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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
opinion_n	day_n	lord_n	sabbath_n	2,064	5	10.0311	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A53192	The doctrine of the Fourth Commandement, deformed by popery, reformed & restored to its primitive purity wherein is clearely proved by Scripture, arguments, and reasons, that the seventh day of the week, and not the first, viz. the day called Saturday (and not the day called Sunday) is the true Christian Sabbath ... / objections answered, and the truth cleared, by Gods unworthy servant, J.O.	Ockford, James.	1650 (1650)	Wing O128AA; ESTC R41358	35,090	80

Iohn 12.26 1 Iohn 2.6 5. The Apostle Paul kept it and other Christians Acts 13.14 15 16 37 42 43 44 chap. 16.13 14. chap. 17.2 and we are to imitate them 2 Cor. 11.1 Phil. 3.17 Heb. 6.12 Blessed is the man that doth this and the sonne of man which layeth hold on it and keepeth the Sabbath from polluting of it Isay 56.3 4 5 6. CHAP. V. Severall Authors produced which affirme the Church changed the Sabbath and why they did it 2. Three Reasons given to manifest when it was done 3. Answers given to severall texts of Scripture urged to prove the first day of the weeke to be of a divine Institution 4. Four Reasons given to manifest it is not of a divine Institution EVident it is that in some tract of time after the death of the Apostles the Romish Church layd aside the duty of the seventh day-Sabbath and observed the first day of the weeke instead of it Of this Socrates gives us notice lib. 5. chap. 21. Where speaking of Customes he saith Though in manner all Christian Churches throughout the whole world doe celebrate and receive the holy misteries every Sabbath day after other Yet the people inhabiting Alexandria and Rome of an old tradition doth not use it The Aegyptians adjoyning to Alexandria together with the Inhabitants of Thebaes use to celebrate on the Sunday c. 2. Mr. Brabourn in the defence of the Sabbath against the ten Ministers page 481 declares out of the Centuries Centure 4. chap. 6. page 477. layeth it down thus There was no Ecclesiasticall or Church Assemblies at Rome as there was at other Churches c. 3. Iustin Martyr living in Rome in the yeare 150. Apol. 2. saith Vpon the Sunday all of us assemble in the Congregation c. See Dr. Hylyn on the Sabbath part 2 chap. 2 sect 6. 4. Athenasius saith The observation of the Lords day was taken up by a voluntary usage in the Church as Dr. Hylyn in his history on the Sabbath declareth part 2. chap 1. Sect. 3. page 8. 5. Mr. Perkins on Gal 4. verse 10. speaking of the superstition of the popish Church in observation of holy dayes saith First besides the Lords day they appointed many other Sabbaths c 6. Mr. Calvin in his Institutions lib. 2. chap 8. sect 33. saith The old Fathers not without choyce of their owne put in place of the Sabbath the day we call Sunday c. And a little after exhorteth us to follow the order by the Church apointed c. 7. Bullenger in his Book of godly Sermons page 140. saith They of the Primitive Church did change the Sabbath day least peradventure they should have seemed to imitate the Jewes and still to have retained their orders and ceremonie and made their assemblies and holy meetings on the first day of Sabbaths to wit the first day of the weeke called Sunday 8. John Frith Declare Bapt. page 96 saith Our Fathers which were in the beginning of the Church did abrogate the Sabbath to the intent that Christians might have an example of Christian Liberty and that they might know that neither the keeping of the Sabbath nor any other day is necessary That a day should be reserved in that the people might come together to heare the Word of God they ordained instead of the Sabbath which was Saturdy the next day following and although they might have kept Saturday with the Jewes as a thing indifferent yet did they much better to over set the day to a perpetuall memory that we are free and not bound to any day but that we may doe any worke to the pleasure of God and the profit of our Neighbour c. See Dr. White on the Sabbath page 5. 9. Mr. Tindals answer to Dr. Moore chap. 25. thus saith We be Lords over the Sabbath and may change it to munday or any other day as we see need or may make every tenth day holy day if we see cause why we may make two every weeke if it were expedient and one not enough to teach the people Neither was there any cause to change it from the Saturday then to put difference between us and the Jewes least we should become servants to the day after their superstition As Dr. White hath it Ibid. page 5. 