The Profession of the Church of Eng­land, concerning the former procee­ding.

Praefat. To Bishop Iewell his workes. This is and hath beene the open profession of the Church [Page 13] of England, to defend and maintaine no other Faith, Church, and Religion, but that which is truely Catholike; and for such warranted, not onely by the written Word of GOD, but also by the testimony and consent of the ancient and godly Fathers.

King IAMES of ever happy memory: The King himselfe, together with the Church of England professeth: that hee will acknowledge such Doctrine onely; for true and necessary to sal­vation, which springeth out of the sacred Scripture, as from a Fountaine, is derived to these present times, by the consent of the ancient Church, as by a Couduit-pipe. Causab. ad Card. Perion. p. 20. Rex cum Ecclesia Ang­licana pronunciat, eam demum se do­ctrinam, pro vera & necessaria agno­scere, quae è fonte Sacrae Scripturae manans per cōsen­sū Eccelesiae vete­ris, sicut per cana­lem, ad nostra tem­pora fuerit derivata

The Arch-bishop of Canterbury, at a so­lemne Visitation, held in the yeare, 1571. sets forth this Canon following: All Preachers within this Province, shall take speciall care, that they teach, or deliver no other doctrine in their Sermons to bee religiously imbraced, and beleeved by their hearers the people: but such, as being con­sentaneous to the holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament, Whitak duplic. pa. 187. Plus merito tribuendum est, si authoritatē quae­ris, Ecclesiae Primi­tivae, quàm subse­quentium saeculo­rū Ecclesiis, quan­doquidē quò erant ipsis Apostolis pro­piores, eò longius ab erroribus aberant. Sneps. Annot. in Aug. conf. c. 7. & 8. pag, 689. Patrum scripta & interpretationes non modo non abjicimus sed admiramur, etiam existimamus ipsos utilem operam praestitisse ecclesiae, & illustrasse etiam scripta pro­phetica & Apostolica suis lucubrationibus. was formerly taught and collected from thence, by the Ancient Fathers, and godly Bishops. Imprimis. Vide­bunt Concionato­res, ne quid unquā pro concione, do­ceant, quod à po­pulo religiosè te­neri et credi volunt nisi quod consen­taneum sit scriptu­ris veteris et novi Testamenti, quod­que ex illa ipsa scriptura docuerint antiqui Patres, & veteres Episcopi collegerint.

And in this her practise and profession, the Church of England consenteth with the pra­ctise and rule of the Ancient Church.

Cyril. of Alexandria, in the Ephesine Coun­cell.Cyril. Nos divi­nas literas & san­ctorum patrum se­quimur fidem: sic enim supernae vo­cationis palmam lucrabimur in Christo. We the Fathers of this Councell, following the faith of Divine Scriptures, and of the holy Fa­thers of the Church, shall obtaine the Crowne of ce­lestiall blessednesse in Christ.

Vincentius Lyrinensis.Vinc. Lyrin. in Commonitor. Qui in sana fide, sanus & integer perma­nere voluerit, du­plici modo munire fidem suam debet: primùm scilicet di­vinae legis authori­tate, tum deinde Catholicae Eccle­siae authoritate. He that desires to con­tinue firme and sound, in right and saving faith, must fence and fortifie his faith, first of all, with the authority of Divine Law: and next to that, with the authority of the Catholike Church.

The same is affirmed by the Fathers of the sixth Councell of Constantinople, cap. 19. By S. Basil Basil. Fidem nos neque recentiorem ab aliis conscrip­tam acceptamus, neque ipsi, mentis nostrae foetus, ali­is obtrudere aude­mus, nè humana putentur pietatis verba: sed quae à sanctis patribus e­docti sumus, ea nos interrogantibus annunciamus. . Ep. 60. p. 835. And the Ecclesiasticall story reporteth of Greg. Naz. and of S. Basil, That in their studying the bookes of holy Scriptures, they collected the sense of them, not from their owne judgement or presumption, but from the testimony and authority of the Ancient, who had received the rule of the true intelligence of Scriptures, from the holy Apostles by succession. Ruffin. eccl. hist. lib. 2. cap 9. Basilius & Gregorius, &c. omnibus Grecorum saecularium libris remotis, solis Di­vinae Scripturae voluminibus operam dabant, earumque intelligentiam, non ex pro­pria praesumptione, sed ex majorum scriptis, et authoritate loquebantur: quos et ip­sos ex Apostolica successione, intelligendi regulam suscepisse constabat.

The observation of the former ruleAug. de bapt. lib. [...]. cap. 26. Quod nos admonet ut ad fontem recurramus, id est, Apostolicam traditionem, et inde canalem in nostra tempora dirigamus, optimum est, et sine du­bitatione faciendum. Clem. Alex. strom. lib. 7. cap. 9. Inter eos viros qui tanti erant in ecclesiastica cognitione, quid restabat dicendum à Marcione aut Prodico et simili­bus qui non sunt ingressi recta via? ne (que) enim eos qui praecesserunt superare potuerunt sapientia, ut aliquid adinvenirent iis, quae ab illis vere dicta sunt: sed benè cum iis actū esset, si scire potuissent ea quae priùs sunt tradita: is ergo nobis solus qui est cognitione praeditus, cum in ipsis Scripturis consenuerit, Apostolicam et Ecclesiasticam servans dogmatum rectitudinem, rectissimè vivit, convenienter Evangelio, &c. is both profitable and necessary, for preservation of [Page 15] sound faith and holy religion, and for repressing of Schisme and Heresie: it freeth the Church from scandall and imputation of novelty: and it addeth reputation and esteeme to the Doctrine and Religion, professed and received upon the said two grounds: and lastly, it comforteth Christian people in their holy profession, and augmenteth their love and obedience to that Faith and Religion, which is both consonant to holy Scripture, and which likewise hath appro­bation from the ancient Church.

A Conclusion from the Premises.

T. B. His maine Position, concerning the Sabbath, being contrary to the authorised Do­ctrine of the Church of England; and to the consentient and unanimous sentence of the an­cient Catholike Church; Is to be condemned, as false and erroneous, if it shall evidently ap­peare, by the Answers following, that the same is totally grounded upon Objections and Ar­guments, which are only of a probable and du­bious quality.

T. B. His Arguments and Objections, exa­mined and answered.

In the solution of the Sabbatizers objecti­ons, my method shall be, to examine in the first place, the maine grounds and principles upon which he buildeth, and from whence he deduceth his conclusions. And this being performed, his particular arguments being in number 24. and beginning at the 401. page of his booke, will easily be answered.

T. B. His principall ground, whereupon hee maintaineth his Position, for the necessary and perpetuall observation of the Sabbath-day.

All and every one of the ten Com­mandements are purely, entirely, and properly morall: and there is nothing delivered, or commanded in any one of them, which is Iudaicall, or legally Ce­remoniall.

His maine Reasons.

1 All and every one of the ten Com­mandements were pronounced, delive­red, [Page 18] and promulgate, at one and the same time, and in one and the same manner, namely, by the immediate voice of God, with thundering and lightning, and in the common audience of all the Israelites, Exod. 20.18. Deut. 5.22.

2 They were all and every one, writ­ten or engraven in tables of stone, by the finger of GOD Himselfe, Exod. 31.18. Deut. 9.10. Exod. 32.16. & 34.1. Deut. 10.4.

3 According to GODS own appoint­ment, all and every one of these ten Com­mandements, were placed in the Arke of the Testimony, within the most Holy place of the Tabernacle, Deut. 10. ver. 2. 2 Chron. 5.10. Heb. 9.4.

4 One and the same proeme, contai­ning a generall motive to provoke people to obedience of all and every one of these Precepts, was prefixed before the Deca­logue, Exod. 20.2.

5 Many Divines of our own Nation, in Sermons, and written Tractates of the Sabbath, and in their Expositions of the fourth Commandement, maintaine [Page 19] the foresaid Position, affirming with much confidence, that all and every one of the ten Commandements are intirely, properly, and perpetually morall.

T. B. His assumption.

The fourth Commandement, Remember the Sabbath-day to keepe it holy, Is one of the ten Commandements, and it is a Pre­cept of principall note, placed in the first Ta­ble: and the observation thereof is required in the Law, and in the Prophets with great vehemencie: and the transgression punished with much severity, Exod. 35.2. Whosoever doth any work therein shall die, Num. 15.32. They found a man that gathered sticks Vpon the Sabbath-day, &c. And all the Congregation brought him without the hoast, and stoned him with stones, and he died, as the LORD had commanded.

Now from the premisses, this conclusion is inferred by necessary consequence: Therefore the fourth Commandement, Remember the Sabbath-day to keepe it holy, Being one [Page 20] of the ten, is purely and properly morall, and it obligeth Christians to the obedience there­of, Th. Broad. 3 quaest. d. Sab. To the Rea­der. Some in their booke often printed (it was printed last 1618) have these and the like passa­ges: The fourth Commandement is no more ceremoniall than the rest: the observation of the seventh day, is a morall, and perpe­tuall duty: we may not pick up a few sticks on the Sab­bath: there is as much difference be­tweene the Sabbath and other dayes, as betweene Sacra­mentall and common bread. Ioh. Sprint d. Sab. pag. 11. The obser­vation of the se­venth day is of the Law of Nature, whatsoever is found in the fourth Com­mandement apper­taineth to the Law of Nature, &c. Id. pag. 13. The obser­vation of the se­venth day was esta­blished before Christ was promised: and therefore it is not Ceremoniall, but of the Law of Nature, and perpetuall. Idem pag. 28. G.W. d. Sab. pag. 16. The Decalogue being the same with the Law of Nature is one and the same for ever: it followeth necessarily that the Sabbath being a part of that Decalogue, is to remaine for ever. Idem. pag. 26. as well as the other nine.

D. B. Of the Sabbath, pag. 40. The fourth Commandement can bee no more partly morall and partly Ceremoniall, than the same living creature, can bee partly a man, and partly a beast, Pag. 50. The observation of the seventh day, and also the precise resting from worldly af­faires is morall, neither is there any thing in the Commandement that might inti­mate it to be Ceremoniall.

R. B. against Br. pag. 90. The fourth Commandement in every part thereof, and as it is contained in the Decalogue, is Morall, and of the Law of Nature, Pag. 88. The fourth Commandement is part of the Law of Nature, and thus part of the Image of GOD, and is no more capable of a Ceremony to be in it, than GOD is.

R. C. Of the Sabbath, pag. 54. This fourth Commandement participateth with the three other before, and the six next following, in all the honours and prerogatives, wherein they goe before all the Leviticall constitutions, for more glorious promulgation and establish­ment. They were pronounced by the voice of God Himselfe, immediately un­to the people: So was this. They were written in Tables of stone, with GOD'S finger: So was this. They were put into the Arke: So was this. They were writ­ten by the Holy Ghost, in the Booke of Exodus joyntly together without any mixture of any other with them: So was this also, and set in an high place, be­fore all those of the second Table. But nothing of this is affirmed of the Law of Ceremonies.

I. D. Vpon the Commandements, pag. 129. These reasons doe most evidently con­firme to the hearts of all God's children: That the keeping the Sabbath-day, is a Morall Law, and bindeth us, and all [Page 22] men, to the end of the world, as much as it did the Iewes, before Christ.

D. D. Against Heathering. Pag. 54. The morality of the Sabbath may be pro­ved from the manner of writing the fourth Commandement. For it was not written in Paper or Parchment, or upon leaves of Trees, but in Tables of stone, as the rest of the tenne Commandements were, to signifie the perpetuity thereof.

Idem, The morality of the Sabbath may bee proved by GOD'S owne pla­cing of it, for the Law of the fourth Commandement, is not placed among the Ceremoniall or Iudiciall Lawes, as though it had beene Ceremoniall, or had concerned onely the tradition of the Iewes, or them especially: But it is placed among the morall Lawes, yea, it is made one of the ten Lawes: so that if it were abrogated, there would remaine but nine Commandements: and so the Law of GOD were imperfect, which were blasphemy to affirme.

H. B. Dial. Manuscript. These tenne [Page 23] words, or Commandements, GOD Himselfe by His lively voice spake to the people in the Mount, face to face; Not so the Ceremoniall. These ten Com­mandements were written in two Ta­bles by GOD'S owne finger, and that twice: Not so the Ceremoniall. The ten Commandements were kept in the Ark, in the Sanctum Sanctorum, within the Veile: Not so the Ceremoniall.

T. B. His inference from the Premisses.

The Fourth Commandement, according to the Principles of the Authors aforesaid, is truly, intirely, and properly morall: for it is a precept of the Law of Nature: a part of the Image of GOD: and no more ca­pable of a Ceremony to be in it, than GOD is: and it is as grosse an absurdity to say, It is partly morall, and partly Ce­remoniall, as to say, The same living creature is partly a man, & partly a Beast.

But the fourth Commandement [Page 24] speaketh of a Day, which by Divine im­position, was called the Sabbath-day: the same day of the weeke, on which GOD Himselfe rested: and which was observed by the Iewes and Israelites un­der the old Law: The Day in which no Manna fell: Exod. 16.

Now from hence it is manifest, and can with no apparence of good reason be denied: That the Saturday of every weeke, ought to be the Christians Sab­bath-day, as well as it was the Iewes: And on the contrary, that the Sunday is, according to the rule of the fourth Com­mandement, one of the six working-dayes, and no more the Sabbath-day, commanded in the Decalogue, than Thursday or Friday.

T. B. Was so confident in his Position, of the Saturday Sabbath, because he suppo­sed the principles upon which hee grounded his arguments to have beene undeniable, that he breaketh forth into passion, and delivereth two desperate speeches, One concerning his Adversaries, whom he stileth Puritanes, that [Page 25] they yeelding and maintaining his Principles, and yet denying his Conclusion, deserve to bee answered with clubbes, rather than with reason: The other concerning him­selfe, that his conscience was so possessed, with the certainty of this Doctrine, as that hee would rather lose his life, and all that hee enjoyed in this world, than depart from the teaching and maintaining such an apparent verity.

Answ. The Reader may perceive, by the for­mer disputation, that the whole weight and strength of the Sabbatarian cause, leaneth up­on this one pillar, to wit: The fourth Comman­dement of the Decalogue, is properly, intirely, and perpetually Morall, and in every respect, both for quality and obligation, equall to the other nine Com­mandements.

But this Position, (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: And to make this appeare, I will in the first place deliver a description, and divi­sion of the Morall Law, and of Morall Pre­cepts: [Page 26] And in the next place set downe the for­mall and essentiall Characters of Lawes and Precepts, simply, and eternally Morall: Lastly, I will demonstrate out of the former, That the fourth Commandement of the Decalogue, wan­ting the formall Characters of Precepts purely Morall, is in sundry respects of a different qua­lity from the other nine.

A Declaration concerning the qua­lity of Divine Precepts, called Morall.

DIvine Law, called Morall, is a just rule or measure, imposed by GOD, directing and obliging to the obedience, of things holy, ho­nest, and just; and to the avoiding of the con­trarie.

The same is two-fold: Simply Morall, Or Morall only by some externall constitution, or imposition of GOD.

Alex. Hat. 4. q. 3. m. 5. ar. 1. Est mo­rale simpliciter, quod omni tempo­re, & ab omnibus servandum est: Et est morale secundū quid, sive ex conditione loci, populi, tēporis, &c. Hug. Vict. Alleg. in Exod. l. 3. c. 5. Prae­cepta legis scriptae, alia sunt mobilia, quae ex dispensati­one à Deo sunt or­dinata. Alia immo­bilia, quae â natura veniunt, & vel ita sunt mala, ut nullo tempore sine culpa possint fieri: vel ita bona, ut nullo tem­pore possint sine culpa dimitti. Divine Law simply Morall, commandeth or prohibiteth actions, good or evill, in respect of their inward nature and quality.

Divine Lawes and Precepts, Morall onely by externall constitution, command or prohi­bite actions, which before the position of the outward Law, are adiaphorous, in respect of their inward nature and quality, or else good or evill only, by reason of some circumstance. For example, To eat the bloud of Beasts, or to abstaine from eating: To worship GOD at the Temple, or in a private house, or in open fields: To lay aside almes for the poore, upon the first day of the weeke, or upon the second, or third day.

Againe, Lawes positively Morall, are either Personall onelyGreg. in 1. Reg. 13. v. 11. Quaedā praecepta Dei sunt communia omni­um: Quaedam spe­cialia aliquorū, &c. . Gen. 12.1. & 22.2. 1 Sam. 13.11, 19. 1 Kings 13.16. Matth. 10.9. Luke 18.22. Or common and generall, either for all mankinde, as the Law of Polygamie Aug. c. Faust. M. lib. 22. cap. 47. Alia sunt peccata contra naturam: alia con­tra mores, alia con­tra praecepta. Quae cúm ita sint, quid tandem criminis est, quod de pluribus simul habitis uxoribus objicitur sancto viro Ia­cob? Si naturam consulas, non lasciviendi, sed gignendi causa, illis mulieribus utebatur. Si morem, illo tempore, atque in illis terris fiebat. Si praeceptum, nulla lege prohibe­batur. Nunc verò cur crimen est si quis hoc faciat, nisi quia & moribus & legibus non licet? Idem, de bono conjugal. cap. 17. Plures foeminas uni viro legimus conjunctas, cùm gentis illius societas sinebat, & temporis ratio suadebat: neque enim contra natu­ram nuptiarum est. , and wedlocke within some degrees mentioned, Le­vit. 20.20, 21. Or else for one Nation, Re­publike, or Community of people: Exod. 22.1, 3, 7, &c.

Proper Characters of Lawes and Pre­cepts, simply and intirely morall.

Character 1. In all such Lawes and Pre­cepts, the actions commanded or prohibited, are in their inward nature and quality, good, or evill, be­fore any externall constitution passeth upon them, and secluding and abstracting, the positive Law, or externall imposition of the Lawgiver. Arist. Ethic. li. 5. ca. 7. Est aliquid justum, etiam ante conditam legem. Castropalaio. mor. tr. 3. disp. 6. punct. 3. Scholast. in. 1.2. Intrinsecam habēt bonitatem & hone­statem, per confor­mationē ad rectam rationem, seclusa omni lege extrin­seca. Iren. li. 4. cap. 30. Iusti Patres, virtu­tem decalogi con­scriptam habentes in [...]ordibus, & ani­mis suis, diligentes scilicet Deum, qui fecit eos, & absti­nentes erga proxi­mum ab injustitia: propter quod non fuit necesse admo­nere eos correpto­riis literis, quia ha­bebant in s [...]ctip­sis justitiam legis. Aug. de li. arb. li. 1. cap. 3. Non sanè ideò malū est, quia vetatur lege, sed ideò vetatur lege quia malum est.

For example:

To Honour Father and Mother, was an action honest, vertuous, and just, and the contrary was vitious and unjust, before the Law of the Ten Commandements was given at Mount Sinai, Gen. 9.21. unto 28. Sem, Ham, and Iaphet, to­wards their Father Noah. Hospitality, Chastity, Fidelity, were inwardly vertuous and good in Abraham, Ioseph, &c. Genesis 18.8. Heb. 13.2. Gen. 39.6.8, 9. To adore and worship the true and living God, and to teach others to doe the like, and to rebuke vice, were pious and righteous actions from the beginning, Gen. 4.4.26. & 8.20, 21. & 12.7. & 18.19. & Genesis 5.24. with the Epistle of Iude v. 14.

