by the major for as much as the gathering together of persons old and young ... on the lord's day ... when they should be exercised publicly or privately in the duties of religion ... city of london (england). this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a49056 of text r39654 in the english short title catalog (wing l2883b). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. 2 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 1 1-bit group-iv tiff page image. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo 2017 a49056 wing l2883b estc r39654 18460929 ocm 18460929 107738 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a49056) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 107738) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 1638:11) by the major for as much as the gathering together of persons old and young ... on the lord's day ... when they should be exercised publicly or privately in the duties of religion ... city of london (england). 1 broadside. printed by richard cotes ..., [london] : 1649. second part of title taken from first eight lines of text. "dated at london, the 14th aprill, 1649." order for better observance of lord's day. place of publication suggested by wing. reproduction of original in the guildhall, london. eng sabbath legislation -england. great britain -religion -17th century. london (england) -history -17th century. a49056 r39654 (wing l2883b). civilwar no by the major for as much as the gathering together of persons old and young ... on the lord's day ... when they should be exercised publicly corporation of london 1649 328 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 a this text has no known defects that were recorded as gap elements at the time of transcription. 2007-12 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2008-01 spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images 2008-02 elspeth healey sampled and proofread 2008-02 elspeth healey text and markup reviewed and edited 2008-09 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion by the major . for as much as the gathering together of persons old and young , upon the exchange , and into the fields for sports and recreations , into victualling-houses , and taverns upon the lords-day , and fast-days ; mispending their time there , when they should be exercised publickly or privately in the duties of religion . and for as much as the setting open of shops , and selling of vvine , beer , ale , flesh , fish , fruit , and other victual upon those days , and receiving and entertaining of persons upon those days to drink and tiple , tend very much to the dishonor of god , the encrease and spreading of prophanenesse , the scandall of godly and religious men , and the government of this city . the right honorable the lord maior therefore doth require all persons of what nation or quality soever , to forbear to walk or gather together upon the exchange , or into the fields , for sports and recreations ; or into victualling-houses , or taverns , or to set open any shop , or house , for vending or putting to sale any vvine , ale , beer , or other victuall or commodity whatsoever , upon the said days , except in case of necessity : and all parents and masters of families , to command their children and servants to forbear accordingly : and all constables and other officers to search for , and apprehend such persons as transgresse in any of the aforesaid particulars , and to bring them before his lordship , or some other iustices of the peace , to the intent that they may be proceeded against ; according to the laws in those cases provided . dated at london , the 14th . aprill , 1649 . printed by richard cotes , printer to the honorable city of london , 1649. an epistle to all such as observe the seventh-day of the week for a sabbath to the lord. penington, isaac, 1616-1679. this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a90390 of text r229116 in the english short title catalog (wing p1164). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. 9 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 1 1-bit group-iv tiff page image. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo 2017 a90390 wing p1164 estc r229116 45789370 ocm 45789370 172681 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a90390) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 172681) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 2645:13) an epistle to all such as observe the seventh-day of the week for a sabbath to the lord. penington, isaac, 1616-1679. 1 sheet ([1] p.) printed for robert wilson, [london : 1660] signed: isaac pennington the younger. imprint information suggested by wing. reproduction of original in: friends' library (london, england). eng society of friends -england -pastoral letters and charges. sabbath. broadsides -england -17th century. a90390 r229116 (wing p1164). civilwar no an epistle to all such as observe the seventh-day of the week for a sabbath to the lord. penington, isaac 1660 1783 1 0 0 0 0 0 6 b the rate of 6 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the b category of texts with fewer than 10 defects per 10,000 words. 2007-07 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2007-07 aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images 2007-08 jonathan blaney sampled and proofread 2007-08 jonathan blaney text and markup reviewed and edited 2008-02 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion an epistle to all such as observe the seventh-day of the week for a sabbath to the lord . friends , in true love to your souls , and in the fear of the lord i have a few things to lay before you , that the simplicity in you may not be deceived , and yee err from the way of life , while yee may be eagerly seeking and pressing towards it : for notwithstanding that , if with the wrong eye yee be searching into scripture , ye must needs mis-read , mis-understand , and mispractice ; and so thereby will still be running further and further from god , even while yee think yee are drawing nigher towards him . be perswaded therefore seriously to consider ( out of the wisdome from which god hides , in the babish simplicity of his begetting , where the true life springs ) these few things following . 1. that the whole law of moses ( the ten words , as well as the institutions about sacrifices and worship ) was added because of transgression , gal. 3. 19. 2. that the whole law ( the ten words , as well as the sacrifices ) were representations , figures or shadows of somewhat relating to christ the seed , subservient to the promise not making perfect , but pointing to , and making way for the bringing in of the better hope , gal. 3. 21. heb. 7. 19. the law of commandements , or the ten words did no more make perfect , than the other shadows or sacrifices did , but with them made way for the better hope , towards which they were to lead their schollar or disciple as a school-master . 3. that the whole dispensation of the law was given to the jews , and not to the gentiles , rom. 9. 4. and so not any thing there written bindeth the gentiles ( as there written ) but onely the jews . god had another way of making his mind known to the gentiles , rom. 1. 19. and 2. 15. according to which he would judge them , ver. 12. and not by the law written , which was given to the jews , which spake not to the gentiles , but to the jews who were under it , rom. 3. 19. 4. that the duration of this dispensation of moses law in the letter , was till christ , the seed should come and fulfill it , gal. 3. 19. and ver. 24 , 25. moses his family with all the laws thereof , were to prepare for christ the seed , and to give way to him when he came : for when that dispensation which was figured out , is come ; then that dispensation which did figure it out , is at an end , heb. 3. 5 , 6. christ came to do the will , to keep and fulfill the whole law , and so to put an end to that dispensation of it , psal. 40. rom. 10. 4. and so he taketh away the first administration of the law , which was in the letter , that he might establish the second , which is in the spirit , heb. 10. 9. 2 cor. 3. 7 , 11. this then is the truth , as it is in jesus concerning this thing , that christ comming in the flesh , and fulfilling all the righteousnesse ( as well of the ten commandements , as of the sacrifices ) puts an end to that dispensation wholly : so that henceforth both jews and gentiles are to come to him , to hear his voice , this is my beloved son , hear him . and moses foretold , that when that prophet came , he was to be heard in all things ; whose whole ministration was but to figure out what the son was afterwards to fulfill in spirit , heb. 3. 5. who would be faithfull to give forth the entire law and substance of life to his house or family of believers , as moses was faithful to give the entire shadow to his house or family of that nation of the jews , ver. 6. so that here , in the gospell , christ being come , the new covenant and law in the spirit takes place , and not the old covenant or law in the letter . and this law is more inward , more full , more close , more spirituall , and more lasting , then the ministration of moses law to them of old time was , gal. 3. 25. &c. and it is the ministration of this law of the spirit which is not to passe away from the disciples of christ , untill all be fulfilled ; but is to remain a sword against every lust and desire of the flesh in them , untill they all with the very root of them be thereby cut down , mat. 3. 12. heb. 4. 12. mat. 5. 17 , 18. quest . but what were the ten commandements a figure or shadow of ? answ. the tables of stone were a representation or figure of the fleshly tables of the heart , wherein the new law of the covenant of life is written . the writing of the law of commandements in the tables of stone , was a figure of the writing of this new law by the finger of gods spirit in the heart . the outward writing in the outward tables , was a figure of the inward writing in the inward tables . the law it self of commandements , which was written in those tables , was a figure of the law of life which is to be written in these tables . and this law thus received , thus written , is easily fulfilled , whereas the law in the letter , because of the weaknesse of the flesh was very hard to be fulfilled , and generally proved an hand-writing of ordinances against the jews : for he that was guilty of one , was guilty of all , and so upon every transgression had the force and strength of the whole law against him . and whosoever now runs back to the law in the letter , to take up any command as held forth in it , and so making himself a debter thereto , will be found a breaker thereof in spirit , even one that hath more gods then the lord , a maker of images or liknesses of things in heaven , or things in earth , if not of both , a taker of the name in vain , a prophaner of the sabbath , &c. for he that hath not received the law of the spirit of life in christ jesus , knoweth not the lord of life to be the onely true god , but maketh images in his mind , and taketh his name in vain , not feeling the living power thereof , nor can keep his sabbath ( ceasing from sin , forbearing his own works , his own willing and running , and entring into the rest of the gospell ) for there is but one day of rest holy to the lord ; all the sabbaths of the law were but signes of it , having but a significative or representative holynesse ; but the day of redemption which the lord hath made , psal. 118. 24. ( in which his redeemed rejoyce , and rest to him ) that hath the true holynesse . this was it which came by christ , the other came by moses , joh. 1. 17. moses his family or children were to keep that day ( that was the day for the servants , who were to be exercised under the shadows ) but the believers are to keep this day in the spirit , to enter into this rest by the faith , heb. 4. and to worship the father in it , in the spirit , and in the truth , on the mountain of his holynesse , joh. 4. 23. whereof the other mountain , temple , worship , and day was but a shadow . now the sum or substance of this law of the spirit , may outwardly be signified in divers short words , as love , that comprehends the whole of it , so doth fear ; there is the whole wisdom and course of the life comprehended also : or thus , thou shalt not lust , ( thus it was administred to paul , rom. 7. ) or thou shalt keep the sabbath , or believe in the light , folow the light . the observing of any one of these in the spirit , is the keeping of the law ; for every breach of the law is out of the love ▪ out of the fear , a lust of the fleshly spirit , a transgression of the sabbath , or spirituall rest to god , out of the light , and out of the faith . but if ye will read this in the spirit , and come to the true righteousnesse of the faith , which is received in the obedience of faith , to the law of the spirit , ye must come to the word of faith , to which paul directs , rom. 10. 6. by the hearing whereof is the justification , and not by a bare believing that christs blood was shed : for it is the vertue of the blood which saves , which vertue is in the living word , and is felt and received in hearing , believing , and obeying that word , thereby bringing into unity and conformity with him both in his death , and in his resurrection and life . this is the onely way to life , be not deceived : there is not , nor ever was any other . o wait on the lord in his fear , that it may be opened to you , and that slain in you which cannot bear the straitnesse thereof , and with which there is no entring . from a friend to your eternall peace , isaac pennington the younger . certaine queries, proposed by the king, to the lords and commons commisssioners from the honourable houses of parliament, attending his majesty at holdenby, the 23 of this instant aprill, 1647. touching the celebration of the feast of easter. with an answer thereunto, given and presented to his majesty by sir james harrington knight and barronet a commissioner there. england and wales. sovereign (1625-1649 : charles i) this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a78668 of text r201458 in the english short title catalog (thomason e385_5). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. 9 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 5 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo 2017 a78668 wing c2155 thomason e385_5 estc r201458 99861962 99861962 160203 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a78668) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 160203) images scanned from microfilm: (thomason tracts ; 61:e385[5]) certaine queries, proposed by the king, to the lords and commons commisssioners from the honourable houses of parliament, attending his majesty at holdenby, the 23 of this instant aprill, 1647. touching the celebration of the feast of easter. with an answer thereunto, given and presented to his majesty by sir james harrington knight and barronet a commissioner there. england and wales. sovereign (1625-1649 : charles i) harrington, james, sir, 1607-1680. england and wales. parliament. [2], 6 p. printed for john giles, london, : aprill 27. 1647. reproduction of the original in the british library. eng charles -i, -king of england, 1600-1649 -early works to 1800. easter -early works to 1800. sabbath -early works to 1800. sunday -early works to 1800. a78668 r201458 (thomason e385_5). civilwar no certaine queries, proposed by the king,: to the lords and commons commisssioners from the honourable houses of parliament, attending his ma england and wales. sovereign 1647 1470 2 0 0 0 0 0 14 c the rate of 14 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the c category of texts with between 10 and 35 defects per 10,000 words. 2007-05 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2007-05 apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images 2007-06 mona logarbo sampled and proofread 2007-06 mona logarbo text and markup reviewed and edited 2008-02 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion certaine qveries , proposed by the king , to the lords and commons commissioners from the honourable houses of parliament , attending his majesty at holdenby , the 23 of this instant aprill , 1647. touching the celebration of the feast of easter . with an answer thereunto , given and presented to his majesty by sir james harrington knight and barronet a commissioner there . london , printed for john giles , aprill 27. 1647. i desire to be resolved of this question why the new reformers discharges the keeping of easter ? the reason for this query is , i conceive the celebration of this feast was instituted by the same authority , which changed the jewish sabboth into the lords day or sunday , for it will not be found in scripture where saturday is discharged to be kept , or turned into the sunday , wherefore it must be the churches authority that changed the one and instituted the other ; therefore my opinion is that those who will not keepe this feast , may as well returne to the observation of saturday and refuse the weekely sunday ; when any bodie can shew me that herein i am in an error i shall not be ashamed to confesse and amend it . tell when you know my minde , c. rex . may it please your majesty , i cannot but from the blessed example of our saviour ( who was in his age a new reformer of old errors , viz. the false glosses of the scribes and pharises , mat. 5. 20. ) but accompt all such reformers in our times , blessed also ; but for the keeping of easter although i know not any ordinance of parliament discharging it ; yet with submission to better judgments , i in all dutifulnesse conceive that your majesties reason upon which your queery is built , hath a great mistake even in the foundation of it , you being pleased to lay this for a ground that the change of the sabboth , and the institution of easter are by one and the same equall authority and ecclesiasticall decree , which with your majesties favour i cannot yeild to , for i humbly conceive that the change of the jewish sabboth ( the commemoration of the worke of the creation ) unto the lords day , the remembrance of that greaterwork ( the worke of redemption finished upon this day of the lords resurrection ) was by no lesse then by divine authority , because the keeping of one day in seven as a sabboth to god , was not only sanctified and set a part by gods own example in the creation , gen. 2. ver. 3. and accordingly observed by the israelites many weekes before the law was given ex. 16. ver. 23. but is one of the ten commandements delivered by gods own voyce , on mount sinay , written by his owne finger in tables of stone , commanded by himselfe to be put into the arke of the covenant , which decalogue or ten commandements , are also by our blessed saviour in his sermon upon the mount , declared to be the rule of his peoples morall obedience unto the end of the world , mat. 5. 17. and in the following part of that sermon , wherein hee vindicates the law from the corrupt glosses of the scribes and pharises ; he instances only in morall duties and morall lawes , from all which divines generally infer that the decalogue is to continue in force unto the worlds end ; and therefore it seemes most apparent that no authority that is inferior to that which appointed the seventh day from the creation to be the sabboth , could abrogate that day and appoint another day to be used instead of it , because neither the law of nature nor the holy scripture doth anywhere give the least intimation , that any humane power may change any of the commandements of god , and indeed so many absurdities would follow upon such an assertion , that i am confident your majejesty will not own it ; it remaines therefore that the change of the day must needs be the worke of christ himselfe , or of his apostles , who were divinely inspired , acts 15. 21. and to prove that it was so , viz. that by divine institution , the lords day now succeeds in the room of the jewish sabboth , i shall use no other arguments then those which i finde in learned bishop andrewes his speech in the star chamber at the censure of mr. traske ; who expresly saith , that it hath ever beene the churches doctrine that christ made an end of all sabboths by his sabboth in the grave ; and that presently the lords day came in the place of it , and that according to austens judgement , the lords day is declared to be the christian sabboth by the resurrection of jesus christ , which the said bishop not only saith , but proveth by these arguments , first because he then began the new world heb. 1. 2. by whom he made the world , the first world which ended with his buriall , the second world or new creation which began with his resurrection ; secondly because the foure evangelists say christ rose una sabbatorum , that is the first day of the weeke ; thirdly the apostles kept their holy meetings on that day , to preach and pray and celebrate the lords supper , act. 20. 7. fourthly the day is called the lords day , not onely in the apostles time , but by the apostle john himselfe , revel. 1. 10. and he further addes that this epithite ( dominicum ) in the scripture is onely applied to these two , the lords day and the lords supper , to shew that they are both to be taken alike in the scripture : fifthly he saith wee have not onely example but expresse precept for it , 1 cor. 16. 2. that upon the first day of the weeke which was the day of their assembly , then collections o● oblations should be made ; and lastly he affirmes that in all ages of the church this day was observed ; to this i may adde our saviours rest upon that day from his workes , heb. 4 ▪ 10. his often visiting his apostles during the forty daies after his resurrection , upon that day speaking of the things appertaining to the kingdome of god , act. 1. 3. now what more materiall thing was there to be declared to them then this , the change of the sabboth , and the appointing a set time for his worship , he accordingly appearing thrice upon the first day of the weeke , besides his being seen of the women , mat. 28. 9. to teach and instruct his disciples , first to the two disciples that went to emmaus , luk. 24. 15. secondly to the apostles when thomas was absent , john . 20. ver. 19. and the third time when thomas was present , iohn . 20. 26. as also observe that those wonderfull and extraordinary gifts of the holy ghost were poured out according to his promise upon the apostles and church ( then ) met together , act. 2. 1. the day of penticost being the morrow after the seaventh sabboth , to be accompted from the day of the sheafe-offering , levit. 23. 15. by all which he seemes to have honoured and set apart that day above others for his service ; lastly this being a principall institution might probably be one of those decrees ordained by the apostles as well as that concerning the sacrament , 1 cor. 11. 34. and delivered by paul to the churches in all the cities through which he passed , act. 16. ve . 4. but for the observation of easter to be an annuall festivall to christians i finde nothing in the holy scripture , and your majestie is pleased to place it only upon the churches authority ; and although i will not contend about the churches power of institution of such things as are simply indifferent , yet i suppose i may boldly assert that such things as are instituted onely by ecclesiasticall authority , having no footesteps in the scripture , may be by ecclesiasticall authority be altered and laid aside . your majesties most loyall subject and humble servant . finis . the doctrine of the sabbath· delivered in the act at oxon. anno, 1622. by dr. prideaux his majesties professour for divinity in that vniversity. and now translated into english for the benefit of the common people. prideaux, john, 1578-1650. 1634 approx. 77 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 31 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : 2003-01 (eebo-tcp phase 1). a10094 stc 20348 estc s115223 99850442 99850442 15644 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a10094) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 15644) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1475-1640 ; 1183:15) the doctrine of the sabbath· delivered in the act at oxon. anno, 1622. by dr. prideaux his majesties professour for divinity in that vniversity. and now translated into english for the benefit of the common people. prideaux, john, 1578-1650. heylyn, peter, 1600-1662. [20], 41, [3] p. printed by e[lizabeth] p[urslowe] for henry seile, and are to be sold his shop at the signe of the tygers-head. in st. pauls church-yard, london : 1634. translated by peter heylyn. printer's name from stc. the first leaf and the last leaf are blank. printer's device (mck. 310 or 311) on t.p. running title reads: of the sabbath. reproduction of the original in the henry e. huntington library and art gallery. created by converting tcp files to tei p5 using tcp2tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the 25,363 texts created during phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 january 2015. anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p5, characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng sabbath -early works to 1800. sunday -early works to 1800. 2002-08 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2002-09 spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images 2002-10 rina kor sampled and proofread 2002-10 rina kor text and markup reviewed and edited 2002-12 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the doctrine of the sabbath . delivered in the act at oxon. anno , 1622. by dr. prideavx his majesties professour for divinity in that vniversity . and now translated into english for the benefit of the common people . mark . 2.27 . the sabbath was made for man , and not man for the sabbath . london , printed by e. p. for henry seile , and are to be sold at his shop at the signe of the tygers-head ▪ in st. pauls church-yard , 1634. the preface of the translator , to the christian reader . of all the controversies which have exercised the church of christ , there is none more ancient than that of the sabbath : so ancient , that it tooke beginning even in the infancy of the church , and grew up with it . for as we read in the acts , there rose up certain of the sect of the pharises , which beleeved , saying , that it was needfull to circumcise the people , and to command them to keepe the law of moses ; whereof the sabbath was a part : which in the generall , as the apostles laboured to suppresse , in the first generall councell holden in ierusalem : so did s. paul , upon occasion of whose ministry this controversie first began , endeavour what he could against this particular . sharply reproving those which hallowed yet the iewish sabbath , and observed dayes , and moneths , and times , as if he had bestowed his labour in vaine upon them . but more particularly in his epistle to the colossians , let no man judge you in respect of an holy day , or of the new moone , or of the sabbath dayes ; which were a shadow of things to come , but the body is of christ. both which expressions of s. paul , are in this following discourse produced to this very purpose . yet notwithstanding all this care , both generally of the apostles , and more especially of s. paul , to suppresse this errour ; it grew up still , and had it's patrons and abettours . ebion and cerinthus , two of the wretchedst hereticks of the primitiue times , and after them apollinaris , are said to countenance and defend it ; which , doubtlesse made the ancient fathers declare themselves more fully in it , as a dangerous point ; which seemed to confirme the iewes in their incredulity , and might occasion others to make question of our saviours comming in the flesh . hence was it , that irenaeus , iustin martyr , tertullian and eusebius , men of renowne for learning in the primitive times ( three of the which are cited in the text of this following discourse , and the fourth quoted in the margin ) affirme for certaine , that never any of the patriarks before moses law , did observe the sabbath : which questionlesse they must have done , had that law beene morall , and dictated by nature , as now some teach us . afterwards by the opposition made by epiphanius , in his confutation of the heresies of the ebionites ; and by the resolutions of theodoret , on the 20. of ezekiel , procopius gazeus , on the second of genesis , by damascen , and our venerable bede ( which two last are here also cited , sect. the 2. ) concurring with the former fathers ; all talke and observation of the iewish sabbath vanished utterly ; and the lords day , which had from the apostles times beene instituted by the church , in the place thereof , was hallowed , without any rivall . nor doe i finde , but that all superstitious fancies about that day , were as wholly abrogated , as the day it selfe . save that saint gregory tells us , how some in rome were so superstitious in this kinde , that they would neither worke upon the saturday , no , nor so much as wash upon the sunday , but after , in the darker times , as it is thought by some , peter de bruis the founder of the petrobusians ( he was burnt for heresie anno 1126. ) began to draw too deepe on these lees of iudaisme ; which here our doctor intimates in the 7. sect. where he joynes the petrobusian with the ebionites , who indeed were iewish in this point . and possibly , from the remainders of this doctrine , fulco a french priest , and a notable hypocrite , as our king richard counted him , lighted upon a new sabbatarian speculation , which afterwards eustachius one of his associates dispersed in england : i call it new , as well i may . for whereas moses gave commandement to the iewes , that they should sanctifie one day onely of the weeke , viz. that seventh whereon god rested : they taught the people that the christian sabbath was to begin on saturday at three of the clock , and to continue till sun-rising on the munday morning : during which latitude of time , it was not lawfull to doe any kinde of worke what ever , no not so much as to bake bread on saturday for the sundayes eating ; to wash or dry linnen for the morrowes wearing . yea , they had miracles in store ▪ pretended to be wrought on such as had not yeelded to their doctrine ; thereby to countenance the superstitious , and confound the weake . and which was more than this , for the authoritie of their device , they had to shew a letter sent from god himselfe , and left prodigiously over the altar in saint simeons church in golgatha : wherein this sabbatarian dreame was imposed forsooth upon all the world , on paine of diverse plagues and terrible comminations , if it were not punctually observed . the letter is at large repeated by roger de hoveden ; and out of him , as i suppose , by matth. paris : who doe withall repeat the miracles , whereby this doctrine was confirmed . i adde no more but this , that could i either beleeve those miracles , which are there related : or saw i any now , like those , to countenance the reviving of this strange opinion ( for now it is revived and published : ) i might perhaps perswade my selfe to entertaine it . but to proceed . immediately upon the reformation of religion in these westerne parts , the controversie brake out afresh ; though in another manner than before it did . for there were some of whom calvin speakes , who would have had all daies alike , all equally to bee regarded ; ( hee meanes the anabaptists , as i take it ) and reckoned that the lords day as the church continued it , was a iewish ceremonie . affirming it to crosse the doctrine of saint paul , who in the texts before remembred , and in the 14. to the rom. did seeme to them , to crie downe all such difference of dayes and times , as the church retained . to meete which vaine and peccant humor , calvin was faine to bend his forces ; declaring how the church might lawfully retaine set times for gods solemne service , without infringing any of s. pauls commandements . but on the other side , as commonly the excesse is more exorbitant than the defect , there wanted not some others , who thought they could not honour the lords day sufficiently , unlesse they did affixe as great a sanctitie unto it , as the iewes did unto their sabbath . so that the change seemed to be onely of the day ; the superstition still remayning no lesse iewish , than before it was . these taught , as now some doe , moralem esse unius diei observationem in hebdomada , the keeping holy to the lord one day in seven , to be the morall part of the fourth commandement : which doctrine , what else is it , ( so hee proceedes , and here the doctor so repeates it in his third section ) than in contempt of the iewes to change the day , and to affixe a greater sanctitie unto the day , than those ever did ? as for himselfe , so farre was hee from favouring any such wayward fancie , that as john barclay makes report , hee had a consultation once , de transferenda solennitate dominica in feriam quintam , to alter the lords day from sunday unto thursday . how true this is i cannot say . but sure it is , that calvin tooke the lords day to be an ecclesiasticall and humane constitution onely , quem veteres in locum sabbati subrogarunt , appointed by our ancestors to supply the place of the iewish sabbath : and ( as our doctor tells us from him in his seventh section ) as alterable by the church at this present time , as first it was , when from the saturday they translated it unto the sunday . so that we see , that calvin here resolves upon three conclusions : first , that the keeping holy of one day in seven , is not the morall part of the fourth commandement : secondly , that the day was changed from the last day of the weeke unto the first , by the authoritie of the church , and not by any divine ordinance : and thirdly , that the day is yet alterable by the church , as at first it was . neither was hee the onely one that hath so determined . for , for the first , that to keepe holy one day of seven , is not the morall part of the fourth commandement , our doctor hath delivered in the third section , that not tostatus onely , but even aquinas , and with him all the schoolemen , have agreed upon it . nor was there any that opposed it in the schooles of rome , that i have met with , till catharinus tooke up armes against tostatus : affirming , but with ill successe , that the commandement of the sabbath was imposed on adam in the first cradle of the world ; there where the lord is said to blesse the seventh day and sanctifie it . which fancie , by our author is rejected , and the opinion of tostatus justified against him , though he name him not . as for the protestant schooles , besides what is affirmed by calvin , and seconded by the doctor in this following discourse ; this seemes to be the judgement of the divines of the low-countries . francisc. gomarus , one knowne sufficiently for his undertakings against arminius , published anno 1628. a little treatise about the originall of the sabbath , and therein principally canvassed these two questions : first , whether the sabbath were ordained by god , immediately on the creation of the world : the second , whether all christians are obliged by the fourth commandement , alwayes to set apart one day in seven , to gods holy worship : both which hee determines negatively . and doctor ryvet , one of the foure professors in leiden , although he differs in the first , yet in the second , which doth most concerne us christians , they agree together : affirming also jointly , that the appointing of the lords day for gods publike service , was neither done by god himselfe , nor by his apostles , but by authoritie of the church . for seconds , gomarus brings in vatablus , and wolfgangus musculus ; and ryvet voucheth the authoritie of our doctor here . for so gomarus , in the assertion and defence of the first opinion against this ryvet ; de quibus etiam cl. & doct. d. prideaux in oratione de sabbato consensionem extare , eodem judicio [ by ryvets information ] libenter intelleximus . i will adde one thing onely , which is briefely this . the hollanders , when they discovered fretum le maire , anno 1615. though they observed a most exact account of their time at sea ; yet at their comming home , they found , comparing their account with theirs in holland , that they had lost a day ; that which was sunday to the one , being munday to the other . which of necessitie must happen , as it is calculated by geographers , to those that compasse the world from west to east : as contrarie , they had got a day , had they sayled in eastward . and now what should these people doe when they were return'd ? if they must sanctifie precisely one day in seven , they must have sanctified a day apart from their other countrymen , and had a sabbath by themselves ; or to comply with others , must have broken the morall law , which must for no respects be violated . see more hereof at large in carpenters geogr. p. 237. &c. next , for the second thesis , that the alteration of the day is onely an humane and ecclesiasticall constitution , the doctor sheweth in the fifth section , the generall consent of all sorts of papists , iesuits , canonists , and schoolemen ; of some great lutherans by name ; and generally , of the remonstrant or arminian divines in their confession : whose tendries in this point , wee may conceive with reason not to be different from the doctrine of the belgick churches ; in that the foure professors of leiden , in their examination or review of that confession , have passed them over without note or opposition . to these besides , are added diverse of our owne ; & e nostris non pauci , as hee speakes it in the generall ; i. e. as i conceive his meaning , such as are neither of the lutheran nor arminian partie . of which , since hee hath instanced in none particularly , i will make bold to borrow two or three testimonies out of the tractate of gomarus , before remembred . and first he brings in bullinger , who in his comment on the first of the revelation calls it ecclesiae consuetudinem , an ecclesiasticall ordinance ; and after addes , sponte ecclesiae receperunt illam diem , &c. the church did of its owne accord agree upon that day , for wee reade not any where that it was commanded . next vrsinus , telling us that god had abrogated the iewish sabbath ; addes presently , that he left it free unto the church , alios dies eligere , to make choice of any other day to be selected for his service ; and that the church made choice of this , in honour of our saviours resurrection . zanchius affirmes the same . nullibi legimus apostolos , &c. we reade not any where ( saith he ) that the apostles did command this day to be observed in the church of god ; onely we finde what the apostles and others of the faithfull used to doe upon it , liberum ergo reliquerunt : which is an argument , that they left it wholly unto the disposition of the church . aretius , simler , dav. paraeus , and bucerus , which are all there alledged , might bee here produced , were not these sufficient ; adde hereunto the generall consent of our english prelates , the architects of our reformation in the time of king edward the sixth ; who in the act of parliament about keeping holy dayes , have determined thus , together with the rest of that grand assembly ; viz. neither is it to be thought that there is any certaine time , or definite number of dayes , prescribed in holy scripture , but that the appointment both of the time and also of the number of the dayes , is left by the authority of gods word , to the authority of christs church , to bee determined and assigned orderly in every country by the discretion of the rulers and ministers thereof , as they shall judge most expedient to the true setting forth of gods glory , and edification of the people . which preamble is not to bee understood of holy dayes , or of saints dayes onely ( whose being left the authority of the church was never questioned ) but of the lords day also : as by the body of the act doth at full appeare . last of all for the third and last conclusion , that still the church hath power to change the day , our doctor , in the seventh section , brings in bullinger , bucer , brentius , vrsinus , and chemnitius , aliisque nostris , with diverse others not named particularly , as they are ; which thinke no otherwise thereof than calvin did , and shewes by what distinction suarez , though otherwise no friend unto the men , doth defend their doctrine : now as the doctrine was , such also is the practise of those men and churches , devoyd of any the least superstitious rigour ; esteeming it to be as a day left arbitrary , and therefore open to all honest exercises and lawfull recreations ; by which the minde may be refreshed , and the spirits quickned . even in geneva it selfe , according as it is related in the inlargement of boterus by robert iohnson , all honest exercises , shooting in peeces , long-bowes , crosse-bowes , &c. are used on the sabbath day , and that both in the morning , before and after the sermon ; neither doe the ministers finde fault therewith , so that they hinder not from hearing of the word at the time appointed . dancing indeed they doe not suffer ; but this not in relation to the sunday , but the sport it selfe , which is held unlawfull , and generally forbidden in the french churches . which strictnesse , as some note , considering how the french doe delight in dancing , hath beene a great hinderance to the growth of the reformed religion in that kingdome . which being so , the judgement and the practise of so many men , and of such severall perswasions in the controverted points of the christian faith , concurring so unanimously together : the miracle is the greater , that wee in england should take up a contrary opinion , and thereby separate our selves from all that are called christian . yet so it is , i skill not how it comes to passe , but so it is , that some amongst us have revivd againe the iewish sabbath , though not the day it selfe , yet the name and thing . teaching that the commandement of sanctifying every seventh day , as in the mosaicall decalogue , is naturall , morall , and perpetuall ; that whereas all things else in the iewish church were so changed that they were cleane taken away ; this day ( meaning the sabbath ) was so changed , that it still remaineth : and lastly , that the sabbath was not any of those ceremonies which were justly abrogated at christs comming . all which positions are condemned for contrary to the articles of the church of england : as in a comment on those articles , perused and by the lawfull authority of the church allowed to bee publike , is most cleere and manifest . which doctrinals though dangerous in themselves , and different from the judgement of the ancient fathers , and of the greatest clerks of the latter times , are not yet halfe so desperate , as that which followeth thereupon , in point of practise . for these positions granted , and entertained as orthodox , what can we else expect ; but such strange paradoxes , as in consideration of the premises , have beene delivered from some pulpits in this kingdome ; as viz. that to doe any servile worke or businesse on the lords day , is as great a sinne , as to kill a man , or commit adultery ; that to throw a bowle , to make a feast , or dresse a wedding dinner on the lords day , is as great a sinne , as for a man to take a knife and cuts his childes throat ; that to ring more bells than one on the lords day , is as great a sinne as to commit murder . the author which reports them all , was present when the broacher of the last position was convented for it . and i beleeve him in the rest . the rather , since i have heard it preached in london , that the law of moses , whereby death temporall was appointed for the sabbath-breaker , was yet in force ; and that who ever did the workes of his ordinary calling on the sabbath day , was to dye therefore . and i know also , that in a towne of my acquaintance , the preachers there had brought the people to that passe , that neither baked nor rost-meat , was to bee found in all the parish for a sundayes dinner throughout the yeere . these are the ordinary fruits of such dangerous doctrines ; and against these and such as these , our author in this following treatise doth addresse himselfe , accusing them that entertaine the former doctrinalls , everywhere , of no lesse than iudaisme , and pressing them with that of austin , that they who literally understand the fourth commandement , doe not yet savour of the spirit , section the third . this when i had considered , when i had seriously observed how much these fancies were repugnant both to the tendries of this church , and judgements of all kinde of writers , and how unsafe to be admitted ; i thought i could not goe about a better worke , than to exhibite to the view of my deare countrymen this following treatise ; delivered first , and after published by the author in another language . the rather , since of late the clamour is encreased , and that there is not any thing now more frequent in some zelots mouthes , ( to use the doctors words ) than that the lords day is with us licentiously , yea sacrilegiously prophaned , section the first . to satisfie whose scruples , and give content unto their mindes , i doubt not but this following discourse will be sufficient : which for that cause i have translated faithfully , and with as good proprietie as i could : not swerving any where from the sence ; and as little as i could , from the phrase and letter . gratum opus agricolis : a worke , as i conceive it , not unsutable to the present times : wherein , besides those peccant fancies before remembred , some have so farre proceeded , as not alone to make the lords day subject to the iewish rigours ; but to bring in againe the iewish sabbath , and abrogate the lords day altogether . i will no longer detaine the reader from the benefit hee shall reape hereby : onely i will crave leave , for his greater benefit , to repeat the summe thereof ; which is briefely this : first , that the sabbath was not instituted in the first creation of the world , nor ever kept by any of the ancient patriarkes , who lived before the law of moses : therefore no morall and perpetuall precept , as the others are , sect. 2. secondly , that the sanctifying of one day in seven , is ceremoniall onely , and obliged the iewes ; not morall , to oblige us christians to the like observance , sect. 3. & 4. thirdly , that the lords day is founded onely on the authoritie of the church , guided therein by the practice of the apostles ; not on the fourth commandement , ( which he calls a scandalous doctrine , sect. 7. ) nor any other expresse authoritie in holy scripture , sect. 6. & 7. then fourthly , that the church hath still authoritie to change the day , though such authoritie be not fit to be put in practise , sect. 7. fifthly , that in the celebration of it , there is no such cessation from the workes of labour required from us , as was exacted of the iewes ; but that we lawfully may dresse meat , proportionable unto every mans estate , and doe such other things as be no hinderance to the publike service appointed for the day , sect. 8. sixtly , that on the lords day all recreations whatsoever are to be allowed , which honestly may refresh the spirits , and encrease mutuall love and neighbourhood amongst us ; and that the names whereby the iewes did use to call their festivals ( whereof the sabbath was the chiefe ) were borrowed from an hebrew word , which signifieth to dance , and to be merry , or make glad the countenance . if so : if all such recreations as encrease good neighbourhood ; then wakes , and feasts , and other meetings of that nature . if such as honestly may refresh the spirits ; then dancing , shooting , wrastling , and all other pastimes , not by law prohibited , which either exercise the body , or revive the minds . and lastly , that it appertaines to the christian magistrate to order and appoint , what pastimes are to be permitted , and what are not , ( obedience unto whose commands , is better farre than sacrifice to any of the idols of our owne inventions : ) not unto every private person , ( or as the doctors owne words are ) not unto every mans rash zeale , who out of a schismaticall stoicisme ( debarring men from lawfull pastimes ) doth incline to iudaisme , sect. 8. adde , for the close of all , how doubtingly our author speakes of the name of sabbath , which now is growne so rife amongst us , sect. 8. concerning which , take here that notable dilemma of iohn barklay , the better to incounter those who stil retaine the name , and impose the rigour : cur perro illum diem plerique sectariorum sabbatum appellaetis , &c. what is the cause ( saith hee ) that many of our sectaries call this day the sabbath ? if they observe it as a sabbath , they must observe it , because god rested on that day : and then they ought to keepe that day whereon god rested ; and not the first , as now they doe , whereon the lord began his labours . if they observe it as the day of our saviours resurrection , why doe they call it still the sabbath ; seeing especially that christ did not altogether rest that day , but valiantly overcame the powers of death ? this is the summe of all : and this is all i have to say unto thee ( good christian reader ) in this present businesse . god give thee a right understanding in all things , and a good will to doe thereafter . the doctrine of the sabbath . or , a speech , delivered in the act at oxon . at the proceeding doctors , of christ . greene . io. tolson . tho. iackson . tho. binson . io. harris . in the yeere of christ , 1622. touching the sabbath . levit . 9.30 . yee shall keepe my sabbath , and reverence my sanctuarie : i am the lord. of the sabbath . sect . i. my annuall taske ( learned and courteous auditors ) is ( as you see ) returned againe : whereto being bound ( as i may say ) like titius unto caucasus , i must of necessitie expose my selfe to so many vultures . divinitie tossed with so many stormes , and by her owne unworthily handled , hath not ( which was much feared ) as yet miscarried . behold i and the sonnes which god hath given mee . and though shee doe not glory , as before shee hath done , of a numerous issue ; yet shee is comforted with these few , whose modestie doth promise to supply that want , and hide her nakednesse . it is my office ( as you know ) according to the custome of this place , honestly to dismisse them hence , being now furnished and provided ; after all their labours . and being it is the seventh yeere , since i first attained unto this place ; and that there want not some litigious differences about the sabbath , which have of late disturbed the quiet of the church : i hope it will not seeme unseasonable , ( fathers and brethren ) to speake unto you somewhat of this argument ; and therein rather to explode their errors , who either seeme to tend , on the one side to atheisme , or on the other side to iudaisme , than any way to brand their persons . and that our following discourse may issue from the purer fountaine , we will derive it from the 19. of levit. v. 30. ( which doubtlesse , for the greater certaintie thereof , is againe repeated , cap. 26. v. 2. ) yee shall keepe my sabbaths . now for the first word sabbath , the learned in the hebrew language derive it not from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which being interpreted , is seven , but from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which signifieth to cease , leave off , or rest from labour : and seemes to have affinitie with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , to set downe , and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , to adore , and praise ; all which doe intimate unto us , as well the use of the sabbath , as the duties also of all those who are bound to keepe it . it is not my intent to lay before you such further etymologies , as either are afforded us from plutarch , and the rest of greece ; who fetch it from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , to triumph , dance , or make glad the countenance : or from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a sirname of bacchus ; or at the least , some sonne of his , in coelius rhodiginus , ( whence bacchus priests are frequently called sabbi moenades , or saliares , in ancient authors : ) nor from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which is the spleene , from the distempers of the which ( as giraldus thinkes ) the iewes , though very much thereunto inclined , were that day released : nor last of all , from any foule disease in the privie parts , by the aegyptians called sabba ; which fl. iosephus worthily derides in his second booke against appion . it is well knowne from what corrupt channell these derivations have beene drawne by the elder iewes ; who by their bacchanalian rites , gave the world just occasion to suspect , that they did consecrate their sabbath unto revels rather , than gods service . as for these sabbaths , they either were the weekely sabbaths , or those which in the scripture are called sabbaths of yeeres : and these againe , either each seventh yeere , in the which the earth lay fallow ; or every fiftieth yeere , called otherwise the yeere of iubile ; wherein each man returned againe to his owne possession , and inheritance , as the law appointed . there were at least five other meanings of this word , in holy scripture ; of which , consult hospinian in his booke de festis iudaeorum . but for the weekely sabbath mentioned in the decalogue , being it is become to many a rocke of offence ; it will not happily be unwelcome to the wavering mind , so to determine of the point , that they may have something whereupon to fasten . there is not any thing now more frequent in some zelots mouthes , than that the lords day is with us licentiously prophaned : the fourth commandement produced , and expounded literally ; as if it did as much oblige us christians , as once the iewes . and to this purpose all such texts of the old testament , which seeme to presse the rigorous keeping of that day , are alledged at once : and thereupon some men most superstitiously perswaded , neither to kindle fire in the winter time , wherewith to warme themselves ; or to dresse meat for sustentation of the poore , or such as these : which trench not more upon the bounds of christian libertie , than they doe breake the bonds of christian charitie . not so much therefore to abate their zeale , but ( if it may be done ) to direct it rather ; i shall in briefe , and as the time will give me leave , handle especially these three things about the sabbath : first , the institution ; secondly , the alteration of it ; and thirdly , the celebration of the same : that these my sonnes ( together with the rest ) may know the better , how carefully they are to walke in this doubtfull point : neyther diverting on the left hand , with the prophaner sort of people ; nor madly wandering on the right , with braine-sicke persons . sect . ii. and first , the institution of the sabbath is generally referred to god , by all who are instructed by the word of god , that hee created all things , and hath since governed the same . but touching the originall of this institution , and promulgation of the same , it is not yet agreed upon amongst the learned . some fetch the originall thereof from the beginning of the world , when god first blessed the seventh day , and sanctified it . whence well this question may be raysed , whether before the publishing of moses law , the sabbath was to be observed by the law of nature ? they which are commonly more apt to say any thing , than able afterwards to prove it ; maintaine affirmatively , that it was . for what say they , is it not all one , to blesse and sanctifie the seventh day , in the beginning of the world , as to impose it then on the posteritie of adam , to be blest and sanctified ? if all the rest of the commandements flow from the principles of nature , how is this excluded ? can wee conceive , that this onely ceremoniall law crept in , wee know not how , amongst the morals ? or that the prophet moses would have used such care in ordering the decalogue , onely to bring the church into greater troubles . adde hereunto , that torniellus thinkes it hardly credible , that enosh should apart himselfe from the sonnes of cain , to call upon the name of the lord , without some certaine and appointed time for that performance . nor were the frequent sacrifices , as calvin thinks , performed by abraham , and the other patriarkes , without relation to this day . tell mee ( say they ) who can , wherefore , before the publication of the law of moses , there fell no mannah on the seventh day ? had not the sabbath , according to gods first example , beene kept continually , from the foundations of the world. these are indeed such arguments , as make a faire flourish , but conclude nothing . tertullian , a most ancient writer , maintaines the contrarie : doceant adam sabbatizasse , aut abel hostiam deo sanctam offerentem , &c. let them ( sayth hee in a particular tract against the iewes ) assure mee , if they can , that adam ever kept the sabbath ; or abel , when hee offered unto god his accepted sacrifice , had regard thereof ; or that noah kept the same , when hee was busied in preparing of the arke , against the deluge ; or finally , that abraham in offering his sonne isaac ; or that melchisedec , in execution of his priesthood , tooke notice of it . so hee . besides , eusebius doth by this argument , maintaine the ancient patriarkes to have beene christians ( as wee are ) in very truth , though not in name ; because that neyther they nor wee observed the sabbath of the iewes , hist. lib. 1. cap. 4. and thereupon it is affirmed by iustin martyr , in his dialogue with trypho , and bede in his hexameron , that many of those former times were renowned for sanctitie , which neither kept the sabbath , or were circumcised . which also is expressely held by abulensis . it is true , that torniellus doth collect from these words of iob , where wast thou when i layed the foundations of the earth , when the morning starres sung together , and all the sonnes of god shouted for joy , iob . 38.4 , 7. that in the accomplishment of the creation , the angels did observe the sabbath . but then hee addes , that the observance of it heere upon the earth , was not till many ages after . it is true , that calvin hath affirmed , that it may probably be conjectured , that the sanctification of the sabbath was before the law. but many of our later writers are not therewith satisfied : and therefore it concernes them who maintaine the affirmative , to make it good by texts of scripture . sect . iii. for what weake proofes are they , which before were urged ; god blessed the seventh day , and sanctified it ; therefore hee then commanded it to be kept holy by his people . moses , as abulensis hath it , spake this by way of anticipation ; rather to shew the equitie of the commandement , than the originall . enosh might call upon the lord , and abraham offer sacrifice , without relation to a set and appointed time ; oftner , and seldomer , as they had occasion . and as for the not falling of the mannah on the sabbath day , this rather was a preparation to the commandement , than any promulgation of it . for put the case , that iacob on the sabbath had neglected labans flocks ; and that the israelites under pharaoh , had not made up their tale of bricks ; neyther had hee escaped a chiding , nor they the insolent furie of their task-masters . and now , according to the principles of these sabbatarians , what would you counsaile them to doe ? did they observe the sabbath ? they were sure of punishment from man : did they neglect it ? they were sure of vengeance from the lord. vnto such straits are they reduced , who would impose the sabbath , as a perpetuall law of nature , upon the consciences of their poore brethren . some men ( perhaps ) will say , that as the fathers before moses , had gods word amongst them , although not written ; and that it was committed unto writing , when as their severall families were growne into a nationall , and a setled church : even so the sabbath had a voluntarie observation , from the first benediction of the same , in private houses ; which after , when the church was growne , and released from bondage , was imposed thereon , as a commandement . suppose it so : yet still the observation of it , is founded on the fourth commandement ; which , whether it bee naturall and morall , or else ceremoniall , wee must consider more distinctly : for that a meere and perishing ceremonie should equally be ranked amongst morall duties , which are alwayes binding , seemes ( at the first sight ) not to stand with reason . therefore it is resolved on by the wiser sort , that there is in the fourth commandement something morall , and some things ceremoniall ; the circumstances ceremoniall , but the substance morall . it is , as abulensis hath it , a dictate of the law of nature , that some set time bee put apart for gods holy worship : but it is ceremoniall and legall , that this worship should bee restrained eyther to one day of seven , or the seventh day precisely from the worlds creation . a time of rest , is therefore morall ; but the set time thereof , is ceremoniall : which is confessed by those who have stood most on this commandement , and urged it even unto a probable suspition of iudaisme . aquinas also so resolves it : and ( which is seldome seene in other cases , the schooleman ( of what sect soever ) say the same . whereby wee may perceive , in what respects the fathers have sometimes pronounced it to be a ceremonie , and a shadow , and a figure onely . three things hath calvin noted in it , of perpetuall observation : first , rest from labour at some certaine and appointed time , that god the better may worke in us : secondly , holding of publike meetings and assemblies , for the exercise of religious duties : thirdly , the ease and recreation both of our servants and our cattell , which otherwise would be tyred with continuall labour . and three things also are alledged by abulensis , to prove it an unstable and an alterable ceremonie : first , the determining of the day to bee one of seven , or the seventh day precisely from the worlds creation ; next , the commencement and continuance thereof , from evening unto evening ; and lastly , the precise and rigid keeping of it , in not kindling fires , and such like . which , howsoever they bee true , and distinctly shew , what still pertaines to us in sanctifying the lords day aright , and what is abrogated by christs comming : yet since the word affords them not , they rather seeme to set downe somewhat of their owne , than produce any thing from scripture . for granting all that hath beene said , yet i will looke upon the text apart , and aske precisely , what it commands us . first there presents it selfe in the very front , the sanctifying of the sabbath . what sabbath ? the seventh day . how reckoned ? from the first of the creation . but this falls just upon the day of the iewish sabbath : and so to urge this commandement for keeping of the lords day , is to bring in iudaisme . whence truely said saint avstin , quisquis diem illum observat , sicut litera sonat , carnaliter sapit : hee that observes that day , according to the literall sence , is but carnally wise . they therefore are but idly busied , who would so farre enlarge the sabbath , or seventh day in this commandement , as to include the lords day in it ; or so to order their account , as that the sabbath of the iewes should fall iumpe with ours . as if there were an end of christian congregations , in case they were not borrowed from the iewish synagogue ; or that the institution of the lords day were of no effect , were it not strengthened and supported by the fourth commandement . calvin is very round with the like false-teachers . such men ( sayth hee ) as idly thinke the observation of one day in seven to be the morall part of the fourth commandement ; what doe they else , but change the day , as in dishonour of the iewes , retaining in their mindes the former sanctitie thereof . and thereunto hee addes : and certainely wee see what dangerous effects they have produced from such a doctrine ; those which adhere to their instructions , having exceedingly out-gone the iewes , in their grosse and carnall superstitions about the sabbath . but this , the changing of the sabbath to the lords day ( which is next in order to be handled ) will more clearely manifest . sect . iv. thus have wee found the institution of the iewish sabbath in the fourth commandement , confirmed by the example of god himselfe ; and wee have also noted , what is to bee retained therein , as morall : it now remaineth to see , what there is in it ceremoniall , and how abrogated . for if this bee not made apparant , and by evident proofes ; the conscience would bee wavering , and relapse at last to iudaisme . for who ( almost ) would not thus reason with himselfe ? i see a precept , ranked amongst other morall precepts , which doth command mee to observe the seventh day precisely , from the first creation : and since the others are in force , why is not this ? it neyther fits the church , nor mee , to repeale the law of god , at our discretions ; but rather to obey his pleasure . what then advise wee to bee done ? not as some doe ; who urge the words of this commandement so farre , till they draw blood instead of comfort . our saviour best resolves this doubt , saying ; the sabbath was made for man , and not man for the sabbath : and that the sonne of man was lord of the sabbath ; and therefore had authoritie to change it , for mans greater profit ; as the glosse notes it , out of bede . but heere it is objected , that christ came into the world , not to destroy the law , but to fulfill it . to which , wee say with the apostle : doe wee destroy the law by faith ? god forbid : wee confirme it rather . christ then hath put away the shadow , but retained the light , and spreads it wider than before ; shewing thereby , the excellent harmonie betweene the gospel and the law. saint pavl , rom. 14. and gal. 4. doth generally taxe the iewish observation of dayes and times : particularly hee sheweth us , that the sabbath is abrogated , coloss. the second : let no man judge you ( sayth hee ) in meates and drinkes , or in respect of an holy day , or of the sabbath , which were the shadow of things to come , but the body is of christ . let no man judge you ; i. e. let none condemne you , if you keepe them not : because those shadowes altogether vanished , at the rising of the sunne of righteousnesse . as therefore nature requires meates and drinkes ; but for the choyse thereof , wee are left free , to christian libertie : so reason tells us , that there must be some certaine time appointed for gods publike service ; though from the bondage and necessitie of the iewish sabbath , wee are delivered by the gospel . since then wee see the abrogation of the iewish sabbath ; let us consider , by what right the lords day hath succeeded in the place thereof : wherein i must of force passe over many things , which are at large discussed by others . for to what purpose should i fall upon the anabaptist , the familist , and swencfeldian ? who making all dayes equall , and equally to be regarded , instead of christian libertie , would bring into the church an heathenish licentiousnesse : or else exclaime against the sabbatarians of this age , who by their sabbath-speculations would bring all to iudaisme . iosephus tells us of a river in the land of palestine , that is called sabbaticus ; which being drie sixe dayes , doth on the seventh fill up his channell , and runne very swiftly ▪ contrarie , plinie ; that it runnes swiftly all the sixe dayes , and is drie onely on the seventh . baronius takes iosephus part . the rabbins ( who would prove from hence their sabbath ) take part with plinie . plainely baronius was deceived , as casaubon hath truly noted , by a corrupt copie of iosephus . but howsoever , for the rabbins , they are thus silenced by galatinus . si fluvius ille dum erat , &c. in case ( sayth hee ) that river whiles it was in being , was a good argument that the iewish sabbath was to be observed ; now , since there is no such river extant , it is a better argument , that their sabbath is not any where to be regarded . our fanatick and peevish spirits it were best to send , to make enquirie for this river ; while in meane time wee doe unfold , and for as much as in us is , compose the differences , which have beene raysed in this point , amongst wiser heads . sect . v. they then which are perswaded , that the lords day succeedes in place of the iewish sabbath , affirme it eyther as established by the law of god , and of divine authoritie ; or introduced by ecclesiasticall constitution . they which pretend the first , eyther derive their arguments more weakely , from the old testament ; or else more warily , from the new : and from the old testament they produce two arguments ; one , borrowed from the sanctification of the seventh day , in the first creation of the world ; the other , from the institution of the sabbath , in the fourth commandement . of those which build upon the constitution of the church , some doe affirme it absolutely ; as doe the papists and arminians ; as may bee made apparant out of the iesuites , canonists , and schoole-men , and the confession of the remonstrants . to whom adde brentius , on levit. 23. chemnitius , in his common places ; and of our owne writers , not a few . others so fortifie and corroborate this constitution ecclesiasticall , as if the church did onely publish and continue that , which by the apostles was first ordered . but ( as it seemeth to mee ) these differences are of no great moment : save that the first opinion inclines too much to iudaisme ; and doth too much oppugne ( whether more impudently , or more ignorantly ; that i cannot say ) the received opinion of divines . for who knowes not that common principle of the schoole-men , out of the seventh unto the hebrewes : the priesthood being changed , there is made of necessitie a change also of the law ? whence they conclude , that at this day the morall law bindeth not , as it was published and proclaimed by moses ; but as at first it appertained no lesse unto the gentiles , than the iewes ; and afterwards , was explaned and confirmed by christ , in his holy gospel , zanchius doth strongly prove the same ( amongst other things ) out of this commandement about the sabbath . si decalogus quatenus per mosen traditus fuit israelitis , ad gentes quoque pertineret , &c. if the commandements ( sayth hee ) as they were given by moses unto the israelites , appertained also to the gentiles ; the gentiles had beene bound by this commandement , to sanctifie the sabbath with as much strictnesse , as the iewes . but since it is most evident , that the gentiles never were obliged to keepe that day holy ; it plainely followeth , that they neyther were nor could be bound to keepe the rest of the commandements , as published and proclaimed by moses unto them of israel . nor doe these hot-spurres well observe , how they intangle themselves , by borrowing the authoritie of the lords day from the law of moses . for if they ground themselves upon that commandement ; why keepe they not that day precisely , which the text commandeth ? by what authoritie have they substituted the first day of the weeke , for the seventh day exactly from the worlds creation ? what dispensation have they got , to kindle fire , to dresse and make readie meat , which was prohibited the iewes , by the same commandement . in case they bee ashamed of these and such like beggerly elements , and tell us , that the morall duties of the day are onely now to bee observed ; ( not to say any thing of a distinction so infirme , and which the text affordeth not ) they desert their station ; and will they , nill they , ioyne with them , who letting passe the veile of moses , seeke for the originall of the lords day in the sunne-shine onely of the gospel . sect . vi. for those that make their boast , that they have found the institution of the lords day in the new testament expressely ; let them shew the place . our saviour oftentimes disputed with the pharises , about their superstitious observation of the sabbath day ; and many times explaned the meaning of that commandement : but where is any the least suspition of the abrogation of it ? where any mention , that the lords day was instituted in the place thereof ? well . christ ascended up on high , and left behind him his apostles , to preach the gospel . and what did they ? did they not keepe the iewish sabbath , without noyse , or scruple ? and gladly teach the people , congregated on the sabbath dayes ? nay , more than this : did not the primitive church designe as well the sabbath , as the lords day , unto sacred meetings ? these things are so notorious , that they need no proofe . the papists hereupon inferre , that the lords day is not of any divine institution , but grounded onely on the constitution of the church . a civill ordinance ( sayth brentius ) not a commandement of the gospel . and the remonstrants have declared in their late confession , that by our lord christ iesvs , all difference of dayes was wholly abrogated in the new testament . all which accord exactly with that generall maxime , which in this very argument is layd downe by suarez , and by him borrowed from the schooles : in lege nova non sunt data specialia praecepta divina de accidentalibus observantiis ; that in the new testament there were given no speciall precepts , or directions , touching accidentall duties . yet notwithstanding this , even in the church of rome , anchoranus , panormitan , angelus , and sylvester , have stoutly set themselves against these luke-warme advocates , in affirmation of the divine authoritie of the lords day . for , ( as it rightly is observed by the defenders of the fourth opinion ) it seemed a dangerous thing to the whole fabricke of religion , should humane ordinances limit the necessitie of gods holy worship : or that the church should not assemble , but at the pleasure of the clergie , and they ( perhaps ) not well at one amongst themselves . for what would men busied about their farmes , their yoakes of oxen , and domesticke troubles ! ( as the invited guests in the holy gospel ) would they not easily set at naught an humane ordinance ? would not prophane men easily dispense , with their absenting of themselves from prayers , and preaching , and give themselves free leave of doing or neglecting any thing ; were there not something found in scripture , which more than any humane ordinance , or institution , should binde the conscience ? well therefore , and with good advice , the acts and practice of the apostles hath beene also pressed ; besides , the constant and continuall tradition of the church : that so it may appeare , that in a thing of such great moment , the church did nothing without warrant from those blessed spirits . three texts there are , which are most commonly produced , in full proofe thereof . first , acts 20.7 . vpon the first day of the weeke , when the disciples came together , to breake bread , pavl preached unto them readie to depart upon the morning , and continued his speech till midnight . why is it sayd expressely , that the disciples came together , to heare the word preached , and receive the sacraments , rather on this day than another ; rather than on the iewish sabbath ? were it not then a custome , to celebrate on that day their publike meetings ; the sabbath of the iewes beginning ( by degrees ) to vanish . the fathers , and all interpreters ( almost ) doe so conceive it : though i confesse , that from a casuall fact , i see not how a solemne institution may bee justly grounded . nor may wee argue in this manner ; the disciples met that day together ▪ therefore they gave commandement , that on that day the church should alwayes bee assembled for gods publike worship . who markes not heere a great and notable incoherence ? looke therefore next upon the first to the corinthians , cap. 16. vers . 2. where wee seeme to have a commandement : let every man ( sayth the apostle ) upon the first day of the weeke lay by him in store : what ? collections for the saints : and why ? because hee had so ordered it , in the churches of galatia . heere then wee have an ordinance set downe by the apostle , to bee observed in the church : but what is that hee ordereth ? not that the first day should bee set apart for the lords service ; but that upon the first day of the weeke they make collections for the saints . the third and last , is revel . 1. and 10. i was ( sayth the evangelist ) in the spirit on the lords day : and what day is that ? had hee meant onely the iewish sabbath , doubtlesse hee would have called it so : if any other of the weeke , not eminent above the rest , the title had beene needlesse , and ambiguous ; and rather had obscured , than explaned his meaning . what therefore rests ? but that comparing this place with the former two , interpreters both new and old conclude together , that here the apostle meant the first day of the weeke ; whereupon christ rose , and the disciples came together , for the discharge of holy duties ; and paul commanded , that collections should bee made : as was the custome afterwards , in the primitive church , according unto iustin martyr , who lived verie neere the apostles times . the alteration of the name doth intimate , that the sabbath was also altered ; not in relation to gods worship , but the appointment of the time . sect . vii . what then ? shall wee affirme , that the lords day is founded on divine authoritie ? for my part , ( without prejudice unto any mans opinion ) i assent unto it : however that the arguments like mee not , whereby the opinion is supported . this inference first offends mee , that in the cradle of the world , god blessed the seventh day , and sanctified it ; therefore all men are bound to sanctifie it , by the law of nature : since i both doubt , whether the patriarkes did observe it , before moses time ; and have learnt also , that the law of nature is immutable . next this distasts mee , that they would have the spending of one day in seven , on gods holy worship , to bee perpetuall , and morall . as congruous , or convenient , all men admit it ; but cannot see so easily , that it should bee morall , and perpetuall . nor is it , thirdly , without scandall , that the fourth commandement should bee so commonly produced , to iustifie our keeping of the lords day , by the text thereof . if they required no more , but the analogie , the equitie , or the reason of that commandement , wee would not sticke to yeeld unto it : but whiles they stand too close to the very letter , they may ( perhaps ) bee iustly charged with iudaisme . fourthly , as little like i them , who promise much in proofe hereof , out of the new testament , which the text affordeth not . for where is any expresse institution of the lords day , in any one of the apostles , or evangelists ? yea , or what text is there , whence it may necessarily bee collected , in case wee meete an adversarie , who must bee dealt withall exactly ; and will not easily assent , but to solide arguments ? nor lastly , am i satisfied with the bare ordinance of the church ; which with the same facilitie may bee broke , as it was enacted : which absolutely to affirme of the lords day , were too unadvised . therefore , amongst so doth distinguish with us , of divine authoritie , strictly and largely taken : that so , not that alone which is found in scripture may properly be said to have divine authoritie ; but whatsoever by good consequence may bee drawne from thence , eyther in reference to the institution , or some example of it , or ( at least ) some analogie thereunto . and whereas calvin , bullinger , bucerus , brentius , chemnitius , vrsine , and others of the reformed churches affirme , that still the church hath power to change the lords day to some other : suarez doth thus distinguish in it , that it is absolutely alterable , but not practically : that is ( as i conceive it ) that such a power is absolutely in the church , though not convenient now to bee put in practise . the reasons of it , two : first , because instituted ( as generally the fathers grant ) in memorie of our redemption ; made perfect on that day , by our saviours resurrection : next , because not depending barely upon a civill , or ecclesiasticall ordinance ; but on the practice and expresse tradition of the apostles ; who ( questionlesse ) were ledde into all truth by the holy ghost . which beeing so ; if any waywardly shall oppose us , as if they would compose some sabbaticall idoll out of an equall mixture of law and gospel ; they may bee very fitly likened to the iew of tewksburie , mentioned in our common annals : who on a saturday fell by chance into a privi● , and would not then permit himselfe to bee taken out , because it was the iewish sabbath ; nor could bee suffered to bee taken thence the next day following , because the lords day , celebrated by the christians : and so , betwixt both dayes , hee died most miserably , that understood not rightly the celebration and true use of eyther . of which , the celebration of this day , i am next to speake . sect . viii . prayse waiteth for thee , o lord , in sion , and unto thee shall the vow be performed : o thou that hearest prayer , unto thee shall all flesh come . the life of pietie and religion , is gods publike worship ; the soule of publike worship , is the due performance of the same . they which esteeme not this as they ought to doe , whether prophane , carnall , or schismaticall persons , doe not alone ( as much as in them is ) teare the church in pieces , which is the seamelesse coat of christ ; but doe renounce the heritage , bought for us at so great a price , and offered to us with so great mercie . hee that endevours to pursue the severall by-wayes and dissonant clamours of particular men , in this present argument ; entreth into a most inextricable labyrinth . but generally , those things which others have propounded in some obscuritie , may bee reduced most fitly unto these two heads : first , that wee marke distinctly , in the celebration of this day , what speciall duties are commanded ; and next , what offices are permitted . to the discoverie whereof , these words , our god , our neighbours , and our selves , like a mercuriall finger , will direct our journey , amidst the severall turnings of this present world. these three are principally aymed at in those pious duties , which on this day have beene commended to us , or rather imposed on us , by the acts and practice of the apostles . first , the disciples came together , to breake bread , and heare the word : which , without solemne and preparatorie prayers , were a faint devotion , acts 20. this is the honour due to god. collections , secondly , are appointed , 1. corinth . 16. this is in reference to our neighbour . and last of all , saint iohn was in the spirit on the lords day , revel . 1. this in relation to our selves : that so our pious contemplations , borne by the wings of the spirit , may ascend on high ; even to those hills , from whence commeth our salvation . therefore upon this day , gods people are to meet in the congregation , to celebrate divine service , and to heare the word ; almes to bee given , and godly meditations to bee cherished with our best endevours . from whence ariseth that , as an accessorie in the gospel , which was a principall in the law of moses , rest from servile workes , and from the ordinarie workes of our vocation . for since there is not extant eyther commandement , or example , in the gospel , which can affixe the rest of the iewish sabbath to the lords day now celebrated ; and that our christian libertie will not away with that severe and ceremoniall kind of rest , which was then in use : wee onely are so farre to abstaine from worke , as it is an impediment to the performance of such duties as are then commanded . saint hierome on the eighteenth of the acts , affirmeth , that saint paul , when hee had none to whom to preach in the congregation ; did on the lords day use the workes of his occupation : and christ did many things ( as of set purpose ) on the sabbath , ( so hath chemnitius rightly noted ) to manifest , that the legall sabbath was expiring ; and to demonstrate the true use of the christian sabbath : if ( at the least ) the name of sabbath may be used amongst us , which some distast . to end in briefe , those things are all commanded , which doe advance gods publike service ; and those permitted , which are no hinderance thereunto . of this sort specially , are the workes of necessitie : as , to dresse meat , to draw the oxe out of the ditch , to leade our cattell unto water , to quench a dangerous fire , and such as these . then workes of charitie : first , in relation to our selves ; and heere wee are permitted recreations ( of what sort soever ) which serve lawfully to refresh our spirits , and nourish mutuall neighbourhood amongst us : next , in relation unto others ; and heere no labour ( how troublesome soever ) is to bee refused , which may accommodate our neighbour , and cannot fitly bee deferred . where wee must alwayes keepe this rule , that this our christian libertie bee void of scandall ; i meane , of scandall justly given , and not vainely caught at : that wee pretend not charitie [ to absent our selves from religious duties ] when eyther covetousnesse , or loathing , or neglect of gods holy ordinances , are under-hand the principall motives . foure properties there are ( as one rightly noteth ) of all solemne festivals ; sanctitie , rest from labour , cheerefulnesse , and liberalitie : which verie things , the ancients ( by those names , whereby they did expresse their festivals ) doe seeme to intimate . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 derived from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which signifieth to meete , or to bee assembled : 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , to rejoyce , to dance : 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , to restraine from workes that are an hinderance . and so amongst the grecians , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth an assembly ; and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 denotes expences : from whence , their solemne festivals were so entituled . and unto all these , whether recreations , or entertainments , feastings , and other indifferent customes ; it onely appertaineth to the religious magistrate to prescribe bounds and limits : not to the rash zeale of every one , which out of a schismaticall stoicisme , not suffering people eyther to use a fanne , or to kill a flea , relapse to iudaisme ; nor on the other side , to every prodigall and debauched companion , who joynes himselfe unto belphegor , and eates the sacrifices of the dead . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a10094-e140 cap. 15.5 . gal. 4.10.11 . cap. 2.16.17 . sect. 4. see austin de h●res●b . & epiphanius . sect. 2. epist. 3. l. 21. in rog. hoveden anno. 1201. anno. 1200. institut . l. 2. cap. 8. sect. 33. ib. sect. 34. paraen , lib. 1. cap. vlt. institut . l. 3. cap. 8. sect. 34. gen. 3. sect. 3. & 7. goma● . desensio sentent . c. 10. investig . sabb. cap. 4. cap. 10. cap. 3. . anno 5. and 6. of edward 6. cap. 3. heylius geogr. in france . roger● on the article● . art. 7. id. in the preface to the articles . paraen . l. 1. cap. vlt. notes for div a10094-e4690 hebr. ● , s●mpos . l. 4. sub finem . lib. 7. cap. 15. de annis & mensibus . levit. ●5 . cap. 3. azor. instit. moral . part . 2. q. 3. hospin . de fest. ethn. & iud. l. 3. cap. 3. annal. sacri ad diem 7. in exod. ad praecept . 4. v. damasc fid . o. th . l. 4. c. 24. irenaeum , l. 4 30. in gen. 2. q. 4. ad d●em 7. sect , 2. in exod. 〈◊〉 praecept . 4. in gen. cap. 2. q. 4. calv. instit. l. 2. cap. 8. zouch . tom. 4. l. 1. cap. 15. in exod. 20. q. 11. ● . 2. q. 122. art . 4. institut . lib. 2. cap. 8. sect . 28. vbi supr● , instit. l. 1. cap. 8. sect . 34. marc. 2.27 . matth. 5. de bello iudaic. l. 7. cap. 24. natur. hist. l. 31. cap. 2. anno 31. n. 38. exer● . 15. sect . 20. lib. 1. cap. 9. bellar. de cult . sanct. l. 3 c. 11. estius in 3. sent. d. 37. sect . 13. vers. 12. tom. 4. l. 1. c. 11. exod. 16.35 . matth. 12. mark. 2. luke 6. ioh. 5. acts 13.17.18 . cap. hosp. de sest . christ. c. 9. montholon . prompt . in sabbat . de relig. l. 2. cap. 1. azor. institut . mor. part . 2. c. 2. zanch. tom . 4. l. 1. c 19. foxe & stowe in vita henr. 3. psal. 65. in loc . com. perk. in case of consc. l. 2. c. 16. rob. lo●u● in ●ffig . sabbat . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the sabbaths sanctification ... by w.g. gouge, william, 1578-1653. this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a41671 of text r31086 in the english short title catalog (wing g1395). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. 79 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 28 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo 2017 a41671 wing g1395 estc r31086 11771545 ocm 11771545 48877 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a41671) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 48877) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 1485:4) the sabbaths sanctification ... by w.g. gouge, william, 1578-1653. [4], 42 p. printed by g.m. for joshua kirton and thomas warren ..., london : 1641. attributed to william gouge by wing and nuc pre-1956 imprints. "herein i. the grounds of the morality of the sabbath. ii. directions for sanctifying it. iii. proofs that the lords day is the christians sabbath. iii. aberrations about the sabbath. v. motives to sanctifie the sabbath." imperfect: print show-through. reproduction of original in the union theological seminary library. eng sabbath -biblical teaching -early works to 1800. a41671 r31086 (wing g1395). civilwar no the sabbaths sanctification ... by w.g. gouge, william 1641 14452 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 b the rate of 1 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the b category of texts with fewer than 10 defects per 10,000 words. 2005-05 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2005-06 apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images 2005-07 jonathan blaney sampled and proofread 2005-07 jonathan blaney text and markup reviewed and edited 2005-10 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the sabbaths sanctification . herein i. the grounds of the morality of the sabbath . ii. directions for sanctifying it . iii. proofs that the lords day is the christians sabbath . iiii. aberrations about the sabbath . v. motives to sanctifie the sabbath . by w. g. london , printed by g. m. for joshua kirton , and thomas warren , at their shop in pauls church-yard at the white horse , 1641. to the reader . christian reader , this treatise of the sabbaths sanctification , hath in the private family of the author , and in other families of his pious friends beene taught , and learned many yeares together . they who have beene made partakers thereof , and made conscience of well using it , have found a singular help thereby for a comfortable and profitable passing thorow that day , which unto too too many seemeth very tedious , and ( if at least they be under the ministery or government of such as restraine them from those sensuall workes that satisfie the flesh ) makes them complaine , and say as the iewes of old did ( amos 8. 5. ) when will the sabbath be gone ? but they who take notice of the variety of duties therein set downe , and of their fit dependance one upon another , shall rather find want of time for a due performance of them , then superfluity . by care and conscience in aright observing of them , the lords day will prove an holy spirituall market day , wherein we may procure , weeke after weeke , such spirituall provision for our soules , as will nourish and cherish them unto eternall life . the very life of piety is preserved by a due sanctification of the lords day . they put a knife to the throat of religion , that hinder the same . let such as desire and expect the blessed fruition of the eternall sabbath to come , make conscience of well sanctifying the christian sabbath while here they live : for an help whereunto , this treatise of the sabbaths sanctification is published . to it is added another treatise about apostasy : which two may fitly goe together , because a conscionable sanctifying of the lords day will be an especiall meanes to keepe men from apostasy . the sabbaths sanctification . 1 q. is the sabbath morall , or ceremoniall ? a. morall . that is accounted morall , which ( as a rule of life ) bindeth all persons , in all places , at all times . 2 q. how appeares it to be morall ? a. 1 it was sanctified in adams innocency . gen. 2. 2 , 3. adam in his innocent estate was a publick person , and bore in his loynes all man-kinde : and that without distinction of jew and gentile . that therefore which was given to him in chardge , appertained to all that in any age should come from him . 2 it is one of the ten precepts of the morall law . ex. 20. 8. it is not an appendix to another precept : but an intire precept in it selfe . if it be abrogated , or made ceremoniall , there are but nine precepts of the morall law : contrary to these expresse scriptures , exod , 34. 28. deut. 4. 13. & 10. 4. 3 q. of how many houres doth the sabbath day consist ? a. of foure and twenty . gen. 2. 3. the sabbath is called the seventh day : so as it is a seventh part of the weeke : therefore so many houres as make up every of the other dayes ( which are foure and twenty ) must be accounted to this day . 4 q. are all those houres to be sanctified ? a. yes . exod. 20. 11. the lord rested the whole seventh day : and all the time wherein he rested he sanctified . gen. 2. 2 , 3. 5 q. how can all that time be sanctified ? a. 1. by observing things commanded . jer. 17. 22. 2. by observing things permitted . exod. 12. 16. duties commanded , by reason of gods supreme soveraignty must be done . they are so proper to the day , as in a right performing of them , the sanctification of the sabbath consisteth . matters permitted , by reason of gods tender indulgency , having respect to our infirmity and necessity , may be done . and though the sabbath be not properly sanctified in them , yet is it the better sanctified by them . 6 q. what are the heads of duties commanded ? a. 1. duties of piety . luk. 4. 16. 2. duties of mercy . mark . 3. 4. isa. 58. 13. duties of piery are such as immediately tend to gods honour , wherein and whereby he is worshipped : and withall they are such as directly tend to our spirituall edification . wherefore the wise lord , who affordeth us six dayes for secular and temporall affaires , seeth it meet that every seventh day should be set apart for divine and spirituall matters . and because the workes of our calling ( wherein we are most employed in the six dayes ) tend especially to our owne profit , god will have us on his day to shew mercy to others that stand in need of our helpe . many are the works of mercy which christ did on sabbath dayes , as appeareth , mark . 1. 21 , 25 , 29 , 34. & 3. 2 , 5. luk. 13. 10 , 11. & 14. 1 , &c. joh. 5. 9. & 7. 23. & 9. 14. 7 q. what kindes are there of workes of piety ? a. 1 publick . act. 15. 21. 2. private . act. 16. 13. 3. secret . mar. 1. 35. the severall duties of piety which are comprised under these heads , are very helpfull one to another , and cause the sabbath to be more comfortably passed over , without any seeming tediousnesse , or wearisomenesse . 8 q. where are publick duties of piety done ? a. in the church . 1 cor. 4. 17. & 11. 20 , 22 , & 14. 19 , 28. heb. 2. 12. churches are publick places , where many of severall families meete together . there use to be most frequent assemblies to worship god . the doores of churches use to stand open , for any that will to enter in . there the most solemne duties of piety are performed . 9 q. by whom are they performed ? a. 1 by the minister . act. 13. 16. 2 by the people . act. 20. 7. 3 by all together . 1 cor. 14. 24 , 25. a minister on the one side , and people on the other , make up a true church . the minister is the mouth of god , in whose roome he stands , to the people : and by reason thereof he declares out of gods word , gods will to the people . a minister is also the peoples mouth unto god : presenting their mind to god : which he doth for order sake . for if all should utter their owne mind together , by their own severall voices , what confusion would there be ? yet are there also duties to be performed by the people joyntly among themselves , but distinctly from the minister : els that which the minister doth will be in vaine . yea there are also some duties wherein the minister joyneth with the people , and the people with the minister , even in the same manner of performing them : as the particulars following will shew . 10 q. what duties are done by the minister ? a. 1 reading the word . act. 13. 27. col. 4. 16. 2 preaching it . luk. 4. 20 , 21. act. 13. 15. 3 praying and praising god . 1 cor. 14. 15 , 16. neh. 8. 6. & 9. 5. 6. 4 administring sacraments . mat. 28. 19. & 26. 26. act. 20. 11. 5. blessing the people . num. 6. 23. in performing the two first ( reading and preaching the word ) and the two last ( administring sacraments , and blessing the people ) the minister stands in gods roome , and is his mouth : but in the middlemost duty ( praying to god and praising him ) he is the peoples mouth to god . 11 q what duties are done by the people ? a. 1 attending to the word read and preached . act. 10. 33. 2 assenting to the prayers and praises . 1 cor. 14. 16. 3 partaking of the sacraments . mat. 3. 6. 1 cor. 12. 13. 4 saying amen , audibly to all . neh. 8. 6. if people attend not to the word , it is like the seed sowne in the way side , which the soules soone pick up , mat. 13. 4 , 19. if they assent not to the prayers and praises , they are like those that draw neere to god with their lipps , but have their hearts farre off . mat. 15. 8. if they partake not of the sacraments , they cast themselves out of the communion of saints . gen. 17. 14. num. 9. 13. luk. 14. 24. as for an audible pronouncing of amen , if the mind of them that pronounce it , have beene upon that which the minister uttered , and their heart have given consent thereto , it compriseth alltogether as much as the minister hath uttered . this is the only warrantable meanes for people to utter their mind in a congregation . it must therefore be uttered by every one , altogether , so loud , as the minister may heare their consent , as well as they heare what he hath uttered in their name . for the one is as requisite as the other . 12 q. what duties of piety are done by minister and people all together ? a. singing psalmes . mat. 26. 30. singing of psalmes was alwaies used by gods people , not onely in the tabernacle , temple and synagogue of the jewes , but also in christian churches . christ used it with his disciples ( mat. 26. 30. ) it is enjoyned by the apostle ( eph. 5. 19. col. 3. 16. ) and it was practised by the primitive church , ( 1. cor. 14. 15 , 26. ) by this duty joyntly performed by all , as our owne spirits are quickned , so we quicken the spirits of others : and we are all made the more cheerfull in serving god . on this ground they who are merry are enjoyned to sing . jam. 5. 13. 13 q. where are private duties of piety done ? a. in a family or some other private place . herein lieth a difference betwixt performing publick and private duties , that from the publick none are excluded : but private are done by the mutuall consent of a certaine number : either of such as are under one roofe ( josh. 24. 15. act. 10. 2 , 30. ) or else of others that agree together for that end ( act. 16. 13. ) by private meetings of such as are of the same minde and piously affected , christians doe bring much sweet consolation and mutuall edification one to another : and the power and profit of publicke duties is much promoted thereby . 14 q. what are private duties of piety ? a. 1. reading gods word . 1. tim. 4. 13. 2. praying and praising god . act. 16. 13. 3. catechising , deut. 6. 7. 4. repeating sermons . act. 17. 11. 5. holy conference . luk. 24. 14. 6. singing psalmes . act. 16. 25. jam. 5. 13. by a conscionable and constant performance of these private duties , a private house is made gods church : and god will be there present , as he was in the house of obed-edom ( 2. sam. 6. 12. ) to blesse them . yea wheresoever two or three duly meet for such purposes , christ by his spirit will be among them . mat. 18. 20. in performing these , it is requisite , that some one of ability be as it were , the mouth of the rest , in reading the word , praying to god and praising him , instructing in the grounds of religion , which is catechising , and repeating sermons : and the governour of the family if he be able , is the fittest to performe those duties . by such kind of duties of piety performed , as we can , before we go to church , we are the better fitted to the publick , and after we come from church , by these will publick duties be made the more profitable : yea by these , much of that time wherein we are absent from church , is sanctified . 15 q where are secret duties of piety done ? a. in some secret place betweene god and ones selfe alone . mat. 14. 23. no place is exempted from secret duties , so as a christian may be there alone , and none with him ; in relation to such duties , thus saith the lord , enter into thy chamber , and when thou hast shut thy doore , pray , mat. 6. 6. secret duties ought so to be performed , as none but god should know what we are about : so will thy soule be the more upright , and freed from hypocrisy and vaine-glory : so will the duties bring the more comfort to the performers thereof . 16 q. what are secret duties of piety ? a. 1 reading gods word . act. 8. 28. 2 praying and praising god . mar. 1. 35. act. 10. 9. psal. 119. 164. 3 meditating . gen. 24. 63. psal. 63. 6. 4 examining ones selfe . psal. 4. 4. 1 cor. 11. 28. the two former of these secret duties , are such as may be performed both in private and publick : but the difference is in the manner of performing them . but the two latter ( meditation and examination of ones selfe ) are most proper to be performed in the most secret places that may be : because they are actions of the mind , and concerne a mans owne selfe in particular . these secret duties of piety would especially be performed first in the morning , and last in the evening ; that the lords day may be begun with them , ( for a better preparation to the other duties ) and ended with them , as a means of attonement for all our failings past . the forenamed secret duties are of excellent use to both those purposes . they who are conscionable in performing all the fore-mentioned duties of piety , publick , private and secret , shall finde time little enough from their rising up to their lying downe : so as they shall have no cause to complaine of the many houres , or to say , they know not what to doe , or how to spend their time : especially if to those sundry duties of piety , they adde duties of mercy . 17 q. what kindes are there of workes of mercy ? a. 1 such as concerne the soule . joh. 7. 22 , 23. 2 such as concerne the body . mar. 1. 29 , 30 , 31. man consists of two parts : soul and body , and both of them are subject to many maladies , and many necessities : we may therefore afford much succour , and shew much mercy one to another , both in soul and body . 18 q. what are the workes of mercy which concerne the soule ? a. 1 instructing the ignorant . 1 cor. 12. 1. 2 establishing the weake . act. 20. 35. 3 resolving the doubtfull . luk. 24. 38 , 39. 4 comforting troubled soules . joh. 11. 31 , & 14. 1. 2 cor. 2. 7. 1 thes. 5. 14. 5 informing such as are in errour . mar. 22. 29. & jam. 5. 19 , 20. 6 reproving the sinner . mar. 8. 33. luk. 3. 19. 2 cor. 2. 6. 7 every way edifying others . 1 thes. 5. 11. rom. 15. 2. these in one respect may be accounted workes of piety , namely as they are instructions , directions and reprehensions gathered out of gods word : but in another respect they are workes of mercy , namely as they tend to the reliefe of our brother in regard of his spirituall distresse and need of his soule . the matter of them makes them workes of piety , the end whereto they tend makes them workes of mercy . there is therefore a double bond to tye us to a diligent performance of all these on the lords day , as we can finde any occasion of doing them : one , the bond of piety : the other , the bond of mercy . yea as the soule is more excellent then the body , and the good of the soule more necessary then the good of the body , so these works of mercy which so much concerne the good of the soule , ought with more diligence to be done , then those which concerne the good of the body : which yet we must not neglect . these we ought to doe , and not leave the other undone . 19 q. what are the workes of mercy which concerne the body ? a. 1 visiting the sick , and such as are otherwayes restrained of liberty . mark . 1. 29 , 30. mat. 25. 36. 2 relieving the needy with what they want . isa. 58. 7. 1 cor. 16. 2. mat. 25. 35 , 36. 3 pulling out of danger such as are therein . mat. 12. 11. luk. 13. 16. 4 affording all other seasonable succour . mat. 12. 1 , 4. these may be so ordered , as none of the forementioned duties of piety need to be omitted for them . if christians rise in any seasonable time , they may performe both private and secret duties of piety before they goe to church in the fore-noone : and if they spend not too much time at dinner , they may doe the like before church-time in the afternoone . and when they come from the after-noone publick service of the church , either before , or after , the like private duties of piety , they may doe some of the fore-mentioned workes of mercy : and those such as concerne the body . if they prove such as hinder workes of piety , they belong to workes permitted , which are hereafter distinctly set downe . 20 q. are not duties of piety and mercy to be done on other dayes also . a. yes . act. 2. 46. 2 tim. 4. 2. 1 thes. 5. 17 , 18. prov. 3. 28. god every day continues the same god : and answerably he is to be so acknowledged : and in testimony thereof divine worship is every day to be performed . under the law they had their morning and evening sacrifices every day , exod. 29. 38 , 39. by duties of piety to god , are our secular affaires sanctified and seasoned . every day therefore are they to be performed . and because every day the necessities of some or other require workes of mercy , we must be ready every day to doe them so farre as we are able . the rules for shewing mercy are especially these three , 1 our brothers necessity . 2 our owne ability . 3 gods opportunity : that is , the occasion which by the divine providence is offered unto us . luk. 10. 33 , 34. 1 joh. 3. 17. 21 q. wherein lyeth the difference betwixt doing workes of piety on the sabbath , and on other dayes ? a. they are on the sabbath as meat : on other dayes as sauce . numb. 28. 9 , 10. we use to fill our bellies with meate : and to eate as much as we can ( i speake of such as eate for strength and not for gluttony ) but we take a little sauce , no more then will give a rellish to the meate , and sharpen appetite . so on the sabbath we ought to doe as many duties of piety thereon as conveniently we can . to secret duties , private must be added : to secret and private , publick . the greater part of the sabbath day must be spent in these . but it is sufficient on other dayes , to performe secret and private duties of piety , morning and evening , to season and sanctifie the workes of our calling thereby : and that by craving pardon of sinne , assistance and blessing , and by giving praise to god , yea and by learning directions out of gods word . for which end , some part of the holy scripture is to be read : and some opportunities are to be taken where they may be had , to heare sermons on weeke dayes . but the greatest part of every of the six dayes is to be spent in the workes of our calling , exod. 20. 6. 22 q. wherein lyeth the difference betwixt doing works of mercy on the sabbath and on other dayes ? a. opportunities for works of mercy , are to be sought on the sabbath , and taken on other daies , 1. cor. 16. 2. no sabbath ought to passe over our heads wherin some worke of mercy ( if at least we be able ) is not done . the time that we spare from duties of piety , and from a lawfull refreshing of our bodies , ought to be spent in works of mercy . for which end it is requisite that we take due notice of such as are sicke , or in prison , or otherwise restrained of liberty , or any way troubled and perplexed , and of such as are poore , and in want : yea if we know none such , to enquire after them , and to goe to visit them , and comfort them , and relieve them . where the apostle enjoyneth to lay up something in store every first day in the weeke ( which is the lords day ) he implies that that is a very fit season not only to doe workes of mercy which then are offered to us , but also to prepare on that day for other times . surely if every one would every lords day lay something aside , as god hath prospered him , for a stocke to give to the poore , much good might be done thereby . thus will men have more to give : thus will they have in a readinesse to give : ( it being a sacred stock by their voluntary setting it apart to such an use , their conscience will account it sacriledge to lay it out any other way : ) thus will they more cheerefully give , because the stock out of which they give is prepared before hand : and thus will their benevolence on another day be a sabbath-daies work , because it is out of the stock which on the sabbath day was laid aside . if poore men that live on their daies labour , if servants that live on their wages would every lords day lay up some tokens or pence for this end , they might have , without any sensible dammage to themselves a stock for the poore : how much greater stoare would be for the poore , if rich men according to gods blessing on them , would so doe ? 23 q. what servil workes are permitted on the sabbath ? a. 1. such as further the proper works of the sabbath , mat. 12. 3 , 4 , 5. 2. such as hinder them , mat. 12. 11. such is gods wisedome , as in all things that he requires , he affords all meanes that may further the same . and withall , such is gods tender respect to us , as he ordaines and orders all things for our good . for our good , namely for the spirituall edification of our soules , he first ordained the sabbath . the sabbath was made for man , mar. 2. 27. therefore those ordinances wherein and whereby he is worshipped and honoured , are the meanes of edifying and saving our soules . but god did so aime at our spirituall good , as he would not on his day have the temporall good of our bodies neglected . if therefore our bodies stand in need of present succour , for the affording whereof duties of piety must be omitted , he suffers us to forbeare the externall works of piety : and thereby verifies that , which the prophet of old testified ( hos. 6. 6. ) and christ once and againe confirmed ( mat. 9. 13 and 12. 7. ) i will have mercy and not sacrifice . 24 q. what servil things may further the proper works of the sabbath ? a. first , externall rites about the performing of them , levit. 24. 8. num. 18. 9 , 10. vnder the law there were sundry rites which required much bodily labour that tended to that worship which god then required : as slaying sacrifices , fleaing and cutting them in peeces , laying wood on the altar , and the sacrifices thereon , renewing the lamps , setting the shew-bread on the table : and many other the like : concerning which christ thus saith of the performers thereof , the priests in the temple prophane the sabbath and are blamelesse . mat. 12. 5. that is , they do such things , as in other cases , not concerning the worship of god , would be a profanation of the sabbath . ( if a butcher in his slaughter-house should so slay , slea , and cut beasts in peeces on the sabbath , he would therein prophane the sabbath : ) but in the case of gods worship they are no profanation , and therefore the performers thereof may justly be acquitted of all blame therein . thus church-wardens , and clearkes may provide good bread and wine for the communion , and water for baptisme , and bring them to church . thus collectors may receive , tell out , and distribute money to the poore . thus ministers may studie for their sermons . and other like works may be done that tend to the principall duties of the sabbath . 25 q. what other servil things may further the proper workes of the sabbath ? a. such as our weake bodies doe stand in need of . exod. 12. 16. mat. 12. 1. man by sinne hath brought many infirmities upon his body . by them is he much disabled and hindered from performing good duties . the lord therefore every way endeavouring with his goodnesse to overcome mans wretchednesse , hath by his providence afforded him sufficient meanes to support and redresse his infirmities . these meanes god is willing that man should use at all times , on all accasions , so farre forth as may be needfull and usefull for him . the lord is not like that cruell tyrant who laid upon the israelites , whom he held in hard bondage , as much as they could doe , if not more , and yet would not afford them ordinary meanes to doe it . he rather will have his work intermitted , then man oppressed thereby . 26. q. what are those particulars which our weake bodies doe most need ? a. 1. sleepe . eccles. 5. 12. 2. foode . luke 14. 1. 3. apparell . 2. sam. 12. 20. 4. all other occasionall helps . mar. 2. 3 , 4. 27. q. why is sleepe requisite ? a. if we have not seasonable sleepe the night immediately before the sabbath ( the latter part whereof , namely from midnight to the time we rise , is part of the sabbath ) the duties of the day will be so drousily performed ( if at all they be performed ) as they cannot be acceptable to god , nor advantageable to our spirituall edification . sleep doth much refresh our drowsie bodies , and cheere our dull spirits : and so make us much better performe the duties of the sabbath . therefore sleep is said to be sweet , eccles. 5. 12. 28 q. why is food needfull ? a. food is of speciall use to refresh the body and quicken the spirit , if it be seasonably , and moderately taken . many mens spirits will be ready to faint if they be not in due season refreshed with convenient food . christ therefore on the sabbath tooke his ordinary repast , luke 14. 1. and made an apology for his disciples refreshing themselves on that day , luke 6. 1 , &c. yea he sheweth that such mercy ought to be afforded to beasts . luke 13. 15. 29 q. to what use is apparell ? a. apparell also is needfull and usefull for refreshing the body , and for comelinesse . it keepeth the body warme , it covereth our uncomely parts . then especially are wee to make our selves comely when we go into great assemblies : and greatest assemblies use to be in churches , on the lords day . of old they were wont to put on their best apparell when they went to the house of god ( 2. sam. 12. 20 ) unlesse it were a time of humiliation , exod. 33. 4 , 5. 30 q. what other helps are there ? a. there are sundry other helps , which occasionally arise from sundry accidents . as in case of lamenesse , or weakenesse of limmes by gout , spraining , or any other meanes , it is a great helpe to be carried to church : and that carrying may prove to the bearers a laborious worke : so where the church is remote , the help of horse and coach by land , and boate by water is needfull . it appeares that many brought such friends to christ as could not come of themselves , on the sabbath , mar. 1. 32. & 2. 3. 31 q. how doe the fore-mentioned meanes further duties of piety ? a. by enabling us the better to doe them , psal. 104. 14 , 15. we heard how they refresh our bodies , cheere our spirits , and support , yea and redresse our manifold infirmities : thereby they enable us to doe the things which we take in hand the more cheerefully , and steddily , and thereby further the same . a man that hath a long journey to ride , by resting some-time in an inne , by taking repast himselfe , and giving his horse provinder , enableth himselfe and horse to goe further then other-wise they could : and so doth further his journey . though in baiting he doth not travell , or goe any whit of his way , but abide in his inne , yet hee helpeth forward his journey , and shall by that meanes better come to the end thereof . even so , though in doing those servill things which are needfull for our bodies the sabbath be not properly sanctified , yet by them the sanctification thereof is furthered , in that the services tending thereto , are thereby better performed . 32 q. what cautions are to be observed , for well using these on the sabbath day ? a. first , no more time then needs , must be spent on them , exod. 34. 4. the lord testifieth his respect to us , in offording us liberty to use the things whereof we stand in need : and time convenient therein to use them . it becommeth us therefore to testifie our respect to god , by giving to him and his service as much time as we can : and not to abuse his indulgency by spending on our selves more time then is needfull . wherefore having had quiet rest in the night , we ought to rise betimes in the morning , and to be quick and speedy in attiring our selves , that we may have the more time to serve god on his day . the like must be done by servants in the needfull services which they doe . so in sitting at table to eate meate , wee must use all convenient speed . to rise the sooner from bed and table , and to doe all needfull servile workes the more speedily , because it is the lords day , argueth a good respect to god and his service . 33 q. what other caution is to be observed ? a. such servil workes as are permitted on the sabbath must be performed as sabbath daies workes . such respect must be had to this sacred time , as we ought to endeavour to turne all things , so farre as wee can , to a sanctification of that day . 34 q. how may they be so done ? a. 1. with due respect to the end . 2. with like respect to the manner . the end and manner make much to the qualifying of that we doe . an evill end and manner much pervert the things we doe : but a good end and manner adde much to the glory of warrantable things . 35 q. what is the end to be aimed at ? a. to be better enabled to workes of piety . 1. king. 19. 7. this end ( especially if indeed we doe the better what we are enabled to doe , which is the right use and proper effect of the end ) this end maketh servile works to become sabbath works . for instance , if going to bed the evening before the sabbath , we pray to have quiet rest for this end that we may more cheerefully doe the duties of the sabbath , that sleep is a sabbath sleep : so to eat and drinke for that end is a sabbath eating and drinking . so in other things . 36 q. after what manner must they be done ? a. with raising matter of spirituall meditation from them . luk. 14. 7. on the lords day our mind ought to be so heavenly , as thereby every thing should be done after an heavenly manner : not onely workes of piety , but also every other worke that we doe thereon , should be so done . when we first wake , we should call to mind what day it is , and desire god to sanctifie us to the duties thereof . rising out of bed , should bring to our minde the first resurrection out of sinne , and the second out of the grave . in apparelling our selves , we should meditate on the adorning of our soules . in washing face and hands , thinke on the cleansing of our soules . servants in making and blowing the fire , should thence take occasion of stirring up the fire of gods spirit in them . in preparing meate , they should thinke of the food of their soules . there is nothing which may lawfully be done , from which a pious minde may not draw matter of heavenly meditation : whereby the things from which meditation is drawne , are sanctified . 37 q. may servil works be done on the sabbath , though they hinder duties of piety ? a. yea. mat. 12. 7. god doth not so strictly tie us , as fall what will , or can fall out , we must goe to church . this phrase , not sacrifice ( hos. 6. 6. ) implieth that there may be cases , wherein god doth not expect sarcrifices , that is , externall duties of piety to be performed by us . 38 q. what are those servil works which may be done though they hinder duties of piety ? a. such as are of an absolute necessity . this absolute necessity hath relation to mans need : namely , that it is necessary that such and such things be done , or els some great dammage or prejudice will come to man . 39 q. how may that absolute necessity be knowne ? a. if that which must needs be done could not be done the day before , nor can be put off to the day after . this implies a necessity of the present performance , even upon the sabbath day . this first is laid downe as a ground , that it must needs be done : then it is taken for grant , that it could not be done the day before , and also , that it cannot be put off to the day after : therefore it remaines that it must be done on the lords day . for instance . a tile falls on a mans head and soarely wounds him on the lords day . it is necessary that succour be afforded to this man . the day before nothing could be done for his cure , because no man knew he would be hurt . succour must not be put off to the day after , least the man perish for want of succour . such therefore as are able to helpe him , must doe it , though thereby the duties of piety be hindred . note for this purpose , joh. 7. 23. 40 q. of what sorts are those workes of absolute necessity ? a. 1. ordinary . 2. extraordinary . ordinary are such as for the most part happen every sabbath : and some-where or other are performed on that day . extraordinary are such as may fall out , and sometimes do fall out : but very seldome : and it is a lamentable accident when any of them doe fall out . 41 q. what instances may be given of ordinary servil works which hinder duties of piety ? a. 1. tending young children . 2. keeping sick and impotent persons . 3. helping women in travell . most families have some young children which cannot looke to themselves nor be brought to church without disturbance of the whole congregation . very oft it falls out in every city and towne that some be sicke , or otherwise impotent by age , or some casualty , so as they cannot goe to church , but require some to tarry with them , and to attend upon them . and in what day of the yeare doth it not fall out that some women in one place or other fall in travell ? if every day , then also every lords day . but it is requisite that more then one or two assist them in their travell . all these therefore are ordinary servil works whereby some are kept from duties of piety , and yet are blamelesse . instance hannah who tarried from the temple till her child was weined ( 1 sam. 1. 22. ) and was blamelesse . 42 q. what instances may be given of extraordinary servil workes which hinder duties of piety ? a. 1. quenching fire on houses . 2. making up breaches of water . 3. withstanding enemies . 4. freeing living creatures out of present danger . the three first of these concerning fire , water , and enemies , are so violent , that if present helpe be not afforded against them , irrecoverable dammage may soone follow thereupon . if therefore , in any cases that rule hold , mercy and not sacrifice ( hos. 6. 6. mat. 12. 7. ) most of all in these . as for freeing living creatures out of danger , we have christs expresse warrant , mat. 13. 11. luke 14. 5. if unreasonable creatures are instantly to be pulled out of danger , much more reasonable . luk. 13. 15 , 16. by these particulars which are permitted , we may see , that a conscionable observing of the sabbath is not so heavy a yoke , as many imagine it to be . 43 q. is our lords day now the true sabbath ? a. yes . 44 q. what grounds are there to prove it to be so ? a. 1. divine authority . this is the best ground that can be : even that which is sufficient to settle a mans judgement and conscience . divine authority is that which is set downe in the holy scriptures , either by expresse precept , or by approved practice . this later is it which is most apparent in scripture . for it is noted , that christs disciples were assembled together the first day of the weeke ( which is our lords day ) and so againe eight daies after ( john 20. 19 , 6. ) which * inclusively was the first day of the next weeke . it was also the first day of the weeke , when after christs ascention they were with one accord in one place ( acts 2. 1. ) and the holy ghost descended upon them in cloven tongues . many yeares after that , it is noted of christians , that on the first day of the weeke they came together to breake bread ( meaning sacramentall bread ) and that paul tooke that occasion to preach unto them ( acts 20. 7. ) the manner of setting downe their assembling together implieth their custome therein : which is yet more manifest ( 1. cor. 16. 2. ) where the apostle adviseth them to take that opportunity of their assembling together , for laying up a stock to relieve such as were in distresse . it is not set downe as an act of one time , once onely to be observed , but as a weekely act , to be observed every first day of the weeke . and why that day ? surely because of their great assembly whereby they might whet on one another , and their contribution be the more liberall : yea also because then was the time of observing gods ordinances , whereby their soules must needs be incited to more bountifullnesse and cheerefullnesse therein . the title of the lords day , rev. 1. 10. can be applied to no other day so well as to this . for by lord , without all question is ment the lord christ ( 1. cor. 8. 6. ) it is an usuall title given to him in the new testament . now what day can so fitly be applied to christ , to have a denomination from him , and to be dedicated to the honour of his name , as the day of his resurrection , whereon the church so accustomed to meet together , as we heard before . on this ground , the first day of the weeke is stiled the lords day , to this very day . now this day being by the church dedicated to the honour of the lord christ , john gave himselfe to holy devotion , and the spirit took that opportunity on that holy day to shew him the divine revelations mentioned in that book . 45 q. what other ground is there for our lords . day ? a. the constant custome of christs church . from the apostles time hitherto hath the church celebrated , as holy , the lords day , and that under this title , the lords day . now the constant custome of the church is not to be sleighted . this apostolicall phrase ( 1. cor. 11. 16. ) if any man seeme to be contentious , we have no such custome , neither the churches of god , sheweth that the custome of the church is a matter to be regarded . 46 q. what third ground is there ? a. christs resurrection which made all things new . 2. cor. 5. 17. this as it gives a ground for celebrating the day , so it shewes the reason of altering it . christs resurrection gave evidence of his full conquest over death , the punishment of sinne ; and over him that had the power of death , the divell : yea it gave evidence of a full satisfaction to the justice of god , and of a cleare pacification of the wrath of god . in these respects christ is said to be raised againe for our iustification . rom. 4. 25. for gods justice being satisfied , and wrath pacified , death and divell being over-come , what can hinder our full redemption and justification . this then is a worke that farre surpasseth the creation : and much more deserveth a weekely memoriall . yea this greater work hath swallowed up the former , as the temple did the tabernacle ( 1. king. 8. 4. ) and we that live after christs resurrection are as much bound to the celebration of the first of the weeke , as they that lived before , to the last . 47 q. what fourth ground is there ? a. the substance of the law which requireth a seventh day . the words of the law are these , the seventh day is the sabbath of the lord . i denie not but that the law hath a speciall relation to the first seventh day : but so as it was a memoriall of that great worke of creation . when that was swallowed up with a greater , then the substance of the law is to be observed in a sevenths day memoriall of that greater worke . and it is observable , that the seventh which we celebrate is so ordered , as in the change no weeke had two sabbaths , nor any weeke , as part of a weeke was without a sabbath . their sabbath concluded their last weeke : and our sabbath began our first weeke . the change could not have beene so fit to any other day . 48 q. when begins the lords day ? a. in the morning . act. 20. 7. when paul came to the church at troas , he had a mind to spend a lords day with them , though he was in great haste to depart so soone as he could . he came therefore to their assembly at the time that they came together according to their custome : but he kept them till the end of that day : ( for he would not travell on the lords day ) and having dismissed the assembly , he departed . now it is said , that he continued his speech till midnight ( acts 20. 7 ) even till breake of day ( ver. 11. ) and then departed : which departure of his is said to be on the morrow . by this punctuall expression of the time it appeares that the first day of the weeke , the lords day , ended at midnight : and that then the morrow beganne . now to make a naturall day which consisteth of twenty foure houres , it must begin and end at the same time : for the end of one day is the beginning of another . there is not a minute betwixt them . as therfore the lords day ended at midnight , so it must begin at midnight : when we count the morning to begin . which is yet more evident by this phrase ( mat. 28. 1. ) in the end of the sabbath ( namely of the weeke before , which was the former sabbath ) as it began to dawne ( namely ) on the next day , which was the lords day ) or ( as joh. 20. 1. ) when it was yet darke there came divers to annoint the body of jesus , but they found him not in the grave : he was risen before : so as christ rose before the sunne . 49 q. what reasons may be given of the lords daies beginning in the morning ? a. other daies then begin . that they doe so with us , is evident by the account of our houres . for midnight ended , we begin with one a clock : then the first houre of the day beginneth . and it appeares to be so among the jewes : for when aaron proclaimed ( exod. 32. 5 , 6. ) to morrow shall be a feast to the lord , they rose up early on the morrow . i denie not but that sundry of the jewish feasts began in the evening : as the passeover ( exod. 12. 6. ) but it cannot be proved that their weekly sabbaths so began . there were speciall reasons for the beginning of those feasts in the evening , which did then begin . as for the supposed beginnings of the first daies gathered out of this phrase , ( the evening and the morning were the first day ) they cannot be necessarily concluded to be at evening . for the evening and the morning there importeth the moment of the evening and morning parting one from another , and the returne to the same period : which moment is rather at the beginning of the morning then of the evening . the evening useth to be referred to the end of the day , and the morning to the beginning , as exod. 29. 38 , 39. 1. sam. 17. 16. and 30. 17. joh. 20. 19. 50 q. what other reason is there of the lords daies beginning in the morning ? a. christ then rose . mar. 16. 2 , 9. of christs rising in the morning no question can be made , all the evangelists agree in the narration thereof . now the lords day being a memoriall of christs resurrection , if it should begin in the evening , the memoriall would be before the thing it selfe : which is absurd to imagine . as all gods workes were finished before the first sabbath , so all christs sufferings before the lords day . his lying dead in the grave was a part of his suffering : therefore by his resurrection was all ended . with his resurrection therfore must the lords day begin . to make the evening before the lords day a time of preparation thereunto , is a point of piety and prudence : but to make it a part of the lords day is erroneous , and in many respects very inconvenient . hitherto of directions . aberrations follow . aberrations concerne mens opinion . practise . some mens opinion is erroneous in too much loosenesse : others in too much strictnesse . errors in too much loosenesse are foure . 1. denying the morality of the sabbath . 2. accounting the lords day a matter arbitrary . 3. judging externall rest and rites sufficient . 4. supposing servil works in case of hazard to be lawfull . the error in too much strictnesse is this , thinking needfull works to be unlawfull . aberrations in practise respect others , or themselves . two respect others , viz. keeping others from sanctifying the day . scoffing at such as make conscience thereof . foure respect men themselves . doing servil works openly . deviding the lords day betwixt god and themselves . waxing weary of holy duties . profaning the lords day under a pretence of keeping it . 51 q. what aberrations are contrary to the law of the sabbath ? 1. deniall of the morality and equity thereof . there be many that account it no morall precept , but reckon it among the ceremonies which were appropriated to the jewes . herein they may justly be reckoned in the number of those who make void the law of god , psal. 119. 126. much more they who account it too heavy a yoke for christians to beare . indeed the sacrifices and other legall rites which were enjoyned to the jewes , for the manner of solemnizing the sabbath , are too heavy a burden now to be laid on christians . but none of those are mentioned in the morall law . that which we account morall , and to have a perpetuall equity , is the substance of the law . yet against this doe many also except , as a wrong done to christians , in that thereby ( as they alleadge ) they are deprived of a seventh part of their time . is man deprived of that time which is best spent ? which is spent in serving god , edifying his soule , and promoting the eternall salvation thereof ? fie on such sensuall and unreasonable conceits ? who complaines of being deprived of that time which is spent , or rather mispent in idlenesse and wickednesse ? 52 q. what is a second aberration ? a. making it a matter arbitrary . there be that grant it to be a very meet and equall thing , that a day should be set apart to gods honour , and our spirituall edification : but they hold it too strait a bond to be tied to a set and certaine day : they would have it left to the liberty , if not of particular men , yet of the church to set apart what time they thinke fit . what is this , but to suppose t●at men may be wiser then god ? or at least , that men who live in after ages , when the spirit hath withheld his extraordinary assistance and immediate inspiration , may better know how to order times , then they who were in speciall manner inspired and assisted by the holy ghost ? yea what is this but to give liberty to man to breake the lords bonds , and to cast away his cords from them . this is a ready way to bring man to teach for doctrines the commandements of men : and so to worship god in vaine , mat. 15. 9. 53 q. what is the third aberration ? a judging externall rest and rites sufficient . this was one of the reasons , and that an especiall one , which moved the prophets to cry out against the jewes , for observing those ordinances which god himselfe had enjoyned : namely , that they rested onely in doing the outward workes . in this respect , saith the lord ( isa. 1. 13. ) the sabbath and calling of assemblies i cannot away with . yet herewith doe most content themselves . the externall rites are onely meanes and helpes for sanctifying the day ; the sanctification thereof doth not simply consist in them : much lesse in sneere rest , and cessation from labour : for then a beast might sanctifie the sabbath . 54 q. what is the fourth aberration ? a. supposing servil workes in case of hazzard to be lawfull . thus they pretend unwarrantable workes of necessity , that is , such workes to be of necessity , which are not so . what are to be accounted workes of necessity , we heard before : namely such as require a present performance , in that they could not be done the day before , nor put off to the day after . to them many add such things as are in hazard , or whereof there is feare that they may be spoiled : as in harvest , if the weather have beene foule a day or two before the lords day , they thinke they may on the lords day , if it be faire , make hay , reape corne , gather fruit , and do other like servile workes . but these are not of an absolute necessity . for the weather may be faire after the lords day , as well as upon it . the law therefore hath expressely forbidden this . exod. 34. 21. in earing time and in harvest thou shalt rest on the seventh day . to worke on the lords day on feare that the next day will be foule , is to distrust the divine providence . these foure are errors in overmuch loosenesse . 55 q. what is the fift aberration ? a. thinking needfull workes to be unlawfull on the lords day . this is an error in over-much strictnesse . for some are so over-strict , as they will not suffer a fire to be kindled on that day , nor any hot meate to be drest , nor sundry workes of mercy to be done : like the jewes who blamed christ for the manifold cures he did on the sabbath : and his disciples for plucking and rubbing eares of corne , and eating the graine . the many proofes which christ alleadgeth in defence of himselfe , and of his disciples , and the many evidences which he giveth of the jewes superstition herein , are a sufficient refutation of this erroneous opinon . for this purpose reade mat. 12. 1 , 2 , &c. luke 13. 15 , 16. & 14. 4 , 5. joh. 7. 23. these five are errours in opinion . aberrations in practise follow , whereof two concerne others . 56 q. what is the sixt aberration ? a. keeping others from sanctifying the lords day . the law layeth the charge of sanctifying the sabbath on men , not onely for themselves , but also for others , especially for such as are under their charge . for the law thus expresseth the prohibition of servile workes , in it thou shalt not doe any worke , thou , nor thy sonne , nor thy daughter , nor thy man-servant nor thy maid-servant , nor thy cattell , nor thy stranger which is within thy gates . yet there be many so farre from procuring others , and those under their charge , to sanctifie the lords day , as they hinder them , and suffer them not to doe it . such are they that use to make great feasts on the lords day , rather for pomp , then necessity , or to relieve the poore ; or set out enterludes or such kinde of solemnities for meere pleasure : and they who having others to attend upon them , spend all the fore-noone in attiring and adorning themselves : and all they who imploy servants or others upon secular affaires contrary to the commandement . these , and other like to these , pull their owne and others blood upon their owne soules . they have cause to feare the doome denounced , jer. 34. 16 , 17. 57 q. what is the seventh aberration ? a. scossing at such as make conscience of sanctifying the lords day . there are many not onely deceived in their understanding , but also so perverted in their will , and so impious in their heart , as they cannot endure such as are better enformed then themselves : or that beare and shew a better respect to god , and his worship then they doe . therefore to discourage men from their pious courses , they brand them with ignominious titles , as precisians , puritanes , sabbatarians and jewes . herein they doe exceedingly aggravate their sinne : and shew themselves like him that was borne after the flesh , whose doome was to be cast out , gen. 25. 9 , 10. gal. 4. 29 , 30. david was troubled with such in his daies : for thus he complaines , psal. 119. 51. the proud have had me greatly in derision . but yet marke his resolution in this that follows , yet have i not declined from thy law . to which purpose note also 2. sam. 6. 16 , 20 , 21 , 22. these two last aberrations in practise have respect to others . the soure last that follow have respect to men themselves . 58 what is the eight aberration ? a. doing servile workes openly on the lords day . many that are convinced in their judgements concerning the equity of sanctifying the lords day , yet have their hearts so possessed with covetousnesse , and their minds so filled with the affaires of this world , as they are loath to spare a day from their worldly employments to the honour of god , and the spirituall edification of their owne soules . they are like those who being invited to a great supper , made their excuses from their secular affaires , luke 14. 16 , 18. great was the zeale of nehemiah against such , neh. 13. 15 , 16 , 17. the faires that in many places are kept , and open selling of commodities , are too publicke and open profanations of the lords day . 59 q. what is the ninth aberration ? a. deviding the lords day betwixt god and themselves . some thinke they doe sufficiently sanctifie the lords day , if they goe to church , and serve god some part of the day , though they spend the other part thereof in their owne affaires . herein they shew themselves like to those who set their threshold by gods thresholds , and their posts by gods posts , whereby they defile gods holy name , ezek. 43. 8. 60 q. what is the tenth aberration ? a. wearisomenesse in the duties of the lords day . many that live in countries , cities , townes , parishes and families , where good orders for sanctifying the lords day are strictly observed , are thereby brought to performe the duties tending thereto , but because they have no delight therein they are exceeding weary thereof , and thinke it the longest , and most tedious day in the weeke , saying , when will the sabbath be gone , amos 8. 5. this wearisomnesse takes away all the glory and comfort of what they doe : it is neither acceptable to god , nor profitable to their owne owne soules . therefore let us not be weary in well-doing , gal. 6. 9. 61 q. what is the eleventh aberration ? a. profaning the lords day under a pretence of keeping it . the government under which men live , and the lawes of their governours which they dare not transgresse , make many to forbeare the ordinary workes of their calling , the doing whereof is in all mens opinions an apparent profanation of the lords day : therefore lawyers will forbeare to pleade at the barre : tradesmen will shut up their shops : husbandmen will forbeare the ordinary tillage of their ground ; work-men their usuall labour , and others that which in the sixe daies they busie themselves about : but yet under pretence of that externall keeping the lords day , they will take advantage of doing sundry other things which are plaine prophanations of the day : wherein they doe not celebrate the sabbath of the lord , but the sabbath of sundry other things : all which may be brought to foure heads : and under them , all profanations of the sabbath may be comprised , as the particulars following will shew . 62 q. what is the first kinde of sabbath that is not the lords ? a. the sabbath of worldlings . worldlings are such as have their minds so set upon the things of this world , as they take all the advantages that possibly they can to get and heape up the things of this world : and to that end they will turne those things that are ordained to another end , even the meanes which are afforded to attaine to eternall life , to their worldly advantages . 63 q. what is the sabbath of worldlings ? a. doing his works on it . in that ordinary works of a calling are forborne , there is a shew of keeping a sabbath : but that forbearing of such works giveth occasion to worldlings to do other things that prove as advantageable to them , and which must be done at other times , if they were not then done . for instance , the lawyer will on the lords day ( when he pleads not at the barre , because the law suffers it not ) appoint his clients to come to him to informe him in their causes . the trades-man that shuts up his shop , will then cast up his books , and send his servants to his creditors to require his debts . the farmer will then take his time to meet with his neighbours , to make bargaines , to buy and sell their commodities . so in other cases advantages being taken for the things of this world from a shew of keeping the lords sabbath , makes it to be , not the sabbath of the lord , but the sabbath of worldlings . 64 q. what is a second kind of sabbath that is not the lords ? a. the sabbath of epicures . there was a philosopher called epicurus , who held pleasure to be mans summum bonum , his greatest happinesse . thereupon they that pursue their pleasures with all the might and maine they can , and place a kind of content therein are called epicures . 65 q. what is the sabbath of epicures ? a. satisfying mens owne delights in it . they who are given to their pleasures , being on the lords day restrained from their ordinary calling and the workes thereof , take that opportunity to make pompous feasts , to follow their sports and pastimes , and other waies to satisfie their fleshly delights , neglecting gods service . thus the sabbath which they keepe , is not the sabbath of the lord , but the sabbath of epicures . 66 q. what is the third kind of sabbath that is not the lords ? a. the sabbath of beasts . beasts being unreasonable creatures do not conceive any difference of daies , nor the end why they rest from their accustomed labour and work . thereupon that time wherein they are not put to work they spend in sleeping , grazing , or otherwise feeding , in standing still , or going idly here and there . 67 q. what is the sabbath of beasts ? a. passing it over in idlenosse . there be very many that do no more consider the end of intermitting the duties of their calling then beasts . but because they may not do them , they spend the lords day in lying a bed , or otherwise sleeping , in attiring themselves , in eating and drinking , in vaine talke , in sitting at doores to behold what comes to their eyes , in walking up and down , and such other idle courses . this is not to keep the lords sabbath , but the sabbath of beasts . 68 q. what is the fourth kind of sabbath that is not the lords ? a. the sabbath of divels . divels are spirits of wickednesse , doing all the evill they can , and taking all the occasions they can to doe evill . 69 q. what is the sabbath of divels ? a. making it a day of sin . many that by their calling are all the six daies restrained from outward notorious evill acts , make the lords day a time to let loose the reines to all sin . whoremongers and whores appoint the lords day to meet on to commit their lewdnesse . theeves set that day apart to breake into houses , to rob and steale . then drunkards meet together to make one another drunk . others that have mischievous plots in their heads , will then meete to advise about the execution of them : and animate one another thereunto . thus they serve the divel : they doe his works : they shew themselves herein like the very divels . this therfore is to keep , not the sabbath of the lord , but the sabbath of divels . 70 q. what motives may be given for sanctifying the sabbath ? a. 1. expresse precept . deut. 5. 12. were there no other motive , this were sufficient to a pious mind , that knoweth god to be the only lord , the highest soveraigne over all : who hath an absolute power to command : to whose commandement obedience is expected , yea shall be exacted , and severe vengeance executed on such as refuse to obey . 71 q. what other motive . a. the item before that precept . exod. 20. 8. the item prefixed before the precept concerning the sabbath is this , remember ( remember the sabbath day . ) where among sundry precepts a memēto is set upon one , without question it implieth an especiall heed to be given to it : as if more largely it were said , of all that is given in charge let not this be forgotten : especially remember this , and give good heed thereto . 74 q. why is a memento especially set before the fourth commandement ? a. first , the fourth commandement bringeth a singular help to all the other precepts , as shall be distinctly shewed on the seventh motive . secondly , it intimates mans aversenesse against this precept . the morality of none of the tenne commandements , written with gods owne fingers in the two tables of stone , was ever questioned by such as professed themselves christians , but this of the sabbath . indeed papists in setting downe the ten commandements ( whether in catechismes or els-where ) do leave out the words of the second commandement : yet they do not denie the morality of it : for they render this reason of leaving out the words , the substance of the words left out is in the first commandement : all that is left out is but an exposition of the first . though the reason be not sound , much lesse sufficient to justifie so audacious a fact , as the leaving out of that which god hath so expressely with his own fingers set downe , yet it sheweth that , they denie not the morality of that precept . the memento then intends thus much , that though there may be many that deny the morality of the sabbath , yet let such as beare a due respect to whatsoever is given in charge by the law , remember this part thereof . remember the sabbath day to sanctifie it . thus we see that this is a motive of moment . 75 q. what third motive ? a. gods honour . isa. 58. 13. to have one of the seven daies weekely set apart for the worship of god , and to dedicate the same wholy thereunto , must needs make much to the honour of god . and who would not , who should not do all that he can , especially all that that is appointed by god himself , to the honour of god . them that honour me , will i honour , saith the lord , 1. sam. 2. 30. 76 q. what fourth motive ? a. gods example . gen. 2. 2. exod. 20. 11. the example of god in this particular is for this end expressely produced in the law , that we should the rather be induced thereby to sanctifie the sabbath , exod. 20. 11. to imitate god in that wherein he is to be imitated ; must needs be acceptable to god : and most honourable it is in it selfe . it is a matter of good credit for a child to imitate a good father , for a subject to imitate a prudent . prince , yea for any to imitate those , whose example is worthy imitation . how much more to imitate god . this motive is much pressed in the holy scriptures . levit. 19. 2. luk. 6. 35 , 36. eph. 5. 1. 77 q. what fift motive ? a. the practise of saints . luk. 4. 16. act. 16. 30. 1. cor. 16. 1 , 2. this , though it be not equall to the former motive , yet it is a motive of great moment : and it is also much pressed in sacred scripture , as ps. 99. 6. heb. 6. 12. jam. 9. 10. patterns of saints , who were men , subject to like passions that we be , shew that what we endeavour after is no other then that which appertaineth to man . now for this duty , of sanctifying to god a seventh day , we have the examples of saints before the law ( exod 16. 30. ) under the law ( neh. 13. 19 , 22. ) after the law ( act. 20. 7. ) 78 q. what sixt motive ? a. the equity of the duty . exod. 20. 9. the lord might exact of us every day to be dedicated to the honour of his name . but it pleaseth him in tender respect to our need to afford us six daies to doe our owne worke therein . is it not then most meet and equall , that we should give a seventh to god and to the honour of his name ? may not god in this case say , is not my demand equall ? doe not they who take this day to themselves , deale worse with god then he did with his neighbour , who had many sheepe of his owne , yet tooke from his poore neighbour the one onely one which he had . 2. sam. 12. 4. 79 q. what seventh motive ? a. the helpe it brings to keepe the other commandements ? an especiall part of sanctifying the lords day consists in reading gods word , in hearing it preached , in conferring about it , in meditating on it , and in calling upon god . now by those duties which are about gods word we are instructed in god , and in our duties to him , how we may take him alone for our god , how we may worship him and honour his name aright : yea we are instructed also in all duties which we owe to our neighbour . by gods word also we are perswaded and enduced to endeavour after those things wherein we are instructed . and prayer is an especiall meanes to get the holy ghost ( luke 11. 13. ) this precept therefore is to be observed , as simply in regard of it selfe , so relatively in respect to all other the precepts : and thereupon an especiall memento is set before it alone . 80 q. what eight motive ? a. the spirituall benefit thereof . jer. 17. 26. a conscionable sanctifying of the lords day , by a due observing of those divine ordinances which god hath prescribed , is an especiall meanes to convert such as have formerly lived in their naturall corrupt estate , and to quicken and increase the graces which have beene formerly wrought in us . we by reason of the flesh in us , are prone as heavy things to fall downe : and as water to waxe cold . but the lords day by the ordinances thereof is an especiall meanes of renewing what is decaied . as waites of a clock by oft winding up are kept continually going , so grace by the foresaid duties is kept in continuall exercise . the lords day is a spirituall market day , wherein we may get such spirituall provision , as may feed and sustaine our soules the whole weeke following : and so weeke after weeke , while here we live in this world . 81 q. what ninth motive ? a. the temporall benefit of it . deut. 5. 14. surely a daies rest in every weeke is very needfull and usefull for man and beast : especially for such as labour all the sixe daies . experience gives good proofe thereof . howsoever such as on no day take any great paines find no such benefit thereby : yet others doe . and the wise god saw it to be so . for which end he expresly commanded that the beast should rest ( exod. 20. 10. ) now the beast can reape no other then a temporall benefit . there is therefore a temporall benefit thence arising . some masters are so covetous and gripulous , as if there were not a seventh day for rest set apart , they would never afford any daies rest to servants or cattell : but so weary them , as their strength would quickly be exhausted . it remaines then that as the rest of every night , so the rest of every seventh day , is usefull and needfull : and a great temporall good is thereby brought to man and beast . 82 q. what tenth motive ? a. promises to observers thereof . isa. 58. 13 , 14. promises , great and pretious promises being made by one that is able to performe what he promiseth , and withall is true and faithfull , and in that kind will not faile to make good his word , are a strong motive to stirre up men to doe with the uttermost of their power the things whereunto such and such promises are made . but promises , great and many , by god himselfe , of whose power , and truth no question can be made , are made to such as are conscionable in keeping the sabbath : as appeares isa. 56. 2 , 4 , 6. and 58. 13 , 14. jer. 17. 24 , 25. 83 q. what eleventh motive ? a. threats against profaners of it . what promises cannot do on hard hearts , threats may doe . for they are of force to affright men : and in a manner to force men to obedience . the lord therefore being willing every way to try how men may be wrought upon , useth this remedy : and the rather he useth it , that judgement , and the execution thereof may be prevented . for this is the proper end of threatnings before hand , that after-judgements may be avoided : so as in regard of the end whereat they aime , they appeare to be evidences of gods favour . for these reade exod. 31. 14 , 15. ier. 17. 27. ezek. 20. 13 , 21. 84 q. what twelfth motive ? a. judgements executed on such as violated it . execution of judgement hath a threefold end . the first aimeth at him on whom the judgement is executed : by the sence and smart thereof to be drawne to repentance . thus was manasseh wrought upon by a fearefull judgement executed on him , 2. chron. 33. 12 , 13. the second aimeth at others , that if they on whom the judgement is executed be so hardned , as it move them not , yet others may be warned thereby : for this end the judgements on impenitent sinners of old is set before christians to admonish them . 1. cor. 10. 6 , &c. heb. 3. 12. jude ver. 5 , 6 , &c. the third aimeth at god : that if neither they on whom judgements are executed , nor others that see them or heare of them , be wrought upon , yet god may be justified . in which respect he is said to be knowne by the iudgement which he executeth ( psal. 9. 16. ) he thereby is knowne to be a mighty , a just , a wise god , a god that hateth iniquity . read dan. 9. 7. and neh. 9. 32 , 33. now judgements being terrible to such as feele , and to such as see them , or heare of them , they must needs be a forcible motive to restraine men from profaning the sabbath . instances of fearefull judgements executed for this sinne are in numb. 15. 32. and 2 chron. 36. 21. neh. 13. 18. 85 q. what thirteenth motive ? a. the safety of sanctifying it . act. 4. 19. there is great question about the sabbath , whether it ought now to be sanctified , and wholy dedicated to god or no . now to one that is not perswaded one way or other , i would propound this question , whether may be the safer , to sanctifie it , or not to sanctifie it ? if on the one side it still remaine as a precept whereunto we are all bound , then it is a palpable transgression of the law not to sanctifie it : and in this case , woe to the transgressors thereof . but suppose the precept doe not still absolutely bind us , yet if voluntarily we set apart a seventh day to the honour of god , and the spirituall edification of our owne soules ( provided that superstition be not placed in the keeping of the day ) surely there is no sinne therein , nor any great inconvenience . so that questionlesse it must needs be the safest course to sanctifie the day . among other motives let this also be well considered . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a41671e-380 of peoples uttering amen , see the guide to goe to god § 243 exod. 5. 7 , 8. * christ is said ( mar. 8. 31. ) to rise againe after three daies : which is to be taken inclusively : the whole third day being included . againe where ( mat. 17 1. & ( mar. 9. 2. ) it is said that christ went into the mount where he was transfigured six daies after , luke ( 9. 28. ) saith about eight daies after , matthew & mark speake exclusively : leaving out the day wherin he was last with all his disciples , and the day wherein he came to the mount : and meane only the six daies betwixt . luke speakes inclusively : including the foresaid two daies . catechis . 1c uit . catechis . vicelij . catechis . b. llarm . lege alanum copum cap. 21. dialogi 4. a brief answer to a late treatise of the sabbath day digested dialogue-wise between two divines, a. and b. burton, henry, 1578-1648. 1635 approx. 81 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 17 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : 2004-08 (eebo-tcp phase 1). a17292 stc 4137.7 estc s4551 23480061 ocm 23480061 26702 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a17292) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 26702) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1475-1640 ; 1829:14) a brief answer to a late treatise of the sabbath day digested dialogue-wise between two divines, a. and b. burton, henry, 1578-1648. 32 p. j.f. stam, [amsterdam : 1635?] caption title. attributed to burton by stc (2nd ed.). dated at end: octob. 2. 1635. imprint suggested by stc (2nd ed.). signatures: a-d⁴. reproduction of original in the peterborough cathedral. library. includes bibliographical references. created by converting tcp files to tei p5 using tcp2tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the 25,363 texts created during phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 january 2015. anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p5, characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng white, francis, 1564?-1638. -treatise of the sabbath-day. sabbath -early works to 1800. 2004-05 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2004-05 apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images 2004-06 judith siefring sampled and proofread 2004-06 judith siefring text and markup reviewed and edited 2004-07 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a brief answer to a late treatise of the sabbath day . digested dialogue-wise between two divines , a. and b. a. brother ▪ you are happily mett ? b. and you brother also . a. i would i might spend an houre or two with you in private conference , in a point wherein i have of late been not a little perplexed . b. why , what is the matter , brother ? a. have you not seene a late treatise of the sabbath day , pubished by an eminent antistes in this church ? b. yes : i have both seene , and perused it . a. i pray you what thinke you of it ? b. i thinke it is a very dangerous booke . a. what meane you by that ? b. i 〈…〉 to the author , if it were well examined before 〈…〉 . a. how so , i pray you ? b. because it overthrowes the doctrine of the church of england in the point of the sabbath . a. pardon mee ; that seemes to mee impossible . b. vvhy ? a. because hee sayth expresly in the very title page of his booke , that it contayneth a defence of the orthodox all doctrine of the church of england , against sabbatarian novelty . and therefore i am confident , hee will looke to make that good . b. but be not too confident , you know the proverbe , fronti rara fides . the fowlest causes may have the fairest pretences . a. that is true you say . but yet i cannot be perswaded , that so great a personage , would so farre overshoot , as to give that advantage to those , whom hee makes his adversaries . nay you know his booke is dedicated to the archbishop of canterbury ; by whose direction , and that according to his sacred majesties command , hee was set upon this worke , both for the preventing of mischief , ( as himself sayth in his epistle dedicatory to the sayd archbishop ) and to settle the kings good subjects , who have long time been distracted about sabbatarian questions . now if hee mayntaine not , but ( as you say ) overthrow the doctrine of the church of england , hee will have small thanks from his sacred majestie for his paines , who is the defender of the faith of the church of england , and hath often solemnely protested , and that in his publike * declarations in print , that hee will never suffer therein the least innovation . and what thanks then can hee expect from the archbishop , trow you ? and in stead of preventing , hee will pull on greater mischiefs ; and in stead of setling the kings good subjects , hee will fill their minds with greater distractions . and therefore , brother , in so saying , you lay a heavy charge upon him . it s dangerous so to charge a person of that dignity , and esteeme in the world . take heed therefore what you say . you know also that hee is a great scholar , deeply learned , a reverend father of the church so as his judgment is taken almost for an oracle . and you know also what is sayd in a late booke , allowed by authority , that the holy fathers in god the bishops , are to be guides in divinity unto the whole clergy of inferior order , so as all priests are to submit unto their godly iudgements in all matters pertayning unto religion . and the reason is given , because the fathers of the church now and alwayes , doe in the great mystery of godlinesse comprehend many things , which the common people doe not , yea also some things , which ministers of the inferior order doe not apprehend . so as it is expected of those holy prelates , that wee must lay our hand on our mouth , when they speake , and be altogether regulated by their profound dictates . b. i remember well the booke . and i cannot but wonder , that those passages were not expunged , with many others , when the booke was called in , and then the second time published . you know wee live in a learned age , and wee deny the popes infallibility , or that it can convey it self , as from the head , and so confine it self within the veines of the bodie of the prelacy ; or that a rotchet can conferre this grace ex opere operato . and beleeve mee , brother , when wee see such a papall spirit begin to perke up in this our church , is it not high time , trow you , to looke about us ? shall wee stumble at noone day , and in this meridian of the gospell close up our eyes , and become the sworne vasalls of blind obedience ? no , no. in this case therefore were goliah himself the champion , i would , by gods grace try a fall with him . a. brother , such a resolution had need have a good ground to stand upon . and being a matter of such moment , it requires our best zeale and strength , especially to vindicate the doctrine of our reverend mother the church of england , which wee have sucked from her purer breasts . nor onely so , but to vindicate her name from reproach . for if it be so , as you have sayd , that the doctrine of our church is by that booke overthrowne : then consequently ( as i conceive ) shee must deeply suffer , and be wounded through the sides of those , whom hee so often in his booke brandeth with the odious name of novell sabbatarians . b. brother , you conceite a right . for in truth , all those calumnious and odious termes , which hee gives to those , whose opinions ( except brabournes onely ) hee impugneth in his treatise ; as , venimous serpents , noysome tares , pestilent weeds , and uncleane beasts ( termes to be abhorred of all true christians ) and in a word , novell sabbatarians : they all result upon our deare mother , the church of england . for who are the most of those , or rather all , whom hee thus stigmatizeth ? are they not , or were they not in their time , the true bred children of the church of england , all unanimously professing and maintayning her orthodox doctrines ? can therefore the mother be free , when her pious sonnes are so traduced and reproached , and that for defending those very doctrines , which by her meanes they sucked from the breasts of both the testaments ? a. that must needs follow , i confesse . now then i pray you , satisfy my earnest desire in this , by declaring how hee overthrowes the doctrine of the church of england in this point of the sabbath . b. i will make it most cleare unto you . now the doctrine of the church of england concerning the sabbath , is most clearely and fully set forth in the booke of homilies ; which booke the 35 article ( to which all wee ministers doe subscribe ) doth commend , as contayning a godly and whole some doctrine , and necessary for these times ; and therefore judged to be read in churches by the ministers diligently , and distinctly , that they may be understanded of the people . now the homilie of the time and place of prayer , part . 1. sheweth , that our lords day is grounded upon the fourth commandement in the decalogue ; in these words : whatsoever is found in the commandement , appertaining to the law of nature , as a thing most godly , most just , and needfull for the setting forth of gods glory , it ought to be retained and kept of all good christian people . and therefore by this commandement , wee ought to have a time , as one day in the weeke , wherein wee ought to rest , yea from our lawfull and needfull workes . for like as it appeareth by this commandement , that no man in the six dayes ought to be slothfull or idle , but diligently to labour in that state , wherein god hath set him : even so god hath given expresse charge to all men , that upon the sabbath day , which is now our sunday , they should cease from all weekly and worke day labour , to the intent , that like as god himself wrought six dayes , and rested the seventh , and blessed and sanctified it , and consecrated it to quietnes , and rest from labour : even so gods obedient people should use the sunday holily , and rest from their common and dayly businesse , and also give themselves wholly to heavenly exercises of gods true religion and service . so that god doth not onely command the observation of this holy day , but also by his owne example doth stirre and provoke us to the diligent keeping of the same . good naturall children will not onely become obedient to the commandement of their parents , but also have a diligent eye to their doeings , and gladlie follow the same . so if wee will be the children of our heavenly father , wee must be carefull to keep the christian sabbath day , which is the sunday , not onely for that it is gods expresse commandement , but also to declare our selves to be loving children , in following the example of our gratious lord and father . so the homily . and againe , as followeth : thus it may plainlie appeare , that gods will and commandement was to have a solemne time , and standing day in the weeke , wherein the people should come together , and have in remembrance his wonderfull benefits , and to render him thanks for them , as appertaineth to loving , kind , and obedient people . this example and commandement of god , the godly christian people began to follow immediately after the ascension of our lord christ , &c. so the homily , and much more . vvhence wee plainely observe these conclusions : 1. that all christians ought and are bound in conscience of the fourth commandement to keep the lords day holily . 2. that by the force of the fourth commandement , one day in 7. is perpetually to be kept holy . 3. that the keeping of the lords day is grounded upon , and commanded in the fourth commandement , and so is not of humane institution . 4. that the lords day is and may be called our christian sabbath day , therefore it is not iewish to call it so . 5. that this day is wholly to be spent in holy rest , and dueties of sanctification , and therefore no part of it to be spent in vaine pleasures , and profane pastimes . now the author of the treatise doth overthrow all these conclusions , as is to be seene throughout his booke . a. i pray you shew some instances hereof . b. pag. 23. his words are , this position ( to wit , that the fourth commandement is properly and perpetually morall , and is for quality and obligation , equall to the other nine commandements , ) ( which for many yeares hath raigned in pamphlets , pulpits , and conventicles , and is entertained as an oracle by all such as either openly professe , or doe leane towards the disciplinarian faction ) is destitute of truth . these are his words . vvhich comparing with the words of the homily of our church already cited , are found quite contrary . for the homily sayth , that the fourth commandement is a law of nature , and ought to be retained and kept of all good christians ; in as much as it commands one day of the weeke for rest ; and god hath given an expresse charge to all men , that the sabbath day , which is our sunday , should be spent wholly in heavenly exercises of gods true religion and service . so as this man doth most unjustly condemne all those godly preachers , that have for so many yeares maintayned the expresse doctrine of our church in their writings and sermons ; and so hee flatly condemneth our church , and her doctrine of the sabbath ; wherein shee is more cleare and sound , then any churches in the world . and long may this doctrine still florish amongst us , maugre all the malicious opposers thereof , who are so bold as to affirme , that it is destitute of truth . a. i assure you , i begin now to suspect the man ; that hee hath not dealt uprightly in the cause . b. nay it is past all suspition ; for his words are so expresse , that they can admit of no favorable interpretation , but that they condemne the cleare doctrine of our church , touching the perpetuall morality of the fourth commandement , for one day in the weeke , and so our lords day , or sunday , the first day of the weeke , our christian sabbath day , which god hath given expresse charge to all men to keep holy . a. i confesse the words of the homily are most cleare , without all ambiguity , or obscurity . but yet the author seemes to acknowledge some morality naturall to be in the fourth commandement . for pag. 135. hee sayth , our resting from labour in respect of the generall , is grounded upon the law of nature , or the equity of the fourth commandement . b. this is nothing to the purpose , to acquit him from being an adversary to the expresse doctrine of our church . dolosus versatur in universalibus ( it was the speech of king iames. ) the naturall morality of the fourth commandement , is not in generall , to imply some individuum vagum , some certaine uncertaine indefinite time for gods worship : for the commandement is expresse for a certaine day in the weeke , for the sabbath day ; remember the sabbath day to sanctify it . it sayth not , remember to set apart and allow some time for the service of god ; but it determines the time , and day ; least otherwise being left undetermined , man should forget god and himself , and allow no time or day at all for gods service ; or if hee did , god should be beholden to him for it . but it is a law of nature , that every lord and master should have the power in himself , to appoint , not onely the kind of service , but the time when it should be performed of his servants . as alexander d'ales sayth , upon the fourth commandement , the time of this rest it is not in mans power to determine , but gods. againe , the adversary acknowledgeth an equity in the fourth commandement . vvhat equity , if as it bound the ancient people of god to one day in the weeke , it doe not also bind the christian people to keep one day in the wee●●nd if it be the equity of the fourth commandement , to prescribe one day in seaven : then they are very unjust , that deny the keeping of the lords day to be grounded upon the equity of the fourth commandement . it were well , if they would stand to equity . but this doth our adversary fly from : for hee sayth in the next words , the particular forme , and circumstances of resting , are prescribed unto us by the precepts of the church . our spirituall actions , according to that which is maine and substantiall in them , are taught by the euangelicall law. their modification and limitation , in respect of rituall and externall forme ; and in regard of place , duration , gesture , habit ; and other externall circumstances , are prescribed by the law of the church . so hee . thus you see , how hee limits the prescription of circumstances , ( which comprehend time , place , persons ) and namely , duration , when , and how long god shall be served , unto the prescription of the law of the church : which hee expresseth more fully , pag. 270. saying , it was in the free election of the church , to appoint what day , or dayes , or times , shee thought good , or found convenient for religious dueties ; for the euangelicall law hath not determined any certaine day , or time ; and those actions or circumstances , which are not determined by divine precept , are permitted to the liberty and authority of the church , to be determined and appointed . so hee . but cleare it is , that the church of england disclameth all such power , but ascribes all authority of prescribing a time and day of holy rest unto the lord of the sabbath , who hath expressed his will and pleasure herein in his law of the fourth commandement ; as our homily sayth . a. but the homily seemes to favour his opinion , saying , that godly christian people began to chuse them a standing day of the weeke , &c. and therefore it seemes to be at the churches choyce . b. our choyce doth not necessarily imply a power of institution . wee are sayd to chuse life , and truth , before death and errour : are wee therefore the authors of them ? againe , our choyce herein is according to gods commandement . thirdly , the homily sayth expresly , that those godly christian people , did in their choyce follow the example and commandement of god. now what example had they , but christs rising and resting on that day , after the example of gods resting the seventh day ? and for commandement , they had both the fourth commandement , and an apostolicall precept , 1. cor. 16. and that place in the revelation , appropriating this day as holy to the lord , and so ratified by god himself . and who were they which taught those godly christian people , to keepe this day ? viz. the apostles . and therefore wee must put a vast difference betweene the unerring apostles , and the succeeding churches , so as the homily is cleare against him . a. but see , this seemes to me the maine knott of the whole controversy , namely about the designation of the particular and speciall time , consecrated to gods worship , whither it be comprehended and prescribed in the fourth commandement , or depends upon the determination of the church . the adversary confesseth a naturall equity in the fourth commandement , that some time is to be set apart for the service of god , but indeputate , and left at large to the liberty of the church to determine and limit the speciall time , when , and how long ; what portion and proportion is to be allowed . now although you have a little touched upon this point already : yet considering it is the maine hindge of the whole matter in question , and the maine ground , whereon the whole waight of the controversy relyeth : i pray you a little more fully to elucidate this point , and the rather ( not onely for the settling of my judgement ) but for the clearing of our homily from all false interpretations , which the adversary might make for the eluding of those things , which you have observed out of it . b. your motion is very opportune , and no lesse important . for the adversary doth the more easily play fast and loose in the myst of his generalities , while , though hee cannot , or dare not for shame utterly deny the morality of the fourth commandement , ( which all divines doe hold ) yet hee denies any particular , speciall , determinate time to be commanded or limited therein ; but will have that wholly put and placed in the power of the church . it will be requisite therefore to stoppe this hole , that hee may not have the least evasion , but by the cords of strong reasons , be bound and forced to confesse , that either the fourth commandement doth prescribe and determine a sett , certain , fixed proportion of time . consecrated by god himself unto his solemne and sacred worship : or els , that it commaunds to us christians no certain time or day at all , and so the morality of it ( if ever it had any ) is quite abolished , and no other law or commandement now binds us , but the precept or practise of the church . this is the very summe and upshot of the matter . a. sir , i conceive and apprehend it to be so . b. now i shall proove , and make it evident , that the fourth commandement either prescribes a certain proportion of time , and a fixed day consecrate to god , and in that very respect is perpetually morall , binding us christians to the same proportion : or els , if it determine no sett proportion of time , but leaves it at large to the church to proportionate , whither longer , or shorter ; then there remaines no such obligatory equity in the fourth commandement , as to bind the church to appoint and allow such or such a proportion of time ; but that if this time , which the church appointeth , be either one day in 20 , or 40 , or 100 , or one day in the yeare , or so , or but one peece of a day in such a revolution of time , and not one whole or intyre day , much lesse one whole day in every seven ; the church in this sinneth not , as being not guilty of the breach of the fourth commandement , which bindeth us christians to no certain proportion of time , as the adversary himself would have it , but in this respect is now abrogated . his words are : * the fourth commandement , in respect of any one definite and speciall day of every weeke , was not simplie and perpetuallie morall , but positive and temporary onely . which assertion of his , as it is directly , and in terminis , contrary to the doctrine of our homily fore-alledged , which sayth : by this commandement ( the fourth ) wee ought to have a time , as one day in the weeke , &c. and this appartaineth to the law of nature , as a thing most godly , most just and needfull for the setting forth of gods glorie , and therefore ought to be retained and kept of all good christian people . so the homily . no , sayth d. whi● one day in the weeke was but positive and temporary onely ; and therefore not appartaining to the law of nature , as a thing most godly , most just , and needfull for the setting forth of gods glory , and so ought not in that respect to be retained and kept of all good christian people . but wee will not presse him downe with the bare authority of our church , without showing the grounds and reasons , whereupon it is grounded . now first observe wee the words of the commandement , remember the sabbath day , to keep it holy : which words ( sayth the learnest zanchie ) are the very morall substance of the fourth commandement . the lord sayth not , remember to sanctify some convenient , and sufficient time , as the church shall thinke fit . the commandement prescribeth a certain and sett time , yea a day , the sabbath day , one day in the weeke , which is the sabbath day . againe it teacheth us what day in the weeke the sabbath day is , to wit , the sabbath day of the lord thy god : that day in the weeke , wherein the lord our god resteth , must be our sabbath day . so that as the commandement prescribes unto us a weekely sabbath day to be sanctified : so gods precedent and example points out unto us , what or which day in the weeke wee must rest on , to sanctify it . and this is not onely the naturall equity ( which the adversary in generall confesseth ) but the very naturall law and substance of the fourth commandement , to prescribe a set solemne day in the weeke to be sanctified , and not to leave it in the power of man , or of the church to appoint what time they please . the reasons are these : 1. because the commandement expresly limiteth one set day in the weeke , being the sabbath day of the lord our god , as hath bene sayd . now the commandement prescribing a set and fixed day in the weeke : what humain power shall dare to alter it into an indefinite time ( call it what you will , convenient , or sufficient ) to be appointed at the pleasure of man ? this is with the papists to commit high sacriledge , in altering the property of gods commandements . for upon this ground , of a generall equity , they have bene bold to suppresse the second commandement , saying , it is comprised in the first . as they have robd the people of the cup in the sacrament , saying , the blood is contained in the body , under the formes of bread . so our adversary , imagining a generall ( i wot not what ) equity in the fourth commandement , of some certain uncertain time for gods publicke worship , doth thereby destroy the very property of the commandement , which expresly prescribeth the sabbath day in every weeke . a second reason , why it is not left in the power of the church to prescribe what time men please , is , because as it is gods prerogative , as a maister , to appoint his owne worship and service , so the time , wherein hee will be served . this god himself commandeth in the fourth commandement . now as the king will not take it well , that any meddle with his prerogative , and arrogate that to himself , which is the kings right : so god is justly offended , when men presume to assume to themselves that power , which is proper and peculiar to god alone . if any will take upon him to coyne money , by counterfeting the kings stampe and name : his act is treason : how then shall they escape , if presume to coyne what time they please for gods solemne worship , though they set the counterfeit stampe of god upon it . now the sabbath day is of the lords owne making and stamping , and therefore called the lords day . a third reason , why it is not left in mans power to institute the solemne day of gods worship , his sabbath day , or to appoint him what proportion of time they please , is , because an indefinite time must either bind to all moments of time , as a debt , when the day of payment is not expresly dated , is liable to payment every moment ; or els it binds to no time at all . for if the law of god bind us not to an expresse determinate time , or day , consecrate to his service : then the not allowing of him a set time , or day , is no sinne at all . for what gods law commaunds not , therein man is not bound . and where no law is of a set time or day , there is no transgression , if a set time , or day be not observed . so as , by this reason , if the law of the fourth commandement prescribe no set sacred time , or day for rest and sanctification , it is a meere nullity . for , to say there is a naturall equity in it for some sufficient and convenient time , and yet no man can define what this sufficient and convenient time is , nay all the wits and heads in the world put together , are not able to determine it : is , as to say , there is a world in the moone , consisting of land and sea , and inhabitants , because there are some black spots in it ; which yet is not a more lunaticke opinion , then that is presumptuous and absurd . hath not the profane world found by wofull experience , & that of late dayes , within these two yeares last past , wherein men have taken a liberty to profane and pollute , but a part of the lords day : that this is a most horrible sinne ? and a sinne it cannot be , but as a breach of one of gods holy commandements . for where there is no law , there is no transgression . the profanation ( i say ) of the lords day is clearely shewed to be an horrible presumptuous sinne , and in speciall a bold breach of the fourth commandement , by those many markable judgements of god , which have fearefully fallen upon fearelesse sabbath breakers , and that ( i say ) within these two yeares last past , the like whereof cannot be paralleld in all the histories of all the centuries since the apostles times . which alone ( if men were not altogether possessed with the spirit of stupidity , and of a croced conscience ) were sufficient to teach their dull wits , that the fourth commandement is still in force , commaunding the sabbath day to be sanctified , the profanation whereof wee see so terribly punished by divine revenge . a point also , which our homily hath noted , which were sufficient to admonish the adversary of his presumptuous oppositions thereunto . a. sir , you have abundantly satisfied me in this point , and i suppose every rationall man , and true bred-sonne of the church of england . and surely i wonder so learned a man should commit so fowle an errour , as not to search better into the doctrine of our church , so clearely expressed in the homily . b. you need not wonder at it ; wee have all knowne him to doe as great a matter as that . for was not his hand to the approbation of a booke in print ( though afterwards called in by soveraigne authority ) which contaynes and maintayns many sundry tenents , both pelagian and popish , flatt against the cleare doctrines of our church ; and whereby hee hath as yet made no publike recantation , to remoove the scandall from the church of england , and to satisfy so high an offence given ? yea in stead of recantation , i my self have heard him in open court speake against both iustification ; that a man might be justified to day , and damned to morrow ; and against election of some to eternall life ; and against the sanctification of the sabbath , saying , i say , there is no sanctification of the sabbath , but rest , rest onely . and therefore cease to wonder , that this man should be so feareles , either privily to undermine , or apertly to oppugne the expresse doctrines of our church . a. yet i cannot but wonder , how hee dare be so bold , and upon what grounds hee should thus impune beare himself . b. the grounds i examine not , as pertayning to those that are more judicious , and in highest place over the church , but the fact cannot be dissembled . a. but perhaps hee will say , this is your private interpretation of the homily ; and of a sort of factions sabbatarian novellists . but what instances can you bring of any , that were eminent in this church for learning and parts , and not any way inclined to the disciplinarian faction , that concurre with you in the same judgement and understanding of the doctrine of our church , layd downe in the homily ? b. first , the words of the homily ( as you have heard , and as every one may plainely see ) are so expresse , cleare , and full , that they cannot possibly admit of the least ambiguity . and for instances , i could give many . i will content my self with two witnesses , enough to establish the matter . vvhat say you to the learned hooker , and to the learned dr. andrewes ? were these any way inclined unto the disciplinarian faction ? or were they novell sabbatarians ? a. no surely ; i thinke d. vvh . himself will not say so of them , but will admit them for very competent witnesses in this cause , as without all exception . b. first then for mr. hooker : hee in his fift booke of ecclesiasticall policy , sect. 70. hath these words : if it be demanded , whether wee observe these times ( to wit , holy dayes ) as being thereunto bound by force of divine law , or els by the onely positive ordinances of the church : i answer to this , that the very law of nature it self , which all men confesse to be gods law , requireth in generall no lesse the sanctification of times , then of places , persons , and things unto gods honor . for which cause it hath pleased him heretofore as of the rest , so of time likewise to exact some parts by way of perpetuall homage , never to be dispensed withall , nor remitted ; againe , to require some other parts of time , with as strict exaction , but for lesse continuance , and of the rest which were left arbitrary , to accept what the church shall in due consideration consecrate voluntarily unto like religious uses . of the first kind amongst the iewes , was the sabbath day : of the second , those feasts which are appointed to the law of moses ; the feast of dedication invented by the church , standeth in the number of the last kind . the morall law requiring therefore a seventh part throughout the age of the whole world to be that way imployed , although with us the day be changed , in regard of a new revolution begun by our saviour christ , yet the same proportion of time continueth , which was before , because in reference to the benefit of creation , and now much more , of renovation thereunto added by him , which was prince of the world to come , wee are bound to account the sanctification of one day in seven , a duety which gods immutable law doth exact for ever . so hee there . vvhere you see , how in terminis hee agreeth and jumpeth with the expresse doctrine of our church in the homily , touching the perpetuall morality of the fourth commandement , wee are bound ( sayth hee ) to account the sanctification of one day in seven ( which before hee sayth is now the lords day ) a duety which gods immutable law doth exact for ever . the second instance is the late reverend and learned b. of vvinkc . who in his speech in the starre-chamber , ( which with other of his workes hath been by the great diligence and care of the now archbishop of cant. published in print ) confuting trasks opinion about the iewes sabbath , hath these words : it hath ever been the churches doctrine , that christ made an end of all sabbaths , by his sabbath in the grave . that sabbath , was the last of them . and that the lords day presently came in place of it : dominicus , &c. the lords day was , by the resurrection of christ , declared to be the christians day ; and from that very time ( of christs resurrection ) it began to be celebrated , as the christian mans festivall . for the sabbath had reference to the old creation ; but in christ , wee are a new creature , a new creation by him , and to have a new sabbath . and a little after : the apostles , they kept their meetings on that day . on that day they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ( that is ) held their synaxes , their solemne assemblies : to preach , to pray , to break bread , or celebrate the lords supper , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the lords supper on the lords day : for , these two onely ( the day and the supper ) have the epithet of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , dominicum , in the scriptures ; to shew dominicum is alike to be taken in both . this , for the practise then : if you will have it in precept ; the * apostle gives it ( and in the same word still ) that against 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ( the first day of the weeke ) the day of their assembly , every one should lay apart , what god should moove him to offer to the collection for the saincts , and then offer it ; which was soever in use . that , the day of oblations . so have you it in practise and in precept , both , &c. and after : a thing so notorious , so well knowne , even to the heathen themselves , as it was ( in the acts of the martyrs ) ever an usuall question of theirs ( even of course ) in their examining , what ? dominicum servasti ? hold you the sunday ? and their answer knowne ; they all averre it , christianus sum , intermittere non possum . i am a christian , i cannot intermit it . and besides others hee cites athanasius , who shewes the abolishing of the iewes day , and the succeeding of the lords day , in place of it , and that so full , as no man can wish more . last of all , hee both quotes , and commends the councell of laodicea , for that canon 29. that christen men may not iudaize , or grow iewes ; that is , not make the sabbath or saturday , their day of rest ; but that they are to worke on that day , giving their honour of celebration to the lords day . so hee . i will adde onely a brief note of the same author in one of his sermons ; on those words : this is the day , which the lord hath made : the day of christs resurrection , made by god , dies dominicus ; and to it , doe all the fathers apply this verse . so hee . i might here also adde what is sayd in that booke , which is intituled , a patterne of catecheticall doctrine , and printed at london 1630. which though it have not dr. andrewes name prefixt unto it ; yet it is well knowne , it was his worke , ( even ex ungne leonem ) being his catecheticall exercise in cambridge , as i have been credibly informed , and whereof i have the manuscript by mee , which i keep as an antiquity . i know the booke will not very well relish with our adversaries palate . for there ( pag. 233. ) are these passages . quest. but is not the sabbath a ceremony , and so abrogated by christ ? answ. doe as christ did in the cause of divorce ; looke whither it were so from the beginning ; now the beginning of the sabbath was in paradise before there was any sinne , and so before there needed any saviour , and so before there was any ceremony , or figure of a saviour . object . and if they say it prefigured the rest that wee shall have from our sinnes in christ. answ. wee grant it ( as comming in afterwards deuter. 5. 15. as it is in my manuscript ) and therefore the day is changed , but yet no ceremony prooved . 1. from the law. 1. by the distinction between the law and a ceremony , deut. 4. 13. 14. the law came immediatly from god : the ceremonies were instituted by moses . 2. it were not wise to set a ceremony in the midst of morall precepts ‡ . 3. this is a principle , that the decalogue is the law of nature revived , and the law of nature is the image of god ; now in god there can be no ceremony , but all must be eternall : and so in this image , which is the law of nature , and so in the decalogue . secondly from the gospell , eph. 2. 4. all ceremonies were ended in christ ; but so was not the sabbath ; for mat. 24. 20. christ biddeth them pray , that their visitation be not on the sabbath day : so that there must needs be a sabbath after christs death . 3. those which were ceremonies were abrogated , and not changed : but those which were not ceremonies were changed : as the ministry from the levites , to be chosen throughout the world : the seats changed : so here the day changed from the day of iewes , to the lords day . rev. 1. 10. so there . and my manuscript addeth , and yet a sabbath , act. 1. 12. so that this lasteth as long , as the church militant . so there . now from the premisses in this instance , wee observe , what was the judgement of that learned prelate , and how consonant to the doctrine of our church in the homily , touching the sabbath . hee shewes plainely , that the lords day comming in place of the old sabbath day , and so becomming our sabbath day , is by necessary consequence grounded upon the fourth commandement , the law whereof is perpetually , because naturally morall . so as hence i might frame this argument : that day , which comes in place of the old sabbath day , is commanded in the fourth commandement : but the lords day is come in place of the old sabbath : therefore it is commanded in the fourth commandement . the minor is cleare in d. andr. and so from all the fathers universally . the major is no lesse true ; for if the fourth commandement command the sabbath day to be kept perpetually in all ages ( as sayth our homily ) and that sabbath day of the iewes is now abolished , and an other day , the lords day is now come in place of the old , and is the christians sabbath day : then of necessity , doth the fourth commandement command us christians to keep the lords day , as our new sabbath day . for instance : one is made a present heire , yea and lord of such an inheritance : hee enjoyeth it for his life ; but when hee dyes , his next heire succeeds him in the full title . so here . if they object , but quo jure , by what right doth the lords day take the place of the sabbath day ? i answer with d. andrewes , and all the fathers , out of the psalme , god made it so : and christs resurrection declared it to be so : and the apostles observed it so ; yea and commanded it so too . a. i remember the treatiser confesseth , that the apostles themselves at sometimes observed this day ; as act. 20. 7. 1. cor. 16. 2. b. at sometimes onely ? what ? no oftener , then hee finds expresly mentioned ? this is like him in oxford , who in his sermon sayd , that the iewes kept the sabbath , but once in 40 yeares , during their abode in the wildernesse . this hee gathered , because hee found it but once mentioned . but hee might have found it twice , if hee had looked well . so as this is a most beggerly kind of reasoning . and how injurious an imputation is it to the apostles , to say , that they kept the lords day sometimes , when as they taught and commanded others to observe it weekly ; as hath been noted ; did christian people immediately after christs ascension observe this weekely day : and did not the apostles themselves ? this is too grosly repugnant both to good reason , to our homily , and to the witnesses produced . a. these two witnesses and instances i perceive come full home to the homily . onely one thing i observe , that d. andrewes calls the lords day our new sabbath . this is a very rare thing , and that which the adversary in his booke doth much except against , not enduring that the lords day should be called the sabbath day . and i remember one passage in it , wherein hee quarrells h. b. for saying , that the ancient fathers did ever usually call it the sabbath day . wherein hee sayth hee hath wronged and wrested s. augustine in those places by him alledged . b. concerning that , i have spoken with h. b. and hee sayth , hee will answer , and make good what hee hath sayd against his adversary . and hee told me , that howsoever indeed those words , ever usually , might give advantage to the adversary to carpe , yet being rightly understood , they may passe currant enough . for by , ever usually , hee meant , that all the ancient fathers , although they alwayes distinguish between the lords day , and the iewes sabbath day , yet they ever tooke and observed the lords day in stead of the old sabbath day ; and ever used it for the rest-day or sabbath day of christians ; rest-day , and sabbath-day being all one . and h. b. told me , that if d. wh. tooke advantage of that , hee could as easily take advantage of that speech of his , where hee saith , this name ( sabbath ) is not given it ( the lords day ) in holy scripture , or by any of the godly fathers of the church . now ( saith h. b. ) was not s. augustine a godly father ? and hee , not onely in those places , quarrelled by d. w. and which h. b. will more fully cleare from his cavills , but more plainely , and without all ambiguity , in his 251. sermon de tempore , speaking of the lords day , hee hath these very words : ac ideo &c. * and therefore the holy doctours of the church have decreed to transferre all the glory of the iudaicall sabbath , or sabbatisme , unto the lords day , that what they observed in a figure , wee might celebrate in truth . let us therefore brethren observe the lords day , and sanctify it , like as it was commanded them of old , concerning the sabbath , the lawgiver saying , from evening to evening yee shall celebrate your sabbaths . let us take heed that our rest be not vaine , but from the evening of the saturday unto the evening of the lords day , being sequestred from rurall worke , and from all businesse , we may be vacant onely for the worship of god. thus also we duely sanctify the sabbath of the lord , as the lord saith , yee shall doe no worke therein . so hee . and a little before in the same sermon : dominicum ergo diem , &c. therefore the apostles , and apostolicall men , established the lords day to be therefore observed with a religious solemnity , because in it our redeemer arose from the dead . and which is therefore called the lords day , that in it wee abstaining from terrene works , or the allurements of the world , might onely attend to gods worship , &c. so augustine . and you see he speakes this , not as his owne particular opinion , but as it was the tenet of the whole catholike church . so as the whole ancient catholike church did not onely observe , but call the lords day the sabbath of the lord , which they kept in place of the old sabbath day . thus did h. b. informe me . and i remember hilary calls it so , saying ; though in the seventh day of the weeke , both the name and observance of the sabbath be established : yet wee on the eigth day , which also is the first , doe injoy the festivity of the perfect sabbath . lo here this father also calls the lords day the day of our perfect sabbath . but this suffice . a. it is a very pregnant place for his purpose , and sufficient to answer fully all the cavills , which are brought to the contrary ; so as if h. b. doe but alledge this one place , it will cleare all the other . but sir , here is a huge clamour , especially of late dayes , raised against the name of sabbath applyed to the lords day . i pray you , may it not be called the sabbath day ? and what doth our church hold concerning this ? b. that the lords day may be called the sabbath day , i make no question . and that for many reasons : 1. because it is our rest-day : 2. the apostle calls our rest a sabbatisme . 3. the very name of lords day imports so much , as being the lords holy day , as esa. 58. 13. and that day whereon the lord rested from his worke of redemption ; and so sanctified by him , and to him . a. d. wh. denies , that christ upon the day of his resurrection rested from the worke of redemption . b. i conferred with h. b. about this , because it much concernes him to quitt this question , seeing on christs resting on that day , hee grounds the sabbatisme of it , as agreeable to the fourth commandement . and in my judgement , if hee can evince and cleare it , it will proove unanswerable . and hee tells me , that hee hath in two severall treatises in latin against theo. brab . fully cleared it , and remooved all objections and cavillations , that either th. br. or f. vvh . have or can bring to the contrary . and hee purposeth to doe the like to d. vvh . and hee made it very cleare to me , that christs rest from the worke of redemption from sinne on the crosse , and from death in the grave ( which was a branch of that worke ) began not , till his resurrection . as for his ascension , that was into the place of rest ; but his resurrection was into the state of rest . as for d. vvh . his objection , with th. brab . that christ laboured on that day : h. b. shewes it to be absurd and ridiculous , seeing christ arose with a body glorifyed and impassible , so as his actions that day could not be called a labour , that thereby the new sabbath should be broken . but you aske me , what our church holdeth concerning this , that the lords day is called the sabbath day . in brief , i have observed , that in the homilies it is no lesse then ten severall times called expresly the sabbath day ; 8. times in the homily fore-cited , and twice in the third homily of rebellion . also canon 70. in the articles of the two last trienniall visitations of london . in k. iames his proclamation may 7. 1603 twice . in an exhortation at a generall fast set forth by him in the first yeare of his raigne . in archbishop bancrofts visitation articles for canterbury , art. 75. 76. i might compile a whole volume of instances in this kind . yea there seldome comes forth a brief , but it calls it the sabbath day . but least neither the church of england in her publike doctrine , nor the pious workes of her grave and learned sons , may perhaps satisfy the adversaries importunity : yet i hope the writings of his more pious , and no lesse learned brother d. iohn vvhite , ( and those also both republished , and vindicated by fr. vvhite , from the iesuites calumnies , white dyed black &c. ) will a little qualify him . how d. iohn vvhite doth not onely call the lords day the sabbath day , as once sect. 38. 1. and twice sect. 43. digress . 46. 6. but hee also condemnes all profane sports and recreations on that day , and among the rest dauncing for one . and for this hee alledgeth the example of the papists , as the most notorious sabbath-breakers in this kind . a. doth hee so , sir ; this seemes strange to me , that so great a clerke , as fr. vvhite , should so farre forget himself , as not to remember what his brother hath write . surely if it be so , it will be a cooling card , and no small disgrace to his lo ; when so worthy and reverend a brother shall be brought as a witnesse against him . but i pray you for my better satisfaction , relate to me the very passages and words of d. iohn vvhite . b. i will. in digress . 46. the title whereofis , naming certain points of the popish religion , which directly tend to the maintenance of open sinne , and liberty of life . now among many fowle and profane practises ( as hee calls them ) this hee notes for one , namely the profanation of the sabbath , in these words : that they hold it lawfull on the sabbath day , to follow suits , travell , hunt , dance , keep faires , and such like . this is it that hath made papists the most notorious sabbath-breakers that live . so hee . and sect. 38. n. 1. hee sayth : let it be observed , if all disorders be not most in those parts among us , where the people is most pope-holy , &c. and for mine owne part , having spent much of my time among them , this i have found , that in all excesse of sinne , papists have bene the ringleaders , in riotous companies , in drunken meetings , in seditious assemblies and practises , in profaning the sabbath in quarrells and brawles , in stage-playes , greenes , ales , and all heathenish customes , &c. thus this reverend divine , candore notabilis ipso , whom all the iesuiticall smoke out of the bottomlesse pit cannot besweere or besumdge , or dye blacke with all their black-mouthed obloquies . a. surely these are very pregnant passages . and it makes me tremble to thinke , and amazeth me , how one white is so contrary to another ; as also , how the libertinisme dispensed now a dayes on the sabbath , tendeth to bring us protestants to be like to the papists in their profane times , in taking up their heathenish savage , and barbarous maners and customes . b. wee have all of us cause to lament what wee see , and to feare yet more sinfull mischiefs to follow , if they be not prevented . a. i begin to blame my owne negligence , i did not thinke that our church , and the archbishops and bishops themselves , and k. iames and others had so familiarly used to call the lords day the sabbath day . and it seemeth , that d. wh. hath not well read over out owne church records , how skillfull soever he professe himself to be in antiquity , tanquam in aliena republica , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; or as the lamiae , who abroad carryed their eyes in their heads , but at home closed them up in a box . otherwise , i suppose he would not so frequently brand all those for novell sabbatarians , who call the lords day the sabbath day . b. vvhat is his reason , i know not . let him looke to it . me thinks the very reading of the fourth commandement every lords day , might stop his mouth ; saving that hee hath found out many inventions to elude the nature and property of this commandement , as pag. 158. 159. &c. which i hope h. b. will meet withall . a. i shall be glad to see it . and yet i somewhat correct my former conceit of d. vvh . for i find , hee hath read the homily and injunction , as pag. 224. b. indeed i thanke you for minding me of it . i remember he quotes the homily in one place of his booke ( and that is all as farre as i have observed ) where hee hath picked out one little peece , to maintayne his christian libertinisme in point of labour on the lords day . but it is altogether perverted by him for works of great necessity , as scathfire , invasion of enemyes , &c. god allowes on the sabbath . and the injunction of queene eliz. 20. hee there also no lesse perverteth , while hee confounds the lords day with other holy dayes , which the injunction doth clearely distinguish for that liberty , which it dispenseth with , touching worke in harvest time is not spoken of the lords day , or holy day , as it is there called , and set alone by it self , but of holy and festivall dayes onely , of humain institution . a. and i thanke you for this observation . and falling here upon worke on the lords day , i am occasiotied to aske your judgement of those passages of his , touching recreations on that day , in which argument hee hath spent many leaves . b. but without any good fruit . and as his discourses hereupon are large , so they require a large confutation , which i hope h. b. will performe . for the present , a little to satisfy your request , thus much : hee distinguisheth recreations into two sorts : 1. honest and lawfull . 2. vitious and unlawfull . for his definitions , or descriptions of them , i passe them by , as requiring a larger answer . in summe , i note his pitifull enterfeerings by equivocations , contradictions , and the artifice of his purest naturall wit , in spinning a curious web of so fine a thred , as wherewith though he may thinke to cover himself , yet it is pervious and penetrable to every eye . hee sayth , all kinds of recreation , which are of evill quality , in respect of their object ; or which are attended with evill and vicious circumstances , are unlawfull , and to be refrayned upon all dayes , and at all seasons . but if they be used upon the lords day , or on other festivall dayes , they are sacrilegious , because they rob god of his honour , to whose worship and service the holy day is devoted : and they defile the soules of men , for the cleansing and edifying whereof the holy day is deputed . and pag. 259. hee relates out of ancient imperiall edicts , that all obscene , lascivious , and voluptuous pastime ▪ are prohibited , &c. and yet pag. 266. hee hath these words : this seemeth to me to have been a prime motive to our religious governors , of allowing the people of the land some recreations ( not prohibited by our lawes ) upon the holy dayes . for if they should ( upon puritan principles ) restrain them wholly from all repast ▪ the holy-day would be more unwelcome to them , then the plough-day : and besides , it might ingender in peoples mindes a distast of their present religion , and manner of serving god. so hee . vvhere i note sundry poore and pitifull shifts and shu●●lings . for first , pag. 258. hee sayth , also our most gracious and religious soveraigne is the lords vicegerent , to restraine the abuse , and scandalous profanation of the lords day : and hee is a noble successor of those glorious princes , which in ancient times , by their royall and imperiall edicts and constitutions , prohibited on this day , all obscene , lascivious , and voluptuous pastimes , &c. if then i might be so bold , i would aske him , what hee thinkes of promiscuous meetings of wanton youth in their may-games , setting up of may-poles , dancing about them , dancing the morice , and leading the ringdance , and the like : unto which d. vvh . in the former passage , 266. doth not obscurely point as it were with the finger . are not these obscene , or lascivious and voluptuous pastimes ? and if so , are they not prohibited by royall and imperiall edicts and constitutions of those glorious ancient princes , whereof our most gratious and religious soveraigne , the lords vicegerent , for restraining the abuse and scandalous profanation of the lords day , is a noble successor ? lo then , what a monstrous contradiction is here . a. but doe ancient emperours in their imperiall edicts prohibite such recreations on the lords day ? b. i will give you one instance , in stead of many . carolus m. placuit , it is our pleasure , that all the faithfull doe reverently observe the lords day , in which the lord rose againe . for if pagans , for the memory and reverence of their gods , doe celebrate certain dayes , and the iewes doe carnally observe the sabbath : how much more ought this day to be honorably celebrated of christians , that on this holy-day they attend not upon vaine fables , or idle chat , or songs , or dances , or scoffings , standing in the crosse-wayes , or streets , as they usually doe ; but that they have recourse to the priests , or some wise , and good man , that they may profit by their preaching and good discourses , such as concerne the soule . in like sort also les shepheards , or keepers of cattell , by going and returning into the feilds , and home againe , doe so , that all may know such to be true , and devout christians . so hee . and his sonne , ludovicus pius , in his additionalls , repeating the selfsame constitution of his father verbatim , doth add these words : proinde , &c. therefore it is necessary , that first preists , kings and princes , and all the faithfull , doe most devoutly give all due observance , and reverence to this day . so hee . a. a most noble instance , and home . for i perceive this imperiall decree condemnes all dauncing , especially on the lords day . but let me not interrupt you . b. to proceed then upon the former passages : secondly , i note how poorely hee playes the divine , or doctor , by giving indulgence of more liberty to such as have queasy stomaks , and cannot digest those wholesome meates , which gods word , and all sound divines and doctours doe prescribe . this is just , as if a sick patient should refuse some bitter pills or potions , which are for his health , complayning hee cannot indure the bitternesse of them : and then forsooth his palate must be pleased with some delicious thing , which corrupts the stomacke , and feedeth the disease . or as if a wanton boy must be permitted so many houres play every day , because hee hath learned one lesson , and complaynes the taske is too hard to learne more . or as if a servant , being set about his maisters businesse , though it be otherwise easie and tolerable , yet complaynes it is too hard a taske , and therefore hee must have liberty to take his pleasure one part of the day . and surely this followes by good reason , from the greater to the lesse , from gods day to mans day , and from gods service to mans service . give man a power thus to dispense with a part of the lords day , which is an incrochment upon the fourth commandement , according to the doctrine of our church : and why may not man assume to himself a power ( as the pope doth ) to dispense with servants , or children , by allowing them sometime , wherein they shall be free from the controll of their maisters and parents ? thirdly , i note what a great blemish hee fastens upon our religion , as if it were either too rigorous , or too licentious . too rigorous , by laying no other burthen upon them , but that of christ , which though in its owne nature it be light and easy , yet to the sonnes of belial it seemes insupportable , and intolerable . as if sanctitie , and purity of life were an over rigid precisenesse , and a puritan principle . or too licentious , by giving indulgence , and dispensation to loose libertines , and teaching men to become more filthy still , and to be as the uncleane beasts , that chew not the cudde , or as the sow that is washed , to returne to their wallowing in their profuse and profane sports and pastimes , when no sooner they are out of the church , but they runne to their excesse of riot . and here i cannot but record an excellent passage in nazianzen , to shame the impudency of these times . this godly father , reprooving the loose carriage of christians in his time , especially on the dayes of solemne and sacred assemblyes , as on the lords dayes , sayth : postquam , &c. after they are gone out of the church , casting aside all that instruction , they had there learned , they fashion themselves to the vulgar , with whom they converse ; or rather laying aside the false and counterfait vizard of gravity , they are discovered to be such , as they were not knowne to be before : and having seemed to give some reverence to gods word , while it was preached , they leave it : and out of the church , they fall to delight and sport themselves in an impious maner , and with love songs , with the noise of minstrells , as piping , clapping the hands , being full of strong drinke , and defiled with all kind of muddy and dorty pleasures . and whilst they chant it over and over , they who celebrated the honour of immortality , by and by fall to a most wicked recantation ; let us eate and drinke , for to morrow wee shall dye . and these are not dead to morrow , but indeed are now dead unto god ; burying the dead , that is , themselves , in the grave of death . so hee . which liberty even the papists themselves , and bellarmine abundantly , doe with open voyce declame against , and are ashamed of , so farre will they be from being willing to be drawn to such a religion , by the motives of such liberty . and herein doth our treatiser miserably abuse the scripture , and so turne the grace of god into wantonnes . for pag. 257. hee sayth , the law of christ is sweet and easie , mat. 11. 30. and , his commandements are not grievous , 1. ioh. 5. 3. and what then ? is christs law so sweet and easie , as that it gives indulgence to profane libertinisme ? this is to make the gospell a sweet fable , as that atheisticall pontifician sayd . or as an other in his sermon , upon those words of christ , the sonne of man is lord even of the sabbath day : thence inferred , that christ had given us liberty to play on the sabbath . and this the treatiser calleth * christian liberty , and on the contrary , the holy and religious keeping of the lords day , a superstitious iudaicall fancy , and * rigid ordinances of our sunday-sabbatarians . whereas the ancient godly * fathers called the loose profaning of the lords day by dancing and revelling , a iewish sabbatising . a point well to be observed . fourthly i observe a very improper , and so untrue speech ; where hee sayth ▪ if they should ( upon paritan principles ) restraine them wholly from all repast . who ( i pray you ) doe restraine the people from all repast on the lords day ? or is profane sport a repast , to feed the humour of the rude vulgar ? it seemeth so . and liberty to youth is as their meat and drinke . fiftly pag. 266. hee sayth : some recreations ( not prohibited by our lawes ) our religious governors allow upon holy-dayes . and pag. 232. civil recreation , not prohibited in termes , neither yet by any necessary consequence from the law , cannot be simply unlawfull . and pag 231. no just law , divine , ecclesiasticall , or civil , doth totally prohibite the same . to this i reply , that those sports fore-specified , are prohibited by law , both divine , ecclesiasticall , and civil . 1. by divine law : as * rom. 13. 13. * gal. 5. 21. 1. pet. 4. 3. in the fourth commandement for as bucer sayth : writing to k. edw. 6. his diebus . on these , to wit , holy-dayes , the works of the flesh are not to be allowed , nor profane businesses , nor licentious sports , nor unseemly drinkings , and other vitious pleasures . indeed the people are to be allowed honest recreations at fit seasons : but seeing god hath so severely forbidden works profitable for the body , to be done on dayes sanctified to his name : how much more greivously is hee offended , when th●se dayes are profaned with wanton , and for the most part wicked works ? six dayes ( sayth hee ) thou shalt doe all thy worke ; to wit , such as concerneth the sustentation , or els the recreation of this present life : but the seventh day is the lords sabbath , on it thou shalt not doe any worke : not any , which the lord himself hath not commanded to be done on that day : but those which hee hath commanded , they are all most religiously to be observed on the holy-dayes . and of so weake and slippery faith are we all , as the dayly renewing and confirming of the same is very necessary for us . whereas most men more greivously offend and provoke gods majestie on these dayes , then on other dayes . by all meanes therefore it is the office of your sacred majestie against this so great dishonor of god , and lawles profanation of his holy-dayes , to revive the authority , of gods law , and therein also to follow the examples of pious princes , &c. so he . secondly : those foresayd sports are prohibited by ecclesiasticall lawes , for all councels doe universally condemne them . to instance one or two . the councel of millan . nefasesse , &c. it is impious , that sacred dayes instituted for the commemoration of the greatest benefits of god , and to render our best prayses unto him , should be transferred to those things , which most of all abhorre from that service : as leapings , sports , daunces , enterludes or shewes , which being inticements to filthy pleasures , do much delight the devill , the enemy of mans salvation . and another of millan : that no sports , or vaine sights , dancings , leaping , be used at all in cities , suburbs , towne , or any where eis on the holy-dayes . and yet another councel at millan : quoniam , &c. because it is found by too much experience in this province , that in these corrupted times and manners , that people for the most part never meet at dauncing , merriments , leapings , and the like , without many , and those most greivous offenses of god , and that both by reason of filthy thoughts and obscene speeches , dishonest actions , corruption of manners , and most pernicious bates to all the lusts of the flesh , perpetually coupled with them , and also of murders , brawles , dissentions , whoredomes , adulteries , and many other evils , the most frequent consequences thereof , wherefore on holy-dayes we prohibit leapings , sports , dancings , &c. now these councels were kept in italy . yea a councel at rome , but more ancient : of feastings not to be made upon holy-dayes ; and , on holy-dayes dancing not to be used : there be some , and specially women , which on holy-dayes by their balling , singing filthy songs , holding and leading dances , so imitating the guise of pagans , doe bring it among christians , such , if they come to the church , with lesser sins , they returne from it with greater . and if upon admonition they desisted not , leo 4. denounceth excommunication against them . lo here , this councel at rome sayth , that dancing on holy-dayes is a heathen guise , brought in among christians . shall i add one more . the councel of colen : deinde impingunt . againe , they offend against this precept , who on holy-dayes are intent upon sports , pastimes , dice , leaping , dancing the ring , who are vacant for revellings , drinkings , superfluous pompe , who defile the holy-dayes with wicked talke , and filthy songs : such doth the councel of carthage , and of toledo , decree to be excommunicate . for holy solemnities and feasts are not therefore instituted , to serve our filthy lusts , or that we should collect together our sins , but that we should altogether abandon them , and not to celebrate them with corporall refection or recreation , but spirituall rejoycing . and how is it possible , that in dances the sanctification of the sabbath should be kept , where modesty it self is not secure from snares . so the councel . but what need we goe further , then our owne homily forecited , which sayth , that in pride , in excesse , like rats in brawling , fighting , quarrelling , wantonnes , toy●sh talking , and filthy fleshlines , god is more dishonoured , and the devill better served on the sunday , or sabbath day , then upon all the dayes of the weeke besides . now though moris dances and may-games , and the like , be not here condemned in terminis , yet by consequence they be : sith they are the inseparable companions , and most pernicious occasions of inflaming the lusts , and of manifold mischeifs ; as hath been noted . therefore by just ecclesiasticall lawes such sports are prohibited . thirdly , they are prohibited by just civil lawes . besides those instances fore-alleged of the edicts of charolus mag. and ludovicus pius his sonne : we may to the honor of our nation , and the eternall fame of our religious king charles , produce the first act of parlament in i. caroli , the prime gemme in his royall diadem ; and which deserves to be writen in golden characters . forasmuch as there is nothing more acceptable to god , then the true and sincere worship and service of him , according to his holy will , and that the holy keeping of the lords day is a principall part of the true service of god , which in very many places of this realme hath been , and now is profaned and neglected by a disorderly sort of people , in exercising and frequenting beare-baiting , bull-baiting , enterludes , common playes , and other unlawfull exercises and pastimes upon the lords day , &c. that from henceforth , &c. there shall be no bear-baiting , bull-baiting , enterludes , common playes , or other unlawfull exercises or pastimes within their owne parishes , hence it is plaine , that all manner of sports and pastimes are unlawfull on the lords day ; for beare-baiting and bull-baiting are prohibited , as unlawfull on this day , which els are made lawfull on other dayes . and therefore dancing , maygames , morrices , and the like , how ever men may account them lawfull on other dayes , yet for the very reasons afore-sayd , forasmuch as they are prohibited as unlawfull by imperiall edicts of ancient kings and emperours , of whom our most gratious and religious soveraigne is by the treatiser acknowledged to be the noble , successour , in restraining the abuse , and scandalous profanation of the lords day : on this day at least , they are unlawfull . i will add but one instance more , and that is out of iustinian , where he seth downe this imperiall constitution . die dominico , &c. on the lords day , which of the whole week is the first , all pleasures of sports and pastimes being denyed to the people through all cities , let the whole minds of christians be occupied in the service of god : and if any shall on this day be taken up with the madnes of iewish impiety , or with the errour and franticknes of brutish paganisme , let him know , that there is a difference to be put between the time of prayers , and the time of pleasures . yea so religiously was this day observed , as if the emperours birth-day fell upon it , it must be put of to another day of the weeke ; and sayth the constitution , if the people sh●ll shew lesse reverence towards us then , than they were wont , let no man be offended with it , because men doe give greatest honor to our clemency , when the worlds obedience is entirely yeilded to the vertues and merits of almighty god. so there . in fine , in a * booke set forth by king hen. 8. and inscribted to his loving and faithfull subiects , which before had been set forth by the * whole clergie of the realme , with the names of 21. prelates , besides many doctors , prefixed unto it , & approoved by both the houses of parlament : are these passages , * against this commandement generally doe offend all they , which will not cease from their owne carnall wills & pleasures , that doe not give themselves intirely and wholly , without any impediment unto all holy works , and that not onely in the house of god , but also in their owne houses ; but ( as commonly is used ) passe the time either in idlenes , in gluttony , in riot , or other vaine , or idle pastime ; which is not according to the intent and meaning of this commandement , but after the usage and custome of the iews , and doth much offend god , and provoke his indignation & wrath towards us . and it is added in the clergies * booke , for as s. austen sayth of the iewes , they should be better occupied , labouring in their feilds , and to be at the plough , then to be idle at home . and women should better bestow their time in spinning of woll , then upon the sabbath day to lose their time in leaping , & dauncing , and other idle wanton , lose time ▪ so there . now tell me brother , what thinke you of this , that those prelates and clergy of england in the very first duskish dawning of the morning , should be so cleare , orthodox , and zealous in the point of the sabbath , and now in the meridian of the gospell so many , with their eyes closed up , doe with both hands fight against this truth ? a. i confesse it is to me no small matter of wonder . but sir now that you have so fully cleared the poynt about recreation from all the subterfuges of him , that hath so moyled himself to make some thing of nothing , and therein also have vindicated the lawes both divine , ecclesiasticall and civill , from giving any countenance or connivence to such recreations : there remaynes yet one thing to be cleared , and that is , about the judgement of the reformed churches beyond the seas , which the opposite authour pleadeth to be all for him . b. it s true . and i cannot but smile , when i thinke of it . that they , which make no bones even in open court to vilifie the prime pillars of those churches , yea and to nullify the churches themselves , as if they were no true churches , as having no lawfull ministers , because no prelatés to put them in orders : should notwithstanding daigne to grace them so much , as to call them in , and to account them competent witnesses in the cause . but a bad cause is glad of any patron , or advocate to plead for it , though the client have openly stigmatized him for a 〈◊〉 . but what stead will the reformed divines stand him in ? certainly in the point of sports and recreations they will utterly faile him , yea and disclame him too . in the point of the institution of the lords day , indeed , and the obligation of it to christians , a great part is for him , though the better part is for us . this is confessed of us . a. but i pray you , are they against him in the point of sports and recreations ? i have been credibly informed , that the contrary report hath made a strong impression of perswasion in some gentle and generous breasts , whose credulity subtile insinuations can prevaile so with , as to make them beleeve the moone is made of green cheese . i pray you therefore cleare this one point , and i will weary you no longer at this time , the night now drawing on apace . b. in a word then . true it is , that many and most of those churches , for the vulgar generality , come farre short of the due esteeme of the lords day in poynt of practise . but yet , for the ministers of the 17. provinces reformed , and of the neighbouring churches in germany , even all those ; that were of the councill of dort , did unanimously make some canons and decrees , joyntly to petition the states generall of the united provinces , for the reformation of the manifold profanations of the lords day . for in the 14. session are these words : ne autem , &c. and least the people on the lords dayes in the afternoone , being taken up with other affayres or exercises , be withdrawne from the afternoon-sermons , the magistrates are to be supplicated , that they by more severe edicts prohibit all servile , or dayly works , and especially sports , drinkings , and other profanations of the sabbath , whereby the afternoone time on the lords dayes , and specially in villages , is usually spent , that so by this meanes also they may be brought to those afternoone sermons , and so may learne to sanctify the whole sabbath day . and d. vvallaeus in his preface before his treatise of the sabbath , hath set downe so much of the synods petition to the states , as was drawne into forme for this purpose , in these words : vt gravissimae illae , &c. that these most grievous and manifold profanations of the sabbath , which are dayly committed by faires , wakes , banquets of societies , watchmen , neighbourhoods , mariages ; by the exercise of armes , by hunting , fishing , fowling , playing at ball , by histrionicall acting of comedies , by dauncings , port-hale of goods , drinkings ; & that many other like things , which in these countryes doe every where abound , to the great scandall & reproach of the reformed religion , and to the great hinderāce of gods worship , may be most strictly prohibited &c. so the synod . thus in one brief view you see the unanimous judgement of the divines of that synod , for the due sanctification of the lords day , or sabbath day , as they often call it : although the streame of a wicked custome in point of practise hath made an universall inundation in those provinces , which ( i feare ) will ( in time ) drowne them up in their profanenesse . and the synods judgement in the poynt of institution by divine authority and that from the fourth commandement , seemes to be no lesse sound and consentient , sith they so often call the lords day the sabbath day , and so zealously plead for the due sanctification thereof . 〈◊〉 enough of this . a. sir , i heartily thanke you for this your sweet conference , which i could be content might last yet a whole summers day , but that ( as i sayd ) the day now bidding us ▪ farewell , leaves us to bid one another good night . b. and so good night to you brother . a. and to you also , good brother . deo gratias . octob. 2. 1635. notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a17292-e10 * declaration about the dissolving of the parliament . and , declaration before the 39 articles . communion booke catech expounded by beve . pag. 20. alex. d'ales p. 3. q. 32. m. ar . ibid. * pag. 90. in the high commission , at the censure of th. brabourne . b. andrewes speech in starte-chamber against mr. traske . dominicus dies , christi resurrectione declaratus est christianis , & ex illo coepit habere festivitatem suam . aug. p. 119. c. 13 * thus d. andr. is point blanck against d. wh. who pag. 270. ( quoted before ) saith , that the euangelicall law hath not determined any certain day or time . yet lo here a certain day determined by the euangelicall law , delivered by the apostle . serm. 1. of the gunpowder treason , on psa. 118 23. 24. a patterne of catecheticall doctrine . and , the whole decalogue succinctly & judiciously expounded . ‡ so there should be confusion . manuscr . pag. 211. & 189. ☜ pag. 207. * aug. de temp. ser. 251. de eo quod scriptum est vacate , & videte quoniam ego sum deus . ac ideo sancti doctores ecclesiae decreverunt omnem gloriam iudaici sabbatismi in illam ( dominicam ) transferre , ut quod ipsi in figura , nos celebraremus in veritate & observemus ergo diem dominicam fratres , & sanctificemus illam , sicut antiquis praeceptum est de sabbato , dicente legislatore , a vespere usque ad vesperam celebrabitis sabbata vestra . videamus ●e otium nostrum vanum sit , sed a vespera diei sabbati , usque ad vesperam diei dominici sequestrati à rurali opere , & ab omni negotio , soli divino cultui vacemus . sic quoque sanctificamus ritè sabbatum domini , dicente domino , omne opus non facietis in eo . [ hilar in psalm . explanato prologus ] cum in septimo die sabbati sit & nomen , & observantia constituta : tamen nos in octava die , quae & ipsa prima est , perfecti sabbatum festivitate laetamur . heb. 4 see zanchy de hominis creatione . lib. 1. cap. 1. sect. 36. ☞ the way to the true church . ibid. sect 43. digress . 46. n. 6. ibid sect. 38. n. 1. pag. 224. pag. 229. caroli m. leges ecclesiast . lib. 6. cap. 202. ludovic . pius ibid. additio c. 9. clem. alex. poedag . lib. 3 c. 11. nere the end . hee lived about the yeare of christ 200. * pag. 268. * pag. 249. * see aug. de consensu euangelist . l. 2 ▪ c ▪ ●7 . ☞ * gloss interlin . haec sunt opera tenebrarum . * opera carnis ibi . m. bucer ▪ de regno christi . lib. 2. ca. 10. scripta anglicana . concil . mediolan . 4. concil . mediolan . 1. concil . mediolan . 3. conc. rom. anno 826. conc. pars 3. bin. can. conc. colon. anno 1563. explic in deoalogum . iustinian . cod. 15. tit . 5. * a necessary doctrine for a christen man. * printed 1537. the institution of a christen man. * vpon the fourth commandement . * institution fol. 77. 2. sess. 177. the judgment of mr. francis bampfield late minister of sherborne in dorsetshire for the observation of the jewish, or seventh day sabboth with his reasons and scriptures for the same, sent in a letter to mr. ben of dorchester : together with mr. ben's sober answer to the same and a vindication of the christian sabboth against the jewish : published for the satisfaction of divers friends in the west of england. bampfield, francis, 1615 or 16-1683. 1672 approx. 107 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 48 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : 2008-09 (eebo-tcp phase 1). a30704 wing b624 estc r22838 12125402 ocm 12125402 54580 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a30704) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 54580) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 756:24) the judgment of mr. francis bampfield late minister of sherborne in dorsetshire for the observation of the jewish, or seventh day sabboth with his reasons and scriptures for the same, sent in a letter to mr. ben of dorchester : together with mr. ben's sober answer to the same and a vindication of the christian sabboth against the jewish : published for the satisfaction of divers friends in the west of england. bampfield, francis, 1615 or 16-1683. benn, william, 1600-1680. [16], 9-86, [1] p. printed by w. godbid for sarah nevill ..., london : 1672. advertisement: p. [1] at end. prelim. pages are numbered leaves (8), although printed both sides. reproduction of original in huntington library. created by converting tcp files to tei p5 using tcp2tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the 25,363 texts created during phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 january 2015. anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p5, characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng sabbath. 2006-03 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2006-10 spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images 2007-05 robyn anspach sampled and proofread 2007-05 robyn anspach text and markup reviewed and edited 2008-02 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the judgment of mr. francis bampfield , late minister of sherborne in dorsetshire for the observation of the jewish , or seventh day sabboth : with his reasons and scriptures for the same . sent in a letter to mr. ben of dorchester . together with mr. ben's sober answer to the same ; and a vindication of the christian sabboth against the jewish . published for the satisfaction of divers friends in the west of england . revelations 1.10 . i was in the spirit on the lords day . london , printed by w. godbid , for sarah nevill , at the sign of archimedes in st. paul's-church-yard , 1677. the preface . christian reader , in times when people are generally debauched in their intellectuals as well as in their morals , and take as great a liberty of opining as they do of practising , it is no wonder if in this age , when as all sects seem to have a general resurrection , that the jewish sect have also their abettors ; but if people would but seriously consider , that the change of the day hath the same foundation that the scriptures themselves have ( and that is catholick tradition ) the controversie would quickly be at an end : it would then be an easie thing to believe , that when the whole jewish frame of worship was laid aside , it was fit that the very time it self should also put on mourning , and therefore well may it pass for a fast as our church hath rightly instituted it ; but to continue it as a feast to the lord , is to put an affront upon the gospel and the whole oeconomy of it . and therefore if this tract may contribute any thing , either to the confirming those that stand , or the establishing those that are ready to fall , or recovering of those that are already gone astray , the author hath his end , and desires thee to give god all the glory . honoured sir , i understand by some others , who reports it to me , as from you , that you desire some scriptures may be put to those particulars which i formerly sent you , wherein i gave you an account of my judgement , which accordingly here i have done . if any do think fit to examine this paper , and to return me an answer in writing , i expect that he should consider it as it doth stand in order , and declare expresly his assent and consent to the several particulars , if he be convinced that they are the mind of god in his word ; or if he dissent , that he give the reasons thereof in a scripture-way . my judgement , according to the scriptures , is as followeth , that 1. first , jehovah christ , by the appointment of the father , and by the anointing of the spirit , is established forever to be the only lord over the conscience , and law-giver to the soul , isa . 33.22 . to shew that this is meant of the lord christ , compare isa . 32.1 , 15. and 33.17 , 18. and 42.1 , 4 , 16 , 21. the 18. verse of the 33. chap. of isa . is applyed by the apostle in 1 cor. 1.20 . to the times of the gospel , so also is isa . 42.1 , 2 , 3 , 4. applyed by christ to himself , matth. 12.17 , 21. gal. 6.2 . jam. 2.8 10 , 11 , 12. and 4.12 . rom. 14.9 , 11. heb. 12.2 , 6 , deut. 18.18 . joh. 16.13 , 14 , 15. acts 3.22 , 23. isa . 8.10 , 16.20 . 1 cor. 12.3 . mat. 12.18 . mark 2.28 . luke 6.5 . matth. 17.5 . acts 7.37 , 38. psal . 68.8 , 11 , 17 , 18. psal . 2. matth. 28.18 , 19 , 20. 2 dly . secondly , the holy scriptures of truth are perfect , full , and sufficient in all cases whatsoever , of doctrine , of worship , of discipline , of government , and of conversation , 2 tim. 3.15 , 16 , 17. rev. 22.18 , 19. compared with deut. 4.12 . prov. 30.6 . mark 7.7 , 13. deut. 12.32 . levit. 18.34 . deut. 17.15 , 20. josh . 11.8 . joh. 20.30 , 31. gal. 3.15 . matth. 22.9 . 3 dly . thirdly , the ten words are a perfect and compleat , standing , unchangeable rule of life , in all matters of duty to be performed , and of sin to be avoided , psal . 19.7 , 8 , 9. isa . 8 , 20. rom. 3.20 . and 4.15 . 1 joh. 3.4 . deut. 12.32 . 1. pet. 1.23 , 25. deut. 4.1 , 2 , 13. luke 16.29 , 30. deut. 5.22 . exod. 1.27 , 28. and 31.18 . psal . 119. throughout , and particularly vers . 126 , 151. joh. 20.35 . jam. 1.25 . prov. 8.8 , 9. matth. 15 , 17 , 19. rom. 3.31 . 1 joh. 2.7 . 4 thly . fourthly , the seventh day , which is the last day in every week in the weekly returns of it , is alone that particular , peculiar day in every week , which is the weekly sabbath day , to be kept holy to jehova , in obedience to his command as such , exod. 20.8 , 9. deut. 5.12 , 15. 1. first , because those weighty reasons which jehova the law giver himself hath given to enforce obedience to his command , in observing a weekly sabbath day holy to himself , do properly and only belong , and are applicable to the seventh day , which is the last day in every week , in order of time , in the weekly returns of it , as a weekly sabbath day , and to no other day in the week , exod. 20.11 . 1. first , god rested only upon the seventh day , which is the last day in the week , and upon no other day in the week as a weekly sabbath day ; exod. 20.1 . and 31.15 , 17. compare gen. 1. throughout , particularly vers . 5 , 8 , 13.31 . with chap. 2.1 , 2 , 3. heb. 4.3 , 4. exod. 16.23 , 30. lev. 23.3 . 2 dly . secondly , god blessed only the seventh day , which is the last day of the week , and no other day of the week , as a weekly sabbath day ; exod. 20.10 , 11. compared with gen. 2.2 , 3. 3 dly . thirdly , god sanctified only the seventh day , which is the last day of the week , and no other day of the week as a weekly sabbath day ; exod. 20.10 , 11. compared with gen. 2.2 , 3. 2 dly . secondly , because all the scriptures throughout where the holy spirit speaketh of a weekly sabbath day . 1. first , the name and thing of a weekly sabbath day is given only to the seventh , which is the last day in the weekly returns of it , and to no other day in the week as a weekly sabbath day ; deut. 5.14 . exod. 20.10 . and 16.25 , 26. and 31.15 . and 35.1 . lev. 23.3 . acts 16.13 . and 17.2 . and 18.4 . luk. 4.16 . matth. 24.20 . 2 dly . secondly , there is no command given for the observation of any other day in the week as a weekly sabbath day to jehovah but only the seventh , which is the last day of the week in the weekly returns of it ; exod. 20.8 , 11. deut. 5.12 , 15. exod. 16.28 . and 34.31 . and 35.12 . and 23.12 . and 31.13 , 14 , 15. levit. 19.3 , 30. and 23.3 . and 26.2 . neh. 9.14 . jer. 17.21 , 22. matth. 28.18 , 19 , 20. ezek. 20.19 , 20. and 44.24 . luke 23.5 , 6. levit. 10.1 . jer. 7.23 , 31. 3 dly . thirdly , there is no promise made to the observation of any other day of the week , as a weekly sabbath day , but only of the seventh , which is the last day of the week in the weekly returns of it ; isa . 56.1 , 8. and 58.13 , 18. jer. 17.24 , 25 , 26. levit. 26.2 , 13. exod. 16.29 . mark 2.27 . ezek. 20.20 . 4 thly . fourthly , there is no threatning either denounced against , or execrated upon any that shall not observe any other day , as a weekly sabbath day , but only the seventh day , which is the last day of the week in the weekly returns of it ; exod. 20.9 , 10. and 31.13 , 14 , 15. and 35.3 . jer. 17.27 . exod. 20.21 . nehem. 13.15 , 21. 3 dly . thirdly , because god hath put this into nature , exod. 20.10 . thy stranger ; deut. 5.14 . the three first chapters to the romans , particularly , chap. 2 , 14 , 15 , 26 , 27. and 3.9 , 20. 1 cor. 11.14 . nature hath its teachings ; the humane nature in the first adam was made and framed to the perfection of the ten words , some notions whereof are still retained , even in the corrupt state of fallen man ; compare gen. 1.26 , 27. ecles . 7.29 . ephes . 4.20 . col. 3.10 . the law of the seventh day sabbath was given before the law was proclaimed at sinai , exod. 16.23 . even from the creation , gen , 2.2 , 3. given to adam in respect of his humane nature , and in him to all the world of humane creatures ; compare gen. 1.14 . and psal . 104.19 . with levit. 25.21 . and num. 28.2 , 9 , 10. it is the same word in the original mognadim , contracted , mognade . set times of divine appointment for solemn assembling , and for gods instituted service , are directed to and pointed at by those great lights which the creator hath set up in the heavens ; psal . 19. throughout , compared with rom. 10.4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 18 , 19 , 20. deut. 30.10 , 15. joh. 1.9 . every man hath a law and light of nature which he carrieth about him and is born and bred together with him ; those seeds of light and truth , rom. 1.20 . though they will not justifie him in the sight of god and bring a soul through , and safe home to glory , yet there , even since adam's fall , are those reliques and dark letters of his holy law of the ten words to preserve the memory of our first created dignity , and for some other ends , though these seeds are utterly corrupted now , tit. 1.15 . natural reason will tell men , that seeing all men in all nations do measure their times by weeks , and their weeks by seven days , they should ( besides what they offer up of their time , as due to god every day ) give one whole day of every week to their maker , who hath allowed them so liberal a portion of time , therein to provide for themselves ; ( there being no other proportion of time that can so well provide for the necessities of families , as six dayes of every week , and that is so well fitted to all functions , callings , and employments . ) and the light of nature , when cleared up , will tell men , that all labour and motion being in order to rest , and rest being the perfection and end of labour , into which labour , work , and motion doth pass , that therefore the seventh , which is the last day in every week , is the fittest and properest day for a religious rest , unto the creator , for his worship and service ; gen. 2.1 , 2 , 3. exod. 20.9 , 10 , 11. deut. 5.13 , 14. heb. 4.1 , 11. exod. 31.7 . rom. 14.13 . exod. 23 , 12. and 34.2 . nature doth suggest that man and beast should have a resting-day every week , deut. 5.14 . the lord christs obedience unto this fourth word , in observing in his life time the seventh day as a weekly sabbath-day , which is the last day of the week in the weekly returns of it , and no other day of the week as such , is a part of that perfect righteousness which every sound believer doth apply to himself , in order to his being justified in the sight of god ; and every such person is to conform unto christ in all the acts of his obedience to the ten words ; luk. 4.16 . rom. 8. 2 , 3 , 4. and 5.12 . gal. 4.4 , 5. 2 cor. 5. 21. jer. 23.6 . rev. 19.8 . isa . 45. 23 , 24 , 25. rom. 6. throughout 1 pet. 2.21 . ephes . 5.1 , 2. 1 joh. 2 , 3 , 4. 1 joh. 1.6 . 1 joh. 2.1 , 6. and 4. 17. joh. 15.10 , 12 , 14. matth. 11.28 , 29 , 30. joh. 13.34 . heb. 12.2 . francis bampfield . mr. ben's ansvver to mr. bampfield's paper . the will of gods good pleasure is the sole rule and reason of all his actings towards the creature . the holy will of god revealed in his holy word is the sole rule and measure of all the creatures actings towards god. honoured sir , and very much reverenced in the lord , great is the obligation you have laid upon me , in condescending so far as to communicate unto me those scripture grounds and reasons , which have had such an irresistable influence upon your conscience , as to undergo such a change in your judgement and practice , relating to the observation of the weekly sabbath , from what you have formerly believed and practised , and that i am fully perswaded in godly sincerity : this , sir , is as i understand , the discourse of many , the wonder of not a few , and the grief of some . i do acknowledge , that the report which you say was brought unto you , was true ; i did indeed desire that you would be pleased at your leisure , if you thought good , to add some scripture-proofs to those propositions which i had formerly received from you : which i think i should not have taken the boldness to have done , but that you had given me encouragement , as i suppose you remember when , and where , and how : which now that you have done , i shall endeavour to observe your order in giving you my thoughts of them , and that , as they stand in your paper ; and according to your desire , expresly declare my assent and consent to the several particulars , so far as i am convinced that they are according to the mind of god ; and wherein i dissent , to give you my reasons thereof , and yet as you expect in a scripture way , so far as i am able and understand the meaning of that expression , and submit all to your serious examination . 1. concerning your three first propositions , i do both heartily assent , and unfeignedly consent unto you , so far as i apprehend aright your mind in them , as divine truths of infallible veracity , deeply engraven in the word of truth . oh that they were as deeply engraven in the hearts of all the lords professing people ! only i crave leave to tell you , 1. that whereas for the proof of the first , that jehovah christ is by the appointment of the father , &c. whereas , i say , for the proof of this you quote , if i mistake not , near about 26 scriptures , i cannot either assent or consent , that every one of them speaks clearly to the confirmation of the proposition , possibly they are mis-written ●y the transcriber ; however the truth is sufficiently confirmed by some of them , and i think all of them may afford matter of comfortable meditation for the right improvement of christs kingly office , which perhaps is all that you intend by them . blessed be the lord , the government is upon his shoulder , isa . 9.8 . that he is the king of nations , jer. 10.17 . that he is the king of saints , rev. 15.3 . head over all things to the church , ephes . 1.22 . hath power over all flesh , to give eternal life to all those the father hath given him , joh. 17.2 . that scripture ( which is well observed by you ) in isa . 33.32 . is much to be taken notice of ; for understand the words in a spiritual sence , and they are exclusive of all other ; christ alone , christ and no other , is our only king , and our only law-giver . it is true , the commands of the magistrate bind the conscience , and we must be subject for conscience sake , rom. 13.5 . yet not immediately , but by the intervention of gods command , rom. 13.1 , 2. nor yet universally , but with limitation ; we must obey the lord christ , upon the bare sight of his will : but the laws of 〈◊〉 , are farther to be considered of , that so our obedience unto them may be without scruple , and our subjection not from self-interest , but in deed and in truth , from principles of conscience . 2 dly . whereas for the proof of the second proposition , that the holy scripture of truth is a perfect and sufficient rule , for doctrine , worship , and discipline , you produce eleven or twelve scriptures : thus far i consent that the proposition is true , and sufficiently proved , though some of the scriptures are upon some account or other , mistaken or misquoted , as gal. 3.15 . which perhaps you intend for gal. 6.16 . the one speaks not to the point , as the other doth ; from the latter , chemnitius , as i remember , conceives that the scriptures may be said to be canonical ; they are indeed a perfect canon , nothing to be added thereunto , not by any revelation from the spirit , much less from any humane traditions , 2 thes . 3.2 . gal. 1.8 , 9. if an angel from heaven preach any other doctrine , let him , saith the apostle , again , and again he saith it , let him be accursed . yet i think this limitation is fit to be inserted , that there are some circumstances concerning worship , and administration of church affairs ( such i mean , as are common to humane actions and societies ) which are to be ordered by christian prudence , but still according to the general rules of the word , which ought always to be observed , that so as , 1 cor. 14.40 . all things may be done decently and in order : that [ all things ] that is , all the ordinances of god , for of them he speaks , as appears in the foregoing verses : prayer and singing of psalms , &c. this text give no other power to any church , or church governors , but that all such things as god appoints , be done decently without uncomliness , and orderly without confusion . 