10. Vrsinus on the Catti part 3. page 989. saith The Apostolicall Church to distinguish its selfe from the Jewish Synagogue c. Hath on good reason made choyce of the first day c. 11. Dr. Willet in his Comment on Exod. chap. 20. page 360. saith The Apostolique Church changed the holy day of rest from the seventh day to the first which is the Lords day in remembrance of our redemption by Christ 12. Dr. White on the Sabbath page 109. thus saith Although the Sunday or Lords day in the time of the Law was an ordinary working-day yet in the time under the Gospel the same is an holy day by a perpetuall Ordinance of the Catholique Church And in pag. 212 he saith It is apparent that Christian people made the Lords day of every week an ordinary Holy-day c. See also Dr. Prideaux on the Sabbath pag. 24. Sect. 6. I hasten and shall take further occasion to manifest by larger Testimonies that the first day of the weeke is not of a Divine Institution but an Ordinance of the Church But first I will briefly describe the time when it was done as near as I can I confesse I have not met with any Author which hath pointed out the time except Mr. Brabourne who in defence of the Sabbath pag. 485. speaking of the Counsell held at Laodicea Anno 364. he saith now the Sabbath began to be rejected and the Lords day to be set up as the sole Sabbath without any other Now saith he the Lords day must forsooth be preferred above the Sabbath c. Mr. Perkins in his Exposition on the Revelation Chap. 1. vers 10. moveth a question to know who changed the Jewish Sabbath and then his answer is thus It is commonly thought saith he the Jewish Sabbath was changed into the Lords day by Christian Emperours long after the Ascension of Christ c. I doe not much dissent from these mens apprehensions for there is much truth no doubt in both their expressions yet I am not fully of of their opinions for indeed I conceive it was first contrived yea and concluded on inclusively though not expressed in the first Nicen Counsell Anno 326. or thereabout and my Reasons are three The first Reason is because before that Counsell there was not any Law which commanded Christians to keep the first day of the week in performance of Religious worship neither before that time were Christians commanded to forbear labour on the Lords day But this was done by the Emperour Constantine his Edict after the Counsell was dissolved Eusebius in the life of Constant Lib. 4. Chap. 18.19 The second Reason is because after that Counsell was dissolved Constantine sent

affirm that Dr. Rivet one of the four Professours in Leyden doth affirm that the appointing of the Lords day for Gods publicke service was neither done by God himselfe nor by his Apostles but by the authority of the Church 18. Dr. Hylyn saith The Emperour Constantine was the first that made any law for the keeping of the Lords day see his History on the Sabbath part 2. chap. 3. sect 1. And again ibid. part 2. chap. 1. sect 3. speaking of Christ and of the Sabbath saith Neither did Christ nor his Apostles ordain another Sabbath instead of this as if they had intended onely to shift the day and to transferre this honour to another time their doctrine and their practice are directly contrary to so new a fancy It is true saith he in some tract of time the Church in honour to his Resurrection did set apart that day on which he rose to holy exercise but this on their own authority and without any warrant from above that we heare of 19. Muskulous in his Book of Common places fol. 66. thus saith We Christian men leaving the Jewes Sabbath doe keepe our holy rest upon the first day c. 20. Know also what the originall Actors or Authors of changing the Lords holy Sabbath to the first day of the week in the Remish Annotations on Apocalips chap. 1. verse 10. saith If the Church had authority and inspiration from God to make Sunday being a working day an everlasting holy day and the Saturday which was before a holy day now a common working day Why may not the same Church prescribe and appoint the other Feasts Easter Whitsuntide Christmas and the rest for the same warrant she had for the one that she had for the other c. I need not produce larger testimony to demonstrate who it was that abolished the Lords seventh day-Sabbath or who it was that instituted the first day of the week in its stead but that which is already said doth sufficiently declare who were the originall Authors of it and of all other superstitious holy dayes to the dishonour of God and the destruction of the world without Gods especiall and abundant mercy But blessed be God we have yet time to fly unto the Lord for mercy and to conforme our selves to the obedience of his will and let it be our comfort he is abundantly pardonfull Isa 55.6.7 James 1.21 To be short as it is well known the Church changed the Sabbath to the first day of the weeke so also it is known and acknowledged the Church hath power to change the day to some other day For Dr. Prideaux in his Book of the Sabbath page 34. affirmes that Calvin Bullinger Bucerius Brentius Chimnitius Vrsinus and others of the reformed Churches still affirmes the Church hath power to change the Lords day to some other day Yea happy shall the Church be that worshippeth God according to his Law and giveth him his due by placing on the seventh day the honour which God requireth to be performed on it which hath been taken from it this 1300. yeares for greatly hath God been dishonoured by mens consecrating the first day of the week to be a holy rest instead of the Sabbath seeing God never instituted it nor commanded it to be and therefore I say with Dr. Prideaux on the Sabbath page 22 sect 7. The institution of the Lords day out of the Scripture either expresly or by necessary consequence shew me he that can As I have disavowed That the honour due to God on the seventh day-day-Sabbath to be placed on the first day of the week called Sunday or Lords day or Sabbath as mens opinions leads them So I doe disavow the Title of the Lords day properly to belong to the