On the contrary: Envy, Pride, Idlenesse, Adultery, Murther, evill Concupiscence, Theft, Deceipt, Oppression, false-Witnesse, Superstition, and Idolatry, Sacriledge; were internally viti­ous, before the outward Law, Gen. 4.8. & 12.2. & 18.15. & 31.7.30.34. & 19.5. & 20.3. &. 30.30. & 34.2. & 35.22. & 37.20, 28. & 38.16. & 39.79.15.17. Exod. 1.11. & 5.2. Iosh. 7.1. & 24.2.

Charact. 2. Good or evill actions, commanded or prohibited, by Lawes and Precepts simply morall, may be resolved into some dictates and principles of the Law of Nature, imprinted in man's heart at the Creation.

The Precepts of the first Table require, fide­lity, reverence, honour, and service in due man­ner, to bee rendred to God Almighty:Aquin. 1.2. Q. 100. art. 6. Inter ipsa quae ordinan­tur ad Deum, pri­mū occurrit, quòd homo fideliter sub­datur, nullam parti­cipationē cum ejus inimicis habens: Secundum, ut reve­rentiam ei exhibe­at. Tertium autem, ut famulatum im­pendat. Aureol. 3. Dist. 37. Art. 1. Latria est habitus quo aliquis voluntate inclina­tur ad exhibendum cultū Deo, in quan­tum est author om­nium bonorum, ut sic profiteatur ho­mo, Deum se ha­bere superiorem. & creatorem & largi­torem omnium bo­nor um. Potest au­tem considerari, ut omnium productor, ut omnium provisor, ut omnium speculator, Rich. Med. 3. d. 37. q. 4. Ad hoc ut benè ordinetur homo ad Deum, oportet quòd in Deo observet haec tria: fidelitatem, ita ut quantum in se est, non transferat honorem principatus ad alium, & hoc est quod continetur in primo praecepto. Oportet etiam ut tantam reverentiam ei exhibeat, ut nihil injuriosum in eum committat, & hoc praecipi­tur secundo praecepto. Oportet etiam quod fibi exhibeat famulatum, tanquam memor beneficiorum receptorum ab eo: & hoc praecipitur tertio praecepto. and they prohibit idolatry, superstition, blasphemy, and profanenesse. Now all and every one of these duties, are grounded, and may bee resol­ved into the Dictates and Principles of naturall morality. For because the true and living GOD, is the supreme Lord and Governour, both of the World, and especially of Man: and because Man receiveth his being, his power, his preservation, comfort, and happinesse from him: and besides, Man is in such manner sub­ject to GOD, as that this great Lord and King hath absolute power over him, and over all his actions, and hee may save or destroy, re­ward or punish him, according to his own will and pleasure: upon these grounds and reasons, it is most just, safe, and beneficiall, according to the rule of naturall understanding, that Man, being GOD'S Subject, Servant, and Creature, [Page 30] doe render unto his Supreme Lord and Gover­nour, fidelity, service, feare, reverence, obedi­ence and love. And the holy Scripture very frequently, upon the former, and upon other such like naturall principles, exhorteth man to his duty towards GOD: and reproveth him for his ingratitude and disobedience, Mal. 1.6. A Sonne honoureth his Father, and a Servant his Master: If I then be a Father, where is mine honour? if I be a Master, where is my feare, saith the Lord of Hostes? Esay 1.3 & 5.3. Ier. 8.7. Deut. 30.6. Mal. 3.8. Mat. 18.32.

The duties of the second Table may bee re­solved in like manner, into dictates and princi­ples of morality. Children receive from their Parents their naturall life and being; their edu­cation, lively-hood, &c. Now naturall reason and affection enclines mens hearts to love gra­titude, and due respect, towards grand Bene­factors.Theoph. Anti­och. ad Autolyc l. 2 Id laudabile & san­ctum censetur, non solùm apud Deum, sed apud homines, sub jici parentibus. Arist. Ethic. lib. 8. Cicero in Orat. post red. Diis & paren­tibus nemo potest reddere aequale. Parentes charissi­mos habere debe­mus, quod ab hiis nobis vita, patri­monium, libertas, civitas data est, &c.

Naturall reason perswades man to love his neighbour because of similitude of kinde: be­cause mutuall love is necessary for mans wel­fare and preservation: and every one desires another should love him: now it is a maxime of nature, that one doe to others, according as hee would himselfe be done to.

The negative precepts of the second Table, are all and every one grounded upon naturall principles: and S. Augustine disswadeth people from evill concupiscence by this maxime of the Law of Nature: Doe not thou covet thy neigh­bour's [Page 31] wife, or his goods, &c. because thou thy selfe art offended, if another man shall covet thine. August. in Psal. 32 Ne concupiscas rem aliquā proxi­mi tui, quia si quis concupiscat tuam, displicet tibi. Id. d. lib. arb. li. 1. cap. 3. Hoc scio malum esse, quod hoc ipse in uxore mea pati nollem. Quisquis autem alteri facit quod sibi fieri non vult, malè utique facit. Hier. in Gal. c 5. p. 150. Quae vo­bis fieri non vultis, alteri ne feceritis, &c. nolo adulterari uxorem meam: no­lo substantiam di­ripi: nolo me falso testimonio oppri­mi, & ut cuncta brevi sermone cō ­prehendam, indig­nè fero aliquid mi­hi fieri, quod est in­justum.

Charact. 3. Divine Lawes and Precepts simply and formally morall, are universall, in respect of persons, and in regard of their perpetuall obli­gationGulielm. Paris. d. leg. ca. 1. Nunquam possibile fuit, aliquem exemptum esse a de­bito, & obligatione alicujus istorum. Nulli enim unquam licere potuit, non diligere vel timere Deum, & ita de unoquoque aliorum. Haec igitur lex est quae non recipit abrogationem neque derogationem, neque exemptionem, nec dispensationem ullo mo­do. Ibid. Lex est simpliciter, semper, & ad omnes à cujus observatione non est excep­tio. Ex quo manifestum est, quia praecepta & prohibitiones quaecunque siunt, vel factae sunt, praeter hanc, non sunt lex simpliciter, sed cui & quando. . For they oblige to obedience or pu­nishment, all and every humane Creature ha­ving the use of reason: and they oblige in all Ages of the world, and under all religions, or mutations of Temporall, or Ecclesiasticall governement: that is, before the Law, under the Old Law, under the Gospell. The Iewes, the Gentiles, the Grecians, the Barbarians, the Bond, the Free, Princes, Iudges, Nobles, Ple­beians, Rich-men, Beggars, &c. are equally subject to them: Lastly, they oblige without externall promulgation, by a meere impressi­on of Nature, seated by GOD, in the consci­ence: and no authority of Men or Angels can priviledge or exempt any from their obli­gation. [Page 32]

The Characters of Lawes and Precepts Positive.

That Law is called positive, which is not inbred, imprinted, or infused, into the heart of Man, by na­ture or grace: but it is imposed, by an externall mandate of a Lawgiver, having authority to com­mand Suar. d leg. Illa lex vocatur positi­va, quae non est in­nata cū natura vel gratia: sed ultra il­las, ab aliquo prin­cipio habente po­testatem posita est. Ideo enim positiva dicta est, quasi ad­dita naturali legi: non ex eo necessa­riò manans. . And it hath the name positive, from ex­ternall imposition or constitution: and because it is added to the Law of Nature, and doth not necessarily spring from it.

The Characters of Positive Lawes, are these which follow:

Charact. 1. The matter and things commanded or prohibited, by such Lawes and Precepts, are ei­ther in their kind and quality, or in respect of their Circumstances, adiaphorous; that is, neither ver­tuous nor vitious, but they become good or evill meerely by the Law and command of the Law-giver. Hier. in Esa. ca. 55. Indifferentia, id est, nec bona, nec mala, quae pro utē ­tium qualitate va­riantur. Maerat. in 1.2. Thom. tr. d. leg. Disp. 3. tr. 4. Lex positiva prae­ceptis suis affirma­tivis, imperat ea quae vel ex obje­cto indifferentia sunt: vel si bona, non tamē antequā imperarentur ne­cessariò facienda, sed omitti tunc possent scienter & I berè sine peccato. Soto [...]t. & jur. li. 2 q. 3 art. 11 Ex soli divina institu­tione vim habent: ideo sunt bona, quia jussa; & mala, quia prohibita.

For example: The Fruit of the tree of know­ledge, was in itselfe, or in respect of the natu­rall quality, good for meate, and pleasant to the eyes. The Lord himselfe created it. And every creature of God, being rightly used is good in it selfe, and good to man, Gen. 1.31. & 2.9. 1 Tim. 4 4 Mans tasting thereof was a sinne, because of the negative Precept of GODAug. de civ. Dei, li. 14. c. 12. d. Gen. ad lit. li. 8. cap. 6. &. in Ps. 70. Theoph. Ant och. ad Autol. l. 2. Non ut quidam opinantur, aliqu [...] nox [...] vel lethiferi ea arbor tulit, sed inobedientia mortis causa fuit. . Gen. 3.17. It was not the naturall quality of the fruit, which [Page 33] made Adam and Eve sinners; but onely GOD'S prohibition. Adamum non cibus, sed prohibitus cibus perdidit. The same may bee said of Lot's Wife looking backe to Sodome, Gen. 19.26. and of the Prophet, sent to Hieroboam, who was killed of a Lion, for eating bread in Samaria. 1 King. 13.22.

Charact. 2. The materiall object, or actions commanded or prohibited, by precepts meerely posi­tive, if one separate or abstract the externall law, cannot be resolved into any of the naturall principles of morality.

For example: The Law of Nature teach­eth, that every man shall love, feare, and obey, the Lord his Creator, and Governour: But that Abram must obey GOD, by departing out of Vr in Chaldea, or by offering up his on­ly sonne Isaac, Gen. 12.1. & 22.1, 2. depended meerely upon the Lord's will, and positive com­mand.

Also, the Law of Nature, prohibiteth one neighbour, to rob or defraud another, and if any offend in this kinde, hee must make restitution: but that one Israelite robbing or defrauding ano­ther, should restore fourefold for one Sheepe, or five Oxen, for one that was stolne, was meerely positive, Exod. 22.1. 3, &c.

Charact. 3. Lawes and Precepts meerely posi­tive, oblige onely the Persons, the State, or Nati­on, and Republike, upon which they are imposed by the Lawgiver: Maerat. in Tho. 1 2. tr. d. leg. D. 17. Se. 2. Positiva lex eos tantū obligare po­test, quibus impo­nitur. Lex enim in imperio formaliter cōsistit, quia impo­nere est imperare. Positiva autem lex, in imperio tota cō ­sistit. Soto. d. just. & ju­re, li. c. q. 1. artic. 4. Vasq in Thom. 1.2. dis. 155. c. 2. Lex imponitur allis per modum regulae, & mensurae. Regula autem & mensura imponitur per hoc quod applicatur hiis, quae regulātur & mēsurantur: un­de ad hoc quod lex virtutem obligandi obtineat, quod est proprium legis, o­portet quòd appli­cetur hominibus, qui secundum eam regulari debent▪ Talis autē applicatio fit per hoc, quod in notitiam eorum deducitur, ex ipsa promul­gatione. Vnde promulgatio ipsa necessaria est ad hoc, quod lex virtutem suam habeat. or to whom they are published [Page 34] by a legall promulgation: and they continue in force, during such time only as the Lawgiver hath fixed and appointed. Also in many cases they may be dispensed withall, as appeareth in David's ex­ample, 1 Sam. 21.6. Mat. 12.4. and in the Man cured of his infirmity, carrying his Bed upon the Sabbath day, contrary to the Divine Law, Ier. 17.22. Iohn 5.10.

An application of the Premisses, to the Law of the fourth Commande­ment.

The fourth Commandement of the Deca­logue, in respect of the literall and particular object thereof, wanteth all the essentiall chara­cters of divine precepts simply morall.

1 The day of the Weeke, which is comman­ded to bee kept holy, by resting from servile la­bour, is the same day, on which GOD himselfe rested, Genesis 2.2. and which the Iewes and Is­raelites observed from Moses, untill the vocati­on of the Gentiles.

But secluding and abstracting the divine po­sitive Law, there was no reall holinesse in this Day, more than in all the rest. Every day of the Week, had one and the same efficient cause, namely, Divine Creation: and all times and things created by GOD, were very good, [Page 35] Genesis 1.31. The Prophet David speaking of all dayes and nights, saith: The day is thine, and the night is thine, thou hast prepared the light and the Sunne, Psal. 74.16. Every creature of God is good, 1 Tim. 4.4. and as Christ is Lord of the Sabbath, Matth. 12.8. So likewise all dayes and times, and all other creatures are subject to his providence and dominion. GOD'S positive precept onely, either immediate, as in the Old Law, or mediate by his Church, as in the time of the Gospell, makes one day more holy than another: not by infusing any reall sanctity into the same, but by applying it to a sacred and re­ligious use.

The Sabbath therefore of the fourth Com­mandement wanteth the first Character of a precept simply and intirely morall.

2 If the Divine positive Law shall bee ab­stracted, the religious and necessary observati­on of the seventh day of every Weeke, rather than of the first or second, &c. cannot be con­cluded, or inferred from any principle or dictate of the Law of Nature.

For the Law of Nature teacheth, that the true and living God, ought to be worshipped: and that a sufficient and convenient time, is to be set apart for the same.

But the fourth Commandement appointeth the seventh day of the Weeke, to be an Holy-day, in memory of the Creation, and because GOD Himselfe rested on that Day: and it pre­scribeth [Page 36] the manner, to wit, by cessation and abstinence from weekely labour: and none of all these particulars, to wit, neither the fixed Day, nor the end, nor the forme of observati­on, are conclusions of the Law of Nature, but they depended meerely upon God's positive Law, and institution.

3 The Law of the Sabbath, wanteth the last character of Divine Precepts formally and simply morall.Ius Civil. ca. d. leg. & Constitut. Tunc valere leges jubentur, cum in commune factae, sunt manifestae. Soto. d. just & jur. li. 1. quaest. 1. art. 4. Thom. 1.2. qu 90. art. 4. Virtus legis in eo consistit, quod instar regulae & mensurae cives dirigat. Regula au­tem & mensura, non exerit virtu­tem suam, nisi ap­plicetur rebus mē ­surandis. Legis au­tem regula tunc demum civibus ap­plicatur, quando per publicationem venit in eorum no­titiam. For it was not published and revealed by promulgation to all mankinde, but on­ly to the Iewes and Israelites and Proselytes: the observation thereof, according to the rule of the Law, obliged not perpetually, for in case of urgent necessity it might be omitted, and the Iewes themselves might labour, and warre, and fight in battell, and carry burthens, and performe laborious workes, Iosh. 6.15. 1 Kings 20.29. Iohn. 5.10. But Precepts simply mo­rall, in respect of their negative part oblige per­petually, and they may in no case be transgres­sed: for it is an infallible maxime touching Precepts purely morall: Praecepta negativa li­gant semper & adsemper Chrys. in Mat. Hom. 40. In hiis quae peccata omni­nò sunt, nulla un­quam excusatio, in­veniri potest. Nam ne (que) homicida, si per iracundiam se fecisse dicet, neque adulter si per cupiditatem se commin [...]e asseverabit, unquam satisfaciet, &c. Hic autem (Christus) in lege Sabba­ti, cùm famis necessitatem ad satisfactionem attulerit, ab omni illos (discipulos) cri­mine vindicavit. Aquinas, 2.2. q. 33. ar. 2. Praecepta negativa legis prohibent actus peccatorum, &c. Actus autem peccatorum sunt secundum se mali, nec aliquo tempore vel loco bene fieri poslunt, &c. Ideò obligant semper & ad semper. . Negative precepts have a perpetuall Obligation, and they may be transgressed at no time, and upon no occa­sion. [Page 37] Reade the History of Ioseph, Gen. 39.9. Rom. 3.8.

Out of the former description, of Divine Precepts, simply morall; and Divine Precepts meerely positive; This conclusion followeth: That the Law of the fourth Commandement concerning the religious observation of the se­venth Day was not simply Morall: because it wanted all the inseparable Characters of such Precepts, and on the contrary, it was onely po­sitive, and temporary.

An Objection against the former Argu­ment.

Although it be granted, that the Law of the fourth Commandement concer­ning the particular day specified therein, was positive: yet the observation there­of may be perpetuall, for the reasons fol­lowing. 1. The Law of the Sabbath was imposed upon Adam and upon all his posterity, Gen. 2.2. 2. The whole Law of the Tenne Commandements obligeth the Gentiles as well as the Iewes. For Christ himselfe, and after him, the [Page 38] Holy Apostles ratified and confirmed every jot and title thereof.

Therefore the same may be perpetuall, although it bee admitted, that at the first institution it was positive. For the Will of God the Lawgiver, may make Com­mandements to be of perpetuall obliga­tion, whatsoever their inward quality is.

Answ. 1. The former reply, destroyeth the Tenent both of Saturday and Sunday Sabbata­rians, who affirme, that the Precept of the Sab­bath, is of the Law of Nature.

2 If it be a Precept meerely positive, it can oblige those people onely, upon whom it was imposed, and during such time only as the Law­giver hath appointed.

3 All arguments used, either by Saturday, or Sunday Sabbatarians, to argue that the positive Law of the Sabbath ought to be observed un­der the Gospell, are of no force, as will ap­peare by the particular examination and soluti­on of them.

An Objection out of Genesis 2. Ver. 2, 3.

T. B. At the Creation, GOD sanctified the seventh day, and made it an Holy-day. And where­as other dayes were holy, only by destination, This was such, both by Destination, and also by Conse­cration: For it pleased GOD to sanctifie this Day, at the very Creation of the World, Making Him­selfe our Samplar and President in it, and begin­ning it in his owne Person. And this Sabbath of the Creation was not only exemplary, but also obligato­ry. For if the ground whereon Moses stood, be­came holy ground, because of Gods presence there, What shall hinder it, but that in like sort, the day wherein God Himselfe rested, should forthwith be­come an Holy-day?

D. D. Against Heather.G. W. d. Sab. pag. 24. Moses before the Law, sheweth i [...] to be kept by God himselfe, Genes. 2.2. Id. pag. 28. If this rest were a signe and figure of our rest from sinne, it must bee so unto Adam also: for the Law was given un­to him. pag. 54. The Mo­rality of the Sabbath is proved, from the time it was first instituted and celebrated, and that in Man's innocency, before any Mosaicall Ceremony was in use, Gen. 2.3.

D. B. Of the Sabbath, pag. 61. It is in ex­presse words said in Genesis, that God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it.

E. E. Vpon the Commandements, pag. 90.

I. D. Vpon the Commandements, pag. 125. Adam had by the Law of Nature, to keepe a so­lemne time to the Lord, and by Divine institu­tion, to keepe the Seventh Day. And the Gentiles alwayes were, and to the end of the world shall stand bound to keepe the Sabbath, by vertue of the first in­stitution, [Page 40] given to Adam, and to all mankinde.

Ioh. Sprint. d. Sabb. pag. 12. The sancti­fication of the Se­venth day, confoe­meth us to the I­mage of Adam's holinesse in his in­tegrity. R. B. against Brierw. pag. 198. If the Sab­bath be instituted in Paradise, and this be exem­plary to Men, how can it be lesse than obligatory, though it be not delivered in a forme of words, ex­presly obligatory?

R. C. Of the Christian Sabbath, pag. 83. Maintaineth, that Abraham, Iacob, and the rest of the Patriarchs, who lived before the Law, kept the Sabbath, &c.