3 dly . that whereas for the proof of the third proposition , that the ten words are a perfect , compleat , and standing rule , &c. you produce at least twenty scriptures : i both assent , and consent , acknowledging the proposition sufficiently proved ; though i must say , as i said before , that every particular text which is quoted , comes not up fully to prove the point , but a divine truth it is , beyond all contradiction , that as , psal . 119.96 . the commands are exceeding broad , containing an infinite , and incomprehensible treasure of heavenly wisdom , nothing perteining to holiness , nothing is wanting that is necessary for direction to all men , in all conditions , being it is an eternal rule of righteouseness ; and as matth. 24.31 . heaven and earth shall pass away , but my word , saith the lord jesus christ , shall not pass away . thus god hath magnified his law , and made it honourable , isa . 42.21 . thus you see , how in truth of these three propositions i consent with you . 4 thly . but now for the fourth proposition , that the seventh day , which is the last day in every week , in the weekly revolution , is alone that peculiar day in every week , which is the weekly sabbath day , to be kept holy to jehovah in obedience to his commands . for the proof whereof you bring exod. 20.8 , 9 , 10 , 11. deut. 5.12 , 13. to this i must crave leave to say ; that as yet i can neither assent , nor consent , being no ways convinced by any thing i find in your paper , that is according to the mind of god , revealed in his word , or proved in the least , either by these scriptures , or the reasons produced for the proof thereof . that which takes hold of my conscience , in this matter i shall lay before you , when i have , 1. first told you , what is the general , i observe in your paper . 2. secondly given you some few propositions , which i think meet to be inserted here , to avoid repititions hereafter . 1. i observe , that all your arguments are grounded upon a strong apprehension you are under , that the seventh day , the last day in every week , is the substance of the fourth commandment : and that it is moral natural , written in the humane nature in adam , which was framed to the perfection of the ten words , as you express it in your third general reason . but in this , i can neither assent , nor consent : the reason of my dissent , you shall have in its proper place ; i mean , why i conceive , that though the humane nature in adam was made after the image of god in righteousness , and true holiness ; yet the law for the last day of seven in every week to be the only day for the weekly sabbath , was not written there . 2 dly . i observe , that your apprehensions are strong , that the last day of seven in every week , and the sabbath day , that is , the day of holy rest of gods appointment for his solemn worship in every week , are and must be terms convertible , and that the last of seven in every week , as it was at first , so it is now , and must so continue , to the end of the world is the only day for that purpose . this i gather from those reasons given to inforce obedience to the commands which you say properly belong to this day , and are , as you think , applicable to no other day : herein i can neither assent nor consent , and why i cannot , i shall give you my grounds , when i have first considered the propositions you lay down before them . 3 dly . i observe , and that not without some wonder , that though the whole stress of all your arguments , is in a manner , laid upon the 9 , 10 , 11 , verses of exod. 20. yet i find nothing at all argumentatively to prove , that the scope , sence , and meaning of these words , is to establish the last of seven , in the revolution of every week , to be the only day of holy rest , which is to be observed to jehovah , to the end of the world ; which is the proposition you engage your self to make good ; which till you have done by some other arguments than this paper affords , or by these arguments more clearly ; i do believe that what you now assert , will not be so generally received for truth , according to the mind of god , as you think it ought , and as it ought , if it be indeed the mind of god in his word . 2 dly . having observed these things , i now crave leave to lay down some few propositions , which being considered of , may be , according to what i apprehend , of some use , ( they are at least to me ) towards the clearing up of the matter under debate , and meet to be inserted here , to avoid , as you said , as much as may be , repetitions hereafter . they are as followeth . 1. first , that all dayes materially considered in themselves , are equal , and of the same nature in that respect , none more necessary to be observed than another ; none more subservient to any spiritual advantage than another ; every day had the same efficient cause , all being created by god , and all very good , gen. 1. all ruled and governed by him , and filled up with what providential dispensation seemed good in his sight , psal . 47.16 . thus all dayes considered as i say materially in themselves , now and ever will be alike : as they were under the law , so under the gospel , none of them more eminent nor observable by any natural goodness than another . if this be so , and i think it cannot be denyed but that it is so , this will be one strong argument , as i apprehend , to prove that the last day of seven in every week , to be the only , and perpetual day for the day of weekly holy rest unto jehovah , was not written in the humane nature in adam in the state of innocency , as i hope to make evident when i come to speak to the third general reason . 2 dly . secondly , that though the letter of the text ought alway to be carefully heeded , yet alway to stick to it , and never compare scripture with scripture , for the better understanding of the sence thereof , may prove a dangerous snare . this hath been the butt of contention between the lutherans and the calvinists , and this hath been the death of many faithful martyrs , by the popish generation , when and where they had power in their hands , the one holding too pertinaciously to the letter of the text , mat. 26.26 . this is my body , for the maintaining of transubstantiation ; a sad instance we have of this in that conference at hussia , at marpurgus , i remember ( for the book i have not by me ) between luther , melancthon , zuinglius , oecolampadius , bucer , and other german divines , as it is related in the annals of soul●etus , where we read , that even luther himself rejected very strong reasons , against which he had nothing to say but hoc est corpus meum ; this if the translator of his mensalia hath not wronged him , he receded from that opinion before his death : so the popish commentators sticking to the letter of the text , jam. 2.14 . where it is said , that a man is justified by works , and not by faith only , so far as they are believed , overturn the foundation of faith : the like in part may be said of sticking to the letter of the fourth commandment , without minding of the scope , sence , and meaning of it : i think thereby a man shall cast a mist before his eyes , which will exceedingly hinder him from the right understanding of the mind of god therein : if i should do so , i should find it to be so . this being so , makes way for a third proposition , which thus i lay down . 3 dly . thirdly , though all things necessary to be known , believed , and observed , in order to salvation , are clearly revealed ( though not altogether , but ) in one place or other of the scripture , so that persons of ordinary capacities in the right use of means , assisted by the holy spirit of god , may attain a sufficient understanding of them , so as not to perish for want of knowledge ; yet all truths are not alike plain in themselves , nor alike clear to all : some things are hard to be understood , 2 pet. 3.16 . which though peter ( speaking no doubt upon his own knowledge ) saith some misconstrued to their own ruine ; yet , which is worthy our observation , neither doth he , nor paul himself ( who was yet alive , as seemed by that expression in the former part of the verse ( our beloved brother paul ) and in all probability knew as much in this matter as peter did ) neither of them i say , did clear or amend the difficulties , but let them alone as they were . thus it seemed good to the holy spirit of god , by whose inspiration the scripture was written , to have it so : some truths are as if it were hid under the rock , that so there might be digging and searching after the knowledge of them , as for hid treasures , prov. 2.4 . and if i say that the second and fourth commandments may be reckoned amongst such truths , i think i should have many that would say so too ; i have reason to say , they have been both so to me , but blessed be the lord for that light , how little soever i have received in the one or in the other . doubtless it concerns us therefore to be much in prayer , that god would open our eyes , that we might understand the wonderful things of his law , psal . 119.10 . the vail that was upon the hearts of the jews in reading the old testament , 2 cor. 3.14 , 15. is not fully removed from the hearts of the most knowing christians to this day : he that knows most , hath cause to acknowledge he knows but in part , 2 cor. 13. therefore i may propose , but i dare not impose any of my apprehensions upon others . 4 thly . fourthly , i desire this may be observed , which i suppose will not be denied , that a proof drawn by comparing scripture with scripture , or by necessary consequence from scripture rightly understood , is a sufficient scripture proof , even of that which in express words is not found in scripture : that which we have , jam. 4.5 . is no where that i can see found in scripture , in so many express words and syllables , but the truth contained therein is clear ; therefore the apostle saith that the scripture saith , that the spirit that is in us lusteth to envy : many such instances might be given , evidently proving , that inferences rightly deduced , are to be valued as express scripture . in mat. 22.32 , the lord christ himself proves the resurrection of the just , not by express scripture , but by consequence . thus for the baptizing of infants , and many other things which come frequently under observation , we have not express scripture for , or in full , and entire sentences together , but here a little , and there a little , which compared together , and wisely and faithfully improved by rational inferences , sufficiently prove that truth they are brought for : and if the divine institution of the first day of the week , can be thus cleared up , for the day of the weekly sabbath , as i doubt not but it may , it is sufficient to me it is . he that conceives himself under no obligation to any thing , but what he hath express scripture for , in so many words and syllables , will either enlarge his liberty beyond its due bounds , or streighten his rule beyond what is written , and perhaps both : it s a dangerous thing to refuse him that speaks from heaven , which way soever he speaks , heb. 12.25 . 5 thly . fifthly , let this be also considered , that the holy will of god , which is the rule of all righteousness , concerning what is required of man to do , hath been revealed , though the time when , and manner how it hath been revealed , be not recorded in scripture . this to me is certain , for the will of god concerning sacrificing , was without doubt , revealed unto abel , before the law for sacrifices was given ; for what he did therein , he did in faith , and eminently found acceptance with god in what he did therein , heb. 11.4 . neither the light of nature , which is the knowledge of principles , neither the law of nature , which is the conclusions drawn from these principles , could ever have made known this way of worship to be a duty , if god had not some way revealed his will to him therein . this i hope will be made evident when i come to speak of the third general reason . if he had imposed this upon himself , and that it had been the product of his own imagination , it had been will-worship : therefore certainly he had some word for it , but when he received it , and where , and how that way of worship was instituted for him to come to the knowledge of , i never heard of any that could find it in the scripture . great use may be made of this , if need were , for the clearing up of this present controversie , concerning an express word for the institution and observing the first day of the week to be the lords-day , the day for his weekly sabbath ; we might say , that it might be instituted , though it be not recorded when , and where , as it was in the case of abels sacrificing ; but i hope we shall not be driven to this , however i cannot but suppose it is of good use for some especially to consider of . 6 thly . sixthly , i desire that this also may be considered , that what was delivered by the apostles , as they were guided by the holy spirit of truth , ought to be received and believed as delivered and spoken by christ himself . christ himself was never in person at ephesus , and yet 't is said , eph. 2.17 . that he came thither and preached peace unto them : we must understand it , that he did so in the ministry of the apostles , which was all one as if he had been there himself . none that i know of durst ever undertake to prove , that ever they prescribed any thing for all the churches to observe , but what they received in commission from the lord jesus . this was their charge , mat. 28.20 . teach what i command you ; and this was their practice , 1 cor. 11.10 , 23. what i received from the lord , that i delivered unto you : so 1 cor. 15.3 . it is evident , act. 1.3 . that jesus christ spake many things unto them betwixt his resurrection and ascension , concerning the kingdom of god , i. e. especially the state of the gospel-church , of all which we have no knowledge ( i have not i am sure ) in particular what they were , farther than is found in their precepts and practice , recorded in the new testament : and what if i should say , that the change of the day from the last in seven , to the first in seven , was one of these things , i know not what could be said against it ; but of that more hereafter . 7 thly . seventhly , though i have declared , as above , my assent and consent concerning the ten words to be perpetually obligatory , or a standing and unchangeable rule for all christians in all ages to walk by , that so they may walk in all well-pleasing unto god , ( as once i heard very solidly proved by your self , in an exercise wholly upon that subject , from psal . 19.6 , 7 , 8 , 9. as i remember ) though i say , and say it again , that herein i consent with you ; yet i say it now , and must say it again hereafter , that the day of weekly holy rest is altered , and yet that alteration is no dissolution of the commandment , and that no tittle of the law is broken thereby , and that the first day of the week is and ought to be as much the weekly sabbath for the christians now , as the last day of the week was to the jews of old ; and that there is as good ground ( though perhaps not so clear to every one ) for the change of the day , as there was at first for the choice of the day : this is directly contrary to what you asserted in your paper . i come now according as you desired me to take your 4th proposition into consideration , and your reasons in order as they stand , whereby you endeavour to confirm it , having again , and again in some weak measure , i praise the lord , prayed for the assistance of the holy spirit of truth , to guide and direct me that i may write nothing against the truth , but for the truth ; being at this present under the actual consideration of the dreadful sentence that i may be called to an account , i know not how soon , before the great and glorious god , for what i think , for what i write , as well as for what i speak , or what i do : i bless god i am willing that truth should be truth , and appear to be truth . your fourth proposition ( though i have repeated it already , yet i think it meet to repeat it here again ) is this ; the seventh day , which is the last day in every week in the weekly returns of it , &c. and for the proof of this , you produce exod. 20.8 , 9 , 10 , 11. deut. 5.12 , 15. i conceive you lay the whole stress of your arguments upon that in exod. and that you do not so much as imagine , that deut. the 5th affords you any more help , than what you have from the other alone . this is that which is to be taken into serious considerations , whether your proposition takes in , or be agreeable unto the full sense of the commandment , and that the commandment speaks the same thing that the proposition doth ; it seems as yet far otherwise to me , and that the commandment requires only the observation of one day in seven , and doth not institute any particular day , either the last or the first . the last of seven had its institution , as you seem to acknowledge , ( which i was glad to find in your paper ) in gen. 2.3 . where , and when the first day had its institution will be enquired into when this proposition is cleared , viz. that the fourth commandment requires only the observation of one whole day in seven for the weekly sabbath , not instituting either the first , or the last , for any such intent or purpose . and because , as solomon saith prov. 6.23 . that the commandment is a lamp , and the law is a light , i desire therefore in the strength of the lord jesus , depending upon him for light and direction , to look into the sense and meaning of this law : but first i shall premise this , that as the second , so the fourth commandment comes in some things under a difrferent consideration from most , if not from all the rest : my meaning is this ; there is something in each of them is morral natural , and something which is only positive . in the second commandment this is moral natural that god ought to be worshipped , not as men will themselves , but as god himself wills and describes ; but in what ordinances , or acts of worship , this is only positive . so in the fourth commandment this is moral natural , that there be a time , a sufficient time for the solemn worship of god , and yet such a sufficient time , as leaves sufficiency of time for our worldly business and affairs . this the light of nature will teach , but without some revelation of the will of god , nature cannot determine the time , as to the frequency of its revolution , or if that , not the particular day that ought to be the time , which is the matter under debate betwixt us , but of this i shall have occasion to speak more hereafter : only i mention it here , because this is that which i have now to do , to give you my reasons why i conceive that what the substance of the fourth commandment requires ; either as naturally moral , or positively moral , or gods manner of resting , or his blessing and sanctifying the day of his rest , or the revolution of time in which the day ought to be observed , whatever it be , reacheth no farther than the observation of one whole day in seven , not directly pointing out any particular day , but only by consequence at the last of seven , because it was enjoyned before . now i cannot better nor in fewer words give you my reason of this , than to give you an account of my faith , what i understand to be the sence and meaning of the commandment , and it is this ; 1. first , i observe as it were the opening and giving forth of the commandments , vers . 8. remember the sabbath day , that is , the day of holy rest of gods appointing , to keep it holy to the lord : in deut. 5.12 . a text quoted in your paper , we have this which is the moral substance of the commandment not given as in some other places it is , by it self alone , but together with all the ten words in its proper place and order ; and which is to me very observable , the reason from gods resting is omitted , neither is it at all enforced from the creation , but from a type of our redemption , their deliverance from the egyptian bondage . such a material omission or alteration seemeth to be significant of something , whereof more hereafter . 2 dly . secondly , in the shutting up or conclusion of the commandment , vers . 11. wherefore the lord blessed , and sanctified not the seventh day ( of which more hereafter ) but the sabbath day of holy rest : this is evident , yet neither in the opening , nor shutting up of the commandment where we have the moral substance of the commandment , there is no mention of any particular day at all . 3 dly . i observe what intervenes , and comes in by way of explication or inforcement of obedience , between the opening , and shutting up of the commandment and therefore comes in to be observed . 1. first , in what revolution of time god had appointed this day of holy rest to be observed , and that is one whole day of seven , of every seven days , six for labour , one for rest , vers . 9. and former part of ver . 10. thus far we have a comely order in the commandment , suitable to the infinite wisdom of god , first settling a day that ought to be observed , and then the revolution of time in which that day ought to be observed ; how often , not one in twenty days , nor one in ten days , but one in seven days , one day in every week , which is well observed by your self in the third reason . 2 dly . secondly , i observe the enforcement of obedience to the commandment from gods example of resting the seventh day , verse 11. here i do acknowledg the last of seven is mentioned , but not as any branch of the unchangeable moral substance of the commandment , nor the observation of it directly required but onely consequently , being instituted before as is acknowledged by your self : and it must be acknowledged by all , that the last of seven here mentioned , had first of all the honor to be the day of gods appointing , and accordingly it was observed , and no other , till the time came that another day the first of seven , was to succeed in the room of it . these are the particulars of the commandment , which as far as i can apprehend , are most observable in those four verses quoted in your paper , and in none of them all can i find any thing that seems to give any testimony to the truth of your proposition . 1. nothing as was said before either in the giving forth , or shutting up of the commandment , there is no mention of any particular day , one or other . 2. nothing in what intervenes between . 3. nothing in what expresseth the revolution of time wherein the day of holy rest is to be observed . six days shalt thou labour , thus i understand this limitation , or rule for direction . 1. six days shalt thou labour , unless god otherwise appoint ; and he did appoint in the old administration , other days to be kept holy , which though not alway , yet sometimes fell out on some or other of the six working days . this i think none will deny . 2. further , six days shalt thou labour , not excluding the solemn worship of god out of those six days , as is well observed by our self : as if it were a sin for a man to hear a sermon , or to set some hours a part for prayer any of these six days , as it is for a man to work upon that day of seven which god sets apart for himself . 3. and yet further , which is most to be taken notice of . six days , &c. rest one , not enjoyning the last of seven that was instituted before , but onely thus , six parts of the time shall be for your selves , the seventh shall be mine , as gen. 47.14 . you shall have four parts , saith joseph , the fifth shall be pharaohs . let all be divided into five parts , four shall be for your selves , the fifth shall be for the king , not telling them which fifth but only one of five . so lev. 23. 27. let all be divided into ten you shall have nine , the tenth shall be the lords , not appointing them which ten , but only one of ten . thus i understand the word , six days of the week shall be for your selves , one shall be mine . thus i finde not one word for the last of seven , and which i must remember again , in the third reason you plead the equity onely for one of seven . i have heard that you alledged the hebrew particle ה verse 10. as emphatical ; but because you do not mention it in your paper , i shall say nothing to it now , but when you form your argument from it , i shall give that which satisfies me for the present in answer to it . 2. as nothing is here where the revolution of time is fixed which speaks in behalf of your proposition , so i find nothing at all in gods exemple for it ; nothing there but one day of seven , from the beginning of the creation ; but it doth not therefore follow that it was the mind of god , that the same day must be observed for ever . i shall give you my reason why i conceive so , when first i have given you the sence wherein i conceive the words are to be understood . thus , we must not understand this properly according to the letter , for the infinite glorious divine essence ceaseth no more to work than he ceaseth to be god ; neither doth he rest as man doth , because he is weary , isa . 40.28 . we are therefore to understand his ceasing to create ; from the works of providence ordering , and disposing all thing that he hath made he never resteth , according to that joh. 5.17 . having thus given you the sense , now i shall give you my reasons , why i conceive that this example of gods resting is not alledged here to lay an obligation upon the conscience , that the same day wherein he rested , which was the last of seven , ought to be observed for ever . 1. first , it seems to me to relate to what god himself did , rather then any way propounded as an argument to prove that for which you urge it . i will give you a parallel scripture wherein the example of the lord jesus is thus to be understood , 1. cor. 11.23 . we have there the institution of the lords supper , when , and how it was instituted , repeated out of the evangelists , and christs example is related as to the time when , that it was not only in the night , but in that particular night in which he was betrayed : now this is not recorded as a binding rule for our imitation , for then night , administrations should not onely of absolute necessity be observed , but that particular night in which he was betrayed , which is commonly called with us thursday night , which is more then ever i heard , that any one practised as a necessary duty ; i am sure the apostle paul did not , acts 20.7 . this example of christ then , seems to be historically related , and whether the like may not be said of gods example in the commandment , let it be considered . but 2. secondly , though gods exemple be historically related , yet it must be acknowledged to be related for some special end and purpose : as the example of christ in the forementioned scripture was without all doubt mentioned upon the highest ground of reason ; which to speak of here though it might be of good use , yet it would be a digression from the matter in hand . and the special end , and purpose why gods example is here related , seems to be this , even to shew that what is required in the commandment is equal and reasonable , and for mans good : the holy laws of god are often called judgments , as for other reasons , so specially i think for this , to shew that god requires nothing but what is just and equal . thus god reasons the case with those , ezek. 18 , 25. hear ye me o house of israel , are not my waies equal ? and therefore certainly the sence of the argument from gods example which doth best shew the equity of the commandment , and to be for the good of those that observe it , is the best , and truest sence . now to argue that because god wrought the six first days of seven , and then rested the last of seven , this carries no convincing reason with it , that therefore we ought first to work six days of the week , and then to rest the last day of the week , and to keep it holy to the lord. reason , right reason , if that alone were to judge , would rather judge it fit to keep the first of seven holy to the lord , and seeing by divine allowance we have six for one , take the six last to our selves . in reason we may hope , that the work on earth will speed best , when our work for heaven is done first : but now to argue from gods example , that it bindeth neither to the first of seven , nor to the last of seven , but to one of seven , carries very great reason in it . for if the great god , who needs not one moment either for rest , or for work , who never fainteth , who never is weary , wrought six days , and rested one , how much more should poor frail man , hold that proportion , who by reason both of bodily weakness , and spiritual wants , needs such a competency of time both for his worldly imployment , and soul refreshments ; and thus much you say your self hath been already noted . thus you have my reason why i conceive there is nothing in gods example , that affords any help to afford your proposition . 3. thirdly , i find as little in gods blessing and sanctifying the sabbath-day , for that which you alledge it . 1. first , to give the sence , [ he sanctified it ] i. e. separated it from common use , to be filled up with such duties as he appoints ; and then [ blessed it ] i. e. appointed it to be a day of blessing . a day naturally considered , is capable of no other blessing , but only to be a means of blessing according to divine appointment ; but his blessing and sanctifying it , secures the blessing to the right observers of it . now for my reason why herein i dissent from you ; 't is this , he blessed and sanctified it , but not as it was the last day of seven , but as it was the day of his rest , declaring thereby creation-work to be perfected . neither was his resting , so far as i can see , the ground of his blessing and sanctifying it , but as considered in conjunction with the reason of his rest , his finishing the creation ; and also with the result and consequence of his rest , viz. his magnifying and honouring that day for the time being , above all other dayes , for the greatest work then in being . whether this blessing be applicable to no other day but this , as you say it is not , in the third branch of the first reason for the confirming your proposition , shall be considered of when it comes to be spoken to , in order as it stands in your paper ; and i hope to make the contrary to appear , at least it appears so to me . 4. fourthly , to mention it once again , though it was hinted before , in the very conclusion of the commandment , vers . 11. though the last of seven is mentioned in the same verse , in the words immediately foregoing , it is not said , i mean in that place , that he blessed and sanctified the seventh day , ( though it be said , that he did bless it , gen. 2. in the sence that is given above ) but he blessed and sanctified the sabbath day . what should be the reason of the suddain change of the expression ? i conceive it may be this , and i think it may not be unworthy of your serious consideration ; it may be this i say , because the command for the sabbath-day , was to be of a larger extent , than the last day of seven . i cannot but think , that if god had intended to bind his church in all ages to the end of the world , to the last day of seven , as you conceive he hath done , he would have fixed upon that day in the conclusion of the commandment . thus sir , i have given you my reasons why i dissent from you , in that sence which you give of the commandment in your proposition : and why i adhere to that proposition , that the fourth commandment requires only the observation of one day in seven , not fixing it either upon the first , or the last day of seven , but only by consequence pointing at the last of seven , then to be observed , because it was instituted before , and to continue till the first of seven was to succeed it . as solomon said in the place formerly quoted , prov. 6. so david his father said before him , psal . 19.9 . the commandment of the lord is pure , enlightneng the eyes ; and this is the light which the father of lights hath given me from the commandment . i shall shut up all that for the present i intend to say , as for the sence of the commandment , with this ; that as the second commandment , as i said in the entrance into this discourse , may parallel with the fourth commandment , in requiring something which is superadded to the law and light of nature ; so 't is evident in this , that as the second commandment doth determine the worship of god , but only in the general , that it be according to his revealed will , and under that general , both old ordinances , sacrifice , circumcision , and the passover instituted , elsewhere are there required ; so likewise new testament ordinances baptisme and the lords supper are both comprehended , though neither named ; so in the fourth commandment , both the last of seven , and first of seven , are comprehended , though neither of them directly named ; but onely one of them consequentially as was said before , because formerly instituted ; so that the fourth commandment is perpetually obligatory for one day in seven , and then the substance of the commandment is still unchangeable , thus the day admits of a change , not as a ceremony , but as a circumstance ; the change of the day being no more prejudicial to the morality of the fourth commandment , than the change or worship to the morality of the second commandment . and farther i add this , that i confess i am at a very great loss , how it should be so as it hath been , and as it is at this day , that in a manner , the whole christian world should centre in the observation of the first day , if it had been a breach of the fourth commandment which hath been so often read , and so often preached upon . before i proceed to say any more than what hath been said to those reasons which are produced in your paper for the confirmation of your proposition , i shall give you in as few words as possibly i can , what i have for the present to say for the change of the day , from the last of seven to the first of seven ; and that being done , i conceive i shall not need to say much to any of the reasons , though i intend not , by the lords assistance , to pass over any of them without saying something , and that as you desire , according to the order as they stand . to make entrance into this which i am now to speak unto ; as none denies but that the last of seven was the only day in the revolution of every week to be kept holy to the lord to the end of the old world , ( i. e. ) of the church that then was of the jews , till the time of reformation should come , heb. 9.10 . so i conceive it cannot with reason be denied , but that since the beginning of the new world , ( i. e. ) of the christian church , frequently in scripture called the world to come , i mention only that heb. 2.5 . since then i say , it cannot i think , with any shew of reason , be denied , that the first of seven hath been generally acknowledged in all christian churches unto this day , and will be ( to speak as yet i do believe ) till time shall be no more ; though by what authority , is the great matter in question , but the thing is certain , though it hath been of late , as i have heard , dropt up and down , in and about the town , that this exalting of the first day of seven above the last of seven was done by the authority of constantine : i wondred at this when i heard of it , for though it be true that eusebius , writing the life of that christian emperor saith , that by law he enacted , that the first day of the week , should be the great weekly holy day to the lord : yet to conclude from hence , that he was the author of the change of the day ; we may as well conclude that he was the christian religion ; for by his publique edict , the publique profession of it was established in all his dominions . the christians of those days then receiving , as i have often thought , an answer to those prayers which their fore-fathers in christianity no doubt poured forth before god , according to that injunction and direction , 1 tim. 2.1 , 2. that they should pray for kings and all that be in authority , that they might lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honosty ; which was much about 300. years before constantine was born , at least before he sate in the throne . let eusebius himself be consulted ( i could easily quote the place if i had the book by me ) and from him we may learn , that as the christian religion , so the christian sabbath was observed on the first day long before constantines cradle was made ; and not only so , but before there was a christian magistrate in the world it was so : and yet , as 't is apparent to me , by divine authority , or else there was none in the world at all ; for in the new world , that is , in the state of the gospel church , old things were past away , old sacrifices , old covenant , old sacrament , the seals of the covenant , this none denies ; even so likewise the old sabbath : for the proof of this , let that scripture , besides others that might be mentioned , be duly considered , gal. 4.10 . the apostle there reckoneth up several sorts of the jewish festivals , and condemneth the observation of them in all christian churches ( for upon the same account he condemns them in one church , he condemns them in all ) this will appear to be so , if we consider the apostles scope in that , and in his epistles to some other of the churches . but to mention one is enough for all , it was to oppose such of the circumcision as those mentioned , acts 15.1 , 2. that mingled together the law of moses , with the doctrine of the gospel , and that in the matter of justification , and in order to salvation ; with this error , which was then a growing error , it is evident the church of galatia was infected , upon this account it might well be that he was articled against , for teaching every where to forsake the law of moses , and against the temple , acts 21.28 . as paul himself no doubt knew that it was formerly an article against stephen , that he spake blasphemous words against the law , and that he should affirm that jesus of nazareth should destroy the temple , and change the customs that moses delivered them , acts 6.13 , 14. object . if it be objected that the apostle there condemns their yearly sabbaths , the sabbath of the seventh year , the sabbath of the fiftieth year , the year of jubile , and not the weekly sabbath . by way of answer , i desire that the words of the apostle may be duely weighed ; ye observe days , and months , and times , and years , i am afraid of you , lest i have bestowed on you my labour in vain . by years , we understand their yearly sabbath , called the sabbath of attonement , and their sabbatical years as above mentioned ; by seasons , their annual feasts , of the passover , penticost , and tabernacles ; and by months , their monthly feasts called their new moons , all this is clear ; now i confess i cannot see what can possibly be meant by days , but their weekly sabbath days , especially finding in levit. 23. where all their feasts and holy days , eight in number , are reckoned up ; their weekly sabbath is put in the first place , as it were , by the apostle . i fore-see two things may be objected against this interpretation . obj. first , it may be said , the sabbath of the seventh day cannot be here mentioned , for then paul should condemn his own practice . answ . but this is easily answered , for though we read , acts 16.13 . that on the sabbath day , that is i grant on the seventh day sabbath , he went out of the city and preached to women , that resorted thither to their publique worship : and acts 17.2 . that he preached in the synagogue of thessalonica three sabbath days together , yet this was not as observing the seventh day sabbath , but for the opportunity of the jews assembling together on that day , which he could not have upon the first day ; and so for a while condescending to their weakness , some other of the jewish rites , as may be instanced in circumcision , were born with . to conclude from hence that he did this as observing the seventh day sabbath as they did , it may be well concluded that he did , and therefore we must observe the feast penticost , because he went up to jerusalem at that feast , as we read , acts 18.21 . which we may be sure he did not for the feasts sake , but for the assemblies sake , that he might have the greater opportunity to preach the gospel unto them . but now if we would know what day of the week it was which he observed in obedience to the fourth commandment , look into his practice among the converted jews and gentiles , and there we shall find that he observed the first day for the sabbath day , and passed by the seventh day , as will be seen by and by , in its proper place . 2. object . it 's objected by some , and those great and learned persons , that this interpretation overthrows the morality of the first day of the week , as well as the last day of the week , and for that end they thus interpret this place , and frequently urge it : but nothing they alledge from hence , i do acknowledge , could ever make any impression upon me , and my reason is this . answ . look what those and the circumcision , that were so zealous for the law , sought to impose upon the christian churches , that and that only the apostle opposeth : now it seems to me beyond all question , that they never sought to impose the first day sabbath , and therefore that stands , and will stand unshaken , notwithstanding this interpretation of the text ; and the interpretation standing firm , notwithstanding these objections , it seems yet clear to me , that christians are under no obligation at all to the old sabbath , it is dead having served its time , quest . now i know it will be asked , if this be so , where have we any express institution either for the first day , or for any other day ? must we not then , if a word of institution cannot be produced , observe , as some say , every day for a sabbath , or take that day those in authority do appoint , be it one of 10 , or one of 20 , or have no sabbath at all ? answ . i answer , neither so , nor so , every day is not the sabbath day , any more than every supper is the lords supper , or every table the lords table : neither may we admit of one day of 10 , or 20 , for that is against the morality of the fourth commandment , which requires not onely the observation of a sabbath , but one day of seven for a sabbath . and that we have sufficient ground ( which i confess can be no less than divine authority ) for the first day of seven , i now come to give you my reasons why i so believe . only let me have leave first to ask , where is there an express word of institution for the last of seven ? in the fourth commandment there is none , that only requires the observation of one of seven ; all the institution there is for it , is in gen. 2.3 . which is not express , ( though i acknowledg it sufficient ) but only imply'd in those words , god blessed the seventh day , and sanctified it ; and i hope there is as clear a word ( though perhaps not altogether found in one place ) which implies the institution of the first day , as that which in gen. 2. doth of the seventh day . before i proceed to that , i desire this may be observed ; that there is the same reason for the institution of the first of seven , that there was for the institution of the last of seven . i said before what i thought to be true , that the lord blessed and sanctified the seventh day ; not only because he rested on the seventh day , having perfected the work of creation ; but also because of the result and consequence both of his rest , and of his perfecting his work , namely , his honouring and exalting that day above all other dayes ; thereby now we know , that the memorial of those signal works of providence wrought upon the day , hath been the occasion of the advancing that day above other . so the jewish passover , lev. 23. and the feast of purim , est . 9.21 , 23 , and our 5th . of november , in memory of the discovery of that treason plotted , and that nothing came to execution but the traytors themselves . now this being acknowledged to be so , hence then it may be argued , that what day soever above all other dayes , god honours with his most eminent work , is to be the day of holy rest unto god. this will clearly carry it , and greatly strengthen , though but an implyed institution for the first day : for that was the day of the lords rest from the most great , and the most glorious of all his works , the work of redemption . i hear something hath been alledged against this , that the first day of the week was not the day of christs resurrection , and that the translators of the bible have done us wrong in so rendring it : it is strange to me if any should say so , but i shall say nothing to it now , because your paper speaks nothing of it ; whenever you think fit to form the argument from the error you suppose in the translation , there is as i understand one ( and one that is well able to do it ) prepared to justifie the translation , and hath done it , many moneths ago ; to him i leave it , because , as i said , your paper gives me no occasion to say any thing of it . however this i must say , for the proof of what hath been said , i cannot but assert this , that it is an article of my faith , that the lord jesus rose again the third day , 1 cor. 15.4 . luk. 32. mat. 16.21 . and that as certain it is , that the first day of the week after his passion week , is and was the third day after his passion ; the lord of life laid down his life , and was obedient unto death , the sixth day of the foregoing week , which with us is called friday , lay in the grave the remaining part of that day , that night , and all the seventh day , ( when the old sabbath i think was buried with him ) and then that night , and arose early ) the next morning , which was the first day of the week after his passion ; so that his blessed body continued in the grave two whole nights , one whole day , and some part of the two other dayes , the sixth and the first of the week following , in all about thirty six hours : and this was accounted three dayes and three nights , according to the allowed dialect of that nation , as one of the most learned in the jewish antiquities i think this nation affordeth , by several instances makes good : and indeed there seems to be something in the scripture for it , esthers fast was for three days , and three nights , yet on the third day after her feast began , she presents her self before the king , and invites him to a banquet , est . 5.1 . this then is evident , the resurrection of christ , notwithstanding any thing that i think can be said against the translation , was upon the first day of the week ; besides what hath been said already , the scripture is express for it , luk. 24.13 . the same day , i. e. the day of christs resurrection , the two disciples were travelling to emaus , and vers . 21. they say this day was the third day : thus the resurrection of christ being upon the first day of the week , ( though to speak properly it was not so much the ground , as the occasion of the choice of the day , because then it was manifested , that the price of our redemption was both paid and accepted ) the day of christs passion could not give the like occasion , because though the price was paid , the surety was not discharged , the grave was a part of his humiliation , he was not raised from all the sorrows of death , till he was raised from the grave , acts 2.24 . and as the day of christs passion , could not for this cause give this occasion for the change of the day , so neither could the day of his ascension . on that day indeed he entred into the place of rest , to sit down on the right hand of the father , but it was on the day of his resurrection that he entred into the state of rest ; and this day , as i said , on the first day of the week , gives as fair and strong a ground , for fixing of the day of holy rest , on the first day of seven , as gods resting from the work of the creation did , for fixing it at first upon the last of seven . if it be said , by this means we blot out the memory of the creation , which ought not to be done . is is true , it ought not to be done , that marvelous great work comes within the compass of that text , psalm . 111.4 . which ought to be had in remembrance , and the serious consideration of it , is a great relief in difficult cases : for what cannot he do that made heaven and earth of nothing ? thus they reason their hearts into a believing frame , psalm . 124. ult . that their hope , and their help , did stand in the name of the lord that made heaven and earth : we ought therefore , as elihu saith , to magnifie god in his works which men behold . joh. 36.24 , 25. only the work of redemption ought more especially to be remembred , as the more glorious , and indeed the most glorious work : as therefore the work of creation ought not to be forgotten , so the change of the day gives no cause for it ; for as the first day of seven preserveth the memory of our redemption , so one of seven preserveth the memory of our creation , only preeminence is given to the work of our redemption . but it will still be enquired where is the word of institution ? i answer , 't is acknowledged , that as i said before , i find no express word for the institution of the last day of seven , so we have no express word in so many letters , and words or syllables for the institution of the first day of seven ; but we have several particulars , which , not taken apart , but laid altogether , will clearly , and i think , undeniably imply it ; and which was observed in the fourth proposition , which way soever god speaks his minde to us , we ought not to despise him that speaks from heaven . now among all these particulars , i desire these may be , in all sobriety and seriousness , taken into consideration . 1. the first is this , which i think none will deny ; that jesus christ the mediator , had power to change the day : i do not , i dare not say that he hah power to change the moral substance of the commandment , for it was not in his commission ; he came not to destroy the law , but to fulfil it ; not to change the day from one of seven , but that he had power to change from one day of seven , to another day : that text which you quote three several times , sufficiently proves it ; he is lord of the sabbath , ( i. e. ) of the day , and might do with his own what he pleaseth , even as he was lord of the vineyard , and might let it out to what husbandmen he pleased , matth. 21. and that which we read , john 5. carries a probable appearance , that even then he began to manifest , that he had a purpose to change the day , for there we read , that having healed the poor diseased man who had been bedrid for thirty eight years together , he bids him take up his bed and walk ; but why did he so ? this was expresly against the letter of the law ; there was no necessity of it for the evidencing of the miracle , that might have been done by his leaping , and walking ; and the like was , acts 3. and acts 14. he might have gone home , and come again for his bed the next day ; why then might it not be to shew that he had power and authority over that day , equal to what he had over the desease . to this purpose it is worthy our observation , that all along in that chapter , he justifies his acts against the cavilling jews , by asserting his power , as may be seen verse 17. to the end of verse 22. as it appears by this , that he had power to change the day , what if it should be said , that he did according to his power actually change the day , though when , and how , it be not recorded . let the fifth proposition be consulted for this ; there it appears , that there was word for institution of sacrifice , before abel sacrificed , ( though it be not recorded when ) because god accepted his sacrifice . so he hath accepted the service upon the first day of the week , the first of seven , and blessed it as eminently he did the last of seven , as i shall shew when i come to speak of your reasons . why then might he not institute this day , though it be not express'd when , or where ? what can be said against it , but that he might do in the one as in the other ? though it be not recorded , why may it not be thought to be one of those things which he had to say unto his disciples , and without he did say to them afterwards , because they were not then able to bear them , john 16.12 . surely the change of the sabbath , which they with the whole body of that nation , had such an high esteem of , would hardly then have been received by them . 4. fourthly , to me it seems very evident , that the day was changed either by christ own immediate appointment , or by his apostles as they were guided , and directed by the holy spirit which they received , according to that promise , john 16.13 . and what they did teach , and practise as thus guided , and directed , ought to be received and believed , as if it had been immediatly done by christ himself , as was proved in the sixth proposition . 5. fifthly , and that the change of the day was thus appointed , either by christ immediatly , or by his apostles as guided by the spirit of truth , these following particulars seem to me undeniably to prove it . 1. first , by the apostles practice let that be seriously considered , as it is recorded in several places . i shall begin with that , acts 20.7 . it is there said , that when paul came to troas , where he abode seven dayes , upon the first day of the week , which is infallibly proved to be the day of christs resurrection , when the disciples came together to break bread , paul preached . i desire this text may be considered in the fear of god. it was some grief to me to think how slightly , as i heard within these few days , some turn it off : for if it be , as it ought to be , seriously considered of , it will appear to have much weight in it , for it is clear in the text , that paul continued there seven days , and therefore was there on the seventh day sabbath ; yet there is no mention that either he , or the church took any notice of it , more than of any other of the six dayes , but upon the first day , the work of the sabbath was carried on , paul both preaching , and administring the lords supper . if this had been done upon the seventh day , and that he had begun his journey upon the first day , it had made very much for the establishing of the old sabbath ; whereas now it makes much for the establishing of the new , and christian sabbath ; if there had been but one such express instance of pauls baptizing but one infant in any of the christian churches , i think it would have prevailed much with those that are humble , conscientious , and godly ( as i believe many are , that scruple much the administration of that ordinance to any that are not able to make profession of their faith ) if i say there had been but one such instance , so plain and evident , in the scripture ; it would probably have prevailed much with them , though there are arguments sufficient in the scripture for it , yet they are not so plain to them : they would ( it may charitably be supposed ) have yielded that such an apostle , would not have done this without warrant , unless he had known the mind of christ for it , yet you see we have it for the christian sabbath , and shall this signifie nothing ? surely what ever it doth with others , it signifies much with me . 2. secondly , it is farther observed , that the one hundred and twenty disciples spoken of acts 1. and it may be some more with them , met together distinctly from the jews , and did not keep the feast of pentecost with them , but together by themselves ; and this they did with one accord , as we read , acts 2.1 . and this upon the first day of the week , as may be undeniably demonstrated : the lord jesus was buried on the evening of the sixth day , that day being the first in the passion week , but the seventh day christ rested in the grave , this was the second day in the passion week in which the first fruit sheaf of was waved before the lord , levit. 23.11 . and from this day they began to count their seven weeks to pentecost as in the same chapter vers . 15 , 16. ( and which should be observed , this day christ rose again from the dead , and becomes the first fruits of them that sleep , 1 cor. 15.20 . ) which being counted seven times , the fiftieth day is just the first day of the week . so that it is clear , it was the first day of the week when the the disciples thus met together , to observe it in the duties of the day , which without doubt they knew to be the mind of christ . 3. thirdly , the disciples met together twice on the two first dayes of the two first weeks , immediately after christs resurrection ; if it be granted , that the first time they did not understand , the change of the day , but shut the doors for fear of the jews , because of the information of the souldiers against them , that they had taken away the body of jesus , what can be said against it , all things considered , but that they knew the change of the day at their second meeting ? and that then they shut the doors for fear of the jews , because they did not observe the old sabbath , the same that the jews did , and as they themselves formerly had done . thus much of the apostles practice : now it cannot be shewed , that ever they gave any respect to the seventh day sabbath , as the day of holy rest unto the lord , after christs resurrection ; that of their preaching sometimes on that day , was upon another account , as hath been proved already . neither doth it appear that any other did , by what we find in the scripture . it s true , those holy women mentioned in the evangelists , observed it to the last , even to the day before christs resurrection , and it was their duty christ being not risen . and for the apostles , it is evident they shewed all respects after the resurrection , to the first of seven , none to the last of seven : and further , it is not nothing what is recorded of the lord jesus himself , that he appeared so often unto his disciples on that day : for though i lay not so much stress upon it , as i have heard others have done , ( for it is very profitable , that during these forty days , he appeared unto them upon other dayes as well as upon the first day ) but this i say is not nothing , that there is no day mentioned by name , but the first day ; if it had been mentioned , that he had appeared unto them but once upon the seventh day , i cannot but think it would have been much insisted upon . having now done with this , i proceed from the apostles practice to consider ; 2. secondly , their expressions ; and that which i shall here take special notice of , is that in apoc. 1.10 . where john gives this account of himself , that he was in the spirit on the lords day . this i have reason to believe was the first day of the week , and pointeth at the institution of it by christ himself ; and my reason is this , scripture is to be interpreted by scripture , even about the nature and meaning of a phrase , unless there be something in the text where it is used , why it should not be taken in that text as in others : this is generally acknowledged to be a good and safe rule for interpretation of difficult places ; why then may not this phrase prove it was the day instituted by the authority of jesus christ , as being parallel with that of the lords supper , which was instituted by christ himself ? the holy spirit of god directed both paul , and john , in their expressions , neither of which is used but once a piece , and never applyed to any thing else in the new testament , but to the lords supper , and to the lords day ; why should these ordinances be held forth under the same expressions , if these had not the same institution ? it would seem strange to me , if any should say , that the lords passover in the old testament , ( though a supper ordinance ) was the lords supper in the new testament ; and it seems somewhat strange , if the seventh day sabbath , which was indeed the sabbath of the lord under the old testament , should be asserted to be the lords day in the new testament , without some further proof than to say it is so : i could produce testimonies from antiquity , of some that lived near , and of one that lived some considerable time with john himself , who have interpreted the lords day mentioned in the revelation , to be the first day ; but because you quote no such testimonies , neither will i. i have been careful to observe your order , and to proceed in this order only in a scriptural way : thus much of the apostles expressions . from their practice and expressions , i come to the practice of the primitive churches , as they are recorded in the scripture ; as that of the church of corinth , 1 cor. 16.1 , 2. and that of galatia , and of troas formerly mentioned , who had their weekly solemn assemblies on the first day ; i forbear to say any thing in justification of our translation , because as i said before , you touch upon no such thing in your paper , desiring to be dealt withall in a scriptural , not in a grammatical way , only i cannot but add this , because i conceive it is according to scripture , that it cannot with any reason be imagined , that these churches would have made such an important change of the day for their solemn assemblies , from what was formerly used by gods appointment among the jews , without consulting with some at least of the apostles , and most likely with paul , as being best acquainted with him . hardly i think can there be produced any instance that particular churches ever did determine any thing of this nature , by their own authority , without consulting , i say , with some of the apostles ; considering how in other matters , not altogether of so great a concernment , they consulted with paul , 2 cor. 7. and as hardly can it be imagined that the apostles would ever give them any such direction , unless they had known the mind of christ . thus , sir , i have given you , in as few words as the matter would permit , a true account of the reasons of my dissent from you , in the sense that you give of the fourth commandment , and of what formerly hath and still doth satisfie my conscience , that the day is changed , and that by divine authority and that without any prejudice to the authority of the fourth commandment . that which i have yet to do , is to give you my thoughts concerning your reasons , produced for the confirming your proposition , which may be done with a little addition to what hath said done already . 1. first , you say those weighty reasons which jehovah the saviour himself hath given , to enforce obedience unto his commandment , in observing a weekly sabbath day holy to himself , do properly belong and are applicable to the seventh day , which is the last day in every week in order of time , in the weekly returns of it , as the weekly sabbath day , and are applicable to no other day ; and these you say are three . 1. first , you say , god rested only upon the seventh day , which is the last day in every week . answ . i answer , thus far it is true , that god rested on the seventh day , the last day from the beginning of the creation ; but it seems to me rather as a reason of that limitation , six dayes of seven being allowed for labour , one of which seven was a day for holy rest , and not an argument engaging to observe the last of seven , for the weekly sabbath to the end of the world : the reasons that prevail with me so to judge , i have given before . 2 dly . secondly , your second and third reasons , i joyn them together , he blest and sanctified the seventh day , because you bring one and the same proof for both , and besides they are to be looked upon in conjunction together , he sanctified the seventh day , by separating it from common use , to be the day for his solemn worship , and he blessed it , appointing it to be a day of blessing to the right observers of it , in what sense i understand this , i have given you an account before . it is true , when this law was first given to adam , being then in the state of innocency ( so you acknowledge it was , and therein i assent and consent with you ) the blessing was applicable to no other day , but the last of seven ; because man continuing in that blessed state , there was not , there could not be supposed a more eminent work than the creation of the world ; but now man being fallen , the work of redemption being every way more glorious than the work of creation , the blessing is applicable to the first day , the day of christs resurrection , for then the work of redemption was manifested to be fully perfected , and god blessed for evermore hath blessed that as eminently as ever he did the former day , not to mention that which is and hath been done among the churches of the gentiles . i desire you to look back to the second particular , and i think it is there made evident , that the feast of pentecost was on the first day , and then the disciples being together , the holy ghost was given to the disciples , then they received those miraculous gifts , and began to speak with tongues , which they never understood before , and that day three thousand souls were added to the church , by the effectual working of the spirit of god with the ministery of the apostles ; and these sermons they preached , that are upon record , after christs ascension : was not then this day a day of blessing ? was there ever a more eminent blessing , or any like unto it on the old sabboth , the last of seven ? whatever impression this makes upon the hearts of others i know not , for my own part i must needs say , i cannot but look upon it as very worthy of serious consideration . 2 dly . secondly , besides those reasons in the commandment you add further : 1. the name and thing of a weekly sabboth is given only to the seventh day : 2. that no promise is made to the observers of any other day , no threatning denounced against any that shall not observe any other day in the week , as a weekly sabboth day , but only the seventh , which is the last day . a. to all these i answer from what hath been already said : 1. first , as for the name and thing , this is that which i observe at first , and by this i am further confirmed in it , that you apprehend the last day of seven and the weekly sabboth , i. e. the day that is to be observed as a day of holy rest unto the lord , are terms convertible ; which to me is not yet proved , though i have considered your paper from end to end , and i have given you my reasons why i yet believe , and must needs believe ( till i see them answered ) that another is instituted in the room thereof , and that by divine authority ; so that though once they were , yet now they seem to me to be no longer terms convertible . 2 dly . secondly , as to that which you say , that there is no command for any other day , i have already given you my sense of the commandment , that no day is instituted there , first or last , or so much as the observation of the seventh directly enjoyned there , but only by consequence , because formerly instituted ; so that both the commandment and the reasons of the commandment reach the first of seven , as well as the last of seven : see before . 3 dly . thirdly , you say there is no promise to the observation of any day , nor threatning against the not observing of any day as the weekly sabboth , but only the last of seven . a. i answer first , to speak properly ( as i observe you do so ) the promise is not made to the day , but to the right observers of it , in the duties that god appoints . now the duties falling upon the first day of the week , as i have given you the reasons of my faith therein already , the blessings annexed to the last of seven fall upon the first of seven , and have been given forth eminently upon the first of seven , as i have shewed . 2 dly . secondly , i answer farther , that as i find no blessing promised to the right use of the seals of the covenant under the old administration , but what were then applied only to the right use of circumcision , and the passover , nor any thing against any profaners or contemners of any seals of the covenant , but those that contemned circumcision , and the passover ; yet i am perswaded that you believe the promises , i mean especially the spiritual promises annexed to the old seals , the right observers of the new seals , baptism and the lords supper , may in faith apply to themselves . and the threatnings against the contemners of the old seals , those that contemn or profane the new seals , have just cause to fear may fall upon them : even so the promise made to the old sabboth the seventh day , and the threatnings against the transgressors of it , are applicable to the transgressors , and the observers of the new sabboth the first of seven ; whatever is written , is written for our learning . 3 dly . i now proceed to the third reason , which is this , that god hath put this commandment for the last of seven into nature ; which if you had explained , as it seems you understand it , and that the scriptures quoted had clearly proved it , i think i should have been silent , and with a little more help i think should have closed with you upon the whole in this matter . but i must crave leave to say , that to me your expressions are somewhat dark , and your proofs exceeding short . 1. first , that your way of expressing your self is somewhat dark : for you say , god hath put this into nature , but you do not express what i do not clearly understand , whether you mean that is moral natural in the fourth commandment , or which is moral positive . 2 dly . secondly , your proofs , especially from rom. 1.20 . psalm 19. rom. 10.18 . john 1.9 . seem to be intended for that which is moral natural , and there are some other scriptures which to me have not the least appearance ( pardon me if i say so ) to be any thing at all to the purpose : and that there is one expression in your further inlarging upon this reason , which seems to be for that which is moral positive . for thus you say , that natural reason will tell me , that seeing all men in all nations do measure their time by weeks , and their weeks by seven days , that they should besides what they offer to god every day in every week , set apart a day unto their maker , who hath allowed such a liberal portion unto them for themselves : herein you will find , that i do both assent and consent unto you , when i have a little explained what i apprehend to be the difference between moral natural , and moral positive laws . 1 ▪ first moral natural laws , i conceive to be these which the light of nature , consisting in the knowledge of principles , and the law of nature , in conclusions drawn from that light , acknowledgeth to be just and good , though they had never been written in the word . as that there is a god , and that this god is to be worshipped as god. thus much your proofs , especially that rom. 1.20 . clearly prove , thus far the fourth commandment is moral natural . the law and light of nature will teach men , that there must be a time for the solemn worship of god , a time of rest from all other imployments , a set time that must return according to some computation of time , either weeks , or months , or years . let it be granted for weeks ( though i would gladly see some farther proof for that , than yet i have seen , ) this the nature of man even now corrupted , either doth acknowledge , or at least may be convinced of , by arguments drawn from these principles which are in the hearts of all men , when he is rationally urged with such principles as these , as that all those things that are good , ought to be followed , and those things wch are evil ought to be avoided ; i mean such things , the goodness or evil whereof ariseth meerly from the things themselves , and may be acknowledged to be so , though the one had never been commanded , nor the other had never been forbidden in the word . this is clear from that place you quote , rom. 2.14 , 15. be pleased to consider the place , and i believe herein you will both assent and consent , that the apostle speaks of such things as the gentiles , without any revelation of the mind of god in his word , had the knowledge of by the light of nature , which they could never have of the last of seven for the weekly sabboth , as will appear by and by . 2 dly . secondly , laws which are only positive , i conceive to be such , as the light of nature could never have judged either good or necessary , if they had not some way or other been revealed to be the will of god ; the goodness of them ariseth only from the will of god enjoyning them , who having absolute authority over all , may , and doth dispose of them into what condition he pleaseth , and imposeth upon them what laws seem good in his sight ; so that if they never had been enjoyned , the omission of them had been so far from being sin , that if any single person should have imposed them upon himself , or any number of men had imposed them upon others , as any part of spiritual homage and worship which is due to god , it had been rejected as will-worship . of this nature was the law given to adam , of not eating of the tree of knowledge of good and evil ; there was no evil in the fruit of the tree , it was the creature of god , and all that he made was very good ; it was only evil , because forbidden , such were the laws for sacrifice , burnt-offerings , and peace-offerings , all the goodness that was in them was only from the will of god appointing them ; the light of nature could never have seen the good of them , nor the law of nature ingaged a man to the observation of them , if the will of god had not one way or other been revealed concerning them . the human nature in adam was created righteous , but if the revelation of the will of god had not been superadded to that knowledge wherein he was created , he could never have known but that he might as lawfully have eaten of that tree , as of any other . it is true , when the will of god was revealed to him , he had that written in his heart , by which he saw obedience to that law to be both just and necessary . of this nature i conceive was the law concerning the last day of seven , for the day of holy rest to be observed unto the lord. in the first proposition i shewed there is no goodness in one day more than another materially considered , none in the last of seven , none in the first of seven ; therefore neither of these were written in nature : only this is written in nature , that when the will of god is revealed concerning any such positive law , as concerning either the last of seven , or the first of seven , to be observed , even nature as it is corrupted cannot deny but that it is both just and necessary to yield obedience thereunto . nature , corrupted nature cannot deny , but that the will of the soverain lawgiver ought to be the rule of the creature , and indeed i am apt to think this is all you intended to prove , and if no more , then i do declare herein both my assent and consent : but then this is far short of what the reason is brought to prove , namely that which is in the fourth proposition , that the last day of every week , in the weekly returns of it , is alone the particular day in every week , which is the weekly sabboth day to be kept holy to jehovah , in obedience to his command as such . let it be granted , which yet i confess i am not fully satisfied in , that the light of nature without any revelation might have fixed upon one of seven , yet if god had not revealed his will therein , it could never have fixed upon the last of seven ; i think it would rather have fixed upon the first of seven for the reason alledged pag. 34. surely , sir , if the law for the last of seven had been written in the heart of man , we might hope to have found it fairly written in the renewed and sanctified heart of the people of the lords choice . but this the experience of all ages contradicteth if any should speak to me in the language of eliphaz , job 5. call now if there be any that will answer thee ; and to which of the saints wilt thou turn thee and ask them , did you ever find this law for the last of seven to be written in your heart ? they would for the generality of them tell me , no , they never found any such matter . this i believe would be the answer , or much to this purpose , even of those that were most holy and learned , most dead to the world , and most alive to god , yea of the most faithful martyrs of christ for these sixteen hundred years , that with a good conscience they could have done , as no doubt they did as there was occasion , any work of their calling upon the last of seven , which upon the second , third , fourth , fifth , and sixth days was lawful and fit to be done , and that they never found any thing written in their hearts giving any check thereunto . either then the holy law of god was not written in their hearts , which must not be admitted , or this law for the last of seven was not written there as the rest were ; which i really believe , and therefore give my dissent to this reason . 4 thly . fourthly , there is yet one reason more must have something spoken to it , and that is the example of the lord jesus ; and to this i say , 1. first that his example is proposed to us for imitation , as those many scriptures you quote do suficiently prove , and herein i assent and consent with you ; for though i dare not say with the socinians , that the grand end of christs life and death was for example to be imitated , ( cursed be that opinion which presseth the imitation of christ to overthrow the satisfaction of christ ) yet this i say with you , that for our example he is proposed , but yet with limitation , as not in his mediatory and meritorious work , so not in every occasional work , as his spending a whole night in prayer , nor in administring the lords supper at night ; yet even in this , though we are under no obligation always to do so , yet when a just occasion serves , it is lawful for us at least to do so . but that wherein his example is obligatory , is to imitate him in the exercise of those graces , and practice of those duties which belong to all christians , mat. 11.29 . coll. 3.13 . 1 pet. 2.21 , 22 , 23. and such like . in all these , as he is by his spirit dwelling in us the principle of holiness , so in his example he is our pattern ; and indeed practical christianity may be said , especially to consist in walking as he hath walked , according to that you quote in 1 john 2.6 . but now as to this particular for which you urge it , concerning the observation of the last day of seven , 1. first , it is granted , that notwithstanding all the jews cavils against him for transgressing against the law , yet he perfectly ( though not in their sense , as in all things else ) fulfilled the righteousness thereof : i mention only that one text , luke 4.18 . 2. secondly , but this was during his state of humiliation , being made under the law , but ( as i have said before ) after his resurrection i do not find that ever he took any notice of it , or shewed the least respect unto it during those forty days between his resurrection and ascention , though he both owned and honoured during that time the first day of the week . 3. thirdly , the holy apostles never imitated his example therein : i mean not after his resurrection : for though as i said whilst the jews were any thing tractable , paul especially took the advantage of the 7 th day sabboth to preach unto them , but with both converted jews and gentiles he observed the first day of the week , as hath been shewed . so that for ought i find in your paper , i conceive we are no more bound to imitate him therein , than in being circumcised , or in deferring being baptized till we begin to be thirty years old , having no more law for the one than for the other , and where there is no law , there is no transgression . finis . there is lately published in latin , the so much expected account of the late dreadful plague , sold by joseph nevil , at the greyhound in st. paul's church-yard , entituled , λοιμολογια , sive pestis nuperae apud populum londinensem grassantis narratio historica . authore n. hodges m. d. è collegio londin . the new-covenant of the gospel distingnished [sic] from the old covenant of the law and the rest or sabbath of believers, from the rest or sabbath of the jews, which differ as much from each other, as the sign and shadow doth from the thing signified and shadowed out : in answer to some queries of w. salters, tending to enforce upon christians the observation of the jewish sabbath ... whereto are added some considerations propounded to the jews, tending towards their conversion to that which is the life and spirit of the law / by isaac penington ... penington, isaac, 1616-1679. this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a54044 of text r40658 in the english short title catalog (wing p1180). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. 130 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 29 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo 2017 a54044 wing p1180 estc r40658 19500688 ocm 19500688 108881 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a54044) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 108881) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 1675:12) the new-covenant of the gospel distingnished [sic] from the old covenant of the law and the rest or sabbath of believers, from the rest or sabbath of the jews, which differ as much from each other, as the sign and shadow doth from the thing signified and shadowed out : in answer to some queries of w. salters, tending to enforce upon christians the observation of the jewish sabbath ... whereto are added some considerations propounded to the jews, tending towards their conversion to that which is the life and spirit of the law / by isaac penington ... penington, isaac, 1616-1679. penington, isaac, 1616-1679. some considerations propounded to the jewes. [6], 41, [1], 8 p. printed for robert vvilson, and are to be sold at his shop ..., london : 1660. reproduction of original in the harvard university library. eng salters, w. covenant theology. sabbath -biblical teaching. a54044 r40658 (wing p1180). civilwar no the new-covenant of the gospel distingnished [sic] from the old covenant of the law· and the rest or sabbath of believers, from the rest or penington, isaac 1660 25242 20 10 0 0 0 0 12 c the rate of 12 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the c category of texts with between 10 and 35 defects per 10,000 words. 2005-09 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2005-11 spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images 2006-08 ali jakobson sampled and proofread 2006-08 ali jakobson text and markup reviewed and edited 2006-09 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the new-covenant of the gospel distinguished from the old covenant of the law . and the rest or sabbath of believers , from the rest or sabbath of the jews ; which differ as much from each other , as the sign and shadow doth from the thing signified and shadowed out . in answer to some queries of w. salters , tending to enforce upon christians the observation of the jewish sabbath , which was given under the law to the jews for a sign . as also to some other queries sent in writing upon an occasion of an epistle directed to all such as observe the seventh day of the week for a sabbath now under the gospel . as likewise to some letters to the same purpose . with a brief explication of the mysterie of the six dayes labour , and seventh days sabbath . whereto are added some considerations propounded to the jews , tending towards their co●●ersion to that which is the life and spirit of the law . by isaac penington the younger . vve which have believed , do enter into rest , heb. 4.3 . let no man therefore judge you in meat or in drink , or in respect of an holy day , or of the new moon , or sabbaths , which are a shadow of things to come ; but the body is christ , col. 2.16 , 17. london , printed for robert vvilson , and are to be sold at his shop at the black spredd-eagle and vvindmill in martins l' grand● 1660 ▪ the preface . the apostle paul saith , that god had made them able ministers of the new-testament , not of the letter , but of the spirit , 2 cor 3.6 . after the dispensation of the law , which was a shadow of good things to come ; and after the dispensation of the prophets , who foretold of better days , and of a better state to come , then the days and state under the law was ; it pleased god first to send the fore-runner john the baptist , in the spirit and power of elias , to prepare the way for the king and his kingdom ; and then to send the king himself in the fulness of his spirit , to gather disciples to him , and to furnish them with a competent measure of the same spirit , to raise up a spiritual seed to him , in whom he would set up his kingdom , dwelling , walking , and reigning there , causing his light to shine from thence round about the earth , as from his holy city , founded upon his holy hill of sion . now those disciples or ministers whom he chose to raise up this holy seed unto him , he made fit and able to minister his new covenant , by which it was to be raised : yea he furnished them with such a power of his spirit , that they were able through him to minister , not in the letter ( as the old covenant was ministred , which left the people still dead : nay , because of the transgressing nature , made the offence abound , and so encreased death upon them ) but in the quickning spirit , which raiseth from death , and bringeth into the light of the living , to walk with the living god towards the land of eternal rest and peace . so that that which they ministred was spirit , and that which they ministred to , was spiritual . by the power of the spirit , in preaching the living word of faith , they reached through the vail to that which lay in death , they stirred up a living principle , and ministred life to it through the spirit , gal. 3.5 . and such as were born of this living principle , they taught to live in the spirit , to walk in the spirit , to be made perfect by the spirit , and not to run back to the ministration of the letter ( as was proper for the jews in their day ) after the manner of the former dispensation , but to keep in the living principle , to grow up in the seed , into the eternal life and immortality of the gospel . mark well , ( o ye christians , who desire eternal life ) the different way of ministration between the law and gospel . the law was a ministration of the letter , in which they were to wait for assistance from the spirit , by which they might be kept in the faith of , and be made obedient to the law , nehem. 9.20 . the gospel is a ministration of the spirit , wherein they are to begin with the spirit , and to go on with the spirit ; not to gather outward rules out of the letter , from what is written or spoken , but to keep to the living principle , and feel refreshment to that , in reading or hearing what is written or spoken by the spirit . and thus the scriptures being read , or any one speaking from god being heard , it is mingled with faith , and becomes profitable , feeding and refreshing the young tender plant , the living principle , and causing it to grow up into god : whereas whatever is understood , or received , or held out of this , feeds but the earthly , and doth but thicken the vail over the living seed , to which the kingdom belongs , and to which the gospel is sent to be preached to raise it , that it might live , and thrive , and grow up into its stature , that so it might inherit . the kingdom of heaven is at hand , said john the baptist ; mat. 3.2 . it is come unto you , said christ , mat. 12.28 . that power of life which was made manifest in him , was it : and this kingdom is also within you , saith christ to the pharisees , luk. 17.21 . the pharisees demanded of him when the kingdom of god should come ? it cometh not , saith he , with outward shew or observation , it cometh not that way you look for it , to wit , by the manifestation of an outward glorious king , to reign outwardly in the common-wealth of the outward israel : but the kingdom is within you . how was it within them ? christ explains to them in another place , it was in them like a grain of mustard-seed ; it was the least of all the seeds in their hearts . there were many great seeds of darkness there , but yet there was also one little seed of light . it was there , as well as the rest ( though less then them all ) and did sometimes cast some glimmerings of light , and of its shining in the darkness , though the darkness could not comprehend it . this seed was also likened to leaven , which being received by faith into the lump , would leaven the whole lump , and bring it into the savor and dominion of the kingdom . now the ministry of the apostles was to turn men from satan's kingdom to this kingdom , from his large compass of dominion in the heart , to this narrow seed ; from his great territories of darkness , to this little principle of light ; from his great power of death , to this little weak thing of god , wherein the eternal power and god-head is made manifest , as this comes to be opened and encreased by the spirit . here light is sown for the righteous , and joy for the upright in heart ; where it is to grow up , and from whence it is to be reaped after its growth to perfection . oh how long have christians ( so called ) wanted the spirit ! how have they wearyed themselves , in running to and fro about the letter , to find out the mind of god , and are still unsatisfied concerning it , and even drowned in fleshly imaginations and contentions about it ! they seek to have that satisfied , which is not to be satisfied : they seek to have that know , which is not to know : they offer to god the service , faith , and obedience of that , which he will not accept ; & keep that from him which he calls for . they seek for the spirit in the letter , according to the manner of the law ; but wait not to feel it in the seed , quickening the seed , raising up the seed , and dwelling in the seed , whither christ and his apostles directed to wait for it . they looke for that knowledge , that faith , that life , that spirit from words written , which the apostle preached was to be waited for from the word in the heart . and by this means they raise up several buildings , and get various kinds of knowledge , each according to his understanding and apprehensions of the letter , every sort being very confident concerning their own apprehensions that they are the right : and thus they wander from the city of the living god , and from the living knowledge , building up images , some outwardly , some in their minds ; some more gross , some more refined ; but all more or less who are not acquainted with the living knowledge and truths of god , but have gathered apprehensions with the wrong tool from the letter , have set up somewhat else instead of the true life and power . ( the knowledge of the true god , which is life eternal ) the knowledge of the true christ ( whom no man can indeed call lord , but by the spirit ) the knowledge of the everlasting gospel ( which alone is read in the spirit ) the knowledge of the spirit ( which alone is read in the seed ) these are strange things to the several generations of the christians of this age , who commonly know no more of them , then according to the apprehensions they have taken in concerning them , even from that wisdom and understanding which hath not a capacity in it to receive them , but must be destroyed before these things can be understood aright , 1 cor. 1.19 . o that ye could read in the eternal light of life ! o christians , christians , o that ye could see how your understandings , and knowledge from the letter stand as much in your way , as ever the jews did in theirs , and must be broken down as flat as ever theirs was , before the foundation of the kingdom can be laid , and the building of eternal life reared up in your hearts . be not offended at my zeal for the lord my god , and for your souls . it hath cost me very dear , what i testifie to you in the simplicity and integrity of my heart ; and this i know to be most certainly true , that that spirit of man which without the leadings of the eternal light , hath nestled it self in the letter ▪ got a seat of wisdom and knowledge there , raised up a building from thence , either of inward or outward worship , will be dissetled & driven thence , even by that very spirit which gave forth the letter . and when this is done , and god's spirit again openeth the letter , o how sweet , how profitable , how clear , how refreshing will it be , being read in the light of the spirit , & in the faith which is in christ jesus , which is begotten in the heart by the word of faith , which is nigh there ▪ from that light , from that spring ( as the lord pleased to open , enlarge and fill the vessel ) all the words of the holy men of god came ; and in that alone they have their sweetness , freshness , vertue and fulness : but how to read the words outwardly written , keeping to that , and understanding them in that ( and how to keep out the natural man with his natural understanding , which knoweth not the things of the spirit , nor can know or receive them , 1 cor. 2.14 . ) is a mystery to them who have not been turned inwards to this word , nor have known or heard his voice . the lord is recovering the mysterie of life : and as that appears , the mysterie of death under all its paint ( under all its painted faith , painted love , painted knowledge , painted obedience , painted duties , ordinances , and worship ) will be made manifest . happy is he , whose inward building will stand , whose gold will abide the fire and everlasting burnings of the jealous god , whose eye-salve was bought of the true spirit , whose raiment is right spun : but exceeding hard wil it go with that man , whom the lord ( when he cometh to search him ) shall not find a right inward jew , as he took himself to be , nor truly circumcised by the lords eternal spirit with the light thereof ; but onely by such a circumcising knife as he himself had formed out of the letter of the scriptures . this is the great misery of christians , the vail lies over their hearts , even the same vail which covered the letter of moses from the jews ; and they are groping after the mind of god in the letter , but the life is hid from them , even as it was from the jews : & because they also say they see , & that they have the life & the spirit , therefore the vail remains , & the caul of iniquity surrounds them , so that they cannot see into that which makes free from it , but remain yet in captivity and bondage to the enemy . some queries of w , salters , tending to inforce upon christians the observation of the jewish sabbath , answered . query 1. whether the fourth commandement , exprest , exod. 20. be not morall and perpetuall , as well as the other nine be , yea or no ? answer . that covenant , which god made with the jews at mount horeb , when they came out of the land of egypt , was not to be perpetuall , but to make way for that covenant , priesthood , law-giver and law which was to be perpetuall . that law , so given forth , made nothing perfect , but was a continuall hand-writing of ordinances against the jews , and the very salvation of the jews was by another covenant and by the laws thereof , deut. 30 11. by which covenant and by which law they might be made perfect , and come to the better hope . which other covenant is the covenant of grace , or the law of the spirit of life in christ jesus , or the word which is nigh in the mouth and in the heart , and speaks life to them that can hear and believe the joyfull sound of it . now that this former covenant was not to abide , but to give place to the other , see heb. 8. which treateth of the new covenant . for god's speaking of a new covenant , importeth that he himself hath made the first old , ver. 13. it had had a long continuance among that people of the jews ; but now against the coming of christ , who was to be mediator of a better covenant , v. 6. even of a new covenant , v. 8. as it had been long decaying and waxing old , so now it was ready to vanish away , as v. 13. and indeed it was necessary it should pass away , for it was not faultless . how not faultless ? was there any sin in the holy law & ministration of god by moses ? can there any just blame be found in any thing that proceeded from the lord ? nay surely , the ministration of moses was holy and without blame : but it was weak through the flesh , ( rom. 8.3 . ) and therefore god would lay that aside , so far as it was weak , and suited to the weakness of a fleshly people , and bring instead thereof a ministration of the law in the spirit , which should be lively , and powerfull , and effectuall in the spirits of his people . that which god aimed at in a covenant , was to keep him and his people together : now this covenant was weak on the peoples part , they continued not in it , and so , according to that covenant , god dis-regarded them , v. 9. now god finding this covenant not able to effect his purpose of love towards his people , he finds fault with it , bringing forth another or second , which this gives place to , v. 7. and this other covenant , or new covenant is not according to that . how not according to that ? why thus : it was not written outwardly , as that was : not according to that which i made with their fathers , when i took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of egypt , ver. 9. for i will put my laws in their mind , and write them in their hearts , ver. 10. and here they shall learn the knowledge of god every one from the least to the greatest , v. 11. so that all the children of this covenant shall be taught of the lord , and learn the law from his mouth ; not as it was given at mount sinai ( which ministration was to the children of the old covenant ) but as it goes forth out of sion , and from the jerusalem which is above , which is the mother of all the children of this covenant , and nourisheth them not with the law of moses , but with the milk of her own breasts . now if any think to restrain this to the types and shadows of the law , they therein err : for the main covenant was the law of commandements , which they still broke , worshipping other gods , making images and likenesses , taking his name in vain , prophaning his sabbaths , and so of the rest . it is true , the first covenant had a worldly sanctuary , a tabernacle wherein was the candlestick , &c. but the chief matter of the covenant was the ten words , therefore the tables wherein it was written were called the tables of the covenant , or the tables wherein the covenant was contained , heb. 9.4 . yea the ten words are expresly called the covenant it self , deut. 4.13 . observe therefore diligently these few things following in the fear of the lord . first , the ten commandements , given by moses from mount horeb , was the covenant which god made with the jevvs , when he took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of egypt . secondly , that covenant god found fault vvith , because it was not able ( through the weakness of the flesh in their parts ) to keep them to god . thirdly , against christ's coming god provideth a new covenant , a better covenant for him to be mediator of , which covenant was not outvvard like the former , but invvard , put in the mind , vvrit in the heart . as the people was invvard , the sanctury inward , the ark invvard , the tables of the covenant invvard , so the covenant it self and the writing of it was invvard also . and this covenant , as it is onely written in the spirit , and in that which is spirituall ; so it cannot be read in the letter . fourthly , that where-ever this new covenant cometh , the other waxeth old , whether to a person or people . where ever the lavv of the spirit of life is made manifest , the law of the letter is svvallovved up in it , and is knovvn no more , but as it is comprehended , appeareth and is brought forth in it . and he that is in the spirit , and hath received the law of life from the spirit , knovveth not christ after the flesh , hovv much less moses ? but taking the vvhole ministration of moses in the spirit , not onely the ten commandements , but all the sacrifices and other types also , here they are ovvned and received , even in christ the substance : but the ten commandements , so far as they vvere a shadovv , pass avvay before the son of righteousness , as vvell as the other types and shadovvs of the lavv . obj. but was there any thing of the ten words a shadow ? do they not all command abiding things ? ans. moses his whole ministration ( as it stood in the letter without ) was but a shadow of the fulness and perfection of that ministry of the spirit , which was to come , and to be set up by the son in his house , hebr. 3.5 , 6. moses his people but a shadow of the spiritual people , moses his priests and sacrifices , but a shadow of the spiritual priests and sacrifices . moses his law in the letter ministred from mount sinai , but a shadow of christs law in the spirit to be ministred from mount sion , ( 2 cor. 3.10 , 11. ) the law it self which was given by him , but a shadow of the grace and truth which came by jesus christ , joh. 1.17 . of whose fulness every believer receives a portion of the same grace , even grace for grace , v. 16. which grace is to be his teacher , both of what he should deny and turn from , and how he should live and carry himself both towards god and man , tit. 2.11 , 12. look particularly on the commandments , and see if there will not appear something of a shadow in them . the first commandment to that people , that they should have none other gods ( like the heathen ) but him onely whose powerful arm had brought them out of aegypt , this is a shadow of the subjection of the spiritual israel singly in spirit , to the lord of spirits , who by his mighty arm redeemeth them out of spiritual aegypt . now must they bow to other lords no more , ( isa. 26.13 . ) as they did bow in the land of aegypt , ( oh , who can read this ! ) but bow alone at the name of jesus , and be subject to the arm of his power in their spirits alone for ever . the second commandment , that they should not make any images or likenesses of things in heaven or earth , or bow down to them , is a shadow of what god requires of spiritual israel in the inward , where all likenesses , inventions , imitations , resemblances of what they have seen in the spirit above , or beneath in the earthly nature , they must not make themselves , nor bow to such as any others make . and they must not take the name ( of the lord their redeemer ) in vain , pretending to the living power , when it manifests not it self in them , pretending to meet in the living name , and to worship in the spirit , when they are gone a whoring from it , and become strangers to it . what should i mention any more ? it is easie to observe , how the other commandments were shadows of the inward innocency and purity , which the believer receives inwardly into his heart , from the powerful operation of the law of the spirit of life in him . obj. but may any of these laws be broken ? if they may not be broken , then they are perpetual . ans. the reason why they may not be broken , is not because that the dispensation of them is still in force , but because the dispensation of the law of the spirit , comprehends all the righteousness of moses his law : and the end of christs dissolving that covenant , was not that any man might have liberty to do any thing which is there manifested to be unrighteous ; but that the righteousness of it might be fulfilled in them who receive his law in the spirit , which never could be fulfilled by receiving of moses his law in the letter , rom 8.4 . and mark this diligently , ye that have been exercised in spirit towards god , the law of sin is nearer to us , then any law of the letter can come ; the covenant of death and hell ( with the laws thereof ) are written within by the finger of satan ; and that which blots them out must be as near , even an inward covenant , an inward writing from the eternal word in the heart , by the law of his eternal spirit of life . this then is my answer ; moses his law in substance remains , as it is taken in by christ and administred by him in spirit ; but not as it was given in the letter to the jews ; for so it was a shadow , making nothing perfect , but making way for the better hope , for the covenant established upon better promises , for the inward law of the spirit of life in christ jesus ; which effects that in the spirits of his people , which moses his law could by no means do . quest . but what is the substance of the law which abides ? ans. the substance of the law is love : to love god above all ( above all without , above all within ) and to love one's neighbor as ones self . to receive this love from god , and to bring it forth in his spirit ; this is the substance of the law , this is the thing which the law drove at in a shadow . the law is fulfilled in this one word love : but that love must be received from god which fulfils the law . a man may strive to love abundantly , and strive to obey in love , and yet fall short of the covenant ; but the lord must circumcise the heart afore that love can spring up , which fulfils the law , deuter. 30 6. obj. but doth not the apostle paul say , that by the law is the knowledge of sin , and that he had not known lust , except the law had said , thou shalt not covet ; plainly referring to the tenth commandment , which saith , thou shalt not covet ? ans. by the law outwardly was the knowledge of sin outwardly to the people of the jews ; by the law inwardly is the knowledge of sin inwardly to the spirits of disciples . now a little consider and wait on the lord to know , what administration of the law it was that paul knew sin by : whether it was by moses his administration of the law in the letter , or by christ's ministration of his law to him in the spirit ? it is rendred in our last translation , thou shalt not covet : but it might more properly be rendred , thou shalt not lust : for if {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} be properly rendered lust , then {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} may as properly be rendred , thou shalt not lust . and he that hath received the administration of the law in the spirit , knoweth it thus to issue forth from the word of life , into his spirit . it discovers the lusts and affections of the flesh , which draw from the yoke and subjection to the spirit ; and then by a command from the living spirit , it hedgeth up the way after the other lovers , saying , thou shalt not lust . and as the law of the flesh ariseth , kindling desires after vanity , and after fleshly ease and delight : so the law of the spirit arises in the inner man , forbidding , pricking , stopping , and limiting that which would be at liberty out of the life and purity of the holy law . and here begin the bitter fights , and terrible battels and conflicts between the two seeds , wherein all the powers of heaven , earth and hell are engaged . now because this interpretation of paul's words may seem strange and uncouth , to persons who have drunk in another apprehension , and have taken it for granted that paul there refers to the tenth commandment ; consider the place yet further , and perhaps the lord may please to open it to you from the very letter , even as he hath opened it to others immediately by his spirit , by causing them to feel the thing which paul felt , and to receive the law as he received it . paul in that seventh of the romans speakes of three states vvhich he had known . first , a state of life before the law ; i was alive without the law once , v. 9. secondly , a state of death after the commandment came ; then sin revived and he dyed . when the word of life came with its living commandment , to set upon sin indeed , then sinne would dally no longer , it would no longer lye as dead , and let paul live in his zeal and worship as he had done before ; but it slew him , it shewed its power in him , sometimes deceiving him , and sometimes forcing him from that which was holy , spiritual , just and good , and to that which was unholy , insomuch as he did do what he hated , and could not do what he loved ; and found himself a wretched man , and in miserable captivity , because of the body of death , and the law of sin in his members , v. 23 , 24. 3dly . a state of life , after the commandment had done its work in throughly slaying of him . when that was removed which the law came against then , then he was marryed to another husband , then he could bring forth fruit unto god , rom. 7.4 . then he could walk freely with god , not after the flesh , but after the spirit , ch. 8.4 . and rejoice in the life , and the peace , instead of roaring out because of the death , which came from the carnal mind , v. 5. now when was the time when paul was alive without the law ? was it not when he was righteous , when he was whole ? then he had no need of the phisician , then he had not received the wound , even the terrible wound which christ then gives the soul when he calleth to it by his spirit , and giveth forth the commandment , thou shalt not lust . when he had confidence in the flesh , being circumcised the eighth day , of the stock of israel , of the tribe of benjamin , an hebrew of the hebrews , as touching the law a pharisee , concerning zeal persecuting the church ; touching the righteousness which is in the law blameless , phil. 3.4 , 5 , 6. here was a living man : and his exact receiving the ministration of the law in the letter , was part of his life : yea but he had not received the commandment yet that slew him . paul was alive yet , and could flourish in the freshness of his life , zeal , and abundant knowledge under this administration of the law . but when god , who caused the light to shine out of darkness , shined in his heart , when god begun the work of the new creation in him by his living light , when the commandment came fresh from the spirit ( the commandment which was ordained to life , rom. 7.10 . which the ministration of the law in the letter was not , no not to the jews , but another , deut. 30.14 , 15. ) then paul began to feel the sting of death , and the power of sin , which now arose up in its strength to retain one of its subjects , and to keep the stronger man then he , from dispossessing him , if he could . and now , how was poor paul rent and torn , and harrased by the enemy , and made to see and feel his miserable captivity , until he had passed through the death , and was redeemed from under sin , and consequently from under this bitter ministration of the spirit , by his holy , pure , and severe law against sin ! for the man being dead , the law hath no force against the seed , nor against that which is one with , and lives in the seed : and this is it he speaks to the romans concerning , who also were acquainted with this ministration of the law , as v. 1. of this seventh chap. now is it not very manifest , that paul knew not sin spiritually by the ministration of the law in the letter , but was alive without it , until he felt the ministry of it from christ in the spirit ? and that soon struck at his life , and by degrees slew it , killing the body of sin in him , with its members , and so preparing him for the marriage to another husband . object . but by this then , a man is not only freed from the law of the letter , but also from the law of the spirit : for if this law be ministred to him til death pass upon him , & til he be married to christ ; then after death is passed upon him , and he is baptized into death and risen with christ , and married to him , then this law passeth away likewise . answ. there is a double ministration of the law of the spirit : a sharp ministration against sin , and a sweet ministration in the renewed spirit . the ministration against sin passeth away , as the sin is wrought out : but then the sweet spirituall current and law of its holy and pure life in the renewed spirit , is more vigorous and full . so that the law of the spirit remaineth for ever , but its convictions , its reproofs , its chastisements towards the worldly part , diminish and pass away , as the worldly part is wasted : and its sweet comforting presence , pure peace , fresh joy and life increase , as the new man grows and flourishes . quer. 2 whether the scope and drif● of that fourth precept , be not to perswade us to lay by the works of our calling one day in seven , that we may on that day wholly give up our selves to wait on the lord , in the performance of duties of piety and mercy , for our attaining of , and growing in sanctificaion and holiness ? answ. the scope and drift of the fourth commandement was to injoin the jews to keep the sabbath strictly as a sign , by forbearing all works , and sanctifying it as a day of rest to the lord , according to the law , ezek. 20.12 . but the substance being come ( christ , who is the body , col. 2.17 . ) the day and rest of the spirit being known , the sign is at an end , and the thing signifyed taketh place . so that the rest is now in christ , through the faith , by his spirit , where the worship is . and this in the gospel comprehends the time of worship , the place of worship , and the worship it self ( which are spiritual ) where in substance all is known , injoyed and solemnized , which was figured out in shadows under the law . the sanctification being come , the rest being come , the lord of the sabbath being come , shall not the sign of the sanctification , the sign of the rest , ( which rest the lord of the sabbath was to give , & lead the spirits of his people into ) pass away ? ex 31.13 quer. 3. whether the fourth precept , do not as strictly bind us to keep holy the seventh day , of or from the creation , as it bindeth us to the observation of a seventh day ? answ , the fourth commandement did not require the observation of a seventh day in general , but of the seventh day in particular , of those of whom it required it : for what the law required , it required of those who were under the law , and not of others , rom. 3.19 . quer. 4. if the seventh days sabbath , be not morall and perpetuall , then how comes it to pass that it was instituted , or appointed from the first creation , when man by guilt stood in no need of a saviour , nor yet of such a ceremony , gen. 2.3 . answ. that it was instituted or appointed from the first creation , or that god intended to require of man the observation of it had he abided in innocency , is not manifest in the scriptures : but that god did then bless and sanctifie it ( in relation to the service he had for it ) that is expressed in scripture ; gen. 2.2 , 3. and that this was one end for which he did sanctifie it , namely that it might be for a sign unto that people of the jews ( which was the people he chose to set up his signs and figures of the invisible things among ) the scripture also testifies , exod. 20 11. but what further meaning there is in it , and what relation it hath to all the redeemed of the lord , in whom , god brings about the new creation , with the rest thereof , ( as he did the old ) it is better to wait to know and feel in the spirit , then to be prying into with the curious , searching , fleshly understanding . quer. 5. if the seventh days sabbath be not morall , and belonging both to jews and gentiles : then how comes it to pass that it was given to all men in adam , when there was no difference between jew and gentile ? and was observed by command from the beginning , as appears by comparing together , gen. 2.3 . and exod. 16.18 . to 31. answ. that it was given to adam in innocency , or to all men in adam , i do not find , nor do these places quoted make it manifest . but its being practised before the giving of the law , doth not prove its perpetuity , or that it was not given for a sign : for circumcision was instituted and observed long before the giving of the law , ( gen. 17. ) & sacrificing long before that , ( gen. 4. ) both which were signs of the inward , and not perpetuall , as to the outward observation of them . quer. 6. if when our lord jesus saith , mat. 5.18 . that till heaven and earth pass , one jot or tittle should in no wise pass from the law . if he there meant not the law of the ten commandements , expressed in exod. 20. then what law did he mean ? answ. by the law is meant the whole ministration of moses , as by the prophets , ver. 17. the whole ministration of the prophets : and that it is not to be restrained to the ten commandements , is manifest by the instances which christ gives , more of which relate to other parts of the law , then to the commandements : for there are but two instances out of the ten commandements , but there are four instances out of other parts of the law , as may be seen , ver. 31 , 33 , 38. and 43. of that chapter . so that christ doth not onely take in the ten commandements , but he takes in the rest of moses his ministry in the spirit , not one jot or tittle whereof is to pass , till it be all fulfilled ; but was to stand in the letter to the jews its full season , and then in the spirit till all be finished there also . the law and the prophets were untill john , from that time the kingdom of god began to be preached , luk. 16.16 . and both the law , prophets , and john himself were to decrease and christ and his kingdom to increase . christ in this 5 of matth. had been preaching the kingdom , declaring to whom it apperteined , and the blessedness of such : now this his manner of preaching might seem to derogate from the law of moses , and from the prophets , whose doctrine and dispensation hereby he might seem to destroy . but christ taketh away the occasion of such a mis-apprehension , bidding them not think he came to destroy the law or the prophets ; for he was not come for that end , but to fulfill . wherein he doth these two things , first , he establisheth that ministration of the law and prophets for its season , till it should be fulfilled by him the substance , who was to fulfill all the righteousness of it . it should last out its whole day , and should not fail in the least tittle of it ( as he himself explaineth it , luk. 16.17 . ) til the heaven and earth of the jews passed away , heb. 12.27.28 . secondly , he taketh in the substance of it into his own ministration , and layeth it more inwardly , and closely , and largely upon the spirits of his disciples , then moses had done in the letter upon his disciples . but he doth not give it out in full , but onely giveth a tast to his disciples how straitly he would minister it to them by his spirit , as they came under his yoke , matth. 11.29 . which yoke is his spirit or the law thereof , as moses his yoke was the law of the letter . now mark yet further , christ doth not give out the letter for his law , as it was delivered by moses : but requireth somewhat of his disciples , which comprehends the letter . as now when he administers the law against revenge , from whence murther proceeds , he doth not say , thou shalt not kil , as moses had said to them of old time , but saith , thou shalt not be angry without a cause , nor give thy brother any provoking language , ver. 22. nor does he say , thou shalt not commit adultery ; but thou shalt not let out a lustfull look , nor let in a lustfull thought , v , 28. and had he spoken here about the sabbath , would he have administred it in the letter , or would he have commanded the observation of the true sabbath , where no work is done , no fire kindled ( nor so much as any sticks gathered to make a fire with ) nor no burthen born ; but the man-servant , the maid-servant , the oxe , the ass , and every creature rests in the seed . the son of man is lord of the sabbath . it is true he subjected himself under the law , but yet he was still lord : and he maketh all his , kings and priests to god , who being once baptised into his death , know also his resurrection and reign . ob●ect . but all the other commandements are to be kept according to the letter ; for although it should prove so , that believers are not bound to observe them by vertue of moses's ministration in the letter , but by vertue of the ministration of the spirit , yet the commandements themselves are kept : but take away the outward observation of the sabbath , and this commandement hath no fulfilling at all according to the letter . answ. this ariseth from the different nature of the thing : for the other commandements require or forbid that which is either good or evill in its own nature ; but this is but good or evill by institution or command . to keep a day , or not to keep a day , is not good or evill in it self , but as it is commanded , or forbidden , or left at liberty in the lord , and according as it is done or forborn by him , who receiveth the command or prohibition , or is let into the liberty of the gospel , rom. 14.6 so that if the nature of the thing required in this commandement , had been alike with the nature of the things required or forbidden in the other commandements , it would have been as durable after the dissolution of that covenant , as the other things therein contained were , which vanish not in themselves upon the dissolution of that covenant , but only pass into an higher way of dispensation , where they retain their full vertue and strength , even according to the letter , though not by vertue of the administration of the letter , another higher and fuller administration of a better covenant challenging and taking its own place . qu. 7. if the seventh days sabbath be not morall , but an abrogated ceremony now since the death of christ ; then wherefore should our saviour instruct his beloved apostles , that must instruct christian churches to pray , mat. 24.20 . that they might not flie on the sabbath , knowing that their flight would fall out more then thirty yeares after his death ? answ. great was the hardship the jews under went in the siege of jerusalem , by that apprehension of theirs that they ought not to do any work ( not so much as of defending themselves ) on the sabbath , which hardship such disciples of christs among the jews , as could not easily be drawn of from the law and jewish observations , but still were for circumcision and keeping of an outward sabbath , might be liable to : now christ and the apostles after him , were not hasty to draw them from such things , but for a time bore with them therein , insomuch that paul circumcised timothy , and became to the jews as a jew and to them that were under the law as under the law himself also . but the strength of the query seems to lye in this , that it should bear the name of sabbath from christ's own mouth , in relation to somewhat which should happen on it more then thirty years after it should cease to be a sabbath . to which my answer is plain , that that may as well bear the name of sabbath , as jerusalem or the temple bear the name of the holy place , ver. 15. of the same chap. for jerusalem and the temple did as much cease to be the holy place above thirty years after those words were spoken , as the jewish sabbath could cease to be the sabbath . now for the sakes of such as have been truly exercised in their spirits by the spirit of the lord ( and have felt the powerfull work of his grace , & a building raised up by him ) & may yet be further exercised , i shall add this . jerusalem was a type of an inward building in the spirits of gods people , both in its rearing up , in its scituation , in its standing , in gods dealing with it all the time of its standing , and lastly in its downfall and utter desolation . there is an appearance and building of god in the spirits of his people , which is to give way to , and be swallowed up in a fuller and higher appearance . but the fleshly spirit , getting into this building , will not give way to the further and more inward & spirituall appearance of the spirit , but will have the first building stand as the building , and will entertain no further appearance of god , then as it can comprehend it , subject it , and afford it a place in the first building : hereupon god distresseth ariel , even the city which david built ( saying within his heart , surely that which i have built will i break down , and that which i have planted will i pluck up , even this whole land : so he causeth the overflowing scourge to pass , even over thy whole land , o immanuel ) now when the enemy enters within the holy city and within the holy temple , it is time to fly , and exceeding great distress will befall that disciple , whose flight is either on the winter or on the sabbath day . do not imagine at this , but if the lord open it not at present , wait his season : for the thing is true and sealed , both by the openings of the light eternall , and by sensible exercises and experiences from that light . thus i have answered such of the queries as concern the seventh days sabbath . such as seem to argue the unwarrantableness of observing the first day of the week for a sabbath , i leave to those to whom they are tendred ( and of whom an answer seems so conscienciously & zealously desired , as i do not see how it can be reasonably neglected or denied ) that by weighty evidence of scripture he may be reduced , if he hath erred : but if not , but it be truth vvhich he hath therein held forth , the lord may be honored in mens bovving and subjecting to every truth of his , by vvhat instruments soever it pleaseth him to make it manifest . some queries sent in writing ( upon occasion of an epistle directed to all such as observe the seventh day of the week for a sabbath ) answered . query 1. if the whole law of moses , the law of the ten commandments , as well as the law of sacrifices , were both added upon one and the same account for transgressions ; then why doth the holy spirit in the scriptures lay forth such an antiphitical use of them ( i suppose he means anti-tipical ) the one that sin might abound , rom. 5.20 . the other sacrificing for sin ? heb. 9.7 , 8 , 9. ans. that the lavv of moses vvas added because of transgression , is manifest from that scripture quoted by me in my epistle , as vvel as from other scriptures : and one end , vvhy it vvas added in relation to transgression vvas , that the offence might abound , vvhich vvould make the sacrifice or propitiation for sin appear more necessary and more acceptable . and the sacrifices also relate to the sinner , some referring to the sin committed , others to the thankfulness and acknovvledgement due for the peace , mercy and blessings of god tovvards his poor , sinful , erring creatures ; both vvhich vvere to last till the time of reformation from the sin , heb. 9.10 . & gal. 3.19 . ( but that they vvere both added upon one and the same account , that i did not affirm , that is vvrongfully put upon me . ) now though both these were added because of transgression , yet they had not both the same use and service in relation to transgression , but the one was added to discover sin , and to make it appear exceeding sinful , rom. 5.20 . the other to blot it out , to take it away , to make atonement for it , which the sacrifices did , making the sinner upright and perfect as relating to that outward state and capacity , though they could not as pertaining to the conscience , heb. 9.9 . qu. 2. if the whole law , the ten commandments as well as the sacrifices , were representations , figures , or shadows of somewhat relating to christ the seed : then what did they in general , or either of them in particular represent , figure , or shadow forth , before they were written in tables of stone , or since they were written in tables of stone , more of christ then , then now . answ. that the ten words were some of the precepts of moses , and appertaining to the first testament or covenant , all which precepts were sprinkled with blood , cannot be denied : and the apostle distinguisheth the precepts of moses under the law , which were sprinkled with the blood of the sacrifices under the law , heb. 7.19 . from the precepts of christ which he writes in other tables , ch. 10.16 . which also are sprinkled with blood , but not with the blood of bulls and goats , but with his own blood : and he that receives any of these precepts out of the blood of christ , cannot truly and spiritually obey them , though he may strive much to form his spirit into the obedience thereof . now the time and season of their signification , was the time which god allotted them under the law , wherein was the use of signs : but the gospel is a state of substance , of bringing the life and immortality into the heart , and into the possession of believers , which the state of the law shadowed . so that they are not signs since the gospel , since christ put an end to the law-signs , shadows and figures , not yet before the law to believers , so far as they were in the new covenant : ( for as the thing signified cometh ▪ so that which signifieth it passeth away ) though that was a mixed state , wherein god gave a taste of both covenants , before his perfect dispensing or bringing forth of either . qu. 3. if the whole dispensation of the law was given to the jews , and not to the gentiles , and so the gentiles not bound to that law , but another way for them to know the mind of god then whether that law cited rom 2 15. which the gentiles shewed ( the work of in their hearts ) be another law contrary to that law that was given to the jews , even the ten commandments . ans. the law which is the substance , is not contrary to the law which is the shadow , but is the comprehending and fulfilling of it . the law in the spirit ( written by god's power and presence in the heart and mind ) is not contrary to the law in the letter , but is an higher and more glorious ministration of it . the one commandment which god gave by moses to the jews , deut. 30.11 . which was the commandment of life and death , as relating to their inward and eternal state , ver. 15. was not contrary to the ten commandments , which god had commanded them before by another covenant , which he had made vvith them as an outward people , and which was to be their rule as to their outward state : for they were chosen by god to be an holy people outwardly , and so an outward rule of holiness and obedience was prescribed them : but by all their obedience thereto , they could not be justified , but only by hearing , believing and obeying christ the word nigh in the heart , and by feeling in the spirit the blood of that one offering . qu. 4. if the gentiles were not bound ( under that law that the jews were ) which carryed the curse with it : then which way have the gentiles redemption by jesus christ : seeing all that are redeemed , are redeemed from the law and the curse thereof , gal. 4.5 . & 3.13 : ans. as they were under the curse outwardly by transgressing that outward law or covenant , and so m●ssed of the outward happiness of the holy land , and still met with wrath and judgements , and at last utter cutting off , as to their outward state , and as to all their hope from that covenant : so he that comes to receive the ministration of the law of the spirit ▪ will find the curse as abundantly inwardly , even till that be cut down by the sword of the spirit , which the curse is to , and that brought into dominion , to which is the promise and blessing . so that the gentiles find as great need to be redeemed from the curse inwardly , which the inward law brings upon the transgressor , as the jews did outwardly ; yea and find a more heavy burthen and load then ever the jews did outwardly . paul when he was alive in the outward administration of the law , not being acquainted with the inward , he knew little of the curse , he was according to it blameless , phil. 3.6 . but when he came to receive the living light of the spiritual administration of it into his spirit , then he felt the burthen , and weight , and misery of sin and the curse indeed , and cryed out , o wretched man , who shall deliver ! qu. 5. if the duration of the dispensation of moses law in the letter was till christ the seed should come and fulfil it , and the dispensation of moses law ( so stated without distinction ) between that that was perpetual , and that that was ceremonially vanishing , and so in the fulfilling of it besides : then what law or commandments that or they were , which while moses dispensation was in full force , is said to be perpetually sure to stand fast for ever and for ever , as psal. 10.11.7 , 8. and when christ the seed was come , and had fulfilled all that the father had appointed him to do , was established , rom. 3.31 . and not one jot or tittle of it to pass so long as heaven and earth remain ? mat. 5.18 . & luke 16 17. ans. that distinction between something in moses law being perpetual , and something ceremonial , is not sound and proper in this place : for all that was under moses law was but a shadow , as in that dispensation , and that testament was dedicated with blood ( with the blood which was a shadow ) which related to every precept , heb. 9.18 , 19. and it was all substantiall and perpetuall in what it signified and related to . the sacrifices were substantiall in that sacrifice which they signified , as well as the law and precepts were substantiall , in the law and precepts which they signified . and as the first covenant pointed at a second covenant , so the laws of the first covenant pointed at the law of the second covenant , the ministration whereof is from the mediator of that covenant , and they come into the heart sprinkled with his blood . now the law or commandement , which even under that dispensation was to be perpetuall and last for ever , was the word in the heart , and the laws thereof , deut. 30.14 . which moses by especiall order from god , and according to the tenor of an other covenant directed the jews to v. 4. for the law , as administred by moses in the letter is not perpetuall or eternall ; but as it comes from the spirit , and is administred in the spirit , so it is spirituall and eternall . that administration was fitted to that people : and ( we knovv ) the lord , if he had pleased , could have given a fuller administration of his law in the letter then that was , as christ plainly intimates divers times , mat. 5. but if it had been never so full , yet the administration of it in the letter , is to give place to the administration of it in the spirit : so that the administration of it in the letter is not perpetuall , but for the time which god allotted it : but the administration of it in the spirit is eternal and perpetual , and there it remains an eternall light , witness , and sword against sin and the transgressor . and thus it is established in the hands of the spirit , after the season of that ministration of it in the letter was ended ; and thus not one jot or tittle of it was to pass away , after the other ministration with every jot and tittle of it was ended . qu. 6. if the coming of christ in the flesh : and his fulfilling all the righteousness of the law : and being foretold by moses to be that prophet , that was to be heard in all things which is not denyed by us : but if by these he put an end to the law of the ten commandements and gave forth an other law to his house or family : then what law that is . and whether it be contrary to that law that he with the father gave forth as deut. 33.2 . with psal. 80.17 . which now is in gospel ministration holy just good as rom. 7.12 . and spirituall ver. 14. answ. it is the law of the spirit , or the light of the spirit in the heart , which discovers sin ( not only in the outward acts , but in its principle , rise , first motions and inward nature ) giving forth his living commands against it . this is the law now , in which the believer is to begin , gal. 3.3 . and according to which he is to go on to perfection . for as the believer is begotten of the spirit , and born of the spirit , so he is to receive the ministration of his law from the spirit , and in the spirit , hee receives a gift of faith , a measure of faith from the eternall spring of life , and that 's his law . his law is the law of faith . the light of life , which receives in the faith , opens the mind and will of christ to him in the spirit , shewing him both sin and also the things of god more fully , then the law of moses could , though opened by the spirit : for it is a fuller , a deeper kind of ministration ; and so opens the things which it ministers , more fully then a ministration of an inferiour nature can . yet it is not contrary to moses law , but comprehends all the substance , all the righteousness and equity of it , ( as i said before ) which it , as a shadow , represented and commanded to that outward or shadowie people , the jews . but the law which paul spake of , rom. 7. was the law of the spirit , or such a ministration of the law as paul knew not , all the while he was under the ministration of moses's law blameless : but this law found out sufficient blame in him , ver. 14. &c. qu. 7. if jesus christ as he is the son gave forth another law to his house or family : and that law contrary to that that the father gave forth : then whether there is not two law-givers , when the scriptures say there is but one , jam. 4.12 . answ. the substance , when it is shadowed out , or when it is nakedly dispensed , is one and the same thing ; so that when ever it comes , it cannot be an other thing , then what the shadow represented it to be . moses his dispensation and christs are one in spirit : and when he cometh in spirit , he doth not destroy either moses or the prophets , but comprehends them . so that the law is but one , although the dispensations of it have been various : but the proper dispensation of the law now to christians is christ's dispensation , not moses his dispensation ; & christians are now to look for the light and knowledge of it , in the tables where christ writes it , according to his covenant . so that there have not been two laws given out , but the one law of god hath been variously dispensed : in and according to the letter by moses to the jews , in and according to the spirit by christ to his discipes . quer· 8. if the tables of stone : the writing of the law of the ten commandements in the tables : and the law of the ten commandements it self which was written ( were figures or representations ) then whether the finger of gods spirit doth write the law of god ( two ways in the inward tables ) so called namely in the heart of christs family : in one way whilst moses dispensation was on foot , psal. 37.31 . for the psalmist speaks in the present tense ( which was under that dispensation ) : now is it another way in this latter dispensation expressed , 2 cor. 3.3 . qu. 9. if two wayes then how doth the finger of gods spirit write them those ways . answ. the eternall covenant was the same under the law , as under the gospell ; and its tables were the heart then , as well as now , and its way of writing the same then as now , even by the finger of god's power or eternall spirit : and thither the jews were even then referred for the inward writing of the law , deut. 30.14 . so that they that truly hearkned , even to moses , were to wait on this word , vvhich vvas nigh in the heart , for the vvriting of his laws there . and they that hearkned to this lavv vvhich endureth for ever , knevv the writings thereof in their hearts ; whereas the jews , vvho vvere very diligent to get the law into their hearts from the letter , could never thereby attain the writing of it there , but vvere still found breakers of it , and under that curse vvhich belonged to the breach . abraham , isaac , and jacob , david and the prophets knevv the invvard jew , who becomes so by the invvard covenant , and by the inward dispensation of the lavv in that covenant and the law vvhich vvas after the promise , could not disannul the promise vvhich vvas before it , but it stood good and firm to the children , even to all the spirituall seed , the vvhole time of that outvvard dispensation of the lavv . qu , 10. if not . then how doth the writing of the law in tables of stone : represent the writing of the law in the tables of the heart : seeing the tables of the heart were writ upon by the finger of gods spirit whilst the tables of stone were in full force and the dispensation had not ceased . answ. though the tables of stone , or law thereof was in force to that outvvard people of god the jews , yet this did not destroy his inward people , nor his inward tables in their hearts nor hinder him from vvriting his invvard lavv there ; but the invvard and eternall covenant ran underneath to them invvardly ( even all the time of that outvvard dispensation ) whereby they were made invvardly righteous and obedient to god . and as god had perticularly directed by moses , to the word and commandement of that covenant : so hee would not fail to write it thereby in the hearts of such , as turned to that word and commandement . so that this was the law vvhich god vvrote in the heart , even then , and vvas alvvays the invvard substance , while as moses his dispensation was but an outward sign thereof . qu. 11. if the law of the ten commandements it self : which enjoined love and duty to god : and love and duty to man as matth. 22.37 , 38 , 39 , 40. was , or is a figure of an other : then what law that is , that 's the antitipe of this law which in succeeding of it enjoyns not love and duty to god : and not love and duty to man . ans. this query ariseth from a great mistake , as if the law in the letter and the lavv in the spirit could not require the same thing , vvhereas they do require the very same thing in substance , but severall vvays , according to the difference of each administration , to vvit , the one litterally of a litterall or outvvard people , the other spiritually of a spiritual or invvard people . the one requires love according to the tenor of the letter , the other according to the spirit . qu. 12 if the owning of the ten commandements as they are plainly laid down in the letter , be a breaking of them in the spirit and especially those contained in the first table : then how doth the truth of god written which is life and truth , act. 7.38 . and eccl. 12.10 . and the spirit which is given forth meet together , seeing the spirit leads and guides into all truth . ans. i do not know any , who hath said , that the owning of the ten commandements at they are plainly laid down in the letter , is a breaking of them in the spirit , but he that hath the spirit , owneth the dispensation of the letter in its place and season : but the spirit doth not teach him to run from his own dispensation ( where it is livingly administred to such , as wait on the eternall word in his covenant of life for it ) to that dispensation which was appointed for , and given forth to others . but that the truth , as it is written ( outwardly ) is life , i do not read , but otherwise 2 ▪ cor. 3.6 . where paul saith , the letter killeth ( speaking of the letter of the new testament . ) the spirit indeed guides into all truth , but it is the living soul whom hee so guides , and it is the living truth into which he guides in the new covenant , though it was he also who gave forth , required , and was able to lead into the letter of the old covenant . qu. 13. whether when jehovah gave forth the ten commandements plainly as a law in the letter he did intend by the observation according to the letter : the breach of them by the spirit . ans. the spirit doth not teach to break the commands in the letter , but such as are under the ministration of the letter , to observe them according to the letter ; and such as are under the ministration of the spirit , to fulfill the righteosness of them in the spirit . ( yet the son of man is lord of the sabbath : and if he bid a man take up his bed and walk , which was bearing a burthen and doing of work on the sabbath day , it is no breach of the sabbath . ) now this is most righteous , that as the son's rest should be entred into under the gospel , so his day of rest should be kept by his disciples and family . qu. 14 whether to say : the keeping the law of god according to the letter is a breaking of it in the spirit : be not a charging of god that gave it forth to be kept : and the holy spirit that incites ( us so to do now in this administration jam. 2.8 . and says they do well that do so ) and yet thou saist they break it in spirit : but tell us by any one scripture , how a man assisted by the spirit to own jehovah alone to be his god according to the letter of the first commandement doth break that command in the spirit . or so the like of any other of them . ans. this query is altogether from a mistake ; for it was not said by me , that the keeping the law of god acccording to the letter , is a breaking of it in the spirit ; but that he that runs back to the law in the letter , to take up any command as hold forth in it , will be found a breaker thereof in spirit . and for this , the jews in general , and paul in particular may be my instances , who was exceeding strict according to the letter of the law , but yet was a grievous breaker of it in spirit , and did not love his neighbor as himself , but in a blind zeal was a bitter persecutor : and if the jews had taken that direction of moses , deut. 30.14 . the observation of the law in the letter might have been more easie to them . so that the turning towards , and receiving the word in the heart , from whence the letter came , is the onely way to fulfll the letter ; and the law is not so much as to be known , much less fulfilled , by running to the letter of it in the first place . and this i certainly know , that there is no coming to the lord of life , nor no keeping chast to him , but in the new-covenant , and in the light of the lord , as it is there dispensed : and till then , the mind cannot forbear making of images and false representations of him to it self , though being from the light of this covenant , it cannot discern that it doth so , no more then paul by the letter of the law could discern how he was a breaker thereof in his violent persecutions . qu. 15. whether the prophets , jesus christ or the apostles , their keeping the law according to the letter : that they did do so , is evident , did break the law in the spirit ? ans. the prophets were under the law as to their outward state , though inwardly not without feeling the vertue of the new-covenant . christ also was made under the law , and took upon him the fulfilling of that dispensation of moses , that he might bring the believing jews from under it , into the liberty of the spirit , that they might receive the adoption of sons , and the free ministration which was appointed for the sons , and might not be held under that ministration of bondage , which was appointed for the servants . and the apostle bids believers to stand fast in the liberty wherewith christ had made them free , not making themselves debtors to the law , gal. 5.1 . for they were children of the promise , children of new jerusalem , the free woman , children of the new-covenant , and not children of mount sinai , the old covenant the law in the letter , c. 4.15 , 16. qu. 16. if there be but one day of rest holy to the lord and all the sabbaths of the law were but signs of it . that is said to be the day of redemption : that the lord hath made : then whether that day be a day natural , one of the seven days of the week which either respect the day on which our redeemer suffered , or that on which he rose again from the dead , or any other ? ans. as the gospel is not natural , but spiritual : so its day of rest is not natural , but spiritual likewise . yea i may add this also , the six days work in the new creation are not natural neither . qu. 17. if not so , but that it should he intended applicable to the day or time of the gospel administration from the time that christ suffered in the flesh , unto the end of the world . then whether this day that is intended as a sabbath , is one with that day that the scriptures intend and call a sabbath , which christ himself gave his disciples charge to have respect unto in their flight , matt. 24.20 . answ. the supposition here put , demonstrateth that those that put it , have no acquaintance with the gospel-sabbath , but propose another outward time for it , even the time from christs suffering in the flesh to the end of the world . now if any should so affirm , it were as justly to be excepted against , as pressing the observation of the jews sabbath is ▪ that which signifieth is outward or natural , and signifieth to that part which is without : that which is signified , is inward and spiritual , and is known , entred into , kept and enjoyed in the spirit . it is a spiritual sabbath , not a natural , which god hath instituted for his spiritual people , after he hath led them out of spiritual aegyt , into the spiritual wilderness , where he administreth to them the law in the spirit , and teacheth them to worship him in spirit and truth . qu. 18. if they intend one and the same sabbath day , then how impossible was it for the disciples of christ to escape flying on that sabbath day , though never so fervent in prayer , in regard that this sabbath spoken of begun when christ had suffered and put an end to the dispensation of moses law : and the flight spoken of by christ , which respect the lords sabbath , was not until many years after his sufferings . supposed-sabbath being before denied , the foundation of this query fails . an. christs sabbath is not an outward time or day in the flesh , but a day in the spirit , even a day of rest from all the labours of the fleshly part ▪ but this was spoken to before in the answer to the last of w. salters queries , whereto i may add this ▪ christ spake to his disciples of things , as they were able to bear them . now as they understood not his death : so then they understood not the abolishing of those things , which were to pass away after his death : so that christ might very well call jerusalem the holy place , and the seventh day the sabbath , speaking to them in that state . qu. 19. if they intend not one and the same sabbath day , then which are the disciples of christ to have respect unto , whether that that jesus christ injoined his disciples to have respect unto , or that that isaac penington would injoyn the disciples of christ to have respect unto . ans. this querie hath very little in it , save to shew the unsavouriness of the spirits of them that put it , and their want of acquaintance with the ministration of the spirit . they that know the gospell sabbath ( which is the substance of the law sabbath ) can tell who injoin'd it them , and can also tell , that he hath not required of them the observation of the jews sabbath . but they that are born after the letter , have been always subject to revile and reproach the truths of the spirit , and those that testifie thereto . qu 20. if the lords holy sabbath be that day which we may suppose is intended by this paper sent unto us : to be the day that containes the time of gospell-administration : then whether that sabbath doth prohibit outward labour as well as abstaining from sin , if not then which way must this sabbath be kept . seeing , that they that did and doth observe the weekly sabbath did and doth it in the spirit . and rest by faith in christ worshipping the father in spirit and in truth . answ. the gospell-sabbath begins not in the observation of outward time : but as it is spirituall , so it hath a spirituall beginning , increase , and persecting , wherein there is a rest to the spirit from sin and from the creaturely works , & a worshipping in the spirit , even as on the outward sabbath there was a bodily ceasing from labours , and an outward worshipping . and he that heareth the joyfull sound of deliverance from sin and self-working , and entreth into the faith ( beginning to cease from his own works and working , and to wait in the spirit on the power for its working in him ) hath a tast of the gospel-sabbath , and beginneth to see that day , which the type pointed to and ends in . qu. 21. if that that was ministred to paul , rom. 7. thou shalt keep the sabbath or believe in the light , follow the light and the observing of either of these in the spirit to be a keeping the whole law . then how are the scriptures observed if the keeping of one commandement be a keeping the whole law when the holy spirit in scriptures says that he that offends in one point is guilty of all , jam. 2.10 . ans. i did not say , that the keeping of one commandement is the keeping of the whole law ; but that the observing in spirit of any one of those there mentioned by me , is the keeping of the law : which was not barely said , but demonstrated , because no part of the law can be broken , but every one of these must be broken . he that commits any sin , breaks the gospel-sabbath , which is a resting from all sin and self-works ; errs from the law of love received in the spirit , which shuts out all enmity and transgression both against god and man ; departs from the fear , which keeps from departing from god by any iniquity ; and enters into the lust , which is the womb of sin , out of the compass of which womb sin cannot be conceived , much less committed . so that paul , in that law received from the spirit , thou shalt not lust , saw the whole body of sin struck at , whereas before , under the ministration of moses in the letter ( according to which he said he was blameless ) there was not so much as the life of one sin struck at , but for all his exact answering of the law according to that ministration , he was alive still . to decide this controversie , let it be put to tryall , let any one singly wait on the lord for the administration of his law in the spirit , and if the lord give forth that command to him , thou shalt not lust , in the clearness of the light of his eternall spirit , let him try , if continuing in obedience and subjection thereto , he can commit any one sin whatsoever . i do not say , that a mans proposing to himself that he will not lust , or his striving of himself to love and fear the lord or his applying himself to keep the sabbath or rest from sin to the lord will do this . ( nay this is but an administration in the letter , and will prove weak against the inward strength of the enemy ) but receiving the law in its pure living administration in the spirit , and from the spirit , here comes strength against the enemy , which is too hard for him , while it is abode in . and this the apostle paul taught the galatians , who were running backward towards the law , and not forwards in the spirit : he bids them walk in the spirit , gal , 5.25 . and so doing as they should not be under the law , ver. 18. so neither should they be breakers of the law : for within those bounds sin enters not , but is kept out , not so much as a lust against the law being there known , much less any open transgression against it : and against such as thus keep within the bounds of the spirit there is no law , ver. 22.23 . but against all that make themselves debtors to the law of the letter , there stands in force both the law of the letter & of the spirit also ; & they cannot in that state be free from the condemnation and curse thereof , whatsoever they may imagine concerning themselves , and their own state , from a mis-understanding and mis-application of the scriptures . the first letter answered . there is a double ministration of the law : a ministration in the letter , and a ministration in the spirit . the ministration of the letter was by moses , from mount sinai , in tables of stone , to that outward people the jews : the ministration of the spirit is by christ , from mount sion , in tables of flesh , to believers or his disciples . now this is it which the lord hath made manifest to me , that the disciples of christ , or believers , are to have recourse to their administration for the receiving of the law from the spirit , and not to run back to that ministration which was litterall and outward , and fitted to a litterall and outward people . this was more fully set down in my epistle in severall particulars . now in opposition to this , it is said f●rst that all written in that epistle , makes no more at all against a gospel spiritual observing in love the seventh day sabbath to the lord , then they make against a gospell spirituall observing of the other nine comandements . ans. my epistle striketh not at a gospel spirituall observation of any thing : but he that will obey spiritually , must receive his command from the spirit in that way which the spirit hath chosen to dispense it to him in . now the same spirit , which wrote his law in the letter under the old covenant , writeth his law in the hearts of believers under the new covenant , heb. 8.10 . which is a better covenant , and of which covenant christ is the mediator , ver. 6. and christ is as faithfull to give forth the laws of his spirit in the hearts of his people , as their condition requires them , as moses was to give the law written in the tables of stone to his house , heb. 3.5.6 . and as moses pointed his disciples to christ coming in the flesh , so christ pointed believers or his disciples to the comforter , the spirit of truth , first to wait for him , and then to receive light or his law of life from him : and this is gospel or new covenant , even that which the spirit speaks or writes in the heart ; and this hath power in it and saveth , whereas the letter killeth . now consider seriously , whither should a believer go for this laws ? to which covenant ? to moses his covenant , or to christ's covenant . secondly , that all these commands being holy and good , are to be loved , and in love to be observed , &c. ans. all the statutes , and judgements , and ordinances , and precepts of the lord are holy and good , and are to be loved : but each is to be obedient to that which god requires of him , and to have recourse to that ministration for the law of god to him , under which god hath set him . he that believes , he that hath received the spirit , is to have recourse to the law of faith , and to the spirit for his light or law : he who was under the law of moses , was to have recourse to the law of moses : for the law of moses spake to them who were under it in his family , giving forth the precepts or commandements of that dispensation , to them who were under his testament , heb. 9.20 . and christ speaks to his family by his spirit , whom his disciples are to hearken unto , and not to grieve him , or quench his motions , or despise his prophesyings , but give diligent heed thereto , untill the day dawn and the day-star arise in their hearts . now to obey in love , doth not make the distinction of the ministrations : for love belongeth to each ministration . the jews in their day were to obey the law in love , and to have it in their hearts , deut. 6.5 , 6. but this makes the difference , the jews were to seek to the letter for it , the disciple is to receive it from the spirit : for he is to begin in the spirit , gal. 3.3 . whereas the jews beginning was in the letter . and this is obedience in the newness of the spirit , when the law is received fresh from the spirit , who both writes new things and brings to remembrance old things livingly and powerfully : but to go to moses ministration and learn it there , and get it into the heart from thence , that 's according to the old ministration or covenant , which was given in the letter to the jews ; as may appear in that place last cited , deut. 6.5.6 . thirdly that in the same spirit and love , that we have the lord for our god , &c. in the same we are to remember the sabbath day to keep it holy . ans. the lord teacheth believers to know him to be the only true god , &c. by the law of the covenant of life in christ jesus , which he ministers to their spirits in the spirit ; whereby he teacheth them so clearly and effectually , that they need not run back to the tables of moses his covenant , from thence to teach one another to know the lord , but they shall all know him from this teaching from the least to the greatest : yea , and i may add this , this covenant by its ministration teacheth more clearly , then the ministration of moses his law in the letter could teach , heb. 8.10 , 11. they that have been with moses , and have learned the law of him , under the ministration of his covenant , have yet need of coming to christ : but they that have been with christ , and have learned the law of his spirit , by the teachings of the new covenant in their hearts , have not need of being sent back to moses . moses pointeth forward to christ , but christ ( even in the flesh ) sendeth not his disciples from his own dispensation back to moses ( though he also established the dispensation of moses for its season ) but pointeth them forward to the comforter , or to his appearance in the spirit . and this is the mark of a christian , which it is the intent of the letter to direct him to , and not for him to fix in the letter , as men have done since the apostacy from the spirit . this argument is further inforced thus , because he that said the other , said this , in the same law and spirit . ans. it is true , he that said the other by moses to the jews , said this also to them , and they were strictly bound thereto : but that which binds the disciple is the ministration of the new covenant , where christ writes this law in the minds and spirits of his people , by which they are bound , and such as as are out of that the lord when he cometh to examine them concerning their faith and obedience , will say to them , who hath required this at your hands ? were ye children of the new covenant ? did ye receive the spirit ? had ye a measure of faith given you ? were ye new creatures ? why did ye not keep to your rule ? why did ye not wait on the spirit , and receive the law from the new jerusalem , from whence it issues forth to the family of believers ? the jews were to be taught by precepts and judgments from moses , but all thy children shall be taught of the lord . it is said yet further , so that if thou keepest the other , and not this , thou art a transgressor of the royal law of liberty . ans. what is the royall law ? what is the law of liberty ? was the law as it was administred by moses , the royall law ? or is it the royall law as it is administred by the son , who is the king of saints , and writes his law in their hearts as their king ? again , was the law , which moses administred to the jews , a law of liberty , or a law of bondage ? did not the ministration on mount sinai gender to bondage , gal. 4.24 ? but in the ministration of the law by the spirit is life and liberty , ver. 26. and 2 cor. 3.17 . and this very law , thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self is royall , and a law of pure liberty , and there is no bondage in it thus administred : but let any man now read it in the letter , and strive to obey it to the utmost he can , he shall find it weak through the flesh , accusing and in bondaging him . and this is the reason that christians so mourn in their prayers , even as persons in bonds , because they know not the royall law of liberty , because they feel not the love which the spirit begets , but strive to get the letter into their hearts , and to answer the commands in the letter with what love and obedience they can come at ; and this ( through not seeing into the true covenant and ministry of christ ) they call obeying in the spirit . the testimony of jesus , rev. 12.17 . is the spirit of prophecy , chap. 19.10 . and his commandements come fresh from that spirit of prophecy , which are to be taken heed to , till the day dawn and the day-star arise , and then a fuller ministration is witnessed then that of prophecy , even the shining and appearing of that which was prophesied of , which every believer is to wait for in the prophesies of the spirit , and in obedience to those commands , which come livingly into his heart from the spirit of prophesie . fourthly . that the fourth command is to be in love kept by all believers . ans. all the commands of christs covenant are to be kept by believers , according as he pleaseth to dispence them , under his administration in the new covenant : but the laws of the old covenant are not the laws of the new covenant , as so dispensed , but only as they are comprehended in the righteousness , which is taught and required by the spirit , which is fuller , stricter , and exacter , then that which the law of moses required . nor do i hereby go about to teach any to break the least of christ's commands , but the way to fulfill them , which is , by keeping to the certain knowledg and obedience of them , in that ministration , where christ hath promised to dispense and make them known to believers , which is , under the ministry of his own covenant , writing them in their hearts and minds by his spirit . and here the keeping of all christs commands is possible , yea this is the onely way to have the righteousness of the law fulfilled in us : for he that keeps the eye which the spirit hath opened in him , close to the spirit , shall not be able to break any law of righteousness , but the righteousness even of moses his law shall be fulfilled in him . christ is the rest of the gospel ( as he is also the holy land ) believing is the entring into this rest : here 's his sabbath , and the keeping of it . keep in the faith , the gospel rest is kept . parting with every lust that he makes manifest , observing every thing that this king calls for by his spirit , and waiting for the further manifestation or shining of the light of his spirit in the heart , here 's the obedience of the faith , and the holy and spirituall life and subjection of the living soul to its living king . here 's the beginning of a true christian , his growth , his perfection . but as for times , places , persons , &c. these are of another nature , to another part , even to that part in man which is to be done away , as hee comes into the faith , and into the rest . let that which is invisible , whose habitation is out of the reasoning part , feel and read me in that which is invisible : for i do not make void the law by faith , or through publishing the ministry of the spirit , but establish it in its ministration in the spirit to the disciples of christ ; who , keeping to the spirit , cannot transgress the righteousness of it , though they may there learn not to esteem one day above another , but to esteem every day no days having ever had any reall holiness in them one above another , but only a figurative or representative , which the substance , christ and his gospel swallow up : for as his day dawns , those things which were the shadows of it fly away . the second letter answered . object . 1. it is said to be dangerous , so to hold forth the spirituall sabbatism , as to deny the weekly sabbath , wherein our lord jesus christ rested , &c. and which he blessed and sanctified to adam and his posterity , &c. ans. the gospell is a state of substance , of fulfilling the types and shadows of the law , by bringing believers into the possession of that which they signified of . canaan was a type of christ , who is the land of the living , in whom every believer hath an habitation at present , according to the proportion of his faith : and the sabbath is the day of rest , which every believer is to celebrate to christ in this holy land , which he doth by believing and obeying his spirit in the faith , which keepeth him out of the sin , the unbelief , the unrest . but that the sabbath of the law the rest thereof , which pointed to the faith , is still to be held up in the times of the gospel , i know no scripture which so teacheth , and i know somewhat which teacheth me otherwise . the day is dawned , blessed be the lord god almighty , the everlasting day is dawned , and the shadows of the law are flown away . object . 2. it is said , that heb. 4. speaks of three rests , the seventh day or sabbath rest , israels rest in canaan , and a remaining rest whereof david speaks , psalm . 95. ans. i grant it , there were two rests under the law , which were signs of the one rest under the gospel . the two under the law were outward and natural , the one under the gospel inward and spiritual , answerable to the state of the gospel· david was not only acquainted with the law-state , but with the free spirit , ( psalm , 51. ) and the eternal law thereof . he knew the new creation , the creating of a new spirit , ( with its travell through the law ) & also the new rest . he knew the circumcision of the heart , the spirituall sacrifices of a broken heart and of praise , he could take the cup of salvation , and sing the song of praise to the lord , which none can do in the strange land , nor on any other day but the day of rest . and he incites israel to this rest , that they might not harden their hearts against it , but in the day of their visitation enter into it , by hearkning to the word which was nigh them , which gives the entrance through the faith . to day if ye will hear his voyce , harden not your hearts , &c. there is a rest ye are now called to enter into , as your fathers were called to enter into the land of canaan : harden not your hearts as they did , but hear the voice , hear the word which calls to this rest , believe and enter . this rest remains , says the apostle , the others were types of it under the law-state , which was to pass away . object . 3. it is said , ceremoniall signs are done away , but the ten commands under the mercy-seat are of an other nature : and that there are signs which are not yet abolished ( as the rainbow , sun , moon , and stars ) but still remain for us to make good use of . answ. the mercy-seat under the law is done away , and the substance thereof is come , and will ye not give him leave to write his law in the tables which he shall choose , where his disciples may read it with the eye which hee gives ? is his law now to be read in the shadow , or with the outward eye , or to be looked for under the old mercy-seat of the outward tabernacle ? or is it to be read with the eye of the new creature , with the eye of faith , with the eye of the spirit , in the everlasting gospel , where the life it self is read , and in other books or writings without , but tidings or relations of the life ? here christ , here the spirit , here the eternall life , here the love , the joy , the peace , the rest , the purity , which is eternall , is seen , is felt , is handled , is injoyed : for the true faith is indeed the substance of the things hoped for , giving victory over the enemies which disturb , and a quiet habitation in him who is the rest . and as touching signs , i do not say that signs are so done away , as that there is now no good use to be made of them ; but in reading the law and shadows thereof , the lord may please by his spirit to enlighten the spirit of him , who reads in his fear , to see through them : but this i do not find , that so much as any one sign or shadow under the law , was to be continued in that way of service under the gospel ( for indeed to what end should it ? when that is come , which it signified , is not its work at an end ? ) and that that sabbath was given for a sign ( as well as any other sabbaths of the law ) i find expresly , exod. 31.13 . to 18. object . 4. it is said , that though christ's law be a new law , yet it is also old , given of old to the jews . answ. yea , it is older then so : for it was written in abels and the other holy mens hearts , long before this covenant of the law in writing was made with the jews . and consider wel which is now to stand in the times of the gospel , the writing of the law by the spirit in the hearts of believers , as it was written by vertue of the promise before the law was given , or the outward and visible writing under the law , which was done for the sake of , and as a suitable dispensation for that outward people . it was not thus from the beginning , but after a long time : for when god chose an outward people , he chose also this way of writing to signifie somewhat by , which signification is concerning another state ; in which state , that which was signified is to be set up and advanced , and not the shadows which were significant of it . it is further said , that the lord writes these things new in his peoples hearts , to know the lord , as their god , and as the god and father of jesus christ , and as their father in him : and to love their brethren as christ loved them . and he writes this law also in their hearts , thou shalt have no other gods but me , make no image , exalt my name , keep holy the sabbath , &c. ans. if god write these things in the heart , are they not to be read there ? if god write them in the new covenant , and in the new tables , shal not i read them there ? and if i can read there in this living book , what god writes in it by his spirit , is not this nearer to me and clearer , and read by a more certain eye , then what i can read with my outward eye in tables of stone ? oh , do not turn the believer out of his way : do not hinder him from reading in the book , which is clear and infallible , the clear and infallible things of god . will god write in my heart , and will he not give me an eye to read ? shall he give me an eye to read , and shall i not read therewith ? thou hast here confessed this to be the new writing , and the new writing belongs to the new covenant , both which are proper to the gospel-state and to christs meditation , who is mediatour of the new covenant , heb. 8.6 . and in that he saith , a new , he hath made the first old . now that which decayeth and waxeth old , is ready to vanish away , ver. 13. object . 5. it is said , that love being the sum and substance of the law of the spirit , makes no more against the fourth commandement , then against the rest . ans. love is the substance of them all , & they are all fulfilled in it : but they are not after this manner fulfilled , to wit , that a man should strive perticularly to keep them in his eye , and so labour to fulfill them in love ; but rather thus , in waiting on the lord to receive love from him , and to be kept by him in the love , in this love received they are all fulfilled and cannot be broken , and this is an easie yoke . this is the new birth , and the path thereof , the other is but the old creature , with its striving after the path and inheritance of life . and as this love is the fulfilling of the law , so the heart are the tables of this love , wherein god writeth both the whole and all the parts of his law . now i am not against any man , who in singleness of heart applies himself to the letter ; but it is but the old way , and a conversing with christ after the manner of moses's his dispensation : but i must confess that i am for the new covenant and for the ministry of the spirit , which is far beyond the letter , and though i have known christ , and the lavvs of his life after the flesh , yet henceforth my desire is not after knowing him so any more , but to know him in the eternall life of his spirit , and to drink of the fruit of the vine , new vvith him in his fathers kingdome . a brief explication of the mistery of the six days labour and seventh days sabbath , for such to behold , the eye of whose spirit is opened by the pure anointing , and who are not so drowned in their conceivings and reasonings about the sence of the letter , as most of the professors of this age are . mat. 11.28 , 29 , 30. come unto me all ye that labour , and are heavy laden , and i will give you rest . take my yoke upon you , and learn of me , for i am meek and lowly in heart , and ye shall find rest unto your souls . for my yoke is easie , and my burden is light . he that hears the joyfull sound of the everliving power , calling him by the voice of his eternall light out of the darkness , out of the death , out of the misery , out of the dominions , territories and deep slavery of satan unto himself , and cometh unto him in the vertue and power of that life which calleth , he hath a tast given him of the eternall rest , and a promise of entring into it . but the entrance into the fulness thereof is not presently , but he hath a long journey to take from egypt the dark land , from sodom the filthy land , from babilon , where all the vessells and holy things of god have been defiled , through the wilderness , unto canaan ; and many battles are to be fought with enemies by the way , & also with the enemies which possess the holy land , and many hardships to be undergone in following the captain , who also leadeth his israel by a pillar of cloud by day , and by a pillar of fire by night ; and there must be a circumcision & a baptism in the cloud & in the sea , and the falling of all those carcasses in the wilderness which are not to enter , nor so much as see the good land , before the entrance be ministred to the seed , and to that which passeth through the water and through the fire with the seed . in plain terms , there must be a taking up of the yoke , and a learning of christ under the yoke , till the proud , the stiff , the stubborn , the wise , the wilful , the selfish spirit , the hard stony heart be wasted and worn out by the cross , and nothing left but what becomes one with the seed , and so is fit to be married to it , and to enter with it into the everlasting kingdom . now this bearing the yoke , this taking up of the cross , this following of christ in the wilderness , through the corrections of the father , through the buffettings and temptations of the enemie , in the midst of all the weaknesses & frailties of the flesh , going when he bids go , standing still where he stops , fighting when hee prepares to the warfare , bearing the repulse , when he suffers the enemy to prevail , and hoping even beyond hope for his relief and victory in due season ; here 's the labour , here 's the travell , here 's the working under the life , with the measure of grace and power received from the life . so that first the day-spring from on high visits : from that visitation there is light entred into the heart : by closing with that light there is grace received : with this grace received there is work to bee done for god , his talent is to be improved all the six days , by all that will rest with him on the seventh , and that desire to cease from their labours in the fruition of the faith , the life , the power ; the faith , the life , the power living , becoming and performing all in them . and he that doth not improve the talent , he that doth not follow on in the pure light , but either sits down by the way , or is deceived with an image of what once vvas true in him , he can never arrive at the land of rest ( though perhaps he may arrive at that which he may call so ) but , when the eternall witness awakes in him , he will find the want of it , and bitterly bewail his grievous mistake . novv in this hard travel , and grievous labour under the close lavvs and spirituall commandements of the life ( hard i mean , yea , very hard to the unrenewed part , though easie and natural to that which is renewed and born of god ) it pleaseth the lord novv and then to give a day of refreshment , causing his life so powerfully to spring up , that it even sensibly is , and doth all in the heart . this is a sabbath , wherein the soul rests in the povverfull movings and operations of the life , and doth not find any stress of trouble , or hardship or labour upon it , but sits still in the povver , is at ease in the life , in the etertal vertue , vvhich lives , and moves and is all in it : and no pain , no trouble , no grievousness of any command is felt ; but to it all is easie , all is natural , all is purely pleasant , the life ( to vvhich all its own lavvs , statutes , ordinances , judgements , ways and paths are easie ) performing all it calls for , even as fast as it calls for it . and here not only a sabbath of days , but also a sabbath of vveeks , yea sometimes a sabbath of years ( besides the everlasting jubilee or year of perfect redemption it selfe ) are known & vvitnessed by such as have vvaited on the lord , in singleness of heart under the yoke of his spirit , for the bringing down of the rough and untovvard nature , and for the raising up of the meek and lovvly heart . but here it is exceeding easie , running out and starting aside : it is easie running out from under the yoke to avoid the bitterness of the hardship to the earthly part ; it is much easier running out on the day of rest , and so loosing the truth in a joy and rejoicing , even such an one as might have a true ground . oh who can but think the bitterness of death is past , when all enemies are vanished , and there is nothing left but the lord and the soul imbracing each other ! and who can but be unwilling to come back again to his labour , and to the residue of his hard travel afterwards ! and yet it is far better to return to the work in the vineyard , and to suffer again with the seed , then to keep up the rest in a notion , and so to lose the life and pure presence and vertue of the seed , when it returns unto and cals back to the labour . oh how many have perished here , suffering a divource from that which led them into the rest , not being willing to go back again with it to fill up the residue of its sufferings , which were yet behind , and so have kept up a false , dead , notional rest , after the true sabbath was ended . now there is no way for such , but to wait to feel the living breath , the quickning vertue , the day-spring from on high , which by the brightness of its rising can discover this false rest , this dead rest , this notionall rest , this ease in the earthly , in the fleshly , in the understanding part , which they uphold by things they have formerly gathered from the scriptures , or from their own ( perhaps once living ) experiences ; but now hold , out of the feeling and possession of the life , in the dead part . but that it is thus with them , they can never see , untill the light , from which they have erred , spring up and discover it to them : and when the light doth arise and discover it , they will find the way of return and the path of redemption much more difficult to them , then it was at first . yet it is better to part which the ease of the flesh , and to undergo the pangs of a new birth , then to miss of the inheritance in the good land . there are three steps or degrees of the blessed estate : first there are desires , thirstings and breathings begotten after the life . secondly , there is a labouring in the service ( under the yoke ) by the vertue which springs from the life . thirdly , there is a rest , or sitting down at ease in the life . by the stirring of life in the soul , desires after life are kindled : he , in whom the desires are kindled , and who feeleth the eternall vertue , cannot but be running the race : he whom the spirit of the lord findeth faithfull in running the race , it pleaseth the lord ever and anon to be giving him a tast of the rest . thus the spring stirring , the soul cannot but move towards its center : and as it entreth into , and fixeth in its center , it partaketh of the rest . n●w to know the leadings of the spirit forward and backward into these ( into desires , when he pleaseth , into the labour and service of the life , when he pleaseth ; into the sweet rest and perfect repose in the life , when he pleaseth ; ) here is the safety and sweet progress of the renewed spirit . that man who is born of the spirit , is to wait for the movings , breathings and kindlings of the spirit in him : and when the sun ariseth , he is to go forth to his labour in the light thereof , and in the night and withdrawing of the sun , to retire : and when his seventh day of rest comes , he is to receive it from , and enjoy it in the spirit ; and afterwards to be willing to begin his week again , even till his whole race and the full course of his pilgrimage be finished . yet if it were possible for man after he is come to christ , to abide perfectly with him , to cease from lust , to keep within the faith , to draw naturally in the yoke , to bow in the spirit continually to the father of spirits , there would be a continuall sabbath kept in the passage , even before the great , full and perfect sabbath in the end . the hardness , and unease of the labour , is because of a part contrary to the life , which when it is worn out , there will be no more labour , but the yoke will become the rest , and all the motions and operations of life will flow forth naturally in the rest . and here is the patience and faith of the saints , to wait under the yoke , under the daily cross to that part which is to be brought and kept under , till all the bonds of captivity be broke through by the life , and the vail of flesh rent from the to the bottome ( the remaining of which , is that which stops the free current of life ) and then shall the soul enter into the holy of hol●es , obtaining the full possession of the everlasting inheritance and of the eternall redemption , and know sorrovv , tears , bonds , sickness , death , captivity ( no nor so much as grapling with them , or travelling out of them ) no more , but the enjoyment of the plenty and fulness of the life reaping all the pleasant fruits of life , in the rich land of life for evermore . some considerations propounded to the jewes , that they may hear and consider , and their hearts at length may be turned towards that which alone is able to convert them to god , that they may once more become his people , and enter into an everlasting covenant with him that may not be broken , that so they may abide in his love and covenant of life , and remain his people for ever . consideration i. what great love , mercy and kindness god shewed to that people , above all nations and peoples under heaven . of his own free love he set his heart upon them , chusing them to be a people to himself . he brought them out of egypt by a mighty hand and outstretched arm ; he mightily preserved them in , and led them through the wilderness . he entred into a covenant with them to become their god , and betrothed them unto himself for his own lot and inheritance . he gave them righteous laws , judgments , statutes and ordinances , both of worship towards him , and of an upright demeanour and conversation among themselves and towards all men . he drove out the heathen from before them , and gave them a pleasant land to possess , even the glory of all lands , a land flowing with milk and honey . he built an habitation for himself among them , first a moving sanctuary or tabernacle , afterwards a more setled abiding place or temple ( which solomon built ) wherein was the ark of his presence , where he was to be sought unto and enquired of by them , and towards which their prayers were to be directed , and there was a mercy-seat , whereof they had large experience , and he ever and anon sent prophets among them , to reprove their errors and blackslidings , and to set them to rights again . he raised up judges likewise to defend them : and although they were weary of his government , desiring a king after the manner of the nations so vehemently , that they even forced a king from him , yet he took him away from them , and after him chose a man after his own heart , to feed jacob his people and israel his inheritance , who fed them according to the integrity of his heart , and guided them by the skilfulness of his hands . what should i say more ? what was wanting of love , of care , of goodness , of kindness , of mercy , of gentleness , of any thing that a people could desire of their god ? i say , what was wanting of all this on gods part ? what could he have done more for his vineyard , than he did do ? nay he emptied upon them all the goodness , all the mercy , love , favour , &c. that that covenant would hold to the full , yea and more too : for he bare with them more than that covenant required him to bear , and redeemed them oftner than that covenant engaged him , yea many time turned he his anger away , and did not stir up all his wrath , as he might often have done according to the tenour of that covenant . yea in all their afflictions he was afflicted , and the angel of his presence saved them : and he was still ready to say in his heart , surely they are my people , children that will not lie , at length they will see their error , repent and be true to me : insomuch as he was never weary of saving them , of trying them again and again , of stirring up his bowels of love and pitty to redeem them , of sending his servants and prophets among them to warn and reclaim them , even till at last it was manifest that there was no remedy but he must cast them off , and provoke them to jealousie by a foolish nation ( deut. 32.20 , 21. ) drawing them nigh to him , who had been worshipping stocks and stones , making them become a people , who had long been no people , and casting these out of his sight , making them become no people , who had so long been his chosen peculiar people , in covenant with him , and nigh unto him above all the families of the earth . consid. ii. what constant rebellion and stiffness of spirit that people all along expressed towards the lord , what wild sowre grapes they still brought forth to him , sowre love , sowre obedience , sowre worship and sacrifices , such as the pure pallate of the lord could find no relish nor savour in : but as moses had told them , that it was not for their righteousness god chose them to give them the good land to possess , for they were a rebellious and stiff-necked people , deut. 9.6 , 7. so it was not for their goodness that god continued his love to them , for they were all along provoking him , jer. 44.4 . when god came to shew that great mercy to them of redeeming them out of egypt , and bid them cast away their idols , they would not cast away their idols , ezek. 20.7 , 8. neither did they regard that mercy of redemption from the house of bondage , and from the iron furnace , but said to moses it was better for them to stay in egypt and to serve the egyptians , exod. 14.12 . again in the wilderness , how did they provoke him all that forty years of mercy , how did they err in their hearts from his pure fear , and from love to him , and from faith and confidence in him ! how did they murmur against him , and against moses and aaron their leaders ! how did they forget his works and his wonders continually ! when they came near the land , and should have gone in to possess it , then they would not , but repined and rebelled because of the talness and strength of the enemy , and of their cities : and when they were forbid to go , then they would go and fight with them . what should i mention the time of the judges and of the kings , how often the lord made them smart by their enemies in their own land , how often he gave them up to captivity out of their land , even till at length that great captivity of babylon befel them , and since that a greater captivity and desolation than that of babylon ? consid. iii. whether god , having tryed this people even to the utmost , by that covenant which he made with them by moses in mount sinai , may ever please to try them so any more : or if there yet remain any mercy or love from god towards them , whether it is not to be expected another way , and upon another account ? this is very necessary and profitatble for them to consider , that they may not be looking that way for mercy and favour from god , in which it is never to come , and so have their eyes and hearts diverted from that way according to which it is to come : for this must needs put them back exceedingly , if their eyes be looking out one way , and the love of god hath chosen another channel to run towards them in . this may make them refuse the very mercy , love and redemption when it comes , suspecting it not to be it , because it comes not in the way and after the manner that they look for it . now god hath expresly said , that when he shall be pacified towards them ▪ and shall look again upon them with an eye of favour to do them good , it shall not be by their covenant ( which could never last , but was still broken on their parts ) but by his own everlasting covenant , which he would establish to them , ezek. 16.60 . &c , it would therefore diligently be enquired by them , what covenant it is which is called their covenant , vers. 61. and what covenant it is which is called gods covenant , vers. 62. that they may withdraw their eyes and hopes from the one , from whence their redemption , recovery and mercy cannot come , towards the other from whence it is to come ? to which query , for their sakes , it is in my heart to return this answer . answ. their covenant is that which they entred into with god , the covenant that their hearts chose to unite with god by : and that was to this effect , that if god would shew them his will , they would obey it . go thou near ( said they to moses ) and hear all that the lord our god shall say , and speak thou unto us all that the lord our god shall speak unto thee , and we will hear it and do it , deut. 5.27 . thus they thought , but the lord knew otherwise , for o saith the lord that there were such an heart in them , &c. vers. 29. and moses knew otherwise , he knew that they would corrupt themselves , and that evil would befal them in the latter dayes , deut. 31.29 . but gods covenant was the free covenant he made with abraham , isaac and jacob , the covenant of his grace , the covenant of his free love , whereby he was able to reach them in egypt , upon the cry of the seed in them ( in the midst of their idolatries , and to bring them out and do them good notwithstanding their stubbornness and stiff-neckedness ) even before the other covenant was made . this covenant of love was gods covenant . this is the covenant god remembred to them in the days of their youth , while they were young and tender , and not yet grown up to be a people under the other covenant : and this is the covenant which lasts for ever , which is not founded upon their obedience , but on god's free love to them for his own name sake , and for their fathers sake with whom he freely made it . quest . what doth this covenant contain ? answ. putting his fear in the heart , writing his laws in the mind , pouring of pure clear water upon them to wash away the pollutions of their inward parts , circumcising the filth of the heart , healing the backsliding nature by creating of a right spirit within , and keeping of the created spirit right by the presence of that spirit which created it : see jer. 31.31 , 32. ezek. 36.25 , &c. hosea 14.4 . this is god's covenant , this is the new covenant , which is to be made with the house of israel and judah when god redeems them : and they can never be redeemed but by this covenant , but are to remain desolate , until the spirit be poured out from on high upon them , isai. 32.15 . until their hearts be circumcised to love the lord their god , untill his fear be placed there , and they thereby caused to walk in his ways . as therefore they receive the spirit , are brought into the fear , have the law written in their minds and become subject thereto , so will they tast of this covenant , be brought into redemption by it , and become a glory inwardly , and outwardly also upon the earth . quest . what is the way for them to have the fear of god put in their hearts , to have their hearts circumcised , to receive the spirit and his laws into their minds , and so to come into this covenant ? answ. there is no other way but that to which moses himself directed them , after god had made the other covenant with them , and tryed them long by it , together with many temptations , signs and wonders both before and after it ; and seeing by all these they had not had an heart to perceive , nor eyes to see , nor ears to hear , moses at length directs them to another covenant , the word whereof would give them eyes to see , and ears to hear , and an heart to understand . which covenant was a covenant besides the former , deut. 29.1 . and was indeed the covenant concerning life or death eternal , chap. 30.15 . ( the other being but a covenant of their outward state , made with them after their coming out of aegypt , upon their deliverance there from , and according to their choise to become a people to god according to it . ) this word , moses tells them , was near them ( nearer then that which was spoken by god on the mount , and afterwards written in tables of stone . ) the voyce of this word and the commandment thereof was nearer , that they need not seek anywhere abroad for it , but only listen at home to hear its speech , obey it in the faith , and live for ever , deut. 30.11 , &c. this is the way for them and all men to come into this covenant , and there is no other ; there is a light shining in the darkness of mans heart , which springs up in him , and casts forth it's rayes to discover and draw him out of the darkness : now as this light is felt , loved , understood in spirit , hearkned and cleaved to in the pure faith , which it begets ; that which cleaves to it , is drawn out of the darkness by it , into the covenant of the pure eternal light , where god is , and whither all they are translated , who are drawn to him in and by this covenant , as they are kept , preserved , and continue in the faith , love and obedience of it . now i would yet put these few things more to them . first , whether that people of the jews , as they stood related to god in that covenant ( given by moses at mount horeb ) with the covenant it self and all things appertaining thereto , were not a shadow of some inward and spiritual thing afterwards to appear and be made manifest in its season . whether they themselves were not a shadow of a more inward and spiritual people , to be gathered to god by the inward and spiritual covenant ; and whether their outward covenant was not a shadow or visible representation of that covenant , and the laws of it a shadow or representation of the inward laws ▪ which were to be written in the hearts of that spiritual people ? was not their tabernacle , or temple , a shadow of the true tabernacle or temple , seeing god dwelleth not in temples made with hands , but in a poor , humble , contrite spirit , and in the heart that trembles at his word , isai. 57.15 . and chap. 66.1 , 2. so was not their circumcision a shadow of the circumcision which is to pass upon the hearts of god's chosen ? were not their sacrifices types or representations of the sacrifices of praise and of a broken heart ? psal. 51.17 . and psal. 50.14 . was not their canaan , or holy-land , a type of the true holy spiritual rest which the faith gives entrance into ? their city jerusalem a tipe of the jehovah-shammah ? their priests and levites tipes of the spiritual priesthood , which was to offer the pure offering and spiritual sacrifices among the gentiles ? malac. 1.11 . mark that place , if it did not plainly foretel the casting off of the jews , with the rejecting of their offerings , priests and levites , and god's raising up a seed among the gentiles , where he would have a more acceptable people and worship , even a pure spiritual people , and a pure spiritual offering . secondly , if they were types , representations , or shadows of somwhat spiritual to come , then were they not to give place to that which is spiritual when it came , and so to be swallowed up in it ? is not the spiritual glory , the glory ? the inward jew , the jew indeed ? the circumcision of the heart , the choice circumcision ? the offering up of praise and of a broken heart , the acceptable sacrifice ? the land of life and righteousness , the true land of rest to the living by faith ? is not the spiritual city , house , or temple which god builds , the ierusalem or temple of the new covenant ? is not this the choice house to god ? and is not this spiritual glory to be expected in the days of the messiah , and all the tipes and shadows of moses , which pointed at him , to end in him , when once he comes to set up his true , inward , invisible , substantial glory among his inward and spiritual people ? when the day of messiah dawns , shall not moses his shadows fly away ? o that your eyes were opened to behold the inward glory of life , the good things of the new covenant , the great treasure and riches which are revealed and possessed in the spirit ; by the spirits that are redeemed unto god , that ye might partake thereof ; and then your eye would not be so much on that which is outward , which if ye had even to the utmost of your desires , are not comparable to the inward . lastly , search the prophets , see if the messiah is not first to come in a despiseable way , as a man of sorrows , isai. 53.2 , 3. whose visage in that appearance was to be more marred then any mans , isai. 52.14 . and consider whether he was not to be cut off , though not for himself , dan. 9.26 . and then to sit at the right hand of god , until his enemies be made his footstool ; psa. 110.1 . before he come in that glory wherein ye expect him . so that if he be not thus come already , then that coming of his is yet to be expected , and his hands and feet are yet to be pierced by you , and then afterwards ye may look upon him whom you have pierced , zach. 12.10 . and all the families of israel mourn bitterly apart for it , ver. 12. when moses gave the law , the vail was over his face : your fathers were not able to bear the light wherein the law was given , nor the light wherein the prophecies of the prophets were given , and so they still erred from the law , were offended at the prophets while they were alive , & mis-understood their words after their death . now do not ye search into moses and the prophets , in the same spirit of error as your fathers did , being shut out from the light of them , even as they were ? if it be thus , if the vail be over your hearts , if ye be ignorant of the true light ▪ of the true eternal power wherein the scriptures were given forth , ye must needs mis-understand them mis-understand moses , mis-understand the prophets , mis-understand the things spoken concerning the messiah , & so not be able to see unto the end of those things ministred by moses , & of that ministration which was to pass away , nor into the beginning of the ministration of the messiah , which was to succeed it . o turn within to the word nigh in the heart , that the true jew may be begotten and formed in you , and his light may arise and overspread you , that in that light ye may see the light of moses , and the light of the prophets , and not gather false meanings from their words , but understand them a right in the same holy spirit , and injoy the blessedness they spake of and directed to , which lyes in the inward raising up of an inward seed , and not in an outward conformity of the outward man , while the heart and mind remains unchanged and unrenewed , which can never be made new by any ministry of the letter without the spirit , but alone by the ministry of the spirit , whether with or without the letter , as he pleaseth . j. p. the end . a discourse of the sabbath and the lords day wherein the difference both in their institution and their due observation is briefly handled. by christopher dow, b.d. dow, christopher, b.d. 1636 approx. 148 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 40 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : 2008-09 (eebo-tcp phase 1). a69228 stc 7088 estc s110113 99845728 99845728 10649 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a69228) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 10649) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1475-1640 ; 1411:04) a discourse of the sabbath and the lords day wherein the difference both in their institution and their due observation is briefly handled. by christopher dow, b.d. dow, christopher, b.d. [4], 75, [1] p. printed by m. flesher for john clark, and are to be sold at his shop under s. peters church in cornhill, london : m dc xxxvi. [1636] variant: title page has "intsitution". reproduction of the original in the union theological seminary (new york, n.y.). library. created by converting tcp files to tei p5 using tcp2tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the 25,363 texts created during phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 january 2015. anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p5, characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng sabbath -early works to 1800. sunday -early works to 1800. 2006-10 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2006-11 apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images 2007-02 elspeth healey sampled and proofread 2007-02 elspeth healey text and markup reviewed and edited 2008-02 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a discovrse of the sabbath and the lords day . wherein the difference both in their intsitution and their due observation is briefly handled . by christopher dow , b. d. london , printed by m. flesher for john clark , and are to be sold at his shop under s. peters church in cornhill . mdc xxxvi . to the reader . the substance of this discourse , being at first , the materialls of some letters written for the satisfaction of a private friend , was afterwards drawne together into the forme in which it now appeares , and found the favour , from some unto whom it was communicated , to bee desired to the presse ; for which end it hath lyen in the licensers hand , now above a yeare expecting the cōduct of that reverend prelate who upon speciall occasion then offered , ( as it appeares ) by command , undertook this argument : which having performed , like himselfe , with such variety of learning and profoundnesse of judgement , this pamphlet of mine may now justly seeme as unnecessary to follow , as heretofore it was unable and unworthy to leade the way : yet considering that the brevity of it might make it passe and finde acceptance with some ; and that , being of a mean straine , it might better meete with common capacities , then larger and more elaborate tractates ; i was willing it should see the light , and that in its owne garbe without any polishing or alteration . and so i commend thee and it to gods blessing . perlegi hunc tractatum theologicum , cuititulus est [ a discourse of the sabbath , and of the lords day , &c. ] in quo nihil reperio sanae doctrinae , aut bonis moribus contrarium , quominus cum utilitate publicâ imprimi possit , ita tamen , ut si non intra tres menses proximè sequentes typis mandetur , haec licentia sit omnino irrita . ex aedibus lambethanis novemb. 18. 1635. guil . bray. r. p. d. arch. cant. capel . domesticus . a discovrse of the sabbath and lords day . that men may not bee deceived with shewes , and mistake iudaisine for christianity ; or that they , who so mistaking , use to disrellish all things which suit not with the principles of their catechismes , may not thinke they have ingrossed all religion and piety to themselves , and they thereby incouraged to proceed in their hard censures of those that concurre not with them : and that the piety and religious care , which is eminent in the governours of our church and state , may appeare in their true lustre , and outshine those mists , wherewith some seeke to obscure them : and that it may appeare also that they whose chiefest care , next to their duty to god , is to yeeld all ready and cheerefull obedience to gods vicegerent , and to those reverend fathers which under god , and his sacred . majesty have the oversight of this church , are not hood-winkt in their obedience , or blindly led to yeeld to their commands without respect to religion or conscience , as if they had rather obey them then god ; i have adventured upon that obloquie , which hath beene the lot of such as ( though upon never so good grounds ) dissent from these men in opinion . and this i the rather doe in this subject , for as much as in it i have not onely the authoritie of the sacred scriptures , ( which are the rule of things to be beleeved and done ) but , the consent also of the whole church of christ ; neither the ancient fathers nor the reformed churches ( to omit the church of rome , whose doctrine though in this case not to be condemned , is of little credit with those whom i dissent from ) ever teaching other doctrine then that which i shall endeavour the defence of . for whereas in other things which they dislike among us , they have for patrons the principall authors of the reformation abroad , and the prime doctors among them , whose learning and piety , much admired by them , may seeme to pleade for their over-earnest , and heedlesse embracing of their principles : in these sabbatarian paradoxes , they are singular and left alone , without the patronage of those whom otherwise they so much admire , and without the example of any church in christendome . and i beleeve further ( being ledd thereunto by their doctrine , delivered in their writings extant , and by the generall and constant relation , of all that have knowne their practise and compared it with ours ) that there is not a state in christendome who have made better provision for the due observance of the lords day , and the decent performance of the sacred acts of gods worship , then are to bee found in the ecclesiasticall and temporall lawes of this realme , nor where such lawes are more duely executed by those in authority , or more generally observed or practised by all , then they are at this day among us . these considerations have animated mee to this worke , hoping thereby to settle the mindes of such as are contrary minded rather for want of due consideration , then out of wilsulnesse and contempt of authority . hee that goes about to vindicate the just liberty of christians in the use of lawfull recreations on the sunday , shall finde himselfe upon a double disadvantage . 1. in regard of the preconceived opinion among weake people , of their pietie and religious zeale which hold the contrary . and 2. in that the strict observance of that day , is by some made a prime character of a good christian , to distinguish him from a carnall worldling , and so the question in hand accounted as an infallible marke to know the state of religion ; which stands or falls according , as it is either way determined . it behoves mee therefore to walke with a wary and sure foot , and following the truth to strike an equall course betweene an over nice strictnesse , and a profane licence : and so to speake in this cause , as that the soberly religious shall have no just cause to complaine ; nor the profane be incouraged to go on in licentiousnesse . either of which wayes as it is easie to offend , so in whether of the two a man offends most , is as uneasie to determine ; the one letting loose , the other ensnaring mens consciences ; the one shutting up the kingdome of heaven , and making the way thither more narrow then it is ; the other making it broader , and enlarging the mouth of hell. my aime and endeavour shall bee to avoid both . among those things which have occasioned the generall prevailing of the opinion , that the sunday or lords day ought to bee observed with such strictnesse as will admit no works which may be called ours , that is , ( as they call them ) workes of our particular callings , and much lesse recreations : it is none of the least that now of a long time among us ( contrary to the use of the primitive church , yea and of our owne in the memory of our fathers ) it hath lost its christen name , and entertained the iewish , being vulgarly knowen and called by the name of the sabbath . whence it comes to passe that men ( prone more to respect names then things ) never heeding the difference betweene the old sabbath and our sunday , or thinking it to bee little or none at all , take those places of scripture , which so severely prohibit all work upon the sabbath , as if they did no lesse belong to us now , then heretofore to the iewes : and by this meanes , those precepts , threatnings , and promises which concerned the observation of the sabbath , are pressed upon us point blanck . whereas indeed they concerne us onely indirectly , and cannot without fetching a compasse , be alledged at all for our sunday . now the scripture being so expresse ( as it is apprehended ) for the strict observance of our sunday under the name of the sabbath , no marvell if men have made it a prime case of conscience , and that so many scruples are dayly raised , and so many traditions broached about the beginning and ending of the sabbath ; about the works of a mans particular calling , what they are , and how farre lawfull on that day : what are the proper duties of the day , and the like ? for the cleare resolution therefore of this question ; whether the use of recreations may stand with the due observation of the lords day , it is convenient that i have some recourse to the sabbath . where because i love not cramben saepiùs coctam apponere , or to stuffe my discourse with a tedious explanation of those things which are commonly known ; and every where to be found , i will with as much brevity as the cause will suffer , inquire into these 4. particulars . 1. whether , and how farre forth the fourth commandement concerning the sabbath is moral , and perpetuall , and so belonging to christians . 2. when and by whom the lords day was instituted . 3. what workes the lews might doe on their sabbath . 4. whether , and what liberty christians now have on the sunday more then they had , and how farre that liberty is to be extended ? to begin with the first . the law which god gave unto his people the iewes ( according to the three-fold variety of the object , or things prescribed ) is three-fold , morall , ceremoniall , and iudiciall . the morall is that which concernes the manners of men , and belongs to them as men : and this commands those things which are in themselves acceptable , and well-pleasing to god , and those which hee will have all men every where , and at all times to observe , as the perpetuall , and unchangeable rule of living , being the expresse image of the minde of god , according to which , hee ( who is the law-giver ) judges it meete and right , that the reasonable creatures should order their lives . the ceremoniall belongs to men , as joyned together in that society which is called the church , and this containes those precepts which concerne the externall worship of god , and were given by him to the iewish church , in accommodation to the times , in which the church was under age , and under the promise , and therefore instituted for the signifying , prefiguring , and sealing of the truth of the promises made to them , to be fulfilled in the exhibition of our saviour : and withall for the preservation of order , and decencie in their ecclesiasticall meetings , and performances . the judiciall belongs to men as joyned in a civill society or cōmon-wealth , contayning the forme of civill government , to be used by them , tending to their good , as they were a society , and to the preservation , and exacting of the eutward worship of god , and the discipline thereof , as it was commanded in the morall and ceremoniall lawes . so that the ceremoniall law determined the morall in order to god ; the politicall or judiciall in order to men in a civill society ; and both in accommodation to that state of the church : and these though they have in them something which is juris moralis , and so farre forth are contained under the morall precepts , yet being fitted to serve that state of the church , which was to be held in expectation of the messias ; when the time came that he was actually exhibited , and so the promise fulfilled , the shadowes were then of no longer use , the body being come : and therefore at the time of the death of christ , they were abrogated de jure , so that they became unnecessary , and unprofitable , and had their power of obligation taken away : and afterward when by the apostles doctrine christians came to understand that christ was the end of the law , and when the temple ( the seate of their religion , and the place destined to the use of those ceremonies ) was destroyed , they were de facto actually and fully taken away : and those things , which before the death of christ were commanded , and in that interim , betweene his death and the destruction of the temple ( which was the space allotted for the solemne funeralls of the iewish synagogue ) were tolerable , though already dead , became from that time forward deadly and intolerable . so that , onely the morall law remaines now in force , for the practise of christians ; the ceremoniall and judiciall ( excepting in that wherein they are reducible to this ) are antiquated , and out of date . now the precepts of the morall law are summarily comprehended in the decalogue or ten commandements : which had this prerogative peculiar to them , that they were delivered ( not by moses , but ) by god himselfe , and by him written in tables of stone , and preserved in the arke ; to shew their dignity above others , and to note out the perpetuity of observance , which was due unto them . where , before wee apply these things to our present purpose , two things are to be noted . first , that howsoever all the precepts of the morall law belong to the law of nature ( as being agreeable to reason , which is the rule of humane actions ) and are in that respect of perpetuall observance ; yet all of them are not of the same ranke , nor belong in the same degree and manner to the law of nature . there are some things which by the instinct of nature , and naturall light of the understanding , wee presently see to be good or bad , and which are so plaine , that without any great consideration , they may by the first principles , or common notions implanted in us , be either approved , or rejected , and these are absolutely of the law of nature . others there are that require more consideration of circumstances , and the use of discourse to apprehend , and judge of them : and these are so of the law of nature , that notwithstanding they require the helpe of discipline , by which those which are ignorant , and not able by diligent consideration or discourse , to attaine to the knowledge of them , may be instructed by the wise and learned . and lastly , there are some , to the knowledge whereof humane reason stands in neede of divine instruction . and these two latter sorts , especially the last , though they in some sort belong to the law of nature ( and were haply at our first creation , written in the tables of mans heart , in more plaine characters , and more easie to be read then now since the fall , they are ) may , in respect of the other , be termed morall ( non ratione naturae , sed disciplinae ) not in regard of nature dictating , but in regard of discipline informing nature . secondly , that the fourth commandement ( as it enjoynes the externall observation of the seaventh day ) is not morall either of these wayes . whence s. augustine a saith , that among all those ten commandements , that onely of the sabbath is figuratively to be observed ; whereas ( as hee after saith ) wee observe the other commandements there properly as they are cōmanded without any figurative signification . and generally the ancients ( as calvin hath truly observed ) called this precept b a shadow , which ( as he there saith ) was truly , but not fully said of them . and therefore they do better , and more fully expresse the nature of this cōmandement , which say it is c partly morall , and partly ceremoniall . so peter martyr , and generally all divines both reformed and others , use now to speake . now if any shall therefore thinke it unworthy a place in the decalogue , and to be rankt with those precepts which are morall , and of perpetuall observance ; d aquinas may seeme to give them full satisfaction , who saith , 1. that the precept concerning the sanctification of the sabbath , is put among the precepts of the decalogue for that which is moral in it . 2. that this precept as ceremoniall , ought rather to have a place in the decalogue then any other : the other ceremonies being signes of some particular effects of god ; but this of the sabbath was a signe of a generall benefit , viz. the creation of the vniverse : so that that which amesius will have a most certaine rule , and received among all the best divines ( as he calls them ) that all , and onely the morall precepts were delivered by the voyce of god himselfe , and by him written in the tables of stone , is not true , unlesse saint augustine , calvin , martyr , &c. be in his esteeme none of the best divines . yet perhaps wee may admit that rule so farre as to say , that all the morall precepts are contayned in the decalogue , and that every precept there contayned is morall , though all of every precept be not so , but may have something that is ceremoniall annexed to it : which haply god thought good to place among the morall precepts , to intimate the perpetuall necessity of having some ceremonies in the church ; though that ceremonie be not necessarily perpetuall , but ( with the rest of that nature ) to expire at the death of christ : which though wee admit , yet cannot any justly charge us , that wee diminish any of the tenne words ; or that wee expunge one commandement out of the decalogue ; in as much as wee affirme , that onely which was ceremoniall in this commandement to bee expired and out of date , and that there is in it a morality still remaining , which retaines its full power of obligation , and exacts the same obedience , under the same penalty , which it did at its first promulgation or inscription in the heart of adam . in which respect , the church hath good cause still to use her accustomed antiphona at the repeating of this commandement , as well as at any of the rest , and to pray lord have mercy upon us , and encline our hearts to keepe this law . and here , because some who love to have this commandement termed morall ( though thereby they intend no more then what hath beene already granted ) use so to argue , as if they did not acknowledge it at all to be ceremoniall ; it will not be amisse , before wee proceed any further , to answere some of the principall arguments that are brought to this purpose . and i wil begin with that of our saviour , math. 5. 17. thinke not that i came to destroy the law or the prophets ; i came not to destroy , but to fulfill . which words ( in their opinion ) make strongly for the morality and perpetuall obligation of the fourth commandement : for from hence they argue to this purpose . that which our saviour did not destroy , but fulfill , is still in force ; but hee did not destroy the law contayned in the decalogue : therefore it is still in force . for answere hereunto , i say , that in this argument two things are by them supposed . first , they suppose , that by the law in this place , is meant only the law contained in the decalogue or ten commandements . secondly , that our saviours fulfilling , and not destroying this law , was the ratifying and perpetuating of the observation of it under the gospel . if wee grant them both these , wee shall condemne the christian church for altering the day from the seventh to the eight or first day of the week , which cannot stand with this exposition of our saviours speech , who , in the words following , saith expresly , that not one jot or title shall passe from the law. but both these are beside the meaning and intent of our saviour , as will easily appeare to any that ( with indifferency ) doth consider his words . for , first , the law which our saviour here speakes of , is of larger extent and latitude , and comprehends not onely the decalogue or law morall , but the ceremoniall and judiciall also : as being indeed put for the pentateuch or five bookes of moses : and so , the law and the prophets , as much as , moses and the prophets : which formes of speech , are used as a periphrasis of the old testament , of which these two are the maine essentiall parts : the bookes of moses , so containing and describing the law , that they reserre whatsoever else they containe unto that , receive their denomination from it , as from the principall subject of them . the prophets , that is , their bookes , comprehend all the rest of the old testament , which the hebrewes divide into the former and latter prophets , and the hagiographa : all which ( though they be not prophesies ) being written by divine inspiration , and by holy men as they were moved by the spirit of god , may justly be termed , the word of prophecy , and passe under the name of the prophets . that the law is taken in this sense , is manifest by the use of the same phrase else where : where , not only the duties commanded in the decalogue , but christ and faith in him , is said to be taught and witnessed by the law : to which purpose the apostle s. paul useth the same phrase , acts 28. 23. rom. 3. 21. now , what word in all the decalogue gives witnesse to christ , or perswades the faith , which is required in him ? certainly , ( however some have found not onely the faith in christ , but the sacraments also of the new testament commanded in the decalogue yet , ) there is no one word there which imports any such thing . yea , the very context evinces thus much : for our saviour , having thus prefaced his exposition of the law , keeps not himselfe within the bounds of the moral law ; as appeares verse 18. and therefore interpreters generally upon this place , shew how our saviour did not destroy but fulfill the ceremoniall law also , as well as the morall , which were altogether needlesse , if by the law , that onely were understood . now , the law being ( as it must needs be ) thus largely taken , any man may easily perceive that the not destroying but fulfilling of it , is not the ratifying and the perpetuating of the observation of it under the gospel : for who sees not , that upon this ground they might conclude for circumcision , and the legall passeover and sacrifices , with all their typicall rites and ceremonies , as well as for the sabbath ? the truth is ; our saviour as hee was to fulfill not onely the morall but the ceremoniall and iudiciall law also : so he speakes of all , and did indeed , not destroy but , fulfill them all , though in a different manner . 1. he fulfilled the whole law , by his actuall and personall obedience to it , and by supplying the defects of it , that it , being unable to justifie us in it selfe , might , by the helpe of his grace and accession of faith in him , bee able to performe that which otherwise it could not . 2. he fulfilled the ceremoniall law , and so the iudiciall too , so farr as it was typicall ; besides his subjection to them , by a reall exhibition of that whereof they were shadowes . and though by this meanes , their observation ( according to the letter of the law ) ceased , yet did hee not hereby destroy , but perfect them ; according to that of the apostle , speaking of circumcision , which was a legall ceremony . doe we then ( saith he ) make voide the law through faith ? god forbid : yea , we establish the law. this place then , expounded according to the truest meaning and intent of our saviour , makes nothing for the totall morality of the fourth commandement , nor is in the least , contradictory to what i have delivered concerning it . secondly , they argue from the institution of the sabbath , which was ( say they ) in the beginning of the world , in the time of mans innocencie , when there was no need of ceremony ; and therefore it was morall and perpetuall . to this i answere , 1. that it is not universally true , that whatsoever precept was given to adam in innocency , was therefore morall and perpetuall ; for then the symbolicall precept of not eating of the forbidden fruit , must be such ; which no man , ( i suppose ) will affirme . 2. if it be true ( which willet hath affirmed , and that by ten reasons which he there alledgeth ) that adam fell the same day that he was created , then did he fall before the giving of the precept for the observation of the sabbath , and had it not in the state of innocencie . but the truth is , this is a meere conjecture disputable any way , so as a man may better oppose whatsoever is affirmed , then solidly conclude any thing . 3. if it bee not false that the sabbath was then instituted , yet it hath and may , not without good reason be doubted of . that place which is brought for it , gen. 2. 2. doth not convincingly prove it . and if the reasons , which are alledged for the prolepsis in that place , bee , without prejudice , considered , their opinion who so expound it will not seeme improbable , as 1. that there is no mention any where made of it , to have beene observed by the patriarchs . 2. where it is first spoken of , exod. 16. it is spoken of as a new thing not knowne to have beene observed before . 3. in that it is called a signe betweene god and the israelites , that he was their sanctifier and deliverer out of egypt , which it could not bee if it were given to all nations in adam . but lastly , granting the whole argument . i would faine know how that day , that was then instituted and sanctified , could cease , and another be substituted . how could it bee morall and perpetuall , and yet determine with the iewish church ? the words which are brought as the institution , say ; god rested the seventh ( n. b. ) and for that cause , god blessed the seventh day , and sanctified it , viz. that seventh day on which hee rested . the text doth not say , god rested the seventh day , and therefore he would have one of the seven to be sanctified ; that is but the exposition or glosse , not the text ; the word of man , not of god. but some may haply say , that the particular day was alterable , and upon good ground was altered . this i grant , but say withall , that he which holds the sabbath to be instituted before the fall , and for that cause morall and perpetuall , cannot so say , but either hee must wave his owne principles , or cry up the jewish sabbath postliminiò . secondly , they argue from that of our saviour ( matth. 24. 20. ) who foreshewing the destruction of jerusalem to his disciples , adviseth them to pray , that their slight bee not in the winter , neither on the sabbath day . if ( say they ) this precept had beene ceremoniall , then had it beene all one to fly on the sabbath day , as on any other day : because all ceremonies were before that time ( which was not till forty yeares after christs ascension ) to bee abrogated . but in that christ doth allow this feare of flying on the sabbath day more then on any other day of the weeke , hee shewes plainely that the force of the sabbath was not abrogated by his resurrection , and therefore no ceremony . thus they argue . to which it were answere sufficient to shew that hereby they still rush upon the same rocke , and while they labour to establish a needlesse morality of the lords day , they unawares bring in iudaisme . for the sabbath day there , cannot with any shew of reason bee taken ( though now a dayes it is too common so to take it ) for the lords day : and if our saviour did intend by bidding his disciples pray that their flight might not happen on the sabbath day , to intimate the necessity of the observation of that day by christians : then did s. paul crosse our saviours intent in numbring that among the shadowes which vanished at christs death ; and then hath also the church of christ ever since erred in so accounting it , and condemning the observation of it , with an anathema to those that in this point shall be found to iudaize . s. chrysostome is so farre from thinking that the sabbath which our sauiour there speaks of , did belong to christians , that upon that ground hee expounds that speech of our saviour as spoken not to his apostles but to the iewes . thou seest ( saith he ) that he speakes to the iewes — for the apostles were not to keepe the sabbath , &c. but grant that it were spoken to the disciples ; yet can no such thing bee thence collected as they would have . for our saviour had good ground so to advise his disciples , notwithstanding god at that time required no keeping of the sabbath . for though the ceremonies of the law ( and this among the rest ) were dead with christ , yet were they not buried ( as i have shewed ) nor the practise of them deadly till the temple was destroyed : till which time , even the apostles themselves were zealous of the law , and retentive of their old ceremonies : to which weaknesse of theirs , our saviour there accommodates his speech , willing rather that their owne experience in the destruction of the temple should teach them that harsh lesson of the abolishing of the legall ceremonies , then by a praemature urging it , to startle such as were yet weake in faith , or hinder others of that nation from beleeving in him. besides ; be it that christians did hold themselves freed from the observance of the sabbath , yet being among those who still made conscience of it , even to superstition , ( as did the unconverted jewes ) it could not but prove very incommodious to their speedy and farre flight ( which the greatnesse and suddennesse of the danger required ) in as much as thereby they should expose themselves to the fury of those who were no lesse zealous in compelling others , then superstitious in observing it themselves . in these respects our saviour might well admonish his disciples to pray that their flight might not bee on the sabbath day , and yet not teach them to observe the sabbath after his death , or that while the observation of it lasted , they should thinke themselves so tied in conscience of it , that they might not on that day flie farre to save their lives : and much lesse to establish the morality of the lords day , which neither he , nor his apostles , nor the following ages of the church , ( till within these few yeares ) ever designed by the name of the sabbath , without some difference added to distinguish it from that of the jewes . for though we finde it sometimes called our sabbath , or the sabbath of christians , in regard that in the maine end of it , it succeeded that , yet generally the sabbath simply put , and without addition , notes the iewish sabbath , or the day on which it was celebrated , which is our saturday ; and the day before that which we keepe , which is therefore called by the evangelists and s. paul , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , one , or the first day from the sabbath , and by s. iohn in the revelation , the lords day : by which name , or that which the same day had among the gentiles , ( viz. the sunday ) it hath ever since been knowne in the christian world . but i will leave these , and now returne thither whence ( for the answering of these objections ) i have digressed . and having seene the nature and severall degrees of morall precepts ; and in generall , that the fourth commandement hath in it somewhat not moral , that i may apply these things to our present purpose , and manifest the truth thereof : i will more particularly inquire into the nature of that commandement , and in it distinctly consider these 4. things . first , a day , or time set apart for gods service . secondly , the seventh day , or one in the revolution of seven . thirdly , the particular seventh there mentioned , namely the seventh from the creation . fourthly , the strict surcease or rest from ordinary labours on that day . for the first of these . it cannot be denied , but that the very law of nature it selfe ( to use the words of a worthy of our church ) requireth no lesse the sanctification of times , then of places , persons , and things . for which cause it hath pleased god heretofore as of the rest , so of times likewise , to exact some parts by way of perpetuall homage . and that ( as aquinas ) it is morall , that man should depute some time of his life for the service of god. for there is in man a kind of naturall inclination , that to every thing necessary there bee a time assigned : as to our bodily refection , sleepe and the like : whence also to the spiritnall refection of the soule , whereby the soule is refreshed in god , by the dictate of naturall reason , a man deputes some time . and so to have some times for holy offices comes under the morall law , and is absolutely of the law of nature written in the heart of every man , being involved in that principle which even depraved nature hath ever acknowledged ; viz. that god is to be worshipped . and therefore amesius hath well observed that thus farre the time of gods worship falls under that precept which exacts the worship it selfe : and as god when he created the world , is said to have concreated time with it : so when he ordained religious actions , he appointed also to the same , a time for them , as a necessary circumstance , without which they could not be performed . and as the time in which such actions are done , so that some day , or dayes should be destinated and set apart for the more solemne performance of those actions , may seeme to be a dictate of the same law of nature : in as much as the heathens who had no other guide but the law of nature , had their solemne feasts and set dayes in all ages consecrated to the worship of their gods ; whereby they manifested ( though not the knowledge of the true god , yet ) their acknowledgement of that principle , that god is to be worshipped , and the conveniencie of assigning some dayes peculiarly to that end . for the second : that one day in the revolution of seaven should be thus set a part : this cannot be said to be absolutely of the law of nature : nature being ignorant of this , without the instruction of the written law , in which god hath revealed his pleasure , concerning the quota pars , or how much of our time hee requires to be consecrated to him : and this will easily appeare to any that doth without prejudice consider it . for it is an easie thing to give an estimate of what principles are naturall and written in the hearts of all men ; and what are gotten by instruction , discipline , and information : now men may by the light of nature from the creature , climbe up to the knowledge of the creator , and from the nature of god conclude his worship , and from the nature of his worship , conclude a time ( as to all other things ) to be due to it . but to goe further , and to determine what part of our time , wee cannot . for it will not follow that because some time is due , therefore the seaventh day , more then the eighth of every moneth , which was observed by the graecians in honour of neptune , or any other day , above , or under that number . and for this cause it is ( saith saint chrysostome ) that in the giving of this commandement concerning the sabbath ( which hee calls a precept not made knowne to us by our conscience ) god added a reason , as because ged rested the seventh day from all his worke ; and againe ; because thou wast a servant in egypt , &c. whereas in those precepts that are purely morall , as when he saith , thou shalt doe no murther , hee onely gives the precept , without giving any reason at all . why so ? ( saith that father , ) because our conscience had taught us this before ; so that god speakes , as to those that knew and understood reason sufficient for the prohibition . neither doth eusebius ( though alledged by some to that purpose ) any way contradict this , when he saith , that not onely the hebrewes , but all almost , both philosophers and poets acknowledged the seaventh day to be sacred : for here it is not questioned , whether the gentiles which wanted the law of god to informe them , did hold the seaventh day as hallowed , but whether they were induced by the instinct of nature so to account it ; or that so accounting it , they held themselves bound to consecrate that , more then any other to the worship of god : the gentiles ( as eusebius at large declares ) came to the knowledge of it from the iewes , and did in that , as in other things , become their imitators , and receive it into their manners . or upon some other ground or superstition they might account the number of seaven to be sacred ; as because by that number the planets ( which they honoured as their chiefest deities ) were terminated : for which cause ( we know ) by their names they intituled their dayes . but what ever were the motive , as it is without all question , that the gentiles , as well as the iewes , held the number of seaven in great veneration , accounting it the number of perfection , and full of mysteries ; so it is as unquestionable , that by the light of nature they knew not that that part of our time was to be separated to gods service . and therefore zanchius speakes more inconsiderately then beseemes his learning , when hee saith , that nature teacheth all men to consecrate one day of seaven to the externall worship of god : which , others ( and among them amesius ) better considering acknowledge to be onely of positive right , and morall , not in regard of nature , but of discipline , as comming under that ranke of morall precepts , which neede instruction to helpe naturall reason to know , and judge of them . now , albeit calvine ( who in this as in other things , wants not his followers ) thinks the seaventh day , not to be so stood on , as that he would tye the christian world precisely to that : yet there are many grave and judicious divines , both ancient and moderne , that judge the institution of one day in seaven to be so farre morall , as that it doth binde the church perpetually and immutably . thus among the ancients saint chrysostome upon those words , and god blessed the seaventh day and hallowed it , genes . 2. 3. here , saith hee , from the beginning god intimates to us this doctrine , instructing us to separate and lay aside one day in the compasse of every weeke for spirituall exercises . and among our moderne writers that admired hooker , saith . that wee are bound to account the sanctificatiō of one day in seven , a duty which gods immutable law doth exact for ever . thus hee , with many others , whose judgements i honour , yet dare not herein wholly subscribe to them neither : for the law exacting the observation of one day in seaven , being onely positive ( as must needs be granted ) cannot containe in it selfe any perpetuall obligation . for all lawes of that nature ( though made by god himselfe ) admit mutation ( at least ) when the matter concerning which , or the condition of the persons , to whom they were given , is changed : now the day , concerning which this precept was given , together with the state of the church , to which it was given , being changed , i see no reason , why the proportion of one in seaven , should be simply and in it selfe immutable ; yet thus much , i willingly grant them , that ( some time to be set apart for gods worship , being absolutely of the law of nature ) that proportion of time , which god himselfe made choyce of for his owne people , is the fittest that can be imagined : and nature informed by god , cannot but acknowledge his wisedome and goodnesse in this choyce , in that hee hath so attempered it , that neither the long space betweene can make us forget our duty to him , nor the quicke returne of it hinder our providing for the necessities of nature . and hereupon the church of christ , hath taken it as an obligation belonging to them , and that ( as it is in our church homily ) gods will and commandement was to have a solemne time , and standing day in the weeke , wherein the people should come together , and have in remembrance his wonderfull benefits , and render him thanks for them as appertaineth to loving , kinde , and obedient people . thus farre then , this commandement extends to us christians , as well as to the jewes , in as much as to consecrate some part of our time to god , is morall , and a seaventh part , though not morall , yet fitly chosen , and appointed by god , and observed by the church of christ ( not as simply immutable , yet ) as most worthy to be retayned . for the third particular . the particular seventh day there mentioned , that is , the seaventh day from the creation ; this cannot be said to be morall any way , but is ceremoniall and temporary , and expired with the dissolution of the iewish church . and this is generally confessed by all , whom the heresie of iudaisme hath not infected : and the mutation of the day approved by the practise of the christian world ever since the apostles times , is a sufficient disclaime to the morality of it . for one of these three must needs hence be inferred . eyther that that which is morall may bee changed ; or that the church of christ hath now for this sixteen hundred years erred in the change of it ; orlastly , that the particular day prescribed to the jews was ceremoniall , and not perpetuall . the first , no man will say that vnderstands the nature of morall precepts , and their dependance upon the law of nature , which is one and the same with all men every where , and in all ages , and in that regard immutable . and he deserves not the name of a christian that dares affirme the second . it remaines therefore that we pitch upon the third , & confesse that herein that commandement was ceremoniall & not perpetuall . but besides the practice of the church we have the warrant of the apostle s. paul. who ranks the sabbath among the shadows of things to come whereof the body is christ . now the body had ( they are the words of the late learned bishop of winchester ) the shadowes vanish : that which was to come , when it is come to what end any figure of it ? it ceaseth too . so that to hold the shadow of the sabbath is to continue , is to hold that christ the body is not yet come . neyther can the force of this place be avoyded by saying that the iewes had other sabbaths that were there meant , as the sabbaths of weekes , and the first and last dayes of their great feasts which were called sabbaths . for the apostle speakes indefinitely of the sabbath dayes , & hath not there left any ground to rayse any distinction upon , or to shew that he aymed onely at them more then this . that he speakes there in the plurall number will not helpe this shift , but rather crosse it : it helpes it not , because we know it is usuall in the new testament to use that number when the sabbath in question is spoken of : it crosseth it rather in that being in the plurall number it may rather seeme to comprehend all their sabbaths whatsoever they were : and so to be far from excluding this . the place then is cleare , and alone sufficient to prove the point in hand : to which i will onely adde ; that the reason drawn from the example of god , who rested upon the sabbath day , namely , when the creation was finished , endured onely till the time of the new creation in which al things were made new by christ ; at which time it ceased , or at least , a second reason taken from that new creation comming in place , the former both reason & day ( become now old ) are passed away , and behold all things are become new . for this worke of redemption or new creation being the greater may deservedly take place of the other . and as the prophet ieremy speaking of the deliverance that god would vouchsafe his people from the babilonish captivity , saith : behold the dayes shall come ( saith the lord ) that it shall no more be said ; the lord liveth that brought up the children of israel out of egypt : but the lord liveth which brought up the children of israel from the land of the north , &c. so may wee say of the day appointed for his worship ; that the day wherein he finished the worke of creation shall no more be observed , but the day wherein our lord iesus christ by his resurrection from the dead finished the worke of our redemption , and begun a new life to be finished in all his members , who ( as s. peter tels us ) are by his resurrection begotten vnto a lively hope of an eternall inheritance . the fourth and last thing in this commandement and that which denominated the day is the resting from ordinary labours . and this in regard of the divers ends it had admits a diverse consideration . 1. this rest may be considered as a means without which the dutyes of gods worship cannot be performed . for seeing the generall & publique dutyes of piety and devotion , and our owne private businesses cannot both bee followed at once , there must be such a cessation from ordinary labours on that day , wherein men are to performe those dutyes , as that thereby they be not hindered in the performance thereof : in which regardthose workes that in themselves , and at other times are not prohibited , are on that day vnlawfull , so farre as they hinder a man from applying himself to divine dutyes : and therein are contrary to the observance of that precept , which requires the performance of them . and therefore when god commands a day to be dedicated to him , he doth likewise in the same command such a rest as a meanes necessary to that end . so that , thus farre it is connected with , & participates of the morality of that precept that enjoynes the dutyes for which it was appointed ; & in this consideration we are no lesse bound at this day , to rest from our labours on the dayes devoted to gods solemne worship , then were the iewes , and ( as uenerable hooker sayth ) the voluntary scandalous contempt of that rest from labour wherewith god is publikely served , we cannot too severely correct and bridle . another end of this rest is mentioned . deut. 5. 14. viz : that there might be a time of rest allowed to servants and labourers for their refreshment . and this no lesse concernes us , then it did them ; for necessity of nature requires some time of remission from labour : and religion teacheth us , to be mercifull even to our beasts , and much more to our servants who are our brethren . but this is not so connected with the observance of the day of gods publique worship , but that it may at other times be supplyed , yet is then so far requisite , as it makes for the solemne performances of the duties of the day , that all , as well servants , as others , may joyne together in the service of god : which while they doe , they at once enjoy the refreshment of their bodyes , and freedome to refresh their soules , with holy and religious exercises . but this rest , as it was prescribed to the iews , had yet a further end , in regard of which , it was exacted so strictly , and beyond that which eyther the solemne service of god , or the necessary refreshment of labouring persons did require . and that was figurative for the signifying of things past , present , and future . 1. things past ; and so it was a memoriall of gods resting from his worke of creation : and as the day which they observed , so the strict rest upon that day served as a sign of the cōmon benefit of creation which they thereby acknowledged to bee gods work , when they celebrated that day wherein god rested from creating , & sanctified it by an holy and totall surcease from their owne workes . and this end is assigned by god himselfe , and annexed to the commandement as a principal reason of the institution of it . secondly ; it was a memoriall likewise of their deliverance out of egypt , so expressely said to bee deut. 5. 15. where , in the repetition of the law , this reason , is added instead of the former , & god is therefore sayd to command them to keepe the sabbath , that they might remember their servitude in egypt , and their deliverance from thence . againe ; the sabbath was a signe also of their present condition , and a note to distinguish them from all other people , they being then the onely peculiar people of god , whom hee had separated , and sanctified to himselfe : for a signe of which peculiar sanctification they were commanded to observe the sabbath , as we read exod. 31. 13. & ezech. 20. 12. 