A Defense of the Sabbath Day, Chapter 5 · Commentary · Section 3 · Argument 7
ARGVM. VII.
My 7th argument, to proue that the 7th day Sabbath is ſtill in force, is becauſe it is a ſingular helpe & meanes to keepe in the Courch of God, the memory of that wonderfull and miraculouſe worke, the Creation of the world by Almightie God. & thus it may beframed.
That thing which was ordeined of God, to be a ſpeciall meanes, & a ſingular helpe, to keepe in his Church, the memory of that moſt wonderfull & miraculouſe worke, to wit, the Creation of the world by Almightie God; That meanes and helpe, ought ſtill to be in vſe in the Church of God.
But the 7th day Sabbath, was ordeined of God, to be a ſpeciall meanes, & a ſingular helpe, to keepe in his Church, the memory of that moſt wonderfull & miraculouſe worke, to wit, the Creation of the world by Almightie God.
Therefore the 7th day Sabbath, ought ſtill to be in vſe, in the Church of God.
For profe of the Major, or firſt propoſition: The Almighty hath done many and maruailouſe workes in the world; hee hath done many Miracles; hee cauſed the Sea to diuid, & ſtand vponupon heapes, & to be a wale on either hād, vntill his people went thorow on dry land: hee cauſed the Sunne to ſtand ſtill, in the mideſt of the heauens, for an whole day: hee cauſed the Earth to tremble and quake, the Sunne to looſe hir light; & many dead bodies of the Saints to awake, at the paſſion of our Lord Chriſt, with many other wonderfull miracles recorded in the Scriptures; but amongſt them all, there is none that doth excell this Myracle of Myracles, the Creation of the world, how well then doth it beſeeme vsus, to keepe a memory of ſuch a myracle! for this purpoſe, ij. things are to be conſidered, the one is, that it is a duety which God requireth of vsus, to magnify & praiſe the name of God: and how ſhall we performe this better, then by keeping of a thankfull remembrance of Gods workes of wonder? The other is, that this myracle of the Creation, it is not like vntounto many other myracles; for that of the diuiding of the Sea, it concerned the Iſralites onelyonly and that of the Sunne its ſtanding ſtill, it concerned theſe times onelyonly; but as for this of the Creation, it concerneth vsus, & our times, eueryevery way as much as it did the Iſralites; for thers not a man, woman, or child amongſt vsus, but hath its ſhare & benefite from the Creation, as well as thoſe Iewes had, and therefore we in theſe daies, & all people to this worlds end, hauehave and ſhall hauehave, as good cauſe, to keepe a thankfull remembrance of the Creation, as euer any nation or people had.
But if we ioyne both theſe together, as firſt, that it is a duty lying vponupon vsus, to magnify the name of God, in this his ſo greate a worke of wonder; & ſecondly, that this ſo greate a worke, it doth redownd to the proffit and good of eueryevery one amongſt vsus; then what greate cauſe, and what iuſt cauſe is there, that eueryevery one of vsus, ſhould at this day, celebrate a thank full remembrance of the worke of Creation? Neither can I thinke, thers any man ſo vngratefull, as to deny vntounto God a thankfull remembrance of this ſo greate worke, by meanes whereof we liue, and hauehave a being and all the creatures ſeruicable vntounto vsus, euen the Sunne it ſelfe to ſerue vsus with hir light & heate: whence I thus argue.
If it be our duety, & alſo ſuch duety, as we freely doe acknowledge vntounto God to keepe a thankfull remembrance of his Myraculouſe worke of Creation; why then ſhould any man deny vsus the ſpeciall helpes, and needefull meanes, appointed of God, to keepe the memory of the Creation in his Church? there is nothing more abſurd, then to grant the performance of an holy action, to be due vntounto God, & yet to deny ſuch needfull and proffitable meanes, as God hath ordeined to that end: this were all one, as if we ſhould grante indede, that it is a duty, to keepe an holy remembrance of the death of our Lord Ieſus, and yet to deny the vſe of the Sacramētes in the Church, which ſerue to put vsus in minde thereof: in a word, it were to eparate the meanes from the end, then the which nothing is more abſurde: wherefore, as we will approue & teſtify our thankfulneſſe to God, for ſo greate a bleſſing, as the Creation is vntounto vsus; and as we deſire to giuegive God the glorie of his maruailouſe workes; ſo let vsus be zealouſe to maintaine in the Church, all the meanes & needfull helpes thereof.
