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religion_n	church_n	doctrine_n	england_n	6,989	5	6.3346	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A14653	The doctrine of the Sabbath Wherein the first institution of the vveekly Sabbath, with the time thereof, the nature of the law binding man to keep it, the true ground, and necessity of the first institution, and of the observation of it, on the severall day in the Old Testament, and also of the moving of it to the first day under the Gospel, are laid open and proved out of the Holy Scriptures. Also besides the speciall dueties necessarily required for the due sanctification thereof, those two profitable points are proved by demonstrations out of Gods Word. First, that the Lord Christ God and man, is the Lord of the Sabbath, on whom the Sabbath was first founded...2. That the faithfull under the Gospell are as necessarily bound to keep the weekly Sabbath of the Lords day... Deliverd in divers sermons by George Walker B. of Divinity and pastor of St. Iohn Evangelists Church in London.	Walker, George, 1581?-1651.	1638 (1638)	STC 24957; ESTC S103296	151,861	168

the weeke And in honour of the resurrection of Christ on that day hath from the time of the Apostles agreed to keepe that day for the Lords day not out of any opinion that God hath blessed sanctified it aboue all other daies of the weeke but onely for good orders sake and that it is lawfull for Gods people after publick exercises of religion and some needfull rest and refreshing to use necessarie laboures and bodily recreations which in themselves are not sinfull and unlawfull neither do hinder publick duties of religion and of Gods worship But on the contrarie it is the common doctrine of the most godly and learned in the Church of England ever since the reform●●ion of religion held maintained taught that although Christians are by Christ freed from the observation of the seventh day which was the Sabbath of the old Testament and from that servile bondage and rigorous rest which the law litterally and carnally vnderstood did impose on them or rather they by their carnal exposition wresting of the law did impose on themselves as not kindling of a fire nor liberty to heal the sick nor to do any worke of charitie and necessity on the S●bbath day which could not without danger be deferred Yet they are bound by the law which was first giuen here in my text and after by Moses and the Prophets to keepe in everie weeke an holy rest and that on the first day which is the Lords day because God hath blessed it with a blessing aboue all other daies even by exhibiting Christ a perfect redeemer in his resurrection and hath thereby consecrated that day to be his holie sabbath And that all bodilie laboures sports and recreations and all worldly negociation are by Gods law strictly prohibited now under the Gospell as they were in the daies of the Patriarches and Prophets and under the law Because indeed and in truth they crosse the holie purpose of God which he hath manifested in his law and are impediments of those holy exercises which are required in the sanctification of his holie day This doctrine and practise I hold to be the best and this we are all bound to receiue and imbrace and to cleaue vnto it not onely because it is the Doctrine of our Mother Church commended to us in the book of homilies established by divets lawes statutes and constitutions still in force but also because it is most consonant to the sacred Scriptures the precepts and practise of the Apostles and to the common Doctrine of the purest and most holy Orthoxe of the auncient fathers in the Primitiue times and ages next succeeding after the Apostles as by Gods assistance as J shall make cleare and manifest In the justifying proving of this Doctrine and in laying open the speciall duties of Christians which concerne rest and cessation from all worldly negociation and bodilie laboures on the Lords daie which is the Christian Sabbath I will shew First of all That rest and c●ssation from all bodilie laboures about the worldlie businesse and from all servile and and earthlie workes which concerne this fraile life is a necessarie dutie which God requires by his law of all Christians on the Lords daie which is their Holie weeklie Sabbath vnder the Gospell 2. That Gods law rightlie understood doth in respect of rest from worldly cares and all bodily workes and pleasures as strictly binde us vnder the Gospell on the Lords day as it bound the fathers upon their seventh day in the old Testament 3. I will shew how far Gods word law doth allow of bodily exercises which concerne this life and how farre in such exercises we may goe with good warrant upon the Lords holy Sabbath and what exercises are condemned in the word of God CHAP. 19. FOR the full proofe of the first point there are many strong and invincible arguments grounded vpon the word and law of God upon the generall consent of Orthodox divines both auncient and moderne even upon the confession of them who in this point much differ and seeme to deny that the Lords day either is or ought to be called a Sab. The first Argument is drawn from the words of the law which forbids all workes to be done on the Sabbath day either by man himselfe or his children servants or cattell as Exod. 20 10. Deut. 5.14 where it is said In it thou sh●lt not do any worke thou nor thy son nor thy servant nor thy cattell Exod. 35.2 Leuit. 