Answer to Two Books of the Sabbath, Conclusion
The Concluſion.
HAving vindicated God's fourth Commandement from Mr Cawdrie's falſe Expoſitions of it; now it will be expected that I ſhould proceed in anſwer to other paſſages of his Books, and in particular to confute his anſwers made unto divers of my twenty foure Arguments for the antient Sabbath, and to anſwer or confute his Texts alleaged by him in maintenance of the Lords-day-Sabbath, as it is called now adaies; touching theſe two I ſhall give this account.
Firſt, concerning the antient Sabbath; if I ſhould maintaine my twenty foure Arguments, Mr Cawdry, or ſome of his friends for him might complaine to the State, and procure my book to be anſwered by fire as Jewiſh; for ſo was Mr Ockfords book of like kind; but I am reſolved that no provocations ſhall force me to proceed ſo far; againe, having vindicated the fourth Commandement from this falſe expoſition of one day in ſeven, I have confuted the moſt of his Anſwers given by him to many of my 24 Arguments, ſo as it is needleſſe for me to proceed any further.
Now as touching Mr Cawdrie's Texts, alledged by him to prove the Lords day to be kept for a Sabbath, if I ſhould anſwer them, as nothing is more facile and eaſie to be done, I might ſo alſo run the hazzard of having my books burnt with fire, but I will not offend the State ſo far; I ſhall therefore ſatisfie my ſelfe with this, that I have many yeares ſince diſcharged my conſcience by writing of two ſeverall books, wherein I have made anſwers plentifully to every one of their Texts of Scripture, and given not one but many anſwers unto every one of their Texts of Scripture, the which anſwers were never yet confuted by any man, and yet it is about twenty ſixe yeares ſince I wrote my firſt book, and about twenty two yeares ſince I wrote my ſecond booke; nor hath Mr Cawdry now confuted thoſe anſwers, albeit he hath made a great flouriſh with three great books, ſaying, he will confute all gainſayers; but it is very falſe, for he hath not confuted Mr Brabourne.
I obſerve, that albeit M. Cawdry is larger upon the Sabbath than any man, yet hath he nothing new, or more for matter than others have wrote many yeares agone; new books but old matter; more words, but no more matter; the Practice of Piety in a few leaves is as large for matter as M. Cawdries three large books of twelve ſhillings price; now ſince Mr Cawdry hath brought no new Texts of Scripture to light, or new Arguments for the Lords day; wherefore ſhould I blot paper, and ſpend inke to anſwer that in him which I have fully anſwered long ſince to others, who have wrote the ſame things before him?
Whileſt I was in writing of my firſt booke of the Sabbath, and in anſwering the Texts of Scripture alledged for the Lords day, me thought they were ſuch ſimple and ſilly things for that purpoſe, as my thoughts often checked me for vouchſafing an anſwer to them, fearing underſtanding Divines would ſecretly thinke that Brabourne was ſome Ignoramus, or ſome vainglorious man, labouring to gaine credit by fighting with a ſhaddow, and confuting what no judicious Schollar would …aintaine. I remember that divers times I tooke off my Pen to pauſe whether I ſhould go on or not, and doubtleſſe I had then broke off, but that I ſaw ſo many of our moſt zealous Miniſters ſo far from being aſhamed of it, as they with a deale of not zeale maintained it; but I may ſay of them, as once Saint Paul ſaid of thoſe ſuperſtitious Jews, They have the zeale of God, but not according to knowledge, Rom. 10.2. And as Chriſt ſaid to the Scribes and Phariſees, Woe be unto you blind guides, for miſleading the devout people of the Land, Mat. 23. and ſo I end.
FINIS.
End of the text · Theophilus Brabourne, Answer to Two Books of the Sabbath (1654)