A Reexamination of the Five Articles Enacted at Perth in 1618, Section 2 · Part 2

A Reexamination of the Five Articles Enacted at Perth in 1618 · Section 2 · Part 2

p. 145OF THE SABBATH.

THe light of nature leadeth a man, What changeable, what unchangeable in the 4. precept.acknowledging that there is a God, and to be worshipped, to acknowledge also, that tim…s should be set a part for his worship, and not onelyonly that, but also competent and sufficient times. But nature cannot lead us without further direction, to setle upon one of the seven dayes, more then upon one of eight, ten or twelve. The Lord set downe one in the circle of seven to bee observed perpetually, and universally by all that were to worship him. In his wisedome he could best discerne what time might be spared. In respect of this perpetuity, and universality this determination participateth of the nature of a law morall. For this cause it was placed in the decalogue among the precepts purely morall, and participated with them of the same prerogatives. It was delivered by God himselfe, written in tables of stone, and preserved in the arke as the rest were. The determination of such a seventh day in particular, was made also by the Lord. Both the determinations are divine positive, the first unchangeable, the second changeable, but yet only by divine authoritie. The ten precepts of the decalogue, are called ten words, Deut. 4. 13. that is, as one expoundeth, ten sentences, or as Vossius addeth, Soultentiae praecipientes, preceptive sentences. And yet there are fourteene sentences for precepts in the decalogue. How then are there but ten words, hee answereth, there are ten chiefe, and principall, the rest are secundarie, and p. 146like appendicles. Theses Theolog. pag. 528.Primum istud in confesso est, quam…is quatuiorde…im inveniantur sentent… in decalogo, quibus aliquid praecipiatur, tamen dec…m esse duntaxat primarias & principes: Caeteras secundarias; & altarum quasi appendices. Vnde & Moses decem verba & Graci foreign appellarunt. In the fourth commandement, there are three preceptive sentences. The first is the principall. Some reason after this manner. The Lord saith not, Remember thou, keepe holy the seventh day, but Remember thou, keepe holy the sabbath-day, and in the end, he sanctified the sabbath-day, hee saith not that seventh day from the creation, howbeit it was so for the time. But that seventh was to be changed, and the sabbath was to be fixed upon another seventh day. But to come nearer to the purpose, that this commandement requireth not directly the seventh day from the creation, but the seventh day in generall, appeareth by the reason, which enforceth not necessarly the seventh day from the creation, that wee should rest the same day that the Lord rested, but that wee should rest from our workes the seventh day, as hee rested from his. Which seventh, as under the law he appointed to be saturday, so under the Gospell, sunday, the substance of the commandement remaining. See Master Cartwrights Catechisme. pag, 110.But to come yet nearer. The Lord might have created the world in six houres, as easily as in six dayes. Hee might have done it in a moment, or have taken eight ten or twelve dayes. The Lord would do neither the one, nor the other, but conformed himselfe to that space of time, which in his wisedome he thought sufficient for man to doe all manner of workes of his owne. This paterne doth not concerne his peculiar people of the Jewes onelyonly, but both Jew and p. 147Gentile, and not for a time onelyonly, but to the end of the world, as if the Lord would reason after this manner with mankinde, What needed me to have spent six dayes in creating the world, for I might have done it in one? or wherefore stinted I my selfe at six, I might have taken ten? you may easily then consider wherefore I have done it. I did it, that thou may doe the like: Do all thy workes and businesse in six dayes, and rest the seventh. The imitation lieth in this then, not so much that wee rest upon such a seventh day, as upon a seventh. There is equitie in it indeed, that seeing the Lord hath granted us six dayes to worke, wee should rest the seventh, but the force of the reason lieth chiefly in this, that the Lord purposly tooke six dayes, and rested the seventh, to be a paterne to men, howbeit with all in setting downe that paterne, he considered that equity.

That the precept concerning the sabbath, concerned not the Jewes onelyonly, but all mankinde, appeareth also by this, that it was given to Adam in the beginning, Gen. 2. 2, 3. Whereas some would have here an anticip…tion, and the words to be referred to the time, when the Lord rained Manna, and forbad his people to gather upon the seventh day, Exod. 16. as if the sabbath had never beene institute or observed before. This were a strange anticipation, to make mention of the blessing, and sanctifying the seventh day, without so much as an inckling of the proper time, which is assigned by them, which fell not forth till 2453 yeares or thereabout, after the weake of the creation. Next, the words are knit together by the same copulative with the present historie, Hee ended his worke on the seventh day, and herested on the seventh day, and he blessed the seventh day, and he sanctified it. The p. 148blessing and sanctifying then were not destinate to bee done 2453 yeares or thereabout afterwards, but presently when he had ended all his worke of creation, hee blessed and sanctified, that is, by blessing sanctified, that is, separate to a holy use, as the minister blesseth when he separateth bread and wine from a common to an holy use at the Lords suppe…. Or, he blessed and sanctified, that is, praised it, and sanctified. For the originall word signifieth also praising or rejoycing, as Gomarus himselfe bringeth exemple of praising, out of Psal. …8 27. And Philo Judaeus expresseth it by praising▪ Every dayes, workes had the owne commendation, but now looking upon the whole frame, the order and harmonie of it, he rejoyced, and pra…sed it, and sanctified that day. After he had perfited the worke in six dayes, DE opificio … undi in fol. pag. …5.he added honour to the seventh day following, foreign, saith Philo …udaeus, that is, Which when hee had praised or commended, incontinent hee deinzed to call it holy, as Gelenius translateth. Further, there is no mention of blessing the seventh day, Exod. 16. Gomarus alledgeth, that twice as much Manna fell on the sixt day, as upon any other day, there is no warrant for it, but onelyonly that they were commanded to gather twice as much that day. Suppose his conjectute were true, that were a blessing of the sixt day, and not of the seventh. But as I have said, there is no mention of blessing in that place. But so it is, th…t when he blessed, he sanctified▪ And seeing wee reade not that he blessed it, when he ceased from raining Manna, but when he had ended the worke of creation, it followeth that then he sanctified. Consider againe, that in Exod. 16. mention is made of the sabbath, as a time of rest appointed before, vers. 23. To morrow is the rest of the holy p. 149sabbath unto the Lord. Vers. 25. To day is a sabbath unto the Lord. Vers. 26. But on the seventh day which is the sabbath. They had neglected, or were forced to neglect that day in Egypt, where they were not suffered to rest on that day, and therefore he putteth them in minde of it, and exacteth the observation of it, which was now neglected of other nations. Consider againe, that soone after when the decalogue was promulgate upon mount Sinai, the reason given for the observation of the sabbath, was not, that the Lord rained Manna six dayes, and desisted the seventh, which concerned onelyonly the Iewes, but that hee created all in six dayes, and rested the seventh, which concerned all mankinde. Were it not ridiculous to imagine, that God spent six dayes in creating the world, and rested the seventh, onelyonly for the Iewes, to whome hee was to intimate the sabbath 2453. yeares after.

But ye will say, what needed Adam a sabbath-day in the state o… innocencie? I answer, because the dressing of the gard…n was committed to him, and he was to live an animall life, which would draw with it some distraction. Therefore the Lord would have a day appointed, wherein he might be wholy sequestrat from other affaires. Further, howbeit Adam was in the state of innocencie, yet his state was mutable. Whereas it is alledged, that there was no positive precept given to Adam in paradise, but the eating of the forbidden tree, I answer, none meerly positive, but that. But this is not meerly positive, but determinative, of the indefinit time required by the law of nature, which urgeth a time for sequestration. Some thinke, that Adam fell the same day that he was created, and therefore that the sabbath p. 150was sanctified after his fall. But the imposing of the names upon the creatures, the precept concerning the forbidden tree, the tentation of Adam and Eve, &c. move others to thinke otherwayes. Lyd at agreeth not, either with too short time, or yet three yeares, which were too long, but with those who alledge eight monethmonth wanting a week, that hee might be the more sensible of his fall and defection, after hee had for a certaine space enjoyed the pleasures of that estate. But suppose Adam fell upon the sixt day, yet the sanctification of the sabbath after, was for all mankinde, and not the Iewes onelyonly.

