without any shew of good reason will hold us in hand that the first day of the weeke is called The Lords day even as the seventh day is called The Lords rest and the holy Supper The Supper or the Table of the Lord to wit not onely in consideration of their end which is to be a memoriall that of Gods rest after the Creation this of Christs death but also of their institution which is from the Lord himselfe 4 It is true indeed that the one and the other are so called in these two respects But this is also most true that wee have in holy Scripture an expresse declaration that God of old gave to the Iewes the seventh day because on it he rested and would have it to be a signe that he was the Lord that sanctified them It is true also that Iesus Christ instituted the holy Supper in the roome of the ancient Passeover to be a memoriall of his death not a simple memoriall but a Sacrament exhibitive and confirmative of the benefits flowing from his death which it could not be but by an expresse institution from himselfe necessary in all Sacraments because otherwise they cannot be Sacraments It is not so of this day which is called The Lords day For we finde not any institution or subrogation thereof in roome of the ancient Sabbath day neither by the Lord himselfe norby his Apostles And it may be the faithfull called it the Lords day in regard of that solemne action of our Lord Iesus Christ when on it he rose from the dead an action whereof they thought fit to make in it an ordinary and weekely commemoration The place where the holy assemblies meet together is called in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Dutch and Scots Kirk by abbreviation in English Church as if we should say The Lords place albeit there be no such place of the Lords institution but onely of the Churches who gives that name to the Temples because they are consecrated to the Lords service And wherefore I pray might not likewise the first day of the weeke be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the day of the Lord seeing the Church hath appointed it to the honour and service of the Lord which she might doe without any necessity of a divine institution by Iesus Christ our Lord or by his Apostles This was the meaning of many of our most excellent Divines which speake of the observation of the first day of the weeke as of an observation proceeding not from some apostolicall commandement which is not to be found in the Gospel but from a custome introduced and received in the Christian Churches custome which in it selfe is free and without obligation of conscience They acknowledge also that the argument drawne from the appellation of the Lords day is weak Their testimonies I might recite in this place and oppose them to the testimonies taken from others that are of a contrary opinion But my intention is to dispute by reasons and not by authorities of men which in this point are different CHAPTER Eighth Answer to the seventh Reason 1. Seventh Reason The first day of the weeke is to be sanctified in remembrance that Christ on it ended the worke of our Redemption 2. First answer This assertion is false 3. Second answer Christ fulfilled our redemption by his death meritoriously 4. Third answer He hath fulfilled it by actuall execution after his ascension 5. Fourth answer Declaring the use of Christs Resurrection 6. A notable difference betweene the day of Christs Resurrection and the day of Gods rest 7. The day of Christs Resurrection hath no advantage above the day of his Passion c. 8. The true cause of the first observation thereof 9. All that is said of the first day of the weeke being granted it followeth not that it hath any naturall obligation to be kept 1 OF that hath beene said in the former Chapters it is apparent that the passages whereby our Opponents pretend to prove that the Lord either immediately by himselfe or by his Apostles hath instituted the first day of the week for his solemne service doe not prove any such thing But they take another argument from that which is constant by the story of the Gospel which is that the first day of the weeke Iesus Christ rose againe from the dead as if this day for this only cause that Christs Resurrection happened on it had beene sanctified unto us and obligeth us to a religious and solemne observation thereof For say they Christ rising from death to life on the first day of the weeke came victorious out of the great combate which he had sustained and rested from the dolorous and painfull travels which he had suffered in his death and so ended the worke of the redemption of the Church and re-established it into a new estate So the day that he rose in was a new day which he brought as it were from the Sepulchre for her sake And therefore if the day wherein God rested from the Creation of the world was to be sanctified under the Old Testament in remembrance and to the honour of that worke so long as there was not another more excellent then it by the same reason yea farre more the day wherein Christ rising hath accomplished the wonderfull worke of redemption which is a second Creation of a new world farre more excellent than the first was to bee sanctified under the New Testament in remembrance and to the honour of this great worke and the other day to give place unto it 2 I have already said diverse things pertaining to the solution of this argument But I adde over and besides and for better illustration that it is grounded upon an attribution given to the Resurrection of Christ of things which being exactly considered shall be found that they belong not unto it neither particularly nor properly as to have fulfilled the worke of our redemption and second Creation and to have re-established the world or the Church in the world into a new estate 3 Which things if we speake of fulfilling them by merit or of purchasing the right to performe them really have beene fulfilled by the death and passion of Christ which is the price of our redemption whereby both the state of grace here below and of glory in heaven is purchased unto us 4 But if we speake of fulfilling
them by actuall execution they have beene performed by the vertue of Christs Divinity after his Ascension into heaven from whence he sent the Holy Ghost upon his Apostles to beget and assemble his Church here beneath in all the parts of the world by their ministry 5 The Resurrection hath no other correspondency to the meritorious fulfilling of those things but of a token and marke evident certaine and necessary that Christ by his death hath merited them unto us having payed a most sufficient price for our redemption which had not appeared to be yea on the contrary had seemed not to be and indeed had not beene at all if Christ had remained in the grave of death and had not risen againe Even as the comming of a debtor out of prison is a demonstration that he hath payed although it bee not the payment it selfe But if he did remaine alwayes in prison that were an evident signe that he hath not satisfied We must take in this sence the Apostles words saying Rom. 4. verse 25. that Christ died for our sinnes and rose againe for our justification that is to demonstrate that justification is purchased unto us by his death and withall to confer and apply it unto us efficaciously To which efficacious collation and application of all that was purchased by the death of Christ and to the actuall accomplishment of the second Creation and of the re-establishment of the Church into a new estate his Resurrection hath no correspondency but as a necessary antecedent thereunto For it was necessary hee should rise as also ascend into heaven that from thence he might operate that great and notable alteration 6 Wherein is seene a manifest difference betweene the day of Christs Resurrection and the seventh day that God rested in from the worke of Creation For this day followed the Creation finished and intirely effected and it was a rest from it already done and accomplished But that day cannot be called the day of rest from the second Creation saving only as it was merited by the death of Christ For it goeth and that many dayes before the actuall execution thereof sith Christ began not properly to frame and establish the Church of the New Testament till many dayes after he rose againe Wherefore