Commandment and other Writers about the Sabbath That this Commandment begins with Remember to keep Holy the Sabbath-day or the day of Rest not the Seventh day much less the Seventh day of the Week from the first Creation And what is that day of Rest the next Words tell us Six days shalt thou labour but the Seventh is the Sabbath c. That is after Six days of Labour the Seventh shall be a day of Rest. And in the close of that Commandment Ex. 20. 11. our Bibles have it wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath-Sabbath-day not as we commonly repeat it the Seventh day and hallowed it The Reason given to inforce it is For in Six days the Lord made Heaven and Earth c. and rested the Seventh day and accordingly should we after Six days of Work have a Seventh day of Rest and so onward If he thinks that to make a difference that we now reckon our Weeks to begin with the day of Rest and after that Six Working days which in a continued Circulation comes all to one I will allow that Gentleman if that will please him better to begin the Week on Monday and then Sunday will be the Seventh The Commandment says nothing of the Seventh day of the Week in a continued Succession from the Creation but the Seventh day after Six days of Labour And whereas he observes and would lay great weight upon it that it is hashebigni the Seventh the article ha answering to our the not a Seventh 'T is very true and very proper so to be For the meaning is not that after Six days of Labour there should be a Seventh for Rest no matter when but the Seventh day that is the next day after those Six But it is not said the Seventh in Course from the Creation Just as when it is said a Male-Child is to be Circumcised the Eighth day it is not meant of an Eighth day in Course from the Creation but the Eighth day from the Birth And in like manner Ex. 12. 16. In the Seventh day there shall be a Holy Convocation it is not meant of the Seventh day of the Week from the Creation but on the Seventh day of the Feast of unleavened Bread what ever day of the Week that happen to be And Exod. 16. 5 25. The Sixth and Seventh day there mentioned seem plainly to be not the Sixth and Seventh in course from the Creation which I doubt was not then known but from the first raining of Manna ver 4 5. He 'll say perhaps The Jews observed such Seventh day from the Creation and that was their Sabbath But that is more than he or I know or any man living They had I grant a Circulation of Seven days but from what Epocha we cannot tell And when Moses tells them on the Sixth day Ex. 16. 23. Tomorrow is the Rest of the Holy Sabbath It seems to be the fixing of a new Epocha from the first raining of Manna and then all his Arguments from the continual Observation of the Seventh day from the Creation till that time are at an end Whether this from the first raining of Manna be the same with that from the Creation no man can tell And there is Six to One odds that it is not Now that there is a new Course of Sabbath from a new beginning whereof this Seventh day from the first raining of Manna is the First and not a continuation of a former Course hitherto observed without interruption seems farther evident from this consideration Because if this were but a continuation of that uninterrupted Course of Sabbaths then the next Seventh day before it would have been a Sabbath also and to have been in like manner observed that is the next day before the first raining of Manna But on that day we find Exod. 16. 12 13. the Quails came up and covered the Camp without any Prohibition to gather them If therefore they might not now gather Manna because it was the Sabbath but might before gather Quails it should seem that was not a Sabbath And if it be not allowed upon occasion to fix a new Epocha then if the Circulation of Weeks from the beginning of the World which was then about 2500 years old did ever chance to have been interrupted and the day forgotten as in all likelyhood it might be in Egypt if not long before or if ever after it should chance so to be as in the days of Iosiah when the Book of the Law was lost and the Pass-over forgotten men must never keep a Sabbath thenceforth For then all his own Arguments return upon him No other day is Commanded 't is Will-worship no Promise to the Observance no Threatning for the Neglect I should rather think if that day were unknown as I believe it is Any day were better than None at all For Gods Commands do more respect the Substance of the Duty than the Circumstance of Time especially if they cannot both be had Circumcision was to be Administred on the Eighth day according to the Institution I do not mean the Eighth day of the Week but the Eighth day of the Childs Age and therefore on the same day of the Week on which the Child was Born But if by Accident or Default it were omitted it might be done any day after rather than not at all Abraham we know was 99 years old and Ismael 13 when they were Circumcised and what was the Age of other Males in Abraham's Family we cannot tell and a Proselyte at any Age was to be Circumcised though perhaps it were not remembred on what day of the Week he was Born and those who were born in the Wilderness for Forty years together were all Circumcised at once Iosh. 5. 4 5 9. though not all born on the same day of the Week The Pass-over was appointed to be eaten standing with their Loyns girt their Shoes on their feet and their Staffs in their hand as in hast to be gone Ex. 12. Yet our Saviour seemeth to have Eaten it Sitting or rather Lying And none of them were to stir out of doors till morning Ex. 12. 22. Yet Christ and his Disciples went out the same night to the mount of Olives and thence to Gethsemane Mat. 26. 30 36. The Shew-bread was to be eaten by the Priests only yet our Saviour observes that David did eat of it on a special occasion without blaming him for so doing The Rechabites are commended Ier. 31. for obeying the Command of Ionathan their Father not to drink Wine nor build Houses but to dwell in Tents c. Yet did they upon Nebuchadnezzar's Invasion quit their Tents and repair to Ierusalem nor is it reputed a Disobedience The Paschal Lamb was to be kill'd the Fourteenth day of the First Month at Evening Yet if we consider how little knowledge they had in those days of the Sun and Moons motions and if we consider what the Jewish Writers tell us of their very uncertain Method of judging which
was the First Month and which the Fourteenth day of that Month we shall find they were at great uncertainties as to the just day yet was not the Service thereof to be neglected upon pretense there was danger of missing the right day For they had not Almanacks in those days as we have now to tell us before hand when will be a New Moon But if we may believe the Jewish Writers their manner was about the time when they expected a New-Moon to send men to watch for it on the Top of some Hill or high Place and he who could first discover a New-Moon was to tell the Priest and he to blow the Trumpet to give the People notice that there was a New-Moon much like our Custom at Oxford at the time of the Assizes to set some on St. Maries Steeple to watch when the Judges are coming and then to Ring the Great Bell to give notice to those concerned that the Judges are at hand But in case of Cloudy Weather if in three days time from their first Expectation no man could see a New Moon they did then venture but not before to blow the Trumpet without seeing it which must needs cause a great uncertainty and the same Moon sooner seen at one place than at another and the Pass-over kept accordingly And t is manifest in the Story of our Saviours last Pass-over that he kept it on one day and the Jews on another perhaps he about a Fortnight before might see a New-Moon a day sooner than they did So great uncertainty there was at that time as to the particular day though the Institution was punctual for the Fourteenth day of the First Month. And the like uncertainty there was as to all their Feasts of New-Moons And even in our days when the Motions of the Sun and Moon are much better known than at that time they were we are far from being exact in point of time Our Rule for Easter is much the same with theirs for the Pass-over The Rule in general is this The Sunday next after the Fourteenth day of the First Month is to be Easter day But when we come to make particular application we do strangely miss of our Rule And our Paschal Tables which should direct us do put us farther out than if we had none at all For by reason that we take the length of our common year a little too long by about Eleven minutes of an hour and the length of our Months too long also since the time that those Tables were made 't is well known that the beginning of our Ecclesiastical First