The Christian Sabbath defended against a crying evil in these times of the antisabitarians of our age: wherein is shewed that the morality of the fourth Commandement is still in force to bind Christians unto the sanctification of the Sabbath day. Written by that learned assertor of the truth, William Twisse D.D. late prolocutor to the Assembly of Divines.

Doctor LAKE Bishop of BATH, and Wells, Theses de Sabbato.

1. GOD at first made us not only men, but also children of God.

2. Therefore wee had a double being, or were fitted for a double Societie

• 1. Civill.
• 2. Ecclesiasticall.

3. These states are inwrapped the one in the other; For the Ecclesiasticall presuposeth the Civill, He that is a child of God is a man, and hee must be of the Civill that is of the Ecclesiasticall society.

4. And the Civill state must be seasoned with, and mo∣derated by the Ecclesiasticall; for a man in his Civill state must live as a child of God, and member of the Church.

5. Notwithstanding God would that each of these states should during this World, have successively their principall imployments.

6. And for these imployments hee appointed certaine times.

7. The proportion of time allowed, the principall imploy∣ment of the civill state was six dayes; And that which was allowed the principall imployment of Ecclesiasticall state was one day.

8. What times himselfe tooke for to work in or rest after the Creation, the same did hee assigne to men, and made his patterne a perpetuall Law?

9. So then of our time God reserved a seventh part for his service.

10. But in this apportioning as he reserved a seventh part of time; so was that seventh the seventh day of the weeke.

11. Whereof the ground was his rest from labour.

12. For that he would have to be the day of mans rest, be∣cause he sanctified it.

13. And though, no meane both Jewes, and Christians doubt of the beginning of this observance by man, yet I thinke it began with Adam.

14. God had a Church and a service of his owne prescript from the beginning; and why should we doubt whether hee cloathed then his service with due circumstances of

• ...Time.
• ...Place.

15 Did he sanctifie it for his owne use? That were absurd to thinke the Word sanctifying doth refute it; for whom then? surely for man.

16. And the place Exod. 16. together with the Preface to the fourth Commandement [remember] weigh more with me then all the weake presumptions that are brought to the contrary.

17. I conclude then, that the fourth Commandement is not an introduction, but a declaratory Law.

18. But moreover I adde, that when it was delivered to the Jewes there was superadded, a distinguishing reference to that Church.

19. For it was prescribed as a signe of Gods sanctifying residence amongst them; and a memoriall of their freedome from Egyptian bondage.

20. But these accessories derogate not from the first insti∣tution.

21. No more doth the forme of Liturgy which was oc∣casioned by the fall, or their freedome.

22. These things shew rather to what speciall use they did apply the time, then touch the apportionment thereof.

23. The apportionment of time (of which I take these Questions moved) hath two remarkable things.

24.

• 1. That God reserveth a seventh part of time,
• 2. That hee designeth which of the seven days shall be his.

25. The reserving of the seventh part I hold, to be by Gods Ordinance who is not variable in his choice, as everlasting as the World, because appointed before the fall.

26. And so should the hallowing of the seventh day from the Creation have beene as lasting, had it not beene for sin, for what could have altered it but a new Creation?

27. But man having sinned, and so by sin abolished the first Creation de jure, though not de facto, God was pleased to make by Christan instauration of the World.

28. Hee (as the Scripture speakes of Christs Redemp∣tion) made a new Heaven, and a new Earth; old things passed then away, and so all things were made new.

29 Yea every man in Christ is a new Creature.

30 As God then when he ended the first Creation, made a day of rest, and sanctified it.

31 So did Christ, when he ended his worke, make a day of rest and sanctified it.

32. Not altering the proportion of time which is eternall, but taking the first day of seven for his portion, because sin had made the seventh alterable, Therefore.

33. This first day succeeded the seventh, and by that was this memoriall abolished.

34 And although the Apostles were indulgent to the Jewes in keeping the seventh as well as the first, when they conversed with them; untill the destruction of the Temple.

35 Yet would they not endure, that the Gentiles should be tied to the observation thereof.

36. This first day Christ sanctified not only by his resurre∣ction, but also by sundry apparitions before his ascension, and after his ascension by sending thereon the Holy Ghost; this is cleare in the Gospell and Actes.

37 The Apostles directed by Christs not onely example, but spirits also, observed the same; witnesse in the Acts S. Paul; S. Iohn in the Revelation.

38 And from the Apostles the Catholike Church uni∣formly received it; witnesse all Ecclesiasticall writers.

39 And the Church hath received it not to be Liberae obser∣vationis, as if men might at their pleasure, accept or refuse it.

40 But to be perpetually observed to the Worlds end; for as God only hath power to apportion his time: so hath he power to set out the day that hee will take for his portion, for hee is Lord of the Sabbath.

41 And he doth it by the worke which hee doth on the day; the worke I say doth difference a day from a day.

42 Whereas otherwise all dayes are equall, and the same in themselves; as the sonne of Syrach teacheth.

43 Now then when God doth any remarkable worke, then will hee be honoured with a commemoration day for that worke; if the worke concerne the whole by the whole Church; and by a part if it concerne a part.