3. lastly ; the rest of the sabbath was a type whereby was prefigured that rest which remained for the people of god , to be purchased for them by christ . into which rest they which believe do enter , and shall have the full possession thereof in the kingdome of glory , when , after all their works finished , they shall rest from their labours . and this rest the apostle designing by the name of a sabbatisme , intimates the prefiguring of it by that sabbath which the people of god under the law were to observe . so that , as the place of this celestiall , and eternall rest , was shadowed out by the promised land , so the rest it selfe for the nature , & condition of it was no lesse presignified by their usuall sabbaths . now in relation to these good things which were thus vailed under the outward observation of this rest , it was very requisite that the rest whereby they were represented , should be , as strict as might be ; for the more exact the figure is , the better it signifies ; and the more strictly the rest was observed , the more lively was the representation of those things , which it aymed at . to this if we add the condition of those , to whom it was enjoyned , we shall have the compleate reason , why it was with that strictnesse commanded and exacted , & the violation of it with such severity punished . for first , the iewes though the people of god , & heire & lord of all , yet being , as the apostle saith , a child , differed not from a servant , and as servants were to be held in bondage under the strict yoke of outward observances , & of this among the rest , till the fulnesse of time came , when god sent forth his sonne made of a woman , made under the law , to redeem them that were vnder the law , that wee might receive the adoption of sonnes . secondly , the iews by reason of their long abode in a place of continuall servile toyle , could not suddainely be weaned and drawne unto contrary offices , without some impression of terror ; whence the severity with which this duty , was enjoyned , and the violation thereof punished , was to them most necessary . and besides , we know , that there is nothing more needfull , then to punish with extremity the first transgressors of those lawes that require a more exact observation for many ages to come . these considerations then being peculiar unto them , that strict rest which was thereupon exacted , being but accidentally annexed to the principall sanctification of the sabbath , cannot belong unto us by vertue of that command by which it was enjoyned them . and this is confessed even by those that stand most for the observation of the sabbath : who grant that the strictnesse of the rest on the sabbath was ceremoniall , and did belong to the iewes onely and is abrogated by the death of christ . so elton . and amesius . it may be granted , that there was somewhat a more strict observation of the sabbath commanded in those times , as fitted to the pedagogy and time of servitade , which obteynes not in all ages . so he , and generally the most of those which propugne the doctrine of the sabbath . to give a briefe and full resolution to the first question propounded . viz. whether , and how farre forth the fourth commandement concerning the sabbath is morall , and perpetuall , and so belonging to us christians to the former part , i say the fourth commandement is partly morall , and partly ceremoniall . to the latter i say . first , it is morall , and perpetuall that some time be dedicated to the solemne , publique worship and service of god. secondly , that one day in the revolution of seaven , be consecrated to this end , is not morall ; yet very convenient and fitly observed , and retayned by the church of christ . thirdly ; that the particular seaventh day , which the iewes observed , is neither morall , nor sit to bee observed , being altogether abrogated and out of date , ever since the death of christ . lastly ; the resting from ordinary labours , as it is connected with the dutyes of gods worship , and a means without which , they cannot be performed , is no lesse necessary on the dayes consecrated to that end now , then heretofore ; but as it concerned the iewish sabbath , it is together with the sabbath abrogated . so that christians are not bound either to rest on that day , which the iewes did , or to rest on their owne sabbaths or dayes consecrated to gods service , with the same strictnesse , which was enjoyned the iewes on theirs . thus much shall serve to have spoken of the first generall question . having explained the nature of the fourth commandement touching the iewish sabbath : i come now to speake of the lords day ; in which , that which was morall in that commandement , is and ever hath beene observed by christians . the institution of which , when and by whom it was , being the second generall part of our inquirie . and here all divines are not of one opinion . some ground this no lesse then the iewish sabbath upon the fourth commandement , which ( say they ) includes both the sabbath of the iewes , and of the christians : because the lord doth not say , remember that thou keepe holy the seventh day , but remember that thou keepe holy the sabbath day ; that is , the day of rest : which , before the comming of christ , was the seventh from the creation ; but afterward , the first day of the weeke , or lords day . but these men while they over greedily seeke after a divine foundation for the lords day , doe not consider that they stretch the precept beyond the intent of the lawgiver . for though it bee granted that the lord doth not say , remember to keepe holy the seventh day , but the day of ceasing indeterminately , yet seeing in the following explication , which god added , it is determined unto that particular seventh , which was the seventh from the creation , to which it expresly is referred , as to the speciall reason of the institution : the sabbath there cannot without forcing , and manifest absurdity , bee said to bee as the genus to the iewish , and christian sabbath , and to include both . for is it not manifestly absurd , and unbeseeming a rationall man , and much more the wisdome of the supreame law-giver , to say ; god in sixe dayes made heaven and earth , and rested the seventh , and for that cause sanctified the seventh day ; ergo , hee will have men in imitation of him to rest sometime ( viz. before the comming of christ ) on that day whereon hee rested , and sometime ( viz. after christs comming ) to rest on the day in which hee began to worke . neither can this absurdity bee salved ( as some have endeavoured to doe ) by saying , there is alwayes more meant in the precepts and prohibitions , then in words are expressed : for those things which are so meant without particular expression , must either be necessarily connected with , or some way subordinat to that which is expressed , that so it may be included in it . sure i am , it ought no way to be excluded , as ( we see ) this is by gods owne exposition of himselfe , and the reason which hee alledgeth , which can no way agree both to the jewish sabbath , and the lords day . again , others urge the institution of the lords day , as founded upon gods sanctification of the seventh day at the creation , which being before all ceremonies , must ( say they ) needes binde christians , as well as the jewes . but this labours of the same weaknesse , and absurdity , which the other did . for what day did god sanctifie there ? surely not the first day of the weeke , but the seventh from the creation , which they must with the jewes cry up againe , if they will have their argument hold good . but besides this , the weaknesse of this foundation appeares in that ( as hath beene shewed ) they cannot prove that god instituted the sabbath , and commanded it to bee observed from that time forward ; but onely that moses there , relating the story of the creation , intimates the reason of gods after commanding his people to rest upon that day . and lastly , granting that to be the institution ( which cannot be proved ) and that not the seaventh day from the creation ( as the words expresly say ) but a seaventh , or one in seaven , were thereby intended to be perpetuall , & to belong to us christians : if all this be granted , here will yet be but a partiall foundatiō , and no compleat institution of that particular day which we observe : for , all this notwithstanding , why might not the second , third , fourth , or any other have beene observed , and yet that institution of one in seaven no way violated ? others therefore ( no doubt espying the weaknesse of it ) forsake this hold , and seeke for authority to prove it , to be of divine institution , out of the new testament . and among these amesius will have it to bee done by christ himselfe : laying this for a ground worke , that he alone could change the day of the sabbath , that was lord of it , that is , christ . so that according to him , christ was the author of this change , and that either mediately by his apostles , whom he assisted by his spirit in the institution of it , no lesse then he did in the doctrine which they taught : or else , ( as hee holds to bee most probable ) immediately , and in his owne person ; and the probability of this he labours to prove by divers arguments ; wherein hee doth ( as one hath well observed in the like case ) as if one should demand a legacy , by force and vertue of some written testament wherein there being no such thing specified , he pleades , that there it must needs be , and bringeth arguments from the love and good will , which alwayes the testator bore him ; imagining that these or the like proofes will evince a testament , to have that in it which other men by reading , can no where finde . certainely it is a bold and a strange course , for men to adventure to argue , that god must needs have done the thing , which they imagine was to bee done : whereas in matters that concerne the actions of god , the most dutifull , and safe way on our part , is to search what god hath done , and with meekeresse to admire that , rather , then to dispute what he , in congruity of reason , ought to doe . hee might therefore have spared all the reasons he brings , and in stead thereof , to have alledged one place out of the new testament , which doth command the change of the day , especially seeing he denies it , ( and that for many reasons by him there urged ) to bee an unwritten tradition : which seeing hee doth not , nor indeede can doe , what doth he else by all his arguments , but endeavour to lay an aspersion of imperfection upon the scriptures , and of neglect in christ himselfe of that office , which as the great prophet of his church belonged to him ? as if unlesse hee had beene as carefull to appoint the observation of this day , as moses was to appoint the old sabbath , hee could not ( absit verbo blasphemia ) be as faithfull in the house of god , as moses was . but farre be such blasphemous thoughts from us , farre be it from us to measure the faithfulnesse of our blessed saviour by our phansies : or to judge him unfaithfull , because he did omit that which our shallow conceits judge necessary and fit for him to doe . wee know that the high priest of our profession , christ iesus , was faithfull to him that appointed him , as also moses was faithfull in all his house . and this faithfulnesse of his was by him sufficiently demonstrated , in that hee fully declared the will of his father to the world , in all things to be beleeved and done , and shewed how , and what worship christians must give unto god , though the circumstances of that worship as time and place ( in as much as concerned the particular designing of either ) hee left to be determined by the church , whom he promised to be with to the end of the world . and as he cannot be said to be lesse faithfull in the house of god , then moses or salomon ( who provided the one a tabernacle , the other a temple ) because he did not appoint set places for gods worship ; so neither can hee be justly taxed for not appointing the set times for the same ; these two circumstances of time and place , being of equall necessity and use , and joyned together by god himselfe , lev. 19. 30. yee shall keepe my sabbaths , and reverence my sanctuarie . i am the lord. neither is the difference of places more taken away now under the gospel , then of times . but as the true worshippers of god are not tyed to worship either in ierusalem , or any other peculiar place , but may worship him in spirit and truth in all places , lifting up pure hands : so neither are they tyed to any speciall time or day , but may pray continually , and at all times . and therefore they who are so indifferent for the place , that they can be content to account a wood , a parlor , or a barne , place good enough for christians to meete in for the performance of gods publick worship , have no reason to complaine for want of a set day , or time , for the same purpose . the truth is , that that peculiar blessing which god once bestowed upon the sabbath of the temple , & thereby differenced them from all others , is enlarged to all times & places ; and any day and place may , by the church , be dedicated and set apart for gods worship ; and being so dedicated , & set apart , they inherit that holinesse which was once peculiar unto the , in relation to the duties then & there performed to god , who in regard of the abundance of grace vouchsafed now in the time of the gospell , may be said to be more present at such times , and in such places , then heretofore in those of his own assigning . but it was not necessary that christ himself , or his apostles from him , should by expresse precept particularly designe , either of these : if any think such precept to be necessary , let them shew the place of scripture , where such precept is to be found , or else confesse the scripture to be deficient in things necessary , and so forsake their colours of reformation , and passe over into the campe of the romanists . if they be ashamed of this , let them learne and confesse : that , however it be necessary that some time be dedicated to gods service , yet the determination to this or that particular day , is not necessary to be defined by scripture : which they may perhaps the more easily be brought to see , if they consider , that in this it is no otherwise , then it is with other things of equall necessity with this in the generall ( as the sacraments , fasting , and prayer it selfe ) which yet for the particular , when , and how often they are to be used , is not any where in scripture defined , nor necessary so to be . but some who will have the lords day so called , because christ himselfe instituted it , say , that , the apostles , by the authority of that spirit , that alway assisted them in their ministeriall office , did alter the day , and themselves kept , and ordained it to be kept in all churches , as may appeare 1. cor. 16. 1. where he saith , every first day of the weeke , when yee meete together , &c. but certainly , it is most evident , even to a vulgar consideration , that no such thing doth appeare out of that place . for , what doth saint paul say there ? that hee would have christians meete every first day of the weeke , to serve god ? no surely , there is not a word of meeting in the text , but what is foysted in , to deceive the credulous reader . that which s. paul saith , is , that on that day hee would have every one lay by him in store , as god hath prospered him . this implies neither the meeting together of the church on that day , nor the performance of any religious duty ; but onely a repositing or laying up , and that not in a common banke , but every man ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) by himselfe . * againe , grant that s. paul ( as he did not ) had enjoyned christians to meete on that day : and at their meeting to make a collection for the poore ; yet could not this serve for a sufficient institution of that day to succeede the jewes sabbath : unlesse such collections did involve in them all the service of god , on that day to be done , or were so connected with them , that they could not bee separated : which no man , i suppose , will affirme . to leave these therefore , who out of an over-weening conceit of the day , are willing to catch at any shadow that may seeme to countenance it , and gaine to it the reputation of divine institution ; let us pitch upon that which is certaine , which though it rise not so high , as an immediately-divine authority , yet is sufficient to ground our practise upon , and to exact the due observation of the day . first , then it is most certaine , that our blessed saviour did honour this day with his most glorious a resurrection , and by his often b apparitions upon it to his disciples : and thereby ( as it were ) pointed out this day to his disciples , as worthy to be made choice of to be celebrated in honour of him : who on that day began his glorious exaltation , after his triumph over principalities and powers , upon his crosse whom he there spoyled , having nayled to it , and thereby cancelled , the hand-writing of ordinances that was against us ; that is , the obligation to observe the jewish rites and ceremonies , and among these their sabbath : which from that time forward , the apostle would have no man to judge christians in : who as they were freed from it by the death of christ , so by his resurrection they had ground sufficient ministred to direct them to the observation of a new festivall . whence s. augustine saith , the lords day was declared — to christians by the resurrection of our lord , and from that time began to be celebrated . so that for ought that appeares , our saviour did not command the first day of the weeke to be observed . hee did ( to use the words of the same father ) vouchsafe to demonstrate , and consecrate it ; or ( as he else-where speakes ) the raising againe of our lord , promised us an everlasting day , and consecrated for us the lords day . secondly , it is no lesse certaine that the apostles ( upon this ground no doubt ) did observe this day , and had thereon their holy assemblies , as acts 20. 7. and that for the same cause the apostle designed it for the storing up of their almes , that the memory of the benefits which on that day they obtained , might make them more readily contribute to the necessities of their brethren , as s. chrysostome hath observed upon 1. cor. 16. 1. and lastly , that in the time of the apostles it obtained the name of the lords day , as appeares revel 1. 10. thirdly , that the ages of the church immediately after the apostles ( whether by constitution , or onely in imitation of them , is not knowne , nor much materiall ) did observe this day , as the christians festivall ; stiling it the lords day , and conveighed the same practise by continuall succession even to this day : as the late learned bishop of winchester shewes , avowing it on his credit , that there is not an ecclesiasticall writer in whom it is not to be found . wee finde thus much then without contradiction . that it hath been the practise of the christian church , to observe the sunday or lords day , and that ever since , yea in the very apostles times : a practise warranted by the example of the apostles , and the honour vouchsafed to that day by our blessed saviour himselfe . whence we may conclude with a late learned divine , that the christian church did not erre , when in stead of the sabbath it appointed the lords day to bee observed ; of which , there is mention made in the scripture , though there be no precept for the observation of it . in which words of his , i will observe three things . first , that he saith , [ the church ] not the apostles , or apostolicall men : ( for though that be most probable , and hath for it the authority of s. augustine , and for that it hath beene ever observed by the church , it may justly be ascribed to them , yet ) because if they did it , they did it not as therein reporting the immediate a precept of christ , nor by any power that was properly apostolicall , but by vertue of their pastorall power and office , which was common to them with their successours , it may be termed an ordinance of the church , and it little concernes us to know whether it were delivered by the apostles themselves , or their next after-commers . secondly . the b church appointed this day , but whether at the first by expresse constitution it were commanded , or by custome onely observed , it appeares not . aquinas attributes it to both : and how ever , thus much is out of question , that this custome or constitution was afterward by many c canons of the church , and constitutions of christian d emperours ratified and approved , and many things ordained tending to the right & due observance of it . thirdly , that the christian church did not herein erre , as having sufficient to warrant it out of scripture , though there be no precept for it . yea , and if the scripture did yeeld no example of this practise , or other ground for it in particular , yet had not the church erred in ordaining it . for things pertaining to order & decencie in the church ( such as is among others , the particular determination of the set times of gods worship ) being undetermined in the word of god , are in the power of the church to be ordered ; so as they be done according to the generall lawes of nature , and without contradiction to any positive law in scripture . neither is it derogatorie to the word of god , or any whit detracting from the perfection of it , to affirme that ( though it sufficiently and abundantly containe in it all things necessary to salvation , yet ) it hath left a number of other things , free to be ordered at the discretion of the church . and as to take from the scripture , the sufficient determination of things necessary to salvation , were an injurie , and an impairing of that honour which god challengeth to his word ; and the church of god hath ever deservedly yeelded to it ; so it were no lesse injurie to the church of christ , to abridge it of the power of determining of this and such like things , which being not of absolute necessity , are yet convenient and profitable . for this prerogative & power , the church of god hath ever obtained and enjoyed , ( even when it was most obliged to hold to the letter of the law , prescribing the ceremonies belonging to the service of god ) that it might without imputation of adding to , or altering the law of god , from time to time appoint sundry rites and observances , not any where prescribed in the law. such were the appointment of the houres , for the dayly sacrifices ; the building of synagogues throughout the land , to heare the word of god , and to pray in , when they came not up to ierusaleme the feast of the dedication which was solemnised even by our saviour , and yet never spoken of in the law : and many more which the church , without any particular command , onely following the light of reason , in her discretion judged meete . and certainly , the church of christ hath not now lesse power , or priviledge then the jewish church then had , to which it is no way inferiour , but farre superiour in regard of the measure of grace , and the presence of the spirit of christ , by which it is assisted , as in other things , so in ordaining lawes for the edification of the church . now least any should thinke it a matter of indifferencie to obey , or disobey the orders of the church , which are thus constituted without the expresse command of god in scripture , and that the transgressions of such constitutions are no sinnes ; i will close this point with that which worthy hooker ( from whom i have borrowed the greatest part of this last discourse ) hath judiciously and fully delivered to this purpose . vnto lawes thus made ( saith he ) and received by a whole church , they which live within the bosome of that church , must not thinke it a matter indifferent either to yeeld , or not to yeeld obedience . is it a small offence to despise the church of god ? my sonne keepe thy fathers commandement , ( saith salomon ) and forget not thy mothers instruction , binde them both alwayes about thine heart ! it doth not stand with the duty which wee owe to our heavenly father , that to the ordinance of our mother the church , we should shew ourselves disobedient . let us not say we keepe the commandements of the one , when wee breake the law of the other : for unlesse we observe both , wee obey neither — yea that which is more , the lawes thus made god himselfe doth in such sort authorize , that to despise them , is to despise in them him. thus hee with much more to the same purpose . which i therefore thought good to adde , that no man might think that while i ascribe it to its true originall , i goe about to impaire the authority of it , or to withdraw any thing from the due observance of it . and thus i have done with this second question , viz. when and by whom the sunday or lords day was instituted . these things thus discussed and cleared , it may now seeme superfluous to enquire into the liberty that wee christians have , how farre it may justly be extended in regard of ordinary labours upon the sunday . for if it be granted that the strict rest on the sabbath was ceremoniall , and abrogated with the day ; and that the day which we keepe is not by vertue of the fourth commandement , but by the custome or constitution of the church : it wil not be hard for any to conclude , that christians are not bound to rest on that day from all works , further then the duties of the day , and they who enjoyned it require . yet for more full satisfaction , i will adde some-what more particularly , concerning those two questions that remaine : to enquire then first , what works the lewes might doe or their sabbath . this wil easily be dispatcht , in as much as herein the scripture is very plaine , and little or no difference of opinion among divines : yet will it not be altogether needlesse , in regard that the liberty we now have under the gospell , when it is compared with theirs under the law , will the better appeare . now these workes are fitly reduced under three heads . the first of which are workes of necessity , such as could not well be deferred or prevented . of which sort are reckoned divers , which how ever pharisaicall superstition had prevailed with the people to scruple at , yet were never , in the intention of the law-giver , prohibited them , as may appeare by the doctrine & practise of our saviour ; who was both wayes the best expositor of the law , and who both wayes came , not to destroy , but to fulfill it . and among those thus allowed by our saviour we finde , the providing of foode in the case of hunger ; the watering ( and by the like reason the foddering ) of cattell , the saving them from imminent danger . whence by analogie and congruity of reason , wee may conclude the lawfulnesse of many more things of the like nature : as that of mattathias and his company , resolving to fight upon the sabbath to save their lives . so the quenching of an house on fire , the saving of corne , and other necessary substance from perishing , and the like . to which wee may adde workes communis honestatis , as the decent attiring of our selves , and all other workes which necessity of nature hath imposed upon men , and thereby allowed as fit to be done . the second sort of workes permitted them ; were workes of mercie and charity : as to visite the sicke , heale the diseased , and the like : which wee finde approved by our saviours often practise ; and together with those before-mentioned , justified by that axiome of his : the sabbath was made for man , and not man for the sabbath : that is , ( according to erasmus's glosse ) it is fit that the observation of the sabbath should give place to mans benefit , and not that man should perish for the sabbath : as also by that of the prophet by him cited : god will have mercy and not sacrifice : that is , rather have the miseries of men relceved , then the letter of the law observed . the third and last sort of works , were workes of piety , belonging to the service of god , as to reade the law , to teach the people , to circumcise children , to offer sacrifice , with their attendants , as to make fires for them , to slay and prepare the beasts : for these workes though servile in themselves , being directed to the service of god were sacred , and no way violating the sabbaths rest . so our saviour testifies that notwithstanding these workes , done by the priests in the temple , yet the priests were blamelesse , and not transgressours of the law : and the jewes had it among their traditions , that in the temple there was no sabbath . intimating that the sabbaths rest must give place to those things which were to be done by the priest in the temple for the service of god. having seene what might be done on the sabbath ; let us now see , whether , and what liberty christians now have on the sunday , and how farre that liberty is to be extended , which is the last part of our inquirie . and here though some few ( transported with a heedlesse zeale of maintayning the dignity of this day ) have not strucke to affirme that the iewes had as much liberty as we have , & that we are as much restrained , as they were : yet the most , even of the strictest , and most precise exactors of the sundayes rest , doe grant a liberty which christians now have , more then the iewes had . but what liberty this is , wherein it consists , & how far to be extended , is not on all hands agreed upon . some there are who when they come to define this liberty , they pin it up within so narow a room , that it proves either none at all or to no purpose . amesius saith ; there is nothing can be brought out of scripture cōcerning the strist observatiō of the sabath , which was commanded to the iewes , which doth not in the same manner belong to all christians , except the kindling of fires , and the dressing of ordinary dyet . and these , he thinkes it probable too , that the iewes might ordinarily doe on their sabbath , though upon speciall occasions , they were forbidden them : so that he seemes to retract that liberty which before he granted them . but others doe freely grant these , and some few like them , as making of beds , carrying of burthens ( to wit , on speciall , and urgent occasions ) and these they allow by this name of workes of christian liberty . egregiam vero libertatem ! a great liberty ( no doubt ) and worthy that precious blood by which it was purchased ! but two things may here be demanded . first , how it will appeare that christians have this liberty ? and here ( for ought i can see ) we must be contented to take their own authority : for scripture they alledge none to purpose . those two places which are cited by elton on this occasion speak no such thing ; & besides , that which is there sayd ( whatever it be ) proves no peculiar liberty belonging to christians , which the iewes had not . for in them our saviour justifies his disciples from transgressing the sabbath which was then in force , but doth not shew what might be done afterward , when by his death the sabbath should be abrogated . if they alledge that our saviour bad the sicke man on the sabbath to take up his bed , ( which may seeme to have some reference to making of beds , or carrying of burthens ) it may be answered , that our saviour doth not there shew what might ordinarily be done ; but by his authority gives a speciall dispensation to the sicke man to take up his bed &c. without which dispensation , the man could not have beene excused from breaking the sabbath . so that here is no certainty ( according to their principles ) for any thing to be done , which the jewes might not doe , but that men must ( for all their pretended liberty ) either iudaize , or else adventure for this small liberty with a doubting conscience . secondly , it may also be demanded . how wee shall know that onely this liberty is allowed christians ? this also we must take upon ▪ their credit . for reason or scripture they alledge none at all . and if they , without either reason or scripture shall take upon them to give lawes to the church of god , and prescribe bounds to christian liberty ; i see no cause , why wee may not upon solid grounds of scripture and reason , assert that liberty which of right belongs to us , as purchased by the all precious blood of our deare , and blessed saviour . and this will appeare if we consider what rest or cessation from labours is on this day required : first then , for that it is a day of gods publique , and solemne worship to bee performed by the whole church , which cannot ( as hath beene shewed ) be performed , unlesse there bee a vacation from ordinary and common worked , a vacation therefore and resting from these , as they are impediments to gods service , is on that day required , as necessary . yet not so necessary , no not in the times of publique assemblyes , but that the workes which necessity imposeth upon men , and rarer occasions in mens particular affaires , subject to manifest detriment unlesse they be presently followed , may , with very good conscience draw men aside sometime frō the ordinary rule ; considering the favourable dispensation , which our saviour grounds upon this axiome . the sabbbath was made for man , and not man for the sabbath . which rule , if it held for the iews on their sabbath , is certainely no lesse in force at this day for christians . in the use of which notwithstanding , some cautions must bee observed , as first that men pretend not necessity or charity , when it is covetousnesse or a carelesse neglect or contempt of gods publique worship ; upon which ground no doubt , it was that the emperor leo repealed that liberty which by constantine was granted to husbandmen : and the counsell of matiscon forbids men to frame a necessary to themselves of yoking their oxen ; therein allowing both a just dispensation in necessity , & forbidding the unjust pretence of necessity where none is . secondly , men must take heed that they do not by their negligence , or improvidence and forgetfulness draw a necessity upon themselves : in which regard the word ( remember ) which god prefixed to the fourth commandement is yet in force , to exact our care and mindfulnesse so to provide before hand , that the dutyes to which this day is consecrated , bee not by our default omitted , or hindered . thirdly , that being necessarily hindered or forced to omit the solemne & publique dutyes of the day , we do ( as much as may be ) by private devotions & meditations make supply of that defect . againe , such is the reverence that is due to the solemne & publique dutyes of devotion , that they require not onely a surcease from other workes & thoughts for the time of their performance , but also a decent preparation before-hand ; that wee looke to our feete , when we enter into the house of god , & put off our shooes before we stand upon holy ground : that so our thoughts and affections , which are naturally bent upon the world , and not easily withdrawne from it , may be raysed to a disposition befitting so sacred an employment . in which respect it is convenient , if not necessary , that til the publike service of god be ended , men intangle not themselves with unnecessary businesses , or give themselves to sportings or recreations , whereby their mindes should be hindered from the right preparing of themselves , or due performance of those holydutyes . lastly it is good and commendable to spend the rest of that day in holy meditations , private prayer , reading and calling to minde what wee have read , or heard ; these workes , as they are at all times profitable and beseeming christians ; so on that day they are most seasonable and suitable to those publique actions of devotion which are the proper worke of the day . thus s. augustine exhorteth his auditors on this day to sequester themselves from worldly businesses , that they may be employed in these works ; and the councill of matiscon , yea and our owne church canons prescribe the spending of this day ( and other holy-dayes devoted to gods service ) in these and the like religious imployments . and therefore they who thus spend the lords day ( if it be done without superstition or judging other mens liberty ) cannot therefore justly be condemned . now by this it is easie to judge of our liberty . first then , here is a liberty in case of necessity , though thereby the solemne dutyes of gods worship bee hindered . secondly , a liberty in things not absolutely necessary , so as thereby the service of god , & the due preparation thereto be not hindered : under which the use of honest and seemly recreations , after the publike dutyes of the day are finished , may be comprehended . for though it cannot be denied that a man may commendably spend the whole day in workes of piety and devotion , yet that cannot prescribe to all christians , or infringe their liberty . for it is one thinge to exhorte to a thing as commendable , another to urge it as necessary ; one thing to say , this or that is a good worke , and is wel done at this or that time , another , to enjoyn it by way of precept , so as at such time it may not be omitted , nor other worke permitted . and the reason is , because gods affirmative precepts , though they warrant , and commend the workes that they enjoyne , and make them good and commendable , whensoever they are performed ; yet they bind not precisely to any determinate time for their performāce : for example we are commanded to pray and that continually , so that he that is most frequent in prayer , observes this precept best , and deserves the praise of a devout and religious man : & yet he that prayes not at this or at that time , when haply , another doth , cannot therefore be sayd to sin , and much lesse bee counted irreligious or profane . david prayed & gave thanks unto god at midnight , & so did s. paul and silas , and surely those godly soules were blessedly employed : but shall wee therefore condemne him who doth not the like ? s. paul also being to depart from troas , continued his sermon till midnight on the sunday , and no doubt , but he did well ; yet no man will therefore prescribe the like length to every sunday sermon . the case is the same in this businesse we have in hand : for we doe not presently affixe these duties to the day , which wee say may be commendably on that day performed ; nor on the other side , doe we disallow the spending of the whole sunday in holy and religious actions ; because we dare not rigidly tye all men so to do , or lay it upon them by way of precept , as if god had expresly commanded that time to be no otherwise spent . there is a good and a safe use of that distinction of precepts and counsells ; ( though the romanists abuse it to the patronising of their imaginary workes of super erogation ) and things in themselves good without relation to any determinate time , we may wish , exhort , and counsell men to performe at any time , when wee cannot by precept impose them upon all . wee know our saviour commended some things to his disciples with a let him that is able to receive it , recieve it advising and exciting all to that , which nowing the infirmity of many , hee would not exact by his authority as necessary to be performed by all . and in this case wee may doe well to imitate him considering that it is no where enjoyned in scripture , and that such is the condition of many , that they are not capable of such an injunction , as namely those who by reason of their mean education or naturall parts are not fitted for long meditation requisite for the spending of the vacant time of the day , and to whom in regard of their hard labour in the weeke dayes , it is a mercy to permit some bodily recreation on this day ; which certainely cannot be displeasing to him who hath said , i will have mercy & not sacrifice . and if they , who use to judge the use of all recreation on this day sinfull , had known what that meaneth , they would not have condemned the guiltlesse . if any thinke that god hath so commanded : let him produce the place of scripture , and i will quickly recant . the places which are usually alledged for that purpose , and wherewith men are so frighted and thundred against out of the pulpet , being intended for the iewes , and that in regard of that speciall positive precept , given for the strict rest upon their sabbath , cannot with any shew of reason , bee extended to christians , when both day and precept , are out of date . but haply some may yet further contend , that though the day bee changed , yet the equity of it still remaines , and that they may argue thence ( à pari , or ( as some thinke ) à minori ) as from the lesse to the greater . that if the iewes upon their sabbath which was instituted in memory of the creation , and of their deliverance out of egypt , ought to doe no worke , nor so much as to speake their owne words , and that for the whole day : then by the like reason , nay much rather ought christians so to doe on their sabbath , or sunday which is consecrated to the memory of a farre more glorious worke , the worke of our redemption , accomplished in the resurrection of our saviour . here , in this kinde of reasoning there is some truth , but ( as it is too common ) it is over-strayned , and so is but a meere colour to countenance that , for which it is brought , and not any solid foundation whereon to build it . the truth is , christians have as much ( if not more ) cause to celebrate the redemption of mankind by a solemne weekely commemoration , as ever the iewes had to celebrate the creation of the world , or their deliverance out of egypt : and this may serve as a good ground to justifie the institution of the lords day , and the churches practise in observing it : but this truth is overstrained being applied to the manner of celebration , which was peculiar to the jewes , and accommodated to the then-state of the church , which was ( as hath beene shewed ) to be held under the yoke of a strict outward rest , in expectation , and for the prefiguring of that eternall rest , which now christ hath actually purchased ; and therefore injuriously laid upon christians , who are freed from that yoke , under which they groaned : and they may as well upon the same ground conclude against making of fires , and dressing of meate upon the sunday , and make the gathering of a few sticks upon that day to deserve no lesse now , then hee suffered for doing the like upon the sabbath . so that wee may say to those who thus argue ( as hee in saint augustine , upon farre better ground then he did ) either let us be christians and keepe the lords day , or let us bee iewes , and observe the sabbath . but is it not reason that god should have one whole day in seven , given unto him now , as well as heretofore ? yes certainely ; but yet with such difference , as suites with the different condition of the church that now is , from that which then was , that being guided by the spirit of feare , this of love , that in a state of bondage , under the unsupportable burthen of legall ceremonies , this in a state of liberty , and under christs easie yoake : in a word , they iewes , and we christians : and this being considered , we may be said to give god a day , no lesse now , then they then , though in that day wee doe not so strictly observe the outward ceremoniall rest , as they were bound to doe secondly , i say , that our church is so farre from abridging god of one day in seven , that it gives more , as having appointed and consecrated divers holy dayes to the same solemne and publike worship of god , which is enjoyned to bee performed upon the lords day . for these ( though they may admit some difference in regard of their accidentall dignity , in as much as those benefits commemorated in them are greater or lesser yet ) in regard of their essentials they are equall , as being all of them dedicated to the honour of the same god , in memory of some great and speciall benefits vouchsafed to the church , and therefore doe goe pari passu in our canons , and in our ancient statutes , which require the same observance of both under the same penalty . and therefore those who stand so much for a whole day of seven to be consecrated to god , if the worship of god were all they affected , might see that there is a compensation made for the defect which they so much complaine of in our observation on the lords day ; and they themselves might doe well to take advantage , by a religious observation of these dayes , to make up their failings on the lords day : but this they are so farre from , that they account the observation of these dayes a breach of the fourth commandement , and thinke it a sin to make more holy dayes then one in seven . in which regard , it cannot be judged altogether impertinent , if i here take occasion to vindicate the practise of our church , from their unjust censures . and in the first place , i may returne their own argument upon them , and say ; is it not reason that god should , now under the gospel , have more set dayes to commemorate his benefits then one in seven , as well as under the law ? vnder the law , we know , they had , beside their weekly sabbaths , the passeover , pentecost , and the feast of tabernacles ; and not onely those which had gods expresse command for their institution , but the feast of purim , and of the dedication , which ( as i have before shewed ) were ordained by the church , without any expresse command of god , and observed by our saviour himselfe , whose example alone ( if any thing ) is sufficient to exempt us from scrupling at the like now in the time of the gospel . secondly , if they will not runne cleane counter to their owne principles , and deny the morality of the fourth commandement altogether , they must acknowledge thus much ( at least ) to bee moral : that there ought to be a certaine part of our time given to god , and some dayes set apart for his publique worship : now these ( being left undetermined in the word of god ) if it bee not in the power of the church to determine them , i wonder how that precept should be observed : and if the churchupon this ground , have reason and power to appoint any one day , why not more ? seeing her power is not limited or restrained within any other bounds but those generalls , of decency and order : which i presume no man will say are transgressed in the ordination of those holy dayes which are observed among us . thirdly , to this that such times are in the generall commanded by god ; wee may adde two things more , which being well considered will abundantly discharge the observation of such dayes from superstition : and those are , first , that the duties therein required are no other then such , as according to the word of god , ought to bee performed by all christians : for what else is required on those dayes but the solemne prayers and prayses of god in the church , joyned with the hearing of his word , and a speciall commemoration of his benefits , which as on those dayes were received ? and which of all these is not required in the word of god ? and if it bee lawfull , yea commanded , that wee should performe those duties at all times and upon all occasions , they cannot at any time whensoever they are performed , justly bee termed superstitious , or ( which must follow by consequence ) unlawfull . 2. the other thing to bee considered is , that the grounds and occasions of the churches determination of these duties unto those speciall dayes which wee observe , are such as deserve no lesse . as being reall , great , and generall benefits vouchsafed by god unto his church . first , they are true and reall , not imaginary fictions founded upon the fained actions , or falle martyrdomes of titular saints , such as are many in the romish church . secondly , they are great , not ordinary or common benefits , and therefore require a more then ordinary acknowledgement . thirdly , they are generall ; the good whereof redounds , not to a few , but to the whole body of the church ; and so , if our acknowledgement bee answerable , it must be publike and solemne , performed joyntly by all those that are partakers of the benefits . now , if wee shall runne thorough the whole kalender , take an impartiall view of all our holy dayes , wee shall not find so much as one among them all , of which thus much may not truely bee affirmed . for they may almost bee ranked under two heads . first , such memorable steps in the story of our blessed saviour , as by which the great worke of our redemption advanced unto its happy accomplishment . secondly , the memorialls of that goodnesse and glory which he afterwards manifested to the world by his holy apostles , evangelists and martyrs , whom he honoured so much as to make them founders of that kingdome which cost him his dearest blood , & to count them worthy to suffer death for his sake . concerning the former , i suppose there is none but will say in the words of the psalmist ( as our vulgar translation reades them ) the mercifull and gratious lord hath so done his marvellous workes , that they ought to be had in remembrance . and what better meanes can be devised then the appointing of set solemne dayes for their commemoration , i cannot see : and this was the churches aime in appointing these dayes : so s. austine , we ( saith he ) dedicate and consecrate to god the memory of his benefits in solemne feasts and set dayes , least in the revolution of times ingratefull forgetfulnesse should creepe upon us . the like may be said of the latter : for if our saviour appeared so glorious in them , and by them conveighed so great and generall blessings to his church , what reason can bee alleadged why the church may not retaine an annuall honourable memoriall of them to the glory of him whose instruments they were ? the psalmist tells us that the righteous shall bee had in everlasting remembrance . and the wiseman , that the memory of the just shall be blessed . and therefore , to have some dayes in which the memories of those , who were in their generations most famous for righteousnesse , may , with blessing , be perpetuated , is but their due and agreeable to his will who hath granted them that honour : so that we may justly solemnize the dayes wherein those barning and shining lights first appeared to the world ; or the dayes of their departure hence , which were the dayes of their happy inauguration into the kingdome of glory , when they , both left to the church militant the glorious example of their christian fortitude , and became an occasion of new joy to the church triumphant , by the accession of new citizens to that heavenly society . either of which , afford matter sufficient of solemne joy and rejoycing to the church , and consequently of praise and thanksgiving unto god. lastly , to convince them yet farther out of their owne principles : they allow the church power , in the times of great calamities , either feared or felt , to appoint solemne dayes of fasting and humiliation ; and those dayes they will have held as sabbaths extraordinary , and that therein men are bound to abstein from their bodily labours , according to the same streitnesse that they are bound to observe the sabbath ; i would gladly then know some reason why the church should want power to ordeine the like dayes for the celebration of speciall benefits , to be observed ( not as sabbaths which are now antiquated and no presidents for us christians , but ) with such a cessation from labours , as is necessary for the performance of the publike worship of god , and fit to accompany such solemnities of publike joy and rejoycing , to which rest is more naturally requisite , then to the times of sorow and humiliation . but it is not the having of such dayes that some scruple at , or the duties required in them , for they much desire to have some dayes besides the lords day to meet together for the hearing of the word , and for the words sake can be contented to endure the liturgie of the church . but the things which they dislike are ; first the obligation that we put upon men for the observance of them ; for they would have the appointment and observation of them to bee held a thing indifferent and no duty binding conscience . secondly , they dislike the names that we give them , in that we style them the dayes of such or such a saint , which to them seemes to favour of idolatry ; neither would they have them called holy dayes , or accounted more holy then others ; forasmuch as such difference of dayes belonged to the iewes , and is now under the gospell taken away . to these i answer , first , for the obligation of the churches commands , and that it is not a thing indifferent to obey or disobey them , i have already spoken so much as may satisfie those that are not studious of contention , i onely adde now upon this occasion ; that it seemes to me very ridiculous , to grant the church a power of ordeining such times , and yet to require that the observation of them so ordeined be held a thing indifferent . for if their ordinance lay no tye upon men , but leave things notwithstanding still indifferent , their power surely , is to no purpose and nothing worth . touching the names that we give them . i say , first that the festivalls of the saints are dedicated , not to them by whose names they are called , but to god. to him , and not them , our prayers are directed ; to him our praises , though for them , and with reference to those blessings , which by them are vouchsafed unto us ; wee honour him as the author of all that good which either they , or we , by them , are partakers of : we honour them only as his instruments , and as those who having beene imitators of our blessed saviour , are worthy patternes of our imitation . to this purpose wee finde the church of smyrna answering the like calumny raised against them by the iewes , upon occasion of their affection which they expressed toward that glorious martyr polycarpus . these men ( say they ) are ignorant that we cannot ever leave christ who suffered for the salvation of the whole world nor can we worship any other . for him we adore as the son of god ; as for the martyrs , we worthily love them as disciples and imitators of him their lord , for their insuperable affection toward their king and master , whose partners also we desire to be , and to become their disciples . and thus much they might easily answer themselves out of our church liturgy , where there is no one word in any office appointed for any saints day , that gives the least ground or colour to this scruple . the other imputation of iudaisme which they taxe us with , because we style our christian festivalls , holy dayes , hath as weake a foundation as the former . for i willingly grant them what they alleadge for the countenancing of this objection , that now under the gospell the difference of times and dayes is no lesse taken away then of meates ; that is , as we have now no meats that are uncleane either in themselves , or by reason of any positive precept given to the iewes , but that they may bee eaten with thanksgiving ; so neither is there any day or time which in it selfe , or by reason of any such iudaicall precept , is now to be accounted more holy then others ; all this is evident from the places which they alleadge for this purpose : whereupon wee conclude , that none of the iewish festivalls ( not the sabbath it selfe ) ought to be observed by christians , nor ( which is more ) any christian festivall to be observed , after the iewish maner , or with their rites and ceremonies . and this may justly taxe them who stand either for the iewish sabbath , or which turne the lords day into a sabbath , exacting the same strictnesse of observance in regard of the outward ceremoniall rest . but it can no way prejudice the church , in consecrating dayes to the service of god , or in accounting them ( though in themselves , and setting aside the ordinance of the church , they are all alike yet ) in relation to the duties to be performed in them , more holy then others . and this they must grant , unlesse they will affirme one of these three things . first , that the workes of god now under the gospel are not so great , so glorious , and consequently , so worthy of set times for their solemne remembrance , as heretofore under the law. or that the christian church hath now lesse power in appointing dayes for the solemne worship of god , in relation to those glorious works of his , then the iewish synagogue once had . or lastly , that the worship which wee christians now performe to god is not so holy , as that in the time of the iewish synagogue , and so lesse able to sanctifie the dayes in which they are performed . but every one of these being most absurd ; i conclude , that to consecrate certaine dayes , besides the lords day , to the solemne worship of god , in memory of his speciall blessings vouchsafed to the church on such dayes , and to account such dayes , so consecrated , more holy then others , is lawfull and free from all superstition and judaisme . and however , that they who would faine affixe so extraordinary holinesse to the lords day , should of all men have abstained from this last imputation , till they had better proved the immediately divine institution of the lords day . but i have too long digressed ; yet not without cause , in as much as they , who seeme so zealous for the giving to god his due time , refuse notwithstanding to give him that , which the regular piety of the ancient and our owne mother church hath ever , upon so sound reason , consecrated to him . i returne now to answere another objection which they frame against the extending of our christian liberty , to the use of recreations on the lords day . the liberty of christians ( say they ) ought to be spirituall , and not in carnall and common things ; and therefore cannot bee extended to patronize recreations , or ordinary labours on the sunday , but that they are as unlawfull on that day as ever they were on the sabbath . to this i answere , that christian liberty , as it respects the things from which we are freed , is not meerely spirituall , but extends it selfe , to carnall and common things also ; for thereby wee are freed not onely from the guilt , and condemnation of sinne , and the raigning power of it , which are things spivituall ; but also from the servitude of the ceremoniall law , which among other respects which it had , was as a schoole-master , or tutour , whereby the church in her nonage or infancie , was to bee kept under the elements of the world , ( as the apostle calls them ) that is , tyed to the observation of dayes , and moneths , and yeares and meates and drinks ; which being in themselves indifferent , were yet forbidden the church of those times , that their bondage under these might nourish in them the hope and expectation of the promised messias , in whom they were to have deliverance , and so lead , or rather drive them to beleeve in him. now when the fulnesse of time was come , and that christ was exhibited , the church being then no longer under age , is not subject to those observances , but for any tye of that law of moses now upon it , enjoyes the free use and exercise of these things as indifferent . as then there were many things , which , in themselves , and to us , now are indifferent , prohibited to the jewes ; so as they might not eate of all meates , though otherwise wholsome , they might not weare all kinde of garments , though usefull and profitable , &c. so there were some workes in themselves not sinfull , nor at other times unlawfull , prohibited to be done at some speciall times , in regard of the peculiar observance then due to those times , which now , when those times cease to be observed , can by no meanes bee accounted sinfull , or unlawfull . granting therefore that ordinary labours , and all bodily recreations were on the sabbath unlawfull , yet being in themselves not sinfull , and so under the gospell indifferent , they cannot be so upon our sunday . i answere further , that i know no reason why honest recreations , moderate feasting , and such like expressions of rejoycing , may not fitly be counted a part of the externall observance and sanctification of this day ; in as much as it is solemnized in memory of the resurrection of our blessed saviour , and so our redemption fully wrought , to which we may ( with s. augustine ) apply that of the psalmist , this is the day which the lord hath made , wee will rejoyce , and be glad in it . and as on the day of his passion , and other dayes appointed for solemne humiliation , we expresse the sorrow of our hearts by our mourning and neglected attire , by fasting , and abridging our selves of those delights , which use to refresh our natures ; at which times the voyce of the vyoll , and of the harpe , the voyce of the bridegroome , and the voyce of the bride are unseasonable ; so on the day of his resurrection to expresse our joy , and rejoycing by our arraying our selves in our best attire , by feasting , and other acts of cheerefulnesse , is most agreeable to the solemnity of that day , of which we may say in the words of nehemiah and ezra , this day is holy unto the lord your god , mourne not nor weepe — but — eate of the fat , and drinke of the sweet , and send portions to them for whom nothing is prepared , for this day is holy unto the lord. and however some men will have every fasting day a sabbath , and every lords day a fasting day ( not allowing either the dressing , or liberall use of gods creatures , and therefore judging it inconvenient to celebrate marriages on that day ) yet the church of god in better times condemned fasting on the lords day as unlawfull , and most incongruous and disagreeable to the use of that day , which was ordained as a festivall , and day of mirth and rejoycing : for which end also the church in her most ancient times , had on that day their agapae or love-feasts , as for the refreshing of the poore , and for the nourishing of mutuall love and amity , so also for the unanimous expression of joy in all sober mirth , and in the free ( though temperate ) use of gods creatures . upon which ground ( doubtlesse ) wee may conclude the lawfulnesse of the use of such recreations , feastings , and other testifications of rejoycing upon the lords day , as are in themselves honest , and are so used as they prove no hinderances to the service of god , which is the proper worke of the day . besides , even the iewes themselves ( though out of superstition , they did for the most part overdoe this precept of the sabbath , abstaining from those things , which they might have done , without any violation of gods commandement , yet ) accounted their sabbath a feast , not a fast ; a day of rejoycing , and not of sorrow , or humiliation ; and judged it not unlawfull to make feasts upon that day , as is evident by that feast made upon the sabbath , by a chiefe pharisee ( one of their strictest sabbatarians ) whereat our saviour himselfe ( who was no sabbath-breaker ) vouchsafed his presence among many others that were invited . and paulus burgensis ( himselfe a iew ) reports , that the iewes held themselves bound to eate three meales that day , which on other dayes they used not . and syranus ( another of the same nation ) saith , that the hebrew doctors held that the word remember was prefixed to this commandement , that if they had any pretious garment , or any other thing of price , they should remember to keepe it till the sabbath , to give it at first a sabbath-dayes wearing . i am not of their minde , but thinke that word prefixed for higher , and more important reasons : yet i verily beleeve that their conceit did speak their usuall custome of apparelling themselves in their most costly and best garments , as best befitting the joy of that high festivall , which ( as one hath well observed ) hath this singular priviledge to be a day of rest and holinesse ; of delight , and feasting unto the world ; and therefore ( saith hee ) this day is not described by evening and morning , as were the other six which consisted of light and darknesse : but this is all day , or light , figuring out our perpetuall joyes . and , no question , but , that day which was the memoriall of gods resting from his worke , when he rejoyced in the works of his hands , ( so the chaldee paraphrast expounds gods resting on the seaventh day ) and of the deliverance from the aegyptian bondage was celebrated with mirth , and rejoyoing : so that i can hardly be induced to thinke , that on their sabbath day , they were bound to abstaine from all kinde of recreations , but that they did , or , at least , might use such expressions of joy & mirth , as at their other festivalls were usuall among them ; as feasting , singing , dancing , and the like : which , i conceive , were no way forbidden in the commandement , which onely seemes to ayme at workes of toyle or such as are servile , or undertaken for profit or gaine , or at least that might hinder them in the service of god : and not to exclude all recreations , which ( though they may , haply , in a large sense be termed workes , yet ) being such as doe refresh , not weary nature , and being so used , as that the worship of god might notwithstanding be duly and solemnly performed , cannot be said to crosse the intent of the law , which was the decent and solemne service of god , and the testification of their freedome from egyptian servitude . but let this passe as a private conceit , yet sure i am , that tostatus ( whom doctor willet approves ) saith , they were not bound to attend all the day upon gods service . and the same doctor willet expounding these words : abide yee every man in his place ; let no man goe out of his place on the seaventh day , saith , they were not to goe forth , that is , with intent to gather manna , which lay round about the hoast , or to doe any other businesse : they were not forbidden all kinde of walking , and going out for their solace and recreation . certainly then christians cannot justly be blamed , if on the lords day god be solemnly and decently served at fit times , and no other worke entertained to the hinderance of this , though every moment of that day be not spent in performance of the acts of gods worship , nor the vacant space observed with a superstitious rest , which shall exclude all other works , and all , even lawfull recreations , which to exact at the hands of christians , what is it but to surpasse the jewes in superstition about the sabbath , and having only changed the day , in dishonour and contempt of the jewes , to require notwithstanding the same ceremoniality of observance ? which what fruits it hath had , or can have , i cannot see , save the engendring of endlesse scruples , and inextricable doubts , and the needlesse wounding of the consciences of many well-meaning people , when they have no sure guide to direct their practise , and when that which is required is beyond the ability of mortalls to performe . for i will appeale to the consciences of these rigid task-masters , whether ever they , or any other did yet , or could possibly keepe the lords day , in that strict manner as they urge it ? but , haply this little moves them , who being taught that it is impossible to keepe gods commandements , will therefore the rather be induced to thinke , it is commanded , because they are unable to keepe it . yet sure our saviour would never have stiled his yoke easie , and his burthen light , had this strict observance of the lords day beene a part of it , and gods commandements , so as hee now under the gospel requires them to bee done , and with the assistance of his grace , wherewith he seconds them ( whatever men rashly say of them ) are not grievous , much lesse impossible to be done . to set downe briefly and plainely , that which in more words hath beene hitherto driven at : and it is but this . there are three things considerable in the sunday , or lords day . 1. a day . 2. that day . 3. the manner of celebrating it . the first is gods immediate precept . the other two not so , but mediate and by the power he hath given to his church . first god commanded some time wherein men setting aside all worldly businesse and thoughts , should apply themselves to the duties of his solemne and publique worship , and this is the substance , or that which is morall , in the fourth commandement . secondly , the custome or constitution of the church , warranted by the apostles practise , and the honour vouchsafed unto it by our saviour himselfe , determined that time or day to the sunday , or first day of the week ; & secondly , prescribed how and when , for the decent time and manner of performing those duties . by these our liberty is limited , which must not be ( without necessity ) extended to the violation of either of them : hence then , 1. hee sinnes that doth not separate some time for god , &c. as violating the immediate precept of god in the fourth commandement . 2. he sinnes no lesse , that for this end observes not the sunday , and that in that decent manner , which the nature of the duties , and the authority of the church hath enioyned ; and this hee doth in two respects . first , because hee violates gods mediate command , who hath authorized the church in his right , and by his power to ordaine such things ; so that , to neglect the church , in this case is , to neglect god. secondly , because the immediate precept of god is wrapt up in the precept of the church : by which , that which by him was left indefinite , is defined , and determined . but that liberty either for ordinary labours , or honest recreations , which may stand with the observation of these precepts , no man can justly account sinfull , unlesse hee can produce ( not the phansies of some zelotes , or the opinion of this or that man , though accounted never so good or learned , but ) some other precept given by god , or those whom god hath commanded us to obey : for it is an undoubted maxime , which the apostle delivers ; where no law is , there is no transgression . the prohibition of the law only is that , whereby things are exempted from our power and liberty , which otherwise ( except in case of scandall ) remaines intire . and this alone is sufficient to terminate this dispute , upon which wee will joyne issue with those that are contrary minded , being not more confident that they can shew no binding precept for the restraining of our christian liberty in this case , then willing to retract what hath beene said , if they shall prove themselves able to doe it . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a69228-e200 what the morall law is . what the ceremoniall law is . what the judiciall law is . aquin. 1. 2. qu. 101. col. 2. 17. aq. 1. 2. q. 100. moral precepts not all equally belonging to the law of nature . aq. ibid. a inter emnia illa 10. praecepta solum ibi quod de sabbato positum est sigurate observandum praecipitur . aug. ep 118 cap. 12. caetera ibi praecepta propriè sicut praecepta sunt sine ulla figura a significatione observamus . idem ibid. b inst . l. 2. & 8 §. 28. vinbratile veteres nuncupare solent . dinudia tantum exparte rem attingunt . id. ibid. c sabbati praeceptum est partim morale , partim ceremoniale , unde into contine●…er aliquid aternum , et aliquid temporarium . mart. thes . in exod. 2. d aquin. 2. 2. q. 122. art . 4 ad primum & secundum . vidaeundem 1. 2. q. 100 a. 5. ad secundum . medul . theol l. 2. c 15 ● . 11. deut. 4 13. 1. luk. 26. 29 31. mal●onat . in mat. 7. 12. fra●… . iu●●●… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . 2. pet. 1. rom. 8. 3 , 4 rom. 3. 31. dr. willet on gen. 3. 23. exo. 31. 13 deut. 5. 15. ezck. 20. 12. gen. 2 3. dr. williams p. 297. dod. p. 130. elton . p. 90. colos . 2. 16 concil . lacdic . can . 29. in mat. hom. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . act. 21. 20. non fuerunt tanquam diabolica gentiunt sacrilegia fugienda , etiam cum ipsa gratia iam coeperat revelari quae umbris talibus fuerat praenunciata , sed permittenda paulū eis , maximè qui ex illo populo cui data sūt , venerant . postea vero tanquam cū honere sepulta sunt a christiaūs omnibus irreparabiliter deserenda . aug. ep 19. and a little before in the same chapter , — ●um venisset fides que priùs ictis obs●●…vatiambus praenun●iata , post mortem & resurrectionē domini revelata est , amiserunt tanquam vitam officii 〈◊〉 . verum tamen sicut defuncta corpora necessariorum officiis deducenda ●●…ant quodammodo ad sepultueam . — non autem deserenda continuo vel inimicorum mersibus pro. j●ienda ●●oind● 〈◊〉 quisquis christianorum quamvis ex iudaeis similiter ea celebrare voluerit , tanquam sopitos cineres 〈◊〉 , non erit pius deductor vel , bajulus corporis , sed impius sepu●tu●ae uiolat●● . matt. 28. 1. mar. 16. 1. iohn 20. 1. 1. cor. 16 2 revel . 1. 10 some time to be consecrated to god , moral hook p. 378 morale est quantum ad hoc , quod homo deputat aliquod tempus vitae suae ad vacan 〈◊〉 di . vinis , &c. aqui●i . 22. q. 122. medul . t●eol . l. 2. c. 15. ●4 . plutarch in v●● thesci . s. chrysostom . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . ●om . 6. p. 542. edit . savill . deut. 5. 15. & 14. 18. de praeparatione evangel 13. c. 7. s. aug. de civit lib. 11. c. 31. hieron . in amo● . 5. zanch. in quartum praecep . med. theo. l. 2. 6. 15. n. 6. instit l. 2. c. 8. d. calvins opinion of one in seaven . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 &c. eccl. pol. p. 379. hom. of the place and time of prayer . part. col. 2. 16. 17. speach against trash . p. 72 elten . p 91 ●●…lliams p. 299. ames loco supra cu. 2 cor. 5. 17. ier. 16 14. 15. 1 pet. 1. 3. aq. 2. 2. q. 112. 4. p. 385. prov. 12. 10. ex. 20. 11. heb. 4. 9 vid. aqum . in loc . ver . 4. rev. 14. 13 figurae debet esse exactae , alioqui non bene significant . bellarm. t. 2. l. 3. c. 10 gal. 4. 1. v. 45. elton . p. 98. potest qui dem concedi actionem aliquam observatienem sabbati illis temporibus suisse imperatam , paeelagoglae & scivitutis tempori accommodatam , quae omnibus seculis non obtinet . med. theol. l. 2. c. 15. n. 23. v. perkins cases . l. 2. c. 16. § 1. see doctor williams of the church . p. 301. cleaver declar. of christian sabbath . pag. 99. esion p. 90. dod p. 127. amesius medul . theol l. 2 c. 15 n 27. heb 3. 2. ioh. 4. i tim. 2. 8. i thes . 5. 17. difference of times and places how taken away under the gospell . ames . loco supracit . n 30. dod p. 133. * see saint chrysostome upon that place , who saith , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 &c. and a little after , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. a mat. 28. 1 mar. 16. 1. ioh. 20. 1. b ioh. 20. 19. 26. col. 2. 14. 15. ver. 18. ad januar. epist . 119. c. 13. dies dominica christians resurrectione domini declaratus est , et ex illo habere caepit festivitatein suam . demonstrare & consecrare dignatus est . ibid. c 9. domini resuscitatio promisit nobis aeternum diem & cōsecravit nobis dominicum diem . id. de verbis apostoli . serm. 15. speech against traske . p. 74. * pet. mart. thes . in exod . 20. non erravit christiana ecclesia , cū loco sabbati flatuit observandum diem dominicum , cujus iasacris sitteris men tio habetur , quamvis de ejus observatione praeceptum non ●x●●● . serm. de temp. 251. quod universa tenet ecclesia , nec conci●●●t institutū , sed ●emper retentum est , non nisi autoritate apostolica traditum rectissime creditur . — id. de bap. contra don. l. 9. c. 24. & l. 5. c. 23. a field of the church p. 377. b observantiae diei dominicae in novâ lege , succedit observantia sabbati , non ex ui praeceptiet legis , sed ex constitutione ecclesiae , & consuetudine populi christiani . aquin. 2. 2. q. 122. ● . 4. c concil . nican can . 20. la●d . con. 19. auresion . 3. can. 21. matise . can. 2. d eusch . de vitâ constan . jl. ● . ● . 18. s. august . epist . 86 ad ●●●…lan . see hooker p. 92. p. 95. & p. 121. ioh. 10. 22. eccl. poll. 3. § 9 p. 107. 1 cor. 11. 22. pro. 6. 20. see d willet on exod . 20. math. 5. 17 math. 12 1 luk. 13. 15 luk. 14 5. 1 macc. 2. 41. luk. 13. 11 iohn 5. 8. mar. 2. 27. aequum est ut sabbati observatio cedat hominum utilitati , et non homo sabbati causā percat ●●●…m parap● . in locum . hosea . 6. 6. acts 13. 27 math. 12. 5. hinc definitio est jadaicarum traditionū : in templo nunesse sabbatū . f● . lu ca●●●…oc . true church . p 300. med. theel. l. 2. c. 15. n. 24. praeter accensionem ignis , et cibi communis apparatum . elton . p. 101. perkins cases . c. 6. mat. 12. 1. 2. 3. mark. 2. 27 see fran lucas brugen● . upon the place . ho●ker . p. 385. concil . matisc . 2. can . 1. eccl. 5. 1. exod. 3. 5. serm. de . temp. 251. concil . matisc . 2. can . 1. can. 23. 1. thes . 5. psal . 119. 62. acts 16. 25. acts 20. 7. mat. 19. 12 mat. 12. 7. esay 58. 13 exod. 20. 10. num. 15. aut simus christiani , & dominicum colamus , aut simus iudaei , & sabbatū observemus . s. aug. ep . 86 2. tim. 1. 7● can. 13. act for vniformity of common prayer , &c. ames . med . theol. lib. 2 cap. 15. 1. cor. 14. 40. 1. thes . 5. 17 , 18. psal . 111. 4 eissc . dco ) benesiciorum ejus solemmtatilus sestis et diebus ●…a . tuus dicamus sacramusque memoriam ne volumine temporum ingrata subreparobli●io aug. de civ . l. 10. c. 4. psa . 112. 6. prov. 10. 8. 4. dies illi habendi videntur quasipro sabbatis extraordinarūs ames . med . theol . l. 2. c. 15. reade m. mason of christian humiliation . p. 66. edit . 2. possunt autem dies qual scunque pie converti in occasiones cultum dei promovendi ames . ●b . elton p. 117. idem ibid. pag. 45. — ignorantes not nec christe unquam relinquere qui pro totius servandorū mundi salute passus est nec alium quenquam colere posse . nam hunc quīdem tanquam filū dei adoramus ; martyres vero tanquā discipulos & imitatores domini digne propter insuperabilē inregē ipsorū & praeceptorem benevolentiā disigimus , quorū & nos consortes & discipulos fieri optamus . euseb . eccles . hist . l. 4. c. 15. rom. 14. gal 4. 5. col. 2. see p. 31. 1 2 3 gal. 4. 3. gal. 4. 4. nehem. 8. 9. 10. die dominico jejunare nesas ducimus , tertull. de cor. mil. c. 3 cōcil . gangr . can. 18. cartiag . 4. can. 64. iustellus in cod . ca●onū . not . in can. 70. luk. 14. 1. addit . 4. in exod. 20. ainsworth in gen. 2. 3. esay 60 20 rev. 21. 25 psa . 104. 31 gen. 2. 2. tostatus qu. 12. in exod. exo. 16. 29 mat. 11. 30. 1 ioh. 5. 3. . rom. 4 15. questions about the nature and perpetunity of the seventh-day sabbath and proof that the first day of the week is the true christian-sabbath / by john bunyan. bunyan, john, 1628-1688. 1685 approx. 140 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 79 1-bit group-iv tiff page 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ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p5, characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng sabbath. 2005-02 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2005-03 apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images 2005-04 melanie sanders sampled and proofread 2005-04 melanie sanders text and markup reviewed and edited 2005-10 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion questions about the nature and perpetuity of the seventh-day-sabbath . and proof , that the first day of the week is the true christian-sabbath . by john bunyan . the son of man is lord also of the sabbath day . london : printed for nath. pond●r , at the peacock in the poultry . 1685. to the reader . some may think it strange , since gods church has already been so well furnished with sound grounds and reasons by so many wise and godly men , for proof that the first day of the week is our true christian sabbath , that i should now offer this small treatise upon the same account . but when the scales are even by what already is put in , a little more , you know , makes the weight the better . or grant we had down weight before , yet something over and above , may make his work the harder , that shall by hanging fictions on the other end , endeavour to make things seem too light . besides , this book being little , may best sute such as have but shallow purses , short memories , and but little time to spare , which usually is the lot of the mean and poorest sort of men . i have also written upon this subject , for that i would , as in other gospel-truths , be a fellow witness with good men that the day in which our lord rose from the dead should be much set by of christians . i have observed that some , otherwise sound in faith , are apt to be entangled with a jewish sabbath , &c. and that some also that are far off from the observation of that , have but little to say for their own practice though good ; and might i help them i should be glad . a jewish seventh-day-sabbath has no promise of grace belonging to it , if that be true ( as to be sure it is ) where paul says , the command to honour parents , is the first commandment with promise , ephes. 6. 1 , 2 , 3. also it follows from hence , that the sabbath that has a promise annexed to the keeping of it is rather that which the lord jesus shall give to the churches of the gentiles , isai. 56. perhaps my method here may not in all things keep the common path of argumentation with them that have gone before me : but i trust the godly-wise will find a taste of scripture-truth in what i present them with as to the sanction of our christian-sabbath . i have here , by handling four questions , proved , that the seventh-day-sabbath was not moral . for that must of necessity be done , before it can be made appear that the first day of the week is that which is the sabbath day for christians . but withal it follows , that if the seventh-day-sabbath was not moral , the first day is not so . what is it then ? why a sabbath for holy worship is moral ; but this or that day appointed for such service , is sanctified by precept or by approved example . the timeing then of a sabbath for us lies in god , not man ; in grace , not nature ; nor in the ministration of death , written and engraven in stones : god always reserving to himself a power to alter and change both time and modes of worship according to his own will. a sabbath then , or day of rest from worldly affairs to solemnize worship to god in , all good men do by nature conclude is meet , yea , necessary : yet that , not nature , but god reveals . nor is that day or time , by god so fixed on , in its own nature , better than any other : the holiness then of a sabbath lies , not in the nature or place of a day , but in the ordinance of god. nor doth our sanctifying of it , to the ends for which it is ordained , lie in a bare confession that it is such ; but in a holy performance of the duty of the day to god by christ , according to his word . but i will not enlarge to detain the reader longer from the following sheets ; but shall commit both him and them to the wise dispose of god , and rest , thine to serve thee , joh. bunyan . questions about the nature and perpe tuity of the seventh-day-sabbath . quest . 1. whether the seventh-day-sabbath is of , or made known to man by the law and light of nature ? something must be here premised , before i shew the grounds of this question . first then , by the law or light of nature , i mean , that law which was concreat with man ; that which is natural to him , being original with , and essential to himself ; consequently that which is invariable and unalterable , as is that nature . secondly , i grant that by this law of nature , man understands that there is one eternal god ; that this god is to be worshiped according to his own will ; consequently that time must be allowed to do it in : but whether the law or light of nature teacheth , and , that of it self , without the help of revelation , that the seventh day of the week is that time sanctified of god , and set apart for his worship , that 's the question ; and the grounds of it are thefe : first , because the law of nature is anticedent to this day ▪ yea compleated as a law before 't was known or revealed to man that god either did or would sanctifie the seventh day of the week at all . now this law , as was said , being natural to a man , ( for man is a l●m unto himself , ( rom. 2. ) could onely teach the things of a man , and there the apostle stints it , 1 cor. 2. 11. ) ▪ but to be able to determine , and that about things that were yet without being either in nature , or by revelation , is that which belongs not to a man as a man ; and the seventh-day-sabbath as yet , was such : for adam was compleatly made the day before ; and god did not sanctifie the seventh day before it was , none otherwise than by his secret decree . therefore by the law of nature adam understood it not , it was not made known to him thereby . secondly , to affirm the contrary , is to make the law of nature supernatural , which is an impossibility . yea , they that do so , make it a predictor , a prophet ; a prophet about divine things to come ; yea , a prophet able to foretel what shall be , and that without a revelation ; which is a strain that never yet prophet pretended to . besides ; to grant this , is to run into a grievous errour ; for this doth not onely make the law of nature the first of prophets ; contrary to gen. 3. 10. compared with joh. 1. 1. but it seems to make the will of god , made known by revelation , a needless thing . for if the law of nature , as such , can predict , or foretel gods secrets , and that before he reveals them , and this law of nature is universal in every individal man in the world , what need is there of particular prophets , or of their holy writings ? ( and indeed here the quakers and others split themselves : ) for if the law of nature can of it self reveal unto me one thing pertaining to instituted worship , for that we are treating of now , and the exact time which god has not yet sanctified and set apart for the performance thereof , why may it not reveal unto me more , and so still more ; and at last all that is requisite for me to know , both as to my salvation , and how god is to be worshipped in the church on earth . thirdly , if it be of the law of nature , then all men by nature are convinced of the necessity of keeping it , and that though they never read or heard of the revealed will of god about it ; but this we find not in the world . for though it is true that the law of nature is common to all , and that all men are to this day under the power and command thereof , yet we find not that they are by nature under a conviction of the necessity of keeping of a seventh-day-sabbath . yea , the gentiles , though we read not that they ever despised the law of nature , yet never had , as such , a reverence of a seventh-day-sabbath , but rather the contrary . fourthly , if therefore the seventh-day-sabbath is not of the law of nature , then it should seem not to be obligatory to all . for instituted worship , and the necessary circumstances thereunto belonging , is obligatory but to some . the tree that adam was forbid to eat of , we read not but that his children might have eat the fruit thereof : and circumcision , the passover , and other parts of instituted worship was enjoyned but to some . fifthly , i doubt the seventh-day-sabbath is not of the law of nature , and so not moral ; because though we read that the law of nature , and that before moses , was charged upon the world , yet i fi●d not till then , that the prophanation of a seventh-day-sabbath was charged upon the world : and indeed to me this very thing makes a great scruple in the case . a law , as i said , we read of , and that from adam to moses ( rom. 5. 13 , 14. ) the transgressions also of that law we read of them , and that particularly , as in gen. 4. 8. ch . 6. 5. ch . 9. 21 , 22. ch . 12. 13. ch . 13. 13. ch . 18. 12 , 13 , 14 , 15. ch . 19. 5. ( ezek. 49. 50. ) ch . 31. 30. ch . 35. 2. ch . 40. 15. ch . 44. 8 , 9 , 10. deut. 8. 19 , 28. ch . 12. 2. psal. 106. 35 , 36 , 37. and romans the first and second chapters . but in all the scriptures we do not read , that the breach of a seventh-day-sabbath was charged upon men as men all that time . whence i gather , that either a seventh-day-sabbath was not discerned by the light of nature , and so not by that law imposed ; or else , that men by the help and assistance of that ( for we speak of men as men ) in old time kept it better , than in after ages did the church of god with better assistance by far : for they are there yet found fault with as breakers of that sabbath ( ezekel 20. 13. ) it follows therefore , that if the law of nature doth not of it self reveal to us , as men , that the seventh day is the holy sabbath of god. that that day , as to the sanction of it , is not moral , but rather arbitrary , to wit , imposed by the will of god upon his people , until the time he thought fit to change it for another day . and if so , it is hence to be concluded , that though by the light of nature men might see that time must be allowed and set apart for the performance of that worship that god would set up in his house , yet , as such , it could not see what time the lord would to that end chuse . nature therefore saw that by a positive precept , or a word revealing it , and by no other means . nor doth this at all take away a whit of that sanction which god once put upon the seventh-day-sabbath ; unless any will say , and by sufficient argument prove , that an ordinance for divine worship receiveth greater sanction from the law of nature than from a divine precept : or standeth stronger when 't is established by a law humane , for such is the law of nature , than when imposed by revelation of god. but the text will put this controversie to an end . the sanction of the seventh-day-sabbath , even as it was the rest of god , was not till after the law of nature was compleated ; god rested the seventh day , and sanctified it , ( gen. 2. 3. ) sanctified it ; that is , set it apart to the end there mentioned , to wit , to rest thereon . other grounds of this question i might produce , but at present i will stop here , and conclude , that if a seventh-day-sabbath was an essential necessary to the instituted worship of god , then it self also as to its sanction for that work , was not founded but by a positive precept ; consequently not known of man at first , but by revelation of god. quest . ii. whether the seventh-day-sabbath , as to mans keeping of it holy , was ever made known to or imposed by a positive precept upon him until the time of moses ? which from adam was about two thousand years . something must also be here premised , in order to my propounding of my grounds for this question ; and that is , that the seventh day was sanctified so soon as it had being in the world , unto the rest of god ( as it is gen. 2. 2 , 3. ) and he did rest from all his works which he had made therein . but the question is , whether when god did thus sanctifie this day to his own rest , be did also by the space of time above-mentioned , impose it as an holy sabbath of rest upon men ; to the end they might solemnize worship to him in special manner thereon ? and i question this , first , because we read not that it was . and reading , i mean , of the divine testimony , is ordained of god , for us to find out the mind of god , both as to faith and our performance of acceptible service to him . in reading also , we are to have regard to two things . 1. to see if we can find a precept : or , 2. a countenanced practice for what we do : for both these ways we are to search , that we may find out what is that good , that acceptible will of god. for the first of these we have gen. 2. 16 , 17. and for the second , gen. 8. 20 , 21. now as to the imposing of a seventh ▪ day-sabbath upon men from adam to moses , of that we find nothing in holy writ either from precept or example . true , we find that solemn worship was performed by the saints that then lived : for both abel noah , abraham , isaac , jacob sacrificed unto god ( gen. 4. 4. ch . 8. 20 , 21. ch . 12. 7. ch . 13. 4. ch . 35. 1. ) but we read not that the seventh day was the time prefixed of god for their so worshipping , or that they took any notice of it . some say , that adam in eating the forbidden fruit , brake also the seventh-day-sabbath , because he fell on that day ; but we read not that the breach of a sabbath was charged upon him . that which we read is this ; hast thou eaten of the tree whereof i commanded thee , that thou shouldest not eat ? ( gen. 3. 11. ) some say also that cain killed abel on a sabbath day ; but we read not that in his charge god laid any such thing at his door . this was it of which he stood guilty before god ; namely , that his brothers bloud cried unto god against him from the ground , ( gen. 4. 10. ) i therefore take little notice of what a man saith , though he flourisheth his matter with many brave words , if he bring not with him , thus saith the lord. for that , and that onely , ought to be my ground of faith as to how my god would be worshipped by me . for in the matters material to the worship of god , 't is safest that thus i be guided in my judgement : for here onely i perceive the footsteps of the flock ( ezek. 3. 11. song 1. 8. ) they say further , that for god to sanctifie a thing , is to set it apart . this being true ; then it follows , that the seventh-day-sabbath was sanctified , that is , set apart for adam in paradise ; and so , that it was ordained a sabbath of rest to the saints from the beginning . but i answer , as i hinted before , that god did sanctifie it to his own rest . the lord also hath set apart him that is godly for himself . but again , 't is one thing for god to sanctifie this or that thing to an use , and another thing to command that that thing be forthwith in being to us . as for instance : the land of canaan was set apart many years for the children of israel before they possessed that land. christ jesus was long sanctified ; that is , set apart to be our redeemer before he sent him into the world ( deut. 32. 8. joh. 10. 36. ) if then , by gods sanctifying of the seventh day for a sabbath , you understand it for a sabbath for man , ( but the text saith not so ) yet it might be so set apart for man , long before it should be , as such , made known unto him . and that the seventh-day-sabbath was not as yet made known to men , consider secondly , moses himself seems to have the knowledge of it at first , not by tradition , but by revelation ; as it is ( exod. 16. 23. ) this is that , saith he , that the lord hath said , ( namely to me ; for we read not , as yet , that he said it to any body else ) to morrow is the sabbath of the holy rest unto the lord. also holy nehemiah suggesteth this , when he saith of israel to god , thou madest known to them thy holy sabbaths ( neh. 9. 14. ) the first of these texts shew us , that tidings of a seventh-day-sabbath for men , came first to moses from heaven : and the second , that it was to israel before unknown . but how could be either the one or the other , if the seventh ▪ day-sabbath was taught men by the light of nature , which is the moral law ? or if from the beginning it was given to men by a positive precept for to be kept . this therefore strengthning my doubt about the affirmative of the first question , and also prepareth an argument for what i plead as to this we have now under consideration . thirdly , this yet seems to me more scrupulous , because that the punishment due to the breach of the seventh-day-sabbath was hid from men to the time of moses ; as is clear ; for that 't is said of the breaker of the sabbath , they put him in ward , because it was not as yet declared what should be done unto him , numb . 15. 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36. but methinks , had this seventh-day-sabbath been imposed upon men from the beginning , the penalty or punishment due to the breach thereof had certainly been known before now . when adam was forbidden to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil , the penalty was then , if he disobeyed , annexed to the prohibition . so also it was as to circumcision , the passover , and other ordinances for worship . how then can it be thought , that the seventh-day-sabbath should be imposed upon men from the beginning ; and that the punishment for the breach thereof , should be hid with god for the space of two thousand years ! gen. 2. 16 , 17. ch . 17. 13 , 14. exod. 12. 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 , 48. and the same chapter , vers . 19. fourthly , gods giving of the seventh-day-sabbath was with respect to stated and stinted worship in his church ; the which , until the time of moses , was not set up among his people . things till then were adding or growing : now a sacrifice , then circumcision , then again long after that the passover , &c. but when israel was come into the wilderness , there to receive as gods congregation , a stated , stinted , limited way of worship , then he appoints them a time , and times , to perform this worship in ; but as i said afore , before that it was not so , as the whole five books of moses plainly shew : wherefore the seventh-day-sabbath , as such a limited day , cannot be moral , or of the law of nature , nor imposed till then . and methinks christ jesus and his apostles do plainly enough declare this very thing : for that when they repeat unto the people , or expound before them the moral law , they quite exclude the seventh-day-sabbath : yea , paul makes that law to us compleat without it . we will first touch upon what christ doth in this case . as in his sermon upon the mount , matthew chap. 5. chap. 6. chap. 7. in all that large and heavenly discourse upon this law , you have not one syllable about the seventh-day-sabbath . so when the young man came running , and kneeling , and asking what good thing he should do to inherit eternal life , christ bids him keep the commandments ; but when the young man asked which christ quite leaves out the seventh day , and puts him upon the other . as in matth. 19. 17 , 18 , 19. as in mark 10. 18 , 19 , 20. as in luke 18. 18 , 19 , 20. you will say , he left out the first , and second , and third likewise . to which i say , that was because the young man by his question did presuppose that he had been a doer of them : for he profess'd in his supplication , that he was a lover of that which is naturally good , which is god , in that his petition was so universal for every thing which he had commanded . paul also when he makes mention of the moral law , quite leaves out of that the very name of the seventh-day-sabbath , and professeth , that to us christians the law of nature is compleat without it . as in rom. 3. 7 , 19. as in rom. 13. 7 , 8 , 9 , 10. as in 1 tim. 1. 8 , 9 , 10 , 11. he that loveth another , saith he , hath fulfilled the law . for this , thou shalt not commit adultery , thou shalt not kill , thou shalt not steal , thou shalt not covet : and if there be any other commandment , it is briefly comprehended under this saying , thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self . love worketh no ill to his neighbour , therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. i make not an argument of this , but take an occasion to mention it as i go : but certainly , had the seventh-day-sabbath been moral , or of the law of nature , ( as some would fain perswade themselves ) it would not so slenderly have been passed over in all these repetitions of this law , but would by christ or his apostles have been pressed upon the people , when so fair an opportunity as at these times offered it self unto them . but they knew what they did , and wherefore they were so silent as to the mention of a seventh-day-sabbath when they so well talked of the law as moral . fifthly , moses and the prophet ezekel both , do fully confirm what has been insinuated by us ; to wit , that the seventh day as a sabbath was not imposed upon men until israel was brought into the wilderness . 1. moses saith to israel , remember that thou wast a servant in the land of egypt , and that the lord thy god brought thee out thence through a mighty hand , and by a stretched-out arm ; therefore the lord thy god commandeth thee to keep the sabbath day . yea , he tells us , that the covenant which god made with them in horeb , that written in stones , was not made with their forefathers ( to wit , abraham , isaac , and jacob ) but with them , deut. 5. 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15. 2. ezekel also is punctual as to this : i caused them , saith god by that prophet , to go forth out of the land of egypt , and brought them into the wilderness . and i gave them my statutes , and shewed them my judgements , which if a man do he shall even live in them . moreover , i gave them my sabbaths to be a sign between me and them , that they might know that i am the lord that sanctifieth them , ezek. 20. 10 , 11 , 12 , 13. exod. 20. 8 ▪ ch . 31. 13. ch . 35. 2. what can be more plain ? and these to be sure , are two notable witnesses of god , who , as you see , do joyntly concur in this ; to wit , that it was not from paradise , nor from the fathers , but from the wilderness , and from sinai , that men received the seventh-day-sabbath to keep it holy . true , it was gods sabbath before : for on the first seventh day we read , that god rested thereon , and sanctified it . hence he calls it in the first place my sabbath . i gave them my sabbath : but it seems 't was not given to the church till he had brought them into the wilderness . but , i say , if it had been moral , it had been natural to man ; and by the light of nature men would have understood it , even both before it was , and otherwise . but of this you see we read nothing , either by positive law , or countenanced example , or any other way , but rather the flat contrary ; to wit , that moses had ▪ the knowledge of it first from heaven , not by tradition . that israel had it , not of , or from their fathers , but in the wilderness , from him , to wit moses , after he had brought them out of the land of egypt . and that that whole law in which this seventh-day-sabbath is placed , was given for the bounding and better ordering of them in their church-state for their time , till the messias should : come and put by a better ministration this : out of his church , as we shall further shew anon . the seventh-day-sabbath therefore was not from paradise , not from nature , nor from the fathers , but from the wilderness , and from sinai . quest . iii. whether when the seventh-day-sabbath was given to israel in the wilderness , the gentiles , as such , was concerned therein . before i shew my ground for this question , i must also first premise , that the gentiles , as such , were then without the church of god , and pale thereof ; consequently had nothing to do with the essentials or necessary circumstances of that worship which god had set up for himself now among the children of israel . now then for the ground of the question . first , we read not that god gave it to any but to the seed of jacob. hence it is said to israel , and to israel onely , the lord hath given [ you ] his sabbaths : and again , i also gave [ them ] my sabbaths , exod. 16. 29. ezek. 2. 5 , 12. now , if the gift of the seventh-day-sabbath was onely to israel , as these texts do more than seem to say ; then to the gentiles , as such , it was not given . unless any shall conclude , that god by thus doing preferred the jew to a state of gentilism ; or that he bestowed on them by thus doing , some high gentile priviledge . but this would be very fictious : for , to lay aside reason , the text always , as to preference , did set the jew in the first of places , ( rom. 2. 10 : ) nor was his giving the seventh-day-sabbath to them but a signe and token thereof . but the great objection is , because the seventh-day-sabbath is found amongst the rest of those precepts which is so commonly called the moral law ; for thence it is concluded to be of a perpetual duration . but i answer , that neither that as given on sinai is moral ; i mean , as to the manner and ends of its ministration ; of which , god permitting , we shall say more in our answer to the fourth question , whither i direct you for satisfaction . but , secondly , the gentiles could not be concerned , as such , with gods giving of a seventh-day-sabbath to israel , because , as i have shewed before , it was given to israel considered as a church of god , ( acts 7. 31. ) nor was it given to them , as such , but with rites and ceremonies thereto belonging , so levit. 24. 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9. numb . 28. 9 , 10. neh. 13. 22. ezek. 46. 4. now , i say , if this sabbath hath ceremonies thereto belonging , and if these ceremonies were essential to the right keeping of the sabbath : and again , if these ceremonies were given to israel onely , excluding all but such as were their proselytes , then this sabbath was given to them as excluding the gentiles as such . but if it had been moral , the gentiles could assoon have been deprived of their nature as of a seventh-day-sabbath , though the jews should have appropriated it unto themselves onely . again , to say that god gave this seventh-day-sabbath to the gentiles , as such , ( and yet so he must , if it be of the moral law ) is as much as to say , that god hath ordained that that sabbath should be kept by the gentiles without ; but by the jews , not without her ceremonies . and what conclusion will follow from hence , but that god did at one and the same time set up two sorts of acceptable worships in the world : one among the jews , another among the gentiles ? but how ridiculous such a thought would be , and how repugnant to the wisdom of god , you may easily perceive . yea , what a diminution would this be to gods church that then was , for one to say , the gentiles were to serve god with more liberty than the jew ! for the law was a yoak , and yet the gentile is called the dog , and said to be without god in the world , deut. 7. 7. psal. 147. 19 , 20. matth. 15. 26. eph. 2. 11 , 12. thirdly , when the gentiles at the jews return from babylon , came and offered their wares to sell to the children of israel at jerusalem on this sabbath ; yea , and sold them to them too : yet not they , but the jews , were rebuked as the onely breakers of that sabbath . nay , there dwelt then at jerusalem men of tyre , that on this sabbath sold their commodities to the jews , and men of judah : yet not they , but the men of judah , were contended with , as the breakers of this sabbath . true , good nehemiah did threaten the gentiles that were merchants , for lying then about the walls of the city , for that by that means they were a temptation to the jews to break their sabbath ; but still he charged the breach thereof onely upon his own people , neh. 13. 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20. but can it be imagined , had the gentiles now been concerned with this sabbath by law divine , that so holy a man as nehemiah would have let them escape without a rebuke for so notorious a transgression thereof ; especially considering , that now also they were upon gods ground , to wit , within and without the walls of jerusalem ? fourthly , wherefore he saith to israel again , verily my sabbaths [ ye ] shall keep . and again , [ ye ] shall keep my sabbaths . and again , the children of israel shall keep my sabbaths to observe my sabbaths thoroughout [ their ] generations , exod. 16. 29. ch . 31. 14 , 15 , 16. what can be more plain , these things thus standing in the testament of god , than that the seventh-day-sabbath as such , was given to israel , to israel onely ; and that the gentiles , as such , were not concerned therein ! fifthly , the very reason also of gods giving of the seventh-day-sabbath to the jews , doth exclude the gentiles , as such , from having any concern therein . for it was given to the jews , as was said before , as they were considered gods church , and for a sign and token by which they should know that he had chosen and sanctified them to himself for a peculiar people , exod. 31. 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17. ezek. 20. 12 , 13. and a great token and sign it was that he had so chosen them : for in that he had given to them this sabbath , he had given to them ( his own rest ) a figure and pledge of his sending his son into the world to redeem them from the bondage and slavery of the devil : of whom indeed this sabbath was a shadow or type , coloss. 2. 16 , 17. thus have i concluded my ground for this third question : i shall therefore now propound another . quest . iv. whether the seventh day-sabbath did not fall , as such , with the rest of the jewish rites and ceremonies ? or whether that day , as a sabbath , was afterwards by the apostles imposed upon the churches of the gentiles ? i would now also , before i shew the grounds of my proposing this question , premise what is necessary thereunto ; to wit ▪ that time and day were both fixed upon by law , for the solemn performance of divine worship among the jews ; and that time and day is also by law fixed , for the solemnizing of divine worship to god in the churches of the gentiles : but that the seventh-day-sabbath , as such , is that time , that day , that still i question . now before i shew the grounds of my questioning of it , i shall enquire into the nature of that ministration in the bowels of which this seventh-day-sabbath is placed . and first , i say , as to that , the nature of that law is moral , but the ministration , and circumstances thereunto belonging , are shadowish and figurative . by the nature of it , i mean the matter thereof : by the ministration and circumstances thereto belonging , i do mean the giving of it by such hands , at such a place and time , in such a mode , as when 't was given to israel in the wilderness . the matter therefore , to wit , thou shalt love the lord thy god with all thy heart , and with all thy soul , and with all thy mind , and with all thy strength , and thy neighbour as thy self , is everlasting , ( mark 12. 29 , 30 , 31. ) and is not from sinai , nor from the two tables of stone , but in nature ; for this law commenced and took being and place that day in which man was created : yea , it was concreate with him , and without it he cannot be a rational creature , as he was in the day in which god created him . but for the ministration of it from sinai , with the circumstances belonging to that ministration , they are not moral , not everlasting , but shadowish and figurative onely . that ministration cannot be moral for three reasons . 1. it commenced not when morality commenced , but two thousand years after . 2. it was not universal as the law , as moral is , 't was given onely to the church of the jews in those tables . 3. it s end is past as such a ministration , though the same law as to the morality thereof abides . where are the tables of stone and this law as therein contained ? we onely , as to that , have the notice of such a ministration , and a rehearsal of the law , with that mode of giving of it , in the testament of god. but to come to particulars . 1. the very preface to that ministration carrieth in it a type of our deliverance from the bondage of sin , the devil , and hell. pharaoh , and egypt , and israels bondage there , being a type of these . 2. the very stones in which this law was engraven , was a figure of the tables of the heart . the first two were a figure of the heart carnal , by which the law was broken : the last two , of the heart spiritual , in which the new law , the law of grace is written and preserv'd , exod. 34. 1. 2 cor. 3. 3. 3. the very mount on which this ministration was given , was typical of mount zion : see heb. 12. where they are compared , vers . 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22. 4. yea , the very church to whom that ministration was given , was a figure of the church of the gospel that is on mount zion : see the same scripture , and compare it with acts 7. 38. revel . 14. 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5. 5. that ministration was given in the hand and by the disposition of angels , to prefigure how the new law or ministration of the spirit was to be given afterwards to the churches under the new testament by the hands of the angel of gods everlasting covenant of grace , who is his onely begotten son , isai. 63. 9. matth. 3. 1. acts 3. 22 , 23. 6. it was given to israel also in the hand of moses , as mediator , to shew or typisie out , that the law of grace was in after-times to come to the church of christ by the hand and mediation of jesus our lord , gal. 3. 19. deut. 5. 5. heb. 8. 6. 1 tim. 2. 5. heb. 9. 15. ch . 12. 24. 7. as to this ministration , it was to continue but till the seed should come ; and then must , as such , give place to a better ministration , gal. 3. 19. a better covenant , established upon better promises , heb. 8. 6. from all this therefore i conclude , that there is a difference to be put between the morality of the law , and the ministration of it upon sinai . the law , as to its morality , was before ; but as to this ministration , 't was not till the church was with moses , and he with the angels on mount sinai in the wilderness . now in the law as moral , we conclude a time propounded , but no seventh-day-sabbath enjoyned : but in that law , as thus ministred , which ministration is already out of doors , we find a seventh day ; that seventh day on which god rested , on which god rested from all his works , enjoyned . what is it then ? why the whole ministration as written and engraven in stones being removed , the seventh-day-sabbath must also be removed ; for that the time , nor yet the day , was as to our holy sabbath , or rest , moral ; but imposed with that whole ministration , as such , upon the church , until the time of reformation : which time being come , this ministration , as i said , as such , ceaseth ; and the whole law , as to the morality of it , is delivered into the hand of christ , who imposes it now also ; but not as a law of works , nor as that ministration written and engraven in stones , but as a rule of life to those that have believed in him , 1 cor. 9. 21. so then that law is still moral , and still supposes , since it teaches that there is a god , that time must be set apart for his church to worship him in , according to that will of his that he hath revealed in his word . but though by that law time is required ; yet by that , as moral , the time never was prefixed . the time then of old was appointed by such a ministration of that law as we have been now discoursing of ; and when that ministration ceased , that time did also vanish with it . and now by our new law-giver , the son of god , he being lord also of the sabbath-day , we have a time prefixed , as the law of nature requireth , a new day , by him who is the lord of it ; i say , appointed , wherein we may worship , not in the oldness of that letter written and engraven in stones , but according to , and most agreeing with , his new and holy testament . and this i confirm further by those reasons that now shall follow . first , because we find not from the resurrection of christ to the end of the bible , any thing written by which is imposed that seventh-day-sabbath upon the churches . time , as i said , the law as moral requires ; but that time we find no longer imposed : and in all duties pertaining to god and his true worship in his churches , we must be guided by his laws and testaments : by his old laws , when his old worship was in force ; and by his new laws , when his new worship is in force . and he hath verily now said , behold , i make all things new . secondly , i find , as i have shewed , that this seventh-day-sabbath is confined , not to the law of nature as such , but to that ministration of it which was given on sinai : which ministration as it is come to an end as such , so it is rejected by paul as a ministration no ways capable of abiding in the church now , since the ministration of the spirit also hath taken its place , ( 2 cor. 3. ) wherefore instead of propounding it to the churches with arguments tending to its reception , he seeks by degrading it of its old lustre and glory , to wean the churches from any likement thereof ; 1. by calling of it the ministration of death , of the letter , and of condemnation , a term most frightful , but no ways alluring to the godly . 2. by calling it a ministration that now has no glory , by reason of the exceeding glory of that ministration under which by the holy spirit the new testament-churches are : and these are weaning considerations , 2 cor. 3. 3. by telling of them it is a ministration that tendeth to blind the mind , and to veil the heart as to the knowledge of their christ : so that they cannot , while under that , behold his beauteous face , but as their heart shall turn from it to him , 2 cor. 3. 4. and that they might not be left in the dark , but perfectly know what ministration it is that he means , he saith expresly , it is that written and engraven in stonès . see again 2 cor. 3. and in that ministration it is that this seventh-day-sabbath is found . but shall we think that the apostles speaks any thing of all here said , to wean saints off from the law of nature as such ! no verily , that he retains in the church , as being managed there by christ : but this ministration is dangerous now , because it cannot be maintained in the church , but in a way of contempt to the ministration of the spirit , and is derogatory to the glory of that . now these , as i said , are weaning considerations . no man , i do think , that knows himself , or the glory of a gospel-ministration , can , if he understands what paul says here , desire that such a ministration should be retained in the churches . fourthly , this seventh-day-sabbath has lost its ceremonies ( those unto which before you are cited by the texts ) which was with it imposed upon the old church for her due performance of worship to god thereon : how then can this sabbath now he kept ? kept , i say , according to law. for it the church on which it was at first imposed , was not to keep it , yea , could not keep it legally without the practising of those ceremonies : and if those ceremonies are long ago dead and gone , how will those that pretend to a belief of a continuation of the sanction thereof , keep it , i say , according as it is written ? if they say , they retain the day , but change their manner of observation thereof ; i ask , who has commanded them so to do ? this is one of the laws of this sabbath : thou shalt take fine flour , and bake twelve cakes thereof : two tenth deals shall be in one cake . and thou shalt set them in two rows , six on a row , upon the pure table before the lord. and thou shalt put pure frankincense upon each row , that it may be on the bread for a memorial , even an offering made by fire unto the lord. every sabbath he shall set it in order before the lord continually , being taken from the children of israel by an everlasting covenant , levit. 24. 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9. you may see also other places , as numb . 28. 9 , 10. neh. 13. 22. and ezek. 46. 4. now if these be the laws of the sabbath , this seventh-day-sabbath ; and if god did never command that this sabbath should by his church be sanctified without them ▪ and , as was said before , if these ceremonies have been long since dead and buried , how must this sabbath be kept ? let men take heed , lest while they plead for law , and pretend themselves to be the onely doers of gods will , they be not found the biggest transgressors thereof . and why can they not as well keep the other sabbaths , as the sabbaths of months , of years , and the jubilee ? for this , as i have shewed , is no moral precept , 't is onely a branch of the ministration of death and condemnation . fifthly , the seventh-day-sabbath , as such , was a sign and shadow of things to come ; and a sign cannot be the thing signified and substance too : wherefore when the thing signified , or substance , is come , the signe or thing shadowing ceaseth . and , i say , the seventh-day-sabbath being so , as a seventh-day-sabbath it ceaseth also . see again , exod. 31. 13 , 14. ezek. 20. 12 , 21. coloss. 2. 14. nor do i find that our protestant writers , notwithstanding their reverence of the sabbath , do conclude otherwise ; but that though time , as to worshipping god , must needs be contained in the bowels of the moral law , as moral ; yet they for good reasons forbear to affix the seventh day as that time there too . they do it , i say , for good reasons , reasons drawn from the scripture ; or rather , for that the scripture draws them so to conclude : yet they cast not away the morality of a sabbath of rest to the church . it is to be granted then , that time for gods worship abideth for ever , but the seventh day vanishes as a shadow and sign ; because such indeed it was , as the scripture above cited declares as to the sanction thereof as a sabbath . the law of nature then calls for time ; but the god of nature assigns it , and has given power to his son to continue such time as himself shall by his eternal wisdom judge most meet for the churches of the gentiles to solemnize worship to god by him in . hence he is said to be lord even of the sabbath day , matth. 12. 9. sixthly , i find by reading gods word , that paul by authority apostolical , takes away the sanctions of all the jews festivals and sabbaths . this is manifest , for that he leaves the observation or non-observation of them , as things indifferent to the mind and discretion of the believers . one man esteemeth one day above another : another esteemeth every day alike . let every man be fully perswaded in his own mind . rom. 14. 5. by this last clause of the verse , [ let every man be fully perswaded in his own mind ] he doth plainly declare , that such days are now stript of their sanction : for none of gods laws , while they retain their sanction , are left to the will and mind of the believers , as to whether they will observe them or no. men , i say , are not left to their liberty in such a case ; for when a stamp of divine authority is upon a law , and abides , so long we are bound , not to our mind , but to that law : but when a thing , once sacred , has lost its sanction , then it falls , as to faith and conscience , among other common or indifferent things . and so the seventh-day-sabbath did . again . seventhly , thus paul writes to the church of coloss. let no man judge you in meat , or in drink , or in respect of any holy day , or of the new moon , or of the sabbath : which are a shadow of things to come , but the body is christ , coloss. 2. 16 , 17. here also , as he serveth other holy-days , he serveth the sabbath : he gives a liberty to believers to refuse the observation of it , and commands that no man should judge against them for their so doing . and as you read , the reason of his so doing is , because the body , the substance is come : christ , saith he , is the body , or that which these things were a shadow or figure of . the body is christ. nor hath the apostle , since he saith [ or of the sabbath ] one would th 〈…〉 left any hole , out at which mens inventions could get : but man has sought out many ; and , so , many he will use . but again , that the apostle by this word sabbath intends the seventh-day-sabbath , is clear ; for that it is by moses himself counted for a sign , as we have shewed : and for that none of the other sabbaths were a more clear shadow of the lord jesus christ than this . for that , and that alone , is called the rest of god : in it god rested from all his works . hence he calls it by way of eminency my sabbath , and my holy-day , isai. 58. 13. yet could that rest be nothing else but typical ; for god , never since the world began , really rested , but in his son : this is he , saith god , in whom i am well pleased . this sabbath then , was gods rest typically , and was given to israel as a sign of his grace towards them in christ : wherefore when christ was risen , it ceased , and was no longer of obligation to bind the conscience to the observation thereof . [ or of the sabbath ] he distinctly singleth out this seventh day , as that which was a most noble shadow , a most exact shadow . and then puts that with the other together ; saying , they are a shadow of things to come ; and that christ has answered them all . the body is christ. eighthly , no man will , i think , deny , but that heb. 4. 4. intends the seventh-day-sabbath , on which god rested from all his works ; for the text doth plainly say so : yet may the observing reader easily perceive , that both it , and the rest of canaan also , made mention of vers . 5. were typical , as to a day made mention of vers . 7 , and 8. which day he calls another . he would not afterwards have made mention of another day . if joshuah had given them rest , he would not . now if they had not that rest in joshuah's days , be sure they had it not by moses ; for he was still before . all the rests therefore that moses gave them , and that joshua gave them too , were but typical of another day , in which god would give them rest , vers . 9 , 10. and whether the day to come , was christ , or heaven , it makes no matter : 't is enough that they before did fail , as always shadows do , and that therefore mention by david is , and that afterward , made of another day . there remains therefore a rest to the people of god. a rest to come , of which the seventh day in which god rested , and the land of canaan , was a type ; which rest begins in christ now , and shall be consummated in glory . and in that he saith , there remains a rest , referring to that of david , what is it , if it signifies not , that the other rests remain not ? there remains therefore a rest ; a rest prefigured by the seventh day , and by the rest of canaan , though they are fled and gone . there remains a rest ; a rest which stands not now in signs or shadows , in the seventh day , or canaan ; but in the son of god , and his kingdom , to whom , and to which the weary are invited to come for rest . isai. 28. 12. matth. 11. 28. heb. 4. 11. yet this casts not out the christians holy-day or sabbath : for that was not ordained to be a type or shadow of things to come , but to sanctifie the name of their god in , and to perform that worship to him which was also in a shadow signified by the ceremonies of the law , as the epistle to the hebrews doth plentifully declare . and i say again , the seventh-day-sabbath cannot be it , for the reasons shewed afore . ninthly , especially if you adde to all this , that nothing of the ministration of death written and engraven in stones , is brought by jesus , or by his apostles into the kingdom of christ , as a part of his instituted worship . hence it is said of that ministration in the bowels of which this seventh-day-sabbath is sound , that it has now no glory ; that its glory is done away , in or by christ , and so is laid aside , the ministration of the spirit that excels in glory , being come in the room thereof . i will read the text to you . but if the ministration of death , written and engraven in stones , was glorious , so that the children of israel could not stedfastly behold the face of moses , for the glory of his countenance , which glory was to be done away . ( it was given at first with this proviso , that it should not always retain its glory , that sanction , as a ministration ) how shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious ? for if the ministration of condemnation be glory , much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory . for even that which was made glorious , had no glory in this respect , by reason of the glory that excelieth . for if that which is done away was glorious , much more that which remaineth is glorious . 2 cor. 3. what can be more plain ? the text says expresly , that this ministration doth not remain ; yea , and insinuates , that in its first institution it was ordained with this proviso , it was to be done away . now if in its first institution upon sinai it was thus ordained ; and if by the coming in of the ministration of the spirit , this ordination is now executed ; that is , if by it , and the apostle saith it , it is done away by a ministration that remains : then where is that seventh-day-sabbath ? thus therefore i have discoursed upon this fourth question : and having shewed by this discourse , that the old seventh-day-sabbath is abolished and done away , and that it has nothing to do with the churches of the gentiles ; i am next to shew what day it is that must abide , that must abide as holy to the christians , and for them to perform their new testament-church-service in . take the question thus . quest . v. since it is denied that the seventh-day-sabbath is moral , and is found it is not to abide as a sabbath for ever in the church , what time is to be fixed on for new testament-saints to perform together , divine worship to god by christ in ? upon this question hangs the stress of all , as to the subject now under consideration : but before i can speak distinctly to it , i must premise , as i have in order to my speaking to the questions before , something for the better clearing of our way . 1. then , we are not now speaking of all manner of worshipping god , nor of all times in which all manner of worship is to be performed ; but of that worship , which is church-worship , or worship that is to be performed by the assembly of saints , when by the will of god they in all parts of his dominion assemble together to worship him ; which worship hath a prefixed time alotted to , or for its performance , and without which it cannot , according to the mind of god , be done . this is the time , i say , that we are to discourse of , and not of all time appointed for all manner of worship . i do not question but that worship by the godly is performed to god every day of the week ; yea , and every night too , and that time is appointed or allowed of god for the performance of such worship . but this time is not fixed to the same moment or ho●● universally , but is left to the discretion of the believers , as their frame of spirit , or occasions , or exigencies , or tenptations , or duty shall require . we meddle then onely with that time that the worship aforesaid is to be performed in ; which time the law of nature as such supposes , but the god of nature chuses . and this time as to the churches of the gentiles , we have proved is not that time which was assigned to the jews , to wit , that seventh day which was imposed upon them by the ministration of death ; for , as we have shewed already , that ministration indeed is done away by a better and more glorious ministration , the ministration of the spirit ; which ministration surely would be much more inferiour than that which has now no glory , was it defective as to this . that is , if it imposed a gospel-service , but appointed not time to perform that worship in : or if notwithstanding all its commendation , it should be forced to borrow of a ministration inferiour to it self ; that , to wit , the time without which by no means its most solemn worship can be performed . this then is the conclusion , that time to worship god in is required by the law of nature ; but that the law of nature doth , as such , fix it on the seventh day from the creation of the world , that i utterly deny , by what i have said already , and have yet to say on that behalf : yea , i hope to make it manifest , as i have , that this seventh day is removed ; that god , by the ministration of the spirit , has changed the time to another day , to wit , the first day of the week . therefore we conclude the time is fixed for the worship of the new testament-christians , or churches of the gentiles , unto that day . now in my discourse upon this subject i shall , 1. touch upon those texts that are more close , yet have a divine intimation of this thing in them . 2. and then i shall come to texts more express . first , for those texts that are more close , yet have a divine intimation of this thing in them . first , the comparison that the holy ghost makes between the rest of god from his works , and the rest of christ from his , doth intimate such a thing : he that hath entred into his rest , he also hath ceased from his own works as god did from his , heb. 4. 10. now god rested from his works , and sanctified a day of rest to himself , as a signal of that rest ; which day he also gave to his church as a day of holy rest likewise . and if christ thus rested from his own works , ( and the holy ghost says he did thus rest ) he also hath sanctified a day to himself , as that in which he hath finished his work , and given it also to his church to be an everlasting memento of his so doing , and that they should keep it holy for his sake . and see ! as the fathers work was first , so his day went before ; and as the sons work came after , so his day accordingly succeeded . the fathers day was on the seventh day from the creation , the sons the first day following . nor may this be slighted , because the text says , as god finished his work , so christ finished his ; he also hath ceased from his own works as god did from his . he rested , i say , as god did ; but god rested on his resting day , and therefore so did christ. not that he rested on the fathers resting day ; for 't is evident , that then he had great part of his work to do ; for he had not as then got his conquest over death , but the next day he also entred into his rest , having by his rising again , finished his work , viz. made a conquest over the powers of darkness , and brought life and immortality to light through his so doing . so then , that being the day of the rest of the son of god , it must needs be the day of the rest of his churches also . for god gave his resting day to his church to be a sabbath ; and christ rested from his own works as god did from his , therefore he also gave the day in which he rested from his works , a sabbath to the churches , as did the father . not that there are two sabbaths at once : the fathers was imposed for a time , even until the son's should come ; yea , as i have shewed you , even in the very time of its imposing it was also ordained to be done away . hence he saith , that ministration was to be done away , 2 cor. 3. therefore we plead not for two sabbaths to be at one time , but that a succession of time was ordained to the new testament-saints , or churches of the gentiles , to worship god in ; which time is that in which the son rested from his own works as god did from his . secondly , hence he calls himself , the lord even of the sabbath day , as luke 5. matth. 12. shews . now to be a lord , is to have dominion , dominion over a thing , and so power to alter or change it according to that power ; and where is he that dares say christ has not this absolutely ? we will therefore conclude , that it is granted on all hands he hath . the question then is , whether he he hath exercised that power to the demolishing or removing of the jews seventh day , and establishing another in its room ? the which i think is easily answered , in that he did not rest from his own works therein ; but chose , for his own rest , to himself another day . surely , had the lord jesus intended to have established the seventh day to the churches of the gentiles , he would himself in the first place have rested from his own works therein ; but since he passed by that day , and took no notice of it , as to the finishing of his own works , as god took notice of it when he had finished his ; it remains that he fixed upon another day , even the first of the week ; on which , by his rising again , and shewing himself to his disciples before his passion , he made it manifest that he had chosen , as lord of the sabbath , that day for his own rest. consequently , and for the rest of his churches , and for his worship to be solemnized in . thirdly , and on this day some of the saints that slept arose , and began their eternal sabbath , matth. 27. 52 , 53. see how the lord jesus had glorified this day ! never was such a stamp of divine honour put upon any other day , no not since the world began . and the graves were opened , and many bodies of saints which slept arose and came out of their graves after his resurrection , &c. that is , they rose as soon as he was risen : but why was not all this done on the seventh day ? no , that day was set apart that saints might adore god for the works of creation , and that saints thorough that might look for redemption by christ : but now a work more glorious than that is to be done , and therefore another day is assigned for the doing of it in . a work , i say , of redemption compleated , a day therefore by it self must be assigned for this ; and some of the saints to begin their eternal sabbath with god in heaven , therefore a day by it self must be appointed for this . yea , and that this day might not want that glory that might attract the most dim-sighted christian to a desire after the sanction of it , the resurrection of christ , and also of those saints met together on it : yea , they both did begin their eternal rest thereon . fourthly , the psalmist speaks of a day that the lord jehovah , the son of god , has made ; and saith , we will rejoyce and be glad in it . but what day is this ? why the day in which christ was made the head of the corner , which must be applied to the day in which he was raised from the dead , which is the first of the week . hence peter saith to the jews , when he treateth of christ before them , and particularly of his resurrection , this is the stone which [ was ] set at nought of you builders which [ is ] become the head of th● corner . he was set at nought b● them , the whole course of his ministry unto his death , and was mad the head of the corner by god that day he rose from the dead . this day therefore is the day that th● lord jehovah has made a day o● rejoycing to the church of christ and we will rejoyce and be glad i● it . for can it be imagined , that the spirit by the prophet should thus signalize this day for nothing ; saying , this is the day which the lord hath made , to no purpose ? yes , you may say , for the resurrection of his son. but i adde , that that is not all , 't is a day that the lord has both made for that , and that we might rejoyce and be glad in it . rejoyce , that is , before the lord while solemn divine worship is performed on it , by all the people that shall partake of the redemption accomplished then . fifthly , god the father again leaves such another stamp of divine note and honour upon this day as he never before did leave upon any ; where he saith to our lord , thou art my son , this day have i begotten thee , acts 13. 33. still , i say , having respect to the first day of the week ; for that , and no other , is the day here intended by the apostle . this day , saith god , is the day : and as concerning that he raised him up from the dead , now no more to return to corruption , he saith on this wise , i will give thee the sure mercies of david : wherefore he saith in another psalm , thou shalt not suffer thine holy one to see corruption . wherefore the day in which god did this work , is greater than that in which he finished the work of creation for his making of the creation saved it not from corruption , but now he hath done a work which corruption cannot touch , wherefore the day on which he did this , ha● this note from his own mouth this day , as a day that doth transcend . and , as i said , this day is the fir●● of the week ; for 't was in that da● that god begat his beloved so from the dead . this first day o● the week therefore on it god foun● that pleasure which he found not i● the seventh day from the world creation , for that in it his son did live again to him . now shall not christians , when they do read that god saith , this day , and that too with reference to a work done on it by him , so full of delight to him , and so full of life and heaven to them , set also a remark upon it , saying , this was the day of gods pleasure , for that his son did rise thereon ; and shall it not be the day of my delight in him ! this is the day in which his son was both begotten , and born , and became the first-fruits to god of them that sleep ; yea , and in which also he was made by him the chief , and head of the corner ; and shall not we rejoyce in it ? acts 13. 33. heb. 1. 5. coloss. 1. 18. revel . 1. 5. shall kings , and princes , and great men set a remark upon the day of their birth and coronation , and expect that both subjects and servants should do them high honour on that day ! and shall the day in which christ was both begotten and born , be a day contemned by christians ! and his name not be , but of a common regard on that day ? i say again , shall god , as with his finger , point , and that in the face of the world , at this day , saying , thou art my son , this day , &c. and shall not christians fear , and awake from their employments , to worship the lord on this day ! if god remembers it , well may i ! if god says , and that with all gladness of heart , thou art my son , this day have i begotten thee ! may not ! ought not i also to set this day apart to sing the songs of my redemption in ? this day my redemption was finished . this day my dear jesus revived . this day he was declared to be the son of god with power . yea , this is the day in which the lord jesus finished a greater work than ever yet was done in the world : yea , a work in which the father himself was more delighted than he was in making of heaven & earth : and shall darkness and the shadow of death stain this day ! or shall a cloud dwell on this day ! shall god regard this day from above ! and shall not his light shine upon this day ! what shall be done to them that curse this day , and would not that the stars should give their light thereon ? this day ! after this day was come , god never , that we read of , made mention with delight , of the old seventh-day-sabbath more . sixthly , nor is that altogether to be slighted , when he saith , when he bringeth his first begotten into the world , let all the angels of god worship him , to wit , at that very time and day , heb. 1. 6. i know not what our expositors say of this text , but to me it seems to be meant of his resurrection from the dead , both because the apostle is speaking of that , vers . 5. and closes that argument with this text , thou art my son , this day have i begotten thee . and again , i will be his father , and he shall be my son. and again , when he bringeth his first-begotten into the world , he saith , and let all the angels of god worship him . so then , for gods bringing of his first-begotten now into the world , was by his raising him again from the dead after they by crucifying of him had turned him out of the same . thus then god brought him into the world , never by them to be hurried out of it again : for christ being now raised from the dead , dies no more ▪ death hath no more dominion over him . now , saith the text , when he bringeth him thus into the world , he requireth that worship be done unto him : when ? that very day , and that by all the angels of god. and if by all , then ministers are not excluded ; and if not ministers ▪ then not churches . for what is said to the angel , is said to the church it self , rev. 2. 1 , 7. ch . 2. 8 , 11. ch . 2. 12 , 17. ch . 2. 18 , 29. ch . 3. 1 , 6. ch . 3. 7 , 13. ch . 3. 14 , and 22. so then , if the question be asked , when they must worship him : the answer is , when he brought him into the world , which was on the first day of the week ; for then he bringeth him again from the dead , and gave the whole world and the government thereof into his holy hand . this text therefore is of weight as to what we have now under consideration , to wit , that the first day of the week , the day in which god brought his first-begotten into the world , should be the day of worshipping him by all the angels of god. seventhly , hence this day is called the lords day , as john saith , i was in the spirit on the lords day : the day in which he rose from the dead , rev. 1. 10. the lords day : every day , say some , is the lords day . indeed this for discourse-sake may be granted ▪ but strictly , no day can so properly by called the lords day , as this first day of the week ; for that no day of the week or of the year has those badges of the lords glory upon it , nor such divine grace put upon it us has the first day of the week . this we have already made appear in part , and shall make appear much more before we have done therewith . there is nothing , as i know of , that bears this title but the lords supper , and this day , 1 cor. 11 , 20. rev. 1. 10. and since christians count it an abuse to allegorize the first , let them also be ashamed to santasticalize the last : the lords day is doubtless the day in which he rose from the dead . to be sure it is not the old seventh day ; for from the day that he arose , to the end of the bible , we find not that he did hang so much as one twist of glory upon that ; but this day is beautified with glory upon glory , and that both by the father and the son ; by the prophets and those that were raised from the dead thereon ; therefore this day must be more than the rest . but we are as yet but upon divine intimations , drawn from such texts which , if candidly considered , do very much smile upon this great truth ; namely , that the first day of the week is to be accounted the christian sabbath , or holy day for divine worship in the churches of the saints . and now i come to the texts that are more express . secondly then , first , this was the day in the which he did use to shew himself to his people , and to congregate with them after he rose from the dead . on the first first day , even on the day on which he rose from the dead , he visited his people , both when together and apart , over , and over , and over , as both luke and john do testifie , ( luk. 24. joh. 2. ) and preached such sermons of his resurrection , and gave unto them ; yea , and gave them such demonstration of the truth of-all , as was never given them from the foundation of the world . shewing , he shewed them his risen body ; opening , he opened their understandings ; and dissipating , he so scattered their unbelief on this day , as he never had done before : and this continued one way or another even from before day until the evening . secondly , on the next first day following the church was within again ; that is , congregated to wait upon their lord. and john so relates the matter , as to give us to understand that they were not so assembled together again till then : after eight days , saith he , again the disciples were within ; clearly concluding , that they were not so on the days that were between , no not on the old seventh day . now why should the holy ghost thus precisely speak of their assembling together upon the first day , if not to confirm us in this , that the lord had chosen that day for the new sabbath of his church ? surely the apostles knew what they did in their meeting together upon that day ; yea , and the lord jesus also ; for that he used so to visit them when so assembled , made his practice a law unto them : for practice is enough for us new testament saints , specially when the lord jesus himself is in the head of that practice , and that after he rose from the dead . perhaps some may stumble at the word [ after ] after eight days ; but the meaning is , at the conclusion of the eighth day , or when they had spent in a manner the whole of their sabbath in waiting upon their lord , then in comes their lord , and finisheth that their days service to him with confirming of thomas's faith , and by letting drop other most heavenly treasure among them . christ said , he must lie three days and three nights in the heart of the earth , yet 't is evident , that he rose the third day , 1 cor. 15. 4. we must take then a part for the whole , and conclude , that from the time that the lord jesus rose from the dead , to the time that he shewed his hands and his side to thomas , eight days were almost expired ; that is , he had sanctified unto them two first days , and had accepted that service they had performed to him therein , as he testified by giving of them so blessed a farewel at the conclusion of both those days . hence now we conclude , that this was the custom of the church at this day ▪ to wit , upon the first day of the week to meet together , and to wait upon their lord therein . for the holy ghost counts it needless to make a continued repetition of things ; 't is enough therefore if we have now and then mention made thereof . obj. but christ shewed himself alive to them at other times also , as in joh. 21 , &c. answ. the names of all those days in which he so did are obliterate and blotted out , that they might not be idolized ; for christ did not set them apart for worship , but this day , the first day of the week , by its name is kept alive in the church , the holy ghost surely signifying thus much , that how hidden soever other days were , christ would have his day , the first day had in everlasting remembrance among saints . churches also meet together now on the week-days , and have the presence of christ with them too in their employments ; but that takes not off from them the sanction of the first day of the week , no more than it would take away the sanction of the old seventh day , had it still continued holy to them : wherefore this is no let or objection to hinder our sanctifying of the first day of the week to our god. but thirdly , adde to this , that upon pentecost , which was the first day of the week , mention is made of their being together again : for pentecost was always the morrow after the sabbath , the old seventh-day-sabbath . upon this day , i say , the holy ghost saith , they were again with one accord together in one place . but oh ! the glory that then attended them , by the presence of the holy ghost among them : never was such a thing done as was done on that first day till then . we will read the text ; and when the day of pentecost was fully come , they were all with one accord in one place . and suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind , and it filled all the house where they were sitting . and there appeared unto them cloven tongues , as of fire : and it sat upon each of them , and they were all filled with the holy ghost , acts 2. 1 , 2 , 3 , 4. here 's a first day glorified ! here 's a countenance given to the day of their christian assembling . but we will note a few things upon it . first , the church was now , as on other , first days , all with one accord in one place . we read not that they came together by vertue of any precedent revelation , nor by accident , but contrarywise by agreement ; they was to gather with one accord , or by appointment , in pursuance of their duty , setting apart that day , as they had done the first days afore , to the holy service of their blessed lord and saviour jesus christ. secondly , we read that this meeting of theirs was not begun on the old sabbath , but when pentecost was fully come : the holy ghost intimating , that they had left now , and begun to leave , the seventh-day-sabbath to the unbelieving jews . thirdly , nor did the holy ghost come down upon them till every moment of the old sabbath was past , pentecost , as was said , was fully come first : and when the day of pentecost was fully come , they were all with one accord in one place , and then , &c. and why was not this done on the seventh-day-sabbath ? but , possibly , to shew , that the ministration of death and condemnation was not that by or thorough which christ the lord would communicate so good a gift unto his churches , gal. 3. 1 , 2 , 3 , 4. this gift must be referred to the lords day , the first day of the week , to fulfil the scripture , and to sanctifie yet further this holy day unto the use of all new testament churches of the saints . for since on the first day of the week our lord did rise from the dead , and by his special presence , i mean his personal , did accompany his church therein , and so preach as he did , his holy truths unto them , it was most meet that they on the same day also should receive the first-fruits of their eternal life most gloriously . and , i say again , since from the resurrection of christ to this day , the church then did receive upon the first day , ( but as we read , upon no other ) such glorious things as we have mentioned , it is enough to beget in the hearts of them that love the son of god , a high esteem of the first day of the week . but how much more , when there shall be joyned to these , proof that it was the custom of the first gospel-church , the church of christ at jerusalem , after our lord was risen ; to assemble together to wait upon god on the first day of the week with their lord as leader . to say little more to this head , but onely to repeat what is written of this day of old , to wit , that it should be proclaimed the self same day , to wit , the morrow after the sabbath , which is the first day of the week , that it may be an holy convocation unto you : you shall do no servile work therein : it shall be a statute for ever in all your dwellings , levit. 23. 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21. this ceremony was about the sheaf that was to be waved , and bread of first-fruits , which was a type of christ ; for he is unto god the first-fruits of them that sleep , 1 cor. 15. 20. this sheaf , or bread , must not be waved on the old seventh day , but on the morrow after , which is the first-day of the week , the day in which christ rose from the dead and waved himself as the first-fruits of the elect unto god. now from this day they were to count seven sabbaths compleat , and on the morrow after the seventh sabbath , which was the first day of the week again ; and this pentecost upon which we now are , then they was to have a new meat-offering , with meat-offerings and drink-offerings , &c. and on the self same day they , were to proclaim that that first day , should be a holy convocation unto them . the which the apostles did , and grounded that their proclamation so on the resurrection of jesus christ , not on ceremonies , that at the same day they brought three thousand souls ▪ to god , acts 2. 41. now what another signal was here put upon the first day of the week ! the day in which our lord rose from the dead , assembled with his disciples , poured out so abundantly of the spirit , and gathered even by the first draught , that his fishermen made by the gospel , such a number of souls to god. thus then they proclaimed , and thus they gathered sinners on the first first day that they preached ; for though they had assembled together over and over with their lord before therein , yet they began not joyntly to preach until this first day pentecost . now , after this the apostles to the churches did never make mention of a seventh-day-sabbath . for as the wave-sheaf and the bread of first-fruits were a figure of the lord jesus , and the waving , of his life from the dead : so that morrow after the sabbath on which the jews waved their sheaf , was a figure of that in which our lord did rise ; consequently , when their morrow after the sabbath ceased , our morrow after that began , and so has continued a blessed morrow after their sabbath , as a holy sabbath to christians from that time ever since . fourthly , we come yet more close to the custom of churches ; i mean , to the custom of the churches of the gentiles ; for as yet we have spoken but of the practice of the church of god which was at jerusalem ; only we will add , that the customs that were laudable & binding with the church at jerusalem , were with reverence to be imitated by the churches of the gentiles ; for there was but one law of christ for them both to worship by . now then , to come to the point , to wit , that it was the custom of the churches of the gentiles , on the first day of the week , but upon no other that we read of , to come together to perform divine worship to their lord. hence it is said , and upon the first day of the week , when the disciples were come together to break bread , &c. acts 20. 7. this is a text , that as to matter of fact , cannot be contradicted by any , for the text saith plainly they did so , the disciples then came together to break bread , the disciples among the gentiles did so . thus you see that the solemnizing of a first day to holy uses was not limited to , though first preached by the church that was at jerusalem . the church at jerusalem was the mother-church , and not that at . rome , as some falsely imagine ; for from this church went out the law and the holy word of god to the gentiles . wherefore it must be supposed that this meeting of the gentiles on the first day of the week to break bread , came to them by holy tradition from the church at jerusalem , since they were the first that kept the first day as holy unto the lord their god. and indeed , they had the best advantage to do it ; for they had their lord in the head of them to back them to it by his presence and preaching thereon . but we will a little comment upon the text. upon the [ first day ] of the week . thus you see the day is nominated , and so is kept alive among the churches : for in that the day is nominated on which this religious exercise was performed , it is to be supposed that the holy ghost would have it live , and be taken notice of by the churches that succeed . it also may be nominated to shew , that both the church at jerusalem , and those of the gentiles did harmonize in their sabbath , joyntly concluding to solemnize worship on a day . and then again to shew , that they all had left the old sabbath to the unbelievers , and joyntly chose to sanctifie the day of the rising of their lord , to this work . they came together [ to break bread ] to partake of the supper of the lord. and what day so fit as the lords day for this ? this was to be the work of that day , to wit , to solemnize that ordinance among themselves , adjoyning other solemn worship thereto , to fill up the day , as the following part of the verse shews . this day therefore was designed for this work , the whole day , for the text declares it : the first day of the week was set , by them , apart for this work . upon [ the ] first day ; not upon a first day , or upon one first day , or upon such a first day ; for had he said so , we had had from thence not so strong an argument for our purpose : but when he saith , upon the first day of the week they did it , he insinuates , it was their custom : ( also upon one of these , paul being among them , preached unto them , ready to depart on the morrow . ) upon the first day : what , or which first day of this , or that , of the third or fourth week of the month ? no , but upon the first day , every first day ; for so the text admits us to judge . upon the first day of the week , [ when ] the disciples were come together , supposes a custom [ when ] or as they were wont to come together to perform such service among themselves to god : then paul preached to them , &c. it is a text also that supposes an agreement among themselves as to this thing . they came together then to break bread ; they had appointed to do it then , for that then was the day of their lords resurrection , and that in which he himself congregated after he revived , with the first gospel-church , the church at jerusalem . thus you see , breaking of bread , was the work , the work that by general consent was agreed to be by the churches of the gentiles , performed upon the first day of the week . i say , by the churches ; for i doubt not but that the practice here , was also the practice of the rest of the gentile-churches ▪ even as it had been before the practice of the church at jerusalem : for this practice now did become universal , and so this text implies ; for he speaks here universally of the practice of all disciples as such , though he limits paul preaching to that church with whom he at present personally was . upon the first day of the week , when the disciples were come together to break bread , paul being at that time at troas , preached to them on that day . thus then you see how the gentile-churches did use to break bread , not on the old sabbath , but on the first day of the week . and , i say , they had it from the church of jerusalem , where the apostles were first seated , and beheld the way of their lord with their eyes . now , i say , since we have so ample an example , not onely of the church at jerusalem , but also of the churches of the gentiles , for the keeping of the first day to the lord , and that as countenanced by christ and his apostles , we should not be afraid to tread in their steps , for their practice is the same with law and commandment . but fifthly , we will adde to this another text : now , saith paul , concerning the collection for the saints , as i have given order to the churches of galatia , even so do ye . upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him as god has prospered him , that there be no gatherings when i come , 1 cor. 16. 1 , 2. this text some have greatly sought to evade , counting the duty here , on this day to be done , a duty too inferiour for the sanction of an old seventh-day-sabbath ; when yet to shew mercy to an ass on the old sabbath , was a work which our lord no ways condemns , luke 13. 15. ch . 14. 15. but to pursue our design , we have a duty enjoyned , and that of no inferiour sort : if charity be indeed , as it is , the very bond of perfectness : and if without it all our doings , yea and sufferings too , are not worth so much as a rush , 1 cor. 13. coloss. 3. 14. we have here a duty , i say , that a seventh-day-sabbath , when enforce was not too big for it to be performed in . the work now to be done , was , as you see , to bestow their charity upon the poor ; yea , to provide for time to come : and i say , it must be collected upon the first day of the week . upon the first day ; not a first day , as signifying one or two , but upon the first day , even every first day ; for so your ancient bibles have it ; also our later must be so understood , or else paul had left them to whom he did write , utterly at a loss . for if he intended not every first day , and yet did not specifie a particular one , it could hardly even a been understood which first day he meant : but we need not stand upon this : this work was a work for a first day , for every first day of the week . note again that we have this duty here commanded and enforced by an apostolical order : i have given order , saith paul , for this ; and his orders , as he saith in another place , are the commandments of the lord : you have it in the same epistle , chap. 14. vers . 37. whence it follows , that there was given even by the apostles themselves , a holy respect to the first day of the week above all the days of the week ; yea , or of the year besides . further , i find also by this text , that this order is universal . i have , saith he , given this order not onely to you , but to the churches in galatia : consequently to all other that were concerned in this collection , 2 cor. 8. and 9. chap. &c. now this , whatever others may think , puts yet more glory upon the first day of the week : for in that all the churches are commanded , as to make their collections , so to make them on this day : what is it , but that this day , by reason of the sanction that christ put upon it , was of vertue to sanctifie the offering thorough and by christ jesus , as the altar and temple afore , did sanctifie the gift and gold that was , and was offered on them . the proverb is , the better day , the better deed. and i believe , that things done on the lords day , are better done , than on other days of the week , in his worship . obj. but yet , say some , here are no orders to keep this first day holy to the lord. answ. 1. that is supplied ; for that by this very text this day is appointed , above all the days of the week , to do this holy duty in . 2. you must understand that this order is but additional , and now enjoyned to fill up that which was begun as to holy exercise of religious worship by the churches long before . 3. the universality of the duty being enjoyned to this day , supposes that this day was universally kept by the churches as holy already . 4. and let him that scrupleth this , shew me , if he can , that god by the mouth of his apostles did ever command that all the churches should be confined to this or that duty on such a day , and yet put no sanction upon that day ; or that he has commanded that this work should be done on the first day of the week , and yet has reserved other church-ordinances as a publick solemnization of worship to him , to be done of another day , as of a day more fit , more holy . 5. if charity , if a general collection for the saints in the churches is commanded on this day , and on no other day but this day ; for church-collection is commanded on no other , there must be a reason for it : and if that reason had not respect to the sanction of the day , i know not why the duty should be so strictly confined to it . 6. but for the apostle now to give with this a particular command to the churches to sanctifie that day as holy unto the lord , had been utterly superfluous ; for that they already , and that by the countenance of their lord and his church at jerusalem , had done . before now , i say , it was become a custom , as by what hath been said already is manifest : wherefore what need that their so solemn a practice be imposed again upon the brethren ? an intimation now of a continued respect thereto , by the very naming of the day , is enough to keep the sanctity thereof on foot in the churches : how much more then , when the lord is still adding holy duty to holy duty , to be performed upon that day . so then , in that the apostle writes to the churches to do this holy duty on the first day of the week , he puts them in mind of the sanction of the day , and insinuates , that he would still have them have a due respect thereto . quest. but is there yet another reason why this holy duty should , in special as it is , be commanded to be performed on the first day of the week ? answ. yes : for that now the churches were come together in their respective places , the better to agree about collections , and to gather them . you know church-worship is a duty so long as we are in the world , and so long also is this of making collections for the saints . and for as much as the apostle speaks here , as i have hinted afore , of a church-collection , when is it more fit to be done , than when the church is come together upon the first day of the week to worship god ? 2. this part of worship is most comely to be done upon the first day of the week , and that at the close of that days work : for thereby the church shews , not onely her thankfulness to god for a sabbath-days mercy , but also returneth him , by giving to the poor , that sacrifice for their benefit that is most behoveful to make manifest their professed subjection to christ , prov. 19. 17. 2 cor. 9. 12 , 13 , 14 , 15. it is therefore necessary , that this work be done on the first day of the week , for a comely close of the worship that we perform to the lord our god on that day . 3. on the first day of the week , when the church is performing of holy worship unto god , then that of collection for the saints is most meet to be performed ; because then , in all likelihood , our hearts will be most warm with the divine presence ; consequently most open and free to contribute to the necessity of the saints . you know , that a man when his heart is open , is taken with some excellent thing ; then , if at all , it is most free to do something for the promoting thereof . why , waiting upon god in the way of his appointments , opens , and makes fre● , the heart to the poor : and because the first day of the week was it in which now such solemn service to him was done , therefore also the apostle commanded , that upon the same day also , as on a day most fit , this duty of collecting for the poor should be done : for the lord loves a cheerful giver , 2 cor. 9. 6 , 7. wherefore the apostle by this , takes the churches as it were at the advantage , and as we say , while the iron is hot , to the intent he might , what in him lay , make their gollections , not sparing nor of a grudging mind , but to flow from cheerfulness . and the first day of the week , though its institution was set aside , doth most naturally tend to this ; because it is the day , the onely day , in which we received such blessings from god , acts 3. 26. this is the day on which , at first , it rained manna all day long from heaven upon the new testament-church , and so continues to do this day . oh! the resurrection of christ , which was on this day , and the riches that we receive thereby : though it should be , and is , i hope , thought on every day ; yet when the first of the week is fully come ! then to day ! this day ! this is the day to be warmed ; this day he was begotten from the dead . the thought of this , will do much with an honest mind : this is the day , i say , that the first saints did find , and that after-saints do find the blessings of god come down upon them ; and therefore this is the day here commanded to be set apart for holy duties . and although what i have said may be but little set by of some ; yet , for a closing word as to this , i do think , could but half so much be produced from the day christ rose from the dead quite down , for the sanction of a seventh-day-sabbath , in the churches of the gentiles , it would much sway with me . but the truth is , neither doth the apostle paul , nor any of his fellows , so much as once speak one word to the churches that shews the least regard , as to conscience to god , of a seventh-day-sabbath more . no , the first day , the first day , the first day , is now all the cry in the churches by the apostles , for the performing church-worship in to god. christ began it on that day : then the holy ghost seconded it on that day : then the churches practised it on that day . and to conclude , the apostle by the command now under consideration , continues the sanction of that day to the churches to the end of the world . but as to the old seventh-day-sabbath , as hath been said afore in this treatise , paul , who is the apostle of the gentiles , has so taken away that whole ministration in the bowels of which it is ; yea , and has so stript it of its old testament-grandeur , both by terms and arguments , that it is strange to me it should by any be still kept up in the churches ; specially , since the same apostle , and that at the same time , has put a better ministration in its place , 2 cor. 3. but when the consciences of good men are captivated with an errour , none can stop them from a prosecution thereof , as if it were it self of the best of truths . obj. but paul preached frequently on the old sabbath , and that after the resurrection of christ. answ. to the unbelieving jews and their proselytes , i grant he did . but we read not that he did it to any new testament-church on that day : nor did he celebrate the instituted worship of christ in the churches on that day . for paul , who had before cast out the ministration of death ; as that which had no glory , would not now take thereof any part for new testament instituted worship ; for he knew that that would veil the heart , and blind the mind from that , which yet instituted worship was ordained to discover . he preached then on the seventh-day-sabbath , of a divine and crafty love to the salvation of the unbelieving jews . i say , he preached now on that day to them and their proselytes , because that day was theirs by their estimation : he did it , i say , of great love to their souls , that if possible , he might save some of them . wherefore , it you observe , you shall still find , that where 't is said that he preached on that day , it was to that people , not to the churches of christ. see acts 9. 20. ch . 13. 14 , 15 , 16. ch . 16. 13. ch . 17. 1 , 2 , 3. ch . 18. 4. thus , though he had put away ●e sanction of that day as to himself , and had left the christians that were weak to their liberty as to conscience to it , yet he takes occasion upon it to preach to the jews that still were wedded to it , the faith , that they might be saved by grace . paul did also many other things that were jewish and ceremonial , for which he had , as then , no conscience at all , as to any sanction that he believed was in them . as his circumcising of timothy . his shaving of his head. his submitting to jewish purifications . his acknowledging of himself a pharisee . his implicite owning of ananias for high priest after christ was risen from the dead , acts 16. 1 , 2 , 3. chap. 18. 18. chap. 21. 24 , 25 , 26. chap. 23. 6. chap. 23. 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5. he tells us also , that to the jew he became as a jew , that he might save the jew . and without law , to them that were without law , that also he might gain them : yea , he became , as he saith , all things to all men , that he might gain the more , as it is , 1 cor. 9. 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23. but these things , as i said , he did not of conscience to the things ; for he knew that their sanction was gone : nor would he suffer them to be imposed upon the churches directly or indirectly ; no , not by peter himself , gal. 2. were i in turkie with a church of jesus christ , i would keep the first day of the week to god , and for the edification of his people : and would also preach the word to the infidels on their sabbath day , which is our friday ; and be glad too , if i might have such opportunity to try to perswade them to a love of their own salvation . obj. but if the seventh-day-sabbath is , as you say , to be laid aside by the churches of the gentiles , why doth christ say to his , pray that your flight be not in the winter , nor on the sabbath day ? for , say some , by this saying it appears , that the old seventh-day-sabbath , as you have-called it , will as to the sanction of it , abide in force after christ is ascended into heaven . answ. i say first , these words was spoken to the jewish christians , not to the gentile-churches : and the reason of this first hint , you will see clearer afterwards . the jews had several sabbaths ; as their seventh-day-sabbath , their monthly sabbaths , their sabbath of years , and their jubile , ( levit. 25. ) now if he means their ordinary sabbaths , or that called the seventh-day-sabbath , why doth he joyn the winter thereto ? for in that he joyneth the winter with that sabbath that he exhorteth them to pray their flight might not be in , it should seem that the meaneth rather their sabbath of years , or their jubile , which did better answer one to another than one day and a winter could . and i say again , that christ should suppose that their flight should , or might last some considerable part of a winter , and yet that then they should have their rest on those seventh-day-sabbaths , is a little besides my reason , if it be considered again , that the gentiles before whom they were then to fly , were enemies to their sabbath , and consequently would take opportunity at their sabbaths to afflict them so much the more . wherefore , i would that they who plead for a continuation of the seventh-day-sabbath from this text , would both better consider lt , and the incoherence that seems to be betwixt such a sabbath and a winter . but again , were it granted that it is the seventh-day-sabbath that christ here intendeth ; yet , since , as we have proved , the sanction before this was taken away ; i mean , before this flight should be , he did not press them to pray thus because by any law of heaven they should then be commanded to keep it holy ; but because some would , thorough their weakness , have conscience of it till then . and such would , if their flight should happen thereon , be as much grieved and perplexed , as if it yet stood obligatory to them by a law. this seems to have some truth in it , because among the jews that believed , there continued a long time many that were wedded yet to the law , to the ceremonial part thereof , and was not so clearly evangelized as the churches of the gentiles was . thou seest brother , said james to paul , how many thousands of the jews there are that believe , and they are all zealous of the law , acts 15. 5. ch . 21. 20. of these , and such weak unbelieving jews , perhaps christ speaks , when he gives this exhortation to them to pray thus ; whose consciences he knew would be weak , and being so , would bind when they were entangled with an errour , as fast as if it bound by a law indeed . again , though the seventh-day-sabbath and ceremonies lost their sanction at the resurrection of christ , yet they retained some kind of being in the church of the jews , until the desolation spoken of by daniel should be . hence it is said , that then the oblation and sacrifices shall cease , dan. 9. 27. and hence it is , that jerusalem and the temple are still called the holy place , even until this flight should be , matth. 24. 15. now if jerusalem and the temple are still called holy , even after the body and substance , of which they were shadows , was come ; then no marvel though some to that day that believed were entangled therewith , &c. for it may very well be supposed that all conscience of them would not be quite taken away , until all reason for that conscience should be taken away also . but when jerusalem , and the temple , and the jews worship , by the gentiles was quite extinct by ruines , then in reason that conscience did cease . and it seems by some texts , that all conscience to them was not taken away till then . quest. but what kind of being had the seventh-day-sabbath , and other jewish rites and ceremonies , that by christs resurrection was taken away ? answ. these things had a vertual and a nominal being : as to their vertual being , that died that day christ did rise from the dead , they being crucified with him on the cross , coloss. 2. but now , when the vertual being was gone , they still with the weak retained their name , ( among many of the jews that believed ) until the abomination that maketh desolate stood in the holy place : for in paul's time they were , as to that , but ready to vanish away . now , i say , they still retaining their nominal grandeur , though not by vertue of a law , they could not , till time and dispensation came , be swept out of the way . we will make what hath been said , as to this , out by a familiar similitude . there is a lord or great man dies ; now being dead , he has lost his vertual life . he has now no relation to a wife , to children , vertually ; yet his name still abides , and that in that family , to which otherwise he is dead . wherefore they embalm him , and also keep him above ground for many days . yea , he is still reverenced by those of the family , and that in several respects . nor doth any thing but time and dispensation wear this name away . thus then the old testament-signs and shadows went off the stage in the church of christ among the jews . they lost their vertue and signification when christ nailed them to his cross , coloss. 2. but as to their name , and the grandeur that attended that , it continued with many that were weak , and vanished not , but when the abomination that made them desolate came . the sum then and conclusion of the matter is this ; the seventh-day-sabbath lost its glory when that ministration in which it was , lost its : but yet the name thereof might abide a long time with the jowish legal christians , and so might become obligatory still , though not by the law , to their conscience , even as circumcision and other ceremonies did : and to them it would be as grievous to fly on that day , as if by law it was still in force . for , i say , to a weak conscience , that law which has lost its life , may yet thorough their ignorance , be as binding as if it stood still upon the authority of god. things then become obligatory these two ways . 1. by an institution of god. 2. by the over-ruling power of a mans misinformed conscience . and although by vertue of an institution divine worship is acceptable to god by christ , yet conscience will make that a man shall have but little ease if such rules and dictates as it imposes be not observed by him . this is my answer , upon a supposition that the seventh-day-sabbath is in this text intended : and the answer , i think , stands firm and good . also , there remains , notwithstanding this objection , no divine sanction in , or upon the old seventh-day-sabbath . some indeed will urge , that christ here meant the first day of the week , which here he puts under the term of sabbath . but this is forein to me , so i wave it till i receive more satisfaction in the thing . quest. but if indeed the first day of the week be the new christian sabbath , why is there no more spoken of its iustitution in the testament of christ ? answ. no more ! what need is there of more than enough ! yea , there is a great deal found in the testament of the lord jesus to prove its authority divine . 1. for we have shewed from sundry scriptures , that from the very day our lord did rise from the dead , the church at jerusalem , in which the twelve apostles were , did meet together on that day , and had the lord himself for their preacher , while they were auditors ; and thus the day began . 2. we have shewed that the holy ghost , the third person in the trinity , did second this of christ , in coming down from heaven upon this day to manage the apostles in their preaching ; and in that very day so managed them in that work , that by his help they then did bring three thousand souls to god. 3. we have shewed also , that after this the gentile-churches did solemnize this day for holy worship , and that they had from paul both countenance and order so to do . and now i will adde , that more need not be spoken : for the practice of the first church , with their lord in the head of them to manage them in that practice , is as good as many commands . what then shall we say , when we see a first practice turned into holy custom ? i say moreover , that though a seventh-day-sabbath is not natural to man as man , yet our christian holy day is natural to us as saints , if our consciences are not clogged before with some old fables , or jewish customs . but if an old religion shall get footing and rooting in us , though the grounds thereof be vanished away , yet the man concerned will be hard put to it , should he be saved , to get clear of his clouds , and devote himself to that service of god which is of his own prescribing . luther himself , though he saw many things were without ground which he had received for truth , had yet work hard enough , as himself intimates , to get his conscience clear from all those roots and strings of inbred errour . but , i say , to an untainted and well-bred christian , we have good measure , shaken together , and running over , for our christian lords day . and i say again , that the first day of the week , and the spirit of such a christian , sute one another , as nature suteth nature ; for there is as it were a natural instinct in christians , as such , when they understand what in a first day was brought forth , to fall in therewith to keep it holy to their lord. 1. the first day of the week why it was the day of our life . after two days he will revive us , and in the third day we shall live in his sight . after two days , there is the jews preparation , and seventh-day-sabbath , quite passed over ; and in the third day , that 's the first day of the week , which is the day our lord did rise from the dead , we began to live by him in the sight of god , hos. 6. 2. joh. 20. 1. 1 cor. 15. 4. 2. the first day of the week ! that 's the day in which , as i hinted before , our lord was wont to preach to his disciples after he rose from the dead ; in which also he did use to shew them his hands and his feet , ( luk. 24. 38 , 39. joh. 20. 25. ) to the end they might be confirmed in the truth of his victory over death and the grave for them . the day in which he made himself known to them in breaking bread : the day in which he so plentifully poured out the holy ghost upon them : the day in which the church both at jerusalem , and those of the gentiles , did use to perform to god divine worship : all which has before been sufficiently proved . and shall we not imitate our lord , nor the church that was immediately acted by him in this , and the churches their fellows ? shall , i say , the lord jesus do all this in his church , and they together with him ! shall the churches of the gentiles also fall in with their lord and with their mother at jerusalem herein ! and again , shall all this be so punctually committed to sacred story , with the day in which these things were done , under denomination , over and over , saying , these things were done on the first day , on the first day , on the first day of the week , while all other days are , as to name , buried , in everlasting oblivion ! and shall we not take that notice thereof as to follow the lord jesus and the churches herein ? oh stupidity ! 3. this day of the week ! they that make but observation of what the lord did of old , to a many siuners , & with his churches on this day , must needs conclude , that in this day the treasures of heaven were broken up , and the richest things therein communicated to his church . shall the children of this world be , as to this also , wiser in their generations than the children of light , and former saints , upon whose shoulders we pretend to stand , go beyond us here also . jacob could by observation gather that the place where he lay down to sleep was no other but the house of god , and the very gate of heaven , ( gen. 28. 17. ) laban could gather by observation , that the lord blessed him for jacob's sake , ( gen. 30. 27. ) david could gather by what he met with upon mount moriah , that that was the place where god would have the temple builded , therefore he sacrificed there ( 1 chro. 21. 26 , 27 , 28. ch . 22. 1 , 2. 2 chr. 3. 1. ruth was to mark the place where baaz lay down to sleep , and shall not christians also mark the day in which our lord rose from the dead , ruth 3. 4. i say , shall we not mark it , when so many memorable things was done on it for , and lo , and in the churches of god! let saints be ashamed to think that such a day should be looked over , or counted common ( when tempted to it by satan ) when kept to religious service of old , and when beautifled with so many divine characters of sanctity as we have proved , by christ , his church , the holy ghost , and the command of apostolical authority it was . but why , i say , is this day , on which our lord rose from the dead , nominated as it is ? why was it not sufficient to say he rose again ; or , be rose again the third day ? without a specification of the very name of the day ▪ for , as was said afore . christ appeared to his disciples ▪ after his resurrection , on other days also ; yea ▪ and thereon did miracles too : why then did not these days live ? why was their name , for all that , blotted out , and this day onely kept alive in the churches ? the day on which christ was born of a virgin ; the day of his circumcision , the day of his baptism , and transfiguration , are not by their names committed by the holy ghost to holy writ to be kept alive in the world ▪ nor yet such days in which he did many great and wonderful thing : but this day ▪ this day is still nominated , the first day of the week is the day . i say , why are things thus left with us ? but because we , as saints of old , should gather , and separate , what is of divine authority from the rest . for in that this day is so often nominated while all other days lie dead in their graves , 't is as much as if god should say , remember the first day of the week to keep it holy to the lord your god. and set this aside , and i know not what reason can be rendred , or what prophecy should be fulfilled by the bare naming of the day . when god , of old , did sanctifie for the use of his church a day , as he did many , he always called them either by the name of the day of the month , or of the week , or by some other signal by which they might be certainly known . why should it not then be concluded , that for this very reason the first day of the week is thus often nominated by the holy ghost in the testament of christ ? moreover , he that takes away the first day , as to this service , leaves us now no day , as sanctified of god , for his solemn worship to be by his churches performed in . as for the seventh-day-sabbath , that as we see , is gone to its grave with the signs and shadows of the old testament . yea , and has such a dash left upon it by apostolical authority , that 't is enough to make a christian fly from it for ever , ( 2 cor. 3. ) ▪ now , i say ; since that is removed by god : if we should suffer the first day also to be taken away by man , what day that has a divine stamp upon it , would be left for us to worship god in ? alass ! the first day of the week is the christians market-day , that which they so solemnly trade in for sole provision for all the week following . this is the day that they gather manna in . to be sure the seventh-day-sabbath is not that : for of old the people of god could never find manna on that day . on the seventh day , said moses , which is the sabbath , in it there shall be none , exod. 16. 26. any day of the week manna could be found , but on that day it was not to be found upon the face of the ground . but now our first day is the manna-day ; the onely day that the churches of the new testament , even of old , did gather manna in . but more of this anon . nor will it out of my mind but that it is a very high piece of ingratitude , and of uncomly behaviour , to deny the son of god his day , the lords day , the day that he has made : and as we have shewed already , this first day of the week is it ; yea , and a great piece of unmannerliness is it too , for any , notwithstanding the old seventh day is so degraded as it is , to attempt to impose it on the son of god. to impose a day upon him which yet paul denies to be a branch of the ministration of the spirit , and of righteousness . yea , to impose a part of that ministration which he says plamly , was to be done away ; for that a better ministration stript it of its glory , is a high attempt indeed , 2 cor. 3. yet again , the apostle finites the teachers of the law upon the mouth , saying , they understand neither what they say , nor whereof they affirm , ( 1 tim. 1. 7. ) the seventh-day-sabbath was indeed gods rest from the works of creation ; but yet the rest that he found in what the first day of the week did produce ▪ for christ was born from the dead in it , more pleased him than did all the seventh days that ever the world brought forth ; wherefore , as i said before , it cannot be but that the well-bred christian must set apart this day for solemn worship to god , and to sanctifie his name therein . must the church of old be bound to remember that might in which they did come out of egypt ! must jeptha's daughter have four days for the virgins of israel yearly to lament her hard case in ! yea , must two days be kept by the church of old , yearly , for their being delivered from hamon's fury ! and must not one to the worlds end be kept by the saints for the son of god their redeemer , for all he has delivered them from a worse than pharaob or haman , even from the devil , and death , and sin , and hell ! oh stupidity ! exod. 12. 24. judg. 11. 39 , 40. esth. 9. 26. — 32. a day ! say some , god forbid but he should have a day . but what day ? oh ! the old day comprized within the bounds and bowels of the ministration of death . and is this the love that thou hast to thy redeemer , to keep that day to him for all the service that hath done for thee , which has a natural tendancy in it to draw thee off from the consideration of the works of thy redemption , to the creation of the world ! oh stupidity ! but why must he be imposed upon ? has he chosen that day ? did he finish his work thereon ? is there in all the new testament of our lord , from the day he rose from the dead , to the end of his holy book , one syllable that signifies in the least the tenth part of such a thing ? where is the scripture that saith that this lord of the sabbath commanded his church , from that time , to do any part of church-service thereon ? where do we find the churches to gather together thereon ? but why the seventh day ? what is it ? take but the shadow thereof away : or what shadow now is left in it since its institution as to divine service is taken long since from it ? is there any thing in the works that was done in that day , more than shadow , or that in the least tends otherwise to put us in mind of christ ; and he being come , what need have we of that shadow ? and i say again , since that day was to be observed by a ceremonial method , and no way else , as we find ; and since ceremonies are ceased , what way by divine appointment is there left to keep that old sabbath by christians in ? if they say , ceremonies are ceased . by the same argument , so is the sanction of the day in which they were to be performed . i would gradly see the place , if it is to be found , where 't is said , that day retains its sanction , which yet has lost that method of service which was of god appointed for the performance of worship to him thereon . when canaan-worship fell , the sanction of canaan fell . when temple-worship , and altar-worship , and the sacrifices of the levitical priesthood fell , down also came the things themselves ! likewise so , when the service or shadow and ceremonies of the seventh-day-sabbath fell , the seventh-day-sabbath fell likewise . on the seventh-day-sabbath , as i told you , manna was not to be found . but why for that that day was of moses and of the ministration of death . but manna was was not of him : moses , saith christ , gave you not that bread from heaven , joh. 6. 31 , 32. moses , as was said , ▪ gave that sabbath in tables of stone , and god gave that manna from heaven . christ , nor his father , gives grace by the law , no not by that law in which is contained the old seventh-day-sabbath it self . the law is not of faith , why then should grace be by christians expected by observation of the law ? the law , even the law written and engraven in stones enjoyns perfect obedience thereto on pain of the curse of god. nor can that part of it now under consideration , according as is required , be fulfilled by any man , was the ceremony thereto belonging , allowed to be laid aside , isai. 58. 13. never man yet did keep it perfectly , except he whose name is jesus christ : in him therefore we have kept it , and by him are set free from that law , and brought under the ministration of the spirit . but why should we be bound to seek manna on that day , on which god saies , none shall be found . perhaps , it will said , that the sanction of that day would not admit that manna should be gathered on it . but that was not all , for ▪ on that day there was none to be found . and might i chuse . , i had rather sanctific that day to . god on which i might gather this bread , of god all day long , than set my mind at all upon that in which no such bread was to be had . the lords day , as was said , is to the christians the principal manna-day . on this day , even on it manna in the morning very early gathered was by the disciples of our lord , as newly springing out of the ground . the true bread of god : the sheaf of first-fruits , which is christ from the dead , was ordained to be waved before the lord on the morrow after the sabbath , the day on which our lord ceased from his own own work as god did from his , levit. 23. now ▪ therefore the disciples found their green ears of corn indeed ! now they read life , both in and out of the sepulchre in which the lord was laid . now they could not come together nor speak one to another , but either their lord was with them , or they had heart-enflaming tidings from him . now cries one and says , the lord is risen : and then another and says , he hath appeared to such and such . now comes tidings to the eleven that their women was early at the sepulchre , where they had a vision of angels that told them their lord was risen : then comes another and says , the lord is risen indeed . two also comes from emmaus , and cries , we have seen the lord : and by and by , while they yet were speaking , their lord shews himself in the midst of them . now he calls to their mind some of the eminent passages of his life , and eats and drinks in their presence , and opens the scriptures to them : yea , and opens their understanding too , that their hearing might not be unprofitable to them ; all which continued from early in the morning till late at night : oh! what a manna-day was this to the church . and more than all this you will find , if you read but the four evangelists upon this subject . thus began the day after the sabbath , and thus it has continued thorough all ages to this very day . never did the seventh-day-sabbath yield manna to christians . a new world was now begun with the poor church of god ; for so said the lord of the sabbath , behold , i make all things new . a new covenant , and why not then a new resting-day to the church ? or why must the old sabbath be joyned to this new ministration ? let him that can shew a reason for it . christians , if i have not been so large upon things as some might expect ; know , that my brevity on this subject is , from consideration that much needs not be spoken thereto , and because i may have occalion to write a second part. christians , beware of being entangled with old testament miniserations , left ' by ' one you be brought into many inconveniencies . i have observed , that though the jewish rites have lost their sanction , yet some that are weak in judgement , do bring themselves into bondage by them . yea , so high have some been carried as to a pretended conscience to these , that they have at last proceeded to circumcision , to many wives ; and the observation of many bad things besides . yea , i have talked with some pretending to christianity , who have said , and affirmed , as well as they could , that the jewish sacrifices must up again . but do you give no heed to these jewish fables that turn from the truth ( tit. 1. 14. ) do you , i say , that love the lord jesus , keep close to his testament , his word , his gospel , and observe his holy-day . and this caution in conclusion i would give , to put stop to this jewish ceremony , to wit , that a seventh-day-sabbath pursued according to its imposition by law , ( and i know not that it is imposed by the apostles . ) leads to bloud and stoning to death those that do but gather sticks thereon ( numb . 15. 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36. ) a thing which no way becomes the gospel , that ministration of the spirit and of righteousness ( 2 cor. 3. ) nor yet the professors thereof ( luke 9. 54 , 55 , 56. ) nor can it with fairness be said , that that sabbath day remains , though the law thereof is repealed . for consident i am , that there is no more ground to make such a conclusion , than there is to say , that circumcision is still of force , though the law for cutting of the uncircumcised is by the gospel made null and void . i told you also in the epistle , that if the fifth commandment was the first that was with promise ; then it follows , that the fourth , or that seventh-day-sabbath , had no promise intailed to it . whence it follows , that where you read in the prophet of a promise annexed to a sabbath , it is best to understand it of our gospel-sabbath , isai. 56. now if it be asked , what promise is intailed to our first-day-sabbath ? i answer , the bigest of promises . for first , the resurrection of christ was tyed by promise to this day , and to none other . he rose the third day after his death , and that was the first day of the week , according to what was fore-promised in the scriptures , hos. 6. 1 , 2. 1 cor. 15. 3 , 4 , 5 , 6. second , that we should live before god by him , is a promise to be fulfilled on this day ; after two days he will revive us , and in the third day we shall live in his sight , hos. 6. 2. see also isai. 26. 19. and compare them again with 1 cor. 15. 4. third , the great promise of the new testament , to wit , the pouring out of the spirit , fixeth upon these days ; and so he began in the most wonderful effusion of it upon pentecost , which was the first day of the week , that the scriptures might be fulfilled , acts 2. 16 , 17 , 18 , 19. nor could these three promises be fulfilled upon any other days , for that the scripture had fixed them to the first day of the week . i am of opinion that these things , though but briefly touched upon , cannot be fairly objected against , however they may be disrelished by some . nor can i believe , that any part of our religion , as we are christians , stands in not kindling of fires , and not seething of victuals , or in binding of men not to stir out of those places on the seventh day , in which at the dawning thereof they were found : and yet these are ordinances belonging to that seventh-day-sabbath , exod. 16. 23 , 29. certainly it must needs be an errour to impose these things by divine authority upon new testament-believers , our worship standing now in things more weighty , spiritual , and heavenly . nor can it be proved , as i have hinted before , that this day was , or is to be imposed without those ordinances , with others in other places mentioned and adjoyned , for the sanction of that day , they being made necessary parts of that worship that was to be performed thereon . i have charity for those that abuse themselves and their lord , by their preposterous zeal and affection for the continuing of this day in the churches . for i conclude , that if they did either believe , or think of the incoherence that this day with its rites and ceremonies has with the ministration of the spirit our new testament-ministration , they would not so stand in their own light as they do , nor so stifly plead for a place for it in the churches of the gentiles . but as paul insinuates in other cases , there is an aptness in men to be under the law because they do not hear it , gal. 4. nor will it out of my mind , but if the seventh-day-sabbath was by divine authority , and to be kept holy by the churches of the gentiles , it should not have so remained among the jews , christs deadliest enemies , and a been kept so much hid from the believers , his best friends . for who has retained the pretended sanction of that day from christs time quite down , in the world , but the jews ; and a few jewish gentiles ( i will except some . ) but , i say , since a sabbath is that without which the great worship of god under the gospel cannot be well performed : how can it be thought , that it should , as to the knowledge of it , be confined to so blasphemous a generation of the jews , with whom that worship it not ? i will rather conclude , that those gentile-professors that adhere thereto , are jewifi'd , legaliz'd , and so far gone back from the authority of god , who from such bondages has set his churches free . i do at this time but hint upon things , reserving a fuller argument upon them for a time and place more fit ; where , and when , i may perhaps also shew , some other wild notions of those that so stifly cleave to this . mean time , i entreat those who are captivated with this opinion , not to take it ill at my hand that i thus freely speak my mind . i entreat them also to peruse my book without prejudice to my person . the truth is , one thing that has moved me to this work , is the shame that has covered the face of my soul , when i have thought of the fictions and fancies that are growing among professors : and while i see each fiction turn it self to a faction , to the loss of that good spirit of love , and that oneness that formerly was with good men . i doubt not but some unto whom this book may come , have had seal from god , that the first day of the week is to be sanctified by the church to jesus christ : not onely from his testimony , which is , and should be , the ground of our practice ; but also , for that the first conviction that the holy ghost made upon their consciences , to make them know that they were sinners , began with them for breaking this sabbath day ; which day , by that same spirit , was told them , was that now called the first day , and not the day before , ( and the holy ghost doth not use to begin this work with a lye ) which first conviction the spirit has followed so close , with other things tending to compleat the same work , that the soul from so good a beginning could not res● until it found rest in christ. 〈◊〉 this then to such be a second token that the lords day is by them to be kept in commemoration of their lord and his resurrection , and o● what he did on this day for their salvation . amen . finis . the doctrine of the church of england, concerning the lord's day, or sunday-sabbath as it is laid down in the liturgy, catechism, and book of homilies, vindicated from the vulgar errours of modern writers, and settled upon the only proper and sure basis of god's precept to adam, and patriarchal practice, where an essay is laid down to prove, that the patriarchal sabbath instituted, gen. 2. 3. celebrated by the patriarchs before the mosaick law, and re-inforc'd in the fourth precept of the decalogue, was the same day of the vveek, viz. sunday, which christians celebrate in memory of the perfecting of the creation of the world by the redemption of mankind. smith, john, rector of st. mary's in colchester. 1683 approx. 266 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 121 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : 2005-12 (eebo-tcp phase 1). a60480 wing s4110 estc r3081 12083582 ocm 12083582 53656 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a60480) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 53656) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 580:8) the doctrine of the church of england, concerning the lord's day, or sunday-sabbath as it is laid down in the liturgy, catechism, and book of homilies, vindicated from the vulgar errours of modern writers, and settled upon the only proper and sure basis of god's precept to adam, and patriarchal practice, where an essay is laid down to prove, that the patriarchal sabbath instituted, gen. 2. 3. celebrated by the patriarchs before the mosaick law, and re-inforc'd in the fourth precept of the decalogue, was the same day of the vveek, viz. sunday, which christians celebrate in memory of the perfecting of the creation of the world by the redemption of mankind. smith, john, rector of st. mary's in colchester. [24], 209, [5] p. printed for rich. chiswell, london : 1683. preface signed: j.s. attributed to john smith, rector of st. mariè's, colchester by halkett and laing. advertisement: p. 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users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p5, characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng sabbath. 2005-04 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2005-04 aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images 2005-05 judith siefring sampled and proofread 2005-05 judith siefring text and markup reviewed and edited 2005-10 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the doctrine of the church of england , concerning the lord's-day , or sunday-sabbath , as it is laid down in the liturgy , catechism , and book of homilies . vindicated from the vulgar errours of modern writers , and settled upon the only proper and sure basis of god's precept to adam , and patriarchal practice . vvhere an essay is laid down to prove , that the patriarchal sabbath instituted , gen. 2. 3. celebrated by the patriarchs before the mosaick law , and re-inforc'd in the fourth precept of the decalogue , was the same day of the vveek , viz. sunday , which christians celebrate in memory of the perfecting of the creation of the vvorld by the redemption of mankind . stand ye in the ways and see , and ask for the old paths where is the good way , and walk therein , and ye shall find rest for your souls . jer. 6. 16. london ; printed for richard chiswell at the rose and crown in st. paul's church-yard . mdclxxxiii . the preface to the intelligent readers . sad and deplorable ( brethren ) have been our sabbatarian controversies : for while one extream pleads , there is no other ground for sanctifying the lord's-day , than there is for other holy-days , to wit , ecclesiastical constitution , thinking thereby to oblige christians to as religious observation of other holy-days as of sunday : they aim at an impossibility ; seeing in many religious persons there is imprinted this common sentiment , that the lord's-day ought to be discriminated from other days . and this principle so deeply imprinted , as all attempts to obliterate , do furbish it and make the writing more legible : yea , the circumjacent cold of the devotion of the contrary-minded ( as by an antiperistasis ) enflames the zeal of men seriously devout , beyond the due bounds , and pusheth them on to the very brink , if not into the gulf of judaizing in the manner of celebrating the lord's-day : and on the other hand , the looser sort observing , how some of those , that with most earnestness press the aforesaid ground of ecclesiastical constitution , do themselves observe holy-days , think they have fully discharged the office of good religious christians , if they sanctify the lord's-day , as they celebrate other holy-days ; that is , by resting from their ordinary callings , frequenting the morning-prayer ( to attend evensong is a work of supererogation ) and trifling away the remainder in pass-times . now what hath or can be the issue of this , but ignorance and prophaneness , and an incouragement to profane sundays instead of sanctifying other holy-days ? but i love not to be querulous ( motos praestat componere fluctus ) i would much rather help towards the calming of this boisterous sea ; in order whereunto i shall propound these preliminaries . 1. that the progress of men's devotion for sundays above other holy-days into superstition , ought by all means to be prevented ; and the jewish yoke of the strict ceremonial rest of their sabbath ( as well as their sabbath-day it self ) ought to be taken off the necks of the disciples ; because that ceremonial rest , being a shadow of good things to come by christ , the retaining of the shadow is a denying that christ ( the body ) is come . and bodily rest , as well as bodily exercise , is now under the gospel unprofitable , except it be ordinated to spiritual . 2. that yet a due respect to the lord's-day ought by all means to be incouraged . 1. because this seems to be the common notion of serious christians , and that argues it to be an infusion from that one spirit , into which we are all baptized , and by which , as their intellectus agens , or common soul , all christ's living members are animated . 2. because this is one of the surest nails , fastened by the masters of assemblies , for the support of religion ; especially in this age : for this principle is that , that not only brings men to church to worship god and to be instructed by him in the ministry of the gospel ; but also obligeth them in conscience to do something extraordinary in their families on the lord's-day , towards the educating them in the nurture and fear of the lord , beyond what they think themselves bound to do on the week-days ; so that if this were an errour , it would be an happy errour , as being an occasion of bringing men to the worship of god and knowledg of the truth . and truly , if i were perswaded , that the other opinion ( that the sanctification of the lord's-day hath no other ground than ecclesiastical constitution ) were a truth ; i should think it a truth not necessary to be published . for if men did not apply themselves to the service of god , and promoting the interest of their souls , with more seriousness of devotion on the lord's-day , than it is possible to perswade them to , in keeping other holidays ( the common practice of most , and the principles of the more religious considered ) ceres and bacchus would have more service from christians , than the only true god. for how , i pray , are our very chief holy-days celebrated ( such as christmas , easter , pentecost ) sunday excepted , but by carding , dancing , revelling , whitsun-ales , & c ? if god therefore had not better sacrifices offered to him , and men's souls better sustenance administred to them on the lord's-day , men would rob god of his honour , and starve their own souls . 3. the first errour in the digestion of men's thoughts touching this controversy , is the common hypothesis of all modern litigants , to wit , that the lord's-day comes in as a successour in the room of saturday : upon which sandy ground it is not so easy to lay any solid foundation for sanctifying the lord's-day . for if that day which god , by his example and precept , first sanctified for the weekly sabbath be saturday ; that day cannot be unsanctified , and another adopted in its room , but by an equal if not a superiour authority to that which consecrated saturday . now a superiour authority to the example and precept of god cannot be imagined : and that which is alledged by either party , for the unsanctifying saturday , falls far short of equality to it . for what argumentative force can there be in christ's rising ; his appearing to his apostles ; the apostles assembling on sundays for the sanctifying that day ; comparable to the express command of god for sanctifying saturday ; much less can the constitution of the church counter-ballance it . briefly , they proclaim sunday , an usurping intruder into the priviledges of saturday , rather than its legal successour , who advance it into the possession of saturday's crown ( to be the weekly holy-day ) upon no better claim than can possibly be deduc'd for it , while they make it a younger brother . 4. this errour in the first digestion being incurable , must either be removed out of the way of men's thoughts , when they are pitching them upon this argument , or they will be ever learning , and yet never come to the knowledg of the true ground , for the sanctifying of the lord's-day ; but will endlesly draw the saw of contention both ways . that the abovesaid errour therefore may be obviated , i have laid down this contrary hypothesis , viz. that sunday-sabbath is elder brother to saturday-sabbath : that being assigned for the weekly sabbath at the beginning by god's precept to adam , and in him to his whole posterity to the end of the world ; and therefore extending to all ages , and all mankind : and this being assigned to the jews only for that short time , wherein the law-giver was pleased to dispense with that nation , as to this law given to all nations , and that for reasons sufficiently palpable . 5. this hypothesis enervates the arguments brought against the divine institution of the lord's-day , and furnisheth conscience with a solid ground , of bearing a due religious respect to it , without danger of judaizing in the manner of the celebration thereof . 1. to instance in their herculean argument , drawn from the gloss they put upon that text , gen. 2. 3. as being spoke by moses by way of anticipation . if that day that god rested on , was not saturday but sunday , his sanctifying the day he rested on , could not have respect to the after-institution of another day ; for what consequence can be in this , [ because god at first rested on sunday , therefore he appointed moses above two thousand years after the creation , to command saturday to be sanctified ] comparable to what is in this [ because god rested on sunday ( the seventh day in the order of the creation ) he therefore blessed it and sanctified it ; that is , separated it by his precept to adam , to be the weekly sabbath . ] indeed the dream of a prolepsis in this text , chargeth moses with most gross equivocation in the use of these words , [ and god blessed ; ] except we fancy an anticipation in those other places of his text , where these words occur , as gen. 1. 22. where , speaking of fish and fowl , he saith , [ and god blessed them , saying , be fruitful and multiply : ] and vers . 28. speaking of adam and eve , he saith , [ and god blessed them , saying , be fruitful and multiply . ] 2. that this hypothesis yields a solid ground , for the consciencious observing the lord's-day ( so as there needs not any new constitution be made by christ or his apostles for the observing of it ) is manifest of it self . for if sunday be the day that god separated at first , to be the weekly sabbath to the patriarchs , and was accordingly celebrated by them , before the giving of the law by moses ; the standing part of the fourth command , obliging all mankind , must necessarily refer to that ; ( and that there is a standing part of that precept , for the breach whereof we are taught to say , [ lord have mercy upon us ; ] and for the better observing whereof we are taught to pray [ incline our hearts to keep this law ] is the declared judgment of our church ) . and then the temporary and ceremonial part ( both as to the day and mode of keeping it ) peculiar to the jews , being part of those carnal ordinances , that were imposed upon them , until the time of reformation , ( heb. 9. 10. ) vanish of themselves ; as being antiquated by christ's cross , and give way to the antient patriarchal sabbath . and here now our saviour's rising from the dead , his frequent appearing to his disciples on sunday , the practice of the apostles and primitive church , come in seasonably with their auxiliary force , to strengthen my hypothesis , and to support the divine institution of the lord's-day . for though , as to the first consecration therof , these examples signify nothing , nor are able to stand upon that old ground , against the joynt assaults of god's express precept and example for sanctifying saturday : yet upon the ground that i have laid , they are substantial and strenuous seconds , to prove the restauration of the antient patriarchal sunday-sabbath , by the antiquation of the jewish ceremonial saturday-sabbath ; though they are not of authority , to appoint a new lord's-day , yet they are safe guides , to point us to that old patriarchal lord's-day , whereon the lord rested , and therefore commanded the patriarchal church-catholick to sanctify it , as their weekly sabbath ; in conformity to , and in communion with which church , extending to all places and ages ; our saviour , after the rending of the vail , rose upon that day , and upon that day celebrated religious weekly assemblies with his apostles , and taught them to do the like , during those forty days wherein he convers'd with them , betwixt his resurrection and ascension , speaking to them of the things appertaining to the kingdom of god. 3. lastly , this secures us from falling into jewish superstition , in the manner of celebrating our christian sabbath ; for with the jewish day , the jewish manner of keeping that day vanisheth : so that the christian church is not obliged to sanctify the lord's-day , in those strict formalities of bodily rest , and other carnal observances imposed upon the jews ; but in the more generous and man-becoming exercises , of contemplating the glory of god in the creation , compleated by the new creation of believing , acquiescing and triumphing in god through christ ; of attending on gospel-ordinances publick , private and secret ; of visiting the sick ; relieving the indigent ; and eating our bread with gladness of heart , on that day above others ; that being the christian weekly festival , and the day which god hath made for us , to be glad and rejoyce in ; neither need we macerate our selves with studying when to begin , when to end the christian sabbath , at even , midnight , or morning : for he who ( having set his secular affairs in such order , as they give no interruption to his sunday-devotion ) goes to bed with god on saturday-night , and riseth with god on sunday-morning , and spends the day in such like exercises as have been mentioned ; may , after he has commended himself ( and his family if he have one ) to god , go to his rest on sunday night ( without danger of prophaning the sabbath ) at his usual time . briefly , the usefulness of this hypothesis is so great and apparent , both as to putting an end to all strife , even amongst the most litigious , and setling inward peace in the truly consciencious ; as i was something jealous , lest the prospect thereof might make the arguments i bring for proof of the hypothesis , seem to have more weight , than indeed they have ; till i had communicated my papers to several persons of more quick understanding in the fear of the lord , with this humble request , that they would weigh their contents in the ballance of their impartial judgments , which , i heartily thank them , they did , and thereby gave me occasion to rectify some passages , and encouragement to commit this tract , as it now stands corrected , to publick view . if it shall please the divine goodness , to make use of so mean a person as my self , towards the setling the consciences of christians upon a safe ground , and the binding up of those wounds , which the church hath received , in the house of her friends , ( as the poor tattard captive democedes cured darius , after that the egyptian physicians had , for seven days and nights , by violent handling of his dis-joynted foot , kept him without sleep ) let god have the praise , who chooseth the weak and foolish things of this world , to confound the mighty and wise . and let him have your prayers ( christian reader ) whose utmost design and ambition is to be serviceable in promoting the eternal interest of souls , and the peace of the church . your servant in our common lord. j. s. the contents . chap. i. the patriarchs had stated assemblies for publick worship , pag. 3. sect. 1. they had stated places for divine worship , p. 4. sect. 2. stated ministers with maintenance . jacob's vow . the egyptian priests-lands . cain's offering , p. 6. chap. ii. the patriarchs had stated times , proved from gen. 4. 3. and gen. 1. 4. p. 17. chap. iii. these stated times were weekly , p. 19. sect. 1. the computation of times by septimanes , common to all ages : weeks of years , gen. 29. 27. affronts sacred chronology , p. 20 , &c. sect. 2. and to all nations . computation by months and years , of human invention : by weeks of divine institution , p. 25. sect. 3. at the end of days , gen. 4. 3. is the end of a week , p. 28. sect. 4. sons of god , job 1. 6. not angels , but church-members , p. 30. sect. 5. sons of god different from morning-stars . what is the corner-stone , job 38. p. 38. sect. 6. the sons of god joh. 1. 6. proved to be the same with the sons of god , gen. 2. 6. from the proximity of the times . job contemporarian with phaleg , proved from length of his age. job was jobab the son of joctan daughter of edom in the land of us , lam. 4. explained by jer. 25. job's country , arabia petraea , p. 43. sect. 7. elihu wrote the history of job . p. 51. sect. 8. sons of god presenting themselves before the lord , was their church-convention on stated days weekly , p. 56. sect. 9. the chimaera of a prolepsis , gen. 2. proved , p. 61. chap. iv. the weekly patriarchal-sabbath was sunday , p. 64. sect. 1. the patriarchal sabbath was not saturday , proved from testimony of heathens , fathers , scripture : which makes a vast difference betwixt the sabbath of the fourth precept , and that injoyned the jews by moses , p. 64. sect. 2. the sabbath of the fourth precept and mosaick , grounded upon different reasons , p. 77. sect. 3. the patriarchal sabbath was sunday , proved by two arguments . saturday-sabbaterians silenc'd , p. 91. sect. 4. the first instance of celebrating sunday before the institution of saturday-sabbath , exod. 16. the pointing of the septuagint , refers the 15th day to their morning . why that preferrable before the hebrew , p. 97. sect. 5. the assembly ex. 16. 2. a church-assembly celebrated on course , instructed by an ecclesiastical minister , p. 115. sect. 6. this 15th day was sunday , p. 122. sect. 7. the saturday following was the first saturday-sabbath that ever was kept , p. 126. sect. 8. the other instance of a sunday-sabbath kept before the giving of the law by moses , gen. 12. the tenth day there mentioned was sunday . it was on that day , not the 14th , that moses and aaron spake to the whole church of the israelites , assembled , not by an extraordinary call , but on course , for religious worship , p. 132. chap. v. god rested on the seventh day in his new creation . man restored by faith , p. 146. sect. 1. proved in gross from the analasis of gen. chap. 1 , 2 , 3 , 4. p. ibid. sect. 2. adam fell on the day of his creation , p. 151. sect. 3. he was restored the same day he fell . the lamb slain from the foundation of the world. the covenant betwixt god the father and the son , betwixt god and adam confirmed by oath , how . sect. 4. from thence god smelt a savour of rest , and not before . chap. vi. saturday-sabbath being the sixth day in order of the creation , was instituted upon other grounds than that of the fourth precept . where it has not footing , but only in the ceremonial law , was to expire at christ's death , and give place to the patriarchal , p. 179. sect. 1. the jewish sabbath a discriminating badg , an antidote against idolatry , by worshipping the sun. the day of rest from egypt , &c. p. 180. sect. 2. plain intimations of its being local and temporary , p. 181. the patriarchal sabbath . chap. i. sect. i. the patriarchal sabbath , instituted gen. 2. 3. celebrated by the patriarchs before the mosaick-law , and reinforc'd by the fourth precept of the decalogue , was the same day of the week ( viz. sunday ) that the christian church celebrates in memory of the creation of the world , and redemption of mankind . for the illustration and proof of this assertion it will be requisite that proof be made of these particulars . 1. the patriarchs had solemn stated assemblies for publick worship . 2. they had solemn set times for the administration of religious worship in those assemblies . 3. these set and appointed times were weekly sabbaths . 4. these weekly sabbaths were sundays . 5. the new-creature , man , restored by faith in the promised seed , was that perfect finishing of the creation , that made all very good , and that from which god smelt so sweet a savour of rest on the seventh day , as therefore to bless it . 6. the mosaical saturday sabbath being the sixth day in order of the creation , was instituted upon other grounds than that mentioned in the decalogue , and having no footing in the fourth precept , but in the ceremonial law , was to expire at christs death , and give place to the patriarchal . chap. i. that the patriarchal church had solemn stated assemblies for publick worship , is manifest from their having stated places , seperate persons , and maintenance , in order to the administration of such worship . sect . i. that they had sacred places known by the name of the houses of god , the presence of god , &c. is plain from gen. 28. 17 , 22. this is none other but the house of god : meaning the place of the altar which his grandfather abraham had erected at his first arrival in canaan , where his and lot's families used to call upon the name of the lord , gen. 12. 8. and he removed thence unto a mountain on the east of bethel , and pitched his tents , having bethel on the west , and hai on the east : and there he builded an altar unto the lord , and called upon the name of the lord. and chap. 13. 3. and he went on his journey from the south , even to bethel , unto the place where his tent had been at the beginning , between bethel and hai , unto the place of the altar which he had made there at the firct : and there abraham called upon the name of the lord. in both these texts the place appears to be the very same where jacob had the visions of god , to wit , bethel , betwixt ai and bethel , ( that is ) the house of god betwixt the city ai and the city luz : for so was that city called at the first ( gen. 28. 19. ) and afterwards , bethel , from the house of god adjacent : as the towns kirby kendal , kirby lunsdal , kirby steven , have their names from the churches there built . now that abraham solemnized publick divine worship here , ut familiam suam in pietate instrueret , that he might edifie his family in piety ( to use the words of batablus ) may be rationally concluded from hence , that he did not only pray there ( as our english translation seems to limit it ) but also preach , or call to the audience in the name of the lord ; for both the heb. and septuag . lead to that sense , vocavit in nomine domini , he called or preach't in the name of the lord : that is , he profest the true worship of god. ( so maluenda ) predicavit de nomine jehovae ; he preach't of the name of god. ( so piscator and ainsworth ( charah clamare , to call to god , is to pray : to call to men , is to preach , saith ainsworth : and from charah seems to be derived 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , to preach or proclaim . hence jacob promised , that at his return , that should be to him the house of god ; that is , there he would worship god , as the cald. paraphrase , and ainsworth explain that text. briefly , how could jacob so readily have hit upon this name [ house of god ] if there had not been such things in being , as houses of god. it is further observable here , as ainsworth notes , that such separate places were stiled [ the presence of god ] and that it was from the presence of god in this sense , that cain was thrust : and satan went out , job . 2. sect . ii. that the patriarchal church had publick ministers separated by calling to officiate in these publick places dedicated to divine worship , with publick allowance of tithes for their maintenance , is manifest ; 1. from abraham's paying tithes to melchisedeck the priest of the high god , who blessed him , gen. 14. 18. 2. from jacob's vow to give god , at his return , the tenth of all that god should give him ( gen. 28. 22. ) for he was priest himself to his own family , and therefore must have been both the paymaster and receiver of the vowed tithes ( and what would this have been but a plain mocking of god under a splendid shew of devotion ) except he had in his eye an order of priests of the high god to pay them unto , whose office it was to serve at the altar , and whose priviledge it was to live of the altar . that is a wild conceit of oleaster , that he either meant to consume the tithes in sacrifice , or that his posterity should pay them to the priests in the time of the law. this last is ridiculous , for how could jacob's posterity ( so many generations after ) pay the tithe of what god had blest jacob with : and the first is not much better ; for the distinction of beast and fowl into clean and vnclean , could have no other ground before the flood ( seeing all were prohibited as to man's eating , till after the flood ) but god's commanding some kinds of them to be offered in sacrifice , and prohibiting other kinds : which declaration of god's will was so manifest to the patriarchs before the flood , as noah knew every particular kind , both of clean and vnclean , and therefore took to him into the ark , of the clean by sevens , of the unclean by pairs ( gen. 7. 2. ) and sacrificed of every clean beast and clean fowl at his coming out of the ark ( chap. 8. 20. ) it had been therefore an abomination to god for jacob to have offered the vnclean in sacrifice . now it is apparent that god gave him unclean as well as clean : if he himself hath given a true inventory of his goods : for he not only sends his brother esau word , that he had asses , but sends him a present of twenty she-asses ( gen. 32. 5 , 15. ) and chap. 30. 42. we find camels and asses that god had blessed him with : yea , that in his whole flock he had not one that he would own for his , but confest it stollen from laban , that was not spotted and speckled , &c. gen. 30. 33. [ every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats , and brown among the sheep , shall be accounted stollen with me . ] the tithe of these being all vnclean , jacob could not offer in sacrifice : it remains therefore that he paid them to the priests of the high god. and such priests could not be wanting in the time of jacob ; for we find them in being many hundreds of years after , and yet before the giving of the law ; witness jethro , moses's father in law , who was priest of midian ( exod. 3. 1. ) and a priest of the high god , to whom he offered a burnt-offering and sacrifices , inviting aaron and the elders to eat bread with him before the lord , exod. 18. 12. where , before the lord , can signifie nothing else , but in the place appointed for divine worship : moses being now incamp't at the mount of god , so called from the house of god , there erected for the worship of god , the tabernacle not being yet built . 3. that the patriarchal church had such priests who had publick maintenance , may be also proved from gen. 47. 22. the priests lands were not sold in the famine ; but they had portions allowed them out of the kings store-houses . potiphara , joseph's father in law , was one of those priests , and had for his province , on , that is , heliopolis ( gen. 41. 45. and was probably a worshipper of the true god , seeing it is hard to conceive that so religious a man as joseph would have married his daughter if he had been an idolater ; considering how dear such unequal matches of the sons of god to the daughters of men had cost the old world : ( which joseph could not be ignorant of ) and how careful his great grandfather abraham , and grandfather isaac were to provide wives for their sons out of religious families . yea , if joseph was the egyptian ox , their most antient and chief deity , as the most learned conceive : egypt was not so overwhelmed with idolatry at this time , but that there might be many priests and servants of the true god therein . for that pharaoh who took sarah into his house , seems to have had a religions sense of the true god , by his expostulating with abraham ( gen. 12. 18. ) and which is most strange , abimelech king of gerar , the metropolis of palestine , in the tribe of simeon , in the very heart of those seven nations whose sins were ripe so long before others , seems in his discourse with abraham touching sarah , to give great proof of the uprightness of his heart towards god , and did understand the benefit of intercession made for him by the prayer of a prophet , for otherwise god would not have urged him by that argument to restore sarah to abraham . now how could he have understood that , if the distinction of prophets by calling , and the custome of persons separate by calling , to put up prayers for the people , had not been in use in his kingdom , which he therefore stiles a righteous nation , because the fear of god ( that is , the true worship of god , saith grotius ) was there , contrary to abraham's uncharitable and rash censure ( gen. 20. 9 , 10. ) nay from this instance of the king of gerar and his people , it is more than probable , that the king of egypt forementioned , and his people were at that time the worshippers of the true god. and though perhaps part of the aegyptian priests were in that degenerate age imployed in the service of idols , yet the institution of the calling it self , and the publick maintenance annex'd thereto , was truly patriarchal , as appears , 4thly . from cain and abel bringing their oblations ( gen. 4. 3. ) and it came to pass , that in process of time cain brought of the fruit of the ground , an offering unto the lord , &c. where i note , 1. that they brought their oblations to adam , who was priest , that he might offer them to god , as the hebrew doctors teach , ( saith p. fagius . ) and the text makes for this : for it is not said that they themselves offered them , but that they brought them to be offered to the lord ; that is , by the hands of adam , the priest of the lord. 2. that they brought them to the place appointed for prayer , as aben ezra observes , from whence it may be infer'd , that they met together to worship god in a place destined thereunto , and that there were always solemn meetings of pious men for the worship of god ; and from cain's not having that due reverence to this sacred assembly which he ought to have had , the hebrew doctors conclude , that he who has not a due regard to church-assemblies , shall have no part in the age to come , ( p. fagius . ) and that those oblations of cain and abel were offer'd in a publick assembly , is apparent from the dejection of cain's countenance upon gods rejecting his offering : for if god had declared his acceptance of abel's offering before cain's , only in private to his own conscience , what offence could cain have taken thereat ? nay , if god by some visible token of his displeasure , had not shamed him before the assembly , he would have been no more affected with a private check , then he was with that which god gave him afterwards , notwithstanding which he slew his brother : besides , the apostle's expression is a confirmation of this , heb. 11. 4. [ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ] god testifying of his gift ; for to what purpose is giving his testimony , if it be not in publick . hereunto assent the most judicious divines , who conceive that god gave open testimony of his acceptance of abel's offering , by consuming it with fire sent down from heaven ; so fagius , lyra , &c. so almost all the fathers , says mede , turinus , &c. and ainsworth observes , that it was usual for god to declare his acceptance of mens offerings , or rejecting of them ; the first , by sending fire from heaven to consume them to ashes ; the other by leaving the sacrifice untouch't . we have instances of the first , levit. 9. 24. when aaron made the first oblation . 1. chron. 21. 26. when david sacrificed on the threshing-floor of ornon . 2 chron. 7. 1. when solomon dedicated the temple . and of both , 1 kings 18. in the contest betwixt gods prophets and baals . and in this case of cain and abel ▪ where cain's sacrifice was not toucht by that fire that consumed abel's : see mede , turinus , &c. see viccars his decupla , psal . 20. 4. nay , some hebrew doctors , saith fagius , tells us , that in that fire falling from heaven , and consuming those sacrifices that god accepted , there was the appearance of the face of a lion , god thereby signifying that mens persons and oblations are acceptable to him only through christ , that lion of the tribe of judah . ( see fagius . ) 3. the third observation i make from this text , is , that cain and abel had families and substance distinct from adam's ; for abel is commended for bringing the firstlings and fat of the flock ; but it would have been no thanks to him to have cut large shives out of his fathers loaf . which is another argument that this was a publick church-assembly , consisting of many families . 4. the fourth and last note i make upon this text , is this : seeing cain's oblation was not consumed by fire , which way could it be disposed of , but to the use of the priest that officiated . for it having been once dedicated to god , could not be alienated , without sacriledge ; and therefore must fall to the portion of him that served at the altar , that he might live of the altar , having nothing else of the altar to live upon , but the remainder of oblations of the fruit of the ground . seeing all oblations of beasts and fowl were whole burnt-offerings : ( and therefore by the way , it is a vain question to ask , what became of the remainder of such sacrifices ) and seeing also that man was then confin'd to the fruit of the ground for his food . to conclude , we see the patriarchs had stated publick religious assemblies , celebrated in stated places , separate to that use , and guided by persons separate by special calling to that work , and maintained by tithes , oblations , &c. now it is against all reason , to think that the faithful paid tithes to their priests upon any other account than that of their sowing spirituals in the assemblies of the faithful , whose temporals they reaped . chap. ii. the patriarchs had solemn set times for these publick ministers to officiate in those publick assemblies . though this be sufficiently evident from the premises ; for it is not conceivable how such assemblies could meet , if they had not stated times when to meet : yet i shall offer these things for the proof of it . 1. it is agreed on all hands , that ketz , the word used ( gen. 4. 3. ) [ at the end of days ] signifies a precise , fixt , and certain end . whereupon saith paul fagius , i am altogether pleased with this opinion , that this text be understood to speak of a certain and stated time of divine worship . the learned indeed dispute what stated time is here meant , annual , monthly , or weekly ; but that a stated time for religious assemblies is here meant , is , i think , consented to by all , at least , by silence . 2dly . gen. 1. 14. god created the two great luminaries to be [ lemognadim ] for appointed seasons of holy assemblies : ad statas solemnitates : let them be for stated solemnities , that being the proper signification of the hebrew word , in the opinion of some hebrew doctors , who therefore put this sense upon , psal . 104. 19. [ he hath appointed the moon for certain seasons ] this is meant of the new-moon and festivals , by some of our doctors , saith aben ezra , in psal . 104. 19. and the learned and judicious mede ( reflecting upon this word in both the texts of gen. and psalms ) observeth that festivals are pointed out by course of the moon . certum est pleraque festorum ad lunae motum descripta fuisse . as new-moons , the passover , pentecost , feast of tabernacles . and as the moveable feasts attend the motion of the moon , so the immoveable follow the course of the sun. it will be replyed , perhaps , that moses wrote this by anticipation , and that his meaning is , that after the giving of the law , these great luminaries should be for pointing out solemn seasons . but that in the interval of above two thousand years , they should serve only to direct men to the proper seasons for planting , plowing , sowing , reaping , cutting of timber , &c. as it is absurd of it self , so it will be made appear to be false in our handling the next general head. chap. iii. these set and appointed patriarchal times for publick worship , were weekly . sect . i. for the proof of this , let it be observed , 1. that the computation of time by weeks , is common to all ages , for it was in use in the patriarchal age , long before moses , as is manifest from that speech of laban to jacob , gen. 29. 27. [ fulfil now her week ] some learned men , to evade that mortal stroak which this text giveth the prolepsis , are pleased to say , that by week is here meant seven years , which jacob was to serve after his marriage to leah , before he had rachel given to him for wife : and that the interpretation of a seven days nuptial feast , was invented by later jews , and is a manifest violation of the text , and contradictory in it self . i shall therefore in vindication of that sense of this text that i give ( to wit , that by her week , is meant the seven days of leah's nuptial feast ) offer these things to consideration . 1. [ fulfil her week , and we will give thee this also ] here her and this are contra-distinguish't . and by this is meant rachel , as is manifest of it self ; and therefore by her , must be meant leah ; and by her week , leah's week . which can be nothing else but her nuptial feast of seven days : for jacob never served seven years for leah . nay , he would not have served seven days for her , if it had not been for the love he bare to rachel . 2. [ and jacob did so : he fulfilled her week ; and he gave him rachel also to wife ] this answers exactly to laban 's proposal : so that her week , both here and there , is leah 's week : and , the this also , there , is rachel also , here . the meaning therefore of laban 's proposal , can be no other but this , fulfil her week ; that is , the seven days of leah's nuptial feast : do not disturb the marriage feast by renouncing leah , and we will give thee rachel also at the end of the seven nuptial days , upon condition that thou shalt serve me yet other seven years ; for seeing i have cheated thee of thy wages for one seven years , i cannot think thee so great a fool , as to trust me for one seven years more : and therefore consummate thy marriage with leah by a voluntary lying with her the remaining nights of the marriage festival ( for it was against thy will that thou lay with her this night ) and i will cast rachel into thy arms , and thou shalt have thy wages in hand , before thou begin thy service of other seven years . 3. they that are for this interpretation , are the cream of criticks , who , for illustration , alledge that parallel text , judg. 14. 12 , 15 , 17. concerning sampson's nuptial feast of seven days , as the custom of those eastern countries . see munster , vatablus , grotius , lyra , estius , junius and trem. syriach , aben ezra , david kimhi , jerome ainsworth , cornel. a lapide , bonfrerius , malvenda , menochus , and paul fagius in his collation of translations . but the reasons they bring against the other interpretation , sway more with me , than the authority of their great names ; from the rest i shall cull this one of tirinus and ainsworth , viz. that it is utterly inconsistant with scripture chronologie . for jacob lived only twenty years with laban ( gen. 31. 41. ) the first seven whereof he served before he married leah , and if he had served other seven before he married rachel , the six remaining years would prove too short a space of time for the conception , birth , and suckling of the children that were born to him after his marriage of rachel . for the evincing of this , note , 1. that it was the custome of patriarchal matrons to nurse their children . ( gen. 21. ) 2. that reuben , leah's first born , was not conceived till some considerable time after the marriage of rachel : for it was in pity of leah that god opened her womb ( gen. 29. 31. ) [ and when the lord saw that leah was hated , he opened her womb , but rachel was barren ] a barren virgin sounds harshly in physicks ; and jacob's loving rachel before he was married to her , more than his wife leah , sounds worse in morals . 3. after reuben , leah bears three sons more , and then ceaseth child-bearing , while bilha , rachel's maid bare jacob two sons , and while zilpa ( after bilha had given over child-bearing ) bare two sons : after all which leah bears two sons and one daughter : and after that rachel bears joseph , gen. 30. and is so far gone in child with benjamin before she left her father's country , as in her journying thence she was brought to bed , gen. 30. so that after rachel's marriage , jacob had twelve children born unto him at single births , and in several years ; for the bearing and suckling whereof , thirteen years space is little enough . the week therefore that jacob fulfil'd , before laban gave him rachel to wife , and he went in unto her ( which was the consummation of marriage ) cannot , without manifest contradiction of scripture , be expounded a week of years , but of days ; and that week of days can be no other than the seven days of leah's nuptial feast : and this fulfilling of leah's week , did both sute labans covetous humour , who by this means put off two daughters with the expence of one weeks feasting ; and secure jacob from being defrauded of rachel , after other seven years service , as he had been the first seven years . and lastly , secure leah's marriage , whom jacob might have renounced in the morning , if his lying with her that night in-voluntarily , had not been seconded with his voluntary lying with her the succeeding nights of the feast : no evasion here but the sanctuary of a prolepsis , jacob got children by anticipation . this argument is so cogent , as to make room for these so many births . from the premises it is apparent , that the distinction of time by weeks , was in use in the patriarchal age , long before moses . sect . ii. and as this computation of time by weeks was common to all ages , so also to all nations ; witness the transcendent encomiums given by gentiles to the seventh day . hesiod . stiling it , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the sacred day : which title homer also gives to it more than once , and saith , that on that day all things were perfected : with whom concurs linus , affirming that [ on the seventh day all things were brought forth perfect , that it was the world's birth-day , the chief of days , and perfectly good ] as gataker quotes them at large : from whence may be collected , 1. that it is the only certain computation of time wherein all nations unanimously agree . for though the division of time into months & years , be universally embraced , yet , about the compution of both , there have been as many different practises almost , as nations ; some reckoning to a month more , some fewer days , some reckoning to a year more , some fewer months ; as the romans before julius caesar , had but ten months in their year ; and even his emendation of the kalendar was not exact . but for this , see scaliger , de emendatione temporum . 2. that which i infer from the premises in the next place , is this , that the calculation of time by months and years was of humane invention , as being perfected by degrees ; and though the patriarchs before the flood , in respect of their longevity , had a very great advantage of observing the course of sun and moon , yet they attained not to so perfect a knowledge thereof , as to settle and fix an astr onomical canon , but left that to the industry of future ages : for otherwise noah would have communicated that canon to his posterity , and some of them would have kept in memory , and have delivered down by uninterruped succession , a tradition so universally advantagious to mankind . 3. that the computation of time by weeks was of divine institution , as being perfect at first ( as all god's works are , deut. 32. 4. ) communicated to , and received of the whole race of mankind without dispute , or least difference in practice : till god was pleased to appoint the jews another beginning of weeks ( as also of years ) than he had instituted at the beginning . now it is not imaginable how the whole world could thus unanimously agree in this division of time by sevens of days , if they had not received it by uninterrupted tradition from the patriarchs ; nor from whence the patriarchs could derive it but from god's resting upon , and sanctifying the seventh day : of the sence of which text , we cannot possibly have a better interpreter than this universal practice of all nations , sect . iii. except what the sacred text giveth , to which i shall now apply my self , and begin with gen. 4. 3. [ and in process of time ] or , as the hebrew hath it , milkits jamim , [ at the end of dayes . ] many learned men , following the hebrew doctors , understand by dayes , a year of dayes ; others understand by dayes , years . they that by days understand a year of dayes , conceive these oblations brought by cain and abel , to have been brought at the end of the year , when they had gathered the fruits of the earth ; that being a time when even the gentiles celebrated the divine goodness by sacrifices and praises , as ainsworth observes out of aristotle , homer , pliny , and the twelve tables . but i must crave leave to dissent , not so much upon the account of the authority of judicious mr. gataker , as of the strength of the reason he brings for his opinion . at the end of dayes , ( i. e. ) saith he , that is , on the sabbath day , which concludes the days of the week . for no other distinction of days had hitherto been mentioned by moses , than that which comprehends the septimane , gen. 2. 2 , 3. an argument of more weight , if seriously considered , than it seems to have at a transitory glance , for 1. it is very probable , that adam was so taken up with the contemplation of gods mercy to him , in redeeming him by the blood of the promised seed , that he greatly minded not any other computation of time , but that which god had appointed him , in commemoration of his perfecting the work of creation , by making adam a new creature ; ( of which , more in the sequel of this discourse ) 2. however , most certain it is , that hitherto no division of time but that , is mentioned ; and if moses had intended here to express another computation ( as suppose , that , by years ) years had as soon been said as days : and afterwards he computes the ages of the patriarchs by years : if such a computation of time had been now in use , as a year , why did not moses mention years here as well as afterwards . sect . iv. the next text i urge for proof of this branch of my discourse , is job . 1. 6. and 2. 1. there was a day when the sons of god came to present themselves before the lord. and , again there was a day , &c. or , the day came about again , when the sons of god , &c. i wonder to find so many learned men interpreting [ sons of god ] in this text , by [ angels ] herein following the septuagint [ caterva angelorum ] but the best is , it will not go down with the most judicious of them , without the salvo of a prosopopeia ; for when this question is put , how is this place according to this exposition [ the sons of god , that is , the angels ] to be taken ? literally , or figuratively ? tirinus indeed answers , literally : from the authority of athanasius , salvian , and lactantius . for lactantius , i think it not strange that he should interpret [ sons of god ] by [ angels ] in this text of job , seeing i find him expounding that text , gen. 6. 2. by good angels , as being of opinion that the good angels , who were set to guard them , sell in love with the daughters of men. the other opinion mentioned by lyra and estius , were more tolerable than this of lactantius , to wit , that the sons of god , that is . daemones incubi , the unclean angels committed with the daughters of men : but that it will be hard to find a text where devils are called the sons of god : and yet i am perswaded , we may as soon find a text where that bad , as where good angels are stiled the sons of god in the patriarchal idiome ; as will be cleared by and by : for though tirinus be for the literal sense of this text , yet the rest who concur with him in their expounding [ the sons of god ] to be [ angels ] will by no means allow that this text be taken literally . others ( saith emm. sa ) accipiunt parabolice , interpret it parabolically . this thing was not done as is here reported , but there is in the words a prosopopeia or hypotyposis , saith mariana , haec non crasse & ad literam gesta . so grotius , per prosopopeian vel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 indicat haec omnia , &c. so scultatus : the divine providence is here explained under the form of humane judgements , so cocceius . and though pinda and sanctius say , that no inconveniency or absurdity is intail'd upon the literal sense . yet mercer flys to the subterfuge of the figurative sense , from those absurdities that follow from the literal : satan ( saith he ) cannot properly be said to come into the presence of god ( for in god's presence is fulness of joy ) nor can the good angels be said properly to present themselves before the lord , one day rather than another , for they continually are before him , beholding his face . but let them that expound , the sons of god , angels , agree the matter among themselves how they please : i demand in the mean time a solid reason , or but the shadow of one ; why i must be tyed to that exposition of one phrase , that renders the whole context absurd and unintelligible without the help of a figure , when i have an interpretation at hand of that phrase that renders the whole sentence , in every letter of it , every way consonant to right reason , and the analogy of faith , and is not incumbred with any absurd consequence : for satan might come into the presence of god , in this sense , as he entred into judas while he was celebrating the passover with our saviour and the rest of the apostles , john 13. 27. and god might discourse with him in this assembly of god's people without disturbing the congregation , as well as he discours'd with moses while he stood before pharaoh . divine revelations may well be communicated to faithful men , even in the presence of bad men ( mede upon exo. 11. 1. ) and why may not god as well discourse with satan in the presence of good men ? why therefore should we recede from this literal sence ? especially when we have the onely text besides this appertaining to the patriarchal age , where the same phrase occurs intire , without addition or diminution , to warrant me to make that interpretation , from the plain and indubitable sense of that phrase in that parallel text. to explain my self more particularly ; the only text relating to the patriarchal age , where this phrase , the sons of god , occurs intire , is that , gen. 6. 2. the sons of god saw the daughters of men that they were fair , and they took them wives of all that they chose . i know some of ours are so inamour'd of rabbinical whimsies as to follow the hebrew doctors in their interpreting [ sons of god ] here to be as angels . but it 's strange how any man not prejudic'd , and in his right wits , can put that sense upon the text ; seeing the good angels neither marry nor are given in marriage ( mar. 12. 25. ) and though we have stories not altogether improbable , of incuby and succuby , yet a man may look his eyes out , before he find a text where evil angels are called , the sons of god. i therefore ▪ expect the assent of all pious and sober-minded men to the common exposition of these words , to wit ; that by the sons of god were meant the posterity of seth , the members of the patriarchal church : and by daughters of men , the female offspring of cain , the members of that synagogue of satan , which he erected after his apostacy and departure from god's presence : why then should not this text in job be so interpreted the sons of god , that is the professors of the true religion , the members of the true church , came to present themselves before the lord , to tender their homage , and bring presents , the presents of themselves , and devout services into the court of the lord , into the lord's house : seeing this is exactly after the patriarchal style , and is not attended with any absurd consequence , as that interpretation ( by angels ) is , why should we not to choose expound one patriarchal text by another , rather then by texts relating to after-times ? the jewish church might , for reasons then emerging , give angels the title of the sons of god. it 's no new thing , for various ages to vary phrases : but what is that to the patriarchal churches style , especially seeing that in the verse immediatly preceding , there is mention made of job's sacrificing for his sons , of his sending for them after their feasting , and sanctifying ; them that is , saith , grotius , celebrating a fast , and praying for them , that the sacrifices of attonement which he offered for them might be accepted of god. so that we have here , the sons of god , that is , 1. the members of the church conven'd to present themselves before the lord with fasting , prayer and oblation of sacrifices , and all represented as job's contiutal custome . thus was job accustomed to do all those dayes , to wit , after their feastings ; also we find here stated dayes whereon they presented themselves before god , for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , supplies the place of a pronoun demonstrative , saith cocceius . and then immediatly followes [ and there was a day when the sons of god ] : can this day be any other than one of those dayes forementioned , whereon job conven'd his sons by nature ( who were also god's sons by grace ) before the lord : or this convention to any other purpose then that , viz. to worship god ; or they that here came to present themselves before the lord any other then they who presented themselves before the lord on those dayes . he must be obstinate that will not be convinc'd with what has already been offered to consideration . sect . v. there is indeed one text in job , where this phrase occurs , with the addition of one word , where angels seem to be called , the sons of god , chap. 28. 4. where god thus challengeth job . where wast thou when i laid the foundations of the earth ? declare if thou hast vnderstanding , who hath laid the measures thereof , if thou knowest ; or , who hath stretched the line upon it ? whereupon are the foundations thereof fastned ? or , who laid the corner-stone thereof ? when the morning-stars sang together , and all the sons of god shouted for joy ? for the removal of this remora , which at first did very much retard my mind in coming to a positive conclusion ; let it be observed , 1. that a twofold ground of singing and adoring god is here laid down . 