Answer to Two Books of the Sabbath, Part 14

Answer to Two Books of the Sabbath · Part 14

p. 61That the fourth Commandement ought not to be expounded for one day of ſeven, but of the ſeventh and laſt day of ſeven definitely.

Argument the firſt.

My firſt Argument ſhall be taken out of the firſt words of the fourth Commandement, Remember the Sabbath day. This word Sabbath, I confeſſe, ſignifies Reſt; but there is more in it than ſo: for it is alſo a proper name for one of the daies of the weeke, as for the ſeventh and laſt day, which is our Saturday, like p. 62as Lords day is a proper name for the firſt day of the weeke, which is our Sunday; and thus I prove it.

1. Whereſoever in the Old or New Teſtaments you read the word Sabbath, it being ſpoken of a weekly day, it is never uſed but for a proper name for one of the weeke daies, as for Saturday the Seventh and laſt day of the weeke; no inſtance can be given to the contrary. 2. The Jews did antiently reckon their daies of the weeke thus, Satu…day they called Sabbathum, Sabbath day; Sunday they called foreign, Joh. 20.1. the firſt day of the Sabbath; Munday the ſecond of the S…bbath &c. yea, the Jews now at Amſterdam call Saturday the Sabbath day; ſo ſtill it is uſed for a proper name for our Saturday. 3. The Latines call our Saturday Sabbatum the Sabbath day, as is to be ſeene in all Latine Dictionaries; yea, it is ſo in England; for when a Writ comes downe from the Superiour Courts for a mans appearance, if it be for his appearance on Saturday, it is written Sabbatum, and die Sabbati. 4. I appeale to all Scholars, p. 63if the word Sabbatum be not uſed in the antient Hiſtories of the Church for Saturday the ſeventh and laſt day of the weeke. Thus you ſee that Sabbath day is a proper name for our Saturday the ſeventh day; now proper names of things are definite, not indefinite▪ they do limit the thing named to one certaine individuall thing, and leave it not at rovers and uncertainties, as unto any one thing, or as unto any one day …f the ſeven, as Mr. Cawdry's idle fancy is. I cannot ſpare a man ſo groſſely abſurd in expounding Gods fourth Commandement.

But againſt this it is objected, that Sabbath day is no proper name, but a common name; for the yearely feſtivals were alſo called Sabbaths, Levit. 23.24. To this I anſwer, 1. We ſpeake of weekely dayes, and in relation to the fourth Commandement, not of yearely daies, in reference to ceremoniall Laws. 2. It will no more hinder the Sabbath day to be a proper name for one of the week daies, than it will hinder the names of Peter and John for proper names of two Apoſtles, becauſe other men p. 64then living, and no Apoſtles, have the ſame names; ſo far of my firſt Argument.

Argument the ſecond.

My ſecond Argument ſhall be taken out of the middle part of the fourth Commandement, ſaying, But the ſeventh day is the Sabbath, &c. for the right underſtanding and expoſition of this word ſeventh, we muſt know there are two ſorts of numbers, a Cardinall, and an O dinal; the Cardinall numbers are theſe, one, two, three, foure, five, ſixe, ſeven, &c. now theſe comprize all the the things numbred without difference; the Ordinall numbers are theſe, firſt, ſecond, third, fourth, fifth, ſixth, ſeventh, &c. now theſe notifie not all, but one of the things numbred, and conſiders that one in a due order for the laſt of the things numbred as for the ſeventh which follows the ſixth going in order before it, not any one of them without difference▪ as when we ſay, the ſeventh day of the month, we meane not as Mr Cawdry would, any one of p. 65the ſeven daies, but the laſt of the ſeven daies which follow the ſixe daies in order before it. And by the ſeventh yeare of the K…ngs Reigne is not underſtood one of the ſeven yeares indefinitely, but the laſt yeare of the ſeven definitely and preciſely. So this word ſeventh in the fourth Commandement is not a cardinall, but an ordinall number, notifying not any one of the ſeven daies, but the ſeventh and laſt day of the ſeven, which is our Saturday.