there is by no meanes the like reason to keepe the day of Christs Resurrection as there was to keepe the Sabbath Day 7 Yea the day of the Resurrection in it selfe hath no advantage beyond the dayes of Christs Passion or Ascension or of Pentecost wherein came to passe the solemne sending of the Holy Ghost wherby it was more worthy to be observed then they For it was inferiour to the day of Christs passion and death in regard of the merit to purchase and to the day of Pentecost in regard of the efficacy to communicate the spirituall and heavenly gifts The Ascension day is conforme and equall unto it in the same correspondency both to the acquisition and to the execution of the establishment of the Church 8 The preferring of it by the faithfull to all other dayes to bee kept ordinarily as a solemne day came not from any worthier prerogative that it hath in it selfe but because on it began to shine upon the faithfull a new light of joy and comfort The death and buriall of Christ had filled their hearts with sorrow and abated their hope because it seemed to them that his death and the Sepulchre had taken him away and ravished him out of the world for evermore No wonder for they knew not in the beginning the nature nor the consequences of that great humiliation as is apparent by the discourse of the two Disciples going to Emmaus Luke 24. verse 21. After then that he rose againe shewing himselfe to be the Sonne of God with power Romans 1. v. 4. and that their hopes were revived by his Resurrection they thought fit to observe solemnly and weekely the day thereof which began their joy shewing unto them the first beames of the rising of the Sunne of righteousnesse rather than others which afterward increased it much by a greater manifestation of his glorious brightnesse though they were not lesse unworthy to be kept and as frequently And further they did it to change the ancient day of the Law into a new day of the Gospell In which change that there was a convenient reason it cannot be denyed The thing I deny is that there was any necessary reason thereof 10 Yea although all that in the objection is attributed to the day of the Resurrection did belong unto it properly and particularly it should not follow that in vertue thereof and by a naturall consequence the said day ought to be observed rather than any other For if the day that God rested in from the worke of the Creation had no naturall obligation in it tying men to the observation thereof but it was Gods Commandement onely that bound them to that duty no more can the day wherein Christ rested though in another respect which is not so proper from the worke of redemption oblige us of it selfe to observe it To tye our consciences to such an observation it must needs have a divine institution whereby God hath commanded us to observe it which I say is not to be found CHAPTER Ninth Answer to the eighth Reason 1. Eight Reason from the excellency of things done on the first day of the weeke 2. First Answer Besides that this assertion is uncertaine it proveth nothing 3. Second Answer it is grounded upon a superstitious opinion of the perfection and mysticall signification of the number of seven 4. Seeing there is no certainty in the observation of numbers and the Scripture maketh mention of other numbers observed in many things 5. Whence no solid argument can be gathered and are disclamea by many which dispute for the authority and preeminence of the first day of the weeke 6. In what sence the number of seven is called mysterious and that there is no mysterie in it under the New Testament 1 SOme fetch an argument from diverse solemne things recited in holy Scripture which they marke to have beene done on the first day of the weeke as that on it the light was created the pillar of a cloud covered at first the people of Israel Manna rained from heaven upon them Aaron and his children began to exercise the Priest-hood God at first blessed his people solemnely gave the Law on the Mount Sinai CHRIST was borne baptized turned water into Wine fed five thousand men with five loaves and two fishes shall come from heaven to judge the quicke and the dead 2 But it is most uncertaine that all these things were done on the first day of the weeke For the Scripture saith no such thing Besides this although all these things had beene done on the first day of the weeke it shall never follow by any necessary argument that for such a cause the first day of the weeke ought to be
solemnized under the New Testament Diverse other things very solemne may be found which God and Iesus Christ effected in other dayes of the weeke whereof we might conclude with as great probability that under the New Testament the day wherein they were performed ought to be solemnized 3 This argument is like to another that is produced to prove the necessity of the observation of one day of seven when it is said that this number of seven is perfect and mysterious and hath beene observed in the Scripture in diverse things which some have searched with great curiosity but with no profit 4 For there is no certainty to bee found in this observation of numbers Some for some reason find a great perfection in one number and others for other reason give the preference of perfection to another number The Mathematicians doe hold the number of six for the most perfect and the first of perfect numbers And if the Scripture pointeth out unto us the number of seven observed in many things she doth the like in other numbers The author of Ecclesiasticus Chapter 33. verse 15. and Chapter 42. verse 24. saith That God in all his workes hath observed the number of two and made them all double coupling two and two one against another Wee marke that God in the beginning made the two principall parts of the world heaven and earth two great lights the Sunne and the Moone of all living creatures the Male and Female in wedlocke two in one flesh There were two Tables of the Law two Cherubims upon the Ark two precious stones wherin were graved the names of the twelve Children of Israel and put upon the shoulders of the Ephod Every day two Lambes were offered in Sacrifice to God there be two Testaments two great Commandements two ordinary Sacraments of the Iewish and as many of the Christian Church Hee that would search particularly all things subsisting in this number of two or of three or of foure might devise thereupon a thousand mysteries 5 In summe such arguments have no solidity Many also which dispute for the necessity of the Sabbath in one of seven dayes and for the divine authority of the first day of the weeke disclaime them acknowledging freely that Christ had no respect to these faire actions which are pretended to have beene done on the first day of the weeke under the Old Testament and was not moved by them to institute that day for Gods service under the New Testament That also these mysteries of the number of seven have no certainty and were not the cause of the institution of one of the seven dayes of the Weeke to be a day of rest and that God had no regard unto them in that institution 6 For rather if the number of sâ—vâ—n be in the Scripture a mysticall number which I would not deny absolutely seeing that among all other numbers it is used in it to denote perfection and perpetuity it must be Gods observation thereof from the beginning when he rested on the seventh day that made it mysterious and the cause why God useth it rather than any other day in holy Scripture to denote perfection for as much as he ordained and established the seventh day wherein he rested for figure and type of the heavenly perfect and eternall rest which he hath prepared for all those that are his But this consideration is of no force to make the number of seven or the seventh day to be mysterious under the New Testament and to be kept as a day of rest For the types and mysticall figures of the heavenly rest which God had established under the ancient Testament bind not Christians under the New Testament seeing all old things are past away and behold all things are become new 2 Cor. 5. ver 17. CHAPTER Tenth Answer to the allegations of some pretended instances conjectures and inconveniences 1. First instance The observation of the first day of the weeke hath as solid foundations in the Scripture as