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A53192 The doctrine of the Fourth Commandement, deformed by popery, reformed & restored to its primitive purity wherein is clearely proved by Scripture, arguments, and reasons, that the seventh day of the week, and not the first, viz. the day called Saturday (and not the day called Sunday) is the true Christian Sabbath ... / objections answered, and the truth cleared, by Gods unworthy servant, J.O. Ockford, James. 1650 (1650) Wing O128AA; ESTC R41358 35,090 80

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to exempt our selves from the duties of the 1 2 and 3. Commandements because the expresse words are not laid down by our Saviour in the Gospel then errour it is for any to exempt themselves from the duties of the fourth Commandement although the duty of it is not in expresse words laid downe in the Gospel Yea a truth it is Whosoever keepeth the whole Law and faileth in one point is guilty of all CHAP. IV. Of the Antiquity and Morality of the seventh day-Sabbath which is the day to be observed and not a seventh day instead of it THe seventh day Sabbath whereof I treat which was made for man Mark 2.27 and given to man Exod. 16.29 was blessed and sanctified the first seventh day of the worlds Creation Gen. 2.2 3. Exod. 20.8 9 10 11. was obeyed and disobeyed before the Law was given on Mount Sinai Exod. 16.27 28 30. Which Precept being repeated on the Mount with the other nine Precepts it had a memorandum annexed it in regard of a former neglect to it as also the more to incite the Jewes and us Gentiles to a diligent observation thereof for time to come This seventh day God instituted and commanded to be a selected or peculiar time for his publique worship Leuit. 23.3 Acts 15.21 This Sabbath our Saviour unviolably kept and spent in the administration of the Word Luke 4.16 31. Mark 6.2 and in other holy exercises of piety and charity glorifying his Father by Miracles Mat. 12.9 10 11 12 13. Iohn 5.8 9. This Sabbath our Saviours Disciples observed after his death to Gods honour and their ever laudable memoriall For it is recorded of them Luke 23.56 That they rested the seventh day according to the Commandement Yea it evidently apeareth that the Apostles and Disciples Gentiles as well as Jewes constantly spent the seventh day-Sabbaths in holy and religious exercise For this see Acts 13.14 15 16. vers 27 42 43 44. chap 16.13 14. chap. 17.2 3. chap. 24.14 * The like instance cannot be shewne in the new Testament that either the Apostles or Disciples did thus constantly assemble together on the first day of the week Yea some Christian Churches observed it for more then the space 400. yeares after Christ of this Socrates informes us lib. 6. chap. 8. Yea albeit the Church of Rome was one of the first Churches or rather the first which discerted the seventh day-Sabbath yet they kept it a certain space of time after the decease of the Apostles For Justin Martyr living in Rome about the yeare 150. saith Apologie second pro The manner was on the Sabbath day when the people were gathered together to have the Scriptures read in the publique congregation in the time of publique prayer the space of a whole hower as Dr. Whitguift hath it in his Booke against Cartwright pag. 578. Yea I finde by Socrates Eccle. hist lib. 5. cap. 21. that for the space of 200. yeares almost all Christian Churches throughout the whole world did keep every Sabbath-day after other whereon they did administer the misteries of our Saviour or Sacraments except Rome and Alexandria who of an old tradition did not use it c. Which holy Sabbath ought to have been spent in holy exercise to this time yea and for ever Exod. 31.17 Isay 66.23 That the seventh day-Sabbath ought to have been kept and spent in the worship and service of God Severall men of note doth confesse the truth thereof although their practice answered not with it no nor their words at some times neither And therefore I looke upon their Expressions as justifying the truth against themselves First I will beginne with Mr Beza in his margent on Deut. 5. vers 13. who saith Since God permitteth six dayes to our laboures that we ought willingly to dedicate the seventh to serve him wholly Secondly Mr. Perkins on Gal. 4. vers 10. saith Six dayes thou shalt labour and the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God is morall and containeth a perpetuall truth Thirdly Doctor Whitguift