23.7 Yee shall do no servile work● therein whosoeve● doth any work therin shall be put to death The reasons why the Lord requires rest from all servile worke on the Sabbath day are two First because he who is the Lord our God and our Redeemer hath on that day rested from his worke and him we ought to imitate if we will enter into his rest Secondly because he hath blessed the day which is his Sabbath aboue all daies of the weeke and wheresoever the causes and reasons stand firme there the law is still in force Now this law of the Sabbath doth reach to the Lords day As J haue proved before the reasō vpon which it requirs rest frō se●vile works are much more to be found in the Lords day which is the Christian Sab then in the Old Sabbath of the seventh day For in it Christ who is God ouer all blessed for ever and who is our Redeemer from a greater then Egyptian bondage even the slauery of sinne death and hell and the Divell hath rested from the great worke of redemption as God the Creatour did one the seventh day from the worke of creation And this day is now by Christs resurrection in which Christ perfected mans redemption blessed with a blessing farre more excellent then any wherewith God blessed the seventh day Therfore this is the Sabbath now under the Gospell in it God requirs of us by his law a rest total cessatiō frō al servile works Secondly whatsoever day is the Lords holy day a day of holy convocations assemblies that is a Sab of rest frō al servile works worldly busines this is manifest Exod. 12.16 31.15 35.2 Leuit. 32.3 7 which places do plainly shew that every day which is holy to the Lord and a day of holy assemblies is a Sab of rest no worke may be done therin And so likewise in all the law the Prophets every day which is a day of holy convocation an holy day is called a Sab day of rest from our own works pleasures every Sab is called the Lords holy day for these two are termini convertibiles termes which may be naturally affi●med one of another as apeares Neh. 9 14 Isa 58 13 Now the Lords day in the time of the Gospell is the chiefe of all holy dayes among Christians It was sanctified observed by the Apostles for their day of holy assemblies from the first publishing

observation and service as is of use onely in and under Christ and mainly tends to lead men to salvation in him Sixtly if we consider the necessity of resting one whole day in every weeke from all our worldly affaires First that with one consent the Church and congregation of Gods people may all generally meet together in their set places of holie assemblies to heare and learne the Doctrine of saluation and word of life and to honour God with publick holy worship and service and with joynt prayers to call upon him in the name and mediation of Christ for all blessings Secondly that every man may instruct his family in private also at home and by constant exercising of them a whole day together in religious duties every weeke may make them to grow and increase in grace and religion and in knowledge and skill to order and direct all their weeke dayes labours to Gods glory their owne salvation and the comfort and profit of their Christian Brethren Without which religious observation once every weeke at the least especially upon the particular day of the week which God hath blessed with the most memorable work belonging to mans redemption it is not possible for people to be well ordered in a Christian Church nor Gods holy worship to bee either generally known or publickly practised nor the vulgar sorts of Christians to bee brought to the knowledge and profession and practise of true religion neceessary to salvation These things I say considered we must necessarily grant that the law of the Sabbath is an Evangellicall universall and perpetuall law such as the commandements of beleeving in Christ repenting from dead workes reforming of our lives worshipping and invocating of God in the name mediation of Christ and by the motion direction of his holy spirit all which Commandements binde all Gods people of all churches and ages from the first day wherein Christ was promised in one measure or other So that without obedience in some degree vnto these Evangellicall lawes it is not possible for any man to be and to continue a true child of God and to attaine salvation in and by Christ. And this law thus farre and in these