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 fifth.

Answer to the fourth Reason.

1. Fourth reason for the morality of the Sabbath, taken out of the fourth Chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrewes, vers. 3 & 4.

2. Whence they gather, that the Sabbath day was ordained to all men from the beginning of the world.

3. And that by three arguments inforced upon the words of the Apostle.

4. First answer, In that place the Apostle speaketh not directly of any rest ordained to man, but onely of Gods rest.

5. Second answer, Indirectly Gods rest on the seventh day, and the rest of the Iewes commanded to them afterwards, being as types and figures of the heavenly rest applyed unto the said words, prove not that both are one rest, and the one as ancient as the other.

6. Confirmation of this answer.

7. Answer to the first argument, It is not necessary to understand that Gods rest on the seventh day is a rest given to man, as the two other rests of God must be so understood.

8. Answer to the second argument, shewing by the exposition of the words of the Apostle, that there is no equivocation to be found in them, although the rest of God in one place be not understood of a rest given to man, as in the two other places.

9. Answer to the third argument, shewing there is no defect in the argumentation of the Apostle, although he speaketh not directly of the rest ordained in the fourth Commandement.

THEY object also from the fourth Chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrewes, that the Apostle citeth out of the 95. Psalme verse 11. and applyeth to the Hebrewes, the threat denounced of old against the incredulous Israelites in the daies of Moses, that they should never enter into his rest: That

the Psalmist adapted it also to the Iewes of his time, exhorting them not to harden their hearts, when they shall heare the voice of God, as their Fathers have done, lest they also should come short of en∣tring into his rest. That, I say, the Apostle citing that threat, as ap∣plyed by the Psalmist to his time, observeth, that God at that time spoke on this wise; I have sworne in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest, although his workes were finished from the foundation of the world, For he spake in a certaine place (to wit, in the second Chapter of Genesis) of the seventh day on this wise: And God rested the seventh day from all his workes. And that from thence the Apostle maketh this inference, that God in this threat, wherein hee spake in Davids time of a rest to come, whereof the Is∣raelites should come short, could not understand the rest of the seventh day, mentioned in the second of Genesis, because that rest had a great sway from the foundation of the world: As hee sheweth also in the verses following, that it could not be taken for the rest of the Land of Canaan, because Ioshuah a long time before had brought the Israelites into that rest, and therefore of necessity God spake of another rest then of these two, to wit, of a spirituall and heavenly rest, which those that beleeve are admitted into, and all those that beleeve not come short of.

2 They endeavour to make out of this discourse this illation, that the observation of the Sabbath day was ordained to all men from the beginning of the world, even from that seventh day wherein God rested from all his workes. For they put in this the force of the argumentation of the Apostle, to wit, That the rest of the seventh day was not to be understood in the threat denounced in Davids time against the Israelites, that they should never enter in∣to Gods rest, because men were already entred into it from the be∣ginning of the world, as it is written; And God rested the seventh day from all his workes, and is so cited by the Apostle, and by them urged as impossible to be understood onely of Gods resting from all his works after he had finished them, and as of necessity to be taken, for a rest ordained of God to men, which at that same time hee brought them into.

3 Because, even as the Apostle by the other rest of the land of Canaan, which he alledgeth also, and by the heavenly rest, which he mentioneth likewise, understands a rest that men enter into, and

whereof they have an enjoying and possession, the one and the other [unspec 1] being called Gods rest, because he puts them in possession of them; likewise by the rest of God on the seventh day, which hee maketh mention of, as of a thing which had sway when the workes of God were finished from the beginning of the world, he understands necessarily a rest which men enjoyed and practised at that same time after Gods example: For otherwise, and if it had not be∣longed to men, in vaine had the Apostle excepted it, as a thing that could not be understood in Gods threat. As also there should be an equivocation in this, that the Apostle making mention of three rests [unspec 2] of God, to wit, of the rest of the seventh day, of the rest of the land of Canaan, and of the heavenly rest; should by the first understand a rest whereby God onely rested, and belonging to him alone, and by the two others a rest which he had given, or was to give to men for their rest. That moreover, if by the rest of the seventh day he had [unspec 3] not understood a rest ordained to men from the beginning, but on∣ly Gods owne rest, his argumentation should be defective, and sub∣ject to an easie reply, because he had omitted? the rest which out of all doubt God instituted, at least in the fourth Commandement, concerning which rest, seeing hee excluded it not, the Hebrewes might have replyed unto him, that God understood, and denoted it in that threat, wherewith hee threatned the Israelites by David, that they should not enter into his rest, and so hee had not obtained his end, which was to shew, that God speaketh there of the hea∣venly rest, and not of any other.