Our Sunday or Lords day is often in Scripture called the firſt day of the weeke, Mat. 28.1. Mar. 16.2, 9. Luk. 24.1. Joh. 20.1, 19. Acts 20.7. 1 Cor. 16.2. now then reckon onwards, and Saturday will be the ſeventh and laſt day of the weeke; As there is but one Lords day, or one firſt day of the weeke, ſo reckoning onward there can be but one Saturday, or one ſeventh day of the weeke, which muſt needs be a definite and certain day; now Saturday is no uncertaine day at rovers, or any one of the ſeven daies, uncertaine which day it is: ſo the fourth Commandement is p. 66to be expounded of Saturday, and the ſeventh day, or laſt day of the ſeven definitely, not of any day of the ſeven.

I know they uſe to object a tenth deale of flower, and a fourth part of an hin of oyle, but this will not make the ſeventh yeare of the Kings Reigne to be any one of the ſeven yeares: nor will it make the Lords day, which is the firſt day of the weeke, to be any one day of the weeke, uncertaine which day it is; but to this I have anſwered fully before, in my anſwer to his third inſtance, and ſhall not here repeat it; ſo far of my ſecond Argument, wherein the point is proved both by the ordinall ſeventh in the fourth Commandement, and alſo by the ordinall firſt aſcribed to the Lords day.

Argument the third.

My third Argument ſhall be taken out of the laſt part of the fourth Commandement, ſaying, For God reſted the ſeventh day, and ſanctified the Sabbath day: ſo here we have the p. 67ſeventh day men…ioned before in the Commandement, Exod 20.10. repeated, and the Sabbath day, mentioned before in the Commandement, Exod. 20.8. repeated alſo; whence I gather, that the words Sabbath day at the beginning of the Commandement, and the ſame words at the ending of the Commandement ſpeake both of one and the ſame revolution of time and day; and the words ſeventh day in the former part of the Commandement, and the ſame words repeated in the latter part of the Commandement are to be underſtood of the ſame time and day.

For 1. In a continued ſpeech, one word or phraſe often repeated is to be underſtood in one and the ſame ſenſe, ſo as if in the latter part of the ſpeech the words be definite, then ſo they muſt be in the former part alſo. 2. Gods reſt on the ſeventh day, and ſanctifying the Sabbath day, are brought as an Argument, reaſon, or motive to perſwade men to keepe this ſeventh-day Sabbath; now the ſame words in the queſtion or concluſion, repeated in the Argument or motive, muſt p. 68have one and the ſame ſenſe if there be faire dealing: ſo as if the one be to be underſtood definitely, and of a time certaine, then ſo muſt the other be underſtood alſo. 3. Theſe words, the ſeventh daies reſt of God, and Gods ſanctifying the Sabbath day, are propounded as Gods example for us to imitate and follow; now the Scholar muſt follow his Copy as neare as poſſibly he can; Moſes was to follow Gods paterne of the Tabernacle, even to an haires breadth if poſſible: ſo are we to imitate Gods example by keeping the ſame ſeventh-day-Sabbath weekly which God kept at the Creation.

By theſe three reaſons it appeares, that being the ſame words muſt have the ſame ſenſe in all the fourth Commandement, and that the day wherein God reſted at the Creation, and which then he ſanctified, being it was the ſeventh and laſt day of the weeke, folloWing his ſixe daies creating, it was not any one day of the ſeven, but the laſt day of the ſeven definitely; therefore the fourth Commandement is to be expounded throughout, from the beginning p. 69to the ending of it; for the ſeventh and laſt day of the weeke, which is a fixed, limited, and definite day, not a day at randome, rovers, and uncertaine, as any one day of the ſeven. The day, I ſay, whereon God reſted at the Creation, being ce…tainly the ſeventh, and laſt day of the ſeven, or weeke; the whole fourth Commandement muſt be expounded of the ſame ſeventh, and laſt day of the ſeven, or weeke certainly, not at rovers, as appeares by my three reaſons given; ſo far of my third Argument.

Argument the fourth.