respects cōsidered can no more be abrogated and abolished then Gods covenant of Redemption of salvation made with mankinde in Christ. But all mankinde even every one who seekes salvation in Christ is at all times in all ages bound to obserue this law of sanctifying a seventh day in every weeke and of resting from all worldly affaires that they may serve and vvorship and seeke God in Christ. Lastly if we consider the Lords Sabbath as it is a significatiue éven a signe to us of the eternall Sabbath in Heaven and as it is in respect of the particular day of the weeke and some ceremoniall worship used in it chaungable and mutable according to the chaunges and motions of Christ the foundation and Lord of it and according to the seuerall estates of Gods Church and Gods seuerall dispensations of the misteries of salvation and severall waies of reuealing Christ in the old Testamēt and before and after the comming of Christ in the flesh We must of necessity confesse that the law of the Sabbath is in these respects a Ceremoniall law commanding things which are temporary and mutable and fitted for some times and seasons onely First as it commanded the seventh day of the week to be kept holy as the most holy day because therein Christ was promised to be the redeemer of the world and God rested in his creation and perfected the creation by bringing in redemption which was the greatest blessing of the old Testament And as it required hallowing of the day by sacrifices and other outward service and worship which were tipes and figures of Christ to come and by preaching and rehearsing the promises of Christ out of the lavv and Prophets beleeving in the Saviour in heaven Soe it was a ceremoniall and temporary lavv and did stand in force and binde all Gods people to the obseruation of the last day of the weeke all the time of the old Testament vntill Christ vvas fully exhibited a perfect Redeemer in his resurrection And it vvas not in the povver of the Church to chaunge the Sabbath to any other day of the weeke that power rested in Christ the foundation and Lord of the sabbath It also bound the faithfull of these times to the ceremoniall ●●nctification and to that tipicall seruice vnhich looked towardes Christ to come as well as to the seventh day onely and no other during ●hat nonnage of of the Church Secondly as the law of the Sabbath which requires that day to bee kept for an Holy rest in which God hath revealed the greatest blessing so hath blessed it aboue all other dayes of the weeke doth now ever since the perfecting of the worke of redemption in Christs resurrrection binde all Gods people to keepe for their Sabbath the first day of the weeke which by Christs victory over death obtained fully in that very day became the most blessed day aboue the seventh day and all other daies of the weeke And as under the name of hallowing keeping holy the Lords Sabbath it enioines such worship as God requires of his Church in her full age more perfect estate to weet spiritual sacrifices of praise thanksgiving preaching teaching faith in Christ crucified fully exhibited aperfect redeemer praying vnto God in the name mediation of Christ seeking accesse vnto the father in him by one spirit And as this law imposeth this holy weekly Sabbath to be a pledg to the faithfull of that Sabbathisme of eternall rest in heaven which remaineth for the people of Gods as the Apostle testifieth Heb. 4.9 So this law is like the commandements of Baptisme the Lords supper It is ceremoniall commanding such duties to be performed such a day to be obserued as are fitted to the time season of the Gospel yet it is so ceremoniall as that it is also perpetuall binding all Christians during the season time of the Church during the time in the new Testament under the Gospel that is perpetually to the end of the world vntill we come to the eternall rest in heaven And as there shal be no chaunges in Christ nor of the state of the Church vntill Christ shall come in glory to receive us into that eternall rest So there shal be no chaunge of the Sabbath to any other day of the weeke neither hath the Church or any other whatsoever any power to alter either the day or the sanctification obseruation of it no more then to bring in such an other Chaunge in Christ and such an alteration of the estate of the Church as that was from Christ promised and obscurely revealed in the old testament to Christ fully exhibited CHAP. 12. NOW hauing discouered the severall kindes of lawes and commandements which God hath giuen to

