The Doctrine of the Sabbath Vindicated, Preface
THE PREFACE.
BEfore I touch upon this Antiſabbato-Dominicall Pamphlet to grapple with it, it is requiſite briefly to skan the title and ſentences of Scripture prefixed; and to propoſe the caſe or queſtion controverted.
Firſt▪ the Booke is intituled, A learned Treatiſe of the Sabaoth. What the Treatiſe affords ſhall bee ſeene anon, God willing: the Title ſavours of little learning, wherein for Sabbath is written Sabaoth, which ſignifieth, hoſtes, as in aEſay 1. 9.Eſay, Vnleſſe the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a remnant. What hoſtes bringeth in this Treatiſe? What, the hoſtes of flies, of which Saint Auſtine ſpeaketh bSerm. de temp. 95. Conſideremus ergo cur & ibi decem praecepta, & hic decemplagae memorentur: ideo ſine dubio, quia in illis erant vulnera, in…ſtis medicamenta. Attendite tertiam plagam huic tertio praecepts contrariam. Cyniphesnati ſunt in terra Aegyptide lino, muſcae minutiſſimae, inquiretiſſimae, inordinate volantes, in oculos irruen…s, non permittentes hominem quireſcere, dum abiguntur i…erum irruunt, dum expulſae ſuerint, iterum redeunt. Quales iſtae ſunt muſcae, tol…s ſunt homines inquieti, qui Sabba…m ſpiritalitèr obſervares: id eſt, bonis operibus ſtudere, & lectioni vel orationi inſiſt…re nol…nt.? Who comparing the ten Precepts and ten Plagues of Egypt together, as the diſeaſes and the medicines, doth paralell the plague of flies to the Commandement of the Sabbath, and thus applyeth it: Such as …e (ſaith he) theſe Dog-flies, (or Lice, as our Tranſlation readeth it, Exod. 8. 16.) ſuch are unquiet men, which will not ſpiritually obſerve the Sabbath, that is, which will not ſtudy good workes, nor inſiſt in reading and prayer. Hold yee the Precept, beware of the Plague. Theſe are hoſtes under the command of that Don-Beelzebub cThe Lord of Flies.. I would hauehave imputed this to the Printers overſight, if either the Errata had mentioned it, or the whole Treatiſe in any one place had given the t…ue Orthography. Well, but be it ſo, the Treatiſe page missing plyed to this Diſcourſe, and therefore how prophanely abuſed to Gods high diſhonour appeareth, by ſetting other places to them, and applying them to the matter in hand. Take them thus:
The firſt place.
Prove all things, hold faſt that which is good. 1 Theſ. 5. 21.
Ill applyed to try that reaſoning, that blots out one precept of the Decalogue: Oppoſe that Text;
Whoſoever therefore ſhall breake one of theſe leaſt Commandements, and ſhall teach men ſo, hee ſhall be called the leaſt in the Kingdome of Heaven: but whoſoever ſhall doe and teach them the ſame, ſhall bee called great in the Kingdome of Heaven. Matth. 5. 19.
The ſecond place.
For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodneſſe, and righteouſneſſe, and truth, proving what is acceptable to the Lord. Epheſ. 5. 9, 10.
Ill applyed againſt the worke of the Spirit in Chriſtians, and the intent of the Lord. See thoſe Texts;
I will put my Law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts, and will be their God, and they ſhall bee my people. Ierem. 31. 33. Heb. 8. 11.
The Lord is well-pleaſed for his righteouſneſſe ſake, he will magnifie the Law, and make it honourable. Eſay 42. 21.
The third place.
Holy Father, Sanctifie them through thy truth: Thy Word is truth. Ioh. 17. 17.
Ill applied againſt the great things of the Law written by Gods owne finger. Looke to that Text;
I have written to him the great things of my Law: but they were counted as a ſtrange thing. Hoſ. 8. 12.
Thirdly, now for the matter controverted: this learned Treatiſe hath in it the occaſion, and the ſubſtance. We take the laſt firſt, that all may the better judge of every paſſage onelyonly out of the firſt part, viz. the occaſion thereof. The Caſe of Conſcience queſtioned muſt be propoſed to cleare the words of the whole Diſcourſe, that the force of the arguments againſt it in this Treatiſe may bee ſeene, and the blunting of their edge if they have any, or the unſheathing of them, that all may ſee they are but woodden Daggers, may be apparant to eve…y underſtanding. The Author of this Treatiſe ſtates it thus, and ſo oppoſeth it as untruth.
Breerwood. Pag. 3.
THat for a ſervant to do light buſineſſes▪ or any other worke on the Sabaoth day, although it were ſuch worke as might lawfully be done on another day; and although he did it not of his owne diſpoſition, but only in obedience to his maſters command; yet was a ſinne and tranſgreſſion of Gods Commandement touching the Sabaoth, and that he was not bound to yeeld, nay, that he ſinned againſt God in yeelding obedience to every ſuch commandement of his maſters that day, which by the precept of Almighty God, was wholly preciſely conſecrated to reſt, and the ſervice of God.
This is the point oppugned by our Adverſary, whoſe reaſons ſhall be delivered in his owne words and confuted: I will neither adde nor diminiſh, but onelyonly cut it into parts, that every part may receive its anſwer apart. This prefaced, I proceed.