A DEFENSE OF THE Christian Sabbath In Answer to A TREATISE of Mr. Tho. Bampfield Pleading for SATURDAY-SABBATH BY IOHN WALLIS D. D. And Professor of Geometry in the University of OXFORD OXFORD Printed by L. Lichfield and are to be Sold by Chr. Coningsby at the Golden Turks-Head over against St. Dunstan's Church in Fleet-street LONDON 1692. Imprimatur IONATH EDWARDS Vice-Can OXON Sep. 17 t. 1692. A DISCOURSE Concerning The Christian Sabbath SIR Iune 12. 1692. I Had a while since a Book sent me by the Carrier I know not well from whom of Mr. Thomas Bampfield which in the Title-Page is said to be Printed for the Author 1692. It is Concerning the Sabbath Which he thinks should rather be Observed on what we call Saturday than on what we call Sunday I should not on this Account give any Disturbance to the Peace or Practise of the Church where I live so that a Sabbath be duly Observed as to the Substantials of it though perhaps not upon what day I should chuse For I do not know and I believe no man living can tell me whether what we now call Sunday be a First a Second a Third or a Seventh day in a continued Circulation of Weeks from the Creation And what it is impossible for me to know I think will be no Crime to be Ignorant of Nor hath this Author any other way than common Tradition on which he is not willing that we should lay weight whereby to guess which is the First or which is the Seventh day in such a Circulation of Weeks either from the Creation or even from Christ's Time I am sufficiently satisfied that we ought to keep a Sabbath that is a day of Holy Rest after Six days of ordinary Labour according to the Fourth Commandment and this in a continued Course or Circulation But I am not certain nor can I be which is a First or a Seventh day in such a Circulation of Weeks from the Creation And therefore shall content my self to observe that day which I find observed in the Church where I live In Old England I observe the Sabbath which here I find And if I were in New-England I would observe the Sabbath which I find observed there Though I think it may be disputable whether they and we may be said to observe the same day the First Meridian passing between them and us And yet I would not advise to have it changed in either Now I can hardly think that God hath laid the great stress of so weighty a Point as whereon the main of Gods publick Worship doth much depend on such a Circumstance as is impossible for us to know and of which we may be modestly ignorant I should rather think that what Christ says of the Place Ioh. 4. 21 23 The hour cometh when ye shall neither in this Mountain nor in Ierusalem worship the Father but the true worshipers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth is in good measure true of the Time also And as it is not so material whether in this or that Place God be Worshiped so he be Worshiped Aright so neither is it so material whether on this or that day as that a Sabbath or day of Holy Rest be duly kept The publick Worship of God was then in great measure confined to the Temple not indifferently in any place within thy Gates but in the place which the Lord thy God shall chuse to put his name there Deut. 16. 6 11 15 16. For which any other place may now be as well assigned that men pray every where lifting up holy hands c. 1 Tim. 2. 8. Privately in private places and Publickly in places appointed for the publick And I do not think we are now more confined to the Iewish Sabbath than to the Iewish Temple This premised I can agree with this Author in many things by him discussed I agree that Our Lord Iesus Christ according to his Divinity was God and is so the true God the God that made Heaven and Earth the God who delivered the Law upon Mount Sinai For though we do acknowledge in the Godhead a Trinity of Persons Father Son and Holy Ghost whereof Christ according to his Divinity is called the Second Person the Son of God or God the Son yet those Three Persons are but One God Nor do I know any other true God but One The God that made Heaven and Earth The Lord Iehovah The God of Abraham Isaac and Iacob The Lord God of Israel The Lord their God who brought them out of the Land of Egypt out of the House of Bondage and besides whom we are to have no Other God The God who delivered the Law to them on Mount Sinai And I do agree that Our Lord Iesus Christ is as to his Divinity this God the True God the onely true God and that he was so before his Incarnation How far each of those Actions are to be ascribed to this or that Person of the Trinity we need not be over solicitous What in the New Testament is more peculiarly ascribed to this or that of the Three Persons is in the Old Testament wont to be ascribed to God indefinitely without such particular application the doctrine of the Trinity being then not so distinctly discovered But I cannot agree that Christ as God and Man in contradistinction to the Father and Holy Ghost did all those things for he was not then Man I agree with him also that God who made the World in Six days Rested the Seventh day Gen. 2. 23. Exod. 20. 11. And that he Blessed the Sabbath day and Hallowed it And that accordingly he hath appointed after Six days of ordinary Labour Man should observe a Seventh day of Holy Rest and this in a continued succession But I should rather say that our Lord Iesus Christ is according to his Divinity that God who Blessed the Seventh day Gen. 2. than that the God who Blessed the Sabbath day is the Lord Iesus Christ as he doth p. 64. and elsewhere very often seeming to lay great stress upon it For he was not then the Lord Christ God and Man nor did he bless it as Christ but as God in Union with the Father and Holy Ghost not as contradistinguished from them I agree also that the Law of the Sabbath is one of the Decalogue or Ten Commandments delivered to Israel on Mount Sinai Ex. 20. But I am willing to think it was a Law before Not only because we find it observed Exod. 16. before the giving of the Law on Mount Sinai Ex. 20. but especially because of that in Gen. 2. 3. God blessed the Seventh day and Sanctified it because in it he rested from all his Work And those who are most averse to the Morality as it is wont to be called or the Perpetuity of the Sabbath or Day of Holy Rest and are yet very zealous for the Holiness of Places would be very fond of it if they could find so clear
