have been called to liberty onely use 〈◊〉 liberty for an occasion to the flesh The end of the second Treatise Answer Weigh well the truth of that which the same man * Amâ—s Medul pag. 364. speaketh concerning this unlawfull liberty which you strive so much to maintaine by good Scripture misused Saith he there Experientia docet licentiam rerum sacrarum non curantiam magis magisqâ—â— invalescâ—re ubi dieâ— dominicae iâ—stâ—ratio non habetur Take heed of walking in the Broad way Broad A question whereabout I will not contend onely I thinke good to shew mine opinion therein The Sabbath as it is said before chapter the third A Iew sleeping in the night and were it pâ—rt of the day sanctifiâ—d the Sabbath for that time was sanctified by abstaining from all works which in the time of the Law was an holy duty as was the abstaining from leavened bread the offering of sacrifices c. and some that only rested from worke sanctified the Sabbath as did little children their cradles A childe of twenty dayes old did prophane the Sabbath no man will say so and of necessity every one prophaned it or sanctified it there is no meane Quest. Was the Sabbath sanctified by offering sacrifices praying hearing the Word and the like holy Duties or not Answ. It was not for proofe hereof I propose this briefly to be considered God first sanctified the seventh day that is consecrated it to an holy rest after he commâ—nded man to sanctifie it thâ—t is to spend it in holy rest as for morall duties they were enjoyned in other Commandements on very day See befâ—â— 1. God commanding to sanctifie the Sabbath and coming afterwards to shew his meaning requireth onely to rest from worke Remember to sanctifie the Sabbath that is God himselfe being expositor Remember to doe no worke on the seventh day Exod. 20. 8 10. See before Chap. 3. 2. God sanctified the seventh day because therein he had rested and was refreshed Gen. 2. Exod. 31. not because he had instructed Adam and Eve therein or that they had called on his holy name 3. As God commanded to sanctifie the seventh day so the yeare * Neither was the Temple which yeare was not yet sanctified by the sacrifices prayers c. in the same see Levit. 25. 4. God requireth in the first place to worship him then for the better performance of this duty in the second place he requireth Israel to sanctifie the seventh day that is to doe no worke therein whereby the day became fit for this purpose The sanctifying of the Sabbath then The order of the Commandements sheweth this and Nature teacheth the same Nature â—eâ—cheth in the first place to worship God and after to have seâ— times for the perâ—â—â—mance of this duty as the sanctifying of the Tabernacle in order went before the worshipping of God therein I meane before praying hearing the word and such like duties for the sanctifying of the Sabbath was it selfe a part of the Ceremoniall Law 5. Were the Sabbath sanctified by praying hearing the word c. it would follow that God more respected the sanctifying the Sabbath then he did praying preaching c. 6. The Sabbath was prophaned onely by working as is shewed before Chap. 3. Wherefore it was sanctified only by abstaining from worke 7. Suppose that Adam had continued in the state of Innocency Nature then would have taught him to set a part some times and places for holy Convocations I demand now how Adam sanctified his appointed times by preaching hearing of the word c. or not If not why then did the Israelites If yea then why had he not as well sanctified his appointed places by the same holy Duties I dare affirme that when any goeth on the Sunday to the Church to pray and heare a Sermon if therby he sanctifie the Sunday that thereby he sanctifieth the Church also This I will maintaine though as I said I will not contend about the question for we have nothing to doe with the Iewes Sabbath nor with their sanctifying it Answer How in what sense Rest is said to sanctifie the Sabbath we have at large spoken of it before Yet here I will briefly answer one question with another I aske how the vessels * What I sâ—y of these may be inâ—â—aâ—â—ed in oâ—her thiâ—gâ— of the Temple were properly said to be sanctified whether by being not imployed about prophane uses or rather in a relative sense by being imployed about holy Sure you will say by being imployed in Gods service about holy uses So the Sabbath was not properly sanctified by resting from prophane but by being imployed in holy businesses For God hath appointed it to be a day of blessing now sure it is not our Resting but our imployment in holy services and use of the meanes that makes it so And so had God appointed it to be to Adam in Innocency for no doubt but Adam being enjoyned labour which necessarily took him off from immediate contemplation his spirituall life should have been upheld by due use of meanes * And therefore had he a Sacramâ—nt instituted to wit the tree of life and also a Sabbath as well as his temporall but what those had been besides prayer and meditation and praise and such like meanes whereby he might enjoy spirituall commuâ—ion with God I will not take upon me to determine Now as for that which you urge so strongly of sanctifying the Places as well as the Time I answer That what Places God hath ever specially and solemnly appointed for his speciall and solemne worship they have been as well sanctified by that worship as the Time so appointed and so was the Temple in Ierusalem For as it is the use unto which Christ hath appointed the bread and wine in the Lords Supper that sanctifieth the bread and wine so was it the use unto which God appointed the Temple that sanctified it God appointeth one time universally for all people not so of Place Because an appointed Time may be Catholicke as is the Church which an appointed place cannot For first it would be of infinite inconvenience for the Catholicke Church to repaire to one particular Place as all Israel did to Ierusalem and secondly it would contradict the nature of the Church and make that particular which is Catholicke But I will conclude with D r. Ames opinion in this matter of Rest Medul pag. 367. Quies ista quamvis in se absolute considerata non sit neque unquam fuer it pars aliqua cultus prout tamen à Deo imperatur tanquam necessarium quid ad ipsius cultum ad illum etiam refertur eatenus est pars observantiae illius quae pertinet ad religionem cultum Dei Sanctificatio huius quietis ac diei est applicatio nostrum ipsorum singularis ad Deum eo die colendum quod innuitur illis ipsis phrasibus Sanctificavit illum diem Sabbatum est Iehove Deo tuo Pray for the Author Praise God the Giver FINIS
and cheerefulnes doe the holy works and duties of Gods worship and service which are proper to that day 2. For the precisenes of the rest which you here speake of I also affirme that that was proper onely to the Iewes as also to that time of their preregrination in the wildernes and not to us for because it was no part of the substance of the commandement or Sabbath but onely an adventitious or temporary circumstance for illustration sake begun and ended in the wildernes For the Iewes being a people in their time under a typicall discipline God chose that time and this occasion of feeding them with Mannah in the wildernes which the Scripture calleth Angels food because it came so immediatly from Heaven the more clearely to exemplifie the lively signification of the Sabbaths rest which being alwayes typicall should bee much more so in their time For they having other Sabbaths commanded them with strict rest this must bee imposed upon them with stricter rest else they should not learne its proper meaning and difference And for this cause did hee command it with so much strictnes at that time even to their not gathering nor preparing Mannah when as yet their other Sabbaths were commanded them with liberty to make ready what they should eate the better to testifie the different nature and eminent signification of that Sabbath above the other For the rest of the Iewish Sabbaths were not so absolute because they were onely appointed to signifie the rest which every beleever and the whole Church hath here by Christ on Earth to wit a rest but an interrupted rest like to their rest in the Land of Canaan not absolute but interrupted and of a mixt nature in regard of such things which are necessary to befall us in this life whereas the weekely Sabbath signified the rest which the company of beleevers should have in Heaven as it is in the fourth of Hebr. 9. There remaineth a rest therefore to the people of God which is absolute and without any mixture because that in Heaven wee shall bee at Gods immediate finding as they were thâ—n whilest they were in the wildernes but never after And therefore did so much of that rest as wherein it surpassed the other Sabbaths cease for after time both to them and us because that God ceased to raine Mannah which gave life to that circumstance of strict rest commanded them at that time So that Doctor Heylins observation pag. 145. How that after their returne from the Babylonish captivity in their redresse of their Sabbath sins they had no lesse care of the annuall Sabbaths and Sabbaths of yeares then of the weekely and the markets were no more restrained on the weekely Sabbath then on the annuall might have beene spared as making nothing for his purpose And therefore so to rest now in our dayes as not to provide our necessary food * And we have Christs example to warrant it in the 14. Luke by comparing the 8. 12. 13. verses seeing God ceaseth to raine Mannah were to create types to our selves and to cloud that light with a vaile of our owne making For the extraordinary strict rest was by God then onely commanded when by him they were extraordinarily accommodated to observe it which shall bee fulfilled onely in Heaven when againe wee shall onely bee at Gods immediate finding and shall againe eat Angel food as they did in the wildernes Saith Doctor Tailor * Christ revealed pag. 269. the not gathering Mannah on the Sabbath signified that in that eternall Sabbath wee shall enjoy Mannah without meanes So that in the meane time wee are not forbidden to bee charitable to our bodies by preparing necessary food * Iustin Martyr Neither thinke it greevous that we drinke some warme thing on the Sabbath seeing God also governeth the World on this day in like manner as he doth another dayes Although I could wish with all my heart that wee were more charitable to the soules of our servants then many of us are and not on that day so to pamper our bodies as to starve their soules that are under our charge and for whom we must give account especially if wee consider that other meaning which God had in prohibiting the gathering and preparing Mannah on the Sabbath-day so much inculcated by divines to wit that it is not earthly but heavenly Mannah that is the food and welfare of our soules which on that day our appetite ought chiefely to stand to as wee see by the example of Christs Disciples Matth 12. 