therefore for their sakes I have in diverse places inlarged my Booke wherein I have removed those stumbling blockes which seeme to lie in the way of this doctrine of the Sabbath by answering their colourable arguments against it That whereas M r Primerose hath put out another Booke against the Sabbath of later Edition I have also perused it and such things as I found any whit materially to clash de novo against some particulars in this Answer I have particularly answered them not naming him because they are so very few the rest of his Treatise receiving answer herein upon the occasion of other mens Arguments If perhaps you find not every collaterall Argument answered to your mind yet let not that prejudice the maine cause but weigh substances with substances and pull not downe the whole House for the defect of â— Tyle or two Let Circumstances and by-matters have respect accordingly VINDICIAE SABBATHI Broad MAster Breerewood in his Treatise of the Sabbath 1. Nature teacheth to set apart Page 24. 41. some time for the worship of God but not one day in seven nor a whole day neither yet to forbeare all worke in that time as the Israelites were bound to doe on the Sabbath 2 Gods Commandement touching the Sabbath Page 64. 40. 41. was first given in the wildernes it being limited to the Iewes Sabbath only the Iewes Sabbath is vanished and Gods Commandment was not nor could not be translated from the Iewes Sabbath to the Lords day 3 We are bound to keepe the Lords day not by Page 37. any divine Commandement but by the constitution of the Church onely Thus hath Master Breerewood written in his booke and more I doe not write in mine but it will be said yet in answer to an objection he will have the generallity of Gods Commandement to bee morall and perpetuall Answer It is true and I cannot sufficiently marvaile thereat The Objection he frameth against himselfe is this Page 4â— If the old Sabbath vanished and Gods Commandement was limited and fixed to that day only then is one of Gods Commandements perished Hereunto to hee answereth that the generality of that Commandement is a Law of nature and remaineth The law of Nature touching the sanctiâ—ying of some time and Gods command touching the sanctâ—fying of the seventh day were two divers lawes The one a generall law only the other a speciall law only But if there bee a generallity of that commandement how was that commandement limited and fixed to the Sabbath only Further hee should have considered that the like may as well be said of the precepts of Holy-dayes Nature teacheth to have some times of vacancy for one reason God appointed the Sabbath to be a time of vacancy for other reasons the holy-dayes Shall not the law of nature now be the generall of all these precepts indifferently as well of the precepts of the holy-dayes as of the precepts of the Sabbath Answer In this thing I must take Master Breerewoods part against you for hereby is the morall * Dâ—r Heylin quoteth the schoolem n Patt 2. pag. 163. saying that the fourth Commandement is placed in the Decalogue in quantuâ—â— est preceptum morale et naturale that is say they Quantum â—d hoc quod homo depu tet â—â—â—uod tempus vitâ—e sâ—â— ad vac 〈◊〉 diâ—iâ—is pag. 162 So Bishop White maketh the Law o Nature to be involved in the 4 th Commandement pag. 121. and is still obli gaâ—â—y to the worlds end Pag. 1â—0 law of God kept entire without a mayme which is very requisite seeing that the Decalogue is granted to be an explanatory reinforcing of the law of entire Nature imprinted in us by creation but much defacedby our fall and being honoured with those eminences of priority signes of perpetuity immediatly from God himselfe upon Mount Sinai Such as were his twice writing them with his owne finger * Touching this priority of Gods own writing them see how emphatically it is expressed by God himselfe Exod. 24. 12. in way of suâ— ereminency by vertue of that â—râ—viledge to those which Moses had written a little before ver 4 Moreover also sâ—e this difference lively intimâ—ed by Moses Deut. 4. 13 where he maketh the Covenâ—nt to consist in the ten Commandements written by God himselfe and speakes in the following verse in way of dimination of the other lawesin comparison of them calling them statutes and judgements which were 1. taught by him and secondly to be observed in the land whither they went to possesse it and voted also by his Spirit through the mourth of Moses to bee the Tenne Commandements 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Deut. 4. and put into the Arke as perpetuall rules for the Catholique Church whereof it was a Type None of all which Prerogatiues was the Ceremoniall law crowned withall for that it was as a vanishing shadow sutable only to the Hemispheare of those times But the decalogue being the very Law of Nature explained and redelivered must as well now as ever have for its substance a generall ayme at all men though in some circumstances it may bee more peculiar to the Iewes then others by reason of the time place and people to whom it was renewed Like as almost all other Scripture is for substance common and for circumstances proper because they were most an end written occasionaly Put case then that this Commandement was given onely to the Iewes as you affirme and so were abrogatiue yet may the Law of Nature bee well presupposed and included in it as you your selfe afterwards acknowledge it is in your 8. Chapter in the answer you give there to the fifth opinion for who knowes not that in those ten words much more is meant then manifested So that if so it be granted that the Law of Nature and this Law bee not the same in all points yet are they not two divers lawes but the same in substance And thus much in effect Master Breerewood affirmes in his second Tract pag. 3. Morall saith he is that which pertaineth to manners 1. Either by the instinct of Nature as belonging to the inward Law written in our hearts or Secondly by the instruction of Discipline as being of the outward Law pronounced of God as that of observing the seventh Day so that it may beetermed Naturall as being not of the institution of Nature but of the disciplining of Nature Not of Nature as it wâ—s fâ—rst ordained of God but as after informed by him For indeed this fourth Commandement both as it was at first instituted in Paradise and now revived on Mount Sinai is but the law of Nature explained and enlarged according to the will of God in this particular for reasons and uses whereof created nature was not capable but by revelation And what though the Law of nature bee the generality as well to the precepts of the Iewish holydayes as of the Sabbath this shewes the superexcellency of the
Israelites out of the Egyptian captivity a figure of our deliverance from Satans bondage as he led them through the Wildernes towards the Land of Canaan a Type of the Heavenly Paradise he gave them Mannah to to eate 1. Cor. 10. 3. so that they did eate the same Spirituall meate with us even the Lambe Christ Iesus slaine from the beginning of the World who though he be not called the Tree of Life yet tearmes himselfe the bread of Life that came downe from Heaven This Mannah they gathered sixe Dayes and on the seaventh Day Moses commanded them to rest for this Commandement was first given by the hand of Moses for ought that wee do find in the Scriptures and not long after God called it againe to their remembrance Consider that the word Remember is not used Deut. 5. nor else wherein the Law or the Prophets saying Remember the Sabbath Day to sanctify it Answer The summe of this your objection is that nor Adam nor his posterity for any thing we can find santifyed the Sabbath day till it was given the Israelites by the hand of Moses * I could reply that throughout the History of Ioshua Iudges Samuel we find not the observation of the Sabbath And touching that you say you finde no mention of Weekes before the Israelites comming out of Egypt I could put you to answer that Gen. 29. 27. fulfill her Weeke but it is truth and not victory that I seeke and therfore I rather desire to resolve my Reader then to pusle my opposer To which I answer that whether the Sabbath was observed or not observed yet notwithstanding it was of force For 1. I aske whether you thinke those words of Gods sanctifying the Sabbath in Innocency were but a bare narration without any use or efficacy towards man Yes say you they were spoken to man as considered in Innocency and had he still remained in Innocency then had he kept the Sabbath Wherto I reply that there was nothing that was instituted to Adam before his Fall but it was of force after his Fall excepting such things from which he was expresly debarred by manifest voyce of Scripture by the curse and fiery sword whereof the Sabbath is none Againe I say if this Institution were proper only to the state of Innocency how comes it to be renewed unto the Israelites and that upon the primitive reason Which indeed shewes it to be a thing given unto his Church for speciall use and to be coequall with the Law of Nature for wee see that so soone as God had chosen out of the world a remarkeable and established Church to which he renewed the Law of Nature he also as coincident there with reneweth the Law of the Sabbath including and determining in this positive Commandement of the Sabbath the Law of Nature like as other Commandements in the Law directly forbid the actions of sinnes inclusively the habits 2. Exconcessis Putting the case the Sabbath never was kept by the Patriarchs I answer to it two things First that neither did they keepe for the most part the Law of Marriage for generally they lived in Poligamy and yet was that Law of force even in their times for one man to marry but one Woman And therfore when the Pharises alledged Moses his Law of Divorcement for the priviledging them to put away their Wives which might better authorize their practice therein then the Patriarchs omission can justify our neglect of the Sabbath but how did Christ answer them saith he how was it from the beginning as who say tell not mee of Moses his Law which you plead only to maintaine your licentiousnes and which was only a concessary Law granted for the hardnes of your hearts but looke beyond Moses at God what he did in the state of Innocency for that must be the rule of your practice So say I looke not at the errours of the Patriarchs to do what they did when wee have Gods example to the contrary Secondly that to draw an argument de facto from mans not keeping the Sabbath against the right and institution of the Sabbath is improper * For by the same reason you may as well argue against the second exhibition of it because of the interruption which for any thing wee find it received in the time of the Babilonish Captivity as against the first because it appeares not that the Patriarchs observed it in their time Especially if wee consider man falne whereby the very Law of nature suffered but doubtlesse the Sabbath being grounded upon the covenant of works and having by the fall lost its vertue being thereby made void its Law was blotted out and quite raced by the speciall hand and permission of God and noe wonder seeing that even in innocency nay and after his Fall too during his abode in Paradise he remembred not to eate of the Tree of Life where by he should have lived for ever Gen 3. 22. by a like secret but just worke of God the cause wee shall further see anon being no Law of Nature but a necessary improvement and determination of the Law of Nature in that particuler for the better accomodating Man for the publicke and more solemne service and worship of his Creatour and therefore was renewed when Gods Church came to be publicke and nationall * Damascen de fide Orthod lib. 4. cap. 24. sayth that when there was no Law nor Scripture that then there was no Sabbath neither but when the Law was given by Moses then was the Sabbath set a part for Gods publicke worship as M. Breerwood implyes from his observation upon the word Remember annexed either saith he it is because it is not meerely morall and a Law of Nature as the others are and therefore being not so effectually imprinted by Nature in the heart of man needed a speciall admonition for the observance least it should slip out of mind c. as it seemeth it had done of a long time before and therefore was renewed with a Memento as who say doe thou remember to keepe holy the seaventh Day which thy Fore-fathers have so long forgotten Indeed it is evident that it was lost and Adam despoiled of it by his Fall because it was written in Moses his first Tables which were broken and defaced by a Fall to shew the fruit of Adams fall and renewed together with the rest of the Law in Moses his second Tables to shew that it suffered as well as the rest they in the Conscience it in the memory at the first ordeyning them and therefore is renewed together with the rest in the second with a Memento prefixed for this Memonto imports more then a bare Memorandum even a different quality of this Law from the rest els it was as requisite to have beene prefixed to the second as to the fourth Commandement considering the Israelites were as inclinable to Idolatry as they were averse from the Sabbath see Deut. 31. 16. And