My fourth Argument ſhall be taken out of the body of the fourth Commandement, ſaying, Sixe daies ſhalt thou labour, but the ſeventh day thou ſhalt reſt, Exod. 20.9, 10. For in ſixe daies the Lord made the heaven and the earth, &c. and he reſted the ſeventh day, Exod. 20.11. whence I note, that the ſixe daies, wherein God created the world, were his working daies, and they all went together, no reſting or Sabbath day comming betweene p. 70them: and the ſixe working daies of man went alſo all together, no reſting or Sabbath day comming betweene them; whence it follows, that of neceſſity the Sabbath day, in the fourth Commandement, could not poſſibly be appointed for one day of ſeven indefinitely, that is, for any one day of the ſeven indifferently; for the ſixe daies labour ought to go together for working daies; and therefore the Sabbath day could not come in betweene any of the ſixe working daies, or be any one of them; wherefore of neceſſity the Sabbath day muſt fall after the ſixe working daies, upon the ſeventh and laſt day of the weeke, and not upon any one of the ſeven daies; ſo far of my fourth Argument.

Argument the fifth.

If there never was from the giving of the Law upon Mount Sinai downe to our times any day known in the Churches, but one weekly day for the ſeventh day; nor any day known for the Sabbath day weekly but one, namely, p. 71Saturday the ſeventh and laſt day of the weeke; then the fourth Commandement ought to be expounded of that one ſeventh day definitely, and of that one Sabbath day, namely, Saturday the ſeventh and laſt d…y of the weeke: and not for any one of the ſeven daies, or for a Sabbath day at rovers and uncertainly.

But there never was from the giving of the Law upon Mount Sinai down to our times any day known in the Churches, but one weekely day for the ſeventh day; nor any day known for the Sabbath day weekly but one, namely, Saturday the ſeventh and laſt day of the weeke.

Therefore the fourth Commandement ought to be expounded of that one ſeventh day definitely, and of that one Sabbath day, namely, Saturday the ſeventh and laſt day of the weeke: and not for any one of the ſeven daies, or for a Sabbath day at rovers and uncertainly.

As for the firſt propoſition, it is ſo cleare as it needs no proofe; only remember this, that we ſpeake of a Sabbath weekly, not of any anniverſary p. 72and yearely Sabbath, which belonged not to the fourth Commandement, but to their ſeverall and ceremoniall Commandements: but we have to do only with the fourth Commandement, and the weekely Sabbaths in relation to it. And ſo I come to prove my ſecond Propoſition in both the parts.

1. At the Creation God began to number the daies of the weeke by theſe ordinall numbers, the firſt, ſecond, third, fourth, fifth, ſixth, and the laſt was the ſeventh day, Gen. 1.5, 8, &c. Gen. 2.2, 3. this numbring of the weeke daies continued in the Church unto the giving of the Law upon Mount Sinai, Exod. …0.9, 10. from thence it continued in the Church untill Chriſts time, Mat. 28.1. Mar. 16 2, 9. and in all theſe times no day was known to be the ſeventh but one, namely, Saturday; and from Chriſts time unto ours it is ſtill ſo known: for all Divines, Antient, and Moderne, call our Sunday, or Lords day, the firſt day of the weeke, and ſo conſequently Saturday if you reckon onwards the ſeventh day; ſo p. 73there being no ſeventh day but one, namely Saturday, the fourth Commandement muſt be expounded of Saturday the ſeventh day, and not of one day in ſeven uncertainly.

2. As for the name Sabbath day, it began in the Church for a weekly day before the giving of the L…w, Exod. 16.22, 23. from thence unto the giving of the Law it continued for a weekly day, Exod. 20.8, 9 10. from the giving of the Law unto Chriſt it ſtill continued in the Church, Iſa. 56.2, 6. Iſa. 58.13. N…h. 13.15. Mat. 28 1. Luk. 23.56. with Luk. 24 1. and from Chriſt's time in hath continued unto our time; for Eccleſiaſticall H…ſtorians antiently uſed the name Sabbath day for Saturday; the Latines do ſo to this day, and in England, as in the caſe of a Writ, we do the ſame, as I have ſhew… before; wherefore ſince there never was, nor is known in the Churches, any weekly day named Sabbath day but one, namely Saturday; therefore the fourth Commandement muſt be expounded of this one day Saturday, the ſeventh and laſt day of p. 74the weeke, and not of a Sabbath day indefinitely, as uncertaine which day it is; thus you have ſeene this Argument proved.