hath the Baptisme of little Children 2. First Answer Baptisme is commanded in the New Testament to all those that are in the Covenant wherin little Children are comprised 3. But there is no commandement in the New Testament to observe one of the seven dayes of the weeke 4. Second Answer although our Saviour hath substituted Baptisme to the Circumcision he hath not put any set day in the roome of the Iewish Sabbath 5. Third Answer the observation of the first day of the weeke from the beginning inforceth not a divine institution therof no more than the observation of Easter and of other holy dayes which are of as old date 6. Second instance of diverse judgements upon those that have neglected or contemned the observation of the first day of the weeke answered 7. Third instance Man is naturally averse from the sanctification of the first day of the weeke 8. Answer shewing that he is sluggish and backward in Gods service not in keeping of dayes 9. Fourth instance of diverse inconveniences that shall follow if the observation of the first day of the weeke be not a divine institution 10. Answer to the first inconvenience that the Church should bee Lady and Mistresse of the Sabbath if it depend on her institution shewing how the Church may and may not sanctifie a day for Gods service 11. First Answer to the second inconvenience that she may appoint as many or as few dayes for Gods service as pleaseth her shewing that both extremities must be avoyded 12. Second Answer The Church hath not failed in either of them 13. Third Answer The Church in her reformation hath taken order with the multiplication of holy dayes and brought them within a little compasse 14. Answer to the third inconvenience that the Church might change the Lords day into another shewing that she might have done so in the beginning 15. The fourth inconvenience that the appointing of a day for Gods publike service injoyned in the fourth Commandement should depend on the Church is no inconvenience 16. Saving in case no day were appointed which is not to bee feared 17. Answer to the fifth inconvenience that many men will neglect the keeping of the first day of the weeke if they be perswaded that it is not a divine institution shewing that profane men will religious men will not 18. This Answer is confirmed by daily experience 1 ALL the foresaid arguments taken in some sort from the Scriptures being most weak as is cleere by what hath been said it is to no purpose that some of those with whom we are indifferent dare say that the keeping of Sunday hath as good a foundation and prop in the Scripture as hath the baptizing of little Children 2 For although we find no expresse commandement in the New Testament to baptisme little Children no more than to keepe Sunday or the first day of the weeke for a seventh day of rest yet we find baptisme expressely ordained by Iesus Christ to be a
seale of the covenant of grace and of Gods promises contained therein which because they appertaine to little children as S. Peter saith Act. 2. verse 39. and that in a manner so expresse that St. Paul affirmeth the Children of faithfull Parents to be holy 1 Cor. 7. ver 14. we conclude very pertinently that the seale of these promises which is Baptisme pertaineth to them 3 But we find not any ordinance in the Gospell to observe the seventh day neither in generall nor in particular neither I say one of the seven dayes of the weeke in generall nor in particular the first day or any other comprised in the order of seven The Commandement to observe the seventh day under the Old Testament was ceremoniall as was Gods ordinance concerning circumcision and had in the Law of the decalogue the same respect that circumcision hath in the covenant of grace And as our Lord Iesus Christ leaving the covenant of grace firme and steady hath abolished the signe of circumcision even so leaving the Law stable in the principall substance thereof which is the whole morality therof he hath abolished the ceremony of the seventh day established in it of old 4 Yet although he thought fit to put in the place of circumcision which was ministred to little children and which he hath abolished the holy Sacrament of Baptisme which consequently ought to be ministred to infants he hath not judged convenient to doe the like by establishing another stinted day in the roome of the seventh Iewish day which he hath abrogated For if he had esteemed it convenient hee had left us an institution thereof as expresse as of Baptisme which he hath not done but was pleased to leave to the wisdome and liberty of the Church the appointing of a time for his service 5 As indeed the Church from her first beginnings and as it were from her cradle hath observed Sunday But of this practise and custome so long continued some doe inferre too rashly that the keeping of Sunday is an institution of Iesus Christ or of his Apostles For by the same reason may be inferred that the keeping of Easter and of some other holy dayes under the Gospell is a divine institution because it hath beene practised in the Church from her first age not long after the times of the Apostles To which conclusion these disputers wil not consent unto because our Lord Iesus Christ hath made us free from the necessity of keeping feasts by any divine obligation as is evident by the texts of Saint Paul alleadged and explaind in the first part of this treatise The truth is that custom hath introduced and ever fithence hath intertained that day and some other holy dayes in the Church without any commandement of Iesus Christ or of his holy Apostles which also Socrates hath recorded in the fifth book of his ecclesiasticall History Ch. 21. 6 They produce also examples of divers judgements of God upon sundry persons who neglected or contemned the Lords day whence they would prove that God thereby hath ratified the observation thereof as ordained by him Whereunto I answer that undoubtedly God may have punished many for the profanation of the Lords day not because he hath ordained and commanded it but because according to the order of the Church this day hath beene appointed for the excrcises of Religion which hee hath commanded All persons which set at nought the preaching of the Word the administration of the Sacraments publike and common Prayers in the assemblies of the faithfull and the order of the Church whereby these holy actions are ordinarily practised on the first day of the weeke deserve in the righteous judgement of God to be punished with exemplary and publike plagues and when the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against their ungodlinesse the cause of their punishment to speake properly is the carelesse disregard of the holy Congregations of the religious and fruitfull exercises practised in them and of the order of the Church and not any necessity proceeding from a commandement given of God to observe the first day of the weeke rather than another day They urge also the backwardnesse which is naturally in men to the sanctification of the Lords day which is our Sabbath day All wicked men are altogether averse unto it and the faithfull and truly regenerate too remisse and restie Of this they inferre that the commandement concerning the Sabbath is morall and the Lords day is a divine institution considering the great contradiction and opposition of the flesh against it 8 But it is easie to answer this argument For this rebellion and stubbornnesse of the flesh is not simply against Sunday no more than against another day but against the keeping and applying of Sunday to serve God to heare his Word to powre out prayers before him to meditate on godlinesse and other exercises of religion whereunto the naturall man hath no inclination no more in other dayes than on the day that is stinted for them For otherwise to to observe a day for passing the time in sporting in gaming or in worldly solemnities the flesh is too too forward to that Whence it followeth that verily Gods service true religion and godlinesse in it selfe is a morall thing established of God seeing the flesh is so averse unto it But it is not necessary that the keeping of a certaine day of Sabbath as of Sunday should be of the same nature because the flesh hath no aversion to that saving in as much as the observation of such a day is