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A25343 Ancient truth revived, or, A True state of the antient, suffering Church of Christ, commonly (but falsly) called Brownists, living in London, and other places of this nation wherein I. Is shewed (in the preface) the state of the gospel-church, from the time of Christ's ascension, to the end of the world, gathered out of the book of Revelations, II. The confession of our faith, grounded on the doctrine of the apostles and prophets, III. By vvhom the gospel vvas first preached in this island, IV. Our practice in the worship of God, according to the practice of the primitive church, with an explanation of every ordinance, and vvho have right to administer the same, V. The first day of the week proved to be the gospel-sabbath. 1677 (1677) Wing A3076; ESTC R40283 61,216 57

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the Ministers of Christ should disdain to be maintain'd with Pope Pascalis his Provision Tithes which he appointed for his Massing Priests in the Year of our Lord 827. as Mr. Bacon in his Book entituled the Reliques of Rome makes appear For before that time all true Ministers of Christ were fed of the Flock they fed and drank of the Vineyard they dressed Therefore let not such say they are Christ's Servants that take Antichrist's wages forasmuch as the Lord Christ who walketh in the midst of his Church is Lord and Lawgiver to the same From whose Throne we may hear his Voice saying Behold I make all things new a new People 1 Pet. 2.10 new Ordinances new Ministry new Maintenance new Time And therefore is the first Day of the Week rightly call'd the Lord's Day by the Spirit of God Rev. 1.10 the Gospel Sabbath As doth also appear further For as the next immediate time after the Lord had finished the work of the old Creation was the seventh day sanctified a Day of holy Rest for the Service and Worship of God Even so the next immediate time after the Lord Jesus had finished the new Creation or Man's Redemption by his Resurrection was the first Day of the Week sanctified a Day of holy Rest by the example of Christ and his Apostles with the Churches whose example in all things they joyntly practised with the Churches as they did keep the first Day of the Week for the Gospel-Sabbath are sufficient Commands for all Christians to follow because it is written Be ye followers of me as I am of Christ 1 Cor. 11.1 And again Be ye followers together of me and mark them which walk so as you have us for an Ensample Phil. 3.18 So that all things the Apostles joyntly practised with the Churches are exemplary Commands to bind us to follow them but they did joyntly with the Churches keep the first Day of the Week to be the Gospel-Sabbath in performing with the Churches the Ordinances ordained by Christ for his Worship So that it is further written If any man think himself to be a Prophet or Spiritual let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the Commandments of the Lord. But if any man be ignorant of this let him be ignorant 1 Cor. 14.37 38. Yet that the first Day of the Week is the Gospel-Sabbath is confirmed by a second Reason That as the Light was created in the first Day with which the Lord deck'd the World as with a Garment Psal 104.2 Unto which Work of the Lord in the first Day is the Spiritual Light compared by the Apostle in the new Creation as it is written 2 Cor. 4. God who said that out of Darkness Light should shine hath shined in our hearts That they that once were in Darkness might be made light in the Lord Eph. 5.8 And thus on the first Day of the Week by Christ's Resurrection was Life and Immortality brought to light by the Gospel in the glad tidings of Christ's Resurrection who was risen for the Justification of those he died for Therefore is it a Day of everlasting Joy to all such as are made Partakers thereof never to be forgotten but to be kept in holy remembrance of God's Love to Man in Christ and in performing Christ's Ordinances in which the Love of God in Christ shineth and is evidently set forth unto them And thus much to convince them that say Christ hath not appointed any particular Time for his Gospel-Worship The next Place to answer the seventh day Sabbath Keepers Argument for the seventh Day in opposition to the first Day who say The seventh Day Sabbath is not abolished because it was commanded to be kept by a Moral Precept Ans Though the seventh Day was commanded to be kept by a Moral Precept so likewise the Ordinances for the Worship of God then appointed and chiefly performed on the seventh Day were commanded by a like Moral Precept in the second Commandment And as the Ordinances for Worship then all christians grant are now abolished by Christ though commanded by a Moral Precept being Figures of good things to come by Christ Even so by the like reason the seventh Day Sabbath figuring rest in Christ is abolished by Christ though commanded to be kept by a Moral Precept So though the Ceremonial Ordinances with the Time under the Law are ended yet the Spiritual Equity remaineth of both second and fourth Commandments As for Example as the second Commandment bound all Israel to worship the