against Cartwright page 553. saith Six dayes shalt thou labour c. The meaning of which words is this That seeing God hath admitted us six dayes to doe our own work in we ought the seventh day to serve him c. Fourthly Muskulus in his Book of common Places fol. 60. speaking of the seventh day-day-Sabbath saith Secondly he apppointed the day so that it should not be at his peoples liberty Six dayes saith he thou shalt doe all thy worke but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God So he doth especially note the dayes to worke and he doth expresse that day in which the Sabbath should be hallowed c. Six dayes are appointed thee in which thou mayest work all things touching thy selfe and thy own affaires but the seventh day is not so for that day is a great while agoe determined and hallowed by God himselfe unto rest and therefore that day shall not serve for thy workes but thou shalt hallow him to the Lord thy God Fifthly Dr. Willet on the fourth Commandement question 13 pag. 360. saith God is said to rest both that his rest might be a monument of the Creation perfected and that God by his example might induce us in like manner to rest upon his Sabbaths Sixtly Dod and Clever on the Commandements speaking of the duty of the seventh day-Sabbath in pag. 118. saith The third reason is taken from Gods Example c. As if he should have said If thou wilt follow Example then follow the Example of the best What Example can there be better than God himself who when he made the World rested on the seventh day Therefore from his Example learne thou that on the seventh day thou give thy selfe to the duties of sanctification c. See pag. 119. Seventhly Bayly in Pract. Piety page 255. saith To sanctifie the Sabbath on the seventh day is not a ceremoniall Law abrogated but the Morall and Perpetuall Law perfected So that saith he the same perpetuall Commandement which bound the Jewes to keepe the Sabbath on the seventh day to celebrate the Worlds Creation binds Christians to solemnize the Sabbath on the seventh day And in page 257. Therefore God planted this Commandement in the middest of the two Tables because the keeping of it is the best help in keeping all the rest The conscionable keeping of the Sabbath is the Mother of all Religion c. And in pag. 259. saith It is one of the Commandements which God spake with his own mouth and twice wrote with his owne fingers in Tables of stone to signifie their Authority and perpetuity All that God wrote were Morall and perpetuall Commandements and they are reckoned ten in number If this were now an abrogated Ceremony then there were but nine Commandements And in pag. 287. thus The Ceremoniall Law was injoyned to the Jewes only and not to the Gentiles But this Commandement of the Holy Sabbath as Matrimony was instituted of
Iohn 12.26 1 Iohn 2.6 5. The Apostle Paul kept it and other Christians Acts 13.14 15 16 37 42 43 44 chap. 16.13 14. chap. 17.2 and we are to imitate them 2 Cor. 11.1 Phil. 3.17 Heb. 6.12 Blessed is the man that doth this and the sonne of man which layeth hold on it and keepeth the Sabbath from polluting of it Isay 56.3 4 5 6. CHAP. V. Severall Authors produced which affirme the Church changed the Sabbath and why they did it 2. Three Reasons given to manifest when it was done 3. Answers given to severall texts of Scripture urged to prove the first day of the weeke to be of a divine Institution 4. Four Reasons given to manifest it is not of a divine Institution EVident it is that in some tract of time after the death of the Apostles the Romish Church layd aside the duty of the seventh day-Sabbath and observed the first day of the weeke instead of it Of this Socrates gives us notice lib. 5. chap. 21. Where speaking of Customes he saith Though in manner all Christian Churches throughout the whole world doe celebrate and receive the holy misteries every Sabbath day after other Yet the people inhabiting Alexandria and Rome of an old tradition doth not use it The Aegyptians adjoyning to Alexandria together with the Inhabitants of Thebaes use to celebrate on the Sunday c. 2. Mr. Brabourn in the defence of the Sabbath against the ten Ministers page 481 declares out of the Centuries Centure 4. chap. 6. page 477. layeth it down thus There was no Ecclesiasticall or Church Assemblies at Rome as there was at other Churches c. 3. Iustin Martyr living in Rome in the yeare 150. Apol. 2. saith Vpon the Sunday all of us assemble in the Congregation c. See Dr. Hylyn on the Sabbath part 2 chap. 2 sect 6. 