A Defense of the Sabbath Day, Chapter 5 · Commentary · Section 3 · Argument 1 – Argument 2
ARGVM. I.
My firſt argument, to proue the 7th day Sabbath, is ſtill in force, is becauſe the Lords day Sabbath is not in force, and thus it may be framed.
EueryEvery man fearing God, muſt maintaine & defend, either the 7th day Sabbath to be ſtill in force, or the Lords day Sabbath.
But no man that feareth God, muſt maintaine & defend the Lords day Sabbath.
Therefore eueryevery man fearing God, muſt maintaine & defend the 7th day Sabbath to be still in force
Here are as you ſee three propoſitiones, if the two foremoſt be proued, the third & laſt muſt be graunted, as following neceſſarily: I am therefore now to proue the ij. formoſt propoſitions, and firſt for the firſt propoſition or Maior, to wit, That eueryevery man fearing God, muſt defend either the 7th day Sabbath, or the Lords day Sabbath: and this I proue. 1. Becauſe there is none other day in queſtion betwixt vsus, but theſe two daies, to wit, the old Sabbath, and the new Sabbath, there is no third day, and therefore one of theſe two daies, muſt be our Sabbath day of neceſſity: and one of theſe two daies, eueryevery man muſt defend & ſtand for.
2. I proue the firſt propoſition by this, that vnleſſe we ſtand for one of theſe two Sabbaths, there ſhall be no Sabbath day at all in the Church; this were an heinouſe impiety; yea worſe then a ſauage brutiſhneſſe.
3. I proue this Major by this, that vnleſſe we all ſtand for one of theſe two daies, we are contrary vntounto all men; euen to the Church wherin we liue, for our Church acknowledgeth a Sabbath, as due vntounto God, & ſhee accordingly giueth him one of theſe two daies weekly.
4. I proue this Major by this, that vnleſſe we maintaine one of theſe two daies, we profanly & impiouſly liue in the breach of one of Gods tenn Commandements, by name, the 4th com. for if we deny both theſe daies, then doe we neither keepe a Sabbath day, nor the Sabbath day: all diuines confeſſe, that the 4th com. inioyneth a Sabbath day, one or other, though not the Sabbath day, to wit, the 7th day: ſo then, eueryevery man fearing God, muſt defend & ſtand for a Sabbath day, one or other, the old day, or the new day; or elſe he liueth in the ſinfull breach of the 4th com. weekely: And thus much for the profe of the Major, or firſt propoſition.
I come now to the Minor, or ſecond propoſition, to wit, That no man fearing God, may maintaine & defend the Lords day for a Sabbath: and this I proue thus, 1. Becauſe a man cannot defend this day in faith, & Whatſoeuer is not of faith, is ſinne Rom. 14.23. now it behoueth eueryevery man that feareth God, to looke to the gouernment of his tounge, that he ſpeaketh not in defence of any thing, vnleſſe he can doe it in faith: now that a man cannot ſpeake for this Lords day or new Sabbath in faith, I thus proue it; becauſe he hath no word of God for the grownd of his faith; & that faith which hath no word of God for its fundation, it is not faith but fanſy, ſuperſtition, and preſumption: That a man can hauehave no word of God, to grownd & found his faith vponupon, for the Lords day, I thus proue it, 1. becauſe Chriſt hath left no commandement in the new Teſtament, for vsus to ſanctify the Lords day; it is no where ſaid in the new Teſtament, Remember the Lords day to ſanctify it. 2. As there is no expreſſe commandement for the Lords day, ſo is there no collection or conſequence, that can be made out of any text of Scripture, whereby it can be neceſſarily & infalliblie proued, that euer Chriſt ordeined this day, or left any commandement touching it, with his Diſciples or Apoſtles: & that this is ſo, I proue 1. by the third parte of this my booke, where by way of anſwer, I hauehave ſhowne, that none of all their Scriptures, nor reaſons which they doe alleage for the Lords day, will or can proue it any more then a Lecture day, at the moſt; they cannot proue it a Sabbath day: & this firſt argument is of greate conſequence, and much to be thought on.
I proue it alſo by the Teſtimony of Diuines of note, & firſt of M. Perkines, who thus doubtfully argueth for the Lords day, in his ſecond reaſon for it, in his Caſes of Conſcience, Chap. 16. Sect. 2. pag. 106. The Sabbath day in the new Teſtament (ſaieth he) in all likelihood is tied to that which we cale the Lords day, & that as J take it (ſaith he) by Christ himſelfe. And then by & by he addeth theſe words, for in theſe points still we muſt goe by likelihoods: by all which doubting ſpeeches you may ſee, that M. Perkins was of opinion, that it could not be proued out of the Scriptures, neceſſarily & infallibly, that the Lords day is a Sabbath: as for doubtfull probable proofes, and likelihoods, what hauehave we to doe with them in points of this conſequence? for if the matter be doubtfull, then it cannot be done in faieth, Rom. 14.23. He that doubteth eateth not of faith, ſaith Paul. and whatſoeuer is not of faieth, is a ſinne. 2. Doctour Prideaux in his worke vponupon the Sabbath day, thus writeth, where finde you (ſaith he) amongst the Euangeliſts, or Apoſtles, any diſtinct inſtitution of the Lords day, yea, where is the text of Scripture (ſaith he) whereby you can neceſſarily proue it? pag. 143. Herevnto add the Teſtimony of Caluine, of Zanchie, of Ʋrſinus, with many others, who I hauehave formerly cited, as S. Auguſtine, Peter Martyr, Paraeus, Chemnitius, Zuinglius, Melanchton, Hemingius, Baſtingius, the two godly Matyrs M. Fryth, & M. Tindall, with the whole Parliament aſſembled in the daies of Edward the Sixte, all ſaying, that the Lords day cannot be found in the Scriptures for a Sabbath.
