A Defense of the Sabbath Day, Chapter 4 · Commentary · Section 1
SECT. I.
IN the firſt place, let me diſcouer an high point of folly in theſe Antiſabbatharians: for a ſeruant to forſake his old Maſter, before he knows where to hauehave a new; or for any man to pull downe his old houſe, before he had found for certaine, that he was able to build vp a new houſe, is a greate folly: into this folly are falne, not onelyonly thoſe other 9 Miniſters, by caling the Lords Sabbaths Ceremonies, Iewiſh, & Iudaiſme, to bring them into reproch; but eſpecially M. Chappel, by preaching againſt them openly: now what an egregiouſe folly is this in them, to throw downe the old Sabbath, before they knew where to find a new Sabbath? to aboliſh the 7th day, before they were able to raiſe vp the 8th day? me thinke, a ſmale portion of diſcretion, ſhould hauehave taught them, to hauehave made ſure worke, that they were well able to defend the Lords day, before they had aduentured to debaſe and aboliſh the Sabbath day. I wiſh all men to learne wiſedome by their folly, that is, neuer to debaſe & ſtriue to aboliſh the old Sabbath, vntill they know how to proue the Lords day to be a Sabbath, & ſo to ſet vp a new Sabbath.
That with the moreculler and ſhew of trueth, men might aboliſh Gods Sabbathes, beſides their loading of them with reprochfull termes, of Iudaiſme, and aboliſhed Shaddowes, and Ceremonies, and the like, they hauehave alſo taken in hand to make one of Gods Tenn commandements, namly the 4th com. to be partly Morall & partly Ceremoniall: a thing at the firſt hearing, very ſtraung, and moſt abſurd: the abſurdneſſe whereof, in the firſt place I will indeauour to ſet before your eyes, & then come to ſhew you their reaſones, & anſwer them one by one.
It is ſaid by Moſes that God ſpake all theſe words Exod. 20.1. and this is equally praefixed to all the 10 commandements: and God wrote them all in Tables of ſtone together: now can it be thought, that of all theſe 10. onelyonly one ſhould ſo farr differ from all its fellowes, as when they are intirly Morall, hauing no title of Ceremony in them; this one ſhould be halfe Morall, halfe Ceremoniall; or partly morall, partly Ceremoniall? did not God write as well, all the whole 4th com. in Tables of ſtone, as ſome parte of it? and did not God as well ſpeake all the 4th com. euen that parte of it which they would hauehave a ceremony, as all the other commandements? why then ſhould men make a difference, where God made none?
It can neuer be ſhowne, that God wrote any ſhaddow, or ceremonie in his Tables of ſtone: for, no ceremonies euer came with in the compaſſe of that pale or bedge: nor can it be ſhowne, that God did ſo farr honour any ceremony, as to deliuer it & ſpeake it, from his owne mouth: God ſpake all theſe words; that is, all theſe 10 Moralles, but God ſpake none of the ceremonies; for Moſes ſpake theſe; God appointed Moſes to deliuer the ceremoniall lawes; this difference you may reade of, made by God Exod. 20.1.22.24. Exod. 21.1. Deut. 5.2.4.6.22.31. and is not this abſurd, that men ſhould fanſy a ceremony to be in the 4th com. when they cannot ſhew the like, in any of the other nine commandements? nor that euer God ſo farr honoured any ceremony, as to deliuer it by his owne voice, and write it with his owne finger in Tables of ſtone?
An other abſurdety: who could imagine, that of Tenn commandements, all purly morall, all to laſt perpetuallie to the worlds end, & all appertaining vntounto all Nations Iewes & Gentiles, ſaue onelyonly one of the tenn? and this one commandement, muſt needs be of a contrary nature vntounto all its fellowes, the other 9 commandements; for this muſt be mixedly morall; a parte of it morall, and an other parte of it ceremoniall: a parte of it to laſt perpetually to the worlds end; and a parte of it to be faded & vaniſhed away ſixtene hundreth yeeres agone; a parte of it to belong vntounto all nations Iewes and Gentiles both, and an other part of it to belong vntounto the ſole Nation of the Iewes onelyonly: who can thinke that God would yoke & couple ſuch vnequall things together? yea, who could imagine, that there ſhould be a ceremoniall ordinance, in the body of the 4th com.? and in the heart of the Morall law? a man may as well fanſy darkeneſſe, to be in the body of the Sunne, as a ſhaddow in the heart of the morall law.
