A Defense of the Sabbath Day

SECT. V.

A second text produced to prove the Lord's day, a Sabbath day, is Psal. 118.24. This is the day, which the Lord hath made; let us rejoice & be glad in it. Here say some, the word made may be translated Sanctified; & further, this day here spoken of, was a type of the very day of Christ's resurrection, on the Lord's day, or first day of the week: & therefore God made or Sanctified this day for a Sabbath. Before I answer this text, least some should object unto me, that I debase their cause, by bringing in such weak texts, as no man of note will make use of this way; for to this purpose, one M. Pottes, an ancient divine, beiond the Seaes, objected this very text unto me, as finding fault with me, for putting it into my former book, so lightly he esteemed it. now to wipe away such prejudicial thoughts, let it be known, I could instance Authoures in printed books, who do urge it; but sparing them, I will nominate one of my 10 adversaries standing upon this text stiffly, and it is M. Gallard, Minister of Sprowston in Norff: sometime pupil to the foresaid M. Pottes, and so I come to the answer.

My 1. answer to this Text is, that whereas M. Gallard saith, the word made, may be translated sanctified. I answer him, that so the word may be translated made also; and that to translate it made, is the more fitting in this place, all our Translators both old and new, do bear me witness; for they all render it made: Now if it may be translated made; how will he prove, that it must be translated sanctified? for he must remember, that it is his part to prove, that the word must necessarily be translated Sanctified. Happily he will say, that the word signifieth to sanctifye, when it is referred to days &c. but, so the word usually signifieth also, when it is referred unto men, and yet in one place it signifieth appointed or ordained, thus the Medes & Persians are said to be sanctified of God, Isa. 13.3.17. That is, appointed of God to execute his judgments; & why may not the word then be once so meant also, when it is referred to days?

2. I answer him, suppose it must be translated sanctified, then I distinguish of Sanctification of days; some days are sanctified for Sabbaths, for the Church to Rest on; other some days are sanctified for other ends, as for some particular man's use in the Church, as here in this text Ps. 118.24. This day which the Lord made or sanctified, he made it or sanctified it, for David's use properly, for the day wherein he should come to the Crown; and so typically for Christ his use, and for the day wherein he should be honourablie raised from the dead, the Lord's day; now this Psalm is to be understood in this latter sense, as he that hath but half an eye may see; how then will he prove, that this Lord's day, whereon Christ rose, was sanctified for the Church to sanctify, when it was sanctified for Christ alone to rise in? for this day, was not sanctified for the whole Church and people, but for Christ alone: not for the Church to rest on, but for Christ to rise on.

3. I answer by another distinction, the word Day is some time taken in Scripture for a short & ordenary day of 12. hours or the like; and sometime it is taken for a long space of time, containing many days, weeks, months, or years, as John. 8.56. Abraham rejoiced to see my day &c. and 2. Cor. 6.2. behold now the day of salvation. Now the word Day in Psa. 118.24. may be taken in this latter sense, for all that time wherein David reigned, and so for all that time of Christ upon the earth after his resurrection; or longer, wherein he reigneth in his Church as King; how then will M. Gallard do to prove, that by day here, must be meant a short & ordenary day of 12 or more hours, or a weekly Sabbath day?

4. I answer, say the word day be to be taken for a short day, then let it be proved, that this is a prophecy of a weekly day, as of every Sunday or Lord's day: for it may be a prophecy of a yearly day only, as of Easter day, since on that day Christ rose from the dead: and if it be no otherwise, how will they do for a weekly Sabbath, on every Lord's day?

5. I answer, that this Psalm cannot be a prophecy, that the Lord's day, or day wherein Christ was to rise, should be a Sabbath day; and that I prove, because Christ kept not this Lord's day, or day of his resurrection, when it came, as a Sabbath day, but as a working day; for he travailed up and down, too and fro, on that day; and so did his Disciples; yea the Apostles themselves were ignorant, that this first Lord's day, should be a Sabbath: for they believed not, that Christ was risen, but sorrowed & wept, all the day long until it was nere night; and so could not keep it a Sabbath in memory of the resurrection: These things have been proved already: Now had this Psalm been a prophecy that the first Lord's day, whereon Christ rose, should have been a Sabbath day, Christ must have kept this day, together with his Disciples, as a Sabbath day: because Christ must fulfill all things prophesied of him. And thus much for answer to this abused text of Scripture.

SECT. VI.

Thus we have answered the Scriptures which they abuse, & bring out of the Old Testament; in the next place we come unto those Scriptures which they allege out of the New Testament, abuseing them also: the first whereof is that Text, Act. 2.1.14. &c. Where Peter preached on Pentecost day, and also converted 3000 souls; and administered the Sacrament of Baptism unto them: and this Pentecost day, was on the Lord's day; and therefore the Lord's day must be a Sabbath day.

Here unto I answer (and in answering, I must be the larger, because in this Text they put great confidence, saying; here was a Sermon, & here was thousands converted, & here was the Sacrament of Baptism administered, & on this day the Holy Ghost descended; & what would you have more saith M ^r . Gallard? ) admit, that this Pentecost day, was our Lord's day; yet forasmuch as it was only our Lord's day, which we call White-Sunday; if it be a Sabbath, it doth not follow that anymore Lord's days in a year must be Sabbaths, then one, & that upon our White-Sunday.

2. I answer, it is not to be supposed, but it must be proved by them; that this Pentecost day, whereon Peter preached, was that year upon the Lord's day, or Sunday: for it is holden by many, that Pentecost day, doth follow according to the day of the Moneth variably, and not according to the day of the week constantly: Waleus upon the 4th Com. Pag. 161. saith it is called into question of some whither this Pentecost day, fell then upon the Lord's day or not. Yea, he addeth that Pentecost may fall on any day of the week. To this agreeth Ainsworth on Levite. 23.11.15. alleging it to be the opinion of Sondry Rabbin's; and according to the Hebrew Canones; and translations of the Chaldee, & Septuagint; that Pentecost followeth the day of month, and so is variable, being one year upon one day of the week, & another year upon another day of the week: and hereunto also do bear witness, the Jews wheresoever now living; for they keep their Feast of Pentecost by the account of the Moon; and one year upon one day of the week, and the next year upon another. Wherefore since it is the most likely that Pentecost day then fell upon some other day of the week, as Saturday, or the like, how will they prove it fell now when Peter preached, on the Lord's day, or Sunday?

3. I answer, but suppose we that it was the Lord's day, wherein all this was done, it yet doth not follow, that this day was therefore a Sabbath day; for these actions, were no proper actions of a Sabbath day, & done only upon Sabbath days; for they were common week days actions & such as might be, may be, and were done upon any day of the week: let us rune thorough the particulars briefly; and first for the Holy Ghostes descending; how will they make it appear, that the Holy Ghost in his descent doth wait for a Sabbath day, to come down in? we read of the Holy Ghosts descending, in Act. 10.44. and in Act. 19.6. But not a word, that these days were Sabbath days. If notable actions done in a day, must sanctify that day for a Sabbath day, why are not good Friday, wherein Christ suffered, & Hallow Thursday, wherein Christ ascended, made Sabbaths also? for these works, were as behooveful for the Church, as was the descent of the Holy Ghost. 2. For the Sacrament of Baptism, the administration of this, is no proper work for a Sabbath, but may be done in any common day: Else why do we baptize children, on any day of the week? and why did Phillip Baptise the Eunuch on a travailing day? Act. 8.38.39. Paul baptized Lydia & hir household, vpō the Saturday Sabbath Act. 16.15. Sacraments were never appropriated to the Sabbath day, as we may see in Circumcision, it was on the 8 day, were it Sabbath day or not: the Passover, it was on the 14th day of the month, were it Sabbath day or not: & Christ did eat the Lord's Supper, on Thursday night, the night before he was crucified. 3. For Peters sermon: we know preaching is no work so proper unto the Sabbath day, as it may not be on any day of the week also: else, why preach we on Lecture days, on any of the week days? preaching may be on any day of the week, according to that 2. Tim. 4.2. preach the word, be instant, in season and out of season. Christ preached on a working day, to the Samaritan woman; his Disciples being gone into the Citty to buy meat John. 4.8. the Apostles preached daily in the Temple, and from house to house, Act. 5.42. thus it appeareth that these are such actions, as may be done on any day of the week, & how then will it follow, that this day of Pentecost was Sabbath day, because these actions were done in that day? these are far from necessary consequences I am suer. No marvel they pretend necessary consequences for the Lord's day; and magnify their reason so highly, in the want of a Commandment for the day: I see now, there is some cause indeed, that they should set a good face upon the matter, and having no Com. from Christ for the day, yet they should make the world believe, that they have good consequences for the purpose; and do you not see how good they are? had they neither consequence, nor Com. for the day, they should have just nothing for it; they had need therefore extol their necessary consequences.

Do not we on a Christmas day, when it falleth on a working day, or week day; both pray, & preach, & use the Sacraments, and rest from labors, and sing Psalms, in the Congregation; and will any wise man say, thers necessary consequence in it, that we keep it for a Sabbath day? what vanities are these?

The utmost that can be collected by good consequence, from this Text, Act. 2. is that the Church kept this day of Pentecost for a Lecture day; like as we have Lecture days everywhere on week days, on Tewsdayes, or Thursdays, & the like.

Further it is to be noted that Peters Sermon here, it was merely occationall, & extraordenary, & therefore cannot bind us to ordenary practice. For upon the extraordenary Miracle of the Holy Ghosts deseent, in cloven fiery tongues; some people were amazed & astonished, & doubting said, what may this be? Act. 2.12. Others mocked, and said, the Apostles were full of new wine, and drunken, Act. 2.13. now here was great occasion for Peter to preach a Sermon unto them; partly to inform & instruct those that were amazed & doubted; & partly to confute those, who scosted at the Apostles, as if they had been drunken: so here was matter enough to move Peter to preach, though he had no respect unto the day, as a Sabbath day.

It is true hence a Minister, by consequence, may gather such a consequent or doctrine as this, namely, that it is the duty of Ministers, to preach the word, upon all occations: but for any to collect hence, not only that we must preach upon all occations, but more then this, as namely, that we must also ever more preach upon the same day, and in the same time, wherein the Apostle Peter preached, that is upon the Lord's day, whither there be extraordenaty occasion or none, this is idle & absurd; for the Text will not bear us out in any such collections; nor can it be gathered hence, that we are bound to preach at all, upon either one day, or upon another, unless it be upon extraordenary occationes; such as were Peters here in this Texte.

Further, we may as well coliect hence also concerning the place, as the time; saying, that we must evermore preach in a populouse and famous Citty also, as London, Norwich, and the like; for Peter preached in Jerusalem, a famous Citty. And also, when we preach there, we must keep that day for a Sabbath day too.

4. My 4th & last answer to this text is, by showing their absurd consequence hence: for, if that the coming down of the holy Ghost, & Peters sermon, & the convertion of 3000. & the baptizing of them, &c. did declare the day to be a Sabbath day, wherein they were done; then is Pentecost, a Jewish ceremonial feast day, moralized, & made a Christian Sabbath day: and so Jewish abrogated ceremonies, shall be revived in the Church: the reason thereof is, because the holy Ghost doth not call this day here, Lord's day, or first day of the week; but he calleth it Pentecost day; and when the day of Pentecost was come, Act. 2.1. This day, might be called by 3 several names, as 1. Lord's day. 2. The first day of the week: and 3. Pentecost day. Now in that the holy Ghost, rejecteth both those names, of Lord's day, and first day of the week, which should make for their purpose; & chooseth this name Pentecost day, which was a ceremonial day, it followeth, that if these actions, had any force or virtue to declare the day whereon they were done, to be a Sabbath day, they shown us, that this day considered not as Lord's day, but as Pentecost day, is our new Sabbath day. Suppose we, that upon a Friday, there fall ii holy days, the one Gowries day, the other King Charles his Coronation day: here this one day, may have 3 names, as Friday, Gowries day, and the Kings Coronation day: if now an Acte of Parliament be made, having relation to this day, and calleth it Coronation day, rather then by those other ii names: will not everyone think that that Acte hath rather reference to this day, considered as King Charles his Coronation day, then to it considered as Friday, or as Gowries day? so tis here, no man can think, but that the holy Ghost, in relation of these things done on this day, and naming it Pentecost day & not Lord's day, had rather reference unto it considered as Pentecost day, to make it a Pentecost Sabbath, then to it as Lord's day, to make it a Lord's day Sabbath.

Furthermore, I make it appear, that if we imitate Peter here, and the Church at Jerusalem, we must keep the Lord's day, as a ceremonial day, & as Pentecost day; for they all kept it so, as Jerusalem, Act. 2.1. and this I thus prove; 1. It is granted by all that the Ceremonies of the law, had 40 or 50 years, until the destruction of the Temple, allowed for their honorable burial: Whereby is intimated, that until then the Legal Ceremonies were in use at Jerusalem. 2. It is clear by Scripture, see Act. 21.20.17. where the Apostles teld Paul, that all the belecuing Jews, were still zealouse of the Law: Yea further, the Apostles persuaded Paul, that now he being come to Jerusalem, that he would Judaize also, by purifying himself, & contributing &c. v. 24. and all was done to this end, that the believing Jews, might think nothing to the contrary, but that Paul himself also kept the law; to wit, the Ceremonial Law: by which passages, it is more then manifest that at Jerusalem, the Apostles, and all the believing Jews, they still observed the ceremonial law, and that zealously; now this was all long after Pentecost day; so that, if they kept the ceremonial law, so long after Christ, much more then at Pentecost, which was within 6 or 7 weeks after his resurrection: Wherefore, we are to think that these Jews, at Jerusalem, kept Pentecost, as a Jewish ceremonial Sabbath day; whereof you may read Leu. 23.15.21. and so by consequence it followeth, that if these works of the holy Ghosts descending, and of Peters preaching, &c. do declare this Lord's day, to be a Sabbath day; that then we must have a Pentecost Sabbath day, rather then a Lord's Sabbath day; a ceremonial Sabbath day, not a Christian Sabbath day; and the Lord's day, is not to be kept as Lord's day, but as Pentecost day. Behold then the absurdity, of these men, who glory so much in this text, Act. 2.1. as being so strong for their new Sabbath day, when as they may by the same reason, bring into the Church again, this ceremonial abrogated day of Pentecost: behold how unconscionably they deal with the Scriptures, and word of God, making them a nose of wax; turning it which way they please as may best fit their fancies: if any conscience be left in them, they had need (I auowch it) ask God mercy upon their knees, for such abuses offered unto his sacred word.