44 And his will is understood often by his precept, but when we have not that, the practise doth guide the Church.

45 This is a catholick rule observeable in the institution of all sacred feasts both Divine and Humane.

46 The worke of the day is the ground of hallowing the day, whether it be weekly monethly or yearly, as particulars evince in Scripture and History.

47 No man can translate the worke, therefore can no man translate the day; this is an undoubted rule in Theology.

48 And no man can in reason deny due respect unto the worke, therefore hee cannot deny the hallowing of the day; a true rule in morality.

49 Now then seeing the Lords Day hath not altered the proportion of time, but onely changed the day, though not properly, yet by analogy; though not with the accessories, yet according to the Originall Sabbath, It may well agree with the tenor of the fourth Commandement, and the observance thereof be commanded therein.

According to these Theses which I hold true, untill any of them be confuted, I will point out what I mislike in the Questions or the Answers: not every particular, but some principall points.

Figure the Section of the Answers in your booke, and you shall the better fit my Theses to them.

Question 1.

VVHat doe you mean when you pray after the fourth Commandement, Lord have mercy upon us, &c. The 49 Theses answereth, that we meane not the Jewish Sabbath, but that which analogically to the Originall Sabbath we observe, The Lords Day.

Question 2. Sect. 1.

The observation of the Sabbath some say is morall, and perpetuall.]

By Sabbath you must understand the Lords Day, other∣wise none but Hereticks hold this opinion.

Then I thinke the proportion of time is perpetuall Thesi 15; though if you looke to the assignation of the day, it is not perpetuall; sin hath altered it occasionally, and God Causally; absque hoc it was intended that it should be per∣petuall, Thesi 26.

But whether is the observation of the Lords Day morall?

Certainly this is a morall rule; to hallow the day where∣in God doth some remarkable worke. Thes. 43. & 48.

But Christ did rise for the restauration of the World this day, therefore the observance thereof morall.

Were it an absolute assignation of time, the appointing of the Lords Day, it might be doubted: but take this cir∣cumstance as it cloatheth the worke, then I hold it cleare, that though time be but a circumstance, yet the obser∣vance of time so understood is Morall.

But there is a mutability in the observance of such times as cloath Gods works, because the works themselves are sub∣ject to mutability, and so the seventh day was changed for the first, because the first Creation needed an instauration; and he that caused the Instauration might make the alterati∣on. Thesi 33.

Question 1. Section 1.

The Text is cleare Colos. 2. that the observation of the Sabbath was ceremoniall]

As a shadow? meane you this of the originall Sabbath or

the declaratory cloathed with the accessories. Thes. 18, 19, &c. It is certaine the originall could be no shaddow, for it is precedent to the fall.

The declaration may; true; as considered with his acces∣sories, but the author of the Questions (I thinke) mistaketh the text of S. Paul.

For the words referre to the controversie betweene the Jewes and Gentiles, both believers; but the beleeving Jew would have put upon the believing Gentile the ceremonies, which S. Paul indureth not, either here or in the Galat.

As for the place to the Rom: that tempereth the presum∣ption, of the Gentile, who out of the conceipt of Christian liberty forgot to beare with the weake Jew.

All this is nothing to the Originall Sabbath, whereunto (I say,) the Lords Day succeedeth, and is by analogy in the fourth Commandement, which hath no mixture of those ac∣cessories, for ought I can see in the words.

Question 1. Section 2.

It cannot be proved, that the Apostles commanded to sanctifie the Lords day in memory of Christs Resurrection.]

No can? what author ancient is there that doth not hold it to have had its originall from the Apostles? he should doe well to alleage them.

It is something discrepant from the doctrine of our Church.]

You alleage the words of the Homily, but streighten the tense of them; for the Christian People that chose the first day, were those that lived in the dayes of the Apostles, all of them and their posterity successively to us.

Doth it therefore follow that wee may not keepe the seventh day in memory of the worlds Creation?

It doth; for the Lords Day succeedeth in stead of that, ut Thes. 33. Therefore they cannot consist with the purpose of the alteration, which is to note a New Creation.

Ib.

Constantine commanded the sixt day should be kept in me∣mory of Christs death]

Kept as a fasting day, not as a festivall day; and so the Church keepeth it still.

Ibid.

Sabbato & postridie Sabbati conveniunt.]

So doth the Church now; but Saturday is Parasceve to the Lords Day; and least they should seeme to Judaize, they did and do begin the Eve after noon, to note it is but a preparation to Sunday.

Ibid.

Saint Austin termeth the Sabbath in the fourth Com∣mandement, Sacramentum Ʋmbratile.]

True, as the Jewes did observe it; So himselfe there ex∣poundeth himselfe.

Question. 1. Section 4.

The observance of the Sabbath day by Christ compared to Jewish sacrifice.]

This speaketh not of the assignation of dayes, but how strictly the day must be kept, and it is as true of the Lords Day.

Section 5.

Hebrewes 4. mention is made of three rests.]

Or one rest rather, which is Gods rest,* 1.1 and the participati∣on thereof 2 wayes

• ...Typically.
• ...Spiritually.