Diuines vſe to reſemble theſe 10 commandements, vntounto a goolding chaine, conſiſting of 10 linkes, & of ſuch an vnity and combined nature as he that draweth one, draweth all, which is a very trueth indeed: but theſe now who ſet themſelues againſt the Lords Sabbathes, they faine one of theſe 10 linkes, to be made of a mettall differing from all the reſt; for wheras the chaine of 10 linkes is called a goolding chaine, they neuertheleſſe will hauehave one of theſe 10 linkes to be partly gold, & partly leade: ſo then to ſpeake properly, they muſt here after count the 10 com. to be a goolden-leaden chaine &c: & whereas they vſe to cale theſe 10 com. the morall law, now to ſpeake properly, they muſt cale it the Morall-Ceremoniall law; for they make Ceremony in it; this is as if the Snow, which hitherto we hauehave caled white ſnow, we ſhould hereafter cale it white-blacke ſnowe: thus you ſee by comparing this 4th com. with its fellowes, how abſurd they are, that will attempt to make ſomthing in the 4th com. a Ceremony;
I add herevnto this abſurdety alſo, that theſe men muſt deny the integrity & perfection of the law; and hould a lamed, broken, and imperfect law, & ſo ſerue God by halues & by peecemeale; or elſe, they cannot diſpute againſt the 7th day Sabbath, contained in the morall law: for take that away, and the law is not an intire & perfect law, but a maimed and lamed thing.
An other abſurdety I charge them with, and that is horrible partiality: for they can find anſwers & diſtinctions, to preſerue the Morall Law, from being aboliſhed by Libertines & Anabaptiſts, ſaying, it is aboliſhed for Justification, but in force ſtill, for obſeruation: & yet will neither find, & I doubt, nor receiue any anſwer or diſtinction, that may preſerue the Sabbath day, which is a parte of that Law: & is not this partiality, to defend one parte of Gods Law, & not an other? yea, I dare auowch it, that Anabaptiſts, Libertins, and Antinomians, doe bring eueryevery way, as able prouing ſcriptures againſt the wholl Law, as Anti Sabbatharians doe, againſt this parte of Gods Law which concerneth his 7th day Sabbath: ſee theſe againſt the whole Law Epheſ. 2.15. Hebr. 7.12. Rom. 6.14. 1. Tim. 1.9. 2. Cor. 3.7.11. ſee theſe againſt this parte of the Law, Exod. 31.13. Rom. 14.5. and Col. 2.16.17. now ſince theſe latter textes, hauehave no more nor better force againſt this parte of the Law, then thoſe former textes hauehave againſt the whole Law, what abhominable partiality is here vſed, by admitting theſe textes againſt a parte of the Law, when thoſe are refuſed that be againſt the whole Law? may theſe men be ſaid to louelove Gods Law, and to louelove it for it ſelfe, & yet to deale thus partially by it?
Yet further, where as Anabaptistes doe deny all vſe of Oathes among Chriſtians, & that not onelyonly in common talke, but alſo before A Magiſtrate, and that from theſe textes Mat. 5.34. Iam. 5.12. Sweare not at all &c.: Neuertheleſſe, as generall as theſe vvords of Chriſt are againſt ſwearing, we doe diſtinguiſh of oathes, yeelding Chriſts words to be directed & expounded againſt ſvvearing in our common talke vainly, but not againſt an oath before A Magiſtrate: vvhy doe not theſe textes, Mat. 5.34. Iam. 5.12. beare as ſtrongly againſt all oathes, & ſo againſt an oath before A Magiſtrate; as doe theſe their textes Exod. 31.13. Rom. 14.5. Col. 2.16. againſt all Sabbaths, and ſo againſt the weekly 7th day Sabbath? can you diſtinguiſh to preſerue an oath before A Magiſtrate, & can you not diſtinguiſh to preſerue Gods Sabbath in the Church? will you defend an oath before a Magiſtrate, as inioyned ſtill in the 3th com. which is therin but by cōſequence, & vvill you not defend Gods ancient Sabbath, as inioyned ſtill in the 4th command. which is therin expreſſed? can ſuch your partiality be excuſed?
