Command concerninâ— it * He alludes to Adam in Paradise where we can find no express positive Command and if it be not seated morally in thâ— fourth Commandment it is now certain thâ— the necessary observance of it is taken away 10. On the other extream whether thâ— seventh day from the Creation of the Worldâ—â— be to be observ'd precisely under the New Tâ—â—stament by virtue of the fourth Commanâ—â—ment and no other The assertion hereâ—â— supposeth that our Lord Jesus Christ 〈◊〉 Lord of the Sabbath hath neither chang'd 〈◊〉 nor reform'd any thing in and about the reâ—ligious observation of an holy day of Rest unto the Lord whence it follows that such an Observation can be no part or act of Evangelical Worship properly so call'd but only a moral Duty of the Law †Let our Jewish Sabbatarians consider well what the Doctor positively asserts here 11. Whether on the supposition of a non-obligation in the Law unto the observation of the seventh day precisely and of a new day to be observ'd weekly under the New Testament as a Sabbath of the Lord on what grounds it is to be observ'd 12. Whether from the fourth Commandment as one Day in seven or only unto some part or portion of Time or whether without any respect unto that Command as purely Ceremonial For granting as most do the necessity of the observation of such a Day yet some say that it has no respect at all to the fourth decalogical Precept which is totally and absolutely abolished with the rest of the Mosaical Institutions Others say that there is yet remaining in it an Obligation to the Sacred Separation of some Time or portion of Time unto the solemn Service of God and some say that it precisely requires the sanctification of one Day in seven 13. If a Day be so now to be observed it is enquired on what Ground or on what Authority there is an alteration made from the Day observed under the Old Testament to that now in use that is from the last Day to the first Day of the Week whether was this Translation of the Day of the solemn Worship of God made by Christ and his Apostles or by the Primitive Church c. 14. If this were done by the Authority of Christ and his Apostles whether by an express Institution of this new Day or whether a direct Example be sufficient no Institution being needful for the First Day for if we suppose there is no Obligation to the observance of one Day in seven indispensibly abiding and on the supposition that an Obligation to keep one Day in seven doth abide then no Institution is necessary or can be properly made as to the whole nature of it * No express Institution is needful for the observance of the first Day but Examples only if the 7th part of Time or one day in seven do abide in the 4th Command Thus far the Doctor who says many other things necessary to be considered about the observation of a Day of Worship whether as to the Work of the Day it ought to be kept with the like strictness as the Jewish Sabbath in all respects and what Duties are to be performed on it as also as to the proper Limits of that Day some pleading it ought to be from Evening to Evening as the Jews kept it or from Morning to Evening that is from after twelve a Clock in the Morning to twelve the next Evening c. From what the Doctor notes it appears that the Case in controversy calls for much study and diligence and it may be accounted an Act of great weakness in any Persons to observe the Seventh Day to the disturbance of the Church without enquiring of such as God has enlightned in these things and to whom the care of their Souls are committed to see what can be said against it Is it wisdom to advise with those only that are for it and not with such also as are directly against it This shall suffice for the Propositions I first proposed I shall endeavour to clear most of those things that seem difficult which may have been the occasion of some Persons if not all going astray and falling into the Error I purpose clearly and largely to detect This brings me to the next general Head of Discourse proposed Secondly I told you I should lay down diveâ—â— Arguments to prove the Truth of our Proposition That it is not the Duty of Gentile Believers to keep the Seventh Day as a Sabbath iâ— Gospel-times First The General Proposition I shall lay down one General Proposition to discover the Method I shall pursue foâ— proving what I have taken in hand 1. If the Law of God written in Adam's heart in Innocency did not oblige him to keep the Seventh Day as a Sabbath that Law cannot oblige Gentile Believers to keep it 2. If a positive Law or express Institution supposed to be given to Adam before or just after his Fall doth not oblige Gentile Believers to keep it 3. If the Law written in the Hearts of the Gentiles or the most refined and enlightned among them doth not oblige Gentile Believers to keep it 4. If the Law of Moses or the Law written in the two Tables of Stone doth not oblige Gentile Believers to keep it 5. If the Gospel by any Precept or Example doth not oblige them to keep the Seventh Day as a Sabbath 6. And lastly If the Law written in the Hearts of all Gospel-Believers by the Holy Spirit doth oblige them to keep the Seventh Day as a Sabbath to the Lord Then I infer it is not their Duty to keep the Seventh-Day c. for I know no other way or means whereby Gentile Believers can pretend to know they are obliged to keep the Seventh-Day as a Sabbath or a Day of Rest and solemn Worship But by none of these ways or means believing Gentiles are obliged to keep the Seventh-Day as a Sabbath c. therefore it is not the Duty of Gentile Believers to keep it To proceed 1. Let it be considered that if the keeping of the Seventh-Day as a Sabbath i. e. that precise Day from the Creation of the World were a purely natural or simply moral Precept no doubt but it was legibly written in Adam's Heart I mean as a Law of Creation and so part of the holy Image of God or of the same nature with all other moral Precepts that result from the Perfections of God's holy Nature and not from the Soveraignty of his Will only And if it was so written in Adam's Heart in Innocency he needed no positive Law to make it known to him What was any thing that was purely or simply moral even that which belonged to good Manners or to true natural Godliness or Righteousness not made known to Adam to perfect Adam this certainly cannot be That spiritual Worship which is due to God Charnock on the Attributes p. 131. saith Mr. Charnock is known
the Sabbath is charged against them Now can it be imagin'd they should not have fail'd in this case or that God would overlook or take no notice of it Sixtly We have a Catalogue of almost all immoral Evils before and after the Flood as Idolatry Gluttony Drunkenness Lasciviousness Incest Murder Lying Covetousness Theft c. and how Sin had possessed the Thoughts Hearts and Lives of Men but no account of their Violation of the Sabbath-day Seventhly None from Adam to Moses reprehended for not keeping the Sabbath Let it be consider'd that since God so severely reprehended the Jews for profaning his Sabbaths and hardly reproved them more sharply for any one Sin than for this certainly in his enumerating the Sins 〈◊〉 his People and of the Wickedness of those that liv'd from Adam to Moses he would have reproved them for Sabbath-breaking and not have utterly passed it by in silence had they been guilty of it or can it be rationally supposed that tho they fail'd in all other respects yet that they did not in this No doubt had it been a known Duty and that some of them had been guilty of the breach of it as in all likelihood they would but God would have severely reprehended them for it Eighthly Since we read of no Sabbath till Moses's time Exod. 16. only that God sanctified the seventh day what makes our Brethren so boldly say that Adam in Innocence kept it and all the Patriarchs from Adam to Moses This may seem strange to any thinking Man i. e. that they should affirm this seeing they require an express Command from us for the keeping of the first day or else all is nothing with them Brethren this I will say that had we no more ground to keep the Lord's day in solemn Worship as a day of Rest than they can find for the Patriarchs keeping of the seventh day as a Sabbath we should not say one word more for it I challenge them to shew us one place where a Sabbath is so much as once mention'd or any express or implicit Command given to any to observe it or one Example from the Creation of the World that any Man or Woman ever kept the seventh day as a Sabbath until we come to Moses Exod. 16. I shall God assisting shew that we have more than meer Examples of the Gospel Primitive Churches for observing in a solemn manner the Lord's-day or the first day of the week when I come to that part of my Work Now let them produce but one Example that â—ne tho but one of the Patriarchs did keep the â—eventh day as a Sabbath I will conclude it might be given to Adam after his Fall for before his Fall it could not be a Law to him for the reasons I have urged but if they could produce such an Example yet say some learned Men it doth no more prove that precise day is a moral Precept or that it from hence follows that it is our Duty in Gospel-times to observe it than it proves 't is our Duty to offer Sacrifices which we read before the Ceremonial Law was given they frequently did But since there is not one Instance to be given of any one Person that kept that day till Moses's time but that the Word of God is wholly silent about it we must and may say according to that common Maxim used by Divines i. e. Where God hath not a Mouth to speak we ought not to have an Ear to hear Ninthly The Proofs of the Learned for the Patriarchs keeping the Sabbath Let us now consider what some learned Men have produced for their pretended Proofs that the Patriarchs kept the seventh day as a Sabbath which I fear hath imboldned the Jewish Sabbatarians to affirm with such Confidence that all the Patriarchs did keep it But by the way Dr. Owen who is one that asserted what I utterly deny doth yet confess that many of the Jewish Masters or Rabbins ascribe the original of the Sabbath to the Statute given to them in Mara Exod. 15. and others of them to Exod. 16. yet the said Reverend Doctor cites some of the probable grounds to prove that the Patriarchs kept it Dr. Owen on the Sab. p. 72. 