Living God with the Ordinances given by the hand of Moses and likewise forbid them all Inventions of Men in God's Worship and all Christians grant these Ceremonial Ordinances of the Law are abolished yet the second Commandment remains binding to all Christians now as of old to worship the living God with those Ordinances appointed by the Lord Jesus and no other and likewise forbiddeth all Inventions of Men in the Worship of God under the Gospel Col. 2.20 21 22. So likewise though the seventh Day Sabbath is abolished yet the fourth Commandment remaineth binding to all Christians now to keep one Day in seven holy to the Lord and who should appoint us which Day of the seven but Christ's Example with his Disciples John 20. and his Apostles whose Examples as aforesaid in what they joyntly practised with the Churches are Commands for us to follow as is afore proved Therefore the first Day is the Gospel Sabbath And that all the Sabbaths under the Law are ended is proved by the same Apostle to the Churches Let no Man judg you in Meats or in Drinks or in respect of an holy Day or of the New-Moons or of the Sabbaths which are shadows of good things to come but the Body is of Christ Col. 2.16 17. And thus by the Day-break of the Gospel the Shadows Cant. 2.17 are gone yet not one Tittle of the Moral Law in the Spirituality thereof is abolished Mat. 5.17.18 As doth further appear By the Number Seven in the Law of Moses were many Mysteries shaddowing good things in Christ to be fulfilled To instance a few of many as the sprinkling of the Blood seven times before the Lord signifying a full cleansing of all our Sins by the Blood of Christ Heb. 9.18 1 John 1.9 And seven times sprinkling the Leper Lev. 14.17 And seven days consecrating the Priests Lev. 8.8 The seventh Year a Year of Rest Lev. 25.3 4. and seven times seven Years brought the Jubile Ver. 8 9. And every seventh day was a Sabbath All which Shadows Christ the Substance being come are in him abolished and all that do believe in him are freed from the literal keeping of the same Nevertheless there remaineth a special Use from all these Figures to us that believe being apprehended by Faith in Christ according as Christ himself and his Apostles have applied them for the Saints Use and Comfort As namely when the Altar of Burnt-Offering is mentioned in the New
Testament we are taught the Doctrine of Christ's Oblation Rev. 11.1 Heb. 13.10 So likewise from the Altar of Incense the Doctrine of his Mediatorship Rev. 8.5 So the Passover to the Supper 1 Cor. 5.7 8. Circumcision to Baptism Col. 2.11 the Pillars to the Teachers Gal. 2.9 And when the Tabernacle is mentioned it is a sign of God's dwelling with his People Rev. 21.3 Also the Candlesticks signify the Churches Rev. 1.20 And so likewise the 7th-day-Sabbath to our Rest in Christ Heb. 4.10 From all which Shadows and many more we may draw spiritual Comfort forasmuch as our Faith is not built only on the Doctrine of the Apostles but also upon the Doctrine of the Prophets Christ being held forth to be the chief Corner-Stone in both as they are expounded by Christ and his Apostles And so if the Lord open the Eyes of our Understanding as he did his Disciples Luk. 24.45 we shall behold the wondrous things in God's Law Psal 119.18 Therefore Christ beginning at Moses and in all the Prophets expounded the Scriptures in all things concerning himself which until the vail be taken away from off the eyes and heart none can steadfastly look to the end of that which is abolished 2 Cor. 3.13 neither do understand how Christ is the end of the Law for Righteousness to all that believe Rom. 10.4 yet not one tittle useless but all Scripture is profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Correction for Instruction in Righteousness able to make the Man of God perfect in all understanding in the mystery of the same 2 Tim. 3.16 as in that mystery why Moses must be honoured above all other Prophets to be buried of God himself Because the Law of Shadows was given by the hand of Moses from God therefore God would have the Shadows of his Son honourably buried by the Lord Jesus who buried all Shadows in the Law with the time himself resting in the grave the whole time of the seventh-day Sabbath so buried all Moses's Shadows in the Law And therefore in this sense is it written The Law was given by Moses but Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ. So that by Grace we are saved in Christ and not by the works of the Law as the seventh-day Keepers expect in the New-Testament A form of words saying Remember to keep holy the first day as it was said in the Law to keep the seventh day These with Thomas are weak in the Faith that must feel by the sense of Nature before they will believe and so remain under the Curse and not the Blessing by exercising Faith and not resting on the letter of the Law in expecting a literal Commandment in the Gospel for all our belief and practice and so make the Gospel a secondary Law of Works when all Christians ought to stand on a better foundation and to know that the things chiefly necessary to be specified in the New Testament were the exhibiting the Messiah in the flesh for