Now to conſider of the 4th command. by it ſelfe: in this they will attempt to proue the time, to wit, the 7th day, to be a ceremony and aboliſhed; & in the meane time, they will hould the dueties of Rest & holineſſe, commanded with the time, to be no ceremony but morall & perpetuall: now vndoubtedly, they ſhould hold all the things commanded in the 4th com. to be together morall, or together ceremoniall: either all aboliſhed, or all perpetuall: in any wiſe mans iudgment, ſuch things as God hath ioyned together, no man ſhould put aſunder, retayning ſomething, reiecting other ſomething; but that all muſt be retayned, or all reiected: either they ſhould embrace the whole 4th commandement, or no 4th commandement: this is in common reaſon.
The 4th com. is like vntounto a Bond; in a bond there is two things where vntounto men are bound; the one, is the ſumme of money, the other, is the day and time of payment; now in common reaſon, he that ſtands bound to pay the ſumme of money, that ſame man ſtands bound to the day and time alſo, that is, to pay this money at the time mentioned in the bond: ſo in the 4th com. men are bound vntounto 2. things, the one, is the dueties of Reſt and holy exerciſes, the other, is vntounto the day & time wherein theſe dueties are to be performed, namly the 7th day. Now theſe men, that are vndertakers againſt Gods Sabbaths; & enemies to the Integritie and perfection of Gods Law; they will not retaine both of theſe, nor reiect both of theſe; but a diuiſion & ſeperation they muſt hauehave; the duties of reſt and holineſſe they will hauehave vsus bound vntounto, as being morall; but the day and time wherein they ſhould be performed, to wit, the 7th day, this they will not hauehave vsus bound vntounto, but it muſt be a ceremony: now was it euer heard before now, or euer ſeene in any caſe but this, that a mā ſhould be bound vntounto the ſumme of money, in the bond, but not vntounto the day of payment? wy theſe men will moſt abſurdly ſuppoſe, that vve are tyed vntounto the dueties of reſt and holineſſe in the com. but not vntounto the duety of the time & day, mentioned in the command. in vvhichwhich the dueties are to be done: & is not this abſurd to any heareing? and are not thoſe textes, vvhichwhich they vſe for this abſurd purpoſe, vvreſted think you? as theſe Exod. 31.13. Rom. 14.5. & Col. 2.17. it vvere to be vviſhed, that they vvould not halue it, & peece it, on this faſhion, that is, to ſerue God by halues in his 4th com. but that they vvould obſerue the vvhole 4th commandement or no 4th command. all or none.
God hath giuen many ſeuerall commandements in the old Teſtament, as concerning the true God; cōcerning his worſhip; concerning his Name; concerning ſondry dueties vntounto our neighbour; concerning the Paſſeouer, Pentecoſt, & ſondry other Feſtiuall dayes; new moones, & Sabbaths; concerning meates & drinkes; concerning Sacrifices, Tythes, Prieſts, the Temple and place of worſhip; with many more; now amongſt all theſe Lawes, can they find from the begining of the booke of Geneſis, vntounto the end of the Prophecy of Malachie, ſuch a mingle mangled hotch potch as they will make of this 4th comm. that parte of thoſe lawes ſhould be morall, & parte ceremoniall; one parte belonging to all Nations, the other parte onelyonly vntounto the Iewes? the like was neuer heard on, I dare ſay it, in any lawes of God, or Man, Diuine or humane: are they not aſhamed, to make ſuch A Monster of the 4th com. as the like hath not bene ſeene in the world? and are not theſe textes Rom. 14.5. Exod. 31.13. and Coloſ. 2.16.17. monſtrouſty abuſed think you, which they vſe for this monſtrouſe end?
