Euangelists after Christs resurrection calling the day before our Sunday or first day of the vveeke vvhich is Saturday the Sabbath day vvherefore if here after your Ministers vvill misapply the 4th com to the Lords day beleeue them not for you see all the 4 Euangelists call Saturday the Sabbath day not Lords day the Sabbath day and the 4th com is for that day only which is named Sabbath day as you may see by reading it The rather this is to be noted because such a mistake of one day for an other in a bond may forfeit your bond as in case through a mistake you carry your money in the 8th day of the moneth when it is due on the 7th day of the moneth now the 4th com is a bond wherein man stands bound vnto God to pay his diuine seruice on the 7th day of the weeke but if he delaies vntill the 8th day I dare assure him that he hath forfeited vvith God and broken the bond of the 4th comm For this bond is not due and payable on the 8th but on the 7th day Looke to it as you vvill Thus much for the name now we come to the thing and question it selfe SECT II. For the better scaning of this point whither the Lords day be a Sabbath day or not by Gods ordinance I purpose to handle 2 maine questions the one is whither euery first day of the weeke euery Sunday euery Lords day be a Sabbath day or not and here hereafter I purpose to let it goe for granted them for argument sake that euery Sunday is may be called Lords day vvhich yet can neuer as you haue seene be proued by the Scriptures the other is whither any one Sunday first day of the vveeke or Lords day be a Sabbath day or not Touching which questions let it be obserued and I dare say it that Papists can say as much out of the Scriptures in defence of that Fable of the Fyer in Purgatory as can be said in defence of the Lords day to be a Sabbath day Touching the former question that euery Lords day must be a Sabbath day constantly if they cannot proue this constancy that euery Sunday must be a Sabbath day then it vvill follovv that we are not now tied to keepe a Sabbath once euery weeke but onely sometimes as once in a quarter of a yeere or halfe a yeere or once in a yeere or the like and so the life and soule of this nevv Sabbath is extinguished and as good as vanished That it may appeare vvhat they can make good this vvay I vvill produce you all their textes of Scripture out of vvhich they must proue this point if it can be proued and if it shall appeare that none of those Scriptures vvill afforde any ground for a constant vveekly Sabbath then you vvill say with me that they goe groundlesly to vvorke when they vrge a constant keeping of the Lords day The first of their Textes is the 4th Com. Exod 20.8 But to this Text I answer that it is true in deed that the 4th Comm. doth call for a weekly Sabbath but this Text hath nothing at all to doe with the Lords day as shall be showne fully in the next question wherefore this Text is not to the purpose A second Text they haue it is Reuel 1.10 I was in the Spririt on the Lords day to this Text I answer admit for argument sake that this Lords day whereon S. Iohn receiued his Reuelation vvere a Sabbath day and that this name Lords day did impley so much yet can it not be proued from hence that euery Sunday and euery first day of the weeke was a Sabbath day all that can be gathered out of this Text is but to proue one day a Sabbath day and namely that one day which vvas called Lords day in this Text if it could be certainly found out which day of the weeke it was As hath bene showne it cannot be proued that euery first day of the the weeke is in Scripture called Lords day vvherefore it cannot be proued that any more first dayes of the weeke are Sabbaths then are called in Scripture Lords day and that is but one day in a yeere onely or the like Further it will not follow neither from the name or nature of the Sabbath day that if the Lords day be a Sabbath day then it must be a weekly Sabbath day as in the 4th Com. for there vvere weekely Sabbaths and yeerly Sabbaths also in the Lavv novv since they hold the vveekly Sabbaths ceremonies a svvell as the yeerly Sabbaths how kno◠they vvhither of those two sortes of Sabbaths S. Iohns vvas vvherin he receiued his Reuelation for it might be a yeerly Sabbath A third Text they haue that is Ps 118.24 This is the day which the Lord hath made let vs reioyce and be glad in it To this Text I ansvver as before admit for argument sake that this day must be a Sabbath day yet as vve say one svvallovv maketh not a Sommer so one Sabbath day maketh not a constant practise this Text can make vvay for no more Sabbaths then one in a yeere or one in a mans life time for Dauid had but one day in his life time in vvhich he vvas Crovvned King nor had Christ here typed by Dauid any more dayes for his Resurrection then one so still here is nothing for the constancy of a vveekly Sabbath day A fourth text they haue and that is Act. 2. vvhere vpon the day of Pentecost Peter preached and conuerted 3000 soules c. To this Text I ansvver as before admite this day must needs be a Sabbath day because here vvas a Sermon in it yet vvhat is this for a constancy for a continued practise◠it doth not follovv that because Peter preached this one time here vpō pentecost day that therfore he preached euery Lords day euery Sunday or First day of the vveeke after vveekly can it be showne vvhere Peter preached the next Lords day or Sunday after this day of pentecost or can it be shovvne that euer Peter preached any vvhere and at any time tvvise together vpon tvvo Lords dayes immediatly succeding one an other for it is not enough to shevv that he preached once onely vpon one Lords day but he that vvill proue a constācy must proue a vveekly practise Sunday after Sunday day by day All that can be gathered from Peters Example is but this that vve preach and heare a Sermon once in a yeere at Pentecost day that is on Whit Sunday for on Whit Sunday it is supposed that Peter preached this Sermon A fift Text they haue it is Act. 20.7 vvhere Paul preached at Troas vntill midnight c. vnto vvhich text I ansvver as before be it this day vvere a Sabbath day because Paul preached a sermon then vvhich can neuer be therby proued to be a Sabbath day yet vvhat is this to a constancy this vvas a
albeit the Court knovveth not hovv he is able to make good proue his information yet it being a matter probable seeing it is the Kings cause both the Iudge and all the Iustices euen the whole Court doe countenance the cause yea so farre forth take in vvith it as that if it be possible so as no iniustice be done nor any Lavv of the Realme thereby violated he that informeth for the King shall haue the day rather then a priuate subiect and good reason for it Well in the case of the Lords Sabbaths I informe for the King of kings the King of heauen earth it is novv the parte of all Gods Ministers both superiour as Bishops inferiour as common Preachers to take in with this cause of Gods Sabbaths as Gods cause their Lord King to countenance it to their vtmost yea so farre forth to backe it take part vvith it as Gods Sabbaths may haue the day if no law of God nor text in Scripture be thereby violated as I dare pawne my life for it there shall not If Ministers in the Church both superiours and inferiours doe not thus honour God before the people by giuing his cause the preeminence the Magistrates of the common weale shall rise vp in iudgement against them condemne them I come now to the last vse of the point Is it so that thou louest the lavv of God then take vp a daily lamentation for the lamenesse imperfection of Gods lavv for the vveekly violation of Gods 4th com and for the profanation of Gods Sabbaths if we haue not Gods Law in its integrity and perfection as we haue not if vve vvant his Sabbath therein commanded then haue vve but a lame imperfect lavv and if the Saturday be Gods Sabbath as I haue shovvne it is and shall further proue hereafter then is the 4th com vveekly broken and Gods Sabbaths weekly profaned As Dauid hath bene our President shevving vs hovv vve should loue Gods law so let him be our President to shevv vs hovv vve should mourne for the violation transgression of Gods Lavv Mine eyes gush out saieth he with riuers of waters because they keepe not thy Law Psal 119.136 And againe I saw the transgressours was grieued because they kept not thy word Psal 119.158 It is a property then of a Godly man to mourne and to grieue to see Gods Lavvs transgressed and the reason of that his sorrow griefe is because he loueth Gods Law as Dauid did Oh then that all sorts of people would bevvray their loue to Gods Lavv by their sorrow of heart to see it transgressed weekly in the profanation of Gods Sabbaths Againe doest thou indeed loue the Lavv of God how canst thou but take it to heart to see this holy and Diuine Lavv of thy God so mangled defaced so lame imperfect as in these dayes it is in all Christian Churches It is and euer hath bene a speciall fauour of God to betrust any Nation or people vvith his word and Oracles as we may see it in Rom. 3.1.2 What is the preferment of the Iew c. much enery way for chiefly because vnto them were of credit committed the Oracles of God Where the Apostle counteth it a preferment of the Iew and the chiefe preferment to haue the word of God committed vnto their custodie and it is reported of them that they haue bene euer very faithfull in keeping the letter of the text vncorrupted Among all Nations and people it hath pleased Almightie God to preferr this our English Nation with this chiefe preferment and to be trust vs with the custodie of his word and Oracles those 10 Commandements wrote with his owne finger our Church is now become the receptacle and House of God wherin he hath laid vp his word for its conseruation it is the grownd and pillar to supporte and beare vp this trueth as Paul caleth it 1. Tim. 3.15 hath God thus in speciall fauour to our Nation preferred vs aboue many Nations and that vvith his chiefe preferment to betrust vs vvith the custody of his Law and Oracles and shall we proue so vnfaithfull to him as to take care but of some peeces of these Oracles onely What Nation saith Moses is so greate that hath ordinances Lawes so righteouse as all this Law which I set before you this day Deut. 4.8 hath God betrusted vs with a righteouse Law and with a Law so righteouse as no Nation vnder heauen but such as know God and such as haue the very same hath the like to it Yea not onely are some peeces of this Law so righteouse but all the whole Law is of the same nature so saith Moses so righteouse as all this Law is which I set before you this day and shall not we preserue then all this Law the whole Law intirly in its perfection we should blush for shame to doe otherwise we should lament mourne to see it otherwise T is true we keepe these Oracles intirly in the letter so doe Papistes but vvhat 's the letter when we weaken diminish and abolish the binding force of it for vve say this parte of Gods Oracles But the 7th day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God in it thou shalt not doe any worke doth not bind vs Christians In it that is in it 7th day thou shalt not vvorke saith God I but this prohibition bindeth not novv say some Ministers no vvhat doe vve vvith Lavves if they bind vs not as good take avvay the sense of the vvords of the Lavv and so it shall be senslesse as to take away the binding of the Law wherby it is made forcelesse the binding povver of a Lavv is the life and soule of the Law take avvay then its binding povver it is but a deadlieflesse Lavv it is but a Cipher or a blanke and so the Church shall be but like the Lottery pot vvhich houldeth some blankes among the prises suppose vve should say of the other 9 Oracles that vve preserue the letter of them intirly but herevnto vve should add this that they binde not vs Christians now vvhat bauocke should we thus make of the Morall Lavv it is all one therfore to reiect the Lavv as to reiect its binding power vvherby it bindeth vs. We haue alredy shovvne hovv this Lavv of God is mangled and defaced oh that all people vvould bevvaile this oh that the King vvould take it to heart so did the good King Josiah vvhen the Lavv had bene lost for a time he rent his cloathes 2. King 22.11 oh that the Bishops of the Land would take it to heart so did Elie the Priest vvhen he heard that the Arke of God vvas taken from them 1. Sam. 4.17.18 he died for grief of heart vvhy the Lords Sabbaths vvere his hallovved times as the Arke his holy place Oh that the people of the land vvould take it to heart so did the people in Nehemiahs time for saith
bodies with continuall laboures in one weeke as that they shall be vnfit to labour an other weeke now common reason teacheth that mans body cannot endure continuall and perpetuall laboures day by day without ceaseing all his life longe wherefore of necessity there must be a time for men to Sabbathize rest in from laboures therefore it is meete that some one day in a weeke be set a parte for rest that so a man may so worke one weeke as he may worke an other also it is a point of wisedome also for men so to follow their workes as they may goe on continue with them not like vnskilfull Riders who ride galloping vpon the spurre in the forenoone so as their tyred horse cannot goe in the after noone wherefore if men doe but regard their owne bodies it is meete they should set a parte a day to Sabbathize in and rest from their laboures But suppose we that some mans body being of any oaky substance yron constitution could hould out in laboures day by day euerlastingly yet how vnbeseeming a thing is it for man whom God hath made Lord of all to become a slaue a drudge in this world working and tuging day by day without ceaseing like horse in a Carte neither can men pleade necessity for experience hath taught that we can compasse all our workes within the 6 dayes nor yet can the poore plead necessity because of their pouerty for as God gaue the Israelites twise so much Manna on the 6th day as vpon any other day that so they might rest vpon the Sabbath day So hath God blessed the established order in our kingdome of working but 6 dayes in 7 that the poore can now earne as much in 6 dayes as they should doe in 7 dayes if it were customary for vs to worke euery day for did the poore worke 7 dayes the rich would giue them the lesse for euery dayes worke so as they should but barely get a liuing then and so much they get now for because they worke but a fewe dayes therefore they haue the more for euery dayes worke that so they might liue of their worke thus much for men in generall I come now to men in particular by name vnto Seruants It is needfull that we keepe a Sabbath because it is a worke of mercy vnto Seruantes now God was wont to take care for Seruants lest they should be vnmercifully oppressed with labour and therefore it is added to the 4th com That thy mâ—n seruant and thy maâ—de may rest as well as thou Deut. 5.14 what doth this teach vs but that masters must shew mercy vnto their Seruants by resting of their bodies as well as of their owne for if the one hath neede of rest so hath the other Salomon telleth vs that a righteouse man sheweth mercy to his beast Pro. 12.10 how much more then vnto his man seruant and maide seruant were it not that we haue good Lawes in this case prouiding for Seruants by forbiding masters to doe their workes on the Lords day some vnmercifull hardharted and couetuouse masters would worke their Seruants day by day vntill they were weary of their liues the necessity of a Sabbath in this case appeareth by the Lawes now in force whereby for the benefit ease and refreshment of poore Seruants it is enacted no doubt that many holy daies shall be obserued yeerly weekly In the 3d place I come to Beastes it is needfull that we keepe a Sabbath that so we may shew mercy vnto our beastes for God was wont to cale for mercy vnto the labouring beast In the 7th day thou shall rest that thine oxe and thine Asse may rest Exod. 23.12 and it is a property saith Salomon of a good man to shew mercy to the life of his beast Pro. 12.10 and should a man labour his beast on euery day weeke by weeke he might soone haue his skine Thus farre we haue considered of the needfulnesse ca Sabbath day in ciuill respects Now I come to shew the needfullnesse of a Sabbath in religiouse respectes that God may be solemnely and publiky worshipped that the Church and people of God may be further edified in their most holy faith for these two causes it is needfull that there should be a Sabbath day I shall not neede to spend time to amplify these two things for they are so requisite and needfull that all men will grante me that it is meete to haue a day set a parte for the publike worship of God the edification of the Church of God to omit what else might be said the necessity of a Sabbath day appeareth in this that our Church doth now celebrate many Holy daies for the same ends not onely the Saintes daies yeerly but also the Lords daies weekly 2. It is meete to haue a Sabbath day because it is a thing of good reporte approued allowed of by all Christian Churches now the Apostle calleth vpon vs to follow those things which are of good reporte Phil. 4.8 those things therfore which all Christian people approue and allow of are meete to be had in vse Papistes they allow of resting from laboures and the publike worship of God constantly vpon one day of euery Seauen Lutherans doe the like and Anabaptists how euer they keepe no day by Diuine Institution yet they keepe and hould it fit to keepe one day in Seauen wherin they rest from their labours and performe publike worship vnto God lastly all Protestants doe allow and approue of one day in Seaven as fit to rest in from labours and to worship God publikly so here is a clowde of witenesses houlding it meete to keepe a Sabbath day and a thing of good reporte If we should ascend vnto the primitiue Churches who liued next after the Apostles we shall find that they held it meete to keepe one day in 7 and sometimes more for the Seruice of God and to rest from laboures thus we haue a generall and ioynt consent of all Churches both now liuing and from the Apostles times that it is a thing meete to rest and serue God publikly one day in a weeke and so we haue proued this point namely that it is meete convenient to keepe a Sabbath day indefinitly one in 7 daies Now I come to proue that of all the daies of the weeke the 7th day or Saturday is the most fit day my first reason is because God Almightie Rested rather vpon the Saturday then vpon any other day Genes 2.3 and therefore it is meete we should imitate such a president were a man to make his choise on which day of the weeke to Rest from laboures and to refresh himselfe I thinke he could not possiblie find a more fit day to Rest in then on that day wherin God Almighty Rested My second reason is taken from this that a man may doubt whither the old Sabbath day be abolished or not and if it be disputable and
