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1 If God had commanded the seventh day from the beginning, or if the observation thereof were a morall duty, God had enjoyned all Adams posterity to keepe it.
2 This was impossible, by reason of the divers situation of the earth.
3 As also because of the impossibility that is in the most part of men to keepe such a commandement.
4 Therefore God gave it to the Iewes onely, and hath not bound the Catholike Church to any regular and set day.
1 IF the observation of one day in every weeke, or of a seventh day were a thing morall, and if particularly God had ordained to Adam the observation of the last day of seven, which hee rested on, and which afterwards hee prescribed to the Isaelites by the Law, undoubtedly hee had thereby intended to binde all A∣dams posterity to the observation of one day of seven, yea, to the last day of seven, which he had prescribed to their first Father, at least till he himselfe had changed it into another day of seven, as is pretended he did by our Lord Iesus Christ. And indeed the common tenet of those which hold the morality of the Sabbath day, is, that the keep∣ing, not onely of a seventh day, but also of the last of seven obliged all men till the comming of Christ.
2 But this was, is, and ever shall be impossible. For Adams po∣sterity, after it was multiplied, extended it selfe abroad very largely, thorow all the quarters of the earth, the diverse situation whereof, in regard of the course of the Sunne, diversifieth the daies extremely, the Sunne rising according to the diversity of places with much difference, sooner or later. It is night in some parts, when it is day in others. Yea, there are some Regions, where the Sunne goeth not under the Horizon for the space of a whole month, others where it setteth not in the space of two, three, foure, five, sixe moneths together, which all make but one continuall day. And thereafter they have as many moneths of night, the Sunne never comming nigh them in all that time. Considering this great and well knowne variety; I aske, how it was possible to all men thus dispersed under so many and divers elevations, to keepe this se∣venth day wherein God rested from all his works? And how those to whom many moneths make but one day, and as many but one night, yea, to whom the whole yeere is but one day, and one night, could keepe distinctly and regularly but one day of seven? Was it necessary that these men, after the revolution of six of their daies, and of as many nights, which came to many, not onely moneths, but also yeeres, should observe the seventh following, that is, whole
moneths, whole halfe yeeres, or a whole yeere for one Sabbath on∣ly? Or these only have they beene freed from the observation of a fixed day for Gods service, and left to their owne libertie to take such order about that matter as they should thinke good? Who seeth not in this a manifest absurditie? Doth it not remaine al∣waies? Is not the situation of the earth, which is the same that it was from the beginning, as great an impediment under the new Testament to the universall keeping of a seventh day in all places, and namely, of that particular seventh, wherein Christ rose from death unto life, which is the first of the seven daies of the weeke, as it was under the old Testament, to an universall observation of a particular seventh in those times, to wit, of the last of the weeke?
4 Whatsoever is morall is universall, obligeth equally all men, and may be kept of all. Likewise all commandements which Gods purpose is to give to all men, are such that they may be kept of all. How then is a thing called morall, the keeping whereof the order of nature hath made impossible to many men; such as is the regular keeping of a set day? And how is it said, that the Commandement enjoyning the keeping of a particular seventh day, whether the last or the first of seven, was on Gods part an universall commande∣ment, obliging all men, seeing it is farre more impossible to a great number of men to keepe it, because they dwell in more remote climats then we doe?
5 Therefore it is more conformable to reason to say, that the Commandement which under the Old Testament ordained the keeping of a Seventh day, obliged the people of Israel only, which was the onely people of GOD, was shut up within the narrow bounds of a little corner of the earth, and might with great facility keepe that day, even as all the rest of the politike and ecclesiasticall regiment established by Moses pertained to them onely: And that under the new Testament, in whose times the Church hath beene spread abroad thorow all the earth, God hath not given any parti∣cular Ordinance concerning the keeping of any day whatsoever, but hath left to the discretion of the Church, to appoint the times of Gods service according to the circumstances of places, and of fit occasions.