1. And that this strict rest was onely proper to that season and not to us I further prove it by two contexts The first is out of the 16. Exod. 29. compared with the 27. where when the people went to gather Mannah contrary to Gods commandements Moses rebuked them saying Behold how the Lord hath given you the Sabbath therefore hee giveth you bread for two dayes tarry therefore every man in his place let no man goe out of his place to wit to gather Mannah on the seaventh day where wee see the reason of that extraordinary rest was because of Gods extraordinary provision * See Tunius his reason in his comment upon the 26 verse of this chap. so that when the one ceased the other which depended on it ceased also The second place is Numb â—5 32. where it is said that whilest the children of Israel were in the wildernes they found a man that gathered stickes upon the Sabbath-day marke the phrase whilest they were in the wildernes how it seemes to restraine that strict kind of rest to that place and that time for many worse breaches were made after they were out of the wildernes and yet noe such punishment inflicted Besides it is a rule that every morall duty may bee performed of all men but under the North-Pole they cannot bee one day without fire and they neare the equinoctiall cannot keepe their meate for heate therefore this cannot take place among them and so not generall to all nor perpetuall to bee observed for ever Whereas some interpret that Law of the Israelites not kindling fires to bee meant in relation to the building of the Tabernacle which though in it selfe it bee true that being one end happily of that inhibition yet it is not the onely meaning of that Law for they were not to bake nor seeth their food on that day as appeares Exod. 16. 23. as also by the example of the man that was stoned for gathering stickes on the Sabbath-day which it is propable was not for the Tabernacles use but to bake seeth or warme some food neither was it lawfull for them to kindâ—â— fires after the Tabernacle was finished during their abode in the wildernes But there are others that interpret those words of Exod. 16. 23. Bake 〈◊〉 yee will bake to day and seeth that yee will 〈◊〉 in this manner that is say they bake and boyle according as you use to doe
captive and therfore if they did it not at all or if but a few of them were disposed after this manner to keepe the Sabbath before the Captivity the greater was their Sinne and the more they deserved to be punished of God as they were and the lesse to be regarded of us who ought to be followers of men and esteemers of men as they are followers of God Hereunto I will annexe and abstract of Mr. Hildershams upon this point of sanctifying the Sabbath hanled in his Lectures upon 51. Psal. Lect. 135. Hildersham which though long yet not tedious to a Godly reader because profitable It is sayth he a singular good thing to be strict in the observation of the Sabbath and such a thing as God is highly pleased with and hath beene wont to reward wheresoever he finds it To keepe a bodily rest upon that Day from all our owne workes is but one particuler that is required of us in the observation of the Sabbath nay that is as I may say but the outside of the Commandement and concerneth only the outward man the outward and bodily observation of it Of the fourth Commandement as well as of the rest that may be truly said which the Apostle speakes Rom. 7. 14 of the whole Law Wee know saith hee that the Law is spirituall The spirituall observation of it by the inward man when wee call the Sabbath a delight the Holy of the Lord honourable as the Prophet speaketh Isaiah 58. 13. That is when wee can joy in that Day as in the Lords own Holy Day and esteeme it in our Hearts a farre greater and more honourable Day then any other Day keeping the rest and performing the Duties of the Day cheerefully reverently conscionably spiritually This spirituall observation of it I say by the inward man is the chiefe thing that God requireth of us in the fourth Commandement the outward and bodily observation of it which may be performed by a man that hath no truth of Grace in him at all is nothing in Gods account in comparison of this And yet of this bodily observation of the Sabbath by the outward man the resting from our owne workes is but the least part The exercising of our selves upon that Day in doing of the Lords worke and spending of it in such holy duties both publicke and private as may breed and increase grace and sanctification in us is a greater matter and more pleasing to God a great deale then that is No man may thinke he hath kept the Sabbath well because he resteth from all his Labours of his calling upon that Day So farre forth the brute beast thy Oxe and thy Horse keepeth the Sabbath as well as thou For so is the expresse Commandement Deut. 5. 14. Neither thine Oxe nor thine Asse nor any of thy Cattle shall do any worke upon that Day Of thee that art a man and a Christian man God requireth more then so he will have thee not only to rest from thine owne Labours but to spend the Day so farre as thy bodily necessities will permit in such religious duties as may make thee a more holy and a better man The Hebrew word Sabbat from whence the Sabbath Day receiveth his name signifieth not such a rest as wherein one sitteth still and doth nothing as the word Noach doth but only a resting ceasing from that which he did before So God is said Gen. 2. 2. to have rested the seaventh Day not that he rested from all workes for my Father worketh hitherto and I worke saith our Saviour Iohn 5. 17. but because he rested from all the workes that he had made as Moses saith there As if he had said he rested from Creating any thing more And so wee likewise are expresly commanded to rest upon the Sabbath not from all workes but from such workes as wee did and might do upon the sixe Dayes God never allowed us any Day to spend in Idlenes and doing of nothing especially not that Day But he hath appointed us workes and duties for that Day which hee would have us as carefully to goe about them as wee are upon other Dayes to goe about the workes of our calling and when wee are at them to performe them with every whit as much diligence and care to doe them well as wee doe any worke wee take in hand upon the sixe Dayes Let no man say what would you have us to doe if we doe no busines upon the Sabbath Day would you have us spend the time in sleeping or talking or sitting at our doores or walking abroad How will you have us passe the time for the whole Day To such I answer Thou hast so much worke to doe as if thou wert as thou shouldest bee thou wouldest complaine that thou wantest time to doe it And yet this worke that God hath injoyned us to spend this Day in hath such interchange and variety in it as no good heart hath cause with these carnall professors Mat. 1. 13. to snuffe at it and to cry behold what a wearines it is how tedious and toylesome a thing it is to keepe the Sabbath as these men would have us to doe But the true Christian findeth just cause to call the Sabbath a delight as the Prophet Isaiah speakes 58. 13. for all this worke and labour that God hath injoyned us in it Wee have publicke duties to performe on that Day in Gods House And both the family duties and secret duties which wee are bound to performe every Day by the equity of that Law Numb 18 9. 10. to be doubled upon the Sabbath Day that wee might the better attend upon the profit by these holy workes these duties of Piety and Religion which are the proper workes of that Day For that is the chiefe end that the Sabbath was ordained for Remember the Sabbath Day to keepe it holy saith the Lord in the fourth Commandement Keepe the Sabbath Day to sanctifie it I gave them my Sabbaths saith the Lord Ez 20 12. to be a signe betwixt mee and them that they may know that I am the Lord that sanctify them As if he had said He remembreth not nor keepeth the Sabbath he regardeth it not nor careth for it how strict soever he be in resting from his owne labours that keepeth it not holy that spendeth it not in such religious duties as wherein he may know and feele by experience that it is the Lord who by his Ordinances doth sanctifie him who both doth begin and increase grace in the Soule c. And pag. 704. saith he and if it so well please God to see men rest from their owne workes on that Day which yet as I told you is but the least thing that belongeth to the right observation of it you may bee sure he is much more pleased to see men spend that Day in doing of his worke in exercising themselves in those duties of Piety and Mercy which hee hath appointed to be done upon that
we are apter to forget instructions then inclinations 2. Because this more restraineth the naturall liberty then all the rest they restraining only sinfull things this lawfull things yea our very words and thoughts about them 3. Because of the multitude of our sixe daies businesses which had need bee remembred to bee seasonably finisht else they will breed distractions 4. Because the Devill prompts us to forget it so to quench the Memory of the Creation and the Creator and so to bring in the Eternity of the World as he did amongst the Heathen and there with Athisme to prevent which wee are bid to remember to keepe this Commandement as a meanes to preserve the memory of God and to keepe a foote his worship 2. Because it is of most weight to bee remembred and that for three reasons 1. Is taken from the dependancy of the observation of all the rest of the Commandements on this for in keeping of the Sabbath the Lord is wont to sanctifie his People to the keeping of all the rest of the Commandements so that keeping this wee keepe all and neglecting this wee neglect all hence God saith Exod 31. 3. Verily my Sabbaths you shall keepe for it is a signe betweene mee and you throughout all your Generations that you may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctifie you moreover saith God Exod 20. 