For conclusion, let the patrons of this Lord's day Sabbath remember, that this is their task, if they will prove the Lord's day a Sabbath. 1. They must prove, that this Congregatiō Rested from labor all this day; and that in conscience of it as a Sabbath day; not occationally &c, nor as pentecost day: for, rest from labor is a parte of the Sabbath days duty. 2. they must prove, that these holy actiones which were performed, of preaching & the like, that they were done by Peter & the residue, in conscience of the 4th come. for, Peter might preach in conscience of that come. which Paul gave 2. Tim. 4.2. preach the word, be instant, inseason & out of season. These are the ii main things besides many others, which they should prove; but these they can pass over, without any word tending this way.

SECT. VII.

An other text they allege out of the New Testament, to wit, John. 20.19. where mention is made, that Christ appeared to his Disciples; and it was upon the Lord's day too; and this reason is currant in every man's mouth, Ministers & people; Why Christ's apparitions (say they) upon the Lord's day, prove it to be a Sabbath day &c. but Ministers begin to be ashamed, to use this over worn argument any longer; & well they may be ashamed of it: but that it is so frequent now in people's mouths, we may thank Ministers for it; for it is one of their own arguments, which they hau put into people's heads; & an erroniouse conceit once fastened in the minds of people, by their Ministers, will hardly be removed, be it never so idle.

But in one word, to show their absurdity and abuse of this Text of Scripture also (for they make a practice of abusing the Scripture) if Christ's apparition, doth declare that day to be a Sabbath day, wherein he appeared to his Disciples, then was a fishing day, a Sabbath day also; for Christ appeared to his Disciples on a fishing day, whe they were a fishing at the Sea of Tiberias, see Job. 21.1.2.3.4. Yea, then must Hallow Thursday be a Sabbath day also, for then Christ appeared again to his Disciples, when he ascended from them, up into heaven, Act. 1.9.11. Yea we must keep Fowrty Sabbaths together, once in a year, for Christ appeared to his Disciples, being seen of them, by the space of 40 days, Act. 1.3. and thus much for this text. whereby you see, how the Holy Scriptures have been abused, & the Holy Ghost is made to speak what he never meant: were it not high time therefore, that these things were reformed?

SECT. VIII.

A 3d text they allege & abuse, in the New Testament, is Act. 20.7. where they say is an example of the Lord's day kept as a Sabbath day, by Paul, & the Church at Troas: for, Paul abode at Troas 7 days, & on the 7th day, it being the first day of the week, then the Church assembled, & Paul preached; now thers no mention of any sermon upon any of the other days, and therefore this was their Sabbath day. Yea, they had not only a sermon on this day, but also the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, for the Disciples came together to break bread, as the Text saith: Wherefore this day must be a Sabbath day: This text M. Benton Minister, pressed upon me very eagerly.

Herevnto I answer 1. if the Lord's day, or first day of the week, were kept here by Paul for a Sabbath day, why did not Paul do the like upon every Lord's day, in all Churches where he came? and where he might if he would, have done it? for this purpose see Act. 13.14.42.44. where mention is made, how Paul went into the Synagogue on the Sabbath day, to wit, the 7th day Sabbath, at Antiochia, and there preached: Now sermon being ended, the text saith, that the Gentiles besought that they would preach these words to them, the next Sabbath day, & accordingly it was so done v. 44. Now it is to be noted, that these Gentiles were converted believers, as the text bewrayeth v. 42.43. and it is to be noted also, that this day being Saturday, on which they thus desired Paul & Barnabas to preach unto them these words the next Sabbath day, that the next day after their petition, being Sunday, or Lord's day, this was the Christian Sabbath day, if any such they had; and this was the proper Sabbath day, for these believing Gentiles, if any such there was: Wherefore 1. it seemeth that these believing Gentiles were utterly ignorant of any such new Sabbath; for else they would have desired Paul & Barnabas to have preached unto them, the next day, not the next Sabbath day; the next Lord's day, not the next Sabbath day: for they being an hungry, & finding a sharp appetit to Paul's doctrine; would not have fasted for it 7. or 8. days, until the next Sabbath day, but would rather have been fed with it, on the next morrow, the day after, it being the Lord's day, and appointed for sermons, & Sabbath day: but in as much as they desired it not on the Lord's day, it argueth that these Christians knew not of any such new Sabbath, as now we know & keep on the Lord's day. 2. Seeing it was the wisdom of the Apostles, to acquaint the Churches with the new ordinances of Christ, upon the first opportunity; as we see they baptized those that were but newly converted Act. 2.41. Therefore we are to think, that if these believing Gentiles, had neglected their duty, or had not formerly been taught, that the Lord's day was their new Sabbath, yet now Paul & Barnabas, if the one forgot it, the other might mind it, they had a most fit opportunity to reveal to these believing Gentiles, their new Sabbath day; they might have taken a fit occasion to have answered their suite thus, what, do you desire to hear the same doctrine again, the next Sabbath day? Why you need not stay so long, thats 7 or 8 days hence, and thats Judaism, & the Jewish Sabbath day &c. but tomorrow, thats the Lord's day, & that is your Sabbath day; seeing you are Christians, assemble yourselves together therefore tomorrow, and then you shall hear the same words preached again: so the Apostles had sit occasion to have informed these Disciples at Antioch, of their new Sabbath, if there had been any; nay I cannot see, how with discharge of their function they could have omitted such an occasion.

Besides, as I said, the Apostles might have kept this Lord's day, here, if they would; for nothing hindered; forasmuch as these Gentiles, were suitors unto the Apostles, to preach unto them; it was at the Apostles liberty, to appoint the day and time when; and the sooner the rather: if therefore, here was fit opportunity; & also, it was at the Apostles liberty, to appoint the Lord's day to preach in, and to assemble the Church on that day, and yet for all this, did not appoint the Lord's day, who can think that the Apostles, Paul and Barnabas esteemed the Lord's day, to be Sabbath day; and hereby it appeareth also, that Paul kept not this Lord's day constantly, at all times, and in all places: which is an argument, that when Paul did preach, on the Lord's day, as here he did at Troas, Act. 20.7. that he kept it not for a Sabbath day; for then he would have kept every Lord's day, where ever he came, as well as this one at Troas. And this is my first answer.

2. I answer, whereas the Patrones of this new Sabbath take it for granted, that Paul's Sermon, and the Lord's Supper, were actions performed on the Lord's day, or first day of the week, this I deny them, & this they must prove: for it will be found, that both the sermon, and the Lord's Supper, were done in the night time, which is no parte of the day; and consequently that these actions were not done on the Lord's day. I confess the Disciples met on the Lord's day, or first day of the week, but it followeth not thence, that therefore Paul preached, & administered the Lord's Supper, on this first day, wherein they assembled: that this is no paradox, you shall see the Text giveth me light unto this answer; as for Paul's Sermon, that this was performed in the night time, after the Lord's day was past; see the Text, which saith, there were many lights in an upper chamber, where they were assembled, v. 8. Ergo, it was in the night time that they were assembled; again, the Text saith, that Paul continued his preaching unto midnight, v. 7. Wherefore it is manifest, that Paul's Sermon was in the night. Further as for the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, it was in those days an evening or night work, see Mark. 14.17.22. 1 Cor. 11.21. and Paul did not celebrate the Lord's Supper, in all likelihood until midnight after his Sermon was finished see Act. 20.11. so both the Sermon, and the Sacrament were performed in the night.

It is likely also, that the Disciples here at Troas, assembled not in the morning, but in the latter end of the Lord's day, about the shutting in of the day, for it is said in the Text, that the Disciples came together to break bread, v. 7. that is, to receive the Lord's Supper; now forasmuch as the Lord's Supper, was an Euening or night work, in those days, as hath been proved, it is to be thought, that when the Disciples met to eat the Lord's Supper, that they met not in the morning, or at breakfast time, to eat their Supper, but at Supper time, and at Euening time, at the end of the day. Again, the text saith, Paul continued his preaching until midnight. Now it is a most unreasonable thing to imagine, that Paul should begin his sermon, in the morning, about 8 of the clock, & continue his preaching until midnight: it was never heard, that there should be a sermon made of sixtene hours long: wherefore it is the most likely, that Paul might begin his sermon after Supper, about 9 or 10 a clock at night, & so held on till midnight: There is no likely hood therefore, that Paul preached in the day time; much less that he began in the morning; unless you will absurdly imagine, that the Disciples met at Breakefast time to go to supper: and also, that Paul preached a sermon of 16. hours long; which no Auditor could bear with patience & profit.

Neither will that hinder this, in that the text saith, that the Disciples met on the first day of the week v. 7. for, as a man may be said to pay a sum of money on such a day, though he pay it not till a quarter of an hour before Sune set; so may they be said, to mete on the first day, albeit it was not till the very last point of the day: Now I hold that the night is no parte of the day, as formerly I have shown in the exposition of the 4th comm. nor is the night to be counted & rekoned, for any parte of the day going before it: so then, this text maketh nothing at all for the Lord's day; all that they can hence collect, is no more but this, that we are bound to keep every 8th days night, or every Lord's day night, for a Sabbath night: and that we must preach as Paul did, till midnight &c. Wherefore, if they will have it that Paul's sermon, & their assembling began in the morning, let them prove it; for the text hath no such thing in it.

I know they are ready to say, these were times of persecution, and they could not meet, till night, for fear &c. but the text hath nothing of any persecution now at Troas; and again, since they met to receive the Lord's Supper, there was no need for them to meet in the day time or morning for that, the evening was soon enough: let them prove, that the Disciples would have met sooner, but for fear, if they can: and lastly, had fear of persecution hindered them, then would they not have met on the first day &c. in the day time, least they should be seen walking in the streets, & entering into the common house of assembly; they then would rather have met, erly before day light, or late after the day was shut in, least they should be seen &c. but they assembled in the day time, & therefore no fear of persecutors.

3. I answer, admit that they met in the morning of the Lord's day, & that the sermon, & the Lord's Supper, were administered in the day time; yet what makes this for a Sabbath? for, these are every days work: preaching, is an every days work, and Lord's Supper is so too; for Christ did eat the Lord's Supper on a Thursday night: all that can be hence collected is no more but this, that the Lord's day, is a Lecture day, like as Tewsdayes and Thursdays be in many places of the kingdom. Now thers great difference betwixt a Sabbath day, & a Lecture day.

Besides, whereas they tell us, that this instance in Act. 20.7. is an example of a Sabbath day, they are much mistaken; for this is but a Sermon example, it is not a Sabbath example: great difference there is betwixt a Sermon example, & a Sabbath example: for, to prove a Sabbath example, they must prove that these Disciples did Rest all day from morning to night; and then secondly, that they performed those holy actions, in conscience of the day, & of the 4th come. so then hitherto, they have not proved, so much as any one Lord's day, kept for a Sabbath day, in the Apostles times. Only they have grossly abused this portion of Scripture also, as they have done the former, to make the holy Ghost say what he never thought: this abuse of Scripture would be reformed, by such as make conscience.

4. I answer, whereas they plead that Paul tarried 7 days at Troas, & preached on the last day, it being the Lord's day, and no mention of any sermon but on the Lord's day: if this will prove a Sabbath day, then have I learned a way how to prove Saturday to be the Sabbath day, and that by the like arguing: for Paul tarried certain days at Philippie, and preached on the Sabbath day, to wit, the Saturday Sabbath, and baptized Lydia & hir family on the same day, but no mention there is of any preaching on the Lord's day, or an any other day, Act. 16.12.13.14.15. therefore Saturday must be the Sabbath day. 2. What though there be no mention that Paul preached in any of the 7 days, till this Lord's day, doth it thereof follow, that he did not preach on any of those days? Were not many things done, that were not mentioned? else the world could not contain the books &c. Yet it may be proved that Paul preached on the day before this first day, or Lord's day, to wit, on the Saturday Sabbath; for S. Luke testifieth of S. Paul, that where Paul came, it was his custom to preach ever upon the Sabbath day, Paul as his manner was went in unto them, & iii Sabbath days disputed with them Act. 17.2. Act. 18.4. And Paul who exhorted Timothy to preach the word in season and out of season; himself I trust was not idle at Troas, all those 6 days which went before the Lord's day. But then they turn to queries, and why preached he on this day? and why is this day mentioned, and none of the other? Thus when they can go no further, they fall to beging of questions of us; when it is their part to prove it, why this day rather then any other is mentioned; if any reason in it they can find, that will help them, let them produce it.

