Church shall think best for their own conveniencies yea it may be that some particular Churches may grow so corrupt that they may think one day in a month sufficient and others may think one day in two or three months sufficient for Gods publick worship and who can prevent such disorders as these if Jesus Christ hath not established a standing day There are some that professe Christianity that think that Jesus Christ hath not established a certain publick day in place of the seventh day and therefore they do still hold the Jewish Sabbath together with the Lords day As for example The Melchites or Syrians who are esteemed for number to be the greatest Sect of Christians in the Orient these do confound the day of Gods publick worship for they and the Maronites their neighbours do observe the Jewish Sabbath as solemnly as the Lords day See Brerewood in his Inquiries p. 129. And the Habbissines of Ethiopia who are another large Territory of Christians they also do reverence the Jewish Sabbath equal to the Lords day See Brerewood p. 155. But blessed be God that hath given the Churches of Europe a cleerer understanding of his will touching the day of his publick worship and yet notwithstanding it is also much to be lamented that some Christians do not onely hold the seventh day to be abolished but also that Christ Jesus hath not established any publick day in the place of the old But let me reason a little further Can any man that is well acquainted with the order of the Commandements of the first Table think that Christ who blessed the seventh day with several Ordinances for the good of faln man and that sanctified that day for the exercise of the said Ordinances should now obliturate that Commandement and sanctifie no day at all for the exercise of his said Ordinances Can any man think that Christ should now after his death be so far unlike to his first pattern Surely me thinks none should be so inconsiderate The holy Rest of the seventh day as it was a typical sign so I grant it to be abolished but not without any other in the place of it but by way of exchange for the next day And this the blessed Martyr Stephen doth explain to be the truth for when he was accused for affirming that Jesus of Nazareth should destroy the holy place and change the Customes that Moses had delivered unto them Act. 6. 14. his false witnesses did affirm this word Act 6. 14. Change against Stephen as if it had been an odious heresie to say so but how doth Stephen answer to this Accusation Doth he deny it No he doth acknowledge it to be a truth in it self and therefore in his Oration to the High Synedrion he doth confirm this to be a truth by saying thus to them Solomon built him a house Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in Temples made with hands as saith the Prophet in Es 66. 1. What house will ye build for me saith the Lord or what place is it that I should rest in Hath not my hand made all these things Act. 7. 47. to 50. with these words Stephen doth conclude his Oration In these words he doth reprove the High Act. 7. 47. Synedrion because of their obstinate opposing the former Doctrine for his Doctrine tended to prove that God would not rest locally in a Temple made with mans hands and so consequently not in any other outward signs implying that God would onely rest in Christ the true Temple whom they had flain His false accusers did repeat though at unawares and as it were translate the words of the Angel Gabriel in Dan. 9. 26 27. Dan. 9. 26 27. namely that the Messiah should by his death destroy the City and Sanctuary and cause Sacrifice and Oblation to cease and this very thing in true effect Stephen had taught namely that Jesus of Nazareth should destroy the holy place and change the Customes that Moses had delivered and so consequently change the Sabbath and the Lord from heaven did justifie Stephen for this speech even in the face of the High Synedrion for as he looked stedfastly into heaven he saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God And as he avouched this before them all Act. 7. 55 56. they that sate in the Council looked Act. 6. 15. Act. 7. 55. stedfastly on him and saw his face as the face of an Angel Act. 6. 15. And this doth evince that as Stephen did justifie his Doctrine by the words of the Angel Gabriel so God did justifie him by making his face to shine before the Council as the countenance of the Angel Gabriel by which miraculous glory in his countenance the Council might have seen that his Doctrine was warranted by the words of the Angel Gabriel Stephen affirmed that which his false witnesses affirmed against him as a blasphemous thing that Jesus of Nazaret should change the Customes of Moses Hence I reason thus If Jesus should do it then he did not leave it to be done in an arbitrary way by the discretion of particular Churches But Jesus himself did it Mark the phrase of speaking Jesus of Nazaret shall change the That Christ Jesus made three main changes in the ten Commandements Customes of Moses And it is also observable that Jesus of Nazaret did make three main changes in the ten Commandements two in the outward form of his publick worship contained in the second Commandement and one touching the day of his publick worship in the fourth Commandement 1 He changed Circumcision and all typical purifyings which were commanded in the second Commandement into the Sacramental Seal of Baptism 2 He changed the Passeover and all typical Sacrifices which were also commanded in the second Commandement into the Sacramental Seal of the Lords Supper 3 He changed the seventh day as it was a typical sign by translating it to the first day of the week wherein Christ rose as a Lord and Conqueror of Satans Head-plot for the day of his publick worship as the seventh day was at first And the Apostle Paul doth reason much after the same manner as Stephen did If saith he the Priesthood be changed there must Heb. 7. 