But yet we have no mention made, The sabbath observed before Moses time.that the Patriarchs observed it. What then? It is sufficient, that it was instituted, howbeit the observation had beene neglected. But wee must judge more charitably of the holy Patriarchs, that they were observant of the institution receaved by tradition from Adam. They receaved the law of sacrifices and other positive lawes, by revelation, by oracle, and by d…vine inspiration, pag. 45.saith Doctour Francis White in his treatise of the sabbath. Is it likely then, they observed not a set day, or wanted direction what day to observe, or that the Lord would hav… set any other day for ordinarie. Some gather the observation from Noahs sending forth the dove the seventh day after her returne, and againe the seventh day. That it is likely, Noah was taken up with holy exercises, every seventh day hee sent forth the dove, and that he sent it forth rather then, then any other time, because hee was craving and expecting good successe. But I will not stand upon this. Junius approveth the opinion of the Hebrew Doctours, who all agree, that there passed seven dayes betweene the going p. 151of the people out of Egypt, and the drowning of the Egyptians in the red sea, and therefore there were seven dayes appointed for the feast of the passeover. He confirmeth their opinion with his owne reckoning in his annot. upon Exod. 12. VponUpon Deut. 5. he noteth, that is was the sabbath, that day Pharaohs hoast was drowned, and the people of Israel sang that song of triumph, Exod. 15. The Apostle in the Epistle to the Hebrewes, chap. 4. proveth, that there is a sabbatisme me, or keeping of a sabbath yet remaining for the people of God, and all beleevers, whereinto the incredulous were not to enter, and to this purpose citeth a passage out of the psalmes. There the incredulous are threatned to be excluded from rest, which was to come: For there were two rests already past in Davids time, the one beginning at the rest of God from his workes, which were finished from the foundation of the world, and the other, when Josue brought the people into the land of Canaan. The Apostles enumeration had not beene sufficient, if the sabbath day had not beene observed from the beginning: for he maketh not mention of another sabbatisme past before Davids time, but two, whereinto man entred. There was no oth…r sabbath then in Davids time, beside that rest in Canaan, except that which was from the beginning, and consequently the sabbath observed in his time, was all one with that which was observed from the beginning. The rest of the sabbath is called Gods rest or sabbath, because God was the instituter of it, gave exemple himselfe to man, and appointed it for his owne worship, Levit. 23. 1. and 28. 2. Jesa. 56. 4. Ezech. 20. 20. Exod. 16. 23. If the words of the Apostle were taken only for Gods owne proper rest or sabbath, the Apostles p. 152reasoning had not beene pertinent: for David maketh mention of a rest, whereinto men might enter, and were exhorted to enter in, but men cannot be said to enter in Gods owne proper rest. The sabbatisme which is to come, is called Gods rest, and yet men are said to enter in it. Further, if the first rest were so called only, because it was Gods owne peculiar rest, it would fol…ow, the thy sabbath enjoyned to man had beene omitted, and the Apostles induction had beene unsufficient. … epist. ad … Hebr. …. 4. v. …Requies s…b…ati dicitur … ei, tum fo… maliter, quia in die septimo qui… vit Peus à creatione, tum exempla…ter & efficienter, qui… quies hominum in sabbato, & cultus sabbati institutus est à D…o ad exemplar quietis Dei in sabbato, saith Cornelius a Lapide, a professour in Lovaine. And a little before, after hee hath opened up the three rest…, the rest of the sabbath enjoyned to man, the rest of the people of God in the land of Canaan, and the eternall rest in heaven, hee inferreth, that the rest of the sabbath was in use before the law of Moses, even from the beginning of the world, or else the Apostles reasoning cannot hold. Hinc satis clarè elicitur & evincitur, sabbati cultum & requiem in us… f…isse apud homines ante le…em Mosis, ab origine … licet id neget Abulensis in c. 23. Levit. 4. 3.) ut s…i e…diem septimum homines colerent, eoque à laboribus qui…s…r…nt, in memoriam & gratiarum actionem creationis, … sui quam totius mundi, quam Deus complevit die septimo: alioqui enim vim non haberet discursus & argumentum Pauli, ut patet exdictis.

Howbeit scripture bee sufficient for confirmation of this truth, I will adde for superaboundance some footsteps of the first institution, which were found among the Gentiles. Whence came the name of Septimane p. 153weekes to be receaved among the Ethnicles of old. Not from the Jewes, for they abhorred their customes, and derided their sabbaths. Not from Astrologians, for distinction of dayes by weekes was more ancient, then the imposing of the names of the planets upon the dayes of the weeke. Or Ptolem… his time, who wrote about the yeare of our Lord 140 as Rivetus proveth by the testimonie of Georgius Syncellus, and Philoponus. The ancient Greek Poets cited by them for the name of weeke, I omit. De eme…at temp. lib. 1.I onelyonly adde the testimonie of Scalig…r. … foreign ex diebus dicitur septiman…, res omibus, quidem orientis populis, ab ultima usque antiquita…e us…ata, nobis autem Enrop eis vix tandem post Christian…smum. recepta. Hee saith, from the upmost antiquitie his systeme of dayes in a weeke, was in use among all the orientall nations. But that was the part of the world, which was first planted, and where the holy Patriarches lived. Whereas, he saith, this colection or distinction of dayes in weekes, was not receaved in Europe till Christiani …. entred, testimonies of Ethnick Poets, alledged by … vetus, make good, that the name of weekes was more ancient, even among the Latines. I adde also that place in Genes. 29. 27. where Laban saith to Jacob, Fulfill her weeke. Whither he meant a weeke of dayes, or as others interpret, a weeke of yeares, it is all one. For seven yeares was never called a weeke of yeares, but where seven dayes was called a weeke of day…s. Whence then could this so ancient a circuit, or circle of dayes come, but from the Patriarches, who observed that circle, because of the seventh-dayes-sabbath, or from the first weeke of the creation it selfe.

Wee have not onelyonly the traces of weekes among the p. 154ancient Ethniks, Dissertatio …e origine sabbathi.but also of the seventh day in speciall. I pretermit the testimonies cited by Rivetus out of Homer, Linus, and Callimachus; who make mention of the perfiting of the worke of creation the seventh day. I content mee with the testimonies alledged for observation, in some sort, of the seventh day, by Casaubon, commencing upon that place of Suetoni…, Lib. 3. 32.Diogenes grammaticus disputare sabbutis Rhodi solitus, vententem, ut se extra ordinem audiret, non admiserat! ac per servalu… suum in septim… diem dis…ulerat. Where he bringeth in Lucian, making mention of resting dayes granted every seventh day to children who were at schoole: Vul…atius Gallicanus; that souldiers exercised themselves upon the seventh day in archerie and armes: Dampridius, that Alexander Severus went up to the Capitoll upon the seventh day, when hee was in Rome, and frequented the temples: In this same place Suetonius reporteth of Diogenes the Grammarian, that if any were desirous o…heare declamation or discourse, he differred them to the seventh day. Euseb. de prepar. evangel. l. 13. c. 7.Eusebius saith, That alm…st all, as well ph…losophers as Poets, understood, that the seventh day was more sacred then other dayes. Phil… Jud…eus … cited saith, It was an holy day not of one … region only, foreign, De vita Mosis, l. 2.but of all. And in another place he s…ith, Our law admonisheth all of duetie, …, Grecians, the inhabitants of the …les, and the continent, … the orientall people, the Entrop…cans, and the … even the whole habitable world to the uttermost coasts: for who doth not honour that holy day returning every weeke. Buxtorsius telleth us, Buxtors. synag. Iudaica, c. 11. p. 287.that the Jewes at this day thinke, Christians and others shall bee phnished, because they keepe not their sabbath. And this I beleeve, they thinke not of their other holy dayes.

p. 155I will close this point concerning the first, institution of the sabbath with pointing at the testimonies both of ancients and neotericks. Adversus Iudaeos, c. …Tertullian reporteth, that the Jewes hold that the Lord sanctified the seventh day from the beginning, and that thereupon when the law was given, the Lord said, Rem…mber. Gen … ardus in his chronologie affirmeth, that the Hebrew Doctours taught so. Peter Martyr citeth Rabbi Agn…, Broughtoun in his concent alledgeth Rambam and Aben-Ezra. In Gen. 2.Gen 2Philo Judaeus his consent ye had a little before. Cyprian de Spiritu sancto. Chrysostome hom. 10. in Genes. 2. Epiphanius contra heresin Anoet… haeres. 51. The doretus … est in Genesin. Augustine epist. 86. ad Casulannm. Waleus in his dissertatio de sabbatho, citeth Luther, Calvine, Zwinglius, Beza, P. Martyr, Bullinger, Zanchius, Vrsinus, Gualtor, Aretius, Bertramus Mercerus, Antoniu… Faius Juntus, Paraeus, Alstedius. Rivetus in his dissertatio de origaine sabbathi, addeth other Neoterikes. Dan…ws, Ho…pinian…s, Chimnitius, Gerardus, Marloratus, with some others, and popish writers, Eugubinus, Gen…brardus, Cornelius à Lapide, and Emanuel Sa. A diligent reader may easily finde moe, affirming that the sabbath was instituted at the beginning.

