Dominical day was forbidden by Damasus Fol. 308 D E Constantine admonished all the Subjects of the Roman Empire that they should keep holy the days dedicated to the Saviour and likewise that those which are Sabbaths should be honoured or worshipped and he gave a Law to the Presidents of all Nations that they should observe the Dominical day according to the Nodd or Will of the Emperor and that they should honour the days of the Martyrs Eusebius Fol. 396 At a Synod in Eleberide a City in Spain Can. 26 it pleased them to correct an Errour that they should celebrate a Fast of Fasts jejuniorum superpositionem upon every Sabbath day Fol. 477 G 29th Can. Christians oâ—â—â—ot to Judaize and to rest upon the Sabbath but they are 〈◊〉 upon that same day preferring the Dominical before 〈◊〉 day if this please them let them rest as Christians but iâ— they shall be found to Judaize let them be accursed Anathema sint or excommunicated Fol. 740 A B Pope Sylvester changed the How the 1st day came to be called the Lords day Names as Sunday Monday Tuesday c. of all the days of the week changing the Name of the First day which he called The Lord's day Dominicum dixit c. Fol. 915 A the Wife of the Emperor Valence is called Dominica Fol. 360 A B Primasius shews that in some places of Syria and Egypt men did assemble in the Church upon the Sabbath day and some by night after Supper Fol. 380 G H when the Writers of that Age speak of Fasting they mean Not Dining As Peter and his Con-disciples lived together in Concord so let those live together in Concord who fast upon the Sabbath whom Peter planted and those who dine upon the Sabbath whom his Disciples planted Also he says farther that in one Church it was frequent to have some dining upon the Sabbath others fasting In the Eastern Churches they never fasted upon the Sabbath one Sabbath in the whole year excepted which is Pridie feriarum Paschalis the day before the Passover The Churches of the West on the contrary celebrated a Fast every Sabbath of the week Cent. 5 fol. 381 of this Diversity Augustine speaks If we should say that it is sinful to fast upon the Sabbath day we should damn not only the Church of Rome but also many places near to it and somewhat remote where the same Use is held and remains and if we should think it sinful not to fast upon the Sabbath with a sort of Rashness we should blame so many Eastern Churches and the far-greater part of the Christian World And elsewhere he shews from the beginning that this was peculiar to Rome and to a few Western Churches that they observed the Fast of the Sabbath And of the same Sabbath Fast in the African Churches he saith That one Church and the Churches of One Region have those that do fast upon the Sabbath and who do not fast Fol. 383 That â—â—â—ominical day was observed by some at that time appears out of Augustine Also at Colen the Dominical day was a Festival Vincentius Solemn Max. Taurinen Epise Lucius Cent. 6 Fol. 213 F we read of Dominicus Bishop of Carthage Fol. 370 D Dominicus Bishop Centum Cellences Fol. 411 Dominicus Presbyter and Abbot Fol. 323 C D E F G Synodus Matisconensis secundus held by Command of King Junthran made certain Statutes pertaining to Ecclesiastical Discipline and Ceremonies which they promulgated in a Synodal Epistle in this manner viz. We see the Christian People in an unadvised manner to deliver to contempt the Dominical day and as in private days to indulge continual Labours c. And therefore they determine that every one of themselves in the Holy Churches would instruct the People subject to them to keep the Dominical day c. which if not observed by the Lawyer he is irreparably to lose his Cause and a Country-man or Servant not keeping it is to be beaten with heavier blows of Cudgels Cent. 7 fol. 169 206 We find two other Bishops named Dominicus Fol. 61 D Amongst the days the Dominical is most named for amongst the Senones a People in France near the River Sein Lupus performed the Sacrifice upon the Dominical day Vincentius Also the day of the Sabbath is found amongst some It was the Sabbath day the third hour when the People in the Popilian Market in foro Popilio were oppressed in the Church by Grimoaldus Sabellicus Aenead 8 lib. 2. whereof before Fol. 95 E When they did assemble is not expresly shewn but the most mention is made of the Sabbath and of the Dominical day As it is written of the Emperor Constance in the Book belonging to the Pope In Libro Pontificali That coming to Rome quarta feria which I think was on Wednesday that day he went to the Church of St. Peter to Prayer and upon the Sabbath day to St. Mary's and to Peter's upon the Dominical c. In vitaliano this might be in Lent Fol. 103 The Fathers in a Synod held in a Town in Narbone in France forbad the doing any Country Work upon the Dominical day Cent. 8 fol. 181 A Assemblies at the 〈◊〉 were to be either upon the Dominical days and then 〈◊〉 things only were to be done which pertained to the Worship and Service of God Synod Arelaten in Turonensi or upon the Sabbath day for in some places in memory of the old Religion they used to say the Song of Deuteronomy in which is contain'd the whole state of the ancient People to wit what they deserved by pleasing or displeasing Beda Fol. 201 H They rested upon the Dominical day when in Consilio Dinglefingensi it is thus decreed Teste Aventino Upon the Festival of Sunday intent upon a Divine Rest abstain from prophane Business whoso upon this day useth Carriages or doth such work let his Cattel be common publica sunto i. e. as I think Let him have them that will take them and if he disobediently go on let him be reduc'd to Servitude i. e. Let him be made a Bondman or a Slave And Charles the Great in his Constitutions prohibits all buying or selling in any place on the Dominical day Fol. 203 Upon the Sabbath days a sign being given by the Bells Workmen go away from their Labours Ut annotat Author vitae Crode-gangi and that the Dominical day ought to be observed from Evening to Evening Which for the time of beginning and ending the day I agree was rightly commanded if they had not mistaken the First day for the Sabbath day and now that of Dan. 7. 25 was somewhat near coming to pass Fol. 312 B Upon the Feast of Sunday intent upon a Divine Rest abstain from prophane Business the like with fol. 201 else let him be made a Slave Aventin Cent. 9 fol. 34 E Haymo saith The Lord commanded to rest upon the Sabbath which was a sign of future Rest Fol. 107 H. 108 A
which then comprehended both East and West they should â—rbear to Labour or do any Work upon the Dominical â—y Eusebius in The Life of Constantine fol. 59 60 He sends â— Edict to all Governours of Provinces that they should forthâ—ith observe the Dominical day that they should honour Hoâ— days consecrated to the Memory of Martyrs and so settles â—oly-days and the First day by the same Edict Calvis Chro. Fol. 513. â—hich Edict was made about An. Christi 321. â—d Constantine died about An. Dom. 348 saith â—crates in the Margin so that this keeping the weekly Seventh-day Sabbath by all the Christian Churches except the Romans and Alexandrians must be some years after Constantines Death Which Testimony of so substantial a Witness besides the former and after Testimonies I do somewhat relye upon as an humane Authority and Tradition against that Affirmation of neither Trace nor Footstep for any other than the First day and this without the dissent of any single person as they remember dissenting in 1600 years whereas if this and divers Facts before and after remembred be true which by an Historical Faith no man can well doubt then all the Christians in the World between three and four hundred years after Christ except the Romans and Alexandrians in their Assemblies as every week came about celebrated the Mysteries upon the Sabbath day whilst the Romans and Alexandrians celebrated the First day which they called the Dominical day which I take to be a very great Evidence that the change of Times and Laws prophesied Dan. 7. 25 was brought about by Rome Cent. 7. Caranza's Councils fol. 311 312 339 340 the sixth General Council held at Constantinople the Emperor Constantinâ— Pogonatus President and Legates sent from Pope Agatho were present in the year of our Lord 673 Can. 52 the Fathers oâ— that Council enacted That no new Consecration should be all the Lent unless upon the Sabbath and Dominical The Sabbath is yet named by a General Council before the Dominical day and that in the seventh Century for we command that those days be kept Festivals and not to mourn oâ— fast upon them so that 673 years after Christ the Sabbath bâ— a General Council is established a Festival even in Lent And Fol. 340 Can. 55 the Fathers being informed that iâ— Rome they fasted in Lent upon the Sabbath against thâ— Tradition and Custom of the Church here â— Tradition affirmed by a General Council for oâ— Tradition for the Seventh-day Sabbath Ann. Dom. 673. serving the Sabbath as a Festival and that in Lâ—â— it seemed good to the holy Synod that in â—â— Church of Rome the Canon should forthwith oâ— tain or be put in execution if any Clerk be found in tâ— holy Dominical or Sabbath fasting besides one and one onlâ— let him be deposed but if he be a Laick let him be excoâ—municated So severe was this Eastern General Council â— continue the Sabbath a Festival and that against Rome it self 'T is true the First day of the week in some few places where Popery much prevailed at that time might be observed under the name of the Dominical day as a Festival and from the Contention which had been and then was between the Eastern and Western Churches about observing the Passover yearly and the weekly Festival upon the Dominical day it came to pass as I think that so many Popes Abbots Bishops Canons c. assumed the name of Dominicus As before whilst the Disputes between the Popes and the ancient Churches lasted about what day to keep the Passover upon divers of the Popes and Antipopes assumed the name of Paschalis And when this Controversie about the Sabbath was by the Popes somewhat quieted in these Western parts which was about the Thirteenth Century whereof more afterward then arises Dominicus the Hermit and then St. Dominic about 1243 i. e. about 447 years since and erects the Order of Dominicans which is continued amongst the Romanists to this day Cardinal Baronius's Annals An. Christi 603 sect 2 tom 8. Moguntiae sect 17. This year at Rome St. Gregory the Pope corrected that Error which some preached by Jewish Superstition or the Grecian Custom That it was a Duty to worship upon the Sabbath in like wise as upon the Dominical days and he calls such Preachers The Preachers of Antichrist By which it is evident that some then held themselves and others obliged to keep holy the Sabbath and preached it up and probably in Rome though the Pope calls it an Error This was in the seventh Century So as notwithstanding all the great contrary Affirmations and Boastings there are in the ancient Histories many Evidences of Tradition for the Seventh-day Sabbath Cent. 9. Baronius Ann. Chr. 828 sect 25 26 27 mentions a Story of a Maid possessed with a Daemon who being examined by a Romish Priest said He was an Officer and Disciple of Satan sent with Eleven more to destroy the Kingdom of the Franks because inter alia they did not keep the Dominical days as that Daemon calls them and other Holy-days So it seems it did not then obtain in France To which the Case of Abbot Eustachius in Scotland has some resemblance Cent. 10. Augustine on the 6th Chapter of John Tract 26. saith That in some places they communicate upon the Saturday and Sunday only which is quoted in Galvin's fol. English Institutions fol. 701 Quaere when and where that was Binius Cent. 13 Tomi tertii part altera fol. 1448. We have the initiating or first bringing in the Dominical day by a Council into Scotland which is there said to be An. Dom. 1203 that is in the 13th Century which is a famous Instance and as to that Kingdom will strike off Twelve hundred years of the pretended Sixteen hundred years Tradition It was in Scotland which Kingdom had divers early Plantations of the Gospel in some parts of it but generally received the Christian Religion about the year 435. Heylin's Geog. fol. 332. but if my Authorities be good had no observation of the First day until the year 1201 or 1202 or 1203. which Binius says was 1203 near Eight hundred years after Christianity was planted and professed in that Church and Kingdom and but about 490 years since Binius's Councils Tomi tertii Pars altera fol. 1448. A Council was celebrated in Scotland about the initiating or first bringing in then surely it was not there before of the Dominical i. e. of the First day which some now call the Lord's day or Sunday which he calls the Dominical which Council he says was held An. Dom. 1203 in the time of Pope Innocent III. See Roger Heveden whom Binius quotes An. 1202 and Matt. Paru's old Impression f. 192 193 and Lucius's Ecclesiastical History which he gathered out of the oldest and best Writers printed at Basil 1624. Lucius Cent. 13 fol. 264 Lucius says of the Dominical day In a certain Council in Scotland it was enacted That it should be
