A59693:74
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 18.
God out of his absolute sovereignty could have made laws binding all persons in all ages (and in this respect moral) without having any more goodness in them, then merely his own will, but it is his will and good pleasure to make all laws that are moral to be first good in themselves for all men, before he will impose them upon all men. And hence it is a weakness for any to affirm, that a moral law is not such a Law which is therefore commanded because it is good, because (say they) tis not the goodness of the thing, but the sovereign will of ⟨p. 9⟩God which makes all things good; for it is the sovereign will of God (as is proved) to make every moral law good, and therefore to command it, rather than to make it good by a mere commanding of it.
God out of his absolute soveraignty could have made lawes binding all persons in all ages (and in this respect morall) without having any more goodnesse in them, then meerely his owne will, but it is his will and good pleasure to make all lawes that are morall to be first good in themselves for all men, before he will impose them upon all men. And hence it is a weaknesse for any to affirme, that a morall law is not such a Law which is therefore commanded because it is good, because (say they) tis not the goodnesse of the thing, but the soveraigne will of ⟨p. 9⟩God which makes all things good; for it is the soveraigne will of God (as is proved) to make every morall law good, and therefore to command it, rather than to make it good by a meer commanding of it.