judge hardly But the natural result of what he argues is as I told you He doth not think that Iohn was on the Lords day Rev. 1. 10. keeping the Anniversary of Christs Incarnation nor of his Resurrection No more do I. But why not Because saith he he may say as in the case of Moses's dead body No man knows of his Sepulchre to this day Now as to the Incarnation I am apt to think that no man doth At this day know certainly either on what day of the Year or what day of the Week Christ was born nor is it any matter whether we do or no. But I should rather say no man knows At this day than as he no man knoweth To this day as if no man hitherto had known it for certainly there have been those who knew it heretofore while he was alive though it be now forgotten and at this day no man knows it But will he say so as to the Resurrection I think it is plain that Christ was Crucified on the fourteenth day lay in the Grave the fifteenth and rose again the sixteenth day of the first month And that he rose on the first day of the week no man doubts He should rather have put it thus As no man knows To this day where is the Body of Moses that it might not be worshiped So no man knows At this day which is the Seventh in course from the Creation that we might not contend about it However I am contented to admit if that will please him that the Lords day there mentioned was neither meant of Christmass-day nor Easter-day nor Whit-sunday nor the day of Iudgment but think it to be meant of the first day of the week which is the Christian Sabbath Not of any of those other days mentioned nor of the Iewish Sabbath as he would have it 'T is I think a new notion of his own at least I know none other of his mind that it should be meant of the Iewish Sabbath He grants there is nothing from the Circumstances of the place to determine it to this day Nor doth he pretend to shew that the Jewish Sabbath was ever so called But he thinks it might have been so called For he says God blessed and sanctified the seventh day that is the Seventh day after Six days of Labour therefore it might have been called the Lords day and so may as well the Christian Sabbath as the Iews Sabbath That the Son of Man is Lord also of the Sabbath day And so he is of every day in the Week and of the Christian Sabbath when that is the Sabbath as well as of the Iewish That the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord our God that is the Seventh day after Six days of Labour but whether the Seventh day in course from the Creation is no where said That Isai. 58. 13. The Sabbath is called my holy day True on what ever day the Sabbath be First or Seventh of the Week or whatever day God appoints to be kept Holy As for instance the first and seventh day of the Feast of Unleavened bread Ex. 12. 16. The First day shall be a Holy Convocation and the Seventh day shall be a Holy Convocation and each of them was the Lords Holy day on what ever day of the week they happened And the like for other days So Levit. 23. 2 4 7 8 21 24 25 27 28 30 32 35 36 39. and Num. 28. 18 25 26. Num. 29. 1 7 12 35. All the days here mentioned are the Lords Holy days yet I do not take any of them to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And all he can pretend to from these or whatever he produceth is no more but that the Iewish Sabbath while it was the Sabbath might have been so called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lords day he doth not pretend to shew that ever it was so called Now I would desire this Gentleman if he can but a little while lay aside his prejudice to consider first that the Lords day was the proper name of a day whereby it might be known as distinguished from other days else to what purpose is it said I was in the spirit on the Lords day whereas the proper name of the Iewish Sabbath and of that onely as he would have us think p. 64. was the Sabbath day and there is no appearance of reason why if he meant that day he should not rather have said I was in the spirit on the Sabbath day or the seventh day This therefore must needs be meant of some other day known by another name 2. I would have him next consider that the Lord in the Old Testament is the usual name of God indefinitely without particularizing this or that of the Three persons and the Sabbath of the Lord thy God doth not appropriate it to the second Person more than to the first and third And though I do not deny that our Christ was the God who gave the Ten Commandments for all the three Persons are the same God yet I do not think it to be Christ onely as contradistinguished to the other two And when it is said I am the Lord thy God thou shall have no other God but me the meaning is not I the second Person am so the Lord thy God that thou shalt own no other Person for thy God beside me the second Person But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lord in the New Testament is for the most part applied peculiarly to our Lord Christ God and Man and is understood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of him As he is called elsewhere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Son of Man And accordingly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must be a day peculiarly appropriate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to our Lord Christ which the Jewish Sabbath was not nor that of the Fourth Commandment which is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God that is of God indefinitely for 't is in that notion that God speaks in the Ten Commandments not as one person contradistinct to the other two It is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lords day in a like sense as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lords Supper 1 Cor. 11. 20. and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Cup of the Lord the Table of the Lord 1 Cor. 10. 21 22. 1 Cor. 11. 27. In all which by the Lord is meant the Lord Christ God and Man And because there being a double Sabbath then in use the Iewish Sabbath and the Christian Sabbath and the word Sabbath indefinitely having been a long time applied to the Iewish Sabbath and would be apt to be understood of it therefore by way of distinction that of the Christians though a Sabbath also within the sense of the Fourth Commandment was called the Lords day as being the Day or Sabbath appropriate to our Lord Iesus Christ. And therefore when he tells us so often the World was made by our Lord Iesus Christ and the Law given on Mount Sinai by our Lord
a Testimony and so ancient for the holiness of Place as here is for that of Time I agree also that the Law of the Decalogue or Ten Commandments though then given peculiarly to Israel is Obligatory to Us also For though some Clauses therein do peculiarly respect them as that who brought thee out of the land of Egypt out of the house of bondage and that thy days may be long in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee which I think is there said with a particular respect to the land of Canaan which God gave to Israel not to us yet the Body of that Law and the preceptive part of it I take to be Obligatory to others also and to Us in particular the Decalogue being Declarative of what was I think a Law before however neglected or forgotten and is by Christ and his Apostles frequently cited as such even to Gentiles as well as Jews Nor will I dispute it with him whether the Sabbath were observed from the Creation to the Floud For I am willing to think that if it were not it should have been though in the short History that Moses gives us of that time there be no mention made of such Observation But I doubt it was not universally so observed if at all For when all flesh had corrupted their ways I doubt the Sabbath day and the worship of that day were by them not much regarded Nor do I find Gen. 2. 