A Discourse upon the SABBATH DAY Wherein are handled these particulares ensuing 

1. That the Lords day is not Sabbath day, by divine institution.  
2. An exposition of the 4. Commandment, so far forth as may give light unto the ensueinge discourse: and particularly, here it is shown, at what time the Sabbath day should begin and end; for the satisfaction of those who are doubtful in this point.  
3. That the seaventh day Sabbath is not abolished.  
4. That the seaventh day Sabbath is now still in force.  
5. The Author's exhortation and reasons, that nevertheless there be not rent from our Church as touching practice.    
WRITTEN BY THEOPHILUS BRABOURNE.  
Remember the Sabbath day, Exod. 20.8. The seaventh day is the Sabbath, Exod. 20.10.  
Whatsoever thing I command you, take heed you do it: thou shalt put nothing there to, nor take aught there from, Deut. 12.32.  
Cursed is every one, that continueth not in all things, which are written in the book of the Law, to do them. Galat. 3.10.  
Printed the 23th. of Decemb. Anno Dom. 1628.   

  

To the Godly and well-affected Reader whosoever.  
KNOWEING (dearly beloved and Christian Reader) by experience in myself as well as otherwise, that there is a propensity & holy inclination, in all who are truly Gods, to have a respect unto all God's Commandments, without exceptions or reservations, I judged this discourse of the Sabbath day, which is one branch of God's eternal Law, could not be unwelcome to thee: Caleing too mind also, the parable of our Saviour, how severely He will deal with that servant, to whom he delivered but one single Talon, for his hideing it, so as no profit came on it. Math. 25-24. remembering also, that Christ made it an essential mark of Peter's love unto him, To fecd his Lambs: joh. 21.15. And, that it is given in charge to all, to exhort one another, to admonish one another, & to edify one another 1. Th. 5.11.14. I durst not for fear, nor could I for love, but make known my mind in this point: To see the Church and Spouse of Christ, to lie in the weekly breach of the 4th. Commandment, by violating and profaning of the Lords sacred time and Sabbath (a fine of ignorance hither to I confess) and in mean time superstitiously sanctifying a day, the first day of the week for a Sabbath, which God, nor Christ, nor any of his Apostles ever commanded or appointed: how could my spirit but be stirred within me, to show unto her this error, and to declare unto her, which day is that right and true day, which God requireth of her: and the Rather, since God hath put it into her hart, wilingly to give God a day: for, this last and honourable Parliament (blessed be God for their zeal and Godly care) hath enacted a Law for the better keeping holy of the Lords day. I know, for my good will & love, I shall reap evil will and hatred; and for this pains I shall undergo most harsh & bitter censures, but blessed are ye (said Christ) when men speak evil of you falsely for my sake. They will say as some allreedy do say, 'tis pride and singularity that setes me on work; To whom I answer in Paul's words 1. Cor. 4. I know nothing by myself, yet am I not thereby justified; but if it be, I beseech God pardon the sign, but bless this work. Others, and that more charitably, object the unseasonableness of this motion, because the Church of God is now under manifold afflictions, and liable to subversion by her enemies: where unto I say, the more need she should draw near to her God, sticking close to his Laws, the breach whereof he hath threatened with subversions and desolations, Deut. 28. and, God's truths may not wait attendance, till men be at leisure to receive them. Others, may think and say, there are men more fit then, I am for a matter of this weight etc. To whom I answer, by a free acknowledgement of this truth; what multitudes are there in our Church, every each one whereof far surpass me, for parts of nature, and for learning, and for outward dignities, titles, & preferments, all which might well countenance and help forwards such a cause as this, and were much to be desired, I confess: Neither can I think, but some of those have long agone foreseen this truth, either perfectly, or at least a far off, as myself at first saw it in my studies, like as the blind man in the Gospel, at first saw men like trees; but what's the cause, why they did not prosecute the matter, till it came to perfection, till they saw men like men clearly? was it not a slothful fear to lose their labour, and catch a shadow for a Substance, as painful Students must do sometimes? or, for fear of the greatness of the labour: or, for fear of the loss of reputation, dignities, preferments, liveings,   

The Lord's day, is not Sabbath day, by Divine institution.  
BE pleased (Christian Reader) first of all to note, that we now a days apply the name Sabbath, to the Lords day, Promiscuosly & without difference, the which is altogether without warrant of holy Scriptures, since Scripture saith the seventh day is the Sabbath, Exod: 20: 10. And all the Evangelists call the Lords day, the first day of the week, Matth: 28: 1. So then there is as much difference 'twixt these two as is between the seventh and the first: the last day of the week, Saturday, and the first day of the week, Sunday. Now, thus to confounded two proper names of days, is as if we should call Sunday, Saturday. And I desire it rather to be noted, because the ignorance of this point is of dangerous consequence amongst the common people, who when they hear the 4.th Com: Remember the Sabbath day etc. or those words Isa: 58: and call the Sabbath a delight, to consecrate it glorious to the Lord: &c: they think presently upon our Lord's day, the first day of the week, as if those texts commanded this day. Whereas they point at Sabbath day the seventh and last day of the week. Such a mistake in a lease or bond might procure a forfeiture of them, with man, beware we then, least by the like, we forfeit with God in the 4th. Com:  
In the next place let us examine the authorities & texts of Scripture, which usually are alleged for proof that the Lords day is a Sabbath by God's appointment, wherein I will show the invalidity & insufficiencey of those texts by way of answer to them.  
1. Let us begin with the 4th. Com: Remember the Sabbath day &c: this precept is urged upon the Lord's day that we should Sanctify it.  
Here to I answer by denial that this Commandment doth urge the Lord's day; the reason of my denial is. 1: because the Com: enjoineth a day whose proper name is Sabbath day, like as Saturday with us is a proper name of one of our week days: But the Lord's day, is not Sabbath day, for, it is the day after the Sabbath day; & it is a proper name for an other of our week days, that is for Sunday, or for the first day of the week: 2. Because the Com: enjoineth the 7th. day, which is the last day of the week; but the Lords day is the 8th. day, or the first day of the week, by the account of all men. And it is no less absurd to press the 4th. Com. which enioynes the 7th. day for a Sabbath, to the 8th. day, or to the first day: than it had been for the Israelites out of that Com: Levit: 25.2.3.4. The 7th. year shall be a Sabbath of rest unto the Land etc. to press this Com: unto the 8th. year or to the first year for the lands rest. 3. Because the Com: enjoineth that day which the Lord God himself rested on, & the which he blessed & hallowed Exod: 20: 11. but our Lord's day is not the day God rested on nor did God in the creatione, bless sanctify & hallow our Lord's day or first day of the week; nay he wrought one it himself, & appointed it for a working day to man, when he said 6. days shalt thou labour & do all thou hast to do Exod: 20: 9 of which 6. days our Lords day is one, & the first. But here unto it will be replied, true, the 4th. Com: did once enjoin the 7th. day, Sabbath, but since the day is altered & changed by Christ & his Apostles, so that now the 4th. Com: is changed too, & binds to the new day, though not properly, yet Analogically & by way of resemblance: I answer, the word (Change) betokeneth two things, the one is an abolition or removeing the old, the other is an assumption or takeing up of a new; as 2. Sam. 12.20. David changed his apparel: that is, he put off his mourning attire, and he put one other apparel: now I deny that ever Christ, or his Apostles did thus change the Sabbath day either by there precept or practice; did the Apostles so preach one the Lords day, as they ceased preaching one the Sabbath day, the day before the Lord's day? can this be proved? for this is a change properly: is not the contrary manifest, to wit that the Apostles did constantly preach one the Sabbath days? see Act. 13.14.42.44. Act. 16.13. Act. 17.2. Act. 18.4. if then they also preached one the Lords days too, why this is no alteration or change though, it is but an addition of a day, and a setting up of another Sabbath day a new, and so you may have two Sabbaths in every week if you will.  
2. I answer, admit the Sabbath was changed into the Lord's day, yet may you not safely say the 4th. Com: was changed, for so you say the 4th. Comm: was abolished, and a new Comm: erected, the word (change) implying so much: Nor can you say the 4th. Com: (being an old Com:) binds to a new day, long since erected; how will this be proved? specially, since that it was not the manner of Scripture to establish new things, by odd precepts, Baptism that came in room of Circumcision, it stands not by force of the old precept to Abraham Genes. 17.10. Let every man child among you be circumcised etc. but by a new precept Matth: 28.19. go teach all Nations, baptising them &c. The Supper of the Lord, come in room of the Passeover, it stands not by virtue of the old Law Ex: 12.3. etc. but by a new Law 1. Cor. 11.23. As well may we feign that the Law made by Queen Elizabeth to stint usury at 10. in the 100 is that Law which now a days stintes usury at 8. in the 100 (as if Queen: Elizabeth's Laws did add force to, and did command things enacted by King Charles many years after) as to imagine the 4th. Comm: enacted for the 7th. day, should now bind to the 8th. day, which is long since risen up, as is said.  
I answer thirdly, by denial that the 4th. Com: doth bind to another day than it mentioneth Analogically, and by resemblance & similitude: by this devise may we bind Christians to Baptise Children only one the 9th. day, and to eat the Lords Supper only upon the 15th. day of the month once a year; and say, we are bound to thes days by the Laws of Circumcision, and Passeover, which did properly bind to the 8th. day, and to the 14th. day, but now they bind us Analogically to the 9th. and 15th. days: 2. This devise is matchless, for of all the other 9 Com: none do bind to other things than those mentioned in the Com: analogically and by similitude. nay in this 4th. Com: where we have 3. things enjoined, 1. the time, the Sabbath. 2. Holiness. 3. Rest: it binds not analogically to Holiness or Rest; but only to the day and time, as they say: since all other parts and parcels of the 10. Com: be expounded properly, why should this one particle only, the 7th. day, or the Sabbath day, be expounded improperly and analogically? Sure I am it is against the received rule in exposition of Scriptures, to give an improper sense where a proper may be had.  
Yet furthermore, others reply thus, the 4th. Com: enjoineth a Sabbath day, which signifies a resting day, now our Lord's day is a Sabbath day, for so much as it is a resting day, and so the 4th. Com: enjoineth it and is firm for it.  
I answer. 1. by like reason you may thus expound the name (jesus) Heb: 4: 8. of Jesus' the Saviour of the world, which is meant of jesus, which is joshua that saved the Israelites from the Canaanites: as if because jesus signifies a Saviour, therefore wheresoever ye find a man that was a Saviour, you may think he was meant by the name jesus, though the context shows it is meant of an other jesus. 2. True it is the word Sabbath signifieth a Rest; but Synecdochically for that special Rest specified in the 4th. Com: to wit that Rest, which is on the 7th. day, not that on the 8th. day; for the 7th. day is the Sabbath Exod: 20: 10. and this is the day that goes before the Lord's day: furthermore the resting day in the 4th. Com: is such a resting day as is distinguished from all other days in the week by his proper name (Sabbath day) which with the jews was never taken to be the Lords day, or first day of the week, no more than Saturday with us can be mice understood to be Sunedaye: wherefore to avoid this shift, it were to be wished that the Hebrew name (Sabbath) were translated into an English name, as ne'er as might be, though by a circumlocution, rendringe day for day and call it (Saturday-Reste.) Remember Saturday-reste, to Keep it holy etc. Exod: 20: 8. And thus the simplest could not mistake which is the day the Lord meant in his 4th. Com: Thus you see the 4th. Com: cannot be understood to enforce the Sanctification of the Lords day.  
2. A second Text produced is Reu: 1: 10. I was ravished in the Spirit one the Lords day etc. Hence it is thus argued; this day is called the Lords day, as the last Supper of Christ is called the Lords Supper, now as Christ did substitute the last Supper in room of the Passeover, so he substituted the Lord's day in room of the Sabbath.  
I answer 1. it doth not follow it must be called the Lords day, in the same sense as Christ's Supper is called the Lords Supper, for, it may be called the Lords day 1. in reference to God the Creator, meaning there by the Lord's Sabbath of the 7th. day, since thes Sabbaths were called the Lords days, as the lords Holy day Isa: 58: 13. now if the Sabbath be the Lords holy day, then is it, the Lords day. 2. In reference to God the Redeemer, it might be called the Lords day, as the day is wherein Christ will come to Indgment Luk: 17: 24, 30. that is a day wherein Christ will show himself marvelous to the world, so did Christ in the day of his Incarnation, Passion, Resurrection and Ascension, in every of thes he did a remarkable work, and every of thes might be called the Lords day, and which of them john had respect unto Scripture is altogether silent, and therefore can we not build upon infallible grounds herein, and we must not set up Sabbaths, tyeinge men's consciences upon probabilities and contingencies: furthermore, who would argue from Luk: 17: 24. that because the day of judgement is called Christ's day, Therefore that day must then be kept for a Sabbath day? but admit S. john meant the day of Christ's Resurrection, that is a day wherein he would declare himself mightily to be the Son of God, by the resurrection from the dead Rom: 1: 4. What is this to a Sabbath, which men must celebrate? how doth it appear Christ rose one this day, and called it the Lords day, with this intendment that men should for ever after keep it a Sabbath? show me an institution of a Sabbath day by Christ's rising one this day, or by S. john's calling it the Lords day: finally say it were a Sabbath day, how will it appear in the Canon of Holy Scripture that the Lords day was in the Apostles days a weekly day, kept every 7th. day as now it is? or rather an annual day as Easter day is, for, properly Easter day is the Lords day. I answer further; there is not like reason of thes two, the Lords day: and the Lords Supper: for a day, and a Supper differ much, so as a day may be called the Lords in one sense, and a Supper, may be called the Lords, in an other sense.  
I answer secondly, it will not follow that there must be the same reason and likeness between the Lord's day and the Sabbath, which was between the Lord's Supper and the Passeover; for the Passeover was a branch of the Ceremonial Law, and a Ceremony, and a type of Christ; and therefore to be abolished at Christ's coming; But the Sabbath was a branch of the Moral Law, and a Moral, neither ever was it made a death to life? now that God Sanctified the first day of the week for Christ to rise on, I deny not, nor do I refuse to rejoice there on and be thankful to God for so great a work, even every day in the week, and year, or more solemnly once in a year as at Easter, or ofter if the Church see it expedient. But that this Text doth prophecy of this day for ever to be kept for our sole Sabbath, in a Rest all day long, and in holy duties every 7th. day, this I deny, since this Text saith not this day was Sanctified for men, but it was Sanctified for Christ: yea we may rejoice and be glad in it annually as the jews were in their annual days of purim, Ester. 9.26.27. and yet not keep it in a strict Rest all day long as on a Sabbath.  
I answer secondly, by (day) in the Psalm is not necessarily understood a short ordinary day of 12. or 24. hours, but rather a long space of time, as all the time after David came to the Crown; and so it may be applied to type out the whole time of Christ upon the earth ruleing as King in the Kingdom of his Church, thus Abraham saw Christ's day joh. 8.56. thus 'tis called the day of Salvation 2. Cor. 6.2. If then by day here be meant the day of grace, or the time of Christ's abode one the earth, than here is no footing for a Sabbath day of 12. or 24. hours long.  
4. A 4th. Text they produce is Act. 2.1.14. where Peter preached one Pentecost, which is one our white Sunday, and administered the Sacraments of Baptism and the Lords Supper after he had converted 3000. souls, wherefore this must needs be a Sabbath day, because in it were performed the works of a Sabbath etc.  
Here to I answer, 1. That Peter's actions are no divine institutions, unless backed by some precept, now nor Christ nor his Apostles gave any precept for performance of thes duties one this day.  
2. Peter's sermone was extraordenary, for it was upon the extraordenary coming down of the Holy Ghost then; and to remove away the false slander of drunkenness v. 13. and it was occasioned by the great concourse of people extraordenarily met and assembled, not to hear a sermone, but to hear the Apostles miraculously speak strange tongues v. 6. now extraordenary things bind not to ordinary practice.  
3. Preaching and administration of Sacraments be not proper duties of a Sabbath, but common to any day of the week: Christ administered Lords Supper, one a Thursday night the night before he was Crucified: Philip baptised the Eunuch one a travileing day, Act. 8.38.39. and for preaching, it was an every day's work if occasion served, preach the word in season and our of season, 2. Timoth. 4.2. Christ preached to the Samaritane joh. 4. on a working day, for his Disciples were gone in to the city to buy meat v. 8. He preached one the Mountain Mat. 5.1. and out of a ship, at an other time Luk. 5.1.2.3. which days were no Sabbaths, for on the Sabbaths Christ and the people met in their Synagogues Luk. 4.14. Paul preached daily in the Temple, and from house to house, Act. 5.42. and daily in the school of Tyrannus Act. 19.9. Now unless thes duties of preaching, and administration of the Sacraments, were so proper to the Sabbath, as they were used upon no day else, how can thes duties be marks of a Sabbath? no no, nothing but a Commandment will establish a Sabbath day: do not we preach, read Scriptures, pray, administer the Sacrament, and perform as many Sabbath duties on Christmas day when it falls on a week day, as we do on any Sabbath day? and yet who will therefore gather, we keep that Christmas day for a Sabbath?  
4. Note, Walaeus upon the 4th. Com: pag. 161. saith it is called in to question of some whither this day of Pentecost then fell upon the Lord's day or not. yea, he addeth that Pentecost may fall one any day of the week, it is not therefore so generally a granted truth with divines, that Pentecost ever was upon our Lord's day, as we hold, and keep it.  
5. If I may add mine own opinion of the matter, I think Pentecost then when the Holy Ghost descended upon the Apostles in cloven fiery tongues: it was upon our Saturday, which was the 7th. day Sabbath, not one our Sunday. that this may appear, note that Pentecost by the Law Levit. 23.16. was to be upon the 50th. day: and this account was to begin one the morrow after the Sabbath, v. 15. by Sabbath here is not to be understood the weekly Sabbath, but the first Sabbath of the Passeover, thus the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉; v. 11: for they had 2. Sabbaths at the Passeover, to wit the first day of unleavened bread, and the 7th. day v. 6.7.8. to the former of those had the Septuagint relation, when they said, In the morrow of the first of the Sahbathes: to this agreeth Aynsworth one Leuit: 23.11.15. alleageing the Chaldy, and the Rabbins, so reading and understanding it. So then we must begin our account upon the morrow after the first Sabbath of the Passeover. now that we may know what day this was on, see Leuit: 23.5.6.7. the Passeover was on the 14th. day of the Month, & on the 15th. day of the month which was the very next day, was the first day of the Feast of unleavened bread, which 15th. day was the first Sabbath also, now then the morrow after this first Sabbath it was upon the 16th. day of the month, and this 16th. day must be the beginning of our account; Now to apply this, for so much as Christ suffered on good friday, and eat the Passeover on the day before at evening, hence it followeth that Christ eat the Passeover upon Thursday, and it was the 14th. day of the month, and friday wherein he suffered was the 15th. day of the month, and the first Sabbath of the Passeover, so as Saturday was the 16th. day of the month, and the morrow after the Sabbath, and so the first day of our account to 50. days, or to Pentecost. To proceed, if Saturday be the first day of the 50. then upon a Saturday again will fall the 50th. day: to make this appear, count from Saturday, taking it for one day, 7. weeks complete Levit. 23.15. and there you have 49. days, the 49th. day falling upon a friday, here un to add the next day which is Saturday, and the morrow after the 7th. Sabbath or week v. 16. and so you have 50. days, and also you see that the 50th. day fell upon the Saturday: To conclude, since Pentecost wherein Peter preached Act. 2.1.14. was not one our Sunday but one our Saturday.  
Hence it followeth 1. that this Text Act. 2.1.14. maketh nothing for the proving our Sunday or Lords day to be Sabbath day now: 2. it followeth, that, if those actions of Peter's preaching, converteing 3000. and baptising them on that day, were a sufficient proof that the day wherein they were done, was a Sabbath day, and so ought to this day to be, Then was Saturday at that time the Sabbath day, and so ought ●o this day to be; because one Saturday those actions were performed: But that those actions of Peter's preacheing, Baptizeing and the rest, are 〈◊〉 sufficient argument and proof, that the day where one they were done, was and is a Sabbath, themselves confess it: Ergo Saturday was then and aught now to be the Sabbath day. So you see their own argument makes strongly against them, and for me, for the Saturday Sabbath.  
5. A 5th Text they produce is Act. 20.7. where the Disciples being come together to break bread, one the first day of the week, Paul preached unto them: now by the phrase of breaking bread is commonly meant the Lords Supper, so here again they argue as before, this must be a Sabbath, because Sabbath duties were performed in it.  
I answer, 1. by referring you to those things in the answer to the Text last above Act. 2.14. which at first sight do after themselves in answer to this place, as they did to that, the argument being the same.  
I answer secondly, though Paul's preaching doth bind us to preach also, yet doth not the time wherein he preached bind us to preach at the same time and day weekly, for than were we bound to preach every Lord's day till mid night, for so did Paul here, so that the day and time here (which is our very question) doth not bind us.  
3. Paul's preaching now at Troas was extraordenary 1. in that he preached till mid night, 2. in as much as he was to depart away from them the next day, never to see their faces again v. 38. he could do no less, then give them a sermone one such an ocation, had it been one any day of the week.  
4. This preaching of Paul's at this time can make nothing for the Lord's day, for this sermon was only in the night not in the day time: This appeareth by the time of celebration of the Lords Supper, which in days of Christ and his Apostles was at Evening, at Supper time, for then our Saviour celebrated it first Mark. 14.17. and it was in use so still in Paul's time 1 Cor. 11.21. now the Text saith, The Disciples being come together, one the first day of the week, to break bread, or to receive the Lords Supper; now the end of their coming, which was to receive the Lords Supper declares plainly what time of the day they assembled in, to wit in the Evening, at Supper time, to eat the Lords Supper: there is no colour therefore to think they met in the morneing about breakfast time (for then be 'gins the public duties of the Sabbath) to go to Supper: and it adds a little light to the time of their meteing, to consider of the place where they met, that is in an upper chamber as 'tis in our English Bibles v. 8. but Original saith (in a supping chamber, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, in caenaculo) so 'tis more than manifest, they came but to Supper: Now the disciples being assembled to that end to receive the Lords Supper, Paul took occasion of this present meteing after, (and I know not how long after) they were met, to preach unto them, and after he had begun once then he held one his preaching till midnight, but at what hour of the night or Eueninge Paul begun his Sermon, or how long after they were met, I can not find: 'tis true the disciples met one the first day of the week, but it might be and it was most likely they met a little afore shutting in of the day, like as a man may be said to pay and discharge his bond due one the 7th day of june, though he bring his money but one quarter of an hour before Sune set: But here it must be remembered that 'tis their part to prove, Paul began his Sermon in the morneinge, who say Paul, kept this day, a Sabbath day, by preaching in it: yea moreover they must prove that the disciples here at Troas did refrain all servile labour and the ordinary works of their caleinge all this first day of the week, or Lords day, from morneinge to the end of this day, if they will prove this day kept as a Sabbath: for to refrain all works, and Rest, is a branch of the 4th. Com: and one part of a Sabbath day's duty, but how they can prove this out this text passeth mine understanding.  
5. I deny that Paul preached now at this time in conscience of the 4th. Com: and this they must prove, or else they say nothing; might not Paul preach at this extraordinary time in conscience of that Com: 2. Tim. 4.2. preach the word in season, and out of season? surely this text was warrant sufficient for Paul to take all occasions of preaching the word every day or night, Sabbath day or other days: finally, how will it be proved that Paul kept this Lord's day here for a Sabbath day by his preaching, since that preaching it is an every day's work, as hath been shown afore? can it be proved that Paul's intent and purpose in preaching was to celebrate thereby that day for a Sabbath? this must be proved.  
6 A 6th. Text produced is 1. Cor. 16.2. upon the first day of the week, let every one of you put aside by himself &c. here say they was a constant weekly collection for the poor; now collections used to be after the word preached and Sacraments administered, all which were done one the Sabbath day, as appears in the histories of the Church, ergo this first day of the week, was a Sabbath.  
I answer 1. indeed our old translation gave some way to us to think this collection was weekly, when it read the text thus: Every first day of the week, let every one of you put aside etc. but our new Translatores have well amended it and do read it thus: upon the first day of the week etc. as of a single action once to be done only: and this further appears to be true by those words in latter end of v. 2. that so there be no gathering when I come; so as Paul would have this collection cease when he came amongst them, but had it been weekly, Paul would rather have had it revine a fresh at his presence, who was a furtherer of all holy performances: This collection therefore was extraordinary, & tieth us not to ordinary practice, for if it did, then were we bound every Lord's day in every Congregation to gather for the poor, as a Sabbath day's duty. 2. This collection was extraordenary, in that it was not for their own poor at Corinthe, but for the poor of other Churches, and therefore this money collected was to be sent upon the first day of the week? If any shall demand which first day, of the week the Church was to lay aside their alms one, because there were many first days of the week in a year; I answer since I find it not differenced from others in the text, I therefore think it must be understood of the first Lord's day, or first first day of the week, which came next after the Corinthians received this Epistle, like as if I say to a friend, come to my house one Saturday, it is to be understood of the next Saturday, first coming after my invitation of him.  
7 A 7th. and last text produced, is joh. 20.19.26. where Christ's frequent apparitiones to his disciples upon the Lord's day, is made an argument to prove it a Sabbath day; but by what authority or rule of just consequence Christ's apparitions must constitute a Sabbath day, nor can I conceive, nor ever have I heard, nor do I think ever shall hear.  
I answer 2. whereas the frequency and constancy of Christ's apparitions one the Lords day is so much urged, I would fain see where Christ appeared one the Lords day ever above once only and that in joh. 20.19. as for his seconde apparition in v. 26. eight days after: which is supposed to be the next Lord's day after his first apparition, it is quite other wise, for in the original it goes thus, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, and after eight days etc. now after 8. days could not be the same day seven-night, upon the 8th. day, but after the 8th. day, as on the 9th. or 10th. days after, and so this seconde apparition was not upon the Lord's day: I grant there is a phrase Mark. 8.31. that Christ, after three days must rise again; and yet it must be understood thus, upon the third he must rise again: But herein we must know thus to read it, is a departing from the natural and proper sense of the words, which is not sufferable save in a case of necessity, as to reconcile two texts of Scripture, or the like, as in this instance last propounded because other texts of Scripture say, Christ rose upon the thirde day, 1. Cor. 15.4. and this text Mark. 8.31. saith after 3. days etc. therefore to reconcile these two, we understand this latter text and the word after to be no more but upon but now to apply this, is there the like necessity in joh. 20.26. to understand by after upon? is there any other text affirming that upon the 8th. day Christ appeared to Thomas and the Disciples? or is there any inconveniency or absurdity to take the words in their common & proper sense? if neighther of these can be shown then the reading which I urge is sound and good.  
