A treatise of the Sabbath and the Lords-day Distinguished into foure parts. Wherein is declared both the nature, originall, and observation, as well of the one under the Old, as of the other under the New Testament. Written in French by David Primerose Batchelour in Divinitie in the Vniversity of Oxford, and minister of the Gospell in the Protestant Church of Roven. Englished out of his French manuscript by his father G.P. D.D.

CHAPTER First.

First Answer to the first Reason.

1. The opinion of those that hold the morality of a Seventh day of Sabbath cleerely set downe.

2. Their first Reason taken out of Genesis Chapter 2. ver. 2, 3. Where it is said, that God rested on the Seventh day from all his workes, and blessed the Seventh day, and sanctified it, &c.

3. First answer to this Reason. Moses writing the History of the Creation after the Law was given, declareth occasionally the cause that moved God to blesse and sanctifie the Seventh day to the Iewes, according to the custome of the Scripture, to joyne things done long before with those that were done long after, as if they had beene done together, and at one time.

4. Confirmation of this by places named by anticipation.

5. By that which is written, Exod. 16. ver. 33, 34. where it is said, that Aaron laid up in a Pot an Omer of Manna before the Testimony, which was not done many yeeres after.

6. And by the History of Davids combat with Goliah, 1 Sam. 17. Where it is written, ver. 54. that David tooke the head of the Philistine, and brought it to Ierusalem, but he put his ar∣mour in his tent, although there was a great intervall of time betweene these two actions.

7. This joyning of things farre removed in time, is not unsu∣table to him that speaketh or writeth.

8. First instance against this answer, taken from the connexi∣on of the third verse with the second, from the same tence used in both, and from the identitie of the same seventh day spoken of in both, &c.

9. First answer to this instance, shewing, that in the holy Scripture things distant in-time, are expressed by words of the same tence, when the one hath some dependancie upon the other.

10. Application of this answer to the blessing and sanctification of the seventh day in Moses his time, joyned with Gods rest af∣ter the creation, because it was the foundation of that bles∣sing.

11. Second answer, It was not the same particular seventh day after the creation, but the same by revolution which God san∣ctified.

12. Third answer, the Hebrew article 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 confirmeth not, that the seventh day which God blessed was the same seventh day wherein he rested.

13. Second instance, as Gods blessing of his creatures after they were made, was present, so was his blessing of the seventh day immediately after the creation.

14. Answer to this instance, the reason is not alike.

15. Confirmation of the answer made to the words of Moses in Genesis, by the conformity of the same words used in the com∣mandement given to the Iewes concerning the Sabbath.

16. As also, because the Sabbath was not hallowed for Adam who in the estate of innocency had no need of such a day.

17. First instance, Adam was taught by Gods example that hee

stood in need of such a day, refuted.

18. Second instance, as God ordained Sacraments to Adam, so he ordained to him a seventh day of rest, refuted by a reason shewing the nullity of that consequence.

19. And by the excellency of Adams condition, to which the ordi∣nation of such a day was derogatory.

20. Third instance, as Gods rest on the Seventh day was the foun∣dation of the commandement given to the Iewes to rest on that day, so was it from the beginning, refuted.

1 THose that hold the second opinion doe say, that the keeping of a Seventh day of Sabbath is a morall thing, which from the beginning of the world should continue to the end thereof, with this diffe∣rence only, that God before and till the comming of Iesus Christ had ordained, that the last day of the weeke wherein hee rested from all the workes which hee had made, when he created the world, should be sanctified by all men, in remembrance of the creation, and of his rest on that day: But since the manifestation of Iesus Christ, it was his will, that in∣stead of the last day of the weeke, the first day, wherein Christ, ri∣sing from among the dead, rested from the work of our redemption, should be observed in the Christian Church, for a memoriall of this worke, which being more excellent then the former, it was besee∣ming and just, that this last day of the creation, should yeeld the possession of the day of rest unto it.