12. of necessity be a change of the Law Heb. 7. 12. but the Priesthood is changed for Christ was not of the Tribe of Levie but of Judah neither was he made a High-priest by man according to the Law of the carnal Commandement but by God after the power of endlesse life therefore Christ did not leave it to the power of his particular Churches to change the Ordinances of Moses but he had power from God to do it He taketh away the first that he Heb. 9. 10. might establish the second Heb. 9. 10. that is to say Christ onely had power to take away Sacrifices and all the other Customes of Moses that so he might ratifie his own Sacrifice in the
the common opinion of the Jews at the destruction of Jerusalem Object 4. If Christ had ordained his Resurrection-day as the day of his publick Worship in place of the Sabbath or seventh day then me thinks the Apostles in their Writings should have recorded it with the Circumstances of it namely the time when and how he did ordain it if this had been done the matter had been out of question to all men Ans The Wisdome of God did not see it good to make all his Ordinances cleer to all men at the first sight when our Saviour was here upon the earth he did oftentimes open his mouth in Parables that they which see not might not perceive and that his best servants might dig for his hidden Treasures But I may say also it is not recorded that Christ did instruct any of his Apostles of the time when nor of the manner how he did first ordain John to baptise but because all men generally held John to be a Prophet therefore they concluded that he had received some authority from heaven to baptise subjects for Christ against he came into his Kingdome which he proclamed to be at hand and by the like authority we may conclude that the Apostles did command the observation of the Lords day for Gods publick Worship in the place of the seventh day because it was in frequent use in their dayes as I have proved and they being Prophets had special direction from Christ the Lord of the Sabbath so to direct his Churches which directions in all probability they received from him at his first comming to their Assembly in the evening of his Resurrection-day or else in the evening of his second coming to their Assembly on that day seven-night Joh. 19. 20. 26. for then he opened their understandings to understand such Scriptures as he alleged concerning his Joh. 19. 20 26. Death and Resurrection Luke 23. 54. 47. and then also he gave them a new Commission to preach the Doctrine of the forgivenesse of sins in his name Joh 20. 21 22 23. and then he gave Commandements unto them and spake of such things as appertained to the Kingdome of God Act. 1. 2 3. doubtlesse therefore he did then instruct them concerning the day of his publick worship wherein they must preach forgiveness of sins in his name to all the world and this Commission he did again renew unto them before his ascension saying Go and teach all Nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father Son and holy Ghost teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and lo I am with you alwayes to the end of the world Whatsoever therefore the Apostles commanded the Christian Churches to observe they did it by vertue of Christs former command and therefore Paul saith I have received of the Lord that which I have delivered unto you 1 Cor. 11. 23. The Commandements therefore which the Apostles gave unto the Christian Churches they were the Commandements of Christ among which Commandements the observation of the Lords day must needs be one in place of the Sabbath which was fully abolished by the death of Christ CHAP. XVI Being an Answer to several Questions I whether Christians Quest 1 now under the Gospel are bound to observe the Lords day as strictly from all work and as holily in all the duties of Religion as the Jewes were to observe the Sabbath day THe Sabbath or seventh day must be considered either as it Ans 1 was a holy sign Or secondly as it was the holy time of Gods worship in the first sense the Lords day is not like the Sabbath for our Lords day is not a sign of a thing to be performed 〈…〉 as the Sabbath was but now our Lords day must be observed as a memorial that Christ hath fully broken the Devils Head-plot by his Mediatorial Sacrifice and this he hath declared to his Church by his Resurrection from the dead on the first day of the week and in remembrance thereof he hath now ordained that day to be imployed as the sanctified time of his worship in attending upon his Ordinances both publick and private as strictly from all work and as holily in all Christian duties as the Jews were to observe the Sabbath day under the Law and in remembrance thereof John doth stile it the Lords day Rev. 1. 