3. any express Command such as he demands for the First days Sabbath that it should be observed thenceforth by Men every Seventh day of the Week for ever How far the words he blessed and sanctified it may extend I will not dispute It may be a strong Intimation and I think it is But it is not expresly said that All Mankind must for ever after observe every Seventh day in every Week of days reckoned continually from the first Creation Nor do I think it necessary to have been so recorded by Moses any more than the Law for Sacrifices if it did otherwise appear to have been the Will of God And therefore I would not have him lay too great a stress on what he saith that there is no express Commandment Recorded in the New Testament for observing the First day It is enough if we there find sufficient Intimation for us to judge that God was pleased to have it observed I say the like as to the time from the Floud to that of Abraham and from thence to the coming of Israel out of Egypt For I do not find any mention of their observing a Sabbath either in the Writings of Moses or the Book of Iob earlier than that of Exod. 16. after Israels coming out of Egypt and after the time that God is said to have made a statute and ordinance for them at Marah Ex. 15. 25. What that Statute and Ordinance was we cannot tell The Jewish Writers think or some of them that it was that of the Sabbath and perhaps it might or this be some part of it It was perhaps a Revival of what had been before disused Nor is it likely that their Task-Masters in Egypt would suffer them to be Idle and neglect their Work one whole day in Seven Nor do I find any foot-steps in History that any other Nation but the Jews did for many Ages after this time so much as measure out their time by Weeks I know that many Learned and Pious men have been searching to that purpose and willing to lay hold on any thing that might seem to look that way And I should be well enough pleased to see it made out But I have not seen any thing convictive to give me satisfaction therein I have consulted Clemens Alexandrinus and what he cites in the Fifth Book of his Stromata who hath I believe made the best search of any into Heathen Writers for that purpose His design in that Book is to shew that the Heathens had stollen or borrowed much of their Philosophy from what he calls Philosophia Barbara or Barbarorum meaning thereby the Iewish Learning for with the Greeks all but themselves were Barbarians And amongst many other things he takes notice of the number Seven sometimes mentioned in Heathen Writers as with some veneration which he thinks to be occasioned from that number oft mentioned in the Sacred Writers and particularly from that of their Sabbath and measuring their time by Weeks But he doth not at all intimate as if himself did think the Heathens so to have divided their time or to keep that Sabbath but only that they were acquainted with the Jewish Learning and borrowed much of theirs from thence That which therein seemed to me the most promising and by others also is oft alledged was that Cited from Hesiod 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Seventh a Sacred day But when I consulted the place in Hesiod in his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the latter part of which he treats of Days I find nothing there of Weeks or days of the Week but only days of the Month. For 't is this he there proposeth to speak of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Thirty days of the Month on which he makes divers Remarks as which of them were to be accounted Good days and which Bad days and for what purposes And begins with these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Begin we with the First and the Fourth and the Seventh a Sacred day Because that on this day Apollo who hath the Golden Sword was born of Latona So that it seems the Seventh day not the First was then Sunday For Apollo with his Gold Sword is but another name for the Sun But it was the Seventh day of the Month not the Seventh day of the Week for of Weeks he there says nothing And he then goes on to speak of the Eighth and Ninth days then of the Eleventh and Twelfth next of the Thirteenth and so of other days of the Month shewing which of them were accounted Lucky days and which Unlucky and for what Affairs But nothing of Weeks at all However Hesiod himself though one of the Oldest of the Heathen Writers is but young as to the times we speak of who is reckoned to have lived about the time of King Uzziah Seven Hundred years after the time we are now considering upon the coming of Israel out of Egypt Nor doth Clemens Alexandrinus think when they name Seven it was from any Old Tradition from Adam or Noah but from what acquaintance they then had with the Jewish Writers of later time Nor do I find any thing that is more to the purpose in all there Cited by Clemens Alexandrinus than this of Hesiod But if any where he could have found that the Heathens divided their Time by Weeks no doubt but he would have mentioned this as borrowed from the Iewish Learning which was the thing he was there inquiring after And when he saith nothing of it we may be sure he could not find it I find indeed
Commandment and other Writers about the Sabbath That this Commandment begins with Remember to keep Holy the Sabbath-day or the day of Rest not the Seventh day much less the Seventh day of the Week from the first Creation And what is that day of Rest the next Words tell us Six days shalt thou labour but the Seventh is the Sabbath c. That is after Six days of Labour the Seventh shall be a day of Rest. And in the close of that Commandment Ex. 20. 11. our Bibles have it wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath-Sabbath-day not as we commonly repeat it the Seventh day and hallowed it The Reason given to inforce it is For in Six days the Lord made Heaven and Earth c. and rested the Seventh day and accordingly should we after Six days of Work have a Seventh day of Rest and so onward If he thinks that to make a difference that we now reckon our Weeks to begin with the day of Rest and after that Six Working days which in a continued Circulation comes all to one I will allow that Gentleman if that will please him better to begin the Week on Monday and then Sunday will be the Seventh The Commandment says nothing of the Seventh day of the Week in a continued Succession from the Creation but the Seventh day after Six days of Labour And whereas he observes and would lay great weight upon it that it is hashebigni the Seventh the article ha answering to our the not a Seventh 'T is very true and very proper so to be For the meaning is not that after Six days of Labour there should be a Seventh for Rest no matter when but the Seventh day that is the next day after those Six But it is not said the Seventh in Course from the Creation Just as when it is said a Male-Child is to be Circumcised the Eighth day it is not meant of an Eighth day in Course from the Creation but the Eighth day from the Birth And in like manner Ex. 12. 16. In the Seventh day there shall be a Holy Convocation it is not meant of the Seventh day of the Week from the Creation but on the Seventh day of the Feast of unleavened Bread what ever day of the Week that happen to be And Exod. 16. 5 25. The Sixth and Seventh day there mentioned seem plainly to be not the Sixth and Seventh in course from the Creation which I doubt was not then known but from the first raining of Manna ver 4 5. He 'll say perhaps The Jews observed such Seventh day from the Creation and that was their Sabbath But that is more than he or I know or any man living They had I grant a Circulation of Seven days but from what Epocha we cannot tell And when Moses tells them on the Sixth day Ex. 16. 