ordained for Gods service 9 But say they if one of seven dayes and namely Sunday be not under the new Testament necessary to be kept by divine institution but onely by the order of the Church it shall follow that the Church hath authority of her selfe to sanctifie a day for Gods service and consequently that she is Lady and Mistresse of the Sabbath which prerogative pertaineth not to her but to God alone That if she hath that authority she may ordaine as many and as few dayes as pleaseth her make all the dayes or the most part of the dayes of the weeke Sabbath dayes or onely one of ten or of fifteene or of a whole yeere if she will That particularly she may change Sunday into another day which should be absurd seeing there shall never be any action so important to oblige us to the keeping of another day as was the Resurrection of our Lord Iesus Christ which fell upon the first day of the weeke and to move us to consecrate that day to be a Sabbath day That Easter Whitsunday and other Holy dayes instituted by the Church shall be equall in authority to Sunday That there shall be nothing in the fourth Commandement injoyned to particular men saving perhaps to keepe the time which shall be appointed in the Church whereupon they shall brabble and strive about the number of dayes namely about the particular day which is to bee observed some
jarring for one day some for another and so contending one against another without hope of agreement and comming to a certaine resolution Yea they shall take licence themselves to observe any day whatsoever they shall thinke good and dispence with keeping of Sunday when they shall thinke that they are not tied unto it by Gods Commandement 10 I answer that none of these inconveniences is to bee feared As for the first That the Church should have authority to sanctifie a day for Gods service if so be God hath not appointed one I see no inconvenience in it It is true that it is Gods prerogative exclusively to all men and Angels to sanctifie a thing if sanctification be taken for a reall and inherent sanctification by impression of holinesse in the thing or if a thing is to be sanctified to bee an essentiall part and properly so called of Gods service For God will be served according to his Ordinances and not according to the ordinances of men But this is not the sanctification that wee treat of here for a day is not susceptible of such an impression of holinesse And to speake properly it maketh no part of Gods service under the new Testament but is onely an accidentall circumstance thereof whereof God hath left the determination to the liberty of the Church For in that he hath not in himselfe given an expresse and particular Ordinance concerning it hee hath testified that hee did leave that power to his Church teaching her onely in generall to doe it conveniently And indeed doth not she sanctifie places when she appointeth and setteth them apart that in them God may be served Doth she not sanctifie times other than Sunday ordaining fasting dayes when necessity doth require it and feast dayes which she causeth to be solemnized in remembrance of the Birth Passion Ascension of Iesus Christ and of the sending of the holy Ghost c. All Christians hold this sanctification to bee indifferent and no man brings her authority in question in that respect neither doth any blame the holy use of those dayes providing shee carry her selfe wisely and keepe a due proportion and fit moderation in her stinting of them Why then might she not in the same manner after Iesus Christ had abolished the Iewish Sabbath sanctifie the first day of the weeke to be an ordinary day of Gods service in remembrance that on it Christ rose from the dead Wherein she takes not upon her a masterie that belongs not unto her It is true that she is not Mistresse of the Sabbath to change a day that God hath ordained and to dispence at her pleasure with the keeping thereof But since there is no day ordained of God to the Christian Church for his service and that which he had ordained of old being expired she hath as great authority to appoint a day for Gods service as to ordaine other circumstances and helpes thereof 11 To the second inconvenience I say that the two extremities of excesse and defect are to be avoided in this point For there must be neither so many Holy dayes ordained that the faithfull bee inthralled and surcharged with them as with an onerous yoke which they are not able to beare Act. 15. vers 10. nor so few that they become unto them an occasion to give themselves over unto profanenesse and irreligion It is certaine that a day ordinary and frequent is necessary for many good and excellent uses as for the maintenance of the true religion godlines of union and Christian society among the faithfull for the celebration of the Name of God and conservation of the remembrance of his benefits towards us by hearing the same Word receiving the same Sacraments and above all by Common-Prayers and other points of Divine Service which being practised in the same time and place with an holy affection by many faithfull incouraging and exhorting one another both by word and by example are of great efficacie and availe much with God If there were not such a day these exercises not being practised ordinarily these duties would also easily decay by little and little and men would become slacke and faint-hearted in the performance of them As on the contrary if this day returned too often and the one upon the heele of the other that might bee troublesome to the faithfull and would not onely incommodate them in their temporall affaires which God is well pleased they apply themselves unto but also would make the exercises of religion to bee grievous and loathsome unto them by reason of their infirmities in this life 12 Therefore the Church ought not to sinne in this point neither by excesse nor by defect and farre lesse through defect than through excesse but having the establishing of Gods publike service committed to her wisedome ought to refraine from establishing either an excessive number of dayes lest shee should render the yoke too heavie or too few as one in a fortnight in a moneth in a yeere or in many yeeres lest she should seeme to be slightly affected to devotion and carelesse of Gods service For dayes so rare and so distant should not be sufficient for the entertainment of the ends above specified which be so necessary for her edification Also God hath so governed her by his providence that although Iesus Christ hath given her no ordinance for a particular day yet we see that from her beginnings she hath alwayes kept at least one in the weeke to wit Sunday not through an opinion that in a seventh day there was some greater moment and efficacie for the entertainment of godlinesse for the obtaining of Gods blessing then in another number but judging it a fit and convenient thing to keepe the distinction of weekes which was already accustomed and usuall in the Church and to consecrate to God as many dayes at least as did the Church of the Iewes that is one of seven in ordinary and some others extraordinarily returning and following the one the other afarre off as from yeere to yeere in remembrance of some things considerable either in the person of Iesus Christ or of some of his most excellent servants 13 This hath by time growne to a great abuse through the multiplication of too many and divers feasts serving almost for no use but for idlenesse and riot This we see in the Romane Church which hath ordained an excessive number of Holy dayes not onely to the honour of God but also of Angels of he and she Saints of Paradise yea of sundry which having never beene men on earth cannot be Saints in heaven to which dayes they oblige mens consciences as to dayes more holy and more capable to sanctifie the actions of religion done in them than all other dayes nay as more holy than those things which God hath commanded founding that attempt but most fondly upon the fourth Commandement Therefore the Church in her reformation hath most justly redressed this abuse and hath reduced the observation of
