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1. The Apostle condemneth the Galatians for observing dayes, and moneths, and times, and yeeres.
2. It is answered, that the Apostle condemneth onely the observa∣tion of dayes, &c. prescribed in the ceremoniall Law.
3. Refutation of that answer, out of the drift of the whole Chap∣ter.
4. Besides, that it maketh the Apostle to condemne thàt which he approved, and so to contradict himselfe, if this answer were true.
1 I further justifie this by the Apostle in his Epistle to the Gala∣tians Chapter 4. verse 10. where hee blameth them for ob∣serving dayes, and moneths, and times, and yeeres, for they deemed that in the observing of them there was a point of Religi∣on and of Gods, service, which they were necessarily obliged unto on Gods behalfe, and that for conscience sake, either because the thing it selfe deserved as much, or through respect to Gods Com∣mandement. It is this surmise which the Apostle blameth. For if the Galatians had kept some dayes, but as a thing indifferent, and an ecclesiasticall order, for the publike practise of divine service by the exercise of the ministrie, the celebration of the Sacraments, and other holy duties more and more sanctified with prayers, thankes∣giving, Psalmes, Hymnes, and spirituall songs, knowing and being perswaded by the Lord Iesus, that there was no divine obligation, no Religion tyed to those dayes, in themselves, it is as sure as can be, that they had not bin worthy to be censured, for all that is done, and may be done in the Church, under the New Testament. Hereupon I say, that we fall manifestly into the Apostles censure, if we keepe a Seventh day of Sabbath, beleeving it to be a morall thing which God hath expresly commanded, and therefore necessary, and as such binding the conscience. For this is evidently to observe dayes after the fashion which the Apostle condemneth.
2 It is answered to this, that the Apostle speaketh in that Chapter of judaicall dayes, moneths, times, and yeeres only, as they are or∣dained to be kept by the ceremoniall Law of Moses; as for example, to observe, in things belonging to the Sabbath, the Seventh day of the weeke. Which law being abolished, he blameth the Galatians, that they indeavoured to set up again the observation of dayes after the manner of the Iewes, but reproveth them not for keeping a Sab∣bath day.
3 This answer giveth no content at all. I acknowledge freely, that doubtlesse the dayes kept by the Galatians were the same which the Iewes observed. For to esteeme that they were dayes consecrated to Idols, which they had beene enured unto, when they
lived in Paganisme, and had observed unto that time, even after their conversion, is farre from all likelihood, and contrary to the Text, which speaketh of dayes belonging to these weake and beg∣garly rudiments which God had ordained in the infancy of the Church, which were judaicall dayes, and none other, and from which Iesus Christ was come into the world to redeeme men. And the Apostle blameth the Galatians universally, for observing such dayes, without exception of any other day, which he ought to have excepted, if there had beene any other obligatory: Nay he blameth them not for keeping them after the fashion of the Iewes, by the practice of the ceremoniall service which the Iewes yeelded to God on those dayes whereof he maketh no mention, neither is there any likelihood that the Galatians did any such thing; but for keeping them for Religions sake: And his reprehension is such a one, that the right thing he aimed at in it, is to condemne the observation of any day whatsoever under the New Testament for Religion and conscience sake in reference to any obligation from the day it selfe. The foundation of his reproofe, as appeareth manifestly by the whole drift of his discourse, is this, that to be Religious about dayes, and to be tyed unto them by Gods command, was a point of bon∣dage belonging to the rudiments of the Law, and that the Gospell, which is the Law of liberty, cannot suffer this bondage. There∣fore hee speaketh in generall tearmes, Yee observe dayes, and moneths, and times, and yeeres, and addeth not judaicall, or after the Iewish fashion: because also to keepe other dayes then those of the Iewes, and that for conscience sake, and for the same opinion of Religion which the Iewes had of their dayes, although other∣wise then they, h••d beene as bad, and contrary to the Gospell, it is not so, when dayes are kept simply for ecclesiasticall order, al∣though they were Iudaicall dayes. And indeed the Sabbath day of the Iewes, to wit, the last day of the weeke was kept by the Apostles and by diverse Christians in the Primitive Church many yeeres constantly. As likewise the feasts of the Iewish Passeover and Pentecost were observed by the first Christians, without any fault or offence on their part, because this observation was not practised by them in the same respects that they were by the Iewes, that is, through opinion of Religious necessity and divine obli∣gation.
4 Verily, if wee be obliged in our conscience, and by a divine commandement under the new Testament, to the observation of a seventh day of rest, ••eligiously as the Iewes were, as is preten∣ded, although it be not the same seventh day; who will not con∣ceive, that it had not well become the Apostle to condemne the observation of Iudaicall daies, namely, of the particular day of the Iewish Sabbath, as being a yoake, and a ceremony of the Law, con∣sidering, that in the meane while, hee tied the Christians to the odinary and precise observation of a stinted day, even of a seventh day of Sabbath, which was all one: seeing the day onely had been changed, and the yoake and the ceremony had been still kept. For the yoake and bondage of the Law consisted in the observation of certaine stinted daies, and namely of a seventh day of Sabbath by Gods Ordinance and obligation of conscience, and not in keeping the last seventh day, rather than another, seeing otherwise it is not a heavie yoake, nor a greater bondage to keepe the last, then to keepe the first of the seven daies of the weeke.
Gal. 4 v. 9.