12. I gave them my Sabbaths to bee a signe betweene mee and them that they might know that I am the Lord that doth sanctifie them Looke all the conversion of sinners and you shall see where one hath beene converted on the Weeke Daies 7 have beene on the Sabbath 7 to one nay 10 to one if not a 100 to one God doth delight most to dispence his grace on that Day so that keepe that Day and you keepe an oportunity where God doth bestow his graces on the Sonnes of men but neglect it and you neglect an oportunity of getting grace of God Heathen Princes are wont on their coronation Day to shew themselves to their People in all their rioalty and cast about Silver and Gold so doth God sometimes in these his solemne Daies shew himselfe to be present with us in holy duties he scatters abroad his holy graces and delights so to do wee are not to appoint God the time when to come downe and speake to his People but they must waite the time he hath appointed now God doth delight to sanctifie Men on this Day of all the rest therefore the text saith He blessed it and hallowed it that is he did blesse it to be a meanes to sanctifie it to his People for else the Sunne shines no hotter on this Day then any other but that God hath blessed it as he blessed the bread to make us blessed to observe it therefore is a means to bring ablessing on our Family Towne Kingdome where wee live take many Men that are dejected for Sinne and 〈◊〉 tell you one of the first and chiefe in their neglect of the Sabbath though it be not written in their Hearts by nature On this Day God drawes nigh to his People and they to him by whom he will be found sooner on this Day then any of the rest and if wee get grace any Day its a thousand to one it is on this Day or else something added to it Esa 36. 4. The way to lay hold of the Covenant is to keepe the Sabbath there is some hope of a Mans salvation when he makes conâ—cience of keeping the Sabbath If thou turne away thy feete c. and consecrate it as glorious c. thou shalt delight thy selfe in the Lord saith Esay implying that a man that hath no delight in keeping of the Sabbath hath no delight nor pleasure in God but the way to get pleasure in God is to keepe the Sabbath 2. Reason why this cómandement is of most weight to be remembred is taken from the efficacy of it in it wee are made most spirituall and heavenly minded it frames our spirits to be fit for every good busines by keeping the Sabbath wee are kept from idle thoughts and by this meanes are moulded up into a Heavenly frame wee are not even of this World there is nothing of it doth hang about us There remaines a Rest to the People Heb 4 9. implying that the Saints in Heaven keepe a Sabbath rest meditating divine things learning from Christ Singing praises and are in a spirituall manner wrapt up in all spirituall busines and minding Heavenly things And wee by keeping it are wrapt up from all incumbrances otherwaies lawfull but now not fitting our spirits 3. Reason is taken from the memory of those things are kept in memory by it for by keeping in mind the Sabbath wee keepe in mind Gods chiefest benefits to us as our Creation and our Redemption by its translation from the seaventh to the eight Day and Ezech 20. 12. that it is a signe that God doth sanctifie us implying thus much that whereas there are three Persons who shew themselves in three Works tending to our Salvation This Sabbath is sanctified to us to put us in remembrance of them and their works as of the Father that Created us of Christ that Redeemed us of the Holy Ghost that Sanctifies us Thus are our chiefest blessings remembred by our keeping of this fourth Commandement and therefore it is of most weight to be remembred The legall Sabbath as you call it and which you speake of in your sixth end was more then to put them in mind of the spirituall Sabbath for it was the properst meanes of bringing it about to cause them actually to keepe a spirituall Sabbath for when as they were not to do any of their owne works nor to thinke any of their owne thoughts what could they construe hence but that they were to doe Gods and thinke Gods * Like as the Apostle collects Heb 11. 14. from our Fathers saying they were strangers and Pilgrims on the Earth that they that say such things declare plainly that they seeke a Countrey And therefore doth not that 58. Isaiah 13. intend only the negative part for so God should allow of Idlenes and take away the nature of the mind which is ever to be in motion but also the spirituall part which also is expressed there but if it had not it being delivered in the Negative they both ought and might thence have deduced the Affirmative and better part like as was done to them in their Typicall ordinances wherein the shell was to be cracked before they could find the kernell * It was Gods ordâ—nary way of delivery in those times like a skilfull Logitian that only mentioneth the Major and the Minor of a Syllogisme and leaveth the Conclusion to be gathered as a thing so easy because so necessary as none but Fooles and Dunces can be ignorant of and thus doth Christ deale with us also under the Gospell he giveth generall Rules for us thence to deduce
I meane not such a speciality as Master Brâ—â—râ—wood doth which belonged to the Sabbath or to this generall commandement is rather ended which did consist of those occasionall interventions of Mannah kindling fires and double sacrifices and if you will of the foresaid sanction of the very rest it selfe which as I have said being significative happily had in their times an holines belonging to it which did peculiarly belong unto the Iewes and which were no parts of the substance of this commandement which in that respect is as well common to us as to them the reason annexed being of like and equall force to all from the creation For the annexing of extrinsecall and adventitious circumstances doth not any whit harme the nature and morality of the Sabbath no more then Pauls circumcising of Timothy which in respect of the season was needfull did annull or doe injury to baptisme nor then a signe of an Inne or shoppe being pulled downe annulles or impaires an house So that their rest is common to us but in a riper sense for the grouth and stature of our times so much overtopping theirs the Lord lookes that wee should answer his expectation as well as obey his commandement in sanctifying a more excellent and Evangelicall Sabbath to him then ever they were able to doe The Church of the new Testament saith Master Perkins hath more knowledge and more grace then the people of the old Testament had and in that regard ought to have more zeale and greater alacrity in the worship of God then they had that it may exceed the Iewes according to the measure of grace * Greater mercies require greater and better duties received The Arguments of love being not so forcible to prompt obedience in the time of the Iewes as in ours they being under the old covenant and the Spirit not so stirring then as now the obedience was rather performed to the commandement then to the commander For God in their time passed under the name of a Lord implying them to bee servants and their obedience to bee serviceable obedience but now in our times hee passeth under the name of a Father implying us to bee sons and our obedience to bee filiall and spirituall And yet as spirituall obedience was even then due to God and expected by him though not with that eminency of expectation as of us So the types and Sacramentall umbrages which now are of use to us being performed in conscience to Gods commandement have their holines suteable and respective to our times but not in that degree not in that kind of positive and intrinsecall holines as in the times of the Iewish nonage Like as in the spring time while the sappe is weake and but comming all that wee expect from trees is flowers but when a riper seasoninsueth then wee looke for riper fruit so that then the prime and beauty of these flowers ceaseth though their vertue remaine And by the punishment that God so severely annexed to the not performing the rites of the two Sacraments wee may see the extraordinary nature of things of that kind then in the time of their Pedagogie for he that was uncircumcised and that eate leavened bread in the passeover was to be cut off And therefore did God intend their rest as may well bee gathered to bee a positive part of their sanctification because of the typicall use thereof which yet hee doth not doe to us and yet hee accounts our not resting a prophanation of the Sabbath and all imployments which hinder his worship and conduce not to the sanctifying of that day to bee sinnes Like as Christ who whilest hee was upon the earth accepted small things at his Apostles hands but after hee was ascended and had given gifts unto men hee looked for other services or as a Pater-familias that having a boy and a man to waite at his table the boy if hee can fill a cup of beere and shift a trencher by reason of his non-age hee is willing to take it as a good part of his service but to his man hee gives better wages and therefore expects better service at his hands hee lookes that hee should bee able to furnish and disfurnish the table with grace to his Master and yet not to neglect those lesser things Or which better expresseth my meaning as of children wee require a bodily service in saying their prayers and graces and catechisme and though they have little or no understanding and sense of that they say yet wee take it in good part till they attaine to more knowledge and ripenes of yeares and then wee looke for sutable performance thereto Even so the Lord hee expects from us an high degree of sanctifying his Sabbath even a ravishment of Spirit which service wee can never performe if wee doe not rest A Christian and Evangelicall use therefore of this Sabbaticall rest is still in force to us though the Iewish sanction may bee determined for their precise resting was with respect to the formall holines in the rest but wee are to rest with respect to its finall holines of furthering Gods more substantiall worship and the spiritualizing our owne mindes by it and thus doth the whole commandement for substance and use remaine to us the difference being onely in some occasionall circumstances * Like as one in answer to an Antiâ—oniâ—n that objects because the Tables of stone wherein the Morall Law was written were removed with the Tabernacle other like adjuncts therefore the Mosaicâ—l Law is â—â—erly abolished saith Must it needs follow that because the Tables of stone wherein the Law was written bee abolished that therefore the Lawâ— it selfe is utterly abolished together with them were the Tables of stone so essentiall to the Morall Law that it had neitheâ— birth before them nor being after them wee know that the putting them into the Arke was typicall though the Law it selfe was â—orall â—o that so â—aâ—re as these Tables of the Covenant had any thing ceremoniall in them or any thing concerning other circumstances or persons time place terrour rigor and the like being peculiar to the Church of the Jewes in thaâ— estate of the Mosâ—â—cal Pedagogy so farre I say they are removed with the 〈◊〉 Buâ— the morall Law contained in the 10. commandements could not bee ceremoniall for then should the morall and ceremoniall have beene confounded whereas even by their writtings in tables of stone and by the finger of God they were distinguished neither was there then any thing for the substance of it nor is now as now it stands upon record in the booke of God but it doth concerne us as well as them and therefore though the Tables of stone bee removed the morall Law is yet continued and hath except is excipiendis his properuse and force still as 1. Because the Sabbaths rest was significative from the beginning it might in their times as I have said carry with it a typicall or externall holines as their