5. I answer, that this sermon of Paul's, was occationall & extraordenary; and therefore no likelihood that it was a Sabbath: neither is it likely, that this assembly at Troas, was a Sabbath assembly: for Sabbath assemblies are works of the day, not of day & night both. Suppose therefore, that the Church at Troas, assembled in the morning of the Lord's day, and so held on their assembly whilst midnight; yea, all night also; for so much is plain by the text Act. 20.7.11. and so they held society a whole day, and a whole night also, 24. hours: is this to be deemed, an ordenary Sabbath day work? if it be, then must our Congregations, assemble every week on the Lord's day morning, and so hold on until Moonday morning, or else we are not like our pattern here, the Church at Troas: see if these men's eyes be in their heads, who would draw this Lord's day, and action of the Church at Troas, unto the erecting & institution of an ordenary Sabbath: for, if this Text be our President for our new Sabbath, then it is good reason, we should keep our new Sabbath, as this text witnesseth they kept it. Again, as for Paul's sermon; Sabbath sermons, are works of the day, not of day and night both: Now if Paul began his sermon in the morning, the Text saith, that he continued it unto midnight, v. 7. yea, that he had spoken a long while to the dawning of the day, v. 11. If this were a Sabbath sermon, what a sack full of troubles were our new Sabbatharians in; for they must leave their hour & ii hour sermons, and make sermons many hours long; yea, when they have done preaching in the day time, they must too it again, and preach in the night also, even to midnight.

As this example at Troas, was extraordenary, so was it occationall; occationed by Paul's departure from them the next day: for he had tarried with them 7 days, and the next morning he was to take his journey and depart from them, as the text speaketh, v. 7.13. and never to see their faces anymore, nor they ever to see his face anymore, as the Text speaketh v. 25. Now in all probability, the Church at Troas knowing this, resolved hereupon to come & take their last sight and farewell of him, & to receive the Lord's Supper at his hands before his departure; and this was likely to be the occasion of their assembly now on this Lord's day; yea, so much may be collected out of the Text Act. 20.7. Now the Brethren being assembled, Paul could do no less, then give them a sermon at his departure: and this, he that took all occations to build up & edify the Church, took this occasion to establish these in the faith: and this, upon this or the like occations, he would have done, upon any day of the week Sunday, Monday, or any other. Now what is this President unto us, and to the erecting & instituting of Sermons on the Lord's day as a Sabbath day? All that can be collected hence, is but this, that upon these or the like occations, people may be assembled together, & the Minister may preach a sermon to them, and that these things may be done, on that day of the week wherein the occasion falleth out, be it Lord's day, Monday, Tewsday or any other; and all this to be done, not in conscience of the time & day wherein they are done superstitiously, but in regard of the present occasion only: but behold our Ministers have hence collected by their magnified cōsequences, that we must assemble together, every week forever, upon the Lord's day, be there occations or no occations to move thereto, I mean extraordenary occations; and this must be done in conscience of the very time & day, wherein they will have us assemble: how far off are these departed from their Coppie and President! Act. 20.7. they met occationally, but we must meet occasion or none; yea with a superstitiouse respect of the time & day we meet in: for we find not that these at Troas, made any conscience of the day and time wherein they met: unless you will suppose that all Sunday night, or every Lord's day night, is a sanctified time for Sabbath duties, and to be observed in conscience. And which is worst of all, this time, collected by their vain consequences out of this Text, wherein they swerve from their Coppie, it must be pressed upon men's consciences, as a parte of God's worship; & that in conscience of it, men must neglect their callings, to their great damage, and that upon peril of sin, and pain of damnation: is it not high time, these things were reformed?

But happily it will be said by Ministers, that this is an example of the Apostle Paul, and of the Church of God at Troas, now examples bind conscience, &c. Whereto I answer 1. this is no Sabbath example, it is but a Sermon example. 2. If examples bind the Church now, then must rich men sell their house and land, and lay the money down at the Ministers feet, for so did the Church, Act. 4.34.35. and if all examples of the Apostles bind conscience, then are Ministers of all men in an ill case; for they must not only study and preach painfully, but also must work hard in some honest calling; for so did Paul, he labored in his Trade of Tent making, Act. 18.3. they must not only preach on the Lord's day, but also, they must preach till midnight, for so did Paul: they must not only preach in the Church, on the Lord's day, but also from house to house in the week days; for so did the Apostles, Act. 5.42. I but hereto they will reply, seeing them selves in so ill a case, that these things were extraordenary, and peculiar to those times, & therefore bind not us now whereto I answer, & can they see the extraordinarinesse in these examples; and can they not see also the extraordinarinesse of this example, of Paul's preaching at Troas? and the extraordenarinesse of Peters Sermon, on Pentecost day, Act. 2.1. Where they please, they can see; & where they please, they cannot see at all.

For conclusion, if they will prove their Lord's day a Sabbath by this text Act. 20.7. let them remember that besides other things, this is their task 1. to prove, that the Church assembled in the morning of the Lord's day. 2. They must prove, that the people did refrain all servile labor, at Troas, all the Lord's day long, from break of day in the morning until night: for, they might assemble together at Church, on the Lord's day morning, about nine of the clock, as we do on Lecture days; and yet come from their labors also, as we do on a Lecture day: they might meet in the Church by 9 of the clock, and yet they might have spent 3 or 4 hours, even all the morning before in their ordenary callings; now forasmuch as they hold that it is unlawful for us to spend the morning of the Lord's day, in servile labor; and because it is a special parte of a Sabbath days duty, to rest from our labors, as it is in the 4th come. therefore, they must prove unto us, that these Disciples at Troas, did refrain their works, all the day long, the morning as well as the after noon. 3. They must remember to prove unto us, that those holy duties, which the Disciples at Troas performed on the Lord's day, they did them in conscience of the 4th Comm. for, a people may hear a Sermon, in conscience of that Com. of Paul's, preach the word. &c. in season & out of season, 2. Tim. 4.2. But this is not the 4th Comm. these are the main things they should spend their time in to prove; but of all the rest, these 3 things, are never touched by them, thus the main of all which should be labored in, is utterly neglected; but until they prove these things, believe them that will for me.

SECT. IX.

A 4th Text in the New Testament, which they allege and abuse, is Act. 1.2. where is mention made, that Christ after his resurrection, whilst he was on earth, gave Commandments unto the Apostles, whom he had chosen. Now say they, albeit it be not specified in particular what Commandments, Christ gave them, yet it is gatherable what they were, by the practice of the Apostles afterwards; now their practice was to keep the Lord's day for a Sabbath.

Here unto I answer 1. that whereas they pretend a practice of the Apostles in keeping the Lord's day; they were so far from a practice of it, as it cannot be shown where any of the Apostles, kept two Lord's days, in all their lives: now a single action, is no practice. 2. I answer, admit that the Apostles kept the Lord's day, yet I deny that it can be proved, that they kept it for a Sabbath day; for the utmost that can be proved, is but that they kept it for a Lecture day; if that: that is, that they preached a Sermon sometimes upon the Lord's day: but a lecture day, is no Sabbath day. 3. I answer if the practice of the Apostles, after Christ his Ascension, be a sure note, that Christ whilst he was upon the earth, gave the Apostles a Commandment for that practice; then surely, Christ gave the Apostles a Commandment to keep the Saturday Sabbath: for, Paul & Barnabas, & the Rest with them, kept the Saturday Sabbath constantly, after Christ his Ascension; se for this purpose Act. 13.14.42.44. and Act. 16.13. and Act. 17.2. and Act. 18.4. thus it appeareth by their own arguments, that the Saturday Sabbath is still in force, & commanded by Christ too; & yet they will not acknowledge it, but oppose it. 4. I answer, that it is absurd for any to imagine once, that Christ gave his Apostles a commandment for the Lord's day: for this were to cast a foul blurr on the Apostles, that Christ their Master, should give them a Commandment, to deliver unto the Churches, and they should conceal it: whers then their fidelity? how could they say with Paul, Act. 20.27. that they had revealed the whole counsel of God, & kept nothing back? when they had kept back a precept for the Lord's day Sabbath.

SECT. X.

A 5th text out of the New Testament, alleged and abused, for the Lord's day, is 2. Cor. 5.17. and this text as tis used by others, so it is stiffly defended, by M ^r . Greenwood: the words are these, If any man be in Christ he is a new creature: old things are passed away: behold all things are become new. Whence he thus argueth, what (saith he) can be plainer, to prove, that if all things be new, then a new day of worship also?

Hereunto I answer 1. if all things in Christ's kingdom, be become new; then show me where Christ hath given you a new commandment, for your new Lord's day: I am suer you can find none in all the New Testament, in the stead of the old 4th come. 2. They say all things in Christ kingdom are become new, & yet they will needs hau the old 4th come. to strengthen their new Lord's day by it: do they not contradict them selves? if all things be new, then let them no more urge the 4th & old come. for the Lord's day. 3. the Israelites were commanded to worship the true God, & that by the first & old come. show me then what other God, or what new God we must worship, if all things are become new. 4. S. John saith, he wrote no n • w commandment, but an old commandment unto them, 1. John. 2.7. & Paul telleth us, that whatsoever things are written afore time, are written for our learning Ro. 15.4. & our Savior telleth us that, until heaven & earth pass, one jot or one title of the law shall not escape &c. Mat. 5.18. so then, all things in Christ's kingdom are not become new.

4. This Text is ignorantly wrested, unto a sense the which the holy Ghost never meant: for the holy Ghost speaketh not in this text, of old & of new laws & ordinances in the Church; as if this text were for the abolishing of the old Ceremonies, of Circumcision, the Passover, and the like; and for the establishing of new ordinances, as of Baptism, the Lord's Supper, & the like, as they wrest & abuse it grossly: but it treateth of the old corruptions in men unregenerate, and of new grace in men sanctified: and that a man in Christ, is not an old man, but a new man in conversation: this is the true sense, laying open to every eye; and yet for all this, they be not ashamed to wring & wrest this portion of Scripture to old Sabbaths, & to new Sabbaths: what a shameful abuse is this of Scripture? me thinks men that make conscience of other things, should also make conscience of this, to give the word of God, its due and proper sense: to report a man's words, in another sense then he meant them, is in estimation false witness bearing, a sin of the 9th Com. but to misreport the sacred word of God, and to give such a sense of it, as the holy Ghost never intended, this is a sin, not against man, but against God; this is to be a false witness, not against man, but against God: What, have they nobody to father their falshoodes upon, but upon God, the God of truth? will not the Lord's day be upholden for a Sabbath, without such vile & ungodly courses as these?

SECT. XI.

A 6th Text out of the New Testament, alleged and abused for the Lord's day, is 1. Cor. 16.2. Upon the first day of the week, let every on of you put aside by himself, and lay up as God hath prospered him, that then there be no gatherings when I come. Loe here say they was a collection for the poor, which collection, was an ordinance of the Apostle, as I have ordained in the Churches of Galatia, so do ye. Now when there were collections for the poor, there must be assemblies; and when there were assemblies, then there were sermons; and on those days in which were collections for the poor, and assemblies, & sermons, those were Sabbath days. This text M. Yates hath urged upon me.

Herevnto I answer, 1. Here you see the foundation of all this argument, is from hence, that there was at Corinth a collection for the poor; and that there was also an Assembly; if therefore I shall make it appear, that there was neither collection, nor assembly, then you will say this text is grossly abused, and that herein is no foundation for any new Sabbath. And first touching the assembly; that here was no assembly or congregation ordained by Paul, is plain from the words of the Text, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 apudseipsum reponat, or, apud se seponat: let everyone of you, put aside by himself: the Apostle speaketh not here, of putting up money, in the congregation or assembly, but of putting it aside by himself: Now it is one thing to lay up money by a man's self; and another to lay it up with others in an assembly: for a man may lay up money by himself, when he is at home, & alone by himself; and this is that which the text speaketh of; and this is not done in an assembly as they suppose, but out of an assembly: if here were any ground for them, for any assembly, the Apostle must have said, Let everyone of you, contribute with others, or in the assembly; or let everyone of you, put aside from himself, as men do to Collectors in the Church; but he saith the quite contrary, let everyone, put aside by himself; wherefore this ordinance of Paul's, was a duty to be done by every man singlie & alone by himself at home; here then you see is no ground for any assembly or Congregation.

Now I come to the collection, and I shall make it appear, that Paul made no ordinance here at Corinth, for a collection: for, his ordinance was only for a preparation to a collection: Now these ii differ much, to collect money is one thing, and to prepare or make money ready for a collection is another thing: Paul indeed spake touching a collection, when he said, concerning the gathering for the Saints, 1. Cor. 16.1. but yet he did not here ordain, that this collection whereof he spake, should be then presently made; this he gave order for afterwards concerning the time, when it should be done; only he would have them in a readiness with their money, that so whensoever after, he should give order for the collectiō to be made, men's money and what they would bestow, might not be to seek, but laid up by them, every man's money by himself, in a readiness: forasmuch as men were to give with respect unto their estats and abilities, as God had prospered them, it was needful there should be a day appointed for them, wherein to cast up their accounts and rekonings, to see how God had prospered them in their estats, and then that done, to lay up by them, what they could spare, against the day that Paul should send for it.