standing Law for the alteration of the Fourth Command and for the setting up another day of the week to be perpetually observed as a weekly Sabbath by all the World seems all invented and a meer force upon the Text. Nor does the Command and Institution of the Lord's Supper need any Art to defend it for it is plainly and fully given and established Mat. 26. 26 27 28 Mark 14. 22 23 24 Luke 22. 17 18 19 20 which Institution was also observed by the Apostles 1 Cor. 11. 23 24 25. And this I add to avoid Slanders which unless God awe some men by his Word I expect upon every point And upon this place in Acts 20. 7 and upon 1 Cor. 16. 1 2 and Rev. 1. 10 which come to be considered in the next Objection the three Scriptures upon which the great pious and learned Assembly in the 21st Chapter of Conf. parag 7 do as I understand them principally build their Opinion for the First day For the other Texts cited by them as Exod. 20 8 10 11 Isa 56. 2 4 6 7 Gen. 2. 2 3 Mat. 5. 17 18 seem to be against it but what is said in that Paragraph That God in his Word by a positive moral and perpetual Commandment binds all men in all Ages and hath particularly appointed One day in Seven for a Sabbath to be kept holy unto him I think is right and true but for the changing that day to the First day of the week I find not It may be remembred the Greek word Mia signifies One and Eis Mia En is rendered not the First but One in our Translation of the New Testament as I take it about an hundred times and if it were so rendered here One day of the week it would somewhat abate this Objection but I admit that One day probably was the First day And reading this Text according to our Translation the First day of the week I think this is certain from that place that Paul preached to the Disciples which probably was till the Evening after the Seventh day Sabbath and continued his Speech till midnight v. 7 and till break of day v. 11 being ready to depart in the morning which probably was the morning of the First day and then departed v. 11 13. And if Paul departed and travelled v. 11 13 then this also will overthrow the Objection from this place for Travelling and Sabbatizing do not well agree together excepting Cases of Necessity or Mercy which Mercy is also of some Necessity Which I think sufficient Answer to this Objection And however I do say that here is not one word of instituting the First day no such thing as any Command to observe it no such thing as altering the Seventh day And where the plain Light of the Word doth not go before us it is our Wisdom as I think to sit still and be silent Obj. Another Objection is from 1 Cor. 16. 1 2. Now concerning the collection for the Saints as I have given order to the Churches of Galatia even so do ye upon the First day of the week Gr. one of the Sabbaths or one day of the week Let every one of you lay by him in store as God hath prospered him that there be no gathering when I come Ans 1. What that Order to the Churches of Galatia was I cannot tell unless it were to Remember the Poor which he was forward to do Gal. 2. 10 and Rom. 15. 26. And when this Collection for the Saints was to be made I cannot tell if it were to be upon one day of the week yearly if that Scripture will bear that sence but of yearly Collections nothing is there that I know expresly written All Husbandmen and most Tradesmen and Merchants some few Cases excepted if they be discrete and diligent may about once in a years time make some probable conjecture how God hath prospered them and accordingly lay by in store for charitable uses And some Callings as Ministers Physicians Lawyers and divers Handicrafts men may weekly make a Judgment what they have gotten and accordingly lay by for such uses though I never yet knew the person that steddily practis'd that Rule Some I have known who have for many years lain aside a tenth part of all they spent as they spent what God bestowed upon them besides voluntary occasional charitable Gifts For instance if they took out Ten Shillings to spend they laid aside One Shilling if Ten Pounds they laid aside One Pound and so proportionably Ans 2. And whether that Order to the Church of Galatia were intended as an Order for all the Churches in the World I find not written Ans 3. And if it was a general Order for a charitable laying aside yet it was no Order to observe the First day Ans 4. And if it be an Order to lay aside upon the First day of the week as the Objectors would have it 't is plainly an Order to cast up their Accounts that day and to tell their Moneys they have got and to reckon how much their Stock is encreased and what can be reasonably spared from their necessary Expences and deducting all Charges which every person must well consider that would discreetly lay aside as God hath prospered him which as I said as I never knew or heard of any man that did upon the first day of the week so I think the Advocates for the First day will hardly allow as proper Work for a Sabbath nor yet is very consistent with an holy Rest upon that day which yet such must do for ought I know and more who make that a general Order such strange Inconveniencies do arise when the Scriptures are strained beyond the plain meaning of them The Order is not to give to charitable uses or to distribute to the Poor that day but that every one lay by him in store which certainly must be upon casting up their Accounts but whatever be the meaning of that place as to Accounts on that day the main drift of it is that every one lay by him in store as God had prospered him that there might be a Stock ready to distribute to the Poor Saints as their Necessities required which in the general sometime or other serious understanding Christians I think do or ought But what one word is there in this 1 Cor. 16. 1 2 for repealing altering or changing the Sabbath or for assembling of the Churches or for assembling any one particular Church or for performing any manner of Worship upon this day Let it be what day some would have it but every one was to lay by him in store i. e. every one as it seems asunder so far is this place from that sence some put upon it Read and Judge Obj. Another Objection is from Rev. 1. 9 10. John was in the Isle Patmos for the Word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ and was in the Spirit upon the Lords day Gr. En te Kuriake
for Times â—e Times of First-fruits c. and for Years the Years of Jubiâ—e the seventh and the fiftieth years And some of the Colossiâ—s Col. 2. 16 might be corrupted with the same Conceits about â—oly Days and New Moons and Sabbaths which Sabbaths I think ought here to be render'd Weeks as the same Greek â—ord is render'd John 20. 19 Luke 24. 1. Mark 16. 2 Mat. 28. 1. â—y Expositors and by our Translation of all the four Evangelists â—d so also 1 Cor. 16. 1 2 and Acts 20. 2. And if this in Col. â— 16 be Weeks then there is also an end of that Doubt and â— it be meant Sabbaths yet then by the whole Context there â—here the Apostle speaketh of the Hand-writing of Ordinances â—hich Christ hath blotted out and taken out of the way naiâ—g it to the Cross Col. 2. 14. It must plainly referr to the yearâ— Levitical Festivals which being part of the Ceremonial Law â—nd no part of the Moral Law were all abolish'd by Christ â—nd this I humbly offer as plain and that which I think may â—ve others satisfaction Some think Gal. 4. 10 spoken against Astrologers who observe times forbidden Deut. 18. 10 12 14 Mic. 5. 12 Jâ—â— 27. 9 2 Kings 23 5. but I rather think the Apostle speaks of and means Weeks or Days imposed by the Ceremonial Law and not at all such days as are commanded by the Moral Law whereof then there was no manner of doubt That Magistrates or private Christians may set apart a day of Thanksgiving for some eminent Mercy or of Fasting and Humiliation under some extraordinary Case is not controverted though such as are yearly or monthly or weekly soon degenerate into Form Custom and Coldness And I take this to be past doubt that neither private Christians nor Magistrates noâ— Churches no nor the greatest Councils ever could since the time of Christ and his Apostles have any power to make a constant common weekly day holy so that it should be a Sin against God to labour thereon Nor have any now a liberty to keep Jewish Holy-days But if those places in Romans Galatians and Colossians do referâ— to Ceremonial days as days of Circumcision Col. 2. 11 12 and other Days and Weeks before mentioned which some of the converted Jews having been educated in the observation oâ— them might be still fond of and contend for then they have no such rueful Consequences as some few would draw froâ— them And what if I should add Why may not the observation oâ— Days blamed in those Scriptures be amongst others the observation of the First day for worshipping the Sun which was lonâ— before observed by the Heathens And if the First day haâ— been then observed by the Churches of Christ which I thinâ— was not or the Apostle's sence in those Epistles had been â—â— level all days he had by those general words certainly as it seemâ— levelled the First day with the rest but as I think that was nâ— the Apostle's sence so I think also that the First day was not at aâ— then observed by Christians nor by any that bore that Namâ— for about One hundred years after and that was one Sunday in year in favour of Easter and when a few were corrupted iâ— that matter for some Corruptions crept in very early and Antâ—christ began to work in the times of the Apostles 2 Thess 2. â— the generality of Christians observed the seventh-Seventh-day Sabbaâ— whereof more hereafter But if Sunday were then observed bâ— any Christians any man may well affirm by such an Interpretation as some would make that those Scriptures do absolutely lay it aside and if Sunday were then laid aside it is wholly and for ever laid aside Ans 5. Or it may be those places may referr to some other Heathenish Holy-days and Bacchinals as well as to Sundays and to the Jewish Ceremonial Festivals which some then as now in compliance with those under whom or with whom they lived might observe and think themselves obliged so to do or to have a Liberty to observe without damage to that Liberty which Christ had purchased for them Col. 2. 14 but this is somewhat uncertain Ans 6. And that these Scriptures quoted out of Paul's Epistles were never meant by him to abolish the weekly Seventh-day Sabbath appears plainly from Paul's constantly keeping that day as his manner was Acts 17. 2 and every Sabbath Acts 18. 4 whereof before for no man can charitably think that Paul in â—his Epistles forbids all observation of any days whatsoever and so â—he weekly Seventh day Sabbath and yet that his own Practice â—hould be recorded by the Holy Spirit to be constantly as is mentioned Acts 17. 2 18. 4. Ans 7. And besides Who can possibly understand the many Expressions in his Epistles in such a sence wherein he commends â—e whole Law where he undoubtedly means the Moral Law â—s holy just and good a part whereof was the Seventh-day Sabâ—ath whereof also before Ans 8. The last Answer I offer to this Objection is taken â—om Mat. 24. 20 21 22 30 and the rest of that Chapter Pray â—at your flight be not in the Winter nor on the Sabbath day with â—hich you may compare Mark 13. 18 19 20 26 and the rest â—â— that Chapter First The soonest time that Flight could referr unto was the â—estruction of Jerusalem which was about Thirty eight years â—ter the Death of Christ which whether it were before or after â—â—ul's writing these Epistles which I think not much material do not certainly know But if the time of Flight there mentioned referred to the Season of any Desolations then and still yet to come then this Scripture in Matthew is the stronger for the Seventh-day Sabbath though I think it fully strong enough by referring to Thirty eight years after Christ's Death although divers Expressions in those Chapters of Matthew 24 and Mark 13 in my weak Opinion may and do referr to some other great Periods of Time and I think most certainly to Christ's second Coming Mat. 24. 29 30 Mark 13. 26 which answers the Question of the Disciples Mat. 24. 2 3. and it may be to some other times of great Trials which would come upon the Churches whereof one may not be far off but of that I have no certainty All which sences of longer Times will carry the Observation of the Seventh-day Sabbath till the Times there mentioned come which are not yet come But however that be I think it is agreed that Prophesied Flight was partly fulfilled upon the Romans besieging and taking Jerusalem about Thirty eight years after the Death of Christ and so the Sabbath by the Lord Jesus Christ in that express Text Mat. 24. 20 was not to be abrogated by his Death or Resurrection nor Thirty eight years after which I think is as much as to say Not at all as long as the World should last And whenever the Desolation Christ prophesied in that Chapter should
