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
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
a fault most obvious as may appeare in that amongst other workes hee instanceth most their bearing of burthens as the thing most frequent and abusive so doth hee complaine of their prophaning the Sabbath by working in it because that being a fault most obvious they would bee the soonest convinced thereby For man can naturally better conceive of his outward grosse and sensitive errours then of his spirituall ones which notwithstanding was implyed therein Like as at the day of judgement hee will judge us by our works and yet therein wee shall answer for our infidelity for in the one hee involues the other God tooke the same order with the Iewes under the Law that Christ did under the Gospell that is still to blame them for those faults which were either most apparant or most proper to those times and persons knowing that if they failed in those they must needs faile in the more materiall But when they were diligent to doe the outward duty and neglected the inward then God blameth them in that respect also As wee may see by that which hee telleth them touching their sacrifices how that hee that sacrificed a sheepe was as if hee cut of a dogs necke whereas had they neglected to have sacrificed hee would first have called on them for his outward service because without that the inward could not bee performed So of the Sabbath-rest hee must first bring them from prophaning the Sabbath before hee could bring them to a due sanctifying of it For except they made good their bodily rest according to the commandement they could never meditate rightly their rest in Heaven Againe in the second place I say that though God in this 17. Ier did thus sharpely reprove their prophaning the Sabbath by working yet hee never meant that in resting consisted its chiefest sanctification as may appeare by the 58. of Isa. 13. Which Master Calvin in his institutions upon the fourth commandement bringeth to prove that we were to rest from our works that day that God might worke his works in us and that the Prophets did call backe the Iewes from thinking themselves discharged by their carnall rest In the third place I answer that this rest being a transcendent type and of speciall sanctitie in those times could not bee neglected no not in the letter of it without grosse prophanation of the Sabbath besides the injury done to the usefull signification of it because that then it was a part of the Sabbaths sanctification I meane of its very positive sanctification And therefore had God just cause to complaine his Sabbaths were not sanctified when they were so notoriously prophaned Fourthly now I come to speake to your third proofe touching the prophanation of the Sabbath which is say you by working to which I answer First that a man by working if it bee seasonable sanctifieth the Sabbath and againe by resting if it bee carnall and unfruitfull he may prophane it Secondly to argue from the prophaning to the sanctifying is no good argument as because works prophane it therefore rest onely sanctifieth it It may as well bee argued from the second commandement that hee that doth not make Images to bow to them is consequently a true worshipper of God For though it bee most true that every one that resteth not from worldly imployments on the seaventh day doth prophane the Sabbath and breake the commandement Yet on the contrary every one that doth rest cannot bee said to sanctifie it no more then every one that doth not make Images to bow to them may bee said to worship God aright and yet every one that doth make Images to bow to them doth prophane the true worship of God So Master Hisdersham to keepe a bodily rest on that day from all our owne works is but the outside of the commandement and concerneth onely the outward man and the outward and bodily observation of the fourth commandement which as the whole Law is spirituall and may bee performed by a man which hath no truth of Grace in him at all Thus also Musoulus on the fourth commandement after hee hath shewne how those words of the commandement Thou shalt in it doe no manner of worke doe forbid all manner of lets which may hinder the sanctifying of the Sabbath because saith hee that is to bee done not with a patched mind but with all our indeavour and with a whole mind In his conclusion speaking against such as prophane the Sabbath by licentiousnes the very cattle saith hee doe use the Sabbath-day better then wee which though they doe nothing towards the sanctifying of it yet their rest is so farre forth to bee preferred that they doe nothing whereby the holy rest is prophaned and defiled and the eyes of Gods Majesty offended As concerning the proofe you bring to backe this last argument withall to wit the example of Gods severe punishing worke though but a small one when yet sins and other things which might seeme more to prophane it were passed over I answer First that God was curious in maintaining in violate their discipline in their dayes which was then both his owne ordinance and the proper meanes of their instruction for shadowes were then substances so that if they were remisse in observing to doe the type such as was this rest they sinned both against God and their owne soules and under went a double guilt of punishment and losse like as wee under the Gospell doe sin more in not beleeving in Christ then in breaking the whole Law Secondly I say that God was the severer in menacing and punishing this because else they would have beeue apter to thwart it judging of it rather by matter of fact then by matter of duty or command which I thinke was a notable aggravation of his sin that gathered stickes judging the offence by the thing As its like Adam did and as you doe afterward when hee ate the apple which happily God fore seeing imposed the greater judgement to over-awe him And this Sabbath-rest as that of eating the apple not being a Law written in the conscience and therefore they not having their conscience so lively in that as in other sins had need of the stronger barre to keepe them of from breaking it Thirdly this instance you give was whilest they were in the wildernes as the Scripture phraseth it Num. 15. 