1. The first and chief place I find he mentions is that in Gen. 18. 19. For I know him that he will command his Children and his Houshold after him and they shall keep the ways of the Lord and do Justice and Judgment Answ That Abraham had this Charge and Commandment given to him is granted but what little reason there is from hence to conclude he kept the Sabbath or gave charge to his Children so to do I will leave to all Mens Consideration God gave to Abraham Commands we find that evident enough and some of them not very easy to Flesh and Blood as that of offering up his only Son Moreover none doubt of the faithfulness of the Patriarch Abraham but if the Sabbath was not then instituted nor any Command given to him to keep it there could not be any such Command meant or comprehended in that Charge given to him The truth is my Brethren learned Men who are Men also of great natural Parts can put a fair gloss on any thing and make that seem to be a Truth that there is not the least ground to believe is so Abraham did all he did in Faith and therefore he had Divine Authority for all he did in God's Service Dr. Twiss's main Argument to prove that the Patriarchs observed the Seventh-day Sabbath is this Dr. Twiss on the Christian Sab. p. 57. viz. The Lord blessed the seventh day and sanctified it therefore saith he the Patriarchs did observe it Answ I answer God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it but did not give any Command to Adam to keep it therefore the Patriarchs from thence could not know or see they had any ground to observe it Dr. Twiss saith in the same place i. e. And the truth is until the coming of the Children of Israel out of Egypt we read not of any Church of God any where but in single Families neither do we read of the Patriarchs before the Flood or a long time after that they kept any day consecrated to God's Service But we say with him that it doth not therefore follow that they kept no day at all in God's Service They owned the True God and worshipped him and knew that there must be a time a sufficient time to discharge that Homage or Worship to him and tho perhaps they observ'd one day in seven yet as I conceive they did not know what precise day they ought to observe above any other until God by some express positive Command made it known which was not till he constituted the whole House of Israel into a Typical Church-state and gave them an instituted Worship and commanded their Legal and Typical Sabbath Besides how could the Patriarchs know what Duties proper for Sabbath-observation
Morality of it is 〈◊〉 more holy naturally than any other day of 〈◊〉 week Object If they say but God sanctified thâ—â— Day 1. I answer they will not say that God added any inherent Holiness to that Day 2. But if they should say he did then 〈◊〉 would overthrow the Morality of it i. e. as 〈◊〉 this first property of a simple moral Precept for then it will follow it was made holy 〈◊〉 an Act of God's Arbitrary Will and Pleasure and that it was not so naturally as that Day was created or proceeded from the Holiness of God because as we have shew'd all puâ—â— moral Precepts as to the matter of them are not good merely because God commands them 〈◊〉 are in themselves good as resulting from the Holiness of his Nature For evident it is that every Day of the 〈◊〉 had one and the same efficient Cause namely Divine Creation and all days and things Goâ— made were very good and God's sanctifying the seventh Day was but his setting it apart foâ—â— some holy use Dr. Owen on the Sab. p. 82. the Day saith Dr. Owen was not capable of any inherent Holiness God then sanctified says he this Day not that he kept it holy himself which in no sense the Divine Nature is capable of nor that he purified it and made it inherently holy which the nature of the Day is not capable of nor that he celebrated that which in it self was holy mark that well but he set it apart to holy use So that from hence it follows if the Morality of the fourth Commandment lay in the precise seventh Day it wants the first Character of a simple moral Precept God might have set apart at first any other day if he had pleased as well as the seventh Secondly The seventh Day never known universally to be a Sabbath Every Precept or Law simply moral which obliges all Men to Obedience perpetually must be made known to all Men either by the Law of Nature or by Revelation from God himself in some supernatural way the Righteousness of God requires this because the Violation of simple moral Precepts is damnable 1. Now were there such a Law written in Mens Hearts I mean to keep the seventh Day some one Man or another would that way have known it But no Man hath ever so known it therefore no such Law is written in any Man's Heart and if not one Man that way ever knew it then not all Men universally besure 2. And as the Law of the Seventh-day Sabbath is not revealed to all the World by the Lord this way so he never gave any Commission to Moses nor to any of his Prophets to promulgate it or reveal it to all Mankind therefore I argue it wants the second Character of a simple moral Precept Thirdly That Law which upon urgent necessity may be omitted or laid aside or be broken can be no Precept simply moral but the keeping of the Seventh-day Sabbath upon divers urgent necessities might be omitted or broken Josh 6. 15. the Jews themselves might war and go to battle on that day 1 King 20. 29. and our Saviour shews they might pull a Sheep or any other Beast out of a Pit or Ditch on the Sabbath-day Joh. 5. 10. nay our Lord wrought with his Hands and made Clay on that day did many Miracles and commanded the Man he healed to bear a Burden i. e. to carry his bed on that Day But Precepts simply moral in respect of the negative part oblige perpetually and by no means must be transgressed for as a Divine saith A Man must not tell a Lye to save the World Can any pretended necessity make it lawful to worship another God or prophane his Name or steal murder or commit Adultery I know what is said about the Israelites borrowing of the Egyptians and of God's commanding Abraham to slay his Son but those actions are to be accounted for as being extraordinary cases Obj. Works of Mercy may be done on the Sabbath-day and Christ speaks of Works of Mercy Answ Of what nature are works of Mercy I hope not of a higher concern than the discharge of a simple moral Precept And can one simple moral Precept have more Sanctity in it than another What violate the very letter of one moral Law to do that which is but implyed as the necessary consequence of another nay break a Command of the first Table to keep a Command of the second Table This is a hard case Fourthly That Law or Precept which is equalled to or compared with Sacrifices is no simple moral Precept but such is the Law or Precept of the Seventh-day Sabbath therefore 't is not a simple moral Precept That our Saviour himself doth equal it to or compare it with Sacrifices see Mat. 12. 3 4 5 6. 1. Our Lord justifies his Disciples in plucking the Ears of Corn on the Sabbath-day and compares their so doing to David's eating the Shew-bread vers 3. which was unlawful by a mere positive Law 2. He shews them how the Priests in the Temple prophaned the Sabbath and were blameless vers 5. Some think they slew Beasts on that Day however our Lord saith they prophaned the Sabbath c. But then says he If ye had known what that meaneth I will have Mercy and not Sacrifice ye would not have condemned the guiltless vers 7. What can he intend less than this viz. If ye had known the difference between a pure moral Precept and such a Precept as is nothing more than a Sign a Shadow like those of Sacrifices or a mere positive Law that I am Lord of and can take away and give another at my pleasure you would not have condemn'd the guiltless For tho all God's mere positive Precepts have great Sanctity in them and ought carefully to be kept yet when a simple moral Duty comes in competition with such as are but positive or ceremonial the lesser must give place to the greater as we commonly say Of two evils choose the least But if the precise seventh-Seventh-day Sabbath was a pure moral Precept equal with and of the same nature of that Precept of shewing Mercy there had been no ground for our Lord thus to have answered the Jews for if it had been so no doubt he would have said I must indeed blame my Disciples because they have broke one of God's righteous Precepts whose Nature and Quality is above that of David's eating of Shew-bread or Sacrifices But he who was the great Expounder of the Law knew best the vast difference between a moral Precept and such as their Sabbath and Sacrifices were Our late Annotators on this place express themselves to this purpose The meaning is that God preferreth Mercy before Sacrifices where two Laws in respect of some Circumstances seem to clash one with another so as we cannot obey both our Obedience is due to the more excellent Law Now saith our Saviour the Law of Mercy is the more
