An examination and confutation of a lawlesse pamphlet, intituled, A briefe answer to a late treatise of the Sabbath-day: digested dialogue-wise betweene two divines, A and B. By Dr. Fr. White, L. Bishop of Ely

Answ.

1. Divine Lawes being generall, or in∣definite, oblige to obedience in particulars, when the speciall Object commanded or prohibited by any other just Lawes, is reduced to the Divine generall Law by lawfull consequence. For ex∣ample: Thou shalt not steale, is generall: Therefore thou shalt not without license from the Owner, or without other lawfull authority, take away thy Neighbours Oxe or his Asse: and yet Meum and Tuum, thy Neighbours Oxe and his Asse, are made his owne by humane Law. So likewise in this present Question, the generall equity of the

Divine Law, is; Christian people must observe a convenient and sufficient time for Divine Wor∣ship, &c. And Christian Princes, and the Bi∣shops and Pastors of the Church, having law∣full Authority to appoint such Observations as are subservient to true Religion, have ordained Christmasse, Easter, and the Lord's day of every Weeke for Divine Worship and Religious Du∣ties: Ergo, Christians are obliged by the generall Equity of the Divine Law, to observe Christmasse, Easter, and the Lord's-day, after that the Rulers and Pastors of the Church have appointed the same to be done to God's glory.

It is a frantick Paradox to maintaine, That Christians are obliged to nothing, but such things only as are definitely and in particular comman∣ded, by some expresse written Law of GOD in holy Scripture: For many things which are in Nature and kinde indifferent, when they are com∣manded by Parents, Masters, Magistrates, or any other lawfull autho••ity, come within the com∣passe of God's generall Law, and that generall Law obligeth people to performe them; Medi∣ante Praecepto Parentis, Heri, Magistratus, Ecclesiae, &c. by a mediate precept of Parent, Master, Magistrate, or Church, pag. 93.

2 To the Objector's Argument, the answer is; Where God's Law commandeth not, either in particular or in generall, there is no sin: but if God's Law command in generall, That we must obey every lawfull ordinance of the Church, being sub∣servient to God's glory, and the edification of his peo∣ple: and the Church commandeth us religiously

to observe the Lord's-day; Christian people are bound in conscience to obeya: and if they doe otherwise, they transgresse God's Commande∣ment, and are guilty of sin, pag. 93.

3 Whereas this Scribler affirmeth, that no man is able to define a convenient and sufficient time for God's worship, &c. and compares the under∣taking thereof to the imagination of the being of a World in the Moone, &c. I doubt not but that this quaint conceit, makes him prick up his eares: but upon due examination it will prove as ridicu∣lous as the Man in the Moone: For if any one pre∣sume to define things which are remote from hu∣mane cognisance, not having sufficient meanes to prove his affirmation, he justly deserves to be con∣demned of rashnesse and folly: But the Gover∣nours in the Christian Church, want not com∣pleat and sufficient meanes to enable them to set downe and determine, convenient and sufficient time for God's publike worship: for they have many generall Rules, laid downe in holy Scrip∣ture, for the ordering of Ecclesiasticall affaires: they have likewise Presidents of the Divine Law in ancient time: they have the practise and example of the Saints of God to direct and leade them: and Christian prudence hath enabled them in former ages to appoint sufficient and convenient dayes and times for God's solemne worship: and in these dayes, they have both understanding, and authority to do the like.

4 God's vengeance upon malicious profaners of the Lord's-day, is no sufficient argument to prove, that this day is expressely or literally

commanded, to bee observed in the Christian Church, by the particular Precept of the fourth Commandement. For wilfull transgression of the Precepts of the Church, commanding such actions and offices, as are religious, holy, and subservient to God's glory, brings God's hea∣vie judgements upon profane and disobedient people.

5 In the close of the former Argument, Bro∣ther B. casts dirt in the Face of him whom he sti∣leth his Adversary; saying, This were sufficient to admonish the Adversary of his presumptuous oppositi∣ons thereunto. But where, or when, hath his Ad∣versary delivered any Position in his late Treatise, or elsewhere, in defence of profanenesse upon the Lord's-day, or upon any other day? For honest and sober recreation upon some part of the Holy∣day, is farre more remote from profanenesse, than the factious and viperous deportmentc of this Roarer, against such as comply not with him in his pre∣sumptuous Dictats.

Notes

• a

  Bernard. d. Prae∣cept. & Dispens. cap. 12. Sive Deus, sive homo vi••••ri∣us Dei mandatum quodcun{que} tradide∣rit, pari profecto obsequendum est cura, pari reveren∣tia deferendū, ubi tamen Deo con∣traria non praeci∣pit homo.
• c

  Aug. c. Petilian. li. 2 Idipsum vipe∣reum est, non ha∣bere in ore firma∣mentum veritatis, sed venenum male∣dictionis.