32. when the type was more lively and significative and they better in abled to observe it and therefore was the sin so much the more offensive and presumptuous and consequently worthy of severer punishment * Hee himselfe typifying that the neglect of Gods rest brings certaine and unavoidable ruine Which you never read of to bee executed after they came out of the wildernes and yet were their prophanations in regard of their works farre greater As for the mans carrying of his bed I answer to it two things First that it was no breach of the Sabbath but a manifestation of the miracle by a lawfull action
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
been once formally instituted But that the ten Commandements which God himselfe both spake and gave after such an extraordinary manner with such majesty and terrour and in regard of the place for all the world to take notice of it and which he calleth his Covenant and himselfe in a speciall manner recordeth them to be ten in number Deut. 4. and with his owne finger wrote them twice in Tables of stone signifying as well their lasting nature as any other thing and commanded them to be put into the Holy of Holies in the Arke under the Mercy-seate and which were all of them institute in Innocency either by created Nature or immediate Revelation whereas all other Ordinances were delivered by the mediation of Moses a mortall man but that immediately by the immortall God as witnesseth Iosephus in his Iewish antiquities Moses saith hee received the ten Commandements from the high and unexcessible mountaine Sinai with thundrings but other Lawes he received in the Iewish Tabernacle ascending no more the mountaine Now that one of these should be temporary and the other nine perpetuall is doubtlesse in any reasonable mans opinion very ill likely I am sure Bishop Andrewes in his Chatechisticall doctrine saith That it were not wise to set a Ceremony he meanes a Iewish abrogative Ceremony in the midst of morall precepts And one saith Certainly God did intend something extraordinary by this great odds of conveyance and what more proper then that these were mortall and dependant upon those those immortall and independant especially if we weigh the manner how Moses concludeth his repetition of the ten Commandements with these words God added no more but wrote them in Tables of stone to shew that these words be valued of a greater rate then those which should be added by the hands of Moses which were either to be explanations of these or shadowes of Christ And as God did not adde so man may not diminish from these words and so consequently there is no reason without sacriledge to suspect the morality of the fourth Commandement Broad One heretofore required me to shew a satisfactory reason why if the fourth Commandement be of no higher rancke then the other temporary constitutions of Moses Touching Gods gracing the fourth commandement as much as the nine morall God should grace it as much as the nine morall Ans. I dare not take upon me to yeeld a reason of Gods doings And I would gladly know what reason themselves can yeeld wherefore God should use so many words touching abstinence from worke on the Sabbath and not one word of comming together to pray and to heare the word preached Yet this I say In mans judgement it is great reason that one Ceremoniall Commandement at the least should be placed amongst many morall precepts in the Tables of the Covenant seeing God made a Covenant with the Israelites after the tenour of both sorts indifferently as is to be seen Exod. 24. There we read how that Moses having written in a book sundry Lawes as well Ceremoniall as other the booke is called the booke of the Covenant vers 7 8. Behold the blood of the Covenant which the Lord hath made with you concerning all these words See also Chapter 34. from the 10. verse to the end of the 27. Answer You say you daâ—e not give a reason of all Gods doings I could with you were as modest in not reasoning against God as you are in reasoning for him As concerning your question why God speaketh so much of rest and so little of holy duties Answ. You are sufficiently answered out of the Commandement it self For those words Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day are a most plenary expression of the sanctifying of that day with the duties of holinesse which being thus premised then followeth after in the Commandement the urging of Rest or abstinence from work both as a meanes to further the Sabbaths sanctification like as in the Sabbath of Atonement Levit. 23. 27 28. and as a significant part thereof conjunctively considered and spiritually * Thâ—ugh by reason of the minoâ—tyof the Iewish pedagogy as aforesaid there was then interpretatâ—vely by God 〈…〉 abâ—tract holinesse of this Rest being sâ—â—cowish and significative as of other Types improved For as fasting joyned with prayer is a necessary medium of Gods extraordinary worship by removing impediments and also a significant medium concerning our extraordinary humiliation So is the Sabbaths Rest both a medium and a significant medium to Gods extraordinary worship and our extraordinary happinesse And it is not rare to finde fasting urged in Scripture without expresse mention of Prayer as in Ester 4. 