The Morality of the Fourth Commandment Still in Force, Consideration of lecture · Section 6
6 Who they be that make their boaſt, that they have found the inſtitution of the Lords day in the new Teſtament expreſſely, J willingly profeſſe I know not, neither doe I thinke the Doctor knowes. It is true our Saviour oftentimes diſputed with the Phariſees about their ſuperſtitious obſervation of the Sabbath day, which at length degenerated into voluptuous living on that day; in ſo much, that Auſtin tells the Jewes plainly It is better to goe to plough then to dance: but if hereupon you aske, where is any the leaſt ſuſpicion of the abrogating of it? I anſwer every one knowes, The time was not yet come for the abrogating of it. Nay, he diſcourſeth ſo as if 40. yeares after his death, the obſervation of the Sabbath ſhould continue, as when he exhorts them at ſuch a time, to pray that their flight be not in the Winter, nor on the Sabbath day Matth. 24. 20. what will you conclude herence? therefore the obſervation of the Jewiſh Sabbath was ſtill to continue among Chriſtians? if you doe, who ſhall more deſervedly be obnoxious to the cenſure of Judaiſme, you or wee? yet when he tells them, that the Sonne of man is Lord of the Sabbath, how few interpreters writing hereupon, doe not take notice of his power to abrogat it? But is it not enough that Paul cryeth downe the ceremonies of the Jewes, and in ſpeciall their holy dayes, and particularly Sabbaths; to wit, ſo far forth, as they are found to be ſhadowes, the body whereof was Chriſt, ſuch was the reſt on the ſeventh day, as prefiguring Chriſts reſt in the grave. But no ſober man (I trow) will herence conclude that herewithall hee cryeth downe the ſetting apart of any time for Gods ſervice, that having no colour of ceremony, or reſt from ſuch workes, as hinder us in the ſervice of God, this being as little ceremoniall as the former. I make bold to goe one ſtep farther, and conclude by the ſame reaſon, that neither doth he cry downe the proportion of time, to wit, of one day in ſeven, to be ſet a part for the exerciſes of piety, becauſe in this particular, there is no more ceremonialitie to be found, then in any one of the former. But to proceed, what indifferent man would once expect, that in our Saviours diſputations with the Phariſees about the Sabbath, mention ſhould bee made of the Lords day inſtituted in the place thereof? It is enough, wee find it inſtituted after our Saviours reſurrection; and ſufficient I trowe it is to prove that it was inſtituted, and that in the beſt manner, namely by eſtabliſhing it de facto in practiſe amongſt the Churches; I ſay, this is ſufficiently proved by the obſervation of it; which undoubtedly, neither was nor could be by chance. A Sowe muſling in the earth, may make ſomething like the letter A. but not Ennius his Andromacha ſaith Cicero. In like ſort the concurrence of the Churches, in the obſervation hereof from the Apoſtles, and continuance therein unto this day, could not be by chance, but by order, and that from the Apoſtles. When you aske, Did not the Apoſtles keepe the Iewiſh Sabbath? I anſwer, I doe not finde they did, yet I finde revelations were made unto them of what was to be done by degrees. Peter was challenged Acts 11. by the reſt of the Apoſtles, for preaching the Goſpell unto the Gentiles. They tooke indeed advantage of the Jewes Sabbath, to preach the Goſpell unto them congregated together Act. 13. ſo did they to the ſame end take the oppotunity of the feaſt of Pentecoſt, Acts 18. 21. I grant the Sabbath day was obſerved together with the Lords day by ſome Chriſtians; Baronius imputes it to the Orientales, and gives the reaſon why formerly repreſented. If any man inferre herehence that the celebration of the Lords day, is grounded upon the conſtitution of the Church onelyonly, let him make it good; for there is no reaſon that words ſhould carry it, much leſſe the voyce of one Papiſt who here is quoted. I am ſure Dominicus Bannes and Sixtus Senenſis, are of another opinion, formerly produced; and hereafter follow many Canoniſts that maintaine the contrary, by the relation of Azorius, and one of them, Sylveſter by name, profeſſeth that it is Communis opinio, that it is of Divine authoritie. If Brentius thinkes otherwiſe, yet Gerardus refuſeth to tread in his ſteps, though both are Lutherans. And if the Remonſtrants concurre with Brentius, it is nothing ſtrange, they are ſo neer a kin to the Socinians and Anabaptiſts, who renounce altogether the obſervation of the Lords day. I have formerly reckoned up and produced no leſſe then eleven of our Proteſtant Divines maintaining the ordinance thereof to be Divine and Apoſtolicall. Beſides the Ancients who are many, and they expreſſe for the ſame, and not one that I know avouched to the contrary. Precept indeed we have not for this in the new Teſtament, but that wch is better then a precept. For had the Apoſtles commanded it, and the Churches not practiſed it, their commandement had beene obnoxious to various interpretations; but they tooke order to eſtabliſh it as appeares, de facto. And D. Lake tels us, that where divine precept is wanting, practiſe guides the Church; and that the worke of the day is the ground of hallowing the day; and the worke of redemption is nothing inferiour to the worke of creation; and I appeale to every Chriſtian conſcience, whether upon ſuſpition that we Chriſtians muſt have a Sabbath to obſerve, as the Jewes had, for which we have the expreſſe words of our Saviour, Matth. 