I meane not such a speciality as Master Brâ—â—râ—wood doth which belonged to the Sabbath or to this generall commandement is rather ended which did consist of those occasionall interventions of Mannah kindling fires and double sacrifices and if you will of the foresaid sanction of the very rest it selfe which as I have said being significative happily had in their times an holines belonging to it which did peculiarly belong unto the Iewes and which were no parts of the substance of this commandement which in that respect is as well common to us as to them the reason annexed being of like and equall force to all from the creation For the annexing of extrinsecall and adventitious circumstances doth not any whit harme the nature and morality of the Sabbath no more then Pauls circumcising of Timothy which in respect of the season was needfull did annull or doe injury to baptisme nor then a signe of an Inne or shoppe being pulled downe annulles or impaires an house So that their rest is common to us but in a riper sense for the grouth and stature of our times so much overtopping theirs the Lord lookes that wee should answer his expectation as well as obey his commandement in sanctifying a more excellent and Evangelicall Sabbath to him then ever they were able to doe The Church of the new Testament saith Master Perkins hath more knowledge and more grace then the people of the old Testament had and in that regard ought to have more zeale and greater alacrity in the worship of God then they had that it may exceed the Iewes according to the measure of grace * Greater mercies require greater and better duties received The Arguments of love being not so forcible to prompt obedience in the time of the Iewes as in ours they being under the old covenant and the Spirit not so stirring then as now the obedience was rather performed to the commandement then to the commander For God in their time passed under the name of a Lord implying them to bee servants and their obedience to bee serviceable obedience but now in our times hee passeth under the name of a Father implying us to bee sons and our obedience to bee filiall and spirituall And yet as spirituall obedience was even then due to God and expected by him though not with that eminency of expectation as of us So the types and Sacramentall umbrages which now are of use to us being performed in conscience to Gods commandement have their holines suteable and respective to our times but not in that degree not in that kind of positive and intrinsecall holines as in the times of the Iewish nonage Like as in the spring time while the sappe is weake and but comming all that wee expect from trees is flowers but when a riper seasoninsueth then wee looke for riper fruit so that then the prime and beauty of these flowers ceaseth though their vertue remaine And by the punishment that God so severely annexed to the not performing the rites of the two Sacraments wee may see the extraordinary nature of things of that kind then in the time of their Pedagogie for he that was uncircumcised and that eate leavened bread in the passeover was to be cut off And therefore did God intend their rest as may well bee gathered to bee a positive part of their sanctification because of the typicall use thereof which yet hee doth not doe to us and yet hee accounts our not resting a prophanation of the Sabbath and all imployments which hinder his worship and conduce not to the sanctifying of that day to bee sinnes Like as Christ who whilest hee was upon the earth accepted small things at his Apostles hands but after hee was ascended and had given gifts unto men hee looked for other services or as a Pater-familias that having a boy and a man to waite at his table the boy if hee can fill a cup of beere and shift a trencher by reason of his non-age hee is willing to take it as a good part of his service but to his man hee gives better wages and therefore expects better service at his hands hee lookes that hee should bee able to furnish and disfurnish the table with grace to his Master and yet not to neglect those lesser things Or which better expresseth my meaning as of children wee require a bodily service in saying their prayers and graces and catechisme and though they have little or no understanding and sense of that they say yet wee take it in good part till they attaine to more knowledge and ripenes of yeares and then wee looke for sutable performance thereto Even so the Lord hee expects from us an high degree of sanctifying his Sabbath even a ravishment of Spirit which service wee can never performe if wee doe not rest A Christian and Evangelicall use therefore of this Sabbaticall rest is still in force to us though the Iewish sanction may bee determined for their precise resting was with respect to the formall holines in the rest but wee are to rest with respect to its finall holines of furthering Gods more substantiall worship and the spiritualizing our owne mindes by it and thus doth the whole commandement for substance and use remaine to us the difference being onely in some occasionall circumstances * Like as one in answer to an Antiâ—oniâ—n that objects because the Tables of stone wherein the Morall Law was written were removed with the Tabernacle other like adjuncts therefore the Mosaicâ—l Law is â—â—erly abolished saith Must it needs follow that because the Tables of stone wherein the Law was written bee abolished that therefore the Lawâ— it selfe is utterly abolished together with them were the Tables of stone so essentiall to the Morall Law that it had neitheâ— birth before them nor being after them wee know that the putting them into the Arke was typicall though the Law it selfe was â—orall â—o that so â—aâ—re as these Tables of the Covenant had any thing ceremoniall in them or any thing concerning other circumstances or persons time place terrour rigor and the like being peculiar to the Church of the Jewes in thaâ— estate of the Mosâ—â—cal Pedagogy so farre I say they are removed with the 〈◊〉 Buâ— the morall Law contained in the 10. commandements could not bee ceremoniall for then should the morall and ceremoniall have beene confounded whereas even by their writtings in tables of stone and by the finger of God they were distinguished neither was there then any thing for the substance of it nor is now as now it stands upon record in the booke of God but it doth concerne us as well as them and therefore though the Tables of stone bee removed the morall Law is yet continued and hath except is excipiendis his properuse and force still as 1. Because the Sabbaths rest was significative from the beginning it might in their times as I have said carry with it a typicall or externall holines as their
as touching Circumcision and Sacrifices and the other Commandements of the breach and punishment whereof you say wee read I answer that they were either the very Lawes of Nature or els Lawes given since the Fall and upon that occasion for so was Circumcision and Sacrifices neither of which is the Sabbath Not the Law of Nature as I have said for that is only to sanctify some indefinite time to the service of God as it is likely all those did in that time of nature betweene Adam and Moses where by the way take notice of the necessarines of the Sabbath to be in the nature of a Law for the better performance of Gods solemne worship and not to be left at mans liberty nor is it a Law instituted since the Fall for its roote groweth in Paradice and therefore not of force with either in that time of little light but lay dormant all that while till it pleased God againe to reveale his more solemne worship to his more solemne Church * Nehem 9. 13. 14. And not without good reason too for besides that our rest was lost by our Fall till our deliverer tipified in Moses renewed it unto us the Sabbath was significative in its manner of exhibition for during the time of the Covenant of workes wee see how it was appointed in order after them following the workes foregoing both in the primitive institution from Gods owne example and also in the second exhibition of it to the Israelites to signify and imply our Heavenly Sabbatisme then to be as well the reward of workes as cessation from workes and now the Covenant of Grace is come it is made to precede the working Dayes being celebrated now on the first Day of the Weeke as before on the last to signify that now Heaven is no longer the reward of workes exâ—ept in an Evangelicaâ—â— sence and so wee still rest from our Labours and our Workes follow us now who seeth not a speciall providence like that of Adams not eating of the Tree of Life during his abode in Paradise implied Gen. 3. â—2 in the non ens of the Sabbath during the interim betweene the Fall and Moses which was a time when the World as the Apostle Paul saith was without the Law that is without the Covenant of the Law openly revealed to them as afterwards it was to Israel so in the same sence I may say too it was without the Gospell that is without the Covenant of Grace openly revealed to them as not it is to us because therein it had beene clouded and insignificative Which signification Bishop White * Pag 120 121. doth even now commend to us from the fourth Commandement for saith he it is not now a Cypher but the letter of the commandement figureth representeth and consequently teacheth the leading of an holy and religious life that wee may at last enter the Rest of Heaven Heb. 4. 11. c. Againe I would aske you where you find the breach of Wedlocke found fault withall for their multiplicity of Wives or punishment executed therfore which being no Law of nature but a positive Law appointed in Innocency by God as also was the Sabbath not by instinct but by revelation therefore in those times of darknes were they alike winked at by God for herein they sinned not against any knowne commandement after Adams transgression but of simple ignorance And therfore as the Apostle speaketh Sinne was not imputed when there was no Law Here by the way let mee take in a passage of Dr. Heylins pag. 123. hee sayth that the Iewes thought the Sabbath to be no part of the Morall Law because they brake it by Circumcision as thinking Circumcision to be the older Ceremony and therfore gave precedency to it not because it was of Moses but of the Fathers Nay saith he the Iewes so farre prized the one above the other that by this breaking of the Sabbath they were perswaded verily they kept the Law These things he observes out of that text Iohn 7. 22. Moses saith Christ gave unto you Circumcision not because it was of Moses but of the Fathers and you on the Sabbath Day Circumcise a man that the Law of Moses should not be broken To this I answer 1. That from this text it cannot be gathered that the Iewes thought the Sabbath no morall Law no more then that they can be said to thinke Christs charitable aâ—â— of healing the Sick man to be no morall action because they persecuted him for it or if they did it was their wilfull blindnes For Christ makes it plaine that howsoever Circumcision might and ought as a part of Gods service bee done no doubt on the Sabbath Day when it fell out to be the eighth Day according to the Law that it was their errour so to overvalew Circumcision out of their superstitious respect of Moses who they made the Author of it to them above other Lawes which are both in their Natures higher then that and which also Moses gave them as well as that as wee see in the 19 verse of that Chapter saith Christ there Did not Moses give you a Law and yet none of you keepeth the Law by which is meant the Morall Law which commandeth Charity and Mercy which is above Circumcision and yet you quarrell with mee for observing this Law of Moses or rather of God and yet for all that are your selves so nice in observing the performance of Circumcision for Moses his sake which is so farre inferiour So in the 24 verse he exhorts them to consider it better that if they might and ought to observe the ceremoniall Law on the Sabbath by doing the workes thereof much more ought he to doe the workes of charity thereon which are the duties of the Morall Law 2 By the same rule he affirmes the Iewes not to beleeve the Weekely Sabbath to be a part of the Morall Law he may affirme them not to beleeve the Sabbaths of Yeares to bee any commandement of God at all for a man may say of them in that case as he saith in this that surely had they beleeved them to be the Commandements of God that could not bâ— affirmed of them which hee saith Pag 143. to wit that they were long neglected and almost forgotten if observed at all 3. Neither did they prize Circumcision as the ancienter Ceremony because it was of the Fathers by any thing that can be gathered from that text for it meanes no such thing but the quite contrary For Christ brings these words not because it was of Moses but of the Fathers in the way of Parenthesis in the 22 verse to shew them their errour in setting so high a price upon Circumcision for Moses his sake seeing Moses was not the first founder of it but received it by derivation from the Fathers So that the Iewes blind conceit of Circumcision in comparison of the Sabbath were it so as D r. Heylin alleadgeth detracts no more from the
morality of the Sabbath being a meere misprision then it did from Christs act of Charity from being a morall action which may serve a caution not to make the Iewes superstitious practises and blind conceits a rule and argument to regulate our doctrine and manners by in this particuler of the Sabbath which is too much leaned upon by some D r. Heylin for one who in the beginning of his booke layeth downe this Maxime that wee can have no better Schoolemaster in the things of God then the continuall and most constant practice of those famous men that have gone before Amongst which famous men hee brings in the Iewe in their ignorant and superstitious practices to overthrow Gods cleare precepts and either shut out the light of the word to wrest it to his owne and other misguidance as he doth the text aforesaid which may yet bee further seene in the third mistake which hee makes in the interpretation of those words of Christ in the 23 verse because I have made a man every whit whole on the Sabbath Day which pag 121. he makes to be spoken by Christ in his owne defence in reference to the healing circumstances that accompanied their worke of Circumcision that if they might breake the Sabbath in healing the party hurt by Circumciâ—ion so might he whereas it is spoken by Christ in opposition to the greevous and hurtfull nature of their action for having formerly magnified his worke above theirs from the cause in that his worke was an act of obedience to the Morall Law and theirs but to the â—eremoniall here he magnifieth it also from the effect in that his was an action of Mercy restoring to perfect health and easing of greevous paine a man that was wofully bedrid and theirs an action of bloud procuring torment For where in all the Scriptue do you find the healing part of Circumcision I meane carnally meant or spoken of I will conclude in advice to such Expositors both as touching their opinion of the Sabbath and expounding Scripture as Christ did to the Iewes concerning this matter in the 24 verse Iudge not according to appearance but Iudge righteous Iudgement Now whereas you say that this Commandement of the Sabbath was first given to the Israelites when they were delivered out of Egypt by the hand of Moses intimating hereby as if it should be a Iewish Type and Ceremony and as if it should have reference to Christ after the manner of their other abrogative Ceremonies To this I answer That all the rest of the Morall Law was given them upon their deliverance as well as the Sabbath And I doe thinke indeed that God did purposely take that occasion the better to signifie their spirituall deliverance by the concurrence of those things both by bringing them out of their Egyptian darkenes and at the same time making the Sun-shine of his Law which had been so ecclypsed ever since the fall afresh to rise upon them But that the Law of the Sabbath received then a new Institution is no way probable but only a renewed one as did the rest of the Morall Law into which it is incorporated and with which it was a shareâ— in the breach that Adam made * And so was coequall or contemporary with it in the reparation And as may also appeare by the tenour of the Commandement it self which for substance is nothing else but the first institution largely repeated only being better explained to the understandings and suted to the condition of those people Nor againe is the Sabbath a Iewish Type as appeares from the difference of their significations for the Typs of the Iewes primarily and principally had relation to the State of the Church on Earth under the time of the Gospell * Their Types were promises which have their impletion with us being shadowes of good things to come in the dayes of the Gospell and secondarily or remotely to its State in Heaven but now the Sabbath had an immediate and proper respect to Heaven being Gods rest as appeares both in the manner of Gods exhibiting it in the wildernes as you may see in due place and in the 4. Heb. But if it be objected that Canaan is a Iewish Type Obi. and that Canaan and the Sabbath signify both of them one and the same rest in that 4. Heb. I answer They do signifie the same rest but in different respects Answ. for Canaan properly there signifieth the Rest which wee here enjoyed on Earth through the Gospell and improperly or analogically the Rest of Heaven relating only thereto as True to perfect as Beatitudo viae to Beatitudo patriae but the Sabbath properly signifieth the rest that God rested in Heaven from his worldly workes and which now by beleeving wee shall rest with him there and improperly signifies the Gospell-rest here on Earth relating only to it as Perfect relates to True as Beatitudo Patâ—iae relates to Beatitudo viae by vertue of our exchanged condition for what the Law could not give that is any present Rest but all in future that Faith as a Gospell-priviledge procures us So that wee which doe beleeve doe enter into Rest even this Heavenly Rest inchoatively The summe of the Apostles meaning there being thus much that Israel according to to the letter not knowing the way of the Lord chap. 3. ver 10. but cleaving to the Law which was the ministration of death graven in stones that is a weake and dead letter 2. Cor. 3 7. and the ministration of condemnation ver 9. forsaking the way of faith and the Gospell which is the ministration of the spirit of Power 2. Cor. 3. 