4 To all this reasoning, which, to some that make use of it, see∣meth to be of great weight, to others but light and probable, I an∣swer shortly, that albeit it hath some shew, it hath not strength enough to prove that which is in question, to wit, that the obser∣vation of the Sabbath day was ordained to man from the beginning of the world. For the Apostle in the place above cited, ver. 3. & 4. speaketh not expresly of any rest ordained to man, nor that men had at that time entred into any rest; nay, he maketh no mention, that God had blessed and sanctified the Sabbath day, but saith that God did rest the seventh day, as soone as his works were finished. There∣fore it is not his scope to teach, that the rest of the seventh day was kept by men from the foundation of the world, and that for that cause God could not understand it, when in the daies of David he

spake to the Israelites of a new entrance into his rest. For if hee had propounded to himselfe that end, doubtlesse he had uttered it in more expresse tearmes, at least he had rather cited these words of the second Chapter of Genesis, And God blessed the seventh day, and hallowed it, which had manifestly beene more unto the purpose, then these others, And the seventh day, God rested from all his workes. Although that howbeit he had alleadged them, no man can necessarily inferre from thence, that he had such an intention: whereas his mentioning only of GODS rest on the seventh day, and his omitting of the blessing and hallowing thereof which fol∣loweth immediately in the Text, sheweth he acknowledged, that it was not practised from the beginning, and that also his minde was to speake directly of GODS Rest only, and to shew, as a thing most evident, that that rest, seeing it was past, and there was no possibility of entring into it, could not be understood in the pro∣mise which God so long after made by David to the faithfull, of entring into his rest, Hebr. 1. ver. 1, 3. which promise was inclu∣ded in the threat, that unbeleevers should not enter into his Rest; but another rest, to wit, a spirituall rest prepared to the faithfull in heaven, whereof that Rest of God on the seventh day was as a type and figure.

5 Which GOD gave them to understand, when he caused Mo∣ses to observe in the description of the History of the Creation, that * 1.1 on the seventh day hee rested from all his workes, conformably whereunto he commanded the Iewes to keepe the seventh day, and to rest on it, as he had rested, that it might be unto them a type and figure of the heavenly rest. And in this respect we may grant, that the Apostle speaketh also of the rest of the seventh day ordained to men, and excludeth it out of the sence of the threat, but indirectly and by consequence only, for as much as affirming, that even the rest of God Himselfe on the seventh day after he had finished his works, was not understood in the foresaid threat when GOD denounced it by David, we may inferre from thence, that likewise the rest or∣dained to men was not understood in it. Not because this was as ancient as that, for in such an asseveration there is no consequence; but because that was the foundation of the institution of this to the Israelites, and this had a great sway when GOD gave that warning with such a threat, as well as that, albeit not of so long a date.

6 To confirme that I say serveth the tenth verse, where it is said, * 1.2 that he that is entred into Gods Rest, hath also rested from his owne workes, as God did also from his, the meaning of which words is, that they which are entred into the heavenly Rest cease from all their labours and businesses of this life, even as God on the seventh day rested from all his workes, whereby the Apostle signifieth, that God in his own rest established a figure of the heavenly Rest, which he would conferre upon men, whereof he gave them notice after∣ward; whence it followeth, that in the third and fourth verses (which the tenth verse hath relation unto) where it is observed, that God from the foundation of the world, after his workes were finished, rested the seventh day, and notified so much by Moses in the second Chap. of Genesis, the Apostle designed directly no other rest, but Gods owne Rest, and meant not rest ordained from the begin∣ning to Adam. For if he had meant such a rest, he had said in the 10. verse, he that entreth into Gods heavenly rest, ceaseth from all the workes of this life, even as Adam by Gods commandement rested on the seventh day, and had not said simply, as God rested from all his workes.