T. B. His grand Objection out of Exod. 20. Deut. 5. &c.

The Precept of the Sabbath,Iohn Sprint. d. Sab. pag. 13. Whatsoe­ver Law was writ­ten with the finger of God, and that in stone: and that two severall times immediately deli­vered by God as no other lawes judici­all or Ceremoniall were: and even put into the Arke of GOD with the o­ther nine Cōman­dements (these cir­cumstances imply­ing their permanē ­cy even under the Gospell, & the de­niall of any power but God's to blot thē out) is as per­petuall as other lawes so written and reserved. But so was the fourth Commandement written and reser­ved. was de­livered in Mount Sinai, with the other nine Commandements. It was utte­red and pronounced by GOD'S owne and immediate voice, with the same Ma­jesty, terrour, and all circumstances of the other nine: to wit, with thundering, lightning, sound of the Trumpet, fire, and smoake, earthquake, Exod. 19.16.18. and in the Common audience of all the people.

The same was written and engraven in stone, in the first Table, with the fin­ger of GOD.

By the Commandement of GOD, it was afterwards placed within the Arke of the Covenant, aswell as the other nine.

The generall Preface or Proeme of the [Page 50] tenne Commandements, was prefixed, and had the same reference to this pre­cept, which it had to all the rest.

Therefore if the other nine Comman­dements for these reasons, are simply and eternally morall, the fourth Commande­ment concerning the Sabbath, must like­wise be so.

Answ. If this Argument have any weight, it concludeth for the Saturday Sabbath; and not for the Sunday, or Lord's-day. It maketh some noise in a popular auditory, but being ex­amined, it hath no more strength than a bro­ken Reed. For the antecedent or leading part, namely, that God himselfe immediately uttered the tenne Commandements, is dubious, and controverted, and the inference likewise is not necessary.

1 The antecedent is dubious for this reason: many texts of holy Scripture, and many pro­found Doctors affirme; That the Lord himselfe did not utter and pronounce the ten Comman­dements with his owne voice, but by the mini­steriall voice of his Angell.

Acts 7.38. This is hee that was in the congre­gation in the Wildernesse with the Angell, which spake to him in Mount Sinai, and with our Fa­thers.

Acts 7.53. Which have received the Law, by [Page 51] the Ordinance of Angels, and have not kept it.

Gal. 3.19. Wherefore then serveth the Law? it was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come, to whom the Promise was made, and it was ordained by Angels in the hand of a Me­diator.

Heb. 2.2. If the word spoken by Angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward, &c.

Iohn 5.37. The Father himselfe which sent mee, hath borne witnesse of me: you have neither heard his voyce at any time, nor seene his shape.

Now whereas in many places of the Law it is said; that God himselfe uttered the words of the Decalogue with his owne voice, Exod. 20.19. Deut. 5.22. This proveth not, that God Almighty pronounced them immediate­ly; for wee finde in holy Scripture, that when holy Angels, or Prophets, were the immediate persons which uttered and delivered the vocall and externall sound of words, the Lord him­selfe is reported to have spoken unto men.Aquinas 1. 2. q. 98. art. 3. Aposto­lus. Heb. 2. Probat eminentiam novae legis ad veterem, quia in novo Te­stamento locutus est Deus nobis in filio suo, in vetere autem Testamen­to, est sermo factus per Angelos. Rabbi Moses. [...] p. 1. ca. 27. Nihil novi est in libris Prophetarum, ut narrentur verba il­la, quae Angelus nomine Dei loqui­tur, ac si Deus ipse proferret. Gen. 18.2.13. Exod. 3.2.6, 7.

Saint Augustine August. c. Ada­mant. manic. c. 9. d. Trin l. 2. c. 13. & li. 3. ca. 11. In Ex­od quaest. 3. & q. 144. In Ioan. tr. 3. is resolute, that Al­mighty GOD Himselfe, in the Time of the Old Testament, did not speake to the Iewes and Israelites, with his owne immediate voice, but onely by his Angels, and by his Prophets.

And when the Heretike objected, Cur ergo scriptum est, dixit Deus, & non dixit Angelus? his answer was, Quia cum verba judicis praeco pro­nunciat, [Page 52] non scribitur in gestis, ille praeco dixit, sed ille judex qui imperavit ut diceret. Wherefore then was it written, GOD spake, and not rather an Angell spake? because, when in the place of judicature, the Cryer pronounceth the decree, and sentence of the Iudge, it is not recorded in the Acts or Court Rolles, the Cryer delivered this sentence and decree, but the Iudge who commanded the Cryer to proclaime it.

And againe in the same passage: Sicut ver­bum Dei est in Propheta, & rectè dicitur, dixit Dominus, quia verbum Dei quod est Christus, in Propheta loquitur veritatem; sic & in Angelo ipse loquitur, quando veritatem Angelus annunciat: Et rectè dicitur, Deus dixit, & Deus apparuit, cum illud dicatur ex persona inhabitantis Dei, illud ex persona servientis creaturae. Even as by reason the word of God is in the Prophet, it is truly said, the LORD speaketh, because the Word of GOD CHRIST, speaketh veritie in the Prophet: and likewise when an Angell annunciates truth, it is rightly said, the Lord speaketh, or the Lord appeareth: because the one of these is spoken in respect of the Divine Person, who inhabited in the Angell: and the other is spoken, in respect of the person of the Creature, who for the present was God's Mi­nister and Embassadour. To the same purpose speake S^t. Hierome, Hieron. in Gal. 3. Quod ait Apo­stolus, lex per An­gelos data est, hoc vult intelligi, quod in omni vetere Te­stamento, ubi An­gelus primum vi­sus refertur, & post­ea quasi Deus lo­quens inducitur, mediator loqueba­tur, qui dicit, ego sum Deus Abra­ham, &c. Dionysius Areopagita Dionys. Areop. Hierarch. c. 4. An­gelicū nomen me­ruerunt, quia pri­mum à Deo illu­minātur & per ip­sos nobis nostrae revelationes trans­mittuntur. Sic igitur lex, ut Divinus sermo testatur, per Angelos nobis data est. S. Maximus Scholia in hunc locum. Primam legem per Angelos datam esse sanctus Stephanus testatur. , [Page 53] Gregory the GreatAngelus qui Mo­si apparuisse descri­bitur, modo Ange­lus, modo Domi­nus memoratur. Angelus videlicet propter hoc quod exterius loquendo serviebat: Domi­nus autem dicitur, quia interius praesi­dens, loquendi ef­ficaciam ministra­bat. Cum ergo lo­quens ab interiori regitur, et per ob­sequium Angelus, & per inspirationē Dominus nomina­tur. Id. mor. li. 28. c. 2. Duobus modis divina locutio di­stinguitur; aut per semetipsum Domi­nus loquitur, aut per Angelicam cre­aturam ejus ad nos verba formantur. Sed cū per semet­ipsum loquitur, so­la nobis vis inter­nae inspirationis a­peritur, et de verbo ejus, sine verbis & syllabis cor doce­tur. , in Moralium praefat. cap. 1.

But if it shall be granted that God Himselfe Im­mediatione virtutis, & immediatione suppositi, not only by his suggestion, but also immediately in his owne person, uttered and proclaimed all the words of the Decalogue, and consequently all the words of the fourth Commandement: This will not confirme that Precept to have beene simply morall. For what sufficient reason can be rendred, why God Himselfe may not deliver a positive Precept by his immediate voice, as well as a Precept simply morall? God Almighty spake to Abraham nine severall times in the book of Ge­nesis. He spake likewise frequently to Moses: and to Iob, and to his three friends, Iob 38.1. & 42.7. and to Elias, 1 Kings 19.9.12. and to David, 1 Sam. 23.12. & 30.8.10.

At the delivery of the Leviticall and Iudici­all Lawes, the Lord himselfe spake to Moses Tert. d. jejunio. ca. 6. Vidit oculis (Moses) Dei glo­riam, et audivit au­ribus Dei vocem. Amb. l. 1. Ep. 3. Moses ille quo nemo praesentius Deum vidit, ne (que) surrexit ampliùs in Israel Propheta qui Deū facie ad faciem sicut Moses videret: ille qui 40. diebus cum Deo jugiter, & noctibus fuit, cum legem acciperet in Monte, &c. , [...] face to face, as a man useth to speake to his friend, Exod. 33.11. and [...] mouth to mouth. Num. 12.8. Deut. 5.31. Stand thou here with me, and I will tell thee all the Commandements, and the Ordinances, and the Lawes, which thou shalt teach them, Exod. 20.21, 22.

But this immediate and personall speaking of God Almighty to Abraham, Iob, Moses, &c. made not all his precepts, and dictates, delive­red in this manner, simply and eternally mo­rall: [Page 54] for some of them were personall, Genesis 17.1. and many of them were ceremoniall and judiciall.

2 If the Lord's immediate or vocall pro­nouncing the Law of the fourth Commande­ment, proveth it not to be simply and perpe­tually morall: then the writing and ingraving thereof, with the finger of GOD in a Table of stone: and the placing of it in the Arke of the Covenant, are not sufficient to prove it to bee such.

For these were onely circumstantiall acci­dents, which made no alteration of the inter­nall, and naturall forme or quality of the ma­teriall object of this Commandement: and Aarons Rod, and the Pot of Manna, were placed in the Arke of TestimonyAug. in Exod. q. 105. In Arca jussa sunt poni, Lex, & Manna, & Virga Aaron. Origen in Iosh. hom. 1. Arcam Testam. Domini, in qua Lex, & di­vinae literae ser­vantur. , aswell as the Law of the fourth Commandement, Heb. 9.4. The Booke of Deuteronomy also, not being totally morall; was placed in the side of the Arke of the Covenant, Deut. 31.26.

H. B. (Dialog. manuscript.) writing the ten Commandements in stone, was a note of their perpetuity, Iob 19.24: O that my words were now written, O that they were written even in a Booke, and graven with an Iron Pen in Lead, or in stone for ever!

Answ. Writing the tenne Commandements in stone, was a figure and represent of hardnesse of heart in the IsraelitesAug. d. Cat. rud. c. 20. Accepit ille populus legem di­gito Dei scriptam in tabulis lapideis, ad significandam duritiam cordis il­lorum, quod legem non erant imple­turi. , 2 Cor. 3.14. Ezech. 11.19. & 36.26. and not of the perpetuall obligation of the fourth Commandement. For Ioshua wrote upon stones a rehearsall of the Law of Moses, in the presence of the children of Israel, Iosh. 8.32. But a great part of Moses his Law, was positive, and legally ceremoniall.

3 The proeme of the Decalogue confirmeth not the naturall and perpetuall morality of the fourth Commandement. For besides, that this Proeme had speciall relation to the Children of Israel G. W. Of the Sab. pag. 32. In the first Command. I am the Lord thy God w^ch brought thee out of the Land of Aegypt: this had onely refe­rence to the Iewes: but we may rather say, which brought us out of the bon­dage of sin, or out of the bondage of Popery. , whom God delivered out of Aegyptian bondage, and was used as a speciall motive, to that stiffe-necked Nation, to perswade them to obe­dience: Wee reade in Deut. the same motive used by Moses, to perswade the Israelites to observe the whole Law, both morall, and ceremoniall, and judiciall, Deut. 6.20. When thy son shall aske thee in time to come, What meane these Testimonies, and Ordinances, and Lawes, which the Lord our God hath commanded you? 21. Then thou shalt say unto thy sonne, Wee were Pharaoh's bondmen in Aegypt, but the Lord brought us out of Aegypt, with a mighty hand. 22. And the Lord shewed signes and wonders, great and evill, upon Aegypt, and upon Pharaoh, &c. 24. Therefore the Lord hath commanded us to doe all these Ordinances, &c.

T. B. At a private Conference argued in manner following.

It is found in Scripture that GOD himselfe wrote some Lawes, and Moses wrote other. But Moses wrote such Lawes as were temporary, and there­fore abolished under the Gospell. And GOD Himselfe wrote not in Tables of stone any temporary Law, but every one of the Lawes written by Him were eternall.

Now the Law of the Sabbath, was one of GOD'S Lawes, written in the very heart of the Decalogue, with his finger.

Therefore this Law of the Sabbath was simply and eternally morall.

Answ. GOD'S writing of some Lawes, and Mose's writing of other Lawes, made not a formall difference betwixt all the Lawes which were written according to this diverse manner. For many Lawes written by Moses in the Decalogue, were properly and perpetu­ally morall, Deut. 15.7, 8. If any of thy bre­thren with thee bee poore, &c. Thou shalt open thy hand unto him, and shalt lend him suffici­ent for his need. Leviticus 19.17. Thou shalt not hate thy Brother in thine heart, but thou shalt plainely rebuke thy neighbour, and suffer him not to sinne, Deut. 10.19. Love yee the stranger, &c. Levit. 19.14. Thou shalt not put a stumbling-block before the blinde.

2 Concerning God's own writing of Lawes, there can no sufficient reason bee rendred: wherefore a temporary Precept may not as well be written with his finger, as delivered by his internall inspiration.

3 God's writing, was his forming and crea­ting, by his power, the externall characters, let­ters, &c. of the ten Commandements. But it ap­peareth by the example of Ionas's Gourd. C. 4. 6. and by many other instances, that all things immediately formed, and created by God, are not eternall.

4 If God's immediate speaking and wri­ting argueth precepts thus spoken and written, to be perpetually morall: Then his not writing of Precepts, argueth them to bee temporary. For proper signes and affections conclude both [Page 58] affirmatively, and also negatively. For ex­ample: Micaiah the sonne of Imlah, was a true Prophet, because he was inspired by God. But Zidkiah the sonne of Chenaanah, was not a true Prophet, because hee was not inspired by God, 1 Kings 22. Aaron and his Sonnes were Priests of the LORD, because they were called and anoin­ted according to the Law and commandement of GOD: but Korah, Dathan, &c. were not the LORD'S Priests, for they received no such calling and unction.

In like manner, if the LORD'S immediate speaking, uttering, and writing, doth conclude by a necessary inference, that all Precepts ut­tered and written in this manner, are simply and perpetually morall: Then on the contrary, all Precepts wanting this, are meerely temporary. But the falsity hereof is evident, by many in­stances: namely, Be not drunken with wine, wher­in is excesse: Let not the Sun goe downe upon your wrath. Be not forgetfull to lodge strangers. For­give one another your trespasses. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouths, but that which is good, to the use of edifying, Mat. 10.16. Be ye wise as Serpents, and simple as Doves, Ib. 12.36. Of every idle word that men speake, they shall give an account, at the Day of Iudgement.

Now although these, and many other such like Commandements, were not immediately pronounced, by God Almighty, nor written with his finger in Tables of stone; They are notwithstanding simply and eternally morall. [Page 59] And from hence it is evident, that the Lord's immediate writing, &c. is not an inseparable property, of Precepts purely and perpetually morall: But notwithstanding this, they may be positive and temporary.

T. B. His Objection out of Matth. Chap. 5. Verse 17. &c.

Matthew 5.17. Thinke not that I am come to destroy the Law or the Pro­phets: I am not come to destroy them, but to fulfill them.

18 For verily I say unto you, till hea­ven and earth passe, one jot or title shall in no wise passe from the Law, till all be fulfilled.

19. Whosoever therefore shall breake one of these least Commandements, and teach men so, he shall be called the least in the Kingdome of GOD: But whosoever shal observe and teach them, the same shall be called great in the king­dome of GOD.

By the Law here, CHRIST understan­deth the Morall Law: for the same is it He [Page 60] expoundeth, in the verses of the Chapter fol­lowing. And sure I am, the Sabbath-day is not lesse, than one of the jots and titles of the Law, pag. 118.

I cannot devise what should be more plaine and pregnant, for the mainte­nance of this ordinance of God's Morall Sabbath, than this Text, pag. 451.

CHRIST in this Text ratifieth the whole Decalogue, and every jot and title thereof, and He teacheth that the same shall continue for ever, or untill the World be de­stroyed.

The fourth Commandement therfore, and every branch thereof, being one of the Precepts of the Decalogue, is totally and eternally Morall.

Iohn Sprint. d. Sab. pag. 13. The fourth Commādement of sanctifying one day in seven, is not ce­remoniall, but mo­rall and perpetuall, which Christ de­stroyed not, Matth. 3.17. G. W. d. Sab. p. 18. Whereas some say, so much of the morall LaW shall stand as Christ hath re-established in the Gospell, therein they grant that the Sabbath shall re­maine. For Christ hath established the whole Law; yea, and hath warranted every jot and title of it, to be as durable as the Heavens. And therefore unlesse wee can turne Heaven and earth upside downe, let us beware to take one jot or title from the Law of God. R. C. Of the Sabbath, pag. 63. In this Scripture, three things are considerable: First what is meant by these Comman­dements; And Interpreters deliver, they are the ten Commandements: Secondly, [Page 61] by the least Commandement, is meant any one of the ten, which shold be sligh­ted or disesteemed. Thirdly, this speech was not confined to our Saviour's natu­rall life only, but it is to be extended to all succeeding ages, and future times.

Answer to the grand Objection out of Matth. 5.17, &c.

The subject of our Saviour's Doctrine, Mat. 5.17, 18. is not the Decalogue only, but the whole Law of GOD contained in the Penta­teuch, and also the whole doctrine and the pre­dictions of the holy Prophets, who lived be­fore Christ.

1 The words of the Text are, I am not come to destroy the Law and the Prophets. But the Law and the Prophets are of larger extent, and con­taine more than the Decalogue, Matth. 11.13. All the Prophets and the Law prophesied untill Iohn, Luke 24.44. All things must bee fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses, and in the Prophets, Luk. 16.16. The Law and the Pro­phets endured untill Iohn 17. Now it is more easie that heaven and earth should passe away, than one title of the Law should faile.

Secondly, The whole Law and Doctrine which our Saviour came to fulfill, and not to destroy, is the subject of His speech, Mat. 5.17.

But our Saviour came to fulfill the whole Law of the Pentateuch, and all things prophe­sied, and fore-told by the Prophets. And al­though He disannulled the old positive law, in respect of observation, in the time of the Go­spell: Yet Hee established and confirmed the lawfull use thereof in the Christian Church: and the obedience of all such spirituall and Evangelicall duties, as were signified and pre-figured by the Rites, and Ceremonies of that LawAugust. c. Faust. Manic. li. 18. c. 6. Sive Circumcisio, sive Sabbatum, &c. figurae nostrae & Prophetiae erant, quas Christus non solvere, sed adim­plere venit, cum ea quae hiis praeuun­ciabantur implevit. Idem Serm. Dom. in Mont. lib. 1. cap. 8. Quod ait, jota unū aut apex unus, non transibit à lege, ni­hil aliud potest in­telligi, nisi vehe­mens expressio per­fectionis, quae per literas singulas de­monstrata est: in­ter quas literas jo­ta minor est caete­ris, quia uno ducto fit apex autem est etiam [...]sius, aliqu [...] in summa particula. Quibus verbis ostendit, in lege ad effectum minima quae (que) perduci. d. util. Creā cap. 3. Evacuatur in Christo, non vetus Testamentum, sed velamen ejus. Ambr. Epist. 76. Plena mensura in Evangelio est: semi plena in lege, cujus plenitudo est novum Testamentum. Siquidem ipse Dominus ait: non veni legem solvere sed implere . 1 Cor. 5.8. Rom. 2.29.

