A Modest Plea for the Lords Day, Chapter 4
CHAP. IV. That the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, was Lord of the Sabbath: and had a power as to alter all Laws relating to the acts of Worſhip, ſo this Law relating to the ſolemn time of Worſhip.
I Cannot but be ſo far charitable to our Brethren ingaged againſt us in this controverſie, as to believe they will yield us what we have hitherto contended for; ſo far as it extends only to a liberty for the Lord of Heaven and Earth, after his giving the fourth Commandement, to alter it, for though we cannot aſſert ſuch a liberty, no not to the Eternal God, as to ſuch things, in the ten Commandments, which contain in them a morall goodneſs, antecedaneous to the Precept, (being made ſo by the Eternall will of God,) and the things being of that nature, that the contrary to them muſt neceſſarily impeach the glory of God, (which he cannot with conſiſtency to his holy nature recede from) yet for ſuch things, whoſe goodneſs meerly depends upon the Precept, certainly without derogation to the Soveraign authority of God, we muſt acknowledge a power reſerved unto God to make an alteration of them: So that though we cannot ſuppoſe that God ſhould by any Precept, ſucceſſive to the morall Law, give his creatures liberty not to glorifie him, or to blaſpheme him, or to have any other gods beſides him; yet we muſt acknowledge a liberty to God, if he pleaſed to alter the law for the time of his Worſhip, that being a thing from which no glory further ariſeth to God, than as his will is obeyed. Now I preſume it a principle agreed betwixt us, and our Brethren, That Jeſus Chriſt is God over all bleſſed for ever, the brightneſs of his Fathers Glory, the expreſs image of his perſon (as the Apoſtle ſpeaketh) And that in purſuance of an Eternal Covenant he was in the fulneſs of time …nt into the world, not only to work out mans redemption, by his Active and paſſive obedience to the Law; But alſo (as the firſt Miniſter of the Goſpel) as the head and Law-giver of the Goſpel Church) to reveal his Fathers will for the Worſhip of God in it; to this purpoſe he tells us, Matth. 11.27. That all things were delivered him by the Father. Accordingly, Matth. 26. he inſtituteth the Lords Supper, and in Matth. 28.18. he inſtituteth the Miniſtry, preaching the Goſpel, and Baptiſme, and Matth. 28.20. he authorizeth his Apoſtles to teach whatſoever he had commanded them. And leſt we ſhould think that although the alteration of the Acts of Worſhip were within Chriſts commiſſion: yet the alteration of the ſolemn time of Worſhip was not, he hath inſpired three of the four Evangeliſts to tell us, what he aſſerted, that he was Lord of the Sabbath, Matth. 12.8. Mar. 2.28. Luk. 6.5. Texts which I wonder Mr. Titham ſhould fancy to have any thing in them for the old Sabbath. For he who reads any of the Evangeliſts muſt yield the ſenſe to be this at firſt ſight: That he had authority to expound the Law of the Sabbath, contrary to the rigid ſenſe of the Doctors of thoſe times, ſo as it ſhould allow a liberty for acts of neceſſity, piety, and mercy. The words do plainly aſſert our Saviour an Authority to alter the Sabbath, for he is Lord of it. Our Brethren by their daily practice, yield our Saviour a liberty to alter the Acts of Worſhip; hence they do not offer Sacrifices, as the Jews did (though by the way obſerve, our Saviour never ſaid to us, You ſhall no longer Sacrifice) they allow of Baptiſme inſtead of Circumciſion; though it be worthy of our Brethrens obſervation, that Mr. Titham and Mr. Pooly fell to Circumciſion, and conſequently to a denyall of Chriſt, and under the terror of that Text, If you be circumciſed Chriſt ſhall profit you nothing. Our Brethren alſo allow the Ordinances of the Lords Supper, and Preaching: and certainly it is very unreaſonable for our Brethren, to allow their Lord and Saviour the authority to alter the Acts of Worſhip, and to deny him a power as to the time of Worſhip. Certainly, the time is not ſo conſiderable as to the glory of God, as the Acts of Worſhip are; beſides that (as I ſaid before) to deny our Saviour this Authority, is to deny him to be God Equall with his Father, and to deny what three of the Evangeliſts expreſly aſſert with an even and alſo: The Son of Man is Lord even or alſo of the Sabbath day.