that they profane Gods ancient Sabbath against the fourth Comm. of this Lavv and this shall be their ansvver that the fourth Comm. is partly Ceremoniall and that the old Sabbathday is Iewish and pertaineth to the Ievves only As for Protestantes vve tread in their steppes vp and dovvne saue that vve are not so impudently audacious as they for vve acknovvledge the second Comm. for Morall but come vnto the fourth Comm. and here vve iumpe vvith them saying the fourth Comm. is partly Morall partly Ceremoniall and the old Sabbath enioyned in the fourth Com. is Ievvish c. In respect therefore of Gods Sabbathes vvhich both they and vve deny vvee yeeld obedience to Gods Lavv but by halues and saying the fourth Comm. is partly Ceremoniall thereby vve are partiall in Gods Lavv against therefore this partiall dealing vvith God in his Lavves and ordinances shall the following partes of this booke be spent SECT II. The thing vvhich Almightie God intendeth generally in this Com. is hovv all the time and dayes of our liues should be spent and imployed in his seruice the vvhich is backed vvith an effectuall reason for my purpose is first to handle the commandement generally as in this second Section and then more particularly as in the thirth Section c. As for the time we haue a distribution of it in the comm and that into the Sixe dayes and into the seuenth day touching both of these God hath ordered it in this comm hovv he vvould be serued to vvit on the seuenth day by Sanctifying and Hallovving of it in the partes of his vvorship and seruice and a cessation from all seruile vvorkes on the sixt dayes by following some lavvfull calling or other vvich may redovvnd to the glorie of God according to that 1 Cor. 10.31 Whither therefore ye eate or drinke or whatsoeuer yee doe doe all to the glory of God As for the reason it is a liuely mouing one it being fetched from God him selfe and from his owne ensample In this reason conteined in Exod. 20.11 vve haue also a distribution of time in to the sixe dayes and into the seuenth day vvherein it pleaseth God to declare vnto vs hovv he spent and imployed his time to vvit the first vveeke or seuenth dayes that euer the vvorld savv or heard of the sixe dayes that is those sixe dayes vvhich for order of number order of nature vvent immediatly before the first seuenth day or first Saturday that euer vvas these God spent in vvorking and in making the heauens and the earth and all the hoste of them This God hath reuealed vnto vs vnto this end for one that vve should in imitation of him make choyse of those same sixe dayes vvherin God vvrought that in them and none other vve should vvorke as God vvrought and in them vve should finish all our vvorkes as God in them finished all his vvorkes The seuenth day that is the seuenth day from the Creation or the first Saturday that euer vvas this day God spent in an holy cessation and resting from the vvorkes of creation and therefore this time this day aboue and before all other times dayes God blessed sanctified and this hath reuealed vnto vs to this end and purpose that we should in an holy imitation of God cease from the workes of the sixe dayes before and rest from all seruil labour and that we shold make choise of this very day to Sanctifie it and to hallow it like as God blessed it and hallovved it Novv that we are not left to our liberty in this imployment of the time and dayes of our liefe appeareth here by first because God hath commanded it and secondly God hath backed his commandement by a strong forcible reason dravvne from his owne ensample that we shold so imploy the dayes of the weeke as God him selfe at the Creation imployed them and this is noted by that rationall particle for Exod. 20.11 And this is that which God aimeth at in this com generally namely that we shold spend and imploy euery day and all the dayes of the weeke after the ensample of God or as God himselfe spent them The thing which Almightie God intendeth in this com specially and principally is the hallowing of that sacred time and day called the Sabbath day and the Seuenth day as in the third Comm. God inioyned the hallowing of his Sacred Name so in this fourth com God inioyned the hallowing of his Sacred day to wit the seuenth day the which him selfe had made holy aboue all dayes by his blessing of it and Sanctifying of it as we reade Genes 2.3 like as the king might say to his subiectes Remember my Coronation day to keepe it an holy day or Remember the Gunpowder Treason day to Keepe it an holy day so saith the king of kings Remember the Sabbath day to keepe it holy Exod. 20.8 Secondly the Sanctification of this day it is inioyned both affirmatiuely and negatiuely affirmatiuely in these words Remember the Sabbath day to Sanctifie it Negatiuely in these words In it thou sholt not doe any worke the affirmatiue parte of the precept requireth sanctity and the parformance of holy duties the Negatiue parte of the precept requireth a resting from laboures in our ordenary callings which hinder and thrust out those holy duties Thirdly the Lord God inioyneth vs in this comm tvvo things the one is the duety of the day the other is the dueties of rest from labours and the perfermance of sondry the parts of Gods worship and seruice in the day I call it the duety of the day because we are no lesse bound in duety to God to that day then to the dueties of rest and holinesse in the day or we are no lesse bound to performe the dueties of rest and holinesse on that day then we are tyed to performe the dueties of rest and holinesse them selues I cleere the point by these examples as in a bond you haue two essentiall parts the one is the some of mony to be paied the other is the day and time when it is to be paied and a man is equally and alike bound to both of these that is as well to the day as to the some of mony as appeareth by this that al though a man bring the full some of mony yet if he omit the day and come the day after his bond is forfeited And as in circumcision there was two things inioyned the one was the cutting off of the foreskine the other was the time and day when it was to be done namely vpon the 8th day Genes 17.12 and as in that other Sacrament of the passouer there was tvvo things commanded the one vvas the slaying and eating of the passouer lamb the other was the time and day when to bedone namely vpon the 14th day of the moneth Exod. 12.6.8 in both which Sacraments of circumcision and passouer the day time was no lesse a duety then were the actions to be performed
is abolished Thus hauing proued from their distinctiones that they haue abolished not onely the Lords Sabbaths but also the 4th Com. it selfe I am novv also to proue the same from their obiections vvherby ther profane abuse of Scripture shall appeare in that they so expound Scripture as therby they ouerturne one of the Tenn Morall Lavves the 4th Com. and by that time this be made apparant I trust all that loue God vvill hate their doinges and they that loue Gods Commandements vvill contemne their Expositiones for this purpose I vvill produce you two of ther strongest and maine Textes vvhence they collect their obiections the one is Col. 2.16 Let no man condemne you in meate or drink or in respect of an holy day or of the New Moone or of the Sabbaths vvhere by the word Sabbaths they vvill needs vnderstand the vveekly Sabbath commanded in the 4th Com. and so that shall be abolished in this text as a Shaddovv of Christ The other Text is Exod. 31.13 verily my Sabbaths ye shall keepe for it is a signe betweene me you c. Where say they the vveekly Sabbath mentioned in the 4th comm is made a Signe and so it is abolished Novv from thes two textes and obiections of theirs I gather two arguments as necessarily follovving for the vtter abolition of the 4th com The first is this that if these two textes doe as they say abolish that very Sabbath day vvhere of God spake in his 4th com then are these vvords in the com to vvit the Sabbath day a ceremony and abolished the reason of this consequence is because these vvords Sabbath day in their two textes are in their nature the same and of the same extent vvith the like or same words Sabbath day in the 4th com and it must be so for they oppose thes words Sabbath day in their two textes vnto the like vvords Sabbath day in the 4th com the one to abolish the other This being so I proceed if that these vvords in the 4th com to vvit Sabbath day be a ceremony and abolished then is the 4th com nullified and vtterly ouerthrovvne that this is so I pray looke the text Exod. 20.8 Remember the Sabbath day to sanctify it I haue put the vvords in controuersy in a parenthesis as you see novv let thes Ministers take a way those vvords in the parenthesis and you take quiet avvay the very subiect matter of the Lords speech you leaue a roofe with out a foundation God saith Remember the Sabbathday but if now there be no Sabbath day for that it is abolished as they say hovv then shall a man Remember it God commandeth to keepe the Sabbath day Deut. 5.12 but if there be no Sabbath day hovv shall a man keepe it Againe God saith sanctifie it but how shall we sanctify it if it be not vvhat can vve Remember to sanctify a nothing so thus I haue shown that the very commandement the 4th com is vtterly nullified by their obiectiones and made to speake non-sense or a nothing this is my first argument My 2d argument is taken from the vvord Sabbath in their owne sense vse of it for when I vrge thē with the name Sabbath in the 4th com they turne me off vvith this that the Hebrew vvord Sabbath signifieth a Rest in English vvell be it so a Rest let it signify from these two textes then I argue againe thus If the Rest in the 4th com be abolished thē is the 4th com it selfe vtterly abolished but that the Rest in the 4th com is abolished them selues confesse it in their obiected two Textes for in thes Textes is the vvord Sabbath see Exod. 31.13 Col. 2.16 vvhich vvord Sabbath signifieth a Rest novv they doe oppose the word Sabbath which signifieth a Rest in Exod. 31.13 Col. 2.16 against the same vvord Sabbath in the 4th comm which signieth a Rest also prouing vnto vs that the Sabbath and Rest in the 4th com is a signe and a shaddovv and so abolished by these Textes Exod. 31. Col. 2. which being so hence it is apparent by their owne vvorke and sense that not onely the Hebrevv vvord Sabbath is an abolished ceremony and shaddovv but also that the Rest vvhich it signifieth is also a ceremony and an abolished shaddovv And so I come to proue the consequence namely that if the Rest in the 4th com be abolished then is the 4th com vtterly and for euer abolished this I make good thus if that Rest from our seruile laboures be abolished vvhich was once in the 4th com commanded then novv vve may labour in our calings not onely on the sixe dayes but also on the 7th day not onely on the vveeke dayes but also on the Sabbath day and if vve may on the Sabbath day be occupied a broad the fieldes after our businesses this doth necessarily exclud all necessity of assembling in the congregation to pray together and praise God togeather for hovv can a man be both a broad and at home in the field and in the Church plovving there and praying heere both together Thus I haue finished my arguments raised out of their two Textes vvherehy I haue proued that from their obiections and expositions there follovveth not onely an abolition of the Lords Sabbaths but also a nullification of Gods 4th com I must needs confesse I can but wonder that there is any Sabbath day at all kept in our Church vvhen I consider of thes common receiued distinctions and obiections for they doe directly ouerturne all force and virtue of the 4th com for the keeping of any day at all as thence and to goe about to raise a Sabbath day out of the Nevv Testament is impossible as shall be shovvne vnlesse some Nevv Scriptures can be found out that be not now in our Bibles wherefore considering these things it must needs be a singular vvorke and prouidence of God to incline the hartes of our Church to giue God a Sabbath vnto this day but it lyeth at the pittes brinke and at the last gaspe the least push of a profane minde vvho spurneth at piety would thrust it in and bury it for euer Thus much be spoken of this vse wherein I haue conuicted these Ministers of the vtter ouerthrow abolishing of the 4th com and that partly by this that they haue abolished that day and time which is prescribed in the 4th com so that now we can not haue the commanded time the Diuine time nor that sanctified time and as good therefore no time But suppose we must haue a time by force of consequence why then haue we for a Diuine time appointed by God an humane time by man and for a time sanctified by God we haue a profane time and vnsanctified and yet for all this this time is not a day nor weekly but an houre in a day once in a mans life or at the best but a Lecture day for a Saabath day thus much for the time Now as
and in his returne he deliuered the Decrees of the Apostles to seuerall Churches where he came Act. 16.4 and so as he went along he preached as at Philippi Act. 16.12.13 and at Thessalonica Act. 17.1.2 and at Corinth Act. 18.1.4 and at last he came to Troas where he preached this sermon of which we doe inquire Act. 20.7 So then count these it will be found about a matter of 17. yeeres difference betvvixt the sermon of Peter at Pentecost and the sermon of Paul at Troas vvhere then is the constancy of the Lords day Sabbath vvhen vve can finde none kept for a matter of 17. yeeres together The 3d text wherein is mention of our new Sabbath it is 1. Cor. 16.2 vvhere Paul ordeined a collection to be made on the first day of the vveeke c. Novv how many weekes moneths or yeeres this collection was ordeined after Pauls sermon at Troas Act. 20.7 I cannot tell nor can they proue that it was the next Lords day after the sermon Paul preached at Troas so then as yet there can no constant vveekly Sabbath be proued The last text is Reu. 1.10 where S. Iohn receiued a reuelation on the Lords day now how many yeeres difference there was betvvixt the ordination for that Collection for the poore 1. Cor. 16.2 and S. Iohns Reuelation I know not neither can they proue I presume that it was on the next Lords day after that Collection So still there appeareth no constant and weekly celebration of the Lords day let their textes be considered this way or that vvay Whereas they talke so much of the constant practise of the Apostles this I dare auowch that it cannot be showne that euer Peter or Paul or any other of the Apostles of Christ did euer preach any sermons vpon tvvo Lords dayes immediatly following one an other Nay vvhich is more it cannot be shovvne that any one Apostle did euer preach tvvise in all his life time vpon the Lords day nay vvhich is yet more it can not be shovvne that all the Apostles put them all together did euer among them all preach tvvo Lords dayes together one after an other Who that considereth these things could be so blinded as to thinke this Lords day can be established proued to be a weekly Sabbath from the Apostles practise surely he that celebrateth a weekly Sabbath on the Lords day as he hath no commandement for it from Christ in the new Testament so he hath not so much as the vveekly practise of the Apostles for his warrant But my Brethren if you vvill vvalke in a vvarrantable vvay vvherein you shall haue both an expresse commandement from God and also the vveekly and constant practise of the Apostles then forsake the Lords day the Sunday Sabbath and keepe the Sabbath day the Saturday Sabbath for for it you haue the 4th com expresly and then for practise of the Apostles be pleased but to pervse these textes of Scripture and you shall find the Apostles constantly keeping the Sabbath day see Act. 13.14 42.44 Act. 16.13 Act. 17.2 Act. 18.4 and this was all after Christ his resurrection Now iudge thou that readest whither the practise of the Lords day weekly or the practise of the Sabbath day weekly be more soundly proued and follow the better Be no more children wanering carried about with euery wind of doctrine by the deceit of men and with craftinesse whereby they lay in waite to deceiue Eph. 4.14 But try all things and keepe that which is good 1. Thess 