The Doctrine of the Sabbath, Thesis 196 – Thesis 206
Thesis 196.
If the question be whether the Sabbath be known by the light of pure nature? the answer is, yea; for Adams minde knew of it, and his heart was inclined and bent to the keeping of it, although it be true that now this light in corrupt nature (as in many other morall duties) is almost wholly extinct and worn out, as hath been formerly shewn; And to speak plainly, this great and first impression left on mans heart in pure nature, is the first rule according to which we are now to judge of what is the law of nature, and it serves to dash to peeces and grinde to powder and dust most effectually and strongly, the dreams and devices of such as would make the Sabbath not morall, because not naturall, or not easily known by the present light of corrupt nature, when as corrupt nature is no perfect copy, but a blotted discovery of some part of the light of nature, which was fully imprinted at large in pure nature: and therefore it is no wonder, if our adversaries so much oppose the Commandment of the Sabbath in the state of innocency: such therefore as are otherwise Orthodox in this point, and yet make this description of the Law of nature (viz. which was written on mans heart in his first first Creation) to be both uncertain and impertinent, doe unwarily pull down one of the strongest bulwarks, and the first that ever God made to defend the morality of the Sabbath: there is indeed no expresse Scripture which makes this description of the Law of nature (as they object) and so it is of many other things which are virtually and for substance contained in the Scripture, although there be no formall description set down of the same, and the like I say of this description here.
Thesis 197.
If we speak of the Law of nature strictly taken, for that which is immediatly and readily known by the common light of nature in all men, then it may be safely affirmed, that although the Sabbath should not be in this sence naturall, yet it will not follow that it is not therefore morall: for the moral law once writ on mans heart in pure nature is almost blotted out; only some rudera and old rubbish is left of it in a perverse minde and a corrupt heart, Eph. 4.18. we see the wisest of the heathens making those things to be morall vertues (Iunius instanceth in the Law of private revenge, and we know they magnified will-worship) which the Scripture condemns as morall vices and sins: God would have common-wealths preserved in all places of the world, from the inundation and deluge of mans wickednesse, and therefore he hath generally printed the notions of the second Table upon mens hearts to set bounds (as by sea-banks) unto the overflowings thereof, and hence it is that they are generally known: but he would not have Churches every where, and therefore there is but little known concerning matters of the first Table, and consequently about this Law of the Sabbath, which notwithstanding may be morall although it be not so immediatly known.
Thesis 198.
If we speak of the law of corrupt nature largely taken, for that law which when 'tis made known by divine determination and declaration is both sutable and congruous to naturall reason and equity, we may then say that the Law of the Sabbath is according to the light of nature, even of corrupt nature it self: for do but suppose that God is to be worshipped, and then these three things appear to be most equall. 1. That he is not only to have a time, but a speciall time and a fit proportion of time for worship. 2. That it's most meet that he should make this proportion. 3. The Lord having given man six daies and taken a Seventh to himself, mans reason cannot but confesse that it is most just to dedicate that time to God: and for my own part I think that in this respect the law of the Sabbath was as fairly writ on mans hea… in innocency as many other morall laws, which none question the morality of at this day: but disputes about this are herein perhaps uselesse.
Thesis 199.
The Sacrament of the Lords Supper may be administred (meet circumstances concurring) every Lords day, nay upon the week daies often, as they did in the primitive persecutions: and hence our Saviour limits no time for it, in the first institution thereof, as he did for the Passeover of old, but only this, As oft as you doe it, doe it in remembrance of me:Prim. part. 1. cap. 6. Hence it will follow, that now under the Gospel there is no set Sabbath (as M. Primrose would) because our Saviour at the first institution of the Lords Supper limits no particular day for the celebration thereof, as once he did for the Passeover; for though there is an appointed speciall time (as shall hereafter appeare) for the publique exercise of all holy duties not being limited to those times, but enlarged to other times also; hence there is no reason why our Saviour should institute a set Sabbath, when he instituted the Lords Supper, as the proper time of the celebration thereof, as it was in case of the Passeover.
Thesis 200.