1. his laying the foundations of the earth , his laying the measures thereof , his stretching the line upon it . 2. his laying the corner-stone thereof , whereupon its foundations are fastned . 3. that it was at the laying of the foundations of the earth , &c. that the morning-stars sang together ; by which phrase nothing else can be meant , but the angels . for the stars in these visible heavens were not then created : and though those stars of light are said to praise god ; that is meant only of their praysing him objectivè , as occasioning rational and intellectual creatures to praise the maker of such resplendent creatures . but the angels of light , those morning stars , being created with the emperial heaven , though they did not assist god ( as the hebrew doctors fancied ) yet they stood by , and looked on the production of each creature , adoring god's workmanship therein , and sounding out their own joy and his praises at the laying of the foundations of the earth . 4. but the chief corner-stone upon which the foundations thereof were fastned , was neither its center , nor the waters , nor whatever else hath either been fancied to be its foundation , or comprehended in that notion : but the foundation of its foundations , that stone that bears up all things , which was then laid when christ was tendered to fallen adam , in the promise of the womans seed ; which promise our first parents embracing by faith , were , as living-stones , built upon that sure corner-stone , that tried corner-stone , &c. names appropriated to christ and him only , through the whole volume of gods book , at the laying whereof ( when he was to be exhibited in the flesh ) zech. 4. 7. it was prophesied there should be shoutings [ he shall lay the head-stone thereof with shoutings , grace , grace unto it ] it was at the laying of this corner-stone in the promise of the seed of the woman , that the sons of god shouted for joy. ( i. e. ) in the strict literal sence , our first parents , now made the children of god by adoption . if you object , that here was but one son of god. i answer , both our first parents are comprehended in this term , eve being reckoned with adam , who was the more worthy gender . thus lucan , speaking of the entertainment that ptolemy and cleopatra gave caesar , saith , discubuere toris reges at summa potestas caesar : meaning by reges both the king and queen of egypt . this is so pat as there needs no further illustration of this answer . but you will say , this was a poor all to make a chorus . i answer . 1. however these two persons were all the adopted children that god then had . 2. if we take the natural son of god into the chorus ( who doubtless rejoyced with our first parents , as well as with jerusalem ) isa . 65. 19. how many may we reckon him for ? 3. we may take angels into the chorus without prejudice to our cause , and include them within the denomination of the sons of god , considered as imbodied in the chorus , with the adopted sons of god in propriety of speech . as the whole church of corinth is denominated saints , from the better part , though that probably was the far less part . or as we call a bay of wheat unthrashed , or an heap of wheat unwinnowed , a bay or an heap of wheat : though there be in the one incomparably more straw , in the other more chaff , than wheat . even so men and angels making up one quire , to sing the praises of god , redeemer , at his first appearance in the promise , the whole quire is denominated , from the most chief and nobler part , the sons of god. yet i would not hear be misunderstood as if in respect of their natures i prefer'd men before angels ( no such arrogance ever entred into my soul ) but only in regard of the office and part they bare in this doxologie . men ( for whose salvation christ was manifested in the promise ) leading the chorus , and angles condescending to follow them as ministring-spirits . briefly we have here the general assembly of the first-born ( though but two ) attended with an innumerable company of angels , shouting to see the cornor-stone laid . and because the first-born are in the propriety of the patriarchal language , styled , the sons of god : therefore the whole quire is denominated from them , the sons of god. so that we are to seek for a patriarchal text , where angels , when they are distinctly spoken of , are stiled , the sons of god. sect . iv. for the more manifest proof of this , that the text , gen. 6. 2. [ the sons of god saw the daughters of men , &c. ] is the only text in the whole bible whereby this text in job ought to be interpreted . let us consider the proximity of the stories . the first beginning 120. years before the flood . ( gen. 6. 3. ) and the latter not much above 100. years after the flood , the flood happening anno mundi , 1657. and phaleg , in whose days the earth was divided , being born , anno mundi , 1757 , as the learned usher computes . now i humbly conceive job was contemporary with phaleg , or not long after him , which i gather , first from the length of jobs age , compared with phalegs , and ground that collection upon that common observation , that the age of arphaxad , and those after him till phaleg , reached but to the half of the age of the fathers before the flood , and the age of phaleg scarce to the half of the years of the patriarchs after the flood , that lived before him : which was the common standard of the age of plalegs posterity , unto nahor , who attained to little more then half of the years of his fore-fathers . now we may calculate job's longavity to have exceeded phalegs : if we consider , 1. that all his sons were married , and had familes of their own , before his trial ; say then he was thirty at birth of his first child , he could not in reason but be well towards fifty at birth of his last : considering he had them all by one wife ( job . 19. 17. ) [ intreated my wife for the childrens sake of mine own bodie ] this had been a weak argument if the children of his loins had not been the children of her womb : and that she gave them suck her selfe ; and before the last of ten could reach to that maturitie as to have a familie of his own , job must be towards fourty more ; so that job could be no less then ninety at his trial . 2. after his trial the time wherein his children were born to him , and disposed of to inheritances , could not be so few as fourty . 3. and after this disposal of his children , at what time he was an hundred and thirty years old , he lived an hundred and fourty years , and saw his sons , and sons sons , even four generations . ( job . 42. 15 , 16. ) so that job lived , 270 years ; whereas phaleg lived but , 239. the jewes say god doubled job's age beyond the time that men then lived . but mercer hath sufficiently confuted that conceit , and proved that god's giving job twice as much as he had before , hath not respect either to his own life , or the number of his children , but onely to his possessions . 2. the antiquity of job may be inferred from hence , that the sons of joctan were the conducters of several colonies at what time the earth was divided . now joctan was phaleg's brother , and which of them was the eldest is disputed , but it is most probable to be joctan , because it is said , the earth was divided , in the dayes of phaleg : so that it seems joctan's thirteen sons were grown to mans estate , and fit to be captain's of colonies in the time of phaleg : the youngest whereof , jobab , i take to be job . scultetus indeed fancies that jobab ( one of esau's posteritie ) mentioned , gen. 36. 33. to be job : i am glad i have the suffrage of so learned a man in this particular , that jobab is job . but scultetus was led to this opinion of the later jobab as himself confesseth , by the authority of those learned men , who think job to have been an idumean , because his country vz , or vts , is said to be the land of the daughter of edom ( lament . 4. 21. ) rejoice , o daughter of edom , that dwellest in the land of vz , the cup also shall pass to thee . i answer in this last clause , there is a manifest allusion to jer. 25. 7. then took i the cup at the lord's hand , and made all the nations drink it , &c. but in that context , vz is clearly distinguish'd from idumaea . vers . 20. all the kings of the land of vz , and all the kings of the philistines , &c. edom , moab , and ammon . who sees not that the land of vz and of edom are different ? the meaning therefore of ( daughter of edom that dwellest in the land of vz ) is this , that a colony of edom , expelling the old inhabitants thence , f●xt their habitation in the land of vz. now the arguments whereby i am induced to believe that jobab the youngest son of joctan , is job , are these ; 1. the main current of the most judicious expositers are of opinion that vz , job's countrie , was arabia petraea . now arabia , saith bochartus , is the countrie where the sons of joctan at the division of the earth , planted themselves . mihi certum est hos arabie faelicis , intima insedisse : i am sure , saith he ( in his phaleg ) that these colonies sate down in the very heart of arabia felix , for proof hereof he shew's that the arabians say their first founder was joctan ; and produceth memorials of the names of all his sons retained in the names of arabian cities , rivers , hills or inhabitants . that of jobab for instance , in ptolomies , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , or as scultetus corrects it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . but perhaps ptolomi's text needs no correction , seeing that people of arabia might be so called from job , the abbreviation of jobab , and he being the youngest , his brethren might abbreviate his name . 2. he is said to dwell in the east , which if it be meant east from judea it can be no other then arabia petrea , which standeth east-ward of judaea ; whereas arabia felix standeth full south . but seeing the jewes did not inhabit palestine till above 500 years after job , his countrie is here styled the east , in respect of arabia felix , which lies west of arabia petrea . 3. according to this situation of vz , it hath the sabeans , a people of arabia felix , on one hand , and the chaldeans on the other hand : the one whereof drove away jobs oxen and asses , the other his camels . 4. job was the greatest of all the men of the east ( that is the most eastern part of arabia , which denotes arabia petrea ) and he being the greatest there , must in reason be judged to have been the captain of the colonie there seated . 5. job or jobab being the youngest brother , his elder brethren might more then probablie seat themselves in the richest part of arabia , famous for the plenty of gold , frankincense , &c. and he be forc't to sit down in arabia the stony , or perhaps chose that for his seat , as fittest for the breed of cattel , wherein lay his wealth . the arabians , saith aristotle — ( hist . 9. 50. ) have some of them 3000 camels apiece ; and from them they compute their wealth ( saith leo affrican lib. 9. ) for when they would express their riches , they use to say , he possesseth so many thousand camels . and this is another argument that job's country vz , is arabia , where the thirteen sons of joctan seated their families . 3. that job lived very early after the flood , is , i think , demonstrable from that text , job 31. 26. if i beheld the sun when it shined , &c. and my heart hath been secretly enticed , or my mouth hath kissed my hand , this were an iniquity to be punished by the judge . whence it appears that idolatry was in job's time , accounted by the law of man , criminal and punishable in the humane court , which in the days of terah was set up by a law , from the effect whereof terah fled ( saith josephus ) from his native country , vz , of the caldees , being condemned to be burnt for refusing to worship the sun. from the premises we collect , that job was the most antient practitioner of the patriarchal religion after the flood , that we read of ( except noah ) and lived two hundred years before the death of noah ; what then can be more incredible , than that so pious a person could so soon forget what the patriarchal church before the flood meant by this phrase , [ the sons of god. ] sect . vii . i have weighted all the arguments produced for the proof of the contrary opinion , viz. that job lived not thus early in the new world as i affirm him to have done . but there is not one of them worth answering , but that drawn from job 36. 14. they dye in youth , and their life is amongst the unclean ( the sodomites ) according to the marginal reading , innuit his sodomites , saith grotius ; he means here the sodomites and their destruction : intimating that job's friends had heard of sodoms destruction . , and therefore were younger than abraham . but if it had been sodomites in the text ( as it is not ) that would have been no argument that job had heard of sodoms destruction . for sodom migh the infamous for its uncleanness many ages before its destruction : seeing men do not arrive at such an height of impudent sinning , but by degrees : neither doth god inflict such strange and exemplary judgments , till his long suffering be tired out . besides that , their luxury and beastly lusts might bring the sodomites one by one to an untimely death , might fall under the observation of their neighbours , long before fire and brimstone from heaven sell upon them all together . i have but one note more to evince that the text , gen. 6. 2. is the most proper text to expound this of job by , viz. that the best account i find given of the penman of this book of job , is that which is grounded upon job 32. 15. they were amazed , they left of speaking they answered no more . when i had waited ( for they speak not , but stood still , and answered no more ) i said , i will answer also my part , i will shew mine opinion . can any thing be more apparent than that elihu doth not speak here to job and his three friends , but of them ; who then can he speak to , but the readers of this book of job ? it is certain , the dialogue is here interrupted , for jobs words were ended ( chap. 31. ult . ) causa perorata tacet ; he having said what he could in his own defence , held his peace . and elihu here declares the issue of his reproof of jobs three friends , to wit , their being silent as well as job , to whom then doth he make this declaration ? not to job , that had been superfluous , for he himself was both an ear and eye witness of their being silent by elihu's precedent speech to them : and besides he does not apply his speech to job till ( c. 33. 11. ) [ wherefore job i pray thee hear my speeches , &c. ] not to job's friends , for he saith , they were amazed ; which is not the form of speech wherein we speak to men that are present ; it must be therefore to them that should read this book that he here speaks . again it is in answer to job's wish , that he offers himself to him in god's stead ( ch. 33. 6. ) it is probable therefore that in order to the gratifying of another , as an earnest wish of jobs , he might write job's words , and by consequence this whole historie of his trial in a book : ( job . 19. 23. ) o that my words were written , that they were printed in a book ; that they might remain for ever . and such a wish as he had renewed with very passionate expostulations , immediatly before elihu began his speech to job's friends , and job himself , chap. 31. 3 , 5. 10. that one would hear me , behold my desire is that the almighty would answer me , and that mine adversary had written ( or as it is in most translations ) would write a book surely i would take it upon my shoulders , and bind it as a crown to me , as a prince would i go near unto him . well , saith elihu i am here in gods stead according to thy wish . now if elihu had onely discours'd with job in god's stead as his adversary , and not written that discourse in a book , this had not been according to job's wish , who with the same breath requests that god would answer him , and record that answer in a book . briefly , i cannot imagine how elihu could more plainly have intimated himself to have been the penman than he doth here . and indeed , who more fit to write this book then elihu , who was present at the whole discourse , an interlocutor therein ; an unbiast person , whose discourse god was so far from blaming as he pursues elihu's last argument to convince job . and besides all this , a person divinely inspiried . it was god's spirit , the inspiration of the almighty that gave him understanding , chap. 32. 8. and , vers . 17. i will answer also my part : i also will shew my opinion ( or , rather my wisdom , or my science as pagnine renders it ; and the following words enforce , for i am full of matter , the spirit within me constraineth me , &c. jeremie expresseth the prophetick spirit in like terms , chap. 20. 9. i said i would not speak any more in his name : but his word was in my heart as a burning fire , shut up in my bones . and i was weary with forbearing ; i could not stay . now if elihu was the penman of this book . it cannot be imagined but that he would keep exactly to the propriety of the patriarchal idiome ; and therefore cannot mean any other by [ the sons of god ] then are meant , gen. 6. 2. sect . viii . the reverence i bear to the memorie of those worthy persons who ininterpret hat convention in job a contention of angels , hath forc't me to this expence of time and pains , for the vindication of my leaving such good companie . for i thought it not good manners to answer so many men of so great and deserved a name as that scolist did bellarmine with a bare [ bellarmin thou lyest ] but that i was bound to give reasons of my departure from them , and such reasons as i hope will , upon second thoughts , satisfie sober and serious thinking persons . but the richness of the mine will , i doubt not , counterballance the labour i have bestowed in baring the ground to it , by removing the rubbish that lay upon it . i will therefore now proceed to shew what this text in job contributes towards the proof of the point in hand . in order to which , 1. i observe , that here is mention of a publick church-assembly , a convention of the sons of god before the lord. that being the patriarchal phrase whereby they exprest the professors of the true religion : gen. 6. 2. as all christians confess , except such as are led by the nose to follow the jewish rabbies : whom god hath so infatuated since their shutting out the true light , as of all men living , they are most ignorant of their own law. 2. that this convention before the lord consisted not of job's family and his sons alone , but of the religious also of neighbouring families ; as liban is said to call the men of the place to celebrate jacob's marriage ( gen. 2. 9. 22. ) for before the second convention job was stript of his sons . 3. i note that in these publick-assemblies job did not officiate as priest , though he did in his own family : for this second convention before the lord falling out in the days of his mourning , makes it very probable that he did not manage the ministerial work of that day ; yea it seems more then probable , that job was not present at that convention : from chap. 2. 7. so went satan forth from the presence of the lord , and smote job , &c. had job been there , he would have smote him there . but more clearly from the verse following ; and he took a potsherd to scrape himself withal , and sat down among the ashes . ] this last clause is better renderd in most other translations , as vatablus , junius and tremol . &c. by sitting among the ashes . and the plain sense of the whole verse , is this ; job sitting among the ashes ( when satan smote him ) took what was next at hand , a potsherd to scrape himself withal . so that satan found job not in the church-assemblie , but on the ashes-heap ( the usual posture of men deeply touched with the sense of affliction . ) and therefore the sacred offices in that , and by consequence in other publick assemblies , were administred by publick persons , assigned to that holy function . 4. we find here certain stated times for celebrating religious worship , a day when the sons of god presented themselves before the lord , and that day occurring again : and how could several families convene ( as i have proved there did here ) if they had not had set times for those conventions . 5. as to our third proposition now before us , let it be considered , 1. that seeing in job's time there was no other stated dayes for divine publick worship save weekly , and those weekly days instituted by god himself . what time for sacred conventions can we imagine the sons of god could pitch upon , but that which their heavenly father had prescribed them by his example and precept ? 2. had these dayes of the sons of god , their appearance before the lord , not occurred in a less space of time than either a year or a moneth , it is very improbable that satan would have had so much patience at jobs patience as to have deferred his making an address to god for the enlargement of his commission , before this second church-assembly . could that malitious adversary , who had , after the obtaining of his first commission stript job naked in one day ; whose finger did so itch to be scratching jobs body , that as soon as ever the word [ he is in thy hand ] was gone out of god's mouth , immediatly goes out of god's presence , and smites job's bodie ; could he ( i say ) forbear to make suite for that commission beyond the least division of time by days , seeing job's heroical patience could not but make every hour of that forbearance a greater torment to satan than he could inflict upon job . 3. origen from this very text ( in his homilies upon job . chap. 1. vers . 5 , 6. &c. draws the same inference . those things ( saith he ) that were afterwards commanded in the law concerning the sabbath , job before the giveing of the law , did both observe himself , and taught his children to observe . r. abraham also , as he is quoted by genebrard , affirmeth , that job observed the sabbath . and therefore dr. heylin might have spared his exclamations against beza , for saying that job did sanctifie every seventh day at least : as if in so saying he had only vented his own humor , and opposed the antient fathers , from which latter callumny i shall clear beza in the next chapter . sect . 9. and now having shewed that the patriarchs had stated times for sacred assemblies , and that the church in the time of job , did in all probability celebrate such assemblies weekly . i may venture , with this light in my hand , to proceed without fear of stumbling , or straying , to that famous text , gen. 2. 3. and god blessed the seventh day , and sanctified it , because that in it god rested from all his works which he created and made . for the understanding whereof , and applying it for the support of a weekly patriarchal sabbath : let it be observed , 1. that the conceit of a prolepsis in these words of moses , is clearly overthrown by the premises ; for if the patriarchs had stated dayes of publick worship , so long before moses , that practice of theirs could not possibly be grounded upon any other bottom , but god's resting upon the seventh-day , and therefore sanctifying it to be a day of rest , by his precept to adam . seeing that their appointing stated dayes for such worship on their own heads , would have been no better than will-worship , and such as god might justlie have expostulated with them about , saying , who hath required this at your hands ? and so much a greater affront to the divine majestie , as they were further off from all possibilitie of ignorance of god's resting the seventh day . nay what presumption had it been in the patriarchs to have expected god's blessing upon their celebrating other stated days than god had sancti●●ed ? and sure none can imagine but that they waited upon god for his blessing upon their sacred conventions . thus the practice of the patriarchs is a full comment on this text. 2. it being granted , that this text is to be understood according to the plain literal sense ; then it will cast light upon those patriarchal texts , that have been alledged , concerning their stated times for sacred assemblies , and clearly discover those sons of god in job , to have presented themselves before the lord on that day which god had sanctified at first to that end . let this at present suffice for the proof of this third proposition , which will be further cleared in the handling the fourth , viz. chap. iv. these weekly sabbaths observed before the mosaical law , were sundays , not satterdayes . sect . i. in order to the vindication of this point from the charge of novelty and singularity ; i shall first shew from the testimonies of heathens and fathers , as well as from reasons deduced from sacred writ ; that the jewish saturday-sabbath was not the seventh-day sabbath of the patriarchs . argument i. those encomiums above quoted which heathen poets ( who were antiently divines and philosophers ) bestow upon the seventh-day , cannot be meant of the jewish sabbath ; partly because those ancient poets , hesiod , homer , linus , had not any acquaintance with the jewish affairs ( as josephus contra app. lib. 1. observes . ) and therefore those praises appertain to that weekly day which that part of the gentile world that retained the old tradition , observed . but especially , because when the jewish sabbath came under the observation of the heathens , they made a mock thereat , [ they mocked at their sabbaths ] lam. 7. 7. and they who derided them were not the scum , but the most intelligent moralists such as seneca ( quoted by st. aug. de civ . dei , 6. 11. ) septimam vitae partem sic perdunt vacando , the jews , saith he , spend the seventh part of their life in doing nothing . with him concur plutarch ( de superst . ) rutilin ( in itinerario ) in diriding the jewish sabbath : as also juvenal ( sat. 14. ) cui septima quaeque fuit lux — ignava , et partem vitae non attigit ullam . the jewish seventh day is a day of idleness , and contributes nothing to any part of life . and persius ( sat. 5. ) at cum — herodis venere dies , &c. labra movis tacitus recutitque sabbata palpes . even whilst thou art celebrating ( speaking to a jew ) festivals , the forethought of the jewish sabbath makes thee look pale . these seem to deride the jews for the manner of keeping their sabbaths , for leading thereon a dog's life of hunger and ease : but agatharcides , as josephus reports , cont . app. l. 1. styled the jewish sabbath it self , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a corrupt or depraved custom , as degenerate from that weekly holy-day which was anciently and universally observed . arg. 2. this may also be evinc'd by the testimonies of those fathers of the primitive church , who were nearest to the apostles : justine martyr , ( dial. cum triphone ) [ before moses none of the righteous observed the sabbath ] that is , the jewish saturday-sabbath : for the question here discust betwixt him and triphon the jew , was , whether the fathers before the law celebrated the jewish sabbath ? of which question the jew held the affirmative , and justine the negative . tertullian ( contra judaeos ) makes this challenge to the jews , [ let them shew that the ancient patriarchs did sabbatize ] that is , observe saturday as their weekly holiday , for that they did celebrate that sabbath day that god instituted at the beginning , tertullian himself confesseth , ( ad martionem libr. 4. ) hoc privilegium donatum sabbato a primordio , &c. [ this priviledge was granted to the sabbath from the beginning , &c. ] ireneus . l. 4. c. 30. [ all the patriarchs before moses were justified without the sabbath ] eusebius hist . eccles . l. 1 : c. 4. [ there was no observation of the sabbath among the patriarchs , as also none amongst us ] this cannot possibly be meant of any other sabbath than the jewish . 1. because eusebius ( in praeparat . evang. ) proveth that the most antient gentiles had knowledg of and veneration for the seventh day , out of hesiod , &c. which they could not have from the jews with whom these nanations had then no converse . 2. because of that last clause [ as also none amongst us ] which cannot exclude the lord's day ( for christians celebrate that ) but only the jewish saturday . grotius expounds these testimonies , as if they only denied the patriarchs to have kept the sabbath after the rigid mode of the jews , grounding that opinion upon tertullian's sabbatize : but that learned man should have considered that tertullians curt stile , and his humour to coin new words , renders him the unmeetest of all the fathers to umpire the sense of others : since his own is , in very many places , past finding out , save by the light of other writers ; and therefore the other fathers that writ upon the same subject , ought rather to interpret him than he them . but grotius his haste to wrest these testimonies out of the hands of the prolepsarians , makes this slip more excuseable , than the course that hamon l'estrange takes to evade the dint of this argument by denying the competency of the witnesses . for what humane authority can be of more weight in the esteem of indifferent judges , than this of these fathers ( who were as learned defenders of the christian cause against jews , gentiles , and hereticks , as the church hath been blest with ) especially in this case , wherein they had to deal with most subtil adversaries , and therefore it is to be presumed that here they did not glance on the question , but examined and discuss'd it throughly ; neither indeed could these great defenders of the christian cause have stood their ground in maintaining the christian practice of celebrating sunday for their weekly sabbath , against the assaults made from god's command to the jews to celebrate saturday , but by denying ( as our saviour did in the case of divorce ) that it was so from the beginning , when the pharisees urged him with this reply [ why did moses then command , &c. ] mat. 19. 7 , 8. i therefore humbly conceive that there is no way of expounding these fathers consistent with the opinion of the anti prolepsarians , comparable to that which i have given , as being most natural and literal , as securing the credit of these champions of the christian cause against jews , and consonant to right reason and sacred writ . arg. 3. for that the seventh day injoyn'd the patriarchs , was not that day that was appointed the jews , may be evinc'd from the distinction , that sacred writ makes betwixt that ceremonial law touching their saturday-sabbath , and that moral law ( given to all to sanctifie the seventh day from the creation ) exprest in the fourth precept of the decalogue : or if you please as epiphanius observes ( contra ebionaeos ) betwixt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 : [ that natural or moral sabbath which was determined from the beginning . and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , that ceremonial or temporary sabbath determined under the mosaical law ] : now that sacred scripture doth plainly difference these from one another , nay casts up a great gulph betwixt them , appears from hence . 1. the fourth precept was delivered in the audience of all the people , immediately by god's own mouth on mount sinai ( deut. 4. 12. ) but the law of saturday-sabbath was delivered by god unto moses alone , and by him to the rulers of the congregation , ( exod. 16. 20. ) this difference is intimated by pethaliah , nehem. 9. 13 , 14. [ thou camest down also upon mount sinai , and spakest with them from heaven , and gavest them right judgment , and true laws , good statutes and commandments ] ( vers . 14. ) and thou madest known unto them thy holy sabbath , and commandest them precepts , statutes and laws by the hand of moses thy servant . ] here the decalogue is plainly discriminated from that law of the sabbath , which was peculiar to the jews . 1. by this , that the ten commandments were spoken by god himself , speaking on mount sinai . but the law of the sabbath , together with the rest of those temporary laws , were made known to the israelites by the hand of moses . 2. by his styling the laws of the decalogue [ right , true , good ] ; but not vouchsafing to give any of those titles to the law of the jewish sabbath , and other ceremonials ; which speak the first to be bottom'd upon their own innate righteousness and goodness , and therefore to be permanent and universal to all mankind ; but the last to want these properties , and therefore to have been carnal ordinances imposed on them , until the time of reformation : ( heb. 9. 10. ) not to have been faultless , ( heb. 8. 7 , 8. ) to have been statutes that were not good , and judgments whereby they could not have lived , ( ezek. 20. 25. ) it is not unworthy of observation , that through the 20th chapter of ezekiel , where-ever it is said of his statutes and judgments , that if a man do them he shall even live in them ; the sabbaths that god gave them are excluded from that priviledg , and mentioned distinctly as separated , in regard thereof , from the moral law. as vers . 10 , 11. [ i brought them into the wilderness , and gave them my statutes , and shewed them my judgments , which if a man do , he shall even live in them . moreover also , [ i gave them my sabbaths , ] and vers . 21. [ they walked not in my statutes , neither kept my judgments , which if a man do he shall even live in them , they polluted my sabbaths . ] if the prophet had not meant here to put this difference betwixt the decalogue and the ceremonial law ( whereof that of the saturday-sabbath , with the rest of their sabbaths , monthly , yearly , &c. was the prime , and therefore mentioned in the name of the other ceremonials . ) that in doing the law of the decalogue a man may live , but not in keeping the ceremonial law , whereof that of their sabbath was a part . he would have said , [ judgments , statutes , and sabbaths , which if a man , &c. ] now what can be more manifestly demonstrated , than the vast difference betwixt these laws is demonstrated to be in these texts , which present that law of the sabbath which god gave the jews , to have been a law that could not perfect him that kept it as to conscience ; and therefore to have been temporary and peculiar to the jews . 3. by his saying of the first , that god gave them . of the jewish sabbath , that god made it known unto them , as a thing they were ignorant of before , which cannot be applied to the patriarchal sabbath , to which the 4th precept relates , for they were acquainted with that by an uninterrupted tradition from the patriarchs . but of that sabbath that was instituted at the gathering of manna , to wit , their saturday-sabbath , which was then , and not till then first instituted , and so strange that when the people had gathered a double portion on the sixth day ( the sixth day of their gathering , not of the antient patriarchal week ) the elders went and told moses , as not knowing what that meant , which a child might have known , if saturday , the day following , had been their antient sabbath . from the premises may be gathered , not only that the scripture puts a difference betwixt the fourth precept , and the law for saturday-sabbath : by declaring the first to have been delivered by god's own mouth , the other by the hand of moses ; but also , by attributing those titles of true , good , righteous , to the fourth precept , which it gives to the other nine , and are incompatible to the law of the saturday-sabbath . 3. and by affirming the law of the jewish sabbath to have been first published at the gathering of manna : whereas the sabbath of the fourth precept was made known to adam , and observed by him and his successive generations . to proceed to other differences betwixt these laws . 4. the fourth precept was writ in tables of stone by god's own finger , ( deut. 4. 13. ) but the law of the saturday-sabbath with other ceremonials were written by moses in a book , exod. 24. 4. 5. the two tables were put into the ark ( deut. 10. 2 , 5. ) which was never opened that we read of , save when the philistines looked into it , and at solomon's translating it into his temple : at what time nothing was found within the ark , save the two tables , no not so much as aron's rod and pot of manna , as sanctius and others conceive , because aaron's rod and pot of manna were placed not in the ark , but tabernacle , ( exod. 16. 33. ) numb . 17. 10. or as others think , because no part of the law , but only the two tables , were put under the propitiatory , into the ark : though the pot , and rod were placed there also ( heb. 9. 4. ) but that all other laws ( wrote by moses himself ) were placed on the outward side of the ark , is the common opinion , and substantially grounded upon that text , ( deut. 31. 26. ) [ take this book of the law , and put it in the side of the ark. ] 6. god's placing the fourth precept in the decalogue , declares it to be of the same nature with the rest of the ten : for how can it stand with the wisdom of the god of order ( who forbad plowing with an ox and an ass , who prohibited the wearing of linsy-woolsy ; and was so careful that the male and female sex should wear different apparel ) to shuffle a ceremonial law amongst his moral laws ? seeing that would have been a far greater indecorum than the yoking of an ox and an ass together ; would have rendred the decalogue a piece of linsie-woolsie , and have been the apparalling of permanent and transient , of perpetual and temporary laws , which in their own nature differ more than male and female ( that is , specifically ) in the same garb . sect . ii. but that which makes the greatest difference betwixt these sabbaths , is this , the sabbath of the fourth precept , and that commanded the jews , are grounded upon different reasons . the first in commemoration of the creation , which is common to all persons in all ages and places . the other , 1. that it might be a sign to discriminate the jews from all other nations , exod. 31. 13. [ it is a sign between me and you that i am the lord your god ▪ ] that is , that i have taken you to be unto me a people and an inheritance . ( deut. 4. 20. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . i am the lord your god which have separated you from all other nations , ( lev. 20. 24. ) now if other nations had celebrated saturday as their weekly sabbath , and not another day of the week , the jews could not have been discriminated from them by their observing the same day , this would have been no part of the wall of partition . 2. the jews weekly as well as their monthly sabbaths , were shadows of good things to come , the body whereof is christ , ( col. 2. 16. ) if therefore the sabbath of the fourth precept had been the jewish sabbath , it ought to have been abolished when christ the substance is come , as well as other ceremonial laws . but this is contrary to the sense of the universal church , which reckons this one of the ten commandments : and our church hath appointed this precept , with the rest of the decalogue , to be pronounced at the lord's table , and enjoyned her children to beg pardon for the breach of this , and grace to encline their hearts to keep it ; which would be the putting of a cheat upon them , if that precept in the plain letter of it were not still in force : and the putting a figurative sense upon it would make it as unintelligible to vulgar capacities as if it were in latine : and so much the more hard to be understood as the church in her liturgies and catechisms ( wherein she propounds milk to babes ) affects the greatest plainness of speech . upon which account most serious persons have been prejudic'd against calvin's interpretation of christ's descent into hell : that being an article of the common faith , and therefore to be interpreted in the plain literal sense . let me add , that the church no where declares her sentiments more plainly , than in publick liturgies : upon which consideration st. austin so often appeals from those testimonies of fathers , which pelagius urged , to the forms of common-prayer . and therefore tho a thousand private doctors opinion should thwart me , yet i having the opinion of the whole church , declared in her liturgies , for me ; if not in so many words , yet in her general practice , unavoidably inferring what i maintain , to wit , that the fourth precept of the decalogue is still in full force ; this is sufficient to acquit my assertion from the imputation of novelty or singularity , as being no other but what i drew from my mother's ( the church of england's ) breasts , not only by good consequence , as hath been shewed , but in plain words : for in the homily of the time and place of prayer she tells us , that [ god expresly in the fourth precept commandeth the celebration of the sabbath , which is our sunday . but i have greater authority than this of the church , even christ himself : who could not endure that he should be thought to come to destroy the law ; and assures us that not one jot or tittle should fall from the law , mat. 5. 17. which all interpret to be meant of the decalogue , whose fourth precept must therefore be concluded to have nothing in it that is ceremonial , typical , and upon that account to be abolished , as instituting a sabbath to be a shadow of good things to come . 3. the sabbath appropriate to the jews , was commanded them to be a memorial of god's giving them rest from egyptian servitude , deut. 5. 15. remember that thou wast a servant in the land of egypt , and that the lord thy god brought thee out thence — : therefore the lord thy god commanded thee to keep the sabbath day . observe here the difference betwixt the law of the sabbath given on mount sinai , and this in deuteronomy , tho it be repeated in the decalogue . for this book containing an explanation of the law , ( whether moral , ceremonial , or judicial ) and application of it to the particular state of the jews : moses in this text judaizeth the fourth precept , and therefore assigns , as the reason of its institution ( thus applied and limited ) not god's resting on the seventh day from his work , which is common to all mankind , but his causing them to rest from their servil work under the egyptians : which was peculiar to the jews . which is a manifest argument that the sabbath of the decalogue , engraven in the tables , was of larger extent than this mentioned in deuteronomy ; or else why should the reason of the one be universal , of the other particular ? as also that the jews were obliged to the observation of their sabbath , not from the literal and primary sense of the fourth precept , ( as all mankind are , and always were , except the jews , to whom god appointed another sabbath ) but only from the equity of it : for seeing god had sanctified the precise seventh day , whereon he had rested , to be observed by all men ; it was meet that the jews should keep holy one day of seven , and that day which god had peculiarly enjoyned them , viz. saturday , tho that was not the sabbath of the fourth precept , the lawgiver having right to dispense with his own law. and this is clearly the plain meaning of moses his inserting ( vers . 12. [ as the lord hath commanded thee ] or rather 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , had commanded thee ] viz. before the publishing of the decalogue on mount sinai : and of his leaving out [ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 remember ] the first word of the fourth precept , as it was delivered on sinai ; by which word , mankind was called upon to call to mind the patriarchal sabbath : or rather his transferring it to his mentioning their egyptian bondage , vers . 15. [ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and remember that thou wast a bondsman , &c. ] as if moses had said , perhaps you may interpret the fourth precept ( repeating the law of the patriarchal sabbath ) as either vacating that law of the sabbath he gave you a little before the promulgation of that on mount sinai , viz. at the first gathering of manna , or as laying an obligation upon you to observe that also , so as you must keep two sabbaths in a week : for the prevention of either of which mistakes , now that i am come to the mentioning of the fourth precept , i will let you know , that though indeed as you are men , you are obliged to keep in memory the rest of the creation ; yet as you are jews , a nation separated to god from all nations , god hath dispensed with you as to the precise day , and expects ; that you should keep that day which he hath peculiarly appointed you to celebrate in commemoration of his giving you rest from egyptian bondage , which was so severe and afflicting , that in regard thereof it had been better for you that you had not been created , or died as soon as you were born . note from hence that the fourth precept , when applied to the jews , ought to be interpreted , as commanding one day of seven . but as it stands in the decalogue , and appertains to all nations and ages , it commands the celebration of the precise seventh day , whereon god rested : so directly contrary to moses his exposition of this law , does the common cry of modern expositers go , who make it command a seventh day to all , and the seventh day to the jews . observe how unaccountable these expositors make the christian practise of keeping sunday , if that be not the seventh day of the fourth precept , but only one of the seven : seeing that precept enjoyns the seventh on which god rested and , that upon this reason , because god rested thereon : and how justifiable the jewish practise was of keeping saturday , though that was not the seventh day whereon god rested , for they had for their so doing a plain divine precept of their ceremonial and peculiar law , dispencing in respect of the day with the law of the sabbath , which was given to adam and his whole posterity from the beginning . let it be noted in the next place , that all the other nine precepts , repeated here by moses , are the very same verbatim with those that were writ on the two tables , as they were spoken on the mount : but the fourth precept , as it is repeated here , is not the same fourth precept that was spoken by god's mouth and writ by god's finger , but vastly different from that , both in its form and reason : and both peculiar to the jews , but neither of them applicable to other nations . not the former : for as the jews were a part of the patriarchal church ( seeing god had for that time of their separation from other nations assigned them another day than that of the fourth precept as it stands in the decalogue ) it was very requisit that a memento should be presixt before that command to sanctifie the patriarchal-sabbath , which was to take place again when the partition-wall should be broken down , that they might then after so long an intermission call to mind , or remembrance , god's primitive seventh-day to sanctifie it : and therefore the fourth precept in the decalogue begins with remember . but there is no remember prefixt before this precept , as it is here repeated by moses , and adapted to the jewish state , because as such they were to sanctify saturday , and to observe the precept , as enjoining to them the sanctification of that day as their peculiar sabbath , only till the time of reformation , and then they were to forget it thus judaiz'd , as well as the rest of their ceremonial laws . at which time of restauration this their new saturday-sabbath would be grown old , and must come no more in remembrance , isa . 65. 17. and then the covering of the ark , where the two tables of the everlasting law was laid up , being taken away , the jews might reade the fourth precept , as it was uttered from the lord's mouth , vvith a memento before it , to put them in remembrance of that seventh day whereon god rested . i would thank that man who will give me any better , or indeed any other reason than this , why a memento should begin this precept and none of the rest ; seeing we ought as well remember to observe them as this : or why moses should prefix remember before the fourth precept as it stands in the decalogue , and not as he repeats it here . or why he should assign god's resting as the ground of the fourth precept there , and the israelites resting from egyptian bondage , as the reason of it here . or lastly , how moses can be acquitted from self-contradiction , from adding to , and taking from the words of the law , when in the twentieth of exodus , he saith , god spake thus , [ remember , &c. for in six days the lord made , &c. wherefore the lord blessed , &c. ] and yet in this 5th of deut. he not only leaves out the [ remember ] and the reason of the fourth precept in the decalogue , but assigns another reason , and yet after all tells them , [ these words the lord spake unto all your assembly in the mount , and he added no more , and he wrote them in two tables of stone . ] how can moses his fidelity in this case be vindicated but by this salvo , that the other nine do indifferently appertain to jew and gentile , and therefore they are repeated intirely as they came from god's mouth . but the fourth precept for that time did not appertain to the jews ( either as to the day commanded to be sanctified , or the reason for its sanctification , but only in regard of its equity , in respect of the proportion of time ) but to all mankind , save the jews , at all times , and would appertain to the jews when christ had made of that twain ( jew and gentile ) one : and therefore moses , to secure that entirely against that time , sets it down in the decalogue word by word as god spake it : but when he applies that precept to the peculiar state of the jews at that present , to whom god had ( before the promulgation of the law on the holy mount ) appointed another day for their weekly sabbath , than that whereon god had rested ; it had been ridiculous to have mentioned god's finishing his work of creation in six days , and his resting on the seventh , as the reason why the jews should rest on that day whereon god wrought : and therefore he omits that , and assigns another reason most proper and cogent , and repeats no more of the precept , but what was common to them and other nations . and thus it 's true what moses saith , these words the lord spake in the mount unto your whole assembly , and he added no more ; that is , that you are at present concern'd in . and as to the words expressing the reason , god spake them in the preface to the whole decalogue as the reason of your being obliged , above other nations , to keep all and every one of those laws ; and my applying them to the law of the sabbath , is a faithful exposition of both the laws concerning the sabbath ; to wit , the ceremonial , which concerns you alone , and the moral so far as it concerns you , that is , in the equity of it . he spake indeed more words , but not unto your whole assembly in its present constitution , but as you shall be at the rending of the vail ; he would have you hear that which i omit to repeat , for that time to come , seeing the pressing of you upon that reason , to keep that sabbath-day god hath commanded you to observe , would be a strong argument against your keeping it . sect . iii. i could name other differences the sacred scripture makes betwixt the patriarchal and jewish sabbath : but these already mentioned are sufficient to convince rational men that the jewish saturday-sabbath was not the patriarchal sabbath commanded in the fourth precept . i come now to shew that the patriarchs celebrated sunday for their weekly sabbath . arg. 1. and here first i urge the premises . if saturday was not the patriarchal sabbath , either sunday must be it , or it will follow that there have been three several sabbaths , one of the patriarchs before the law , another of the jews under the law , and a third of christians under the gospel . a consequence which a mahometan may perhaps not disgust , but i am sure it will sound harsh in a christians ear. arg. 2. there can no other justifiable account be given of christians celebrating sunday , but this . that the jewish saturday-sabbath was ceremonial and temporary , and therefore to give place to that day that was sanctified from the beginning by god's example and precept ; gave place , i say , to that at the expiration of the mosaical law without any new precept . 1. for if saturday-sabbath had been the day on which god rested , and commanded adam to rest on , and keep holy , it could not have been unsanctified but by a precept as manifest and of as great authority as that was whereby it was instituted , which i am confident can never be made to appear in the translation of the sabbath from saturday to sunday . and that which is alledged for this comes far short : for what argumentative force can there be in christ's rising , his appearing after his resurrection , and celebrating religious assemblies with his apostles ordinarily on sundays , in the apostles assembling on that day for religious worship ; what force , i say , can there be in all this for the unsanctifying of saturday , and giving its crown to sunday , comparable to the express command of god grounded upon his own example to sanctifie saturday ? nay , what are mens pleading such things as these for the change of the sabbath ( upon supposition that saturday was god's day of rest , and commanded by him to be kept ) but a setting up of their own conceits , and miscollected conclusions ( that because saturday was instituted in memory of the creation , and sunday was the day wherein christ perfected man's redemption by his resurrection , &c. therefore saturday must give place to sunday ) in direct opposition to god's express precept ; if saturday be the day intended in the fourth precept , or gen. 2. 2. but then i would not have the saturday-sabbatarians crow as if i adjudged the victory to them . for upon the ground that i have laid the jewish saturday-sabbath , being calculated particularly to that nation , and therefore temporary and ceremonial , must with other mosaick ceremonies be abrogated by christ's death , and give place to the antient patriarchal sabbath on course without any new precept . and here now our saviour's rising from the dead , his frequent appearing to his disciples on sundays , the practise of the apostles and primitive church , come in seasonably with their auxiliary force to support the divine institution of the lords-day — . for though as to the first consecration thereof , their examples signifie nothing , nor are able to stand their ground against the assaults of god's both example and precept : yet upon that ground i have laid they are substantial and strenuous seconds to prove the restauration of the ancient patriarchal sabbath by the antiquation of the judaick . what greater influence could our saviour's rising on sunday have upon that day to the sanctifying thereof , than his suffering on friday , or his ascension on thursday could have upon either of those days to sanctifie either of them for the weekly sabbath ? 3. but yet christ chose to rise on sunday , because god had sanctified that day from the beginning . and therefore his resurrection , and the apostles celebrating church-assemblies on that day , though they are not of authority sufficient to appoint a new lord's-day , yet they are safe guides to point us to that old patriarchal lord's-day whereon the lord rested , and therefore commanded the patriarchal church catholique to sanctifie it — in conformity to , and communion with which church , extending to all ages and places ( save judea , which never was any other but a particular church , god having in all nations some that feared god and wrought righteousness , and therefore were accepted of him . ) our saviour after the rending or the vail , and removal of the partition-wall , rose upon that day , and upon that day celebrated religious assemblies , &c. and this was sufficient to revoke the sabbath to its first beginning ( to which all things were revoked by christ , saith tertullian ( in monogamia ) and to intimate that sunday was the patriarchal sabbath . it being manifest that the jewish sabbath instituted not only four hundred , but three thousand years after the institution of the patriarchal , could not make that void , any more than the mosaick law could vacate the promise made to abraham before that law was given , according to the apostles way of arguing , ( gal. 3 , 17. ) [ the covenant that was before confirmed of god to abraham , the law which was 430 years after , could not disanul , that it should make the promise of none effect . ] and that therefore that mosaic law of the sabbath being made void , the patriarchal must of course take effect without any new injunction . the necessity of which cousequence will be made more apparent by the next argument . viz. sect . iv. arg. 3. that the patriarchs did celebrate the sunday-sabbath before the institution of saturday-sabbath , may be proved , if not demonstrated , from scripture-instances . it were indeed unreasonable to expect mathematical demonstrations in this case , seeing moses his history of the patriarchal religion is so exceeding concise , as his narrative thereof for above two thousand years may be in a manner comprised in a nut-shell . yet if we diligently search , i doubt not but we shall find instances next to demonstrations , in two places , viz. exod. 12. & exod. 16. i will begin with the last , because it leads to the change of the patriarchal sabbath to the jewish : which seeing we all know to be saturday , by reckoning backward till we come to the day on which that general church-assembly , mentioned ver . 2. was kept , we may certainly find on what day of the week it fell . inst . 1 the first instance therefore that i shall give of a religious weekly assembly kept on course by the patriarchs , on sundays , is from exod. 16. 1 , &c. and they took their journey from elim , and all the congregation of the children of israel came into the wilderness of sin , which is between elim and sinai , on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departure out of the land of egypt . and the whole congregation of the children of israel murmured against moses and aaron . ] for the right stating of the sense of this text , i must crave leave to rectify the pointing , which , as it stands , refers the sifteenth day to their marching , which ought to be referred to the time of this assembly : for of what use imaginable could it be to know the day of the month when they took their journey , any more than the rest of their journeyings , except that from mount sinai ( numb . 10. 11. ) for the space of forty years ? but as god at the institution of the passover had changed the beginning of the year , and appointed that month to be the first to the israelites , which was not the sirst in respect of the creation . so when he was purposed to change the beginning of weeks to the israelites , and appoint that day their seventh which was the sixth in the patriarchal account , and of the whole world beside the jews : it was expedient to leave some plain note and character of time , whereby it might be known on what day of the week the sabbath was kept before that change . now this misapplication of the fifteenth day may easily be amended , by having recourse to the original , and the septuagint , thus , — and they journeyed from elim . and the whole congregation of the children of israel came into the wilderness of sin , which is between elim and sinai , ver . 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , [ and ] or [ but ] on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departure out of the land of egypt , the whole congregation of the children of israel murmured , &c. this is therefore the first collection i make from this text. that the whole congregation are not said to march but to murmur , on the fifteenth day , their sabbath songs were turned into howlings , like those , amos 8. 3. as to the reason i assign why the day of the month is named here , and not in any of their marching saving that from mount sinai ; a person eminent for learning and place in our church is pleased to except against it , by giving this as the reason why the day of the month is here named , viz. lest the first part of the verse should be mistaken as if they had gone from elim , and come to sin the same day . whereas they departed from elim to the red-sea , and came from the red-sea , into the wilderness of sin , numb . 33. to this exception therefore i here humbly offer these two things to consideration . 1. moses , in numb . 33. ( where he purposely records their marchings in order , and mentions that by the red-sea immediately before their coming into the wilderness ) doth sufficiently prevent all possibility of mistaking the sense of ex. 16. except by such negligent readers as in their reading his writings , slip over that chapter in numbers , which kind of persons i suppose moses was not very careful to gratifie . 2. this reason is so far from preventing the supposed mistake , as it necessarily leads to it : for read the text thus : they departed from elim , and came into the wilderness of sin the fifteenth day : and this pointing makes their departure from elim , and coming into the wilderness , to have been on the same day . the first being the terminus a quo , the other the terminus ad quem of their motion : except we fancy they came into the wilderness the fifteenth day from no place . but refer the fifteenth day to their murmuring , not marching , and both the extream tearms of their march stand firm , and there is space enough betwixt them left for their intermediate encamping at the red-sea . as if a man should say , i removed from london , and came to york the 15th day of april : we would conclude that he came to york the same day he removed from london . but if he should say , i came from london to york without specifying the time , none would imagine but that he had lodging-places betwixt london and york . so that this exception furnishes me with one argument more for my applying the 15th day to their murmuring not marching . the same eminent person adviseth me to consider whether the septuagint can weigh down the hebrew , samaritan , syriac , arabick , targum , &c. all which refer the 15th day to their marching . i have considered this , and am very apprehensive what a difficult and envious task i undertake , if i should prefer the septuagint above the hebrew . i remember how angry jerom was with st. austin , for preferring it before his hebraica veritas , and what opposition the late attempt of vosius hath met with : and yet i cannot but retain a singular honour in my heart for it . 1. as being better secured from being corrupted by the faithless jews ; when the hebrew , by reason of its being communicated many hundred years before the christian aera to the gentile world , and deposited in ptolomies famous library , whither the philosophers flocked from all parts of the world , saith elian ; the divine providence foreseeing what unfaithful keepers of the divine oracles , that people to whom they were first committed would prove [ when for their rejecting christ they became lo-ammi ] provided that the gentiles should come to the light thereof by means of the septuagint , so long before our saviour's coming , the contemptibleness of whose appearance so enraged the learned party of the jews , who had the hebrew copies in their custody , ( for the vulgar jews understood not hebrew in our saviour's time ) as in revenge they defaced his image drawn by their own prophets , for representing him such as the apostles proclaimed him to be : whence proceeded those numerous corruptions , mentioned by vossius and others . 2. the apostles making so frequent , if not constant use of it in their quotations of the old testament , seems to me a canonization of the translation , and a commending it above the hebrew . 3. if the hebrew be to be suspected , where it affronts the septuagiut , it ought to be so , especially in such texts as have relation to their sabbath . their idolizing of which might prompt them to disturb the pointing of this text , exod. 16. which according to the septuagint , speaks it to be a younger brother to sunday-sabbath . 4. and for my preferring the septuagint before the hebrew in those texts that have relation to the sabbath , i have the example of our own church to be my warrant ; which adheres to that version in the translation of thef ourth precept , both in the catechism , where she feeds her babes with milk , and in the office of communion , where she reminds her adult members of that part of their baptismal vow , whereby they stand obliged to keep god's holy will and commandments . altho the hebrew , geneva , spanish , and that of jerom , and all i have perused , saith l'estrange , render it [ wherefore the lord blessed the sabbath-day ] except the septuagint , which renders it , [ the seventh day , ] altho our last translation of the bible follows the hebrew . altho the puritans ( as they were called ) have called long and loud to our church to rectify the reading , and conform it to the hebrew , as knowing that their opinion of the fourth precept commandeth [ a ] seventh , not [ the ] seventh day , is utterly overthrown by rendring it , wherefore the lord blessed [ the ] seventh-day . and altho our church hath gratified their clamours , in conforming the epistles and gospels to our last translation , yet in the forenamed versions of the fourth precept she adheres still to the septuagint , and persisteth in teaching her children , young and old , that the sabbath of the fourth precept in the plain literal sense of it , is the seventh day , wherein god rested , and therefore sanctified , and separated to be observed by us christians in obedience to that precept , and in conformity to god's example . or , to give her sense of this precept thus translated in her own words , ( homilie of the time and place of prayer [ god expresly in the fourth precept commandeth the observation of the sabbath , which is our sunday : and not only commandeth it , but also by his own example doth stir and provoke us to diligent keeping of the same . ] and a little after [ this example and command of god , the godly christian people began to follow immediately after the ascension of our lord christ . ] it was , you see , in obedience to this command , urged by this example , that the christians began to celebrate sunday in our churche's judgment . in obedience ( i say ) to this precept , in the plain literal sense of it : for sure the church of england is a more indulgent mother , than to teach her babes by tropes and figures , and far-fetch'd consequences , what that holy will of god is , to the keeping whereof their baptismal vow obligeth them , or to oblige them to say , lord have mercy upon us , and incline our hearts to keep this law , after the pronouncing of the fourth precept at the lord's table , if that did not stand intirely in every tittle of it , according to its plain and primitive sense , in as full force now under the gospel , as any of the rest . moses was faithful in god's house , and therefore at his repeating of the decalogue , and applying it to the israelites , he lets them know that they were not concerned in that reason for sanctifying of that sabbath which god published on the mount , to wit , [ because god rested on the seventh-day ] but urgeth the keeping of their sabbath , by another reason peculiar to themselves , to wit , their resting from egyptian bondage , deut. 5. which very reason is an argument that their saturday-sabbath was not the day on which god rested , but local and temporary . and god's urging the sanctifying of the sabbath of the fourth precept from his own example , argues the day therein commanded to be the day whereon god rested , and to concern all ages and nations . the reason of it being common to all , and therefore to be our sunday . and this speaks the faithfulness of our church , viz. her informing her children that the whole and intire both precept and reason , appertains to us christians , and therefore we are bound to beg pardon for the breach thereof , and grace to observe it . i had never much artificial , yet have so much natural logick , as to think this a very strange inference : god rested the seventh-day , that is , saturday : wherefore the lord blessed the sabbath day , that is sunday ; and the common opinion to be void of reason , viz. that the day commanded in this precept is gon , but the precept remains : seeing all that 's commanded is the sanctifying of the day whereon god rested . it may with every whit as much reason be said , the honouring of father and mother is gone , but the law commanding that honour is still in force , as that the day whereon the command bids us rest , is gone , but the precept commanding that day of rest remains ; as if that day injoyned belonged to the jews , and the precept enjoyning , to us . my resentment of such horrible absurdities unavoidably issuing from the common opinion , that saturday is the day whereon god rested , and that day which he commanded the jews to sanctifie , in the fourth precept : and yet that the precept is still in force to us christians , obliging us to sanctifie another day , sunday ; in conjunction with the reverence i bear to the sounder doctrine of the church of england , viz. that the fourth precept commands us to celebrate sunday , upon the account of god's resting on that day , first put me upon that enquiry , whereof my treatise of the sabbath is the result , viz. whether that hypothesis could be proved from scripture and reason ; and if proved , whether it would secure unto us our sunday-sabbath , without any new institution by christ's precept , upon better grounds than can be laid by the vulgar opinion ; and such as free our necks from the yoak of those carnal austerities which attend the jewish temporary and ceremonial saturday-sabbath . this design i confess affronts the whole world of private modern writers : but i have standing on my side the church of england which carried on the reformation of christian religion from papal innovations more pecately , regularly , cautiously , and with a greater respect to catholick antiquity , than any other reformed church did . and that which inclined me the rather to follow her conduct through my whole tract of the sabbath , was this ; because i observed that the writers upon the fourth precept have fallen into inextricable perplexities , meerly through this one mistake , that the sabbath injoyned in that precept is saturday , and not ( as our church teacheth ) sunday . and that if they had followed our churches clew , they would have found the way out of those labyrinths , wherein they have lost themselves . for if sunday be the day whereon god rested , and therefore commanded in that precept to be sanctified after god's example ( and unless it be that day wereon god rested , that precept does not command the sanctification of it ) how naturally will these consequences follow ; 1. that adam and the patriarchs could not be ignorant of that example of god , which was laid down in the precept , as the reason why we are to sanctifie it : for if that reason oblige us who only hear it ; it must much more oblige adam who after a sort saw it . 2. that the law of the saturday-sabbath is not expresly commanded in that precept , but only reducible to it in regard of its equity and proportion of time , viz. one of seven . and therefore saturday-sabbath may depart , and the precept continue in full force . nay , that sabbath , together with the ceremonial precepts concerning it , must ( as the rest of mosaick ceremonies ) depart at the rending of the vail , and give way to the sunday-sabbath . and thus the christian church is disburdened of those austerities , about which there hath been so much wrangling amongst modern writers . 3. that there was no need of a new gospel-precept for the first institution of sunday-sabbath ; and that therefore christ's resurrection , his converse with his disciples , and their celebration of holy assemblies on sundays , do warrant us to keep that day as sure and infallible guides to the old patriarchal sunday-sabbath , mentioned in the fourth precept ; which was to take place again on course at the expiration of the temporary and ceremonial sabbath , enjoyned the jews for a time , as a badge to difference them from other nations ; but is too sandy a ground whereon to build the institution of a new sabbath-day , in direct opposition to the express precept and example of god : and thus the mouth of the saturday-sabbatarians is stopt . but tho i might without deserved blame ( being back'd with so great authorities ) prefer the septuagint before the hebrew , exod. 16. 1. yet i presume not to prefer the text of the septuagint before the text of the hebrew , but only compare the text of the septuagint ( which is utterly incapable of any other pointing than what i urge ) with the pointing of the hebrew , which referrs to the 15th day of their coming into the wilderness . and here the preference may , without disparagement to the hebrew text , be given to the septuagint ; considering , 1. that it is a question amongst the learned , whether the pentateuch had any vowels , or so much as distinctions of words , but was all as one word before the masorites . 2. that it is not agreed who those masorites were that distinguish'd the old testament into sections and verses , whether the wise men of tiberias , or those of ezra's synagogue , &c. 3. and that the hebrew text without distortion is capable of the same pointing that i urge , but the septuagint capable of no other . and therefore to ask whether the immoveable pointing of the septuagint should yeild to the moveable point of the hebrew , is to question whether the mountain should come to mahomet , or mahomet to the mountain . 4. i have the suffrage of learned men to stand by me , in asserting that the quails fell and were gathered on the fifteenth day . for bochart in his hierozoicon , cornelius a lapide , menochius , &c. on numb . 11. affirm that the quails mentioned , exod. 16. fell on the fifteenth day of the second month , and it is certain from the text that the quails fell on that day they murmured . sect . v. the next inference i draw from this text is this , that this assembly hath all the characters of a church-assembly . 1. it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the whole congregation , or church of the children of israel ; to difference it from the people or mixt multitude that murmured at marah : chap. 15. 24. that marched in one body with the israelites , and are implied in the first clause of verse 1. they took their journey from elim . and in that chapter 15. 27. and they came to elim , meaning the israelites , with the mixt multitude . and as they came to elim : so here the same [ they ] are said to journy from elim ; but when moses gives an account of what fell out when they came into the wilderness of sin , he shakes off the mixt multitude , and leaves them out of his discourse , by changing the phrase he used , when he speaks of their journeying , and saying , the whole congregation of the children of israel came into the wilderness . and the whole congregation of the children of israel on the fifteenth day murmured . by which he intimates this assembly to have consisted wholly and solely of israelites , and to have been of the same make with that which st. stephen calls the church in the wilderness , consisting of our fathers , as he stiles them , he , and those he spake to , being jews , act. 7. 28. briefly , this was not a murmuring in their tents , like that , psal . 106. 25. and that numb . 14. 2. at the return of the spies ; or that through their families , every man at his own tent-door , ( numb . 11. 10 ) where we have the mixed multitude represented as the fomenters thereof : and therefore if they had been of this murmuring . assembly in my text , they would have been mentioned here as well as there . 2. here is the whole church of israel assembled on course before the lord ; for moses did not call them , but finds them together . aaron indeed bids them come near before the lord , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , before the face of the lord : but all he meant by that , was , that they should turn their faces towards the pillar , the then token of god's special presence : for that was all they did in compliance with that injunction , ver . 9. [ and as aaron spake unto them they looked toward the wilderness , and the glory of the lord appeared in the pilar of cloud . ] and that is an argument they were already before the lord , though not so as to face the cloudy pillar as they did in their journyings , yet they were assembled before , or about the tabernacle , the ancient token of god's presence . i mean that little tabernacle which they had , before the erecting of that which moses received the pattern of in the mount ; and therefore brought with them out of egypt , to which they had used to repair for divine worship , for the sake of publick prayer , so mede , rivet , willet . it was , saith vatablus , a little portable chappel ; this was it that moses , after they had worshipped the golden calf , took and pitched far off from the camp , to which every one that sought the lord went out , num. 33. 7. this was called the tabernacle of the congregation , of the sacred convention , so junius and tremelius : of the church , pagn . the hebrew word is mogned , whence is derived lemognedim , gen. 1. which signifies solemn stated assemblies , as hath been observed before . towards this they directed their faces in their sacred assemblies : and therefore aaron withdraws their faces towards the pillar of cloud , vers . 11. where moses stood praying , while aaron was speaking to the congregation , saith mr. mede upon the place . 3 this assembly hath this character of a religious convention , that it was instructed by an ecclesiastical minister , aaron the priest ; for moses commanded aaron expresly that he should speak to them , ver . 9. now if this had not been coetus ecclesiasticus , a church assembly , it had been more proper for moses himself to have come with his rod in his hand , and have spoken to them : for he might with authority have silenced their murmuring , as he did numb . 11. 24. when they murmured for want of flesh : and as caleb and joshua stilled them , numb . 14. 6. after the return of the searchers . it is said indeed vers . 6. that moses and aaron spake to them , but the meaning of that is no more than thus , that moses spake mediately and aaron immediately , moses by putting words into aarons mouth , and aaron by conveying those words into the peoples ears , according to the instruction given , exod. 4. 15. thou shalt speak to aaron the levite , and put words into his mouth , and i will be with thy mouth , and with his mouth : and he shall be thy spokesman unto the people . it is also said vers . 8. that moses said , &c. but that must have the same interpretation , or be rendred by the preterpluperfect tense [ moses had said ] that is , had instructed aaron what he should say ; and so must vers . 11. and the lord had said to moses ; for it is manifest that god had said that to moses before : and the reson why it is repeated over and over , that the lord had said , and moses had said , is to shew what part of that revelation of his mind that god made to moses , vers . 4 , 5. was communicated at that time by moses to aaron , and by aaron to the assembly , and what part of it was not then , but afterwards communicated ; it being manifest that moses did not acquaint them with the reason of god's precept to gather a double portion on the sixth day till they had gathered it . it remains therefore , that seeing aaron was not a prophet , who received revelations immediatly from god , but published divine revelations received by moses unto the people , ( which is the proper work of an ecclesiastical minister in a church-assembly , 1. cor. 14. 23 , 24. ) his being appointed by moses to speak , argues this assembly to have been a church-assembly . howbeit , if what hath been offer'd for the proof of this second inference , shall upon serious ponderation seem too light , the main cause will suffer no other detriment than the loss of one peice of an argument ; and indeed my main aim in urging this text was to find sure footing for calculating the time backward unto the tenth day of the first month , exod. 12. whereon undoubtedly the israelites kept a religious publick assembly on course . and that tenth day will be demonstrated to have been sunday . if it be made apparent that the fifteenth day of the second month , whereon the quails were gathered , be to be reckoned the first of the six gathering dayes . and that is , sect . vi. the third inference i draw from this instance , viz. that the fifteenth day of the second month , whereon this solemn church-assembly conven'd on course , was sunday . and that it was so , will appear by computing the six gathering dayes immediately preceding the jewish saturday-sabbath , concerning which there is this only question , viz. whether the fifteenth day be to be brought into the account of those six gathering days . for the resolution of which doubt , let the divine oracle be consulted , vers . 4. [ i will rain bread for you from heaven , and you shall go out and gather it — . and the sixth day you shall gather twice as much . ] and vers . 12. [ ye shall eat flesh to the full this day at even ] intor duas vesperas , betwixt the two evenings , i.e. betwixt three a clock in the afternoon , and the shutting in . this is that very time of the day wherein our saviour was crucified , dead , and buried : and therefore their gathering , dressing and eating their belly full of quails does as properly belong to this fifteenth day , as our saviour's death and burial unto friday . 2. observe , that the precept to gather twice as much the sixth day was given before any mention was made of flesh and bread distinctly , and before moses knew what they were to gather , any further than was exprest by [ bread rained down from heaven . ] now bread implies ( ver . 4. ) all kind of victuals , as every one knows that can say the lord's prayer , except such profound clerks as are of that boy 's humour , who when he came to the petition for daily bread was wont to add [ and butter too good mother ] and what satisfaction could it have been to moses to hear god promise bread , when the people murmured for want of flesh , as well as bread , if he had not conceived that both were comprehended under the name of bread. besides , david , psal . 105. 40. called the quails the bread of heaven , which psal . 78. 27. he saith god rained upon them from heaven , the very word that god useth , vers . 4. i will rain bread from heaven . add to all this that our saviour , ( joh. 6. 55 , &c. ) alluding to this very history of quails and manna , useth the same form of expression , [ the bread that i will give is my flesh , ] bread therefore as well here as there includes flesh , and bread , quails and manna . and to put this beyond all possibility of doubt , the septuagint and vulgar latin express what they gathered on the sixth day , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , cibos duplices : double necessaries , double victuals . lastly , it was not for all kind of flesh that they murmured ; for tho their provision of bread might possibly be spent , yet that they should consume the herds and flocks they brought out of egypt ( where they left not one hoof behind ) exod. 10. 26. in one months space , is utterly incredible ; or that in that space they were grown so lean as to be unfit for food , seeing they had for that forty years long , oxen , sheep , and goats , fit for sacrifice , act. 7. 42. but for want of potted flesh , and such potted flesh as they had plenty of in egypt ; and that was no other than quails , which were so plentiful in egypt , that the inhabitants could not consume them while they were fresh , ( tho josephus affirms that egypt was so populous as it contain'd 750 myriades , besides the inhabitants of alexandria ) and therefore they potted them up for the whole year , as saith atheneus , l. 1. c. 11. de coturnicibus . now can it in reason be imagined that the jews should make no account of that day , whereon they gathered quails , their beloved and longed for flesh , that was judaeis in deliciis , saith phavorinus . from all which it is manifest that the fifteenth day on which the quails were gathered , was the first of the six gathering days : the last whereof being friday the eve of their saturday-sabbath , vers . 22. the first must needs be sunday , the fifteenth day of the second month whereon this assembly before the lord was kept . and therefore before this following institution of the jewish saturday-sabbath , sunday was their weekly sabbath . for the clearing of which , i shall draw , sect . vii . this fourth inference from this instance , viz. that the saturday after this fifteenth day was the first saturday sabbath that ever was kept . this is apparent from ver . 22. [ on the sixth day they gathered twice as much : and all the rulers of the congregation came and told moses . ] now there cannot be imagined any other reason of their acquainting moses herewith , but that they might understand by him what was to be done with the overplus , and to what purpose they were ordered to gather that proportion that day , seeing what had been kept over-night stank the next morning , vers . 20. vt ex eo cognoscerent quorsum hoc fuisset jussum ; neque enim adhuc dominus declaraverat se ob sabbati religionem id praescripsisse , quod statim moses explicat , as mr. mede and cornelius a lapide observe : [ they came to moses to know of him wherefore this was commanded , for the lord had not as yet declared that he had prescribed this double portion with a religious respect to the sabbath , which moses forthwith explains ] vers . 23. [ to morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath , &c. ] and vers . 29. [ see because the lord hath given you this sabbath , therefore he hath given you on the sixth day the bread of two days . ] philo judaeus saith , that the hebrews were taught by this , which was the birth-day of the world , whereof their forefathers were ignorant ; a very likely thing ! that abraham should not know the patriarchal sabbath . l'estrange will have it thus : that the elders made not strange at the sabbath , but at the strictness of the rest now commanded ; but he should have called to mind that nothing was spoken of that till after the elders were come to moses . and if we duly weigh the story , the elders will be found to have thought it strange , why the people gathered this double portion on friday , for the elders knew that a double portion was to be gathered on the sixth day , six days before : and therefore would doubtless have applied themselves to moses before now , for a resolution , if they had then questioned for what end they were to gather double on the sixth day ; and no other reason can be imagined of that delay , but that their thoughts were suspended all that while upon the sixth day of the patriarchal-week , which is saturday , till they saw the people gather on the sixth day in the order of the gathering days ; and then and not till then they came to moses , that he might resolve them whether the precept was to be interpreted of the sixth day in the order of the creation , which had hitherto been the preparation for the sabbath , or whether it was god's purpose to alter the sabbath , and transfer it from sunday to saturday , and that therefore friday now must be their preparation day , or ( which comes all to one ) whether the six days were to comense at the first gathering-day , or the first of the patriarchal week . and this seruple propounded by all the elders , that is , all the grave men of the congregation , who had been longest acquainted with the ancient sabbath ; for elders in the text does not imply a name of office but of age , elders by office not being constituted till jethro had advised moses to constitute them , exod. 18. 21. these it seems had not themselves gathered a double portion , but thought the younger sort timerarious in their account of days , and therefore acquaint moses with it , whom moses thus resolves : [ this is that the lord hath said , to morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the lord. ] when did god say this , but in his precept to gather twice as much on the sixth day ? so that here moses comments upon the precept , telling them that thereby god appointed to the jews the morrow following to be thence-forward their weekly sabbath . whereas if they had been used before to keep saturday-sabbath , the rulers needed not to have applied themselves to moses for the resolution of such a question , as a child might have unriddled : for it cannot be imagined but the day before the patriarchal sabbath was from the beginning , a preparation to it : whereon reason would tell men that they ought to set their secular affairs in such good order , as they might not be distracted by them in the sacred exercises of the sabbath , which from the first was so to be sanctified , as no servile work was to be done thereon . and seeing the israelites at this time had no other servile work to do but gathering , and dressing of manna ; if they had not been restrained from that on the sabbath , there would have been no difference betwixt that and other days in respect of cessation from common work . and therefore upon that supposition that saturday was their ancient sabbath , the elders must have been children in understanding , if they perceived not the reason of the precept , for gathering twice as much on friday . to sum up the whole of this argument : this is the first saturday-sabbath we find celebrated in the wrold for 2453 years at the lowest account , and that the whole world should live to that age without a sabbath , is the most incredible of incredibles . in order to the vindication of the patriarchal-church from so black a crime , i have endeavoured to shew that sunday-sabbath was observed before the institution of the jewish saturday-sabbath , from the first instance : and i shall give more clear and unexceptionable proof thereof in the other forenamed instance , drawn from exod. 12. 3. speak ye unto all the congregation of israel , saying , on the tenth day of this mouth they shall take to them a lamb , &c. sect . viii . 2d instance . if we reckon backward from the 15th day of the second month , which we demonstrated to have been sunday , till we come to the tenth day of the first month , we shall find that tenth day to have been sunday , and to have been celebrated by the israelites , ( and by consequence the egyptians also ) their keeping thereon a solemn , religious , stated assembly on course . 1. that this tenth day fell on sunday , may be thus collected by a retrograde calculation of days , from the fifteenth of the second month to the tenth of the first . second month : days 15 , 8 , 1. first month ; days , 24 , 17 , 10 : were 〈◊〉 . for the proof of this account , wherein i assign 30 days to a month , i have the plain testimony of moses , gen. 7. 24. compared with chap. 8. 4. where the beginning of the 150 days of the waters prevailing above the earth , is said to be the 17th day of the month , and the end of those days the 17th of the 7th month , that is , just five months , if we assign to each month 30 days . and deut. 12. 13. [ she shall bewail her father and mother a month of days . ] this would have been a lesbian rule , if their months had not consisted of an equal number of days . and if the days of every of those months wherein the waters prevailed , had not been thirty , the space from the 17th of the second to the 17th of the seventh month , would not have amounted to 150 days . these texs are so plain , as i wonder how so many men of great and deserved name came to be lulled ( except by rabbinical sorcery ) into so deep a sleep , as to dream of the jewish months having assigned to them , alternatim , 30 and 29 days ; and to forsake moses his conduct in so plain a path . an errour which the industrious and learned vsher gives his testimony against , in the preface to his annals : the year ( saith he there ) of the patriarchs , egyptians , and hebrews , consisted of twelve equal months of thirty days aepiece . for that the hebrews used lunary months before the babylonish captivity , is more than can be proved from this so infallible an evidence , that the patriarchs reckoned thirty days to the month , ( what ever innovation after-ages introduc'd is not here material . ) a demonstrative proof may be drawn of the truth of the first instance also : that the 15th of the second month , ( exod. 16. ) fell on sunday . thus , the first month days , 10 , 17 , 24. the second month days , 1 , 8 , 15 , were sundays . and thus these instances will mutually illustrate one another , as we shall see in the remaining inferences , also which we shall make from the second instance of a sunday-sabbath 2. the next thing i infer hence is this , that on this sunday , falling on the tenth of the first month , moses and aaron spake unto the whole congregation , concerning the ceremonies and institution of the passover , exod. 12. 1 , 2 , 3. [ speak ye unto all the congregation , ( the whole church of the israelites , so ainsworth ) saying on the tenth day , that they take up a lamb , &c. ] so ainsworth ( verbatim ) after the he-hebrew ; saying that the hebrew refers the 10th day to moses and aaron's speaking to them more distinctly , [ speak ye — on the tenth day . and they shall take up a lamb. ] and vers . 21. where moses speaks then to the elders , saying , [ draw you out a lamb. ] and vers . 22. where the text saith , [ they went and did as moses and aaron had commanded them . ] from these texts it is clear as day , that it was the tenth day whereon this speech was made to the church-assemhly . for this term [ then ] can speak nothing less : and the sequel implies , that at the breaking up of the assembly they went immediately and took up their lambs the same day for the passover , that was to be kept the 14th day . besides , seeing the taking up the paschals on the tenth day , was peculiar to this first passover ( as also were several other ceremonies of it ) as the after-practice of the jews , and of our saviour himself , evinceth . it had been madness to have bid them , on the 14th day , take up lambs on the tenth foregoing . and therefore i wonder to see wise men , like so many geese in a mist , straggle in so much light , from the plain path of most obvious truth , into that maze of vulgar errour , viz. that moses spake to the congregation on the 14th day , touching the institution of the passover : especially when i consider the weakness of the argument inducing them into that opinion , this being their herculean ; because it is said [ this night will i pass through egypt , and stay , &c. ] but who , save one that hath his eyes in the ends of the earth , can over-look this easy answer ; that that is spoken of the night of that day , whereof there he speaks , not of that whereon he spake . from the premises also appears the over-sight of them , who prolong the three days darkness , unto the 14th day , dreaming ( as if they had been frighted out of their senses , by some of those hob-goblins which they fancy appear'd to the egyptians during that darkness ) that the israelites took that opportunity , to provide themselves for their journey , of egyptian jewels and other necessaries . this indeed had been a robbing of the egyptians with a witness . but they must have had cats eyes , if they could see where their prey lay in that palpable darkness . for , though the israelites had light where they dwelt , yet i do not think that they could find , in the dwellings of the egyptians , light enough to pilfer by , if they did not bring it with them , in their eyes or cloakbags , from goshan . lastly , how opposite is this to the whole series of the history , which tells us that the egyptians lent them freely , what they had occasion for : that moses was in high esteem of pharaoh's servants and all the egyptians , who would have lent , or given , the israelites the shirts off their backs , to have been quit of them and their plagues together . 3. from the foresaid texts , and the circumstances of the story , it appears , that this assembly was not called togather , by special summons upon an extraordinary account ; but met upon ordinary course . for 1. how could moses ( or any body else ) convene them on such a sudden , who were scattered throughout all the land of egypt to gather stubble ? 2. or is it probable that their taskmasters would have permitted them to leave their work , to assemble on such a summons ? 3. or if the israelites had obtain'd a play-day of their taskmasters , is it like they would have met together , upon the summons of moses , whom they look'd upon as a person that came to make their bondage more heavy ? exod. 5. 21. and to whose promises they gave no heed , the last time before this he had occasion to speak with them ? exod. 6. 9. they must therefore either be assembled now upon course , or by immediate inspiration of them , one by one , for there can be no other subterfuge here . and there is no disputeing with men that betake themselves to such fastness . briefly , the matter stands thus : the tenth day , being the weekly sabbath , whereon they usually met to worship god ; moses and aaron are commanded by god , to take the opportunity of that convention to speak unto them . and considering the circumstances the jews were then in , it is more then probable , that these conventions were of the like nature , when they met with moses , to chide and curse him : and when moses applied himself to them , with promises of a good issue to his message , and they regarded not ; as also , that the egyptians ( and by consequence all other nations ) celebrated the same day of the week , sunday . for can it be imagined , that the jews in egypt , who were kept so close to their work , as to have their task set them , day by day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , ( which the samaritan translation renders , pensum quotidianum , their daily task ; targum dnhelos , per singulos dies , every several day . and the hebrew opus diei , in die suâ : the work of every day , in its proper day ) would be allowed to rest from their daily work on sundays ; if their taskmasters , and the rest of the egyptians , had not themselves also rested on that day ? on the other hand , it was as much the interest of the egyptians to have the israelites rest on sunday , as it was to the jews to have the stranger within their gates rest on saturday ; because if the strangers might have followed their ordinary callings on those days whereon the natives rested from theirs , they would have diverted the gain of that work from the natives . grotius in exp . decalogue . 4. the last inference i draw from this second instance , is , that this solemn assembly was for religious worship . which the premises , duly considered , evince : for it was an assembly upon course , celebrated by the israelites , at what time the egyptians also rested : for what else can we imagine they met together but to worship god ? and seeing their bondage was so hard , that their taskmasters would not let them rest , while themselves were at their daily labour , it may be safely concluded that on whatsoever day they had remission from their daily tasks , so as to meet together , the egyptians also ceased from their works . i cannot see what possibly can invalidate this consequence , but the dream of this assembly's being kept during the time of darkness , when the egyptians could not stir from the place where they sate down : upon which supposition , indeed , the israelites might have had a conveniency of meeting without check . but how weak their arguments are , who are of that opinion , hath been shewed already : and i will now shew the impossibility of it , from the plain order of the sacred history . for it is thence manifest , that what passed in the whole 11th chapter , was after the end of the darkness , and before moses went from pharoah's presence . that is , as soon as moses ( chap. 10. ult . ) had answered pharoah , [ thou shalt see my face no more . ] god tells moses , while he yet stood before pharoah , that he would bring one plague more upon egypt that would force pharoah to dismiss them , not only with their own goods , but with the jewels , silver , and gold , &c. of the egyptians also . and moses reports this message to pharoah ; and then , and not till then , moses goes out from pharoah in a rage ( chap. 11. 8. ) now it was after all this that god commanded moses and aaron to speak to the whole congregation ( that should be assembled then ) on the 10th day . besides , god's bidding both moses and aaron speak to the congregation , argues it to have been a church-assembly : chap. 4. 15. thou shalt speak to aaron the levite , and put words in his mouth ; and i will be with thy mouth , and his mouth . and he shall be thy spokesman unto the people : and ( chap. 7. 1. ) aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet . the meaning therefore of [ speak ye , &c. ] chap. 12. 1. is , that moses should speak to aaron , and aaron speak to the people . now why must aaron speak to the people , if they had not been a church-assembly ; seeing he was not a temporary , but standing prophet ; nor a prophet who received revelations from god , but publish'd to the people divine revelations received by moses ? which is the proper work of an ecclesiastical minister in a church-assembly , ( 1 cor. 14. 23 , 24. ) but what is reported of this assembly , exod. 12. 27. that at its breaking up [ the people bowed the head and worshipped ] puts it beyond all doubt , that it was conven'd for religious worship . and yet let me add , as a joint-confirmation of the whole premises , that it is scarce conceivable whence , in more likelihood than from the patriarchal custom of celebrating sunday-sabbath , could flow that most ancient and universal idolatry of worshipping the sun ; as the most generally beneficient and salvifick deity ? or , from whence else could proceed the change of the name of the city on ( where joseph's father-in-law the prince-priest , or metropolitan of all egypt had his residence ) into that of heliopolis , or the city of the sun , but from the abuse and misinterpretation of the patriarchal sabbath ? conceiving that planet , whose name that day bore , which was celebrated as the chief day of the week , to be the chief god. for that the sun was worshipped of the egyptians , and all nations , as the general all-healing all-saving deity , is affirmed by diodorus , macrobius , agellius , and all the ancients , with unanimous consent , a quovis salubris subvenit animis corporibusque mortalium . macrob. saturnal . l. 1. c. 20. and so decry the opinion of the heathen , that the sun was a god , because the day called by his name was dedicated , of all the days of the week , to divine worship : it seemed good to the christian church , to give it a new name [ the lords day ] as being celebrated in memory of our lord's resurrection , who on that day entred into his rest , and ceased from his works , as god did from his . so that we have in these two instances , which fell within the space of five weeks , an account given of the patriarches keeping two sunday-sabbaths : whereas we hear not of two saturday-sabbaths kept either by the patriarchs or the jews , in the whole old-testament , though that contains an history of the church , for above 3500 years : i mean saturday-sabbaths circumstanced , as these sunday-sabbaths are , with the nomination of the day and month whereon they were celebrated . chap. v. the new creature ( man restored by faith in the promised seed ) was that finishing perfection of the creation , which made all very good ; and from which god smelled so sweet a savour of rest on the seventh day , as to bless and sanctify it . sect . i. for the proof of this in general , let us consider the order of time respecting moses his narrative of man's creation male and female , and the immediate consequents thereof till they were turned out of paradise : and thence we may certainly collect , that adam fell , and was restored on the sixth day . 1. that eve was formed the sixth day , is without all doubt : and therefore the history in the whole second chapter from the end of vers . 3. in order of time immediately follows the mention of god's creating them male and female , chap. 1. 27. and precedes what is recorded from the beginning of vers . 28. chap. 1. [ and god blessed them , and said unto them , be fruitsul and multiply ] though in the order of narration it be set after : because moses would not interpose so long a parenthesis in his breviate of the creation , as the manner of creation and disposal of the female makes . 2. the whole third chapter touching the temptation , fall , promise of christ , and turning out of eden , in time , precedes god's grant to adam and eve , made , chap. 1. vers . 29. behold , i have given you every herb upon the face of the whole earth , and every tree , &c. for while they were in eden , they had leave only to eat of the trees of the garden , and not of all them neither , chap. 2. 17. they must therefore have starv'd after they were turn'd out of paradise , if god had not enlarged their charter : and to find what that was , and when granted , we must recur back from the end of the third chapter ( where god takes away the table he had furnish'd for them in eden ) unto the forequoted chap. 1. 29. where he spreads a larger table for them , furnish'd with every herb and tree upon the face of the whole earth . for it is to be noted , that although beasts , and birds , and fishes , fall to 't without saying grace ; and those that live by prey sustain themselves , not only with vegitables but animals , without asking other leave than their own natures give them — yet man as he had not right to feed on animals till god granted him that power after the flood , gen. 9. 3. every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you , even as the green herb have i given you all things . so neither could he deprive vegitables of life , for the sustenance of his own , till god granted him liberty . 3. from this grant therefore ( chap. 1. 29. ) we must continue the story , if we will bring it into due order of time , unto the end of vers . 3. chap. 2. [ and god blessed the seventh day , and sanctified it : because that in it he had rested , &c. ] and thence pass over the remaining part of the second and the whole third chapters , unto chap. 4. which from ver . 3. ( and in process of time they brought offerings unto the lord ) shews how the patriarchs sanctified that day that god had sanctified . it is most manifest from this plain chronological account of the sacred history , that man fell , was restored , and thrust out of paradise , the sixth day . cherubims being plac'd with flaming swords to guard the tree of life , leaving adam no hope of life by the first covenant : whither then could he look for life eternal , but to the promised seed in faith , of whose blood , and acknowledgment of his own sin , he offered by god's appointment , those beasts in sacrifice , of whose skin 's god made him and eve coats : that they appearing before god in that , which was a type of the robes of righteousness , and pleading the blood of the covenant , might be found and accepted in christ : in whom alone god is well-pleased , and smelleth a sweet savour of rest . upon which account he rested the seventh day , and adam with him , in christ . to adam ' s celebrating the praises of his redeemer on this sabbath day , the chaldee paraphrase , or targum of jonathan ( who was fellow-disciple to hillel with good old simeon , fourty years before our saviour's incarnation , saith p. fagius ( on gen. 1. ) seems to have respect : for thus that renders the title of psalm 92. [ an hymn which the first man adam said for the sabbath-day ] as ainsworth observes : dicunt rabboth quod adamus hunc psalmum protulit quando creatus , erat vesper sabbati , & postea peccavit , & erat maledictus , & in hora duodecima diei sexti , crat expulsas ab edene . deus benedictus venit ad judicium mortis ; sabbatum super vevit . et adam eucharistias quia erat liberatus a judicio mortis , profert ( darash . r. arama . vicars decupla ) carticum adami dicitur ab hebraeis , quod talia dicere potuit . adamus cum res adeo primum conditas aspexit . grot. the rabbins say that adam made this psalm on the eve of the sabbath , at twelve of the clock of the day wherein he was created , and afterwards sinned , and was accursed , and driven out of eden . the blessed god came to pass the sentence of death upon him ; the sabbath came upon him . and adam because he was set free from the sentence of death , brought forth thanksgiving offerings . that is , saith grotius , because adam may be supposed to have said such like words , when he beheld the things that god created in the beginning . sect . ii. but all this together may perhaps seem too great a weight to hang upon the single pin of this one argument , drawn from the chronology of the history . i will therefore more distinctly shew the truth of each particular . 1. that adam fell on the sixth day , seems evident from that greek proverb , grounded upon the almost universal consent of the fathers : 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , adam was formed and deformed the same day ; quoted by hamond l' estrange , p. 8. which universal consent took its rise from psal . 49. 12. hinc colligunt hebraei ( in berescit rabba ) gloriam primi hominis cum eo non per noctisse . ( cartw. mell. ) broughton most confidently affirms that adam did not continue in his integrity one hour , and affirms that all jews are of that opinion ( from the authority of maimonides , and from that proverb of modern jews above-said . ) he also saith that all the greek fathers are of the same opinion : vna nocte integritate non permanebat adam , saith vicars ; for which he quotes the arabick and persic , pentateuch . the septuagint indeed renders the above-quoted text ( psa . 49 12 ) thus : man being in honour , understandeth not . as if it were the same with vers . 23. the syr. arab and simmachus follow the septuagint , but this reading contradicts all hebrew copies , and the best hebrew doctors , david kimhi , aben ezra , &c. and antient fathers , as jerom , &c. who render it thus [ adam ( or man ) being in honour did not lodg there a night ] or [ adam did not lodg one night in honour ] non pernoctavit ] did not stay one night in that estate , for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , jalin , the hebrew word here used , signifies properly to lodg or stay for a night , gen. 31. 54. [ laban and jacob tarried all night in the mount , and early in the morning departed ] gen. 32. 21. [ jacob himself lodged with the company that night . ] i might add that the targum interprets gen. 2. 15. [ and the lord took the man and placed him in the garden of eden ] by a syriack word [ sharah ] which in hiphil signifies to place in a lodging for a night ; thus is this word used in the syriack new testament , acts 20. 15. [ and the next day we came to samos and lodged at trogillium ; and the next day , &c. ] luke 9. 12. [ when the day begun to wear away , the disciples said , send the multitude away , that they may lodg in the villages , ] luke 2. 7. [ there was no place for them in the inn ] in the room they had taken up to lodg in for that night , ( shindler pentaglot . ) so early began our saviour to have the chastisment of our sin laid upon him in a way parallel to adam's fall ; he with his blessed mother being thrust out of the inn the hour he was born ; as adam was thrust out of paradise the day he was created . thus our saviour gives his suffrage to john 8. 44. where he stiles the devil [ a murderer from the beginning : ] for this term [ in the beginning ] denotes the six days of the creation , and precisely terminates where god finished that work , as is apparent from gen. 1. 1. [ in the beginning god made heaven and earth ] ; that is , in the space of six days , wherein the whole species of things in heaven and earth had their beginning : or , as our saviour explains it , mark 13. 19. [ in those days shall be afflictions , such as was not from the beginning of the creation which god created ; ] the whole frame whereof , speaking of the same thing he calls [ the world , ] and the space wherein it was made [ the beginning of the world ] mat. 24. 21. or , as it is rendred john 9. 33. [ since the world began , was it not heard , that , &c. ] that is , since god finished the work of creation : thus [ the beginning ] circumscribed the whole work of creation , heb. 1. 10. [ thou , lord , in the beginning founded the earth , &c. ] and though sometimes it may seem to denote the duration before , when it is spoken of god , prov. 8. 22. [ the lord possessed me in the beginning of his way , before his works of old ] yet it no where extends its signification beyound the six days work , when it is applied to the creature : it was therefore within the compass of the six days that this murderer slew our first parents . 2. that adam was restored through the promise of the woman's seed the same day whereon he fell , is apparent from our saviour his being stiled , rev. 13. 8. [ the lamb slain from the foundation of the world ] ; for this is of the very same latitude with [ the beginning ] heb. 1. 10. and heb. 4. 3. [ though the works were finished from the foundation of the world ] ; that is , in the sixth day distinguished from the seventh day , vers . 4. [ for he spake of the seventh day on this wise ; and god rested the seventh day from all his works ] : so that the time specified by [ from the foundation of the world ] vers . 3. concludes with the sixth day , before the seventh whereon god rested . now , christ cannot be said to be slain then actually ( for so he was not slain till the fulness of time , till the hour appointed of the father ) ; nor in the divine decree ( for so he was slain before the foundation of the world ) but only in respect of the promise then made to adam : in which promise he was exhibited as god-man ; as man , in regard of the serpent's brusing his heel ; as god , in regard of his breaking the serpent's head. this leads me into a flowry field of meditation ; wherein i must crave leave to expatiate and refresh my self after my tedious walk through dark and controverted texts , in the pursuit of truth ; i shall therefore offer here these things to consideration . 1. when things are once put into a divine promise , they are then in scripture language said to be ; for tho they attain not to actual existence till long after , yet the promise gives them a real being , or metaphysical essence , as rosa in hieme . hence god saith to abraham , gen. 17. 15. [ i have made thee a father of many nations ] when as yet isaac ( through whom he was to be the father of many nations ) was not yet conceived in the womb , nor in human probability ever like to be conceived in sarah's womb. from which instance the apostle draws this inference , that god calls things that be not ( as to actual existence ) as if they were ( in real essence ) because he that promised was able to perform it , and was then engaged to perform it upon the honour of his veracity ; rom. 4. 17. so that it was as impossible that it could miscarry , or prove abortive , as that god can lye . from which promise we have a thousand times greater assurance to say the lamb was then slain , then we have to say ( while the fruit is only in the root , and not brought forth ) this is a pippin , this a pearmain , &c. for this latter is grounded on a lie , upon the immutability of god's covenant with day and night , &c. which though we cannot , yet god can break , yea hath broke , as when he made the sun stand still in the days of joshua ; go back at hezekiah's prayer , and suspended its light at our saviour's passion ; as the fire did also its burning property in the case of the three children : but the former is grounded on the immutability of god's promise by oath , and the most sacred oath , even by himself , than whom he hath not a greater to swear by . in respect of this immutability the hebrew doctors , upon gen. 15. 18. have this observation [ he saith not , i will give , but , i have given ; and yet abraham had now begotten no children , because the word of the holy blessed god is a deed ; therefore he so speaketh ainsworth . thus the son of god was tendered to fallen man , as the lamb slain ; he was in this promise as manifestly held out to adam , as crucified , as making an atonement for sinners , by the oblation of his blood , as he was , after his actual crucifixion and ascention held out to the galatians , ( chap. 3. 1. ) 2. the son of god in the virtue of this his future oblation of himself , and mediation by merit , entred upon the exercise of his mediatory office , by intercession , immediately upon adam's fall ; he did not suffer the mortal wound to fester , but applied the healing balm ( flowing from his bruised heel ) to it , while it was green : as soon as ever he saw adam naked and in his blood , he poured clean water upon him , cast his garment over him , and entred into a covenant with him , and said unto him , live. no sooner had man made a league with the serpent and proclaimed war against god ; but god was in christ reconciling the world to himself . in the cool of the day ( that is , in the evening of that day whereon he fell ) adam heard the voice of the lord god ( that is , the word or son of god , as both christians and jews expound that place , gen. 3. 8. see dr. owen's exercit. 10. 2. ) calling him to repentance by arraignment ; to faith , by the promise of the woman's seed ; yea , to glory , by presenting himself in the form of an human body , and that glorious body , such as he shewed himself in at the transfiguration , and hath now at the right-hand of the father . dr. more append. to mystery of iniquity . as when job had wish't ( chap. 9. 34. ) let him take his rod away from me , and let not his fear terrifie me : then would i speak and not fear him . ] elihu ( according to job's wish ) makes him this offer [ behold , i am in god's stead , i also am formed out of the clay . behold , my terror shall not make thee afraid , neither shall my hand be heavy upon thee ; if thou canst answer me , set thy words in order before me , stand up , &c. ] job 33. 5 , 6 , 7. so the lord pleaded with adam by his son in the form of god manifest in the flesh . i doubt not but the son of god in human shape was all this seventh day busied in most holy colloquies with adam ; but that he fully revealed himself to him and eve , shewed him how and in what order he created all things , wish'd him to meditate upon these works , and in them to praise and acknowledg the true god , his creator ; and taught him that after his example every seventh day all labour set aside , he should spend in the exercise of piety : zanchy de creatione hom. l. 1. fuller upon these words [ they heard the voice of the lord god walking in the garden . ] gen. 3. 8. hath this observation , [ by this voice i understand certain words which god spake with himself walking ] christ appearing to them in human shape . 3. this his mediating to reconcile man to god , argues he had upon the instant of adam's fall , so far reconciled god to man ( by becoming his surety , by giving bond to make satisfaction , pay man's ransome at the day appointed , at the fulness of time ) as the father ( upon consideration thereof ) would not take the forefeiture , but delegated the son to treat with his rebels , and offer them pardon ( and a better state than that they were fallen from ) on the condition of their accepting the covenant of grace . for christ did not take this honour ( of the melchisedochian priest-hood ) upon himself , but was called of god an high-priest after this order . heb. 5. 10. ) and made a priest by oath , by him that said unto him , the lord sware , and will not repent , thou art a priest for ever , &c. heb. 7. 21. he was sworn to this office of mediation , and sent to manage it by blessing adam , in turning him from his iniquity , before the beginning of days ( natural ) on the sixth creating-day , and will continue the exercise of it to the end of days ( natural ) otherwise he would not be a priest without beginning and end of days . heb. 7. 3. 4. that adam did not defer his repentance , but forthwith complied with the gracious terms that were tendred him , cannot be doubted , if we seriously consider how utterly incredible it is , that he who was so ashamed of himself and his nakedness , should refuse to beg ( at any rate ) raiment of christ to cover his nakedness , rev. 3. that he who was so confounded in himself , as he ran to hide himself in the bushes from the presence of god , should stand consulting whether he should accept or refuse mercy offered . that he whose own conscience , and god greater than his conscience , had condemned , so as he saw his soul drawing nigh unto the grave , and his life to the murderers ; should , when god , not by a servant , but his son , sent this message to him [ i have received the atonement , i have accepted the ransom ] job . 33. reject the benefit of that atonement , the fruit of that ransom . that he who had known what it was to have communion with god , should under the deepest and most deplorable sense of its loss , not be ready to imbrace the means of recovering that communion . especially if we duly ponderate to what end those beasts were slain , of whose skins god made them coats of honour , seeing adam and eve could not slay them for food ; for the flesh of animals was not allowed mankind for meat till after the flood . that their flesh was offered in sacrifice , is the common tenet of most judicious divines ; and that partly it was disposed of that way , seems very probable ; but the scripture does more than hint two other ends of slaying those beasts , ( which i wonder have not been taken notice of ) . the first for the striking of the covenant betwixt god the father and the son , when that oath which the sacred scripture so frequently mentions , past betwixt them ; psalm 110. 4. [ the lord sware , and will not repent . ] this oath past at christ's initiation into his mediatorship ; [ forasmuch as that was not without an oath , &c. ] heb. 7. 20. by this oath christ became , or was made the surety of that better covenant , and more antient than that of moses . these covenants by oath , for the greater solemnity thereof , were made thus : beasts being cut in twain , and the parts laid a sunder one against another , as shoulder against shoulder , and leg against leg , with a space to go between . the parties covenanting passing betwixt the pieces , made oath , gen. 15. 18. jer. 24. 18. [ the covenant which they made , when they cut the bullock in twain , and passed between the parts of it ] saying , let me be struck , as this beast is struck , if i break this covenant : whence came the phrase of ferire foedus , to strike or smite covenant . now this oath was given and taken betwixt god the father and the son , before christ called to adam , saying [ where art thou ? ] for otherwise he would have entred upon his mediatory office without an oath ; and it is very probable that the voice of god walking in the garden , which adam heard before that call , was the voice of the son of god passing through the parts of the divided beasts . the second end of slaying beasts , was for the striking of the covenant betwixt god and adam , a thing usual in the ratification of all other covenants betwixt god and man ; as that with abraham , gen. 15. 18. that with the jews , exod. 24. 5. [ half of the blood ( of the sacrifices ) was sprinkled upon the altar ] which represented god [ and the other half upon the people ] ; or the twelve pillars , representing the twelve tribes , after they had consented to the covenant at the reading of the book , saying , [ behold the blood of the covenant which the lord hath stricken with you concerning all these words . ] see ainsworth on psal . 50. 5. [ my saints that have stricken a covenant with me by sacrifice : ] but the apostle's argument , heb. 9. 16. [ where a testament is , there must of necessity be the death of the testator : for a testament is of no force at all while the testator liveth ] from whence he inferreth that [ therefore the first testament was not without blood ] will with equal firmness support this inference . that the first covenant of grace with adam , was ratified by blood : and that the testator must of necessity be dead in type and effigy as well at the sealing of that as this . and now in the third place , comes in that other use of the flesh of these slain beasts , to wit , adam's offering them in sacrifice , as a burnt-offering for the lord. thus at that mutual stipulation betwixt god and israel , ( ex. 24. 5. ) they offered burnt-offerings and sacrifices of peace unto the lord. and at god's covenanting with noah he offered burnt-offerings , ( gen. 8. 20. ) in all likelihood of the beasts that had been first cut in twain : for this was a covenant by oath , isa . 54. 9. [ i have sworn that the waters of noah shall no more go over the earth ] : and therefore struck , not only by god's stretching out his right-hand and swearing ( as the hebrew doctors conceive ) but by passing between the pieces of the bullock , &c. that being the most ancient patriarchal mode of ratifying a covenant by oath ; and taken up from this primitive example of god's covenanting with adam . here we have an account of the disposal of the flesh of those beasts , with whose skins god apparell'd adam and eve , fully consonant to the holy scriptures , and such as speaks adam to have consented to the covenant upon its first proposal , and the new creature ( man restored by faith in christ ) to have been brought forth into actual existence before that seventh day , whereon god rested . 5. and now , and not till now , the heavens and the earth were finished ; and all the hoast of them , when this captain of the lord's hoast , had his commission sealed , had mustered his army , and administred sacramentum militare , the military oath to his holy elect , and faithful ones ; his army on earth was but a small company ( consisting but of two ) but it was terrible with banners ( the banner of love over it , the banner of defiance against the enemy ) who took this captain of their salvation for so many , and beheld in these two such a troop coming ( tho but of sheep , yet led on by the lion of the tribe of judah ) as at its first looking out in this morning of the day of grace , the ramping and roaring lion was thunder-strook , prostrate , laid flat upon the ground , and made to creep upon his belly ; had none to side with him ever since save his own profligated angels , ( that had forsaken their first station ) and a cripled crew of kaitiffs that were bowed together by satan , and could not stand upright ; a company of monsters in human shape with two-legg'd bodies , and four-footed souls ; and had nothing left for forrage to himself and 's army , nothing to feed on , but dust ( the carnal , sensual , devilish part of mankind ) . now , and not till now , every tree brought forth fruit in its kind ; when the true vine began to flourish , when the tree of life had thus put forth its leaves and fruit for the healing of mankind : till god thus shined in man's heart to give the light of the knowledg of the glory of god in the face of jesus christ , he had not commanded the light to shine out of darkness , out of that more dismal darkness then sate upon the face of the unformed earth , even that wherewith adam's sin had invelop'd the whole creation , and made it a more confused chaos than that rude and indigested lump , out of which it had been reduced . for hereby adam defac'd the image of god ; so far lost the the dominion of the creature , as he retained not so much thereof as the rule over himself . nay , the whole fabrick of the world was loosned and ready to fall ( this keistone of the arch being crumbled into dust ) if christ had not sustained the weight of that ruinous building upon his own shoulders ▪ while it was a repairing , by god's making adam anew , and building him upon a new foundation , even the rock of ages , that precious and elect corner-stone , at the laying whereof the morning stars sang together , and all the sons of god shouted for joy. job 38. 6 , 7. [ wast thou by when he laid the chief corner-stone thereof , when the morning stars sang together ? &c. ] gen. 2. 4. [ these are the generations of heaven and earth , in the day that jehovah made the earth and the heavens . ] the name of jehovah is here first given to god ; which name the cabalists observe to imply the mercy of god ; as elohim ▪ signifies his justice ; p. fagius in locum ; who observes also that the word [ tholedhoth ] generations , is no where writ perfectly but here , and ruth 4. 18. because these generations only , to wit , of the world and the messias ( of whose family the book of ruth treateth ) are perfect . now was man twice formed , as is implied , vers . 7. and the lord god formed vai-jitzer , duplex hic est , jod ad significandum ( inquit ) r. s. duplicem hominis formationem , hujus & futuri seculi post resurrectionem . p. fagius . here is a double jod , to signifie the two-fold generation of adam ; the first relating to this world ; the second to the world to come ; that is , his formation as man , his reformation , as a new man : and these generations thus perfected , are said ( vers . 4. ) to be made in one day ; because the whole creation was perfected by man's new creation at the entrance of the seventh day . 6. till all the host of heaven and earth was thus finished , by the formation of the new creature , and introduction of the second adam , god had not made sufficient preparation for his resting in his works , as very good and altogether adequate to the bringing about of his own glorious and gracious ends : but now this workmanship of god created in christ for good works : eph. 2. 9. being made , christ's personal being exhibited in the promise , as adopted into man's family , and christ mystical being born of the immortal seed of that word of promise , and by faith adopted into the family of god ; the pleasure of the lord thus prospering in the mediator's hands , and christ's seeing and reaping the fruit of the travel of his soul ; what could the issue of this be but satisfaction , acquiescency , & rest ? man renewed and restored into communion with god , through the mediation of the son of god , was in the fore-appointment of it , the mutual pleasure of god the father , and god the son , from all eternity , ( prov. 8. 29 , 30 , 31. ) [ when he appointed the foundations of the earth , then was i by him — . i was daily his delight , rejoycing always before him , in the habitable parts of the earth , and my delights were with the sons of men. ] the son's delight was among the sons of men in the habitable parts of the earth , before man was created , or the foundations of the earth laid , save only in the decree and appointment of god. and this rejoycing of the son was the father's delight : and for this pleasures sake , heaven and earth , and the whole furniture of both were created . [ rev. 4. 11. thou hast created all things , and for thy pleasure they are and were created . ] the whole world ( say the jewish doctors ) was created for the messias ; and the messias ( say all christians ) was exhibited for the redemption of mankind , from that state of sin and misery , into which we fell through the transgression of the proto-plast . this redemption was tendred to adam in the promise of the woman's seed , and accepted by adam through faith in that promise , and that acceptance ratified by a covenant of salt , by a sacrifice salted with fire , the sacrifice of a whole burnt-offering ; which burning upon the altar all night unto the morning . ( lev. 6. 9. ) and figuring the oblation of christ's body , and adam's oblation of his body , as a living sacrifice , holy and acceptable to god through christ , must needs come up with acceptance before god , and send forth a sweet savour of rest unto god at the dawning of the seventh day . the talmudists say , that god created fire on the seventh day : i suppose they mean that fire that came down from heaven on adam's sacrifice in token of god's approbation . so that god having perfected his work on the seventh day , even all the work that he had made , gen. 2. 2. or , all the work that he created to make , vers . 3. rested on the seventh day , and sanctified it . the hebrews distinguish betwixt creating , forming , and making , thus ; to create , is the production of any thing out of nothing ; to from , is the bestowing of form and shape upon any thing created ; to make , is to perfect , finish , and to adapt to its proper use , that that is created and formed . they are all three used to this sense in one verse , ( isa . 43. 7. ) i have created him for my glory , i have formed him ; yea , i have made him ; that is , every way fitted him for the attaining that end for which i created and formed him . ( p. fagius in targ. onkelos ) . now adam , being created to bring forth good works in christ jesus : was not god's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , his workmanship fitted for the production of the end of his creation , while he was either in a state of innocence or of the lapse ; which alone is sufficient to prove that adam fell and was restored by faith in the promised seed the day of his creation : for otherwise , god could not have rested ; that is , have taken delight and complacency in all the work he created to make as very ( that is , perfectly ) good and compleated for the effecting the end of creation , to wit , the glorifying of god by good works done in christ . and therefore that seventh day 's rest on sunday ( where god saw all very good , as good as heart could wish ) was the rest of redemption : and the jewish saturday-sabbath , the rest of the creation uncompleated on the sixth day , before man was capacitated by faith in christ , to glorify god through his redeemer . saturday and sunday-sabbath came into the world , not like esau and jacob , but like phares and zara. the jewish saturday-sabbath was not born first , and afterwards the christian sunday-sabbath , catching the jewish by the heel , supplanted it , and obtained the blessing of primogeniture : but the christian sabbath , like zara , first put out its hand , and upon sunday's wrist was tied the thred , the bond of god's injunction to sanctify that day ; and the scarlet-thred , the bond of the covenant of grace , sealed in the blood of the promised seed : for by binding is signified the imposing of the law of hallowing the sunday-sabbath ; whence god's laws are called bonds and cords [ let us break their bonds asunder , and cast their cords from us ] that is , the laws of god and of his christ ( psal . 2. 2 , 3. ) and a bond or cord of scarlet thred was to rahab a sign of the covenant , confirmed by the blood of christ , josh . 2. 18. compared with heb. 11. 31. [ by faith the harlot rahab perished not . ] and the patriarchal church unto the flood ( and all since the flood , who adhered to that church ) in their sunday-sabbath celebrities had an eye of faith upon that scarlet-thred bound to the wrist of that day . but when the villanous subtilty of such politicians , as designed to make themselves absolute soveraigns over the nations independent from god , had perverted that custom of worshipping god in publick assemblies on sundays , by inacting the worship of the sun on that day that bare the name of that planet , ( making that hand which god had set at the end of the volumn of his book , as the index pointing to the chief contents of that volumn , the eternal word making propitiation through his blood ) to point the contrary way , to the worship of the creature : then the scarlet-thred was drawn back out of the jews sight , till the fullness of time ; and now comes forth the jewish saturday-sabbath , more than 2400 years after the patriarchal sunday-sabbath ; which saturday-sabbath was not imposed upon any nation but the jews ; nor upon them in room of the patriarcal , but upon other accounts , as will be shewed in the handling of the sixt and last branch of our discourse upon the sabbath . chap. vi. the mosaical saturday-sabbath ( fixt on the sixth day of the week in the order of creation ) was instituted upon other grounds than that mentioned in the decalogue ; and having no footing in the forth precept , but in the ceremonial law , was to expire at christ's death , and give place to the patriarchal sabbath . sect . i. that saturday-sabbath ( as well as the rest ) was appointed the jews to be a ceremonial badg to difference them from all other nations , who celebrated sunday as their weekly sabbath , is so frequently affirmed in sacred scripture , in these , or equivalent terms , [ it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations , that you may know that i am the lord that sanctifieth you . ] as all that is requisite for the proof hereof , is to shew that in those places by god's sanctifying of them is meant , his visible separating them , from all other people for his own inheritance by a covenant of peculiarity . for evincing of which , let it be considered , that in ezek. 20. god's giving them statutes and judgments ( that is , moral and judicial laws ) is not said to be to this end , that they might know that he was the lord that sanctified them ; as his giving them his sabbaths to be a sign between him and them , was , vers . 11 , 12. and vers . 19 , 20. [ i am the lord your god ; hallow my sabbaths , and they shall be a sign between me and you , that ye may know that i am the lord your god ] : that is , [ that i have taken you to be unto me a people and an inheritance , as ye are at this day . ] deut. 4. 20. levit. 20. 24. and yet more plain , exod. 31. 13. it is affirmed of all the sabbaths indefinitely , that the keeping of them is a sign between god and the jews , that he is the lord their god , &c. and vers . 16. the children of israel shall keep my sabbaths throughout their generations , by an everlasting ordinance . it is a sign betwixt me and the children of israel for ever . 2. the reason why god would not have the jews to celebrate the sunday which the patriarchs and themselves , till the institution of the saturday-sabbath celebrated as the weekly sabbath , but appointed them another day , was to secure them from idolizing the sun with the heathens , who had perverted sunday-sabbath from the worship of god to the worship of the sun ; from the guilt of which idolatry in celebrating the patriarchal sabbath , job purgeth himself ; job 31. 26 , 27 , 28. [ if i beheld the sun when it shined , and my heart hath been secretly enticed , or my mouth hath kissed my hand ; this also were an iniquity to be punished by the judg : for i should have denied the god that is above . ] that is , if i had worship'd the the sun secretly in my heart , it would have been a denying of god : but if i had worship'd it openly , by kissing my hand at the sight of it , i had become obnoxious to the sentence of the judg ; where note , that in job's time ( who lived some generations before abram ) the world grew propense to this idolizing of the sun ; but hitherto the noachal religion was so prevalent , as the publick law of the nations opposed its incroachment , ( mercer in locum ) vnde videatur jobi conterraneos tum non fuisse idolatras , quia dicit se non clam id fecisse nedum palam , non prodit statim in publicum ista temeritas , nisi postquam cor plane occaecatum fuerit & consensus favorque plurium accesserint . job's contemporaries and country-men were not idolaters ; because he saith , he did not worship the sun either secretly or openly : such temerity as this doth not forthwith appear in publick , but after that the heart is altogether blinded and common consent and favour come to take its part . however in moses's time this idolizing of the sun had universally prevail'd ; and even in abraham's time was back't by the secular law in vr of the chaldees , for the contempt whereof in his refusing to worship the caldean emblem of the sun , abraham , with his father terah , found vr of the caldees too hot for them . by the way observe that the word which in this place of job is translated the sun , [ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ] is that from whence vr of the caldees deriv'd its name ; and the egyptians the name they give the sun , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , ( macrob. saturnal . 1. 21. ) hence moses so frequently reneweth this caution , that the jews should take heed of making any representations of the sun , or any of the host of heaven , ( deut. 4. 19. ) and ( chap. 7. 3. ) in special to the sun and moon , that they should not inquire after the nations way of worship , [ saying , how did those nations serve their gods ? even so will i do : ] that is , after that manner will i serve god. and in particular , not after their burning of their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods : deut. 12. 30 , 31. now the god to whom the gentiles sacrificed their children was the sun , whose idol was called moloch and milchom ; amos 5. 26. 1 kings 11. 5 , 7. as being molech , or king of all the planets ; and therefore by the 70 translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the prince ; and by the phoenicians ( door-neighbours to the jews ) called beel-samen , the lord of heaven ( as sanchoniatho witnesseth in euseb . evang. prep . l. 1. ) and yet notwithstanding all these prohibitions , and god's discharging them from the publick worship of himself on that day whereon the heathens in their apostacy from the first institution worshipped the sun ; the jews imitated the heathens in this most barbarous custom of burning their sons and daughters in the fire , the representation of the sun : jer. 7. 31. & 19. 5. psal . 106. 37 , 38. so exceeding prone was that people to imbrace strange gods : and therefore they stood so much more in need to have all occasion thereto removed from them ; and especially such as god had instituted at first for the securing his own , but were in process of time perverted to the introduction and countenancing of the worship of false gods , as was the fate of the patriarchal sunday-sabbath . upon the like account the jews were prohibited very many other customs , if not of divine institution , yet of patriarchal practice ; yea , some of them seeming to be the natural results of the law of humanity : such was mourning at the funerals of dear and near relations , wherein the patriarchs exceeded even to the admiration of other nations ; gen. 50. 10 , 11. [ and they wailed there with a very great and heavy wailing ; and he ( joseph with his brethren ) made a mourning for his father seven days : and the canaanites saw the mourning , and they said , this is an heavy mourning to the egyptians ; therefore the name of that place was called , the mourning of the egyptians . ] yet this so natural a duty was prohibited the high-priest , for he must not mourn for his father or mother ; ( levit. 21. 11. ) and that because he had the holy anointing , and the holy garments upon him , which were holy only in type . so that here the law of nature must yield to the levitical in this particular case , where the high-priest's honouring of father and mother could do the dead no good , but might be an occasion of evil to the living ; ( by the way , this makes the case of the high-priests wholly different from the pharisees pleading carban ) . but where lay the danger ? answer , in drawing the jews to conformity to the idolatrous heathens in their manner of mourning . baruch 6. 31 , 32. [ and the priests sit in their temples , having their cloaths rent , and their heads and beards shaven , and nothing upon their heads : they roar and cry before their gods , as men do at the feast when one is dead . ] hence all communion with the nations is so pathetically forbidden the jews , lest they should by that means be drawn to idolatry . so much less reason have we to wonder that god should appoint the jews another day for their weekly sabbath , than that which was instituted at first to all mankind , when the gentiles had perverted the celebration of that day to the instituting the worship of the sun. upon the like reason at the restitution of sunday-sabbath ( upon the expiring of the ceremonial saturday-sabbath ) the christian church changed the name of sunday into that of the lord's-day , that she might secure her children from the opinion of the heathen world , that it was in honour of the planet of the sun , that that day of the week which bore its name was separated for holy assembles . 3. and now we need not go far to seek for a reason why god appointed saturday to be the jewish sabbath ; for that being the week-day immediately preceding sunday , and the whole oeconomy of moses's law , as of a thing imperfect , pointing to good things to come : ( heb. 10. 1. ) it was necessary that their typical day of rest should be so placed in the order of the septiman , as from thence they might look immediately unto that day of true rest that was to come at the rising of the sun of righteousness out of the grave . but besides this , the more special reason of god's appointing them saturday for their sabbath , was , because saturday was the first day of rest they had from egyptian bondage ; for they marched from rameses on friday , the 15th day of the 1st month , and set up their booths at succoth on saturday , where they stayed two days , according to the common opinion of learned men , on the latter whereof sunday , the premises considered , it may be presumed that they kept an holy rest unto the lord according to the patriarchal custom ; and that it was in that assembly that moses repeated the ordinances of the passover , and separated the first-born of males and firstlings of the flocks and herds to be holy to the lord. sect . ii. and that this precept for saturday-sabbath did not vacate the patriarchal , either to all nations , or to the jews themselves for ever ; but was only imposed upon them as a carnal ordinance of divine service until the time of reformation ; ( heb. 9. 10. ) or until the seed should come ; ( gal. 3. 19. ) and those good things , the body whereof is christ , whereof it was a shadow ; god gave the jews many plain intimations . 1. in his assigning their deliverance from egypt , and their resting from their hard labour in that bondage , as the peculiar reason of his commanding the jews to celebrate his sabbaths ; deut. 5. 15. that thy man-servant , &c. may rest as well as thou ; and remember that thou wast a servant in the land of egypt ; and that the lord thy god brought thee out thence through a mighty hand , and by a stretched-out arm : therefore the lord thy god commanded thee to keep the sabbath-day ; whether weekly , monthly , or yearly , as also the sabbaths of years and jubilees ; which reason cannot reach other nations , but is wholly accommodated to the jews , and to them only till the time of restauration . 2. in his suspending the raigning of mannah on their sabbaths , and letting it fall on sunday's manna , being reputed by those that could not look under the vail , angels food , the bread of heaven ( psal . 105. 40. ) it s not falling on their sabbath was interpreted , that the giving of true manna ( that of which whosoever eateth shall live for ever ) was reserved for gospel-times , and the restauration of the patriarchal sabbath ; when he whom the father sealed , would give his flesh for the life of the world , that true bread of life ( joh. 6. ) that spiritual food which was the desire of all that hungred after righteousness ; of the distribution whereof in the ordinances of the gospel , when they heard christ discourse , they cried out [ lord , evermore give us of this bread : ] not so much as the type of that bread , which can give satisfaction and rest to the soul , was communicated on their sabbath ; and that was a plain enough indication that their sabbath was not the true rest . 3. in the very form of its first institution , exod. 16. 23. the imposition of the name bewrays the nature of the thing [ is the rest of the sabbath , sabbathon , sabbath , the sabbatism , the sabbath holy to the lord ] so ainsworth reads it . but he is exceeding wide of the sense of the hebrew word [ sabbathon ] in translating it [ sabbatism , ] except he takes sabbatism for a diminitive ; for schindler in his penteglot , and p. fagius on the chaldee paraphrase , exod. 31. 15. affirm that sabbathon hath the form of a diminitive , which , saith he , the hebrews form by adding [ on ] to the end of the primitive , as isch , viz. ishcon virunculus ; so of sabbath comes sabbathon , sabbatulum : and fagius observes , that the hebrew doctors do thus distinguish these two words , that sabbath signifies the whole day from beginning to end ; sabbathon , that part of the eve before the just beginning of the sabbath , which was taken from the prophane , and added to the sacred time , by such as chose rather to over-do than to come short . the name therefore given saturday-sabbath at first was the [ puny sabbath ] [ the demy-rest ] or the [ eve-rest of the true sabbath . ] a diminitive rest for children under age , preparative to that holy rest suitable to men which was to succeed . 4. david speaking of another day of rest than that which moses had instituted the celebration of , and of another rest than that which joshua brought them into the possession of , made so clear a comment upon the precept of the sabbath , as well as of their rest in canaan , as from thence the jews might have collected , that both were but shadows of a better rest , and better day of rest approaching , by the same way of ratiocination that the apostle useth in the 3d and 4th chapters to the hebrews . touching the rest of canaan , it is not material to my business , and therefore i shall not speak of that but occasionally . but what the author of that epistle argueth , from david's speaking of another day , so long a time after the giving of the precept touching saturday-sabbath , is of such moment towards the right perception of the strenuousness of his arguments for both , and of so great concernment towards the illustration of that point i am now handling , as i shall for the clearing of the apostle's discourse on that subject , commit to the censure of the pious and learned these annotations . 1. the rest of joshua and the sabbath of moses , as reflected on by david , are that yoke of heifers wherewith the apostle plows to find out the riddle of the lord's-day-sabbath , and the not making them to draw equally , is the main reason why commentators make no better work of st. paul's arguments touching another day ; and why they make a balk or a bungle of the christian sabbath ; though all the texts alledged , not only in their own most natural tendency , but in the apostle's express application of them , look directly thitherward . i will begin with that which beza confesses to be a most obscure place ; heb. 4. 3. [ for we which have believed do enter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , into that rest , as he said , [ as i have sworn in my wrath , if they shall enter into my rest , ] although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. ] it is the mis-translation of this last clause makes this text unintelligible ; but if men did not shut their eyes , for fear of seeing the light of the christian-sabbath dart in upon them from hence ; or cast the vail of their own pre-occupations upon the face of it , there would be no obscurity at all in it ; for , take it as the apostle gave it ( if it were writ by him in greek ) and it is as light as day ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , [ if they shall enter into my rest , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ] equidem , scilicet , nempe , i mean , or , that is to say , or [ to wit , in the works when they were finished from the foundation of the world. ] ( i. e. ) they shall not enter into that rest i took on the seventh day , when i saw all things that i had made , and lo it was very good : [ for he speaks in a certain place of the seventh day , on this wise , [ and god did rest the seventh day ▪ from all his works , ] as it immediately follows ( vers . 4. ) by which quotation of what is said ( gen. 2. 2. ) the apostle proves , that he hath given a right explanation of david's words , when he saith , the rest of god there meant , is god's resting in the contemplation of the perfections of his works on the seventh day ; upon the account whereof he blessed the seventh day , [ because it is there said of the seventh day , that god rested from all his works . ] and that he had rightly concluded from god's swearing unbelievers out of his rest , that believers , that is , christians , had entred into it , seeing the only bar put in against entering is unbelief ; he proves ( vers . 5. ) from that place of david which the apostle had taken for his text , chap. 3. and in this place again , ( that is , he speaks again of the seventh day on this wise ) [ if they shall enter into my rest . ] the reason of which consequence the apostle gives , vers . 6. ] seeing then , some must enter in , ] ( for to what purpose else serves the promise of entring ) [ and they to whom it was first preached entred not in , because of vnbelief . ] the consequence is so plain , that it needs not be repeated , to wit , that therefore they that have believed , are entred . and again , or furthermore , vers . 7. [ he limiteth a certain day , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , saying to david , to day , after so long a time , it is said , to day , if you will hear my voice : ] that is , the day that david speaks of cannot be the jewish saturday-sabbath , for the jews were very zealous in keeping that carnal commandment ( insomuch as he that did but gather a few sticks was stoned to death ) ; and in recompence thereof had bodily rest given them by joshua in canaan ; but it was many hundreds of years after that , that david spake of another day and another rest ; which he would not have done , if that had been god's seventh day 's rest , conducting them to the true rest , [ for if jesus , ( i. e. ) joshua , had given them rest , then would he not afterwards have spoken of another day ] vers . 8. from all which premises the apostle draws this conclusion ; [ there remaineth therefore a rest to the people of god : ] ver . 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. [ therefore the sabbatism remains , or is left , or falls to the share of the people of god ] ( i.e. ) to the christian church ; according to that ( rom. 9. 25. ) i will call them my people that were not my people . and now sabbatism is not so hard to be understood , but that the signification thereof might easily be found out , if men could digest it as platonism , latinism , graecism , signifies the pure , natural , and genuine imitation of plato , of the latine or greek tongue ; so sabbatism is nothing else but the genuine imitation of the sabbath ; and ( according to the tenor of the apostle's discourse ) of that complacential rest which god took on the seventh day . it remains therefore , that the christian , or lord's-day-sabbath , is the most natural and genuine copy of god's rest : but it is beyond my intention to make a just comment ; i intended these short notes as instances only to shew how men's disgusting the notion of a christian-sabbath , makes them cast up from their nauceating stomacks , the apostle's arguments undigested . 2. the next bugbear that frights men out of the plain way of truth , is a conceit , that when they hear the sound of a seventh-day sabbath , they think they hear the man-drakes voice of the jewish sabbath : i need not here give instances of this , for they occur every-where in all men's writings concerning the sabbath : and it is too too common an opinion , that the jewish sabbath is the seventh day in the order of the creation , and our christian sabbath the first [ de die autem primo mundi constat inter omnes illum fuisse diem dominicum , ] gregor . de valentia , tom. 1. disp . 5. quest . 3. pun. 1. quando quidem dies septimus ab eo fuit dies sabbati : concerning the first day of the world it is agreed amongst all men , that it was the lord's-day , seeing the seventh from that was the day of the sabbath : yea , his conceit is , that it was called sunday from the beginning , because the light created on the first day was the light of the sun , not yet endowed with its proper motion , north and south , which it received the fourth day , but only with that of the primum mobile , from east and west . but i have sufficiently proved the contrary , to wit , that the jewish sabbath was not the seventh , but sixth day in order of the creation , but only of gathering quails and mannah . and that our lord's-day , tho according to the jewish idiom it be called the first day ( the first day of their week after that god had appointed them to observe another beginning of their work as well as year then was in use before ) yet it is in reality the seventh day of the week , commencing that account from the creation , and the same day of the week whereon god rested . 3. the last thing i shall name here , is as a remora to mens arrival at the true meaning of the apostle's discourse is a tincture with that spirit which luther's aerij daemones were of ; or with that wherein they in the corinthian church were immerst , who would be of christ in opposition to paul , and apollos . these men's high-flown minds will not stoop to the contemplation of any sabbath-day , to be celebrated under the gospel , in the visible communion of saints ; but hang hovering in the clouds about a day of rest , purely spiritual ; nor of any rest but everlasting ; and in this humour so spiritualize the apostle's arguments , as they leave nothing in them , after their chymical operations , but thin etherial vehicles , or flitting elizian shades . but can a certain day limited to the seventh , be an individuum vagum ? or a limited day be the eternal sabbath ? what ever mean thoughts such men may have of the christian , or lord's-day-sabbath ; the divinely inspired pen-man had such an high esteem of it , as he thought it a subject worthy to be treated on , as being a very sovereign means to prevent apostacy , and to hold christians to their profession : for that 's the mark he aimed at , and concludes his discourse of the sabbath with the mention of that as his aim , ( chap. 4. 14. ) as he had begun that discourse with an exhortation of the same tendency , viz. to hold fast their profession : yea , it is the main scope of the whole epistle , to disswade the hebrew christians from forsaking church-assemblies , as some had done , and drawn back to the perdition of their souls ; and to perswade them to a firm adhering to christian-fellowship in the administration of sabbath-ordinances . on which days also he strictly chargeth the ministers to be instant in preaching ; calling that a preaching in season ; and with the same breath , stiling preaching in the synagogues of the jews on their saturday-sabbath , preaching out of season , ( 2 tim. 4. 2. ) that i do not by this exposition of them pervert the apostle's words , will be manifest , if , 1. we consider , that the precept for preaching presupposeth an audience of men. i think none will imagine that timothy was bound by this injunction to preach to stones , as they say venerable bede did once , nor to sheep , hogs and birds , as that goodly saint ( of the pope's making ) anthony is fabled to have done frequently . 2. that a publick audience could not be had , but upon stated days of meeting , either upon a civil account , as in markets , &c. or upon a religious account , as in the jewish synagogues every of their sabbath-days , and in christian churches on the lord's-day ( the first day of the week in the jewish reckoning . 3. that the apostles took all occasions of such publick assemblies to preach the gospel , besides their teaching from house to house . 4. that their attendance upon the administration of gospel-ordinances to the church , would not permit them on the lord's-days to preach to forreign assembles either of jews or gentiles , and therefore preaching to them was out of season , being performed on week-days ; days that were not then , appointed of god to be seasons for sacred solemnities ; for even the jewish sabbath , though it had been appointed to that nation , for a time , to be their weekly sabbath ; yet not it's grown out of season , and the patriarchal sunday-sabbath came into season , whence preaching on that day is stiled preaching in season . how much light this observation casts upon the apostle's discourse , and what darkness the vulgar opinion , viz. ( that the apostle speaks of a spiritual and eternal rest ) hath drawn-over the hearts of men , in their reading this part even of the new testament , is apparent from this one instance , vers . 10. [ for he that is entred into his rest , hath ceased from his own works as god did from his . ] learned men are puzled how to give such a sence of this clause , as is coherent with the context : but understand the apostle to speak here of the christian lord's-day-sabbath , and the sence is as clear as the sun at noon-day , and that sence admirably consonant with what precedes and follows , thus . it remains therefore , that the church in sanctifying the lord's-day doth most properly imitate god's seventh day rest [ for he that is entred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , into the rest of that same people of god to whom the sabbatism appertains ( for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , is the antecedent to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , ) [ he also hath ceased from his own works , as god did from his . ] for as god rested on the seventh day from his proper works as creator , that being the proper work of god the father ( who made me and all the world ) though as to other kind of works the father worketh hitherto . even so he that is entred into the rest of the people of god ( the christian-sabbath ) doth therein most genuinely imitate god , in that he also hath ceased from his works ; that is , the works of the law of moses , that being the proper notion of [ works ] in st. paul's sence , whensoever he makes comparison betwixt the law and the gospel . and the works of the law , being the proper works of the hebrews , to whom this epistle was directed , as differencing them from all other nations : he hath cast off that yoak of ceremonies , which neither we nor our fathers could bear , and hath taken the easy yoke of christ upon him , that he may find rest to his soul. and what an apt introduction is this to what is immediately subjoyned , vers . 11. [ let us therefore strive to enter into this same rest , lest any man fall after the same example of vnbelief . ] let me therefore perswade you to imitate god in his seventh-day's rest , lest you imitate your fore-fathers in unbelief , and be excluded from eternal rest : from which fearful state , the best way to be secured , is to attend upon christian lord's-day's assemblies and administrations , where you shall hear moses in the newness of his spirit , not in the oldness of the letter ; you will see that vail that moses put upon his face done away , if you will turn unto the lord ; and will find the word of god , as a sharp two-edged sword , drawn out of the scabbard of types and ceremonies ( wherein it could not do any execution upon the soul ) and so weilded , [ as it shall pierce even to the dividing asunder of the soul and spirit ; ] which is the plain importance of vers . 12. [ for the word of god is quick , &c. ] that is , as it is dispenc'd in christian-assembles ; into which if an unbeliever should come , while they are prophesying ( 1 cor. 14. 24. ) that is , applying old-testament prophesies unto christ , and proving thence that jesus is the christ [ he is judg'd , convinc'd of all ] convinc'd of the sin of unbelief , ( joh. 16. 8. ) convinc'd and judg'd of all ; that is , all that prophesy one by one ( 1 cor. 14. 31. ) not only by the prophesying of such as like apollos are mighty in the scriptures , ( act. 18. 28. ) but is so mightily convinc'd that jesus is the christ , even of the weakest of them that have the gift of prophesying , that is , of applying the old-testament for proof of the truth of the gospel ; he is , i say , by this powerful word so convinc'd , as the secrets of his heart are made manifest , and so falling down on his face , he glorifieth god , and confesseth that god is in you of a truth . ( 1 cor. 14. 25. ) by the premises it appears , that the apostle's scope in his discourse of the sabbath , is to withdraw the jews from the celebration of their fruitless sabbath , to the observation of the christian-sabbath : as also how well god provided for the settlement of publick-stated assemblies in the church , when the jewish sabbaths were antiquated , by letting the apostles see , that though the law for that was out of date , ( col. 2. 16. ) yet there remained a sabbath to the people of god , viz. that which was instituted from the beginning , and commanded in the decalogue . had the apostle indeed only decried that , and not establish'd this ; it might have been thought , that the church had been left to her choice , what day of the week to have celebrated , as calvin and the prolepsarians conceive : but as if the holy ghost had purposely intended to obviate that errour , the admitting whereof would unavoidably bring confusion into the christian world ; he was pleased to direct the same apostle , whose pen had cancel'd the jewish , to write in vindication of the christian-sabbath ; and to inform him , that seeing the partition-wall was taken down , there was a plain and open way made , for the restauration of the patriarchal sunday-sabbath , that sabbath in the sanctifying whereof the greatest part of those worthies mentioned ( heb. 11. ) had received grace to offer acceptable sacrifices to god by faith in the promised seed , to walk with god , to be upright before him in the most general apostacies ; to obey his call unreservedly , though they knew not whither . to exert such heroick acts of faith , patience , contempt of the world , dependance on god , &c. as made them the wonders of that world which was unworthy of them , and paterns to the best of christians . that sabbath in the celebration whereof , the christian-church forsook the jewish synagogue , ( then became the synagogue of satan ) and betook themselves to the communion of the general-assembly and church of the first-born , consisting of all those who from the publication of the promise of christ to adam , had been begotten again of the immortal seed of that ever-induring word administred to the patriarchs , and all that adhere to the patriarchal religion in all nations and ages ; and administred without those carnal ordinances and unprofitable bodily exercises , wherewith the jews sabbath was incumbred , if not wholly taken up therewith . for the jews that out-went the ox and ass in keeping the mosaical sabbath as such , did not go beyond them in the strength of the services thereof , which could not perfect them that frequented them , as touching conscience ; but in the strength of the ordinances of the patriarchal sabbath ; so that it was their doing sunday's work on their saturdays , that sanctified the jews as to conscience . their own sabbath's rest from work sanctifying them only by the external visible separating of them from other nations ; to the end that our saviour's descent from abraham might be more conspicuous . and therefore as their fore-fathers sell short through their looking no further than canaan ; so those then moderate jews , to whom he writes , would also fall short of eternal rest , if they did not look forward beyond their sabbath-day to sunday , or the lord's-day-sabbath ; in the ordinances whereof saving grace is so plentifully dispenc'd , as the eunuch , shall have no cause to say , i am a dry tree ; nor the sun of the stranger to complain , i am utterly cut off from god's people . if they take hold of god's covenant , and keep his sabbaths now under the gospel , tho they were excluded from the congregation of the lord , under the mosaical sabbath ; ( isa . 56. 4 , &c. ) but their sacrifices shall be accepted upon his altar , and he will make them joyful in his house of prayer . to this god of all grace , who deals thus bountifully with us gentiles ; even to the father , son , and holy-ghost , be given all praises , and adoration , now and for ever . amen . finis . books printed for , and sold by richard chiswell . folio . dr. cave's lives of the primitive fathers , in 2 vol. dr. cary's chronological account of ancient time. wilson's compleat christian dictionary . bishop wilkin's real character , or philosophical language . hooker's ecclesiastical polity . isaac ambrose 's works . dr. burnet's history of the reformation of the church of england , in 2 vol. — account of the confession and prayers of the murtherers of esquire thynn . burlace's history of the irish rebellion . bishop sanderson's sermons , with his life . fowlis's history of conspiracies , treasons , and usurpations . the laws of this realm concerning jesuits , seminary priests , recusants . the oaths of supremacy and allegiance explained by divers judgments , and resolutions of the judges ; with other observations thereupon : by will. coley esq . william's impartial consideration of the speeches of the five jesuits executed for treason , 1680. josephus's antiquities and wars of the jews , with figures . qvarto . bishop nicholson on the church catechism . history of the late wars of new-engl . dr. outram de sacrificiis . bishop taylor 's disswasive from popery . history of the future state of europe . dr. fowler 's defence of the design of christianity , against john bunnyan . dr. sherlock's visitation serm. at warrington . dr. west's assize-sermon at dorchester . 1671. the magistrates authority asserted , in a sermon , by james paston . mr. james brome's two fast-sermons . dr. jane's fast-sermon before the commons , 1679. mr. john jame ' s visitation-sermon , april 9. 1671. mr. john cave 's fast-sermon on 30th of jan. 1679. — assize-sermon at leicester july 31st , 1679. dr. parker's demonstration of the divine authority of the law of nature and the christian religion . mr. william's sermon before the lord mayor , 1679. — history of the powder-treason , with a vindication of the proceedings relating thereunto , from the exceptions made against it by the catholick apologist and others ; and a parallel betwixt that and the present popish plot. speculum baxterianum , or baxter against baxter . dr. burnet's relation of the massacre of the protestants in france . — conversions and persecutions of eve cohan a jewess of quality , lately baptized christian . — sermon before the lord mayor upon the fast for the fire , 1680. — fast-sermon before the house of commons decemb. 22. 1680. — sermon on the 30th of january , 1681. — sermon at the election of the lord mayor , 1681. — sermon at the funeral of mr. houblon , 1682. — answer to the animadversions on his history of the rights of princes , 1682. — decree made at rome 1679. condemning some opinions of the jesuits and other casuists . published by dr. burnet , with a preface . — a letter giving a relation of the present state of the difference between the french king and the court of rome . octavo . bishop wilkin's natural religion . hardcastle's christian geography and arithmetick . spaniards conspiracy against the state of venice . several tracts of mr. hale of eaton . ignatius fuller's sermons of peace and holiness . 1 s. 6. d. doctor sanway's unreasonableness of the romanists . dr. ashton's cases of scandal and persecution . dr. puller's discourse of the moderation of the church of england . dr. henry bagshaw's discourses on select texts . mr. seller's remarks relating to the state of the church in the three first centuries . dr. burnet's account of the life and death of the earl of rochester . — vindication of the ordinations of the church of england . — history of the rights of princes in the disposing of ecclesiastical benefices and church-lands . dr. sherlock's practical discourse of religious assemblies . — defence of dr. stillingfleet's unreasonableness of separation . — a vindication of the defence of dr. stillingfleet in ansewr to mr. baxter and mr. lob about cotholick communion . mr. john cave's gospel to the romans . dvodecimo . hodder's arithmetick . bishop hacket's christian consolations . an apology for a treatise of human reason : written by m. clifford esq books lately printed for richard chiswell . an historical relation of the island of ceylon in the east indies ; an exact map of the island , by capt. r. knox , a captive there near 20 years . folio . mr. camfield of episcop . confirmation , 8 o bp wilkin's 15 sermons , never before extant . mr. john cave's 2 sermons of the duty and benefit of submission to the will of god in afflictions . quarto . dr. crawford's serious expostulation with the whiggs in scotland . quarto . dr. salmon's doron medicum , or supplement to his new london dispensatory . octavo . mr. tanner's primordia ; or the rise and growth of the first church of god described . octavo . a letter writ by the last assembly general of the clergy of france to the protestants , inviting them to return to their communion ; together with the methods proposed by them for their conviction . translated into english and examined by dr. gilbert burnet . octavo . a defense of the christian sabbath in answer to a treatise of mr. tho. bampfield pleading for saturday-sabbath / by john wallis. wallis, john, 1616-1703. 1692 approx. 249 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 44 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; 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(eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a67379) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 43235) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 1319:13) a defense of the christian sabbath in answer to a treatise of mr. tho. bampfield pleading for saturday-sabbath / by john wallis. wallis, john, 1616-1703. 85 p. printed by l. litchfield and are to be sold by chr. coningsby, oxford : 1692. caption title: a discourse concerning the christian sabbath. running title: the christian sabbath. reproduction of original in the cambridge university library. created by converting tcp files to tei p5 using tcp2tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the 25,363 texts created during phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 january 2015. anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p5, characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng bampfield, thomas, 1623?-1693. -enquiry whether the lord jesus christ made the world. sabbath -early works to 1800. sunday -early works to 1800. 2004-04 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2004-04 apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images 2004-05 olivia bottum sampled and proofread 2004-05 olivia bottum text and markup reviewed and edited 2004-07 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a defense of the christian sabbath . in answer to a treatise of mr. tho. bampfield pleading for saturday-sabbath . by iohn wallis , d. d. and professor of geometry in the university of oxford . oxford , printed by l. lichfield , and are to be sold by chr. coningsby , at the golden turks-head over against st. dunstan's church in fleet-street , london . 1692. imprimatur , ionath . edwards , vice-can . oxon . sep. 17 t. 1692. a discourse concerning the christian sabbath . sir , iune 12. 1692. i had a while since a book sent me by the carrier ( i know not well from whom ) of mr. thomas bampfield , which in the title-page , is said to be printed for the author — 1692. it is concerning the sabbath . which he thinks should rather be observed on what we call saturday , than on what we call sunday . i should not , on this account , give any disturbance to the peace or practise of the church where i live , so that a sabbath be duly observed as to the substantials of it , though perhaps not upon what day i should chuse . for i do not know ▪ and i believe no man living can tell me , whether what we now call sunday , be a first , a second , a third , or a seventh day , in a continued circulation of weeks from the creation . and what it is impossible for me to know , i think will be no crime to be ignorant of . nor hath this author any other way than common tradition , ( on which he is not willing that we should lay weight , ) whereby to guess , which is the first , or which is the seventh day , in such a circulation of weeks , either from the creation , or even from christ's time. i am sufficiently satisfied that we ought to keep a sabbath , that is , a day of holy rest , after six days of ordinary labour , according to the fourth commandment : and this in a continued course or circulation : but i am not certain , nor can i be , which is a first , or a seventh day in such a circulation of weeks from the creation . and therefore shall content my self to observe that day which i find observed in the church where i live . in old england i observe the sabbath which here i find : and if i were in new-england , i would observe the sabbath which i find observed there . though i think it may be disputable whether they and we may be said to observe the same day , ( the first meridian passing between them and us . ) and yet i would not advise to have it changed in either . now i can hardly think , that god hath laid the great stress of so weighty a point ( as whereon the main of gods publick worship doth much depend ) on such a circumstance as is impossible for us to know , and of which we may be modestly ignorant . i should rather think that what christ says of the place , ioh. 4. 21 , 23 , the hour cometh when ye shall neither in this mountain nor in ierusalem worship the father , but the true worshipers shall worship the father in spirit and in truth , is in good measure true of the time also ; and , as it is not so material whether in this or that place , god be worshiped , so he be worshiped aright : so neither is it so material , whether on this , or that day ; as , that a sabbath or day of holy rest be duly kept . the publick worship of god , was then in great measure confined to the temple ; not indifferently , in any place within thy gates , but in the place which the lord thy god shall chuse , to put his name there , deut. 16. 6 , 11 , 15 , 16. for which any other place may now be as well assigned ; that men pray every where lifting up holy hands , &c. 1 tim. 2. 8. ( privately in private places , and publickly in places appointed for the publick ▪ ) and i do not think we are now more confined to the iewish sabbath , than to the iewish temple . this premised , i can agree with this author in many things by him discussed . i agree , that our lord iesus christ ( according to his divinity ) was god ( and is so ) the true god , the god that made heaven and earth , the god who delivered the law upon mount sinai . for though we do acknowledge , in the godhead , a trinity of persons ; father , son , and holy ghost , ( whereof christ according to his divinity is called the second person , the son of god , or god the son ; ) yet those three persons are but one god. nor do i know any other true god but one , the god that made heaven and earth , the lord iehovah , the god of abraham , isaac and iacob , the lord god of israel , the lord their god who brought them out of the land of egypt , out of the house of bondage , and besides whom we are to have no other god , the god who delivered the law to them on mount sinai ; and i do agree that our lord iesus christ , is ( as to his divinity ) this god , the true god , the onely true god , and that he was so before his incarnation . how far each of those actions are to be ascribed to this or that person of the trinity , we need not be over solicitous . what in the new testament is more peculiarly ascribed to this or that of the three persons , is in the old testament wont to be ascribed to god indefinitely , without such particular application ; the doctrine of the trinity being then not so distinctly discovered . but i cannot agree that christ as god and man ( in contradistinction to the father and holy ghost ) did all those things ; for he was not then man. i agree with him also , that god who made the world in six days , rested the seventh day , gen. 2. 23. exod. 20. 11. and that he blessed the sabbath day and hallowed it . and that accordingly he hath appointed after six days of ordinary labour , man should observe a seventh day of holy rest , and this in a continued succession . but i should rather say , that our lord iesus christ is ( according to his divinity ) that god who blessed the seventh day gen. 2. than that the god who blessed the sabbath day , is the lord iesus christ ; ( as he doth p. 64. and elsewhere very often , seeming to lay great stress upon it . ) for he was not then the lord christ ( god and man ) nor did he bless it as christ , but as god ; in union with the father and holy ghost , not as contradistinguished from them . i agree also , that the law of the sabbath is one of the decalogue or ten commandments delivered to israel on mount sinai . ex. 20. but i am willing to think it was a law before . not only because we find it observed , exod. 16. ( before the giving of the law on mount sinai , ex. 20. ) but especially because of that in gen. 2. 3. god blessed the seventh day and sanctified it , because in it he rested from all his work. and those who are most averse to the morality ( as it is wont to be called ) or the perpetuity of the sabbath , or day of holy rest , and are yet very zealous for the holiness of places , would be very fond of it if they could find so clear a testimony , and so ancient , for the holiness of place , as here is for that of time. i agree also that the law of the decalogue or ten commandments , though then given peculiarly to israel , is obligatory to us also . for though some clauses therein do peculiarly respect them ; as that who brought thee out of the land of egypt out of the house of bondage , and that thy days may be long in the land which the lord thy god giveth thee , ( which i think is there said with a particular respect to the land of canaan , which god gave to israel , not to us ; ) yet the body of that law and the preceptive part of it , i take to be obligatory to others also , and to us in particular ; the decalogue being declarative of what was ( i think ) a law before ( however neglected or forgotten , ) and is by christ and his apostles frequently cited as such , even to gentiles as well as jews . nor will i dispute it with him , whether the sabbath were observed from the creation to the floud . for i am willing to think that if it were not , it should have been ; though , in the short history that moses gives us of that time , there be no mention made of such observation . but i doubt it was not universally so observed , if at all . for when all flesh had corrupted their ways , i doubt the sabbath day and the worship of that day were by them not much regarded . nor do i find ( gen. 2. 3. ) any express command ( such as he demands for the first days sabbath ) that it should be observed thenceforth by men , every seventh day of the week for ever . how far the words he blessed and sanctified it may extend i will not dispute . it may be a strong intimation ( and i think it is , ) but it is not expresly said , that , all mankind must , for ever after , observe every seventh day , in every week , of days , reckoned continually from the first creation . nor do i think it necessary to have been so recorded by moses , ( any more , than the law for sacrifices , ) if it did otherwise appear to have been the will of god. and therefore i would not have him lay too great a stress , on what he saith , that there is no express commandment , recorded in the new testament , for observing the first day : it is enough if we there find sufficient intimation for us to judge that god was pleased to have it observed . i say the like as to the time from the floud to that of abraham , and from thence to the coming of israel out of egypt . for i do not find any mention of their observing a sabbath ( either in the writings of moses , or the book of iob ) earlier than that of exod. 16. after israels coming out of egypt , and after the time that god is said to have made a statute and ordinance for them , at marah , ex. 15. 25. what that statute and ordinance was , we cannot tell . the jewish writers think ( or some of them ) that it was that of the sabbath ; and perhaps it might , or this be some part of it . it was perhaps a revival of what had been before disused . nor is it likely that their task-masters in egypt would suffer them to be idle , and neglect their work , one whole day in seven . nor do i find any foot-steps in history that any other nation but the jews did ( for many ages after this time ) so much as measure out their time by weeks . i know that many learned and pious men have been searching to that purpose and willing to lay hold on any thing that might seem to look that way . and i should be well enough pleased to see it made out . but i have not seen any thing convictive to give me satisfaction therein . i have consulted clemens alexandrinus , and what he cites in the fifth book of his stromata , who hath i believe made the best search of any into heathen writers for that purpose . his design in that book is to shew that the heathens had stollen or borrowed much of their philosophy from what he calls philosophia barbara , or barbarorum , meaning thereby the iewish learning ; ( for , with the greeks , all but themselves were barbarians . ) and amongst many other things , he takes notice of the number seven sometimes mentioned in heathen writers , as with some veneration ; which he thinks to be occasioned from that number oft mentioned in the sacred writers , and particularly from that of their sabbath , and measuring their time by weeks . but he doth not at all intimate as if himself did think the heathens so to have divided their time , or to keep that sabbath , but only that they were acquainted with the jewish learning , and borrowed much of theirs from thence . that which therein seemed to me the most promising ( and by others also is oft alledged ) was that cited from hesiod , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ( the seventh a sacred day . ) but when i consulted the place in hesiod , in his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , ( in the latter part of which he treats of days ) i find nothing there of weeks , or days of the week , but only days of the month. for 't is this he there proposeth to speak of , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , ( the thirty days of the month , ) on which he makes divers remarks ; as , which of them were to be accounted good days , and which bad days , and , for what purposes . and begins with these , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ( begin we with the first , and the fourth , and the seventh , a sacred day , because that on this day apollo who hath the golden sword was born of latona . ) so that ( it seems ) the seventh day ( not the first ) was then sunday . ( for apollo with his gold sword , is but another name for the sun. ) but it was the seventh day of the month , not the seventh day of the week , ( for of weeks he there says nothing . ) and he then goes on to speak of the eighth and ninth days ; then of the eleventh and twelfth , next of the thirteenth , and so of other days of the month ; shewing which of them were accounted lucky days , and which unlucky , and for what affairs . but nothing of weeks at all . however , hesiod himself , though one of the oldest of the heathen writers , is but young as to the times we speak of ; who is reckoned to have lived about the time of king uzziah , seven hundred years after the time we are now considering , upon the coming of israel out of egypt . nor doth clemens alexandrinus think , when they name seven , it was from any old tradition ( from adam or noah ) but from what acquaintance they then had with the jewish writers of later time . nor do i find any thing that is more to the purpose , in all there cited by clemens alexandrinus than this of hesiod . but if any where he could have found , that the heathens divided their time by weeks ; no doubt but he would have mentioned this as borrowed from the iewish learning ; ( which was the thing he was there inquiring after . ) and , when he saith nothing of it , we may be sure he could not find it . i find indeed that , some of the heathens ( as iuvenal and lucian ) do laugh or jeer at the jewish sabbath ( recutitaque sabbata pallent ) and therefore did know of the jewish sabbath ; but not that they did observe it , or so much as divide their time by weeks . now if we should admit , that in some families ( where the true worship of god was preserved ) there be a strong presumption ( for 't is no more ) that they did observe a sabbath ; that is , a seventh day of holy rest after six days of ordinary labour ; yet 't is a question , whether that were just the seventh day in a continual succession of weeks from the creation . and if at any time there chance to be an intermission , and the day forgotten , it is impossible ( without a miracle or a new revelation ) that it can be restored again . and if from thenceforth they would again keep a sabbath ( as we find the pass-over was revived by hezekiah and iosiah which had been long intermitted 2 kings 23. and 2 chr. 25. ) they must begin at adventure , and thence continue it . now if we consider , that the true worship of god was oft reduced to some one family , as in the time of noah , and perhaps of abraham ; and even that family sometimes corrupt enough , ( as was that of nahor , from whence abraham for that reason was removed ; and that of laban where iacob sojourned ; and how oft also the like happened , we cannot tell ) it was very possible the sabbath might be neglected ; as himself observes p. 63 , it had been before and under the captivity for a long time , and made a market-day , as well as any other day of the week ; like as the temple was become a market-place , mat. 21. 12 , 13. ioh. 2. 14. 16. as was also the pass-over in great measure from the time of samuel till that of iosiah , 2 chr. 35. 18. and the feast of tabernacles , from the days of ioshuah to nehemiah , neh. 8. 17. and circumcision , for forty years together in the wilderness , iosh. 5. 5. now if circumcision and the pass-over and the feast of tabernacles were thus neglected when they were at liberty ; how much more the sabbath , when they were bond-men in egypt ; of which we have not the least mention from god's keeping a sabbath , gen. 2. 3. till after israels coming out of egypt , exod. 16. nor is there the least mention ( as i shew'd but now ) in any history sacred or profane , so much as of dividing their time by weeks , all that time ; nor , except that of israel , for many ages after . and though the sun , moon and stars ( gen. 1. 14. ) are said to be for signs and for seasons , for days and for years , yet not a word is there of weeks . nor could they indeed , by their motions , distinguish weeks , as they do months and years . and therefore though i find years and months to have been observed all the world over long ago ; yet weeks no where ( that i know ) of ancient times , but by the nation of the iews onely , nor by them before their coming out of egypt . so that , though , i am willing to think , the sabbath ought to have been observed all that while , yet there is too much reason to doubt it was not ; or , if at all , not without frequent intermissions , which would , in this case , be fatal . now to argue as he doth , that abel , and enoch , and noah , and abraham , were good men , and are ( some of them ) said to walk with god , and to keep his commandments , and therefore may be presumed to have kept a sabbath , is but a weak argument as to matter of fact , and , to begg the question . for we are not to think them so good as to be guilty of no failings or omissions . the law of marriage is certainly as old , if not older than that of the sabbath , the tenour of which was ( he tells us p. 62. ) that they two should be one flesh ; not , they three , four or five : yet he tells us also , that polygamy , or having many wives , was frequently practised , from lamech to malachi , even by some eminent in the church at that time , and by them ( he supposeth ) held to be lawful . and it may as well be thought , the law for the sabbath might sometime within that two thousand five hundred years ) be neglected and forgotten ; as that of marriage ; in a time when there was no writing ( that we know of ) to preserve it . and , if once forgotten , it could never ( as to that seventh day ) be recovered . and i would ask that gentleman , in case the day should chance to have been sometime forgotten , ( as is very possible and not unlikely , ) and that after such time ( upon finding the book of the law , as in iosiah's time 2 kings 22. 8. which had been lost ) it did appear that a sabbath should have been kept , but was not , ( as was there the case of the pass-over , chap. 23. 21. ) what doth this gentleman think ( in such case ) should be done ? must they never restore the sabbath because they do not know the day ? or must they begin upon a new account ? i should think this latter ; ( and that it would be warranted by the fourth commandment ; ) notwithstanding his objection , no other day ( but the seventh from the creation ) is commanded ; no promise to the observance of any other ; nor threatning for the omission . indeed in our days when so great a part of the world reckon by weeks , and we be stored with astronomical tables adjusted to the motions of the sun , moon and stars , and many celestial observations , ( as for instance , that such a year , such a day of such a month there was an eclipse on monday morning or the like ) 't were more easy to rectify such an intermission . but in those days , when there was nothing of all this , nor so much as the use of writing ( that we know of ) older than moses ; there was no way to rectify an interrupted tradition . all which is not said to disparage the observation of the sabbath day ( for which i have as great veneration as he that pleads for the saturday sabbath , ) but onely to shew , that we can be at no certainty , ( and scarce a conjecture , ) which is the first , second , or seventh day of the week in a continued circulation of weeks from the creation . and consequently i cannot think that the great stress of the fourth commandment is to be understood of just that seventh day in every such week from the creation ( which i doubt cannot be known ) but rather that there should be a weekly sabbath ; that is , after six days of work , the seventh should be a holy rest , and then , after another six days of work , the seventh should be again a holy rest ; and so continually ; which is as truly observed in the sunday-sabbath , as in that of saturday . as when god requires the tenth of our increase ; it is not meant of the tenth in order ( for it should rather be the first in order , for he requires the first-fruits ) but the tenth in proportion ; so here the seventh . and this author knows very well , that it is signally noted by expositors on the fourth commandment , and other writers about the sabbath , that this commandment begins with remember to keep holy the sabbath-day , or the day of rest , ( not the seventh day ; much less the seventh day of the week from the first creation ; ) and what is that day of rest , the next words tell us , six days shalt thou labour , but the seventh is the sabbath , &c. that is , after six days of labour , the seventh shall be a day of rest. and in the close of that commandment ( ex. 20. 11. ) our bibles have it wherefore the lord blessed the sabbath-day ( not as we commonly repeat it , the seventh day ) and hallowed it . the reason given to inforce it is , for in six days the lord made heaven and earth &c. and rested the seventh day , and accordingly should we , after six days of work have a seventh day of rest , and so onward . if he thinks that to make a difference , that we now reckon our weeks to begin with the day of rest , and after that , six working days ( which in a continued circulation comes all to one , ) i will allow that gentleman ( if that will please him better ) to begin the week on monday , and then sunday will be the seventh . the commandment says nothing of the seventh day of the week in a continued succession from the creation ; but the seventh day after six days of labour . and whereas he observes ( and would lay great weight upon it ) that it is ( hashebigni ) the seventh ( the article ha answering to our the ) not a seventh . 't is very true , and very proper so to be . for the meaning is not that , after six days of labour , there should be a seventh for rest no matter when ; but the seventh day , that is , the next day after those six . but it is not said the seventh in course from the creation . just as when it is said , a male-child is to be circumcised the eighth day , it is not meant of an eighth day in course from the creation ; but , the eighth day from the birth . and in like manner ex. 12. 16. in the seventh day there shall be a holy convocation ; it is not meant of the seventh day of the week from the creation ; but on the seventh day of the feast of unleavened bread , what ever day of the week that happen to be . and exod. 16. 5 , 25. the sixth and seventh day there mentioned , seem plainly to be , not the sixth and seventh in course from the creation ( which i doubt was not then known ) but from the first raining of manna , ver . 4 , 5. he 'll say perhaps , the jews observed such seventh day from the creation , and that was their sabbath . but that is more than he or i know , or any man living . they had i grant , a circulation of seven days , but from what epocha we cannot tell . and when moses tells them ( on the sixth day ) ex. 16. 23. tomorrow is the rest of the holy sabbath . it seems to be the fixing of a new epocha ( from the first raining of manna ) and then all his arguments , from the continual observation of the seventh day from the creation till that time , are at an end . whether this ( from the first raining of manna ) be the same with that from the creation ; no man can tell . and there is six to one odds that it is not . now , that there is a new course of sabbath ( from a new beginning ) whereof this seventh day from the first raining of manna is the first , and not a continuation of a former course hitherto observed without interruption ; seems farther evident from this consideration , because , if this were but a continuation of that uninterrupted course of sabbaths , then the next seventh day before it , would have been a sabbath also , and to have been in like manner observed ; that is , the next day before the first raining of manna . but , on that day we find ( exod. 16. 12 , 13. ) the quails came up and covered the camp , without any prohibition to gather them . if therefore they might not ( now ) gather manna , because it was the sabbath ; but might ( before ) gather quails ; it should seem , that was not a sabbath . and if it be not allowed , upon occasion , to fix a new epocha ; then if the circulation of weeks from the beginning of the world ( which was then about 2500 years old ) did ever chance to have been interrupted , and the day forgotten , ( as in all likelyhood it might be in egypt , if not long before ) or if ever after it should chance so to be ( as in the days of iosiah when the book of the law was lost , and the pass-over forgotten ; ) men must never keep a sabbath thenceforth . for then all his own arguments return upon him ; no other day is commanded ( 't is will-worship , ) no promise to the observance , no threatning for the neglect . i should rather think , if that day were unknown ( as i believe it is ) any day were better than none at all . for gods commands do more respect the substance of the duty than the circumstance of time , especially if they cannot both be had . circumcision was to be administred on the eighth day , according to the institution , ( i do not mean the eighth day of the week , but the eighth day of the childs age ; and therefore on the same day of the week on which the child was born. ) but if by accident or default it were omitted , it might be done any day after , rather than not at all . abraham we know was 99 years old , and ismael 13 when they were circumcised , ( and what was the age of other males in abraham's family , we cannot tell ; ) and a proselyte , at any age , was to be circumcised ; ( though perhaps it were not remembred on what day of the week he was born ; ) and those who were born in the wilderness for forty years together , were all circumcised at once , iosh. 5. 4 , 5 , 9. ( though not all born on the same day of the week . ) the pass-over was appointed to be eaten standing , with their loyns girt , their shoes on their feet , and their staffs in their hand , as in hast to be gone ex. 12. yet our saviour seemeth to have eaten it sitting , or rather lying . and none of them were to stir out of doors till morning , ex. 12. 22. yet christ and his disciples went out the same night to the mount of olives , and thence to gethsemane , mat. 26. 30 , 36. the shew-bread was to be eaten by the priests only : yet our saviour observes that david did eat of it ( on a special occasion ) without blaming him for so doing . the rechabites are commended ier. 31. for obeying the command of ionathan their father , not to drink wine , nor build houses , but to dwell in tents &c. yet did they , upon nebuchadnezzar's invasion , quit their tents and repair to ierusalem ; nor is it reputed a disobedience . the paschal lamb was to be kill'd the fourteenth day of the first month at evening : yet if we consider how little knowledge they had in those days , of the sun and moons motions , and if we consider what the jewish writers tell us of their very uncertain method of judging , which was the first month , and which the fourteenth day of that month we shall find they were at great uncertainties , as to the just day ; yet was not the service thereof to be neglected , upon pretense there was danger of missing the right day . for they had not almanacks in those days , as we have now , to tell us before hand when will be a new moon . but ( if we may believe the jewish writers ) their manner was , about the time when they expected a new-moon , to send men to watch for it on the top of some hill or high place ; and he who could first discover a new-moon , was to tell the priest , and he to blow the trumpet to give the people notice that there was a new-moon , ( much like our custom at oxford , at the time of the assizes , to set some on st. maries steeple to watch when the judges are coming , and then to ring the great bell to give notice to those concerned , that the judges are at hand ; ) but , in case of cloudy weather , if in three days time from their first expectation no man could see a new moon , they did then venture ( but not before ) to blow the trumpet without seeing it , which must needs cause a great uncertainty ; and the same moon sooner seen at one place than at another , and the pass-over kept accordingly . and t is manifest in the story of our saviours last pass-over , that he kept it on one day and the jews on another ( perhaps he about a fortnight before , might see a new-moon , a day sooner than they did . ) so great uncertainty there was at that time , as to the particular day , though the institution was punctual for the fourteenth day of the first month. and the like uncertainty there was as to all their feasts of new-moons . and even in our days , when the motions of the sun and moon are much better known than at that time they were , we are far from being exact in point of time . our rule for easter is much the same with theirs for the pass-over ; the rule in general is this , the sunday next after the fourteenth day of the first month , is to be easter day . but when we come to make particular application , we do strangely miss of our rule . and our paschal tables which should direct us , do put us farther out than if we had none at all . for ( by reason that we take the length of our common year a little too long , by about eleven minutes of an hour , and the length of our months too long also ; ) since the time that those tables were made , 't is well known that the beginning of our ecclesiastical first month , is ten or eleven days later than that of the heavens ; and our ecclesiastical new-moons and full-moons , is later by four or five days than those of the heavens . whereby we do very often mistake the month , and yet oftner the true week , for keeping of easter . and though pope gregory the eighth , did ( somewhat more than an hundred years ago ) somewhat rectify the calendar , yet both papists and protestants do observe , some the newer gregorian , and some the older iulian account , and ( in the united provinces of the netherlands ) one town observes one account , and the next the other account , and accordingly keep their easters ( if at all ) at three , four or five weeks distance , and so for christmas-day . 't is not agreed amongst chronologers either what year , or what month , much less what day of that month , our saviour was born , yet wee keep december 25th . in memory of his birth , as supposing him to have been then born . yea we are at so great uncertainty , that we reckon the year 1692 from his circumcision , to begin the first of ianuary ; but the same year as from his conception , not till the 25th of march next following ; as if his birth and circumcision had been a quarter of a year before his conception . and if we be now at so great an uncertainty , in so short a period as from the birth of christ , i do not think the jews could be punctual , as to a day , in observing their pass-over ; and much less , as to a day from the creation of the world. he 'l say perhaps , that easter and christmas being of humane institution , it is not much matter though we miss the day , nor much matter perhaps whether it be kept or no. be it so ; but the pass-over was of divine institution ; yet were they at a great uncertainty , and might chance to miss more than a day or two ; yet was not the duty to be therefore neglected . the mistake of a day , was of much less concernment than the neglect of the duty ; as was the tithing of mint and annise , than the weightier things of the law. these little circumstances are but shaddows , in comparison of the substance , as the comparison is col. 2. 17. which is not said to incourage any one to violate the laws of god , even in little things , ( for we find god sometimes very severe even in such ; as in the case of uzzah's touching the ark , and nadab and ahihu's offering strange fire ; for reasons best known to himself , of which we are not aware . ) but onely to shew that the substantials of a duty are to be regarded more than circumstantials ; and these upon occasion to give way to those . and in such cases ( if it were a fault ) the prayer of hezekiah ( 2 chr. 30. 18. ) is to take place , the good lord pardon every one that prepareth his heart to seek god , though he be not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary . and his service was accepted , though ( as it is expresly noted ) they did eat the pass-over otherwise than as it was written : and , in the second month , in stead of the first . and doubtless in the present case , if we do not know ( as certainly we do not ) which is the first or seventh day in a continual circulation from the creation , it is much better to keep a weekly sabbath on any day of the week whatever , than to keep none at all , and much more agreable to the true meaning of the fourth commandment . all which is said , partly by way of caution , not to be forward , upon slight grounds , to disturb the peace and settled practise of the whole christian church at this day . partly to take off what he would have to be admitted but cannot be proved , that the seventh day in a continued circulation of weeks from the first creation , was observed as the weekly sabbath , from the creation to the floud ; from thence to abraham ; from thence to israels coming out of egypt ; and from thence till after the resurrection of christ. which i think is impossible for any man to know . and partly to satisfy what he objects from the fourth commandment . which saith indeed that there is to be a rest on the seventh day after six days of labour , but not a word of its being such seventh day in a continual circulation of weeks from the creation . and therefore we are safe hitherto , for ought i see . but i 'le come up a little nearer to him . he may perhaps tell us ( though i do not find he doth ) that the jews did certainly keep their weekly sabbath ( at the time of our saviours death ) on what they called the seventh day . if not on the seventh day of the week from the creation ( of which we can have no certainty ) at lest on the seventh day of the week , as the weeks were then reckoned ; ( which i readily grant him ) and that they had so done for a long time before , and perhaps from the time of giving the law on mount sinai . ( and it may be so , for ought i know , but we cannot be certain . ) and what was then called the first day of the week , was another day from what they called the seventh ( which i admit also . ) and that , what they called the seventh day , is now what we call saturday , and what they called the first day is what we now call sunday . but this , i say , is more than he or i know . he may think so ; and so do i ; but i am not sure of it . the reason why i think so , is , because i think that christ or his apostles ( according to christs direction ) did remove the observation of the sabbath , from the seventh to the first day of the week , and that we have ever since kept the sabbath as they did , ( for i do not know that it hath been since altered , ) and as we now keep it on sunday , so i believe they did ; and therefore think that our sunday is what they called the first day . and if the apostles did then remove it from their seventh day to their first day , i presume they had direction from christ so to do , who after his resurrection , shewed himself to them for fourty days , giving commandments to his apostles speaking to them of things pertaining to the kingdom of god , acts 1. 2 , 3. and therefore , what they did afterwards in settling the christian church , they did ( we are to presume ) according to such directions and commandments of christ , and this in particular of so removing the observation of the sabbath day , if they did remove it , ( as i think was done ) by his authority who was lord of the sabbath day . matth. 12. 8. luk. 6. 5. but if they did not so remove it ; i do not know that it hath since been changed . for i think we keep the same sabbath which they did : and that the christian church hath ever since so done ; and doth pretend so to have done , by a constant tradition ever since . and we therefore think our sunday to be their first day of the week , because we think their sabbath so to have been . but if we mistake in that tradition , we are ( for ought i know ) accordingly mistaken in thinking sunday to be their first day ; ( for we have nothing but tradition for either . ) and then for ought he can shew ( by better than tradition ) to the contrary , our sunday may be their seventh day . and then he hath no pretense to quarel with it . if he say the jews do at this day keep saturday as their seventh day . i confess they do . but they do no more know which is the seventh day ; than we , which is the first day . and because they find that christians generally take sunday to be what was before called the first day , they do accordingly take saturday to be their seventh day . but their tradition is of no greater authority than ours . all depending upon this , that our sunday being that sabbath which we think christ or his appostles did appoint , we take it to be the first day , because christ or his apostles ( by christs directions ) did remove the observation of the sabbath to that day . he 'l say perhaps ; i do not my self think our sunday to be their seventh day . and then , why should not our sabbath be on saturday as theirs was ? 't is true , i do not think our sunday to be their seventh day . and i have told you the reason why i do not think it ; because i think christ or his apostles did change the day , and for that reason only . and for the same reason i think our sabbath should be as now it is , and as i think it hath been ever since . but if i be mistaken in it , i may be mistaken in the other also : but , either way , sunday is yet to be our sabbath . he says , it is no where expresly said in scripture , that the apostles did thus change it . true , and 't is no where said in scripture , that our sunday is not their seventh day . it may be the same for ought i know , ( and for ought he knows ) if it were not then changed . though , because i think the day was then changed , i do therefore think it is not the same . and if it were not changed , then all the difference is , that what they called the seventh day of their week , we call the first day of our week . which , if the author do not like , he may call monday the first day , and then sunday will be the seventh , as it was before . but i say further ; there be many things , even as to the worship of god , which we may reasonably think to have been done , though it be not expresly said so ; but only to be collected by consequence from what is said . 't is no where said expresly , that , after the first sabbath of god himself , ( gen. 2. 2. ) any other sabbath was ever kept before that in exod. 16. which was above two thousand and five hundred years after . yet this author would have us think it was observed all that while ; and that it was commanded so to be , which yet is no where said expresly . but a slight presumption , it seems , may serve his turn , but not ours . 't is known that god was worshiped by sacrifices very early ; at least as early , as that of cain and abel ; and that this worship was accepted of god , at least that of abel . and therefore i suppose this author would have us think it was commanded . ( not a meer will-worship , without any direction or institution from god. ) yet we are no where told , of any such command or institution . we may say the like of iacob's consecrating a pillar , by pouring oyl upon it , gen. 28. 18. though we do not find mention , before that time , of any direction for any such consecration ( of things or persons ) by anointing , or pouring on of oyl . we have also reason to think there was some command from god , that the fire for incense should be taken from the altar , ( or somewhat of like nature ; ) else nadab and abihu would not have been destroyed for offering strange fire . yet we are no where told expresly of any such command . we have no particular command ( that i know of ) for baptizing of infants , nor any particular mention in scripture of any such baptized . yet i do not know that this author would have us thence infer , that none such were baptized , or that they ought not so to be . nor have we any express mention of womens receiving the other sacrament ; nor any express command for their so doing ( any more than for females being circumcised ) yet i know not any who doth therefore think they ought not . we know that children were reputed members of the church of god before christ's coming ; and we have no reason to think that christ did put them out ( and make them in a worse condition than they were before ) but rather would have them continue so to be ; and seems to favour it , by that of suffer little children to come to me and forbid them not ; for of such is the kingdom of heaven mar. 10. 14. and did accordingly embrace them as such . and therefore , as ( before ) they were circumcised , ( which was then the sacrament of admission ; ) so they should ( now ) be baptized which is our sacrament of admission . ) and when we find whole families to be baptized , we cannot think but that there might be little children in some of them ; ( and more likely so than otherwise . ) and we are , in such cases , to practise according to what we may judge by what we find . we find also that women were baptized ( though not circumcised in the jewish church , ) yet we have no command for so doing . and because there seems to be the same reason for womens receiving the other sacrament as for men , ( and we find nothing to the contrary , ) therefore we do now practise it ( as the most likely to be god's will , according to the light we now have ) though we find in scripture neither express precept nor example for it . in like manner it is no argument that christ or his apostles did not make such a change , because in scripture it is not expresly said so . 't is enough if we there find so much as that we may thence reasonably judge they did so ; and more likely so than not . now i meet with so much there to that purpose , as makes 〈◊〉 judge they did . and so much as ( i believe ) would make this gentleman so to think , if he were not otherwise prepossessed with prejudice ; and with a great fondness to find out somewhat wherewith to find fault . i find that christ , on the very day of his resurrection ( which was the first day of their week ) did not only appear to the good women at the sepulchre ( who sought him there ) and declare to them the resurrection ( which was then to preach a new doctrine , of which they were not before aware ) and bid them tell it to his disciples : but did also the same day himself declare it to two of them going to emmaus ( luk. 24. ) preaching to them , from moses and the prophets ver . 25 , 26 , 27 ▪ the doctrine of his death and resurrection ( which was to them a new doctrine , which till then they did not understand , ) or ( as the phrase there is ) did expound to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself ver . 27. which i think , was preaching , and did open to them the scriptures ( ver . 31. ) concerning those points ; ( which was a sabbath-days exercise , though perhaps they did not at first so apprehend it ) and did , i take it , celebrate with them the sacrament of the lords supper ( and perhaps the first time after the first institution ) for so much seems to be implyed in those words , ( ver . 30. ) he took bread and blessed it , and brake , and gave to them , and ( ver . 35. ) he was known to them by breaking of bread , ( for that sacrament used to be designed by breaking of bread. ) and if our author could but shew so much as this , once done , in the first 2500 years from the creation , on the seventh day , it would be a better proof for the celebration of the seventh-day sabbath in that time , than all that he offers at to that purpose . and the effect of this preaching was on them so much , that their eyes were opened , and their heart did burn within them , while he talked with them by the way , and opened to them the scriptures , ver . 31 , 32. and they returned presently ( the same hour ) to ierusalem , to acquaint the disciples ( who were there assembled ) with this good news . if he tell us that this journey from ierusalem to emmaus ( being about threescore furlongs , near eight of our miles ) and back again , was more than a sabbath-days iourney ; i confess it was ( unless upon an urgent occasion ) if they had known it to be a sabbath-day , when they undertook the iourney ; but this then they knew not ; nor was it therefore , on this occasion , a breach of the sabbath so to do . if he say , christ knew it ( though they did not ) if it were now a sabbath . 't is true ; he did so . but christ , i presume , in that estate ( after his resurrection ) could travel without pain , and therefore without breaking the sabbath . or if it were painful ; he tells us mat. 12. 5 , that the priests in the temple profane the sabbath and are blameless ; that is , they take as much pains or labour in killing , dressing , and offering the sacrifices , as a butcher would do in killing and dressing his meat ; which would in the butcher be a culpable profanation of the sabbath ; but is not so in the priests , because theirs is religious service . nor doth this author think that in preaching , though it be a labour , the minister doth thereby break the sabbath . and such was christs imployment here . and , then , whether he preach standing , or preach walking , 't is all one . and if he say farther , that the disciples at ierusalem ( not then knowing this ) could not be thought then to have met upon a sabbatical account : i grant this also , that their then meeting was providential ( as was that of the two other meeting christ in their journey , ) yet they might before they parted ( as did those others ) know more of it than at their first coming together . and christ knew before what he meant to do , though they did not , and did accordingly so order it by his providence . and though they did not know that it was thenceforth to be kept as a sabbath , yet may they well be supposed to be imployed on religious work , upon what tidings the women had before brought them ( of christs being risen ) waiting for what directions they should farther receive from christ. to this purpose let us consider what was further done at this meeting . while these two were telling the rest what had happened to them ; as they thus spake ( ver . 36. ) iesus himself stood in the midst of them , and said peace be unto you : and did ( by shewing them his hands , and feet , and their handling of them , and seeing him eat before them ) convince them that he was indeed risen from the dead , and that it was not only a spirit that appeared to them ( ver . 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42. ) and did again , to them , preach the same doctrine which he had before preached to the two ; that it was what he had told them while he was yet with them ( though they did not understand it , ) that this was but what was written in the law of moses , and the prophets , and the psalms concerning him ; and opened their understanding that they might understand the scriptures ; that it was thus written , that it behoved christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day ; and that repentance and remission of sins was to be preached in his name among all nations ; whereof they were to be his witnesses , and apostles ( ver . 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 , 48. ) and did renew his promise of sending the holy-ghost , and power from on high ( v. 49. ) he did moreover at the same meeting , not only upbraid them for their unbelief , ( mark 16. 14. ) but did authorize them with a solemn commission for the work they were to be sent abqut , to go into all the world , and preach the gospel to every creature ; that he who believeth and is baptized shall be saved , but he who believeth not shall be damned , ( ver . 15 , 16 , ) and a power to work miracles ( ver . 17 , 18 , ) in confirmation of that doctrine . and to the same purpose , iohn 20 ▪ 19. the same day at evening ( in which he before appeared to mary magdalen and the rest ) being the first day of the week ( the very day of his resurrection ) where the disciples were assembled ( at a private meeting ) for fear of the iews ( the door being shut ) iesus came and stood in the midst of them , and gave them his solemn benediction , saying unto them , peace be unto you ; and in confirmation of his resurrection , shewed them his hands and his side ; ( ver . 20. ) and then a second time gives them his solemn blessing together with his ordination or commission for preaching the gospel , and planting the christian church , iesus saith to them again , peace be unto you ; as my father hath sent me , even so send i you . and when he had said this , he breathed upon them and said unto them , receive the holy ghost : who 's soever sins ye remit , they are remitted to them ; and who 's soever sins ye retain , they are retained , ver . 21 , 22 , 23. all which being put together , seems to me very like the celebration ( if not the consecration ) of a christian sabbath , or day of holy rest and religious service . 't is all of it sabbatical work , and there is a great deal of it . 't is not indeed expresly said , that he did bid them thus to meet on such other first day of the week , ( as neither is it expresly said , gen. 2. 3. that god did then bid adam and eve to keep a weekly sabbath , or that he did bid them to offer sacrifice ; ) but it is very likely christ might so order it ( and more likely than that he did not . ) for , that they did so meet we are sure ; and therefore 't is very likely ( if not a strong presumption ) that they were bid so to do . for so we find it ioh. 20. 26. after eight days ( that is , as we commonly speak in english , on that day sennight ) his disciples were again within , and thomas with them ( who before was absent ) the door being shut ; then iesus came and stood in the midst and said peace be unto you , ( as he had done the week before , ) and satisfyed thomas , who before doubted . so that we have here two solemn meetings of the disciples , two weeks together ( the two first after his resurrection ) on the first day of the week ; and christ with them on both . ( and i am sure we have not more for the first sabbath , gen. 2. 3. ) on how many more such sabbaths he so met with them , i cannot tell . that he oft appeared to them ( during the forty days of his abode on earth after his resurrection ) we cannot doubt , and its like it might be on these days . the cavil which here he makes to this place , is so weak , that i am sorry to see it from one who would seem to be serious . as if eight days after , or after eight days , were not the same as what we would say a week after or that day sennight after ; for he must needs know , that 't is not only the common scripture language , but the general language of latine and greek writers , to reckon inclusively ; that is , to take in both the extreams ; and so it is even at this day ( i think ) in most languages except english. what we call a sennight , the french call huict jours ( eight days ) and what we say a fortnight , is with them quinze jours ( fifteen days ; ) and so in all manner of reckoning . a fourth , a fifth , an eighth , a fifteenth , and other intervals in musick are always so reckoned . what we call a third-day-ague , the latins call a quartan ; and what we call every other day , they call a tertian . so they call secundo calendas ( i. e. secundo die ante calendas ) what we would say one day ( not two days ) before the calends ; and they call tertio calendas , what is with us two days ( not three days ) before the calends . so nudius tertius is what we would say two days ago ; and nudius quartus is in our language three days ago ( not four. ) so mark 8. 31. where christ speaks of himself , that the son of man should be killed and after three days rise again , that is , on the third day after ( inclusively taken ) or after the third day is come ; whereas , according to the sense this author would put upon the words , it should rather have been said after one day ( for there was but one day between his death and resurrection ; ) and it is the same in sense , with what he says ioh. 2. 19. destroy this temple , ( speaking of his body ) and in three days i will raise it up , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , or as mat. 26. 61. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , that is , the third day after ( inclusively . ) and mat. 27. 63. they tell pilate , this deceiver said , after three days i will rise again , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ( meaning thereby the third day after , inclusively , ) and therefore they pray , that the sepulchre may be made sure till the third day . whereas , if ( as our author would reckon upon his fingers ) by after three days ; were to be understood , when three whole days after that should be past , they need not set their watch before the fourth or fifth day . thus christ's ascension is said to be forty days after his resurrection , ( speaking of a scripture computation , in scripture language , ) which in our ordinary manner of speech is but nine and thirty . for ascension-thursday ( if easter-day be not reckoned for one ) is but 39 days after easter . upon a like account that christ tells us mat. 12. 40. that as jonas was three days and three nights in the whales belly , so shall the son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth . not three whole days , and three whole nights ; but , till the third was begun . for by day and night is here understood the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , or what we now call the artificial day , consisting of 24 hours , day and night : and till such third day ( or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) was begun , christ rested in the grave ; otherwise , though he were in the grave ( part of ) three days , yet but two nights . so luke 2. 21. when eight days were accomplished ( for the circumcision of the child ) they called his name iesus ; that is , upon the eighth day , inclusively ; reckoning the day of birth for the first , and the day of circumcision for the last ( of the eight days ) which with six whole days between make eight . ( whereas , if eight whole days had been fully past , christ had been circumcised the tenth day . ) the sense being the same with that concerning iohn the baptist , luk. 1. 59. on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child . so here , after eight days , that is on the eighth day , or after the eighth day was come . and this , i think , is the constant language of scripture every where . and his objection needs no other answer , but , that st. john did not speak english. and i cannot but think ( however he please thus to object ) that himself doth believe this , after eight days , to be here meant of the first day of the next week , ( and he should have been so candid as to own it . ) and that post octo dies is the same in sense with octo post diebus , that is , the eighth day after , ( reckoning the present day for one , ) and that it is so to be understood in this place . we should not , in a serious enquiry , press what possibly might be , but what we truly think is the meaning . a lawyer at the bar may fairly propose for his client , what possibly may be the sense of such or such a clause . but a judge on the bench ( and a counsellor , to his client , ) is to consider what really is the sense of words in question . i dare appeal to himself , whether ( in his own thoughts ) he do not think after eight days , here to signifie the same , as after eight days were accomplished , luk. 2. 21. and , if so , then this is rather to wrangle , than to dispute fairly . before i dismiss this place , it is not amiss to take more particular notice about what time it was that mary magdalen and the other women came to the sepulchre on the day of christs resurrection . 't is said luke 23. 55 , 56. when they beheld the sepulchre and how the body was laid , ( on the sixth day day at night whereon he was crucified ) they returned and prepared spices and ointments , and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment . and in the next words luk. 24. 1. now upon the first day of the week , very early in the morning , they came to the sepulchre bringing the spices which they had prepared . in mat. 28. 1. in the end of the sabbath when it began to dawn toward the first day of the week . in mark 14. 15. when the sabbath was past , very early in the morning the first day of the week , they came to the sepulchre at the rising of the sun , or by sun-rising . and ioh. 20. 1. the first day of the week , early , when it was yet dark , they came to the sepulchre . ( perhaps all the women did not come just at the same time , but were all there by sun-rising . ) but the body was raised before they came , as is agreed by all the evangelists . where i observe first that the sabbath , according to their account , did not end till toward the morning of the next day . the end of the sabbath , or when the sabbath was past , was early in the morning , before the sun-rising , while the day did begin to dawn , and while it was yet dark . very early indeed in the morning , but yet not till morning , ( not in the evening over night . ) and therefore ( without disputing how the day was reputed to begin in the time of moses ) 't is manifest that , at this time , as well the sabbath as other days was by them reckoned not from ( the beginning of ) the evening to ( the beginning of ) the evening , but rather ( according to the rom. account ) from midnight to midnight . for 't is manifest that it was toward evening of the sixth day before the crucifixion was over ; for it was some while after the ninth hour ( that is , after our three a clock ) that he cryed with a loud voice and gave up the ghost , mark 15. 34 , 37. and it was yet later , when they brake the legs of the two thieves , ( that they might not remain on the cross upon the sabbath ) but only pierced his side , because he was already dead , joh. 19. 31 , 32 , 33 , 34. and later yet when ioseph of arimathea begged his body and buried it . for 't is expresly said , when even was come there came a rich man of arimathea , named ioseph , and begged the body of iesus , and when he had taken the body ▪ he wrapped it in a clean linnen cloth and buried it in his own new tomb , mat. 27. 57 , 58 , 59 , 60. mark 15. 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 46. luk 23. 51 , 52 , 53. but , though even were come before this time , yet the sabbath was not begun ; for so it followeth , luk. 23. 54. that day was the preparation and the sabbath drew on . and after this , ver . 55 , 56. the women who beheld the sepulchre , and how the body was laid , returned and prepared spices and ointments ( the same night ) but rested the sabbath day according to the commandment ; and by this time it must needs be pretty late at night ; while yet the sabbath was not begun . that is , i suppose not till midnight of the sixth day . nor was the sabbath ended when evening began on the seventh day . for if so , the women might that night have brought and applyed their spices and ointments which they had prepared the night before . for they had as much time so to do , after the evening was begun that night ( if the sabbath were now ended ) as they had , to do what was done the night before ; after that evening was then begun . nothing hindered them but because the sabbath was not yet done , and they were to rest the sabbath day according to the commandment . but , so soon as well they could , when the sabbath was ended , they came early , the next morning , while it was yet dark . and might as well have come the night before , if the sabbath had ended when the evening began . i add farther , if the sabbath had ended at the evening of the seventh day , and the first day of the week had then begun ( as this author would have it , ) christ might have risen that night ( for it would then have been the third day , ) and not have stay'd in the grave ( for the third day ) till the next morning , which yet we know he did . 't is manifest therefore that the first day of the week did begin from the middle of the night , not from the first evening of the seventh day . and that christ was risen very early in the morning of that first day while it was yet dark . we are next to consider how long that first day lasted . after christ was risen early in the morning while it was yet dark , ( how early that was , we cannot tell , but it was in the morning , not over night ; ) he appeared first to mary magdalen , and the women who went to the sepulchre ; they , as they were directed , carried news of it to the disciples ; and when they were going , ( mat. 28. 11. ) the watch came into the city and shewed to the high-priests the things which were done ; who , calling a councel , gave the souldiers money to say , his disciples came and stole him away while they were asleep ; undertaking to secure them in case the governour should come to hear it . upon this news being brought by the women to the disciples , two of them , from the rest , went to the sepulchre to enquire into the business ; and brought an account of it to the rest , who were astonished at it . and all this happened before the two disciples began their journey to emmaus ; for they discoursed of it by the way , and told it to iesus who fell into their company , luk 24. 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24. now their journey from ierusalem to emmaus , was about threescore furlongs , ver . 13. which our author rightly computes to be about seven miles and an half , of our miles ; which they travelled on foot , for 't is said they walked , ( mark 16. 12. ) and iesus in their company , preaching to them ( out of moses and the prophets ) the doctrine of christ's death and resurrection . when they came near to emmaus it was towards evening , and the day far spent , ( luk. 24. 29. ) they did there abide for some time , and iesus with them , continuing to preach on the same subject , and was at length known to them by breaking of bread , ver . 30. 35. after which they returned to ierusalem and told these things to the disciples then gathered together , ver . 33. by which time ( having now walked another seven miles and an half ) we may reasonably suppose it to be pretty late at night ; for , when they first approached to emmaus it was then so late , as that it was not thought convenient ( unless upon some such great occasion ) to travel further , ver . 28. yet , after they were come back to ierusalem , christ then appeared himself to the disciples , blessing them , reproaching their unbelief , confirming their faith , giving them instructions , and commission for preaching the gospel , and planting the christian church . and it was yet but the same day at evening , being the first day of the week , ( joh. 20. 19. ) on which he rose : but , now late at night , when the doors were shut ; that is , ( if i mistake not ) so late as that it was time to shut up doors as men use to do towards bed-time . not as if christ came in through the key-hole ( any more than did the two disciples that came from emmaus ) or did penetrate the doors , ( as the papists would have us think in favour of their transubstantiation ; ) for they were not so shut but that they could , be opened again ( upon occasion ) to let him in ( as they had been to let in those two that came from emmaus ) ▪ as well as to let in peter ( late at night ) act. 12. 16. so that from very early in the morning while it was dark , till very late night and about mid-night , was the same day , the first day of the week . 't is manifest therefore that about our saviours time , according to the computation of the new testament , both the jews and the four evangelists did reckon their days from mid-night to mid-night . and if they did not so reckon ▪ christ could not be said ( mat. 12. 40. ) to be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth . for it was evening , when ▪ ioseph begged the body of iesus , and later yet before he had buried it , and yet this must be reckoned part of the sixth day , olse he had not been three days in the grave , or heart of the earth . and i think they were so reckoned in the times of the old testament also . which though it be not so much to the present purpose , yet ( if you will pardon this digression ) i will tell you why i think so . it is i know an opinion taken up by some ( and i find it is grown pretty current even amongst learned men ) that the jews in the time of the old testament did reckon their days from evening to evening ( whether they mean from sun-set to sun-set , or from six a clock to six a clock , i cannot tell , nor perhaps are they all agreed as to that point . ) but i take it to be a mistake ; which being at first taken up without sufficient ground hath since passed ( without further examination ) from hand to hand . we find exod. 12. 6. the pass-over was to be killed in the first month , on the fourteenth day in the evening ; which i think is agreed by all to be the evening at the end of the fourteenth day , ( not that at the end of the thirteenth , ) for the next morning was the fifteenth day ; which evening therefore belonged to the fourteenth day . but it is noted in the margin of our bibles , that it is , in the hebrew , between the two evening ▪ s. you 'l ask perhaps , what are those two evenings : i 'le tell you what i think they are . the word day , you know , is taken in a double sense . sometimes for ( what we call ) the natural day ( as it is contradistinguished to night ) from sun-rising to sun-setting : sometimes for ( what we call ) the artificial day ( or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) so as to take in both day and night . our saviour tells us there are twelve hours in the day ; meaning the natural day . but in the artificial day ( of which we are now speaking ) there be four and twenty hours . some please to call that the natural day , which i call the artificial ( for all do not use the words in the same sense ) but that matters not , so long as we understand one another . now by the word evening is understood the end of the day . which , as to the natural day , is at sun-set ; but as to the artificial day , it is ( i think ) at mid-night . and consequently , between the two evenings , is as much as to say , after sun-set , and before mid-night . and this is what , in our language , we commonly call the evening , which is in the hebrew between the two evenings , ( that is , between the end of the natural day , and the end of the artificial day : ) and within this time was the passover to be killed , rosted and eaten ; nothing of it was to remain till the morning ; that is , not after mid-night ; for as soon as mid-night is past morning begins . and within this time all leaven was to be put away ; that is before the mid-night of the fourteenth day . which is so fair an account of it , as that we need not scruple to embrace it . and it was the fifteenth day , that was the first day of the feast of unlevened bread ; ( all leven being put away before mid-night , ) and this fifteenth day was to be kept as a sabbath , and a holy feast to the lord , ver . 14. ( on what ever day of the week it chanced to fall . ) and so was the one and twentieth day , which was the last of those seven days : seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread ; even the first day ye shall put away ( or shall have put away ) leaven out of your house . and in the first day there shall be an holy convocation , and in the seventh day there shall be an holy convocation ; no manner of work shall be done in them , save that which every man shall eat ; ( that is they are to be kept as a sabbath or day of holy rest ; ) ver . 15 , 16. from the fourteenth day at evening till the one and twentieth day at evening , ver . 18. that is , from the fourteenth day at midnight , till the one and twentieth at mid-night . and in like manner , lev. 23. 32. from even to even , or night to night , that is , from mid-night to mid-night ; or from the end of one evening to the end of the next evening . so in levit. 23. 5. and numb . 28. 16 , 17. in the fourteenth day of the first month is the pass-over of the lord ; and in the fifteenth day of this month is the feast ; seven days shall unleavened bread be eaten , &c. where it is manifest that the fourteenth day which is the lords pass-over , is another day from the fifteenth which is the first day of the feast . for i will pass through the land of egypt ( saith god ) this night ; ( that is the night of the fourteenth day ) and will smite all the first born in the land of egypt , ex. 12. 12. and what time of the night it was , we are told ver . 28. and it came to pass at midnight the lord smote all the first born of the land of egypt . and to the same purpose moses tells pharaoh , chap. 11. 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , thus saith the lord , about mid-night will i go out into the midst of egypt , and the first born of the land of egypt shall dy , from the first born of pharaoh , &c. that ye may know that the lord hath put a difference between the egyptians and israel . so that the fourteenth day , which was the lords pass-over continued till the mid-night of that day ; and then began the fifteenth day which was the first day of the feast . than which i think nothing can be more clear . and num. 33. 3. the fifteenth day of the first month is the morrow after the pass-over . in like manner , deut. 16. 6. thou shalt sacrifice the pass-over at even , at the going down of the sun , ( that is , after the going down of the sun , or when the sun is gone down ) at the season that thou camest forth out of egypt , which was about mid-night , ex. 12. 21. ex. 11. 4. what he offers from gen. 1. 5. is easily answered . the evening and the morning were the first day , ( and so of the other days ; ) whence he would have it thought , that the day is to begin at the begining of the evening . or ( as the margin tells us it is in the hebrew ) the evening was , and the morning was , the first day . or , there was evening , and there was morning , day one , ( for in such order the words stand in the hebrew . ) or , and was evening , and was morning , day one . that is , there was in the first day , ( and so in the rest ) evening and morning ; or darkness and light ; and the dark is put first , because ( beginning the day from midnight ) the dark is before the light. and by day one , is meant the first day . and it was moreover very agreable so to reckon . for , supposing paradise the principal seat of action ; the sun may reasonably be supposed to be created ( in the middle of the fourth day , gen. 1. 16. ) in the meridian of that place , ( as in its greatest splendor ) or , if not in the meridian of that place , it must needs be in the meridian of some place : and wherever that be , the day ( of 24 hours ) being there half past , it must have begun at mid-night foregoing . and i doubt not but a child born on saturday night at ten a clock , was to be circumcised the next saturday ( as being the eighth day , ) not on the sunday after . i have insisted the longer on this , because i find him afterward moving another question about what time the sabbath is to begin and end , and lays great stress upon it , as we shall see anon . of which i think we need not be further solicitous than to begin and end this day , according as other days are accounted to begin and end in the places where we live . i do not think the fourth commandment to descend to these punctilio's . but , if he think it necessary to be more curious in it ; i take it to be very plain from what i have said , that at the time of christs death and resurrection , it was accounted to begin very early in the morning , while it was dark , and continue till very late at night , according as we now account our days , from midnight to mid-night . but i go on . we have now found our saviours example , as to the two first sundays from his resurrection ( if at least their first day of the week be our sunday ) imploying the day in religious exercises and sabbatical affairs with his disciples . how many more sundays he so spent with them we cannot tell . which examples of his two first , with their imitation of him in others after , ( of which we are to speak by and by , ) and the churches practise ever since , looks so like the celebration and institution of a christian sabbath , or day of holy rest and religious exercise , as that we may warrantably do the like . i am sure it is more than he can shew for the saturday sabbath in gen. 2. 3. save that men are apt to think a small thing an institution and ius divinum for what they fansy ; but , as to what they do not , nothing will serve but full express words . we have next clear evidence , of a like practise ( consonant to this example ) in act. 20. 7. on the first day of the week ▪ when the disciples came together to break bread , paul preached unto them ready to depart on the morrow , and continued his speech until mid-night . which is so plain that he is much put to his shifts to avoid it . that here is a religious assembly of the disciples , he doth not deny ; paul was preaching very late , even till mid-night , and they met to break bread , which i think is generally agreed by interpreters , to signify the celebration of the lords supper ; and i know not well what clearer character we need demand of a religious meeting for worship , sutable to the work of a sabbath or holy rest. and it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which i think he will not deny ( though he seem to cavil at it ) to signify , on the first day of the week . but he excepts , that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here translated preached , is elsewhere render'd reasoned or discoursed . be it so , and if that word will please him better , let it be so here ; he reasoned , discoursed , treated , or did hold forth ; that i think will not alter the case ; and he continued , or held on ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) this discourse , this speech , this sermon , ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sermonem ) till mid-night ; ( he held on this holding forth till mid-night ) which i take to be the same with what we now call preaching , ( or very like it ; ) 't was a long continued discourse to a congregation met together on a religious account for the service of god. but let it be called ( if he please ) a religious discourse of the holy apostle to a congregation of christians met together for such a purpose . he would then have it thought a favour or condescention to admit this breaking of bread , to be meant of the lords supper ; and not barely a common eating . but since he doth not deny it , we will accept the favour and take it so to be ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the disciples being congregated or assembled to break bread ▪ 't is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the disciples ; ( not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some of them : ) and they were ( perhaps not every one but the generality of them , as at other meetings ) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 congregated or assembled ; and it seems to be a good full congregation , by eutychus's being mounted to the third loft ( whatever he meant by that third loft , though but the third scaffold , ) so high that by a fall from thence he was in great danger of being killed . now it is not likely that such a congregation of christians were thus assembled for common eating . he says , paul was to go away on the morrow . true ; but it is not said they came together to take leave of paul ; but , came together to break bread. paul's going away on the morrow , might be the reason ( and i believe was ) why they continued there so long : but the end for which they came together , was to break bread : and the occasion of their so coming , because it was the first day of the week : on which , it should seem , they were wont so to do for that end . and if he candidly ▪ consider it , methinks ▪ it should seem so to him . paul came to them at troas in five days , where he abode seven days : and on the first day of the week when the disciples came together to break bread , paul preachea to them . doth not the fair prospect of the place import thus much , that they were then met to break bread , as being the first day of the week ? what other occasion was there of mentioning what day of the week it was ? it had been otherwise a fairer transition to have said , he staid there seven days , and on the seventh day ( or the last of those seven ) the disciples came together to take leave of paul and sup with him over night , who was to depart on the morrow . now if it had been said on the seventh day ( though meaning but the last of those seven ) it would no doubt have been urged as a great argument of paul's keeping a seventh day sabbath , and the disciples with him ; not as a iewish but as a christiam assembly ; for breaking of bread ( which was a christian not a iewish service ; ) for then , breaking of bread , would certainly have been the lords supper : ( but because it was on the first day of the week ) it must now be but common eating , to take leave of paul ▪ and to sup with him ; as ( he tells us p. 57. ) friends commonly do ( when a minister or any other special acquaintance intends to take a iourney in the morning ) to sup with him over night . but if he thinks this to be all which is there meant by the disciples coming together on the first day of the week to break bread ; he must excuse me if i cannot be of his opinion . but because he is content to admit ( upon some terms ) their meeting might be upon a religious account , for the lords supper ( as no doubt it was ) i shall press him no further therein : but accept of his condescension . when he tells us , that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is greek for one , and therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may as well be rendered one day of the week , as the first day of the week : surely he is not in earnest . such trifling doth more hurt than help his cause . no doubt , but , when ever they met ▪ it was one day of the week , we need not be told it ; nor need the word week be added , he might as well have said one day ; nor need he have said so much ▪ but this author cannot think ( nor doth he ) that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth any where signify other than the first day of the week . in the whole story of christs resurrection , and what followed on that day in all the four evangelists , we have no other word for it but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , nor have we any other word for it ( that i know of ) there or any where else . i do not know that it is any where called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . such shifting doth not look well . 't is somewhat like the story of a man who bought a horse for five pounds to be paid the next day . and accordingly on the next day he sent five pounds of candles . perhaps ( in the bargain ) it was not said expresly ( in words at length ) five pounds of lawful money of england . but , by common intendment , it must be so understood . ( and an honest english iury ▪ upon a tryal , would so find it . ) the latin word pridie , is a derivative ( or compound rather ) from prae , prior ; and postridie from post , posterior ; and accordingly ( in latin ) pridie calendarum , and postridie calendarum must signify a day before , and a day after the calends . but can any man think it is meant of any day ? no , but the next day before , and the next day after . so if we say , christ was crucified one day before the sabbath , and rose again one day after the sabbath . this one day is the next day . and so any man who hath not a mind to cavil , will understand it . and so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , one day after the sabbath , must needs be understood of the next day after the sabbath : nor is it ever used in any other sense . if it were to be understood of any indefinitely , it should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some day after the sabbath , not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one day after . but the most pleasant shift of all , is , when he would have us think that this evening ( which is called the first day of the week ) was the evening after the seventh day , that is saturday night ; and the next morning ( when paul was to go away ) was sunday morning ( and he to travel that sunday : ) and that the evening of saturday was the beginning of sunday , and was therefore called the first day of the week . because it is said gen. 1. the evening and the morning was the first day , ( and so of the rest , ) and therefore the evening was the beginning of every day . see what ▪ shift a man will make , rather than quit an opinion he hath once taken up . we are taught that on the fourteenth day of the first month at even the pass-over was to be killed . doth he think that this fourteenth day at even was the end of the thirteenth day , the fourteenth day then beginning ? i think every body else takes it to be the evening at the end of the fourteenth day , and the fifteenth day ( on the morrow ) was the first day of the feast of unleavened bread. for though it were the fourteenth day at evening , yet it was the fourteenth day , not the fifteenth . and luke 23. 