5.21 Furthermore whereas it is supposed that this Lords day was kept constantly for A Sabbath I will giue instance to the contrary of all Lords dayes that euer were that first Lords day wherein Christ rose from the dead and then appeared vnto his Disciples that Lords day was the most eminent and chiefe for from this day all after Lords dayes take their name excellency this being the substance as it were and all others but shaddowes ressemblances of this for on this first Lords day was the worke of the Resurrection performed not on the others of all Coronation dayes in the Kings reigne none is so properly called Coronation day nor so excellent ioyfull as is the first Coronation day in which the Crowne is set vpon the Kings head Many keepe their Marriage dayes but of them all none is so excellent and so solemnly kept as is the first Marriage day wherein the Bride Bridgrome were ioyned together euen so it is betweene the first Lords day and other Lords dayes following after it The difference is as the body from the shaddow and as the life from the picture if therefore I shall shevv that this first Lords day vvas not kept as a Sabbath day it is more then if I should shevv that 20 Lords dayes together were omitted in the Apostles dayes after Christs ascention Further if I shall shevv that Christ himselfe and his Disciples whilst hee vvas on earth and resident vvith his Church did not keepe this first most eminent Lords day who then vvill imagine that these Disciples of Christ and this Church vvould keepe the Lords day a Sabbath after Christs departure from them ascention into heauen for vndoubtedly the Church would imitate Christ follovv his example looke vvhat they saw him doe whilst he was on earth vvith them the same vvould they doe after he was departed from them follow me saith Paul as I follow Christ 1. Cor. 11.1 Novv I shevve that this first Lords day vvas not kept as a Sabbath and Resting day because it vvas vsed for a trauailing day for this purpose see Luk. 24.1.13 vvhere you haue mention of two of Christs Disciples vvho trauailed vpon this first Lords day whereon Christ rose a matter of 15 myles and this I make good thus they went from Ierusalem for there the Disciples were resident v. 9. and they trauailed to Emmaus which Towne vvas threescore furlongs from Ierusalem as the Text saith v. 13. novv 8. furlongs make a myle so then 60. furlongs make Seauen myles and an halfe this done they returned the same day backe againe to Ierusalem v. 33. vvhich is seauen myles an halfe more so add these together they trauailed that day fiftene myles it cannot be thought that these spent lesse time then all the vvhole after noone of this first Lords day in trauailing for tvvo myles an hovvre is an ordenary tranailers pase so that fiftene myles cost them neere 8. hovvres vvorke Novv can it be thought that these two of Christs Disciples vvould haue made this day of all dayes in the yeere a trauailing day if the Church of Christ had solemnized this day as a Sabbath day at Ierusalem these two vvere two of Christs Disciples follovvers vvherefore they vvould haue laid a side all vvorkes that they might vvith ioyfulnesse haue solemnized this day in a most thankfull remembrance of Christs resurrectiō if any fame or report they had heard at
him as he followed Christ 1. Cor. 11.1 Now suer I am the Disciples of Christ trauailed vpon the Lords day and if therein they followed not Christ yet they vvent together vvith him vvhich is as good for both Christ and they trauailed on the Lords day to Emmaus why then may not we trauaile on the Lords day also may we not imitate our Sauiour Christ and must vve make more conscience of the Lords day then Christs owne Disciples did who were taught by Christ himselfe what needlesse and nice strictnesse is our times falne into our Church makes conscience where the Church of Christ who inioyed Christs corporall presence made none Furthermore that we may breake the backe of this nevv Sabbaths constancy I will proue vnto you that this first and most famouse Lords day that euer was was not kept for a Sabbath by the Church of Christ then liuing with Christ my first argument is because the Minister and people Christ and his Church did not assemble on the Lords day vntill it was past or nere ended Ioh. 20.19 their first meeting was in the euening of the Lords day since their second meeting vvas 8. dayes after Ioh. 20.26 and their third when they went to fishing Ioh. 21.1.14 now assemblies congregations vvere Sabbath dueties Leuit. 23.2.3 wherefore since the Minister people Christ his Disciples mett not all the day long to solemnize it as a Sabbath vntill euening the day vvas novv spent past therfore they kept not this Lords day as a Sabbath If it be obiected that they could not assemble sooner in the day for feare of the Iewes Ioh. 20.19 I answer it is more likely they durst not stirr abroad all day lōg for feare of the Iewes because they feared the Iewes therfore they kept close all the day long together in the house and so they were assembled all the day but like sheepe vvithout their Shepheard 2. My second argument wherwith I proue it is because they knew it not they had no knowledge of it that it was a Sabbath and this I proue because they did not then so much as beleeue that Christ was risen from the dead for this purpose see Mark 16.11.9 where mention is made that Christ appeared first vnto Mary Magdalene the Text saith that she went and tould them that had bene with Christ which mourned and wept and when they heard that he was aliue and had appeared to hir they beleened it not Againe see Mark 16.13 where is mention made of the two Disciples that trauailed in to the country how Christ appeared vnto them also and the text saith of them that they went and tould it vnto the remnant neither beleeued they them Lastly see Mar. 16.14 where the Text saith finally hee appeared vnto the eleuen as they sate together and reproched them for their vnbeliefe hardnesse of heart because they bleeued not them which had seene him being risen vp againe S. Luke reporteth it thus now it was Mary Magdalene c. which tould these things vnto the Apostles But their words saith the Text seemed vnto them as a fained thing neither beleeued they them Luk. 24.10.11 So by all these Testimonies you see it plaine that the Church of Christ was ignorant of his resurrection through vnbeliefe not the eleuen not the Apostles themselues did beleeue it Now I pray tell me how these Apostles with the residue of the Disciples could Sanctify this Lords day for a Sabbath day in remembrance of the resurrection of Christ vvhen as they knew not that Christ was risen and vvhen they beleeued it not yea t is yet more plaine that they were ignorant of the resurrection for the Scripture saith that they mourned and wept still Mark 16.10 And that the two Disciples that went to Emmaus they had communication of Christ and were sade Luk. 24.17 which sadnesse mourning and weeping vpon the Lords day yea when the day vvas fatr spent Luk. 24.29 Bevvraieth that they were yet ignorant of the Lords resurrection how then I maruaile could they keepe that Lords day from morning till night in a ioyfull thankfull remembrance of Christs resurrection when they knevv nothing of it thus you see it apparent that the Lords day was not kept for a Sabbath day constantly and vveekly in the dayes of Christ and of his Apostles for this first Lords day vvas neglected Neuerthelesse it is not to be spoken hovv confident our Ministers are that this Lords day was constantly kept by Christ his Apostles in so much as I haue heard of some puritane Ministers that haue auowched it that they vvill giue their liues dye for the defence of this day whither I may beleeue them or no I cannot tell I should thinke they vvould looke before they leape as the prouerb is greate is the difference betvvixt saying doeing I would faine beleeue them though but this I resolue if they proue so good as their vvords be so vainly prodigall of their liues they shall neuer haue my life in keeping Will our Ministers dye for the defence of the Lords day sanctification vvhen the Apostles themselues profaned it for the Apostles did not beleeue any such matter as if it vvere to be sanctified as you haue seene it proued I trust the people vvill be so vvise for themselues in this point as to giue their Ministers leaue to dye first But t is mine opinion that we shall neuer see many Martyres for the Lords day One thing would be noted more before vve leaue this point It is supposed that Christ touching the Redemption did imitate God at the Creation for the setting vp of a Sabbath in memory thereof well let vs see how like or rather vnlike Christ was vnto God in this matter at the Creation God chose the first Sabbath day or 7th day to be sanctified but we haue seene it plainly proued that Christ chose not the first Lords day to be sanctified 2. God rested himselfe on the first 7th day But Christ trauailed vp downe the country too and fro on the first Lords day 3. God gaue a speciall com the 4th com for the Church to sanctify the 7th day But Christ left no com in all the New Testament for the Lords day 4. God perswaded his Church by strong reasons to the sanctification of the 7th day taken from his owne example because hee rested on the 7th day and because hee blessed sanctified the 7th day But Christ neuer perswaded his Church by any reasons to keepe the Lords day nor by his example nay rather he dissvvaded them from sanctifying of the Lords day by his example by the example of his Disciples recorded in Scripture for they trauailed too fro vpon the Lords day shewing vs thereby that vve may doe the like Forasmuch therefore as vve haue no com in the Nevv Testament for the sanctifying of the Lords day vve are left to follow examples Now I find the example of
dayes and the next morning he was to take his iourney and departe from them as the text speaketh v. 7.13 and neuer to see their faces any more nor they euer to see his face any more as the Text speaketh v. 25. Now in all probability the Church at Troas knowing this resolued herevpon to come take their last sight and farewell of him to receiue the Lords Supper at his hands before his departure and this was likely to be the occation of their assemblie now on this Lords day yea so much may be collected out of the Text Act. 20.7 Now the Brethren being assembled Paul could doe no lesse then giue them a sermon at his departure and this he that tooke all occations to build vp edifie the Church tooke this occation to establish these in the faith and this vpon this or the like occations he vvould haue done vpon any day of the weeke Sunday Monday or any other Now what is this President vnto vs and to the erecting instituting of Sermons on the Lords day as a Sabbath day All that can be collected hence is but this that vpon these or the like occations people may be assembled together the Minister may preach a sermon to them and that these things may be done on that day of the weeke wherein the occation falleth out be it Lords day Monday Tewsday or any other and all this to be done not in conscience of the time day wherein they are done superstitiously but in regard of the present occation onely but behold our Ministers haue hence collected by their magnified cōsequences that we must assemble together euery weeke for euer vpon the Lords day be there occations or no occations to moue thereto I meane extraordenary occations and this must be done in conscience of the very time day vvherein they vvill haue vs assemble how farre off are these departed from their Coppie and President Act. 20.7 they mett occationally but we must meete occation or none yea vvith a superstitiouse respect of the time day we meet in for vve find not that these at Troas made any conscience of the day and time vvherein they mett vnlesse you vvill suppose that all Sunday night or euery Lords day night is a sanctified time for Sabbath dueties and to be obserued in conscience And vvhich is vvorst of all this time collected by their vaine consequences out of this Text vvherein they swerue from their Coppie it must be pressed vpon mens consciences as a parte of Gods worship that in conscience of it men must neglect their callings to their great damage and that vpon perill of sinne and paine of damnation is it not high time these things were reformed But happily it vvill be said by Ministers that this is an example of the Apostle Paul and of the Church of God at Troas now examples bind conscience c. Whereto I answer 1. this is no Sabbath example it is but a Sermon example 2. If examples bind the Church now then must rich men sell their house and land and lay the mony downe at the Ministers feete for so did the Church Act. 4.34.35 and if all examples of the Apostles bind conscience then are Ministers of all men in an ill case for they must not onely study and preach painfully but also must vvorke hard in some honest calling for so did Paul he laboured in his Trade of Tent making Act. 18.3 they must not onely preach on the Lords day but also they must preach till midnight for so did Paul they must not onely preach in the Church on the Lords day but also from house to house in the vveeke dayes for so did the Apostles Act. 5.42 I but hereto they will reply seing them selues in so ill a case that these things were extraordenary and peculiar to those times therfore bind not vs now whereto I answer can they see the extraordinarinesse in these examples and can they not see also the extraordinarinesse of this example of Pauls preaching at Troas and the extraordenarinesse of Peters Sermon on Pentecost day Act. 2.1 Where they please they can see where they please they can not see at all For conclusion if they will proue their Lords day a Sabbath by this text Act. 20.7 let them remember that besids other things this is their taske 1. to proue that the Church assembled in the morning of the Lords day 2. They must proue that the people did refraine all seruile labour at Troas all the Lords day long from breake of day in the morning vntill night for they might assemble together at Church on the Lords day morning about nyne of the clocke as vve doe on Lecture dayes and yet come from their laboures also as we doe on a Lecture day they might meete in the Church by 9 of the clocke and yet they might haue spent 3 or 4 howres euen all the morning before in their ordenary callings now forasmuch as they hould that it is vnlawfull for vs to spend the morning of the Lords day in seruile labour and because it is a speciall parte of a Sabbath dayes duety to rest from our laboures as it is in the 4th com therfore they must proue vnto vs that these Disciples at Troas did refraine their vvorkes all the day long the morning as vvell as the after noone 3. They must remember to proue vnto vs that those holy dueties vvhich the Disciples at Troas performed on the Lords day they did them in conscience of the 4th Comm. for a people may heare a Sermon in conscience of that Com. of Pauls preach the word c. in season out of season 2. Tim. 4.2 But this is not the 4th Comm. these are the maine things they should spend their time in to proue but of all the rest these 3 things are neuer touched by them thus the maine of all which should be laboured in is vtterly neglected but vntill they proue these things beleeue them that will for mee SECT IX A 4th Text in the New Testament which they alleage and abuse is Act. 1.2 where is mention made that Christ after his resurrection whilest he vvas on earth gaue Commandements vnto the Apostles whom he had chosen Now say they albeit it be not specified in particular vvhat Commandements Christ gaue them yet it is gatherable what they vvere by the practise of the Apostles afterwards now their practise was to keepe the Lords day for a Sabbath Here vnto I answer 1. that whereas they pretend a practise of the Apostles in keeping the Lords day they were so farr from a practise of it as it cannot be showne where any of the Apostles kept two Lords dayes in all their liues now a single action is no practise 2. I answer admit that the Apostles kept the Lords day yet I deny that it can be proued that they kept it for a Sabbath day for the vtmost that can be proued is but that they kept