4. Athenasius saith The observation of the Lords day was taken up by a voluntary usage in the Church as Dr. Hylyn in his history on the Sabbath declareth part 2. chap 1. Sect. 3. page 8. 5. Mr. Perkins on Gal 4. verse 10. speaking of the superstition of the popish Church in observation of holy dayes saith First besides the Lords day they appointed many other Sabbaths c 6. Mr. Calvin in his Institutions lib. 2. chap 8. sect 33. saith The old Fathers not without choyce of their owne put in place of the Sabbath the day we call Sunday c. And a little after exhorteth us to follow the order by the Church apointed c. 7. Bullenger in his Book of godly Sermons page 140. saith They of the Primitive Church did change the Sabbath day least peradventure they should have seemed to imitate the Jewes and still to have retained their orders and ceremonie and made their assemblies and holy meetings on the first day of Sabbaths to wit the first day of the weeke called Sunday 8. John Frith Declare Bapt. page 96 saith Our Fathers which were in the beginning of the Church did abrogate the Sabbath to the intent that Christians might have an example of Christian Liberty and that they might know that neither the keeping of the Sabbath nor any other day is necessary That a day should be reserved in that the people might come together to heare the Word of God they ordained instead of the Sabbath which was Saturdy the next day following and although they might have kept Saturday with the Jewes as a thing indifferent yet did they much better to over set the day to a perpetuall memory that we are free and not bound to any day but that we may doe any worke to the pleasure of God and the profit of our Neighbour c. See Dr. White on the Sabbath page 5. 9. Mr. Tindals answer to Dr. Moore chap. 25. thus saith We be Lords over the Sabbath and may change it to munday or any other day as we see need or may make every tenth day holy day if we see cause why we may make two every weeke if it were expedient and one not enough to teach the people Neither was there any cause to change it from the Saturday then to put difference between us and the Jewes least we should become servants to the day after their superstition As Dr. White hath it Ibid. page 5. 10. Vrsinus on the Catti part 3. page 989. saith The Apostolicall Church to distinguish its selfe from the Jewish Synagogue c. Hath on good reason made choyce of the first day c. 11. Dr. Willet in his Comment on Exod. chap. 20. page 360. saith The Apostolique Church changed the holy day of rest from the seventh day to the first which is the Lords day in remembrance of our redemption by Christ 12. Dr. White on the Sabbath page 109. thus saith Although the Sunday or Lords day in the time of the Law was an ordinary working-day yet in the time under the Gospel the same is an holy day by a perpetuall Ordinance of the Catholique Church And in pag. 212 he saith It is apparent that Christian people made the Lords day of every week an ordinary Holy-day c. See also Dr. Prideaux on the Sabbath pag. 24. Sect. 6. I hasten and shall take further occasion to manifest by larger Testimonies that the first day of the weeke is not of a Divine Institution but an Ordinance of the Church But first I will briefly describe the time when it was done as near as I can I confesse I have not met with any Author which hath pointed out the time except Mr. Brabourne who in defence of the Sabbath pag. 485. speaking of the Counsell held at Laodicea Anno 364. he saith now the Sabbath began to be rejected and the Lords day to be set up as the sole Sabbath without any other Now saith he the Lords day must forsooth be preferred above the Sabbath c. Mr. Perkins in his Exposition on the Revelation Chap. 1. vers 10. moveth a question to know who changed the Jewish Sabbath and then his answer is thus It is commonly thought saith he the Jewish Sabbath was changed into the Lords day by Christian Emperours long after the Ascension of Christ c. I doe not much dissent from these mens apprehensions for there is much truth no doubt in both their expressions yet I am not fully of of their opinions for indeed I conceive it was first contrived yea and concluded on inclusively though not expressed in the first Nicen Counsell Anno 326. or thereabout and my Reasons are three The first Reason is because before that Counsell there was not any Law which commanded Christians to keep the first day of the week in performance of Religious worship neither before that time were Christians commanded to forbear labour on the Lords day But this was done by the Emperour Constantine his Edict after the Counsell was dissolved Eusebius in the life of Constant Lib. 4. Chap. 18.19 The second Reason is because after that Counsell was dissolved Constantine sent