In the 5th com. we are inioyned ij things, to honour our father; & to honour our mother: & in the 10th com. we are inioyned many things, as 7 in number: & in the 4th com. we are inioyned ij things, an holy reſt, & the day and time wherein to kepe this holy reſt: now they that take one of theſe ij things in the 4th com. & reiect the other; they are as abſurd, as if one ſhould take one of thoſe ij things inioyned in the 5th com. and reiect the other; holding it morall to honour our fathers, but ceremoniall, to honour our mothers: & as abſurd they are, as if they ſhould diuide betwixt thoſe 7 things commanded in the 10th com. holding 4 of them morall, & ſome ſuch 3 of them as diſconceits them moſt, for ceremonies: in a word, for any to ſay the 4th com. is partly morall, partly ceremoniall, it is a poſition partly religiouſe, partly prophane.
It is much like that of Papiſts, touching the 2d. com. about Images, who hold, that this 2d. com. is ceremoniall, & forbiddeth onelyonly Iewiſh Images, not the Images of Chriſtians; and why may we not admit of Papiſts abſurdetie in the 2d. com. as well as of Proteſtāts abſurdneſſe in the 4th com. Oh, how is this abuſed Commandement, to be deplored & lamented! & how are the Agents herein, to be loathed and abhorred? for they attempt with that wicked man, prophecied on by Daniel, to change times & lawes, Dan. 7.25. Gods 7th day, into the 8th day: and the law of the 4th com. from off the 7th day, vntounto the 8th day.
An other abſurdety is, that by alleaging Scriptures out of the new Teſtament, as Rom. 14.5. Gal. 4.10. Col. 2.16. againſt the Sabbath in the morall law, & ſo fathering the abolition of that Sabbath on Chriſt and on his Paul, hereby we become a ſtumbling block, ſcandale, and occation of offence vntounto the Iewes; for, when they vrge vsus with the 4th com. for keeping of the old Sabbath day, and we anſwer that Christ & Paul aboliſhed it, hereat they are ſcandalized, and ſay, that hereby they know Chriſt and Paul to be impoſtors & deceiuers: becauſe they durſt aboliſh one of Gods ordinances in the Decalogue, which all men count morall: is not the converſion of the Iewes daily expected, & praied for? & ſhall we vnneceſſarily, hinder their coming vntounto Chriſt, by fathering on Chriſt a thing both falſe, & moſt odiouſe vntounto the people of the Iewes? let vsus beware we be not an occation any longer of the hard-hartedneſſe of the Iewes.
Furthermore, other abſurdeties alſo theſe euill Agētes runinto: he that can allow of theſe following arguments, againſt the 7th day Sabbath, he may with a ſafe conſcience turne Anabaptist, & keepe no Sabbath: for the 7th day Sabbath, theſe men will throw downe, as they ſay: And for the 8th day Sabbath, thats but an idle fiction, as hath bene ſhowne; ſo then, throw downe the 7th day Sabbath, and away with all Sabbathes: for my parte, I am cleerly & fully reſolued in this, that take away the 7th day Sabbath, & then we are not bound to keepe any Sabbath at all, one or other: Thus theſe enemies to Gods Sabbaths, they make an high way, and open gappe vntounto Anabaptiſtry, that ſo we ſhould hauehave no Sabbathes.