vs any reason why he so called it what man then can hence collect from its bare name what we should doe with this Lords day Furthermore some argue out of this Text thus that this Lords day is so called as Christs last Supper is called the Lords Supper novv the Lords Supper is so called because it was instituted in remembrance of Christ and so this day is called Lords day because it vvas instituted for a Sabbath in remembrance of Christ Herevnto I answer by deniall of this proposition that the First day of the weeke is called Lords day as Christs last Supper is called the Lords Supper in these words they affirme that there is the like reason or the same reason of the Lords day of the Lords Supper vvel novv they haue affirmed it in the next place it is their parte to proue it for bare affirmations are no arguments it is not therfore so because they haue said it is so for my parte I neuer heard it proued yet that the Lords day is so called for the same causes that Christs Supper is called the Lords Supper neither doe I beleeue that euer I shall heare it proued In the meane space let me shew the vanity of this affirmation argumentation by the like thus This Lords day is so called as the earth is called the Lords earth all that is therin for the earth is the Lords all that therein is 1. Cor. 10.26 Novv the earth is called the Lords earth because the Lord made it all things therein to serue man in his ordenary common vse Genes 1.29 Genes 9.3 and so this day is called Lords day because Christ ordeined it for mans ordenary common vse that is for a working day If they may take liberty to giue a bare affirmation then argue vpon it absurdly then so may I 2. it is said that wee are the Lords Rom. 14.8 Now wee Christians were redeemed by the Lord Christ that we should serue him in righteousnesse holinesse all the dayes of our life Luk. 1.74.75 and if vve must serue him all the dayes of our life then must we serue him in the ordenary workes of our calings thus then I may argue so is this day called Lords day that it may be spent by seruing God in the ordenary workes of our calings 3. Iames is called the Lords brother Gal. 1.19 Now may a man thus say argue this day is called Lords day as Iames is called the Lords brother novv Iames is called the Lords brother because he vvas allied to him so is this day called Lords day because it is allied to him see the absurdety of such collections as are made from this Text. 4. If this first day of the weeke must be a Sabbath resting day because called Lords day then must the earth rest be no more tilled because it is called the Lords earth then must we Christians hereafter rest from worke euery day all our liues long because vvee are called the Lords the Lords redeemed thus you see the vanity of their arguings from this Text the like may be said out of that Text Luk. 17.22 where is mentiō made of the Lords day or day of the Sonne of man But peraduenture they will obiect that these instances are not like their case for t is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 notifying some speciall thing and it is to be translated the Lords day not the day of the Lord whereto I answer 1. for the article looke into the Textes alleaged by me you shall find the article there also 2. For the translatiō that it neither maketh or marreth whither of the twaine we take is plaine in that Translatores doe promiscuously render it sometimes one way sometimes an other see 2 Thes 1.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the fyer of flame or in flaming fyer Gal. 1.19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the brother of the Lord or the Lords brother see Iam. 2.1 and what difference is to be made betwene these the mount of holinesse the holy mount the Temple of holinesse and the holy Temple and so the day of the Lord and the Lords day 3. I will shew you two phrases of neerer affinity then theires and yet differ as farr as Creation Redemption the 7th day Sabbath is called the Feast of the Lord and the anniuersary Sabbaths are also called the Feastes of the Lord Leuit. 24.2.4 and yet the one of these is not euery way like the other for the one is a Signe of Creation the other of Christ redemption so may it be betwene the Lords day the Lords Supper c. I confesse vve may be bould to render a reason why Christs Supper was called the Lords Supper because vve haue a vvord of institution added to the name declaring its nature vse and end as 1. Cor. 11.20 23.24.25 but it is not so with the day called the Lords day Reuel 1.10 Yee haue nothing but its bare name mentioned not a word of the reason of the name nor of the vse and end of the day so named wherefore all consequences from hence must be as saith M. Perkins before quoted but suppositions probabilities likelihoods Some argue thus that which in Scripture is called the Lords that is to be consecrated to the Lord and to his worship I answer as vvell may they thus argue conclud that because the earth is called the Lords it must therefore be co secrated so to God as it must rest be tilled no more be imploied vvholly and onely to Gods vvorship And so Christianes being called the Lords must rest from vvorke and onely worship God Some Ministers argue thus that this day is called Lords day by way of excellency as excelling all other dayes of the weeke therfore it must be a Sabbath day for Sabbath dayes excell all other dayes Herevnto I answer that euery excellency of a day maketh not that day a Sibbath day vnlesse it excelleth as a Sabbath day for example good friday so euery friday since doe excell all other dayes of the weeke in this regard that on it Christ suffred his bitter passion for vs yet is not euery friday since a Sabbath day Hallow Thursday excelleth all dayes of the vveeke in this that on it Christ ascended vp into heauen yet is not Thursday become a Sabbath day So the Lords day excelleth all others in this that on it Christ rose yet is not the Lords day a Sabbath day ere the more for this excellency As the Minister excelleth all other men for a Minister yet he is not therfore a Magistrate so the Lords day may excell all other dayes for a resurrection day and yet it is not therfore a Sabbath or Resting day Loe with what idle stuffe they fill peoples heads withall to boulster out their fancies Others there are who thinke their bare naming of the day Lords
of Christ his Resurrection The Friday because of Christ his Passion Loe here then were two dayes in a weeke sanctified the Friday the Sunday and that without difference Now who that readeth this can thinke that the Church in Constantins time kept the Sunday or Lords day as a Sabbath vnlesse he should absurdly thinke that they kept two Sabbaths in a weeke the Friday the Sunday it is more likely that they kept them both but as we keepe some light holy dayes Nor did the memory of the Resurrection exalte the Lords day any higher then did the memory of the Passion exalte the Friday Thus you see in what esteeme the Church of God had the Lords day in Constantins time III. My third Testimony shall be that whereof we reade in Socrates his Ecclesiasticall Historie lib. 5. cap. 21. vvhere he thus writeth The drifte saith he of the Apostles was not to lay downe Canons Decrees concerning Feastes holy daies but to become paternes vnto vs of piety of good life Godly conuersation Whereas there is greate contention at this time to proue the Lords day to be a Sabbath day instituted in the new Testament by Christ his Apostles this Historian will determine the controuercy for vs if we will be guided by the iudgement of those primitiue Churches for hee saith plainly that the Apostles made no Decrees concerning Holy dayes of which number the Lords day is one and what he saith here of the Apostles the same also in the same Chapter he saith of Christ namely that hee made no law for the Church to celebrate the feast of Easter c. Thus you see it is the iudgement of antiquitie that neither Christ nor his Apostles did euer appoint Easter day vvhich is the Lords day nor any other dayes to be sanctified for Sabbaths I deny not for all this that those times gaue any respect vnto the Lords day and other Holy dayes but this onely I deny that they sanctified this Lords day as Diuinely instituted and appointed by Christ or his Apostles but rather as from the same authority from by which they sanctified other holy dayes of the Saints to wit from by the Tradition of the Church IV. My fowrth Testimony shall be the iudgment of S. Augustine who in his 118 Epistle de festis diebus thus writeth But as for those things which we obserue by Tradition not by wrighting we vnderstand them to be giuen either by the Apostles themselues or by approued Councells c. As the anniuersary celebration of the Lords Passion the Resurrection the Ascention c. In vvhich passage vve note these particulars 1. That S. Augustine accounted the Sanctification of the Lords day to be a thing receiued by Tradition 2. That its institution was not to be founde in the Scriptures for he saith which we obserue by Tradition not by wrighting c. 3. That S. Augustine was doubtfull vncertaine vvhither the obseruation of the Lords day vvere a Tradition receiued from the Apostles or from Councells 4. That S. Augustine rekoneth the Lords day being the Feast of the Resurrection to be of no better nor higher authority then are Good Friday Hallow Thursday the Feasts of Christs Passion Ascention We may as well therefore by S. Augustins iudgement sanctify euery Friday and euery Thursday for Sabbaths throughout the yeere as euery Lords day for they haue all three the same originall selfesame grownd Authority for they be all Traditions vnwritten Traditions and doubtfull whither from the Apostles or from Councells By the way since S. Augustine knew no Scripture for the sanctification of the Lords day for the Sabbath how cometh it about I maruaile that many in our dayes haue found out so many Scriptures for it vve haue now this text of Scripture Ioh. 20.19.26 witnessing that Christ did often appeare vnto his Disciples on this day Another Text we haue for it Act. 20.7 where S. Paul preached a sermon at Troas on this day An other Text we haue found out 1. Cor. 16.2 vvhere there was a collection for the poore on this day And yet an other Text we haue Reuel 1.10 where this day is called the Lords day I maruaile S. Augustine and his times should be so ignorant as not to see these textes as warrantable institutions for the Lords day to become a Sabbath since wee see them and say they are so cleere to proue the point Shall I tell you mine opinion it is this I suppose they that first set their witts on worke to finde a Diuine institution for this Lords day they sawe nothing but Tradition of the Church for it as for the rest of Holy dayes but miseliking this they iudged it better to haue it stand by a Diuine ordinance and therefore haue vsed their witts to wrest these Scriptures thitherwards so now they haue fathered the matter all vpon God and made this Lords day a Diuine ordinance to get the more honour vnto it this durst not S. Augustin doe but he more ingenuously plainly confessed it to be as indeed in trueth it is A Tradition of the Church of equall authority for its sanctification with Good Friday Hallow Thursday other Holie daies To conclude well we may make of the Lords day what esteme we vvill but yet you see it is but a Tradition a Popish Tradition as this vvas the Iudgement of S. Augustine so you shall see it confirmed by others also by by Now if it proue but a Tradition them may vve conclud that all Romish rubish is not as yet cleane swept out of the Reformed Churches An other Testimony of S. Augustine I finde in his vvorkes contra Adimant cap. 16. vvhere he thus vvriteth For we also doe celebrate both the Lords day the Feast of Easter certaine other festiuall daies but we obserue not the times but onelie the things signified by or in those times c. Loe here S. Augustine saith they kept the Lords day indede in his time in that Church but how they kept it much like as they kept other Holy dayes and festiualls for saith he non tempora observamus we regard not the times c. I but did the Lords day stand by the ordinance of Christ then S. Augustine would haue regarded the time for he must haue regarded that very day if Christ had ordained it did the Lords day stand by virtue of the 4th Com. then S. Augustine must haue obserued the time for the day time to wit the Seauenth day vvas no lesse inioyned in the 4th Com. then rest from laboures holy excercises how can men that worke on the Lords day Sabbath be said to rob God of his time if the time be not to be regarded it is more then manifest therfore that S. Augustine the Church of God in his time did not beleeue it that the Lords day vvas instituted by Christ or that it was to be
sauing their libertie to doe otherwise In which passage we may learne these things from Bastingius 1. That the Church hath alloted the Lords day or First day 2. That the Church may either wholly omit the Sanctification of the Lords day or change it vnto an other day And that it is at the liberty of the Church to doe otherwise in this pointe then they now doe if they please XIX My 19th Testimony shall be that in the Harmony of Confessiones de feriis c. pag. 168. and in the Appendix at the latter end of the booke Where it is thus recorded But we teach that Traditions are not to be condemned which command nothing contrary to the Law of God and haue some politicall end to wit which are made for this purpose that things may be done in the Church in order of which sorte are the Traditions of Holy dayes as of the Lords day the Natiuity the rest These things we willingly retaine in our Churches as things indifferent which out of the case of scandall may be omitted lawfully Here we may note these particulars 1. That the Sanctification of the Lords day is no better then a Tradition 2. That the Lords day and Christmas day are both of like authority 3. That the Lords day is a thing indifferent XX. My 20th Testimony shall be that of the lerned Minister and Godly Martyr of Christ M. William Tyndall who suffred Martyrdome in the dayes of King Henry the VIII as we finde it in his workes bound with the workes of M. John Fryth Doctour Barnes all iij in one Volume Will. Tyndall in his Answer to Sir Thomas Moores Dialogue pag. 287. where hee thus writeth And as for the Sabbath we be Lords ouer the Sabbath may yet change it into the Monday or into any other day as we see neede or may make euery Tenth day Holie day onelie if we see a cause why Neither was there any cause to chang it from the Saturday but to put a difference betwixt vs the Jewes Neither need we any Holie day at all if the people might be taught without it Thus we see M. Tyndall was of iudgement that the Sabbath or Lords day is of no higher nature then that the Church may freely alter and chaunge it hither and thither at their plesures And that the Church may aswell keepe Monday for the Sabbath day as Sunday or the Lords day XXI My 21th Testimony shall be that of an other lerned Minister godly Martyr of Christ M. Iohn Fryth vvho also suffred Martyrdome for the Gospell in the dayes of King Henry the viijth as vve finde it in his vvorkes bound together with the vvorkes of M.W. Tyndall Doctour Barnes Iohn Fryth in his Declaration of Baptisme pag. 96. vvhere he thus writeth Our forefathers which were in the begining of the Church did abrogate the Sabbath to the intente that men might haue an ensample of Christian libertie c. How be it because it was necessarie that a day should be reserued in the which the people might come together to heare the word of God they ordained in steade of the Sabbath which was Saturday the next day following which is Sunday And all though they might haue kept the Saturday with the Iewes as a thing indifferent yet did they much better to ouersett the day to be a perpetuall memorie that we are free not bound to any day we are in a manner as superstitiouse in the Sunday as they were in the Saturday yea and wee are much more madd for the Iewes haue the word of God for their Saturday sith it is the 7th day they were commanded to keepe the 7th day solemne wee haue not the word of God for vs but rather against vs for wee keepe not the 7th day as the Iewes doe but the first day which is not commanded by Gods law And by by againe he addeth He that thinketh that a man sinneth which worketh on the Holy day if he be weake or ignorant he ought better to be instructed so to leaue his hould But if he be obstinate perseuere in his sentence hee is not of God but of the Deuill for hee maketh sinne in such things as God leaueth free In which passages of Mr. Iohn Fryth we may obserue these remarkable things 1. How the Godly Martyr affirmeth that our forefathers did ordaine and appoint the Sunday for an holy day so then Christ his Apostles did not ordaine it 2. Hee affirmeth that now the Sabbath day to wit the old Sabbath day being abolished wee are free and not bound to sanctify any day at all so consequently we are not tied to sanctify the Lords day 3. He affirmeth that such as so zealously doe sanctify the Sunday or Lords day they are in so doeing no better then Supperstitiouse 4. He affirmeth that they who so zealously sanctify the Lords day they are besides theire right wittes or become frantick and madd his reason thereof is this because they practise that for which they haue no scripture or word of God but rather the word of God is against them We haue some Ministers not ashamed to tell their people they will giue their liues for the Lords day Sabbath but heere you see two worthy lerned Godly Ministers and Martyres to wit Mr. Tyndall and Mr. Fryth who did not say only they would but did also giue their liues for Gods trueth these men you see would neuer haue giuen their liues for the Sunday Sabbath for they would not so much as spend their breathes for it or speake a good word of it but altogether against it 5. Saith Mr. Fryth hee that thinketh that a man sinneth by working on this Holy day or Lords day if he obstinatly perseuereth in the same opinion he is not of God but of the Deuill that because he maketh a sinne where God maketh none If this be so how many in this Land who professe themselues the Ministers of God are notwithstanding of the Deuill For they make the people beleeue that they sinne fearefully and damnably if they doe any seruill worke on this holy day the Lords day let this speech of the lerned and Godly Minister and Martyr be well obserued XXII My 22th Testimony shall be the iudgement of the Lords Spirituall Temporall with the Commons assembled in Parliament in the fifth yeere of Edward the Sixte In an Acte intituled An Act for the keeping of holy daies c. In which Statute it is thus inacted It is not to be thought that there is any certaine time or definite number of daies prescribed in holy Scripture but that the apointment both of the time also of the number of daies is lefte by the Authoritie of Gods word to the liberty of Christs Church to be determined assigned orderlie in euery Country by the discretion of the Rulers Ministers thereof as they shall iudge most expedient Be it therefore enacted by