â—4 The Stone which the Builders refused is beeome the Head-stone of the Corner This is the Lord 's doing and it is marvellous in our eyes Our Lord saith he expounds it of his Crucifixion and Resurrection This is the Day the Lord hath made And we desire to be built upon this Corner-stone We will be glad and rejoice in this day we will keep it as a glorious day a day of Thanksgiving and rejoicing in God Again he saith it was prophesied that the first day of the Week should be the Sabbath-day i. e. the Lord's Day Isa 11. 10. In that day there shall be a Root of Jesse which shall stand up for an Ensign to the People and to him shall the Gentiles seek and his Rest shall be glorious Not only the Father's Rest shall be glorious as when he had created the Heaven and Earth and rested on the Seventh-day but Christ's Rest shall be glorious for all Divines agree that the Prophet speaks of the Rest of Christ from the Work of Redemption As God the Father rested from his Work and his Rest was glorious for four thousand years together so Christ's Rest from his Work shall be glorious Thus Mr. Fenner Object Perhaps some will say This only refers to the Gospel Spiritual Rest which we have by Christ and not to a peculiar Day of Rest Answ The Rest spoken of here may be meant of that and from thence we have also a day of Rest allowed us And by comparing this with Heb. 4. I can't see but it clearly has respect to this Day of Rest the Lord's Day because the Seventh-day is called the Father's Day of Rest and the day of Christ's Resurrection is also Christ's Day of Rest as we have proved Object It may refer to the Great Lord's Day Rev. 20. 12. the Day of the last Judgment I saw the dead c. for a thousand years with the Lord is as one day Thus the Sabbatarians Answ 1. These men would have it to be any day rather than the very day the Holy Apostle means i. e. the First-day one while 't is the day of Christ's Birth or the day of his Death or some Feast-day or else the day of Judgment whereas we find the Gospel-Church observed no day but the First-day of the Week the day of our Lord's Resurrection 2. There is a great difference between these two Phrases the Lord's Day and the Day of the Lord for such an Interpretation of the Lord's Day would render it an uncertain time and so directly cross the scope of John in setting down Mr. Ley Sund. Sab. 1. The Place where 2. The Day when 3. The Vision it self And as one observes it is void of all judgment to take it for the Day of Judgment for in the readiest construction of the words St. John spoke of a Day that was in being before he had the Vision and a Day well-known to the Churches at that time But was the Day of Judgment then come or hath it yet been There are more than a thousand years since John was on that Day in the Spirit c. This is an idle dream Mat. 24. 36. for of that day and hour knoweth no Man A Learned Writer answers four Questions on this Text Mr. Geo. Hughs of Plym Aphorisms of the Sab. p. 135. Rev. 1. 10. 1. How will you prove this to be the First-day of the Week 2. How will it be made good that this Name imports a Sabbath 3. How can it be declared or proved that the Lord himself imposed this Name 4. What influence had John upon him in declaring this Name He gives excellent Answers to all these Querys I shall cite but a part of them 1. No indefinite or undetermined time is meant by this day as some would have it but 't is a distinct and determined day owned by the Lord the word is plain the Lord's Day noting one single day 2. Neither can it refer to the Seventh-day 't is as irrational to say this Lord's Day is the old Sabbath as to affirm the Lord's Supper means the Passover This Lord's Day was revealed after his coming in the Flesh but the Seventh-day long before As he was revealed newly in the Gospel to be the one Lord Jesus Christ our Mediator so a new day of his was revealed also which the Church never knew before viz. his Resurrection which was notoriously known to be the Lord's Day 3. He proves it can't be attributed to the day of his Nativity 4. That this Title the Lord's Day was not imposed upon any extraordinary time by reason of the great Revelation given out to John therein 1. He was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day before he received those Revelations therefore they could not be the ground of this Appellation To pretend to Prolepsis here is a miserable shift 2. He writes to the seven Churches in Asia and informs them of the Time known to them when he had these Revelations viz. the weekly Lord's Day It is the Day which he himself made to declare himself to be the Son of God the chief Corner-stone the Foundation of the Church Secondly He answers the second Question viz. That this Title imports a new Day of Rest to be his P. 140. for four Reasons One is this The word used here denoting the Lord's Day is but once to be found in the New Testament where we read of the Lord's Supper and all grant it signifieth an Ordinance where-ever the word is used and therefore so here Thirdly That the Lord Jesus himself put his Name upon this Day 1. The giving or bestowing of God's Name on any time thing or person is reciprocal with himself therefore none but the Lord could put his Name upon this day Who hath the disposing of the Lord's Name but himself Will you say the Apostles or the Church might do it What without the Lord's Commission or Command They would not they durst not God never intrusted any of them to bestow his Glory or call his Name upon any thing but only declaratively from himself 2. All Power in Heaven and Earth was given to the Lord Christ to settle his Church and to appoint Ordinances and to change Times according to the Father's Pleasure therefore he only authoritatively could change the Sabbath and put his Name upon this Day Fourthly To the fourth Query he saith The Influence of Power which the beloved John had in naming this Day is only ministeral or instrumental the Lord Jesus giveth it and he wrote it This is the highest of their claim who are Ministers by whom Souls are brought to believe the Gospel And no more was he but a faithful Messenger to declare that to be the Lord's Day upon which the Lord himself had fixed his Name And thus enough hath been said to prove that this day called the Lord's-day was the first day of the week but to put it further out of doubt in the last place 12. The
Benjamin Keach Minister of the Gospel Aetat 57. THE JEWISH SABBATH ABROGATED OR THE Saturday Sabbatarians confuted In Two Parts First Proving the Abrogation of the Old Seventh-day Sabbath Secondly That the Lord's-Day is of Divine Appointment Containing several Sermons newly preach'd upon a special Occasion wherein are many new Arguments not found in former Authors By BENJAMIN KEACH Gal. 5. 1. Stand fast therefore in the Liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free and be not again intangled with the Yoke of Bondage LONDON Printed and sold by John Marshall at the Bible in Grace-Church-street 1700. To the READER THere is not one Controvertable Point in and about Religion that I less thought to have been concerned with this way than that contained in these Sermons presented here to thy view until I was alarm'd on a sudden and provoked some few Months ago to undertake it there being one Person especially under my charge who for some time by his unsettled and wavering Spirit and aspiring Temper I feared would be troublesome who had for some considerable time unknown to me suck'd in the Notion of the Jewish Sabbath and laboured to corrupt many others of the younger sort some of which with himself fell into the Practice of keeping that Day and cast off the Lord's-day as not being of Divine Appointment Some of them being Apprentices declared they would and could do any Business or Work for their Masters upon the first Day of the Week And this Principle they received without acquainting me or the Church with it or ever coming to me to hear what I had to say against it insomuch that when it was publickly known it had almost put the whole Congregation into a flame but to prevent which I was desired by divers Members to endeavour to convince them by Scripture and solid Arguments which I laboured to do but found all was in vain as to several of them So that the Brethren saw it was necessary for me to preach upon this Subject which I my self perceived an absolute necessity to do and praised be the Lord who hath blessed my Undertaking herein and answered my hopes which was not so much to regain those hot-headed and conceited young Men as to establish confirm and strengthen all others many being much startled and doubting which Day they ought to observe which the Ringleaders I perceived much gloried at some of them giving it out that they hoped to bring over great part of the Congregation to their Opinion but these seasonable and timely Endeavours through the Blessing of God have I hope finally prevented their Design all generally save them who were at first corrupted being throughly established in the Observation of the Lord's-day in opposition to the old Seventh-day Sabbath And several that were wavering told me how fully all their Doubts were resolved by hearing some of these Sermons preached These things first mentioned being the occasion of my insisting upon this Controversy I hope all will say my Call was just and none will or can blame me that have no prejudice against me And now also at the request and desire of many some not Members with us the Sermons are published hoping they may be of some use to the Church of God in general As to the Work it self all may perceive that I have taken no small Pains according to my small Ability in searching not only into God's Word but also into the Works and Labours of many pious and learned Authors and I have cited to confirm my own Arguments many Passages out of their Writings 1. Thinking their