Theses Sabbaticæ, or, The doctrine of the Sabbath wherein the Sabbaths I. Morality, II. Change, III. Beginning. IV. Sanctification, are clearly discussed, which were first handled more largely in sundry sermons in Cambridge in New-England in opening of the Fourth COmmandment : in unfolding whereof many scriptures are cleared, divers cases of conscience resolved, and the morall law as a rule of life to a believer, occasionally and distinctly handled / by Thomas Shepard ...

Thesis 120.

Thirdly, Not only a day, nor only a rest day, but the rest day [ 120] or Sabbath day (which is expressed and expressely interpre∣ted in the Commandment to be the seventh day, or a seventh day of Gods determining, and therefore called The Sabbath of the Lord our God) is here also enjoined and commanded, as ge∣nerally morall. For if a day be morall, what day must it be? If it be said, that any day which humane wisdom shall deter∣mine, whether one day in a hundred or a thousand, or one day in many years; if this only be generally morall, then the rule of morality may be broken because the rule of equality may be thus broken by humane determination: For it may be very unequall and unjust to give God one day in a hundred or a thousand for his worship, and to assume so many beside to our selves for our own use. There is therefore something else more particularly, yet primarily morall in this Command, and that is The Sabbath day, or such a day wherein there ap∣pears an equal division, and a fit proportion between time for rest and time for work, a time for God and a time for man, and that is a ••••venth day which God determines: A fit pro∣portion of time for God is morall because equal, man cannot determine nor set out this proportion, God therefore only can and must, A day therefore that he shall determine is mo∣rall, and if he declares his determination to a seventh, A se∣venth day is therefore morall. Gomarus confesseth that by the Analogy of this Commandment, not one day in a thou∣sand, or when man pleaseth, but that one day in seven is mo∣rall, at least equal, fit, and congruous to observe the same: and if the Analogy he speaks of ariseth virtute mandati divini, or by vertue of Gods Commandment, the cause is in effect yiel∣ded; but if this Analogy be made virtute libertatis humanae, so that humane liberty may do well to give God one in seven, because the Jews did so, and why should Christians be more scant? then I see not but humane liberty may assume power to it self to impose monthly and annuall holy daies as well, because the Jews had their new moons and yearly festivals; and by Analogy thereof, why may not Christians who have more grace poured out upon them, and more love shewn unto them under the Gospel, hold some meet proportion with them therein also, as well as in Sabbaths? But it can never be proved that God hath left any humane wisdom at liberty to make holy daies, by the rule of Jewish proporti∣ons: Beside, if humane wisdom see it meet and congruous

to give God at least one day in seven, this wisdom and reason is either regulated by some law, and then 'tis by vertue of the law of God, that he should have one day in seven, or 'tis not regulated by a law, and then we are left to a loose end again, for man to appoint what day he sees meet in a shorter or a longer time, his own reason being his only law; and this nei∣ther Gomaras nor the words of the Commandment will allow, which sets and fixeth the day, which we see is one day in se∣ven, which not man but God shall determine and therefore called The Sabbath of the Lord our God.