abolish the other parte of the com to wit the holy rest for this reason brought by God doth equally appertaine to the whole 4th com to all the partes there of to the time and to the Rest in the time as euery eye may see that but reades the text Nay the reason which M. Chappel vrgeth hath speciall reference vnto the duety of r esâ— for the rest is plainly mentioned in these words That thy man seruant thy maid may Rest as well as thou Deut. 5.14 what a case is M. Chappell in now for in attempting to abolish Gods sacred time he hath also abolished the duety of Rest in and with the time He hath not onely made the time a ceremony but also he hath made the duety of Rest a ceremony what 's become of your Rest M. Chappel which you vale morall haue not your selfe made it a Ceremony 2. If this their argument be good then haue they not alone rased the time in the 4th com and defaced also the 4th com it â—elfe but also which is more absurd they haue defaced the whole morall law euen all the 10 com so then now we are not bound by the first com to haue the true God to be our God because this com so all the rest doe depend vpon that reason which the 4th com dependeth on to wit that God brought the Iewes out of Egypt for this very reason is by Moses prefixed to the first com so hath influence vpon all the rest saying I am the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the Land of Egypt out of the house of bondage Exod. 20.2 wherefore if they abolish one â—ote or title of the law by this reason they must abolish the whole law 3. We must distinguish betwixt the Sabbaths obseruation its institution the reasons of the Sabbaths institution are these 1. because God himselfe rested on it at the Creation Genes 2.3 Exod. 20.11 2dly that it might be for the benefite commodety of man both in body and in soule Deut. 5.14 Mark 2.27 The Sabbath day was made for man saith the text Now the reasons of the Sabbaths obseruation may be many euen all the mercies of God these should moue to obedieÌ„ce Deut. 28.47.48 so this particular deliuerance out of Egypt might be a speciall motiue to keepe the Sabbath day Deut. 6.21.24 so then albeit the Sabbaths obseruation depended in parte vpon this mercy of Gods deliuerance of them out of Egypt yet its institution depended not theron Finally the passeouer was instituted vpon occation of Gods spareing the first borne of the Isralites Exod. 12 now this reason and occation could not concerne the gentile proselites and yet were the Proselites obseruers thereof Exod. 12.48 and why then may not we obserue the Sabbath allthough this reason concerneth not vs Behold then by these answers and the weakenesse of this the foregoing arguments if these Patrones of the Lords day aduersaries to Gods Sabbathes doe not voluntarily wilfully set themselues against Gods Sacred and Sanctified Sabbaths it appeareth manifestly so as they cannot deny it for what force of reason or consequence doth inforce them to raise an argument out of this text against the Lords Sabbaths If no force moueth them herevnto then it must be meerly of their owne wills and corrupted mindes which desire to trample on Gods ordinance SECT XVI 12. They argue from Mat. 12. where Christ defending his Disciples for plucking the eares of corne on the Sabbath day doth rekone vp compare and ioyne the Sabbath day with ceremonies as with the Showbreade Sacrifices and the like which comparisons and arguments saith Walaeus on the 4th com p. 21. were of no force if the Sabbath day were not to be rekoned of as a ceremony in some sorte Herevnto I answer 1. why should not Christs argument haue force albeit the Sabbath day were rekoned of as a morall for at that time when Christ made that argument the ceremonies were all in force as well as morales and all bound men to obedience as well as morales and the breach of a ceremoniall was a sinne as well as the breach of a morall wherfore Christ might very well fetch an argument from a ceremoniall vnto a morall shewing that if it were no sinne to violate a ceremoniall law in a cale of necessity no more was it a sinne to breake the morall Sabbath by rubbing eares of corne on the Sabbath day in a case of necessity the argument could not howsoeuer but be good vnto the Iewes for they put no difference betwixt morals ceremoniales as we doe they tyethed minte annyse left the weightie matters of the law and therefore Christ his argument might haue and had force enough 2. I answer Christ doth not onely rekone the Sabbath with ceremonies and fetch arguments vnto it from ceremonies but also from morales for example see Mat. 12.6 I will haue mercy and not Sacrifice where you see our Sauiour fetching an argument to the Sabbath day from the worke of mercy shewing that some worke may be done on the Sabbath day in case of necessity because God will haue mercy exercised towards men now mercy is no ceremony but a morall the like you haue Mat. 12.11 12. where Christ fetcheth an argument to the Sabbath from the helpeing of a beast out of a pit now to saue the life of a beast is no ceremony but morall Thus it appeareth that Christ fetched arguments to the Sabbath from ceremonials and morals both making no difference in this respect wherefore it cannot be concluded that the Sabbath is either morall or ceremoniall from this argument 3. Whereas hee saith the Sabbath is to be rekoned among the ceremonies in some sorte all this may be and yet the morallity of the Sabbath nothing infringed for in this sorte it may be like them that as Sacrifice ceremonies were to giue place in a case of necessity so must the Sabbath day doe thus then the Sabbath may be like vnto ceremonies yet farre vnlike to them in duration ceremoniall typicalnesse see still how witty and willing men are to invent somthing against Gods ordinances sure I am men shold imploy their Talents rather to defend Gods Title then to defeate him of it SECT XVII 13. They fetch an argument from Rom. 14.5 This man esteemeth one day aboue an other day and an other man counteth euery day alike And from Gal 4.10 yee obserue dayes moneths times yeeres c. In the former text the Apostle approueth of them that esteeme euery day alike and here the 7th day Sabbath is abolished In the latter text the Apostle sharply reproueth the Galatianes for obseruing of dayes times and heere againe the 7th day Sabbath is abolished and in both textes all difference of dayes appointed in the law is taken away To these textes I answer first by shewing them whither this obiection tendeth namly to Anabaptistry for
of conscience for at the day when God shall iudge the secretes of men their consciences will beare witnesse their thoughtes accuse or excuse them Rom. 2.15 ARGVM IX My 9th argument to proue that the 7th day Sabbath is still in force is because vnlesse it be in force the whole 4th com with euery parte percell of it is abolished nullified altogether vselesse And thus it may be framed If the 7th day Sabbath be not now in force Then is the whole 4th com nullified altogether vselesse But the 4th com is not nullified become vselesse Therefore is the 7th day Sabbath now in force First a word or two of the minor or second proposition for the trueth of it namely that the 4th com is now in force this is plaine first by the Testimony of our Sauiour who ratifieth the very least of the commandements as you may see Math. 5.19 secondly it is ratified by our Church which hath ordered that the 4th com be reade in our Churches also that the people shall vse this prayer at the rehearsall of it by the Minister Lord haue mercy vpon vs and incline our hearts to keepe this Law Thirdly I know no Diuine one or other that denieth it or doubteth of it it were heinouse impiety for any to deny it for it were to deny one of the tenn Morall Lawes of Almighty God So much therefore for profe of the Minor I come then vnto the Major or first proposition wherein I affirmed that the abolishing of the 7th day Sabbath doth draw after it the nullifying of the whole 4th com now I proue it In the 4th com are ij things to be considered the one is the commandement it selfe the other is the reason of the com and I shall proue that both these are nullified by abolishing of the 7th day Sabbath or by denying that the 7th day Sabbath is still in force To begine with the commandement it selfe that I may shewhow this is nullified first we must see what it is which they deny namely the 7th day Sabbath in which words we will consider that they deny the Sabbath day that is the old Sabbath day to be in force now then we will consider how they deny the 7th day that is the 7th day from the Creation to be in force now for both these they doe deny in denying that the 7th day Sabbath is now in force of these two I will begine with the Sabbath day that is the old Sabbath day which they doe deny by these textes Exod. 31.13 Col. 2.16.17 now I proue that if the old Sabbath day specified in the 4th com be abolished not in force now then is the 4th com made nonsense and to stand for a Cipher and that this may appeare you shall see it made plaine to your very eyesight The Lord God said Remember the Sabbath day to sanctify it Exod. 20.8 Now the Sabbath day here mentioned it was the old Sabbath day but this old Sabbath day say these new Sabbatharians is abolished not in force now which if it be so then in this commandement Exod. 20.8 the Lord God commandeth now at this time iust nothing at all for take away these ij words Sabbath day from out the commandement and in steade thereof put so many Ciphers as you haue letters in the two words as you may doe if those words or the thing meante by those words be abolished then the commandement is no more but thus much Remember the 0000000000 to sanctify it Thus you see by deniall of the old Sabbath day they haue made the word of God of none effect Gods commandement to become nonsense and a bundle of Ciphers this must be so vnlesse they can shew vs that God commanded vs two Sabbath dayes in his 4th com the one caled Sabbath day the other caled Lords day which all the Logick in their heads can neuer doe And so much for their deniall of the Sabbath day I come now vnto the other thing that they deny to wit the 7th day from the creation in this I will consider aparte these ij things first the word day then the word Seauenth first for the word day they say that the day to wit the old day is abolished as by other textes so also by these textes Rom. 14.5 Gal. 4.10 secondly for the word Seauenth they say that the 7th day in order of time is abolished to wit the 7th day from the Creation whence it followeth 1. That if the day be abolished then is there no day now inioyned in the 4th com for take away that day which was commanded to wit the old day then is there now no day required for a Sabbath in the 4th com so then now an howre in a day may be sufficient for a Sabhath so a Sabbath day may be turned into a Sabbath howre Loe then if by deniall of the 7th day they haue not nullified the 4th cō or as good as nullified it for the Lord was wont to haue an whole day celebrated for his worship by the 4th com but now we need giue him but an howre in a day for his worship by the 4th com thus Sabbath daies may be turned into Lecture daies is not this a manifest violence done vnto Gods Law and thus it must be by their denial vnlesse they can shew vs that God commanded ij daies in his 4th com an old day a new day the 7th day the 8th day 2dly it followeth that if the 7th day from the Creation be abolished as they say it is then now a daies we are not bound by the 4th com to giue God one day in euery 7 daies for a Sabbath but we may giue God one day in 7 or one day in 14 or one day in a moneth or one day in a yeere or one in 7 yeeres or one in a mans life time for being that the 7th day in the cō is abolished none other day there is specified or put into its roome we are now left at randome to take a day when we please for the 4th com doth not tell vs how often we should keepe a Sabbath since those words the 7th day are abolished which teld vs how often we should giue God a Sabbath now iudge thou good Reader if they haue not as good as nullified Gods 4th com by abolishing the 7th day since God was wont to haue a 7th day once a weeke by his 4th com but now we need not by that com giue him a Sabbath aboue once in a yeere or once in 7 yeeres or once in a mans life for the time how often being abolished there remaineth in the 4th com no more but the duty to keepe a Sabbath day and that we may performe if we keepe but one in our whole life But we haue not yet done In the 4th cō there is ij thinges to be obserued the one is
see that our Sauiour would not haue them profane the Sabbath day by their flight vpon it for the further cleering of this point because it is of the greatest consequence I will proue vnto you that when our Sauiour bad them pray against flying on the Sabbath day hee spake it because he would not haue them profane the Sabbath day by that their flight For this purpose note that it is the common opinion of expositers vpon this text that when Christ spake of flight vpon the Sabbath day he spake of it in a religiouse respect this may be yet further confirmed vnto vs if we consider the Author of these words who was Christ who was a Phisitian for the soule all his Doctrine tended to the furtherance of the kingdome of God wherefore all his speeches are if possible to be vnderstod as concerning the soule the kingdome of God but especially when he mentioneth matters of Religion as is the Sabbath day then we cannot but thinke he spake of it in relation to the soule and to the 4th commandement for the furtherance of the kingdome of God the obseruation of the will of his heauenly father shewing what conscience men ought to make of doeing Gods will keeping of his Sabbaths yea the text giueth light herein for why should they pray not to flye in the Winter but because of discomodety of flight then by foulnesse couldnesse of weather c So why not on the Sabbath day but because of incommodiouse trauailing then by reason of the 4th com and mens consciences which is a religiouse respect Nay how can it enter into any mans head to thinke that Christ should command them to pray that they might not flie on the Sabbath day in any other sense then this because he would not haue them profane it and because he would haue the will of his heauenly father reuealed in the 4th com carefully obserued obeied and because he would not haue those his Disciples pollute their consciences with profanation of Gods Sabbath For the yet further cleering of this point let it be noted 1. what is comprised in this word flight suppose Christ had foreteld them that ouer a few yeeres such an house should be on fyer in one of the seauen dayes and had also bidden them pray that they might not be put to quench the fyer on the Sabbath day what could this imply but that Christ would not haue them worke labour moyle toile so on the Sabbath day â—eueÌ„ so it is here for this end consider that this is such a flight as is made out of a citty by the inhabitantes when the enemies haue beseiged it with souldiers as you may see Luk. 21.20.21 Now when the beseiged distressed Cittizens flie out from the violence of their enemies they vsually carry out with them whatsoeuer things of worth they haue in the citty euen as much as possible they can as their young infantes and children their best apparell and other things of price euery man carries forth euen as much as his backe can beare with his safety so that they goe laden out besids they doe not walke at ease as men doe on the Sabbath day for recreation but they flie and trauaile with all possible labour and speede so as the day of their flight it was a day of moyleing and exceeding toyleinge I need not mention the disquiet and distraction of the mind their careing how to saue their owne liues and the liues of their wiues and children how to saue their goods all which disinabled them for and were enemies to the sacred dueties of the Sabbath and the worship of God therein all this neglect and putting by of the sacred dueties of prayer reading heareing conference c. doth necessarily follow the labour of the body by flying on the Sabbath day Thus much is comprised in the word flight so that when our Sauiour bid them pray against flight on the Sabbath day it is all one as if he had bidden them pray that they might not be driuen to carry burdens on the Sabbath day and that they might not be put to laboriouse and painfull trauailes on the Sabbath day 2. Let it be noted that to beare burdens and to trauaile on the Sabbath day were euer accounted for breaches of the 4th com and for profanation of the Sabbath day as you may read plainly in Nehem. 13.15.17 For Nehemiah reproued the Rulers for bearing of burdens on the Sabbath day saying what euill is this that yee doe profane the Sabbath day see also Ioh. 5.10 Exod. 16.29 VVhereby you see it most apparent that when Christ bad them pray against flight on the Sabbath day he meante it that they should pray against profanation of the Sabbath day for these ij are both one to flie carry-burdens on the Sabbath day to profane the Sabbath as you see by Nehemiahs words and what doth the word Prophane signify but to make a thing common what doe they else by flight on the Sabbath but make it a common day to wit a trauailing a labouring day The will of Christ doubtlesse was none other then the will of God in the 4th com that is that his Disciples should be carefull to keepe an holy Rest on the Sabbath day to refraine all seruile laboures according as it is in the 4th com In it thou shalt not doe any worke c. But here I must take away a maine obiection they will be ready to say that it is no profanation of the Sabbath day to trauaile on it in a case of necessity and to flie to saue a mans life as they doe who are beseiged c. Herevnto I answer yis it is a prophanation of the Sabbath for what is it to prophane an Holy thing but to conuert it vnto common vse be it men trauaile to saue their liues yet since trauailing labouring are common workes by trauailing and labouring on the Sabbath day as they doe on common daies they make the Sabbath day a common day and so prophane it neither will it follow that because it is no sinne to trauaile on the Sabbath in a case of necessity therefore it is no prophanation of the Sabbath for God hath permitted vs to prophane make common the Sabbath in a case of necessity and so prophanation of it is no sinne as otherwise it would haue bene the prophanation remaines still but it is no sinfull prophanation 2. The consideration of this obiection doth strengthen my argument for if our Sauiour would not haue men to flie trauaile worke on the Sabbath day no not to saue their liues if possibly by means of prayer they might auoid it much lesse would he haue men doe any worke on the Sabbath when there is no necessity and in a common case it is a signe that Christ was maruailously zealouse of his fathers Sabbaths to haue them religiously carefully sanctified after his death when he
