The History of the Creation, Title page – Dedication
THE HISTORY OF THE CREATION, AS IT IS WRITTEN BY MOSES in the first and second CHAPTERS of GENESIS, plainly opened and expounded in severall Sermons preached in London.
Whereunto is added a short Treatise of GODS actuall Providence, in ruling, ordering, and governing the world and all things therein.
By G. W. Batchelour of Divinity and Pastour of St. Iohn Evangelist.
LONDON, Printed for John Bartlet at the signe of the gilt Cup, neare St. Austins-gate in Pauls Church-yard, 1641.
TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE AND NOBLE Lords FRANCIS Earle of BEDFORD, Robert Earle of Warwick, William Viscount Say and Seale, Edward Viscount Mandevilc, Robert Lord Brooke, John Lord Roberts, and the rest of the Honourable Lords Committees in the upper nou…e of the high Court of Parliament, Grace and Peace with multiplicity of all Blessings temporall and eternall.
Most Noble LORDS,
THat which the learned Doctours of the Jews doe foreignsay of their Masorah, to wit, That it is an hedge or defence to the Law. We Christians may more truly say of our weekly Sabbath, the Lords day, that it is the hedge of defence to true Christian Religion. Masoreth sepes legi.For as their Masorah (which was their Annotations upon all the Scriptures of the old Testament, shewing the genuine reading and signification of every word in the Hebrew text, with what pricks, vowels and accents it ought to be, and was anciently written and read by Moses and the Prophets, and by tradition from Ezra, and other succeeding Fathers in all ages delivered over unto them) did serve as an hedge and fence to keep the Scriptures of the old Testament pure from all corruption and alteration, so that if any Scribe did in writing any copy of them, omit or adde one word or letter; or alter and change any vowell, point or accent, his errour might easily by the notes and rules of their Masorah be discerned and amended: So the Lords holy weekly Sabbath being rightly observed according to the Law of God, and the first institution and sanctification of it, that is, First, by cessation and rest from all worldly cares, and all secular affairs (in respect wherof it is called in Scripture, foreign Sabbath, that is, rest and cessation.) Secondly, by devoting it only to the worship and service of God, and by sanctifying it with preaching, reading and hearing of the word, prayer, meditation, and other works of piety and exercises of true Religion (in which respect it is called the Lords day, that is, the day of the Lord Christ, consecrated to his honor, and to the service and wor…hip of God in his name) It is most certainly (as we find by experience) a strong hedge and fence to true Christian Religion, by which true piety, and the true knowledge and worship of God, and true Faith in Christ, are upheld, maintained, increased and continued among all Christian nations from generation to generation. Without observation of this weekly Sabbath, and keeping this day of the Lord Christ holy, by holy assemblies, the publik and private worship of God, the knowledge of Christ, the memory of our Redemption by him, and of his finishing and perfecting that great work, and resting from it in his resurrection, the publike preaching, reading and hearing of the word, and all other exercises of Christian religion, which are the most effectuall ordinary meanes of grace and furtherances to eternall life and blessednesse would undoubtedly grow out of use, and at length utterly decay and vanish. This consideration did move me to insist more largely upon this subject, and to make many Sermons upon that Text, Gen. 2. 2, 3. which briefly relates the first institution of the Sabbath on the seventh day in the first weeke of the world; and Gods blessing and sanctifying of every seventh day in every week to be an holy Sabbath to his people. Out of which Sermons first publikly preached to mine owne peculiar flocke, I did afterwards compose this Treatise at the importunity of some of my best affected hearers, and imparted severall written copies of it unto divers of them, having at that time no hope to get it licensed for the Presse. For by Gods speciall providence I having handled the doctrine of the Creation, out of the 1. Chap. of Genesis, was by my order of preaching and expounding of that Scripture, led along and brought to this Text, concerning Gods sanctifying of the seventh day, at that very time when a book of liberty for sports on the Lords day, was by the Bishops in every Diocesse sent to every Parish Church, and commanded to be publickly read by every Minister in time of divine Service in the audience of all the people: And because I proceeded to handle this subject, as the order of my text did lead me; and durst not balk that part of Gods word; I was three severall times convented before my Ordinary, and admonished under paine of suspension, to proceed no further in this doctrine, not for any errour which could be objected against any part or passage in it; but only because the times would not beare it; And because I did not hold it fit nor safe for me to obey man rather then God by concealing from my flock any part of Gods truth, and shunning to declare unto them the whole counsell of God; I have undergone the high displeasure of that Primate to whose jurisdiction my Church doth belong, who upon divers false informations of catchers, which have bin imployed to entrap me in my words that they might have something wherof to accuse me, hath caused me to be convented before the Kings Majesty, and the Lords of his Honourable Privy Counsell, and hath charged and accused me to be a Preacher of factious and seditious Doctrine, and for many years the great troubler of the City of London: Wherupon I was committed close prisoner for two and twenty weeks, and through close custody was by sicknesse brought neare unto death, and could not obtain so much liberty as to be confined to the limits of my brothers house for the safety of my life, upon bayle of a 1000 pound given, untill by the testimony of fifty five Neighbour Ministers of best report in and about the City, I was declared to be innocent and free from all the crimes of which I was accused. Now blessed be God for your happy Assembly in this most hopefull Parliament, by which I have been eased of my strait bonds, and the times are so changed, that this Treatise, and divers others of my labours are licensed to passe by the Presse into the publik view of the world. I should not have dared to commend it to the sight, and grave Judgement of your Honours; If your godly Zeale for the sanctifying of the Lords day, and for the honouring of the name of the Sabbath (which appeared most evidently to us all, who of late were present at the time when that scandalous libell, intituled, Sunday no Sabbath, was most accurately and judiciously sifted and examined by your Honours, and justly censured and condemned to the fire) had not encouraged me to this bold attempt.
Although I have in this Treatise propounded and assayed to proove out of the Text and other places of holy Scripture such a ground of the weekly Sabbath, as the learned in their writings have not heretofore observed: Yet because the end, use and scope of this discovery is most pious and godly, and it tends altogether to heape more honour on Christ, to advance Redemption above Creation; grace above nature, the state of Regeneration above the state of Innocency; and to shew a necessity of the change of the Sabbath from the seventh and last, to the first day of the week, after Christs performing and finishing of that great work of our Redemption in his resurrection; for which he was promised on the seventh day next after the ending of the Creation: I hope it will give no offence, nor receive censure of novelty; but rather find grace and acceptation in the eyes of your noble persons. That great God (who hath (as I beleeve and here professe) magnified his holy weekly Sabbath by grounding it in the first institution on Christ promised; and hath made it more honourable by removing and carrying it along together with Christ the Redeemer from the day of the promise to the day of the full performance of the great work of Redemption) magnifie your Honours, and make your persons still more and more honourable, by noble Acts undertaken and performed for the honour of his holy name, the advancement of true Religion; and the peace and prosperity of this Church and Kingdome under our most gracious Soveraigne Lord and King. To whom next under God and the Lord Jesus Christ, I most humbly devote my self, and vow to remain ever a most loyall subject; and next under him to your Honours
A most dutifull servant and daily suppliant to God for your everlasting blessednesse, GEO. WALKER.