For the clearing of this text therefore, we may borrow light from 2 Cor. 9.5. where S. Paul speaking of collections v. 1. he hath reference in this his second Epistle, unto the collection mentioned in his first Epistle 1. Cor. 16.2. as you may perceive by these words, where he speaketh of a collection appointed afore, or as our new Translatoures have it where of ye had notice before, 2 Cor. 9.5. now this collection, where of Paul had given them knowledge before, it was not made before, but to make still, as appeareth by these things 1. in that he now telleth them of sending the brethren, as collectours, that they might finish their benevolence, or make up before hand their bounty 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , whereby you see this collection was yet to be finished and made up. 2. he sseth an argument to persuade the Corinthians to a liberal contribution 2 Cor. 9.6. now this perswasiue argument had come too late, if the collection had been past first: so by this text 2 Cor. 9.5. it appeareth, that what Paul spake in the 1 Cor. 16.2. it was not of any collection then to be made, but only it was a preparative, to a future collection; wherefore you see their ground whereon they build is false ground; for they cannot prove by this text, that here was either any collection upon the Lord's day, no nor any assembly: how then will they gather, that there was a Sermon on this Lord's day, & so a Sabbath, if they cannot prove that there was any assembly or congregation, on this Lord's day? thus you see that hitherto they cannot prove by any one text, that there was at any time so much as any one Lord's day kept for a Sabbath.

Now when they are at their furthest & can go no further, then they fall to queries; but why (say they) was this collection, appointed upon the first day of the week, rather then on the second day, or some other? surely there was something in that. Hereto I answer, if surely there was something in it, then let them show us what it was: for it is their parte to find it out if anything there was, that might prove it a Sabbath day; doubtless there was something in it, why this collection or preparative, was on this day rather then on any other, but you know there may be many some things & reasons of it, & yet none of them such as will prove it a Sabbath day; let them refrain therefore this begging of questiones of us, & fall to proving themselves; let them prove it, that this collection or preparative appointed on the Lord's day, rather then on any other day, must make it a Sabbath day.

2. I answer, if Paul did ordain the Lord's day for a Sabbath, to be kept by the Church of Corinth here; why did Paul him self, voluntarily omit the keeping of the Lord's day, with the Church at Antioch, when he had a most fit occasion (as lately I have shown) & did rather keep the Sabbath day Act. 13.14.42.43.44. When as yet he might have kept the Lord's day, if he would? one word of his mouth would have done it. Surely had the Lord's day been a Sabbath day, Paul would have kept it in all Churches where ever he came, as well in one as in another.

3. I answer, let all be granted, and yet it will not do; suppose therefore that here was a collection, & an assembly, and a sermon; yet it cannot by all these be proved a Sabbath day; all that can be hence collected is no more but this, that the Lord's day was a collection day, & an assembling day, and a sermon day; that is, a Lecture day; but not a Sabbath day. For, to a Sabbath day, is more required then to have an assembly, & a collection, & a sermon; for all these 3. we have on lecture days, in London, & other partes of the kingdom, on Wednesdays, Thursdays & other days of the week, which are no Sabbath days.

If the patrons of the Lord's day, will prove that at Corinth they kept this day for a Sabbath, they must remember to prove these things; 1. That the people did refrain all servile labor on the Lord's day, from break of day, till night; for this is a parte of the 4th come. In it, thou shalt do no manner of work. 2. They must prove that they spent this Rest, in holy exercises: And that they did both these in conscience of the 4th come. the which ii things if they cannot prove out of this text, as it is most certain they cannot, then have they foully abused this portion of Scripture also; yea, & not only this parte of God's word have they abused & profaned, but also thereby have they abused and corrupted, with error, the minds of such their people, as are most ingenuouse & tractable: a thing much to be lamented of every godly heart: thus by going about, to justify their Counterfaite Sabbath, they add one sin unto another.

SECT. XII.

A 7th text out of the New Testament, which they allege & abuse for the Lord's day, is Revel. 1.10. I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day &c. Some from this text think this Lord's day must be a Sabbath day, because S. John received a Revelation in it: but few do urge it thus; & thus there is not the least force of proving in it; for how will it appear, that because John had a Revelation on this day, that therefore it must be a Sabbath day? theres no likelihood that ever this can be proved: Ezekiel had a vision or Revelation from God, on the 5th day of the month Ezek. 1.1.2. must this 5th. day of the month be therefore a Sabbath forever? But I come to the second sort, & these are the most of those which use this text; they gather all from the name, that this day is called Lord's day: but how they will frame an argument from this name Lord's day, to prove it a Sabbath day, I cannot devise.

Thouching their collections from this name I answer 1. Let them remember, that since they have no come. from Christ for this day; & therefore are put too it, to magnify their reason & consequences, provided they be necessary consequences as they speak, let them not forget I say, when they bring us a reason hence, that it be not a probable one, but one of their necessary consequences; if I mistake me nor, they shall find some what to do, to prove necessarily, from the bare name of a thing.

2. Seeing that Paul did voluntarily omit the keeping of the Lord's day, when he might have kept it, if he would but have spake the word, as hath been shown out of Act. 13.14.42.44. thers no probability therefore to think, that anything should be intimated here in these words Lord's day, to declare this day now to be a Sabbath day. 3. Forasmuch as it shall hereafter be proved out of M. Perkins, that sundry of the primitive Churches, did not observe the Lord's day, for 300 years after S. John's time, who can think, that in this Text S. John did ratify the Lord's day for a Sabbath, when the Christian Churches, which immediately succeeded him, were ignorant of it? further, forasmuch as our Savior Christ, the Lord of this Lord's day, did make it a travailing day, when he was upon the earth; it cannot be thought, that S. John did intimate, by these words Lord's day, that it should be kept as a Resting day, or Sabbath day; unless you suppose; that John the Servant, put holiness in that day, wherein Christ his Lord, put none. 4. You have a Text in Mat. 24.10. besides many others in Act. 13.42.44. Act. 16.13. Act. 17.2. Act. 18.4. pray that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the Sabbath day. Where our Savior Christ allowed a conscience to be made of flying & travailing on the Sabbath day, that is, the 7th day Sabbath, and that 40 years after his death. Were the Patrones of the Lord's day, but as willing to embrace the Lord's Sabbaths, as they are to uphold the Lord's day, here were a text for them, that hath, by far more probability of truth, then this text hath Revel. 1.10. but they bewray their partiality, when they will refuse that which hath better grownds in God's word, and embrace that which hath worse grownds, yea no ground at all. 5. It is a rule in expounding of Scripture, that words that are some what ambiguouse and doubtful, be so construed and expounded, as that they do not contradict some other plain & express Text of Scripture: now in the 4th Com. we have a most express & plain Scripture, never yet repealed, Six days shalt thou labor: now this Lord's day, is the first of these six days; wherefor these words Lord's day, must not be so expounded, as if we should Rest from labor on this day; for so we make a contradiction in Scripture, by setting this text against the 4 ^th Com.

I come now to answer more directly; & first for this name Lord's day: they take it for granted that S. John meant it of our Sunday, or First day of the week; but it may bedoubted of: for our Savior Christ was Lord of the old Sabbath, The Son of man is Lord, even of the Sabbath, Mark. 2.28. Wherefore, the 7th day Sabbath may truly be called the Lord's day: now be it that our Sunday, or First day of the week may also becalled Lord's day, because Christ our Lord rose on it; So then, if both the 7th day of the week, and also the 8th day of the week, may both be called Lord's days, it is your parte then to prove that by Lord's day, S. John meant that Lord's day, which is our Sunday: it may be he meant it of the Lord's day, which is Saturday.

Suppose we not with standing, that S. John meant it of our Sunday, what argument can thence be collected? M. Perkins in his Cases of Conscience Chap. 16. Sect. 2. argueth thus, that this day is called the Lord's day, as the last Supper of Christ, was called the Lord's Supper; and that for this cause, that as Christ did Substitute the last Supper in room of the passover, so he substituted the first day of the week in room of the Jews Sabbath, to be a day set a parte for his own worship. Touching this argument, I shall not need give any other answer, then that reverend divine hath put into my mouth: for he doth ingenuously confess it in the same place, that this is but a probable argument, saying, I suppose, for in these points still we must go by liklihoods; that this day is called the Lord's day, as the last Supper of Christ, was called the Lord's Supper, &c. Well, if then there can be no arguments drawn from this name Lord's day, but suppositions, & likelihoodes, what have we to do with them? these are no necessary consequence: for how shall a Minister with a safe conscience, press men peremptorily & necessarily to a certain keeping of the Lord's day, upon probable suppositions, likelihoods & uncertainties? can an uncertain & doubtful argument, bind men, unto a certain & undoubted practice? Ministers must have a care, and make a conscience of it, that they do not bind men's consciences straiter, then God's word doth: when God speaks probably & doubtfully, they must not speak peremptorily & certainly, this were to make God's Laws straiter then they are: if therefore it be but a likely matter that the Lord's day is a Sabbath, let Ministers leave it & deliver it to people but as a likely thing, so as if they profane it, it cannot be said for certain, that they sin in profaning it: but Ministers now a days are gone beyond Perkins, where he saw but likelihoods, they do see certainties; & dare from such Texts as these press men's consciences, to the certain & peremptory keeping this Lord's day, upon pain of damnation; how they shall answer this to God I know not: it behooveth them to forethinke of it. In the mean space for the people, if they be wise, let them not suffer their consciences, to be snared, bound, and inthralled, touching the Lord's day, by such arguments as these.

Yet further, that the vanity of this their collection from the name Lord's day, may appear, see it by the like of the day called the passover day, & of Pentecost day, & of the action called the Lord's Supper, had not God added his word & Com. to these days, & to this action, thereby declaring unto us, what use we should make of these days, & of this action, who could from these names only, have collected the use of these days, & of the Lord's Supper? even so it is here, S. John hath only & barely named this day, Lord's day, & hereunto he hath not added any word touching its use, or given us any reason why he so called it, what man then can hence collect, from its bare name, what we should do with this Lord's day?

Furthermore some argue out of this Text thus; that this Lord's day is so called as Christ's last Supper, is called the Lord's Supper; now the Lord's Supper is so called, because it was instituted in remembrance of Christ; and so this day is called Lord's day, because it was instituted for a Sabbath, in remembrance of Christ. Herevnto I answer, by denial of this proposition that, the First day of the week is called Lord's day, as Christ's last Supper is called the Lord's Supper: in these words they affirm, that there is the like reason, or the same reason, of the Lord's day, & of the Lord's Supper: well, now they have affirmed it, in the next place it is their parte to prove it; for bare affirmations are no arguments; it is not therefore so, because they have said it is so; for my parte I never heard it proved yet, that the Lord's day is so called, for the same causes that Christ's Supper is called the Lord's Supper; neither do I believe that ever I shall hear it proved. In the mean space, let me show the vanity of this affirmation, & argumentation, by the like, thus.

This Lord's day is so called, as the earth, is called the Lord's earth, & all that is therein: for, the earth is the Lord's, & all that therein is, 1. Cor. 10.26. Now the earth is called the Lord's earth, because the Lord made it, & all things therein, to serve man in his ordenary & common use Genes. 1.29. Genes. 9.3. and so this day, is called Lord's day, because Christ ordained it, for man's ordenary & common use; that is, for a working day. If they may take liberty to give a bare affirmation, & then argue upon it absurdly, then so may I:2. it is said that we are the Lord's, Rom. 14.8. Now we Christians, were redeemed by the Lord Christ, that we should serve him in righteousness & holiness, all the days of our life, Luk. 1.74.75. and if we must serve him all the days of our life, then must we serve him in the ordenary works of our calings: thus then I may argue; so is this day called Lord's day, that it may be spent by serving God, in the ordenary works of our calings. 3. James is called the Lord's brother, Gal. 1.19. Now may a man thus say, & argue? this day is called Lord's day, as James is called the Lord's brother: now James is called the Lord's brother, because he was allied to him; & so is this day called Lord's day, because it is allied to him? see the absurdity of such collections as are made from this Text. 4. If this first day of the week, must be a Sabbath & resting day, because called Lord's day; then must the earth rest & be no more tilled, because it is called the Lord's earth: & then must we Christians hereafter rest from work every day, all our lives long because we are called the Lord's; & the Lord's redeemed: thus you see the vanity of their arguings from this Text: the like may be said out of that Text, Luk. 17.22. where is mentiō made of the Lord's day, or day of the Son of man. But peradventure, they will object, that these instances are not like their case: for tis 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 with the article 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 notifying some special thing &c and it is to be translated the Lord's day, not the day of the Lord: whereto I answer 1. for the article, look into the Texts alleged by me, & you shall find the article there also. 2. For the translatiō, that it neither maketh or marreth, whither of the twain we take is plain, in that Translatores do promiscuously render it sometimes one way, sometimes another, see 2 Thes. 1.8. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in the fire of flame, or in flaming fire, Gal. 1.19. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the brother of the Lord, or the Lord's brother: see I am. 2.1. and what difference is to be made between these, the mount of holiness, & the holy mount? the Temple of holiness, and the holy Temple? and so, the day of the Lord, and the Lord's day? 3. I will show you two phrases of nearer affinity then theires, and yet differ as far as Creation & Redemption: the 7th day Sabbath is called the Feast of the Lord, and the anniversary Sabbaths are also called the Feasts of the Lord, Levite. 24.2.4. and yet the one of these is not every way like the other: for the one is a Sign of Creation, the other of Christ & redemption: so may it be between the Lord's day, & the Lord's Supper &c.

I confess we may be bold to render a reason, why Christ's Supper was called the Lord's Supper; because we have a word of institution added to the name, declaring its nature use and end, as 1. Cor. 11.20 23.24.25. but it is not so with the day, called the Lord's day, Revel. 1.10. Ye have nothing but its bare name mentioned, & not a word of the reason of the name, nor of the use and end of the day, so named; wherefore all consequences from hence, must be as saith M. Perkins before quoted, but suppositions, probabilities, & likelihoods.