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-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
years together had walked contrary to the Commands of God yet the Commands are the same and oblige us now just as they did the Apostles and others in Christ's time and after his Death and the contrary Practise of all the World if it were so will not impeach any one of Christ's Commands nor make those Hereticks that observe them 3dly For the clearing up of this Matter of Fact I shall offer some broken Collections which I have made out of the Centuries for the observation of the Seventh-day Sabbath and against it for the First day which I think will answer these two last Objections The Ecclesiastical History printed at Basil 1560. Magdeburgenses cent 1. lib. 1. written by those of Maidenburg in Germany who were Protestants cent 1. lib. 1. cap. 4. fol. 44. they say It is only the Work of God to institute and to abolish a Sabbath which is true and sound Cent. 1. lib. 2. cap. 6. fol. 503 They acknowledge the Apostles and others mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles kept the Sabbath which is true also as before Cent. 4. fol. 410. Sozo lib. 7. cap. 19 shews That in many Cities and Villages amongst the Aegyptians they used to convene the Evening of the Sabbath upon which day that there were publick Assemblies Athanasius â—hews in Lib. de Interpretatione Psalmorum where he names these as the days of their Ecclesiastical Assemblies the Sabbath the Dominical day the Second of the Sabbath which I think was Monday Good-Friday Parasc-even and Quartam Sabbati which I think was Wednesday Good Friday could not be weekly but yearly So I guess this was in Lent but where this was I remember not Cent. 4. Concilii Eliberini Can. 23 constituted a Fast upon the Sabbath day so now the Festival of the Sabbath was by some turning into a Fast Cent. 5. fol. 436 Ambrose said When I come to Rome I fast upon the Sabbath when I am here I do not fast Cent. 5. fol. 477 they say The Ecclesiastical Assemblies at Rome were not upon the Sabbath as in the Churches of other Countries Sozomenus lib. 7. cap. 19 Quemadmodum in aliarum terrarum Ecclesiis So that other Churches in other Countries except Rome did assemble on the Sabbath in the Fifth Century after Christ Which may pass for one Authority against the said Writer's Objections Cent. 5. fol. 647 Those who lived at Constantinople had various times of assembling and without doubt in other Neighbour-Churches yet it is certain there was one day of the whole week constituted in which the promiscuous Multitude once assembled to hear Sermons For so says Chrysostom c. Isychius Presbyter of the Church of Jerusalem in the second Book of Commentaries on the Ninth Chapter of Leviticus In some places of Syria and Egypt Men assembled in the Church upon the Sabbath day fol. 648. This was in the Fifth Century Cent. 5 fol. 685 't is said Those who fasted and those who dined upon the Sabbath lived in Concord and that it was frequent in the same Church to have some dining and some fasting upon the Sabbath day In the Eastern Churches they never fast upon the Sabbath one Sabbath of the whole year excepted which is before the Passover the Western Churches by which I think they mean Rome and thereabout observed the contrary And they quote Augustine as speaking of this Diversity how they fasted at Rome on the Sabbath which if they should say were sinful then they should condemn the Roman Church and many places near to it and farther from it And if they should think it sinful not to fast upon the Sabbath then they should blame many Eastern Churches and the far greater part of the Christian World This as I take it is in Chrysostom's Letter to Jerome and in another Letter to Casulanus where he professedly writes of the Fast upon the Sabbath and plainly shews that fasting upon the Sabbath day was peculiar to Rome and a few Western Churches And if any ask why I transcribe Authorities to prove that for so many hundred years after Christ some Dined and some Fasted upon the Sabbath day 1. I answer to shew that all the Christians in the World did agree which was the Sabbath day and which the First day of the week and that they all agreed to call the Seventh day of the week the Sabbath day which some few now pretend to doubt 2. To shew whence the Alteration was from keeping the Sabbath day as a Festival and turning it into a Fast 3. To shew that this Practice by the Church of Rome and some Western Churches was not followed by the Eastern Churches nor by the far greater part of the Christian World for Five hundred years after Christ nor is it as I think by some Christian Churches to this day as I shall shew afterwards Now that publick fasting-Fasting-days as this was were kept holy to God as well as Festivals is known to all Christians who upon publick Fasting days where they have liberty do assemble for the Worship of God in Christ When Christians do agree upon a day to assemble for the Publick Worship of God in Christ there does appear no great difference whether they Feast or Fast upon that day only here seems to be the art of it The Popes of Rome were about to change the Sabbath and it seems devis'd amongst others this medium for one To turn the Sabbath into a Fast before Easter and this was under a specious pretence as for the Honour of Christ and in memory of his Passion as the First day was in memory of his Resurrection and therefore they first contended much about observing Easter upon the First day of the week which was to be a yearly Festival whereof more hereafter and the Sabbath before Easter because of our Lord's Body lying in the Grave to be kept as a yearly Fast and so by degrees every Sunday to be a Festival and kept as a weekly Sabbath and every Sabbath to be turn'd into a weekly Fast and by degrees to be totally laid aside and no more observ'd as the instituted Sabbath but for ever after to be kept only as a weekly Fast as it is amongst the Romanists and some others to this day This Legerdemain seems plain to such as are unbiass'd and have look'd a little into Church-History whereof more hereafter Magdeb. 6. Cent. in Synodo Matisconensi where were convenâ— some French Bishops c. I find by a Canon of that Synod a very great Complaint against the Christian People as contemning the Dominical day and as continually working on it â— upon private days for which they order Country-men to be beaten with Cudgels and if he were a Lawyer he must irrecoverably lose his Cause which was very hard for his pooâ— Client when his Cause was good Cent. 7. In the seventh Century we have two Bishops by thâ— name of Dominicus Fol. 322 387. fol. 160 they say The Sabbath was consecrated a Fast
and fol. 140 That amongst thâ— days for publick Assemblies the Dominical day is mostly named also amongst some the day of the Sabbath is found â— was the Sabbath day the third hour when the People were oppressed in the Church by Grimoâ—ldus in the Popilian Markeâ— which was in Rome it self Sabelicus Eâ—eadis 8. lib. 2. So thâ— in Rome it self in this seventh Century some kept the Sabbath for which they were oppress'd and yet for ought I find in aâ— other respects were free from all Exception And fol. 161 they say The Dominical day was solemn â—â— Christians but amongst other Festivals religiously observeâ— they say Isid de Officiis remembers or makes mention of thâ— Sabbath And fol. 185 they say When they did assemble and hoâ— often is not expresly written but the most mention is made â— the Sabbath and of the Dominical day as it is written of Coâ—stance the Emperor in libro Pontificali that coming to Roâ— quarta feria which I take to be our Wednesday that same dâ— he went to the Temple of St. Peter and upon the Sabbath dâ— to St. Maries and upon the Dominical day to St. Peter's Churcâ— which probably was in Lent Cent. 8. In the Eighth Century fol. 1 they say That the Faâ— of the Church of God was deformed and sad being miserabâ— afflicted with two Antichrists the Saracens addicted to the Bâ—phemies of Mahomet and the Popes of Rome Antichrist sittiâ— in the Temple of God Fol. 377 378 they say That the Monks in His Island and the Picts began to celebrate the Sabbath in the Romish manner Ann. Dom. 716. Beda lib. 5. cap. 23. Cent. 9. In the Ninth Century 'tis They kept holy the Dominical day and Synodus Moguntina i. e held at the City Mentz in Germany says We have decreed that all Dominical days be observ'd with all Veneration I find little more of the Dominical day or Sabbath in that Century How far the Canons of that Synod at Mentz were influenc'd from Rome or how far they reach'd in their Power I know not Cent. 10 fol. 365 54 we find that servile Works are not to be done upon the Dominical day Cent. 11 fol. 287 44 Leo the Ninth endeavoured to obtrude a Fast upon all the Sabbaths of the whole Year ever in Lent upon the Eastern Churches c. But Niceâ—as saith That only in the Year is to be observed the Lord's Burial and that a Fast Fol. 289 we have four Columns of Festivals above forty Festivals Fol. 290. 59 Urbane the Second in a Synod at Claremont ordain'd that the Office of Mary i. e. St. Mary should â—e solemnly celebrated upon Sabbath days Diebus sabbathiâ—is Fol. 341 On the Sabbath William the Conqueror in the princiâ—al Feast had magnificent and sumptuous Banquets Malmesb. â—b 3. cap. 52 which they call a Prophanation of the Sabbath Which of the days this was I cannot certainly say but I think â— was the Seventh-day Sabbath Fol. 542. 10 Pope Urbane the Second decrees the Mass to be â—elebrated upon the Sabbath day to the Praise of the Lady-Virâ—in Mary Dominae virginis Mariae So now at Rome the â—ord's Sabbath day was the Lady Maries day so wanton in this â—ey were in that Age. Cent. 12 fol. 911. 17 de Festis They kept holy the Dominiâ—al day and they say that it is the Christian Sabbath Fol. 216 The Sabbath is a Figure of the Passion of Christ â—nd now we must celebrate the Dominical day because of the â—esurrection of Christ Fol. 999. 10 Prophanation of the Sabbath â—hat Slaves and â—xons upon every Dominical day frequenâ—â—â— Market forum â—unense neglecting Divine Worship which Bishop Gerold by â—e Word of God prohibited Cent. 13. The Thirteenth Century brought forth the famous Dominicus by whom afterward the Order of Dominicans was instituted fol. 556. 30. Fol. 320. 44 Estius says The Precept for observing the Sabbath is none of the Ten Commands yet distinguisheth four Precepts as belonging to God the first I am the Lord thy God the second Thou shalt have no other Gods before me the third Command he says is Thou shalt not make to thee any graven Image the fourth Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain And he says There are six pertaining to our Neighbour the first of these is Honour thy Father and Mother c. And so the Sabbath was none of the Ten Commandâ— such wild Conceits have some had about the Moral Law and to lay aside the Seventh day And Fol. 331. 