Olivet but a Sabbath days Journey from Jerusalem and from the two Angels prophesie That that same Jesus should so come in like manner as they saw him go into Heaven and that this was when Christ and his Apostles were assembled and come together and Christ preached to them and promised to them the Holy Spirit Acts 1. 4 5 6 11 12. it is somewhat probable to me that his Ascension might be and that his Coming may be upon the Seventh-day Sabbath though some from the number of Forty days wherein he was seen by the Apostles Acts 1. 3 make some doubt thereof But by no Account I can make can I assign the Ascension on the First day nor can I see why that is so expresly said that Mount Olivet where Christ ascended and whence the Disciples returned to Jerusalem was but a Sabbath-days Journey Acts 1. 12. but because it was the Sabbath day And yet in this also I may not be positive because it is not positively written when it was otherwise than as above that Christ and his Disciples were then assembled and Christ preached and that Mountain was but a Sabbath days Journey from Jerusalem Acts 1. 12 which was as great a length of way by the Law of Exod. 16. 29 and Josh 3. 4 as was commonly thought by the Hebrews they might travel upon a Sabbath day which is held by divers to be about two miles for which I know no certain Scripture Some say Mount Olivet was but about a mile from Jerusalem but be the Sabbath-days Journey more or less 't is recorded here to be but a Sabbath-days Journey from Jerusalem and if this was the Sabbath day it may be thus expressed to answer an Objection As if our Lord by this Walk and his Disciples by accompanying him and by their return to Jerusalem had after his death broken the Sabbath for we find the Jews during his life watching him and his Disciples for some Pretence to charge him and them with breaking the Sabbath as we find Mat. 12. 1 2. Mark 2. 24. Luke 6. 2. And so might also be at the same wrangling and objecting work upon his Ascension But however that were for the main point which is the Sabbath does dot depend thereon it is undeniably certain that after the Ascension of the Lord Jesus into Heaven Acts 1. 9 and after the giving the Holy Spirit Acts 2. 1 2 3 4 Barnabas and Paul who were sent forth by the Holy Spirit Acts 13. 4 and their Company went into the Synagogue on the Sabbath day and after the reading of the Law and the Prophets which were then read every Sabbath day Acts 13. 27. upon the desire of the Rulers of the Synagogue of the Jews Paul stands up and preaches Christ at large Acts 13. 13 to 41. and when the Jews were gone out of the Synagogue the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them not the next morning upon the First day of the week but the next Sabbath This Authority in Acts 13. 14 42 44 is full where both the Jews and Gentiles hear the Word upon the Sabbath day which no man can deny and is granted by all to be the Seventh-day Sabbath Acts 13. 42. And the next Sabbath day came together almost the whole City to hear the Word of God Acts 13. 44. So that Barnabas and Paul and his Company and the Jews and Gentiles at Antioch observed the Seventh-day Sabbath after the Resurrection and Ascension of Christ and Paul preached Forgiveness of Sin and Justification of all Believers by Christ to the Jews and upon the particular request of the Gentiles to the Gentiles also not upon the First day of the week which had been more grateful to the Gentiles who generally dedicated the First day to the adoration of the Sun whence we still corruptly call it Sunday whereof more afterwards if that had been grateful to the Apostles but upon the seventh-day Sabbath whereupon the Jews contradict and blaspheme Acts 13. 45 but many Gentiles believed Acts 13. 47 48. so that here were also many converted to Christ upon the seventh-day Sabbath and this in a time after the Holy Spirit was promised to come and promised to guide the Apostles into all Truth John 16. 7 13 and after that Promise performed in the actual giving of the Holy Spirit Acts 2. 4 which taught them all things 1 John 2. 27 by which Holy Spirit Barnabas and Saul were sent forth and which Holy Spirit as I humbly think plainly led them to this Work and into this Truth and this affirmed by the Holy Spirit in the Word of Truth as the Word is called John 17. 17. and this after Christ's Resurrection and Ascension and all this as it seems to me a plain Matter of Fact affirmed by the Holy Spirit in the Scriptures with which Holy Spirit the Apostles were now filled Acts 2. 4. 4. 31. 6. 3 5. 7. 55. 8. 17. 10. 44. 11. 15. 13. 52 and which sent them forth Acts 13. 2 4 9. Which Testimony of the Holy Spirit and the Writer or Writers of this Book of the Acts that the Seventh day was still the Sabbath day by whose Inspiration this Book as the other Scriptures 2 Tim. 3. 