A59693:9
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.
THE Preface OF THE AUTHOR To the READER.
That a seventh part of time hath been religiously and universally observed both under the Law and under the Gospel, is without all controversy; the great doubt and difficulty which now remains concerning this Time, is the Morality of it, whether it was thus universally observed in the Christian Churches by unwritten Tradition, or by Divine Commission; Whether from the Churches Custom or Christs Command. Whether as a Moral Duty, or as a Humane Law; for although some would make •he observation of such a portion of time the sour ⟨image 3⟩fruit of the Ebionites superstitious Doctrines, yet all the Ancient and best Writers in the purest times do give such honour to it, that whoever doubts of it must either be utterly ignorant, or wilfully blinded in the knowledge of the Histories and Doctrines of those times; and must desire a Candle to show him the Sun at noon day: Clemens only seems to cast some stain upon it by making all days equal, and every day a Sabbath; but upon narrow search, his meaning may appear, not to deny the observation of the day, but only to blame the froth and vanity of sundry Christians, who, if they externally observed the day, they cared not how they lived every day after: nor is it to be wondered at, if Origen turn this day sometime into an Allegory and a continual spiritual Rest-day, who miserably transforms (many times) the plainest Scriptures into such shapes, and turns their substance into such shadows, and beating out the best of the Kernels, feeds his guests with such chaff and husks; and although many other Festivals were observed by those times, which may make the Sabbath suspected to be borne out of the same womb of humane custom with the rest, yet we shall find the seventh days Rest to have another Crown of glory set upon the had of it by the holy men of God in those times then upon those which superstition so soon hatched and brought forth, so that they that read the Histories of those times in observing two Sabbaths in some places, Easter, Whitsunday, yea divers Ethnic and Heathenish days, will need no other comment on those texts of Paul, wherein he condemns the observation of Days; which