23. Tomorrow is the Rest of the Holy Sabbath It seems to be the fixing of a new Epocha from the first raining of Manna and then all his Arguments from the continual Observation of the Seventh day from the Creation till that time are at an end Whether this from the first raining of Manna be the same with that from the Creation no man can tell And there is Six to One odds that it is not Now that there is a new Course of Sabbath from a new beginning whereof this Seventh day from the first raining of Manna is the First and not a continuation of a former Course hitherto observed without interruption seems farther evident from this consideration Because if this were but a continuation of that uninterrupted Course of Sabbaths then the next Seventh day before it would have been a Sabbath also and to have been in like manner observed that is the next day before the first raining of Manna But on that day we find Exod. 16. 12 13. the Quails came up and covered the Camp without any Prohibition to gather them If therefore they might not now gather Manna because it was the Sabbath but might before gather Quails it should seem that was not a Sabbath And if it be not allowed upon occasion to fix a new Epocha then if the Circulation of Weeks from the beginning of the World which was then about 2500 years old did ever chance to have been interrupted and the day forgotten as in all likelyhood it might be in Egypt if not long before or if ever after it should chance so to be as in the days of Iosiah when the Book of the Law was lost and the Pass-over forgotten men must never keep a Sabbath thenceforth For then all his own Arguments return upon him No other day is Commanded 't is Will-worship no Promise to the Observance no Threatning for the Neglect I should rather think if that day were unknown as I believe it is Any day were better than None at all For Gods Commands do more respect the Substance of the Duty than the Circumstance of Time especially if they cannot both be had Circumcision was to be Administred on the Eighth day according to the Institution I do not mean the Eighth day of the Week but the Eighth day of the Childs Age and therefore on the same day of the Week on which the Child was Born But if by Accident or Default it were omitted it might be done any day after rather than not at all Abraham we know was 99 years old and Ismael 13 when they were Circumcised and what was the Age of other Males in Abraham's Family we cannot tell and a Proselyte at any Age was to be Circumcised though perhaps it were not remembred on what day of the Week he was Born and those who were born in the Wilderness for Forty years together were all Circumcised at once Iosh. 5. 4 5 9. though not all born on the same day of the Week The Pass-over was appointed to be eaten standing with their Loyns girt their Shoes on their feet and their Staffs in their hand as in hast to be gone Ex. 12. Yet our Saviour seemeth to have Eaten it Sitting or rather Lying And none of them were to stir out of doors till morning Ex. 12. 22. Yet Christ and his Disciples went out the same night to the mount of Olives and thence to Gethsemane Mat. 26. 30 36. The Shew-bread was to be eaten by the Priests only yet our Saviour observes that David did eat of it on a special occasion without blaming him for so doing The Rechabites are commended Ier. 31. for obeying the Command of Ionathan their Father not to drink Wine nor build Houses but to dwell in Tents c. Yet did they upon Nebuchadnezzar's Invasion quit their Tents and repair to Ierusalem nor is it reputed a Disobedience The Paschal Lamb was to be kill'd the Fourteenth day of the First Month at Evening Yet if we consider how little knowledge they had in those days of the Sun and Moons motions and if we consider what the Jewish Writers tell us of their very uncertain Method of judging which
And if it had been on the seventh day how great a proof would this have been with him for a Seventh-day Sabbath This I take to be a Christian Sabbath and within the prospect of the Fourth Commandment And though it be not expresly called a Sabbath to avoid confusion or ambiguity because the word Sabbath in common speech was then appropriated to the Jewish Sabbath yet it is the same thing And if he doubt whether the Feast of Pentecost were on the First day of the Week as was that of the Resurrection he may be satisfied from Levit. 23. 15. where that Feast is appointed After mention made of the Pass-over ver 5. c. Moses proceeds to that of the Wave-offering v. 10 11. When ye be come into the land which I give unto you and shall reap the harvest thereof then shall ye bring a sheaf of the first-fruits of your harvest unto the Priest and he shall Wave the sheaf before the Lord to be accepted for you on the morrow after the Sabbath the Priest shall wave it Whether by the Sabbath here mentioned be meant the Weekly Sabbath or the first day of the Feast of Unleavened-Bread is not material because in that year whereof we are speaking this first day of the Feast was on the Weekly Sabbath as is manifest from the story of Christs Crucifixion which was on the Sixth day of the Week and the next day being the Seventh day was the Feast of the Pass-over and the morrow after this Sabbath was the day of Christ's Resurrection as well as of the Wave-offering And then he proceeds ver 15 16 to the Feast of Pentecost or the Feast of Weeks Ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the Sabbath from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the Wave-offering seven Sabbaths shall be compleat even unto the morrow after the seventh Sabbath shall ye number Fifty days inclusively taken as the manner is in Scripture reckoning and must needs be so here It was called the Feast of Pentecost or the Feast of Weeks as Deut. 16. 9 10. which Feast of Pentecost was the morrow after the Sabbath on a first day of the Week And on this first day of the Week the morrow after the seventh day Sabbath here was a solemn Assembly for Religious Worship and a very large one both of Jews and Gentiles out of every nation under Heaven Parthians Medes Elamites c. And this solemnized by a Miraculous Effusion of the Holy Ghost in the gift of Tongues For we all hear say those of that great assembly every one in our own Tongue where in we were born the wonderful Works of God ver 6 7 8 9 10 11 12. With a long Sermon of Peter's on that occasion Which I take to be another celebration of the First day Sabbath and a very eminent one We are to observe also that in some of the places alleged to this purpose though but single instances there is an intimation of a frequent usage As in that Act. 20. ◠On the first day of the week the disciples being assembled to break bread Paul preached c. Is a fair intimation that on the first day they did use so to assemble If it were said amongst us About six a clock when they were come together in the College-Hall to supper such a thing happened Any unprejudiced person would take it for a fair intimation that they used to suppe about six a clock And if this Author could any where find in the book of Iob that On the seventh day of the week from the Creation when Iob and his friends were assembled for the joint service of God Bildad spake thus c. He would take this for a strong proof that the seventh-day Sabbath was then wont to be observed Much stronger than what he allegeth to that purpose Abram and Lot had each of them so many Cattel that they could not dwell or rest together without quarrellings amongst their servants And that of what Pharaoh said to Moses and Aaron Why do you Hinder their work you make the people Rest from their burthens A like place is that of 1 Cor. 16. 