The Typicall is the entrance into Canaan, which carried with it a cessation from labours of the Jewish servitude, and Pilgrimage.

From this Typicall many (saith the Apostle) were ex∣cluded through infidelity, and by fayth some did par∣take it.

But there was another participation, a spirituall, which came by Jesus, whereunto Iosuah could not bring, which is a ceasing not from corporall, but spirituall toyles and sinnes immediatly: but mediately it will bring unto a spirituall blessed rest both of body and soule in Heaven.

This spirituall immediate rest or participation of Gods rest is called Sabbatismus populi Dei.

If this be (as I conceave it is) the meaning of the place; what is this to dayes?

Ib. Section 6.

Some will have a weekely Sabbath a shaddow in regard of the strictnesse of the Rest.]

I thinke the strictnesse was not it, at least not principally: but the Accession; of which in the Theses.

But you are out of your argument, for S. Paul speakes of shadow whereof the body is Christ, Now before the fall the Sabbath was a kinde of shadow of our eternall rest; but not of that whereof Christ is the body.

And to us the Lords day is a foretast of that eternall rest, and I hold this shadow to be as lasting as the World.

Ib.

New Moone Et caetera shadowes in their substance not their accessories, Ergo the Sabbath.

A weake collection; for other feasts were instituted af∣ter the fall under the Pedagogy of the Law, the Sabbath before; therefore this might be made a shadow by acces∣sorie, these not so. Ibid.

Shall I demand of them, when this Sabbath began to be a shadow.]

When after the fall it received accessions, it became such a shadow, as Saint Paul speaketh of Col. 2. otherwise it was a kinde of shadow of eternall rest in the foundation, and the Lords Day continueth so now.

Ib.

The Apostle Hebrew 4 speaketh of the seventh as rested upon, not sanctified.]

Reade the mistake of this place before.

Ib. Section 6.

The Sabbath more ceremoniall then the other Comman∣dements: you prove it out of S. Austin.]

And it is plaine hee speaketh of the Sabbath as the Jewes observed it, and had it given in charge with his accessories, but I still call you to the Originall Sabbath. Gen. 2. Res.

Respons. ad quaestion. 1. Section 1.

Our words and meaning must not agree in our Prayer, Lord have mercy upon us, &c.

A strange answer; I thinke they must and doe agree; for by analogy is the Lords Day contained in the Commande∣ment, and the Church directeth us so to understand.

The apportionment of time is everlasting, only the tran∣slation of the day is by all that have any understanding to Catechize taught to be grounded upon a new Creation suc∣ceeding the old.

The personall defects I cannot reply to, but leave them to be reformed. Though the imperfections of the ignorant should not be presented, when the question is made so difficult that the learned can hardly assoile it. As the author of the questi∣ons thinketh.

Question 2.

How shall the fourth Commandement bind us considering the forme of words to keep any day but only the seventh?]

I suppose in my Theses I have given a probable answer.

Seeing the apportionment of time is eternall, which I thinke cannot justly be denyed, I hold the translation of of the feast from the seventh to the first day is grounded up∣on Analogy.

For seeing God was pleased that the day of the Creation should be commemorated (as appeareth by the Letter of the Commandement) and the first Creation being by sin dissolved jure, & restored againe by Christ upon the first day; where we find the rest after the new Creation, there we must fix the feast; And this is perswaded by the drift of the Law.

Except we lay this for a ground; God will have the day of Creation observed.

Observed after the rule of the first Creation it cannot be, for then we doe not acknowledge the dissolution thereof, I meane still merito.

In testimony of that, and Christs restitution, we keepe the day of the new Creation, and we are guided to it by the fourth Commandement.

Question 3.

How shall it appeare to be the Law of nature to sanctifie one day every weeke?

Surely here the Author of the questions makes a strange answer.

For he looseth himselfe in his distinction of the Morall Law and the Law of nature which he seemeth not to understand well.

He would have the Law of nature to prescribe circumstan∣ces to actions, and not the morall Law, whereas the mora∣lity stands in observing the circumstance of actions, as the Ethicks will teach, and this in the phrase medium ra∣tionis.

Secondly, hee thinketh that all the Lawes morall are as he calleth them of nature, doe represent the Image of God, and are unalterable even by God himselfe.

Not considering that there is a morality that concerneth man as he is Animal rationale, and reason moderateth the sensuall part, which commeth not within the compasse of the Image of God.

And in many particulars is mutable, and dispensable in cases of necessity; as it is held against the Law of Nature that bro∣thers and sisters should marry, but God dispensed with it, but I should wade into a large argument if I should rippe up these two Errors.

I rather note, that hee understandeth not the ground of a Festivall day, that maketh no other ground of it than Omnia fiant ordine & decenter.

The Lords Day had a higher ground, which I opened in the Theses, and that is Christs Resurrection, and thereby a new Instauration of the World.

Which wee are bound to observe upon the grounds set downe in the Theses.

And in a word; Hee that doth not let Gods Word be the guide directing to sanctifie a Festivall day, I thinke hee squareth not his opinion according to truth, neither hath he any president from Gods Word.

FINIS.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Gen. 2.