8. and of righteousnes ver 9. they therefore lost through unbeleife both the spirituall Rest on Earth typified by the temporall rest of Canaan which is the rest and tranquility of the Soule entred into by faith justifying us and procuring us Peace with God which should have redounded to them by the Preaching of the Gospell see the 2 and 6 of this 4. Heb. and also the Rest and Sabbath in in Heaven which God himselfe rested and signified on the seaventh Day after his worldly workes were finished which should have ensued and followed thereupon see the later part of the 3. and 4. verses whereof wee that are Gods spirituall Israel that doe beleeve are possessed already both vertually in our high Priest Christ Iesus vers 14. and personally in our selves by being partakers of this Gospel-rest through faith on Earth which essentially conduces or relates to the Sabbath-rest in Heaven compare the beginning and the ending of the 3. verse Like as 5. Matth. 6. they are said for present to bee blessed that but hunger and thirst after righteousnes and what 's the reason why saith Christ they shall bee filled Christ meanes they are entred into such an estate as doth give them right and will bring them to full blessednes They are therefore for present truly blessed because they shall bee fully blessed
captive and therfore if they did it not at all or if but a few of them were disposed after this manner to keepe the Sabbath before the Captivity the greater was their Sinne and the more they deserved to be punished of God as they were and the lesse to be regarded of us who ought to be followers of men and esteemers of men as they are followers of God Hereunto I will annexe and abstract of Mr. Hildershams upon this point of sanctifying the Sabbath hanled in his Lectures upon 51. Psal. Lect. 135. Hildersham which though long yet not tedious to a Godly reader because profitable It is sayth he a singular good thing to be strict in the observation of the Sabbath and such a thing as God is highly pleased with and hath beene wont to reward wheresoever he finds it To keepe a bodily rest upon that Day from all our owne workes is but one particuler that is required of us in the observation of the Sabbath nay that is as I may say but the outside of the Commandement and concerneth only the outward man the outward and bodily observation of it Of the fourth Commandement as well as of the rest that may be truly said which the Apostle speakes Rom. 7. 14 of the whole Law Wee know saith hee that the Law is spirituall The spirituall observation of it by the inward man when wee call the Sabbath a delight the Holy of the Lord honourable as the Prophet speaketh Isaiah 58. 13. That is when wee can joy in that Day as in the Lords own Holy Day and esteeme it in our Hearts a farre greater and more honourable Day then any other Day keeping the rest and performing the Duties of the Day cheerefully reverently conscionably spiritually This spirituall observation of it I say by the inward man is the chiefe thing that God requireth of us in the fourth Commandement the outward and bodily observation of it which may be performed by a man that hath no truth of Grace in him at all is nothing in Gods account in comparison of this And yet of this bodily observation of the Sabbath by the outward man the resting from our owne workes is but the least part The exercising of our selves upon that Day in doing of the Lords worke and spending of it in such holy duties both publicke and private as may breed and increase grace and sanctification in us is a greater matter and more pleasing to God a great deale then that is No man may thinke he hath kept the Sabbath well because he resteth from all his Labours of his calling upon that Day So farre forth the brute beast thy Oxe and thy Horse keepeth the Sabbath as well as thou For so is the expresse Commandement Deut. 5. 14. Neither thine Oxe nor thine Asse nor any of thy Cattle shall do any worke upon that Day Of thee that art a man and a Christian man God requireth more then so he will have thee not only to rest from thine owne Labours but to spend the Day so farre as thy bodily necessities will permit in such religious duties as may make thee a more holy and a better man The Hebrew word Sabbat from whence the Sabbath Day receiveth his name signifieth not such a rest as wherein one sitteth still and doth nothing as the word Noach doth but only a resting ceasing from that which he did before So God is said Gen. 2. 2. to have rested the seaventh Day not that he rested from all workes for my Father worketh hitherto and I worke saith our Saviour Iohn 5. 17. but because he rested from all the workes that he had made as Moses saith there As if he had said he rested from Creating any thing more And so wee likewise are expresly commanded to rest upon the Sabbath not from all workes but from such workes as wee did and might do upon the sixe Dayes God never allowed us any Day to spend in Idlenes and doing of nothing especially not that Day But he hath appointed us workes and duties for that Day which hee would have us as carefully to goe about them as wee are upon other Dayes to goe about the workes of our calling and when wee are at them to performe them with every whit as much diligence and care to doe them well as wee doe any worke wee take in hand upon the sixe Dayes Let no man say what would you have us to doe if we doe no busines upon the Sabbath Day would you have us spend the time in sleeping or talking or sitting at our doores or walking abroad How will you have us passe the time for the whole Day To such I answer Thou hast so much worke to doe as if thou wert as thou shouldest bee thou wouldest complaine that thou wantest time to doe it And yet this worke that God hath injoyned us to spend this Day in hath such interchange and variety in it as no good heart hath cause with these carnall professors Mat. 1. 13. to snuffe at it and to cry behold what a wearines it is how tedious and toylesome a thing it is to keepe the Sabbath as these men would have us to doe But the true Christian findeth just cause to call the Sabbath a delight as the Prophet Isaiah speakes 58. 13. for all this worke and labour that God hath injoyned us in it Wee have publicke duties to performe on that Day in Gods House And both the family duties and secret duties which wee are bound to performe every Day by the equity of that Law Numb 18 9. 10. to be doubled upon the Sabbath Day that wee might the better attend upon the profit by these holy workes these duties of Piety and Religion which are the proper workes of that Day For that is the chiefe end that the Sabbath was ordained for Remember the Sabbath Day to keepe it holy saith the Lord in the fourth Commandement Keepe the Sabbath Day to sanctifie it I gave them my Sabbaths saith the Lord Ez 20 12. to be a signe betwixt mee and them that they may know that I am the Lord that sanctify them As if he had said He remembreth not nor keepeth the Sabbath he regardeth it not nor careth for it how strict soever he be in resting from his owne labours that keepeth it not holy that spendeth it not in such religious duties as wherein he may know and feele by experience that it is the Lord who by his Ordinances doth sanctifie him who both doth begin and increase grace in the Soule c. And pag. 704. saith he and if it so well please God to see men rest from their owne workes on that Day which yet as I told you is but the least thing that belongeth to the right observation of it you may bee sure he is much more pleased to see men spend that Day in doing of his worke in exercising themselves in those duties of Piety and Mercy which hee hath appointed to be done upon that
a fault most obvious as may appeare in that amongst other workes hee instanceth most their bearing of burthens as the thing most frequent and abusive so doth hee complaine of their prophaning the Sabbath by working in it because that being a fault most obvious they would bee the soonest convinced thereby For man can naturally better conceive of his outward grosse and sensitive errours then of his spirituall ones which notwithstanding was implyed therein Like as at the day of judgement hee will judge us by our works and yet therein wee shall answer for our infidelity for in the one hee involues the other God tooke the same order with the Iewes under the Law that Christ did under the Gospell that is still to blame them for those faults which were either most apparant or most proper to those times and persons knowing that if they failed in those they must needs faile in the more materiall But when they were diligent to doe the outward duty and neglected the inward then God blameth them in that respect also As wee may see by that which hee telleth them touching their sacrifices how that hee that sacrificed a sheepe was as if hee cut of a dogs necke whereas had they neglected to have sacrificed hee would first have called on them for his outward service because without that the inward could not bee performed So of the Sabbath-rest hee must first bring them from prophaning the Sabbath before hee could bring them to a due sanctifying of it For except they made good their bodily rest according to the commandement they could never meditate rightly their rest in Heaven Againe in the second place I say that though God in this 17. Ier did thus sharpely reprove their prophaning the Sabbath by working yet hee never meant that in resting consisted its chiefest sanctification as may appeare by the 58. of Isa. 13. Which Master Calvin in his institutions upon the fourth commandement bringeth to prove that we were to rest from our works that day that God might worke his works in us and that the Prophets did call backe the Iewes from thinking themselves discharged by their carnall rest In the third place I answer that this rest being a transcendent type and of speciall sanctitie in those times could not bee neglected no not in the letter of it without grosse prophanation of the Sabbath besides the injury done to the usefull signification of it because that then it was a part of the Sabbaths sanctification I meane of its very positive sanctification And therefore had God just cause to complaine his Sabbaths were not sanctified when they were so notoriously prophaned Fourthly now I come to speake to your third proofe touching the prophanation of the Sabbath which is say you by working to which I answer First that a man by working if it bee seasonable sanctifieth the Sabbath and againe by resting if it bee carnall and unfruitfull he may prophane it Secondly to argue from the prophaning to the sanctifying is no good argument as because works prophane it therefore rest onely sanctifieth it It may as well bee argued from the second commandement that hee that doth not make Images to bow to them is consequently a true worshipper of God For though it bee most true that every one that resteth not from worldly imployments on the seaventh day doth prophane the Sabbath and breake the commandement Yet on the contrary every one that doth rest cannot bee said to sanctifie it no more then every one that doth not make Images to bow to them may bee said to worship God aright and yet every one that doth make Images to bow to them doth prophane the true worship of God So Master Hisdersham to keepe a bodily rest on that day from all our owne works is but the outside of the commandement and concerneth onely the outward man and the outward and bodily observation of the fourth commandement which as the whole Law is spirituall and may bee performed by a man which hath no truth of Grace in him at all Thus also Musoulus on the fourth commandement after hee hath shewne how those words of the commandement Thou shalt in it doe no manner of worke doe forbid all manner of lets which may hinder the sanctifying of the Sabbath because saith hee that is to bee done not with a patched mind but with all our indeavour and with a whole mind In his conclusion speaking against such as prophane the Sabbath by licentiousnes the very cattle saith hee doe use the Sabbath-day better then wee which though they doe nothing towards the sanctifying of it yet their rest is so farre forth to bee preferred that they doe nothing whereby the holy rest is prophaned and defiled and the eyes of Gods Majesty offended As concerning the proofe you bring to backe this last argument withall to wit the example of Gods severe punishing worke though but a small one when yet sins and other things which might seeme more to prophane it were passed over I answer First that God was curious in maintaining in violate their discipline in their dayes which was then both his owne ordinance and the proper meanes of their instruction for shadowes were then substances so that if they were remisse in observing to doe the type such as was this rest they sinned both against God and their owne soules and under went a double guilt of punishment and losse like as wee under the Gospell doe sin more in not beleeving in Christ then in breaking the whole Law Secondly I say that God was the severer in menacing and punishing this because else they would have beeue apter to thwart it judging of it rather by matter of fact then by matter of duty or command which I thinke was a notable aggravation of his sin that gathered stickes judging the offence by the thing As its like Adam did and as you doe afterward when hee ate the apple which happily God fore seeing imposed the greater judgement to over-awe him And this Sabbath-rest as that of eating the apple not being a Law written in the conscience and therefore they not having their conscience so lively in that as in other sins had need of the stronger barre to keepe them of from breaking it Thirdly this instance you give was whilest they were in the wildernes as the Scripture phraseth it Num. 15. 32. when the type was more lively and significative and they better in abled to observe it and therefore was the sin so much the more offensive and presumptuous and consequently worthy of severer punishment * Hee himselfe typifying that the neglect of Gods rest brings certaine and unavoidable ruine Which you never read of to bee executed after they came out of the wildernes and yet were their prophanations in regard of their works farre greater As for the mans carrying of his bed I answer to it two things First that it was no breach of the Sabbath but a manifestation of the miracle by a lawfull action
