Theses Sabbaticæ, or, The doctrine of the Sabbath wherein the Sabbaths I. Morality, II.…

The Day star from on high visiting the first Reformers in Germany enabled them to see many things, and so to scatter much, yea most of the Popish and horrible darkness which generally overspread ⟨image 5⟩the face of all Europe at that day; but diverse of them did not (as well they might not) see all things with the like clearness, whereof this of the Sabbath hath seemed to be one: their chief difficulty lay here; they saw a Moral command for a seventh day, and yet withal a Change of that first seventh day, and hence thought that something in it was Moral in respect of the Command, and yet something Ceremonial because of the Change: and therefore they issued their thoughts here, that […] was partly Moral and partly Ceremonial, and hence their observation of the day hath been (answerable to their judgments) more lax and loose; whose arguments to prove the day partly Ceremonial, have (upon narrow examination) made it wholly Ceremonial; it being the usual unhappiness of such arguments as are produced in defence of a lesser Error, to grow big with some man-child in them, which in time grows up; and so serve only to maintain a far greater; and hence by that part of the controversy they have laid foundations of much looseness upon that day among themselves, and have unawares laid the corner stones of some gross points of Familism, and strengthened hereby the hands of Arminians, Malignants and Prelates, as to profane the Sabbath, so to make use of their Principles for the introduction of all humane inventions under the name and shadow of the Church; which if it hath power to authorize and establish such a day of worship: let any man living then name what invention he can, but that it may much more easily be ushered in upon the same ground: and therefore though posterity hath cause for ever to admire Gods goodness for that abundance of light and life poured out by those vessels of glory in the first ⟨image 5⟩beginnings of Reformation, yet in this narrow of the Sabbath it is no wonder if they stepped a little beside the truth;

The Day star from on high visiting the first Reformers in Germany enabled them to see many things, and so to scatter much, yea most of the Popish and horrible darknesse which generally overspread ⟨image 5⟩the face of all Europe at that day; but diverse of them did not (as well they might not) see all things with the like clearnesse, whereof this of the Sabbath hath seemed to be one: their chiefe difficulty lay here; they saw a Morall command for a seventh day, and yet withall a Change of that first seventh day, and hence thought that something in it was Morall in respect of the Command, and yet something Ceremoniall because of the Change: and therefore they issued their thoughts here, that was partly Morall and partly Ceremoniall, and hence their observation of the day hath been (answerable to their judgments) more lax and loose; whose arguments to prove the day partly Ceremonial, have (upon narrow examination) made it wholly Ceremoniall; it being the usuall unhappinesse of such arguments as are produced in defence of a lesser Errour, to grow big with some man-child in them, which in time growes up; and so serve onely to maintaine a farre greater; and hence by that part of the controversie they have laid foundations of much loosnesse upon that day among themselves, and have unawares laid the corner stones of some grosse points of Familisme, and strengthned hereby the hands of Arminians, Malignants and Prelates, as to prophane the Sabbath, so to make use of their Principles for the introduction of all humane inventions under the name and shadow of the Church; which if it hath power to authorize and establish such a day of worship: let any man living then name what invention he can, but that it may much more easily be ushered in upon the same ground: and therefore though posterity hath cause for ever to admire Gods goodnesse for that abundance of light and life poured out by those vessels of glory in the first