2 To underprop this opinion, they have broached diverse reasons, amongst which we shall order in the first place the reason taken out of the second Chapter of Genesis, ver. 3. where Moses, after hee had said, that God finished all his workes in sixe dayes, and rested on the seventh day, addeth, And God blessed the Seventh day, and sanctified it, because that in it he had rested from all his workes which hee created and made. Of which words they conclude, that as soone as ever the Creation was ended, and the Seventh day begun to subsist in nature, it was blessed and sanctified, that is, consecra∣ted to Gods service, and ordained, even then to our first Parents while they were in the state of innocency, to be kept by them for this end, and therefore the observation of a Seventh day is morall, is

of the Law of nature, and is in no wise ceremoniall, seeing it was established before sin came into the world, at which time there was no shadowes and figures of Christ, because in that state of innocency our first Parents had not stood in neede of him, nor of any direction to him by ceremonies. If then in that estate, wherein no corruption of sin had hindred them to serve God continually, and the bodily imployments had been no great disturbance unto them in the practice of that duty, God judged necessary to injoine unto them a seventh day, to the intent that giving over all other care, they should in it addict themselves only to the actions of his service, and all religious exercises, how much more in the state of sin, where∣in men have so many hindrances from Gods service, both by sin, and by the laborious occupations of their worldly callings, is it necessary, that a set day of rest be ordained unto them, to cease wholly in it from the turmoile of their secular affaires, and to give themselves only to holy and religious exercises belonging to Gods service. This necessity is as great under the new Testament, as it was under the old; and therefore God hath not omitted to or∣daine under both a Sabbath day, yea, a seventh day of rest, which being established before sinne, and consequently being morall, bin∣deth all men perpetually.

3 There be divers meanes to answer this objection: First, no∣thing obligeth us to believe, that the words written in the third verse of the second Chapter of Genesis should be thus translated: And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it, as if Moses had meant to expresse a time past long before his penning of this Booke; and to tell, that this blessing and sanctifying was made even from the time that the creation was finished, and from the first seventh day of the world: Whereas they may be translated thus, And God hath blessed the seventh day, and hath sanctified it, & understood, as being said with a Parenthesis, and in regard of the Ordinance which God had lately made in the daies of Moses concerning the seventh day, when he gave by his Ministery the Law of the Israelites▪ Which ordinance Moses made mention of in his relation to the history of the creation, as of a thing established and knowne of the Israelites when he writ, & by occasion of that he had said, that God after he had created all his works in sixe daies, rested on the seventh day. So we may give this exposition to Moses words; God made

all his works in six daies, and rested on the seventh day, and thence he tooke occasion to blesse and sanctifie now that day, giving com∣mandement by his Law to his people of Israel to keepe it in their generations: So it shall be a narration made in this place occasion∣ally, according to the ordinary custome of holy Writers, and spe∣cially of Moses, when in the historicall relation of things that were come to passe long before, they find occasion to speak of things happened since, specially of those that were come to passe in their time when they wrote, to interlace, upon that occasion, a short re∣hearsall of them, with the narration of things more ancient, and to speake of both in such a manner, as if they had happened in the same time, whereof I will here set downe some examples.

4 First we find divers places named by anticipation: As in the 12. Chapter of Genesis, verse 8. It is said, that Abraham removed unto a mountaine Eastward from Bethel, which name of Bethel was not in the daies of Abraham the name of the place betokened by it in the foresaid words: For it was not called Bethel, till in it Iacob saw a ladder reaching to heaven, and the Lord standing above it. Then Iacob called it Bethel, that is, The house of God, whereas before that time it was called Luz, as may be seene in Genesis, Chap. 28. vers. 13. 19. But Moses writing the history of Abraham, called it Bethel, by an historicall anticipation, because in his time, Bethel was the ordinary name of that place: We read in the fourth Chapter of Ioshuah, vers. 19. that the people came up out of Iordan, and pitched in Gilgal, which was not so called, till Ioshuah in that place circumcised the people, Chap. 5. vers. 9. Likewise in the second Chapter of Iudges, and first verse, the Author saith, that the Angel of the Lord came up from Gilgal to Bokim, because the place which he calleth Bokim was so called when he wrote that history, although it was not yet so called when the Angel came thither, but received that name afterward, from the teares which the people shed and powred out before God, after the Angel had rebuked them; For the Text saith, that when the Angel of the Lord spake these words to all the children of Israel, the people lift up their voice and wept: Therefore they called the name of that place BOKIM, vers. 4, 5.