Prim. part. 2. cap. 2. Wal. diss. de 4. prae. cap. 2.It is no argument to prove the Sabbath to be ceremoniall, because it is reckoned among ceremonials, viz. shew-bread and sacrifices, as M. Primrose and Wallaeus urge it out of Mat. 12.1, 2, 3. for 1. upon the same ground fornication and eating of idolothytes are ceremoniall, because they are ranked among ceremonials, viz. bloud and things strangled, Act. 15.29.2. upon this ground the Sabbath hath no morality at all in it, no more then shew-bread and sacrifices which were wholly ceremoniall. 3. The Sabbath is in the same place reckoned among things which are morall, as pulling a sheep out of a pit upon the Sabbath day, an act of humanity; why may it not then be as well accounted morall? 4. One may as well argue that the not keeping company with Publicanes and sinners was a ceremoniall thing, because the Lord Jesus useth the same Proverbiall speech, I will have mercy not sacrifice, Mat. 9.13. upon which he defends the lawfullnesse of pulling the ears of corn upon the Sabbath day, in this Mat. 12.15. the scope therefore of this place is not to shew the nature of the Sabbath day, whether it be ceremoniall or morall, but the lawfullnesse and morality of his act in eating the ears of corn upon this day; and thus the arguments of our Saviour are very strong and convicting to prove the morality of such an act, but no way to prove the ceremoniality of the Sabbath: for that is the scope of our Saviour, that mercy to the hungry is to be preferred before the Sacrifice of bodily resting upon the Sabbath. M. Primrose indeed replies hereto and tels us, that mercy is to be preferred before sacrifice or ceremoniall duties, but not before morall duties, Prim. part. 1. cap. 7. s. 3.and therefore Christ preferring it before the rest on the Sabbath, the Sabbath could not be morall: but we know that mercy in the second table is sometimes to be preferred before morall duties in the first table: a man is bound to neglect solemn praier sometime to attend upon the sick; it's a morall duty to sanctifie some day for a Sabbath (saith M. Primrose) and yet suppose a fire be kindled in a town upon that day, or any sick to be helped, must not mercy be prefer'd before hearing the word? which himself will acknowledge to be then a morall duty.
Thesis 201.
When Christ is said to be Lord of the Sabbath, Mat. 12.8 the meaning is not as if he was such a Lord as had power to break it, but rather such a Lord as had power to appoint it, and consequently to order the work of it for his own service. M. Primrose thinks That he is said to be Lord of it, because he had power to dispense with the keeping of it, by whom & when he would: and that Christ did chuse to do such works upon the Sabbath day, which were neither works of mercy or necessity, nay, which were servile, which the Law forbade: for Christ (saith he) as mediatour had no power to dispense with things morall, but he might with matters ceremoniall, and therefore with the Sabbath. How far Christ Jesus might and may dispence with morall laws, I dispute not now, I think Biell comes nearest the truth in this controversie; only this is considerable, suppose the Sabbath was ceremoniall, yet it's doubtfull whether Christ Jesus who came in the daies of his flesh to fulfill all righteousnesse, could abolish or break the law ceremoniall untill his death was past, by which this handwriting of Ordinances was blotted out, Colos. 2.14. and this middle wall of partition was broken down, Ephes. 2.14, 15, 16. But let it be yeelded that Christ had power to break ceremoniall laws then before his death, yet in this place there is no such matter; for the words contain a clear proof for the right observance of the Sabbath against the over-rigid conceptions of the superstitious and proud Pharisees, who as they thought it unlawfull for Christ to heal the sick upon the Sabbath, so to rub out, and eat a few corn ears upon it, although hunger and want (and perhaps more then ordinary in the Disciples here) should force men hereunto, which was no servile work (as Mr Primrose would) but a work of necessity and mercy in this case; and our Saviour proves the morality of it, from the example of David eating the Shew-bread, and those that were with him, preferring that act of mercy before sacrifice and abstinence from Shew-bread; and hence our Saviour argues, That if they attending upon David might eat the Shew-bread, much more his hungry Disciples might eat the corn while they attended upon him that day, who was Lord of the Sabbath, and that they might be the better strengthened hereby to do him service: These things being thus; where now is there to be found any reall breach of the Sabbath, or doing of any servile work, or maintenance of any unnecessary work, which the fame learned and acute writer imputes to our Saviour? which I had almost said is almost blasphemous.
Thesis 202.
It's no argument that the Sabbath is not morall, because it's said, Mark 2.27. that man is not made for it, but it for man; for saith Mr Ironside, man is made for morall duties, not they for man: For let the Sabbath be taken for the bare rest of the Sabbath, as the Pharisees did, who placed so much Religion in the bare rest, as that they thought it unlawfull to heal the sick on that day, or feed the hungry; so man is not made as lastly for the b…re rest, but rather it for man and for his good; but if by Sabbath be meant the Sanctification of that rest, so man is made for it, by Mr Primrose own confession: Nor our Saviour speaks of the Sabbath in the first respect; for the rest of it is but a means to a further and a better end, viz. The true sanctification of it which the Pharisees little lookt unto, and therefore he might well say that the Sabbath was made for man, the rest of it being no further good then as it was helpfull to man in duties of piety or mercy required of man, in the sanctification thereof: M. Primrose confessing that man is made for the sanctification of the Sabbath, would therefore winde out from this, by making this sanctification on the Sabbath to be no more then what is equally required of man all the week beside: but he is herein also much mistaken; for though works of piety and mercy are required every day, yet they are required with a certain eminency and specialty upon the Sabbath day, and thence 'tis that God cals mens to rest from all worldly occasions (which he doth not on the weeke daies) that they might honour God in speciall upon the Sabbath, as shall hereafter appear.