words might do more with some Persons than any thing I my self might say whose Learning and Abilities far exceed mine 2. Because few may be ever saw some of these Books I have 't is true repeated some things two or three times which I look upon emphatical that they might make the greater Impression on such Readers for whose sake these Sermons are published viz. who are not learned for others need not my help Reader I did not for some reasons deliver from the Pulpit great part of what is here published and also some things I might say that are here omitted which being not in my Notes I could not remember Dr. Owen Dr. Wallis Mr. Warren c. in particular with several other Reverend Ministers have said enough to satisfy any on this Subject whose Books have not ever been answered In my Citations of divers Authors I have transcribed both the Greek and Latin that all may know the original words of which our Opponents would make some earnings and I can solemnly say I have not wilfully mist in any Quotation And if any of these Sabbatarians make Reply to me let them rather answer them especially those three I have now mentioned than me it will be more for their Honour And this I will say if they do think to reply unless they answer what these and other learned Men have said which I have here recited I shall take it for no Answer at all Let them therefore attempt to do it effectually or not meddle with it 'T is true I differ from divers learned Men in one or two things I have cited and from Reverend Dr. Owen particularly i. e. about Adam in Innocency and the Patriarchs keeping the â—eventh Day yet what the Doctor saith on Heb. 4. doth well comport with my Principle but tho as soon as God finished his Work he rested and that day of Rest ensued thereon to answer the end of Creation and the Covenant of Works yet I can't see any ground to believe it was given to any to observe until Moses's time Exod. 16. for reasons I and others have given Moreover Dr. Wallis has shewed in his Rejoiner to Mr. Bamfield p. 123. that that very Day before it rained Manna could not be a Sabbath because on that day Quails covered the Camp and they were not forbid to gather them Exod. 16. 8 13. But no more of that here I expect better usage or treatment from these Opponents than I met formerly with from some others about another Controversy who left the Argument to abuse my Person yet I may say with a late * Mr. Grascome Writer on this Subject as for the Leaders he saith Deceivers I despair of doing good to them but shall be glad if I may be an Instrument to recover any that are misled or deceived Self-denial is a hard Lesson You will find many new Arguments I think not found in former Authors I shall conclude with Advice to unsettled Persons who are ready to receive Novelties But first take a Note or two how you may know such they that are firmly rooted in the Truth will not be soon shaken or removed Erronious Persons 1. Are subject to cavil with Truth doubtfully uttered which by an honest Hearer will be well taken 2. They are subject to contradict plain evident Truth with a delight to gainsay it because they would not have it to be otherwise than they
all Work which God created and made These are the words which contain what is call'd the Institution and Command of the Sabbath to Adam in Paradise Tillam and others make a great noise of the Sabbath instituted in Paradise and given to Adam to keep but Brethren I must tell you that the Learned strangely differ among themselves who would have the Antiquity of the Sabbath thus early some of them affirming it was given to Adam in Innocency others say not till he fell One speaks thus Mr. Geo. Walker's Doctrine of the holy Sabbath p. 10. And for the time when God first instituted the Sabbath I conceiv'd it to have been not in the state of Innocency but after Mans Fall immediately and yet upon the seventh day wherein God rested These are his very words From hence I observe he believ'd Adam did not stand in his Innocency one day and this he endeavours to prove and others as well as he Men of great Learning and Wisdom Let me cite here one more * See Mr. Warren's Jewish Sabbath antiquated I shall propose saith he and endeavour to prove a counter Position namely that it seems more consonant to Scripture tho at the beginning yet after the Fall in Man's corrupt and vitiated state the probation whereof depends much tho not altogether upon the decision of that often canvassed Question whether our first Parents sinned the same day on which they were created Others not of less note and Learning say That the Sabbath did not commence till Israel came into the Wilderness and at the fall of Manna Mr. Primrose in his Treatise of the Sabbath in his Preface it appeareth not at all that God gave any Commandment to Adam either before or after his Fall binding him or his Progeny to the keeping of any such day whatsoever as to a thing moral and necessary neither is there any trace of such a Commandment to be found till the coming of the Israelites to the Wilderness and that God assign'd to them the seventh day of the week P. 20. as a particular point of Ecclesiastical Government whereof he prescrib'd unto them all the particular Rites Now my Brethren I shall shew you 1. What is said by those who affirm it was given to Adam in Innocency whose Arguments seem to me of no weight at all 2. I shall take notice what is said by those learned Men who deny it was given to Adam in Innocency and affirm it was not given as a Command till Israel came into the Wilderness To begin with those who affirm God gave it to Adam before his Fall in Paradise or in his state of Innocency 1. They ground it upon what Moses saith in Gen. 2. because it is there mention'd as the day on which God rested from all his Works 2. Because God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it Owen on the Sabbath p. 42 c. Dr. Owen after he had shew'd that some Jews and Rabbins affirm the Sabbath did not begin till the Israelites came into the Wilderness tho some of them differ'd in their Opinions about its Commencement comes to tell us P. 55. That the Opinion of the Institution of the Sabbath from the beginning of the World is founded principally on a double Testimony First From the Old Testament Gen. 2. 1 2 3. because Moses saith God blessed the seventh day P. 62. and sanctified it not saith he that God kept it holy himself nor that he purified it and made it inherently holy which the nature of the day is not capable of nor that he celebrated that which in it self was holy but that he set it apart to sacred use Secondly The Testimony to the same purpose saith he taken out of the New Testament is in Heb. 4. 3 4. For we which believe do enter into Rest as he said As I have sworn in my Wrath if they shall enter into my Rest altho the Works were finished from the Foundation of the World For he speaketh in a certain place on this wise And God did rest the Seventh Day from all his Works Now saith the Doctor the Works and the finishing of them did not at all belong to the Apostle's Discourse but only as they denoted the beginning of the Seventh-day Sabbath for it is the several Rests of God alone that he is enquiring after But to pass by what the Doctor saith 1. Let this be considered that in this place only of all Paul's Writings mention is made of the Seventh-day but not one word here intimating that 't was our duty to observe that Day under the Gospel which had it been the Christian Sabbath no doubt he would have given some hint of at this turn 2. By the manner of his Words and Expressions comparing these two Verses together it seems the Sabbath did not commence from the beginning of the world for tho God rested on the Seventh-day and might then set it apart yet he might give no Command to keep it till after-times when Sabbath-day Service or Worship was appointed This I rather think from these words Altho the Works were finished from the Foundation of the World yet the Day as Man's Duty was not given till long after for as our Annotators observe Paul alludes to Exod. 31. 17. For he speaks in a certain place on his wise c. Thus having given you the Proofs of those who assert the Sabbath was given to Man in Inâ—ocency I shall now give you the Reasons urg'd â—y others who affirm it was not given till Israel came into the Wilderness Their Arguments are of two sorts 1. Many of them affirm that Moses wrote â—ere in Gen. 2. by a Prolepsis or way of anticiâ—ation 2. Others do not so much assert that but â—low it might be set apart in the design of God from his finishing his Work and yet afâ—â—rm it was not given to any to keep till Israel's â—oming into the Wilderness when God was aâ—out to form them into an Ecclesiastical and Poâ—itical Church-State and appointed them Laws and Ordinances particularly the Worship Duties and Sacrifices they were to discharge on their Sabbath-day And indeed it may seem unreasonable to believe that the wise God shall give a Sabbath not only for Rest but for Divine Worship before he appointed those Duâ—â—es of Worship he would have them to perâ—orm on that day which were essentially neâ—essary for all to know as well as the special â—recise Day it self 1. But to begin with the first Argument that Moses wrote those words in his History by way of Prolepsis or Anticipation and so to be â—ead as it were in a Parenthesis that is Moses being the first Man that wrote by Revelation or Inspiration and having before he began to write received the Command of the Seventh-day Sabbath and the reason of its Institution coming to write of the Time when God finished his Work put in this concerning the Sabbath by way of Anticipation saying God blessed the