5 Secondly, we find the same anticipation in the description of things and actions: As in the 16. Chapter of Exodus, where

Moses reporteth, how God began first to give Manna to the Isra∣elites (which I pretend also to be the time of the first institution of the Sabbath) and how the Israelites carried themselves about the ordering thereof, and immediatly he addeth, how he by Gods command, ordained that an Omer of it should be filled, to be kept for the generations of the Israelites, vers. 32. and gave an injuncti∣on to Aaron to take a pot, to put in it that Omer full of Manna, and to lay it up before the LORD to be kept for their generati∣on, vers. 33. He reciteth also at once, that as the LORD com∣manded him, so Aaron laid it up before the Testimony to be kept, vers. 34. which things, as it is evident, were not done at the first, when God gave them that bread to eat, because then there was as yet neither Tabernacle, nor Arke, nor Tables of the Law. But because when Moses wrote, all these things were done, and had their full performance, he taking occasion of the historicall narration, which he was writing of the first Manna which God sent to his people, relateth also the Ordinance that God gave to put a pot full of it in the Tabernacle, before the Arke, and the execution of the said Ordinance, which neverthelesse must be referred to a long time after.

6 So in the first Booke of Samuel, and in the 17. chapter, after the narration made of Davids combat against Goliah, of his victo∣ry of that Giant, and of the defeat of the Philistins, it is added in the Text, verse 54. And David tooke the head of the Philistine, and brought it to Ierusalem, but hee put his armour into his Tent, which notwithstanding was not done, but after that David, being anointed King, tooke the whole towne of Ierusalem from the Ie∣busites, with the strong hold of Sion, and dwelled in it, calling it the City of David, 2 Sam. 5. vers. 7. 9. And therefore our French translation in the foresaid place, 1 Sam. 17. addeth the word depuis, that is, since, saying, And David since brought the head of the Philistine to Ierusalem, and put his armes in his Tabernacle, to shew, that David did not this as soone as he had overthrowne the Philistine, although it be related in the Text jointly and at once, with his combat and victory, as if both had happened together, because when that history was a writing, the transportation of the head and armes of Goliah to Ierusalem, and to the fort of Sion was done: And therefore it is related by occasion, as it were with

one breath, in consequence of the victory gotten over him: Other examples might be found to this purpose, if it were needfull.

7 To keepe this course in discoursing and writing is no wise un∣fitting nor misbecomming. If any writing under the New Testa∣ment the History of the first Creation of the world, and relating the forming of light on the first day, should adde by occasion. And it is also on the first day, that the true light of the world hath shined by his resurrection from the dead, and for that cause wee observe that day: Or if re-hearzing, that God brought forth bread out of the earth to strengthen mans heart, and Wine to make it glad, he should adde joyntly upon this occasion: And it is in this bread and in this Wine which nourish the body, that Iesus Christ hath insti∣tuted the Sacrament of the nourishment of the soule by him, who should finde any thing blame-worthy in such discourses. Wher∣fore then Moses might he not most fitly, by occasion of that hee had written of the Seventh day, and of Gods rest in it, in the Hi∣story of the Creation, touch also in the same discourse the edict made about the sanctification of that day, seeing that edict had a great sway when he wrote the History of the Creation, and Gods rest on the Seventh day was the cause and reason thereof, although it was not so ancient as the first Seventh day?

8 Against this answer the instance hath no force which they urge from the conjunction and, whereby the third verse is joyned with the second, that is, the blessing and hallowing of the Seventh day, with the finishing of the workes of God, and of his rest on that day, as being done at the same time, and expressed in words of the same tence and moode. Nor what they say further, that in these two verses, as most cleerely appeareth, the whole discourse is of the same Seventh day, and as in the second verse is understood the first Seventh day, wherein God, after he had finished his workes, rested, likewise in the third verse it is understood so, when it is said, that he blessed and sanctified the Seventh day, which is also expressed by the demonstrative Article 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: to shew that it was the same Se∣venth day: that otherwise the reason which is added, and taken from the rest of God, should be worthlesse, because God did not rest from the worke of Creation on that day which he ordained to the Iewes, to be their Sabbath day, but on that day wherein hee fini∣shed first all his workes.

