given to the Gentiles Did not Isaiah cry against them that polluted the Sabbath the seventh day but not the first day Isaiah 56 The Lord said to Ezekiel they greatly have polluted my Sabbath and so broken his Commandement he did not say they have polluted the first day and they walked not in his Statutes see 20 of Ezekiel So they that wrought and do work upon the Sabbath day the seventh day prophaned it and broken the Statutes of God 12 Ezekiel and 13 Ezekiel Now the Jews that had the sign as kept the Covenant of God that was a perpetual Covenant with them the outward Jews Now Christ when he came the substance they accused him to be a Sabbath-breaker and his Disciples who was the everlasting Covenant of God that ended the first that Covenant of the Sabbath day Christ the rest Now Christ did not bid the Jews take his Disciples and stone them to death when they plucked off the ears of corn when they were walking up and down Sabbath dayes journeyes they was not fined or imprisoned or goods strained by the Jews as the Christians do now such as go up and down to the service and worship of God for the Jews said it was not lawful for the Disciples to gather meat to gather corn on the Sabbath day And Christ asked them whether they had not read what David did when he eat of the shew-bread Matth. 1â— 4 5. and was blameless And what the Priests did in the Temple and was blameless And told them again that he the Son of man was Lord of the Sabbath that he had power which was as much as to say his Disciples were blameless and did not find fault with them nor did not rebuke them And the Jews did not accuse Christ for doing any thing on the first day of the week nor the Disciples And then after the Jews had accused Christ and his Disciples for plucking ears of corn on the Sabbath day and then after Christ himself healed a man on the Sabbath day they accused him as a Sabbath-breaker see 12. Matth and 2. Mark and so he said unto them was it not lawful to do good on the Sabbath day And this is just now like our Professors and Teachers and corrupt Magistrates that will persecute friends that go to Meetings to edifie one another in the things of God on the first dayes and tell them that they break the Sabbath and the Jewes laugh at them and know that that was never commanded and they keep Markets and Fairs on the seventh day which was the Sabbath day the Covenant between God and the Jewes Which Covenant Christ the everlasting Rest ends And those Jewes who were so mad about the outward day and did not know the everlasting Covenant Christ Jesus they took up stones to stone him as ye may read the 8th of John and the Jewes said it was not lawful for the man that was healed to carry his bed upon the Sabbath day Now the Law had forbidden the carrying of burthens dressing of meat and kindling of fire on the Sabbath day the first Covenant between God and the Jews But the second Covenant was come the Lord of the Sabbath that healed that gave rest and said take up thy bed and walk Is the day made for the man or the man for the day Is the man above the day or the day above the man The Son of man also is Lord of the Sabbath Therefore the Jews went about to slay him and persecuted him for doing good on the Sabbath day the seventh day Not the first day as the Christian Magistrates do now Fines and persecutes such as go to the worship and service of God on the first day and sets open their shops and keeps Markets and Fairs on the seventh day the Sabbath and keeps them shut on the first day The Jews sought to kill Christ because he had not onely broken the Sabbaths day but that he had made himself equal with God see Joh. 6. And this was a great crime accounted that he who was the substance broke the Sabbath day which was the seventh day which the world calls Saturday the Heathen calls it Saturday and all the Christians that be in the Heathenish nature and Fryday and Thursday and Wedensday and Tuesday and Monday that day they worship the Moon and Sunday that day they did worship the Sun Here is the old Heathens Nature and names that knew not God nor Scriptures nor the Law of God For they are onely the Heathen not Christians nor true Jews that calls the dayes Sun and Moon and Twes and Woden and Thur. and Fryday and Saturns day for the true Christians said first day and second day c. to the seventh and that they call Sabbath the Jews But the false Christians they call the first day of the week Sabbath which they call Sunday and Moonday the Christians that is in the Heathenish nature since the dayes of the Apostles as ye may read in the Almanacks And so ye may see how after the Jews outward to whom the first Covenant was the Sabbath the sign outward of Christ the everlasting Covenant John 7. And they said this man Christ he was not of God and a sinner because he kept not the Sabbath therefore was a sinner John 9. 