54. the evening after our saviours crucifixion , on the sixth day , when it was late at night ( as was shewed before , and must be , according to the story of what had been done before that time ) was yet but the preparation , not the sabbath , the seventh day being not yet begun . for so we have it , it was the preparation , and the sabbath drew on . and the women were then preparing their spices and oyntments , yet rested the sabbath day according to the commandment ; so that the sabbath day was not yet begun ; nor was it ended when the evening of the next day began , but on the morning of the day following ▪ as was shewed above . and ( as we shewed at large before ) the first day of the week ( on which christ rose ) began very early in the morning while it was dark , and continued ( the same day ) till very late at night . and this is the constant language of the new testament every where . so that when the congregation of christians , acts 20. 7. did on the first day of the week assemble to break bread , and paul preached to them , continuing his sermon till mid-night ; this must needs be on what we call sunday ; and the morning following was munday morning ; not sunday morning as this author would have it . 't is manifest therefore , that there was a religious assembly , of the christian congregation at troas , on the first day of the week , for celebration of the lords supper , and preaching ; and paul with them . which i take to be the celebration of a christian sabbath . however , this ( he says ) is but one instance . true , this is but one . ( but we have heard of more before , and shall hear of more by and by . ) but this one is more than he can shew for more than two thousand five hundred years ( from god's resting on the seventh day gen. 2. 3. till after israel was come out of egypt ex. 16. ) during which time he would have us think the seventh-day sabbath was constantly observed . and if he could shew any one such instance ( of enoch , noah , abraham , or other , ) where such a religious assembly , for the worship of god , was held on the seventh day in course from the creation ; he would think his point well proved , though no more were said of it than is of this . whereas now as to the time from thence to the floud , he brings no other proof , but that abel , and enoch , and noah were good men ( as no doubt they were ) and therefore it is to be presumed they kept a sabbath ; and that upon the seventh day . which is to beg the question , not to prove it . from thence till israels going into egypt , all that he brings to prove this matter of fact is but that of gen. 13. 6. where ( speaking of abram and lot , with the multitude of their cattel ) it is said , the land was not able to bear them that they might dwell together ; for their substance was great so that they could not dwell together ; and there was a strife between the herd-men of abrams cattle , and the herd-men of lots cattle , &c. they could not dwell together , that is ( saith he ) they could not rest together , that is , they could not keep a sabbath together ; therefore ( he concludes ) they did use to keep a sabbath ; and that sabbath was the seventh day in course from the creation . and is not this a goodly proof ? i should think ( if he would put a stress on the word rest ) it should rather signify , they could not live quietly together without their herd-mens quarrelling about their pasture ; for so it follows in the next words , there was a strife between their herds-men . from thence till after their coming out of egypt , he brings no other proof but that of ex. 5. 4 , 5. where , when moses and aaron had been pressing pharaoh to let israel go three days iourney into the wilderness , to keep a feast and sacrifice to the lord their god ; pharaoh replies , wherefore do ye lett ( or hinder ) the people from their work ; you make them rest from their burdens , or you take them off from their work ; that is , says he , you make them keep a sabbath . for the word or verb there translated you make them rest is , ( he tells us ) a derivative from another verb which signifies to rest , from which verb the word sabbath is also derived : they did therefore rest ( saith he ) that is keep a sabbath , and that sabbath was every week , and it was on the seventh day in course from the creation . alas ! how little do either or both of these places prove , of what he would have to be granted him thence ! he tells us sometimes there were other sabbaths , besides that of the seventh day ; i am sure there were other restings . if moses and aaron had desired pharaoh to excuse them from their work one day in seven , that on such day they might serve the lord their god ; it would have looked like an argument . but when it is , to go three days into the wilderness to keep a feast to the lord ; what is this to a weekly sabbath ? this seventh-day sabbath , so runs in the mind of this author , that if any where he can lay hold of the word rest , it must presently prove a seventh-day-sabbath . else who would have thought , that because abram and lot could not dwell quietly together ; therefore they must needs keep a sabbath , and that upon the seventh day , and in course from the creation ? and the like of the israelites in egypt , because moses and aaron are said to hinder them from their work ; therefore they did constantly keep a weekly sabbath , and that upon the seventh day , in course from the creation . he might have to better purpose , alleged pharaoh's seven fat kine and seven lean ones , and the seven full ears of corn , and seven empty ; for here we have the number seven signalized ; only these were seven years , not seven days ; and the like of nebuchadnezzar's being seven years turned out to the beasts of the field , dan. 4. 25 , 32 , 33. or that of the clean beasts and fowls coming into the ark by sevens , gen. 7. 2 , 3. but , what is more to his purpose ( and which he should not have missed ) is that of gen. 7. 4. and gen. 8. 10 , 12. where we have the interval of seven days particularly mentioned ; for yet seven days , and i will cause it to rain upon the earth , &c. ( chap. 7. 4. ) where god gives to noah just a weeks warning of the time when the floud should begin , during which interval ( if those days were sabbath days ) he might remove himself and what was necessary into the ark before the next sabbath . and , toward the end of the floud , noah sends out the dove , chap. 8. 8. and he staid seven days , and again sent forth the dove , ver . 10. and he staid yet other seven days , and sent forth the dove , &c. ver . 12. where we have the dove sent out three times , just at seven days distance . and how do we know but that these three days were three sabbath days ? which though it be not a conclusive argument , is better than any that he brings . for here we have three intervals of seven days , in these two chapters . but if a weekly sabbath were then kept , 't is very strange that we should have no intimation of any such thing in the books of moses ( before israel's coming out of egypt . ) and much more , that there is nothing of it in the book of iob. and , that none of his friends ( amongst the many charges they bring against him ) should never object his neglect of the sabbath , or want of due observance thereof . which being so plausible an objection , it seems more likely , that a sabbath was not then wont to be observed : for which he hath so very little to shew . and by what we have iob 1. 4. it should seem that iob's seven sons kept feasting ( each in his own day ) for seven days together ; without any mention of a sabbath intervening . nor was it a religious feast but a feast of mirth and jollity , such as made iob suspicious lest they might sin and curse god in their heart , v. 5. and therefore he offer'd propitiatory sacrifices for them continually , or ( as the margin tells us it is in the hebrew ) all the days , that is every of these seven days . as little a matter will serve his turn to prove ( p. 43. ) that christs ascension was , and his coming to iudgment is to be , on a saturday , or seventh-day-sabbath : because it is said acts 1. 12. that mount olivet ( whence he ascended ) is , from ierusalem , a sabbath-days iourney . but he tells us that by no account that he can make ▪ can he assign the ascension on the first day , ( no more can i. ) but what then ? well! but why upon a saturday rather than a sunday ? because he observes , that after christ's ascension from mount olivet , it is said , then they returned to ierusalem , from mount olivet , which is from ierusalem a sabbath-days iourney . well! what of this ? he cannot see why it was expresly said , that it was but a sabbath-days iourney from ierusalem , but because it was the sabbath-day . perhaps i may shew him another reason as likely as it . if the word then do not there signify the same day ( but only at large , after his ascension ▪ ) this is nothing to the purpose . but admitting that by then be meant the same day ; the connexion runs fairly thus , after his ascension they returned from thence to ierusalem the same day , for it was ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) but a little way off , about a sabbath days iourney . which , i think , is a fair account of the place ▪ especially since we know otherwise , that it was not upon 〈…〉 account ( as he speaks ) will serve as well for the one as for the other . but , indeed , for neither . but how doth this concern his coming to iudgment ? yes , because it is there said ( ver . 11. ) he shall come in like manner ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) as ye have seen him go into heaven . and ( because this author fansies ) he did ascend on a sabbath day , therefore ( he fansies also ) he shall on a sabbath day come again . i see a weak argument , with a strong fansy will go far . but to prove his ascension to be on the sabbath ( besides this , of a sabbath-days journey ) he adds further , that christ and his disciples were then assembled , and that christ preached . well! and why may we not as well conclude that the day of his resurrection was also a sabbath ? for christ and his disciples were then assembled , ( first at emmaus , and then at ierusalem , ) and christ did then also ( at both places ) preach to them , and the substance of his preaching was much the same , ( as will appear by comparing luk 24. with acts 1. ) and did then also celebrate the lords supper . and eight days after , christ was again assembled with the disciples , and preached to them , on the same day of the week . if christs presence and preaching will prove the ascension day to be a sabbath , why should it not as well prove the resurrection day to be a sabbath ? the onely difference is , that ( he thinks ) serves his turn , but this makes against him . and why should it not also be thought a sabbath , acts 20. for paul and the disciples were then assembled ; and they were assembled to break bread ; and paul there preached to them . and all these assemblies were on the first day of the week . and they seem to me a much stronger proof of the first day , ( the day of his resurrection ) being a sabbath , than that the ascension day was so . and the preaching which our author here mentions as on the day of ascension , seems to me rather to have been on that of the resurrection . for st. luke in the beginning of this chapter of acts 1. seems to give a short repetition of what himself had delivered more at large luk. 24. and gives an account not only of what happened on the day of ascension , ( though he close with it ) but of what happened during the forty days from his resurrection to that time . and this preaching , i take to be that mentioned luke 24. on the day of his resurrection . but ( after all ) this is but a whimsey , ( what he tells us of christs ascension on a seventh-day-sabbath . ) for 't is very plain that his ascension was neither on a seventh day , nor on a first , but on a fifth day of the week . for 't is plainly said , acts 1. 3. that he shewed himself alive after his passion , being seen of them forty days , ( that is , he was seen of them at times , not constantly , for the space of fourty days ) whereof that of his resurrection was the first , and that of his ascension was the last . and if that were sunday , this must be thursday . he may tell it upon his fingers ( as he speaks p. 5. ) if he please . but though our saviours ascension was not on the seventh day of the week ( in observance of the seventh-day sabbath , or in confirmation thereof : ) yet the mission of the holy ghost ( according as on the first day of the week , the day of his resurrection , he had promised . luk 24. 49. ) was on the first day of the week fulfilled also , as appears acts 2. when the day of pentecost was fully come , that is , the fiftieth day ( for so pentecost signifieth in greek ) they were all with one accord in one place ( that is , they were unanimously assembled ) and suddenly there came a sound from heaven , as of a rushing mighty wind , and filled the house , where they were sitting ; and there appeared to them cloven tongues like as of fire , and it sat upon each of them ( that is , at least , upon each of the apostles , ) and they were all filled with the holy ghost , and began to speak with other tongues as the spirit gave them utterance . which i take to be a further instance , ( if our author will not allow it to be called a sabbath ) at lest of a religious assembly for the worship of god ; ( and if it had been on the seventh day , how great a proof would this have been with him for a seventh-day sabbath . ) this i take to be a christian sabbath , and within the prospect of the fourth commandment . and though it be not expresly called a sabbath ( to avoid confusion or ambiguity , because the word sabbath in common speech was then appropriated to the jewish sabbath , ) yet it is the same thing . and if he doubt whether the feast of pentecost were on the first day of the week , as was that of the resurrection ; he may be satisfied from levit. 23. 15. where that feast is appointed . after mention made of the pass-over , ( ver . 5. &c. ) moses proceeds to that of the wave-offering , v. 10 , 11. when ye be come into the land which i give unto you , and shall reap the harvest thereof ; then shall ye bring a sheaf of the first-fruits of your harvest unto the priest , and he shall wave the sheaf before the lord to be accepted for you ; on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it . whether by the sabbath here mentioned be meant the weekly sabbath , or the first day of the feast of unleavened-bread , is not material ; because , in that year whereof we are speaking , this first day of the feast was on the weekly sabbath , ( as is manifest from the story of christs crucifixion , which was on the sixth day of the week , and the next day ( being the seventh day ) was the feast of the pass-over ) and the morrow after this sabbath , was the day of christ's resurrection , as well as of the wave-offering . and then he proceeds , ver . 15 , 16 , to the feast of pentecost , or the feast of weeks . ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath , from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave-offering , seven sabbaths , shall be compleat , even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath , shall ye number fifty days ▪ ( inclusively taken , as the manner is in scripture reckoning , and must needs be so here . ) it was called the feast of pentecost , or the feast of weeks ( as deut. 16. 9 , 10. ) which feast of pentecost was the morrow after the sabbath ; on a first day of the week . and on this first day of the week , ( the morrow after the seventh day sabbath ) here was a solemn assembly for religious worship , and a very large one , both of jews and gentiles out of every nation under heaven , parthians , medes , elamites , &c. and this solemnized by a miraculous effusion of the holy ghost , in the gift of tongues ▪ for we all hear ( say those of that great assembly ) every one in our own tongue where in we were born the wonderful works of god , ver . 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12. with a long sermon of peter's on that occasion ▪ which i take to be another celebration of the first day sabbath ; and a very eminent one . we are to observe also , that in some of the places alleged to this purpose , though but single instances , there is an intimation of a frequent usage . as in that act. 20. ● . on the first day of the week , the disciples being assembled to break bread , paul preached , &c. is a fair intimation , that on the first day they did use so to assemble . if it were said amongst us , about six a clock ; when they were come together ( in the college-hall ) to supper , such a thing happened : any ( unprejudiced ) person would take it for a fair intimation , that they used to suppe about six a clock . and if this author could any where find , in the book of iob , that on the seventh day of the week ( from the creation ) when iob and his friends were assembled for the joint service of god ▪ bildad spake thus , &c. he would take this for a strong proof , that the seventh-day sabbath was then wont to be observed . much stronger than what he allegeth to that purpose ; abram and lot had each of them so many cattel , that they could not dwell or rest ) together , without quarrellings amongst their servants . and that of what pharaoh said to moses and aaron , why do you hinder their work , you make the people rest from their burthens ? a like place is that of 1 cor. 16. 1 , 2. nov concerning the collection for the saints , as i have given order to the churches of galatia , even so do ye ( and what that was , we are told in the next words , ) upon the first day of the week , let every one of you lay by him in store as god hath prospered him ; that there be no gatherings when i come . ( if it had been so said ( to 〈◊〉 , to 〈◊〉 , or to iob , upon the seventh day of the week do this or thus ) what a strong proof would this have been for the observation of a seventh day sabbath ! ) i think it is plain from hence , that the first day of the week , was weekly observed , and was wont to be so observed , both by the church of corinth , and by the churches of galatia . for so paul doth not here advise it , but suppose it , or take it for granted . what that order was to the churches of galatia our author says he cannot tell . 〈◊〉 thought it had been plain enough : he bids the corinthians do , as he had bid the galatians , that is , on the first day of the week , &c. what further order , he had given the galatians , it is not as to this point necessary for us to know . but saith he , if they must on that day lay by as god hath blessed them , then they must on that day cast up their accounts , tell their mony , reckon their stock , compute their expenses , &c. which are not sabbath-day works . a wise objection ▪ as though all this could not as well be done before ( so far as is necessary ) and , on sunday , put so much into the poor mans box ( or give to the deacons or collectors ) as ( upon such account ) they should have found fit ; like as is now done in our churches when there is occasion for such collections . why doth he not make the same exception to that of deut. 16. 10. concerning the feast of pentecost ? where they are to bring a tribute of a free-will-offering , which ( says he ) thou shalt give unto the lord thy god , &c. according as the lord thy god hath blessed thee ; doth he think that on the day of pentecost ( which was to be strictly observed as a sabbath , a holy convocation and no servile work to be done , lev. 23 , 1. ) they must cast up their accounts , tell their money , &c. because they were to offer according as the lord hath blessed them ? i think not ▪ but here comes in again his former trifling objection of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , whether it signify , the first day of the week ? yet i am very confident , himself doth really believe it doth here so signify , and ( as to his own thoughts ) doth not doubt of it . but perhaps thinks it a piece of wit , or skill in greek , thus to object against his own judgment . yet since he will have it so , ( and we must come again to childs play , ) i will say some what to it . whether 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be good greek or no , as to the common analogy of that tongue ; or , what is the reason of that syntax ; i need not trouble my self to enquire , ( because it is nothing to the purpose ; for we are not inquiring whether it be good greek , but what it here signifies . ) there are i presume in all languages ( by negligence or corruption ) some harsh expressions , as to the analogy of the language , which yet are allowable by common usage , and well enough understood . he would think it perhaps a little harsh to say in greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , ( that is in latine , tres & decimum , quatuor & decimum , ) for what we say in english thirteenth , fourteenth ; yet so they speak . and somewhat harsh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rev. 2. 26. rev. 3. 21. and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , rev. 3. 12. ( instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) yet so it is . and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , yet so we find it rev. 1. 4. and many such may be shewed . in latine , idcirco , quocirca , posthac , quapropter , controvertor , paterfamilias , omne genus homines , aethiops albus dentes , pridie catendas , and many more , are scarce to be accounted for as regular , save that they are so used ; but , because they are so used ; they are accounted elegant enough . in english ; methinks ( for i think , ) three pound ten shillings , ( for three pounds , &c. ) three foot nine inches , many a one , a few pottage , and the like , are scarce regular ; yet are so used . when a merchant marks his parcels ( and so calls them ) number one , number two , &c. he means first and second . so , in the year of our lord one thousand six hundred and ninety one , one thousand six hundred ninety two , is commonly said ; when yet we mean ninety first , ninety second ; so one a clock , two a clock , for the first and second hour after twelve . and other the like cases , where the cardinal number is put for the ordinal . as it is also in gen. 1. the evening , and morning were ( jom echad ) day one ; which the septuagint renders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth there signify 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . yet no wise man will cavil as to the sense of such expressions , ( what ever they may do as to the grammatical construction , ) when we know what is meant by them . so here ; 't is true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth properly signify one in common construction : but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth never signify other than the first of the week , ( either in the new testament or any where else , ) not any day of the week , any more than one a clock doth signify any other hour than the first after twelve . when a thing is said to be done at one a clock ; he that shall object , this may be any hour , for every hour is one ; would be laugh'd at . and when a merchant bids his prentice bring him number one , if he bring him what else he pleases ( because every number , is number one , or one number ) he deserves to be knockt . now when every one knows ( who understands any thing of this nature , ) that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the proper name of that day which is next after the iewish sabbath , as much as one a clock is the proper name of that hour which is next after twelve : it must either be great ignorance , or somewhat worse so to object . i appeal to himself , whether ever he met with that name ( in any author ) in any other sense . he seems to take it very unkindly , pag. 66. of those who should think that , by son of man should be meant an ordinary man , in mar. 2. 27 , 28. the sabbath was made for man , and not man for the sabbath ; therefore the son of man is lord also of the sabbath . where i think it is plain , that in the former verse ( the sabbath was made for man , &c. ) it is manifestly spoken of ordinary men. and though in the latter verse , ( the son of man is lord also of the sabbath , ) by son of man i suppose is meant christ ; yet is that title given also to ordinary men , elsewhere , very often . as iob , 25. 6. how much less man who is a worm , and the son of man which is a worm ? and isai. 51. 12. who art thou that shouldst be afraid of a man that shall dy , and of the son of man which shall be made as grass . so ps. 8. 4. what is man , that thou art mindful of him , and the son of man that thou visitest him ? and to the same purpose , ps. 144. 3. and ( to name no more ) in the book of ezekiel , the prophet ezekiel is , in that one book , called son of man , oftener than christ is so called in the whole bible . and if we would argue as he doth , we might plausiby object , it might be so meant here ; though i think it is not . but he cannot shew that ever the iewish sabbath was called the lords day ( however he thinks it might have been ; ) nor ( though 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be greek for one ) that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is ever used for other than the first day of the week , or the next after the jewish sabbath . nor doth he think it . such trifling ( to give it no harder name ) may do well enough in drollery or burlesque , but not in a plain honest enquiry . but if he would be curious as to the phrase ; 't is plain enough that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not properly the genitive case governed of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for then it should have been 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is of the neuter gender . ( and 't is a mistake therefore when p. 58. he renders it by one of the sabbaths , as if it had been 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . ) but 't is governed rather of some praeposition or particle understood , ( as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the like , ) and then , as in latin pridie calendas ( that is , p●io● dies ante calendas ) is the next day before the calends . so is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ( or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) the next day after the sabbath : the full construction is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , ( the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being understood in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 understood in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , ) that is one day after the sabbath ; which being the proper name of a day , cannot be meant of any other but the next day after . 't is certain therefore that ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) the first day of the week , or the first day after the iewish sabbath , was from the resurrection of christ and after , eminently signalized , as a day of special observation ; 't was honoured with christs resurrection on that day ; with his first appearance to mary magdalen and the other women ; then , to the two disciples going to emmaus , and his religious assembling with them there ; after that , to the disciples at ierusalem and assembling with them the same day ; and the whole time of those assemblings employed in religious exercises , ( preaching , celebrating the sacrament , instructing and blessing his disciples , and giving them commission for preaching the gospel and planting the christian church . ) and again with the same disciples on that day sen-night , assembled with them , and in like manner employed . it was specially signalized also by the miraculous effusion of the holy ghost on that day , in a great assembly of iews and gentiles on the day of pentecost ; and the day employed in preaching and other religious exercises . it was observed in like manner at troas , in preaching the word , celebrating the sacrament , and other religious communion , as things there usual on that day . it was observed at corinth , not once onely , but as a thing of course ; and so presumed by the apostle when he gives particular instructions concerning a collection for the saints to be made weekly on that day . and in like manner in the churches of galatia , with a like direction to them . ( and we have no reason to suspect but that in other churches also , there was a like custome of observing that day ) and it is the onely day of the week ( unless the seventh-day , in order to the iewish sabbath ) that is so much as mentioned by name after the resurrection of christ. ( at least i do not at present remember the second , third , fourth , fifth , or sixth day of the week by name so mentioned . ) now what we have reason to believe was so generally observed after the resurrection , by christ himself ( more than once , ) by his apostles , and by the christian churches in their days ; we have reason to believe was according to christs direction . for we know very well , that christ did after his resurrection give commandments to the apostles , about things pertaining to the kingdome of god , and ●●●●ling the christian church . what those commandments were in particular , we cannot tell ; but are to presume that what they did therein , was pursuant of those commands ; and this in particular about observing the first day of the week , which we call the christian sabbath ; and which ( in contradistinction to the iewish sabbath ) is called the lords day ; rev. 1. 10. and hath accordingly been so called , and so observed ever since . which being so practised by the apostles , and so continued ever since , i take to be a good warrant for us to continue it , as a thing agreeable to the will of god. as to what he so often objects , that there is no express command thereof recorded : that is , not such a command as our author demands . we are not to prescribe to god in what terms he shall make known his will , ( any more than the pharisees , mat. 16. 4. were to prescribe to christ what kind of signs he was to shew to testify his authority ; ) 't is sufficient if god do in his own way intimate what is his will , though it be it not with the formality of be it enacted . and those who are willing to be taught of god , will be content so to understand his meaning . an approved practise in the worship of god , frequently repeated , attested by miracles , encouraged by christs own example , and that of the apostles and the christian churches then , and continued in the christian church ever since : is to me great evidence of the will of god ; and that there was a command for it , though it be not recorded . ( like as i believe that there was , very early , a command from god , to worship him by sacrifice , though that command be not recorded . but ( to that of its being so observed ever since ) he objects , we have nothing but tradition , either that the christian sabbath hath been so observed , or that it is called the lords-day . and tradition is what he takes great pleasure to exclaim against ; if that be admitted ( saith he ) where shall we stop ? very well ! i am not over fond of laying too great a weight upon traditions ; at least not on all things that are pretended so to be . but i pray , how can he tell , otherwise than by tradition , whether our saturday or our sunday , be the seventh day in course from the creation ? or , ( if that be too hard a question ) whether of the two is the seventh day of the iewish week ? i know nothing but tradition for it . i cannot remember so long : nor have i so long kept so strict account of days as to be sure of it . i trust to the common computation of the world , that our sabbath is a continuation of that sabbath which the apostles kept . and if so , i am safe . if not , i cannot help it . and because i think the apostles sabbath was on the first day of the jewish week , therefore i think ours to be so . but if theirs was not , neither is ours . he would not have that of st. iohn , revel . 1. 10. i was in the spirit on the lords-day to be understood of our sabbath . and why not ? he tells us , 1. some think it to be christmass-day ; 2. some think it to be easter-day ; and 3. some think it to be the day of iudgment . and long discourses we have upon all these . well! but doth he think it to be meant of any of these ? no. then , to what purpose are these alleged , in disparagement of the christian sabbath ? but he seems to have so great displeasure against the christian sabbath , that whatever he can think of to be objected ( though he do not think it to be true ) he will be sure to object , ( that he may disparage the day , or perplex the argument ) as if he were more concerned to beat down the christian sabbath , than to set up the iewish . not considering , that , by all this , he is doing their work who would have none at all . for they know well that the iewish sabbath hath been long since laid aside ( without any great fear of returning ; ) and if they can but throw off the christian sabbath also , 't is what they would have . and 't is of a like import what he argues ( p. 84 ) for coming to the publick but once a day , ( not twice as our manner is ; ) for those who care not to come at all , if he dispense with them as to the one , they will dispense with themselves as to the other meeting . i should rather think , that , the whole day being due to the service of god ( publick and private ) it is to be parcelled out , as to the number and times of publick meeting ; as might ( according to christian prudence ) be judged most conducing ( in this or that place ) to those ends , and to common edification ; and that , to make such little circumstances ( otherwise than as they conduce to those general ends ) a matter of religious observation , or divine institution , is a like extravagance as that of the pharisees in laying like weight on their traditions , and that of the papists on their numerous superstitious ceremonies . and is as properly superstition , as these . i do not know this author , ( who thus argues against observing the christian sabbath , and against publick meeting on that day more than once ; ) and therefore am not willing to judge hardly . but the natural result of what he argues , is as i told you . he doth not think that iohn , was ( on the lords day rev. 1. 10. ) keeping the anniversary of christs incarnation ; nor of his resurrection . ( no more do i. ) but why not ? because ( saith he ) he may say as in the case of moses's dead body , no man knows of his sepulchre to this day . now as to the incarnation , i am apt to think , that no man doth at this day know certainly , either on what day of the year , or what day of the week christ was born ( nor is it any matter whether we do or no. ) but i should rather say , no man knows at this day , than ( as he ) no man knoweth to this day , ( as if no man hitherto had known it : ) for certainly there have been those who knew it heretofore ( while he was alive ) though it be now forgotten , and at this day no man knows it . but will he say so as to the resurrection ? i think it is plain , that christ was crucified on the fourteenth day , lay in the grave the fifteenth , and rose again the sixteenth day , of the first month . and that he rose on the first day of the week , no man doubts . he should rather have put it thus , as no man knows to this day , where is the body of moses , ( that it might not be worshiped , ) so no man knows at this day , which is the seventh in course from the creation ; that we might not contend about it . however , i am contented to admit , ( if that will please him ) that the lords day there mentioned was neither meant of christmass-day , nor easter-day , nor whit-sunday , nor the day of iudgment ; but think it to be meant of the first day of the week , which is the christian sabbath . not , of any of those other days mentioned ; nor of the iewish sabbath , as he would have it . 't is , i think , a new notion of his own ( at least i know none other of his mind ) that it should be meant of the iewish sabbath . he grants there is nothing from the circumstances of the place to determine it to this day . nor doth he pretend to shew that the jewish sabbath was ever so called . but he thinks it might have been so called . for he says god blessed and sanctified the seventh day ( that is , the seventh day after six days of labour ) therefore it might have been called the lords day : and so may as well the christian sabbath as the iews sabbath . that the son of man is lord also of the sabbath day ; and so he is of every day in the week ; and of the christian sabbath ( when that is the sabbath ) as well as of the iewish . that the seventh day is the sabbath of the lord our god ; that is , the seventh day after six days of labour , but whether the seventh day in course from the creation , is no where said . that isai. 58. 13. the sabbath is called my holy day : true , on what ever day the sabbath be : first or seventh of the week ; or whatever day god appoints to be kept holy ; as for instance , the first and seventh day of the feast of unleavened bread , ex. 12. 16. the first day shall be a holy convocation ; and the seventh day shall be a holy convocation ; and each of them was the lords holy day , on what ever day of the week they happened . and the like for other days . so levit. 23. 2 , 4 , 7 , 8 , 21 , 24 , 25 , 27 , 28 , 30 , 32 , 35 , 36 , 39. and num. 28. 18 , 25 , 26. num. 29. 1 , 7 , 12 , 35. all the days here mentioned are the lords holy days , yet i do not take any of them to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and all he can pretend to from these or whatever he produceth , is no more but that the iewish sabbath ( while it was the sabbath ) might have been so called , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the lords day ; he doth not pretend to shew that ever it was so called . now i would desire this gentleman ( if he can but a little while lay aside his prejudice ) to consider , first that the lords day was the proper name of a day ; whereby it might be known as distinguished from other days ; ( else to what purpose is it said i was in the spirit on the lords day ; ) whereas the proper name of the iewish sabbath ( and of that onely as he would have us think p. 64. ) was the sabbath day ; and there is no appearance of reason , why , if he meant that day , he should not rather have said i was in the spirit on the sabbath day , or the seventh day . this therefore must needs be meant of some other day , known by another name . 2. i would have him next consider , that the lord in the old testament is the usual name of god indefinitely ; without particularizing this or that of the three persons ; and the sabbath of the lord thy god , doth not appropriate it to the second person more than to the first and third . and though i do not deny , that our christ was the god who gave the ten commandments ( for all the three persons are the same god , ) yet i do not think it to be christ onely , as contradistinguished to the other two . and when it is said , i am the lord thy god , thou shall have no other god but me ; the meaning is not , i the second person , am so the lord thy god , that thou shalt own no other person for thy god beside me the second person . but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the lord , in the new testament , is for the most part applied peculiarly to our lord christ ( god and man. ) and is understood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of him . ( as he is called elsewhere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the son of man. ) and accordingly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must be a day peculiarly appropriate ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) to our lord christ ; which the jewish sabbath was not , nor that of the fourth commandment ; which is the sabbath of the lord thy god , that is of god indefinitely ; for 't is in that notion that god speaks in the ten commandments , not as one person contradistinct to the other two . it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the lords day in a like sense as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the lords supper , 1 cor. 11. 20. and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the cup of the lord , the table of the lord , 1 cor. 10. 21 , 22. 1 cor. 11. 27. in all which , by the lord is meant the lord christ , god and man. and because , there being a double sabbath then in use , ( the iewish sabbath , and the christian sabbath , ) and the word sabbath indefinitely having been a long time applied to the iewish sabbath , and would be apt to be understood of it ; therefore ( by way of distinction ) that of the christians ( though a sabbath also , within the sense of the fourth commandment ) was called the lords day , as being the day or sabbath appropriate to our lord iesus christ. and therefore when he tells us , so often , the world was made by our lord iesus christ , and the law given on mount sinai by our lord iesus christ , ( upon which notions he seems to lay great stress , though it be nothing to the purpose , ) i think it is a mistake . for our lord iesus christ is god and man , but he was not god and man when the world was made , or the law given , but onely god. 't is true christ as god , ( according to his divine nature ) is the same god who made the world , and gave the law , ( for we have no other god but one ) but not as god and man. for man he was not at that time , but in the fulness of time became man. the sabbath of the lord our god ( in the fourth commandment , with equal respect to all the three persons ) doth not signify the same as , the sabbath of our lord iesus christ ( god and man. ) the lord our god there , not the same with our lord iesus christ , in the new testament . but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ( the lords supper ) is the supper of our lord iesus christ ( god and man ) the founder of our christian religion : and accordingly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ( the lords day ) is the day of our lord iesus christ , a day appointed by him . 3. i would have him consider further , that the lords day , ( dominica , or dies dominicus , ) hath been all along , in all ages of the christian church , used as the proper name of what we otherwise call the christian sabbath ; and not for the proper name of any other day ; and therefore , till somewhat do appear to the contrary , i shall take it to be the same with what is called the lords day in scripture . there is , in the new testament , a place called rome ; and there is at this day a place in italy called rome , and which hath been so called all along ever since ; neither do i know of any other eminent place of called . therefore ( till somewhat do appear to the contrary ) i shall presume our rome to be the same place with that which in the new testament is called rome . we find in scripture there is an island of the mediterranean sea called melita or malta ( where st. paul suffered ship-wrack ) not far from another island called crete : now we know also there is in the mediterranean sea an island called malta at this day , and another not far from thence called crete or candy , and we do not know of any other islands so called , then , or at any time since ; and therefore we may safely presume ( till somewhat do appear to the contrary ) that those islands now so called , are the same islands with those which were then so called . and in like manner , that day which hath been ever since called the lords-day as by its proper name , we may and ought to presume to be the same day which was by st. iohn so called ( as by its proper name ) in rev. 1. 10. when he wrote the book of the revelation ; till it can be shewed that he did by that name mean some other day . and we have the more reason so to presume , because we find it so called by others , very soon after st. iohn's time ; and by those whom we have great reason to believe to have been well acquainted with st. iohn's meaning and his manner of speech . the first i shall name is st. ignatius , who was not onely contemporary with st. iohn , but was a disciple or scholar of st. iohn . now st. iohn ( according to the best account we can have from chronology ) wrote his revelation in patmos ( whither he was banished by domitian , ) in or about the year of our lord 96 ; ( after which he wrote his gospel , upon his return from patmos to ephesus : ) and died in the year 98 or 99 under trajanus . and ignatius died a martyr under the same emperour trajan , in the year of our lord 107. so that there is no great distance in time . ( and if we should miss a year or two it is not material . ) how long before his death ignatius wrote his epistle to the magnesians , we are not sure ( nor is it material ; ) now in that his epistle to the magnesians , even according to the genuine edition published by bishop usher out of an ancient manuscript ( not that which is justly suspected to be interpolated , ) he doth earnestly exhort them not to iudaize , but to live as christians ; ( si enim usque nunc secundum iudaismum vivimus ; confitemur gratiam non recepisse . ) and as to the sabbath in particular , non amplius sabbatizantes , sed secundum dominicam viventes , in qua & vita nostra orta est ▪ ) not any longer observing the iewish sabbath , but the lords day on which christ our life 〈…〉 is manifest therefore , that within 8 or 10 years after 〈…〉 writing , the lords day did not signify the jewish sabbath , but the first day of the week , on which our saviour rose again ; and that it was then observed in contradistinction to the jewish sabbath . i forbear to mention his epistle ad trallianos ( where again we have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 applied to the first day of the week on which christ rose again ) because it is in that edition which is suspected to be interpolated . i might to this add the testimony of polycarp , who was also a disciple of st. iohn , and collected and published these epistles of ignatius , and may be presumed to understand what st. iohn meant by the lords day . but i shall add in the next place that of iustin martyr ; whom though i cannot call a disciple of st. iohn , ( because he was not converted to the christian religion till about the year of our lord 129 , about thirty years after st. iohn's death , ) yet he lived so soon after , that he could not be ignorant of the christians practise , and what they understood st. iohn to mean by the lords day . and how that day was observed in iustin's time , he tells us in ( what is called ) his second apology , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and a little after 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . on that day commonly called sunday , there is held a congregation or a general meeting together , of all inhabitants whether of city or country , and there are publickly read the memorials or monuments of the apostles , or the writings of the prophets , &c. and again , the day called sunday we do all in common make 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the meeting-day ; for that the first-day is it on which god from darkness and matter made the world , and our saviour iesus christ did on the same day rise from the dead . in which places though it be not called dominica , but dies solis , yet how it was then solemnly observed , in memory of our lord christs resurrection , is evident . 't is manifest therefore that the lords day ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , dominica , or dies dominicus , ) was the known name of a day so called when st. iohn wrote his revelation ; that it was a day of religious worship contradistinguished to that of the iewish sabbath , so observed and so called by ( st. iohn's disciple ) ignatius within 8 or 10 years at most after st. iohn's writing that book ; ( which he would not have done if he had not thought it to be so meant by his master st. iohn . ) 〈…〉 manner it was observed ( in their solemn religious assemblies ) iustin martyr tells us within ●0 years after that ; and that it was otherwise called ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) sunday . and that dominica or dies dominicus ; hath been so used not onely by the ancient christian writers , ignatius , clemens , irenaeus , origen , tertullian , &c. but by the councils and church history all along ; hath been so often shewed by divers , and is to be seen by any who please to consult them , as is not to be doubted by any ; unless we would ( under the notion of tradition ) deny all history ; which in a plain matter of fact were very unreasonable . nor can he shew that the name of the lords day ever was ( however it might have been as he thinks ) attributed to the iewish sabbath . and therefore to tell us that this name is stollen from the iewish sabbath to be applied to ours ▪ is such a fansy as may be laughed at , but doth not deserve a serious answer . sure we are that the christian sabbath hath been long in possession of that name ; but , that ever the iewish sabbath was so , there is no evidence : therefore the theft must be on his side , who steals it from us to give it to the jewish sabbath . but he tells us , that our saviour himself observed the jewish sabbath . ( and i suppose he did so ▪ and , that he was circumcised also , and did observe the ceremonial law ▪ ) but it was before his death and resurrection . i do not find that he observed it afterward . but he says , after christs death when he had said it is finished , he kept the sabbath in the grave . be it so ( if that were keeping a sabbath . ) and the good women rested on that day according to the commandment . and why not ? since christ was not yet risen ; nor was the day yet changed , or pretended so to be . this therefore is but whimsey and nothing to the purpose . we all agree ; that , till the resurrection of christ , the jews observed the jewish sabbath , on what they called the seventh-day of their week . but whether or no it were a seventh from the creation , we cannot tell . 't is more to the purpose what he tells us , that paul and other christians did after christs resurrection seem to observe the jewish sabbath ; going to the temple and to the synagogues on the sabbath-day ; meaning thereby the iewish sabbath . and it is true ; they did so go . but i answer ; 1. so they did on other days as well as on the sabbath , and in other places , as well as in the synagogue and the temple , act 5. 42. dayly in the temple , and in every house , or from house to house ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈…〉 they ceased not to preach iesus christ. and act. 2. 46. they continued dayly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with one accord in the temple , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and breaking bread at home , or from house to house . as to such duties of worship as were common to them with the jews , they took the opportunity of joining therein with them ; whether on their sabbath , or on any other day ; but as to what was peculiarly christian , this they performed in separate meetings from them ; breaking their bread at home , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , or from house to house ; the sacrament of the lords supper ( being peculiarly a christian service ) they did celebrate in their houses , or separate places of meeting . and so we find it at troas ; and , on the first day of the week ; act. 20. 7. on the first day of the week , when the disciples were met to break bread , paul preached , &c. their meeting for this christian service , was in a separate place , and on another day , from that of the iewish service . and paul at athens . act. 17. 17. he disputed in the synagogue with the jews , and with the devout persons , and in the market , dayly , ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , ) he took the opportunity of publick meetings , whether in the synagogues or elsewhere , whether on the sabbath or any other day , to preach christ to them , whether jews or greeks . which doth not prove that they did then take the seventh day to be the christian sabbath ▪ any more than our going to hear or preach a week-day lecture , suppose on thursday , would prove , that we take thursday to be our sabbath ▪ or paul's preaching on mars-hill , or in the market-place , would prove that he took these places to be the temple or synagogue . he knew these to be times and places of concourse , and therefore took the opportunity of preaching then and there ; and would so have done at any other time and place as there was occasion : in season or out of season , as he adviseth timothy , 2 tim. 4. 2. he doth not deny , p. 122. but that paul did keep the feast ( of the pass-over ) after the resurrection of christ ; because of what we have act. 18. 21. he bids them farewel ( at ephesus ) saying , i must by all means keep this feast that cometh , at jerusalem ; but i will return again unto you , if god will. which feast he thinks to be that of the pass-over , though it be not named . but whether that or whatever feast of the jews it be , it is all one as to our business . how great a proof would this have been for the seventh-day-sabbath , if it had been said i must by all means keep the sabbath ! 't is said indeed , he did on the sabbath-day go into the synagogue ( but so he did on other days , ) but not that he kept the sabbath-day ; much less that he must by all means keep it . or that he must by all means take a journey from ephesus to ierusalem rather than not keep it , though he were to return thither again . yet this author doth not , for all this think , the law for the iewish pass-over to be then in force . but onely that paul took occasion to be there at that publick great concourse of people , to preach christ to the multitude . for , that the apostles were under no obligation to keep that feast of the pass-over , after the death of christ , is to him ( he says ) past doubt . and why may not we say the same of his going into the synagogue on the sabbath day ( rather than miss such an oportunity of a publick concourse ) which was a less journey than from ephesus to ierusalem ? though under no obligation to keep the iewish sabbath , more than to keep the iews pass-over . 2. but i answer further . the jews who were not christians , did yet continue to observe the jewish sabbath as a matter of duty . and there was no reason why they should not . for , while they did not acknowledge our christ to be the messiah , nor the mosaick law to be at an end , but circumcision and the jewish oeconomy yet in force , there was no reason why they should not think themselves obliged to the jewish sabbath . and many of the christian jews , who were not yet satisfied of the abolition of the mosaick law , did comply with them therein . for knowing this to have been a law once , and not yet being fully satisfied that it was expired , they were content still to observe it . ( and if our gentleman be of that mind , i would not hinder him , if a jew , from so doing ; but neither would i incourage him . ) and i find the apostles willing to connive at it , and even to countenance it . not as a thing necessary , but at least allowable . and though they did not think fit to bring a new yoke upon the gentiles , who had not before been obliged to the jewish law , ( and therefore would not allow the gentiles to be circumcised ; as appears by s. paul's epistle to the galatians , and the decrees of the synod at ierusalem , act. 15. ) yet he allowed the iews to practise it ( to whom it had once been a law ) and accordingly circumcised timothy act. 16. because , though his father were a greek , yet his mother was a jew : ( but he did not circumcise titus , gal. 2. 3. for whom there was not the same reason . ) and he did himself comply with the iewish ceremonies ; as act. 18. 18. having shorn his head in canchrea ; for he had a vow . and those of purification act. 21. not that he thought those laws now obliging ; but , because many of the believing iews were yet zealous of the law , and thought themselves obliged by it , he would not give offense to them . for he was satisfied as to himself , that circumcision availeth nothing , nor uncircumcision , 1 cor. 7. 19. gal. 6. 15. but was content ( till by time and further instruction they should be better satisfied ) that each one should be gratified , as to their own practise , according to their own sentiments , as to things yet disputable . and accordingly , as to eating or not eating things forbidden by moses's law , his advise was , to the romans , ( many of whom were jews ) rom. 14. 17. let not him that eateth not , judge him that eateth , ( as breaking a law which he thinks to be yet in force , ) nor let him that eateth , despise him that eateth not , ( as a fool that doth not understand his own liberty ) for the kingdom of god is not meat and drink , &c. and in like manner those at ierusalem act. 15. though they did not think fit to bring a new yoke of circumcision upon the gentiles ( to whom before it had not been a law ) yet do advise them to forbear things strangled and bloud , because this had once been a law to all the sons of noah , gen. 9. 4. not but that this was even now antiquated , but ( to avoid offense ) because it had once been a law. for i take even those things to fall under these generals , the kingdom of god is not meat and drink , but righteousness and peace and joy in the holy ghost , rom. 14. 17. and every creature of god is good , 1 tim. 4. 4. i know , and am perswaded that there is nothing unclean of it self : but all things indeed are pure , rom. 14. 14 , 20. tit. 1. 15. meat commendeth us not to god ; for neither if we eat , are we the better ( as making use of our lawful liberty ) neither if we eat not ( in compliance with those who be unsatisfied ) are we the worse , 2 cor. 8. 8. so that the practise of the apostles or of the church at that time , in compliance with the jews , as to what had before been a law , but now was not ; is no argument that the thing was then obligatory , as before it had been , but onely an argument of their condescension in things of a middle nature , rather than to give offense to those who were therein unsatisfied ; according to that principle of his all things are lawful for me but all things are not expedient , 1 cor. 10. 23. to give no offense either to iew or gentile , or to the church of god , ver . 32 , 33. to the iews i became as a iew ; to the weak i became as weak ; i am made all things to all men ; 1. cor. 9. 19. in so much that even in those things which he knew to be lawful , yet , rather than give offense to a weak brother , he would forbear , if meat make my brother to offend , ( or , be an offense to a brother ) i will eat no flesh while the world standeth , left i ma●● my brother to offend . and the like i suppose as to the iewish sabbath ▪ he that regardeth a day regardeth it to the lord ; and he that regardeth not the day , to the lord he doth not regard it . he that eateth , eateth to the lord , for he giveth god thanks ; and he that eateth not , to the lord he eateth not , and giveth god thanks , rom , 14. 6. where 't is manifest that he doth parallel the observing or not observing a day than questionable ; with the abstaining from meats disputable ; that is , from such as before were unlawful , but now ceased so to be , though all were not yet therein satisfied . and though it be not expresly said , what was the day thus in question ; yet it is most likely to be that of the iewish sabbath ; for , that the first day of the week or christian sabbath was now observed , seems very plain : and whether the iewish sabbath should be observed also , was the question . and those who were for continuing circumcision and the mosaick ceremonies , were doubtless for that also . and the apostles rule was for a mutual condescension ( as to the jews ) for each to follow their own sentiments therein , without censuring one another . but as to the gentiles , he seems to be of another mind ; and therefore to the galatians , who were most of their gentile-christians , he would not so much as allow the practise of circumcision ( which to the jews he did ; ) and tells them that if they be circumcised christ profiteth them nothing ; and he that is circumcised is debtor to the whole law , gal. 5. 2 , 3. for it was a renouncing christ who had made them free ; putting themselves under the jewish yoke , to which ( even before ) they were not subject . and therefore to these he speaks more warmly , gal. 1. 6 , 7. i marvel that you are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of christ , unto another gospel : which is not another , ( or , there being no other gospel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , where as there is not any other gospel ; ) onely there be some that trouble you , and would pervert the gospel of christ. and such are those who would bring on them a new yoke , ( by making that a duty which god had not made so . ) where he presseth them to keep close to the gospel of christ , as by him delivered ( without any connexion of moses's law , ) there being indeed no other gospel but that ; and they who teach them otherwise , do pervert the gospel ; the true gospel of christ , including no obligation to the jewish law ; either as to circumcision or the difference of meats , or other particulars of that law ; as he argues , in the second , third and fourth chapters ; shewing that even those who were before under it , are now freed from it , and they much more who were never under it . and thereupon chap. 4. 9 , 10 , 11. he rebukes them severely , that after they had known god ( or rather were known of god ) they should turn again to the weak and beggarly rudiments or elements . ye observe ( saith he ) days and months and times and years , i am afraid of you lest i have bestowed upon you labour in vain . 't is not indeed here said in particular , what those days were , that are here meant ; yet it is most likely ( and scarce to be doubted ) to be meant of the iewish sabbath . for though other observation of times be here reckoned up ( there being the same reason of all ) yet there was no occasion for the others , in galatia . for the jews themselves did not think themselves obliged ( nor do the jews at this day ) to the observation of their other feasts or fasts out of their own land . but to that of circumcision , and of the iewish sabbath , and the distinction of meats , they thought themselves obliged even out of their own land . and of such we must understand this to the galatians . these being the things there in question ; not those other , which were confined to the land of canaan . but he objects here , that though days be mentioned , yet not sabbath days ; and fansies it might be meant of some other days ; not of sabbaths . to gratify him therefore in this also , i will proceed to that of colos. 2. 16. where sabbaths are expresly named . to the colossians , who were also christian gentiles , he pursues the same notions ; least any one should beguile them with inticing words , col. 2. 4. ( thereby to bring them under the mosaick law : ) he bids them beware lest any spoil them through philosophy and vain deceit . whereby , i suppose , he means the mosaick doctrines or philosophy of the jews , ( which clemens alexandrinus doth all along call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in contradistinction to that of the greeks , ) after the traditions of men , after the rudiments ( or elements ) of the world , and not after christ , ver , 8. and that particularly of circumcision ver . 11. ( in the room of which , baptism is come ; ver . 12. ) christ , by his death having blotted out the hand-writing of ordinances ( meaning the jewish law ) and took it out af the way , nailing it to his cross , ver . 14. and ( amongst other things ) let no man therefore judge you in meat or in drink ( as if some were now clean others unclean , as under the mosaick law , ) or in respect of an holy day , ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a festival ) or of the new moon , or of the sabbath days ▪ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , ver . 16. where by sabbath must be meant the iewish sabbath ; the day which in common speech was understood by the word sabbath . for this , he hath two or three evasions . he doth commonly press hard in other places , that by sabbath is to be understood the jews seventh-day-sabbath , and no other day . ( the holy spirit doth call the seventh-day , the sabbath , ( and no other day of the week ) both in the old and in the new testament throughout , p. 46. and , i think , he is not much out therein ; that it doth , usually , so signify where it doth not come with some intimation to direct us to some other sense . and why it should not be thought so to signify here , i see no reason . for though i take our christian sabbath to fall as properly under the word sabbath in the fourth commandment , as that of the iews ▪ yet the word , in common use , having by this time become the proper name of that day which the jews so called , it was necessary ( to avoid confusion ) to give the christian sabbath another name ; as that of the lords day , or the first day of the week . and consequently that the sabbaths here mentioned , are to be understood ( according to the then use of the word ) of those sabbaths . not as if all days of holy rest where hereby forbidden ; but onely the nicety of confining it particularly to that day which was then ( in common speech ) so called . but he would not have it here understood of the seventh-day sabbath ( as every where else ) but some other ceremonial sabbaths ; but what those are , he doth not tell us . that there were some other feasts observed by the jews , which , in the old testament , are sometimes called sabbaths ( but very seldome , ) i do not deny : nor that those come under the general words in this place . but those do not seem to be here principally intended , because it is manifest to be understood of the sabbath there in dispute . now there was no occasion of a dispute concerning the observance of those other sabbaths , amongst the gentiles , out of the holy-land . these observations being not thought obligatory , even to the jews , but in their own land onely . and it is expresly provided , deut. 16. that these were not to be kept in any place promiscuously ; not within any of the gates which the lord thy god giveth thee ; but in the place which the lord thy god shall chuse to place his name there . so of the pass-over , ver . 5 , 6. so of the feast of pentecost , ver . 11. so of the feast of tabernacles , ver . 15. and of altogether , ver . 16. and therefore , not out of their own land. i do not deny but that they might , in private houses , eat the paschal lamb , ( as christ did , with his disciples , ) but not sacrifice the pass-over . for it was to be sacrificed in the temple onely ; and the feast of the pass-over to be there solemnly kept . not in private houses ; and much less out of their own land. nor do i remember , that any where in all the new testament , the word sabbath is used for any such sabbaths : nor can reasonably be supposed to be here meant of those feasts , because it is put in contradistinction to them . let no man judge you in respect of a feast , of the new-moon , or of the sabbaths . which yet i do not understand as if no sabbath might now be kept , but that the obligation to that sabbath was now at an end . another evasion is this , he would have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ( sabbata ) in the plural number , to signify weeks , not sabbath-days . the sabbath-day being called , in the singular number , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ( sabbatum . ) for he will rather play at small game than stand out . if we should allow him this , it would not advance his purpose at all . for if the business of weeks be at an end , ( that we are no longer to distribute our time into weeks , ) than that of the sabbath much more , which he would have to be the seventh day of the week . but suppose we do allow that one sabbath is to be called sabbatum what are we to call two or more sabbaths ? must not they be sabbata ? and if this be his meaning , then are we not to observe such sabbaths any longer . but what must we then say to mat. 28. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which we render in the end of the sabbath , meaning thereby the seventh day sabbath then past , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , as it began to draw towards the first day of the week : must we read it , at the end the sabbaths ( because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is in the plural number , ) when the sabbaths ( meaning the seventh-day sabbaths ) were now at an end , and the first-day sabbath coming on in their place ? if that reading please him ; it will serve us as well . but he is mistaken in his criticism . 't is true that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the plural number seems to be sometime put for a week ( but not weeks , that i know of , as he would have it . ) and so it is commonly taken to be where we find 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , for the first day of the week ( but may as well be rendered , the first day after the sabbath . ) and so is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the singular , as luke 18. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , i fast twice in the week , i suppose he would not have us render it i fast twice on the sabbath day ( though it be in the singular number , ) as if he did fast twice upon one day . but thus rather , i keep two fasts to one sabbath ; which is the same in sense with , i fast twice in the week ▪ in like manner as the olympiad , may be taken sometime for that particular year on which were the olympick games ( which were wont to return every fifth year inclusively , that is , as we use to speak the fourth year after the last olympick ; ) sometime for the interval of four years from the end of one olympick to the end of the next following . so here , sabbatum may be sometime taken strictly for the sabbath-day , and sometime for the whole septiduum or week from sabbath to sabbath . and so is sabbata ( in the plural number ) taken also for a sabbath-day ; thus i take it to be here , ( mat. 28. 1. ) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when the sabbath-day was ended ; in the same sense with that of mark 16. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ( speaking of the very same time ) when the sabbath was past . and in like manner , matth. 12. 1. at that time iesus went on the sabbath day through the corn , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ( sabbatis ) in the plural number . and so it is in mark 2. 23. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . yet it is meant but of one day , as appears by the parallel place ( where the same is again related luk. 6. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . and so mat. 12. 5 , 10 , 12. mar. 3. 4. luk. 4. 31. luk. 6. 2 , 9. and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the septuagint is commonly put for the sabbath-day . i will not say . allways ( because i have not examined it ) but in all the places which i consulted . and even in the body of the ten commandments exod. 20. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . ( remember the day of the sabbaths ; in the plural number ▪ ) and again ver . 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . ( but the seventh day sabbaths to the lord thy god ; ) so ex. 16. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . ( the sabbaths a holy rest unto the lord , to morrow . ) and levit. 23. 3. six days shall work be done , but the seventh is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the sabbaths of rest ; ye shall do no work therein , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is the sabbaths of the lord. which are the signal places wherein the sabbath is commanded . and the like very often ( if not always ) in the septuagint , whose language the new testament doth usually follow . so that his criticism comes to nothing , but only to shew how careless he is of what he says if at least he may seem to say somewhat . ( such is that when he tells us p. 136. that god who hath reserved a tenth of our substance , hath reserved but a seventh of time. as though he thought a tenth part to be more than a seventh part . and many such negligences , which i spare to mention . ) but whether we render it sabbath-day or sabbath-days the sense is still the same . and the apostles design in all these places seems to be this , that though to the iews , to whom it had once been a law , he doth allow a liberty ( till they should be better satisfied ) for each to follow his own judgment ( without censuring others ) as well in this of the iewish sabbath , as in the business of circumcision , and the abstinence from meats , and their other rites ; yet he would by no means suffer these to be brought upon the gentiles as a new yoke to which before they had not been subject . i say as a new yoke to which they had not been subject . for though i do admit that by natural light , or the law of nature , man ought to allow a competent time for the solemn service of god ; and , by a positive law , that it should be at least one day in seven , that is , after six days of labour , the seventh to be a day of rest ; and so much to be intended in the fourth commandment . yet , i do not think it to be so determined to this day in order , as to be unchangable to after ages . we can be no ways sure , that the seventh day in order from the first raining of manna , ex. 16. was the seventh in order from the creation . and as they did observe it then in order from thence ; so when christ , or his apostles by direction from him , did put it into a new order , this new order doth as well sute the words of the fourth commandment as that former . i do the rather say that this to the gentiles is a new yoke , because i find this to be given as a sign , a covenant , or distinctive mark given to the jews , as gods peculiar people , in contradistinction to other nations ; just as circumcision was . so exod. 31. 13. my sabbaths ye shall keep , for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations , and ver . 16. the children of israel shall keep the sabbath , to observe the sabbath throughout their generations for a perpetual covenant , and ver . 17. it is a sign between me and the children of israel for ever . so ezek. 20. 12. i gave them my sabbaths to be a sign between me and them ; and ver . 20. they shall be a sign between me and you , that ye may know that i am the lord your god. just as it is said of circumcision , gen. 17. 7. i will establish my covenant between me and thee ( saith god to abraham ) and thy seed after thee , for an everlasting covenant , to be a god unto thee and thy seed after thee : and ver . 10 , 11. this is my covenant which ye shall keep between me and you , and thy seed after thee , every male-child among you shall be circumcised , and it shall be a token of the covenant between me and you : and ver . 13. my covenant shall be in your flesh an everlasting covenant , ( not as if circumcision were to be for ever obligatory ; but rebus sic stantibus , so long as things continued in that estate . ) and so it is called rom. 4. 11. he received the sign of circumcision , a seal of the righteousness of faith. and such was the bloud of the paschal lamb on the door-posts of the house , ex. 12. 7. to be a distinctive mark between the israelites and the egyptians ; as ver . 13. the bloud shall be to you for a token upon the houses where you are , and when i see the bloud i will pass over you . and so ex. 11. 5 , 6 , 7. that ye may know how that the lord doth put a distinction between the egyptians and israel . and our author himself , pag. 26. doth press the same , and puts great weight upon it , that this seventh-day-sabbath is often called a sign for ever between him and them , and a perpetual covenant , to distinguish his people from others ; that is , the people of the jews from other nations . and so to be a sign for ever , as circumcision is an everlasting covenant . now whatsoever was a distinctive mark of the people of israel , from other nations , as was that of circumcision , the pass-over , and the seventh-day-sabbath , was at an end and to cease when the partition-wall was broken down between jew and gentile , when christ had made both one , and abolished in his flesh the enmity , ( even the law of commandments contained in ordinances , ) to make of twain one new man ; to reconcile both in one body by the cross , having slain the enmity thereby , eph. 2. 14 , 15 , 16. or as it is col. 2. 14. having blotted out the hand-writing of ordinances which was against us , and was contrary to us , ( as separating us gentiles from the jews , and so excluding us out of gods visible church , ) and nailing it to his cross. from whence he there infers , ver . 16. let no man therefore judge you in meat or drink , or in respect of a holy-day ( a festival ) or of sabbaths , ( the proper name , at that time , of the seventh-day sabbath : ) which things are a shadow of things to come , but the body is of christ ; these being but shadows or empty things , whereas it is the body , ( the substance ) that christ regards . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , those are but shadow , but 't is the body that christ looks at . that is ( in our language ) those are only circumstantials , but 't is substance or the substantials of religion that christ and christianity respects . and , as it is meerly circumstantial ( and doth not at all influence religion ) whether in the temple or other place god be worshiped ( ioh. 4. 21. ) so , whether on this or another day , a sabbath be kept . if therefore those sabbaths ( as is shewed ) were distinctive marks or signs of gods peculiar covenant or contract with the church of israel as their peculiar god , in contradistinction to other nations ; then 't is manifest that those other nations did not at all keep a sabbath , or not on that day ; ( else how could this be a distinctive mark ? ) and therefore to bring this now upon the gentiles , was to bring upon them a new yoke . i add further , that this iewish sabbath ( as is shewed before ) seems to be , not a continuation of a former sabbath from the creation , ( which i doubt was either not observed at all , or had long before this time been forgot , ) but rather a new institution or restitution after their coming out of egypt ( from a new epocha ) at marah ; where god is said to have made a statute and an ordinance , exod. 15. 25. to which commandment and statute if they would hearken diligently and give ear , he would not bring upon them the diseases which he had brought upon egypt , for ( saith he ) i am the lord that healeth thee , ver . 26. whereupon follows ( in the next chapter ) a sabbath to be observed on the seventh-day from the first raining of manna , ( not from the first creation . ) and with reference to their rest or refreshing after their labour or bondage in egypt ; ( as was that of the pass-over , to their being passed-over , when the first-born of the egyptians were slain . ) for so he saith , exod. 31. 13. my sabbath shall ye keep , for it is a sign between me and you , that ye may know that i am the lord that doth sanctifiy you ( or separate you to my self as a peculiar people , a holy people ; ) and ver . 16 , 17. the children of israel shall keep my sabbaths ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) for a perpetual covenant ; it is a sign between me and the children of israel for ever ; for in six days the lord made heaven and earth , and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed . not that god was wearied with his work , and needed refreshment ; but he doth parallel his rest after his work of creation , with their refreshment after their labour in egypt . and that god had a particular respect to their rest and refreshment from their labour and bondage in egypt ; is farther evident , not onely from the general preface to all the commandments , ( i am the lord thy god which brought thee out of the land of egypt , out of the house of bondage ; ) but from the close of this fourth commandment , as it is repeated in deut. 5. 12 , 13 , 14 , 15. ( somewhat different from what is in exod. 20. ) where , ( instead of for in six days the lord made heaven and earth , &c. exod. 20. 11. ) we have ( deut. 5. 15. ) and remember that thou wast a servant in the land of egypt , and that the lord thy god brought thee out thence , through a mighty hand , and a stretched out arm ; therefore the lord thy god commanded thee to keep the sabbath-day . which shews that this sabbath , had a particular respect to that deliverance . now as god by moses did , upon a new occasion ( of their rest from their labour in egypt ) give a new epocha or beginning to a circulation of sabbaths , to be reckoned from thence , in imitation of his own resting from the work of creation ; not by the fourth commandment ( for that speaks indifferently as to any circulation , ) but by this ordinance at marah , or at elim ( for 't is this determines the circulation to the seventh day after the raining of manna ; ) so might christ as well ( by himself or his apostles ) six another epocha from his resurrection ; ( as we have reason to think he did ; ) and this equally within the prospect of the fourth commandment . this rest from the egyptian bondage , being as much a shadow , of what christ regards as the substance ; as was the escaping of the egyptian destruction , of which the pass-over was the memorial . and accordingly this circulation equally to cease with that of the pass-over , at the coming of christ ; notwithstanding the continuance of the fourth commandment , in a new circulation from another epocha . it is not indeed expresly said that christ bid his apostles so to do : but as moses is presumed to do what he did by gods direction ; so the apostles by christs direction ; to whom he gave commandments for that purpose , act. 1. 2 , 3. as to what he says so often ; that not one iott or tittle of the law ( meaning that of the decalogue ) is destroyed , but doth still continue in force : this , as to the substance of the duty , i grant . but if his meaning be , that there is not a word or letter therein which doth not as literally belong to us now , as it did then to israel : i cannot assent to it . for it cannot be said of all us who are under that law , that god hath brought us out of the land of egypt , out of the house of bondage ; or that we are to expect long life , in the land ( of canaan ) which he gave them. if he say that our deliverance from spiritual bondage is equivalent to theirs from egypt , and our land the same to us as canaan was to them : i grant it . but so is our lords day equivalent to their seventh-day-sabbath , and christ the true manna ( more than ) equivalent to that of theirs , from the raining of which they reckoned their iewish sabbaths . as to what he says of mat. 24. 20. pray that your flight be not in the winter , nor on the sabbath-day ; which he thinks to be understood of the iewish sabbath , 38 years after christs resurrection . perhaps it may . for the obstinate jews , ( who would not in their day understand the things that belonged to their peace , but rejected christ , ) did no doubt continue to observe their jewish sabbath , and thought themselves obliged so to do : and it would then be as great an affliction to them , as if their sabbath were yet in force : but no more a sin to fly on that day , than to fly in the winter . it would be so to the christians , if put to flight on the christian sabbath ( for the case would be the like of both ) and they might as well pray against it : that is , against their flight on the christian sabbath ; as the iews on the iewish sabbath . this therefore makes nothing at all to his purpose . he might as well argue from hence , that it were a sin to labour in winter ; as , on the iewish sabbath . he hath many other little excursions , as little to the purpose , with which i shall not trouble my self or you ; having fully answered what seems to me to have any appearance of argument . but he takes great pleasure to expose the name of sunday . yet i do not find any more fond of using it , than he . not , that he would be thought to like the word , but because he thinks it a reproach . if he do not like that name , he may call it as we do , the lords day , the christian sabbath , or ( if he think these too good names for it ) he may call it the first day of the week . but why not as angry with the monday ? or other of the week days ? if on monday the heathens ( as he would have us think ) did worship the moon , as the sun on sunday , why is he not as angry with that ? it is as much idolatry to worship the moon on monday , as the sun on sunday . true. but that doth not concern the christians sabbath ( which is what he hath a mind to reproach ) and therefore he speaks little of the other , and but seldome : but sunday is to be snubbed upon every occasion . he would not have a sabbath upon sunday , because he says , on that day they worshiped the sun. but why upon saturday if on that day ( as he would have us think ) they worshiped saturn ? now 't is true that some of the heathen did worship the sun , and the moon , and the host of heaven . but that they did worship the sun more upon sunday , than they did upon monday or tuesday , is more than i know , or he can prove . he tells us , verstegan says , that the heathen saxons did so . but verstegan is too young an author to settle this upon his own authority ; unless he can bring vouchers for it more ancient than himself . it was , i suppose , a fansy of verstegan then ( as it is of our author now ; ) but i do not remember that he cites any author ancienter than himself . and though some others may say the like ; yet i look upon it but as a plausible conjecture , without any good foundation in history . and even the heathen suxons are too late for his purpose . he tells us , p. 88. the heathen nations long before christs birth did offer sacrifice to the sun , and worship it as a god upon sunday . his proof is from iob 31. 26 , 27 , 28. if i beheld the sun when it shined , or the moon walking in brightness , and my heart hath been secretly enticed , or my mouth hath kissed my hand , this were an iniquity to be punished by the iudges ▪ for i should have denied the lord above . but what is all this to sunday ? it may perhaps be a disclaimer of worshiping the sun ; but says nothing of sunday . doth our author think the name of sunday to be as old as iob's times ? if iob had said , if i have worshiped the sun upon sunday , or the moon upon monday , and not the lord upon saturday ; it had been to his purpose : but here is nothing of that . not a word of what day it was on which they worshiped the sun. but i would not have him lay too great a load upon sunday . for hesiod tells us ( as was said before ) that in his time ( one of the oldest of the heathen writers , though younger than iob ) the seventh day was sun-day , not the first . and he hath nothing to shew ( more than the bare name of sunday ) to make us believe that those of the heathen , who worshiped the sun , did confine that worship to this day of the week ; or , did more worship it on this day than on others . i do not certainly know how ancient those names are of saturday , sunday , monday , &c. nor upon what occasion they were first taken up , ( nor is it much to our purpose . ) the most ancient heathen writer whom i know to have mentioned them is dio cassius , who lived about the year of our lord 230. who speaking of the destruction of ierusalem and the temple , tells us that the iews had such a reverence for saturn's day , as that they would not labour on that day for their defense ; which the romans understanding , did on that day assault them , and prevailed . ( against their temple and sabbath both at once . ) not as if the iews did then call it saturn's day , ( nor am i sure that any other did then so call it , ) for they called it their sabbath-day ; but it was that day of the week which , in dio's time , was called saturday . but dio speaks of it as a new thing so to call the days of the week , and which the ancient greeks ( he tells us ) knew not . ( 't was therefore not very ancient . ) and therefore he supposeth the romans to have taken it up from the egyptians . not the old egyptians of moses's time , but rather from those about the time of ptolomy ; not of king ptolomy , but of claudius ptolomaeus the astronomer ( or perhaps somewhat earlier ) when astronomy there flourished , and from whom the romans had it . in a christian writer , i find it earlier than dio ; in iustin martyr's apology , written about the year of christ 150. who mentions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the day of the sun , as the christian sabbath . and tertullian in his apology , mentions saturday and sunday . and it may perhaps be found in writers earlier than these , though i do not at present meet with it . nor do i think it worth the while to make any great search about it . i grant , that when christianity was spread among the gentiles ▪ and , with it , the christian sabbath ; they did ( in order to the observing that sabbath ) distinguish their time into weeks , and thereupon gave names to each day . i grant also that the iews did , before , so distinguish their time : but i do not find that any other nation did so . if any think , that all nations did so distinguish , and every nation , all the world over , call the days by those names by which they are now called : this i take to be but a presumption , without proof . but when ever those names were first taken up , i do not think they were taken from the number of their gods ( for then they must have had a great many more days in their week than seven , if each of their gods must have a peculiar day : ) but from the number of the planets , which were then reckoned to be seven , and in this order saturn , iupiter , mars , sol , venus , mercury , luna . though we now know the planets to be more than seven . ( for the satellites of iupiter and saturn are as much planets as our moon ; but were not then known . ) nor were the seven planets always reckoned in the same order ; but some had been thought to be above the sun , which , before these names were given , were accounted to be below it . and therefore these names must be at least so late . and certainly not so old as iob's time . i take them not to be older than what are called the planetary hours , but to take their rise from thence , and the order of the names to be thence determined . for having divided the day into 24 hours ; beginning with saturn , the highest of the planets , they assigned to him the first hour of one day , which thence they called saturn's day ; the second hour to iupiter , the third to mars , and so in order till they came to the eighth hour which falls to saturn's turn again , and so again to the fifteenth , and the two and twentieth ; and then the three and twentieth to iupiter , the four and twentieth to mars , and the next hour , being the first of the next day , to sol. which day doth thence take the name of sol or sunday ( next in order after saturn . ) and , in like manner proceeding , the eighth , fifteenth , and two and twentieth hour of that day will fall again to sol , the three and twentieth to venus , the four and twentieth to mercury ; and then the first hour of the next day to luna , thence called monday ( next after sunday . ) and , in like manner , the first hour of the following day to mars ; of the next to mercury ; the next to iupiter , the next to venus ; and then again to saturn ; and so onward as before . and this i take to be the true account of those names , and in that order : saturday , sunday , monday , after which ( in the latine denomination ) follow the days of mars , mercury , iupiter , and venus . but some of our ancestors the saxons , thought fit ( as is supposed ) to put-in the names of twisco , woden , thor , frea , ( some of their princes ) instead of mars , mercury , iupiter , and venus , ( as iulius and augustus , amongst the romans , gave their names to the months formerly called quintilis and sextilis . ) from which saxon princes we have the names of tuesday , wednesday , thursday and fryday : the other days retaining the names of their respective planets as they did before . this account ( from the order of the planetary hours ) dio gives us of the names of the week-days , and of their order . why so called , and why in this order . he tells us of another account from the principles of harmonicks . because dia-tessaron ( which we call a fourth ) is reputed a concord in musick ; therefore they might , beginning with saturn ( skipping two , iupiter and mars , ) take the fourth sol : then ( skipping the two next venus and mercury ) take luna : and then ( skipping saturn and iupiter ) take mars : then ( skipping sol and venus ) take mercury : then ( skipping luna and saturn ) take iupiter : then ( skipping mars and sol ) take venus : then ( skipping mercury and luna ) take saturn ; and so onward as before . but this account seems more forced , and the former more natural . which therefore i take to be the true ground of this order . but either way , depending upon the order of the planets as they were then accounted when these names were given to the week-days , it is at least so far evident that they cannot be older than since the planets were accounted to be placed in this order . and therefore not so old as when venus or mercury or both of them were thought to be above the sun. ( for this would quite disturb the order . ) and therefore , certainly , not so old as iob's time . whether on each of these days they did worship those respective planets , as so many gods , i cannot say ; nor do i think it . nor do i think that each of those planets have any more government of their respective hours , or days , than of others . for i take the whole foundation as well of these , as of the other parts of iudicial astrology , to be purely precarious ; and assigned onely at pleasure , by those whose business it was to amuse credulous people , and thereby to make a gain of them . but , whatever were the occasion of the first imposing ; these are now the known names of those days . ( and we need no more scruple the use of these names ; than to talk of pope pius , clemens , boniface , and innocent ; though possibly the persons so called , had none of those good qualities . ) in like manner as we have a spring near oxford which we call aristotle's well ; not that we think aristotle was ever there , or was lord of the place , and much less that he was wont to be there worshiped ; but we so call it as being now the proper name of the place ( imposed at pleasure ) by which it is known . and so for the days of the week ; whatever were the occasion of the first imposing , they now signify no more than the proper distinctive names by which the days are known . and why we may not continue so to call them , i know not . we are told act. 17. 19 , 22. of paul's being at areopagus or mars-hill , because that was the known name of the place , without scrupling the reason why it was so called ( whether , because mars had been there worshiped , or for what other reason . ) and act. 28. 11. 〈◊〉 a ship designed by castor and pollux , or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , without scrupling the reason of that name , or what relation these stars had to iupiter , so as to be called his lads . and when paul 1 cor. 8. allows them without scruple to eat of things offered in sacrifice to idols , even though they knew , or had reason to presume them so to be , ( unless when they might be suspected to do it with respect to the idol ) as the apostle argues at large 1 cor. 8. and again chap. 10. no doubt we may as lawfully make use of proper names ( whereby persons , times , or places be commonly known ) without scrupling the occasion of their first imposition . and i would desire those gentlemen ( who are so over scrupulous where there is no just occasion , and make it their business to throw scruples and cast stumbling-blocks before others , ) to consider seriously , whose work they be doing all that while ; and whether it be not as truly and properly superstition to represent and quarel with things as unlawful and sinful , which in their own nature are not so ; as it is to introduce things under a pretence of holiness which have in them no such thing . and whether this be not to dote about questions and strife of words ▪ whether these be not of those foolish and unlearned questions which we are advised to avoid ; knowing that they gender strifes ; and to avoid foolish questions , and genealogies and contentions about the law , for they are unprofitable and vain ; and instead thereof to mind those things that are good and profitable to men ; to follow righteousness , faith , charity , peace , &c. as we are directed , 1 tim. 6. 4 , 5. 2 tim. 2. 22 , 23. tit. 3. 8 , 9. they do not consider how much the studying and prosecuting these foolish questions , and needless scrupulosities , doth eat out the power of godliness and true piety , and the substantials of religion , while we busy our selves about these shadows ; about little circumstances which do not at all influence the substance of spiritual worship . there be so many necessary duties , and indubitable truths , in the serious practise of piety and godliness , that we need not trouble the heads of men ( and make it our business so to do ) with doubtful disputations . it seems to be the design of the new testament to take us off from the circumstantials and scrupulosities of religion ( which commonly produce strifes and contentions to no purpose ) and put us upon worshiping god in spirit and in truth . si deus est animus , nobis ut carmina dicunt , hic tibi praecipue sit pura mente colendus ▪ was well enough said of the poet ; and is a good paraphrase on that , god is a spirit and will be worshiped in spirit and in truth . i have been told long since of a grave divine , who when asked , why he did not preach against long hair ( which was at that time more offensive than now it is , ) gave this answer ; if he could but preach jesus christ into their hearts ; he should not much concern himself for their hair. this author tells us , p. 49. that our liberty gal. 5. 1. doth eminently consist in a freedome not onely from the ceremonial law of old , but also in a liberty not to be intangled with a new yoke of mens devices . i take needless scrupulosities to be such ; the making of more sins than god hath made ; the making or pretending of those things to be sins which are no sins , and putting a religious necessity upon things which are matters of meer prudence and discretion . like those 1 tim. 4. 3. forbidding to marry , or ( as i would rather render it ) bidding not to marry ; and , to abstain from meats , &c. forbidding things as unlawful which are not so ; is alike superstitious as to impose things as holy which are not holy : and equally contrary to the liberty there intended . whether the days be called saturday , sunday , monday , or alpha , beta , gamma , is all one to me , ( i take them as i find them : ) i think we ought not to foment quarels upon such trifles ; and we sin if we do so . whether to meet once , or twice , or thrice , on a sabbath-day , ( if so as is most for edification and the real service of god , ) is meerly prudential in this or that place , without laying a new religious yoke where god leaves it to prudence . and if , in prudentials , things be not managed sometimes with so much prudence as we think they might , we must be content to bear with such imprudences as we cannot help ; and better so , than to pull-on greater inconveniences . whether to begin the sabbath at six or ten or twelve a clock on saturday-night , is a thing ( i think ) not worth contending about ▪ ( so that it be religiously observed as to the substantials of it , ) and for which we ought not to disturb the church where we live , but to follow righteousness , charity , peace ; and avoid foolish questions which gender strife . and i should not think it much more , whether on this or that day , so the sabbath be well kept : and i would by no means , on that account , give a disturbance to a church where it is peaceably settled : 't is less material when , than how , a sabbath be kept . and , in many cases , it must be unavoidably left to prudence , whether this or that day be called the first or seventh day of the week . we are in such cases to study the things that make for peace , and wherewith one may edify another . rom. 14. 19. the fruits of the spirit are love , joy , peace , &c. but variance , emulation , wrath , strife , are fruits of the flesh : gal. 5. 20 , 21. to study and spin out disputes into too fine a threed ( like that of a spider out of her own bowels ) is but to pervert the simplicity of the gospel of christ ; to make that abstruse and difficult , which the scripture would have plain and easy : in speculatives as well as practicals . we should mind the substantials of spiritual worship ; and not dote upon circumstantials further than as they do really advance the substance . refuse profane and old-wives fables , and exercise thy self rather unto godliness ; for bodily exercise profiteth little , 1 tim. 4. 7 , 8. such are those col. 2. 20 , 21. touch not , tast not , handle not , ( and others of like nature ) all which perish in the using , ( there is no real advantage doth ac●rew from the use of them ; 't is but labour lost ; ) or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they are but mischievous in their use . we complain of the papists ( and deservedly ) for loading their worship with a multitude of ceremonies and mimical gestures ; the number of which would be a burthen , even though singly they were tolerable . being so many diversions of the mind from attending the spirituality of the service . but they have some reason for it . for when much of their devotion is either to be spoken so low as not to be heard , or in such a language as not to be understood , they have need of somewhat to gratify the eye , when the ear is not edified . and it is almost the same mischief , when mens minds are amused with nice speculations and needless scrupulosities , whereby they are diverted from the substantials of serious religion . yet i would not so be understood , as if no care were to be had of corporeal worship , or the necessary circumstances attending it . ( for god expects the worship of the body as well as the soul , and religious actions must have their circumstances , as time , place , gesture , and the like , as well as other actions . ) but these circumstantials should be considered as circumstances ( not as the substance of the worship ; ) and as prudentials ; so to be managed ( as in all other actions ) as may , with decency and convenience , best advance the spiritual worship ; and may be varied according as the diversity of times and places may require . not to lay the weight of divine institution upon such little things . as if , because paul kneeled down and prayed ( act. 20. 36. ) therefore it were unlawful to use any other gesture in praying ; or as if , because christ bids , when thou prayest , enter into thy closet and shut the door ( mat. 6. 6. ) therefore we may not pray in the chamber ▪ parlour , dining-room , or chappel : or , because christ did celebrate the lords supper , at night , in an upper-room , to men onely , and but twelve , and to those sitting or lying ; therefore we may not do it at noon or morning , in a low-room , to women as well as men , in greater numbers , or in some other gesture . for though such circumstances may be lawful , and sometimes advisable when convenient ; yet to put a religious necessity upon them , as of divine institution , looks like a piece of superstition . and if we consider seriously how great a mischief many times some needless scruples do create to the church of god ; how great a matter a little fire kindles ; and how great hindrance to real piety ; it might justly make us wary how we add fewel to such a flame , and rather bear with some things we think amiss , ( but may perhaps not be so ) than by attempting to remove a suppos'd evil create a greater mischief . as to the present point in question ; i have said so much upon the whole , as i think might satisfy the gentleman if he well consider it . yet i know , when men have once espoused a notion of which they are fond ; and have so long pored upon it as to rivet it in their mind ; catching at every little thing that may seem to favour it , and slighting whatever makes against it ; ( as we find our author doth very often ; ) and that hardly any thing can be said so plain , as that there be nothing to be cavilled at , by one who is minded so to do ; and that when god hath declared his will as plainly as he thinks fit to do , if men will not be contented with reasonable evidence , he is not obliged to gratify their humours : when ( i say ) we consider this ; it looks somewhat like what solomon tells us prov. 18. 19. of a brother offended , harder to be won than a strong city ; and i must leave the success to god ▪ who so teacheth as none like him . he remits us to two writers on this subject , in defense of the christian sabbath , mr. shepheard and mr. hughs ( whom i have not read , nor have them at hand , ) and two others whom he names not ( nor know i well whom he means , for more than two have since written ; ) who , he thinks , do tacitly retract somewhat that those before had granted . and divers 〈◊〉 have written on this subject ▪ though i have scarce consulted any of them . and particularly i have not seen what is written by dr. young or mr. warren , whom i find cited in a late book of g. t. which came out since this was written and part of it printed . it is very possible , that some of those may have said much of what i now say , or that i may now say somewhat of what they have said before . but , in this , there is no hurt . if in some particulars i vary from some of them ; it is not because i slight them , or out of a desire to contradict them , but freely to speak my own thoughts as they do theirs . nor is it to be expected that all writers on the same subject should agree in every particular , ( nor is he to make advantage of it ; for p. 3. he owns it is so also with those who are for the seventh day : ) but as to the main ( i presume ) we do well enough agree . i have been a great deal longer than i did intend when i first began to write . i shall give you a brief summe of what i have said to this purpose , as to both questions . ( for the question is double , though it seem to be but one . ) first concerning the iewish sabbath , whether that be antiquated and at an end . secondly , concerning the christian sabbath , whether there be sufficient ground for this to succeed in the place thereof . as to the first ; i agree with him in many things which he prosecutes at large , though not peculiar to his question ; as , that our lord iesus christ is god ; that he is the lord iehovah , the god who made the world , who rested the seventh day , who brought israel out of egypt , and gave the law on mount sinai : for there is no other god. but , this i say , he did as god ( in union with the father and holy ghost ; ) not as christ ( god and man ) our mediator and redeemer . for he was not then man ; nor was there occasion of a mediator and redeemer before the fall . i agree also that the decalogue ( or ten commandments ) is obligatory to us gentiles ; ( as being for the substance of it , a law before it was so delivered on mount sinai . ) and that the fourth commandment concerning the sabbath is one of them ; which requires after six days of labour , the seventh day to be a sabbath or day of holy rest. and our christian sabbath is such . but it doth not say , the seventh in course from the creation , nor doth it appear that the iewish sabbath was such , but rather the seventh day from the first raining of manna . i do agree also that god himself did rest on the seventh day from the creation , gen. 2. that is , he did cease to create . but i do not there find , that man did so rest , or that there was any express command for him so to do on that day ; much less for ever after , on every seventh day in course from the creation . how much may be thought to be implyed in those words , he blessed and sanctified it , i will not dispute ; however , it is but by implication not by any express command ; such as our author demands for the christian sabbath . nor do i find that ever it was observed by man till after the israelites coming out of egypt , or expresly commanded so to be . nor do i find that any other nation ( beside the jews ) did anciently so much as divide their time by weeks . since the times of christianity they have : but that they did so , long before that time , i do not find . i do agree also that after israels coming out of egypt they did observe a sabbath , exod. 16. but it was from a new command , ( at marah or elim ) which appeared new to them , not a continuation of a constant practise ; and it was from a new beginning ( the seventh day from the first raining of manna , ) and as a distinctive sign or token , of gods being their god in a special manner , as contradistir guished to other nations ; ( as himself owns p. 26. and 28. ) and as a memorial of their refreshing after their bondage and labour in egypt , and feeding them with bread from heaven . i do presume also that , they did , from this first raining of manna continue a circulation of weeks for a long time , and perhaps till the time of our saviour . yet we are not sure but that it might be intermitted in the seventy years of the babylonish captivity , and the day forgotten ; and then restored a-new by nehemiah ( from a new beginning ) neh. 13. as he restored the feast of tabernacles ( chap. 8. ) which had been intermitted from the days of ioshua the son of nun to that day . but i rather think , the memory was preserved ( by tradition ) during those seventy years . i agree also that the church of the jews was the most visible church of god , but i am loth to say ( with him , p. 79. ) it was the whole visible church ; for i presume there might be many good men of other nations , who worshiped the true god ( of whom we have no history , ) though not joined to the jewish church , nor were ( that i know of ) obliged so to be . such was melchizedek ( whoever he were ) not of the seed of abraham , much less of israel . and such was iob , and his friends from divers countries ( of whom , were it not for the story of iob , we should have had no knowledge , ) nor are we to think these were the onely persons of those countries who worshiped the true god. and how many such were in other nations , we cannot tell . who might , if they had opportunity , join as proselites with the iewish church , when established . but i do not think they were necessarily obliged so to do , or to keep the same sabbath with them . for i take it to be true , even before christs coming , that god is no respecter of persons ; but in every nation , he that feareth him and worketh righteousness , is accepted with him . act. 10. 34 , 35. whether iew or greek , rom. 2. 10 , 11. 1 pet. 1. 17. which are but quotations from deut. 10. 19. nor do i find that any nation , except the iews , did observe the iewish sabbath . but i rather take it to be a distinctive sign of them from other nations , ex. 31. 13 , 17. as circumcision and the pass-over were ; which , when the wall of partition was taken away , ceased also . yet , as to what was moral in them ( the circumcision of the heart being pointed at by that of the flesh ; and the old leaven of malice and wickedness to be put away instead of that of bread ; and a rest from sin of more respect with god than that from labour ; ) we have instead thereof , baptism , in the room of circumcision ; the lords supper , in the room of the pass-over ; and the lords day or christian sabbath , instead of the iewish . and , as that took date from the raining of manna after their deliverance from egypt ; so ours from the resurrection of christ , the true manna . i agree also that the apostle , and other christians , even after christs resurrection , did go to the temple and the jewish synagogues on their sabbath days ( and did there assist at prayers , and reading the law , and other services common to jews and christians ) on a like account as when we now meet to hear a sermon , or keep a fast or thanksgiving on a week-day . but so they did as to circumcision , and other iewish rites . as when paul circumcised timothy , and joined in the jewish rites of purification , act. 21. on account of those believing iews who were yet zealous of the law : to testify to them that he had been misrepresented by those who said he did teach the iews which are among the gentiles to forsake moses , and that they ought not to circumcise their children , nor to walk after the customs . whereas indeed he taught that gentiles ought so to forbear , ( as being a new yoke to which before they were not subject , ) but as to the iews which were amongst the gentiles he did allow them ( if not yet satisfied of their christian liberty ) so to practise . for he puts a great difference between the gentiles , and the iews among the gentiles ; of which i doubt our author doth not take notice ; else he would not tell us ( p. 39. ) of paul's writing one thing , and practising another . he preached and wrote against circumcision as to the gentiles ; but allowed it to the iews ; and himself practised it , as to timothy ( a jew ) but not as to titus who was no iew. and the like we may say as to the iewish sabbath on their seventh day . as to what services were peculiarly christian ( as breaking of bread ) they did it not at the temple or synagogues , but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at home , or from house to house , act. 2. 46. and on another day , the first day of the week , act. 20. 7. now this is all that he hath to urge , for the iewish sabbath in particular : which he cannot shew to be commanded to all the world ( but rather to them in particular in contradistinction to the rest of the world , ) nor that it was a seventh day from the creation , but from the first raining of manna . for the fourth commandment saith nothing of this sabbath in particular , but onely of the seventh day after six days of labour . as to that imperious demand , p. 40 , 48 , 64. where is there any such power recorded in scripture to be given to any man or men whatsoever , after christ had said it is finished , to alter the seventh-day sabbath instituted by our lord iesus christ ? i doubt he hath forgotten that the same god who gave the law of the ten commandments , gave also the ceremonial law ; and if it were the lord iesus christ who gave the one , it was he that gave the other also . and will he then ask where is there any power recorded in scripture to be given to any man or number of men to abolish circumcision and the rest of the mosaick rites instituted by the lord iesus christ ? i know no such power recorded in scripture to be given , as to circumcision and the rest , more than as to the iewish sabbath . and we find them both put together col. 2. 11 , 16. or will he say , where is any power recorded in scripture to be given to any man or men , ( after christ had said it is finished , ) to appoint elders and deacons and other officers in the christian church , and give orders concerning it , which christ ( before he so said , ) had not given ? yet we know circumcision was abolished , and such officers and orders given . so that all this is but flourish . as to that of christ having said it is finished ; whatever be meant by that , we know that the whole order and constitution of the christian church was settled after that time : and whatever else be signified by it , it is not meant that there was nothing to be done further concerning it ; for , if so , to what purpose did christ give commandments to his apostles , of things pertaining to the kingdome of god after his resurrection , if nothing were to be further done ? and if we consider the apostles deportment ; we do not find them any where insist authoritatively upon a power given them from christ , to abrogate circumcision or the like , and thereupon to proceed pro imperio . but they argue it from the nature of the thing , that what was typical of christ , was at an end now christ is come ; that what was distinctive of the jews from other nations , was now to cease when the partition wall was broken down ; that what were but shadows as to the substantials of religion , were now to pass away , as beggarly rudiments , christ regarding the body or substance not the shadows ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , these are but shadows in comparison of what christ came to settle , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , but 't is the body ( the substance ) that christ respects , col. 2. 17. they do not command , but argue . they do no where pretend that god or christ had given them authority to abrogate a law which god had made : but argue ( from the nature of the thing ) that the law was ceased ; and was not intended to oblige longer : that the law was now antiquated or expired when the end for which it was made was attained : that the types were at an end , when the thing typified was exhibited : that the distinctive marks were now no more of use , when jews and gentiles were united : that the elements or rudiments ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) which god ( for reasons best known to himself ) thought fit for the training-up of his church while as in a state of minority ( wherein a child though heir of all doth little differ from a servant ) should now cease when it comes to full age , gal. 4. and to the same purpose heb. 8. he argues that the old covenant was at an end when a better covenant was come in the room ; citing that of ier. 31. behold the days come , saith the lord , when i will make a new covenant with the house of israel and with the house of iudah : not according to the covenant which i made with their fathers when i led them out of the land of egypt , for this is the covenant that i will make , that i will put my laws into their mind , and write them in their hearts . meaning , instead of an outward ceremonial service , he would establish a service more spiritual . from whence he concludes the antiquation of the former : in that he saith a new covenant , he hath made the first old : now that which decayeth and waxeth old , is ready to vanish away ▪ they do not claim a power , to abolish a law of gods making ; but prove by argument , that these laws are antiquated or expired ; as not being intended , by the law-maker , to bind longer than till such a time . as rom. 7. the woman is bound by the law to her husband as long as he lives ; but if the husband be dead , she is free from the law : not that the law is abolished ; but the case is altered . and it is from these considerations that he argues against circumcision col. 2. 11. and the iewish sabbath , ver . 16. for as to the substantials of the service , provided a sabbath be duly kept , it is much one whether on the seventh or the first day . now these ( substantials ) are ( he tells us p. 83. ) a lively spiritual converse with the father , son and holy-ghost , in private duties and publick ordinances ( where they can be had , ) and in a holy rest all that day , saving emergent cases of necessity and mercy . which may be equally done on either day . but as to those who were not satisfied with these arguments ; ( if they were such as were before under those commands ) he doth not urge his authority ; he leaves them to practise according to their own judgment ( but without censuring others ) till they shall be better satisfied , as in rom. 14. but as to the gentiles , who had never been under these laws , the case was otherwise . which makes him argue otherwise with the ( gentile ) galatians , ephesians , and colossians , than with the christian iews at rome . and as to his question , p. 47. when , where , and by whom , it was taken away , i say then , there , and by the same , who took away circumcision and the other mosaick rites . that is , fundamentally by christ at his death who nailed them to his cross , after which they ceased to be obligatory ; but executively and practically by his apostles , and the christian church , according as they did ( leisurably and in time ) come to understand their liberty . all which we are to presume they did according to such directions as christ gave them . for ( as this author observes p. 80. ) paul , in those primitive times , when the ceremonial law was fresh in memory , and the gospel newly preached , had much a do t●●e move the first converted iews from circumcision and other ceremonials , ( and so from their iewish sabbath ; ) therefore these things were to wear off by degrees , and not to be torn from them all at once . and this i think is enough ( to a person not prejudiced ) as to the removal of the ( then ) iewish sabbath ; appointed by moses after their coming out of egypt , on the seventh day from the first raining of manna , and not given to all the world , but to be a distinctive sign of them from other nations . now as to the other point in question , the observation of the lords day : i would ground that originally on the fourth commandment ; which doth appoint a seventh day of holy rest , after six days of ordinary labour . which doth directly concern the substantials of worship ( that a sabbath be kept and god thus served ) , but whether on this or that day of the seven , is meerly circumstantial , and ( as paul calls it ) a shadow , in comparison of the body or substance , which is , he tells us , what christ respects . but then as to that , why the first day rather than another ? i answer , first , here was a much more memorable accident , of christs resurrection ; than was that of raining manna , from whence the jewish sabbath takes its date , as the seventh day from it ( not from the creation ) or that of the quails the night before , ( the first day that god fed them by miracle from heaven , ) and therefore stands as fair for beginning such a circulation of weeks and sabbaths . we are told ier. 16. 14 , 15. and ier. 23 , 7 , 8. behold the days come ( saith the lord ) that it shall no more be said , the lord liveth that brought up the children of israel out of the land of egypt ; but , the lordliveth that brought up the children of israel out of the north country . not , that the former deliverance was to be forgotten ; but a greater than it did make it ( comparatively ) to disappear ( as when the light of the sun doth obscure that of the moon and stars ; ) and so here , the resurrection of christ to be commemorated paramount to that of former mercies . next , in pursuance of this occasion , we find our saviour did on that day of his resurrection , appear to mary magdalen and the other women , declaring to them the doctrine of the resurrection ▪ then , to the two disciples going to emmaus , preaching to them ( at large ) the same doctrine , and celebrating with them the lords supper ; and afterward ( the same day ) to those assembled at ierusalem ( with other sabbatical works ) and solemnly blessing that convention . and if our author by blessing the seventh day gen. 2. would have us understand an institution or command to observe it ; we have as much here ; christ joined in this assembly , and blessed it . for so much is intimated in that his solemn benediction ( a first and second time , ioh. 20. 19 , 21. ) peace be unto you ; and he breathed on them saying , receive ye the holy ghost . he did so a second time on the same day the next week ; he assembled with them ( in religious services ) and blessed them . he did ( according to his promise made on that first day of his resurrection ) send on them that miraculous effusion of the holy ghost on the day of pentecost , which being the fiftieth day from his resurrection , was therefore the first day of the week as was that of the resurrection . on which day of pentecost we find them also otherwise exercised in religious employments , and attested further by a miraculous conversion of three thousand souls . we find st. paul at troas act. 20. preaching to the disciples assembled ( as it seems their manner was ) on the first day of the week to break bread ; that is , to celebrate the lords supper . that such assemblies were wont to be at corinth , on the first day of the week , the apostle presumes , or takes for granted ; and gives direction for a collection to be then made , 1 cor. 16. and he had so done before , as he there signifies , to the churches of galatia ; presuming or taking for granted , that they also did so use to meet on the first day of the week . and we have no reason to doubt but that such meetings were wont to be in other churches . we cannot doubt but that other of the apostles did disperse themselves in other parts of the world , though we have not a like account of their travels , as we have of paul's recorded by st. luke : but we are to presume ( though it be not recorded ) that their doctrine and practise was consonant to his ; and that accordingly they had such weekly meetings on the lords day as these churches had of whom we have the history . hence that day had the name given of the lords day , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , as we find it called rev. 1. 10. ( as that of the sacrament is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the lords supper , 1 cor. 11. 20. ) which name it retaineth to this day , and for such purpose . and all this , i think , is sufficient for us to continue our observation of the same day . i am sure 't is much more than he can shew for his seventh-day sabbath for more than two thousand five hundred years from the first creation . it is not necessary that we have express words of command recorded . we have no record in scripture of such express words of command for the seventh-day sabbath , till after israels coming out of egypt ; nor for the worshiping of god by sacrifice ; nor for other things which yet were duties before any record of such express words of command . it is enough if we can otherwise collect it to be gods will , according to the best light we have . if this gentleman think himself obliged to keep the jewish sabbath also : this doth not hurt us . this , i think , was the case of the christian iews at first . i do not much question but that they did , as other christians , observe the lords day . the doubt was , whether they were not to observe also the jewish sabbath as before they did . and these believers who were yet zealous of the law , and thought themselves obliged , together with christianity , to observe the law of moses , did no doubt think themselves equally obliged to the iewish sabbath . those who thought themselves obliged to be baptized , and to be circumcised also , thought themselves in like manner obliged to observe the lords day and also the iewish sabbath . and ( till they should be better satified ) the apostles permit ( the iews ) so to do . if this do not satisfy him ; i have yet two expedients for him . 1. let him begin his week on monday ▪ and then sunday will be the seventh day . whether the seventh in course from the creation , i cannot tell ; nor can any man living inform me . but it will at least be the seventh day of his week . 2. if he be not satisfied with this : my next expedient is thus . let him take a voyage round the world , as sir francis drake did . going out of the atlantick ocean west-ward by the streights of magellan to the east-indies ; and then , from the east , returning by the cape of good hope ( the usual way ) homeward . and take with him as many as please of those who are of his mind . and let them keep their saturday-sabbath all the way . when they come home to england , they will find their saturday to fall upon our sunday ; and they may thenceforth continue to observe their saturday-sabbath on the same day with us . which is the second expedient . if you ask , how this can be ? i will make it very plain , that so it will be , and so it must be . for , supposing the earth to be round , and the sun moving from east to west ; you must allow that it comes sooner to the eastern parts than to the western . it will sooner be noon in holland than in england , and sooner here than in ireland . if you ask , how much sooner ? we say , that fifteen degrees of longitude west-ward , makes it an hour later . as if he embark about dover , yarmouth , or other port on the east-side of england , and sail as far west-ward as the west of ireland ( or a little farther ) it will be an hour later , and not be noon there till it be one a clock at the place where he embarked . and so in proportion , an hour for every fifteen degrees . and accordingly , when he hath gone round the whole circle of three hundred and sixty degrees , ( that is four and twenty times fifteen , ) it will be later by four and twenty hours ▪ that is , it will be but saturday-noon with him , when it is sundaynoon with those who staid here . that is , his saturday will be our sunday . and thenceforth his saturday-sabbath will be the same day with our sunday-sabbath ever after . and this , i think , should fully satisfy him . for he tells us , p. 39. the variety of the time of the sun-rising or setting in different climates doth no way disturb ; for that a day longer , or shorter is still a day , and but a day ▪ most certain it is he who shall have thus sailed round the world will have had one day fewer than those who staid here . so it was with sir francis drake and his company : and so it hath been with all who have taken such a voyage , ( as many have done , for it is not a rare case : ) and so will be to any who shall so do . what he would resolve upon this case , or what he thinks sir francis drake was to do when this happened ; i cannot tell . if he would go on to reckon the days according as they had happened to him in his voyage ; then this expedient must fully satisfy him . for then he keeps his saturday-sabbath on our sunday . if he thinks the account should be rectified when or before he comes home , and call the days thenceforth as he finds those to do that staid here , what shall be come of that day he hath lost ? and which day of the week shall he reckon that to be ? and when must he rectify that account ? when he comes home , or somewhere by the way ? for it would be just the same , if , before he come at england , he should have landed in france or spain , or on the coast of africk , or even at the east-indies ; and all the way from thence , he would still be a day behind them . and so he would be with every ship that in his way he should meet with . if he and such other ship meet at the isle of st. helens to take fresh water , his saturday will be their sunday ; and on which of the two days are they to keep their sabbath ? or must they keep it one on the one day , and the other on the other ? if he say that the account is to be rectified by the way ( before he comes home ) then where ? or when ? and by what rule ? for when ever he doth so rectify it , he must then begin to call sunday what just before he was to call saturday . if he say , this must be left to discretion , when , and where : then must it be matter of discretion ( and not determin'd by the fourth commandment ) on which of the two days in question the sabbath shall be kept . but then here will again come in our amazing demand ( as p. 48 , 86 , 87. ) what man or men , without an high usurpation of the divine authority , contrary to the first commandment shall , with pretended good intentions , assume an authority of their own heads , to appoint ( for this or that place ; suppose the streights of magellan ) what day shall be the lords holy sabbath ? who , but our lord iesus christ , that is lord of the sabbath , hath power to institute a sabbath day ? if the church or any part thereof be once admitted to have such power , what bolts or locks will be strong enough for such a door , to keep it from letting in upon the churches of christ what soever pleaseth those in power ? i shall not much trouble my self to answer all this warmth . but ( when that is over ) if at or near the streights of magellan ( a place , i think , not inhabited , or not by christian , ) a colony be planted by some from hence , and some from the east-indies ; those who come thither from hence will ( according to their account ) call that saturday , which those who come thither from the other side will ( according to their account ) call sunday : must they have no sabbath at all ? ( that 's against the fourth commandment : ) or must they by consent agree upon the day ? ( this i should think , if he would give me leave : ) or must they keep it some upon one day some on the other ? this i would by no means advise , if it may be avoided : because it would be a manifest confusion and disorder ; and they would not both ( if either ) be the seventh-day in course from the creation : and which of them is so , is not possible for any man to know . and it would be more for common edification that they do agree upon a common day . and not much matter , whether of the two. this gentleman , if he can consider of it calmly , i am apt to think will be of the same mind ; and think it better to have such a sabbath than none at all ; and that the little circumstance , whether on this or that day , should be disregarded in comparison of the substantials of the duty . there be many things which the word of god or the divine law doth determine in thesi , which when in hypothesi they come in practise , will require the intervention of prudentials or humane laws . the eighth commandment says , i must not steal , or take unduly from my neighbour what is his : but , what is mine , and what is my neighbours , will depend much upon humane laws ; and , what shall be reputed a trespass on my neighbours land ; or , a forfeiture of his right . the seventh commandment says , thou shalt not commit adultery : but it will depend much upon humane law , what shall be reputed a good marriage . the sixth commandment says thou shalt not kill : but it will much depend upon humane law what shall be reputed self-defense , or a just war , or a forfeiture of life . the fifth commandment requires us to honour and obey our parents ; but , in many cases , 't is humane law that is to determine , who is to be reputed the father . if a widow be left whith child by a former husband , and marry another before that child be born ( which sometime happens ; ) 't will be a point in law , not in divinity , to whether of the two fathers this son shall be heir . and if my father require me to part with what estate is my own , 't will be a point in law , how far i am required to obey such a command . ( and the like as to other superiours , as well as natural parents . ) and those laws which seem absolute ( as thou shalt not kill , thou shalt not steal , &c. ) have yet their tacite limitations implied . for no man doubts but there are cases wherein to kill may be lawful ; as in self-defense , in a just war , and for capital crimes ; and in such cases , to take from our neighbour what was his. and , notwithstanding the command of honour thy father and mother , or that of children obey your parents in all things ; there may things happen , wherein we are not obliged to do what they bid us . and in all such cases there is room for prudence to interpose . not , to abrogate or repeal a law of god ; but to judge what is the true intent of that law. so not withstanding that command of the sabbath , in it thou shall do no manner of work ; yet our saviour tells us , the priests in the temple profane the sabbath and are blameless ; and against the pharisees superstitious rigour he argues , not onely from his own authority ( the son of man is lord of the sabbath-day ) but from the reason of the law , the sabbath was made for man , and not man for the sabbath ; and consequently is so to be understood as may be for the good of man ( spiritual and bodily ) not for his hurt . and our author allows the emergent cases of necessity and mercy ; and no man doubts but that if a house be on fire , we may labour to quench it . in all which cases prudence may be used , but must not ( upon that pretense ) be abused . not as if it were left to our prudence , whether or no the law of god shall be obeyed ; but , what is , in such cases , the true intendment of the law of god. and there needs no other locks or bolts ( as our author speaks ) to confine prudence in such cases , than in all other prudential acts. so when the fourth commandment requires us to keep holy the sabath-day ; it may yet , in many cases , depend much upon prudence or humane laws , which day shall be reputed the sabbath . and if this author tell us , it must be the seventh in course from the creation ; we are never a whit the nearer . for though he take great pleasure , on all occasions , to exclaim against tradition ; yet he must admit a great deal of tradition to intervene before he can prove this or that day to be a seventh in course from the creation . i am apt to think also , that when he hath well consider'd the case of sr. francis drake ( and many more since that time , who sailing round the world , as he did , have lost a day , ) he will come to one of these two resolutions : either that when he comes back to england he must continue to call that saturday which on his account was so ; ( and then his saturday-sabbath will be the same with our sunday : ) or else that his account must be somewhere rectified in his voyage by skipping a day ; and then and there beginning to call sunday what , just before , he was to call saturday . now because there is nothing in nature to determine where this must be ; nor is there any thing of divine institution ( that i know of ) to determine where it shall be ; it seems to me to be prudential , or most rational , ( if nothing intervene to counterbalance it , ) to be at what we call the first meridian , from whence we reckon the degrees of longitude , east-ward , 1 , 2 , 3 , &c. and so onward till we come round to 360 , at the same meridian again ; and thence begin to reckon onward 1 , 2 , 3 , &c. as before , for another round . this first meridian , in ptolemy's time , was accounted to be about the western part of the african shore ; as being the most western part of the world then known . of later times , geographers have been pleased to remove it more west , about the islands called azores , or the flemish islands . but all agree to place it between our continent and that of america . and if from that meridian , from whence we reckon the beginning of longitude , we reckon also the beginning of days ; then the last of saturday must there end , and the first of sunday must there begin . and therefore at that meridian the sailers round the world should rectify their account , calling it saturday on the one side of it , and sunday on the other ; that being the latest of saturday , and the soonest of sunday . he will tell me perhaps , that , by this account , if we keep our sabbath on sunday , those in new-england must be said to keep theirs on monday , as being on the other side of that meridian . and 't is true , it would so follow . and therefore i did interpose , if nothing else do intervene to counterbalance it . and this is what i did at first intimate , as disputable , whether we and they in new-england are to be said to keep our sabbath on the same day . but it is the same case as to the whole continent of america . and the same resolution will reach all . and therefore , the thing being once settled by the common consent of all , i would by no means advise to change the day . for the placing the first meridian is purely arbitrary . it might as well have been placed beyond america , ( if men had so pleased , and that america had been known in ptolemy's time ) as on this side : ( and we might have numbred our degrees of longitude westward , as now we do eastward : ) and may be so reputed now , if men so please ( as it is now reputed about 10 or 15 degrees more to the westward than it was in ptolemy's days . ) and it is purely arbitrary , where to begin to change the name of the day which is to be so called ; whether at the first meridian , or else-where . and consequently 't is purely arbitrary or discretional , whether in america such day shall be called sunday or monday . there is nothing in the fourth commandment , nor in the word of god , to determine it . but it so happening , that america hath been peopled from europe , traveling westward from hence ( without taking notice that we cross the first meridian , ) we have reckoned the days ( and so named them ) according as they appeared to those upon their voyage who went thither . whereas if it had been peopled ( i mean , as to the christians there ) from asia and the east-indies ( by people coming thence to the other side of america ) what there is now called sunday , would ( for the like reason ) have been called monday : and the fourth commandment equally observed either way . and upon a like account christians in the east-indies , and in china and iapan , traveling eastward from hence thither , do call their days there according as they appeared to fall out to them in the course of their voyage . now 't is true , that some part of the day which we here call sunday , is coincident with some part of what is so called in iapan , and also some part of our sunday ( though not the same part ) is coincident with part of theirs in america . but very little of theirs in the east of iapan , with theirs in the west of america . about eleven a clock at night in the one ( or yet later ) before it begins to be one a clock in the morning in the other , ( scarce an hour in common ) according to our ancient maps . ( our later maps make it somewhat more , as if it might be ten at night in the one , when it begins to be two in the morning at the other . ) yet these pass for the same sunday . and 't is well enough so to reckon . but it is prudentially so : because the chief trade and intercourse of america , is with europe ; not with asia . and therefore it is considered as lying west from europe ; rather than as east from iapan . and accordingly it is so placed in our maps . and though we continue to reckon our longitude as from a meridian between us and america , yet the account of our days we begin as from a meridian beyond it , between america and asia . which is not said to raise new scruples , ( as if i would advise an alteration of a received computation ; which is well enough as it is ; and i know not how to mend it : ) but to shew there is an unavoidable necessity of leaving much to prudential considerations , what day shall be reputed sunday , and what the sabbath , in this or that place . and therefore it cannot reasonably be thought the design of the fourth commandment to confine us to such circumstantial niceties , which do not at all influence the substantials of worship . the fourth commandment requires the seventh day of holy rest , after six days of ordinary labour . but of a seventh day in course from the creation to be so observed , it saith nothing : nor is it possible for us to know . the iews observed a seventh day in course from the first raining of manna ; but i do not know how that concerns us ; or , if it did , how we shall know which is that day ? ( for this gentleman will not allow tradition to be a good proof . ) we observe a seventh day in course from what ( we think ) the apostles did observe . if we mistake our reckoning ( which i think we do not ) it is not a culpable ignorance ; for it is according to the best light we have . this day we are in possession of , and the christian church hath so been for many hundred years . and he that would dispossess us of it , must shew a better title . ( the old rule is , possidentis potior est ratio . ) to change meerly for change sake , is foolish . if he would lay a divine necessity on us to observe the iewish sabbath from the first raining of manna ( if at least that be the day by them observed in our saviours time ; ) he must make it clear to us , which is that day ( by a better argument , if he can , than tradition : ) and , that we are of necessity obliged to that day ; which was ( himself acknowledges ) a distinctive sign of them from other nations , as circumcision also was . and if this distinctive mark ( when the partition wall is broken down ) do as much cease as that did : 't is as truly superstition now to put a necessity upon it , as upon circumcision . which though the apostles would , for a while , permit to the jews ; ( to whom it had once been a law ) till they should be better satisfied ; yet would by no means allow to the gentiles , to whom it had not before been a law. and i think the case is just the same of the iewish sabbath as contradistinguished to the lords day . i am yours , &c. finis . a briefe polemicall dissertation, concerning the true time of the inchoation and determination of the lordsday-sabbath. wherein is clearly and irrefragably manifested by scripture, reason, authorities, in all ages till this present: that the lordsday begins and ends at evening; and ought to be solemnized from evening to evening: against the novel errours, mistakes of such, who groundlesly assert; that it begins and ends at midnight, or day-breaking; and ought to be sanctified from midnight to midnight, or morning to morning: whose arguments are here examined, refuted as unsound, absurd, frivolous. compiled in the tower of london, and now published, for the information, reformation of all contrary judgment or practise. by william prynne of swainswick esq;. prynne, william, 1600-1669. this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a91155 of text in the english short title catalog (thomason e814_11). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. 272 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 54 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo 2017 a91155 wing p3916 thomason e814_11 99863261 99863261 115451 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a91155) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 115451) images scanned from microfilm: (thomason tracts ; 124:e814[11]) a briefe polemicall dissertation, concerning the true time of the inchoation and determination of the lordsday-sabbath. wherein is clearly and irrefragably manifested by scripture, reason, authorities, in all ages till this present: that the lordsday begins and ends at evening; and ought to be solemnized from evening to evening: against the novel errours, mistakes of such, who groundlesly assert; that it begins and ends at midnight, or day-breaking; and ought to be sanctified from midnight to midnight, or morning to morning: whose arguments are here examined, refuted as unsound, absurd, frivolous. compiled in the tower of london, and now published, for the information, reformation of all contrary judgment or practise. by william prynne of swainswick esq;. prynne, william, 1600-1669. [6], 72, 65-72, 89-96, 89-92 [i.e. 98], [1] p. printed by t. mabb for edward thomas dwelling in green arbour, london, : 1655. p. 98 is misnumbered 92. annotation on thomason copy: "nouem: 3d"; the 5 in imprint date has been crossed out and date altered to 1654. reproduction of the original in the british library. eng sabbath -early works to 1800. sunday -early works to 1800. a91155 (thomason e814_11). civilwar no a briefe polemicall dissertation, concerning the true time of the inchoation and determination of the lordsday-sabbath.: wherein is clearly prynne, william 1655 47630 607 0 0 0 0 0 127 f the rate of 127 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the f category of texts with 100 or more defects per 10,000 words. 2007-02 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2007-03 apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images 2007-07 jonathan blaney sampled and proofread 2007-07 jonathan blaney text and markup reviewed and edited 2008-02 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a briefe polemicall dissertation , concerning the true time of the inchoation and determination of the lords day-sabbath . wherein is clearly and irrefragably manifested by scripture , reason , authorities , in all ages till this present : that the lordsday begins and ends at evening ; and ought to be solemnized from evening to evening : against the novel errours , mistakes of such , who groundlesly assert ; that it begins and ends at midnight , or day-breaking , and ought to be sanctified from midnight to midnight , or morning to morning : whose arguments are here examined , refuted as unsound , absurd , frivolous . compiled in the tower of london , and now published , for the information , reformation of all contrary judgment or practise . by william prynne of swainswick esq. levit. 22. 32. from even to even shall yee rest , or celebrate your sabbath . capitula caroli & ludovici imperatorum lib. 6. cap. 186. 202. diem dominicum secundum reverentiam colite ; opus servile , id est , agrum , pratum , viniam , vel si qua graviora sunt , in eo non faciatis ; nec causas , nec calumnias inter vos ditatis , sed tantum divinis cultibus serviatis , & a vespera ad vesperā dies dominicus servetur : placuit ut fideles diem dominicum , in quo dominus resurrexit , omnes venerabiliter colant . nam si pagani , ob memoriam & reverentiam deorum suorum quosdam dies colunt , & judaei more carnali sabbatum carnaliter observant , quanto magis iste dies à christianis honorifice colendus est , ne in illo sancto die vanis fabulis , aut locutionibus , sive cantationibus vel saltationibus , aut divisionibus , stando in biviis & plateis , ut solet , in serviant : sed ad sacerdotem , aut ad aliquom sapientem hominem & veniant , & eorum praedicationibus & bonis locutionibus , quae ad animam pertinent , utantur , & illo die seu sabbato ad vesperas , & ad matutinas , sive ad missam cum eorum oblationibus , si fieri potest , omnes cavendo , kyrie eleision , decantent . similiter pastores pecorum eundo & redeundo in campum , & ad domum faciant , ut omnes eos verè christianos , & devotes cognostant . london , printed by t. mabb for edward thomas dwelling in green arbour , 1655. to the christian reader . kinde reader , give me leave to inform thee of the true original cause impelling me to compile this dissertation at least 20 years since , whiles a prisoner in the tower of london . when i was a student and puny barrester in lincolns inne , it was the constant custome of that house and all other inns of court from all-saints eve , to candlemas night , to keep open revels , dancing , dicing and musick in their hals ever saturday night ( as we usually call it ) till eleven or twelve of the clock , and many times till 4. in the morning or later ; by reason of which abuse , the lordsday was much prophaned , and god publike ordinances on the lordsday morning , neglected , by the revellers , students , officers , gamesters , musicians and spectators , who slept out the forenoon sermons and other divine exercises for the most part , either in their beds or at church , if they resorted to it : which being a great corasive to my spirit , grief to my heart , and scandall to many religious lawyers , students and our lecturers . i used my best endeavours to reform this long continued abuse ; and by my interest in some pious benchers of lincolns inne , procured them by an order of counsel to suppresse all publique gaming and dicing in the hall , with all grand christmasses and disorders on that abused season ; and likewise to restrain the length of their revels on saturday nights , by confining them to a certain houre , though they could not totally suppresse them , as they and i desired , being over ruled therein by the majority of the benchers , pleading long prescription , custome , and unwillingness : to displease the revellers and young students , for their continuance : whereupon i did in my histriomastix printed 1632. ( dedicated to the * benchers of lincolns inne ) produce the decrees , laws , statutes , canons of many christian emperours , kings , states , councils , and resolutions of fathers , casuists , schoolmen , and protestant divines forraign and domestick , to prove the unlawfulnesse of stage plays , revels , dancing , gaming , sports , and pastimes on the lordsday , and on saturday nights , ( as we usually stiled them ) proving at large page 638. to 647. by sundry reasons and authorities in all ages ( there cited ) and likewise in the table : that the lordsday begins saturday evening , not at morning or midnight following ; that so , i might in point of conscience , suppresse all revels , gaming and disorders used in our innes of court and elsewhere throughout the realm , on saturday nights , being part of the lords own dayes , fit to be spent in better exercises of piety and devotion . this assertion of the lordsdayes inception at evening , being contrary to the received opinion of most of our modern writers and divines , was looked upon as a strange novelty by many , as well as my histriom●stix , and censure of stage playes as unlawfull , unchristian pastimes ; for which ( though licensed by archbishop abhots chaplain ) i was committed prisoner to the tower of london by the lords of the councill , febr. 1. 1632. and afterwards severely censured in the starre chamber , for it , as scandalous to the king , queen , court , state through lawds and others malice and prevailing power ; which sentence was since reversed by the unanimous vote of both houses of parliament , as illegal and given without any cause at all . hereupon for the satisfaction of some christian friends as well lawyers as divines , who scrupelled this opinion of the lordsday●s evening inchoa●ion ( though they could not answer , nor deny the reasons and authorities there produced by me , for its justification ) i did in the year 1633. compile this dissertation , in the tower●which i communicated to my learned friends of the law and ministery , who professed themselves aboundantly satisfied with it ; some of them transcribing copies thereof for their private use . after which , to passe my solitary prison houres with as much publike benefit , as i could , i went through all the controversies touching the sabboath , lordsday , and more especially concerning the use of pastimes on it ; which the kings ( or rather lawds ) declaration for sports , occasioned ; and bishop white , dr. heylin , dr. pocklington , and others had then raised , debated in their discours●s , and histories of the sabbath ; with an intention to have published them at that season . but the printing presses being locked up and strictly watched by lawd and the bishops then swaying , against all treatises of this subject in opposition to the anti-sabbatarian pamphlets , i was necessitated to lay them by for that season , and to communicate some of them to such friends , who made use of them in some of their printed discourses of the sabboath , and lordsday , since the prelates power was ecclipsed : onely i then contenting my selfe with a preface to my brother burtons divine tragedy , or examples of gods judgments upon sabbath-breakers ; and some necessary additions to the second impression of his dialogue between a. and b. concerning the sabbaths morality , and unlawfulnesse of pastimes on the lordsday , both printed in the year 1636. beyond the seas , to the great satisfaction of godly christians . after which , gods providence diverted my thoughts and studies to other seasonable subjects and publications , * against our lordly prelates pretended divine right , popish innovations , usurpations on the kings prerogative , and peoples liberties , treasons , schismes in all ages , which occasioned their downfall not long after . these wily foxes being unable to answer my books against them , thereupon by a * second unrighteous tyrannical censure in star-chamber , and extravagant councel table orders sent me close prisoner , first to carnarvan castle in northwales , and from thence to mountorguiel castle in jersey , debarring me the liberty of pen , ink , paper , books , accesse of friends , and all humane conversation , to hinder me from writing ; seised all my books , writings , papers they could meet with , searching divers of my friends houses as well as my chamber and study for that end : yet god● providence preserved this small treatise ( with some others touching the sabbath lordsday , and unlawfulnesse of sports or pastimes on them , against which i mustered up the concurrent opions of fathers , councils , christian emperours , princes edicts , popish , protestant writers of all sorts in all ages , yet unpublished ) from their clutches , and the strict seaches of other late grandees since ; and brought them safe to my hands again , when i deemed them quite lost . whereupon , conceiving it agreeable to gods good pleasure ( who miraculously preserved this dissertation above twenty years space , during all my troubles , and amids our publique wars and revolutions ) that it should be made publike for the information and benefit of his church , people , and not be buried in oblivion ; and being the onely compleat treatise of this subject , i ever yet beard off ; which others have but briefly , slightly touched , rather then handled in their discourses os the sabbath or lords-day ; i thereupon resolved to make it publike , and committed it to the presse , in this sceptic all age , when too many divines , as well ( as * jesuits and sectaries ) make it the main part of their divinity and religion , to vent and cry up new , empty , frothy notions , whimsies , fancies , old forgotten herefies , and uncouth conceipts , in a kinde of new canting language , ( which themselves and others hardly understand ) to * draw away disciples after them , and undermine those ancient setled truths and principles of religion , which all orthodox christians in former ages have constantly believed , received , practised without dispute ; which hath produced very sad effects , eaten ●ut the sinew , practise of piety ; the life * power of godliness , as well as the form thereof , and made many sorward professors heretofore meer seekers , self-seekers , sc●pticks , anti-scripturists , ranters , nullisidians , hereticks , separatists , blasphemers , covenant-breakers , antinomians , ( trampling all laws of god and men under feet like dirt ) and some professed atheists as well as anarchists . to prevent which mischiefs for the future , i shall recommend this advise of the apostle to all sincere christians , 1 john 4. 1. beloved believe not every spirit , but try the spirits ( by the word of god ) whether they are of god ; because many false prophets are ( now ) gone out into the world . * preferre ancient truth , before new pretended light , as most * do old wine before new . * illud verius , quod antiquius : and if so , then they need not doubt , but in this controversie , i have the truth on my side , because all antiquity concurs unanimously with me , as well as the scriptures . i shall conclude with jer. 6. 16. thus saith the lord , stand yee in the wayes and see , and ask for the old paths , where is the good way , and walk therein , and ye sholl find rest to your souls . and though many now say ( as the obstinate israelites did then to god ) we will not walk therein : yet i trust all the true saints and servants of god , will readily obey this divine and safe command in these * pe●illous times of novelty , desperate apostacy , and antichristian pride , when too many * oppose and exalt themselves , above all that is called god , or that is worshipped , obeying no laws of god or man , and carrying all laws divine and humane in the arbitrary rols and records of their own breasts , like so many roman pontifs , making their own * wils and lusts their onely law ; to gods dishonour , religions slander , all good mens grief , the ill example of future ages , and hastning of gods judgments on us to our scourge or ruine . farewell . a brief polemicall dissertation concerning the trve time of the inchoation and determination of the lords-day . it hath been a great question of late times among private christians , and divines , when the lords-day ( being no artificiall , but a a naturall day consisting of 24 hours , as they generally acknowledge ) should begin and end ? whether at evening , morning , or midnight ? certainly , if i may freely vent my thoughts without offence , i conceive ( under correction of graver judgements ) that in divine & true account , it begins & ends at evening , immediately after sun-set , when the twilight ends , and the b evening starre begins to shine : a truth so manifest , in my poor apprehension , that it is uncap●ble of any dispute . for the clearer resolution whereof , i shall in the first place admir , that men in civil respects may begin and conclude their dayes at severall houres , according to the received computation of their countr●y : c some nations commencing and closing up the day at morning ; others , at noon ; o-others , at midnight , others at evening . d and the canonists likewise beginning and concluding the day at midnight in regard of contracts ; at morning , in respect of judgements passed ; in at evening regard of sanctification and religious observation . but yet in all divine relations , men are not left at liberty to setwhat bounds or limits they please to dayes appropriated to gods more speciall worship , but they must observe those meets , which god himself ( the e soveraign lord of days and times ) hath prefixed to them , beginning , ending their sanctication of them ( being a part of his own worship and service ) at such time as he hath appointed , which is none other than the evening , the boundary he first set to dayes , both for naturall and sacred uses . to put this out of further controversie , i shall first of all propound such reasons and authorities as irrefragably evidence ; that the lords day ought to begin and cease at evening : then answer such objections and replyes , as are , or may be opposed against it . and here for the more perspicuous manifestation of the truth , before i proceed to any punct●all probation of the point in question , i shall premise and make good these five couclusions , which will soon over-rule and resolve it . first , that all dayes in scripture and divine calculation , begin and end at evening . secondly , that the seventh day sabbath in scripture account , did alwayes commence and determine at evening ; and that the jews did ever solemnize it from evening to evening . thirdly , that the very first day of the week whereon our saviour rose again , began and ended at evening , in divine computation , or scripture account . fourthly , that this beginning and concluding of dayes at evening , is perpetuall and immutable . fifthly , that christs resurrection in the morning , did no wayes alter the beginning or end of dayes , nor yet translate the beginning of that first day whereon he arose from evening to morning ; nor change the former limits thereof . for the first of these , that all dayes in scripture and divine calculation begin and end at evening ; it is most apparant . first , by genesis , 1. 5 , 9 , 19 , 23 , 31. where the scripture is expresse in point ; that at the very creation of the world and beginning of time and dayes , the evening and the morning made the first , second , third , fourth , fifth , sixth , ( and by consequence the seventh ) first dayes that ever were ; the onely patterns for the inchoation and determination of all dayes since : the f evening , being here placed before the morning ( as expositors observe ) by god himself , because the day in naturall and divine account begins at evening , the evening and darknesse being preceding to the morning and light , even in point of time , gen. 1 , 2 , 3. secondly , it is evident by exod. 12. 3 , 6 , 12 , 29 , 42 , 51. compared and paralelled with levit. 23. 5. numb. 9. 11. cap. 28. 16. deut. 16. 4. josh. 5. 10. 2 chron. 30. 15. c , 35. 1. ezra 6. 19. 20. and ezech. 45. 21. ( all treating of the time when the passeover was to begin ) in the tenth day of this moneth , they shall take to them every man a lamb , a lamb for an house , and ye shall keep it up , untill the fourteenth day of the same moneth , and the whole assembly of the congregation of israel shall kill it in the evening : for i will passe through the land of egypt this night , and will smite all the first born of the land of egypt both of man and beast . in the fourteenth day of the first moneth at even , is the lords passeover ; the fourteenth day at even shall they keep it . and the children of israel went away , and did as the lord had commanded and it came to passe that at midnight the lord smote all the first born in the land of egypt , &c. it is a night to be much observed unto the lord , for bringing the chilaren of israelout of the land of egypt , and it came to passe the self same day that thé lord did bring the children of israel out of the land of egypt by their armies . from which words it is apparant ; 1. that the fourteenth day of the month abib , on which the passeover was kept , began in scripture account , at evening : 1. because they were to keep the paschal lamb , untill the fourteenth day , and then to kill it in the evening ; therefore that day began at evening . 2. because the feast of the passeover , with the killing , dressing and eating of the paschall lamb did commence at evening ; thererefore the day too , which no doubt the feast began : for if the day began not till the following morning , the passeover had been kept before it , not upon it , upon the thirteenth not the fourteenth day of the month . 2. that that evening and night on which the passeover was kept , was part of the following , not of the foregoing day . 1. because this feast of the passeover was to be kept the whole fourteenth day , in remembrance of gods passing over the israelites , slaying the egyptians , and delivering his people out of egypt : since therefore they began not to kill and eat the passeover in the morn-ning , but at evening , the evening must necessarily begin the day , and be a part onely of the following day , not of the day preceding it ; else it would have been but an half-holy day , and no more , the whole preceding day being not solemnized , but the night alone ; or at least , a holy day made up of the evening of the fourteenth , and the morning of the fifteenth day , not of the fourteenth day alone ; both which are directly contrary to the text . 2. because this celebrating of the passeover the fourteenth day at evening , was done in memory of gods passing over them , and slaying the egyptians at midnight following ; and bringing them out of egypt with their armies the next morning : this evening therefore must be part of that day to which midnight and the morning following did belong , which must necessarily appertain to the fifteenth , not the fourteenth day , if the fourteenth day began the midnight or morning before , and not that very evening ; and so the fourteenth day should be solemnized for a deliverance happening on the fifteenth day , not on it ; which were absurd to think . the deliverance therefore happening the midnight and morning which succeeded this evening , it must doubtlesse be solemnized as part of the subsequent , not of the precedent day . 3. because the text saith expresly , exod. 12. 51. the same day the lord brought the children of israel out of egypt by their armies : therefore this evening and midnight were part of the ensuing day , because the israelites departed not out of egypt with their armies till the g morning following , as that chapter manifests : and yet the scripture saith ; that they departed out of egypt the same fourteenth day , whereon they did eat the passeover , and god slew the first-born of egypt . this fourteenth day therefore in divine calculation , both as a naturall day , and as a passeover day too , began and ended at evening ; and so by consequence all other dayes . thirdly , it is most clear by exod. 12. 18 , 19. compared with levit. 23. 5 , 6. and numb. 28. 16. in the first moneth on the fourteenth day of the moneth at even : seven dayes shall there be no leaven found in your houses : seven dayes shall unleavened bread be eaten . this feast of unleavened bread was to continue seven dayes : but these dayes and this feast by gods own limitation did begin and end at evening : for the text is expresse , that on the fourteenth day at even they should eat unleavened bread till the twenty first day at even : the evening therefore was both the alpha and omega of this feast , of all these dayes in scripture reckoning , and so by consequence of all other dayes . fourthly , this is as clear as the sun at noon-day , by the ceremoniall laws concerning uncleannesse . on any dayes or seasons of the year , if any of the israelites chanced to be legally unclean , in some cases they were to remain unclean for one day : in others , for seven dayes . but how did these dayes begin and end , in gods account ? certainly at evening : for all the texts run thus concerning him who was unclean for one day ; he shall be unclean untill the even : and when the evening cometh on , he shall wash himself with water , and when the sun is down , he shall come into the camp again . and thus concerning the other : on the seventh day he shall purifie himself , and shall be clean at even , witnesse deut. 23. 11. num. 19. 7 , 8 , 11 , 12 , 16 , 19 , 21 , 22. letit . 11. 24. to 40. c. 15. 5. to 27. c. 17. 15. c. 22. 6. all dayes therefore in divine computation , began and concluded at even , since all the dayes of mens ceremoniall uncleannesse did so ; which uncleannesse might befall them upon any day whatsoever . fifthly , it i● perspicuous by the israelites solemne easting-dayes , which commenced and ended at even , for they usually fasted untill even , judges 20. 23. 26. 2 sam. 1. 12. their dayes therefore b●ing but the limits of their fasts ( for they fasted sometimes h one day , sometimes two dayes , sometimes three , or more ) did question lesse begin and determine at even : in their own and scripture computation . sixthly it is apparent , by deul . 21. 22 , 23. if a man be p●● to death , and thou hang him on a tree , his body shall not remain all night upon the tree ; but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day : compared with joshua 8. 29. and cap. 10 26. 27. and the king of ai he hanged on a tree untill eventide : and assoon as the sunne was down , joshua commanded that they shouldtake his careasse down from the tree , &c. and he smote the five kings , and hanged them on five trees , and they were hanging upon the trees untill the evening , and at the time of the going down of the sun , joshua commanded , and they took them down off the trees , and cast them into the cave wherein they had been hid , &c. compared with joh. 19. 31 , 38. mat. 27. 57. 58. mar. 15 , 42 , 43. the je●s therefore because it was the preparation , that the bodies should n●● remain upon the crosse the sabbath day ( for that sabbath day was an high day ) besought pilate , that their legs might be broken , and that they might be taken away . and when the i even was come ( that is the evening of the day about sunne-setting , or evening tide : ) joseph of arimathea went to pilate and begged the body of jesus ; then pilate commanded the body to be given him . and he took it down and wrapped it in linnen , and laid it in his own tomb . which texts ( paralell'd with ephes. 4. 26. let not the sun go down upon your wrath : ) do fully evidence , that the day in divine resolution begins and ends at even ; because the bodies of malefactors , which were to b● buried the same day , and might not remain on the tree all night , were then taken down and interred . seventhly , that speech of david to jonathan ; 1 sam. 20. 5. let me go that i may hide my self in the fields unto the third day at evening : annexed to that of 1 sam. 30. 17. and david smote them from the twilight , even to the evening of the next day ; is a direct proof , that the scripture begins the day at even , making it part of the subs●quent , not of the precedent day , as these phrases , unto the third day at evening , and to the evening of the next day , import . eighthly and lastly , it is clear by the joynt confession of all sorts of authors , of all commentators on the fore-quoted and the ensuing texts , that the penmen of the scriptures ( who were guided by the holy ghost , with the whole jewish church , nation , directed by the same spirit , and the scripture computation ) did ever begin and end their daies at evening , not at morning , or midnight , as the jews k yet doe . a truth so evident that our opposites in this point of the lordsday's inchoation , for the most part grant it , without any contradiction ; having nought else to plead for themselves but this , that christs resurrection in the morning did translate the beginning of days , from evening to the morning . therefore it is undoubtedly true , that all daves in scripture and divine resolution , begin and end at evening : so that this first conclusion is uncontrolable . for he second , that the seventh day sabbath , in scripture account , did ever begin and end at evening ; and that the jews did constantly solemnize it from evening to evening : it is most apparent . for first , all dayes in scripture and jewish computation commenced and concluded at evening , as the former conclusion manifests ; therefore the seventh day sabbath too . secondly , the scripture peremptorily commands this beginning and close of the sabbath . levit. 23. 32. from even to even , ye shal celebrate your sabbath : which though it be specially meant of the sabbath of attonement , yet it is true of the seventh day sabbath too , it being the original pattern , by which the sabbath of attonement was squared , and thus bounded out . thirdly , it is apparent by nehem. 13. 19. and it came to passe , that when the gates of jerusalem began to be dark , before the sabbath ( that is , when the twilight began ) i commanded that the gates should be shut , and charged that they should not be open till after the sabbath : and some of my servants set i at the gates , that there should no burden be brought in on the sabbath day . by which it is evident that the seventh day sabbath began at evening , not at morning , or midnight . for why should nebemiah command the gates of jerusalem to be shut just as it began to be dark , a little before the l evening star began to appear ( when the evening & sabbath actually begin ) but to prevent carriers and others who brought burdens into jerusalem , from prophaning the sabbath , which would have begun before they could have passed to their innes , and unladed their burdens , had they admitted them to have entred the gates so late ; the sabbath being to begin almost presently after when the day light ceased , and the starres began to appear : which had it not commenced till midnight or morning following , he would not have closed up the gates so early , since they might have unladed their carriages a good space before the sabbath , though they had not entred jerusalem till the twilight ended . his timely shutting up of the gates therfore to prevent this breach of the sabbath by unlading burdens , is a m pregnant evidence , that it began at even , soon after , or just when the gates were barred . fourthly , it is clear by luke 23. 54 , 55 , 56. compared with luke 24. 1 , 2. mark 16. 1 , 2. c. 15. 42 , 43. john 19. 31 , 38. cap. 20. 1. &c. matth. 27. 57. 58. by all which it appears , that our saviours body was taken down from the crosse and laid in the sepulchre upon our friday at evening a little before night , and that they took it down , and buried it then , that it might not remain on the crosse upon the sabbath day : to which saint luke addes this as a corollary ; n and that day was the preparation , and the sabbath drew on , and the women also which came with him from galilee followed after , and beheld the sepulehre , and how his body was laid : & they returned , and prepared spices and ointments , and rested the sabbath day according to the commandement . and when the sabbath was past ( writes o st mark ) mary magdalene , and mary the mother of james and salome had bought sweet spices , that they might come and anoint him : and very early in the morning , the first day of the week , they came unto the sepulchre , at the rising of the sunne , as it began to down ( saith p saint matthew ) whiles it was yet dark , ( writes q saint john ) and they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre : by all which it appears , that the sabbath begun and concluded at evening . for first , saint luke saith , the sabbath drew on ; when christ was taken down from the crosse about the evening , implying that it was then almost ready to begin . secondly , they took him down them , because he should not hang upon the crosse any part of the sabbath . thirdly , the women shortly after their return from his buriall began their sabbath dayes rest . fourthly , the sabbath was past , the first day begun , and our saviour risen , before the women came to his sepulchre : yet they came thither at day-dawning ; whiles it was dark : and their apparelling themselves , their buying of spices , and coming from their houses or lodgings to the sepulchre ( all after the sabbath was fully ended ) would take them up some hours time perchance , or more . it is apparent therefore by all these particulars , that the sabbath even in the evangelists account , both at and after our saviours passion and resurrection , commenced and ended at evening : so that saint r matthews ; in the end of the sabbath , as it began to dawn towards the first day of the week : ( which some object to the contrary , as if the sabbath then ended not till the morning ) must be interpreted by saint ſ marks ; after the sabbath was ended ; and the other t evangelists , on the first day of the week ( that being the true sence and scope of his words ; ) else christ , in his account did rise again upon the seventh-day sabbath , not on the first day of the week : and so by consequence , upon the second , not the third day after his passion ; which is directly contrary to all the other evangelists , and scriptures , to the article of our creed , and to christs own predictions of his rising again the third day , recorded thrice by saint matthew himself , mat. 12. 40. c. 16. 21. c. 27. 63 , 64. which he would never contradict in the history of his resurrection . fifthly it is certain by the constant practise of the jewish church , who both before and since christs time ( even to this present day ) did ever begin and end their sabbath at evening . witnesse josephus that famous jewish historian , contra apionem l 1. c 833. hierom comment . in jonam , c. 2. tom. 5. p. 137. eusebius de praeparat . evangel l. 8. c. 2. tom. 1. p. 141. s. augustine de tempore serm. 251. chrysostome , homil. 4. in genes . tom. 1. col. 26. b. hom. 62. in matth. tom. 2. col. 559. b. anastatius sinaita , anagogicarum contemplationum . he●am . l 2 & questio , 152. 153. eibl. patrum . tom. 6. pars , 1. p. 634. e. 794 , 795. hospinian de o●igine festorum , fol. 31. 72. b. 68 , 69. 161 , 162. marlorat in matth. 28. v. 1. joseph scaliger , de emendatione temporis , l. 92. & 6. p 119. 532 , 533. god win his jewish antiquities , ● 3. c. c. 3. p. 131. ainsworth , his annotations on genesis 1. v. 5. levit. 22 32. together with most ancient and modern commentators upon gen. 1. 5. 9. 13. levit. 23. 32. exod. 12. 18. matth. 12. 40. c. 16. 21. c. 28. 1. mark 16. 1 , 2 , 9. luke 23 54 , 55 , 56. c. 24. 1. john 20. 1. acts 10. 40. 1 cor. 15. 5. with those authours quoted in my histriomastrix . p. 643 , 644. and u others in the margent : who all subscribe with one consent , that the seventh day sabbath , ( and all other dayes else ) in the scripture and jewish account , did ever begin and determine at evening ; this second conclusion therefore , is past all question . for the third ; that the same first day of the week , on which our saviour rose again , began at evening in divine computation : it is most certain . 1. because all dayes in scripture account did then begin , as the premises evidence : therefore this day too . secondly , because that seventh day sabbath , on which our saviour rested in his grave , began and end●d at evening : as is clear by matthew 28. 1. compared with levit. 23 32. and other fore quoted scriptures : by the joynt attestation of all divines and expositors on these scriptures : and by the second conclusion : therefore it must necessarily begin at evening , when this sabbath ended : else the evening may and night between the end of the sabbath , and our s●viours resurrection should be part of no day at all ( like that of job , job 3. 3 , 6. being no parcell of the sabbath , nor yet of that first day of the week on which christ arose ) which can-not be . thirdly , all the evangelists with one consent , record , that our saviour rose again upon the first day of the week , very early in the morning , whiles it was dark , before the women came to his sepulchre , and after the sabbath was past . mark 16. 1 , 2 , 9. matth. 28. 1 , 2. luke 23 56 c. 24. 1 , 2. john 20. 1 , 2. the chief reason alledged by all ( especia●ly by our opposites in this controversie ) why christians solemnize this day as their sabbath . if then he arose upon the first day , the day was certainly begun some space before his resurrection ; else he must rise with it , or before it , not upon it . neither did or could this day-begin at morning , day-dawning , or sun-rising in divine compute , because our savior was risen , and the women were come to the grave before that time , as these texts affirm ; and yet then the x sabbath was past , and this first day begun ; which could not be if the day commenced not before the morning ; ( begining but at break of day , or sun-rising : ) n●ither did it begin at midnight , because the scripture , jews , and ecclesiasticall writers know no such naturall or divine incep●ion of the day ; therefore questionlesse it began at evening ; as the generality of expositors on these texts acknowledge , it being the true time of the dayes inchoation in divine accompt . fourthly , mat. 12. 4 c. 16. 21. c. 27. 63. mark 8. 31. c. 14 58. luke 13. 32. hosea 6. 2. acts 10. 40. 1 cor. 15. 4. and all our creeds assure us , that our saviour rose again the third day from his passion : which he predicting to his disciples , useth this expression , matth 27. 63. and mark 8. 31. after three dayes ( that is , after the beginning of three dayes , or of the third day from my passion , not after three dayes ended , for then he had risen again upon the fourth day , not the third ) i will rise again : which phrase ( being all one in sense with , upon the third day i will rise again , as appears by matth. 16. 21. ) implies that a good part of the third d●y on which he arose , should be past before his rising , which could not be , had the day b●gun just at morning or midnight , not at evening ; he being risen very early , whiles it was dark , john 20. 1 , 2. the question then for the clearing of this article of christs resurrection upon the third day , will be onely this ; what is meant here by three days ? how these dayes are and ought to be computed ? and from what time they did begin ? to which all y ancient & modern divines , who have commented on the evangelists , or written of christs resurrection , reply with one accord . 1. that by three dayes in these scriptures is meant , not three intire dayes , ( for christ lay not three whole dayes in his grave ) but one whole day and a part of two other dayes , ) but part to wit part of the sixth day whereon he was crucified ; the whole sabbath day following it , and the evening or night which was part of the first day whereon he arose . 2. that these dayes must be thus computed , and did thus begin and end . the first of th●m being our good friday ) began at evening and ended at evening , shortly after our saviour was taken down from his crosse and intombed . the second of them ( being the 7th day sabbath ) began and ended at evening ; all which day christ rested , and kept a sabbath in his grave . the third day ( the jews first day , & our lords-day ) began at even , when the sabbath concluded , and ended the evening following , a little after our saviours appearance to his disciples , john 20. 19. by which calculation , our saviour lay part of the first , the whole second , and a good part of the third day in his grave , ( to wit , the evening and greatest part of the night ) and so well nigh half the third day , was past before his resurrection ; so that he might well be said to rise again the the third day ; and by a synechdoche membri , to lie three dayes in his grave , and z after three dayes , ( that is , after the beginning of three dayes , the latter part of the third day being included , and the forepart onely excluded in this phrase of speech ) to rise again : which he could not be properly said to do , had this third day , begun at morning , he being risen again when it was dark john 20. 1. matth. 28. 1 , 2. and so upon the second day ; before not on or after the third day , in this strange accompt , which no divine in this particular of christs resurrection ever followed ; all of them joyntly resolving , that the third day on which our saviour arose , and the two preceding dayes , according to divine computation , began and ended at evening . wherefore this third conclusion , even by the unanimous consent of all men , is indubitable , and quite overturns our antagonists foundation for the lords dayes inc●ption in the morning , to wit , that christs resurrection in the morning , did translate the beginning of this first day , from evening to morning ; which is but a grosse mistake , directly contrary to all the recited scriptures , the resolution of all judicious divines , and writers in all ages , as i shall anon more fully manifest in its proper place . for the fourth , that this beginning and concluding of dayes at evening is immutable ( i mean in divine respects , not of civill ; ) it is most clear for these ensuing reasons . first , because it is that bound which god himself ( the a lord of times , and ancient of dayes ) hath prescribed them , both by his word , his works , and own divine calculation , as the three foregoing conclusions evidence : and what god himself hath thus limited and prefixed , cannot be altered but by himself alone ( who never changed this beginning or period of dayes for ought appears in scripture ) eccles 3. 14. jer. 31. 35 , 36. c. 33. 20 , 21. secondly , because it is that termination of days wch god himself instituted at the very creation , whenas he prefixed such limits to days & times , as were to contiue in all succeeding ages , till time should be no more , witnesse gen. 1. 2 , 3 , 5 , 8 , 13 , to 20. 23. 31. where god made darknesse to precede the light , the evening antecedent to the morning , and to begin the day ; the evening and the morning , ( not the morning , and the evening , i mean in point of priority ) making the first seven days , and so by consequence all succeeding dayes ; the dayes and weeks being now the same , and of the same dimension , as they were at the creation ; and therefore retain the self same beginning and end now , as god designed to them then ; and that by a natura ; unchangeable ordinance . for god at the creation ordained the sunne , the moon , and starres , to rule over the day and night ; to divide the light from the darknes , ( that is , to bound out the day and night ) to be for signs and for seasons , and for dayes and years : gen. 1. 14. to 19. psal. 136. 6 , 7 , 8. psal. 104. 19. and that so long as the world should endure , or the sun and moon have a being . witnesse gen. 8. 22 while the earth remaineth , seed time , and ha●vest , and cold and heat , and summer and winter , and day and night shall not cease : that is , they shall observe the bounds and times that i have pr●scribed them at the creation , without any alteration . jer. 31 , 35 , 36. and c. 33. 20. 21. makes this m●st clear . thus saith the lord , which giveth the sun for a light by day , and the ordinances of the moon and of the starres , for a light by night : if these ordinances depart from before me , or if you can break my covenant of the day and of the night , that there shall not be day and night in their season ( that is , at the time which i appointed at the creation ) then also might my covenant be broken with david my servant . which texts do fully evince the beginning , end of dayes , and limits of time instituted at the creation , to be unalterable so long as the world remains : which is likewise backed by psal. 74. 16 , 17. ps. 72. 57. ps. 104. 19. ps. 121. 6. ps. 136. 9 , and 148 3 , 5 , 6. the day is thine , the night also is thine , thou hast prepared the light and the sunne , thou hast made summer and winter . he appointeth the moon for seasons , the sunknoweth his going down : thou makest darknesse , and it is night . praise him sun and moon , praise him all ye starres of light , for he commanded and they were created , he hath also established them for ever and ever , he hath made a decree which shall not passe . from all which scriptures it is infallible , that god at the creation fixed immutable limits to dayes and times , both for their beginning , end , length , which shall and must continue the same for ever ; ( the dayes , weeks moneths and years , being of the same extent for the present , as they were at the beginning ) therefore the inception and ending of the day at evening , being settled at the creation , doth and must remain unalterable . thirdly , this inchoa●ion and conclusion of the day at evening , is ratified by the fourth commandement , a morall and perpetuall precept , founded on the very course and l●w of nature at the creation , as most assert , gen. 2. 1 , 2. 3. for this commandement enjoyning men , b to keep holy the sabbath day , to do no manner of work upon it , and to labour six dayes , and do all their wor● : for in six dayes the lord made heaven and earth , the sea and all that in them is and rested the seventh day : wherefore the lord blessed he sabbath day , and hallowed it : doth her● in apparently confirm for ever , the beginning , ●nd , and limits bo●h of dayes and weeks , as they were ●●ttled at the creation . for this precept having a retrospect to gods six dayes work , and his seventh dayes rest , when he created the world ; and enjoyning men to work six dayes , to rest the seventh day , and keep it holy , as god did then ; doth apparantly intimate , that these foresaid seven dayes , were as so many royall standards of time , by which all subsequent dayes and weeks must be measured : which must begin , end , and have the same dimen●ions , with that originall week , and those first seven dayes . wherefore since they began and ended at evening then , as i have proved : all other dayes likewise must do so , by vertue of this command . the rather , because it prescribes men , to finish all their work in six dayes , and then to begin their rest , when their work ends , as god did his : but their six dayes work usually c ends at evening ; therefore their six days also should then d●termine , and their sabbath or seven dayes r●st begin ; and so by consequence all the six dayes , the sabbath day , and so all dayes ( for ever ) should commence and end at evening , so long as this commandement is in being , or dayes and weeks shall last . fourthlv , the beginning of dayes must needs be immutable , because the alteration of it from evening to morning , or midnight ( which thwarts the scripture computation ) would falsisie , corrupt many passages and texts of scripture ; call into question the truh of our saviours resurrection on the third day ; and somewhat alter the scripture chronology , which is most exact and punctuall ; neither of which are sufferable by god or christians . lastly , this beginning and close of dayes , hath an influence into gods worship : who as he hath prescribed men , how ; so likewise , when to worship him : to wit , especially on the sabbath , which he hath appropriated to himself ; stiling it , his own sabbath , and holy day , exod. 16. 23 , 25. levit. 23. 3. deut. 5. 14. neh. c. 14. isa. 58. 13. exod. 20. 10 , c. 31 , 16. the sanctification therefore of the sabbath being a part of gods worship , and the sabbath his own peculiar day ; * which most hold , christ and his apostles , and the primitive christians by gods warrant translated to the lords day ) that beginning and limits of it , which god hath fixed , must not be changed but by god ; because it would alter both gods day and worship too . to prevent which inconvenience , god hath given not onely generall commands to sanctifie this day , but likewise a speciall precept to begin and end it at even , levit. 23. 32. from even to even you shall celebrate your sabbath : there being no such particular precept given for the limits of other dayes , ( which are bounded out in more generall termes ) it being both dangerous and absurd , to leave the inception , or bounds of the sabbath arbitrary unto men , to begin and end it when they please ; the day being gods not theirs ; the sanctification thereof , a speciall part of his service , which men have no power to alter or diminish : and whatsoever in god● service is not of faith ( warrantted or prescribed by his word ) being sinne and will-worship , rom. 14. 23. col. 2. 18. 20 , 21 , 22 , 23. from all which i may safely affirm ; that this beginning and ending of dayes at even ( especially of the sabbath day ) is immutable , and so my fourth conclusion undeniable . for the fifth ; that christs resurrection in the morning did no wayes alter the beginning or end of dayes , nor yet translate the inception of that day whereon he arose , from evening to morning ; it is unquestionable . first , because this commencement and conclusion of dayes at evening , is immutable ; as i have manifested in in the fourth conclusion , therefore not altered by christ● resurrection . secondly , because christs passion and resurrection abolished or changed nothing , but that which was typicall and ceremoniall : witnesse gal. 4. 9 , 10 , 11. col. 2. 14. to 22. acts 15. 24. 28 , 29. heb. 9. 10 , 11. c. 10. 1. 2 , 9. with the unanimous suffrage of all divine● . but the beginning and end of dayes at even ; was no wayes typicall or ceremoniall , but rather naturall and morall , being instituted at the creation , ratified by the fourth commandement , and immutably fixed for ever , as the premise● testifie . therefore it was not abolished , or translated by christs resurrection or passion from evening to morning . thirdly , christ abrogated or changed nothing , but what was necessary to be abolished or altered upon warrantable reasons and substantiall grounds : see heb. 8. 6 , 7 , 8. c. 9. 9. to 16. c. 10. 1. to , 11. col. 2. 16 , 17 , 22 , 23. ephes. 2. 15. gal. 5. 1. to 7. acts 15. 10. 28. but there was no necessity , reason , cause , or ground at all , of altering this begining and end of dayes at evening : therefore christs resurrection did not alter or abolish it . fourthly , the alteration , limitation , of times , dayes , and seasons , is a peculiar prerogative of god the father , reserved in his own power , not in christs , as is manifest by acts 1. 7. matth. 24. 36. mark 13. 32. levit. 23. 2. &c. psal. 118. 23 , 24. exod. 13. 2 , 3 , 6 , 14. exod. 20. 1 , 8 , 10 , 11. compared with daniel 2. 20 , 21. psal. 74. 16 , 17. jer. 33. 20. c. 31. 35. psal. 136 1. 7 , 8 , 9. upon which priviledge royall none anciently durst encroach , but that presumptuous horn , typifying the papacy . dan. 7. 25. christ therefore by his bare resurrection made no such alteration of the dayes inchoation , having no speciall commission from his father so to do . fifthly , there is not one word or sillable in all the scripture , which either affirms or intimates , that christs resurrection made any mutation of the beginning or end of dayes , neither can any man produce one substantiall reason , grounded on scripture , why christs resurrection should cause such a change as this : or why his resurrection should do it , rather than his nativity , passion , or ascension . therefore i may saf●ly conclude , that it made no such change untill the contrary can be proved . sixthly , the scripture is expresse , that christs resurr●ction did no wayes change either the order , name , or nature of that day whereon he aros● . for all the evangelists speaking of it as christs resurrection day in their histories of the resurrection ( penned some space after it ) ever stile it , the first day of the week , math. 28. 1. mark 16. 29. luke 24. 1. john 20. 1. 19. the very name that was given it at the creation , gen. 1. 5. which was still retained after our saviours resurrection and ascension : acts 20. 7. 1 cor. 16. 2. having no other title at all imposed on it but this in scripture . ( that of revel. 1. 10. to wit , the title of lords-day , being applyed by some to the seventh day sabbath ; by others , ●o d easter day onely : yet by * most to the lords-day ) for ought that certainly appears . which name implies , that it continued the same after christs resurrection , as before ; the first day of the week , for number , order ; beginning the week as afore ; and so by consequence commencing at evening as before ; it being the same in name , in order , in nature ( though not in use and observation amongst christians ) as it was at the creation : therefore the same in its inception too , and so not altered from evening to morning . seventhly that very first day on which christ arose in scripture and divine account began and ended at evening ( not at morning or midnight ) as i have undeniably proved at large in the third conclusion : christs resurrection therefore , did no wayes alter or translate the beginning of it from morning to evening , as some f●lsely affirm , but never prove : and if it made no such mu●ation of the beginning and end of that same first day on which he arose ; much lesse then of any other that succeeded it , or of the other week dayes on which he did not rise again . christs resurrection did not actually translate the beginning of that first day on which he arosegain from evening to morning : for had that day begun at morning , just at or from the time which he arose ( 〈◊〉 some pretend ) then he had not risen again upon the third , but on the second day from his passion ; which directly oppugnes the e scripture , and the article of our creed , that he rose again the third day from the dead , not the second . to make this reason evident . the morning of this first day began not till day breaking , or day-light : and if this first day began then too , christ certainly did not , could not rise upon it , but before it , and so on the second day : for the women came to the sepulchre when it was yet dark ( before day-light appeared , or the f day began in this accompt ) and yet christ was then risen : john 20. 1 , 2. therefore before the day began in this computation . and if they will begin it from the time that christ arose , since christs resurrection was the cause ( as they sayd ) of this its new inception , or the terminus à q●o , from whence it began ; they still sti●k fast in the same mir● . for if christs resurrection changed the commencement of this day , he must be actually risen ere this change could be made , since the cause must necessarily precede the effect ; which must begin from and after it , not before , or with it ; and if the moment of christs resurrection was the terminus whence this day began ( as they affirm ; ) his resurrection must needs precede the day , that point of time , from whence the day begins being exclusive , as precedent to it , not inclusive , as any part or parcell of it : and so christ must necessarily rise , before this first day ( to wit , upon the sabbath or second day ) not upon or g after it began ; and so , not upon the third , or first day of the week , as the scripture affirms : and by consequence not upon that lords-day which they solemnize , from morning to morning , in memory of his resurrection on it ; which by their own reasoning ●nd computation was before it , not upon it . all which considered , i may undoubtedly conclude , that christs resurrection did no way●s alter the beginning or end of dayes , ( no not of that first day on which he arose ) from morning to evening : so that this last conclusion is infa●lib● . these five conclusions being thus premised , and i hope undeniably proved ; i shall now deduce five unanswerable arguments from them to prove , that the lords-day , doth and ought of right to begin and end at evening ; not at morning or midnight . 1. if all dayes in scripture and divine account do alwayes begin and end at evening ( not at morning or midnight ) then the lords-day ( being the first day of the week , and included in the universality of dayes ) must do so too : but all dayes in scripture and divine computation , do alwayes begin and end at evening , ( not morning or midnight ) as the first conclusion mani●ests . therefore the lords-day doth so too . 2. if the seventh day sabbath in scripture account did alway commence and determine at evening , and the jews did ever solemnise it from evening to evening ; then the lords-day ( which succeeds it , and begins when the sabbath ends ) must then begin and conclude ; seeing all the week-dayes are of the self-same length , and must have the same inception and conclusion : & since this sabbath was thus solemnized long after our saviours resurrection by the apostles , jews , and christians too . matth. 24. . 20. acts 13 , 14 , 27. 42. c. 14. 1. c. 15. 20 , 21 c. 17. 1 , 2 , 10. c. 18. 4. but the seventh day sabbath in scripture calculation did alwayes commence and determine at evening , and the h jews did ever solemnize it from evening to evening ; as the second conclusion testifies : therefore the lords day must then begin and conclude . 3. if that very first day of the week whereon our saviour rose again , began and ended at evening in divine accompt , even as it was his resurrection day : then the lords day ( kept in memory of his resurrection on that day ) being the self same day of the week , and having the self same limits as that day had ; must then begin and end likewise . but that very first day of the week , whereon our saviour rose again began and ended at evening in divine compute , even as it was his resurrection day : therefore the lords day in respect of its weekly observation and solemnization in memory of our savlours resurrection on it , must commence ●nd detemine at evening too . the s●quel is u●deniable ; the minor is fully proved in the third conclusion ; so the argument is unanswerable . 4. this beginning and determination of dayes at evening be naturall and immutable , therefore the lords day must have , can have , no other inception or conclusion , but at evening . 5. i christs resurrection in the morning did no ways alter the beginning or end of dayes , nor yet translate the beginning of that day whereon he arose , from evening to morning ; then we ought to make no such alteration ; ( for that were to be wiser than christ , yea to usurp gods speciall prerogative , to alter times , dan. 2. 20 , 21. c. 7. 25. ) & so must keep the lords-day from evening to evening , not from morning to morning , or from midnight to midnight . but christs resurrection in the morning , did no wayes alter the beginning and end of dayes ; nor yet translate the beginning of that day whereon he arose from evening to morning ; therefore the lords-day ought to be kept from evening to e●vening , not from morning to morning , or midnight to midnight . what can be truly and substantially replyed to these five arguments , i cannot conjecture , they being of sufficient weight to oversway the ballance of this controversie . now to clear this truth more fully ; i shall to these five arguments , accumulate ten reasons more , proving , that the sabbath , and lords day , ought to begin at evening . first , because this inception of the sabbath and lords day , is most suitable to the nature of these dayes . for the sabbath being nothing else in proper speech , but a day of rest , and being oft times stiled in scripture a sabbath of rest , exod. 16. 23. c. 23. 12. c. 31. 15. c 34. 21. c. 35. 2 , levi. 16. 31. c. 23. 3. 32. c. 15. c. 25. 21. c. 34. 21. deut. 5. 14. ( both man and beast being enjoyned to rest from their labours on this day : ) it is most agreeable to reason , and the equality of the day , that this resting day should begin at evening , when men naturally and customarily begin their rest , and end their labours : rather than at morning , when they commonly begin their work ; or at midnight , when as they are in the mid●est of their rest and sl●ep . for when can a day of rest so aptly commence , as when men begin their rest ? their resting on it from other labors , being one part of the solemn zation of it ? this therefore being the fittest time to begin the day ; no doubt , but god ( who doth all things wisely and in the * aptest season ) hath ordered that it should then commence , ( ●s i have manifested in the foregoing conclusions ) it being most proportionable to the nature of the day . secondly , this commencement is most agreeable to gods own example , and to the fourth commandement : for god began his seven dayes rest , i so soon as ever he ceased from his six dayes works of creation , gen. 2. 1 , 2. 3. exod. 20. 9 , 10. yea the fourth commandement prescribing us to labour six dayes , and to do all our work , and to rest the seventh day ; implies , that we should b●gin our sabbath dayes rest , when as we finish our six dayes wo●k : and that is at evening , not at morning or midnight . therefore we should then commence our sanctification of it , and rest upon it . thirdly , this beginning of the sabbath and lords-day , is every way best for men , as most consonant to the course of nature , and their common practise , for men naturally and customarily ( and that by gods own appointment , and the scriptures approbation ) end their weekday labours at evening and b●gin their rest at k or night , witnes ps. 124. 22 , 23. the sun ariseth man goeth forth unto his work , and to his labour untill the evening , john 9. 4. i must work the works of him that sent me , whiles it is called to day , the night cometh when no man can work , judg 19. 16. behold there came an old man from his work out of the field at evening , z●ph . 2. 7 in the houses of askelon they shal lie down in the evening , 1 thess. 5. 7 those that sleep , sleep in the night , together with gen. 19. 1 , 2. exod. 18 14. gen. 2● . 11. numb 29. 19. levit. 19. 13. n●b 4. 21 judg. 19. 4. 11. eccle● 2. 23 num 22 : 21. judg. 9. 33. c. 20. 19. c. 19. 8. hos. 7. 6. is . 5. 11. whereas as by a natural insti●ct , and gods command they usually begin their work in the morning , not their rest , as is evid●nt by eccles 11. 6. in the morning sow thy seed , mat. 20. 1 , 2 , 3. the kingdome of heaven is like to a man that is an housholder , which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard , and by gen. 19. 15 c. 28. 24. 54 44. 3. exod. 20. 1. c. 18. 14. judg. 20. 19. ruth 3. 13 , 14. psal. ● 27. 2. 1 chron. 23 30. mat. 27. 1. psal. 104. 22. 23 now the sabbath being a day of rest from labour , and being likewise made for man , no●man for it . mark . 2 27. and men naturally and ustomarily in all ages , all ●l●ces , by gods own ordination , determining their weekly labours , and beginning their rest at evening ; it is most fit , mo●● proper , and convenient , in respect of men , and this their naturall use , that the sabbath , and lords day should begin at evening , when as they voluntarily and naturally ce●se their secular labours , and devote themselves to r●st . but most unsuitable and inconvenient to begin it in the morning , the time when work begins , or at midnight , when half their rest is past . neither is this reason to be sl●ighted ; for all things being made l for man , and the sabbath too , no doubt but god did accommodate and suit them in such manner , as should be most commodious and convenient for men , and most consonant to the naturall course of their affairs . this inchoation therefore of the sabbath and lords-day , being most proportionable to the naturall order of mens working , and rest ( and so the more easie and possible to be observed by them ) is no doubt the truest , the properest of all others ; and therefore ought to be embraced . 4. that the beginning of the sabbath , and lord-day which is easiest for christians to observe , and doth best of all begin the sanctification of them , is questionlesse , the best , the tru●st : but this beginning them at evening is such : 1. because men then naturally end their worldly imployments , and begin their rest , ●ven of their own accord without constraint : and what so easie , as that which is naturally and voluntary ? 2. because all men that have any religion or shew of christianity in them , do then constantly fall to their private devotions and family duties , the evening being a fit time for holy meditations , prayers , and religious exercises , gen. 24. 63. 1 chron. 16. 14. 2 chron. 13. 11. psal. 55. 47. psal. 65. 8 dan. 9. 21. now what time so fit to begin the sabbath and lords-day ( appropriated n wholly to gods worship ) as that whereon most christians voluntarily and constantly apply themselves unto his immediate service in their closets or in their familie devotions ? 3. these dayes are dayes of o holynesse , and being such , ought alwayes to begin and end with holy duties . every christian will grant it fitting and convenient , if not necessary , that the lords day should be begun and ended with private , and continued with holy , publick exercises , suitable to the day . which being so , if it should begin and end at midnight , what christians usually do , or can conveniently begin & end it thus ? they being then at rest yea * fast asleep in their beds , & that by the course of nature , and gods own appointment , without any sinne at all , 1 thes. 5. 7. mat. 25. 5 , 6. c. 26. 45. and for men to be tied to rise up at midnight , or to sit up til then , to begin then the lords-day , with holy duties , what an inconvenience & burthen would it be ? again if it should begin and determine at morning , so soon as day-light begins ; how many christians are then up through the whole year on lords-day mornings , and the mornings following , to commence and conclude it with holy duties ? yea what a vexation , and trouble would it be ( especially to aged and sickly persons ) to rise every lords day , and monday at day-dawning , or some space before , to begin and close it with meditations , prayers , praises , devotions ? certainly if the lords-day should commence and end either at morning or midnight , and christians were tied in * point of conscience , to begin and conclude it with holy exercises , most men would grow weary of observing it , and cast off the sanctification of it as an intollerable burthen . but now if we begin and end it at evening ( when every man is up , and ends his labours , and goes unto his private devotions and familiar duties of his * own accord , and then enjoy this rest as on other evenings ) how easily and conveniently without any toyl or inconvenience may all sorts of men begin and conclude it in an holy manner , without any disturbance of their na●ural sleep , or endangering their health ? and how sweetly , how comfortably may they embrace the inception , and take their farewel of the conclusion of it ? with what delight , pleasure , ease & conuenience , may they sanctifie it : this beginning and ending therefore of the sabbath and lords-day , being the easiest of all others , the best for all christians to take hold of without any pain or inconvenience ; the best for the true , & pious commencement and conclusion of these dayes with holinesse and devotion , is undoubtedly that which godhimself hath instituted , and all christians must retain ; this being one main cause why god commanded the jews to sanctifie their sabbath , and keep their festivalls from evening to evening ; lev. 23. 32. exod. 12. 18. because the evening in all the foreuamed respects , was most convenient and proper , to begin and end all sacred dayes . 5. the lords-day ( as all of the contrary opinion acknowledge ) is substituted in the place of the seventh day sabbath , in memoriall of our sauiours resurrection upon it : but that sabbath ( as the premises evidence ) began and concluded at evening : therefore the lords-day should do so too , it being but the ancient weekly sabbath transl●ted to another day ; and there being no preceptnor president in scripture , to begin the sabbath or lords-day at morning or midnight ; but both precepts and examples to commence and end it at evening , as the foregoing conclusions prove . the rather because it is confessed by all my opposites in opinion ; that the lords-day succeedeth the seventh day sabbath , & is to be weekly , wholly & intirely consecrated to gods publick and private worship ; and that by the very equity and morality of the fourth commandement . which is the received opinion not onely of most of our own writers , who have written of the sabbath or lords-day , and commented on the fourth commandement by learned henry bullinger , decad. 2. c. 4. joannes pappus enar . in isaiam c. 58. and very many of the learnedest protestant writers in forreign parts , quoted by learned wallaeus in his disputatio de sabbato , to which i refer the reader for fuller satisfaction ; but likewise of the learnedest popish schoolmen , commentators , and writers of all sorts ; as namely of peter lombard lib. 3. sententiarum : distinctio 37. richardus de media villa , joannes scotus , henricus de veru-maria , christopherus , silvestranus , gulielmus estius and others in lib. 3. sententiarum . distinct . 37. dionysius carthusianus , in lib 3. sententiarum . distinct . 37. & in fxod enarratio c. 20. where he thus writes . memento ut diem sabbati sanctifices , id est , in sanctis operibus diem illum expendas , & divino cultui arplicas eum : per quod & nunc diei dominici jvbetvr cellebritas . bonaventura in lib. 3. sentent . distinct . 37. sermones de decem praeceptis . sermon . 4. operum , tom. 7. p. 8. & speculum animae c. 2. ibid. p. 35. where he determines thus . per hoc autem in lege nostra dominica intelligitur observatio siquidem diei dominici e●t de jvre divino , scilicet praeceptum divinvm , ut habetur in exodo : memento ut diem sabbati sanctifices , &c. sancti raymundi lumina . lib. 1. tit. de feriis ac festis , p. 110. 111. acutè thomas aquinas in lib. 3. sentent . distinct . 37. artic. 5. & 2. quaest. 122. artic. 4. with all his fo●lowers on these places . hugo cardinalis comment in exod. ●0 . tostatus abulensis in exod. 20. qu. 11 , 12 , 13. ( an exc●llent pregnant discourse to this purpose ) and in 1. regum tom. 1. p. 128. joannes gerson compendium theologiae in 3. praeceptum operum tom 2. p. 56. astensis summa lib. 1. tit. 22. de observantia sabbati , ang●lus de clavatio , summa angelica . tit. praeceptum sect. 2 , 3 , 7. bernardinus senensis . sermo . 10. de observantia sabbati , ( an excellent , full , pious discourse ) paulus de sancta ma●ia , sc●utiniun : scripturarum , pars 1. distinct . 8. c. 14. antonius cadubi●nsis quastionarii lib 1 qu 5. jacobus de valentia adversus judaeos . qu. 2. soto , de justitia & jure , lib. 2. qu. 3. art. 5 qu. 4 domincus bannes 2a secundae qu. 44. artic. 1. didacus stella comment in luc. c. 14. couarruinas , resolutionum lib. 4. c 19. conclus . 4. & 5. joannis nyder , as also michael marspurgiensis in 3. praeceptum . enchiridion christianae institutionis , set forth by the whole council of colen , an. 1536 in 3. praeceptum . f. 270. to 276. hector pintus : comment. in isaiam cap. 56. & in ezech. cap. 20. ambrosius . catherinus enar. in genesis c. 2. p. 122 , 123. petrus binsfeldius enchiridion theologiae pastoralis pars 3. c. 10. p. 320. cardinal bellarmin , de cultu sanctorum , lib. 3. c. 11. azorius the jesuit . instit. moralium pars 2. lib. 1. c. 2. lorinus comment . in deut. c. 5 p. 222 , 223 , 224. petrus vincentius de marzilla , annotatio in exod. c. 20. annot. 3. p. 249. corne●ius à lapide comment. in deut. 5. p. 975. leonardus marius comment . in exod. c. 20. num. 47. p. 504. vincentius filiucius . moralium quaestionum . tom. 2 in 3. praecepium deoalogi c. 1. sect. 7. to 11 p. 250. &c. 2. p. 251. ludovicus ystella comment . in exod. 20. p. 124. to whom i shall annex our own irresragable english doctors , alexander alensis , summa theologie pars 3. qu. 32. memb. 2. nicholaus de lyra , a converted english jew , comment . in exod. 20. john peelham archbishop of canterbury , and william lyndwood constit . provincialium . lib. 1. de officio archiepresbyteri , f. 40. 41. thomas waldensis ; doctrinale fidei tom. 3. tit. 16. c. 140. de celebrando festivè , diem dominicum sine mundanis operibus . the flower of the commandements of god on the third commandement . dives & paurer on the third commandement , c. 11. f. 120. printed in times of popery : all of them resolving , the fourth commandement to be morall still in force , obliging all christians under the gospel to the weekly observation and sanctification of the intire lords-day , that totvs ille dies tvtaliter divino cvltvi applicandvs est ; & nihil aliud agendum nisi deo vacandum : and that because dies integer , & sabbatum totum cultui divino sacratur : not two or three hours of it onely devoted to the publick exercise of gods worship in the church as some new * doctors assent ; who allot the rest to sports , pastimes , and wordly labours or affairs ; being more lic●ntious and prophane than papists in this point , who are generally as strict as the greatest puritane writers in their doctrines , for their intire sanctification of the lords day ; and against the use of all ordinary labours , sports , pastimes , dancing , enterludes , and carnall pleasures on it or any part thereof , even from evening to evening , when they begin and end it . now if the lords-day it self , be thus to be sanctified and solemnized by christiaans , even by the equity and morality of the fourth commaudement it self , literally commencing onely the sanctification of the seuenth day sabbath , which began and ended alwayes at evening . then it must by the very equity and morality of the sourth commandement , be sanctified and solemnized by christians from evening to evening , as the seventh dae sabbath was , both by jews and christians , heretofore by vertue of this precept , which reason our opposites can no wayes evade . 6. our opposites themselves , apply all texts and precepts in the old testament , for the sanctification of the seuenth day sabbath unto the lords-day sabbath , as being all one with it in substance . why then should they or any other , reject that text of levit. 23. 32. from even to even ye shall celebrate your sabbath . refuse the usuall scripture computation of the beginning and ending all dayes , all festivalls at evening ; and affix a new incep●ion or ●nd to the lord-day ( and all other dayes too ) at morning or midnight , which the sacred writ doth no wayes warrant : as therefore they apply most other things concerning the seventh day sabbath to the lords day , so must they now the time and texts for its beginning too , unlesse they can give good scripture reasons for it , which no man can do . 7. the beginning of the lords-day and sabbath at evening , as soon as the sun sets , or the evening-star begins to shine , as it is most certain , ( whereas the beginning of it from the hour or moment of christs resurrection , which is not certainly known nor expressed by the evangelists , is arbitrary and uncertain , and so not to be embraced : ) so is it m●st consonant to that rest or sabbath in heaven , of which these sabbaths are a reall type . heb. 4. to 11. for our heavenly sabbath ever begins in the very evening , and sunset of our dayes , when death puts a period to them , rev 14. 13. job 3. 17 , 18. or at least at the evening and period of this world , when dayes shal be no longer , rev. 10. 6 , 7. therefore by the analogy of the type to the substance , those sabbaths should begin at evening too , when the day-light ends : the rather , because the evening usually puts an end to our labours , and begins our ordinary rest , as death ( the evening of our dayes ) concludes our earthly toyls and travels , and commenceth our heavenly rest , rev. 14. 13. 8. this beginning of the sabbath and lords day at evening , doth best prepare men for the sanctification and duties of it , and most of all prevent the profanation of it . for first it makes men to put a timely period to their weekly labours on saturday evening , and then to begin the sanctification of it with private meditations , prayer , singing of psalms , reading the scriptures , catcchifing of their children , and families , examination of their own hearts and wayes , and such like holy duties : where as the doctrines of its beginning at midnight or morning light ( as wofull evperience witnesseth ) makes many spend a great part of the satturday evening and night , ( when the sabbath and lords-day begin in true calculation ) especially in cities and market towns , in buying , selling , drinking , gaming , who●ing , and such like worldly or carnall imployments ; which this doctrine of its commencement at evening would easily redresse . 2. it causeth men to go to bed , and take their rest in due season , to rise the more early in the morning , to come to the publick duties of gods worship , with greater chearfulnesse , and better preparation , and so to receive more profit by them : to resort more timely to the church , to dispatch their own private devotions , before they go to the publick assemblies , and to be every way more holy and active : wheras the other midnight or morning inception of it , makes trades men & others to set up saturday nights ( as we erroneously both call and repute them , very late about secular , or vi●ious , sinfull imployments ( there being more sinnes for the most part , and disordrs committed that evening and night , then on any , or all the other six : to lie long in bed the lords day morning ; to come very late to church , or not at all ; to repair to publick duties without any , ( or at least with small ) preparation , bringing along with them heads , and hearts full of worldly cares , of sinfull thoughts , of unlamented iniquities , and as full of deadnesse , and drowsinesse ; which makes them either to sleep out prayers and sermons too , or not to observe and mind them , as they ought : all which the evening , beginning thereof would readily & best prevent . wherfore i may safely conclude , that the sabbath and lords-day ought of right to b●gin at evening since god ( being * only wise ) would certainly institute such an inchoation of them , as might best prepare and enable men to their sanctification , and most anticipate their prophanation ; the cause why he prescribed the celebration of the sabbath from even to even , levit. 23. 32. if i righly conjecture . 9. it is confessed by all , that in the scripture and israelites account , all dayes began at evening , as i have proved at large before : it is likewise most certain that christ and his apostles being israelites , did ever constantly observe the scripture , and their own nationall computation of the beginning and end of dayes , it being that which christ himself , and all the evangelists follow , as i have evidenced at large , in the third and fifth conclusions ; neither is it any way probable that christ and his apostles , ( or the primitive-church and christians , who were in all things guided by them ) did or would alter this their nationall and divine beginning , or concluding of dayes , there being no ground or reason for it , for ought that yet appeares . if therefore the lords-day were instituted and consecrated for a sabbath , by christ himself , as many or by his apostles , as most ; or by the primitive church christians onely , soon after the apostles time , as others affirm ; ( one of which three opinions is and must be granted by them for undoubted truth ) then it is most certain , that it must and did ( at its very first institution and observation ) begin and end at evening ( not at morning or midnight or b●cause christ himself , his apostles , and the primitive church did ever constantly observe this computation ; therfore they would not , did not institute any other beginning of it , but this alone : which reason ( in my poore weak apprehension ) is so solid , that it admits of no evasion or reply . lastly , that beginning and end of the lords-day , which the church & people of god in all ages , from the first institution of the lords-day to this present age , have constantly observed , and the church and learned in those ages pofitively in expresse terms resolved , to be most true and genuine , is * questionless the proper infallible inception & conclusion thereof ( this no man i presume , either will or can deny . ) but this beginning and ending of the lords-day at evening , which i here pl●ad for , is that which the church and people of god in all ages , from the first in stitution of the lords-day to this present age have constantly observed , and the church and learned in those age , have positively in expresse termes resolved to be most true and genuine : none ●ver oppngning i● till q wolphius , about some sixty years since , the first i find or hear of , that broached ●● is new opinion of its beginning at morning , because our saviour did then rise again ; whose authority and sophisticall reason ( a meere non sequitur , as i shall prove anon ) hath s●duced and drawn over many unto his opinion , both in their judgements and practise too ) therefore it is questionlesse the proper infallible inception and conclusion thereof . the minor which is onely liable to exception ( and may seem a paradox to some , who over-rashly stile this position of the lords-dayes beginning at evening , an upstart novelty never heard of in the church of god till this present age , in truth because th●mselves are ignorant in antiquities , and versed onely in late modern writers , who fome●t the contrary error , which i da●e affirm , to be the late sigment of some modern auth●●u●s , not once so much as heard of in any former ages , which i here challenge them to disprove : ) i shall make good by unanswerable reasons and authorities , ( as i conceit them ) even from the very apostles time to this present century ; and that in a chronologicall method , beginning with the primitive times , and so descending in order to this present age . it is a querie , not yet resolved amongst divines , when and by whom the observation of the lords-day for a sabbath , was instituted ? some hold it was instituted by christ himself between his resurrection and ascension : others that it was instituted by the apostles after christe the ascention , but at what certain time they do not accord . a third sort affirm , that it was ordained onely by the primitive church , and christians a little after the apostles times , or as the * council of paris and others affirm , by the council of laodicea , about 360 yeares after christ , but not by christ or his apostles . for my own part , as i shall not peremptorily resolve in this place , which of these opinions is the truest , it being not the scope of this present discourse : ●eferring you to mr. sprint , dr. bownd , mr. widly , mr. dod , mr. cleaver , mr. bernard , dr. twisse , bishop andrews , the practise of piety , mr. elten and others , who have written of this subject , & on the fourth commandement , for satisfaction herein , which requires a particular tract. so i shall on the other side positively affirm , that let the lords-day be instituted either by christ himself , or the apostles , or the primitive church and christians succeeding next after the apostles , about the end of the first century after christ , ( at which ti●e it is clear by the testimonies of ignatius , clemens alexandrinus , justin martyr , tertullian , irenaeus , plinie , and others , that the lords day was usally solemnized by christians ) yet the fi●st institutors of it , and the primitive christians who first observed it , did ever begin and end it at evening , which i shall make good by these reasons , ( there being no direct convincing authority ●●●ant , either when the lords-day was first instituted , or ●t what time it was first appointed to begin . ) 1. if christ or the apostles constituted it for a sabbath , it is more then probable , if not certain , that they ordained it to begin and end at evening . 1. because they being all jews , and ever exactly following the scripture , and their own nationall account , of commencing the day at evening , as i haue formerly euidenced ; we cannot conceive that they should institute any new beginning of the lorde-day , at midnight or moruing , contrary to the scripture , and their received count●ey account , but that they still observed this usuall and divine computation , even in the institution , and solemnization of this day . 2. because this beginning of this day being immutable , and in * god the fathers power onely to alter , not in theirs ; it had been a presumption in them to change it , without a speciall commission from him ; the times being still in his power , even at christs ascension , not in christs or his apostles , acts 1. 7. but we never read of any such commission granted them to alter this day from evening to morning , therefore it is presumption , yea folly to believe or assirm it . 3. because the lords-day ( as all sides accord ) was instituted in memory of christs resurrection on the first day of the week . now the first day ( as i have manifested ) began and ended at evening in divine evangelicall account , even as our saviours resurrection day ; neither did his resurrection on it alter its beginning from evening to morning : therefore the lords-day being but the first day of the week , and having the same beginning and setting as christs very resurrection day had , must begin , and end at even , at its primitive institution and observation : neither did or could the institution of the first day of the week for a sabbath , in memory of christs resurrection , change the beginning of the day , since christs resurrection it self in the morning , ( the supposed cause of this alteration ) did it not . 4. because christ , or his apostles ▪ would never consecrate a day in memory of the resurrection on it , within the compasse of which day christ did not rise again : for that were a great absurdi●y : but had they consecrated a lords-day to begin at morning from day-breaking , or from the very time that christ ar●se ( which is uncertain , unknown , and so this lordsdayes beginning too ) they had instituted such a lords-day within the compasse of which christ did not rise , he being risen before day-break , whiles it was dark matth. 28. 2. john 20. 1. and his resurrection being but the point , from which the day begins , and so not within it , on it , but before it . therefore they instituted it to begin at evening , not at morning . 5. it is certain , that christ himself , his apostles , and the primitive christians , for some good space of time did constantly observe the seventh day sabbath , after christs passion , and resurrection ; the evangelists , and saint luke in the acts , ever stiling it , the sabbath-day , ( which name it yet retains in * latine ) and making mention of its conscionable solemnization by the apostles , and other christians . mark 16. 1. luke 23. 56. see mark 15. 42. and luke 23. 54. matth. 24. 20. acts 1 12. c. 13 , 14 , 27. 42. 44. c. 14. 1. c. 15. 20 , 21. c. 17. 1 , 2 , 10. and c. 18. 4. it being still solemnized by many christians , after the apostles times , even till the council of laodicea , about the year of our lord 360. as ecclesiasticall writers , and the 29th canon of this council testifie , which runs thus , ſ quod non oportet christianos judaizare , & otiare in sabbato , sed operari in eodem die . ( which many did refuse at that time to do : ) praeferentes autem in veneratione dominicum diem ( there being then a great controversie among christians , which of these two dayes , the seventh day sabbath , or the lords-day should have precedency , t both of them being then observed by some ) si vacare voluerint , ut christiani hoc faciant ; quod si reperti fuerint judaizare anathema sint à christo . since thererefore the seventh day sabbath was thus solemnized by christ , the apostles , and primitive christians , after the resurrection till this laodicean council did in a manner quite abolish the observation of it : it necessarily follows , that they began their lords-day celebration at evening . for the seventh day sabbath , ( as i have proved in the second conclusion ) did ever begin and end at evening , and is so solemnized and begun by the jews at this day : wherefore they concluding this day at evening , they must necessarily begin the lords day then , because the first day of the week which they celebrated as the lords-day , did then commence ? the evening following the seventh day sabbath , being apart of it in their account , and one day ever necessarily beginning when the other ends . to these five reasons i might adde those others formerly alledg●d to prove that the lords-day ought to begin at evening . all which being laid together , are an infallible proof ; that admit the lords-day instituted by christ and his apostles , yet it was ordained by them from the very first , to begin and end at evening , and so to be solemnized , and that themselves did thus begin it . if it were onely instituted by the primitive christians * succeeding them , no question but they at first concluded , that it should be sanctified from evening to evening , many of them being jews , who kept all their sabbaths and festivals from evening to evening , to whom the other christians did readily conform in this particular , because it was the scripture computation , even from the creation , and for other premised reasons . for the apostles themselves , and other christians condescending to them for a time , in the point of circumcision , purification , and other such ceremonies , quite abrogated by christs death , acts 21. 20 to 28. 1 cor. 9. 20. gal. 2. 14 , 15. c. 6. 12. would certainly concurre with them in the beginning and ending of their sabbaths , and sacred festivities , which were no wayes ceremoniall , nor altered , nor abrogated by christs death . from which premises i conclude ; that let the lords-day be instituted , when or by whomsoever , yet it was ordained in its primary institution to be solemnized from evening to evening , and that it was sanctified in this manner by its originall institutors . to put this out of question , i shall descend from the alledged reasons , to direct authorities , culling out some few of the chiefest in all ages , and pretermitting all the rest for brevity sake . i shall begin with the ancientest first , and so proceed in order to our present times . the first authority i shall insist on , is , that of acts 21. 7 , 8 , 11. ( which many object against me , though it be most pregnant for me ) and upon the first day of the week , when the disciples came together to break bread , paul preached unto them , ready to depart on the morrow , and continued his speech untill midnight : and there were many lights in the upper chamber where they were gathered together , &c. when therefore he was come up again , and had broken bread , and eaten , and talked a long while , even till break of day , so he departed . this is the very first and best scripture authority properly alledged for the solemnization of the lords-day , by the apostles and christians of that age , who began the celebration thereof at evening , not at morning or midnight , as is plain by this text . 1. because their solemnizing of it begun no doubt at that time , when as they came together to break bread ; that is , to receive the sacrament , as most , or to keep their agape or love-feasts , as others interpret it ; or rather ( in truth ) to do both : but the christians in that time did both celebrate the sacrament and keep their love-feasts at u evening , in imitation of our saviour , who first instituted and kept the sacrament at evening , after supper , luke 22 , 20. john 13. 2 , 4. c. 21. 20. whence it is called the lords supper , 1 cor. 11. 20. see luke 14. 12 , 16 , 17 , 24. rev. 19. 9. 17. this is manifest by 1 cor. 11. 20 , 21. when ye come together therefore into one place , this is not to eat the lords-supper : for in eating every one taketh his own supper ; and one is hungry and another is drunken : now this text styling the sacrament , the lords supper , and informing us , that the corinthians did usually receive it after they had eaten their own suppers ; and that some were drunk when they came to receive it ( and in those times , they that were drunk , were drunk in the night , 1 thes. 5. 7. ) ascertains us , that this their coming to receive the * sacrament and keep their love-feasts , was at evening or candletining , when it was supper time . 2. because the text saith , there were many lights in the upper room where they were gathered together ; and that paul preached from the time of their coming together till midnight : both which do manifestly declare their assemblies begun at evening , as they anciently did , because there were many lights in the room where they met , which were lightted ( as the text insinuates ) before , or so soon as they assembled in it : and because it is not probable that paul ( who begun his sermon when they came together , as the words imply ) did preach from midnight , or the morning before , till midnight following , there being never such a sermon heard of : but onely from candle tining till midnight , the space of four or five hours . 3. because the christians in the next succeeding ages , ( as is manifest by y plinie and z tertullian ) did begin their christian meetings , and love-feasts at evening , whence they likewise stiled them a supper ; which tertullian thus describes , coena nostra de nomine rationem suam ●stendit . vocatur enim agape , id quod penes graecos dilectio est . non prius discumbitur quam oratio ad deum praegustetur : editur quantum convenientes capiunt ; bibitur quantum pudi●is est utile : ita saturautur , ut qui meminerint , etiam per noctem adorandum sibi deum esse : which shews that they began their feasts and christian exercises , ( which he here conjoyns ) at evening , and continued them all night , as saint paul , and the disciples at troas did . ( which meetings theophilus alexandrinus in his epist. paschalis 3. 3. bibl. patrum , tom. 4. p. 723. calls vespertina congregatio . ) post aquam manualem ac lvmina ( which manifests they kept their assemblies by candle light , and so begun them at evening ) ut quisquis de scripturis sanctis , vel de proprio ingenio potest , provocatur in medio deo canere ; ( which a plinie the second stiles , carmenque christo , quasi dicere secum invicem ; ) hinc probatur quomodo bibent . a●què oratio convivium di●imit : inde lis disceditur , non in catervas caesionum , neque in classes discursationum , nec in ●ruptiones laseivorum , sed ad eandem ●uram modestiae , & pudicitiae , ut qui non tam coenam coenaverint , quam disciplinam . which usage well explains this place of the acts . it being apparent then ( as the subsequent antiquities will more abundantly manifest ) that this meeting of the disciples at troas , and pauls preaching to them began at evening . the sole doubt will be what evening this was ? whether that which we call sunday night ( as many erroneously mistake ) or saturday night ? ( which is the lords-day night if any : ) for my own part i conceive clearly , that it was upon saturday night , ( as we falsely call it ) not the ensuing sunday night . for admitting the lords-day was then instituted for a sabbath ) ( which those of the opposite opinions grant and i consent to ) there will be no great question of it . 1. because if the christians at troas observed this first day of the week as their sabbath , no doubt but this their meeting to solemnize it , and receive the sacrament on it , was rather that evening which began , than that which ended the lords-day , in their account ; else they should have begun its solemnization onely when it ended , whi●h is improbable . but our sunday evening ( on which some affirm this meeting ) ended , not commenced the lords-day in their account , they ever beginning their dayes the evening before , as the premises manifest : therefore this assembly , was on our saturday evening , there being no mention of any meeting , the day or evening before . 2. because the christians , in the next succeeding ages , ( as i shall prove by the following testimonies ) did ever begin their lords-day assemblies and solemnities on saturday evening ; solemnizing it from evening to evening , because the first observers of it did so . therefore it is more than probable , that these christians at troas did so too . 3. because saint luke records that it was upon the first day of the week , when this meeting was , and this sermon of pauls made ; therefore it must needs be on the saturday , not on our sunday evening , since the sunday evenning in s. lukes , and scripture account , was no part of the first , but of the second day ; the day ever beginning and ending at evening , in their computation , as the premises evidence . 4. all my opposites confesse , that the disciples met at this time , upon the first day of purpose to sanctifie it for a-sabbath ; and can they then think that they would defer their meeting till our sunday evening , when all the day in their accompt ( and the best , the chiefest part of it in their compute , who begin it at midnight or morning ) was expired ? certainly , this had been to make the lords-day no festivall day at all , or at most not so much as an half-holy day ; which we cannot presume these disciples , and s. paul would dodid they observe it as their sabbath : from all which reasons i may more then probably conclude , that it was the saturday evening ( when the lords-day began ) not the sunday night ( when it ended ) when this divine assembly was kept ; the rather because they received not the sacrament , nor brake this bread till after midnight , as the text affirms ; and so after the lords-day ended even in the accompt of such who affirm it ends at midnight : and because this beginning of their assembly when the day begins , makes most for the apostolical divine institution and sanctification of the lords day ; for the which this text will little avail , if this assembly on it , were on our sunday night , when the day was either wholly or for the most part expired , and so this meeting no warrant for its totall sanctification . but against this it will be objected , first , that saint paul departed from tro● the very next morning at day-break ; which he would not have done , had it been part of the lords-day , for he would not have taken this journey then , l●st he should have prophaned it . besides , the text saith , that he was ready to depart on the morrow ; which signifieth another day , not the same : therefore this night must needs be our sunday night , his departure being on the morrow , to wit on our monday , the next day after it . to this i answer , first , that it is clear by acts 20. 6. that saint paul ●ame to troas upon the lords-day : for he stayed there seven dayes , and upon the first day of the week , he thus preacheth till midnight , ready to depart in the morning : so that the first day was the last of those seven dayes , and the first day of the week preceding it , the day on which he came to troas : paul therefore might as well depart on this day from troas , as he came unto it thereon . and that without prophanation of the day : for he came and went by ship , verse 6. 13 , 14. and so might sanctifie the rest of the day a ship board , ( as our marriners and passengers who sail on the lords-day , as well as other dayes , use to do ) because the wind and ●ide then serving , and the ship in which he was to sail , being to depart that morning , there was a necessity for him then to go a ship board , else he might have lost his passage : which necessity and circumstance of sai●ing away that day , made this his departure on it , no violation of the day : works of necessity , being no breach of the sabbath , as a christ himself , and all divines resolve : the rather here , because he might preach and spend the rest of the day in the ship as profitably as on the shore , and the mariners might likewise now set sail ( the wind and weather serving ) without prophanation of the day , as they still usually do in all places . 2. i answer , that the morrow , hath a double signification in scripture . sometimes it is taken for the next b evening or naturall day : other times it is taken for the next morning or day-light , or that which we usually call day , in opposition to the night : not for the next naturall day , which begins at evening , but the next artificiall day of twelve houres day light , which begins at morning . in this sense it is used most commonly in scripture , witnes levit. 22. 30. when ye will offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the lord a● your own will : on the same day it shall be eaten up ; ye shall leave none of it untill the morrow : compared with levit. 7. 25. which speaking of the same offering , saith , he shall not leave any of it till the morning . ( see exod. 12. 10. c. 16. 19 , 23 , 24. where there is the same expression ) in which texts the morrow , is nothing else but the morning following : for had this offering been at evening , or night , when the naturall day begins in scripture accompt , yet they might , not have reserved any of it till the morning , for that had been to morrow , as morrow is opposed to the night not to the naturall day . so in 1 sam. 19. 11. saul sent messengers to davids house that night to watch and to slay him in the morning : and michall told him , saying , if thou save not thy life to night , to morrow thou shalt b● slain . where morrow is not put for another naturall day ( that morrow in scripture and the jews account being part of that naturall day , of which this night was the beginning ) but onely for the day-light , or artificiall day , being the same naturall day on which these words were spoken . thus it is used in 2 sam. 11. 9 , 12 , 13 , 14. esther 2. 14. so zeph. 3. 3. her judges are evening-wolves , they gnaw not the bones till the morrow , that is , till the morning following . and acts 23. 31. 32. then the souldiers took paul by night and brought him to an●ipatris : on the morrow they left the horsemen to go with him . in all which places the morrow is put onely in opposition to the preceding night , and for the day light following ; ( which night and morrow make up the same naturall day ) not for the beginning of the next en●uing naturall day , or for another day . hence the scripture useth this phrase : the morrow after that day , or after the sabbath . levit. 23. 11 , 15. josh 5. 12. 1 chron. 29 , 21. because there is a morrow opposed to the night , wherein a thing is done or spoken , which is a part of the same naturall day , that the night is . in this sence morrow must needs be taken here : for this meeting beginning but at night , and paul continuing his preaching untill midnight following , ready to depart on the morrow : this morrow was nothing but the next morning ; which was a part of that fi●st day , on which the disciple met , as it was a naturall day consisting of twenty four houres , and beginning but that evening ; not another day of the week , or our monday morning , as some affirm . this morrow therefore being but the next morning , and opposed to the night onely , ( not to the naturall day on which this assembly was kept at troas ; and this night being part of the fi●st day of the w●ek ( which as a natural day in scripture accompt b●gan at evening ) could be no other but the lords-day morning , not the monday following ; and this meeting ( ●s the promised reasons prove ) could be no tim● else , but our sa●u●day night , notwithstanding this o●j●ction . so that i may safely conclude , that saint paul and the christians of troas ( the fi●st solemnizers of the lords-day that we ●ead of ) did begin its solemnization at evening , not at morning or midnight : wherefore we ought to begin it then . this is my first authority in point of practise , to prove , that the primitive christians began the lords-dayes sanctification at evening . my next evidence is that of a plinie the second , who writes thus to the emperour trajan , concerning the time , and manner of the christians solemnization of the lords day . soliti erant stato die ante lucem convenire carmenque christo , quasi deo dicere secum invicem ; seque sacramento non in scelus aliquod , astringere , sed ne furta , ne latrocinia , ne adulteria committerent , ne fidem fallerent , ne depositum appellati denegarent , &c. by which it is evident , that the christians in that age ( a time of persecution ) and after ages too , did b usually meet together to receive the sacrament , and perform their holy exercises , at night , when it began to grow dark , and concluded them at day-light or about day-break , ( as the disciples did at troas , acts 20. 7. to 12. ) which assemblies some ecclesiasticall histories call , antelucani coetus ; night-assemblies , or meetings , before day light ; not because they began in the morning about day-break , as some would have it ; but because they both began and ended be●ore day-dawning ; the christians in that time of persecution , not daring to meet publickly in the day time for fear of apprehension . now this set night on which they kept those assemblies was not our sunday , but our saturday night , on which our saviour arose whiles it was dark : and in honour of his resurrection did they begin and keep their lords-day solemnization , on this night , not the night ensuing , as is evident by justin martyrs second apology , with other ensuing testimonies . and these their night conventions were the occasion of those slanderous imputations which the gentiles cast upon the christians ; c that after their exercises of religion ended , they did use to put out the lights ( used to expell the darknesse of the night , acts 20. 8. ) and then couple promiscuously one with another , yea murther and eat up children , and commit all manner of villany . since therefore they began their lords-day exercises at evening , before day light began ; as this heathen authour and all ecclesiasticall historians writing of this age , accord ; we need not doubt , but the day in their acc●mpt did then begin ; since they would not begin the exercises of the day till in truth it began . my third authority is that of tertullian about 200 years after christ ; in his a●ol●gy for the christians , c , 38 , 39. ( the words whereof i have already alledged ) and de corona militis c. 3. where he writes thus . eucharistiae sacramentum in tempore victus , & mandatum à domino , antelvcanis caetilvs , nec de aliorum manu quam praesidentium sumimus : wch expresly shews ; that the christians of that age did begin their publick lords day meetings , and love feasts in the evening , and spending the saturday night ( as we falsly deem it ) in gods worship , receiving the sacrament and other holy duties ; which night assemblies he stiles , b nocturnae convocationes ; because they spent the greatest part of that night in them : nocturnae properly , not morning , or early risings and mee●ings before day , but a watching or fitting up all night , without going to bed , or taking rest , as the common proverb , nocturnae lucubrationes periculosissimae sunt ; compared with its opposite adagie , diluculo surgere saluberimum est ; and isa. 30. 29. luke 2. 8. c. 5. 5. c. 6. 12. john 3. 2. gen. 31. 39 , 40. num. 14. 1. josh. 10. 5. prov. 31. 18. psal. 119. 75. with other scriptures , testifie . but to passe by examples , and come to direct authorities . 4. my fourth testimony is that of athanasius , the great anti-arrian bishop of alexandria quaestiones ad antiochum : quaest . 52 , 53. p. 380. neque contra nos afferrent judaei , quod in sabbat● surrexerit christus , ideo eorum or a longe ant● obturavit deus , lege illis data ; ut a vespera or●inentvr diem sabba●i . cur hanc ●b causam & nobis deus praecepit , a vespera sabbati ordiri dominicum ? responsio . non ob eam causam : sed postquam deus gentes ex tenebris ignorantiae , & ex lege ad lucem cognitionis dei & evangelii vocavit ; convenienter san● nobis praecepii resurrectionis ipsius diem , a vespera inchoare & ad lucem perducere . indecorum enim , & inconcinnum fuerat a luce ordiri , & in noctem & tenebris desinere christi verae lueis dies a most express resolution , that the lords-day ought to begin from saturday evening , and that it is both unseem●y and unfit to begin it from the morning . answerable to which is that of anselm . enarrationes in math. 28. v. 1. 2 operum , tom. 1. p. 116. o do temporum habet , ve●peran magis tenebrescere in noctem qu●● lucescere in di●m : sec mysticè dicit lucescere , pro gloria resu●●●●●ionis immin●n●is . huc usq●e dies noctem dicebatur praecece●● . nune ordo mutatur ▪ & nox qua surrexit , d●e● , qua se ostendit , adjuncta est. et congruè●● us drem nox s●●u●batur , quia à luce homo in tenebr as cecide●●● . nunc vero dies sequitur notem , quia per resurectionem à peceatis ad vitam reducimur . which passage is almost verbatim recorded by haymo halberstatensis homiliar um pars aestivalis ; coloniae 1531. hom. in die sancto paschatis p. 7. 8. and by christianus grammaticus expositio in matthaeum evangelistam ( c. 28 v. 1. ) bibl. patrum tom. 9. pars 1. p. 491. d. e. by zacharias crysopolitanus in unam ex quatuor bibl patrum tom. 12 p●rs 1. p. 203 , 204. a. isidor hispalensis de natura ●erum . c. 1. p. 246. gratian . sentent l 2 distinct 13. e. and others . my fifth authority is ●●● c●uncil of laodicea , about the year of christ 360. whic● as i● first setled the observation of the lords-day , and prohibited , abolished the keeping of the jewish s●●b●●h under an anathem● . can. 49. fo●●●i●ed so it th●● posi●ively determined : vt a vespera usque ad vesperam dies dominica servetur : as is recorded capit. caroli & ludovici imperatorum . lib. 1. c. 15. collected by ansegisus & benedictus levita ; & fredericus lindebrogus codex legum autiquarum p. 833. my sixth evidence is the expresse testimony and resolution of saint augustine , the eminentest of all the fathers , de tempore sermo 251. observemus ergo . diem dominicam fratres , * & sanctificemus illam , si●ut antiquis praeceptum est de sabbato . ( levit. 23. 