32 one Thomas saith The Precept of the Sabbath literally understood is partly moral and partly ceremonial moral as to this that Man should depute some part of his Life to give his Mind to Divine things But as to this Commands determining a special time in sign of the Creation of the World so the Precept is ceremonial Thus he determines that a special time in the Fourth Command is ceremonial and that this Command is only moral as to some part of Man's Life and says not what part And Estius says that the Fourth is none of the Ten Commands LUCIUS ' s Ecclesiastical History which he gathered out of the Magdeburgenses and out of the oldest and best Historians and Writers printed at Basil 1624. COntentions were stirred up by Anicetus and Victor Cent. 1. lib. 2. Bishops of Rome about celebrating the Passover upon the Dominical day fol. 387 A B C. Cent. 4 fol. 41 The Emperor Constantine commanded that the Dominical day should be free from hearing Causes and doing Business à judiâ—â— negotiis except Tillage and as holy to be observed by all fol. 230 A â— D E. See Magd. 4th Cent. fol. 224 D Sozomenus shews in many Cities and Villages amongst the Egyptians they used to assemble the Evening of the Sabbath on which day that there were publick Assemblies Athanasius signifies also where he names these days of Ecclesiastical Assemblies viz. The Sabbath the Dominical day the Second of the Sabbath Parasceven i. e. a Preparation or Good Friday and the Fourth of the Sabbath or week i. e. Wednesday I think this was in Lent They say Sozomenus has delivered down Tradidit that at Constantinople and almost amongst all the Christians did assemble upon the Sabbath and also Unâ Sabbati upon the First day of the week but at Rome and Alexandria not so Fol. 248 Can. 23 Concilii Eliberini constituted a Fast upon the Sabbath day Fol. 268 F G of the Rights or Customs of the Church of Rome Publick Assemblies 't is said That the Ecclesiastical Assemblies at Rome were not upon the Sabbath as in See Mâ—gdeb 4th Century the Churches of the rest of the World So that the rest of the World kept the Seventh day Sabbath in the fourth Century Sozomenus seems to shew sol 271 D E that a Fast upon every quocunque Sabbath day was peculiar to the Church of Rome Socrates saith At Rome they fast every Sabbath Fasting in Lent upon the
that as well as other Holy days Tho' I remember in one of the English Chronicles I met with an Act of the Common-Council of London in favour of the First day as I take it about their Markets which was some time before this but when I do not remember That the Seventh day of the week has held the name of the Sabbath from the beginning of the World to this day I take to be evident though 't is also true that some late Writers within Eighty years or thereabout have endeavoured to apply the name of the Sabbath to the First day which as is acknowledged by others is no where given to it in the Scriptures The ancient Liturgies do prove this and the Mass book now in use still retains the Name of the Sabbath for the Seventh day Our own Records in England do also prove this those of the House of Lords the highest Court of England Elsing fol. 94 95 and their Journals to this day whereof I have seen many and every one that will may see that all things enter'd in the Journals of that House as done upon the Seventh day are enter'd as done Die Sabbati upon the Sabbath day i. e. upon the Seventh-day Sabbath And the like Orders for the House of Commons are weekly printed Sabbati for the Seventh day The Rules and Records of the Kings Bench Common Pleas and the Latin Records in the King's Court of Exchequer and in Chancery and those also in the Chequer-Chamber do call the Seventh day the Sabbath whereof I have now some in my Hand This all Lawyers and Attorneys know and all others who will ask the Question may know and there is no other Latin Word in the Courts of Westminster nor any Latin Process from any of them for the Seventh day but die Sabbati the Sabbath day and Sabbati upon the Sabbath but when the Courts began to sit upon the Sabbath I do not remember to have found but guess it might be after Edward the Third who died about Three hundred and fourteen years since So that this Question is not yet so fully settled but that some did long observe the Seventh day Sabbath and that day has the name of the Sabbath to this day and I remember nothing by the Parliament of England in favour of the First day till the time of Edward the Sixth about One hundred and forty years since whereof before All which put together seems a very strong Tradition for the Seventh-day Sabbath The Grecians and their Churches solemnize Saturday Festivals Brerewood's Enquiries f. 128 and eat therein Flesh forbidding as unlawful to fast any Saturday in the year except Easter Eve Villam en voyage l. 2. c. 2. alii The Grecians are under the Patriarch of Constantinople under whose Jurisdiction in Asia are the Christians of Natolia excepting Armenia the Less and Celicia of Circassia of Mengrelia and of Russia In Europe are the Christians of Greece Macedon Spirus Thrace Bulgaria Rascia Servia Bosnia Walachia Moldavia Podolia and Moscovia and all the Islands of the Aegean Seas and others about Greece as far as Corsu besides a good part of the large Dominion of Polonia and those parts of Dalmatia and of Croatia that are subject to the Turkish Dominion And the Melchites or Syrians celebrate Divine Service as solemnly on the Sabbath as on the Dominical day Brerewood's Enq. f. 131 132. And these Assyrians are esteemed for their number the greatest Sect of Christians in the East So that a vast number of Christians in the World have not yet fully received this Alteration The Georgians who are also very numerous together with the Mengrelians and Circassians are Christians of the Greek Communion and their Religion the same in Substance and Ceremonies with that of the Grecians The Muscovites and Russians also repute it unlawful to fast on Saturdays and have not any material Difference in Religion from the Grecians The Maronites in the Mountain Libanus in Aleppo Damascus Tripoli of Syria and in Cyprus fast not on the Dominical day â—or on the Sabbath Th. a Jes l. 7. par 2 c. 6. The Habissines or Midland Aethiopians reverence the Sabbath Saturday keeping it solemnly equally with the Dominical day Brerewood's Enquiries 128 131 132 155 c. Purchase writes of the Habissines as subject to Peter and Paul and especially to Christ as observing the Saturday Sabbath Purch Pilgrims part 2 fol. 1176 1177. So that there are a multitude of Christians in the World besides those in England who still keep the Seventh-day Sabbath Sandis Travels fol. 173 the Author travelling in the Eastern parts speaks of the Aethiopians a Christian Fmpire still celebrating Saturday as he calls it as well as the Sunday they have it seems divers Errors amongst them and also many ancient Truths and this is taken notice of in other Histories I shall easily acknowledge this Collection out of the Councils Centuries and Histories to be very broken being made but out of a few Books and that at several times and in several places as that Condition which the Lord saw best for me would give me leave and that they are hastily and weakly put together my Time and Strength having been for divers years much taken up in Studies and Business referring to my own Profession and what with Weaknesses Winters Persecutions and Age I could do little But it seems to me these Instances of the Seventh day still observed in so many parts of the Christian World not only for many hundred years but even down along to this Century though they are but as Scrapps of History may be sufficient to shew that Tradition is for the seventh-Seventh-day Sabbath And if the Collections before cited be right then there is not one line in that Author's Note on Rev. 1. 10 before cited that is not mistaken And this may also suffice to satisfie the Consciencious that this is not a new Doctrine which so many Christians have held and still hold and practice to this day I should not have thought it meet to have written at all upon this Question but that I see the more Able take it not in hand by this Essay therefore I have endeavoured to provoke some other better furnished to clear this up if need be to greater satisfaction which I have only a little looked into and such may find as I think much more than I have who also by many Removes under this late Persecution have lost as I think divers Authorities which I had collected for my share in which Persecution I have great cause to bless God as giving me leisure to look into this and other matters I have also passed by some Expressions in the Histories in favour of the First day which are written by the Favourers of the Romish Opinion which are very common in the Writings of the Monks and other Romish Prelates And now I leave all with the Son of Man the LORD of the Sabbath But what I have gathered out of a
of him because we keep his Commands 1 John 3. 21. which we are strictly required to walk after 2 John 6. The Eighth of the 39 Articles of the Church of England says No Christian man whatsoever is free from the Obedience of the Commandments which are called Moral Assemb Conf. chap. 19. of the Law of God says God gave to Adam a Law Par. I. This Law after his Fall continued to be a perfect Rule of Righteousness and as such was delivered by God upon Mount Sinai in Ten Commandments Par. II. This Law commonly called Moral doth for ever bind all as well justified persons as others neither doth Christ in the Gospel any way dissolve but much strengthen this Obligation Par. III V. Although true Believers be not under the Law as a Covenant of Works to be thereby justified or condemned Par. VI. So â—ar that great Assembly about the Ten Commands The Declaration of the Faith c. of the Congregational Churâ—hes before cited says the same things in the same words Ch. 19. Art 1 2 3 5 6. And so doth the Confession of Faith of the Antipoedobaptists â—efore mentioned Ch. 19. Art 1 2 3 5 6. And blessed are they who do his Commandments Rev. 22. 14. Now how can any man perswade himself or others that Christ â—r his Apostles do not intend by the above cited Scriptures the Ten Commands And if he do mean them whence comes this alteâ—ation and Why do men open their Mouths so far against his Tabernacle Rev. 13. 6. i. e. his Law which Tabernacle of the Testimony will be opened again in the Churches and some have already gotten the Victory over the Beast in this also Rev. 15. 2 5. And the Tabernacle of God will be again with men when the new Heaven and the new Earth come Rev. 21. 1 3. And 't is remarkable that the Remnant of the Seed of the Woman are such as keep the Commandments of God with whom the Dragon makes War Rev. 12. 17 and Rev. 14. 12. Here is the patience of the Saints here are they that keep the Commandments of God and the Faith of Jesus And all this and much more there is without one word of Exception against the Seventh day Q. 7. Whether the weekly Seventh day Sabbath and no other day was observ'd by the Lord Jesus Christ after his Incarnation and that constantly Answ No Christian man that I know has ever pretended that the Lord did not keep the Seventh-day Sabbath perfectly or that he kept the First day or any other day as a weekly Sabbath nor is there any Scripture for such Pretences And that he kept the Seventh-day Sabbath I think is proveâ— by the Scriptures which in general express his being a Lamâ— without blemish 1 Pet. 1. 19 which he had not been if there hâ— been any defect in his Obedience nor had his Righteousneâ— been perfect if he had not fulfilled all the Law i. e. all Righteousness More particularly it appears besides his course of Education under Joseph and Mary that he observed the Sabbath for upoâ— his setting about his Ministry he with Simon Andrew Jamâ— and John at Capernaum entered into the Synagogue on the Saâ—bath day and taught Mark 1. 21. 6. 1 2 on the Sabbatâ— days Luke 4. 31. On the Sabbath day he went into the Synagogâ— Mat. 12. 1 9 and John 5. 