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 33.

[ 33]

Some of those who maintaine the law of the Sabbath to be ceremoniall,* 1.1 affirme that every Law in the Deca∣logue is not morall upon this ground, to wit, because the Law is called Gods Covenant, which Covenant they shew from sundry instances, not only to comprehend mo∣ralls, but also ceremonialls: for they make it the excel∣lency of the Decalogue to comprehend, as a short epi∣tome, all Gods Ordinances, both morall and cere∣moniall, which epitome is more largely opened in the writings of Moses, where not onely morall, but also cere∣moniall lawes are expressed and dispersed. And hence they thinke that as the other nine are the summary and epitome of all morall Ordinances, so the fourth Com∣mandment which was kept with the practise of Ceremo∣nies, was the summary and epitome of all the ceremoni∣all ordinances, and hence the fourth Commandment be∣comes ceremoniall.

But for answer to this wily notion, unjustly father'd upon Austin and Calvin by some, it may thus farre be granted, that as the word Law is sometimes taken more strictly for the Decalogue onely, Rom. 3.20. Iames 3.8. and sometimes more largely, for the whole doctrine contained in all the writings of the Old Testa∣ment, wherein the Gospel also is comprehended, Psal. 19.7. Psalme 119.1.51, 55. so the word Covenant is sometime taken more strictly for the covenant of works, which is contained compendiously in the Decalogue onely, writ by the finger of God, in two Tables, Deut. 4.13, 14 Exod. 34.38. and sometime more largely for all the holy wri∣tings of Moses, Exodus 24.7, 8. and 34.10. Levit. 26.14. Ier. 34.13. Now although all the writings of Moses may be called the Covenant, as it is largely taken; and so the covenant comprehends not onely morall, but ceremoniall lawes; yet they are never called That Covenant which

was writ by the finger of God in two Tables of stone, and given to Moses: and in this strict sense the word Covenant comprehends no other lawes but morall, nor can the places and texts which they alleadge evince the contrary, for in that place of Exodus 24.7. it is not said that the Tables of the Covenant, but the Booke of the Covenant was read in the audience of all the people; which Booke, we rea∣dily acknowledge to comprehend ceremonials as well as mo∣rals, but not the Tables of the Covenant, of which the que∣stion now is: so also when the Lord saith, Exod. 34.10. that he will make a Covenant, his meaning is that he will revive his Covenant by writing (as it is there set downe in the same chapter) in which writing it is very true that there is mentioned made of many ceremoniall lawes; but suppose this covenant written by Moses comprehends sundry ceremoniall lawes, will it therefore follow that the Tables of the Covenant written with the finger of God did the like? No such matter, and therefore there is an * 1.2 expresse diffe∣rence put in the same chapter, verse 27, 28. between the covenant written by Moses, and the ten Command∣ments written by the finger of God. But secondly, Let it be granted that the Decalogue comprehends summarily all the lawes which are particularly dispersed here and there in the writings of Moses, yet it doth not follow that there must bee one ceremoniall law written by the finger of God, and lifted up in the Decalogue to be the epitome and summarie of all ceremoniall lawes elsewhere explained in the writings of Moses: For all lawes, whether cere∣moniall or judiciall, may be referred to the Decalogue as appendices to it or applications of it, and so to compre∣hend all other lawes as their summary. But such a summary will no way enforce a necessity of making any one of them the epitome of ceremonialls, and the other nine of them of the morals, for we know that many judi∣ciall lawes are comprehended under morall lawes, being referred as appendices thereunto by Calvin, Martyr, Chemni∣tius, Ames, and sundry others, and yet it will not follow from hence that one of the lawes in the Decalogue must be a judiciall law as the summary of all judicials, which are branches of the Covenant as well as Master Primrose his ceremonials.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Prim. 2. par. cap. 6. S. 8. Irons. quest. ••. cap. 9.
• * 1.2

  So Iuni••••, W••llet, in loc.