renewed for his sake like as was the Law also for God makes them go hand in hand and so should wee to the end that both of them may appeare 1 That as the body is the cause of the shadow so Christ was the cause of those Ceremonies by the accident of our Fall to bee now only fulfilled and accomplished on our behalfes through and by Christ. 2 That as the shadow representeth the shape of the body with the actions and motions sod those rites and Ceremonies resemble Christ in all his actions passions motions I say 2 ly It may as well bee said that the whole Law is utterly abolished by Christ as the Sabbathâ— for that he hath fulfilled the righteousnes therof for us and yet we know that to us under the Gospell the Law is still binding in a Gospell sence requiring a willing and an upright though not an absolute and perfect obedience unto it And so are we to celebrate a Gospell Sabbath though not the last of seaven as expecting Rest by workes yet the first day of seaven as having and expecting Rest by Christ for still the Law and the Sabbath fate alike So that as one sayth Christ hath both accomplished and abolished the Ceremoniall Law the 〈◊〉 Law he hath accomplished but not abolished for Christ is the End of the Daw. But as Augustine well distinguisheth the perfecting not the destroying End But by the way I must in this place the better to cleare the truth take in two objections that are made against our acceptation of this 4. Heb First they object that Gods Rest there spoken of on the seaventh Day is not meant as typifying our Rest in Heaven but only is mentioned in way of similitude Ans 1. If the Sabbath be at all a Type it must bee so from the beginning for as M. Broad observeth it appeares not else by Scripture when the Sabbath became a shadow and which was the first Sabbath that was such if the first of all was not And againe that all other shadowes and Types were such from their first institution If the Sabbath be no Type why is it disputed to be no Morall Commandement but abrogated That it is the Churches Type appeares two wayes 1 From the olteration and change which it hath undergone since Christ. 2 By the inference which is made in way of consequence from Gods resting unto his Peoples resting in the connexion of the 9 and 10 verses of this 4 chap. Heb The Sabbath it s said was made for Man that is for his benefit and here to signify his happines hereafter so Mayer in locum saith that in Gods being said to rest there must needs be an alluding to a most joyfull Rest to be had by Man seeing he was never weary neither had he need of Rest so Anselm to prove the rest of the seaventh Day and that it prefigured a further rest to come hee aleadgeth the words saith hee of the history in Genesis The seaventh Day God rested from all his Workes for in that immediately after the making of Man these words were added it is plaine that the resting of man who was last made was meant hereby For as Augustine saith God was not weary so that he had need to rest in regard of his great labour but in those words he hath promised Rest to the labouring or because he made all things very good and then it is said he rested thou maist understand also that after thy good workes thou shalt rest and rest without end Secondly they object that by Rest there is not meant our Rest in Heaven but our Rest from Sinne here upon Earth or our Gospell rest To this I answer It cannot properly beare that sence for 1. It must bee such a Rest as God rested which was not from Sinne but an everlasting Rest in Heaven from the Works of Creation 2. It must be such a Rest as is spoken of in the fourth Commandement which is not properly a Rest from Sinne but a Rest from workes 3. As Mayer observeth it is there called Sabbatismus which signifieth a time of everlasting joy and festivity which cannot bee expressed which is only proper to Heaven 4. To put all out of doubt in the 14 verse of this 4 chap. Heb it is expresly called Heaven and Christ himselfe is implyed to rest it when he ascended into Heaven Nor doth the Apostles speaking in the present tense in the third verse of this chap saying Wee which have beleeved doe enter into Rest afford any Argument against it for that is only a speech of fayth implying the certainty thereof as also intimating the inchoation or entrance which the People of God make into this Heavenly Rest or everlasting Life even in this Life For the Apostles dispute there sheweth that God hath a Rest of everlasting Happines for his People as for himselfe and which now wee are become capable of only by the promise of the Gospell through Faith by reason of Christ our high Priest who is gone thither before us but for farther satisfaction see miâ—e Analâ—â— pag 38. Broad 4. The Sabbath was a shadow in as much as it was a Sabbath that is a day of rest and refreshing THe Sabbath as hath beene said was a shadow of the blessed rest to come and hereof now it was a shadow in respect it was a Sabbath or day of rest even as the Land of Canaan was a type of Heaven in as much as it was a place of rest Some will not have a Sabbath it selfe to bee a shadow but would Saint Paul have said the holy dayes new Moones and Sabbaths are shadowes if not these but circumstances onely about them had been a shadow where is the word Sabbath taken in such a sense The word Sabbath is to bee taken in such a sense Col. 2. as it is to bee taken in other places The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath Matth. 12. Mar. 2. The Sabbath was made for Man was the strict rest precise seaventh day or the like made for Man was the Son of Man Lord of the Sabbath onely in such respects but let us examine their Doctrine better The Sabbath they say was shadowish or ceremoniall in some respects The Sabbath was not a shadow in as much as it was the seaventh day but the seaventh day was a shadow in as much as it was the Sabbath or day of rest consider that the thing shadowed is the rest spoken of Hebr. 4. 9. as first in respect it was the seaventh day and here they say that the number of seaven is mysticall that it is the number of perfection and tell of seaven dayes and of seaven times seaven yeares c. Ans. 1. Why may not I say also that the number of three is mysticall I am sure that three Persons in one God is the greatest mistery of all others and I can tell them of three Persons in one God of three Angels appearing to Abram 2.
our praying that prayer in a literall sense now in our times doth force no such conclusions Not to keepe the Sabbath of the Iewes For though the commandement expresse a seaventh day for number yet it doth not in terminis expresse the order saying Thou shalt keepe the last day in the weeke or of seaven and not the first c. though I acknowledge from other reasons proper to these times the commandement had then that meaning onely so that now the letter of the commandement is intended in our prayer onely with a circumstantiall variation according to the practice of the Church derived from the Apostles which explaines it to the meanest Againe not the seaventh day precisely from the Worlds creation for that hath suffered many variations nor did Adam keepe it but he meanes the seaventh day from the first gathering of Mannah Nor yet in the selfe same manner that the Iewes once did If by once hee meane in the strict time of the wildernes for reasons aforesaid So that by the letter of the commandement wee now may pray the Lord to encline our hearts to keepe holy a Sabbath and not the Iewes a seaventh day and not the last of seaven For the Law in the letter respecteth properly and principally the number implying onely the order occasionally for the season sake because the creation was then the greatest good which number it still retaines in the same letter and upon a new season implies a new order the reason whereon the order was built being circumstantiall as I have proved before nor the day that God rested on after the creation nor the extraordinary rest in the wildernes I say wee may ejaculate this prayer in a literall sense to the fourth commandement as well as to the fifth where weepray Lord encline our hearts to honour our parents that according to thy promise the dayes may bee long in the Land which thou givest us Now wee all knew that by Land there and then is implicitely meant the promised Land or Land of Canaan Yet the manner of expression which God useth in the penning of that Law as of that of the Sabbath admits a latitude Ephes. 6. 2. 3. not appropriating the promise to the Land of Canaan onely by saying that thy dayes may be long in that Land of Canaan which the Lord thy God giveth thee so that the Tribe and the halfe which planted on this side Iordan might have prayed this prayer at the reading of the fifth commandement as well as they with in the Land of Canaan by vertue of the letter of that Law and so in like manner may wee now So excellent is the wisedome of the Lawgiver That though in some temporary implicite circumstantiall sense his Lawes might more properly belong to those people to whom they were immediately given then to us and our times yet hee hath so ordered it that the Law is still usefull and binding for the substance of it even in the letter And therefore they that pray this ejaculation with understanding hearts doe not pray Lord encline our hearts to keepe a Sabbath which 〈◊〉 no Sabbath but Lord encline our hearts to keep a Christian Sabbath a Christian seaventh day and a Christian rest But in the conclusion Doctor Heylyn saith wee may thus expound this prayer viz. to pray unto the Lord to encline our hearts to keepe that Law as farre as it containeth the Law of Nature c. which yet Master Broad his partizan will not allow a pitifull shift to keepe all whole And such is Bishop Whites pag. 159. 160. The generality of whose conclusion there upon this ejaculation saving his private exposition may well serve to set forth the use of it now For saith hee our prayer to God prescribed in the Liturgy is not to beseeth him to encline our hearts to keepe the Law according to the speciall forme and circumstance of time commanded in the old Law which say I is the last day of seaven in memory of our creation but in such a manner as is agreeable to the state of the Gospell and time of Grace which say I is the first day of seaven in memory of our redemption and not as hee interprets it to wit according to the equity and mistery of the fourth commandement and according to the rule of Christian liberty which hath freed Gods people under the Gospell from the observation of dayes months times and yeares saith hee upon legall and ceremoniall principles true if hee meane judaicall ones and then hee cannot meane the Sabbath For to bee freed from it is no part of Christian liberty because not yet fulfilled by Christ Hebr. 4. 9. 10. But to returne to Master Broad by your Marginall note it seemes you could allow the Sabbath not in respect of the Iewes weakenes but of its owne worth and greatnes to bee of longer continuance then the holy-dayes but not perpetuall wherein you exceedingly wrong your cause for if of longer continuance why not perpetuall and if not perpetuall why of longer continuance the Holy-dayes and Iewish Sabbaths say you expired in Christ and if this common Sabbath be no other then a Iewish Holy-day why doth not it expire with the rest and if you can allow it beyond Christ I pray you what should hinder it for being perpetuall neither is it incredible to thinke that the common Sabbath and Iewish Holy-dayes bee of different natures when as they had different institutions different significations different locations and different extensions Broad ARG. I. No morall Commandement may be broken in case of necessity but the fourth Commandement may Ergo it is not morall THe Major is evident for a man may not Ly Steale or the like to save his Life The Minor is no lesse evident In case of necessity the whole Rest may be broken and not the strict only for to save the Life of his Cattle a man may labour all the Sabbath in seeking them covered with Snow in lifting them out of Pits c. Workes of necessity are not forbidden in the intention of the Lawgiver Obj. and therefore such do not breake the fourth Commandement Suppose the King by a generall Law shall forbid the eating of Flesh in Lent Answ. a sicke Man eating Flesh breaketh the Law though no doubt it be in the Kings intention that in such case Flesh may be eaten as it is in the Lawgivers intention that Worke in case of necessity may bee done David brake the Law of shew-bread Math 12. so is it in the Lawgivers intention that the fourth Commandement in case of necessity may be broken as other Ceremoniall precepts might in the time of the Law The whole Rest not the strict Rest only is Ceremoniall Obj. so that if a Man labour all the Sabbath in lifting his Cattle out of Pits in saving his goods from Burning in Fighting against the Enemy c. Yet he breaketh only the Ceremoniall part of the fourth Commandement Vnlesse such breake the