the Lords-day more licentiously and so to dishonour God the more when thou hast more cause to honour and praise his holy name If thou dost know assuredly that the Son hath not yet made thee free for none dare wilfully abuse our liberty purchased by Christ unlesse themselves doe still continue the very bond slaves of sinne and Sathan Answer Your admiration is worthy commendation for it is the part of every honest man to preserve the practise of piety and especially in this point of the Sabbath in the which God so often in Scripture involueth the summe of all Religion and indeed it is Gods and the Churches ancient Land-marke which being removed opens a gappe to all licentiousnes and that being once let in which is so much thirsted after by the ignorant and common people then farewell all Religion For as Doctor Denison notes upon the 13. Neh. 2. That where the Sabbath is not sanctified there is neither sound Religion nor a Christian conversation to bee expected as hee is quoted by Edward Chetwin D. D. and Deane of Bristow in his second Edition of the straight gate and narrow way to life Pag. 90. Who himselfe saith in the same page that the prophaning the holy Sabbath of God for so hee termes it is contrary to Gods morall precept still in power And therefore if you have Faith I wish you would have taken Saint Pauls advice and have had it to your selfe in this point For how you will preserve the duties of the Sabbath * Read Master Richard Bifields 13. chap. against Master Breerewoods like protestation and yet with the same breath cry downe the authority of the Sabbath and how you will maintaine solemne worship without solemne time which God ever allotted to that end I see not nor you know not And therefore what you weakely endeavour to build up with one hand you powerfully pull downe with the other for an errour in Doctrine especially tending to libertinisme is likelier to take place among men where alwayes the greater part is the worse then a bare perswasion tending to restriction It is as if a man should let slip a Grayhound at an Hare and then command him to ly downe at his foote And therefore you might have done well like a good Physitian first to have applied that receit how that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lumpe upon your selfe before you had prescribed it unto others But to prevent the spreading of this poisonous leaven I am desirous to give you a timely opposition by contending for the truth Broad CHAP. I. 1. What day God sanctified in the beginning GOd having finished the creation in sixe dayes rested on the seaventh day and was refreshed Gen. 2. Exod. 31. whereupon hee blessed the seaventh day and sanctified it The day which God sanctified in the beginning was the seaventh and no other even as the day wherein hee commanded the Israelites to kill the passeover was the fourteenth day and no other of the first month the one is as expressely set downe as the other and the reasons wherefore God sanctified the seaventh day The reason of the Sabbaths institution vanished as a shadow with the shadow and commanded the Israelites to kill the passeover on the fourteenth day of the first month are alike unchangeable For as it cannot bee that the Angell should passe over the Israelites houses on any other day of the fourteenth so neither can it bee that God should rest on any other day Answer It is no doubt but the seaventh day was the day that God onely rested on and sanctified to a different use from the rest of the dayes for having imployed these in creating things necessary for mans corporall good hee designes him this day for his spirituall benefit and his owne speciall glory whereas it is alleadged by some Bishop White pag. 42. Doctor Heylyn pag. 10. That God imposed no other Law on Adam then that of the forbidden fruit of the tree of knowledge To this I answer 1. That there was another Law imposed upon him even in innocency as appeares Gen. 2. 24. to wit the Law of having but one wife and loving her 2. That this Law of the Sabbath was a Law not of the nature of the other where on his estate depended but a Law of indulgence whereto hee both should and would readily have confented because of the blessing and benefit which should have redounded to him thereby had hee continued in in innocency and not lost himselfe and it before And questionlesse there was no other reason why hee that could have made all the World in a moment should yet contrive and spin out the worke of creation into sixe dayes space but onely to this end that hee might give an example to mankind which was then in Adam for ever to set a part the seaventh day to his more speciall and solemne worship And the reason of Gods resting from the creation why it is annexed as a reason of the commandement is because at that time there was no better thing nor greater commodity no nor any greater worke for God to rest from or thing wherein God was more seene then in the creation And therefore was the Sabbath appointed on that day having the honour to conclude the creation in memory of Gods goodnes to man and upon occasion of his refreshment therein till a greater good should befall him and a worke wherein God should bee more glorified and then that reason to bee subordinated not annulled because the creation still remaineth as a lesse good even unto us under the Gospell but as the Law is to the Gospell or the old Testament to the new or as the Prophets were to the Apostles and Ministers not in the sense as the ceremonies were to Christ to receive an absolute expiration the one by the other for it was of no such shadowish nature and yet not so unchangeable but that it is as well subject to subordination upon occasion as the Iewes deliverance out of Egypt was to their after deliverance out of Babylon For man was more happy and God as I may say more refreshed in ceasing from the worke of our redemption then of our creation And therefore is Anno Mundi worthily changed into Anno Domini And the name of the Sabbath into the Lords-day For denominatio omnis fit a majori And for this cause although in relation to our redemption wee celebrate the first day of the weeke for order yet it is the creation that makes this first day to bee the seaventh in number and good reason For seeing God in the creation divided time into the revolution of seaven how can or dare any that knowes the creation breake the order of time by God established and thinke of another division as of 6. or 8. c. seeing from the beginning it was not so especially seeing it was purposely done of God for the Sabbaths sake who els could have finished the creation in the twinckling
of an eye which solemne contrivement sure was not to create a Iewish abrogative type and therefore is accordingly observed under the Gospell onely mutatis mutandis But to come to that which you would inferre which is that onely the last day of the seaven is to bee kept Sabbath I answer First that in respect of the point of time I thinke I need not bee large to prove the variation of it For I thinke it will be granted upon this one instance 10. Ios. 13. how that the Sabbath was not alwayes observed answerable to the first institution in respect of the point of time for that by the Suns standing still the weeke was lengthened beyond its due proportion Doctor Heylin pag. 48. alleadgeth that a man travailing the World Westward may lose a whole day now what shall that man doe at his returne saith hee if to sanctify one day in seaven bee morall I answer first Let him tell mee what a Iew should have done in that case when the Sabbath was confessedly obligatory and so should that man doe now Secondly I answer that though things that are morall by nature because they bind alwayes and in all places alike are ever the same Yet things that are morall onely by Discipline admit variety through exigency of time and occasion Thus it was lawfull for Adams immediate posterity to conjugate with their consanguinity which now the exigency of those times being over is utterly unlawfull by disciplinary morality Nay nature her selfe being disciplined from the alteration of time and variety of choyce now abhorres it as utterly undecent so the man that having in his lawfull calling of merchandizing lost a day and had during his travell in his particuler practise rent from the Church in her computation of time without a schisme being lawfully necessitated thereunto by the course of nature may as lawfully at his returne reduce himselfe againe unto the conformity and practise of the Church to avoid a wilfull rent and disorder like as they that were in a journey were to keepe the Passeover on a different time by themselves from the Church of the Iewes but at their returne they were to returne to the Churches observation Secondly but in regard of the order which I thinke you labour to maintaine to wit that the Sabbath ought to bee the last and not the first day of the weeke or else not to bee at all To that I answer that some reasons and circumstances even in the morall Law are occasionall and so changeable and yet the substance of the commandement is perpetuall and immutable * And as one well observes Diverse positive lawes which are morall perpetuall and bind all men in their generations though they bee firme and immutable in themselves and in their obligation yet because the duties of obedience which they impose upon men and the men upon whom the duties are imposed are in their state and condition mutable and changeable and the changes and alterations of things commanded in times places and other relations and respects doe not at all change the Law nor prove it ceremoniall and changeable As for instance the Law of beleeving in Christ is firme and unchangeable from the first promise that was made of him and yet the duty which hee requires is changeable and is changed now under the Gospell from that it was under the Law in circumstance for they were to beleeve in Christ to come but we as come for the changing of the day now since Christ does not make vâ—id but establish the Law of the Sabbath As in the first commandement where Israels