16 whereunto give heed 1 Pet. 1. 19 was undeniably written I insist upon as that which no man ought to deny And for any to pretend that Barnabas and Paul did herein Judaize and only humour the Jews for a season I take it to be a meer groundless Surmize to say no worse of it without any word from the Scriptures for such Conceit But this is not all the same Holy Spirit doth further witness that Paul did not only keep the seventh-day Sabbath once or twice or now and then after Christ's death but continually for at Thessalonica where was a Synagogue of the Jews Paul as his Manner was went in unto them and three Sabbath days reasoned with them Acts 17. 2 3. or preached to them being the same Greek word with that much as I think distorted place Acts 20. 7 where the same word is rendered preached to them It was Paul's constant Use Manner and Custom to preach Christ upon the seventh-day Sabbath And this also is a Matter of Fact which no Christian man can deny and 't is remarkable that we have the same certain Evidence that it was the Custom of Paul Acts 17. 2. and this also after Christ's Resurrection and Ascension as before that we have of Christ's keeping the Sabbath Luke 4. 16 there being in those two Scriptures the like Greek Phrase for both and he that denies Paul in his measure his continual keeping of the Sabbath after the Resurrection and Ascension of Christ and after his being declared the Son of God with Power and after the solemn giving of the Holy Spirit and the whole Work of Man's Redemption by Christ absolutely finished must deny this express Scripture which is hard for any Christian
of Tyre brought all manner of Ware and sold on the Sabbath to Judah in Jerusalem so here was a notorious general Violation of that Law whereupon he contends with the Nobles of Judah What Evil is this that ye do and prophane the Sabbath day Did not your Fathers thus it seems keeping Markets upon the Sabbath day was before his time and did not our God bring all this Evil upon us and upon this City Yet ye bring more Wrath upon Israel by prophaning the Sabbath And then he commanded to shut the Gates as it began to be dark till after the Sabbath and set his own Servants at the Gates that no Burthens might be brought in on the Sabbath Neh. 13. 15 to 22. Q. 2. If it be prophesied by any of the Prophets that the Sabbath should be changed in times of the Gospel and by whom Ans That other which should rise and be diverse from the first Dan. 7. 24 I find many Expositors think agrees best with Antichrist And who should wear out the See the Dutch Annotaâ— on Dan. 7. 24. Saints of the Most High and think to change Times and Laws and that they should be given into his Hand until a time and times and the dividing of times Dan. 7. 25. Divers learned men understand his wearing out the Saints to prophesie his Prosperity for a Season and his changing of Times and Laws to be of changing the Sabbath which would be given into his Hand and a time and times and half a time to be the Three years and an half elsewhere spoken of Rev. 12. 14. 11. 11 with Dan. 7. 24 25. Compare also Isa 24. 1 5. Hos 2. 11. But when those Three years and an half will end I know not And it seems to be somewhat observable That Ludovicus the Name of a great Prince now in the World has in the numerical Letters of it the exact number of 666 Rev. 13. 18 which Note as I am now of late credibly informed since the writing of these Sheets has been taken notice of 3 or 4 years since by a learned Doctor and Prelate of the Church of England and it may be since by some others And if this be the Meaning of the Holy Spirit in that Place and Context it has many Consequences which much concern the Churches of Christ at home and abroad to consider But that in truth this Change of the Seventh day was introduced by the Bishop of Rome let any man who peruses those few Collections before about that matter judge And if the observation of the First day no where commanded in the Word by the Lord that I could ever find or read or hear of be an Error as I conceive it is Jehovah the Messiah who is Head of the Church who loves it and gave himself for it can by his Word and Holy Spirit cleanse it from this and all other Mistakes which yet remain and will present it a glorious Church without spot or wrinkle that it may be holy and without blemish Eph. 5. 23 25 26 27. Charnock's Attributes f. 755 756 757 758 782 783 414. That no man ought to alter God's Laws and that Disputes against them are intolerable and that it is a controuling of the Divine Wisdom to make any Alteration in his Precepts Charn Attrib f. 400 402 403 404. The wise in Heart will receive the Commands Prov. 10. 