the 31. of Exod. wee read thus Verely my Sabbaths yee shall keepe for it is a signe betweene mee and you throughout your generations that yee may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctifie you The like was signified by cleane meats Levit. 〈◊〉 24 25 26. Act. 〈◊〉 12 13 14 15 20. Here by sanctifying is meant separating from other Nations to bee a peculiar people to himselfe In this sense Aaron and his Sons are said to bee sanctified Exod. 29. 44. Aaron and his Sons were sanctified and severed from the other Levites to bee the Lords Priests and the Israelites were sanctified and severed from other Nations to bee the Lords people of which sanctifying the Sabbath was a signe in as much as it was a day sanctified and seperated from other dayes of the weeke for the Lords service Now if God gave the Sabbath for a signe to the Israelites the Sabbath could not bee common to other Nations and consequently was a meere ceremony as was circumcision Abraham received the signe of circumcision and the Israelites received the signe of the Sabbath Hence I thus argue such as is the Sabbath such is the precept thereof The Sabbath is a signe therefore the precept thereof is significative or ceremoniall and is abrogated Here consider that if Noah had taught his household and Lot his Sons Abraham his Sons by Hagar and Keturah Isaack his son Esau and Melchisedech his people to keepe the Sabbath the Sabbath could have beene no signe to the Israelites for the World would have beene replenished with Sabbath-keepers at that time and a long time after so that no doubt wee should often read of this matter in Heathen writers Answer You say the Sabbath was given to the Israelites as a signe of their peculiar sanctifying or seperating to bee the people of God from all others and hence you fallaciously conclude that therefore it cannot bee common to others * See this confuted in Master Richard Bifield pag. 87 88. where hee sheweth how every signe of separation or consecration is not ceremoniall Nor doth every seperating or sanctifying marke oblige onely those that haâ—e that marke pag. 1 â—0 For though it be true that as a signe it was proper to them onely in their times and so also was the whole Law as it was renewed and given of God for a covenant betweene him and them * The giving them to the Israelites was a signe the Lord was nigh to them and therefore in vaine doth Master Dow alledge pag. 15. That in that the Sabbath is called a signe betweene God and the Israelites that hee was their Sanctifier and Deliverer out of Egypt which it could not bee if it were given to all Nations in Adam seeing the Law was the like and therefore doth hee say Psalme 147. 19 20. Hee hath shewne his word to Iacob and to Israel his judgements and statutes and that hee hath not dealt so with every Nation that is with any Nation neither have they knowne his judgements so that the Sabbath and the whole Law are alike significative and indeed have somewhat of signification in them in this second exhibition For as the Church it selfe was then typicall signifying the Church of Gods elect So was the Law as given to them as may appeare in that it was twice written to shew the double writing of it by nature and grace in the hearts of the elect So that both the Sabbath and the rest of the Decalogue as they are morall Lawes are forever common to the universall Church of God being not onely bare signes but of a double nature For the same thing may bee both proper and common in diverse respects As the Land of Canaan was proper to the Iewes as it was the Land of promise and yet it was common to many Nations in the use thereof to wit as it was a place of commerce and habitation and so is to this day And so the whole Decalogue wee know was common as it was the Law of nature to all Nations and People even in those times of the Iewes but yet is it in the fourth Chap. of Deut. 13. verse appropriated to the Iewes because it was given in a speciall manner as a Covenant betweene God and them and in that respect it is opposed to things that are common to all People in the 19. verse of that Chapter as the thing wherefore and whereby God will bee especially worshipped even for that very cause because as hee himselfe layeth downe the reason there they are distributed unto all People under the whole Heaven And yet is this Law no man will deny in the morall sense of it common to us now 〈◊〉 whereof the Sabbath is a part nay * For though wee refuse the Law as a Covenant yet wee entertaine and honour it as a rule of obedience Nor surely are wee to say that the Law because it was given to the Iewes must bee in the same respect to us as to the Iawes else it bindeth not at all if so bee it bee qualified according to our times and turned from a covenant to a rule Then granting this change and yet retention of the whole why not also of that part thereof which concernes the Sabbath and was also common to them that were not Iewes even in the time of the Iewes though not in nature of a speciall Covenant yet so as it was a Law of nature which the precise Sabbath I confesse is none but onely made equivalent by revelation and therefore did they then observe though set times of worshipping God yet happily not the whole day or at least not every seaventh for that most properly is the Churches right and rite Moreover the very Sabbath it selfe was of force by vertue of the fourth commandement to all that came with in the cognizance of it as well stranger as Iew And therefore could it not bee meant a signe of separation in your sense so as to appropriate it solely to them and thereupon to create it a meere ceremony Many things there were indeed among the Iewes that bare this sense expressely as the Paschall-Lambe whereof by expresse words no stranger was to eate untill hee was made as one that was borne in the Land by circumcision Exod. 12. 48. But it was other wayes in the commandement of the Sabbath for the stranger quatenus stranger was â—o observe it if they were within their gates * Nehem. 13. 16 19 20 21. Iubebantur feriari eo die qâ—emadmodum Iudaei indigenae saith Zanchy And not as the Antisabbatarians of our age would perswade that it belonged to the proselite stranger onely Againe I argue against you out of your owne place 31. Exod. That if God menat it as a bare signe peculiar to the Iewes why then doth hee fly backe to the primitive institution of it in the seaventeenth verse re inforcing the commandement there upon that reason which is common to all mankind The words are these
It is a signe betweene mee and the children of Israel for ever For in sixe dayes the Lord made Heaven and Earth and in the seaventh day hee rested Now wee know it was never the property of the Iewish types to looke backward to the state of innocency but forward But you will say that the first institution of the Sabbath was but a prophecy or fore-runner of the second To this I answer That it is very ill likely that any thing that was proper to the Iewes as a ceremony and not common to the whole Church of God for whose sake the World was made was prophecyed or fore-ordained in innocency For all the things that are made use of in Scripture from the state of innocency are spoken of as appertaining to the whole Church of God and not proper to any one People or time And so is the Sabbath made use of in the fourth Hebr. to signifie an everlasting rest to whom but to the People of God But you will aske mee how I know that this Law of the Sabbath was given in innocency and not after the fall I answer that this one reason may serve for all Because that whatsoever Moses maketh mention of before the fall wee have good reason to thinke it to bee done in innocency and to allow as well his Method as his matter in that particuler But hee placeth the Law of the Sabbath before the fall Ergo c. Besides your owne Hypothesis stoppeth this objection For if Adam should have kept the Sabbath had he continued in innocency as you suppose hee should its like it was revealed to him in that state And the rather was the Sabbath given in innocency that it might bee understood to bee equall with the Law of nature and to appertaine to the whole Church of God which afterwards was to bee of a double condition and so the Sabbath serves for a double end answerable to these conditions to wit in memoriall of the creation as it is in the 20. Exod. 11. and also in memoriall of our redemption as in the 5. Deut. 15. and as is the Sabbath such is the Law of a double obligation to us in respect both of our creation and redemption Note It is very observable in those two places how an order is kept which giveth authority to our second Sabbath and to the reason thereof for in the first giving the Law Exod. 20. the Sabbath is inforced by the creation and in the repetition or second giving of it in the 5. Deut. it is altogether inforced upon the redemption the creation not being once named or mentioned there in the Law of the Sabbath or fourth commandement lively intimating the subsistence of the fourth commandement under the Gospell and the binding authority of it in our dayes by the incorporation and addition of the reason of our new creation or spirituall deliverance by Christ into the commandement in stead of the old reason which is utterly omitted as if it were forgotten or at least overtopped and triumphed over by us that are the second generation of Israel * Answerable to that 65. of Isaiah 17. I will create new Heavens and a new Earth the â—ormer shall not bee remembred nor come into mind I wish our Antisabbatâ—rians to consider well that such a repetition of the fourth commandement not seorsim or by it selfe but together with the whole Decalogue in its proper place with such a materiall omission and addition or alteration cannot but bee significantly and doctrinally meant by the holy Ghost there But some argue from this connexion of the Sabbath to their deliverance out of Egypt that the Sabbath was therefore given to them for a memoriall of a particuler benefit to them and so belonged to the Ecclesiasticall Government of the Iewes and therefore though it were not typicall yet for that cause it ought to bee done away To whom I answer that upon the same reason they may as well abolish the whole Law and turne Antinomians if they ponder it connexed with its preface I will borrow Master Richard Bifield to conclude this point pag. 88. who saith that the Sabbath in those places of Exod. 31. 13. and Exod. 20. 12. 20 is called a signe in two respects First in that it is an Argument and Document betweene God and Israel and so betweene God and his People for ever whereby they may know that God hath sanctified them Secondly it is a signe not of any future thing but of a thing present as every adjunct that is a visible concomitancy is a signe of the subject present For in the observation of the Sabbath there is a publicke profession of that communion which intercedeth betweene God and us As then every solemne profession is a signe of that thing of which profession is made so also is the Sabbath called in this respect a signe Broad ARG. IV. GOd resting on the seaventh day it became his Sabbath or Day of rest as wee tearme that a mans birth-day wherein hee was borne and as the other dayes of the Weeke were Gods working dayes This his resting as I have shewed before Chap. 5. was typicall and it was the reason why God did sanctifie the day and commanded men to sanctifie it as appeareth by Gen. 2. 3. and Exod. â—0 11. Hence I thus reason such as the foundation is such is the building The foundation Gods resting on the seaventh day was typicall The Sabbath doctrin is builded on the sands and therefore his sanctifying it presently and mans sanctifying it afterwards was no lesse Finally consiner whether more then this may bee not spoken of Sion and the Temple then is spoken of the Sabbath This is my rest for ever Psalme 132. 14. My house shall bee called an house of prayer for all People Isa. 56. 7. I doe not know where the Sabbath is tearmed Gods rest for ever and for all People Answer My former Arguments have beene sufficient to give this its answer for I have alwayes granted the Sabbath to bee typicall from the fourth Hebr. Your comparison of the Sabbath with those phrases belonging to the Temple and Sion in holy writ is a meere flourish and readily answered out of the fourth of Hebr. where the typicall rest of the Sabbath is extended farre beyond the typicall rest of Canaan wherein Sion was for the holy Ghost saith there that the Sabbaths-rest still remaineth to the People of God implying the contrary of the other rest Broad CHAP. VII THE chiefest Arguments of the adverse part answered I come now to answer the chiefest Arguments of the adverse part I say the chiefest for with a cloud not of witnesses seeing they prove nothing but of Arguments such as they are whereby some go about to obscure the light I will not at this time have any thing to do hoping that as a mist it shall of it self vanish away from before the eyes of all those that read this Treatise with understanding ARGVMENT I. ADam
