Of the morality of the fourth commandment as still in force to bind Christians…Of the morality of the fourth commandement as still in force to binde Christians…

And undoubtedly that is to be accounted as a rest moral whereunto the sanctification ⟨p. 207⟩of the day calleth us, namely to rest from all works, as they are Avocations from sacred studies, and meditations. But doth Abulensis account the rest of one day in seven ceremonial, and not moral? Doctor Willet relates him as of an other opinion, and distinguishing thus. There are some things which are simply moral, and some things simply ceremonial; and some things of a mixed kind, as being partly moral, partly ceremonial. Simply moral are those things which are grounded on the judgement of natural reason, as when natural reason doth dictate that some time is to be set apart for Gods service; But precisely to appoint the seventh day more then any day of the week, is simply ceremoniall, quia non habet fundamentum à ratione, sed à voluntate condentis legem; because it is not grounded on reason, but on the will of the law-maker. But to appoint one day of seven, and that day wholly for the space of 24. hours to consecrate to Gods service, as therein to abstain from all kinds of work, these things are not purely or simply ceremonial, but partly moral as grounded on the judgement of reason, though not totally and wholly. For the first, if above one day in the week should be kept perpetually holy, Gravamen esset laborantibus toties vacare; it were a grievance to labourers to rest from work so oft (his meaning is in this case, they could not sufficiently provide for themselves, and their families, as touching the maintenance of this life temporal) and if but one day in a fortnight or a month should be appointed, oblivisceremur Dei per desuetudinem cultus ipsius. We should forget God through not accustoming our selves sufficiently to his service. Therefore it stands with reason that one day in seven should be celebrated to the Lord. This surely is not to deny the proportion of one day in seven to be consecrated unto the Lord, to be moral; but to confirm it rather. Neither do I find that Aquinas resolves it so, as here it is pretended; that which he saith to be ceremonial, is applied by him only to the particular day of the week. Indeed he doth say that the proportion of one day in seven to be consecrated to the Lord, is moral, neither doth he deny it; only he saith, it is moral that some time should be set apart for Gods service.

And undoubtedly that is to be accompted as a rest morall whereunto the sanctification ⟨p. 207⟩