Churches of Galatia 1 Cor. 16.1.2 to weet that they should observe the first day of the week and in their Holy assemblies on that day offer up pleasing Sabbath sacrifices that is do good distribute to the necessities of the saints with which sacrifices God is well pleased Heb. 13.16 Therefore vndoubtedly it is the ordinance and commandement of Christ which the Apostle receiued from him That the first day of the weeke should be the Holy Sabbath and the day of weekly Holy assemblies to all Christians The 8. argument is drawn from the blessing of stability wherwith God hath blessed the Sabbath of the first day the joy and comfort great benefit which most godly religious christians finde in it and the tediousnes of it to carnall people the loathsomnesse of it to all such as are opposites to Christ and from his grace This is most true which graue and learned Gamaliell gaue in the counsell of the high priests and elders of the Iewes That which is of men and not an ordinance of God if it concerne religion it will come to nought it cannot continue in force nor prosper any long time Act. 5.38 And surely if the Christian Sabbath keeping holy of the first day of the weeke were an invention of men and not the ordinance of the the Lord Christ it could not prevaile and stand in force in all Christian Churches and in all ages by an uniforme consent without interruption The most godly zealous and religious Christians would find no solid joy and comfort in it nor any blessing from God in their religious obseruation of it And the world of carnall men who hate Christ his ordinances would not be so opposite to it as to hate and loath it For the world loveth her own But all carnall worldlings and profane persons do so hate it as they hate Christ and it is loathsome and tedious to them notwithstanding many and great oppositions of profane persons Yet we see it stands firme in all ages since the Apostles and in all Christian Churches None but Heretiques haue rejected it all godly Christians finde solid joy abudance of blessings in the strictest observation of it Therefore it is most certainly no humane invention but Christs ordinance It is he who hath made the first day of the weeke his owne Holy day and our weekly Sabbath The Ninth Arg. is drawn from the manifestatiō of Gods wrath against the open profaners of the Lords day and from the great fearefull judgments which God hath in former ages doth still execute on the dispicers polluters of the christiā Sabbath It is certain that the Lord doth not cut of or consum mē in wrath but for some notable scandalous sinnes transgressions against some expresse law commandement hee makes no men examples of vengance by sudden and fearfull d●struction and notable plagues but for some notable sinne all notable sinnes are transgressions of Gods law comitted against his revealed will word Now as the Histories of all ages do afford many examples of fearefull judgments suddenly executed inflicted on wilfull profaners of the Lords day in former times So I could rehearse and relate aboue 30. examples of Gods vengance which he hath shewed openly in this land within the space of two yeares upon such as haue shewed open contempt of this Christian sabbath some of whith hee hath sticken with sudden death by his mediate hand others he hath devoured with waters and some he hath cut of by surfets which they got in dauncing drinking on the Lords day and sōe he hath fired out of their houses in the middest of their drinking jollity consumed al their substance And these judgments haue suddenly unexpectedly befallen them in the very act of their transgression while they were in the midst of their actions very busie about their owne workes sports pleasure And these things are as cleare as the light and manifest to our eyes outward sences that God is most severe against the profanation of this day and that it is apparent that his sonne Christ made this day his Holy Sabbath and commands all men to keep it Lastly we haue clear testimonies both from the Apostles them selves that the day wherin Christians keepe their Sabbath even the first day of the week is the Lords peculiar day Revel 1.10 And also from all the most auncient fathers and learned Christian writers which succeeded the Apostles in the next ensuing ages that the Lord Christ changed the Holy Sabbath to this day consecrated it by his resurrection that all Christian Churches from the time of the Apostles kept their holy rest in it devoted it to publick exercises of religion and of Gods worship counted it the Queene of daies the supreme Lady princesse worthy to be observed sanctified with Sababaticall solemnities Ignatius cals it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epist ad magnesios Justin Martyr 2. Apol. pag. 77. discribes the observation of it in his times and tels us that Christians spent it in reading preaching prayer administration of the Sacraments offering of almes other publick worship of God in their publick assemblies besides priuate exercises of religion Tertullian also acknowledgeth this first daies sabbath none other lib. adversus Gent. p. 41. 