24. 20. D. Andrewes concurring with us in this; and that this Sabbath muſt be ſome one day in the weeke; which from the ordinance of God immediately from the creation, that God himſelfe hath declared unto us, as Chryſoſtome obſerveth, and reaſon concludeth as much for this, and that from conſideration of the proportion of time which the Lord required of the Jewes under the law, for undoubtedly we ſhould ſinne if we ſhould allow God a worſe proportion under the Goſpell; and it is evident that no ceremoniality can be found in the ſanctification of one day in ſeven, or in the reſt of one day in ſeven. I ſay let every one judge whether in Chriſtian reaſon any day in the weeke be to be preferred for this before the Lords day; that being the day of Chriſts reſurrection, the day wherein The Stone which the Builders refuſed was made the head of the corner; and this day not of the yeere, but of the weeke being in Scripture-phraſe called the Lords day; like as the Jewiſh Sabbath was formerly called the Lords holy day, Eſ. 58. Adde unto this that D. Prideaux here juſtifieth their obſervation who maintaine the celebration of the Lords day to be by authority divine conſiſting in theſe particulars. 1. That it ſeemed a dangerous thing to the whole Fabricke of religion, ſhould humane ordinances limit the neceſſity of Gods worſhip. Or that the Church ſhould not aſſemble but at the pleaſure of the Clergie, and they perhaps not well at one among themſelves. For what would men buſied about their Farms, their yokes of Oxen and domeſticke troubles (as the invited gueſts in the holy Goſpell) would they not eaſily ſet at naught an humane ordinance, would not prophane men eaſily diſpenſe with their abſenting themſelves from prayers and preaching, and give themſelves free leave of doing or neglecting any thing, were there not ſomething found in Scripture which more then any humane ordinance or inſtitution ſhould binde the conſcience? yet it is eaſie to conjecture what would be anſwered to all this, for excommunication upon diſobedience to the Church may be a bond ſtrong enough to oblige them hereunto; Or if men be not ſo ſenſible hereof, yet the lawes of the land and penall ſtatutes, may provide for ſuch reſtraints by ſuch puniſhments; as whereof every naturall man will be ſenſible enough; we have other conſiderations to propoſe, as 1. Touching the proportion of time, to be allowed to Gods ſervice, which concerneth the quantity of the ſervice it ſelfe. 1. This is a thing very conſiderable and of moment. 2. We have no example, that the quantity of ſervice to be performed to the maſter, was left unto the conſcience, or pleaſure of the ſervant: but rather is to be preſcribed by the Maſter, eſpecially by ſuch a Maſter as God is. 1. Who hath made us? 2. Who will infinitely reward us? 3. To ſerve whom is our moſt perfect freedome and happineſſe. 4. And who is able to give us ſtrength to performe it? 5. And who is tenderly ſenſible of our weakneſſes, as he is moſt privy to them. 6. And after God hath diſcovered this unto us, and required the proportion of one day in ſeven to be conſecrated to him, and that under the Law; ſurely reaſon doth ſuggeſt, that we cannot performe leſſe unto him under the Goſpell. 2. As touching the particularity of the day under this proportion. 1. We read that there is one, that is Lord of the Sabbath; Now in reaſon, who ſhall appoint this day, but he that is Lord of it? eſpecially conſidering that it is his holy day Eſ. 58. and ſuch feſtivalls were ſaid to be of his making Pſalme 118. 24. This is the day which the Lord hath made, not of mans making: ſecondly, but it may be ſaid, he may leave unto man the appointing of it, if it pleaſe him; I anſwer, that in this caſe it ſtands them upon, to ſhew their Charter for this. Thirdly, for my part, I ſee no cauſe, we ſhould deſire any ſuch liberty, but rather pray unto God to bleſſe us from it, 1. For as I am fleſh, I ſhall bee ſure to put it off to the end of the weeke; and I may be gone out of the world ere that day comes; and when that day comes, I ſhall be as loath to come to the ſervice that day requires as ever, and aſſoone weary of it, and ſay, when will the Sabbath be gone, that I may returne to my former courſes, ſecondly, as I am ſpirit, I have cauſe to make choyce of the firſt day; for à Iove principium; and Adam and Eve, being after the beaſts of the field, made on the ſixt day, and planted in Paradiſe, the ſeventh day, was the firſt entire day to him 4. Doctor Lake Biſhop of Bath and Wells, obſerves that feſtivalls dayes have ever beene commended unto us, by ſome notable worke done on that day. Now what worke, like unto the reſurrection of Chriſt, on the firſt day of the weeke? 