8. I have heard Mr. Charnook's Practice was to preach upon the First day but what his Judgment was in the main point I do not remember to have read in those Writings of his which are in my Hand Mr. Pool of whom mention is made before I think might be in Opinion and Practice for ought I know for the First day and of the same Opinion have been and are many other worthy men as has been acknowledged Yet still Sin is the Transgression of the Law 1 John 3. 4. And this is the love of God that we keep his Commandments which are not grievous 1 John 5. 3 nor have any thing in them which Men should be unwilling to keep The Wisdom of God appears in his Laws Charn Att. f. 412. Submit to his Wisdom in this Case f. 413. The Moral Law cannot be abolished or altered in the whole or any part of it without Reflection upon the Wisdom and Righteousness of Christ the Law-giver Charn Att. f. 549. Man's Glory in the World lies in his Conformity to Christ and our Conformity to him lies in our keeping his Commands His Law is holy Rom. 7. 11. Pure Psal 19. 8. Holy and pure as it is a Ray of the pure nature of Christ the Law-giver f. 559. though they be never so many and great who are of another Opinion The Law to alter the Seventh day to the First you may see before in the Collections out of the Centuries was by the Bishops of Rome who though they pretended to dispense with the Laws of the Church could not alter or dispense with the Laws of God because no Law can be dispensed with or altered in any point by any Authority but that which is equal to that which enacted it Now no Pope or other men on Earth can pretend to an Authority equal to the Authority of God so as if there be no Divine Precept for any other than the Seventh day then it is certain that no Decrees of Popes or Councils or any Tradition can be of any force to alter that Law God hath declared to be his Law The Apostles have made no new Laws about this as before but left it as they found it And that neither the Pope nor any other Power can dispense with the Law of God I think has been agreed by all the great Protestant Writers and the Reason is evident The Laws of God are above them and no Church or Man or Men can dispense with them in any Case It may be some may secretly wish that this Fourth Command for the keeping holy the Seventh day were not so plain or that it were expressed or that they could somewhere find it altered in the Scriptures because so plain a Command not repealed nor altered there and so confirmed by Christ faces their Consciences answers all the Books and throws down all the Batteries raised against it Fain they would find out some colourable Objections to shelter themselves in a continual Violation of it but still that Law rises up and overthrows all Opposition They pray to God to encline their Hearts to keep that Law and yet keep it down what they can but all will not do GOD who has reserved a Tenth of our Substance has reserved but a Seventh of our Time which we should neither alter nor begrudge And indeed it seems to me marvellous that the observation of the weekly Seventh-day Sabbath should be so long laid aside here in a Land of Light notwithstanding so direct and plain a Command and that the First day should so far obtain for which we have so very
Objections and without him was not any thing made that was made Which word by him John 1. 3. 10 and Col. 1. 16. as I take it explains the word Bereshith Gen. 1. 1. He was in the World and the World was made by him and the World knew him not John 1. 10. who came forth from the Father and came into the World John 16. 28. And the Worlds were made by him the Heavens and the Earth were made by him and the World knew him not the men of the World did not know him acknowledge him believe in him or obey him the Heathen knew him not and but few of the Israelites John 1. 26. although the World was made by him Joh. 1. 10 which Gospel of John doth much assert the Divinity of Christ and here in this first Chapter v. 1 2 3 10 the Creation of the World by Christ for if all things were made by Christ and without him was not any thing made that was made as v. 3 and if the World was made by him as v. 10 then the World was made by the Lord Jesus Christ and we ought to believe it Which is the second Proof I bring to prove that Proposition That the World was made by Christ 3dly The third Proof I take from Heb. 1. God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in times past unto the Fathers by the Prophets v. 1 hath in these last days spoken to us by his Son whom he hath appointed Heir of all things by whom also he made the Worlds Heb. 1. 2. And speaking of Christ the Son the Author of that Epistle saith And thou Lord in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the Earth and the Heavens are the works of thine hands v. 8 9 10 11 12. with which if you compare Psal 102. 21 22 25 26 27. you may see that spoken of Jehovah-Christ who made the Earth and See Charnock's Attrib pag. 473 474 475. the Heavens Gen. 2. 