1 2. Nov concerning the Collection for the Saints as I have given order to the Churches of Galatia even so do ye and what that was we are told in the next words Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store as God hath prospered him that there be no gatherings when I come If it had been so said to 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 or to Iob Upon the Seventh day of the week do this or thus what a strong proof would this have been for the Observation of a seventh day Sabbath I think it is plain from hence that the First day of the week was weekly observed and was wont to be so observed both by the Church of Corinth and by the Churches of Galatia For So Paul doth not here advise it but suppose it or take it for granted What that order was to the Churches of Galatia our Author says he cannot tell 〈◊〉 thought it had been plain enough he bids the Corinthians do as he had bid the Galatians that is on the First day of the Week c. What further order he had given the Galatians it is not as to this point necessary for us to know But saith he if they must on that day lay by as God hath blessed them then they must on that day cast up their accounts tell their mony reckon their stock compute their Expenses c. which are not Sabbath-day Works A wise objection As though all this could not as well be done before so far as is necessary and on Sunday put so much into the poor mans box or give to the Deacons or Collectors as upon such account they should have found fit like as is now done in our Churches when there is occasion for such Collections Why doth he not make the same exception to that of Deut. 16. 10. concerning the Feast of Pentecost where they are to bring a tribute of a free-will-offering which says he thou shalt give unto the Lord thy God c. according as the Lord thy God hath blessed thee Doth he think that on the day of Pentecost which was to be strictly observed as a Sabbath a holy Convocation and no servile work to be done Lev. 23 1. they must cast up their accounts tell their money c. because they were to offer according as the Lord hath blessed them I think not But here comes in again his former trifling objection of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whether it signify the first day of the Week Yet I am very confident himself doth really believe it doth here so signify and as to his own thoughts doth not doubt of it But perhaps thinks it a piece of wit or skill in Greek thus to object against his own judgment Yet since he will have it so and we must come again to Childs play I
them the Lords Supper and afterward the same day to those assembled at Ierusalem with other Sabbatical works and solemnly Blessing that Convention And if our Author by blessing the Seventh day Gen. 2. would have us understand an Institution or Command to observe it We have as much here Christ joined in this Assembly and Blessed it For so much is intimated in that his solemn Benediction a first and second time Ioh. 20. 19 21. Peace be unto you and he Breathed on them saying Receive ye the Holy Ghost He did so a second time on the same day the next Week he Assembled with them in Religious Services and Blessed them He did according to his Promise made on that First day of his Resurrection send on them that miraculous Effusion of the Holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost which being the Fiftieth day from his Resurrection was therefore the first day of the week as was that of the Resurrection On which day of Pentecost we find them also otherwise exercised in Religious Employments and attested further by a miraculous conversion of three thousand souls We find St. Paul at Troas Act. 20. Preaching to the Disciples assembled as it seems their manner was on the first day of the week to break bread that is to celebrate the Lords Supper That such Assemblies were wont to be at Corinth on the first day of the Week the Apostle presumes or takes for granted and gives direction for a Collection to be then made 1 Cor. 16. And he had so done before as he there signifies to the Churches of Galatia presuming or taking for granted that they also did so use to meet on the first day of the Week And we have no reason to doubt but that such Meetings were wont to be in other Churches We cannot doubt but that other of the Apostles did disperse themselves in other parts of the World though we have not a like account of their Travels as we have of Paul's recorded by St. Luke But we are to presume though it be not recorded that their Doctrine and Practise was consonant to his and that accordingly they had such weekly meetings on the Lords Day as these Churches had of whom we have the History Hence that day had the name given of the Lords day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as we find it called Rev. 1. 10. as that of the Sacrament is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lords Supper 1 Cor. 11. 20. which name it retaineth to this day and for such purpose And all this I think is sufficient for us to continue our Observation of the same day I am sure 't is much more than he can shew for his seventh-day Sabbath for more than two thousand five hundred years from the first Creation It is not necessary that we have express words of Command Recorded We have no Record in Scripture of such express words of Command for the Seventh-day Sabbath till after Israels coming out of Egypt nor for the Worshiping of God by Sacrifice nor for other things which yet were Duties before any Record of such express words of Command It is enough if we can otherwise Collect it to be Gods Will according to the best light we have If this Gentleman think himself obliged to keep the Jewish Sabbath also this doth not hurt us This I think was the case of the Christian Iews at first I do not much question but that they did as other Christians observe the Lords Day The doubt was whether they were not to observe also the Jewish Sabbath as before they did And these Believers who were yet zealous of the Law and thought themselves obliged together with Christianity to observe the Law of Moses did no doubt think themselves equally obliged to the Iewish Sabbath Those who thought themselves obliged to be Baptized and to be Circumcised also thought themselves in like manner obliged to observe the Lords day and also the Iewish Sabbath And till they should be better satified the Apostles permit the Iews so to do If this do not satisfy him I have yet two Expedients for him 1. Let him begin his Week on Monday and then Sunday will be the Seventh day Whether the Seventh in course from the Creation I cannot tell nor can any Man