Thirdly, All the Commandements specified by CHRIST, Matth. 5. were not delivered by GOD Himselfe in Mount Sina, Exod. 20. For verse 39. it is thus written: I say unto you, resist not evill: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheeke, turne to him the other also: And if any man will sue thee at the Law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloake also: And who­soever will compell thee to goe a mile, goe with him twaine. Give to him that asketh, and from him that would borrow of thee, turne not away. Love your enemies, blesse them that curse you, doe good to them that hate you, and pray for them which [...]t you, and persecute you.

Fourthly, The verbe [...], Matth. 5.17. I am not come to destroy the Law, &c. signifieth in holy Scripture, to annihilate, to demolish or pull downe, and to make frustrate.

Mat. 24.2. There shall not one stone be left upon another, which shall not be demolished, [...].

Esdr. 5.12. The King of Babylon destr [...]ed, de­molished this house, [...].

Acts 5.38. If this counsell or this worke be of men, [...], it will be frustrate, and come to nothing: But if it bee of God, you cannot [...], destroy it or bring it to nothing. Now this being the signification of the word [...], to destroy, it is inconsequent to argue, That because our Saviour came not to destroy the Law and the Prophets, or any jot or title there­of, by annihilation, or making them frustrate, or of no use in the Christian Church: Therfore He maintained the Morall obedience, and ob­servation of every part and precept thereofSuar. d. leg. li. 9. cap. 11. Non sol­vere, non est abro­gare, non sed non trans­gredi. Tollere le­gem post impletū tempus, pro quo fuit lata, non est transgressio, nec in­juria legis, cum sit voluntas legislato­ris, imo illud ipsum est implere legem . For after Hee had fulfilled the whole Law, and Prophets by his owne personall obedience: And performed likewise all things, which were foretold and written of him, in the Law and the ProphetsAugust. c. Faust Manich. li. 19. c. 8. Quod in Prophetis sive apertè, sive per figuras vel locutionum vel actionum promitte batur, ab illo impletum est, qui non venit solvere legem, sed implere. : He freed and delivered the Christian Church, from the externall obser­vation and obedience of all such legall pre­cepts, as were not simply, and formally Morall: Neverthelesse, Hee maintained the [Page 64] honour of the old LawTheoph. in Mat. 5.17. Quoniam ipse novas leges in­troducturus erat, ne putaretur quòd Deo adversarius es­set, dixit, quod non destruat legem, sed implevit, [...]; quia perfecit omnia quae praedixerunt Pro­phetae: & omnia mandata legis im­plevit, quia pecca­tum non fecit, [...]. Quae­cun (que) enim illa ad­umbravit, hic per­fectè depinxit: sicut pictor non corrum­pit lineamenta pri­ma, sed magis illu­strat & implet. : and of the Doctrine contained therein: also, Hee inspired his Apo­stles to teach his Church the true sense and un­derstanding, and to declare the right end, and use of that Law: and he maintained the reading and expounding of the Law and the Prophets: And by his Divine providence, he preserved the Scriptures of the Old Testament, and every jot and title thereof from being lost or destroyed, by tyranny of Persecutors, fraud of Hereticks, or by negligence of prophane persons.

Lastly, Our Sabbatizers must first of all make remonstrance, That the fourth Comman­dement of the Decalogue is simply and formal­ly Morall: Before they presume to affirme, that the same is a part, jot or title of that eternall Law which CHRIST commandeth to bee observed in the Christian Church, to the worlds end, Matth. 5.19.

T. B. His Argument from the example, or practice of Christ and the Apostles.

T. B. Our Saviour Himselfe during His abode in this world, constantly ob­served the Sabbath day, to wit, the se­venth day of every weeke, the Old Sab­bath day. So likewise the Holy Apostles both before, and after the Resurrection of CHRIST, observed the very same day: Acts 13.14, 44. & chap. 16.13. & chap. 18.4. And they did this constantly, Acts 17.2. Paul, as his custome was, [...], went in unto them three Sabbath-dayes, and disputed with them by the Scrip­tures.Ioh. Sprint d. Sab. pag. 21. As the A­postles Constituti­ons, which are cal­led Commandemēts of the Lord, Act. 15 28. must needs tye the Conscience: So their very practise and example in matter Religious, morall, ministeriall, directly tending to God's Publike wor­ship, and solemne Service, doth [...] the Conscience.

D. B. Of the Sabbath. pag. 23, 24. Our Saviour CHRIST and all His Apostles established the Sabbath by their practise. For they upon the Sabbath ordinarily enter into the Synagogue of the Iewes; and Preach unto the people, doing such things on those dayes as appertaine to the sanctifying them according to the [Page 66] Commandement. And this they did, not once or twice, but continually and ordinarily, shewing the ordinary con­tinuance of the Sabbath, and the sancti­fying it.

Answ. The Reader may observe by this lat­ter passage of D. B. out of what armory T. B. borrowed his weapons to fight against the Church, for the setting up of the seventh day Sabbath. For if the practice of Christ Him­selfe whiles he was under the Law, and of the Apostles before our Saviour's Passion, and for some space of time after his Resurrection, shall be a perpetuall morall rule, obliging all succee­ding Ages to the observation of the Sabbath of the fourth Commandement. Then it cannot bee denyed, but that the Christian Church stands bound, to keepe holy the same Sabbath which Christ observed.

But passing by this grosse Paradox, my an­swer is:

1 That our Saviour in his own Person, du­ring the time of his Humiliation, duely obser­ved the Sabbath of the fourth Commande­ment, and all other legall rites and observan­ces, because he was under the Law, Gal. 4.4. He was circumcised, Luk. 2.21. He went up to the Passeover, and to other legall Festivalls, Mat. 26.17. Iohn 2.23. & Chap. 5.1. & Chap. 7.37. He sent the Lepers to the Priest to offer for their clean­sing, [Page 67] as Moses had commanded, Luk. 5.14. and therefore D. B. might from our Saviour's ex­ample, aswell have concluded for the observa­tion of all legall festivalls, and the whole Law of Moses, as for the seventh day Sabbath of the fourth Commandement.

Besides it is observed by the Fathers,Chrys. in Matth. Hom. 40. Sabbatū saepè solutum fue­rat, imò verô & in circumcisione & in aliis compluribus semper solvitur, & in Hiericho hoc esse factum licet conspicere. Matth. 12.7. If ye had knowne, what this meaneth, I wil have mercy & not sacrifice, yee would not have condem­ned the guiltlesse. Here Christ like­neth the observati­on of the Sabbath to the offering of Sacrifices: he bla­meth the Phari­sees, because when GOD would have mercy before sacri­fice, they preferred keeping the Sabb. being of like qua­lity with sacrifice, before mercy. and it appeareth by many speeches and actions of Christ, that hee esteemed not the Law of the Sabbath, to be an eternall Law: or of the same quality with the other Precepts of the Deca­logue: For it is simply and universally unlaw­full, to transgresse, or to commit any thing re­pugnant to the three first precepts, or to the six latter, Namely, to worship any other Gods, or to use GOD'S Name irreverently, or to set up Idols, or to commit adultery, or to beare false-witnesse, &c.

But on the contrary, our Saviour's Doctrine, and his practise teacheth, that it was in many cases and upon sundry occasions lawfull to per­forme servile and secular workes, and to doe things repugnant to the letter of the Law of the 4^th Command. Iohn 5.9, 10. Mat. 12.1, 2, 3. 5. Mark. 2.23. Iohn 7.27. And from hence the Fathers inferre this observation: That Christ by his words concerning the Sabbath, and by many of his actions upon that day, did signifie and foretell the cessation and expiration of the Sab­baticall Law, in the time of grace. Epiphan. Haeres. 30. Apostoli ex e­jus convictu disci­plinaque, abrogatae esse Sabbati legem haud ignorabant Tertul. c. Marc. l. 4. c. 12 Per Iesum (Nave, qui typu [...] Christi) tunc quo­que concussum est Sabbatum.

Concerning the Apostles observing the Sabbath.

The holy Apostles after the Resurrection and Ascension of CHRIST, preached the Go­spell in Synagogues upon the Sabbath dayes: not to signifie the perpetuall morality of the seventh day Sabbath; but to the end that they complying with Iewes and Proselytes, in this observance might obtaine familiar accesse, and gain opportunitie to instruct them in the Chri­stian Faith, and by little and little, to teach them the cessation of the Old Law. Neither did they deale thus in the matter of the Sabbath onely, but for a time they condescended unto them, in the use of some other legall observan­ces.Clem. Alexand. strom. l. 7. c. 5. Ecce Timotheū praecla­rus circumcidit A­postolus, cū vocife­raretur & scriberet, circūcisionem ma­nu factam nihil prodesse, sed ne re­pentè & acervatìm à lege avellens, ad eam quae est ex fi­de circumcisionem cordis, reluctantes eos qui audiebant Iudaeos abrumpe­ret, se Iudaeis accō ­modans factus est Iudaeus, ut omnes jucrifaceret. Chrys. ser. de virg. Expectavit dum fides prius haereret in animis, veritus ne si citiùs quàm rei tempus aut maturitas venisset, ad zizaniae fibras evellendas accessisset, salu­taris disciplinae semina, unà cum radicibus extirparet. Tert. d. praescript. ca. 24. Adeo pro temporibus, & causis & personis, quaedam reprehendebant, in quae & ipsi aequè pro temporibus, & personis, & causis committebant. Quemadmodum si & Petrus reprehenderet Paulum, quod prohibens Circumcisionem, circumcidit ipse Timotheum. Chryst. serm. 63. Cur in Pentecost. Act. Apost. pag. 946. Atque ut intelligas eos id­circò tempora observare, non ut se observationis necessitati subijciant, sed quod imbe­cillioribus sese accommodate conentur, audi quid dicat Paulus: Dies observatis & Menses, &c. Iam verò si videamus eum qui Dies & Menses, &c. observare vetat, haec observare, quid quaeso dicemus? Num eum sibi repugnare, &c. Absit: sed eum, quod vellet eorum tollere imbecillitatem, à quibus tempora observabantur, illis sese per observationem istam attemperare. Ila quoque faciunt Medici, porrectos aegris ci­bos priùs degustant, quamvis ipsi minimè cibis indigeant, sed illorum studeant in fir­mitati mederi. Ita quoque Paulus egit, cum observatione temporum nihil egeret, tempora observavit, ut eos qui observabant, illa observandi imbecillitate liberaret, Hieron. in Gal. 5. For Saint Paul himselfe, who was most [Page 69] adverse to legall ceremonies, saith in manner following: Vnto the Iewes I became as a Iew, that I might winne the Iewes: to them that are under the Law, as though I were under the Law, that I may winne them that are under the Law, 1 Cor. 9.20.

Saint Augustine renders another reason, for which the Apostles observed some legall rites, and ceremonies for a time. Namely, to signifie the difference betwixt legall rites, and Heathe­nish superstition, God Himselfe being the Au­thor of the one, and Satan of the other: And he addeth: that because God Himselfe was the Author of all the legall Ordinances, the Holy Apostles were willing to yeeld unto them an honourable Funerall, after the time that their ob­ligation was fully expired in Christ.Aug. Epist. 19. Cur mihi non licet dicere Apostolum Paulum, & alios rectae fidei Chri­stianos, tunc illa vetera sacramenta paululum observando commendare debuisse, ne putarentur illae Propheticae significationis observationes à piissimis patribus custodi­tae, tanquam sacrilegia diabolica à posteris detestandae? Iam enim cum venisset dies, quae prius illis observationibus praenunciata, post mortem & resurrectiorum Domini revelata est, vitam amiserunt: veruntamen sicut defuncta corpora, necessariorum offi­ciis, deducenda quodamodo erant ad sepulturam: non autem deserenda continuo, vel inimicorum obtrectationibus, tanquam Caninis morsibus projicienda.

T. B. His Objection from the practise of the Primitive Church, for sundry Ages after Christ.

The more pure Primitive Churches, so long as they retained their best or spot­lesse purity, observed the Sabbath-day, pag. 79. & 488.

It was in use in the Primitive Chur­ches after Christ, for three or foure hun­dred yeares: Namely, so long as the Church retained her best purity: and un­till corruption and Popery came in.

This day was observed at the Councell of Laodicea: and this Councell was the first, that did cast an aspersion of Iudais­me upon the keeping of that Day, p. 483. This Councell made a schisme and rent, from the most ancient and purest Chur­ches which lived before them: and the religious observance of the Old Sabbath, hath now lyen buried 1200. yeares, ever since that wicked and schismaticall De­cree, of the Councell of Laodicea, pag. 611.

Answ. It is fomerly declared, in the first part of my answer, that T. B. his position con­cerning the Seventh day Sabbath, is repugnant to the unanimous sentence of all the Primitive Fathers. And it is impossible to demonstrate, that any Ancient Churches or Fathers, favou­red the same.

Some Primitive Churches, which had Iewes and Proselytes in their Christian assemblies, made the Saturday of every Weeke an Holy­day, upon the same reasons the holy Apostles had formerly done:Aubaspina. Ob­servat. in optat. & Concil. Carthag. l. 1 ca. 13. Ipsorum A­postolorum tem­poribus, Sabbatum uti festa, colebatur. Existimo autē eam veram & germa­nam fuisse causam, quod cum primum inter fratres & Iu­daeos, disseminari Evangelium cepis­set, nol [...]ent aut cer­te non auderent, ceremonias omnes Iudaicas rescinde­re. Eam igitur quae ad Sabbatum per­tinebat, quaeque magnos motus, si sublata fuisset, ex­citatura fuisset, ne eos à Christianis sacris averterent, retinuerunt. But these Churches did in like manner observe the Lord's day, for a weekely festivall: and as I shall afterwards prove, they preferred the Lord's-day, and estee­med it more honourable then the Sabbath: nei­ther did they observe, either of these dayes, after the Law or rule of the fourth Comman­dement. For they ceased not from all world­ly labour and negotiation, by the space of the whole day: but when religious offices appoin­ted by the Church were finished, Christian people had liberty, to worke and to labour in their callings.

IgnatiusIgnat. Ne Sab­batisemus more Iudaico, velut otio gaudentes; qui enim non laborat, non edat: & in sudore valtus tu [...] vesceris pane tuo, habent Divina Oracula. ad Magnes. Let not us Christians observe the Sabbath after the Iewish manner, by rejoycing in idlenesse: because the divine Oracles say: Hee that will not labour, let him not eate: and thou shalt eate thy bread in the sweate of thy face.

S. AmbroseAmbr. Nunc di­em ipsum & oneri­bus ferendis, & ne­gotiis obeundis, si­ne paena animad­vertimus deputari. Epist. 72. Now under the Gospell, we observe, that this day, (to wit the Sabbath day) is deputed and made free, to carry burthens, and to exercise worldly businesse.

S. Athanasius.Athan. Nobis & universis simul per­mittitur, in Sabba­to laborare, quum nos omnes simus Regale Sacerdotiū Greg. m. Regist. li. 11. Epist. 3. tr. d. semente. It is permit­ted unto us, and to all people else, to worke and la­bour on the Sabbath day, by reason that all we are in these dayes a royall Priest-hood.

2. The Sabbath was not made a weekely fe­stivall, universally, or in all primitive Chur­ches, but onely in some of them: for at Rome, Alexandria, and throughout Africa, it was a working-day.Innocent. 1. Ep. 1. c 4. Aug. Epist. 86. Hier. Epist. 28 ad Lucin. Cassian. collat. 3. c. 10. La­tinorum Ecclesia nunquam Sabba­tum coluit.

Iustin Martyr, was an inhabitant and Pro­fessor in the Church of Rome: Euseb. Hist. eccl. li. 4. c. 11. Hieron. in Catal. in iustino. Photius in Biblio and at Rome the Lords-day was observed for religious Assem­blies: and likewise at Alexandria: and in Afri­ca: and in these Churches the Sabbath-day was a fasting-day: and therefore it could be no Ho­ly-day, because of the precept of the Primi­tive Church Ignat. Epist. ad Philip. Canon A­post. 65. Tertul. d. Coron. mil. c. 3. Epi­phan. Expos. fid. Cath. Num. 22. Ambros. Epi. 83. , which prohibited that any festi­vall day, should be an ordinary fasting day. [Page 73] Concerning the Councell of Laodicea.

1 T. B. Affirmeth that this Councell was held in the yeare of our LORD, 364, but both he and the Authors which he followeth, are deceived in this matter of Chronologie: For this Councell was held before the first Nicene, and in the dayes of Pope Silvester the first: as the Authors cited in the margine have pro­ved.Baron. Annal. Eccl. tom. 4. in Ap­pend. Binius in no­tis ad Synod. Laod. Longus Corialan. sum. Concil. & in Chronolog. Falsum est synodum hanc celebratam esse cir­ca annum D. 364. sub Papae Liberii finalibus annis: nam fuit celebrata medio tempore in­ter Neo-Caesarien sem & Nicenam Synodum, quando Silvester, &c.

2 This Synode, as it is very ancient, so like­wise it hath alwayes beene reputed Orthodox­all, and sundry good Decrees and Canons are found therein: and by name one Canon touching the Canonicall Bookes of the Old TestamentConcil. Laod. ca. 59. : and another which condemneth the invocation and religious adoration of An­gels.Ib. ca. 35. The­od. in 2. ca. Colos. p. 193.

3 The Fathers of this Synod, were not schismaticall, or novellists in the matter of the Sabbath: for they maintaine no other Doctrine concerning this question, then Iustin Martyr, Tertullian, Origen, &c. have in substance deli­vered concerning the same. And Iustin Mar­tyr, Iust. Mart. Dia­log. c. Tryph. p. 266. who lived 150. yeeres before this Synod, reporteth, that a question was made in his time, Whether a Christian which observed the Sabbath, might bee admitted to the holy mysteries or not? Therefore the Fathers of the Councell of Laodicea, were not the first Authors, who condemned the religious observance of the Old Sabbath.

T. B. His Objection out of S. Ignatius Pag. 259. &. 488.

Ignatius in his Epistle to the Magnesi­ans, exhorteth them to keepe the Sab­bath-day: and hee calling the Sunday or Lord's-Day, the Queene and Princesse of Dayes: signifieth thereby, that he lea­veth an higher roome for the Sabbath-day, and that he accounted it, the King and Prince of dayes.

Answ. S. Ignatius the Martyr in his Epistle ad Magnes. writeth as followeth: [...], &c. after the Sabbath-day, or instead of the Sabbath-day, let every friend of Christ [...], keepe holy day [...] the LORD CHRIST His Day, in memory of CHRIST'S Resur­rection: For the same is Queene, and Lady Princesse of Dayes: that Day which the holy Prophet expected and longed for, when hee said in the Title of the Psalme, In finem pro octava: The Day wherein spirituall life recei­ved beginning, and Death was vanquished by Christ.

This Encomium which the Holy Martyr Ignatius hath stamped as an honourable Cha­racter [Page 75] upon the LORD'S Day, declareth what esteeme the Primitive Church entertained of this Day. For Ignatius lived at least thirty yeeres in the dayes of St. Iohn the Evangelist, and was his AuditorEuseb. Chron. An. Dom. 71. Antio­chiae secundus E­piscopus ordinatur Ignatius. Ioannes relegatur in Path­mon. An. Dom. 97. Ioannes moritur, An. 103. Auditores ejus fuerunt, Papi­as Hieropolitanus Episcopus, & Poly­carpus Smyrnae, & Ignatius Antio­chiae. , (as shall hereafter fur­ther be declared) and he was a faithfull obser­ver of apostolicall constitutionsIdem Eccl. Hist. li. 3. cap. 32. Horta­tur Ignatius ut A­postolorum tradi­tioni mordicùs ad­haerescerent. .

