A59693:422
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. 138.
That Law which is an homogeneall part of the moral Law, is moral: but the fourth Commandment is such a part of the moral Law, and therefore it is moral; I do not say that that Law which is set and placed among the moral Laws in order of writing (as our adversaries too frequently mistake us in) that it is therefore moral, for then it might be said as well that the Sabbath is ceremonial, because it it is placed in order of writing among things ceremonial, Lev. 23. but if it be one link of the chain, and an essential part of the moral Law, then its undoubtedly moral; but so it is, for its part of the Decalogue, nine parts whereof all our adversaries we now contend with confess to be moral; and to make this fourth ceremonial, which God hath set in the heart of the Decalogue, and commanded us to remember to keep it above ⟨p. 139⟩any other Law, seems very unlike to truth, to a serene and sober mind, not disturbed with such mud, which usually lies at the bottom of the heart, and turns light into darkness: and why one ceremonial precept should be shuffled in among the rest which are of another tribe, lineage and language, hath been by many attempted, but never soundly cleared unto this day: surely if this Commandment be not moral, then there are but nine Commandments left to us of the moral Law, which is expressly contrary to Gods account, Deut. 4.
That Law which is an homogeneall part of the morall Law, is morall: but the fourth Commandment is such a part of the morall Law, and therefore it is morall; I do not say that that Law which is set and placed among the morall Laws in order of writing (as our adversaries too frequently mistake us in) that it is therefore morall, for then it might be said as wel that the Sabbath is ceremoniall, because it it is placed in order of writing among things ceremoniall,