I answer 3. if Christ's apparition to his disciples could be an argument of a Sabbath day, Then of God's word for the keeping of an other day than God appointed in his moral Law or 4th. Com: lest I partake of that brand of a wicked man prophesied of Daniel 7.25. in changing times, and the Law: now since it is a propriety of God to change times and seasons Dan. 2.21. had not I need be careful there be no new day (as is the Lords day) set up for a Sabbath, unless it can be expressly infallibly & demonstratively proved to be of Gods own doing? least I say I be accessary to the sin of changing Gods times, Dan. 7.25.  
Thus have I answered their texts of Scripture brought for the Lords day to be a Sabbath, and the common objections; now let us in next place examine their reasons whereby the Lords day is proved a Sabbath.  
1 The first reason is drawn from the frequent and constant practice of Christ and of his Apostles celebration of the Lords day, the which is authority sufficient for justification of the Lords day to be a Sabbatth:  
I answer 1. admit Christ and his Apostles did preach on the Lord's day, & thereby honour this day above any of the 6. working days, yet how doth it appear they did this on this day to this very end and purpose to sanctify it for a Sabbath day, and in obedience to the 4th. Come? let these 2. things be proved, or else nothing is done.  
I answer 2. as touching our Saviour Christ, whereas 'tis supposed he constantly kept the Lords day as a Sabbath: I deny it, let it be proved that ever Christ did sanctify as a Sabbath any on Lord's day: Nay is not the contrary manifest, that Christ travailed a matter of 15. miles out and home upon the very first Lord's day that ever was, it being the most eminent Lords day of any ever after, because it was that very Lords day whereone he rose from the dead? see Luk. 24.13.33. Christ went with the 2. Disciples from jerusalem to Emmaus v. 15. which is in account 7. miles and an half, counting 8. furlongs to a mile: & thence he returned to jerusalem back again that night, which is 7. miles and an half more: now 15. miles is above a Sabbath day's journey, since a Sabbath day's journey is in esteem, but about 2. mile's Act. 1.12. Neighther can it be proved, Christ went to Emmaus to preach and keep Sabbath there, for 1. he went from the Congregation of his Disciples which he left behind at jerusalem, and we read not of any assemblies of Disciples that were at Emmaus; now Christ being the pastor of his flock, and the minister or preacher to his Disciples, can it be thought he would leave them destitute of his help to sanctify the first Christian Sabbath that ever the Church saw? 2. how cold Christ keep that day for a Sabbath since he was not in the Congregation, but in the field travailing, from about noon (as is gatherable from circumstances of the text) and so forwards all the remainder of that after noon; for he went along with the 2. Disciples, & they went not above a matter of 2. miles an hour, as is probable by the ordinary pace of travellers, so then 15. miles spent them a matter of 7. hours: Had Christ imitated God in the creation (as is supposed) in setting up a Sabbath day, then surely as God did rest on the 7th. day, and set us his own pattern: so would Christ have rested all this Lords day after the work of redemption, to have been an example to us. what if Christ being risen from the dead cold now travail without pain? so cold God in the Creation create without pain, yet would he leave nothing to be created on the 7th. day, but rested on it, for us to imitate him. and Adam in Innocency cold labour without pain, yet he must rest on the Sabbath day, and what if Christ did open the Scriptures concerning himself v. 27. to the 2. Disciples as they went on their way together, must this therefore be a proper Sabbath days work? as the Lord by Moses commanded (Deut. 6.6.7.) parents, that they should talk to their children of the Law of God as they walked by the way etc. on what day so ever; and as every Godly minister now riding on the way upon a Saturday towards Market or fair, will upon occasion be talking to people that ride with him of heavenly and divine things, so much rather would our blessed Saviour be teaching, and upon all occasions instructing the people upon every day; especially considering it was his office to teach, and therefore a daily task to preach in season and out of season upon all occasions, as we read he did in the Gospel, and as we read Act. 1.3. Christ was seen of his Apostles for 40. days after his resurrection, speaking to them of the things appertaining to the Kingdom of God. now what did Christ preach more to these 2. Disciples, on that Lord's day, than he preached to his Apostles every day after it for 40. days together? To add one thing more, be it, you make exceptions against Christ's travailing one the Lords day, what exceptions do you find against the 2. Disciples of Christ, with whom Christ travailed? these travailed one the Lords day, Christ himself not disallowing, but by his companying them justified them. they went from the Congregation of Disciples at jerusalem where the Sabbath was kept, if any where, they went to a town not to keep Sabbath for it was near night ere they got thither, and they but stayed and supped and came back again; member what I have formerly given in answer to the texts brought to prove the Lords day to be the Sabbath day; as for Peter's sermon Act. 2.14. it was not made upon the Lord's day, but upon Saturday or on the Lords Sabbath day, as is proved: as for Paul's sermon Act. 20.7. this was in the night, not in the day; now I hold the night is no part of the day, I say no part of the Lords day, as shall be proved here after, in my exposition of the word Day in the 4th. Com: yea, if they began their Sabbaths at Eueninge, as is holden by many; from even to even ye shall celebrate your Sabbath Levit. 23.32. then Paul preached not on the first day of the week, but on the second, because he began his sermon at Evening, after the Disciples were come together upon the first day of the week; or else Paul travailed and set sail on the Lord's day, if the Lords day began that evening when he began his sermon, for next morneing he went to ship Act. 20.11.13. as for that text 1. Cor. 16.2. here is no mention of any preaching at all, only it treats about a future collection etc. as for the text joh. 20.19. here is no mention neither of any Sermon made when Christ appeared to his Disciples; 'tis true the text saith they were assembled indeed, but wherefore? to hear a sermon? no such thing; but text saith, they were assembled together for fear of the jews, like as the Lords Prophets were in Caves in Obadiahs' time 1. King 18.4. to shroud themselves from danger of persecutores, what other end they had in assembleing the Scripture is silent: lastly admit here was a sermon, yet it was not upon the Lord's day, for it was in the night following the Lords day, now the night is not in Scripture account any part of the day, as shall be shown: as for the text Reuel. 1.10. where it is called the Lords day by John, here is not the least mention of any readeing or preaching at all, nay not like there cold be any, since revelations usually came to holy men when they were solitary and alone, not in assemblies where preaching and sermons be: thus I have examined all the texts wherein is any show of sermons, and I find not in any of them that ever any of the Apostles did so much as one single time preach any one sermon upon the Lord's day, the which if it be true, as is most true, where is any the least ground from Apostles practise of keeping the Lords day for a Sabbath, they must needs prove me false in this point, or else the foundation being shaken yea removed, the building must fale: if Apostles neighther left precept for the Lords day, no nor their own practice, who can imagine it should be a Sabbath by God's appointment?  
I answer lastly, whereas they build upon the practice of the Apostles preaching, so as on all is, because there is not in all the new nor old Testaments any commandment to set up any other Sabbath than that 7th. day from the creation, no nor ought else that hath the force of a commandment, as no practice of Christ nor his Apostles, as have been shown afore nay we have God's appointment to the contrary that no day of the 6. can be Sabbath day, for in the 6. days we may labour Exod. 20.9. Six days shalt thou labour, etc.  
I answer 2. Be it that Saturday Sabbath being abrogated, an other Sabbath must rise up in its room, yet it followeth not that Sunday, or the Lord's day, on first day of the week must necessarily be the new day, for there may be a Sabbath though none upon the first day of the week, if there be one kept upon any of the 6. days, Moneday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday etc.  
But hereto it will be said though the new Sabbath may be on any of the 6. days, yet we ought to choose the first day of the week before all others, because on it we received a greater a greater blessing than one any other of the 6. days, since on that day our Lord Christ rose from the dead, and therefore it is called the Lords day. I answer 1. be it so that in choosing a day, we ought to take that day which hath near relation to the greatest blessing, yet would we imitate God in instituting a Sabbath at Creation, we should not set a part for a Sabbath that very day whereon we received that blessing, or whereon Christ performed it, but the day after it, so God having finished his work of creation on the 6th. day, he then sanctified the day after, the 7th. day: & so it seemeth the believing jews learned of God to set a part the day after a deliverance, not the very day, see Ester 9.17.18. where the jews that conquered their enemies on the 13th. day of the month, they rested on the 14th. day of the month, and kept it a day of feasting and joy; and those jews that conquered on the 13th. and 14th. days, they rested on the 15th. day: But we imitate neither God, nor those Godly jews, for we rest upon the very day where on we received that great blessing, that is upon the first day of the week, wherein the Lord rose; and we should rest rather on the second day of the week, which is Moneday: I answer 2. be it so, that the Lords day were to be kept of us above any other day, in memory of the resurrection of our Lord, yet it followeth not that we should count and keep every first day of the week, and one day in 7. for a Sabbath, for this were jewish (as it is called) and to imitate God in the creation; but we christian's have an other pattern, that is Christ the Lord and Redeemer to imitate, and that in respect of the work of Redemption: So as if we hold it best to sanctify the very day whereon Christ rose; why then must we sanctify every third day for our new Sabbath, and cale and count every third day since the first Lord's day whereon Christ rose, The Lords day; let it fale upon the first day of the week, or on the 2th. or 3th. or 4th. etc. one any day of the week: my reason is because the Scriptures telleth us that our Lord Christ rose upon the 3th. day, as God rested on the 7th. day; so then Christ being crucified one good Friday, and rising again one our Suneday, it appears he was but 3. days upon the work of redemption: Now if we Christians must imitate Christ in the work of redemption, as did the jews God in the work of creation, Then look as God working 6. days and resting the 7th. the jews also wrought 6. days and rested the 7th. So as Christ was 3. days, or 3. parts of 3. days, in the work of redemption, and rested from the same sufferings on the third day, In like manner should we Christians in imitation of Christ work 3. days, or 3. parts of three days, and rest on the third, keeping it for a Sabbath: So we should not then keep these we now call Lords days for our Sabbath but others, nor keep a Sabbath once in 7. days, but on't once every 3. days.  
I answer now to the reason whereby they would choose out the Lords day afore any other of the 6. days for a Sabbath, because on that day we received the Lord from the dead, the greatest work and mercy that ever we received &c. here unto I answer, if the greatest work shall determine the day, which it shall be, Then in mine account as far at yet I can see, good Friday should be our new Sabbath day: for on that day Christ performed the greatest work of any other day; let us therefore compare these 3. days works; on good Friday (not to mention the the particulares of his grieveousse passion) Christ upon the cross hanging there in our rooms, bore that most intolerable and insupportable wrath of God, which was due for the sins of all Gods elect, from beginning to the end of the world, which wrath was so hot as caused him to utter these words, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? and then as having borne the utmost of his father's wrath for sins of his elect, he yielded up his Spirit with these words, It is finished, joh. 19.30. as for the next day, the 2d. day of his passion, our Saturday, and so also for the 3d. day of his passion, our Sunday, until he rose, what cold he suffer? his soul was in paradise, his body in the grave dead and senseless: now judge whither of these 3. days had the greatest work done in, in which of them but Friday was the greatest passion? or if you will compare Christ's resurrection with his passion, I trust it will be fond a greater work for his Deity to support the Humanity upon the cross, then to send his soul from heaven into his dead body in the grave to quicken and raise it up.  
But you will say on the 3d. day Christ rose, with out which all the former had been insufficient 1. Cor. 15.14. if Christ be not risen our preaching, and your faith is in vain etc. and Christ died for our sins, and rose again for our justification, Rom. 4.25. so that it is rather the day wherein all was perfectly finished, than the day wherein the greatest work was done, that we should keep for our Sabbath: where to I answer 1. Christ upon the cross on good Friday said then, it is finished joh. 19.30. secondly, if you will stay for a day where in every compliment was fulfilled, then must you make your Sabbath on Ascention day being Thursday: or rather you must tarry till the world's end: till Christ hath conquered sins & death, 1. Cor. 15.26.56. if therefore by reasons we shall institute Sabbaths, it may be thought good Friday is the only day for our new Sabbath, or else to tarry till this world's end.  
4 A 4th. & main reason of all is to this effect; If the jews kept a Sabbath in memory of God's Creation, Then much more ought Christians keep an other Sabbath in memory of Christ's Redemption: and the common reason hereof is, because the work of Redemption is a greater work than the work of Creation.  
I answer 1. the reason is not the same, and therefore it followeth not; for the jews they did not set up a Sabbath on their own heads, with out a precept for their direction, only to commemorate the creation, if they had, it had been no better than will worship, but they stayed for a Commandment from the God of the creation to command them a Sabbath by his 4th. Comm: and to tell them which day of the 7. to keep; & it was God's Commandment principally that set them one work to keep a Sabbath; now this which is the main for the keeping of a Sabbath day, is left on't in their argument, as if God's Comm: were but a by thing and not necessarily presupposed in every Sabbath: wherefore let them put into their argument the main and principal thing moving the jews to keep the Sabbath, that is God's 4th Com: and then I fault not their argument, as now I do, but I bide them prove likewise that we Christians have such strong reasons to keep our Lord's day a Sabbath, as Jews had for their day, that is, I require to show me where Christ or his Apostles left us an express Commandment to sanctify the Lords day, as God did to the jews to sanctify the 7th. day, and then I say indeed, If the jews kept the 7th. day, we Christians ought keep the 8th. day. Or thus is greater than the work of creation? if it be greater the answer will be to the elect and to the redeemed it is greater: well be it so, but what is this to our question, which is general of all Christians that live with in the pale of the Church, affirming that if jews, that is, all jews kept a Sabbath for the creation, then ought Christians, that is all men with in the pale of the Church, keep a Sabbath for redemption: so the question being general of all men with in the Church, you bring a reason to enforce all these men, to keep a new Sabbath, which reason is proper to some of these men only: as if you would thus argue all men are bound to keep the Lords day for a Sabbath, because the Lord died for some of these men: this arguing is much like absurd to this; If the jews under King Ahashuerosh Ester 9.17. did solemnize a day every year with feasting and joy, in memory of their deliverance from Hamans' conspiracy, Then so ought Christians, both English, French, Dutchmen and spaniards etc. that is all Christians solemnize a day every year with like feasting and joy, in memory of our deliverance from spaniards in the year 88 or from Papists powder treason on 5 th'. November: and here to may be added a like reason, as that our deliverance in 88 or on 5 th'. of November, was as great as that of the jews from Haman: now who doth not see the vanity of this kind of arguing? yet just thus do they argue to set up the Lord's day for a Sabbath: as here 'tis argued from a particular deliverance of some Christians, as English men, to all Christians: as French, Dutch, and Spaniards, who had no share in that deliverance of 88 and 5th of November; just so do they argue, from a particular deliverance of some Christians as Gods elect, unto all Christians both elect and reprobate, believers and unbelievers: what reason is it that such as have no part in Christ as a Redeemer, should weekly celebrate on whole day, neglecting their profit and callings, in memory of Christ the Redeemer? of right therefore only such a day should be a Sabbath as binds all and every man, one as well as an other; and such is the 7th day Sabhath, in memory of the creation, for in the creation we all, believers and unbelievers have our share, not so in the redemption. I conclude therefore, that though the work of redemption be greater than the work of creation, and therefore doth require a Sabbath, as well as the creation, yet doth it not require so general & universal a Sabbath as did the work of creation; all men are not bound to the one, as they are to the other: Nor can I conceive how any more men should be bound to keep this Sabbath, by this reason, then only a few which do actually believe in Christ, an handful of most free Agentes, so as they eighther of them produce effects at their pleasure by Counsel, so as they be not tied ever to produce the same effects the one as doth the other: that this is so, will appear even in these points in question, it pleased God to create the world by action, but it pleased Christ to redeem the world by passion: 2. it pleased the Father to be 6. days in creation, but it pleased the Son to be but 3. days in redemption: 3. it pleased the Father to rest on the Sabbath day: but it pleased the Son not to rest on the Lord's day, but to travail 15. miles to Emmaus and back again. 4. it pleased God to leave a commandment in wrighting to posterity to keep the Sabbath day; but it pleased not our Saviour Christ to leave any commandment for the keeping the Lords day. if therefore God & Christ be so variouse in their actions, how will it follow, that if God kept a Sabbath, or instituted one in creation, than Christ must necessarily institute an other like Sabbath at redemption?  
5 A 5th reason, seems to ground on the 4th. Com: thus; The 4th Comm: enioynes a 7th day for the Sabbath, now our Lord's day is a 7th day, for we keep it every 7th day for a Sabbath.  
I answer 1. the 4th Comm: enjoineth such a 7th day for a Sabbath, as is and was amongst the Jews called by his proper name, the Sabbath day also, now our Lord's day was called with them eighther the first day of the week, or the first day after the Sabbath, so it can not be that 7th day there meant. 2. if we call our Lord's day the 7th day: we depart from all churches, which call it the 8th day, or the first day of the week, as do all the 4. Evangelists in the Gospel: 3. if you call the Lords day a 7th day. I pray, where or at what day will you begin to reckone for your first day of the 7? you must begin at some renowned day, as at the first day of world's creation: or at the first day of the world's redemption, 'tis groundless to set any other beginning; now Sunday is the common reputed day for the first day of the world's creation; and the 7th from it is Saturday the Lord's Sabbath day: but if you refuse this beginning, and will fetch a first from the redemption, then good Friday whereon Christ suffered must be the first day of your 7: and then Thursday will be your 7th day, and so your Sabbath day: or else Sunday whereon Christ rose, must be your first day, and then Saturday, the Jews Sabbath day will be your 7th day and new Sabbath day now behold though you seem to stand to a 7th day for your Sabbath, yet you cannot any approved way make the Lords day a 7th day: unless, you take Mooneday for your first day of the week, which no approved Authores do, and which computation is not Divine in old or new Testaments, but is merely humane and devised. and by like reason if you groundlessly begin at Mooneday, may not we begin at Tuesday, or Wednesday, or Thursday, etc. and so skip over as many days as we please, so as no man shall know where or when to begin, nor what day shall be his 7th day for a Sabbath? & if we may skipe over as many days as we please before we take one for our first day: may we not skipp over as well 7. days as one day? and if we may skipp over 7. days: why not 700. or 7000 days? and so, many weeks, yea years may be without any Sabbath.  
6 A 6th & last reason they fetched from practice of the primitive Churches; for the Histories of the Church say they relate that they kept the Lords day for a Sabbath constantly.  
I answer 1. I find the contrary, and that alleged too by M. Perkins upon the 4th Com: whoe thus speaks? The Sabbath (meaning it the Lords day) was neglected of those Churches which succeeded the Apostles, until afterwards it was established by Christian Emperors: & this he proves to be so by alleging his author for it, Leo: and Anton. Edict. of holy days. now if Mr. Perkins who was so well seen in history of our churches would affirm this, and that too when he pleaded what he could for our new Sabbath, then surely in his judgement, it was a clear case that the primitive churches kept not our Lord's day ever, or constantly. 2. Ignatius, where he exhorted to keep the Lords day: there he exhorted to keep the Sabbath day too. now it is not likely both these days were kept for Sabbaths, but that one only, and that was the Sabbath day, as is gatherable, in that Ignatius calls the Lords day the Queen and Princess of all days, where he left out a higher place for the Sabbath day, as the Kings & Prince of all days. it is likely therefore that our Lord's day was kept as we keep an holy day with us: & when those Christian Emperors did establish by Laws our Lords day to be solemnised, at which times it flourished most: yet even then they kept it not as a Sabbath day, but as we keep an Holy day. for Constantin the Emperor, & most religious patron of our Lord's day, as is well known in his edict for the celebrating of the Lords day; yet therein gave liberty for men to do works of Husbandry on the Lord's day. now ploughing and sowing, and reaping, and the like work of husbandry be quite against the very letter of the 4th Comm: and against and contrary to that rest from all servile works, in ear-ring & in harvest, and at other times, enjoined in the Law for Sabbath day duties: can we think Constantin, directed by his reverend Clergy would can given such liberty had they counted the Lord's day for the Sabbath day, and to stand by the 4th Comm? finally, if we should imitate the primitive churches as touching days: we should weekly keep holy Friday whereon Christ suffered, as well as Sunday whereon Christ rose. for Constantin did by one and the same Law command his whole Empire to sanctify the Friday, and the Sunday, the day before the jews Sabbath, & the day after it, see Euseb. de vita Constant. lib. 4. cap. 18. and see Sozom. lib. 1. cap. 8. the Lords day, because of Christ's resurrection, the Friday, because of Christ's passion, as saith the text: and here again it appeareth the primitive church kept not the Lord's day for their Sabbath, no more than they kept Friday for their Sabbath, but both of them as we keep holy days.  
Having answered all their reasons that I can find or hear of, in next place let me pass my censure of reasons in general. How feeble a thing our best and refined reason is every man may know that useth reason? S. Paul shall speak for us, we know but in part: & we see through a glass darkly, 1. Cor. 12.9.12. saith he. 2. let all our learned Divines speak, who not only in public prayers to God confess our blindness of mind; but moreover, in their Sermons they dare not deliver a doctrine collected by reason out of their text, unless they can sound prove the same by some plain text or other, as you see their constant and laudable practice is, and this they do, lest they should deliver for doctrines men's precepts, whereby you see what an holy jealousy they have of their reason, that though in their private studies, they have collected a doctrine by helps both of nature and arts with great diligence: yet dare they not trust to their reason until they find God in his word to backe them. 3. let Logicianes speak, whoe are the masters in reason; do not they in their books of Logic show how many and sundry ways reason is subject to be corrupted by fallacies and Sophistical arguments? all which testimonies of the dimenesse and weakness of our reason, teacheth us thus much; that as it is too great boldness with God, and overgreate confidence in our reason, by bare force of it to dispute against any thing which God hath set up, as the 7th day Sabbath: So it is a matter of no less dispraise and presumption by only force of reason & consequence to innovate and set up a new Sabbath. and yet for all this. do I not exclude the use of reason about the Holy Scriptures, so be it be but to find out what God saith in his word. I only exclude the use of reason as by collections to add any thing to God's word, wherefore I reject all reasons and consequences touching in novation and bringing in a new Sabbath, unless as divines back their doctrines in sermons by plain texts: so these do back every collection and consequence by a clear text of Scripture or at least, if I may be bold to grante so much, that every collection and consequence be such as is necessarily and demonstratively true, so as it apparently cannot but be true: Hence is that laudable usage of our church, which though it permitteth Apocrypha Scriptures to be read sometimes in our congregations: yet it permitteth them not to be used and alleged as a sole ground to establish any doctrine of our church. and what I pray is our reason better than Apocrypha Scriptures, that we should lean more to tone then to other? were it meet, we should receive doctrines into the church which have a binding power over the conscience, tying the whole man to obedience of them, upon pain of damnation, which are framed and maintainede only by force of our reason? wherefore to conclude let reasons be subseruient and handmaid to the Holy Scriptures, and ever follow them, never to go before them, nor to go without them. and therefore since our Saviour Christ and his Apostles be avouched to be the founders of our new Sabbath: I pray in the first place show us where ever Christ, or any of his Apostles gave any commandment for it, or whereas you say collection for the poor, & preaching, be marks of a Sabbath; show me your text of Scripture where it is said that collections & preaching be proper & infallible marks of any Sabbath day. or which is yet less, let it be shown where ever they said or did any thing, which necessarily and infallibly doth give us notice, that it was but their mind, that ever after, the churches should every week keep the Lords day a Sabbath, in conscience of the 4th Com: and since God at creation gave a commandment for that Sabbath, why should we not think Christ would a given a commandment too for this Sabbath, if ever he had intended to have had it kept as a Sabbath? would God give a commandment for his Sabbath, and Christ leave his Sabbath without a commandment, and to be collected by feeble reason? was our Saviour so careful to give a commandment for the Lords Supper, to be done in remembrance of him; and did he forget think you to leave a commandment for the Lords day, to be kept in remembrance of him? could it be possible, a matter of so great importance as is a Sabbath, and such a Sabbath as would make so much for his remembrance to the world's end, should be passed over in deep silence, not only by Christ himself, but also by his succeeding Apostles, so as not only not to command it, but which yet is less not so much as mention it by the name of a Sabbath? whoe that considereth of this, would or could ever think that Christ did institute and appoint this Lord's day for a Sabbath? was not these those considerations which made Calvin upon Col. 2.16. say, it is not unlawful to labour & work on our Sabbaths? thus in effect he: was not this it also which moved zanchie upon the 4th come: Thesis 1. to say, The Apostles left the Lord's day at liberty; and that we are not bound to keep it for a Sabbath, by any bond or tye of conscience: thus he. To come yet nearer home, to our own divines; was it not hence that Perkins though a great friend to the Lords day for Sabbath, as Walaeus on the 4th come: quoteth him, thus Perkins ingenuously (saith he) confesseth, that as touching Christ's institution, the arguments he brings for our Lord's day, they be not necessary, but only probable ones &c. and see Perk: cases of conscience chapt. 16. where the holy man durst not speak to the conscience peremptorily as of a thing for certain true, but tremblingly as it were, repeating his doubtful speeches, 3. or 4. times over, in 6. or 8. lines wrighting as 1. In all likely hood, saith he: 2. as I take it etc. 3. now I suppose etc. 4. for in these points still we must go by likely hoods etc. surely, had there been any sufficient grounds for our new Sabbath, this holy man durst not have concealed them, no nor would he have spoke so doubtfully, who in other points speaks peremptorily and confidently: and was it not hence that Doctor Prideaux in his work upon the Sabbath, saith, where is there the least mention of surrogation of the Lords day in room of the? Sabbath? pag. 140. Again, where (saith he) amongst the Evangelists, or Apostles, is there any distinct institution of the Lords day? yea further, where is the text whence you will necessarily prove it? what should I reckone up particular men, is it not the doctrine of our church? very lately a book came to my hands, printed at Oxford in the year 1621. written by M. Broad, touching the Sabbath, where on the margin pag. 2. thus he wrighteth; Christian people chose the first day of the week, and made it their Sabbath, saith the book of Homilies: By the doctrine then of our church, saith M. Broad, the observation of the Lords day, is an Ecclesiastical ordinance, and not an Apostolical precept: & again pag. 21. It is not by any express command from Christ or his Apostles, but by an ordinance of the church, as is the doctrine of many great divines, and of our church in the book of Homilies, that we sanctify the Lords day, rather than any other day of the week, thus wrighteth M. Broade of the Lords day, and of its institution, as being in the judgement of our own church, not from God, nor from Christ, but from certain Godly christian, and well disposed people.  
