A Defence Of that most Ancient and Sacred ordinance of GODS the SABBATH DAY Consequently and together with it 2. A Defence of the iiijth Commandement 3. A Defence of the integrity and perfection of the Decalogue Morall Law or X. Commandements 4. A Defence also of the whole and intire worship of God in all the partes thereof as it is prescribed in the first Table of the Decalogue 5. A Discouery of the Superstition impurity and corruption of Gods worship yea and Idolatry committed by multitudes in sanctifying the Lords Day for a Sabbath Day by the iiijth Commandement Vndertaken against all Anti-Sabbatharians both of Protestants Papists Antinomians and Anabaptists and by name and especially against these X Ministers M. Greenwod M. Hutchinson M. Furnace M. Benton M. Gallard M. Yates M. Chappel M. Stinnet M. Iohnson and M. Warde The second Edition corrected and amended with a supply of many things formerly omitted BY THEOPHILUS BRABOURNE Printed ANNO DOM. 1632. Thus saieth the Lord stand in the wayes and behold and aske for the old way which is the good way and walke therein and yee shall finde Rest for your soules Ierem. 6.16 This is that old and that good way Remember the Sabbath day to keepe it holy c. The vijth day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God in it thou shalt not doe any worke c. for on the vijth day the Lord Rested Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it Exod. xx viij x. xj Obserue it walke in it For verily I say vnto you vntill heauen earth passe one iote or one title shall in no wise passe from the Law vntill all things be fulfilled Mat. 5.18 Whosoeuer therefore shall breake one of these least Commandements and teach men so hee shall be called the least in the Kingdome of heauen Mat. 5.19 Whatsoeuer thing I commaund you take heede you doe it Thou shalt put nothing thereto nor take ought there from Deut. 12.32 Cursed is euery one that continueth not in all things which are written in the booke of the Law to doe them Gal. 3.10 To the Kings most excellent Maiestie CHARLES by the grace of God King of Great-Brittaine Fraunce and Ireland Defender of the Christian faith c. MOST dread and renowned Soueraigne may it please your excellent Maiestie such is the power of Trueth and specially in Religion that they which haue once tasted it cleaue vnto it more then vnto all the hopes of this life besides The Law of thy mouth saith Dauid is better vnto mee then thowsands of gold siluer Psal 119.72 Yea such is the excellency of Gods blessed Trueth as his meekest seruants will stirr in the defence of it the mildest fight before it shall be indamaged by their forbearance I durst not petition your Highnesse nor aduenture these lines vnto your Maiesties consideration vntill I had by diligent studie first so setled my conscience in the certaine trueth of them as my minde gaue me that I am tied in conscience rather to departe with my life then with this Trueth so captiuated is my conscience inthraled to the Law of my God Here therefore I tender this Trueth with my life vnto your Maiestie that vnto your Godly consideration this vnto your clemency mercy and both to the pleasure of the Almighty I remember when the Booke of the Law had bene lost and was found againe by Hilkiah the Priest in the Raigne of Iosiah 2. King 22. that Hilkiah sent it by Shaphan the Chaunteller vnto the King which giueth me to vnderstand that in matters of Gods worship in case failings and corruptions be found out the Supreme power the King is to haue knowledge of it More particularly when the Lords Sabbath was thought to be prophaned by the Disciples of Christ by plucking eares of corne Mat. 12. to whom did the Pharises complaine but vnto Christ the Lord and Master of the Disciples And when in Nehemiahs time the Sabbath was prophaned by treading the Winepresse bearing of burdens Nehem. 13. to whom did Nehemiah turne himselfe but vnto the Rulers Nobles of Iudah for redresse I addresse my selfe therefore vnto your Maiestie humblie beseeching you to take it into consideration 1. That that most ancient sacred ordinance of Gods Sabbath prescribed in the Morall Law and religiously practised by the most anciët primitiue Churches neere 400 yeeres after the Ascention of Christ euen so longe as they retained their brightest purity and which ought religiously to be sanctified to the worlds end it is now prophaned trampled vnder foote 2. That the Decalogue Law of God is not taught maintained in our Church in its fulnesse integrity and perfection but onely partially by peeces 3. That God hath not his whole intire worship seruice prescribed in the first Table of the Decalogue but is denied one quarter or fowrth part thereof weekly 4. That by the common doctrine in our Church the 4th Commandement is wholly frustrate altogether nullified both roote and branch 5. That by most men in our Church there is grosse superstition committed Gods worship is corrupted and by many plain idolatry wrought by keeping the Lords day for a Sabbath by the 4th Com. Amongst other things I haue as I beleeue made these fiue things manifestly appeare in this Booke and now I humbly present them vnto your Highnesse consideration trusting the cause will speake for it selfe and its bare mention will call for a Reformation It was the laudable and Godly care of your deere Father to cause in his time a new Translation of the sacred Bible for the correction of but here and there a word how much more I trust will his suruiuing Sonne Heire be mindfull of such weighty matters as these are Almighty God hath honoured this eternall Law of the 10 Commandements with such honour as he vouchsafed not to any one portion of Scripture besids in all the Sacred Bible for hee deliuered it in most Maiesticall and terrible manner in flaming fyer the earth trembling Moses the people quaking hee spake it proclaimed it with his owne voyce and wrote it with his owne finger in Tables of stone The Eternall Sonne of God whilst on earth bewraied such care of this Law as that hee ratified it and euery iote title of it to the worlds end saying Verily I say vnto you that vntill heauen earth passe one iote or one title shall in no wise passe from the Law till all things be fulfilled Mat. 5.18 The Church of God in this Christian Kingdome honoureth at this day this Law of God for shee hath inrouled it in hir Booke of Common Prayers and ordered that it be deuoutly reade at the Sacrament of the Lords Supper at other times of holy Assemblies I trust therefore your Maiestie will afford this sacred honourable portion of Gods Word your best protection The Law it is the inheritance of the Church as wee reade Deut.