of Nature the Waters usually are and by the Will of God were then much decreased the Dove which was sent out had found good footing on the Earth There is greater reason to believe this than to suppose it refer'd to the Sabbath * De Emendat Temp. l. 5. Scaliger saith my Author one while thought the day on which Noah left the Ark and offered Sacrifices to be the seventh day but in the next Edition he fixed that day to be the fourth day of the week Now after the Flood we find God gave to Noah and his Sons some express Laws and Commands i. e. not to eat Blood and forbidding Murder c. Now this is the time doubtless to hear of a Sabbath and of the charge about it if God had given it either to Adam before or after the Fall but not one word is mention'd for 't is not said Remember the seventh day c. or ye shall observe my Sabbath Gen. 9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7. Now from Shem Ham and Japhet both Jews and Gentiles proceeded even the whole World and to me it seems not probable had the Sabbath been commanded that Jehovah should not at this time have given them a charge about it there being then so few positive Laws instituted here is Blood forbid to the whole World and Murder but not one word of a Sabbath or seventh day to be observ'd Seven Precepts given to Noah but no Sabbath The Rabbins speak of seven Precepts given to Noah and his Sons but exclude the Seventh-day Sabbath out of that number If we have it not mentioned here besure we shall not meet with it till we come to Moses but here we have it not nor indeed was it possible for some of them to keep that precise day being scatter'd to the furthermost ends of the Earth We read of Abraham that he kept all God's Commandments yet he kept no Seventh-day Sabbath he built an Altar and sacrificed which were mere positive Precepts and 〈◊〉 the Seventh-day Sabbath is not mention'd â—or commanded him nor a hint given to remember him to keep it Job liv'd also Job liv'd 't is thought about Abraham's time it is concluded about Abraham's time which may be gather'd by the number of years he liv'd which was about two hundred years which few attain'd to after Abraham Joseph liv'd but a hundred and ten 'T is said Job liv'd a hundred and forty years after his sore Trials were ended Job 42. 16. the Jews speak of his living in all two hundred and eighty years â—ow as one observes when he pleads his Inâ—â—grity and Innocence even to very minute Particulars he neither alledges his strict observation of the Seventh-Say Sabbath nor apologizes for the neglect thereof nor do this Friends who rak'd up every thing against him speak a word about this nor of the Sabbath throughout the whole Book which treats in a manner wholly about Worship and Devotion towards God the Sabbath therefore no doubt had not â—â—â—ap'd as he minds if it had been known 〈◊〉 been a Duty in his days As to Isaac he was a most devout Man and 〈◊〉 Life was taken up in a continual course of â—â—ety his custom was to go into the fields to meditate but it is not said he did it on the â—eventh day or that he kept this day as a Sabbath Jacob was a Man that fled from Idolatry 〈◊〉 God's Command and liv'd a godly Life and tho we read of his performing many Acts of Worship yet nothing of his keeping the seventh day as a Sabbath no tho we read of his hard Service when he kept Laban's Sheep both in Winter and Summer which might have caused him to complain of his being incommoded from a strict observation of that day had he known it as his Duty but in all his Complaints not one word of this We know among us how Shepherds are hindered in Sabbath-Observations of which many have complained or may have occasion to do Moreover during Joseph's being in Pharaoh's Court nor before do we read of his observing this Sabbath and when Jacob came into Egypt we read 〈◊〉 of his observation thereof nor of the Egyptian keeping of it or had they forgot it besuâ— there would have been some notice taken of Jacob's keeping it nor would he have avoided iâ— that he might please Pharaoh and his Servants Nor can it be thought on any good grounds that the Children of Israel kept the Seventh-day Sabbath under their Taskmasters in Egypt thâ— some would infer they did from these words that you make the People rest from their Burdens Exod. 5. 5. they would have these words to mean you make them keep a Sabbath where as no such thing seems to have the least countenance because Pharaoh's Officers complain not of their resting or being idle on one day only but two days together see Exod. 5. 14. Wherefore have you not fulfilled your Task in making of Brick both yesterday and to day as heretofore Now since there is no mention that any 〈◊〉 the Patriarchs kept the seventh day as a Sabbath we infer this as the first reason why they observ'd it not Secondly Let it be consider'd that we read 〈◊〉 many positive Commands given to Noah to Abraham Isaac and Jacob but none to keep the Seventh-day Sabbath nor no reminding them of any former Institution or Precept to observe it wherefore we may conclude they kept it not Thirdly The Patriarchs not commended for keeping the Seventh-day Sabbath We read how the faithful Patriarchs were commended for doing whatsoever God commanded them but not of any of them being commended for keeping the seventh day as a Sabbath yet after Moses's time when the Sabbath was instituted and given by God's express Command to Israel he took we find as much notice of their observing his Sabbaths as of any other Duty injoined on them and this to their great Commendation Therefore had the Patriarchs been oblig'd to keep it no doubt they had as faithfully discharged their Duty therein as any of God's Servants did in after times and God besure would have left something on Record to their Commendation Fourthly The old World not charg'd with Sabbath-breaking We read of divers Sins the old World was guilty of which provoked God and brought the Flood upon them but not one word or hint given that they were guilty of Sabbath-breaking Now if it had been known either by the Light of Nature or by any positive Precept given to Adam and handed down to them by Tradition or otherwise they being so universally corrupted and polluted no doubt had profan'd that day and if so the sacred Record had mention'd that great Sin doubtless as well as others Fifthly Sodom not charg'd with Sabbath-breaking Moreover we read of the crying Sins of the People of Sodom c. and no doubt but they had violated all God's Commands or whatsoever were their known Duties but nothing of breaking
it they knew noâ— what they should do with him and this was whilst they were in the Wilderness and they put him in ward for it was not yet declar'd what should be done unto him By which it appears saith he to be a new thing not yet adjusted for had it been a Law from the Creation it is scarce possible that all Men should have been ignorant whether any Punishment or not or what Punishment did belong to the Violation of a Law of such standing Object I know that Dr. Owen saith Dr. Owen on the Sab. p. 62. if the original of the Sabbath was here then the National Observation of it is introduced with a strange abruptness c. Answ To which I answer that it doth not so appear to me however let every Man read the words of Moses again and how he repeats the same over and over To morrow is the Sabbath c. To day is a Sabbath unto the Lord â—gain The Lord hath given you the Sabbath â—an any thing be brought in more solemnly â—ut I see how Men will try their Wits to deâ—â—nd their own Scriptureless Notion of a Sabbath given in Paradise as well as in pleading 〈◊〉 other groundless Practices Object But since you grant a Sabbath before 〈◊〉 Law on Mount Sinai or Ceremonial Laws â—ere given doth not this prove it is a moral Preâ—â—pt Answ No not at all because we find that sacrifices and offering the Firstlings of the â—locks Gen. 4. 7. 7. 2. 14. 20. 28. 2. and first Fruits of the Ground were offered to God from the beginning and therefore should we grant that the Seventh-day Sabbath had been practised from the beginning â—â—so yet that would no more prove it a moral â—nd perpetual Law than it proves the offering â—f the Firstlings of the Flocks and the First-â—ruits c. to be perpetual Laws or moral Duties the Sabbath being a sign and shadow as well as they were so We come now to the â—â—urth part of our first general Proposition Object The seventh-day Sabbath was given in the 20th Chapter of Exodus The grand Argument for the Jewish Sabbath consider'd and answer'd with all the other â—ine moral and perpetual Commandments wrote in two Tables of Stone by the finger of Jehovah himself and therefore it obliged believing Gentiles to keep it and all Mankind 1. To this I answer that if I can prove it is not the Duty of Gentile Believers nor any Believers in Christ in all the World to keep the Seventh-day Sabbath from hence I shall overthrow our Opponents strongest Fort and so utterly confute them which I doubt not by God's Assistance I shall fully do and in order hereto shall lay down three Propositions First The method proposed in answering this Argument I affirm the Morality of the fourth Commandment lies not in the observation of the precise seventh day from the Creation Secondly That the Law of the ten Commandments as formally given to Moses and written with the finger of God in two Tables of Stone and given to the whole House of Israel were not given to the Gentiles nor to any other People in the World save the Strangers that were within their Gates or were proselyted to the Jewish Religion Thirdly That the whole Law is changed and that what was Ceremonial or shadows 〈◊〉 things to come ceased at the death of Christ and all Precepts of the Moral Law or what 〈◊〉 simply moral as they were formally given by Moses are taken out of his hand and