16. Christ Jesus the Covenant who came to end the first Covenant and the day he that did give rest who was the everlasting Covenant of God between God and the people strangers Jews Gentiles and the rest to servant men and maides and cattel and strangers Christ the substance of the first the everlasting Covenant though the first was given not to the Gentiles but onely to a particular people the Jews the Covenant of God between him and them which was to observe a day which was a sign of the everlasting Covenant Christ Jesus so Christ who was the Covenant of God that gave rest unto the Creation did not set forth to the Christians that they should keep another Sabbath day and imprison strain the goods of such as went up and down to private meetings to worship God or as laboured on the first day of the week He did not set up Lawes to oppresse the Creation but he brake them and ended the Law and the first Covenant Christ who Rules himself and hath all power in Heaven and Earth given unto him of the Father And now all ye Christians Teachers and Magistates and Professors If ye will have a Sabbath and cry up a Sabbath ye must offer on the Sabbath dayes two Lambs of the first year without spot two tenth deals of flower for a meat-offering mingled with oil and a drink-offering thereof And this is the burnt-offering in every Sabbath besides the continual burnt-offering and drink-offerings So where is your offerings if ye will have a Sabbath why do ye not cry up offerings as well as the Sabbath why do ye not cry up the day and do none of the work that is to
AN EPISTLE To all the Christian MAGISTRATES And Powers in the whole CHRISTENDOM And Professors and Teachers and Christians that witness the end of the Law and the Levitical Priesthood and confess Christ Jesus the substance the Rest of the People of God the substance the Sabbath that ends the Day which was a Sign and likewise that owns the Doctrine of the Apostles c. LONDON Printed for Thomas Simmons at the Bull and Mouth near Aldersgate 1659. AN Epistle to all the Christian Magistrates and powers in the whole Christendom and Professors and Teachers and Christians that witness the end of the Law and the Levitical Priesthood and confess Christ Jesus the substance the rest of the people of God the substance the Sabbath that ends the day which was a sign and likewise that owns the Doctrine of the Apostles To such I say that owns Christ Jesus the substance and his Doctrine and the Apostles Doctrine I say do not persecute one another about dayes Sabbath-dayes Holy-dayes Festival-dayes Fasting-dayes or in meats or drinks which the Kingdom of Heaven stands not in but in power for the Sabbath which the Lord gave unto man a sign to man and the Creation Ox and Asse six dayes the Lord saith shalt thou labour the seventh thou shalt rest and keep holy to the Lord Which seventh day he that did transgress was to be stoned to death read Numb 15. 26. And every one that did not keep the Sabbath but did work therein should be cut off from among the people so according to the Law of God which was given forth that they should keep the Sabbath day which is the seventh day which ye keep Markets and Fairs on in most of the chief Towns and chief Markets of the Nation ye are all by the Law of God to be cut off for this Law was given to the Children of Israel this Law and Commandement which was a Covenant a perpetual Covenant and a sign between the Children of Israel and the Lord for ever the Children of Israel found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath day the seventh day on which ye keep Markets and Fairs and they brought him unto Moses the chief Magistrate and unto Aaron and unto the Congregation and they put him in Ward for it was not revealed what they should do to him the Lord said unto Moses the man shall be put to death and all the Congregation shall stone him with stones Now if ye go according to the Law of God which ye do pretend and keep Markets and Fairs and buying and selling and your work upon those dayes both ye and your cattel and horses which is contrary to the Law of God Are not ye dead men all by the Law of God and men to be stoned to death according to your own Judgement as ye may read Numb 15. 35 36. The Law of God which is for the breakers of the Sabbath day the seventh day which was not for the first day of the week And ye do not read that there was any punishment by any Law for working upon any other dayes but for the seventh day the Sabbath day which God gave as a sign and a Covenant between him and the Children of Israel before Christ was come into the flesh the substance of all signs Do you own Christ come in the flesh the substance that ends the signs that persecutes people about the Sabbath Are ye not according to the Law of God to be stoned to death not to strain their goods but stone them to death that transgress the Sabbath day And did not the Prophets cry out often when the Children of Israel had transgressed the Sabbath and broken the Sabbath and kept not the seventh day they did not cry out against them for working on the six dayes And have not ye broken the Sabbath and keeps Markets and Fairs upon it And the Sabbath was not given to the Gentiles from the Lord but if the Gentiles and strangers came among the Jews they were to rest within his Gates that had the figure and his man-servants and his maid-servants and cattel it was a sign and a Covenant between God