A short treatise shewing the Sabbatharians confuted by the new Covenant, 1. That the ten commandments are not the morall law, but with their ordinances, statutes and judgements, the old Covenant. 2. That the old Covenant was as signes and shadows of things that were then to come. 3. Shewing the substance of the signe of the Sabbath. 4.Severall objections of the Sabbatharians answered. 5. That the new, which some do call the Covenant of Grace, is not really in the old Testament. 6. What the new Covenant is. 7. Of pure church-ordinances, which some doe call the discipline of the Church. 8. Of singing of Psalmes. 9. A proscript. By Iohn Hanson of the burrough of Abingdon, in the county of Berks

CHAPTER IV. Severall objections of the Sabbatharians answered.

Object. 1. PAul would not ordain collections for the poor on the seventh day, because it was the holy Sabboth; and therefore he did ap∣point

the first day. This is easily answered, as saith the Proverb, the better day the better work, but this is not sufficient, then take notice that the law of faith, 3. Rom. 27. hath its works, ordinances, and sacrifices, as well as the law of works, else as saith St. Iames it is a dead faith, 2. Iames 26. 2. Ephes. 10. perhaps it may be demanded what they are which belong to the law of faith: See 9. Math. 13. Iesus said unto them, but goe ye and learn what this is, I will have mercy and not sacrifice, 6. Hosea 6. meaning of Bulls and Rams and the like; it can be but briefly touched, first it is said, 12. Rom. 1. give your bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, 13. Heb. 15. let us therefore by him offer the sacrifice of praise alwayes to God, that is the fruit of the lips, vers. 16. 2. Ion. 9. to doe good and to distribute, with such sacrifices God is pleased, therefore a collection for the poor is a fit duty or sacrifice for the day, but some there are which say that they keep every day a Sabbath. Let every one beware on what ground they stand: How∣ever the first day of the week was ordained in all the churches of Galatia and other places, 1. Cor. 16.1. and this is a sufficient example for us to follow. And they that say they may set any one day in se∣ven a part, ought to look for command, example, or consequence, before they alter the first day, But if any man lust to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither in the Churches of God, 1. Cor. 11, 16.

Object. 2. That the women rested the Sabbath according to the commandment, 23. Luk. 56. These were doubtlesse holy women, and did according to the law, but it plainly appears that they did it

ignorantly, not knowing that their Lord would rise again the third day, for 24. Luke 4. they were a∣mased, and vers. 8. they remembred his words; for the Apostles themselves could not believe it, but were amased vers. 11. For they t••••sted that it had been he, which should have delivered Israel. So that Jesus Christ reproved them, calling them fools, because they, as well as the women, were slow of heart to believe all that the Prophets had spoken, vers. 25. For the women had prepared odours, & brought them to the Sepulchre, when their Lord was risen, and truly if the Lord had not risen again, then had their faith been vain and ours also.

Object. 3. That the Disciples of Jesus Christ were reproved, 12. Math. 2. and 2. Mark. 23. that they plucked the ears of corn, which was not lawfull to doe on the Sabbath. But this rather makes a∣gainst them, for 6. Luke 1. It was on the second Sab∣bath after the first: And it was the Pharisees that re∣proved them, when the Lord rather justified them; besides, take notice that this seems to be the pas∣seover, 12. Exod. 16. before Israel came out of E∣gypt, they were commanded to keep the first, and also the seventh day, except dressing of meat; In the 23. of Levit. 3. is shewed the true Sabbath, vers. 39. is a feast or a Sabbath for gathering in of fruits; ye shall keep an holy feast unto the Lord seven dayes, in the first day shall be a Sabbath, like∣wise in the eight day shall be a Sabbath, but let these be left to the learned to find out how any of the feasts were typicall to the Lords day.

Object. 4. That Iesus Christ did command his Disciples to pray that their slight be not in the winter, or

on the Sabbath day, 24. Math. 20. It is not easily discerned what is here meant, but it is very unlike∣ly that one single day should be here set with a hole winter. However the Lord had not then fi∣nished his work, And 'tis a question whether any of those Disciples lived, to see the destruction of Ieru∣salem which was prophecied of by the Prophet Da∣niel, and scarce any other Prophet, 6. Dan. 26. And this was above 40. years after, that the command was given.

Object. 5. That the Christians, 16. Act. 13. on the Sabbath day went out of the city to pray besides a river, where they were wont to pray; There indeed may be devout men or women, such as carried Steeven to his buriall, when all the Church except the Apo∣stles were scatered abroad, and went about preach∣ing the Word, 8. Act. 4. or such devout Iewes, that came from every nation under heaven, and dwelt at Ieru∣salem, 2. Act. 5. Or such as was Cornelius before Pe∣ter came to him, such was Lidia being on of those women, 16. Act. 14. She worshipped God, and the Lord at that time opened her heart, that she attended unto the things which Paul spake, and was then baptized, whereby it appears, that those women were not Christians: yet doubtless they were as one Ananias, Godly people as pertaining to the law, having good report of all the Iewes, which dwell there, 22. Acts 2.

Object. 6. Forasmuch, as before this Treatise could be printed, there is a book set forth by Ed∣ward Stannet a Sabbatharian of Abing∣don intitled, the royall law contented for, which as he saith, is the ten command∣ments, because written in 2. Iames 8. But

if ye fulfill the royall law according to the Scrip∣ture, which saith, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self, ye doe well, Now if Edward Stannet or any one Sabbatharian or other of his judgement can find this expression placed among the ten command∣ments, they might have had some colour to call them the royall law; And if it should be granted that the words, Thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt not kill, vers. 11. are meant to be the law on Mount Sinai; yet this is not verbatim, expressed in the ten commandments, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self, he being mistaken in his title, even so in his book. Therefore the law of Jesus Christ expressed in his Gospell is the royall law; It is indeed both in the Old and New Testament as 19. Levit. 18. so 22. Math. 39. And 12. Mark. 31. so 13. Rom. 9. which sheweth that the law-giver Jesus Christ altered not the law, but only in dispensa∣tion: Wherefore if ye fulfill the royall law accord∣ing to the Scripture, which was given by our King on Mount Sion, 2. Psal. 6. so 4. Micha 2. As one ha∣ving authority, 7. Mat. 29. then ye are a royall Priest∣wood, 1. Pet. 2, 9. And ye do establish the whole law which was given on Mount Sinai, but not in the oldness of the letter.

Then so speak and so doe, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty, 2. Iames 12. which shewes, that we are now to speak, and to act by the law of liber∣ty, & not according to that despensation in which the law was given on Mount Sinai; For it had so great a yoak, that neither we nor our Fathers were able to bear, 15. Act. 10. Then be not entangled again with the yoak of bondage, 5. Gal. 1.

Notes

• Gospell Sacri∣fices.
• An honest may be mistaken.
• The Law of Christ is the royall Law.