Month is Ten or Eleven days later than that of the Heavens and our Ecclesiastical New-Moons and Full-Moons is later by Four or Five days than those of the Heavens Whereby we do very often mistake the Month and yet oftner the true Week for keeping of Easter And though Pope Gregory the Eighth did somewhat more than an Hundred years ago somewhat rectify the Calendar yet both Papists and Protestants do observe some the Newer Gregorian and some the Older Iulian account and in the United Provinces of the Netherlands one Town observes one account and the next the other account and accordingly keep their Easters if at all at Three Four or Five Weeks distance And so for Christmas-day 'T is not agreed amongst Chronologers either what Year or what Month much less what day of that Month our Saviour was born yet wee keep December 25th in memory of his Birth as supposing him to have been then born Yea we are at so great uncertainty that we reckon the year 1692 from his Circumcision to begin the First of Ianuary but the same year as from his Conception not till the 25th of March next following as if his Birth and Circumcision had been a quarter of a year before his Conception And if we be now at so great an uncertainty in so short a Period as from the Birth of Christ I do not think the Jews could be punctual as to a day in observing their Pass-over and much less as to a day from the Creation of the World He 'l say perhaps that Easter and Christmas being of humane Institution it is not much matter though we miss the day nor much matter perhaps whether it be kept or no. Be it so But the Pass-over was of Divine Institution yet were they at a great uncertainty and might chance to miss more than a day or two yet was not the Duty to be therefore neglected The mistake of a Day was of much less concernment than the neglect of the Duty As was the Tithing of Mint and Annise than the weightier things of the Law These little Circumstances are but Shaddows in comparison of the Substance as the Comparison is Col. 2. 17. Which is not said to incourage any one to violate the Laws of God even in little things for we find God sometimes very severe even in such as in the Case of Uzzah's touching the Ark and Nadab and Ahihu's offering strange Fire for Reasons best known to himself of which we are not aware But onely to shew that the Substantials of a Duty are to be regarded more than Circumstantials and these upon occasion to give way to those And in such Cases if it were a fault the Prayer of Hezekiah 2 Chr. 30. 18. is to take place The good Lord pardon every one that prepareth his heart to seek God though he be not cleansed according to the Purification of the Sanctuary And his Service was accepted though as it is expresly noted they did eat the Pass-over otherwise than as it was written And in the Second Month in stead of the First And doubtless in the present case If we do not know as certainly we do not which is the First or Seventh day in a continual Circulation from the Creation it is much better to keep a Weekly Sabbath on any day of the Week whatever than to keep none at all and much more agreable to the true meaning of the Fourth Commandment All which is said partly by way of Caution not to be forward upon slight grounds to disturb the Peace and settled practise of the whole Christian Church at this day Partly to take off what he would have to be admitted but cannot be proved that the Seventh day in a continued Circulation of Weeks from the first Creation was observed as the Weekly Sabbath from the Creation to the Floud from thence to Abraham from thence to Israels coming out of Egypt and from thence till after the Resurrection of Christ. Which I think is impossible for any man to know And partly to satisfy what he objects from the Fourth Commandment Which saith indeed that there is to be a Rest on the Seventh day after Six days of Labour but not a Word of its being such Seventh day in a continual Circulation of Weeks from the Creation And therefore we are safe hitherto for ought I see But I 'le come up a little
nearer to him He may perhaps tell us though I do not find he doth that the Jews did certainly keep their Weekly Sabbath at the time of our Saviours death on what they called the Seventh day If not on the Seventh day of the Week from the Creation of which we can have no certainty at lest on the Seventh day of the Week as the Weeks were then reckoned which I readily grant him and that they had so done for a long time before and perhaps from the time of giving the Law on Mount Sinai And it may be so for ought I know but we cannot be certain And what was then called the First day of the Week was another day from what they called the Seventh which I admit also And that what they called the Seventh day is now what we call Saturday and what they called the First day is what we now call Sunday But this I say is more than he or I know He may think so and so do I but I am not sure of it The reason why I think so is because I think that Christ or his Apostles according to Christs direction did remove the observation of the Sabbath from the Seventh to the First day of the Week and that we have ever since kept the Sabbath as they did for I do not know that it hath been since altered and as we now keep it on Sunday so I believe they did and therefore think that our Sunday is what they called the First day And if the Apostles did then remove it from their Seventh day to their First day I presume they had direction from Christ so to do who after his Resurrection shewed himself to them for Fourty days giving Commandments to his Apostles speaking to them of things pertaining to the Kingdom of God Acts 1. 2 3. And therefore what they did afterwards in settling the Christian Church they did we are to presume according to such Directions and Commandments of Christ and this in particular of so removing the Observation of the Sabbath day if they did remove it as I think was done by his Authority who was Lord of the Sabbath day Matth. 12. 8. Luk. 6. 5. But if they did not so remove it I do not know that it hath since been changed For I think we keep the same Sabbath which they did and that the Christian Church hath ever since so done and doth pretend so to have done by a constant Tradition ever since And we therefore think our Sunday to be their First day of the Week because we think their Sabbath so to have been But if we mistake in that Tradition we are For ought I know accordingly mistaken in thinking Sunday to be their First day For we have nothing but Tradition for either And then for ought he can shew by better than Tradition to the Contrary our Sunday may be their Seventh day And then he hath no pretense to quarel with it If he say the Jews do at this day keep Saturday as their Seventh day I confess they do But they do no more know which is the Seventh day than we which is the First day And because they find that Christians generally take Sunday to be what was before called the First day they do accordingly take Saturday to be their Seventh day But their Tradition is of no greater Authority than ours All depending upon this that our Sunday being that Sabbath which we think Christ or his Appostles did appoint we take it to be the First day because Christ or his Apostles by Christs directions did remove the observation of the Sabbath to that day He 'l say perhaps I do not my self think our Sunday to be their Seventh day And then why should not our Sabbath be on Saturday as theirs was 'T is true I do not think our Sunday to be their Seventh day And I have told you the reason why I do not think it Because I think Christ or his Apostles did change the day and for that reason only And for the same reason I think our Sabbath should be as now it is and as I think it hath been ever since But if I be mistaken in it I may be mistaken in the other also But either way Sunday is yet to be our Sabbath He says It is no where expresly said in Scripture that the Apostles did thus change it True and 't is no where said in Scripture that our Sunday is not their Seventh day It may be the same for ought I know and for ought he knows if it were not then changed Though because I think the day was then changed I do therefore think it is not the same And if it were not changed then all the difference is that what they called the Seventh day of their Week we call the First day of our Week Which if the Author do not like he may call Monday the First day and then Sunday will be the Seventh as it was before But I say further There be many things even as to the Worship of God which we may reasonably think to have been done though it be not expresly said so but only to be collected by consequence from what is said 'T is no where said expresly that after the First Sabbath of God himself Gen. 2. 