Admonition Unto Congregations, Treatise · Part 2
Of the day of reſt.
The ſecond is, that manie among you (and how farr you are all poluted wee knowe not but have great cauſe to feare) do profeſſe & practice not to kepe the ſeaventh day, a day of reſt, & holy vntounto the lord, aboliſhing herein the law, which was given in the mount out of the midſt of the fire in the day of the aſſemblie, and which was written in the Tables with the finger of God, as is ſhewed Exod. 20.8.9.10.11. and Deut. ….10. Of all wch whole law, our ſaviour Chriſt ſaith Ma…. 5, 17.18. I am not come to diſtroy, but to fulfill: for truely I ſay vntounto you, till heaven, and earth periſh, one jot… or one title of the law ſhall not ſcape till all thinge… be fulfilled: not with ſtanding all the ſpoken by God the father, & Ieſus Chriſt his ſonne, manie of you with an high hand, … out, and diſtroy one of theſe Ten Commandements written by the finger of God Exod. 34.28. and you will have but Nyne, ren…g a ſunder the law of God, and caſting away what is not pleaſing vntounto you. Not holding the examples of the diſciples of Chriſt a ſufficient rule of direction for you, who as is ſhewed Act. 20.7 and 1. Cor. 16.1, 2. The firſt day of the weake came together to breake bread. VponUpon eueryevery vvhichwhich firſt day of the weeke, when they were come together Paul ordeyned in the Churches that every one ſhould lay aſide for the neceſſitie of the Saincts, that there might be no gathering when he came.
How will you be able to ſtand before the lord herein… H… hath eſtabliſhed a law, the which it is more eaſie that heaven and earth ſhould paſſe away, then that one title of the law ſhould fall Iuc. 16.17. And if you now be able to ſhewe (which God forbid that anie ſhould be ſo wicked as to enterp…iſe) that all theſe words, ſpoken and written by God himſelf. Remember the Sabath day to keepe it holy, be no part, jot, nor tittle of this law, then you have ſome cullor for the evill you practice and profeſſe herein: but dare anie moueth of blaſphemy ſpeake it? or anie hand of blaſphemy write it? wee hope no, why then give glory to God, & repent of this your ſinne, and pray the lord that if it be poſſible the thoughts of your harts, the blaſphemy of your mouethes, and the wickednes of your hands may be forgiven you. And ſinne not as you do againſt God, in turning away your feet from the Sabath of the lord, and doeing your owne wills on his holy day, wherein alſo you do wronge to man, and beaſt, to whome the lord hath in merciemercy given a ſpeciall day of reſt. But yet further to ſhewe you that wich you ſhall never be able to annſwere. Our Sauiour Chriſt Mat. 24.20. ſpeakeing of the diſtruction of Ieruſalem (which was to come to paſſe, & did, long after his death) ſaith. Pray that your flight be not in the winter, nor on the Sabath day, ſheweing vndenyably, that ther ſhould ſtill remaine a ſpeciall day of reſt, for the people of God to worſhip him on: vponupon which day Chriſts bidds them pray that their flight be not, that they might not be forced to flie whē they ſhould reſt and worſhipp God. And if our Saviour Chriſt had ment that his diſciples ſhould have bene of your iudgment, it had bene all one, vponupon what day their flight had bene. God give you grace to ſee your great error herein, that you may not ſtill be hate full to God, and men, and Beaſts. And thus much of this, except further occation be offered: Omitting to ſhewe you all the confuſion you bring into the Church when there ſhalbe no day certen whereon the diſciples ought to come together, to edifie one an other, to breake bread, to pray, and to gather for the Saincts, if your rule be true (which is as falſe as God is true) they chuſe, whether they will come at all, except you have authoritie to make a law to bind them, which ſure you have not from God: even ſo do you confound hereby all due proceeding in the rule of admonition by the Church, if there be no certen day when the Church are bound to meet. But wee wi…l paſſe by this, hopeing you will fall vnderunder the former ground, and then you will eaſily ſee (through the grace of God) all theſe thinges, and manie mo…e which accompanie that your error, that do vtterly deſtroy all godlines, Religion, and the holy communion of Saincts. Therefore repēt and forſake this your error, for if you do thus diſtroy the lawe of God, there can be no Religion of God in you.