Thesis 203.
It's a monkish speculation of M. Broad to distinguish so of the Sabbath in sensu mystico, and sensu literali, as that the mysticall sense like the lean and ill-favoured kine in Pharoah's dream shall eat up the literal sense, and devour Gods blessed and sweet Sabbath; for the Lord never meant by the Sabbath such a mysticall thing as the resting from the works of the old man only every day, no more then when he commands us to labour six daies, he permits us to labour in the works of the old man all the six daies.
Thesis 204.
For though it be true that we are to rest every day from sin, yet it will not hence follow, that every day is to be a Christians Sabbath, and that no one day in seven is to be set apart for it: For 1. Upon the same ground Adam should have had no Sabbath, because he was to rest from sin every day. 2. The Jews also before Christ, should have rejected all Sabbaths, because they were then bound to rest from sin as well as Christians now. 3. Upon the same ground there must be no daies of fasting or feasting under the Gospel, because we are to fast from sinne every day, and to be joyfull and thankfull every day. I know some Libertines of late say so; but upon the same ground there should have been none under the law neither, for they were then bound as well as we to fast from sin. 4. Hence neither should any man pay his debts, because he is bound to be paying his debt of love to God and all men every day. 5. Hence also no man should pray at any time in his family, nor alone by himself solemnly, because a Christian is bound to pray continually: And indeed I did not think that any forehead could be so bold and brazen as to make such a conclusion; but while I was writing this, came to my hearing concerning a seaman who came to these coasts from London, miserably deluded with principles of Familisme, who when an honest New-English man his Cabbin-mate invited him to go along and pray together, considering their necessities, he would professedly refuse to doe it upon this ground, viz. Dost not pray continually? Why then should we pray together now? 6. The Commandment of the Sabbath doth not therefore presse us to rest only from such works as are in themselves evil, which God allows at no ti… ▪ but from the works of our callings and weekly imployments which are in themselves lawfull and of necessity to be attended on at some time. It is therefore a loose and groundlesse assertion to make every day under the Gospel to be a Christians Sabbath day.
Thesis 205.
To think that the Sabbath was proper to the Jews, because they only were able to keep and exactly observe the time of it, being shut up (as M. Primrose saith) within a little corner of the earth, and that the Gentiles therefore are not bound to it, because they cannot exactly observe the time of it, in severall quarters of the earth so far distant, is a very feeble argument: For why might not all nations exactly observe the rising and the setting of the sun according to severall climates by which the naturall day and so this of a Sabbath is exactly measured? and which God hath appointed (without limitation to any hour) to be the bounds of the Sabbath as it sooner or later rises or sets? were not the mariners of the men of Iudah bound to observe the Seventh day in all the severall coasts where they made their voyages? did God limit them to the rising or setting sun of Iudaea only? what colour is there to think thus of them? indeed it's true that in some habitable Northern coasts, the Sun is not out of sight some moneths together, but yet this is certain, if they know how the year spends into moneths, they can exactly reckon the weeks of those moneths, and therefore can exactly tell you the daies of which those weeks consist, and therefore they have their exact rules and measures to know East and West, the place of the sun-rising and sun-setting, and consequently to know the Sabbath daies; and yet if they should not exactly know it, their will to do it is herein (as in other things) accepted of God.
Thesis 206.
If this truth concerning the morality of the Sabbath did depend upon the testimony of ancient writers, it were easie to bring them up here in the rear, notwithstanding the flourishes of the great Historian; but this hath been done sufficiently by others, nor doth it sute our scope who aim at only the clearing up of the meaning of the fourth command, which must stand firm; the heaven and earth shall fall asunder, the Lord will rather waste kingdomes and the whole Christian world with fire and sword, then let one tittle of his Law perish; the land must rest when Gods Sabbaths cannot, Lev. 26.34. and although I wish the Ministry of Christ Jesus a comely and comfortable maintenance, as may richly testifie his peoples abundant thankfullnesse, for the feet of those his messengers as preach peace, yet me thinks it argues great blindnesse in those men who plead for a morality in a tenth pigge or sheaf of corn, and yet will acknowledge no morality in a Seventh day.