corporeall deliverance is now changed into Israels ghostly deliverance So in the fifth commandement the land of Canaan is properly the land meant which had that promise belonging to it But now it is enlarged to all that in the feare of God obey that commandement throughout the World So this commandement had the reason of Gods resting from the creation occasionally affixed unto it because that then the creation was Gods greatest and eminentest worke and being occasionall and appointed for commemoration was therefore changeable whensoever he should rest from a greater worke that better deserved commemoration then that And yet the substance of the commandement remaineth unalterable which substance or unalterable part of the commandement consisteth in the number as seaven is opposed to all othâ—r numbers and not in the order But may some say Obj. those allegations out of the first and fift commandements hold not paralel with this reason of the fourth commandement because they were onely given in the time of the Iewes but this was from the beginning I answer both the one and the other was given for the Churches sake Answ. and therefore alterable according to Gods good pleasure and the state of the Church But you will further object When doe you find any thing altered that was as this is from the beginning I answer I find the curse which was annexed to the fall of man to bee taken away and brought under by the death and resurrection of Christ And well then may the reason of the then Sabbath bee altered by it when the curse is annulled it being the Churches type or ceremony and that thing changed wherein the ceremony consisted to wit the order from last to first according to the different state of the Church Like as it may bee supposed of the Iewes when they came to bee a sedentary Church they altered their gesture from standing to sitting but still retained the Passeover So wee still retaine the substance of the fourth commandement though wee have altered the ceremony which was grounded upon Gods example And now God having given us another example of another rest upon another day wee imitate his example and still keepe his commandement by observing the number but altering the order For indeed as by Gods ordination and disposition the Law and Sabbath goe together so they fare alike for the Law was to continue in the nature of a covenant till Christ came and so the Sabbath on the last day who bâ— fulfilling the righteousnes of the one did inherite the rest of the other being annexed thereunto and entailed thereupon whereof man failed by his fall and thereupon changed the natures of both subordinating the Law to the Gospell making it in stead of a cause procuring life to bee a rule and an effect of life and grace received and so the last day Sabbath to the first changing rest by workes into working by rest A happy change if wee make not our selves unhappy by allowing a rest to the Law but none to the Gospell for whereas before wee held by a tenure of feare our happines being all in the future for wee were all our life long to doe this and then to live now wee hold by the tenure of faith and our happines is in present for saith the Apostle Hebr. 4. 3. wee which have beleeved doe enter into rest according to
Israel gathered unto him So that I say the duty of the Sabbath followed as a Law together with the Law for us alwayes to observe and that the signification of it went before to signifie that our claime to this heavenly Sabbatisme is now onely by Christ. And thus you may see how you have laid your foundation upon a false ground or principle by mistaking the Sabbaths signification and in what manner it referreth to Christ. And thus by consequence your whole building falleth to the ground although it bee granted that the Sabbath is both typicall and rebus sic stantibus hath relation to Christ also Broad What God requireth on the Sabbath THe duties which God required of the people of Israel Hee required another of the Priests namely to offer two Lambs Num. 28. but this I will not stand upon on the Sabbath were two especially I. To rest from worke By servile the Scripture meaneth all worke except that is bestowed about things to eate Lev. 23. 7. 8. compared with Exod. 12. 16. that is to forbeare the doing of every thing which is commonly so called and accounted as the killing â—of beastes kindling of fires going to plow travailing c. on the first and last dayes of the feast of Passeover and some other holydayes onely servile worke is prohibited Levit. 23. 7. 8. 21. c. Num. 28. 18. 25. so that they might provide things to eate Consider that the Sabbath was ordained for a memoriall of Gods resting whereas the holy-dayes were instituted upon other occasions Exod. 12. 16. No manner of worke must bee done in them save that which every one must eate that onely may bee done of you But now on the Sabbath-day they might not doe so much For Gâ—d never that I find mentioning the word servile both in the commandement and other places saith in it Thou shalt not doe any worke They might not bake nor seeth their Mannah Exod. 16. 23. though on the other Holy-dayes they might both gather and dresse it yet they might not so much as dresse it on the Sabbath They were forbidden to kindle a fire which when a man belike would have done Exod. 35. 5. and therefore gathered stickes hee was put to death and bee it as some say though without any ground that the manner of doing did aggravate the offence yet sure I am that it did not make that an offence which had other-wayes beene none they might not then ordinarily picke up a few stickes II. A second speciall duty which God required oâ— the Sabbath was to have an holy convocation for it was not enough to worship God privately they must goe to the assemblies and praise him in the congregation To worship God privately was every dayes duty as likewise to doe works of charity for the Iew as wee was bound by the Law of nature to fulfill the nine morall commandements to the utmost of their power every day though indeed hee might performe the duties of piety and charity in greatèr measure and therefore was bound so to doe on the Sabbath as having then more opportunity idlenes being unlawfull at all times Answer By the first of these duties you seeme to mee to insinuate a Dilemma intimating by it that either the Sabbath is meerely Iewish or else that in all respects both of the duty and strictnes of rest it belongeth to us as to them Which strictnes you prove by comparing it with the other Sabbaths which had onely servile worke forbidden in them The proofe I graunt and the thing â—roved But that the Sabbath is therefore onely Iewish or that wee are bound so to observe it I deny upon these grounds 1. I deny that therefore the Sabbath is onely Iewish 1. Because that though this strict rest was typicall yet not properly Iewish because not of the same nature with Iewish types For that those which were properly types in a Iewish sence had relation to Christs and the constitution of his Church as considered properly and primarily upon Earth in its militant being in the time of grace during Christs regiment * For though Aarons bearing the names of the Tribes on his shoulders and breast signified Christ doing the same for his elect in Heaven yet it is his elect still on Earth not for his elect when they shall bee triumphant in Heaven sic de caeteris but the signification typified in this rest was of a different nature for propetly it signified the Church triumphant in Heaven it selfe which typicall difference may easily appeare onely by comparing this Sabbath with the other Sabbaths as shall bee seene anon And secondly because that this strict rest was no part of the substance of the Sabbath but onely an occasionall circumstance proper for the season of their prerâ—grination For so sooone as Mannah failed that strict rest failed so that you never after knew them condemned for providing their necessary food on the Sabbath-day although you find them often complained on for other breaches 2. And although that thus I deny this strict rest to be properly Iewish yet I deny it not to bee proper onely to the Iewes but affirme it both in respect of the duty * I meane here by duty sanction or positive holines else to rest is our duty as well as theirs of this rest as also in respect of the precisenes of it 1. For the duty of this rest I say that that was proper to the Iewes and not to us now Because that types in the time of their Discipline * Which was the time that the letter bare sway and comparatively not the Spirit carried with them a positive holines being for its continuance ordinances and not accidents But now that externall religion which consisted in types is properly no part of our worship although the thing it selfe in this particuler being a perpetuall type remaineth in the use and signification of it but as I say not in its temporary holines or occasionall precisenes for the Kingdome of Heaven now consists in righteousnes peace and joy in the holy Ghost and not in typicall sanctions For wee must understand that the Sabbath in it selfe considered without accidents was of a perpetuall typicall meaning intending the absolute rest that should bee to the Church of God in Heaven as is notoriously evident in the fourth of Hebr. by comparing the 4. verse with the 9. and 10. For which cause it may well bee conceived to bee holy even with an externall holines as other types were in the minority of those typicall times in respect of the bare rest therein commanded which yet in that sense is no part of our sanctification for our sanctification in respect of this rest properly consisteth in the signification thereof spiritualized in our hearts and in the privative sense thereof because our resting from worldly affaires is a necessary privative meanes to our sanctifying the Sabbath Like as in the Antitype our rest in Heaven