was commanded to sanctifie the seventh day in the state of Innocency therefore it is morall to sanctifie one day in a weeke I thinke it best to make answer to this Argument particularly 1. Adam was commanded to sanctifie the seventh day Answ. It doth not appear that Adam received such a Command as is said before As I commanded your fathers Ier. 17. 22. rather we would thinke as I conmanded Adam in the beginning if it had been true Consider also this saying and made known to them thy holy Sabbath Nâ—hem 9 14. Chap. 1. And had God given such a Command why should it not be recorded He that will have us believe more then is set downe must alledge some Scripture or some reason why it was not set down It will be said unlesse Adam was commanded to sanctifie the seventh day wherfore did God sanctifie it in the beginning Answ. Because thou a man knowest not a reason of Gods doings this is not a sufficient reason or warrant for thee to affirme that he did more then thou findest that he did in the Scriptures And consider that others may know some reason hereof though thou and I do not This that followeth whether they be reasons or not I leave it to thy consideration I dare not say so I was not with God when he laid the foundations of the earth 1. It appeareth by Heb. 4. as is said before that Gods Resting the seventh day wherein God rested and which he sanctified was a Type of the Rest that remaineth to the people of God 2. God might sanctifie the seventh day in the beginning for a purpose not present but to come namely that the Israelites should sanctifie the same when they came into the land of Canaan another Paradise as it were and a Type also of the kingdome of heaven A blessed time and a blessed place an holy day and an holy land sort well together When a man shall stand before Christs judgement seat and being demanded wherefore didst thou say that God commanded Adam to sanctifie the seventh day when the Scripture saith not so in any place Consider whether this answer I could see no other reason of Gods sanctifying the seventh day will not prove like Adams breeches of fig-leaves I am well assured it will Answer To your answer I rejoyne That this example of God thus declared by himself was in the nature of a Command as appeareth plainly by the paralel case We see Gods creating Man male and female was a law justly inferred thence obligatory enough to binde one man to marry but one woman at once and to love her and live with her as appeareth Gen. 2. 23 24. compared with Marke 10. 6 7. where there is concluded from this exemplary action of God a perpetuall binding dutie to all mankinde without any expresse Commandement to that purpose But Gods blessing and hallowing the seventh day must needs enforce a Command if we consider that as Christ saith the Sabbath was made for man that is saith M r. Hilder sham for the great benefit and behoofe of man so that man could not no not in Innocency have been without it And if this of the Sabbath were of no obligatory â—orce I pray you then why doe you as before say that Adam if he had continued in Innocency should have kept it Me thinks he should rather then have kept every day Sabbath then we now and yet you say It is likely he should have wrought sixe dayes and sanctified the seventh Therefore as Christ saith in the case of separation it was not so from the beginning So say I in this case of the Sabbath that it was so from the beginning on Gods part actually and on mans part it both should and would have been so had he continued upright And thereforâ— as well in this of the Sabbath as in that of Marriage ought it to be so now Nor did mans fall abrogate the Sabbath any more then it did the rest of the morall Law * Know that all the Commandements given in Innocency were morall either by a naturall or positive moralitie as you would seeme to perswade in your first Chapter For God used the self same authoritie to reinforce it when he gave the Law the second time to wit his own example and the Creation both which he used in his first institution And therefore however we may think of the Sabbath in our corrupt reasonings or by other mens examples as the lewes might doe of Marriage from the example of the Patriarchs polygamy or the toleration of Moses yâ—t it was other wayes from the beginning and let God be true though men be lyers As touching your marginall note God as I may so speake had no reason to goe so farre of for an inforcement as to Adam especially it having been so long intermitted when he might have it fresh and neerer hand which he the rather chose to use for that this iteration of the Law was more peculiar and a greater Demonstration of his speciall love to them in way of Covenant and so more pressing and remarkable And yet doth he not utterly omit to make use of the first institution for he useth the same Arguments to them as to Adam for the observing it to wit his own example and the memory of the Creation which sheweth that it was to be understood as a Commandement laid then upon Adam as well as now upon the Israelites And by this rule you may say The promise and Covenant of Grace was not given to Adam because Gal. 3. 17. The Apostle draweth his Argument of refutation from that Covenant which God confirmed with Abraham 430 yeeres before the Law was given and not from the Covenant made with Adam at the first Touching the latter part of your marginall note I have answered it a little before from Psal. 147. 19 20. It may well be said as a Rejoynder to your second answer that unlesse the sanctifying of the Sabbath was instituted as an Ordinance for Adam to observe wherefore did God sanctifie it for Christ saith The Sabbath was made that is appointed or created in the beginning for man And if God had a reserved and secret intent in this why was it revealed especially when the thing was done and past seeing things revealed belong to us and to our children And from your own reason That the Sabbath was a Type of the Rest that remaines to the people of God a man may justly argue the use of it to the Church and consequently the necessitie and universalitie of it For by the people of God is not meant any visible particular but the whole Catholike Church And why God who instrict sense rested no more on that day then on others did yet so declare himself to have done ad captum vulgi and did also spin out the creation into six dayes which else he could have done in a trice if it were not for example sake I leave to any indifferent judgement And
been once formally instituted But that the ten Commandements which God himselfe both spake and gave after such an extraordinary manner with such majesty and terrour and in regard of the place for all the world to take notice of it and which he calleth his Covenant and himselfe in a speciall manner recordeth them to be ten in number Deut. 4. and with his owne finger wrote them twice in Tables of stone signifying as well their lasting nature as any other thing and commanded them to be put into the Holy of Holies in the Arke under the Mercy-seate and which were all of them institute in Innocency either by created Nature or immediate Revelation whereas all other Ordinances were delivered by the mediation of Moses a mortall man but that immediately by the immortall God as witnesseth Iosephus in his Iewish antiquities Moses saith hee received the ten Commandements from the high and unexcessible mountaine Sinai with thundrings but other Lawes he received in the Iewish Tabernacle ascending no more the mountaine Now that one of these should be temporary and the other nine perpetuall is doubtlesse in any reasonable mans opinion very ill likely I am sure Bishop Andrewes in his Chatechisticall doctrine saith That it were not wise to set a Ceremony he meanes a Iewish abrogative Ceremony in the midst of morall precepts And one saith Certainly God did intend something extraordinary by this great odds of conveyance and what more proper then that these were mortall and dependant upon those those immortall and independant especially if we weigh the manner how Moses concludeth his repetition of the ten Commandements with these words God added no more but wrote them in Tables of stone to shew that these words be valued of a greater rate then those which should be added by the hands of Moses which were either to be explanations of these or shadowes of Christ And as God did not adde so man may not diminish from these words and so consequently there is no reason without sacriledge to suspect the morality of the fourth Commandement Broad One heretofore required me to shew a satisfactory reason why if the fourth Commandement be of no higher rancke then the other temporary constitutions of Moses Touching Gods gracing the fourth commandement as much as the nine morall God should grace it as much as the nine morall Ans. I dare not take upon me to yeeld a reason of Gods doings And I would gladly know what reason themselves can yeeld wherefore God should use so many words touching abstinence from worke on the Sabbath and not one word of comming together to pray and to heare the word preached Yet this I say In mans judgement it is great reason that one Ceremoniall Commandement at the least should be placed amongst many morall precepts in the Tables of the Covenant seeing God made a Covenant with the Israelites after the tenour of both sorts indifferently as is to be seen Exod. 24. There we read how that Moses having written in a book sundry Lawes as well Ceremoniall as other the booke is called the booke of the Covenant vers 7 8. Behold the blood of the Covenant which the Lord hath made with you concerning all these words See also Chapter 34. from the 10. verse to the end of the 27. Answer You say you daâ—e not give a reason of all Gods doings I could with you were as modest in not reasoning against God as you are in reasoning for him As concerning your question why God speaketh so much of rest and so little of holy duties Answ. You are sufficiently answered out of the Commandement it self For those words Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day are a most plenary expression of the sanctifying of that day with the duties of holinesse which being thus premised then followeth after in the Commandement the urging of Rest or abstinence from work both as a meanes to further the Sabbaths sanctification like as in the Sabbath of Atonement Levit. 23. 27 28. and as a significant part thereof conjunctively considered and spiritually * Thâ—ugh by reason of the minoâ—tyof the Iewish pedagogy as aforesaid there was then interpretatâ—vely by God 〈…〉 abâ—tract holinesse of this Rest being sâ—â—cowish and significative as of other Types improved For as fasting joyned with prayer is a necessary medium of Gods extraordinary worship by removing impediments and also a significant medium concerning our extraordinary humiliation So is the Sabbaths Rest both a medium and a significant medium to Gods extraordinary worship and our extraordinary happinesse And it is not rare to finde fasting urged in Scripture without expresse mention of Prayer as in Ester 4. 16. Where when Ester gave Mordecai in charge to assemble the Iewes and to fast for her three daies and nights there is no mention of prayer And yet no man can deny but it is most necessarily understood and implyed though it be not expressed So it is As for your Arguments drawn from the Covenant which because it consisted both of Morall and Ceremoniall Lawes therefore say you it is reason that one Ceremoniall Commandement at least should be placed among many Morall precepts in the Tables of the Covenant Answ. Nay rather it is good reason that both the Lawes should be written together in the Booke of the Covenant as indeed they were in regard that the two Tables were to be laid up in the Holy of Holies and so not to be come by but the copies of that Book were of continuall use And again seeing the Covenant of the Iews consisted of both it is the more reason that they should be carefully distinguished as likewise they were then confounded seeing you cannot deny but that which was Morall was to appertain to after ages and if they had then been undistinctly mixed how could after ages tell which was which But this was prevented through Gods good providence by their disjunction and distinct exhibition at the first Broad If this will not satisfie him or any other then as Christ answered some Questioners Matt. 21. let them first tell me wherefore God should appoint a greater punishment for the breach of a Ceremoniall Law then he did of some Morall And I will afterwards tell them wherefore he should grace a Ceremoniall Commandement as much as a Morall Answer There may be very good reason for it for though sometimes God doth inflict the most grievous temporall punishment upon the greater sins to aggravate the danger of committing them So other some times he ordaineth a great punishment for a lesser sinne least according to our corrupt judgements we should thinke it small and if it were not for the punishment threatned be the carelesser to observe it And secondly to shew that it is not so much the Nature of the thing commanded as the Will of the Commander that gives weight to the Commandment And thirdly A man may commit some morall offence with lesse guilt then the Iewes might a Ceremoniall As if a man
should steale a loafe of bread for pure need he was not so great a sinner as he that through contempt or wilfull neglect omitted or carelesly performed the Sacrifices of the Law or other Ceremonies Broad Againe Touching Gods gracing of the fourth â—ommandement above the other temporary Constitutions He would needs know a reason why God should grace the Commandement of the Sabbath above the other temporary Constitutions Answ. The reason happily was because the Sabbath served more then any of the other I thinke I may say then all the other Ceremonies to the furtherance of the Morall Law True that on the first and last dayes of the Passeover the Israelites were to have holy Convocations as well as on the Sabbath but this Feast as other came but once in the yeere whereas the Sabbath was once in the weeke Answer If the Commandement of the Sabbath had had its beginning with the rest of the Ceremonies you might have had some colour for what you say But seeing it was first set on foot in Innocency and afterwards revived as an equall among and contemporary with the Morall Lawes why now it should only be preferred to be the Master of the Iewish abrogative Ceremonies and so Moses his tale of ten Commandements brought by us into the number of nine I can see small reason to perswade And I know no use the Sabbath was of then for advantage to the Morall Law * In confâ—ssing the Sabbath to be of such furtherance to the Morall law he must needs imply against himself that the Sabbaths Rest was a significant medium to the sanctification of the Sabbath and not the sanctification it self properly and only but it is of the same use to us now especially if it should have been usefull as it should in Innocency So that if the Sabbath faile which is the sinewes of Religion then farewell the power of Godlinesse For doubtlesse it was the very reason why it was given of God as a perpetuall and absolute necessary Concomitant and Appendix to the Morall Law superadded by him in the time of â—nnocency to the Law of Nature as I have said before that it might be a perpetuall help thereto and therefore as it begun with it so it shall end with it Broad Not to stand longer hereupon Consider that the Sabbath was instituted for divers weighty purposes as no other Ceremony the like whereof before Chapter 4. Secondly that it concerned all the Israelites generally both Priests and People and also very often as few Ceremonies the like Thirdly that as soone as it was instituted it was prophaned the like whereof I doe not finde did befall any other Ceremony And if this last consideration did minister sufficient occasion unto God to grace the Sabbath above other Ceremonies seeing the people had already disgraced it more then the other and thereby bewraied what they were likely to doe in time to come how much more the two former considerations concurring herewithall This much to give him and others satisfaction if it may be Answer You say very true of the Sabbaths super-excellency above all other Ceremonies and let me adde one which is That as it was before them in dignity time so shall it be after them to the end of the world But for your third reason of the prophanation of the Sabbath as soone as it was instituted which you say you finde not to befall any other I answer that you need not goe farre to seeke one for their gathering Mannah was prophaned with covetous gathering and disobedient keeping of it before the Sabbath And you may as well say that therefore it was commanded to be put into a golden pot and laid up before the Testimony as that because the Sabbath was prophaned therefore it was put among the ten Commandements Besides offering of incense was prophaned in the very first exercise of Aarons Priesthood by strange fire Levit. 