put into the hands of Christ consider'd as Mediator our Lord and only Lawgiver I shall now begin with the first of these Propositious First I shall give you the sense of the Learned about a pure moral Precept First The Term Moral being but a scholastical Expression and not properly signifying that which is usually understood by it Cawdry 's Christian Sabbath p. 1 2 3. say Mr. Cawdry and Mr. Palmer we have ever judg'd it a Bone of Contention Moral relating to a Law signifies in it self any Precept serving to regulate the Manners of Men. Dr. White saith White on the Sab. p. 26. A Divine Law call'd Moral is a just Rule or Measure imposed by God directing and obliging to Obedience of things holy honest and just The same is twofold simply moral or moral only by some external Constitution or Imposition of God Divine Law simply moral commands or prohibits Actions good or evil in respect of their inward nature and quality Dr. Owen saith Owen on the Sab. p. 118. Moral Laws are such as have the Reasons of them taken from the nature of the things themselves requir'd in them for they are good from their respect to the nature of God himself c. Laws Positive as they are occasionally given so they are esteem'd alterable at pleasure being fixed by mere Will and Prerogative without respect to any thing that should make them necessary antecedently to their being given they may by the same Authority at any time be taken away and abolished Mr. Shepherd saith Shepherd on the Sab. p. 6 7. A Law strictly and especially moral is that which concerns the Manners of all Men of which we now speak and may be thus describ'd viz. It is such a Law as is commanded because it is good and it is not therefore merely good because it is commanded And thus Austin saith he describ'd it long since Also Cameron and multitudes of other Writers and learned Men. But mere Divine positive Laws are commanded of God and therefore good Some say that is simply moral that is the Law of Nature or which naturally obligeth all Men and is distinguished from Laws Ceremonial and Judicial Thus one expresseth himself i. e. Primrose of the Sab. p. 4. This Law Moral all Men take to be the Law of Nature and reciprocally they take the Law of Nature for this Law for that which is naturally and universally just Mr. Cawdry and Palmer say Cawdry Sabbatum p. 3. It implys any Law of God exprest in Scripture whether it can be prov'd natural or not which from the time it was given to the end of the World binds all succeeding Generations of their Posterity to whom it was given and more especially it obliges the Church c. I think Mr. Baxter in this case has said excellently well Baxt. on the Sab. p. 77. Moral saith he signifieth that which by nature is universal and perpetually obligatory He answers this Question Do not Divines say the Decalogue written in Stone is the Moral Law and of perpetual Obligation Answ Yes for by moral they mean natural and so take moral not in a large sense as it signifies a Law de moribus as all Laws be whatsoever but in a narrower sense as signifying that which by nature is of universal and perpetual Obligation Now then that which I call a pure of simple Moral Law or Precept is that which is a Transcript
a precise or particular Day 2. Nor in any thing that intervenes between 3. Nor in any thing that expresses the Revolution of Time wherein the day of holy Rest is to be observed Six days shalt thou labor Thus I understand this Limitation or Rule for Direction 1. Six days shalt thou labor unless God otherwise appoint and he did appoint in the old Administration other days to be kept holy which tho not always yet some times fell out on some or other of the six working days c. 2. Further Six days shalt thou labor no excluding the solemn Worship of God out of those six days for it would be no Sin to hear a Sermon or set some hour apart for Prayer any of these six days as it is for a Man to work upon that day of seven which God sets apart for himself 3. And yet further which is most of all to be taken notice of six days c. rest one not injoyning the last of seven which was instituted before but only six parts of the time shall be for your selves the seventh shall be mine So Gen. 47. 14. you shall have four parts saith Joseph the fifth shall be Pharaoh's let all be divided into five parts four shall be for your selves the fifth shall be for the King not telling them which fifth but only one of five Thus Lev. 23. 27. let all be divided into ten you shall have nine the tenth shall be the Lord's not appointing them which tenth but only one of ten So here I find not one word for the last of seven Moreover I perceive nothing at all in God's Example for it nothing there but one day in seven but when the last day of seven is required of Israel that refers to the Covenant of Works their labouring first doing all they had to do and so to rest which was a sign as I have proved of the Covenant of Works and a Pledg of their Obligation in their Restipulation with God according to the Tenour of that conditional Covenant hence their Sabbath was called a perpetual Covenant Exod. 31. and with that Covenant it is gone for ever Yet one day in seven as a day of Rest and solemn Worship is still to be the Lord 's by virtue of the fourth Command and tho God's Example of resting is mentioned yet it must be acknowledg'd to relate to some special end and purpose which may not only refer to Man's good but to God's ceasing from the Work of Creation for ever which being the first and greatest Work then done the day of his finishing his Work was to be observ'd upon that reason But when Christ God-man came and also had finished the Work of Redemption and ceased from his Work as God did from his there is the same moral reason why the Day in which he rested from redeeming i.e. the first day of seven should be our day of Rest because this is a far greater Work than that of Creation as shall be made plain and clear hereafter For we in Gospel-days as foretold shall not remember the old Heavens and the old Earth any more the new carrying away the Glory of that i.e. remember them no more by the observation of that old seventh day To this purpose Mr. B. of Dorchester Now I say God's Example under the Covenant of Works in working six days and then resting is no ways obligatory on us tho it was on Israel under the same old Covenant But we must ground and bottom our Observation of one Day in seven upon Christ's ceasing and resting from his Works and his Institution of a new Day upon the tenor or nature of the Covenant of Grace to rest first and then work six days not for Rest or to rest c. but from that Rest Christ enter'd into on the first day of the week when our Rest and Justification was compleated which we enter actually into when we first believe Now the reason saith Mr. B. to Mr. Banfield why herein I dissent from you Mr. B. of Dorchest p. 40. 't is this God blessed the seventh Day and sanctified it but not as it was the last day of the seven but as it was the day of his Rest declaring thereby Creation-work to be perfected Neither was his resting so far as I can see the ground of his blessing and sanctifying it but as consider'd in conjunction with the reason of his Rest i.e. his finishing his Creation and also with the Result and Consequence of his Rest viz. his magnifying and honouring that day for the time being above all other days for the greatest work in being For 1. God's resting cannot refer to any thing but his ceasing from creating-work because otherwise he ceaseth not working * My Father saith our Lord worketh hitherto and I work and his Example of resting as some learned Men observe is not alledged here to lay an obligation on our Conscience that that same Day we must observe for ever 2. It seems to relate to what God himself did rather than any way propounded as an Argument to prove that for which 't is urged Take a parallel case 1 Cor. 11. 23. where we have the Institution of the Lord's-Supper repeated out of the Evangelists and Christ's Example is related as to the time when which was not only in the Night but that particular Night in which he was betray'd Now this is not recorded as a binding Rule on us for our Imitation That is historically related and so may this of God's Example in the fourth Commandment There is one thing more worth noting Dr. Twiss Dr. Owen and many other learned Men cannot see how it can be said that God sanctified the seventh day Gen. 2. but that it must refer to Adam in Innocence as his duty to keep it and not that God then only by Destination Decree and Purpose set it apart for his Church and People to observe in after-times Now grant it was as I have last hinted pray do not they say as much as this comes to in respect of the Gospel-Sabbath Do not they say that in the fourth Command both in the first part and close of that Precept God only set apart or sanctified one day in seven and so conclude the original Sanctification of the first day of the week is comprehended in the fourth Commandment which I will not deny but was not this near 2000 years before he design'd his People should observe it or that it was the absolute Duty of any so to do And as there was an interval from Adam to Moses of such a state of God's People and things as render'd them not capable to observe the Seventh-day Sabbath according to the Law of it so there was an interval of such a state of the Church and things under the legal Covenant from Moses to Christ as render'd them not capable to observe the Lord's-day according to the design and purport of God therein tho that Day was by God's Destination set