155. Eusebius lib. 4. Eccles. Histor. cap. 22. brings in the profession of Dionysius Corinthius who saith thus This day we kept holy the Lords day St. Austen in his 119. Epistle and in the 22. booke De Civit Dei Cap. 30 serm de verbis Apostoli 15. And many other which it would be a tedious thing here to reherse especially seeing J haue before mentioned diuers of their testimonies which tend to this purpose and shall produce some also hereafter Now upon all these arguments laid togither J hope wee may boldly and confidently conclude against all both Iewish Sabbatarians who retaine the old abolished Sabbath of the seventh day and also vnchristian Antisabbatarians who deny the Lords day to bee the Sabbath vnder the Gospell which Gods people by Gods law and Christs appointment are enjoyned to keepe Holy to the Lord. And that this Sabbath of the Lords day cannot bee chaunged but must stand firme and be still in force among all Gods people vntill the end of the world and the last resurrection I will briefly demonstrate shew by two plaine reasons which I hope none will deny and thus I frame them The first is grounded on Christs wordes Mark 2. vers 28. thus I frame it That which hath Christ as hee is become the Sonne of man Lord of it must needs exist and haue a being under him as he is the sonne of man that is in the time of the Gospell The Sabbath hath Christ the sonne of man Lord of it Mark 2.28 Therefore it continues in being under Christ. Whatsoever ordinance of God is given to his People to bee unto

seuenth day Yet the Apostle calls it a shaddow onlie in respect of the particular day of the promise of Christ which day is a bolished giues place to the first day in which the promise was fullie performed and Christ became a perfect Redeemer actuallie in his resurrection The Anti-Sabbatarians haue onely two objections which haue some shew and coulour of reason at the first hearing The first is that if it had beene the minde and will of Christ that the weekly Sabbath should be continued and remoued to the Lords day vnder the Gospell then would he either by himselfe or by his Apostles haue giuen some expresse commandement to that purpose which they say he did not To this I answere First that our Saviour spake fully to this point when he said that he came not to destroy but to fulfill the law It remaines therefore on their part to shew that the Commandement of the Sabbath is no part of the morall law or else they do but beate the aire and labour in vaine Secondlie the Apostles themselves kept their holy assembles ordained in all Churches of the beleeving Gentiles that publick assemblies should be kept and exercises of the holy Sabbath perfomed ordinarily on the first day of the weeke as I haue before proved from Act 20. 1 Cor. 16.1 2. And whatsoever they ordained was the comma●dement of che Lord 1 Cor. 14. vers 27. Thirdlie while the first temple was yet standing in the daies of the Apostles and Moses was not yet buried and quite taken out of the way Jt was not convenient that the Apostles should chaunge the day of the Sabbath among the beleeving Iewes Yea they themselves in Iudea and all places among the Iewes kept the seventh daie among the Gentiles the Lords daie We never read that the Lords day was called a Sabbath in the Primitiue times next after the Apostles nor since by any but onely by Iewish Sabbatarians Howsoever these adversaries put on a bold impudent face to colour and countenance this objection Yet herein publish a manifest untruth For Igna●ius immediatly after the Apostles saith That the Christians must keep their holy sabbath not after the man̄er of the profane Iews of those times with excessiue feasting dauncing and such carnall sports and pleasures nor on their seventh day But on the Lords day the day of Christs resurrection which he calls the Queene and supeeme Lady of daies as I haue formerlie shewed Saint Hilary saith Nos in prima die perfecti Sabbathi festiuitate latae mur. i.e. We Christians rejoyce in the festiuity of our perfect Sabbath on the first day of the weeke St. Augustine in the 25. sermon de tempore Hauing rehearsed diuers notable blessings and prero●atiues which God of old honoured the first day of the weeke the Lords day doth there affirme that upon those grounds the holy Doctors of the C●urch to weet the Apostles Who were taught by Christ and inspired by the holy Ghost in all things which they decreed and ordained haue by their decree remoued or rather transferred all the glory of the Iewish sabbathisme vnto the Lords day And immediatly he adds this exhortation Let us Christians therefore obserue the Lord day and let us sanctifie it so as of old the Law giver commanded the fathers concerning the Sabbath saying From evening to evening shall ye celebrate the Sabbath And further he saith that if wee from the evening of the Iewes sabbath the satturday to the evening of the Lords day sequester our selves from all Rurall workes and all seculiar busines and devote our selves onely to Gods worship then we rightly sanctifie the Lords