A Defense of the Sabbath Day, Chapter 4 · Commentary · Section 7 – Section 13
SECT. VII.
A third text againſt the time of the 7th day Sabbath, is Ioſh: 10.13. wher it is ſaid, that the Sune abode in the midſt of heauē, & haſted not to goe down of a whole day: ſome Miniſters make a great deale of title tatleing about this ſtanding ſtill of the Sune, in Ioſhua his time; & hereby they thinke that time is ſo confounded, as now no man knowes preciſely which is the 7th day: & becauſe the 7th day cannot be knowne, hence is plea enough for them, to ouerthrow the Sabbath day, becauſe it cannot be knowne: this argument is much preſſed againſt me by M. Stinnet for one.
Herevnto I anſwer 1. by this reaſon then it ſeemeth, that neither the Prophets, nor the Church of God, that liued after the ſtanding ſtill of the Sunne in Ioſhua his time, vntill Chriſt time, did euer keepe, or were bound to keepe, the Sabbath day; or to yeeld any obedience vntounto the 4th com. & by this reaſon the Iewes, neuer after the ſtanding ſtill of the Sunne, kept, or were bound to keep the paſſouer, on the 14th day of the monethmonth; nor their other feaſt dayes; & all forſooth becauſe the ſtanding ſtill of the Sunne, had made ſuch an alteration of time, that they knew not Saturday from Sunday any longer, nor the 14th day of the monethmonth from the 13th or 15th dayes of the monethmonth: are not theſe men worthily counted enemies to Gods Sabbaths, and are they not very deſirouſe to ouerthrow them, when they ſtudy for ſuch ſimple ſtuffe as this is, againſt them? is not this to make a needleſſe, voluntary, and vnneceſſary oppoſition to Gods ordinance? for what neceſſity is here in this text; to moue a man, to oppoſe God in his Sabbathes?
2. I proue their grownd falſe, whereon they build; they ſuppoſe the 7th day cannot be knowne, becauſe of the ſtanding ſtill of the Sunne: but I proue, that long after the Sunns ſtanding ſtill, the 7th day, was knowne; for after Chriſt his reſurrection, all the iiij Euangeliſts doe cale our Sunday, the first day of the weeke: if then Sunday be the firſt day in their account, rekone onwards, & Saturday after it muſt be the 7th day; ſo thē the ſtanding ſtill of the Sunne hindreth not from the knowledge which day is the 7th, and which day is the firſt &c. other anſwers I giuegive alſo in my former booke, but theſe are enough, & too many for ſuch idle arguments.
An other argument of like nature they vſe, and this is a fit place to anſwer it, if it deſerued anſwer; it is this, if all nations be bound to keepe the 7th day Sabbath, as well as the Iew, then in ſome countries, they muſt keepe a Sabbath day, halfe a yeere together: for in ſome countrie, there is halfe a yeere light or day together.
Herevnto I anſwer 1. if this argument be good againſt the Sabbath day, then is it good alſo againſt the Lords day: for how ſhall all nationes be bound to keepe the Lords day; ſeing that then in ſome countrie, they ſhall be bound to keep a Lords day, halfe a yeere long &c? 2. I anſwer, by like reaſon a man may thus conclud, that the 5th com. belongeth not vntounto all men; becauſe ſome men are not bound vntounto it, as a King, whoſe father & mother is dead: but what & if the King who hath no ſuperiour liuing, be not bound to the 5th com. ſhall none of his ſubiects therefore, who hauehave parentes and ſuperiours liuing, be bound vntounto the 5th com? & ſo, what if ſome one country, ſhould not be bound to the Sabbath day, becauſe of the exceeding length and diſcommodiouſneſſe of their dayes, ſhall not we & other nations therefore, be bound to the Sabbath day, and 4th com. who hauehave dayes of convenient length, much like as the Iewes had in Canaan, and no ſuch incommodiouſeneſſe? In the 10th com. it is ſaid thou ſhall not couet thy neighbors aſſe: now thowſands in our country hauehave no Aſſes, will they therefore conclud, that ſuch men amongſt vsus, whoſe neighbors hauehave Aſſes, are not forbidden, to Couet their neighbors Aſſe, becauſe this branch of the 10th com. doth not reach vntounto eueryevery man?