living inform me But it will at least be the Seventh day of His Week 2. If he be not satisfied with this My next Expedient is thus Let him take a Voyage round the World as Sir Francis Drake did Going out of the Atlantick Ocean West-ward by the Streights of Magellan to the East-Indies and then from the East returning by the Cape of Good Hope the usual way homeward And take with him as many as please of those who are of his mind And let them keep their Saturday-Sabbath all the way When they come home to England they will find their Saturday to fall upon our Sunday and they may thenceforth continue to observe their Saturday-Sabbath on the same day with us Which is the second Expedient If you ask How this can be I will make it very plain that so it will be and so it must be For Supposing the Earth to be Round and the Sun moving from East to West you must allow that it comes sooner to the Eastern parts than to the Western It will sooner be Noon in Holland than in England and sooner here than in Ireland If you ask How much sooner We say that Fifteen Degrees of Longitude West-ward makes it an Hour later As if he Embark about Dover Yarmouth or other Port on the East-side of England and Sail as far West-ward as the West of Ireland or a little farther it will be an Hour later and not be Noon there till it be One a Clock at the place where he Embarked And so in proportion an Hour for every Fifteen degrees And accordingly when he hath gone round the whole Circle of Three hundred and Sixty Degrees that is Four and twenty times Fifteen it will be later by Four and twenty hours That is it will be but Saturday-noon with him when it is Sundaynoon with those who staid here That is His Saturday will be Our Sunday And thenceforth his Saturday-Sabbath will be the same day with our Sunday-Sabbath ever after And this I think should fully satisfy him For he tells us p. 39. The variety of the time of the Sun-rising or setting in different Climates doth no way disturb for that a day longer or shorter is still a day and but a day Most certain it is he who shall have thus Sailed round the World will have had one day fewer than those who staid here So it was with Sir Francis Drake and his Company And so it hath been with all who have taken such a Voyage as many have done for it is not a rare case and so will be to any who shall so do What he would resolve upon this case or what he thinks Sir Francis Drake was to do when this happened I cannot
shewed to the High-Priests the things which were done who calling a Councel gave the Souldiers Money to say His Disciples came and stole him away while they were asleep undertaking to secure them in case the Governour should come to hear it Upon this news being brought by the Women to the Disciples Two of them from the rest went to the Sepulchre to enquire into the business and brought an account of it to the rest who were Astonished at it And all this happened before the Two Disciples began their Journey to Emmaus for they discoursed of it by the way and told it to Iesus who fell into their Company Luk 24. 19 20 21 22 23 24. Now their Journey from Ierusalem to Emmaus was about Threescore Furlongs ver 13. which our Author rightly computes to be about Seven miles and an half of our miles which they Travelled on foot for 't is said they walked Mark 16. 12. and Iesus in their company Preaching to them out of Moses and the Prophets the Doctrine of Christ's Death and Resurrection When they came near to Emmaus it was towards Evening and the day far spent Luk. 24. 29. they did there abide for some time and Iesus with them continuing to Preach on the same Subject and was at length known to them by breaking of Bread ver 30. 35. After which they returned to Ierusalem and told these things to the Disciples then gathered together ver 33. By which time having now walked another Seven miles and an half we may reasonably suppose it to be pretty late at night For when they first approached to Emmaus it was then so late as that it was not thought convenient unless upon some such great occasion to Travel further ver 28. Yet after they were come back to Ierusalem Christ then appeared himself to the Disciples blessing them reproaching their unbelief confirming their Faith giving them Instructions and Commission for Preaching the Gospel and Planting the Christian Church And it was yet but the same day at evening being the First day of the Week Joh. 20. 19. on which he rose but now late at night when the doors were shut that is if I mistake not so late as that it was time to shut up doors as men use to do towards bed-time Not as if Christ came in through the Key-hole any more than did the Two Disciples that came from Emmaus or did Penetrate the doors as the Papists would have us think in favour of their Transubstantiation For they were not so shut but that they could be opened again upon occasion to let him in as they had been to let in those Two that came from Emmaus as well as to let in Peter late at night Act. 12. 16. So that from very early in the Morning while it was dark till very late night and about Mid-night was the same day the first day of the Week 'T is manifest therefore that about our Saviours time according to the Computation of the New Testament both the Jews and the Four Evangelists did reckon their days from mid-night to mid-night And if they did not so reckon Christ could not be said Mat. 12. 40. to be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth For it was Evening when Ioseph begged the Body of Iesus and later yet before he had buried it and yet this must be reckoned part of the Sixth day olse he had not been three days in the Grave or heart of the earth And I think they were so reckoned in the times of the Old Testament also Which though it be not so much to the present purpose yet if you will pardon this digression I will tell you why I think so It is I know an Opinion taken up by some and I find it is grown pretty current even amongst Learned men that the Jews in the time of the Old Testament did reckon their days from Evening to Evening whether they mean from Sun-set to Sun-set or from Six a Clock to Six a Clock I cannot tell nor perhaps are they all agreed as to that point But I take it to be a mistake which being at first taken up without sufficient ground hath since passed without further examination from hand to hand We find Exod. 12. 