10. 1. Broad Now out of that hath been here said an answer may be taken also unto these words of the Prophet Isaiah 58. 13. 14. No more can be gathered from that Text then from the placing of the fourth Commandement among the morall Commandements in the Decalogue which is that God much respected the keeping of the Sabbath And this I acknowledge but this he did likewise the paying of tythes and offerings Mal. 3. and doth the partaking of the Lords Supper 1 Cor. 11. Broad ARGVMENT 3. SOme of late would fetch an argument from Christs words Matth. 5. 18. where by the Law they understand the Decalogue only Answ. Then shall the word Law be taken in one sense vers 17. and in another vers 18. for by the Law in the 17. vers is meant * The five bookes of Moses Gen. Exod. Levit c. the whole Law of Moses as likewise Matth. 11. 13. It is altogether improbable that where there is a distribution of Scripture into parts by the Law should be signified the Decalogue only Againe when Christ cometh to instance afterward in many particulars of the law some of the instances are taken out of other places as vers 33. 38. 43. If it be said these particulars may be referred to some Commandements in the Decalogue Answ. So it would be said if Christ had instanced in any Ceremoniall precept throughout the whole Law The instances as also that which is said vers 16. and 20. doe shew that Christ spake of the Law Morall or that which is to be kept of Christians but seeing the instances are taken out of divers places it cannot be gathered by them nor by ought else here what is morall in Moses law * Five books and to be kept of Christians and what not were it that by the law the Decalogue is only meant yet seeing no more is said of the law vers 18. then is said of the Law and Prophets If every tittle of the Decalogue in their meaning be perpetuall then are we to blame that we keepe not the Iewes Sabbath and forbeare all worke therein This text might better have been urged by the Sabbatarianis heretofore vers 17. the meaning cannot be that every thing that is enjoyned in the Decalogue is perpetuall for then it should follow that every thing enjoyned likewise in the Prophets is perpetuall and to be observed of Christians Now that no more is said of the law vers 18. then is said of the Prophets vers 17. is manifest for there Christ saith that he came to fulfill the Prophets which is as much as one tittle of the Prophets shall not passe till all be fulfilled That Christ spake thus as it were vers 17. The Law and the Prophets shall be fulfilled in part and thus vers 18. The Law shall be fulfilled wholly is not to be imagined It would aske a long discourse to shew Christs meaning Let it then suffice to have shewn that this Text maketh nothing for the perpetuitie of the fourth Commandement Answer It is true that
a yeare is as well the substance of the foresaid Law as the keeping of the Sabbath once in a weeke is the substance of the fourth Commandement and the worshipping of God was one end of the feast as well as of the Sabbath Yet Christ hath blotted out that whole Law The like may be said of that Law Exod. 23. 10 11. By this opinion not the substance but only the circumstances of the fourth Commandement are mentioned in the Decalogue which circumstances also are not to be observed Answer That in the fourth Commandement is both substance and circumstance is evident By substance I understand the sanctifying the seventh day not as it is last in order but as it is opposed to all other numbers by circumstance I understand the order and the reason * For the reason did as well bind to observe the order as to establish the Commandement it selfe til I there was a new reason of a new order but never of a new commandement Which two that I may use your phrase in the conclusion of your seuenth Chapter have been manifested to have been circumstantiall by the event I say the very reason of the Commandement as it did bind the order was circumstantiall and changable Wee see how it received an addition in that their remembrance of their deliverance out of Egypt which was a Type of our spirituall deliverance was made a reason of this fourth Commandement as well as the Creation And so is now our redemption it selfe by Christ and yet nothing of the substance abolished or altered but the maine duty of sanctifying the seventh day is still observed And the reason as I conceive why this Commandement was more circumstantiall then others was because it was preter-ordained to the Law of Nature for the continuall use of the Church in all states and conditions And therefore was it to be brought to the state and made sutable to the condition of the Church * In regard of the circumstantiall parts of it the morall part fitting all states as an help of their obedience and not the condition of the Church to be brought to it as were also the Sacraments and yet so as that God hath himselfe ever ordered these changable circumstances in it either by the doctrine or example of his Prophets or Apostles notvery darkly Indeed as touching the seventh day to be any other then the last in the time of the Prophets is not to be imagined because then that order was in force but now in the Apostles time the event doth cleerly manifest the contrary in the practice of the Apostles which giveth sufficient authority for ours * It is altogether an unlikely thing that the Church without a pregnant Commandement which there is none in scripture would take upon them to abolish the fourth commandement enjoyning a duty upon an universall and perpetuall benefit and yet of their owne authority bring up a custome equivalent And whereas you say that no other Commandement is to be interpreted with circumstances and substance I answer That beâ—ides that circumstance of the Israelites deliverance prefixed to the whole Law me thinks you should acknowledge this to be true in the fifth Commandement where there is a promise made of a reward in Canaan to them that keep it which yet is a changable circumstance * And in answer to your marginall note if it were not a changable circumstance you mâ—y imagine what absurdity would follow in respect of the precise meaning For though in that respect it be void yet it is still of force and use according to the present state and residence of the Church as appeareth in the 6. Eph. 2. And notwithstanding the cessation of the Egyptian Deliverance and the precise meaning of this promise in the fifth Commandement and their alterations into a more spirituall proper meaning for the present Church yet do the Commandements themselves for their substance remaine to this day the same For the change of significant circumstances may be upon good grounds without impeachment to the being of the law as the Israelites supposed changing the gesture from standing to sitting when they were a Sedentary Church did no whit abolish the Passeover And thus did David change the order that God had appointed among the Levites how that till thirtie yeeres old they were not to officiate when the reason of it failed and the Arke had rest then without prejudice to the Ordinance he ordained that they should officate at twentie as is 1 Chron. 23. As a man may alter his temperament and yet continue a man still so long as for substance he remaineth the same in soul and body So if so be the Sabbath had been changed from being kept every seventh day to every sixth then the whole frame of the fourth Commandement had suffered shipwrack But in the change of one seventh day to another upon such a ground and reason the substance suffereth not For as Bishop White observes pag. 136. against T. B. who affirmes that in all Divine lawes whensoever any part is taken away the whole is abolished That if by part he understand such a part as is substantiall and constituent his position is granted but if he understand a circumstantiall or accidentall part the position is false For saith he the Law of Prayer or Divine worship is still in force as it was in Davids and in Daniels time in respect of substantiall actions but many circumstances of time place and gesture are abolished in the time of the Gospel as Daniels praying with windows open toward Ierusalem c. And therefore a little to vary the words and sence of his conclusion against T. B. the substance of the fourth Commandement may be continued and yet the Circumstance altered As touching your following instance of the three feasts a yeere I see not that it holds good Analogie with the Sabbath But your marginal instance of the â—arths seventh yeere Sabbath is proper In which Commandement I say there is both circumstance and substance The substance is the Law it selfe of resting the seventh yeere in opposition to the other sixe But the precise order is added by the God of order for the better execution of this Law without confusion which must needs follow if it were left arbitrary Like as in the Law of Tythes God chose to himselfe one in ten which for orders sake and that they might have a rule to walke by he appointed to be every tenth as it passed under the rod. And so of the Sabbath wherein for order sake God did not only appoint the seventh day to be the last but also gave a computation from Mannah that so they might also know which should be that last and so avoid confusion Which yet doth nothing hinder but that the same God may upon occasion appoint another order by his Apostles as he did that by Moses and not harme the Law it selfe or the substance of the Commandement in so doing
received for the Christian Sabbath As the name of Christians was then given when Christianity was generally professed and received and yet was there a Sabbath before professed by many as well as there were Christians and Christianity before they were so called So that what you say of the one you may as well say of the other Broad Now I have before acquainted thee with the agreement betweene divines touching this day namely that ordinarily some necessary businesses excepted it is to be spent wholly in religious exercises The difference beâ—ween them standeth in this point Some will have the Lords-day to be the Commandement of Christ or his Apostles as the Sabbath was of God heretofore Others will have it to be only an Ecclesiastical tradition or constitution yet such an one as is of greater authority then many other Zanehius hath this saying Traditionum enim Ecclesiasticarum quaedam sunt Apostolicae quâ—dam mere Ecclesiasticae * He instanceth in the Lords-day Certe quas constat ab Apostolis fuisse profectas hae plus habeant authoritatis quam relique Red. de trad Eccles. Answer It were to be wished that how-ever Divines differ in opinion concerning the Morality that yet they agreed in the divinity or holy practise of the Sabbath But there are of your opinion that sticke not to say how that the Sabbath is but an ordinary Holy-day and that the vacant hours which are besides the publike imployments ordained by the Church * For number and season are of the same nature with working dayes and their practise is accordingly So that if we may judge the tree by the fruit then may we judge their opinions by their practise which savoureth of the flesh and not of the spirit whose furthest progresse in the practicke part is like some of the choisest heathens to regulate their actions by the light of Nature And happily they have the lanthorne of notionall divinity shining in their heads * And so take up a forme of godlinesse but deny the power thereof for seeing they see not and hearing they heare not but are wholly ignorant of the understanding with the heart which Christ speaketh of Matt. 13. 15. They see the Law but Gods end in it to bring the soule sensibly sentenced under sinne and wrath to need and seeke a Saviour and to keep the soul restlesse till it enjoy him and accept him on any termes God doth offer him by the sence of the depth of their filth misery they experiment not in them as appeares by their pride and I shmaelitish persecuting the sonnes of the free woman They being flesh which lusts against the Spirit and of carnall minds which is enmity against God do persecute him that is borne after the Spirit as was prophecyed Gal. 4. 29. For the flesh despiseth and opposeth spirituall worship and spirituall worshippers and being spiritually blind sticketh not to speake evill of things they know not And professing themselves to be wise they become fooles It was ever the lot of truth to be rejected of the builders Many great Rabbies professing the key of knowledge were greatest enemies to the truth as the truth is in Christ that is to the sincere proâ—ession and practice of Christianity Christ must be set as a signe and butt of contradiction Offences must come but woe be to them by whom they come For carnal Protestants are held off from the true embracing of Christ because they see the truth and sincerity of Christ every where so resisted and hated by those that are great and wise in their Generation For Holinesse in the forehead was a chiefe grace but now with us it was become a chiefe disgrace in so much that the despised members of Christ received extreme discouragement except they have such a measure of grace as raiseth them above contempt to professe holinesse to the Lord openly the Devill spewing out after the Church a flood of poison to drowne her But be it as it will I pray both the scorner and the scorned to peruse considerately the one for terrour the other for encouragement 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21. verses of the Epistle of Iude. a cold clymate for Religion to dwell in which they imbracing this present world use as workemen doe their tooles to get money and preferment under the colour of an outward calling for the inward they looke not after But for the knowledge of that wherein the life and soule of Religion consisteth to wit Christ and him crucified in a saving sence they are as ignorant in it as Nicodemus was in the doctrine of Regeneration which though he had read it before in the new Covenant Ezek. 11. 19. yet seeing he saw not no more doe these and therefore no wonder if they cry downe the authority of the Lords-day that have no acquaintance with the Lord of the day but instead of serving him as their Lord and Master they serve themselves of him making his Gospell wherein they should labour in season and out of season to be their stalking horse to convey them the more plausibly to their prey of preferment here on earth and leave that of Heaven for such fooles as they call Puritanes I meane not non-conformists except they be such as they meane that is Men that make not Religion to consist in knowledge but in living according to their knowledge in inward and outward holinesse not being vainly puffed up by a fleshly minde with a voluntary obedience of will-worship or meere formall holinesse or morall excellencies or civill and naturall righteousnesse but holding the Head labouring to increase with the increase of God and to grow in the excellent and humbling knowledge of the simplicity of Christ to the praise of the glory of his grace in a word such as the Scripture calleth Saints and prophane men Precisians No men greater enemies to preaching A conscionable Minister that is painfull in the discharge of his calling labouring to save the soules of his flocke preaching twice a day and the name of a Lecturer so called for distinction sake stinks in ther nostrils as they doe in Gods I wonder how such men come to be called Divines or Preachers that thus defile their owne nest accounting soule-saving preaching foolishnesse and in a spitefull pride calumniating those that with conscience and diligence labour in the worke of the Lord. How necessary is it thinke we then to maintaine the Prerogative of the Sabbath when men of this Coate like swine tread holy things under their feet But let such ponder that place of the Evangelist and apply it Matt. 5. 19. Whosoever shall breake one of these least Commandements and teach men so he shall be called the least in the kingdome of heaven But to come to the difference it selfe I answer That I know no Divines that doe affirme Christ to have left it in expresse mandatory tearmes that that day should be kept Sabbath nor yet Holy-day for indeed there is no such Commandement