4. Psal 95. hath a special reference to the Messiah and his days and is so understood by Heb. 3. 7 8 9 compared with Psal 95. 3 5 6 7 8 9. where he is called Jehovah our Maker the Sea is his and his hands formed the dry Land and so the Lord Jesus Christ the Son is he by whom the Father made the Worlds and he who in the beginning laid the foundation of the Earth and the Heavens are the work of his hands Heb. 1. 2 10. And that the World which consisteth of Heaven and Earth was made by Christ see Charnock's Attributes f. 229 472 476. And he that built all things is God Heb. 3. 4. 4thly The Fourth Proof I take from the Epistle to the Ephesians Paul had clear knowledge in the Mystery which in other Ages was not made known as it is now revealed by the Spirit which from the beginning of the World hath been hid in God who created all things by Jesus Christ Eph. 3. 9. The Mystery which was revealed to Paul v. 3 4 5 6 8. that the Gentiles should be called was foretold and known but not so known as after the coming of Christ nor was Christ after his coming so clearly and fully known as He by whom the Father created all things At the Creation and some Ages after there was no such difference as Jews and Gentiles which difference was by Christ taken away and the whole World of Believers reconciled to God by Jesus Christ Luke 2. 32 which was not then nor is yet understood by the Jews or Heathen Gentiles but by Revelation was made known to Paul v. 3. This in other Ages was not made known to the Sons of Men as it is now revealed by the Holy Spirit v. 5 that the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs with the Jews v. 6 of which Doctrine Paul was made a Minister v. 7 to make all men see what is the Fellowship of the Mystery which from the beginning of the World had been hid in God v. 9. Christ's coming in the Flesh was prophesied The seed of the Woman shall break the Serpents head Gen. 3. 15. And God's purpose of justifying the Heathen through Faith was preached before unto Abraham In thee shall all Nations be blessed Gal. 3. 8 Gen. 12. 3. And so this Doctrine was known to Abraham who saw it in the Promises and in the Type of Isaac's being offered Gen. 22. 18 Heb. 11. 19 which Mystery was hid in God who created all things by Jesus Christ Eph. 3. 9. Either of which four quoted Scriptures I think sufficient to prove That the World was made by the Lord Jesus Christ And for an human Authority I quote the late Assemblys Confession of Faith chap. 4 of Creation It pleased God the Father Son and Holy Spirit to create the World of nothing Which Confession is a great Summary of the Christian Faith And the Elders and Messengers of the Congregational Churches who met at the Savoy anno 1658 in their Declaration of their Faith and Order say the like and so do the Antipaedo-Baptists in their Confession of Faith printed in the year 1677. The Second Proposition That the Lord Jesus Christ is Jehovah is the Foundation of Christianity and other foundation can no man lay than that is laid which is Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 3. 11. Eph. 2. 20. Which Foundation is cleared by many and in particular by Zanchy in his Tract on this Subject of the three Aelohim i. e. Mightys God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Spirit one and the same Jehovah written about an hundred years since who cites Justin in his second Apology to Anthony he cites also Irenaeus Tertullian Moses and the greater and the lesser Prophets compared with passages in the N. Testament to prove that Christ is God to which Book being in Latin I refer the learned Reader and shall offer a few Scriptures of many which have confirmed me and I hope may satisfie others that Christ is Jehovah I take the first from Gen. 2. 4. These are the generations of the Heavens and the Earth when they were created in the day that Jehovah Aelohim made the Earth and the Heavens The word Jehovah is a Name proper to God and incommunicable to any other according to Psal 81. 18. That men may know that hou whose name alone is Jehovah art the most High over all the Earth Isa 45. 5. I am Jehovah and none else there is no God beside me So Deut. 5. 35 39. Isa 42. 8. Which Name Jehovah signifies God's Self-Existence or Absolute Being from Eternity to Eternity To this effect Buxtorf in his Hebrew Lexicon explains this Name as well as other Hebricians which explication is genuine and comports well with the Root 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from whence this great name is thought to be derived And the word Aelohim Scholars know is of the plural number which word signifies Strongs Potents Mightys The Hebrew word Bara render'd created is of the singular number and signifies