One objection remaineth to be removed, which is, That the Church of God hath kept this Lord's day for a Sabbath many hundreds of years; and can it be thought Gods whole church should err, and that so long?  
I answer, 'tis true indeed, we ought to hold a reverend regard of the tenentes of our Mother the church, so as not lightely nor rashly to receive any opinions which blemish her practice: Nevertheless this we must know also, that the church whilst on earth is liable to miscarriages through ignorance, for as much as God doth not reveal his whole truth to her at once, but successively now on thing, and then another, as she is able to bear it, & as the times may permite, and as it seems good to his Godly pleasure; do we not see, daily light is brought into the church, and God reveals himself more and more? and what doth this argue, but what we cannot deny, that is, that before such light came, we were in darkness and error, as touching those points? yea we must grant the church may & doth err in some things unless we will affirm that she is grown to fullness of stature, and perfection in knowledge, so as nothing more can be added: I verily persuade myself these very conceits that the true Church of God cannot err in any main thing, is the very foundation of error in those minds where such conceits rule: for who would be so idle to spend labour and time, to try all things: and with the Bereanes, to search the Scriptures, if already our curch hath tried all, and searched all to perfection, so as they have no ways erred? more humble thoughts of our church doth better become us: all that I aim at hereby is no more but this, that we allege not the practice of our church as an infallible rule & touch stone of truth, but though a Paul preached it, yet with these Bareanes Act. 17.11. rather to serche the Scriptures then to rely upon the Testimony of man.  
Finally, that our church hath kept this Lord's day so long; and therefore the more strange it should be an error: I answer, 'tis true the Lords day hath been kept for about this 1200. years; as ne'er as I can guess from about the year 364. at which time the Laodicean counsel enacted a Law for the abolishing the Sabbath day, and for the sole setting up the Lord's day: till then both days were in use, save that as hath been shown the Lords day was sometimes omitted: since then, only the Lords day hath been in request, and that is about a 1200. years; but here it is to be noted, what church it is that principally ground of our future discourse, I think it needful therefore in the first place to stay a while upon the exposition of it, or rather of some such things in it, as may make way for our future discourse.  
First, as touching the substance of the Com: note, that as in a bond you have two essential things: th'one, is the sum of money to be paid; the other is the day when it is to be paid: and as in circumcision there was two things commanded, the one was the act of circumcision; the other was the time and day when to be done that is, on the 8th day, Genes. 17.12. and as in that other Sacrament the passover, two things were commanded: the one was the slaying and eating of the passover; the other, was the time and day when to be done, that is, on the 14th day of the month, Exod. 12.6.8. Just so, in this 4th Com: God commandeth us expressly two things, as essential parts of his Com: the one is Holiness and Rest; the other is, the time when these aught to be performed, and that is in the Sabbath day, which is the 7th day: the former may be called the duties in the day, the latter, the duty of the day: the duties in the day ye have in these words; To keep it holy, Exod. 20.8. the other duty in these words; In it thou shalt not do any work, v. 10. the duty of the day, ye have in these words; Remember the Sabbath day v. 8. the 7th day is the Sabbath, v. 10.  
The use of this point serves for confutation; Is it so that God in his 4th Com: straightly chargeth us two things, that is the duties in the day, and the duty of the day, or thus, the duties to be performed, and the time when they be to be performed? how is it then that so many say of the time of the 4th come: oh the time, that is but an accident, but a circumstance, God regards not circumstances so much, it is the substance of the duties to be performed in the time that God looks at etc. and therefore you are but superstitious and vain to stand so much upon time: where to I answer 1. time may here be considered two ways, 1. in relation to the duties of Holiness and Rest: and so I grant the time is an adiuncte, wherein these duties were to be performed: 2. in relation to the commandment itself; considered as a thing commanded, together with Holiness and Rest: and thus it is no adjuncte, but thus it is an essential part of the Com: the time being no less commanded than the duties of Holiness and Rest. I answer 2. but admite that time, here were an accident or adjuncte to the Com: and that you esteem of adjunctes as light and triviale matters, little or nothing to be regard for their nature as in themselves, & in comparison of things substantial etc. I say, be it the time here were as mint and annyse and commine, and the duties to be performed Sabbath day: Remember the Sabbath day etc. where it is to be noted that this phrase Sabbath day was among the jews a proper name for one of their week days, namely for that week day, which is the last of the week, as Saturday is with us, and it answers to our Saturday, in so much as if we should translate the Hebrew words Sabbath day we should read it Saturday. Remember Saturday, to keep it holy etc. now that Sabbath day was a proper name of one of their week days is apparent to all, since they counted all the other 6. days of the week by the Sabbath day; thus, the 7th. and last day of the week they called Sabbath day: the first day of the week; our Suneday, they called the first of the Sabbath: the second day of the week, our Moonday, they called the seconde of the Sabbath: our Tuesday, the thirde of the Sabbath etc. so as you see no day of the week was called Sabbath day, but this one only: I confess the word Sabbath, signifieth a Rest; but it also signifieth a proper name of the last day of their week. Secondly, if this be not enough to show that God had set apart one certain well known day afore any of the other 6. days for Holy duties. Then mark what the Lord saith further in this Com: The Seaventh day is the Sabbath etc. not the third day, nor the 4th. day, nor the first day of the week, but the 7th. day is the Sabbath: where to take hence all scruples about the order of the day, it hath pleased God for our certain information to point directly and distinctly to the day which he would have kept, as by the finger, saying, The Seaventh day; Thouchinge which word of number Seaventh it is to be noted, that it is not a Cardinal number, but an ordinal, notifying which for order: the property whereof is to denote, 1. one, and one only: 2. it notes that individual particular one, which for order is the last of that number: for instance, The Thirde: it is not any of the three, as the second, nor the first; but it is the last of the three: so the fifthe, it is not the 4th. nor the second, but it is the last of the 5: so, the Seaventh day is the Sabbath; not the 6th. day, nor the third day, nor the first day of the week, but the last day of the week, the 7th. is the Sabbath: so again you see the Lord hath culled out the last day of the 7. for his Sabbath, and hath not left it indefinitely and undetermined: Furthermore, left any should think the 7th. day may be separated from that day called the Sabbath day, as is usually thought; therefore note 1. the Lord God hath joined them together in his Comm. The 7th. day is the Sabbath, see Levit: 23.3. and Exod: 35.2. Luk: 13.14. not the 8th. nor the first; now what God hath joined let no man put asunder. 2. Note, that these two; The 7th. day: and the Sabbath day: they be used in holy Scripture promiscuously, as both pointeing at the same very day and time, see Genes. 2.3. God blessed the 7th. day and hallowed it etc. the which Moses repeateing again Exod: 20.11. saith, The Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it: so as a man may say, the 7th. day is the Sabbath day: and the Sabbath day is the 7th. day: take away one, and take away both; grant one and grant both: they are like the names jesus, and Christ: both which belong to one person, our blessed Saviour: or like to the names, Lords day; and first day of the week, both which belong to our Sunday. Thirdly, the particularity of the time and day is apparently pointed unto in the reason of the 4th. Comm: which is fetched from the day wherein God rested, thus, That day which I the Lord sanctified, the same day must thou sanctify: But the 7th. day I the Lord sanctified: Therefore the 7th. day must thou sanctify: now since 'tis absurd to think the premises should speak of one 7th. day, and the conclusion of some other 7th. day, therefore if we can find out what 7th. day it was God rested on, we may by it know what day we must rest on; now 'tis most apparent that God rested upon the 7th. day from the creation, which was that day which immediately followed the six days of creation. So then are we to keep by virtue of the Com: the same particular seaventh day which next followerh Gods and our six days labour.  
The use of this point is 1. to discover the error of our times, which will apply this 4th. Com: to the 8th. day, or to the first day of the week, which is appropriated to the seaventh day of the week by God the Lawgiver: or will apply it to the Lords day, which is the day after the Sabbath, when the Com: is appropriate to the Sabbath day, which is the day before the Lord's day.  
Use 2. is for refutation of those that say, it matters not so be we give God a day, which it is: so be we give God a Sabbath, or a 7th day, it matters not whither this or that day: No, say you it matters not which, why then did God take such care to decipher out the very day wherein he would be served, by those 3. marks, 1. he telleth you 'tis the Sabbath day. 2. that 'tis the 7th day. 3. that 'tis that 7th day whereon himself rested? Further, this were to make hallowed things common, and common things hollowed; and to cross God, who therefore culled out the 7th day from the others, because in it he had rested, Genes. 2.3. Exod. 20.11. besides the reason why God hallowed the 7th day, was because in it he had rested: which reason cannot be true of any day of the 7. save the 7th. If God would require it at their hands that did not circumcise one the 8th. day, and eat the Passeover one the 14th day, the which times God did without repetition once only in the same text mention, what will he do to us to whom he hath deceiphred out that time by 3. such notable marks, in the 4th Comm: it is no dallying with God.  
Use 3. is for confutation of a common but frivolouse answer, saying. when they be urged to this particular set time of 7th day from creation: the Com: speaks not of The Sabbath: but of A Sabbath: by a Sabbath understanding any day indefinitely and uncertainly: & thus they make Gods set and certain times uncertain and doubtful, which is quite contrary to God's mind, since God did limit and determine which of the 7. days he would have, by those 3. notable marks above said: when the Lord said, Remember the Sabbath day: the jews were not left at random, as not knowing which day of the 7. God meant, for they knew it well, like as if God should say, Remember Saturday: is it uncertain which day of the week Saturday with us is? Furthermore, this reading of A for The it crosseth all our Translatours both old and new, who judge it the most fit to read it. The not A Remember The Sabbath day: not Remember A Sabbath day: finally, were it lawful thus to wrest Scripture, whereas the third Comm: is, Thou shalt not take The name of the Lord thy God in vain etc. might not I here cavile thus; Thou shalt not take A name of the Lord thy God in vain; understanding by A name some Titles and Attributes of God uncertain what, or which: or understanding by A name some name of God as then unknown, like as by A Sabbath, we would have our new Sabbath meant, which then to the jew at Mount Sinai was utterly unknown? In a word were this lawful might not I in like sort delude them of the Lords day, for being the first day of the week? and whereas S. john saith Revel. 1.10. I was ravished in the Spitit on The Lord's day: I might say, on A Lord's day; understanding it of any day of the week uncertain which. Again since neighther Christ, nor the 4. Evangelists, nor any of the Apostles after Christ's resurrection, did ever alter the name Sabbath, from Saturday, there for Saturday is still the Sabbath day by name.  
Besides, this use is likewise to be urged by way of confutation to those who would have it read or understood not The Seaventh, but A Seaventh day, as of an uncertain day; the why is made certain by God: for it is such a seaventh day as is the last day of 7, or of the week: 2. 'tis  
3. Thus having fond out the particular time and day of God's worship; before I can come to speak of the duties to be performed in the day, we have 4. more particulares to speak of concerning the time: 1. to Remember this time 2. that it is called Sabbath: 3. that 'tis called a Day: 4. of the reason why God Sanctified this day afore any other: To handle these in order as they lay in the Comm.  
Remember etc. here the Lord prefixeth a Memorandum to the seaventh day Sabbath: Remember the Sabbath day etc. a reason why God prefixeth a Remembrance to this Comm: is rendered by divines, to be for prevention of carelessness and forgetfulness one the 6. working days, of the Sabbath next ensuing; lest that men leave some common works of the 6. days to be done on the seaventh day Sabbath; this I confess a truth indeed, but this is not all I suppose; for, if one demands a reason why God prefixeth a Memorandum to this Comm: more than to any other of the Commandments, that cannot be the reason, because by not forethinking of the Sabbath, some works are left to be done on the Sabbath, and so the Sabbath is profaned, for since we break every one of the Commandments, it should a been likewise needful to have had a Memorandum prefixed to every Comm: lest through forgetfulness, & want of forethinking we break them too; but since a Memorandum is put to this and not too others, a reason would be sought, such a one as agrees to this Com. and not to others: now if I may take leave to deliver mine opinion, I cannot find out a better reason than this, God foreseeing that after a long time, that is about 364. years after Christ, this his Sabbath would be not in part violated, but utterly and altogether blotted out of remembrance in the Church for 1200 years together, and so this 4th. Comm: forgotten and not the other 9 or this 4th. above, or rather than the other 9 therefore was a Memorandum set to this, and not to the other, or to this above the other, to bring men into the Remembrance and practice of it again: I said, this Sabbath was blotted out in the year of Christ 364. that is by the Laodicean Counsel, as hereafter you shall hear etc. from thence until this present hour it is not Remembered, for we profane it, buy, sell, market, fair, and work in it, I pray God bring this to our remembrances and close home to our consciences: I said also, this Comm: is forgotten above the other 9 for there's no one thing in all the other 9 commanded that is wholly and altogether forgotten, as is this seaventh day; and though Papists have forgotten foully, the second Comm: yet blessed be God, the Reformed Church of Protestants remember it well, but as for the seaventh day Sabbath, and the Command upon it, Remember the Sabbath day: this is forgotten at all hands utterly by both Protestants and Papists: and so much of the word Remember.  
4. The next point to be considered is the name of this sacred Time and day, 'tis called Sabbath: Remember the Sabbath etc. In this name two things are considerable: 1. that it is used as a proper name for the seaventh and last day of the week with the jews; of this I say no more, referring you to what I have else where afore, said touching the Sabbath as a proper name etc. 2. That the word Sabbath signifieth Rest.  
The first use I will raise bence, shall be from the consideration of both those joined together, and may be for information, sheweing that the Hebrew word Sabbath, may be translated into English words, if we do but join these two together, that is, the proper name, and the signification of it: so for Sabbath, as 'tis a proper name of the last day of the week, put Saturday; and then hereto add that signification of the word Sabbath, Rest: and then thus it may be rendered Saturday-Rest: Remember Saturday-Reste, to keep it holy etc. the profit that would come of this is, that there would be no scruple in minds of the ignorant, which day of the week it is that God requireth in his 4th. Comm: to be Sanctified. Further, it would reform the confusion of such as call our first day of the week, or Lords day, The Sabbath day: thus doing they woefully confound things, as times and days: just as if we now a days should begin to call our Sunday by the name Saturday, what a confusion would this breed of time? transplaceing the proper name of the seaventh day of the week unto the first day of the week: Hence in part is that delusion of well minded ignorant people, that when they read the 4th. Comm: Remember the Sabbath day etc. and then bethink themselves that we call our Sunday, Sabbath day, surely then conclude they, our Sunday or Lords day is the day that God appointed by this his 4th. Comm: which is a gross error, since we all say the Sabbath day is changed into that which we call the Lords day: and if the Sabbath day be changed (as is said) into the Lord's day why do we not put away the old name, and take up only the new name, like as the name of that Father of the faithful, it was of old Abram, but when God changed his name into Abraham; the Lord said, neighther shall thy name be called any more Abram, but thy name shall be called Abraham Genesi 17.5. and so let us no more call it Sabbath day, but Lords day: But if you will retain the proper name Sabb. still, as is not unmeet you should, since it is a name that may perpetually be kept in the Church, it being a particle of the Moral Law, which is perpetual, why then I beseech you, let every day have its own proper name, do not miscall days by wrong names: Let our Satuday be called Sabbath day, for so it of all the days in the week answers to the jews Sabbath day; witness the jews, when they lived in England, they kept Saturday for their Sabbath day, and as they do likewise in other parts of the World, where they live at this day: and witness the Lattines, who to this day call Saturday, Sabbath day, Dies Sabbathi: I doubt not but this exhortation might prevail, were it not for an inconvenience, which would be this then, that if we called Saturday, Sabbath day, than our people would grow to think that Saturday should be Sanctified by God's will in his 4th. Comm. for our Sabbath day: and if we call the first day of the week Sunday, or Lords day only, than the people would not so easily be made believe, that the 4th. Comm. binds them to the Lords day, because the Comm. binds only to the day, called Sabbath day, not speaking one word of the day called Lords day: But if we call the Lords day, Sabbath day once, than it goes down the stomach without any  or scruple, that the 4th. Comm: points directly to our first day of the week, or Lords day, and so a wrong day is kept, one day being taken for another, & so Superstition is used for Religion, and one day God shall say, who required this at your hands? who may the people say? why our watch men, our ministers taught us so, and called it so, and told us it ought to be so, as for us, we were not learned in the tongues and Arts, we must believe our Ministers: The Priest's lips must preserve knowledge, and we must ask the Law at their mouths: but this plea cannot altogether free the people see Ezek: 33.6. nor can the Ministry be altogether free of a shrewd taxation, (were it not hitherto done of ignorance and of a good intent) in as much as they are guilty of this transgression, partly by misenameing of days, which causeth an error in the people.  
But hereto it will be said Sabbath, signifies a Rest: now on our Lord's day we Rest; and therefore we may call it a Sabbath day: I answer, 'tis true Sabbath signifieth Rest, & so the Lords day might be called Sabbath day, but yet in no other sense then every common Holy day, wherein we work not, may be called Sabbath day, that is, Resteing day: now if the nameing of Holy days, Sabbath days, should beget an inclination in the ignorant to sanctify them as Sabbaths? were it not time to forbear such names? Furthermore note, that we may call the Lords day, or first day of the week, and other common Holy days, Resting days, but we must know with all that thus to call and to name them, is merely humane, and of our own devise; for God never named or called the Lords day, nor common holy days, Resteing days; if therefore we will call days, as God calleth them, then must we call only the 7th day, Sabbath day, or Resting day, for said God Exod. 20.10. The 7th day, is the Sabbath, or Resting day. I answer 2. Sabbath day may be used in reference to the 4th Com: or not in any reference unto it: if it be used not in reference to the 4th Comm: I am not against it, for so may we call Christmas day when 'tis one a week day, Sabbath day, and so may we call days of public thanksgiving and rejoicing Sabbath days, as coronation days, & Gunpowder Treason days etc. but if we call any day Sabbath day, religiously, in relation to the 4th Comm: as in that sense we call our Lord's day Sabbath day, then know, it cannot be called Sabbath day, for that this name Sabbath day in reference to 4th Com: it must have these properties, 1. it must be set upon its proper day, our Saturday, the which is named by God Sabbath day, or Resting day: 2. it must be the 7th day from the creation, or last day of the week. 3. it must be the day which God blessed and sanctified Genes. 2.3. Exod. 20.11. now none of these things agree to our Lord's day.  
5. The next point to be treated one is the word Day, Remember the Sabbath day: now as before we have heard of the Sabbath day, which it is for order and place, as whither the first, or 2d etc. or 7th or 8th day. so now we are to hear of the duration and length of that Sabbath day. A day is commonly divided into a day natural of 24. hours, or artificial of 12. hours; but I must crave leave to depart from this distinction though a common received one, because how ever it may have its use in civil affairs, yet is it not Canonical and Divine, and therefore not to be a rule in expounding the word Day in Scripture: that I may not seem sleightily to deny a common distinction, note the reasons moving me here too are.  
1. Because it is no where found in Scripture that they had any day of 24. hours; a day of 12. hours I read of I confess, but I never read of a day of 24. hours; it is not safe therefore by Day in 4th Com: to interpret it of a day of 24. hours.  
2. By a day natural of 24. hours we understand both the light and the darkness, the day and the night which fale within compass of these 24. hours; now I pray what a woeful confusion and jumbling of things together is here? what is this but to put light for darkness, when ye call the night or darkness, Day? & may you not as well put darkness for light, and call the day or light, Night? may we not as well comprise Hell, under the word Heaven; as darkness under the word Day? unless it be Ironically, I think this is matchless.  
But hereto it will be said, doth not Scripture thus? Genes. 1.5. So the Evening and the morning were the first day? by Evening here is meant the night, and by morning the day or light, and both these made up the first day. I answer, the Evening doth no where in Scripture betoken the night or darkness, and that I am not singular in this, see Perkins cases of conscience at end of 2d book: but by Evening we are to understand the afternoon, as we in this land do, saying, Good even to you Sir, if once it be past noon: that evening is taken for the afternoon, and time of perfect light and before Sune set appears by the phrase of evening sacrifice, which was celebrated about 3. or 4. a clock in after noon, & see these texts Ex. 29.38.39. Deu. 23.11. losh. 8.29. Ezra 9.4.5. jere. 6.4. Deut. 16.6. so then according to Scriptures sense, by Evening I understand the afternoon, and by morning the forenoon: and thus the Evening that is the afternoon: and the Morning that is the forenoon, made the first day Genes. 1.5.  
Having thus given my reasons why I reject a day natural, of 24. hours, consisting of day and night both; In next place I am to show what I mean by Day in 4th Com: By Day I understand the time of light only, namely all that space of time and light from day peep or day break in the morning, until day be quite off the sky at night: that by Day is meant the light, see Gene. 1.5. God (who know best to name things) called the Light, Day, see 1. Thes. 5.5.8. 1. Cor. 3.13. and that the day begins even whilst it is but a little light, and much dark, see joh. 20.1. and see Mark. 1.35. this last text is to be read as Chemnitius well observes thus, In the morning, whilst it was very much night etc. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉: and so Beza reads it too: of days I may say, there are 2. kinds according to Scripture, 1. a natural day, and this is from first approach of light upon our horizon before Sune rise unto the last departure of light, after Sune set, from off our horizon. 2. is an artificial day, and this consists of 12. hours Joh. 11.9. are there not 12. hours in the day? the natural day is variable now longer as in Summer, now shorter as in Winter. The artificial day is constantly of the same length, 12. hours long: I conclude, by Day in 4th Com: I rather think the the natural day to be meant, than the artificial day, for it is the safest to give God the longer of the two, that is the day from day break, to last shutting in of the day, so long as is any light in the sky.  
Here a case of conscience would be discussed, that is, if our Sabbath be but from day break to shutting up of day, how shall we do in depth of winter, at what time we have not 12. hours of day light? now your opinion was even now that it is the safest to give God the longer of the two days, rather the natural than the artificial, but in depth of winter the artificial day of 12. hours is the longer day: I answer 1. though for that time the artificial day be longer than the natural day, yet it is so but for a little while during the depth of the winter only, which time excepted, all the year after the natural day is the longer, and so these 2. days compared together in all times, we give God the longer day when we give him the natural day. 2. For so much as it is not likely that God would have us measure him his day by two diverse metewands, that is by the day natural at one time of the year, and by the day artificial at an other time, therefore I think it the more likely that we are tied only to the day natural in Winter, though it be shorter then, than the other: Nevertheless, because the safest way is best, and an error on the right hand rather to be admitted then one the left, if any man judge it better, for the depth of winter, to keep his Sabbath by the artificial day, I say not to the contrary, yea, I say for mine own particular, I purpose to accompany him whoesover he be, in performance of Sabbath days exercises, and refraining all servile labours, not only for the artificial day, but after it is ended, until it be time to go to rest & sleep.  
Here an other question ariseth, if we be tied but to the day time and light only for our Sabbath, what then shall become of the time of night, before or after the Sabbath? I answer, nature teacheth that God hath made the night for man to rest in and sleep, and so necessarily he that time resteth from all labours, as in the Sabbath day time: but you may say again what and if a man be not disposed to sleep, as not to go to bed so soon as the artificial day in depth of Winter be done, may he set upon the duties of his ordinary calling until he go to rest? heretoo I answer, where God hath left no order what to do as in this case, here than it is left to Christian discretion; In this case than I should judge it very behooveful that we deal with God in this night, as we do by ourselves on other nights of the 6. working days, in these, if we be not disposed to go to bed, we will spend that part of the night we please to set up in, in the works of the day before, so let us be as mindful of our souls as of our bodies, & on the Sabbath night if we please to rise before day, let that part of the night be spent in a holy preparation to the duties of the day following, to set forwards them; if we please to set up after the day light be spent, then again let this part of the night be spent suitable to the day before, in reading, conference, meditation, singing of Psalms, and Prayer; To this may I fitly apply that of Holy David who spent much of the night in prayer and praises, Ps. 42.8. The Lord will grant his loving kindness in the day, and in the night shall I sing of him etc.  
The first use of this point may be for confutation of an error of some divines, holding the Sabbath doth begin over night, on Saturday at night, or on Saturday Evening: If God enjoineth only the day; Remember the Sabbath day etc. by what authority can any say, we be bound to sanctify more than a day, as namely to sanctify the Sabbath day, and also a part of the day, or night going before the Sabbath day?  
I know well the end these divines aim at is holy and good, and their arguments carry a strong show of truth yet not strong enough me thinketh, the best that I could ere meet withal are these 3. the foremost Taken from Genes. 1.5. The evening & the morning were the first day: where by Evening, they understand the Night from about after Sune set forwards; by morning, all the day after; now hence they thus argue, That look as God made the day at creation, so we must after keep it: But God made the day to begin at Evening, Ergo etc. I answer, the ground of this argument is from a common indeed, but mice understanding of that text, Genes. 1.5. as I have formerly shown, so I deny that by Evening, in the Text is meant an Evening which begins the night and comprises the night in it, as the argument understands it; for by Evening is meant only the afternoon till Sune set, as formerly I have shown: but against this it may be said, this sense is to make God to speak of things mice orderly, if by evening you understand the afternoon, and by morning the forenoon, then 'tis as if God had said, So the afternoon and the forenoon were the first day, whereas it had been more orderly to a said, So the forenoon and the afternoon were the first day: since the forenoon is in order before the afternoon. I answer such liberty though God doth take in speech, for instance, to go no farther for an example, see Genes. 1.2.3.4.5. darkness was for order before light; and yet in v. 4.5. God mentiones the light before the darkness, and why not then, the after noon before the forenoon?  