Some argue thus, that which in Scripture, is called the Lord's, that is to be consecrated to the Lord, and to his worship. I answer, as well may they thus argue & conclude, that because the earth is called the Lord's, it must therefore be co secrated so to God, as it must rest & be tilled no more, & be employed wholly and only to God's worship. And so Christians being called the Lord's must rest from work, and only worship God.

Some Ministers argue thus, that this day is called Lord's day, by way of excellency, as excelling all other days of the week, & therefore it must be a Sabbath day; for Sabbath days excel all other days. Herevnto I answer, that every excellency of a day, maketh not that day a Sibbath day, unless it excelleth as a Sabbath day: for example, good friday, & so every friday since, do excel all other days of the week, in this regard, that on it Christ suffered his bitter passion for us; & yet is not every friday since a Sabbath day. Hallow Thursday, excelleth all days of the week, in this, that on it Christ ascended up into heaven; & yet is not Thursday become a Sabbath day. So the Lord's day excelleth all others in this, that on it Christ rose, & yet is not the Lord's day a Sabbath day, ere the more for this excellency; As the Minister excelleth all other men, for a Minister; & yet he is not therefore a Magistrate, so the Lord's day may excel all other days, for a resurrection day; and yet it is not therefore a Sabbath or Resting day. Loe, with what idle stuff, they fill people's heads withal, to bolster out their fancies.

Others there are, who think their bare naming of the day (Lord's day) is argument sufficient to convince any man, & to prove that the Lord's day, must be a Sabbath day; so strong they are in conceit, & so weak in argument: and thus they argue; why this day which we keep it is called in the Scriptures, by S. John, the Lord's day, is it not? well & what would you have more then? is not this enough for any reasonable man? I answer, if it be called the Lord's day, then the Lord's day let it be still for me; I go not about to give it any other name, albeit it may be questioned: but this is that I say, that S. John did not call this day, Sabbath day, did he? if he had called it Sabbath day, as he called it Lord's day, then would I believe it had been a Sabbath day; but now I believe that it is but a Lord's day, & not a Sabbath day; because S. John called it but Lord's day, not Sabbath day.

Their last upshot, which is a note that they are at non plus, is to queries, in stead of proofs; as thus; I but why think you, this day was called Lord's day, rather then any other? there was something in it extraordenary doubtless &c. I answer, tis true, something in it there was, & something extraordenary too, as namely, it was called Lord's day, because on it Christ rose from the dead, & so he did not upon any other day: But if anything they will have more then this, let them show us what it is, & prove it when they have done, but let them leave this idle begging of questiones of us, the which is a most frequent thing with them.

Thus you see what poor hold they have for this new Sabbath, from this text, Revel. 1.10. full little did S. John think when he wrote this Revelation, & mentioned the Lord's day in it, that ever Christians after him, would have so abused this name, to the setting up of a new Sabbath upon it.

To conclude, since they will be so confident, as to collect a necessary institution, from a bare nomination, I desire them first to prove it, that this name Lord's day was of divine imposition: there is cause to doubt; there are many names in scripture, that are not diuinly imposed, as Mars street, Purim, Matthew, &c. so may this be too: and the rather considering that this name Lord's day, was unknown in the Church for many years after Christ: for, all the 4 Evangelists named it by the old name, the first day of the week, only: and so did S. Paul, Act. 20.7. it might therefore be so named first by the Church, & afterwards by S. John in his Revelations: now if this name might be human, then may the institution & use of it be human also.

SECT. XIII.

Thus you have seen their Scriptures, & what pitiful work, they have made with them; the feebleness & insufficiency whereof, being singly considered of, & well viewed, they full well seeing, though loath to confess it; now they have a new devise, & thats this, albeit (say they, or some of them) that these Scriptures, cannot prove the Lord's day a Sabbath, singlie & a lone considered, yet put them all together & they will prove it. Quae non prosunt singula multa juvant.

Hereunto I answer, it is well that at last they are forced to confess it, that none of their Scriptures can prove the point, alone & by themselves singly; by yielding this, they have fairly yielded their cause: for, I desire of them, to show me in one argument, framed out of all these texts together, how they can prove the Lord's day a Sabbath; any better then they could out of them all singlie and alone considered one after another: the which cannot be done. For, it is with these texts singlie, and together, as it is with a single cipher, and a multitude of ciphers; if a single cipher standeth for nothing, then add to it an hundredth more ciphers, they increase not the number, the total sum of them will be nothing still; an 100 ciphers cannot make one single unity: And so it is with these Texts, if everyone of them singlie and alone, have no force of proving the Lord's day a Sabbath, then add them all together, & if there were an hundredth more of them, and all of them shall prove nothing: arguments do not change their nature being a multitude, from that they were single: we esteem not of arguments by number, but by weight: many probabilities, cannot make one infallibility.

When a Chapman is to buy of a Merchant, many particular things of one kind, packed together; the Chapman, least he be deceived, will take them asunder, & view them singlie one by one: but if the merchant, dares not suffer him, to look upon them, & try them everyone singly, but will enforce him to take them in the gross & in the lump, without a particular sight; the Chapman needeth none other argument then this, to persuade him that there is packing (as they call it) & that this Merchant, is about to play the crafty merchant (as they say) with him: & so it is here, if now their texts, must be no longer viewed & scanned, severally & singlie one by one, but we must have them thrust upon us, in the lump, all joined to gether, who can but suspect juggling, and double dealing? was it ever known that such devices were used? but all this is still to hold, such as they have once taken, in fetters of blindness & superstition: these cannot say as Paul said, that they have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully, 2. Cor. 4.2. If to refuse a single trial of every text they bring particularly by it self, be not out of some hidden dishonesty, craftiness, & handling the word of God deceitfully, I cannot tell what is.

And thus much be spoken in answer unto all their Scriptures, both out of the old & new Testaments, in all which you see, they cannot prove unto us, so much as one Lord's day, kept for a Sabbath, no not in all the Scriptures. In the next place, we are to come unto their reasons; & if their Scriptures cannot prove the point, I trust their reasons & consequences shall do as little, unless their reasons be grown more potent then the Scriptures are.

SECT. XIIII.

Amongst all their reasons for the Lord's day Sabbath, this is one, that it is the fitest day for a Sabbath, & therefore it must be a Sabbath: & that it is of all other days the fitest, this they prove, because Christ rose on it, and Paul preached on it, and collectiones for the poor were made on it &c.

Hereunto I answer, 1. by demanding of them in whose account this fitness is to be allowed of? in God's account, or in man's account: if they say in man's account, what hath man to do in valuing & making choice of days for God's worship? God never left it unto man to make choice of his Sabbaths; & for man to take upon him this office, it is but an usurpation. If they say in God's account, then I answer, as for the 6. days, they are vnsit for a Sabbath in God's account: because God appointed them for laboring days, Six days, shalt thou labor &c. Exod. 20.9. wherefore, if we may take that day for a Sabbath, which God esteemeth fitest, then must we have the Saturday Sabbath; for, that God esteemed this the fitest day of all others, it appeareth in that he gave a come. for the sanctifying of this day above all others; God commanded this day, & he never commanded any day besides this day.

But hereunto they will thus reply, but we mean it of the 6 days only: that day of the 6 (beginning at Sunday for the first of the 6) which is the fitest, that day must be Sabbath day: for as for the 7th day, we hold that to be abolished: I answer, admit for argument sake that the 7th day Sabbath is abolished, which is more then ever they shall prove; let us take them in their meaning, of the 6 days: yet it followeth not: for, this their arguing, is but a sley begging of the question, & that by taking that in their argument for granted, which they should first have proved, to wit, that someone of the 6 days must be a Sabbath: and then this being proved, in the next place they may consider which of the 6 days is the fitest for the Sabbath, and that in God's account: for things may be fit for an use in man's account, which God never ordained to that use.

This their arguing is like in absurdity unto this, a man hath 7 sons, concerning these, thus one may argue, the eldest son is a Lawyer, because he is the fitest of all the rest: the eldest son, is a Pysician, because he is the fitest for a Pysician: and yet for all this fitness, he is neither Lawyer, nor Pysician: the eldest son is fitest for a gentleman, & yet he may be a beggar. Saul of all men present, was fitest to offer sacrifice, & yet God never ordained him to offer sacrifice: so the Lord's day, may in a sense be said to be the fitest for a Sabbath, and yet God never ordained, it for a Sabbath: but these are idle things; first therefore let them handle their argument proving that Christ hath ordained any one, or someone of the 6 days; and then let them prove it showing that the Lord's day is fitest: when a man goeth into a glouers shopp, he must not use such logic as this, this pair of glones is sitest for me, therefore they are mine: he must first know if the glouer will parte with them so or not: for there must be something else besides fitness, or else you must go without them: so first let them show us that Christ will have one of the 6 days, and then let them show which of the 6. he will have.

In the mean space I will disprove them, and show that none of the 6 days are fit for a Sabbath: for 1. God with ut any repeal bath given a come. that these 6 day • s we should labor: Exod. 20.9. and therefore these 6 days are not fit any of them for a Sabbath. 2dly I will show that of all the 6 days, the Lord's day is not fit for a Sabbath: and that because Christ, and his Disciples, with his approbation, travailed on this day at least 15 miles, which we know of, as hath been proved out of Luk. 24.13.15.33.36. the which he would never have done, if he had judged it fit for a Sabbath day. 3dly, S. Paul did voluntarily omit the keeping of the Lord's day, when he might have kept it with those Christians at Antioch, for but a word speaking, as hath been shown out of Act. 13.14.42.43.44. which Paul would not have omitted, if he had judged this Lord's day fitest for a Sabbath. Wherefore none of the 6 days are fit in God's account for a Sabbath, no not the Lord's day it self: they must therefore bring some other & better argument, then this of fitness, to prove the Lord's day a Sabbath: of all our Lambes, those which are spotless, are fitest for a sacrifice, & yet no man must now Sacrifice them.

2. I answer to their reason where by this argument is proved: they prove the Lord's day, to be fitest for a Sabbath day, because certain famous works were done theron, as 1. Christ rose on it. 2. appeared on it. 3. the holy Ghost descended on it. 4. Peter preached, converted 3000. & Baptized them on it; 5. Paul preached on it 6. there was collections on it, and this reason is very plausible with common people: But I deny that these things do fit a day for a Sabbath day, in God's account: (as for man's account, I regard not what he accounts, or thinks fit in matters necessary to be observed upon pain of damnation, & in matters of God's worship) & I desire them to show us, how they come to know God's mind in this point; hath God at any time revealed it, that such actiones as are forementioned, should fit the days wherein they were done, for Sabbaths? or hath the Church of God at any time, found out Sabbaths, or made choice of Sabbaths, by such and the like actiones? or hath God left it to the liberty and wisdom of men, to choose him out his Sabbaths, by such like actiones? if none of these can be shown how dare they be so presumptuous to affirm, that such actiones do fit the days wherein they were done, for Sabbaths? man's reason, is a more blind thing, in the duties of the first Table, then in the duties of the second Table, now the point of a Sabbath, is a matter of the first Table; dare men be so audaciously bold then with their reason & consequences here? yea, & such poor reasons, and frivolous consequences? it stands not with the fear of God, and reverence of God's Majesty, to be so bold with God. I wish therefore, that men, especially Ministers, would make less use of their reason & consequences, and more use of the Scriptures and conscience.

Further I answer, that if men will be directed by examples in the Scripture, for the erection & choosing of days for public solemnities, they shall find that such famous actions, have not caused those very days, wherein they were done, to be holy days, but God, and the Church, have made choice of the next days after: Thus, God ended his work of Creation on the 6th day, now he sanctified the 7th day, which is the day after: & the Church Ester. 9. did likewise; for those Jews, who had deliverance from Haman's conspiracy, on the 13th day of the month, they kept the 14th day of the month, the day after, a day of feasting & joy v. 17. & those Jews who had deliverance on the 14th day of the month, they solemnised the 15th day of the month, the day after v. 18. wherefore if they would follow the Church of the Jews, then must they think, that these famous actiones, must be remembered, not on the day wherein they were done, the Lord's day, but the day after it, on Moonday, & this day must be our new Sabbath: or, if they will imitate God, and borrow any light from him, then must they think that the day after all is done, must be the Sabbath; and as God set up the 7th day, in remembrance of his work of Creation on the 6 days, so they are to think that Christ (who in this pointe imitated God, as they say) set up the 9th day of the week, in remembrance of his work of Redemption, done on the 6th, 7th, & 8th days of the week: & so all those notable actiones, should betoken unto us, that Moonday is our new Sabbath day, it being the day after. We will be thought to ground this Lord's day upon Scripture, & yet not follow either the example of God, or of the Church of God, recorded in Scripture; for we will not keep the day after, but the very day, upon which those actiones were done.

SECT. XV.

An other of their arguments for the Lord's day, to be a Sabbath day, is because on this day Christ rose from the dead: & this is in every man's mouth, saying, why should the Lord's day be a Sabbath, do you ask? why did not Christ rise on this day? thus they argue so confidently, as if it could not be doubted of, but that the Resurrection must needs raise up a new Sabbath.

But hereunto I answer, by the like reasoning, showing that by as good reason as this is; we may have every friday & every thursday Sabbaths also: for friday, may not a man say thus, friday must be our Sabbath day; because on this day, Christ suffered for us on the cross, it is Christ's Passion day: and can any ask why friday should be Sabbath day, since it was Christ's Passion day? for thursday, may not a man say as much for it also? Thursday must be our Sabbath day, because on this day, Christ ascended up into heaven &c. Thus you see by like reason we may as well have 3 Sabbaths in a week as this one of Lord's day. If any shall object that the Lord's day was the greatest, & therefore most fit, that it before the other ii should be the Sabbath; I answer, if we may compare them, friday was the greatest; for on it Christ bore the unsupportable wrath of his father for us, which made him cry out, my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? but on the Lord's day, there was only Christ's soul put into his dead body, & so revived again, now it was agreater matter (as I think everyone will confess) for the Diety, to support the humanity, on his Passion day, under that unsupportable wrath of God; then to put his soul into his dead body, in his resurrection day.