the time of Gods service either to Sunday onely in the weeke or besides to a few moe more rare in their revolution and consecrated to the honour of God alone to be observed onely for orders sake and for ecclesiasticall government that in them her children may apply themselves more particularly then they doe on other dayes to Gods service but without tying the consciences of the faithfull farther than to the order of the Church not urging the Holy dayes obligatorie immediately on Gods part 14 To the third inconvenience that she may change Sunday into another day if the stinting of a day depend on her I answer that happily she might in the beginning have made choice of another number than of seven and in the number of seven of another than the first which is Sunday For although it be true that since the resurrection of Christ no action hath or shall be done so important as this which came to passe on the first day of the weeke it followeth not that the remembrance of that action was of necessity to be celebrated once in the weeke and that a day should bee appointed for that end more than for the remembrance of others of the Lords wonderfull actions or that the Church was tied by necessity to appoint the first day of the weeke for that purpose rather then another day upon the sole consideration that it happened on that day which in it selfe is not more obligatory now than it was then because the celebration of Christs actions in any day whatsoever is in it selfe a thing indifferent and the Lord doth not require that we tie our selves to the dayes wherein they were performed And so this consideration was no hinderance why in the beginning the Church might not have made choice of another day then Sunday But seeing Sunday is established by a long custome for the regular and ordinary day of Gods service seeing the faithfull Christians kept it in the beginning through respect to the resurrection of Christ and so it is become usuall every where by degrees seeing also time hath confirmed this custome and it hath beene ratified by Imperiall constitutions and divers ecclesiasticall ordinances I esteeme it should be an imprudent and impudent course to attempt the changing thereof into another day 15 The fourth inconvenience that particular men shall have nothing injoyned of God unto them in the fourth Commandement nor in any other part of Scripture concerning the time of Gods publike service saving that they observe the time prescribed in the Church according to the will of those that are in authority is not an inconvenience but is in effect the whole substance of the Commandement in regard of particular men to whom God having injoyned in the three former Commandements to serve him particularly every day and upon all occasions in the fourth he injoyneth them to doe it publikely together and to observe the time appointed for that purpose by ecclesiasticall discipline 16 The inconvenience to be feared should be in case no order at all were established in the Church for the time of Gods publike service and every particular man were left to his owne choice which should cause a disordered diversity But this were to forge feares where there is no cause For order hath beene taken with that in the Christian Church from her beginning and it hath beene fortified by use and custome so that particular men if they happen to come to places where there is no Church no discipline ordered will not omit being religiously disposed and fearing God to observe the day which the Christian Church hath chused and practised since so many ages And as God when he commandeth a frequent resorting to the holy assemblies giveth no injunction to particular men but in dependancy upon the order which shall be established in the Church for such meetings even so he tieth them to the same dependancy when he ordaineth that a certaine time be appointed for the said publike meetings 17 For the fifth and last inconvenience some feare least particular men should presume to observe any other day at their leasure and neglect the keeping of Sunday if they be taught that they are not bound unto it by Gods command Whereunto I answer that if these particulars be profane men which make light of the exercises of godlinesse and of the order of the Church in all likelihood they will doe worse and keepe no day at all But for such unruly wights wee need to disquiet our selves too much For it is not in our power to prevent and hinder all the abuses and profanations which they would commit although they were perswaded that Sunday is a divine institution He that is unjust let him be unjust still and he which is filthy let him be filthy still Nay although they might be recalled it is not reasonable that to rescue them we should speake or write any thing against truth If they be men which take to heart religion and godlinesse and carry a due respect to the order of the Church no such unrulinesse is to be feared of them For because the preaching of the word the administration of the Sacraments publike and common prayers are meanes ordained of God for the maintenance of godlinesse and of true Religion and Sunday is established by the order of the Church for the practise of these exercises they will make great account of that day and observe it not for its owne sake knowing that it is not in it selfe more esteemeable nor more belonging to Gods service then another day not also through opinion that God hath particularly sanctified it by his ordinance and that their conscience is in that respect more tyed unto it then to another day but because they have a speciall regard to the order of the Church which being very good and profitable they know they are bound to submit themselves unto it seeing God hath commanded it although in generall termes yet most expressely in his holy word They will also feare to contemne that day and in so doing to sinne not in consideration of any dignity of that the day hath of it felfe or that God hath given it whereby it should oblige more than another day and make the contempt thereof more blame worthy but in consideration of Gods service whereunto it is applyed by the ordinance and custome of the Church So then a particular Church will conforme her selfe to the order of all other Churches and the particular members of each Church will submit themselves to the order received in it and so all shall religiously celebrate Sunday because by the order of the Church it hath beene observed so long and in all places where the Gospell was preached for the publike exercise of Gods service 18 To shew that the foresaid inconvenience is not so much to be feared it is a thing common and well knowne that our Churches ordaine upon diverse occasions extraordinary dayes of fasting and of particular prayers and command
Law of God forbidding actions farre lighter and of farre lesser moment then all those that are particularized in the Law CHAPTER Second What is the obligation of Christians to the observation of Sunday for the manner of it 1. They are not bound by a Divine prohibition and for conscience sake to abstaine from any servile worke 2. First Reason the fourth Commandement bindeth them not thereunto 3. Second Reason the order of the Church neither doth nor can oblige their conscience to a Iewish abstinence 4. Third Reason Those of the contrary opinion urge not the riged abstinence of the Iewes from all manner of worke 5. Wherefore they should not urge any abstinence at all contrary to Christian liberty 6. For Christian liberty extends it selfe equally to all and is not restrained by the fourth Commandement 1 AS for Christians living under the New Testament they are not obliged to such an observation of their Sunday as the Iewes were to their Sabbath day And I beleeve not any worke externall corporall servile of their ordinary callings lawfull on another day to be unlawfull on that day by a divine prohibition and obligation of conscience to abstaine from it in consequence of such a prohibition 2 This resulteth by necessary consequence from that hath beene said before For if the fourth Commandement in as much as it prescribeth a certaine day of rest to wit a seventh day or the last of seven bindeth them not as hath beene shewed there is no reason why it should rather oblige them in the exact prohibition of all worke on the Sabbath day because this was as well a part of the ceremonies and government of the Iewish Church as was the appointment of a seventh day of Sabbath 3 If they keepe not their Sunday