An other abſurdety is this; The time of the 7th day, it was, and alſo it may now againe (if men ſo pleaſe) be an helpe and a furtherance, vntounto theſe Morall dueties, of Reſt from laboures, and the worſhip of God, commanded in the 4th Comm. for the 7th day, furthereth theſe dueties, as time and place doe further all dueties: and is it not to be wondered at, that men will reiect and aboliſh ſuch a thing, or things, as be helpes and furtherances vntounto Gods worſhip, and vntounto Morall dueties? Diuines teach, that not onelyonly the dueties expreſſed in the Decalogue, are to be obſerued, but alſo all helpes and furtherances vntounto thoſe dueties; but behold, here they reiect as Iewiſh and Ceremoniall the 7th day, which was in ancient time, and may be againe, an helpe vntounto Gods worſhip, and the other Sabbath dueties; Yea ſuch an helpe, as no other day cā be ſo fit: for no day but it, is a ſanctified day, Geneſ. 2.3. nor a commanded day, Exod. 20.8.10. nor that hath Gods preſident, Exod. 20.10.11.
I might here alleage the Teſtimony of many, but I will content my ſelfe with iij or iiij, who though no friends to the ancient Sabbath, yet herein iuſtify me: Doctour Bownde in his booke of the Sabbath Pag. 40. ſaith; That the 4th. Com. can no more be partly Morall & partly Ceremoniall; then the ſame liuing creature; can be partly a man, & partly a beaſt: Yea, as well may one ſuppoſe the ſecond Com. alſo, to be partly Morall & partly Ceremoniall. To the ſame effect, hee in pag. 36. citeth Wolph. Chron. lib. 2. ca. 1. ſaying, but the 7th day, is not to be rekoned among the figures & ceremonies of the Iewes; becauſe it is commanded in the Decalogue, which conteineth in it nothing ceremoniall, nothing typicall, nothing to be abrogated. M. Richard Byfield, in his Doctrine of the Sabbath vindicated, againſt M. Brerewod pag. 88. ſaith, the 4th com. is parte of the law of nature, and ſo parte of the Image of God, and is no more capable of a ceremony to be in it then God is. For concluſion, you ſhall heare doctour Ames ſpeake in the name of all beſt diuines:
In his Theologicall Theſis pag. 499. Thus he writeth: This is a moſt certaine rule, & receiued by all the beſt Diuines, that the morall commandements were thus differenced in their deliuery, from the ceremoniales, that all, & onelyonly the morales, were proclaimed publikly before the people of Iſrael, from Mount Sinay, by the voyce of God himſelfe, & after alſo were written, & the ſecond time written, as it were by the finger of God, & that in Tables of stone, to declare their perpetuall and immutable continuance. Now, doe you not heare how theſe mē affirme it, that the 7th day, is not to be rekoned among the figures & ceremonies of the Iewes? & that all best diuines hold, that all & onelyonly morales, were wrote in the Tables of ſtone? and, that the 4th com. is no more capable of a ceremony in it, then God is? and, that you may as abſurdly ſay, the ſame liuing creature is partly a man, & partly a beaſt, as to ſay the 4th com. is partly morall, partly ceremoniall.
Before I produce their argumēts, I deſire to propound iiij things more, both vntounto our opponentes, & alſo vntounto my Reader. The for moſt is this, before they begine their oppoſition & wicked worke, I deſire them to caſt their eyes firſt vponupon the vglineſſe of it, & to viewe it well; for they fight not for God bleſſed for euer; but against God: my warfare is for God, & to defend his Title touching his Sabbaths, but theirs is alltogether to defeate God of his Title and Sabbaths: my ſtrift is to defend Gods law in the Integrity and perfection, vntounto a iot & title of it; but their ſtrife, is with might and maine, to lame Gods law, and to clype it, as traitoures doe the Kings coyne; they will none of the law in its integrity and perfection, that ſo they may ſerue God by halues, & by peece-meale.