Seeing the sabbath was observed from the beginning, it was not instituted in the wildernesse, but only renewed to the people of God, and enjoined to them with solemnitie, both because of their owne neglect, or forced prophanation in Egypt, as also, because it was neglected among other nations, who observed it not, or not in the right manner, but rather prophaned then sanctified it. The question ariseth, whether it was then onelyonly morall, or partly morall, partly ceremoniall. But the question p. 156should bee stated other wayes. For there is a difference betweene these two questions, whether the sabbath of the Jewes was partly morall, partly ceremoniall, or whether the fourth precept, as it standeth in the decalogue, was partly morall, partly ceremoniall. That the Iewish sabbath was partly morall, partly ceremoniall, is the commun and receaved opinion, which, for mine owne part, I would be loath to contradict, even taking ceremoniall for typicall and profigurative of our … purchased forus by Christ. But it followeth not, that the fourth precept, as it standeth in the decalogue, is partly morall, partly ceremoniall in that scene, that is typicall and prefigurative. There is nothing in the … precept, as it was promulgat upon mount Sinai, ranked among the rest of the morall precepts; placed in the midst, and written with Gods owne finger in …ibles of stone, that soundeth any way to typicall ceremonie. At other times when the ceremonies of the law were intimated, then were typicall and ceremoniall precep…s delivered. It is true, when the fourth precept was promulgated, it was accommodated to the state of man after his fall. …or strangers within our gates must cease that day from all manner of workes, which might give offence to Gods people, which needed not to be enjoyned in the state of innocencie, or, if mankinde had continued in the bosome of th… Church, and had not made defection falling in a second fall. But that specification of persons bound to … worke, was not a ceremonie, but a needfull … in respect of the time. The reason in the precept is morall, and the end of the cessation and rest is morall, to wit, to sanctifie, and keepe holy the sabbath-day. To sanctifie is taken in a generall p. 157notion; and without reference to ceremoniall exercises, or legall more then evangelicall. The leg…ll offices were commanded by other lawes, which were positive. But White to prove that the word sanctifie is taken in a particular notion, pag. 47.alledgeth Deut. 5. 12. Remember to sanctifie the sabbath-day, as the Lord thy God …ath commanded thee. This maketh nothing to the purpose; for the word sanctifie may be still taken in a generall notion, to sanctifie the sabbath, as the Lord commanded before at the deliverie of the law. Suppo…e the word were to be taken in a particular notion in that place, Moses applying it as an interpreter and expounder to that present time, it followeth not, that it was so taken at the promulgation and engraving in …ables of stone, for at that time there was no sacrifices appo…ed for the sabbath, but afterward, Numb. 28. and s…ing on the shew-bread, Levit. 24. But these things were ceremoniall, belonged onelyonly to the priests, and not to all and every one of the people, and were commanded afterward. So was the precept of kindly fire, which was but temporall, and that the sabbath be observed as a memoriall of their deliverie out of Egypt, Deut. 5. 15. which saith Master Ainsworth, seemeth to have fallen forth upon the sabbath day. To be a sign…, that the Lord did sanctifie them, was also set downe afterward, as one of the ends of the observation, Exod. 31. but yet that was not to be signum obsig…ns, a sealing ligne or sacrament, but onelyonly a declarative sig… or indicant, or document, that God was the santifier of his people, or an argument, as others call it, or a publick note and signe of their profession, to distinguish betweene the observers of the sabbath, as a holy and sanctified people from others. But this may bee common to p. 158Iewes and Christians. The mutabilatie of the seventh day from the creation, maketh it not ceremoniall; for a thing may bee mutable, and not ceremoniall. To appoint the seventh day to bee observed and sanctified, is not a ceremonie, unlesse the word ceremonie be abused, and taken more largely, then for a thing significant or typicall. It is properly but a politick order, determining a time for the worship of God, To bee a memoriall of the creation, and Gods rest the seventh day followed indeed upon the observation of that day, but was not the only nor principall end of the institution; for then that should have beene the chiefe or onelyonly exercise on that day, to contemplate and meditate upon the creatures. God propoundeth his worke of creation, and resting the seventh day, not as the onelyonly subject to bee mused upon, but as an example for the observation of a seventh day sabbath. De diebu… …estis. cap. 4.Howbeit of the setting of that seventh day from the creation, the prerogative it had to bee the day of Gods rest from the worke of creation, and therefore made choise of, yet perse & directè, of it selfe and directly, as Suarez speaketh, it was not appointed for commemoration of such a worke, but to worship God for himselfe, for his owne majestie and excellencie. To end this point, wee must not confound precepts, concerning ob…ervancies and ceremonies, with morall. The ceremonials are only appendicles, and have their owne positive lawes for their ground. If because there be some ceremoniall precepts concerning the sabbath, delivered afterward or apart from the promulgation of the decalogu…, the fourth precept shall be holden, partly morall, partly ceremoniall: by that reason other precepts also of the decalogue, shall bee partly morall, p. 159partly ceremoniall, for both the ceremoniall and judiciall law, saith Master Dow, have in them something, which is juris moralis, and so farre forth are contained under the morall precepts. pag. 7. De festis, c. 1. num. 12.Swarez likewise saith, Nihilominus tamen in illis ceremoniis seu observant i…s sunt quaedum rationes generales, que secundum se pertinent ad moralem rationam vir…utum, u… de se abitr…hunt à particulari significatione & ritu veteris legis. In a word, there is nothing ceremoniall in the fourth precept, no positive worship, either legall or evangelicall, enjoyned, but only sanctification, in generall without determination either of the one or other, De fest…s, c, 2.no type or signification of things to come expressed, yea, or intended, saith Swarez, but only the institution it selfe renewed with accommodation to the state of man after his fall, of which I made mention a little before. All the determination, which is added over the naturall and morall obligation, to se apart a time to holy exercises, is divine positive, not ceremoniall or typicall: for divine postive is more generall, and comprehendeth also other lawes imposed by God for order and policie in his Church.

Howbeit wee … distinguish betwixt in the fourth pre…ept concerning the sabbath, Differences betwixt the sabbath and anniversarie feasts.and the sabbath, as it was observed by the people of God upon the imposition of more precepts concerning ceremonies and observances, yet even in their observation wee may observe some markes, whereby it might be discerned from their anniversarie feasts, and to bee ordained pr…marly for a morall use. The sabbath was observed every where throughout the land, and abroad, where they remained, in the wildernesse, in the places of their captivity and dispersion. The ceremoniall feasts on … I…rusalem, p. 160whither Iews and prose…i…s resorted from all countries, as at the Pentecost when the firle tongues were sent downe, and whereat the Apostle Paul hastened to bee present. Next, the ceremoniall feasts had some s…crifices and ceremonies appropriate unto them, which might not bee used at other times. The sabbath had only the doubling of the daily sacrifice at the appointed place, beside the ordinarie exercises throughout the land. Thirdly, the sabbaths of anniversarie feasts were transfe…red to the ordinarie or weekly sabbath, if it was to follow immediatly, because the dead corps and meat prepared specially of herbs, See Cas…ub▪ exercit. pag. 482. Scaliger de ….could not be preserved without spilling or putrifying specially in those hote countries. Non facimus inqu…, duo contin a sabbatha propter olera & prop…et mortuos. … restraineth this custome to the store monethmonth T…ri. But the ordinarie or weekly sabbath was not drawne to the sabbaths of these anniversarie feasts. Fourthly▪ at the anniversarie feasts they might not fast, they were dayes of joy and festivity which …orreth not with mourning of f…sting. See Nehem. 8. 10. Exod. 12. 14. Num. 29. 15. And therefore these dayes were called Chaggim, which is derived from a word, signifying wheeling about, leaping or dancing. The most solemne day of these feasts was called jom tob, Exortat. pag.a good or merrie day. The ordinarie sabbath-day was not called jom tob. See Casaubonus, nor yet Chag. They were not forbidden to f…st, yet they might fast. That injunction, Exod. 16. 23. was a permission, not a command, or for preparation onelyonly, not for eating the day following. Yea, they not only might fast, but did it usually, at lest to the twelft houre, as Hooker proveth by testimonies out of Josephus, Justinus, Suctonius, Balsam p. 161upon the 66. Canon, Epist. 86. ad Casulanum.called the Apostles, saith, Wee fast not upon the sabbath, foreign, lest wee should seeme to imitate the Jewes. Augustine saith, God spake nothing concerning dining or fasting upon the sabbath, when he sanctified the seventh day, nor afterward, when hee gave precepts concerning it to his people. Of these differences the reader may finde more in Altare Damascenum, page 667, 668, 669.