for counsaile aboute the matter and all their vvites frends should be imployed for to find it out as they vvould haue it if it vvere possible but novv the Tyeth of Gods Lavv or a portion of the tieth at least is detayned from God and from themselues by themselues and here they vvill neither runne nor ride nor aske for Counsaile in this case no nor accept vvelcome it vvhen it is brought thrust in to their heades it giues a man to suspect that these loue more vnfeinedly a good liuing then Gods law Nay I cannot but thinke that if I had tendered vnto some Ministers a liuing of 50l. or 60l. a yeere that vpon no better euidence title then in my former booke I tendred them the Lords Sabbaths I cannot thinke I say that any man in the kingdome could wrest it out of their hands In a word these that are so mindelesse of Gods lavv vvhen they are so mindfull of their owne liuings like as God said vnto his people the Iewes when they neglected the building of the Temple yet were diligent to builde themselues houses Is it time for you to dwell in your seiled houses and this house lie waste Hagg. 1.4 So may I say vnto them Is it time for you yee Ministers to enioy your liuings when the Lords Sabbaths lie waste God must haue a rekoning of you for these things This rule being applied to common people will detect them also Is it so that whosoeuer loueth Gods law in trueth he will with all redinesse willingnesse imbrace the knowledge of the vnknowne partes thereof Then if I shall make it appeare that most men are vnwilling to imbrace the knowledge of the vnknovvne partes of Gods lavv it vvill follovv very suspiciously that most men doe not loue the law of God in trueth what euer they say thinke to the contrary Thus I make it good against them The doctrine of Gods Sabbaths is a parte of the lavv it is the vnknovvne part of Gods lavv Novv the knowledge of this being tendered vnto men they bevvray their vnwillingnesse to be taught instructed in it that two wayes the one is in that vvhen the matter cometh to tryall they admit of insufficient Artificiall arguments for they preferr feeble and weake reasons before strong and able reasones the other is in that they admit of insufficient Inartificiall argumēts for they admit and allow of dissallowable and vnsufficient Testimonyes to decide this controuercy by vvhen these two things are made plaine the case vvill goe cleere against them for a foundation first of all suppose we the point in controuercy to wit this vnknowne parte of Gods Law touching his Sabbathes is as disputable contingent questionable as doubtfull as you will in so much as in your very consciences you thinke it may be it may not be a trueth and that it is as likly not to be true as to be true let all this be granted perhaps there is some reason it shold be granted seeing that it is a point not heard of before by common people neither haue they euer spent any time in the study of the point Well be it so I proceed then For the first to vvit that vvhen the point of Gods Sabbaths comes to be argued people yea Ministers also admit of insufficient arguments preferring them before able strong reasons and this shall appeare by comparing together the reasons brought onboth sides the reasons brought for the Lords Sabbaths among others are these 1. Gods expresse Com. Exod. 20.8 Remember the Sabbath day and In it thou shalt not doe any worke 2. Christ ratified it vvhen he vvith so vehement an Asseueration auovvched the duration of euery iot and title of the Lavv vnto the vvorlds end saying Verily I say vnto you vntill heauen earth perish one iote or one title of the Law shall not escape vntill all things be fulfilled And againe whosoeuer therfore shall breake one of these least commandements and teach men so he shall be called the least in the Kingdome of heauen Mat. 5.18.19 On the other side the reasons brought against Gods Sabbathes by those which are the enemies therof are these Gal. 4.10 ye obserue dayes and moneths and times and yeeres c. and Col. 2.16 let no man condemne you in meate drinke or in respect of an holy day or of the new Moone or of the Sabbath dayes Novv let these argumēts on both sides be laid into the ballances they for the Lords Sabbath in to the one ballāce they against the Lords Sabbath in to the other ballance and then iudg thou good Reader vvhither hath the greater weight For breuitysake we wil compare onely these two textes Exo. 20.8 and Col. 2.16 The one thou seest is a Commandement and a Morall Commandement it toucheth the very point in question to vvit the 7th day Sabbath yea that the 4th Com. intendeth the seauenth day Saturday Sabbath is so plaine as vvas it neuer doubted of by any The other thou seest is a dissvvasion from Sabbath dayes indefinitly that is from some Sabbath dayes for the Apostle saith not all Sabbath dayes in generall but Sabbath dayes as of some Sabbath dayes in speciall so then this texte toucheth not the point in question to wit the 7th day Sabbath but other annuall ceremoniall Sabbaths if this Text did make ought against the Morall 7th day Sabbath it must speake of all Sabbathes generally in the largest sense that so the Morall Sabbath might be included condemned too but the text doth not mention the note of generallity all neither is it necessarily to be collected for 1. their owne expositers as Perkins Dod Greenham Elton Ames with diuerse others as shall be shovvne doe limite this text vnto some Sabbaths as vnto the ceremoniall yeerly Sabbaths and. 2. The text giueth light vnto it for it condemneth onely such things as neuer vvere vvrote in the Morall Law as meate and drinke and new moones c. and therefore vve iudge the Sabbaths condemned in this Text to be onely such Sabbaths also as vvere neuer vvrote in the 10 Commandements as their yeerly Sabbaths so the vveekly Sabbaths in the 4th Com. stand still vntoucht by this text 3 suppose vve that the Apostle had spake not onely of Sabbaths plurally but also of Sabbaths generally had vsed the particle all saying all Sabbaths yet vve knovv that the particle all is often times restrained in Scripture is not taken in the largest sense that may be witnesse these Scriptures 1. Cor. 6.12 1. Cor. 9.25 1. Corint 10.23.33 1. Cor. 13.2.7 1. Cor. 15.22 vvhereby vve see that this their text Col. 2.16 may be vnderstood of some Sabbaths onely as namely of the yeerly Sabbaths and so ther 's no necessity it should touch the morall vveekly Sabbaths at all Iudge novv good Reader whither of these two textes are more for the purpose for the 4th com it is vnderstood directly of the 7th
it for a Lecture day if that that is that they preached a Sermon sometimes vpon the Lords day but a lecture day is no Sabbath day 3. I answer if the practise of the Apostles after Christ his Ascention be a sure note that Christ whilst he was vpon the earth gaue the Apostles a Commandement for that practise then surely Christ gaue the Apostles a Commandement to keepe the Saturday Sabbath for Paul Barnabas the Rest with them kept the Saturday Sabbath constantly after Christ his Ascention se for this purpose Act. 13.14.42.44 and Act. 16.13 and Act. 17.2 and Act. 18.4 thus it appeareth by their owne arguments that the Saturday Sabbath is still in force commanded by Christ too yet they will not acknowledge it but oppose it 4. I answer that it is absurd for any to imagine once that Christ gaue his Apostles a commandement for the Lords day for this were to cast a foule blurr on the Apostles that Christ their Master should giue them a Commandement to deliuer vnto the Churches and they shold conceale it wher 's then their fidelity how could they say with Paul Act. 20.27 that they had reuealed the whole counsaile of God kept nothing back vvhen they had kept back a precept for the Lords day Sabbath SECT X. A 5th text out of the New Testament alleaged and abused for the Lords day is 2. Cor. 5.17 and this text as t is vsed by others so it is stifly defended by Mr. Greenwood the words are these If any man be in Christ he is a new creature old things are passed away behold all things are become new Whence he thus argueth what saith he can be plainer to proue that if all things be new then a new day of worship also Hereunto I answer 1. if all things in Christs kingdome be become new then shew me vvhere Christ hath giuen you a new commandement for your nevv Lords day I am suer you can finde none in all the nevv Testament in the steade of the old 4th com 2. They say all things in Christ kingdome are become new yet they vvill needs hau the old 4th com to strengthen their nevv Lords day by it do they not contradict them selues if all things be nevv then let them no more vrge the 4th old com for the Lords day 3. the Isralites vvere commanded to vvorship the true God that by the first old com shevv me then vvhat other God or vvhat nevv God vve must vvorshipp if all things are become nevv 4. S. Iohn saith he wrote no nâ—w commandement but an old commandement vnto them 1. Ioh. 2.7 Paul telleth vs that whatsoeuer things are written afore time are written for our lerning Ro. 15.4 our Sauiour telleth vs that vntill heauen earth passe one iot or one title of the law shall not escape c. Mat. 5.18 so then all things in Christs kingdome are not become nevv 