The Christian Sabbath Defended, Question 1 – Question 2
Queſtion 1. Section 1.
The Text is cleare Coloſ. 2. that the obſervation of the Sabbath was ceremoniall]
As a ſhadow? meane you this of the originall Sabbath or the declaratory cloathed with the acceſſories. Theſ. 18, 19, &c. It is certaine the originall could be no ſhaddow, for it is precedent to the fall.
The declaration may; true; as conſidered with his acceſſories, but the author of the Queſtions (I thinke) miſtaketh the text of S. Paul.
For the words referre to the controverſie betweene the Jewes and Gentiles, both believers; but the beleeving Jew would have put upon the believing Gentile the ceremonies, which S. Paul indureth not, either here or in the Galat.
As for the place to the Rom: that tempereth the preſumption, of the Gentile, who out of the conceipt of Chriſtian liberty forgot to beare with the weake Jew.
All this is nothing to the Originall Sabbath, whereunto (I ſay,) the Lords Day ſucceedeth, and is by analogy in the fourth Commandement, which hath no mixture of thoſe acceſſories, for ought I can ſee in the words.
Queſtion 1. Section 2.
It cannot be proved, that the Apoſtles commanded to ſanctifie the Lords day in memory of Chriſts Reſurrection.]
No can? what author ancient is there that doth not hold it to have had its originall from the Apoſtles? he ſhould doe well to alleage them.
It is ſomething diſcrepant from the doctrine of our Church.]
You alleage the words of the Homily, but ſtreighten the tenſe of them; for the Chriſtian People that choſe the firſt day, were thoſe that lived in the dayes of the Apoſtles, all of them and their poſterity ſucceſſively to us.
Doth it therefore follow that wee may not keepe the ſeventh day in memory of the worlds Creation?
It doth; for the Lords Day ſucceedeth in ſtead of that, ut Theſ. 33. Therefore they cannot conſiſt with the purpoſe of the alteration, which is to note a New Creation.
Ib.
Conſtantine commanded the ſixt day ſhould be kept in memory of Chriſts death]
Kept as a faſting day, not as a feſtivall day; and ſo the Church keepeth it ſtill.
Ibid.
Sabbato & poſtridie Sabbati conveniunt.]
So doth the Church now; but Saturday is Paraſceve to the Lords Day; and leaſt they ſhould ſeeme to Judaize, they did and do begin the Eve after noon, to note it is but a preparation to Sunday.
Ibid.
Saint Auſtin termeth the Sabbath in the fourth Commandement, Sacramentum Ʋmbratile.]
True, as the Jewes did obſerve it; So himſelfe there expoundeth himſelfe.
Queſtion. 1. Section 4.
The obſervance of the Sabbath day by Chriſt compared to Jewiſh ſacrifice.]
This ſpeaketh not of the aſſignation of dayes, but how ſtrictly the day muſt be kept, and it is as true of the Lords Day.
Section 5.
Hebrewes 4. mention is made of three reſts.]
Or one reſt rather, which is Gods reſt,Gen. 2. and the participation thereof 2 wayes
Typically.
Spiritually.
The Typicall is the entrance into Canaan, which carried with it a ceſſation from labours of the Jewiſh ſervitude, and Pilgrimage.
From this Typicall many (ſaith the Apoſtle) were excluded through infidelity, and by fayth ſome did partake it.
But there was another participation, a ſpirituall, which came by Jeſus, whereunto Ioſuah could not bring, which is a ceaſing not from corporall, but ſpirituall toyles and ſinnes immediatly: but mediately it will bring unto a ſpirituall bleſſed reſt both of body and ſoule in Heaven.
This ſpirituall immediate reſt or participation of Gods reſt is called Sabbatiſmus populi Dei.
If this be (as I conceave it is) the meaning of the place; what is this to dayes?
Ib. Section 6.
Some will have a weekely Sabbath a ſhaddow in regard of the ſtrictneſſe of the Reſt.]
I thinke the ſtrictneſſe was not it, at leaſt not principally: but the Acceſſion; of which in the Theſes.
But you are out of your argument, for S. Paul ſpeakes of ſhadow whereof the body is Chriſt, Now before the fall the Sabbath was a kinde of ſhadow of our eternall reſt; but not of that whereof Chriſt is the body.
And to us the Lords day is a foretaſt of that eternall reſt, and I hold this ſhadow to be as laſting as the World.
Ib.