2. any other Sabbath was ever kept before that in Exod. 16. which was above Two Thousand and Five Hundred Years after Yet this Author would have us think it was observed all that while and that it was commanded so to be which yet is no where said expresly But a slight presumption it seems may serve his turn but not ours 'T is known that God was Worshiped by Sacrifices very early at least as early as that of Cain and Abel and that this Worship was accepted of God at least that of Abel And therefore I suppose this Author would have us think it was Commanded not a meer Will-worship without any Direction or Institution from God Yet we are no where told of any such Command or Institution We may say the like of Iacob's consecrating a Pillar by pouring Oyl upon it Gen. 28. 18. though we do not find mention before that time of any direction for any such Consecration of things or persons by Anointing or Pouring on of Oyl We have also reason to think there was some Command from God that the Fire for Incense should be taken from the Altar or somewhat of like nature else Nadab and Abihu would not have been destroyed for Offering strange Fire Yet we are no where told expresly of any such Command We have no particular Command that I know of for Baptizing of Infants nor any particular mention in Scripture of any such Baptized Yet I do not know that this Author would have us thence infer that none such were baptized or that they ought not so to be Nor have we any express mention of Womens receiving the other Sacrament nor any express Command for their so doing any more than for Females
times just at seven days distance And how do we know but that these three days were three Sabbath days Which though it be not a conclusive Argument is better than any that he brings For here we have three Intervals of seven days in these two Chapters But if a Weekly Sabbath were then kept 't is very strange that we should have no intimation of any such thing in the books of Moses before Israel's coming out of Egypt And much more that there is nothing of it in the Book of Iob. And that none of his friends amongst the many charges they bring against him should never object his Neglect of the Sabbath or want of due observance thereof Which being so plausible an objection it seems more likely that a Sabbath was not then wont to be observed for which he hath so very little to shew And by what we have Iob 1. 4. It should seem that Iob's Seven Sons kept Feasting each in his own day for Seven days together without any mention of a Sabbath intervening Nor was it a Religious Feast but a Feast of mirth and jollity such as made Iob suspicious lest they might sin and curse God in their heart v. 5. And therefore he offer'd propitiatory Sacrifices for them continually or as the Margin tells us it is in the Hebrew all the days that is every of these Seven days As little a matter will serve his turn to prove p. 43. that Christs Ascension was and his coming to Iudgment is to be on a Saturday or Seventh-day-Sabbath Because it is said Acts 1. 12. that Mount Olivet whence he ascended is from Ierusalem a Sabbath-days Iourney But he tells us that by no account that he can make can he assign the Ascension on the First day No more can I. But what then Well! But why upon a Saturday rather than a Sunday Because he observes that after Christ's Ascension from Mount Olivet it is said Then they returned to Ierusalem from Mount Olivet which is from Ierusalem a sabbath-Sabbath-days Iourney Well! what of this He cannot see why it was expresly said that it was but a sabbath-Sabbath-days Iourney from Ierusalem but because it was the sabbath-Sabbath-day Perhaps I may shew him another reason as likely as it If the word then do not there signify the same day but only at large after his Ascension this is nothing to the purpose But admitting that by then be meant the same day the connexion runs fairly thus After his Ascension they returned from thence to Ierusalem the same day for it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but a little way off about a Sabbath days Iourney Which I think is a fair account of the place Especially since we know otherwise that it was not upon 〈…〉 Account as he speaks will serve as well for the one as for the other But indeed for neither But how doth this concern his Coming to Iudgment Yes Because it is there said ver 11. He shall come in like manner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as ye have seen him go into Heaven And because this Author fansies he did Ascend on a Sabbath day therefore he fansies also he shall on a Sabbath day come again I see a Weak Argument with a strong Fansy will go far But to prove his Ascension to be on the Sabbath besides this of a Sabbath-days Journey he adds further That Christ and his Disciples were then Assembled and that Christ Preached Well! And why may we not as well conclude that the day of his Resurrection was also a Sabbath For Christ and his Disciples were then assembled first at Emmaus and then at Ierusalem and Christ did then also at both places Preach to them and the substance of his Preaching was much the same as will appear by comparing Luk 24. with Acts 1. and did then also Celebrate the Lords Supper And eight days after Christ was again Assembled with the Disciples and Preached to them on the same day of the Week If Christs Presence and Preaching will prove the Ascension day to be a Sabbath why should it not as well prove the Resurrection day to be a Sabbath the onely difference is That he thinks serves his turn But this makes against him And why should it not also be thought a Sabbath Acts 20. For Paul and the Disciples were then Assembled and they were assembled to break Bread and Paul there Preached to them And all these Assemblies were on the first day of the Week And they seem to me a much stronger proof of the First day the day of his Resurrection being a Sabbath than that the Ascension day was so And the Preaching which our Author here mentions as on the day of Ascension seems to me rather to have been on that of the Resurrection For St. Luke in the beginning of this Chapter of Acts 1. seems to give a short repetition of what himself had delivered more at large Luk. 24. And gives an account not only of what happened on the day of Ascension though he close with it but of what happened during the forty days from his Resurrection to that time And this Preaching I take to be that mentioned Luke 24. on the day of his Resurrection But after all this is but a Whimsey what he tells us of Christs Ascension on a Seventh-day-Sabbath For 't is very plain that his Ascension was neither on a seventh day nor on a first but on a fifth day of the Week For 't is plainly said Acts 1. 3. That he shewed himself alive after his Passion being seen of them Forty days that is he was seen of them at times not constantly for the space of Fourty days whereof that of his Resurrection was the first and that of his Ascension was the last And if that were Sunday this must be Thursday He may tell it upon his fingers as he speaks p. 5. if he please But though our Saviours Ascension was not on the seventh day of the Week in observance of the Seventh-day Sabbath or in confirmation thereof Yet the mission of the Holy Ghost according as on the First day of the Week the day of his Resurrection he had promised Luk 24. 49. was on the first day of the Week fulfilled also as appears Acts 2. When the day of Pentecost was fully come that is the Fiftieth day for so Pentecost signifieth in Greek they were all with one accord in one place that is they were unanimously assembled and suddenly there came a sound from Heaven as of a rushing mighty Wind and filled the house where they were sitting And there appeared to them cloven tongues like as of fire and it sat upon each of them that is at least upon each of the Apostles and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other Tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance Which I take to be a further instance if our Author will not allow it to be called a Sabbath at lest of a Religious Assembly for the Worship of God