32. ) a vespera usque ad vesperam celebrabitis sabbata vestra . videamus ne otium nostrum vacuum sit ; sed a vespera diei sabbati usque ad vesperam diei dominicae sequestrati à ruralt opere , & ab omni negotio , solo divino cu●●ui vacemus . ve●iat ergo cu●cunque possibile sit ad vespe●●nam atque noctvrnam celebrationem , & ●r●t ibi incouveniu ecclesiae pro peceatis suis d●um , &c. an authority so full for the celebration of the lords day from evening to evening , in that age , that it cannot be shifted nor avoyd●d , and a direct resolution in expresse terms of our present qu●stion . my seventh . is pope leo the first , epistolarum decretalium epistola 79. which y●u shall find in the second part of his own works , in juo carnotensis decretalium , pars 6. c. 71. gratian . distinctio 75. & de consecratione distinctio 3. & in surius conciliorum tom. 1 p. 789. where he thus resolves our question : quod ergo à patribus nostris propensiore cura novimus esse servatum , à vobis quoque volumus custodiri , ut non passim diebus omnibus sacerdotalis ordinatio celebretur , sed post diem sabbati , ejusdem noctis quae in prima sabbati lucescit exordia deligantur , hoc est sub lege divini officii substiuantur , in quibus his qui consecrandi sunt jejunis , & ●ejunantibus , sacra benedictio conferatur . quod ejusdem observantiae erit , si mane ipso dominico die continuato sabbati jejunio celebratur à quo tempore praecedentis noctis initia non recedunt ; quam ad diem resurrectionis , sicut etiam in poscha domini de laratur . pertinere non est dubium . so that it was past all dis●ure , and doubt in his time , that the lords day began at evening , and that our saturday night was part of it . then it follows . nunquam benedictiones nisi in die demini●ae resurrectionis tribuuntur , a cui a vespere sabbati initium constat asscribi from which text of his , juo carnotensis : anno dom 1100 gr●tian anno 1170. in their for●n●med pl●ces , together with panormitan , antonius de bru●io , joannis thye●ey , bartholomeus brixiensis : and all other can●nists in their glosses on the fore-quoted texts of gratian ( where these words of leo are recited ) resolve without dispute : quod dies dominica initi um habet a vespera sabbati : quod probat per consuetudinem , & etiam per doctrinam apostolicam . quod vespera praecedentis noctis trahitur addiem sequentem , ut sive de vespere in sabbato , sive de mane in dominico ordines conferantur , semper in die dominico videantur conferri : all of them according , that the lords-day begins and ends at euening , not at morning or midnight . a truth so clear in that age , as it was past all doubt , the b scots and irish christians about the year 597. and before , beginning the lords-day at evening , as bishop vsher attests . my eighth testimony , is the second council of mascon , canon 1. apud surium ; concil. tom. 2. pag. 682 , 683. custodite diem dominicam quae nos denuò peperit , & à peccatis omnibus liberavit . nullus vestrum litium fomitibus vacet , &c. estote omnes hymnis & laudibus dei animo corporeque intenti . si quis vestrum proximam habet ecclesiam , properet ad eam , & ibi dominico die semetipsum precibus , lachry misque afficiat . sint oculi manusque vestri toto illo die ad deum expansae . then it follows ; noctem quoqve ipsam quae nos insperatae luci inaccessibili reddidit ( to wit our saturday night before easter , on which christ rose again ) spiritualibus exigamus excvbiis : nec dormiamus in ea , sed oremus & vig●lemus operibus sacris , ut digni haberemur cohaeredes fieri in regno servatoris . which canon proves , that the christians of that age did solemnize our saturday night ( before easter especially ) and sp●nd it all in holy vigils , prayers , and religious exercises , because christ rose upon it , accounting it a part of the lords-d●y , and beginning their lords-day exercises on it , not on our sunday night . my ninth proof is , the fourth council of toledo in sp●in , canon 8. apud surium . tom. 2. p 729 lucerna & cereus in pervigiliis , apud quasdam ecclesias non benedicuntur & eur à nobis benedicantur , inquirunt propter gloriosvm enim noctis illius sacramentum hae● sol mniter benedicimus , ut sacramentum sacrae resurrection●s christi mysterium quod tempore huius noctis votive advenit , benedictionem suscipiamus . et quia haec observatio per multarum loca terrarum regionesque hispaniae in eccles●is commendatur , dignum est ut propter unitatem pacis , & gallicanis eccles●is conservetur . nulli autem impune erit , qui hoc contempserit , sed patrum regulis sub acebit . by which canon it is most apparent , that the christians of this age did solem●ize our saturday night with holy vi●ils , prayers and exercises of religion , beginning their publick assemblies and lords-dayes duties on it , because the glorious sacrament , and mystery of christs resuriection hapned on it , the blessing whereof they expected to r●ceive by this nights sanctification . therefore questionlesse they began their lords-day at evening , and made this night onely , not our sunday night , parcell of it ; because christ in their accompt did rise again upon it . neither was the celebration of this night the practise onely of some few private churches , but of all christian churches in that centurie , since this councell layes it down as a prevailing argument , why all churches should consecrate their candles and tapers on it , as well as the spanish church , and churches in france ; which had been no motive at all , had not the solemnization of this night in memory of christs resurrection , been universall , though the superstitious ceremonie of hallowing lights and tapers on it was not so . which general received practise of solemnizing this night , & spending it thus , in vigils & prayrs , even from the apostles time , till long after this councill , is a satisfactory argument to me , that saint pauls and the disciples meeting at troas upon the first say of the week ( where they spent the whole night together in preaching and other christian exercises acts 20. 1 , 9 , 10 , 11 ) was on our saturday , not sunday night , it being no doubt the originall pattern from whence this custome sprung which this councill mentions . my tenth evidence is the expresse inanswerable authority of anastatius sinaita , anagogicarum contemplationum lib. 2. quaest. 86. 152. 153. bibl. patrum tom. 6. pars 1. p. 634. e. 778. 795. propterea scriptura tenebras ponit ante lucem , quoniam prius eramus in errore , deinde transeamus ad lucem . propterea prior est vespera , deinde dies . lege est constitutum ( it seems there was then some expresse law and canon for i● in force ; as these forecited ) ut inciperetur a vespera , dominica , quoniam à morte objeu●a , proce ●imus ad lacem resurrectionis . nos dominicam a vespera sabbati auspicamur ( so that ●● was the constant practise of christians in that age to begin the lords day on saturday at evening quemlibet d●em a vespera computare , et cum prae●edente nocte seu unum copu●●re solemus ( which last word implies a constant custome in that time ) sedenim & moyses vaeationem à laboribus in sabbato it a d●scripsit , vt et raecedente nocte , et seqventi die otivm agerent . testes do judees qvi vsqve inhodiernvm diem id obsrvant . qui●pe qui non illam noctem quae sabbatum subsequitur , sed illā qvae antegreditvr cessatione ab operibus quiete colunt . ( this therefore was and is the jewish and scripture computation ) et nos in observatione diei dominici praecedentem noctem tanquam cum die copulatam , et non sequentem noctem veneramur . an evidence so expresse , so punctuall , as may satisfie all the opposites , and cannot be evaded . my eleventh testimony , is the positive resolution of an whole generall council , and so by consequence , of all christian churches in that age ; to wit , the sixth generall councill of constantinople , can. 56 surius conciliorum . tom. 2. p. 1052. dominicis genu flectere à divinis nostris patrievs , christi resurrectionem honorantibus , canonicè accepimus ( the first generall councill of nice , canon 20. having so decreed : ) ne ergo hujus observationis evidentiam ignoremus , fidelibus manifestum fa●imus , quod post vespertinum sacerdotum ad altare sabbato ingressum , ex consue●udine quae servatur nemo genu flectit usque ad sequentem vespe●am , in qua post ingressum in vespertino seu completorio , genua rursus flectentes , domino preces offerimus , servatoris enim nostri resurrectionis veluti praecursorem noctem quae suit ante sabbatum , accipientes , hymnis ab ea spiritv aliter incipimvs : festum ex tenebris in lucem finientes , ut in persecto ae integro die ac notce , nos resurrectionem celebremus . a most full unanswerable authority , if a li●tle explained . it was the received custome of the primitive church , as this canon & all antiquity witnes , to pray standing not kneeling , all the whole lords-day in memory of our saviou●s resurrection , & standing up again from the dead : whence these their lords-day exercises were called , * stationes ( à stando ; in english stations ) because they ever stood , and never kneeled in them . now this custome of praying standing , used onely on the lords-day , and between e●ster and ascension day , began and ended with the day . the question then will be , when , and at what time of the day , this praying standing , began and ended ? this canon resolves it in plain terms , ( and that by way of declaration onely , not of new constitution , ) that all the churches and christians of this age ( ex consuetudine quae s●rvatur ) even by an ancient long continued custome received from the christians and church●s of former ages ; and then observed onely , not begun ; did alwayes begin to pray standing , after their saturday vespers , or evening prayers were ended , ( to wit , at the time of the evening , when the day in divine and naturall accompt begins ) and concluded them after the lords-day vespers , or complein ended , to wit , the lords-day at evening , when the lords day doth properly and truly end . by which it is most apparent , that they began and e●d●d their lords-day and lords-day exercises at evening , not at morning or midnight ; and that it was the constant custome of all christians in former ages so to do . again it assures us , that it was the custome of all churches , then , and in foregoing times , to couple the saturday night , and the lords-day together , and to solemnize them in memory of christs resurrection , as one intire lords-day ; b●●inning and spending all the saturday night with hymnes and spirituall duties . so that this councill is a most clear satisfactory proof both in point of doctrine and practise , that the lords-day ought to begin and end at evening , and was actually so observed by all christians of this and former ages . i wonder therefore why some , who think themselves learned , should so far for●et themselves , as to call it an upstart novelty , not heard of in the church till now of late , it being ever the received doctrine and practise too , of all churches , christians , till within 70 years last past . my twelfth proof is the famous english council at berghamstede , under withred king of kent , an. christi 697. in spelman : concil. tom. 1. p. 195. can. 10 , 11. si in vespera praecedente diem solis post quam sol occubuit , aut in vespera praecedente diem lunae post oceasum solis fervus ex mandato domini sui , opus aliquod servile egerit , dominus factum 80. solidis luito . si servus hisce diebus itineraverit , domino pendet 6 solidos , ●ut flage●o caedatur . si liber homo id faciat , tempore vetito , sit reus collistrigii mulctae : & qui eum detulerit dimidium habeat , tam mulctae tam wi●gildi by which law it is most evident ; that the lords-day began and ended at evening after sun-set ; and was to be sol●mnized from evening to evening , without doing any ser●i●e work on sunday nights after sun set , as well as on saturday nights , though the lords-day then actually determined . to which i shall adde that of venerable b●da our learned countreyman , in his homily on matthew 28. verse 1. quoted by bartholomaeus brixiensis in his glosse upon gratian distinct . 75. in die ista ( to wit , the lords-day , noctes incipiunt praecedere dies , ideo fortè ut tres dies & noctes haberi possint , in quibus domin●s fuit in ventro terrae , quod nec sic habetur nisi synechdo●hicè , vel declaratur : quia missa non decantatur in sabbato , sed in principio sequentis noctis , & dicitur ; deus qui hanc sacrtissimam noctem , &c. & ita est die dominica nox illa . a passage so plain for the lords days beginning on saturday at evening , that it needs no glosse , and this was the doctrine and practise of our nation then . my thirteenth authority is the synod of franckford , under charles the great , famous for the doctrine of images therein condemned , the 22. canon whereof ( apid achuini opera col. 1893 ) resolves our question thus . vt dies dominica à vespera usque ad vesperam servetur . a direct determina●ion of the point in difference . that the lords-day is to be kept from evening to evening . my fourteenth probation , is the expresse decree of the emperour charls the great himself , and ludovicus pius , capit . l. 6. tit. 186 apud fredericum lindebrogum codex legum antiquarum p. ●●8 . & apud bochellum decret. ecclesiae gallicanae l 4. tit. 3. c. 39. p 589. a vespera usque ad vesperam dies dominious servetur . what can be more full and punctuall than this ? which is seconded capit. l. 1. c 15. as a decree of the council of laodicea . my fifteenth , is concilium foro-juliense under the same charls , c. 13. apud suriū tom. 3. p. 266. diem autem dominicum inchoant . noctis initio , id est , vespere sabbati quae in prima lucescit sabbati , quando signum insonuerit , vel horaest ad vespertinum celebrandum , non propter honorem sabbati ultimi , sed propter sanctam illam noctem p●imi sabbati , id est , domini●i diei , cum omni reverentia & honorifica religione venerari omnibus mandamus . a canon so apparent for beginning the lords-day at evening , that it needs no illustration . my fixteenth , is the synod of towres under the same charles canon 40. apud surium . tom ▪ 3 p. 227. itemque interdicat ne mercata & placita usquam fiant die dominica , quâ oportet omnes christianos à servile opere in laude dei & gratiarum actione , usque ad vesperam perseverare ; which compared with the former canons , is a direct proof , that the lords-day begins at evening , because then the celebration of it by this canon , is to end . my seventeenth is the council of mentz , anno 813. recorded by juo caruotensis , decretalium par● 4. c. 16. which decres thus . omnes dies dominicos à vespera in vesperam cum omni veneratione & observatione decrevimus observare , & ab illici●o opere abstinere , &c. a pregnant testimony in this point . my eighteenth , is that of h rabanus maurus , homil● de dominicis diebus , in his works at large , edit. 1616. tom. 5. p. 605. where he thus resolves this question on my side . observemus ergo diem dominicam & sanctificemus illam sicut antiquis de sabbato praeceptum est , dicente legislatore , a vespera usque ad vesperam celebrabitis sabbata vestra . videamus ne otium nostrum vanum sit . vespera diei sabbati , usquead vesperam diei dominici sequestrati à rurali opere & omni negotio , solo divino cultui vacemus . to whom i may adde his coetanian haymo halberstattensis , homilia in die paschatis p , 7 , 8. who there resolves in punctuall termes , that the lords-day begins and ends at evening , not at morning ; and so ought to be solemnized from evening to evening . my nineteenth , is the councell of compendium , apud radulphum tungrensem , de canonum observantia , propositio 15. bibl. patrum . tom. 11. p. 445. f. tom. 14. p. 242. & apud alexandrum alesium , summa theologiae pars 3. quaest . 31. artic. 2. p. 145. both these authors being of the same judgement with this councell , which decrees thus . omnes dies dominicos à vespera usque ad vesperam omni v●neratione , devotione observari , &c. words most direct in point . my twentieth , is the authority of amalarius fortunatus , bishop of triers , who flourished about the year 920. de ecclesiasticis officiis , lib. 1 c. 12. bibl. patrum tom. 9. pars 1. p. 311. f. dominica nox in magna gloria celebratur , ut liquet omnibus qui morem nostrae eccl●siae ●enent . unde augustinus ex sermone ad populum vigiliis paschae . deinde sabbati dies à sua nocte incip●ens , finitus est vespere incipienti● noctis : quae pertinet ad imtium diei dominicae , quoniam eam dominus suae resurrectionis gloria consecravit . illius itaque noctis ad in●tium diei dominicae pertinentis , nunc istam solenniter memoriam celebramus . what can be more plain to testifie , that both in the judgement and practise of that age the lords-day did begin and end at evening , and that christ by his resurrection consecrated this night for his service , not the morning and day following it onely , excluding it . my 21. is the ecclesiasticall laws of edgar and canuius , two ancient kings of this island , recorded in lambards saxon laws , and in mr. fox his book of mart●rs , edit. 1610. p. 715. & spelmanni concilia p. 445 , 446. who both enacted , that the lords-day should be kept holy from saturday vespers at three of the clock till monday morning ; beginning the solemnization of it on saturday evening at * 3 of the clock , not at midnight or morning following , and continuing it till monday morning ; for preventing all prophanesse and disorders on our sunday night , as being more fit to be spent in holy duties , than servile works , or pastimes ; it being fitter to give god more time than he commands , than to rob him of the least minute . from these kings raigns , it was the constant custome of this kingdome for lab●u●ers , servants , & all others , to give over their week day works about saturday noon , or 3 of the clock , some space before evening service , that so they might repair to evening prayers that day , and after that begin the sanctification of the lords-day at evening , as is evident by the statutes of 4 h. 4. c. 14. 6 h. 6. c 3. and 23. h. 6. c. 13. which enact , that no labourers whatsoever , should take any hire for the festivall dayes , nor for the half dayes for the evens of feasts when they do not labour . which custome hath been observed in some places till of late ( within the memory of such who exceed not 50 years ) the saturday being esteemed an half holy day , and servants recreating th●mselves upon it a little before night , that so they might avoid all pastimes on the lords-day , and keep it holy from evening to evening . which ( together with the custome of observing holy-day eves , because those dayes began at evening ) is a manifest and direct evidence , that the church of england ( till of late some taught the co●trar● ) did begin the lords-day on saturday evening , even from these kings time , and long before ; and therefore should proceed to do so now . the same law was enacted by william king of scots . anno 1203 , which was likewise ratified by a scotish councill , as hector boetius lib. 13. de scotis ; & centuriae magdeburg . cent. 13. col. 932. lib. 48. & col. 788. l. 40. accord . viz. that sunday should be kept holy , from saturday at 3 of the clock , till monday evening ; that none should do any worldly businesse thereon , but be imployed onely in holy actions , and king alexander the third of scotland in a parliament , an. 1314. decreed , that none should fish in the waters , from saturday vespers til monday morning . my 22. is the decree of the councill of lyons , concerning holy dayes , recorded by juo carnotensis . decretalium pars 4 c. 14 & gratian de consecratione distinct . 3 fol 663. pronunciandum est laicis ut sciant tempora feriandi per annum , scilicet , omnem dominicam à vespera usque ad vesperam . upon which ba●tholomaeus brixiensis . ( on gratian's text ) gives this glosse : usque ad vesperam . hi● habes quando incipiat di●s secundum canones ; s●i●ic●t a vespera . gratian , juo , panormitan , hostiensis , with other canonists being of the same judgement too . what can be more direct or ●ositive than this ? the 23 is honorius augustodunensis , de imagine mundi , lib. 2 c. 27. de initio & fine dierum , bibl. patrum tom. 12. p 497. r. christiani diem dominicam à vespera usque in vesperam finiunt . my 24. is the synod under simon and galo the legat , apud bochellum , decret-eccles . gal. lib. 4. tit. 7. c. 14. p 578. & tit. 10. c. 12. p. 595. pronunciandum est laicis ut sciant tempora feriandi per annum id est , omnem dominicam , à vespera usque ad vesperam . nec ali●uis à vespera diei sabbati , ad vesperam diei domin●cae ad molendina aquar●m , nec ad aliqua alia molere audeat . a ull resolution in this controversie . my 25. is pope gregory the ●i●th , decretalium lib. 2. tit. 9. de feriis . c. 2 p 595. who determines thus . omnem dominicam vesperam à vespera usque ad vesperam●eriandum sanctam d●em dominic●m ab ho a diei sabbati vespertina inchoandam . it ne●ds no glosse being so di●●ct my 26. is the canon of the synod of angiers . apud bochellum decret. eccl●s . l. 4. tit. 10. p. 14. p. 578. inhibemus molitoribus etiam quibuseunque sub poena interminatione praedicta , & molendinarum dominis , nè ipsi diebus dominicis , maximè à vespera diei sabbati , usque ad vesperam diei dominicae molendina molire faciant aut permittant , non obstante longi temporis abusu , qui non usus censendus aut consuetudo , imò verius corruptela , cum tanta sint graviora peceata , quanto diutius infoelicem animam detinuerant obligatam , cum aliqua praescriptio contra praecepta decalogi locum sibi vindicare non possit . a direct evidence . my 27 , is a domestick provinciall constitution under simon isleep archbishop of canterbury recorded by lindwood , constit . provincialium l. 2. tit. de feriis fol. 74. b. and by joannis de aton : fol. 148. a. inprimis sacrum diem dominicum ab hora vespertina diei sabbati inchoandum , which needs no other glosse but lindwoods , who thence concludes , that the lords-day ever begins at evening : the constant ancient doctrine of our church : my 28. is an ancient english dialogue upon the commandements , intituled dives & pauper , first printed anno 1496 , and after reprinted by thomas berthelet the kings printer , anno 1536. . which book on the third ( our fourth ) commandement ch. 14. f. 132. &c. 6. f. 11● . demanding this question ; how long ought the holy day to be kept and hallowed ? resolves it thus , from even to even ; as raymundus , saith , and the law . ( extrau . l. 5. tit. de feriis . omnes dies ) we have ordained that all sundayes be kept with all manner of worship , from even to even ; and holy writ saith also , and god himself : from even to even shall you celebrate the sabbaths . my 29. is an old english treatise intituled , the flower of the commandements of god , printed at london , by wynkin de ward , anno 1521. ch. 3. on the third ( our fourth ) commandement , f. 31. 32. which thus determines . nothing is to be done on the sunday , but to be besied towards god , him for to honour . question , who so should demand , at what houre a man should begin to celebrate the feasts . the answer , regularly , men say , that from the one evenson unto the other even-song the chyrk make solemnity . it is written extrau . de feriis , & de consecratione distinct . 1. cap. missas ; omnes dies dominitos à vespera in vesperam decernimus observari . in like wise , saith the scripture , in many places . à vespera ad vesperam celebrabitis sabbata vestra . this scripture reproveth the fully of some simple men , the which reputeth not to be sin to labour and work late on the saturday at night , and ween that it is sin , to work onely on the monday in the morning . these two last authorities i h●v● cited at large , because they are punctuall , the books unknown to most ; and ●ully manifest the doctrine and practise of the church of england in that and former ages , to be fully consonant to my opi●ion ; though now out of ignorance of antiquity , r●puted a strange , unheard of novel●y , by ●ome who repute themselves no mean rabbies , and scorn the title of ignoramus , wherewith they upbraid all lawyers , though more knowing , more learned , than many of themselves . 30. to these i could h●ve added sundry others ; but to avoid prolixity , i shall onely remember the names and works of some late authors , from anno 1100. till this present , who expressely resolve . that the lords-day begins and concludes at evening . n●● to mention juo carnoten-gratian , alexander a●ensis , radulphus t●ngrensis , barthol●mae-brixiensis , joannis de thiery , antonius de brutio , gulielmus lindwood , joannis de aton , laurentius surius , or laurentius bechellus , who all concurre in this opinion in their f●re-named works , where the precedent canons and decrees are registred ; i shall onely refer you to thomas aquinas in 3. sentent . distinct . 37. art. 5. distinct . 11. qu. 2. art. 2. qu. 3. ad 2m 2a s●cundae . qu. 122. art . 4. tostatus abulensis in in exod. c. 20. qu. 12. hostiensis sum . l. 2. tit. de feriis sol . 142. joannis de burgo ( chanceilour of cambridge in henry●he sixth his raign ) pupilla oculip●rs 9. c 6. de feriis b. e. baptista trouomala in his summa rosella tit. feriae . sect 4 , 5. angelus de clavasio , in his summa angelica , tit. dies sect. 1. cavarruvius l. 4. c. 13. tom. 2. with all other canonists in the titles de feriis , & diehus festis , who all resolve in these very p●●si●ive terms . abstinendum est ab op●ribus omni die dominica . ab hora d●ei sab●●ti vespertina inchoando , non ipsam ho●am praeveniendo . quod feriation●m diet sabbati tenere d●bemus , à vespera ad v●speram , sci●icet ab ultima parte diei praecedentia vigiliae , quod dies quoad celebration●m divinaerum consideratur de vespera in vesperam : and that the whole day is to be wholly dedicated to god , and spent in his service and worship . which resolution is likewise seconded by fridericus lindebrogus in his glossarium : in cod : legum antiquarum . tit. dominicus dies , by learned hospinian de origine festorum . fol. 31. 68 , 69 , 70. 161 , 162. by mr. sprint in his treatise of the sabbath , with a sundry others : wherefore i shall close up these authorities with that of jacobus de graffiis , decisionum aurearum casuum conscientiae , pars 2. lib. 2. c. 13. de diebus festis , sect. 8. 9 , 10. p. 136 , 137. qua ad feriationem incipit dies vespera praecedenti , et finitur in sequenti vespera , &c. igitur secundum scripturam et ecclesiam festum incipit immediate post occasum solis diei praecedentis usque ad occasum solis diei festi . igitur ex his colligitur , quod nulla consuetudo potest excusare laborantes sabbato post occasum , vel in praecipuis solemnitatibus , cum fiat contra jus divinum . for which he quotes pisanus , verbo feriae , as concurring with him . from all which expresse concurring authorities ( which none ever contradicted before wolphius , for ought that can be proved ) to which i might subjoin the opinions and practise of mr. cotton , mr. hooker , with sundry other ministers and churches in new england ; i hope i may safely conclude ; that the church and people of god , together with the fathers , councels , and learned of all ages , from the very first institution of the lords day , to this present , have constanly resolved , both by their writings and practise too , that the lords-day doth , and ought of right to begin and end at evening ; not at morning or midnight , and that all former ag●s have thus constantly solemnized it ; as all these severall testimonies clearly manifest , beyond all contradiction or dispute . i have now ( i hope ) by all the premises sufficiently proved the truth of this posi●ion ; that the sabbath and lords-day doth and ought of right to begin and end at evening , not at morning or midnight ; and manifested it to be the resolved doctrine and constant practise of all fotmer age . there is nothing now remaining but that i should answer those pretences or ojections , which are or may be made against it ; and take off one cavill which may be made against some of the premises : when this is dispatched , the truth will be most perspicuous , so that none can further doubt or question it , ( as i suppose ) for the future . the arguments produced for the proof of the adverse opinions , ( or rather onely for one of them , to wit , that the lords-day begins and ends at morning ) are six ; which i shall answer in order . the first of them is this . that what the law of nature setled for a time , to wit , that the sabbath and other dayes should begin at evening , * that christs resurrection , a part of his redemption , hath now changed to the morning ; the work of redemption being far more excellent than the work of creation . which if we reduce to a logicall argument is but this . christs resurrection a part of his redemption , is more excellent than the work of creation , ergo it changed the beginning of the lords day , and by consequence of all other dayes , from evening to morning . to which i answer , 1. it is very dangerous , unsafe for any mortalls to make comparison between the glorious works , actions , attributes , and ordinances of almighty god , and to prefer one of them so highly before the other ( as many do ) without an expresse warrant from god himself in his word , which hath been the cause of many a grosse errors and practises amongst christians . i grant the work of christs redemption is a most glorious work , and signal testimony of gods transcendent love to the world of gods elect and redeemed ones , john 3. 16. rom. 5. 8. ephes. 2. 4 , 5. c. 5. 2. 25. 2 thes. 2. 16. rev. 1. 5. but was not his creating of us , in holynesse and righteousnesse after his own image and likenesse , as transcendent an act of love as this ? gen. 1. 26 , 27. psal. 8. no doubt it is . 2. that no scripture , ( to my best observation ) prefers or advanceth the work of redemption ( much lesse our saviours resurrection from the dead on the first day ; being but one part or branch thereof ) before the work of creation ; both these works being very great and glorious in themselves : wherefore i cannot believe the work of redemption , or christs resurrection alone , to be more excellent and glorious than the work of creation , without sufficient texts , and scripture grounds to prove it ; but may deny it as a presumptuous fancy or unsound assertion , till satisfactorily proved , as well as peremptorily averred without proof . 3. if such comparisons may be admitted , or made without presumption , in my apprehension , gen. 1. and 2. compared with psalm 8. psal. 104. psal. 19. 1. 2 , 9. psal. 95. 6 , 7. psal. 100. 1 , 2 , 3 , 4. psalm 148. job 36. and 39. eccles. 12. 1. 1. isa. 37. 16. c. 40. 28. c. 43. 1. c. 44. 4. c. 45. 12. 18. c. 51. 13. jer. 10. 11 , 12. c. 14. 22. c. 27. 5. c. 32. 17 , 18 , 19. c. 51. 15 , 16. jonah 1. 9. john 1. 3. 10. acts 2. 24. c. 14 , 15. c. 17. 24 , 25 , 26. rom. 1. 19 , 20. col. 1. 16 , 17 , 18. heb. 1. 1 , 2. 1 pet. 4. 19. rev. 4. 11. cap. 10 , 6. and the fourth commandement it self , exod. 20. 8 , to 12. seem to prefer the work of creation before the work of redemption , as most of all manifesting , declaring , magnifying the infinite power , wisdome , greatnesse , glory , majesy , providence , bounty , soveraignty , deity of god ; and as the strongest motive and obligation to all his creatures ( and redeemed saints likewise ) to adore , worship , love , fear , serve , reverence , obey god as their creator , and to depend , rest , trust , commit themselves to him alone . 4. these reasons seem to advance the work of creation before the work of redemption . first , it is the first and most ancient of all gods visible works , gen. 1. 1. deut. 4. 32. mark 13. 19. rev. 3. 14. 2 pet. 3. 4. far antienter than christs resurrection or work of redemption . and that which is antientest , is usually best and honourablest , psal. 77. 5. isa. 3. 2. c. 9. 15. c. 44. 7. c. 24. 23. c. 51. 19. jer. 18. 15. dan. 7. 9. 13. 22. john 1. 2 , 3. 1 kings 12. 6. jer. 6. 16. acts 22. 16. 1 joh. 2. 7. rev. 3 : 14. secondly , the work of a creation is the very greatest of all gods works , and more universall , generall , extensive than the work of redemption : extending to all the glorious angels , sun , moon , starres , heavens , aire , earth , sea , with all the severall creatures in them ; whatsoever and to all mankind . gen. 1. and 2. psalm 83. psalm 104. psalm 148. 4. 5 , 6. isa. 40. 26. c. 42. 5 c. 45. 12 , 18. john 1. 3. ephes. 3. 9. col. 1. 14. rev. 4. 11. c. 10. 6. yea , to jesus christ himself , stiled ; the beginning of the creation of god . rev. 3. 14. therefore , more excellent , greater , glorious than the work of redemption , b peculiar onely to gods elect , the smallest part of men ; not universall to all mankind ; much lesse to angels , and all other creatures : now it is a received maxime in divinity , morality , policy , reason ; bonum quo communius , eo melius . see psalm 145. 9 , 10 , 14 , 15 , 16. whence philo the jew , de opificio mundi , stiles the sabbath in memory of it ; festum non unius populi regionisve , sed in universum omnium : quae sola digna est ut dieatur popularis festivitas . thirdly , god himself created all things at fi●st , very good , perfect , pure , excellent ; and man himself after his own image , in holinesse , true righteousnesse , integrity , ●erfection , without sinne , corruption , imperfection or obliquity , gen. 1. 18. 25. to the end . c. 5. 1. c. 9. 6. eccles. 7. 27. 1 cor. 11. 7. ephef. 4. 24. col. 3. 10. man being depraved , corrupted by adams sin and fall , which brought a c curse upon mankind and all other creatures too : christs redemption , though it hath freed all his elected , called , justified , sanctified ones from hell , death and damnation , the condemning , ruling power of sin , and curse of the law ; y●t it hath not redeemed them ( much lesse the generality of mankind and other creatures ) from the pollution , corruption of sinne , l●st and ●ll those temporall miseries , curses , plagues , judgements , imperfections in this life , which sinne hath brought upon them : nor yet restored them to such a glorious , happy , perfect condition here , as that wherin man was first created : the best of saints on earth , having many remainders of sinne , corruptions , defects and infirmities in them till they come to heaven , 1 kings 8. 46. eccles. 7. 20. rom. 7. 7. to the end , james 3. 2. 1 john 1. 8 , 10. c. 2. 1. 2. therefore in this respect , the work of creation excells that of redemption , in relation to all the creatures corrupted , vitiated by mans fall , and of the redeemed themselves , whiles they continue on earth , and have cause to celebrate sabbaths and lords-dayes , to sanctifie and make them holier . 4. some of the creatures , as the angels , christ himself , as man and a creature , ( if not the sun , moon , stars , heavens ) the works of gods creation ; are more excellent and gloious than man , or any saints on earth , the ●ubject of christs redemption , psalm 8. heb. 1. rev. 3. 14. 2 thess. 1. 7. psalm 103. 20. mat. 25. 31. heb. 2. 7 , 9. c. 12. 22. rev. 14. 10. luke 20. 36. compared together . therefore the work of creation is more exellent than that of redemption . fifthly , without the work of creation , there could be no work of redemption ; the chief end whereof is to restore us to that felicity , a happinesse in the enjoyment of god and his creatures , which man in his innocency , ( had h● p●rsevered in that estate ) should have enjoyed by the work of creation . therefore the work of creation is at least as excellent as glorious , as the work of redemption , if not more eminent than it . sixthly , the excellency and glory of the work of redemption consists principally in this , that it was wrought by jesus christ himself , the onely beloved sonne of god luke ▪ 1. 6. 8. 99. rev. 3. 24. gal. 3. 17 col. 1. 14. heb. 9. 12 1 pet. 1. 18 , 19. rev. 5. 9. but this cannot advance it above the work of creation ; god created all things by jesus christ ( as well as redeemed his elect ) ephes. 3. 9. col. 1. 16. and that onely as he was god , and the word , heb. 1. 2. john 1. 1 2 , 3. gen. 1. 1 , 3 , 26. not as god and man . seventhly all accord , that it is a work of b greater excellency , omni●ot●n●y , power , love , to create and make all things out of nothing , then to repair , restore , rectifie things already created when deprav●d , defiled , cap●ivated or impaired . see basil and amb●ose in their hexamerons , most commentators on gen. 1. and isa. 45. 5. to 20. c. 40. 48. re. 4. 11. acts 17. 24. heb. 3. 4. therefore i may safer conclud● , that the work of creation is c greater and more excellent than the work of redemption , from these texts and reasons ; then my antagonists averre the work of redemption to transcend the work of creation in excellency and greatnesse , without scriptures or solid reasons grounded on it . 5. admit the whole work of redemption wrought by christ , to be better , greater , excellenter than the work of creation : yet none can prove or demonstrate , that chrstsi resurrection ( one part onely of his work of redemption , on the first day of the week ) is greater than the whole work of creation . therefore they cannot conclude from it alone , that this his bare resurrection should alter the beginning , end , limits , nature of times , and dayes , settled by god at the very creation ; as they here argue . 6. admit christs resurrection and work of redemption , to be greater , better , excellenter than gods work of creation , ( which i deny ) will it thence follow ; ergo , it altered the work of creation ; the cause of sunne , moon , starres , dayes , weeks , years ; the beginning and end of the sabbath , or first day of the week , and by consequence of all other dayes and times setled by god himself at the creation by an unalterable law ? gen. 1. 5. 8. to 20. 23. 21. c. 2. 2 , 3. exod. 20. 8. to 12. psalm 148. 5. 6. eccl. 3. 14. jer. 31. 35 , 36. c. 33. 20 , 21. 2 pe. 3. 14. certainly all these texts wi●● others forecited , resolve , and experience proves the contrary , the dayes , weeks , months , morning , evening , course of sunne , moon , and starres , being still the same they were from the creation till this present ; and every thing or action that is greater , better than another , not abrogating or altering their course or limits which god or men had formerly settled . 7. the ends of christs resurrection and redemption were meerly spirituall , to redeem , justifie , raise up from sinne , from the dead , and avance to heaven at last , all those whom christ redeemed , john 5. 29. c. 11. 25. rom. 1. 4. rom. 5. 5. to 16. 1 cor. 15. throughout , phil. 3. 10. 11. 1 pet. 1. 1. 3 c. 21. rev. 20. 5. 6. rom. 4. 24 , 25. c. 8. 11. 2 cor. 4. 14. ephes. 2. 6. not to alter the beginning or ending of dayes , times , ▪ seasons : not one of all these texts ( nor any other speaking of christs resurrection , and the ends or benefits thereof ) ass●rtin● , importing , much lesse resolving any thing : therefore it did not , could not alter the beginning or limits of the fi●st day , ●i●her as a naturall , or as his resurrection day , as these writers averre . 8. christs pa●sion , a bloodshed , was the principall part of his redemption , yea his nativity , ascention ( to omit his whole life on earth , and perpetuall mediation in heaven for us ) were parts thereof ; the one the first part , the other the last of all : b●t it is clear that our saviours passion and bloodshed in the evening , ( though it were the chief●st part of his redemption ) made no alteration in the b●ginning or end of dayes , so as to change the beginning of goodfriday f●om evening before , to three of the clock in the afternoon ; that his nativity ( about midnight ) or his ascention ( about noon or eleven of the clock in the morning , as is most probable ) did not translite the beginning of those dayes , or any other , to midnight , noon , or morning , though they were the first and last parts of of his work of redemption ; why then should his resurrection onely in the morning ( a lesse principall part of his work , than his passion , or perchance than his nativity or ascention ; the one of which preceded the other followed his resurrection ) make such a change in dayes beginnings , when neither of these three other did so ? if it be , because it was a part of christs redemption . so were the other three , and yet they produced no such mutation ; and why a part of christs redemption should cause such an alteration , onely because it is a part : or why one inferior part of it alone , should do it , and not the chiefest ; why the intermediate , not the first , or last part of it , transcends my apprehension . if it be because god ordained it should effect such a transmutation , then shew me expresse scripture for it , ( as none can do ) or else reject it for a groundlesse fancy , as in truth it is , but more of this in the answer to the next objection . the second objection is this , christs resurrection on the first day of the week in the morning , did actually change the beginning of the day from evening to morning , and constitute the lords-day to begin at morning . therfore it ought to begin at morning . if we c●st this into a sormall argument , it will be more perspicuous . christs resurrection , the cause of the lords-day , was not till the morning , ergo the lords-day must not begin till morning , because the effect must needs be with or subsequent to the cause , and cannot precede it ; whereas the effect should over-reach ●●e cause in point of time , if the lords-day should begin at evening , christs resurrection beginning not till the morning . this reason and argument is the main foundation whereon the opposites build their errour ; wherefore i shall be more copious in discovering the sandinesse , falshood , and fallaciousnesse of it . first therefore , i answer , that this whole argument , is but a chain of severall grosse falshoods and mistakes , contrary to the scriptures : i wonder therefore why so many grave , judicious men should be ensnared by it . 1. the first of them ( the ground work of all the rest , and of this errour concerning the lords-day beginning at morning is this , that christs resurrection did alter the beginning of that first day of the week , whereon be arose , from evening to morning : which i have manifested to be an apparent errour contrary to the scriptures ; which testifie that that day began at evening , and that christs resurrection did nothing alter it ; as the third and fifth preceding conclusions prove at large . wherefore i shall here demand of the objectors , how it appears that christs resurrection made such a change as they pretend ? if by scripture , shew one text , that necessarily proves it : this i am sure they cannot do . if not by scripture : then it is a meere groundlesse conceit of their own forging . yea , but though they want scripture , yet they have this sound reason to prove it : christ rose again upon the first morning ; therefore he translated the beginning of it from evenig to morning . to which i reply , that this main capitall reason is but a grosse in consequent , and a circular argumentation ; for if the argument be denyed , as justly it may be ; then they prove it by that very medium which was next before denied , and they ought to make good ; that christs resurrection did chan●e the day from morning to evening ( there being no other medium but this to confirm it ) therefore if he rose again upon it in the morning , he made such a change as they pretend . so that this their reason is but idem per idem , a petitio principii a circular dispute , a grosse non sequitur , and so to be rejected as false and idle . but yet a little more to lay open the falshhood of this proposition ; that chists resurrection made such an alteration of that first dayes beginning ( which hath neither scripture nor reason to back it . ) i would first demand this question of them . why christs resurrection should produce such a change , when as his nativity , passion and ascention , ( parts of his redemption too , as beneficiall to christians as his resurrection ) had no such effect ? 2. how they come to know , that such a change was de facto made , when no scripture rev●als or intimates it ? 3. how was it possible for christs resurrection to call back and adnul that beginning of the day , which was irrevocably past , and gone before it happened ? since by their own rule , the effect cannot precede the cause ; and so by the same reason , christs resurrection in the morning could not operate à parte ante , to change the beginning of that day , which was actually past at evening . 4. where they did ●ver read , that occasions happening upon any dayes , did alter or bound on● the beginning and end of dayes ? the dayes ever bounding out the occasions ( which we say happened upon such a day and houre ) not the occasions the dayes ? 5. how christs resurrection could change this dayes beginning , when as it altered not its name , nature or order , ( it being still the first day of the week , as it was at the creation , the week remaining yet the same ) and seeing it made no change in the course of the sun , and moon , of day , and night , which rule bound out , and make up the naturall day ? 6. how that which hath no limits of its own , but that which it had from the day on which it happened , ( the first dayes morning being that which limited the resurrection in point of time , and reduced it to a certainty ) can possibly put bounds of time unto the day , which bounds outit ? if they cannot resolve all these , queries they must then disclaim this main fundamentall conclusion , upon which they build their false grounded error , as i have formerly proved . this is the first falshood . the second is this , that christs resurrection was the cause of the lords-day . this i say , is both a falshood and a fallacy . to make it more evidently so , we must consider the lords-day , either as a naturall day , consisting of 24 houres , measured out by the sunne or primum mrbile , and made up of the night and artificiall day : or as a lords-day ; that is , a day devoted and sequestred unto gods immediate worship . if we consider it materially , or m●erly as a day , it is clear , that christs resurrection was no cause of the first day ; for that was instituted by god at the creation , gen. 1. 5. who then appointed the sunne , moon , and starres , to rule , limit , govern both the day and night , and to be the sole causes of them , gen. 1. 14. to 22. psalm 74. 16 , 17. psalm 136. 6 , 7 , 8. psal. 104. 19. jer. 31. 35 , 36. c. 33. 20. neither could christs resurrection be the cause of that day on which he arose ; for it was begun before he rose again ; and it had been and continued a day , though he had never risen on it ; therefore it was no cause of it as a day . besides , all time is the measure of motion , and so the motion of the primum mobile the alone cause of it , and of this day too . christs resurrection thererefore being no cause of the lords-day , as a day , could not alter the beginning of it in such manner as is prtended ; since the lords-day hath no bounds or limits , beginning or end , neither is it properly a part of time , but onely as it is a day , not as a lords-day . wherefore when you affirm that christs resurrection was the cause of the lords-day , & therefore it changed the beginning of it ; your meaning is and must be , that it was the cause of it , and that it changed the beginning thereof , as it was a naturall day ( the change here r●l●●ing onely to the time and limits of the day , not simply to the quality , as it is a lords-day , it having no limits at all , as it is a lords day , but meerly as it is a naturall day ; ) which is a grosse a untruth as i have proved , yea a fallacy too , in applying that to this day , as a day , which is spoken onely and intended of it , meerly as a lords-day . to illustrate this by an example . the first day of the week , is like to water in baptisme , to bread and wine in the sacrament , to a church that is consecrated , or to one abou to enter into orders : now as we use to say , th●t baptisme doth change the water , the sacramentall consecration the bread and wine , consecration canonicall the church , and ordination the man ; if we mean they change their very nature , essence and substance , the speech is meerly false ; for they continue in nature , in substance , the same they were before ; if we intend they onely alter their use , which is true ; and yet apply this alteration to the substance ( as the papists do in case of the sacament , arguing thus ; the fathers say , that the bread and wine are changed after consecration , to wit , in their use onely ; ergo they are transubstantiated and changed in their substance ; ) then it is but a fallacy or equivocation which being explained proves but a meere non sequitur , since the change in the use or quality onely , infers no necessary alteration in the substance . so when the objectors say , that christs resurrection did change the first day of the week ; if they mean onely that it was the occasion why the use of it was altered from a common day to an holy day : or when they affirm , that christs resurrection was the cause of the lords day , that is , the cause why the first day was and is solemnized as a lords-day : their words are true in this sense onely ; but then they neither prove nor imply any change at all in the limits , beginning or end of the first day , or in the day it self , but in its use alone ; and so the day continues the same in all these respects , as it was before . but when they go thus far , as to prove that christs resurrection on it did alter the very beginning and end , ( and so the nature and limits ) of the day , because it was the occasion of altering its use ( which is the thing they intend in both these propositions ) then the argumentation is sophisticall , and the conclusion this grosse inconsequent ; christs resurrection was the cause of turning the first day of the week into the lords-day ; ergo , it translated the beginning of that day from morning to evening . an argument so absurd , that the objectors may now do well to blush at it . again , if we consider this day onely , as it is a lords-day , ( that is , as a time consecrated to gods publick worship ) if the objectors intend by this proposition ( christs resurrection in the morning was the cause of the lords-day ) that is , it did actually consecrate that very first day , whereon he arose , and all others succeeding it , for a lords-day , even that very morning on which he arose again , as in truth they do ; then i say it seems to me an apparent untruth . for though it be true that his resurrection on that day , was one generall originall occasion of solemnizing it for the lords-day ; yet it is untrue that his bare resurrection onely was the immediate efficient , constitutive cause of sanctifying it for a sabbath or lords-day ; or that it did sanctifie that very day on which christ arose for a sabbath or lords-day , even at that very time of the morning when he arose . for first , gods resting from his work of creation on the seventh day , is paralell in reason with christs resurrection on the first day , in point of constituting either of them for a sabbath or holy day , as all acknowledge . but gods resting on the seventh day , was onely the originall impulsive , not the immediate efficient , constitutive cause of the seventh day sabbath ; for it was not a sabbath as soon as god began to rest , or only because he rested on it ; but because he blessed and consecrated it for a sabbath , and commanded adam and his posterity to sanctifie it for a sabbath , as is clear by gen 2. 2 , 3. exod. 20. 7. to 12. for he sanctified it for a sabbath because he had rested on it : so that his rest was onely the occasion why this d●y was consecrated for a sabbath , rather than any of the other six ; but that which made it a sabbath , was gods peculiar blessing , consecration , and institution of it for a sabbath . so gods passing over the is●aelites , and slaving the egyptians , was the occasion why the 14. day of the first moneth was solemnized ●or a pass●ov●r-day : but that which constituted it to be such a day , was not his passing over the israelites , but his expresse command to them to observe it throughout all their generations . ex●d. 12 4. to 40. the jews deliverance from haman and th●i● other enemies , was the cause or reason , why they * annually observed the fourteenth and fifteenth dayes of the moneth adar , as solemn festivals ; and the deliverance from the a gunpowder-treason , the occasion why we observe the fifth of november , as an annuall festivall ( which feast we generally begin at evening , since we then usually begin to ring our bells in memory of our deliverance the morning following ) but the imm●diate efficient constituting cause of these dayes for holy-dayes , was neither the jews deliverance nor ours ; but the law and ordinance of the jews , esth. 9. 20 to 29. and the sta●ute of 3 jac●bi●c . 1. which ordained those dayes to be solemnized and kept holy . so it is in all other dayes solemnities whatsoever , not the occasion of their celebration , but the authority and command to sanctifie them , is that which b constitutes them holy-dayes ; therefore by the self same reason , christs bare resurrection was onely the occasion why the lords-day was afterwards sanctified and observed ; but that which constituted and made it a lords-day or christian sabbath , was some precept or ordinance of christ , or his apostles , or of the primitive church , without which it had not been actually a lords-day or sabbath in point of sanctification , though christ did rise upon it . 2. if christs bare resurrection without more ceremony , did actually consecrate that very first day on which he arose , and all others for a sabbath or lords-day , what need then those many large discourses of divines , concernning the time when , the persons by whom , or the authority by which the sabbath was translated from the seventh day to the first , or this instituted for a lords-day ? certainly if the very resurrection of christ did actually perform all this , that very morning on which he arose , all these disputes were at an end . but few or none have been so absurd as to make christs bare resurrection the immediate constituting cause of the first day for a sabbath or lords-day , much lesse of that very day upon which christ arose , which all the a evangelists stile , the first day of the week , even as it was christs resurrection day ; which shews , that it was not then actually constituted for a sabbath or lords-day , but continued an ordinary week-day , as before . therefore it is not probable that it made ●uch a change or consecration of that very day . 3. none of the evangelists in their histories of christs resurrection , make mention either in direct terms , or by way of necessary inference , that our saviours bare resurrection consecrated that very first day whereon he arose , or any succeeding it , for a sabbath or lords-day ; much lesse that it changed the beginning thereof from morn-ning to evening . therefore certainly no such alteration as is su●mised , was actually effected by it . 4. had christs resurrection actually constituted that day on which he arose , and all other fi●st dayes ensuing for a sabbath or lords day , without further ceremony , even on that day when he arose ; then that day had been consecrated for a sabbath or lords-day , and the seventh day sabbath hadbeen translated to it , before any man did or could take notice o● this alteration ; before any knew this day was instituted for a sabbath or ●ords-day ; yea , before it was known or believed that christ was risen again , to or by his disciples . for the b scripture is expresse , that he appeared not unto them till towards the evening of that day ; at which time thomas was absent , and some of them doubted , whether he were risen again , or whether it was he or no : so that it is certain , they observed not that first day , as a sabbath or lords-day , in memory of his resurrection , but it is altogether improbable , that christ would consecrate that day for a sabbath or lords-day , before his disciples or any other knew of it ; or that he would make an alteration of the sabbath , ( which so much concerned the apostles and church ) in private , without their presence or p●ivity : o● that he would consec●ate that day for a sabbath or lords-day , in memory of his resurrection , before it was certainly known that he was risen ; or before he had shewed himself to his disciples after he was risen ; or before any did know it to be a lords-day or sabbath it being made so only for man , mar. 2. 27. not for christ himself , or angels , who were onely present with him when he arose . for christ being onely wise , did all things in b the fittest season , and in a publick manner , in the presence of his disciples , who were to be witnesses of all his actions , speeches , acts 1. 2 , 3 c. 2. 32. c. 10. 40 , 41 , 42 , 43. 1 john● , 1 , 3. 2 pet. 1. 16 , 17 , 18. luke 1. 2. therefore he would not , he did not institute that very day whereon he arose for a sabbath or lords-day , at the time when he arose , which the evangelists certainly would have mentioned ( being a matter of such moment to the church and christians ) had it been done in truth , as pretended onely , but not proved , neither in truth can be . if therefore the objectors affirm ; that christs resurrection was the cause of the lords-day as a lords-day ; that is , an immediate constituting cause of it , and that at the very moment when he arose , then it is a palpable untruth , as the premises manifest : if they mean by cause , onely the impulsive cause or originall occasion of its future consecration or institution for a sabbath or lords-day , then their argument is but this . christs resurrection ( the occasion of christians solemnizing the lords-day , as a lords-day or sabbath ) was in the morning ; ergo the lords-day must being at morning : which is but a meere non sequitur ; because the occasions of sanctifying any dayes for sabbaths or holy-dayes , do not bound out the beginning or end of the dayes , for then these days must begin and conclude when the occasi●ns of their solemnization do ; but on the contrary , t●e dayes do ever limit the occasions and f●stivalls , which must begin and end with the dayes to which they are confined . this i shall make mani●est by examples , and make good by unanswerable reasons . for examples , we have all the festivalls in scripture , which together with their occasions , are restrained to the bounds of dayes , not the limits of dayes to them . to instance in particulars . when god himself instituted the seventh day for a sabbath , because on it he had rested from all his works of creation ; he confined the sabbath and his rest , to the seventh day ; not the seventh day to it : blessing the seventh day and hallowing it ; not changing the beginning , ending , limits , or order of it in the week , but the use , gen. 2. 2 , 3. exod. 20. 7. to 12. when god instituted the fourteenth day of the moneth abib , for a passeover day , in memory of his passing over the israelites , and sl●ying the egyptians at midnight , he ordained that feast to begin at evening , because the day to which this festivall was confined , did then begin ; not at midnight , wh●n the occasion of its sol●mnization happened , exod. 11. 4. c. 12. 3 , 6. 12. 10 40. lev. 23 ▪ 5. numb. 9. 11. deut. 16. 4. josh. 5 10. so all the other jewish feasts * began and ended at evening , as the dayes on whi●h they were solemnized did ; the limits of the day being the bounds of the festivalls , not the festivalls , or their occasions , the boundaries of the day ; a festivall or holy day being none other , but a common day set apart and dedicated to gods speciall honour and service : therefore being but a common day consecrated , must needs begin and end , ●s the day doth this is manifest by exod. 12. 18. c. 13. 3 , 4. c. 14. 30. c. 35. 2. levit. 23 3 ▪ to 43. numb. 29. 1. josh. 10. 12 , 13 , 14. judges 5. 1. 1 sam. 14. 23. neh 8 , 9 , 10 , 11. esth. 8. 12. c 9. 17 , 18 , 19 , 22. psalm 81. 3. psal. 118. 24. isa. 22. 12. matth. 28. 1. mark 16. 1. luke 23. 56. c. 21. 1. wher● all festivalls , fasts , and memorable occasions , are regulated by dayes , not dayes by them ; the festivalls and feasts ever beginning and ending with the dayes to which they are appropriated , not the dayes , or festivalls , or fasts , with the occasions of their solemnization . so in all annual or weekly holy-dayes , feasts , or fasts instituted by men , let the occasions of their institution happen what houre or time of the day they will , at morning , noon , or afternoon , yet we still begin the solemnization of them , when the day begins . for example , our saviours passion on the crosse , was not till about three of the clock in the afternoon , john 9. 14 mark 15. 34. yet we solemnise our goodfriday , in memory of his passion , from the time the day begins . so our saviours ascension ( as is probable by acts 1. 9 10 , 11 , 12. 13. luk. 24. 50 ▪ 51 , 52. ) was about noon or after , yet we begin the festivall of his ascension with the dayes inception , whereon it was . so the descent of the holy ghost upon the apostles in cloven tongues ' was about nine of the clock in the monring , acts 2. 15. yet we solemnize our whitsonday in memory thereof , from that dayes inception . our deliverance from the a gunpowder treason on the fifth of november , was about nine or ten in the morning , or after , when the king , queen , prince , lords and commons should have m●t together in the lords-house ; ( though suspected and in part discovered ten dayes before , and actually detected at midnight ; ) yet we begin the solemnization of it , from the foregoing evening , with ringing of bells , and the like . the birth of many of our princes hath been about noon or after , and their coronations about that time : yet we solemnize their birth-dayes , and coronation-dayes , from those dayes beginnings . the crown descended to our present soveraign king charls in the afternoon : yet we solemnize not that day from noon to noon , but from evening to evening , because the day doth then commence and end , and so the solemnity confined onely to that day , that whole day , not to part of it , and part of the ensuing day . if then all festivalls whatsoever begin and end with the dayes beginning and end on which they are kept , not at the very time of those dayes , when the occasions of their solemnization happened , as these and other infinite other examples testifie ; why should not the lords-day begin at evening , though christs resurrection , ( the chief cause of its sanctification ) was not till morning , because that day , as a day , doth then begin and determine ? certainly whatever the opposites conceipt , it must needs do so , and that for these unanswerable reasons . first , because god himself , at the very creation hath set inviolable bounds , for the beginning and end of daves and weeks ; appointing them to be as so many royall standards for the limiting or measuring out of all festivall occasions happening on them , and reducing them to a certainty ; as i have manifested at large in the fourth conclusion : wherefore no event or festivalls , happening on those dayes , can alter the limits or beginning of them , nor make them longer or shorter ; no more than the corn to be measured by the peck or bushell , or the cloth to be measured by the yard , can alter , limit or measure out the quantity of the peck , bushell , or length of the yard . secondly , because every occasion that may cause a subsequent consecration of a day , for a sabbath or holy day , ( and so christs resurrection ) doth only dedicate that day , yea all that day on which it falls , not part of that day , and part of the day ensuing , on which it did not happen ; therefore consecrating onely that very day , all that day , and no other day but that , it must needs begin and end , when that day doth . now that very day on which our saviour arose , began and ended at evening , as i have proved : his resurrection therefore being the cause of consecrating all that day , ( not part of it , and part of the following day ) for the lords-day , this day as a lords-day , must necessarily begin and conclude at evening . thirdly , because no occasion of consecrating the day on which it falls , extends in point of consecration , further than that very day , which is set as the utmost limits of it . but should the lords-day begin and end at morning or midnight , not at evening , christs resurrection ( the cause of its consecration ) should extend beyond the bounds of the day , to consecrate half ( or at least a quarter ) of the second day , for a lords-day on which he arose ; and besides , it should not consecrate all that day on which it happened , but that part onely which ensued , not that which preceded it , since that day began at evening , as i have proved . both which were absurd to affirm . therefore it must needs begin at evening , the lords day being onely the first day on which christ arose , and all the first day , not part of it , and part of the second day , as it is and must be , in the opposites computation . fourthly , that day on which christ arose , both as a week day , and as a day , was precedent to his resurrection , both in time , nature , and in the sanctification of it for a lords-day : for there must be fi●st a day of the week b●fore christ could rise upon it , or any consecrate it for a sabbath or lords-day : therefore his resurrection on it , and the consecration of it for a lords-day , did not , could not alter the limits or nature of that day , but both of them must be regulated , squared by its former bounds . fifthly , christs resurrection and the lords-day solemnization , have no set limits of time of their own , being no parts of time , but onely measured out by time : therefore they can give , or proportion out , no limits of time to the first day , but the first day being a part of time , must set limits of time to them . and to make festivalls or their occasions measurers out of the length , b●ginning or end of days ( which the objectors do ) is as grosse an absurdity , as to measure the bush●ll by the corn , or the yard by the cloth ; not the corn an● cloth by the bushell or yard ; or as to square the rule by the tree ; measure the quart pot by the wine ; weigh pounds and weights by the wool , flesh , bread , fruits ; not the tree , wine , wool , &c. by the rule , quart , pound , weights . sixthly , every memorable accident happening upon any day ( and so by consequence our saviours resurrection on the first day of the week ) cannot possibly alter the beginning of that day : for if it falls out just at the dayes beginning , it is a reason that the day and festivall solemnized in memoriall of it , should then begin , because both the day and the occasion of its celebration commence together ; if it happen after the day begins ( as christs resurrection did ) it cannot nullifie or change its beginning , because it was irrevocably past , and gone before . et ▪ quod factum , quod praeteritum est , infectum reddi non potest , no not by god himfelf , much lesse by any accidentall occasion , which cannot possibly operate to nullifie or alter that which was past and gone before it was in being . since therefore no occasion happening , either with or after the beginning of any day can possibly alter the time of its inception , the festivity instituted in memory of that occasion , on that day , must inevitably begin and end when the day doth in its naturall and usuall course , and so the lords-day too , which must begin and end at evening , because that day on which christ rose again did so . seventhly , christs resurrection ( and so any other memorable accident upon any dayes ) was but a meere transient act , done , past , almost in a moment , or minutes space : wherefore it could properly of it self consecrate onely that space of that day which it took up and no more : for the forepart of the day being past , the following part of it to come , and neither of them in being , but that space thereof in which he rose again , christs resurrection could not properly operate to consecrate either the antecedent or subsequent part of that day , of it self , much lesse any dayes ensuing . if therefore the lords-day , or first day should be limited or bounded out by the time on which christ rose ( which is the opposites doctrine ) we must either observe no lords-day at all , or else a lords-day of a minutes length ( and that minute uncertain when to begin or end , because the hour , or minute of christs rising again is unknown : ) since therefore there is both an expediency and necessity that christians should observe a day , a festivall of a greater length , than the very moment in which christ rose , in memory of christs resurrection ; the instituters of the lords day , considering that god himself did ever bound out all festivalls , by dayes , not minutes , hours or half dayes , ( stretching the limits of them farther than the bounds of their occasions reached ; which were commonly short , and transitory ; ) partly in imitation of gods own former proceedings in such cases , and partl● out of necessity , did extend the bounds of the lords-day beyond the space in which he was rising , even to the intire day , whereon he arose , and so to that part of the day preceding , as well as to that succeeding it , the very act of christs resurrection being but momentany and not so large as the whole dayes extent . whence we may clearly see an absolute necessity of limiting festivalls by the days , limits , not by their occasions ; of beginning the lords-day at evening , though the resurrection , the cause of its future solemnization , was not till morning ; and of making such occasions and the resurrection , to relate à parte ante , as well as à parte post ; to consecrate the precedent as well as the subs●quent part of the dayes on which they happen , without any violation of the objected logick rule . that the effect cannot precede the cause ; ( which is true onely in this sense , that the lords-day could not be actually observed as a lords-day in memory of christs resurrection on it , bef●re he actually rose again : ) else festivalls and the lords ▪ day should be scarce half-holy-dayes , sometimes not above a minutes or hours length ; which would be dishonourable to god , to christ , to the church and disadvantagious unto christians . eightly , if festivalls or their occasions ( and so christs resurrection and the lords-day ) should alter the beginning and end of dayes , as the objectors pretend , it would bring in an absolute confusion of all tim●s and dayes : for then every last occasion of solemnizing any day must change the beginning of all other dayes , and reduce them to the time that that occasion happened ; and so every punie festivall should alter the limits of all dayes and festivalls formerly settled ; which were injurious , yea absurd ; and would cause so many alterations in day as would render all days , weeks , years , u●certain ; or else every day or festival should have severall beginnings and ends , answerable to the hours of the severall remarkable accidents happening on them , some beginning at one hour , some at another , some being long , others short , some beginning at one time in one country , and at another time in another countrey ; which would bring such a perplexity , intricacy into all computations of time , and all chronologie , as neither god nor man could suffer ; breed much confusion , both in contracts , festivals , all divine and humane affairs ; overturn religion , lawes , dayes , weeks , moneths , years , and reduce all things to a meere incertainty , in regard of time , which hath continued the same in all ages and places from the creation to this present , without any variation ; the week consisting of seven dayes , and each of those dayes of 24. hours onely , as they did at the creation . wherefore to prevent this generall confusion , incertainty , disorder in dayes , and other times , there is a necessity that dayes , ( gods standard royall , to measure all temporary things , occasions , and solemn festivals happening on them ) should limit both festivals themselves , and the causes of their institution : and so that the lords-day should be squared by the first day of the week , to which it is confined , not the first day , or lords-day , by the time of our saviours resurrection on it . and why should not the lords-day be squared by the first day on which our saviour arose ? is it not celebrated principally in remembrance of his resurrection on that day ? is not the lords-day the first day , and the first day the lords-day ? is not all the fi●st day the lords-day , and no part of the 2d . day ? would you not have it like that first day on which christ arose , not different from it ? if so , then that first day must be the only measure of it ; and it must begin and end at evening , as that day did . if otherwise , you make the lords-day different from that day whereon christ rose , you sanctifie but part , not all the first day ; you piece up a lords-day of half the first day and half the second day ; and make christs resurrection the measure of the day , when as the day was the measure of it : all and and either of which is gross●ly absurd . you see therefore in the first place , that the ground on which the opposites build their opinion of the lords-dayes commencement at morning ; is but a ch●in of falshoods and notorious errours . and so the objection meerely false , in the sence that they intend it . 2. i answer , that ●hough christs resurrection was the principal cause of christians celebrating the first day of the week for the lords-day , & christian weekly sabbath ; yet it was not the sole cause or occasion of it , there being many other caus●s likewise alleadged for it by * ancient and modern divines and others ; as that it was the first day of all others , whereon god created the light , that god raineed manna in the wildernesse on it , that christ thereon rose again from the dead , and that the holy ghost desc●nded thereon , upon the apostles . thus expressed in the excerptions of egbert archbishop of york , about the year of christ 750 c. 36. spelmanni concil. tom. 1. p. 262. dominica dies prima dies seculi est , & dies resurrectionis christi ; & dies pentecosten , & ideo sancta est , &c. and thus in some ancient saxon canons , some of uncertain date , yet supposed to be 1000 years after christ . ibidem p 600. c. 24. a dies verò dominica , quia in eo deus lucem condidit , in eo mannam eremo pluit , in eo redemptor humanigeneris spoute pro salute nostra mortuis resurrexit , in eo spiritum sanctum super discipu●os infudit , tanta debet esse observantia , ut praeter orationes & missarum solemnia , & ea quae ad vescendum pertinent , nihil aliud fiat , &c. on which particulars , many of our modern writers insist . now as it was the first day of the world whereon light was created , it clearly began at evening , gen. 1. 5. the manna falling on it , ●el● with the dew in the night . numb , 11. 9 exod 16 13 , 14. christs resurrection thereon was early in the morning whiles it was yet dark , john 20. 1. luke 24. 1 , 2 , 6. matth. 28. 1. 6. mark 16. 1 , 2. the descent of the holy ghost upon the apostles thereon ; was about nine of the clock in the morning , or the third houre of the day , acts 2. 1. to 16. to these reasons of its sanctifi●ation , most of our late divines annex , christs apparition to his disciples on this day after his resurrection : and that was at evening ( a little before sunset ) john 20. 19. now if all these severall occurrents on the first day of the week , concurring joyntly towards its sanctification as a lords-day , or christian sabbath , should alter its primitive beginning and end at the creation , as the first day of the world , when it began and ●nded at evening , to the time and hour of these severall occurrences thereon ; it should have as many severall beginnings and ends , at severall times , houres , repugnant to each other ; which would make it five severall dayes in stead of one ; yea no day at all , but a monster of dayes and sabbaths . to reconcile which repugnances , and avoid such confusion ; the objectors must disclaim their confident objected mistake . that christs resurrection ( being one cause of the lords-dayes solemnization onely ) did actually change the beginning of the day , from evening to morning ; and grant it still begins at evening , as before it did . 3. i answer that this objection is a meere petitio principii ; a begging of the thing controverted , as granted instead of proving it . for they lay this for a foundation ; that christs very resurrection did change the beginning of the lords-day ( or first day ) on which he arose from evening to morning : which is the thing in truth they ought to prove . yea but they confirm it too as well as say it : how i pray ? christ rose again in the morning , ergo he translated the beginning of the day to the morning . but how is this consequent made good ? why thus : christs resurrection was the cause of the lords-day ; therefore the day must begin when he arose , and not before , for the effect ought not to precede the cause . i subioyn that in this argum●nt is a treble sophisme . fi●st there is fallacia dictiouis in the word cause : which signifieth either an o●iginall impulsive cause ; ( and so it is true that christs resurrection was the cause of the lords dayes solemnization , to wit the cause , why christians afterwards did solemnize it ) or else an immediate efficient consti●utive cause : christs resurrection was no such cause of the lords day as i have proved . yet the objectors in this argument make it so , for that is thei● meaning . if they take cause here onely in the fi●st sence ; then the argum●nt is a meere inconsequent ; for the original cause or occasion of a thing may in point of time precede the effect for many hundred years . adams fall w●s the cause or occ●sion of christs incarnation , passion , resurrection and ascension , rom. 56. to 20. yet these were many thousand yea●s puny to it . the three y●ars famine in davids time , was occasioned by sauls slaughter of the gibeonites many years before , 2 sam. 21. 1. yea most divi●●s generally affirm , that though . christs resurrection was he occasion or impu●sive cause of the lords-day●s i●sti●ution , yet the institution of it was some space after i● , not contemporary with it . this argument therfore is bu● a meer incons●qu●nt christs resurrection , the originall occ●sion of the lords day●s institution , was in the m●●ni●g . ergo ▪ h● l●●ds day must then begin . 2. here is ●ik●wise ●●●l●acie in arguing , that the lords day m●st 〈◊〉 at mo●ning , not evening , b●cause the eff●ct canno● p●●●ed● the cause ; when as the a●gument should be ●●st contrary . the ●ffect begins ever when the 〈…〉 it doth ; and is ever co●tan●ous with it ; the●●f●●● t●● l●●ds day ought to b●gin in the morning , because ●● r●su●●●ction the cause of it b●gan then . the fi●st ●f th●● a●●uments is a non sequitur : because thou●● the ef●●●t cannot precede the cause in naturall things , as the son cannot be before the father was ; yet it followes not , that the effect should ever be as ancient as , or contemporany with the cause , or the son be as old as the fath●r , or born together with him . so it follows not that because the lords day , as a lords day , could not begin to be observed , hallowed as such a day , before that morning whereon christ arose ; ergo it must begin at morning , and could not be instituted to begin the evening of the next , or any other first day following it . again the antec●d●nt of the latter argument is falf , for although the originall cause or occasion doth usually precede the effect in point of time , ( as christs resurrection did the institution of the lords day ) yet it follows not that the lords day must begin at that very point of time when christ arose . so that there is a fallacy in this argument , in arguing from the effect to the cause , that it cannot precede it : when as the proposition ought to be , that it is ever contemporary and must begin at the same time with it . thirdly , there is a transitio à genere ad genus ; and that in two particulars . 1. in making christs resurrection the cause of the lords-day , as it is a naiurall day , when as it was no cause of it as a day , but onely the reason why it was instituted for a lords-day . so that the argument should be thus propounded . christs resurrection was the cause , why the first day was instituted for a lords-day : but that began at morning . ergo , the lords-day must then begin , because the day must then begin , when the occasion of its institution for a lords-day began : which i have proved to be false : 2. in applying that to the beginning of the day , which is applycable onely to the beginning of its institution for a lords-day , in this maxime ; that the effect cannot precede the cause , that is , the lords-day must not be instituted in memory of christs resurrection , before christ was actually risen , ( which yet may be false , since the feast of the passeover was instituted at evening , and solemnized in part , before god actually passed over the israelites , and slew the egyptians at midnight following , which was the cause of its institution . exod. 12. 3. to 40. ) and so might the lords-day too , be instituted in this manner before christs resurrection ) therefore after his resurrection past , it could not be instituted to begin the evening of that first day of the week on which he arose . which is a meere inconsequent : for what though christ did not rise till the morning ; yet that day on which he arose began at evening ; and therefore his resurrection relating to the whole day , as his resurrection day , this day of the week ( if not before , yet after his resurrection past ) might be well solemnized for a lords-day , even from evening to evening , without any violation of the true meaning of this maxime ; since we solemnize not the day , as the precise minute or houre , but as the weekly day of his resurrection , every part whereof may be part of his resurrection day , though not part of that very hour of the day whereon he arofe . if then these fallacies be abandoned , the whole summe and force of the objection , is but this in honest termes . christs resurrection in the morning was the originall occasion why the first day of the week whereon he arose , was afterwards instituted for the lords-day , and so solemnized . ergo the first day as the lords-day , must begin and end at morning , at that moment when christ arose , not at evening , neither could it be instituted to begin at even . which as all the premises manifest , is a grosse inconsequent . all that is or can be replied to help out this maimed reason , is this . that the first day whereon christ arose , had two beginnings . one , as a lords day , and that was at morning when he arose : the other as a meer naturall day , viz. at evening : and that christs resurrection , gave it a new beginning , as a lords-day , not as a naturall day . to this i answer , 1. that this distinction is but a meer forgery , warranted by no scripture , reason or convincing authority ; and therefore it ought first to be proved ere received . 2. it is but a begging of the question disputed , not an answer of the reasons objected . 3. it is a meere falshood : for 1. that very day whereon christ arose was not consecrated at his resurrection for a lords-day , as i have proved : therefore it could not begin at morning as a lords-day , seeing it was no lords-day . 2. the lords-day is nothing else , but the first day of the week , and the first day of the week is the lords-day , they being terntini convertibiles : therefore they have but one and the self-same beginning and end . 3. that first day , on which christ arose , even as his resurrection day , began at evening as i have proved ; therefore it began then , as it was the lords day , it being the lords-day onely , as it is his resurrection day . 4. had that first day , as a day ●●●un at morning , then it must needs be either an half-holy-day , ●ut of 12 houres long ; the evening and night preceding it , being no part of it ; or else it must be a lords-day patched up of a piece of the first day , and a part of the second day , to wit , of the day light of the first , and the night of second ; and not that intire first day whereon christ arose . either of which is an absurdity to averre : therefore as a lords-day it must begin at evening , to avoid these absurdities . by all which it is now most clearly evident ; that this grand objection is both false , absur● and fallacious , proving nothing at all against me , and no ground to rely upon . the third main argument , to prove , that the lords-day begins at morning , not at evening , is that of john 20. 19. the same day at evening , being the first day of the week , when the doores were shut , where the disciples were assembled for fear of the jews , came jesus and stood in the middest , &c. whence it may be objected . that the same first day whereon christ rose again , ended not at evening ; as the words ( the same day at evening , being the first day of the week ) import ; that evening being part of the first day , not of the second ; therefore it began not at evening in saint johns accompt , and our saviours resurrection in it translated its beginning from evening to morning . to this i answer first , that this text makes nothing at all against me . for the scripture makes mention of two evenings ; one of the artificiall day ( which we commonly call day ) beginning when the sund clines , & somewhat●efore sunset & ending with the twili●●t , or sun ●e● , or when the evening st●● begins to shine wch evening is a part of the preceding day , both in our 〈◊〉 usuall and the scripture a computation , the day evening when this morning determines . of which b evening we m●y read , prov. 7. 9. mark 1. 32. exod 29 39. ●●●t . 23. 11. judges 9. 9 , 11 , 14 , 16. josh. 8. 29. c. 10. 26 , 27. 2 〈◊〉 3. 37. ma●th . 25. 57. mark 15. 42. luke 23. 43 , 44. f●x●d 12. 6. num. 9. 3. c. 28. 4. and deut. 21. 23. compared together , which is sometimes stiled evening tide , josh. 8. 29 gen. 24. gen. 24. 63. josh 7. 6. 2 sam. 11. 2. isa. 17. 14. judges 19 9. the other is the evening of the night , beinning after sun set , or just with the star-light , just when the twi●l●ht endeth , and the night and naturall day in the scripture and j●ws accompt begin , which evening is a part , & the very beginning of the ensuing day : of which we may read , gen. 1 , 5 , 8. 13. to 24 31. exod 3● . 8 , levit. 11. 24. 40. c. 14. 46. c. 15. 5 ●o 27. c. 17. 15. to 3● . c. 32. 6. c. 23. 32. numb. 19. 8 10. deut. 28. 67. judges 20. 23 26 2 sam. 1. 12. 1 sam. 30 17. prov. 7. 9. psal. 104. 23. jer. 6. 4. hab. 1. 18 zeph. 2. 7. c. 3. 3. jer. 5. 6 neh. 13. 19. deut. 16. 4. exod. 12. 6. levit. 23. 5. mark 13. 35. compared one with the other . of both these evenings we find expresse mention , exod. 12. 6 num. 9. 3. and 28. 4. where the jews are commanded to kill the passeover between the two evenings , that is , as most accord , between the evening of the day , and evening of the night ; which space between these two evenings both we ou● selves , and the c scriptures call , twilight , that is , the space between two lights , to wit , the light of the sunne , and the light of the starres or candle-light ; or the space between sun setting and star-shining ; which space most hold belongs to the precedent day ; the evening , which begins the night and following day , really commencing , when the evening d star begins to appear , which star called e vesper , both denominates , and begins the evening of the night , and the ensuing naturall day . there being therefore these two evenings , both in the scripture computation and our own ; the sole question will be , on which of the evenings it was , that christ thus appeared to his dis●iples ? and what evening it is , saint john here speaks of ? questionlesle , it was the evening of the day , no● of the night : first because the text is expresse , that it was the same day at even , being the first day of the week ; that is , whiles the first day was yet in being , and before it was quite ended : therefore it was , it must be the evening of the day , which in the scripture and jewish accompt ( which saint john follows ) was a part of the prec●ding first day ; not the evening of the night , which was in their compute , a parcell of the second day , not of the first ; as i have proved . 2. all divines accord , that this very first day on which christ arose , and thus appeared to his disciples , began and ended at evening , as the third and fifth conclusions manifest . therefore this euening can be no other , but the evening of the first day , not of the night , since this day , both began and ended when the evening of the night began . 3. this text informs us ; that when christ thus appeared unto his disciples at evening , he shewed them his hands and his feet , and that they saw and knew him perfectly . now neither saint john , nor any other evangelist make a mention of any lights in the room where they were , by which they might see him : therefore it is most probable , that they saw him by day light , or sunshine , by which they could best of all discern him . and if by day light , ( there being nothing in scripture to controll it ) this evening was questionlesse the evening of the day before sunset , as soon as ever the disciples came all together . 4. christs love to his disciples , ( who would not absent himself from them long , nor leave them in suspence of the truth of his ●esurrection , which they heard of before , by relation onely and other evidences ) may induce us to believe , that it was the first * of these two evenings , to wit the evening of the day ; and saint peters speech to cornelius , ( acts 10. 40. 41. him god raised up the third day , and shewed him openly : ( there●ore at day time , as is likelyest by 1 sam. 12. 11 , 12. c. 16. 22. psal. 98. 2. isa. 52. 10. col. 2. 15. ) not to all the people , but unto witnesses chosen before of god , even to us , who did eat and drinke with him after he rose from the dead ) implies as much . this therefore being the evening of the day , and so a part of that fi●st day , in the scripture and j●ws compute , makes nothing at all against me . secondly , this text mentions not at all this day as a lords-day , but onely as the first day of the week whereon christ rose ; neither doth it or any other scripture inform us , that christ made any translation of this dayes beginning to the morning . nor doth it follow , that the day must begin at morning or midnight , because it did not end at that time of the evening when christ appeared to his disciples , for it might determine soon after his appearance ( as the words , being the first day of the week subjoyned to the premises seem to infinu●te ) and so not begin at morning or midnight . this objection therefore no wayes impairs the truth of my assertion . the fourth objection ( upon which some much rely ) is that of acts 20. 7. to 12. where paul and the disciples at troas continued their assembly on the first day of the week , till day-breaking , and paul himself then preached untill midnight . ergo the lords-day begins and ends not at evening , but at morning ( say some ) at midnight , say others . to this i answer , first , that this ass●mbly of theirs on this day began our saturday nigh● , not our sunday , and continued till our sunday , ( not our m●nday ) morning , as i have formerly proved at large ; and therefore it makes wholly for , not against me . secondly , admit this meeting was upon our sunday at night , ( which i would have the objectors prove , as w●ll as affirm ) yet it concludes nought against my ass●rtion . first , because this sermon of pauls continuing till midnight , and this their continuance all night together , till the morning , was extraordinary , upon an extraordinary occasion ; to wit , pauls departu●e from them the next morning , v. 7. therefore no argument to prove the ordinary beginning or end of the lords-day . 2. as this sermon and assembly was extraordinary , so is it singular , without any pa●al●● example to second it , either in s●●ipture or antiqui●y ; which make no mention of any such sermons or assemblies used on our sunday nights , ( though of many on our saturday night , as i have proved ) besides this alone , if on it . as therefore one swallow makes no summer , so this one singular example makes no president for the usuall beginning and concluding of the lords-day at morning or midnight . thirdly , it is abare example but of one apostle , without any precept to back it ; therefore it can be no conclusive proof , that the lords-day ought to begin at morning or midnight , and he● to ●●d . fourthly , the beginning or ending of a s●●m●n , or one publick meeting ( ●ay the co●st●● practis● of all churches and places , from the beginning and ending their publick lords day exer●i●●● , which is much more ) is no concluding argument of it self 〈◊〉 ▪ to p●●v● the true beginning and end of the sabbath 〈◊〉 lords-day . for the jews themselves , 〈◊〉 christ him●●●●●nd the apostles ) began their publick s●●m●ns and 〈◊〉 on the sabbath day , about eight or nine of the clock in the morning , and concluded them ●●out four or five in the afternoon , as we and all other churches ●ow use to begin and end our publick lords-d●●es , solemnities : can or will any man ther●fo●e hence 〈…〉 , e●go , the seventh days : sabbath and our lords-day begin not till nine in the morning , and conclude at five in the evening , because the publick ass●m●l●s on 〈◊〉 , do then usually begin and determine ? n●● v●●ily , ●or this were to make the seventh day sabbath and lords-day , consisting each of them of a naturall day of 24 houres length , not above eight or nine hours long , and scarce so much as half holy dayes ; and to abandon all private sabbath and lords-dayes duties , in allowing no time at all for them . if then the customary constant cause of our beginning and concluding publick sermons , with other solemn exercises and assemblies on the sabbath or lords-day , are no sufficient argument that the sabbath or lords-day commence or determine , when these publick sermons , exercises , and assemblies do , much lesse can this extraordinary singular sermon of saint paul continued untill midnight , or the prorogation of this assembly at troas , till the morning , of themselves alone inferre this conclusion , that the lords-day begins or ends at midnight , or morning . fifthly , it appears not by the text , that saint paul preached untill midnight , and continued this assembly till day breaking , for this very reason , because the lords-day ended not till then . there is no such thing as this insinuated by saint luke : but the reason of it is plainly expressed to be , pauls departure from thence the ensuing morning , never to see their faces more : and saint lukes drift in recording this story , is not to signifie , when the lords-day properly begins and determines ; but onely as an historian truly to relate the apostles actions ; and to record pauls industry in preaching upon all occasions ; with his love to the disciples at troas , and their respects to him , and his miraculous restoring eutychus to life , who fell down dead from the third l●ft , whiles he was preaching . therefore it can be no infallible argument to prove , that the lords-day begins or ends at morning , much lesse at midnight ; since they brake brend , and did eat and communicate together till the morning . sixthly , i would demand of the objectors , when this assemb●y at troas began ? if at morning or midnight before : that is improbable , since we cannot imagine , that paul made a sermon at that time of 18 or 20 hours long ; half of which would have tyred both himself and his auditors . if not before our sunday at evening , as they pretend ; then it is a stronger argument to prove that the lordsday begins not till sunday evening ; because st. paul and the disciples at troas met not together to solemnize it till then ; then that it ends ( and so by consequence begins ) at morning or midnight , because this assembly dissolved not till morning , and paul continued his preaching untill midnight . seventhly , if this example conclude any thing positively , for the objectors , it is onely this ; that they should continue their ordinary lordsday evening sermons untill midnight , and their assemblies till day breaking ; as st. paul and the disciples did here . this inference following directly from this example , without any straining ; far better then theirs from it doth ; that the lordsday begins and ends at midnight or morning . but this inference i suppose they will all disclaim in words , as they do in practice , as being a nonsequitur ; because this example was but singular and extraordinary upon a speciall occasion . therefore by the self same reason , they must disclaim their present objections too , or else subscribe to this my inference , which they cannot avoid unlesse they quite renounce their own . lastly , its clear st. paul used to preach both in season and out of season : exhorting timothy and other ministers to do the like , 2 tim. 4. 2. that is , as most interpret it , to preach both upon lordsdayes , and all other daies and nights too , as he saw occasion . why then might not his sermon at troas begin upon the lordsday at evening , about our evening sermon time , and yet continue till the lordsday was past . certainly , there is no impossibility , nor improbability , but it might so : since therefore this text of st. luke informs us onely , that this meeting and sermon began upon the first day of the week , when the disciples came together to break bread ; that the sermon lasted till midnight , and the assembly till day break following , without any expression that the firstday was then continuing or ended ; admitting this assembly and sermon to be on our sunday night , ( which i absolutly deny ) yet it follows not , that the first day ended not in st. lukes accompt and theirs at troas , before the sermon or assembly concluded . so that this example proves nothing at all for the opponents thesis , nor any thing against mine , for which it is a concluding evidence , if rightly understood , as i have formerly manifested . the 5. objection , for the lordsdayes beginning at morning , and against its evening commencement , is this . that the beginning of it at evening , would open a wide gap to all licentiousnes , pastimes , disorders , on lordsday after-noons , and likewise to secular imployments unsuitable to the day ; which the beginning of it at morning would prevent . to this , i answer . first , that this objection is a meer cavill : for we see by wofull experience , that the doctrine of the lordsdays beginning in the morning ( which is and hath been generally received of late years in most places of the kingdome ) hath no wayes prevented , remedied any of the abuses , objected , on lordsday evenings , which dissolute persons , who make no consci●nce of sanctifying all the day , will alike prophane , and all godly people equally sanctifie , let the day begin and end at evening , at sunset , or starshining : and there are none who out of conscience sanctifie and forebear to prophane them now , but would equally sanctifie those evenings too , did they believe the day to conclude at evening , since they would be sure to sanctifie all the day . this objected mischief therefore is but a pretence . secondly , it is clear that god himself commanded his seventh day sabbath , and other solemn f●stivals , to be solemnized from evening to evening . exod. 12. 18. levit. 23. 32. god therefore ( infinitely wise foreseeing better than the best , wisest , holiest and most prudent christian magistrates or ministers all inconveniences , abuses that might prophane his sabbath , and what beginning , conclusion of it would best prevent all prophanations , and make most for its sanctification ) instituting hi● sabbath and other festivals to begin and end at evening , not at morning or mid-night ; i may safely inferre ( against this present objection ) that this beginning , concluding the lordsday at evening , even in gods accompt , and so in verity it self , is least inconvenient , least mischievous , and the best of all the three to prevent all prophanations , abuses of the day : therefore it ought to be imbraced , as that which god himself hath prescribed for the best , the meetest of all others . thirdly , i have formerly proved , that this beginning of it at evening , doth best prepare men for its sanctification ; that it prevents more prophanations , abuses of it committed on and occasioned by disorders of all sorts on the saturday night ( as we falsly term it ) then it could possibly produce on lordsday evenings : to which i shall adde , that it likewise excuseth all husbandmen , tradesmen and others from being sabbath-breakers ; who in the winter quarters , rise early to their weekly labour on munday morning , some three or four hours before day-break ; who should be sabboath breakers in an high degree , if the sabbath or lordsday ended not til day breaking , as some objectors pretend . therefore i may conclude , that this beginning of the lordsday at evening , make more for the sanctification of the day , and prevents more inconveniences , then that at morning , and so ought to be retained . fourthly , this beginning and concluding the lords-day at evening , cannot any way produce such effects of licentiousnesse , and prophanenesse on lordsday evenings as is suggested ; since it puts no period to the lordsday or its duties , till after sunset , when the stars begin to shine ; which is not till eight or nine of the clock in the summer , when all orderly people , families are more ready to betake themselves to their family duties , private devotions and rest , then to sports or pastimes : and about six a clock in the winter quarter ; after which all civill orderly parents , masters , ( though not religious ) permit not their children or servants to rove abroad ; and such who are truly pious , fall to repetition of the sermons they heard the lordsday before , singing of psalms , reading the scriptures and godly books , catechising their families , prayer , meditations , and such like holy family duties , answerable to the piety they professe , and the holinesse of the preceding day . so that it gives no liberty at all to any dishonest unchristian sports or meetings , as is pretended , which commonly break up and end ere the lordsday concludes in this accompt , and which all good christians ever avoid at all times , especially after lordsday exercises of piety and religion , with which they have no anologie . lastly , admit the objection true , that this beginning of the lordsday at evening should prove more inconvenient then that at morning ; not simply in it self , but in regard of mens abusing it ; which yet i deny ; yet it follows not , that therefore the day ought then to begin ; since the abuse of any doctrine , through the corruption of men , makes not the doctrine lesse true ; and since inconvenien●es must not , cannot alter those bounds , which god himself hath immutably prescribed unto dayes . true it is , that inconveniencies backed with any precepts or scripture for the beginning of dayes are good arguments , proofs of truths ; but wanting scripture authority to enforce them or being objected against apparent texts , they are no ways conclusive . such are the inconveniences here pretended , which whether they will happen , yea or no , will not , canno , appear , till this doctrine of the lordsdayes commencing at evening , and the use of publique evening prayers in all places saturday evenings , as a preparative to the lordsday sanctification formerly used , be generally received as formerly : which men will not so much abuse to liberty and licentiousnesse , as is pretended ; or if they do , the fault is onely theirs , not the doctrines . wherefore my conclusion remains still firm , notwithstanding this objection . the sixt and last objection is this : that many godly learned divines of late and present times , have in their writings , sermons , delivered this opinion for a truth ; that the lordsday begins and ends at morning , not at evening ; because christ rose not till the morning : and it is now the common received opinion , practice of all our divines and most private christians . therefore questionlesse , it is the truth , and dangerous to alter it in thesis or practice . to this i answer . first , that it is true , many reverend holy learned late divines ( whose names for honours sake i shall forbear to mention ) have in their publique writings , and many more in their sermons ; delivered this opinion ( yet many of them only dubiously with an * it seemeth or it is probable , or likely , not resolutely ) and that their present practice is answerable thereunto : but yet all the learned godly christians in all former ages have held , practiced the contrary , as i have proved ; and some godly eminent divines among us now , conclude in judgement with them . the judgment therefore and practise of all ages , churches , from the apostles time till now , should rather sway the ballance of this controversie , then these few late divines , though learned and judicious . secondly , most of those godly learned men have taken up this opinion , and published it to others upon wolphius his authority and ground , without any full examination or serious study of the point , as appears by this , that they do but lightly touch it in the by and so away , not seriously or peremptorily resolving it , grounding themselves upon such reasons as no wayes prove their conclusion ; and in truth are meerly fals , in that sense they understand them , as i have largely manifested in the premises . therefore their authorities are not so much to be regarded . thirdly , in all disputes we must not so much observe what and who the authors produced are , as what their proofs and reasons are . if these good learned mens arguments , reasons be unsound , as i have manifested them ; no matter what their opinions , lives or practises are ; since the learnedest , the holiest are and may be subject unto errours , from which none are exempted . seeing therefore i have here propounded the best reasons alledged on all hands , for the sabbath and lordsdayes beginning , at evening , morning , midnight , let the best proofs , reasons win the field ; and then i hope the victory will fall on my side without any more dispute , who contend not for victory , but truth alone . having thus ( as i conceive ) given full satisfactory answers to all materiall objections , i ever yet read , heard , or conceive against the lords-days beginning at evening ; i come now to reply to one grand exception against that place of levit. 23. 32. from evening to evening y●u shall celebrate your sabbath ; a principall text to prove , that the seventh day sabbath , ( and so our christian lords-day or sabbath as it is called ) ought to begin and end at evening . to which some reply , that this text speaks onely of the sabbath of attonement , which was but ceremoniall ; not of the seventh day sabbath ; therefore it is no argument or proof at all , that the seventh day sabbath , or lords-day succeeding it , should begin and end at evening . to which i reply , first , that it is true ; this text is meant more particularly of the sabbath of attonement , to which it is here specially applyed , but yet it extends withall to the seventh day sabbath , ( which all confesse did ever begin , and end at evening ) from whence it received both its name of sabbath , and its limitation too , both for the manner and time of its sanctification , as is clear by verse 27 , 28 , 29 , 30. 31 , 32. compared together . for 1. this sabbath of attonement , was to be a sabbath , and so the same in appellation , as the seventh day sabbath , verse 27 , 28 , 32. 2. it was to be but a sabbath of one dayes space , and no more ; ( to wit , the tenth day of the seventh moneth , verse 27. ) as the seventh day sabbath was . 3. it was to be sanctified and solemnized in the same manner , as the seventh day sabbath . for 1. it was to be an holy cnnvocation unto them , v. 27. ( that is , they must meet , and keep publick , religious , holy assemblies on it , & do holy duties ) as the seventh day sabbath was , verse 2 , 3. 2. they must rest and do no manner of work upon it , verse 28 , 30 , 31 , 32. as they were commanded to do on the seventh day sabbath , exod. 20. 9. 10 c 23. 12. c. 31. 15. c. 35. 2. d●ut. 5. 13 , 14 , 15. neither might themselves , or the strangers within their gates do any work thereon , levit. 16 29. as they might n●t do on the seventh day sabbath , exod. 20. 10 , 11. 3. they must offer a burnt offering to the lord on this sabbath , verse 27. as they were to do every seventh day sabbath , numb. 2● . 9 , 10. 4. this sabbath of attonement was , to cleanse them from all their sins before the lord , and make them holy , levit 16. 31. as the seventh d●y sabbath was both a means and sign of gods fanctifying them , exod. 31. 13. ez. ch. 20. 22. 5. he that did any work on this sabbath of attonement , was to be cut off from his people , verse 30 as he was to be , that did any work on the seventh day sabbath , exod. 31. 14 , 15. num. 15. 32 , 35 , 36. 6. on this sabbath of attonement , they must afflict their souls , v. 27. 32. as on th●seventh day sabbath they were to do , though not so solemnly as on this , by confessing their sinnes , and by not doing their own wayes , nor finding or doing their own pleasure thereon , isa. 58. 13. by all which particulars , it is manifest , that this sabbath of attonement was in most things most exactly squared , regulated by the seventh day sabbath , as the sampler by the copy , or the picture by the person drawen , participating with it both in its name , use , sanctification ; the sole querie or doubt remaining to be cleared , is when all this is to be done , or at what time of the day , this sabbath of attonement should begin and end ? god therefore resolves this scruple in the words alledged , from even to even shall ye rest ( or celebrate ) your sabbath ; that is in eff●ct , you shall keep it from evening to evening , as vou do the seventh day sabbath ; which begins and ends at evening : so that the seventh day sabbath , being here propounded for the onely pattern by which this sabbath of attonement was squared , and this being to begin and end at even , because the seventh day sabbath did , as all acknowledge , and i have prov●d ; this text ( in my conceit ) is a pregnant unavoidable argument : for the seventh day sabbaths solemnization from evening to evening , as well as for the sabbath of attonements , beginning and concluding at evening : whence saint augustine with sundry councels , and authorities forequoted , apply this text to the seventh day sabbath , and lords-day , as setting out bounds to them , as well as to the sabbath of attonement . 2. i answer , that this sabbath of attonement was confined to the tenth day of the seventh moneth , verse 27. and to be kept upon that day : since therefore it was confined to that very day , and to be solemnized from evening to evening ; it is apparant that that day , as a naturall day , began and ended at even in divine accompt ; and if that day , as a naturall day , began and ended at even ; then by consequence all other dayes , ( being all of one proportion , and one ever beginning when the other ends ) began and ended at evening . therefore the seventh day sabbath too , appropriated to the seventh day : so that take it which way you please , it is an unavoidable proof , that all sabbath dayes , and the seventh day sabbath begin and end at evening in divine computation : therefore the lords-day must do so too , being a sabbath of sacred rest , as all our opposites resolve , and confined to the first dayes limits , which as a naturall day commenceth , and determines onely at even , in naturall , divine and true accompt , and as a sacred day of p●est , ● denoted to gods service , i have now as succinctly , and perspicuously as i could waded through this present controversie : at what time the lords-day ought to begin and end ? and if my judgement fail me not , i conceive i have sufficiently manifested it to commence and conclude at evening , ( immediately after sunset , or so soon as the evening-star begins to appear ) not at morning or midnight . if the truth shall prove on my side upon the debate , i desire it may captivate the contrary mistakes , and certifie both the judgement and practise of all such zealous christians who are yet differently minded . if the error be on my side ( as i am yet fully resolved it is not ) i shall be glad to be first informed , then reformed by men of graver judgements , desiring a to do nothing against , but for the truth , for which i shall ever contend , to which i shall ever subscribe ; reputing it my greatest felicity to conquer with it , or to be conquered by it , and if occasion require to suffer chearfully , gladly for it . finis . errata . page 2. l. 3 , 4. at evening . in pag. 10. l. 34. dele may , pag. 12. l. 10. dele but part . pag. 21. l. 6. r. is . l. 36. read quality . pag. 23. l. 29. dele the l. 36. naturall . pag. 25. l. 36. r. of . p. 26. l. 13. applicas . l. 21. r. summa . l. 33. cordubiensis . l. 36. covarravias . p. 27. l. 21. pauper . l. 26. totaliter . l. 31. r. assert . p. 28. l. 3. r. commanding . p. 31. l. 11. ages . p. 37. l. 24 , r. ei● . p. 44. l. 12. r. noctem . p. 50. l 32. ventre . p. 54. l. 30. dele vesperam p. 58. ( r. ) l. 29. most come in . l. 25. before transcendent . p. 61. l. 28. for god . p. 26. l. 19. r. course . p. 63. l. 5. such thing . p. 64. l. 10. be contemporary . l. 37. first day . in the margin . p. 7. l. 3. smalta . p. 12. l , 19. hathertus . p. 15. l. 5. neh. 4. 21. p. 16. l. 3. r. fulk . p. 22. l. 22. rastal . p. 31. l. 16. certo doctoque . p. 34. l. 27. apoc. p. 43. l. 2. r. ux●rem p. 45. l. 9. gustodunensis . l. 11. bibl. patr. p. 60. l. 25. r. serm● . p. 61. 14. praecipuum . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a91155e-330 * see the epistle dedicatory . b see a new discovery of the prelates tyranny , ● . 1. &c * see my unbishoping of timothy and titus ; breviate , qu●nch-coal , catalogue of testimonies in all agres , quaeries to bishops , instructions for churchwardens . a looking glasse for all lordly prelates . antipathy , appendix to flagellum pontifiess . remonstrance against ship mony , with some others not yet printed . * a new discovery of the prelates tyranny . * see thoms campanella de monarchia hispaniae c. 25. 27. and the false jew , or ramsy his examination at newcastle , printed 1653. * acts 20. 30. * 1 tim. 3. ● . to 7. * pro● . 23. 23. * luke 5. 39. * tertullian de praescript . adv. haereticos . * 2 tim. 3. 1 , &c * 2 thes. 2. 3 , 4. * jam. 4. 13. 15. notes for div a91155e-2040 a gen. 2. 2 , 3. exod. 20. 7 , 8 , 9 10. levit. 23. 32. neb. 13. 19. luke 23 , 54 , 5●c . 29. 1. b neh. 4. 21. anselmus de imagine mundi ▪ l. 2. c 4 alcuinus de eccles. officiis c. 43. col. 1128. c po●idor virgil . de inventor . rerum l. 2. cap. 5. d pupilla oculi pars 9. c. 6. summa angelica . tit. dies hostiensis summa l. 2. tit de feriis f. 149. lindwood provinc . constit . l. 2. tit. de feriis f. 74. e psal. 74. 16. don. 2. 20 , 21. acts 1. 7. conclusion . conclusion . 1 proof 1. f in genesi no● nō praecedentis dici est , seasubsequentis , id est principtum futur● non finis praeteriti . hierom . in jonam c. 2. tom. 5. p 137. g. proof 2. g see exod. 13. 3 , 4 , 5. ▪ proof 3. proof 4. proof 5. h see 1 sam. 7. 6. c. 31. 13. 1 ch●on . 10 12. neh. 1. 4. esth. 4. 16. jer. 36. 6. dan. 6. 18. proof . i see josh 8. 29. proof 3. proof . 8 k anastatius sinaica . quast. lib. quaest. 152. conclusion . 2 proof . 1 proof . 2 proof . 3 l see neh. 4. 21 m see neh. 13. 21. which makes it maninifest . proof 4. n luke 23. 54. 55 , 56. o mark 16. 1 , 2. p mat : ● . 1. q john 20. 1. r mat. 28. 1. ſ mark 16. 1. t luke 24. 1. john 20. 1. mark 16. 2. 9. proof 5. u s●e chemnisius examen concil●i tridentini , pars 4. de festis p. 150 wolphius chronol l 2. c. 1. dr. bound of the sabbath . edit. 2. 1606. p. 103 , 104. dr. boyes his postils on the decalogue , p. 51. purchas pilgrimage l. 2 c. 4 p. 121. amesius medulla theologicae , l. 3. c. 15. sect. 36. mr. wemes , in his exposition of the lawes of moses l. 1. p. 226. to 207. when the day beginneth . conclusion 3. proof . 1. proof . 2. proof 3. x mark 16. 1 , 2 , 9. prnof 4. y see ignatius , martyr epist. 5. ad trallianos . bibl. patr. tom. 1. p 79. b. theophilus antiochenus comment . l. 2. in evangelia . ib. tom. 2. p. 152. c. hierome , ambrose , chrysostome , beda , anselmus , theophilact , christianus grammaticus , paschatius , rabbertus ; in their commentaries , on these texts , and on mat. 28 1. mark 16. 1 , 2 9. luke 24. 1. calvin , luther , musculus , bullinger , melancthon , bucer , marlorate , junius , zanchius , beza , lyra , rabanus , maurus , hugo cardinalis , carthusian , tostatu● , iansenius , cornelius a lapide , and others on this text , gregory nyssen , oratio 1. & 2. de resurrectione christi , cassianus de incarnat . domini . l. 5 bibl. patr. tom. 5. pars 2. p 8. f. 6. hierome comment . in jonam , c. 2. tom , 5. p. 137. b. augustine , quaest. super evangelia , quaest. 6. 7. anastatius siniata . quaestionum l. qu. 152 , 153. bibl. patr. tom. 6. pars 1. p. 794 , 795. together with saint cyprian de symbole , dr. lack son , mr , byfield , and all expositors on the creed , who joyntly accord in this truth . z mark 8. 31. mat. 27. 63. conclusion 4. a dan. 2. 2. c. 21. c 7 9 13 ps. 74 16. acts 1. 7. proof 1. proof 2. proof 3. b exod. 20. ● . to 12. c psal. 104. 22 , 23. neh. 21. 4. cap. 13. 19. proof 4. proof 5. * see mr. fox , dr. fuller and others on rev. 1. 10. m. sprint mr. bownd , mr. widly , mr. bernard , dr. twisse , mr. cawdry and others of the sabbath . conclusion 5. proof 1. proof 2. proof 3. proof 4. proof 5. proof 6. d psal 12. ● . 14. * see mr. fo● , dr. fulk and others on apoc. 1. 10 d. bownd and others of the sabbath . proof 7. e acts 10. 40. 1 cor. 13. 4. f saint luke saith it was in the very profundity or beginning of the morning , luke 24 ▪ 1. g mat. 27 63. mark● . 31. arguments to prove that the lords day begins at evening . argument 1. argument 2. h see mr. george widly his doctrine of the sabbath . and others forecited . argument 3. argument 4. argument 5. reason 1 : * eccles 3. 1. &c. psal. 104. 23 , 24. reason 2. i for his work that he finished on the seventh day , was onely his creation , ●lessing and sanctification of that day alone : as pascatius ra●bertus in mat. 28. 1. rabanus , maurus and others teach . reason 3. k see 6 h. s. c. 3 7. h. 8 c● . 3 eliz c 4 rastabl . labovers , 35. 3● . which appoint labourers to ● begin their work at morning , and ●●d it a● evening . l mark 2 27. gen. 1 28 , 29 : 1 cor. 3 21. 22 heb. 2 7 , 8. psal. 8. 4 , 5. see eccles. 3. 1. ●0 12. 1 co● . cor. 14. 33. 40. reason 4. n exod. 20 8. to 12. isa. 58. 13 deul . 5. 12. to 16. o exod. 20. 8. to 12. 6. 31. 13 , 14 , 15. 6. 35. ● . levit. 23. 2 , 3 , 4. deut. 5. 12 isa. 58. 13. neh. 9. 14. * acts 12. 6. hosea 7. 6. * as most affirm they are , who differ from me in this controversie . * psal. 55. 17 & 141. 2. reason 5. * bish. white . dr. heylin mr. ironside , in their treatises and history of the sabbath , dr. joh. pocklingtons sunday no sabbath , p. 6 , 7. printed sincei this was first penned , see canterburies doom , p. 222 , 223 , &c. reason 6. reason 7. reason 8. * rom. 16. 27. reason 9. reason 10. * quicquid enim omnes vel plures , uno eodemque sensu , man festè , f●●quenter , pe●s●veranter , v●lu● quodam sibi consentiente magistrorum conc●lio accipiondo , tenendo , tradend , fi●maverint id pro indubitato rato , ritoque habeatur vincentius lirinensis . contra haereses c. 39. q in his chronol. l. 2. c. 1. * anno 1557. a pud bochellum decret. eccles. gal. l. 4. tit. 10. c. 1. p. 596. reasons . * dam. 2. 21. * dies sabbati being the latin name for saturday . ſ surius concil. tom. 1. p. 436. t athanasius de interp . psalmi & 302. a. & homilia de semente p. 365. ignatius epist. 6. bibl. patr. tom. 1. p 81. & epist. 8. p. 84. e. clemens romanus , constit . apost. l. 2. c. 63. l. 7. c. 36. l. 8. c. 39 surius concil tom. 1. p. 68. 105 , 110. a. primasius comment in retor . 83. sozomenus histor. ecclesiast . l. 7. c. 19 , tom. bibl. pat. 5. pars 2. p. 435. f. 6. socrates scholasticus ecclesiast . hist. lib 5. c. 21. p. 35. 3. nice phorus callist . eccles. hist. lib. 12. c. 34 p. 357. centur. magdeburg . centur . 1. pars 2. cap. 6 col 493. l. 50. 503. de festis , centur. 4. c 6. col . 410 c. 15. col . 1466. centur. 5. c. 6. col . 648. centur. 8. c. 6. col. 342. l. 40. beda in lucae evangelium . l. 2. cap 4. tom. 5. col. 263. apost. canon . can. 65. surius concil. tom. 1. p. 30 chrysost. hom. 11. in gen. 2. tom. 1. col. 58 b. c. synodus parisiensis , anno 1557. apud bochellum . decret. eccles. gal. p. 598. concilium laodicense . diem sabbathi in diem dominicum mutavit , ne judaismum imicare videremur , writes this councel of paris . * see breutius in levit. 23. 2. and 25 8. about ann. christi 56. u see centur. magd. 2. l. 2. c. 6. col. 493. accordingly , cent . 2. c. 6. col . 120. augustinus de tempore , s●r . 25 1. tertullians apology . c. 39. * see acts 20. 31. y epist. l. 10. epist. 97. z apolog. c. 39. a epist. l. 10. epist. 97. objection . answer . a mat. 12. 1. to 13. luke 14 3. to 6. john 7. 22 23. b see mat. 6. 34. luke 13. 32 33. 1 sam. 9 , 16 19. ● . 5. 3 , 4. jan. 4. 13. 14. a epist. l. 10. 96. epist. ann. dom. 106. b see centuriae magd 4. c 6. col. 140. theodoret . eccles. hist. l. 2. c. 13. socrates scholasticus hist. l. 6. c. 8. sozomenus hist. eccles. l. 8. c. 21 victor de vandalica persecutione . l. 2. cent. magd. 5 c. 2. col. 647 , 648. c see tertulliani apologia , justine martyrs apologies , anaxagoras oratio pro christianis . anno 200. b ad exam. lib. 2. cap. 3. see augustinus de t●mpore , sermo 251. anno 340. anno 360. anno 400. * see rabanus maurus opevum , tom. 5. p. 604. anno 450. a presbyteri verò ad vesperam , quae magis ad dominicam pertinet , consecrantur , honorius augustodanensis , de antiqu● rit●● miss. l. c. 19. patr. tom 12. pars 1. p. 1043. b see bishop vshers treatise of the religion professed by the ancient irish . c. 4. p. 34. edit. 1631. anno 610. anno 620. anno 640. anno 670. * see tertullian and others a●no 697. anno 720. anno 793. anno 80 ▪ anno 800. anno 806. anno●13 . anno 840. anno●60 . anno 920. anno 96● . * bishop alley mad● 〈◊〉 9. of the clock in his poore mans library . anno 1203. anno 1020. anno 1120. anno 121● . anno 1273. anno 1280. anno 1320. anno 1496. anno 1521. from anno 1●00 . to 1620. a see histriomastix p. 643 , 644. and the table . objection 1. * see wolphius , chronolog . l. 2. c. 1. dr. bound of the sabbath , l. 2 p. ●6 . with others a hene● aquinas prima secundae . quaest . 100. artic. 5. ad s●cun . concludes , inter omnia benefi . cia dei commemoranda primum et praecipuum est beneficium creationis , quod commemeratur in sanctificatione sabbati , unde exod. 20 11. pro ratione quarti praecepti ponitur : with which [ 3 synod parisiensis , anno 1557. apud boshellum , decret. eccles. gall . p. 589. concurres , and chrysostome hom. 4. super matthaeum . a sabbatum inter caetera festa tantum praescribitur in d●calogo quia figurabat generalia beneficia dei scilicet , creationis & beatitudinis , aquinas prima secundae quaest. 100. artic. 5. secund. qu. 102. art. 4. 10m secunda secundae qu. artic 4. ad 2m alensis sum. theol. tom. 3. qu. 32. m. 1 , 2. 3 bernardinus senensis sum. 10. artic. 1. c. 1. 2. bonaventura & media villa . in l. 3. sent. dist. 37. b ephes. 1. 4. ●0 . 15. col. 1 , 2 , 14 rev. 5. 9. 1 pet 1. 2. 19. heb. 2. 16. jude 6. c gen. 3. 17 , 18. 19. levit. 26. 14. to 40. deut. 28. 14. to 68. psal. 107. 33 , 34. mal. 3. 9. 11. c. 2. 2. rom. 8. 19. 20. 21 , 22. a see philo judaeus de op sicio mundi . b magis praecipitur observatio sabbati quam al●arum sol●mnitatum , quia b●neficium creationis in hoc commemora●ur . qvod est praecipium inter prae●erita angelus de clavasio . in summa argelica . tit. p●aecep●um sest . 6. ● . 194. c see zanchius de operibus creationis lib. a isa. 53. throughout . rom. 3 25. c 3. 9. c. 4. 25. eph. 1. 5. c. 2. 13. col . 1. 20 , 21 , 22 heb 9 7. to 26. c. 10. 10 c. 12. 24 c. 13 c. 13. 11 , 12. 1 pet. 1. 2 , 18 19. john 17. rom. 5. 9. objection 2. answer 1. a christs resurrestion is no more the cause of the lords-day as a day ; then baptisme is 〈◊〉 cause of the sac●am●ntal water , as water ; or christs consecration of the sacramentall bread and wine the cause of th●m as they are bread and wine ; or the o●dination of m●nisters , the cause of them as they are men . * esth. 9. 20 , 21 , &c. a see 3 jac. c. 1 b see 5 , & 6. e● . 6 c. 3. all lawes and canons touching lords-days , holy-dayes , feast-dayes , and thanksgiving dayes , and the canonists tit feri● , & dies f●sti . a see mat. 28. 1. mak 16. 2 , 9. luk. 29. 1. joh. 20. 1. 19. b mat. 28. 17. ma● . 16 11 , 13 14. luk 24. 21 , 22 , 25 , 26. 37. to 41. john 20 , 19 , 24 , 25. 26. 1 cor. 15. 4. to 9. b john 2. 4. c. 12. 23. c. 13. 1. c. 17. 1. 1 tim. 6. 15. rom. 56. gal. 2. 4. 2. 4. * exod. 12. 18. deut. 16. 3 , 4 1. sam. 30. 17. a see 3. jac. c. 1. 2 , 3. the arraignment of traytors . speeds history . p. 1254 see augustine de tempore sermo 251. and 154 d. bound of the sabbath , p. 44. a taken out of theodulphus his epistle an. 83● . apud bochellum decreta ecclesiae . gald . 4. tu. ●0 . c. 19. p. 5. 96. objection . answer● . argum. 3. objection 3. answer . 1. a s●e mat. 14. 15. 25. mark 2 6. 35 , 36 47 , 48. joh. 6. 16 , 17 com●ared 〈◊〉 ● . b the evening sacrifices we read of in scripture , and our vespers or evening prayers , are o● this evening of the day , a little before sun-setting . c prov. 7. 9. 1 sam 30 17. 2 kings 7. 5 , 7. job 24. 15. ezechch . 12. 6. 12. d see neh. 4. 21 job 3. 9. jer. 31. 35. gen. 1. 1 ▪ 14. 10 19. compared together . e isiodor hispalensis originum . l 3. c. 40. cal●pi●e , rabbanus maurus de universo l. 10. c. 70. christianus grammaticus . pasca●ius rathb●rtus in matt. 28. v. 1. honorius aug●stodunens●s de imagine mundi , l. 2. c. 32 a acts 20. 8. makes relation when they had lights of those lights ; there●o●e the evan●elists likewise would have done so , had ●●ere been any , as is most pr●bable . * see psal. 28 7. to 16. 17. objection 4. answer 1. objection● . answer objection 6. answer 1. * s●cut autem sabbathi veteris initium suit à vesp●re : quia & crea●io incipiebat à vespcre , quoniam massa communis creata fuit ante lucem : & cessatio diei ab opere creationis incipicbat etiā à vespere ; sic diei dominicae initium incipere videtur ab illius diei mune : quia resuri●ctio christi suit in primo mane . mar. 16. 9. john 20. 1. exception . reply 1. ▪ ●cor. 13. 8. god's sabbath before, under the law and under the gospel briefly vindicated from novell and heterodox assertions / by hamon l'estrange ... l'estrange, hamon, 1605-1660. this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a47791 of text r14890 in the english short title catalog (wing l1188). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. 270 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 79 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo 2017 a47791 wing l1188 estc r14890 12854131 ocm 12854131 94568 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a47791) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 94568) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 256:e175, no 12) god's sabbath before, under the law and under the gospel briefly vindicated from novell and heterodox assertions / by hamon l'estrange ... l'estrange, hamon, 1605-1660. [16], 136 p. printed by roger daniel ..., cambridge [cambridgeshire] : 1641. reproduction of original in thomason collection, british library. eng sabbath -biblical teaching. a47791 r14890 (wing l1188). civilwar no gods sabbath before under the law and under the gospel. briefly vindicated from novell and heterodox assertions: by hamon l'estrange, gent. l'estrange, hamon 1641 49721 119 355 0 0 0 0 95 d the rate of 95 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the d category of texts with between 35 and 100 defects per 10,000 words. 2004-05 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2004-07 spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images 2004-08 judith siefring sampled and proofread 2004-08 judith siefring text and markup reviewed and edited 2004-10 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion gods sabbath before the law under the law and under the gospel . briefly vindicated from novell and heterodox assertions : by hamon l' estrange , gent. nemo nostrûm dicat jam se invenisse veritatem , sic eam quaeramus quasi ab utrisque nesciatur , aug. cont. epist. manichaei . cambridge , printed by roger daniel , printer to the universitie , 1641. and are to be sold at the angel in lumbardstreet . 20. maii 1641. at a committee appointed by the honourable house of commons , for the examination of the licensing and suppressing of books , &c. it is ordered that this treatise be published in print at cambridge , unlesse the vice-chancellour do shew just cause to the contrary , within convenient time . edward dering . i have read over this treatise , and am so farre from pretending any thing against the printing of it , that i must needs professe it to be a work both learned and orthodox , and highly meriting both the best care of the printer now , and the best attendance of any reader afterwards . rich. holdsworth procan . to the most honourable the court paramount within this realm , the high court of parliament , or assembly of the three estates . august senate , mightie sovereigne of courts , when i call to mind that of aristides , that the gods are to be honoured with the consecration of temples , but eminent men with the dedication of books ; i could not represent to my consideration a fitter patrone for these my weak labours , then the glorious assembly and bright constellation of the chief and prime lights of the kingdome . i invoke not your aid to boulster out mischievous doctrine ( the main scope of too many late dedications ) but to vindicate the truth , to maintain that truth , which contrary to the proverb hath fled to corners , hath lived in blind recesse , ( and like a needy bankrupt ) dareth not yet walk confidently abroad without a parliament protection . but you being now ( the lord be praised ) upon the great work of reformation , your wisdomes will ( i doubt not ) make narrow inquiry not onely into state but church-monopolists , those gnosticks i mean , which seemed to have ingrost all knowledge to themselves , and under that pretence have in stead of truth obtruded upon us their own pernicious errours . amongst those truths which these projectours have laboured to suppresse , none have been more furiously persued then those which relate to the lords day ; and ( which maketh the prodigie ) none have stickled therein more then they who have with so much clamour cried up tithes and the episcopacy ( things innocent , yea , commendable enough : onely i wish with the athenian in gellius they had been defended by other men . ) whence we may collect that if this unhappy day could any thing have promoved their greedy or ambitious desires , it had surely escaped the late indignities which these mens liberall malice hath profusely shed upon it ; it had still continued in the esteem of a day divinely instituted , immutable , and totally to be sanctified ; three essentiall properties thereof , which they have much endeavoured to evert , i in this my work as much to uphold . at the first instant of its manumission , it hath a strong ambition , ( great councel ) to live under the influence of your favour ; a boldnesse on which it durst never have adventured had it not been assured , the truth which it professeth will gain it some measure of acceptance with so profest a patriot of truth . the god of truth prosper you , and in you , us ; he direct all your consultations , that their issue may be his glory , in the peace and safetie both of this church and state : with all true english christians so fervently prayeth , illustrious assembly , in the highest degree of the lowest obedience your l' estrange . to the right worshipfull , his highly honoured father , sr. hamon l' estrange knight , of hunstanton in norfolk . most honoured sr. to this worthlesse tract , having meditated a double dedication ( not then purposing to prefix both , or that i thought one not enough ) which of these two should preponderate my equall inclination to either , i could not though with long debate determine ; at length therefore that i might dwell no longer in this suspence , i resolved to issue out both , and the rather because their errands were so difform , so divers : for this treatise is the first fruits of my studies , therefore of common right sacred to god ; and the rather because the main subject thereof is his day : his , by institution ; his , by denomination , and ( it being the first fruits of dayes , as saint basill elegantly calleth it ) of right his . now seeing all offerings were according to gods prescript ; first , to be brought to the high priest , who was to examine them whether they were such as god would accept , and then to present them before the lord . to whom sooner then to your self , sir , should i bring this my petty oblation ? it is said that cain and abel brought their offerings , that is , ( as most learned men conceive ) to adam their father , that he might present them ; why then may not i mine to you ? if he was their priest , why may not you be mine ? fathers of families ( you know ) were anciently all such : and though consecration and ordination hath somewhat dimmed their wonted splendour , yet i hold for certain that their priestly office neither is , nor shall be utterly extinguished . to you therefore , sir , i hope not impertinently , i bring this my poore oblation ; i know too well how strong frailty is in me , to say it is without blemish , or not lame ; yet if your judgement shall conceive it a work acceptable to god , and beneficiall to his church , i most humbly crave you would be pleased to present it to him for me . and this is the first cause of this addresse to you ; the other , this : sir , you are my parent , second in honour to god ; so the wisdome of the ancients styleth you : and certainly if any parent may challenge honour from a son , you may from me . to which honour you have a double title : one , wherein all fathers intercommon by generation ; the other , almost peculiar to your self by education , i had almost said , regeneration ; perhaps not altogether unfitly , for good nurture is a kind of morall regeneration , and usually a preparative to the spirituall . i call the education you have bestowed upon me almost peculiar to your self , because that whereas most parents are either sordid in their allowance , or negligent in instructing , or become lewd patterns to their children ; you have in breeding me failed neither in purse , nor in precept , nor in example . i write not this to flatter you , but to manifest that i set a due and just value upon this your fatherly care , and that though there were no divine law to constrain me to it , yet this alone were sufficient reason for me to honour you . and if every the meanest part of my education obligeth me to this acknowledgement , sure your training me up to letters much more , especially in this age , when to know even fundamentalls and necessary truths , is accounted at least pedanticall , if not as ( saint paul said of preaching ) foolishnesse . i do not hereby arrogate to my self the name of a scholer ; for my delight in learning hath been more then my proficiencie , which god knoweth is very slender , so slender as these my simple labours dare not approach you from any assurance of their own worth , but because they are the products of those studies , which derive their originall from your extraordinary both charge and care , they think themselves of right to belong to you , and so their motion towards you is not more voluntary then naturall . be pleased , sir , to entertain them as testimonials of my filiall gratitude , which is the chief end of this their second resort to you ; for they exceed their commission , if they speak so much what they are themselves ( though that is mere weaknesse ) as what i am , that is , sir , your most honouring and most obedient sonne , hamon l'estrange . the preface . concerning the publishing of this treatise , i expect to meet with two interrogatories : first , why so late , considering the antisabbatarians have possest the stage without controul so many years ? secondly , why at all , in regard there have of late issued out tracts homogeneall , wherein the truth hath been evidently enough demonstrated , errour convinced ? to both these i hold it requisite to give my answer , and ( if i can ) satisfaction : to the first then i say , i was retarded upon these reasons especially . first , though my studies have been most conversant in eristick theologie , yet i delight therein more as a stander by and spectatour of others digladiations , then out of an itch to enter the lists my self , which of all things ( through a desire to suppresse from publick notice my private infirmities ) my genius most declineth . secondly , being conscious of mine own failings , i was loth to betray so good a cause by so mean a champion as my self , and so — ipsíque oneríque timebam . lastly , being of a lay condition , i held it discreet and good manners to leave the work to be performed by others who had both greater abilities , and a calling more suitable to it . to the second my answer is , that this tract was not onely commenced ; but ( as i then * thought ) finisht before intelligence arrived at me of any books extant of the same subject : and when i first heard thereof , i forthwith destined my pains as a sacrifice to eternall oblivion ; but having after compared our labours together , it manifestly appeared that we varied much in frame , every of us having somethings proper and peculiar to our selves , verifying that , * one man may find out more then another , no man all things , for which reason , alone some learned friends , to whom i had communicated it , animated me ( with the advice of some additions ) to publish it . let no man therefore fore-judge me so obliquely , as if i thought the labours of those worthy men either imperfect or impertinent , to any whereof whosoever resorteth shall there find antidote enough against the anti-sabbatarian infection ; a disease which hath prevailed rather through a secret disposition of naturall corruption to embrace it ( as any thing which rellisheth of liberty ) then from predominancy of arguments , though backt with the authority of men eminent for their knowledge in letters ; three * of them especially , to whom though i willingly afford all titles of honour which learning meriteth , yet i boldly affirm , had they left us no other demonstrations of their excellency that way then their sabbatary tracts , they should never have attained so high a repute amongst us . but let them without envy possesse the laurell they have deserved ; yet if any shall therefore wonder ( as i doubt not some will ) that such a sciolus as my self have dared to oppose them , i must reply what luther did before in the like case , god once spake that by an asse , which he concealed from the prophet ; and revealed to the child samuel what he hid from eli the priest . they then that upbraid me with personall frailty ( be what they say as great and evident truth as they desire ) must know they quite mistake the question , which is not whether i be illiterate , ignorant , weak , or what else they please to call me , but whether it be truth which i have here delivered ; and if any man will yield me the last ( yea whether he will or not ) i will freely grant him the first . but to him who misliketh truth , and shunneth her because he meeteth her in my apparell , let me give augustines check , think of me your pleasure , but beware what opinion you have of truth . this short advertisement being premised , i addresse my self to the ensuing discourse . errata . page 11. l. 13. the matter , reade this matter . p. 15. l. 2. r. arguments and opinions . p. 20. l. 18. view , r. vive . p. 43. l. 8. their , r. others . p. 66. l. 8. ceremony , r. caremoni● . p. 97. l. 9. prosekenique , r. pro-selenique . gods sabbath before the law . i begin a work whose hardest work is to begin ; a work of the sabbath : and the beginning of the sabbath , which ( like fame ) — caput inter nubila condit , a must begin this tract. a task intricate and obnoxious to many precipices ; davids curse i am sure to meet with , a way dark and slippery . i could indeed solace my self in this , that i walk not alone , and that on which side soever i fall , i shall have learned associates . but to erre for company , or for singularity , are to me alike odious . truth i serve , and so farre as ( that primary light ) holy writ shall enlighten me truth will follow , not at all disanimated though the spark which should direct me to her seemeth to burn somewhat dimme , as being a portion of one of those three first chapters of genesis , which were for their obscurity ( with the canticles , and some part of ezechiel ) by the hebrews interdicted to be read of any under thirty years of age b , and which hath set eminent doctours , as well ancient as modern , at oddes . for whereas it is said , gen. 2.3 . god blessed the seventh day and sanctified it , because that in it he rested from all his works which god created and made , it is by some supposed , that moses regarded not the time whereof , but wherein he wrote , by a prolepsis , and that it was onely an intimation of the reason , why god imposed upon the jews the sanctification of the seventh rather then of any other day ; the subsequent of which glosse is the assertion , that the sabbath was not , or commanded or observed , untill moses his dayes ; for the sustaining whereof they produce reasons specious , and authority venerable . first , there is ( say they ) no other means for us to understand what gods will and act was gen. 2.3 . but onely divine revelation . but the holy scripture neither maketh mention of any command of god given to adam concerning resting upon the sabbath day , neither maketh any historicall narration of adams , or any other the patriarchs observation of the sabbath day : now in cases of this nature athanasius his rule is , because the scripture is altogether silent in this matter , we may be assured there was no such thing done . the hebrew word {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} signifieth as well a preparation and destination , as actuall application to holinesse ; as exod. 19.10 josh. 3.5 . & 7.3 . jerem. 1.5 . if god at that time whereof moses wrote did give any command to adam to sanctifie the sabbath , it must of necessity follow that the sabbath was instituted in paradise . but in paradise there was no need of a sabbath , where there should have been no toyl ; no necessity of sanctifying any day to gods worship , where every day should have been a day of rest , and the hole life a continuall sabbath . god would not then impose the sabbath as a law when he himself brake it , for ( according to hierome and catharinus ) he formed eve upon the seventh day , and so wrought upon it . god imposed upon adam in paradise no other positive law , then that of abstinence from the fruit of the tree of knowledge . it is probable that jacob whilest he kept labans sheep , the israelites while they were under the bondage of pharaoh and his mercilesse taskmasters kept no sabbath ; but if it had been commanded sure it had been kept . lastly , it is said nehem. 9. vers. 13 , 14. thou camest down also upon mount sinai , &c. and madest known unto them thy holy sabbath . the authorities they alledge are especially emergent from the primitive church . justin martyr leadeth the way ; before moses , none of the righteous observed the sabbath . let them shew that the ancient patriarchs did sabbatize , is tertullians a challenge to the jews . all the patriarchs before moses were justified without the sabbath , saith b ireneus there was no observation of the sabbath among the patriarchs , as also none amongst us , so c eusebius . when there was no scripture nor law divinely inspired the sabbath was not consecrated to god , d damascen . of late adherers to this opinion the most eminent are tostatus , musculus and gomarus . in this array the arguments and authorities upholding the prolepsis are marshalled , yet is it not universally entertained : many there have been and are ( and those of no mean note neither ) who have applied themselves to the genuine and proper sense of the words , and from thence deduced the institution of the sabbath , from that very article of time whereof moses wrote . and this interpretation i conceive most agreeable to the mind of moses , for many reasons which shall exhibit themselves in their due place ; for first i bend my self to encounter the objections formerly made , and to lay open where they are crazy or invalid . divine revelation is indeed the best means to understand gods will and act : and though the scripture doth not mention gods expresse command to adam , though we reade it not said to him as after it was in the law , remember thou sanctifie the sabbath day , yet a command we find ; and there being then at that time whereof moses wrote none on earth capable of a command but adam and eve , it necessarily followeth that they received the command . for what is meant by gods sanctifying of the seventh day , but the application of it to divine worship ? those things are said to be sanctified in the law , which are applyed to sacred worship , saith a aquinas : now if it was then applyed to sacred worship , sure it was by command . nor is the argument of force , the scripture mentioneth it not , ergò it was not : many things were to the first patriarchs commanded , which are not recorded . it is by farre the major part of learned men b affirmed that god dictated and prescribed to adam all circumstances of his worship , which by tradition past to his posteritie , and were in every severall family untill moses observed ; and it is in part evidently and infallibly confirmed by scripture it self , for we reade that cain sinned : but {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , rom. 4.15 . where there is no law , there can be no transgression : for {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , sinne is the transgression of the law , 1. john 3.4 . yet of this , or any other command concerning religious duties , holy text hath not one syllable . perhaps the command was not so solemn as afterward , not vivâ voce , in an audible voyce , there being not the same reason ; and yet a command there might be internall though not externall . god might by his guiding spirit direct adam to sanctifie the seventh day , as he did both him and other patriarchs to other observances , if aquinas a hath aimed right . it is credible , saith he , that the patriarchs by divine instinct , as by an hidden and tacit law , were induced to worship god in a set and determinate form agreeable to the inward worship and signification of mysteries to be fulfilled in christ . the want of an historicall narration of the praxis of those times , is also as weakly urged . you know ab autoritate negativè nihil concluditur ex argumentis , arguments drawn from silent authority conclude nothing . an axiome never firmer then when applied to the history of the world , from the creation to the law , the period of this discourse . there is no mention of adams penitence after his fall , none of his sacrificing , of his performing any other pious exercises during his hole abode upon earth , none . what then shall we say ? that he lived like an atheist ? never invoked , never praised god ? we reade of no parents that melchisedech had : what shall we hold with the letter of s. paul that he was {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} and {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , really whithout father or mother ? ● heb. 7.23 . he that in so compendious a story as this of moses looketh for a full relation of every small circumstance , is like to lose his longing , and may as wisely seek pauls steeple in hondius his map of the world . abbridgements of stories are nets of a larger mash which onely inclose great fishes , {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , things worth mentioning ; smaller fry , things of lesse consequence , escape them . athanasius his rule is right enough it self , if it be not bowed by violence . comparing the miracles of christ with those of the prophets , he demonstrateth the oddes to be this ; christ was born of a virgin , so none of them ; christ made the lame to walk , the deaf to heare , the dumbe to speak , the blind to see , so did not they : for then ( saith he ) the scripture would not have omitted it . therefore because the scripture is altogether silent in the matter , it is sure there was no such thing done . the father speaks of miracles , but i hope the observation of the sabbath was none , and therefore athanasius stands you in little stead . my margent directs to the place omitted by the bishop . the word {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} little also avails them : for be it granted that it signifies a preparation to holinesse ; doth this preparation exclude application thereunto ? nay doth not preparation imply application , are they not coordinate and coincident together ? examine the places quoted , and see if they will not confesse as much . moses was commanded to sanctifie the israelites the third day , that is , to prepare them , as you say : to prepare them ? how ? nothing but to have them in a readinesse , that they lasily wait the time or so ? no there is more in it yet : application to holinesse you shall meet with positive , let them wash their clothes , vers. 10. negative , come not at your wives , vers. 15. a thing so clear as the very heathen were enlightned with it , and not onely in the generall decorum of it , which they couched under their ite , missa est , or procul ô procul este profani , hence all prophane , before their sacrifices ; but some glimpse they had even of those externall mosaicall ceremonies i now mentioned : preparatory lotions they had before they durst approch their sacred mysteries . aeneas would not so much as touch his tutelary gods , till he might rinse himself in fountain water . abstinence also from the nuptiall bed was at least for one night interdicted : — discedite ab aris queis tulit hesterna gaudia nocte venus , casta placent superis . and though we reade in this text onely of externall preparatory rites enjoyned , yet must we know that they were but as significant emblemes of that spirituall preparation , which should truly dispose the soul in a sanctified frame for the approching near that god which is clothed in majestie and honour . apply that which i have now said for illustration of this portion of exodus to those parallel places of joshua , and there will onely remain that of jeremie unanswered , where the prophet is said to be sanctified in his mothers womb ; which i confesse could no otherwayes be then in the preordination of god . but what ? because the word signifieth destination in jeremy , must it needs inferre as much in genesis ? i see no such law imposed upon interpreters : that of jeremy could not without extreme violence be wrested to any other sense then that of destination , which out of gen. 2. is neither necessarily nor probably emergent . i see no necessitie that the institution , genesis 2. must suppose it to be in paradise , and before the fall , for it is not improbable ( i determine nothing ) that adam sinned and was expelled out of paradise the very day he was formed , as the fathers almost universally have thought , from whose full consent in this point proceeded that greek saying , {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , the same day he was created he fell . neither was paradise ( in my opinion ) compounded of any such ingredients as would in no wise incorporate with a sabbath : it was indeed a place exempted from the works both of toil and sinne , and therefore no otium to refresh the body , no sabbath to sanctifie the soul , in respect either of the one or the other , necessary . and though the whole tract of time spent in that innocent condition might worthily seem a continued sabbath , yet some parts and portion even of that time should ( i conceive ) have been allotted to a more solemn worship then others . for god imposed upon man a calling of husbandry : should he so incessantly have intended his tillage , as never to intermit , never to give over ? should he have spared no time to exercise himself in the contemplation of his creatour , the truest object of perfect beatitude ? or could he simul & semel at one instant , intend both his vocation and gods worship ? god created in him the naturall appetite of food and sleep : is it likely that adam would have applied himself either to repast or repose , without some more then ordinary thanksgiving . it is by all confessed that in adams heart the law of nature was most perfectly implanted and imprinted ; and as unanimously agreed , that to consecrate some time to the worship of god was and is a member of that law ; nay more then so it must be certum aliquod tempus , some certain and determinate time , as the very atlas of the prolepsis tostatus assureth us : which being granted it followeth that the state of innocency was no barre or obstacle to the seposing times , not onely occasionall , and pro renata , but set and constant , to the service of god . that god framed eve upon the seventh day , is a most horrible and grosse untruth , and giveth the lie to moses , or rather to the holy ghost , who saith , thus the heavens and the earth were finished , and all the host of them , that is , all things visible and invisible , according to the nicene creed ; and this was before gods rest on the seventh day : and evident it is that the hole second chapter of genesis , from the fourth verse to the twenty fifth , is but a larger narration by way of {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , or postscript , of what was most remarkable in the third and sixth dayes work , and was for brevity sake omitted in the first chapter , but upon weighty cause mentioned in the second . for , as s. a basil excellently , if moses had onely said that god made man , thou mightest have thought that he made him after the same manner that he created brutes , plants , and herbs ; therefore to denote to thee that thou oughtest to have nothing common with unreasonable creatures , the scripture hath mentioned a peculiar and distinct work of god in framing thee . besides , it is most evident out of genesis 1.27 . that adam and eve were both created on the sixth day ; male and female created he them , not by prolepsis ( as they fancy ) but really & truly upon that very day that wherewith they would palliate this errour , is the second verse of genesis 2. on the seventh day god ended his work : whence they collect that he wrought upon part of it ( which meaning a learned commentatour b acknowledgeth the text will bear ) and because eve is the last work of creation whereof the scripture maketh mention , they inferre that she must have been formed on the seventh day . but to uncase this foul errour , and to shew it in its proper deformities , is no hard task . what meaning the text will bear , is many times not so considerable as what the context c : {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} or contradiction is for the spirit of truth no companion ; nor will he own that sense which maketh him speak things repugnant . if in the end of the sixth day god beheld all that he had made , c. 1.31 . and had finished the heavens and the earth , and all the host of them , c. 2.1 . what could be left for him to finish and actually to perfect on the seventh day ? well ; but then there is an interfering , a jarring betwixt scripture and scripture , how shall they be reconciled ? i answer , it is not amisse to acquaint you , that whereas the hebrew readeth it , and on the seventh day god ended his work , the septuagint and samaritanes a render it , on the sixth day god ended his work : perhaps those copies which they followed expressed it so , or else their aim was to suppresse the seeming discord , which they knew not otherwise how to salve . a discord indeed i confesse there is , yet such an one as disturbeth not the sacred harmony ; yea , rather a discord elegantly gracefull . for you must know that in no operation the end is attained whilest the operation is in progression and untill it ceaseth a ; rest being perficientis perfectio & perfecti c , the perfection of the perficient and of the thing perfected . now because rest demonstrateth the motion consummated , therefore god is said most properly to have perfected his work on the seventh day whereon he rested ; so that the finishing and perfecting mentioned in this verse or period is no actuall operation , but a mere desisting à motu creationis . and indeed moses giveth the honour of the perfection of the world to both the sixth and the seventh day , not without great and weighty cause : to the sixth , to exclude all thought that god wrought upon the seventh ; to the seventh , to assure us that he did not rest and give over on the sixth : for the end of the sixth day gave end to the work of creation and denihilation , and the beginning of the seventh gave beginning to gods rest . therefore it is said that on the seventh day god perfected the work which he had made , viz. on the six dayes before ; whence it is that junius and mercer a render it in the preterpluperfect tense , cùm absolvisset deus , when god had now perfected his work , meaning that as soon as the seventh day arrived , it might be truly said , god had now perfected his work b : and perfected it was undoubtedly on the sixth day ; god did not abruptly break off till he had throughly perfected all . i confesse the jews tell us a pretty story c , how that god about the end of the sixth day was making faunes , satyres , and such imperfect creatures , and that the evening of the sabbath overtook him so fast , that he was fain to leave them but half made up : and therefore on the sabbath dayes these creatures usually hide themselves in their kennels , not daring to look out . a perfect jewish fable , and by mercer suspected to be rather derived from tradition and heare-say , then from any hebrew authour extant , because he could never in all his reading light upon him : for the satisfying of the like doubt in others , i have troubled my margine with the authours name as i find him cited by a wierus . that god gave but one positive law to adam in paradise , is neither in it self likely , nor in respect of repugnant scripture credible : for is it not said that god put adam into the garden to dresse it ? was not this a command ? augustine b holdeth clear it was so : if a command , then a law ; for lex dicitur à ligando , a law is called a law because it bindeth c , and every command is , so farre as it bindeth , a law . if then it was a law , it must be either merely naturall , or positive ; if merely naturall , then immutable , still in force , and we must all , tag and rag , turn gardiners or plowmen : if it was positive , then their prolepsis halteth on that foot . consider the law it self , and you shall see the positive accrue to the naturall by way of superfoetation ; man must be alwayes busie , alwayes in action , there is the naturall ; his imployment is limited to tilling of the garden , there is the positive law . but if adams apostasie and fall was the same day he was formed , as many have thought , and is still disputable , this argument might well have been spared , because the command concerning sanctifying the sabbath might have been given in his corrupt and vitiated estate . if we should yield them , what they fain would have , viz. that jacob and the israelites observed no sabbath during their thraldome , yet shall they never be able to inferre from thence , that they had no command concerning it . for did they alwayes observe whatsoever was commanded them ? moses said to pharaoh in the person of god , let my people go that they may hold a feast to me in the wildernesse . was not this feast some solemn time consecrated and commanded of god to be observed ? no doubt it was ; for will-worship is to god abominable : did they keep this feast ? certainly no . it is resolved by all divines , ancient and modern , the patriarchs before the law were by god appointed to offer sacrifice : did the israelites under pharaoh keep this commandment ? the scripture answereth , no . god strictly injoyned that every male child eight dayes old should be circumcised : was this performed by the israelites in the wildernesse ? the scripture answereth , no : there was not one circumcised all that while , and yet they abode there fourtie years . now if they had upon such occasions a dispensation for not observing of other feasts , for not sacrificing , for not circumcising , might they not have one for the weekly sabbath also ? to their last argument from nehemiah , i say , the sabbath was at the time of the law given made known to them , yet not then first , but in a more solemn manner then before . we have a saying , none more frequent : when the sunne hath dispelled a cloud or mist , and sheweth it self in its brightnesse , we then say the sunne shineth , and yet no man is so simple but knoweth it shined before , even while it was most befogged , though not with equall splendour : so the sabbath is said to be made known to the israelites upon mount sinai , because it was then as it were revived , and proclai●●d in more state and pomp then before . and if you restrain it strictly to mount sinai , as the letter seemeth to import , you must of necessity offer violence to exodus 16 , where at the fall of manna it is clear the sabbath was made known before the law pronounced on mount sinai : and so the prolepsis faileth in this her last refuge as in the former . having thus disarmed them of those reasons wherewith they esteemed themselves sufficiently fortified , i now apply my self to their authority , the authority of men , many of them , singular both for learning and piety : but shall we without more adoe yield to bare authority ? doth the end of dispute depend merely upon what they have said ? may we not examine the matter yet a little further ? may we not question whether these men spake as they meant , whether their arguments jumped together ? for did they alwayes so ? no , if hierome be of any credit ; the ancients are sometimes enforced to speak , not so much what themselves think , as what they conceive may most non-plus the gentiles . this was their policy against the heathen , might not they use it also against the jews , with whom they were in continuall conflict ? if they spake as they thought , might not vehemency of dispute transport them to inconsiderate speeches in their heat , and through too eager opposition to one errour to incurre the contrary : the ancients , whilest might and main they endeavour to beat down one errour , many times fall into another . so a sixtus senensis . a thing too infallibly true ; witnesse three of the foresaid fathers , justin , ireneus , and tertullian , who in their fierce bickerings with the valentinians , marcionites and manichees , violently bare down their chrysippean fate , and inevitable necessitie , but upon the ruines of that errour laid the foundation of the doctrine of freewill , which afterwards was so augmented by the superstruction of pelagius , and his ape arminius . if they writ in cool blood , did they throughly scanne and sift the point , did they ruminate upon what they delivered , or did it rather carelesly escape from them in passage ? b every man though never so learned is one way to be esteemed when he onely glanceth upon the question , otherwise when he undertaketh to examine and discusse it throughly , saith our great prelate . lastly , it must be inquired , whether the question was started before they delivered themselves thus ; for if it was not , they are not so much to be regarded : for they often delivered things somewhat negligently , not doubting but what they writ was orthodox enough , because it had past once for currant till it came to the touch . augustine hath no other shift to salve the fathers aforesaid from pelagianisme in the point of originall sinne , and freewill . many things indeed go a while for granted , and without controul , which in tract of time are discovered to be of dangerous consequence , and then justly exploded ; for men are wont , till they foresee the mischief which may ensue , to deliver things ( as they took them ) by way of frolick one from another , and so , in a plodding carelesnesse , a which way most go all follow . but all these exceptions laid aside , one there is from which no appeal will be admitted , it is naturall to man to erre . men they were and might erre , yea and did ( every one ) in other things , why might they not in this ? i speak not this to avile them , or abate any thing of the reverence we owe them ; and if it be suspected that i bear them no good will , of my self , ( they were b zanchy's words once , but shall now be mine ) and mine own genius i speak it , from the unanimous consent of the fathers , where necessitie compelleth not , i am very scrupulous to differ . no , my onely scope and intention is to tell you what saint augustine c hath told me , that humane authoritie , though never so learned , never so holy , is not to be trusted , unlesse it produceth canonicall scripture to prove , or probable reason to demonstrate , what it saith . how farre the fathers slipt in other things , is not cognoscible in this place ; whether in the point in question they did yea or nay , is now to be debated : and that they did , i think it probable at least if not evident . for is it not said , god blessed the seventh day and sanctified it ? what is this blessing , but the dispensing a peculiar favour towards it ? what this sanctifying , but a separation and consecration of it to holy worship ? if yea , what then shall hinder but that we think the sabbath instituted in that very article of time whereof moses wrote ? shall this prodigious prolepsis ? a nothing is easier then to cry out , o that is a trope , a figure , a peculiar manner of expression . a strange wantonnesse in expositours , to apply tropes devised upon necessity to places clear as the mid-day . that ( according to augustines b rule ) is a figurative speech , which being properly understood , can neither be applied to faith , charitie , nor edification . somewhat fuller is that of bellarmine ; c the scripture ought to be understood according to the true proprietie of the words , where we are not diverted by some manifest absurditie : and this he calleth , commune axioma theologorum , the universall tenet of all divines ; which i take to be granted on all parts , the rather because neither chamier , amesius nor any other ( as farre as i have examined ) hath accriminated the jesuite for it . now lest we should misconstrue the word absurd , he explaineth himself in another place thus , d vnlesse we be inforced by some other portion of scripture , or other article of faith , or the universall interpretation of the church : let this rule then judge us : i for my part compromise to be tried by it . god blessed the seventh day , and sanctified it , there is the text : god did honour the seventh day , and consecrated it to his worship , there is the genuine and proper sense : and because in the tissure and series of divine story moses hath inserted this sanctification of the sabbath immediately next after the six dayes creation ; why should we not conclude that it was sanctified then , and in the same order of time whereof he wrote ? why should we not take moses his meaning as we find his words ? is there any portion of scripture , any article of faith , the generall explication of the hole church repugnant to it ? is there any absurdity compelleth us to think otherwise ? ostendant , let them shew it ; which till they do , let them give us leave to hold our first opinion , to which the absurditie of the prolepsis hath compelled us . absurd it is : for it is clear the patriarchs had a sabbath ; and that they observed the seventh day sabbath is evident from the reasons thereof common to both times . they had a sabbath : for the law of nature instilleth this notion , a that ( as every thing else which excelleth , so especially ) god paramount and superlative in excellency is to be worshipped ; as also , that to the performance of this worship , certain times are to be b deputed . is it likely that the patriarchs failed in so necessary a dutie ? was gods church then so supinely governed , or indeed so not governed at all , that no time was set apart for solemn assemblies ? there was a consecration of materials for sacrifices , whereof ( beasts therefore distinguished by clean and unclean ) a consecration of persons , who ; a consecration of places , where : was there none of times , when ? assuredly yes ; and therefore s. c augustine hath put the quando , as one of those circumstances wherein cain might have been deficient : so a sabbath they had . the seventh day sabbath they had . look into the essence , the body and soul of that sabbath ( as d brerewood calleth them ) what are they but vacation or rest from bodily labour , and the sanctification of that rest by dedicating the soul to gods worship ? were the bodies both of man and beast before the law of a more brassie and adamantine durablenesse then after ? were they not conditioned , not attempered alike ? was not the sweet repose of lucid intervalls equally necessary and welcome to both ? did not devout sequestration to pious exercises as well sute and become the souls of them as of these ? look especially into the end peculiar to it , as the seventh from the creation ; what is it but to eternize the honour of the creation in indeleble memory , and that whilest man is amused with admiration of so miraculous a structure he may be excited to a gratefull recognition of the goodnesse of god , who created all these things for man , and onely man for himself ? is not this benefit of creation common and universall ? do not all participate of it , but the elect especially and inexplicably ? had not the church before moses as ample a share in the blessings which result from it , as that since ? and ought it not then as freely , as frequently to celebrate its sacred festivall ? if then before and since the law there were the same reasons , sure there was also the same thing observed , yea and the same commanded ; for from the reason to the law , from the cause to the effect , from the end to the means , is a solid argument , and never faileth but when that end may be acquired by a better means ; and impossible it is to demonstrate how the tyred bodies both of man and beast could have been more charitably provided for , gods solemn worship in a more sweet decorum performed , and the memory of the creation better preserved from the immerging deluge of time , and profanenesse , by any day other then the weekly sabbath , the day which god indigitated for the same purposes by his own example ; an example equivalent to a law : for though there had been no vocall , no verball institution of the sabbath , yet adam and the succeeding patriarchs ( who had a view and clear notion of all gods works , their orderly existencies , and exact consummation ; but especially who were manuducted and guided by an inerring spirit ) could not but collect from gods example a the analogicall equity for man to imploy six dayes in the works of his calling , and to interferiate the seventh , consecrating that to religious duties . and therefore that main argument from the want of a solemn institution , is but like a ruffled arrow , that maketh a great noise in the aire , but falleth short of the mark : for the controversie is not de modo , neither of the command , whether internall or externall , nor of the observation , whether voluntary or imposed by precept ; but de re , whether it was or observed or commanded yea or nay : that it was observed , the equity thereof common and agreeable to both times evinceth ; and observed it could not be otherwise then in obedience to command , either prolated or tacitely inspired by the holy ghost : for impute we must not to those sanctified men superstitious and will-worship . if then the sabbath was both observed and commanded before the law , why might not the command arise out of gods blessing and sanctifying the seventh day , mentioned gen. 2.3 ? why should we not rather embrace the proper and grammaticall sense of the words , then resort to a peerlesse and senselesse prolepsis that hath neither fellow to associate , nor reason to strengthen it ? it hath not its match in the hole sacred volume , which is another note of its absurdity : there is not one prolepsis ( of such an institution , saith amesius ) of any institution at all ( so i , and yet i doubt not to find many seconds . ) one place there is , i grant , which at the first blush seemeth to perswade the contrary : but upon more mature consideration it exhibiteth nothing lesse . the text is , exod. 16.32 . the words these , this is that which the lord commandeth , fill an omer thereof ( viz. of the manna ) to be kept for your generations , &c. and as the lord commanded moses , so aaron laid it up before the testimony to be kept . lo here ( say they ) an institution of the lords related by anticipation , as the former was : for how could aaron lay up a pot of manna to be kept before the testimony , when as yet there was neither ark nor tabernacle , and so no testimony before which to keep it . an institution indeed i see here , but no anticipation , nor can i without your spectacles : i say , no anticipation of the institution . for might not ( i pray ) this command , this institution , be dictated to moses at the same time whereof he wrote ? might not the precept be given now , though the execution of the precept was adjourned ? nay , is it not most likely it was so ? for where in the hole bible meet you with any injunction concerning it but here : touching the building of the tabernacle , and the ordering every thing else appertaining to it , god did exactly lesson moses on the mount , but of the filling the pot of manna , and placing it before the testimony , no hint at all was given there , nor anywhere else but here onely . and though we should grant that this command was given after the tabernacle finished , yet cannot the mentioning of it here be properly said to be by prolepsis . this narration taken hole and together is ( i confesse ) mentioned by prolepsis ; not so the parts of it : hole and part have not things so common betwixt them , that what belongeth to the hole , belongeth also to the part . a total prolepsis of an entire story before another there may be , and yet no partial of one part of that story before another : the parts may be marshalled in their due order , though the hole be antedated . all that series of divine story , from genesis to job , may be said to be related by prolepsis ; for it is the currant opinion that job was comtemporary with jacob and joseph : but improper it were to say that the fall of manna , the giving of the law , the building of solomons temple , and such particulars , are , in respect of the history of job , set down by way of prolepsis . prolepsis onely aimeth at what is next her ; she beholdeth not things remote : so it is in this text ; the verses from the 27 to the end of the chapter constitute a narration distinct , and in a canton by it self . for moses having , in the former 26 verses , reported so much of the history of manna , as was peculiar to that time whereof he wrote , thought it not amisse to superadde what else concerned it ( though he delayed a while the ensuing occurrents , which should have been precedents to it ) because it being not much he had to say , and that so homogeneal with what went before , he was resolved to take now an ultimum vale of it : therefore he telleth you of an after ordinance of god , concerning the filling an urn with manna , the disposing of it before the testimony , the execution of that command by aaron , and lastly the duration of the use thereof by the israelites fourty-yeare ; which last is supposed to be the supplement of joshua or eleazar . if now you consider this digression , abstracted from the ensuing story , you will find the hole preposterously related , and yet the parts not at all inordinate ; and if you look wistly upon calvines a words , you shall find him not repugnant to what i have here delivered . lastly , it is absurd : for there can no solid reason be given why moses should by a prolepsis of about 2670 years insert this institution . it could not be to instruct the israelites , that gods resting from his works on the seventh day was the reason why he had selected and appointed by his commandment given to them that day rather then any other to be sanctified for his sabbath . indeed if the fourth commandment had onely mentioned the seventh day to be the sabbath , without more ado , and had supprest the reason , moses had had fit occasion to give them here this observation : but seeing that reason was fully and with indeleble characters ingraven in the decalogue , it had been mere supervacaneous and impertinent tautologie to recite it here ; especially considering it is the most received opinion , that moses compiled the history of genesis after the law was promulgated on mount sinai , and so this reason was no news to them . if any , notwithstanding these grosse and palpable absurdities , seemeth desperately enamoured of this forlorn and despicable prolepsis , enjoy her he shall without me his rival , i envy him not . come we now to survey that little which the divine remembrancer hath afforded us of the actual observation of the sabbath before the law ; whereof two onely examples are extant , the one for the observation notable , the other for the violation . for the observation , we reade , exod. 16.22 . when the israelites had on the sixth day gathered twice as much manna as on any other day before , the rulers of the congregation came and told moses , and he said to them , this is that which the lord hath said , to morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the lord : we do not find here that the israelites were amused at the word sabbath , that they expostulated with themselves ( as before concerning manna ) what it should be ; no , they knew well enough what it was , with the rest of the holy sabbath unto the lord they had been long acquainted , it was no novelty to them ; the new attendance , and long train of strict observances that now waited on it were the things so puzzled , so possest them with wonder of a how is it changed from what it was ? their old wont was to dresse their necessary viands upon the sabbath , and being now interrupted , now disturbed in their accustomed practice , by an uncouth innovation of bake that which you will bake to day , and seethe that which you will seethe , and that which remaineth over lay up to be kept untill the morning , well might they be in a study , well demand a reason of this change . and whereas it is by some stiffly affirmed , that the jews did bake their manna on the sabbath day , an opinion ascribed to theophilus brabourn , the first ( as my authour telleth me ) that looked so near into moses his meaning ; he must know , that in opticks , amongst other requisites to perfect discerning , justa distantia , a a fit distance , is one ; and mr brabourn might perhaps by looking too near see to little : where the fault was , whether in this , or in some defect of the organe ( his understanding ) or through what other cause , i not dispute ; sure i am that an hallucination , an errour of the sight there was , and that a grosse one . the paraphrase they give of this text , bake that which you will bake to day , &c. is this , as much as you conceive will be sufficient for this present day , that bake or boyl as you use to do , and for the rest lay it up to be baked or boyled to morrow : and to this interpretation they the rather betake them , because the israelites laid it up as moses bad , and it did not stink ; now ( say they ) it had been no wonder at all , that it did neither breed worm , nor stink , had it been baked the day before : things of that nature , so preserved , are farre enough from putrifying in so short a space . not to dwell long in discussing this point : they have mistaken both gods miracle and moses his meaning . gods miracle ; for the baking or boyling excludeth not the miracle of its not putrifying : things so dressed are indeed the lesse disposed to corrupt ; therefore the putrefaction which manna contracted by procrastination on other dayes , notwithstanding the same order taken for preservation of it by baking and boyling , was the greater miracle : and because it tainted against nature , and miraculously reserved upon other dayes , gods ceasing to work the same miracle upon the sabbath might it self seem a miracle . the mind of moses they have not reacht , whose words resolve themselves into this construction , what you mean to bake , bake to day , what to seethe , seethe to day , and what remaineth ( not unbaked or unboyled but ) of that which you have baked , or boyled , more then sufficient for this dayes food , lay up for you to eat to morrow : and therefore hierome hath rendred it , quodcunque operandum est facite , whatsoever belongeth to the dressing of the manna , dispatch it now . but to put it out of all doubt , that this errour may never readvance , god himself , vers. 5. commanded moses that the people should prepare that which they bring in , and it should be twice as much as they gathered daily : what was this preparing but dressing , but cooking of it ? so the english will bear ; and by a word of the same energy and signification it is rendred in , i am sure , most translations ; so the septuagint , so hierome , so the spanish , so the french : a thing so manifest , as the very friday was thence denominated {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , the preparation to the sabbath . for the violation of the sabbath , we have it recorded vers . 27. that there went out some of the people on the seventh day to gather , and they found none : this i conceive most likely to have reference to the chap. 18. v. 12. now , because it is held by some that the primum esse and first dawning of the sabbath began at this fall of manna , though i hope i have already sufficiently proved the contrary , i would further know , why it should begin then , and but then : was it to chalk out to the israelites the precise seventh day from the creation , whereof they were at that time ignorant ? it could not be ; for of the seventh day whereon god rested they were not , they could not be ignorant : in some profane and irreligious houses it might perhaps have been lost , but in others more piously affected it was certainly preserved . for it is most undeniable , and irrefragably true what sr. walter raleigh a hath delivered ( and it is in substance affirmed by many others ) that if the story of the creation had not been written by divine inspiration , yet it is manifest , that the knowledge thereof might by tradition ( then used ) be delivered unto moses , by a more certain presumption , then any or all the testimonies which profane antiquitie had preserved , and left to their successours . and this he proveth by the light which moses might have , either by cabala or letters : for that the most notable occurrents of every severall age were transmitted downwards by tradition and heare-say , is without all controversie a ; and for letters , it is so clear they had the benefit of them , as some have not set down content to believe that the prophesie of enoch , mentioned by s. jude , was written ; and that what josephus relateth of the pillars errected by the posterity of seth , is true ; but they conceive also that adam and all the succeeding patriarchs compiled the histories of their own times . but how moses attained his knowledge , i leave to the disquisition of them who affect curiosities : yet this give me leave to note as received amongst the best divines , that the holy ghost was not so much an intelligencer , as a directer and guide to moses in the framing the history of genesis . for the omniscient wisdome , foreseeing that it would not be alwayes safe to make tradition the perpetuall depositary of so rare & choice a jewel as the story of his primitive church , which might either through carelesnesse loose part of what was betrusted to her , or under colour of sole possessing the truth , vend counterfeit and sophisticate stuff , thought it necessary for the good of his church , that a set and certain story of the first times should be compiled : to which purpose he selected moses as his amanuensis and register , aiding him extraordinarily with his holy spirit , by whose assistance he was enabled to distinguish truth from fables , which had by surreption intruded ; exactly to describe many minute circumstances of time , place , persons , names , &c. which memory was not able to comprehend , and to digest it into that perfect order wherein we now see it . so that one way or other , either by tradition or letters , or both , the precise seventh day could not at that time have been lost or forgot , and consequently that no cause for the sabbath to begin at the fall of manna . and was there any other ? what ? to be a preamble and preparation to the subsequent sabbath ? this would be proved . a preparation to the after strictnesse of the sabbath it was , that i confesse ; not to the sabbath it self , this i deny : an introduction it might be to the solemnity of the sabbath , which began after , not so to the sabbath it self , which was long before . for though it was but in its minority , but magni nominis umbra , a very shadow of the after celebrity , yet a sabbath it was , and the seventh day sabbath too ; and this not my singular assertion , but the consent of the most profound doctours , as well ancient as modern . so the fathers . origen , a what was afterward commanded in the law concerning the sabbath , the same job both observed himself , and taught his children to do the like . cyprian b , this septenary number gained authority from the creation of the world , because the first works of god were made in six dayes , and the seventh was dedicated to rest as sacred ; it being honoured with the solemnity of a command , and entitled to the sanctifying spirit . basil c , the sabbath , which was the seventh day from the first creation , is a type of our perfect rest in the remission of our sinnes . nazianzen d , the creation began on the lords day as is evident , because the seventh from it is made the sabbath bringing rest from labours . athanasius e , as long as the first age or creation was inforce , so long the sabbath was observed . epiphanius f mentioneth a twofold sabbath under the old law : the naturall or weekly , which was defined from the creation ; the legall or ceremoniall , which was enjoyned by the law of moses . at the heels of the fathers follow the schoolmen , who busying themselves about nicer subtilties have left us little of their opinions concerning the sabbath . alexander halensis , a the irrefragable doctour , though he thinketh the sabbath was not observed by virtue of any precept before the law , yet he granteth that it was inspired as a thing meet and fit to be observed . all these before ambrose catharine ; b he then not the first that understood moses according to the letter , nor yet the last , no not of his own partie . genebrard , c the sabbath was sanctified in paradise , which was also observed all the time till the law promulgated , as the hebrews and lyranus upon gen. 7. deliver . and in another place he telleth us out of rabbi abraham that job did observe it . cornelius à lapide , d it is manifest that the sabbath was instituted and established , not first by moses , exod. 20. but long before , to wit , from the beginning of the world . salianus also in his ecclesiasticall annals , doth at large refute the prolepsis as absurd . as for protestant writers , whether they be lutheranes , calvinists , or our own english , we dare vie it with the anticiparians , and give them oddes , two for one at least , and bate the preciser sort too . luther e himself shall lead the van , the sabbath was destined from the beginning of the world to religious worship . baldwin , f the sabbath was observed from the creation . calvin in exod. apud a prideaux . gualter , b doubtlesse the fathers before the law diligently observed the sabbath . p. martyr , c that people rest from labour one day in the week , did not onely appertain to moses law , but had beginning from gen. 2. zanchy , d i doubt not ( mine own i relate without prejudice to others opinions ) i doubt not , i say , but the sonne of god in humane shape was all this seventh day busied in most holy colloquies with adam ; but he fully revealed himself to him and eve , shewed him how and in what order he created all things , wisht him to meditate upon these works , and in them to praise and acknowledge the true god his creatour , & taught him that after his example every seventh day , all labour set aside , he should spend in this exercise of pietie , &c. what could modesty her self more modestly assever ? he doth not imperiously obtrude for truth what he saith , he onely telleth you his own conceit ; and it hath ever been permitted for men in such cases as this , both to think what they will , and speak what they think , as the historian saith . can any therefore but wonder that the bare delivery of a private opinion , so soberly without incrochment upon others liberties , should gain the authour no better esteem then to be reckoned amongst lying legendaries and fabulous rabbines ? what zanchy was , his works speak him : a learned and good man , in that repute he lived , in that he died . i never heard him defamed for a palephatus or tale-coyner till now , and i hope never shall again . a ursin , the sabbath was commanded from the beginning of the world by god unto all men . b bullinger , the sabbath was observed from the beginning of the world by a law naturall and divine . c beza , the precept of the sabbath was established in the very creation of the world , even before mans fall ; and elsewhere he saith that job did sanctifie at least every seventh day . a saucy fellow to controul justin martyr his better ; and therefore is taught manners by my authour : d hence forward he must know his distance . comparisons ( gentle sir ) the proverb saith are odious ; therefore this excursion might ( no disparagement to your discretion ) have been spared . yet hath your luxuriancy erred not more in civilitie then moralitie : you impute this opinion to beza as a device of his own , which were it true , yet your presumption exceedeth your knowledge : for how , i pray , is it possible for you to be assured of this , unlesse beza had either mediately or immediately revealed it to you ? and if he did not , you were very rash , very ill advised , to father it on him , when as i have proved he might probably enough have derived the opinion from origen , or r. abraham , if not from others . junius , e god gave testimony of the institution of the sabbath by his own exemplary rest , and by instituting it in the church , that adam and eve ( then living ) might acknowledge that day to be holy by the ordinance of god . pareus , f god sanctified the sabbath in the very prime creation , and doubtlesse that sanctification was observed in the patriarchall families . i could tire both the reader and my self , should i amasse all foreiners , whose suffrage hath been given for this patriarchall sabbath ; if any desireth further authorities , i transmit him to rivet or waleus , who can furnish him completely . to come home and encounter tostatus with one of our own , in dignitie of order a bishop , in that his match , and for learning so beyond him , as ( if i might use your libertie of comparison ) i might say he is but another didymus , a mere scribbler to this man . the beginning of the sabbath , saith he , was in paradise before there was any sinne , and so before there needed any saviour , and so before there was any ceremony or figure of a saviour . i could produce perkins , willet , babington , amesius , &c. all famous lights of our church , and that most incomparable piece , the practice of pietie ; but because it will perhaps be thought that their affection was better then their judgement , i forbear them , and the rather because also our most rationall adversaries begin to reel towards us : brerewood confesseth it to be instituted in paradise , which is as much as any ever affirmed ; for according to the canonists , leges instituuntur cùm promulgantur , laws are then instituted when they are promulgated : and though he explaineth himself afterward , denying the commandment to be then instituted , yet this he acknowledgeth that gods resting from creation ( his sabbath ) and resting in himself ( the sanctification of it ) might be exemplary , though not obligatory to men to observe the sabbath then . nor doth a prideaux vary much from him : which is enough , for if it be granted that adam or the patriarchs observed it , we shall soon discover a command . having thus laid down the arguments which support the prolepsis , and to every one fitted the proper solution , having also set before you those reasons which most seem to advantage the grammaticall sense , and having with authoritie encountred authoritie , i desire now nothing more then a neutrall judge , and that this difference may have the same decision which aristippus b advised in another case , mitte ambas ad ignotos ; let disinteressed arbitratours end it . and thus i have finished my first stage . gods sabbath under the law . the precedent discourse was spent in the discovery of a sabbath before the law ; a time ( for so much as concerneth gods externall worship ) nearest allied to varro's {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} or uncertain time before the ogygian flood . our next station must be under the law , a time more enlightned with the ray of divine story then the former : yet is not the light , even of this time , so uniform , so evenly diffused , but that some opake parts are therein discerned . for though we are not now ( as before ) at a losse for a sabbath , yet doth not the sabbath we discern shew it self in so perfect lineaments and just proportion , as excludeth all diversitie of opinion concerning it . the questions indeed which relate to it are neither very numerous , nor absolutely necessary to be discussed ; yet as they are by accident subservient to my ensuing tract , an elucidation i must and will afford them , according to that order wherein method disposeth them , which i take to be this . some result from the precept , some again from the practice : from the precept , quis , quibus , quid. quis , who gave the precept ? who promulgated it ? and this question is not peculiar to the fourth precept distinctly taken , but onely as it is a member of the decalogue , whereof the question is especially made : for controverted it is , whether the ten commandments were on mount sinai promulgated by gods immediate voyce , or the ministery of his angels , or one or more . and not unworthily : for moses seemeth to attribute it to god himself ; but stephen , acts 7. vers. 38.53 . and paul , gal. 3.19 . and heb. 2.2 . to the angels : in regard of which specious opposition , eminent and famous men have been diversly inclined : some to moses are propense , for these reasons . first it is said , dixit jehova elohim , god spake these words , not an angel create : and though the word elohim is once ( and but once ) applied to the angels in the plurall , but never in the singular number , as psalm 8. yet here it can have no such signification : for the verb is dixit , and the pronoun ego , both singular . secondly , the person speaking saith , i am the lord thy god which brought thee out of the land of egypt ; but an angel create did not deliver them out of egypt . lastly , saint paul himself saith , that it was the voyce of christ which shook the earth , heb. 12 , 26. therefore where it is said , acts 7.38 . that moses was with the angel in the wildernesse , the word angel must not be understood of an angel create , but of christ , who is often called both an angel and god in similary places , as gen. 31. vers. 11 , 13. and 48.15 . exod. 3.2 . in all which places the word angel can mean no other person then christ . thus farre a zanchy ; but short still of the full solution . for though acts 7.38 . the word is angel in the singular number , yet in the other place it is angels in the plurall , excluding utterly the application of it to christ , or any single person . where zanchy brake off , the explication is continued and supplied by the thrice-excellent b junius , who resolveth it thus , at the delivering of the law on mount sinai , god was attended with many millions of angels , ( so both the state and service of their lord , and the great businesse in hand required ) and from amidst this glorious host he spake unto the people , {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , inter angelos , amidst the c angels ; all the angels being witnesses to the covenant , god proclaimed the law : so he interpreteth it ; a glosse rather new then absurd . others incline to stephen and paul , and conceive that god did not utter the law himself , but by delegation of his angels : to which they are the rather disposed , because in some places of scripture the angels use such a form of speech , as though god himself spake , and yet it is manifest that themselves were the immediate utterers of those words as , numb. 23.32 . if it be now demanded which interpretation i favour ; i answer , neither : the scripture salved by both i see , but the mind of the holy ghost is ( i take it ) atteined by neither . that which hath misled the whole stream of expositours , is a conceit that stephen and paul spake of the pronouncing of the law in mount sinai , whereas indeed their words onely aim at the delivering of the tables of stone , called the law also by a metonymia subjecti , the conteining by the name of the conteined ; these being put into the hands of moses by the ministery of his angels , as is evident , gal. 3.19 . for where is it said that the angels pronounced the law ? that god did , we reade often . as scripture saith not they did ; so reason , that they did not : for how could the vocall prolation by many angels but generate confusion of sound ? or if god by extraordinary guidance of their voice might make them speak not onely one and the same thing but in one and the same articulate sound ; yet seeing frustrà fit per plura , it might full as well have been uttered by one , why should he imploy so many ? no , out of all question ( if duly considered ) it is that god did himself , {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , in his own person , as philo saith , speak the law ; and not onely for those reasons ( yet solid enough ) mentioned by zanchy , but especially because it is agreed by all the ancients , not one ( s. augustine onely excepted ) impugning . that god ( the second person ) did himself often appear to the patriarchs , and bespake them vivâ voce , so justin d martyr , e tertullian , f athanasius , g eusebius and h hierome affirm ; and that he did so expressely on mount sinai or horeb , i ireneus , k nazianzen , l basil and divers others have affirmed . that immovable pillar of sound doctrine ( as an eastern m bishop calleth him ) n theodoret shall speak for all , treating of the narration of moses . and further , saith he , he recounteth how the word , the god of all things , exhibited himself openly to the israelites , appearing through the fire , but not in any visible shape . and throughout the whole systeme or body of the old testament , there are not so evident marks of gods immediate presence , as in this text : for first there is thunder , the voice of god , psalme 29.8 . and the concomitant of it , john 12.20 . secondly , the words are very direct , very expresse , where moses telleth the israelites , the lord spake unto you , deut. 4.12 out of the midst of the fire ; ye heard the voyce of the words , but saw no similitude , onely ye heard a voyce . now take it for a {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , an infallible token , of gods immediate presence , wheresoever in the scripture he is said to speak ( except in vision or so ) and no visible shape is seen . lastly , there are degrees of distance injoyned , the people not to approch nearer then the foot of the mount ; aaron and nadab , abihu and the seventie elders , up to the mount ; but moses onely into the cloud : from hence also note another certain argument of gods immediate presence ; which is alwayes concomitant with such procession-bounds , as exod. 3.5 . josh. 5.14 . for the full clearing then of this seeming repugnancy , i say , acts 7.38 . with zanchy , the word angel denoteth no angel create , but the angel creatour , christ , the second person in the trinity . for stephen alluded to that of malachy 4.1 . where our saviour is called angelus foederis , the angel of the covenant , viz. with whom the covenant was made , exod. 24.7 , 8. and deut. 5.2 . as also to that of the prophet , or rather evangelist , o isaiah 63.9 . where he is called the angel of gods presence . in the 53 vers. of the same chapter , the word law intendeth not the law promulgated , but engraven in the p diptykes or tables , which could not be delivered to moses by god himself , seeing he assumed no sensible shape , nor was moses admitted to so near an approch to god , as to receive them from him : therefore s. paul saith , it was delivered by angels into the hand of a mediatour , that is , not christ , as calvine and some others suppose , but moses ( as basil q ) who was the internuncius betwixt god and the israelites , deut. 5.7 . lastly , that place of heb. 2.2 . is merely mistaken : for neither in the text or context is there any , either expresse or implicite , mention of the law . and so much for the quis. the next is , quibus . disputed it is , whether the law considered as delivered in mount sinai , and abstracted from the ratification which it derived from christ and his apostles , was onely given to the jews , and so onely obliged them ; or under them to the gentiles also , who were to become the church and people of god . zanchie r , dominicus à soto s , and some others are of opinion it was peculiar to the jews onely , from these reasons . first , laws onely bind them , to whom they are onely given : but the decalogue was given onely to the jews , as is manifest by the preface : ergò , it onely bindeth them . the decalogue was indeed given to the jews ; but was it as jews , or a nation distinct by themselves ? no ; rather as covenantees , and the then select people of god , so that whosoever were after implanted in the covenant , and inrolled gods people , to them , as pòst nati , did and doth the decalogue belong . nor was the preface prefixt to invest the israelites with a sole propriety therein : for god , being now to give them ( as they were then his holy and chosen church , which is alwayes formally though not materially the same ) his morall and immutable laws , had here just reason to apply himself first to them , as jews , and to rowze their attention by inculcating into their memory the recent and signall blessing lately conferred upon them , thereby to excite their more strict observance of what he was now to give them in charge . so that this introduction might , i confesse , be proper to the jews onely , and yet the decalogue it self have a larger province and extent , and be spoken s omnibus similiter , to all alike . though , should i denie what i partly grant , i could vouch men of no mean note to rescue me from errour . t in this preface god bespeaketh the israelites more especially , but yet so as under them he comprehendeth all the gentiles . so beza . and for the romane party , u bellarmine . secondly , if the law as given on sinai obliged the gentiles , then were they at that time , before , and now are since christ , bound to observe the sabbath : but they neither were , nor now are astricted to that observation : ergò , &c. that some gentiles were thereto bound , the pellucid fountain of verity sheweth plainly ; let not the sonne of the stranger that hath joyned himself to the lord speak , saying , god hath utterly separated me from his people . if you say , that these were israelites by covenant though not by seed ; then why may not the christian gentiles , who are covenantees as well as the jews , who are also the seed of abraham , and heirs according to the promise , and united in christ jesus , why may not they observe it also ? will you say , because the day is abrogated and annulled ? and can you demonstratively prove it so ? the jewish sabbath was questionlesse indeed abolished , but was the sabbath of the fourth commandment so ? if you say , yea , for they were both one ; i reply , it is with greater facility said then proved . and now we arive at the last circumstance considerable in the precept , quid. of this it is controverted , what day the precept enjoyneth , whether the jewish sabbath , the saturday , or any other particular and expresse day ? most hold the jewish seventh from the creation to be the day directly prescribed there ; but i think it no hard task to beat them , or from that hold or in it . for first i would gladly know where in expresse terms the saturday-sabbath or seventh from the creation is commanded in this precept ; examine and dissect it throughly : remember thou sanctifie the sabbath day ; the sabbath day it is you see , not the seventh from the creation . therfore a zanchie hath set a nota bene upon it , that god ( not without cause ) said not , remember thou sanctifie the seventh day , but , the day of rest ; that is , saith he , b the day consecrated to rest by god , either immediately by himself or mediately by the church directed by the holy ghost , whatsoever day it be . thus he ; more circumspectly then what he delivered three columnes before : where he saith that the word sabbath here comprehendeth all the jewish festivalls . what hath moved him and other learned men to this fantasie , it much amuseth me : god telleth us distinctly what sabbath he here meaneth , the weekly ; of any other there is altum silentium , not a word . he saith , sanctifie the sabbath , in the singular , not sabbaths in the plurall number : c the observation , not of many festivals , but of one onely is there enjoyned . and what necessity of bringing these feasts within the compasse and obligation of this precept , which have commands proper and peculiar to themselves ? as therefore ancient canons d said to pragmaticall bishops , which invaded their jurisdiction , so i to these jewish feasts , let them keep their own home , their own stations , they have nothing to do here . well , the sabbath must be sanctified , but what day that should be is not yet explained : in the subsequent words indeed there is some hint of it , six dayes shalt thou labour ; there is one character by which we may know it : six dayes are at our own dispose , but we must not hold over our term ; the seventh is the sabbath , it is as philosophers say terminus minimus quod sic , the least proposition of time we must allow god : in a narrower limitation his worship will not subsist , a seventh day he will have . the seventh is the sabbath : the seventh ? what seventh ? he saith not , the seventh from the creation , he nameth no day ; if he had , it would have restrained the law to that day : but because he meant the day should change , and yet the law continue , he saith onely the seventh , that is , the seventh after six , or one in a week e . for f to depute one day in a week , is formally to depute the seventh day , though materially one and the same day be not alwayes deputed . well ; but will one in a week serve the turn ? is there nothing else required ? is the determination of this one in seven in our power ? no , there is a proviso for that ; it must be the sabbath of the lord thy god , that is , which he hath already , or should declare to his church to be his sabbath : and this is another character of the sabbath , it must be of gods own choice . but still not one word of the jewish sabbath , no discovery of it yet ; but we have not done with the precept , perhaps we shall find it in what remaineth : it followeth then , for in six dayes the lord made heaven and earth , and all that therein is , and rested the seventh day , wherefore the lord blessed the seventh day and hallowed it : here , i confesse , the precept seemeth very apposite , very full , so full as we are accused for no lesse then high treason against the holy ghost , in daring to affirm the contrary . f these dogmatists , saith one , are not affraid to make the holy ghost a liar , who teacheth in most clear and expresse terms , that god almightie blessed the very seventh day on which himself rested . an heavie charge , did we not plead , not guiltie . that god blessed the very seventh day whereon he rested , we not deny ; but whether he did expresly command the observation of that day by this or any other member of the fourth precept , that is the thing whereof we demand clear demonstration . nor yet should we call this into dispute , had we not just cause to appeal from the old translation , which hath herein imbraced a strange singularitie ; for where it readeth , god blessed the seventh day , the geneva , spanish , that of hierome , all that i have perused ( the septuagint onely excepted ) render it , god blessed the sabbath day , as our most correct and new translation hath it : indeed the very fountain it self , the hebrew giveth it so ; which being true , can what we have said deserve so loud an outcry as hath been made ? let any neutrally affected judge . secondly , the defect of direct and expresse command is not the onely , the principall motive it is , i grant , which allureth us to think the jewish sabbath in especiall manner not injoyned here : another argument there is accessory to it . for if god had here expresly commanded the observation of the seventh from the creation , or jewish sabbath , the fourth precept would have been in relation to that particular ceremoniall , and by consequent changeable : but i think it was and is in all parts intirely morall , and perpetuall ; and my opinion is founded upon two not very defeasable reasons . first , it is marshalled in the decalogue amongst the morall and immutable laws , which were notably distinguished from the ceremoniall by many circumstances ; the morall uttered by god himself , ( proved page 39. ) in the presence of the whole multitude , written by gods own finger , given without restraint to time , how long ; or place , where : contrarywise the ceremoniall given to moses onely , and by him declared to the people , called ceremonies , judgements , ordinances , and limited onely to the land of g jury : now it could not be agreeable to the wisdome of the god of order to shuffle and misplace a ceremoniall amongst his morall laws . secondly , if you cast your eye upon the sabbath of the fourth precept , you shall behold it quite deplumed and stript of all legall observances : for those things which are all urged as ceremoniall , and severall of the jews , touching the sabbath , are all , every one , postscripts and by-laws , not one emergent from the fourth precept . it was a signe betwixt god and his people , exod. 31.17 . ezech. 20.20 . it was injoyned with extreme rigour , no meat to be drest , exod. 17.5 . no fire to be kindled , exod. 35.3 . these were all peculiar to the jews : if the commandment of the sabbath was so too , how cometh it to passe they are thus discriminated , thus severed ? very suspicious it is then that they were not uniform precepts , not all of a piece . but you will say that deut. 5.15 . the observation of the sabbath is inserted in the fourth precept , as peculiar to the jews , in regard it was a commemorative of their strange deliverance out of egypt . i answer , true : but there is a great diversitie betwixt the decalogue given on mount sinai , and that described in deuteronomie ; that appertaining to gods church indefinitely taken , this to the jews onely : and this is evident from the due consideration of deuteronomy : for though there be many things in it which may of common right belong to the hole church , yet certain it is that book was especially penned for the jews , it being {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , an explanation of that law ( whether morall , ceremoniall , or judiciall ) which moses received on the mount , and application of it to the particular state and condition of that people : so that this objection doth not onely not evert but establish my assertion , it being a manifest argument that the sabbath of the decalogue ingraven in the tables was of larger extent then that mentioned in deuteronomie : for else why should the reason of one be universall , viz. as a monument of the creation ; of the other , particular , as a memoriall of the redemption out of egypt : and consequently it may perswade that the sabbath of the one was morall , of the other ceremoniall . and therefore when aquinas had framed this question , whether the commandment concerning sanctifying the sabbath was fitly delivered in the decalogue ? he found no evasion but this ; h it is placed , saith he , in the decalogue as it was a morall precept , not as ceremoniall . which is in effect but one and the same thing with what i maintain : for i distinguish betwixt those precepts of the sabbath which occurre elsewhere , and the fourth commandment , and therefore i apply what is ceremoniall in the sabbath to them , what is morall i restrain to this . so much for the quid , and indeed for the precept . survey we now the practice and observation thereof , wherein the circumstances which offer themselves to our consideration are these , quando , quomodo . by the quando i understand the terminus à quo and beginning of the sabbath , which some derive from the evening preceding the artificiall day , and deduce it from levit. 23.22 . others i again suppose it commenced in the morning ; and are induced thereto by the two evangelists , matth. 28.1 . in the end of the sabbath as it began to dawn towards the first day of the week ; mark 16.1 , 2. when the sabbath was past , very early in the morning , the first day of the week : and therefore the leviticall law they conceived onely concerned the passeover , and such solemn feasts . but i rather imbrace the more received opinion , that the sabbath began at eve , and suppose k that the evangelists respected the manner of the gentiles , whose day commenced from midnight : for me thinks the restriction of that ordinance in leviticus to the solemn feasts onely , is more nice then solid ; and the contrary is very probably indigitated in both the old and new covenant . in the old , nehemiah saith , that when the gates of jerusalem began to be dark before the sabbath , he commanded they should be shut , and not be opened till after the sabbath : whence i inferre that the sabbath began at twilight ; for else why should the gates be shut up so soon ? in the new testament also luke saith , that the women when they had bought their spices rested the sabbath according to the commandment ; which seemeth to insinuate that the sabbath presently succeeded the buying of those spices . and ( though it be {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} ) give me leave to note to you that by saint luke here it is evident the spices were bought on friday towards evening , not on munday morning , not penitus exacto sabbato , as l casaubon affirmeth . saint mark m indeed , whom he citeth , seemeth to relate it otherwise : but i say first with judicious calvine , that n mark relating two divers things in one and the same context , did not so exactly distinguish their times as saint luke ; for what was acted before ( viz. the buying of the spices ) he mingleth with the setting out and going forth of the women . and in truth s. mark minded more the substance then circumstance of the story ( a thing so familiar in scripture as it hath begot a proverb , there is not alwayes an orderly disposition of first and last in holy scripture : ) nor doth it reflect at all to the debasing and disparagement of the divine history , for a small diversitie touching circumstance is nothing ad summam narrationis , to the substance of the narration , as the same casaubon hath well observed . secondly , it is very probable what beza hath applied by way of salve to this of mark ( though it relisheth not well ( and perhaps the worse because beza's ) with the learned heinsius ) that there is a dislocation of the words by some unwary scribe , who hath put them out of joynt : for the latter part of this verse ought , as he conceiveth , to conclude the preceding chapter : as though the words had been thus ordered , and mary magdalene , and mary the mother of jesus beheld where he was laid , and bought spices that they might come and annoint him ; and that which maketh it seem still to him more probable is an ancient copy , reading it , {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , i. e. they went and bought spices , without repeating the name of any woman . the quando i have briefly dispatched ; and the dispatch of that giveth me accesse to the quomodo , the manner of observing the sabbath , that is , what holy duties were performed that day . and from this arise two questions : first whether the law was read publickly every sabbath , or onely in the yeare of release at the feast of tabernacles ; and this question is limited too , to the period from the law given to the captivitie . the other quaere is , what law , whether the hole pentateuch , or deuteronomie onely , was read in that yeare of release . as concerning the first ; they which hold the negative ground their opinion on these reasons : first , that there should be any publick or solemn reading of the law upon sabbath dayes , is not expressely required and commanded in the pentateuch . secondly , it appeareth not by any relation of sacred history , that before the babylonish captivitie there was any weekly reading or expounding the law upon the sabbath . lastly , it is a thing to be admired , that if the reading of the law had been in continuall use among the jews every sabbath day , there should be found in the dayes of king josiah one copy onely or book of the law , and that hilkiah should present this book to the king , as a great raritie , 2. king. 22.8 , 9. but the unsoundnesse of the foundation argueth the assertion erroneous : for , first , will nothing but expresse text satisfie you ? suppose we find it not {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , not verbatim commanded thus , reade the law publickly every sabbath day ; is not , i pray you , necessary and inevitable deduction out of text scripture with you ? if yea , then we need not travel farre for a command , no farther then the fourth precept , and not farre into that , but to remember thou keep holy or sanctifie the sabbath day . i told you before that things are then said to be sanctified , when they are applied to holy worship ; now holy worship is the exhibiting to god his due and just honour : and that is performed two wayes , either by reverent attention to what he offereth us in his word , or an humble presentment of what we preferre to him in our prayers . for hearing of the word & adoration are the two hands of religion ; the one we extend to receive what god communicateth to us , the other to represent what in mercy he accepteth from us : so as they are indeed the proper instruments of mutuall commerce betwixt him and us ; and though i allow them a parity of honour , yet hath the one a precedency of order before the other , and this belongeth to hearing of the word : for the first of religious offices wherewith we publickly honour god on earth ( saith that worthy m hooker ) is the receiving that knowledge which he imparteth to us in his word . the reason is evident ; for , prius est nosse deum , consequens n colere : or rather according to that golden chain , how o shall men invoke him in whom they have not believed , how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard , and how shall they heare without a preacher ? hence it is that the primitive church had ever the sermon before the service , to intimate that none ought to be admitted to pray with the church , before they have been inlightned in saving doctrine : all , tag and rag had free accesse to the sermon ; to the service onely the faithfull , and catechumeni . p let the bishop interdict none , neither gentile , nor heretick , nor jew , to enter into the church and heare the word of god , untill the service of the catechumeni , saith the councel of carthage . for the clear understanding of which canon , you must know that missa catechumenorum signifieth here not the dismission of the catechumeni , but the service so called ; which began at the introitus , and ended at the offertory . if then the sanctification of the sabbath be the application of it to gods worship , the consequence must and will be , that all sacred actions tending to this worship as parts thereof ( but the hearing of the law read most especially , it being of the essence of that worship ) were commanded in and under the word sanctifie . but you 'l say that many doctours of note maintain that the letter of the fourth commandment imposed upon the jews no other externall form of sanctifying the weekly sabbath , but resting from bodily labour . i answer , the literall sense of the fourth commandment imposed upon the jews the sanctification of the sabbath , viz. by all such religious actions as are proper to holy worship ; the specialties whereof it not determineth , least it should be thought to exclude any . it also imposed rest and cessation from secular businesse ; but that it commanded it as any at all , much lesse the onely externall form of sanctifying the sabbath , pardon me , i cannot believe . for what honour could accrue to god through an idle and lazie rest ? what worship could man perform waking more then a sleep ? how could the day be lesse sanctified by beasts then men ? rest was injoyned as necessary indeed necessitate medii , as a fit means ; but not necessitate causae , as a necessary cause constituting sacred worship . against these doctours of note , i will oppose a doctour of note too , and of such note as his dictates never any of the primitive church durst call into question a , athanasius the great , who in refutation of this jewish fancie hath amongst others this invincible argument , b if rest sanctifieth , then by consequence labour polluteth : for , contrariorum eadem est ratio : yea , the father maketh the knowledge of god to be the chief end of the sabbath , because knowledge is more necessary then rest c . and therefore the beam of truth hath extorted from them this confession , that some other religious actions were intended by god as the end of the precept , but no other were formally commanded d . what i pray , did god intend those religious actions as the end of the precept ? how come you to know gods intention ? hath he anywhere revealed it ? if yea , then tell me , is not that overture , that declaration of his intendment equipollent to a command ? besides , when and where did god open this his mind ? in this precept , and at the giving of the law ? if now , and here , then these religious actions and rest were coordinate together , both imposed at one and the same time , the thing you deny : if after , then god imposed , and man observed rest to no end and purpose all that while , untill the manifestation of his intentions concerning the end of that rest came forth . but god and nature do nothing in vain e ; even philosophy could tell you so , and sure divinity much more . their second argument is upon the old haunt still , the want of expresse narration ; which were it true , yet is it no {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , no demonstration of what they affirm , as i have proved before , pag. 5. besides , the contrary may be probably collected without detorting scripture against reason : for first , when the shunamite desired to go to the prophet elisha to acquaint him with the death of her sonne , and to see if he could afford her any comfort , her husband expostulated with her , saying , why wilt thou go to day ? it is neither new-moon , nor sabbath day : which had been an impertinent question , if they had not accustomed to resort to the prophets on those dayes , to heare the word expounded . that this was their practice scarce any expositour upon the place but assureth us . though here is onely mention of the new-moon and sabbath , yet as we need not doubt but that they practiced the same upon other festivalls also , so i conceive it to be implyed in both or either words , which are often in scripture taken in a generall notion , not denoting any certain or particular but an indefinite feast . the word sabbath especially , this so frequently as no meanly lettered man is such a novice to whom it is a novelty : the new-moon more sparingly , yet when mated with sabbath seldome retaineth it any other signification . examples whereof are first this text of the kings , then that of isaiah 66.23 . from one new-moon to another , and from one sabbath to another , shall all flesh come to worship before me , saith the lord . again , that of ezech. 46.3 . the people of the land shall worship at the doore of this gate before the lord in the sabbaths and in the new-moons . lastly , that of amos , 8.5 . when will the new-moon be gone that we may sell our corn ? and the sabbath that we may set forth wheat ? in all these portions of scriture sabbaths & new-moons , by the figure {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , that is , when one thing is expressed by two words , are onely put for solemn feasts generally not particularly accepted . nor is the word new-moon taken thus onely when linked with the sabbath , but somewhile also when single and alone , as 1. kings 12.33 . for where in our translation ( as in i am sure most , if not all others ) it is said that jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth moneth , the hebrew word for that feast is {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , which signifieth the new-moon ; but to speak properly the new-moon it could not be , for the moon was then in her full , it being the 15 day : and the feast is thought by learned men to be devised by jeroboam in imitation ( indeed to suppresse it in oblivion ) of the feast of tabernacles which was to be on the 15 of the seventh moneth . but not to expatiate too farre in collaterall transcursions ; the reading of the law may ( not absurdly ) be expiscated out of acts 15.21 . where james giving definitive sentence in the councel of hierusalem , saith , moses of old time hath in every citie them that preach him , being read in the synagogues every sabbath day . but against this place they except , viz. that {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} is used in scripture of many things not very ancient , as matth. 5.21 , 27 , 33. acts 15.7 . but this objection is easily repelled : the question is not what sense the like phrase hath , matth. 5.21 , &c. but what it meaneth here ; and that it is to be taken in the construction we make of it , an eminent bishop r witnesseth , the sound of the spirit ( viz. preaching ) all the law-long sounded in them , by whom moses was preached every sabbath day . so he upon this very text . but in defence of the contrary interpretation , it may be objected , that the text speaketh of synagogues , which came not into use untill the captivitie . to which i say , that the most and best divines s hold it probable that synagogues had their beginning from the plantation of the land of canaan , when the priestly and propheticall offices ceased in the first-born , and masters of families , but were supplyed , the first , by the leviticall priests ; the second , by the seventy elders , as some suppose t , but more certainly by the prophets , whose ordinary calling was to reade and expound the law . the numerous provision of which sacred preachers maketh it incredible that they were destitute of places ( no matter how , or colledges , or synagogues , or otherwise denominated ) destinate to that and such like holy-duties . their last argument is not compounded of much better stuff . for first the finding of the book of the law by hilkiah , and presenting of it to josiah , is no infallible signe , quod alioqui nulli ejus essent alii codices , that there were besides no other books thereof , not to genebrard u i am sure : and it may well be controverted . for if in times of harder pressures , when the temple and the authentick books in it were burnt , when utter havock was made of all , and the people of god led captives into babylon ; even in the extremitie of that desolation , if some copies were no doubt preserved in private mens hands , as daniels , ezechiels , a jeremies , &c. ( for how otherwise could esdras restore the sacred volume to its first integrity , then by comparing divers exemplaries then extant together , and so reforming what errours had been committed by negligent penmen ) if i say , some copies escaped the fire at that time , probable it is that all perished not before josiahs reign . but be it granted that all were lost , not one to be found before hilkiah chanced to light upon that , yet are you short still ; your argument is not ad idem : for the question is of a duty , part of gods publick and solemn worship , and your instance is of a time under persecution , when the ensigne of the church was the crosse , when there was no solemn worship of the true god publickly tolerated ; and you may as well upon this instance inferre that there was no sabbath observed , as deny the observation of it by this dutie of reading and hearing the law . no man ( for ought i know ) contendeth that the solemn reading of the law alwayes every sabbath , and that in times of distresse , was practiced : and that it was at other times , even cajetan b himself ( who holdeth that that book which hilkiah found was of all other the onely remnant ) acknowledgeth : holy exercises ( as reading and expounding the law ) during manasses his wicked reign were so long neglected ; ( and neglect i hope insinuateth a dutie formerly practiced ) that the book of the law is related as a thing new discovered . so he . true it is , he mentioneth not the sabbath day , as whereon these neglecta divina ought to have been performed ; but seeing the words seem to referre to duties which ought to have been publickly performed , their publick performance ought to have regard to both times and places destinate thereto . this point i prosecute no further : enough i hope ( if not too much ) hath been said to perswade that the law was read on the weekly sabbath , as well as on the annuall of tabernacles in the septennuall of release . i passe then to the last question . in this as brief i shall be , as in the former i was tedious . at the end of every seven years , in the solemnitie of the year of release , in the feast of tabernacles , thou shalt reade the law before israel in their hearing , saith the text : upon which words tostatus thus , c the law , saith he , is meant especially of deuteronomy . and d others since have imbraced the same opinion , but none have thought us worthy to be privy to the reasons inducing that opinion , nor indeed can any be devised . for who knoweth not that the word law importeth the whole pentateuch of moses : of ( i believe ) an hundred of instances , i will produce but one ; and that ( of any ) the likeliest to make for their purpose . god injoyneth the future king should write him a copy of this law in a book : now i pray , tell me , is deuteronomy onely understood by this law ? no , it is not : all expositours take it for the hole five books ; and yet for this there may be some colour , because the 70. render it {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , hierome , deuteronomium legis hujus . but to return to the first text of moses ; we need no other expositour then himself : what law he appointed then to be re●d , he telleth us in the immediate precedent verse , it was that law which he delivered to the levites ; that law which he commanded them to put in the side of the ark . now if they can prove that onely deuteronomy was delivered to the levites and laid up there , they shall gain my subscription . having thus proceeded as farre as my first intendment bounded me , lest this discourse should jut too farre into that insuing , of the sabbath under the gospel , now no more . gods sabbath under the gospel . we have at last shaked off those remora's which retarded our arrivall at the christian sabbath , at gods sabbath under the gospel . for a sabbath god hath still , but not the jewish , not the seventh from the creation : no ; a the seventh day is vanisht , our lord is buried ; the first now dawneth , our lord is risen , and his resurrection hath consecrated to us a new sabbath : for a sabbath god must have by the immutable law of the fourth precept , remember thou sanctifie the sabbath day , that is , that day which for the time being god hath marked out and appointed for his own , {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} . for if this commandment injoyneth now no particular and set time under the gospel , then is the law an ennealogue , not a decalogue , and so god hath lost one of his ten words ; but he payeth no tithe out of his commandments , his full denary he must and will have . if you say the morall equitie , viz. to yield god a competent and convenient time for his worship remaineth still , and so the commandment is not lost . i answer , this fundamentall law is tacitly implyed in this precept , but so it was also in the institution of all other ceremoniall festivals , the passeover , pentecost , &c. to which we may as well resort as to the fourth precept for it . and if this morall or naturall law be the onely reliques of that commandment : i would fain learn what was in the sabbath extraordinary more then in other feasts , which might intitle it to a roome amongst the morall laws of the decalogue , when as the other feasts were excluded . besides , if this morall law of festos dies coles maketh a distinct precept by it self , i see no reason but there should be another for going to church , another for allowing god a convenient portion of our substance ( for these are also morall equities ) and so there will be an even dozen . lastly , how cometh this morall equitie to be a peculiar of the gospel onely ? god had from the creation to the law , from the law to christ , a day appropriated ( and that by himself ) to his worship : what ? hath he lesse reason to require it under the gospel ? hath he left the christian church to that liberty that every man may serve him as the toy taketh him , and so god stand to our courtesie to be worshipped when we list ? you will say nay ; we are not left at that libertie : the observation of the holy dayes appointed by the church , is reduced to the fourth commandment , as a speciall to a generall : viz. gods people must observe holy times , because the equitie of the fourth commandment obligeth thereunto : but easter and christmasse day , and sunday , &c. are holy dayes lawfully appointed by the governours of the church , and subordinate to the equitie of the fourth commandment ; therefore christian people are bound to observe these holy dayes , in obedience to the equitie of the fourth commandment . i answer , the church hath a power indeed to ordain festivals ; but is the observation of her constitutions concerning them , a fulfilling ; the disobedience , a breach of the fourth commandment ? how can this be ? first , what needs an obligation be derived from the last precept of the first table , when the first of the latter is alsufficient ? secondly , is it not a mere non sequitur ? the fourth commandment bindeth us to yield god a convenient time for his worship : ergò it obligeth us to observe the festivals of the church ? where learned you this logick ? suppose i pray , the church should injoyn but one day in a moneth , doth he i pray who observeth her order that one day , and not once more in the interim serve god perform his dutie which god in this commandment requireth ? or doth he who plieth god with frequent addresses , who strictly observeth canonicall houres , yet onely perhaps faileth that one day which the church injoyneth ; doth he , i say , violate the morall law of this precept , which saith not , set apart such times for pious exercises as thy governours prescribe , but , such as thou thy self thinkest meet . in short , to make this more evident , every law positive is built upon some morall , as upon a foundation ; now it is manifest that the foundation may stand , and yet the superstructure fall , as may be demonstrated in an example familiar to us : the equitie of state requireth that particular persons be not inriched any way which reflecteth to the damage of a communitie ; upon this sociable equitie , there is a positive , a statute law b inacted , that none shall buy or contract for any victualls or wares before they come to the market , fair , or port. but in some parts of this realm , especially in norfolk , such plentie of corn there is growing in most towns , as maketh every of them a kind of market , so as few men need go out of their own villages to be supplied with materialls either for bread or beer ; yea the superfluitie is such , as many towns vend a thousand quarters of grain , over and besides what supplieth their families and lands ; by reason of which great plenty little or none is sold in many markets : and the usuall practice hath been , and is , for merchants to buy , not in open market , but at the barn doore great quantity thereof , and export it into other parts of the kingdome where scarcitie is . this act of theirs some merchants have by smart experience lately found to be illegall , but yet no violation of the foresaid equity : for who complaineth that they are damnified thereby ? not the norfolcians , they are eased ; not the shires deficient , they are relieved : either part desireth it : one , ut impleatur , that it may be stored ; the other , ut depleatur , that it may be disburthened . nor doth the fourth commandment onely inferre out of these words , remember thou sanctifie the sabbath , that god must have a sabbath in a speciall manner ; but it declareth also his will concerning the quotient and limitation thereof , six dayes shalt thou labour and do all that thou hast to do , but the seventh is the sabbath , so that one in a week he must have . if you say , the limitation of one in a week was ceremoniall , and so abrogated . i answer , prove you it ceremoniall , and i will yield it abrogated : but there hath not yet been any argument or reason shewn us whereby we might be perswaded to conceive it ceremoniall , nor hath it so much as one character of a ceremony in it . for first , it was not typicall ; it did not prenote any thing to ensue or be accomplisht under the gospel . if that fancy of the jewish cabala be true , that the world shall continue but six thousand years , and then the day of judgement shall follow , it might prefigure that , and yet no ceremony proved ; for that time is not yet elapsed , and the type must continue till the thing typified be fulfilled : so that this rather evinceth the duration then abrogation of this limitation . secondly , it had no particular relation to the land of canaan , the proper place of ceremonies ; nor yet to the jews , upon whom it was not imposed as jews , as a mark of difference to distinguish them from the gentiles . if you object , exod. 31.13 . & 17. ezech. 20.12 , & 20. where the sabbath is called a signe betwixt god and them ; i say , the sabbath was at that time a mark of difference and separation betwixt the jews and gentiles , that is confest ; but was it so as a seventh day ? no ; that which caused the distinction was the sanctification of them on that day , not any thing in the number of seven . gods seposing of a certain time for their , and onely their ( for , god worthily neglected those of whom he was not worshipped a ) sanctification was an argument that he had an especiall care of them above others , and that they were his onely people . it was not imposed as an heavy burthen upon the jews . if the sequestring one day in a week had been burthensome to them , it would be also a grievance now to us christians , who observe the same : but we are under the law of grace and liberty , exempted from such pressures , and if it were in any respect onerous , we would and might renounce it ; so that it being not to us heavy , it is consequently probable , that it was to them tolerable . and indeed in the explanation of the law , or rather application of it to the state of the jews , it is rather recited as an ordinance of comfort , and refreshing , as of mercy and and favour , then of rigour , or severity , then of depression and of servitude . lastly , it was not commanded in recognition of any speciall favour conferred upon the jews : it was a memoriall of gods creating the world in six dayes , and his resting on the seventh ; but this being a benefit wherein all mankind inter common , the jews can claim no property therein several to themselves . and so in respect of this character , as of the three preceding , no tidings of a ceremony yet , and so no cause of abolition : for you will not have more abrogated then was ceremoniall , will you ? if you say , it was and must be ceremoniall : for morall it was not , and therefore positive ; and because positive , ceremoniall . i answer , denying that positive either necessarily implyeth ceremoniall , or excludeth morall . nay more : disputable it is whether positive may be admitted here or no . sure i am a great prelate d hath resolved it , in divine constitutions positive law hath no place ; and so e schoolmen and civilians use to speak : but in regard the propriety of the word signifieth the imposing of what before was in its nature arbitrary , whether the imposition be divine or humane , it constituteth ( in my opinion ) a law positive denominated accordingly . be it then positive : is it therefore ceremoniall , or not morall ? let the definition of either word end the strife . morall is derived from mores or mos , and may be defined as lirinensis f doth catholick , quod ubique , quod semper , quod ab omnibus , that which hath been observed every where , alwayes , and of all men . and though in its remotest latitude of signification it is synonymall with what civilians call jus gentium , or the law of nations , yet may it not unfitly be restrained to lesser societies , as to gods church ; and so what hath been alwayes observed in his church , may not unfitly be called morall ; and then the observation of a weekly day will become so too ; yet with this restriction and difference , that one is morall by naturall infusion , the other by externall imposition g . but suppose it granted that positive were a privative of morall , yet can you never prove that it must inevitably inferre ceremoniall : for ceremonies are in their very nature changeable , to last but a while ; their etymologie giveth them that definition , {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} ( therefore they who write ceremonie do ill deduce it from ceres ) whereas positive laws may be , and are some of them , immutable . the prohibition of incestuous matches within certain degrees , decimation and tithing , were positive ; and yet i hope you will yield unchangeable : the last , i am sure , you demand by virtue of the first injunction . nor doth the tenth content you , you are ( you think ) defrauded of your right , unlesse we allow it as due jure divino , the truth whereof is here not to be discussed ; and though i as yet rather incline to the affirmative , yet this for undeniable veritie i dare and do averre , that to evince a jus divinum , there is farre , infinitely farre clearer evidence and demonstration in the scripture for the lords day then for tithes . but i digresse . all laws divine derive their firmnesse or mutability two wayes : either from that which giveth them their first constitution , reason ; ( qualis ratio praecepti tale praeceptum , as the reason is permanent or moveable , so is the law ; for the form of all laws is the reason , as that which diversifieth all things is the form ) or from the subject , or matter about which they are conversant ; for if that be constant , the law must also be the same . for those laws divine , which belong , whether naturally or supernaturally , to men as men , or to men as they live in politick society , or to men as they are of that politick society which is the church , without any further respect had to any such variable accident as the state of men , and of societies of men , and of the church it self is subject to in this world ; all laws that so belong unto men , they belong for ever , although they be positive laws , unlesse being positive , god himself that made them altereth them , saith hooker . now no man will deny the reason of commanding a weekly day in memory of the creation to be immutable ; therefore the law it self for that cause also , though at first positive , must be so . and that it was imposed on gods church , without respect had to any particular place , people , time , or the like variable occasion , is so clear as none can solidly refute : and for this cause also it must continue so long as that society the church , for which it was first given , shall abide . therefore we may conclude this point with leo , h the shadows being dispelled by the presence of the verity , those things which tending either to morality or the pure worship of god for piety sake were instituted , do still continue in the same form with us wherein they were at first framed , and what was agreeable to both testaments , is by no change altered . they i to whom positive-immulable seemeth so prodigious a thing , may now spare their wonder at amesius , and bestow it upon their own ignorance : what he taught in this point he might and did learn ( no doubt ) in england , and not onely of the puritanes . for what say you to whitgift ? k no man doubteth the meaning of these words , six dayes shalt thou labour , &c. to be this , that seeing god hath permitted to us six dayes to do our own works in , we ought in the seventh wholly to serve him . to hooker l ? we are to account the sanctification of one day in a week , a duty which gods immutable law doth exact for ever . to donne m ? god seposed a seventh of our time for his exteriour worship . to andrews n ? the numbers of seven and ten are not without their weight : the seventh the sabbath , the tenth gods part ; the sabbath and tenth both sacred to god . to bacon o ? god demandeth a tenth of our substance , and which is more strict a seventh of our time . what say you to these ? but what if amesius had been born and lived an alien to this kingdome , had he then escaped the contagion of this errour ? is england in this assertion divided from the continent of other christian churches ? assuredly no . those two lights of the reforming age , bucer and his achates p. martyr , as in other things their judgements concurred with a rare and happy identity a , so in this they differed not . our god hath sanctified one day in seven for the promoving of our faith , and consequently of eternall life , bucer b . that someone day in a week men attend divine worship is no humane device , martyr c . it is a morall precept as it biddeth us dedicate one day in a week for the externall service of god , so zanchie . d god therefore sanctified the seventh day , that man might know that in the weekly circuit one day is to be bestowed upon the publick worship of god , pareus e it is a naturall law that every seventh day be sacred to god , junius f . that enemy of god , g arminius , h it is morall to set apart one day of seven for gods service . the lutherane churches dissent not : conradus dietericus , as my authour i informeth me . baldwin , k it is morall to sanctifie one day of seven . and to make up the harmony complete , the papists themselves are in this reconciled with us . god would have at least one day in a week to be allowed him , saith fenus l . to depute every seventh day in a week , is formally to depute the seventh day , though materially the same day be not alwayes deputed , so suarez m . the divine law required that one day in a week should be sequestred for holy worship , so bellarmine n . nor is the opinion an upstart : i appeal to chrysostome o , who calleth it {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , an immoveable law , {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , to sepose one day in a week for religious actions . and thus i have proved that one day in seven he must have by the perpetuall ordinance of the fourth commandment . nor will the allowance of one in seven satisfie him , unlesse he have the designation and determination of that one . p it must be the day consecrated by god , either immediately by himself , or mediately by his church directed by the holy ghost , whatsoever the day be , as i told you before out of zanchy ; so that the day must be of divine institution . and this is evident : first de jure ; christ calleth himself lord of the sabbath : his dominion was not onely over the old sabbath , to abrogate that ; but over the new also , to surrogate that as succenturiate to the other . secondly , de facto ; for gods own act is the best interpreter of his will , and if he had meant the church should have had her libertie , her conge d' eslier , leave to chuse , he would not have anticipated her with his own act of instituting the evangelicall sabbath , whereof ( as well as of the legall ) he was not onely the efficient but the exemplary cause , by finishing the work of our redemption on that day . but here it is demanded , p is the old sabbath translated into the lords day ? if yea ; by whom ? by any commandment of christ , where is it ? produce one precept or one word of god out of the old testament , that it should be translated , or out of the new commanding it to be translated , or intimating that by christs commandment it was translated . take both , or which you will , either the old or new covenant , and withall the best and ancientest interpreters thereof , and then i dare presume you will soon discry a translation . for the first , it was adumbrated in their circumcision on the eight day , it was a type of that eight day whereon our lord rose again for our justification . so saith cyprian q ; and with him augustine , r the lords day could not but be known to the holy prophets , for there is a psalme entituled for the eight day , and on the eight day children were circumcised , and the like elsewhere . it was prophecied in the title of the psalmes , the sixth and eleventh , in finem pro octavo . so ignatius s , nazianzene t , & augustine . prophecied in the * 101. psalme , scribatur illa in generationem novam , this shall be written for the generation to come , vers. 18. so athanasius . in the * 109. for so basil understandeth diem virtutis , the day of power : but above all prophecied in the 118. vers. 24. this is the day which the lord hath made . so all the fathers who have saluted and cited that place . for the second or new covenant , we need search no higher then to the practice of our saviour , and his apostles from the resurrection downwards , to warrant and assure us of this translation ; i say , from the resurrection : for this their practice did not , as some suppose , begin in long wast of time . there was no interregnum , no vacancy at all , no cessation of a sabbath ; no , not the first week : no sooner was the old sabbath abolished then the new established and installed . the jewish sabbath , that slept ( we all know ) its last in the grave with our saviour : its ghost ( according to countrey dialect ) or the shadow of that shadow walked indeed a while after , but it self , the old sabbath , expired then , and immediately entered the lords day . immediately , when christ himself was but newly up , from that very day whereon he arose , doth s. augustine u derive the primum esse of the lords day . the lords day was by the resurrection of christ declared to be the christians day , and from that very time ( of christs resurrection ) it began to be celebrated as the christian mans festivall . so hath a profound a bishop rendered him ; and truly , unlesse ex illo relateth to christ , which i believe you will difficultly grant , though it be lesse monstrous then to marry it with resurrectione , in despight of priscian . nor is augustines opinion utterly of truth abandoned . for ( though we reade not of any sabbath-duties expresly performed on that very day of christs resurrection by the apostles , yet ) this we find , that when christ appeared to them on that day , they were {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , assembled on that day ; and the place is thought by learned men to be the coenaculum , in which christ celebrated the last passeover , and from thence derived a perpetuall consecration : nor is it likely that he would inspire them in an ordinary place . if then they were assembled , and in a church , we may safely collect they were busied in sacred exercises . the first day of our saviours appearing to his disciples , this , and the first christian sabbath he honoured with his beatificall presence . the next was the next : {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , saith s. john . what ? on some indefinite time after eight dayes , as you b would have it ? a word with you , sir . saint mark telleth us that our saviour should * {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , will you therefore have our lords resurrection to be on some one day after three expired ? you will not sure , nay ( though i think you dare as much as another , yet this ) you dare not . no , by after eight dayes is meant the eighth day after , which was the next sunday . so the * fathers agree : it is necessary that that day should be the lords day , saith cyrill c , and he thence deriveth the equity of assemblies upon that day . nay more , this very day is so farre honoured by nazianzene d as he made an homily on purpose for it , as he hath entitled it , {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , nova dominica , because the first lords day solemnized in the weekly revolution after the resurrection , or rather because it was the encenium of the resurrection : for betwixt the day of the resurrection and this he thus distinguisheth ; that was , saith he , salutifera , this , salutis natale , that the day that brought forth salvation into the world , this the commemorative festivall of that day . though this be the last first day mentioned in holy writ , which our saviour hallowed in his assembling with the apostles , yet probable it is that he practiced the same even till his apoge and ascension . but conjecturall arguments we will not urge , when demonstrative are so hardly obtained . well ; our saviour is ascended : let us now behold what honour the spirit of comfort ( which in his late valediction he promised to send his apostles ) hath conferred on this day . our saviour is ascended , and the holy ghost descendeth ; but on what day ? the first of the week ? not expresly , yet consequently and by deduction , yes : for it was when pentecost was arrived , and this fell that yeare on the sunday . the allwise god so disposing that the gospel should every way parallel the law : the one given on mount sinai , on the day of pentecost , the then legall sabbath ; the other on mount sion , on the day of pentecost , the then evangelicall sabbath . but some are of opinion the lords day need not brag of this honour , it being more then was meant it ; for it was , say they , a casuall thing that pentecost should fall on the sunday : which i confesse seemeth to me a prodigy in divinitie . for those things onely are casuall , which happen , praeter intentionem operantis , contrary to the expectation of the agent : but here god was the agent , whose omniscience nothing could escape , who is privie to all events as the disposer of them . true it is , that necessarium and contingens necessary and contingent are terms which theology can endure well enough , when they are spoken with regard to intermediate and second causes ( for those effects which are the emanations of such causes as can in nature produce no other , are said to be necessary ; and those which proceed from such as are in their own nature not determined to certain and definite effects , are called contingent ) but when they are referred to the supreme and paramount cause of all , they are then , and must be called , necessary . nor could the falling of pentecost on the sunday be a contingent thing in respect of the second causes , which were all ( no doubt thereof is made ) necessary . for scaliger hath informed you right , that the pentecost's terminus à quo was {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , or the morrow after the passeover : so ever ; no contingency there : and the passeover it self ever as certain , alwayes upon the fifteenth day , or the full moon following upon or next after the vernall aequinox : and so none there . there were certainly other reasons which induced the holy ghost to make choice of this day and time ; yet seeing all antiquitie hath accounted his descent upon the apostles amongst those titles of honour which have been dispensed upon this day , i see no reason why it should be now denied it . and though no glory at all ( the thing by some over eagerly desired ) should accrue to it thereby , yet this is most legible , that on this day the apostles were solemnly though closely assembled in prayer and holy duties . but so , you will say , they were on other dayes ; which i grant , with this distinction of aequè and aequaliter : for some dayes amongst them were doubtlesse dignified with a more solemn observancy then others , in respect whereof they were especially reputed , if not denominated , holy-dayes . for how else can our church e be understood , where she saith that the christian people , immediately after the ascension , began to chuse them a standing day of the week to come together in : so that both the preferring one day before another , and the time of that choice , viz. immediately after the ascension , she indigitateth to us . the next mention of apostolicall observation of this day occurreth , acts 20. vers. 7. the first day of the week , the disciples being come together to break bread , paul preached unto them . against this text two exceptions lie : first that by breaking of bread is onely meant their ordinary repast , no sacred duties or celebration of the eucharist ; and this they seem to make good by saint chrysostome and lyra , as also by the english bible , which paralleleth this place with acts 2. verse 46. i answer , some have indeed interpreted this text of bodily repast ; yet the major part take it for the mysticall breaking of bread in the communion : and for our church , b. andrews out of this very place affirmeth positively that the apostles were assembled , {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , to preach , to pray , to break bread on this day ; and b. white averreth as much . and as to that text of acts 2. vers. 46. whether the margent of our english testament transmitteth us , i say , that it is not inevitably , not evidently to be understood of common food . for f humbertus taketh it for the eucharist , behold the true evangelist testifieth that the faithfull in the apostolicall times assembled every day in prayer and breaking of bread : what are you then who say that full masse ( that is , the celebrating of the eucharist ) ought to be performed onely twice a week ? and though the words {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} may seem to boulster out the contrary opinion , yet if you take them , as they are both by the syriack and arabick , and our own margent rendered , for at home , the meaning may very consonant to truth be ( as my learned * tutour conceiveth ) that when they had performed their dayly devotions in the temple , at the accustomed times of prayer there , they used to resort to this coenaculum immediately , and there having celebrated the mysticall banquet of the holy eucharist , afterward took their ordinary repast with gladnesse and singlenesse of heart . in which interpretation there is enough to reconcile both parts , something for illustration being super-added . for the holy ghost doth here ( so i take it ) regard the practice of the christians in their love-feasts g ( and happily from hence they took their commencement ) which consisting of divers viands provided by a common purse and collation , their fashion was to take so much thereof as they thought sufficient for the communicants , and so to celebrate the lords supper together ; which done they presently fell to their spare and slender chear , entertaining and solacing themselves with spirituall and divine colloquies . so that the fraction of bread here might have reference to their mysticall repast in the blessed eucharist , which was the first course or part of their agape ; and the latter part of the verse might look at the other part thereof , viz. corporall refection . their next cavill is , that this {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} denoteth not the first , but some one day of the week , wherein as they are become separatists from our church in her most absolute translation , so them and her i leave to end the quarrel . we meet with it also , 1. cor. 16.1 . and there an ordinance of the apostles , that their oblations should be upon that day . now i would gladly learn why this day rather then any other should be appointed for an almes-day , had it not been observed holy in those times . lastly , we meet with it apoc. 1.10 . but not now as formerly styled the first day of the week , but apparelled in a christian name , and called the lords-day ; which certainly the holy ghost would not have done , had it not passed for currant amongst christians by that name : and how could it obtain that name , had it not been destined then to religious actions as a weekly holy-day ? laying all these premised evidences of apostolick practice together , do they not clearly demonstrate the translation of the sabbath into the lords day ? for why should the christian church , even in those times when every day was sanctified with devout exercises and seemed an holy sabbath , select any one distinct and peculiar day to be kept holy ? and why one in a week , rather then in a moneth or yeare ? and why not in the weekly circuit , the old sabbath rather then the lords day , had not god some way made known his will to them , that he would still have a sabbath exempted from the common condition of other dayes , & that sabbath to be weekly , and that weekly , not the old jewish , but the new christian , to be the first of the week , as dignified by the resurrection of our saviour , and the anabaptisme of the apostles . vtrumque mysterium nostrum , utrumque utilitas nostrae , as hierome a in another case : dispensers both of inestimable benefits upon his church ; the one of her justification , the other of her sanctification : and so this day a fit memoriall of both . but here it will be demanded , by whom this translation was made ? and to clear this doubt , hic labor , hoc opus est . athanasius the great hath resolutely affirmed that christ was the authour thereof ; {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , the lord translated the sabbath into the lords day . but some have found ( as they think ) an evasion for this , viz. that christ was not the authour by any mandate of his , but onely the occasion of the translation : which unparalleled glosse suggests to my memory that of augustine , b it is easie with every man to reply who can not hold his tongue . but let us look upon the colour or fucus wherewith this interpretation ( as false as new ) is dawbed over , and see if it will not with great facility wash off . if christ himself translated it , then the father thwarteth what he said before c , where he tells us that the lords day was taken up as a voluntary usage , {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , we honour the lords day ; he mentions no command , whereas of the sabbath he saith , {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , he commanded it to be kept . this indeed were something to decline our objection out of the father , if we were not assured otherwise of his mind ; for apparent it is that the father neither regarded in his {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} voluntary usage , nor in his {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} imposed command ; for do we not meet in him the same in effect counter-changed ? doth he not elswhere say as much of the sabbath , as here of the lords day ? that when god had finished the prime creation he rested , and therefore men did observe the sabbath in those dayes while the first creation was especially in force d . he mentions here no command ; was therefore their observation of the sabbath a voluntary usage ? nay , saith he not as much of the lords day , as of the sabbath ? e when god had renewed and restored man by finishing the work of redemption , he willed that the same day should be dedicated to that restauration which the holy ghost foreshewed by the prophet , saying , this is the day which the lord hath made . and again , f gods will was that the lords day should be manifest and declared , that thou mayest know the end of the first generation to be accomplished . what say you now , sir ? will your ingenuity descend to recant , or your pregnant invention afford you another refuge . now there be many wayes by which christ may be said to be the translatour of the sabbath : either by immediate institution , and example , as junius a ; or by ratifying and approving the translation already made by the apostles , as maldonate b ; or by giving them direct and expresse commission to do it ; or lastly , by revealing his will to them by the holy ghost after his ascension . to render mine own opinion , and beyond opinion i will not adventure , furiosares est in tenebris impetus , it is madnesse to run too boldly in the dark ; where the scripture is silent , it is never safe dogmatically to determine any thing : to render ( i say ) mine own opinion , the first way seems to me the more probable , considering our saviours apparition , the assembling of the apostles upon that day , whilest he abode with them , and the testimony of athanasius , nazianzene , and augustine ; but especially , because clemens a contemporary of the apostles , in his genuine epistle to the corinthians , saith , g our saviours pleasure was that oblations and publick service of the church should not be inordinately and uncertainly performed but at times appointed . which if it were true , we need not then doubt but that christ himself made the lords day a weekly holyday , it being the principall day we reade of , destined to sacred duties in the apostolicall age . but the matter is not much , by which , so we be able to prove that at least by one of these waies he did it . and this is a thing very feasable . for ( to take a short and speeding course ) the most embraced and popular opinion is , that the apostles instituted and translated the sabbath into the lords-day : this is agreed upon by all , ancient and modern . augustine , a the apostles and apostolick men ordained the lords day to be celebrated with religious solemnity . the authour b of that tract ( or at least of that chapter ) falsely ascribed to basil , affirmeth the station and custome of standing upon the lords day to be an apostolicall tradition ; if so , then the day it self much more . isichius c , we following the tradition of them ( that is , the apostles ) sequestre the lords day for holy meetings . epiphanius d saith that the apostles ordained the synaxes to be held {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , on the wednesday , friday , and lords day . i keep the originall word synaxes , because of the diverse sense whereof it is capable e . the same is affirmed by zanchy , in quartum praeceptum , pag. 669. melancth. tom. 2. fol. 363. bucer , ratio can. examin . mercer , in gen. beza , in apoc. pareus also ascribeth the translation of the day , apostolicae ecclesiae , to the apostolick church ; onely of the time when they translated it he leaveth , as he findeth , doubtfull : quando autem facta sit haec mutatio in sacris literis non apparet . and so 〈◊〉 his words in two severall editions i have perused , that in quarto , and the other in folio : which i note the rather to whisper to you d. heilens fidelity , who in his also two severall editions hath by a new transsubstantiation converted quando into quomodo ; and to make it apparent he did it de industria , he descants on it and renders it , how , by what authority . ursin , catech. p. 3. in decalogum , is of the same mind : and so junius in gen. baldwin cas. pag. 474. alsted . catech. in praecept . 