that their conscience was not a fained superstitiouse conscience but a true religiouse conscience for the other things whereof Christ admonisheth them are not fained things but true and reall things as whē he said woe shall be to them which are with child which giue sucke v. 19. This was no fained thing for it was a true euill for women to be put to flie when greate with child or with children sucking on them againe to flie in the winter v. 20. it was no superstitiouse conceipt in Christs Disciples to thinke the winter a very vnseasonable time to flie in but it was so indeed so we are to thinke semblably of their conscience of the Sabbath day that it was no needlesse superstitiouse conceipt in them to thinke it an offence vnto God a breach of the 4th com a grieuouse matter to trauaile on the Sabbath day at what time they should be seruing and worshiping of God and thus much for this obiection The 2d obiection is this that by the word Sabbath mentioned in the text may be meant not the 7th day and weekly Sabbath but some one of their yeerly Sabbaths so then if Christ had ratified any thing in this text it had not beene the 7th day Sabbath but a ceremoniall Sabbath c. and the rather they thinke thus because it is thought that when the Iewes fled out of Ierusalem it was not vpon the 7th day Sabbath but vpon a Festiuall Sabbath But herevnto I reply 1. That it was no yeerly Sabbath whereof Christ spake for the yeerly Sabbaths being all Ceremonies and to be abolished long before that seige of Ierusalem if Christs Disciples had made consciēce of those then their consciences had bene superstitiouse But their conscience was not superstitiouse as hath bene showne therefore the Sabbath whereof Christ spake and they made conscience it was no yeerly ceremoniall Sabbath but the 7th day and weekly Sabbath 2. The word Sabbath when in Scripture it is put absolutly without any addition when the context giueth no light to the contrary it is to be vnderstod of the 7th day weekly Sabbath for this was the most frequent ordenary Sabbath Christs his speeches are to be vnderstod in an ordenary not in an extraordinary sense and of those things which were vsuall rather then of those which were rare seldome As for their reason that it is thought they fled vpon a yeerly Sabbath day not vpon the weekly Sabbath day this proueth not that therefore their conscience was not of the weekly Sabbath day but rather that their conscience was of the weekly Sabbath day for inasmuch as Christ commanded his Disciples to pray that they might not flie vpon a Sabbath day it is to be beleeued that they did pray accordingly further it is to be beleeued that since they prayed at Christs commandement and being Christs Disciples that they prayed in faith and that therefore they obtained their prayer whence it may be collected that they prayed against flight on the weekly 7th day Sabbath because they did not flie on the weekly 7th day Sabbath for God heard their prayer But to thinke they made conscience of a yeerly ceremoniall Sabbath prayed against it and yet were driuen to flie on it is absurdly to suppose that God crosed their prayers and denied their petition And thus much for the 2d obiection The last obiection or rather answer is that by the name Sabbath day Christ might vnderstand the Lords day But why may they not as well say when Christ spake of Winter he meant the Sommer and when in the new Testament there is mention of Circumcision therby may Baptisme be meant where did they euer read the Lords day named Sabbath day in Scripture suer I am the holy Ghost putteth a plaine difference betwixt the Sabbath day the Lords day or first day of the weeke see Mark 16.1.2 Finally who that considereth how Christ his Disciples made the Lords day a trauailing day Luk. 24.13 Could thinke that Christ would not permit his Disciples 50 yeers after to trauaile on the Lords day to saue their liues if by this Sabbath day he meant the Lords day thus much for my eleauenth argument which standeth good against all their obiectiones and gainesayings ARGVM XII My Twelueth last argument to proue that the 7th day Sabbath is still in force is because 1. The Apostles did constantly obserue keepe it after Christs resurrection 2. The primitiue Churches did obserue and keepe it after the dayes of the Apostles for 300 or 400 yeeres after Christ time 3. Our owne Church doth daily pray to God to incline our heartes to keepe it and it may be thus framed That day wich the Apostles of Christ did constantlie obserue and keepe after Christs death and which the primitiue Churches did obserue keepe after the dayes of the Apostles for 300 or 400 yeeres which our owne Church doth daily pray to God to incline our heartes to keepe That day is still in force But the 7th day Sabbath the Apostles of Christ did constantly obserue and keepe after Christs death and the primitiue Churches did obserue and keepe it after the dayes of the Apostles for 300 or 400 yeeres our Church doth daily pray to God to incline our heartes to keepe it Therefore the 7th day Sabbath is still in force As for the Major or first proposition it needeth no proofe so cleere it is it consisteth of 3 branches as you see as for the first of them which is that that day which the Apostles did constantly obserue is still in force or must be our Sabbath day this point must needs be granted me because it is the very position of my aduersaries for they thus argue for their Lords day Sabbath that That day which the Apostles did constātly obserue must be our Sabbath day Wherefore they cannot doubt of my Major Furthermore it may be confirmed by this that we are bound to imitate and follow the practise of the Apostles Be ye followers of mee euen as I am of Christ 1. Cor. 11.1 Therefore that day which the Apostles did constantly keepe that day must be still in force and we must keepe it It is true indeed if that the Apostles had kept a day but now then as once in a moneth or once in a yeere or once in many yeeres as they kept the Lords day then it had not followed But that day which they kept constantly vsually euery weeke weeke by weeke there can be no reason imagined why that day should not be still in vse in the Church No nor can we with a good quiet conscience reiect the constant practise of the Apostles If the example yea the frequent and customary example of the Apostles shall not be auaileable with vs what then will auaile with vs In other cases the very mention of it that S. Paul did so or that
that there should haue bene no place left in the world for the Apostles to haue begune a reformation of Iewish ceremonies if they durst not refaine them for feare it should come to the hearing of the Iewes wherfore the Apostles kept not the Sabbath at Philippi for to please the Iewes onely nor onely for feare of offending them Yet further there is not want of good reason to shew that the Apostles kept not the Sabbath for the weaknesse of the Jewes onely this being laied for a grownd that if they be supposed to keepe it for the weaknesse of the Iewes onely that then it was a ceremony so abolished my reasons are these 1. Because the Apostles kept it voluntarily when they might haue auoided it as appeareth 1. Because the Apostles remained certaine daies with the Church at Antioch Act. 13.42 44. and with the Church at Philippi Act. 16.12 Now any day of the Sixe had bene as fit for the Gentiles as the Sabbath if the Sabbath was a ceremony 2. Because the Gentiles besought the Apostles to preach to them the next Sabbath day Act. 13 42. Now what is obtained by request of Superiors is at their liberty to grant now can any thinke the Apostles would vse an abolished ceremony when it was at their choise and libertie to vse it or not forasmuch as the strong ought to beare the infirmities of the weake it was a burden for an Apostle to vse a Iewish Ceremony and would the Apostles then take an vnproffitable burden on their backes when they might auoide it 2. If the Sabbath was kept for the weaknesse of the Iewes and so appeared to be but a Ceremony then had the Apostles rune vpon ij dangerouse rockes 1. As touching the Iewes how could this but harden the heart of the Iewes in their Iudaisme and retaining still of Ceremonies when they saw S. Paul the greatest enemy to Ceremonies of all the Apostles to obserue the Sabbath day still not onely when he was among them but whersoeuer be came yea among the Gentiles also 2 As touching the Gentiles if the Sabbath had bene kept for the weaknesse of the Iewes onely as a ceremony then had S. Paul by keeping the Sabbath among the Gentiles infected them with Judaisme by his practise yea so taught them that now in practise which he must afterwards beate downe vnteach againe by Doctrine Thus the Apostles should be supposed to make themselues worke first to infect then to heale cure further if their answer be good then was Paul bound to permit suffer the Christian Churches in Iudaisme for the strong ought to beare the â—â—firmities of the weake Rom. 15.1 Now Paul was strong those Iewes were weake 3. To suppose the Apostles to keepe the Sabbath among the Gentiles for the weaknes of the Iewes is absurd for by so doing the Gospell should receiue no aduantage for looke what a superstitiouse Iew was eased therby by so much a beleeuing Gentile was burdened combered he being intangled with a Iewish Ceremony now what were this better then if the Apostles should pull a thorne out of the foote of a Iew and thrust it into the foote of a Gentile 4. Obserue that S. Paul was the Doctour of the Gentiles Gal. 2.7 Now by Gentiles here we must not vnderstand such congregations as consisted only of Gentiles for of all the Churches which Paul planted there were fewe such but for the most parte they were all a mixed people of Iewes Gentiles both as you may see Act. 17.2.4 Act. 18.4 Act. 19.10 Act. 13.14.42 Act. 14.5 wherefore suppose yee that the Sabbath had no where bene kept among the Gentiles that is in such a congregatioÌ„ wherin there were none but GeÌ„tiles yet is the cause the same still for first it is plaine that Paul kept the Sabbath frequently in these Churches which were mixed of Iewes and Gentiles see Act. 17.2.3 Act. 18.4 And secondly it is plaine that these were the Churches which Paul planted ouer whom he was set now if the keping of the Sabbath had bene a ceremony as meats drinkes were then had Paul committed a foule errour by vsing of this Ceremony in his Churches the Churches of the Gentiles for he had constrained therby the Gentiles vnto Iudaisme the which fault he sorely reproued Peter for Gal. 2.14.12 For Pauls keeping the Sabbath must as well constraine the Gentiles to Sabbathizing as Peters refraining of Meates did constraine these Gentiles to doe the like 5. If Paul did Sabbathize among the Gentiles for the weaknes of the Iewes onely and that ordenarily and customarily for so he did Act. 13.14.42.44 Act. 17.1.2 Act. 18.4 Then this absurdety followeth that Paul did also circumcise the Gentiles for the weaknesse of the Iewes and that ordenarily and customarily for there is as greate reason that Paul should haue vsed circumcision among the Gentiles in fauor of the Iewes as to haue vsed the Sabbath day among the Gentiles in fauor of the Iewes for the Iewes were as zealouse for circumcision as they were for the Sabbath Herevnto I might also add that Paul must as well haue vsed their new moones abstinance from prohibited meates among the Gentiles for the sake of the Iewes as the Sabbath day if these were all alike Ceremonies and if there were no more morallity in the Sabbath then in the new moones and prohibited meates 6. As touching things indifferent and the Ceremoniall Law Paul became all things vnto all men c. Vnto the Iewe who had the Ceremoniall Law he became a Iewe vnto the Geâ—tile who were without this Law he became a Gentile that is when he was among the Iewes then he vsed the ceremoniall Law but when he was among the Gentiles then he behaued himseâ—fe without Law he vsed no Ceremonies from this text then thus expounded it is plaine that Pauls Sabbathizing among the Gentiles it was no Ceremony nor done for the weaknesse of the Iewes for among the Gentiles he was without law that is he vsed no Ceremonies To thinke otherwise were to thinke that Paul did not onely vnto the Iewe become a Iewe but absurdly that vnto the Gentile also he became a Iewe. 7. If the Sabbath was a Ceremony and obserued by the Apostle in those Churches where he kept it for the weaknesse of the Iewes then this absurdety followeth that he did not roote out Ceremonies or refraine Iudaisme in those Churches consequently that he left behind him many famouse Christian Churches pestered with Ceremonies infected with Iudaisme for he kept the Sabbath day in many famouse Churches see Act. 13.14.42.44 Act. 16.12 Act. 17.2 Act. 18.4 Now if Paul was forced to obserue Ceremonies for the weaknesse of the Iewes at that time then so must he for the same cause haue done euer after during his life for the Iewes remained weake in this matter of Ceremonies to Pauls dying day since that all confesse it that Ceremonies had for their
the Seruants by right from God Thus you see it cleere that to rest on the 7th day is a worke of mercy vnto maÌ„ beasâ— a worke greatly tending to the furtherance of all the dueties of piety and charity In a word the obseruation of the Sabbath day must needs be a thing greatly tending to the good of mankind because it was made for them The Sabbath was made for man Mark 2.27 vnlesse therefore we will accuse God of vnskilfulnesse in making things for men which are not good and proffitable for them we must needs yeeld that the obseruation of the Sabbath is a thing tending vnto and a furtherance of mans good in generall What answer may be framed to this argument I cannot foresee vnlesse it be some such as this that the rest from labour is it onely which tendeth vnto piety and is a worke of mercy but not the day to wit the 7th day this helpeth not c. But contrarywise 1. The day helpeth vnto a religiouse sanctification of the rest because it is a sacred day aboue all others in the weeke for God hallowed it at the creation and it onely Genes 2.3 therefore it doth best besuite sacred actioÌ„s addeth a kind of a more reuereÌ„t respect vnto them thus a man is touched with a more sublime and honourable regard of the duety of prayer in the Church as of ancient in the Temple then in a common house see Genes 28.16.17 Eccles 4.17 Leuit 19.30 ij Chron. 8.11 Mark 11.15.16.17 And Moses must put off his shoes because the place was Holy grownd Exod. 3.5 Thus Nehemiah required of the people behauiour sutable vnto the day the people must not weepe because the day was Holy Nehem. 