4. This Text is ignorantly vvrested vnto a sense the which the holy Ghost neuer meant for the holy Ghost speaketh not in this text of old of new lawes ordinances in the Church as if this text were for the abolishing of the old Ceremonies of Circumcision the Passeouer and the like and for the establishing of new ordinances as of Baptisme the Lords Supper the like as they wrest abuse it grosly but it treateth of the old corruptions in men vnregenerate and of new grace in men sanctified and that a man in Christ is not an old man but a new man in conuersation this is the true sense laying open to euery eye and yet for all this they be not ashamed to vvring wrest this portion of Scripture to old Sabbaths to new Sabbaths what a shamefull abuse is this of Scripture me thinkes men that make conscience of other things should also make conscience of this to giue the vvord of God its due and proper sense to report a mans vvords in an other sense then he meant them is in estimation false witnesse bearing a finne of the 9th Com. but to misreport the sacred word of God and to giue such a sense of it as the holy Ghost neuer intended this is a sinne not against man but against God this is to be a false witnesse not against man but against God What haue they no body to father their falshoodes vpon but vpon God the God of trueth vvill not the Lords day be vpholden for a Sabbath vvithout such vile vngodly courses as these SECT XI A 6th Text out of the New Testament alleaged and abused for the Lords day is 1. Cor. 16.2 Vpon the first day of the weeke let euery on of you put aside by himselfe and lay vp as God hath prospered him that then there be no gatherings when I come Loe here say they was a collection for the poore which collection was an ordinance of the Apostle as I haue ordeined in the Churches of Galatia so doe yee Now when there were collections for the poore there must be assemblies and when there were assemblies then there vvere sermons and on those dayes in which were collections for the poore and assemblies sermons those were Sabbath dayes This text M. Yates hath vrged vpon me Herevnto I answer 1. Here you see the foundation of all this argument is from hence that there vvas at Corinth a collection for the poore and that there was also an Assembly if therefore I shall make it appeare that there vvas neither collection nor assembly then you will say this text is grosly abused and that herein is no foundation for any new Sabbath And first touching the assembly that here was no assembly or congregation ordeined by Paul is plaine from the vvords of the Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 apudseipsum reponat or apud se seponat let euery one of you put aside by himselfe the Apostle speaketh not here of putting vp mony in the congregation or assembly but of putting it aside by himselfe Now it is one thing to lay vp mony by a mans selfe and an other to lay it vp with others in an assembly for a man may lay vp mony by himselfe when he is at home alone by himselfe and this is that vvhich the text speaketh of and this is not done in an assembly as they suppose but out of an assembly if here vvere any grownd for them for any assembly the Apostle must haue said Let euery one of you contribute vvith others or in the assembly or let euery one of you put aside from himselfe as men doe to Collectors in the Church but he saith the quite contrary let euery one put aside by himselfe vvherefore this ordinance of Pauls vvas a duety to be done by euery man singlie alone by himselfe at home here then you see is no grownd for any assembly or Congregation Now I come to the collection and I shall make it appeare that Paul made no ordinance here at Corinth
but in regard of Christs pouerty it is not vnlikly that he vsed browne or corse bread 2. By the like the Iewes might haue thus absurdly reasoned also whereas the Sabbath day was commanded on Mount Sinay Exod. 20. yea one moneths iourney before they came to Mount Sinay in the wildernesse of Sin Exod. 16.1.23 yea and in an other remote place as in that parte of the world where about Paradise was since the Sabbath was from the Creation hence the Iewes might thus peruersly haue argued saying wee are now in Canaan or in Captiuity in a country that is farr remote from Mount Sinay where the Sabbath was commanded or from the wildernesse of Sin or that parte of the world where Paradise was and where the Patriarkes kept the Sabbath and therfore we here cannot keepe the Sabbath for our Sabbath in this country begineth not at that point of time iust when the Sabbath begineth at Mount Sinay the wildernesse of Sin or about Paradise loe their folly God requireth not a people to begine his 7th day Sabbath when other remote Nations begine theirs but onely thē when by the light of the Sunne which rules the day God begineth to that people his Seauenth day This point is further prosecuted in my former booke but enough too much hath bene here said to this idle argument men haue so little reuerence of God and of his lawes and of his ancient ordinance the Sabbath that they thinke any thing is good enough how idle and ridiculouse soeuer to throw against the same euery frothie conception of an idle braine is matter sound enough to buze and make a noise in peoples eares against that sacred time which God himselfe hath hallowed sanctified honoured amongst his morales SECT VIII A 4th text is that Isa 66.23 From moneth to moneth or from new Moone to new Moone from Sabbath to Sabbath shall all flesh come to worship before me saith the Lord. Whence some collect that the Sabbath here was made a Signe of the euerlasting Sabbath in heauen others would haue it a Signe of the Church vnder the new Testament and of the Church triumphant in heauen both so it being a signe it is abolished Herevnto I answer 1. it is doubtfull what may be the proper sense of this text it being a Prophecy deliuered in Metaphoricall and Allegoricall speeches for instance what shall be meant by these words from new Moone to new Moone it is doubtfull wherefore this text being difficult it is not fit to haue a controuercy decided by it much lesse to haue it vsed to the abolishing of any thing commanded in a morall law it is not meete that the 4th com being vttered in plaine proper speeches should be contradicted countermanded by a Prophecy which is vttered in difficult improper speeches what is this but petitio principij 2. I answer by the word Sabbath here may be vnderstod not the weekly 7th day morall Sabbath inioyned in the morall law but some of the anniuersary ceremoniall Sabbathes which neuer came into the morall law as that Sabbath of the Seauenth yeere or of the fiftith yeere Leuit. 25.10.4 for since the text speaketh of a continuall worshiping of God vnder the new Testament therefore the Sabbath of a yeere is more fit to be a type of it then the Sabbath of a day the 7th day 3. I answer the Sabbath day here mentioned is not made a Signe but rather the other 6 dayes which goe betwence Sabbath and Sabbath for so the text saith from Sabbath to Sabbath that is all the dayes betwene the Sabbaths shall all flesh come to worship c. so then it is not the Sabbath day that was made a Signe but those Six dayes which went betwene the Sabbathes SECT IX A 5th text of theirs is Heb. 4.10.11 where there is mention of a Rest and in v. 9. there remaineth therefore a Rest vnto the people of God Here say they the Sabbath or Rest is made a type of the Rest in the Kingdome of heauen now all types are abolished as ceremonies Herevnto I answer 1. many thinke indeed that here is some greate matter in this text for their purpose but it will proue vpon better examination nothing so for if this Rest here mentioned be a type of heauen it is so farr off from making any thing against the Sabbath day as that it rather maketh for it for the nature of types is to last in the Church vntill the thing typed out by them be come thus all sacrifices lasted vntill Christ our pascall Lamb was comne sacrificed for vs wherefore by like reason if this Rest or Sabbath heere be a type of the kingdome of heauens rest then may this Rest and Sabbath last in the Church vntill we all come to a rest in the kingdome of heauen so then all the time we liue on earth this Sabbath may be kept 2. I answer if the aduersaries to this ordinance of Gods Sabbath could tell how to proue the Rest in the 4th com a ceremony by this text then hereby they must wholly ouerthrow the 4th com for take away rest from laboures as an abolished ceremony and then may men labour in their caleings euery man in his seuerall family in his seuerall field and how then can there be any publike assemblies of the people together in the Church to keepe a Sabbath 3. I answer suppose we that there was a type in the word Rest yet since it speaketh not of a dayes rest but of an euerlasting rest therfore may the yeere of Iubile the 50th yeere be made a type here rather thē the 7th day for there is greater similitude betwene the 50th yeere Leuit. 25.10.11.4.1 and the euerlasting rest then betwene the 7th day Exod 20.8 and the euerlasting rest SECT X. A 6th text they vse which is Numb 28.9.10 where it was commanded vnto the Iewes to offer ij lambes for a Sacrifice on the Sabbath day whence they would collect that if the Sacrifices being a duety of the Sabbath be abolished then is the Sabbath it selfe aboiished Herevnto I answer 1. if the Sabbath day be abolished togeather with the sacrificing of the ij lambes then must for the same reason also be abolished rest from laboures and the morall worship of God in the Sabbath for the sacrificing of the lambes on the Sabbath day hath as much respect vnto rest from labour Gods worship to declare them also to be ceremonies as vnto the time to declare it to be a ceremony abolished 2. I answer that this law of offering ij lambes on the Sabbath day it was aduentitiouse onely added to the 4th com to the Sabbath for a time and therefore no parte of the 4th com nor essentiall Sabbath duety for it was neuer wrote by God in Tables of stone but wrote by Moses as were other ceremonies all after the writing of the moral law was finished and therefore no parte of