the whole time of those Assemblings employed in Religious Exercises Preaching Celebrating the Sacrament Instructing and Blessing his Disciples and giving them Commission for Preaching the Gospel and Planting the Christian Church And again with the same Disciples on that day sen-night assembled with them and in like manner employed It was specially signalized also by the Miraculous Effusion of the Holy Ghost on that day in a great assembly of Iews and Gentiles on the day of Pentecost and the day employed in Preaching and other Religious exercises It was observed in like manner at Troas in preaching the Word Celebrating the Sacrament and other Religious Communion as things there usual on that day It was observed at Corinth not once onely but as a thing of course and so presumed by the Apostle when he gives particular Instructions concerning a Collection for the Saints to be made weekly on that day And in like manner in the Churches of Galatia with a like direction to them And we have no reason to suspect but that in other Churches also there was a like custome of observing that day And it is the onely day of the week unless the seventh-Seventh-day in order to the Iewish Sabbath that is so much as Mentioned by name after the Resurrection of Christ. At least I do not at present remember the Second Third Fourth Fifth or Sixth day of the week by name so mentioned Now what we have reason to believe was so generally observed after the Resurrection by Christ himself more than once by his Apostles and by the Christian Churches in their days we have reason to believe was according to Christs direction For we know very well that Christ did after his resurrection give commandments to the Apostles about things pertaining to the kingdome of God and â—â—â—â—ling the Christian Church What those Commandments were in particular we cannot tell but are to presume that what they did therein was pursuant of those commands and this in particular about observing the first day of the week which we call the Christian Sabbath And which in contradistinction to the Iewish Sabbath is called the Lords day Rev. 1. 10. And hath accordingly been so called and so observed ever since Which being so practised by the Apostles and so continued ever since I take to be a good warrant for us to continue it as a thing agreeable to the Will of God As to what he so often objects that there is no express command thereof recorded that is not such a command as our Author demands We are not to prescribe to God in what terms he shall make known his Will any more than the Pharisees Mat. 16. 4. were to prescribe to Christ what kind of signs he was to shew to testify his authority 't is sufficient if God do in his own way intimate what is his Will though it be it not with the formality of Be it Enacted And those who are willing to be taught of God will be content so to understand his meaning An approved Practise in the Worship of God frequently Repeated attested by Miracles encouraged by Christs own Example and that of the Apostles and the Christian Churches then and continued in the Christian Church ever since Is to me great evidence of the will of God and that there was a command for it though it be not recorded Like as I believe that there was very early a command from God to worship him by Sacrifice though that Command be not recorded But to that of its being so observed ever since he objects we have nothing but Tradition either that the Christian Sabbath hath been so observed or that it is called the Lords-day And Tradition is what he takes great pleasure to exclaim against If that be admitted saith he where shall we stop Very well I am not over fond of laying too great a weight upon Traditions at least not on all things that are pretended so to be But I pray How can he tell otherwise than by Tradition whether our Saturday or our Sunday be the Seventh day in course from the Creation Or if that be too hard a question whether of the two is the Seventh day of the Iewish week I know nothing but Tradition for it I cannot remember so long Nor have I so long kept so strict account of days as to be sure of it I trust to the common Computation of the world that our Sabbath is a continuation of that Sabbath which the Apostles kept And if so I am safe If not I cannot help it And because I think the Apostles Sabbath was on the first day of the Jewish week therefore I think ours to be so But if theirs was not neither is ours He would not have that of St. Iohn Revel 1. 10. I was in the spirit on the Lords-day to be understood of our Sabbath And why not He tells us 1. Some think it to be Christmass-day 2. Some think it to be Easter-day and 3. Some think it to be the Day of Iudgment And long Discourses we have upon all these Well! But doth he think it to be meant of any of these No. Then to what purpose are these alleged in disparagement of the Christian Sabbath But he seems to have so great displeasure against the Christian Sabbath that whatever he can think of to be Objected though he do not think it to be true he will be sure to Object that he may disparage the Day or perplex the Argument as if he were more concerned to beat down the Christian Sabbath than to set up the Iewish Not considering that by all this he is doing their Work who would have none at all For they know well that the Iewish Sabbath hath been long since laid aside without any great fear of returning and if they can but throw off the Christian Sabbath also 't is what they would have And 't is of a like import what he argues p. 84 for coming to the publick but once a day not twice as our manner is For those who care not to come at all if he dispense with them as to the One they will dispense with themselves as to the Other meeting I should rather think that the whole day being due to the Service of God publick and private it is to be parcelled out as to the number and times of publick meeting as might according to Christian Prudence be judged most conducing in this or that place to those ends and to common Edification and that to make such little Circumstances otherwise than as they conduce to those general ends a matter of Religious Observation or Divine Institution is a like extravagance as that of the Pharisees in laying like weight on their Traditions and that of the Papists on their numerous Superstitious Ceremonies And is as properly superstition as these I do not know this Author who thus argues against observing the Christian Sabbath and against publick meeting on that day more than once And therefore am not willing to
judge hardly But the natural result of what he argues is as I told you He doth not think that Iohn was on the Lords day Rev. 1. 10. keeping the Anniversary of Christs Incarnation nor of his Resurrection No more do I. But why not Because saith he he may say as in the case of Moses's dead body No man knows of his Sepulchre to this day Now as to the Incarnation I am apt to think that no man doth At this day know certainly either on what day of the Year or what day of the Week Christ was born nor is it any matter whether we do or no. But I should rather say no man knows At this day than as he no man knoweth To this day as if no man hitherto had known it for certainly there have been those who knew it heretofore while he was alive though it be now forgotten and at this day no man knows it But will he say so as to the Resurrection I think it is plain that Christ was Crucified on the fourteenth day lay in the Grave the fifteenth and rose again the sixteenth day of the first month And that he rose on the first day of the week no man doubts He should rather have put it thus As no man knows To this day where is the Body of Moses that it might not be worshiped So no man knows At this day which is the Seventh in course from the Creation that we might not contend about it However I am contented to admit if that will please him that the Lords day there mentioned was neither meant of Christmass-day nor Easter-day nor Whit-sunday nor the day of Iudgment but think it to be meant of the first day of the week which is the Christian Sabbath Not of any of those other days mentioned nor of the Iewish Sabbath as he would have it 'T is I think a new notion of his own at least I know none other of his mind that it should be meant of the Iewish Sabbath He grants there is nothing from the Circumstances of the place to determine it to this day Nor doth he pretend to shew that the Jewish Sabbath was ever so called But he thinks it might have been so called For he says God blessed and sanctified the seventh day that is the Seventh day after Six days of Labour therefore it might have been called the Lords day and so may as well the Christian Sabbath as the Iews Sabbath That the Son of Man is Lord also of the Sabbath day And so he is of every day in the Week and of the Christian Sabbath when that is the Sabbath as well as of the Iewish That the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord our God that is the Seventh day after Six days of Labour but whether the Seventh day in course from the Creation is no where said That Isai. 58. 13. The Sabbath is called my holy day True on what ever day the Sabbath be First or Seventh of the Week or whatever day God appoints to be kept Holy As for instance the first and seventh day of the Feast of Unleavened bread Ex. 12. 16. The First day shall be a Holy Convocation and the Seventh day shall be a Holy Convocation and each of them was the Lords Holy day on what ever day of the week they happened And the like for other days So Levit. 