Their 2d argument is taken from Levit. 23.32. from Euene to Euene shall ye celebrate your Sabbath. Hereto I answer this a peculiar law to the ceremonial Sabbaths annually, not common to the moral Sabbath weekly, now we must not draw the law of ceremonial Sabbaths upon the moral Sabbath, for than must the moral Sabbath on 7th day, be annualy only; and on the 10th day of the month; as Levit. 23.27. without regard to the day of the week: besides many other differences 'twixt the moral and ceremonial Sabbaths that might be shown; but chiefly note in the 4th Com: is but one day only mentioned, to wit the 7th day but in Levi. 23. is two distinct days commanded to wit the 10th day, v. 27. and the 9th day apart of it, v. 32. now would any infer hence, that we should give God the Sabbath day, and a part also of the day, going next before it, every week? were not this to give God more than one day, when in his 4th Com: he required but one day?  
A 3d to enforce the beginning of the Sabbath on the Evening, is taken from Mark. 15.42. It was the day of the preparation, that is before the Sabbath; whence it is gathered by many, that the Jews used on the Evening before the Sabbath, to have a preparation to the Sabbath, by setting a part that evening for holy exercises, refraying ordinary works, as they did on the Sabbath: where unto I answer, more is gathered out this text than it will afford; and that preparation which was proper to a ceremonial Sabbath, is applied to our Moral Sabbath: To this purpose it must be observed, that at this time of Christ's passion, and on that day whereon he lay in the grave; our Saturday, there fell out two Sabbaths, a moral and a ceremonial upon that day, as Beza, Piscator, and others affirm, and as every divine knows; and as must needs be, for our Saturday wherein Christ lay in the grave was Jew's Sabbath day, of the 4th Comm: so there is one: now again the day before this, namely good friday, was the day the jews kept for their passover day joh. 18.28. joh. 19.14. now the Law of the passover was, that the passover should be killed and eaten on the 14th day of the month Levit. 23.5. and on the next day, the 15th of the month they had an holy convocation and assembly wherein they did no servile labour v. 6.7. and this was a Sabbath day, to wit a ceremonial Sabbath day: now the jews killing their passover on good friday, as the 14th day, than Saturday, must be the 15th day, and so an holy convocation and Sabbath by the Leviticall Law: and so here is an other Sabbath fell on and with the weekly Sabbath: now to come to the point, the parascue or preparation spoken of Mark. 15.42. hath respect of these two Sabbaths, only to this latter, that is to the Ceremonial Sabbath, which was on the first day of unleavened bread, or on the 15th day of the month, and it hath not respect unto the Moral Sabbath: now the reasons moving me to say so are, 1. because this parascue or preparation is not any where applied to the Moral Sabbath, but only it stands in reference to the ceremonial, and therefore we read the Evangelist joh. 19.14. calling it the preparation of the passover, not the preparation to the Sabbath, as they would. 2. we read of a preparation ever on the day before the 15th day of the month, the Sabbath on the first day of unleavened bread, but of none before the weekly Sabbath, see Luk. 22.8.9. and ye know there must be a preparation of the passover before it be eaten, for it must be killed, and roasted first, Exod. 12.6.8. and a place where it must be eaten in must be prepared too, Luk. 22.11. and to wind up all in a word, the parascue or preparation whereof Scripture speaks so oft; is nothing else but the preparation and making ready of the passover to be eaten, the which labour fell as now upon the day before the Sabbath, understand whither Sabbath you will Mark. 15.42. so than this preparation over night, being proper to the Ceremonial Sabbath of the passover, it belonged not to the weekly Sabbath, & so the weekly Sabbath began not over night ere the more for this Text, Mark. 15.42.  
Finally, the clearing of this text Mark. 15.42. by the way may be useful, to show their opinion is growndlesse, who urge a preparation to the Sabbath on Saturday afternoon: or, on Saturday even, pressing us then to refrain our weekly labours, and to spend that portion of time in holy exercises: for my part I know no other preparation to the Sabbath to be performed more on Saturday after noon, than in the forenoon, or then on Friday or Thursday before; that is, I know none but this, that we should remember it afore hand, and so to be more and more mindful of it, as it draws nearer and nearer unto us, lest when 'tis come we profane it.  
You have heard the first use, showing when the Sabbath doth not begin, as namely, not over night etc. The 2d use shall be to show by way of instruction when the Sabbath doth begin: The Sabbath is to begin in the morning, when the day begins, as break of day; this flows naturally from the Comm: for if God commanded us to keep holy the Day, then must we begin with the day, then when the day begins: to begin it afore the day, as at midnight, or the like, is growndlesse, and is more than God ever required: so, to delay the beginning an hour, 2. or 3. after day break, is to rob God of a part of his day, by sanctifying to the Lord not a day, but a piece of a day.  
6 The 6th and last point in the Comm: as touching time and day, is to inquire 1. what day God sanctified, but this needeth no labour, since 'tis apparent God sanctified the 7th day, and last day of the week, that day which followed his 6. days work. 2. we are to inquire after the reason moving God to sanctify this day of the week before any other; and this is plainly laid down in the last clause of the 4th Comm: and again in Genes. 2.3. So God blessed the 7th day and sanctified it. Because that in it he had rested from all his work: where you see God renders the special reason moving him to bless and to sanctify the Sabbath day; and it was, Because that on that day himself had rested.  
Use 1. may be to show us that God in his 4th Comm: enjoineth not a day at random, but a particular day, such a day as hath this reason, of God's Rest; belonging to it; now this belonged only to the 7th day of the week; not to the 8th day, nor to the first day of the week, our Lord's day, for God the creator rested not upon our Lord's day, when he had finished the work of creation, but upon our Saturday the 7th day which goeth next before the Lords day.  
Use 2. may be to show us, that the 4th Com: can not be urged or applied to the first day of the week, our Lord's day; because that reason of God's Rest, upon the 7th day, which moved him to sanctify, it neither doth nor can belong to the Lords day: now since that reason of God's Rest, which is a part of the 4th Com: can not belong to our Lord's day, no more can the whole Com: belong unto it.  
Use 3. and me thinks the reason of God's Institution should say some thing for the morality and perpetuity of the Sabbath, for as sine moved God to bring death into the world at the first upon Adam Rom. 5.12. so the same continuing, moves God still to continue death in the world upon Adam's posterity: So Gods Rest upon the 7th day moving him at first to sanctify it, the same reason remaining to world's end, should move God to continue the sanctification of the 7th day for ever; the ground of which consequence is taken from that axiom, That God is immutable and unchangeable & ever the same, so as if things be the same towards him, he again is the same towards them: Hence it is we thus argue, did God so to Abraham, to David, to Pharaoh etc. if thou be to God as they were, so God will be to thee, as he was to them: now as God is ever the same, so is God's rest on the 7th day.  
And so we have spoke of the duty of the day, and of the time; next we should come to speak of the duties in the day, and in the time: the duties in the day are 2. Holiness, and Rest: Remember to keep the Sabbath day Holy: and in it thou shalt not do any work: but as touching exposition of these two, Holiness and Rest, I purpose to desist for as much as we differ not in these, saving about the latter, that it is holden partly moral, partly ceremonial, but of that by and by.  
Having spoken of the duty of the day; and mentioned the duties in the day: here a question would be scanned touching both these comparatiuly, to know whither is the more excellent & that which God did first and principally aim at, the duty of the day, or the duties in the day? a question at first sight I confess it seems frivolous; the rather I move it, because I hear the most so slighting this sacred time, as but a circumstance etc. and as a thing not required of itself, and by itself, as are the duties in this time Holiness and Rest, but only for an other things sake, as for the Holiness sake, that is to be performed in this time, and so as if the Holiness be performed, it skilleth not so much for the tyme.  
For my part therefore I cannot see, but the time of the 7th day is more excellent than be the duties of Holiness and Rest, in the time; if these duties be not considered absolutely and in relation to God, but respectiuly as subseruient to the tyme. Holiness, consider of it only as a duty of first Table, in this branch of praising and lauding God, in an acknowledgement of his power, and wisdom, and goodness etc. so reflecting Gods holy works and attributes upon himself: now consider, as the Heavens declare the glory of God Ps. 19.1. So think on that 7th day, as the Prophet David speaks of days in general v. 2. Day unto day uttereth, the same too: or Day after Day, as Aynsworth observeth: so than if days do utter the glory of God, and show forth his handy works, reflecting unto God, and declaring the same to men, then doubtless the 7th day Sabbath hath a kind of secret speech unto and praise of God, by reflection unto God, and declaration unto man, the whole work of creation done upon the 6. days before, showing forth these Attributes of God's wisdom, power, and goodness, manifested in those days: and surely this day doth more completely in its kind, reflect and give God the full glory of his work of creation than can any man, who because he knows things by halves can speak of them but by pieces: well, there is some thing in this, though I will not be curious nor stand upon it.  
2. As for Holiness, as prayer, praises, and the like, I consider of it absolutely, or relatiuly: Absolutely without reference to any special time, as a part of God's worship and service, and so I grant it may be greater than the 7th day time: relatiuly, as 'tis employed to the 7th day to honour it withal, and thus it is not so great nor excellent. I explain myself by this simile, a son hath a book of his deceased father, for his father's sake he is so in love with the book, as he will put upon it silver ot golden clasps, silken strings, double gild it, & other cost to the double or triple value of the book, if now you demand, whither the book or the cost, be the more excellent; why, sure the cost is the greater in itself considered, and not as made serviceable to the book, but the book is the greater and more excellent in that for the books sake, he begildeth it and puts on all that cost: So, as this Son gildeth and beautifieth the book, because it was his fathers; just so, the Lord God blessed and sanctified the 7th day, because that in it he had rested, Genes. 2.3. Exod. 20.11. The reason then moving God to adorn and beautify the 7th day so with Holiness and Rest, was because God had once rested on that day; so as the 7th day was not set apart for holiness' sake, but holiness at this time was appointed for the 7th day's sake. Even as Angles are ministering Spirits for our sakes, and so are inferior to men in some respects, that is, as they be attendants to us: yet further, to this end see the 4th Comm: where in the first place the Sabbath is commanded, Remember the Sabbath day: and as the chief thing aimed at, it is twice mentioned, whereas Holiness is but once named: yea, doth not the very order of the words and manner of uttering them import the same? like as if one should say to his servant, remember such a book, that you save it, and lay it up carefully; or, that you gild it and bewtifye it with the finest gold etc. would not a man think by these words that all the servant's care and diligence and cost about the book, were for the book, and less than the book in worth and excellency? why just in such frame of words the Lord deliured the 4th Comm: Remember the Sabbath day, that you sanctify it, the which sanctifying the day, is the adorning and the beautifying of it.  
I conclude, if any man of better judgement think that so much is not to be attributed to the day and time as these my words import, yet I think these things considered, he will judge there is much more in the time, & that by God's ordinance, then is commonly thought on, and so as every slighty probable argument, and curious distinction should not force a man to abolish this sacred Day, and profane this time; me thinks we should stick more close to God's Commandments, than so; God hath left us but 10. Com: and they be the rule of our life, a light to our feet, and lantern to our paths, and that according whereto we shall be adjudged at that last day Mat. 25.34.35. jam. 2.12. how should we contend for the maintenance of this truth, which was once given unto us, not suffering any of these 10. lights to be extinguished, no nor any one of them to be eclipsed in least degree, nor enduring that any one link be broken from this chain, no nor so much as the least piece or parcel from any of the links, but that we maintain them in the full weight and measure that ever they had: not so much as the day or time once altered or changed: remembering Deut. 12.32. whatsoever I command you etc. thou shalt put Nothing there to, nor take any thing there from: and Galat. 3.10. Cursed is every man that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the Law: And so I have done with exposition of this 4th Comm.  

The 7th day Sabbath is not abolished.  
THat with the more colour of truth they might abolish the Sabbath day, many have taken in hand (out of a sincere affection to their knowledge, as I verily persuade myself, yielding too much confidence to antiquity, and trust to the labours of our worthy forefathers in this point) to make one of God's ten and moral Commandments, namely the 4th, to be partly Moral, partly Ceremonial; a thing at first hearing very strange, that of 10. only one should so fare differ in kind from its fellows, when all were equally and a like delivered by the immediate and audible voice of God, and written all a like together by the finger of God in Tables of stone, which no ceremony was; Nay, which is worce yet, that not one whole commandment is said to be ceremonial, but only one piece of that one commandment is a ceremony: as if one of the links of this chain were partly gold, partly lead, whereas all the rest were pure gold, what were this but to suppose our God to plough in his field with an ox and an ass yoked together; & to sow it with seeds of diverse kinds; which kind of unequal mixtures God would not abide amongst his people, how much less would himself use it? as if God had written morals & ceremonials both upon the same Table of stone, and twisted in one Commandment some thing perpetual, other some thing temporary; for they make the time in the 4th Com: a ceremony, and Holiness, a Moral; yea, the one individual Rest, is partly a moral, and in other part of it a ceremony, oh monstrous, what a hotch potch have we here! what a mingle mangle, what a confusion & jumbling of things so fare distant together, as when morals and ceremonials are supposed to be here mingled together: the one to last but for a time, the other to last for ever: the one belonging only to the nation of the jew: the other belonging to all nations: and both of these thoug mingled in one single word, in the word Rest: was the like ever heard of? can the like instance be shown in all the 10. Commandments? and yet again contrary wise, what a rending and violent tearing in sunder such things in the Com: which God hath joined together, as to sunder the Sabbath, from the 7th day; when God saith expressly, The 7th day is the Sabbath, Exod. 20.10. and so inviolably linked them together: thus they imagine Moses to jumble things unskilfully together, and then come they and rend and slash them asunder again; if this be lawful, than which of the 10. Comm: may not suffer violence, laying out such parcels of them as disconceit us, and letting stand still what fancy us? and is not this with that wicked man, To change times and the Law, Dan. 7.25.  
To come yet nearer, they endeaver to show the 4th Com: is partly ceremonial, and that in two things: the one is as touching the Rest; the other is as touching the particular time of 7th day: now lest they should seem to hold only the 7th day, which is the question, to be ceremonial, there is great labour used to find out some thing else in this Com: ceremonious too, & so the 7th day should not stand nakedly alone for a ceremony, and to this purpose every text that may seem to savour of any exrraordenary strictness about the Jewish Rest, that and those texts are not expounded with a grain of salt, or dram of qualification, but stretched upon the tainterhoockes to the utmost: of these two things we will begin with the Rest, and see how they make it in part ceremonious: A worthy and late wrighter (whose name I spare for honour's sake) makes this rest, ceremonial in three things, the which he terms that rigorous and precise rest, prescribed to the Jews: these three things we will examine one after an other, and having dispached these, we will also examine some other like texts, and if upon their examination, it be found, that God never required any such strict rigorousenesse of rest of the jews, as is supposed, then is it but a forgery to say, the strictness of the jewish rest was a ceremony, for how can it be a ceremony, which is not?  
1. The first is, that the jew might not on the Sabbath go forth, or take a journey any whither, for any business of his own, Exod. 16.29. this saith he was temporary, and doth not concern these times of the New Testament.  
Heretoo I answer, This text forbiddeth only unnecessary journeying on the Sabbath, to provide that thing which God giveth him enough of, the day before, for because God had given them Manna on the 6th day enough for two days, therefore God forbade them to travail for it forth the doors on the 7th day: so here God forbade only needless and idle iournyes on the Sabbath: and what rigorous precise strictness than was here imposed upon the jew? is this such a hard intolerable burden as beseems only the shoulders of a jew, and not of a Christian, that a man should not travail vainly, and to no purpose on the Lord's Sabbath? 2. The Text is exceedingly wronged to say, it forbade a man to take a journey for any business of his own; for, it forbade him not to travail a few miles for himself in a case of necessity, since it only forbade him to travail in a case frivolous & idle. 3. If this text and law pertained only to the jew and left us at liberty, then may we on our Lord's day and Sabbath now, take such frivolous iournyes, which yet all sound divines condemn.  
2. The 2d thing wherein stood the rigour of the jewish rest (as saith he) is that they might not kindle a fire on the Sabbath day, Exod. 35.3.  
Hereto I answer, this text is set upon the tainters and stretched farther than need is, why should the same men qualify some texts about the rest of the Sabbath, with due limitations, and yet extend other some text about the same rest, beyond all limitation? for instance Exod. 20.10. In it thou shalt not do any work: which though it according to the letter forbiddeth generally any kind of work whatsoever, yet they do well expound it to be understood only of servile works forbidden, not of works of charity and necessity: But in this Text Exod. 35.3. ye shall kindle no fire; this canst needs be understood literally and generally, as if the jew might in no case kindle any fire, without exception: I pray what differeth the Law Exod. 20.10. Thou shalt not do any work: from the Law here, Exod. 35.3. Thou shalt kindle no fire? is not that the general, and this this the special, is a limitation to be added to the genus, and none to the species? wherefore, by the same authority that they limit the words in 4th Comm: thou shalt not do any work: that is, not any common unnecessary servile work; by the same authority may I limit this Com: Exod. 35.3. Thou shalt kindle no fire; that is, thou shalt kindle no fire to do unnecessary servile works withal, such as is of common brewars and bakers, to got their living by as on the 6. days, and such as was for the building of the Tabernacle, Exod. 35.3.4.5. etc. whereof there was no such necessary haste as that they should kindle fires to work about it on the Sabbath: But think you that God who allowed the jew to labour in case of necessity on the Sabbath day, to lead a beast to the water: to pluck and ruble ears of corn: to help a beast out the ditch; was so rigorous to him in an other thing of like use, as not permit him to kindle a fire to warm his body, in the depth of winter when 'tis freezing could, or to dress a bite of warm meat for his dinner on the Sabbath, whereby he may be cheered up the cheerfully to attend upon God in his ordinances, in the after part of the Sabbath? was God think you so careful for oxen, or was it not rather spoken for men, who are made after the image of God? and for whose sake the Sabbath itself was made, Mark. 2.27? To conclude, did not our blessed Saviour in his time approve of fire making on the Sabbath (think you) or at least of as great works, and so of that, by like reason, when he vowchsafed his presence at a feast of the jews on the Sabbath, Luk. 14.1.2.3.4.5.6.7. & c? where were many guests, now at a feast, and many guests, could not but be a fire to dress meat, or as great labour in dressing meat and tendance of the guests, as is the bare kindling of a fire.  
3 The 3d thing is, that the jew might carry no burdenes on the Sabbath day, jerem. 17.21. Nehem. 13.15.  
I answer 1. If this be a part of the rigorous precise and strict rest required only of the jew, why do all divines now a days press this rigorousness upon Christians, forbidding us now to carry burdnes on the Sabbath day? if this was a ceremony and to end with Christ, than we Christians may freely bear burdenes upon backs of men, or beasts, or on carts, now on our Lord's day, is not this goodly stuff? hereby you may have a taste what it is for worthy divines to captivated their judgements, to yield to much confidence to the labours of our forefathers if of Note, or to take points of divinity by tradition upon trust from others, for had this learned man used his own judgement in these points, he had never overshot himself so far as to put down such things as these, so undigested. 2. In this text God forbade carrying of burdenes only as an unnecessary servile work, but he forbade not carrying burdnes in case of necessity, as a work of charity, for Christ allowed the sick man, to carry his bed on the Sabbath day, joh. 5.8.9.10. now where then was God so rigorous and strait unto the jew, since he permitted them burdens bearing if and when necessity so required? and so we have examined these 3. things above mentioned.  
4 A 4th Text I may add, which I have often heard alleged for the former purpose, and 'tis written, Exod. 16.23. Bake that to day which ye will bake, and seethe that which ye will seethe, and all that which remaineth, lay it up till the morning for you, etc. where (say they) here the jews were commanded to dress all their meat on the Friday, the day before their Sabbath day, and by consequence they were forbidden to dress any on the Sabbath.  
I answer 1. To this I oppose an other Text Exod. 12.16. where the Lord forbade the Isralites to do any work, but with this exception, Save about that which every man must eat, that only may ye do: this text so plainly giving leave to dress such and so much meat on the day as a man should eat upon the day, gives me to think no other text should forbid the same: but hereto it will be said the Text Exod. 16.23. treats of the Moral Sabbath, but your Text Exod. 12.16. treats of the holy days of the passover. I answer, 'tis true, this text speaks of the first and of the 7th days of the feast of unleavened bread only, but this must also be noted, that these festival days, had their holy convocations and assemblies, and wherein they were forbidden to do any work, as the text shows, just as on the Sabbath days, yea, these festival days were also called Sabbath days; and threatened with death also if they wrought on these days, Levit. 23.30.32. now, if God as strictly bound the jew to rest on these festival Sabbaths which were annual, as on the moral Sabbath weekly, then look what liberty God gave upon one of these Sabbaths, we are to judge, I suppose that God gave the like liberty on the other Sabbath, the cases being a like, and the ceremonial Sabbath being as strictly to be rested in from all manner of servile works, as was the moral Sabbath.  
2. I answer to the text directly: This Text in my thinking is wondrously misunderstood, they suppose that Moses lad the Isralites bake upon Friday both the two Omers gathered on that day, and then by these words, all that remaineth lay up etc. they understand all that remaineth of the 2. omers backed and uneaten, so as that which remained uneaten was backed: But first they err in supposing Moses bade them bake on the day before the Sabbath both these two omers which they had that day gathered, where as Moses left it free to their choice to back (as the text faith) what they would, more or less: Bake that which ye will bake, and seethe that which ye will seethe etc. and so 'tis most likely they baked that day about one omer of the two they had gathered, just as they did on the other 5. working days, they gathered every day one world, So then the Sabbath if it must last till heaven comes, it must then last to every particular saint, and believer so long as he life's on earth, & abides in the church militant, and it must last to the church generally, to this world's end: and if so then I trust the Sabbath is no ceremony temporary, and abolished long since.  
I answer 2. Admit the Sabbath here were a type, yet is not the Sabbath as men keep it made a type of heaven, but as God kept it at creation, as v. 4. Now if only Gods keeping Sabbath rt creation was a type of heaven, what is this to make the jews keeping Sabbath any type of heaven? for our question is of the Sabbath in reference to men.  
I answer 3. God's rest at the creation is not a type properly, as having relation to Christ incarnate but a similitude only, as shadowing out Heaven, and such similitudes are not ceremonious and temporary, but perpetual and eternal: for instance Heb. 4.10. He that is entered into his rest, hath ceased from his works () as God did from his: if then God's rest, because a similitude to be a ceremony and temporary, then also is the perfection in God a temporary ceremony, for 'tis made a similitude of our perfection, Mat. 5.48. ye shall therefore be perfect (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) as your heavenly father is perfect: see a like example Joh. 5, 21.  
And these are the texts, which are usually brought to make the Rest of the 4th Comm: in part, eighther too strict and rigorous, or else typical, and so ceremonial; and so the 4th Com: itself to be partly a ceremony; and all to this end, the better to make way for the down fale and utter ruin of Gods 7th day Sabbath; the which by God's Mercy they have not yet attained, but you see are frustrate of their purposes, & so I trust shall ever be hereafter: And now I come to the time of the Sabbath the 7th day, which is the main of all, and against which they have bend all their forces: and if it fall so out they have no better success against this 7th day Sabbath, than they have had against the Rest in the Sabbath, all their labour will be lost, as I trust in God it will appear at the last: what they say against the 7th day Sabbath, I reduce to two heads, the former shall consist of texts of Scripture and artificial arguments; the latter of testimonies, and authorities of men: for their Texts of Scripture whereby they would prove the 7th day Sabbath is abolished.  
1. The first text shall be that of Isai. 66.23. from month to month, or from new Moon to new Moon, and from Sabbath to Sabbath, shall all flesh come to worship before me etc. whence it is collected by them, that the weekly 7th day Sabbath was a sign, and that of the everlasting Sabbath in Heaven and therefore the ceremonial and temporary.  
Hereto I answer 1. that this phrase of speech in this text is obscure and dark some to us, for what shall be meant by these words, from Month to Month: whereof are these a sign? now 'tis unmeet that so plain a text as is the 4th Com: touching the Sabbath, which is delivered in plain and proper words should be contradicted and blotted out by an other text, which is in Metaphoricale phrases, & of a doubtful sense. 2. if this Sabbath was a sign of heaven, it is so fare from being a temporary ceremony, as rather it is perpetual Moral, to last till Heaven comes, as hath been said before, for the sign or shadow is to last until the body a substance be comen: or, admit this Sabbath a sign both of the whole time of the Church of the New Testament on earth, and also of the Church triumphant in heaven, as some would, why yet I hope the body of Heaven hath as much force to moralise the Sabbath, as hath the body of the new Church on earth, to ceremonialize and temporize it, yea more, by how much better but it is not worth our labour, to spend more words about this text, it having so little colour to any thing in it for their purpose.  
2. A 2d text to prove the Sabbath a ceremony and so abolished is Numb. 28.9.10. where it was commanded the Isralites to offer two lambs for for a sacrifice on the Sabbath day.  
Hereto I answer 1. why should the sacrificing of two lambs on the Sabbath, make the Sabbath a ceremony and abolished any more than the sacrificing of one lamb every day for a daily burnt offering Numb. 28.4.6. make the working days of the week ceremonial and abolished. 2. Hath not the Moral works in the Sabbath, as Rest, and Holiness, and remembrance of Gods Rest after creation, as much and more power over the time and day wherein they were done to moralise and eternize the Sabbath, as hath the sacrificing two lambs to ceremonize and temporize the Sabbath? or if sacrifices could abolish the time of the Sabbath, which was commanded, why did they not also abolish the duties in the time, as Rest and Holiness? 3. The Sabbath was a Sabbath in nature and institution before there was any sacrifices, for it was in time of Adam's innocency before the fall, wherefore as the Apostle Gal. 3.17. reasoneth of the promise and of the Law, that the Law could not disanul the promise to Abraham, which came 430. years after the promise; so say I Sacrifices cannot disanul the Sabbath, since the Sabbath was before any Sacrifices; and since Sacrifices came after the Sabbath: as therefore the Sabbath had a being before sacrifices and ceremonies, so may it have its being after all sacrifices and ceremonies be abolished.  
3. A 3d Text is in Deuter. 5.15. where the Lord telleth the Israelites, He brought them out of Egypte, and therefore the Lord commanded them to keep the Sabbath: whence they would argue to this effect, since that the Sabbath is an effect of, or hath necessary dependence upon their deliverance out of Egypt, it followeth if that deliverance out of Egypt be but ceremonial as a thing proper to the jew; Then so is the Sabbath also.  