Others obiect, that we cannot keepe the Sabbath day, becauſe our Saturday begineth not iuſt at the ſome point of time, when the Iewes Sabbath day begane in Canaan; but by the like reaſon we may now ſay, that we cannot celebrate the Lords Supper neither: for, we drink not iuſt the ſelfe ſame kind of wine, which Chriſt drank at Ieruſalem; nor is it likly that we eate the ſelfe ſame kind of bread: for we eate whitebread, but in regard of Chriſts pouerty, it is not vnlikly that he vſed browne or corſe bread. 2. By the like, the Iewes might hauehave thus abſurdly reaſoned alſo; whereas the Sabbath day was commanded on Mount Sinay, Exod. 20. yea, one moneths iourney before they came to Mount Sinay, in the wilderneſſe of Sin Exod. 16.1.23. yea, and in an other remote place, as in that parte of the world where about Paradiſe was, ſince the Sabbath was from the Creation; hence the Iewes might thus peruerſly hauehave argued, ſaying, wee are now in Canaan, or in Captiuity in a country that is farr remote from Mount Sinay, where the Sabbath was commanded, or from the wilderneſſe of Sin, or that parte of the world where Paradiſe was, and where the Patriarkes kept the Sabbath, and therfore we here cannot keepe the Sabbath: for our Sabbath in this country, begineth not at that point of time, iuſt, when the Sabbath begineth at Mount Sinay, the wilderneſſe of Sin, or about Paradiſe: loe their folly! God requireth not a people to begine his 7th day Sabbath, when other remote Nations begine theirs, but onelyonly thē, when by the light of the Sunne, which rules the day, God begineth to that people his Seauenth day.
This point is further proſecuted in my former booke, but enough & too much hath bene here ſaid to this idle argument: men hauehave ſo little reuerence of God, and of his lawes, and of his ancient ordinance the Sabbath, that they thinke any thing is good enough, how idle and ridiculouſe ſoeuer to throw againſt the ſame; eueryevery frothie conception of an idle braine, is matter ſound enough, to buze and make a noiſe in peoples eares, againſt that ſacred time, which God himſelfe hath hallowed & ſanctified; & honoured amongſt his morales.
SECT. VIII.
A 4th text is that Iſa. 66.23. From monethmonth to monethmonth or from new Moone to new Moone, & from Sabbath to Sabbath, ſhall all fleſh come to worſhip before me, ſaith the Lord. Whence ſome collect, that the Sabbath here was made a Signe, of the euerlaſting Sabbath in heauen: others would hauehave it a Signe of the Church vnderunder the new Teſtament, and of the Church triumphant in heauen both: & ſo it being a ſigne, it is aboliſhed.
Herevnto I anſwer 1. it is doubtfull what may be the proper ſenſe of this text, it being a Prophecy, & deliuered in Metaphoricall and Allegoricall ſpeeches, for inſtance, what ſhall be meant by theſe words, from new Moone to new Moone? it is doubtfull: wherefore this text being difficult, it is not fit to hauehave a controuercy decided by it; much leſſe to hauehave it vſed, to the aboliſhing of any thing commanded in a morall law: it is not meete that the 4th com. being vttered in plaine & proper ſpeeches, ſhould be contradicted, & countermanded, by a Prophecy which is vttered in difficult & improper ſpeeches, what is this but petitio principij?
2. I anſwer, by the word Sabbath here may be vnderſtod, not the weekly 7th day & morall Sabbath, inioyned in the morall law, but ſome of the anniuerſary ceremoniall Sabbathes, which neuer came into the morall law; as that Sabbath of the Seauenth yeere, or of the fiftith yeere, Leuit. 25.10.4. for ſince the text ſpeaketh of a continuall worſhiping of God, vnderunder the new Teſtament, therefore the Sabbath of a yeere is more fit to be a type of it, then the Sabbath of a day, the 7th day.
3. I anſwer, the Sabbath day here mentioned, is not made a Signe, but rather the other 6 dayes which goe betwence Sabbath and Sabbath: for ſo the text ſaith, from Sabbath to Sabbath, that is, all the dayes betwene the Sabbaths, ſhall all fleſh come to worſhip &c. ſo then, it is not the Sabbath day that was made a Signe, but thoſe Six dayes which went betwene the Sabbathes.
SECT. IX.
A 5th text of theirs is Heb. 4.10.11. where there is mention of a Rest; and in v. 9. there remaineth therefore a Rest vntounto the people of God. Here (ſay they) the Sabbath or Reſt, is made a type of the Reſt in the Kingdome of heauen: now all types are aboliſhed as ceremonies.