Synagogues as elsewhere the Apostles were not wanting in the Office of preaching for this cause they tarried certain days among the Macedonians because no fit occasion for preaching the Gospel offered which the Apostles every where greedily sought after they preached Christ on the Sabbath days out of the City Act. 16. 13. by a River side to Women which resorted to publick Prayers So Paul hastened to keep the Feast of Pentecost at Jerusalem Act. 20. 16. only that he might have many Jews who liv'd dispersed in divers places of the World there together and so preach the Gospel to them Chrysostom says Hom. 43. in Act. What means Paul 's hastning to this Feast it was not for the Feasts but for the Multitudes he made haste to preach the Word Now had any Text said that Paul must needs hast to Jerusalem to keep the Sabbath among the Jews what Improvement would the Sabbatarians have made of it yet that no more would prove the Sabbath ought to be kept than the Feast of Pentecost See what Paul saith Rom. 16. 8. But I will tarry at Ephesus will Pentecost for a great door and effectual is opened to me This shews what his reason was to keep that Feast and also in preaching on their Sabbaths Object But he calls it the Sabbath Answ So he calls that Feast Pentecost and Circumcision by its own Name must we therefore keep Pentecost and be circumcised It was only for distinction-sake the old Names of Jewish Rites being still kept up by the Jews Object But the Gentiles also desired the same Word might be preach'd to them the next Sabbath Act. 13. 42. sure if the Apostles had kept the first day they would rather have desir'd that Paul should preach to them the next first day Answ Paul was but newly come into those parts and there was no Gospel-Church there nor can any think that those poor unbelieving Gentiles should have heard of any other day observ'd than the Jewish Sabbath for they liv'd among the Jews and if it is said the whole City the next Sabbath came together Ver. 44. and no doubt but 't was in the Synagogue of the Jews in which they met some of the Gentiles being Proselytes to the Jewish Religion So that it is evident this is nothing to their purpose for here is no more ground from hence for us to keep the Jewish Sabbath than to meet in Jewish Synagogues Moreover Dr. Young has one Passage worth observation saith he Justin Martyr had satisfied with little ado Trypho the Jew that counselled him to observe their Sabbath for it had been enough for Justin Martyr to have answer'd the Jew that the Christian Church did observe the Sabbath yet this he grants not but plainly denies that the Jewish Sabbath ought by the Christians to be observ'd The same saith he do other Fathers against the Jews c. There are one or two more pretended Reasons out of the New Testament brought to prove that we ought to observe the seventh Day but no more at this time SERMON VII Containing ten Arguments against the observance of the Jewish Sabbath The Law of the Seventh-day Sabbath not written in the Hearts of Believers or God's new Covenant Children which is in Answer to the sixth and last pretended Proof for our Observation thereof Twelve dangerous Consequences that necessarily follow their Principle who assert the precise Seventh-day Sabbath is a pure moral Precept Gal. iv 10 11. Ye observe days and months c. BRethren I have answer'd several pretended Proofs brought from the New Testament for the observation of the old Jewish Sabbath I shall mention one morc viz. Object 5. It is objected further That it is certain that the Jews kept Sabbaths at the time of Paul's writing his Epistles and were zealous for all the Law Thus Mr. Soarsby Ans 1. May be 't is aptly enough put in Sabbaths as comprehending other Sabbaths as well as the Jews weekly Sabbath 2. But were they not as zealous for Circumcision also Nay the Objection allows they were zealous for the whole Law and it is not deny'd but Paul was forced to comply with their weakness for a time till they were fully formed as to the Cessation or Abrogation of â—ose legal Rites nay of the whole Law as in â—e hand of Moses So that Paul's forbearance with them in their â—fancy and Weakness is weakly urged These being the chief Proofs I find brought 〈◊〉 prove it our Duty to keep the seventh Day out 〈◊〉 the New Testament I shall add divers Arguments in opposition to what they say on this â—â—count 1st Several Arguments against the Observation of the old Jewish Sabbath Our Saviour's Carriage and Behaviour â—owards the old Sabbath and his Expressions about it which I have mention'd shews he was far from confirming that either as a Moral or Gospel Duty 2dly Paul's declaring against all Jewish Days without exception as Shadows c. may conâ—â—nce all that he observ'd it not in compliance with the Law of Moses or as a Command given to him by Christ the only Lawgiver 3dly His putting the Estimation of the Jewish Sabbath-day among Meats and Drinks Rom. 14. 5. or as indifferent things which a Christian may do or â—ot do shews that Sabbath was gone I do believe when Paul saith One man esteemeth one day above another and another esteemeth every day alike that he intends not all days of â—he week without exception but every day â—ave the first day or the Lord's-day because â—e speaks of Jewish Rites Days and Scruples about Meats and Drinks among them For â—e gave Command about the solemn Duties and Observation of the first Day of the week to all the Churches as I shall prove 1. Therefore let none once think that Paul was for the observance of no special day above others in the Worship of God in the Gospel-Dispensation 2. Neither let any conclude from hence thâ—â— he gave liberty to the Saints to keep the Jewish Sabbath any further than they looked upon 〈◊〉 as an indifferent thing nor any longer thâ— till their Understanding was further inlightâ—â—â— and their Consciences better informed Fâ—â— how severe was he with those as in my Teâ—â— who lay any stress upon it i.e. as a moral Dâ—ty or of necessity to a holy Life 4thly This appears because Christ who received from his Father the whole Will of God and was faithful as a Son in declaring all thing commanded him Heb. 2. 2. hath not commanded us 〈◊〉 given the least ground or reason for us to believe we ought to keep the Seventh-day Sabbath Besides he confirms afresh all simple moral Precepts c. as I have shew'd Observe what he saith Joh. 15. 15. For all things th◠〈◊〉 have heard of my Father I have made 〈◊〉 unto you ch 12. 49. The Father that sent me he gave 〈◊〉 Commandement what I should say and what 〈◊〉 should speak 5thly We read Acts 15. 1
Pentecost Acts 2. 1. It was call'd the Feast of Weeks or of sevens because from the waving of the Sheaf they reckoned as many weeks to this Feast as there be days in seven weeks which evidently shadowed out some weekly Festiyal under the Gospel the day whereof was noted by that Pentecost Acts 2. 1 2. 2. It was call'd the Feast of First-fruits and of Harvest because as they began their Harvest upon the first of the fifty days when they offered the Sheaf of First-fruits so they ended it upon the fiftieth day which was properly the Feast-day Upon which they offered the Wave-loaves And these fifty days or seven weeks were the appointed weeks of their Harvest and by the offering of the Sheaf at the beginning of their Harvest there their after-Fruits were sanctified And the offering of the â—oaves on the fiftieth day was not only an Euâ—haristical Oblation but also a token of the Harvest being finished 3. It is called the Feast of Pentecost Deut. 16. 9. because it was ever kept the fiftieth day the fiftieth â—ow reckoned from the morrow after the â—abbath that is the first day of the week â—ut what mark had they to know their morrow 〈◊〉 Moses tells them when you shall reap the Harvest of your Land or when you begin to â—eap it for so 't is expounded in Deut. 16. 9. Begin to number the seven Weeks from such a â—ime as thou beginnest to put the Sickle to the â—orn So that when they began their Harvest they must begin their account of fifty â—ays And the first of the fifty was the morrow of the Sabbath or the day following the Sabbath namely the first day of the week Dr. Usher in his Letter to Dr. Twiss p. 91 92. and as they began so they must end their account on the same day as the first so the fiftieth day or day of Pentecost must be on the morrow of the last Sabbath Levit. 23. 15 16. And this is injoin'd by the express Command of God to be observ'd as a Statute for ever throughout their Generations This is the plain Scripture-account and who can but observe the Wisdom of God in ordering the matter thus viz. That this Feast of Weeks should never fall upon the seventh-day but always upon the first day of the week the morrow after the Sabbath or the day immediately following it if at least his Statute-Law had always been observ'd And what else could this presignify as Dr. Vsher speaks but that under the state of the Gospel the Solemnity of the weekly Service should be celebrated upon that day Now I hope that famous Pentecost Act. 2. 1. will be no Parable tho we state it according to the Divine Oracle upon the first day of the week the morrow after the Jews Sabbath We need no Almanack to help us here the Bible is sufficient Nor say I do we need the Traditions of the blind doting Rabbins But to proceed because the Sabbatariaâ— stand so much upon supposed Mysteries in the Feast of Pentecost See Dr. Usher's printed Letter according to their Traditional Account I shall acquaint them with the real Mysteries of Christ accomplished exactly according to this Scriptural Account where they may see the Type and the Truth admirably concurring For as at the time of the Passover 1 Cor. 5. 7. Christ our Passover was sacrificed for us and lay in his Grave the whole Jewish Sabbath following So on the morrow after the Sabbath when the Sheaf of the first Fruits was offered to God Jesus Christ rose from the dead 1 Cor. 15. 