I answer 1. The Sabbath may be said to be an effect or have dependence of an other thing two ways: one, as touching its observation; the other, as touching its institution: now this deliverance out of Egypt, was not cause of the Sabbaths institution, for the Sabbath was before they ever went down into Egypt Genes. 2.3. neither was or could the deliverance out of Egypt be the sole cause, nor the chief cause of the Sabbaths institution, for Gods own rest upon that day Genes. 2.3. was the chief cause; and next the Sabbath was made for man Mark. 2.27. that is for the ease and benefit of his body, and for the good and edification of his soul, in duties of holiness. But as touching the Sabbaths observation, the deliverance from Egypt might be a cause, and was and ought to be a motive to obedience in observance & keeping the Sabbath day, and so all blessings whatsoever should be motives to obedience, as Deut. 6.20.21.23.24. Deuter. 28.47.48. but what if these blessings fail, and God give others in room of them, shall our obedience and observance fail and vanish? what and if we Christians have not that one particular blessing of deliverance from Egypt which the jew had, have we no many other blessings and deliverance to move us to obedience, as from that Armade in 88 from the Gunpowder plot, and I know not how many more. I conclude, that since the deliverance out of Egypt, was not the cause of the Sabbaths institution, but only of its after observation, therefore, though that deliverance was ceremonial, yet was not the Sabbath ceremonial. 2. I answer, if this motive of Isralites deliverance from Egypt, because not belonging to us Christians, therefore shows the Sabbath belongs not to us neither; Then may we by as good reason abolish not the Sabbath alone, but the whole moral law also; and then, as we will none of the Jews Sabbath to be ours, no more need we will the jews God to be ours, commanded in the first Com: for the reason to induce to obedience and having the true God for their God, was this, I Law; as therefore when the Apostle saith Ephes. 2.15. Christ abrogated the Law of Commandments, we understand it only of the ceremonial law of commandments, not of the moral: So where here the Apostle takes away the difference of days, I understand him to abolish only ceremonial days, but not the Moral 7th day Sabbath. I answer 3d. if all difference of all days be abolished, why then keep we the Lords day now for a Sabbath in a religious manner? if you say you keep it not as a ceremony or type & shadow of Christ to come, which was the reason of the Sabbaths abolition, but in other respects, as in remembrance of Christ already comen: why then by like reason may not the 7th day Sabbath, be now kept by us, so be we lay aside that supposed typical shaddowish respect which it had of Christ to come? and we keeping it in other respects, as in remembrance of Gods Rest on the same day after the work of creation, and as it is a day for the benefit of both our bodies for rest, and our souls for holiness?  
Thus none of those former texts you see can prove that the 7th day Sabbath was ever ceremonial, or yet abolished, but yet they have two texts more behind, wherein they put great confidence, and especially in the former of the two, and, if they fail in these two as I trust in God they shall, then are they quite gone, and for ever to hold their peace, for speaking more against the Lord God's Sabbath.  
6. The 6th text is that Colos. 2.16.17. let no man condemn you in meat and drink, or in respect of an holy day, or of the new Moon, or of the Sabbath days, which are a shadow of things to come, but the body is of Christ: Lo (say they) here you have Sabbath days forbidden, the very point in question, & they are counted a shaddaw of Christ and therefore abolished.  
I answer 1. as there is two Laws; a moral Law consisting of 10. Comm: all written by the finger of God, upon Tables of stone; and a ceremonial Law written by Moses and delivered to the people; so are there Sabbaths moral, that is such as God engraved upon the Tables of stone with other 9 precepts; and there are Sabbaths ceremonial, that is such as you find no mention of in the Decalogue, but such as you find recorded by Moses dispersed here & there in the 5. books of Moses, specially in Levit. 23.4. etc. to the end of the chapter: Now as when you read Heb. 7.12. Ephes. 2.15. If the priesthood be changed, then must there be a change of the la: you will not here permite any man to jumble confusedly together the la moral and Law ceremonial, and say both these laws are here changed, but you will distinguish of Laws, granting them the ceremonial Law to be meant here, but not the moral, so do I in answer to this text Col. 2.16. distinguish of Sabbaths, granting them here is meant only ceremonial Sabbaths, denying that here is meant the Moral Sabbath of 7th day: That this distinction is good, and that by Sabbaths here is meant only ceremonial Sabbaths, do bear witness to me, even worthy divines of their own side, as, Greenham in his work upon the Sabbath day; and Perkins in his cases of conscience book 2. chapped. 16. Sect. 3. and Dod upon the 4th Comm: pag. 133. and Elton upon the Colossians 2.16. and Ames in his Thesis touching the Sabbath. 2. That here is meant only ceremonial Sabbaths is plain by the context, and that by two reasons; the former, in that these Sabbaths are ranked with other things all which be ceremonies, as meats, and drinks, and new Moons, and holy days, so that all other things in this text which the Apostle abolisheth being ceremonies, it gives us cause to think the Sabbaths placed and joined with them be only ceremonial Sabbaths, as M. Dod well observeth upon the 4th Com: the latter reason, is for that this 16th verse is, as you may see by the word of inference Therefore a conclusion, whose premise you have in the 14th verse, and here the Apostles discourse is on this wise: If the hand wrighting of ordinances (which is the Law, that commanded meats & drinks, and Holy days, new Moons & Sabbath days) be put out, and taken away; Then let no man condemn you in meats and drinks, in Holy days, new Moons or Sabbaths days: But the handwrighting of ordinances, is put out, and taken away: Therefore let no man condemn you in meats and drinks, in Holy days, new Moons, or Sabbath days: The minor you have v. 14. the conclusion in v. 16. Now for as much as it is a rule with Logicians, that there should not be more in the conclusion, than was in the premises, Hence it followeth that if by the word Sabbaths in v. 16. you will understand the moral Sabbath of the 7th day, then by handwrighting of ordinances in v. 14. you must understand at least that part of the Moral Law, which is the 4th Com: the which commanded that Sabbath: The which if you do, than you rune upon this absurdety, that you make the Apostle to abolish in this text a branch of moral Law, as the whole or at least a part of the 4th Com: and so whereas the Lord wrote upon the Table ten commandments Deut. 10.4. you make by this interpretation but nine commandments, or at most but nine and an half, or but nine and three quarters or there about; for ten complete, there is not I am sure.  
Against my distinction they say, by Sabbaths, in this text of necessity must moral Sabbaths be meant, because under the name of Holy days, is comprised all ceremonial Sabbaths, so that then the word Sabbaths must mean the moral Sabbath: whereto I answer that I will lay you out for every word its proper day it signifies, and yet the moral Sabbath excepted: 1. by new Moons is meant only the first day of month Numb. 28.11. 2. Holy day is in the original, feast day, or a feast; or, in part of a feast 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉: now the Lord had commanded the Jews a feast of 7. days Levit. 23.34.39. of which feast, the first day, and also the last day were Sabbaths; now the days going between the first and last day, these were the part of a feast, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, and these the Apostle aimed at, by holy day: and then 3d. and lastly by Sabbaths are meant those annual Sabbaths, which were on the first and last day of the Feast of 7. days: now lest ye think this distinction and application but a conceit, see Levit. 23.37.38. where the Lord himself distinguisheth 'twixt Feasts and Sabbaths: when he said, These are the Feasts etc. besides the Sabbaths etc. Or, if by Holy day, or Feast, you will understand all these 7. days, with the first and last days which were Sabbaths; then by the word Sabbaths in Col. 2.16. may be understood these Sabbaths Levit. 23.24.32. which were feasts but of one single day a piece, and eighther of them called Sabbaths, and these were the Sabbaths which Paul abolished: so you see, there is no necessity by Sabbaths, to understand the Moral Sabbath at all.  
I answer 2. to the text Col. 2.16. that hereby we ought not to understand the Moral Sabbath, as if that were abolished, for this were to set Paul against Christ, the servant against his Lord; for Christ established the moral Law, and every jot and title of it to the world's end Math. 5.18. now the 7th day Sabbath was not less than a jot or title of the Law; and did Christ please to ratify it to the world's end, and shall we make Paul with in a few years after to abolish it? what necessety is there of such large understanding of the word Sabbaths? is there any besides men's pleasures, so to have it, that they might throw down the sacred time of the Lords Sabbath? Beware ye be not found fighters against God; and to side it with that branded wicked one in Dan. 7.25. who thought he might change times, and the law.  
It is not to be passed by without observation that the Apostle condemns Sabbaths but indefinitely, he said not all Sabbaths generally, but Sabbaths indefinitely, as of some Sabbaths only: but say now that an indefinite axion may be conserved eighther generally or particularly, a● the matter, and circumstances of the place requireth, why show me now what occasion this context giveth you to understand here Sabbaths, of all Sabbaths moral and ceremonial, or of any but ceremonial: or if you have grounds so to do from some other text, I pray show the text or if from some reasons, I pray show the reasons, and let them be necessarily sound, and demonstratiuly true, for there is great cause it should be so, since by force thereof you will confront one of God's express commandments; you had need look you go on sure ground when you attempt to alter any branch of those commandments which God himself took care to wright in Tables of stone: for my part, I trust it shall ever be my care to death, to maintain the inviolable and eternal Law of God, those is commandments and every jet and title of them, so as not to depart with any of them, nor suffer a title to be snatched from me by any light distinctions, or humane unnecessary enlargement of the sense of words; I trust God will ever give me to make conscience of that Commandment Deut. 12.32. whatsoever I command you, take heed you do it: Thou shalt put nothing there to, nor take aught there from: if I must not take any thing from the Law of God, then resolve I, not to consent to, or yield that the Lords Sabbath should be rent from God's Law, upon every or any light conjecture, and probable argument.  
I answer 3d. if by Sabbaths here must be meant all Sabbaths, as well the Moral as the Ceremonial Sabbaths, then by like reason may I gather an abolition not only of the ceremonial Law, but also of the moral Law, for Ephes. 2.15. 'tis said, Christ hath abrogated the law of commandments: and Heb. 7.12. of necessety there must be a change of the Law: now why may not I by the word Law understand both moral and Ceremonial Law: as well as you by the word Sabbaths to understand the Moral and ceremonial Sabbaths? see therefore what absurdetyes would follow if it were lawful thus to extend words: but happily some think it no absurdety to say that Christ by his death abolished both Laws, the ceremonial and the moral: but if such thoughts and sayings be not blasphemous against the Law of God, I know not what are; if such collections be not of most pernicious & dangerous consequence in God's Church, I cannot tell what be: did not the same Christ whom they would make to abolish the moral Law, renounce this fact, and also contrariwise establish this moral Law Mat. 5.17.18. saying, I came not to destroy the Law etc. and then, until heaven and earth perish one jot or title of this Law shall not pass? but they will say, it was reestablished again after by the in the 4th Comm: and then you give liberty for men to exercise themselves in servile labours, at home in their families, and a part a broad in the fields in ploughing, dikeing, carteing, and the like; now these exercises do utterly abolish Holiness. I do not say Holiness absolutely, for a man may be holy in a calling, but I say it abolisheth a Sabbaths Holiness, which is, to be exercised in holy performances without labour, and a whole day, and in holy assemblies: but how can they be in the congregation, in the assembly together, who be every man at his own house severally, or in the field scatteredly at their labours? the same whereof is, that take away Sabbaths; and you take away Rest, which is signified by the word Sabbath: again, take away Rest, and you necessarily take away Holiness, that other duty also. And again, if you by this text of Col. 2.16. do abolish the very duties of the Sabbath, Rest, and Holiness, as you do, have you not made fair work think you, by abolishing that which you call the morality of the Sabbath, ever Rest, and Holiness.  
7. The 7th and last text they produce for the abolishing of the 7th day Sabbath is that in Exo. 31.13. where the Sabbath are said to be a sign that the Lord did sanctify his people; now they say all signs be abrogated, and therefore the Sabbath day.  
I answer 1. The Lord God doth not say expressly in this text, you shall not hereafter, as namely after the death of Christ, keep the Sabbath day any more, because I have made it a sign now: no, but thus much is collected by humane reason, because God made the Sabbath a sign: now I can but wonder how mortal man dareth by bare force of his blind & feeble reason thus to confront his God: God said in his 4th Comm: (which he wrote above all Scripture by his own finger) Remember the Sabbath day, to sanctify it: The 7th day is the Sabbath, in it thou shalt not work: Now the quite contrary to God, men now a days blush not by bare force of reason to anowche: namely that the Sabbath day is abolished, and therefore not to be remembered any more, nor to refrain servile work in it: yea, they contradict their Saviour too, who said of the Moral Law, one jot or title of it should not pass to the world's end Mat. 5.18. but they say yis, that one jot to wit the 7th day Sabbath may pass etc. now choose you whither it be safer to leave the weight of your souls upon Gods and Christ's express words, or upon men's force of reason by way of collections and consequentes: we have formerly shown how blind a thing man's reason is in matter of religion, and especially in the duties of the first Table which conserveth God, and that therefore Divines in other are signs, and yet in use still.  
I answer 5. by distinguishing of signs, and that two ways: first there be signs of things present, as is the Sabbath Exod. 31.13. it is a sign etc. that I the Lord do sanctify you, here the sign & the thing signified are together in time: and there be signs of things to come, and such was the sign of circumcision, Genes. 17.11. which aimed at Christ to come: now though I grant that signs of things to come be abrogate, yet I deny that signs of things present be abrogate, & such are the Sabbaths mentioned, Exod. 31.13. a difference must be put 'twixt the signs of things present, and future, since that when a sign and thing signified futurly, do meet together in time, than the sign vanisheth; as when circumcision and Christ's death came together then the sign circumcision vanished; but 'tis other wise with a sign and the thing signified which ever were together, as was the Sabbath keeping, and Gods sanctifying them; for, if presence of a sign, and thing signified then together had caused an abolition of the sign, why then the Sabbath day (because a sign of God's present sanctifications) had been abolished even then when Moses written these words Exod. 31.13. & if presence of the thing signified could not then abolish the Sabbath, why should it now, since God is ever the same to them that keep his Sabbaths then or now? he sanctified them, than he sanctifieth us now: there is no reason therefore that such as are signs of things present, as is the Sabbath Exod. 31.13. should be abolished. My 2d distinction of signs is, that there be signs of things future as hath been shown Genes. 17.11. and signs of things past, as the Sabbath is made a sign of the creation and of Gods Rest at the beginning of the world, which is a thing past, Exo. 31.16.17. keep the Sabbath etc. it is a sign between me and the children of Israel; for or that in 6. days the Lord made heaven etc. in the 7th day he rested. The word (for) is and may be translated (that) as Deuter. 29.6. now though signs of things future vanish when the thing signed comes in place, yet is there no cause why we should think a sign should vanish, as the Sabbath day, whose thing signified is long since past, as Gods Rest at the creation: why may not, the Sabbath day signify and commemorate God's Rest and Sabbath day at the creation, even to the world's end, as well as in Moses his time? and why should we think the coming of Christ in the flesh should have more force to abolish the Sabbath day, if it had been a sign of Christ to come, than the work of creation, which is eternally to be remembered, hath force to perpetuate and eternalise the Sabbath, since that the Sabbath was a sign of its remembrance?  
I confess, I hear them produce one Text to prove that all signs be abolished, and that is written in Colos. 2.16.17. where the Apostle seems to give a reason why meats and drinks, and Holy days, & Sabbath days are abolished, namely because they were shadows of things to come; whence they collect that all shadows be abolished; and all signs be shadows; ergo all signs be abolished. Here unto I answer 1. 'tis true that it is commonly taken that these things being shadows, were therefore abolished; but whither this be a necessary, or but a contingent truth, I will not now question. 2. Whereas they suppose all signs to be shadows, this is false: for, the word shadow, being but thrice (as I take it) used in the New Testament, as in this Text Col. 2.17. and Heb. 8.5. and Heb. 10.1. with reference to Christ; it ever signifieth a shadow of things to come: now a sign is used to signify, and sign out some time a thing past, as Rom. 4.11. some time a thing present, as Exod. 31.13. some time a thing future, as Genes. 17.8.11. now all signs than be not shadows, since some signify things past, some typify things present. 2. Shadows, still have reference to Christ, Col. 2.17. which are a shadow of things to come, but the body is of Christ, so a shadow aims at Christ: but a sign often hath reference to God to Jehovah, as in Exod. 31.13. Isa. 38.7. Thus as a shadow and a sign differ in words, so you see they differ in use and application, & therefore they be not both one, as they would.  
But when they see this proof thus will not hold, than they fetch about the bush an other way, labouring to make the word sign in Exod. 31.13. to be a sign of a thing future, and that of Christ too; and then they think this done, the word sign in this text, and the word shadow in Col. 2.17. will be both one, and so their propose become good again: To this end, they add these words, (Bianca and through Christ) to the Text Exod. 31.13. and understand the text as if thus read, The Sabbath is a sign etc. that I the Lord do sanctify you; by and through Christ: and the reason of this addition, they say is because God doth all that he doth to his Church, by and through Christ, as in Eph. 1.3. Blessed be God, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in Christ.  
Hereto I answer 1. admit that God did sanctify, by and through Christ: how will it follow and be sound proved, that because God and Christ do sanctify man together, that therefore also what God made to be a sign of his work of sanctification, the same also must necessarily be a sign of Christ's work of sanctification? prove I say that it was God's pleasure to make the Sabbath here a sign of Christ, as well as a sign of himself: for though it was a sign by Christ, yet was it a sign of Christ: we must know signs are not applied to God or Christ naturally, but voluntarily, even according as it pleased the Author of those signs to appoint them, to one or more persons, to himself or to other.  
I answer 2. if Christ's coworking with God, causeth that which is a sign of Christ; Then it follows too, that the Ministers of the Gospel, coeworking with God and Christ in the work of sanctification, that therefore if the Sabbath be a sign that God sanctifieth his people, the Sabbath must be a sign also, that we of the Ministry do sanctify God's people, and such an use of the Sabbath was never heard of before.  
I answer 3. if they will conjoin any of the people in the Trinity, with the work of God the Father in sanctifying us, it were most proper to join the Holy Ghost (and so Piscator upon Ezek. 20.12.20. applieth it) and say, God sanctifyeth us by the Holy Ghost, rather than by Christ since sanctification is more properly attributed to the Holy Ghost than to Christ: for the Father createth, the Son redeemeth, the Holy Ghost sanctifieth: But I will not stand upon this.  
I come to the Text Eph. 1.3. God hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in Christ: if you understand these words so, as if whatsoever blessing the Church enjoyeth, Christ doth equally equally and a like with the Father dispense effectual and bestow it on the church, you misunderstand them, doth not Piscator upon this text, that the word all must have a limitation? Justification is an act solely of God the Father, not of God the Redeemer, absolving and acquitting a penitent believing sinner: likewise Election is an act of God the Father, not of Christ the Re-Redeemer: Also the donation of the elect unto Christ Joh. 6.37. is of like nature: can it be said here, God the Father gave the elect unto Christ, in Christ, by Christ, or through Christ? whereby you see Christ is so fare from effecting equally and a like all works with the Father, that some works he hath no hand or stroke in; and yet if they will have this text to make for them, they must prove by it, that not only Christ doth effect all works the which his Father effecteth, but also that Christ doth them, every way equally and a like as God the Father doth them; for, else how will it follow by like reason, that the Sabbath being a sign of God's sanctification, it must also be a sign of Christ's sanctification too, unless it be from this ground, that God his sanctification, and Christ his sanctification be both performed equally, and a like in all respects? but since the former cannot be proved, the latter can much less be proved: But there unto it may be said, though the general cannot be proved, yet the particular in question may, Heb. 10.10. where 'tis said, we be sanctified by the offering up of jesus Christ etc. so that Christ doth sanctify as well as God the Father: Hereunto I answer, whither sanctification here importeth any more than a washing us from the guiltiness of our sins, or not, I will not dispute: but let it go for granted that by sanctification here is meant that inherent new quality of Holiness; yet it will not follow, that because Christ sanctifyeth us, as well as God the Father sanctifyeth us, therefore whatsoever is made a sign of God the Father's sanctifying us, is necessarily must be a sign of Christ his sanctifying us to, so as if God made the Sabbath a sign of his sanctification, he must also make the Sabbath a sign of Christ's sanctification; how by force of our feeble reason we dare put such a necessity upon God, I cannot see: nay rather the contrary appears to me, that for so much as Gods sanctifying us, and Christ's sanctifying us be fare unlike each other, therefore they should not by force of reason obtain a like previledges and relations: to this purpose see how they differ, 1. God sanctifyeth by virtue of his Godhead and Divinity; Christ sanctifyeth by the offering of his body Heb. 10.10. now great is the difference 'twixt the Deity and the Humanity. 2. God the Father sanctifyeth us of himself, & by himself originally; but Christ his death and sufferings, or Christ his body offered up, sanctifyeth not of and by itself, but of; from, and by God, and by his blessing upon it: so you see there is not so strong reason that Christ should have the Sabbath made a sign of his work, as there is that God should have it made a sign of his: and so much of his answer, wherein you see they put me to much nedlesse business, by showing themselves too to busy with humane reason, for as by bare force of reason without any precept they will erect and vphould new Sabbaths, as the Lords day; so by mere force of their reason they will make new signs, or else will make those signs, to appertain to such persons (as to Christ) newly, the which Gods word is deeply silent in, I can but wonder that discreet men who will know the defects in our reason, dare there withal wade into the deeps of God, thus fare: yea, I wonder the more, when I consider the end thereof, which is to defeat God of his chosen sacred time for his worship, and to thwart a moral precept.  
I answer 5. admite that God doth all by Christ, and so ever did, and also admit the Sabbath was a sign of Christ's sanctification, no less then of Gods, yet though I may truly and sound distinguish of Christ's works and sanctification: some are ever present with the sign, some are future, whose sign goeth long before the thing signified: of Christ's present sanctification was the Sabbath a present sign, Exod. 3.13. keep ye my Sabbath for it is a sign etc. That I the Lord do sanctify you: where the sign and the thing signified are together: of Christ's future sanctification, you have the Sacraments of the old Testament circumcision and the Passeover and also as they would those meats & drinks, and Holy days, and Sabbath days, which are a shadow or sign of things to come, Col. 2.16.17. where the signs and things signified are fare distant in time, & tone long before tother: Note farther, Christ may be said to sanctify virtually, or really; as I may say virtually, and as thus he is the lamb slain from the beginning of the world, the virtue of whose death did save the Patriarches, so the virtue of Christ's incarnate may be said ever to sanctify, as in days of Moses Exod. 31.13. and thus although I grant Christ did sanctify with God Exod. 31.13. and that (perhaps) also the Sabbath was a sign that Christ did then sanctify the people, yet this sign being present with the thing signified, could not be abolished by the presence of the body or thing signified, for if it could then had the Sabbath been abolished even in Moses days when he wrote those words, Exod. 31.13. since the Sabbath which was the sign and sanctification, which was the the thing signified, were then both together present. 2. Christ may be said to sanctify really, and that is whilst he was God man, Incarnate, & thus he is considered of only as to come afterwards, as Col. 2.27. which are a shadow of things to come, that is of Christ to come then; and here I deny not but signs of things to come may be abrogate, but, yet here I deny that the Sabbath Exod. 31.13. was made any sign of any thing to come afterwards; So then until they prove the Sabbath Exod. 31.13. was accounted and called by God a sign to come, of Christ's sanctification, they cannot prove it abolished: The Text saith not, The Sabbath shall be a sign etc. that I the Lord will hereafter sanctify thee: but it saith, The Sabbath is a sign etc. that I the Lord do sanctify thee: now we must not confound times, the present tense with the future tense, and so overthrew Grammar.  
I answer 6. and lastly, I have cause to reject that which is their sum and scope out of this text Exod. 31.13. namely to prove this conclusion and assertion, That the Sabbath day is not abolished: it being brought in direct opposition to God's commandment Exod. 35.2. The 7th day shall be unto you the Holy Sabbath etc. God said, the 7th day shall be your Sabbath: and they say, The 7th day shall not be your Sabbath: now I reject this, because these two are not of equal authorities: tone is an express plain infallible word of God; other is but a collection by man liable to error in his collections; now if Paul so sleited men's contrary judgements of him; I pass not to be judged of man's judgement 1. Cor. 4.3. may not I sleite men's contrary judgements of God's Law? saying, I pass not what censure and collections men bring against God's Law? shall man's collections & conclusions bear equal authority with an express Commandment of a God? or countermaunde it? Never with me, I trust to God.  
Finally, to give one answer that may serve for both those texts, the 6th and the 7th, where to I have last answered, that is to the text Colos. 2.16.17. and to the Text Exod. 31.13. say, I should grant them out of these two Texts even all which they desire to have, as namely that by Sabbaths in Colos. 2.16. is meant the Moral Sabbath of the 4rd Com: and that it was reckoned for a shadow of Christ to come too: yea, let it be granted them that the Sabbaths Exod. 31.13. were signs & shadows of Christ to come, why yet it will not follow that these Moral Sabbaths of the 7th day be abolished absolutely and altogether.  
To this purpose note with me, The 7th day Sabbath may be considered absolutely, or relatively and significatively; for instance, John the Baptist, was a man, there is his absolute nature; again he was the fore runner of Christ, there is his office and relative nature, where by he pointed out Christ for to come after him: now when Christ was already comen in John's presence, so as john pointed to him, saying: Behold the Lamb of God, now forth with john lost, his relative nature, of being any longer Christ's forerunner, and to preach of Christ as to come, because Christ was already comen. Nevertheless john lost not but still retained his absolute nature of being a man, for he was a man still after Christ comen as well as before: An other instance, an ivy bush hung up at a vintner's house, it is an Iuy bush: and also it is a sign of wyne to sell in that house; now take down the bush, or pull down the house where the wine was, and then the bush ceaseth to be a sign any longer yet it remains to be an Iuy bush still: Just so the Sabbath, it hath an absolute nature, as it is a Sabbath? and it hath a relative and significative nature as it is a sign of Christ, as they say: now be it at Christ's coming, the body & thing signified being comen and in presence, the sign or shadow than is to vanish, why be it so, let the relative and significative nature or quality of the Sabbath vanish as it was a sign of Christ, why yet it followeth not therefore the Sabbath as a Sabbath, in its absolute nature should also vanish: but you will divers respects, if they kept it significatively, & we morally: Also Paul might abolish theirs as significative by Col. 2.16.17. and yet not meddle with ours, no more than he abolished fasting by this text. We may not make an Image to worship, yet may we make an Image for ornament, and not violate the 2d Com: so you see respects do alter things not a litlle.  