sabbath according ●he wordes of the law Yee shall not doe any worke in it Also Psalm 32. He affirmes that keeping of the Sabbath is one of the things which belong to the loue of God and thus he exhorts every true Christian. Observa diem sabbati non Carnaliter non Judaicis delicijs c. that is observe the day of the sabbath not carnally with Iudiciall delicacies for they abuse their rest and rest to naughtinesse for indeede it is better that men should digge all the day then daunce as they doe But doe thou meditate on the rest in God and doing all things for obtaining that rest abstaine from servile worke And in his 3. Tract at vpon Iohn He saith We are more strictly commanded to keepe the Sabbath then the Iewes For we are injoyned to keepe it spiritually Jewes keepe it carnally in luxury and drunkennes and it were far better that their women should be busied in working all the day in woll then dance The true Christian keepes the Sabbath spiritually by refraining from servile worke These and diuers other testimonies of the Auncients shew ●ufficiently the falshode and vanity of this Objection And that in the judgment of the most godly and learned fathers the law of God bindeth us to keepe the Sabbath holy on the Lords day weekly It is true that some part of the sevēth day was by reason of great multitudes of Iewes abounding in all countries soe frequent and soe commonly known called by the name of the Sabbath that name was so proper to the Saturday in those times that if any had called the Lords day by that name his wordes would bee understood by the hearers of the Iewes Sabbath except ●e had expounded his meaning as those fathers before named do in their speeches b●f●re mentioned And againe the Iewes were soe superstitious in observing their Sabbath ●o contrarie to the Christian sanctifying of the Lords day even with feasting dauncing and profane pomp that the name of Sabbath through their abuse of it grew distastfull to godly Christians even as in our time the old name Catholike by reason of the Antichristian Papists falsly vsurping and approbria●ing it to their Apostaticall Church and false religion is growne to haue an ill sound in the eares of reformed Christians And therefore t●e Auncients were very sparing in calling the name of the Sabbath and seldome did they call the holy weeklie rest of Christians by that name except onlie in case when they opposed it to the Jewish sabbath and preferred it farre before their carnall observation But wheras in this Objection the aspersion and reproachfull name of Iewish Sabbatarians is laid on all them who call the Lords day the Cbristian Sabbath and urge the sanctification of it by the law of God This is a point of such notable impudency and intemperancie that it deserues the scourge whip of Ecclesiasticall censure punishment to chastise and correct rather then any arguments of reason or divinity to convince such Raylors For in the Homilies which are comprehended and commanded in the Articles of our Religion by law established the Lords day is frequently stiled by the name of Sabbath even no lesse then eight times in one Homily which treateth of the time place of praier And both there and in the

and therupon sanctified it And because from Adam untill Noah Christ was promised to be the seed of the woman And then he was promised to come of the seed of Shem afterwards Abraham was singled out of Shems family Christ the blessed seed was promised more specially to come of his seed even of Isaak the sonne of promise of Iacob Isaaks younger sonne And of all the tribes of Jsraell Judah was nominated And of all the families of Iudah Davids house was chosen David received the promise that he should be the progenitor of Christ. And all the Prophets in all ages in their Prophesies of Christ foretold that he should be made of the seed of David according to the flesh Therefore the fathers from Adam untill Noah and after him untill Abraham Isaak Iacob their seed posterity in their severall families still made a commemoration of Christ promised to come of them in all their weekly Sabbaths And when God had enlarged his Church in all the Tribes of Israel had by Moses recorded the promise of Christ that he should be the seed of Abrahā c. after the Prophets had foretold that the Messiah was to come of Davids royal seed then they were all bound to preach Christ. and to commemorate the promise of him after a most solemn manner to their publick ●ssemblies on every Sabbath day And this was a prime duty and speciall worke of their sanctification of that day As we reade Luk. 16.29 Act. 15.21 The second speciall duty was offering of Sabbath sacrifices which were types and shaddowes of Christ and of red●mption and reconcilia●ion of men vnto God in him For as they did more solemnly rehearse the promises of Christ so also they did offer more solemne sacrifices in a double measure both morning and evening