Herevnto I anſwer 1. many thinke indeed that here is ſome greate matter in this text for their purpoſe, but it will proue vponupon better examination, nothing ſo: for, if this Reſt here mentioned be a type of heauen, it is ſo farr off from making any thing againſt the Sabbath day, as that it rather maketh for it: for, the nature of types is, to laſt in the Church, vntill the thing typed out by them be come; thus all ſacrifices laſted vntill Chriſt our paſcall Lamb was comne, & ſacrificed for vsus: wherefore by like reaſon, if this Reſt or Sabbath heere, be a type of the kingdome of heauens reſt, then may this Reſt and Sabbath laſt in the Church, vntill we all come to a reſt in the kingdome of heauen: ſo then all the time we liue on earth this Sabbath may be kept.
2. I anſwer, if the aduerſaries to this ordinance of Gods Sabbath, could tell how to proue the Reſt in the 4th com. a ceremony by this text, then hereby they muſt wholly ouerthrow the 4th com: for, take away reſt from laboures, as an aboliſhed ceremony, and then may men labour in their caleings, eueryevery man in his ſeuerall family, & in his ſeuerall field; and how then can there be any publike aſſemblies, of the people together in the Church, to keepe a Sabbath?
3. I anſwer, ſuppoſe we that there was a type in the word Rest, yet ſince it ſpeaketh not of a dayes reſt, but of an euerlaſting reſt, therfore may the yeere of Iubile the 50th yeere, be made a type here, rather thē the 7th day: for there is greater ſimilitude betwene the 50th yeere Leuit. 25.10.11.4.1. and the euerlaſting reſt, then betwene the 7th day Exod: 20.8. and the euerlaſting reſt.
SECT. X.
A 6th text they vſe, which is Numb. 28.9.10. where it was commanded vntounto the Iewes, to offer ij lambes for a Sacrifice on the Sabbath day: whence they would collect, that if the Sacrifices being a duety of the Sabbath, be aboliſhed, then is the Sabbath it ſelfe aboiiſhed.
Herevnto I anſwer 1. if the Sabbath day be aboliſhed, togeather with the ſacrificing of the ij lambes, then muſt for the ſame reaſon alſo be aboliſhed, rest from laboures, and the morall worſhip of God, in the Sabbath: for, the ſacrificing of the lambes on the Sabbath day, hath as much reſpect vntounto reſt from labour, & Gods worſhip, to declare them alſo to be ceremonies, as vntounto the time, to declare it to be a ceremony & aboliſhed.
2. I anſwer, that this law of offering ij lambes on the Sabbath day, it was aduentitiouſe, & onelyonly added to the 4th com. & to the Sabbath for a time; and therefore no parte of the 4th com. nor eſſentiall Sabbath duety: for it was neuer wrote by God, in Tables of ſtone, but wrote by Moſes, as were other ceremonies, & all after the writing of the moral law was finiſhed, and therefore no parte of the morall law, or law of the Sabbath.
3. I anſwer by deniall of the conſequence: for ſince the dueties in the Sabbath day were many, it followeth not, that if ſome one of thoſe dueties be aboliſhed, the day muſt alſo be aboliſhed, wherin it was done: for ſince the other dueties of Rest and Gods worſhip remaine ſtill, the time and day may remaine ſtill for theſe dueties ſake.
SECT. XI.
7. They argue out of ij textes together, Ioh. 7.22.23. and Mat. 12.5. in which textes it is written, that on the Sabbath day, they did circumciſe a man… and on the Sabbath day, they did … the Sacrifices: now theſe were both ceremonies, and the Sabbath day gaue way vntounto them, wherefore the Sabbath day, muſt be inferiour to ceremonies, and ſo aboliſhed with them.
I anſwer, by the like abſurd reaſoning, they may ſay, the 6th com. thou ſhalt not kill, is aboliſhed alſo: for it gaue way vntounto Abraham to ſlay his ſonne Iſack, the like may be ſaid of the 7th com. which gaue way vntounto polygamie & a diuorce &c. when Christ gaue way to be circumciſed of a Priest, & to be baptized of Iohn, doth it hence follow, that Chriſt was inferiour to the prieſt, or to Iohn? or, that the strong are inferiour to the weake; becauſe they giuegive way vntounto the weake? Rom. 15.1. or, that the Morall Law, is abſolutly aboliſhed, becauſe in ſome ſenſe, it gaue way vntounto the goſpell?