2. The Rock, was made a sign of Christ 1. Corin. 10.4. They drank of the Rock that followed them, which rock was Christ: now when the Rock ceased to be a sign of Christ, yet it ceased not to be a Rock still, it lost but its significative nature only by the coming of Christ, and so the Sabbath lost but its significative nature neither: but your arguing is as if once a thing be abrogate in its significative nature, why so it must be also in its absolute nature, which you see is false.  
3. Holy days, had a significative nature, being shadows of Christ to come, Col. 2.16.17. now at Christ's coming, in this respect they were abolished; and yet to this day in other respects we retain Holy days, for we keep Pentecost or whitsuntide now still to this day: if therefore we may retain a Jewish Feast day as Pentecost, notwithstanding it had a significative nature, and notwithstanding that Paul expressly forbade it Col. 2.16.17. why may we not by like reason retain the Jewish 7th day Sabbath, though it had been significative, and though Paul in that respect had forbade it Col. 2.16.17. if we yield not this, our own practice in still keeping Pentecost day will condemn us: Moreover, you know all difference of days was taken away, Rom. 14.5. and Gal. 4.10. namely, as shadows of Christ, or as Heathenish superstition; Nevertheless to this day we observe difference of days in other respects; in a moral regard, for we keep fast days solemnly; and we keep the Lords day every Sunday, so as our own practice telleth us a day abolish in some one regard is not forth with therefore abolished in all respects absolutely, by those texts which speak against them.  
4. David, a sign, shadow, or type of Christ to come Ps. 2. Ps. 118.22.24. he had a relative or significative nature as he was a King, so as his Kingly office was a type of Christ's Kingly office; why yet when Christ the body came, all Kingly offices did not cease, for we retain them to this day: The High Priest, he was a type of Christ, now that very High Priest who lived before and after, and at Christ's passion, so soon as Christ had finished all upon the cross, that High Priest lost his typical nature, he was no longer High Priest or type of Christ, yet he ceased not to be a man still, or a Servant of God and the like.  
5. Circumcision it was a sign Genes. 17.11, Rom. 4.11. now those infants that were borne, and circumcised a little before Christ's passion, the cutting of their foreskines was a sign of Christ to come, until Christ had suffered upon the cross, and no sooner had Christ suffered but their circumcision ceased to be any sign of Christ to come, and yet for all that their circumcision ceased not then also, for they remained ever after with the foreskines cut of: yea, and it is not to be passed by without observation, that though there was a means by the art of chirurgry to draw on the foreskine again, and so to nullify and uncircumcise themselves, yet Paul would not have them take away their circumcision, see 1. Cor. 7.18. if then it had been necessary that at Christ's passion, all things that had formerly been made signs, should then have been abolished amongst christians, why then would not Paul have given way to these christians newly called, to have gathered their uncircumcision, or undone their circumcision, and taken away the scar? so you see the incision or scar might and and did remain, though the sign annexed to it was abolished: By all which examples it is more than manifest that though they could prove the Sabbath day a sign, or a shadow, yet it can not follow that therefore it must be utterly and absolutely abolished in all respects, by those two texts Col. 2.16.17. Exod. 31.13. nor will it follow necessarily, that aught in a Sabbath is abolished, save its typicalness and significative nature only.  
Thus you see all their texts fully as I trust answered, so as they have no ground in God's Book for abolishing of God's Sabbath; and to conclude, I can but wonder what should set wise and religious men on work, thus to sharpen their wits against the Lord's Sabbath, it being a branch of that inviolable & eternal Law of God, wrote in Tables of stone, to notify its perpetuity: they having no plain and direct Text of Scripture necessarily abolishing it, it can be nothing then, but their bare wills and pleasures to have it abolished, and this grounded upon the custom of the church, because she hath abolished it, now a long tyme.  
They have not thus done with it though for they have also certain reasons & arguments more, which we now come to my mind against the time and day; where by they would prove the Sabbath day abolished.  
The first is taken from Christ himself: Say some men, why Christ himself abolished the Sabbath day, and that even in his own time whilst he was upon the earth, for, He gave leave to work upon the Sabbath; as to lead beasts to water, to toil about lifting a beast out of a ditch; yea himself made clay on the Sabbath, to open the eyes of the blind man, in so much as the Pharises taxed him for a breaker of the Sabbath, and for a godless man for it, saying, This man is not of God, because he keepeth not the Sabbath day joh. 9.16.14.  
Hereto I answer 1. what matters it, what those superstitious Pharises censured of Christ, who were the blind leaders of the blind, and of envy could not endure Christ should do any thing but they would carp and cavil at it if possibly they could: though here they would not endure Christ so much as to cure a blind man on the Sabbath, yet it appeareth it was but envy & but superstition in them, for Christ approved his own fact of healing on the Sabbath day, by a common practice among the Jews themselves at that day, of the like saying: what man among you, if his sheep fall on the Sabbath, into a pit, doth not take it, and lift it out? Mat. 12.10.11. yea it appeareth the Pharises and Doctoures of the Law, even under the Law, allowed other men (though not Christ, nor his Disciples) to do works of charity and necessity on the Sabbath, as to lift a sheep out of the ditch: and for the Priest to kill the Sacrifices on the Sabbath, Matt. 12.5.11. I answer 2. let not us attend to the Scribes and Pharises censures, but harken we to Christ the true expounder & observer of the Law, now he allowed works of mercy and works of necessity to be done on the Sabbath day, as those instances afore mentioned do prove: but for any to suppose Christ meant hereby to abolish the Sabbath, is a simple conceit, for Christ saith of the Moral Law, whereof the Sabbath day is a branch, He came not to destroy the Law but to fulfil it, Mat. 5.17. But suppose the Sabbath had been a branch of the ceremonial Law, why yet 'tis absurd to think that Christ would abrogate any thing of it so long as he lived, for the ceremonial Law was equally in force with the Moral Law until Christ's death: So than these things did not argue any abolition of the Sabbath day then, but rather gives us to understand how we Christians are to keep the Lords Sabbath to the world's end, not in any superstitious strictness as if we might not on that day do works of mercy and necessity, but the contrary; for if Christ allowed it to the Jews, even before his death whilst no man doubts but all Laws moral & ceremonial were in force; why should we think but that he allowed as much liberty to Christians to the world's end?  
2. A 2d reason, is fetched from that phrase Mat. 12.8. The Son of man is Lord of the Sabbath day: whence it is thought, that since Christ is called the Lord of the Sabbath: that therefore Christ may change the Sabbath day: & secondly, that Christ as Lord of the day, did abolish the day.  
I answer first to the former; Say I should grant that Christ the Lord of the Sabbath may or might change the Sabbath, what's that to our question? we dispute not of what Christ may or might do, but what Christ did do? I answer to the latter; that neither the context, nor yet the phrase, of Christ being Lord of the Sabbath; will afford any such matter: see the absurdety of such collections from a like phrase, Rom. 14.9. Christ died, and rose again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living: can any hence collect, that because Christ is called Lord of the living? that therefore Christ might or did abolish or destroy the living? 2. to suppose Christ here did abolish the Sabbath day as a ceremony, is altogether growndlesse, for both at this time when Christ spoke these words, all ceremonies were in full force; and also so they remained ever after, until the day of his death and passion; for not until then was the handwriting of ordinances taken out of the way Col. 2.14. nor until his death, did Christ ever abolish any ordinance formerly in use in the jewish church: To conclude, no more can be gathered out of this text Mat, 12.8. but the right use of the Sabbath; Christ freeing it from the superstitions of the Pharises, who held that no work might be done in no case upon the Sabbath day, but Christ shown that in a case of necessity his Disciples might pluck and rub a few ears of corn, to satisfy present hunger; & Christ did bear them out in it, allowing a dispensation in such a ease; for, as he was Lord of all the commandments, as touching his Godhead; so of the Sabbath day also, and therefore he might dispense with that law, and that day; or rather, he might therefore be betrusted to have given the true sense and exposition of the commandment, and to have shown them the right use of a Sabbath day: as if he had thus said, since I am Lord of the Sabbath, do not you pharisees think that I will give way no not to my Disciples to do any unlawful fact on this day, nor suffer them to profane this sacred time, for it is mine, I am Lord of it, if therefore their plucking ears of corn had been blame worthy, you should have found me so fare from defending them, as I would have been the first that would have rebuked them for it; but herein I see they have done no more than I do allow them to do: the Lord of a corn field will allow his servants, to make a foot-path through his corn, in case of a necessity.  
3. A 3d reason is, because all things are become new, now in the Kingdom of Christ 2. Cor. 5.17. and therefore the old Sabbath is abolished, say they.  
Where unto I answer 1. if all things be become new, now in Christ's Kingdom, I pray show me then where you have a new commandment for the 8th day, or first day of the week, or for the Lords day, in stead of the old 4th commandment for the 7th day, or Sabbath day: and where the Israelites were commanded in the first comm: to serve the true God only; show me where now we are commanded to serve any new God. 2. If all things be now become new, why then did S. john say, that he written not a new commandment to the elect Lady, but that which they had from the beginning, 2. joh. 5. to conclude, the Text 2. Corin. 5.17. is ignorantly wrested to a sense it never meant; foot the Apostle treats not of new laws and ordinances, but of new obedience, and of regeneration; that a man in Christ is not an old man, but a new man in conversation: therefore saith the Apostle, if any be in Christ, he is a new creature etc.  
4. A 4th reason is to this effect: That which is changed is abolished; but the 7th day Sabbath is changed, wherefore the 4th day Sabbath is abolished: That the 7th day Sabbath is changed: they prove by the standing still of the Sun in Jos huahs time, Iosh. 10.13. where 'tis said, the Sun abode in the midst of Heaven, and went not down of a whole day; whence they gather, that here time was changed, and if time was changed, then so was the 7th day changed which was a part of tyme.  
I answer 1. A man may judge of the soundness of this argument, by a like absurdety that will by as good reason be thence concluded, for if the standing still of the Sun in joshuahs' time, could make, that time was changed and the Sabbath day, than the same standing still of the Sun than did make that time was changed, and the Sabbath day too, even then at that present in joshuas time, when the Sun stood still; and if then changed, so then abolished; and so there was no Sabbath in God's church never after joshuas days: yea, if times formerly appointed in the Law were now changed by standing still of the Sun, how did the jews ever after to know which was the 14th day of the month for the Passeover? and the 50th day for Pentecoste?  
I answer 2. that it doth not follow that the Sun standing still, time is changed; but admit it were, and that the time being changed, the 7th day Sabbath is changed, as a part of time, yet is it not changed in such respect as God commanded it, and as I urge it: Note therefore a day may be considered as a certain duration and space of time, consisting of so many hours: or, and that more properly for the Light, as Genes. 1.5. God called the Light, Day: Now be it the 7th day Sabbath was changed, considered as a part of time, yet was it not changed by the standing still of the Sun, as a Light; for though standing still of the Sun made that day a longer day (as in Summer you have a longer day then in Winter) yet not an other day: there was no change of light or day: & for all the standing still of the Sun, made one day a longer day, yet did it not make the 3d day or the 7th day and light, to be the 4th day or the 8th day & light: nor did it transplace the 7th day or light, so out of its order, as that no man could ever after know which was the 6th, which was the 7th, or which was the 8th day or light that the Sun made to the world. Now this is the day which God commandeth in 4th Comm: and which I urge here, namely the time of Light; as for a day in respect of so many hours, God in wisdom hath said nothing of that, lest his 4th Comm: should not be general and extend to all nations who every one have their day & light, but no certain number of hours, such a day is ever, and in all country's variable, some where consisting of more, some where of fewer hours.  
5. A 5th reason, may fetch its ground from my answer to the reason last above, where by Day I understood only the time of Light, and not a certain space and duration of hours, whence they may and commonly do reason against the jews Sabbath by an absurdety thus; if all nations be bound to the Jews Sabbath day (which you say is all the time of light) then in some parts of the world where is half a year light together, there they must keep half a year Sabbath, & then also more inconvenience, for that they are to have a Sabbath, but once in the space of 3. years and an half, that is every 7th half year, now in so long space for people to want God's ordinance of preaching, many a soul may perish for want of God's Word in the mean tyme.  
I answer 1. to this latter inconvenience, what though they had no Sabbath for 3. years and an half together, no soul needs perish for lack of God's Word preached, for they may have sermons in mean space as many as they please; since there is a Comm: To preach the word in season and out of season, at all times and occasions: I answer 2. to the former absurdety, of keeping a Sabbath half a year together; I marvel why it should be thought more absurd for those nations to keep one in 3. years and an half, half a year for a Sabbath, than it was for the jews once in 7. years (by God's express commandment) to keep an whole year for a Sabbath, Levit. 25.4. I answer 3. suppose it were absurd for those nations to keep half a year for a Sabbath, and the Church of God did judge it so, & that present necessity did call for a more frequent Sabbath, as once in 7. twenty four hours, in such a case of necessity, it being foud there is a true necessity upon sound judgement, and upon weighty consultation and deliberation, than I doubt not but God would dispense; and we have some examples to countenance the matter, as Circumcision though commanded, yet omitted during the time of Isralites travailing through the wilderness, Iosh. 5.5. and the Passeover commanded to be eaten on the 14th day of the first Month, yet in case of necessity, a man being on a fare journey he might eat it on the 14th day of the second Month, Numb. 9.1.3.10.11. thus in cases of urgent necessity, God hath dispensed, and I doubt not but in like cases God would do the like again. But what's this to us in our countries where we have intercourse of day and night much what as had the jews? say it were absurd or impossible to thes countries, so as the 4th Com: cannot properly be extended to those so, but they must have a dispensation touching the word day, to take it in an improper sense, would this free us from obedience to the 4th Com: in its proper sense, who have no need at all to depart from it, or to seek for any dispensation? what though David in his hunger and necessity did eat the showbread, Mat. 12.3. was it therefore lawful for all Israelites upon that to eat the showbread, who were not in like need or hunger? and what though the 5th Com: of honour thy Father, doth not bind a King whose parents be dead, doth it not therefore bind a subject whose Father is still living? and so what if 4th Comm: did not bind that country, where they have not night a day so successively and commodiously in short time following each other, to a day light; doth it not therefore bind us, who have not the like case?  
And thus you have seen their artificial reasons, against the time and day of the Sabbath answered, now it remaineth that we answer to their inartificial reasons and testimonies; the which are fetched from the Primitive Churches.  
1. The first Testimony and Authority they produce against the 7th day Sabbath, is that of Ignatius in his Epistle to the Magnesianes, saith he: Let not us keep Sabbath, in a Jewish sort, rejoicing in idleness, for who so doth not work, let not him eat, as saith the Scripture: where Ignatius would have them not Sabbatise, but work rather on that day.  
I answer, let the words be well weighed, and they make nothing at all against the Sabbath; to this end note, a little before he had dehorted the Magnesians that they would not suffer themselves to be seduced or deceived with other doctrines, nor with fables, nor with genealogies, nor with Jewish smoke: thus in general: next, he descends to particulares, & first he inveighes against the judicial Law, and Circumcision etc. and this done, next he brings in the words citod above, Let not us keep Sabbath etc. now it is to be noted unto which of those generals above said, from which Ignatius dehorted the Magnesians, these words have relation: for my part I must think, they have reference to those words (fables, and jewish smoke:) as if he had joined them thus; Suffer not yourselves to be seduced with fables, nor jewish smoke, or vanity, but cleave unto Christ, and let not us keep Sabbath as do the jews etc. thus he counted their Sabbatizing, such as it was there, no cleaning to Christ, but a vain judicial vanity: now that this relation must stand thus I prove. 1. Because he spoke of other doctrines, and of fables: now its fittest to refer Circumcision to Doctrines, because it was a Drctrine once; and to refer those things he dehortes from on the Sabbath, as idleness, and daunceinges, to the words fables, and jewish smoke. 2. Because he dehorted them from observance of the judaical Law; now those fables & jewish vanities of idleness and daunceinges on the Sabbath, were never any ceremonial Law, and therefore cannot be referred to that, forespoken of the Law. Now if Ignatius in this passage did not dehort from any thing written in the Law, touching the Sabbath, but from other fables and traditions of their own, than Ignatius did not dissuade from keeping the Sabbath, as it is commanded in the Law of 4th Com: but from keeping of it according to their fabulous and vain manner: let these two things therefore be noted: 1. that Ignatius did dehort from things never commanded the jews in the Moral Law: 2. That the things he did dissuade from they were fabulous and vain things: as from eating meats dressed the day before; and from drinking lukewarm drinks, (what he means by lukewarm drinks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I cannot imagine, I never read of any such drinks forbidden in the Law) and from rejoicing in dancings, and uncivil howtings or clapping of hands in the Sabbath day, and other like he dissuades from; which things are merely jewish fables and never found in God's Law, wherefore I conclude, that Ignatius did not forbid an holy keeping of the Sabbath day, such as stood with the Law of God, but he only forbade that carnal and superstitious keeping of it fore mentioned, such as was never commanded by any law. That this is so, yet more plainly appears, in that 1. in this very place and text, He doth exhort the Magnesians to keep the Sabbath Spiritually, in meditation of God's Law, and in admiration of the works of God. 2. In that Iguatius doth not dissuade from keeping the Sabbath simply, but after a sort and in some manner: He saith not, Let not us keep Sabbath: but thus, Let not us keep Sabbath, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after a jewish sort, and fashion, as rejoicing in idleness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉: so you see it is a carnal sensual rest from labours, that this good man invaigheth against.  
Only one thing in his dissuasion would be cleared, which is that he addeth these words; Who so doth not labour, let not him eat etc. these words are not to be taken simply, as if he would they should work in their ordinary callings on the Sabbath day, for so we make him contrary to himself, who exhorted them to keep the Sabbath day Spiritually, by meditation of God's Law, and Gods works: now to work, and to rest from work (which the word Sabbatizing signifieth) are contraries: beside, how can a man so meditate on God's Law, and the works of God, as in a Sabbath one should, whilst the body is in unquiet labour? yea, in many callings, men's works are such as they cannot at all both do their works, and also meditate God's Law, as in the trades of grocers, and other retailing shopkeepers who sell by little parcels, and are ever in bargaining: so scriveners who are ever wrighting; and the like trades which occupy the mind; specially if they kept market on Sabbath day as we do, how could their minds in the market be occupied about God's Laws? and it is to be noted Ignatius did not oppose Spiritual Sabbatizing, or Resting to Sabbatizing or Resting simply, but thus he opposed Spiritual Sabbatizing, to Judicial Sabbatizing fabulously, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉: wherefore to salve all seeming contradiction a fit sense may be given of the words, taking them to be comparatively spoken, as that they should rather work on the Sabbath in an honest calling then so fabulously, carnally, and irreligiously, to spend the Sabbath in dancing, and uncivil shouting, and the like; and here it seems to me he alludeth to the like manner of speech in Isa. 1.13. I cannot suffer (saith the Lord) your new Moons, nor Sabbaths, my soul hateth your appointed Feasts etc. now here God did not simply forbid Sabbaths, but that irreligiouse, profane, judicial keeping of Sabbaths. Thus you see Ignatius his words, makes nothing against the Sabbath, being well considered of, but rather nesse of the abolishing of this Sabbath, because these had their hands in it, than I should have done, if I never had heard that they had any hand in it.  
Thus you see, neither their texts alleged out of Scripture, nor yet their reasons, nor their testimonies can prove the Rest in the Lord's Sabbath day, to be partly ceremonial; nor yet the time and 7th day to be abrogated: So then in the last place I address myself to give some positive reasons to show that the 7th day Sabbath is still in force, even to this day, and so consequently must be to the world's end.   

The 7th day Sabbath, is still in force.  
IN the first place I would free the Sabbath day from a prejudicated opinion, arising in minds of men from calling it, the jews Sabbath day: Touching which name, were it used in a good or in an indifference sense I should say nothing, but since I find it so termed in a reproachful sense, to rescue it herefro, I would fain know a reason why the Sabbath day, commanded in the 4th Com: should rather be called the jews Sabbath day, than the Lord our God, whom we are commanded to worship in the first Com: should be called, the jews Lord God? I can see no reason but that the one may be so called as well as the other; Nor any reason but if we may call the jews God, our God; so we may call the jewish Sabbath day, our Sabbath day: and if we do not call it our Sabbath day, because we keep it not the fault is only in ourselves: wherefore to avoid all difference about the name, let it not be called the Jews Sabbath day, nor the Christians Sabbath day, as proper to eighther; but let us call it the Lords Sabbath day, as common to Jews, and to Christians both; and as appertaining unto all nations, unto whom soever the 10. Comm: do appertain: This name you shall find justify able by Moses in Exod. 20.10. where he calls it, the Lord God's Sabbath; when he said, The 7th day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God.  
1. My first argument to prove the 7th day Sabbath is still in force, is because the 8th day Sabbath, or Lords day, is not in force; and thus it may be framed.  
If our now Sabbath called the Lords day, which is eighther on the 8th or on the first day of the week, be not in force, Then must the 7th day, which is the day next foregoeing the Lords day, be now in force.  
But our now Sabbath, called the Lords day, which is on the 8th or first day of the week, is not in force. Therefore the 7th day, which is next foregoeing the Lords day, is now in force.  
More briefly thus, If the 8th day be not in force, Then the 7th day is in force: But the 8th day is not in force: Ergo the 7th day is in force.  
I prove the consequence to be good, because eighther the 7th or the 8th day must be Sabbath, the one of them, for of all the seven days in the week, there is no scruple or question between them, and me save only about these two days, so as one of these two days must be Sabbath by both our consents: especially since we all hold it moral, that one day in every 7. must be a Sabbath, which to deny were great impiety: I prove the Minor, that is, That the 8th day, or Lords day, is not in force: and this I prove, because there is neither precept, nor practise, neither of Christ, nor of any of his Apostles in Scripture, to put the Lords day in force: and this task I have particularly and largely made good in the first part of my Book, where I have shown by way of answer, That the Lords day, is not a Sabbath day by Diviue Institution.  
2. My 2d argument is, because the 7th day Sabbath is not abolished: and it may thus be framed.  
That which is not abolished, that is now in force.  
But the 7th day Sabbath is not abolished: Therefore the 7th day Sabbath is now in force.  
I need not prove the Mayor, since 'tis plain to every eye: for the Minor, this I have proved particularly and largely in the 3d part of my book, where by way of answer I have showed, That the 7th day Sabbath is not abolished.  
3. My 3d argument is, because the 7th day Sabbath was never changed; and it may thus be framed.  
That which was never altered nor changed, by Christ, or by his Apostles, That is still in force to this day. But the 7th day Sabbath was never altered nor changed, by Christ, or by his Apostles.  
Therefore the 7th day Sabbath is still in force to this day.  
The Mayor is clear of itself, since things once instituted by God in the old Testament, if ever they were altered it must be by Christ or his Apostles in the New Testament.  
For the Minor, note that the word change intimates two things; th'one is the abolishing of the old; tother is the bringing in of a new, as David, 2. Sam. 12.20. he changed his apparel, that is, he left or laid of his mourning apparel, and he put on other apparel: now thus did neither Christ nor his Apostles change the Sabbath, by abolishing it, and by setting up a new: if they did change it, it was by precept, for by practice; but not by precept, for they as they did not blot  
For the truth of the Mayor, 1. the wrighting of this Law in Tables of stone by God, what could it intimate unto posterity if not this for one, namely that those Laws should be perpetual? else they might have been written on paper or parchment, or the like vanishing things. 2. what reason can be rendered, why God should put such an apparent difference 'twixt the 10. Com: and the ceremonial Law, as that he would wright the one with his own finger, but the other he would not, but set Moses to wright it: the one he delivered by his audible voice unto the people; the other was delivered solely by the voice of Moses: what may be judged to be the reason hereof, but that God did more esteem of the one, than the other, and so would have it more durable. 3. This Mayor is the common received truth at the hand of all Divines, witness Doctor Ames in his Theological Thesis pag. 499. Haec enim regula est certissima, & inter optimos omnes Theologos, recepta; praecepta moralia a ceremonialibus in eorum traditione sic fuisse discriminata, ut omnia & sola moralia publice fuerint coram toto populo Israelis, ex monte Sinai, ipsius Dei Voce proclamata, & postea etiam proprio Dei quasi digito scripta, & rescripta, idque in tabulis lapideis, ad perpetuam & immutabilem ipsorum durationem indicandam: For this (saith he) is a most certain rule, and received by all best Divines, that the Moral Commandments were thus differenced in their delivery, from the ceremonials, that all and only, the Morals were proclaimed publicly before all the people of Israel, from Mount Sinai, by the Voice of God himself, & after also were wrighten, and again written as it were by the singer of God, and that in Tables of stone, to declare their perpetual and immutable continuance.  
As for the Minor, this you have it in the 4th Comm: and delivered as a commandment in preceptive and commanding terms: Remember the Sabbath day etc. In it thou shalt not do any work etc. now if you ask which day we must remember, the Lord in, the same Com: telleth us, it is the 7th day: But the seaventh day is the Sabbath etc. So the 7th Sabbath was commanded; and so it most plain, Exod. 35.2.  
5. My 5th Argument is, because there can be no day for a Sabbath weekly and ordenarily but the 7th day: and it may thus be framed.  
If no day of the 7. can be Sabbath weekly, but the 7th day, Then must the 7th day now be Sabbath day.  
But no day of the 7. can be Sabbath weekly but the 7th day.  
Therefore must the 7th day now be Sabbath day: the consequence is clear of itself, and needs no proof to him that howlds there ought to be a Sabbath, as we all do.  
The Minor I thus prove, because God without repeal or exception hath commanded us, or at least permitted and freely given us leave, to labour and work, and do all that we have to do, in those 6. days whichgoe next before the Sabbath or 7th day Exod. 20.9.11. six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work, for in six days the Lord made Heaven & Earth etc. so then we may work upon the Lord's day, or any other of the six days, and that by God's authority, by his Moral Law; neither may it be thought that this branch of the 4th Comm: is repealed, for the 6. days for labour, were never made typical and ceremonial, these were never shadows of Chtist; yea, the Lords day itself was never excepted, for Christ himself after his resurrection did both travail upon the first day of the 6. namely, the Lords day, a matter of 15. miles, and also approved of the like fact in the two disciples by his journeying together with them to Emmaus that day Luk. 24.13. as hath been more largely declared in the former part of this book: now look what Christ did, the like we may do safely; follow me as I follow Christ, 1. Cor. 11.1. said Paul: so than Christ's example is our pattorne and precedent, so as we may work still upon the first day of the week, or on the Lord's day: if then we may work upon any of the 6. days, then are we not tied to keep any of those days a Sabbath in resting from work.  