and the Children of Israel of the everlasting rest of Jews and Gentiles and the whole Creation Christ Jesus the rest and the giver of rest Now the Gentiles the Jews was not to stone them to death that kept not the Sabbath without them six dayes the Children of Israel was to gather Manna the seventh they was to rest from gathering their meat and if they did gather it it stunk Now do not you gather your meat on the Sabbath day And have not ye broken the Law of God And are ye not finding fault with others that breaks the Sabbath But where was any Sabbath dayes commanded by Christ or the Apostles to be kept by the Christians if not to fine or imprison them shew me that Scripture that Christ or the Apostles gave forth such a Law upon record then ye will not be found usurpers of Authority and Ministry and so is not this doctrines of men and Commandements of men to set up a Sabbath-day and your own precepts which are taught and no Scripture can shew of Christ or the Apostles for it And Nehemiah the Tenth If the people of the Land bring wares or any victuals on the Sabbath day to sell they was not to buy it of them on the Sabbath day the Holy day Now do not you sell victuals on the Sabbath day open your shops on the Sabbath day and drive your cattel to the Markets on the Sabbath day the seventh day and set open your shops of all sorts which by the Law of God was to dye to be stoned to death and will you persecute or imprison and fine such as open their shops on the first day one of the six dayes Who gave ye this Law Where is it written in the Scriptures by Christ or the Apostles that professeth the substance is come that ends the Sabbath the Jews Sabbath Then men should be fined or persecuted for working on the six dayes Did not they prophane the Sabbath in the tenth of Nehemiah that bought victuals on the Sabbath day and fish and such as trod the Wine-press These polluted the Sabbath day the seventh day and broke the Law of God Do not ye reap down your Corn on the Sabbath day the seventh day till your ground and buy your wares and meat and sell it again upon the seventh day which was the Lords Sabbath which was a Covenant and a Law between him and the Jews and death to the transgressor to be cut off and stoned to death And so was not there a Command among the Jews that the Gates should be shut up when it began to be dark till after the Sabbath that no burden should go in or out that no Merchant or seller of any kind should sell that day among them Now this Law was among the Jews but not among the Gentiles it was not
be done on the day Numb 28. 9. â—0 1 Chron. 23. Burnt-offerings and sacrifices unto the Lord in the Sabbaths in the new-Moons and so why do ye not observe the burnt-offerings and the sacrifices you that pretend to observe Sabbathes And why not new-Moons and the set Feasts according to the Commandment of the Lord continually before him for they that was to observe the Sabbath was to observe the sacrifices by their Numbers see 2 Chron. 2. Solomon that build an house to the Lord Dedicated to him and burnt before him sweet incense continually shew-bread with the burnt-offerings morning and Evening upon the Sabbaths and their new Moons and this was an Ordinance for ever to Israel And now if ye professe the Sabbath the children of Israels Sabbath and leave the burnt-offerings and the continual shew-bread ye may as well leave sabbaths as leave the work for this was the work of the sabbath and so ye that professe sabbaths ye may aswell well professe new-Moons and the solemn Feasts 2 Chron. 8. Solomon even after a certain rate every day offering according to the Commandment of Moses on the sabbath so ye that be chief Magistrates like Solomon that will have your sabbaths and bring not your offering ye must offer and so deny Christ come in the flesh the Covenant of God and the rest of his people for ye which makes such ado about sabbaths and persecuting others about sabbaths Neh. 10. see what was there The shew-bread continual meat-offerings continual burnt-offerings of the sabbaths and new Moons set Feasts so you that will have sabbaths must have the Jewish Law and the burnt-offerings and to maintain them else all people will laugh at you to cry up the one and not the other viz. the meat-offerings and burnt-offerings And was not those offerings held up by the Authority the higher Power so well as the sabbath the meat-offerings and burnt offerings so if ye hold up the one ye must hold up the other and so deny Christ come in the flesh And see in Ezek. 46. 