And whereas T. B. imagineth, that Ignatius stiling the Lord's Day [...], the Queene, intended thereby to exalt the Sabbath Day, and to make the same the chiefe and King of dayes: This conceit proceedeth from partiall igno­rance: For the Rabbins who doted upon the Sabbath-day, stiled the same [...] the Queene of dayes: and the Poet intending to shew the excessive esteeme which money was in, saith Regina Pecunia; and the Philosopher, Iustitia Regina omnium virtutum; and the Orator, Re­gina eloquentia; Queene money, Queene justice, Queene eloquence, &c. Therefore the Title of Queene is given by Ignatius to the Lord's-Day, not by way of derogation and diminution, but to signifie the eminent and transcendent honour of the day.

T. B. His authorities out of S. Athanasius examined.

T. B. Athanasius who lived in the yeare 300. doth not onely and barely avouch, that Christians in his time, kept the Sabbath-day: but he doth moreover justifie their keeping of it. For whereas some might object unto him, That the keeping of the Sabbath is Iudaisme; this godly Bishop foreseeing this objection, saith; We assemble together on the Sab­bath-Day, not as we were infected with Iudaisme: but therefore we assemble on this Day, that we may worship Iesus, the Lord of the Sabbath.

The judgement therefore of this god­ly Bishop was, that a Christian Church might sanctifie the Sabbath-day, with­out any taint or tincture of Iudaisme.

Saint Athanasius is orthodoxall every way, both concerning the Sabbath, and the Lord's Day. For in a speciall Treatise, [...], Hee maintaineth, that the Sabbath-day, and circumcision are both of them legall observances: And that neither of them is in force under the Law of graceAthanas. d. Sab­bat. & Circ. Atque hinc est quod Sab­bati diem non ut in prima aetate obser­vamus: sed spera­mus futura Sabba­ta Sabbatorum, in quibus finem non habebit nova crea­tura. Sicut prioribus tē ­poribus Sabbati di­em servari voluit in monumentum fi­nis priorum: Ita Dominicum diem veneramur, ut mo­numentum exordii secundae reparatso­nis. Non septima dies Sabbatum est, sed remissio pecca­torum, cum quis requievit à peccatis .

During the time and continuance of the first Age, the law of the Sabbath and of Circum­cision was in force at Hierusalem: [...], &c. But when the new Generation came in, after the Resurrection of CHRIST, the Old Sabbath ceased to be in force, Here­upon, since the new Creation [...], wee Christians observe not the Day (of the Sabbath) as in former times: but wee expect an eternall Sabbath, wherein the new Creature shall never end. Wherefore, the LORD commandeth not the new Creature to keepe the Sabbath-day: for the Lord's-Day in which the new creation began, hath put an end to the Sabbath.

The same Father in an Homily, [...], d. Sement. delivereth the same doctrine touching the Sabbath: his words are: When we Christians assemble, or come to Church upon the Sab­bath-Day, we doe not thus, because we are any wayes sicke, or infected with Iudaisme, ( [...]) but to honour the LORD IESUS who is Lord of the Sabbath. In the old time of the Iewes, the Sabbath was highly esteemed: [Page 78] But now under the Gospell, [...]: the Lord hath changed or translated it into the Lord's-Day. For the old Sabbath ap­pertained to the pedagogie and rudiments of the Law: and therefore when the great Master came and fulfilled all that was prefigured by it, it then ceased, even as a Candle is put forth at the rising and appearing of the Sunne [...], .

Now it appeareth by these testimonies of Atha­nasius, that in his age, the observation of the Sab­bath-day, by vertue of the fourth Commandement, was condemned of Iudaisme: and that the Lord's day, upon which our blessed Saviour arose from the dead, to enlighten all people sitting in darkenesse, was observed weekely for religious and ecclesiasti­call offices in the Church.

T. B. His Objection out of the Ec­clesiasticall History.

Socrates Eccl. hist. lib. 6. cap. 8. Assem­blies were wont to be held in Churches upon the Sabbath-day, and upon the LORD'S-day.

Ibid. lib. 5. cap. 21. At Caesarea, Cappa­docia, and Cyprus, the Bishops and [Page 79] Priests did ever interpret and expound the Scriptures upon the Sabbath day, and upon the Lord's-day.

T. B. Pag. 488. Although they kept two dayes in a weeke, yet one onely was kept for the Sabbath: The other was kept lightly and partially, as a light Ho­ly-day, or a lecture day.

Answ. 1. No Author speaketh more ful­ly, concerning the cessation of Iudaicall Sab­baths and Feasts, then Socrates Socrat. Hist. Ec­l. 5. ca. 21. . No Law (saith he) made by Christ, gave leave to Christi­ans to observe any Iudaicall rites. But on the con­trary, the Apostle plainely prohibiteth the same, whiles he not only abrogated Circumcision, but ex­horted also, that there should be no dissention about Holy-dayes. It was not the intention of the holy Apostles, to make Lawes for keeping Holy-dayes; but their study was, to be authors unto people, of lea­ding a vertuous and holy life.

2 Even as Christians held Assemblies, upon the Sabbath-day, and upon the Lord's-Day, in some Cities and Countries: so likewise in ma­ny parts of the world, and in the most eminent Churches, they kept holy the Friday, and the Sunday. Euseb. vit. Const. l. 4. c. 18. Epiphan. to. 2. l. 3. Exposit. Cath. fid. num. 22. Sozomen. hist. Eccl. l. 1. c. 8Sozomen. Hist. Eccl. 1. c. 8. Con­stantinus legem tu­lit, ut tum die Do­minico, quem He­braei appellant pri­mum diem Heb­domadae, vel Sab­bati, Graeci autem Solis nomine nun­cupant tum die ve­neris, omnes à ju­diciis dandis▪ & ali­is negotiis obeun­dis vacarent, preci­busque & obsecra­tionibus Deum co­lerent, diem autem Dominicum vene­ratus est, utpote in quo Christus resur­rexit à mottuis: di­em vero Veneris, utpote in quo erat cruci suffixus. Clem Rom. Apost. Const. l. 7. c. 24. Sabbatum & dominicum fe­stos dies agit [...]te: quod ille quidem dies recordatio sit fabricationis mun­di: hic vero resur­rectionis. . Constant. the Great made a Law, that Christians under his dominions, [Page 80] should weekely keepe holy, both the Sunday, or Lord's-day, and the Friday: the Sunday, because of CHRIST His resurrection, and the Friday, because of His Passion.

3 The Sabbath-day was preferred by no or­thodoxall Christian Church, or more honou­red than the Lord's-day: but the greatest num­ber of Christians, preferred the Lord's-day be­fore the Sabbath, in those Regions, where both dayes were observed: and they which ho­noured the Sabbath most, say only, that these two dayes, were Germani fratres, like two na­turall brethrenGreg. Nyssen. Orat. d. castig. Qui­bus oculis Diem Dominicum intue­ris, qui Sabbatum dedecorasti? An hos dies nescis ger­manos esse [...]? & si in alterum in jurius sis, in alterum im­pinges. : For the one was founded up­on the old Creation of the world, and the o­ther upon the new.

T. B. His Argument for the Seventh-day Sabbath, from the worke of Man's Creation, and Redemption.

We must have such a Sabbath, as the reason of it doth belong to all men, and to every man, none excepted.

And such is the Sabbath-day of the fourth Commandement, to wit, the Sa­turday Sabbath, which is kept in me­mory [Page 81] of the Creation. For all and every man, hath a benefit by the Creation, and therefore all, and every man, have rea­son to observe the Sabbath, which God himselfe ordained to be kept holy, in re­cognition of that common and generall benefit.

But it is not so with the Sunday Sab­bath: because Redemption, which is the motive why Christians observe the Lords-day, is nothing at all to such people, as are not elected to salvation.

Well then, see how these things hang together: the thing they must prove, is, that we Christians, that is, all we Chri­stians, even every one within the pale of the Church, that is baptized, all these ought to keepe the Lords-Day for a Sab­bath, in memory of the Redemption: when as the one halfe of these is not re­deemed: and the reason to binde all, and every man, thus to keepe remembrance of this Redemption, is because the work of Redemption is greater unto some on­ly of these men. How absurd is this, that [Page 82] every man should bee bound to keepe a joyfull memory of that thing which doth belong but to some of them only, as not to one halfe of them.

This is, as if they would undertake to perswade, not only English-men, but Dutch-men, and French-men, to keepe a yeerely joyfull remembrance with us, from the invasion of the Spaniard, in 88. which concerneth not them, &c. Page 252, &c.

Answ. The summe of the former objection is, that the ground and reason of keeping holy the Sabbath-day, must be a generall and universall be­nefit, common to all that professe Christ. And therefore, because the benefit of Creation is univer­sall, and common to all and every one, and Redemp­tion is peculiar to the elect onely: Christians ought to observe the Seventh Day in memory of Crea­tion: and not the Lords Day, in memory of re­demption.

My answer to this objection is: 1. That the ground and reason of keeping holy a festivall day, may bee such a benefit, as by the antece­dent will of ChristRuitz. d. vol. Dei, Disp. 19. Sect. 2. Voluntas ante­cedens, est volun­tas primaria, & be­neplacitum Dei, ex ipso Deo, & ejus nativa propensione existens, nullam (que) sumens occasionē ex nobis. is intended to all men li­ving, though all men by reason of their owne demerits, doe not actually receive the fruit of it. But the benefit of redemption, by the an­tecedent [Page 83] will of CHRIST, is intended to all men living which professe Christ: and none are excluded from it, but only they, which by their owne demerit have made themselves unwor­thy.Tertul. c. Mart. l. 2. ca. 11. Bonitas Dei prior secun­dum naturam, seve­ritas posterior se­cundū causam. Illa ingenita, haec acci­dens: illa propria, haec accōmodata: illa edita, haec ad­hibita. Fulg. ad Monim. li. 1. ca. 27. Iniqui ad mortem animae primam non sunt praedesti­nati.

It is the expresse Doctrine of the Church of England, that Christ hath redeemed all mankind; and that upon the Crosse he made a full, perfect, and sufficient Sacrifice, oblation, and satisfaction, for the sinnes of the whole world. And this Doctrine is confirmed by many sentences and arguments of holy Scripture, and by the testimony of the orthodoxall Fathers.

1 Sentences of Holy Scripture are these which follow: Heb. 2.9. He tasted of death for every man, 1 Tim. 2.6. Who gave Himselfe a ransome for all men, 1 Iohn 2.2. He is the propi­tiation not for our sinnes onely, but for the sinnes of the whole world, 2 Cor. 5.15. He died for all. 2 Pet. 2.1. There were false Prophets also among the People, which shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the LORD that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift damnation.

2 There are delivered in holy Scripture ma­ny weightie arguments for this Doctrine. 1. Our blessed Saviour, who is Yea, and Amen, Apoc. 1.5. Iohn 18.37. commanded his Gospell which is a word of truth, Eph. 1.13. to be univer­sally preached, not only to all Nations Prosp. d. vot. Gent. l. 2. c. 2. Ad omnes prorsus ho­mines missum est Evangelium crucis Christi. Ib. ca. 16. Quae redemptio se vniverso intulit mundo & omni­bus hommibus in­differenter inno­tuit. , Matth. 28.18. but to every humane creature, Marc. 16.15. and the summe of the Gospell is: Iesus Christ came into the world to save sinners, 1 Tim. [Page 84] 1.15^a. 2. Hee likewise exhorteth all people to repentanceIb. ca. 13. Prin­cipem gentis im­piae, sancti fratris meritis inviden­tem, caedem (que) ejus parricidali corde meditantem, dig­natur Dominus pa­terno mitigare cō ­silio, dicens ad Cain, Vt quid tri­stis factus es? &c. Cum ergo ad Cain talia loqueretur Deus, nunquid am­biguum est, voluis­se eum, quantū ad illum medēdi mo­dum sufficiebat, e­gisse, ut Cain ab il­lo impietatis furo­re resipisceret? Sed malitia pertinax, inde facta est inex­cusabilior, unde fi­eri debuit correcti­or. , and commandeth them to be­leeve his Gospell, and to honour, worship, and obey him, upon this ground, namely, that he is their Saviour and Redeemer. 3. The holy Apostles Creed requireth all people within the Pale of the Christian Church, to beleeve in God the Father.

But if CHRIST by a previous, and ante­cedent decree, hath excluded the greatest num­ber of Christian people having, from all possi­bility of reaping benefit by His Passion, and if he hath payed no price at all for them: then His Gospell may bee preached to infernall spirits, with as great sincerity as to the greatest part of mankinde: The Devill and his Angels may with as good reason be exhorted to believe in Christ, and to call GOD Father, as Christian people, which have no speciall assurance and testificati­on from God, that Christ Iesus payed the price of their redemption.

3 The orthodoxall Fathers maintaine, uni­versality of redemption, by payment of a price: and S. Augustine Aug. in Psal. 68. p. 2. Iudas proditor punitus est, et Chri­stus crucifixus est: sed nos redemit sa­guine suo, & puni­vit illum de pretio suo. Projecit enim pretiū argenti, quo ab illo Dominus venditus est, nec agnovit pretium, quo ipse à Domino redemptus erat. with many other Fathers affirme; even of Iudas Iscariot, that he was not excluded from the price of redemption made by Christs bloud, but hee might have obtained pardon of his sinne, if he had repaired to the Mercy-seat of Christ.Amb. Ep. 3. Leo d pass. ser. 1. Cyril. in loan. l. 11. c. 21.

Our blessed Saviour, like unto a Royall, and magnificent Prince, having many of his sub­jects, in thraldome and captivity, under a for­raine [Page 85] enemy, payed a full, perfect, and suffici­ent ransome, for all and every one of them, and then sending forth his Embassadours, inviteth them to returne out of captivity: Now many of these captives despise liberty, and make choise rather to serve the enemy, than to re­turne to the freedome of their Lord: also some of them being redeemed, and released out of bonds, returne againe into bondage.Prosp. ad Cap. Gal. sent. 9. Qui di­cit quod pro totius mundi Redempti­one Salvator non est crucifixus, non ad sacramenti virtu­tem, sed ad infideli­um respicit partem: cum sanguis Do­mini nostri Iesu Christi, pretium totius mundi sit. A quo pretio extranci sunt qui aut dele­ctati captivitate re­dimi noluerunt, aut post redemptio­nem, ad eandem servitutem sunt re­versi.

It cannot be denyed, but that all and every one of these were redeemed, by a full and free payment of a ransome: and that by reason of their owne contempt, or neglect, they re­ceive not the fruit and benefit of redemption.

Now these things being declared, concer­ning the worke of mans redemption, my an­swer to T. B. his objection, is as followeth.

As the benefit of redemption, in regard of application, and the ultimate fruit or effect thereof, is not common to all mankinde, by reason of their owne infidelity and disobedi­ence: so likewise mans forming, creation, and comming into the world, is a forerunner of his eternall perdition, by reason of his owne wic­kednesse, and it had beene good for many people never to have beene borne: but from hence it is consequent, that there is no more reason for many people to observe a Sabbath, in memory and recognition of Creation, than of redemp­tion; because, neither Creation, nor Redemp­tion, are finally beneficiall to ungodly and dis­obedient people.

All the Israelites in Moses dayes, were redee­med out of Egypt: in memory and recognition whereof, they were commanded, to observe the weekely Sabbath, Deutre. 5.15. But not­withstanding their redemption, many of them through their own infidelity and disobedience, perished in the Wildernesse: in like manner all Christians are redeemed by Christ, in manner aforesaid: and all observe the Lords-day in re­cognition of this gracious benefit, which ac­cording to our Saviours Doctrine proceeded from the generall and impartiall love of God, to all mankinde, Iohn 3.16.

But when the holy Scripture descendeth to the declaration of the proper and effectuall cause of mans failing, of receiving the fruit and benefit of compleate and actuall redemp­tion and salvation, it referres the same to his owne malice, infidelity, disobedience, and irre­pentance, Matth. 23.37.Hier. in Lam. Ierem. c. 3. Nullo modo existiman­dū est, quod Crea­tor clementissimus causa sit perditio­nis hominum ini­quorum, qui ad e­um per poenitenti­am nolunt cōverti.

The goodnesse and bounty of the Almighty, was not deficient (saith Prosper Aquitanicus Prosp. d. voc. Gent. l. 2. c. 13. Bo­nitas Dei, ne illi quidem parti defu­it, quae in charita­te non stetit: & ab initio sui veneno Diabolici livoris intumuit. ) to that part of mankinde, which abode not in charity, but was corrupted and infected with the venemous gall or poyson of diabolicall envy.

Answ. to the Assumption of the Argument.

T.B. A man cannot maintaine the re­ligious observation of the Lords Day in faith, because he hath no ground of Gods Word for his faith, and so it is not faith but fancy: and if the observation of the day, is not in faith, it is sinne Rom. 14.23.

Answ. 1. By Faith, Rom. 14.23. the Apostle understandeth the dictate and practicall judge­ment of the Conscience, concerning the quality of the action, which one is to doe, or to leave undoneChrysostom. Am­brosius, Theodoret. Theophilact. Oecumenius. Om­ne quod non est profectum ex fide, id est, ex dictamine conscientiae, quo credit seu judicat quis tale quid sibi hic & nunc licere, peccarum est Ne (que) enim agit hîc Apo­stolus de fide Chri­stiana naturali, ge­nerali & speculati­va: sed de fide mo­rali, particulari & practica, quae nihil aliud est, quam dictamen conscientiae, seu judicium rationis, quo judico, mihique persuadeo, me rectè agere, nec Deum offendere. . Therefore this sentence or saying of the Apostle concludeth nothing for the Ob­jectors purpose.

Secondly, But if by Faith, should be under­stood, Christian beliefe and perswasion, groun­ded upon the written Word of God: my an­swer is, that the keeping holy of the LORD's Day, is grounded upon a Commandement of God.

For divine precepts are of two sorts: 1. Some [Page 93] of them are expresse, immediate, and particu­lar, Ephes. 6.1. Children obey your parents (na­turall) in the Lord. 1 Thes. 4.3. Abstaine from fornication. Ephes. 4.18. Bee not drunke with wine wherein is excesse.

Some are generall precepts, which com­mand by a mediate and subordinate Law, 1 Pet. 2.13. Submit your selves to every ordinance of man, for the Lord's sake. Verse 18. Servants be subject to your masters, with all feare, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward. Hebr. 13.17. Obey them that have the rule over you, &c.

Now Parents, Masters, Princes and Rulers, command children, and servants, and people under their subjection, to performe worldly and temporall businesses, as to labour in this thing or that thing, to travell, to goe to warre, to saile, to sow corne in such a field, &c. The Centurion in the Gospell, Mat. 8.9. I am a man under authority, having Souldiers under me: and I say to this man, Goe, and hee goeth: and to ano­ther, Come, and he commeth: and to my servant, Doe this, and he doth it. Gen. 24.2. Abraham said to his eldest servant, &c. Put thine hand under my thigh, and I will make thee sweare by the LORD &c. Thou shalt goe unto my Country, and to my kindred, &c. Isaac called Iacob, and said unto him, Arise, goe to Padan Aram, &c. Gen. 28.1, 2. King David commanded Ziba, Thou and thy sons, and thy servants shall till the land, and bring in the fruits, &c. 2 Sam. 9.9, 10.