20. and became the First-fruits of them that slept and many of the Saints that slept rose likewise after him Mat. 37. 52 53. From hence was the Account taken of the seven Sabbaths or fifty Days and upon the morrow after the seventh Sabbath which was our Lord's Day was that famous Feast of Weeks that day of Pentecost Acts 2. 1. Upon which day the Apostles having themselves received the first Fruits of the Spirit begat three thousand Souls with the Word of Truth and presented them as the first Fruits of the Christian Church to God and to the Lamb. Here was the Feast of Loaves in the Antitype that feasted some thousands of Souls And from that time forward do the Waldenses note that the Lord's Day was observed in the Christian Church in the place of the Jewish Sabbath Thus Dr. Vsher that Library of Learning Object If it be objected That in this Discourse he states Christ suffering at the Feast of the Passover and so falls in with the vulgar Opinion which takes the morrow after the Sabbath Levit. 23. for the morrow after the Passover Sabbath I answer That cannot be for he had declared before that the Sabbath there intended is the weekly Sabbath and the morrow after it is the first day of the Week And he cites Isychius and Ruportius in interpreting it so before him to whom I shall be bold saith * Mr. Warren Nazianzeâ— Orat. 44. he to add Nazianzen who was before them all who speaking of the Feast of Pentecost says This Nation meaning the Jewish Nation uses to consecrate to God not only the first of their Fruits and first born but the first Fruits of their Days and Years also Thus the illustrious number of Seven has carried the honour of Pentecost for Seven being composed upon it self makes fifty wanting but one day which we have taken from this future Age being both the eighth and the first Day His Argument is clearly this that the Jewish Pentecost was fain to be beholden to the Christians eighth day or first day of the Week to make up the compleat number of fifty days And the like he says a little before concerning their Jubilee every fiftieth year for seven times seven makes but forty nine to perfect the number they borrowed the first day of the Week and so consecrated to God the first of their Days as well as of their Land So that this computation of the fifty days to Pentecost from the morrow of the Sabbath wants no Authority to back it either divine or humane But the Word of God is our best Warrant and we may be satisfied that Dr. Twiss was no Child at Argument nor one that would be perswaded on slight grounds but upon Bishop Vsher's discovery of this Truth by the forementioned Scripture-evidence he professed he received great satisfaction and acknowledges that the mystery of the Feast of first Fruits was opened to the singular advantage and honour of the Lord's Day Object The only Objection against this Interpretation is the Judgment of Mr. Ainsworth and our English Annotators who take the Sabbath Levit. 23. for the Feast of the Passover Sabbath Answ 1. Herein they are led by the common Opinion of the Hebrew Doctors who indeed are excellent Guides when they keep the beaten Road of Scripture but in many things made void the Commandments of God by their Traditions Let this
have been together on that day 6. We will grant the privacy of their meeting and shutting the doors might be indeed for fear of the Jews but yet meet they would and did and certainly they were led so to do by the Holy Ghost in that Christ appeared in the midst of them on both those days when they were so assembled Before I close with this I cannot omit what a Reverend Author hath said about the day of our Lord's Resurrection It was saith he a remarkable day in many respects 1. It was the eighth day in a continued reckoning of days which was a number of greater Perfection than seven in some respects witness Circumcision The Antients insist much that this Circumcision on the eighth day was a Type of that eighth day on which our Lord rose again from the dead Thus Cyprian Moreover The first day of the week a day of great Renown many ways the first day of the week is a day of greatest Renown being first in order of Creation and the first in dignity by our Lord's Resurrection the first fruits of time and the first of days and the only day in which our Lord became the first fruits of them that slept and the first-born from the dead that in all things he might have the preheminence And say I the first day of the new World or Kingdom of the Messia or Gospel-Dispensation Again we have Mr. Warren p. 169. saith he another conspicuous Mark to note this day by above all other days in the week 1. That these glorious Apparitions of our now glorious Redeemer were no common Favors but choice and special Evidences of his owning Providence both as to Persons and Times for as he appeared not to all sorts of Persons but to some select chosen Witnesses who were either eminently devoted to his Service or design'd to teach others so neither did he appear to those Persons every day but principally and most usually upon the day designed by the Prophets to his Worship and Service and now consecrated by his blessed Resurrection 2. Altho it be said that he was seen of his Apostles forty days between his Resurrection and Ascension yet was he not seen every day during those forty that is by the space of forty days at times for some times he disappear'd 3. However it may be supposed that our Saviour did appear on other days as once upon a working day yet no other day of the Week has he honoured to be denominated as the day of his appearing but the first day of the Week only Not on the second third fourth much less the last of the Week the seventh day But the first is expresly and emphatically noted by name the same day the first day of the Week Jesus came and stood in the midst of them Joh. 20. 19. 4. 'T is evident that our Lord appeared often on this day gracing it with his Divine Presence In the morning to Mary Magdalen and the rest of the Holy Women in the evening of the same day to the eleven Disciples when gathered together in the nature of a Church-Assembly After eight days Mr. Warren p. 175. or after day-light of the eighth day was past he appeared again Christ appeared in the morning of the Resurrection-day as well as at the evening very early as well as very late to teach us that that whole day is his 'T is that day which the Lord hath made not a piece of the day Thus saith he I remember Dr. Hakewell long ago stopt the mouth of this Objector * Tillam Joh. 20. 19. The same day at evening being the first day of the Week He calls it the first day of the Week tho the evening to put the matter out of doubt that this evening was part of the first day of the Week Thus the Holy Ghost provides against future Errors Mr. Warren p. 178. By Christ's second appearance that day seven-night they might be better instructed witness their assembling on that day Act. 2. 1. and Acts 2o To conclude this why our Lord should neglect the Jews Sabbath and afford his glorious Presence in Christian Assemblies on the First-day of the Week thus often and thus eminently but to establish this day for Sacred Assemblies and to teach us on what day especially we may expect his Presence and Blessing I confess I am to seek 4. We may take notice of the gracious Speeches Actions and Transactions of Christ at his several appearings tending partly to prove his Resurrection the Ground of our Hope and the Hinge of the Day To this purpose how did he condescend to his poor doubting staggering Disciples manifesting himself on this day to all their Senses distinguishing it from all other days by Sabbath-exercises 1. By his Heavenly Instructions opening the Scriptures Luke 24. 46. and preaching Peace to his Disciples and to us as well as them Ephes 1. 16 17. Having slain the Enmity by his Cross he came and preached Peace On this day he came with his Olive-branch in his mouth saying Peace be unto you 2. By giving forth Commissions to his Disciples Matth. 28. 18 19 20. John 20. 19. As my Father hath sent me so I send you Whose Sins ye remit they are remitted c. and then breathing upon them the Holy Ghost 3. By convincing demonstrations of his Resurrection John 20. 26. to strengthen the Faith of Thomas To which some add 4. His celebration of the Sacred Supper according to that Promise Mr. Warren I will no more drink of the Fruit of the Vine until that day I drink it new in the Kingdom of God That is after I rise from the dead which therefore 't is like he then did yea then he broke Bread and was known of his Disciples in breaking of Bread as he sate with them not at Meat Luke 24. 30. as we read it the word only implys his gesture of sitting Thus Mr. Warren 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 'T is probable he did again celebrate the Sacred Supper among them for breaking of Bread commonly alludes to that and his being known to them in breaking of Bread may denote that Ordinance But this is very doubtful Another indelible mark of Honour fixed upon the First-day of the Week is the Mission of the Holy Ghost or the sending the Promise of the Father as a Royal Gift of Christ upon his Coronation-day such a Gift as was never given before And that the day of Pentecost was the First-day of the Week I have fully proved SERMON III. Proving the First-day of the Week to be the special Day of Solemn Worship under the Gospel from Acts 20. 7. and from Rev. 1. 10. in which last place it is called the Lord's Day HAving passed through five Arguments to prove the First-day of the Week to be the day which Christ hath appointed for his Solemn Worship under the Gospel I shall proceed to the next Argument Sixthly Because the