8.9.10 and This is the day which the Lord had made let vs reioyce be glad in it Psal 118.24 Here the day minded them of the dueties in and of the day to wite ioy and gladnesse like as the Coronation day when it cometh it mindes vs of the dueties of the day that in a more liuely maner then any other day if therefore sacred places did further men in sacred dueties by touching their heartes with a more then ordenary reuerence and religion channge of behauiour and if daies doe mind vs of the dueties of the daies then why should not also the sacred day of the Sabbath when it cometh be of like vse it being of like kinde why should not the presence of this sacred day the more moue vs to be holy because the day is holy if Moses must put off his shoes because the grownd where on he stoode was holy grownd why should not we be the more moued to put off all carnall and sinnefull affectiones because the day wherein we are is an holy day if the people in Nehemiahs time must not weepe because the day was holy must not we learne to absteine from worke the rather because the day is holy So thus we see sacred places sanctified daies haue added somewhat vnto the increase of holy affectiones reasones haue bene fetched from the holinesse of the places and daies to mâ—ue vnto more reuerence in gesture outwardly in body inwardly in heart and to decline such things as doe not besâ—te these places or times this may yet further appeare in the Lords day for it being supposed a sacred day and of Diuine institution the day thus considered doth not a little further our rest from laboures so helpe vs to a more proffitable vse of all holy exercises in the day which would not be so if the day were in esteeme but a common day 2. One duety of the Sabbath is to sing Psalmes vnto the praise of God as we may see by the title of the 92 Psalme and among other things the Church doth praise God for that his marvailouse miraculouse worke of the CreatioÌ„ of the world whereof the Sabbath day or 7th day is a signe Exod. 31.17.15 Now this very day doth not a little further this sacred duety of praising God for the Creation of the world that 1. Because this day being the same day in the weke for order whereon God rested at the Creation it doth more liuely represent vnto vs Gods rest then can any other day of the weeke 2. Because God made this day to be a signe of the Creation Exod. 31.17.15 as the Elements of bread wine and water in the Sacraments be signes of the redemption now signes doe further the remembrance of the things signified by them therefore the Sabbath day being a signe of the Creation it doth further the thankfull remembrance thereof and our cheerefull praises of God for it since by it wee haue life being wel being without which should haue had no being at all 3. The 7th day being that day whereon God himselfe rested at the Creation Genes 2.2 this day hath a force in it aboue all daies in the weeke to perswad men to rest themselues and giue rest vnto their seruants on that day in an imitation of God because God rested on it and thus it furthereth 1. The work of mercy in afording rest vnto poore seruants and 2. It furthereth the workes of piety religion for the more freely that men rest the more cheerefully they worship God this efficacy no other day hath 4. As a place so the time of the 7th day is a furtherance to Gods worship for thereby we haue time to serue God in without which God cannot be serued yea further this time day doth further the continuance and frequency of Gods worship for were it not for this some men would thinke it enough to giue God but one howre or two in a day and one day in a moneth or quarter of a yeere 5. The time and day was commanded at once together with the duety of rest both in one commandement both in one sentence in that commandement both with one breath Exod. 20.10 The one as a duety the other as the proper time for the performance thereof now it is consentaneus and agreable to all reason to thinke that these two things being thus inioyned immediatly together should both tend together vnto one and the same end each after its manner and kind so as if the one tendeth vnto the worship of God so should the other also and it is absurd to thinke that the one should tend vnto oen end the other vnto another and diuerse end A decre is made that one the 5th of Nouember the day should be kept in a thankfull remembrance for that deliuerance c. that people shall refraine their laboures resorte to their parish Churches where the Ministers shall publikly praise God c. now who cold imagine but that as the duety of resting from worke tendeth vnto the publike praise of God so doth the place appointed thereto to wit the Church and so doe the persones to wit the Ministers and so doth the time and day also
is supposed of divine institution so necessary then is a day of Diuine institution as without it Religion Gods worship will languish of a continuall consumption now since there is no day of diuine institution but the Saturday or 7th day it is of necessity that we keepe the Saturday or 7th day to preuent the decay of Religion to support further Gods worship Seruice Thus I haue proued it that to rest from our laboures on Saturday the 7th day is morall perpetuall because we finde it tendeth vnto the furtherance of Gods worship because it is a worke of mercy to man beast yea in a sorte necessary also thus much of this argument ARGVM XXIIII Because many stand so much vpon the law light of nature holding that onely to be morall in the Decalogue which is ratified by the light of nature that they would imbrace the Sabbath if it could be proued to be a Law of nature for the benefite of such therefore J frame this argument and thus I argue That duety which is expresly commanded in the Decalogue which being made knowne to a meere naturall man he cannot by his light of nature reason oppose but must allow of and subscrib vnto as good for him that duety is morall concerneth our practise is perpetually to be kept But the obseruation of Saturday the 7th day Sabbath is expresly commanded in the Decalogue is a duety which being made knowne to a meere naturall man hee cannot by the light of nature reason oppose it but must allow it and subscrib vnto it as good for him Therefore the obseruation of Saturday the 7th day Sabbath is morall concerneth our practise is perpetually to be kept As touching the profe of the major if any shall except against it saying they could like of it if it spake of such a duety in the Decalogue as were first found out by the light of nature but mislike of it because it speakes of such a duety as is first found out by a supernaturall light then made knowne vnto a naturall man Hereto I reply that it is not matteriall whither the duety be first found out by the light of nature after allowed of by the same light or first found out by the supernaturall light of Gods word in his 4th com then subscribed vnto by the light of nature it mattereth not I say which way by whom the duety was found out first so long as nature the light of reason doth allow of it iustify it and subscrib vnto it after it is found out for men are as well bound by the Law and light of nature to obserue those dueties which the light of nature alloweth and approueth being taught vnto them as to obserue those which were neuer taught them for it is not the finding of them nor the manner of getting the knowledg of them that bindeth but it is the approbation and allowance of them that bindeth to the obseruation of them and which hath the force of a Law in a man wherefore what duety soeuer is prescribed vs in the Decalogue if the light of nature cannot oppose it as harmfull incommodiouse but doth rather allow of it iustify it approue of it as good that duety must needs be morall practised by vs or else we bewray our selues to be vnnaturall to put out the light of nature in vs to goe against conscience for we will refuse to doe that which the very light of nature in vs alloweth of and subscribeth vnto as good to be done and so I come to the Minor Jn the minor I shall not need to proue any thing but this to wit that a meere naturall man cannot oppose Gods 7th day Sabbath but must allow of it as good to be obserued so soone as the Author vse end of it be discouered vnto him first theÌ„ for the Author of the Sabbath a meere naturall man cannot by the light of reason but allow of all lawes and ordinances made by a Deity 2. for the vse and end of the 7th day Sabbath 1. as it is kept in memoriall of the Creation so a naturall man cannot but allow of it since by the Creation hee receiued his being and all comforts of this life 2. It crosseth not the good of particuler persones societies or common wealâ—s but on the contrary it serueth to refresh both man and beast being ouertoiled and spent in the 6 dayes before by laboures it helpeth the exercise of Religion and it is a duety which societies and common weales cannot well subsist without for we see besids weekly Sabbaths that common weales do maintaine sondry anniuersary holy dayes and therefore at the least one day in 7 is counted needfull for Rest wherefore suppose wee that the Lords day or the Sunday Sabbath were changed into the 7th day or Saturday Sabbath since the common weale standeth in neede of one day in 7 at least for rest and refreshment and the exercise of religion therefore it followeth that if we had the Saturday Sabbath in vse the common weale could haue nothing against it to oppose it but must allow of it approue it and subscrib vnto it as good to be obserued because in it and by it a good and benefite cometh vnto the common weale both for their bodies and soules In a word doth not nature teach vs that it is meete to shew mercy vnto Seruants and allow them one day in 7 to rest in from their painefull laboures and to refresh themselues and so to fit them for labour againe on the next Sixe daies and doth not nature teach that it is fitter that this day should be of Gods choise which is Saturday the 7th day then of mans choise and also that the time should not be indifferent at mans plesure least some cruell Masters should deny their Seruants this necessary refreshment but necessary as inioyned by God as a duety from all Masters How then should this Sabbath be but morall when the light of nature cannot except against it and how should it not but be obserued of vs to this day when that naturall light of reason that is in vs doth consent vnto it allow and approue of it as good for vs as the Apostle said Doth not nature teach you that if a man hath long haire it is a shame vnto him 1. Cor. 11.14 So may I say doth not nature teach vs that if we had Gods ancient Sabbaths the obseruation of them would proue both piouse and commodiouse our Sauiour saith The Sabbath was made for man Mark 2.27 Now what an vnnaturall man is that who will reiect that thing which was made for him will any man refuse an howse or a garment that was made for him or any of Gods Creatures which were made for him shall not such incurr an heauy censure who will reiect a duety commanded in the Decalogue the which the light of nature still
it and corrupt it and shall we thinke the Gentiles Heathen that know not God haue retained all the Morall Law perfectly without forgetting any thing therein doe we thinke better of the Heathen Gentiles who haue liued since the giuing of the Law then of the people of God who liued before the Law if the light of nature in the people of God before the Law needed a better light to wit the Law of God to direct their Law and light of nature can the blind light in Heathen people since the Law giue a light vnto the Law if it cannot why then will we rather learne what is morall by the light of nature and lawes of nationes then by the light of lightes the Law of God Should we vrge the practise of any thing that is vn-naturall or which nature abhorreth then there might be some more â—uller for this distinction but since we vrge nothing vn-naturall nor any thing impossible nor any thing harmefull to a Church or State commoÌ„ wealth in this case what grownd should there be to draw vs to the Lawes light of nature suer I am though nature be ignorant of the Lords Sabbath yet enemy vnto it it cannot be for let nature be informed what manner a thing Gods Sabbath is and it will imbrace it for nature abhorreth to profane sacred things of which kind the Sabbath is and nature approueth of a day and this day as well as any other day for Gods worship and for mans refreshment in a rest from laboures why then should we reiect Gods Sabbath because blind nature is ignorant of it and not rather imbrace it because if nature be but taught it it cannot oppose it it will imbrace it I find it that this distinction is merely inuented for the very nonce to thwarte rase downe and roote out Gods ancient Sabbaths for I find nothing else prescribed in the morall Law which they doe reiect by this dinstinction but onely Gods Sabbaths now as well might they reiect the drinking of wine in Lords Supper as the Sabbath day in the 4th com for ther 's the same reason seing that the drinking of wine is not naturall to English men no more then the Sabbath is to Heathen people for wine is not the naturall fruite and liquor of our Country but Beere like as they say the 4th com belongeth vnto vs but as it is the Law of nature but not as it was giuen to the Iewes for so it was Iewish so might they say the institution of the Lords Supper belongeth vnto vs English men but as it is a law in our nature and not as it was giuen to the Iewes Christs Disciples to drinke Beere is naturall to vs but to drinke wine is Iewish for the Iewes vsed wine at their meales as we vse Beere 6. The Apostle Paul telleth vs of a Law written and of a Law of nature the one written in Tables of stone the other in the Tables of the heart the one giuen the Iewes the other to the Gentiles As manie as haue sinned without the Law shall perish with out the Law as manie as haue sinned in the Law shall be iudged by the Law Rom. 2.12.14 I would faine know where the difference lieth betwene these two Laws the Law of nature the written Law of God if vve vvill imbrace no more of Gods written Law then the Gentiles find written in their hearts yea vvhat then are we the better for hauing Gods vvritten Lavv among vs 2. Inasmuch as the Apostle saieth that as manie as haue sinned in the Law they must be iudged by the Law hence it follovveth that all vve Christians who imbrace the written Law we must stand or fall to this written Law and must be iudged by it an other day can we then vvith safety reiect this vvritten Lavv and take the vnvvritten Lavv for the rule of our Liues no surely vnlesse vve could thinke vve should liue by one Lavv be iudged by an other 7. If so much of the Lavv of God be Morall as is found among the Gentiles then is the Ceremoniall Lavv of Sacrifices a Morall Lavv for the Gentiles haue had their Sacrifices thus vve reade that Iupiters Priests brought Bules vvith garlands vnto the gates vvould haue Sacrificed vnto Paul and Barnabas Act. 14.13 Wherefore the light of nature in the Gentiles is no sufficient rule to distinguish Morales from Ceremoniales 8. This distinction is Antichristian for it is against Christ and his Apost es for they euer sent the Churches vnto the vvrittâ—n Law neuer to the vnvvritten Law Mat. 1.18.19 Rom. 3.31 Iam. 2.8.10 Paul saieth hee beleeued all things vvhich vvere written in the Lavv c Act. 24.14 And vvhatsoeuer things are written a fore time are written for our lerning Rom. 15.4 and cursed is euery one that continueth not in all things vvhich are written in the booke of the Law to doe them Gal. 3.10 and the vvhole Scripture is by inspiration to teach c. 2. Tim. 3.26 in all vvhich scriptures vve are sent vnto the vvritten Lavves the Lavves giuen to the Ievves not vâ—to the vnvvritten Lavves that vvere giuen to the Gentiles the Holy Ghost vvould that vve should borrovv light from the vvritten Lavvs giuen to the people of God but the Authors of this distinction vvill send vs to the vnwritten Laws vvhich are found among Heathen people and Infideles to borrovv ligâ—t from them It seemes then that vve shall borrovv light from darknesse Ye were once darknesse but are now light in the Lord Eph. 5.8 9. If no more of the Law shall bind vs then so much as is found out by the light of nature then Gods word shall not bind properliâ— by of it selfe but that it must borrow strength elswhere as from the Law light of nature or else it shall not bind nor be a Law this is to detract from the Dignity Authority of Gods word for a Minister must not now come with Thus saith the Lord but he must strengthen it with this so saith the Law of nature he must not say onely Thou shalt not steale not commit adultery for thus no man is bound vntill he add this And this the Law of nature 10. If so many of the precepts of the Law onely shall be in force with vs as are allowed of by the Law of nature then it shall follow that so many such qualified men among vs shall stand bound to the first Commandement onely as by the Law light of nature did acknowledge the true God and they are for number a few 3 or 4 in a Country Citty or Kingdome and for quality onely the most lerned and deepest schollers for such onely did acknowledge the true God among the Heathen The reason hereof is that if we must fetch direction from the Heathen to know which precepts we are bound vnto then by like reason must we fetch light from them also to know how many