by Gods Commandement but according to the order and use of the Church as I have also proved no more are they bound by Gods Commandement to cease on Sunday from all their ordinary workes but only as farre as the use and order of the Church established for the publike exercise of Gods service on that day doth require it without any further obligation of their conscience Now this order cannot and should not oblige them to an abstinence like unto that of the Iewâ—s under the Oâ—d Testament For it were needfull for this that God himselfe had substituted Sunday to the Sabbath day and posted over to that day the rigorous right of this day commanding the same abstinence in the one and in the other which is not The substitution of one day to the other was done by the Church and the reasons of an abstinence so precise on the Iewish Sabbath which were wholly typicall having no place at all in the New Testament the said abstinence ought not to be any more in vigor neither ought our Sunday to usurpe the same rigour of authority over us to make us refraine from all kind of worke which the Sabbath day possessed over the Iewes by Gods expresse commandement 4 The same is easily proved by good reason grounded upon things which those against whom we dispute are constrained to advow For if Christians were obliged also to an abstinence of outward and servile workes which to the Iewes were unlawfull on the Sabbath day it must be in consideration and by vertue of the prohibitions given to the same Iewes in the fourth Commandement and in other places of the Old Testament to doe such workes on that day seeing otherwise to doe them is not a sinne if we consider the thing absolutely in it selfe This power of the fourth Commandement is extended to all Christians by those that are contrary to the opinion which I maintaine And neverthelesse they avouch almost all of them that under the Gospell we are delivered from the rigour of an exact observation such as was the observation that the Iewes were subjected unto that we have greater liberty that wee may on our Sabbath day kindle the fire make meat ready not only for our ordinary refection but also for feasts and bankets so they be not too sumptuous goe abroad for other ends then for Gods service as to walke and doe other such things and that without the case of urgent necessity which sometimes made them lawfull to the Iewes themselves They call such actions workes of Christian liberty which they acknowledge to be permitted to Christians although they were not permitted to the Iewes as were the workes of godlinesse mercy and urgent necessity whereof there is no difficulty but they may be done on the Sabbath day This only they require that these workes of Christian liberty bee done without scandall without any disturbance of Gods service and without any hinderance to the Sanctification of the Sabbath 5 Now it is most true that we are delivered from the necessity of this so rigid observation But I aske them wherefore we shall bee permitted to doe some workes which were prohibited to the Iewes on the Sabbath day as to kindle the fire prepare and dresse meat walke abroad without necessity and not other workes which were not forbidden more severely than the former as to plough sowe reape carry burthens c. The one and the other were alike unlawfull to the Iewes in vertue of the interdiction given in the fourth Commandement and reiterated so often elsewhere If this interdiction tyeth still our hands under the New Testament and suffereth us not to do these last workes and other such like I would faine know upon what ground they hold that it releaseth and suffereth us to doe these former workes What reason have they to extend our Christian liberty to the one and not to the other seeing there is no relaxation given us for the one more expressely than for the other Seeing also meanes may be found to doe the last as well as the first without scandall and without any let by either to the Sanctification of the Sabbath day 6 Therefore we must of necessity confesse that they are equally permitted or equally forbidden seeing the fourth Commandement maketh no distinction Now they advow that some workes are permitted to us which were by the fourth Commandement forbidden to the Iewes and are workes of Christian liberty Whence I conclude that all other workes are also of the same nature that we have liberty to doe them all on our Sunday and that as the fourth Commandement obligeth not Christians to keepe the seventh day which it prescribeth so precisely no more doth it oblige them to do no manner of worke on that day For these two parts of the Commandement are alike precise and the one is of as great authority as the other CHAPTER Third Answer to a reply made to the argument of the precedent Chapter 1. A generall reply that the workes forbidden particularly had reference onely to the abode of the people in the wildernesse 2. First Answer The Commandement to tary at home on the Sabbath day was perpetuall 3. Second Answer The prohibition to prepare meat was
Moreover what if after a man hath wrought upon the Sabbath day and other dayes successively and he for whom he hath wrought procrastinate his pay till all be done and then satisfie him for all those dayes workes together as commonly Chirurgions Apothecaries Physicians are never otherwise paid that is never till the disease of their patient is come to an end either by health or death shall he in such a case separate the labour of the Sabbath day from the labour of other dayes and if in the hire or reward that is given him the salarie of the seventh dayes worke be comprised must he defaulk the Sabbath dayes worke and refuse to take any thing for it I would be glad to know on what ground all these distinctions are founded 17 They alleage that God in his Ordinances concerning the Sabbath hath forbidden us to doe in it our workes and servile workes and that all workes which we doe for our profit and utility are our workes and servile workes even as servants worke for their hire which they say to be signified by the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imployed in the fourth Commandement and translated by this generall word to doe as likewise by this Noune 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which wee translate worke although it signifie not all kinde of worke but that onely which is done for gaine and worldly profit By which words God hath intimated that he forbiddeth to doe any thing whatsoever for that end But this is too much subtilizing about words which signifie generally all travell worke function about any thing and done to any end whatsoever Is not Gods worke betokened by this name Melacah Genes 2. vers 2 3. Is not the offering of sacrifices called by this Verbe Habad Esa. 19. vers 21. and the function of the Levites about holy things 2 Chron. 13. vers 10. Besides this I say that indeed God prohibited on the Sabbath day all worke for gaine but even as he forbade all other bodily worke which was not done for gaine to wit to make an ordinary course and custome of it as in other dayes and when there was no necessitie But as in case of necessity he permitted the labour that brought no gaine even so hee prohibited not the worke that might bring gaine to the worker nor the gaine that might come of the worke 18 Thirdly when they speake of servants and others that are under authority they say that their servitude and subjection is not a sufficient warrant unto them to worke on the Sabbath day by the authority of their superiours to whom when they receive any such commandement they ought to answer that they are first the servants of Almighty God who is the King of Kings LORD of Lords maker of heaven and earth whom they ought to obey rather than men and suffer to be railed upon and buffeted rather than to doe any worke on that day 19 But how doth this consent with their decisions concerning messengers and posts For they say that being dispatched and sent away quickly by the Magistrates they may runne and make hast on the Sabbath day without inquirie of the necessity of that laborious voyage which they are put unto because simple subjects ought not to make inquirie of the affaires of their Princes and Lords which often it is not expedient that they should know For why may not by