5. Biſhop Andrewes obſerves in his Starre Chamber ſpeech, that this reſurrection brings with it a new creation, and calls for a new Sabbath; and I find this, to have beene the obſervation of Athanaſius, about 1300. yeeres agoe. 6. If we were left at liberty in the choyce of the day, it is to be feared, that if there were twenty dayes in the weeke, there would be twenty differences betweene us thereabouts, 7. Laſtly, if left at libertie; I find no reaſon why we ſhould keepe our ſelves, to the obſervation of the ſame day; this is ſo apt and prone to breed in us an opinion of the neceſſitie thereof, and ſo plunge us into ſuperſtition ere we are aware, and thereby make our whole ſervice of God, on that day diſtaſtfull unto him. To proceed, the Practiſe of the Apoſtles is in Scripture, repreſented unto us in three ſeverall places; the firſt whereof is Act. 20. 7. upon the firſt day of the weeke, when the Diſciples came together to breake bread, Paul preached unto them. The practiſe is improved thus, why is it ſaid expreſſely, that the Diſciples came together to heare the word preached, and receive the Sacraments, rather on this day then any other; rather then on the Iewiſh Sabbath, were it not then a cuſtome, to celebrate on that day their publique meetings, the Sabbath of the Iewes, beginning by degrees to vaniſh? It is farther confeſſed, that the Fathers and all interpreters (almoſt) doe ſo conceive it. Obſerve, not a Father is found, to take it in any other ſenſe, only the Magdeburgenſes, and Calvin, are ſaid to ſtick at the phraſe foreign, as if it might ſignifie ſome one day of the weeke; and yet in Scripture phraſe, it is apparant that, foreign, Marc. 16. 9. is all one with, foreign, Joh. 20. 19. And it is Salmaſius his obſervation, that the Pythagoreans called the firſt day of the weeke foreign, inſteed of foreign. But the Doctor profeſſeth, that from a caſuall fact he ſeeth not, how a ſolemne Inſtitution may be juſtly grounded; but it is not proved, that this fact was caſuall; nay the text carryeth in the face of it manifeſt evidence againſt caſualitie. For it is ſaid that they came together to eat bread; all then convening to a ſacred action, how could this be done, if they had not agreed hereupon before; eſpecially it being a buſineſſe whereabout they came, that required ſolemne and ſacred preparation? all which affront caſualitie. Take the circumſtances aright, The Diſciples from divers parts came together that day about ſolemne and ſacred action; therefore it was ordered before, to meet together on that day; Now this concludes only concerning them; and therefore Wallaeus profeſſeth, that the force of theſe three texts, taken apart doe not conclude, but joyntly; Now by the next place, 1. Cor. 16. 2. it appeareth, that the ſame day was the ordinary day of meeting for the Corinths; and for the Churches of Galatia alſo: Now how came it to paſſe, the ſame day was the day of meeting about holy exerciſes, in the Church of Epheſus, the Church of Corinth, and in the Churches of Galatia? could this ordinary courſe (for ſo much is ſignified, 1. Cor. 16. 2.) of ſo many Churches concurring herein, come to paſſe by chance, or could their conſent herein, ſo many Churches ſo farre diſtant one from another, be wrought by chance, and not rather in all reaſon, was wrought by authority Apoſtolicall? And as for the ſecond place, 1 Cor. 16. 2. whereas the exception is, that there it is ſaid the Apoſtles ordered collections on that day, but not their meetings; yet Doctor Andrewes in his Starre Chamber ſpeech alleageth it, as the Apoſtles precept, for their meetings on that day; and ſo doth Paraeus; for though it be not expreſſed, yet ſo much is implyed, as by the reaſon formerly mentioned hath beene argued: eſpecially conſidering the laſt place, Revel. 1. 10. where the firſt day of the weeke is called the Lords day, a notable evidence of the divine authority; the Scripture phraſe no where calling any the Lords day, or the Lords Altars, or the Lords feaſts, but ſuch as are of the Lords inſtitution; and in this particular, Biſhop Andrewes compares the Lords day with the Lords Supper, profeſſing the notion to be a like in both. And hereupon it is moſt ingenuouſly acknowledged, that The alteration of the name doth intimate, that the Sabbath was alſo altered, in relation to Gods worſhip, but the appointment of the tim, &c. wherein endeth this Section.