the integrity and perfection thereof vnto a iott and title These things premised I come vnto the first thing propounded namely the Defense of the Morall law against Anabaptistes Libertines and Antinomianes SECT II. TOuching the defense of the morall law and consequently of Gods Sabbathes therein conteined be pleased to note that both Anabaptistes beyond the sea and Antinomians on this side the sea all of them that euer I haue spake withall doe freely confesse it that if any day must be a Sabbath day it must be not the Lords day but Saturday the ould Sabbath day now that this Sabbath day is now in force they deny because they suppose the whole law to be abolished and so the Sabbath day therein also wherefore if I shall proue vnto these that the law is still in force I haue obtained my desire with them to wit that the seuenth day Sabbath is still in force First then as touching these who deny the morall law I can but wonder how any heart that hath the feare of God in it can without trembling and astonishment admit so blasphemous a thought as this to enter it as to thinke that that most holy and righteouse Law of God hath nothing to doe with him to command him and to direct him how to order his liefe Moses speaketh thus in commendation of this Law saying And what Nation is so great that hath ordinances and lawes so righteous as all this law which I set before you this day Deuteru 4.8 and is it so righteous a law how is it then that these men will attempt to abolish it and deny obedience vnto it our Sauiour telleth vs that the summe of this Law is to loue the Lord our God with all our hearts soules and might and to loue our neighbour as our selues Matt. 22.37 Can they shew vs any other law in steade of this that is better more holy or more iust Loue is the summe of this law and loue is the law we shall vvalke by in the kingdome of heauen 1. Corint 13.8.13 and vvill they reiect that lavv on earth vvhich vve shall vvalke by in the kingdome of heauen It may be they vvill say for themselues but the Morall lavv it is Moses lavv novv vve haue forsaken Moses vve cleaue vnto Christ and vnto his Lavves in the Nevv Testament c. But 1. the ceremoniall lavv being vvritten by Moses it may be termed Moses lavv but the Morall Lavv being vvritten by the finger of God it must be called Gods Lavv. 2. Make they a difference betvvixt the lavv vvritten in Exod. 20.1 c. and the same lavv ratified by Christ in the Nevv Testament let them then shevv me a difference betvvixt these tvvo Honour thy father thy mother c. Ex. 20.12 and Children obey your parentes c. Eph. 6.1 and betwixt these tvvo Ex. 20.13 Thou shalt not kill Ro. 13.9 If there then be no difference of the Morall lavv vvhither in the ould or nevv Testament in vaine doe they reiect the one to embrace the other Happily they vvill say againe I but the lavv is of a compulsiue nature compelling men to obedience but Christianes are indued vvith a free spirit doeing things of loue the loue of Christ constraineth them c. it is true indeed Christians are set at liberty and are indued vvith a free spirit but not vvith such a freedome as freeth them from being the Lords seruantes and exempteth them from obedience vnto his Commandements Rom. 6.18.22 nor are vve so perfectly free here but that vve stand in neede of the spurr to quicken our dulnesse see for this purpose Matt. 10.28 Matt. 6.15 Ierem. 32.40 Phil. 2.12 But they will haue no commandements No why then did Christ giue Commandements see Ioh. 13.34 1. Cor. 7.19 Ioh. 14.15 Matth. 6.9.15 Furthermore they say the loue of Christ constraineth them 2. Corin. 5.14 and this loue may and doth compell them to the obedience of the commandements of Christ Ioh. 14.15 Joh. 13.34 well and why then may not the loue of God likewise constraine them to obey his commandements in Exod. 20.1 c. will they loue Christ and will they not loue God if constraint in respect of Christs commādements will stand with the libertie and freedome of Christianes why may it not stand also in respect of Gods commandements One thing I would adde more and it is an admonition vnto any fearing God and honouring his Sabbathes who be leaning and but somewhat inclining vnto this wicked opinion that as they loue and reuerence Gods Sabbathes so they would beware of and shune this dangerous opinion of abolishing the law of God for this I dare confidently affirme take away this morall law and away goeth all Sabbathes also now take away Gods Sabbathes and what a floud of iniquity and prophannesse will forth with flovv in vpon vs I leaue to be considered of by all the Godly wise happily they may thinke to find ground and warrant enough in the New Testament for a Sabbath as namely for the Lords day though the fourth comman were abollshed but that herein they are much mistaken and that no day can be vrged to be sanctified for a Sabbath vnlesse it be by and from the fourth comm shall abundantly appeare hereafter Vnlesse therefore you intend to turne Anabaptistes and keepe no Sabbath auoid this pestilent opinion I come now to the profe of the point but first for the state of the question These Anabaptisticall-Antinomianes hould that the law is not in force to beleeuers and such as are in Christ And wee hould that the law is in force to beleeuers and men in Christ Furthermore whereas the law may be considered two wayes either with respect vnto Iustification or vnto obseruation vvee doe not defend the lavv to be in force vnto Iustification for by the workes of the law shall no flesh be iustified Rom. 3.20 we defend the lavv to be in force only vnto obseruation and for direction of vs how to walke and to please God Now then that the law is in force vnto beleeuers as a rule of obseruation and direction I proue it by these insuing arguments and Scriptures 1. For verely I say vnto you vntill heauen and earth passe one iote or one title shall in no wise passe from the law vntill all things be fulfilled Matt. 5.18 In which words our Sauiour prophecieth of the duration and continuance of the law euen vnto the worlds end 2. By the law here he vnderstandeth the morall law for the same it is which he expoundeth in the following verses as the sixt comm in v. 22. the seuenth comm in v. 27. the third comm in v. 33. lastly note that all this is pressed vpon beleeuers for obseruation as you may see v. 14.20.45.48 where our Sauiour directeth his speech vnto those which were the light of the world and to those whom God is called their father and therefore these were beleeuers Wee see then that the law belongeth vnto Christians as
4th com make it senselesse as you see of like nature are all their distinctions therefore worthily to be abhorred of all such as loue Gods lawes God will vndoubtedly one day accurse all such distinctions expositions of any text of Scripture as are made in opposition to his Lawes is there no way to expound the Gospell but so as it must needs quite ouerturne the law or some part of it and is it meete to receiue such vnnecessary distinctions as shall rend out rase out some portion of Gods law the Decalogue or 10 Com. I meane But it may be obiected that vve doe not make such hauocke with the 4th com nor make it so voide senselesse but that we doe still retaine it doe presse it vpon mens consciences vvell nigh euery sermon c. True indeed you vrge the 4th com but how absurdly let all men iudge like as if a man should cancell a bond plucke off the seales yet stifly plead his bond still so these after by their doctrine they haue made the comman a peece of senselese ridiculouse stuffe yet still they call and cry out the 4th com the 4th com yee transgresse Gods 4th com Furthermore the reason annexed to it by God as most effectuall to perswade men to obedience of this com taken from Gods ensample this you altogether omit neglect For when are you heard to perswade the people thus Let vs rest from our workes on the Lords day because God rested on the 7th day Gen. 2.2 Exod. 20.11 Let vs sanctifie the Lords day because God sanctified hallowed the 7th day Gen. 2.3 Exod. 20.11 Let vs be imitators followers of God as deere children and keepe that day vveekly for an holy day vvhich God himselfe made kept an holy day at the Creation No no such matter for so they should contradict themselues If they should persvvad men to follovv Gods