9 For I answer to this, that the conjunction and may well enough joyne things distant in time, and farre removed one from another, that also they may be expressed by words of the same tence and moode, specially if they have any connexion and dependancy one upon another, as in this place, The blessing and hallowing of the Seventh day, although done long after Gods rest on the Seventh day, dependeth upon that rest, as upon the cause and reason which was an occasion to God to make it. In the Texts before mentioned of Exodus 16. Chapter the 32. and 33. verses, and of the 17. Chapter of the first booke of Samuel, in the 54. verse, which ex∣presse manifestly things done many yeares after these which are re∣hearsed before, but depending on them, are joyned to the verses im∣mediately going before, by the conjunction and, which is diverse time reiterated, and the words whereby these diverse things are ex∣pressed, are set downe in the same tence and moode. It imports not, that in these examples the thing subsequent joyned straight with the precedent, was not a great deale so farre remote in time from it, because both hapned within the space of the age of one man, as should be in the Text of Genesis before cited the sanctifi∣cation of the Seventh day from Gods rest on the Seventh day, if this being past on the first Seventh day after the Creation, that came not to passe till the dayes of Moses, which should be an intervall of more than two thousand yeeres. For when two things separated and distant in time, are to bee coupled together in a discourse, if so bee the one hang upon the other, those that are remote by many thousand of yeares, may be joyned together, as well as those of twenty or forty yeeres distance. Neither doe I see wherefore it is not as allowable and convenient to rehearse at once a thing come to passe two thousand yeeres and more, after another that it relyeth on, notwithstanding there be a great intervall of time betweene, as to recite one chanced twenty or forty yeares after another whereunto it hath some relation. In the one and in the other there is the same reason, and the same liberty.

10 Wherefore the blessing of the Seventh day made in the dayes of Moses, might bee fitly coupled with the Rest of God, after the Creation, which was the foundation thereof, notwithstanding any whatsoever distance of time betweene them. As indeed it is so joy∣ned in the fourth Commandement, Exodus Chapter 20. verse 11.

where GOD speaking to the Israelites saith, In sixe dayes the LORD made heaven and earth, and rested the Seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it. In which place cannot be understood a blessing and hallowing done at the same time, that God rested first on the Seventh day, but that on∣ly which was made in behalfe of the Israelites, as is cleere by the re∣petition of the Law in the fifth Chapter of Deuteronomie, where that which was absolutely said in Exodus, Therfore the Lord bles∣sed the Seventh day, is restrained to the Israelites, v. 15. Therefore the Lord commanded thee to keepe the Sabbath day. And in Exodus 16. v. 29. The Lord hath given you the Sabbath. And in the 31. Chap. ver. 16, 17. The Children of Israel shall keepe the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generation, for a perpetu∣all covenant: It is a signe betweene mee and the children of Israel for ever. For in sixe dayes the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the Seventh day he rested; where it cannot be denyed, but that with the end of the Creation, and Gods rest on the Seventh day, is immediately joyned the institution of the Sabbath to the Is∣raelites, at least in quality of a signe. If then in that place Moses might speake after this manner, and say, God created in sixe dayes heaven and earth, and rested the Seventh day, and therefore he hath ordained to the Israelites the Sabbath day for a signe; wherefore in the second of Genesis; might he not say after the same manner, God made heaven and earth, in sixe dayes, and finished them on the Se∣venth day, and rested from all his workes, and this his Rest on the Seventh day hath moved him to blesse ánd sanctifie that day, to wit, to the Israelites, to be a signe unto them according to that hath been said in the places before mentioned, which are an evident and cleere explication thereof.

11 Neither is it any wise necessary, as is pretended, that in the second Chapter of Genesis, in the second and third verses, one and the same singular seventh day should be understood, and that God hath precisely sanctified the same seventh day wherein he rested, and rested on the same day that he sanctified, and therefore because in the second verse the first seventh day after the Creation is under∣stood, it must be taken so in the third verse. For it sufficeth to un∣derstand in the third verse the same seventh day in likenesse and re∣volution, and generally a seventh day correspondent continually in