4. bellarm. de cultu sanctor . l. 3. c. 11. and infinite others : indeed what needs more ? it is confest by our very antagonists themselves , brerewood a , b. white b , heilen c , who all {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , with one mind acknowledge the apostles to be the instituters of the lords day . this foundation of apostolicall institution being thus laid , i advance forward to enquire whether this act of the apostles did flow onely from the generall authority delegated to them by christ , or some definite and expresse command to that effect ; or rather ( in clear terms ) i proceed to discusse that great question , whether the lords day be established jure divino . great i call it , not for any abstruse and perplexed intricacy in it , no ; learned and eminent maintainers it hath got , and therefore great : but it is not her great patronage shall advantage errour , magna est veritas & praevalebit , truth is great and will prevail : yea , but that is the question , whose truth is . it is so , and come then for the decision of this question , d to that truth which is neither mine nor thine but the equall object of us both let us give attention , our clear and 〈◊〉 judgements not beclouded with peevish stubbornnesse . to entitle a command divine , it is not onely required , saith ( that thus farre judiciously learned ) brerewood , that the authority be so whereby it is originally warranted ( for there may be divine authority for humane decrees ) but that the authour also by whom it is established be divine . because divine commandments are not so much evidences of gods authority , as they are declarations of his will and pleasure . which being without controversie true , that which we are to make good is , that this act of the apostles was but the execution of a particular and severall command to that purpose ; which can no sooner render it self manifest , then by surveying the apostolicall both mission and commission . as for their mission , it was with all the grace and honour that might be , nothing wanting that might any way enhance it ; as my father sent me , so send i you , john 20.21 . he that heareth you , heareth me , luke 10.16 . where our saviour maketh them a kind of letter of atturney , to receive what obedience himself might claim . and having dignified their embassage with these previous expressions , go , saith he , matth. 28.19 . there is their mission and legation ; and teach , there is their commission . but what ? to teach what themselves think fit ? no , there is a limitation , a restriction , it must be onely the observation of what thin●s i have commanded you ; and lest through frailty of their memories any thing should perish which was essentiall to their message , christ himself will have an eye to them , i am with you alway even to the end of the world , saith he . with them ? how ? in corporeall presence ? that could not be , for he was now ready to leave them . no , he was with them in spirit by the comforter , whom he promised to send them , john 15.26 . and this comforter had his commission too , to bring all things to their remembrance , whatsoever christ had formerly said to them , john 14. ●6 . and though this comforter is called the spirit of truth , and so impossible it is that he should inspire any thing lesse then truth ; yet when christ telleth his apostles that this comforter should guide them into all truth , he presently saith withall , that he shall not speak of himself , but whatsoever he shall heare that he shall speak : he shall receive of mine , and shew it to you : which denoteth to us that the doctrine of the gospel is in a more especiall manner to be ascribed to christ , then to the holy ghost , who was but our saviours delegate and committee ; therefore s. paul saith that christ spake in him , 2. cor. 13.3 . it being then indisputably clear , that the apostles were inspired by the holy ghost , and that that divine enthusiasme was but the revelation of christs will , there is nothing else now desiderable , but onely to prove , that in this very act of instituting the lords day or sabbath of the new covenant , they were {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , or prompted by that guiding spirit ; a thing little lesse visible then the former : for shall we say that the spirit seised upon them onely at certain tides and fits ? that he assisted them in their office , both of writing and preaching the gospel is most certain : but did he onely then ? was every act of their superintendency a spell to drive him away ? did he onely wait upon them in the publication of the gospel , and abandon them in the moderation of the church ? was the doctrine they taught inspired from above , and were their constitutions ecclesiasticall an humane device ? certainly no ; the voyce of truth it self soundeth the contrary . for in their first councel we reade of a visum est spiritui sancto & nobis , it seemed good to the holy ghost and to us . but that was a businesse of great weight , and so might require a more then ordinary assistance : let us behold more triviall and petty matters . s. paul was to give his resolution concerning a question , which ( amongst others ) the corinthians put to him of digamy , whether it was lawfull for a widow to marry again after the death of her first husband , and he determineth affirmatively , yes ; but rather commendeth her containing her self in her widowhood . did s. paul deliver herein his own opinion ? certainly no . {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , i think i have the spirit of god , evinceth the contrary : and i hope no man will affirm this to be a businesse of importance comparable to the instituting of the lords day . to dispatch without more ado ; there is a question ( the first hint whereof aerius the heretick is supposed to have given , and hierome is not altogether dissenting from him ) whether the episcopacy be jure divino . much hath been said either way , yet not enough to end the bickering ; and though the conflict be still on foot , yet both the one and the other side grant the hole controversie to move upon apostolicall institution : that which the one to prove , the other to disprove , do equally eagerly labour , is onely apostolicall institution , the decision whereof endeth the dispute . king james ascendeth no higher , that bishops ought to be in the church , i ever maintained as an apostolicall institution , and so the ordinance of god . beza for the other part yieldeth as much , if i could ( saith he ) be assured that this superioritie of a bishop over the rest of his clergie hath proceeded from the apostles , i would not doubt to attribute it holly to divine institution . now if episcopacy can contract jus divinum , divine right , from apostolicall institution , why may not also the lords day ( which i am sure can shew as good cards for her descent ) do so too ? and then with what face can it be gain-said by any that either is or would be a bishop ? yet so it hath come to passe that they , who have most cried down the paritie of clergy , have most cried up the paritie of dayes . but let any ( be he what he will ) that maligneth the honour of this glorious day , mutter his pleasure ; yet nor he , nor all the learning of the world , shall be able to produce one solid argument , sufficient to withstand this inevitable inference of divine right from apostolicall institution . it being by all learned men agreed upon , that whatsoever the apostles ( as apostles and in their apostolicall function ) or did , or spake , or writ , is simply without modification juris divini ; the reason being evident , because they were not sui juris , not {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , they had no power of themselves to speak , or act any thing either in teaching or governing the church , but all was suggested by the spirit , who could embreath nothing not divi●e . with this argument our adversaries are hard beset , something they fain would retort , knew they what ; and at last to shew their courage , and that — nec victi possunt absistere ferro , they will not yield though overcome , forth steps one , and assaults us with two distinctions ; of apostolicall inspirations one , of apostolicall traditions the other . concerning the first he saith , the apostles are to be considered , either as apostles by extraordinary mission sent to plant the gospel , or as pastours to govern the church already planted . as apostles they were infallibly inspired with all truths , upon all occasions . as pastours , their inspirations were onely such irradiations , influences and concurrences of the spirit , as are afforded at this day to pastours of the church , unlesse by some personall miscariages they procure unto themselves spirituall derelictions . i answer , a it is your dutie to prove indubitately both these to me , but i am not covetous , make good but one and i am satisfied . and first , tell me , good sir , ( if to awaken you out of this dream i be not over-rude ) where find you the pastorall and apostolicall office , in the same persons , distinct ? where reade you of a double commission , one to plant the church , the other to govern the church already planted ? were not both these parts of the apostolicall function ? were they not apostles , i. e. sent to do the one as well as the other ? instance in any one act of their pastorall office , which was not in the latitude of their apostolicall patent . secondly , admit them for severall functions : where i pray learn you that they had a distinct inspiration , according to those severall functions ? if those irradiations you talk of , which were shed upon them as pastours , were no other then what god now dispenseth to ordinary ministers , then ( i say ) the beams or species intentionall of such irradiations must needs have a tincture of the medium ( naturall corruption ) through which they passed ; and every thing , which as pastours they did , not onely may but must have a rellish of sinne or errour , which ever did , and ever shall , more or lesse , distain the best action of the justest man ( infected with originall corruption , and not extraordinarily and infallibly inspired ) living upon earth . if then the apostles as pastours were but ordinarily inspired , and that ordinary inspiration did not exempt their pastorall works from sinne and errour , it were a worthy labour to put the new testament into purgatory , to weed out all those passages which relate to the pastorall office of the apostles , and to bind them up with the old apocrypha ; i see also no necessitie why children should be baptized , why women , nay why any of the laitie should be admitted to the eucharist , which are apostolicall devices , whereof expresse command from our saviour to them we find none : and to speak to the point in question , i see no necessitie of celebrating the lords day , but of observing the jewish sabbath i see a necessitie ; for i see gods command to observe it , and i see no countermand to abolish it . if the apostles abrogated it without expresse warrant from god , they did it as pastours ; and their pastorall constitutions by your rule ought not oblige the church for ever . but let us take view of the proofs which confirm this your distinction . first you say the apostles considered as pastours , were subject to mistake , as appeareth by saint peter ; who living at antioch as a pastour , was justly reproved by saint paul , for not walking as behoved a pastour . and paul and barnabas dissented from one another , and that in such heat , as it maketh it apparent they were not both , if either , directed by the spirit . i answer , that peter and the other two apostles were too blame , i not deny ; but were they in cathedra , or doing any pastorall work ? assuredly no . he offended about the choice of meat , these about the choice of a companion ; which are not things relating to the pastorall office . and for ought i see , you may as well argue , such a minister is a temporizer ; such and such a pastour were cholerick one with another ; ergò they preach false doctrine , and so transferre the faults of the person , to the office or calling . secondly , you instance in places of scripture , where you bring in the apostle speaking some things of himself , not as dictates of gods spirit . i speak this by permission , not of commandment , vers. 6. to the rest speak i , not the lord , vers. 12. and , i have no commandment of the lord , vers. 25. and , i give my judgement , vers. 40. i answer , your first is nothing ad oppositum : for the apostle there distinguisheth not his permissive counsel from christs command . in the following text , where s. paul is said to speak , and not the lord , it is onely meant , that christ did not expresly determine the doubt , whilest he conversed on earth , it being not then on foot : and this is the solution of the 25. verse also . where it is said , verse 40. i give my judgement , we must not think it to proceed from his own head , but dictated by the spirit ; and so by way of precaution he telleth us , i think i have the spirit of god . nor do these words , i think , imply , as though the apostle were not confident of it , but by way of irony seem to gird those who boasted of extraordinary illumination : and this is the constant interpretation of all learned expositours . let us now see how you distinguish apostolicall traditions : these ( you say ) are either such as they received immediately from christ , or such as were suggested to them by the spirit ; the first ( you say ) they delivered as apostles , and they are therefore divine ; the other as pastours , and may be dispensed with . i did expect you would have derived this distinction from the primitive fathers , or some reformed writers , men of some credit with us ; but i see you are put to hard shifts , and are glad to appeal to them whom we renounce as incompetent judges , the papists . but you say , according to this sense you find the fathers speak of traditions . your talk of fathers at first affrighted me , till i saw your instance onely attain a bare singular number . but what find you in cyprian , your fathers , or universall particular ? when stephen accused his anabaptisme for novelty , and repugnant to the ancient tradition , true , saith cyprian , but whence is this tradition ? from christ in the gospel , or from the apostles in their epistles ? for what is written must be observed . there ( you say ) we have the first kind . but elsewhere saint cyprian saith , that the choice of bishops and ministers in the presence and with the approbation of the people , was of divine and apostolicall tradition . now who seeth not that here saint cyprian speaketh of those other traditions , delivered and practiced by the apostles as the churches pastours , which are no longer in force then the church ( you forget your self , you mean the pope , for so your canus singeth ) shall like . i answer , what you see i know not ; this i dare affirm , that whosoever shall behold directly and with equall angles this passage of cyprian , will clearly discern these two things : first , that he couples divine and apostolicall traditions together . secondly , that he annexeth to apostolicall tradition an observandum & tenendum est , it must be observed , which implieth their perpetuall obligation : and by both these , cyprian will be discovered to differ from your assertion , secundùm terminos oppositos , as wide as may be . and whereas you would enforce your interpretation upon us , as agreeable to the mind of this father , from an assurance that such a choice of bishops and ministers is neither delivered in the gospel , the acts , or the epistles ; the thing is not so evident as you perswade : yea the contrary is the more probable , for acts 14. vers. 23. where it is said , they had ordained them elders in every church , the word is , {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , which most properly implieth that the suffrage of the laity was used therein . mistake me not , i say not the popular vote made , but onely confirmed the election : to chuse is one thing , to ratifie the choice made another ; therefore to commentatours and others , who render the word {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , to elect by popular suffrage , i cannot subscribe . the energy of the word may best be collected from junius his description thereof : chirotony ( saith he ) is a signification of suffrage by the hand , the people being entreated thereto by the common cryer in this form , {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , let him that approveth not of this lift up his hand . and in like manner i have observed xenophon a bespeaking his souldiers , {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} . this description with some small elucidation will give you a plenary notion of the athenian chirotony . for further illustration therefore you must know , that regularly in whatsoever thing this popular suffrage was required , the matter it self was first debated and resolved upon by the nomothetes or legislatours in their counsel-house , and after such consultation it was then posted up in the most remarkable place of the citie some few dayes , to the end the people might have time to consider of it ; which time elapsed , the common cryer in open market propounded it to the people : next an oration b was made to them , wherein the convenience and necessitie of the thing offered was laid open : that oration ended , the people were last demanded by the publick cryer their vote , ut suprà , according to whose suffrage the businesse in agitation or stood or fell . conformable , to this custome apostolicall practice , in the ordaining ministers , most probably was , viz. that they first chose the men , and then presented them to the people , who if they had any thing to oppose against them were then required to declare it . and this is the rather likely , because the primitive church , curious in imitating apostolick usage , did universally a observe the same order ; which is still retained also in our church , as appeareth by the rubrick of her book of ordination of b. p. and deacons b : so that your assurance , as sure as you take yourself to be , may in this , for ought i see , deceive you . but be it as you would , that such an election is not to be found expresly written , yet will it neither follow , that it being an unwritten tradition apostolicall , it is not divine ; or that cyprian in that place thought so . what his opinion there was , i have already told you ; and sure i am , his words as well agree with your new-fangled distinction , as if he and you had been at crosse purposes . as for traditions apostolicall , the greatest papists hold them for divine . so bellarmine c : and his reason is , quòd non sine spiritu dei eas apostoli instituerint , because the apostles did not institute them without the direction of the holy ghost : and for the same cause roffensis d calleth consecration ( by which transubstantiation is effected ) a divine tradition , licèt nullis possit scripturis comprobari , though it cannot be proved by any written word . but none more home then gerson , e it is not in the power of the pope , counsel or church to alter traditions , delivered either by the evangelists or saint paul , as some blunderers think . thus you see your self deserted by them whom you took to be the greatest fautours of your opinion . let me advise you , sir , if you have any more distinctions of the same stuff with those former , — habitent tecum & sint pectore in isto , suppresse them , for they will never credit you . though i have by main force of this invincible argument of apostolicall institution and tradition reinvested the lords day into a possession of jus divinum , assured and confirmed enough against all machinations of her greatest oppugners , yet wanteth she not other ( should need so require ) auxiliary to her . for that evangelicall day , which was prophecied of , and prefigured in and under the old law , could not certainly be an humane device : but the lords day was shadowed under circūcision on the eighth day , prophecied in many psalmes ( both proved by sufficient testimony of the fathers ) ergò the lords day is no humane ordinance . lastly , as the eucharist is called the lords supper , because he instituted it ; for the same reason is the sunday denominated the lords day . for these two , the day , and the supper , have the epithete of {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} in scripture , to shew that dominicum is alike to be taken in both , saith b. andrews . before i take cognizance of other questions pertinent to the lords day , lest i be thought over partiall to mine own assertion , painting it as apelles did one-eyed antigonus , who presented him half faced ; and lest our adversaries should upbraid us , that they have not been allowed to object , the negative arguments shall have audience , and , as they lie in order , their refutation . whatsoever is of divine institution is to be found either in the naturall or positive law of god : but that the first day of the week should be the christian mans sabbath , is not so found : ergò , the lords day no divine ordinance . it is found in the positive law of god delivered by his apostles , and founded upon the moralitie of the fourth commandment , as i formerly shewed . but saith one , you onely shewed what the apostles observed themselves ; that they imposed the keeping of the lords day as necessary upon the conscience of gods people by any law or precept whatsoever , that we reade not ; and so it will become a tradition , which ( though apostolicall ) is no commandment . is not this fine stuff ? assuredly an argument rather that they have not left speech , then that they are returned to their right senses : for ( to omit augustine's sanxerunt , bucer , junius , beza , and others , who make it the institution of the apostles ) doth not brerewood himself confesse it to be the ordinance of the apostles , and b. white b the same also ? what i pray is an ordinance but a law ? and was this a law that bound themselves onely , and not at all the succeeding church ? is it like they would constitute a law to expire with themselves ? and whereas we are now taught a distinction betwixt tradition and command , we will for quiet sake ( though it biddeth defiance to all antiquity ) admit it in the same sense you impose upon it , and accept it for a mere leaving of the observation of this day to the church , without any expresse command to observe it ; yet , i say , you shall find command so implicitly complicated with apostolicall tradition , as all your waters of separation , all your chymicall extracts of school-distinctions , shall never be able to sever them . for are you able to unmake tradition ? to make that no tradition which is tradition ? if you be not , so long as it is tradition , it hath expresse command affixt to it , tenete traditiones , hold the traditions , 2. thess. 2.15 . so that if tradition were it self no command , yet hath it here command annext to it . and though i grant that our expositours understand this place especially of the written word , yet extend they it to traditions unwritten also , such as are clearly held to be apostolicall , and have , if not mention , yet foundation in scripture : amongst which the observation of the lords day is worthily accounted . a it hath the approbation of the scriptures , and therefore cannot be numbred amongst unwritten traditions , saith the reverend salisbury with others b . and for the church succeeding the apostles , it is most evident she held her self obliged to the same observation : for even in times of persecution , before any either imperiall edict , or canon of councel enjoned it , the observation of this day was so taken notice of by the heathen , that it became a constant interrogatory to the christians in their examining , dominicum servasti ? have you kept the lords day ? to which their answer was ever ready , c i cannot intermit it , for i am a christian , and the law of god prompteth me to it . here we see these holy saints had a law for the celebrating of this day ; and have we none ? perhaps you will say , it may be questioned whether dominicum here signifieth the lords day , because baronius d and bellarmine e apply it to the masse , and it may also well be understood of the eucharist , which is often in antiquity called dominicum . i answer , it cannot properly and distinctly be understood of either : not of the masse ; for though papists inform their disciples of i know not what pro-sekenique antiquitie it hath , yet sure we are that ( as now stated ) it was not in being above a thousand years after our saviour , and so it could not be meant in this place . besides , the question was propounded as well to the lay as clergy-christians , of whom it had been absurd to expostulate , num dominicum egissent ? whether they had said masse ? which is onely done by the priest . nor can it respect the eucharist otherwise then by implication , as it was then an usuall work of that day ; because it is said that they might not intermittere , which especially relateth to time ( as interpose to place ) and inferreth the not doing of a dutie in its proper quando : which cannot be well interpreted of the celebration of the eucharist , it being not restrained by any positive law of god to a certain time . and indeed it was more proper to examine them whether they held their christian assembly , whether they met on the lords day , considering it consequently inferred the performance of all sacred duties , then to inquire whether they had celebrated the eucharist , which according to the custome of those times was often performed at home , being reserved for the same purpose . if christ had either here on earth , or after by revelation from heaven , given his apostles any such charge of instituting a new sabbath , sure christs apostles would not have concealed christs command . besides , the apostles holding their first synod would doubtlesse have exprest as much to the gentiles . first , christs apostles did not conceal christs command : for what if perhaps it be not extant in their writings ? they were indeed our saviours executours , performers of his will ; but was his hole will exemplified in scripture ? certainly no : some part thereof was declared in ima cera , ( as civilians say ) and by tradition . for tradition , which is clearly known to be apostolicall , is as perfect evidence of christs will as the canonicall scripture it self . for the scripture before it was scripture was but a part of tradition , and became scripture that it might be of more ready use and better preserved from perishing , but mainly because it was the fundamentall canon of our religion . secondly , the apostles in their synodicall epistle had onely respect to the judaicall , not to evangelicall observances . moreover , the solemnity of the lords day was made known to them by former practice ( equivalent with precept ) at least , if not by precept it self : for according to our church , a the christian people immediately after the ascension began to chuse them a standing day of the week to come together in . my learned authour biddeth us here observe , that the day was chosen by christian people ; and if chosen by them , then not injoyned by the apostles . i see a man may learn something every day ; for i professe ingeniously , till this instant i took the apostles to be christians . lastly , the precept was in the negative , not in the affirmative . if you say , true , and hence we may inferre that the first christians were tied to no affirmatives , but such as were expresly commanded by evangelicall precept . i answer , then it must follow that women did not communicate , children were not baptised , ministers not ordained , incorrigible persons not excommunicated , these being not expresly commanded by any evangelicall law . whatsoever is of divine institution , and by necessitie of precept laid upon the whole church , is a necessary dutie , without which ( if it may possibly be observed ) no salvation can be had : but no man will affirm so of the lords day : ergò , &c. the major is false ; for positive precepts omitted do not inevitably damne any man , but where there is a malicious contempt , or wilfull neglect of the ordinance . the sacrament of baptisme shall be mine instance . it was in the primitive church procrastinated , by some many years ; by most in their usuall practice some moneths ; and is even in our own church some dayes . in all this delay , no inevitable impossibility debarreth the competent or person to be baptized from this sacrament : will you then say that heaven gates are precluded against all those whom hasty death cutteth off in this delay ? heare the most uncharitable of all the ancients in this point d s. augustine , the sacrament of baptisme is invisibly accomplished as long as the fault proceedeth from absolute necessitie , not from contempt of the ordinance . the gospel commandeth onely such observations which are either means of grace , as the word and sacraments ; or wherein the exercise and use of grace doth consist , as the duties of love towards god and man : but the observation of the lords day is neither a means of grace , nor exercise of grace : ergò , &c. that which is a part of divine worship is a means of grace : but the observation of the lords day is so : ergò , &c. the minor i prove thus , that is a part of divine worship , whose institution is divine : but the institution of the lords day is divine , as i have made evident : ergò , &c. if you say that junius , * amesius and others , who hold the day to be jure divino , make it yet onely an adjunct to not a part of divine worship . i answer , that as it is a time set apart for holy worship , it is an adjunct to it ; but as it is a time determined by god himself , the very observation thereof is a part of divine worship , which is nothing but a religious observance of the true god according to the prescript of his own will . besides , it is a means to stirre up our souls to the exercise of grace in pious meditations , when we consider it in all its prerogatives superlative above other dayes ; as that which was the {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , and in all probability shall be the {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} of dayes , and therefore aptly dedicated to him who calleth himself {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} and {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} ; as the day of our saviours resurrection , by which we are justified ; as the day of the holy spirits descension , by whom we are sanctified ; as the day which mystically prefigureth our eternall rest , when we shall be glorified . and therefore it is worthily and truly called by * ignatius , the sublimest and primate of all dayes . that day which cannot be kept universally throughout the whole world , was never commanded the whole church of christ by an evangelicall law : ( for the gospel is given to all nations ) but the lords day cannot thus be universally observed , considering the diversitie of meridians , and unequall rising and setting of the sunne in divers regions , in some whereof time is not distinguished into weeks or dayes , by morning and evening , as in groinland , finmark , lapland , &c. the positive laws of god do not alwayes imply a possibility in them upon whom they are imposed . the jews were injoyned many observances of sacrifices , feasts , &c. which could not alwayes be performed by them , as in case of captivity or durance . so the christians are commanded the celebration of the eucharist , and yet the condition of some countreys is such as they have not bread a ▪ of others , as they have not wine b . the truth is , gods commandment may impose , but never oblige unto , things sometimes impossible : where there is an utter impossibility of observation ( as in this or the like case ) that impossibility is a necessity with which the law dispenseth . and this is the reason ( to speak to the point in question ) why the sabbath being given to adam , and in him to all mankind , gen. 2. was not described as the other six dayes by evening and morning ; as also why the sabbath of the fourth commandment , of like latitude with the former , is not set out by expresse bounds of from eve to eve , as that in the leviticall law , which onely concerned the jews : to intimate that the journall or dayly round of the sunne , should be no precise rule or character of his sabbath in such places where time is not so distinguished , but that there his people are to give him a seventh of their time , as it is with them distinguished . and though the regions abovesaid have not naturall dayes described by the circulation of the sun from east to west , yet times they have holding so near correspondence with such naturall dayes , that in some parts they are denominated dayes ; and for island ( if my intelligence misleadeth me not ) their dayes are homonymall with ours in england ( an argument of their not different either planters or conquerours ) as derived from the same idoles in planetary computation , whereof the learned selden and verstegan can inform you . there is the same reason of keeping a determinate set sabbath under the gospel , that there is of preaching , praying , administering the sacraments , &c. but these are not determined how often they shall be done : ergò , it is not limited what time shall be a set sabbath . every of these , though they be not absolutely restrained , yet their proper time is this very sabbath , whereof those duties were a finall cause : to speak in particular , it is a day of preaching , and so ever was in the primitive church . origen alluding to the first fall of manna in the wildernesse saith , the lord ever raineth down manna from heaven on our lords day : and so in the apostolicall age , acts 20.7 . it is a day of prayer . we must by all means intend our prayers on the lords day , that by them on that day we may expiate for all our negligences and escapes in the week-dayes . so acts 2.1 . the christians were assembled {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , with one accord , on this day : and how they were wont then to be imployed , the historian telleth you c. 1. v. 14. it was {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , in prayer . it is a * day proper for the eucharist , and therefore anciently called dies panis , and in some places ( as in alexandria ) the onely day and time for it . so acts 20. vers. 7. the disciples came together to break bread , that is , to communicate of the eucharist . it is a day proper for the sacrament of baptisme , and therefore anciently called dies lucis , the day of illumination . this sacrament not usually being conferred unlesse in case of eminent necessity , but upon this day . so acts 2.41 . ( the most notorious president extant ) no lesse then {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , very near three thousand were this day baptized . lastly , it was a day of almes : pro arbitrio quisque suo quod visum est contribuunt , & quod ità colligitur apud praepositum deponitur , saith justin martyr . and so 1. cor. 16.1 . saint paul ordained it should ( the first of the week ) be a day of collection for the poore . that which is expresly against christian libertie was never commanded by christ or his apostles : but to have the conscience burdened with any outward observations , putting religion in them , as being parts of gods worship , is directly against christian libertie : for how is he free that is thus bound to times and dayes ? what you understand by christian libertie i know not ; sure i am that christ onely delivered us from the observation of the old ceremoniall laws , and from the sting of punishment due to the breach of the morall ; but that he exempted us from all outward observations whatsoever , is a fancy of your own , without warrant from the scripture . for would he then have imposed the outward observation of sacraments , if we had not been obliged to them ? and you are in this implunged in errour beyond the anabaptists : for they cry up christian libertie to free them from the constitutions of men onely , but you will have it reach to the very ordinations of god . there is no dutie essentiall in religion ordained by christ or his apostles , of which we find not either exhortations in respect of performance , or reprehensions in regard of their neglect , either in the gospel , epistles , or acts : but the keeping of the first day of the week sabbath , is no where pressed or exhorted unto , the neglect thereof no where reproved in all the new testament : ergò , &c. paedobaptisme , the communicating of women , is i hope essentiall in religion , secundùm esse perfectum ; but where do you find any exhortation to the observation , any reproof for the neglect of these duties ? besides , i see nothing to the contrary but it may be included in saint pauls admonition of tenete traditiones , whereof before . had the observation of the lords day been of divine institution , it is very probable that the apostle reproving the corinthians for going to law , would not have omitted the advantage of this circumstance : for plain it is that their pleadings were ordinarily upon the lords day : but he omitteth , &c. that which you make so probable , was , i affirm , ( considering the spirit which alwayes assisted him ) utterly impossible in the apostle : for how could he ( who knew his lord and master had often determined the contrary in very like cases , opposing pharisaicall strictnesse ) how could he , nay how durst he prevaricate or swerve from christs rule ? he knew it lawfull to cure a crazie body , and was it sinne to consolidate a crackt estate upon the sabbath ? it was justifiable to drag a beast out of the ditch , why not also land out of the oppressours claws on that day when it could not be done on another ? if christ had appointed this day as the day of his resurrection , then the eastern churches which followed s. john transgressed this ordinance of christ when they kept their easter on another day : but they sinned not in it . ergò , &c. christ nor his apostles ( for ought we know ) gave no commandment concerning easter , neither is it necessary that the anniversary and weekly memoriall of one and the same benefit should alwayes jump together . gods own precept , in almost the same case , we know was otherwise : the jewish sabbath and passeover were both commemoratives of their redemption out of egypt , yet one was fixed to the day of the week , the other to the full of the moon , so as they seldome met together . had it been a divine institution , doubtlesse those fathers and synods which have spoken so much in praise of the day , displaying the prerogatives thereof , would never have omitted this which is the greatest of all : but none ever affirmed a divine institution : ergò , &c. they do not indeed mention it sub terminis , because it was not questioned in their dayes ; but if they make it instituted by christ ( as some ) or by his apostles ( as almost all ) and if they tell us , * whatsoever the apostles delivered by the dictate of the holy ghost is as firm and indefeasable as what christ himself , then i hope by necessary consequence they make it of divine institution . that which the orthodox condemne for popery should not be consented to by us : but that the lords day is a part of gods worship , and more holy then other dayes ( as from divine authoritie ) is condemned by reformists in the papists : therefore we ought not to symbolize with them . no reformed writers condemne this in the papists , because they hold the lords day more holy then others , but onely such , and those very few , as think the day to be of ecclesiasticall not of divine institution . the orthodox thesis is this , * festivall dayes cannot by humane constitution be made more holy then others , as amesius , to whom you appeal , could have informed you . lastly , socrates affirmeth that the apostles never intended to establish laws concerning holydayes ; s. augustine also maketh it will-worship or idolatry to observe any day as commanded of god . s. hierome likewise saith , we have no dayes having any holinesse in them and necessitie from divine institution . the book of homilies affirmeth that christian men of themselves without any divine precepts did take upon them the observation of the lords day . all reformed churches consent with us ; and many martyrs in the marian dayes , as tindall , frith , barnes : lastly , master perkins speaketh doubtfully herein , yet he was one of the first that took up this tenet . socrates must have a candid reader , or be argued of overbold singularitie against all antiquitie , who affirmed the contrary . augustine saith that the christians in his time did not observe so much the festivals themselves as what was signified by them ; and therefore he saith that the apostle did blame the galatians in this , because they did observe appointed times servilely , not knowing the mystery to which they tended : he speaketh nothing of their institution , not one word . hierome indeed , i grant , was inclining to your opinion , but his single judgement is not equivalent to the many reasons and authorities urged on the contrary . the book of homilies affirmeth no such thing as you say : these words , of themselves without any divine precept , are yours not the churches ; not expresly , not interpretatively , so not hers as she is positive in the direct contrary . for there being two things wherein the divine right of the lords day is founded , upon legall institution in the fourth commandment , and evangelicall by either christ or his apostles , for the first she saith that god expresly in that precept commandeth the observation of the sabbath which is our sunday ; and not onely commandeth it , but also by his own example doth stirre and provoke us to diligent keeping of the same . for the second , having a while after declared it to be gods will and commandment to have a solemn time and standing day in the week consecrated to him , she presently addeth , this example and commandment of god the godly christian people began to follow immediately after the ascension of our lord christ , and began to chuse them a standing day in the week to come together in . now where she speaketh of godly christian people , she doubtlesse meaneth the apostles ( for who else durst at that time take upon them to begin such a custome ) and so as touching the institution of the day as a weekly day , she reduceth it to the fourth precept , and as the first of the week , she foundeth it upon apostolick practice . what some other reformed churches think in this point of the lords day , may plausibly enough against us be urged on your parts , i confesse , and it is your drusian , your keenest objection ; and yet we can oppose many things to turn the edge of it . for first , they are onely positive in setting down their own opinions , but the reasons inducing them thereto they suppresse ; and seeing they are not {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , we must not be governed by their bare thesis . secondly , those confessions are not generall , but particular to some churches . thirdly , were they the canons of a generall councel , yet must they not predominate over truth : a nationall and provinciall councels ought to give place to the authoritie of vniversall and oecumenicall ; and these have been oftentimes amended , when experience hath cleared some truth which before lay hid , saith augustine . lastly , ( though some will think it b periculosa praesumptio judicare de caeteris , ipsum ab omnibus judicandum ) to speak the truth , yet to speak it with all terms of venerable regard to those famous churches , i dare pronounce they are not right in this point , not so full reformed but they stand yet in need of further reformation . nor ought we to wonder at their mistake herein : for first the precept of the lords day is not so legible in sacred scripture as the rest which concern matters of faith , thereby to instruct us to put a difference betwixt fundamentalls and ceremonies ; it is written in a finer character , in a smaller print , and therefore might well escape the eyes of those churches at the first break of day of reformation , when the light shone somewhat dimme . secondly , the question was never on foot in their times , and so the evidences demonstrating divine right were never laid open to them ; and having inquiries concerning sacrifice of the altar , adoration , &c. more proper for those times , to imploy them , they were not like to inform themselves better upon accident . what i have said concerning the reformed churches , may also be applyed to those holy and blessed martyrs you cite , and partly to master perkins , who had he lived now would ( i dare say ) have been as positive and resolute as any other . and whereas you make him the prime inventer of this tenet , though what i have urged out of the book of homilies is your sufficient confutation , yet will i produce one testimony more , and that no lesse then royall , and as reformation it self ancient . the sabbath day was used and ordained but for mans use , and therefore ought to give place to the necessity and behoof of the same whensoever that shall occur ; much rather any other holy day instituted by man . what say you now , sir ? if perkins was the first that took up this tenet , who i pray laid it down ? and down it was laid for certain , if he took it up ; for up it was you see in henry the eighths time . having thus waded through all the objections , and discovered their frame to consist of very loose and defeasable stuff , wherein truth is no ingredient , i step forward to other questions incident and pertinent to this discourse . and first , it is to be examined ( the lords day being an apostolicall tradition ) whether it be immutable , whether the church hath power to alter the day , and substitute another in liew thereof . i answer , nay , the church hath not such a power , the sphere of her activitie extendeth not so farre , she cannot null and rescind the act of god . if the sunday be established ( and established so i have proved it ) jure divino , it is without all dispute unchangeable ; for immutable is one ingredient into the definition of jus divinum , as the canonists compound it , who make it , which is comprehended in the law and gospel , and remaineth perpetuall a . true it is , i grant , that many positive divine laws are changeable by the same authority which first imposed them , but that a divine law can be abrogated , yea or displaced , by humane authority , that no sober man will yield to : and i hope ( though many have of late set her on her tip-toes , and advanced her to a tickle point ) the churches power and authority reacheth not divine . besides , there is an especiall and peculiar reason of the inalterability of the lords day more then is usuall in other constitutions though divine ; for god hath a propriety therein . six dayes in the week he hath bestowed upon us , but the seventh he reserved for himself , wherein he hath as good , nay better freehold estate , then any man in his possessions ; and then the rule of the law is , b what is ours without our assent cannot be transferred to another . so that the church hath no power to make that a work-day , which god himself hath consecrated to his holy worship . nor mattereth it whether this designation were performed by christ immediately , or by the mediation of his spirit assisting and infallibly directing the apostles , and so it becometh an apostolicall tradition ; for even this ( though the lowest degree of divine appointment ) doth conferre exemption enough upon this day , to secure it from any jurisdiction the church can claim over it . i will not dissemble it , some learned men have i confesse ascribed to the church an authoritie over this day , so as she may if it please her transferre it to another : but you must know withall , that not one of these do repute it as an apostolicall tradition , which is the hinge upon which the hole question moveth ; nor if they did , are we to give absolute credit to their dictates . men they were of excellent endowments , great both for their piety and learning , and amongst them i honour none more then that famous bishop c of geneva mr calvin ; yet in some things ( as this for one ) i may say of him as augustine of cyprian , d as there were many things which learned calvin taught others , so were there some things which he might learn of others . if you can , produce any one who hath affirmed it to be an apostolicall institution or tradition , and withall an alterable ordinance , and i will promise you to affoard you two at least for him who have resolved the contrary . but here perhaps you will demand , what ? are all apostolicall traditions immutable ? that restriction from eating bloud , or things offered to idoles ? that of collections for the poore every lords day ? &c. i answer , let it be first agreed what apostolicall traditions are , under which name many upstart and recent customes intruded themselves into the church . a every province accounteth the constitutions of its forefathers apostolick traditions , saith hierome . apostolicall traditions then i say were of two sorts , the one particular , the other generall . particular were such , as were framed by the apostles either joyntly or severally , but restrained to some especiall circumstance of time , place , persons , or the like ; and so having onely reference and regard to such circumstance , the removall of that circumstance made the observation of the law to cease : such are those traditions above named in the objection , such are supposed to be the different rites of the east and west , b one observing both the sabbath and lords day , the other the lords day onely , and fasting on the sabbath ; one celebrating the festivall of easter on the fourteenth day of the moon , the other upon the sunday after . generall were such as neither regarding any circumstance of time , place &c. nor any moveable occasion were universally agreed upon to be received , and so prescribed to the christian church by all the apostles : such were the creed , the books of the canonicall scripture , the observation of the lords day , paedobaptisme , &c. whereof that golden rule of s. augustine b is a character . what the catholick and vniversall church holdeth , not decreed by councels but ever observed , we may safely believe it proceeded from no lesse then apostolick authoritie . now these generall traditions i averre to be immutable , and such as must ever be observed in the church , not onely because they have or mention , or foundation in the scripture ( for so the particular have also , and they which have not are not by us owned for traditions apostolicall ) but because they were at first made without limitation and restriction ; and herein i have the suffrage of zanchy c , pareus d , and other learned men . as for particular traditions , they being at first framed for speciall occasions , are now ( those occasions being ceased ) but as laws dormant , untill the emergency of the like occasion awakeneth them again . dormant i said , not dead . life , vigour , and force they have still , and should the same occasion arise again , god would expect from the church the same observation : for they being apostolicall , and so evidences of the divine will upon severall occasions , we must not think that one and the same cause can operate in the immutable essence a diverse will , seeing in philosophy , the same agent , whilest he is the same , effecteth the same thing : dead therefore they cannot be , so long as there remaineth a possibilitie for the same occasion to set them on work again ; and so that school-rule may fit them well , e they oblige alwayes , but not upon all occasions . well , be the lords day divine , be it immutable , what then ? are we obliged to observe it with that severe and rigid vacation , which the jewish sabbath required ? i answer , yes , f he which succedeth into anothers jurisdiction , is invested in his predecessours right . the same strictnesse of observation belongeth to the lords day , that anciently did to the sabbath ; i say by the fourth commandment : for that commandment hath not lost under the gospel the least scruple or atome of obligation , which it injoyed during the law , but bindeth still without abbreviation of time , or alleviation of restraint during that time . as for the duration of time , though i cannot discern such distinct abbuttalls thereof in this commandment as some seem to perswade , yet am i of opinion that the word day comprehendeth {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} a hole naturall day . and as touching restraint from negotiation and toil on that day , the words are very direct , thou shalt do no manner of work . what , not quench an house of fire ? not water a beast ? not provide necessary food ? yes , works of necessitie , works of mercy , thou mayest do : the precept onely interdicteth servile work , ordinary work of our vocation ( all doctours whatsoever so understand it : ) which being granted , the fourth precept for ought i see little exceedeth in rigour touching the sabbath , the canon and statute law of this land , concerning the meanest holy day . differ i do herein from my sacred mother the church of england , it cannot be denied ; she hath expressed her self otherwise , viz. that this commandment of god doth not bind christian people , so straitly to observe the utter ceremonies of the sabbath day , as touching the forbearing of work and labour in times of great necessitie . but seeing in the substance , viz. that we are not bound to observe the lords day with that extreme severitie which once belonged to the jewish sabbath , we consent , i hope a difference in the manner of expression is at most but a peccadillo , but a veniall fault ; our dissent is onely this : that strictnesse which she reduceth to the fourth commandment , i rather lodge and settle in those accessory and occasionall laws , which are quite of another parish , and have nothing to do here . if it be here objected , that this precept bindeth not to the observation of the lords day , and therefore no matter what it injoyneth . i answer , it doth oblige to the observation of this day ; for no other day can properly be called gods sabbath then this , because no other day is weekly solemnized in the church , and thereto destined by divine appointment , which are the certain characters of the sabbath of that commandment . besides , all expositours interpret this precept of this day especially , and some of none other ; and above all , our church it self is so full as nothing can be desired more apposite to our purpose , then what she hath delivered . like as it appeareth by this commandment , saith she , that no man in the six dayes ought to be slothfull and idle , but diligently labour in that estate wherein god hath set him ; even so god hath given expresse charge to all men , that upon the sabbath day ( which is now our sunday ) they should cease from all weekly and work-day labour , and give themselves wholly to divine exercises of gods true religion and service . and a few lines after she saith , that to keep the christian sabbath ( which is the sunday ) is gods expresse commandment . these are lowd and clear demonstrations of what our church then thought ; wherein two things are remarkable : first , that she reduceth the observation of the lords day to the fourth commandment : and secondly , that without any scruple she very broadly calleth it our sabbath , yea and the sabbath . a word whereat much offence hath lately been taken , and all that use it are checkt by our great schoolman ; who ( good man ) in a tender care of us , adviseth that we follow the language of the holy ghost , as also of the primitive church , that we vary not from other reformed churches , that we gratifie not the jews in their obstinacy against christ , that we offend not our weak brethren , and lastly that we use that name which doth most edifie , viz. the lords day . as concerning the style lords day , we quarrell not at it , we are no enemies of it , we use it for ought i know more frequently then sabbath ; yet were it truly sensed , and according to right sense duly observed , it would contract not onely the title but nature of a sabbath ; for what is our lords day but the evangelicall sabbath ? as the legall sabbath was the jewish lords day . be the lords day thus stated , call it then by that name ever if you please , it not at all offendeth us ; but when it becometh from the sabbath an ordinary holy day , or rather playday ; from the lords day , the churches day , we have then just cause to rouse the world by shrill expressions , and lowd manifestations , that it is both the sabbath of the fourth commandment , and also the lords day , that is , of his institution . but to persue this not without wonder , behold the strange condition of these men who inveigh so bitterly against the word sabbath , which hath notwithstanding warrant both from our book of homilies , the canons ecclesiasticall , and edicts of our princes , behold their perversitie : the words altar , priest , sacrifice , holy of holies , will down with them so easily , as now they begin to rellish nothing else . it is rare , very rare , a great novelty to heare the course and homely terms of table , minister , lords supper , or chancel in their mouths . now i say , and aver , the word sabbath hath not in it any semblance of danger to gods church , comparable to that of altar , priest , &c. for first the lords day is a sabbath , & the sabbath {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , properly and directly ; whereas these words altar , priest , &c. are used {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , but figuratively and symbolically . besides the word sabbath giveth no offence , for if any incline to judaisme it is in the strictnesse , not now in the day . but the other words stumble many , especially in these times wherein we have cause , and just cause , to fear they are meant and intended of things other then metaphoricall : and are not our fears just ? when transsubstantiation beginneth not to be instilled in some subtile and paracelsian spirit of school distinction , but according to the galenists to be exhibited in the grosse masse of corporeall presence in a corporeall sense ; so as the most unprepared and unbelieving receiver eateth his part thereof as well as the faithfull . but admit this to be the tenet of some few extravagants ; yet are not our fears just ? when that uncouth and apish bowing toward , if not to the altar is not onely warranted and defended , but commended to our observation by the chief of our church : which whosoever shall dive into it , and search antiquitie , will find it one of the parents ( elevation or ostension being the other ) which begot adoration of the host , which begot impanation or transsubstantiation . let not any think here that by antiquitie i understand the very primitive church , with whom we challenge so near alliance in matters of doctrine ; for certain it is , that the first church was utterly ignorant of this novel device : you shall indeed many times , very often find in the fathers a that they bowed or worshipped towards the east , and this they did onely at their entrance into the church according to the poet , vt templi tetigere gradus procumbit uterque pronus humi . but of bowing ( for what some urge of nazianzen's gorgonia was geniculation , not genuflection , as will appear to any that duly peruseth the place ) towards the altar as you call it , or ducking as often as they approched unto , or departed from it , you shall not find mention anywhere till you arrive at chrysostome's liturgy , which requireth {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , adorations to be made , {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , towards the holy table ; and this we all know is a piece of yesterday , the authour whereof was in being not full six hundred years past , which we are also as certain was the very time about which the incarnation of bread or transsubstantiation began first to be whispered . i should not have dwelt so long upon this , but that i find it pressed as a necessary dutie , yea a dutie of necessity adequate to the observation of the lords day , a tenet which deserveth rather to be hist at then answered . but to return from whence i have digressed : let whatsoever is positive in the fourth commandment stand for a cipher , is the lords day to be observed one jot the more remisse ? doth not apostolicall institution imply an equall obligation both concerning the continuance of time and restraint from labour ? what did they ordain ? what institute ? was it not , that the first day of the week should be consecrated to god and spirituall negotiations ? you cannot yield us lesse . if then it was the first day , of what is it meant ? of a naturall day from sun to sun , or of an artificiall from the sun-rise to his set ? i answer , of the first , for these reasons . if all the other dayes of the week contained both night and day , why should not the lords day have as large a proportion of time as the rest ? do not all the dayes in the week hold by gavelkind ? and if it contained onely daylight , then there was a night to spare , whereof i would gladly know what should become : should the saturday have it all ? if so , then this would by sesquialter proportion exceed all the rest : should it passe by way of dividend amongst the other six , then there would be two houres in every day more then the suns revolution maketh . moreover , when god requireth any thing dedicated to him , his constant caveat and proviso is that it be {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , not defective and without blemish , not lame , or imperfect . now that which wanteth one minute of its full time cannot properly be called a day : regularly i say , and de jure , of right , it cannot , where the day is seposed by divine designation . and this is the more evident by observing what god required under the law , it being no lesse then a full and complete naturall day from eve to eve ; which was , not ( as a learned doctour conceiveth , and i think aright ) to set out the beginning and end , the boundaries of a naturall day , but to declare his own claim of a naturall day to be dedicated to him which should begin at evening . if then the day must be understood of a naturall day of 24 houres , it will then necessarily follow that vacation from labour during that time must be concomitant with it : for vacation from worldly affairs , which may impeach the worship of god , is so inseparable from times consecrated to that worship , as it is by brerewood rightly accounted part of the moralitie and substance of the fourth commandment , and so in the christian church perpetually to be observed . if any shall now object that this vacation is onely necessary and required during the time of publick assembling in the church , and that no more is exacted of us then that we attend such assemblies . i answer , that god will admit no sharer in any thing consecrated to him ; and though the cardinall and chief end of the sabbath is , that god be publickly honoured , yet doth he not leave the remainder thereof so at our dispose , that we may dispend it either in carnall pleasures , or terrene negotiations those oratories which , from their dedication to the lord , are in english denominated churches , do from their destination to publick and solemn addresse contract the name and repute of sacred : and though they be superlatively and above all venerable while employed to their destinate end , yet alwayes , even at times of cultustitium ( as i may so say ) or vacation from publick worship there remaineth in them an indeleble impression of awfull regard , which ought to preserve them from all profanation inviolable . mistake me not , i place no inherent sanctitie , i immure not god in them , i approve not of their decoring , even to effeminate curiositie , nor allow them an honour as some of late ( too close followers of nazianzene a ) even to ridiculousnesse superstititious ; yet this i hold , gods houses they are , places where his honour dwelleth , for which cause such a relative veneration is due to them as alwayes dignifieth and ennobleth them above any other house whatsoever , and secureth them from common use : and in this men both learned and moderate have led me the way , as zanchy b , hospinian c , &c. now * places and times consecrated to gods name are to be sanctified with equall religion ; and so the rituall of the old testament coupleth them together , ye shall keep my sabbaths and reverence my sanctuaries : and then i say , that the lords house may as well be impropriated to a ware-house , as his day to a work-day , when the congregation is dismissed . and this priviledge it as well deriveth from evangelicall , as legall institution : therefore leo d , when he made that edict of generall restraint on the lords day , pleadeth conformitie wth the evangelicall constitution , we ordain as it seemed good to the holy spirit & to them whom he instructed . but it will be here opposed , that neither the apostles themselves , nor the primitive church , observed this day with any such strictnesse untill constantine's decree ; and therefore it is like they enjoyned it not . i answer , as touching the practice of the apostles , there is , i confesse , nothing either the one way or other clearly evident , nor much of that of the primitive church during the time limited : onely justin martyr e ( if i be not mistaken ) hath something reflecting that way ; for in his description of the custome of publick assembling in those times upon the lords day , after he hath insisted awhile upon the duties performed in the church , he setteth down what the christians did postea , after their dismission , as their visiting & relieving the poore , their consorting together , and their repeating to one another what they had learned that day in the church . of the remainder of time , the solemn assembly being ended , i understand this postea probably enough , yet will not warrant it with over much pertinacitie ; if any other construction can vouch better reason in its defence , let that obtain . but though we should find no evidence of the primitive practice of cessation from labour on this day , yet will it not follow that they did not forbare it if possibly they could : for we meet with exhortation to it by origen , f on the christian sabbath day we ought not to do any worldly businesse ; if therefore thou dost surcease from all secular affairs , and dost nothing but employ thy self in spirituall negotiations , this is the right observation of the christian sabbath . is it now likely that the doctrine of so eminent a teacher as origen should perswade none to conformitie with what he here delivered ? but suppose the worst , and that you were able to afford us an example or two of labour on this day , must it therefore follow that there was no decree of restraint made by the apostles , and that we are at libertie to plow and cart on this day , notwithstanding any divine law to the contrary ? nothing lesse : for as his late majestie g judiciously said , it is not sound reasoning from things done before a church be settled and grounded , unto those which are to be performed in a church estalibshed and flourishing . there might be , and was , weighty cause to dispence with so strict a vacancie from worldly businesse , as the state of the church then stood . heavy were their pressures , many thousands were the slaves of miscreant masters , who in likelihood would not forbear their servants work an hole day in a week , but exact it from them under the penaltie of many stripes ; so that should any of that servile condition have refused his masters work on that day , nothing could he expect but severe if not inhumane usage : and should the christian church have engaged herself in the vindication and justification of such contempt , it had been the high-way to have made both her religion and self ( even to eradication ) odious , as the incendiaries of disobedience and maintainers of anarchie . and therefore very discreetly the fathers of the laodicean councel , wary of giving offence , yet willing to shew how they stood affected , decreed in the twentie ninth canon of that councel , that christians should rest from labour on the lords day , {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , if they could , that is , if their pagane masters would not constrain them to work ; and so it is by brerewood understood . but here it will be excepted , if the law of god commanded their rest and cessation upon the lords day , the law of man enjoyning the contrary was not to be weighed : for in such cases , h no man is subject to a law of an inferiour repugnant to another of a superiour . or it is better to obey god then man , acts c. 5. v. 29. i answer , better it is indeed to obey god then man , when they command things repugnant ; but it must be with this proviso , that the law of god be fundamentall and paramount , from which there is no appeal to an higher : for if it be a positive or ceremoniall law , a law of lesser caract , then aquinas his rule must be retorted with the losse but of one letter , no man is obliged by an inferiour law against a superiour . all positive laws whatsoever are subordinate , and when they stand in competition with moralls and fundamentalls they must strike sail . because the point is tickle , and may perhaps give offence to weaker apprehensions , i will illustrate it with two examples taken out of holy writ , where god dispenced with ceremoniall laws for a while , that the morall might be preserved inviolate . the ceremoniall law of god enjoyned the israelites to offer such and such sacrifices , at such and such times , in such and such places ; directly crosse to which , pharaoh their king imposed upon them such a task , as would not afford them any leisure to perform those sacred duties : now the fundamentall law of god enjoyned them ( as it doth all men ) to obey their superiours in all things either simply good , or not simply evil ; and betwixt this fundamentall and the other ceremoniall laws stood the contest . but what was the issue ? did god with the israelites in this case ( as popes in their fury , by a nos sanctorum , with the subjects of an heretick prince ) absolve them from their obedience ? the israelites were more and mightier then their adversaries ; did he instigate and spurre them on to rebell , or by assassination to make away their king ? no , he sent to pharaoh and commanded him to let his people go ; he knew the fault and impediment to be in him alone , the israelites were blamelesse : and as augustine saith in a similarie case , i the obliquitie of the command made the king blame-worthy , the ordinance of obeying made the subject innocent . nay , to pursue this example a little further : when pharaoh condescended to let the people go to sacrifice , provided they went not farre , moses refused the leave upon such conditions as were like to bring them in peril of their lives . it is not meet so to do : shall we sacrifice the abomination of the aegyptians before their eyes , and will they not stone us ? exod. 8.26 . a true confirmation of gods impresse , i will have mercie and not sacrifice , hos. 6.6 . both he will have , where both may be had ; but if he must part with one , mercie he will have , let the other go . upon this text a learned commentatour thus , k god preferreth the moralls of the second table before ceremonialls of the first . and the same is the opinion of divers others * . the second dispensation was in the wildernesse , and that from observation of a sacramentall law : for we reade joshua 5.5 . that circumcision was omitted all that time , and the israelites abode there 40 years . the most probable cause of this omission was , because they were every minute to watch the motion of the convoy-cloud , and to march with it ; but circumcision would either retard their expedition , or hazard the lives of the infants : therefore god in mercie had rather respect to the safety of those innocents , then to his ordinance of circumcision . i could also instance in gods dispensation during the persecution under manasses and other idolatrous kings , as also under the captivitie of babylon ; in all which severall times , doubtlesse , there was a fail in many ceremoniall duties otherwise observable . the truth is , all ceremoniall laws have respect to the latitude of jury , and the land of canaan , as well in a morall as a literall sense ; viz. they are framed onely for the church , whilest she enjoyeth a visible and open profession of her religion , whilest her peace remaineth indisturbed : for when the fury of persecution hunteth her like a partridge on the mountains , when times of tribulation and calamitie seise upon her , god then accepteth what service she can with her own safety afford him ; he standeth not upon shadows , the substance is that he onely then looketh after . ceremonies are but the outward dresse of religion , onely made to decore her in publick profession , and therefore not absolutely of the essence of a church ; and so but respectively necessary : the very sacraments themselves are but so , as the glory of our church l hath rightly observed upon that fail of circumcision in the wildernesse ; yet sacraments ( i take it ) are the highest stair and degree of ceremonies . now these premises considered , nothing discern i to the contrary , but a constitution of the apostles concerning labour to be omitted on this day there might be , though not to take a full effect untill the church should attain her land of canaan , a settled and flourishing peace . and the event seemeth to prove the ordinance : for no sooner did constantine ( a second joshuah or josiah ) sit sure in his throne , then gods externall worship began to be magnificently solemnized , and ( as an especiall badge thereof ) his day superlatively honoured both by imperiall edict and example ; and that with strict vacation from all worldly avocations : ab omni opere , from all work , so his histriographer m reporteth . elsewhere ( i grant ) there occurreth a constitution of this religious emperour tolerating labour on this day , but it was in countrey villages onely , and that too but in case of necessitie , n lest pretermitting the opportunitie offered by the divine providence it might not occurre again . o this dispensation is much urged by the anti-sabbatarians , but it hath no great force with us . for first , it may be well controverted , whether constantine ever made any such indulgence or no ; because if he had , is it credible it could have escaped eusebius , who was not onely contemporary but in a manner companion with this emperour ; who took speciall notice of all his actions , having in designe the compiling of the historie of his life , and who over lived him ; yet this bishop hath not one word of it . but be it constantine's ; sure we are it was after rescinded by leo with a we ordain that all men cease from labour on the lords day , that neither husbandmen nor any other take in handwork unlawfull on that day . and before leo , divers of the fathers in their popular tracts or sermons pressed this vacation upon the people : on the festivall day all handy-work is prohibited to the end that men may more intirely exercise themselves in sacred matters . so cyril o . chrysostome p calleth it {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , an immoveable law , {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , that this first day of the week be holly set apart for sacred exerc●s●s . but there are also fathers , you will say , that seem to incline to the contrary . first hierome : he relateth of a religious woman , governesse of the nunnes at bethlehem , how she every lords day resorted to the church , and after service she and her company fell to their ordinary work of making garments for themselves or others . to this i answer , consider paula as a subject , and then tell me how can you acquit her of the breach ( i will not say of the fourth but ) of the fifth precept , if bethlehem was within the latitude of constantine's decree ; and certainly it was : for that reached omnes romano imperio parentes , all men subject to the romane empire . and if this lady was not within the verge of the dispensation , for that was for husbandmen onely , was not then this her act a disobedience to her princes law , and therefore her example no rule of those times , it being it self irregular . besides , s. hierome telleth us of religious persons of the other sex , monks , that they did orationi tantùm , & lectionibus vacare , busie themselves in prayer and reading on the lords day . now consider paula and her nunnes as women , and compare their practice with that of these monks , and then if the masculine practice be not more worthy then the feminine , let grammar scholars judge . out of gregory they tell us , that he giveth it as one cognizance of antichrist , q that he shall enjoyn the lords day and the sabbath to be o●served with abstinence from all work . to which i answer , there are two things which gregorie here reproveth in the observation of the dominicall day : first a jewish not a moderate and sober restraint ; and this is certain , for in the very same epistle he saith , r on the lords day we must cease from labour , and by all means attend our prayers ; secondly , the celebrating it together with the sabbath , for it is diem dominicum & sabbatum , the lords day and sabbath both , which was the errour of the ebionites . and therefore gregorie , for ought i see , standeth their friend no more then hierome . this gregory was a man of the sixth centurie , an age wherein themselves acknowledge this restraint took deep root , and so it continued successively downward , even to the times of reformation ; nor did the first reformers , those of our church especially , exercise themselves in varying any thing at all in this point from the received practice , as may appear both in the statute and canon laws both of this and other countreys . but hitherto i have onely insisted upon restraint from labour and servile work , there is yet another question concerning restraint , not from work , but play , and from recreations , viz. whether recreations ( such as are at other times lawfull ) are tolerable and lawfull on the lords day . to this i answer in short , all recreations at other times lawfull are interdicted on this day , but such whereby the mind is better disposed towards the sanctification of the day , or such as are no impediments to that sanctification . for the day is appointed to be sanctified , that is to be an holy , not a playday : and it is a rule in the decalogue and all other divine laws , that where any thing is commanded to be done , all things subservient to the performance of it are consequently enjoyned , as also all lets and hinderances prohibited . besides , gods house hath been ever thought profaned and polluted by sports and meetings of good fellowship , why also not his day ? nor is it enough that these recreations be not an hindrance to publick exercises in the church , but they must not disturb even private duties at home , as meditation , prayer , holy conference , &c. for god commandeth not the sanctification of some few houres , but of a day , that is an hole day , allowing sufficient time for repose and repast to the body . and so our church a interpreteth the command : gods obedient people , saith she , should use the sunday holily , and rest from their common and dayly businesse , and give themselves wholly to heavenly exercises . and consonant to her , her sister the church b of ireland , the lords day is wholly to be dedicated to the service of god . if holly to gods service , where have recreations a room ? these articles are it seemeth called in ; for what reason i not dispute : sure i am the nulling of them was very acceptable to the disciples and followers of arminius ( men too bold and frequent in these dominions c ) whose accursed tenets were there damned . as an appendix to this discourse of recreations , if now my opinion be demanded concerning his majesties book , i shall say of that onely this , his princely intentions were therein ( i doubt not ) pious enough ; not so , i fear , theirs who first suggested the convenience and fitnesse of that liberty unto him . but in regard the foundation thereof seemeth especially to be the preserving in observation encaenia or church dedications , of them i shall say somewhat , perhaps not known to all . of their first institution ( innocent enough ) i will not speak nor trouble my self and you in shewing by what gradations they ceased to be what they ought , and became what they ought not ; of their corrupt and degenerate estate i purpose onely to give you some small hint , collected from what i have read , and partly from what i have seen . first therefore you must understand , there were in the late times of superstition and blindnesse in our church ( in our church i say , for in other countreys i confesse they were united ) two feasts , maenechmi , very near resembling one the other ; one called the feast of dedication , the other , the feast of the patrone or church holiday : the impious and profane fooleries were almost the same and common to both , onely the feast of the patrone had this peculiar to it , the idol or image of the patrone richly deckt and drest was set forth upon a table near the church doore , to the view of the people , — quod quia mutum est , aut nondum populi linguam or áque barbara novit , assidet interpres quidam ; clamánsque rogánsque intrantes , atque ingredientes munera praestent patrono , & nummis redimant indulta paparum , — which because 't is dumb and kennes not yet the peoples idiome its spokesman's by , who begs of all that come toll for his patrone , and sits there to sell pardons for sins , but men must pay him well . but the first spark of light which shone in the beginning of reformation soon quitted the world of this grosse abuse : king henry the eighth , anno 1536 amongst other things , enjoyning that this feast of the patrone of every church , commonly called the church holiday , should be no more observed within the realm . the feasts of dedication indeed continued still , yet much eclipsed in their former wicked and abominable solemnity ; for whereas before the custome was for divers vicine parishes to assemble themselves together there where the feast of dedication was to be held , to feast and riot in the very churches , to erect stalls for pedlars in the churchyard , to spend the hole day in swinish swill , lascivious wantonnesse , in cudgellplay-matches , and in the true service of satan ; and because every parochiall church had its proper sunday whereon the feast was kept , and it was rare by reason thereof to have a lords day observed ( especially in summer time , wherein these feasts are most frequent ) with any tolerable devotion and exercise of piety , it was therefore by the same prince strictly injoyned , that the feasts of dedication of churches should in all places of the realm be celebrated upon the first sunday in october for ever , and upon none other day . the scope of this king was doubtlesse to restrain the disordered licentiousnesse of the people on this day , being occasioned by their joynt resort to other parishes where these feasts were observed ; and in this i cannot but commend that declaration of his sacred majesty , which restrained and prohibited that disorder so far as in it lay . had there been due inquiry made into the violation of his majesties will in this , and punishment inflicted upon the offendours , great i dare say had been the good it would have produced : but through generall impunity , and the perverse corruption of humane nature , chusing in every thing that which serveth its own ( though never so inordinate ) ends , and neglecting the rest , his majesties godly purpose was ( i know ) much abused , and gods sacred day not lesse dishonoured . and for proof thereof , i will give you a relation of mine own autopsie , of what these eyes saw . it was some few years since my fortune to visit a kinsman ( seated in a countrey where these feasts are frequent ) upon a saturday , and though i purposed to depart that day , yet he importuned and prevailed with me to repose my self with him the ensuing lords day . i did so , and as dutie required , in the morning i accompanied him to church : a full assembly there was ; service being read , the preacher , a man of no mean note or degree , maketh a sermon , lest such profanation should want its due ceremony , upon this text , there is nothing better for a man then that he should eat and drink , and that he should make his soul to enjoy good in his labour : he insisted his hole time upon the lawfulnesse of feasting , and of christian liberty in the use of the creatures ; and to give him his due , nothing did he deliver amisse : something i grant he might , nay ought to have added , as in setting down the properties of a christian feast , and in opening to the people his majesties will and pleasure concerning these feasts , which certainly gave them not so free a scope as they took . well , the sermon ended and congregation dismissed , in our return home i inquired of my kinsman the occasion of that text ; he told me it was the feast of dedication of their church . home we went , took a moderate repast , and scarce had we dined before the bells summoned us to church , whither with all convenient speed we hasted ; and being come , behold the congregation , which in the morning amounted to about nine or ten score , could not ( except the family we brought with us ) make up now so many single persons : as the congregation was thinne , so was the service suitable , being posted over in great haste . after this service , i was much requested by my kinsman to accompany him to the place of rendez-vous where the feast was kept ; many denials had i given him , as fearing to be a spectatour of gods dishonour , and did partly expresse as much , but he assured me i should find nothing but honest and innocent disport : at length , i confesse not without much inward conflict , i yielded to him ( and the rather out of a desire to inform my self of the manner of those feasts , whereof i had heard much talk ) so i accompanied him to the green which was the scene of their pastime , where loe we beheld a multitude of people , the muster whereof could not be lesse then a thousand . the main pretence of that assembly was to give testimony of their manhood by wrestling , cudgel-play , &c. ( there being to that end a confederacy , league and siding of the neighbour towns , so many against so many ) which exercises imployed the body , and greater part of that multitude : but they who listed not to be either spectacles or spectatours wanted not wherewith to entertain themselves , there being an ale-house by . the disorders of that meeting by drunkennesse , swearing , malicious reviling one the other , which may easily be conceived , i purpose not to relate ; that which i offer to consideration is , whether there was not by this assembly a great affront to his majesties royall declaration , which prohibited all concourse of people out of their own parish , yea or in their own parish untill evening prayer were ended , when as i dare say there were near a thousand of this meeting , which were not of the parish wherein it was held , and of those not fourtie ( i verily believe ) had been present at evening service ; for how could they in regard some of them came foure or five , most two or three , and all at least a mile off ? which abuse of our princes pleasure is i think condignly meritorious of severe punishment , the execution whereof i leave to those whom it concerneth . having thus stated the dominicall day , having proved it to be a day divinely instituted , a day immutable , a day holly to be appropriated to sacred duties , i have finished my last part , and in that ( my imperfect way ) perfected what i first intended . which done , my earnest sute is that my christian perusers would fervently pray that this work undertaken for the honour of my lord and blessed saviours day may through his merits so much ( to speak with devout salvian ) avail the authour with god , as he seriously desires it may profit all men . to which onely wise god our saviour be glory and majestie , dominion and power , now and for ever , amen . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a47791e-330 lib. 18. c. 3. notes for div a47791e-500 hexam. phocylides . notes for div a47791e-680 * at christmas la●● . * unus alio plura invemre potest , nemo omni● , ausonius . * b. whi●e , dr. prid. mr. brerewood . si cui displiceo , non ●tatun 〈◊〉 opponat , tu solus sapis , &c. per asinam enim quandoque locutus est d●us quod prophetam c●lavit , & samu●li puero ostendit quod ●li sacerdoti non rev●l●v●● , tom. 1 res●l . super propos. lipsie 〈◊〉 . conclus . 1. de me existima ut libet , tantùm de ipsa veritate cave quid sentias , aug. cont. m●nich . lib. unus . notes for div a47791e-1160 a virgil . b orig. pr●oem . h● . in cant. hieron. ●pist . ad paul . in bibl. hier. naz. orat . 7. 1. reason . b. white , pag. 46. 2. reason . brerew p. 65. 3. reason . b. white , ubi suprá . 4. reason . d. heilen . p. 9. 5. reason . b. white , ubi suprá . 6. reason . 7. reason . dialog. cum tryphone . a adv. judaeos b l. 4. c. 30. c hist. eccles. l. 1. c. 4. d fid. orth. l 4. c. 24. solut. of the 1. reas. a 2 2 ae . qu. 22· a●t . 4. ●●la dicuntur in lege sanctificari quae divino cultui applicantur . b athanas. de sabb. & circum . genebrard . chronol. l. 1. zanch. de ser. bell. de v. dei l. 4. c. 4. pa●aeus com. in gen. 4. v. 3. mercer . praelect. in gen. rawly hist. l. 2. c. 4. s. 8. a 1.2 ae . q 103. act . 1. musculus in gen. c. 4. v. 3. de incarn. verbi . solut. of the 2. reason . exod. 19.10 . virg. aen. 2. tibul. l. 2· el. 1. cap. 1. v. 5. solut. of the 3. reas. tost . in exod. 20. qu. 11. solut. of the 4. reas. gen. 2.1 . a hexaem . hom. 11. b mercer . in loc. c ex antecedentibus & consequentibus colligitur verus scripturae sensus , aug. de doct. christ . c. 31. a seld. marm. arundell . a in motu continuo quamdiu aliquid potest mover● ulteriùs non dicitur motus perfectus , aquin. p. 1. qu. 73 art . 1. c scal. exerc. a in loc. b ubi primùm dies septimus advenisset , verum erat de deo dicere , quòd jam complesset opus suam , merc. in loc. c rabbi abraham . autor libri zeror hammor ( vel fasciculus myrrhae apud buxdors . ) in gen. a de praestigiis lib. 1. c. 6. sol. of the 5. reason . b de gen. ad lit. l. 8. c. 8. c aqu. 1.2 ae . qu. 90. solut. of the 6. reas. exod. 5. v. 1. solut. of the last reason . veteres interdum coguntur loqui , non quod sentiunt , sed quod necesse esse ducunt adversùs ea quae dicunt gentiles . veteres dum unum errorem , omnium virium conatu , destruere adnituntur , saepe in alterum deciderunt . a praefat. l. 3. bibliothec. b quivis , vel doctissimus vir , aliter habendus est cùm salurat quaestionem , & perstringit leviter ; aliter cùm in manus sumit , atque excu●it , winton . opusc. posth . de usuris . a tacitus . quò plures eunt , omnes sequuntur . humanum est errare . b epist. l. 2. epist. ad bez. demeloquor deque meo ingenio , a communi patrum consensu , nullâ cogente necessitate , dissentire mihi summa est religio . c epist. 19. a nihil faciliùs est quàm dicere , tropus est , figura est , modus quidam dicendi est , aug. de doctr. christ . l. 3. c. 10. o b oratio figurata est , quae proptiè intellecta , nec ad fidem , nec ad dilectionem , nec ad ullam aedificationem accommodari potest , ibid. c oportet scripturam intelligere secund●m verbor●m proptietatem , ubi non cogimur evidenti absurdo , de bapt. l. 1. c. 4. d nisi cogamur ab aliqua alia scriptura , vel ab aliquo articulo fidei , aut certè à communi totius ecclesiae explicatione , de euch. lib. 1. c. 9. 1. absurditie . a habet venerationem ● justam quicquid excellit , cic. de nat. deor. l. 1. b aqu. 2.2 ae . q. 122. art . 4. gen. 7. ● . c de civ. dei . l. 15. c. 7. d part. 2. p. 67. a omnis actio dei nobis pietatis & virtutis est regula , basil. ascet. 2. absurdity . medul theol. lib. 2. cap. 15. d. heilen , part . 1. cap , 1. p. 10. quicquid totius est , idem & partis . a in exod. last absurdity . brerew . p. 66. quantum mutatus ab illo ? heilen , p. 1. pag. 108. a bacon . persp . dist. 8. a hist. lib. 1. p. 1. c. 8. s. 6. a basil schol. in psal. 77.2 . a quae in lege post hac praecepta sunt de sabbato , haec nimirum anticipans job , & ipse implevit , & filios implere docuit , hom. sup . job . c. 1. v. 5 b septenarius hic numerus à conditione mundi autoritatem obtinuit , &c. de spiritu sancto . c per●ectae qu●e●s & remissioni● peccatorum signum est septimus à primo●ciis generationis dies , hexaem . d creatio principium à die dominico accepit ; ideo liquet , quòd septimus ab ea dies sabbatum efficitur , nimirum cessationem ab operibus ferens , in nov. dom. e quamdiu prior aetas & cr●atio vim su●m & efficaciam obtinebat , tam diu sabbata suam observationem habuere , de sabb. & circum . f contra ebionaos , p. 73. tò {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} . a part. 3. quaest. 32. memb. 3. art. 1. b com. in 〈◊〉 c in paradiso fuit sabbati sanctificatio , quod & observatum toto legis naturae tempore tradunt hebraei & lyranus in gen. 7. chron. ad annum mundi . 1. d patet sabbatum institutum fuisse & sancitum primitus non à mose , exod. 20. sed longè anter●ùs , pu●à ab origine mundi . e sabbatum ab initio mundi destinatum est ad cultum dei , com. in gen. f sabbatum ab initio mundi observatum est , cas. conscien . circa fest. l. 2 c. 13. cas. 2. a praelect. de sabb. b non dubiū quin patres ante legem diligenter observarint sabbatum , in matth. c in gen. 2. d ego quidem non dubito , &c. de creatione hominis , l. 1. a catech. part. 3. b decad. 3. serm. 5. le sabbat . este observé , &c. c thes. 33. art . 2. praeceptum sabbati sancitum fuit in ipsa mundi creatione , etiam ante hominis lapsum . d d. heilen . p. 1. pag. 58. e deus institutum sabbati exemplo suo ac cessatione , &c. anal. in gen. 2. f deus in prima creatione sabbati sanctificationem sanxit , & haud dubiè in familiis sanctorum patrum sedulò observata fuit , com. in gen. winton . catechist . doct. in 4. praecept . p. 63. dist. 4. can. in istis temporalibus . a praelect. de sabbato . b diog. laert. in vit. arist. notes for div a47791e-5750 apud censorinum . a zanch. de tribus elohim . l. 2. c. 3. b parallel . l. 1. c mixtis penè hominibus atque angelis , sab. de gub. del , l. 1. d dial. cum tryph. e d. trinit. f contr. arium serm. 4. g hist. l. 1. c. 2. h in gal. 3. i l. 4 c. 31. k orat. 7. l serm. de jejun . m {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , jo. euchait . aet. editus . n qu. in deut. o hieron. praefat. in isaiam . p aug. contr. f. man. l. 15. q de spir. s. cap. 4. vide sis cl. vir . d heinsi● , ex. sacr. in loc. r in decalog. s lib. 2. de justitia & jure , qu. 5. art 4. 1. reason . answer . s irenaeus , l. 4. c. 31. t in hac praefatione ità deus israelem compellat speciatim ut in eo tamen omnes gentes comprehendar , thes. 29. art . 5. u de justif. l. 4. c. 6. answ. isai. 56.3 . gal. 3.28 , 29. a in 4. praecept . p. 657. b di●m quieti consecratum à deo ipso v●l im●●edi te p●r ●e , v●l med●tēper ecclesi●m à spiritu s●ncto 〈◊〉 , quisquis ille sit . c non festorum observatio ibi praecipitur , sed unius festi dies , jun. animaedv . in bel. cont. 7. p. 1●79 . d conc. nicenum ancir . &c. e jun. pol. moses c. 8. f suarez , de dieb . festis , c. 1 deputa●e septimum diem in hebdomade , est formaliter deputare septimum diem , licèt materialiter non idem dies semper fuerit deputatu● , episcopus brech . in epist. dedic. praefix . artic . per●h . f 〈…〉 g h●oker . eccl. pol. l. 3 ▪ §. 11. object . answ. u●rùm praeceptum de sanctificatione sabbat● , convenienter trad●tur inter praecepta decalogi ? h ponitur inter praecepta decalogi in quantum praeceptum morale , non in quantum est caeremoniale , 2. 2 ae . q. 122. art . 4. i perkins , cas. consc. l. 2. c. 15. q. 3. k beza , casaub. & al●i . c. 13. v. 19. c. 23 v. 56. l exerc. 16. c. 113. m cap 16 v. 1 n marcus duas res divers●s eodem contextu referens tempora minùs accuratè quam lucas distinguit ; nam quod priùs actum ●rat unà cum profectione miscet , calv. h●●m evang. non est prius & posterius in scripturâ saciâ . annot. in loc. exercit. in loc. b. white , p 144. m eccl. pol. l. 5 §. 18. n lactant. inst. l. 4. o rom. 10 14. p episcopus nullum prohi●eat i●gredi ad ecclesiam & audire verbum dei , sive gentilem , sive haereticum , sive judaeum , usque ad missam catechumenotum , concil. 4. can. 85. b. white , pag. 146. a hieron. apud aquin. pag. 1. qu. 61. art . 3. b si otium sanctificet , ergò sequitur ut negotium contaminet , de sabb. & circumcis . c quia cognitio magìs est necessaria quàm otium , idem , ibid. d b. white , p. 146. e aristot. de coelo . lib. 1. cap. 4. seld. marm. arundel . pag. 134. hospin . de origine fest. pag. 24. r winto● . serm. pentec . 1. s hosp. de orig. templi è c. bertramo t genebrard . chron. p. 102. u chron. in ann. 3526. a bell. de verb . dei , l. 2. c. 1. & jun. anim . adv. in eum . b cajet. in locum . tanto tempore neglecta erant divina tempore manassis , ut liber legis tanquam res noviter inventa scribatur . c accipitur specialiter lex pro deuteronomio , tostat. in matth. 5. q. 91. d b. white d. heilen . deut. 17. v. 17. cap. 31.9 , & 26. notes for div a47791e-9280 a finitur septimus , dominus sepultus ; reditur ad primum , dominus resuscitatus , aug. de verbis apost. serm. 15. object . solut. b. white p. 121. b 5. ed. 6. c. 14. object . solut. a eos à quibus non coleb●tur meritò neglexit , august . de civ. dei , l. 2. c. 14. exod. 23.12 . object . sol. d in divinis non datur jus positivum , winton . op. posth. determ de decimis . e aqu. 1.2 ae . qu. 99. art . 3. f contr. haer. cap. 3. g halens . 3. qu. 32. memb. 5. eccl. pol. l. 1. §. 15. h cessantibus significationibus & peractis figuris , &c. de jejunio decimi mensis , serm. 6 i heilen . p. 2. pag. 184. k defen. of the answ. to the adm. p. 553. l eccl. pol. lib. 5. §. 70. m epist to s. h. goodier . n serm. ● . of the p. treas . vide etiam catech. doct. pag 237. o adv. of learn . p. 309 a bucer . epist. p. martyr . de euch. b deus noster è septem diebus unum instaur●ndae fidei nostrae atque adeò vitae aeternae sanctificavit , de re●n . christ lib. 1. c 11. c ut aliq●o die in heb●omade homines cult●● divino v●●ent non est humanum commentum , loc. com . c 7. d morale est quatenus 〈…〉 diebus ut●●m consecremus externo ●ultui divino , in 4 praecept . e ideo deus diem septimum sanctificavit , ut homo sciret in circulo hebdomadico diem unum esse di●ino cultui publico tribuendum , com. in ge● . c. 2. vers. 3. f naturale est , diem septimumquemque d●o s●crum esse , in gen. g k. j. declar . adv. vorst . h morale est ut ex septem diebus unus cultui divino consecretur , disp. 77. §. 10. i heilen . p. 2 pag. k morale est sanctificare unum ex septem diebus , cas. consc. circa fesla , l. 2. c. 13. cas. ● . l voluit deus ad minus unum diem in hebdomade sibi impendi , in gen. m deputare septimum quemque diem in hebdomade , est deputare septimum diem , licèt idem dies non semper fuerit deputatus , de diebus f●stis , c 1. n jus divinum requirebat ut unus dies in hebdomade dicaretur cultui divino , de cultu sanct. l. 3. c. 11. o hom. 5 in math. p di●● quieti consecratus à deo ipso , vel immediatè per se , vel mediatè per ecclesiam a spi●itu sancto gubernatam , quisquis ille sit . object . p b●erewood , p. 3● . solution . q sacramentum hoc fuit diei illius octavi , quo dominus resurrexit ad justificationem nostram , cypr. epist. ad fidum . l. 3. c. 10. r sanctos patres plenos spiritu propherico non lateret dominicus dies , nam pro octavo psalmus inscribitur , & octavo die circumcidebantur infantes , aug. de celebratione paschae . s ep. ad magn. t de nov. domin . * it is the 102 in our translation . * in our translation , 110. v. 3. u epist. ad jan. 119. c. 13. christi resurrectione declaratus est , & ex illo coepit habe●e festivitatem suam . a winton opusc de sp. c. trask . john 20.19 . meade churches , p. 9. b heilen , p. 2. pag. 13. * cap. 8.31 . * aug. ad cas. epist. 86. chrysost. ser. 5 de resurr . c dominicum diem esse necesse est , in john l. 12. c. 58. d orat. 43. acts 2. heilen p. 1. pag. 14. e hom. of time and place of prayer . similiter brer . pag. 37. heilen , p. 2. p. 23. so. contra tr. pag. 211. f ecce verax evangelista testatur sub apostolis fideles quotidie oras●e , & panem fregisse : et vos , qui e●tis , qui dicitis duobus tantùm diebus hebdomadae missam fieri debere perfectam ? contra lib. nicet . ap. cassand. liturg . cap. 30. * mead . churches ▪ pag. 13. g chrysost. in 1. cor. 11. hom. 27. baptismo flaminis die pentecost . a serm. de nat. dom. t. 2. homil. de semente . heilen . p. ● . pag. 9. b facilè est cuiquam videri respondisse qui tacere noluerit , de civit. dei , lib. 5. cap. 27. c de sabb. & circumcis . d sabbatum in die illo observabant homines istius generationis . e cùm creaturam intra sex dies conditam renovatione interpolasset , ideo diem illam huic instaurationi consecratam voluit , quam in psalmo spiritus praenunciat , haec est dies quam fecit dominus . f deus dominicum diem certum decla●a●úmque esse veluit , ut finem praeteriti sentites . a in gen. 2. b in iohn cap. 28. v. 24. g dominus oblationes & liturgias non t●me●è , vel inordinatè voluit fieri , sed statutis temporibus , pag. 52. a dominicum diem apostoli & apostolici viri religiosâ solemnitate habendum sanxerunt , de temp. serm. 251. b de spir. s. cap. 27. c nos illorum ( apostolorum ) sequentes traditionem , dominicum diem divinis conventibus sequestram u●in levit. c. 9. d de fide cath. l. 11. c. 22. e casaub. exerc . p. 537. heilen , p. 2. cap. 6. §. 7. a pag. 44. b pag. 189. c part. 2 p. 32 d rationem veritatis , quae nec mea nec tua est , sed utrique nostrûm ad contemplandum proposita , sine pervicaciae caligine , serenatis mentibus attendamus , aug. contra man. l. un . brerew . p. 2. pag. 63. vers. 20. matth. ult. 1 cor. 7● 1. cor. 7.40 . epist. praemon . winton . opusc. posth . athanas. ad dracont . de diversis grad eccl. cap. 23. cantuar. c. fish . p. 81. junius animadv. in bel. c. 1. l. 3. ironside , p. 172. a utrumque abs te fine ulla dubitatione cognoscere debui , sed non sum avarus , unum horum doce , aug. contr. epist. manich. lib. un . idem . 174. gal. 2 . 1● . 1. cor. 7. canus , loc. l. 3. cap. 5. cypr. epist. ad pomp. 74. cyp. ep. 68. diligenter de traditione divina & apostolica observandum est & tenendum . animadv. in bell. contr. 5. l. 1. c. 7. a 59. a {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} . b hence came that scomme of anacharsis , sapientes in concionibus sententiam dicere apud graecos , stultos verò dijudicare , alex. ab alexand. gen. dierum , l. 4. a alexander severus observed the same ( according to the christian practice ) in his ordaining of magistrates , ar governours of provinces : nomina eorum proponebat , hortans populum , ut si quis quid haberet criminis probaret manifestis rebus ; dicebátque grave esse , non fieri in provinci●rum rectoribus , cùm id christiani & ju●ae● facerent in praedicandis sacerdotibus , qui ordinandi sunt , lampridius in vita ejus . b in the ordaining deacons and presbyters . c de verbo dei non scripto . cap. 2. d defens . reg. assert . co●tr . capt. bab. luth. e non est in potestate papae , aut concilii , aut ecclesiae , immutate traditiones datas ab evangelistis , vel à paulo , ut quidam del●rant , de vita spir. animae . opusc. sp. cont. traske . object . 1. ironside , p. 159. solut. object . heilen . p. 2. pag. 188. solut. b pag. 192. a habet approbationem scripturarum itaque inter non-scriptas traditiones haud possit collocari , de iudice ac norma fidei . b zanch. de tradit . pareus in 1. cor. 11. whitakerus , controv. quaest. 6. c. 12. c intermittere non possum , quia christianus sum , & lex dei de eo agendo admonet , apud baron . 30● . num. 5● . d ubi suprá , n. 39. e de carem . missae sub tit. collecta . object . 2. brerewood , page 7● . ironside , p. 161. solut. a hom. of the place and time of prayer . h●ilen . p. 2. pag. 175. object . 3. ironside , c. 8. p. 162. solut. d impletur invisibiliter , cùm mysterium baptismi , non contemptus religionis , sed articulus necessitatis , excludit . de bapt. c. donat. l. 4. c. 22. object . 4. ironside , c. 8. p. 162. solut. * medull . l. 2. c. 14. aug. d. civ. dei l. 22. c. 30 * ad magnes . object . 5. ironside , ubi suprá . solut. a as the indians , teste arriano , l. 8. de reb●s ind. and the venetians , ut habet ●e treas . polit. b as the norwegians . levit. 23.32 . le tresor . polit. l. 3. object . 6. ironside , ubi suprá . solut. dominum nostrâ dominicâ semper manna de coelo pluere , hom. in exod. 7. omni modo orationibus insistendum , ut si quid negligentiae per s●x dies agitur , per diem resurrectionis dominicae precibus expietur , greg. m. li . 11. epist 3. * chrysost. s. 5. de resurrect . athanas. apol. 2. chrysost. ubi suprá . apol. 2. object . 7. ironside , ubi suprá . solut. object . 8. ironside , ubi suprá . solut. object . 9. ironside , ubi suprá . 1. cor. 6. solut. object . 10 idem . ibid. solut. object . 11 idem . * non minùs ratum est quod dictante spiritu sancto apostoli tradiderunt , quàm quod ipse christus tradidit , cypr. de abl. ●edum . object . 12. id. ibid. solut. * dies festiab hominibus non possunt fieri aliis sanctiores , tom. 2. de diebus fest. c. 10. object . 13. id. ibid. soc. l 5. c. 2. aug. cont. adam manich. c. 16. hieronym . in gal. c. 4. solut. serviliter , non intelligentes ad quarum rerum significationem pertinerent . a ipsa concilia quae per singulas regiones vel provincias fiunt , plenariorum conciliorum autoritati , quae fiunt ex universo orbe christiano , sine ullis ambagibus cedere , ipsáque plenaria , saepe priora posterioribus , emendari , cùm aliquo experimento verum aperitur quod clausum erat , & cognoscitur quod latebat , august . de bapt. c. don. l. 2. c. 3. b hieronym . ep. ad dam. pap. in 4. evang. injunct . of h. 8. anno 1636. apud fox martyr . a quod in lege & evangelio continetur , atque immutabile semper permanet , l●ncelot . inst. juris canon . lib. 1. tit. 2. b quod nostrum est , sine assensu nostro , ad alium transferri non potest , reg. juri● , lex 11. c p. paraus , de vit. & ob . patris . d sicut multa erant quae doctus calvinus doceret , sic erat & aliquid , quod calvinus docibilis disceret , contr. donat. l. 5. c. 26. object . solut. a unaquaeque provincia praecepta majorum leges apostolicas arbitratur , hieron. epist. ad lucinum . b azor. inst. moral . l. 8. c. 4. b quod universa tenet ecclesia , nec conciliis institutum , sed semper retentum est , non nisi autoritate apostolicâ traditum , rectissimê credimus , cont. donat. de bapt. l. 4. c. 23. c de tradition . d com. in 1. cor. 11. idem , quà idem , semper facit idem . e obligant semper , sed non ad semper , bonavent . diet. salutis . f qui in dominium alterius succedit jure ejus uti debet , reg. juris lex 138 ▪ hom of the time and place of prayer , hom. 1. hom. of the place and time of prayer . see before , p. 109. injunct . of h. 8. ironside , p. 120. a just . m. q. ad orth. 118. tertul. apol. c. 16 orig. in num. hom. 5. clem. alex. strom . 7. athan q. 37. basil. de sp. s. c. 27. ovid . met. l. 1. deut. 15.21 . neque ideo jussisse ut à vespera ad vesperam sabbata sua celebrarent , ut diei initi um & finem designaret , sed ut integrum diem naturalem sibi vendicaret , dr garnons determ. m. s. de die dom. cant. junii ultimo , 1632. pag. 62. object . solut. a de funere patris . b in decalog. c de orig. templ. . * eâdem religione sanctificanda sunt domino loca & tempora eju● nomini dicata , bucer . cens. angl. ord. . p. 460. levit. 26.2 . d novell . leon . c. 54. statuimus quod spiritui sancto ab ip●óque institutis placuit , &c. e apol. 2. f die sabbati christiani nihil ex omnibus mundi actibus oportet operari ; si ergò desinas ab omnibus secularibus operibus , & nihil mundanum geras , sed spiritualibus operibus vaces , haec est observatio sabbati christiani , hom. 23. in num. g conference at hampton court , p. 16. h nullus subjicitur legi inferioris contra superiorem , aquin. 1.2 a q 96.5 . ad 3. nullus subjicitur legi inferiori contra superiorem . gratian d●e . p. 2. q. 7. causa 15. exod. 1. i reum regem fecit iniquitas imperandi , innocentem subditum ordo serviendi , cont. f. man. l. 22. c. 75. paraeus in loc. k deus caeremonialia primae tabulae moralibus secundae tabulae post ponit . * zanch. in loc. jun. parall. l. 1. c. 22. l perkins , case consc. l. 2. c. 8. q. 1. m eusebius , de vita const. l. 4. c. 18. n nè occasione momenti pereat commoditas coelesti provisione concessa . cod. l. ● . tit. 12. l. 3. statuimus ut omnes a labore vacent , neque agricolae neque quiquam in eo ( die dominico scil ) illicitum opus aggrediantur . o prohibetur die f●sto opus quod manu exercetur , ut integriùs rebus divinis exercere vos possitis , in joan. l. 8. c. 1. p hom. 5. in matth. q l. 11. ep. 3. diem dominicum & sabbatum ab omni opere faciet custodiri . r dominico die à labore cessandum est , & omni modo orationibus vacandum . synod . antisiodor . can. 9. a hom. ubi suprá . b art. 56. c k. j. cont. vorst . p. 18. naogeorgus , de dedicat. anno praedicto . nè tantum nefas non rire fieret , eccles. 2.24 . tantum apud deum scriptori suo profit , quantum eum prodesse ipse omnibus cupit , epist. salonio episcopo . jud. ult. 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 approx. 434 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 84 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : 2005-10 (eebo-tcp phase 1). a14653 stc 24957 estc s103296 99839053 99839053 3449 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a14653) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 3449) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1475-1640 ; 1224:01) 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. [2], 3-167, [1] p. [by richt right press], printed at amsterdam : in the yeare 1638. printer from stc. page 36 misnumbered 39. some print faded and show-through and some pages stained; pages 74, 77 and 92 marked. reproduction of the original in the british library. created by converting tcp files to tei p5 using tcp2tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published 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make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p5, characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng sabbath -early works to 1800. sunday -early works to 1800. 2004-11 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2005-01 spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images 2005-02 emma (leeson) huber sampled and proofread 2005-02 emma (leeson) huber text and markup reviewed and edited 2005-04 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion 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 grounds , and necessity of the first institution , and of the observation of it , on the severall day in the old testament , and also of the removing of it to the first day under the gospell , are laid open and proved out of the holy scriptures . also besides the speciall dueties necessarily required for the due sanctification thereof , these 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 , & by whom it was changed from the last to the first day of the weeke ; and is on that day unchangeably to be kept by all true christians , untill they come to the eternall rest in heaven , after the generall resurrection . 2. that the faithfull under the gospell are as necessarily bound to keep the weekly sabbath of the lords day , by vertue of the fourth commandement , as the fathers under the law were bound to keep the seventh day . delivered in divers sermons by george walker b. of divinity and pastor of st. iohn evangelists church in london . levit . 19.30 . ye shall keepe my sabbaths , and reverence my sanctuary : i am the lord. printed at amsterdam , in the yeare 1638. to the christian reader . the author of this treatise being much importuned , to publish his sermons concerning the sabbath ( preached in his owne parish-church to his owne flocke ) not onely by divers of his ch●istian hearers ; but also by others both preachers and godly people , who had heard by report the manner of his large handling and expounding of this text , did yeeld at length to their req●ests , and composed this treatise , which containes in it the whole summe and substance of the matter more largely delivered . the copie whereof written with his owne hand , he gave to be imparted from hand to hand , and transcribed by such as did d●sire to make use of it , for their owne satisfaction , and the inst●uction of their owne private families and christian friends . which comming to my hands , i thought fitt to publ●sh and impart i● to the engl●sh c●urches in those c●u●tries on this other sid● of the s●as ; being credibly informed , that the author ●s not unwill●ng to submite his doct●ine to the judgement of the true reformed church●s of ch●ist , acco●ding to that saying of the holie apostle , 1 cor. 14 . 3● . the spirits of the p●ophets are subject to the prophets . let those things which be●ein seeme most of all to savour of noveltie , be read without prejudice and sinister aff●ction , & weig●ed by the sh●kel of the sanctuarie , and i doubt not but such as are judicious , will ●i●de them to be auncient truths like pure old gold newlie brought to light out of the old treasu●e of the sacred scriptu●es , in which m●ny p●ofitable truths fitt for these last times remaine , yet to be more clearely revealed . which god w●ll undoubtedly bring to light , by such as d●gge deeper in those mines then others formerly have done , and labour to ●raw st●ll more waters of comfort out of those wells of salvation . to that god onely immortall , and infinit in goodnesse and wisedome , and to ●he wo●d of his grace i commend you , which is able to bui●d you up , and to give you an inheritance among all them that are sanctified . the doctrine of the sabbath . gen. 2 : 2.3 . and on the seventh god ended his vvorke which he had made , and he rested the seventh day from all his wo●ke which he had made . 3. and god blessed the seventh day , and sanctified it , because in it he had rested from all his worke which god created and made . chap. 1. in the unfolding of this text , and handling of this maine and necessary point , i will observe the method and order which is most agreeable to the order of the words . first , from these words , ( and on the seventh day ) j will observe , and declare the time of the institution of the weekly sabba●h , even the very day wherin the first occasion was given for the sanctification of it , and god did first sanctifie it , and commaund that it should be kept holy secondly , i will shew the true ground and occasion of the institution of it , laid downe in the next words : god ende● his work which he had made , and he rested the seventh day from all his worke which he had made , and god bl●ssed the seventh day . thirdly , i will declare what is the blessing , and sanctifying of the seventh day , where i shall have occasion to speake of the law and commandement by which god seperated it from other naturall dayes to holy heavenly and supernaturall use . and of the dueties which that law requires at the hands of all gods people in all ages to the end of the world on the most blessed day of all the seven in every weeke , even the weekly sabbath-day . under these heades divers subordinate points will ●ffer themselves to be handled , and divers necessarie questions will come to be answered and explaned . first , concerning the time of the institution , there are severall opi●ions among learned writers of former and later times . first , some heathen writers , as iustine & tacitus , with others , have grossely and absurdly erred , as in the time , so also in the author and in the occasion of the institution , though they had perhaps read the the writings of moses ; yet it seemes they beleeved him not concerning the fi●st institution of it by god ; but finding the first expresse law , concerning the keeping of the sabbath given by moses at mount sina , written in tables of stone , and afterwards recorded in the the bookes of moses ; they make moses the first author of the sabb●th , and that upon this occasion , because wandring with the israelites out of egypt in the wildernesse , and finding no sustenance , but being forced to fast six dayes , at length comming to mount sina with the people , there found meate , and rested , and upon this occasion did appoint it to be keept weekly for a sabbath or day of rest . but all true christians , who beleeve the scriptures to be the sacred infallible vvord of god , being thereby better instructed , doe with one consent hold , confesse , and constantly teach , that god the lord iehovah , the onely true god , is the author and ordainer of the sabbath , and that he first ordained it upon the ground and occasion mentioned in this text , and expressed in the words of the law. but yet in the time they much d●ff●r among themselves ; some in the time of the first institution concurre with the infidell heathens before mentioned ; though they differ much concerning the author and the occasion ▪ for they hold that the sabbath was neither commaunded by god , nor knowne to the fathers and patriarches , nor observed by any before the comming of israel with moses to mount sina , and that the first inst●tution of it was in the fourth commaundement given by god among the ten from mount sina , both by word of mouth , in the audience of all israel , and also in tables of stone written with his owne finger . iustine martyr , tertullian , irenaeus , and others of the auncient , seeme to have given the occasion of this opinion , where they make it a question , whether adam , abel , noah , abraham , melchizedeck , or any of the holy fathers kept the seventh day for an holy sabbath , and affirme that abraham beleeved and was justified , and called the friend of god without circumcision or observation of sabbath ; for from their words , which are but doubtfull , some late writers , both * papists and protestants , doe goe about to prove that the sabbath was not instituted by god untill the giving of the law by moses on mount sina . and although the words of this text , written by moses , doe here plainely affirme the contrarie , and tell us that on the seventh day god ended his worke , rested and sanctified the seventh day ; yet thus they wrangle and wrest the text by a childish forged sense and meaning ; first , they grant the first words , that on the seventh day god ended his worke , and rested ; but they deny that he blessed and sanctified the sabbath on the same day , they say that here by way of anticipation , moses mentions the blessing and sanctifying of the sabbath , not as a thing at this time done ; but as a thing which was first done in the giving of the law on mount sina , many ages after , and that upon this ground which is here mentioned , to witt , his ending of his worke , and resting on the first seventh day of the world. and here moses his purpose was , to shew not the time , but the equitie of the institution ; not the beginning but the ground of that sabbath . the paraphrase of the text in their sense was thus : and on the seventh day god ended his worke , and rested ; and upon this ground he many ages after at mount sina instituted the seventh day to be kept by jsrael for an holy sabbath of rest . but though some men of learning , and divers out of effected errour and mal●ce stand for this opinion ; yet indeed there is no ground for it in the scriptures , but many plaine proofes to the contrarie . first , this text ( ●f we take the words as they runne ) shewes most manifestly , that on the seventh day , even th● next after the six dayes of the crea●ion , god ended or perfected his worke , and on that day he rest●d , and also blessed and sanct●fied it to be his sabbath . secondly , there is no c●l●ur of reason for any man to thinke , that god sh●uld lay the ground and foundation of the sabbath on the first seventh day of the world , and suffer it t● lye voide , and of no use , and never goe about to build on it till so many ages after , god cannot endure to doe any thing in vaine nor to suffer any thing to lye void , & to be of no use , which of it selfe is very useful . surely , as he loved & chos al the holy fathers from the begining , & promisd to them the eternal rest of heaven , wich they loked for , and sought in t●e everlasting citie , which hath sure foundations , and in the countrie above in the world to come . so he kept not back from them the outward sign● , seal● & pledg therof , his holy sabbath , wich was both a motive to make them bend t●eir whol cours towards that rest , & a meanes to further them in their way & jorney to it also . thirdly , the lords owne words which he spake from mount sina in the commaundement of the sabbath , are most cleare , and doe shew that god blessed and sanctified the sabbath in the beginning , on the first seventh day wherein he ended his wo●k and rested . for he doth not say , i the lord rested on the seventh day from works of creation , and therefore i now blesse and sanctifie every seventh day of every weeke hereafter . but the lord rested the seventh day , wherefore the lord blessed the sabbath , and sanctified it , that is then of old in the beginning when he rested , he blessed and sanctified it . fourthly , the sabbath-day was kept and observed by the israelites a moneth before they came to mount sina , exo. 16.25.26 . and moses and the people knew that the seventh day after that god began to raine manna from heaven , for to be their bread , was the lords sabbath , as his words doe plainely shew , and that the lord before that time hath by his word appointed it to be the rest of the holie sabbath . ve●s . 23. and the words of the lord to moses , when some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather manna , doe plainly shew , that god had before that time given them commaundements and lawes concerning the rest of the seventh day ; for in the 28. verse he saith : how long will ye refuse to keep my commaundements and lawes ? intimating that their going out on the seventh day was a refusing to k●ep his lawes , which of old he had given , and before this had revealed to them . for otherwise they could not be said to transgresse : lawes cannot be refused to be kept before they be given ; wherefore it is a vaine praetence and shift , which some use to decline this argument , viz. that the ceasing ●f the manna on the seventh day , and moses his admonishing of the people to rest that day , was but a praeludium of the fourth commandement , and a preparation to gods promulgation of it ; for the words of the text shew most plainely , that the intermission of manna was an evidence of the sabbath already sanctified by the commaundement of god ; the resting of the jsraelites was observing and obeying of the law already given , & the going out of some to gather manna on the seventh day , was refusing to keep gods law given in the first institution . now , for justine martyr , tertullian , jraeneus , their words doe not prove any thing for the maintaining of this opinion ; tertullian denyes onely the perpetuall moralitie of the law , concerning the iewish sabbath , and calls into question ▪ not the institution of it in the beginning , but the observation of it by the first fathers and patriarches . iustine martyr and j●aeneus say , that abraham was justified without circumcision and observation of sabbaths , that is , of the ceremoniall sabbaths commaunded by god in the ceremoniall lawes given by moses , not without observation of the weekly sabbath , as the word , zabbaton , of the plurall number which they use , doeth clearely declare : that the weekly sabba●h was instituted from the beginning , the best learned of the fathers affirme , as origen , hi●rome , austine , and others . and although the scriptures which briefly runne over the lives and acts of the fathers , make no expresse mention of their observation of the weekely sabbath ; yet we have divers places which minister very probable arguments for this purpose . in genesis , cap. 4.3 . it is said , that at the end of dayes , caine brought his offering to the lord , that is on the sabbath , which was the end of the weeke and the last of the dayes . the hebrew words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and signifie at the end of dayes , and howsoever they are taken to signifie in processe of time , by some learned translaters , yet in no other place of scripture doe i finde , that they signifie any other end of dayes , but of a certaine sett number of dayes , either of thirtie or for●ie , or many dayes ; or of the dayes of a whole yeare , as 2 sam. 14.26 . where it is said at the end of dayes , according to dayes , t●at is of every yeare . absalom polled his head . and 1 king. 17.7 . at the end of dayes , that is of a yeare ( ●s tremellius translates the words ) the brooke dried up . now , i see no reason why we sh●uld unde●st●nd by the end of dayes , the end of the yeare , that caine and abel did onely at the end of the yeare offer to god , or after a long time ; but that on every seventh day of the weeke , which is the weekely sabbath , they sacrificed to god ; undoubt●dly their father adam , who taught them to sacrifice ( which worsh●pp god first instituted on the seventh day ) he also taught them the day of gods holy worship even the sabbath which god had sanctified , and this was the end of the dayes of the weeke . also in the same fourth of genesis in the last verse , it is said , that when seths children began to increase , that then men began to call on the name of the lord ; that is as learned iunius well expounds the words , they began to assemble themselves together in publicke assemblies to pray unto god and worship him , even all seths seed who were gods people . and were called by the name of the lord , that is the children of god , as we see gen. 6.2 . now , as they had solemne and set meetings , so undoubtedly they had a set time , even every sabbath or seventh day , and set places or churches ; for without set time and place there can be no solemne invocation or worshipp in solemne assemblies , as common sense teacheth . and that noah when he came out of the arke began to observe the rest of the sabbath , and did offer a sacrifice of the rest that is of the holy sabbath , and that god was well pleased with it . me thinkes the hebrew words in the originall text teach very plainely ; for it is said , that god smelled a savour of the rest ; that is he accept●d it as a pleasing sabbath sacrifice , the hebrew emp●raticall and demonstrative particle here added to sett forth a speciall rest , implies so much . and the word which is in the hebrew , rest , is of the same note and originall with the word which exod. 20.11 . in the fourth commaundement is used to signifie gods resting on the seventh day . now , all these things well weighed and laid together doe shew that this opinion , though held by some learned men , is but a meere dreame and idle fancie . and indeed the very first words in which god gave the fourth commaundement , to wit , remember the sabbath day to keep it holy , are of themselves alone a sufficient argument to prove , that the lord did not in giving the law from mount sina first institute the sabbath day ; but onely did renew the memory of it , and of the first institution thereof by renewing and receiving his old commandement , by which he on the first seventh day of the world did sanctifie it . there is another opinion which divers both auncient and moderne christians do hold upon a better ground ; for they do gather & cōclude with one generall consent from the plaine words of this text , that god in the beginning immediatly after the creation ended , did give the law of the sabbath , and did blesse and sanctifie the seventh day of the first weeke of the world , and every seventh day of every weeke following , and commanded it to be kept an holy sabbath , in memory of his rest on the seventh day . but howsoever , they all agree in the generall ; yet in divers speciall and particular things they doe much differ . 1. some hold , that the law of the sabbath was given to man in the state of innocency , before his fall on the sixth day , and that it was written in mans heart , that he ought to keepe the seventh day holy ; and that if man had continued in his integrity , he would have kept the seventh day of every weeke an holy rest unto the lord his god. 2. others hold , that the sabbath was instituted not in the state of innocency , nor before mans fall , which happened towards the end of the sixth day ; but that on the seventh day when god rested from the worke of creation , he then did blesse & sanctifie that & every seventh day and appointed it to be a weekly sabbath , & the law by which he instituted the sabbath : was no other but such as was written in mans heart in the creat●ō , & that man by the instinct of nature would haue obeyed that law and kept the sabbath in the state of innocnecy , if he h●d stood & continued therein . 3 a third sort are of opinion , that the sabbath was instituted and the commandement for the keeping therof given in the state of innocency , and yet not till the seventh day : for they imagine that man stood more then one day , and did in his innocency keepe the sabbath , and if he had continued would haue alwaies kept it ; not by any instinct of nature or light of naturall reason created in him & moveing him so to do , but by a possitiue law and precept giuen by god : of the same nature and kinde with the commandement of abstaining from the tree of knowledge of good and euill . in all and euery of these opinions i finde some failling , and noe consent and perfect agreement with the word of god. first they all go too farre , and haue not one word in scripture to warrant their opinion : that adam in the state of innocency should and would haue kept every seventh day for an holy rest , & that god would haue required it at his hands . for all scriptures which mention the sabbath do speake of it as of an holy signe looking altogether towards christ and towards the state of grace and glory in him , and not towards the state of innocency . it is most certain that man in that state was perfect with naturall perfection , at all times equally disposed to obey god & to serue him , and to remember his creation and to honour his creatour . he needed no obseruation of any day to put him in minde of any thing which he had before known , & which god had revealed to him , his memorie was perfect , and he knew whatsoever was needfull for him to know or doe in that present state . and his will was every m●ment ready to doe wha●soever he knew to be right , hee needed no signe to ad●onish him of his duty , or to moue him to do it in due seas●n . he did not labour nor weary himselfe , every day was to him a da●e of delight and pleasure of rest and recreation , and in every creature which he did see or medle with , he did behold & take notice of the wisdome & goodnesse of god , in a word : his whole life was a constant & obedient seruice of god , and there was no inequality nor lesse worship of god in one then in another , for he fully serued god at all times : w●osoever denyes this must needs deny therein mans perfection & constant conformity to god in the state of innocency . for where one day is kept better then another , there is inequality , and noe constant vniformity in himselfe nor conformitie to gods will. in the second place , they who hold that the sabbath was first instituted after mans fall , & yet that it was writtē in mans heart in the state of innocency , and he then was bound to keepe it : they fall into many absurdities . first that a man was bound to keepe a sabbath before ever it was instituted . secōdly , that god did by his word & cōmādmēt teach má in vain that which he was fully taught alreadie & had writtē in his heart . thirdly , that god gaue to man a law in vaine after his fall when he knew he was become vnable to keep it . 3. they who hold that the law of the sabbath was not written in mans heart , but was a positiue law given in the state of innocency , of the same nature with that commandement of mans not eating of the tree of knowledge , they doe make this commandement of the sabbath vtterly voyd by mans fall , euen as that of not eating is now voyd , and was not to bee renued after mans fall . but of the vnsoundnesse and vanity of these opinions i shall speake more fully , when i come to shew what kind of law that of the sabbath is , and how that commandement bindes men . now because i cannot find any solidity , or satisfaction in any of these opinions , j haue left humane writings even of the best learned , and haue betaken my selfe wholy to the searching of the holy scriptures , gods most pure infallible w●rd , and what light j finde therein for the manifestation of the truth i will not hide nor cover , but set it before you openly . and for the time when god first instituted the sabbath , i conceive it to haue been not in the state of innocency , but after mans fal imediately , & yet upon the seventh day wherein god rested from the worke of the creation , as my text here sayth , and although this may seeme to crosse the order of the history as is here laid down by moses , because mans fall related a while after his sanctification of the sabbath , even in the third chapt. yet let this moue no man , for moses doth not set downe al thi●gs in order as they were done in this & the next chapter , but first he speaks of the finishing of heaven and earth , and all the host of them , and then of gods rest , and of the sanctifying of the seventh day , & then returnes to speak of thi●gs which were done before : as the planting of the garden in eden , which was a worke of the third day , and the making of the woman and forming her of a rib taken out of mans side , and mans naming of al living creatures before the woman was made , which things were done on the sixt day . also in this chapter the forming of the man is related before the planting of the garden and the watering of it with a river which was devided into foure heads , though it is most euident that before there was a man to till the ground , god made every plant & tree that was pleasant to the eye and good for food , to grow out of the ground , that is all the trees of the garden amongst the rest ver . 5 , wherefore we must not cleave strictly to the order in which moses sets things downe in this chapter , nor take all things to be first done which are here first related , for then wee should beleeve that plants , herbes , trees , man and woman were all created after that the workes of creation were finished , and after gods resting one the seventh day . but to passe by all needlesse doubts , let us come to the proofes of this point which proue strongly that gods institution of the sabbath was not in mans innocency but af●er his fall ▪ first , the very words of my text affirme that the sabbath was instituted on the seventh day , for first it is said in expresse words , that on the seventh day god rested & blessed & sanctified that day . secondly , the things which gaue god occation to sanctifie the seventh day ; & upon which the first institution of the sabbath was grounded came not to passe , neither were they in being vntill the seventh day , that is gods perfecting of the worke and resting from al he work which he had made : the words of the text are very plain on , or in the seven●h day god ended his worke and rested , and because of this resting he blessed and sanctified the seventh day , and therefore the sanctifying of the seventh day which was the institution of the sabbath , cannot be before the seventh day ; the building could not bee beefore their was ground to build on , neither could the worke goe before the cause and occation of it . thirdly , it is against all reason to thinke that god actually blessed and sanctified the seventh day , and made ●it his holy sabbath before it came into being . now this ground being very cleare , that the sabbath was instituted on the seuenth day from the beginning of the creatiō & not before . i proceed to a second ground , to weet : that man did fall towards the end of the sixt day , even on the same day in which he was created , which being fully proved , jt well necessarily follow that the fi●st institution of the sabbath was after mans fall and not in the state of innocency . first that man did fall vpon the very day of his creation the sixt day , i proue by plaine scriptures and by strong arguments grounded on them . the first testemony is that speech of david , psalme 49.12 . man beeing in honour lodged not a night therein , but became like the beasts that perish . soe the words runne in the originall text , & we cānot without wresting of the words from their proper sence in the hebrew , expound them of any other person but of the fir●t adam , & of his fall , the word which is in our translation ( man ) is adam in the hebrew , and the words which we read in our engglish ( abideth not ) bal-jalim , and in the hebrew signifie , lodged not a night therein : as appeareth by other scriptures , in which it is continually vsed to signifie lodging or tarrying for a night , viz. exod. 23.18 . & 34.25 . devt . 16. 4. where god forbids the israelites to let the fat of their sacrifice , or any part of the fl●sh of the paschall lambe : lodge with them all night till the morning . and 2 sam. 17.8 . where hushai saith to absalom of his father david , that he was a man of warre , and would not lodge with the people . and 2 sam. 19.8 . where joab saith to david , there will not one abide with thee one night . and psal. 30.5 . where it is said , that weeping may lodge for a night , but joy commeth in the morning . and soe in all other scriptures this word is vsed . and the learned hebrews who best know the propriety of the phrase : vnderstand this place of adam and of his falling on the day of his creation , and not continving one night in the honourable state of innocency· the second testimonie is that speach of our sauiour ioh. 8. 44. where he saith that the devill was a murtherer of mā & alier from the beg●nning & abode not in the truth . by the beginning is meant the first day of mans creation , & it is never absolutely vsed in any other sence but for the time of the first creation . now if the devill did lie & deceiue & murther mā by drawing him to sin frō the first day , of mās being , it follows that man did fall the sixt day , on which was the day of his creation . the third proofe is grounded on the words which passed between the woman & the serpent t ; he serpents speech implies that as yet they had not eaten of any tree , & that he set upō the woman immediately after that god had given them commandement not to eate of the tree of knowledg ; the words which he uset● ( y●a , or is it even soe ) they are a forme of speech vsed by one that standing aloofe and ouer hearing what was forbidden , doth immediatelie step in and askes the party to whom the commandement was given if it were even soe as he conceived . and the womans answ●r is in such a word as is of ●he future tence in hebrew , and signifies not an act past or present , but a power & liberty to eate heereafter when they sh●uld haue occation , and the true translation of her words is : we may or will hereafter eate of the fruite of the trees of the garden . alsoe it is very likely that if they had eaten of the fruite of any tree of their owne accord before their temptation & fall , their reason will , and appetite would haue led them to the tree of life , which was neere at hand even in the midest of the garden close by the forbidden tree ver. 9. the very name wher●of was amiable , and vnto which the naturall desire of man did of it selfe cheifly carry him , as gods words do intimate chapt. 3.2 . but that they had not yet re●ched forth their hands to take and eate of that tree , that speech of god shews chap. 3.23 . wher he saith that he wil cast adam out of the garden . least hee put forth his h●nd and ●ake and eate of the tree of life , which was the state of naturall life ; now this had beene too late if they had alreadie before eaten of it . fourthly , soe soone as god had created the woman , and given her to the man , he gaue them the blessing of fruitfulnesse , and the desire of procreation of children which is most naturall to man , & he did bid them increase and multiply , soe we reade chapt. 1.28 . & vndoubtedly they would not haue neglected the blessing of multiplying and increasing mankind , but if they had continued in their integrity one night , the woman by companying with the man would haue conceiued a pure seed without sinne , for there was no barrennesse of the wombe in innocency , that came in as a curse after the fall . chapt , 3.16 . f●ftly , the v●rity of god threatening , and the strictness●●f his justice required that in the same day w●erein man sinned , in the same should the sentence of death , bee executed , the words of the law are very peremtory ver . 17. in the day that thou ea●st thou shalt surely dye . which sentence was fully and truly execu●ed , though not on adam himselfe , yet on christ the second adam mans surety . the fi●st adam all his posterity are the same day made subject to death , wherein they act or pertake actually of this transgression , & christ the secōd adam who vndertooke to satisfie the law for this sinne and to suffer the punishment due to it and all sin w●ich spring f●ō this root , did certainly dy on the same day , & at the same houre of the day in which the first adam transgressed , so irenaeus & divers of the ancients & other acute writers do hold , & they well observe , that on the sixt day of the weeke on which day adam was created and after the ninth houre of that day , that is in the afternoone and to●ards the end of the day christ suffered both a cursed bodily death on the crosse , and also the agonies and paynes of t●e second death , as he sheweth by his crying out my god , my god , why hast thou fo●saken mee . and by his word consummatum est , that is the fulnesse and vtmost extremity of torments is come , or now is the utmost ex●remity of my paynfull suffering . and therefore it is very probable and cannot without scornefull wrangling be denied , that adams fall was about the same time of the sixt day , which doth make good the word of god and shew the verity of his threatning law , and his admirable wisdome and providence in thinking of man● redemption before he would suffer man to fall . sixtly if adam had stood any while , even one daie or night or more vntill he had eaten of the tree of life , which seemes to be aseale of the first couenant of life by workes of natural righteousnes , it is likely that he could not haue falne , nor the devill been suffered to tempt him , or if after the tast of the sweetnes of the tree of life , and the sealing of the couenant of life by his owne workes of obedience , he had fallen : surelie his fall had been more desperate , even totall and finall apostacy : for which god alloweth no sacrifice to be offered nor prayer to be made , & from which there is no recoverie nor renueing by repentance . the devill being created with the angells amongst the supernaturall host on the first day , and having seene the glory of god and tasted of the heavenly joys all the sixt dayes of the creation vntill man was created and all the frame of the world finished , and lordship given to man over all inferiour creatures , he then after this tast falling away and not abiding in the tru●h but leaving his first estate , did sin more disperately & rebelliously against the light , and his sinne is so hatefull to god , that hee will not accept of any satisfaction for it , neither could the sonne of god under take for him . but mans fall being at the first before he had tasted of the tree of life & the full sweetnesse & fruision of earthly fellicity , and springing not originally from himselfe , but from the devill who deceived him , therefore there is mercy with god for him , gods giving of christ , and christs vndertaking for man , is an argument that adam did fall in the day of his creation before he had tasted of the tree of life , and that he was made , ma●d , formed and deformed in one day , as the greeke writers speake . lastly , it seems by divers other reasons very probable , that man did fall on the sixt day before he had eaten of the tree of life , which if he had beene left to himselfe , and if he had not beene prevented and seduced by the devill he would haue done . first because the covenant of life by mans owne workes of obedience , being sealed by his eating of that tree which was the seale of that covenant : as appeares by gods speech gen. 3.23 . man had beene confirmed in that naturall life & estate wherein god created him , and the devill could haue had no power either to seduce him or to prevaile by his temptations . secondly the things which adam did after his creation and before his fall : could not be done orderly and distinctly in lesse then a good part of a day . first god brought all living creatures before him , and hee tooke notice of them and gaue to every kinde of creature fitt names , before the woman was made , as appeares ver . 20. then god cast him into a deep sleep and tooke one of his ribs , and formed it into a woman and brought her to him . after that god gaue them the blessing of fruitfulnesse , and said be fruitfull and multiply , he also gaue them rule and dominion over all creatures , and appointed them all trees bearing fruit , and hearbes bearing seed for their meat , and set man to keep and dresse the garden , and withall hee gaue them the commandement to abstain from the tree of knowledge of good & evill , before they were tempted & drawne into sinne & transgression . therefore their fall must needes be towards the end of the day , after the ninth houre , at the same time of the day in which christ sufferd death and gaue vp the ghost : as the gospell shewes math. 27.46 . and soe the day and houre of mans first sinne , was the daie and houre of death for sinne according to gods threatning ver . 17. thirdly after their fall & the sight of their nakednesse , they sewed fig leaues together & made them aprones , & by this time we may suppose that the sunne did set & the coole of the day approached , even the breathing winde which cōmonly blowes af●er the setting of the sun & did blow in the night of the seuenth day , at which time they heard gods voice walking in the garden , which was tirrible vnto them , partly by reason of the darknes of the night , and partly through the conscience of their sinne , and the shame of nakednesse which sin brought vpon them , & hereupon they hid themselues frō gods presence among the trees of the garden , which shelter was too vaine & foolish no way able to hide them frō gods pure eyes . therefore certainly they did sinne and fall towards the end of the sixt day in which they were created . and justly might adam haue cursed the day of his creation , if christ had not immediatly betimes on the seventh day been promised , and had not actually and openly vndertaken to become the seed of the woman , and began to be an actuall mediatour for mans redemption . and thus i haue by the help & light of scriptures made it plaine and manifest , that mans first sinne and fall was on the sixt daie . and that the first institution of the sabbath being vpon the seventh day , must needs be after mans fall and not in the state of innocency . chap. 2. now this proving & demōstrating of the first point in my text , ●o weet : the time of the first institutiō of the sabbath , doth lead vs directly as it were by the hand vnto the second maine point , that is , the ground upon which the sabbath was founded , and the true outward moving cause and occation of the first institution of it . first we may hence collect that the ground of the sabbath is not any thing revealed or done on the sixe daies of the creation , & therfore there was no vse of the sabbath nor place for it in the state of innocency , neither is it a commemoratiō of any thing then brought into beeing , but rather of gods resting from creation and ceasing to proceed further in perfecting the world by way of creation . secondly , that the true ground must bee sought and found among the things which came to passe on the seventh day , and after the state of innocency which ended at mans transgration and fall , now this we will seeke in the next words of the text . the ground of the sabbath . and on the seuenth day god ended his worke which he had made , and on the seuenth day god rested frō all his workes which he had made , and god blessed the seuenth day . in these words we may obserue three distinct things concurring on the seventh day . first gods ending or perfecting of the whole worke or busines of the creation . secondly gods resting from that worke and ceasing to proceed that way , and ●iving over to vphold the world & to repaire man & other creatures ( which were ●rought vnder corruptiō & through his fall made subject to vanity ) by the meer worke of creation . thirdly gods blessing the seventh daie by revealling therein agreat blessing , farre a boue all the good which he shewed in the sixt daies of ●he creation . that these are the true grounds of the sabbath , and that god because of these concurring & comming together on the seventh day , did sanctifie it & made it an holy sabbath , to be kept by man for an holy rest , the words following immediately do shew where it is said god did sanctifie the seventh day , because in it he rested from all his worke of creation , and from dealing & doing that way . these three points , i will therefore proue and explaine out of rhe words of the text in there order . first for gods ending or perfecting of his workes which he had made , that is , expressed in the first words . [ god ended his workes which he had made . ] the words in the originall hebrew text are these ; vaiecal elchim melacht● asher gnassah , which are diuersly translated and expounded by the learned translaters and expositers of this text . the uulger latine runnes thus : cumpleuitque d●us opus suum quod fecerat . that is , god finished his worke which he had made , or god made his worke compleat on the seventh day , the greeke septuagints render the words thus . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . that is , god perfected his worke on t●e sixt day . the caldee paraphraseth thus . on the seventh day god delighted in his worke which h● had made . trem●llious & junious and many other learned expositers do reade the words thus : that before the seventh day god had ended his worke , & had finished it on the se●enth day that is , when the seventh day come he had ended the creation . the words thus diversly translated seemes to haue severall meaning and may bee taken in divers and severall sences . the uulger latine which is all one with our english translation seems , to make this the sence of the words . that on the seventh day god made an end of his worke , which till then was not fully finished , and that in memory and for joy of the finishing of his worke and makeing it fully compleat on the seventh day , he sanctifyed that day to be his holy sabbath . the caldee paraphrase seemes to make the joy & delight which god tooke in viewing all the worke of creation on the seventh day , to be a ground & cause of gods sanctifying that day for his sabbath tremellius and the learned who agree with him , seeme to hold that god had before on the sixt day ended all the works of the creation . and all being finished when the seventh day came , that was the only day of the weeke in which god had no worke left to be finished , nor any thing to make , and therefore he made this his holy day and day of rest . this also seemes to be the meaning of the greeke septuagints , who for this purpose haue changed the hebrew text , and instead of the seventh day , put in the sixt day for the ending of the weeke , and the seventh day they make the day onely of gods resting . now of all these translations taken in these uulgar sences , there is not any on which can give full satisfaction and remove all doubts and scruples : yea if we receive and grant them all , some difficulties will still remayne ; a●d therefore , for the removing of all doubts & full manifestation of the truth , i will endeavour to search and diue fur●her into the words of the originall hebrew text , and to finde out a further sence and meaning ; by comparing them with other scriptures which giue more light unto them , and in so doing j will make use of these severall traslations & sences , to gather some light and strength from them , and from the difference which is among them for the more full manifestation of the truth which i shall commend vnto you . first for the hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is here translalated , ended , perfected , finished , it signifies in the first and most proper and full sence , to bring a thing to the full end of it , soe that now it hath al which belongs to it in any kinde . some times it is vsed in scripture to signifie the beginning of a thing to the last end of it , either by consuming of it , and bringing it to an ●nd of beeing & well beeing which it had before iob. 4.9 . by the breath of gods nostrills the wicked are sayd to be consumed , & isa. 1.25 . or by ceasing to continue it if it be a trans●et action or speech : as gen. 17.22 . god ended his speech or talke with abraham , that is : ceased to continue it , and exod. 34.33 . & 1 sam. 10.13 . & 2 sam. 6.18 . 1 king. 7 40. where mention is made of moses his ceasing to speake , of saulls making an end of prophicieing , and d●vid of offering sacrifice , & hiram of his working . this sence is in no case to be admitted . first because god consumed not the workes which he had made before , neither did god bring his working and making of creatures to an end by ceasing to continue it , for that was the sixt day when he had made the woman the last creature which h● made , then hee ceased from his working and brought it to an end . secondly because consuming and destroying of creatures , can be noe good ground of blessing and sanctifying the daie and time in which it is done . some times this word is vsed to signifie the bringing of a thing to the full end of perfection , either by adding to the last & vtmost thing which belongs to the nature , kinde and beeing of it , soe that now it wants no perfection which it ought to haue in that kinde , thus the word is vsed 2 chro. 7.11 . wher it is said that salomon finished the house of the lord , & exod. 40.33 . moses finished all the work of the tabernacle . or else by adding to it more then naturally belongs to it : even some supernaturll and extraordinary perfection , thus the word is vsed ezech. 16.14 . where it is said that god made jerusalem perfect by his beauty which he put vpon his people whom he placed to dwell therein : even david and other holy men whom he beautified with supernaturall & saving guifts & graces . in this last sence i conceiue the word to be especially here vsed . for it is most certain that god brought al things to the full end & natural perfection on the sixt day when he created man and woman , and gaue them rule & dominion over all living creatures , and appointed all things which he had made to serue for their vse , and soe much the last words of the first chap. shew , where it is said : god saw euery thing which he had made , & behold it was very good , & this was before the end of the sixt day . and therfore that giving of full naturall beeing and perfection cannot be this which is here said to be on the seventh day . if we should here vnderstand that perfecting and finishing of the work ; we must either with the 70 greek translatours corrupt the text , and for the seventh put the sixt day ; or else with tremelius and others , straine the plaine words of the text , and make this the sence of them ; in the seventh day ( that is before the seventh day ) god ended , that is : god had ended his work & already finished it before , to weet : on the sixt day ; which being granted ▪ it will herevpon follow , either that this perfecting of gods work is no ground of the sabbath at all , or else that the sixt should rather be the sabbath , because it was the day and time in which god brought the created worke to perfection . but here in the originall text , the hebrew words are beiem hashebingi . in the seventh day , that is within the compasse of that day god perfected his worke which he had before made and created on the six dayes , and therefore i doe verily conceive and beleeve , and dare be bold to affirme for a certaine truth , that on the seventh day , god gave to the which he had before made very good and perfect , with naturall & mutable perfection , ( & which the devill by mans fall had marred and defaced ) now another second and greater , even supernaturall perfection by promising christ the blessed seed of the woman for the restauration of the work defaced , and by christ his vndertaking not only to redeeme us from all evills which entered in by mans sinne , & from that mutability of estate in which we were all created : but also to exalt us to a farre more excellent state and condition , even to the state of immutable grace here ; & of eternall life a●d glory in the sight and fruition of god in heaven hereafter in the world to come . that adam did sinne and fall on the sixth day which we call fryday , & in all liklihoode towards the evening about the same houre in which christ dyed on the crosse to redeeme vs from that sinne and all sinnes which therby entered into the world , i haue proved before . that after mans fall and discouerie of his nakednes , and sowing of figge leaues together for aprons , gods voyce was heard walking in the garden in the coole of the day , that is , after the sunne was gone down & the seventh day begunne , & that adam hid himselfe the words of the text affirme plainly in the third chapter . also that after the conventing examining and arraigning of the man & the woman , and cursing of the serpent , and also of the earth ; & passing sentence of punishment on the persons of the man and woman to weet : sorrowes & labours in this life , & in the end thereof bodily death and returning to durst , god for a comfo●table remedie of all these evils , promised christ to redeme man kinde from them all and to purchase for them eternall life and glory , the history as it in the same third chapter laid downe shewes most clearly , and i do verily beleeve that all reasonable men , especially all true christians , will most freely confesse and willingly grant : that christ in the day wherein hee was first promised , and did actually undertake to redeeme the world , brought in a greater perfection vnto the worke of creation , or the things created , then they had befor given to them on the six dayes in there creation , to weer : supernaturall grace ; and heauenly and spirituall gifts of holinesse , which exalt man to astate immutable and eternall . now seeing it is a truth most manifest , that in the seventh day ( god the father promising the blessed seed christ to destroy the workes , and to breake the head and power of the d●vill the old serpent , and the sonne of god actually vndertaking mans redemption , and beginning to mediate for man : and god the holy-ghost inspiring by the promise and through christ grace and faith into both the man & the woman to beleeue that out of her who was the instrument of death to man ; should christ spring , who is the life and light of men , and so shee should become , chavab , that is : the living one , or mother of all living ) there was a supernaturall perfection brought into the world . and god brought his worke which hee made to a better estate , and shewed a further end of things created . surely it should be too much perverstnes in us , and too grosse resisting of our owne reason , guided by the text it selfe . if wee should d●ny or refuse to beleeue , that this perfecting of gods worke is here meant in this place , and is the true ground of blessing the seventh day to be the lords holy sabbath . and thus j hope i haue fully discovered the true sence & meaning of the first words , & shewed how we are to vnderstand this which is here said , to weet : and on the seventh day god ended or perfected his w●rke , j proceed to the next words , and on the seventh day god rested from all his worke which he had m●de , to which i ●dde the repetition of the same w●rds with some addition in the later end of the third ver . namely that he rested from all the worke which he created , even from making any more , so the words in the hebrew do runne . now for the word rested , it is in the originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shabath of which the name of the sabbath is derived , and it doth not signifie a resting of god for to refresh himselfe : as being weary , nor resting from all working absolutly and simply , but ceasing from making any more kindes of creatures : for god doth alwaies as a provident lord and father work in the continuall generatiō of particular creatures ; & in multiplying , preserving , ordering , and disposing of them , as our saviour shewes iohn 5.17 . here therefore we are to vnderstand , that on the first sixt dayes the lord shewed his good will and pleasure in making every thing very good and perfect , with naturall perfection . so in the seventh day hee rested wholy fro making any new kinde of creature by way of former creation : and man being fallen and hauing brought confusion into the world , and corruption and vanity vpon the creatures , christ is promised and actually vndertakes and begins to enterceede for man , and to be his redeemer and saviour , and by this meanes god may bee sayd to rest divers wayes . first whereas the rigour of justice required that man should dye and perish in the same day wherein hee sinned , and the creatures made for his vse should together with him be distroyd , & so should god haue bin busied in executiō of justice & destroying his former work , & in making a new world of creatures : the eternall word the sonne of god vndertooke mans redemtion , brings rest to god by that meanes from destroying the former and making a new or second worke of creation , which is truely called resting from all the worke which he had made . secondly the naturall estate and b●st being and perfection which man and other creatures had by creation , shewing it selfe mutable by mans fall so appearing , if god should haue proceeded and gone on in the same manner of working as he had done in the sixt dayes of the creation , there should haue been no rest nor end of his work of making & remaking . but christ vndertooke the worke of redemption and as an alsufficient saviour to perfect for ever them that are sanctified by the cōmuniō of his spirit & spiritual & supernaturall grace , & to renue them after his heavenly image of true & vncha●gable holines , doth this way bring rest to god f●ō the work or busines of creation , & sets on foot a new & more admirable work in which god resteth , and on which he taketh much delight , and by which his creatures are reconciled , and made pleasing and acceptable to him . thirdly christ who was promised to become the seed of the woman for mans redemption , b●ing the eternall wisdome and mighty word of god , and able to beare vp the pallace of the earth , when it and all the whole tents thereof were disolued , and the first foundations thereof were out of course , as the psalmist speakes psal. 5.3 . & 82 5.8 . god doth justly settle his rest on him and commits to him the ruling , governing , and judging of the world , as he is medidiatour and the sonne of man. so our saviour himselfe affirmes iohn 5.22.27 . now that on the seventh day god did not barely rest from his worke of creating and making creatures ; but also that in and by christ promised on that day , hee found rest and rested the sever●ll wayes before named , the holy scriptures and also common reason doe plainly shew . first a bare resting from creation and not working is not a matter of such moment & benefit , that it should be the ground of blessing and sanctifying of one day in seven every week to the solemne memory of it . holy dayes and feasts mentioned in the scriptures haue alwaies beene appointed by god , and set apart for the commemoration of some great extraordinary workes , & delivering jsraell out of egypt , giving of the law and such like . secondly , that gods resting on the seventh day was more then this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shabath which is here v●ed , and doth properly signifie in any other places of scripture where it is vsed to set forth other ceasing and resting from worke . the holy scriptures themselues do fully shew . also that god found rest in christ : even of refreshing , and se●led his delight in him the redeemer , and in his worke of redemption , and committed the world to be ruled , iudged , ordered and disposed by him as mediatour , vpon the seventh day and from that forward vntill the eternall rest of heaven comes in , and the kingdome be deliuered vp to god his father , that god may be all in all . as for example exod. 20.11 . where god in giving of the law , and mentioning the ground of his sanctifying of the seventh day , to weet : his resting , doth vse the hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 janach , which signifies not a bare resting from worke , but such a rest as is full of sweetnesse & delight , and exod. 31·17 . where it is said that on the seventh day god rested and was refreshed , that is : hee did not onely cease from creating and rest from workes of creation , but he found also great delight , that is in christ vndertaking to be the saviour and redeemer of the world , hee found great pleasure and delight in his kinde : such as men in their kinde do finde in things which delight and refresh their soule , so much the words imply . and the scriptures of the prophets and apostles speaking to the same purpose : justifie this sence and meaning , where they tell us , that christ the mediatour is gods righteous servant in whom his soule delighteh . isa 42.2 . math. 12.18 . and that in him god setles his rest and is well pleased math. 2.17 . and makes his elect acceptable in his beloued ehe . 1.6 . thirdly the keeping and observing of every seventh day for aholy sabbath , which god requires of us , consists not in bare resting from ordinary workes and labouring in worldly affaires which concerne this life : but also in sanctifyng of the day by holy and religious exercises , which concerne the heavenly life , and in making it our delight to honour the lord ; as appeates both in the wordes of the law exod. 20.8 . deut. 5.22 . and also in the prophets isa. 56.4 . and 58.13 . now such as the observation is , such must the ground thereof be on which it is founded . and therefore vndoubtedly gods resting on the seventh day includes his resting and delighting in christ who was the promised redemption . thus much for the opening & expounding of the second clause , & the discovery of the rest of god by which he rested on the sevē●h day , which is the second ground of gods blessing and sanctifying that day , and making it a holy sabbath of r●st . the third ground remaines , and that is : gods blessing of the seventh day , layd downe in the next wordes . and god blessed the seventh day , ve●s . 3. this blessing of the seuenth day consists in two things the first is : gods blessing of it , by giving and revealing to man on that day the greatest blessing which was made knowne to the sonnes of men during the time of the old testament , while the sabbath of that seventh day was to be in vse and the law thereof inforce that was , the giving of c●rist by promise to be the redeemer of the world ; this belongs to the ground of the sabbath . the second is , gods blessing of the seventh day by setting it apart to be kept and observed of men as a day most blessed in memory of of that blessing , that is of the promise of chrst and his undertaking and beginning to mediate for man kinde , this belongs to the in sanctifying of the sabbath which is the third maine thing observed this text . first i will speake of blessing as it is a ground of institution , and after in the next place , j will handle it , as it is a part of the institution of the sabbath , & concurres with sanctifying of it . blessing ( as it belongs to the ground of the sabbath and signifie● gods giving and revealing on the seventh day a blessing aboue the blessings of all the other six dayes by which that day became more honourable ) must needes be gods giving , ether of some naturall blessing tending to outward prosperity , and to naturall perfection and temporall felicity in this world ; or of some gift and blessing supernaturall tending to heavenly happinesse & eternall blessednesse . 1. gods blessing with naturall & temporall blessings is declared in the scriptures to be two manner of wayes . f●rst by giving all sorts of temporall blessings and naturall gifts in generall , thus god is sayd to blesse ishmaell gen. 17. ●0 . and to bl●sse the jsralites in all their affaire● and in all the wo●kes of their hands devt . 14.29 . secondly , by giving some speciall worldly blessing ; successe ; and prosperity either in respect of their corne , wine , m●ate , & drinke , exod. 23.25 . or in respect of their cattell , or the fruite of their body or worldly goods , p●ssessions and the like devt . 28.3 . 2 gods blessing with spirituall and supernaturall blessings and guifts is his making of men to grow and prosper in grace and in all heavenly blessings as gen. 12.3 , & 28 , 4. where it is said that in the blessed seed of abraham & iacob that is in christ. all the nations & families of the earth shall be blessed , and thus god is said to blesse us with all spirituall blessings in heavenly things in christ ephess . 1.3 . & of this blessing david ●peakes psal. 67.1 . where hee sayth , god b● mercifull vnto vs and blesse us . 3. god is said to blesse in a full and perfect sence with all blessings of prosperity and happinesse both temporall and spirituall , that is : by giving all saving graces needfull to salvation and good increase and growth in them , and all outward prosperity and all things therevnto requisite , together with his favour and a sanctified vse of them , thus god promised to blesse abraham gen. 12.2 . & jsaac gen. 26.3 . & jacob gen. 28.3 . & joseph gen. 49.25 . with blessings of heaven a boue and deep beneath . and his people & inheritance psal. 28.9 . now the thing here to be inquired after & sought out , is what blessing is meant in this place : where god is said to blesse the seventh day . for it it most certaine , that this blessing wherewith god blessed the seventh day , did not consist only in gods giving of any naturall and temporall blessings to that daie , or to man and other creatures on that day , or in ann●xing and tying any such vnto it . for god had before ceased and now rested from all works of creation , that is both from creating any kinde of creature , & also from adding more naturall goodnes or perfection to any thing created . we never read that god made the seventh day blessed a boue the other sixe , either in clearer light of the sun , or in more faire and seasonable weather , at any time , or in any age from the beginning , or that he blessed it with any such blessing which belongs to nature , or to the naturall vse of the creature . secondly for spirituall and supernaturall blessings which tends to eternall life and blessednes in heaven , we never read of any proceeding from god , but only through the eternall son incarnate and made man : even christ the mediatour . the apostle affirmes that god blesseth us with all spirituall blessings in heavenly things in christ ephe. 1.3 . and that there is no other name vnder heaven given among men whereby we must be saved act. 4.12 , if any man hath ascended higher then saint paull was rapt , farre a boue the third heaven , & hath t●●re heard of spirituall blessings which god intended to bestow , or did bestow vpon adam in the creation before christ was promised , or did openly vndertake to be mans mediatour ; hee goeth farre beyond my lyne and measure of faith , i dare not be wise a boue that which is written . jt is enough for me to know and beleeve that c●r●st is the onely true way to heavenly and supernaturall happin●sse , and that he is the truth and the life ioh. 14.6 . and that none can cōe to the father but by him , & that in his name the father giues the spirit ver . 26. and through him sheds the holy ghost aboundantly on all that are sanctified and saued tit. 3.6 . and that as christ onely makes way into the holy of holiest heb. 10.20 . so in him is all fullnesse , & from him all grace proceedeth by which god makes us accepted ephe. 1.6 . i know that god created all things , and man in his owne image ; perf●ct in his kinde , but yet mutable . j confesse and beleeve that man by his perfect obedience performed to god in his owne persō , according to the first covenant of works , might haue continued in that naturall life and earthly happinesse wherein he was created : but that he had any supernaturall or spirituall power given before the promise of christ , wherby he was fitted for heavenly happinsse , ot that any such life and happinesse was promised in the first covenant , or any grace tending therevnto , i cannot be perswaded . first because the scriptures are vtterly silent in these pointes· secondly because it is against all reason to thinke , or conceiue of god , who is the fountaine of all wisdome & doth nothing in vaine . that if there had been a more neer way then christ , more ready for him to reveale and communicate all his goodnesse and glory to mankinde , even the way of mans owne personall obedience to the first covenant of workes ; surely god would never haue suffered man to fall , nor haue given his sonne to discend from heaven & to humble himselfe to such base ignominous painefull and cursed sufferings as he did , and all to bring man soe farre a bout to the fruition of himselfe in heavenly glory . thirdly , whatsoever hath or shall certainly come to passe concerning mans happinesse or misery , that god decreed , foresaw and purposed , and that only he intended , and that from the beginning , even from all eternity ; though god laid vpon man no impossibility of standing in innocency , nor any necessity of falling , but man was able to doe gods will according to the first covenant , and if hee had done it , he might & should haue lived & enjoyed an earthly felicity : yet certainly god foreknew what man would doe when he was tempted , and did willingly permit him to breake the first covenant , intending to make a more sure couenant in christ , and to establish it with better promises heb. 8.6 . and that none of all man kinde should be saued but onely they who are in christ and under this covenant . now these things being thus : if the blessing wherewith god blessed the seventh day , be any spirituall blessing , it must needes be in , and under christ promised : yea it must needes be either the promise made to man one that day that christ should be his redeemer , and christ his vndertaking openly to be mans surety and mediatour , or else some speciall blessing which comes by christs mediation , as the guift of the spirit , and spirituall grace given to man to beleeve in christ , to rest on him , and in him , to seeke eternal rest , or gods acceptation of christ for mans surety , and god resting on christs satisfaction and righteousnesse . in very deede , let others thinke what they please , for my part j can see no reason either in this text or any other text of scripture to perswade me that this blessing was any , but the supernaturall and heavenly blessing , even gods gracious favour , kindnesse and loue then first shewed to man in christ , by promising him to become the seed of the woman , accepting him for mans surety , and resting in his mediation , & alsufficient satisfaction , which blessing brings with it , and includes in it many , yea all naturall blessings which are true blessings indeed , and end in eternall happinesse . for by christ who then was first promised and revealed , man hath naturally life continued to him , and right and rule over the creatures restored and given in an higher degree , and in a more excellent kinde : he had power given to him in the state of innocency to rule over cattell and all living creatures , and to order and command them for his delight and pleasure . but in christ he hath power given to kill and sacrifise , and to eat them and vse them for his profitt . jn the creation god gaue to man as his steward rule over all cteatures & right in them ; but in christ he gaue man the right of a sonne and heire , and made all creatures mans inheritance , which is a firme and vnchangable right , and now all the blessings temporall which the elect & faithfull haue and possesse by faith in christ and by a true right in him , are blessed and sanctified to them , and are helps and furtherances to their heavenly glory . and this i dare be bold to conclude : that the blessing wherewith god blessed the seventh day , was a blessing a boue all blessings naturall which god gaue to man in the sixt day and to other creatures on other daies of the creation . it was the blessing of his kindnesse and loue to man , revealed in christ promised , which includes in it the restitution of man to all naturall blessings , all which all mankinde haue & injoy by christ & through his mediation . so that here is a blessing worthy of an euerlasting memoriall among all adams posterity , which justly bound them all to obserue that day of the weeke to the honour and prais● of god , vntill the comming in of the fullnesse of that blessing on the day of christs resurrection , which is the first day of the week & the eight from the beginning of the creation , which all christians by verue of the institution of the sabbath here in my tex● , are bound to k●ep holy and to solemnize with thankfullnesse for all blessings in christ on the seventh day , and on the first day fully exhibited a perfect redeemer in his resurrection . and thus i haue discovered ou● of this text the whole ground upon which the lords holy weekly sabbath is founded , which is briefely comprehended in these 3 particulars . 1. gods perfecting of the wo●k cr●ated . 2. gods ●est on the seventh day . 3. gods blessing of it . out of which particulars as i haue laid them open : this doctrine doth arise . chap. 3. that the first institutiō of the sabbath on the seventh day of the first week of the world was grounded vpon christ , and occationed by the promise of him to be mans mediatour , and the worlds redeemer . and the true & proper grounds of the sanctification of the weekly sabbath , vpon which it stands perpetually to the worlds end , and to the eternall rest in heaven , are gods perfecting of the created world by bringing in redemption by christ , gods rest delight and pleasure in christs mediation , and gods blessing the seventh day with a blessing farre a boue the blessings all of other daies even the giving of christ a perfect saviour for mankinde . this point is most plaine and manifest by that whih i haue before delivered . but yet for the better setling of our judgments and confirming of our hearts in the knowledge and beleefe of this truth jt will not be amisse to add further proofes and reasons grounded on the sacred scriptures . first that which is the ground of gods sanctifying the seventh day aboue all the other six dayes of the weeke must needes be somthing which came to passe one that day , which farre excelled the workes created on the six dayes . for the holy scriptures and the common practise of all nations do concure in this , that all holy daies whether weekly monthly or yearely are obserued and were first instituted in memory of some notable and extraordinary thing which on those dayes of the weeke , moneth , and yeare happened & came to passe , witnesse ●he passover , pentecost , the feast purim ; and dedication , the feast of christ nativity , resurrection , ascension , our fif●h of november a●d many others . but there can be nothing imagined greater then the works of creatiō which were all finished on the six daies , but only the promise & relation of christ the redeemer & the work of redemption by him the eternall sonne of god , on that day openly undertaken and begune as i haue before proved . first for gods ceasing from his workes of creation , and his bare rest from them , it being a doing of nothing & not making of good things , cannot in any case be esteemed better then the workes of the six dayes wherin god created all things good and perfect with naturall perfection . for doing of good is better in the judgment of all reasonable men , then doing of nothing . secondly , for gods perfecting of the creation by bringing man and woman the last and chiefest of his creatures into being that wa● on the sixt day , and his making of every creature compleat and perfect in his kinde , that was done on the severall dayes in which they were severally created , they cannot be any ground of sanctifying the seventh day but rather of the six daies of the weeke . wherefore it remaines that christ promised ● perfect redemptiō on the seventh day of the world begin̄ing actually to mediate for man & to cōmunicate his spirit & supernaturall grace & faith to our first parents is the ground of the institution of the we●kly sabbath on that day· secondly ; a supernaturall effect cannot proceed from a naturall cause , a spirituall building cannot be surely setled on a naturall ground and foundation . if the effect be supernaturall the cause must be such , and if the bu●lding be spirituall , the found●tion alsoe must be spirituall on which it is setled . now the sanctification of the sabbath as it is gods worke in the first institution , it is a seperating of a day from naturall , to heavenly , spirituall , and supernaturall vse , and to workes which tend to such an end as cannot be obtained by creation , but onely by the mediation of christ , and sanctification of the sabbath as it is a worke and duty which god requires of a man , is wholy exercised about things which concerne christ , & which haue relation to him , and which none can rightly performe without the communion of the spirit of christ , and the sauing guifts and graces of god in christ. the hebrew word kad●sh signifies onely such workes in all the scriptures wheresoever it is vsed , & never any thing is said to be holy or sanct●fying but in , for , and by christ , wherefore that ground of the sabbath must needes be something in christ , or indeed christ himselfe on the seventh day first promised and revealed a perfect and alsufficient redemer and mediatour to gather all things to god. thirdly that which hath no proper or principall end or vse , but such as presupposeth christ and his mediation , and is subordinate to him promised and to the revelation of redemption by him , must needes be grounded on christ , and receive the first institution and originall from the promise of him , or him promised . this is a certaine truth which with no culour of reason can be denied , for god doth nothing in vayne , he makes althings for there proper end & vse , and brings nothing into being before hee hath a proper end & vse ready before hand , for which it may serve . now the proper principall end & vse of the sabbath for which the lord is said in the scriptures to institute & give it to his people , is such as presupposeth christ and his actuall mediation , and is subordinate to the promise of redemtion by him . first god himselfe testifieth both in the law exod. 31 , 13. also in the prophets ezech. 20.12 . that he gaue his sabbath to his people for this end and vse , tha● it might be a perpetuall signe betweene him and them , to confirme them in this knowledge & beleefe , that he is their god who doth sanctifie them . secondly , another maine vse for which god instituted the sabbath is , that it might be a signe and pledge to his people of the eternall rest or sabbathisme which remaines for them in heaven , and vntill they come to that rest , they are bound to keepe a weekly holy sabbath to put them in hope of that eternall rest , soe much may be gathered from the apostles words , heb. 4.3.9 . thirdly , the sabbath is for that end and use that by keeping it holy , & by sanctifying our selvs to the lord , and delighting our selvs in him , and in his holy worshippe , wee might grow up in holinesse without which none can come to see , and enjoy god , and soe might draw still more neere to god till we be fully fitted to see and enjoy him in glory , and to come to his eternall rest in heaven . now all these principall endes and vses of the sabbath doe presuppose the promise of christ and his mediation . for first in him alone as he is our mediatour , god becomes our god , who doth sanct●fie us , and without gods shedding of the holy ghost on us through christ , we can never be truly sanctified as appeares rom. 8.9 : tit. 3.6 . & 1 cor. 1.30 , and in christ we are called to be saints and sanctified , 1 cor. 1.2 . secondly , there is no thought or hope of eternall rest in heaven but in and by christ , hee brings us into that , and by going before us makes way for us heb. 6.20 . & 9 , 24. jt is that which never entered into the heart of man , his reason conceives it not till god doth reveale it by his spirit given though christ 1 cor. 2.9.10 . thirdly , no man can haue accesse vnto god but in christ , there is no approach to the throne of grace but in him heb. 4.16 . it is christ alone who for his peoples sake sanctified himselfe , that they also might be sanct●fied ioh. 17.19 . and there is no growing up in grace & holinesse but in him and by vnion and communion in one body with him as our head eph. 13·16 . vpon these infalible premises it followes necessarily , that the proper end and use of the sabbath presupposing christ , the first institution thereof must needes be grounded on christ also . fourthly , if christ as he is the sonne of man vnited in one person vnto god , and so our mediatour , be the lord of the sabbath , so that the alteration and chaunge of it from one of the seven dayes to another , is onely in his power and depends wholy on some chaunge in him ; then the institution of it is grounded one the promise of him and upon his mediation . now the antecedent is manifest by our sauiours owne words , mat. 12.9 . where hee calls himselfe lord of the sabbath day . and by his resurrection and becomming the head stone of the corner , the sabbath is chaunged from the day of him promised vnto the day of the full exhibition of him aperfect actuall redeemer in his resurrection , as david foretold psal. 118. and the practise of the apostles in all churches of christian gentiles doth aboundantly declare , act. 20.7 . and 1 cor. 16.2 . wherefore undoubtedly christ promised , was the first ground of the institution of the sabbath , & as our saviour in that place of the gospel mat. 12.9 . affirmes . it was made for man , that is not only for mens use but also for him , the son of man : & upon the promise & undertaking of him to become man & the seed of the women , for mans redemption & for destroying the workes of the divill . vse . this doctrine thus fully proved & confirmed , is a doctrine of speciall use to worke in the hearts of all true christians , who have all their hope & confidence in christ , an high & holy reverence & esteeme of the lords holy weekly sabbath , & to provoke & stirre them up to a carefull conscionable & diligent observation thereof , in all their generations , for the promoting & propagating of pietye , & for the increase of devotion and advauncement of religion , in all succeding ages . if the observation of the weekly sabbath were but a dictate of nature , written in mans heart in the creation ; then were the chiefe end and ayme of it no more but an earthly felicitye , and the fruition of a naturall life in an earthly paradise . it should be no better then one of the duties which belong to the old couvenant of life , & justification by mans owne works ; which is abolished and made void by mans fall . and it is wholy frustrated of the proper end & use of it , which was justification , & life by workes of a mans own doing . and so being not a part of the wisedome , which is from above , it should be of lesse esteme and of common and ordinary account with holy christian saintes . or if the sabbath were a legall rite and ceremoniall ordinance onely , such as were sacrifices , burnt offerings , circumcision and legall purifications , which were shadowes of things to come , then should it be abolished by the full exhibition of christ , and the observation thereof among chistians of the beleeveing gentiles , were no better then setting up of abominations which make desolate by cutting men of from christ. but here we are taught better things concerning the lords holy weekely sabbath , to weet : that it is an holy heavenly , euangelicall ordinance , wholy grounded upon christ and depending onely upon him ▪ first instituted upō the promised christ , & limitted to the seventh day of the weeke , in which he was promised to be mans redeemer , did undertake , & in some measure begin actually to mediate and to intercede for man with god , and commaunded to be kept onely on that seventh day , during the tyme of the old testament while christ was onely promised , & the fathers sought salvation in him to come : and now ever since the full exhibition of christ a perfect redeemer in his resurrection , necessarily imposed on all christians , and limitted by virtue of the first institution and foundation of it upon christ , to that day even the first day of the weeke , which is the greatest day of christ appearing in the nature of man on earth , that is the day of his resurrection to glory and immortalitie , and the day of his complete victory and triumph , in his owne person over sin , death , the devill & all the powers of darknesse . so that though the particular dayes of the weekely sabbath , that is the seventh of the weeke in the old testament , and the first in the new ; and under the gospell may truly be called temporarye and caeremoniall , because they have their set tymes and seasons ; the one the tyme and season onely under christ promised ; the other the tyme and season under christ fully exhibited , that is the whole tyme of grace under the gospell vntill we come both in soules and bodyes to the etternall sabbath and rest in heaven , when ( christ mediatour haveing destroyed all enimyes and delivered up the kingdome to god his father ) god shal be all in all : yet they are such ceremonies as are holy in their seasons , not by signification and consecration to holy and supernaturall use only , as legall shadowes were : but also materially and in respect of the very duties , which are performed in observation of them ; yea and effectively because the due observations of them properly tends to begitt and increase true holynesse in gods people . besides if we consider the observation of a weekely sabbath simply in it self without limitation to a particular day , so it is a perpetuall ordinaunce of god which bindes all mankind to the end of the world . and there is none of all adams posteritye , but by gods first institution he is bound to keep the holy weekely sabbath , upon that very day of the weeke , which by the word of god and the ground of the institution , appeares to be most seasonable in the age and the state of the church under which thy live and have their being on earth . now these things being , soe , how it is possible that any true syncere christian ( who as by one spirit and by a true lively faith , soe also in his whole heart and in all holy affections is vnited vnto christ ; and hath all his h●pe & confidence in him as in his only redeemer lord & saviou● ) should not haue the we●kely sabbath in most high esteeme , which was first grounded vpon christ , promised & came in upon the seventh day of the world , ●ogether with the word of promise and the glad tidings of the worlds redemp●ion by christ : ●nd with the perpe●u●ll commandements of repenting and beleeving in christ , which are the great commandements of the gospell , which holy and blessed sabbath hath still continued and gone a long with christ pr●mised on the seventh day , during the time of the old testament , and si●ce the full exhibition of christ in his resurrection ; hath advanced forward together with christs vnto the fi●st day of the weeke , in wh●ch day he perfected mans redemption , triumphed over death , rose vp and was advanced to glory & immortallity , surely they who professe loue to christ , and profane the weekely sabbath , they are no better then painted hipocrties , yea rather they are to bee numbred among those bold , audacious and scandalous sinners , who presume to pull a sunder those whome god hath inseperably joyned together , that is , the sabbath and christ the lord of the sabbath , who while they professe christ in word , doe indeed deny the power of true chr●stian godlinesse , and do what in them lieth , to turne the publick worship of god into sacrilegious profanation , and soe to provoke the eyes of his glory . thus much for the second maine thing her● offered in this text , that is the ground of the holy weekly sabbath . chap. 4. the third maine thing which here offers it selfe and which i haue propounded to be handled more largly , as comprehending in it divers speciall points of great weight and moment , as the sanctifying of the sevēth day , ● as gods blessing of it , so far as blessing sign●fi●s go●s setting of it apart to be kept & observed for a bl●ssed memoriall of the promise of christ , & as it is apart of the fi●st institution of the sabbath . f●r gods blessing of a day or any other thing d●th signifie . 1. his giving of some notable benefit on that day , or to the thing blessed . 2. his setting of it apart to a blessed end & vse , in the former sence it belongs to the ground of the sabbath and so i haue spoken of it before . jn the later sence it belongs to gods act of institution ; and as in effect the same with sanctifying of the seventh day , onely this i conceiue to be the difference that gods sanctifying of a thing is , his seperating of it by his word and commandement , to a supernaturall and extraordinary vse either profittable , or unprofittable to it selfe , as h●s seperating of things to be his instruments of just vengance for the destruction of his enemies , and seperating men to some holy offce for a time , as saul to prophesie , e●●e● sonnes to bee priests , and iudas to bee an apostle , by which office they received no true blessing ; but it turned to their greater curse at last . but gods blessing of a day , or any other thing , is his setting of it apart for a bl●ssed vse , and his pronouncing and demanding it by his holy p●werfull word , to be a blessed daie or blessed thing , and to serve for holie & blessed vse , and so blessing is that speciall sanctifying which is seperating of things to a blessed use , and come here to bee handled vnder gods sanct●fyng of the ●eventh day : for gods sanctifying i● this place , is a blessed sanctifying of the daie to a blessed vse , and the word blessed is put before to make us clearlie see and vnderstand soe much . i will therefore insist only upon sanctifying which comprehends blessing in it ; and will first open and exp●und the word and so proceed to points of doctrine . the hebrew word , kadash , is never vsed in any other sence in all the scriptures , but onelie to signifie seperating of things from their ordinarie and naturall vse , to some vse more then naturall or aboue nature & the fitting & preparing of them for that use , as for example compining of nations in an holie league against babell , or other wicked state to execute on them gods just reuenge jer. 6.4 . & 12.3 . & 22.7 . & 51.27.18 . and seperating some cities for refuge iosh. 20.7 . whensoever this word is attributed to god in all the scripture , it signifies ei●her gods seperating things or times for holy vse , by his word and commandement , or by some h●linesse shewed or some extraordinarie holie word done in them as exod. 9.44 . 2. cron. 7.20 . or else gods infusing of his holie spirit , and of spirituall and supernaturall gr●ces & gifts of hol●nesse into men by wh●ch they are seperated from carnall men , and prepared for heavenlie glory as exod. 31.13 . levit. 20.8 . ezec. 2.12 . ier. 1.5 . where god is said to sanctifie his people , and to make t●em holy , that so they may be fitt to come nerer to him . and frequently in the new testament , the greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used in this sense as eph. 5.26 . heb. 2.11 . here the word signifies not sanctifieing by infusing holinesse and making holy , but gods consecrateing , that is seperating the seventh day to an holy , heavenly spirituall , and supernaturall use , by h●● word and commaundement , or by some holy worke done first in it , or some holinesse first revealed upon it . for this was the day in which god by his gracious promise of christ , and by the new covenant of life made with mankind in him , did communicate his spirit to our first parents , and wrought in them faith and all holy graces needful to salvation , and so of , ishah , a woman who brought wo to man made our first mother . chavah . that is the mother of life in christ to all liueing . this day , god here upon , commaunded to be sanctified of men , and kept holy by holy exercises which tend to the honour & praise , and to the solemne commemoration and memoriall of christ promised , and of his own rest in christs mediation , and this day he appointed to man to be a signe and pledge of the aeternall sabbath in heaven , after the end of the world which in six dayes he created . here therefore we see wherein especially gods sanctifieing of the seventh day to be an holy sabbath of rest , did consist . which that it may yet appeare more fully and distinctly in all the particulars , j will reduce , the summe of all into a few positions , some negative , and some affirmative ; which being by evident testimonies of scripture , and by good arguments grounded on the word of god , proved and confirmed ; the trueth will be so cleare and manifest , that the simple shal be able to understand the true sanctification , both of the seventh day which was the old sabbath of the old testament , and also of the lords day the christian sabbath of the new testament under the gospell . chap. 5. first we must not in any case imagine . that gods sanctifieing of the seventh day was the creating or in●useing of any naturall holynesse in to it , by which it was distinguished from other dayes of the weeke , and made more excellent then any of them . my reasons are : first because creating of naturall holynesse in any thing , is a worke of creation : but god rested from all works of creation on the seventh day , and from making any thing which belonged to the naturall being of any creature , or to the natural frame and perfection of it , witnesse the wordes of my text , and the wordes of the lord him selfe . exod. 20.13 . secondly the scriptures which are the onely rule of faith , and so all doctrines of this kind do never mention any naturall holynesse in any creature which god made in the whole created frame of heaven and earth ; all though god did create man perfect in his kinde , even in his own image . yet i doe not read , that this image comprehended any more in it , but naturall gifts and endowments onely , as light of understanding , libertye of will , most free to good onely , and well ordered affections all upright ; also a comely frame and excellent temperatur of the body , fitt to be the seat , subject & instrument of a liveing reasonable naturall soule and spirit , and to rule over all other creatures . salomon the wise preacher describeing the image and excellent frame wherein god created man , makes no mention of any holynesse , but onely of naturall uprightnesse . god ( saith he ) made man upright . we never read of holynesse naturall to any but onely to god. thirdly true holynesse is a gift of supernaturall grace given onely in christ , and proceeding f●om the holy ghost shed on men through christ , and dwelling in them as the immortall seed of god. it belongs not to the naturall image of god wherein the first earthly adam was created ; but to the spirituall and heavenly image of the second adam , christ who is a quickening spirit & the lord from heaven heavenly , whose image no man can bear but in the state of regeneration , when he is borne of the spirit , and begotten of god to a lively hope , to the inheritance incorruptible and undefiled which fadeth not a way ; as i have largly here to fore proved by divers scriptures which appose the image of true holynesse , and undefyled righteousnesse , which men have in christ ; to the image of the first adam , but that upright image wherein he was first made , and that corrupt image where in to he was transformed by his fall , as appeares most plainely . 1. cor : 15.45.49 . & eph. 4.23.24 . the thing which deceives many learned men , and carries them to thinke that holinesse was apart of mans naturall image in which he was created is this . first they take it for granted , that all vprightnesse & purity of man in heart , soule , life , and conversation , by which he is conformable to the law of nature and to gods will revealed , and his commandements given to him , is true holinesse and is so called in scripture . secondly , they reade that adam was made by god vpright and had that purity & vprightnesse which made him conformable to gods law and revealed will , and this was gods image in him , & herevpon they conclude , that adam was created in true holinesse . to this i haue heretofore vpon another textfully answered , by laying downe a plaine distinction gathered from gods word , and daily experience , and by applying it to this purpose . for i haue distingu●shed purity and uprightnesse by which man is conformable to the revealed will and law of god into two sorts . first there is a created naturall purity & vprightnesse founded upon naturall principles , which god gaue to man in his fi●st creation , by he which was conformable to gods revealed will , to the law of his nature in the state of innocency , but this vprightnesse having no other roote , or foundation , but mans mutable nature and frame , was also mutable and was quickly defaced and corrupted by the subtilty of the tempter and mans fall . secondly , there is a renewed or new created uprightnesse and purity of man in his heart and soule , life and conversation , which is found onely in gods elect & faithfull regenerat children ; by which they are here in some measure made conformable to the law and will of god ; this although it is much ecclipsed and obscured by the remainders of naturall corruption which still dwell in gods saints in this fraile life and mortall body , and doth not shine forth in the true brightnesse of it , yet it proceeds from an eternall fountaine , the pure waters whereof spring vp unto life eternall , and cannot be defiled but remaine pure , though they passe through the dead sea of sodom , the filthy lake of mans naturall corruptions , which dwell still in this body of death , this pure fountaine is the spirit of regeneration which god sheds through christ on the elect , as our saviour himselfe teacheth , joh. 14.4 . & 8.38.39 . and because this spirit even the holy ghost which daily renues them , being shed on them in there new birth tit. 3.5.6 . doth dwell in them as the mortall seed of god , & abides with them for ever joh. 14 , 16. and is stronger then the spirit of malice the devill , which overthrew our first parents and ever since rules in all worldly men , 1 iob. 4.4 . therefore it is true puritie and vprightnesse which cannot faile nor deceive us as adams did ; and this is that which the apostle cals the new man and the righteousnesse and holinesse of truth , ephess . 4.24 . in the same sence that spirituall , supernaturall , and heavenly graces are called the true riches , that is the riches durable and incorruptible , which will neverly vnto vs : nor by failing deceive vs , luk. 16. as for the created purity and vprightnesse by which the first adam was conformable to the law , it is never in all the scriptures called by the name of holinesse , neither is it , or any morall virtue in any vnregenerate man , any true holinesse , because it proceeds not from the holy ghost who dwels in the regenerate and works all true holinesse in in them . i wish that all the learned would seriously weigh this truth & embrace it with their hearts , and beare it continualy in their minds and memories : for this will at one blow raze to the very foundation all pelagian , popish , armian hoeresies , concerning the power of mans fre● will , the efficacy and merit of mans naturall workes don before regeneration , and the falling away of men regenerate and justified , from the grace of god and from justifying faith and true holinesse , also concerning vniversall grace given to all men , by which they haue it in their owne power to be saved . and if it would please the lord to open the hearts of our people r●ghtlie conceive this difference , betweene the image of the first and second adam , and betweene the created naturall vprightnesse of adam , and the spirituall vprightnesse and infused holinesse wherein the second adam was conceived and framed by the holy ghost . this would ravish their hearts and fill them with admiration of the singular loue of god to his elect in christ , and of the singular excellencie of the grace & holinesse , and of those high prerogatives which the regenerate and faithfull receive and enjoy through him , which indeed soe farre exceed all that belonged to man in the state of innocency , as christ the second adam in his humanity exceeded the first adam , and immutable grace exceeds mutable nature , and as eternall fruition of god in heavenly grace , excels the fruition of fading pleasures in an earthly paradise . chap. 6 secondly , gods sanctifying of the seventh day was not the creation or infusing of any spirituall or supernaturall holinesse into it ; by which it did excell all other dayes of the weeke . for first all spirituall and supernaturall holinesse : is created & infused by the holy ghost , only into reasonable creatures angels and men , and cannot be in any thing void of reason , vnderstanding , free will and affections . although things without life , and creatures void of reason , are called holy by way of relation , because they are dedicated to an holie use : yet nothing is called holie by holinesse of qualification , that is by holinesse inherent & heavenlie grace , qualitie and perfection , but onelie man and the holie angels who are partakers of the holie ghost ; and haue him dwelling & working in them . for this holinesse is unstained puritie and vnspotted vprightnesse , which possesseth and informeth the vnderstanding , will , desires , affections and inclinations of resonable creatures , & makes them conformable to gods revealed will and the rule of his law . s●e that to imagine holines infused into any time , place or any other thing , which hath not reason & vnderstanding and will , is a mere dreame , dotage and superstition . times and places , as holy daies , and holie temples , are holie in scripture not for any holines inherent in them , which they communicate to gods people , but because these daies and places are dedicated to holie use , and in them god is pleased by his spirit working with his word and ordinances , to beg it , increase and stirre vp holy aff●ctions in men , and to come and enable them to performe holie actions , according to gods will. secondlie , all true infused inherent holinesse , created and wrought by the holie ghost , springs from an eternall fountaine , and is founded vpon a sure rock which can never bee removed but standeth firme for ever . where gods spirit once informeth or taketh possession , and worketh true holinesse ther he abides for ever , ioh. 14.16 . the devill and all the powers of darknesse cannot prevaile , nor dispossesse him , for he is greater then they all , 1. ioh. 4.4 . soe that if god had sanctified the seventh day ; by infusing holinesse , and conforming it with the holy ghost , it could never haue beene profaned , polluted and defiled by men , neither could there haue beene any chaunge , of it from the holy sabbath to a common and ordinary day of the weeke , as now wee see , by christs resurrection : it should haue continued gods holy weekly sabbath for ever , even as men once truly regenerate and sanctified by the holy ghost ; are by that spirit sealed vnto the day of full redemption , ephess . 4.30 . chap. 7. the affirmatiue positions wherein j will shew how god sanctified the seventh day are three . first god did on that day reveale himselfe to man a most pure and holy god , more then in all the six daies of the creation . for in creating all things of nothing , he shewed his power : and omnipotencie in making al things good and perfect , in there kind . and in setting the heavens and the earth and all creatures in such an excellent & comelie order , hee shewed his wisdome and goodnesse . and in making man vpright in his owne image , & giving him dominion over all living creatures to order them according to his will , and to the law written in mans heart , he declared his righteousnes . but on the seventh day by promising christ a perfect redeemer and sauiour , he manifested and revealed his most perfect purity & holinesse diverse waies . first by his suffering of man to liue in his sight , and to approach to his presence when he was corrupted by his fall , and become filthy and abominable , and in the strictnesse and rigor of justice worthy to be destroyed with eternall death . god did plainly shew that he is a god infinitly holie and cannot receive the least spot and staine of mans corruption approaching to his presence , but appeares most pure and glorious , and shines forth bejond all measure , by making an holy vse of mans vncleannesse , and ordering and disposing it to the more full manifestation and communication of his glorie & goodnesse to his elect in christ : for as the purity of gold doth more appeare by abiding most pure and perfect in the midst of consuming fire and a furnace of fire full of uncleane ashes , and after the touching of things most vncleane . soe gods perfect purity and holinesse appeares most infinit and vnspotted , in that he suffers vncleane man , made filthy and abominable by sinne to live in his sight and presence , & doth order & dispose his uncleannesse to an holy end , & doth meddle with it , & touch it , & yet is no whit diminished or obscured therby but made more bright and resplendent in the eyes of the world . secondly god by his promising of christ to become mā , & in mans nature to make a ful & perfect satisfaction to justice for mans sin , did shew his infinit purity & holy hatred of sin , more then by any worke of creation , in that rather then mās sin & filthines should not be punished to the full , & his justice fully satitisfied , he would giue his own son , a person of infinit value to bear the cur●e & sufferedthe whole punishment of sin in mans nature and so to make full satisfaction for it . thirdly , the revealing of christ and promising of him to be a second adam , who is the lord from heaven heavenly , and a quickening spirit , through whom he doth richlie shed his spirit on adam , and all his elect seed in their generation ; which holy spirit doth dwell in their frail earthly sinfull bodies , as in a tabernacle & temple all the time of this fraile life , & is not stained nor defiled with their corruptions : but doth abide most pure and holy , and doth overcome , mortifie and kill by a long and lingring death the old man of sinne in them , and workes in them that spirituall purity , and holinesse , which though it be not like a grain of mustard seed ; yet cannot bee destroied or defiled , but increaseth more and more , and prevaileth against all powers of darknesse , this doth aboue all shew the infinit puritie and holinesse of god and of his spirit . and therfore j conclude that god by promising and revealing christ , on the seventh daie , did then first shew himselfe infinitly pure , and did manifest vnspotted holinesse , more then in all the six daies of the creation : and this is the first point of his sanctifying of the daie , to bee an holie sabbath of rest , vntill the full exhibition of christ , a perfect actuall redeemer , on the day of his resurrection . chap. 8. secondly , god on the seventh daie , did though christ promised ●●ed the holie ghost on our first parents , begittēth of his immortal thē seed , sanctifie them and worke , faith and all saving graces in them ; so that they bele●ved the promise and found rest in christ. and so this was the daie wherein god did first make man actuall partaker of his spirit , and did make in him true holinesse , and conforme him to the image of christ , this appeares by three things . first , by adams words , chapt . 3.20 . where not withstanding gods passing of the sentence of bodilie death against him , and of his returning to dust in the grave , in the words next before : yet ●e by faith laies hold on one eternall life in christ the promised seed , and being strengthened with might by the spirit in the inner man , doth call his wife chavah , which signifieth life , because by christ promised to be come her seed , shee sh●uld bee the mother of all liuing , and not onely all his naturall seed , should by christ haue naturall life for a time , and being on earth continued vnto them : but also after death his wife and al their elect seed should haue life eternall in him . this is a strong argument of a lively faith , and of the quickening spirit given to adam vpon the verie daie of the promise which was the seventh day . secondly , that our first parents had the holy spirit given them on that daie , & by faith were instituted & made partakers of the righteousnes of christ , the coats of skins doe shew which god fitted to them , & put vpon them . for undoubtedly these skins of cleane beasts , which god taught and commanded them to kill and offer in sacrifice as tipes , figures , and pledges of their redemption , by the death and sacrifice , of of christ : and these coats made of the skins of beasts sacrificed , and put upon our first parents by god himself , did plainly forshew the covering and clothing of all the faithfull with the robes of christ satisfaction and righ●iousnesse , & were a token and pledge to them , that they were justified by faith in christ to come , and cloathed with the garments of salvation . for all gods works are perfect : he gives to no men by his own hand immediatly the outward pledg & seale without the inward grace . thirdly , adams teaching of his sonnes , caine and abell to sacrifice , and to bring offerings & first fruits to god , which were tipes of christ , and of gods rest in his mediation and fulls satisfaction , and that , at the end of daies , that is the seventh which is the last of the week , & gods holy weekly sabbath , these j say doe testifie adams faith in the promise , his holy obedience to gods commandment of keeping holy the seuēth day , and his holy care to teach his children holy obedience also . now this being manifest , that of the seventh day god did first sanctifie man by his holy spirit , and did bring in holinesse into the world among men . we must needs acknowledg this a second point of gods sanctifying that day , and making it fit to bee his holy weekely sabbath and the day , of his holy worship , chap. 9. thirdly the lord god for a memoriall of these supernaturall & heavenly things first revealed , & done on the seventh day , and for a pledg to man of the eternall rest in heaven , did also by his word and commandment , appoint every seventh day to be vnto man a day of rest from his owne works which concerne this worldly life , and to be kept an holy sabbath , to the lord his god , and this is the third point of gods sanctifying the seventh day , and setting it apart for holy and heavenlie vse , and for holy worshippe , service , and religious duties which tend to begit and increase holinesse in men , and so to bring them to see and enjoy god in the eternall rest of glorie . this point because it is of greatest weight and moment , & comprehends in it many of those things which are necessary to be laid open , & made knowne for the distinct and profittable understanding of the lords holy weekly sabbath , & the right obseruation thereof , together with the duties which belong thereunto , & are therein required . therefore i will doe my best endeavour to handle this point more fully , & to laie open distinctly the speciall things therein contained , and that in this method & order . first i will proue this maine point , to weet : that gods blessing and sanctifying of the seventh day , did include the giving of a law & commandement for the keeping of an holy weekly sabbath , & gods giving of this commandement was a maine & speciall part of his sanctifying of it . secondly i will enquire & search out the nature of that law & commandement , & how farre , & in what manner it bindes adam , and all his posteritie . thirdlie , because everie law which god gives to man , doth impose a dutie upon man , and bindes man to the performance of it , therefore the uerie words of the text binds me to handlle at large , mans dutie which this commandement of god , & this word by which hee did blesse and sanctifie the seventh day , doth impose upon adam & all his posteritie , even their sanctifying & keeping holy the sabbath day . for the proofe of the maine point , we haue three notable argumēts : first we haue the plaine testimony of god himselfe exod. 16.28 . where he cals this his blessing & sanctifying of the seventh day , by the maine of a commandement & law . & tels the isralites that they not keeping of an holy rest ; but going out togather manna on the seventh day , did refuse to keepe his commandements and lawes , that is his commandements and lawes which he had given from the beginning in his blessing and the sanctifying of the seventh day ; for of other speciall lawes and commandements given beefore that time concerning the sabbath there is no mention at all in scripture , neither did god giue any besides that from the beginning , untill hee spake unto them afterward from mount sinah , and in the fourth commandement called upon them to remember the law of old , giuen for keeping holy the sabbath , and renewed it againe to them . secondly , in all the law of god and in all the scriptures wee never read of any thing truly hallowed , sanctified and set apart for holy vse but by speciall commandement of god , and by the direction of his word : the first thing which is said to bee sanctified after the seventh daie , is the first borne of israell exod 13.2 . and this was by gods speciall commandement , and therefore hee saith that he hallowed them on that day which he smote the first borne of egypt , num. 3.13 . the next sanctified mentioned in scripture is that of the people of israell when they were to come into the sight and presence of gods majestie at mount sina exod. 19.10 . and that was by gods direction and commandement as is there testified in expresse words . the third sanctification mentioned in the scriptures , is that of the sanctuary , and the altar and all the holy uessels and implements therof . and aaron and his sonnes the priests with all their robes and vestments , also the sacrifices and all other holy things of the tabernacle , & they all were sanctified by the speciall commandement of god , and by direction of his word as moses in the law testifies in exodus 40. & divers other places . soe the temple in ierusalem and all the holie things which are consecrated and dedicated to the service of god by solomon , are said to be hallowed and sanctified by god 1 king 9.3 : and 2 cron. 7.17 . that is by gods speciall commandement & direction . and moses his dedication of all things in the law , is said to bee by bloud and that by precepts spoken to the people according to gods law heb. 9. vers . 19.22 . and every creature of god is said to be sanctified to the use of the saints by the word of god and by prayer 1 tim. 4.5 . now if in all gods word everie thing is said to bee sanctified , by the word and speciall commandement of god : and wheresoever in all the scriptures god is said to sanctifie any thing , and to seperate it for holy use : the word ( sanctifie ) doth necessarilye implie a commandement , and speciall law of god given for the seperating of it . it were against all reason and common sence to deny heere in this text the wordes ( blesse and sanctifie ) doe necessarilie alsoe implie that god gaue a speciall commandement and law for the keepeing of his holie weekelie sabbath an holy rest unto him the lord our god. thirdly , whatsoever is sanctified by god and so dedicated to holy vse , that it is not in the power of any creature to alter and chaunge and turne it to another use , without sinne and transgression against god , that is certainlie established by a spirituall law of god , for where there is no law there is no transgression . now after that god had sanctified the seventh daie , & apointed it to be the rest of the holie sabbath . it was a sinne and transgression not to keepe it , or to chaunge and alter it to common vse , yea it was transgression against gods commandements as appeares in the place before mentioned exod. 16.23.28 . therfore gods sanctifying the sabbath was vndoubtedlie by giving of a commandement for the due keeping and observing of it . but from this point thus proved , there ariseth an objection , the answering and removing whereof seemes to a matter of some moment . for this being granted , that god in sanctifying the seventh day immediatlie after the ending of the creation , did giue a speciall law for the observation of the seventh day of every weeke as an holy sabbath : and if once consecrared by gods law to holie use , may in no case be turned to common and profane vse , and whosoever doth chaunge it , sinneth most greeviousl●e , as appeares exod. 30.32 . & num. 16.38 . and also by the destruct●on of k●ng belsh●zz●r for turning the hallowed vessels of the temple of ierusalem to common and profane vse , dan. 5. it will here upon follow , that adams posterity in all ages are bound to keepe the weekely sabbath on the seventh day , and no creature may chaunge it to another daie without grieuous sinne . and the christian churches which haue chaunged the sabbath to the first day of the weeke ; & haue made the seventh daie a common daie wherein they doe the workes of their private calling & their worldlie businesse ; haue transgressed gods law in so doing . neither haue they any warrant or ground from this first institution , or the fourth commandement ( which the sabbath of the seventh daie , ) to keepe their weekely sabbath on the lords day which is the first of the weeke . for the satisfying of this obj●ction , and clearing of this doubt , divers things may be answered . first that in the most strict commandement of god by which he binds men to the keeping of holy assemblies , and publick solemnities for the performance of religious duties , worshippe , and service , to his majesties memorable of his extraordinary blessings and benefits , though the solemne duties be limmited to some certaine and fit daies & those particular duties be named in the law . yet if the substance of the commandement be kept , that is ; the holy solemnitie observed and the duties , worship , and service be performed , in all full and ample manner as the law requires , though the particular daies of the month , yeare , and weeke be chaunged vpon good reason and for weighty consideration ; the lord doth dispence with alteration of that circumstance to another day and time , which appeares by good reason , and for just causes to bee more convenient , and doth allow and accept that for the right performance of his law . this is manifest by a plain instance and example given by god himselfe . for the law of the passover which god gave to israel did command them to keepe that feast in their generations , vpon the fourteene day of the first month , and that under paine of being cut off . exod. 12.14.18 . & levit. 23.5 . and yet upon just occasion , such as gods law approves either of uncleannesse of absence from home vpon a farre jouney , it was lawfull to chaunge the particular time , and to keepe the passover , on another day more convenient , even on the fourteenth day , of the second moneth , num. 9.11 . and soe hezekiah and all the people of israell and iudah kept it and chaunged the day 2 cron. 30. and hereby the lord himselfe teacheth us , that the lawes which command holie solemnities and bind all his people in their generations to the due observation of them on certaine set daies , such as the law of the weekly sabbath , & the yearly passover , may stand in force and bee dulie observed , though the particular daie of the weeke be chaunged vpon such grounds , as gods law approveth and for such causes and reasons , as make that other day more fit , and excellent for the solemnitie , then that particular day of the weeke , or of the moneth which is named in the law . secondly , if any object that the law of the passover was ceremoniall , and therefore might admit of some chaunges , but it cannot be so in the law of the sabbath if it be morall and perpetuall , binding all man kinde to the worlds end . to this i answere , that for the time and season wherein ceremoniall lawes are in force they are equall ( in their obligation and binding of the persons commanded ) to lawes morall and perpetuall , and therefore the argument and answer is good and firme , and cannot with any good reason be rejected and denied . thirdly , divers positive lawes which are morall and perpetuall and bind adam , and all his posterity , in all their generations , though they be firme and immutable in themselves & in their obligation : yet because the duties of obedience which they impose vpon men , and the men up on whom the duties are imposed , are in their state , and condition mutable and chaungable , and the chaunges and alterations of the things commanded in times , places , and other relations and respects , do not at all chaunge the law , nor proue it ceremoniall , and chaungable . as for example , gods commandement and law given to israell , was that they should loue him the lord their god , and serue him with such worship as is agreable to his word . this law bindes them and all gods people in all generations unchaungable : jt bound all such as lived in the old testament to serve god with sacrifices , and burnt offerings , and to worship him with their first fruits , and sweet odoures and perfumes of incense , and that in the place which he did chuse out of all the tribes of israell . and it bindes vs still who liue under the new testament : to loue god , and to serue him . but with a spirituall woshippe and seruice , such as is most agreable to the word of the gospell , as saint paul shewes rom. 12. ● . and our sacrifices are not of bruite beasts , but our owne bodies deuoted to the obedience of christ , and sacrifices of thankes and praise which are the calfes of our lipps heb. 13.15 . for now men are not by the lavv bound to worship god in ierusalem , nor in the mountaine of samaria . but in every place to lift up pu●e hands and hearts to god , and to worshippe him in spirit and in truth , iohn 4.21 . and to this worshipp the same law doth as strictlie binde us , as it did the fathers to their bod●ly sacrafices in ierusalem , though the seruice in divers particulars is chaunged , yet the law is perpetual and st●nds firme and immutable , and bindes all gods people in al their generations . soe likewise from the first promise of christ , a redeemer to mankinde , adam and all his posterity are bound to beleeve in christ , and to seeke , expect , and hope for salvation , and life only in him the promised seede of the woman , that is in him made man , and mans mediatour and the law of beleeuing in christ is perpetuall firme , and vnch●ungable . and yet the dutie which he requires is changeable , and is chaunged , now under the gospel from that which is under the law , in circumstance , for the faithfull in the old testament were bound to except and wait for christ and to beleeve in him to come , but we under the gospel confesse christ and beleeue in that christ iesus which is come in the flesh . ●nd whosoever confesseth not christ which is come , but beleevs christ to come he is lead by the spirit of antichrist , 1 joh. 4.3 . and euen thus the case stands with the law of the sabbath , which god gaue in the beginning when he sanctified the seuenth day , for by that law he bound adam and all his posterity to obserue and keepe an holy weekly sabbath , and that one the particular day of the week which is the day most blessed with the greatest blessing aboue all other daies of the weeke , and wherein the created worke of the world comes to greatest perfection , and that is brought into actuall being where god especiallie resteth , and wherewith he is chiefly satisfied & delighted . this is the summe and substance of the law which equallie bindes all gods people perpetually to the worlds end . this law , bound the fathers to keepe holy the seventh day , and last day of the weeke , in the old testament , because that was the day most blessed with the greatest blessing as yet reuealed in the world , that is the promise of christ , & his actuall undertaking & beginning to be mans mediatour , by which promise of the redeemer & bringing in of supernaturall grace , which is spirituall & immutable , the mutable worke of the creation was perfected , & in which mediatō of christ , god rested & took such delight , that he would not go about to uphold the world by way of creation , but cōmitted the reparation of the world to christ the mediatour . but now under the go●pel since the ful exhibition of christ , a perfect actual redeemer , & the perfecting of the work of redemption on the first day of the week , in christ his resurrectiō , that first day of the seuenth , which is the seventh in the weekly revolution , if we count the daies begin̄ing with the daie next following , is now the day most blessed , & wherin the created world is after a better manner , & in an higher degree perfected , & god findes that actually performed wherin he resteth & wherwith he is fully satisfied . and therfore the same perpetuall law of the sabbath bindes us to keepe this day for our weekly sabbath , & that not with such service as was , holy under the law , that double bodily sacrifices , nor with assemblies appointed for preaching , reading & hearing of the law , & the promises of a redeemer to come , & for seeking salvation & blessings in messiah promised & yet not come . but with spirituall worship & faithfull praier & invocation in the name of christ exhibited , & already exalted , & with reading , preaching , & hearing of the gospel , which declareth christ iesus already come in the flesh . and thus i hope i haue fully answered the objection , & made it manifest , the christian churches in chaunging the day of their weekly sabbath , & their forme & manner of worship , haue not made void , but established the law of the sabbath , which god gaue in the beginning . and these chaunges doe in no case proue the law to be ceremoniall onely and mutable , neither doth the moralitie and perpetuity of the law require that every circumstance of the sabbath , and every particular sabbath duty , should at all times remain the same perpetual & unchangable chap. 10. bvt that this truth may yet shine forth more clearlie , and may soe m●nifestlie shew it selfe that no scruples may remaine , nor any doubts concerning it or any part of it . i will proced to the second special thing which is before propounded . that is , to inquire , search out , & discover the nature and kinde of this law and commandement of god , concerning the weeklie sabbath : and how farre and in what manner it bindes adam and all his posterity . and her● i haue alarge field to passe through , wherein divers points offer themselues to our view , which j cannot passe by , nor lead you along withou● due consideration of them . first here j meete with divers and severall opinions , of the learned concerning the law of the sabbath which come first to be rehearsed and examined . secondly , i finde severall kindes of lawes which god hath given to men ; mentioned in the scripture , and divers sorts of commandements , which we must severally discribe , and distinctlie consider before we can determine that which principallie is here intended , that is , what kinde of law and commandement this of the sabbath is , and how farre and in what manner all man kinde are obliged by it , & bound to obey it . the first opinion is , that the law of the sabbath is naturall , morall , & perpetuall writen in the heatt of the first man in his creation . and that as he was bound to keepe the seventh day holy to the lord in the state of innocency . soe also are all his posteritie bound in all all ages even to the last man to keepe the weeklie sabbath . but they who conceiue this law to be naturally writen in mans heart doe much differ & are diuided into two opinions . the one sort holds the law to be wholy naturall , and perpetuallie morall both in respect of the rest , and sanctification , & also in respect of the particular day of the weeke , even the seventh from the beginnning of the creation . thus doe iuda●zing christians hold , who professe christian religion , but reject the sanctification of the lords day and embrace and cleave to the iewes sabbath . the other sort do hold that there is a three fould vse of the sabbath day . 1. religious and holy , which is the exercise of holy & religious duties . 2. politicall or civill , which is rest from worldlie weariesom labour of man and beast . 3. ceremoniall or sacramentall which is a signification and shadowing of spirituall rest in christ. that in the two first respects the law is naturall , ●mortall and perpetuall , and that nature requires , that a seventh day of everie weeke should bee for rest and refreshing , and for holy exercises of religion , they all affirme : and because the seuenth and last daie of the weeke , was the daie wherein god rested , hauing in the sixt dayes before perfected all the workes of the creatiō , therf●● they hold that for the signifying & sh●dowing forth of spirituall rest in christ ; the seventh day was the fittest of all , & gods people were by gods law bound to observe it , for their sabbath vntill christ had fully finished the worke of redemption , & then rested from it as god did from the worke of creation . and that ever since the resurection the signe and ceremony of christs rest being fulfilled . the sabbath is to be kept by the same law of nature , and commandement of god on the lords day the first day of the weeke , which is one in seventh vntill the eternall sabbath and rest in heaven , unto which christ will bring all his elect at last . this is the doctrine of many of the best learned heretofore in our church , and divers godly divines do rest in this opinion which for the maine matter & substance of it , is pious & godly & approved by aquinas the great scooleman . the second opinion is , that the law of the sabbath was not naturall wr●tten in mans heart , neither did binde man to observe an holy rest the seventh day of every weeke , & onelie on the seventh day in which god rested , but that it was a possitiue law given by god , commanding more then the light of nature did clearly & distinctly shew to man , or bare naturall instinct move him unto , and that it was like the law by which god forbad man to eate of the tree of knowledge , which his own naturall appetite did leade him to eate of , being good for food & to the eye & appetite pleasant and desirable . but god restrained him from it , not but instinct of nature or law written in his heart , but by his owne voluntary commandement , to shew his authority over man , to teach man obedience , & to make man know , that he might as justlie haue restrained him from all , or the most part of either fruites , & that the use of the creatures , & the power which he gaue to man over them was his free gift , & therfor man ought to loue & serve him his creatour , as for his whole being , so also for the use & benifit of all other crea●urs . and soe like wise they hold , that by nature all dayes are alike in themselvs , & mā by the light of nature can disc●rne no difference in thē , b●t yet god to make man mindfull of his creation , & of god his creatour , did by his word & everlasting commandement given to man , seperat one day fot the vses before named . 1. for holy use even performance of religious duties only . 2. for civill use , to weet : rest from hard labour . 3. for ceremoniall , to signifie the rest of christ after the work of redemption finished , to admonish man of rest from sinfull works , & to be a token of eternall rest in heauē . & though any one day in the week is of it self naturally as fit as another , & that it is no matter what day be kept , so that one in sevē be for these uses set apart : yet because god rested on the seventh day from his work of creation , therfor in the old testament he would haue that last day of seven to be the sabbath untill the comming of christ : intēding that when the greater work of mans redemption was perfected by christ ; then the day of his resurrection in which he rested from that worke even the lords day , should be the sabbath of gods people to the end of the world ; and so this law & commandement though it be not naturall , yet it is morall , & a perpe●uall , and vnchangable rule of gods canstant will , & of mans duty in this particular : which is the main substance of it , viz , that man do keep one day in seven of every week for a sabbath of rest ' though●ut all ages of the world , & that it is chaungable onely in the circumstance of the day , & that onely thus far . 1. that while the work of creation was , that work vvhich had the preheminence in the eyes of the vvorld , the sabbath vvas to be kept necessarily one the last of the seven , in vvhich god did rest from that vvork , & so this lavv did binde men . 