The Doctrine of the Sabbath Vindicated, Chapter 22
CHAP. XXII. Breerwood. Pag. 38, 39.
HOw then hath the firſt day of the weeke gained the celebration and ſolemnity to become the Sabaoth of the Chriſtians? By the conſtitution of the Church, and onelyonly by that, yet of that moſt ancient Church, I confeſſe that next followed the aſcention of our redeemer. But▪ yet all this is but Ius humanum, it is but the decree of page missing
Secondly, but you go about to prove the Iewes Sabbath ceremoniall, becauſe firſt, it was a ſigne of difference betweene Iewes and Gentiles, and part of the partition wall. The firſt part of this proofe was anſwered before; it was a ſigne betweene God and them, that the Lord ſanctified them; ſo the Sanctification of the Sabbath (underſtand it of ours) is ſtill a ſigne that God ſanctifieth a man, every ſigne is not a ceremonie, as every living creature is not a man. The Sabbath was a ſigne of the creation, ſaith Athaenaſiu… rAthanaſ. & de Sabbato & Circumciſ., yet not therefore a ceremonie.
The ſecond part of your proofe implyed, when you ſay it was a part of the partition wall, is very unſound: the partition wall ſZanch. in Epheſ. 2. v. 14. 15.ſpoken of in Ephe. 2. 14. was the Law of Commandements contained in ordinances ſpoken of in the next verſe, which was not the Law morall, but the ceremoniall; therefore you muſt prove firſt the Sabbath to bee ceremoniall, and then wee yeeld it is taken away, and ſo farre forth as you can make that good.
Thirdly, againe to prove it ceremoniall, you alledge the place in Col. 2. 16. but that the Apost. ſpeaketh not there of the fourth Commandement is evident. Firſt, becauſe hee treateth expreſly of thoſe Sabbaths which were of the ſame ranke with the New-Moones, and were ceremoniall ſhadowes of things to come in Chriſt: but the Sabbath preſcribed in the Decalogue, is altogether of another nature, as hath beene, and ſhall be further ſhewed. Secondly, he ſpeaketh as the Apoſtles doth to the Galatians, cap. 4. 10. but the place there treates only of the obſervation of the dayes, moneths, and yeeres, which pertained to the ſervitude and bondage of weake and beggerly rudiments; as in verſ. 9. appeareth. Now that any precept of the Decalogue ſhould bee ſo accounted and reckoned as a weake and beggerly rudiment, was farre from the Apostle to thinke, and is abhorred to Chriſtian eares and religion.
Whatſoever alſo was Ceremoniall in the Sabbath (if it bee granted according to the opinion of many Divines, that ſome ceremony was in the day) in reſpect of that preciſe day, that is, by conſtitution annexed to it extrinſecally, and not of the nature of the Sabbath, and firſt inſtitution therof, which nothing hinders the morality of the ſeventh dayes inſtitution; for ſo in the Authority of Fathers and firſt borne, which pertaines to the fifth commandement, there was annexed a Ceremoniall reaſon of a type, namely, the ſhadowing out of Chriſt, the firſt borne among many brethren: yet by this annexed typical figure, the fifth commandement, nor the priviledge of the firſt borne, in reſpect of the firſt nature of it, is not ceremoniall.
Nevertheles, by Scripture there appeareth not unto me of certainty, any ceremony or type in the obſervation of the ſeventh day properly ſo called: for the mention of a ſpirituall Sabbatiſme in Heb 4. 9. preſignified in ſome type foregoing, under the nature of a type if referred only to the reſt in Canaan, and by compariſon of the like, to the reſt of God: but by no meanes in the leaſt ſignification is it referred to the reſt commanded in the fourth precept, as to a type and ſhadow.
And whereas the Fathers, and many others include the Iewiſh Sabbath within the former text, they muſt in my judgement, bee underſtood of that day, as it was the day in which the ceremoniall worſhip (which was then the worſhip of God) was the ſanctification of the Sabbath, and as that preciſe day was, till Chriſt came, apt and fit; but now after Chriſts reſurrection, not fit for the new world, but ſwallowed up of the greater, namely, the Lords day, fit for the memoriall of the workes of Creation and Redemption. For to obſerve the Sabbath with Moſes Rites, were to deny Chriſt come in the fleſh, whoſe Kingdome is not meat and drinke, but righteouſneſſe, peace and joy in the holy Ghoſt; and to this the old Sabbatarian Heretikes had an aime: and to obſerve the Iewiſh ſeventh for Sabbath now, deſerves worthily the Anathema of ancient Councels, and Saint Auſtins ſharpe ſentence, who ſaith thus; tQuiſque illum diem obſervat, ut litera ſonat, carnaliter ſapit, Deſpir & lit. c. 14.Whoſoever ſhall keepe that day as the letter ſoundeth, ſavoureth of the fleſh. And laſtly, to obſerve the Sabbath in the deviſed aſſumed ſuperſtitious ſtrictneſſe Iewiſh, which was never commanded, but taken up of their owne heads; or in the luxurious heatheniſh ſports that others of them uſed, is deſervedly condemned by the Ancients, and is againſt, or Chriſtian liberty, or Chriſtian ſanctity.
Fourthly, but, to returne; grant it to bee ceremoniall, yet your arguing will not hold, that the Sabbath in the Commandement is utterly vaniſhed: for all that place, ceremony in that reſt, do hold that the reſt in heaven was that which was chiefely aymed at. Now this maketh againſt you; for then a Sabbaths reſt muſt remaine till that eternall reſt bee come: for though it bee aſſured, yet it is not come. And if the aſſurance by word and pledge would have cut off the neceſſity of a Sabbath reſt to ſhadow it, then might all the ſhadowes of the ceremoniall Law have been ſpared, for they had the Word, Oath, and Spirit of God to aſſume Chriſts comming and from that place in Heb. 4. Doctor Willet uD. Willet on Gen. 2. his places of doctrine.ſaw enough to prove the divine inſtitution of the Lords day, as a Sabbath reſt, he thus reaſoneth:
Every ſimbole ſignificative or repreſenting ſigne mentioned in Scripture had a divine inſtitution, but ſo is the Sabbath a ſimbole or type of our everlaſting reſt, Heb. 4. 9. there remaineth therefore Sabbatiſmus, a Sabbath reſt to the people of God. Which words doe conclude, that both the type remaineth, that is, a Sabbatiſme, and the ſignification of the type everlaſting reſt.