the redemption of his People with the manner of his Birth Life Doctrine Suffering Death Burial Resurrection and Ascension and sitting at the right-hand of God with the calling of the Gentiles to the Faith with their Infants to be fellow-heirs with the believing Jews and their children forasmuch as the Promises in the Prophets belonged to them with the abolishing the Ordinances with the time in the Law in the literal performance as aforesaid and now to follow the footsteps and examples of Christ and his Apostles who have established by their practices in the Churches new Ordinances new Ministers Maintenance Time and Place for Gospel-Worship c. as we have proved before and that the Apostles with the Churches did keep the first-day of the week for Gospel-Worship so did the Christians some hundreds of years after as is shewed in Anno Christi 111. Ignatius in Epistola ad Magnes after the Sabbath or setting aside the Sabbath as some translate it Let every one that loves Christ keep holy the Lord's Day the Queen of Days the Resurrection day the highest of all Days Anno 150. Justin Martyr Apol. 2. saith Vpon the day call'd Sunday or Lord's Day all that abide within the Cities or Villages do meet together in some place where the Records of the Apostles and Writings of the Prophets are read unto us then standing up together we send up our Prayers to Heaven which being ended there is delivered unto us Bread and Wine And the richest sort every one as his good will is contributeth something towards the relief of the poor Brethren Anno 160. Dionysius Bishop of Corinth in his Epistle to Soter Bishop of Rome Euseb Histor Eccles lib. 4. cap. 22. saith We have spent or passed through the Lords Day to day an holy Day Anno 226. Origen Exod. 16. Homil. 7. saith Vpon the Lords Day the Lord always rains Manna from Heaven namely the heavenly Truth of the Word read and preached to the People All which Testimonies and many more shew that the Christians before Constantine's time did keep the first Day for the gospel-Gospel-Sabbath and not as some have said that the first Day was not kept till Constantine's time which is a gross Mistake for Constantine did not reign till about the Year of our Lord 316. And because as is likely the first Day then as now among Christians was prophaned with Mens corrupt Minds in doing their worldly business and neglect of God's Service therefore did Constantine the Emperor as our King hath now sign an Act or Edict for the better keeping or restraining Abuses in Civil things on the Lord's Day yet the Edict in Constantines time did not any more than this Act in our time doth prove by its then setting forth that the Lord's Day was not kept before as Authors afore named shew before Constantine's time and in our Days before the Act came forth the Lord's Day was kept holy a Sabbath to the Lord though by many much prophaned And thus we see how greatly some that go by the Name of Seventh-Day Men are mistaken to say that the first Day of the VVeek was not kept for Gospel-VVorship till Constantines time Moreover though the seventh Day in the fourth Commandment is abolished and the first Day come in the place yet the Holiness remains to the first as it did to the seventh Day by virtue of the fourth Commandment As for Example If the same Scriptures in the Law commandeth the Worshippers under the Gospel to be holy as God is holy because the Covenant by which the Lord was a Husband to them was holy 1 Pet. 1.15 16. Levit. 11.44 Then the same Scriptures that commanded the Time for Worship under the Law commands the Time for Gospel-Worship to be kept now holy under the Gospel Esay 58.13 14. Moreover as there was a Time when the Seventh-day Sabbath did begin so there is a Time when the Gospel-Sabbath taketh its beginning And because many People in divers Nations differ much about the Time as
allowance of our Liberties in the service of God according to his Word we must notwithstanding not forsake the a assembling of our selves together but walk together in the obedience of Christ and b confession of his Faith and Gospel even through the midst of all Trials not accounting our c Goods Lands d Wives Children Father Mother Brethren or Sisters nor our own e Lives dear unto us so as we may finish our f Course with Joy remembring we ought to obey g God rather than Man that so when we have finished our Course and have kept the Faith we may certainly expect to be given unto us the Crown of Righteousness which is laid up for all that love his appearing so that in the mean time we labour to give unto God the things that are h Gods and unto Caesar that which is Caesar's and unto all men that which i belongeth to them so endeavouring to have a k Conscience void of offence towards God and towards Man and having hope in God that the Resurrection of the l dead shall be of the just unto Life and of the unjust unto Condemnation everlasting If any take this to be m Heresy then do we with the Apostle confess after the way they call Heresy we worship God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ believing all things that are written in the Law and Prophets and Apostles on which foundation all true Christian n