4. The burnt-offerings that the Princes shall offer unto the Lord on the sabbath day shall be six Lambs without blemish and the meat-offering shall be an Ephah for a Ram c. Now here is the Princes work the Rulers and Magistrates that cry up a sabbath to offer six Lambs burnt-offerings c. so now ye Princes ye Magistrates ye Rulers where is your Lambs without blemish a figure of Christ to offer on the sabbath dayes which was a figure of Christ likewise a figure of the rest And why ye Magistrates and Teachers why have have ye the sabbath and not the offerings why not the one as well as the other What a doubting and discontented Religion is this and Jumbled and confused to take part and leave part so the Sabbath day and the Princes offering the Lambs upon it was before Christ came in the flesh A figure as ye may read and this is for the Magistrates and Princes that persecutes others about the Sabbath and yet they themselves do not according to the Sabbaths commands and Ordinances to bring the Rams and Lambs Jesus went up and down teaching on the Sabbath day the Apostles went up and down teaching on the sabbath day and we never read that the Jews and the Magistrates did persecute them which was the seventh day And they travelled up and down on the first day of the week which the Apostate Christians have given it the name of a sabbath day but have no Scripture for it we never find that they were fined and prisoned about the worship of God and service that they did on the seventh dayes or the sabbath dayes or the first dayes And do not the Jews persecute the Christians for not observing their offerings and their sabbath dayes Therefore saith the Apostle Let no man Judge you in meats and drinks or in respect of sabbath days for the body is Christ he was the substance for the will worshippers and intruders intrude into these things which they never saw but neglect the body and hold not the head But to the satisfying of the flesh run to the observing of dayes and so the flesh would live in the shadowes and not hold the head there is the worship and worshippers of Angels And ye never read that the Apostles spake to the Gentiles to bid them observe a sabbath and keep a sabbath we never read that any was persecuted for doing the thing that was good on the first day the eighth day after the sabbath But we read that they were stoned to death and put to death for working upon the sabbath day which is the seventh day which ye keep Markets and Fairs on and on that day doth most work And when there was a controversie amongst the Romans about dayes the Apostle saith one man esteems one day above another another esteems every day alike let every man therefore be fully perswaded in his own mind Mark here ye Teachers Professors and ye Magistrates the Apostle doth not tell ye that ye should fine him or imprison him but let every man be fully perswaded in his own mind And he that regardeth a day reregardeth it unto the Lord and he that regardeth not the day to the Lord regardeth it not see Rom. 14. 5. 6. Likewise he that eateth eateth to the Lord for he giveth God thanks and he that eateth not to the Lord he eateth not and giveth God thanks But why dost thou Judge thy brother and set him at nought about eating and about dayes And so we say to the Magistrates and Professors why do ye fine your Brethren about dayes Why do you Judge them and set them at nought let us not Judge therefore one another but rather judge that we put not a stumbling block before our brethren For the Kingdom of God stands not in meats and drinks nor in shadowes but in righteousness peace and joy in the holy Ghost now it cometh not with observation But follow the things of God which makes for peace and edifies which are out of shadowes and ends them And he that man or woman that doth esteem one day above another day must not judge him that doth not esteem a day and he that doth not regard a day but esteems every day alike must not judge him that doth esteem a day what first day sabbath day all alike must not such a man be fined and imprisoned or woman by that man that esteems one day above another Nay for the Doctrine is that every man be fully perswaded in his own mind and not to judge one another about dayes for the body is Christ And he that is come to him is come to the Wisdom of God that was before dayes was Ye observe dayes saith the Apostle Gal. 4. and Moneths and times years c. I am afraid of you least I have bestowed upon you labour in vain What is not the Apostles labour Epistles all
bestowed on you in vain that observe days and persecuce others that will not observe dayes Did not the Apostles tell the Galatians that they were bewitched that went into Circumcision and observation of dayes and Monthes and years And what are not all you bewitched now that observe dayes and Monthes and years And the Apostles labour is in vain on ye all bestowed and his Epistles Now if ye say that John was in the Island Pathmos upon the Lords day tell me which is not the Lords day whether first second third or fourth c. whether all be not the Lords dayes Now if ye say the Saints met together on the first day of the week which Christ rise on we own that and so we do meet together on that day Acts 20. 7. 1. Cor. 6. 