2dly I answer, how come they by this knowledge, that they can say, that this day must be a Sabbath day, because Christ rose on it? is not this one of their audaciouse & presumptuouse assertiones, who are bold to affirm what they lift, in the matters of God's worship? suer I am the Scriptures say no such thing; nor do they relate any such matter, when they speak of Christ his Resurrection. I find the Scriptures thus saying, that Christ died for our sins; & rose again for our justification Rom. 4.25. where we hear, what use we are to make of Christ's resurrection, that is, that it was to justify us; but we nowhere read, that Christ rose, to make the Lord's day a Sabbath day.

As for this action of Christ's rising on this day, can any man think, that God would raise up new ordinances in his Church as this Lord's day Sabbath is, by a bare action, without a word of institution added to it? suppose we that Christ at his last Supper, had only brake the Bread; & given a morsel to this man, & a morsel to that man, without any words of institution added unto this action, to declare unto them what they should do with the bread, and what use they should make of it: and suppose be had only given the Cup to this man to drink, & to that man to drink, and never said anything unto them, touching this Cup; tell me now, could the Apostles without a miracle have known what use they should make of this bread, & of this wine? Why so it is here, Christ rose upon this Lord's day, but never added any word of institution unto it, to signify unto us, that therefore he rose on this day, because his Church should keep it for a Sabbath; how then I pray can any the patrons of our Lord's day Sabbath, gather by their consequences, anything from this bare action of Christ's rising on this day?

Nay let me come nearer, suppose the Jews, had read it in the Scripture, that God himself Rested on the 7th day: but had never read it in the 4th come. that they should imitate God, and Rest on the 7th day also; how could they have gathered, from that bare action of God's Rest on the 7th day, that they ought in conscience to imitate God, & Rest on the 7th day also, when God had added no come. or word of institution unto his own Rest for their direction? what, can men know God's mind, without his word to teach it them? yis doubtless, our new Sabbathairans can; a bare action, without any word of institution, is enough for them: had these but seen Christ break the bread only, it had been enough for them; or heard say, that God Rested on the 7th day, these needed no more: it is enough they know thus much, that Christ rose upon the Lord's day, they can convert this to their own use well enough, to deceine the simple, & coosine themselves.

SECT. XVI.

An other argument they have for the Lord's day, and that is this; If the Jews kept a Sabbath in memory of the Creation, then much more ought we Christians to keep a Sabbath in memory of the Redemption. The reason hereof they say is this, because the work of Redemption, is greater then the work of creation.

I answer first to their argument: & herein they have altered the state of the question, by putting in the word keep into their argument, in stead of the word institute or ordain: for our question is not about the keeping of the Lord's day, but about the institution & ordination of the Lord's day: let them therefore first prove that the Lord's day was instituted once, & appointed by God for a Sabbath, & then they may save themselves the labor of proving unto us, that we must keep it: for we are not unwilling to keep it, if once it be proved to be a Sabbath: this is but a piece of their Sophistry to prove one thing, when they should prove another.

Behold what difference there is betwixt these ii Sabbaths; and the practice of the Jews, & our practice: for there was an express commandment to the Jews to keep that Sabbath in memory of the Creation; but there can be no commandment shown us from Christ or his Apostles, for us to keep the Lord's day in remembrance of the redemption: wherefore we are not bound unto this new Sabbath, as they were unto the old Sabbath: for there is not the like reason: this sophistry every man may see.

I come now to their reason, they say the Redemption is greater then the work of Creation: Herevnto I answer, to know whither it be greater or not, would cost more labor then this their reason is worth, wherefore for argument sake, I suppose it is greater: but here I demand of them to whom it is greater? Whither it be greater unto all men, or but unto some men? their answer will be, that the work of Redemption is greater unto the elect, unto the redeemed, and to those only which have faith: Well then, the Redemption is neither greater, nor great, nor anything at all, to those which are not elected, not redeemed, and which live & die without faith; of these ii sortes of people, the elect are the fewer number; the unbelievers are the greater number: Well then, see how these things hange together; the thing they must prove, is that we Christians, that is all we Christians, even everyone within the pale of the Church that is baptized, all these ought to keep the Lord's day, for a Sabbath, in memory of the redemption, when as the one half of these are not redeemed: and their reason to bind all & every man, thus to keep a remembrance of this redemption, is because the work of redemption is greater unto some only of these men: How absurd is this, that every man should be bound to keep a joyful memory, of that thing, which doth belong but unto some of them only, as not to the one half of them! this is as if they would undertake to persuade not only English men, but also Dutch men, & French men, to keep a yearly joyful remembrance with us, for our deliverance from the Spaniard in 88: Why, what have French & Dutch to do with our deliverance in 88? this concerned not them, it was not their deliverance: so, what have such to do, to keep a joyful remembrance every Lord's day, for the redemption, when it belongeth not unto them, they being unbelievers, and such as love not the Lord Jesus? Wherefore, they cannot press this their new Sabbath of Lord's day, by this their reason, upon any but upon such as they see by their fruits, do already believe: such as do not yet believe, which commonly are the greater number, these are not tied unto the keeping of this Lord's day: behold what a Sabbath they have then; to wit, such a one, as only the fewer number of the Church & Parish are tied to keep it, as for the greater number of our Cities, Towns, & Parishes, these are not bound to keep it: this their reason therefore doth bewray the idleness of the cause; for we must have such a Sabbath, as the reason of it doth belong unto all, and to every man, none excepted, and such is the Saturday Sabbath, which is to be kept in memory of the Creation; now all & every man hath a benefit by the Creation, and therefore all are bound to it, none excepted: but it is not so with the Sunday Sabbath: for a few only have reason to keep it.

Yet further to discover the vanity of this argument, since they will have us keep a Sabbath in remembrance of the Redemption, I demand of them, how often they would have us keep a Sabbaah in memory of the Repemption, once every 7th day, ofter, or seldomer? they will answer once every 7th day: why say I, that is Jewish, and savoreth of Judaism, to observe a 7th day: this they have learned from the Jewish Sabbath; wherefore, since they do so abhor Judaism & the 7th day Sabbath, why do they imitate the Jews herein, and the 7th day Sabbath, by choosing a 7th day? the 7th day, is in imitation of God's rest on the 7th day: and in memory of the Worlds creation, finished at the 7th day: but we are Christians, and as they say, all things are become new, old things are passed away, well then, we must now imitate Christ the Redeemer, as the Jews did God the Creator; and we must fetch light from the work of Redemption, to know how often to keep our new Sabbath, as the Jews did by God's direction from the work of Creation.

If then we must imitate Christ the Redeemer, as did the Jews God the Creator, then must we travail too & fro upon the Lord's day, for so did Christ himself. 2. If we must fetch light, how often to keep our new Sabbath, from the work of redemption, as the Jews did from the work of Creation, then must we (since all things are become new) take up a new account of time also, we must no longer regard a 7th day, but now we must regard the third day: for, as God was six days in the work of creation & rested the 7th: so Christ was three days in the work of redemption, & rose, & rested the third day: on good friday; he suffered upon the cross; on Saturday, & on a parte of the Lord's day, he lay in the grave; so you see the work of redemption, cost Christ 3 days work; wherefore, if they will imitate Christ, they must keep every third day, for a Lord's day, & for a new Sabbath; & so they shall keep two Sabbaths in a week or thereabouts: & if they do not thus, they may talk what they will, that all things are become new; & that as the Jews kept a Sabbath in imitation of God at the Creation, so we in imitation of Christ in the redemption; but where is their imitation of Christ? do they travail too & fro, & follow their callings on the Lord's day, as Christ did? & do they keep every third day a Lord's day, and Sabbath day, as Christ rose upon the third day? no such matter.

Furthermore, whereas they suppose, that we have as great need of a Sabbath, to keep a memory of the Redemption, as the Jews had of a Sabbath, to keep in memory the Creation. I deny it: for God had given the Jews, the Sabbath day and it alone, to keep in memory his Creation, & therefore it was necessary, because they had no other helps: but for us, & for the Redemption, we have two Sacraments, Baptism & the Lord's Supper, to keep in memory the Redemption, & these are helps enough, so as there is no necessity of a Sabbath day also, for the same end. Do this in Remembrance of me, so hereby then the Redemption shall be kept in memory, all though we have no Lord's day Sabbath at all. There is need therefore to have a Sabbath to keep memory of the Creation, when there is no need to have one to keep memory of the Redemption.

They have also another argument, as vain as this past: thus, If God instituted a Sabbath in memory of the creation, then so did Christ institute a Sabbath in memory of the redemption. But they cannot prove this consequence, it is only their naked affirmation; wherefore my bare denial of it, shall be sufficient, until they prove it: you may see this argument further incisted upon, in my former book, Pag. 48. others argue thus: the greater work must carry the honor of the day, &c. Ans: the greater work may have greater honor, though not of the same Kind: for the creation, may have the great honor of the Sabbath day, to remember it: and the Redemption, may have the greater honor, of not one but two Sacraments, to Remember it.

SECT. XVII.

An other argument for the Lord's day they have, & it is this; the Authority of the Magistrate hath Commaunded it; and therefore we must keep it, &c. Let no man think I frame this argument of mine own head; for as I have often heard common people using it, so I have been urged with it myself, by a divine, and none of the meanest: neither need they be ashamed to hear of this argument in public, which they do use in private: I assure them, it is the best argument which they have for the Lord's day: none of all these past are like unto it: for every soul must be subject unto the higher powers, Ro. 13.1. if therefore the Magistrate commandeth us to keep it, we must keep it.

To this argument I answer, 1. that our question is not whither we must keep the Lord's day, or not keep it; but whither Christ hath instituted & appointed it for a Sabbath or not; let this be first proved, & then we will be ready to keep it, though this argument of Authority be wanting.

2. I answer, if this Lord's day hath no higher authority then from the Magistrate, then doth it not bind conscience simply & & by it self, but as all indifferent things do which are commanded by the Magistrate: Yea, the Lord's day it self must be ranked amongst indifferent things, where of the Magistrate, may properly make Laws: Yea whereas the Magistrate now commandeth the Lord's day to be kept, if it hath no higher Authority then of the Magistrate, then he may alter the solemnity of the day, from Sunday, to Moonday, to Tewsday, or to any other day of the week: Yea, & not only alter it, but also at his pleasure nullifye it, & utterly forbide keepeing of it anymore. And so the Tenour of your new Sabbath will prove but a fickle and inconstant thing.

3. I answer, if our Lord's day standeth by virtue of the Magistrate, thē is it not kept by virtue of the 4th come. but by virtue of the 5th Com. for it is the 5th Com. that enjoineth obedience to our Superioures: wherefore, then must Ministers no more press the 4th Com. upon the Lord's day, but the 5th Com. they must no more say, Remember the Sabbath day: But now they must say, Honor thy Father, & thy Mother: when they would have men sanctify the Lord's day. And people, they must no more say they keep the Lord's day in conscience of the 4th Com. but in conscience of the 5th Com. and thus also, shall the 4th Commandment be utterly abolished and out of all use in the Church.

This Lord's day Sabbath then may be doubly considered of, as it is commanded by God, or as it is Commaunded by the Magistrate; as it is commanded by the Magistrate, so I do no ways oppose it, let it stand so such as it is in that respect, so long as the Magistrate pleaseth, & as little while as he pleaseth: but I oppose our Ministers only, who say this Lord's day stands by divine ordination from God, & so entangle the people's consciences in this respect, making more Commandments (as we say) then ten, or making Laws to bind conscience, where God maketh none. For by their collections & consequences, they make, or say they find that there was a Law of God for the Lord's day, which is most false.

SECT. XVIII.

Thus we have answered to all their Artificial arguments; & now we come unto their Testimonies: the first whereof is God's blessing of this day, & God's curseing of the profaners of it; & first of the former; say they, God's blessing of this day, to the great edification of the Church, is a sign that God approveth of this day.

Hereunto I answer, it is one thing for God to blessed this day & it is another for him to bless his ordinance in the day: God's ordinance in the day, is preaching & praying, now God in mercy doth usually bless these ordinances of his, being conscionably used, upon any day Sabbath day, or Lecture day: now we must carefully distinguish betwixt God's blessing of the day: wherein these are performed, & God's blessing of the ordinances them selves; they therefore mistake things, that argue thus, that God blesseth the day, when they should say, God blesseth his ordinances in the day: for it followeth not, that because God blesseth his ordinances done in the day, that he therefore blesseth also the day & time, wherein these ordinances are done; no more then God blesseth the place wherein these ordinances are performed.

Let me show you the vanity of this arguing by the like case; God's blessing doth usually accompany painful labor; now suppose some profane Tradsman should work all day long upon the Sabbath day, or Lord's day, & finding at night his work to have increased & thriuen in his hands; might he argue thus, God hath blessed this day unto me for a working day, & therefore here after I shall use it for a working day; for God's blessing upon my labors this day, is a sign that God approveth my action, & alloweth of it for a working day?