little difficulty in this Question if the Scriptures as they ought be the Rule to judge it by As to the time when the Sabbath doth begin Sabbath when it begins I conceive it not to be at Midnight nor to end at Midnight after when we generally sleep according to the reckoning of this Kingdom nor at Noon as some other Countries reckon nor in the Morning when we usually rise as upon other days and so to end at Night when we usually go to Bed as upon other days as others reckon but upon the Evening before and so to the Evening after as the Lord reckons the Days to begin and end Gen. 1. 5 8 13 19 23 31. and Gen. 2. 1 2 3 and I do no where find that first Distribution of Days altered or distributed by Him wherein Mr. Shepherd in the latter end of his learned Book for the First day having done very well I referr the Reader who makes any doubt thereof to him for farther satisfaction in that if need be As for the manner of keeping holy the Sabbath day there is in Principle no great variety of Opinion or Practice amongst the Protestants but what an ordinary Understanding who is willing to live by Rule may with a little help resolve although I have known some over-strict and many overloose therein And it seems in short to lye in a lively spiritual Converse with the Father Son and Holy Spirit in private Duties and publick Ordinances where they may be had and in a Holy Rest all that day saving only nightly and dayly emergent Cases of Necessity and Mercy for Men and Beasts Sick and Well which generally are well stated by the Ministry of the Gospel For that which I enquire is Whether the Law of the Fourth Command as to the Seventh-day Sabbath be repealed or altered by any Word of God Which Enquiry may be allowed to one that is no Minister and indeed to every Christian whoin in Practice it equally concerns with me As to the publick Worship of that day I think it Eabbath Worship worthy some farther Enquiry Whether that Worship should not be twice as much as the Evening or the Morning Worship ordinarily is and Whether all that Publick Worship of the Sabbath should not be performed at one Publick Meeting Which Evening and Morning-Worship in their proper Seasons is not to be intermitted upon the Sabbath day and for this see Num. 28. 3 4 8 9. And I cannot upon the sudden recollect from the Old or New Testament any light of two distinct publick meetings of the Churches one before Noon and the other in the Afternoon as Standing-Duties of the Sabbath day and as distinct from the Evening and Morning-Worship but this I submit to farther Enquiry We have one Psalm for the Sabbath day Psal 92 and but one expresly appointed for that day that I find although the rest of the Psalms may be used on that day as the rest of the Scriptures And as to the time of that one Publick Meeting and Worship of the Churches upon the Sabbath I think it would be enquired whether the Direction we have about it be not towards Noon which seems to be the time of feeding and resting spiritual Flocks Solomon's Song ch 1. v. 7. Evening and Morning and at Noon will I pray and cry aloud Psal 55. 17. And Daniel kneeled upon his Knees three times a day and prayed and gave Thanks before his God as he did afore-time Dan. 6. 10 13. which as I take it were the three stated times of Worship among the Jews but what certain Rule the Jews had from God as to their daily precise times of Evening and Morning Worship I know not but only Evening and Morning Exod. 29. 39 41 42 43 45. Num. 28. 4 8. When the Holy Spirit was given to the Disciples it was the third hour of the day which was our Nine of the Clock Acts 2. 3 4 15. And Peter's Vision was about the sixth hour Acts 10. 9 which was about our Noon And Peter and John went into the Temple at the ninth hour the hour of Prayer Acts 3. 1 for the Hebrews accounted the twelve hours of the day thus our six of the Clock in the Morning was their first our ninth their third hour of the day our twelve of the Clock at Noon their sixth hour our three of the Clock in the Afternoon their ninth hour our six of the Clock at Evening their twelfth hour as Scholars know so that their sixth hour was Noon and Peter's Vision was about Noon And Cornelius was praying about the ninth hour Acts 10. 30. But whether that of David or Daniel or Cornelius or this of Peter and John were upon the Sabbath being not directly written that I know I cannot tell And although we have so much of our LORD 's constant keeping of the Sabbath as his manner was and of Paul's keeping the Sabbath as his manner was yet I do not remember any Instance of their publick congregating or preaching above once upon that day But this also I submit entirely to the Word and to farther Enquiry But if that be the Mind of Christ which he has directed in his Word I think there is much to be said for it as accommodated to the ordinary Cases of Mankind both spiritual and worldly and I am credibly informed that in some parts of England Christians do meet but once upon the