first day of the week and therefore I say very improperly are the words of St. John Revel 1.10 applied to it for there is no such thing there manifested in the Text that the Apostle had any such meaning Yea I say there is no more reason that that Title should be given to the first day of the week the day of our Saviours Resurrection than to the day of his Birth Death or Ascension unlesse because it was anciently given to it or else because men will have something to credit that which they will have Honourable Ignatius calling it by the name of the Lords Day proves not that that Title is due to it by a Divine institution no more than his bringing in of Anthemes into the Church doth prove that it was of a Divine institution Socrat. Lib. 6 Chap. 8. Yea I say there is more reason to be given that St. John meant the seventh day of the week rather than the first because it was knowne by name the Lords day Isa 58.13 Exod. 20.11 But the first day of the week was never knowne by that name Yet I doe not say that St. John spake of that day neither but of the day of Christ or time of his Reign in Power and Glory or of the day or time of Judgment 2 Thes 2.2 2 Pet. 2.9 1 Cor 5.5 who being in the Spirit saw it in his Vision as if the day had been present What if the Roman Church hath and doth observe the first day of the week in remembrance of our Saviours Resurrection as they doe the Wednesday in remembrance that he was betrayed and the Friday in remembrance of his Passion Ought we therefore to follow their vain Idolatrous custome and tradition in these things Oh no we ought not for certainly God doth not require these things at our hands neither by Law nor Gospel If this which hath been said in this Subject will not satisfie men viz. that it is our duty to rest the seventh day to wit Saturday and worship God on it which is Gods Sabbath Exod. 20.9 10 11. As also that it is our duty to work the first day of the week called Sunday let it be proved either by Law or Gospel that it is our duty to work Saturday and to rest Sunday If this none can doe I affirme to the honour of God and the advancement of his Holy Law and for the beating off of all unrighteous and ungodly intrenching upon the Lords Holy Sabbaths and for the awaking of all those out of errour which would not willingly perish in it and to reduce all that love Gods Law to the due obedience of it I affirme that it is as great a sinne to observe the first day of the week in stead of the seventh as it is to worship an Image in stead of the true God For to doe the one is contrary to the Second Commandement of Gods Law and to doe the other is contrary to the fourth Commandement of the same Law It being so I desire my Brethren my Friends yea and all men to consider of this which condemneth Idolatry and yet justifieth themselves in a weekly trangression of the Lords seventh day-Sabbaths that they may cease to doe evill and learn

God in the state of innocency when there was but one estate of men therefore enjoyneth the Gentiles aswell as the Jewes So that all Magistrates all House-holders were commanded to constraine all strangers as well as their own subjects and familie to observe the Holy Sabbath c. I will forbeare to produce further Testimony of men the Word or Law of God is sufficient to teach the godly minded their duty therefore obey it and keep holy the Sabbath day to wit the seventh day and not a seventh day as many men doe thinke that if they keepe a seventh day they performe that duty which God requireth of them by the Morall Law although they keep not the 7th day successively from the Creation a great mistake For surely as God hath not given men liberty to worship in what they please neither hath God given them liberty to omit their duty of the seventh dayes rest and worship when they please but they are to doe that when he hath appointed and commanded it which indeed is the seventh day called Saturday the last day of the week which day God blessed and sanctified for men to performe publique worship on it as hath been shewn Errour therefore it is to say we obey Gods Law if we keep one day in seven if it be not the seventh day commanded in the Law Againe no man can account the first day of the week to be a seventh day unlesse men will presumptuously crosse the order of Gods appointment and overslip the first day of the worlds Creation and what warrant is there in Gods Word for mortall men so to doe let all rationall men judge Unlesse men doe so they cannot by any account conclude that the first day of the week is or can be a seventh day and therefore in observing it for a Sabbath they stand not firme to their own Principle by keeping one day in 7. seeing it is the 8. day in relation to the Creation and therefore it cannot properly be said to be one day in seven If men will refuse to keep their Sabbath on the seventh day which day God hath appointed and commanded by his holy Law and will keep one day in seven according to Gods placeing the dayes in the week and stand firm to their own Principle then they are to keep the sixth day of the week called Friday as Turkes doe or else some day or other before it if the day be left to their owne choise The Errour of this opinion may also thus appeare God commanded the Israelites to Circumcise their male children on the eighth day Gen 17.12 Had they obeyed