2. that after christ had finished his vvorke of redemption , ●ested the seventh day in the graue , & on the first day vvas risen & entered into his rest , & the vvorke vvhich novv hath the preheminence vnder the gospel , is redemption perfected by christs resurrection , the day of his resurr●ction & rest , should bee the holy sabbath to all christian people , wherby they should be admonished of the eternall rest in heaven , & wherin they should be holy devoted to such duties , as tend to bring thē on , to the fruition of rest with christ in glory . the third opinion is , that the law of the sabbath is not naturall nor perpetually morall at all , but only civill & ceremoniall , & some who are of this opinion doe hold , that it was giuen of god in the beginning to be obserued only untill the comming of christ , partly in memory of the creation , vntill the greater worke of redemtion should come in , & partly to signifie things to come by c●rist , & of true rest to bee found in him , & that now it is vtterly abolish●d , together with all the festival sabbaths , of the iewes . others of them hold , that because there was great equity in this law , & also seting apart of one day in the week for religious exercises , is a thing uery profittable & usefull for the propogation of religion , and for the upholding of order in gods c●urch : therfor the lavv in respect of the particular day is abolish●d , for that vvas ceremoniall , but the equity of the observation of on in seven still rem●ines . and therfore all christians in imitation of the ap●stles , ought to keep one in seven , especially the lords day vvhich is the last in the vveeke , rather then any other , if the church so determine it , & if it bee obserued vvithout any superstitious conceipt of more holinesse in that day , or annexed to it , rather then any other . the fourth opinion is , that the first lavv for observation of the vveekly sabbath vvas the fourth commandement , given from mount sina , & that is did bind only the isralits to keep the sevē●h day of the vveek for an holy sabbath untill the cōming of christ : but novv under the gospel it is abolish●d in respect both of the particular day , & also the strictnes of the obseruation , & only the equity of it remains in the lords day , the obseruation vvherof is commēded to us by the example of the apostles , & ●ovv the lavv of keeping it holy is only ecclesiasticall & an holy ordinance of the church· thus you see vvhile men build vpon vnsure and vnstable grounds , & not upon the certain vvords of holy scripture compared together & made to runne in a svveet harmony , hovv various & different they are , & hovv contrary some of them , in their opinions . for the removing of all doub●s , & setling of mens judgments in a sure vvay so farre as god shal enable me . i vvill endeavour to select & single out vvhatsoever i finde in these severall opinions , to be agreeable to the truth , & to the sacred vvord of god : & reject the rest : & vvill ad more over what is wanting to make up a perfect doctrine , not out of mine owne conjections , but out of canonicall scriptures , for that is the sure rule of all necessary saving and sanctified knowledge , & that must be the sure guid when fathers , councels , & churches do lead vs into severall & doubtfull wayes . first for them who hold that the law of the sabbath was written in mans heart in the creation , i hold it true insome part , to weet : thus far . that god creating man in his owne image did print this in mans heart that as he had his . whole being from god , especially his reasonable soule , by which he was made able to understand the will of god , revealed to him by his word , so hee was bound to obey god and to serue him all his dayes , with his whole heart , and with all his might . and if god did require of him any part of his time , and commanded him to obsteine from some good and lawfull workes tending to his naturall good and well being , & to doe some speciall workes for his lords pleasure , in one day or more selected daies of the weeke , or of every moneth or yeare , he ought to doe it out of duty and obedience to his lord and creatour . thus farre j consent that the law is naturall written in mans heart , to weet : in generall and in respect of the common foundation : j grant also that the law and commandement of god , injoyning the rest of men , their servants , and cattell from hard labour the seventh day , or one daie in every weeke , is a thing so naturally helpfull & needfull for the health and wellbeing of men ever since mans fall , and the curse of barennesse laid upon the earth , and the punishment of toyle some labour and faint sweating imposed on man kinde , that mans own naturall reason , will and affection must needes approue it , and moue and incline his heart to the obedience of it , and his inward thoughts cannot but accuse him of wrong done to his owne body , and to the life of his labouring cattell , and servants , if he disobey it , and in this respect it may be called a law of nature : yea i adde moreover that if wee take the law of nature in a large sence , as some times it is taken , that is for every law which commands such duties and such obedience , as in there owne nature are very vsefull & profittable to the parties commanded , and which is grounded on such just causes & weighty grounds , as by the judgment of naturall reason , are in their owne nature well worthy of such observance , then the law & commandement of keeping an holy sabbath ( on the seventh day in the old testament in thankfulnesse for christ promised & for a continuall memoriall of that great blessing : & one the first day of christs resurr●ction now under the gospell , in thankfulnesse for christ fully exhibited , & the worke of redemption by him perfected , which so much excels the promise made on the seventh day , as perfecting of a worke excels the beginning & undertaking of it ) may both in respect of the particular day & the sanctification of it be called a law of nature that is a law requiring such morall & perpetuall obedience , as is in the nature of it most just , and worthy to be performed . but that the law and commandement , which bound the fathers to keepe an holy rest one the seventh day of every weeke , and us under the gospel to keepe it on the first day especially and no other , was in in the creation written & imprinted in the heart of man so distinctlie , and expressly , that man had an inbred notion of it , and a naturall instinct of himselfe to observe this law , & to keepe a weekly sabbath on those uerie daies which god hath prescribed both to the fathers & us . this i must needs deny for these reasons following . first gods sanctifying of the seventh day by his word and commandement , and his institution of the sabbath by a positiue law giuen , as my text here shewes ; had beene vaine and needlesse , if the law and the sabbath of holie rest had beene expressly , and particularly written in mans heart already . for what man by the instinct of nature , & by his own naturall reason , will and affection , is lead and moved to do , that hee is vainly & needlesly vrged unto by any law or commandement , being of himselfe without any monitor ready to performe it . secondly , the very word ( sanctify ) signifieth the setting apart of this day to a supernaturall and heavenly vse , euen for the performance of such duties as are aboue the naturalll imaginations and thoughts of man , and which his naturall reason would never haue revealed to him , not his will lead him to do . if god by his word , and divine & superturall revealation had not directed and moved him . therefore this law by which god sanctified & instituted the sabbath is not a naturall law , but a divine and supernaturall precept . thirdly , in the creation and state of innocency , man was bound to serve god as his creatour and the author of all his being , and to be content with that estate wherein god had placed him , and saw to be very good , and to looke no higher . it was the inordinat desire of more knowledge and of an higher estate then god had revealed and promised , which made our first parents so yeelding to the devils temptations , and vndoubtedly it was an occasion of their sinne in eating of the forbidden fruite . now the serving of god as his lord and creatour was the duty of man euery day alike , for the heavens aboue ▪ and the earth beneath , and all creatures in them serving daily for mans naturall good & welbeing , even every day equallie did put man continually in mind of his duty . to weet : that he was to loue and serue the lord with all his heart , soule , and strength at all times , for this is the righteousnesse of a mans owne workes and of his owne person , which god required of man in the first covenant in the state of innocency , even his constant obedience to the vvhole and law and revealed will of god all his dayes withou● one dayes intermission . therefore the sabbath which requires service of god and worship , & loue of him as mercifull a redeemer , and that upon one day of the weeke more then all the rest , vvas not knowne nor commanded nor observed by nature in the state of innocency . fourthly , the lavv of nature written in mans heart requires no particular duty , but such as his owne naturall reason and vvill did direct & lead him vnto in the creation , and vvhich belonged to him in the state of innocency . but the lavv of the sabbath from the first institution commands and requires such things , ●nd such vvorkes , and duties as did not concerne man in the state of innocency . as 1 : rest of man and beast from their vvearisome labour for their refreshing upon one day in seven . this man had no need of , neither vvas their any need of such rest , because the toile and labour of man and beast came in after the fall , vvhen god cursed the earth for mans sinne . secondly , it requires in generall sanctification of the seventh day , by holy and religious exercises , and in particular by sacrificing to god , by prayer and supplication , and by meditating on heavenly things , and on eternall rest , and by studying all holy duties vvhich might fit men for the sight and fruition of god in heavenly glory . all which & vvhat soever other holy sabbath duties and vvorks , are mentioned in the word of god , do belong to man , only since the promise of christ the blessed seed . and in the state of innocency , man had no occasion of any such duties he had no need of sacrificing vntill christ , his ransome and sacrifice for sinne vvas promised , he neither could have any thought ar meditations of glory in heauen , or studies to fit and sanctifie himselfe for the fruition thereof untill christ the onlie vvay to eternall rest , & glory vvas promised : vvhat use had he of prayers and supplcations to god for any good thing needful , vvhen he lacked nothing , or for deliverance from evill vvhen as yet noe evill vvas knovvne in the vvorld ? what occcasion could he haue to praise god either for christ , before he did so much as dreame of christ or had any thought of him at all . as for naturall guifts and blessings he vvas by them admonished and provoked every day alike to loue , serve , honour and praise god , vvherefore seeing the vvorkes and duties of the sabbath are holy , and tend onely or chiefly to the supernaturall and heavenl● life , and to the eternall rest which christ hath purchased in heauen for man , vndoubtedly the lavv of the sabbath vvhich expresly commands such workes and duties everie seuenth day , is a positiue supernaturall and divine law , not any dictate of nature imprinted in mans heart in the creation . fiftly , every law of nature is common to all man kinde , and is written as well in the hearts of heathen as of christians , so that the conscience of men whoe never heard of god or of his word , is a monitor , to admonish them of the duty which that law requires , and an accuser if they transgresse that law , and men haue no more need to be put in mind of those duties , then of any other which the law of nature requires : but the law of the sabbath hath no footsteppe of impression in the hearts of barbarous heathen nations . it is quite forgoten among them , and onely gods people who have his written law , and word continually read and preached , do keepe the sabbath : and god in giving it to israell in written tables , & in repeating it often afterwardes , still calls upon them to remember it , thereby shewing that it is not as the law of nature printed in mans heart , but is a law giuen by word and writing , and from thence learned , and therefore easilie and quickly forgotten . sixthly , if it were a naturall law founded upon the creation , and binding man to keepe a weekelie holy day in thankfulnesse for his creation , and for the creatures made for his vse , then it should in all reason binde man to keepe holy the six dayes in vvhich god created all things , and especiallie the sixth daie wherein god made man himselfe and gaue him rule and dominion over all creatures . for holy celebrations are kept weekely or yearely one the dayes in which the blessing and benefits solemnized and celebrated were first bestovved one men . therefore it is not a naturall law grounded on the creation . lastly christ came not to chaunge the law of nature , nor to take away any part of the obedience therof , but to establish and fulfill it in every jot and title as he himselfe testifieth mat. 5.17.18 . and yet the law of the sabbath soe farre as it requires keeping holy the seventh day , as the fathers were bound in the old testament is changed by christ and by his resurrection , in which hee finished the worke of redemption , and was exhibited a perfect redeemer . and the observation of the seventh and last day of the weeke is abolished . and the first day of the weeke even the day of christs resurrection , is sanct●fied and substituted in the place of it , and so was obserued by the apostles , & after them by all true christian churches for the lords day , and for the queene and ch●efe princesse of all daies , as the blessed martyr ignatius cals it . epist. ad magnesi●s pag. 31. therefore it is not a law of nature printed & e●grauen in mans heart . j could alleadge more reasons , but j hold this perfect number of seven sufficient for this present purpose . j will therefore proceed to the next thing which is the discovery of the seuerall kindes of lawes , which god hath given to men , & the briefe discription of every kind particularly , by which j shall come to demonstrate what kind this of the sabbath is . chap. 11. the lawes of god which he hath given to men , are of two sorts , either lawes printed in mans heart which we cal lawes of nature : or else positiue lawes , which god hath commanded in his word over , and above , or besides the lawes of na●ure . th● law of nature is that will of god which hee as lord and creatour hath imprinted in mans heart in the creation , even that naturall disposition which god gaue to man , when he made him in his owne image , by which he doth informe man in the knowledge , and moue him to the practise of all duties which belong to him , and which he requirs of him , for naturall wellbeing & continuance in that life , & good estate wherein he was created . the law of nature may be distiguished into two sorts . the one is generall and indefinit , which binds man definitly in a generall bond . the other is speciall and particular , which doth define & prescribe speciall & particular duties & workes to men . the generall and indefinit law is this . that man being gods creature and hauing his whole being , life , motion and all things from god , of free gift , is in duty bound to obey god to the utmost of his power in all things whatsoever god either by naturall light , or by his word either hath revealed , or shall at any time reveale and make knowne unto him , to be his will that he should doe them . the bond and obligation of this law is very large , and reacheth through all lavves , & binds men to doe whatsoever god commands by any law whatsoever . the speciall definit and particular law of nature , is that commanding will of god engrauen in mans heart ▪ and in his upright naturall disposition , which directs man to know & moues him to performe such speciall kinds of duties and such particular workes , as he ought to do and god reveales to him & declar●s to be his wi●l that hee should do them . of these speciall lawes some are primary . and some are secondarie lawes of nature . a speciall primary law of nature is the will of god , concerning such speciall duties and particular workes , as mans owne pure created nature and naturall disposition did direct , lead & moue him vnto , which his naturall reason in the state of integrity did shew unto him , and his pure naturall will and affections did moue and stirre him to performe . as for example , to know and acknowledge god for his sole lord and creatour , and one onely god , to serue and worship him with such worship and reuerence , as his pure reason taught him to bee meet for god , to thinke and speake of god accordingly : to beare himselfe towardes the creatures , and to rule them according to the wisdome which god , had given him , to increase and multiply and to replenish & subdue the earth and such like . a secondary speciall law of nature , is a rule or precept concerning such speciall and particular duties and workes , as mans owne right reason , or gods word discouers vnto him , to bee in there owne nature good , and just , and profittable either for his owne naturall being , and wellbeing , as the cause now stands with him since his fall , and for any other good end and use agreeable to gods revealed will. as for example , that men should not liue idle , but labour painfully to provide for themselves and families , this is a duty which vvas knovvne to man before his fall , but ever since the curse vvherevvith god cursed the earth for mans sinne , gods vvord requires it , and mans ovvne naturall reason vvel informed , and his vvill and affections vvell ordered doe naturally moue him to the performance of it for his naturall vvelbeing . so diuers negatiue precepts vvhich forbidde such euils and sinfull deedes , as man never knevv nor had any thought of them in the state of innocency , but novv true naturall reason , affection and conscience ; teacheth and moueth man to hate and abhorre them ; they are lavves of this kinde . and if vve should extend the lavv of nature to the utmost , as many do , and bring under it every law which commands duties which are in their owne nature just and honest and very vsefull and profittable to the doers and to others ; ●nd serve directly and naturally for gods glory . we might reduce to this kinde of naturall lawes , every positiue morall and perpetuall precept commanding any just or holy work & duty which is just in it selfe , though there were no expresse commandement given for the doing of it . a positiue law of god is that vvhich god in his wisedome & by his word giues to man , by which he bindes man to some obedience which he of him●elf by his own naturall vvit & reason would not haue found out & discerned to be good & just , neither would haue done or performed by the instinct of nature , and the motion of his will & affection , for such an end as god hath appointed them unto . there are diuers lawes and precepts of this kinde , all which as they require that which god justly & wisely willeth man to do , & do command things which are in respect of the present state & condition good for man , so they al are after a generall manner included in the generall law of nature , and bindes men to obey them all . of these positiue lawes there are divers sorts . some are positiue commanding things which tend to preserve & maintain good order , society & peace , not onely between god the creatour and man his creature , but also betweene man & other creatures , & among men themselves . such was the law which god gaue to man , when he commanded him vnder the paine of death to obsteine from the fruite of the tree of knowledge of good and evill , & that for a wise & just end , even to put man in mind that he was not absolute lord of all the visible creatures , to vse them at his pleasure , but that he was a subordinate lord and ruler under god , and that all other trees berbes & fruites which god alowed him to eate of , were gods free guift , & also to teach him , that hee was chiefly & aboue all to looke to the service of god & obedience of his will , & to omit the serving of his owne turne , & the doing of that which his owne vvill might moue him to doe , when god at any time should call him another way . and of this kind are all the judiciall lawes , vvhich god gaue to israell by moses for the well ordering of their common vvealth , & all precepts of obedience , vvhich inferiors ovve to superiours in things lavvfull and that for peace sake . some positiue lavves are evangellicall and religious vvhich command vvorks & duties tending to an holy heavenly & supernaturall end & use , such are all lavvs & cōmādments vvhich god hath given vpō occasiō of christ revealed to mā , & in & through christ vvhich require duties , & service due to god as he is mās redeemer , & bind mā as he expects benefit by christ the mediatour & redeemer , to such workes & such obedience , as come to be of vse in respect of christ. these evangellicall lavvs are of two sorts . 1. some are vniversall & perpetuall requiring necessary works & duties of all such as are to be saued by christ. 2. some are special & temporary , which require some speciall service & workes of obedience , & them of some only , & for some times , & in some condition of the church . perpetuall & vniuersall evangellicall lawes , which bind all gods redeemed ones , & require things necessary to salvation by christ , are the commaundements of god , by which he bindes all men to repentance & reformation of life , to godly sorrow , & humiliation for sinne , to beleeue in christ under penalty of loosing salvation , & of perishing for euer , & condemned & cast into hell for their sins . speciall or temporarie laws are they which bind men , or all men of some ages and in some times to some speciall service & worship , fit for the present state & condition of the church , or to so some duties & workes vvhich for the time are profittable to guid & lead men to christ , & therfore are sanctified of god & set apart for that purpose : ●uch are the lawes & commandements of sacrificing & bringing offerings & first fruits to god , of oxen & sheep & other cleane beasts & birdes , & of the increase of the earth , some of which lavves did binde all gods people from the first promise of christ even all the fathers from adam untill moses , & all israell untill the comming of christ , such lawes were that of circumcision given to abrahā , as a seale of the covenant wh●ch god made with him & his seed , & that of the passouer , and of the first borne , & all leviticall ceremoniall lawes , given to israell by the hand of moses , & such are the commandements of baptisme & the lords supper , which binde all christians under the gospell . there are also besides these severall kinds of lawes , some mixt lawes , & of these some are partly & in some respects naturall , because they bind men to some duties vnto which nature binds them ; & in some respects civill , for they require things which tend to civill order & government ; & partly in some respects also evangellicall commanding things which tend to salvatio● in christ. some are partly morall & perpetuall in that they require morall duties which are necessary & vsefull at all times to the end of the world ; & partly ceremoniall & temporary in that they require obedience in things which are usefull onely in some cases and at some times . as for example the law which god gaue from mount sina , & wrote it in tables of stone it doth binde men not only to all morall duties which engrauen in the creation , to weet : all duties which man did owe to god as to his onely creatour , & to men as fellow creatures ; but also to such further duties & degrees of obedience as man doth owe to god his only saviour & redeemer in christ , & to men & angels as his fellow sevants brethren & mēbers of one & the same spirituall body under the same head christ. and therefore god presseth and urgeth obedience to that law , at the giuing thereof vpon this consideration , and for this reason , because hee is the lord god the redeemer and deliverer , who as he delivered the naturall israell from egyptian bondage , so by that typicall deliverance did foreshew and prefigure the spirituall redemption of all the spirituall bondage under sinne , the world and the devill . to loue god aboue all , and a mans neighbour as himselfe , to honour parents , and to speake truth of euery one , to giue leaue to every one freely to enjoy his owne , and many such duties requited in the ten commandements are naturall , and nature bound man to them in innocencie , and in respect of them that law is nature . but to beleeve in god as a redeemer , to visite and comfort the sick , and distressed , to honour parents , pastors , superiours , as fathers in christ , and divers duties of neglatiue precepts , as not to make images of god ; not to pollute gods name by vaine swearing and such like , the knowledge and thoughts of vvhich man had not in his heart by nature in the creation , vvhich come into the vvorld by naturall corruptions , and man vvas not subject to them , untill he vvas seduced and fallen and brought into bondage by satan , they are posituallie morall , and as the lavv commands them , it is a positiue morall law , yea in respect of some of them evangelicall . and as reverence and respect to civill magistrates and men of higher place , as they are superiours and men of greater power and authority ( which difference and equality came in by mans fall , and flowes from gods distribution of his common guifts in a different manner & measure ) as i say this honour giuen to them as civill rulers , ruling for our good and the good of the common weath , is commanded in this law so it is ciuill . and lastly as all ceremoniall & religious ordinances , and outward significatiue , & worship sanctified by god , and appointed as most fit for the time and season , receiue their originall authority and first strength from that law given from mount sina , especially from the commandement which bindes man to obey god , as his creatour & redeemer in all ordinances , so farre as he requires , so and in this respect this law is ceremoniall and bindes to obedience temporary , fit for the season , & opportunity . jn like maner the commandement which the lord christ hath given in the gospell , for baptizing of christians and for the administration and receiving of the sacrament , of his body and blood , as they command an outward sacramentall washing with water , and abodily eating of bread and drinking of wine which haue beene of use onely since the comming of christ , and not from the beginning , so they are ceremoniall and temporary . for whatsoever ordinances are in vse in the church of god for a season onely , that is during the time of the true and proper signification of the world ceremonia : which is compounded of the gr : wordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which signifies a set time or season , and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , whice signifies onelie , or rather 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to abide or remaine . but because the time of the gospell is perpetuall unto the end of the world , and they are commanded to be observed of all christians at the time of the gospell , in this respect these commandements may be called vniversall and pepetuall . and as in these and all other ceremonies , ordained by god , there are required besides the outward bodily rites & actions , many spirituall duties , as inward reverence and holy affections of the heart faith in christ & the blessed trinity beleeving of the covenant , commemoration of christ & his benefits , confession of three persons in one god , and the eye of faith looking chiefly to the spirituall things signified , so the commandement and law enjoyning them may justly be esteemed positiuely and evangellically morall . thus much for the divers and severall kindes of gods lawes which hee hath given to men . j proceed to that which is the maine thing here intended , that is to shew what kinde of law the commandement of the sabbath is , & vnder which of these severall kindes it is comprehended . and in a word j hold it to be of the last kinde , to weet : a mixt law that is partly naturall , and partly positiue , both ciuill and evangellicall , and not onely universall and perpetuall but also speciall & ceremoniall , and so indeed it takes part of all kindes of lawes which god hath given men , and which are mentioned in the scriptures , which thing because the learned haue not heretofore obserued nor well considered , but some haue cast their eyes upon the common ground of this lavv printed in mans heart in the creation , and finding it among the ten commandements which are generally held to be the summe and substance of the law of nature , doe call it a law of nature . others haue considered it as a speciall commandement given by god immediatly after the creation by word of mouth and not written in mans heart , and do call it a positiue morall law . others haue considered it as it commands rest one the seventh day , now altered by christ , which rest was a signe of christs rest from the worke of redemption & is a token & pledge of eternall rest in heauen , & there upon hold it to be a ceremoniall law : and hence ariseth the diuersity among christians , and almost civill warre betweene the pastors of severall churches , yea & amōg learned preachers of one & the same church : whereas indeed they all hold the truth in part but not wholy : they all erre in this , that they limit it every one , to that speciall kinde of law , which he hath hath chiefly in his eye and upon which he hath set his conceit : now make it a mixt law & proue it manifestly , & there needs no more contention , except some men wil contend without cause & against reason out of a spirit of contention & contradiction . first , this law as all other lawes is indefinitly comprehended in the generall law of nature , for the generall law written in mans heart in the creation , binds him to attend the wil of god , & to be ready to obey god , his creatour in all things whatsoever he either had already declared , or should at any time to come reveale to bee his will , and to bee a duty which he required of man. and therefore the observing & keeping of a weekly holy sabbath , & devoting of a seventh part of every weeke to religious exercises & to rest from bodily labour & common worldly busines , being expresly commanded by god , & declared at severall times & upon severall occasions to be his will , man is by the generall of nature bound to performe it , & in this respect we may truly say that the law of the sabbath is a law of nature , included indefinitly in that generall law & dictate of nature written in mans heart in the creation . secondly , though j cannot conceive that the keeping of an holy sabbath weekly , was a thing so disti●ct written in mans heart in the creation , that man of himselfe by the instinct of his nature , or by the light of his reason & motion of his will , would haue set either the seventh daie or any other of the seven daies of the weeke apart for rest , or other duties of the sabbath , which god in the first institution required , & commanded also in his law giuen from mount sina : yet because the keeping holy of a weekly sabbath upon such grounds as are mentioned in this text , & for such ends & vses as god hath ordained , to weet : commemoration of gods mercy & bounty in promising christ , preserving the knowledge & memory of the covenant of eternall life , & rest in christ , training up of people in religion , the feare & worship of god , & in holines , by which they are made fit to see & enjoy god in glory , because j say , the keeping holy of a weekly sabboth is in these respects a thing very good & profittable , yea & necessary for the helpe of man and for the reparing of his nature corrupted . thirdly , if we consider the law of the weekly sabbath as it was given by god in the first institution , & in his blessing & sanctifying of the seuenth day , & againe renewed & inserted among the ten commandements given from mount sina : & at other times upon diuers occasions repeated by moses and by the prophets from gods mouth , if we also consider that neuer the sabbath it self nor the ground ; reason , & ocasion of it , ( to weer : gods perfecting the creation by promising & revealing redemptiō in christ , & the rest which j haue before proved & demonstrated ) were written ●n mans heart in innocency , but were after mans fall revealed by god , & thereupon the holy rest commanded to bee kept on that day which god aboue other daies hath blessed and sanctified . we may truely affirme that the commandement of the sabbath in these respects is a positiue law of god , & not a law of nature requiring such particular duties as man of himselfe without gods positiue commandement would haue observed . yea the word ( memento remember ) soe often added to the precept of the sabbath as appeares exod. 20.8 . doth plainly shew that the keeping holy of a weekly sabbath , was not a thing printed in mans heart , for then it had beene vaine & needlesse for god soe often to use this word remember & to put them in mind of this duty by moses & the prophets , mans owne conscience would haue been his daily and continual monitor & remembrancer , & his own thoughts would haue ben ready to accuse him for every omision & neglect of it . as the apostle testifies of the worke of the law written in mans heart , rom. 2.15 . fourthly , if we consider the law of the sabbath as it commandeth man together with his children , servants & labouring cattell to rest from their wearisome labours & bodily paine ; which came in by sinne , & by mans fall , together with servile subjection & difference of the maister & servant , which weekly rest & intermission from toyle & labour granted to servants & cattell by their maisters : as well as to themselves , makes very much for good order in every state & common wealth , & for peace & society among mē , & in every family , & serves for an excellent civill & politicall use , so it is in the judgment of many learned & godly divines , not without good reason hold to be a civill and politicall lavv . fifthly , if we consider . first the time of gods first institution of the sabbath , as it fals under chist , even upon the seventh day of the world , in which christ was , promised to redeeme man who was fallen in the latter end of the sixth day as is before shewed . secondly , if wee consider the ground and reason of gods institution of the sabbath and sanctifying the seventh day , even christ promised the seed of the woman , & to breake the serpents head , by whose actually undertaking & beginning to mediate for man , god did perfect the mutable worke of creation , & setled the world in an higher estate of the perfection supernaturall , & did rest in christs mediation , being that which was able to giue full satisfaction to his justice . thirdly , if we consider that in the first institution , the sabbath day was sanctified & blessed aboue the other six dayes : that is , vvas set apart to heavenly & supernaturall vse ; which cannot be imagined but in & under christ in whome all things are sanctified . we must needes know & confesse that the commandement of the sabbath even in and from the first originall and institution , is a law divine and evangellicall , commanding such an 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 men , and having shewed what kinde of law this is which god hath giuen for the observation of the weekly sabbath , and how and in what manner it bindes the sonnes of adam in all ages , some in one kinde , and some in another , and adam and all his posterity in some respects . there remaines yet for all that hath beene said before , one speciall point to be more fully proved . that is concerning the chaunge of the sabbath from the seventh to the first day , what ground and warrant we haue for it , and how the law of god ( by which god set apart the seventh day in the first institution , and still in the fourth cōmandement and other repetitions of that law by moses mentions on the seventh day for the weekly sabbath ) can bind us christ ans to keep holy the lords day , or warrant us to make it our sabbath . for the more full manifestation and proofe of this point , and satisfiing of all doubts : i will by the light of gods sacred word , and by the helpes which i shall finde in the writings and sayings of the best learned both ancient and moderne christian divines , do my best endeavour to shew and proue that the lords day , which is the first of the weeke , and the day of christs resurrection , the fittest day of all the seven to be the holy weekly sabbath of christians . that god before and in the first giving of the law of the sabbath , did intend and foresee the chaunge & the grounds of the chaunge of it to the first day , that god by christ hath chaunged it . and that the law of the sabbath in the maine duties which it requires is more fully and in a better and more excellent manner obeyed by christians in there observation of the lords day ; and keeping it for the holy rest ; then it was by the fathers of the old testament ; in their keeping of the seventh and last day of the vveeke ; for their holy rest and vveekly sabbath , first to proue the conveniencie & fitnesse of the lords day to be the sabbath under the gospell , aboue all other daies , we haue diuers arguments . the first i frame thus . that day which is the first of dayes , & the first fruits of time especially of the time of grace , is the fittest to be the lords holy day aboue all other daies of the weeke in & under the time of grace . the lord himselfe teacheth this for a plaine truth requiring the fruits of all things for an holy offering to himselfe under the law , & from the beginning when he taught adam , & adam did teach his sonnes caine , & abell , to bring sacrifices of firstlings & first fruits for offerings to him . gen. 4. now the lords day which is the first day of the week is the first of all daies in the world . in it god began the creation , the highest heavens which is the place of blessednes & the heavenly host , also the common masse & matter of the whole visible & inferior world , & the chiefest & most gracious element , the light , that is the fiery heavens with the first beginning of the creation , this day began , & so it is the first fruites of all times created , & although in the creatiō & during the state of innocency the first fruites were no more holy thē the rest of the lump , or masse , & sanctifying of things to holy use , came in by christ & with the first promise of him ▪ & the first time of christ revealed being the seventh day was to be the holy sabbath all the time in which christ was onely promised & not given . yet now seeing by the resurrection of christ , in which christ wa● exhibited a perfect redeemer , and became the first fruites of them that sleep . the first day of the weeke and of the world which was onely the first fruits of time before , is by gods providence become the first day & firist frvites of the time of grace vnder christ a perfect redeemer . therfore the first day which is now the first fruites of time both in the crea●ion and under pefect redemption , which doth perfect and sanctifie the creation , is now the fittest of all the dayes of the weeke to be the lords holy sabbath . and it is against all reason for any to think any other day so fit to bee offered vp for the first fruites of every weeke , and of our times to god , as this day which is the day of the lord christ , who is the true first fruites of all creatures , and doth sanctifie the whole masse and lumpe of mankinde and all other creatures which are gathered vnto god in him . in which day christ arose from death and became the first frutes of them that sleepe : that by the virtue of his resurrection hee might sanctifie the very grave to them that sleep in him , & might raise them up as to grace in this life , soe alsoe to glory at the last day in the generall resurrection . secondly that day wherein the place of eternall rest and of the everlasting sabbath which after this vvorld ended , remaines for the people of god , was created and brought into being , and vvherein eternall rest was purchased , and the way opened into that rest , must needes in the judgment of reasonable men be the fittest day for the weekly sabbath , which is to all gods people a sure signe and pledge of eternall rest and of their everlasting sabbath in heauen , which weekly sabbath is to be kept holy and sanctified by mediations on heaven and heavenly rest , & by such holy exercises of religion , as doe fit and prepare vs for the life of glory in heaven . now the first daie of the weeke is the day wherin god created the place of eternall rest , euen the highest heavens , which are from eternity decreed and ordained to bee the place in vvhich his elect shall keepe rheir eternall sabbath after this life . in this day also christ arose from death perfected redemption , and rested from that vvorke by vvhich he procured eternall life and heavenly glory for god people , upon this day hee opened the way to the holie of holies , and made his first enterance both in his owne flesh , & also for all his members into that life eternall and that rest which they with him shall enjoy in the heavenlie mansions . therefore vndoubtedlie : this day of all the daies of the weeke most fit and and worthy to be kept an holy sabbath of rest and to be sanctified with mediations on heaven and heavenly glory , and with other exercises of religion which fit men for eternall rest in heaven . thirdly , that day wherein god first created the light of this inferior visible world , and wherein the light of the visible heavens did shine forth , when it is once blessed with the rising up of a greater and more glorious light , even the sun of righteousnesse : it is of all daies become the fittest & most vvorthy to be the lords holy weekly sabbath , which is to be hallowed by meditating vpon the inheritance of the saints in light , and by such holy exercises as tend to make men meet to be partakers thereof . now the first day of the weeke , the lords day is the day wherein god first created the light of the visible world , even the fiery heavens which shine forth ever since , and give light to the inferiour world , soe it is testified gen. 1.3 . and on this day christ the lord , the sun of righteousnesse did rise up , and did bring to light immortallity & eternall life , and became the great and glorious light of the world . therefore this day is the fittest and most worthy to bee the holie weeklie sabbath , and to be spent in meditation upon , & seeking for the inheritance of the saints in light . fourthly , that day which hath not only the same grounds and reasons in it , upon which god first founded the sabbath , and sanctified the seventh day , but also divers additions of the same kinde which make the grounds and reasons more forcible and excellent . this is most fit and worhy to be the holy weekly sabbath , and such is the first day of the weeke and hath beene , ever since it became the lords day , by the lord christ his resurrection . for proofe whereof consider the grounds and reasons upon which god sanctified the seventh day . 1. gods ending or perfecting his created worke . 2. gods resting from that worke . 3. gods blessing of the seventh day by revealing on it the greatest blessing , farre aboue any given in the creation . these are the groundes here laid downe in my text , which are rehearsed againe by god in the fourth commandement of the law . and another reason drawne from the end and use of the sabbath is also added exod. 31.13 . ezech 20.12 . to weet : that the sabbath might be a signe and token from god that hee is their god who doth sanctifie them , that is : by giving his holy spirit with all saving graces in this life vnto them in christ , doth fit them for the fruition & sight of his glory in the eternall rest in heaven , & so makes the weekly sabbath a pledge of the eternall sabbath in the world to come also . now the godly learned heretofore who had no thought of founding the sabbath on christ promised on the seventh day of the world , they do understand gods ending of his worke , to be either the finishing of the creation on the seventh day by adding some perfection or natural blessing to the creatures more then he had given , on the sixt daies . or else that god had already ended & perfected his worke before the seuenth day , & for this cause blessed & sanctified the seventh day for a memoriall of the creation of the world , and all things therein made perfect and compleat & so appearing on that day . and by gods resting on the seventh day from all his worke which he created & made , they understand nothing else but gods rest of mere cessation , & because this was the day wherein god hauing finished his worke , & made all things good , had no occasion to worke any more by way of creation , but rested from making more kindes of creatures . therefore god commanded man to rest after his example every seventh day , and to keep it for a weekly sabbath . and by gods blessing of the seventh day , they doe understand gods sanctifying of it to be a signe & pledge of the eternall rest . these being the grounds & reasons ( in the opinion of the learned ) vpon which god sanctified the seuenth daie , are in a more excellent measure to be found in the first day of the week , on which day the lord christ rose from death· for first the lord christ on that day , who is the lord of the sabbath . ended a greater worke then the creation , even the great worke of redemption which on that daie he did perfect and finish , by the last & highest act of it , even his resurrection in which he got the victorie & triumphed ouer death the last enimie , & ouer him who had the power of death that is , the devill , and did shew to the world that he had fully paid the ransome & price of mans redemption , satisfied justice , & wrought & fulfilled all righteousnesse , sufficient to justifie all that beleeve in him & to settle them in gods favour for ever . so that here is a better ending & finishing of a better work , then that of the creation was , which did perfect the mutable worke of creation , & so here is a b●tter ground of sanctifying the day in which it came to passe , as dive●s learned writers haue rightly observed . secondly , on this day the lord christ entered into a better rest , then any from the creation can be : he rested from all his laboures , paines , & sufferings , & all workes which gods infinite justice required for mans redemption by way of satisfaction , heb. 4.10 . and he tooke possession of eternall rest for himselfe as the head , and for his body the whole church & for every elect member thereof . so that this resting is a more farre excellent ground & reason of the sanctifying of this day to be the weekely sabbath . yea though i do by gods perfecting of his worke , vnderstand his perfecting of the worke which was marred & defaced by mans fal , even the worke of creation , & his making of it more perfect and compleat , by his promising of christ , and by christs undertaking & beginning his actuall mediation , & first bringing in of supernaturall perfection . and by gods resting i vnderstand his resting so fully & wholy in christs mediation , & in his satisfaction undertaken for the repairing & perfecting of the world , which man by his fall had brought under vanity & corruption , that he put from him all thoughts & purposes of going about any new worke of creation for the repairing therof , and so is said to rest , as i haue befor fully proved : yet i must confesse that on the lords day , which is the first of the weeke , in which christ did rise from death . god did more fully & excellently perfect all his worke & brought in a rest , which doth so farre excell that perfecting of his worke & resting from creation on the first seventh day , as the actuall performance of a promise , & giuing and fulfilling of a good thing promised , vndertaken , & begun , doth excell the promise & the undertaking & beginning of it . and therefore j will bee bold vpon these grounds & premises to conclude with the best learned both of the auncient fathers and moderne divines . that there is more conveniency and fitnesse in the lords day , the first day of the week to be the lords holy weekly sabbath now under the gospell . and there are more excellent grounds and sure reasons for the sanctifying of it , then any which are named or can be found in the seventh daie which was the sabbath of the old testament : yea this day by meanes of christs resurrection to glory in it , is the surest pledge and token which outwardly can be given to gods church and people , that god who raised him up , is by him fully appeased , satisfied and reconciled to his people , and is the lord who doth sanctifie them & will bring them to glory . and thus i passe from the conveniency and fitnes of the lords day , which is the first of the weeke , to shew the chaunge of the sabbath unto that day both in gods intention and purpose from the beginning , & also actually in the fulnesse of time by the glorious resurrection of the lord christ vp on that day . where by gods assistance j shall make it appeare . that this chaunge of the sabbath to the lords day is no humane invention , or eccesiasticall tradition , but a thing which god the lawgiuer did purpose and intend from all eternity , and foretold by the prophets , and by divers signs foreshewed of old , and in fulnesse of time did by his sonne christ the lord of the sabbath , command and actually bring to passe . first saint augustine and divers other learned men haue heretofore obserued . that god by some notable things which he in his wisdome made to concurre in the first day of the ceration , did plainly foreshew in the beginning before the seventh day was sanctified , or the law of the sabbath given , that it was his purpose and will , and he in his eternall counsell had determined to advance in fulnesse of time , that day aboue all other daies of the weeke to the honour of the holy weekly sabbath , to a day of meditation on the eternall rest in heaven , and a pledge to his people of the euerlasting sabbathisme , which there remaines for them , and the first fruites of their time offered vnto god in christ and sanctified in him . those notable things are the three things before named . 1. that god made that day the first fruites of all time . 2. created in it the place of eternall rest the highest heaven , in which the blessed saints shal injoy their blessed sabbath whereof the weekly sabbath is a signe and pledge to them in this life . 3. in it he created the light of this visible world , which things concurring in one and the same day : ( god in his wisedome soe ordering it , who doth nothing in vaine but every thing for some wise purpose ) and being good reasons to prove and grounds to make that day the fittest to be sanctified in christ , & made the ch●istian sabbath , as j haue before noted , the learned from thence do gather , and not without good reason : that from the beginning god intended for this day the honour of his weeklie sabbath , in the time of the glorious gospel . secondly , diuers of the auncients haue observed . that god raineing manna first from heaven to israell on the first day of the weeke in the wildernesse : as we read exod. 16. did therefore foreshew that this was the day which he had appointed to be the day of the lord christ , even the day wherein he who is the heavenly manna and bread of life should be given from heaven in his incarnation , and the day in which he should come out of the furnace of fiery afflictions , and made a strong bread & nourishment by his resurrection able to feed our soules spiritually to life eternal . and from hence they inferr , with the approbation of diuers graue divines and schoolemen of later times , that god did of old intend and purpose to make this day , in the times of the gospel after christ fully exhibited and giuen unto us , to be the bread of life , & heavenly mann● , his holy weekly sabbath and day of spirituall provision , wherein christians should make their weekly provision of spirituall food , and heauenly manna to feed their soules . thirdly , diuers of the auncient fathers haue observed , and diuers both schoolemen and godly learned writers of the reformed church therein conse●t with them . that the lord did of old by his spirit-speaking in the prophets , fortell the chaunge of the holy sabbath from the seventh to the first day of the weeke , the lords day , and day of christs resurrection . the blessed m●rtyr jgnatius who lived and was growne in the knowledge of christianity in the time of the apostles , and before the death of st. iohn the evangelilist as hee himselfe testifies , doth in his epistle to the m●gnesians not onely affirme that the lords day is the queene and supreme lady of all dayes , but also endeavours to proue , that god from the daies of old had ordained it to be the true christian sabbath , and did foreshew so much by the wordes of the prophet david in the title of the sixth psalme , wherein it is called a psalme unto the eighth day , that is in honour of the lords day , which as it is the first of the weeke counting from the creation everie weeke severallie by it selfe , and the seventh if we begin our account with the next day after the lords day , as the iews did with the next after their sabbath . so if we reckon forward from the beginning of the creation into an other weeke it is the eight day . and also learned augustine and others of the fathers , as also diuers late writers do in this point concurre with him , and affirme that god moving dauid to make such honorable mention of the eighth daie , did foreshew his purpose and will , to chaunge that day by christs resurrection in to his holy sabbath . some also from gods institutiō of circumcision one the eighth day after the birth of the child which was to be circumcised , do gather that the eight day , after the birth of the world , to weet : the lords day was befor ordained of god to be not only the day of christs resurrection & victorie over sin & death by which sin should be cut of & destroyed , but also the christian sabbath and so both a speciall day of circumcising their hearts to the lord in the state of grace , and also a pledge of the fulnesse of mortification and sanctification in the day of the last resurrection & of enterance into the eternall sabbath in heauen . for this purpose also saint austen & many other learned men in all ages since even to this day , doe alledge the plaine words of david , psal. 118.24 , where hauing prophetically fortold the glorious resurrection of christ. thow after that the iewes had crucified & put him to death , hee should rise up to be the head corner stone even the rock & foundation of the church , ( for so our sauiour mat. 21.42 . & the apostle act. 4.11 . do expound davids words ) he immediatly affirmes , that this is the day which the lord hath made , we will rejoyce , and be glad in it . that this is the day of the lord christ as st. iohn cals it revel . 1.10 . which the lord hath made . that is , in his degree hath already appointed to be his holy day , we ( that is in the time of the gospell when this stone is become the head of the corner ) will rejoyce & be glad in it : that is , rejoyce befor the lord with all joy & serve him , be glad in him with sabbatical & holy solemnity , & if we consider wel the matter and substance of the 92. psalme , which is intitled a psalme for the sabbath , we shall see that it is most fit for the day of christs resurrection , setting forth the fruites thereof plainely and after a lively manner , to weet : the soled joy of gods people , and the florishing state of the righteous in gods church , and exalting of the horne of christ the true m●ssiah and king of the church . fourthly , if we consider the diversity and difference of things which are commanded in the law of the sabbath , and are to be observed in the weekly sabbath as it was instituted by god at the first , and againe reviued in the fourth commandement , if we call to minde that the law is a mixt law commanding some things which concern the uery substance and being of the holy sabbath , unto which it bindes men perpetually , such as are a fit proportion of time one day in every weeke , rest and cessation , from common workes of this life , and sanctification of it by religious exercises and devoting it to publicke assemblies and holy worship . and other things it commanded which were typicall , and ceremoniall , and were to haue there full accomplishment in christ , and to be in force only vntil the ful exhibitiō & revelation of christ , a pefect redeemer , all which i haue largely shewed before , and the best learned haue euer held . it will upon these grounds necessarily follow , that there must be a chaunge of the sabbath from the seventh day , and in respect of the tipicall and ceremoniall worshippe , at the full exhibition of christ , into aday and a worship more fit for christ giuen and revealed , and for the times of the gospell . first it is generally held by the best learned . that god by sanctifying the seventh day and commanding his holy sabbath to be kept everie weeke on the seventh day , did thereby shew , that in his wisdome he saw it fit and necessary for man to observe this proportion of time , & to devote one day in everie weeke , both to bodilie rest and a totall cessation from his owne worldlie labors , pleasures , and delights , and also to holie and heavenlie meditations , and to religious exercises , and holie assemblies . and in these respects they call the law of the sabbath naturall , morall , and perpetuall , and they proue it thus . first because nature it selfe and common reason and experience doe teach , that ever since mans fall it is naturallie necessarie for mans health and welbeing , and for the preserving and upholding of the life & strength of his labouring and ●oyling cattell , that he , his servants & cattell should haue one daies rest in seaven . and that without this proportion of time dedicated to holie assemblies , and exercises of pietie , the saving knowledge of god , and true religion and pietie cannot well be upheld , fraile men would by little forget god , become ignorant of heavenly things , and so of the way to eternall rest ; if it were left in mans power to chuse his owne time ; some would chuse none at all , the rest for the most part would differ that time which some thought fit . others would refuse as inconvenient , and so there would be no set ordinary assemblies , gods worship would grow out of use . secondly , true piety teacheth us ; that we ought to think our selues bound in conscience to giue and devote so much of our time at the least to pious exercises , as god , in whose hand we and our times are , did require of his people in the obscurer times of the old testament , for the keeping of religion and his worshippe on foote , for preserving of the knowledge and memory of his goodnesse , and benefits , and for the sanctifying of their weekely laboures of his creatures to their use and of themselves to him , that they might be fitted to see him in glory , for the abundance of grace shed on us by the gospel ; is a bond and obligation to us of much more service and obedience which we owe to god. now god required of them every seventh day to be kept holy , and that was the least which any of them in any age were bound to dedicate to his worshippe . and therefore true piety binds us much more to keepe an holy weekly sabbath . these are arguments and proofes , sufficient to satisfie any man who doth not peruersly resist , and rebell against the law of nature . but let me here giue a cave at by the way : that when the learned call the sabbath and the law of it naturall , we are not to conceiue that by natural , they mean a thing writen in mans heart in the creation , which man was made to performe and obey simply as a reasonable creature and naturall man ( for man was made for the sabbath marke 2.27 . ) neither did he toyle and sweat or need a set weekly rest : neither did he need a weekly solemnity , to helpe his memory , or to stirr up his affections , as i haue before proved . but that they understand by naturall , that which the uerie light of naturall reason shewes to be most convenient and necessary for men now corrupt , and which so soone as it is commanded and revealed by gods word appeares so necessary in the very nature of it , both for men soules and bodies , that without it they can̄ot haue ordinarily any wel being on earth , nor escape hel & cōe to heaven after death . this exposition learned zanchyus , gives of his owne and other learned mens speeches , when they call the law of the sabbath naturall . jf , saith he , it were so naturall as things written in mans heart in the creation , then the heathen gentiles would haue felt themselves bound by it , and would haue shewed it in their practise in some measure more or lesse . neverthelesse the conclusion of zanchyus , and other learned divines is firme and sure , vpon the former premises , to weet : that gods first commandement of the sabbath doth perpetually bind al gods people to the worlds end , to keep a weeklie sabbath even a seventh day in everie weeke holie to the lord. secondly , it is a thing vniversally held by all true christian writers , that the sabbath as it was limited to the seventh day of the weeke , and was to be observed by bodily sacrifices morning and evening , and by worshippe which consisted in outward rites which were tipes and figures of things which haue their accomplishment in christ , so it was ceremoniall temporary and chaungable . the common ground of the sanctifying of the seventh day and tying the sabbath to it , is held commonlie to be gods rest on the seventh day from the worke of creation . and this is such a grounde as in the fulnesse of the time was to giue place and did giue place to a better rest arising , and brought in by the finishing of a more excellent and glorious worke of gods goodnes and bountie even the worke of mans redemption . the worshippe of god on the sabbath of the seventh day in the old testament , by double sacrifices & such ryts were but vanishing shadows the substance of thē was christ , & therfor they were to cease whē the body & substance came in . and the particular day it selfe and the rest tyed to it was a tipe and figure of the death of christ , and of his rest in the grave , and of the rest and ease which christ by his death should bring to all gods people from the burden of legall rites , and from the guilt of sinne and horrour of conscience , which as an heavy load did presse them downe , and from the masse of corruption like a weight hanging fast one them , all which christ abolished by his death and redemption , and so put an end to the sabbath as it was tied to the last day of the weeke . this being commonly held for a certaine truth by the learned fathers and writers of all ages after them untill this day , proues so farre as their authority and reason will reach : that though the keeping holy of a weekly sabbath is a perpetuall day , to which all gods people are boūd in all ages : yet the particular day was mutable , and another speciall day was to be appointed and consecrated by him who is the lord of the sabbath , wherin an holy rest fitter for the time and state of the new church must be kept , with better service and solemnity . instead of bodily sacrifices , there must be offering up of spirituall sacrifices of praises , praiers , alms , & works of piety , & charity : for-slaughtering of beasts , ther must mortifying of corruption by holy contrition , and killing of all brutish lusts and carnall pleasures and delights , by seperating our selues and sequestring our mindes from them . instead of darke shaddowes of the law , and obscure promises of christ to come ; there must be the light of the gospel shining in the church & preaching of christ crucified , and raised up and set at gods right hand , and there must be seeking of gods face in his name and mediation , and of accesse vnto god in him by one spirit . now what day can any man conceive in any reason so fit as the lords day , the first of the week : wherin we christians keep our weekly sabbath ? this undoubtedly is the most fit and convenient of all daies as i haue largely before proued . yea that this vndoubtedly is the onely particular day which gods law bindes us to keepe holy all the time of the gospell , even untill we come to the eternall rest in heaven . i will as briefly as i can proue and demonstrate , in the last place , and so conclude this point of sanctifycation of the sabbath , as it is the worke of god the lawgiver , and is distinguished from mans duty and worke of sanctification . chap. 13. the first which is the maine foundamentall argument , is drawn from the foundation upon which god hath from the beginning builded and surely setled the weekly sabbath . it is a thing most certaine and undeniable , that whatsoever things are inseperably joyned & cleaue fast together , they stand & move together , the one cannot moue to any place , but the other of necessity must moue with it . whatsoever is firmly s●tled on a rock and inseperably fastened to it , & founded on it , must needes moue with the rock and cannot moue to any place but where the rock is moved , upon which ground i argue thus : that which is from the beginning founded upon christ , and so surely setled and firmly builded vp●n him by god , the founder of al things , that cannot be seperated , it must needs moue and chaunge the place with christ , and cannot be moved , nor chaunge and remove to any place but onely to that which christ is removed . the weekly sabbath from the first institution is founded by god , firmly builded and sure setled upon christ the redeemer , and is in seperably joyned to him . there●ore it cannot move nor chaunge the place , nor be remoued from the seventh day to any other day of the weeke , vnlesse christ the redeemer change his day and moue together with it , and if he doth chaunge his solemne day , it must needes be chaunged and removed with him to the same day . the proposition is undeniable : the assumption also j haue fully proved before , in the laying open the grounds of the sabbath : and therefore the conclusion is a most manifest truth . that whensoever christ chaungeth his day and chooseth another , the sabbath must needes bee chaunged to the same day . which conclusion fully proved i lay it down for a good ground and argue thus upon it . that day which christ leaveth and passeth from it vnto another , which he chooseth for his speciall and particuler day . from that day the sabbath also is chaunged and moved , and the other day which christ hath chosen becoms also immediatly the particular day of the holy weekly sabbath . now the seventh day which was the speciall day of christ in the old testament , because on it christ was promised a redeemer of the world , and did first undertake openly and actually to mediate for man , is now ceased to be christs peculier day , he hath left it , & hath chosen the first day , and made that his speciall and peculiar day aboue all other daies of the weeke , when in it he got the victory ouer death , and by his resurrection entered into his glory and eternall rest ; and of a redeemer in promise , became a redeemer indeed & fully perfected mans redemption . therefore ever since hath the weekely sabbath beene removed to the first day , and that is the peculiar day of the weekely sabbath . secondly , that god did from the beginning purpose in himselfe , and by many evidences did declare his intent , to chaunge the sabbath from the seventh to the first day , & also in the first institution of the sabbath , and in the giuing of his law for the keeping of it , did intend to bind us under the gospel to the keeping of our weekly sabbath on the first day of the weeke , as he bound the fathers to the seventh day in the old testament . j proue from the determinate counsell and forknowledge of god concerning the chaunges which he foreknew and determined to bring to passe , in the foundation , groundes , and prerogatiues of the sabbath from the seventh to the first day of the week : it is a thing which all men who haue any true knowledge of god must needes know and acknowledge for an undoubted truth : that god whose wisedome is infinit , and his wife providence ordereth and disposeth all things , doth never any thing in vaine , he never laies the foundation in any place but there also he intends the building , he never brings in the proper causes any where , or in any time , but then and there he intends to bring in & to produce the proper effects of them , and whatsoever commandement god giues to men to performe some speciall duty upon some speciall grounds , and for some singular causes , occasions & reasons , by that commandement he binds them to performe the duty whensoever and whersoever he shewes the grounds and reasons to them , and giues and offers the causes and occasions . so that if it be made to appeare unto us , that now under the gospel , god had according to his owne determinat counsell and forknowledge chaunged the foundation of the weekly sabbath , and removed it & all the grounds , reasons , accasions , and praerogatiues of it , from the seventh day to the first which is the lords day , we must needs see and acknowledge , that it was the purpose , minde , & will of god to make the lords day our weekly sabbath , and in his giving of the first law of the sabbath , which in the maine substance of it is perpetuall , to binde all his people after the full exhibition of christ to the last resurrection to keep the holy weekly sabbath on that day onely . now these things may sufficiently appeare by the opening and proving of divers things befor , which i haue observed out of this text , & by urging & pressing them home to this present purpose a little more fully here againe i shall put them out of all doubt and question , and make them manifest & clear to al who do not wilfully shut their eares against the truth . first , that the foundation of the sabbath is christ the redeemer , & that all the true & proper grounds , reasons and occasions , of keeping one day in every week holy to the lord , are only to be found in christ and came in with him , as i haue before fully proued . and as god first promised christ to come the seed of the woman , for the redemption of mankind , & christ did undertake for man to mediate for him on the first seventh day of the world , and thereupon that day was sanctified to be the weekly sabbath : so god had in his immutable counsell determined to exhibit christ a perfect redeemer , & by him to perfect mans redemption on the first day of the weeke , and so to remoue christ the foundation from the seventh day of the weeke , to the first day , together with all other grounds , reasons , occasions & prerogatiues of the holy sabbath . what greater chaunge could be or ever was hard of in christ the maine foundation both of the sabbath & of the vniuersall church , then when of a redeemer promised on the seventh day , and so continuing all the time of the old testament while the fathers beleeued onely in him promised & not yet come . he became a redeemer fully exhibited in his resurrection on the first day of the week & changed the state of the church : and bringing her from the nonnage and childish estate of bondage vnder the rudiments of the world , and legall rites , & carnall ceremonies , to the fulnesse of her time which god had appointed , & to her full age in the new testament . and hereby that first day of the weeke became the chiefest day of the lord christ , even his speciall & particular day , & came to haue all the subordinat groūds & high prerogatiues of the sabbath . for in it god perfected his worke which he had made in the creation by the worke of redemption , not promised & undertaken onlie , as in the seventh day , but by a better kind of perfecting and ending , even by redemption fullie finished , on that daie christ rested from that greater worke of redemption , & declared by his resurrection , that he had made ful satisfaction for mankind to the justice of god , & that god rested in his satisfaction , now actually made & performed , by a more excellent manner of resting then that wherwith he rested on the seuenth , in that satisfaction only undertaken & promised , on that day christ gott the victory over death , hell , sin , the world & the devill , and becomming immortall not subject to die , or suffer any more , entered into the glorious state of exaltation and into his eternall rest , and made way for men to that eternall rest wherof the sabbath is both a liuely pledg , & also a powerfull meanes to fit men for it . and in al these respects god blessed the first day of the week , with a blessing farre aboue his blessing of the seventh day , for that was the promise & undertaking only , this was the performance & perfecting of redemption : & therfore so farre excels that , as the giuing of a great guift & perfecting of a worke exceeds the promise of that guift & undertaking of that worke . now that that this remouing of the maine foundation of the weekly sabbath , together with the subordinat grounds , occasions & prerogatiues of it , from the seventh day to the lords day ; the first of the weeke , came to passe by the determinate counsell , foreknowledge and providence of god , and that from the beginning and in the first giuing of the law of the weekely sabbath , god did purpose and intend this chaunge , it appeares most plainly by diuers reasons . first because god is no idle spectator , but the provident lord & disposer of all things , which come to passe in the world , & nothing can come to passe but so as he hath appointed , and in the time & season which he hath determined . the flood and generall deluge by which the old world was destroyed , came to passe in the very yeare and day which god had prefixed , & did for tell to noah one hundred and twenty yeares before . the end of jsraell peregrination and servitude in egypt , came to passe just at the end of foure hundred and ●hirty yeares , in the same day which god had determined , & foretold to abraham . exod. 12.41 . and so the deliverance of the isralites out of captiuity , and the decree for their return came out at gods appointed time , which he had foretold by ieremiah the prophet . dan , 9.2 23. and the particular time of christs satisfaction and attonement for sinne , and bringing in of eternall righteousnesse , was determined by god , and came to passe at the end of the seventy sevens of yeares , as it was revealed to daniell in the same chap. 24. ver . and in a word the very time of christs resurrection , by the virtue whereof we are fully redeemed and shall in our verie bodies be raised vp to life eternall , and rest in glorie , as the apostl● testifies . rom. 6.5 . 1 cor. 15.13.21 philip. 3.10 . & 1 pet. 1.3 . it was determined by god befor the foundation of the world , as the words of st peter do shew . 1 pet. 1.2 . secondly ; god in the very creation & from the first beginning of the world , did foreshew that he had a purpose to honour the first day of the weeke aboue all the other daies , and to make it the lords day and christian sabbath by the resurrection of christ. in that he made it the first fruites of time , and in it created the highest heaven , the place of the eternall sabbath , and brought forth the light of this inferiour world , by which naturall prerogatiues he made this day the fittest of all daies of the weeke , to be the day of christs resurrection , wherein he the sun of righteousnesse & light of the world , rose up with healing in his wings , and became the first fruites of them that sleepe , and by virtue whereof he will bring the faithfull into the eternall rest , wherof the weekly sabbath is a pledge & will make them partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light , as the scriptures testifie 1 cor. 15.20 . & coloss. 1.12 . vpon these premises before proved at large , and here againe pressed home to the purpose . the conclusion followeth necessarily : that it was the purpose , intent and will of god to make the first day of the weeke , the lords day and the christian sabbath , and in the first institution of the sabbath . and by his first law of the sabbath ( which in the maine substance of it is perpetuall ) to binde all his people in the time of his glorious gospell , to observe that day onely for their holy weekly sabbath ; vntill they come to that wherof the sabbath is a liuely pledge , even the eternall rest of glory in heaven . thirdly whatsoever tends most to the perfect fullfilling of any speciall law and commandement of god given to men , and is manifestlie made known to man to be most agreeable to gods will revealed in that law , and to the endes and uses which god openly pretendeth therein , that man is chiefly bound to do by that law and commandement . this is a most certaine and undoubted truth . for gods generall commandement is , that we loue him with all our heart , and worship and serve him with all our soule and all our strength . deut. 6 ; 5. & mat. 22.37 . now the will of god revealed in this first institution , and sanctifying of the sabbath , and in the fourth commandement of the law , is often repeated & urged by moses & the prophets , is more perfectly fulfilled in the right sanctification of the lords day vnder the gospell , then it was in the observatiō of the sevēth the sabbath of the old testament , & whatsoever necessary duty god in the law of the sabbath requireth of mā from the beginning , or whatsoever end and use he openly pretendeth , his law of the keeping of the holy sabbath that is more fully obtained , effected , and brought to passe by an holy sanctification of the lords day , and by keeping it an holy sabbath to the lord now vnder the gospell . therefore by the law of the sabbath given at the first , and by the fourth commandement , it is repeated and explaned , christians are bound to to keepe the lords day which is the first of the weeke for their weekly s●bbath . if any man doth make doubt of the assumption in this syllogisme . it is easily proved by a particular enumeration , both of the particular substanciall and necessary duties which gods word requires in the sabbath : and also of the ends and uses for which god requires an holy sabbath to be kept every seventh day . the first maine dutie from which the seventh day requirs the name of sabbath , is rest and cessation from all worldly labours , pleasures and delight , wherein man is to withdraw his mind from worldly cares and secular affaires , which concern this fraile earthly life , and is to giue rest and refreshing to his owne body , and to the bodies of his children , servants straungers , and toyling cattell as appeares . exod. 20.10 . isa 58.13 . and the proper end and use of this rest is . first to admonish man that he must not place nor seeke felicity in this world , nor since his fall and breaking of the covenant of workes by his disobedience , hope for any happinesse or felicity either here or else where to be purchased by his owne workes of righteousnesse , which he either is , or was able in the first creation to performe in his owne person . secondly to shew that gods just wrath appeased by c●rist , and the sting of death and the curse and bitternesse of mans sorrowes , and toilsome laboures which god imposed on him for his transgression , is taken away , and god will not haue his people to torment their bodies which continuall toile , and painfull labour , but to ease and refresh themselves with a weekly rest . thirdly to make men take notice that god hath a provident and fatherly care of his creatures both men and beasts , hates all mercilesse cruelty , & oppression of their very bodies , and will haue them so refreshed & eased that they may last the longer , and goe cheerfully through their weeklie labours . fourthly , to shew that in christ vpon whom the sabbath is founded , there is spirituall rest and ease and refreshing of the soul , from the heavie burden of sinne , and the miser●es of sinne , to be found of all them who being heavy laden do flee to him , and in him place their hope and confidence . fif●ly , to put in mind of gods resting in christs mediation from the worke of creation , and that he hath wholy given over all purposes and thoughts of repairing the world , and restoring man fallen and corrupted by any worke of creation , and hath set his mind on another kind of worke , even the work of redemption by christ , and the new creation of heavenly spirituall and supernaturall graces and perfections in men by his holy spirit . sixthly , to be a signe and memoriall of christ his full perfecting of the worke of mans redemption , and of his perfect satisfaction made to the justice of god for fraile sinfull men . lastly to be a token and pledge of the eternall rest in heaven , and of the sabbathisme which after the labours and troubles of this life , the elect and faithfull people of god shall enjoy for ever in the world to come . now there is no day in all the weeke , in which this first maine dutie of the sabbath can be well be performed , for the ends and uses , as on the lords day which is the christian sabbath . the seventh day never yeelded halfe so much light & helps to gods people in the old testament for these purposes , as the lords day doth to us vnder the gospell . for the lords day in which christ arose from death , and entered into his glorie , and perfected the worke of redemption , it discovers christ the maine foundation of all rest , & even of the sabbath it selfe more plainly unto us , and in it being bewtified and adorned with so manie blessings and prerogatives which gods word gives to it , wee may as in a cleare glasse see and behold christ with open face , we see in his resurrection gods justice fully satisfied , his wrath appeased , redemption fully perfected , gods resting in christ mediation , eternall rest purchased by christ for us , and gained to himselfe , & heaven opened unto us , & sin , death and hell already ouercome and conquered . and therfore there is no day by many degrees , soe fit as this day of christs resurrection to make us rest comfortably in our bodies and minds from worldly cares , and bodilie l●boures , and in our soules and consciences from the burden of sinne and the guilt thereof . no daie or time can so plainly shew vnto us , that our fellicity is not in this world , nor to be obtained and purchased by the righteousnesse of our owne workes . this sets before us christ raised for our justification . this shews gods aboundant mercy and compassion ●o us , and that hee hates all cruelties and oppressions . and this is a speciall meanes to bring us to the assurance of the blessed hope and eternall rest reserved in heaven for vs. and therfore the first maine duty with all the partes thereof , and the speciall endes and uses of it , are more fully performed and obtained in the observation of the lords day for the holy weekly sabbath , then they possibly can be now by vs , or could be of old on the sabbath of the seventh day , by the fathers in the old testament . the second maine duty of the sabbath is sanctifying and keeping of it holy to the lord , which comprehends in it many speciall and particular duties . 1. setting of their affections even their joy and delight wholy vpon god and heavenly things . 2. honouring & worshipping of god , in their hearts with holy thoughts and meditations , by their lipps with holy prayers , praises , and thanksgiuing , in their outward actiōs by preaching , hearing , reading , & repeating of gods word , and solemne commemoration of his promises , mercies and blessings in the word and sacraments . 3. teaching and learning all holy duties which tend to bring vs nearer to god in christ. 4. offering spirituall sacrifices to god of sweet sauour , such as are almesdeedes & works of mercy and charity , wherby others may be made to tast of gods goodnesse and stirred up to laud and praise his name . all these are comprehended vnder the maine duty of sanctifying the holy sabbath which the lord commands expresly in the law , and they are commended to vs by the prophet . isa. 56.4 . & 58.13 . and the proper end and use of this duty and all the partes thereof , is . first to make vs set our affections on things which are aboue and not on things below , and to stirre us up to seeke eternall life and heavenly happinesse in christ onely , and in him crucified and raised up . secondly , to continue and increase in fraile men the knowledge and memory of christ , and of the way to eternall life and blessednesse in him , which without keeping holy of a weekly sabbath , would faile & cease among the sonnes of men . thirdly , to begit and increase true grace and holinesse in men by exercising holy duties of religion ; and so to bring them by justification & adoption to the right of inheritance in heaven , and by sanctification to fit them for the possession of it . now the observation of the lords day , in which christ arose is such as may far more powerfully & effectually moue men to the performance of these duties , & lead men more directly to the proper end and use of them , then the old sabbath of the the seventh day , either now can , or of old could do when it was most in force . for it had no other light or life in it , but onely from obscure promises , and darke shaddowes through which christ was seene as things farre off are seene , and in the starre light nights . but the lords day the first day of the weeke , hath light and life from the sun of righteousnesse christ who in it rose up , and to be the light of life to all nations , & hath brought life & immortallity to light by the gospell , and discovered to us the kindnesse and loue of god & the riches of his goodnesse , in giving grace and shedding his spirit on us abundantly here , and so fit us for glorie hereafter . and therefore this day must needes be of great force and power , farre ab●ve the seventh day , to make men set their affections on god and heavenly things , especially upon the inheritance incorruptible and undefiled which fadeth not away : reserved in heaven for us , unto which god hath begotten us by the resurrection of christ from the dead . 1. pet. 1.3 . it is also powerfull and excellent to incite and stirr us up to honour god in our hearts , by the due consideration of his goodnesse and mercie . also it much furthereth us to proclaime the high praises of our god , and kinge , and to make prayers and supplications to him . besides to make us helpfull unto others , in seeking after their salvation . and thus we may see what are sabbath duties , even the workes of piety , mercy , charitie , &c. pleasing to god , and by which others may be brought to joyne with us , in lauding and praising god , and we our selves fitted for glorie . vpon ●hese points so fullie proved . the conclusion followes necessarilie : that the law by which god first instituted the sabbath on the first s●venth day of the world , doth binde us under the gospel to keepe the lords day for our weeklie sabbath . fourthly , that day which god hath made , most honourable , and hath given it a most honourable name and title aboue all the daies of the week , to that he hath given the prerogatiue to be the weekly sabbath & hath made it his day of holie rest . for it is a property of the sabbath , to be the lords holy and honourable day , as the evangellicall prophet isaiah shews . jsa 58.13 . & making of it hono●able , is making of it the sabbath . now the first day of the weeke is the day which god hath honoured aboue all daies , by the glorious victorie of christ , ouer death and over all enemies , and powers of darknesse , and to it he hath given the most honourable , name and title : for the holy evangelist and divine apostle s. iohn , who was the intimate , beloved , and bosome disciple of the lord , and did best know his minde cals it the lords day . revel . 1.10 . that is , the day which the lord hath made the day of great joy & gladnes to his people , as david foretold . psa. 118. which day the lord christ hath appropriated to himselfe , & his honour , & honoured with his own name , as he is the lord god , one iehovah with the father . for the greeke word ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) lord , is in respect of the roote from whence it is deriued the same in signification , with gods proper name iehovah , and most commonly in the new testament , is used to expresse that sacred name . therefore it is now under the gospell made by god himselfe the weekly sabbath . the fifth argument is grounded upon the wordes of our saviour . math. 12.8 . & mark. 2 . 27·28 . where he saith , that the sabbath was made for man , and not man , for the sabbath . therefore he , even as he is the sonne of man , or god made man , is the lord of the sabbath . the first clause , to weet : ( the sabbath was made for man , ) notes out vnto us two things . 1. that the sabbath was first instituted for man , even by reason of the sonne of god promised to become man , and so he is the foundation of it . 2. that it was made for man , that is , for the man christ , and for the benefit of all mankinde in him , for his honour and the advancement of his kingdome among men , and for the good of men , both naturall and civill , in respect of weekly rest , and refreshing , & also spirituall , as knowledge , instruction , growth in grace & holinesse . the second clause ( not man for the sabbath ) shews that the sabbath is not one of those things which man was made to obserue in the creatione , neither is the law of it written in mans heart in the the creation : it was the fall of man and his corruption , which caused his to stand in need of a weekly rest , and of holy sabbath exercises , to worke good in him , and to bring him neerer to god. and being made for mans use , he may in case of necessity dispence with outward obseruations of the sabbath : & the same must giue place to works of necessity which cannot be omitted either without losse of life or some certaine losse or mischiefe the third clause ( therefore is the sonne of man lord also of the sabbath ) doth giue us to understand that the use of the sabbath was founded on christ promised to be lord of the sabbath , and was in , & under him made man , and necessary for the profit of man corrupted , not for man in innocency . therfore c●rist the son of man is lord of the sabbath that is , he hath th● true proper right and propriety , in it for to make it serve for his use being the lord possessor of it , and he hath authority and power ouer it , so that it is at his command , either to be or not to be in vse , either the seventh day or upon some other day of the weeke . now we never read , that christ exercised any lordship ouer the sabbath , as hee is the son of man , either to command it or to chaunge it , but only in thes● two respects . first that he brought it first into the world by undertaking to be the seed of the woman , & the sonne of man , & so it was setled on the seventh day , in which he was promised during the time of the old testament , while he was a redeemer pr●mised . secondly , that he by his resurrection in which he perfected redemption , did consecrate the first day and made it the most honourable day , fit to be the sabbath of the new testament , and also gaue commandement to his apostles so to ordaine in all churches . besides this lordship and power of christ as sonne of man ouer the sabbath , we cannot conceiue or imagine any other . therefore undoubtedly he hath chaunged it to the first day of the weeke , and as lord of it hath given commandement for this chaunge and alteration . the sixth arg. is drawne from gods sanctifying of the lords daie by his sonne christ more fully and excellently , then he did the seventh day in the first institution of the sabbath . for seeing the making of the seventh day to be the holie sabbath , is the sanctifying of it as the words of my text shew , and also the words of the law . exod. 20.13 . it must needes hereupon be granted . that what day god by his son christ , hath in all respects more fullie and excellentlie sanctified , then the seventh day was sanctified when god made it the sabbath . that daie god by christ hath made his holie sabbath , and so it is worthie to bee esteemed , and soe is to be observed in the new testament . but now it is most certaine and manifest : that the lord god by his son christ hath in all respects more fullie and excellentlie sanctified the first daie of the weeke , in which christ arose from death ( as appeares by diuers things which i haue formerlie touched . ) first he in that daie more abundantlie revealed his holines to the world in that he declared christ our redeemer and the head of the whole bodie the church , to be the sonne of god with power , according to the spirit of holinesse by the resurrection from the dead . rom. 1.3 . secondlie , he then opened as it were the flood-gates of heaven , that holinesse might be more abundantly with his spirit powred out upon all flesh , when christ was raised up and exalted by gods right hand , that he might shed his spirit on all sorts of people of all nations , as wee read . act. 2.33 . yea in that , in the feast of pentecost which was the first day of the weeke , and the 49. day after christs resurrection , the holie ghost was sent downe vpon the apostles to sanctifie them , and to lead them into all truth , and to giue them the guifts of tongues , to preach the gospell unto all nations which they presently did , and the same day converted 3000. soules , herein he both shewed his holinesse more abundantly then before . thirdly ; it is piously held by manie divines , that among other things which after his resurrection christ spake to his disciples , concerning the kingdome of god , that is the church under the gospell : this was one , namely , of the keeping of the holy sabbath , and holie assemblies , or gathering of the saints togither vpon the first day of the weeke : for immediatly after , the apostles observed that day , and all churches in all ages since haue followed their example . therefore it is god who by his sonne christ hath made this first day , that is the lords day the weekly sabbath of christians . j might here adde for further proofe of this truth , an observation of diuers godly and learned writers , to weet : that our saviour sanctified the first day of the weeke more then any other day by his promise and example , in that he did most commonly appeare to the disciples after his resurrection , and came amongst them when they were assembled together on that day , and taught and instructed them and breathed on them , so we reade . luk. 24.13.36 . & ioh. 20.19.26 . seventhly that which the apostle taught by word and writing and ordained in all churches of christian gentiles , and confirmed by their constant practise , is undoubtedly a commandement which they received from the lord christ , so it appeares . act. 15.28 . where they professe that what they prescribed to the chirstiā churches , was the dictate and sentence first of the holy ghost , and then of them joyntlie . and our saviour tells us that the holie ghost leads men into all trueth by speaking his word onely to them and calling it to their remembrance , ioh. 16.13.14 . therefore it was christ his word and ordinance , st. paul also professeth that he deliuered unto them , such traditions as be received from the lord 1 cor. 11.23 . and againe he saith 1 cor. 14.37 . jf any man thinke himselfe to be a prophet , or spirituall , let him know , that the things which j write unto you are the commandements of the lord. now it is manifest in the gospel , and in the writings of the new testament : that it was a constant practise of the apostles to keep their assemblies with one accord on the first day of the weeke , so we read : ioh. 20.19.29 . act. 2.1.2 . and in those their assemblies the lord christ presented himselfe to them bodily , and by the visible appearance and powerfull operation of his spirit . also act. 20.8 . st paul on that day kept an holie assembly at troas , and there he preached and administered the sacrament of the lords supper and performed holie exercises of the christian sabbath . and the same apostle gaue a precept and commandement to the corinthians , even the same which he there saith hee had ordained in the 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 them a token and pledge of some great blessing , and future good promised , that god will haue them to keepe saf● and to hold fast , vntill they receive the blessing and come to the full possession of it . this is manifest by the tipes and sacraments of the law , which could not bee a bolished , nor without sinne purposely neglected vntill christ was fully exhibited , of whom they were signes and pledges and he was the body and substance . and we finde by daily experience , that the loosing or casting away of the pledg , is the forfetting or forgoing of a mans right whereof it is a pledge : if we will receiue the blessing we must do the condition of it . now the observing of a weekly sabbath is not onely a signe of eternall rest in heaven , but also a token and pledge if it , given in the beginning , togither with the first promise of christ , and conveighed ouer from the fathers to us , & setled on the day wherin christ arose from death , and perfected mans redemption . that it is a pledg of the sabbathisme which remaines for the people of god , the apostles words imply . heb. 4.9 . and the best learned haue ever held it to be our pledge of eternall rest in heaven . as aust●n . tom. 4. quaest. 162. and lib. contra adimantum . cap. 13. & divers others . therfore the holy weekly sabbath upon the lords day must be observed by all gods people , & the law of the sabbath binds them therunto perpetually to the end of the world ; & to the day of resurrection to glory . and thus i haue finished the doctrine of the sanctification of the sabbath , as it is the proper act of god , even his seperaing of the seventh day to be an holy rest , by his word & commandement . chap. 14 the thing which now followeth , next in order , is mans sanctifying the weekly sabbath & keeping of a seventh day holy to the lord , which god hath imposed on him for a necessary holy duty , when by his word & cōmādement he blessed & sanctified it , as here we read in the words of my text . for gods sanctifying of daies , times , & places is not any infusing of his holy spirit into them , as he doth into his saints , even holy angels & men , but this giving of a law & commandement to mē to obserue & keep them after an holy manner , & to use & imploy them to holy heavenly & supernaturall use , even to divine worship & exercises of piety & religion , as i haue before proued plainly . and in that gods sanctified the seventh day , that is : gaue a law in the beginning to man to keep & observe it for an holy sabbath , as my text shews . therfore it is a necessary duty imposed by god upon man so to observe & keep an holy sabbath every seventh day , or a sevēth day in every week , & that duty of mans sanctification & keeping holy the lords sabbath , comes now in order to be handled , which is here necessarily implied & included in the worde of my text . in the opening & handling wherof , i purpose to proceed in this method & order . first i will shew that this duty of sanctifiing an holy sabbath to the lord , is imposed by this act of god , on all mankinde , & the children of men are bound unto it from the seventh day of the world , after the first beginning of the creation , untill that last day of the generall resurrection & judgment , in which they shal be called to an account & reckoning of all things which they haue done in this life . secondly , i will shew how farre , & upon what termes & conditions men are bound to this duty by gods law , given for that purpose in his act of sanct●fying the sabbath . thirdly i will shew more speciall , the speciall workes wherein the sanctification and observation of the weekly sabbath consisteth . the duties are of three sorts . 1. some are common to all gods people in all ages from the beginning , and all states and conditions of the c●urch , both in the old and new testament . some are proper to the fathers of the old testament , while the sabbath was limitted to the last day of the weeke , and grounded upon christ promised onely . 3. some are proper to the church and people of god vnder the gospell in the new testament , when the sabbath is ch●unged to the fi●st day of the week , even the lords day , & builded upon the finishing of mans redemption , and christ fully exhibited , and gods resting in christs satisfaction consummated , which is a more excellent ground . of all these in order . the ●●rst point ( concern●ng the obligation of all mankinde to the keeping of an holy weekly s●bbath from the first seventh day of the world , vnto the last resurrection , when the elect and faithfull shall both in their soules and bodies , enter into the eternall rest in heaven ) may be proued by divers arguments . my first argument is drawne from the law by which god here in my text did first bind man to this duty : & thus j briefly frame it . that duty which god hath enjoyned by a commandement given to our first parents , without limitation , exception , or exemptiō of any , that he hath imposed by his commandement upon adam and all his seed and posterity in his loynes , and they are all bound unto it to the worlds end . the sanctifying of a seventh in every weeke , and keeping it an holy sabbath , is a duty injoyned by a commandement which god gaue to adam without limitation , or exemption of any of his seed and posterity . therefore it is a duty imposed by god upon all mankinde , and they are bound unto it in all ages vntill the end of the world . the first proposition cannot with any colour of reason be denied : if any shall object that god gaue to adam upon the promise of christ a law of sacrificing cleane beasts , and offering first fruites which bound him and his seed in his loynes : and yet they are not bound by it in all ages but onely untill the comming of christ : and his offering of himselfe a sacrifice which is the substance of all sacrifices , and after that men are boūd no longer to that duty . i answer , that though the last of sacrifices , & of other service & worship , which were types & shaddows , was given to adam upon the first promise without expresse limitation , and reached to his seed in his loynes , and as caine , & abell , so noah , abraham and all the patriarches , & people of god were bound to that dutie vntill christ , yet there was a limitation in the things commanded , which being types and shaddowes onely of christ promised , were of no use , but onely while christ was yet expected , and not actually offered up a sacrifice of perfect attonement , and gods people had neede of such types and figures to lead them to christ. therefore this objection doth not touch , nor infring this proposition which speakes of a law , & of a duty whi●h is of use to all mankinde in all their generations . the assumption also is manifest . for here we haue a law giuen to adam , when all mankinde were in his loynes , commanding a duty even the sanctifying of a weekely sabbath , which hath beene and is , of as great use after christ as before . for as the isralites were bound unto this duty by god exod. 16.23.28 . & 20.8 . euen in al their generations , as appeares . jer. 17.21 . so also gods people are bound to it under the gospell , whether they be strangers which joyn themselves to the lord , and lay hold on his covenant . isa. 56.6.7 . that is , churches of the beleeving gentiles , or naturall isralites after their long hardnesse , in the last daies , converted to christ the repairer of the breach and builder up of the old wast places after many generations . isa. 58.12.13.14 . and j do not thinke there is any man professing christianity dare be so impudent as to affirme , that any of gods people in any age are exempted frō the holy duties by which the sabbath is sanctified , and a seventh day in every weeke kept holy to the lord , or that we in these evill and perillous times , haue not as much neede of them , for the upholding of true religion , & for the increasing of grace & godlinesse in our hearts . therefore undoubtedly all mankinde in all generations and ages are bound to keepe a weekly sabbath . my second argument is drawne from the duty it selfe , of keeping holy a seventh day weekly to the lord , and thus i frame it . everie duty imposed on adam and his posterity by gods commandement , which is in it selfe perpetually holy and just , and of as great use to all men in all ages , & as necessarily in all respects as it was in adam when god first enjoyned it by his law . that belongs to all mankinde , and all the posterity of adam are bound thereunto in all ages to the end of the world . the keeping of an holy weekly sabbath , and sanctifying of a seventh day in every weeke , is such a duty . therefore it belongs to all mankinde , and all adams posterity are bound to it in all ages to the end of the world . the proposition is so manifestly true , th●t there can be no acception against it , to deny it is , to deny that greatest of gods commandements , which saith that gods people ought to feare the lord , and walke in his wayes , & to loue and serve them with all their heart , and with all their soule , and with all their might . deut. 6.5 . & 10.12 . for whosoever exempts himselfe , or others from a duty which is perpetually holy & just , & usefull , & necessary for all men , he in so doing , refuseth to serue god with all his heart , soul , & might , and teacheth others to transgresse that great commandement . the assumption also is an undoubted truth . for first there can be no time nor age named since mans fall & corruption , which brought all mankind vnder the bondage of hand & toylsome labour , & eating his bred with the sweat of his face , wherin the rest of one day in every weeke is not usefull profi●table , & needfull for mens bodies , & most just & equall to be granted to their labouring servants , & toyling cattell , the verie light of naturall reason reqiures it for the cōmon good , & welbeing of all men . he who denies this to himselfe , and to his children , servants , & cattell , he is an unjust & unmercifull man , not to be numbred among the righteous who are good & mercifull to the life of their beasts . prov. 12.10 . secondly , justice & equity require , that seing the life of man is a pilgrimage on earth , & here on earth there is no abiding place for him , nor any felicity , true rest , or perfection to be found but in heaven , mā should not spend all his time , & all his thoughts & studies in , & about the things of this world , but that he should haue a set time at lest one day in every week , wherin he resting & ceasing from worldly cares ; laboures , & delights , should wholy devote himself to heavenly meditations , and to holy exercises , which may fit him & prepare him for the place of rest , teach & direct him in the right & ready way thereunto , & enable him to walke wisely therin . who thinks it to much to consecrate one whole day in seven unto religious exercises which may fit him for eternal life , he is undoubtedly most vnequall in his judgment & a judge of unjust things . thirdly , it is a thing not only good & holy in it selfe , that man of his owne accord , & much more being commanded by god , should devote one whole day in every weeke to the mediate worship of god , in thankfulnes for his creation & redemption , & the vse of gods creatures restored to him in christ ; with some advantage : but also very vsefull & necessary for the seasoning of mans weekly laboures with justice & piety , for the cōtinuance & increase of holines , & religiō in his heart and for the enlightening of his mind , rectifying of his will , sanctifying , of his affections , and fitting him to undertake and begin all his weekly laboures in the feare of god , to direct them to the right end , and to perfect and finish them happily by gods favour and blessing . jf any man shall dare to deny this , we may justly feare that he is rude & ignorant of those heavenly and spirituall things , whereof all gods people haue continually experience in themselves . and the constant practice of gods people who in all ages haue observed and kept a weekly sabbath holy to the lord , and therby haue profitted in all piety and holinesse , will convince them of grosse blindnesse stupidity . adam no doubt did every seventh day devote himselfe to gods worship , and taught his first sonnes , caine & abell to bring their offerings to god , at the end of daies that is : every last day of the weeke , for that is the most proper sence of the words in the hebrew text . gen. 4.3.4 . and so soone as the posterity of seth began to multiply and increase they gathered themselves into a church & were called the children of god , or gods people , and hereby they were distinguished from the carnall and profane progeny of caine , & then they began to invocate and call upon the name of the lord , that is to worship god in publick assemblies . gen 4.26 . whereas adam , abell and seth , had invocated and worshipped god in their own private families onely , now the faithfull being multiplied did frequent publick assemblies , which could not be , but in set places , and at set times surely euery weeke on the seventh day which god had blessed and sanctified . also after that generall apostacy which came in by vnequall mariages of the sonnes of the faithfull with the daughters of the profane , & the destruction of the the old world with the flood . righteous noah who was saved in the arke with his familie , immediatlie after began to observe the holy rest of the seventh day , for it is said , that the burnt offering which he offered on the altar , of every cleane beasts and cleane foule vnto the lord was a sweet smelling sacrifice of rest , that is sacrifices , of the sabbath . the hebrew word in the text there used , with the emphaticall particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies the most notable rest , even the rest of the holie sabbath , wherein man resteth in memory of gods rest , in the satisfaction of his people the isralites before the giving of the law from mount sinah , by gods owne voyce , they did obserue the sabbath & were admonished by moses so to do . exod. 16.23 . and they who rested not , but went forth to gather manna are reproved by god , as transgressours of his lawes and commandements ver . 28. and although we doe not reade of any sabbath , kept by abraham and the patriarches before moses , because the church of the faithfull was but small , comprised onely in their families , which could not keepe any great and publicke sabbath assemblies , worthy of record in the sacred history : yet undoubtedly they had their set time as well as set place of gods worshipp , even a weekly sabbath according to the law which god gaue to adam when he blessed & sanctified the seventh day . but i shall more fully speake of these things hereafter . and here upon these grounds i conclude , that the assumption of this present argu : is manifest : and the conlusion which thence flowes is certaine , to weet : that the posterity of adam in all ages are bound to this duty of keeping a weekly sabbath holy to the lord. a third argument is drawn from the ground upon which god founded the sabbath , and commanded the duty of keeping it holy to himselfe . for if the ground of the duty stand firme , throughout all generations , and do belong to all men of all ages , as well as to adam who had the commandement given to him , and the duty imposed on him by god. then the dutie also belongs to all men of all ages vnto the end of the world . and whosoever do clayme any interest in the ground of the duty , and expect profit by it , ought to acknowledge that the duty belongs to them also , except they can shew some speciall dispensation from god himselfe . now the ground upon which god founded the sabbath and imposed the duty of keeping it holy , is such as doth equally belong to all men . for if wee cleave to the bare letter of the text ( as diuers commonly doe ) and take the ground of the sabbath to be no more but this , that god finished the worke of creation on the seventh day , or hauing finished it and made every creature good & perfect before on the sixt daies , rested on the seventh from creating any things in the world . then we must withall confesse , that this ground belongs equally to all mankinde , for all men of all ages haue interest in the benifit of gods creating the world , and making all things so perfect , that he had no more to do but rested on the seventh day . but if that be the true and proper grounds which i haue before laid downe and proved , to weet : gods perfecting of the creation , which left all things good but mutable : by bringing in redemption which christ promised , did on the sevēth day , take upon him to perform in mans nature : and god resting in the al sufficient satisfactiō which christ undertook , to make for man , and which saved god the labour of a new creation , & making new creatures , and of repairing by a mediation the breach which mans fall had made in the word ; and so made for mans use . this ground doth belong to all mankinde in all ages . we now under the gospell haue as great , or rather greater interest in it , then adam or the fathers in the old testament . and by virtue of this promise of christ , & by meanes of his undertaking to be mans mediatour , and of gods resting in his mediation , all living men , and all creatures made for the vse of man do consist , and haue them in being in this world . coloss. 1.17 . and god by him ( the word of his power being made man and fully exhibited aperfect redeemer ) doth substaine and uphold all things . heb. 1.3 . and although the circumstances of this ground , are with the times and ages of this world mutable , and there is a great chaunge from christ only promised and undertaking mans redemption , to christ fully exhibited aperfect redemer in his resurrection : yet the ground it selfe , even redemption by christ , is still the same : the promise of redemption which was made to our first parents on the seventh day being the greatest blessing , which was revealed to mankinde in the old testament , procured to that day the honour of the weekly sabbath in all ages before the comming of christ. and the full exhibition of christ , and the perfecting of redemption in the resurrection of christ , on the first day of the weeke , did merit , & procure to that day the honour of the christian sabbath in all ages vnder the gospel : for god did not rest soe much in the undertaking of redemption on the seventh day , as in the actuall performance and full perfecting of it , on the first day of the weeke , the foresight of the full performance made the promise a ground both of gods rest , and of the sabbath in ●he old testament . and if christ had suffered , dyed , and been swallowed up of death and corruption in the graue , and had not gotten the victory ouer death , and all the powers of darknesse in his resurrection , then had we remained in our sinnes , & all our preaching of christ , and all our faith in him had beene vaine . 1 cor. 15.17 . jt was christs resurrection which consumated the great work of mans redemtion , and on the day wherein he a rose from death , did he rest from that great worke , as god on the seventh day did from the worke of creation , and consecrated that day to bee the christian sabbath . but yet all this while redemption both promised & undertaken and also actually performed is the same common ground of the holy weeklie sabbath : and christ is the same redeemer to all mankind , and the onlie mediatour and saviour . yesterday , and to day , and the same for ever . heb. 13.8 . and the duty of keeping an holie weeklie sabbath is grounded on him throughout all ages , who is the common saviour , and redeemer of all mankinde . therefore all men of all ages are bound to this dutie , & none exempted from it , in any nation age or generation . fourthlie , that which god hath given to all mankinde in adam , for a perpetuall law to them of future benefit , which he hath promised and hath in store for them , that they are bound carefullie to keepe untill they fullie obtaine the blessing and benefit promised , for if he that hath given a pledge , doth take it away from them to whom he hath given it , this is an evident signe that he hath altered his minde and purpose of giving the benefit to them . and if they do at any time loose this which is the pledge , or wilfully cast it from them , they haue no evidence or token any more to assure them of the benefit , nor any witnesse of the covenant , or signe wherby to challenge the blessing . now the holie weeklie sabbath is ordained of god , and given in adam to all mankinde to be a signe and pledge to them of spirituall and eternall rest in christ , which they shall never fullie obtaine vntill the last resurection in the end of the world : for the full rest & sabbatisme whereof the sabbath is a pledge , doth till then , still remaine for them . heb. 4.9 . and they shall not enter into the full possession of it untill the last resurrection . and gods giving of himselfe unto his people to bee their god , which doth sanctifie them whereof the sabbath is a signe , token , and pledge vnto them as he himselfe testifieth . exod. 31. 13. is not fully manifested , nor perfected untill they bee fully sanctified both in soules and bodies at the last day , and made fit to see and enjoy god to rest with him in glorie for ever . it is true which the auncient fathers haue observed and taught , that the old sabbath as it was limited to the the seventh daie of the week , was a signe of the spiritual rest of the faithfull from their own sinfull works , and of their steadfast rest upon christ by faith , when they are regenerate and renued by the holie ghost , which is shed on them abundantlie through iesus christ vnder the gospel . tit. 3.5.6 . and therefore that old sabbath of the seventh daie of the weeke , is so farre fulfilled in christ , and hath the accomplishment in him : but because the fulnesse of eternall rest wherof the weeklie sabbath absolutelie considered is the signe and pledge shall not be obtained vntill the last resurrection of the just , when by virtue of christs resurrection , their bodies shal be raised out of the dust and be made like the glorious body of christ , which they still exspect in hope . therefore the keeping of a weeklie sabbath as a pledge of that perfect eternall rest , still belongs to all gods people , and they are bound to keepe it on that day of the week in which christ arose , which day by his resurrection is made a sure pledge that they shal be raised vp in the perfect image and similitude of his resurrection . fifthly , that which is ordained by him and given to men , to fit them for eternall rest in heaven , & to be a speciall means to conduct & lead them in the right way therunto , and which of it selfe is very good , profittable , and excellent for that purpose . that gods word and will , and every mans reason guided by the word , bindes him to obserue & keepe , and to hold himselfe constantlie and perpetually vnto it , vntill he comes to the end of his race , even the eternall rest in heaven . this is a truth vndoubt●dly . for the scriptures command us to runne our race vnto the end , and to omit no meanes which may helpe to eternall life : and experience teacheth us , that the neglect of the ready way and meanes of gaining the pledge is the way to loose it . now the keeping of an holy weeklie sabbath after the best and strictest manner , by resting from all worldly businesse , so farre as our weaknesse and necessitie will suffer , and devoting our selves to gods holy mediate worship , as prayer , reading , & hearing of gods word both in priuate and publick assemblies , and to serious meditations of heavenlie things , is in it selfe one of the most powerfull meanes , to beg it and increase faith , and all holy saving graces in us , and god hath ordained it , for to conduct and lead men on , in the right and readie way to etenall rest in heaven . therefore gods word , & will revealed , & everie mans own reason guided by the word : binds all men to it in all ages , vntill they come to eternall rest in heavē . chap. 15. the first point being thus proued . the second thing before propounded followes : that is , to shew how farr , and upon what termes and conditions the sonnes of adam are bound to the duty of keeping a weekly sabbath by gods commandement , giuen in the sanctifying of the seventh day here recorded in my text , where god is said to sanctifie the seventh day , that is : by giving man a law to keepe it holy . first for such sons of adam as are borne and liue in the church of god , & haue the means to know gods word , & to obey his law : there is no questiō to be made , it is cleare that they are bound to know & to keep this cōmandement of god , and to seperate one day in every weeke , even that which god hath blessed aboue all the rest , & to devote it to holy & heavenly exercises , ceasing from all worldly cares , labours , & delights , and so to keep it an holy sabath . first , as they are gods creatures , & god hath thus far declared his mind & will , that men in immitation of him their god , who rested on the seuenth day , & also for the refreshing of themselves , their children , servants , & cattell in their bodies , should rest from worldly labours : & for the comfort of our soules should spend it in holy & spirituall exercises , & in the worship of him their maker , and preserver : even the generall law of nature bindes them to this duty . secondly , as god hath revealed himselfe a redeemer & saviour of mankind by promising & giving christ : so they are much more bound to keep all his commandements to the utmost of their power , especially this of the sabbath , which god ordained to be a memoriall of redemption and eternall rest , to be found only in christ promised on the sevēth day , and in fulnesse of time given and exhibited . jf they beleeve that christ is their redeemer , and that they are bought with the price of his blood , and are no more their own , but his , who hath bought them , this binds them to glorifie god with their soules , and bodies also which are gods. 1 cor. 6.20 . and this they cannot do , except some time be set apart , at least one day in everie week , to celebrate in holy assemblies , the gracious goodnesse , bounty & loue of god to them in christ , & to sanctifie and fit themselves , for him in all their weekly works , and for the intending and seeking of him in all the labours of their hands , thus much the lord shews in his law giuen & expounded by moses . deut. 5.15 . where he tells israell , that he gaue his commandement to them of keeping holy his sabbath , for this end , that they might remember their slavery in egypt , & their deliverance by his mighty hand , & stretched out arme . vpon which words wee must necessarily inferre , that if god bound them by his commandement vrging them and pressing often to keep the sabbath day , for a memoriall of their deliuerance from temporall & tipical bondage , & thankfulnes to him for it , then much more were they & all gods people still are bound , to keep holy the sabbath day in thankfulnes & for a memoriall of spirituall deliverance from sin , death , and hel , and that on the day of the lord christ , wherin he is promised or fully exhibited . thirdly , because there is none of all the sonnes of men who live in the church , and know the word & law of god , & discern their own frailtie but know how hard it is for them to continue in grace , & in the knowledge of christ , & in the understanding of the misteries of godlinesse , without often exercises of religious duties , as well in publick as in private , & without much hearing & publick instruction in the word and law of god. therfor every rational man must needs know & acknowledg himselfe bound by the light of reason , & his naturall appetite of his own happinesse , to use all means for continuance & increase of grace & of heavenly knowledg in himselfe needfull to salvation , especially this keeping of an weekly sabbath which he findes by experience to be ameans to hold him fast to christ. but if any who liue & are borne in the church , in such times & places wherin they haue sufficient means to know gods revealed will and law for the keeping of an holy sabbath weekly , do through negligence , & idlenesse , malice , or perversnesse remaine wilfully ignorant of this law & will of god , as well as diuers alients . this shal in no case excuse them , neither doth it from the bond of this duty , no more then it doth frō the bond of any other laws of which they are wilfull ignorant , but god will punish them , both for their failing in this duty , & for their wilfull shutting of their eyes & eares and refusing to know his will & law . now because a great part of mankind even of adams posterity do liue out for the church , & many nations for many ages even all pagans and heathen infidels never heard of the sabbath , nor of gods word vvhich requires the vveekly observation of it . we are in the second place to consider , vvhether this law of god , and this his blessing and sanctifying , of the seventh day , doth in any respect bind them to this duty . and first that ignorance of the law doth not exempt them from the duty , it is manifest by plaine reasons . first because they had means from adam and their first progenitours to know this law , for when the earth was devided into severall nations and countries , the fathers and first founders of euery nation did know , that god had , in sanctifying the seventh day given this commandement to our first parents and their seed in their loynes : but they by wilfull neglect of this duty brought the law into obliuion , and their children rejoycing to follow their licentious waies , and to put farre from all thoughts of this duty , and all regard of this law , became wilfully ignorant of gods will , yea they skorne to hearken to gods word if it be brought vnto them . secondlie , no ignorance which is not invincible , but might be avoided by due care & diligence , can exempt a man from any dutie which god hath commanded all mankind to performe : our saviour tells us , that he which failes of his duty out of simple ignorance , and doth not his lords will , because he knew it not , shal be punished and beaten though with fewer stripes . because god is the lord of all , euerie man ought to enquire after & learn his will : and therefore heathen people though they know not this law , shal be beaten for neglect of this dutie , because they ought to know god , and to learne his will , who giues them life , breath , and all things . and if they who faile though simple ignorance , must be punished though in a lesse measure , then wilfull profaners . jt must needes follow , that they are bound to the duty though not so strict lie , nor in that manner and measure as they who live in the church , & in such times and places , where they know , or may know the law and word of god. thirdlie , all mankinde even the most barbarous and sauage nations , as they haue their being , and all guif●s of nature , from gods creating hand and power . so they haue all these things continued vnto them by the mediation of christ , and by a common and vniversall virtue of him the redeemer , they are vpheld in life and health and strength in this world : and christ as mediatour procures all these things to them , after a secondarie manner for his elects sake , which are either to spring after many ages out of their loines , or to receive benifit of their laboures in subduing the earth , making it habitable and fit for his people to dwell in , and so preparing a place for his church , or the like . in this respect god is called the saviour of all men , but especially of them that do beleeve . of all , in as much as he preserues them innaturall life , but of the faithfull , fullie and perfectlie in that he saues them from eternall death , and hell , and brings them to life eternall . and hereupon it is , that all things are said to be and to consist in , and by , and for christ. coloss. 1.17 . and hee is said to be a ransome for all men , that is reaching to all in some measure , manner , and degree , even to infidels to obtaine common guifts for them , and to the elect perfectlie to redeeme them . now they who partake the benefit of the christ the blessed seed promised to adam , they are bound to the dutie which god requires in thankfulnesse for it , and for a continuall commemoration thereof . therfore all mankinde even the most barbarous are bound to the duty of keeping an holie sabbath weeklie , though they doe not know that which bindes them to it , and leades them to the performance thereof . fourthlie , gods blessing of a seventh daie , and sanctifying it by his commandement given to our first parents , is as easilie to be learned , and knowne , and kept in memorie as many other things of lesse moment , which heathen jnfidels doe learne and know , and kepe in memory for worldlie respects . as for example , to measure the times of the world by yeares , and yeares by months , and months by weekes , and weekes , by seven daies , this because the heathen finde to be verie commodious for worldlie and civill respects , therefore they are carefull to learne and remember it , and all such things . and it is as easilie and as possible to to learne and know gods law , concerning a weeklie sabbath , and they would and might learne it , if they were as carefull for their soules , and to serve god , as they are for their life , and to serve their owne lusts , and this world . and if they would travell , and send abr●ad into farre countries to learne heavenlie knowledge and holy bevaviour , as diligentlie as they do to learne humane knowledge and worldly wisedome , art & skill , they could not be ignorant of gods law , concerning the weekelie sabbath : but they refuse to learne this , as they do to learne true religion , and shut their eyes against it , as they doe against the knowledge of christ. therefore as turkes and other infidels , who haue gods word professed in their countries , cities and among them : though they cannot rightlie call vpon god , nor beleeue in christ without preaching of the word , which they will not looke after but skorne it : yet they are bound to repent and beleeue , and shall perish for rejecting and not vseing the meanes to git faith . so it is with other infidels further of , they shall perish for not using such meanes as are in their power , wherby they might come to know this & other duties which they are boūd to performe in thankfulnes for gods gracious promise of christ the redeemer , & for the commō benifits which they receiue through him . chap. 16. the third thing which i propounded concerning mans sanctification so the sabbath , is the consideration of the duties wherin it doth consist , which are of three sorts . first some are such are common to all gods people in all ages of the world , and they be duties which are necessarie to the being of the sabbath . secondly , some are proper to the sabbath of the seventh daie , while the fathers under the old testament did expect christ promised , and were to keep their sabbath in memorie of the promise of christ made to our first parents on the last day of the week . thirdly some are proper to us who liue under the gospel since christ fullie exhibited a perfect redeemer : & after the buriall of moses , that is the utter abolition of all legall shaddows together with the materiall temple of the jews . the duties common to all such as are necessary to the being of an holy sabbath at all times , & they are three especiallie . the first is a rest & cessation from all seculiar affaires & worldly pleasures , except only such as are necessarie for mans welbeing , & cannot be omitted or deferred without great hurt & danger of mans health , & life , & of the life and safety of the creatures which god hath made for mans use . the second is sanctification of the sabbath , with such holy exercises of religion & of gods worship as god requires in that age , & state of the church in which they live . the third is sanctifying of that day of the week which god hath blessed & honoured with greatest blessings , aboue all other daies , & wherein he hath more fully revealed his holines , & opened the fountaine of holines for the sanctifying of his people . concerning the first , to weet : rest and cessation from all worldlie affaires & bodilie delights , there is a doubt made by some , whether it doth equally concerne all gods people , as wel christians under the gospel , as the fathers of the old testament . divers are of opiniō that christians haue more liberty & are not so strictly bound to rest from all worldly affaires & bodily delights , as the fathers were befor christ. but for the clearing of this point we are to note three specially things . first that rest & cessation from all seculiar businesse , & worldly pastimes is a dutie of the sabbath which generally belongs to all men in all ages who are bound to keep a weekly sabbath or holy daie by virtue of gods sanctification of the seventh daie . for first the very name ( sabbath ) which god gaue to the day , signifies rest & cessation , & puts us continually in mind of this duty . and whosoever cals it by the name sabbath , doth thereby acknowledge it to be a day of rest . secondly , a maine ground of gods first institution of the sabbath , the rest from all workes of creation wherwith god rested in christ the seventh day , who on that day was promised & took upon him to be mans mediatour ( as hath been proved befor out of the words of this text . for chtist the son of god vndertaking to repaire the works of creatiō , which were defaced by mans fal , & to restore al his by another kinde of work then creation , even by incarnation , obedience ; suffering & satisfaction for sin in mans nature , & for the redemption of the world ) did bring unto god the creatour , rest & cessation from any more creation of new kindes of creatures . and upon this ground , even this perfecting of his worke of creation , by bringing in redemption , and in memory & for a signe of gods resting in christ promised , god sanctified the seventh daie to be an holy weeklie sabbath , & bound man to this duty of rest on the sabbath day from all secular businesse . thirdly , in all ages whensoever god repeated the law of the sabbath , or vrged the observation of it , either by moses or the prophets we shall observe that rest and cessation is injoyned , as exod. 20.10 . the seventh day is the sabbath , in it thou shal● do no maner of worke . & exod. 31.14 . thou shalt do no manner of worke therein . & exod. 33.2 . devt . 5.14 . whosoever doth any work on the sabbath shall surely be put to death . they might not gather man̄a on the sabbath day . exo. 16.28 . they who went out to seeke manna are called trasgressours . and all the prophets which in after times made mention of the sabbath , vrged rest , & blamed all servile vvorks vvhich concern this life : as isa. 58.13 . jer. 17.27 . neh. 13.17 . fourthly vve in these later daies , haue as much need of rest & more then men in former ages , and the greater hopes and more cleare evidences of rest and glorie in heaven which we haue , do more bind us to rest from worldly cares , and to set our mindes on heaven where our hopes are . these are strong arguments to prove that rest vpon the sabbath day , is a duty which generally belongs to all men in al ages , which the first thing serving to satisfie the former doubt & to proue the first generall duty . secondly , gods sanctifying of the sabbath , and his first commandement given to adam for the keeping holy of the seventh day : binds all men , in all ages , to keepe a weekely sabbath to the end of the vvorld , as i haue before proued , and therfore the duty of rest belongs to all . thirdly , they vvho hold the lavv of the vveekly sabbath to be but for a time , and that it is novv abolished , they can shevv no scriptures to vvarrant their opinion . that place vvhich they object , coloss. 2.16 . speakes not in the singular number of the vveekly sabbath , instituted here in my text . for though the day bee chaunged upon vveightie reasons and good ground . yet the sabbathisme still remaineth to the people of god , not onely the eternall , and heavenlie , but also the temporall sabbath on earth which leads to the heavenly . the words of the apostle speake of those sabbaths or holy daies of the iewes , which were tipicall , and shaddows of things to bee exhibited in christ , such as were the first and last daies of the passouer , pentecost , and other great yearly feasts . the word sabbaton , being of the plurall number , implies soe much , and the nameing of feasts , daies , and new moones which were shaddowes of the law , giue us just cause to conceiue that the apostle intends only the festiuall and not the weekly sabbaths . or if we should grant that the weekly sabbath is meant , among the rest , which the father 's obserued on the 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 writings of the most godly diuines , and builders of our church , gods people are vrged by the law of god , even the fourth commandement to keepe holy the lords day , for the christian weekly sabbath , and in our divine service after the publicke rehearsing of that commandement in the congregation , are injoyned to pray in these words . lo●d haue mercy upon us , and incline our hea●tes to keepe thy law and this you see the first generall duty of the sabbath , to weet : resting from worldly affaires clearly proved , and that while their is a sabbath or weekly day of holy assemblies , either under the gospel , all men are bound to observe this rest . the second generall duty necessa●ily to be performed in the keeping of the sabbath is sanctification , which is by mens devoting of themselves wholy to divine worship , & such religious actions , as god requirs in the times of the church in which they live , such as are publick assemblies for praising god , praying to him , preaching , reading , expounding , and hearing of his word , commemoration of his great works , and rehearsing of his promises for common edification . also private praier● , and meditations on heavenly things , domesticall instructions and the like . all these are necessary sabbath duties to be observed of al men , in all ages , both under the old & new testament . first the words wherin moses here in my text , discribes gods first institutiō of the sabbath , proue this fully . for here it is said that god sanctified it , that is , set it apart for holy exercises in the performance whereof men do sanctifie it . for sanctifying is either by infusion of holinesse into the thing sanctified , or setting it apart to holy use and exercise , but it had no holinesse infused into it , as i haue else where proved . therefore it was sa●ctified , by consecration , that is , setting apart to holy use . secondly , it is called the holy sabbath , that is : such a day of rest as is to be kept exod. 16.23 . before the giving of the fourth commandement as moses shewes , saying . to morrow is the rest of our holy sabbath to the lord , that is : this is a rest not of idlenesse , but from common affairs , that men may be exercised in holy duties onely . thirdly , in the giving of the law from mount sina , god commands expresly , that all his people doe remember to sanctifie and keepe holie the sabbath , which cannot be but by exercise of holy duties , and performance of holy service and worshippe vnto god. exod. 2● . 9 . l●stly , in all the scriptures of the law , which speake of the sabbath in the old testament , it is called the lords holy sabbath . and sanctification of it , is required as appeares , exod. 31.15 & , 5.2 . deut. 5.12 . and in the evangellicall prophets , which speake of the sabbath both of old , and also in the last daies of the gospell , it is called the lords holy day . isa. 58 : 13 : & 66 : 23 : and it is said , that all flesh , that is true christians of all nations shall from one sabbath to another come to worship before the lord & ezech. 44.24 . they shall hallow the sabbath . but here some perhaps will object . that none can truly sanctifie the sabbath , nor performe a●y holy duty , who are wholy carnall , & unregenerate and haue not the spirit of god dwelling in them , & sanctifying them , & such are many even in the bosome of the true church . and therfore sanctification of the sabbath , cannot be a generall duty performed by al men , nor requi●ed of all , but is a special duty pr●per to the elect saints , who are truly sanctified , others were neuer able to sanctifie the sabbath and therefore it is not a duty which god can justly require of all in generall . jt is true indeed , that as a bitter fountaine & corrupt , can send forth no sweet and pure water , so no naturall man can performe a true & holy duty . holines is a supernaturall guift of the holy ghost , and he it is who enables men to performe all workes which are eternally holy : but as ther is a two fold sanctification the one internal , which is the wo●k of the holy ghost in men ; the other externall , which is the consecrating & setting apart of things naturall and artificiall to be imployed to an holy vse , and to supernaturall end , so also there are two sorts of holy exercise . some which are eternally holy , as holy prayers and praises and all workes of true piety , which onely holy men performe , by the power of the holy ghost working in them and mouing them . others are only externally holy , by outward consecration & seperation , because the are appointed to be done for holy use , & to be used in the worship of god , such are all outward religious duties , as sacrificing and such like performed by hipocrites and carnall professours in the old testament , such as caine , saul , and elis wicked sonnes were . and reading , preaching , set formes of prayer , and gestures of worship performed by hipocrites both before and under the gospel . these later are in the power of hipocrites and unregenerate men , who by a common guift and generall grace are enabled to performe farre more in this kinde then they do , or are willing to do . now though all men cannot performe the first , yet so farr as they are able they are bound to performe the later sort of dut●es , among which are the externall sanctifications of the sabbath , as frequenting holy and publick ass●mblies , singing of psalmes , joyning with the church in publick prayers and the like : which as they are able to do , so they are bound to do , and if they refuse in such things to conforme themselves , they are punis●ed both by god for disobedience to his law , and also by the censures of the church . the third generall duty necessarily required of all in the observation of the sabbath is : that they keep for their holy sabbath that verie day of the week , whether it be the first or seventh , which god hath blessed aboue all other daies with the greatest blessing , and which he hath sanctified aboue all other daies by more full relation of his own holines to the world , and opening of a more wide doore of holines for the san●tifying of all his people . thus i prove . first most plainly from the words of my text , which describe gods first institution of the sabbath . first by blessing it aboue other daies with that greatest of blessings even the promise of christ a perfect saviour and redeemer of mankinde . secondly , by sanctifying it in revealing his holinesse to man , and sanctifying man by his spirit & the promise and thereupon appointing it to be kept holy . as i haue fully before proved . secondly , the lord god himselfe , both in giving the law from mount sina , and often repeating of the fourth commandement by moses , still vrgeth the obseruation of the weekly sabbath upon this groūd : because he hath on that day redeemed them out of the house of bo●dage with a mighty hand & streached out arme . deut. 5.15 . & in oth●r places : for indeede on the sabbath he redemed them and sanctified the first borne to himselfe . exod. 13. from whence we conclude , that gods blessing of a day aboue other daies with greatest blessings , is a good ground for the keeping of it for his holy sabbath , and so also is gods sāctifying of it by more speciall holines . thirdly it is manifest , that all extraordinary and yearlie sabbaths which god commanded israell to keepe holy such as the first and seventh dai●s of the feasts of the passover , pentecost , & of tabernacles were al enjoyned to be k●pt & observed in memory of greater blessings given on those daies , and of gods sanctifying them by more full revelation of his holines . and therefore much more is the observation of the continuall weekly sabbath grounded upon greater blessings given , & holines fully revealed on that day of the week which is to be observed for the sabbath : & in whatsoever age , time , or state , of the church men do live , they are bound by the first institution of the sabbath , and by the first law which god then gaue for the keeping of it , as to obserue an holy weekly sabbath , so to obserue on that verie daie of the weeke , which god hath at that time and in that age revealed , and declared to be the day which he hath blessed and sanctified aboue all others daies of the weeke . as for example , while christ was promised a redeemer of the world , and was not yet given , the day of the promise wherin he was first promised , and did undertake and begin to mediate for man , was the most blessed day which god had sanctified and blessed with the promise , which was the greatest blessing revealed and made knowne in the old testament . but when an other day of the weeke comes to be blessed with a greater blessing , even the giving of christ , and the full exhibition of him a perfect redeemer , then is that the day which god hath sanctified aboue all daies , & then the law & the words of the first institutiōs bind mē to keep that for the holy sabbath . and thus you see the generall duties which god requires of all men in generall which are necessary to the being of the sabbath , and with out which there can be no right obseruation of a weekly sabbath holy to the lord. chap. 17. the second sort of duties now follow , to weet : those which were proper to the people of god in the old testament , vnto which the fathers were specially bound befor the cōming of christ while he was yet only promised & not given a perfect redeemer . they also though they consist in many particulars : yet may be reduced to three chiefe heads . first to rest and cessation . secondly to sanctification . thirdly to obseruation of the seventh and last day of the weeke for their holy weekly sabbath . first concerning rest from all worldly affaires , and cessation from bodily exercises such as delight and refresh the outward man onely , and are directed to no other end , there are different opinions among the learned . some hold that the fathers vnder the law , were bound more strictly to rest from bodily exercises and worldly affaires on their sabbath , then christians are on the lords day under the gospel , jnsomuch that the strict bond of rest vnto which the law tyed them , was an heavy yoke , and apart of the bondage vnder which they groaned . others are of opinion , that their rest being no more but from worldly affaires & bodily exercises : seruing only for bodily delight & worldly profit , was the very same vnto which all gods people were bound in all ages , and are still under the gospel . there are reasons brought on both sides : but all scriptures and reasons being well weighed : i doubt not but they may bee brought to agree in one truth : if only one thing wherin both sides agre , and which both mistake , be remoued , namely a conceipt which both haue of a more strict and religious exaction of rest and cessation , then indeede was required in the sabbath of the old testament . they who hold the first opinion , bring many testimonies of scripture , which seeme to impose such a strict rest & cessation on the fathers , and the isralites vnder the law , as is by common experience found to be an heavy burden , hard to be borne , and even intollerable . as for example . exod. 9.16.23 , where moses speakes thus unto israell . this is that which the lord hath said . to morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath vnto the lord , bake that which yee will bake to day , and seeth that yee will seeth , and that which remaineth over , lay vp for you to be kept untill the morning . hence they conclude that the fathers were restrained frō baking or seething any meate on the sabbath day . also verse 29. wher moses saith let no mā go forth of his place , but every mā abide in his place on the seventh day . hence they inferre . that the fathers might not walke abroad on their sabbath . likewise from the words of the law . exod. 20.10 . jn it thou shalt not do any worke , they gather that the isralites might upon no worldly occasion do any worke on the sabbath day , not so much as make a plaister or medicine for a sick and wounded man. and so the learned doctours of the iewes vnderstodd the law , and observed it , as they shewed by their reproving of christ for healing a diseased person by a word onely and no other labour . also exod. 31.14.15 . & 35.23 . all kinde of worke is forbideen under paine of death . whosoever doth any worke therein shal be put to death , saith the lord. yea he forbids to kindle a fire through their habitations on the sabbath day , & num. 15.35 . the man that was found gathering stickes in the wildernesse on the sabbath day , was by gods appointment stoned to death by the congregation . & neh : 13 : 17. jt was called profaning of the sabbath , when men sould any wares or vitails , and when straungers of other nations brought in wares and fish on the sabbath day to be sold. also amos 8.5 . they whose mindes were so set on the worldly affaires , that they longed , till the sabbath was past , and had their minde on selling corne and wheate . the lord sweares by the excellency of iacob , that hee will not forgit to reveng their doings : from these scriptures divers both of the auncients , and later diuines haue concluded that the law of the sabbath in respect of rest and cessation , which is exacted in the old testament , with such rigour and upon such grievous penalties . was an heavy and intollerable burden , and therefore is abolished by christ , in respect of that totall cessation and strict rest . others on the contrary doe hold , that as christians haue more clear evidence & hope of eternall rest in heaven , and the spirit which makes the more spirituall , shed on them more abundantly through christ , soe they ought to be more restrained from loue of the world , & from care of earthly things . and therefore by the law of the sabbath are bound rather more strictly then the fathers in the old testament , to rest and cease from all worldly cares , and all laboures , and affaires of this life , on the lords day , which is consecrated by the resurrection of christ , to be the weekly sabbath of all christians . but if these scriptures be diligently searched , and all circumstances well weighed . it will appeare vpon good reason , that both sides are mistaken , and that the forenamed scriptures do not import any such rigorous rest or burden some cessation . for first of all , though the pharises , and other strict sects , and rabbinicall doctors , and expounders of the law , did of later times alittle before , and at the appearance of our saviour in the flesh , expound the law soe strictly in respect of the carnall and literall sence , that thereby they laid heavy burdens vpon men , as our saviour doth charge them . matth. 23.4 . yet it was not so from the beginning , but even the isralites themselves who lived vnder the law , as under a scoole maister , and under the rudiments of the world , they had liberty to go out of them places , and dwellings a sabbath days journey , which was , as their rabbinnes writes two thousand cubites , that is as some take it an italian mile , & in the opinion of others two miles . and 2 king. 11.6.7 . it is recorded the priests and people went in and out , to and from the house of the lord on every sabbath day . they did also kindle fire for sacrifices & burnt offerings , which they did offer unto god double , morning and evening everie sabbath daie , after they had killed and dressed the beasts , and this according to the strict sence and strained exposition of the law , which the scribes and pharises gaue of it , was a breach of the law , and prophanation of the sabbath as our saviour shewes . matth. 12.5 . secondly , the scribes and pharises did not expound the law , as forbidding all bodily workes . for they do circumcise children , & apply medicines to heale the sores of the circumcised on the sabbath , when it happened vpon the eight day after the birth of children , as our saviour also shewes . joh. 7.23 . they led their oxen & asses to the water , and if a sheepe , or oxe , or asse did fall into a pit they did pull it out on the sabbath , because these were works of necessity . luk. 13.15 . & 14.5 . and the chiefest and strictest of the pharises did make great feasts & invited many guests , & our saviour himselfe amongst the rest , who did not refuse to take part with them . luk. 14.1 . & did obserue how the invited guists did choose out the chiefest roomes ver . 7. which shewes plainly that dressing of necessary and convenient meat was not forbidden by the law on the sabbath day , neither did the pharises so expound the law . thirdly for the places of scrpture before alleaged , let us take a perticular view of them in order , and we shall see , that they are much mistaken . first that place exod. 16.29 . doth not enjoyne every man to keepe his place , and not to goe out of their campe to gather manna on the seventh day , the reason prefixed shewes this plainly , to weet : because god gaue them on the sixth day manna sufficient for that day & the seventh . the exposition which some make of the 23. ver . is very idle & ridiculous , namly that the isralites were commanded to bake and seeth on the sixth day , that which they were to eate on the seventh . and therefore it was not lawfull to bake and seeth on the sabbath . for moses doth not bidde them bake for the sabbath which was the morrow after , but onely that which they were to eate on the present day , and to reserve the ouerplus , which they did not bake and seeth vntill the seventh day ; and though they did so , and did not bake and seeth it : yet it did not putrifie neither were any worms therin , which had it beē sodde or baked , for baking and seething do naturally and as an ordinarie means preserue things from stincking and putrefaction . in the next place the wordes of the fourth commandement ( in it thou shalt not do any worke ) they do not forbid religious workes which tend either to inward or outward sanctification of the sabbath day , nor workes of mercy , charity , or necessity which are necessarie , for the safety and preseruation of the life of man or beast . though the perverse scribes and pharises out of their hipocrisie did ●oo strictlie expound and interpret the law of the sabbath against our savious doeings , and held it unlawfull to heale the sick on the sabbath daie , though it were but by speaking a word : yet their practise which they received from the fathers of killing and offering sacrifices , circumcising their children , leading their oxen to the water to drinke , and drawing their sheepe , asses and other profittable cattell out of a ditch : did shew that they were taught from the beginning a contrary lesson , of more liberty , which our saviour approueth , and thereby convinceth them of grosse errour and hipocrisie . thirdly , that place of exod. 3 35. where they are forbidden to kindle a fire in all their habitations on the sabbath day , is not a generall commandement binding all simplie at al times . but a perticular precept binding in some cases , for they kindled fires and burned sacrifices twice every sabbath , they also kindled fires to dresse necessary and comfortable meat exod. 12 : 16. where god forbidding all manner of workes on the sabbath of the passouer , which were commanded to be kept as strictly , and to be sanctified with holy assemblies and solemnities , as much as the weekly sabbath , yet exceps that which is to be done in dressing necessarie meat . wherefore the kindling of a fire here forbidden , is expounded by some rabbines to be onely making of fires to burne malefactors . but indeed if we looke to that which followeth , it will appeare that moses being about to summon the people to bring all materials , gold , silver , brasse , jron , and other materials , and also silke , purple , and other stuffe for the building of the altar , the tabernacle and all things therunto belonging , doth first call to their remembrance the law of the sabbath , and doth giue them a charge from god that in building of the tabernacle , the place of his worship , they abstaine from all worke on the sabbath day vnder paine of death , and that they doe not kindle a fire to melt gold , or silver , or brass , for the altar or the arke , or any holie thing in the tabernacle . for god abhorres the breaking of his law , or prophaning his sabbath vnder the pretence of building an house , or tabernacle , or altars to him . and this is no more then our builders of the famous cathedrall church of saint paul , in this city , are on our lords day the christian sabbath , at this time bound to observe , and do abserue very strictly . fourthly the forbidding of all worke vnder paine of death , exod : 31.14.35.2 . and the commanding of him to be stoned who gathered sticks on the sabbath day . num. 15.35 . are not thus to be understood , that every breach of the sabbath by any bodily labour , was to be punished with death in all persons under the law ( though inded before god everie b●each of every commandement deserues death . ) but that the open wilfull & presumptious prophaning of the sabbath by any scandalous act , or by a cōmon practise was to be punished wi●h death . this is plaine by the words next before going . num. 15. ●0 . 31 . where the lord commands that he who sinneth presump●iously with an high hand , and so reproacheth the lord. and dispiseth his word , be cut of from among his people , against which word and expresse commandement the man which was found gathering sticks on the sabbath daie , did presently sin , and committed wilfull transgression presumptuously , not through ignorance nor compelled by necessity , and therefore he was stoned for an example of terrour to all presumptious transgre●sours . but as for others who did beare burdens , and sell vitailes not presumptuously , but either through ignorance or forgetfulnesse , or drawn by custome and ill example of the multitude in the daies of jeremiah , and nehemiah , they were not by the law put to death , but compelled by authority and rebukes , and by threatnings of wrath & judgments of god , to desist from profanat●ō of the holy sabbath , as the plac●s before named shew . neh. 13. ier. 17.27 . as for them whole mindes are altogether carried away after buying , s●lling , and worldly games on the sabbath day , amos. 8. they are threatned with no other wo , then that which belongs to all such as af●er the same manner ; vnhallow the lords day now under the gospell . wherefore it is manifest that the fathers in the old testament , had no heavy burden of strict rest laid on them by the law , but the same cessation from worldly affaires which they are bound vnto , is still required of us , and of all gods people in all ages of the world . they were not restrained in time of war from works of necessity , as fig●t●ng against enimies , taking and destroying their cities , as we see in the compassing of jericho seven daies together , one of which must needes be the sabbath day . iosh. 6. they might flee for their liues , and pull cattell out of pits , and do any other worke which could not be deferred vntill the next day , but present necessity requ●red it for their owne safety , and for the saftie of their cattell and of other good creatures which otherwise were in danger to perish . but suppose the opinion of diuers both auncient and late writers were true , to weet . that the isralites were bound to obserue a more strict and burdensome rest , and under greater penalties , then either the fathers before the law , or we who liue in the light and liberty of the gospell : yet this proues no more but onely that this rigour was apart of the bondage and paedagogie of the law ; wherewith they are hardlie pressed , for this end to driue them to seeke ease in christ , and to long for his comming in the flesh . and this burden and rigour onely is abolished by christ , together with the chaunge of the perticular day : but the substance of the law still remaines and bindes all men to keepe the sabbath , resting and ceasing from all worldly busines , except that which is of necessity & charity , even as the fathers were boūd frō the first institution . the secōd principal head of which the secōd sort ●f special & proper duties which god r●quired the fathers under the old testamēt , may be reduced , as sanctification . for ouer and aboue ●heir resting from secular affaires , they were by gods first institution of the sababath bound to sanctifie the seventh day , with holy and religious duties , such as god in that state and condition of the church required , as an holie service and for heavenly and spirituall use , even for begitting and increasing of grace and faith in them , and for the fitting of them for the fruition of eternall rest . the sanctification of the sabbath in generall belongs to all mankinde in all ages , and that all are bound to it by a perpetuall law . as i haue proued sufficiently before . i am now onlie to shew the speciall and perticular duties of sanctification , which god required of his people in the old testament . the first speciall duty of sanctification was the solemne commemoration of christ the blessed seed , and of the promise of redemption by him . unto this all the fa●hers fro adam until moses , & so to christ , were bound by gods fi●st institution of the sabbath and sanctifying the seventh day , vpon promise made of the blessed seed : for full proofe of of this : i argue thus both from scripture and common experience . whensoever a day is set a part either by god or holy men , to be kept with solemnity because of some great blessing or deliverance given or promised , the chiefe thing to be observed in that solemnity , is a publick & solemn commemoration & rehearsall of the blessing & deliverance with joy & praise . experience of all ages doth proue this . in the solemn feast of the passouer , the chiefe duty of sanctification was the cōmemoration of gods deliuerance of jsraell from bondage in egypt , by his mighty hand streched out to smite egypt , and his destroying angel passing over all the houses of the isralites , & slaying all the first borne of ●he egyptians , & this deliuerance was the blessing , because of which god instituted this feast . exd. 13.5 . the solemnitie of the feast of tabernacles for seven daies together was instituted by god , because of his preservatiō of israell in the wildernes forty yeares together without houses or cities , in boothes & tents , & the chiefe thing which they were bound to obserue in this holy solemnity , was the commemoration of that preseruation in the wildernes , by dwelling in boothes all the time of that feast , wherby occasion was given to thē to rehearse vnto their childrē , & their child . were moved to enquir , learn , & bear in mind that blessing of gods preservatiō lev. 23.43 . & so in al ages we find by experience , that the commemoration of the blessing upon which every feast was first ordained , is the chiefe duty in all the solemnity , as the cōmemoration and rehersal of christs resurrectiō in the feast of easter , of the cōming down of the holy ghost in the feast of pentecost , of christs incarnation in the feast of the nativity . and in our late yearely f●stivall for our deliuerance from the powder treason , the chiefe duty is the cōmemoration of that deliuerance . so that this proposition is most certain & undeniable . now what the blessing of the seventh day was , because of which god sanctified , it to be the weekly sabbath of the old testament , & also after by moses commanded it to be kept holy . as i haue largely before proued : euen the promise of christ the redeemer . and therfore it followes necessarily , that the first and chiefest duty of sanctification of the sabbath , which the fathers were bound vnto , was the commem●ration of the promise of christ & of redemption by him , which was the blessing wherwith god blessed the seventh day , 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 shew that the promises of christ were solemnly rehearsed . and out of moses and the prophets every sabbath day . so also they shew that moses and the prophets were publickly read , and heard in their weekely holy assemblies , and by this meanes the people were taught , not onely in the promises and prophecies of christ to beleeue in him a redeemer to come : but also in all the righteousnes and duties of the law morall , and all the judgments ; ordinances , & ceremonies of the law ceremonial , w●ich was their scoole-maister to lead them to christ. wee haue also to this purpose another plaine testimony luk. 4.16 . where it is said , that our saviour as his custome was , went into the sinagogue on the sabbath day & stood up to read , and the booke of isaiah the prophet was delivered unto him . and he read a place which was written concerning himselfe , and expounded it vnto them with the generall aprobation of the assembly . also ast , 13.15 & 27 verses . jt is testified , that the iewes in their sinagogues on every sabbath daie , had moses and the prophets read unto them publickely : both in forraine countries where they were disperced , and also at ierusalem and in their own countrie . and that this was an auncient practise even from moses , and in the time of the iudges , and the kings of jsraell and iudah , to reade the law in the holy assemblies , and to heare it read by the priests we may gather from exod. 24.7 . where it is said , that moses read the covenant in the audience of the people , & deut. 31·11 . 12 . where the isralites are commanded to read the law in their assemblies , in the hearing of all men , women & children . i● may also be collected from i●sh . 8.34.35 . iudg. 18.3 . & 2 cron. 17.7.8.9 . & 30.22 . & 35.3 . that it was in vse after the captivity , the historie of nehemiah testifies nehem. 8.4 , & 9.3 . the auncient division of the five bookes of moses into 54 lectures , that th●y might be read over once in every yeare , by reading one lecture every sabbath , is a thing soe auncient , that we finde no mention of the author of it , & therfore it may be supposed to be from moses the writer of those books . and the reading of a lecture also out of the prophets everie sabbath , is recorded to be a custome long before christs birth begun , by occasion of the tirant antiochus who prohibited the iewes to reade the law of moses in their sabbath assemblies vnder the paine of death . as we read in the apocripall history of the macchabees lib. 1. c. 1.59 . whereupon they were forced insteed of the law of moses to read lectures , out of the prophets as elias leuita saith , and euer since that custome is retained and was in use in our saviours daies luk. 4.16 . the fifth speciall dutie of sanctification , was the worshipping of the lord , which as it is required of gods people in priuate and upon particular occasion at all times : so publick upon the sabbath day , and in all holy yearlie sabbaths . the dutie of worshippe consists in confession of sinnes , praiers , supplications , lauding and praising god , singing of psalmes , and offering of free will offering , and the like as wee read , neh. 9.33 . levit. 26.3 . deut. 5.5 . where confession & acknowledging gods favours is called worship , and set downe for apart of it . & gen. 4.26 . & 12.8 & 13.4 . and psa. 79.6 . where the name of invocation and calling upon god by prayer is used by synechdoche for all worship in in generall and exod. 15.1 . iud. 5. lauding and praising god with singing of psalmes , and holy songs are rehearsed as a speciall part of gods worshippe . now this worshippe of god by publick confession , praiers , and singing of praises , cannot be but in publick assemblies , and holy convocations which are especially kept on the sabbaths , and therefore this worshippe must needs be a speciall duty of the sabbath and one part of the sanctification of it . david also shewes this psal. 42 : 3. where he saith that he was wont to go up to the house of god , among the multitude which kept holy day , with the voyce of joy and singing . and the 92. psalme which is intitul●d a psalme for the sabbath day , doth proclaime it to bee a good and necessarie duty on that day , to giue thankes and to sing prayses to the name of the lord , to shew forth his loving kindnesse and truth from morning to night , to triumph in his works , to speake of them with admiration . and to declare his mercies and judgments and what a rock he is to rest on . these are the most notable duties which gods people were bound vnto , in their sanctifying of the seventh day in the old testament . the third and last principall head comprehen●ing the rest of the duties . which did belong to the observation of the sabbath in the old testament is the day it selfe which they were bound to keepe for their weekly sabbath , that is the last day of the week even the seventh from the beginning of the creation . that this and no other was to be kept for their weeklie sabbath in the old testament appeares most plainlie by three things . first because it vvas the day which god blessed with the greatest blessing of al which were giuen and reveal●d before the resurrection of christ , to weet : the promise of christ & of the redemption of the world by him , & gods entering into the covenant of grae with man , & christs open actuall undertaking to be mans mediatour & saviour in whom the mutable worke of creation is perfected , and god is well pleased and resteth satisfied : as j haue before proved . secondly , because as the fathers and isralites obserued it according to gods commandement in the first institution exod. 16. before the giving of the law from mount sina : so in giving of the law to jsraell & in the renuing of the commandement by moses vpon divers occasions the lord doth expresly require the keeping of the seventh day for his holy sabbath : as we see exod. 20. & 31.35 . & deut. 5. thirdlie , because not onely as the prophets and holy men of god urged & taught all men to obserue that day vntill the comming of christ. but also our saviour himselfe all his life time on earth , and after his death kept this sabbath by resting in the ground . and the apostles also while they lived among the jewes and the tabernacle was yet standing , and moses was not yet buried , did obserue & keep for orders sake the old sabbath of the seventh day as appeares luk. 4.16 . ast : 13.13 . and diuers other places . chap. 18. i am come now to the last place , to the speciall sabbath duties , vnto which all christians are bound under the gospell . in the right observation of the lords day which is their holy sabbath : and these speciall duties may be reduced to the common & generall heads before named . the first which come here to be handled in the first place , as the ground upon which the rest are builded , is the consideration of the particular day of the weeke which they are bound to keepe for their weekly sabbath . this is that which is most controverted & called in question among the learned in this age , & therfore comes to be first proued and clearly demonstrated by testimonies and proofes out of the holy scriptures , which being performed i proceed in the next place to the dutie of rest , & will shew how far christians are bound unto it on their weekly sabbath the lords day . and in the last place , i will come to the speciall duties of sanctification by which that day is to be kept holy to the lord now under the gospell . first for the day it selfe . some are of opinion that it is the same which was from the begining , that is : the seventh & last day of the week this opinion is grounded upon the bare letter of the law , as it was giuen both in the institution , and sanctifying of the seventh day , & renewed againe in the fourth commandement , and understood by the fathers in the old testament . j confesse that the words of the law , if we take them as they were limited to the fathers , not considering wi●hall how and upon what grounds and conditions god made the seventh day the weekly sabbath , they seeme to favour their opinion . for if we conceiue no mo●e but a mere cessation and rest of god from his works on the six daies created , to be the ground of the law , then we may also conceiue that the law of the weekly sabbath binds all mankind to that particular day in all ages , because the ground is the same to all men & equally belongs to all men , in all times to the worlds end . o●hers are of opinion that the law of the sabbath , being but a mere ceremoniall law is a bolished by the comming of christ , and bindes not us under the gospell to any particular day . and that it is free for the church of god , to appoint any day for their holy assemblies , and that christians haue no sabbath , neither are bound to keepe any such rest as the law required in the old testament . others hold that the law of the sabbath is naturally simply morall , in the generall nature of it as it requires a weekly sabbath to be sanctified and kept holy , and that the particular determination of the daie is an honour and prerogatiue which belongs to christ the redemer who is the lord of the sabbath . and that it was the purpose of god from all eternity and in the first giving of the law , as to consecrate the seventh day in memory of god perfecting all the works of creation , & resting from them on that day , so also to consecrate by the resurrection of christ ; the first day of the weeke to be ever after the weekly sabbath in honour and memory of the worke of redemption , which on that day was fully perfected by christs rising from the dead , and entering into that state of glory , in which he rests for ever , hauing no more to do for the ransoming and redeming of mankinde . gods justice being full satisfied . the first of these opinions being grounded vpon a carnall vndestanding , and imperfect sence of the words of the law , hath but a weake and sandy found●tion , and because as the first authors of it were blasphemous hereticks which erred in diuers fundamental points of christian faith and religion : soe also the reviuers of it , are either cursed anabaptists , or men who doe not rightly vnderstand the law nor the groundes and conditions vpon which it requires an holy weekly sabbath . therefore it is justly hated and rejected as a jewish errour , & the maintainers thereof haue in all true christian churches of all ages beene branded with the name of hereticall and iudaicall sabbatarians . and i need not spend any precious time in confuting it , and the frivolous fallacies by which it is maintained . the second opinion being too rashly conceived , and vnadvisedlie professed and held by some godly divines of the reformed churches , who in this point do much contradict themselves , also being an unsound opinion and therefore well relished by popish schoole-men , malicious iesuites , licentious liber●ines and men of profane hearts , hath no ground in the scriptures , nor any sound orthodox writings of any auncient fathers : yea bringing great confusion into the decalouge which is the summe of the morall law , and laying a foule staine upon our church which hath appointed the commandement of the sabbath , to be read among the tenne commandements , and enjoynes the people to pray that god would incline their hearts to keepe that law , as well as all and everie one of the rest . therefore i shall not spend any time in the confutation of it : the arguments which are brought for the confutation of the contrary truth , will sufficiently raze and vtterly abolish it , out of the hearts of all true christians . the third opinion is most agreeable to the holy scripture , and the common doctrine of the orthodox writers both of auncient and later times , especially of the most godly and learned in the church of england , who haue heretofore writen learned treatises of the sabbath , and expositions of the ten commandements of the decalogue . and therefore i wil bee bold here againe to commend it to you for an undoubted truth ▪ which i haue aboundantly proued & confirmed by many demonstratiue convincing arguments already , partly in that large search which j haue made before into the nature of the law of the sabbath ; and that description which i haue made of it , but most fully in that passage where i proued the change of the day by the resurrection of christ from the seventh to the first day of the weeke now vnder the gospel , and brought diuers argumen●s to shew that the law which god gaue for the keeping holy of a seventh day in every weeke ( at the first institution of the sabbath here in my text ; and renewed againe on mount sina , and giue ●f●en in charge by moses to israell ) doth now as strictly binde us to keepe an holy sabbath on the lords day in everie weeke , as it bound the auncient people of god in the old testament to keepe the sabbath of the seventh day . but for the confirming of your hearts in the beleife of this truth , and in the knowledge of this duty . i will not multiply any new arguments , onely that you may more firmely retaine it in your memories and still beare it in minde , that you are in conscience bound to keepe only the lords daie and none other for your weekly sabbath in these times of the gospell : j will bri●fly touch and explaine some principall heades which haue beene before laid down at large and in ample manner . the summe whereof is this ; namely : that although the law of the sabbath is not a law of nature in ●hat rigid sence in which some do conceive it , that is a law written in mans heart expresly and distinctly in the creation which by the mere instinct of nature , and direction of naturall reason did lead man to keepe everie seventh day of the weeke an holie sabbath to the lord. but that indeed it came in after mans fall together with the promise of christ , and therefore is more fitly called a law of grace , and a positiue evangellicall law requiring duties of obedience to god which chiefly and especiallie tend to begit grace & and increase holinesse in men . yet it is not simply positiue . nor soe evangellicallie morall , but that it may in some sence and respect bee called naturall also . for first it requires some duties of obedience which in their owne nature are good and profittable , though the law giuer had not by expresse commandement revealed his will that they should be done , such is the giuing , no wof rest & int●rmission of bodilie labour and toile , to our bodies and to the bodies of our servants and labouring cattell one whole day in everie weeke ouer and besides that which they haue in the time of sleepe in the darknesse & dead of the night . this is according to naturall reason and common equitie . secondly , it commands some duties of gods worship and service which man by the law of nature was bound to performe in his innocency and which are naturally morall , as lauding and praising god , and giuing to him all honour and reverence in the most solemne and pu●lick manner . thirdly , it commands such holy spirituall works of grace , & such duties of sanctification , as in thei● own nature worke to the sanctifying of men more & more , & to make them capable of eternall rest in heaven , & of the full fruition of god. as for example : meeting upon a set daie in everie week in holy assemblies , for to heare & read gods word , publick instructions , exhortations , & mutuall provocations to piety , sanctity & christian charity . fourthly , the patticular day of the week which the law commands to be kept for an holy sabbath , is separated upon such a just ground & reason in the first institution of the sabbath , and blessed by god with such a blessing aboue other daies of the week , that whosoever knows the law & true intent & meaning of it , & rightlie unde●stands the ground of the sabbath mentioned in the law , he must by the light both of nature & grace , he forced to confesse & acknowledge the particular day which the law commands to bee kept an holie sabbath both in the old & new testament . for the law doth not command one day in seven to be an holy rest simply & merely for the pleasure of the lawgiuer , because he would haue it soe , & for no other reason : but for very good reason & upon a ground because he dignified the day of the sabbath & blessed it aboue all other daies with a singular blessing : & our owne reason doth tell us , that the particular day of the weeke , which hath in it the true reasons & the honour & blessing of the sabbath , it ought by the law to be obserued for the holy sabbath & none other , while it retaines that honour & blessing , & hath the true reasons properly annexed to it . now it it most manifest to all who read the scriptures , & are well exercised in gods word & law : that as the seventh & last day of the weeke was blessed , honoured & adorned by god with the greatest blessing which god gaue to the world in the old testament , to weet : the promise of christ the redeemer of the world , & gods entring into the couenant of grace & of eternall life & salvavation with man , also gods perfecting of the whole worke of creation , by revealing & giving in promise the worke of redemption , & his resting in christs mediation on that day vndertaken & begun . and therefor every reasonable man must by his own reason be induced , & lead to acknowledg that day the fittest & most worthy of all daies in the week to be the holy sabbath , & to be spent in thankfull commemoration of gods free loue & bountie to mankinde . during the whole time of the old testament before the comming of christ. so likewise god hauing now under the gospel transferred this honour to the first day of the week , that is become a blessed day aboue all other daies , being blessed of god with a blessing farr more excellent then that of the seventh day , to weet : the actuall performance of the promise by giving & exhibiting christ a perfect actuall redeemer in his resurrection without which resurrection all our preaching of christ , & all our faith in gods promises would prove vaine as the apostle proueth . 1 cor. 15. therfore every man must out of common reason & equity conclude , that together with the ground & reason of the sabbath which god hath now removed from the seventh to the first day , he hath also remoued the honour & festiuall solemnity of the sabbath . also his first law which enjoyneth man to keep that day for the holy sabbath which god hath blessed with the grea●est blessing , doth bind all christians to obserue the lords day for their weekly sabb●th under the gospel : and in a word that it were a thing most vnequall & unjust , if a man or any church should goe about to set up for the weekely sabbath any other day which god hath not dignified & honoured with so great a blessing . now upon these pr●missed reasons , i hope it appeares manifestly . first that though the commandement of the weekly sabbath is no dict●te of nature : but a positiue evangellicall law : yet it doth by common naturall reason as well as by the light of grace direct every reasonable man to the partilar day of the weekly sabbath as to the seventh day in the old testament , so to the first in the new testament . and no resonable man can deny it to be the most equall which this law binds men unto , but vpon the true grounds of the sab : well weighed & considered must be forced to confesse , that as the seventh day was most worthy of the honour of the sabbath , & had it before christs full exhibition in his resurrection , so ever since the lords day the first of the week is become the true sab : of christians , & none hath power to giue that honour to any other day . secondly , it is here manifest : that though christ the sonne of god made also the son of man , & mans redeemer is the lord of the sab : & the determination of the particular day of the week depends on him , and none other haue the honour & pror●g●tiue to appoint the particular day , but he only . yet we must not conceiue that christ by his bare will sets downe the particular day , & that the day is to be obserued only because of his bare will & commandement , & that any other is as fit & worthy as the seventh , & the first if he would be pleased at any time to comm●nd the same . but we are to hold th●● christ is the lord ▪ of the sabbath , & hath the determinatiō of the particular day depends on him the redeemer , onely because the ho●y sabbath is founded and builded upon him , and in him alone are to be found all the meane and essentiall grounds and reasons both of the sabbath and alsoe ●f the particular day wherein hee requires that it should be obserued . if he had not undertaken mans redemption from death and hell , and mans exaltation to eternall rest and glory , there had beene neither any place for mans keeping of a sabbath nor anie use of it to fit him for heaven or to be a pledg of eternall rest in heaven . jf god had not on the seventh day promised christ the blessed seed to redeeme man from death , to purchase life for him , and to continue to him the benefit of the creatures , and to perfect his creation . surely it had not been the most blessed day of the weeke , neither would god haue instituted it to be a weekly sabbath at the first , and soe to continue untill the comming of christ. and if god had not raised up christ on the first day of the weeke , and so exhibited him aperfect redeemer ; and fully performed his promise . then the first day had not beene made a more blessed day then the seventh and all other daies of the weeke . and the lord christ would never haue made that day of the weeke his sabbath alwaies after , neither would his holy apostles by inspiration of his spirit being moued to call it the lords day , and to obserue it , and teach others to obserue it for their day of holy assemblies for the performing of all holy sabbath duties . and thus we see christ is the lord of the sabbath , and so determines the particular day of the weeke , not by his bare will & word , but by bringing in such blessings on the sevēth or first day of the week , as made the one of them most worthy under the new testament to bee the holy sabbath , to be kept and obserued of all gods people , vnto the observation whereof they are justly lead by the light both of grace and nature : and it is not either in the power of man or any other creature or in the just will of god , or agreeable to the will of the lord christ and the wisedome of his spirit to appoint any other day for the weekly sabbath , but onely the day of the lord christ , that is the day of him promised in the old , and the day of him fully exhibited in the new testament . the first of which and no other the fathers were bound to keepe for their holy rest of old . and the later and no other is our weekly sabbath and the due obseruation of that particular , is the first speciall sabbath duty of all christians under the time of the gospell untill the last resurrection . the second sort of speciall duties vnto which all true christians are bound unto , in their obseruation of the lords day , which is the christian sabbath , are the duties of rest & cessation from all worldly affaires which now follow to be handled in the n●x● place . concerning which j finde much diuersity both of opinion and practise , not only betweene true christians of the reformed churches , and antichristian papists & other hereticks , but also in the reformed churches among themselves . first for the church of rome , and all that are of her faction devoted to her superstition and idolatry , and marked with the marke of the beast which beares up the romish babylon , though diuers of their learned scoole-men haue heretofore maintained a very strict obseruation of rest on the lords day . yet now in later times both in doctrine & practise they are growne uery desolate , especially the romish catholicks which liue among us , turning the lords day into a day of liberty , and spending a great part of it in sports , plaies , revelling other bodily exercises which are carnall , fleshly , prophane and impious . as if so be their irreligious prophanenesse were at strife with their idolatrous religion . and at great emulation contending which should out go & ouer runne the other in carrying them with greater speede to hell . yea to shew and make it manifest to the world , that the romish man of sinne is that great antichrist , which exalts himselfe aboue al that is called god , euen aboue the true god , & the lord iesus christ whose vicar he in hipocrisie makes himself . the church of rome doth teach and urge her uassals to ke●p yearelie holie daies most strictly , which are of her owne devising , which the pope hath commanded to be observed in honour of his cananized saints : & in the mean time opposeth with many great profanations the lords day , which the lord hath consecrated by his resurrection . which day being blessed by god with the greatest blessing aboue all other daies of the weeke , is by the law vvhich god gaue from the beginning , commanded to bee kept for the lords holy sabbath vveeklie . secondly , there are of the hereticall faction of the anabaptists , antimonians , families & other such prophane sectaries , which make little so● any lavv of god or man , saving onlie the dictate of their faniticall ●pirit . and left the commandemēt of the vveekly sab : least they should seeme to be subject to gods lavv and to be be his ( servants vvhich they account slauerie ) and not absolute libertines and sonnes of beliall vvhich haue cast of the lords yoke . these esteem and obserue no daie at all , but according to their own fancie , & make the lords day so far as they dare for feare of men a market day of buying and selling wa●es , & a daie of labour , and of bearing and carrying our burdens as they well know who haue beene at amsterdam where such heretickes and sectaries are tolerated . thirdlie , among christians of the reformed churches there is a difference both in doctrine and practise . some of the reformed churches , who out of their extreme hatred to popish superstition , and to all popish rites and ceremonies , being unwilling to retaine any thing which was used in poperie , except there bee some expresse commandement or example for it in the scriptures , especiallie of the new testament , and labouring to overthrow the whole hierachie and gouernment of the church by bishops , & all bodily rites : they do in the heat of their zeale so violently set themselues against popish superstious holie dayes , that they goe about to take away all observations of daies , and they haue proceeded so farre , as to deny that any either weekely sabbath , or yearelie set feast , ought to be kept holy by any speciall law or commandement of god. they teach that the sabbath as it was commanded to be kept of old , was a mere ceremoniall & shaddow of things which are accomplished in christ , and that is now a bolished . but because it is a thing necessary for the hauing of holy assemblies , and for good order in the churches , that there should be a set day either a seseventh or sixth day of eight dayes : and because the law of nature requires that christian people should haue some daies of rest from hard labour for the refreshing of themselves , and their seruants and cattell : therefore the church of god m●y appoint any day of 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 of the gospell among the gentiles , on that they did meet together to heare the word & to receiue the sacrament of the lords supper act : 20 : 7 : and on that day st paul ordained that the collections & offerings should bee made for the saints 1 cor : 16 : 12 : which were things proper for holy & publicke assemblies : so st : john cals it by the name of the lords day : revel : 1 : 10 : that is , the day which is universall , sacred , & holy to the lord in an high degree . for whatsoever things haue the lords name named on them , are such , as all confesse & many examples of scripture proue abundantly : all the auncient fathers & doctors of the church who immediatly & in the ●ext ages succeed the apostles , do proclaime it to be the chief holy day of christians ; even the queene & supreme lady of dayes : so ignatius cals it as j haue often before noted : also the day of their holie assemblies wherin they did come together to preach , read , expound , & heare gods word , to worshipp god , to pray & to praise god with their one voyce , to receiue the sacramentt and offer up almes . so iustin martyr affirmes : the rest of the most learned fathers , as basill , nazianzene , chrysostome , hyerome , & austen , do all extoll it for the lords high roiall holy daie , the chief● , primate , & first fruites of daies , as the learned of all sides know & co●fesse , even calvin , & his followers , who made a doubt & scruple of calling it the sab : or observing it for a sab : of holy rest by any warrant from gods law . therefore none can with any good reason deny , that one maine duty of this day is rest from all earthly workes . thirdly , wheresoever there is as much use of holie rest & cessation frō all worldlie affaires , as there was of old when god first gaue , & afterwards repeated and urged the law of the weekly sab : there a sab : of rest ought to be kept weeklie even by the com : of god. this is truth & undeniable . for no laws of god comm●nding things which are but tipes & figures , are at any time abrogated , vntill the things commanded cease to be of use as the apostle shewes in the 8 9 : & 10 cap : of heb : now christ who is the body and substance of all types and shaddowes , hath not by his comming so fulfilled the rest of the weekly sabbath , but there is as great , as holy and as necessary use of it to us christians , as there was to the people of god in the old testament . first , we haue as much and more need of refreshing our weak bodies , and the bodies of our servants and labouring cattell then they had , by keeping a weekly sabbath , for we are grown farre more weake and feeble , and of shorter life then they were . secondly , we haue as great neede of seperating , sequestring , and recalling our minds and affections from all worldly cares negociations , and pleasures , ●hat we may haue pleasure and freedome to worship and serue god , and devote one day in everie weeke to publick assemblies for our edification in grace faith and holin●sse . for we are more full of infirmities , and doe decay and grow corrupt more and more , as all the world doth , and haue need of all outward helpes more then they . thirdlie , as rest from all workes and labours which concerne this life was necessarie and of great vse to adam , and al the fathers , to withdraw their hearts and mind●s from placing their felicitie and seeking happinesse in this world , and to put them in remembrance , that ( being fallen from that integrity in which they were created , and the first covenant of life by mans owne workes , being broken and made voyd by the first fall and disobedience ) there is no hope of life or of any true blessednesse . soe it is of no lesse use , but of much more necessitie for us , who are farre more eagre after the world , more readie to place our felicitie in earthly things , and more proud and arrogant , readie to glorie in our own merits , & to boast of our own righteousnesse , ●s we see by common course of the world , which now a daies soe madlie doateth after popish and pelagian merits . f●ur●hlie , as gods commanding of a weeklie rest to be given to man and beast ; and the resting of the fathers on the sabbath day , from servile workes and labour which came in as a curse for sinne , were of great vse to teach them , and to be a pledge , and token unto them , that god did rest in christs mediation , and his justice was fullie satisfied , and his wrath appeased towards them , by that satisfaction which christ had vndertaken to make , and that the sting of sinne and death , and the bitternesse of the curse was taken awaie by him . so likewise it is of the same use still to us , and we haue as much need of the same weekly holie r●st , to make us feele more sensible , and relish more sweetly the virtue of christs satisfaction , the sweetnesse whereof wee through our dullnesse can hardlie tast and relish , and many amongst us make a doubt whether there be any such satisfaction of gods justice needfull at all , or any appeasing of his wrath by christ. fifthly , as gods injoyning of rest was of use to the fathers to testifie to them his prouident care ouer his creatures , both men and beasts , and his hatred and detestation of mercilesse crueltie and unjust oppression : soe it is much more usefull to us for the same purpose in these last daies and perillous times , wherein men are become fierce , cruell , implacable , without naturall affection , as experience teacheth , and the apostle foretold . 2 tim. 3.2.3 . lastlie , as the weekly rest of the old sabbath grounded upon the obscure promise of christ , was commanded by god , that it might bee a meanes to stirre up the fathers to looke for true comfort , ease & refreshing in christ , if they did by faith flee to him , whensoever they did travell under the burden of their sinnes , and satans temptations , as wee read that iob did cap. 16.21 . and 19.25 . soe now it is much more usefull to stirre us up to seeke to christ , when wee are heavie laden , and groane under the burden of sinne , and of the miseries which come by sinne , and of satans dangerous temptations . seeing as satan doth now ●ore rage like a roaring lyon , 1 pet 5.8 . and is full of wrath because his time growes shorter revel . 12. so we haue christ actuallie given and revealed , and in the gospell calling and inviting us and promising rest and refreshing for our soules in such causes of distresse , if we come to him . jn a word , to us the rest of the lord christs day is a more liuelie pledge of eternall rest by him prepared in heaven for us : these things being cleare and manifest , the conclusion following vpon these praemises it this . that we are as much or more bound by gods law to keepe the lords day as a sabbath of weekly rest , by ceasing from all affaires of this life , laying aside all worldlie cares , and resting from all our owne ordinarie and common workes and labours . fourthlie , they who are more spirituall and haue haue liuely hope of heaven , and haue the spirit shed on them more abundantlie , they are more bound by gods law to sequester themselves and withdraw their mindes from worldlie cares , and more to minde heavenlie things as at all other times , so on the lords holie daie , which is consecrated to heavenly , spirituall and religious worship and seruice of god , & is a pledg to them of eternall rest with christ in heaven . for to whome god hath given , more of them shall more bee required . now it is most plainly testified in the scriptures . that christians vnder the gospell are more spirituall , and haue the spirit more abundantly shed on them through christ , then the fathers had act. 2.17 . & tit. 3.6 . the ministery of the new testament is the ministery of the spirit not of the letter 2 cor. 3.6 . and we haue now more evidence & more assurance of the blessed hope reserued in heaven for vs. colos. 1.5 . there is christ our life and treasure colos. 3 , 1.2 . and there our hearts ought to be , and not on earthly things . we must now be ready if christ call vs to sell all and to giue to the poore , that we may haue treasure in heaven . therefore we are bound by the law especially on the lords day our weekly holy day , to be more sequestered from the world , and to rest wholy from all cares and labours about earthly things , that we may be wholy deuoted to heavenly things and to divine meditations . lastly , though auncient fathers and doctours of the church did much condemne in their writings , the observation of the sabbath after the manner of the later iewes , to weet : in idlenesse , and from resting from all worldly affaires , that they might spend the day in vaine sports and delights , and in wanton leaping and dauncing , which in the graue judgment of these learned fathers : was worse and more prophane then plowing and digging and working in woll . yet notwithstanding they doe generally commend the lords day as a day of rest to all gods people from all rurall workes and worldly affaires , that they may be at leasure to exercise themselues in holy duties , and be wholy devoted to the worshipp of god. and hereupon it is , that the learned of these later times ; especially the builders of gods church in this land , do most frequently in respect of this rest and cessarion from al seculiar affaires call the lords day the sabbath of christians , as appeares in the first part of the homily of the time and place of prayer , and do affirme that as the fathers in the old testament were bound to rest one the seventh day from all manner of worke : soe also are christians bound on the lords day to rest and that by the law of god. chap. 20 the second position which i haue propounded before , which now comes to be proved is : that gods law rightly understood , doth in respect of this duty of rest from all worldly affaires , as strictly bind us under the gospell on the lords day , as it bound the fathers on the sabbath of the seventh day in the old testament . here some will perhaps imagine , that i goe about to laye an heavy yoke of jewish legall bondage upon christians , contrary to christian liberty , by which christ hath made us free . but if they remember , and beare in minde what i haue before proued , to weet : that the fathers from the beginning had no such burden imposed on them as is commonly conceived , and that the scrip●ures are alleaged to proue that they might not kindle a fire nor dresse meate , nor goe out of their place on the sabbath day , and that it was death to gather sticks on that day in case of necessity , are much mistaken . they shall be forced to confesse that i take away the heavy yoke which many lay upon the fathers in the old testament , ra●hen then lay any yoke upon christians in the obseruation of the sabbath . yea that i require and urge no more , then that which all the learned of best note in all ages haue ever since the time of the apostles , and by tradition from them commended to the churches of christ , which also the lawes , canons ; and doctrine of the church of england generally receiued and established , doe impose on us the light burden and easie yoke of christ. it is true that the scribes and pharises those great corrupters of the law , and blinde hypocrites as our saviour cals them , did lay an heavy yoke on the people of their time , by their false glosses and corrupt traditions , as in diuers other points , so in the obseruation of the sabbath . they held it unlawfull in case of necessity to pull an eare of corne , or any fruite from a tree on the sabbath day , and blamed christs disciples for doing so when they were hungry and had no other meanes to keepe themselues from fainting . they accused our saviour christ for working a glorious miracle , and doing a worke of great charity on the sabbath , when by his word he healed some that were sick of great infirmities , and sent them away bearing their beds on their backes in open sight of all , which tended much to the honour of god , and made the people glorifie christ and his gospell . but our saviour reproues them for this strictnesse , and convinceth them of errour by diuers argument● . first , by scripture which saith , that god will haue mercy rather then sacrifice , that is : god is serued more acceptably with workes of mercy which are morall duties , then sacrifices which are but a seruice ceremonial , & he delights more in works of mercy & charity then in them , as at all times , so when they are done to his glory on the sab : day . so that if it was a breach and prophanation of the sab : to do any worke of mercie in it , then it must needs be much more a prophanation to labour & worke about sacrifices in killing beasts , dressing & washing their flesh , & making fires to burne them on the altar , which were not so pleasing to god as works of mercy . but the pharisees allowed & approued such works of sacrificing & durst not condemn thē . and th●●for our saviour concludes that they ought not to condemne his mercifull works of healing the sick on the sab : day , & shewes that by censuring his doings for prophanation , they did much more censure the forenamed actions of their priests even the dressing & burning sacrifices mat . 12.5.6.7 . secondly , our saviour proues , that by gods owne law they were allowed to circumcise children on the sab : day , whensoever it happened to fall out on the eight daie after the birth of children , and to the child circumcised they applied healing medicin●s , and therfore they groslie erred in accusing him for healing on the sabbath which was a thing pleasing to god and was a lesse labour then circumcision , iohn , 7.22 . thirdlie , he convinceth them of grosse hypocrisie and blindnesse in that they imposed heavie burdens upon others which they themselves would not beare , they did restraine men from pulling an eare of corne , rubbing & eating it on the sabbath daie in the case of hunger & great necessitie . and yet they led their oxen to the water , and did pull a sheepe or a asse out of a pitt on the sabbath daie . mat. 12.11 . luk. 13.15 . & 14.5 . by these arguments which our saviour vsed against the scribes and pharisees in the gospell it is most cleare and manifest , that it was not the law of god given from the beginning , nor the will of god the lawgiuer , but onely the hipocriticall scribes and pharises who by their traditions & devices of their owne brains , imposed on the iews that strict and rigorous rest and cessation from all works whatsoever on the sabbath day , which the learned fathers and christian writers do cal an heauy burden hard to be borne object . but it may bee some will object that the fathers in the old testament were bound to offer double sacrifices on sabbath daie , num. 28.9 . even two lambes of the first yeare without spott , and two tenth deales of flower for a meate offering mingled with oyle , & the drink● offering thereof . which was more costly & required more bodily labour and care , then any which is imposed on us chri●●ian● by gods law upon our christian sabbat● , and therefore their observation of the sabbath was an heavie yoke & burden harder to be borne , then ●ny which is imposed on us . answ. i answer , that this objection doth strongly proue the point in hand . for if more bodilie labour and care was required of the fathers in their worship ( which was more carnall & bodilie then ours ) on their sabbath , and vve are therefore eased of that yoke , & haue a more spirituall vvorship taught us , and imposed on us by christ and his apostles as the prophets foretold . then vvere the fathers lesse restrained from bodilie laboures then wee are , neither was there soe strict and rigorous a rest and cessation imposed on them , which serues much for the justifying of our position , to weet : that gods law rightly understood , and expounded according to the will and intent of god the lawgiuer , doth as strictly bind us under the gospell to rest from all worldlie businesse on the lords day , as it bound the fathers one the seventh day in the old testament . but to proceed in the further manifestation of this truth : although i could bring many arguments and proofes both out of scripture , alsoe out of the writings of the learned , and cleare testimonies which shew the consent of all godlie orthodox vvrititers of all ages : yet because i vvill leave no occasion or colour to such sonnes of beliall as doe intrude into our assemblies , to catch calumniate and report my vvords safely and to accuse my doctrine , except they vvill h●rden their despeand malicious hearts , and put on brasen faces vvith vvhorish foreheads to accuse the holy scriptures , and the doctrine published in the booke of homilyes , and by lavv established in this church of england vvherof vve are members : therefore i vvill onely commend to your consideration the publick doctrine of our church in the verie vvords of the homilies , vvhich both by statut● lavv , and royall perogatiue are established in this land and kingdome , and vvill shevv hovv parfectlie they agree vvith holie scripture in this point . first in the first part of the homilie . concerning the time and place of prayer , we are taught : that god in the f●urth commandement hath appointed the time for his people to assemble themselves together solemnly , when he said . remember that thou keepe holy the sabbath . secondly , in the same place it is affirmed , that the praecise keeping of the seventh day , and the externall ceremoniall worshippe of the sabbath which the law required , as it wa● given to the jew●s being b●t c●remoniall are ceased to us , and we are not bound by the law so strictly to forbeare worke and labour in the case of necessity after the manner of the iewes . that is as they were taught by the scribes and pharisees . but we keepe now the first day of the weeke which is our sunday ; and make that our sabbath , that is our day of rest , in the honour of our lord christ , who as upon that day rose from death , conquering the same most triumphantly . these are the words of the homily . and that the keeping of a set time , to weet : one day in weeke , wherein wee ought to rest from lawfull and needfull workes , js found in the fourth command●ment , among th● things which appertain to the law of nature , & is a thing most godly most just , and needfull for the setting forth of gods glory , and ough● to 〈◊〉 retained & kept of all good christian people . so is it there expresly affirmed . thirdly , we are there ●aught . that as by the fourth commandement no man on the six dayes ought to be slothfull , or idle , but diligently to labour in their estate wherein god hath set him . even so god hath given expresse charge to all men , that on the sabbath day which is now our sunday , they sho●ld 〈◊〉 from all worldly and worke day labour , and that gods obedient people should use the sabbath holily , and so rest from their common & dayly businesse , that they may giue themselves wholy to heavenly exercises of gods true religion and service . fourthly , in the same homily all gods people are urged and pressed to keepe the sunday for their holy sabath . by three a●guments . the first is the commandement of god in the law . the second is , gods examample who rested on the seventh day , and did no worke of creation at all , but blessed and sanctified it , and consecrated it to quietnesse , and rest from labour . the third is an example of the apostles , who immediately after the ascention of our lord christ began to keepe this day of the week , & commended it the first churches of the gentiles 1 cor. 16 ▪ and called it the lords day . revel . 1.10 . sithens which time gods people hath alwaies with out any gainsaying obserued it . fifthly , and lastly the homilies shewes that the rest and cessation which god requires by his law one the lords day , at the hands of us christians , is the same which the law did bind the fathers unto from the beginning upon this sabbath in the old testament . first , whereas the law commanded the fathers to rest from all such workes , as they are allowed to do on the other common dayes of the weeke , that is wordly labours as the expresse words of the law shew . in it thou sh●lt not do any worke , thou nor thy sonne , nor thy daugther , nor thy servant , &c. exod. 20.10 . and again thou shalt do no servile work therin levit. 23.7 . thou shalt do no manner of servile worke . num. 28.18 . so the homily blames all those people for wicked boldnesse & carelesse prophanation of the lords day , who make no conscience of doeing their worldly businesse one that day , though there bee no extreame need and necessity . secondly , as the law forbids journeying from home about worldly affaires on the sabbath : exod. 16.29 . bringing in and carrying out loads and burdens ier. 17.27 . exercising themeselves in the workes of their ordinary calling & trade , as buying , selling , keeping market and faires on that day . so also the homily condemnes them as transgressours & profaners of the lords sabbath , who on the sunday which is the lords day and christian sabbath , do not spare to ride , and journey , bring and carry , row , and ferry , buy , and sell keepe markets and faires ; and so use the lords holy dayes and worke dayes both a like . thirdly , as the law and the prophets commanded gods people in the old testament to rest in holynesse , exod. 31.14 . & 35.2 . and not pollute the sabbath , by doing their owne pleasure , but to honour the lord , not doing their own wayes , nor finding their own pleasure , nor speaking their owne words isa. 58.13 . so also the homily requires of all gods people , the same holy rest on the lords day , in that it condemnes them who follow vain and carnall sportes , and fleshly pleasures , and all such exercises as cause brawling and railing and tending to wantonnesse , as a worse sort of people then they that breake the sabbath by working and doing all their businesse in it . for these are the words of the homily . the other sort is yet worse , for though they will not travell and labour on the sunday , as on the weeke day , yet they will not rest in holinesse , as god commandeth , but they rest in vngodlinesse and filthynesse praunsing in their pride , pranking , and pricking , pointing , and painting themselues to be gorgeous , and gay , they rest in excesse and superfluity , in gluttony and drunkennesse , like rats and swine , they rest in brawling and rayling , in quarrelling and fighting . they rest in wantonnesse , ●oyish ●alking , and filthy fleshlynesse . so that it doth evidently appeare , that god is more dishonoured , and the divell better served upon sunday , then all other dayes of the week besides . and i assure you the beasts which are commanded to rest one the sunday , honour god better then this kinde of people . now by these expresse words of the homily we se most clearly , that both this and the former position are not any new doctrines , or factious opinions of my owne devising ; as some malicious catchers & false traducers haue slaunderously reported both of them & mee : but the true orthodox doctrine of the scriptures in the law , the prophets & new testament , & the divine doctrin pubklickly receiued in the church of england , & by law established . for the further confirmation whereof , j could say much besides the strong arguments which i haue brought to proue the former position , which doe ouer and aboue most strongly proue this also . for 1. jf the lords day be a more blessed day then the seventh daie was in the old testament . 2. jf it bee a more holie day , & a daie of more holy convocations & assemblies . 3. jf we haue as much , & as manifold use of rest & cessation as they had & more . 4. jf we be bound by gods law , & by the gospel to be more spirituall & more sequestred from the world , because we haue more abundant gifts of the spirit , more cleare sight & knowledg of heavenly & eternall rest , & more hope of eternall life & glory . then it must needs follow , that we by gods law are as strictly bound to rest & cease from all worldlie cares , & bodily workes , sports , and pleasures , as the fathers were in the old testament . but because slaunderous traducers shal haue nothing here to object against me in this point , except they can desperately harden their hear●s , and faces to accuse , blaspheme , & wound thr●ugh my sides the holie scriptures , and the publick doctrine of the church of england by the law established and royall authoritie maintained : i will content my selfe & desire you my hearers to be satisfied with this which i haue said & you haue heard alreadie . and so i passe to the third point befor propounded concerning the dutie of rest , even the manner & measur● of it , & in what cases gods law permits bodily exercises on the l : day . chap. 21. howsoeu●r all worldlie workes and labours are forbidden , and rest from them all is commanded in the law , yet the equitie of the law permits some labours and exercises , and in some cases allowes such bodilie workes , as are ordinarilie vnlawfull to be done on the lordes holie sabbath daie . first of all it is lawfull for ministers and preachers of gods word to doe some painfull and laborious workes upon the lords daie , even all such as are necessarie for the better sanctification of the daie , and for the edification of the people and flock in publick . though they are not allowed to neglect their studies on the six daies , but are bound to read , study , meditate , & for help of their memories to write downe the heads , points , and proofes of their doctrine ; before the day of assembly ? yet because few or none are so perfect , as to preach publick with good order , method and readinesse of speach and memorie , that which they haue studied , without searching , and reading ouer the testimonies of scripture which they haue collected and studied , & noting down & writing some which come new & fresh to their mind , & serious meditating upon that which they are to speak , for better imprinting of it in their mem●ries . therefore their is a necessity laid on them to labour in this kinde on the lords sabbath . a●d though it be a great labour of the body to stand up & preach in the congregation , with intention of the voyce & earnestnes of affection , & doth more spend the spirits , & strength of the body , & makes drops of sweat run downe the face more abundantly then the tilling of the ground : yet the matter in which they deale is holy & all their worke is religious , & their labour tends to an holy & supernatural end , & is necessary for a ful sanctification of the day : therf●re it is not only allowed , but also required & commandement by the law of god. if any doth make a doubt or question of this truth we haue very strong proofe thereof in the holy scriptures . th● first argument is drawne from the hard bodily labours & artificiall practises of the preists which they vver● by the law bound to performe in their double sacrifices & offerings on the sab : day in the old testament , they were bound to flealambs & to dresse & wash the flesh & the intrals , & to offer them up in sacrifices on the altar , thy were bound to lay them upon wood on the altar , to kindle the fire & burne the fat , & some part of the flesh also they were to take a tenth deale of flower to mingle it with oyle , & to make the drinke offering thereof also , & to offer all to god as we read , num. 28.9 . now if god by his law allowed & commanded such bodily works on the sab : day , because they were needfull for sacrifices , & circumcision which were but a ceremoniall & tipicall seruice of the lord , which he in his temple required by a ceremoniall law for the sanctification of the sab. then much more doth gods law allow & cōmand his publike ministers , to labour & sweat & spend their bodily strength & spirits in preaching his word in the holy christian assemblies , where christ who is greater then the temple is present by his spirit in many of his members who are so many temples of the holy ghost and of god. the second argument is drawne from the practise and example of christ and his apostles . for as the priests and learned scribes did of old read and expound the law and the prophets in all their sinagogues every sabbath day . and our saviour approued this by joyning with them in some practise , preaching & teaching in their sinagogues in great throngs & assemblies of people , which thronged after him & undoubtedly made him sweate as appeares . mat. 4.13 . & iohn . 5.10 . so also the holy apostles did on the first day of the week the lords day , labour in the word as we see by the example of st. paul , who at troas continued his preaching till midnight , because he was to depart the next daye . act. 20.7 . now what they did performe as a duty taught by the law and moued by the spirit of god. jn that all their faithfull successoures are bound to immitate them . therefore the laboures and paines of ministers and preachers are allowed on the lords day , being holy and religious workes , and fittest of all for the holy day and holy place . a second sort of workes alowed to be done on the lords day : are bodily workes and laboures which are soe necessary for the fitting and enabling of christians to sanctifie that day , and for bringing them vnto holy and publick assemblies and places of prayer and of gods worship and holy service , that wit●out such working and labouring even on that day they neither can be so fit and able to serue god joyfully , and to worshippe him with cheerefull hearts , neither can they as the present case stands , come unto holy sabbath assemblies , to heare the word , to pray and to worship in publick . as for example , in places of restreant , and of trouble and persecution where publicke sabbath assemblies of true christians are not tollerated , but in churches which are remote diuers miles , and in barren countries where the churches are foure or fiue miles distant from some houses and vilages in the parrish , men may lawfully ●rauell on foote and ride one horses , or make their horses labour in drawing them to the church in coaches . and because men cannot be soe cheerfull in the seruice of god , nor soe hartily rejoyce before him , not with strength and delight spend the whole day in sabbath duties , wit●out warme and wholesome food , and plentifull refreshing of their weake bodies . therefore the dressing boyling baking and rosting of meate is lawfull on the lords day , soe farre as it more helps then hinders holy duties and the service of god. this is manifest by the words of the law , exod. 12.16 . where the lord forbidding all manner of worke on his holy sabbaths , excepts labour and worke about that which people were to eate , and which was necessary for the upholding of an holy moderate feasting on those daies . this was practised by the ph●rises and by our saviour and his apostles who on the sabbath day came to a feast to the house of a chiefe pharise , luk. 14.1.2 . also the speech of the shanamite to his wife 2 king. 4.23 : doth import , that for the solemn observation of the sabbath they were wont to ride and travell to the prophets and to places where they might worship god ; and be instructed in the knowledge of his will and worship . for when shee desi●d an asse to ride on , and a young man to attend her unto carmell where elisha ●he man of god was . wherefore wilt thou ( saith he ) got to him to day seeing it is neither new moon nor sabbath ? but here let me giue a caution . that christian people bee not too heedlesse setting their inhabitations in places remote from the church for some worldly commodities , when they may with a litle lesse conveniency dwell neere . and that they do not by vnnecessary feasting and superstitious dressing of meate , hinder , or wholy disable some of their fam●ly from keeping holy the lords day a fault to common in our daies . thirdly , all works & actions of bodily labour which are works of mercy and of charity which cannot without convenience or danger be deferred , or which may be done without hindering of our soules in gods publick worship , and to the great comfort of our brethren are lawfull and may be done on the lords day . as for example , visiting of the si●k , and of them that are in prison , or in any great distresse , and applying and ministering comfort , and healing medicines to them : offering and gathering of collections for the reliefe of poore saints , labouring to set men at ●nity , and to reconcile jarring neighbours . these are holy pious workes as our saviour shewes , and hee accounts such deeds when they come from a sincere heart as if they were don to himselfe , mat 25.40 : yea he himselfe did commonly on the sabbath day practise such deeds soe often as he found occasion as we read , mat. 12. luk. 6 : paul by inspiration of the spirit and by commandement from the lord christ doth ordaine , and appoint such vvorks to be done on the lords day : 2 cor. 16.1 : 2. and from the daies of the apostles , all true churches of christ did practise such vvorkes of mercy , pietie , and charity as justine martyr vvitnesseth , and divers others in alter ages . and such works the ecclesiasticall constitutions of our english church , commanded and commend on the sundayes & holy daies of the lord. fourthly , all bodily workes of great , and extreame necessity which concerne the life and safety of men , and of their cattell , the preseruation of necessary creatures , & other good things of good use , value and moment , serving for mans being and welbeing , may lawfully be done on the lords day . as for example . 1. fighting for our liues and for the safety of our country or city against enimies which invade us , and set upon us , and taking advantage if god doth offer it to us on the lords day , as ioshua did at jerico in compassing the city by gods appointm●nt , and ( by circumstances it is probable ) taking it on the seventh day and offering a bloudy sacrifice in fire to god , as a cherem , or anathema , devoted and seperated to god , for the first fruites of the land of canaan after they came to jordan from which no man might without sacrilege detract any thing as achan did and was cut off for it , josh. 6. if ioshua did compasse the citty seven daies together , ( as the text saith ) then one of the seventh must needs be the sabbath , & most likely the last of the seventh , wherein the citty was taken and offered up in fire as a devote thing to god. god offering the occasion and giving the advantage by the ruine of all the walles about the citty , did impose a necessity vpon them to take and destroy the cittie on that day , and this worke was dispensed with and approved by god , and so are all of the like kinde : ( for necessity hath no law ) . secondly , by the same rule other works of necessity , as labour in quēching fire , when mens houses are on fire , or the towne in danger , or in stopping of a breach when the sea , or some overflowing river breakes through the banks , and is readie to draw some part of the countrie ; and to destroy men and beasts , and there is a necessi●y of removing men & beasts , corn & other good creaturs that they be not be drowned & swallowed vp . and in a word wheresoever god brings men into that necessity , that they cannot be kept in welbeing without present help by some worke done on the sabbath day , such workes are not forbidden on that day . neither killing of sheep and oxen , nor dressing of them nor grinding corne nor baking bread to refresh an armye returned from battell and ready to faint without present sustenance , by dressing and preparing some part of the praey which they haue taken : our saviour in the gospell proues this clearlie mat. 12. where by davids example , who did take and eate the shew bread in his necessity he defends his disciples & their act of plucking ●ares of corn , rubbing and eating them on the sab : & also alloweth leading of cattell to drink , & the drawing thē out of pits , & such like . but because occasion is here offered to speak of all kinds of actions which are allowed to be don , & from which men are not bound to r●st wholy on the lords day : it will be expected of some , that i should speak of actions and exercises of sport and recreation , whether men be altogether restrained from them , or whether any of them be lawfull to bee vsed on the lords day : now because i will not provoke nor exasperate any who seem of contrary judgment , especially men of great place & authority : i will propound my judgment which i conceiue to be agreable to gods word , onely ingenerall rules gathered out of the holy scriptures , which all understanding christians may easily apply to the particulars . 1. jt is acknowledged by all godly learned divines : that nor creations or sports which feed and cherish mens corrupt & carnall affections are at any time lawfull , as idle & uaine jefting , wanton gestures , and daliance which increase lust and occasion wantonnesse , and therefore least of all to be tollerated on the lords day : for this is seeking of our own pleasures & polluting the lords holy day , which the prophet jsaiah condemnes isa , 58. 2. honest and lawfull sports and recreations , such as shoo●ing , wrastling and other games of actiuity , hunting , hawking , angling , and the like , though they be lawfull at other times : yet they are not to be tollerated on the lords day in any measure if they be found to hinder men from publick worship & seruice of god , and publicke set duties of piety fit for the day , or to withdraw them from private duties requisit in christian families , as prayer , reading , meditation , repetition , and examining of doctrines by the scripture which haue beene publickly preached and heard , private instructions , exhortations , and mutuall provocations to piety and to praising of god by singing psalmes and the like : whatsoever sports and recreations do hinder these , and withdraw people from them , they are on the lords day impious and prophane how lawfull soever on other daies : in this point all godly grave and learned divines do agree . and how sinfull prophane and hatefull to god such sports are on the lords day . the lord himselfe doth continually shew and declare by the many examples of dreadfull judgments and tokens of his wrath which hee hath shewed and doth still shew in this and in all ages for such doings , dorwning some in their swimming , breaking the backs , armes , legges and necks of other in their wrastling , stricking with horrible lamenesse and with dreadly surfers , and sudden death , leapers , dauncers , hunters , hawkers , riders , bowlers , and such like . and let every man take heed that his own heart do not deceiue him , and that he doe not flatter himselfe in his follie , when it is manifest that such sports are a mans owne pleasures condemned by the prophet , isa. 58. and are seen and known daily to steale away mens hearts from holy duties , and to turne their affections from heavenly and spirituall things , wherein they ought chiefly to delight . thirdly , as men may not do the lawfull works of their calling , neither in providing meat , drinke , cloathes , or other necessaries on the lords day , with a bare respect of naturall good and worldly profitt , because this is doing of his owne waies and workes , and not the worke of god. unto which gods holy day is wholy consecrated and set apart : except onely in case of necessity , when men and beasts cannot otherwise bee preserued in life , health and being , or when gods people without such workes cannot be made fit , & able to serue god cheerfully as they ought on that day : so also no bodily sports , recreations and pleasures are to be tolerated or used , merely to cherish the flesh , to refresh the body , and to procure bodily strength , but onely such as are in verie deed needfull in themselves , and used and intended by gods people with this purpose , and ●o this end , that they may with more abilitie , alacrity , and cheerefulnesse do the holy workes , and performe the holie duties of gods worship and service which are proper to the lords holy day . first , this is manifest by the words of the lord : isa. 58.13 . where he requires of his people , that they turne away their feete from doing their owne pleasure on his holy day , and call the sabbath a delight , the holy of the lord , honourable , and honour him , not doing their owne wayes , nor finding their owne pleasure . by their owne waies and pleasures , we are to understand , not onely their corrupt sinfull workes , filthy words , and vaine carnall pleasures which proceed from nature corrupted and naturally tend to increase transgression , ( for they are to be abhorred every daie and at all times , ) but here by their owne waies , words , and pleasure we are to understand such as proceed from nature created good , and are onely intended to that end , and haue none other effect : for such , though at other times lawfull and honest , yet on gods holy daie are prophane , common and inordinate , as these words imply . secondly , as it is not lawfull to use gods holy word in jeasting , nor with it to mingle our owne vaine talke , nor to play with holy things , because this is taking of gods name in vaine . soe undoubtedly to use worldly delights , and to sport our selues with uanishing , earthly naturall and ciuill pleasures , which are neither usefull to helpe and further us in holy devotion , nor intended by us to that end , is a prophanation of gods holy day , and an intermingling of our owne prophannesse with the spirituall , and heavenly obseruation of the lords holie day , in which god requires serious sanctification , and graue and sober conversations as our own ecclesiasticall constitutions do affirme : the reason is the same in both . thirdly , in all other things consecrated by god himselfe , and by his word and commandement to holy and heavenly use , it hath alwayes beene counted a greevious offence to ad our owne naturall inventions and diuises to them , or to turne them to common civill and mere naturall use , either in whole or part , except in case of necessity . so undoutedly it is by the same reason a greevious offence willingly and purposly to imploy the lords holy daie , or any part thereof to common naturall and civill sports and delights . now the first is manifest by the word and law of god. nahab , & abihu , the sonnes of aron , were consumed by fire from the lord when they offered sacrifices with common fire lev. 10. because they added to the holy offering that which was common . alsoe the sonnes of ely did sinne greeviously in turning any part of the consecrated flesh to feede their owne bellies 1 sam. 2. saul in turning gods sacrifice to a prophane use , and forcing himselfe to doe it in ordinately , that he might make the people to stand to him , and keep them from scattering , sinned and lost his kingdome . 1 sam. 13. and when the jewes prophaned gods house of praier ; which was the holie place , by buying , selling : and money chaunging , it was so vile in our saviours eyes , and so wicked , that he who in other things was a meeke lambe , being moved with zeale , did like a lyon roare against them , fell violentlie upon them and whipt them out with disgrace , iohn . 2. now the lords sabbath is an holie day sanctified by god immediatlie after the creation , and commanded in the fourth commandement to be kept holy . and our sauiour by his resurrection hath consecrated & blessed the lords day aboue all other dayes of the weeke and made it the lords sabbath , more holie then the first as haue beene before abundantly proved . and as all true christian churches , so our church more especiallie both by doctrine and practise hath openlie approved this for the lords sabbath . therefore no part of this day ought to be turned to nautrall , ciuill or carnall sports and delights . lastly , though our churches the places of our holy assemblies , and our communion tables haue no particular expresse commandement for them from god , but onely are consonant and agreable to the houses of god in israel , and we haue no other warrant for them but the example of gods people in the old testament , & our own experience , & reason teaching that they are very necessary for publick assemblies , and holie service : the plot of ground is chosen by men , and the materials and framing of them and the forme of them are all the workes of men . god hath neither appointed the place as in the temple of ierusalem , nor the materials & the forme , as in the tabernacle , the arke & altars which were built by moses : yet we would count a great offence , to turn any part of the church to be a place for common sports , & plaies , or a dancing schoole , and to play at dice , or cards , or other profane games , vpon the communion table . now then seeing we count it unlawfull to profane the places consecrated to holy vse by men inimitation of god , and not by expresse commandement given for the separation of the ground or the place : we ought more to count it unlawfull to spend any part of gods holy day in carnall sports , being a time sanctified by his expresse word , and blessed with the greatest blessing . fourthly , and in the last place , whatsoever recreations and exercises of body and mind , are necessary required for the bettering of our sanctification of the lords day , & the enabling of us to perform with more cheerfulnesse strength and courage the holy worship of god , and the work and service of his holy sabbath , and which are also intended by vs onely to that end and use them we may vse . and so farre as they serve to further , and in no wise to hinder gods holy worship and the immediate works and duties thereof . this is manifest by gods allowing to his people in the law , dressing of meat , & cheerfull feasting on his sab : and holy daies : which are needfull to cheere up men , and to provoke them to worship him with all thankfulnesse of heart , also to put on our best apparell ; that we may come decently to gods house . as these are lawfull being directed to holy use , so undoubtedly honest refreshing with recreations which cheer up the heart , & refresh the spirits , are lawfull when they are helpfull to holy exercises and are directed to that end , as stirring of the body ; walking in to gardens or fields , to take fresh aire being found very helpefull to preachers , to reviue their spirits ▪ s●rengthen their loynes , cleare their voyces , sharpen and quicken their wits , and memories , and being done only to that end are lawfull . so also walking into the corne feilds in ●ommer o● harvest , or into meddowes or pastures in the spring , both to refresh our bodies & spirits , and to give vs occasion to admire gods bountie in clothing the bodies , and his fatherlye providence in making the ear●h so fruitfull , and to laud and praise him , is lawfull for vs. and if after publick & private exercise we doe soe walke about , diuers together conferring of heavenly things , & taking occasion by sight of earthly blessings to provoke one another to thankfulnesse , & acknowledgment of gods loue , this no doubt is a recreation fitt for the lords day , and helps much our devotion , and this seemes to haue beene practised by our saviour who went through the corne feilds on the sabbath day mat. 12.1 . and his disciples with them . chap. 22. in the last place j come to the speciall duties of holinesse by which the lords sabbath is especially said to be sanctified , which i will run through as breifly as i can , so far as brevity may stand with plainesse & perspecuity . and first of all you shall see , that the most strict sanctification of the lords day , which is taught and urged by the godly learned both auncient and moderne christian divines , is no judaisme . i would haue you to take speciall notice , that whatsoeuer things the iewes and naturall isralites were bound by the law ●o perfo●me in the sanctification of the old sabbath , which were meerely tipicall and ceremoniall , and were ordained and practised onely to signifie some things , which are fullie accomplished in christ ; that we hold to be so abolished and made void , that christians ought in no case to obser●e or practise them , on their new sabbath the lords day . for they are all removed with the chaunge of the day , & we ought to a voyd them as much as we avoyd the old sab : which was the seventh day from the begining of daies in the creation . as for example offering the sacrifices of slaine beasts , and mear , and drinke offerings of fine flower mingled with oyle and such like , and incense and gummes and spices , they where but tipes and shaddowes of christ his substanciall sacrifice , and in that respect holy by consecration . and though divers of them were indifferent and tollerable while the bodily temple was yet standing . yet when god hath cast them out by the destruction of the materiall temple , & the chaunge of the weekly sabbath , they are growne unlawfull to be practised , and the reviuing of the practise of them is called abomination , dan. 12. and apostacy from christ , gala. 4 5. & turning againe to weak and beggarly elements and rudiments , and becoming slaues to them , gal. 4.9 . wherfor we are now onely to observe in our sanctification of our holie weekly sabbath such holie duties , and exercises as are holie at al● times and in all ages , both before and under the law , and now also under the gospell , which in their owne nature are either trulie holie or t●nde to beg it , increase , and cherish holie graces in men . and because god hath by the gospell shined into our hearts , to giue us the light of the knowledge of his glorie the face of iesus christ 2 cor. 4.6 . and hath shed his spirit on us aboundantly through him . tit. 3.6 . and soe made us more spirituall , because also our saviour himselfe hath taught vs in the gospell , that god is a spirit & they are true worshippers who worship him in spirit , iohn , 4.23.24 . therefore the chiefest duties by which the sabbath is sanctifi●d , are the most speciall duties of gods worshippe , and the more spirituall , the more pleasing to god & more beseeming christ●ans . soe that the first rule which is here to be giuen , and to be observed is this . that all gods people doe chiefely labour to stirre up , and quicken the grace of god in their hearts , and holy , heavenly and supernaturall aff●ctions in their soules , that with pure mind● and spirits they may performe all duties and actions of gods worship and seruice both publick and priuate . it is true that all times and on all daies we ought to keepe our whole spirit and soule , as well as our body pure and blameles , to serue god as well with inward affection of heart and purity of spirit , as ou●ward , visible , sencible actions and gestures of body . but because the lords day is the most blessed daie of the w●eke , sanct●fied & set apart for the holy worshippe , and immediate service of god , and for publick and priuate service . devotion and religious duties onelie , therefore we all ought to haue as great care to furnish our soules with spiritual beauties of holinesse more abundan●ly & in greater measure , as we haue to make cleane and neate our houses , and to decke and adorne our bodies with our best and cleanest holy daie apparell , on the lords day . for though outward & bodily actions , & gestures are required as r●quisit and necessary in the publick worship of god , and without them it is as impossible to do that publick duty and service to god , which belongs to mutuall edification of christians in this life , & to the solemne lauding and praising of him in publick assemblies , as it is to performe visible & senceable actions of this life by the soule only without the body . yet bodily service & worship of god , as coming duly & diligently to the house of god to publick assemblies , hearing the word withall attentions , and speaking it with great vehemency , praying worshipping and giving thankes in the best forme of wordes , which can be devised , and with most humble and reverent gestures of devotion , as bowing down the body to the ground , knocking of the breasts , sighing , groaning , lifting up the hands , and eyes to heaven , and the like , they all without spirituall affection and devotion of the heart , are no better then a dead karcast without a soule , yea they are filthy hyp●crisie , and mockerie of god , and lothsome abomination in his sight as the lord by the prophet testifieth isa. 1 c : 10 : to the 16 : verse : & 29 : 13 : and therefore let our first and chiefest care bee about the fitting and preparing of our hearts , and filling and , replenishing our soules with spiriruall affections , and quickening and stirring up inward and spirituall grace within us ; for these are the life and soule of all religious duties . & of all holy worship of god , & without them we can̄ot in the least measure sanctifie gods holy day , nor performe any least duty of sanctificatiō acceptable to god : now the speciall means which serve for the quickning of spirituall grace , & kindling of spirituall devotion in our hearts , are diuers : the first is that which j haue spoken of befor in the duties which concerne rest , to weet : a totall sequestring of our selues from all worldly businesse , & puting away all earthly thoughts , cares , & delights , that our whole heart and soule , & all our affections being purged from all such drosse , may haue roome for holinesse only , and for spirituall devotion and motions of the spirit : for no man can serve two masters at once , god and the world : cast out earthlie carnall thoughts , and spiritual and heavenlie affections will easilie enter , and beare sway : and because this sequestring of our selves from cares of the world : must go befor true sanctification in order & time , therfor undoubtedlie the beginning of the lords sab : daie , is there where the old iewish sab : ended , that is in the evening of the saturdaie : and certainlie when men taking their rest from labour the whole night befor the lords daie for sequestring themselves from worldlie businesse , fitting of their soules with spirituall devotion , and stirring vp of grace in their hearts , then do they most profittablie begin their sabbath , for by the meanes the time of preparation and quitting of the minde from worldlie troublesome thoughts , shall go before the time of practise and publick assemblies wherein they are to appeare before god , and to performe the maine duties of sanctification and of his holy worship . and her● j cannot passe by without some reproofe that evill carnall custome , most worthy to be condemned which is to common among our cittizens , who defer their reckoni●g with their worke-men untill the evening and night which beginns the lords day . let me here admonish you all to forsake this practise , if you loue the lord , and will honour his holy sab. the second meanes is to meditate on those things which may stirre up our dull spirits , and quicken grace in our hearts , as first upon the greatnesse , holinesse , and gl●rie ●f the lord , and more specially to present our selves when the light of the day commeth , & both to speak to him in praier and praises , to heare him speake to us in his word read and preached . this must needs moue and stirre up spirituall devotion and affection : as we see by experience in worldly things , how carefull we are to trimme and fit our selves when we are to go before an earthly king or some great nobles . secondly , to consider what holinesse and purity , especially of heart and soule is required in vsing the publick holie ordinances of god , and in approaching neare to him , to worship him in his holy place his owns house . as wee reade leviticus , 20.7 . 1 peter 1.15.16 . the holinesse that becomes gods house is not vanishing showes , and shaddowes which passe awaie in the doing and vsing of them , as bowing , cringing , and such gestures , but a spirituall and eternall holinesse which lasts for ever , and can never bee defaced nor perish , as david shewes psal. 93.5 . it is better then thousands of rammes mich. 6.6.7.8 , it is putting on of humility , mercy , meeknesse , and all other affections , and departing from all iniquity , 2 tim. 2.19 . it is the jmage of christ in the new creature which is created after god in righteousnesse and holinesse , that is ; which cannot lye nor deceiue by faiding , but lasts for ever . ephes. 4.24 . thirdly , to call to mind those scripturs which require holy preparation as eccle. 5.1 . which shewes gods anger against such as come to his house without due furniture and a wedding garment , as mat. 22.12 . fourthly , to meditate on that whereof the sabbath is a signe and pledge vnto us , even our resurrection to eternall life , and to the eternall rest of glory in heaven in the sight and fruition of god , whom none can see without holinesse . thi● is most powerfull to stirre up spirituall affection and to quicken grace in our hearts . the third meanes is earnest prayer to god for his spirit and increase of his spirituall grace in our hearts , that is of great force if it be importunate luk. 11.13 . & 18.1 . and fervent , iam. 5.16 . and therefor when the lords day begineth in the evening or day going of the satturday , we must make speciall prayers for this purpose , as also in the morning when we awake and see the light of the lords holy day . jn the next place after we are thus prepared , wee must set our selves wholy to the performance of the duties of holinesse , which are required for the sanctification of an holy sabbath to the lord , which are either publick or private . the first publick duty is diligent assembling of our selues with the congregation of gods people in the house of god the place of publick assemblies . this is so necessary that without it there can be no solemne service , nor publick worship of god performed by us . this the lord requires in the law , where he joynes these two together , as in seperable companions , even holy convocations and keeping of a sabbath . ex. 12.16 . these our saviour christ did frequent though lord of the sabbath , as well as the fathers did under the law , as appears mark. 1.27 . and so did his apostles on the new sabbath the lords day . 1 cor , 16.1.2 . the second publick duty in the publick worship of god , is praier , lauding and praising him , and offering vp sacrifices of thankfulnesse and the first fruites a●d calues of our lippes , in a solemne orderly and decent manner and order . this the holy men of god carefully performed in the house of god on their sabbath in the old testament : as david shewes . psal. 5.7 . & 42.4 . and this our saviour commandes to us for an holy duty in gods house , where hee cals the house of god the house of prayer mat. 21.13 . that not only to the jews , but also to al beleeving nations as the prophets words by him cited do shew isa. 56 : 7. this the godly at philippi , where they had no synagogue nor church , performed in a publick assembly by a riuers side , act. 16.13 . this was practised by the first christians at iudaea act. 2.46.47 . and this the apostle injoynes , heb , 13.15 . this david foretold psal. 118.24 . in a word all scriptures which teach us , to call upon god , to pray to confesse our sinnes , to humble our selves before god , to worshippe him and to giue thankes , and do commend these for holy duties , they doe much more teach vs to performe them on the lords day , in our holy assemblies . the third sort of publicke duties are the holy ordinances of god , which tend properly to beget and increase holinesse , and to teach christians gods holy worship and feare , to weet : the publick reading and and expounded of the word of god , and preaching and catechising on the mininisters part , and on the peoples part , reverent attention & hearing of the word of god. this was a constant practise from the daies of old which the fathers obserued soe long as the church of the jewes , and first temple was standing . as appeares . ast. 13.15 & cap. 15.21.27 . also by our saviours practise . preaching in the sinagogues every sabbath day luk. 4.16 . mar. 1.31 . and this the apostles practised in holie assemblies which they appointed to be kept on the lords day , and this they commanded to be performed by all the christian churches , as appeares act. 11.25 . & 20 , 7. & 1 cor. 16.1 : & 14.23.26 . colos. 4.14 1 thes. 5.27 . fourthly , besides preaching , reading , and expounding , of the holy scripturs , ther is also the administration of the sacraments , as of baptisme and the lords supper , the later of which especially is an holy sab : daies ordinance of christ , first instituted in the assembly of his apostles , & not to be administred and receiued ordinarily but in sab : assēblies , and publick meeting of the church comming together on the lords day as we gather from . act. 20.7 . & 1 cor. 11.20.33 . and that publick baptisme is most fit to bee administered on the lords day in the publicke assembly , these reasons sh●w . 1. because it is joyned with preaching , mathew , 28.16 : secondly , because it is the receiuing of the baptized into the true visible church . thirdly , in publick it may bee better perfomed by the joynt prayers of the whole congregation· fourthly , it may much profit the whole publick congregation of gods people by putting them in minde of the covenant made in baptisme . the fifth sort of publick sabbath duties , are workes of mercy & charity which are fruites of faith working by loue . unto which duties the publick ministers soe often occasion is offered , are to excite up the people , and they ought to offer freelie and to make collections for the poore saints . this st. paul taught 1 cor. 16. 1 : 2 : and this was in times and ages next after the apostles practised , and performed . as iustin martyr testifies apolog. 2 : pag. 77. sixthly , publick censures of the church , and actions of correction are most fitly performed in publick assemblies of the whole church on the lords day , such as open rebuke of scandalous , sinners , before all the people , that others may feare excommunication and casting out , & excluding from outward communion , obstinate and refractary offenders , as hereticks , adulterers , incestuous persons , & such like . receiving into the church of god such as were cast out , upon their humble confession , and publick repentance openly before the whole church . these are not to be done in corners but in the face of the church , as st. paul ordained by commandement from the lord , & by direction from the spirit of god. 1 tim. 5 , 20 ▪ 1 cor. 5.4 . & 2 cor : 2 : 6 : 7 : and as divers of the auncients haue held and shewed in their practise . seventhly , ordaining and calling of bishops , pastors , and elders , being of old performed in the face of the whole church , with publick prayers , and laying on of hands , act. 1.15 . & 14.23 . 2 cor. 8.19 . as it was of old , soe at this day is a verie fitt dutye of the lord holy weekly sabbath . besides these publick duties , there are diuers priuate duties which are necessary both to make the publick duties effectuall , and frutefull , and to testifie to the praise and glory of god the power of his holy ordinances and the worke of the spirit by them upon our hearts and soules . the first of these is private prayer , either by our selves alone or in our families with our children , servants , and others of the houshold , for if we must pray continually when just occasion , and oppertunity is offered as the apostle teacheth , 1 thes. 5. then most especially before we go vnto , and after we returne from the publicke assemblies , for a blessing upon gods publick ordinances both to our selves and others : our saviour bids us pray in secret , and david exhorts vs to commune with god on our beds , and to pray after his example , morning , evening and at noone day : the second is meditation of such as are alone , on things heard in the church , and repetition in the family for the printing of the the word in their mindes and memories , and mutuall instruction and exhortation , one of another , without which the word will take small effect afterwards and quicklie beforgotten : saint paul doth intimate the necessary vse of this duty ; where he commands women to aske and learne of their husbands at home , and not to speak in the church 1 cor : 14 : 35 : & 1 tim : 2 : 11. this is the holy duty which god commended in abraham : gen : 18 : that he did command and teach his houshold & children which few men can do conveniently on the week daies , when every one is about their worke , some in one place and some in another , onely the lords day is the fittest . the third is rejoycing , singing of psalmes , and praising god in our families , this david commends for a duty of the sabbath . psal. 92.1 . and this paul and silas taught us by their example act. 16.35 . where they two being in prison and in the stocks , are said on the lords day at midnight , to pray and sing psalmes with soe loud a voyce , that the prisoners heard them . and yet i hope none dare call them puritants , and hipocrites , as the profane miscreaunts of our time call all the familes in which they heare singing of psalmes on the lords day . the fourth is visiting of the sick , & of prisoners , releiving the poore and needy , perswading of disagreeing neighbours to peace , and reconciliation : these are works of mercie and of christian loue and charity , & haue no proper end but to bring honour to god , and to make him to be praised , of his people and his people to be edified in loue . and being an holie private service of god , they may be done on the lords daie , & our church doctrine doth teach them , and ecclesiasticall constitutions allow them . the last duty is meditating on gods workes , magnifying them and speaking of them with admiration one to another , if upon any just occasion , or for necessarie refreshing we walke diuers together into the feilds . this david mentions in the psalme for the sabbath day psal. 92 , 45. where he saith : thou lord hast made me glad through thy workes , and i will tryumph in the workes of thy hands . o lord how great are thy workes ? thus much for the speciall duties both publick & priuate , which christians are bound to performe on the lords day , which is the christian sabbath . now the consideration of these severall duties , being some publick , some priuate , some more proper for the sabbath , and some for all daies , offer to us somethings more to be obserued . first the publicke duties of the whole church , together must first be regarded and preferred before priuate duties at home , and mumbling of private praies with our selves in the church , because they make more for gods glory and mutuall edification , and do shew and declare our christian vnity . secondly , publick duties must take up the best , and greatest part of the day , because they are proper to the day , and to publick assemblies , which are to be kept weekly on the sabbath day : priuate duties are common to all daies of the weeke . thirdly , the duties of mercy & charity to men , must giue place to the mediate worship of god , when there is no vrgent necessity , and they may bee deferred to another day , without any inconvenience . men hauing oppertunity before must not put them off , vntill the lords daie , and then by them shoulder out holy duties of piety and gods solemne worshippe . lastly , by the many and severall duties required on the lords sabbath , wee see that to him who hath a care and respect of them all , there will be no time left for for idle words , and toyish talking , praunsing in pride and vanity , nor for any carnall sports , pastimes , and pleasures . but gods day wil be found little enough for holy duties which are to be performed . and therefore i dare not allow any liberty for any sports how honest & lawful so ever at other times , except they bee holy , and gods worship be furthered , and no better duties by them be hindered : which no man can in reason conceive or imagine . if god be to be loved aboue all , and honoured and served with all the heart and mind , soule & strength as the law commands . j do not see but all gods people ought so to do , especially on the lords day , & to be discontent & grieued that they can̄ot do it so fully as they ought , & not to allow to themselves in these things anie liberty which may hinder gods holy worship . the greatest opposites of the weekly christians sabbath , when they haue most vehemently disputed , & spent al their argumēts , against the observation of the lords day for an holy sab : & day of holy rest , are by the cleare evidence of the truth so convinced , that will they , nill they , their conscience forceth them to confesse : that the spēding of the whole day even the space of four & twenty hours of the lords day , an holie rest & cessation from all worldly thoughts & cares & from all seculiar affaires , & in holy duties , of gods worship & service , both publick and private , is a thing commendable & praise worthy in them , and pleasing and acceptable in the sight of god. to that one only wise omnipotent , immortall , and eternall god , who in all things and ouer all enimies maketh his truth to triumph , be all honour , glory , and praise now and for euer . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a14653-e160 justin. dialog . cū triphone . tertull. adversus judoeos irenaeus lib. 4. c. 20 * tostatus pererius gomarus . heb. 11.10.16 . origen . hierom. trad . in 2 gen. austin in psal. 80. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gen. 8 21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gen. 31.2 . heb. 10.26 . 1 ioh. 5.16 . heb. 6·6 . notes for div a14653-e1500 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 notes for div a14653-e2930 doctrine . 1 reason 2 reason 3 reason 4 reason notes for div a14653-e3500 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 notes for div a14653-e3760 1. position negative . 1· pit. 1.3 ▪ objection . answer . notes for div a14653-e4200 1. position affirmative notes for div a14653-e4260 2. position affi●mative . gen. 4. notes for div a14653-e4390 3 position affirmative objection . answer . object . 2. answer . notes for div a14653-e5020 the severall opinions concerning the law of the sabbath . notes for div a14653-e5360 the distinction of gods laws notes for div a14653-e5810 serm . 251. de tempore . serm . de tempore . 136. zanch. lib de de calog . thes , 1. notes for div a14653-e6440 1 argument . 2 argument . 3 argument . argum. 6 argument . 7 argument . 8. argu. 9. argu. notes for div a14653-e7650 of mans sanctification of the sabbath . 1 argument . 2 argument . 3 argument . 4. argu. 5 argument . notes for div a14653-e8310 objection answer . object . answer . prolog . in psalm . objection answer . notes for div a14653-e9100 lexic● cold . notes for div a14653-e10480 1. argument . 2 argument . 3. argument . 4. argum. 5. argu : chrisostom in cor. 16. augst ser. 25 1. de temp : gregor . magn epist : lib : 11.3 :