The Lords Day Vindicated, Tract · Section 6
SECT. VI.
IN the next Paragraph he tells us, he has much to do to recover the word [Seventh] of the Fourth Commandment: Whereas none, but the Deniers of the Morality of the Seventh, would wreſt it from him; for we all grant it to him, and acknowledge it to be of the very ſubſtance of the Command; that a Seventh day ſhould be ſet apart for an Holy Conſecrated Day to Divine Worſhip; only we ſay, that the Seventh day is ſo, as the ſeventh part of the Week; as one day of the ſeven, and not the ſeventh in order; or the laſt day of the Week: This we ſay is not expreſly commanded therein, and might be altered for another day of the Seven, upon very good and authentick Reaſons and Grounds; as it is from it to the firſt.
In this ſame Page he returns to our Saviours Confirmation of the Decalogue, from Mat. 5.17, 19. Luke 16.17. and then asks why thoſe places confirm all the 10 Commands, and not the Seventh-day-Sabbath; and tells us that he can aſſign no other reaſon for it, but the marvelous Corruption of our Nature, which inclines us to be Gods, &c. when yet he knows, that they that are for the change of the Seventh, into the Firſt-day-Sabbath, have given him many Reaſons and good ſcriptural Grounds and Arguments, which do amount (in their Eſteems) to a divine Authority for that Change; (though they do not produce an expreſs Command for it; (as that which he ſeems to require in this Paragraph yet, what amounts thereto) but it ſeems all theſe are not Reaſons to him; are not ſo much as Shews of Reaſons: But the only Reaſon is Man's Corruption, Pride and Rebellion. Whereas he cannot but know, that many of thoſe, who in Doctrin and Practice, admit of this Change, are as free from theſe Vices, and have as much mortifyed them, as himſelf; and are as Eminent for Holineſs, and Humility and Obedience to God, as any Sabbatarian can pretend to be: And their Earneſtneſs for the Firſt day, does not ſpring from the Looſeneſs of others thereon, nor mainly and chiefly from their Education and Cuſtom: But becauſe they know 'tis not Moral, (as other Parts and Appendix's of the Ten Commandments are not) and therefore not confirmed by Chriſt in thoſe Expreſſions; with many other good and ſolid Grounds.
And here I ſhall ask him by way of requital, if the Seventh-day-Sabbath were really and primarily Moral, and by Chriſt confirmed, as well as all the other Commands, which are undeniably ſo. Whence comes it to paſs, that in all his Sermons and Diſcourſes that he made to the Jews about the Moral Law, he did not ſo much as ever mention the Sabbath to his Hearer; either by way of Recommendation of it to them, or commending of them for their Zeal for it, and tthe ſtrict Obſervance of it; nor yet commanding of its Obſervance, or teaching them how they ſhould Keep and Sanctify it according to its firſt Inſtitution? ſeeing 'tis clear, that he in his Diſcourſe, doth particularize every other Duty of the Moral Law; and Exhorts, and Requires Obedience thereto. In all his moſt copious and glorious Sermon upon the Mount, where he Explains, Enlarges upon, and Injoyns the other Moral Duties, we have not a Word about their Sabbath; and when ever he enumerates Particulars of the Moral Law of the Decalogue, he never mentions among them, the Sabbath; nor when ſo many particular and expreſs Occaſions were given him by the Phariſees, and captions Jews; (in their condemning him and his Diſciples, as Profaners of the Sabbath, &c.) to expound the Duty of the Sabbath, and to ſhew them wherein the due religious and acceptable Obſervance of the Seventh-day-Sabbath conſiſted; There is not the leaſt Word appertaining hereunto, uttered by him; only a Vindication of his own, and his Diſciples Practices, from a Profanation thereof. If I may judge at the Reaſons, I think they may be ſuch as theſe.
1 Becauſe he knew that it was not of the ſame nature with the others, not Moral as they, nor neceſſary to be kept to Salvation as they. 2. Becauſe he ſaw the Jews too ſuperſtitiouſly and zealouſly affected towards their Seventh-day-Sabbath already. 3. Becauſe neither they nor we, neither Jews nor Gentiles, ſhould have any thing from his Mouth that might have the leaſt colour of confirming that Sabbath-day. 4. Becauſe he deſigned its ſpeedy Abſolution as the Seventh day, and its Converſion into the Firſt day. 5. Becauſe as Place, Prieſthood, Mode, outward Ceremonies of Divine Worſhip, which were before his coming into the Fleſh; were to be altered by his Authority, as King of the Church, ſo was Time alſo; the day on which thoſe were chiefly and moſt ſlemnly obſerved, into another day, wherein his own Inſtitutions were to be chiefly and generally practiſed by his Church: And for theſe and ſuch like Reaſons, he did not only particularly recommend and enjoyn, but did alſo ſpeak and do (as has been formerly hinted, and may be futurely evinced) ſuch words and things, as had a doctrinal and practical Tendency towards its Expiration.
Page 33. He imputes the Obſervation of the Firſt day, but to a good Intention; which has been the cauſe of all manner of groſs Superſtitious Errors, Bloody Wars, &c. As though this general Opinion and Practice of the Univerſal Church all along, ſince the days of our Lord Chriſt, had no other Foundation, but in the deluded Brain of ſilly Zealots, and not the leaſt Footing for it in the Word of God. An unworthy Suggeſtion, and a moſt invidious Compariſon; and ſuch as very ill becomes a Man of his profeſſed Candor and Reading.
'Tis ſtrange that a Man ſhould fancy that Commenius, when he exhorts to a Reformation of the Government, Doctrin, Worſhip and Practice of the Church; according to the Word of God, and the Patern in the Mount, ſhould mean as one, if not the chieſt of thoſe Particulars, the removal of the Firſt-day-Sabbath, and the reverſion of the ſeventh day in lieu thereof: When he knows that all the Divines and Doctors that are orthodox, and his Adverſaries in this Opinion, preſcribe the ſame rule for the Reformation, and call upon thoſe in Authority to ſubſerviate all their own Laws Eccleſiaſtial and Civil, to an Obſervance of the Laws of God and of Chriſt: And Commenius himſelf, in his Practice and in his own Church, was an Obſerver and Sanctifier of the Firſt-day-Sabbath, (as he here acknowledgeth) ſo a Diſowner and Rejector of the Seventh day: And therefore queſtionleſs did not eſteem the Seventh-day-Sabbath to be any part of that rule, according to which he would have all Churches regulated. But here we ſee what a ſtrong fancy can do; it can transfigure into its ſelf thoſe things that are quite diſſonant, if not directly contrary thereto.