Sabbath day As for Tradition I mean so far as I can weakly Tradition gather from my small Stock of Books about the Seventh-day Sabbath when the observation thereof ended and about the First day when the observation thereof began amongst any Christians hoping the World may hereafter have a more exact account thereof if need be from some one or other who has better Abilities a better Library and more Youth Strength and Leisure whom the Lord may raise up I shall offer such broken imperfect Collections as I can after so many Removes of my little Study by the Distresses of this Age. But this I premise that my own clearest satisfaction that the Seventh-day Sabbath is not altered came by the means of the Scriptures and the Writings of the most Consciencious and Learned for the First day and after all I am of this opinion That the Sabbath cannot be repealed or altered but by the same Power and Authority which first commanded it which was our LORD himself As for me it was as I remember some years after I was convinced of the Seventh day Sabbath before I had seen any Book that was written for it or before I had spoken with any person that was for the observation thereof and â— did and do find that the ablest Writers in my weak Opinion for the First day have with that soundness established the Ten Commands and their abiding Obligation to the end of the World and then by Conjectures have endeavoured to bring in â—he First day that the more I see the more I am
confirmed â—hat the vulgar Opinion for the First day is a vulgar Error which wants nothing to remove it as I humbly apprehend â—ut only the time when Christ will by his Spirit give an efficaâ—y to his plain Command and Word which First day has this Evidence of its weak Foundation that while some of the most â—earned do what they can by Writing and Practice to support â— they often beget new and confirm old Doubts about it and â— discover the Dust they raise to darken the Question to be â—ut Dust and shew the Sandiness of the Ground upon which â—hey build that Change And one sure way to convince an impartial enquiring Mind who has leisure enough is to read Mr. Hughes and Mr. Shepherd's Treatises about it wherein a plain Mind may discern so large Concessions about the Obligation of the Moral Law as seem to me to answer all Objections besides the great Contrariety there is amongst the Writers for the First day wherein he that will observe the Order of Time wherein their Books are written may find especially now of late that the last Book printed for the First day is ordinarily a tacite Answer to that which was last printed before it for the First day as two eminent Writers for the First day as it seems to me in answer to Mr. Hughes without naming him and to one another do shew whereof somewhat before by which 't is evident they think some hurt the Cause they write for and no two that I know of the many that have written have yet agreed upon the Grounds of its Observation And now at last it is openly avowed by one of the greatest of all the Writers for the First day that it is not instituted by the Scriptures By which words I think he gives up this Cause for if it be not instituted by the Scriptures and consequently not by Christ or by his Apostles or by the Holy Spirit there by whom when and where was it instituted Who but Christ has Power to institute a Sabbath day or to alter his Institution To whom has Christ given any Authority to alter one Iota or Tittle of the Moral Law Who are they that are bound to observe a weekly day not instituted by Christ in the Scriptures or are bound to lay aside what he has there instituted because of Private Mens Sayings and Writings And how this Law for the First day being an Universal Law and endeavoured to be imposed on the Universal Church can be excused from an high Usurpation of the Divine Authority and from an accusing Christ as if he had not sufficiently done his Work I know not And whatsoever some write for Obedience to their Inventions I cannot imagine they think any shaâ— be condemned or blamed by Christ at last for not doing whaâ— he has not required in his Word or that they would have uâ— live by the Rule of Tradition when they know and acknowledgâ— we must be judged by another Rule viz. by the Word Anâ— that the Word of God which we have is the Rule by which aâ— Worship Doctrines Conversation Discipline and all Mankindâ— are to be tryed in this World and shall be finally judged at laâ—â— I take to be the great Christian Principle as to this and thâ—â— which as far as I can recollect is generally avowed by all the sound Protestants that I have read or known in the World And I shall not wonder if some men under the colours of Tradition usurp the Divine Authority against the First Command and if such write and plead for what I think I can shew is forbidden in the Second