But it will be ſaid, Is not our Lords day commonly called Sabbath day in all Pulpits, and in all Books? I anſwer, yea: it is ſo called by ſuch as love to miſcall things, and to nickname daies; ſo they may call if they pleaſe every Faſt day, every Thankſgiving day, & every Chriſtmas day But ſure I am, this is but a novelty of yeſterdaies ſtanding; and as the name is novell, ſo is the obſervation of the Lords day, as, or for a Sabbath novell alſo, as by and by you ſhall ſee: For,

1. The Lords day was never called Sabbath day in any Scripture of the New Teſtament; let them ſhew us a Text for it if they can.

2. Theſe Authors before mentioned, St Auguſtine, Peter Martyr, Calvin, Zanchie, Ʋrſinus, Paraeus, Chemnitius, Melanchion, with many others, all theſe wrote of the Lords day; that it is but an indifferent thing, and of the ſame authority with Good Friday p. 75the Paſſion day, Chriſtmas day, and o her holy daies of the Church; and therefore theſe men could not think in their times the Lords day was a Sabbath: or call the Lords day Sabbath day, as we do in reference to the fourth Commandement.

3. In the fifth yeare of Edward the ſixth an Act was made for the keeping of Holy daies, as Sunday, St Matthews day, St Marks day, and the other holy daies: In which Act, both the King, the Lords ſpirituall the Biſhops, the Lords Temporall, and the Houſe of Commons expreſſely confeſſed that they knew no Scripture for Sunday, or the other Holy daies, and therefore they could not call Sunday, or St Matthews day Sabbath daies, and therefore this nicknaming of daies, as to call the Sunday and Lords day Sabbath day, and to keepe it as a Sabbath, is but a novelty, and ſprang up but ſince Edward the ſixth his daies.

4. I am ſixty foure yeares of Age, and ſo cannot remember much above fifty yeares, yet I do remember ſuch works commonly done on the Lords p. 76day, as I am ſure are no Sabbath days works: For in the City of Norwich, about fifty yeares ago, the City Waits, or Muſitians were wont for divers weekes in the yeare to play upon the Market Croſſe on the latter pa…t of the Lords day, thouſands of people there aſſembled to heare them. At the new elected Majors gate they played at Waſters or Cudgels on the latter part of the Lords day, with hundreds of people looking on. And the Sealing Office was open, and Weavers carrying and recarrying their S…uffs to be ſealed. The Merchants bought their S…uff; on the Lords day, and packed them in great packs the ſame day: and the Carts loaded the Stuffs the ſame day at night, and went towards London by foure a clock the next morning; theſe things were done with the knowledge of all the Magiſtrates, and without contradiction of the moſt godly Miniſters. I have been credibly informed, that about ten yeares before my time a religious Grocer in the City did open his ſhop ordinarily on the Lords day, and Mr p. 77Moore, the moſt religious Miniſter then in the City, hath come into the Shop, ſeeing them buying and ſelling Grocery wares, and did never rebuke them for it, or ſay, why do you ſo? And another antient and religious man a Shooemaker told me this day, that in his younger time Shooemakers ſold ſhooes on the Lords day ordinarily; wherefore the obſervation of the Lords day as a Sabbath day is but a novel…y, and they that thus kept it could not thinke it was a Sabbath day, or call it a Sabbath day; ſo far of my fifth Argument.

Argument the ſixth.