is not aboue one day older this ordinance it is well nigh as ancient as the world it selfe So much for the Antiquity of the 7th day or Saturday Sabbath CHAPT VI. THis Chapter conteineth a Dispensation touching the present practise shewing that a Christian is not necessarily bound in conscience to make a rente from our Church in his present practise but that he may waite for the fitnesse of season opportunity and the publike reformation of the Magistrate And then it concludeth with an Exhortation to vse all possible and lawfull meanes for a publike generall Reformation A Dispensation touching the present practise SECT I. WHen I had founde out by diligent study Christian Reader that this most ancient ordinance of Gods Sabbath is still in force in the next place I gaue my selfe seriously to thinke of the practise of it whither to fale to present practise or to waite some more fit season When I thought of a present practise then these inconveniences presented themselues 1. If we fale vpon the present practise then the Magistrate will be offended because we make a schisme and rente in the Church 2. Our Christian brethren will be offēded because we diuid separate from their fellowship both of these will take it the worse when they thinke of our rashnesse inconsideracy that we will forsake the practise fellowship of the Church before we haue giuen them time sufficient to consider of the matter as we our selues haue had whereby we should haue waited for their approbation in iudgement reformation together with vs in practise and herevpon may arise greate diuisiones of heart much hartburning betwixt brethren who should liue in amity godly loue 3. As in the two former we should doe that which would be euill to our brethren so also should we doe that which would proue euill vnto our selues that in a double respect 1. in regard of our bodies 2. in respect of our soules for the former we liue not as they doe in some parte of the world who are at liberty to practise what they will in matter of conscience but we liue vnder an established gouernment where we cannot transgresse the lawes thereof without perill to our persones goods For the latter if we enter vpon a present practise of the Sabbath then we rune into this spirituall inconuenience that we shall pine our soules for want of that spirituall food which we were wont to inioy vpon the Lords day which is needfull vpon the Sabbath day for the lawes of our kingdome will not permit priuat conuēticles or that a minister should preach in priuate therfore we cannot haue the benefite of an able Ministry to helpe vs in the sinctification of the Sabbath to feede our soules with the bread of life these are the inconveniences which attend vpon the present practise But when I thought of a delay and to waite some more fit season for the practise then this euill presented it selfe that by the neglect of a present practise we fale into sinne and transgression of the 4th commandement by prophanation of the Sabbath day we should be guilty thereof vntill that sit season of reformation cometh so whither soeuer I turned me I saw my selfe in a straite for the former inconveniences would be auoided but this latter of necessity must be shuned VVhilst I was at a stand it pleased God to cause me thinke of a dispensation the which after J had seriously considered of I resolued that the word of God would beare a dispensation in this case so it should come to passe that we should shune the inconveniencies on the one side the sinne on the other so we might walke on comfortablie without offence either to God or to man or iniury to our selues Let vs now therefore addresse our selues vnto this Dispensation touching which first we will handle this question in generall whither a man is bound in conscience to conforme his practise at all times without dispensation or exception to the doeing of that which the word of God saieth must be done hee knoweth must be done or noe 2. we will handle this question in particular whither the Sabbath day may not be neglected in a case of necessity for a season vntill the time of reformation by those who are verily perswaded that it is still in force if in case they giue God for it an other day in the meane space as the Lords day by way of change And first of the former of these two questiones SECT II. In this section I shall proue vnto you that by sondry iustifiable examples that a man is not bound at all times without dispensation exception to the doeing of that thing which the word of God saieth must be done and hee knoweth must be done For this purpose note that God hath giuen vs a morall Law touching wedlocke to wit the 7th commandement Thou shalt not commit adultery now our Sauiour saith that whosoeuer marrieth a diuorced woman committeth adultery the woman committeth adultery also in case shee was diuorced for any thing besids hir adultery Mat. 5.32 Neuerthelesse for the hardnesse of the Iewes heartes in a case of necessity to auoid cruelty towards their wiues or the like Mat. 19.8 a marriage was permitted to with the diuorced woman as you may reade Deut. 24.2.3.4 Where the Lord by Moses speaking of the diuorced womans second marriage speaketh not of it by way of prohibition but by way of a permission and it were strang if the woman being an innocent party should be denyed that remedy of marriage for the hardnesse of hir husbands heart for his default onely Here then we see is a dispensation in a case of necessity The consideration of this may be of vse to stopp the mouths of such as cry out saying what a dispensation from a Morall Law if the Sabbath be a morall then there can be no dispensation but loe here they see the contrary the 7th commandement is a Morall yet there was a dispensation touching it for Moses permitted that for the hardnesse of the lewes hearts which from the begining was not so which our Sauiour accounted to be adultery so against the 7th commandement but we shall touch this point further by by in answering to an obiection A second instance shall be that of Dauid it was a law of God that whoso sheddeth mans blood by man shall his blood be shed Genes 9 6. Now Dauid being king Ioab murthered two Captaines 1 King 2.5 here it was the duety of Dauid to haue executed vengeāce for he was Gods minister to take vengeance R. 13.14 Neuerthelesse Dauid finding Ioab too strong for him ij Sam. 3.27.39 Omitted the execution of Ioab gaue it in charg to his sonne Salomon to doe it after his death 1 King 2.6 Here Dauid knew well that it was his office to haue put Ioab to death he was willing so to
haue done neuerthelesse because he was but weake in his kingdome Ioab strong it might haue made a commotion in his kingdome much hurly burly blood shed hazard of his Crowne now in this exegency extremity Dauid did neglect to doe for a season what he knew he should haue done would haue done most gladly but that the times would not beare it Thus you haue seene a dispensation in two examples A third instance shall be that of the omission of circumcision you know it was a Law that euery man child of 8 dayes old should be circumcised Genes 17.12 Now though the Israelites knew this yet they circumcised not their children for 40. yeeres together euen all the time they were in the wildernesse as you may reade Iosh 5.5 So here againe was a dispensation for a season in a case of necessity A fourth instance shall be that of Dauids eating the Shew-bread Dauid knew that the Shewbread was to be eaten by the priest onely neuerthelesse Dauid in a case of present hunger did eate the Shewbread contrary to the Law Christ doth iustify him in it Mat. 12.3.4 so here againe is a dispensation in a case of necessity A fifth example shall be that of the Disciples plucking and rubbing eares of corne on the Sabbath day which was not lawfull to be done on the Sabbath day Neuerthelesse in a case of present necessity they did plucke and also rubb the eares of corne which was else vnlawfull to be done and Christ iustisied it so here againe you see a dispensation in some case By all which instances it is more then manifest that exceptiones and dispensationes from something commanded may be in some cases These instances doe put an answer into our mouths against them who cry out saying since you know it are perswaded that Saturday is the Sabbath why keepe you it not c I answer Dauid knew it to be his office to slay the murtherer and Dauid knew that he should not eate Shewbread now tell me why Dauid the rest did not doe what they knew And so much for the former question and now I come vnto the latter SECT III. In this Section I shall come more particularly to the point in hand here I shall shew you that in a case of necessity such as know that the Sabbath day is still in force may neglect it for a season vntill the time of reformation so be they giue God for it an other day in the meane while by way of a change And this J shall proue vnto you by two arguments The former is this that the Sabbath day may be changed in a case of necessity because it may be neglected or profaned in a case of necessity And thus I frame it ARGVM J. That which may be neglected in a case of necessity that may be changed in a case of necessity But the Sabbath day may be neglected in a case of necessity Therefore the Sabbath day may be changed in a case of necessitie By changing the Sabbath day I meane nothing else but this that we giue God the Sunday in steade of the Saturday for a season the 8 day for the 7th or to keepe the Lords day with our Church for a season in the roome of the Sabbath day like as if a King should prorogue his Coronation day and by reason of the plague or other necessity should keepe its solemnity on an other day then the accustomed day So I come to the profe of the Major or first proposition but I may spare labour it is cleere enough of it selfe none I thinke will deny it for it is a lesse euill or losse to God if I may so speake to chang a day with him then to take a day from him or neglect a day like as it is a lesse losse to a man to chang a shilling with him in a case of necessity though it be a light clypt shilling for an heauy waity one then it is to take a shilling from him or then it is to neglect to paye him a shilling which I owe him But happily some may obiect that there may be no changings in Gods ordinances Wherevnto I answer that the contrary is true for whereas the Passeouer was to be in the first moneth of the yeere Leuir 23.5 The godly king Hezekiah changed the day of the Passeouer from the first moneth of the yeere vnto the second moneth of the yeere in a case of necessity as you may reade ij Chron. 30.2.3 Wherefore there may be some changes in Gods worship in some case as in a case of necessity And so much for the Major I come next to the profe of the Minor or second proposition and here I am to proue that the Sabbath day may be neglected or profaned in a case of necessity and this I proue 1. Because other dueties may be neglected omitted in a case of necessity the neglect wherof were sinnes as well as the neglect of he Sabbath day if omitted out of the case of necessity for exāple Moses might neglect to punish some kind of adultery Diuid might omit to execute Ioab for his murther The Israelites might neglect circumcisiō for a seasō Dauid might eate the shewbread in a time of hunger all which we haue inlarged in the Section before this Now the omission or neglect of all these were sinnes out of the case of necessity as well as the neglect of the Sabbath day and therefore there is the like reason of all 2. I proue it by this that our Sauiour Christ did allow his Disciples and others to neglect and profare the Sabbath day in his time in a case of necessity As for his Disciples when they profaned the Sabbath day by plucking eares of corne and by rubbing of them it being done in a case of present hunger our Sauiour iustisied them in it Mat. 12.1.2.3 c. As for others our Sauiour iustified them when they profaned the Sabbath day by moyling toyling to lift a beast out of a pit on the Sabbath day it being a case of necessity Mat. 12.11 3dly I proue it by the Testimony of all Diuines who are of iudgment that a man may profane the whole Sabbath day by hard painfull laboures if it be in a case of necessity as to quench an howse on fyer on the Sabbath day or to fly before the enemy he pursuing vs to saue our life or to resist the invasion of a forraigne enemy on the Sabbath day 4thly I proue it by this that The Sabbath was made fur man not man for the Sabbath as our Sauiour saith Mark 2.27 Now if that when man is in an exegency extremity he must rather obserue the Sabbath then prouide for his owne safety then the Sabbath should not be made for man but contrarily man should be made for the Sabbath this Christ doth expresly deny saying that man was not made for the Sabbath wherefore of the
his chang were not the very same which God specified in Numb 9.10.11 but yet they were such as might be collected by like reason whereby it appeareth that we may goe beyond the letter of the text so be we hold closse to the like reason this I haue done in fetching my argument from the passeouer day to the Sabbath day for I haue held me to like reason of them both as you haue seene And so much for proofe that the Lords day may be kept for the Sabbath day by way of A change for a season in a case of necessity But yet it remaineth that I proue now that our case in changing the Sabbath day for the Lords day is a case of necessity this being done all is firme for this therefore see the next section SECT IV. In this section I shall proue vnto you that there is a true necessity vpon vs to neglect the Sabbath day for a season and to keepe the Lords day with our Church for it and in roome of it This necessity I shall declare vnto you 1. In respect of our bodies 2. In respect of our soules 3. In respect of our brethren first of the first of these touching our bodies and in this respect I shall make necessity appeare two waies the former is this that if we keepe the 7th day or Saturday Sabbath then we shall haue but 5 daies in a weeke to prouide for our bodies and to compasse the workes of our caleings in for when we haue kept the Saturday Sabbath the Magistrate will compell vs by the lawes of the Realme to keepe the Sunday also so we shall haue but 5 daies in euery weeke or in euery 7 daies to performe the workes of our caleings in now it is of necessity that we should haue 6 daies in euery weeke ordenarily or in euery 7 daies to doe the workes of our caleings in because else God would not haue allowed man 6 daies to worke in for himselfe haue taken but one for his worship as he did in the 4th com Exod. 20.8 now since there is a necessity that we haue 6 daies ordinarily in euery weeke to follow our caleings in it is of necessity that we neglect the Sabbath day worke in it for a season vnles the Magistrate will dispense with his Lawe touching the Lords day or vntill it shall please God to incline the heart of the Magistrate to proclaime a reformation that so the Sabbath day may be kept for vnlesse the Magistrate doth one of these two we can haue but 5 daies in euery weeke for our caleings and so much for the former necessity in regard of our bodies I come now vnto the other necessity in respect of our bodies which is this if we keepe the 7th day Sabbath then we offend the Magistrate and transgresse the Lawes of the Realme herevpon will follow imprisonment of body consequently pouerty for when a man is imprisoned he must neglect his caleing meanes of maintenaÌ„ce so he shall be brought to a morsell of bread hee his wife children which depend vpon him shall come to want of things necessary now who so shall incurre these euils by keeping of the Sabbath day to him there is a necessity to neglect the Sabbath day namely the necessity of wante pouerty hunger Now least any man should maruaile that I will plead this kind of necessity of all others therefore I will strengthen it and that by the allowance of our Sauiour Christ and practise of his Disciples for you reade Mat. 12.1.2 How Christs Disciples did neglect the Sabbath day fell to plucking eares of corne to rubbing them in their hands Luk. 6.1 which workes they did on the Sabbath day to preuent a little hunger and Christ iustified this action Now if hunger was a case of necessity in Christs Disciples why should not hunger be a case of necessity in vs also and if they might worke on the Sabbath day to preuent hunger why may not we doe so too to preuent hunger and imprisonment also yea to preuent penury not in himselfe alone but in his whole family wife and children so our necessity is greater then was that of Christs Disciples The consideration of this may be vsefull to satisfy the obiectiones that rise in the minds of some saying it seemeth then you haue more minde of your belly then of God of your safety then of Gods Sabbaths but the vanity of this obiection shall appeare by this that the very same obiection beareth as strongly against Christs Disciples as against vs for may not such obiections rise in your minds also against Christs Disciples saying it seemeth you minde your bellies more then your God and you feare a little hunger more then the breach of Gods Sabbaths thus you see the weaknesse of this obiection so much for the necessity in regard of our bodies I come now vnto the necessity in regard of our soules here I shall make it appeare that to keepe the Sabbath day as things stand yet it will pine our soules And this I shall shew in two respectes the former is this you know the Sabbath day ought to be solemnised with Assemblies Leuit. 23.3 Now the benefit of company fellowship in sanctification of Gods Sabbaths is of greate vse to kindle zeale and forwardnesse in our frâ—zen heartes like as coales laid together burne more firuently I reioyced saith the Prophet Dauid when they said to me wee will goe into the house of the Lord Ps 122.1 Now such as are convinced of this trueth to beleeue that the lords Sabbaths are still in force are fewe in number as one in an house two in a Towne 3 or 4 in a Citty like the clusters that grow neerest the sunne here one and there one ripe before the rest now if these thus dispersed should keepe the Lords Sabbath continually solitarily alone it is much to be feared that their zeale wold waxe could like burning coales when scattered vpon the hearth put asunder and so their soules should languish and pine away as it were The other respect whereby it will appeare that there is necessity to chang the Sabbath day lest the soule pine is this you know that to the sanctification of the Sabbath day is required the helpe of the Minister Luk. 4.16 Act. 15.21 To goe before the people in the duety of prayer to God to open the Scriptures feeding them with the bread of life diuiding the word of God a right now because the lawes of our kingdome will not permit priuate Conuenticles because there cannot be a Minister in euery family therefore if we keepe the Lords Sabbaths as things stand now then wee must keepe them without that ordinance of Gods Ministry so our soules should languish pine away for lacke of the daily breade the heauenly food of our soules for we should be depriued of our Sabbath dayes bread and want the