Command and if they break in upon all the Commands for all which Men may easily plead Tradition all Ages more or less having brought forth some Transgressors of all the Commands which to such Arguers are Historical Evidences for such Practices But follow no man farther than he follows Christ And there is no Principle more evident and universally confessed by all the Reformed Christians than that whatever God commands us in his Worship or otherwise that we are to do be the things themselves in our Eye great or small And when Men can bind God's Promises of Assistance and Acceptance to their Inventions whether they be days or any thing else in his Worship or other Duty of Man then and not before they may appoint a new day of Rest Obj. And whereas one learned Writer for the First day thinks we cannot make good any one single Verse of the Scripture without Traditions Ans I had thought to have shewn in a Sheet or two that the sound Protestant Divines do generally agree that a Christian may be infallibly certain of his Faith by the Scriptures the Certainty whereof the Lord by his Spirit seals upon the Hearts of his Converts John 16. 7 8 13. And I had thought to give Instances of those converted by Christ and by his Apostles and since by his Ministers by his Word and Holy Spirit as never â—ent nor going to Tradition to assure them of the Divine Auâ—hority of that Word which did convert them which Word â—veth and abideth for ever And this is the Word which by the Gospel is preached unto us 1 Pet. 23. 25 and is settled in Heaven Psal 119. 89 and will stand for ever Isa 40. 8. But thus much â—ay be a sufficient Answer to that Objection The late great and learned Assembly in their Confession of Faith â— 1. par 9 10 say The infallible Rule of Interpretation of â— Scripture is the Scripture it self and therefore when there is â— Question about the true and full sence of any Scripture it must be searched and known by other places that speak more clearly And parag 10. The supreme Judge of all Controversies in Religion can be no other but the Holy Spirit speaking in the Scriptures And the Elders and Messengers of the Congregational Churches c. that met at the Savoy Ann. 1658 in their Declaration of their Faith and Order Ch. 1. Art 4 say The Authority of the Holy Scripture for which it ought to be believed and obeyed dependeth not upon the Testimony of any Man or Church but wholly upon God who is Truth it self the Author thereof and therefore it is to be received because it is the Word of God See also Art 5 6. And Art 9 't is said The infallible Rule of interpretation of Scripture is the Scripture it self c. As in the Assemblys Confession above cited and Artic. 10. to the same effect with the Assemblys Confession also And the Confession of Faith of the Antopaedobaptists Chap. 1 speaks the same things and in the same words or at least with very little variation of the words As to Traditions for the First day called Sunday the observation thereof amongst some I acknowledge is Traditions for and against Sunday ancient and that the Heathen Nations did oâ— old long before the Birth of our Lord offer Sacrifice to the Sun and worship
it as a God upon Sunday My first Authority shall be out of Job who probably was iâ— the time of the ancient Patriarchs If I beheld the Sun when it shined or the Moon walking in brightness and my Heart hath been secretly enticed or my Mouth hath kissed my Hand this were an Iniquity to be punished by the Judges for I should have denied the God abovâ— Job in answer to Bildad chap. 25 and it may be especially â—â— ver 5. in his Apology professeth his Innocency as to open oâ— secret idolizing of the Sun or Moon which in his days it seemâ— was a common practice which probably had its Rise from somâ— broken Traditions touching the Dominion given to the Suâ— Gen. 1. 16 whence they termed the Sun Molech i. e. he thaâ— reigneth or ruleth or the King mentioned Lev. 18. 21 anâ— in many other Scriptures The Sun had also the Name of Baa i. e. Lord Num. 22. 4 41 the Idol of the Moabites whom theâ— supposed to be Lord of All for with these great Titles they honoured this Idol and worshipped him as the Great visible Lord and Ruler of the World whose glorious Light and other Influences together with that Blindness contracted by the Fall and Dispersion of Mankind led them to make and worship various Images thereof The Priests of this Idol were called Chemarim Chemarim Garments of Heathen Priests black from their black Garments whom Josiah put down 2 Kin. 23. 5 which Name of Chemarim the Lord threatens to cut off Zeph. 1. 4. And it is likely the Romanists have that black Colour and Habit from the Heathen Priests for any thing from Christ or his Apostles in precept practise or in favour thereof I do not remember Unto which Idol of the Sun some of the Kings of Israel did sacrifice and build high places which other gracious Kings as Hezekiah Josiah c. broke down whereof see the Histories at large in Kings and Chronicles which the Lord forbad as that which he had not commanded Deut. 17. 