An other thing I would propound, is this, I deſire to know of theſe, who are ſuch implacable enemies to the Lords Sabbaths, if they hauehave any Countermand, or contrary commandement vntounto the 4th com. and that in as plaine & expreſſe termes as the 4th com: you know, that a law enacted in parliament, cannot be reuoked, but by an other law, enacted for the reuerſing of it, in the court of parliament: ſo it muſt be in this caſe; for the 7th day Sabbath, there was a law, to wit, the 4th com. enacted from heauen in the old Teſtament; & they muſt therefore ſhew vsus a law from heauen againe countermanding it in the new Teſtament, againſt the 7th day Sabbath: or, if in caſe they cannot ſhew vsus A law, in expreſe words againſt the Sabbath day, the which they cannot doe, then, if they be enforced in ſtead of a commandement, to flie to reaſones & conſequences, made out of textes of Scripture, they muſt make ſuer, that their reaſones, collectiones, and conſequences, be ſo cleere and apparent, ſo ſound and ſo neceſſarily true, that they may be as vndoubtedly true, as a commandement it ſelfe: the reaſon hereof is, becauſe theſe conſequences, muſt ſtand in the roome of a commandement, for the reuoking of that Sabbath day, which was commanded in the 4th com: eueryevery ſleity & probable reaſon therefore collected out of a text, is not enough to ouerturne an expreſſe commandement, yea a morall commandement: ſhall a ſleity collection or conſequence, fetched by mans feeble & ſhallow reaſon, out of theſe & the like textes Exod. 31.13. Rom. 14.5. & Coloſ. 2.16.17. ouerturne a ſacred time, expreſly commanded in the morall law Exod. 20.8? God forbid. We muſt ſhew more louelove and honour, vntounto thoſe 10 commandements; which God hath honoured aboue all portions of Scripture, by writing them with his owne finger, & deliuering them by his owne voyce, then to ſuffer them, or any parte of them, to be ſnached & wreſted out of our hands, by probabilities, likelihoods, & feeble reaſones.
A man may well doubt of it, whither any man or Church, may aboliſh any things expreſly commanded, in the Morall Law, by any collection or conſequence of mans reaſon whatſoeuer, yea albeit it be thought of all men, to be a neceſſary conſequence: for how often doe men take that to be ſound & of neceſſary trueth, which once within a fewe yeeres after, the ſame men find to be faulty: let men know therefore, that they who dare attempt ſo bould an enterpriſe, as to diminiſh any iot or title of the 10. morales by reaſones, fetched out of theſe & the like textes Exod. 31.13. and Coloſ. 2.16.17. they muſt be ſuch reaſons as be as cleere as the Sunne in its brightneſſe; & ſo ſatisfactory, as eueryevery one that heareth them, cannot but applaud & imbrace them, ſaying, God is in theſe reaſones and collectiones: the reaſon hereof is, becauſe theſe reaſones and conſequences, they muſt beare downe, & confront an expreſſe commandement, written by the finger of God himſelfe, ſaying, Remember the Sabbath day, &c. The 7th day is the Sabbath, in it thou ſhalt not worke.
The 3d thing which I would propound, ſhall be an Appeale vntounto the conſciences, of all ſuch, as dare ſharpen their witts, againſt the Lords Sabbaths, which he hath placed in his Morall Law: my deſire vntounto them is, that they would ranſake and ſerch their hearts, to ſee if they can find themſelues compelled, & conſtrained by their conſciences, vponupon the reading & ſeriouſe perpending of theſe and the like textes, Exod. 31.13. Rom. 14.5. and Coloſ. 2.16.17. in the New Teſtament, to aboliſh the 7th day Sabbath or no: let them examine their conſciences, whither all thoſe textes of Scripture, which they bring againſt that Sabbath day, placed by God in his Morall Law, be ſo directly againſt, & forciblie oppoſite vntounto Gods Sabbath day, as by no honeſt meanes of a fit ſenſe, or a Lawfull diſtinction, it can poſſibly be preſerued from an vtter ruine, & finall ouerthrow, or no: now the reaſon, why men muſt goe thus ſeriouſly to worke, is to free themſelues of a fearefull cenſure, that they doe wilfully, malitiouſly, and vnneceſſarily impugne an ordināce of Gods: becauſe we muſt not lightly & ſleitily, make innouationes and alterationes, in Gods worſhip and ſeruice: Gods ordinances, once eſtabliſhed in his Church (as this Sabbath day was) muſt not vponupon eueryevery vaine conceit and by reſpect, be remoued out, or holden out of his Church: men muſt deale with their conſciences therfore in theſe pointes, & be ſuer to goe no further againſt them, then neceſſity vrgeth & compelleth them: if in caſe an errour muſt be, it is by farr the ſafer, to erre vponupon the right hand, then vponupon the left; that is, rather to giuegive God his Sabbaths ſtill, then to abridge him of them: ſhall God fixe his 7th day Sabbath, amongſt his Morales, and ſhall we put to our wites, to roote it out thence, and ranke it amongſt vaniſhed ceremonies? God forbid.
