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

2. Such laws are drawn from the imitable Attributes and Works of God, are congruous and suitable to mans nature: For what greater comeliness can there be, or what can be more suitable to that nature, which is immediately made for God, then to be like unto God, and to attend unto those rules which guide thereunto? Hence to be merciful to men in misery, to forgive our enemies and those that do us wrong, to be bountiful to those that be in want, to be patient when we suffer evil, are all moral duties, because they are comely and suitable to man, and that because herein he resembles and is made like unto God: Hence to labour six days and rest a leventh is a ⟨p. 17⟩moral, because a comely and suitable duty, that because herein man follows the example of God, and becomes most like unto him. And hence it is that a seventh year of rest cannot be urged upon man to be as much moral as a seventh day of rest, because man hath Gods example and pattern in resting a seventh day, but not in resting any seventh year; God never made himself an example of any ceremonial duty, it being unsuitable to his glorious excellency so to do, but only of moral and spiritual holiness; and therefore there is somewhat else in a seventh day that is not in a seventh year: and it is utterly false to think (as some do) that there is as much equity for the observation of the one as there is of the other. And here by the way may be seen a gross mistake of Mr. Primrose, ¹who would make Gods example herein not to be morally imitable of us, nor man necessarily bound thereunto, it being not naturally and in respect of it self imitable, but only because it pleased God to command man so to do: as also because this action of God did not flow from such attributes of God as are in their nature imitable, as mercy, bounty, &c. but from one of those attributes as is not imitable, and which we ought not to imitate, viz. his omnipotency. But suppose it did flow from his omnipotency, and that we ought not to imitate his omnipotency, and that we who are weakness it self cannot imitate omnipotent actions, yet its obvious to common sense, that such acts which arise from such attributes as cannot be imitated of us, in respect of the particular effects which are produced by them, yet in the actings of such attributes there may be something morally good which is imitable of us.

2. Such lawes are drawne from the imitable Attributes and Works of God, are congruous and suitable to mans nature: For what greater comelinesse can there be, or what can be more suitable to that nature, which is immediately made for God, then to be like unto God, and to attend unto those rules which guide thereunto? Hence to be mercifull to men in misery, to forgive our enemies and those that doe us wrong, to be bountifull to those that be in want, to be patient when we suffer evill, are all morall duties, because they are comely and suitable to man, and that because herein hee resembles and is made like unto God: Hence to labour six dayes and rest a leventh is a