6. the Pass-over was to be killed in the First month on the Fourteenth day in the Evening which I think is agreed by all to be the Evening at the end of the Fourteenth day not that at the end of the Thirteenth for the next morning was the Fifteenth day which evening therefore belonged to the Fourteenth day But it is noted in the Margin of our Bibles that it is in the Hebrew between the two Evening s. You 'l ask perhaps what are those two Evenings I 'le tell you what I think they are The word Day you know is taken in a double sense Sometimes for what we call the Natural day as it is contradistinguished to night from Sun-rising to Sun-setting sometimes for what we call the Artificial day or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so as to take in both day and night Our Saviour tells us there are Twelve hours in the day meaning the Natural day But in the Artificial day of which we are now speaking there be Four and Twenty hours Some please to call that the Natural day which I call the Artificial for all do not use the words in the same sense But that matters not so long as we understand one another Now by the word Evening is understood the end of the day Which as to the Natural day is at Sun-set but as to the Artificial day it is I think at Mid-night And consequently between the two Evenings is as much as to say after Sun-set and before Mid-night And this is what in our Language we commonly call the Evening which is in the Hebrew between the two Evenings that is between the end of the Natural day and the end of the Artificial day and within this time was the Passover to be Killed Rosted and Eaten Nothing of it was to remain till the Morning that is not after Mid-night for as soon as Mid-night is past Morning begins And within this time all Leaven was to be put away that is before the Mid-night of the Fourteenth day Which is so fair an account of it as that we need not scruple to embrace it And it was the Fifteenth day that was the first day of the Feast of Unlevened bread all Leven being put away before Mid-night and this Fifteenth day was to be kept as a Sabbath and a Holy Feast to the Lord ver 14. on what ever day of the Week it chanced to fall And so was the One and Twentieth day which was the last of those Seven days Seven days shall ye eat Unleavened bread even the first day ye shall put away or shall have put away leaven out of your house And in the First day there shall be an Holy Convocation and in the Seventh day there shall be an Holy
the whole time of those Assemblings employed in Religious Exercises Preaching Celebrating the Sacrament Instructing and Blessing his Disciples and giving them Commission for Preaching the Gospel and Planting the Christian Church And again with the same Disciples on that day sen-night assembled with them and in like manner employed It was specially signalized also by the Miraculous Effusion of the Holy Ghost on that day in a great assembly of Iews and Gentiles on the day of Pentecost and the day employed in Preaching and other Religious exercises It was observed in like manner at Troas in preaching the Word Celebrating the Sacrament and other Religious Communion as things there usual on that day It was observed at Corinth not once onely but as a thing of course and so presumed by the Apostle when he gives particular Instructions concerning a Collection for the Saints to be made weekly on that day And in like manner in the Churches of Galatia with a like direction to them And we have no reason to suspect but that in other Churches also there was a like custome of observing that day And it is the onely day of the week unless the Seventh-day in order to the Iewish Sabbath that is so much as Mentioned by name after the Resurrection of Christ. At least I do not at present remember the Second Third Fourth Fifth or Sixth day of the week by name so mentioned Now what we have reason to believe was so generally observed after the Resurrection by Christ himself more than once by his Apostles and by the Christian Churches in their days we have reason to believe was according to Christs direction For we know very well that Christ did after his resurrection give commandments to the Apostles about things pertaining to the kingdome of God and â—â—â—â—ling the Christian Church What those Commandments were in particular we cannot tell but are to presume that what they did therein was pursuant of those commands and this in particular about observing the first day of the week which we call the Christian Sabbath And which in contradistinction to the Iewish Sabbath is called the Lords day Rev. 1. 10. And hath accordingly been so called and so observed ever since Which being so practised by the Apostles and so continued ever since I take to be a good warrant for us to continue it as a thing agreeable to the Will of God As to what he so often objects that there is no express command thereof recorded that is not such a command as our Author demands We are not to prescribe to God in what terms he shall make known his Will any more than the Pharisees Mat. 16. 4. were to prescribe to Christ what kind of signs he was to shew to testify his authority 't is sufficient if God do in his own way intimate what is his Will though it be it not with the formality of Be it Enacted And those who are willing to be taught of God will be content so to understand his meaning An approved Practise in the Worship of God frequently Repeated attested by Miracles encouraged by Christs own Example and that of the Apostles and the Christian Churches then and continued in the Christian Church ever since Is to me great evidence of the will of God and that there was a command for it though it be not recorded Like as I believe that there was very early a command from God to worship him by Sacrifice though that Command be not recorded But to that of its being so observed ever since he objects we have nothing but Tradition either that the Christian Sabbath hath been so observed or that it is called the Lords-day And Tradition is what he takes great pleasure to exclaim against If that be admitted saith he where shall we stop Very well I am not over fond of laying too great a weight upon Traditions at least not on all things that are pretended so to be But I pray How can he tell otherwise than by Tradition whether our Saturday or our Sunday be the Seventh day in course from the Creation Or if that be too hard a question whether of the two is the Seventh day of the Iewish week I know nothing but Tradition for it I cannot remember so long Nor have I so long kept so strict account of days as to be sure of it I trust to the common Computation of the world that our Sabbath is a continuation of that Sabbath which the Apostles kept And if so I am safe If not I cannot help it And because I think the Apostles Sabbath was on the first day of the Jewish week therefore I think ours to be so But if theirs was not neither is ours He would not have that of St. Iohn Revel 1. 10. I was in the spirit on the Lords-day to be understood of our Sabbath And why not He tells us 1. Some think it to be Christmass-day 2. Some think it to be Easter-day and 3. Some think it to be the Day of Iudgment And long Discourses we have upon all these Well! But doth he think it to be meant of any of these No. Then to what purpose are these alleged in disparagement of the Christian Sabbath But he seems to have so great displeasure against the Christian Sabbath that whatever he can think of to be Objected though he do not think it to be true he will be sure to Object that he may disparage the Day or perplex the Argument as if he were more concerned to beat down the Christian Sabbath than to set up the Iewish Not considering that by all this he is doing their Work who would have none at all For they know well that the Iewish Sabbath hath been long since laid aside without any great fear of returning and if they can but throw off the Christian Sabbath also 't is what they would have And 't is of a like import what he argues p. 84 for coming to the publick but once a day not twice as our manner is For those who care not to come at all if he dispense with them as to the One they will dispense with themselves as to the Other meeting I should rather think that the whole day being due to the Service of God publick and private it is to be parcelled out as to the number and times of publick meeting as might according to Christian Prudence be judged most conducing in this or that place to those ends and to common Edification and that to make such little Circumstances otherwise than as they conduce to those general ends a matter of Religious Observation or Divine Institution is a like extravagance as that of the Pharisees in laying like weight on their Traditions and that of the Papists on their numerous Superstitious Ceremonies And is as properly superstition as these I do not know this Author who thus argues against observing the Christian Sabbath and against publick meeting on that day more than once And therefore am not willing to