extant in the new Testament But they say That it is likely Christ did teach it to his Apostles before his death * As he did the place of meeting after his Resurrection Matt. 28. 16. which though it be more then I know yet sure I am their meeting thus emphatically recorded in Scripture to be on that very day and the day sennight of Christs Resurrection and answerably practised after by Paul is doubtlesse of binding authority and to an exemplary use and end And how-ever it be that Christ did or did not teach them by word of mouth before his death questionlesse in that thing at that time they were especially taught of God the instinct and secret guidance of the Spirit being in stead of a Commandement to them though perhaps for present they were ignorant of their owne practice as Mary was when she powred the boxe of oyntment upon Christs head that she did it for his burying and doing the same thing that day sennight We have just cause to thinke that Christ had an hand in it though it be not expressed in the word he having appeared to them the day before and the same effect ensuing upon the same occasion to wit his appearing to them being met againe And therefore what though the Puritanes as Bishop White stiles them from T. B. pag. 185. cannot shew the Lords-day to be made a Sabbath by any written Law he meanes no doubt in the new Testament may not the unerring spirit of the Apostles suffice us seeing that himselfe saith pag. 119. The inspiration of â—od is of as great efficacy and authority as his writing wherewith the Apostles doubtlesse were directed in the instituting of an exemplary perpetuall observation to the Church And whereas I say the instinct of the Spirit was as a Law or Commandement to the Apostles in this particular of instituting the Lords-day upon Christs Resurrection I would to this purpose commend the consideration of Moses his instituting the Sabbath upon the fall and gathering of a double portion of Mannah in 16. Exod. which yet we doe not finde in termes to be taught him of God then when that Law of Mannah was commanded ver 5. Fulke upon the 1 Revel is peremptory and saith That for the prescription of the Lords-day before any other of the seven they had without doubt either the expresse Commandement of Christ before his ascension when he gave them precepts concerning the kingdome of God and the ordering and government of his Church Acts 1. 2. or else the certaine direction of his Spirit that it was his will and pleasure it should be so and that also according to the Scriptures seeing that there is the same reason of sanctifying that day in which our Saviour Christ accomplished out Redemption and the restitution of the world by his Resurrection from death that was of â—anctifying the day in which the Lord rested from the Creation of the world Nor can it be denyed I thinke but that the Apostles had many things taught them privately by Christ which afterwards upon occasion they published some by precept and some by example * Matt 10. 27. And wee may be the rather induced that Paul had received it from Christ if so be we consider how ingenuous he is to acknowledge what he had not received in the 1 Cor. 7. 25. As concerning virgins saith he I have no Commandement of the Lord but I give you mine advice And Zanchy observes that he taught them not so much by words as by the efficacy of the Spirit which being their unerrable guide in all things concerning the Church we may well allow to be ours in this matter of the Lords-day by vertue of their exemplary Ordinance Their practice and example I doubt not you will say had been enough without precept and I remember none they have in any expresse tearmes from Christ for the ordaining Pastors and Ministers nor doe I think you will deny them to be iure divino But granting this is not commanded by Christ yet are you no gainer by it For I doe the rather thinke that because no expresse mention is made of it in the new Testament by way of Commandement it should seeme the rather to be the Sabbath Thus Eatonus de Sabbato pag. 69. de institutione iure diei dominicae ait Non opus erat mandato novo cum vetus illud mandatum de observando Sabbato in vigore esset adhuc est iam autem novum praceptum ferre de re illa quae veteri pracepto stabilita fuerat esset vetus praceptum abolore Christus autem non venit abolere legem sed implere And indeed God is most precise as we see both in Innocency and under the Iewes to prescribe the dayes of his solemne worship by speciall Commandement and so certainly would he have done this if it had been a new thing but being not commanded in the new Testament it ought the rather to be taken for granted in the matter of it from the fourth Commandement * And indeed to any sober minde that knoweth the Law of the Sabbath these things are sufficient to let us know that this is the Sabbath and in the manner to be regulated by the Apostles example which should be of force to us as well as Davids eatâ—ng the Shew-bread was to the Iewes else God would never have let such a day which hath ever in the Church been received as a weekly Sabbath to have been without an expresse Commandement especially considering how precise he was in that point even son the dayes that were appointed for the solemning of the Type in the Time of the Iews And yet as 〈◊〉 saith pag. 70. Nulla est consequeâ—tiâ— Non 〈…〉 dixit fecit Dominus noster de quibus 〈◊〉 â—pud Evâ—ngelistas facta est mentio satis auâ—◠〈…〉 It is no new thing both to beleeâ—e a thing to be 〈◊〉 diviâ— for which yet there is none other commandement expressed then practice as also to beleeve that it was commanded of God though there be no specification of any such Commandement in holy writ as for instance in the sacrificing that was before the Law where finde you any Commandement to sacrifice before you finde Abel sacrificing And yet I beleeve you doubt not but there was a command or something equivalent Neither can you other-wayes thinke but when Noah at his going into the Arke tooke with him beasts both cleane and unclean he was instructed from heaven which was which though no such instruction appeare Againe did not Christ in the instituting of the new Sabbath imitate his father in his manner of instituting the old in the old Creation For what Commandement did God give at first Was it any other then a declaration of his owne practice to Adam whom he had then extraordinarily made that he by his practice should teach it to his posterity So doth not Christ the like For because he rested by rising on the
commanded to build them Some call the Church Gods house whose meaning is not that it is Gods expresse Commandement to build Churches now as it was to build the Temple heretofore The most that can be gathered from these Texts is that after a time Christians used to assemble on the first day of the weeke and that Christ and his Apostles approved this manner which I acknowledge but that Christ or his Apostles would have the observation of the Lords-day be a matter of Religion in the time of the Gospell Excepting the two sâ—craâ—ets there is no outward thing required to make a good Christian. M. Fox in the page before the Acts Monuments as the keeping of the Sabbath was in the time of the Law is not to be beleeved God is a spirit and the time is come wherein he will be worshipped in spirit and truth The kingdome of God consisteth of a matter of another nature Rom. 14. 17. Answer From these Texts may wellbe gathered the laudable and Evangelicall practice of the Apostles and the excellent confirmation countenance and authority that God gave thereto in this point of sanctifying the Lords-day so that God bare witnes thereto by signes and wonders and gifts of the holy Ghost according to his owne will besides the benefits and fruits of it at this day to every mans experience that observeth it conscionably of peace of Conscience Ioy in the holy Ghost and sensible increase of knowledge grace do also make it good according to that where it is said That it is a signe that the Lord doth sanctifie you as also according to that promise Isai. 58. 13 14. It was by these two Arguments of Christs speciall appearing to him and the fruits thereof that Paul proved his Apostleship and so may we prove the Sabbath For the name Lords day and force of that argument to prove Christ the instituter thereof see Eatonus pag. 73. saith he Arguinus ex appellatione eius Apocal. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. sic autem dici non potuit nisi eam Dominus instituisseâ— ut in Câ—na 〈◊〉 oratione â—actum est Hic respondetur doâ—inicâ—â— diem dici potuisse quia in commemoratione domini licet non â— domino fuerit instituta Sed assertionis 〈◊〉 racionâ—â— non videâ—â—s Cum eâ—im Ecclesia 〈◊〉 ascensionis eius memoriam retinuerit dies tamen illos 〈◊〉 non voâ—â—it Lastly the Iewish superstition we disclaime but the true spirituall worship of God we retaine as it is requisite in the present state of the Church and why a solemne day should be prejudiciall to solemne service and why wee stand lesse need of rest and opportunity to serve God then the Iewes or Adam in Innocency I see not Broad CHAP. IIII. ENough hath been said to make it appeare that we are not bound to sanctifie the Lords-day by vertue of that Commandement in the Decalogue neither by any expresse Commandement from Christ or his Apostles and now if any thinke though this doctrine be true yet happily it were better that it were not taught publikely Answ. Be the truth alone preached the greatest good doubtlesse will follow thereupon Doe not we know that though Paul plant and Apollos water yet it is God alone which giveth the increase Indeed if any man were able to give increase it were another matter but shall I fetch water from the devils well and looke that God should give increase after such watering neither is the Church now in the infancy that we should feare to make knowne the abrogating of Moses Law Broad The truth being taught this good will follow 1. Thou shalt not Iudaize The good will come of this doctrine as they will be found to doe who observe the Lords-day in obedience to the precept of the Sabbath 2. That thou shalt not doe any thing doubtingly on the Sunday which doubtlesse many in England doe and if he which eateth doubtingly be damned shall not he which worketh doubtingly be damned likewise Rom. 14. 3. That we shall not have such building on the foundation hay and stubble hence forwards as hath been heretofore especially of late yeres Answer You will not say he Iudaizeth that upon his obedience to father and mother shall now in the time of the Gospell expect the fulfilling of that promise in the first Commandement of the second Table because that now we live not in the land of Canaan And why pray you may not this Commandement concerning the Sabbath stand good now as well as that promise and challenge obedience as well as that doth faith If we observe the one or beleeve the other as the Iewes did * As in offering double sacrâ—â—ces c. which yet in the Analogy is now also proper then I confesse we Iudaize but if according to the present state of the Church we obey the one and put trust in the other this must needs be free from Iudaisme and yet be good Christianity For the secoÌ„d Good Call you that Good to work on the Sabbath-day which yet anon you make to be the property of such as belong not to God but are the children of the devill so a mans conscience accuse him not or so he doe it not doubtingly â—ndeed you salve the soare well but take heed of dawbing with untempered morter M r. Byfeild giveth a good rule If we must needs doubt it is better to doubt and obey then to doubt and disobey And for your third Good That we shall not have such building on the foâ—ndation hay and stubble Be you aware betime lest you bring an old house over your head For you know what is threatened to him that breaketh one of these least â—ommandements and shall teach men so he shall be called the least in the kingdome of Heaven Broad As touching the hurt which in some mens imaginations may come of the publishing of this truth No â—urt can coâ—e of this 〈…〉 It is not to be doubted but that when Luther preached Iustification by faith such as were not good trees brought forth lesse good fruit in shew and be the truth taught concerning the Lords-day it is I confesse likely enough that such as belong not to the Lord will serve the Lord the lesse in outward shew too But shall I conceale any good thing from the children of God because the children of the devill will shew themselves more in their colours He that is unjust let him be more unjust still 〈…〉 If a man had not the feare of God before his eyes and any should preach as formerly they have done he would not forbeare as formerly he hath not to follow his worldly businesse to haunt the Alehouse and the like on the Lords-day If a man truly feareth God as I hope gentle Reader thou doest enough may soone be said to make him spend the Lords-day in the holy exercises of Religion as 1. Though in this time of the Gospell God would not have any part