the same reason a domesticall servant doe some worke to obey his Master without searching curiously upon what necessity his Master layeth this worke upon him For the Master may have good reasons and great importance to his family of this command which it is not expedient his servant should be privie unto nor that hee should bee inquisitive and curious to know them afore hee obey For this should draw with it a most dangerous consequence Againe this permission that they give to posts to ride hard and make hast for the affaires of the Countrey how doth it agree with the difference that they have made betweene present and imminent necessity permitting no worke for this but for that onely For the necessities for which posts are hastened and they post so speedily are seldome present and are often but imminent having regard only to something that may happen in time to come 20 Fourthly when they give their advise concerning bankets they distinguish betweene solemne bankets and those that are bankets of friendship and more moderate And forbidding the first they permit the last But they ought to have determined first which bankets are to be called solemne which not how many courses of meat must be prepared how many persons and of what quality must be invited to make a solemne banket Also a man shall be vexed in his minde not knowing if to invite so many persons and to make ready so much meat and so many services will make his banquet solemne or not Besides that in regard of some persons of great riches and quality such as are Kings Princes Lords c. it is not a solemne feast which in respect of some other persons of lesser meanes authoritie and dignitie may carry that name Now if these persons of great note and quality are suffered to make such banquets which in regard of their degree and meanes are not solemne yea are nothing but their ordinarie diet why may not other persons of inferiour condition and meanes make them also although to them they be solemne For there is not greater distraction from Gods service to the persons whom the one put on work for the preparing of their feast which to them is solemne than to those whom the other set about the dressing of their feast which to them is ordinarie and not solemne If a great man may have a great number of servants busied about the dressing of his ordinary refection and if his table be every day well furnished by reason of the eminencie of the noble stocke that he is come of and of his dignity and withall not breake the Sabbath why may not a man of a meaner condition have extraordinarily as many people for a solemne banquet which he hath occasion to make on the Sabbath day And seeing a solemne banquet may be made by a great number of servants in as short time as a banquet that is not solemne may be prepared by a lesser number I see no cause why a man shall commit a greater sinne if hee set on worke twenty servants to dresse a solemne banquet than if he set foure or five onely about the dressing of one that is not solemne For twenty shall not toyle and have more adoe they shall make as speedy an end of their businesse and so shall not be more distraught and withdrawne from Gods service than foure or five and may equally before or after their worke get leisure to apply themselves unto it And as for the persons invited thirty persons in a solemne feast may have done as soone and be as little diverted from
the exercises of the Sabbath as six or seven in a feast that is not solemne A thing that many together cannot doe lawfully cannot be lawfull to a few or if it be lawfull to few it is also to many But I wonder how those which have made this distinction of banquets can have the heart to make use of it seeing they teach otherwhere that it is not lawfull to doe on the Sabbath day but things of present necessity and not those that are simply of imminent necessity or at the most they suffer onely those that are requisite for a comfortable entertainement of the person as to prepare meat for his refection For banquets howsoever named and qualified are not requisite for that day for the entertainement either necessarie or comfortable of men they may be put off till some other day without harme or displeasure to any man by this delay and cannot easily be kept without much hurrying up and downe and divers discourses which are not sutable to such a day which they will have to be so precisely and exactly observed I wonder farre more why they are not scrupulous to suffer weddings on that day For seeing they will have all mens thoughts words and actions to be spirituall and holy all that day and suffer not any that are naturall and worldly otherwise than in a present and urgent necessity seeing also there is no necessitie to marry on Sunday that this may be done as well on any other day and that the thoughts words and actions of weddings can hardly have the qualities which they require would it not be more sutable to their maximes to forbid them absolutely on that day 21 Fifthly as for playes games pastimes recreations which are honest and lawfull they forbid them altogether and absolutely on the Sabbath to all men without exception of those that are sick saying that to those which are dangerously sicke it is fit time to pray and not to play and spend time on gaming And as for those that are not dangerously sicke they need not these pastimes and may apply themselves to heare reade conferre of things of instruction and consolation and seeke in these holy exercises their recreation Wherein they speak as if the one and the other might not be done successively and a sicke man or any other person after an honest and short pastime were not capable to seeke this spirituall recreation although they be not incompatible and that God improveth not the succession of the one to the other on our Sabbath day I adde that by this prohibition they overthrow their former position that it is lawfull to doe on the Sabbath day things not onely absolutely necessary for the entertainement of the creature but also comfortable and agreeable unto it Now some honest play or pastime taken by a man and namely by a sicke man may be very usefull for his comfort and recreation and often much more than if the best meats and drinkes and most comfortative cordials were given him if he stand not absolutely in present need of them Nay they may make him farre better disposed afterwards for Gods service than the best restoratives of the best furnished Apothecaries If then it be lawfull unto him and to others also to bestirre themselves to prepare for him and make him take these things why may he not likewise take some pastime which are farre more necessary unto him And although he hath no need of them by absolute necessity may they not be needfull unto him for his commodity and comfort as well as food and medicaments If it be said that he may deferre his pastime till another day I answer that so he may prolong without any perill the preparing of meat or of medicaments 22 But not to say longer upon the rehearsall of the intricate difficulties which occurre in their explications of workes that are permitted on the Sabbath day and of the conditions and tearmes whereupon they are permitted I say that there is no kinde of workes but they may be done as lawfully on that day as on any other and that as in the fourth Commandement the Ordinance to keepe the Sabbath day obligeth Christians in this onely that because God must bee served publikely in the Congregations of his people by the exercises of religion which he hath ordained it is necessary that some time be appointed for that use but not that it ought to bee one day rather than another by vertue of that command or that the day appointed ought to be kept during foure and twenty houres which God hath not in any case prescribed to his people of the New Testament as he did to his people of the Old Testament But being pleased to injoyne unto them the exercises of religion wherewith he will be served he hath left to their libertie the determination of some dayes and of the continuance of the time wherein they are to be practised I say likewise that the commandement to doe no worke on the day consecrated to Gods service obligeth in this regard onely and no more to wit that as much as the publike exercises of this service when they