order to that which GOD rested on, after his workes of the sixe dayes. And this reason, that God rested on the first seventh day, might have been to God a most reasonable cause to ordaine long af∣ter the sanctification of a seventh day, answerable in all points to that first seventh day. The sequell of Moses his discourse is as fit∣ting in this regard, as in the other; As if I said, our Lord Iesus Christ rose againe, and rested from the worke of our redemption on the first day of the weeke, wherefore the Church hath dedicated the first day of the weeke that hee rose in, to be holy and solemne, the sequele is good, although it be not the same first singular day that Christ rose on, and the Church hath consecrated, but the same onely in likenesse and revolution, yea although there passed a long time after the Resurrection of our Lord and Saviour before the first day of the weeke could be well setled as a day of holy and re∣ligious exercises. We say on Friday before Easter, this day Christ hath suffered: on the Ascension day, this day Christ is ascended into heaven: At Whitsunday, On this day the Holy Ghost is come downe, although those things came to passe on a certaine singular day which is past long agoe. But we name so all the dayes follow∣ing which correspond to that first day, according to the similitude which is betweene them. And we call the day of the Passion, of the Ascension, of the descent of the Holy Ghost, those which are not such properly, but onely have by revolution correspondancie with the first dayes, wherein such things were done. Even so, when it is said in the third verse of the second Chapter of Genesis, And therefore the Lord hath blessed the Seventh day, and hath hallowed it, because in it he hath rested from all his workes, that is to be un∣derstood, not of the same first day wherein hee rested, but of a Seventh day answering unto it in the order and continuall succes∣on of dayes.

12 The Article 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 put in the third verse, before the word that sig∣nifieth seven 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 proveth not, that it is a peculiar seventh, even that seventh day that God rested in verse 2. For although the Ar∣ticle 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 be often used to betoken emphatically a thing singular and individuall, already knowne and mentioned, yet this is not uni∣versall. For it is used much without any emphasis, or expresse demonstration of any thing, either singular or certaine, yea simply to serve for an ornament, and to make the word that it is joyned

unto more full, which use hath also in the Greeke tongue the ar∣ticle 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Verily in the third ver. which we speak of in this place, it is cleere, that the said Article cannot be restrained to a seventh singu∣lar day, as it is in the second verse; Nay it betokeneth more gene∣rally a seventh day comprehending in it many singular dayes, which by similitude, in regard of the order and succession of times, have reference and analogie to the first seventh day mentioned in the said second verse, and have followed it from time to time at the end of sixe dayes. For it is such a seventh day that God hath sanctified, and not a singular seventh. And that seventh day may bee called a particular seventh, and considered as particularised by the Article 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, as it is in effect, in as much as it is not indifferently all seventh day, or any of the seven dayes of the weeke that God hath sancti∣fied, but it is the last of them. We seeke only to know, when God began to blesse and to hallow it to men, to be kept by them. And I maintaine that this hallowing began not incontinent after the Creation was finished, but more than two thousand yeeres after. Neither is the contrary proved by this passage of Genesis.

13 No greater weight hath another instance which is much urged, that as in the course of the Creation, when it is said, that God after he had created every living thing, blessed them, Gen. 1. v. 21, 22, 27, 28. is to be understood a present benediction, and not put off to a long time: Even so, when in the second of Genesis, with the perfection of the Creation on the seventh day, is joyned the blessing and hallowing of that day, a present sanctification is to be understood.

14 For the reason is not alike in the one, and in the other. First, the blessing of all living creatures, and the blessing of the seventh day are not to be taken in the same sence. That is a blessing of actu∣all and reall communication of goods and graces: This is a bles∣sing of destination to be solemnized by men. Secondly, all living creatures, as soone as GOD had created them, stood in necessary need of this communication of his graces, without which they could not have subsisted in their being: And therefore we ought to understand, that at that time God blessed them after that manner, but there was no necessity, that man should solemnize the seventh day as soone as it was made, more than any other day of the weeke, and therefore it was not necessary that GOD should then conse∣crate

it to that use. Thirdly, it is clearely set downe in the Text, that God blessed all living creatures as soone as he created them: For it is added, And God blessed them, and God said unto them, be fruitfull, and multiply, &c. But it is not said, that God blessed the day of rest, and at that same time commanded Adam and his posterity to keepe it; wherefore a like blessing and hollowing can∣not be proved from thence to have beene made from the begin∣ning of the seventh day.

15 This first answer to the precedent objection, is moreover confir∣med by the conformity of the words which Moses maketh use of in this verse of the second of Genesis, with those whereby the hallow∣ing of the Sabbath was injoyned in the Law, for they are the same; which is an helpe to shew, that Moses writing since God pronounced the Law, spoke of the hallowing of the seventh day, in regard only to the Ordinance that God in his time had made there∣of, seeing he imployeth the same words, and the same discourse.