The other part of this argument, is that God hath cursed the profaners of this Lord's day, and this is a sign that God approveth of the day. For we read in books, set forth by some Diuins, of many remarkable judgments of God, which have befallen the profaners of the Lord's day. Herevnto I answer, 1. that in controuercies about points of Religion, we must not prove things, by the arguments of prosperity & adversity: for these are no certain signs of God's will and pleasure; no man for certain, knows love or hatred, of all that is before them, Eccl. 9.1. we must to the Scriptures in this case; for there God hath manifested his will; but you may perceive they be almost out of breath, in as much as they are enforced to fly the Scriptures, and hale in anything, that may help to make a noise, and put some culler upon the matter before the simple. By this argument we may conclude that the Palatinate his cause was naught, and the Emperor his cause was good; because God crossed the Palatinate.

2. We are to distinguish of the day, from the duties in the day: now we may impute those curses of God, which lighted upon men on the Lord's day, unto their contempt of God's ordinances of preaching and prayers performed in that day: it is rather to be thought, that God punisheth the contempt of his ordinances, then the neglect of the day: for such as profane the Lord's day & come not at Church then to serve God, when everybody doth serve God, it is a sign that they be ordenary contemners of God's worship & service; most justly therefore may God plague them for contempt of his ordinances, when they are grown to that height of impiety, that they dare ordenarily neglect God's worship, yea and upon solemn times also, appointed by the Church, and when all men meet together to worship God; then to show a contempt, is a greater sin then otherwise: so it is rather the contempt of God's ordinances, then the neglect of the day, that God punisheth.

3. Well nigh all men are persuaded in their consciences that the Lord's day, is the Sabbath day enjoined by the 4th Comm. (albeit in truth Saturday is the Sabbath day, & by the 4th Com.) now if men do neither give God the right day, through their ignorance, nor yet will give God a wrong day, whereof they are notwithstanding well persuaded in their consciences that it is the right day, then they sin against conscience, whatsoever is not of faith, is sin, Rom. 14.23. now it is just with God to plague men, if they will neither give him the 7th day for a Sabbath, nor the 8th day neither; for so they are guilty of the breach of the 4th Com. in that they give God no day, no Sabbath; no not that day which their consciences tell them is Sabbath day; & thus God may punish them for a sin against conscience, though not for the day sake: and hereby it appeareth that their arguing is amiss, when they say that God punisheth men for breach of the Lord's day; for it is rather to be thought, that God punisheth for other causes.

SECT. XIX.

Their second argument fetched from Testimony, is from the practice of the primitive Churches, after the Apostles: for, the Histories of the Church (say they) make mention, that they kept the Lord's day constantly.

Herevnto I answer, 1. that it seemeth this practice, was not universal, & in all Churches, but only in some places: or not in all times, but at some time only: for M ^r . Perkins upon the 4th Com. affirmeth out of the Histories of the Church, that the Sabbath (meaning it of the Lord's day Sabbath) was neglected of those Churches which succeeded the Apostles, but afterwards it was revived & established by Christian Emperors: And for confirmation hereof, he allegeth his Author Leo and Anton. Edict. of Holy days. Whereby it appeareth, by the History of the Church & also by confession of M. Perkins, that this Lord's day, was not kept in the primitive Churches constantly, as now we keep it, in our Churches; for it was not kept until Christian Emperors established it, now the first Christian Emperor that enacted a Law for the Lord's day, as far as I can find, was Constantine, & this was about 300 years after Christ; so that this Lord's day, was not only not kept by the primitive Churches, but also it was not kept in all probability, not of 300 years after Christ: so that they have no great cause to allege the practice of the primitive Church for their Lord's day.

2. I answer, but admit the primitive Churches had kept it constantly in all places, & at all times always; yet there is a twofold keeping or solemnizing of a day; the one is the keeping it a Sabbath day; the other is the keeping of it for an Holy day: now I deny that they kept it for a Sabbath day; for, it is most likely that they kept it for an holy day, which is more remise and slenderly kept then a Sabbath day: and this appeareth 1. by Ignatius in his Epistle to the Magnesians where he exhorteth both to the keeping of the Sabbath day, & also to the keeping of the Lord's day, & both in one & the same page: now it is not likely that Ignatius did exhort his people to keep two Sabbath days in a week, the Saturday & Sunday; and therefore it is likely that the Lord's day they kept it slenderly as an holy day. Again, he cales the Lord's day there, the Queen & Princesse of days; where you see he left an higher room for the Sabbath day, accounting it as the King & prince of days; & therefore it is likely kept not the Lord's day, as they did the Sabbath day. Yet furher, it is to be noted, that Ignatius exhorting his people, to the keeping of both the Sabbath day, & the Lord's day, he refuseth to give that word unto the Lord's day, which he giveth to the Sabbath day, & which is most proper for a Sabbath day: for, in exhorting to the Sabbath day, he useth this word Sabbatizet, but in exhorting to the Lord's day, he changeth the word and useth this word celebret 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 which in likelihood noteth a difference in the use of these two days, the one being kept as a Sabbath, the other as a Festival day.

2. It appeareth by a law made by Constantine, as any may read it reported, by M. Fox in his book of Martyrs, the new Edition pag. 93. thus; The Sunday he commanded to be kept holy of all men, and free from all Iudiciary causes, from markets, Martes, fayers, & all other manual labors, only hushandry excepted. Where you see the works of husbandry, as plowing & the like excepted, this might be done in those days, and in that Church, on the Lord's day. Now Constantine was the most famous defender of the Lord's day, of any Emperor; & would he think you have given men leave to go to plough & carte on the Lord's day, if he had esteemed it as a Sabbath day? no surely; for this is plain contrary to the very letter of the 4th come. In it thou shalt do no manner of work: no not in earing time nor in harvest Exod. 34.21. wherefore since Constantine gave leave to plough & sow, & the like works of husbandry, on the Lord's day; it is a manifest thing, that in his time, the Lord's day was not kept for a Sabbath day, but rather as a light holy day: hereby it appeareth, that the patrons of the Lord's day, have little cause to glory so much, in the law that Constantine made for the keeping of the Lord's day holy.

3. It appeareth by this, that Constantine made a law, for the keeping holy of Friday, & of Sunday, both: the Friday, because of Christ his passion, & the Sunday or Lord's day, because of Christ's resurrection. For this see Euseb: de vita Constant. lib. 4. Cap, 18. and see Sozom. lib. 1. Cap. 8. these ii days were enacted in one & the same law, & in one & the same manner; whereby you see, that the Lord's day was accounted in the primitive Churches, no more an holy day, then Friday was an holy day; now I trust no man will think, that the primitive Churches, kept Friday for a Sabbath day: no nor yet that they kept both these as Sabbaths, the Friday, & the Lord's day; for so they should have kept ii or iii Sabbaths in a week. Thus you see their argument fetched from the practice of the primitive Churches for the Lord's day, will do them no good.

SECT. XX.

Their third argument from Testimony, is the constant practice of the Church, for many hundredth of years together: for (say they) the Church of God, hath kept this Lord's day for a Sabbath, now this Sixtene hundredth years, & upwards; & can it be thought, that God's Church should lay in an error so longe? what Sixetene hundredth years?

Herevnto I answer, 1. that the Church of God hath not ever & in all places kept the Lord's day; for it was neglected of thos Churches, which succeeded the Apostles, until it was established by Christian Emperors, so as in all porbability, it was not kept for 300 years by some Churches, as you have heard quoted out of Perkins in the last Section before this.

2. In those Churches where it was kept, it was not kept for a Sabbath, but as an holy day remissly, and with works of husbandry done in it; & like as they kept their Friday, as we have shown in the former Section.

3. Since those foremost ages of the Church, it hath been kept by all Christian Churches being Romish, but as another holy day, until Luther, and many years since: for until Luther or thereabouts, our Church hath lain buried in the Romish Church, as wheat in the chaff; now it is well known, that the Church of Rome, do hold & maintain the Lord's day, to be but a Tradition of the Church; and that it is to be kept but like another holy day; & not by the 4th come. (& herein they are nearer the truth then we are) thus you see how the Church of Rome doth jump and agree with the Ancient Church in Constantins time; & how both in Constantins time, and in the Church of Rome since, until Luther's time, the Lord's day, hath been accounted but as an holy day; the contrary whereto cannot be shown, thus you see what account the Churches have made of the Lord's day, until Luther's time, which is a matter of fiften hundredth years.

And now let us come unto the times since Luther: If we shall take a survey of the Reformed Churches in France, & the low Countries, it is apparent that they have kept it remissly, like an holy day, not like a Sabbath day; saving that, in the Low Countries, at this time, it is more solemnly kept, much what as solemnly as we in England keep it now; but they have not kept it so solemnly, until now of late years, as within this 7 or 10 years, or thereaboutes, as is well known.

Come we then unto our own Church, which is the most famous Church for keeping of the Lord's day of any other: I demand how long our Church of England, hath kept this day, so zealously as now it doth? it is well known by men of years, that can but remember 40 or 50 years agone, that then the Lord's day was not kept, as it is now: I spare to make a Catalogue, of the ordenary works of men's caleings, then done on the Lord's day, publicly, & frequently; I cannot remember 40 years past, and yet in my time, I can remember such ordenary works done, generally of all sortes of men, as are no Sabbath day works I am suer; but for the particulars, I refer you to the memory of men of greater age & more years.

Thus I have briefly given you a survey, of the times & ages of the Church, & how the Lord's day hath been in account & in practice, from the Apostles times, until now with in these 40 or 50 years, & hitherto it hath not been kept like a Sabbath day; how then can the patrons of the Lord's day, boast that it bath been kept as a Sabbath in the Churches, constantly, for Sixetene hundredth years? & whereas they ask by way of admiration, is it possible that the Church of God should lie in an error so long! what 1600 years! they bewray their own error & ignorance to speak so; for I have shown, that the Church, never accounted it, or kept it for a Sabbath day but for an holy day, remissly, for 1500 or 1600 years together.

But admit that our Church, or some in our Church rather, have accounted the Lord's day, for a Sabbath day, by the 4th come. for this 40 years or 50 years, make they such a wonder, that a Church may lie in such an error, as this is, as if it were impossible? what will they then say unto the Churches, that succeeded the Apostles, that neglected the Lord's day all together for a matter of 300 years, until it was revived by Christian Emperors, as we have formerly proved? why may not our Church, or some in our Church rather, err in thinking the Lord's day, to be a Sabbath, when it is not: as well as those Churches, which succeeded the Apostles, did err (as these men think that patronag the Lord's day) in thinking the Lord's day was not to be kept at all? if they might err for 300 years together, may it not be thought possible for our new Sabbatharians to err for 40 or 50 years together? Besids, it is not the Church of God, that hath erred so long; it is the error only of our new Sabbatharians, who have erred from their cradle, & they think therefore that the whole Church of God hath also ever been in error with them, from the Apostles days, until now: indeed, they would fain make the world believe, that all God's Church, hath ever been of their mind for the Lord's day, but you see they are foully beguiled, thers no such matter, it is but their dream, when they awake they will see better.

It is to be lamented to see, how by this golding conceit, that the Church of God hath ever constantly kept this Lord's day for a Sabbath, since the Apostles, they have led the world after them; and now they have bred such a firuent zeal of the Lord's day, in the hearts of many men, as that they think it no less then blasphemy, for a man to say anything against it, as they hold it.

But since they have alleged unto us the practice of the Church; I wish they would stand to their own argument, and that they would subscribe unto it, that we are no otherwise bound to the Lord's day, then can be proved the primitive Churches practisedit: for then should not all Churches be bound to keep the Lord's day; but some might keep it, that pleased so to do; and other Churches might omit the keeping of it, who pleased not to keep it: for so was it in the primitive Churches; some kept it, but othersome kept it not, no not for 300 years together, as we have proved in the Section before this: Then also, should not those Churches which do keep it, keep it as a Sabbath, but as an holy day, remissly, so as they might make hay, in Hay seile; and reap their corn, in harvest; and plough their Lands, in Wheat seile, upon the Lord's day, for so did the primitive Churches in Constantins time, they did their works of husbandry on the Lord's day. But some in our Church, are grown more strict, then ever the primitive Churches were, and yet these are holden the purest Churches, we must do no work in Hay-seile, Barley-seile, Harvest, nor Wheat-seile, & all in conscience of the 4th come. if we should imitate the primitive Churches in these days, either by neglecting the Lord's day altogether, as some of them did; or by doing the works of hus bandry on the Lord's day, as othersome of them did, these our Ministers, who use more zeal then knowledge, would damn us to the pit of hell for it.

To conclude this Section, whereas Ministers have formerly & frequently, abused the Churches of God deceased, & slaundred them, by fathering this their error upon them, as if they had been of their minds, keeping the Lord's day for a Sabbath, which is false as you see: hereby they have wronged the dead, yea, those pure primitive Churches of God, & made thē speak what they never thought, to the boulstering up of a late sprung up error; an error of 40 or 50 years old, by some in our Church; & of 7 or 10 years old, in some other Churches: they must consider also how many thousand souls they have seduced, partly by this golding tale, of the constant practice of all Churches; and for time to come let these things be reformed, that so those primitive Churches be no more abused, nor our Christian auditors deluded.

SECT. XXI.

All this while you have heard their Testimonies alleged for the Lord's day to be a Sabbath; now at last, let me have leave to allege some Testimonies, against the Lord's day, for being a Sabbath: and here in, I will not produce you Divines of the lowest rank, but such only as are of the foremost rank, & of the chief Divines, that have wrote.

SECT. XXII.