The Jewish sabbath which was the seventh day from the creation, The saturday sabbath changed.was abolished at the resurrection of Christ, because it had types and ceremonies annexed to it, which were shadowes of things to come. The ground ceasing, the observation of that day ceased also; for the shadowes flee away when the body commeth in place. Yea further, I will yeeld, that the abrogation was meant by the Apostle, Coloss. 2. 17. and under the name of sabbath there, is to bee meant onelyonly the weekly sabbath, which is more then White craveth. Not that I thinke, they answer sufficiently to those, who will have the word to be applied to the first and last day of anniversary feasts, which were also called sabbaths. But because I thinke these to bee comprehended under the name of feasts, whereof these sabbaths were the principall, and most solemne dayes. So that here is a perfite division of all their solemne dayes, to wit, that they were either feasts, to wit, anniversarie dayes, or new moones, which returned monethly, or the sabbath, which returned weekly. I so thinke the rather, because we have the like division, 1 Chron. 23. 31. where the Levits office is set downe, to offer burnt sacrifices unto the Lord, in the sabbaths, in the new moones, and on the set feasts. And againe, in Esay 1. 13, 14. wee have the like. As for that, that the p. 162word Sabbath is in the plurall number, it crosseth not this sense: for so is the weekly sabbath usually expressed by the Greek translaters of the old testament; and in the new testament also, Matth. 12. 1, 5, 10, 11, 12. Matth. 2…. 1. Mark. 1. 12. Mark. 2. 23, 24. Mark 3. 2, 4. Luk. 4. 31. Luke 6. 9. Luke 13. 10. Act. 13. 14. Act. 16. 13. In these places the word is taken either for one sabbath-day onelyonly, or for moe. And so it may bee taken in this place, Coloss. 2. and translated either sabbath, or as the late english translation hath, sabbath dayes. The sabbath-day is expressed in the plurall number for the frequent and often returning. By the way observe, that the old sabbath was not reckoned among the Jewish festivall dayes. Addenda prolegomenis in libro… de emendatione temporu….S…atiger saith, Manifestò sabbata distinguuntur (to wit Esay 1. 13, 14.) à magnis diebus. The sabbaths are …early d…stinguished from the great dayes, which were all one with Chaggim. The Iewish sabbath then, seeing it shadowed things to come, behoved to bee abolished. Suppose it had not beene a shadow, yet even as it was but a circumstantiall point of the fourth precept, which is morall positive, it might have beene changed for a greater reason, then was the occasion of the choice of the former. For the resurrection of Christ, and beginning of his triumph, after he had ended his course of humiliation, was a greater reason for making choice of the first day of the weeke, then resting from the worke of creation was for the seventh day before. The first respect of necessitie required abolition; The … congruity.

The first day of the weeke succeeded in the roome of the last day of the weeke, The Lords day observed in and from the Apostles times.and hath beene observed in the Christian Church from her infancie to this day, p. 163without any change or contradiction. The Apostles were conveened together that day, when the holy Ghost descended upon them, Act. 2. When Paul had stayed at Troas seven dayes, upon the first day of the weeke, being the seventh day of his abode, the disciples conveened together to break-bread, and Paul preached and conferred with them till break of day, Act. 20. 7. 11. The originall hath, upon one of the sabbath, but sabbath is put for weeke, because from the sabbath as the principall day, they numbred the rest of the dayes of the weeke to the next sabbath in order, first, second, third, fourth, &c. of the sabbath, and distinguished them not by the names of the planets. As when the pharisie said, I fast twice in the sabbath, that is, twice in the weeke, Luke 18. 12. When Jesus was risen early the first day of the sabbath, that is, of the weeke, Mark 16. 9. And Levit 23. 15. seven sabbaths shall bee compleat, that is, seven weekes. Likewise one, according to the forme of speach familiar to the Hebrewes, is taken for first. The evening and morning were one day, that is, the first day. This place cannot bee tr…slated one of the sabbaths: for the Apostle stayed but seven dayes, in which there was but one sabbath day. Nor yet is it likely, that the Christians did assemble upon the Iewish sabbath to their exercises. Howbeit the Apostle went in to their synagogue, Act. 13. upon their sabbath, that was not for the observation of their sabbath, but because hee could not finde the Iewes assembled together at any other time or place, that hee might have occasion to winne them, as yee may see at that time hee found occasion to deliver a word of exhortation. Wee have the first day of the weeke expressed with the like phrase, 1 Corin. 16. 2. where the Corinthians are directed p. 164to lay aside some thing for the poore the first day of the sabbath, that is, of the weeke, or every first day of the weeke. pag. 211. 212.Now although this text of S. Paul maketh no expresse mention of Church assemblies this day, yet because it was the custome of Christians: And likewise it is a thing conv…nient to give almes upon the church-dayes, it cannot w…ll hee gainsaid, but that, if in Corinth and Galatia, the first day of ev…ry weeke was appointed to be a day for almes, and charitable contributions the same was also the Christians weekly holy day for their religious assemblies, saith White, and to this purpose citeth Chrysostome, in 1 Corin. hom. 43. where he sheweth, that the time was fit for collections, because that day they had receaved many great benefites, and the first of the sabbath, hee interpreteth the Lords day. So do the translations of the Bible expound both the former and this place of the first day of the week, the Belgike, the French, the Italian, the Spanish, the late English, Beza's and Tremellius out of the Syriack. With frivolous cavill…tion doe some few to their great discredite preasse to another sense, which is to the full overthrowne by Wal…e…s and Amesius. This first day of the weeke, Revel. 1. 10. is called, not the day of the Lord, as sometime in the scripture, the time of some heavie judgement is called the day of the Lord, or because the Lord revealed to him upon a day these great mysteries, for that day had beene uncertaine, the sense ca…to logicall, as if John should have said, I was ravished in the spirit that day I was ravished in the spirit. But John maketh mention of this day as a thing knowne before to the Churches, to designe the time, when he saw th…se visions. And he calleth it not the day of the Lord, but the Lords day, or the dominicall day, and so it hath ever p. 165beene called in the Christian Church since the dayes of the Apostles. Justi…u… c…ll…th it Apoc. 2. Diem solis, Sunday, because the apologie was directed to an ethnick, and in his dialogue with Trypho, the first day of the weeke, because Trypho was a Jew. It were superfluous to cite testimonies to prove that in everie age this day hath beene called the Lord day, and observed by Christians in every age.