23. 2 4 7 8 21 24 25 27 28 30 32 35 36 39. and Num. 28. 18 25 26. Num. 29. 1 7 12 35. All the days here mentioned are the Lords Holy days yet I do not take any of them to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And all he can pretend to from these or whatever he produceth is no more but that the Iewish Sabbath while it was the Sabbath might have been so called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lords day he doth not pretend to shew that ever it was so called Now I would desire this Gentleman if he can but a little while lay aside his prejudice to consider first that the Lords day was the proper name of a day whereby it might be known as distinguished from other days else to what purpose is it said I was in the spirit on the Lords day whereas the proper name of the Iewish Sabbath and of that onely as he would have us think p. 64. was the Sabbath day and there is no appearance of reason why if he meant that day he should not rather have said I was in the spirit on the Sabbath day or the seventh day This therefore must needs be meant of some other day known by another name 2. I would have him next consider that the Lord in the Old Testament is the usual name of God indefinitely without particularizing this or that of the Three persons and the Sabbath of the Lord thy God doth not appropriate it to the second Person more than to the first and third And though I do not deny that our Christ was the God who gave the Ten Commandments for all the three Persons are the same God yet I do not think it to be Christ onely as contradistinguished to the other two And when it is said I am the Lord thy God thou shall have no other God but me the meaning is not I the second Person am so the Lord thy God that thou shalt own no other Person for thy God beside me the second Person But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lord in the New Testament is for the most part applied peculiarly to our Lord Christ God and Man and is understood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of him As he is called elsewhere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Son of Man And accordingly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must be a day peculiarly appropriate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to our Lord Christ which the Jewish Sabbath was not nor that of the Fourth Commandment which is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God that is of God indefinitely for 't is in that notion that God speaks in the Ten Commandments not as one person contradistinct to the other two It is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lords day in a like sense as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lords Supper 1 Cor. 11. 20. and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Cup of the Lord the Table of the Lord 1 Cor. 10. 21 22. 1 Cor. 11. 27. In all which by the Lord is meant the Lord Christ God and Man And because there being a double Sabbath then in use the Iewish Sabbath and the Christian Sabbath and the word Sabbath indefinitely having been a long time applied to the Iewish Sabbath and would be apt to be understood of it therefore by way of distinction that of the Christians though a Sabbath also within the sense of the Fourth Commandment was called the Lords day as being the Day or Sabbath appropriate to our Lord Iesus Christ. And therefore when he tells us so often the World was made by our Lord Iesus Christ and the Law given on Mount Sinai by our Lord
Iesus Christ upon which Notions he seems to lay great stress though it be nothing to the purpose I think it is a mistake For our Lord Iesus Christ is God and Man but he was not God and Man when the World was made or the Law given but onely God 'T is true Christ as God according to his Divine Nature is the same God who made the World and gave the Law for we have no other God but one but not as God and Man For Man he was not at that time but in the fulness of time became Man The Sabbath of the Lord our God in the fourth Commandment with equal respect to all the Three Persons doth not signify the same as The Sabbath of our Lord Iesus Christ God and Man The Lord our God there not the same with our Lord Iesus Christ in the New Testament But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lords Supper is the Supper of our Lord Iesus Christ God and Man the Founder of our Christian Religion And accordingly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lords day is the day of our Lord Iesus Christ a day appointed by him 3. I would have him consider further that the Lords day dominica or dies dominicus hath been all along in all ages of the Christian Church used as the proper name of what we otherwise call the Christian Sabbath and not for the proper name of any other day and therefore till somewhat do appear to the contrary I shall take it to be the same with what is called the Lords day in Scripture There is in the New Testament a place called Rome and there is at this day a place in Italy called Rome and which hath been so called all along ever since neither do I know of any other eminent place of called Therefore till somewhat do appear to the contrary I shall presume our Rome to be the same place with that which in the New Testament is called Rome We find in scripture there is an Island of the Mediterranean Sea called Melita or Malta where St. Paul suffered Ship-wrack not far from another Island called Crete Now we know also there is in the Mediterranean Sea an Island called Malta at this day and another not far from thence called Crete or Candy and we do not know of any other Islands so called then or at any time since and therefore we may safely presume till somewhat do appear to the contrary that those Islands now so called are the same Islands with those which were then so called And in like manner that Day which hath been ever since called the Lords-day as by its proper name we may and ought to presume to be the same day which was by St. Iohn so called as by its proper name in Rev. 1. 10. when he wrote the Book of the Revelation till it can be shewed that he did by that name mean some other day And we have the more reason so to presume because we find it so called by others very soon after St. Iohn's time and by those whom we have great reason to believe to have been well acquainted with St. Iohn's meaning and his manner of speech The first I shall name is St. Ignatius who was not onely Contemporary with St. Iohn but was a Disciple or Scholar of St. Iohn Now St. Iohn according to the best account we can have from Chronology wrote his Revelation in Patmos whither he was banished by Domitian in or about the year of our Lord 96 after which he wrote his Gospel upon his return from Patmos to Ephesus And Died in the Year 98 or 99 under Trajanus And Ignatius died a Martyr under the same Emperour Trajan in the Year of our Lord 107. So that there is no great distance in time And if we should miss a year or two it is not material How long before his death Ignatius wrote his Epistle to the Magnesians we are not sure nor is it material Now in that his Epistle to the Magnesians even according to the genuine Edition published by Bishop Usher out of an ancient Manuscript not that which is justly suspected to be interpolated he doth earnestly exhort them not to Iudaize but to live as Christians Si enim usque nunc secundum Iudaismum vivimus confitemur gratiam non recepisse And as to the Sabbath in particular Non amplius Sabbatizantes sed secundum Dominicam viventes in qua vita nostra orta est Not any longer observing the Iewish Sabbath but the Lords Day on which Christ our Life 〈…〉 is manifest therefore that within 8 or 10 years after 〈…〉 writing the Lords day did not signify the Jewish Sabbath but the first day of the week on which our Saviour Rose again and that it was then observed in contradistinction to the Jewish Sabbath I forbear to mention his Epistle ad Trallianos where again we have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 applied to the first day of the week on which Christ rose again because it is in that Edition which is suspected to be Interpolated I might to this add the Testimony of Polycarp who was also a Disciple of St. Iohn and collected and published these Epistles of Ignatius and may be presumed to understand what St. Iohn meant by the Lords day But I shall add in the next place that of Iustin Martyr whom though I cannot call a Disciple of St. Iohn because he was not converted to the Christian Religion till about the Year of our Lord 129 about Thirty years after St. Iohn's Death yet he lived so soon after that he could not be ignorant of the Christians Practise and what