example so the mysterie of their iniquity vvould be discouered for God kept the 7th day from the creation but our Lords day is the 8th day from the creation the day vvhich God kept vvas kept in memory of the Creation but our Lords day is kept in memory of the Redemption thus as the com is nullified so the reason to the com is made a meere superfluouse cipher altogether vselesse let them say what they vvill to the contrary As for the law it selfe you vrge it indeed vpon mens consciences but vvith small conscience you vrge it for you abuse prefane Gods word as hath bene showne by applying that to the Lords day which is a common vvorking day as fryday is vvhich should be applied by Gods ordinance to an holy day vvhich himselfe had hallovved as to the 7th day as well might you profanely apply those Sacramentall vvords of institution to common bread to common water as Gods 4th comm to a common day not sanctified by God And thus much for Exposition of the 4th Commandement THus I haue endeavoured to make it appeare hovv they haue corrupted abused the lavv and thereby corrupted abused the people also What remaineth but that they may be driuen to repentance I minde them of that fearefull denuntiation vttered by our Sauiour Christ after that he had ratified the law in the integrity perfection of partes euen to a iot title of it Mat. 5.18 Whereto he addeth these words Whosoeuer therfore shall breake one of these least Commandements teach men so he shall be called the least in the Kingdome of heauen but whosoeuer shall obserue teach them the same shall be called great in the Kingdome of heauen Matth. 5.19 In which words our blessed Sauiour doth perswade to the keeping of the Morall Lavv in euery iote title of it vnto the worlds end Further our Sauiour sheweth wherein or in what manner he would haue euery iot title of the Law kept and this is two wayes the one by doctrine noted in these words and teach men so The other by practise noted in these words Whosoeuer shall obserue c. whereby wee see it was the minde of Christ to haue euery title of the lavv not onely obserued practised but also he would haue euery title of it taught vnto the people vrged pressed vpon them and on the other side because the bare doctrine of the Minister is forcelesse it many men vvithout his practise least they should say he layeth heauy burthens vpon other men but himselfe vvill not touch them vvith one of his fingers therefore Christ ioyneth practise to doctrine saying Whosoeuer shall obserue teach c. Furthermore vve are in speciall manner to note vnto what manner of persones these words are directed not vnto lay men as they call them but vnto the Clergie vnto Ministers in speciall as vve may vnderstand by the vvords teach men so so then this portion of Scripture it is directed vnto the Ministry the vvill of Christ to them is that they shall both teach to the people and also practise before them vnto the worlds end euery iot and title of the Law Now in the next place we haue Christ his arguments to moue perswade Ministers to these tvvo dueties and because Ministers are of tvvo sortes some though but a smale some vvill teach and practise euery iot title of the Lavv to the vtmost of theire povver but others vvill neither teach nor practise the same therefore hath Christ fitted his Arguments to both sorts by name to such Ministers as doe both teach practise to them our Sauiour promiseth this blessing that they shall be called greate in the Kingdome of heauen oh that there vvere yet many more that would couet this greatenesse in Gods fauour by teaching reuealing the whole counsaile of God euen all his Ten commandements intirly in euery iot title of them But now as for those other Ministers vvho refuse either to teach or to practise this Lavv of God intirly to these our Sauiour threateneth a Cursse to vvite that these shall be called least in the Kingdome of heauen novv vvheras our Sauiour denounceth this cursse vnto them vvhich breake one of the least of these commandements suppose vve the Time commanded in the 4th com vvhere the very least of the commandements because they vse to cale it but a circumstance and the like vvhy yet for all that so long as it is a commandement though the least of all the commandements yet Christ denounceth this Cursse vnto such Ministers as refuse to teach the people this least com and refuse to practise it before the people they haue pleased to miscale it a ceremony Iudaisme the like but let them try if this vvill free them before Christ his Iudgment seate from this Cursse of Christ vvhich he denounced being on earth I beleeue all they re subtilties shiftes vvherby they blind the eyes of men here vvill hardly so blind the eyes of Christ
they say the Rest in the Sabbath day is a type of the reft in the Kingdome of Heauen Heb. 4. a signe of Christ Exod. 31.13 Col. 2.16 yet they hold the same Rest to be morall still in force why then may not the 7th day be abolished as a type and yet remaine as a sacred time for Gods worship as a time to exercise mercy in towards poore seruants by releasing them from their laboures wherein they haue bene spent the 6. daies before why I say may not the time remaine still as it is an helpe and a furtherance vnto those morall dueties of rest the worship of God it is to be wondered at to see men goe about to reiect abolish such things as were are in themselues and may be helpes furtherances of Morall dueties A 5th instance shall be the feast of Pentecost or Whit-Sunday which was a Iewish feast day or Sabbath day as you may read in Leuit. 23.15.16.21 it was also a signe or Shadow of Christ to come as you may see Col. 2.16.17 so it was abolished neuerthelesse we Christians doe keepe this feast day sanctify it as a Sabbath day once euery yeere for as Peter did preach vpon the day of Pentecost Act. 2.1.14 so doeth our Church vpon Whit-sunday onely we haue cast of that shaddowish respect which it had amongst the Iewes of being a signe of Christ to come wherefore by the constant practise of our Church it appeareth that a Iewish ceremoniall day may be retained in our Church so be the ceremonies of it be reiected if then pentecost a ceremoniall feast or Sabbath day may be retained in a Christiā Church why may not the 7th day Sabbath also be retained amongst vs yea if it could be proued a signe of Christ to come thus by this instance you see that a Sabbath day may remaine after its significatiue nature or quality be vanished Thus I haue finished my two generall answers the former shewing that the 7th day Sabbath is not spoken of in their text Exod. 31.13 but onely the yeerly Sabbaths the latter shewing that if the 7th day Sabbath were spokē of in their text Ex. 31.13 yet no more is abolished of this Sabbath but its significatiue typicall quality but the absolute nature of the Sabbath consisting of those 5 things foremētioned may still remaine to wit 1. rest 2. holy dueties 3. on the 7th day 4. because God rested on this 7th day sanctified it 5. because God commanded these thinges My third generall answer that I may defēd the morall Law with euery thing therin commanded vnto a iot and title and shune those foule and many absurdeties which my aduersaries rune into is this the Sabbath may be considered naturally orginally so I deny it was any signe for the signe was not put into the 4th com much lesse to its first institution Gen. 2.3 or it may be considered accidentally aduentitiously and so it became a signe after its institution as in Exod. 31.13 so as the signe was but accidentall and extrinsecall to the Sabbath it being added to it many hundreth yeeres after its prime institution and I know not how long after its promulgation on Mount Sinay in this latter sense I yeeld it abolished but in the former I deny it for as the Rocke after it lost its typicalnesse it still remained a Rocke so may the Sabbath after Christ had abolished its typicalnesse which was affixed to it it may still remaine a Sabbath as it was originally at its prime institution it may remaine still as a Sacred time for Gods worship as a fit time to refresh mā beast in spent with former 6 daies labour Thus much for answer vnto this their text Exod. 31.13 wherein we haue bene the larger because they stand so much vpon it as one of their strongest fortes and suerest houldes but how weake you see there remaineth now but one text more of theirs to answer and it is a maine and chiefe one also it followeth in this next section SECT XIX 15thly they fetch an other a maine argumēt against Gods 7th day Sabbath out of this text Col. 2.16.17 Let no man therefore cōdemne you in meate drinke or in respect of an Holy day or of the new Moone or of the Sabbath daies which are a shaddow of things to come but the body is of Christ But before I come to shew you their arguments out of this text against the Sabbath let me first shew you how absurdly they behaue thēselues who would fetch arguments out of this text against Gods Sabbath The first absurdety is this that they doe voluntarily wilfully without any constraint set themselues in opposition to an ancient ordinance of Gods in his Church for this purpose it is to be obserued not onely that the Saturday or 7th day Sabbath was an ordinance of Gods and in high