Notwithstanding it bee cleare and evident, that the Lords day was observed in the Apostles times, it is questioned whither it was instituted by Christ, or by the Apostles, or if by the Apostles, whither by them as ordinarie pastours, or as extraordinarie office-bearers, assisted with the infallible direction of the spirit. Discourse pag. …3.Master Daw, It concerneth us little to know, whither it was delivered by the Apostles themselves, or their next after commers. Those who come after are equalled by him with the Apostles, who were assisted extraordinarly in laying the foundation wherein the Church was builded, and setting down the government and unchangeable policie of the Church. Either every Church had power to hallow a day like the Lords day, or else the Church universall. If every nationall Church, then they might have differed, and hallowed sundrie dayes. If the Church universall, that could not be brought to passe but in the representative, an oecumenicall councell. None such could be had for 300 yeares after Christ. But so the hallowing of such a day had beene suspended for 300 yeares. If the Church may institute such a day, it may abrogate it also, and change at pleasure. If the Church, or ordinarie pastours may institute such a day, they may make lawes binding the conscience. For wee are bound in conscience to observe p. 166the Lords day, even out of the case of scandall and contempt, in secret as well as in publike, with internall worship as well as externall, or els we sinne, howbeit the Church cannot take notice of it, or judge upon it. If there be no such day for the Lord, then wee deny to him that which the verie law of nature granteth to him, for the law of nature requireth such a day. Seeing no ordinarie pastours may doe it, it followeth, that if the Apostles did it, pag. 43.they did it not by vertue of their pastorall power and office, which was common to them with their successours, as Master Dow speaketh, but by that power which was properly apostolicall, and that it cannot be called an ordinance of the Church, as Master Dow alledgeth it may. Even Bellarmine distinguisheth between traditions divine, De verbo Dei non script. cap 3.apostolicall, and ecclesiasticall, and confoundeth not apostolicall with ecclesiasticall. The apostolicall constitutions, may be also called divine, saith he, because they were not instituted without the assistance of the spirit, and divine may be called apostolicall, not that they were instituted by the Apostles, sed quod ab eis primùm ecclesi… traditae sunt, cum ipsi seorsim eas à Christo accepissont, that is, that by them they were first delivered to the Church, after they had first receaved them apart from Christ himselfe. The observation of the Lords day is not like the Papists unwritten verities, for it is extant in the scripture, but the question is about the precept. We confesse practice, say they, but where is precept? I answer, their practice was a paterne to us, and hath the force of a precept. Rivetue himselfe in his exercitations upon Genesis, … pag. …2.answers, In such things we need no expresse precept, if wee have practice and example, namely of such as we know to be the first institutours of good order, by vertue of a p. 167speciall calling, such as were the Apostles, but chiefly where the practice is repeated, for then it is inculcat, if there be no necessarie reason craving a change. Respondeo in talibus non opus esse praec…pto expresso, si habeamus exemplum, praesertim eorum quos scimus foreign in ecclesia fuisse, ex speciali vocatione primos institutores, quales fuerunt Apostoli. In talibus enim exemplum & praxis vim aliquam habet pracepti, praesertim ubi praxis illa repetitur, tum enim incul…atur, si nulla ratio necessaria mutationem requirat. Adde also, that the observation was uniforme in all the Churches, and constant, which presupposeth a precept, an ordinance, or institution. For what likelihood is there, that one began, and the rest every one after other followed the example of others that went before in practice, and that this way the observation crept in by exemple, and did grow to a custome. The places above cited make mention of the first day of the weeke, and the Lords day not as then begun, but as knowne and observed before, even at the Pentecost, before the holy Ghost descended upon the Apostles. And yet Rivetus inferreth a precept out of 1 Corin. 16. where the Corinthians are directed every first day of the weeke, to lay aside some thing for the poore, where, howbeit the chiefe intention of the Apostle is to give direction for the helpe of the poore, yet because hee will have it to be done the first day of the weeke, it followeth that hee willeth also, that they should dedicate the Lords day to the solemne assembling of the Church, for hee that intendeth the end, intendeth also the midst, Vbi etsi prima intentio Tauli sit de collecta statuere, tamen quia vult eam primo di… hebdomadis fieri, inde sequitur voluisse etiam ut diem Dominicam solemni ecclesiae congregationl dedicarent. p. 168Qui enim vu…t finem, vult etiam media, si nihil in eis sit illegitimum, aut verbo Dei prohibitum. Yet his words would bee somewhat corrected; for the Apostle enjoyneth them not to observe that day, as if they had never observed it before, but maket… mention of it, as a thing knowne, and as Chrysostome observed, would move them to bee the more free-hearted, because of the benefites which they had receaved that day. He enjoyneth them no new thing, but concernidg the collection for the Saints, as he had given order to the Churches of Galatia. Yet this direction implieth a direction to continue in the observation of that day; for in directing them to doe a little, farre more would he have them to performe greater duties. Bellarmine giveth some rul…s to trie genuine apostolicall traditions, which, if yee will admit, howbeit they cannot be justly applied to their unwr…tten verities, yet very well to the observation of th… Lords day. De verbo Dei non ser…pto, p…o, c. 9.When the universall Church observeth any thing, that none might appo…nt but God, and yet nowhere is it found written, it behoveth to averre, that it was delivered by Christ and his Ap…stles. Anot…e… rule, What the universall Church hath observed at all …mes before, justly we may beleeve, that it was in … Apostles, howbeit it bee of …uch a qualitie, as … i…stituted by the Church. To this purp…se… quoteth Aug…stine lib. 4. contra Donatist as cap. 23 These are the words, That which the universall Ch…rch …, and hath not beene instituted by Councels, but ever mainta…ned, is to be beleev…d in all … reason, not to have been ordained by o…her power, then the aposto…ique authori…. Quod universate… eccle…a nec conci…iis institu…, sed semp…r …tentum, non nisi authoritate ap…st…ica tra…ditu… certissime creditur. But seeing the ordinances p. 169of the Apostles were of two sorts. Some were temporarie, and to endure onelyonly for a time, as abstinence from bloud, and strangled, which was enjoyned only for avoiding the offence of the weake Jewes: others were to bee observed constantly. Of this sort was the observation of the Lords day. Experience hath proved the perpetuall observation of it hitherto, and no reason can bee given, wherefore it should bee changed hereafter, as I shall show. It were superfluous to cite the testimonies of divines, referring the institution of this day to the Apostles. Walaeus hath quoted a number, dissertat. pag. 165. After hee hath laid downe his reasons, consenting with them in judgement, hee concludeth that the first day of the weeke was substituted to the sabbath by the Apostles, not onelyonly by an ordinarie power, Dissert. pag. 172.such as all pastours have to order rites meerly indifferent in their Churches, but by a singular power, as by such as had inspection over the whole Church, and to whom, as to extraordinarie office-bearers, was concredit to be faithfull, not onelyonly to deliver certaine precepts of faith and manners, but also of comely order in the Church, Vt quis dies in septimana ex vi & anal gia quarti praecepti esset servandus, ne diss…nsio aut confusio ex eo inter ecclesias oriretur, omnibus ubique Christianis constaret; as that it might bee knowne to all Christians, what day in the weeke is to bee observed by vertue and analogie of the fourth precept, least dissention or confusion should arise there about … the Churches. He citeth other divines, concluding likewise that the Apostles being guided by the holy Ghost, substituted the Lords day in place of the Jewish … bath. But others referre the institution to Christ himselfe, which is more likely: for after his resurrection hee appeared p. 170sundry times, taught the Apostles things pertaining to the kingdome of God, that is, the instruction, and government of his Church, and gave them commandements, Act. 1. 23. These commandements, and instructions, they delivered after to the Churches, and set them downe in their canonicall writes. Next, Christ himselfe appeared, the day of his resurrection five times. At the third appearance, hee appeared to the two disciples going to Emaus, at which time hee celebrated the holy supper according to the judgement of great divines. At the fifth appearance, he appeared to all the disciples, save Thomas, who were conveened together before. Then he gave them commission to goe and teach all nations, and in conferring his spirit hee breathed upon them, John 20. Mark. 16. Eight dayes after, that is, the eighth day after (as Luke 2. 21. when eight dayes were accomplished for the circumcision of the childe, that is, when the childe was circumcised upon the eight day) Christ appeared againe, and Thomas was present, at which time he cured his unbeliefe. It would appeare, their meeting was not frequent at other times, and that Christ appeared purposly at that time. And therefore it is likely, that every eight day after ordinarily they conveened, and Christ appeared unto them, wherein that great divine Junius is confident. Die ipso resurrectionis, & octavo quoque die, Praelect. in Genes. cap. 2.Gen 2usque dum in coelos ascendit, apparuit disc… pulis, & in conventum eorum venit. At last upon the Pentecost, which fell upon the eight day, that is, the first day of the weeke that yeare, Christ sent downe the holy Ghost in the likenesse of firie tongues upon the Apostles conveened together. There is no speciall time noted for any of Christs apparitions, but the first and p. 171eighth day, which seemeth to be done of purpose. Therefore Cyrillus lib. 12. in …. 8. willeth us to observe, that the Evangelist is no… content with a simple narration, but addeth carefully, after eight dayes, and all being gathered together in one place. The Lords day could not have beene observed so long as Christ remained upon the earth without his direction. And this appeareth to be one of the commandements, which he gave them. Eusebius ascribeth the institution of this day to Christ, Orat. de laudib. Constantini.advancing Christ above all the great pote…tats of the Gentiles, who could not prescrive to all the inhabitants of the earth to conveene every weeke, and observe the Lords day, as Christ did. Athan…sius cited by White, pag. 78. foreign, The Lord hath changed …r translated it (meaning the sabbath) into the Lords day. The word foreign may as well import, that it was so called, because the Lord was the authour and institutour of it, as because it was instituted for the honour and worship of our Lord. As the Lords prayer is called foreign, the Lords prayer, because the Lord was the authour of it. Zanchius is of opinion, that when the Lord blessed the seventh day, the sonne of God spent that whole day in instructing Adam and Eva, De operi…. Dei; part. 3. …. 1. c. …. 539.exercising them in the worship of God, and admonishing them to teach their posteritie to doe the like: for it beloved Adam to understand the sanctification of that day, which the Lord had blessed and sanctified. Wee have farre greater reason to thinke, being certaine that Christ was here on earth, appearing to his disciples at sundrie times from the day of his resurrection, till the day of his ascension, and instructing them in things belonging to his Church, that hee instructed them in this point also. Yea, yee see, p. 172hee conveened with them, and in a manner observed it also.

