Theologicall axioms or conclusions publikly controuerted, discussed, and concluded by that poore English congregation, in Amstelredam: to whome H.C. for the present, ad-ministreth the ghospel. Togither with an examination of the saide conclusions, by Henoch Clapham. Here-vnto is added a litle tractate entituled. The carpenter.

Examination.

AGainst this Conclusion Anabaptists and Atheists barke. First we will heare their barkings / and then cast a crust in to the Dogs throate.

What soeuer was Ceremoniall, is abolished. But the obseruation precisely of a day for spirituall exercise was Ceremoniall: There fore euery such day abolished.

What if I graunt them the whole Argument (viz. That euery Day that was ceremoniall is abolished) what then? I speake no•• of a Day that was / but of a day that is: namely / not of such a Day as was once Ceremoniall (for the first day of the weeke / was neuer such a Ceremoniall day) but of a Day that now IS institutued in the new Testament: Theyr wynd therfore shakes no haner.

Yet because such a spirit shall not haue his owne will (to passe by the first proposition) I demaunde of him what day it was / that was so Cere∣moniall? was it the Day of Easter, of Pentecost, of Tabernacles, new Moone, months, Yeares? None of these I pleade for. But it was the Sabaot (or 7. day) that he speciallie speaks of: and this day he wold haue Ceremoniall / from Colos. 2.16.17. and therfore to end in Christ. What then / I speake not for that 7. day / but for the Day after / which is the 8. in regarde of 7. geingebefore / and is the first day of the weeke in regarde of the weeke / Yee (as before) to crosse the spirit in his way / who enuyes not somuch the Day as the exercise (becawse the standing and falling of Religion resteth in the precise obseruation of som Day) I demaund of him how he proues that 7. day a Ceremonie.

He saith it was a Ceremoniall day / because it enioyned Rest: Then / Rest is the Ceremonie: and what signified that? That Christ was our Rest / and in him only we could haue Rest. Well said: then when Christ the figured Rest is Com in the flesh / we must no more obserue a Day of Rest: for that (after a sorte) shold teach that Christ were vn••om. But what if I shold say that it figured not only that Rest which we shold haue by his incarnation / but also (if not only) that Rest which we shold haue by his repaire from heauens / when in that glorified appearance he shall restore all things: and so ther vpon / I shold inferre a Day of Rest vntill his appearance / though partly Ceremoniall / wold not this on the other hand / breake the head of the latter part of your first proposition? I troe / it wold.

But he thinks that the former place out of the Colossians, proues that euery Sabaot is abolished by Christ his former appearance / But if I shold say that the plurall nomber there sabaoths, signifies all the days of sabaot ioyned with the Pasouer day / (which indeede liuelily set out the Rest and Lyfe we shold haue in the lamb Christe Crucified) and that it signifieth not the weekly sabaot, wold not this put the strainge spirit to a fowl•• plunge?

But what if I denie the weekly 7. Days rest / to be a Ceremoniall rest: Nay what if I proue it thus?

All Ceremonies precise, figuringe the sauiour to be slaughtered for our syn, were instituted for Adam only after he had synned & so stood neede of a sauiour:

But the 7. days rest was enjoyned Adam before he had synned: Gen. 2. therfore no such Ceremonie, if any Ceremonie:

HIere the aduersarie stands / as hauing looked on Medusaes heade: And now he demaunds this Questios: If the 7. Days rest were not Ceremo∣niall / how coms the day then to be chainged? I answer by another questiō: what if the nomber of seauenth was a figure / and therfore chainged / though not the Rest / because it was no such figure / remaineth still: but translated vnto the next day after: seing Bodies Rest is of absolute necessitie far the Churches spirituall exercises? Syllie people / why may not that days rest be translated now vnto another Day: as well / as the old Testament his laying of hands vpon Leui be translated vnto the Euangelicall ministry?

Thus the fanaticall spirit is euerie way hindred progresse: it now re∣maineth to proue the First day a diuyne Commandement for such exercise: and that thus:

That day was so sanctified by our saviour in his owne person: by the Apostles and by the primatiue Churches, accordinge to diuyne iniunc∣tion.

Therfore to vs a Commaundement diuyne.

FOr the Antecedent: First our Sauiour that day arisinge (and therfore cal∣led the lords day: Reu. 1.10.) he preacheth / from Morninge to late nigh•• and that 5. sondry tymes. Secondly / the Apostles the same day conuened / as also the 8. day after (it being the same day seauen-night) what tyme (on•• savior omitting the week days) he schooled Thomas / who the former Lords day had bene absent. Thirdly / the first churches so meeted / Actor. 20.7.11.

Least this Trine-presedent / seme notwith standinge to leaue it as a thing indifferent (for vsually the observacom of the day / is lefte to the li∣berty of the Church) we must vnderstande that Blessed Paul had incom∣mended the religious obseruation of the day / vnto the Churches / as 1. Cor. 16.1.2. where flatly he nombers it among the Ordinances he had enioyned vpon the Churches: and I troe / Paul was A master builder and that a skilfull. (1. Cor. 3.10.) and if other Ordinances (as estaelishment of Elders Deacons etc. were Diuine and commaundements from God / because deli∣uered vnto the Churches by these skilfull Mr. Builders / suerly we must hold them very vnskilfull Builders / that either abrogate this Ordinance / or do teach the observation of this Day / to be indifferent / and humaine / Such vnskilfull builders / haue bene a cawse of such absurde heresies.

Blessed Iohn (Reuel. 1.10. &c. being in the yle Parmos exiled and alone) it semeth he religiouslie obserued yt: Yea the Lord then (and no other day) deliuereth the new Testaments prophecies vnto him: he being fittest to be rapt in the spirit / what day / he specially set apart for spirituall contemplation. Why shold the Apostle be so precise in mentioninge the day / if it were not to teach vs / specially that day to addict our mynds to spirituall speculation / that so specially that day / we may be from aboue endued with Reuelation?

If there be not not one day of Seauen / by diuine ordinance to be im∣posed on the Church: then wype out the Decalogues fourth commaunde / and so there remayneth one lesse in the Lords kalender. Will they neuer learne that the equitie of euery Commaunde / is so far from giuing vs liberty / as it ••••eth vs more strictly vnder Christ vnto all exercises of the spirit? And euen herein must our righteousnes exceede the righteousnes of the Scribes and Pharises: else we are vnfit to enter into this kyngdom.

This is the Lords day and it is maruelous in owr eyes.