10. Quest 2. Might not the Jews so much as kindle a fire upon the Sabbath day to dresse necessary food As Mr. Ainsworth seems to understand the Scriptures with the consent of the Hebrew Doctors in Exod. 16. 5. and Exod. 16. 5. Exod. 35. 3. in Exod. 35. 3. Ans I grant that Mr. Ainsworth doth so understand the Scriptures and so do some of the Hebrew Doctors But yet withall I say that the Scriptures rightly understood did alwayes allow the Jews as much liberty to kindle a fire for the dressing of necessary food upon the Sabbath day as it allows Christians on the Lords day as it is evident by the example of our Saviour himself for he went to a Feast upon the Sabbath day into the house of a chief Pharisee Luke 14. 1. and at the same time the Pharisee Luke 14. 1. had many other guests present for our Saviour marked them how they chose out the chiefest rooms at this Feast v. 7 8. And this Feast I conceive was a Wedding Feast though I also beleeve that the new maried parties were maried before this day not on this day It is unlawfull to begin a Mariage upon the Sabbath day Lev. 23 8. for the Jews held it utterly unlawful to begin their Mariage upon the Sabbath day See Ains in Lev. 23. 8. But yet they held it lawful to keep a Wedding Feast upon the Sabbath day and the reason is plain because they held it to be a lawfull custome to keep a Wedding Feast for seven dayes together of which number the Sabbath day must needs be one Judg. 14. 10 12. Gen. 29. 27 28. And this is a common rule among the Jews That whosoever marieth a Maid he shall rejoyce with her seven dayes not doing any work but eating drinking and making merry See Ains in Gen. 29. 27. And none could keep such a Feast of many persons in the cold Winter without the use of a fiâ—e to make their food comfortable to nature according to the nature of a Feast And it is further to be noted that whiles our Saviour was present at thâ— Feast he â—ound no fault with the act of Feasting but onely withing corrupt circumstances which did accompany this Feast 1 He found fault with some of the guests because they chose out the uppermost seats 2 He seemed to reprove the Governour of the Feast because he invited his rich friends onely vers 12. But Christ told him it had been more suitable to the Sabbath day if he had invited the poor to his Feast And yet I beleeve it was not sinfull to bid the rich for
6. All these translated termes are Figurative the continent is put for the connexion of the severall things that are contained in it and our Saviour doth teach us how we must connex and couple the things of the Wildernesse together in Luke 3. 5. compared with Es 40. 3. 4. where the things of Gnereb are thus connexed Mountaines and Hils are connexed to vallies rough places are connexed to Plaines or smooth ground and there are divers other connexions in Gnereb the Wildernesse for there are divers kindes of wilde Creatures that are connexed together in a Neighbourly cohabitation without confounding any of their distinct kindes as Deut. 8. 15. Mar. 1. 13. And there are also sundry sorts of Trees growing in a pleasant Neighbour-hood together in their severall borders Es 41. 19. and therefore Willow trees are called Gnereb and Gnarbaiim in the duall number either because of the twy-party coloured leafe or else because they doe usually grow on both sides of the Brookes in a pleasant Neighbour-hood together Es 15. 7. Lev. 23. 40. In Gnereb the Desart also there is a connexion of many miseries which doe often fall together on poore Travellours Ier. 2. 6. with Deut. 8. 15. And by the Figure Synecdoche any particular thing of the Desart may be called Gnereb as for example the VVolfe is called the VVolfe of Gnereb and the VVolfe of Gnaraboth in the plurall number Ier. 5. 6. because all VVildernesses are inhabited with VVolfes In this regard I cannot but wonder why some Translators doe translate Hab. 1. 8. Zeph. 3. 3. the VVolfe of the Evening seeing Gnereb hath relation to any connexture either of places or of persons or of things as well as of the two parts of time in the Naturall day and therefore Gnereb ought not to be translated the Evening in any place of the Bible but in those places only that have relation to time namely to the Evening of the Naturall day but the VVolfe is not nor ought not to be called Gnereb in relation to the time of the Evening of the Naturall day for the VVolfe doth not hunt after his prey more in the Evening than in the Morning nay he doth rather seek his prey more in the Morning than in the Evening as Iacob doth tell us in his allusive Prophesie Gen. 49. 27. it is fitter therefore to interpret the VVolfe of Gnereb with relation to the place of his abode namely to Gnereb the VVildernesse rather than to Gnereb the Evening and in that respect the seventy Interpreters in Hab. 1. 8. and in Zepb. 3. 3. doe call them the VVolves of Arabia because of the manifold companies and confederacie that is among them in the Desarts of Arabia 9 Gnereb is put for the Continent it selfe of Arabia 2 Chro. 9. 