9. The Synagogues seemâ— Synagogues be Houses somewhat of the nature of our Parish-Châ—ches for Prayer and for weekly reading the Law and Propheâ— and sanctifying the Sabbath to which our Lord when he wâ— in the Country did resort And the Sabbath day which Christ observed was the Jeâ— Seventh-day Sabbath as is agreed by all and appears plainly bâ— that Mat. 12 and John 5 by the Jews Exceptions against Chriâ— as breaking their Sabbath as they apprehended but were mistaken And it farther appears that Christ constantly observed the Seventh-day Sabbath for when he came to Nazareth where he had been brought up as his custom was he went into the Synagogue on the Sabbath day and stood up for to read Luke 4. 16 to 21. and then and there preached the Gospel and expounded the Scriptures Which shews it was his Custom i. e. his constant Course from his Childhood at Nazareth where he had been brought up to keep the weekly Sabbath days of which Custom I find little said in some Books the Greek Expression for as his Custom was I take to be very full That it was Christ's usual constant Course And as at Nazareth so at Capernaum Christ taught them on the Sabbath days v. 31. And I shall hereafter shew that what is said here Luke 4. 16 31. of Christ is after the Death Resurrection and Ascension of Christ said of Paul that it was Paul's Custom also to keep the Sabbath Acts 17. 2. so that Paul did not alter the Sabbath which may also stay the mistaken Cavils about some Expressions in his Epistles as if Paul writ one thing and did another which Custom of Paul and other Believers who attended the Apostle's Ministry I think was a good Custom in the general which held from the beginning of the World till the Ascension of Christ and long afâ—er that as I hope to shew more fully hereafter which was â—bove four thousand years a Custom which one long day in Joâ—hua's and another in Hezekiah's time or the variety of the time of the Sun 's setting in different Climates does no way disturb for â—hat a day longer or shorter than another by some hours is still â— day and but a day and so could not alter or disorder the numâ—er of seven days to a week and so did not alter the seventh day â—ut would puzzle those to answer who make the Objection â—gainst themselves who finding the plainness of the Commandment against them have now invented instead of the Seventh â—ay commanded a new seventh part of time which seventh part â—f time from the Creation to this day by those two long days â— utterly impossible to be ascertain'd but however is a meer Fanâ—y there being no other Command but for the Seventh-day â—hich Christ and afterward Paul usually observed So as I may â—y this was a long undeniable and uninterrupted Custom time â—ut of Mind though 't is true the Sabbath had been somewhat â—rophaned in Nehemiah's time and by him reformed which â—ore confirms the Custom whereof more afterwards And I think all the Advocates for the First day as well as all the Reformed Christians in the World do agree that Christ has fulfilled all Righteousness and that he perfectly kept the Ten Commands whereof the Fourth was and is certainly one and the Seventh day certainly part thereof and that every true Believer has a part in Christ's perfect Obedience and consequently in his perfect keeping of the Seventh-day Sabbath Which I think sufficient for proving this point that the Seventh-day Sabbath and no other was constantly observed by him Q. 8. After the Lord Jesus had
alter one day of the week and the World of Christians be thereby concluded and bound to observe such alterations I know no Bolts or Locks strong enough for such a Door to keep it from letting in upon the Churches of Christ whatsoever pleaseth those in Power in any part of the World whether it do concern God's immediate solemn Worship or Matters of Doctrine Discipline or Conversation Men may as well take the other six as one day as the Romanists for many weeks in the year do and they may as well make any other alteration in the Essentials of Christianity if such Gapps be laid open and by the like reason lay as great Burthens upon the Christian Churches as were upon the Jews of old or as are now upon the Romanists such as are utterly inconsistent with all Instituted Worship and all true Liberty wherein Christ by his Word has made his Churches free in which Liberty we are to stand fast Gal. 5. 1 which Liberty eminently consists in a Freedom not only from the Ceremonial Laws of old contained in Ordinances which are laid aside by Christ which Liberty is purchased by him but also in a Liberty not to be entangled with a new Yoke of Mens Devices and Inventions whereof there is no end Christ has left Laws enough for the well governing of his Churches to which Laws of his if we yield entire subjection we have certainly no need farther to trouble our selves and whilst no man has yet shewn us from the Scriptures any Institution of the First day nor any Alteration of the Seventh after One thousand Six hundred and Ninety years elapsed I do not now expect it for places have been already searched by many Writers and not being yet found I think we may conclude that Change never will be found Obj. This change of the Seventh day to the First some have endeavoured to find in John 20. 19 26. In the 19th Verse it is said That the same day at Evening viz. the Evening after his Resurrection being the First day of the week when the Doors were shut Jesus stood in the midst and said unto them viz. to the Disciples Peace unto you Whence some gather because Christ rose upon the First day and appeared to the Disciples in the Evening therefore we must observe the First day And in the 26th Verse it is said And after eight days his Disciples within and Thomas with them came Jesus the doors being shut and stood in the midst and said Peace unto you Now say some after eight days signifieth here the Eighth day from the Resurrection counting the day wherein Christ rose for one as we call those third days Agues which have but one days intermission Tertians and those Agues which have but two days intermission Quartans and so the Disciples having met on the Resurrection day met again that day Sevennight Answ 1. All which if we do admit here is no Institution of the First day nor any pretence of laying aside or altering the Seventh which I take to be an Answer sufficient to all the Objections that I ever met with upon this Question viz. The First day has no Word-Institution Answ 2. But more particularly the First day John 20. 19 26 is understood by Expositors to be the same day mentioned in Luke 24. 13 29 where two Disciples travelled to Emmaus and Christ with them which Emmaus was about seven miles and an half according to our computation from Jerusalem and so more than a Sabbath-days Journey which they say was about two miles So then these two Disciples did not observe the First day the day of the Resurrection nor assemble to worship nor rest upon it but travelled as far as does appear to us about their ordinary occasions upon the same day that Christ rose Luke 24. 1 13. and Christ travelled with them also upon the same day and how that day was observed by him or them as a day of Rest and Travel too that is to journey and to rest at the same time is very hard for me to conceive Obj. And as to that in John 20. 26 where Jesus is said to come again after eight days when the Disciples were within with Thomas Answ First It is not said they were assembled about any Religious Worship whatsoever is affirmed of that nature is meerly guessed it 's said only that they were within with Thomas with them it 's probable the Persecution against them being then hot upon the crucifying of our Lord they lay concealed from the Jews and locked the Doors and were seldom abroad and at that time were certainly within when Christ miraculously stood in the midst and appeared to them But then Secondly That this second appearing was upon the First day of the week is gratis dictum freely said but is not there written the Text says It was after eight days say these Objectors It was the Eighth day including the former First day that is the day sevennight after his Resurrection So the Text says it was after eight days say they 'T was after six or seven days which seems to me impossible for let any man tell eight upon his Fingers and if he do not find that day after eight days to be Monday or Tuesday as we now call the days then I misreckon and this being an account easie to be cast up I leave it But for men to say that after Eight is after Seven or Six days and must be so understood because some would fain have it so and thereupon to build this Change seems to me contrary to all Sence and further Answer to this I think needless And as to that which they offer from Mark 8. 31 I find divers learned Expositors understand that Mark reckons the time from his first being betrayed and apprehended and that Matthew speaks only of the time that he lay in the Grave which was but part of three days other Answers are given but this part of the Objection seems not to be over-ingenious for that those who make it seem to go about to shake the day of his Resurrection if they could rather than want some Pretence for the First day weekly But however this or that in John 20 be understood yet here is no Institution of the First day nothing of the Worship the Disciples were met about either the one or the other of these Days and consequently little Colour for such a Conceit And as to the Resurrection it is so fully proved by many Eye-witnesses throughout the New Testament as I need to add no more to that Obj. Some fancy the day which Christ says to the Jews that their Father Abraham rejoyced to see and saw and was glad John 8. 56 was the day of the Resurrection and therefore the First day of the week as the day of the Resurrection must be for ever kept holy Ans Which day that Abraham saw others think referrs to the day of his Incarnation and thence inferr the Observation of Christmas-day
emera and heard behind him a great voice as of a Trumpet saying I am Alpha and Omega The Question is What day this was Ans 1. Some have thought this to be a yearly day in Commemoration of the Birth of our Lord Jesus Christ which some think was in December and therefore we in England and a few others who observe the old Style keep the 25th of December and the rest of the Christian and Romish World in the Western part of it who observe any day upon that account keep the 15th day of December i. e. ten days sooner than we in remembrance of it And some thought the day of Christ's Birth was in September and I find in Gregory's Posthuma p. 164 that the day of Christ's Nativity was not in use till 532 years after He says the Alexandrians Aethiopians and Armenians hold he was born the Sixth of January and the Bishop of Middleburgh that he was born in April Beroaldus in October Scaliger and Calvisius that 't was in September Hospinian that Christians did not celebrate the 25th of December as to Christ then born but to make amends for the Saturâ—alia p. 166. And as to the time of Christ's Birth and the time of making the World he says there are forty several Opinions p. 171. And which of these forty the World should follow in so doubtful a matter which was not in use in 532 yeaâ— after Christ and about which there are so many several opinions who shall resolve us Which Gregory was a very learned man and if these Matters of Fact be true about Christmas-day they may somewhat stumble Christmas-day-men But supposing â— were in December either those who observe the 15th of December or those who observe the 25th are certainly out in that observation one of those must needs be out and mistaken unleâ—â— they will both yield That if Men observe any one day upon thâ— account it sufficeth no matter which or unless they will say That if the Church in France or Rome command the observing the 15th there that is the right day there upon which Christ was born because the Church there says it And if the Church here observe the 25th that is the right day here because the Church here says it By which large Rule other Churches may as well observe any day they please but no one day at all being appointed that I ever read of in the Scripture for commemorating the Nativity of our Lord I know no good ground for observing any day upon that account Ans 2. Some think the Lord's day in Rev. 1. 