A59693:150
Theses Sabbaticæ, or, The doctrine of the Sabbath wherein the Sabbaths I. Morality, II.…
Theses Sabbaticæ, or, The doctrine of the Sabbath wherein the Sabbaths I. Morality, II. Change, III. Beginning. IV. Sanctification, are clearly discussed, which were first handled more largely in sundry sermons in Cambridge in New-England in opening of the Fourth Commandment : in unfolding whereof many scriptures are cleared, divers cases of conscience resolved, and the moral law as a rule of life to a believer, occasionally and distinctly handled / by Thomas Shepard ...Theses Sabbaticæ, or, The doctrine of the Sabbath wherein the Sabbaths I. Morality, II. Change, III. Beginning. IV. Sanctification, are clearly discussed, which were first handled more largely in sundry sermons in Cambridge in New-England in opening of the Fourth COmmandment : in unfolding whereof many scriptures are cleared, divers cases of conscience resolved, and the morall law as a rule of life to a believer, occasionally and distinctly handled / by Thomas Shepard ...
London: printed by T.R. and E.M. for John Rothwell, 1650
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.
Thesis 46.
The general which we acknowledge to be moral in this command (rightly understood) is a seventh day. Our adversaries would make it more general, and resolve it into a day or some day for solemn worship, yet when they are forced to see and acknowledge by the dint of argument, that this is too general, because thus the Commandment may be observed, if one day in a thousand, or once in ones life it be sanctified; they do therefore many times come nearer to us, to somewhat less general then a day, viz. to a stinted, fixed and appointed day, and to such an appointed day as contains a sufficient proportion of time for God, with convenient frequency, no less frequent then theirs in the old Testament, which was every seventh day, as may be seen Thesis 44. and truly thus much being acknowledged by them, one would think that the controversy (with this sort of men) was brought unto a comfortable and quiet issue and full agreement, but it is strange to see how contrary the language is of these men sleeping, from what it is when they are awake: They strike fiercely at a seventh day, and a determined time, as impossible to be moral, when they meet with them in the dark, and yet we see, acknowledge them (in effect) to be moral, when they meet with them sometimes in the light.
The generall which we acknowledge to be morall in this command (rightly understood) is a seventh day. Our adversaries would make it more generall, and resolve it into a day or some day for solemne worship, yet when they are forced to see and acknowledge by the dint of argument, that this is too generall, because thus the Commandment may be observed, if one day in a thousand, or once in ones life it be sanctified; they doe therefore many times come nearer to us, to somewhat lesse generall then a day, viz. to a stinted, fixed and appointed day, and to such an appointed day as containes a sufficient proportion of time for God, with convenient frequency, no lesse frequent then theirs in the old Testament, which was every seventh day, as may be seen Thesis 44. and truly thus much being acknowledged by them, one would think that the controversie (with this sort of men) was brought unto a comfortable and quiet issue and full agreement, but it is strange to see how contrary the language is of these men sleeping, from what it is when they are awake: They strike fiercely at a seventh day, and a determined time, as impossible to be morall, when they meet with them in the darke, and yet we see, acknowledge them (in effect) to be morall, when they meet with them sometimes in the light.