A37046:734
The law unsealed
The law unsealed: or, A practical exposition of the Ten Commandments With a resolution of several momentous questions and cases of conscience. By the learned, laborious, faithful servant of Jesus Christ, Mr. James Durham, late minister of the Gospel at Glasgow.
Glasgow: printed by Robert Sanders, 1676
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Now if the matter be Moral; not contained in any former Command, then is the Command it self Moral; seeing a Moral substance, and Matter denominateth the Command so▪ Yea, it must be Moral, otherwise something Morally necessary to Gods service, (such as the determination of its chief time) should be omitted. It may be assumed, yet further: It must be Moral, (be it what it will) to eschew a Tautology in this short Compend of Duties; and that, of Moral Duties too.
Again, If it be not Moral, but contain some Ceremonial thing reducible to one of the three former Commands: Then 1. It might have been put amongst other Ceremonials. 2. Other Ceremonials might have been put in with it: Or. 3. A Reason given, Why all are not Reducible to some Moral Command. 4. If the matter of this be Reducible to another Command, then can it not be accounted a distinct Command, neither ought it here to have been given as such, but subjoined to some other; as the Servants and Beasts resting, is sub-joined to this▪ 5. It would be shown to what Command it's Reducible as to the substance of it, if it be Ceremonial: 6. A Reason would be given, Why amongst Ten, One▪ and only One, is set down, so far different from all the rest. And if all these Absurdities follow the Denial of it's substance to be Moral; then, for eschewing of them, we must conclude it to be Moral: and so the fourth Command is Moral.
Again, If it be not Moral, but contain some Ceremonial thing reducible to one of the three former Commands: Then 1. It might have been put amongst other Ceremonials. 2. Other Ceremonials might have been put in with it: Or. 3. A Reason given, Why all are not Reducible to some Moral Command. 4. If the matter of this be Reducible to another Command, then can it not be accounted a distinct Command, neither ought it here to have been given as such, but subjoyned to some other; as the Servants and Beasts resting, is sub-joyned to this▪ 5. It would be •hewn to what Command it's Reducible as to the substance of it, if it be Ceremonial: 6. A Reason would be given, Why amongst Ten, One and onely One, is set down, so far different from all the rest. And if all these Absurdities follow the Denyal of it's substance to be Moral; then, for eschewing of them, we must conclude it to be Moral: and so the fourth Command is Moral.