16. Where when Ester gave Mordecai in charge to assemble the Iewes and to fast for her three daies and nights there is no mention of prayer And yet no man can deny but it is most necessarily understood and implyed though it be not expressed So it is As for your Arguments drawn from the Covenant which because it consisted both of Morall and Ceremoniall Lawes therefore say you it is reason that one Ceremoniall Commandement at least should be placed among many Morall precepts in the Tables of the Covenant Answ. Nay rather it is good reason that both the Lawes should be written together in the Booke of the Covenant as indeed they were in regard that the two Tables were to be laid up in the Holy of Holies and so not to be come by but the copies of that Book were of continuall use And again seeing the Covenant of the Iews consisted of both it is the more reason that they should be carefully distinguished as likewise they were then confounded seeing you cannot deny but that which was Morall was to appertain to after ages and if they had then been undistinctly mixed how could after ages tell which was which But this was prevented through Gods good providence by their disjunction and distinct exhibition at the first Broad If this will not satisfie him or any other then as Christ answered some Questioners Matt. 21. let them first tell me wherefore God should appoint a greater punishment for the breach of a Ceremoniall Law then he did of some Morall And I will afterwards tell them wherefore he should grace a Ceremoniall Commandement as much as a Morall Answer There may be very good reason for it for though sometimes God doth inflict the most grievous temporall punishment upon the greater sins to aggravate the danger of committing them So other some times he ordaineth a great punishment for a lesser sinne least according to our corrupt judgements we should thinke it small and if it were not for the punishment threatned be the carelesser to observe it And secondly to shew that it is not so much the Nature of the thing commanded as the Will of the Commander that gives weight to the Commandment And thirdly A man may commit some morall offence with lesse guilt then the Iewes might a Ceremoniall As if a man
Creation when indeed evening and morning made the day and darknesse was to goe before light As for the disorder which you say this innovation must needs produce let it lye upon the Apostles who can answer it well enough and so may we building on the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles In the meane time Pauls example which is not in vaine set downe in the 20. Acts 6 7. where no day of the seven but only the last which was the first day of the weeke is thus disposed of is a sufficient warrant for us hence forwards to observe it from the 4 th Phil. 9. The things which you have seen in me doe and the God of peace shall be with you And as for that in your margin where you say that the number seven hath reference to other going before I answer you in this figure 7000007 where you see the first as well as the last in some respect may be the seventh to wit in number though not in place and order Broad But let it be imagined although I can scarce see how it can be imagined only that our day is become the seventh and last of the weeke what would follow hereupon That God might well be said to have rested on our day and to have enjoyned one day on Mount Sinai But then it might not be said that Christ rose upon one day He that saith both God rested and Christ rose upon one day may as wel say that God both rested and began to make the world upon one day which I will not beleeve any man will say untill I know it Answer I know none that goeth about to make Gods Rest and Christs Resurrection to be upon one and the selfe-same day Nor need it for it is enough that the one was and the other is observed holy as the seventh day in opposition to the six work-daies The change not onely being granted by us but argued as necessary and significantly materiall Broad 3. Opinion Others there are which by the seventh day in the beginning of the Commandement Amâ—s Theol. liâ— 2. cap. 15. sect 8. vâ—l unus è sâ—ptem but doth the Scripture so speak or doth he so much as goe about to prove 〈◊〉 He and others doe wisely to take that for granted which they cannot prove understand one of the seven daies but the seventh day is the Sabbath that is say they but one of the seven daies is the Sabbath and the first day is one of the seven daies as well as the seventh Answ. 1. Then shall the words seventh day have one sence in the 2. Gen. and another here Will any man say that God ended his worke upon one of the seven daies and not upon the seventh day only 2. Then shall the words seventh day have one sense in the beginning of the Commandement and another after for after it is said that God rested on the seventh day 3. Then had the Israelites sanctified our day or any other and not the seventh they had not broke the fourth Commandement Answer This opinion of the seventh day to intend one of seven is doubtlesse most true and is therefore spoken in the Commandement exclusively implying thus much That thou art not to keep the sixth day or one of six or the eight day or one of eight but the seventh day