honour in his Church but also that it was one of the most ancient ordinances that euer God established in his Church for this Sabbath day it did not onely obtaine like priuiledges and honour equally with the residue of the Morales deliuered vpon Mount Sinay but also it pleased God to Sanctify this day at the very Creation of the world as we reade Genes 2.3 So God blessed the 7th day sanctified it God did sanctifie this day rested in it making him selfe our presidēt begining this holy Sabbath in his owne person now for any man to oppose any of Gods ordinances wilfully not compelled therevnto is an euill but to oppose so ancient an ordinance as is this Sabbath is a farre greater euill Baptisme and the Lords supper are ancient ordinances in the Church yet are they nothing so ancient as be the Lords Sabbaths whereby you see that these patrones of nouelty are enemies to antiquity I meane those who defend the Lords day for a Sabbath which is a nouill thing they are enemies to the Sabbath day which is a most ancient thing were it some nouelty or new vpstart point in religion which I speake for it were tollerable that they should oppose it but being so ancient an ordinance in Gods Church as that it is backed with the greatest antiquity here to oppose that causlesly is most absurd Were they compelled herevnto or constrained by the vrgeing necessity of some portion of Scripture in the new Testament or more specially were they compelled herevnto by this one text of Scripture Col. 2.16.17 or by any thing therein conteined they might be excused but seing this text as well as all others may be so expounded as it shall not any whit oppose this ancient Sabbath and ordinance of God and seing there is no collection or consequence that is thence deduced against this ordinance of Gods which necessarily must follow from this text therefore they are altogether vnexcusable that oppose it make it so odiouse before the people of God Wherefore their
of it yea why should we not yeeld God obedience to the one halfe of his 4th com as well as to the other halfe this is not to haue respect vnto all Gods commandements with Dauid Psal 119.6 God will haue an account as well for the least of his commandements as for the greatest Who soeuer shall breake one of these least commandements saith our Sauiour shall be called the least in the kingdome of heauen Mat. 5.19 Now be it that that parte of the 4th com which commandeth the day time be neuer so little in your account yet is it not lesse then the least of all the things commanded in the Morall Law Yet further full little doe men thinke what a deale of inconveniēce doth follow vpon this obiection in sleiting of the time day specified in the Morall Law for since this sleiting of the 7th day hath crept into the Church what a deale of instability and profanesse hath crept in with it yea it is to be noted that since this sleiting of the old Sabbath hath bene receiued Sabbaths neuer did thriue in Churches for the discouery whereof let vs take a suruey of the Christian Churches looke we first into the Church of Rome how doe they keepe the Sabbath in these dayes as for the right day to wit the 7th day they hould that abolished and therefore they keepe not that day well then come we to the Lords day and how keepe they that why the Lords day they keepe indeed but like a Common Holy day but as a Tradition of the Church now had they retained the auncient purity of the 4th com holding themselues closse vnto the 7th day as it is written in the 4th com durst they haue kept the Sabhath day so profanly as now they keepe the Lords day Since we are vpon the point we may by the way discouermore of Romes abominations we vse to charge hir with blotting our and raseing the second com so as they haue but 9 commandements but if we looke vpon the matter a little better we shall finde that they haue blotted out and rased also the 4th com and so they haue but 8 commādements for they keepe no day by virtue of the 4th com neither the 7th day nor the 8 day so as the 4th com standeth with them for a Cipher and whereas there are but 4 commandements in the first Table they haue rased out two of them haue lest but ij of them remayning so then the Church of Rome hath reiected two of Gods Tenn commandements and retaineth but eight of them and whereas there be fowre com in the first Table they haue reiected two of those fowre and retaine but two still Againe looke we vpon the Anabaptistes of whom there be greate multitudes in the Low Countries and they keepe no Sabbath day in conscience of any commandement from God but onely for order sake this their profanesse I must impute vnto this sleiting of the day mentioned in the 4th com as for their neglect of the Lords day any man may see they doe not that without a cause since there is no institution for it left by Christ and as for their neglect of the 7th day this I impute vnto the general sleiting of the 7th day made by all Churches the which they being nusled vp in haue growne to sleit it also neuerthelesse this they will confesse vpon argument that if any day ought to be kept for a Sabbath it must be the 7th day so thus we see what euill effectes haue followed since the sleiting of the 7th day hath crept into the Church for Papistes keepe no Sabbath according to the 4th com and Anabaptistes keepe no Sabbaths at all as instituted of God but count euery day a Sabbath or all dayes a like Lastly come we vnto Protestants amongst our selues we shall find that much euill hath crept into Churches since the sleit opinion of the 7th day hath invaded the world for the Church at Geneua it is in euery mans mouth how sleitily they haue kept all Sabbaths for the Churches in the Low Countries vp into Germany it is well knowne how light an esteeme they haue had of Sabbaths for our owne Church of England it is yet in the memory of man how sleit an esteeme hath bene made of Sabbaths not many yeeres past now can we thinke that these so famouse Churches would haue bene so sleitey in a matter so seriouse were is not hence that that speciall time of the 7th day written in the morall Law is sleited as deemed a ceremony which being taken for granted they all saw full well that the 4th com could not be pressed vpon the Lords day hence it was that they gaue liberty tooke liberty on the Lords day thus Gods time being sleited all Sabbaths were neglected so in conclusion you see Sabbaths did neuer thriue prosper in the Church as they would haue done if this time had not bene sleited Come we vnto some particular men since the day to wit the 7th day hath bene sleited no stability could be found out for any Sabbath day but euen Diuines of the chiefest ranke haue staggered bene in a mamering what to say or thinke of the point for example worthy Perkines we can speake in these pointes saith he but by likelihoodes I but had the 7th day bene still in vse he could haue gone beyond likelyhoodes and haue spoken peremptorily without doubtings what should I rekone vp Caluine Zanchie Vrsinus with many others forecited all which haue so sleited all Sabbaths since this sleit esteeme of the old day hath invaded the Church as that their iudgments are that now there is no Sabbath day of higher nature then an indifferent thing that our present Sabbath is to be kept but for order sake Loe these are the fruites that come from this obiection of sleiting the time as if God regarded nothing but the dueties in the day but not the day it selfe these I say are the fruites of sleiting the time in the 4th com to wit Instability doubtfullnesse in Iudgement touching the Sabbath profanesse in sanctifying Gods Sabbath where these two take place Sabbaths shall neuer thriue nor prosper longe I neuer looke to see either Diuines stable in iudgment vnanimouse in consent touching Sabbaths or Churches zealouse in Sanctifying them vntill first all agree to honour that very day time commanded in the 4th com sleight not this time therefore since the fruites of such doings hath bene will be of so euill consequence OBIECT XI Some obiect thus saying why now all times are alike vnder the gospell there is no time more holy then other or more fit for the worship of God then other now I answer 1. Why may there not be some time now vnder the gospel more Holy then other as well as there are now some persones more honourable then other if by the 5th com we hold some