the Worship and as Prudentials so to be managed as in all other actions as may with Decency and Convenience best advance the spiritual Worship and may be varied according as the diversity of times and places may require Not to lay the Weight of Divine Institution upon such little things As if because Paul Kneeled down and Prayed Act. 20. 36. therefore it were unlawful to use any other Gesture in Praying Or as if because Christ bids when thou Prayest enter into thy Closet and shut the door Mat. 6. 6. therefore we may not pray in the Chamber Parlour Dining-Room or Chappel Or because Christ did Celebrate the Lords Supper at Night in an Upper-room to Men onely and but Twelve and to those Sitting or Lying therefore we may not do it at Noon or Morning in a Low-room to Women as well as Men in greater Numbers or in some other Gesture For though such Circumstances may be Lawful and sometimes Advisable when convenient yet to put a Religious Necessity upon them as of Divine Institution looks like a piece of Superstition And if we consider seriously how great a mischief many times some needless Scruples do create to the Church of God how great a matter a little fire kindles and how great hindrance to real Piety it might justly make us wary how we add Fewel to such a Flame and rather bear with some things we think amiss but may perhaps not be so than by attempting to remove a suppos'd Evil create a greater Mischief As to the present point in question I have said so much upon the whole as I think might satisfy the Gentleman if he well consider it Yet I know when men have once espoused a notion of which they are fond and have so long pored upon it as to rivet it in their mind catching at every little thing that may seem to favour it and slighting whatever makes against it as we find our Author doth very often And that hardly any thing can be said so plain as that there be nothing to be cavilled at by one who is minded so to do And that when God hath declared his will as plainly as he thinks fit to do if men will not be contented with reasonable evidence he is not obliged to gratify their humours When I say we consider this It looks somewhat like what Solomon tells us Prov. 18. 19. of a Brother offended harder to be won than a strong City and I must leave the success to God who so teacheth as none like him He remits us to two Writers on this Subject in defense of the Christian Sabbath Mr. Shepheard and Mr. Hughs whom I have not read nor have them at hand and Two others whom he names not nor know I well whom he means for more than two have since written who he thinks do tacitly retract somewhat that those before had granted And divers 〈◊〉 have written on this Subject though I have scarce consulted any of them And particularly I have not seen what is written by Dr. Young or Mr. Warren whom I find cited in a late Book of G. T. which came out since this was Written and part of it printed It is very possible that some of those may have said much of what I now say or that I may now say somewhat of what they have said before But in this there is no hurt If in some particulars I vary from some of them it is not because I slight them or out of a desire to contradict them but freely to speak my own thoughts as they do theirs Nor is it to be expected that all Writers on the same Subject should agree in every particular Nor is he to make advantage of it For p. 3. he owns it is so also with those who are for the seventh day But as to the main I presume we do well enough agree I have been a great deal longer than I did intend when I first began to write I shall give you a brief Summe of what I have said to this purpose as to both Questions For the Question is double though it seem to be but one First concerning the Iewish Sabbath Whether that be Antiquated and at an end Secondly concerning the Christian Sabbath Whether there be sufficient ground for this to succeed in the place thereof As to the first I agree with him in many things which he prosecutes at large though not peculiar to his Question As That Our Lord Iesus Christ is God that he is the Lord Iehovah the God who made the World who rested the seventh day who brought Israel out of Egypt and gave the Law on Mount Sinai For there is no other God But this I say he did as God in Union with the Father and Holy Ghost not as Christ God and Man our Mediator and Redeemer For he was not then Man nor was there occasion of a Mediator and Redeemer before the fall I agree also that the Decalogue or Ten Commandments is Obligatory to us Gentiles as being for the substance of it a Law before it was so delivered on Mount Sinai And that the Fourth Commandment concerning the Sabbath is one of them which requires after six days of Labour the seventh day to be a Sabbath or day of Holy Rest. And our Christian Sabbath is such But it doth not say the seventh in course from the Creation nor doth it appear that the Iewish Sabbath was such but rather the Seventh day from the first raining of Manna I do agree also that God himself did rest on the Seventh day from the Creation Gen. 2. that is He did cease to Create But I do not there find that Man did so rest or that there was any express command for him so to do on that day much less for ever after on every Seventh day in course from the Creation How much may be thought to be implyed in those words he blessed and sanctified it I will not dispute However it is but by Implication not by any express command such as our Author demands for the Christian Sabbath Nor do I find that ever it was observed by Man till after the Israelites coming out of Egypt or expresly commanded so to be Nor do I find that any other Nation beside the Jews did anciently so much as divide their time by Weeks Since the times of Christianity they have But that they did so long before that time I do not find I do agree also that after Israels coming out of Egypt they did observe a Sabbath Exod. 16. But it was from a new command at Marah or Elim which appeared New to them not a continuation of a constant practise and it was from a new beginning the Seventh day from the first raining of Manna and as a distinctive sign or token of Gods being their God in a special manner as contradistir guished to other nations as himself owns p. 26. and 28. and as a memorial of their Refreshing after their Bondage and Labour in Egypt and feeding