it selfe from Worldly works will bee then no part of our positive happines but onely a privative helpe to our absolute glorifying God there as it is to our better sanctifying of the Sabbath here And yet for all this as I have said before not to rest on that day but to imploy our selves worldlily in inward or outward works of mind or body in thought word or deed â—ill prove our sinne * To prove that the Lords day is to bee observed with the like strictnes of us as the ancient Sabbath was among the Iewes a neighbour Minister brings this argument If saith hee the reasons of the command of strict rest to the Iewes on the Sabbath belong as well to us as to them Then the command it selfe belongs as well to us as to them But the reasons rendered in the 4. commandement in the 58. of Isa. 13. Because it is the Sabbath of the Lord and because it is the Lords Holy-day and other reasons also as because carnall works anâ— imployments are impediments to the solemne and spirituall performance of Gods holy worship and service and againe all those duties which were commanded them as essentiall to a Sabbath such as were abstinence from carnall labours and pleasures which destroy the nature of a Sabbath which is 1. to rest 2. to rest a spirituall and holy rest to God These reasons saith hee belong as well to us as to them if any Sabbath or holy-day of the Lords remaineth to bee observed of us which there doth Revel 1. 10. Where by the way take notice it is called the Lords day and not the Lords time to answer an objection of some that say wee are not bound to keepe a whole day holy-day or Sabbath and therefore not to rest saving in the time of publicke assemblies besides wee find not any time in all the Scriptures set apart as holy-day to the Lord but a whole day was the space of time Therefore the commandement it selfe both in the negative part thereof not to follow labour not to follow pleasure and in the affirmative part to follow holy exercises is required of us Christians not onely by way of Analogy but as precise commands by just consequence For because hereby wee both falsifie our present duty which wee owe to the commandement which injoyneth it us as a significant privative meanes for sanctifying the Sabbath and also make void the usefull signification of the typicall sense which consisteth in our resting from all Worldly affaires that wee may the more fully devote our selves to things spirituall and heavenly such as are praising God meditating of the life and rest to come c. for of that nature shall bee our heavenly imployment Wee know the Israelites separation from the heathen did not make them the true Israel of God for they were made such onely by their faithfull and true serving of God and yet if they intermixed themselves with the heathen it was a prophanation and sin unto them So a cessation or separation of the Sabbath-day from Worldly imployments is no positive part of our sanctifying the Sabbath though it might bee in the time of the Iewes for that our sanctification consisteth in Spirit and truth not in the literall and outward performance of rest and yet must wee of necessity and duty cease that wee may sanctifie it For it is with the Lords-day as with all other things that if it bee sanctified to the end then it is sanctified to the meanes And as the Scripture saith a man cannot serve God and Mammon especially on this Day but wee should utterly forsake the one that wee may more compleatly cleave to the other By Mammon I meane as well our carnall pleasures all profits for on that day according to the Anti-type all should bee heavenly If ever wee did the will of God as it is done in heaven it should bee on that day And as Master Hildersham observes Lect. 51. Psalme pag. 710. Hildersham God hateth rioting on the Sabbath much more then hee doth working on the Sabbath as it is plaine by Isaiah 58. 13. where in one verse hee names and forbids twice the following of our pleasures as the chiefe prophanation of the Sabbath-day If thou turne away thy foote from the Sabbath from doing thy pleasure on mine holy-day and call the Sabbath a delight the holy of the Lord honourable and shalt honour him not doing thine owne wayes nor finding thine owne pleasure nor speaking thine owne words c. But Bishop White pag. 257. Obi. objects against Sunday Sabbatizers precepts as hee calleth them concerning the crying downe of carnall recreations and setting up spirituall duties to bee actually and without intermission continued the whole space of a naturall day which saith hee can bee no branch of the Law of Christ nor yet consentaneous thereunto for this reason Because the Law of Christ is sweet and easie Matth. 11. 30. and his commandements are not greevous 1. Ioh. 5. 3. I answer Ans. I never knew that this was to bee expounded after the flesh but after the Spirit By the same rule hee may cry downe all fasting all abstaining from beloved lusts and heavenly mindednes now under the Gospell and quite blot out the Apostles advice to use the things of this World as if wee used them not But may some say Obi. if rest bee no part of sanctifying the Sabbath how then are wee said to sanctifie it at night when wee goe to bed Not that your rest is any sanctification of it Answ. no more then your spirituall labour is a breach of it but because that in so doing thou dost an act of mercy to thy body when thou sleepest as well as when thou eatest at due times in a due measure And indeed thou oughtest to doe it with this or some such like consideration and not meerely sensually as an oxe or an asse for God should have speciall glory by every thing wee doe that day And whatsoever wee doe without a speciall and spirituall relation to God on that day that may properly bee called our worke and so our sin For though things necessary bee lawfull to bee done yet not as on the weeke day but with much more spiritualized affections and heavenly mindednes * To the same purpose speaks one that writ upon this subject saying men may not doe the lawfull works of their calling neither in providing meat drinke cloaths or other necessaâ—ies on the Lords-day with a bare respect of naturall good and worldly pâ—ofit because this is doing of his owne wayes and works and not the worke of God unto which Gods Holy-day it wholly consecrated and set apart So no bodily sports recreations and pleasures are to bee used meerely to cherish the flesh and refresh the body but only such as are in very deed needfull in themselves and used and intended by Gods people with this purpose and â—o this end that they may with more ability alacrity
blessing Thus using their Rest either swinishly or superstitiously as the Iewes did theirs * Ignatius ad Mag saith let us not Sabbatize after the Iewish manner as rejoycing in Idlenes for hee that doth not labour let him not eate sayth the Scripture but let every one of us keepe the Sabbath spiritually rejoycing in the meditation of the Law not in the ease of our bodies admiring the workemanship of God not eaâ—â—ng things of the Day before nor drinking things luke-warme nor walking measured paces nor rejoycing in Dancings and mad Shoutings and clapping of the Hands and Feete But such ought to know that Gods example in resting was not the summe of his commandement concerning the Sabbath nor the proper duty injoyned therein but only the occasion of his Commandement and a meanes appointed for the fulfilling of it as appeareth in the tenour of the fourth Commandement where it is said that because God rested the seaventh Day from the worke of Creation Therefore he blessed the seaventh Day and hallowed it What you say of the second Duty is true both in the letter and in your meaning as I conceive it except you meane that the sanctifying of the Sabbath consisteth only of the time of publicke Duties which I cannot beleeve you doe because you speake of private as well as publicke worship and againe because of your adjuration prefixed to your Treatise Herein you give an Answer to some of your Partizans as B. White pag. 140. c. and Dr. Heylin pag. 113. 114. who sayth that two things the Lord commanded concerning the keeping holy of the Sabbath The one in relation to the people which was to rest and the other in reference to the Priests which was to offer sacrifice but of any Sabbath duties which were to be performed betweene them joyntly saith he wee find not And againe saith he of any reading of the Law or exposition of the same unto the people or publike forme of prayers to be presented to the Lord in the Congregation wee find no footestep till Nehemiahs dayes after their returne out of the Babilonish captivity And againe though resting from workâ—â— were a thing commanded yet sayth he the imployment of this Rest to particuler purposes either of contemplation or devotion that is not declared unto us in the word of God but left at large to the liberty of the people So also Bishop White pag 144. saith That there should bee any publicke or solemne reading or expounding of the Law every Weekely Sabbath Day is not expresly required and commanded in the Pentateuch And againe he sayth Pag 146. After the captivity the Iewes frequented their Synagogues upon the Sabbath Dayes and Moses was read but saith he this was not commanded in the Decalogue or by any expresse sentence or Mandat of Moses Law Answer These Antisabbatarians discover a strange partiality for where as they jeere others for their too precisely calling for a Scriptum est for the proofe of every circumstance yet now when the point comes in issue for themselves they fly to the same way of argumentation Non invenimus non scriptum est * So Bishop White pag 41. cannot find the will of God in the 2. Gen touching the sanctiâ—ying the Sabbath but brings this as an argument to justify 3 Prâ—lepsis That there is no other meanes for us to know what the will and act of God was Gen 2. but only divine revelation and the holy Scripture neither makes mention of any Commandement of God given to Adam concerning his resting upon the Sabbath Day c. And againe pag. 43. There are no commanding or imperative words nor any sentence declaring or signifying a precept in Gen 2. And yet wee plainly find an example of God in that Gen 2. 23. 24. paralel to this of the Sabbath nay soÌ„ewhat short to passe for a Law and to have a binding inâ—erence inferred thereupon as I have more at large observed in the beginning of my Answer to M. Broads 7. chap. And yet in the practice of our Church there are some things for which not having expresse Scripture wee lawfully build them upon proper deductions as for Baptizing of Children we find in Scripture that the Apostles Baptized whole Families amongst which say wee it s most likely there were some Children But in this matter of the Sabbath no consequences must be allowed by our Antisabbatarians There must be nothing but a bare rest commanded by God to the People no private contemplation nor publicke devotion although as M. Broad sayth God required as a speciall Duty on the Sabbath to have an holy Convocation and so it is expresly called Levit. 23. 