Christianismus primitivus, or, The ancient Christian religion, in its nature, certainty, excellency, and beauty, (internal and external) particularly considered, asserted, and vindicated from the many abuses which have invaded that sacred profession, by humane innovation, or pretended revelation comprehending likewise the general duties of mankind, in their respective relations : and particularly the obedience of all Christians to magistrates, and the necessity of Christian-moderation about things dispensible in matters of religion : with divers cases of conscience discussed and resolved / by Thomas Grantham ...

The Sixth Reason.

The Festivals of the Jews, were Ceremonial, and therefore the Se∣venth-day-Sabbath was Ceremonial.

Thus saith the Lord, The Feasts of the Lord which ye shall proclaim to be holy Convocations, even these are my Feasts: Six dayes shall work be done, but the seventh-day is the Sabbath of rest, an holy Convocation, ye shall do no work therein; it is the Sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings — The fourteenth day of the first Month is the Lords Passeover, and on the fifteenth day of the same Month is the feast of the unleavened-bread — In the first day ye shall have an holy Convocation, &c.

We learn from these Scriptures, that as the Passeover, so the Se∣venth-day-Sabbath was a Feast unto the Jews, and equally called the Feast of the Lord, and therefore reasonably to be concluded, to be one and the same Ceremonial Consideration, and by consequence to va∣nish, or terminate with them.

If this be denied, let us see what will follow; we must then hold that some of the Jewish Feasts were Moral and perpetual; and so obligatory to such as had not the Law, as well as to those that had it: Or else, that the Sabbath was delivered as a Feast to the Jews, but not so to the rest of Mankind; but the first of these can never be proved (as I conceive) and if the latter be accepted, it must be proved, which I take to be a very difficult undertaking: and if it could be proved, it will confirm what we have said (at least in part) because it will evince the Seventh-day-Sabbath to be Ceremonial, to that part of Mankind to whom it was delivered as a Feast. And here it may well be enquired, from what ground men do now pretend to keep the Seventh-day-Sabbath according to the Law of Moses, and yet keep it not as a Feast of the Lord in all their dwellings? And because we see here the Seventh-day-Sabbath reckoned with the Ceremonial Feasts of the Jews, it will not be impertinent here to add a parallel between the Seventh-day-Sabbath, and the yearly Sabbath, as also the Sabbath of years, that so we may the better discern it to be of a Ceremonial consideration.

To begin with the Institution; Most certain it is, that no mention is made in the Book of God, of the observations of any of these Sabbaths, neither weekly, nor annual, &c. until the Seed of Abraham became a Nati∣on, to whom the Law of all the Sabbaths was given by Moses; neither is the Seventh-day-Sabbath the first in observation, for the Passeover

(in which were Sabbaths of rest) was in use before it, and the rest followed * 1.1 it.

The second Parallel is in the time of the continuance of these Sabbaths, the Seventh-day-sabbath having nothing in that respect above the rest, as will be seen by the Scriptures following.

• For the continuance of the weekly Sabbath, see Exod. 31. 16.
• For the continuance of the Pascal Sabbath, see Exod. 12. 14.
• For the continuance of Penticost Sabbath, see Lev. 23. 21.
• For the continuance of the Expiation Sabbath, see Lev. 23. 31.
• For the continuance of the Feast of Tabernacles Sabbath, see Lev. 23. 41.

The Third parallel is in the Service of these Sabbaths, and that I have shewed already, wherein it appears, that the Services of the annual Sabbaths was not only greater than those of the weekly, but to be done as exactly; yea, though they fell upon the Seventh-day; Numb. 28, 29 Chap.

The Fourth Parallel is, of forbearing Labour, which was as strict∣ly to be observed on the yearly, as on the weekly Sabbaths, Exod. 31. 14. compared with Lev. 23. 30.

The Fifth Parallel, of the time to begin to keep the Sabbath, which is supposed to be the Evening before; but in this, the annual Sab∣baths are not only equal to the weekly, but indeed the pattern; for of one of them only it is said, From Even to Even shall you sanctifie your Sabbath, Lev. 23. 32.

The Sixth Parallel is of the Penalties, which was death, and was as well the penalty for breach of the yearly Sabbaths, as for breach of the Seventh-day-Sabbath Lev. 23. 30. * 1.2 And although it be not exprest, that the Magistrate must execute the penalty for breach of the yearly Sabbath, yet it may be gathered, that he must do it. See and compare these Scriptures, Exod. 30. 28. * 1.3 and Exod. 31. 14. * 1.4 And this may serve as an answer to some, when they bid us shew that the penalty of death was ever to be inflicted upon the breakers of any Law, but the Moral Law. Nor is this the only instance; for the holy Perfume might not be imitated under pain of Death, Exod. 30. 28. Neither might Man or Beast so much as touch the Holy Mount, but be punished by stoning, or by being thrust through with a Dart, Exod. 19. 23. compared with 12, and 13 verses of the same Chapter.

The Seventh and Last Parrallel shall be of the Sabbath of years; in which we may observe, that at the giving thereof to Israel, the Lord gave them the bread of three years, the year before the Sabba∣tical

year, as he gave them the bread of two daies, before the Sab∣bath-day.

Now let it be considered, what solid Reason there remains for the continuation of the Seventh-day Sabbath, more than for the yearly Sabbaths, and Sabbath of Years, sith there is no more express Prohibi∣tion of the one, than the other, in the Scriptures, (except in Col. 2. 16. where in truth, the Seventh-day Sabbath is rather more expresly pro∣hibited than the rest) and seeing we do as constantly enjoy the time of first-Fruits, in gathering, &c. as the Jews did, wherein they held holy Sabbatisms, to rejoyce before the Lord, for all the good things wherewith he blessed them; it might very justly be enquired of some, why they observe not these solemnities, together with the Seventh-day?

Notes

• * 1.1

  As for that passage Gen. 2. which some conceive to enforce the institution of the Seventh-day-Sabbath from the beginning: and others conceive it to speak of the Sabbath only by a prolepsis, or anticipation; I shall omit at this time, being satisfied first, that if it were even then instituted (which I do not grant) yet would it not necessarily bind all the World to the perpetual solem∣nity of the seventh-day of every week; nor in the least infer the time to be of a Moral consideration; seeing the Almighty was at liberty to give either a positive, or Ceremonial Law at that time, which yet might note∣qually extend to all persons, in all times and places, as indeed he seems to have done in the Law concerning; the forbidden fruit. But secondly, I am satisfied that those who take that mention of the Sabbath Gen. 2. by a prolepsis are not without considerable grounds for so doing, the Scriptures in many other cases necessarily re∣quiring, it as might be shewed, were it my business to prosecute the Argument.
• * 1.2

  Note that these words in the Text [that soul shall be cut off from his peo∣ple,] is meant of the Magi∣strates exe∣cuting the Law for breach of the Seventh-day-Sabbath, and then why not in the other cases also?
• * 1.3

  Note that these words in the Text [that soul shall be cut off from his peo∣ple,] is meant of the Magi∣strates exe∣cuting the Law for breach of the Seventh-day-Sabbath, and then why not in the other cases also?
• * 1.4

  Note that these words in the Text [that soul shall be cut off from his peo∣ple,] is meant of the Magi∣strates exe∣cuting the Law for breach of the Seventh-day-Sabbath, and then why not in the other cases also?