7 The instances alleadged are weak. For what necessity is there, that because by the two other rests of God mentioned by the Apostle, He. 4. v. 1, 8, 9. to wit, the rest of the land of Canaan, and the heaven∣ly rest, a rest given to men is understood, even so by the rest of the se∣venth day in the 2. & 3. verses a like rest is to be formally understood, and in the same respect; As if one and the same word were not often found in the Scripture, in the same tenor of a discourse, taken in diffe∣rent respects, and much more different then is here Gods rest, which in two places signifieth directly and expresly a Rest of God, in as much as given to men, and in the third a Rest of God, in as much as he himselfe rested: But indirectly and by consequence, in as much as he ordained afterwards to men to rest according to his example.

8 Which is an equivocation (if they will have it to be so called) of small weight, and inferior to many others which in other passages may be found in one and the same word, which moreover bringeth no inconveniency with it. For what necessity was there that this tearme The Rest of God, should be alwayes in this discourse of the Apostle taken in the same sence, seeing his only intention was to demonstrate, that all other Rest of God, which the Scripture cal∣leth

so, saving the heavenly rest, in whatsoever sence it be taken, could not be understood in the threat denounced by David. For I will here set downe a sence which may bee conveniently fitted to the words of the Apostle. God in his threat wherewith he threat∣ned the Israelites by David, that if they were rebellious, they should not enter into his rest, understood either his owne Rest which he rested on the seventh day, after his workes were finished, from the Creation of the world; and which was the foundation and occasion moving him to ordaine long after the rest of the Se∣venth day to men; Or the rest of the land of Canaan, or the heavenly Rest, seeing there is no mention in the Scripture of any Rest of God, but of those three. Now of necessity he understood the hea∣venly Rest. For hee could not understand the rest of the land of Canaan, because the Israelites were already entred into that land, and enjoyed it: Nor also his owne Rest which he rested on the se∣venth day, because it was past and gone from the foundation of the world, besides that it was not of such a nature that men could enter into it: Whence followed also that likewise God did not under∣stand the Rest of the seventh day ordained to men, because indeed it was not ordained unto them, but conformably to the example of Gods Rest, which was the cause and reason of the institution there∣of: And therefore if this rest was excluded from Gods intention in his threat, that was excluded also, although the Apostle expres∣seth not this unto us, and farre lesse at what time God gave to men the ordinance of the seventh day, contenting himselfe with the ex∣pression of Gods own Rest, after he had finished his workes, on the first seventh day, which Rest being excluded, excluded also the other ordained to men, in whatsoever time it was ordained unto them, whether in the proper time of Gods rest, or long after: Neither of which can be learned of the Apostles words in this discourse, but may be elsewhere.

9 According to this, it is cleere, that by the Apostles reasoning the way was shut up to the foresaid reply, which, as is pretended, may be made of the maymednesse of his argumentation, wherein is left out the rest commanded to men in the fourth Commande∣ment, if by the rest of God wee must understand Gods owne rest, and not the rest which he ordained to men. For I deny not, but that this was also understood by the Apostle. But, as I have said,

courtly, indirectly, and by consequence taken from the rest which he expresseth, from which this other hath its beginning and depen∣dance, although it be not of the same antiquity, and that it cannot bee proved, that the Apostle meaneth any such thing. Moreover, albeit we could not find a way to answer such a reply, and to refute it, there should not bee in that any great inconvenience, seeing the thing it selfe affords an easie answer, and the Apostle answereth not alwayes formally in all places to all replyes, which might be made to his allegations: It sufficeth, if their vanity bee evident of it selfe, or if they may be otherwise refuted, as here the reply which is broached against the Apostle his reasoning might have beene easily.

Notes

• * 1.1

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• * 1.2

  6