Furthermore, it will appeare, that we in our times, hauehave as greate vſe & neede, of meanes & helpes, to keepe in memory, this greate worke of Gods Creation, as euer had the Iewes & people of God, if not greater neede: for by nature, wee are as vngratfull, vnthankfull, and vnmindfull of Gods bleſſings and mercies receiued, as euer they were; & we ſtand in as much neede as euer they did, to be ſtirred vp by all helpes & meanes, to giuegive vntounto God, the glorie due vntounto his name, for his workes of wonder which he hath wrought: nay we ſtand in more neede now then they did then, by how much we liue in times longer and further off from the Creation then they did; for we are in more danger of ſleiting & forgetting this greate benefit of the Creation, then were the Iſrael of God, becauſe they liued nere vntounto it, and hard by it as it vvere, in compariſon of vsus, vvho liue thowſands of yeeres after them: and vvho knovveth not, hovv ſoone things done long agone, ſlip out of memory? or if they ſlipp not quite out of memory, yet they lay there like the ingrauings vvritten vponupon graue ſtons, vvhichwhich by continuall trampling vponupon, are vvell nigh worne out: it is needfull therefore that vve ſhould hauehave all meanes & helpes, that may as it vvere daily new write, & ingraue vponupon out memories, the honourable memory, of the Myracle of Creation.
It may be ſome will anſwer thus, that the meanes once ordeined of God, ought ſtill to be in vſe, if none other as fit may be found out: but other as fit for that vſe may be found out, as the Lords day: for herein we may keepe a memory of the Creation: Againſt this I hauehave theſe reaſones 1. the Lords day, or Sunday is as vnfit to keepe memory of the Creation, as the Sabbath day, or Saturday is in their account, vnfit to keepe memory of the Redemption. 2. the day which is ſet a parte to celebrate the memory of the Creation, it muſt hauehave an apteneſſe in it by way of ſimilitude, to repreſent it vntounto vsus; like as the Sacraments, hauehave apteneſſe in them, to repreſent vntounto vsus the Redemtion: now God finiſhed his worke of Creation, and reſted on the 7th day or Saturday, and of all daies in the weeke, we hauehave none that hath ſuch ſimilitude and likneſſe to Gods 7th day, as is our Saturday, which is the ſame 7th day in order with Gods; & therefore it is the onelyonly fit day for this purpoſe: now the Lords day, is ſo farre from any ſimilitude with Gods reſting day which was on the 7th & laſt day of the weeke Geneſ. 2, 3. as it is the firſt day, & begining of the weeke. 3. ſuppoſe that mē could invent ſome other day as fit as the 7th day appointed by God, will they reiect Gods choiſe for one of thir owne? could they ſhew vsus ſome other day, as fit in Gods account, they ſhould ſpeake to ſome purpoſe, but to reiect that meanes appointed of God, becauſe they can find an other which pleaſeth them as well, is audaciouſe preſumption: why by like reaſon, may they not as well chang the Elementes in the Sacraments for others? as well may they reiect Chriſts choiſe, as Gods choiſe.
But happily ſome may obiect, that ſome helpes for the keeping in memory of the Creation, are aboliſhed, as for example the Sabbath day: for all Sabbaths are aboliſhed in Col. 2.16.17. Herevnto I anſwer, that the folly of this obiection hath formerly bene anſwered; here therefore a word or two ſhall be fufficient. 1. it is to be noted that the text Col. 2.16.17. ſpeaketh not of Signes, but of Shaddowes; & as formerly it hath bene ſhowne, there is a difference betwixt Signes & ſhaddowes; wherefore this text is impertinently alleaged; for we hauehave here to doe with Signes, & not with Shaddowes. 2. ſuppoſe we this text ſpake of Signes, yet it ſpake of ſuch Signes as had reſpect vntounto Chriſt, which are a Shaddow of things to come, the body whereof was Chriſt, as the text ſpeaketh: ſo that theſe Sabbaths here aboliſhed, were onelyonly ſuch Sabbaths as had reſpect vntounto Chriſt, & to the Redemption; but we ſpeake of a Sabbath that was a ſigne of the Creation: therefore the Sabbath we heere ſpeake for, it differeth from thoſe Sabbaths, which the Apoſtle aboliſhed, as farre as the Creation differeth from the Redemption: & this yet further appeareth in their text; for it ſpeaketh of a Shaddow of thinges to come, ſo that thoſe aboliſhed Sabbaths, had reſpect vntounto things to come afterwards, as vntounto Chriſt; but this Sabbath for which we plead, it was a ſigne of things paſt, & done before, as of the Creation: ſo that this Sabbath, differeth from thoſe aboliſhed Sabbaths, as farre as things paſt, doe differ from things to come: ſo then, it doth not appeare, that any thing once made an helpe, to keepe in memory the Creation, was euer aboliſ…ed: & indeed it were contrary, vntounto all reaſon that it ſhould: for albeit that ſuch ſignes ſhould vaniſh, as had reſpect vntounto things future, when once the ſubſtance was come & in preſence; yet is it farre otherwiſe, with ſuch ſignes as had reſpect vntounto things paſt; for here the ſubſtance or thing ſignified, ſhould neuer be come any neerer then at firſt it was vntounto the ſigne, but rather farther off ſtill, ſo as the longer the ſigne laſted, the more vſe & neede there would be of it: & ſo much for anſwer to this fond obiection.