If any shall think we now keep the 7th day and that day which followeth these day's labour: to him I say, that our Lord's day which we keep is the 8th day or first day in the week by Divine account, and the 6. days labour spoken of in 4th Com: are those 6. days which go next before our Saturday, for those are the days we are to imitate God by working in them, since we all confess Saturday was the 7th day, and that day whereon God rested after his 6. days work, and since we confess those were the days the Jews till and at Christ's death, did labour in.  
6. My 6th Argument is, because God must have one day in every 7. days, from the creation to the world's end: and it may be thus framed.  
If God must have one day in every 7. days for a Sabbath, Then must he have Saturday the 7th day for a Sabbath, and not Sunday the first day of the week.  
But God must have one day in every 7. days for a Sabbath.  
Therefore must God have Saturday the 7th day for a Sabbath, and not Sunday the first day of the week.  
For the Minor, it is confessed of all: and it may be proved by the 4th Comm: where the Lord said, Remember the Sabbath, that is every Sabbath: Again, The 7th day is the Sabbath, that is, every 7th day is the Sabbath: like as, Thou shalt not kill, that is every thou: Love thy neighbour, that is, every neighbour etc.  
For the Mayor, I prove its consequence; Saturday the 7th day, it being the last day of that week, if you omit it, making a change (for you say that day is changed, and if so, than it is omitted by just consequence) & give God Sunday the first day of the next week for it, than it is plain God hath not a Sabbath in every week or 7. days, for the wanted one Sabbath, in that week, wherein the change was made from Saturday to Sunday; now this lack and want of a Sabbath in that week, can no ways be supplied, but by returning back to give God Saturday the 7th day again; So then, if God must have one day in every 7 you must give him Saturday which is the last of 7. without any change to the day after: or else you both deny that in practice, which every man holds in judgement to wit, that God must have one day in every 7. and also live in the breach of the 4th Com: which enjoineth every 7th day: neither will it serve your turn to say, this change was made by others many 100 years a gone, for so long as you vphould their day and change, you tread in their steps, and justify their fact, and are accessary to it.  
7. My 7th argument is, because God had expressly commanded us the 7th day Sabbath in his Moral Law: it may be thus framed.  
Whatsoever God hath commanded in this Moral Law, that is now in force.  
But the 7th day Sabbath, God hath commanded in his Moral Law.  
Therefore the 7th day Sabbath, is now in force.  
For the Minor, see it expressly proved Exod. 20.8.10. Exod. 23.12. Exod. 31.14.15. Exod. 35.2. Exod. 16.29. Levit. 23.3. where, both the Sabbath day is commanded, and likewise the 7th day is commanded equally: and if any shall answer, a 7th day is commanded, but not the 7th day, I refer him to my exposition upon the 4th Comm: and unto the 2d thing there in, where I have sufficiently proved that God pointed at one singular well known day from all others, and left us not at rovers to take any day.  
For the Mayor, namely, that whatsoever God hath commanded in his Moral Law, that is now in force: this Maxim is so Orthodox, as it should trouble the conscience of any man once to hear it questioned: fearing men hereby go about to serve God by halves, and by pieces, to take and to leave out what they lost, not having respect unto all God's Commandments: the very naming and mention, that a thing is commanded; and that in the 10. Commandments, it bears down all contradiction: Hereby we control the Atheist, the Papist, the vain swearer, the Sabbath breaker, the disobedient child, the murderer, adulterer, thief, false witness bearer, and the covetous person: but now if any begin to question this truth, and once to make one breach, the flood of iniquity will flow in amain, and if any exception be given way too for the 7th day commanded, under what pretence soever, why other sinners and profane persons will and may be look for the like, and so the whole Law shall be of no force to bind us now: why may not the Papist cavile against 2d Com: and say, that I indeed, it forbade Images to the Jews, but not to Christians: why may not the Atheist cavil at first Command: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with all thy hart Matt. 22.37. I says he this belongs not to us, for 'tis impossible so entirely to love God as with all the heart: why may not the profane man cavil against the Sabbath day, because 'tis said, In it thou shalt do no work, what not any manner of work? what not feed our children, nor cut our own meat? this Commandment is jewish: Again, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself? who is able thus to do? wherefore this Commandment pertained only to the servitude of the Jewish nation, saith the uncharitable person? and again, Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor any thing that is his, that is, thou shalt not have the least desire to the least thing of the neighbours; Oh saith the lawless Protestant, these things are partly Moral, partly Ceremonial, this same living so accuratly and so strictly pertained to the jews, 'tis to us a yoke, nor we nor our fathers could bear etc. if I say an exception be once made from this general truth, for you, for the 7th day why may not every of these come in also with his exception too?  
Yet farther, since this is that general truth, which all Ministers both in pulpit, and in their books, do vphould whatsoever they say or wright, that it must be so and so, because God had commanded it in the Moral Law: which particular flows from this general, that, whatsoever God hath commanded in his Moral Law 〈◊〉 now in force: since I say they pay out such coin to others, why should they not be willing to be paid in the same coin by others? why therefore should I be put to prove this principle, and fundamental truth, which in other cases themselves make no scruple of? If so be that this be not sufficient that whatsoever is commanded in God's Law, the 10. Comm: is now in force to bind us, our very principles shall become disputable and doubtful.  
If they shall answer by any distinction, where by they impair the full force and virtue of any branch of this Law of God, they offend against a plain text Deut. 12.32. whatsoever I command you, you shall take nothing therefrom: yea they falsify Christ's words and predication, Mat. 5.18. who confirmed the Law, and every jot & title in it, to abide in such force as it was in, when he preached that sermons in Mat. 5.18. thence forwards unto the world's end: yea, & they side it with these Priests Zepha. 3.4. who wrested the Law; or, who did violence to the Law of Scripture, we have but two parts left us, the one is the Law Moral, the other is the Gospel: now whosoever shall enfring or deny any jot or title of eighther of these portions of holy writ, he is no friend to God.  
2. Nevertheless, some thing may be said to prove, that whatsoever God hath commanded in the 10. Commandments, the same is now in force: as 1. because all the 10. Commandments were all and every one equally and a like delivered by the same God, by the same voice, at the fame time, and wrote upon the same tables of stone, therefore one should bind aswell as tother, and one should last as long as any other, they should have the same duration, in common reason: 2. Our Saviour Christ himself ratified the Moral Law, and every jot and title of it unto the world's end, Matt. 5, 17.18. which is to the full, as much as can be desired I should prove: 3. If some thing commanded in the Moral Law doth not bind now, then are there not 10. Commandments, for there is but 9 Commandments and an half, or but 9 Commandments and three quarters, or there about, but sure I am ten fully there is not, for there wants the time of 7th day, commanded in the 4th Comm: if you except it; now Moses telde Iewes and consequently us, that God wrote in the Tables ten Commandments Deuter. 10.4. if therefore we have not ten commandments complete, then have we Christians not the Law of God as it was delivered at first entirely, but defectively and maimedely, and some pieces only of it. 4. If that reasoning of S. james, jam. 2.10.11. be sound and good, where by he proveth that, whosoever breaketh but one Law, is guilty of all the other precepts, by this reason, because he that commanded one Law, he commanded the other Laws also; Then so may I reason and prove, whosoever shall violate the 7th day, is guilty of all the other precepts, by this reason, because, he that commanded us to beepe the Sabbath day, prove it from a like phrase in Scripture, as in Genes. 14.21.23. said Abraham to the King of Sodom, I will not take so much as a thread or shoolatchet of thee etc. and as in Matth. 5.26. said our Saviour Christ; thou shalt not come out thence till thou hast paid the utmost farthing: both which phrases intimate thus much, that if the debtor should not come out of prison till he had paid every farching, them should he not come out till he had paid every penny, every shilling, and every pound: & if Abraham would not take a thread or shoolatchet of the King, then would he not take of him raiment, cattles, silver, or gold: thus you see it the manner of Scripture, by mentioning and denying of the very least; to intimate there by a denial of all, any, the whole, and every part and parcel of that thing, where to that least belonged: a like phrase you have Mat. 10.30. yea, and the hairs of your head are numbered etc. if the hairs were numbered (may we reason) then were the hands, eyes, ears, the teeth, and the fingers numbered also: just so is my atguing above, if every title of the Law be in force, then so also are thes letters & words in force, to wit, the 7th day is the Sabbath: so you see the consequence proved good and sound.  
I prove the Minor, to wit, that every title of the Law is in force to the world's end, by Mat. 5.18. where our Saviour prophesied of the duration of the Law, & of every jot and title of it, to last to the world's end, saying; Amen, or verily Isay unto you, (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, donec) until Heaven & Earth pass, one jot or one title of the Law shall not pass, etc. where you see, Christ did ratify this prophecy by a vehement assueveration prefixed to it, Amen, or verily said he &c. Farther note what learned, Chemnitius saith upon this Text, by way of exposition, saith he; jote is a letter of the Hebrew Alphabet, and a letter of the least value of all the rest in the Alphabet: and title (saith he) is as a prick to a letter, or as a comma to a sentence: so you see, Christ did establish for ever, the very lest things of moment in the law: and thus is the minor made good.  
Nevertheless against this Text many answers are brought, as 1. that by Law here is not only meant the Law Moral, but also the Law ceremonial: Here unto I say 1. that it is a growndlesse answer, it hath no foundation in the Text, or context, for since all the Laws, in the sequel of the chapter, which Christ expoundeth, be only Moral Laws and not Ceremonial Laws, why should it be thought here should be any Ceremonial Laws meant? anddoe we not use to restrain general words unto the subject matter of the text and context; were it not a racking of the word Law, Heb. 7.12. to understand it of all Laws, Moral and Ceremonial, where the subject matter doth occasion us to limit it to the Leviticall Ceremonial Law? I confess Mat. 5.17. there the word Prophets added to the word Jewe: think not I am come to destroy the Law or the Prophets etc. but I see no reason, why the word Prophets should have any aim at the Ceremonial Law, more than the word Law in vers. 18. for the Prophets were exercised about the Moral Law, in urging and expounding it, as Matth. 22.40. yea, since we find this phrase of, The Law and Prophets, to be applied to the Moral, and not to the Ceremonial Law, by Christ himself, and that too in the same Sermon, as Matth. 7.12. why should it be urged any larger here? 2. By Law, here must not be meant the Law Ceremonial, but the Law Moral only, for, Christ saith, he came not to destroy or loosen the Law, but to fulfil it; which speech cannot be true of the Law Ceremonial, for he came both to destroy or loosen it as by his death, and also to fulfil it, as in his life, and by his death. 3. The time wherein Christ foretold the duration of this Law, was but about a matter of two years before his death, at which time every jot and title of the Ceremonial Law, was to be utterly destroyed, now would Christ foretell touching this Law, that it should endure as long as the Heavens and the Earth, when as with in two or three years after it was to be abolished? nay, what likelihood is there that Christ would conjoin the Moral & the Ceremonial Law together touching duration, as if they were both equally and a like to last, and to vanish together?  
A 2d answer is, that the duration of the Law here is but until Christ's passion, which they would ground from those words Mat. 5.18. Till all things be fulfilled: to this I say 1. This thwarteth and crosseth Christ's words, in the precedent v. 17. I came not to destroy or loosen (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) the Law etc. but if the Law had retained its force but till his death, than Christ came to destroy or loosen the Law, for it must be his death or nothing that altered the Law, and what was done by his death, that he came to do: 2. This sense were to make Christ words senseless, as if in former part of the verse he should vow not one jot of the Law shall pass, until heaven and earth pass, that is, not until this world's end; and instantly should add until all things be fulfilled, that is, until a two or three years hence. 3. The Law is to last after Christ's passion, as is plain by that of Paul Ro. 3.31. where be saith, faith doth not make the Law of none effect, nor they the Apostles of Christ, but they established the Law: now this was after Christ's passion: and indeed the Law must be in force to this day, to show us our fine, and to bring us to Christ, Gal. 3.24. further, all things shall not be fulfilled, until the mystery of God be fulfilled Reuel. 20.7. and until Christi seconde coming Act. 3.21. and 1. Cor. 15.24.25.26.54. etc.  
A 3d answer is, that some iotes of the Law are passed, and do not bind us now, as the preface to the Commandments, I am the Lord thy God, that brought the out of the Land of Egypt; and as the promise to the 5th Comm: That thy days may be long in the land, which the Law thy God giveth thee: th'one of these concerned Egypt, the other Canaan, and both concerned the jews, but neither of them concerns us christian's, Ergo: Here unto I say 1. neither of these do, nor ever did bind any, for these be but reasons and motives to obedience of the Commandments, they be no commandments, since they command or forbidden nothing, only they be appartenances to the Commandments, so the Law whereof Christ spoke, may stand still as a Law, though these motives fail, for God can move us to obedience by other motives Evangelicall, as Rom. 12.1. and though these motives were failed, yet were no part or jot of the Law failed or passed, since these motives were, nor Law, nor part or jot of the Law: Again 2. it cannot be said that thes 2. motives be failed to this day, for look to whom they did at first belong, to the same nation and people they do at this day belong, that is, to the people of the jews, for the deliverance out of Egypt, is yet true of their people, and aught still to be a motive to them, even to the world's end, so than though that reason concerneth not us, yet is it not failed, since it is in force as largely as ever to the jew: unto us Christians it did never belong: for that other annexed to the 5th Com: I see not but that may be general to all nations.  
9 My 9th Argument is, because the Sabbath day, is a means to keep in memory the miraculous work of the creation: this argument is taken out of Exod. 31.16.17: and thus it may be framed.  
That thing which was a special means and help of God's appointment, to keep in his church, the memory of that memoriable and renowned work of his to wit the creation of this world: That thing and means, ought now and for ever, to be in use in God's Church.  
But the 7th day Sabbath, was that special means and help of God's appointment, to keep in his Church, the memory of that memorable & renowned work of his, to wit, the ereation of this world.  
Therefore the 7th day Sabbath, ought now and for ever. to be in use in God's Church.  
For proof of the Mayor, there is no man in our Church but freely confesseth, that both now and for ever, there ought to be an honourable, admirable, and thankful remembrance of God's workmanship in the creation of this world, as well as was in the days of Moses, and of old: if then it be granted, that there ought now to be a memory kept thereof, why should it not be granted also, that that special help and means, ordained once of God for that end, should now be in force and in use? 2. There was never any help or means, once appointed to keep memory of the world's creation, which was afterwards abolished, and if none were abolished, than every one that once was, remaineth still: true it is, some Sabbaths were abolished, as in Col. 2.16.17. but, we must know, there were 2. sorts of Sabbaths: there were Sabbaths which were shadows or signs of the Redemption, the body whereof was Christ; annual yearly Sabbaths, these indeed be abolished by this text; now there was also Sabbaths which were signs of the creation, weekly Sabbaths, every 7th day, now these which were Sabbaths and signs of things past, as was the creation, these be no where abolished: great is the difference 'twixt Sabbaths, as signs of things to come; and Sabbaths as signs of things past. 3. It is of as great necessity, if not of greater, that we now should have all or any such special helps and means to keep in remembrance the world's creation, as had those Israelites in Moses time, for, we are a people as forgetful of God's works of wonder, as were they: yea, and we be in greater danger of forgetting the world's creation then those Israelites, by how much we live longer after the creation than they did; old done things wear out of memory.  
For proof of the Minor; to wit, that the Sabbath was an help, to keep memory of the creation. 1. All men grant it, when they thus argue, that the Lords day was instituded for the memory of the resurrection, as was the Sabbath day, for memory of the creation. 2. I prove it from Exod. 31.16.17. where 2. things be to be marked, 1. that the Sabbath is called a sign, 2. whereof it is a sign, and what is the thing signified: For the latter, the thing signified by the Sabbath considered as a sign, is the creation of the world in 6. days, and God's rest upon the 7th day: since every sign, must signify some thing, and this Text mentioneth nothing but the creation, and again, where God giveth a sign, he useth to show whereof it is a sign, and here he mentioneth nothing but the creation, therefore the creation is the thing signified: and this truth may yet farther be shown by the very Text v. 17. for in 6. days etc. where note that the Hebrew word translated, for, may also be translated, that, as those skilful in the tongue know well, and find sundry examples in Scripture: yea, the word (for) must be translated (that:) to make good sense: so then, read the Text thus; that in 6. days etc. and you have good sense; & also you see it plain, that the Sabbath was a sign, that in 6. days God created and rested: and the creation was the thing signified by the sign.  
The other thing to be considered in the text, is, that the Sabbath is called a sign: and hence I thus argue; If signs be helps and means to bring to mind or keep in memory the things where of they be signs, then doth the Sabbath day help us to mind and keep in memory the world's creation: but signs be helps & means to bring, to mind, and to keep in memory the things whereof they be signs: therefore the Sabbath day doth help us to mind and to keep in memory the world's creation, the consequence is good, it proceeding from the genus to the species, the Sabbath day being one kind of signs; and what belongeth to all signs, appertaineth to every or any sign. I prove the Minor, by an induction of particulares; the rainbow in the clouds, Genes. 4. it is called a sign or a token v. 13. and the Lord said, He would look upon the bow, that he might remember the covenant (which was the thing signified by the bow) v. 16. The Passeover was a sign or token Exod. 12.13. which when the Angel of the Lord saw, than he remembered the covenant, and spared them. Circumcision Genes. 17.11. it was a sign and token, to put them in mind of God's covenant made with Abraham etc. and see Exod. 31.13. a text pregnant to the same purpose: The Sacrament of the Lords Supper it is a sign; and this sign is to be used in remembrance of the thing signified, which is Christ, 1. Cor. 12.24. neither can any example be shown to the contrary, for, it is the very nature of a sign, to bring to mind the thing signified: I conclude, as the Lords Supper is a sign of the work of redemption; So the Sabbath is a sign of the work of creation.  
10. My 10th Argument is, because the Sabbath day putteth us in mind, who it is, that is our Sanctifier, namely the Lord our God: This argument is taken out of Exod. 31.13. and it may be thus framed.  
That thing which in the time of Moses, was used as an help and means, to put the children of Israel in mind, who it was that sanctified them; that means and help ought now and for ever to be in the Church; to show us who is our Sanctifier.  
But the 7th day Sabbath, was used in the time of Moses, as an help and means, to mind the children of Israel, who it was that sanctified them.  
Therefore the 7th day Sabbath, ought now and for ever to be used in the Church, as a mean & help, to show us, who is our Sanctifier.  
For proof of the Mayor, 1. what reason can be rendered, or instance given to the contrary, to show that our churches and people should not now, have the same means and helps to put us in mind, & show unto us who is the author of our sanctification, the which the children of Israel, and Church of the Jews had? 2. No help or means once appointed of God, to mind the Israelites, who did sanctify them, was ener yet abolished, and if never abolished, then must they remain: True it is, Sabbaths ceremonial, and annual, which were signs of Christ, and of justification, such were abolished in Col. 2.16.17. but Sabbaths Moral, and weekly, which were signs of God the Father, and of sanctification, such were never yet abolished: beside, the Sabbaths abolished in Col. 2.16. were such as were signs of things to come afterwards, as of Christ: but the Sabbaths Moral in Exod. 31.13. were signs of things present, as of God presently sanctifying, as you may see in the Texts. 3. We now in these times, have as much need of that help, to put us in mind of God our Sanctifier, as they had in former times; for instance, let a Christian pray fervently; give alms bountifully, hate sign unfeignedly; do the duties of his calling conscionably; preach powerfully; and in a word, live holily and blamelessly in this evil world; whereby he out strippeth the men of this world, and is as a light set upon an hill; is not this man in great danger to be puffed up with pride, as were those Israelites Deut. 8.17, arrogating to themselves the glory of their abundance, forgetting God the author? and is not this man in danger, to use his gifts as if he had not received them, and to glory in them as his own, 1. Cor. 4.7. surely upon a search, we can not but confess, we Christians are as subject to spiritual pride, and as backward & sluggish, to give unto God the glory of his merciful work of sanctifying us, as ever were the Israel of God: now what help could be better to forward us in this Divine work of hallowing God's name, then to have once in every 7. days, that 7th day appointed of God, to be a sign and remembrancer unto us, that Jehovah the Holy God is that fountain and author of our sanctification and holiness? Well then, since we Christians have as much need of helps and means, to mind us of the author of our sanctification, as those Israelites had, and God hath given us no other helps or means in the room of those he gave to the Israelites; than it followeth, that we now and the 7th day, do both notify but one time, which is the last day of the week: so them conjoined by God, and also permiseously used Exo. 20.10. Levit. 23.3. Exod. 31.15. there you have them conjoined by way of apposition, Gen. 2.3. Exod, 20.11. Exod. 16.29. Luk. 13.14. here you have them permiscously used the one for the other: so as the name Sabbath, and the time the 7th day, cannot be separated. 2, Whereas they deny me the accident of time, the 7th day see it expressly commanded in so many words, Exod. 16.29. Exod. 20.10. Exod. 23.12. Exod. 31.15. Exod. 35.2. and so you see not only the Sabbath is in force now, but also the time and 7th day.  
The other common answer is, that the 4th Com: and so the Sabbath day are now in force indeed, as touching the Morality of them, but not as touching their special application unto the jewish state: Here unto I say, it is but a feigned thing to think that eighther the 4th Com: or the Sabbath day, were so commanded and appointed of God to the jew, as if made peculiar and proper to their state, and not common to all nations; To this end, prepend we the particulars of the 4th Comm: to see if aught there be that might give us occasion to think it was applied to the jewish nation exclusively; or, if all Nationes might not equally participate with them, in this Commandment, as well as in the other 9 Commandments: In the Com: ye have these things enjoined: 1. Remember the Sabbath: 2. to rest in it: 3. to keep it holy: 4. a day 5. the 7th day, or last of 7.6. because God resteth on that day. What is here now, that is peculiar to the jew, so as other nations cannot observe the same? Cannot we in England, as well as they in jerusalem, 1. Remember the Sabbath? 2. rest in it? 3. keep it holy? 4. a whole day? 5. the 7th day, and last of 7? 6. in imitation of God, because he rested on this day? could no nation beside the jew observe thes 6. things?  
Perhaps it will be said, The Sabbath, and so the Comm: was applied to the jewish state, because of that reason moving them to obedience of it, which is annexed to the Com: Deut. 5.15. namely, Gods bringing them out of Egypt: Here unto I say, This motive and reason may be said to be applied indeed to the jewish state exclusively, as not belonging to other nations, and if they mean no more but thus: that the 4th Com: and so the Sabbath, are not now in force, as touching this special application only to the jewish state, because the Lord brought them out of Egypt, & that this reason should not now be properly pressed upon us Christians; I am not against it, nor doth it at all help them: who goeth about to prove the Sabbath is in force now to us, with relation to that reason, of Gods bringing Israel out of Egypt? or to move Christianes' to obedience by that reason? The 4th Com: stands on two parts; The one is Law, commanding or forbidding some thing to be done, this part only I urge: The other part is reason or motive, to enforce to obedience of the Law, now this I urge not, nor need I, for it is no Law properly, for it nor forbides, nor commands any thing: Be it, that the Law as touching the motives be applied specially to the jewish state, yet the Law as touching all things commanded or forbidden in it, is universal to all nations.  
Thus having proved the 7th day Sabbath is still in force to this day: in next place I will show you how this Sabbath hath been practised and in use in the Christian Church both in the days of the Apostles, after Christ his resurrection; and after also in the more primitive churches: for the practice of the Apostles I do the rather produce it, because the contrary side I see lean much upon their practice, labouring much though all in vain (as hath been shown) to prove the practice of the Apostles upon the Lord's day; wherefore since Apostles practise, is with them of so great strength, if I shall prove now, that the Apostles practised the 7th day Sabbath, I trust they will forth with yield, that the 7th day Sabbath is now in force, & make no further question of the matter.  
For this purpose look Act. 13.14.15.16. Act. 13.42.44. Act. 16.13. here ye see 3. several Sabbaths, and in two several places, the Apostles preached upon the Sabbath day: and see Act. 17.2. Paul as his manner was, went in unto them, and three Sabbath days, disputed with them, by the Scriptures: Here you see in an other place and Church, three Sabbaths more kept by Paul and those that travailed with him; nor was this any extraordenary thing: for the Text saith; it was an usual thing for Paul so to do, Paul as his manner was &c. and see Act. 18.4 hear Paul in an other place and Church, namely, in the Church of Corinthe v. 1. disputed in the Synagogue every Sabbath day: so here was a constant practice, Sabbath by Sabbath; Every Sabbath day saith the Text: and thus I trust I have more sound proved, that the Apostles kept the Sabbath day; and that constantly, and the same in soundery Churches, than they have proved that the Apostles kept the Lord's day: The keeping the Sabbath day, was an Apostolical practice, but so was not the Lord's day: Let the indifferent reader judge now and let him choose to practise that day of the twain, which he seethe most sound and plainly proved before his eyes, practised by the Apostles.  
Against this be sundry answers brought, as 1. True, Paul preached on the Sabbath day amongst the Sabbath day, but they undertook indeed, but never did, nor ever will be able to prove the Apostles did constantly keep the Lord's day, so in this point of Apostles practise, I have the better of them, since they can not prove Apostles constantly kept the Lords day amongst nor jews, nor Gentiles, no nor jews and Gentiles mixed.  