The 4th thing to be propounded: you know it is a Maxime, & a ruled caſe in diuinity, that one text of Scripture, it muſt not be ſo expounded and vrged, as it ſhould ouerthrow & contradict an other text: now if this rule hath place in any portion of Scripture, it muſt hauehave place in the 10. commandements, the Lords prayer, & in the Articles of our faith. for theſe 3. are eſteemed to containe, the foundation, life and Soule of all religion, and that plainly; wherfore, no text of Scripture is to be vrged or expounded ſo, as it ſhould infringe, contradict or ouerturne, any portion of theſe three principles of Chriſtian religion: nay, theſe three are made as a Rule to expound other Scriptures by, & therefore not to be gainſaied & oppoſed by other ſcriptures: well then, the 7th day Sabbath it is one of thoſe ordinances of God, eſtabliſhed of old in his Church, & placed amongſt his Morall Lawes, and in the firſt Table alſo, and there expreſly commanded by one of the 10. commandements; wherefore ſince it is a parte of the 10. commandements, neither theſe textes, Exod. 31.13. Rom. 14.5. & Col. 2.16.17. nor any other text of Scripture, muſt be ſo vrged & expounded, as that this commanded 7th day Sabbath, be there by aboliſhed, or accounted as a vaniſhed ceremony: this ſtands firme, by our owne Rule, for the expoſition of Scripture: and therefore, I might well & iuſtifiablie ſpare to giuegive them any other anſwer to their textes brought againſt the Lords Sabbath, then this, that they abuſe & wreſt the ſenſe of Scripture, making one text to contradict an other, contrary to this aproued rule; for no text may be admitted againſt the 4th com.
One abſurdety more I would add; whoſoeuer goeth about by theiſe & the like textes, Rom. 14.5. Exod. 31.13. and Col. 2.17. to aboliſh Gods ancient Sabbath, he maketh a godly prayer of our Church fruſtrate, & mere babling before God: for when the 4th com. is rehearſed in the Church, the people āſwer to it, ſaying, Lord hauehave mercy vponupon vsus, and incline our heartes to keepe this Law: now ſince the 4th com. cannot be vnderſtod of any day, or dueties but thoſe done on the ancient Sabbath day, aboliſh that day, & thē our prayer is but babling. 2. Doctour Prideaux in his booke on the Sabbath pag. 140. affirmeth, that the Church following the Apoſtles, kept the Sabbath, and M. Brerewod in his book of the Sabbath, pag. 77. affirmeth, that the old Sabbath, was religiouſly obſerued 300. yeeres after Chriſt: & this I ſhall proue towards the latter end of this booke, by ſondry other Teſtimonies: they therefore who by theſe textes, Exod. 31.13. and Col. 2.16. doe attempt to ouerthrow the ancient 7th day Sabbath, they doe thereby not only make fruſtrate an holy prayer of our Church, but alſo they do condemne the practiſe, of the moſt ancient, pure, and primitiue Churches, which liued next vntounto the Apoſtles.
Thus you ſee, how many & foule abſurdeties they rune into, who cale the Saturday or 7th day Sabbath Iudaiſme Iewiſh, & ceremoniall, & attempt to roote it out of the Morall Law, by theſe texts, Exod. 31. Col. 2.17.