Having finished my answer touching the Lord's day Sabbath; for a conclusion of this Chapter, I purpose to spend a few words in this Section, by way of Admonition, & dehortation, from Superstition, voluntary religion, & will-worship: the which, as I direct it unto all men, whom it may concern, so in a special sort, I apply it unto such patrons of the Lord's day Sabbath, as have already made head against my former book, & with great zeal have scandalized it among the people, & so occationed this book: by name M ^r . Hutchinson, M ^r . Benton, M ^r . Furnace, M ^r . Gallard, M ^r . Yates, M ^r . Chapel, M ^r . Grenewod, M ^r . Stinnet, M ^r . Johnson, & M ^r . Ward. These men obstinately persisting in their erroniouse & false doctrine, after sufficient means of conviction, ought to take these things into consideration.

First touching the Admonition; by the whole discourse touching the Lord's day, already finished, thou mayest see Christian reader, that there is no footeing or ground in the word of God, to make the Lord's day a Sabbath: wherefore I do hereby admonish, both Ministers and people, and desire them to take knowledge of it henceforth, that this their zealouse sanctifying of the Lord's day, in conscience of the 4th come. & of Christ his institution, it is no better before God, & with wisemen then Superstition, and needless religion: for when men will do that in God's service, & in obedience unto God, the which he hath nowhere commanded them, what is this but a needless religion and superstition? when men cannot show God's will for that they do, then it must follow that it is of their own willes, & so their religion in that point is a voluntary-religion, and a will-worship. Let me not be mistaken, the Lord's day may be considered as an ordinance of God, or as an ordinance of man: as it is ignorantly conceived to be an ordinance of God, in this sense only I speak against it; but as it is an ordinance of man, that is, as it is commanded by the Magistrate, & so at his will and pleasure, to continue it or discontinue it, in this regard I have nothing against it: so much for the Admonition.

I come now unto the Debortation: my first reason disswasiue, is because we hate Superstition & will-worship in others: how do we bear against our adversaries the Papists, because of their superstitiouse Traditiones, and Religion of will-worship! and can we see an error in them, and cannot we see the same error in our selves! had we been wise for our selves, we might have seen this error long agone; for they have often admonished us in their writings against us, telling us, that our Lord's day is but a Tradition from the fathers, and a Tradition of the Church; & herein (give the devil his right, as they say) they have spoken most truly, albeit we have given deaf care unto them, & labored to shift it of: and will we condemn them for will-worship, & superstition, & practice the same our selves? well, hear what S. Paul saith, therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that condemnest: for in that that thou condemnest another, thou condemnest thyself: for thou that condemnest, doest the same things Rom. 2.1. Many Ministers, think them selves far enough of, from superstition & will-worship, whilst in the pulpit, they can cry out against the superstition of Papists, when as indeed and in truth, themselves are even then, very Papists in this point, & great patrons and maintainers of superstition & will worship: wherefore, let them reform themselves or else let them be silent touching Papists, you have seen it proved by good Authority, that the Lord's day is but a Tradition of the Church, & shall we retain Popish Traditiones? will these Ministers be still patrons, and supporters, of unwritten Traditiones? I would hope better of them.

My second reason disswasiue, is because we shall all leese our labor, in the Sanctification of the Lord's day; we shall labor in vain: For, if we like servants, will be doing of such works, as our Master never appointed us, do we think our Master will thank us, yea & reward us for them? you have heard, that God never commanded us, to sanctify the Lord's day, by the 4th Com. & that Christ never appointed it, in the New Testament, if therefore we will be hallowing of the Lord's day, think you that God will reward you for it, or that Christ will thank you for it? many men that are honestly disposed, & of ingenuouse minds, being misled by some Ministers, they leese some years their Hay in the field; some years their corn in the field, & all of conscience, thinking it a duty for them so to do, rather then to labor on the Lord's day: & many others, keep the Lord's day very strictly, both privately & publicly, erroneously misperswaded, that that text, Isa. 58.13. enjoineth thē so to do: but is not all this Labor in vain? God never commanded it, Christ never appointed it, neither will God, or Christ ever reward it: nay, God may answer them thus, who required this at your hands? Isai. 1.12.

My third reason disswasiue, is because God hath manifested his dislike of superstitiō, in many passages of his Holy word: see Deut. 12.32. Whatsoever I command you, take heed you do it: thou shalt put nothing thereto, nor take ought therefrom. Here you see, that God will have nothing added to his worship & service: Thou shalt put nothing thereto; saith the Text: but now the Patrones of this Lord's day, have put something thereto: for they have put the Lord's day, unto the 4th Com. of God: a most dangerouse & presumptuouse attempt, & such as they can never answer before God; nay they cannot justify it before men, by good argument; how then shall they be able to stand before God? think they to add another day, to God's Com. and justify it before God, by such their frivolous consequences, as they vainly pretend to be necessary consequences? let Ministers think of this & that seriously too, & let thē do it in time also.

In the New Testament God hath reucaled himself this way also, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book, Revel. 22.18. If Christ was so careful, that nothing be added to this parte of his will wrote by S. John in his Revelation, no doubt he hath the same care, of all partes of his will in the New Testament; wherefor, let our Ministers that are Patrones of our new Sabbath, think of this Text also; for when they say & teach the people, that Christ instituted & appointed the Lord's day (which is false; for Christ never instituted it, as appeareth by my answer unto all their arguments) in so teaching the people, they do add unto the New Testament & they add unto Christ his institutiones, a day which Christ never instituted: thus they have added unto Christ his ordinances of Baptism, & the Lord's Supper, they hau added unto these I say another ordinance, that is none of Christ's, which is the Lord's day: now let them hear their doom without repentance; God shall add unto them the plagues that are written in this book, of the Revelation: and one plague I find there written, which is a plague of plagues, it is hell fire, to have a parte in the lake, that burneth with fire & brimstone, which is the second death, Revel. 21.8. I know they sleite & contemn me, & think if they can so carry it with the people, as they may but save their credits with them a while, they hope to quench me forever, I being but one, and such a vile one in their eyes: wherefore I have taken unto me more help, now I have God on my side & Christ on my side, & they shall defend me against these men; and these men must know it now, or shall will they nill they hereafter, that they despised not me, but God & Christ; and that now they have met t with their Master, God will deal with them, & if they will be adding unto God, God will add unto them.

You have another Text also Numb. 15.39. that ye may Remember all the Commandments of the Lord, & do them: & that ye seek not after your own heart, nor after your own eyes, after the which ye go a whoring. Where we see, how God detesteth to have men's devices, brought into his worship; he calleth it a whorish trick: to hold the Lord's day, to be commanded by God, or instituted by Christ, when it cannot be proved, it is to go a whoring after their own heart, & after their own eyes.

An other Text you have Mark. 7.7.8. But they worship me in vain, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men: for ye lay the commandment of God a parte, & observe the Tradition of men: a like Text you have Isa. 29.13.14.15. where a woe is denounced upon the people, whose fear towards God, was taught by the precepts of men. And their fear towards me was taught by the precepts of men. Whereas the former Text saith, ye say the commandment of God apart: how true this is of these 10 Ministers forenamed, who reject as Jewish & Ceremonial, the Lord's Sabbath, expressly commanded in the Moral Law; let all men judge: for do they not lay this Commandment of God a parte, which enjoineth most directly the 7th day Sabbath? this by the way; but the words that belong unto our purpose are these, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. The Lord's day Sabbath, it is a doctrine taught frequently and boldly; but it is no commandment of God's; and therefore it must be only a Commandment of men. The next words for our present occasion, are these; and observe the Tradition of men. That the Lord's day is a Tradition of the Church, not only Papists auowch it: but also diverse of those Authores which I have cited against the Lord's day, do expressly affirm it, that the Lord's day is but a Tradition: and all of them say, that it is but an ordinance of men, and a Commandment of man, yea so much the wholl Church confessed in the days of K. Edward. so then in kepeing it, & in preaching for it, you keep the Tradition of men, & preach for A Tradition of man: And so also, they that are afraid to transgress the Lord's day, & to work in it, this their fear toward God; it is taught by the precepts of men; for God hath left no precept for the Lord's day, the breach whereof we need be afraid of. Hear then the doom, that belongeth unto such needless religion, all this their worship it is a vain thing, In vain do they worship me &c. Yea, there belongeth a woe unto such worship, & this is the reward of it, woe unto them &c. Isa. 29.15.

The last Text that I will mention, is Colo. 2.23. which things have indeed a show of wisdom, in voluntary Religion; or in will-worship, Judge now good reader, if I do them any wrong, to rekone the Lord's day, as a limb of this voluntary Religion, & as a branch of will-worship: for if they cannot show us where God hath commanded it, then it is a voluntary thing, and of man's own will; and therefore may be called a voluntary Religion, & a will-worship: happily there may be, in the eyes of such as have been nusled up from the cradle, in this superstitiouse practice, a show of wisdom in it, as the Text speaketh: But if S. Paul may be judge, they are things of no value as he speaketh in the same Text. Wherefore since God hath in all these Texts of Scripture, manifested his dislike of Superstition, let this be enough, to disswad every man from the practice of it: And that so much the rather, because the upholding of this day, is the iusling & shouldering out, of the Lord's Sabbath day, mentioned in the 4th Com. so as the words of our blessed Savior, are true against them, saying, well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may observe your own Tradition, Mark. 7.9. For, they trample down the Lord's Sabbath day, that they may keep their own Lord's day.

My 4th reason disswasiue, is because by the upholding of this Lord's day Sabbath, the sacred Scriptures, & word of God is profaned: I make that appear thus; Ministers do daily urge the 4th Com. upon the Lord's day; & do press men's consciences to the Sanctifying of the Lord's day, by the 4th Comm. now the 4th Com. doth speak (as he that hath but half an eye may see) of the day called Sabbath day, but this, is a day called Lord's day: the 4th Com. was made for a sanctified & hallowed day: for God himself blessed it, & sanctified it, Genes. 2.3. but this Lord's day, is a profane day, a common day, never sanctified by God; but on the contrary appointed for labor, it being one of the six working days, mentioned in the 4th Com. & Christ himself travailing on it &c. Now for Ministers, to apply this sacred word of God's 4th Com. unto a profane, common, and unsanctified day & time; this, or nothing, is to profane the Sacred word of God. Secondly, many portions of Scripture in the New Testament; with some also out of the old, are hereby also wrested, abused, & profaned: the Spirit of God, is made to speak for that, which never came into his mind to think; a most horrible & unsufferable thing in a Christian Church: as for example these Texts, Psal. 118.24. John. 20.1.19.26. Act. 1.2.3. Act. 2.1.14 &c. Act. 20.7.1 Cor. 16.2. 2. Cor. 5.17. and Revel. 1.10. these eight Texts at least, besides the 4th Com. are abused for the maintenance of a forged, new coined, and counterfeit Sabbath day: who that hath any zeal of God's glory, or love unto his Holy word, can endure it, that God's word and truth should be thus profanly used, profaned, & abused? wherefor, if you bear any reverence unto the sacred word of God, let a reformation be made.

Look upon the third Com. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain: now God's word, is a parte of his name, whereby he is known Act. 9.15. therefore for men to abuse & profane God's word, it is to abuse & profane God's name, & so a sin against the third Com. now the reward of such profanation, is this, that God will not hold him guiltless, that taketh his name in vain: he shall surely therefore be punished, without repentance & amendment. But what do I speaking to deaf Adders, men will not be charmed; what they have holden they will hold; as for me, I am but one & mean, they are many & mighty: so that I almost despair of remedy: however I have discovered their sin unto them, at their peril be it, whither they will amend it or not. I abhor to think of it, yet this I am sure of, that that is true amongst us, which the Lord once complained of by his Prophet Jeremiah, that is, that an horrible & filthy things committed in the land: the Prophets prphecy lies; & people delight therein, Ierem. 5.30.31. that the Prophets prophecy lies, this is apparent as hath been shown: and the people delight therein: this is manifest, in as much as many that are both religious & also counted wise, are not ashamed to speak it, that they wish from their hearts, that I had never meddled in this point; so we have for the most parte, like Priest, like people, both delighting in this counterfeit Sabbath; & both like unto Nadab & Abihu, who offered strange fire before the Lord, which he had not commanded them, Levite. 10.1.

My 5th and last reason disswasiue is, because it is a sin for Ministers to preach for the Lord's day. This I prove, because they cannot speak for it in faith: now whatsoever is not of faith is sin, saith the Apostle Rom. 14.23. now that they cannot preach for it in faith, is plain by this, that they have no word of God, for the ground of their faith: & we have already shown, that they have no word of God for this Lord's day Sabbath: for they cannot show us, where Christ, or any of his Apostles, left any commandment for it: no, nor yet have they any necessary consequences for it; so often therefore, as A Minister presseth the people to sanctify the Lord's day Sabbath, so often he sinneth. And so much touching this Lord's day Sabbath.

CHAP. IIII. An answer unto all those texts of Scripture, reasons & arguments, which are usually & profanly, brought against the Sabbath day, mentioned in the 4th come. to wit, the 7th day Sabbath.

I Have now finished the 3 first partes of my book: the first whereof was in defense of the moral law: the second was an exposition of the 4th come. with adiscouery of the corrupt expositions thereof: the third was an answer to those Scriptures & reasons, that are brought for the Lord's day: and now I am by order, come unto the fourth parte of my book; & herein I am to answer to the Scriptures, and reasons, whereby the enemies of the Lord's Sabbaths, go about, most wickedly & ungodlily, to throw them down: and here my purpose is, not only to make answer, unto those texts & reasons, which these 10 Ministers, or any of them, in the name & room of the rest, have impiously objected against the Lord's Sabbaths; but also, I purpose to answer, unto all obiectiones generally, whatsoever I can hear or read of.