New Moone Et caetera ſhadowes in their ſubſtance not their acceſſories, Ergo the Sabbath.
A weake collection; for other feaſts were inſtituted after the fall under the Pedagogy of the Law, the Sabbath before; therefore this might be made a ſhadow by acceſſorie, theſe not ſo. Ibid.
Shall I demand of them, when this Sabbath began to be a ſhadow.]
When after the fall it received acceſſions, it became ſuch a ſhadow, as Saint Paul ſpeaketh of Col. 2. otherwiſe it was a kinde of ſhadow of eternall reſt in the foundation, and the Lords Day continueth ſo now.
Ib.
The Apoſtle Hebrew 4 ſpeaketh of the ſeventh as reſted upon, not ſanctified.]
Reade the miſtake of this place before.
Ib. Section 6.
The Sabbath more ceremoniall then the other Commandements: you prove it out of S. Auſtin.]
And it is plaine hee ſpeaketh of the Sabbath as the Jewes obſerved it, and had it given in charge with his acceſſories, but I ſtill call you to the Originall Sabbath. Gen. 2. Reſ.
Reſponſ. ad quaeſtion. 1. Section 1.
Our words and meaning muſt not agree in our Prayer, Lord have mercy upon us, &c.
A ſtrange anſwer; I thinke they muſt and doe agree; for by analogy is the Lords Day contained in the Commandement, and the Church directeth us ſo to underſtand.
The apportionment of time is everlaſting, only the tranſlation of the day is by all that have any underſtanding to Catechize taught to be grounded upon a new Creation ſucceeding the old.
The perſonall defects I cannot reply to, but leave them to be reformed. Though the imperfections of the ignorant ſhould not be preſented, when the queſtion is made ſo difficult that the learned can hardly aſſoile it. As the author of the queſtions thinketh.
Queſtion 2.
How ſhall the fourth Commandement bind us conſidering the forme of words to keep any day but only the ſeventh?]
I ſuppoſe in my Theſes I have given a probable anſwer.
Seeing the apportionment of time is eternall, which I thinke cannot juſtly be denyed, I hold the tranſlation of of the feaſt from the ſeventh to the firſt day is grounded upon Analogy.
For ſeeing God was pleaſed that the day of the Creation ſhould be commemorated (as appeareth by the Letter of the Commandement) and the firſt Creation being by ſin diſſolved jure, & reſtored againe by Chriſt upon the firſt day; where we find the reſt after the new Creation, there we muſt fix the feaſt; And this is perſwaded by the drift of the Law.
Except we lay this for a ground; God will have the day of Creation obſerved.
Obſerved after the rule of the firſt Creation it cannot be, for then we doe not acknowledge the diſſolution thereof, I meane ſtill merito.
In teſtimony of that, and Chriſts reſtitution, we keepe the day of the new Creation, and we are guided to it by the fourth Commandement.
Queſtion 3.
How ſhall it appeare to be the Law of nature to ſanctifie one day every weeke?
Surely here the Author of the queſtions makes a ſtrange anſwer.
For he looſeth himſelfe in his diſtinction of the Morall Law and the Law of nature which he ſeemeth not to underſtand well.
He would have the Law of nature to preſcribe circumſtances to actions, and not the morall Law, whereas the morality ſtands in obſerving the circumſtance of actions, as the Ethicks will teach, and this in the phraſe medium rationis.
Secondly, hee thinketh that all the Lawes morall are as he calleth them of nature, doe repreſent the Image of God, and are unalterable even by God himſelfe.
Not conſidering that there is a morality that concerneth man as he is Animal rationale, and reaſon moderateth the ſenſuall part, which commeth not within the compaſſe of the Image of God.
And in many particulars is mutable, and diſpenſable in caſes of neceſſity; as it is held againſt the Law of Nature that brothers and ſiſters ſhould marry, but God diſpenſed with it, but I ſhould wade into a large argument if I ſhould rippe up theſe two Errors.
I rather note, that hee underſtandeth not the ground of a Feſtivall day, that maketh no other ground of it than Omnia fiant ordine & decenter.
The Lords Day had a higher ground, which I opened in the Theſes, and that is Chriſts Reſurrection, and thereby a new Inſtauration of the World.
Which wee are bound to obſerve upon the grounds ſet downe in the Theſes.
And in a word; Hee that doth not let Gods Word be the guide directing to ſanctifie a Feſtivall day, I thinke hee ſquareth not his opinion according to truth, neither hath he any preſident from Gods Word.
FINIS.