10 is a yearly day in Commemoration of the Resurrection of Christ which is commonly kept upon Easter-day which Resurrection-day John and his Disciples observed if the History be true upon the Fourteenth Day of the First Month upon whatever day of the week it fell according to the Jewish Account Ans 3. And some think the Lord's day in Rev. 1. 10 to be that Great Providential day in the latter days when Christ will appear to plead the Cause of his Lordly Authority and Kingly Power which they think John might see in that Vision And some may take it to be the day of Christ's Coming which 1 Thess 5. 2 is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Day of the Lord or the Lord's day which day Phil. 1. 6 10 is called the day of Jesus Christ and the day of Christ Ans 4. Some think the Lord's day in Rev. 1. 10 to be a Weekly day of which sort some have thought it to be the First day of the week which we commonly call Sunday for which they alledge Ecclesiastical Tradition Others think if it be a Weekly day that it is the seventh day of the week for which they alledge divers Scriptures and which is to be preferred in such Cases which God has thought fit to leave so undetermin'd as this in Rev. 1. 10. either Tradition if Tradition were for it or the Scriptures collated with Rev. 1. 10 is much of the Question between these two Now as to the first Opinion That the day in Rev. 1. 10 was an Anniversary day observed by John in remembrance of the Incarnation or that it was an Anniversary day observed by him in remembrance of the Resurrection I may say as in the case of Moses's dead Body Deut. 34. 6 No man knoweth of his Sepulchre to this day so I say here the Lord has no where in his Word certainly revealed what day this was but has as it seems to me if we may be allowed humbly so to write purposely hidden it and if we may humbly enquire into the reason of that hiding it the notorious Idolatries Debaucheries Uncleannesses Blasphemies and great Wickednesses to which God in his Word gives no Countenance accompanying its observation may somewhat resolve us As 't is generally thought the reason why the Lord did not make known where be buried Moses was that his Body or Sepulchre might not be to the Israelites an occasion of Idolatry and consequently of all other Wickedness as it was in the case of Aaron's Golden Calf Exod. 32. 4 5 6 7 which Moses burnt powdered and strewed upon the Water and so made it impossible ever to be found v. 20. But the main doubt from Rev. 1. 10 is Whether it be a Weekly day and what day of the week it is One of the great Writers for the First day says There is an Universal Testimony for its observation for Sixteen hundred years together to which if that Account were true which I think will appear after in this Book to be mistaken I answer That from Lamech Gen. 4. 19 to the Prophet Malachi Mal. 2. 14 15 which as some compute was about 2480 years together Polygamy or the having many Wives was frequently practis'd by some eminent in the Church at that time and was doubtless held lawful by them for we cannot charitably suppose they commonly and openly lived in gross Sins and practised what they condemned in their Judgments as sinful and yet there were Laws in the Word at that time as we now find expresly against it as Gen. 2. 23 24 The man and his Wife shall be one flesh and after Lamech Thou shalt not take a Wife to her Sister during her life Lev. 18. 18 for that two Wives at once for one man they two would be to one another as two Sisters and yet the having more Wives than one was for a long time practised and little taken notice of if at all by the Prophets who sharply reproved other Sins of that People till the time of Malachi which sinful practice is fully refuted by our Lord upon occasion of his rightly stating the Case of putting away a Wife Mat. 19. 3 4 5 6 Mark 10. 7 8 They two viz. the Man and his Wife not they three four or five shall be one flesh and by the Apostle 1 Cor. 6. 16 Eph. 5. 3. And so the Feast of Booths in Nehemiah 8. 17 was not
come he directs his Disciples v. 3 to pray their Flight might not be in Winter the season of Cold or Wet would greaten the Distress nor on the Sabbath day which they were commanded to rest upon and to keep holy for such a Tribulation would be heightned if it fell upon a day whereon they used and ought without some real cogent necessity to compose themselves to an Holy Rest And for eminently gracious persons as the Apostles were and all Believers in their measure are by any hindrance though lawful to be diverted from any Ordinance of Christ where they may sedately enjoy Communion with Father Son and Holy Spirit and that for a whole day together is a matter to be deprecated Secondly And that the Sabbath in Mat. 24. 20 was the Jewish Seventh-day Sabbath I have the Opinion I think of all that write upon it that it was the Seventh-day Sabbath they were to pray that their Flight might not be upon And I cannot now imagine that Paul in his Epistles to the Romans Galatians and Colossians before mentioned went about to abrogate what Christ had so confirmed And upon the whole I do think this one place of Mat. 24. 20 compared with Mark 13. 18 which referrs to the like Cases with Mat. 24. is sufficient to prove the Seventh-day Sabbath is not altered but ought to be still observed As for those who think a weekly Seventh-day of Rest was appointed in Paradice and who acknowledge it to be ordained from the foundation of the World before the entrance of Sin and so belonged to all Mankind and that a Seventh-day weekly was directly commanded in the Decalogue wherein Vide Mr. Hughes Treatise of the Sabbath the Law of our Creation was revived and so distinguished from all Ceremonial Ordinances and so having no Concern in those fore-cited Passages in Romans Galatians and Colossians which with much more cannot be fairly denied we shall easily agree with them provided they will withal admit which we think upon what has been said cannot be denied that the weekly day first ordained Gen. 2. 2 was not only a Seventh day but was the Seventh day and no other day of the week and that the Fourth Command doth appoint the same successive Seventh day which was first commanded which was also observed as before And we now find much of this Controversie to be reduced by many except one who still mainly builds upon Traditions to this Whether The seventh or A seventh day be required in the Fourth Command which to the Impartial will reduce the Question into a narrow compass for no man can deny The seventh to be A seventh i. e. the Seventh-day Sabbath to be a Seventh day of the week and yet that admitted would almost end this part of the Controversie And the Fourth Command speaks not of A seventh which is one of the seven but The or That seventh day which Christ rested upon after the Creation And those above mentioned finding the great mischief of making any Breach upon the Ten Commands which are so often asserted throughout the Old and New Testament they now insist on this that these words Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy is the sum and substance of that whole Command and they reduce that to Remember a Sabbath day to keep it holy and then knock off The seventh day as the Romanists leave out the second Command against worshipping of Images whereas the words used in the Fourth Command are such as should stay all Constructions which would change the Seventh day and are such as do not leave the least Pretence or Colour for such a Change The words are Exod. 20. 10 The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God the leaving out the Verb is in the Hebrew I conceive imports as is common in that Tongue that it was is and will or shall be the Sabbath And those who would translate it A seventh as they therein depart from our English Translation which herein rightly renders it The seventh so I think they manifestly depart from the Hebrew Text. And we think the H In Hashabbat Exod. 20. 8 at the beginning of the Command and v. 11 at the end of it to be emphatical that is an earnest express and forcible signification that the Holy Spirit here means that very Seventh-day Sabbath which was first instituted Gen. 2 and that very day mentioned in the 10th and 11th Verses is to be kept holy and the day that is to be kept holy is the or that Seventh day which two H's in v. 8 11 do referr to one another the Sabbath to for or of Jehovah thy Aelohim 'T is not A seventh day is the Sabbath but The seventh day is the Sabbath and lest there should be found some who would curiously distinguish a seventh part of time from the seventh day expresly commanded and by so subtile and plausible a distinction enervate the Command and transferr the rest of the seventh day to some other day of the week at their will and pleasure as either to the first day of the week as some Heathens and some Christians do or to the sixth day of the week as the Mahometans do To stop up all such Gapps which one would think largely provided for by the former words of the Command and to leave it beyond all Doubt and fair Dispute with such as acknowledge the Law of God to be a Rule to walk by who generally are such as we now reason with the Lord has I think made sure work against this Objection in v. 11 where he graciously condescends to give us a Reason why we are to keep holy the seventh day because in six days he made these Heavens which we see and this Earth which we stand and lye upon And here Opposers will certainly admit the two 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be emphatical and not at all to referr to any other Heaven and Earth in the Moon or elsewhere And He did quietly rest in that viz. in that Seventh day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bajom where the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the H is compensated by Daggesh The or That seventh wherefore he did bless the or that day of the Sabbath or the same weekly Seventh-day Sabbath whereon He first rested and whereon He only rested and not at all upon the First day of the week Which never any man has yet affirmed or so much as that I know pretended And it seems to me impossible for any but God only who is infinite in Wisdom in so few words so warily so straitly and with like exact Wisdom and Circumspection to secure any thing by words as this Command in the body of the Ten Commands and the very Seventh day in the heart of the Fourth Command is secured by Christ against this new Conceit and Cavil of A seventh and not The or That seventh Such surely deal over-slightly and somewhat quibble with the word who take such a liberty to turn The into A and