3. for it was not enough sayth he to worship God privately but they must goe to the Assemblies and praise him in the Congregation Idlenes being unlawfull at all times And indeed if God may be suffered to tell his owne meaning wee find it plaine enough what he meant which sure must be his command else the Iewes erred not in seeking salvation and life by the right cousnes of the Law though God meant it as a â—choolemaster to bring the unto Christ Isaâ—ah 58 13 where he sayth If thou turne away thy foote from the Sabbath from doing thy pleasure on my Holy Day and call the Sabbath a delight the Holy of the Lord honâ—rable and shalt honour him not doing thine owne waies nor finding thine owne pleasure nor speaking thine owne words then shalt thou delight thy selfe in the Lord c. which sheweth us the meaning of those words of the Commandement Remember that thou keepe holy the Sabbath Day and the end of that Rest which in the following words of the Commandement is enjoyned which as the other Commandements implyed more then is expressed And Bishop White saith pag. 146. That some other religious actions were intended by God as the end of the precept notwithstanding that no other but Rest was formally commanded If then religious actions were the end of Gods command surely then rest must be properly enjoyned as the subordinate meanes usefully and significantly conducing to fulfill that end And what a perversencs this sheweth in men to dispute upon Chimeraes and to frame acâ—y arguments of suppositionâ—s in matter of fact among the Iewes when Gods purpose which ought to give meaning to his Lawes and to sway our judgements is both knowne and acknowledged Which place of Isaiah Dr. Heylin pag 174 will have to signifie a spirituall Sabbath in abstaining from doing evill which in the Page foregoing he sayth was figured unto us in the fourth Commandement But it is apparant that the workes and pleasures there prohibited are so our owne as that wee have intimated a liberty to use them at another time which is our owne though not at this time which is so especially and extraordinarily Gods so as the imployment of that time ought to be Gods in like manner like as the workes mentioned in the fourth Commandement are such as may be done
on the sixe Dayes though not on the seventh but the imployments and pleasures of Sinne wee have no liberty to owne and use as ours And had he consulted Bishop Hall in locum he might have beene better informed of the true meaning of this text who thus sences it If thou shalt refraine thy foote from walking farre or servdely on the Sabbath and refraine thy selfe from doing thine owne workes or taking thine owne carnall pleasures on my holy day and shalt contrarily take delight in a conscionable sanctifying of that Day of the Lord as that which is by thee accounted a Day of consecration to the Lord and worthy of great reverence and honour c. Wherein he gives Bishop White the shocke Pag 232. who sayth That honest and moderate recreations were not forbidden either in the Law or in the Prophets in literall and expresse termes for no other will be allowed as also Pag 237 sayth he I find no formall or expresse prohibition either in the text of the fourth Commandement or in any other sentence of Moses Law simply restraining the Iewes and Israelites from the use of honest recreations upon their Weekly Sabbath Day Besides wee find the Levites were dispersed abroad throughout all the Tribes and so were many of the Priests among the People whose office it was to teach the Children of Israel the difference betweene cleane and uncleane things and all the Statutes which the Lord had spoken by the hand of Moses Levit. 10. 11. So that it was their office to teach the People whether with the booke of the Law or without it I will not dispute but as it was their office to teach so it was the Peoples duty to learne * Both which are implicd Esi 30. 20. in those words Yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more but thine eies shall see thy teachers which was the fittest to be performed on both parts on holy times appointed to that end by God for holy Convocations and accordingly we find the practices of the religious Shunamite to be who it seemes by her Husbands question was wont to make the new Moone and Sabbath Day the ordinary times of her repairing to the Prophet for the due celebration of them And though it fall out for her to be named alone yet it is like it was the practice of others also that feared God though perchance through corruption of manners among the Iewes there was no order taken for solemne meetings to repaire and meete together for the celebration of those times according as they could most conveniently accommodate themselves for that purpose And to mend the matter D. Heylin Pag 141 bringeth the authority of Gaudentius Brixianus and Cyrill against himselfe making them speake thus The Iewes sayth Gaudentius neglecting those spirituall Duties which God commanded on that Day abused the Sabbaths rest unto ease and Luxury For whereas sayth Cyrill they being free from temporall cares ought to have imployed that Day to spirituall uses and to have spent the same in modesty and temperance and in repetition and commemoration of Gods holy word they on the other side did the contrary wasting the Day in Gluttony and Drunkennes and idle delicacies Moreover by his Rule wee should thinke the Levites sanctifyed no Sabbath neither the Priests that were scattered among the People 1. Because wee find nothing thereof recorded 2. By this rule of separation of Priest and People they should indeed have nothing to doe towards it for they did not officiate in the duty of sacrificing nor were they Laicke People to whom rest was commanded Neither should wee beleeve that Prophecy of Simeon and Levi I will divide them in Iacob and scatter them in Israel to be performed as concerning Simeon because wee find not to our understandings how he was scattered as wee do of Levi. But it is enough for sober minds to know that now wee are ignorant of many things in circumstance that were cleare to them that lived in those times But sayth D. Heylin Pag 148. c. They had no Synagogues therefore they had no Congregations before Nehemiahs time To which I answer That Godwins * In his Moses and Aâ—ron pag 86. opinion is that they had Synagogues before even so soone as the Tribes were setled in the promised Land but that they were in Davids time saith he appeareth Psal 74. 8. where it is said That they burnt up all the Synagogues of God in the Land which D r. Heylin answers Pag 149. and saith This was but a Prophecy or prediction of David touching the future State of the Church under Antiochus To which I rejoyne That it is true that this is Prophetically spoken by David but it is likely that Dauid as other Prophets were wont to doe tooke his hint from things in present being to expresse future events and things by like as one saith of Similies Parables and Examples that have beene alledged by the wise to represent the truth that they have beene derived from the custome and nature of things according to the knowne truth in that Time an Place But put case they had no Congregations before the Captivity nor did not celebrate the Sabbath spiritually in holy imployments but carnally in meere Rest what doth this advantage D. Heylin and his party or damnify the Sabbath seeing that D. Heylin himself Pag 143. confesseth that the breach of the Weekly Sabbath was one cause of their Captivity and proves it also Neh 13. 18. who also he confesseth were a people so averse to the due observation of the Sabbath as that when God had brought them againe out of Captivity into the Land of Canaan and hereupon they had bound themselves by Covenant to a due observation of the Sabbath yet notwithstanding when Nehemiahs back was turned they brake promise with God Pag 145. an unfit People to make a president who also by his owne confession were as regardlesse of annuall Sabbaths and Sabbaths of yeares Pag 143. as of Weekely Sabbaths And againe seeing that after their returne from their Captivity the truly religious seeing these Sabbath-sinnes reformed them which is the time that wee are to take notice of them * As wee are in like manner to take notice and of those times and â—â—ges of the Church since Christ which being better setled and freed from Gentilisme and heresies gave best improvement to the Lords Day and not of those which either through distraction or ignorance give us not so faire a president for the better and not for the worse and then wee see all these imaginary arguments confuted by their practice for then when they saw their errour and had â—marted for it they turned over a new leafe then they made them plenty of Synagogues and holy convocations and the Law read and expounded and the Statutes of the Lord taught them accordingly as it was the Priests and Levites duty all which shewes what they should have done before they were led
morall part Answ. none ever did nor can do and consequently there is no morall part consider that to breake the fourth Commandement and to profane the Sabbath are the same and now that the Sabbath is profaned only by worke was shewed before * Chap. 3. those Lawes only are to bee tearmed Morall whereby the observation of Morall duties such as are Prayer Almes c. are prescribed as for Time and Place they are necessary circumstances about the performance of Morall duties and their Lawes are to be tearmed Circumstantiall M r. Iacob in his reply to some notes of mine above twenty yeares since acknowledged that the fourth Commandement was circumstantiall and not morall And I suppose that many other when they have a little considered the matter will easily acknowledge as much but yet as he so they will have it perpetuall neverthelesse wherefore I come to prove that the fourth Commandement is abrogated Answer In answer to your Argument I say that the fourth Commandement can be no more broken then the first second or third For as in the first other things may be loved but not unlawfully loved and as in the second Images may be made but not unlawfully made and in the third the Name of God may be used and taken but not abused and taken in vaine so in this fourth Commandement wee may do worke and â—et breake this no more then the other if so be not unlawfull worke but such as agreeth with the sence of the Lawgiver and may bee gathered by comparing places of Scripture which wee find to bee such as may promote Piety Mercy and Charity And therefore is that following Objection of moment For in all Lawes the meaning of the Lawgiver and sence of the Law it selfe is principally to be respected not the Letter for that thing may be contradictory to the Letter of the Law which yet is no breach of the meaning of the Law if so bee it bee agreeable to the rules of Right Reason and Piety * For it is supposed that all Lawes ought to bee such and if otherwayes then they cannot in a right sense be said to bind and so consequently not to bee broken As where wee are comanded not to Sweare at all you might well imagine what would follow thence if this doctrine of yours might take place that therefore to Sweare at all is to breake this Commandement and so in this fourth Commandement where wee are bid to doe no manner of Worke if you will cleave to the Letter you may soone find your errour to your cost But God giveth his Lawes and Commandements to reasonable Creatures who should therefore be able to judge of them according to the Rules of Truth and Reason A London Marchant chargeth his Apprentice upon a Shrovetuesday that all that Day he stirre not out of his House if so bee the Apprentice upon occasion goe into the backe Court you will not say hereupon he breaketh his Masters commandement That therefore which one affirmes of mens writings is true touching Lawes to wit that wee must seeke for the meaning by the matter as well as by the Letter and lend our Eares to listen and observe what they desire to speake and not make them speake only what w 're desire to heaâ—e unlesse wee will be like 〈◊〉 Children who having some fancy running in their Heads imagine the Bells to ring and sing as they thinke and speake See that where Christ sayth Math 12. 