or one of seven For the substance of the Commandement hath respect unto the number for it opposeth seven to sixe as if it had said six daies shall be for labour and the seventh for Rest although I deny not but the example of God in respect of order was then significaÌ„tly binding during the inforcemeÌ„t of the reasonof the creation I would not be mistaken and be thought when I say one of seven to meane any one but as Ames in that place being rightly understood and set downe dies septimus vel unus è septem that is the seventh day or one of seven not of six or eight For I know the Iewes were to celebrate the seventh day the last in order both for example and signification sake during the Covenant of works For the order both was and is exceeding usefull in respect of its signification and helpeth much to the fulfilling the duty of sanctifying the Sabbath And therefore hath God been ever carefull not only to give the generall Commandement to his Church for the observation of the seventh day But he hath likewise prescribed them a terminus a quo a day or an occasion whence and whereby they were to number their seven daies which yet was not alwaies one thesame seventh day As unto Adam he gave the first day of his being created to number from and therefore was he carefull to give him this Commandement in due time to wit the second day of his Creation so soone as he had given an example that so he might remember it against the seventh day came So likewise to the Iewes he appointed by Moses the first day of Mannah for them to reckon upon And so to us by his owne and the Apostles examples he hath given the day of the Resurrection to be the ground of our Computation Broad 4. Opinion Some of late tell us of the substance and circumstances of the fourth Commandement Give way to this new doctrine of the substance and circumstance of a divine law and open a wide gap to manifold errors we shall now have seeking after the substance as there was after the Allegory heretofore by the substance they meane the sanctifying of one day in the weeke by circumstances the keeping of the seventh day and strict resting Answ. 1. That the sanctifying of one day in the weeke is the substance of the fourth Commandement you have not learned from the words thereof for they speake only of sanctifying the seventh day 2. No Prophet nor Apostle nor Father I beleeve hath thus interpreted the Commandement either in cleere or darke termes 3. No other Commandement of God is to be interpreted after such a manner 4. Then had not a Iew broken the Commandement though hee had laboured on the seventh day so that before he had sanctified one of the six daies If God had said Remember to sanctifie one day of the week six daies thou shalt labour and the seventh thou shalt sanctifie ye had some colour for your doctrine although this had bin nothing in very deed For God said thou shalt keep a Feast to me Neither was the resting of the land one yeare in seven the substance of that Law Exod. 23. 10. 11. thrice in the yeare thou shalt keep the Feast c. Exod. 23. 14 15 16. and yet the keeping of the Feast thrice in the yeare was not the substance of that Law who ever so imagined But onely God there first telleth the Israelites in generall what hee would have done and afterwards acquainteth them with his minde particularly and fully You your selves I am sure will acknowledge that the keeping of a feast thrice
words Therefore the Lord thy God commanded thee to keepe the Sabbath day A place of Scripture if soberly consulted especially considering withall the preterition of the Creation in that place whereby this becomes not only a motive but the sole reason not easily answered by our Antisabbatarians For as one saith well In the 5. Deut. The reason of the Redemption from Egypt is put as a cause of sanctifying the Sabbath so that there beginneth a translation though not of the day it self yet of the use and sanctification of the day as to be kept in an holy and thankfull memory of the Redemption from Egypt which was but a Type and figure of our spirituall Redemption by Christ which their Redemption from Egypt if taken only literally was not to be compared to the worke of Creation that it should challenge to it selfe a right in the Sabbath before the Creation but only as it typified and prefigured that glorious worke of Redemption Now if the Redemption from Egypt which was but a Type were so glorious a worke as that the Sabbath day should be kept rather in memory of that then of the Creation then what shall we say of the worke of Redemption it selfe which doth so farre exceed in glory that from Egypt as the Sunne doth the shadow If therefore Gods ancient people were to keep the Sabbath day in memory of their Rest from Egypt how much more when a greater Rest from a greater worke of Redemption even the true and eternall Rest is come in and we in Christ doe enter into it as Heb. 4. 