2. but the Apostles did to give a Law that the first day of the week should be called a sabbath and they should be fined and imprisned that laboured in the thing that was good needful things now if ye call it a sabbath then ye must be crossed as the Jews was if ye make an idol of it The Lord God in his power to the exalting of his Son who is the rest of his people will confound your sabbath which ye have made and invented who calls the first day sabbath and say they must do no work that day and yet many of ye will hardly go to your worship on that day without horses drawing of you in your Coaches And your Cooks labour that day and dresseth meat for money on that day But if any man open his shop that day he must be fined or imprisoned which is for meat too and for money now what confusion is this Is not the Cook working for money the other working for mony all one And the porters working for mony by carrying people in their Sedans to their worship and have not the Parliament sat on the first day which ye call the sabbath day to do the Nations work Therefore now that people should be so scrupling calling the first day sabbath day wch is not proper And how many hundreds of pouuds hath been taken from the people called Quakers for travelling to their meetings on the first day and how many 100 1. doth your Priests get on that day and have as much for that dayes work to maintain their families the whole week is not that his shop and Market day which the Apostate Christians calls sabbath who have had their goods taken away horses taken away hundreds of pounds worth for their going to meetings to the worship and service of God and no where in the Scripture it doth speak that the first day of the week is the sabbath day nor gives it that name Nor did they give forth Ordinances that they should be fined and imprisoned and their goods strained for going to meetings on that day or if any one did other things on that day Which some of your Tradsmen may labour and get money on the first day your sabbath day and others must not Dresse meat for money and others must not sell meat for money which be things that be necessary and commendable And therefore if one thing be tollerated and yet do not another ye transgresse your own sabbath they were not the Jews to gather their meat on that day ye gather your meat on that day They were not to make fire on the sabbath ye make a fire on your sabbath They were nor to bear a burthen on that day ye are carrying burdens your women in their Sedans running up and down with your meat from the Cookes shops and drawing of your Coaches up and down about the streets that people can sometimes hardly passe up and down for them so the seventh day was the sabbath day where the Ordinance of God was that no manner of work was to be done on it The first day Christ rise on who ended the Jews sabbath and that Covenant and was the substance of that figure to the whole Creation to the man-servant and maid-servant and stranger And the Christians that believed in him Christ that rose on the first day of the week they met together on the first day Christ rise on he appeared amongst them though there is more in that and so they Apostles did not give forth a Law that they should judge one another about dayes or that they should fine one another about such things he that did esteem all dayes alike and he that did esteem one day above another they should live in peace For one that was not come through dayes and he that was come to see the end of dayes every one must stand or fall to this own Master the Spirit that made them free Christ that made them free and not to Judge or lay a stumbling block before his Brother As the hard-hearted Christians now will fine and imprison one another about dayes They that do observe a day one above another they will Judge and fine and imprison them that account every day alike and so they will not let him stand or fall to this own Master and will not own the Apostles Doctrine but throw it away who saith they should not Judge one another about the such things So all Friends of the Lord God that be moved to set open your shops or do any work on the first day which the false Christians call their Sabbath and yet break it and not keep it as a Sabbath contrary to Scriptures Do not ye Judge all as do not as ye do that be not moved to do the service as ye are to do that day And all that doth not do that service on that day as ye do as are not moved by the power of the Lord God do not Judge them that doth such a service on that day But all dwell in the power of God that ends the shadows that ye may feel one another in that which will confound the world which is run into the witch-craft in observing of dayes times months years as Christ-mass Michael-mass Lammass Candle-mass c. and in which ye may have Unity The Apostles did not Command such things but they invented them since the Apostles dayes and persecute one another about them such as would not observe them but remained in the Apostles Doctrine and observe it Therefore now who are come into the power of God the Apostles were in and come to fathome the false church the beast the false prophets Anti-christ the Dragon and his authority false prophet false church lawes and authority fathoming this by the power of God and come to see the true Church coming out of the Wilderness and the Lambs Marriage witness the time that the Apostles were in seen and the life and power enjoyed and substance as they did possess which brings to the beginning before dayes was in which is no shadow Anne Goula Robert Hasle Humphrey Bache Mary Web. Daniel Baker PAul told the Counsel the Magistrates when