by the 4th com wherefore this obiection which is very common in the mouthes of Ministers and people is of no moment it vvill not free them of superstition and vvill-vvorship When Saul offred Sacrifice and Samuel should haue done it why Saul might haue answered why I gane God a Burnt offring a peace offering it vvas as much and the same which Samuel vvould haue offered here lacked nothing but the circumstance of the person it was Saul instead of Samuel I but this excuse could not serue the turne Samuel teld him he had done foolish for all that and God would depriue him of his kingdome for it 1. Sam. 13.9.10 c. so it is here they doe foolishly that alter Gods dayes and times and they shall leese their share of those blessings which God hath promised vnto them that keepe his Sabbathes Isa 58.13.14 because they keepe not his Sabbaths but their Lords dayes and they doe foolishly because they think as Saul did to please God vvith an halfe seruice doeing somthings which God commanded and leauing out and vndone othersome thing which God commanded Sauls obedience came shorte in the circumstance of the person and therfore reiected and these men that keepe the Lords day but not the Sabbath day their obedience faleth short in the circumstance of the time Gods Sacred day and therfore will be reiected of God Let them looke too it and receiue admonition And further whereas they please them selues saying they haue the dueties of the Sabbath though they haue not the time they must know that for so much as the day and precise time is as expresly commanded in the 4th com as are Rest and holy exercises therfore the day and precise time is no lesse a duety then are other things commanded in the same Com. so then when they please themselues saying they haue the dueties of the Sabbath and neglect that day and time they haue but one halfe or some partes of the Sabbathes duties for they want the sett time which is a parte of the Sabbathes duetie yea and such a parte too as being vvanting the dueties of rest and holy excercises become no better then common holy dayes dueties for on euery common holy day they doe such Sabbath dueties that is they Rest and heare Sermones c. Novv to returne if through the false Exposition of Gods 4th com Gods people be led into such an errour by keeping a vvrong day as they shall leese the revvard of their expected hopes and their religion in respect of this day become a superstition and their conscience of the 4th Com. proue a non-obedience vnto it is it not high time that this matter be looked vnto and haue not Ministers lamentablie abused the people Yet further when people in their priuate family prayers on Sunday morning before they goe into the Congregation pray to God to assist them and helpe them in the sanctification of that day Sabbath doe they not bable before God making him beleeue that that present Sunday is his sacred Sabbath day the vvhich God knoweth is most false the same is true also of the Minister vsing such prayers in his pulpit publikely Againe when night commeth doe not such as vse to call vpon God morning and Euening make an humble confesssion to God in their priuat families of their sinnes among which they rekone vp their failings in the sanctification of that Sabbath day novv past for one thus they ignorantly confesse sinnes vnto God vvhich are no sinnes and feare vvhere no feare is for if a sinne it must be a transgression of some law but shew me a law for the sanctifying of the Lords day ther 's one indeed for the Sabbath day but none at all for the Lords day neither in the old nor new Testaments Novv doe not such Ministers lamentably abuse their people who by abusiue expsitions of Gods commandement doe put a needlesse conscientie into men and cause them to thinke that to be sinne vvhich is no sinne and which is worse cause them to acknowledge vnto God more sinnes then God himselfe knowes and to aske pardon where they haue committed no offence is it not high time that God should raise vp some man to detect these errours yis doubtlesse and the times vvill in an irefull displeasure at him for his honest paines woefully reward him in body goods and good name Thus far of Ministers abusing of the people of God committed to their charge I come novv to Ministers abuse of the sacred word of God a thing to be thought on let a man trauaile vpon the Lords day or doe any common worke presently they charg him with a breach of the 4th com and with a profanation of the Lords Sabbath day a gaine in their pulpites to dravv men to a conscience of the Lords day they vrg hard the 4th com vpon the Lords day yea they apply also to the Lords day all those Scriptures which any where mention the Sabbath day and were made properly and solely for it as Numb 15.32 c. and Nehem. 13.18 where is mention made of Gods iudgments for profanation of the Sabbath day and Isa 58.13.14 where is mention made of the holy manner of keeping the Sabbath day and of blessings promised there vnto novv they making no difference betwene the Sabbath day and the Lords day doe apply all these Scriptures with others vnto the Lords day which are proper vnto the Sabbath day but thus doing they abuse these Scriptures and profane the vvord of God and thus I make it good as for the Lords day it is but a common working day for it is one of those sixe dayes wherin God hath commanded vs in the 4th com to doe our workes in and it is the first of those six dayes called in Scripture not Sabbath day but by an old name constantly to wit the first day of the weke and be it that we receiued a greate blessing on this day to wit Christ from the dead so we receiued also on Friday an other greate blessing to wit the Remission of our sinnes by Christ his passion and sufferance that day vpon the Crosse for vs and yet Friday remaineth a common working day for all that and so may and doth Sunday or the Lords day also if then the Lords day be but a common day and Ministers will apply Gods sacred vvord which vvas destinated and ordeined for sacred and holy time vnto common and profane time is not this to abuse and profane the holy and sacred vvord of God If any shall object that the time of the Sabbath day is not an holy time and the like I ansvver that as the Temple was an holy place so the 7th day or the Sabbath day is an holy time and an holy day for God himselfe made it holy when he blessed the 7th day and sanctified it Genes 2.3 like as then it is counted an vnsufferable profanation of Gods vvord for any Minister to pronounce the words of holy Baptisme
honourable buriall among the Iewes vntill the distruction of the Temple which was about 50 yeeres after Christ 8. It cannot be that the obseruation of the Sabbath was a Ceremony kept for the weaknesse of the Iewes onely among the Gentiles for if any Iewes could be offended at the neglect of Ceremonies they were those at Ierusalem as much as any for they were all still zealouse of the law that is the law Ceremoniall Act. 21.20 Now these Iewes the very chiefe of them as the Apostles Elders they had determined it written vnto the Gentiles that they should obserue no such things that is that they should obserue no Ceremonies Act. 21.18.25 How then can we thinke that S. Paul who was euer an enemy vnto Ceremonies Act. 21.21 should be so forward as to obserue the Sabbath day if it were a Ceremony yea and that too in the Churches of the Gentiles contrary vnto the decrees and determinations of the Apostles and Elders at Ierusalem made against the vse of Ceremonies among the Gentiles so much for confutation of this their second answer wherevpon I haue dwelt the longer because it is their chiefe answer wherin they put greatest considence A third answer they make to my argument against the Apostles keeping of the Sabbath day is this that the Apostles must take such dayes as they found in vse in the Church then or else they could not preach divulge the Gospell and the Iewes would assemble then on no dayes but on the Sabbath dayes according to their auncient custome Herevnto I reply saying that whereas the enemies to this most auncient ordinance of Gods Sabbath doe faine a necessity vpon the matter as if the Apostles were compelled to keepe the Sabbath day this is but a forged fiction of their owne braines for the Apostles knew how to divulge make knowne the Gospell albeit they had neuer preached on the Sabbath day nor taken the opportunity of the Iewes assemblies Synagogues for they could preach it from house to house in priuate howsen as we read they did sometimes daily in the Temple and in enery house they ceased not to teach and to preach Iesus Christ Act. 5.42 And when Paul forsoke preaching in the Iewes Synagogues and assemblies he could find other places to teach to preach in therefore we reade that he taught a longtime in the Schole of one Tyrannus and there assembled vnto him both Iewes Gentiles for the space of two yeeres Act. 19.8.9.10 and this place he found out to teach in after he left the assemblies and Synagogue of the Iewes as you may see in the text therefore it is but a forged invention to say that the Apostles must take the opportunity of the Iewes assemblies to preach vnto them when they were assembled there was no necessity of it as you see And it is but a forgery of them to say that the Iewes would not assemble on any dayes but on their Sabbath dayes as if they would not heare Gods word out of the Sab. bath day as well as out of the Synagogue and as if the Apostles should preach daily but the people did not heare daily Act. 5.42 see Mat. 5.1 with Mat. 4. last Yet further Paul could assemble gather together the Iewes at his plesure as you may reade he did Act. 28.17 And the third day after Paul called the chiefe of the Iewes together when they were come he said vnto them c. Now he did not cale them together into the Synagogue but into a priuate house as you may see v. 16. And further not onely the Iewes but the very chiefe of the Iewes as the text speaketh refused not to come at his cale And therefore Paul was not compelled to seeke out them and to goe into their assemblies Synagogues for he could