Whither Christ himselfe instituted the observation of this day, or the Apostles by the inspiration of the Spirit, the authoritie is divine: Syntag. lib. 1. cap. 47.For howsoever Bellarmine distinguisheth traditions in divine and apostolicall, the distinction is but imaginarie, saith Junius in his answer; and Bellarmine himselfe acknowledgeth, that the apostolicall traditions in respect of the assistance of the spirit, may be called also divine, howbeit they were not delivered immediatly by Christ himselfe. Tratitiones verè apostolice sunt divinae, saith Polanus. Beza in his great annotations upon Apocal. 1. 10. calleth it, Apostolicam & verè divinam traditionem, Atradition truely divine, howbeit Apostolicall. In Genes. cap. 2, 3.Gen 2:3Cornelius à Lapide joyneth both together, Christ and his Apostles. Vnde à Christo & Apostolis festum à sabbato in dominicum est translatum.

Some, The Lords day substitute to the old sabbath.saith Dow, ground the institution of the Lords day upon the fourth commandement, some upon the sanctification of the seventh day at the creation, other seeke for authority out of the new Testament; but all these three agree in one. For the fourth commandement was but a renovation of the first institution after the creation. The substance of the commandement is to observe a seventh day, the renewing the appointment of that seventh day of the first weeke, was a circumstantiall point, and therefore it was changeable, like as for some types and ceremonies annexed to it, it behoved to bee changed. The institution of the Lords day, was but a substitution of another day to that which was, the substance remaining, to wit, that the seventh day of a weeke be sanctified. For, as I observed before, the force of p. 173Gods example alledged in the fourth commandement, lieth in this chiefly, that God purposly tooke six dayes to create the world, whereas he might have done it in six houres, and rested upon the seventh; not in this, that he created in those six dayes, and rested upon that seventh day, which followed immediatly after: for the Lord saith, for in six dayes, not, for in those six dayes. God made choise of that seventh day at that time to sanctifie it, to bee a memoriall of his rest from the worke of creation that seventh day. When Christ rose from the dead, and a new creation, as it were, of a new world was begunne, there was greater reason to sanctifie that day, howbeit there had beene no types and ceremonies annexed to the former, farre more seeing it behoved to bee abolished. The seventh day in the precept is to be considered materially, as it were, or formally. As it is considered formally, and in generall, it is of the substance of the command, but consider it materially, as the seventh from the creation, it is not of the substance of the commandment. The seventh day may bee considered both the wayes: S…arez de diebus festis cap. 1. nu. 15.Septimu… autem dies intelligi potest, vel ille qui est septimus d…es à creatione numerando à primo die creationis, que dici potest velu…imaterialis numeratio, vel potest dici septimus, quasi generat…m, seu formaliter ille, qui est ultimus in septenario numero dierum, sicut Aristoteles dixit ultimam unitatem esse formam numeri. The institution then of the Lords day, is nothing els but a substitution of another seventh day to the former seventh day, considered materially. These are the common phrases of divines; that the old sabbath was changed into the first day of the weeke, that the glorie and excellencie of the old sabbath was translated into that day, that that day succeeded or p. 174was substitute to the old sabbath. What can these phrases import, but that vis praecepti the force of the precept yet remaines, and only the materiall numbring for great respects was changed.

Philo… Judaeus in his booke de opificio mundi in the place above cited, The perpet…ity of a seventh day.upon occasion of the sabbath discourseth at large upon the mysteries of the sacred septenarie, as hee calleth it, or number of feven. Peter Martyr saith, that God delighteth in the number of seven, and hath closed up great and wonderfull workes, within the compasse of the number of seven. Scaliger saith, that the number of seven dayes is instituted by a divine power, because it is so commodious for all the course of the year, called Solar, …non. I… …g. p. 198.and hath into it some divine thing. Divinitus igitur institutus est numerus dierum septenarius, qui ad omnem civilis anni Solaris rationem commodissimus est, & ut dixi nescio qui foreign habet. But in the institution of the sabbath, God had not an eye to the mysteries, or hid vertue which is in the number of seven, but to the abilitie of man. The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath.