3. ought that day of the weeke be kept holy wherein the Lord rested from his most glorious and gracious worke And this may serve to answer your unanswerable conclusion following if you will weigh it without prejudice Broad To conclude By no wayes or meanes yet found out can it be That the precept of the Sabbath should bind to sanctifie the Lords-day And I could wish my brethren not to busie their braines to finde out more wayes as having busied them too much hereabouts already Were the fourth Commandement a law in force still it should bind to sanctifie the Iewes Sabbath and none other Broad But suppose that the fourth Commandement did bind to sanctifie the Lords-day What would follow were the fourth Commandement a law still in force and did bind to sanctifie the Lords-day See my Latine Tract Chap. 5. what would follow thereupon That we might doe no more work on our dayes then the Iewes might doe on theirs for there is not the least colour of dispensation in Gods word for doing of more and indeed after some mens doctrine we may doe no more not picke up a few sticks nor buy a little oyntment nor step over the doore sill to gather up Mannah c. See M r. Dod and M r. Cleaver on the fourth Commandement Answer It matters not what would follow now no more then what did follow when the Commandement was confessedly of force For certainly if we be to keepe a Sabbath to the Lord if we could herein doe the will of God on earth as it is done in heaven by keeping it here in the Type as they keepe it in heaven in the Antitype it were so much the better wholly heavenly free from all carnall and earthly distractions so farre as necessitie will give leave and to doe even these necessary things with such heavenly mindednesse as that the rules both of Pietie to God and charitie to our selves are fulfilled therein If at any time much more on that day â—it ought to be our meat and drinke to doe the will of our heavenly father in earth as it is done in heaven And it is apparent in Christian experience that he which that day keepeth himself and his heart diligently from terrene thoughts words and actions imploying them contrarily groweth most in grace hath the sweetest Communion with God the greatest measure of Divine comfort for a Christian never feeleth such sound comfort as when he spiritually observeth it and is the ablest to long after his dissolution * For God blessed the Sabbath day that is appointed it to be a day of blessings to them that sanctifie it which they doe that observe to dâ—e these three things 1. That they keep it delightfully not with tediousnesse grudging 2. That they busie themselves in all holy things acting them in the spirit 3. That they spend the whole day wholly and not partly thus These as M. Dâ—d rightly observeth only inhâ—rit the blessings entailed upon the Sabbath by promise which shew it to be Gods ordinance for he is wont to give a blessing to his own ordinance Whereas those that fight so much against it it is like never felt the sweetnesse of it as for your self I will passe no censure of you for I know you not but some I am able to produce that are of this licentious opinion concerning the Sabbath and are as little strict in other things which are uncontroversably naught to the scandall of the Ministery and to the palpable arguing that because they entertaine not the truth in the love of it God hath either given them over to beleeve a lie or else that they take up this opinion more to countenance their corruptions then to maintaine Truth For non-residency a formall and lazy ministery and such like follow as naturally upon this as falling away doth upon free-will Your manner of instancing is naught thus to goe about to lessen the Commandement it self and our obedience to it by a sleightie expression of the things commanded Had Adam thus excused himself to God when he accused him of rebellion and told him why it was but a mouth-full of an apple c. the aggravation had been worse then the fault a few sticks a little oyle c. is it the fewnesse of the sticks the littlenesse of the oyle that give ens and non-ens to the Sin He that hath his eyes anoynted though but with a little of Gods eye-salve knoweth that the thing commanded is to be judged by the commandement and not the commandement by the thing commanded Me thinks that Memento or watchword set at the beginning of the Commandement and so usefully expounded by M. Dod and M. Cleaver to quicken our circumspection in providing for the sanctifying of the Sabbath by prevention and foresight should have answered this Argument in the hatching especially in these petty things you speake of considering that the lesse the temptation the greater the sin But to your instances themselves I answer That in all things whatsoever a lawfull necessity granteth a lawfull liberty on the Sabbath as for gathering of Mannah I have formerly shewed you why it did bind and for what time And therefore instead of further answer I will insert for a conclusion the positive truth of such workes as may be done on the Sabbath day as you shall find it in M r. Richard Byfeild pag. 95 96. There are saith he
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
keep unraced the ejaculation annexed to it in our Liturgy And M r. Dow pag. 9. saith in absolute tearmes They more fully expresse the nature of this Commandement who say It is partly Morall and partly Ceremoniall Broad 6. Opinion M r. Cleaver will have this strange matter come to passe by a Trope whereby one part is put for the rest He saith That in the precepts and prohibitions more is meant then in words is expressed Moral of the Law Chap. 4. Answ. I acknowledge that in the other nine Commandements more is meant then is expressed in words but here in the fourth Commandement that which is expressed in words is not meant It is a kind of Trope to put one part for the rest but when no part is put for the rest what manner of Trope may that be For this thou shalt sanctifie the seventh day wherein I rested is no part of Gods Law in these dayes and yet this in effect is all that God spake from Sinai Answer Although the fourth Commandement be a Law still in force yet as I said it bindeth us not to keep Sabbath the last day of the weeke though the seventh For the order was foretold to be