A Defense of the Sabbath Day, Chapter 5 · Commentary · Section 3 · Argument 5
ARGVM. V.
My 5th argument, to proue that the 7th day Sabbath is ſtill in force, is becauſe to ſanctify the 7th day Sabbath, is a parte of the 4th com. or a parte of the Decalogue and 10 Commandements, and thus it may be framed.
EueryEvery parte of the Law is still in force.
But to ſanctify the 7th day Sabbath, is a parte of the Law.
Therefore to ſanctify the 7th day Sabbath, is ſtill inforce.
I hauehave purpoſly framed this argument, for the ſake of thoſe who doe ſo dote vponupon this fiction, that the Time in the 4th com. it is but a circumſtance, and an accident, and I cannot tell what other triuall thing they make of it; but (ſay they) if it could be once proued vntounto vsus, that this Time of the 7th day, were a parte of the Law, or of the 4th com. then would we ſoone imbrace it: well, they ſhall ſee it therefore proued to be a parte of the Law of God.
For the Major, or firſt propoſition, I thus proue it, EueryEvery parte of the Law is ſtill in force, becauſe the Law is ſtill in force, for if the Law be in force, then of neceſſity the partes of the Law muſt be in force this followeth neceſſarily, by the rule of Logicianes, Poſito aut remoto toto, neceſſe est poni, vel remoueri partes. But the Law is in force, as you may reade, Rom. 3.31. Rom, 13.8.9.10. yea the whole Law is in force, as you may ſee Mat. 5.18. Iam. 2.10. for whoſoeuer ſhall keepe the whole Lawe, & yet faileth in one point, he is guilty of all. Therefore all the partes, or eueryevery parte and perſell of the Law is in force.
In a word, whoſoeuer denieth this Maior, he is an enemy to the Integritie & perfection of Gods Law, he muſt be partiall in the Law: yea, he muſt hold it Jewiſh & Iudaiſme for any to be intire & perfect in the Law, that is, to hauehave an indifferent & vnpartiall reſpect vntounto all the parts of Gods Law: for whoſoeuer is intire & perfect in his obedience to Gods Law, he will ſanctifie his Sabbaths as one part of his Law, which theſe men muſt account for Iudaiſme: & ſo much for proofe of the Maior.
I come now vntounto th profe of the Minor, or ſecond propoſition: & here I proue, that to ſanctify the 7th day Sabbath, is a parte of the Law: my firſt reaſon is, becauſe the Sanctification of the 7th day Sabbath, is as well & as much commanded in the Law, as any other duetie therin mentioned is: for other dueties, are deliuered but in commanding termes, & ſo is this: for the Lord ſaieth, But the 7th day is the Sabbath &c. in it thou ſhalt not doe any worke. Where you ſee, that God expreſly mentioneth the Time & day, to wit, the 7th day: & of this Time and day, hee ſaith, In it, thou ſhalt not doe any worke: ſo that God hath as well forbidden men, to labour & worke vponupon the 7th day; as he hath forbidden men, to kill, to Commit adultery, or to ſteale: and therefore the 7th day, & the ſanctification of it, is no leſſe a parte of the Law, and may challeng it of right, then are the commandements of murther, adultery, & ſtealing.
2. In a bond, there the debitor is bound vntounto ij. things, the one is the ſumme of money, the other is the Time & day when it muſt be paid; now will any man ſay, that the Time and day mentioned in the bond, is no parte of the bond? there is the ſame reaſon of the thinges in a bond, and of the things in the bond of the 4th com.
3. The Iewes were commanded to circumciſe vponupon the 8th day; & to eate the paſſouer on the 14th day; now will any man thinke, that theſe daies commanded, were no partes of thoſe Commandements?
4. An other reaſō to proue the time & day to be a parte of the Law, is becauſe if it be taken away, then the Law is vnperfect & lame: for, take away theſe words, But the Seauenth day, from the 4th com. & then you leaue the 4th com. imperfect and lame for it wanteth thoſe words which the Almighty wrote in it, to wit, theſe words, But the Seauenth day. 2. As hereby the Law is lamed in its words, ſo alſo is it in things; for, our new Sabbatharians, when they hauehave aboliſhed the old Sabbath, the 7th day Sabbath, then they thinke the Law is imperfect, for it wanteth a day: & therfore they hauehave patched it vp againe with a new day, to wit, the Lords day; ſaying, the 4th com. commandeth now the Lords day: wherefore, themſelues are my witneſſes, that the Time & day, is a parte of the Law, and alſo a parte ſo neceſſary, as they hold the Lawe vnperfect, vntill they hauehave put in a new peece to make vp the breach: when a ſtud or pillar of an howſe is taken away, ſo as they muſt ſet in a new ſtud or pillar into its roome, then that old ſtud ſurely was in right account, a parte of the houſe; ſo is it here, ſince a new day muſt be put into the 4th com. in the roome of the old day, ſurely the old day was a parte of the 4th com. a man may therefore as well take away the ſtudes or pillars of an houſe, as aboliſh the 7th day Sabbath; and as the one tendeth to the ruine of the houſe, ſo the other tendeth to the ruine of the whole Law of God, but ſpecially of the 4th com.
5. If theſe words, But the 7th day is the Sabbath, be no parte of the Law, or 4th com. then are we not now bound to giuegive God one day in 7 for a Sabbath: for one day in 700 may ſuffice; & more we are not commanded, if ſo much.
6. Thoſe words which expreſly forbid ſeruile labour, are a parte of the Law or 4th com. But theſe words, The 7th day is the Sabbath, in it, thou ſhalt doe no manner of worke, doe expreſly forbid ſeruile labour: Therefore theſe words, The 7th day is the Sabbath &c. are a parte of the Law & 4th com.
7. Thoſe words, the breach whereof are puniſhable with death, are a parte of the Law or 4th com. for puniſhment implieth ſinne, and ſinne preſuppoſeth a law: But theſe words, The 7th day is the Sabbath, in it, thou ſhalt doe no worke, are puniſhable by death: ſee Exod. 31.15. Exod. 35.2. Therefore are theſe words, The 7th day is the Sabbath &c. a parte of the Law or 4th com.
8. If theſe words, The 7th day is the Sabbath &c. be no parte of the Law or 4th com, then by ſo ſaying, you condemne all Expoſitors: for they affirme that in theſe words, one day in 7 is commanded &c. which could not be, if theſe words were no part of the Law or 4th com. and thus much for my 5th argument.