14. because in that Continent there were divers sorts of people that had Kings over them that were connexed combined and confederated together in leagues offensive and defensive and in that respect they are called the Kings of Gnereb or the Kings of Arabia the continent being put for the consederates therein contained for Arab in 2 Chron. 9. 14. is written Aereb in 1 King 10. 15. which doth properly signifie a connexed multitude See Ainsw in Gen. 10. 7. and the Aethiopians in 2 King 19. 9. and in 2 Chron. 14. 9. 12. are called Cushites of Arabia by Sir Wal. Rawley p. 151. 154. 10 Gnereb is also put for severall sorts of people that lived in neere cohabitation together in Arabia Es 13. 20. and in that respect the Midianites because they were inhabitants in some part of Arabia are called Arabians See Tremelius in Hab. 3. 7. in that respect Moses his Midianitish Wife is called an Aethiopian in Num. 12. 1. and because in that continent there lived divers other sorts of people in cohabitation therefore they are called Gnereb for there lived the Posterity of Sâ—â—a and Havilah of Sabâ—ah Regmah and Sabteca and many others all which are called Gnereb or Arabians that is to say a connexed people by a neighbourly cohabitation See Ainsw in Gen. 10. 7. and in Gen. 37. 25. 11 The Raven also and all sorts of Crows are called Gnereb because all the kindes of them are oftentimes connexed together in flocks and also because some of their kindes are party-coloured I have seen sundry sorts of Crowes together in flocks and some of them were party-coloured namely white and black like Pyes and Pyes are a sort of Crowes See Ains in Lev. 11. 15. These severall instances doe plainly evidence that Gnereb must not be taken for a confused mixing or mingling of things together whereby the distinct species may be confounded as wine and water mixed together are but it must be taken for such a mixing as is no other but a connexion of distinct species This explanation of Gnereb doth lead us by the hand to the right understanding of Gnereb in Gen. 1. 5. namely that it signifies the connexion of the latter halfe of the Artificiall day with the first halfe of the Night this part of the Naturall day our Ancestors did most fitly call the Evening First because Ouâ— Ancestors held Gnereb the Evening to be at all times of the yeare an even and equal part of time to Boker the morning it was the even or equal part to Boker the morning And Secondly our Ancestors held the Evening to be a distinct and differing portion of time from the time called Night and indeed experience doth tell us that the Night is not alwayes an Even part of time to the Artificiall day that it is many times longer and many times shorter than the day but the Evening as it is taken from mid-day to midnight is alwayes an even or equal part of time to Boker the Morning Summer and Winter all the world over and therefore our Ancestors could not so fitly have called the whole night an Evening in relation to the Artificiall day as most would have them speak though upon better advice they wil now think otherwise Obj. 3. What need is there to make Gnereb comprehend such a large portion of time as is the connexion of the latter halfe of the Artificiall day to the first halfe of the Night will not that little peece of light which remains after Sun-set and which is connexed to the Night sufficiently serve to make up the true composition of Gnereb the Evening Answ Our dispute did arise at first about the first Darknesse whether Moses in Gen. 1. 5. did call it Gnereb the Evening or no I told you no because it was pure darknesse without any connexion of light at the beginning of it and Gnereb the Evening is often put by the Figure Synecdoche for that halfe of the Evening called the latter Evening which doth alwayes begin at Sun-set when God created the Light to shine out of Darknesse God called that Light when it had run the course of twelve hours Day and the first halfe of it with the
the Artificial day all the rest they say is called the morning improperly Secondly By these gradations to the morning it is evident that the first darkness was the root or womb of the morning and therefore at last it was called Morning SECT 3. Proving that the Morning in all likelihood doth begin at mid-night besides the former certain grounds from the exact beginning and ending of the Evening FIrst I will endeavor to prove that the morning doth begin at mid-night by an argument drawn from Job 26. 7. compared with Gen. 1. 