In all these examples, and in thousands more, children, servants, subjects, souldiers, &c. performed secular and temporall service and businesse, in obedience to the precepts of such persons as were their governours, and their obedience unto the commandements of men was done in faith, and was pleasing to GOD, and warranted by the generall rule of Divine Law.

In like manner, the Holy Ghost delivereth a generall law to Christian people: Heare the Church Cyprian. Ep. 69. Nec haec jacto, sed dolens profero, cū te judicem Dei, & Christi constituas, qui dicit ad Apo­stolos, ac per hoc, ad omnes praeposi­tos, qui vicaria or­dinatione Aposto­lis succedunt, Qui audit vos, me audit &c. inde enim schismata & haere­ses obortae sunt & oriūtur, dum Epis­copus qui unus est, & Ecclesiae prae est, superba praesump­tione contemnitur, & homo dignatio­ne Dei honoratus, indignus homini­bus judicatur. Idem Epist. 55. In Deu­teronomio loqui­tur Dominus Deus dicens: Et homo quicun (que) fecerit in superbia, ut non exaudiat sacerdotem aut judicem, quicunque fue­rit in diebus illis, morietu [...], &c. . Bee obedient to them that have the rule over you: And their spirituall Fathers and Rulers command them, to repaire to such a Church, being a convenient place for God's publike service: to observe such a day of the weeke, to wit, the Lord's-day, which is a con­venient day, and time for Divine service, and Ecclesiasticall duties, and a time convenient for cessation from secular businesse: In these, and in all other the like cases, the Rulers of the Church command that which is reasonable, and subservient to the honour of God, and sub­servient likewise to the Divine precept, con­cerning Christian edificationPutean. in Primam secundae quaest. 95. art. 1. Dub. 1. Fieri potest, ut quis consequatur finem legis Divinae, media aliqua lege positiva. Media enim lege de non sumenda Eucharistia, nisi à jejunis, faciliori mo­do consequimur fructum Sacramenti, ad cujus receptionem tenemur per divinum praeceptum. : And people o­beying their precepts, have warrant so to doe, from the generall rule of God's Word: and [Page 95] their obedience (if other things be answerable) is an act guided and commanded by Christian faith.

T.B. pag. 283. When men will doe that in GOD's service, and in obedi­ence to GOD, the which he hath no where commanded them: What is this but a needlesse religi­on, and superstition? Pag. 619. It is superstition and wil-worship.

Answ. This Objection is borrowed from the Disciplinarian Masters Thom. Chartwr. lib. 1. pag. 26. Saint Paul saith: Whe­ther wee eate or drinke, or whatso­ever wee doe, we must doe it to the glory of God. But no man can glori­fie GOD in any thing but in obedi­ence; And there is no obedience but in respect of the commandement & Word of GOD. Therefore it fol­loweth that the Word of God di­recteth a man in all his actions. : But it is like the rest of their Divinity. For in the very time of Moses Law, when God's speciall Comman­dements were most of all required, Some festi­vall dayes were ordained, and duely observed among the Iewes, by authority of the Church and state, and the same was not superstitious, for our Saviour himselfe resorted unto them, Iohn 10.22. 1 Mach. 4.56. Hest. 9.17.27.

The holy Patriarkes performed some religi­ous actions by command from God, declared unto them by revelation: and some also by the rule of Christian prudence without speciall com­mand, Gen. 14.20. Hebr. 7.2. Gen. 28.18.22. The Rechabites likewise, Ierem. 35.6.14. In the [Page 96] New Testament, diverse did the like, and are highly commended, Ioh. 12.3. Marke 14.6. [...], Let her alone, why trouble you her, she hath wrought a good work on me: This is the speech of Christ Himselfe.

Secondly, The Religious observation of the LORD's day by the Christian Church can be reduced to no kind or branch of Superstition Suar. de Relig. li. 2. cap. 1. Ad legiti­mum cultum reli­giosum duo requi­runtur: unum est, ut cultus sit legiti­mus ex parte rei cultae. Aliud est, ut in modo colendi sit prudens & mode­ratus. Vndè dupli­citèr potest cultus esse superstitiosus: Vel ex parte rei cul­tae, si non sit cultus veri Dei sed falsi. Vel ex parte modi observandi in cultu veri Dei, &c. Lact­ant. de Relig. lib. 4. ca. 28. Superstitio est in cultu falso­rum Deorum, qui superstitio appella­tus est, eo quod homines relicto antiquo, & vero Deo, superstitem suorum Deorum memorium, colere coeperunt. : For it is neither an undue and excessive worship, in respect of the object, because it is observed in in honour of the true and living GOD, and of CHRIST our Saviour: Neither is it such in respect of any undue forme of worship: for it is not legall, as burnt sacrifices were: Neither is it impious, as when men offered their sonnes and daughters in sacrifice: Lastly, it is not re­pugnant, but every way conformable, to such sacred Rules, and Canons, as the Holy Ghost hath delivered, concerning the ordering the externall circumstances, and externall materi­als of Divine worship, which are not expresly set downe in the written Word.

Thirdly, It is a wonder to mee, that T. B. should call the Lord's-day an Idol, and the ob­servation thereof an Idolatrous action: For it is not an Idol ratione termini, in respect of Ter­mination, for the religious observation thereof is referred and subservient to the honour of GOD and CHRIST: Neither is it such ra­tione modi, in respect of the manner of obser­vation, for it is kept holy, by the exercise of Evangelicall duties, which are taught the [Page 97] Church, by the Holy Ghost in the new Testa­ment. Lastly, Saint Iohn the holy Evangelist, and Prophet of the new Testament, stileth it [...], the Lord's-day: and the holy Apostles themselves, at some times: and the Primitive Churches (planted by the Apostles) constant­ly observed it: And where (I pray you) did ever any man reade, that an Idoll was stiled by the Spirit of God, the Lord's Idoll, Or that the holy Apostles, or their godly successours had any communion with Idols? 1 Cor. 10.14. 1 Iohn 5.21.

Fourthly, It is a contumelious and ignorant speech, to terme it a popish Tradition: For po­pish Traditions had not their beginning from the Apostles, neither were they honoured by Apostolicall men.

Reformed Churches reject not all Traditi­onsChemnit. Exam. Concil. Trid. par. 1. Apostoli multa tradiderūt viva vo­ce, & Apostolici ab Apostolis ex tradi­tione vivae vocis multa acceperunt, quae suis Discipulis rursus tradiderunt: Sed, Irenaeus inquit, omnia illa [...]: Et non nihil eorum rejicimus, Sed omnia quae Scripturis consentanea sunt, suscipimus & veneramur. Calvin. c. Pigh. de lib. Arb. Non difficulter posset, inter me & Pighium convenire, si modo Ecclesiae traditionem, ex certo & perpetuo sanctorum Ortho­doxorum consensu, non ex testimoniis, hinc indè male excerptis demonstraret. Beza ad Repet. Sainct. cap. 7. Vbi tandem invenies, ullam Ecclesiasticam, Traditionem Dei verbo accommodatam, & Ecclesiae utilem, à nobis reprehensam? Gesner. sup. 2 Timoth. 3.16. cap. 7. Si pontificii suas traditiones eadem via, per testificationem antiquissimae & Apostolicae Ecclesiae, ad nostra usque tempora deduxerint, admitti­mus eas. Zanch. de op. Red. lib. 1. loco de Tradit. Hosiand. c. Analys. Gregor. de Valentia pag. 126. Meisner. Consult. c. Lessium. pag. 590. Whitaker. de Script. perfect. quaest. 6. cap. 4. , But such as are spurious, superstitious, and not consonant to the prime rule of faith, to wit, the holy Scripture: Genuine Traditions agree­able to the rule of Faith, subservient to piety, consonant with holy Scripture: derived frō the [Page 98] Apostolicall times, by a successive current, and which have the uniforme testimony of pious antiquity, are received and honoured by us. Now such are these which follow: The histo­ricall tradition, concerning the number, inte­grity, dignity, and perfection of the Bookes of Canonicall Scriptures. The Catholike expositi­on of many sentences of holy Scripture. The holy Apostles Creed. The Baptisme of Infants. The perpetuall virginity of the blessed Virgin Mary. The righteous observation of the Lord's-day, and of some other Festivalls, as Easter, Pentecost, &c. Baptising, and administration of the holy Eucharist, in publike assemblies and congregations: The service of the Church in a knowne language: The delivering the holy Com­munion to the people in both kindes: The supe­riority and authority of Bishops, over Priests and Deacons, in jurisdiction, and power of ordination, &c.

5 T.R. His branding the institution and ob­servation of the Lord's-day, with the blacke character of Will-worship, proceedeth also from rash and presumptuous ignorance.

For will-worship, [...], Colos. 2.23, is a religion and service proceeding meerely from the fiction, invention, and phansie of mans braine, having no foundation in the will of GOD, or in any just Law of man.

The same hath evermore, either all, or some of these properties following: 1. It is vaine and superfluous, having no profitable use. 2. It [Page 99] is erroneous, as when the Pharisees supposed, that meat being eaten with unwashed hands, defiled the soule. 3. It containes something repugnant to Gods divine Law, or Will, as that children might defraud their parents of neces­sary reliefe, by offering a gift in the Temple, and saying, it is Corban Dicitis, legem de honorandis pa­rentibus abunde implet, & gratius obsequium Deo of­fert, quicun (que) dixe­rit patri, etsi egen­tissimo, vel matri, etsi fame pereunti, Corban, id est, do­num seu munus [...] me offerendū Deo, non mihi solum, sed tibi proderit, ô pater, si non quoad corpus, saltem quo­ad animam. . Mat. 15.2.5. Marke 7.11. &c.

Now I wonder, what vaine, superfluous, erroneous, or impious observation, T. B. or his adheres, can finde in the institution of the Church, concerning the keeping holy the Lords-day?

An Observation concerning the quality of Ecclesiasticall Precepts and Con­stitutions.

Thes. 1. Although the Ecclesiasticall pre­cepts, and constitutions of the Rulers in the Church, are not Divine by miraculous and im­mediate inspiration, in such manner as the Pre­cepts of GODS written Law: yet when they are composed according to the Rules and Ca­nons of holy Scripture, and are apt and conve­nient meanes, to the better fulfilling of the Commandements of GOD, delivered in holy Scripture; they are by conformity and subor­dination to the Divine Law, and by divine ap­probation, [Page 100] sacred and venerableZanch. d. oper. Red. d. trad. Thes. 4. Si consentaneae sunt hae leges ver­bo Dei, qui illas re­jicit, verbum Dei rejicit. Si non pug­nant, cōtemnit ec­clesiam Dei, qui il­las contemnit, con­temptus autem Ec­clesiae quam sit in­gratus, apparet ex Mat. 18.17. Calvin. com. in 1. Cor. 14.40. Vnde colligere promptū est, has posterio­res (leges Ecclesia­sticas) non esse ha­bendas pro huma­nis traditionibus, quandoquidē fun­datae sunt in gene­rali lege: omnia decenter & ordine fiant. Ioh. Mar. Ver­rat. Ecclesiasticae constitutiones, non sunt tantū humanae leges, sed etiam di­vinae: tum quia au­thoritate divina, à patribus cōstitutae: tum quia fundamē ­tum habēt in scrip­turis: tum quia ad divinum honorem, Ecclesiaeque decus, divinae que legis faciliorem impletionem sunt ordinatae. .

For 1. Their immediate authors and com­posers, are sacred persons, called and authori­sed by the Holy Ghost, to rule and order the Church of Christ, Acts 20.28. Luke 12.42.

2 The matter of these Precepts, being or­dered and framed according to the Apostoli­call rules, Rom. 14.19. 1 Cor. 14.26.40. and according to precedent examples, and presi­dents, of holy Scripture, and the equity and analogie of former divine Lawes: 1 Cor. 9.9.13. and maximes and conclusions of naturall reason rectified by Grace, 1 Cor. 9.7.10. & ch. 11.14, 15. and the end of such precepts being godly edification, order, decency, and reverent administration of sacred and religious things: The Precepts and constitutions of the Church (I say) being thus qualified, are sacred and ve­nerable, and their observation is an act of reli­gion, and of obedience, to the generall Com­mandement of God. For the Holy Ghost com­mandeth: Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit your selves, Heb. 13.17. Heare the Church, Matth. 18.17. And if children, ser­vants, and subjects, are bound by divine LawP. Arrag. d. just. & jur. q. 62. art. 3. Dupliciter dici potest, quod aliquis ad culpam obliget. Vno modo ut agens principale: & hac ratione nemo potest ad culpā obligare nisi solus Deus. Alio modo sicut causa secunda, quae in­nititur vi & efficacia primae causae: & hoc modo homines suis legibus possunt obliga­re ad culpam, quatenus subsunt potestati divinae. Molin. d. just. tr. 2 disp. 27. Licet quae à Regia & aliis legitimis inferioribus potestatibus rite praecipiuntur, sunt de jure po­sitivo: quod tamen illis, postquam ita constitutae sunt, pareatur, est de jure divino, mediis rerum naturis, à Deo ipso ita constitutum: cum legitimae potestates omnes à Deo sint, Dei (que) vices in suo ordine teneant: dum (que) illis obedimus earum (que) praecepta [...]rvamus, Deo pariter in illis paremus, Dei (que) praeceptum &, voluntatem exequimur. , [Page 101] naturall and positive, to obey their Parents, worldly Masters, and temporall Princes, in things humane, and secular, when the same are reasonable, honest, and just: and by perfor­mance thereof, they serve and obey the Lord CHRIST. Colos. 3.14. Ephes. 6.1. 1 Pet. 2.15. In like manner, when Christian people sub­mit themselves to conformable observance of the lawfull and religious constitutions of their spirituall Rulers, this conformity and submissi­on of theirs, is pleasing to God.

3 The holy Apostles common Rule to all Christian people is, Phil. 4.8. Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things pertaine to love, whatsoever things are of good report, these things doe. But peaceable and conformable observa­tion, of the lawfull constitutions of the Church, touching decent and reverent exerci­sing religious offices, is honest, and just, and appertaining to peace, and love.

Therefore the Apostles common rule, given to all Christian people, Phil. 4.8. obligeth every one to a peaceable and conformable ob­servation of the Lawfull precepts and consti­tutions of the Church, aswell as it doth to the obedience and observation of the Commands of temporall Lords, Masters, Officers, Gover­nours, Parents, &c.

4 In the Primitive Age, when Christian people excelled in vertue, and piety, they ge­nerally observed the constitutions, and pre­cepts [Page 102] of the Church, which were ordained for decency, order, and good governmentBasil. d. spir. sanc. c. 27. Nec hiis quis­quam contradicit, quisquis sanè vel tenuiter expertus est, quae sunt jura Ecclesiastica. : and if any frowardly, and contemptuously diso­beyed the same, they were censured as Male­factors. It was a Law of the Church in Igna­tius and Tertullians daies, that people should not make the Lords-day a Fasting-day: and the wilfull transgressing this Ecclesiasticall constitution was esteemed a nefarious of­fence.Tert. d. cor. mil. c. 3. Die Dominico jejunium nefas du­cimus. Ignatius ad Philip: Si quis Do­minico die jejuna­rit, Domini inter­fector est. Can. Ap. 64. Conc. Constant. in Trullo. cap. 55. Conc. Gang. Amb. Ep. 83. Epiph. to. 2. expos. fid. Cath. li. 3 n. 22.

Betwixt Easter and Whitsuntide, and upon every Lords-day, the Law and Canon of the Church was: That people at publike prayer, and in time of Divine Offices, should stand up­right on their legs, and not sit or kneele.Tert. d. Cor. mil. cap. 3. Basil. d. sp. sanct. c. 27. Hieron. ad Lucif. Epiphan. expos. fid. l. 3. to. 2. n. 22. Hilar. praef. in Psalm.

It was likewise a generall constitution, to adore CHRIST with bodies and faces turned towards the EastIust. Mart. q. ad orthod. Tert. Apol. ca. 16. Clem. Al. strom. 7. Basil. d. sp. sanc. ca. 27. Hier. in Amos c. 6. Dio­nys. Hierarch. ca. 2. .

To receive the holy Eucharist in the fore­noone, and when people were fasting: and to receive the same from the Bishops, Priests, or Deacons hands, and not for the people being participants, to take it from off the Altar or Communion Table with their owne handsTert. d. cor. mil. c. 3. Iust. Mart. Apolog. 2. , Mixing some water with the Wine of the holy Communion. Iust. Mart. Ibid. Iren. l. 4. c. 47. Cyp. Epist. 63.

In the administration of Baptisme, trina mersio, thrice dipping or sprinkling in water.Tert. d. cor. mil. c. 3. Dionys. Basil. Amb. Hiero.

Observation of certaine yeerely Festivalls and Holy-daies, among which were Easter and Whitsuntide: and likewise annuall, and weekely times of fasting.Epiph. to. 2. i. 3. Ex fid. Cath. n. 22.

In all these, and the like Ecclesiasticall ob­servances, Christian people were very obse­quious, to the precepts and constitutions of the Rulers of the Church.

But in our times it is otherwise: for our Disciplinarian Guides, with their arguments, Ab authoritate Scripturae negativè: The holy Scripture hath cōmanded none of these Rites, and Observations in particular: Therefore they are Popish traditions, wil-worship, and su­perstition: have made our people wilde; and many are so perverse, that they esteeme it an high degree of purity and sanctity, to performe all religious duties overthwart to the way of the Church. And whereas in times past, it was a generall maxime among Christians, Non ha­bet Dei Charitatem, qui Ecclesiae non diligit uni­tatem August. c. Don. d. Bapt. l. 3. c. 16. : The love of God abideth not in them, which doe not love and observe the unity of the Church. Now, they are reputed most pure and holy, who with greatest boldnesse bequarrell and cavill against the authority, go­vernment, and lawfull Precepts and Consti­tutions of the Church. But Irenaeus Iren. l. 4. 62. Iu­dicabit eos qui schismata operan­tur, qui sunt ina­nes, non habentes Dei dilectionem, &c. propter modi­cas causas glorio­sum corpus Christi cōscindunt, & quà­tum in ipsis est, in­terficiunt, &c. li­quantes culicem, & deglutientes Ca­melum, &c. said long since, of such: That the LORD will judge those which cause schisme, and who wanting the true love of God, upon very slender excep­tions and occasions, (to wit, straining at a Gnat, and swallowing a Camell) teare and divide, and as much as in them lieth, kill and destroy the body of CHRIST.

T. B. Lord have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts to keepe this Law, &c.

Answ. 1. Wee beseech GOD Almighty to incline our hearts to keepe and observe this Law, according to the equity thereof: which is, that upon the Lord's-day, and upon all Fe­stivall dayes, and times, in which we assemble to serve and worship God, and Christ, and to heare his holy Word, and receive his Sacra­ments, &c. Wee may receive the assistance of Divine Grace, and be inabled from above, both devoutly, reverently, and holily, to honour the Lord our God, and to edifie our selves in faith and true obedience.

2 Wee beseech GOD to give us grace, to observe the spirituall Sabbath, prefigured by the legall Sabbath, by abstaining from the ser­vile lusts and workes of sinneGreg. Nyssen. d. Res. orat. 1. [...]. Prosp. Sent. 114. ex August. Malè cele­brat Sabbatum qui ab operibus bonis vacat. Otium au­tem ab iniquitate debet esse perpetu­um, quia bona con­scientia non inqui­etum sed tranquil­lum f [...]cit. Hugo Vict. Allegor. in Exod. l. 3. c. 7. Sab­batum Dei illud, quo exterius ab o­pere cessasse dici­tur. Sacramentum est illius interioris Sabbati, ubi mens sancta per bonam conscientiam a ser­vitute peccati qui­escens, in gaudio Spiritus sancti jo­cundatur. : throughout the whole course of our life, and especially up­on those sacred dayes and times, which by the Christian Church, are devoted to the honour and service of God and Christ.