16 Againe, the same answer is confirmed by this, that it is not probable, that God from the beginning sanctified the seventh day to ordaine it to Adam for a day of rest, because Adam in the estate of innocency should not have had any use of such a day. For he was without sin, which might have hindred him to serve God continu∣ally, and therefore needed not a signe, which by the similitude of a bodily rest and cessation, might teach him to cease and rest from sin, as if he had beene already obnoxious unto it, and so be for that purpose a good help unto him. And though he was capable of sin, and had a possibility of falling into it afterward: Yet as the holy Angells were and are still capable of sin, and might of themselves fall into sin, if God confirmed them not in grace, and yet a day of Sabbath was not behoofefull unto them, because they are in a perpe∣tuall course of serving God: Even so to man, in that estate of in∣nocency, a particular day of rest was neither very necessary, nor very sufficient to keep him from falling into sin. For to prevent that mis-hap he stood in need of daily helps far more powerfull, making him to cleave to God with purpose of heart, to call upon him, to thinke seriously on him, and consider deeply his favours and graces, which he might and was bound to doe, seeing he had no distraction from Gods service by any temporall and earthly busi∣nesse. For although it be true, that God put him in the garden of

Heden, and commanded him to dresse it, Genes. 2. vers. 15. yet seeing that place was unto him a place of pleasure, delights, and in∣nocency, the dressing of it could not hinder him to serve God every day, with all necessary continuance and assiduity. It had rather been unto him a recreation and delightfull diversion, to keep him from idlenesse, then a necessary occupation, seeing the earth had of it selfe brought forth all fruits unto him; no painfull imploiment, because it had not bin accompanied with toilesome travell and wea∣rinesse, and had not required of him an oversight and imployment so long, that a particular day would have bin necessary unto him, to rest on it from his works, and to apply himselfe without distra∣ction to Gods service; whereas the occupations of sinfull men are such, that they are forced of necessity to win their bread in the sweat of their face. Moreover, in that estate of innocency, Adam and Eve being alone, had no outward exercises of Religion, such as are those that are practised in a Church assembled, and which, to attend on them, require of necessity a stinted time, and a cessation from all bodily works. But rather all the service that God required of Adam, and which he might have applyed himselfe unto, was a particular meditation and consideration of his works, and the calling upon his holy name: Which service he was able to discharge every day abundantly, yea, even then, when he was busied about the dressing of the garden, which was capable rather to stirre up and enter∣taine his spirit in the mediation of Gods workes, then to hin∣der it.

17 Of no weight is the instance that some make, saying, that al∣though Adam in the estate of innocency had no distraction from Gods service, nor trouble and wearinesse by his ordinary labour, yet it was behoofefull unto him to keepe a seventh day of rest, seeing God himselfe, although he was in no regard wearied and distracted by making all his works in sixe daies, neverthelesse rested on the seventh day. Verily, if God after the making of his workes in sixe daies, had rested on the seventh day purposely, to the intent, that by an intermission of his painfull labors, and appointment and solemne applying of that seventh day to some particular holinesse for him∣selfe and his owne use, as having need thereof, because he could not in the sixe precedent daies be earnest enough about it, he might afterwards returne to the making of other works after the former,

and so continue that reciprocation, the foresaid instance by far grea∣ter reason should be much worth. But that saying, that God rested on the seventh day, signifieth nothing saving this, that God ceased to make more workes, and viewed them when they were made, be∣cause in the former sixe dayes he had finished them all, and this ces∣sation was only a resultance and necessary consequence of the in∣tire perfection of all his worke, wherefore also it continued, not only on that seventh day, but ever sithence; Because God hath never since made any new creatures. Whence it is cleerely appa∣rent that the instance is altogether vaine, because there is not the same reason of Gods rest on the seventh day, and of the rest, the ne∣cessity whereof they would faine put upon man in the estate of in∣nocency. All that this example of God could oblige Adam unto, was only to indeavour, after he had done his worke, to contem∣plate Gods workes, and admire in them his glory, which, I say, he might have done sufficiently every day. Now if this example bin∣deth us not at this time under the New Testament, as shall be pro∣ved hereafter, how farre lesse obliged it Adam?