Gods Law and performed their duty had they overslipt the first day and circumcised the ninth and accounted it for the eighth if necessity forced them not thereto certainely they had not neither could they properly have said they Circumcised one day in eight nor the eighth day Even so it now standeth with mens observation of the first day of the week for the seventh day which indeed in order from the Creation is the eight and therefore they which observe it keep one day after seven and not one day in seven The like instance I will give concerning the command of God given to the Israelites for their Eating of the Passeover on the fourteenth day of the first Month Exod. 12. Had they eaten it the fifteenth day whether had they obeyed Gods Law where necessity hindreth not certainly they had not Even so it standeth with mens observing the first day in stead of the seventh or Sunday in stead of Saturday Let wise men take this into their consideration for indeed men doe deceive themselves to thinke they obey Gods Law if they keep one day in seven accounting it the equitie of the fourth Commandement which thing indeed is not in observing the first day of the week which according to godly order is the eighth day and therefore mens practise in this particular hath neither sound nor sence for to be the equitie of the fourth Commandement If men will keep a Sabbath or day of rest according to the Equitie of the fourth Commandement then they are to keep it on the seventh day which God commandeth Exod. 20.8 9 10 11. for that indeed is the equitie of the fourth Commandement and not keeping a day of rest either before or after the seventh day for men so to doe is meer will-worship a thing forbidden by the Apostle Colos 2.20 21 22 23. Againe we shall never finde in any of the Evangelists or Apostles writings that ever the Law of the Sabbath was repealed or that ever it should be transferred to the first day of the week or that ever the first day of the week was a Sabbath or should be observed in stead of the Sabbath by Christians Well saith Dr. Prideaux in this point in the Doctrine of the Sabbath pag. 24. sec 6. Our Saviour saith he oft times disputed with the Pharisees of the * Sabbath day and many times explained the meaning of that Commandement But where is there any of the least suspition of his abrogating it Where any mention that the Lords day was instituted in the place thereof Well saith he Christ ascended up on high and left behind him his Apostles and what did they did they not keep the Jewish Sabbath without noise or scruple and gladly teach the people congregated on the Sabbath dayes * Mat. 12. Mark 2. Luke 6. Joon 5. Answerable unto this Dr White saith On the Sabbath the Apostles and likewise many successions of the Apostles for many ages at least 300. yeares kept holy the Saterday of every week in some Churches Yea Socrates lib. 6 cap. 8. declareth That some Christians after 400 yeares observed the Sabbath weekly with the first day of the weeke Mr Perkins saith on Gal. 4.10 Some men both godly and learned are of an opinion that the first day of the week was appointed by the Apostles for order sake c. It seemes saith he a truth more probable that every seventh day of the weeke must be set a part in holy rest unto God for this is the substance of the fourth Commandement c. That the seventh day-Sabbath is to be observed in the time of the Gospel as it was in the time of the Law I will briefly give five Reasons The first is because it was given to man in his Innocency Gen. 2.2 3. and therein to all the world to wit to the Gentiles as well as to the Jewes this truth is confessed by Mr. Ainsworth in his Annotations Exod. 31.17 As also by Baily in the Practice of Piety pag. 258 259. And also by Dod on the fourth Commandement pag. 125 127. 2. Because it is commanded by a divine and positive law Exod 20. 3. Because God rested on the seventh day and blessed and sanctified it for us to rest after his example Exod. 20.11 Ephes 5.1 4. Our Saviour kept the Sabbath Luke 4.16 31. Mark 6.2 and we are to imitate him

to doe well Isa 1.16 17. For their obtaining of grace here and glory hereafter For the worke of Righteousnesse is Peace and the effect of Righteousnesse is quietnesse and assurance for ever Isa 32.17 And so I conclude with the saying of Solomon Eccles 12.13 14. Let us heare the conclusion of all Fear God and keep his Commandements it is the whole duty of man CHAP. VI. A refutation of the opinion of those which affirm there is no Sabbath day whereon Christians are to abstain from corporall labour As also their saying that holy walking every day is the keeping of the Christian Sabbath I Shall not need to be large in this particular by reason I have already proved that the seventh day to wit Saterday is the Sabbath which Christians ought to keep holy to the Lord and to abstain from servill work on it therefore I shall be brief These men following the generall notion that the seventh day Sabbath is abrogated and finding no other day instituted in the new Testament in its stead for a day of publick worship they conclude all dayes are alike to those that are in Christ and no one day to be observed above another apprehending the Apostle affords them such a liberty Rom. 14.6 From whence they infer they are not oblieged to the observation of the seventh dayes