2. I anſwer, that not onelyonly the day & time, to wit, the 7th day, gaue way vntounto circumciſion & vntounto Sacrifice, but alſo the Reſt and ceſſation from labour, and the worſhip of God in the holy exerciſes of the Sabbath, both theſe gaue way as well as the time: wherefore, if this their argument be good for the prouing of the time to be a ceremony and aboliſhed, then muſt it be as good alſo, for the prouing thoſe duties of reſt and holy exerciſes, to be ceremonies & aboliſhed: and then what is become of the 4th com? and where is the morallity of Reſt, and the performance of holy exerciſes, inioyned in the 4th com? thus ſtill you ſee, lik men of a maleuolent ſpirit, they hunte all the Scriptures ouer, to find out ſomthing or other againſt Gods ordinance: & what will be the iſſue of all their paines? why, euen this; they will at laſt make the morall law hereby, to be a morall-ceremoniall law: the 10 goolden linkes of Gods law, ſhall hauehave one linke become partly goold partly lead: there ſhall be now, a ſhaddow & ceremony fanſied to be in the heart of a morall law: in a word, the iſſue will be, that now they may be partiall in Gods Law, & ſerue him by halues.
SECT. XII.
8thly, they argue from Ioh. 4.21. The hower cometh, when yee ſhall neither in this mountaine, nor at Ieruſalem worſhip the father. In which words, Chriſt foreteld of the deſtructiō, & aboliſhing of the Temple, as the place of Gods worſhip: now if the Temple which was the place of Gods worſhip be aboliſhed, ſo is alſo the Sabbath day, which was the time of Gods worſhip.
Herevnto I anſwer, there is not the like reaſon; for whilſt the Curch of God, was confined to the narrow limites, of the land of Canaan, all people might poſſiblie goe vp to Ieruſalem, to worſhip in the Temple there 3 times a yeere, Exo. 23.17. but when at Chriſt his death, the partition wale being brokē downe, & the Church enlarged to Iew & Gentile, all the world ouer; thē all people could not poſſibly come vp to the Temple at Ieruſalem, to worſhip, 3. times a yeere there; for their dwellings would be too farr diſtant from Ieruſalem; & therefore it was neceſſary that the Temple ſhould be no longer the peculiar place, for Gods worſhip; but that now we might worſhip God, in Spirit & trueth eueryevery where: but thers not the ſame reaſon for the Sabbath day, the time of Gods worſhip; for the Sabbath day, and 7th day from the creation, is eueryevery where all a like, amongſt Iewes & Gentiles, all the world ouer: the ſame 7th day any nation had at the creation, the ſame 7th day it hath ſtill to this day; ſo as the 7th day, this time of Gods worſhip, it is not too narrow for the bounds of the Church, as the Temple was; for it is as large as the Church of God is or can be; & therefore thers no neceſſity that it ſhould be altered.
SECT. XIII.
9thly, they argue from all thoſe textes of Scripture, whereby they vſe to proue the Lords day, to be a Sabbath day, inſtituted by Chriſt: & thus they argue thence, that the old Sabbath, is altered & changed, by the coming in of the new Sabbath: & this is that which is ſo common in many mens mouthes, ſaying, why Chriſt aboliſhed the old Sabbath, the Iewiſh Sabbath, by bringing in of the Lords day.
Herevnto I anſwer, 1. by deniall that Chriſt hath ſet vp any new Sabbath, as hath bene ſhowne 2 admit that Chriſt had ſet vp the Lords day on the 8th day for a new Sabbath; yet this doth not hinder, but that the old Sabbath, on the 7th day, may ſtand ſtill: for example, the Lord ſet vp the morall weekly Sabbath, on the 7th day, Exod. 20.8.9.10. afterwards, he ſet vp other ceremoniall yeerly Sabbaths alſo Leuit. 23.32.38.39. now the coming in of theſe other yeerly Sabbaths, did not alter change, or aboliſh the weekly Sabbath, no, here was an addition of Sabbaths, no alteration of Sabbaths. Iuſt ſo it may be here, ſuppoſe that Chriſt had ſet vp a new Sabbath on the Lords day, then hauehave we ij. Sabbaths to keepe weekly, the old Sabbath on the 7th day, & the new Sabbath on the 8th day; ſo that the ſetting vp of this Lords day Sabbath, is but an addition of a new Sabbath vntounto the old Sabbath; like as when a man buildes a new houſe by the ſide of an old houſe, this is but an additiō of houſe, to houſe; it is no alteration, or change; for the raiſeing vp of a new houſe, by the ſide of an old houſe, is not the demoliſhing & throwing downe of the old houſe.