§. 4 According to these Distinctions of the Nature of the Laws which God expresseth his Will in and by, are mens Apprehensions different about the immediate and instrumental Cause of the Sabbatical Rest. That God was the Author of it, is as was said, by all agreed. But say some, the Law whereby he appointed it was purely Positive, the matter of it being arbitrary, stated and determined only in the Command it self; and so the whole Nature of the Law, and that commanded in it, changeable. And because Positive Laws did, and always do respect some other things besides and beyond themselves, it is pleaded that this Law was Ceremonial and Typical; that is, it was an Institution of an outward present Religious Observation, to signify and represent, some thing not present, nor yet come; such were all the particulars ⟨p. 121⟩of the whole system of Mosaical Worship, whereof this Law of the Sabbath was a part, and an Instance. In brief, some say, that the whole Law of the Sabbath was as to its general Nature positive, and arbitrary, and so changeable; and in particular, Ceremonial and Typical, and so actually changed and abolished. But yet it is so fallen out, that those who are most positive in these Assertions, cannot but acknowledge, that this Law is so ingrafted into, and so closed up with somewhat that is Moral and unalterable, that it is no easy thing to hit the joint aright, and make a separation of the one from the other. But concerning any other Law expressly and confessedly Ceremonial, no such thing can be observed. They were all evidently and entirely arbitrary Institutions, without any such near Relation to what is Moral, as might trouble any one to make a distinction between them. For Instance; the Law of Sacrifices hath indeed an answerableness in it to a great Principle of the Law of Nature; namely that we must honour God with our substance, and the best of our Increase; yet that this might be done many other ways, and not by Sacrifice, if God had pleased so to ordain, every one is able to apprehend. It is otherwise in this matter; for none will deny, but that it is required of us in and by the Law of Nature, that some Time be set apart and dedicated unto God, for the Observation of his solemn Worship in the world. And it is plain to every one, that this natural dictate is inseparably included in the Law of the Sabbath.
§. 4 According to these Distinctions of the Nature of the Laws which God expresseth his Will in and by, are mens Apprehensions different about the immediate and instrumental Cause of the Sabbatical Rest. That God was the Author of it, is as was said, by all agreed. But say some, the Law whereby he appointed it was purely Positive, the matter of it being arbitrary, stated and determined only in the Command it self; and so the whole Nature of the Law, and that commanded in it, changeable. And because Positive Laws did, and alwayes do respect some other things besides and beyond themselves, it is pleaded that this Law was Ceremonial and Typical; that is, it was an Institution of an outward present Religious Observation, to signifie and represent, some thing not present, nor yet come; such were all the particulars ⟨p. 121⟩of the whole systeme of Mosaical Worship, whereof this Law of the Sabbath was a part, and an Instance. In brief, some say, that the whole Law of the Sabbath was as to its general Nature positive, and arbitrary, and so changeable; and in particular, Ceremonial and Typical, and so actually changed and abolished. But yet it is so fallen out, that those who are most positive in these Assertions, cannot but acknowledge, that this Law is so ingrafted into, and so closed up with somewhat that is Moral and unalterable, that it is no easie thing to hit the joint aright, and make a separation of the one from the other. But concerning any other Law expresly and confessedly Ceremonial, no such thing can be observed. They were all evidently and entirely arbitrary Institutions, without any such neer Relation to what is Moral, as might trouble any one to make a distinction between them. For Instance; the Law of Sacrifices hath indeed an answerableness in it to a great Principle of the Law of Nature; namely that we must honour God with our substance, and the best of our Increase; yet that this might be done many other wayes, and not by Sacrifice, if God had pleased so to ordain, every one is able to apprehend. It is otherwise in this matter; for none will deny, but that it is required of us in and by the Law of Nature, that some Time be set apart and dedicated unto God, for the Observation of his solemn Worship in the world. And it is plain to every one, that this natural dictate is inseparably included in the Law of the Sabbath.