If the fourth Commandement was expounded by Moſes and the Prophets for Saturday the ſeventh and laſt day of the weeke, and not for Sunday the firſt day of the weeke, or any one day of the ſeven; then the fourth Commandement is now to be expounded for Saturday the ſeventh and laſt day of the we…ke, and not for Sunday the firſt day of the weeke, or for any one day of the ſeven.

p. 78But the fourth Commandement was expounded by Moſes and the Prophets for Saturday the ſeventh and laſt day of the weeke, and not for Sunday …he firſt day of the weeke; or for one da… of ſeven:

Therefore the fourth Commandement ought in our times to be expounded for Saturday the ſeventh and laſt day of the weeke, not for Sunday the firſt day of the weeke, or for any one day of the ſeven.

As for the fi…ſt propoſition, it ſtands firme by this reaſon; Looke what was once the true ſenſe and meaning of Gods Laws, the ſame is the ſenſe and meaning of it for ever after: for the ſenſe and meaning of Scripture do not vary and change with the change of time…; as if Scripture had one expoſition and meaning to day, and another to morrow; we can find no better rule for the expounding of any Text of Scripture in the Old Teſtament, than to expound it as Moſes and the Prophets did antiently; If therefore the fourth Commandement was antiently expounded for Saturday, it muſt be ſo p. 79expounded ſtill, and in our times. Take a ceremoniall Law, as that of Circumciſion, or the Paſſeover, and if you will expound and open the ſenſe of it now, you muſt render the ſame ſenſe of it now which Moſes and the Prophets gave of it antiently, or elſe your expoſition is falſe; I do not ſay a ceremoniall Law binds now as it did antiently, but yet I ſay the expoſition of it is the ſame now which it was antiently: as if you fall upon expoſition of the time and day of Circumciſion, or the Paſsover, you muſt expound it now of the eighth day, not of the ſeventh or ninth day: and of the foureteenth day of the month, not of the foureteenth day of the yeare; and ſo you muſt deale with every of the ten morall Commandements, or elſe you deale falſely with them.

As for the ſecond Prepoſition, it is cleare that Moſes and the Prophets did expound the fourth Commandement to their people the Jews for Saturday the ſeventh and laſt day of the weeke, not for Sunday the firſt day of the weeke, or for any one p. 80day of the ſeven, becauſe the Church of the Jews, who were taught and inſtructed by Moſes and the Prophets, kept the Saturday, and not the Sunday by the fourth Commandement; yea, this Mr Cawdry confeſſeth, ſaying, The ſeventh and laſt day of the weeke was appointed to the old world. that is, to the Jews; ſo far of my ſixth Argument.

Argument the ſeventh.

If the Lords day be rightly expounded for the firſt day of the weeke, and not for any one day of the weeke, uncertaine which day it is, then the Sabbath day muſt be expounded for the ſeventh and laſt day of the weeke, and not for any one day of the ſeven, uncertaine which day it is. The reaſon hereof is one and the ſame; for when you read of a day called the Lords day, Rev. 1.10. you underſtand it of the firſt day of the weeke, and of no other day, becauſe you read elſewhere that Chriſt our Lord roſe on the firſt day of the weeke, Mar. 16.9. ſo when we read of the Sabbath p. 81day, Exod. 20.8. and read againe in the ſame fourth Commandement, The ſeventh day is the Sabbath, Exod. 20.10. we muſt underſtand it of the ſeventh and laſt day of the week, and of no other day; for if the ordinall number firſt be underſtood properly for the firſt day of the ſeven, and not improperly for any one of the ſeven as touching the Lords day; ſo the ordinall number ſeventh muſt be underſtood properly alſo for the laſt of ſeven, not improperly for any one of the ſeven as touching the antient Sabbath day; if the one be taken properly, ſo muſt the other; and if the one be take improperly, ſo may the other; ſo far of my ſeventh Argument.

Thus I have proved by ſeven Arguments that the fourth Commandement muſt be expounded of Saturday the ſeventh and laſt day of the weeke, and not of any one of the ſeven daies. Now for … further vindication of the fourth Commandement, I ſhall ſhew how abſurd it is for Mr Cawdry to deny the Saturday, the ſeventh and laſt day, to be expreſſely p. 82commanded in the fourth Commandement, and to expound it of a Sabbath day indefinitely, and of one day of ſeven indefinitely.