Faith is built Christ being the chief Corner-stone Now unto him that is able to keep us that we fall not even to the only wise God and our Saviour be Glory Majesty Dominion and Power both now and for ever Amen a Heb. 10.25 b Mat. 10.32 Rom. 10.9 1 John 4.15 c Heb. 10.34 d Luke 14.26 27. e Acts 21.13 f 2 Tim. 4.7 8. g Acts 4.19 2 Tim. 4.8 h Mat 22.21 i Rom. 12.17 and 13.8 k Acts 24.15 16. l Luke 14.14 Acts 23.6 1 Cor. 15. John 5.29 m Acts 24.14 n Eph. 2.20 A Description of the true Church of Christ with the Practice of all her Ordinances in that holy Order and Government which Christ by his Apostles established the Primitive Churches in as a Pattern for all true Christians to follow the Lamb on Mount Sion in the performance of his Worship With several grounded Reasons from the holy Scriptures to prove that the first Day of the Week is the gospel-Gospel-Sabbath With many-useful Observations needful to be known in this Age for the unfolding of the Right Use and Benefit of every Ordinance according to Gods holy Order SEeing glorious things are spoken of the City of God Psal 87.3 let us therefore take a view how and by whom this City or true Church of God was first planted in this Island of Great-Britain The Welch or British People the first Inhabitants of this Land as Gildas affirmeth received the Gospel in the time of Tiberius the Emperor under whom Christ suffered Acts and Mon. Book 2. Pag. 95. He also saith that Joseph of Arimathes after the dispersion of the Jews was sent of Philip the Apostle from France into Britain about the Year of our our Lord 63 and remained in Britain all his time who with his fellows laid the first foundation of the Christian Faith among the British People Gild. de lib. Vict. Aurelii Ambrosii Onesephorus saith that Simon Zelotes did spread the Gospel of Christ to the West Ocean and brought the same into the Isle of Britain Oneseph lib. 2. cap. 4. And thus we see the British People received the faith of Christ and not from Rome fulfilling the Words of the Prophet The Isles shall wait for his Law Isa 42.4 As is expounded by Christ The Gentiles shall trust in his Name Mat. 12. And thus the Gospel was preached to every Creature to wit of Mankind under Heaven Col. 1.22 And the Lords Name was great among the Heathen Mal. 1.11 as was promised to be given to Christ for his Inheritance and the uttermost parts of the Earth for his Possession And thus Christ by the preaching of the Gospel being King of Saints is set upon his holy Hill Mount Sion Psal 2.6 8. Rev. 14.1 Where all his Elect are gathered in the dispensation and fulness of times Eph. 1.10 to serve the Lord whose Kingdom and Dominion and the greatness of his Kingdom under the whole Heavens hath no end Dan. 7.13 14 27. Luke 1.33 So that in all Nations him that feareth God and worketh righteousness is accepted of him Acts 10.35 And thus Christ in his Church doth reign on Earth over both Jews and Gentiles Rom. 15.11 12. and yet no earthly Monarch as will further appear in handling the Ordinance of Christs Government in his Church or Kingdom Now having shewed how and by whom the Church of Christ and his Gospel was first planted in England among the British People In the next place let us behold this Church of Christ how she was planted and established in her primitive Beauty in this Island as in other parts of the World by the heavenly Builders the Apostles 1. Forasmuch as the Scriptures hold forth unto us that every true Church of Christ is a Company of a faithful People called and b separated from the World 〈◊〉 all false Worships c gathered and joyned together with their seed into a holy d Covenant or Marriage-state with the Lord to serve him according to his written Word and thus the Govenant is the Form of the Church by which the faithful and their seed entring into the same do become members of Christs Mystical Body as the Scriptures shew a 1 Cor. 1.2 Rev. 18.4 John 15.19 Acts 19.9 10. and 2.40 b 2 Cor. 16 17. c Isa 60.4 d Esay 62.4 5. Jer. 50.5 2 Cor. 11.1 2. Deut. 26.17 18 19. and 29.10 11. Ezra 9.2 compared with 1 Cor. 7.14 Luk. 18.16 Isa 49.5 2. This Church being thus joyn'd together have power from their Head and Husband Christ Jesus to elect and ordain by a free consent of the whole Church that are come to understanding some from among themselves being found fitly qualified with Gifts and Graces to the office of a Pastor and Teacher for the work of the Ministry and Administration of the Signs or Seals of the benefit of Christs death to wit Baptism and the Lords Supper and likewise to chuse some to be b Elders with the Pastor and Teacher for the Oversight and Guidance of the Church and others to be Deacons c for the gathering the Contribution of the Saints to distribute to the maintenance of the Ministers and relief of the poor and when Widows for helpers be found fit for both Age and Qualifications the Church may likewise enjoy the same as d Deaconists to look after the sick as these Scriptures shew a 1 Tim. 3. Acts 14.23 b 1 Tim. 5.17 c Acts 6.2 3 4. d 1 Tim. 5.9 10. 3. Unto this Church thus gathered and constituted the Lord Jesus hath given his Ordinances every one of them in that holy Order he himself hath