are practised in the Church doe require wee must forbeare all ordinary imployments and workes that with tranquillity of minde and stillnesse of body we may bend all our forces to these exercises resort unto the holy assemblies and glorifie the Lord our God there in the company of the faithfull 23 I grant willingly that all travell about corporall and terrestriall workes is forbidden in as much as it is an impediment and hinderance to the service of God And therefore an honest and religious man must observe publikely all the time of holy exercises observed in the Church on the Holy-dayes appointed for that end whereof he hath for rule the Order of the Church This time excepted the remnant of the day is his to dispose of it discreetly and conscientiously and to doe on it all manner of worke which is lawfull on other dayes according to the Order of the Church wherein he lives 24 And sith Sunday hath beene appointed by the Order of the Church for the prime day wherein these exercises are ordinarily to be practised all are bound in regard of them to cease from all other workes during the whole time that they are practised in the Church publikely without purposing to doe or give willingly any worldly businesse to be done on that day capable to make the least diversion from so holy and necessarie a duty and to dispose in such sort all their ordinary affaires of this life before Sunday come that they be not when it is come an hinderance to sanctifie it And so to shew that they are full of love and respect to those blessed exercises of religion and to the Order of the Church from which they should never be absent without reasons of great consequence whereof every ones conscience ought to iudge by the rules of godlinesse and of Christian prudence 25 I say
perpetuall 4 The first reply to this Answer refuted 5. The said reply is not well grounded on the example of a Pharisee who called Christ to eat bread on the Sabbath day 6. Confirmation of the refutation of the said reply by the Scriptures 7. By the testimony of Saint Augustine and of Saint Ignace and by reason 8. The second reply taken from equality yea from oddes of reason refuted 9. A mystery hid in the prohibition to cooke meat on the Sabbath day c. 10. Third Answer the prohibition to kindle fire was perpetuall and not referred to the building of the Tabernacle 11. If it was referred thereto it was onely by application 12. If it was not lawfull to kindle fire for the uses of the Tabernacle farre lesse for other uses 13. Confirmation of this answer by reason and by the testimony of Philo. 14. Fourth Answer The particular prohibitions were explications of the generall prohibition of the fourth Commandement 15. Fifth and last Answer God hath no where made an exception of any worke on the weekely Sabbath as he did on the Sabbath of the Passeover 1 SOme of the contrary opinion have seene the difficulty propounded in the former Chapter to wit that there is no reason to say that some workes which the Iewes were forbidden to do as wel as all other by the fourth Commandement are permitted but the rest are not permitted if it be true that the prohibition of the fourth Commandement obligeth us as they pretend Therefore they say that these workes which as they confesse we are permitted to doe as to kindle the fire and to make meat ready on the Sabbath day were permitted to the Iewes as well as unto us and are not comprised in the prohibition of the fourth Commandement and that the particular prohibitions which are made in Exodus Chapter 16. and 35. were temporall had respect only to the time of the peoples sojourning in the wildernesse and were grounded on reasons particular to that time 2 But this is an affirmation without ground and without all likelihood For to speake of the injunction given them to tarry every man in his place and not to goe out of it on the Sabbath day Exod. 16. vers 29. it is true that it was given them by occasion of the Manna to the intent that they should not goe forth to seeke any yet undoubtedly it was extended also to all other things of the like nature to wit to all bodily and earthly ends God by that one example forbidding them to apply themselves to the seeking of them there being a like reason for all I say bodily and earthly because a spirituall and heavenly end was excepted by the third verse of the three and twenty Chapter of Leviticus and there was no other end but such a one which might be an exception from the said prohibition Will any man say that during their abode in the wildernesse they might freely and without offence goe about other worldly businesses the gathering of Manna excepted This goeth beyond all semblance of truth And therefore if this was not left to their liberty the prohibition of the sixteenth Chapter of Exodus had a farther regard than to the Manna onely Now if they were restrained in the wildernesse and durst not goe forth for earthly imploiments as to gather Manna what reason can be alleaged why in the land of Canaan they were free to come and to goe and trouble themselves with the care and pursuit of the bread that perisheth and of other things of this world 3 The same judgement ought to be made of the prohibition to to cooke and dresse meat in the wildernesse on the Sabbath day which meat was Manna wherefore ought not this prohibition to have place in the land of Canaan for all other meats The Israelites had they not leisure in Canaan to prepare their meat the day before the Sabbath as much nay more than they had for the Manna in the wildernesse Neverthelesse the day before the Sabbath which was the sixth day of the weeke God said to them concerning the Manna Bake that which ye will bake and seethe that which ye will seethe and all that remaineth lay it up to be kept till the morning for you And why To morrow saith he is the rest of the holy Sabbath unto the Lord Exod. 16. vers 23. words which shew that the observation of the Sabbath day by him prescribed unto them with respect not onely to their pilgrimage in the wildernesse but also to their abode in Canaan was the cause why hee rained not Manna upon them and suffered them not to prepare any on that day and by his law forbade them universally in their generations to cooke and prepare any meat on the Sabbath day For if it were a thing that he left to their libertâ— by the Law wherefore did hee not raine Manna upon them on the Sabbath day Or if hee gave them not any lest they should goe forth and gather it on that day and if he obliged them to gather twice as much the day before giving them that day bread for two dayes vers 29. which necessity forced them to doe seeing the next day there was not any to bee found in the fields wherefore did he not at least suffer them to deferre till the Sabbath day the cooking of that portion which they had gathered and laid up for that day rather than to injoyne them as he did to make ready twice as much the day before and so take from them all occasion of preparing it on the Sabbath day which they might have done easily although there was none to be found in the fields that day Certes he did betoken that not onely the seeking and gathering but also the cooking and preparing of meat on that day displeased him because it was a day ordained by him to rest in which is a perpetuall reason for all the dayes and times that the Law of Moses was to continue 4 To say that God commanded both to gather and to prepare the Manna the day before and to keepe it till the Sabbath day because he would manifest his miraculous power in preserving from corruption the Manna which else had bred wormes and stunke Exod. 16. vers 20. from one of these dayes to the other is an unsufficient answer For first the same miracle had beene although the Manna had beene kept crude and unbaked to be sodden and prepared the next day Secondly God might have done if it had pleased him the same miracle in respect to another day as well as to the Sabbath day Wherefore then did he it for the Sabbath day but to ordaine to the Israelites the cessation from all workes and amongst others from making meat ready on the Sabbath day in their generations Also wee see no examples of preparing of meat on the Sabbath day among them 5 To prove that they did is unfitly alleaged the first verse of the fourteenth chapter of S. Luke