an Edict to all Governours of Provinces in his Roman Empire that they should forthwith observe the Lords day and honour Holy-daies consecrated to the memoriall of Martyrs and solemnly observe the Feasts of the Church * At this time or a little before is the time that Socrates speaketh of lib. 5. chap. 21. saying some despised the commandements of God and made them cannons of their owne they set at nought and made no account of the law published by the Apostles so unadvisedly saith he they put in practise decrees contrary to the will of God himself Ibid. Chap. 23. Note I doe not say the first day of the week was not observed till this time for evident it is it was observed by many Churches in few years after the decease of the Apostles Yea Dr. White on the Sabbath pag. 193. saith The Vniversall Church before the decree of any Generall or Nationall Counsell made the Sunday or Lords Day a weekely Festivall But I endeavour to denote when it was that the Church rejected the Sabbath and observed the first day of the week in stead of it The third Reason why it is probable the putting down of the Sabbath and the setting up of the first day of the week in stead of it was contrived in the Nicen Councel is because Christians before that Counsell were not forbid to observe the seventh day-Sabbath nor threatned to bee Excommunicated if they did observe it for that was not done till the Counsell held at Laodicea Anno 364. which was about 38 yeares after the Nicen Councell where they made a Law that Christians should not Jewdize and rest upon the Sabbath day but rather worke upon it and that they should prefer the Lords day above the Sabbath day and if any were found observing the Jewish Sabbath they should be excommunicated or accursed as Mr. Brabourn hath it in his forementioned Book pag. 482. Out of Hospine de Origen Fast Chap. 9 pag. 27. about this time many other Errours were set a foot for Mr. Brabourn in his forementioned Book pag. 482. saith you may read in Mr. Perkins his Demonstration of the Probleme about the 300 and 400 years after Christ Then began Images to creep into Churches the Crosse to be adored Invocation of Saints praiers for the dead Pilgrimage Purgatory single life of Ministers Monkery and Monasticall profession c. Thus have I shewn the time or neere about when the Lords holy seventh day-Sabbath was rejected and the first day of the week instituted in its stead which causeth me to say with the Prophet Psal 119.126 It is time for thee Lord to worke for they have made void thy Law Yea it appeareth to me to be a great cause of Gods Judgments on the World Isa 24.4 5. Lamentable it is that the Learned of this Land which professe themselvs to be guids to the blind and lights of them which are in darknesse and teachers of them which want knowledge and to have the forme of knowledge and truth of the Law that they should teach men to observe the first day of the week in stead of the seventh contrary to the Law upon a pretence that Jesus Christ abrogated the Sabbath and that he and his Apostles instituted the first day of the week in its stead when there is not any Word of God that teacheth either the one or the other I confesse there are many weak reasons produced by many men to prove their doctrine and practice * Note I pray if it be not according to the words of the law and testimony it is because there is no light in them Isa 8.20 both for the abrogation of the Sabbath as also for manifesting that the first day of the week is of a divine institution some principall places of Scripture produced and perverted by them I will briefly weigh and examine committing it to wise mens consideration and the Almighties blessing Anti-sabatharians say Our Saviour to manifest the change of the Sabbath day did plead for and performe some things that the Jewes upon the Sabbath might not doe and to prove it they urge two Scriptures the one Mark 2.23 24. Where it is said our Saviours Disciples plucked the eares of Corne on the Sabbath day and the Pharises urged at our Saviour