A Defense of the Sabbath Day, Chapter 5 · Commentary · Section 3 · Argument 18
ARGVM. XVIII.
My 18th argument, for the maintenance of the ancient Sabbath day is, that it muſt be Morall and ſtill in vſe: becauſe it was obſerued by Chriſtians, with the approbation of the holy Ghoſt, after the death of Chriſt, and abolition of all Ceremonies. And thus I argue.
The obſeruation of that thing by Christianes, after the death of Chriſt, and abolition of all Ceremonies, which the Holy Ghoſt recordeth to poſterity, by way of approbation and commendation, that is no ceremony, but morall and ſtill in force.
But the obſeruation of the old Sabbath day, was celebrated by Chriſtians, after the death of Chriſt, and abolition of all Ceremonies, and was recorded by the holy Ghoſt to all posterity, by way of approbation & commendation.
Therefore the obſeruation of the old Sabbath day, is no ceremony but a morall & ſtill in force.
For the Major, there can be no doubt of it: for ſince that all Ceremonies had their period and laſt date, at Chriſts death vponupon the Croſſe, it cannot be thought, that the holy Ghoſt would giuegive the leaſt commendation or approbation, of any Ceremony practiſed after the death of Chriſt, at which time all Ceremonies had their end; vnleſſe we ſhould thinke the holy Ghoſt would build vp againe, what Chriſt had throwne downe: it cannot be thought, the Holy Ghoſt would giuegive any approbation of a Ceremony, vntounto poſterity and the Chriſtian Churches ſucceding: wherefore the obſeruation of Chiſtians, commended by the holy Ghoſt, after the death of Chriſt and all Ceremonies, muſt be iudged a Morall.
I come to the Minor, the trueth of which I proue out of Luk. 23.56. And they returned and prepared odoures, and ointments, and reſted the Sabbath day, according to the commandement. Jn which text, we may note theſe particulers for the profe of our point. 1. that the parties who reſted this Sabbath day, they were Chriſtians, namely, Chriſtian women, as Mary Magdalen, & Ioanna, & Mary the mother of Iames, and other women with them, as the text ſpeaketh Luk. 24.10. 2dly, we may note, that this Sabbath day, was ſanctified after the death of Chriſt: for Chriſt ſuffered the day before it. 3dly, it was ſanctified after the abolition of all Ceremonies: for all Ceremonies ended vponupon Chriſts Croſſe, as we reade in Coloſ. 2.14. So that an end was put vntounto all Ceremonies, on the day before this Sabbath was ſanctified. 4thly, the ſanctification of this Sabbath day, was recorded by the Holy Ghoſt, vntounto all ſucceding Churches, as we find it and reade it in this text at this day. Yea, which is remarkable, theſe women preferred the Sabbath day, before the embalming of the ſacred body of our Lord Ieſus: for conſidering thoſe hote countries, it had bene very needfull to hauehave embalmed the dead body before it had bene 3 dayes dead; & yet as needfull as it was, they neglected it, preferring the ſanctification of the Sabbath before it; & this zeale of theſe holy women, hath the holy Ghoſt recorded vntounto poſterity.
5thly, that the holy Ghoſt recorded this, by way of approbation and commendation of their fact; appeareth hereby, 1. becauſe he doth ranke it together with other remarkable and commendable facts: for he recordeth it with that commendable fact of Joſeph of Arimathea, who begged the body of Ieſus of Pilate, tooke it downe from the Croſſe, wrapped it in a linnen cloth, and laid it in a new Tombe Luk. 23.50. &c. And with that laudable facte of thoſe women, who obſerued the place where they laid the body of Chriſt, prepared odoures & ointments, and on the firſt day of the weeke erly in the morning, they went vntounto the Sepulchre to embalme the body of Chriſt Luk. 23.55.56. Luk. 24.1. now together with theſe laudable actiones, is rekoned vp alſo the religiouſe ſanctification of the Sabbath day, by thoſe religiouſe women.
2. Had their obſeruation of this Sabbath day, bene any thing but morall; or any thing leſſe then laudable, doubtleſſe the holy Ghoſt would hauehave paſſed by this point, and huried it in ſilence, as God did the body of Moſes Deut. 34.6. In a place vnknowne leſt ſucceding Churches ſhould hence take occation to honour & ſanctify it.
3. The Holy Ghoſt commendeth in theſe women, their obſeruation of the Sabbath day, moſt remarkablie in this, that he doth not relate it barely thus, they reſted the Sabbath day, but he further added the rule they did it by, & that which warranted their action, which was that they did it according to the commandement, that is, the 4th commandement; And reſted the Sabbath day, according to the commandement: Had this their fact bene the obſeruation of a ceremony & a matter indifferent at that time, & ſo not deſeruing ſpeciall notice & commendation, in all liklihode, it had bene moſt fit to hauehave bene paſſed ouer in ſilence, or at the moſt to hauehave made a bare and ſparing relation of it, as to hauehave ſaid, they reſted the Sabbath day, and added no more; but ſurely the addition of theſe words, according to the commandement foreign hauehave an emphaſis in them: for as in diuinity, theſe words, to doe a thing against or contrary to a Commandement, doe carry with them a diſpraiſe, and are a note of a diſcommendable action, ſo on the contrary, to doe a thing according to a commandement, doth carry with it a praiſe, and are a note of an action laudable and commendable: where did we euer reade, that either Prophets or Apostles did make reporte of any mans action, & added this therevnto, that it was done according to a commandement, or according to Gods will & minde, but that this was added by way of praiſe & commendation? for this end looke the vſe of this addition, in theſe ſcriptures, Luk. 2.22.23.24.39. ij. Ioh. 4. Gal, 1, 4. Luk. 1.6. Dan. 9.5. Ezra. 3.4. Ezra. 10.3.5. So much for profe of the Minor.
Happily ſome may ſay, that it mattereth not ſo much what theſe women did at that time, conſidering that they then knew not of the abolition of any ceremonies &c. But for the auoiding of this, I doe build the weight of my argument (as you may ſee) not vponupon the action of thoſe women, but vponupon the allowance & approbation of the ſame, by the Holy Ghost; now the Holy Ghoſt knew well enough, that all ceremonies were aboliſhed the day before this Sabbath was kept, Col. 2.14.