they understood St. Iohn to mean by the Lords Day And how that day was observed in Iustin's time he tells us in what is called his Second Apology 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and a little after 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 On that day commonly called Sunday there is held a Congregation or a general Meeting together of all Inhabitants whether of City or Country and there are publickly read the Memorials or Monuments of the Apostles or the Writings of the Prophets c. And again The day called Sunday we do all in common make 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Meeting-day for that the First-day is it on which God from Darkness and Matter made the World and our Saviour Iesus Christ did on the same day rise from the dead In which places though it be not called dominica but dies solis yet how it was then solemnly observed in memory of our Lord Christs Resurrection is evident 'T is manifest therefore that the Lords day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dominica or Dies Dominicus was the known name of a day so called when St. Iohn wrote his Revelation That it was a day of Religious Worship contradistinguished to that of the Iewish Sabbath so observed and so called by St. Iohn's Disciple Ignatius within 8 or 10 years at most after St. Iohn's writing that Book Which he would not have done if he
Chap. 4. 9 10 11. he rebukes them severely that after they had known God or rather were known of God they should turn again to the weak and beggarly rudiments or elements Ye observe saith he days and months and times and years I am afraid of you lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain 'T is not indeed here said in particular what those days were that are here meant yet it is most likely and scarce to be doubted to be meant of the Iewish Sabbath For though other Observation of Times be here reckoned up there being the same reason of all yet there was no occasion for the others in Galatia For the Jews themselves did not think themselves obliged nor do the Jews at this day to the observation of their other Feasts or Fasts out of their own land But to that of Circumcision and of the Iewish Sabbath and the distinction of Meats they thought themselves obliged even out of their own land And of such we must understand this to the Galatians These being the things there in question not those other which were confined to the land of Canaan But he objects here that though Days be mentioned yet not Sabbath days and fansies it might be meant of some other days not of Sabbaths To gratify him therefore in this also I will proceed to that of Colos. 2. 16. Where Sabbaths are expresly named To the Colossians who were also Christian Gentiles he pursues the same notions Least any one should beguile them with inticing words Col. 2. 4. thereby to bring them under the Mosaick Law He bids them Beware lest any spoil them through Philosophy and vain deceit Whereby I suppose he means the Mosaick doctrines or Philosophy of the Jews which Clemens Alexandrinus doth all along call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in contradistinction to that of the Greeks after the traditions of men after the rudiments or elements of the world and not after Christ ver 8. and that particularly of Circumcision ver 11. in the room of which Baptism is come ver 12. Christ by his Death having blotted out the hand-writing of ordinances meaning the Jewish Law and took it out af the way nailing it to his Cross ver 14. and amongst other things Let no man therefore judge you in meat or in drink as if some were now clean others unclean as under the Mosaick Law or in respect of an holy day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Festival or of the new Moon or of the Sabbath days 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ver 16. Where by Sabbath must be meant the Iewish Sabbath the day which in common speech was understood by the word Sabbath For this he hath two or three evasions He doth commonly press hard in other places that by Sabbath is to be understood the Jews Seventh-day-Sabbath and no other day The holy Spirit doth call the Seventh-day the Sabbath and no other day of the week both in the Old and in the New Testament throughout p. 46. And I think he is not much out therein that it doth usually so signify where it doth not come with some intimation to direct us to some other sense And why it should not be thought so to signify here I see no reason For though I take our Christian Sabbath to fall as properly under the word Sabbath in the Fourth Commandment as that of the Iews yet the word in common use having by this time become the proper name of that Day which the Jews so called it was necessary to avoid confusion to give the Christian Sabbath another name as that of the Lords Day or the first day of the week And consequently that the Sabbaths here mentioned are to be understood according to the then use of the word of those Sabbaths Not as if all days of Holy Rest where hereby forbidden but onely the nicety of confining it particularly to that day which was then in common speech so called But he would not have it here understood of the Seventh-day Sabbath as every where else but some other Ceremonial Sabbaths but what those are he doth not tell us That there were some other Feasts observed by the Jews which in the Old Testament are sometimes called Sabbaths but very seldome I do not deny nor that those come under the general Words in this place But those do not seem to be here principally intended because it is manifest to be understood of the Sabbath there in dispute Now there was no occasion of a dispute concerning the observance of those other Sabbaths amongst the Gentiles out of the Holy-land These observations being not thought obligatory even to the Jews but in their own Land onely And it is expresly provided Deut. 16. that these were not to be kept in any place promiscuously not within any of the Gates which the Lord thy God giveth thee But in the place which the Lord thy God shall chuse to place his name there So of the Pass-over ver 5 6. So of the Feast of Pentecost ver 11. So of the Feast of Tabernacles ver 15. And of altogether ver 16. And therefore not out of their own Land I do not deny but that they might in private houses eat the Paschal Lamb as Christ did with his Disciples but not Sacrifice the Pass-over For it was to be sacrificed in the Temple onely and the Feast of the Pass-over to be there solemnly kept Not in private houses and much less out of their own Land Nor do I remember that any where in all the New Testament the word Sabbath is used for any such Sabbaths Nor can reasonably be supposed to be here meant of those Feasts because it is put in contradistinction to them Let no man judge you in respect of a Feast of the New-moon or of the Sabbaths Which yet I do not understand as if no Sabbath might now be kept but that the Obligation to that Sabbath was now at an end Another evasion is this He would have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sabbata in the plural number to signify Weeks not Sabbath-days The Sabbath-day being called in the singular number 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sabbatum For he will rather play at small game than stand out If we should allow him this it would not advance his purpose at all For if the business of Weeks be at an end that we are no longer to distribute our time into Weeks than that of the Sabbath much more which he would have to be the seventh day of the Week But suppose we do allow that one Sabbath is to be called Sabbatum what are we to call two or more Sabbaths Must not they be Sabbata And if this be his meaning then are we not to observe such Sabbaths any longer But what must we then say to Mat. 28. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we render In the end of the Sabbath meaning thereby the Seventh day Sabbath then past 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it began to draw towards the first day of the