Our reason thē for the perpetuity of a sevenths day sabbath to be sanctified, that this order cannot be changed, that it is of the substance of the fourth commandement, are these. First, if by vertue of the fourth precept of the decalogue, wee bee not bound to sanctifie one day of seven, then we have no divine precept for any certaine circle, or circuit of dayes for the sanctification of a certaine day: for no where in scripture have we any precept for any other revolution of dayes to observe one of them. Without a certain and set systeme of dayes there would arise great confusion and division in the Church of p. 175God, some judging one of ten, others perhaps one of twenty, or thirty suffi…ient, &c. It behoved th… Lord therefore by his supreme authoritie to s…int the time, to exeeme all Scruples out of mens mindes, and to prevent all confusion and disorder. No humane authoritie could have bound mens conscience to the observation of it. The Lord no where hath done it, but in the fourth precept. Next, the reason in the precept concerneth us all, for as I have said before, the Lord tooke six dayes to creat the world, no moe, no fewer, and rested the seventh to be a paterne to man, many hundred yeares before the Iewes became a nation, and in that precept, which was a renewing of the institution, commandeth us to follow that paterne. Thirdly, the proportion betweene the six dayes for man to doe his owne businesse, and the seventh to be dedicated to God, is so just, that it cannot bee altered without prejudice; for to give man but five, were an heavie burthen, to give him seven, or eight, or moe, the time set apart for God would not be sufficient. Vnlesse wee will thinke God exacted more then was sufficient, when he required the seventh. But we must acknowledge that God is good, and wee professe equity in his precept, in that he hath given us six dayes, and taken but the seventh to himselfe. And who was so wise, as to finde out this proportion without prejudice either to God or man. 1. 2. quaest. 100. art. 1…Aquinas distinguisheth morall precepts in three rankes: The first are such as naturall reason doth yeeld to incontinent: The second are of such as need the more subtile consideration of the wiser sort, considering sundry circumstances: A third sort are of such as need divine instruction to help mans reason to judge, and condescend. These of the first ranke are absolut… de lege p. 176natura, simply or absolutly of the law of nature, the rest are attained unto by humane discipline and instruction as these of the second ranke, or …v…ne inse…uctio… as these of the third. And to this ranke may this proportion bee referred. But wee are content to urge it onelyonly as divine positive, but unchangeable, as the rest of the morall precepts are. So that the fourth precept is partly divine naturall, that God must have a time set for his worship, partly divine positive, that he must have one whole day of seven. Fourthly, Christ or the Apostles would not varie from this circle, when they changed the seventh day from the last to the first day of the weeke, but keeped themselves within that circle, which they might and would have done, if the fourth precept had beene given onelyonly to the Jewes, or the circuit had been ceremoniall, and had relation onelyonly to the Iewish sabbath. And this is an argument by the way, that this systeme of seven, or circuit of the weeke, was set from the beginning. The reason of the institution of the Lords day, saith Bellarmine, De cultu sanct. lib. 3. c. 11.was, that it might succeed to the sabbath, for divine law required, that one day in the weeke should bee dedicated to divine worship. Nam jus divinum requirebat, ut unus dies hebdomadae dedicaretur cultui divino. And seeing it was not convenient that the old sabbath should bee still observed, it was changed into the Lords day. For the perpetuity of one of seven, the testimonies of many divines may bee alledged. Homil. 10. in gen. 2.Chrysestome, Jam hinc ab …nitio doctrinam hanc nobis insinuat Deus, erudiens in c… culo hebdomadae diem unum integrum segregandum & seponendum in spiritualem opera…ionem. Theodoretus, Septem d ebus circulum omnem dierum conclusit. Beza in Apocal. quaest. in Gen.1. 10. Quartum praeceptum de septimo quoque die p. 177sanctificando, quo ad cultum De… a…net esse leg… moral… & immotae. P. Martyr in his common places, that it is stable and firme, that one day in the weeke bee dedicated to God. Zanchius upon the fourth precept, that it is morall, so farre as it commandeth us to consecrate one day of seven to Gods externall worship. Junius saith, it is natural that the seventh day bee consecrated to God. Praelecti in Genes. cap. 2. Suarez acknowledgeth, De festis c. 4. num. 9.that the dedication of the seventh day, howbeit hee calleth it an ecclesiasticall precept, cannot be changed by the ordinarie, or ordinat as he calleth it, power of the Church. Because some ecclesiasticall precepts are so neare and like to divine institutions, so conforme to the law of nature, fenced with so many reasons of honestie and religion, so ancient, and strengthened by universall custome, that simplie, or by the ordinate power of the Church; they cannot be abrogated. Among which precepts, he ranketh that of the dedication of the seventh day. And therefore he inferreth that by the absolute power of the Church and the Popes, it may be abrogated, tamen practice & moralit… dici posse aliquo modo immutabile, licet ecclesiasticum sit, that is, it may be said in some sort to be morally, and for practice unchangeable; Which is as much as to say, with little honestie or credit can it bee put in practice. Such shifts are sophists driven unto, when they would advance the authority of the Church too high, as if the Church onelyonly in imitation of God had dedicated one of seven, and had not direction from God. Alwayes yee see hee acknowledgeth, that to observe holy one of the seven dayes, is conforme to the law of nature.

This seventh day, The Lords day unchangeable.to wit, the Lords day, cannot …e changed as the old seventh day, which was the last of the p. 178weeke. It is not onelyonly unfit, and unconvenient, but it cannot bee changed. Not because of the nature of the day, for it differeth not in nature from another day, more then the former sabbath. If the former sabbath had beene holier in nature then other dayes, it could not have beene changed. But the reason of the immutabilitie of the Lords day is, that it was set downe by divine authority, and therefore cannot bee abrogated by humane authoritie of princes, pastours, or prelates. Wee must not looke for Christ till his comming againe, nor for any to arise hereafter equall in power and authority to the Apostles. Next, the consideration taken in making choise of this day, cannot serye for another day. Christ is not to suffer death, and rise againe at any other time. A weightier consideration to make a new change, will never fall forth, then the resurrection of Christ. And therefore nowbeit the Church had instituted it, it cannot be changed. De festis c. 4. num. 10.At verò ecclesiasticum praeceptum …ititur mysterio resurrectionis Chr…sti …am fa… lo, quod ut sic, immutabile est: Nec enim potest C…ristus non resurrexisse, nec potest non vivere glories postquam resurrexit, saith Suarez. Seeing Christs resurrection fell forth that day, it can never be true that Christ rose not that day. Therefore for the dedication of such day, to wit, the Lords day, Suarez saith, Num. 10, 11.Num 10:11the reasons are perpetuall and unchangeable, which have so fixed the determination, that this precept of the Church cannot reasonably be abrogated, and that the holy Ghost, which governeth the Church, will not suffer such a change to bee made against reason and the utilitie of the Church. But if it bee of divine institution, and not the Churches, it cannot bee changed, but by the like divine institution. For what ever be the p. 179considerations in making choise of the day, the determination, or as they call it, taxatio diei, dependeth chiefly upon the will of the institutour. Of the divine institution I have treated a little before. I referre the Reader for more to Willets his Synopsis, Perkins cases of conscience, Fulke against the Rhemist, Apoc. 1. 10. and other worthie Divines.

The places alledged Rom. 14. All diffe…ence of dayes not abrogated.and Galat. 4. maketh not against all difference of dayes, but the ceremoniall, or dead judaicall. The weaker Jewes; Rom. 14. thought the holy dayes commanded by God in the old law, were still holier then other dayes. The Apostle willeth such to be borne with, till they come to the fuller knowledge of their Christian libertie. The Galathians had beene converted from paganisme, had begun in the spirit, but were now by the persuasion of the false apostles, like to end in the flesh, beginning to observe the dayes, moneths, and yeares, which the Jewes observed of old: Dayes, that is, their weekly sabbaths; Moneths, that is, their new moones; Yeares, that is, their yearly dayes, or anniversarie feasts; or tymes and yeares, that is, Statuta tempora annorum, the appointed times of the yeares. For by the same reason, that moneths may be taken for new moones, yeares may be taken for yearly dayes. I see no likelihood, that they observed the seventh or fifty yeare. This exposition agreeth with the division of the Iewish solemnities, whereof I made mention before. The observation of such dayes, is taxed here, as were in some respect, of the quality of the new moones and yearly feasts. Now these were the sabbaths. This ceremoniall difference was abrogated, but the morall use of a set holy day was not taken away. For … the same time p. 180the Lords day was observed, and by the Galathians in particular, as yee may see 1 Corin. 16. 1. where the Apostle maketh mention of the Churches of Galatia. Now to set a day is not a shadowing ceremonie more then to designe a place for the congregation to meet in, but a matter belonging to order. But there was more required to this day. For it was not instituted only for order and policie, that the people might know what dayes to conveene to publike, exercises, howbeit it was one respect. Times may bee appointed for preaching and prayer on the weeke dayes by any particular Church. But there is more required here, a day to be obseved holy by the universall Church, not only for publike worship, but also for privat, not onelyonly for externall, but also for internall, which could not be done but by divine authoritie, which is supreme, and onelyonly able to binde the conscience to internall as well as externall, to privat as well as to publick worship, as I have said before.

