1It is no argument to prove the Sabbath to be ceremonial, because it is reckoned among ceremonials, viz. show-bread and sacrifices, as M. Primrose and Wallaeus urge it out of Mat. 12.1, 2, 3. for 1. upon the same ground fornication and eating of idolothytes are ceremonial, because they are ranked among ceremonials, viz. blood and things strangled, Act. 15.29.2. upon this ground the Sabbath hath no morality at all in it, no more then show-bread and sacrifices which were wholly ceremonial. 3. The Sabbath is in the same place reckoned among things which are moral, as pulling a sheep out of a pit upon the Sabbath day, an act of humanity; why may it not then be as well accounted moral? 4. One may as well argue that the not keeping company with Publicans and sinners was a ceremonial thing, because the Lord Jesus useth the same Proverbial speech, I will have mercy not sacrifice, Mat. 9.13. upon which he defends the lawfulness of pulling the ears of corn upon the Sabbath day, in this Mat. 12.15. the scope therefore of this place is not to show the nature of the Sabbath day, whether it be ceremonial or moral, but the lawfulness and morality of his act in eating the ears of corn upon this day; and thus the arguments of our Saviour are very strong and convicting to prove the morality of such an act, but no way to prove the ceremoniality of the Sabbath: for that is the scope of our Saviour, that mercy to the hungry is to be preferred before the Sacrifice of bodily resting upon the ⟨p. 177⟩Sabbath. M. Primrose indeed replies hereto and tells us, that mercy is to be preferred before sacrifice or ceremonial duties, but not before moral duties, 2and therefore Christ preferring it before the rest on the Sabbath, the Sabbath could not be moral: but we know that mercy in the second table is sometimes to be preferred before moral duties in the first table: a man is bound to neglect solemn prayer sometime to attend upon the sick; it's a moral duty to sanctify some day for a Sabbath (saith M. Primrose) and yet suppose a fire be kindled in a town upon that day, or any sick to be helped, must not mercy be preferred before hearing the word? which himself will acknowledge to be then a moral duty.
1It is no argument to prove the Sabbath to be ceremoniall, because it is reckoned among ceremonials, viz. shew-bread and sacrifices, as M. Primrose and Wallaeus urge it out of Mat. 12.1, 2, 3. for 1. upon the same ground fornication and eating of idolothytes are ceremoniall, because they are ranked among ceremonials, viz. bloud and things strangled, Act. 15.29.2. upon this ground the Sabbath hath no morality at all in it, no more then shew-bread and sacrifices which were wholly ceremoniall. 3. The Sabbath is in the same place reckoned among things which are morall, as pulling a sheep out of a pit upon the Sabbath day, an act of humanity; why may it not then be as well accounted morall? 4. One may as well argue that the not keeping company with Publicanes and sinners was a ceremoniall thing, because the Lord Jesus useth the same Proverbiall speech, I will have mercy not sacrifice, Mat. 9.13. upon which he defends the lawfullnesse of pulling the ears of corn upon the Sabbath day, in this Mat. 12.15. the scope therefore of this place is not to shew the nature of the Sabbath day, whether it be ceremoniall or morall, but the lawfullnesse and morality of his act in eating the ears of corn upon this day; and thus the arguments of our Saviour are very strong and convicting to prove the morality of such an act, but no way to prove the ceremoniality of the Sabbath: for that is the scope of our Saviour, that mercy to the hungry is to be preferred before the Sacrifice of bodily resting upon the ⟨p. 177⟩Sabbath. M. Primrose indeed replies hereto and tels us, that mercy is to be preferred before sacrifice or ceremoniall duties, but not before morall duties, 2and therefore Christ preferring it before the rest on the Sabbath, the Sabbath could not be morall: but we know that mercy in the second table is sometimes to be preferred before morall duties in the first table: a man is bound to neglect solemn praier sometime to attend upon the sick; it's a morall duty to sanctifie some day for a Sabbath (saith M. Primrose) and yet suppose a fire be kindled in a town upon that day, or any sick to be helped, must not mercy be prefer'd before hearing the word? which himself will acknowledge to be then a morall duty.
- 1Prim. part. 2. cap. 2. Wall. diss. de 4. prae. cap. 2.Prim. part. 2. cap. 2. Wal. diss. de 4. prae. cap. 2.
- 2Prim. part. 1. cap. 7. s. 3.