5. That the Priests profaned the Sabbath in the Temple and â—ere blamlesse it is spoken according to the Capacity and misprision of the superstitious Pharisees * See â— Ioh 15. 16. 18. the better to convince their errour 〈◊〉 that if they counted the actions which his Dâ—â—ples did in his service to be a breach of the Sabbath they must by the same Reason account the actions which the Priests did in the service of the Temple to be a breach of the Sabbath for he had more authority to use their service then the Temple had to use the service of the Priests but that they did not therefore nor ought they to thinke this a breach of the Sabbath for indeed such workes as tend to Mercy and Piety * I conclude workes of necessity within these termes of Piety and Mercy wherto I limit the works of the Sabbath because whatsoever works are done on that Day though they be workes of necessity as â—â—dering Beasts c. ought to bring forth some speciall glory to God by some Sabbaticall and holy use under one of these two heads and therefore doth Christ turne that Act of necessity when his Apostles for hunger sake rubbed the Eares of Corne into an act of Mercy saying I will have mercy and not sacrifice are so farre from breaking the Sabbath which commandeth an holy Rest as that they are the proper fulfillings of it even as to do the will of our Father in Heaven will be no impeachment to our Rest there And indeed the just intermission of Rest on the Sabbath is most improperly called a dispensation of the keeping of the Sabbath for in nothing ought Rest to bee intermitted on the Sabbath but in such things as tend more to the sanctifying of the Sabbath such were Christs Sabbath Day cures which he might else have suspended till the next Day for Rest being principally ordained to remove the impediments of the Sabbaths sanctifying ought of right to give way to its furtherances whereas the dispensing with a duty is to prejudice that for the advantage of some other But by the way take notice that from the Pharises reproving Christs Disciples in the beginning of this 〈◊〉 Math for rubbing the Eares of Corne on the Sabbath Day Obâ— it is objected by some that that Law given in the Wâ—â—dernes in the time of Mannah touching their not preparing their Food on the Sabbath Day was then of force and a foote in the opinion and practice of the Pharises else they would not have reproved the Disciples for so doing to which I answer That they did not reprove this action of Christs Disciples in reference to that Law Answ. or with any such opinion that it was of force or in respect of any such practice of their owne but as a worke and so a breach of Rest as M r. Broad rightly observes in his third chapter nay as a needlesse and cursory worke or action as may appeare 1. In that they themselves were not so ill instructed in the lawfulnes of workes of mercy and necessity seeing they led their Oxen to watering on the Sabbath Day that they would have found fault with it had they conceived it to have beene a worke of necessity 2. In Christs excuse or justification of them from the necessity of what they did implying first that it was not needles and superfluous as they by their Pharisaicall carping and misprision conceived but necessary and secondly that it was not unlawfull because not needlesse
in stead of joy in the holy Ghost bringing indeed meat to their nests but through hast or lazines eating none themselves or like Taylors make cloathes for other men to weare so they never assaying their owne points how they fit or may fit their owne Spirits but thinke it is their duties to teach and other mens duties to doe And let mee also admonish the People that they take not scandall or offence by carping or misprision at the Ministers absence in time of publicke prayer as the Pharises did here at Christs Disciples but rather judge them necessitated to it But it will bee said Obj. that it is beyond flesh and blood thus to spend a whole day in heavenly mindednes It is indeed hard to flesh and blood Answ. but where the Spirit is there is liberty A Gentleman that handles a flale for novelty sake thinks it an hard thing to thresh an houre together but the Country Husbandman that is called to it and by frequent use hath made it another nature to him thinks it no hard thing to thresh a whole day together So flesh and blood wanting the skill to handle spirituall tooles and feeding on spirituall things with a forced and not a naturall palate digesting divine truths but as other truths of other arts onely into a notionall meditation to improve his understanding or outward practice a little to such a man it must needs bee hard But hee that is begotten of God and hath a new nature put into him hee is skilled in the way of the Lord and findeth such sweetnes in digesting divine truths into his Spirit and in renewing and maintaining his spirituall acquaintance with God in giving and receiving and in the variety of Gods spirituall ordinances as that it is not hard to him for when flesh and blood knowes it shall have no liberty it will looke for none and then the Spirit easily beareth rule I wish by the way that such men as talke of keeping every day Sabbath to cry downe the weekely Sabbath â—thereby doe know their owne meaning whilest withall they say to spend a whole day in heavenly mindednes and spirituall imployments is an heavy yoke and implyingly make it part of our Christian liberty to bee redeemed unto earthly mindednes and not unto heavenly whereas it is both the best and cheifest part of our Christian liberty to bee redeemed and inabled unto heavenly mindednes and to a willing powerfull spirituall performance of holy things in this time of the ministration of the Spirit being delivered from the ministration of the dead letter which embondaged them to the outward and carnall part and unwilling weake performance of them through the weakenes of the flesh For the Spirit is therefore a free Spirit not because hee freeth us from the Law but because hee sets us free to the performance of it Thus David looked to bee a free man and set at liberty not from obeying but to obeying and doing the commandements Psalme 119. 32. I will run the wayes of thy commandements when thou hast enlarged my heart I wish wee were lesse guilty of this Iudaisme in our dayes viz. making our holines consist rather in rest then in resting to bee holy Sure I am those that walke the most exactly and strictly in this way of heavenly mindednes on that day find the benefit and sweet thereof to their soules and good reason For that promise Isaiah 58. 14. Then shalt thou delight thy selfe in the Lord is not onely made to but also to bee fulfilled by the performances of the duties injoyned us in the foregoing verse of not doing our owne wayes not finding our owne pleasure not speaking our owne words the Spirit of God working this unspeakable delight and comfort in the soules of them that so walke Now I come to speake to your answer to the second objection and therein to shew you when wee are said to breake the morall part of the Sabbath which is when wee either doe our owne works or Gods worke to our owne ends For had rest beene properly or onely the morall part of the Sabbath then had the superstitious Iewes kept it none better But a man may rest and not keepe the Sabbath and a man may worke and not breake the Sabbath And indeed that man that both resteth and worketh to wit from his owne works to doe the works of God is the onely true Sabbath keeper And therefore as wee are advised in another case that whether wee eate or drinke c. So in this case say I whether wee rest or worke let it bee done to the glory of God else our rest is but the rest of brute beasts and our works the works of prophane Men and Hypocrites So that on the Sabbath our rest must give place to all Gods good works and on the contrary all our works must give place to Gods rest For whether wee rest or worke it must be unto God and not unto our selves for so onely wee fulfill the Sabbaths signification Lastly for answer to that which you say in proofe hereof how that those Lawes are onely to bee tearmed morall c. I aske you what prayer or Almes c. is there commanded in the third commandement Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vaine and yet this you cannot deny to bee a morall Law If you say there are then I answer no more then in the fourth commandement where wee are to keepe holy the Sabbath or to sanctifie it with an holy rest by which is not meant a bare rest no more then by an holy convocation is meant a bare meeting together but it is meant in regard of the holy duties that were to bee done thereon of praying praysing God reading Moses Law sacrificing c. And why is not remember that thou keepe holy the Sabbath-day as well morall also as thou shalt not make to thy selfe any graven Image in the sense in hand And whereas you say that time and place are circumstantiall implying them thereby to bee indifferent things I answer that in themselves they are so but if God please to alter their natures hee may Thus hee disposed of the Temple for a time and the Sabbath for ever to bee his proper ordinances Consider how inconsistent you make it for resting to bee the sanctifying of the Sabbath and yet the Law of the Sabbath to bee but circumstantiall to other duties Broad ARG. II. BY Sabbaths Col. 2. 16. the weekely Sabbaths are to bee under stood by ordinances then in the 14. verse the Law of these Sabbaths must needs bee meant as well as the Lawes of new Moones and Holy-dayes and now these ordinances that is precepts of the Sabbath new Moone and Holy-dayes are here said most manifestly to bee blotted out Though Saint Paul here saith that the precept of the Sabbath is blotted out Obj. yet his meaning is not that it is wholly blotted out but onely in part So any one may