for that fact Now say they Our Saviour justified that fact although it was a doing of that which the law of the Sabbath forbids Ergo the Sabbath was to be changed Answer Our Saviour did not justifie them in that act as an vnlawfull fact but justified them in it as a lawfull or justifiable fact as the cause stood with them they being hungry and that from a president in David and those that were with him who in the like case did eat the shew bread c. As also from that Of the Priests in the Temple which brake the Sabbath and were blamelesse Mat. 12.4 5. which words of our Saviour doe imply that had there not bene a necessity their action had not been lawfull but being a cause of necessity as Davids and the Priests was the one having a relation to Charity and the other to Piety they were blamelesse And therefore in answer to the necessity of his Disciples our Saviour said to his Adversaries If you had known what this meaned I will have mercy and not sacrifice Math. 12 7. A repulse to their cavill And withall our Saviour caused them to know that the sonne of man is Lord also of the Sabbath Which words of our Saviour doe imply he being Lord of the Sabbath knew the extent of the Sabbath better then they for had they known the extent of the Sabbath they would not have condemned the innocent Mat. 12.7 Let no man thinke that our Saviour either by his goodnesse or greatnesse did vouchsafe a dispensation to his Disciples to act that which was in its nature evill for that he did not neither doth those words of our Saviour in saying he was Lord of the Sabbath import that he had changed the Sabbath or would doe it But those words are to be understood far otherwise and that very proper to Our Saviour may be rightly said to be Lord of the Sabbath in a threefold respect 1. In that as he was God Iohn 1.1 2 3. In which sence the Sabbath was made by him 2. In respect it was upheld by him Iohn 5 17. Col. 1.20 3. He is rightly said to be Lord of the Sabbath in that he only holily kept it in his person for the perfecting of the Saints imperfect obedience to it Rom. 8.3 4. chap 10.4 Had our Saviour abolished the law of the Sabbath he had diminished from the morall Law which thing he did not Mat. 5.17 For being man and circumcised he was bound to keep the whole Law Gal. 5.3 In which regard he was a subject to it and so he acknowledged himselfe to be Mat. 4.7 10. Yea I say It was impossible that he could or did diminish from the morall Law
affirm that Dr. Rivet one of the four Professours in Leyden doth affirm that the appointing of the Lords day for Gods publicke service was neither done by God himselfe nor by his Apostles but by the authority of the Church 18. Dr. Hylyn saith The Emperour Constantine was the first that made any law for the keeping of the Lords day see his History on the Sabbath part 2. chap. 3. sect 1. And again ibid. part 2. chap. 1. sect 3. speaking of Christ and of the Sabbath saith Neither did Christ nor his Apostles ordain another Sabbath instead of this as if they had intended onely to shift the day and to transferre this honour to another time their doctrine and their practice are directly contrary to so new a fancy It is true saith he in some tract of time the Church in honour to his Resurrection did set apart that day on which he rose to holy exercise but this on their own authority and without any warrant from above that we heare of 19. Muskulous in his Book of Common places fol. 66. thus saith We Christian men leaving the Jewes Sabbath doe keepe our holy rest upon the first day c. 20. Know also what the originall Actors or Authors of changing the Lords holy Sabbath to the first day of the week in the Remish Annotations on Apocalips chap. 1. verse 10. saith If the Church had authority and inspiration from God to make Sunday being a working day an everlasting holy day and the Saturday which was before a holy day now a common working day Why may not the same Church prescribe and appoint the other Feasts Easter Whitsuntide Christmas and the rest for the same warrant she had for the one that she had for the other c. I need not produce larger testimony to demonstrate who it was that abolished the Lords seventh day-Sabbath or who it was that instituted the first day of the week in its stead but that which is already said doth sufficiently declare who were the originall Authors of it and of all other superstitious holy dayes to the dishonour of God and the destruction