altered in the 65. Isaiah 17. where it is prophecyed that Gods creating new heavens and a new earth shall make the old to be forgotten that is there shall be a wonderfull alteration and that which now men make most account of to wit the Creation then they shall account it the least sanctifying the memory of my resting from their Redemption in stead of my resting from their Creation And thus you wilfully slander us when you say that Thou shalt sanctifie the seventh day wherein I rested is no part of Gods Law in these dayes for we grant it but with an Orthodox distinction of Rest. For the Commandement it self looketh with a double face both wayes both to the Iewish Church and ours both to the old and new Creation And beareth his Title in the very front in that word Remember And as one well observeth There is no Commandement ushered with such a Memento as that of the Sabbath wherein saith he I thinke we may discerne Gods providence forearming weake Christians against the strong assaults of their own affections strugling against the restraint of a whole dayes libeâ—tie and of mans inventions oppugning Gods institutions for it is a Commandement of Remembrance so that as once we were to remember our Creation by it as appeareth bâ— the first promulgation of it in Exodus for there the Creation is only mentioned so like wise are we now to remember our Redemption by it as appeares by the second proâ—nulgation of it in Deuâ—eronomie where the old Creation is quite forgotten not a word mentioned of it and the new set forth in its Type of their â—gyptian deliverance Which observation taken from the various reasons annexed at severall times and in such an order for the inforcing of this Commandement compared with this Text of Isaâ—ah 65. 17. and the present event sutable doth both very much illustrate the perpetuitie of the Sabbath and yet prophecie the change both in one which also if we consider the nature of those times doth well prove the thing For though Christ speaketh plainly to us now yet to them he spake and prophecyed as I may so say in parables which rightly understood are no lesse proofes then ours And thus is the substance of the fourth Commandement preserved that is the dedicating of the seventh day to duties of Pietie and Mercy and sixe dayes to our other affaires as also prophecie fulfilled and the Apostles imitated But may some say Object Our Redemption was not finished on that day for that it still remaineth in acting by Christs intercession which is Bishop Whites objection page 299. Christs intercession after his dying and rising is as Gods providence was Answ. and is after his sixe dayes Creation And as notwithstanding his continuall providence his Creation was finished on the last day of the week So Now notwithstanding Christs intercession at Gods right hand our Redemption was finished on the first day of the weeke by his Resurrection And whereas Bishop White further objecteth pag. 299. That the day of Christs resurrection cannot properly be called a Sabbath or day of Rest because our Saviour was in action on that day about the necessary works of perfecting mans Redemption by applying teaching inspiring authorizing his Disciples I answer They were all Sabbath-day works and so was the seventh day a working day to God in many such like respects sutable to the first Creation and yet it was his Sabbath for this reason because he rested and ceased from that which he did before as M r. Hildersham noteth upon the Hebrew word Sabbat in his 135. Lect. on the 51. Psalme which holds in respect of Christ. Furthermore page 300. Bishop White saith That the Primitive Church devoted the first day of the weeke to the honour and service of Christ not because of Christs cessation from redemptive actions but because it was primus dies laetitiae The first day of joy and gladnesse for the resurrection of the Lord True But the cause of this joy was the perfection of our Redemption and Deliverance which we celebrate with a congratulatory commemoration on the first day like as we were to doe the perfection of our Creation on the last day of the weeke And pag. 303. hâ— saith That Christ rested upon his resurrection day no more then he did upon every day after untill his ascension and since his ascension untill the worlds end Answ. So he may say that God rested no more from his worke of Creation on the seventh day then he hath done ever since where by the way take notice That it is the consummation of the Creation and Redemption which is meant by their Resting and which we celebrate for else if Rest should respect barely their cessation then all the after time should be of equall estimation with the last day in respect of the Creation and with the first day in respect of the Redemption And now indeed I wonder why the Egyptian deliverance being in Deut. annexed by the dictate of the spirit as a reason to inforce the duty of the fourth Commandement or Sabbath in its second promulgation should not be thought a sufficient reason to inforce the same duty law upon us as well as the obedience of the whole Law is urged upon us by the same reason contained in the Preface * Deny the one and â—eny both but reâ—son and sobrietie will deny neither seeing that in both places it signifieth alike our spirituall Redemption and deliverance Especially seeing the holy Ghost in the fifteenth verse of the fifth of Deut. after he hath there affixed to the fourth Commandement our deliverance out of spirituall Egypt in its Type as the reason of it concludeth upon it mandatorily a duty not a libertie imposed upon us therefore in these