The last point which I am to touch, The manner of observation.is concerning the strictnesse of the observation: Whither we be bound to as strict observation of the Lords day, as the Jewes were of their sabbath. The superstitious observation of the Iewes wee are not bound unto. For they observed that day more precisely, then God required. They found fault with Christ healing of the sicke man upon the sabbath, and the sicke mans carrying home of his bed. They have had, and have many foolish observations, as not to pull to an herb on the sabbath, nor to eat an aple which they pluck upon that day, nor claw with their nailes in publike, nor catch a flea unlesse it bite. Let us then see, what God hath forbidden them. They were bidden …ake that which they had to bake upon the sixt day, and p. 181seeth that they had to seeth, Exod. 16. 23. and forbidden to kindle a fire upon the seventh day. But that which was baken and seethed upon the sixt day, a part of it was not reserved to the seventh day, but that which remained over unbaken and unsodden. The text importeth no further, for if it had beene baken or sodden, they would perhaps have attributed the not putrifying upon the seventh day to the baking or seething. It was food that might bee eaten without baking, like comfites or fruit. It seemeth then this injunction was given onelyonly during the time the manna rained. If this direction had beene to bee observed afterward, they might not have eaten any thing which was baken two dayes before. Is it likely that Christ and others bidden to the Pharisees house upon the sabbath-day, had no meat dressed for them by baking of seething. The kindling of fire was forbidden, not simply, but for baking or seething the manna, as some thinke, and therefore endured onelyonly so long as the manna lasted, howbeit the most superstitious sort of the Jewes in later times observed it. It is noted of the Essens, Drusius de tribus sectis, lib. 4.a strict sect of the Jewes, as singular in them, that they kindled no fire upon the sabbath-day. They were commanded, Exod. 16. 29. to abide every man in his place, and not to goe out of their tents, at lest out of the campe. This was but temporarie. Afterward they might take journey upon the sabbath to the Prophets or synagogues, 2 King. 4. 23. Levit 23. 3. Yea, if they were not to journey for that, the Scribes prescrived to them 2000 cubits, that is a mile or thereabouts, out of a towne or citie, which was called the sabbath-dayes-journey. But afterward they became more superstitious, not taking up the Lords intent, in that place p. 182of Exodus, as the Jew that would not be drawne out of the jackes, wherein he had fallen upon the sabbath-day. So howbeit the Iewes should be superstitious now in not kindling fire, that is no warrant that the direction was not …oratie. Some thinke, this prohibition served onelyonly during the workmanship of the tabernacle. But let it bee granted, that both the one direction and the other were to endure during the policie of the Iewes, I denie that they were forbidden by vertue of the fourth precept of the decalogue. They would and might have kindled fire notwithstanding of the fourth precept. Their rest upon the sabbath was ceremoniall and figurative. And because ceremoniall and figurative, therefore, saith Bellarmine, pag. 31.and Dow after him, with others, it behoved to be more strict, exact, and rigid. For the more exact the figure is, the better it representeth and signifieth. So granting, that dressing and preparing of meat by fire were not a temporarie precept during the manna, yet it depended upon the ceremoniall rest and typicall state of Gods people under the law. They abstained from the buriall of the dead upon the sabbathday, 2 Maccab. 12. 39. because if any touched the dead, or entred into the house where the dead lay, or touched a grave, was uncleane seven dayes, Numb. 19. 14. 16. and consequently they might not enter into the tabernacle. Here a duty forbidden for legall uncleannesse, which bindeth not us. The prophanation of the sabbath was a capitall crime, Exod. 31. 14. but this law bindeth not us. The workes depending upon the ceremoniall rest, or any particular ceremonie bindeth not us, but only the workes inhibited in the fourth precept, wherein the ceremoniall and iudicall precepts are not included, but p. 183onelyonly annexed to them, as peculiar unto that people, which was under the tutorie, and paedagogie of the law. Aquinas saith, that the ceremoniall and judiciall precepts are not contained in the decalogue. Secunda, secundae qu…st. 122. art. 1. a… secundum.Ad secundum dicendum, quod judicialia praecepta sunt determinationes moralium praeceptorum, prout ordinantur ad proximum; sicut & ceremonialia sunt quaedam determinationes praceptorum moralium, prout ordinatur ad Deum. unde neutra praecepta continentur in daecalogo. If then these workes were not forbidden by vertue of the fourth precept, we are not bound to for beare them. If our observation of the Lords day praefigure that blessed and glorious life which we expect, as some doe hold, then our rest should be also as exact and rigid, because figurative. Dominicus dies, D…civie. De lib. 22. c. 30.qui Christi resurrectione s…xat…e, …, …e ernam requiem spiritus & corporis praefigurat, saith Augustine. But wee will not build strictnesse of rest upon such a weake ground. It may bee fill drawne to resemble heavenly and spirituall things, but that is not any end of the institution. It is not …pu…destinatu…, instituted for any shadow or signification, though …t may befitly applied unto such an use, Synops. pag. 500.saith Willet. Our rest upon the Christian sabbath is only subservient to the sanctifying of the day. The strictnesse required of old by the vertue of the fourth precept, is required of us. As Whit maketh sunday an holy day only by the ordinance of the Church, pag. 109. 150. so the particular forme and circumstances of resting are prescribed unto us, saith hee, by the Church, pag. 135. meaning the Church governours, the prelates. So doth Bellarmine allow such workes, as shall be permitted by the prelats, De … sanc…. c. 10.or have beene used by long custome. Tertiopera concessa à pralatis. Quartò opera quae ex consuetudine p. 184sunt licita. Our holy fathers the prelats, paternes and patrons of the prophanation of the Lords day, usurpe dispensation with Gods morall precepts. The very light of nature leadeth a man to acknowledge, that what time is set apart as holy, it should not bee prophaned with worldly businesse or exercises, howbeit this light hath beene detained in unrighteousnesse among the Gentiles, who would not spend the time as they ought to have done, or were ignorant, and thought their games and playes were a hononring of their gods. I need not to reekon particular workes, this generall ingraft in mans minde by nature, that a holy day should be spent in holy exercises, will direct every one in the particulars. This or that will be an impediment to the spirituall exercises, whereunto I am bound this day. In hoc pracepto est aliquid, quod est morale, ut vacare, id est, intendere Deo, orando, colendo, meditando, quae sunt in dictamine legis natura. Et ista hodie in lege Christiana magis manent in virtute, quàm in lege veteri. Ex statutis synodalibus dioecesis Lingonensis anno 1404. Here yee see in the statutes of that diocie it is acknowledged morall in the fourth precept to pray, worship, meditate, that nature diteth this much, and that these dueties remaine more in strength under the Gospell, then under the old law. This statute with the rest was approved by a Cardinall, Ludovicus de Barro. In a councell holden at Mascone 588, the people is exhorted to spend the Lords day in hymnes and praises, prayers and teares. Sunt oculi manusque vestrae toto illo die ad Deum expanse: Let your eyes be bent, and hands spread toward God all that day. They require also spirituall exercises, in the night it selfe. In the synods holden in France, by the Popes legates Galo and Simon, it was ordained p. 185under the paine of excommunication, that none grind at watermills, or any other mills, from saturday at evening till the Lords day at evening. Cardinall Galo and Simon were sent legates to France about the yeare 1812. In a synod holden in Ange…s 1282. the like ordinance was made against grinding at milles, notwithstanding of the abuse for a long time before, for that sins are the more hainous, the longer miserable fouls are bound to them, cumali qua praescriptio contra praecepta decalogi locum sibi vindieare non possit. Seeing no prescription can take place against the precepts of the decalogue. Yee see they ground their ordinance upon the fourth precept, and conclude ex vi quart… praecepti, that Christians may not grind at milles that day, from evening to evening. They inhibited also cutting or shaving of beards that day, or any other exercise of barbar …ra…t, under the paine of excommunication, but in case of imminent perill of death or grievous disease. This strictnesse then required of us, admitteth not lawfull and honest games, shooting, bowling, wrastling, &c. farrelesse unhonest and unlawfull, w…i…h ought at no time to bee suffered. For honest games and passe-times, howbeit honest, may be impediment to spirituall exercises, and distract the minde as much as the lawfull workes of our calling. Refreshment by meat and thanke was allowed by God himselfe, when hee provided for the seventh day, and by Christ himselfe, who being invited, went to the pharisees house upon the sabbath to dinner. Aman may recreate himselfe with the free aire of his garden or the fields, if family dueties or the like hinder him not, providing hee spend the time in holy exercises, or holy conference with some other. But games and passe-… p. 186cannot consist with such holy exercises. Workes of pietie, as to travell to the places of publike worship; or charitie, as to visit the sicke, and of necessity, as to preserve the life of man and beast in danger, are lawfull. The Jewes suffered themselves rather to be… killed, then take armes upon the sabbath-day, … after better advice, they resolved to fight if any invaded them, 1 Maccab. 2. 41. The Hebrew Doctours have a saying, Periculum animae impellit sabbatum, the perill of the life driveth away the sabbath. Yet we should pray to be free of those necessities. Christ foretelling his disciples, Matth. 24. 20. the destruction of Ierusalem, biddeth them, and in their name, other disciples, who were to follow after, pray, that their flight might not be in winter nor on the sabbath-day: wherefore not on the sabbath-day, but because it would be an hinderance of their holy and spirituall exercises upon that day. Now the destruction of Jerusalem fell not forth till fourtie yeares after Christs ascension. But so it is, the Iewish sabbath was one of the dead ceremonies, which obliged not to necessarie obedience after the passion of Christ. Christ meant then of the Christian sabbath.

I have exceeded farre the bounds I set to my selfe, and therefore I am forced to end this discourse.