so to overturn the commanded day and to lay it aside and then to set up another Day of Rest every week which as has been said we do not find commanded by the Lord when they certainly know that the Day observed in obedience to the Fourth Command by the Israelites and Proselytes was the Seventh day and no other and the Sabbath and Seventh day did both result in the weekly Seventh-day Sabbath and both relate to the first Sabbath Gen. 2 ordained by Christ which they know was the Seventh day and no other day of the week And whosoever not over-prejudic'd does read this Command I think will find this strongly there enforced viz. That the weekly day the Creator rested on is the very day to which this Command referrs and that all the World who have and receive the Word do know and confess was not the first nor sixth but the seventh day of the week and that day only and no other day and upon this I do insist And here I commend to the Reader Heb. 8. 10 where the Lord promises to put his Laws into the Minds of his People and to write them in their Hearts which is called a new Covenant v. 8 with which we may compare Jer. 31. 33 which Law promised to be written in our Hearts I think is the Moral Law which Moral Law is the Ten Commands whereof the Fourth is one And with how many Distinctions must the Word the Promises New Covenant and Command be mangled to be accommodated to such a new sence of the First day Which change of the day well considered may be one cause of the Israelites standing off from Christ Who will be converted grafted into Christ and saved by him Rom. 11. 7 26. And I hear some of late in defence of the First day have positively affirmed that the First day of the week is the Seventh day of the week and so the very day which the Letter of the Command requires by which Rule that which the Word calls the Seventh day should then become the Sixth and the Sixth the Fifth and so all the days in confusion and all the Jews and Christians hitherto in the World out in their reckoning of Seven Whilst I was considering this Question a learned Manuscript was sent me from an unknown Author who to maintain the First day of the week to be the Seventh day by the Fourth Command says to this effect That we ought to invert the Days i. e. to reckon them backward and then that which the Scriptures call the Seventh day is the First the Sixth the Second the Fifth the Third the Fourth the Fourth the Third the Fifth the Second the Sixth and then the First is the Seventh so great contrariety there is and must needs be in defending a Paradox Obj. and Ans Some farther object That the Sabbath was a Type and withal acknowledge it a Type of that Rest which is above with Christ in the upper World which we shall easily admit provided such will admit also what we think cannot be denied to Types that the Sabbath which is the Type continue till Heaven the Antitype do come Obj. and Ans Those who build the whole of this Change upon the Authority of the Church and not upon the Word which Word is against them who are very eminent may take this short Answer That if the Church have Power to change one of the Commands the Consequence is plain why may not the Church change more If any one of them be left to the Discretion of the Church certainly all are exposed as was said before Obj. and Ans Some Objectors there are who misunderstanding certain general Expressions in Paul s Epistles about the Law misapply them against the Ten Commands and so lay aside all the Moral Law which general Expressions are evidently meant of the Ceremonial Laws and may sometimes be written against some then erroneous Conceits of Justification by obedience to the Moral Law And others taking advantage of some incautelous Writings about the Privileges purchased by Christ have that way attempted to throw down the Ten Commands a Doctrine which would surely please many in this debauched licentious and erroneous Age if it would hold and some of these with the Law take away the Old Testament Obj. and Ans One thinks the Decalogue is not at all in force to the Gentiles and thinks the Preface to it Exod. 20. 2 I the Lord thy God which have brought thee out of the Land of Aegypt out of the House of Bondage was to shew that it only concerned the Jews Whereas if we consider that the Church then in Aegypt was the Church of Christ and that Deliverance was of the whole then visible Church of Christ in the World amongst whom there were also many Gentiles as well as Jews I think it may be allow'd that the Preface concerns all Christians and that Deliverance expressed in the Preface as before ought to be celebrated in all After-ages by all Christians in the World whereof there is often mention in the Psalms and other Scriptures and so that Consideration from the Preface does not lessen the Obligation of the Decalogue upon the Gentiles but strengthen it And for the Obligation of the Decalogue when I find Christ so directly confirming the Law Mat. 5. 18 and Luke 16. 17 by which Law is understood the Decalogue I think I ought not to be over-ruled by any man's contrary Opinion whatever esteem I have of those who thus write and of many useful things written by them Mark 10. 19 and John 14. 15 If ye love me keep my Commands By which Commands the Decalogue is generally understood I do believe that Text Blessed are they who do his Commandments Rev. 22. 14 relates to the Ten Commandments And those general Expressions about the Law in the Acts and Epistles will be better understood if we reflect upon the occasion of them In Acts 15. 1 certain men taught the Brethren Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses ye cannot be saved Where it was Circumcision and the Ceremonial Law that was in question not the Moral Law the Ceremonial Laws were as a burthen lain aside by the Death of Christ and by the Holy Spirit as is plain in that Chapter And when Paul Acts 21. 17 18 21 came to Jerusalem some told him that many Thousands of the Jews who believed were zealous of the Law i. e. of the Ceremonial Law and were informed of Paul that he taught the Jews which were among the Gentiles to forsake Moses that is the Ceremonial Laws given by Moses saying They ought not to circumcise their Children neither to walk after the Customs and then they advise Paul to purifie himself to remove that Objection to whose Advice Paul yields v. 24 25 26 which occasion'd the Commotion v. 27 28 Crying Men of Israel help this is the man that teacheth all men every where against the Law i. e. the Ceremonial Law of Purifications and
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
vowed to God that hereafter they would neither buy nor sell any thing upon the Dominical days unless perhaps Food and Drink to such as passed by They vowed also That of all things which they sold of the value of Five Shillings de singulis quinque salidatis rerum they would give a Farthing or a fourth part to buy a Lamp or Candle for the Church and for the burial of the Poor And for the collecting of this the aforesaid Abbot ordained to be made an hollow piece of Wood in all Parish Churches under the Custody of two or three faithful men where the People should cast in the fore-mentioned Brass The aforesaid Abbot also ordained that an eleemosynarie or Alms-dish or Platter should be daily had to the Table of the Rich in which they should send part of their Meats to the use of those who were Indigent who had not prepared for themselves Which in part was a very charitable Appointment And the same Abbot prohibited That none should buy or sell any thing or litigate in Churches or in the Church-Porch or Church-yardâ— Then the Enemy of Mankind envying these and other Admonitions of this Holy Man put into the Heart of the King and Princes of Darkness so it seems the King and Nobility of England did not keep Sunday at that time that they commanded That all who should keep or observe the aforesaid Traditions and chiefly all who had cast down the Market for things vendible upon the Dominical days should be brought to the King's Court or to the King's Examination to make satisfaction or purge themselves about observing the the Dominical day But our Lord Jesus Christ whom we ought to obey rather than men who illustrated or made famous and as exceedingly renowned dedicated unto himself this day which we call Dominical or Lord's day by his Birth and by his Resurrection by his Coming and by the sending the Holy Spirit upon his Disciples he raised up Miracles of his Virtue and thus manifested it upon some Transgressors of the Dominical day Upon a certain Sabbath after the ninth hour a certain Carpenter in Beverlac making a Wooden Pin against the wholsome Admonitions of his Wife being struck with a Palsie fell to the Ground And a certain Woman knitting after the ninth hour of the Sabbath i. e. after Three of the Clock upon Saturday whilst she was very anxious to knit out part of her Work falling to the Earth struck with a Palsie she became dumb And at Nasfortun a Village of Master Roger Arundle a certain man made for himself Bread baked under the Ashes upon the Sabbath day after the ninth hour and eat of it and reserved to himself part until the Morning which when he brake upon the Dominical day Blood came out of it And he that saw it hath given Testimony and his Testimony is true And at Wakefield upon a certain Sabbath when a Miller after the ninth hour endeavoured to grind his Corn suddenly in the place of Meal there issued out so great a stream of Blood that the Vessel put under was almost filled with Blood and the Mill wheel stood immoveable against the vehement impulse of the Water and those who saw marvelled saying Forgive Lord forgive thy People And in Lincolinsiria whether he mean Lincolnshire or what place else I cannot tell a certain Woman had prepared Dough or 〈◊〉 or Pudding pye which carrying to the Oven after the 〈◊〉 â—ur of the Sabbath she put it into a very hot Oven and 〈◊〉 she had drawn it out she found it not baked and she put it again into the Oven made very hot and on the morning and on Monday when she thought to have found the Bread baked she found the Dough or Pudding-pye unbaked Also in the same Province when a certain Woman had prepared her Dough willing to carry it to the Oven her Husband said to her It is the Sabbath and the ninth hour is now past let it alone until Monday and the Woman obeying her Husband did as he commanded and wrapt the Dough in Linnen and in the morning when she went to look to her Dough lest it should exceed the Vessel because of the Leaven put into it she found by the Divine Will Bread made thereof and well baked without material Fire This is a Change of the Right Hand of the Most High and although the Almighty Lord by these and other Miracles of his Power did invite the People to the observation of the Dominical day yet the People fearing more Kingly and Humane Power than Divine and fearing those more who kill the Body and can do no more than Him who after he hath killed the Body can send the Soul to Hell and fearing more to lose Earthly things than Heavenly and Transitories than Eternals Oh sad as a Dog to the Vomit returned to keep Markets of things saleable upon the Dominical days Haec ille This referrs to England so Scotland did not receive the Change till 1203 and the King and Princes of England would not then agree to change the Sabbath or keep Sunday by this Authority This was I think in the time of King John against whom the Popish Clergy had a great Pique as not favouring their Prelacy and Monks by one of whom he was poysoned So we have here an Authority and for Matter of Fact undedeniable for ought I know or can find of a Council held in Scotland for initiating that is for the first bringing in there the observation of the Dominical day i. e. the first day of the week or Sunday and the King Princes and People of England were then against observing Sunday That Kingdom of Scotland was Christian very early and generally received the Christian Religion about Ann. Dom. 435 as before and has this Honour that they were one of the last in this part of the World which admitted the First day and that was not till 〈◊〉 thousand Two hundred years after Christ And to Binius 〈◊〉 Hoveden and Matthew Paris and to the Records of that Kingdom of Scotland where so great a Transaction cannot probably be lost further Enquirers are referred Which Matter of Fact strikes off One thousand Two hundred years out of the Kingdoms of England and Scotland from the Sixteen hundred years universal Concurrence so confidently affirmed as before And take out 1201 out of 1690 and there remains 489. Which is a Prescription much too modern and weak to alter and lay aside a lesser matter than the ancient establish'd Law of God I may safely leave any Reader to make his own Inferences in so plain a case only there being here and afterward mention made of Judgments inflicted on such as violated the Dominical day this I may say of that though I doubt many supposed Judgments are mistaken wrested and misconstrued and the Instances before given may be better applied to Breakers of the Seventh day Sabbath than of Sunday they being Instances of Facts done about the ninth hour upon