of the house Ex. 12. 7. to be a distinctive mark between the Israelites and the Egyptians as ver 13. The bloud shall be to you for a Token upon the houses where you are and when I see the bloud I will pass over you And so Ex. 11. 5 6 7. That ye may know how that the Lord doth put a Distinction between the Egyptians and Israel And our Author himself pag. 26. doth press the same and puts great weight upon it that this Seventh-day-sabbath is often called a Sign for ever between him and them and a perpetual Covenant to Distinguish his people from others that is the people of the Jews from other Nations And so to be a Sign for Ever as Circumcision is an Everlasting Covenant Now whatsoever was a Distinctive Mark of the People of Israel from other Nations as was that of Circumcision the Pass-over and the Seventh-day-sabbath was at an end and to cease when the partition-wall was broken down between Jew and Gentile when Christ had made both one and abolished in his flesh the Enmity even the law of Commandments contained in Ordinances to make of twain One new man to reconcile both in One body by the Cross having slain the Enmity thereby Eph. 2. 14 15 16. Or as it is Col. 2. 14. Having blotted out the hand-writing of Ordinances which was against us and was contrary to us as separating us Gentiles from the Jews and so excluding us out of Gods Visible Church and nailing it to his Cross. From whence he there infers ver 16. Let no man Therefore judge you in meat or drink or in respect of a holy-day a Festival or of Sabbaths the proper name at that time of the Seventh-day Sabbath which things are a shadow of things to come but the body is of Christ these being but shadows or empty things whereas it is the body the Substance that Christ regards 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those are but shadow but 't is the Body that Christ looks at That is in our language those are only Circumstantials but 't is substance or the Substantials of Religion that Christ and Christianity respects And as it is meerly Circumstantial and doth not at all influence Religion whether in the Temple or other place God be worshiped Ioh. 4. 21. So whether on this or another day a Sabbath be kept If therefore those Sabbaths as is shewed were distinctive Marks or Signs of Gods peculiar Covenant or Contract with the Church of Israel as their peculiar God in contradistinction to other Nations then 't is manifest that those other Nations did not at all keep a Sabbath or not on that Day else how could this be a distinctive Mark and therefore to bring this now upon the Gentiles was to bring upon them a new Yoke I add further that this Iewish Sabbath as is shewed before seems to be not a Continuation of a former Sabbath from the Creation which I doubt was either not observed at all or had long before this time been forgot but rather a New Institution or Restitution after their coming out of Egypt from a new Epocha at Marah where God is said to have made a Statute and an Ordinance Exod. 15. 25. to which Commandment and Statute if they would hearken diligently and give Ear he would not bring upon them the Diseases which he had brought upon Egypt For saith he I am the Lord that healeth thee ver 26. Whereupon follows in the next Chapter a sabbath to be observed on the seventh-day from the first raining of Manna not from the first Creation And with reference to their Rest or Refreshing after their Labour or Bondage in Egypt as was that of the Pass-over to their being passed-over when the first-born of the Egyptians were slain For so he saith Exod. 31. 13. My Sabbath shall ye keep for it is a Sign between me and you that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctifiy you or separate you to my self as a peculiar people a holy people and ver 16 17. The Children of Israel shall keep my Sabbaths 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for a perpetual Covenant It is a Sign between Me and the Children of Israel for ever for in six days the Lord made Heaven and Earth and on the Seventh Day he Rested and was Refreshed Not that God was Wearied with his Work and needed Refreshment but he doth parallel his Rest after his Work of Creation with their Refreshment after their Labour in Egypt And that God had a particular respect to their Rest and Refreshment from their Labour and Bondage in Egypt is farther evident not onely from the General Preface to all the Commandments I am the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the Land of Egypt out of the house of Bondage but from the Close of this Fourth Commandment as it is repeated in Deut. 5. 12 13 14 15. somewhat different from what is in Exod. 20. where instead of For in six days the Lord made Heaven and Earth c. Exod. 20. 11. we have Deut. 5. 15. And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt and that the Lord thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and a stretched out arm therefore the Lord thy God commanded thee to keep the Sabbath-day Which shews that this Sabbath had a particular respect to that deliverance Now as God by Moses did upon a New occasion of their Rest from their Labour in Egypt give a New Epocha or Beginning to a Circulation of Sabbaths to be reckoned from thence in imitation of his own Resting from the Work of Creation Not by the Fourth Commandment for that speaks indifferently as to any Circulation but by this Ordinance at Marah or at Elim for 't is this determines the Circulation to the seventh day after the raining of Manna So might Christ as well by himself or his Apostles six another Epocha from his Resurrection as we have reason to think he did and this Equally within the prospect of the Fourth Commandment This Rest from the Egyptian Bondage being as much a shadow of what Christ regards as the substance as was the escaping of the Egyptian Destruction of which the Pass-over was the Memorial And accordingly this Circulation equally to cease with that of the Pass-over at the coming of Christ notwithstanding the continuance of the Fourth Commandment in a New Circulation from another Epocha It is not indeed expresly said that Christ Bid his Apostles so to do But as Moses is presumed to do what he did by Gods direction so the Apostles by Christs direction to whom he gave Commandments for that purpose Act. 1. 2 3. As to what he says so often that not one Iott or Tittle of the Law meaning that of the Decalogue is destroyed but doth still continue in force This as to the substance of the Duty I grant But if his meaning be that there is not a Word or Letter therein which doth not as literally belong
earlier than these Though I do not at present meet with it Nor do I think it worth the while to make any great search about it I grant that when Christianity was spread among the Gentiles and with it the Christian Sabbath they did in order to the observing that Sabbath distinguish their time into Weeks and thereupon gave Names to each Day I grant also that the Iews did before so distinguish their Time but I do not find that any other Nation did so If any think that All nations did so distinguish and every Nation all the World over call the days by those Names by which they are now called This I take to be but a Presumption without proof But when ever those names were first taken up I do not think they were taken from the number of their Gods for then they must have had a great many more days in their Week than Seven if each of their Gods must have a peculiar day But from the number of the Planets which were then reckoned to be Seven and in this order Saturn Iupiter Mars Sol Venus Mercury Luna Though we now know the Planets to be more than Seven For the Satellites of Iupiter and Saturn are as much Planets as our Moon but were not then known Nor were the Seven Planets always reckoned in the same order but some had been thought to be above the Sun which before these names were given were accounted to be below it And therefore these Names must be at least so late And certainly not so old as Iob's time I take them not to be older than what are called the Planetary Hours but to take their Rise from thence and the Order of the Names to be thence determined For having divided the Day into 24 Hours Beginning with Saturn the highest of the Planets they assigned to him the First hour of one day which thence they called Saturn's day the Second hour to Iupiter the Third to Mars and so in order till they came to the Eighth hour which falls to Saturn's turn again and so again to the Fifteenth and the Two and Twentieth and then the Three and Twentieth to Iupiter the Four and Twentieth to Mars and the next hour being the first of the next day to Sol. Which day doth thence take the name of Sol or Sunday next in order after Saturn And in like manner proceeding the Eighth Fifteenth and Two and Twentieth hour of that day will fall again to Sol the Three and Twentieth to Venus the Four and Twentieth to Mercury and then the first hour of the next day to Luna thence called Monday next after Sunday And in like manner the first hour of the following day to Mars of the next to Mercury the next to Iupiter the next to Venus and then again to Saturn and so onward as before And this I take to be the true account of those Names and in that Order Saturday Sunday Monday after which in the Latine Denomination follow the days of Mars Mercury Iupiter and Venus But some of our Ancestors the Saxons thought fit as is supposed to put-in the Names of Twisco Woden Thor Frea some of their Princes instead of Mars Mercury Iupiter and Venus