cale for them to come vnto him that vnto his Chamber or lodging Yet further Paul being a prisoner remained two yeeres in an house hired for himselfe and thither the people came vnto him to be taught instructed in the kingdome of God those things which concerne the Lord Jesus as you may read Act. 28.30.31 It is therefore an idle plea to say that the Apostles must take the opportunity of the Assemblies of the Iewes then to preach vnto them as if there could be no other time for the Apostles but onely that time wherein they were mett in their Synagogues to preach Christ in But happily it will be said that though this time wherin the Iewes were assembled in their Synagogues on the Sabbath day was not necessary yet it was the most opportune fit time for the Apostles to preach in Herevnto I answer when an opportunity an inconuenience meete the greater of the two is to be regarded Pauls care was so to instruct the Iewes touching Christ alredy come as he might therewithall beate downe all Ceremonies shaddowes of Christ to come for He taught the Jewes among the Gentiles to for sake Moses and circumcision and the Iewish customes Act. 21.21 Now if the Sabbath day was a Ceremony and a shaddow of Christ to come as these men imagine then Paul should frequent the Iewes assemblies ordenarily vsually weeke by weeke vpon the Sabbath day himselfe keeping the Sabbath with them this were of dangerouse consequence least it should flesh hearten the Iewes in their hard heartednesse to thinke that Christ was not yet come since that the Sabbath was a signe as is holden of Christ to come further it was of dangerouse consequence least it should ouerturne all Pauls doctrine when they heard him preach that the Messias was come and yet they sawe him keepe the Sabbath with them which signified that Christ was still to come Yea it was perillouse vnto the Iewes that were beleeuing Iewes that by this meanes they might be still retained in a superstitiouse opinion of Ceremonies when they saw Paul keepe them with them so generally and so constantly Now let all these inconveniences or but any one of them be put into the ballance with that oppertunity of preaching to the Iewes whilst they were assembled after their wonted manner and then tell me whither of the twaine is the greater whither must giue place vnto the other doubtlesse Paul would not hazard the least of these inconveniences for to gaine that opportunity of the Iewes assembly he would rather haue made a new assembly of them vpon some other day in some other place then to haue put them into such perill of danger for Paul was most carefull to weane them from Ceremonies so much for their third last answer Thus you see we haue proued the keeping of the Sabbath day was an Apostolicall practise to be imitated followed of vs haue alsotakē away whatsoeuer they can obiect to the contrary but suppose we could onely haue proued that the Apostles did constantly obserue the Sabbath day yet in this
haue done neuerthelesse because he was but weake in his kingdome Ioab strong it might haue made a commotion in his kingdome much hurly burly blood shed hazard of his Crowne now in this exegency extremity Dauid did neglect to doe for a season what he knew he should haue done would haue done most gladly but that the times would not beare it Thus you haue seene a dispensation in two examples A third instance shall be that of the omission of circumcision you know it was a Law that euery man child of 8 dayes old should be circumcised Genes 17.12 Now though the Israelites knew this yet they circumcised not their children for 40. yeeres together euen all the time they were in the wildernesse as you may reade Iosh 5.5 So here againe was a dispensation for a season in a case of necessity A fourth instance shall be that of Dauids eating the Shew-bread Dauid knew that the Shewbread was to be eaten by the priest onely neuerthelesse Dauid in a case of present hunger did eate the Shewbread contrary to the Law Christ doth iustify him in it Mat. 12.3.4 so here againe is a dispensation in a case of necessity A fifth example shall be that of the Disciples plucking and rubbing eares of corne on the Sabbath day which was not lawfull to be done on the Sabbath day Neuerthelesse in a case of present necessity they did plucke and also rubb the eares of corne which was else vnlawfull to be done and Christ iustisied it so here againe you see a dispensation in some case By all which instances it is more then manifest that exceptiones and dispensationes from something commanded may be in some cases These instances doe put an answer into our mouths against them who cry out saying since you know it are perswaded that Saturday is the Sabbath why keepe you it not c I answer Dauid knew it to be his office to slay the murtherer and Dauid knew that he should not eate Shewbread now tell me why Dauid the rest did not doe what they knew And so much for the former question and now I come vnto the latter SECT III. In this Section I shall come more particularly to the point in hand here I shall shew you that in a case of necessity such as know that the Sabbath day is still in force may neglect it for a season vntill the time of reformation so be they giue God for it an other day in the meane while by way of a change And this J shall proue vnto you by two arguments The former is this that the Sabbath day may be changed in a case of necessity because it may be neglected or profaned in a case of necessity And thus I frame it ARGVM J. That which may be neglected in a case of necessity that may be changed in a case of necessity But the Sabbath day may be neglected in a case of necessity Therefore the Sabbath day may be changed in a case of necessitie By changing the Sabbath day I meane nothing else but this that we giue God the Sunday in steade of the Saturday for a season the 8 day for the 7th or to keepe the Lords day with our Church for a season in the roome of the Sabbath day like as if a King should prorogue his Coronation day and by reason of the plague or other necessity should keepe its solemnity on an other day then the accustomed day So I come to the profe of the Major or first proposition but I may spare labour it is cleere enough of it selfe none I thinke will deny it for it is a lesse euill or losse to God if I may so speake to chang a day with him then to take a day from him or neglect a day like as it is a lesse losse to a man to chang a shilling with him in a case of necessity though it be a light clypt shilling for an heauy waity one then it is to take a shilling from him or then it is to neglect to paye him a shilling which I owe him But happily some may obiect that there may be no changings in Gods ordinances Wherevnto I answer that the contrary is true for whereas the Passeouer was to be in the first moneth of the yeere Leuir 23.5 The godly king Hezekiah changed the day of the Passeouer from the first moneth of the yeere vnto the second moneth of the yeere in a case of necessity as you may reade ij Chron. 30.2.3 Wherefore there may be some changes in Gods worship in some case as in a case of necessity And so much for the Major I come next to the profe of the Minor or second proposition and here I am to proue that the Sabbath day may be neglected or profaned in a case of necessity and this I proue 1. Because other dueties may be neglected omitted in a case of necessity the neglect wherof were sinnes as well as the neglect of he Sabbath day if omitted out of the case of necessity for exāple Moses might neglect to punish some kind of adultery Diuid might omit to execute Ioab for his murther The Israelites might neglect circumcisiō for a seasō Dauid might eate the shewbread in a time of hunger all which we haue inlarged in the Section before this Now the omission or neglect of all these were sinnes out of the case of necessity as well as the neglect of the Sabbath day and therefore there is the like reason of all 2. I proue it by this that our Sauiour Christ did allow his Disciples and others to neglect and profare the Sabbath day in his time in a case of necessity As for his Disciples when they profaned the Sabbath day by plucking eares of corne and by rubbing of them it being done in a case of present hunger our Sauiour iustisied them in it Mat. 12.1.2.3 c. As for others our Sauiour iustified them when they profaned the Sabbath day by moyling toyling to lift a beast out of a pit on the Sabbath day it being a case of necessity Mat. 12.11 3dly I proue it by the Testimony of all Diuines who are of iudgment that a man may profane the whole Sabbath day by hard painfull laboures if it be in a case of necessity as to quench an howse on fyer on the Sabbath day or to fly before the enemy he pursuing vs to saue our life or to resist the invasion of a forraigne enemy on the Sabbath day 4thly I proue it by this that The Sabbath was made fur man not man for the Sabbath as our Sauiour saith Mark 2.27 Now if that when man is in an exegency extremity he must rather obserue the Sabbath then prouide for his owne safety then the Sabbath should not be made for man but contrarily man should be made for the Sabbath this Christ doth expresly deny saying that man was not made for the Sabbath wherefore of the