Our prayer then to God, prescribed in the Liturgie, is not to beseech him to incline our hearts to keepe this Law, according to the spe­ciall forme and circumstance of time, com­manded [Page 160] in the old Law: but in such a manner as is agreeable to the state of the Gospell, and the time of grace, that is, according to the rule of Christian liberty, and according to the equity and mystery of the fourth Commandement. Now Christian liberty hath freed God's peo­ple, under the Gospell, from the observation of dayes, and moneths, and times, and yeeresAugust. c. Adi­mant. Manic. 16. Sabbati quietem non observamus in tempore: sed signum temporale intelligimus, & ad aeternam quietem, quae illo signo significatur, aciem mentis intendimus. Origen. in Gen. Hom. 10. Iudaeorum est dies certos & raros, observare solennes: & ideo ad eos dicit Dominus, quia Neomenias vestras & Sabbata non sustineo. Odit ergo eos Deus, qui unum diem, putant festum diem esse Domini. Hieron: in Galat. Omnes dies aequales, &c. , upon legall and ceremoniall principles, Gal. 4.10. Col. 2.16.

[...]: That is, Arguments of Confutation, proving that T. B. his Sabbatarian Do­ctrine is erroneous.

Argument 1. Every Commandement of the Old Testament legally ceremoniall, is disan­nulled and expired in respect of outward obser­vation, under the Gospell.

The Commandement of the Seventh-day Sabbath, is legally ceremoniall.

Therfore the Commandement of the Seventh-day Sabbath, is disannulled and expired in re­spect of outward observation, under the Go­spell. And consequently, Christian people are not obliged, by the Law of the fourth Commandement, to the weekely observation thereof.

The Major Proposition is confirmed by all these Arguments following.

1 The cessation and expiration of the whole ceremoniall Law, in respect of outward observation is foretold, in the Prophets, and in the Psalmes.

[Page 162]2 Our Saviour in the Gospell preached and foretold the same.

3 The holy Apostles and their colleagues in the Acts, and in the Epistles to the Galati­ans, Colossians, Hebrewes, &c. deliver this Do­ctrine.

4 The true Catholike Church of Christ, ever since the Holy Apostles dayes, maintai­neth this doctrine, to be a Divine verity, and the contrary to be heresie.

The Minor Proposition is thus proved.

Many proprieties and formall characters of legall ceremonies, are belonging to the Se­venth-day Sabbath of the fourth Commande­ment, which argue the same to bee legally ce­remoniall. And this being proved, it is an un­doubted verity, that the Seventh-Day Sabbath of the fourth Commandement is legally cere­moniall, and the observation thereof obligeth not Christians.

The first Character of legall ceremonies, is, that they were externall actions, signes, or types, re­presenting and prefiguring things to be fulfil­led, or to come to passe under the Gospell, Heb. 10.1. 1 Cor. 10.6. Col. 2.17.

Now resting from servile labour, upon the old Sabbath-day, was a figure and represent of spirituall ceasing and abstaining from the ser­vile workes of sin, by Christian people under the Law of graceTert. c. jud. c. 4. Origen. in Num. Hom. 23. Aug. in Ioan. tr. 3. , and the same prefigured the spirituall rest, which the righteous should have in Christ Epiph. Haer. 66. n. 85. Isidor. Hisp. Orig. lib. 6. ca. 18. Damian. l. 2. ep. 26. : and the eternall rest of heaven, where people shall dwell in a sure dwelling, and safe resting place, never to bee disquieted with labour, feare, misery, or careAug. c. Adaman. c. 16. Cyril. Alex. in Ioan. l. 4. c. 51. Hieron. in Esa. 56. & 58. Amb. in 13. ca. Luc. Greg. Nyss. d. Resur. Orat. 1. Chrys. in Mat. hom. 40. Iunil. Affric. d. part. div. legis. l. 2. c. 6. Anastas. Sinait. Anagog. contempl. in Hexam. l. 7. Hu­go Vict. Allegor. in Exod. l. 3. c. 7. G. W. Of the Sabb. p. 31. The seventh-day kept among the Iewes, was ceremo­niall; and did sha­dow out unto us our eternall rest, as ap­peareth, Heb 4.4, 10. Id. pag. 33. , Heb. 4. from ver. 3. to the end of the 11. verse.

T. B. His Objection.

S. Paul, Col. 2.17. By Sabbaths, which hee saith were figures of good things to come, understandeth not the weekely Sabbaths, but the annuall: for the word [Page 164] Sabbaths is indefinite, and not generall: and all the other things mentioned in the Text, were not written in the decalogue, and therefore of different kinde, from the seventh-Day Sabbath. The rest were signes and shadowes of good things to come: but the seventh-Day Sabbath was a signe of a thing past, to wit the Creation of the world.

N. B. upon Col. 2.16. p. 75. Object. Is the Sabbath-day that was morall abroga­ted? Sol. No; the Apostle speaketh here of the ceremoniall Law, not of the mo­rall: and of ceremoniall Sabbaths, not of the morall Sabbath: the word is in the plurall number.

E. E. p. 91. The Apostle meaneth not the Sabbath of the LORD, but the first and last day of the great Feasts, the Passe­over, Pentecost, &c.

I. D. p. 132. R. B. p. 130. D. D. p. 60. R. C. p. 118.

Answ. All ancient and moderne expositors of holy Scripture, who are men of note and authority, in the Church, expound Saint Pauls Text, Col. 2.17. of weekely Sabbaths, as well as of annuall: and when Faustus the Manichee, contended against the Catholike Church, a­bout the legall Sabbath: S. Augustine objected this Text of S. Paul against him, saying, Tu A­postolo responde si potes, qui vacationem istius Diei, umbram futuri esse testatur. Answer thou the Apostle, if thou beest able, who witnesseth that resting upon the Sabbath-day, was a figure of that which was to come.

2 The reasons which the Sabbatarians use, to shew that Saint Pauls Text is not to bee under­stood of the Sabbath of the fourth Commande­ment, are of no worth.

The word Sabbath (say they) is plurall and indefinite in that Text. Therefore it comprehen­deth not the Sabbath of the fourth Commande­ment. But this cavill is ridiculous. For first of all, in the very Decalogue it selfe, where the Law of the weekely Sabbath is rehearsed, the Greeke translation reades, [...]. Remember the Day of the Sabbaths, Exodus 20.8. And in Deuteronomie 5.12. [...]. Ob­serve the day of the Sabbaths to hallow it. In like manner, the word Sabbaths is used in the plu­rall number, in many other passages, both of the Old and New Testament, in which it is certaine, that it comprehendeth the Sabbath of [Page 166] the fourth Commandement, Levit. 19.3. Lam. 1.7. Esay 1.13, & 56.4, 6. Ezech. 20.12. Mat. 12.5, 11. Mark. 1.21. & 2.23. & 3.2, 4. Luke 4.31. & 6.9. & 13.10. Acts 13.14. & 16.13. & 17.2. Lastly, in the Text of Leviti­cus, which the Sabbatarians alleage, for their novell exposition of S. Paul, Col. 2.16. the plu­ral word Sabbaths, comprehendeth the seventh-day Sabbath of the fourth Commandement, Lev. 23.3. with verse 38.

Another of their Cavils is: The Sabbaths of which Saint Paul speaketh, were shadowes of things to come: but the Sabbath of the fourth Comman­dement, was a signe of a thing past, namely, of the Creation of the world.

This is a miserable subterfuge: for the an­nuall Sabbaths, namely the Passeover, and the Pentecost, &c. were observed in memory of things past, to wit, deliverance out of Aegypti­an bondage, and the giving of the Law in Mount Sinai: and they were also shadowes and figures of things to come: namely, the redemption of mankinde by CHRIST: The sending down the [Page 167] Holy Ghost in fiery and cloven tongues, at the Feast of Pentecost, by meanes whereof the Holy Apostles were enabled to teach the Evan­gelicall Law of Christ.

Another propriety and formall Character of le­gall and ceremoniall observances, is: They were proper to the Iewes and Israelites, and did be­long to the partition wall, of which Saint Paul speaketh, Ephes. 2.14.

This Character belongeth to the Sabbath of the fourth Commandement; for the Law of this Sabbath was given to the Iewes and Israe­lites onely, and not to any other Nation of the world unlesse they became Proselytes: And the observation of this weekely day, in recogni­tion of the benefit of creation, was a principall distinctive signe, differencing the Iewes from all other people: as I have formerly shewed in my solution of T. B. his 24^th. Objection, pag. 156.

Theodoret upon Ezech. 20.12. saith as fol­lowethTheodoret. Illud, Non moechaberis, non furtum facies, & alia cum his cō ­juncta alios quo­que homines natu­rae lex edocuit: At Sabbati observan­di non natura ma­gistra, sed latio le­gis. In aliis igitur, cum aliis commu­nione juncti, in ob­servatione Sabbati propriam quandam videbantur obtine­re Rempublicam: Nulla enim alia gens hoc otium observabat: Neque Circumcisio, ita ipsos ab aliis distinguebat, ut Sabbatum. Quippe circumcisionem Idumaei quoque habebant, qui ab Esau genus ducebant: Et Ismaelitae similiter: Aegyptii item à Iudaeis hanc edocti observare stude­bant: quod per Prophetam Hieremiam Deus declaravit, cum dixit: Et visitabo super omnes Circumcisos praeputium ipsorum, super Aegyptum, & super Edom, &c. Sab­bati verò observationem, sola Iudaeorum natio custodiebat: Idcirco dixit Deus, quia Sabbata mea dedi eis ut sint in signum, inter me, & inter ipsos, &c. : The Law of Nature taught all people, [Page 168] that Murther, Adultery, Perjury, Theft, &c. were unlawfull: But the observation of the Sab­bath day did not come from Natures teaching, but from the Positive Law of GOD. In many other observances the Iewes were conjoyned, and had fellowship with other people of the world: But in keeping the Sabbath day, they had a Republike pro­per to themselves. For no other Nation besides themselves observed this day of rest. Neither did Circumcision so much distinguish them from other people, as the Sabbath: Because the Ismaelites, Edomites, Aegyptians,Ambr. Epist. 77. pag. 1122. Aegyptii impium judicant sacerdotem qui ne­quaquam habeat circumcisionis in­signe. Reperimus in historia veterū non solùm Aegyp­tios, sed etiam Ae­thiopum & Abra­bum & Phoenicū aliquos circumci­sione usos. Hiero­nim. in Gala. t. c. 5. &c. being instructed by the Israelites, were circumcised; But the Iewish Nation alone observed the Sabbath. And for this cause the LORD saith by Ezekiel: I gave them my Sabbaths to be a signe betweene mee and them, that they might know, that I am the Lord, to san­ctifie them, Ezek. 20.12.

A third Character of legall observances: They were imposed upon the Iewes and Israelites, as an heavy burden, to signifie unto them the heavy and insupportable burden of the old Law, Acts 10.14. Gal. 4.24.

The Law of the Sabbath, was an heavy bur­denPhilo. vita Mo­sis, lib. 2. Ioseph. Antiq. lib. 14. cap. 17. Origen. [...], lib. 4. pa. 470. Aben-Ezra. ap. Abulens. Exod. 35. quaest. 1. Hieron. proaem. Epist. ad Galat. & in Esa. 58. & in Amos 5. Anastas. Sinait. Anagog. contempl. in Hexam. lib. 7. . For the Iewes were prohibited on [Page 169] that Day, To kindle any fire, throughout all their habitations, Exod. 35.3. And whosoever did any worke upon that day, must dye, Exod. 35.2. The Israelites on that day might not travell, or take any journey: nor carry any burthens, Ier. 17.21. Neh. 13.15. nor bury or enbalme their dead, Luk. 23.56. And a silly man which gathered stickes upon that day, was apprehended and put in ward, and at length stoned to death by the Lord's owne appointment, Num. 15.36.

The fourth Character of legall observances, they were commanded to be observed by the Iewes, in memory and recognition of some speciall benefit conferred upon them.

The legall Sabbath was commanded to bee observed, by the Iewes and Israelites, to put them in mind of their mighty deliverance out of Aegyptian servitude: and to incite them to thankfulnesse and obedience to God, for their rest and liberty in the Land of Canaan, Deut. 5.15. Remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Aegypt, and that the Lord thy God brought thee out thence, by a mighty hand and stretched out arme: Therefore the Lord thy God commanded thee to observe the Sabbath day.

Conclusion. It cannot therefore bee denied, but that the Sabbath of the fourth Comman­dement having so many Characters, and for­mall [Page 170] properties of legall Ceremonies is posi­tive and legall: and the same being such, the ob­servation thereof is superstitious, and obligeth not Christians under the Gospell.

The second Argument against T. B. his Po­sition.

No Precepts of the old Law, meerely posi­tive, are in force, or of necessary observation under the Gospell, unlesse the same bee ratified and confirmed by the Gospell.

The fourth Commandement of the Deca­logue, in respect of the particular day of the weeke, therein specified, is a precept of the old Law, meerely positive: And it was not ratified or confirmed by the Gospell.

Therefore, this Commandement of the Deca­logue, in respect of the particular day therein specified, is not in force under the Gospell.

The minor proposition of this argument is formerly proved, pag. 34. &c.

And the major proposition likewise, pag. 33. and 37.

It is likewise proved from the Apostles do­ctrine, concerning the expiration of the Old Law: and it was decreed in the Apostolicall Synod at Hierusalem, Act. 15.28. It seemed good [Page 171] to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay no more burthen upon you, than these necessary things, that is, that yee abstaine from things offered to Idols, and from bloud, and from that which is strangled, and from fornication.

Lastly, the same is evident by examples: for no instance can be brought of any positive pre­cepts of the Old Law, which are in force under the Gospell, but only such as were ratified by CHRIST or his Apostles: Or which were appointed by the Christian Church, after the Apostles, and used as things adiaphorous.

The third Argument against T. B. his Position.

All, and every precept, of necessary obser­vation under the Gospell, is either a precept of the law of Nature, Or a precept Evangelicall, Or a precept of the Church, composed accor­ding to such rules and Canons, as the Holy Ghost hath delivered concerning the making of Ecclesiasticall Lawes.

The Law of the fourth Commandement concerning the seventh day Sabbath, is neither a precept of the law of Nature; nor a precept Evangelicall, enacted or confirmed by Christ, or by his Apostles. Nor yet an Ecclesiasti­call [Page 172] precept, imposed by the lawfull Pastors and Rulers of the Christian Church.

Therefore, the law of the fourth Comman­dement concerning the seventh-day Sabbath, is not of necessary observation under the Go­spell.

First, It is no precept of the Law of Na­tureIacob. Granado. In Tho Aquin. 1. 2. Contr. 7. d. leg. tr. 2. disp. 4. Dicen­dum est legem na­turalem consistere in illo dictamine rationis sive intel­lectus, quod dictat aliquid ita esse bo­num, ut sit dissen­taneum naturae in­tellectuali, illud nō amplecti: Et aliud [...]ta esse malum, ut sit dissentaneum ei­dem, illud non re­spuere. , for then it must either be a Principle of that Law, naturally imprinted in the Consci­ence of all mankinde: or a necessary conclusion of some such Principle: or so agreeable to one of these, that a naturall man understanding the termes by which it is expressed, shall be forth­with convinced, that it is to bee embracedScot. in 3. d. 37. Strictè loquendo nihil aliud est de lege naturae nisi principium, vel cō ­clusio demonstra­ta. Sic tamen ex­tendendo, quando­que dicitur illud esse de lege natu­rae, quod est verum practicum consonū principiis, & con­clusionibus legis naturae in tantum, quod statim notum est omnibus, illud convenire tali legi. . But it is none of all these, for it is inconsequent to conclude in this manner. The true and living God ought to be solemnely and publikely wor­shipped in due and convenient time: There­fore Hee must be worshipped upon the Seventh day.

Secondly, It is no Evangelicall precept: for it is not imposed in the New Testament, either expresly or implicitely.

Thirdly, It is not a Precept of the Christian Church, for in place thereof the Bishops and Fathers of the Church, have appointed the Lord's-day, and other Festivall or Holy-dayes, for the publike and solemne worship of GOD, and CHRIST, and for the exercise of mini­steriall and Ecclesiasticall offices.

The fourth Argument against T. B. his Po­sition.

All Divine Lawes, the observation whereof is necessary to eternall salvation, in the time of the Gospel, are written and imprinted by the Spi­rit of God, in the hearts of faithfull peopleAugust. de Spir. & lit. c. 20. & 21. Euseb. Demonstr. Evang. lib. 1. cap. 8. Abros. Epist. 7. p. 941. .

The Law of the seventh day Sabbath, is no Divine Law, written and imprinted by the Spi­rit of God in the hearts of faithfull people.

Therefore, the Law of the seventh day Sab­bath, is no divine law, the observation whereof is necessary to eternall salvation, in the time of the Gospell.

The major proposition is confirmed by the Prophet Ieremy, Chap. 31.33. and by S. Paul, Heb. 8.10. and Heb. 10.16. 2 Cor. 3.2, 3.

The Minor Proposition is proved by these reasons.

First, The holy Bishops, Martyrs, and Pa­stors of the Primitive Church, were faithfull people, and eminent for sanctity of life, and all kinde of vertue.

Secondly, The Spirit of grace was powred into their hearts in great abundance: And that which the Prophet Ioel foretold, [...] in them, Acts 2.17.

Thirdly, These eminent Saints of God, being many of them Guides, and spirituall Governours in the Church of CHRIST, and sundry of them holy Martyrs, neither observed the Sabbath of the fourth Commandement, as a religious duty necessary to eternall salvation: Neither did they impose the necessary observa­tion thereof, according to the Law of the fourth Commandement, upon the Christian Church, wherein they were Rulers: But on the contrary, they instructed the flocke of Christ, that the law of the old Sabbath was disannulled under the Gospell: And both by their doctrine and example, they maintained the religious ob­servation of the Lord's-day, and of such Festi­vals and Holy-Dayes, as the precept of the Church in their times appointed. Some of them, because of the Iewes and Proselytes, made the Saturday an Holy-day for divine service: But as soone as they had fully instructed Christian people, concerning the quality of the day, they abolished the observation of it.

The fifth Argument against T. B. his Posi­tion of the Old Sabbath.

Morall Lawes and Commandements obli­ging all Nations of the world to obedience, must be of such quality, in respect of the Duty commanded, or the matter prohibited: As that there is a Morall possibility, for all Nati­ons, upon whom they are imposed, to observe them.

But there is not a Morall possibility, in the Law of the Old Sabbath, for all Nations to observe it.

Therefore the Law of the Old Sabbath, de­livered in the fourth Commandement of the Decalogue, is not a Law and Commande­ment universally obliging all Nations to obe­dience.

1 The first Proposition is true, both in all Lawes simply and perpetually Morall: And in all just positive Lawes.

All Lawes of the first kinde, are connaturall to all man-kinde: and they are of such quality, that all and every Nation of the World, one as well as another, may observe them, if they will use their best endeavour. As may appeare by setting downe an Induction of all such Lawes, [Page 176] whether they be principles, or immediate, or remoter conclusions of the Law of nature.