18 No more force hath that which is also objected, that if God or∣dained to Adam, when he was in his integrity, outward signes and Sacraments, as the tree of life, and the tree of knowledge of good and evill, he might as conveniently ordaine unto him a day of rest. For the tree of life, and the tree of knowledge, of good and evill, to speake properly, were no more Sacraments to Adam, then the other trees of the Garden, yea then all other workes of God, in all which he might have considered signes and markes of the grace and power of GOD; But the one was unto him a meanes of the perpetuall conservation of his bodily life by eating of the fruit ther∣of, and the other an occasion to try his obedience, by the prohibi∣tion made unto him to eate thereof. Besides this the consequence is naught: For to establish signes and Sacraments signifying to A∣dam the perpetuall grace of God, and his immortality, if he perse∣vered in obedience, and on the contrary threatning him with the disgrace of God, and with death, if he became a transgressor, was not a thing repugnant to his condition in the state of innocency, neither had it any unreasonablenesse joyned with it: But to or∣daine a particular day of rest to a man, to whom all the dayes had beene Sabbaths, and who day by day had served God, as much as was necessary, and as God did require of him, was not a thing sutable and convenient to his condition.

As in the heavenly Paradise there is no particular day of Sab∣bath, but a perpetuall Sabbath, because there GOD is glorified without stint or ceasing by the heavenly Host, even so in the terre∣striall Paradise, where man was righteous and holy, and in a con∣dition conforme, in some sort, to that of the kingdome of heaven, and a figure thereof, he had observed a perpetuall Sabbath to GOD. For although hee could not doe it so perfectly as it is done in hea∣ven, because he was obnoxious to the necessities of this naturall life, neverthelesse hee might have done it, and did it as perfectly as the quality and condition of his being here beneath could suf∣fer, so that it was no wise requisite that he should have a particular day of Sabbath.

19 Nay I esteeme, that to affirme, that GOD ordained unto him a seventh day of Sabbath, derogateth too much from the excellency of his condition. For it is most sure, that the determination of a particular time of GODs service made to a man expressely, sup∣poseth that he wants the commodity, and is not able to serve GOD ordinarily, or hath not an inclination and affection to doe it, and it therefore must be layd upon him, as a Yoake tying him thereunto, and withdrawing him from his other occupations, as also it is a marke of a servile condition, in witnesse whereof, the appointment of so many solemne dayes of Gods service under the Law, was a part of the Yoke thereof, from which God hath freed the state of the Gospell, as being more free and more perfect, wherein wee should be stirred up with a more free and voluntary affection to his service. To one that is both able and willing to serve God conti∣nually every day, as Adam was in that state of innocency and of perfect righteousnesse, it is not needfull to limit a particular day. And though a day chosen and picked out from others had beene use∣full to Adam, to the end that giving over all other things, he might give himselfe intirely and only to Gods service, doubtlesse God had left that choice to his liberty, considering the wisedome and godli∣nesse wherewith he had endowed him.

20 To say that since Gods rest on the seventh day, after the labour of sixe dayes in the Creation, was the foundation and the reason of the institution made in the Law, of a seventh day, to bee a Sab∣bath day, the same reason being of the same force and use from the beginning of the world, should have caused at that time the same

ordinance, and the same hallowing of the seventh day to all men, it is a forceles consequence. For there was not a like necessity of the in∣stitution of a particular day of rest in these first beginnings, when A∣dam was in the state of innocency, nor afterwards when the Church subsisted in a few families, or particular persons, as there hath been, after the Church was become a great body of people, having need of a stinted order and government, whereof GOD would take the care upon himselfe, and for that end, among other points of ecclesi∣asticall order, and rules of his service, ordaine to his people of Is∣rael growen to a great number, a day of Sabbath, and the seventh of the week, taking for the foundation and reason of the institution of a seventh day his own resting on the seventh day, which became, at that time only, a reason of this ordinance, because God groun∣ded himselfe thereupon to make it, but it followeth not, that be∣fore that time, and from the beginning of the world this rest of God, which was on the first seventh day, should be a reason of the same ordinance. That should be right and prove good, if it were of its owne nature a reason absolutely necessary, and a cause bring∣ing forth unfallibly such an effect, which is not. Otherwise it should follow, that God was bound to hallow the seventh day, and could not sanctifie any other. It is indeed a reason, not of it selfe, but only for as much as God thought fit, and was pleased to ground upon it the sanctification of the seventh day. Whereof this is a manifest proofe, that under the New Testament this reason hath no force to make us observe the day of Gods rest. Now there is no necessity obliging us to inferre, that if God would and thought fit it should bee a reason in the time of the Law, he was also willing, and thought fit, it should be a reason also before the Law, and since the beginning of the world: Whereas it is manifest by the rea∣sons already alledged, that it was very fit it should be so under the Law, but was not so from the beginning, and before the Law was given.