Exercitations concerning the name, original, nature, use, and continuance of a day of sacred…

An. 1. These Objections are framed against a Distinction used by another Learned Person, about the Sabbath as absolutely commanded in the Decalogue, and as enjoined to practise under the Old Testament. But neither he nor any other sober Person ever fancied that there were two Sabbaths of old, one enjoined unto the Church of the Israelites, the other required in the Decalogue. But any man may, nay, every prudent man ought to distinguish between the Sabbath, as enjoined absolutely in words expressive of the Law of our Creation, and Rule of our Moral Dependence on God, in the fourth Command; and the same Sabbath, as it had a temporary, occasional Determination to the seventh Day in the Church of the Jews by virtue of an especial Intimation of the Will of God, suited unto that Administration of the Covenant which that Church and People were then admitted into. I see therefore no Difficulty in these things. The fourth Commandment doth not contain only the moral Equity that some Time should always be set apart unto the Celebration of the Worship of God; nor only the Original Instruction given us by the Law of Creation, and the Covenant Obedience required of us thereon, wherein the substance of the Command doth consist; but it expresseth moreover, the peculiar Application of this Command by the Will of God, to the State of the Church then erected by him, with respect unto the seventh Day precisely, as before instituted and commanded, Exod. 16. Nor is here ⟨p. 205⟩the least appearance of two Sabbaths, but one only is absolutely commanded unto all, and determined unto a certain Day for the use of some for a season.

An. 1. These Objections are framed against a Distinction used by another Learned Person, about the Sabbath as absolutely commanded in the Decacalogue, and as injoyned to practise under the Old Testament. But neither he nor any other sober Person ever fancied that there were two Sabbaths of old, one injoyned unto the Church of the Israelites, the other required in the Decalogue. But any man may, nay, every prudent man ought to distinguish between the Sabbath, as injoyned absolutely in words expressive of the Law of our Creation, and Rule of our Moral Dependance on God, in the fourth Command; and the same Sabbath, as it had a temporary, occasional Determination to the seventh Day in the Church of the Jews by vertue of an especial Intimation of the Will of God, suited unto that Administration of the Covenant which that Church and People were then admitted into. I see therefore no Difficulty in these things. The fourth Commandment doth not contain only the moral Equity that some Time should alwayes be set apart unto the Celebration of the Worship of God; nor only the Original Instruction given us by the Law of Creation, and the Covenant Obedience required of us thereon, wherein the substance of the Command doth consist; but it expresseth moreover, the peculiar Application of this Command by the Will of God, to the State of the Church then erected by him, with respect unto the seventh Day precisely, as before instituted and commanded,