of the world without Gods especiall and abundant mercy But blessed be God we have yet time to fly unto the Lord for mercy and to conforme our selves to the obedience of his will and let it be our comfort he is abundantly pardonfull Isa 55.6.7 James 1.21 To be short as it is well known the Church changed the Sabbath to the first day of the weeke so also it is known and acknowledged the Church hath power to change the day to some other day For Dr. Prideaux in his Book of the Sabbath page 34. affirmes that Calvin Bullinger Bucerius Brentius Chimnitius Vrsinus and others of the reformed Churches still affirmes the Church hath power to change the Lords day to some other day Yea happy shall the Church be that worshippeth God according to his Law and giveth him his due by placing on the seventh day the honour which God requireth to be performed on it which hath been taken from it this 1300. yeares for greatly hath God been dishonoured by mens consecrating the first day of the week to be a holy rest instead of the Sabbath seeing God never instituted it nor commanded it to be and therefore I say with Dr. Prideaux on the Sabbath page 22 sect 7. The institution of the Lords day out of the Scripture either expresly or by necessary consequence shew me he that can As I have disavowed That the honour due to God on the seventh day-Sabbath to be placed on the first day of the week called Sunday or Lords day or Sabbath as mens opinions leads them So I doe disavow the Title of the Lords day properly to belong to the first day of the week and therefore I say very improperly are the words of St. John Revel 1.10 applied to it for there is no such thing there manifested in the Text that the Apostle had any such meaning Yea I say there is no more reason that that Title should be given to the first day of the week the day of our Saviours Resurrection than to the day of his Birth Death or Ascension unlesse because it was anciently given to it or else because men will have something to credit that which they will have Honourable Ignatius calling it by the name of the Lords Day proves not that that Title is due to it by a Divine institution no more than his bringing in of Anthemes into the Church doth prove that it was of a Divine institution Socrat. Lib. 6 Chap. 8. Yea I say there is more reason to be given that St. John meant the seventh day of the week rather than the first because it was knowne by name the Lords day Isa 58.13 Exod. 20.11 But the first day of the week was never knowne by that name Yet I doe not say that St. John spake of that day neither but of the day of Christ or time of his Reign in Power and Glory or of the day or time of Judgment 2 Thes 2.2 2 Pet. 2.9 1 Cor 5.5 who being in the Spirit saw it in his Vision as if the day had been present What if the Roman Church hath and doth observe the first day of the week in remembrance of our Saviours Resurrection as they doe the Wednesday in remembrance that he was betrayed and the Friday in remembrance of his Passion Ought we therefore to follow their vain Idolatrous custome and tradition in these things Oh no we ought not for certainly God doth not require these things at our hands neither by Law nor Gospel If this which hath been said in this Subject will not satisfie men viz. that it is our duty to rest the seventh day to wit Saturday and worship God on it which is Gods Sabbath Exod. 20.9 10 11. As also that it is our duty to work the first day of the week called Sunday let it be proved either by Law or Gospel that it is our duty to work Saturday and to rest Sunday If this none can doe I affirme to the honour of God and the advancement of his Holy Law and for the beating off of all unrighteous and ungodly intrenching upon the Lords Holy Sabbaths and for the awaking of all those out of errour which would not willingly perish in it and to reduce all that love Gods Law to the due obedience of it I affirme that it is as great a sinne to observe the first day of the week in stead of the seventh as it is to worship an Image in stead of the true God For to doe the one is contrary to the Second Commandement of Gods Law and to doe the other is contrary to the fourth Commandement of the same Law It being so I desire my Brethren my Friends yea and all men to consider of this which condemneth Idolatry and yet justifieth themselves in a weekly trangression of the Lords seventh day-Sabbaths that they may cease to doe evill and learn