Sabbath but that they have liberty to doe common work thereon Great is their errour herein the Lord disclose it unto them for doubtlesse the Apostles meaning was farre from theirs for they shall never be able to prove that ever the Apostle gave Christians liberty to walk in disobedience to the morall law the docalogue And therefore it cannot be that where the Apostle saith he that observeth a day observeth it to the Lord and he that observeth not the day obserueth it not to the Lord That he spake of rhe seventh day-Sabbath there is not a word of any such thing nor any sound of any such meaning that the Apostle had And therefore it must be that he spake of observing a day for acting common or indifferent things and not in keeping the Sabbath or not keeping of it and that for the avoiding of these absurdities If the seventh day-Sabbath be abrogated and no other day of rest instituted in its stead then there is one holy day lesse then God in the beginning instituted and one working day more a very absurd thing for any so to affirme Yea that which followeth thereon is worse viz. That God is lesse mercifull to man and beast since our Saviour suffered death then he was before In that before he suffered death hee afforded man and beast a day of rest to refresh their bodies after their wearisome and toylsome labour And since he came and suffered death he hath not afforded them any at all These things suiteth not with Gods ordering providence therefore to say there is no day of rest is an errour These men doe also apprehend the seventh day-Sabbath figured out to us faith in Christ Hebr. 4.3 because the Apostle saith We which have believed doe enter into rest From whence they conclude that when men beleeve they have that sanctification in Christ of which the Sabbath was a signe If it be granted or if it could be proved that the seventh day-Sabbath was a signe of our sanctification in Christ It will not therefore follow that when men beleeve they are discharged from the duty of observing it unlesse it can be proved a ceremoniall precept also the reason is because a sign properly or simply differeth from a ceremony and that shall thus appeare Ceremoniall Sabbaths spoken of Levit. 23 Col. 2.16 17. which God gave to the Isralites to be a signe that the Lord sanctified them Exod. 31.13 Ezek. 20.12 being signes and ceremonies was taken away by Christ and nailed to his Crosse of this kinde of signes was Circumcision Gen. 17.11 and the Passover Exod. 12.13 But signes which were not ceremoniall being given of God remaineth to the end of the world Gen. 1.14 chap. 9.13 Mat. 24.29 And in this sence indeed the seventh dayes-Sabbath is a signe Exod 31.17 But not as a signe in relation to a figurative ceremony Again the seventh dayes-Sabbath which was given to be a signe that God made Heaven and Earth in six dayes c. was wrought in Tables of stone But the Sabbath which was given to be a signe that the Lord sanctified them was not Therefore although these Sabbaths were abrogated it is no argument to prove the other was abrogated also Secondly These men which will have no Sabbath in that sence which the fourth Commandement requireth namely to abstaine from servile labour on the seventh day doe apprehend their ceasing from sinne and growing in grace every day is the true keeping of the Christian Sabbath and not ceasing from labour any one day if it cannot with conveniency be omitted Answ I doe very well approve of a holy walking every day both for mortifying of sin and grouth in godlinesse and doe heartily desire there may be a daily progresse therein by us all But I must tell them as the truth is their holy devotion in the way they intend doth not discharge them of any duty that God requirerh of them by his Holy Law the Decalogue and willing I am that they should know it to And therefore I desire to know of them whether Gods people before Christ suffered death were not to walke holy every day as well as we If yea as doubtlesse they did But had they omitted the duty of the seventh dayes rest could they have been said to have walked holy every day Oh no they could not Even so it standeth with men ever since our Savtours death for the same Law which bound the Israelites to keep a holy rest on the seventh day bindeth Christians now as hath been shewn pag. 34. 35. Therefore surely men doe deceive themselves to thinke they walk holy every day when they doe directly contrary to the Law of God on the seventh day Yea I say albeit they cannot find any of the ancient six working dayes instituted nor commanded in the Gospel to be a day for performance of publick worship yet they may find Gods ancient Sabbath in the Law where he commandeth them to keep the seventh day holy unto the Lord whereon they are not to doe servile work Exod. 20. Deut. 5. It being so I desire that we may imploy it in his worship and service and not after our owne wills either for pleasure or profit but that we call the Sabbath a delight to consecrate it as glorious to the Lord and honour him not doing our owne wayes nor seeking our owne wills nor speaking a vaine word This is the Sabbath to be observed Isa 58.13 And this let us doe for whosoever keepeth the whole Law and faileth in one point is guilty of all Jam. 2.10 11. Mat. 5.19 Yea certaine it is Whosoever turneth away his eare from hearing the Law his Prayer