2. Job saith That God stretcheth out the North upon the empty and saith Moses The Earth was empty and void namely as long as darkness was upon the face of the deep But as soon as the light was created the earth could not be said to be empty and void any longer for then the deep was adorned with the light as with a most glorious ornament Object 4. The first Darkness did continue twelve hours upon the face of the deep after the general matter called Earth was created Or thus how long was the Earth empty and void before the light was created Answ The answer is from Job That the Earth was empty and void all the space of time that the North point is stretched out upon a Compass Dial namely the space of six hours for the North point on a Compass Dial doth stretch it self out untill it meet with the beginning of the East point the four ends of the two Lines of Longitude and Latitude do make the four Cardinal Points of the Compass North East South and West Hence it follows that the North point is stretched out to the East point and that is just six hours by the Compass Dyal and so long saith Job the Globe was empty but as soon as God created Light out of Darkness which began to appear by degrees first By a Twi-light and then shined forth at the East point then the Earth was no longer empty and void but it was adorued with the light If any man can give a better Interpretation for the stretching out the North upon the Empty I shall bee glad to see it But if the first Darkness had been twelve hours long then Job should have said that God stretched out the West point as well as the North point upon the Empty but Job doth not say so but only that he stretched out the North upon the Empty and therefore it follows 1 That the first Darkness was not twelve hours but only six hours long upon the face of the deep before the light was created 2 Hence it follows that the first half of that twelve hours Darkness that succeeded the Artificial Day did make up the first darkness to be a just Night of twelve hours and after this manner both these parts of Darkness did meet together at the North point as I have exemplified the matter upon a Compass Dyal and the North Land in Jer. 23. 8. may according to the Hebrew be read from the Land of darkness And why else doth the Prophet in Psal 89. 12. begin the time of the first Creation in order from the North point but to remember us where and how long the darkness did continue upon the face of the deep after the Earth was created before the light was created And so likewise for this Reason Job doth teach us in what order we must place the four ends of the two Lines of Latitude and Longitude now called the foure Cardinall Points of the Compass by placing a man in this order to view the Globe 1 He calleth the North point the left hand 2 He calleth the South point the right hand 3 He calleth the East point before 4 He calleth the West point behind See Tremelius for this in Job 23. 8 9. So then He that desires to behold the Globe in a right order how the God of Nature did divide it and quarter it must place the North point of the Globe at his left hand the East before the South at his right hand and the West behind See Ains in Psal 89. 13. and in Numb 2. 3 29. 2 The holy Scriptures do often direct us to observe the foure ends of the two Lines of Latitude and Longitude 1 Because they divide the whole earth into four quarters 2 Because they divide the heavens into four quarters And in this respect the four quarters of the Earth are sometimes called the four wings or the four corners of the Earth Revel 7. 1. Numb 24. 17. Isa 11. 12. Ezek. 7. 2. Job 37. 3. and 38. 13. 2 The Heavens are divided into four quarters and in this respect the four Winds are said to come from the four quarters of Heaven Jer. 49. 36. Ezek. 37. 9. Dan. 7. 2. and 8. 2. Zach. 2. 6. Mat. 24. 31. And when the Lines of Latitude and Longitude are drawn upon a Compass Dyal or upon a Globe then they make the four winds in the four quarters of Heaven to lie thus and to be called thus North-East South-East South-west North-west And thus the Holy Scripture doth force us to observe the various use of these two Lines of Longitude and Latitude and therefore doubtless Job was not ignorant but spake as a man of knowledge when he said that God stretched out the North upon the Empty First He was not ignorant of the North point Nor secondly How far it stretched Nor thirdly of the time of the Globes emptiness 3 Ezekiel doth direct us to take notice of the North point as the first in order of the four Cardinal points because he doth first begin the division of the Land of Canaan from the North quarter and so he ends it with the West quarter read Ezek. 47. from ver 15. to the end of the Chapter and in this order also the Lord was pleased to let Moses take a view of the land he stood in the Land of Gilead and from thence in the first place he viewed Dan which was the furthest Northward and Northally in Galilee which lay also Northward Secondly Then he viewed the land of Ephraim and half Manasseh which lay Eastward from him in the middle of the Land Thirdly Then he viewed the Land of Judah to the South And fourthly Then he viewed the Land of Jerico which lay in the West of Canaan See Ains in Deut. 34. 1 2 3. Secondly I will indeavor to prove that the Morning began with the first darkness and that the first darkness must be placed at the North point by another phrase of Job for Job doth tell us that when the winds have purged the Air and made it clear from clouds and vapours that then out of the North a golden light doth shew it self Job 37. 22. Our eie-sight may witness the truth of this point for in a clear Morning before Sun-rising we may often see a golden list of light stretching it self from the North point to the East and again after Sun-set we may often see a golden list