Secondly, I produce an other Text against their answer, showing the Apostles preached amongst the Gentiles, in which Text is not the least ground for any such exception, as to say, there was a mixture of jews and Gentiles: see Act. 16.12.13. here Paul and Timothy preached on the Sabbath day: and note 1. that there was no thing constraining them to preach, rather on this then on any other day, unless it were the 4th Comm: they had been there as the Text saith, certain days; and of all thes days, the Sabbath day was chosen; & what can be thought should incline them to this choice, but the 4th Comm: 2. Note, here is not any reason to think here were any jews, because we read not of any Synagues the jews had here: & the people assembled in the open fields, besides a river to pray, as the Text speaketh, and therefore not with the jews in their Synagogues, as they were wont to do where the Jews had Synagogues. As for Lydia, it will not follow she was a jewesse, because the Text saith, she was a worshipper of God: for so was Cornelius Act. 10.2. but yet no jew, no nor any proselyte, for he was uncircumcised then, Act. 11.3. finally, I say, suppose here was a mixture of jews and Gentiles, and also in that other place Act, 13.42.44. yet there is no cause of scruple or doubt, that the Apostles would use any ceremonies (as they suppose the Sabbath) to be amongst those jews that were mingled with the Gentiles, no more than they would amongst the Gentiles alone; for, saith the Text Act. 21.21. Paul taught those Jews that were mixed among the Gentiles, to forsake Ceremonies etc. and you see it his practice Gal. 2.11. he would not endure no not a Peter to judaize it amongst the Gentiles; and can we think himself would do what he reproved in an other? beside, it was against reason, for so he should build up things (as ceremonies) which he laboured to destroy, Gal. 5.1.2. I say build up, for Paul counted Judaising amongst Gentiles, a constraining of those Gentiles unto Judaizme, Gal. 2.14. for all this, I deny not, but Paul did judaize, but it was only in such places of assembly where were none but jews only, as at jerusalem, and the like places, Act. 21.17.20.26. but in assemblies mixed of jews and Gentiles, there he would not judaize, lest he should constrain the Gentiles to judaizme, as hath been said.  
An other and seconde answer usually brought against this practice of the Apostles is, that Paul did keep Sabbath here with the jews, to bear with their weakness for a time, and as he did judaize it by circumcision of Timothy: Here unto I say 1. it appeareth he did not keep Sabbath only for the jews sake, for than would he not have kept the Sabbath with the Gentiles, as he did: 2. was it a weakness in the jews to yield obedience to a moral precepts, to the 4th Com? 3. The things wherein properly Paul was said to judaize, were Ceremonial things, standing in force by the Ceremonial Law, as Circumcision and the Rest, but things standing in force by the Moral Law, as doth the Sabbath day, performance of these is no judaizing, but Moralising, if I may so speak.  
A 3d answer is, that the Apostles must take such days, as they found in use in the Church then, or else they could not preach and divulge the Gospel: and the jews than would assemble on no days but the Sabbath: Here unto I say, the Apostles could make known the Gospel, though they had never frequented the jews usual assemblies, for the Apostles taught and preached Christ, in private houses, from house to house Act. 5.42. and when Paul forsook preaching in the Synagogue, he taught else, where as in the School of one Tyrannus, and there frequented him both jews and Grecians Act. 19.9.10. yea, Paul could assemble the jews themselves upon occasion, & the very chief of them refused not to assemble at his call, Act. 28.17.20. wherefore, necessity compelled him not to keep the Sabbath with them.  
To make a more full answer to those common objections which they bring against the practice of the Apostles, in keeping the Sabbath day: one of which main objections is that fore spoken of to this effect, true the Apostles practised the 7th day Sabbath, but it was amongst the jews, not amongst the Gentiles: where unto I say, what and if it were only amongst the jews? are therefore the Apostles practices and actions unwareantable and unimitable, because they were done amongst the jews? are all their actions amongst Jew's but, of an indifferent nature? if such objections be lawful, if a preacher confirms his doctrines in the pulp it, by the practice of the Apostles, then is it lawful for any thus to cavil against it, oh but that, it was done among Jews: for instance, suppose this the doctrine; Ministers must preach constantly on the Sabbath day: now after it is proved, etc. then he confirms it by the constant practice of the Apostles, Act. 13.14.44. Act. 17.2. Act. 18.4. is it tolerable for an auditor to cavil thus, oh this it dience and reference unto some of those Commandments.  
The last objection is, that 'tis true indeed, the Apostles kept the Sabbath, but it was but for a time, till the jews were better instructed, the which if they had refused to keep, the jews would never have heard them preach of Christ etc. Here unto I answer, this objection presupposeth now as granted, two false suppositions; the one, that the Apostles would not (if they could have avoided it) have kept this Sabbath: the other, that the jews were needlessly religious, making conscience of this Sabbath now, when they needed not: for the former, for any thus to imagine or say is growndlesse, for where hath any of the Apostles declared themselves any enemies to the Moral Sabbath, that it should be thought they had rather not to have kept the Sabbath, then to have kept it? for the latter, 'tis true, of Circumcision, it might be said the jews were needlessely religious and careful of it, because we find the Apostle inveighing against it Galat. 5.2. but how can we say so of the jews as touching the Sabbath day, since we no where find the Apostles inveighing against it, or reprehending the jews for keeping it, as they did for Circumcision? The main error in these objections is, that they take it for granted which is not granted, that is, supposing the Sabbath day in the 10. Commandments to be a Ceremony, as well as Circumcision, and that so it was abolished by Christ; whereof there is no ground in Scripture, as else where I have largely showed; nay farther, for any to say, the Sabbath is a ceremony, or that any word or letter of the Law or 10. Commandments is Ceremonial, is no better than blasphemy against God's Law and Truth, & to speak evil of the way of God.  
Thus you see, I have proved, the practice of the Apostles, was constantly to keep the Sabbath day, and the keeping of the Sabbath day was an Apostolical practice; the which proof I have made to this end, that you might see we have better grounds for the Apostles keeping the Sabbath day, then for their keeping the Lords day, nay there is good ground for the Sabbath day, but no ground at all, for the Lords day; Further more, as by the way, you may see it hath been shown the Apostles kept the Sabbath day, 1. constantly, not once, or twice, or thrice, and no no more. 2. In sundry places & in divers churches, not at one place or two, but at more. 3. that where they abode divers days, they chose the Sabbath day, not the Lord's day, to teach and to preach in, as Act. 16.12.13. Act. 13.42.44. Act. 17.2. Act. 18.4. 4. They kept Sabbath with both Jews and Gentiles together, & sometime with you see the duties of a Sabbath, meditation in God's Law with joy and delight; and admiration of the works of God. There be I confess, that would have all this understood of the Lords day; but Ignatius speaks both of the Sabbath, & also of the Lords day, distinctly in the same Text: for the very next words are thus, And after the Sabbath, let the Lords day be celebrated etc. Athanasius in his Homily de sement, saith thus; We assemble together in the Sabbath day, not as if we were sick of judaizme: but therefore we meet on the Sabbath, that we may worship jesus, the Lord of the Sabbath: where ye see Athanasius not only avowching that they of this time kept the Sabbath, but also he defendeth their keeping of it from superstition or judaizme: but our times are now of a contrary mind, thinking and saying, if we should keep the Sabbath day, we should play the jews, and be infected with Judaizme. Socrates in his History chap, 8. book 6th saith: Assemblies were wont to be in the Churches, every week upon the Sabbath, & upon the Lord's day: Zanchie upon the 4th Com: Thes. 1. saith out of Sozomen, That those of Constantinople, & almost all others, have Ecclesiastical assemblies, to hear God's Word, on the Sabbath day, and on the Lord's day: Doctor Prideaux on the Sabbath; saith, The Churches after Christ, kept both the Sabbath, & the Lords day, for divers years, with holy assemblies, and this thing is so manifest (saith he) as it needeth no proof etc. In a word, is it not plain the Sabbath was in use in the Church, until the year of Christ 364. at what time the Laodicean counsel enacted a Law against it, and for the Lords day? Hosp. de Orig. Fest. cap. 9 pag. 27. but how uniustifiable this their act was, may appear, in that they enacted a Law against God's Law: and were guilty of that brand in Dan. 7.25. of unlawful changing of Time's, and the Law: yea, how full of suspicion this their fact was, may appear in this that Church of Laodicea, it was the worst of all the 7. churches that S. john wrote unto in his Revelations: yea, and in that this change was not made till the year 364. 'tis of small account, since the elder the church grew, the more corrupt it grew; for, 364. years after Christ crept into the church superstition, and so daily thence forwards popery by degrees: But how soever, it is plain that the Sabbath day was in use in the church at that time, in which they enacted a Law against it; or else they made a Law against nothing.  
Here it shall not be amiss to add the testimony of two or three of our own Divines, avowching the morality of the 7th day Sabbath, I could produce many, but two or three for all; strengthen myself, and wrong not them. 3. Doctor Prideaux upon the Sabbath, lately comen forth, pag. 140. saith. Where did Christ abrogate the Sabbath? where is there any mention of setting the Lords day in the room of it? well, Christ ascendeth, he left his Apostles preachers, and did not they without any scruple observe the Sabbath of the jews, which the jews? did not they institute most freely assemblies in the Sabbath day? & did not the succeeding churches the like, & c?  
And now let me propounded unto your choice, these two days, The Sabbath day on Saturday; or the Lord's day on Suneday, and keep whither of the twain you shall in conscience find the more safe; If you keep the Lords day, but profane the Sabbath day, you walk in great danger and peril (to say the last) of transgressing one of God's eternal & inviolable Laws the 4th Com: but on the other side, if you keep the Sabbath day, though you profane the Lords day, you are out of all guneshot and danger, for so you transgress no Law at all, since Christ, nor his Apostles did ever leave any Law for it.  
1. To conclude, let me take away two or three objections and so an end; Say some what a do is here about a day, is God so strict for a day? so be he hath the duties, it matters not so much for the time: To whom I answer; and make not you as much a do too as you can, for the Lords day, the 8th day, else why may not Mooneday, or Tuesday, or some other day, be kept in memory of Christ's Resurrection, as well as Sunday, the first day of the week? and do not our divines of best rank, lay it down as their judgement, that the Church, the whole Church cannot now alter the Lord's day to any other? it seems then in your own judgement, that time and day, how light a circumstance soever you make it, when you dispute about the 7th day in the 4th Com: yet it is a matter of weight and moment when you argue for the Lords day, for which yet you have no Com: 2. Think you it a light matter, the which God hath been pleased to stamp his Commandment upon Exod. 35.2. The 7th day shall be unto you the Holy Sabbath etc. Will you slight God's Commandments? admite the time, and 7th day, be as thing little profitable to God, as was the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good & evil, in Paradise, dareth any man hazard with God as Adam did? The less the thing is, with the more ease we may show our obedience, and the greater our sine, if disobedient. 3. We dare not forfighte a bond with man, upon such shifts, saying when 'tis paiable on 7th day of january, oh my neighbour regardeth not so much the day, so I carry him the full some, though it be the day after 'tis due: nor durst those faithful Israelites so sleight God's times, as to circumcise on the 9th day, to call Passeover on the 15th day, when God hath commanded CIrcumcision on the 8th day, and the Passeover on the 14th day.  
2. Saith an other, this were to bring into the Church judaizme again, and that strict rigorous observation of the Sabbath which they used: Here to I answer; Athanasius afore cited, said: They kept the Sabbath day in their times, and yet he saith, they were not infected with Judaizme; Further, judaizme is when obedience is yielded to a Law Ceremonial, but he that keeps the Sabbath day, doth it in obedience to a Law Moral: And as touching the rigorous strictenesse of the jewish Rest or Sabbath, it is not better than an evil report, brought up upon the Lord's Sabbath, to loathe men of it; what and if men erroneously think, the jews were more strictly tied then indeed they were, that is their error: and what and if the Scribes and Pharises were superstitious in keeping the 4th Com: and forbade works of charity to be done on the Sabbath, were they not erroneous too in expounding and observing other of the Commandments? But sure I am our Saviour Christ the true expounder of the Law, he gave leave even to the jews in his time, (before any Ceremonies were abolished) to do works of charity and works of necessity even upon the Sabbath day, as to rubbe ears of corn: to carry a bed: to lift a beast out of a ditch, and the like: yea, do not we hold ourselves now thus strictly tied upon the Lord's day, as not to do any works thereon save works of necessity and charity? I find not that a believing jew was any thing more strictly tied then so: For my part I see no difference 'twixt the doctrine of our Church of Engeland, touching keeping the Lords day for strictness: and the doctrine of Moses and of Christ, touching the keeping of the Sabbath day: nor can I see how a believing jew, was more strictly tied then a believing Christian is, in right account.  
3. Saith a 3d. Should we embrace the Sabbath day, then should we be accused of novelty, and the neighbour Churches of Papists would upbraid us: Here too I answer, what if man accuseth, where God commendeth; it was new doctrine, that Paul brought to Berea, but it was their commendations, that they received the word, with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily, to see whither those things were so or not: it was not the newness of the Gospel, nor the singularity of Paul the teacher, that could daunt them: and for Papists it is not the first time that they have upbraided us for novelty, if they think it a matter of reproach, to confess we know but in part, and that the best Church and purest may be more pure, and grow nearer to God in knowledge and reformation daily, let them scoff on, what David will regard a Michal, or Isaac an Ishmael? what and if we offend the Church of Papists, if we may gain the Church of the jews; do we not wright of, & speak of, and pray for, and hope for conversion of the jews, and can there be a better way for their entrance into our Church, then by removing a way this great stumbling block, that is, our profanation of the Lords Sabbath day? said not the jews of Christ, this man is not of God, because he kept not the Sabbath day joh. 9.16. & can the Jews say any better of us at this day, who are not causelessly taxed as was Christ; why these Christians (may they say) were their religion good, they would never live in so manifest a breach of the 4th Commandment weekly, as they do, profaning the Lords Sabbaths.  
4. Saith a 4th: This were to bring an imputation upon our Church, that have not seen this, of 1600. years etc. I answer, for 300. or 400. years after Christ; this Sabbath was kept, and that by the purest Churches of the primitive times; so the over sight was not above a matter of 1200, years: Again, at these time, when the Lords Sabbath was abolished, by the Laodicean counsel in the year 364. even then the churches began to decline strangely, and then began superstition & popery to creep into the Church, and by little & little it overspreade the Christian world, until about Luther's time, all which time our Church was covered in the Romish Church, as corn in the chaff, and we were as captives in a foreign nation, where we were kept from knowledge of the Laws of our Lawful and rightful sovereign, the Lord our God: now what imputation is it to our Church, that the Romish Church did oversee this, and blot out the 4th Com: as they had done the 2d Com? Since Luther's time indeed by the mercy of God, the chaff hath been fanned away, yet have we not had a settled constant shine of the Sune of the Gospel, but 'twixt times it hath been elouded, as in the reign of Queen Mary etc. and for this short breating time, since Queen Elizabeth of blessed memory, hath not our Church had work enough to hold the ground, which our forefathers won for us, have we not been in a continued warfare battailing with Romish doctrine, both by pen, and by preaching, even until now of late years, during which conflict, our church hath had scarce leisure to bethink herself of any further purification: but now, since God hath in some sort given us rest from our enemies, labour we to grow in grace, both in knowledge and in obedience; labour we to perfect Holiness daily more and more: & let us rather imitate the more pure primitive churches, (from whom the Church of Room is fled in practice of the Sabbath day,) then the corrupted Romish church, from whom we sucked this evil milk. Neither is it to be thought a thing impossible, for a Church of God ignorantly, to lie in the breach of one branch of God's Law for a season; for did not the Church of God in josiah his time as much when the book of the Law of God itself had been lost, for I know not how long time, 2. King. 22. now to whom was this great sine of carelessness in losing the book of God's Law to be imputed, was it not unto the Idolatrous times and church, which went last before the Reign of josiah? & so who is mostly to be blamed for our ignorance in this, but the idolatry and superstition & irreligion of former times, which began at the Counsel held at Laodicea Anno 364. for they first puffed out this light?  
There are two sorts of people to whom this discourse doth pertain, the Laity, and the clergy: as for the Laity, God he knoweth they can do no more than they can do; though of wiling minds that all should go well, and that God might have this own times, and 'tis not a far thing gain to them, whither they give God the Saturday or the Sunday: but since they want the Arts & tongues, those instruments of knowledge in this points they must be guided by their Ministers, The Priest's lips must preserve knowledge, and they must ask the Law of their mouths, I say the lesser care of this matter pertains to the people, I do not say no care, for their is a spur for them in Ezek. 33.6. and a precedent, in those Noble men of Berea, for searching the Scriptures: and let them in God's fear both privately pray to God, to direct their Ministers with Spiritual illumination; and also let them often call upon them to see to their Ministry, showing them the price of their souls is in their hands, and if Ministers neglect, the souls of people pay for it.  
As for these of the Ministry, these do know, this matter mostly conserveth them, to know whither Saturday, or Sunday, or Sabbath day by God's appointment: And hereof it is that our Saviour Christ having ratified the Law, and every jot and title of it, to the world's end Matth. 5.18. He turnetb himself to those of the Ministry to look to it afore others, that by their lief and doctrine, they teach, not break not one of the last of those Cemmandements, saying v. 19 whosoever therefore shall break one of the last of those commandments, & teach men so, he shall be called the last of the Kingdom of Heaven: myself, so far forth, as to cause me liften readily to what may be said to the contrary, and to scan and search it to my utmost: yea so fare forth too, as in partt to with hold me from the practice of it, and so accordingly upon the same ground, to counsel others to do the like.  
If it please God to bless this point, so as it be generally found to be a truth of Gods, then will there be a fare more comfortable and laudable course, to go together with joint petitions, & humble requests, unto his Majesty, and that honourable house of Parliament, desiring them to take this matter into their considerations, whose it is properly to reform Ministers may inform, but Magistrates should reform; it was Nehemiah chapt. 13.15.16.17.18.19.20.21.22. that reform the profanation of the Sabbath day, in his time: and having done it; Remember me, O my God, conserving this, saith he etc. it was Christ a King, as well as a Prophet, who whipped the buyers & scelleres out of the Temple, that holy place; and it is the office of Gods Anointed a King, to purge the Lords Sabbath day, on our Saturday, that sacred Time, from buyers and scellers, and markelinges; Let us patiently therefore with prayers to God wait and expect, until God shall be pleased first to move the hearts of mcn generally to embrace this truth, and then to stir up the heart, and couradge and zeal of King to do this great work.  
For conclusion of all, one scruple and case of conscience would be satisfied, and 'tis this; If our consciences be once rightly informed, (as we think) that Saturday is the true Sabbath, by force of the 4th Comm: how can we dispense with God's Commandment, and still our consciences, until a public reformation cometh? and is it not hypocrisy, to think one thing, and practise an other, judging Saturday to be Sabbath day, & yet keeping Sunday Sabbath? For, thus a Divine of note delivered it in public; that for a man to divide betwixt his profession, or (in judgement) and his practice, is a note of hypocrisy. Here to I answer, 1. Hypocrisy is when a man maketh an outward show of doing some thing, but indeed he doth it not: now this agreeth not to us, since we make no show to men, that we keep Saturday Sabbath, but the quite contrary, for both our actions, and our shows, and appearances to men are both one, that is, to labour on the Saturday, so we use no hypocritical dissimulations: Paul, when he became all things to all men, that he might wine some, therefore he circumcised Timothy Act. 16.3. the which fact himself else where, in an other case speaks against, Gal. 5.2. and it was unlawful to be done. It was a Law of God, who so sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed, Genes. 9.6. and the Magistrate is God's Minister to take vengeance etc. Rom. 13.14. now David being King, joab murdered 2. Captains, 1. King. 2.5. here it was the duty of David, to have taken vengeance for God, but David finding Joab to strong for him, 2. Sam. 3.27.39. omitted execution, and gave it in charge to his Son Solomon, to execute it after his death, 1. King. 2.6. I trust no man will count David or Paul herein Hypocrites, & yet their judgement and practice was divided.  
2. To the scruple of conscience, in a case of necessity, you read what David did, when he was an hungered, he profaned hallowed bread, contrary to God's Law, and Christ justified him, Math. 12.3.4. you read how Circumcision was omitted all the time the Israelites were in the wilderness Iosh. 5.5? if in case of necessity thes might do thus, I trust there is mercy for us also, if our case be like; specially, since we do not utterly abolish all days, for we do but change the day, and for a time give God one day for an other: That necessity is upon us, as it was on those Israelites, is plain; do not we live in a Church whose government is established by law, the which law cannot be transgressed with safety to our persons, & goods? beside, is not necessity upon us, as touching the good of our souls? A Sabbath should be celebrated with public and holy convocations and assemblies Levit. 23.3. 〈◊〉 with public preaching and reading Luk. 4.16. now can we have in safety assemblies in private houses? or can we have possible a preacher in every family? & how shall they hear without a preacher? Rom. 10.14. were not these the very causes, why the good King Hezekiah 2. Chron. 30.3. altered the day of the passover. 1. Because they had not Priests, who had fitted themselves for that day; 2. Because the people, were not together assembled in public, on that first day? It may be said, how do they in a voyage at Sea keep Sabbath, who cannot have these? I answer, the case is not a like, for, would they put of the Sabbath day, from one day unto an other, they could not amend themselves, but we by a change and deferring the day, we may obtain all those comforts which else we cannot enjoy: and if any shall say, Keep both days: I answer, 'tis more than ever God required; nor will the necessity of our callings permit it, God himself thought it needful we should have 6. days for our works, to one day for his service, as in the 4th Com.  
One instance more, showing God permitted a change of a day, in case of necessity; The Passeover was to be eaten ordenarily on the 14th day of the first Month, Numb. 9.1.2.3. but in case a man were in a far journey, than he might keep the Passeover in the 14th day of the second Month, Numb. 9.10.11. now it is farther to be noted, that ever the next day after the Passeover, it was a Sabbath, Levit. 23.7. so that as the Passeover day was altered, so also this Annual Sabbath was changed answerably: so that not only the Passeover day, but also the Passeover Sabbath day, in a case of necessity might be altered and changed: But it will be said, these were Ceremonials, and what is this to a Moral? I answer, why Ceremoniales in their time, whilst they stood in force, called for obedience, as well as Morals, yea the first Sabbath of the Passeover; which followed next day after Passeover day, it was eommanded to be kept just as a Sabbath, in holy convocations, and in resting from servile labour, Levit. 23.7. yea, death was to be inflicted upon the breakers of this Ceremonial Sabbath, Numb. 9.13. as well as upon those that violated the Moral Sabbath, Exod. 31.15. The sum of which is this; That since the Ceremonial Sabbaths, whilst in force, did bind as strictly, as did the Moral Sabbath, therefore there is the same reason and the regard, of the Ceremonial and of the Moral Sabbath, for strictness of observation; and therefore it followeth by like reason (as fare as man may judge) that if a dispensation be granted in case of necessity, for a change of that day, so a dispensation likewise in like case, is granted for a change of the Moral Sabbath, so long as that necessity avoidable lasteth, unless groundlessly we should think, God is more strict towards Christians about the Sabbath, than he was towards jews about the Sabbath of the Passeover.  
One objection more, what and if we cannot have public assemblies in the congregation, may are we not bound to keep the Sabbath as we can privately, every man in his own family? I answer, since God had ordained the Sabbath to be kept, with public assemblies, and with the help of Priests or Ministers, as hath been shown, therefore I judge it better to alter the day, until the time of reformation, that so we might enjoy the public assemblies, and benefit of an able Minister on an other day, then without these, to keep the very self same day; that this opinion is justifiable, see the like practice of the good King Hezekiah, fore mentioned 2. Chron. 30.1.2.3. who because the Priests were not prepared to keep the Passeover, in the first Month: nor were the people publicly assembled together in the same month, for these two causes the King with his Princes altered the day of the Passeover to the second month. If any shall object or doubt that I strain things to fare, when I would justify the change of the Sabbath, by the change of the Passeover, because these two are things of a different kind etc. and because the reasons moving us to change the Sabbath, are not the same that God mentioned in the Law of the Passovers change Numb. 9.10. for satisfaction of the weakest in this point, I thus answer 1. to the latter, touching the reasons of our change: they be not the same indeed every way, yet if they be (as they are) as necessary to enforce a change, as thes, Numb. 9.10. it is sufficient; and for proof hereof, see it in the practice of King Hezekiah, who changed the day of the Passeover, 2. Chron. 30.3. not upon these very particular grounds, which God specified in Numb. 9.10. for God specified only these two defilment by a dead corpse: and being in a fare journey: but Hezekiah by like reason gatheted, that they might alter the day upon other grounds also, if as weighty as those first, and namely upon these, 1. Because the Priests were not sanctified: 2. because the people were not assembled: so thes two differ both in the persons, and also in the things, as may be seen by comparing those two texts together. Secondly, I answer to the former, and I justify my arguing from the Passeover to the Sabbath, from the practice of our Saviour, who argued from David's eating the Shewbread, to the Sabbath, Math. 1.12.2.3. which were things fare more different, than the Passeover day, & the Sabbath day, for both these are of day and time, but those were of bread and time: Further, by this practice of Christ, I find it lawful for us to reason from a ceremonial, as the show bread was, or by like reason, from a ceremonial as the Passeover was to a moral, as the Sabbath was: concluding that the same exceptions, and dispensations belong to the moral Sabbath, which God granted to the ceremonial Law of Shewbread, or to the Law of Passeover, if there be necessity in the one as was in the other.  
For a conclusion let me stop up one gap, where at I perceive some will be ready to breek out, saying, since that we have not now the very day which God sanctified, but an other day in its room, we are not tied so strictly to keep this day, in the duties of Rest and Holiness, as we should be if we had the right day, and therefore we may take liberty etc. where unto I answer, how ever the right day is to be desired principally, and before any other, and all good means to be used for obtaining it, yet until a time of reformation, I hold this day ought as strictly to be Sanctified, as that other: suppose a debtor bound in a bond to pay 10li. on the seaventh day of March, and his creditor seeing him in a straight, and necessity is upon him, so as he he cannot bring the money just upon the day, in mercy the creditor permitteth him, to make payment on the next day after, on the 8th. day of March; shall now this unthankful debtor, thus reward his merciful creditor, saying, since I carry not my 10li. upon the right day of my bond, being dispensed with all for the time; why therefore I need not be strict neighther in the some, nor yet in the currantness of the money, I may take liberty and carry but 9li. 10s. therefore, yea and I care not if also I put in some light gold, and clipped silver: is this good dealing think you by the debtor towards his merciful creditor? Why apply this, the case is thine, if thou wilt give Godless duty and service on this 8th. day, then on the 7th. day: yea farther, consider of that text Num. 9.12. where though the Lord had permitted, that in a case of necessity, the time and day might be changed for the Passeover, yet as touching the duties of the Passeover, to be by the Law performed in the time and in the first day, God would abate none of them, though upon another day, for so saith the text, According to all the ordinances of the Passeover they shall keep it. So may I say, of this first day of the week (until a time of reformation, and necessity be removed) According to all the ordinances of the Sabbath, on the seaventh day, shall ye keep it.  
FINIS.