everie Sabbath day this God commanded by Moses to Israell Num. 28.9 And vndoubtedly Caine and Abell being instructed by Adam did bring their ●fferings on the seventh day which ended the weeke Gen. 4.3 And Noah his pleasing sacrifice was a sweet savour of rest that is a Sabbath sac●ifice Gen. 8.21 As J haue largely before proved The third speciall dutie was an holie assembly or holie convoca●ion which they were commanded to keepe on all other yearly festivall Sabbaths so every weekly Sabbath day as we reade L●vit ●3 38 For although while the Church people of God were but a small number and despersed in severall places and families as in the familie of Melchisedek and Abraham and Lot and afterwards in the family of I●b and of the sonnes of Abraham and Iacob before that Israell grew vp to be a nation there were few publicke holy assemblies kept either on the Sabbath or vpon any other occasion The Godly fathers did onelie call togither their houshould and families by themselves and did commaund and teach them to keepe the way of the Lord and to remember this Covenant as is testified particularly of Abraham Gen. 18.19 and in another place Where he is said to build altars and there to worshippe God As Gen. 12.7 13.4 as also it is said of Job c. 1.5 That he rose up early and sanctified his seven sonnes and offered vp burnt offerings according to the number of them Yet it is manifest that whensoever in any age there was a great increase of Gods people and an enlargment of his Church ouer a whole nation and countrie the Sabbath was by Gods appointment sanctified with holy assemblies After the birth of Enosh when the family of Seth began to increase and multiply it is said that men began then to call upon the name of the Lord. Or as some not unfittly doe translate the words then they began to call men by the name of the Lord that is Adam and his sonnes especially Seth his Children began to separate themselves from the wicked and profane people of Caines race and being gathered into a Church were called the children of God Gods people and did assemble themselues togither in set places and at set times every Sabbath day to worshippe God and to call upon his name as appeares in the Four●h Chapter of Gen. ver 26. Thus Luther and Iunius expound that place as the words will uery well beare this exposition so also both Scrip●ure reason confirme it For Gen. 6.2 The people of God who were gathered into the Church professed pure Religion in their assemblies are called by the name of God even the sons of God and by this title are distinguished from the wicked and profane who are called the sonnes of Adam that is carnall earthly corrupt men Secondly it is manifest that Abell long before Seth and Enosh did worshippe God and call upon his name and so undoubtedly did Adam and Seth before this time in their priuate families and therefore here cannot bee meant the first begining of mens calling upon Gods name and worshipping him but certainly the first beginning of Gods worship in publick assemblies of the Church in set places and at set times even everie Sabbath day As for them who translate this place that when Enosh was born men began to profane the name of the Lord they make way for diuers absurdities First that calling upon Gods name is profanation of it Secondly that profanation began in the family of Seth or at the least by the increase of his posterity Thirdly that there was no profanation of Gods name committed by Caine and bloody Lamech before this time contrary to that which is recorded before in this Chapter ver 8. 24. Where Lamech is brought in skorning of Gods threatnings And as we haue some monuments of antiquity which shew that holie assemblies were observed as religious duties of the holy Sabbath from the beginning So after that Israell became a nation and God set up his Church and tabernacle among them we haue most cleare and expresse commandements of God given by Moses to them and all their posterity that they should do no servile worke as appeares Levit 23.3.7.8 Num. 28 18 29.1 Deut. 16.8 And that the Priests and Levites toge●her with the people assemble together in the Temple on the Sabbath day it is recorded 2 King 11.5 2 Cron. 23.8 But I need not insist vpon further proofe of this point For everie man of reason must needes confesse that no publick holy Sabbath duties can be performed but in publick assemblies The Fourth speciall duty of the Sabbath unto which Gods people under the law were bound after the time of the law written by Moses and the publishing of the promises in the Scriptures of the Prophe●s was the publick reading and expounding of the law the Prophets by the Priests and publick teachers and reverent hearing of them by the people This is manifest by the places before named to proue asolemne rehearsall of the promise to weet Luk. 16.29 Ast 15 21. And that on the Sabbath day For as those Scriptures do