3 and which also the Prophets sharply reproved Jer. 19. 5. 32. 35 as that which the Lord never commanded which was the manner used by the Prophets to reprove and brand Corrupt Worship That it was not commanded by the Lord which is the same Exception we take against the First day And he that went a whoring after Molech the Lord would set his face against that man which high Places and Images of the Sun he threatens to cut down and destroy Lev. 26. 30. And the Aegyptians to whom the Remnant of Judah would go down had Temples dedicated to the Sun whereupon the Lord threatens to send the King of Babylon into Aegypt to break the Images in Bethshemesh i. e. in the House of the Sun Jer. 43. 10 to 13. And this sort of Idolatry was anciently performed about the rising of the Sun and this was that Sin which in a Vision the Lord shewed Ezekiel viz. 25 men of Judah with their Faces towards the East worshipping the Sun towards the East Ezek. 8. 16. And hence it was as I remember that the Heathen Temples were generally built toward the East the East being the Point wherein the Sun riseth in the Vernal and to which it returns in the Autumnal Aequinox which as some think from Gen. 2. 8 is directly over Paradice where the Sun is supposed first to have shined whence might arise a Custom amongst Idolaters of praying towards the East which is also very ancient though Solomon's Temple had its Priests and Sacrifices turning towards the West to avoid that Superstition Ezek. 8. 16 where their Backs are said to be towards the Temple of the Lord when their Faces were towards the East worshipping the Sun towards the East And in the Temple in Ezekiel there were three Gates one in the East another in the North and the third in the South Ezek. 46. 1 9 but none in the West And that the day for worshipping the Idol of the Sun was Sunday the First day of the week I offer one Authority from our own Country for our Ancestors in England before the Light of the Gospel came amongst them went very far if they did not outstrip others in this Idolatry and dedicated the First day of the week to the Adoration of the Idol of the Sun and gave it the name of Sunday from whom we have the name Sunday and hold fast that name to this day and this Idol they placed in a Temple and there sacrificed to it See Verstegan's Antiquities fol. 68. And upon like reason they made an Idol for every other day of the week by the names of which Idols they called the several days which names we still retain concerning which names consider Exod. 23. 13 Hos 2. 17 Psal 16. 4 Gen. 26. 18 Num. 32. 38 Zech. 13. 2 Josh 23. 7 Deut. 12. 3. And I think I do remember to have read in the Histories that a very great part of the World and particularly those parts of it which have since embraced Christianity did anciently adore the Sun upon Sunday Obj. A Learned Writer objects That the First day was set apart by the Apostles and that there is not the least Trace for any other day besides the First for Sabbath services and for this they have he says the universal Concurrence of all the Christian Churches for One thousand Six hundred years Ans In answer to which Affirmation I premise That all the Tradition in the World cannot add to take from lay aside or alter any Word of Christ or any Duty of any Man Obj. And the same Learned Objector on Rev. 1. 10 notes The vain Gavil of those that deny the Lord's day here to mean the Christian's day of Holy Worship even the First of the week I have fully confuted in a Book upon that Subject and it needs no confutation to those that are acquainted with Church-History who know that this day hath been kept holy as of Apostolical Ordination and Practice by the Universal Church ever since the Apostles days the Hereticks themselves consenting An Answer to that place Rev. 1. 10 I think you have before and that the Lord's day there mentioned is not the First but rather the Seventh day of the week the true Lord's day Ans And for further answer to the rest of that positive Affirmation I shall shew that there have been many Christian Churches who have for some Hundreds of years after Christ assembled for Publick Worship on the Seventh day Sabbath which will prove there have been some Dissenters from his Opinion in former times And to the rest 1st I answer first That the Seventh-day Sabbath was observed for Publick Worship during the Apostles time I think is plain in the Scriptures and so prov'd before in the Answers to the Ninth and Tenth Questions And who could change it after that Non Constat 2dly And if it were true that the Churches ever since the Apostles days One thousand Six hundred