The Jewish Sabbath abrogated, or, The Saturday Sabbatarians confuted in two parts

Fifth Proposit. All natural and pure moral Precepts do, as I conceive, oblige all Mankind, and are unchangeable in their nature as to the matter of them, and differ greatly from Laws or Precepts merely positive. Pure or simple moral Precepts are good, good in themselves, and therefore commanded; but Precepts merely positive and arbitrary are commanded of God, and therefore good: and that Goodness that is in simple moral Precepts I do not conceive, ¹as Mr. Shepherd hints (if I mistake him not) refers to Man, i. e. suitable to his good chiefly, but in reference to God, from the rectitude of whose holy Nature they proceed. Moreover, 'tis acknowledged also that all Precepts naturally and simply moral, are written in the Hearts of all Men, tho much blurred by Sin, for otherwise the Gentiles had not the Law written in their Hearts, but a part as to the matter of the Law.² Simple moral Precepts are known by the Light of Nature, as to the matter •or substance of them. Precepts naturally moral may be known without Revelation, or the ⟨p. 20⟩knowledge of the Scripture;³ tho I know some learned Men seem to differ from others here, particularly Mr. Cawdrey and Mr. Palmer, who affirm that some Precepts may be moral by a positive Command,⁴ and these others call moral-Positives, which I understand not; yet I deny not (as I said before) but that God may make a positive Command perpetually obligatory. But more to this word moral, when I come to speak of the fourth Commandment in Exod. 20.

Fifth Proposit. All natural and pure moral Precepts do, as I conceive, oblige all Mankind, and are unchangeable in their nature as to the matter of them, and differ greatly from Laws or Precepts merely positive. Pure or simple moral Precepts are good, good in themselves, and therefore commanded; but Precepts merely positive and arbitrary are commanded of God, and therefore good: and that Goodness that is in simple moral Precepts I do not conceive,