My ſecond profe of the minor, is from this, that our Sauiour Chriſt made the Lords day a trauailing day; for he trauailed too & fro, in the Country, from Ieruſalem to Emmaus, a matter of 15 miles, vponupon the Lords day, as you may reade Luk. 24.13.15.29.36. ſo alſo, the Diſciples of Chriſt made this day a trauailing day, as you reade in the fore alleaged text Luk. 24.13.15.29.36. yea, which is more, the Diſciples and Apoſtles of Chriſt, they were altogether ignorant that the Lords day was a Sabbath day: & this I thus proue; the Lords day (as the Patrons thereof hold) is celebrated in memory of the reſurrection of Chriſt; now the Apoſtles themſelues did not beleeue that Chriſt was riſen from the dead, vntill the day was paſt, or vntill night, as you may ſee Mark. 16.10.11.13.14. Luk. 24.36.38.41.45.46. Ioh. 20.19.26.27. Now ſince Chriſt his Apoſtles, did not know & beleeue, that Chriſt was riſen from the deade, vntill this Lords day was paſt, how could they keepe this Lords day, in memory of Chriſt his reſurrection? wherefore ſince Chriſt, & his Diſciples, made this Lords day, a trauailing day; & ſince the Apoſtles themſelues, did not ſo much as know, that this Lords day was a Sabbath day, therefore no man fearing God, may defend the Lords day to be a Sabbath day, vnleſſe he will reproue, not onelyonly Chriſt, but alſo his Diſciples, for traualing vponupon it; and vnleſſe hee will be thought to be wiſer then the Apoſtles were, that is, by knowing the Lords day to be a Sabbath day, which they were ignorant of.
My third profe of the Minor, is from the 4th com. for there the Lord commandeth vsus to labour Sixe dayes, ſaying, Sixe dayes ſhalt thou labour &c. Now this commandement was neuer repealed; & the Lords day, is one of theſe 6 dayes, and by name, it is the firſt of the 6, or the firſt day of the weeke; wherefore by Gods ordinance and commandement, this Lords day is a labouring day, & a working day: & therefore no man fearing God, may ſpeake to defend the Lords day, to be a Sabbath day, & a reſting day, vnleſſe he will contradict Almightie God.
ARGVM. II.
My 2d argument, to proue the 7th day Sabbath ſtill in force, is becauſe it was neuer yet aboliſhed: & thus it may be framed.
EueryEvery man fearing God, muſt maintaine & defend, either that the 7th day Sabbath, is ſtill in force: or elſe that is was aboliſhed.
But no man fearing God, may maintaine & defend, that the 7th day Sabbath was aboliſhed.
Therefore eueryevery man fearing God, muſt maintaine & defend, that the 7th day Sabbath is ſtill in force.
For the Major, or firſt of theſe propoſitiones, it is of vndeniable trueth: for either the 7th day Sabbath muſt be aboliſhed, or elſe it muſt be in force: one of theſe two muſt be a trueth; for there is no third way: ſo then this firſt propoſition cannot be denied.
I come to proue the minor, or ſecond propoſition, to wit, that no man fearing God, may maintaine & defend that the 7th day Sabbath is aboliſhed: and my reaſon hereof is, becauſe it cannot be defended in faieth; no man can ſay in faieth, that the 7th day Sabbath is aboliſhed: & this I proue, becauſe there is no word of God for the grownd of their faieth: for, there is not in all the new Teſtament, any commandement or Prohibition, as a Countermand to the 4th com. where it is expreſly written, Thou ſhalt not ſanctify the 7th day Sabbath: no, neither is there any text of Scripture, out of which it can be neceſſarily proued, that the 7th day Sabbath is aboliſhed; that this is true, it appeareth by the 4th parte of my booke, where by way of anſwer vntounto all their abuſed textes, which they brought againſt the 7th day Sabbath, I hauehave ſhowne the vanity and abſurdety of their arguments: wherefore, ſince they cannot ſoundly & infallibly proue, that the 7th day Sabbath is aboliſhed, therefore may not any mā ſpeake againſt the 7th day Sabbath: for if he doth, he ſpeaketh againſt it, not of faieth, & whatſoeuer is not of faieth, it is ſinne Rom. 14.23. & no man fearing God, will wilfully vſe his tounge or penne ſinnefully.
2. I proue the point by many abſurdeties, that ſuch doe rune into, who defend the 7th day Sabbath to be aboliſhed: as 1. hereby they deface Gods royall Law, mancle it, rob it of its Integrity & perfection, diminiſh the compleate number of Tenn commandementes, make it a morall ceremoniall Law, & a very monſtre among Gods lawes: this no man fearing God ſhould doe. 2. Since the Lords day is no Sabbath day, they that defend the 7th day Sabbath to be aboliſhed, they caſt downe all Sabbaths of Gods, and ſo draw vsus to Anabaptiſtry, and open a flood gate to all impiety & prophaneſſe among people: which no man fearing God ſhould doe. 3. Since no day can be Sabbath day by the 4th com. but the old Sabbath day, as hath bene proued, therefore they that hold and make it aboliſhed, they make that holy prayer of our Church a meere babling with God: for the 4th com. being rehearſed, in vaine we ſay, Lord hauehave mercy vponupon vsus, and incline our heartes to keepe this Law: now no man fearing God, ſhould make fruſtrate ſuch a deuout, and ancient prayer of our Church, by his abſurd tenentes. I might mention other abſurdeties, but I liſt not to repeate them.