great deal of Rubbish and before mentioned may be sufficient in my weak Opinion to prove to the satisfaction of the unprejudic'd that the Word of God fully and a strong Tradition are for the Seventh-day Sabbath and against the First day And if the Seventh day be the true Christian Sabbath and that day and that day only be commanded to be kept as it plainly seems to me by the Scriptures and very far by Tradition except that of Rome and its Followers then do we weekly and wilfully break the Fourth Command in a point wherein there seems no sound Reason can be assigned for God expresly commands to keep the Seventh day and we will keep not that which he commands but one of those upon which he has commanded us to labour What a learned Noble Gentleman means by his Inequality of days in his Cosmical Suspicions I know not See Isa 30. 19 26. Prov. 3. 1 2 16. Orek Jammim Nor what of Truth there may be in the Story of Fluvius Sabbaticus in Palestine which some say only flows another that it only rests upon the Seventh day but divers take notice of it Baronius An. Chr. 33 fol. 28 sect 12. Josephus 7. de bello 24. Plin. 31 Hist 2. c. but on these I build not And here I think it may be of some use to bestow a Sheet or two upon the case of Easter to shew how that came in and is held up As to the time of keeping the Passover the Lamb was to be taken up the tenth day of the first Moon or Month Nisan which Nisan they say answered to part of our March and part of April and was to be killed the fourteenth day of that Month Exod. 12. 1 6. The Month Nisan I take to be the first New Moon after the Vernal Aequinox which Vernal Aequinox is our Eleventh or Twelfth day of March and whether the Fourteenth day was not to be reckoned from the day of the Aequinox which Fourteenth day was alwaies in the Month Nisan I cannot tell Lucius Cent. 2. 117 D. But this I doubt and rather take the first viz. That the Month or Moon Nisan began after the Vernal Aequinox and that the Paschal Lamb was to be killed the Fourteenth day of that Moon Or what other Reckoning they had I cannot certainly resolve To this Feast of the Passover i. e. passing over the Houses of the Israelites when God slew the First born of the Aegyptians our Lord's Parents went up to Jerusalem every year Luke 2. 41. This Passover though it preserved the Memory of the great Deliverance the Israelites had out of Aegypt yet the Lamb then killed was eminently a Type of Christ This Passover was also observed by Christ Mat. 26. 1 17 18 19. Mark 14. 12. Luke 22. 7. John 13. 1. The day when Christ went with his Disciples to keep the Passover was probably the Evening before our Friday and that Evening i. e. the beginning of Friday he and his Disciples probably began to keep it and that night he was betray'd and taken and on Friday was crucified which Passover the Jews observed upon the next day after being the Sabbath day The Ancients say the Jews had a Custom when two Feasts viz. the Passover and the Sabbath came so near together as to be next one another that by Rabbinical Tradition they observed both upon one day viz. upon the Sabbath day 'T is said thereupon that the Jews by that Rule then kept the Passover upon the Seventh-day Sabbath which began in the Evening which they should have observed upon Friday the Sixth day of the week And that Christ kept it upon the Evening of the Sixth day which was the right day which was the Evening after our Thursday Mark 15. 42. Luke 23. 54. John 19. 14. See Lucius Cent. 1 lib. 1. fol. 259 E Whether the Apostles kept it after the Death of Christ I cannot yet resolve although in Acts 18. 21 the Feast which the Apostle says he was to keep at Jerusalem seems to be the Passover though that be not named and if it were I think Paul took occasion to be there at that publick great Concourse of People to preach Christ to that Multitude And so in 1 Cor. 5. 8 the Feast there spoken of might be the Passover though it be not named But that the Apostles were under no obligation to keep that Feast of the Passover after the Death of Christ is to me past doubt because the Passover and Lamb then slain were a Type of Christ and prefigured him who is our Paschal Lamb who being himself slain and sacrificed for us 1 Cor. 5. 7 at his Death the Passover the Type and Figure wholly ceased and was abolished by his Death the true Antitype and so the Apostles and all others were by his Death delivered from that as Lucius Cent. 1. well as other Ceremonies which are all nailed to his Cross and the keeping the Feast with Unleaveneds the Apostle v. 8 expounds of their sincerity of Life who believed in Christ Lucius Cent. 1. lib. 2. 36. H However there were some particularly those at Rome in conformity to the Jews Passover though in crossness to the day the Jews kept the Passover on or it may be out of a good Intention in memory of the Resurrection or for what other reason I cannot tell who it seems by the Histories did about the Second and Third Centuries observe one yearly Festival in commemoration of the Resurrection which Resurrection falling out to be the First day of the week they would have others yearly observe upon the First day which the Eastern Churches generally opposed those there who kept it keeping it the fourteenth day of the first Month the day Christ kept it upon whatever day of the week it fell out to be But what Law from Christ either they or any others had or have to make any such Observation now upon either of those days or upon any other day I am wholly to seek 'T is true the Jews observed the Passover as appears Acts 12. 4 where the Passover is rendered Easter And that some yearly Feast was kept by divers Christians in lieu of the Passover is very likely Lucius 1 Cent. lib. 2. fol. 387. C D where John and Philip the Evangelist and other Apostles are said to keep that yearly Feast the fourteenth day of the first Moon and that some cast it rejecisse upon the Dominical day Cent. 2 fol. 7. C D where a Question being moved Who first preached the Gospel in Britain 't is said It does not sufficiently appear but certainly this is not unlikely to Truth That that Church i. e. in Britain was planted in the beginning by the Grecian or Oriental Teachers and not by the Romans or Western Teachers and that the Grecians transferred their Riâ—es and Ceremonies to them and he so thinks first because Petrus Cluniacensis Abbas writing to St. Bernard affirms The Scots according to the manner of
the Grecians were used of old to celebrate the Passover their time not the Roman time And then secondly he quotes Cardinal Galfridus who witnesseth That the Britains wholly refused to receive Augustine the younger the Legate of Pope Gregory the Great nor would they acknowledge any Primacy the Pope of Rome had over them Which Galfridus lived about Seven hundred years after Christ So that the Romish Observation of the Passover was not received in Britain for some hundred years after Christ and so there is that Tradition against Easter Lucius Cent. 2 fol. 89 C D E F G H of the Passover That some Observations stuck long in Christianity fetch'd from the Old Testament the celebrating the Passover in many places was accommodated to the Rites and Customs of the Jews either because being born and educated in Judaism they did not understand Christian Liberty or because some great and excellent men in the Church thought that a sudden abrogating all the Jewish Rites could not be without troubling the Weak of which opinion was Augustine who celebrated this Saying That the Synagogue was to be buried with Honour but it seems he thought it must be buried In the observation of the Passover it is certain many Pious and Praise-worthy men were tenacious of the Jewish Custom for that Diversity remained from the Apostle's times even till Victor Bishop of Rome and long after for it is not written what time in the Eastern Churches the Custom of celebrating the Passover in the Jewish manner was wholly abrogated unless that after a sharp Dissention between Pope Victor and the Eastern Churches it was decreed That no man should ever revive that Controversie The French then observed it the Eighth of the Kalends of April according to the Jewish account But in the Roman Church they observed it upon the Dominical day after the fourteenth day of the Moon and this Pope Pius first instituted And some draw it from the Vision of the Hermits But when that Decree was not observed by all Churches Pope Victor not without great Dissention repeated it and the Arian Churches not being willing to receive that Custom he excommunicated them all together Here now this says Lucius is to be observed that the Apostles and Apostolical men never constituted any Law neither of the Pasch or Passover nor of any other Festivals whatsoever which do include Sunday but left Liberty safe and entire to all and cites Socrates that neither the Saviour nor the Apostles commanded this to be observed by any Law So it is here acknowledged that there was no Law of Christ or of his Apostles for this yearly Observation only Rome would have it so and excommunicated those Churches as above which would not obey their Will And Cent. 2 fol. 100 A Pope Pius is said to command the Feast of the Passover to be celebrated upon the Dominical day And fol. 113 D it 's said That Pope Pius and Victor in their Letters command that the Passover ought to be observed by all Churches in the same manner They add a Reason Because it does not become the Members i. e. other Churches to diffent from the Head which is the Roman See So the Headship was claimed by Rome very early if that be true But of this Reason there is some doubt whether it be not foisted in and whether it were then assigned for that Headship of Rome seems not assumed in divers Centuries after More to the same purpose we have fol. 117 118 about the different observation of the Passover and that it is evident the Apostles left the Churches at liberty Fol. 120 121 we have Pope Victor blamed for his resoluteness to bring all Churches to his Observation and for damning and nick naming them Quarto decimani Hereticks who observed the Passover the Fourteenth day of the Moon And the Mischief of this is said to be the greater for that hereby the Bishops of Rome were made more insolent to constitute other Ceremonies and obtrude them on other Churches And this was an abuse of Excommunication and an Example of excommunicating those for not observing human Traditions who otherwise were of sound and right Minds Lucius fol. 121 quotes Nicephorus saying That some in Asia pertinaciously retained their own Manner Which Nicephorus lib. 4 cap. 39 I find speaks also of the Differences that were about Fasting as well as about the day of the Passover-Festival for some thought they ought to fast but one day others two days others more days others measured the day by Forty hours Night and Day So great Diversity and Uncertainty there is in all these devised Feasts and Fasts which God has not appointed And fol. 123 124 we have a little more to like purpose as before which is what I find in the second Century Lucius Cent. 3 Fol. 82 A the Manichees are said to frequent no Passover nor Vigils Fol. 86 E Tertullian says that the Passover and Pentecost were solemn days for Baptizing Fol. 95 D the Passover is said to be one of the Christian Festivals Fol. 134 B he says Without doubt the Controversie about holding the Passover with the Jews was agitated in divers places And that the Passover was to be celebrated when the Sun and Moon had passed the Aequinoctial Caesure And fol. 156 F and 157 A B C we have a Learned Disputation of Jerome about the Passover when it was observed where the Romans say Before the Eleventh of the Calends of April Fol. 161 E Eusebius says It was not to be celebrated till after the Vernal Aequinox Lucius Cent. 4 Fol. 208 C F the Anthropomorphites Hereticks kept the Passover with the Jews Fol. 224 B D the Arrians of Indifferent things they say The Passover is not to be observed because Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us Who though they were erroneous in great Christian Principles yet in this they were I think in the right Fol. 231 H At Constantinople in the first day of the Paschal Feast the Bishop read the Book of the Gospel which the Deacons repeated Fol. 233 In Thessalia they used to Baptize only on the passover-Passover-days Fol. 247 F they say In this Age human Traditions were more and more heaped on and the Christians were cumbred with long Fasts And they say a Fast for Six days of the Passover which is now grown up to about Six weeks is affirmed to be instituted by the Apostles But no body I think yet can tell us where that Institution is no more than one for the First day Fol. 248 G they say When the whole East in celebrating the Passover imitated the Observation of the Jews Constantine by the Synod of Nice rejecting Jewish Observations caused the Christians through the whole World to keep the Passover the same day together which the Western Churches and Rome kept it viz. after the Vernal Aequinox And fol. 249 B there is mention of Diversity about celebrating the Passover Fol. 253 In the African Churches how the Passover is celebrated