A Modest Plea for the Lords Day, Title page – Dedication
A MODEST PLEA FOR THE LORDS DAY: OR RATHER The Summe of the PLEA made by Divines for the Lords Day, as the Chriſtian Sabbath: AGAINST Thoſe who contend for the Old Sabbath of the Seventh Day, in other … in the Creation.
By J. C. D. D.
Mar. 2.28. The Son of Man is Lord alſo of the Sa…th.
Acts 6.14. We have heard him ſay, That this Jeſus of Nazareth ſhall deſtroy this place, and ſhall change the Cuſtoms which Moſes delivered us.
Gal. 4 10. You obſerve DAYES, and Moneths, and Times, and Years.
… 11. I am afraid of you, leſt I have beſtowed labour in …
LONDON, Printed in the Year, 1669.
To thoſe Chriſtians (eſpecially my Neighbours) in the County of Norfolk, who are zealous for the Obſervation of the Seventh Day Sabbath.
Brethren,
MY heart's deſire, and prayer to God for you all, is that you might be ſaved: For, I bear you record, that you have a zeal of God; only if I make a doubt whether it be according to knowledge or no: yea, if I tell you, I verily believe it is not according to knowledge, I am ſure (your ingeunity is ſuch) that you will pardon it to me, conſidering that my own perſwaſion and practice is differing from you, and Charity (which alwayes begins at home) will not allow me to judge my ſelf to practiſe upon ignorance; though I am alſo one o… them who but know in part, yet … hope I deſire to practiſe according to my knowledge: Which if you will b… ſo charitable as to ſuppoſe, I muſt judg… your zeal not to be according to knowledge. And let me tell you, as there is no more ſacred fire than that of zea… when it hath its due fuel, and is exerciſed in a juſt and good cauſe; ſ… there is no more dangerous fire when i… hath a miſtaken object. The zealou… ſoul runneth, and as the man who runneth, if he be in a right way come quicker than another to his journey end; but if he be out of his way, … is ſooner than another at a further diſtance from home: So it is with th… zealous ſpirit. I muſt profeſs, let … perſon be of what perſwaſion he will I muſt have a reverence for him, if perceive that he differeth from me ou… of Conſcience, becauſe he dareth not t… ſin againſt God. It is a noble temper to be afraid of ſin. If a perſon pretends conſcience for a particular opinion and practice, and in the mean time be a common drunkard, ſwearer, liar, blaſphemer, unclean perſon, one that lives as it were without God in the World, making no conſcience of reading the Scripture, praying, bringing up and governing his Family in the nurture and fear of the Lord, only pretends conſcience as to baptizing of Children, keeping the Seventh day Sabbath; this man is an hypocrite, and diſſembles with God and men for there is an uniformity in conſcience, and it would certainly oblige him to avoid known and confeſsed ſins, as much as what he doth fancy is a ſin, and as much oblige him to all, as to any known duty. But where I ſee a Chriſtian walking cloſe with God in the general of his converſation, and differing from me in this or that point, becauſe he thinks he cannot without ſin believe and practiſe what I do; I cannot but love and honour him, and be very far from their Religion who think it the beſt and moſt Goſpel way to cudgel him into my Perſwaſion: A Gaol, or a Fire and Faggots never yet cured an erring Conſcience. Such Brethren though overtaken with a fault are certainly (according to the Apoſtles counſell) to be reſtored in the ſpirit of meekneſs, and to be dealt with, (like rational Creatures) argued, and treated, and perſwaded out of their miſtakes, not cudgelled out of them. This (Brethren) hath cauſed me to ſend this little Book amongſt you; ſo penned, as I think you will not judge it to have any thing of bitterneſs in it, and in ſo ſmall a volume, as I cannot deſpair but that you will beſtow the reading of it, nor will it ask you long time: You will find in it, the moſt of what hath been ſaid by Divines in this caſe: I have contracted their larger Diſcourſes that I might not tire your patience, and made what they have ſaid (in Latine or in more Scholaſtick terms) plain to you by a free and familiar ſtyle. The ſingularity of your diſſent doth certainly call to you for the uſe of all poſsible means to finde out what indeed is the Truth of God in this point; and there cannot be a greater witneſs againſt you, of your want of ſincerity, than an unwillingneſs to read or hear what hath been, or is or ſhall be ſaid againſt you. For though indeed there be ſome Articles of Faith, ſome Principles of Religion, about which it is a Chriſtians wiſdom not to admit diſputes, yet this is not ſuch; 'tis no Fundamental in Religion that the ſeventh Day from the Creation is the Sabbath: It is none of thoſe points in which you cannot erre without breaking your union with the Head Chriſt, yet is it no light point, for it breaks communion with all Churches, and that is no light matter: And the Scripture ſayes we are members of Chriſt, and members one of another. Although an erring Conſcience obligeth him that is troubled with it, to do nothing againſt it, yet certainly he that hath it, or hath reaſon but to ſuſpect he hath it, ſtands highly obliged to uſe all means to reform it; and although the differing complexion of a Chriſtians Conſcience may oblige him for a time, to walk divided from his Brethren, yet he ought not to do it without many thoughts of heart, becauſe of his diviſion; and while he walks alone in obedience to his Conſcience, he ought alſo to ſit alone, and to keep ſilence. To ſit alone pondering with himſelf, what is ſaid on both ſides, and without prejudice, weighing arguments in the ballance of the Sanctuary, comparing ſpiritual things with ſpiritual. And to keep ſilence, both as to the publiſhing his ſingular and novel …ns, (keeping to that excellent … of the Apoſtle, Rom. 14.22. Haſt thou faith? have it to thy ſelf, before God.) (It is a mad fancy of ſome, who think that every opinion in Religion is worth breaking the Churches peace for) and alſo keeping ſilence as to inveighing againſt and reviling others, otherwiſe perſwaded and practiſing: For, which way went the Spirit of God from the multitudes of their Brethren unto them? And beſides, who knowes not that there is the ſame diſtance betwixt their brethren and them? and none can uſurp ſuch authority, but thoſe who will arrogate to themſelves infallibility, and take away the judgement of diſcerning, which is the very root and baſis of the Proteſtant Religion. You know Brethren, what Fetters I have upon me as to my publick Miniſtry. If I were free, I queſtion whether I by it ſhould have any capacity to ſerve your ſouls, while you are under this miſtake: If I may do it with theſe Printed Papers, it will be no ſmall ſatisfaction to me; if not, y… my work is with the Lord, an… my judgement is with my God I think ſcarce any of you think I have any prejudice againſt you, many of you may believe, I have a great kindneſs for you. The good Lord bring us all in this point, to think and ſpeak the ſame thing, and to walk in the ſame Way.
Your Friend and Servant in the Goſpel of our Lord Ieſus, John Collenges.