I come now vntounto the profe of the minor, or ſecond propoſition, to wit, that the 7th day Sabbath, was a ſpeciall helpe & meanes, to preſerue the memory of the Creation, in the Church of God, & this I proue, becauſe the Sabbath day, was made a ſigne of the Creation; & ſignes are helpes & meanes, to keepe memory of thoſe things whereof they are ſignes: here then my taske is to proue vntounto you, for the confirmation of my Minor, theſe two propoſitiones; the one, that the Sabbath day was once a ſigne of the Creation, the other, that ſignes are helpes & meanes to keepe memory of the things they ſignify. For the former of theſe, to wit, that the Sabbath day was once a ſigne of the Creation. This I proue firſt by the Teſtimony of all men; and ſecondly by the Teſtimony of the Sriptures.
For the Teſtimony of men; that the 7th day Sabbath is a ſigne, this all of them grant, when they alleage that text Exod. 31.13. againſt the Sabbath, as an aboliſhed ſigne: further, that this ſigne reſpected the Creation, as the thing ſignified by it, is found to be the iudgement of Diuines, eueryevery wherein their writings, as might be ſhowne, if it were needfull: yea, this is plaine by the common arguments in eueryevery mans mouth; for when they would proue, that the Lords day muſt be a Sabbath, they thus argue, if the Iewes kept a Sabbath in memory of the Creation, then ſo ought we Chriſtians, to keepe a Sabbath in memory of the Redemption: & againe, the Lords day was inſtituted (ſay they) in memory of the reſurrection, like as the Sabbath day, was inſtituted, for me mory of the Creation: by which kind of reaſoning they doe confeſſe it, that the Sabbath day was inſtituted, for the memory of the Creation.
So much for the Teſtimony of men: next I come to proue it by diuine Teſtimony from the Scripture: for this purpoſe ſee, Ex. 31.17. where the Lord ſpeakeing of our 6 daies labour, & of our 7th day Sabbath, ſaith thus, It is a ſigne betwene mee & the children of Iſrael for euer: for in ſixe daies the Lord made the heauen & the earth, & in the 7th day he ceaſed & reſted, as if the Lord had thus ſaid, becauſe I laboured in the 6 daies at the Creation & reſted on the 7th day, therefore your 6 daies labour, & 7th daies reſt, is a ſigne betwene mee & you, of my 6 daies labour & 7th daies reſt, thus the ſenſe muſt be rendered, if we take the words as they are tranſlated: but becauſe this kind of ſenſe making is difficult, & not ſo familiar vntounto our vnderſtandings, by reaſon the thing ſignified by the ſigne, is not expreſſed but collected; therefore to make the ſenſe of the text appeare more cleerly, it is better to put the word (that) in the roome of the rationall partice (for) & then the ſenſe will be very familiar & eaſy: for ſo the thing ſignified by the ſigne, ſhall be expreſſed in the text; & then the text ſhould be read thus, Jt is a ſigne betweene me and the children of Iſrael for euer (that) in ſixe daies the Lord made heauen & earth, & in the 7th day he ceaſed & reſted. Thus you ſee it plaine, that as all men hold, the 7th day Sabbath, was kept in remembrance of the Creation, ſo this text confirmeth it, ſaying, that it is a ſigne (that) God laboured 6 daies & reſted on the 7th day.
Now that this particle tranſlated (for) may be tranſlated (that) it appeareth. 1. By the Septuagint which rendereth it foreign which may be indifferently translated (for) or (that) according as may beſt fit the text. 2. In ſondry other textes our Translatores hauehave translated the ſame Hebrew word (that) rather then (for) as you may ſee Deut. 29.6. That yee may know (that) I am the Lord your God: Thus I hauehave proued the one of the propoſitiones, to wit, that the 7th day Sabbath was a ſigne of the Creation.
The other propoſition which I am to proue is, that Signes are helpes and meanes, to keepe in memory the things they ſignify: and this is ſo plaine, as I might ſpare the labour toproue it: for it is the very nature & propertie of a ſigne, to be a meanes to bring to minde the thing fignified by it, wherefore ſerues the picture of a mans abſent friēd, but to helpe to bring him to minde? The raine bowe in the clowds, it is called a ſigne or a token, Geneſ. 4.13. & the Lord ſaid, he would looke vponupon the bowe, that he might remember the Coueāt, which was the thing ſignified by the bowe, v. 16. The paſſeouer was a ſigne or tokē, which when the Angell ſaw, he remēbred the Couenant, & ſpared the Iſralites, Exod. 12.13. The Lords Supper it is a Sacramentall ſigne, & it is of this vſe, to be an helpe & meanes, to remember vsus of the death of Chriſt. 1. Cor. 11.24. you may reade the like alſo in Gen. 17.11. & Exo. 31.13. by all which inſtances it is plaine, that ſignes are helpes and meanes, to bring to mind, & preſerue in memory, the thing abſent & ſignified by thoſe ſignes.
Thus much for the Minor or ſecond propoſition; & alſo for my 7th argument, whereby you hauehave ſeene it proued, that the 7th day Sabbath muſt ſtill be in force; becauſe it is a ſingular meanes to preſerue in memory the myraculouſe worke of Gods Creation.