Lawes of the second kinde, namely such as are positive, must be just, and they must be rea­sonable: and if they bee such, then there is a morall possibility in them to bee observed: and they are so attempered and proportioned to the quality and the state of Subjects in gene­rall, as that they agree with their nature and kinde, with the Region and Country where they live, and they have all other conditions and circumstances, arguing their observation to be possible.

Now if they bee simply impossible to bee kept: or if their observation bee so difficult, as that one man of an hundred, is not able to obey them: all such Commandements and Lawes are unjust and ungodly. For King Pha­raoh is condemned by God and Man, because he made such a Law, Exod. 5.6, 7.

2 The second proposition, namely, there is not a morall possibility, for all Nations to ob­serve the Law of the Old Sabbath, is confirmed in this manner.

The Sabbaticall Law of the fourth Comman­dement is thus set down, Exod. 20.8. Remember the Sabbath day, to keepe it holy. 9. Sixe dayes shalt thou labour and doe all thy worke: 10. But the Seventh Day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not doe any worke, &c. 11. For in Sixe dayes the LORD made Heaven and Earth, the Sea, and all that in them is, and rested [Page 177] the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath-day, and hallowed it.

Exod. 16.23. This is that which the Lord hath said: To morrow is the rest of the holy Sab­bath unto the Lord: bake that which yee will bake, to day, &c. that which remaineth over, lay up for you, to be kept untill the morning. 24. And they laid it up untill the morning, &c. 25. And Mo­ses said, eate that to day, for to day is the Sabbath unto the Lord: to day yee shall not finde it in the field. 26. Six daies yee shall gather it, but on the seventh day, which is the Sabbath, in it there shall be none. 27. There went out some of the people on the seventh day for to gather, and they found none. 29. The Lord hath given you the Sabbath; therefore hee giveth you on the sixth day, the bread of two daies, &c.

Observat. 1. The fourth Commandement made one day of seven a weekely Sabbath.

2 This day had a morning, or Sun-rising, and an evening, or Sun-setting throughout the whole yeere.

3 It was that day of the weeke on which the LORD Himselfe rested, and in which no Manna descended, as it did the other six daies.

The Sabbath then of the fourth Commande­ment is a day of every weeke, distinguished from the rest of the daies, by the rising and setting, and by the motion of the Sunne, in the Hemisphere, on that Region and Climate, in which there is a day, and by the departure of the Sunne when it is night.

Application of the former Declaration to the question.

In some habitable Regions, and under some Climates, the yeere is not distinguished by weekes, containing each of them seven daies: neither are there severall naturall daies, of twenty foure houres, consisting of morning and evening, by meanes of the rising and set­ting of the Sunne: as these instances and ex­amples following doe declare.

Continuance of the Sunne above the Ho­rizon.

Latitudes of places. 1 Grad. 70. ō. In the Southerne part of Groineland, Finmarke, Lapland: and in the North of Russia and Tartaria, one day lasteth from the 10. of May unto Iuly 14. 65. of our daies.

2 Grad. 75. ō. In the North of Groineland, the Isle of Chery, Nova Zembla, Lancasters, and Horse-sounds: the day continueth from April the 21. untill August the 2^d. of our daies 102.

3 Grad. 80. ō. In the North of Baffins-Bay, and Greeneland, the day continueth from April the 6^th. untill August 17. of our dayes 133.

[Page 179]4 Grad. 85. ō. In Regions and places undis­covered, the day continueth from March 23. untill August 31. of our daies 161.

5 Grad. 90. ō. Vnder this degree, the day continueth from March the 10^th. untill Sep­tember the 13^th. of our daies 187.

Now from the Premisses, this Argument ariseth.

The Law of the fourth Commandement en­joineth the observation of such a Sabbath-day, as is distinguished from the other daies of the weeke, by morning and evening, by the rising and setting of the Sunne, and by the presence and absence thereof, within the space of every 24. houres.

But in many Regions of the World, and under sundry Climates, there are no ordinary weekes, containing seven particular daies, di­stinguished each from other by morning and evening, and by the rising and setting, and by the presence and departure of the Sunne.

Therefore the Sabbath-day of the fourth Cōmandement cannot be observed in many Re­gions of the universall world, by such Nations as live under a Climate where there are no such weeks and daies, as the Law of the fourth Com­mandement enjoyneth to be observed. For the subject of that Commandement is a naturall day of 24. houres: and where that subject is wan­ting, how is it possible for any Law that wanteth his proper Subject, to be in force?

Now if any shall conceive, that although in the Regions, and Climates aforesaid, there be no such particular day, as is expressed in the fourth Commandement; Yet there is a suffici­ent and equivalent space of time, which may be measured by houres: My answer is, That the Law of the Decalogue requireth the keep­ing holy of such a seventh day, as is distingui­shed from the day before, and the day after, by a new returne, arising, presence, and going downe of the Sunne: but time and houres in generall, do not yeeld or constitute such a day.

T. B. His Positions concerning the Sun­day, or Lord's-day.

Thes. 1. The religious observation of this day, is not commanded Christi­ans by the fourth Precept of the Deca­logue, Exod. 20.8. Remember the Sabbath-day to keepe it holy.

Thes. 2 The weekely keeping holy the Sunday, or Lord's-day, is not Com­manded in the New Testament by any written Law of CHRIST Himselfe, or of His holy Apostles.

Thes. 3. It cannot be proved by any evidence of Scripture, that the holy Apo­stles themselves in all Churches planted by them, did constantly and perpetually keepe holy this day: but it is impos­sible to demonstrate, that either them­selves or their immediate successors, or colleagues, observed it, or commanded it to be observed in any Church, accor­ding to the rule of the fourth Comman­dement.

Thes. 4. It is superstition, and volun­tary Religion, [...]: (according to the definition of superstition, delivered by the Puritans) to impose the necessary and perpetuall observation of the Sun­day, upon the Christian Church.

Answ. To the first Position.

Thes. 1. The keeping holy the Sunday of every weeke, is not commanded by the fourth Precept of the Decalogue, expresly, formally, or literally.

Reasons. The day expresly, formally, and in particular enjoyned in the fourth Comman­dement, is [...] Sabbatum, that Sabbath which is properly sti­led [Page 183] the weekely Sabbath-day, in the Law, and in the Prophets, and in the New Testament.

2 The day cammanded in that Law is, [...]. Illa dies, ipsa sep­tima dies, that day of the weeke, that very day, in actu signato, & in actu exercito, which GOD passed his Law upon, and upon which, both hee himselfe rested, after six daies action in creating the great opifice of the World, Genes. 2.1, 2. Exod. 20.11. And that very day of the weeke, on which the Israelites rested from servile workes, after six daies previous labour, Exod. 20.9. That seventh day which God blessed and sanctified it [...] Gen. 2.3.Aug. Epist. 119. Nusquam legimus in Genesi, sanctifi­cationem per om­nes priores dies, sed de solo Sabba­to dictum est, Et sanctificavit Deus diem septimum. Exod. 20.11. [...]. Sanctificavit illam.

It was that day of the weeke, in which no Manna fell in the desartOrig. in Exod. Hom. 7. In no­stra dominica sem­per pluit Manna de Coelo: in Sabbato non pluit. , nor could be found, when some of the people went out to gather, Exod. 16.27. It was the day of the weeke, on which the Israelites might neither bake nor seeth, Exod. 16.23. Nor kindle any fire, through­out their habitations, Exod. 35. Nor carry any burdens, nor bring them in by the gates of Hieru­salem, Ierem. 17.21. the onely day on which to gather any sticks, or doe any servile worke was capitall, Exodus 31.13. and Chap. 35.2. Numb. 15.32, 36.

Lastly, it was the very day of the weeke concerning which, the Pharisees so often be­quarrelled our Saviour in the Gospell: and the Disciples pluckt the eares of Corne to eate, Matth. 12.1. and Christ taught the people in [Page 184] the Synagogue on that day, Mark 6.2. Luke 4.16. The Apostles likewise, Acts 13.14.42.44. & Chap. 17.2.

G. W. of the Sab. p. 31. The day or time of the rest is not perpetuall: for if you marke, God saith not, Remem­ber the seventh day to rest upon it: but remember the day of rest. The Apo­stles might change the day, because they found no li­mited day, set downe in the Commandement. H. B. The fourth Commaundement saith not: Remember the seventh day to sanctifie it: but remember the Sab­bath, whatsoever it be, to sanctifie it.

R. B. Light of faith, pa. 147. The Com­mandement saith not, The Lord bles­sed the seventh day: but the Lord bles­sed the Sabbath day, be it the seventh or the first day of every weeke.

Answ. It seemeth by this doctrine, that it had beene lawfull, by the fourth Commande­ment, for the Iewes and Israelites, to have made any day of the weeke, their ordinary Sabbath: and these dogmatists are not afraide to make the Holy Ghost a lyer, who teacheth in most cleare and expresse termes, that God Almighty blessed and hallowed the very seventh day, on which Himselfe rested, and none of the other six daies, to wit, in that peculiar manner, which is mentioned, Exod. 20.11.

Thes. 2. T. B. His second Position, (name­ly: The Lord's-day, is not made a weekely [Page 185] Sabbath, by any written Law of Christ, or of his Apostles) must be granted, untill his Puri­tan adversaries represent unto us some written Law of Christ, and His Apostles, affirming the contrary. But they can finde no such Law in the foure Evangelists, nor in the Acts of the Apo­stles, nor in the Epistles of the holy Apostles, or in the Booke of Revelation: nor in any other authentike record, nisi in scrinio pectoris sui.

R. B. Light of faith, pag. 149. The change of the day is easily proved to bee divine: it is called in the Scripture, The Lord's-day, Rev. 1.10. as the holy Supper of the Eucharist is called the Lord's-Supper, 1 Cor. 11.20.

(It was) first instituted by the Lord, and in its use referred to the Lord; for who could change the day of the Sab­bath, but he that is Lord of the Sabbath, that is, Christ? Marke 2.28.

The practice of our Saviour, and the Apostles who appeared on this day, and held their assemblies on this day, convin­ceth it sufficiently to bee commanded by our [Page 186] Lord and Saviour, Iohn 20.19, 26. Acts. 2.1 & Chap. 20.7. 1 Cor. 16.2. and reasons strong and many may be given.

The Commandement that a seventh part of our time be consecrated to God, is morall: therefore the institution of the Lord's day, could not be deferred one whole weeke: for the Iewes Sabbath, in respect of the determination thereof to the se­venth day, was abrogated de jure, in Christs death: if it were deferred to the Apostles ordination (though then also it were divine, for they had the spirit of Christ) yet the Church must have beene left destitute of a Sabbath for a time, and onely nine precepts, to have stood in force, for that space.

Answ. R. B. His maine Proposition in this passage is: The change of the seventh day to the first day, is divine. But if this man will prove his conclusion, he must not discourse and di­ctate, but demonstrate, that the change of the old Sabbath into the Lord's-day, according to all the qualities, and circumstances thereof, to wit, strictnesse, and duration of resting from worldly labour, and necessary, and perpetuall obligation hereunto, is of divine institution.

R. B. Argument 1. The name, Lord's-day, proveth divine institution, &c.

Answ. The name, Lord's-day, proveth that this day had relation to Christ, by reason it was the first day of his Resurrection: and if it were dedicated to the service of Christ, by the Apostolicall Church, this will not prove that it should be the Sabbath of the fourth Comman­dement, but a Christian Holy-day. And the lawfull ordination of the Church, may give the name Lord's-day, to an Holy-day: aswell as Episcopall laying on of hands, may make one which was a Lay-man, be called a Priest or Mi­nister of our Lord Iesus Christ.

R. B. Argument 2. None could change the day but Christ who is LORD of the Sabbath.

Answ. None could doe this by power of excellency, or originall authority: but the Bi­shops and Pastors of the Church, being ap­pointed rulers by Christ, might doe this by delegate and derivative power, and by vertue of their commission. For the Temple of Hie­rusalem, and the Synagogues of the Iewes in ancient times were principally the Lords: yet the Rulers of the Church had power to change them into other Christian Oratories; and time and place, are much of a quality.

R. B. Argument 3. Our Saviours appari­tion on this day, convinceth it to be com­manded, &c.

Answ. If it convinceth it to be commanded, then it proves demonstratively that it is com­manded: but how can this man make his illa­tion good, viz. Our Saviour appeared the first day of the weeke to his Disciples: Ergo, he or­dained the first day of the weeke, to be the Sab­bath of the fourth Commandement?

For our Saviour appeared to His Disciples, and to others, by the space of forty dayes, Acts 1.3. He appeared on the working-day at the Sea of Tyberias, when His Disciples were a fishing, Iohn 21.1, 2. And his most solemne ap­parition among all the rest, was that which happened on Ascention Thursday, Luke 24.50. Acts 1.9. 1 Corinth. 15.6.

It is therefore a voluntary assertion, and im­possible to bee made good, that our Saviours apparition upon the Sunday, or first day of the weeke, contained a Commandement or a divine Precept, to make that day the Sabbath of the Decalogue.

R. B. Arg. 4. The holy Apostles held Assemblies on this day: Ergo, They ordained it to bee a perpetuall Sab­bath, in place of the Sabbath of the fourth Commandement.

Answ. We beleeve that the holy Apostles ordained the Sunday, to be a weekely Holy-day, because the Primitive Fathers, who lived some of them in the Apostles dayes, and others of them immediately after, and who succee­ded them in Apostolicall Churches, did uni­versally maintaine the religious observation of this day. But it cannot be proved out of the Scripture, either that the Apostles constantly observed this day in all Churches: Or that they commanded every Christian Church to observe it: Or that they commanded any one Church to observe it, according to the old rule of the fourth Commandement.

Lastly, the Apostles, and likewise many suc­cessors of the Apostles, for many ages, at least three hundred yeares, kept holy the Saturday of every weeke in some Churches, as well as the Sunday: But they kept neither of these dayes by continuall resting from secular la­bour, according as the law of the fourth Commandement obliged the Iewes. Reade be­fore, pag. 71. &c.

R. B. The Commandement that a se­venth part of our time be consecrate to GOD, is morall. Now the legall Sabbath, in respect of the determinate day, was De jure abrogated in Christ's death. If therefore Christ had not or­dained the Sunday Sabbath, there should have beene no Sabbath day in being: And consequently, one Com­mandement of ten, had been lost.

Answ. These new Masters commonly beg the question in the grounds of their Argu­ments, and take that as granted, which can ne­ver bee proved. For there is no commande­ment of GOD, simply and perpetually Mo­rall, obliging all mankinde, to consecrate an even seventh part of his time to the service of GOD. The generall divine Morall Law, re­quireth man to yeeld to GOD, a competent and convenient time, &c. but the quantity and measure of time, whether a fifth, a sixth, or se­venth or tenth part, this comes not within the command of any Divine Law, which is sim­ply, entirely, and perpetually morall.

But if a seventh part of time were comman­ded, Let us heare a convincing reason, taken out of the naturall Morall Law, why one se­venth day should be necessary, rather than a seventh weeke, or a seventh moneth? And if a seventh day, why rather the Sunday, than the Friday? If a reason be given for the Sunday, from congruity, because of our Saviour's Resur­rection: This reason is not grounded on the old Law Morall, but upon the Gospell: And the reason is not forcing; for as Sunday was the day of Resurrection, so Friday was the day of Passion: And if we should proceede according to naturall reason, the day of Christ's Passion being every way as blessed a day, in respect of mans redemption, as the day of Resurrection, it merited on even termes, the honour of be­ing made an ordinary Holy-daySosomen. hist. Eccl. lib. 1. ca. 8. Cassiod. hist. Tri­part. lib. 1. ca. 9. .

Now whereas this pure man is afraid, that the Sabbath must quite have beene lost, if Christ at an instant had not created a new one: First, it hath beene formerly declared, that the equity of the fourth Commandement is per­petuall, and therefore this Commandement could not bee lost in respect of any thing in it, which is purely and entirely Morall. Secondly, If the obligation of the old Sabbath was ab­rogated at the instant of Christ's death; And there might be no vacancy of a Sabbath, with­out decaying the just number of the ten Com­mandements: Then surely, part of Good-fri­day, and Saturday, must begin the new Sabbath, and not the Sunday.

But leaving this blunderer in a labyrinth, out of which he and his adheres, will not easily free themselves: I will now returne to my first ad­versary, and examine his two last positions.

T. B. It cannot be proved by evidence of Scripture, that the Apostles obser­ved two Sundayes, successively one after another: but there is not one sentence in any part of the New Te­stament, that they observed the Sun­day, according to the rule of the fourth Commandement.

Answ. 1. It is very probable, and Saint Chrysostome Chrys. in 1 Cor. Hom. 43. Sedul. in 1 Cor. cap. 16. affirmes it: That in the Churches of Corinth, and of Galatia, the Lord's-day was made a weekely Holy-day by the Apostles, (for they principally governed those Churches at this time) 1 Cor. 16.1, 2.

But it is not necessary to demonstrate out of Scripture, that the Apostles ordained the Sun­day a weekely Holy-day: The practice of the Primitive Church immediately, and then suc­cessively after the Apostles decease, argues this. For it could not possibly have come to passe, that all and every Apostolicall Church, [Page 193] thorow-out the universall world, should so early, and in the beginning of their plantation, have consented together, to make the Sunday a weekely service-day: unlesse they had beene thus directed by their first founders, the holy Apostles themselves. Secondly, Saint Augustine his golden rule is: Quod universa tenet Ecclesia, nec Conciliis institutum, sed semper retentum est, non nisi authoritate Apostolica traditum rectissimè creditur Aug. de Bapt. c. Donatist. l. 4. c. 23. . That which the universall Church hath in all ages held and maintained, if it ap­peare not that the same was first of all decreed by Synods, as Councels: is verily beleeved to have beene delivered by the authoritie of the holy Apostles.

But the universall Church, before the de­crees of any generall or nationall Councels, made the Sunday or Lord's-day, a weekely Fe­stivall day.

Therefore, the observation thereof, entered into the Christian Church by Apostolicall au­thority and constitution.

T. B. Thes. 4. It is superstition and will-worship, to impose the necessary and perpetuall observation of the Sun­day, or Lord's-day, upon the Christi­an World.

Answ. This position is formerly confuted, page 95. 96, 97. whither I referre my Reader.

And for a conclusion of this passage of T. B. which is grounded upon a Disciplinarian di­ctate: to wit, All morall and religious actions not commanded, are unlawfull, &c. These con­clusions are consectary.

First, that a great number of things and acti­ons indifferent, are excluded from being ex­ternall materialls in Religion, or in the exercise of other morall vertues, because they are not commanded.

Secondly, If nothing may lawfully be done but what is commanded in Scripture, then the beleevers, who sold all their possessions, &c. Acts 4.34. And the holy women, Marke 14.6. Iohn 12.3. were offenders.

Thirdly, It amuseth mee to consider the iniquity and hypocrisie of Puritan Leaders: For they maintaine that the Precepts of the [Page 195] Church concerning Ceremonies, gesture, ha­bite, ornament, &c, in the exercise of religion, are unlawfull for want of a Divine written precept: And they themselves make many acti­ons deadly sins, which are no where condem­ned in holy Scripture, neither are repugnant to any other just law: As to kneele at the holy Communion, to bow the body, or un­cover the head in honour of CHRIST, at the name of IESUS: For a rich young widow, to marry without the consent of her Puritan Pastor, &c.

OBSERVATIONS out of the holy Scriptures, and out of the Ancient Fathers, concer­ning the Lord's-day.