as Iulius and Augustus amongst the Romans gave their Names to the Months formerly called Quintilis and Sextilis From which Saxon Princes we have the Names of Tuesday Wednesday Thursday and Fryday the other days retaining the Names of their respective Planets as they did before This account from the order of the Planetary Hours Dio gives us of the Names of the Week-days and of their Order Why so called and why in this Order He tells us of another account from the Principles of Harmonicks Because Dia-tessaron which we call a Fourth is Reputed a Concord in Musick therefore they might beginning with Saturn skipping two Iupiter and Mars take the Fourth Sol then skipping the two next Venus and Mercury take Luna And then skipping Saturn and Iupiter take Mars Then skipping Sol and Venus take Mercury Then skipping Luna and Saturn take Iupiter Then skipping Mars and Sol take Venus Then skipping Mercury and Luna take Saturn and so onward as before But this account seems more Forced and the former more Natural Which therefore I take to be the true ground of this Order But either way depending upon the order of the Planets as they were then accounted when these Names were given to the Week-days it is at least so far evident that they cannot be older than since the Planets were accounted to be placed in this order And therefore not so old as when Venus or Mercury or both of them were thought to be above the Sun For this would quite disturb the Order And therefore certainly not so old as Iob's time Whether on each of these Days they did worship those respective Planets as so many Gods I cannot say nor do I think it Nor do I think that each of those Planets have any more Government of their respective Hours or Days than of others For I take the whole foundation as well of These as of the other parts of Iudicial Astrology to be purely Precarious and assigned onely at pleasure by those whose business it was to amuse credulous people and thereby to make a Gain of them But whatever were the occasion of the first imposing these are now the known Names of those days And we need no more scruple the use of these Names than to talk of Pope Pius Clemens Boniface and Innocent though possibly the Persons so called had none of those good Qualities In like manner as we have a Spring near Oxford which we call Aristotle's Well not that we think Aristotle was ever there or was Lord of the place and much less that he was wont to be there Worshiped but we so call it as being now the proper name of the place imposed at pleasure by which it is known And so for the days of the Week whatever were the occasion of the first imposing they now signify no more than the proper distinctive names by which the days are known And why we may not continue so to call them I know not We are told Act. 17. 19 22. of Paul's being at Areopagus or Mars-hill because that was the known name of the place without scrupling the reason why it was so called whether because Mars had been there worshiped or for what other reason And Act. 28. 11. 〈◊〉 a Ship designed by Castor and Pollux or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without scrupling the reason of that name or what relation these Stars had to Iupiter so as to be called his Lads And when Paul 1 Cor. 8. allows them without Scruple to eat of things offered in Sacrifice to Idols even though they knew or had reason to presume them so to be unless when they might be suspected to do it with respect to the Idol as the Apostle argues at large 1 Cor. 8. and again Chap. 10. No doubt we may as lawfully make use
them the Lords Supper and afterward the same day to those assembled at Ierusalem with other Sabbatical works and solemnly Blessing that Convention And if our Author by blessing the Seventh day Gen. 2. would have us understand an Institution or Command to observe it We have as much here Christ joined in this Assembly and Blessed it For so much is intimated in that his solemn Benediction a first and second time Ioh. 20. 19 21. Peace be unto you and he Breathed on them saying Receive ye the Holy Ghost He did so a second time on the same day the next Week he Assembled with them in Religious Services and Blessed them He did according to his Promise made on that First day of his Resurrection send on them that miraculous Effusion of the Holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost which being the Fiftieth day from his Resurrection was therefore the first day of the week as was that of the Resurrection On which day of Pentecost we find them also otherwise exercised in Religious Employments and attested further by a miraculous conversion of three thousand souls We find St. Paul at Troas Act. 20. Preaching to the Disciples assembled as it seems their manner was on the first day of the week to break bread that is to celebrate the Lords Supper That such Assemblies were wont to be at Corinth on the first day of the Week the Apostle presumes or takes for granted and gives direction for a Collection to be then made 1 Cor. 16. And he had so done before as he there signifies to the Churches of Galatia presuming or taking for granted that they also did so use to meet on the first day of the Week And we have no reason to doubt but that such Meetings were wont to be in other Churches We cannot doubt but that other of the Apostles did disperse themselves in other parts of the World though we have not a like account of their Travels as we have of Paul's recorded by St. Luke But we are to presume though it be not recorded that their Doctrine and Practise was consonant to his and that accordingly they had such weekly meetings on the Lords Day as these Churches had of whom we have the History Hence that day had the name given of the Lords day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as we find it called Rev. 1. 10. as that of the Sacrament is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lords Supper 1 Cor. 11. 20. which name it retaineth to this day and for such purpose And all this I think is sufficient for us to continue our Observation of the same day I am sure 't is much more than he can shew for his seventh-day Sabbath for more than two thousand five hundred years from the first Creation It is not necessary that we have express words of Command Recorded We have no Record in Scripture of such express words of Command for the Seventh-day Sabbath till after Israels coming out of Egypt nor for the Worshiping of God by Sacrifice nor for other things which yet were Duties before any Record of such express words of Command It is enough if we can otherwise Collect it to be Gods Will according to the best light we have If this Gentleman think himself obliged to keep the Jewish Sabbath also this doth not hurt us This I think was the case of the Christian Iews at first I do not much question but that they did as other Christians observe the Lords Day The doubt was whether they were not to observe also the Jewish Sabbath as before they did And these Believers who were yet zealous of the Law and thought themselves obliged together with Christianity to observe the Law of Moses did no doubt think themselves equally obliged to the Iewish Sabbath Those who thought themselves obliged to be Baptized and to be Circumcised also thought themselves in like manner obliged to observe the Lords day and also the Iewish Sabbath And till they should be better satified the Apostles permit the Iews so to do If this do not satisfy him I have yet two Expedients for him 1. Let him begin his Week on Monday and then Sunday will be the Seventh day Whether the Seventh in course from the Creation I cannot tell nor can any Man living inform me But it will at least be the Seventh day of His Week 2. If he be not satisfied with this My next Expedient is thus Let him take a Voyage round the World as Sir Francis Drake did Going out of the Atlantick Ocean West-ward by the Streights of Magellan to the East-Indies and then from the East returning by the Cape of Good Hope the usual way homeward And take with him as many as please of those who are of his mind And let them keep their Saturday-Sabbath all the way When they come home to England they will find their Saturday to fall upon our Sunday and they may thenceforth continue to observe their Saturday-Sabbath on the same day with us Which is the second Expedient If you ask How this can be I will make it very plain that so it will be and so it must be For Supposing the Earth to be Round and the Sun moving from East to West you must allow that it comes sooner to the Eastern parts than to the Western It will sooner be Noon in Holland than in England and sooner here than in Ireland If you ask How much sooner We say that Fifteen Degrees of Longitude West-ward makes it an Hour later As if he Embark about Dover Yarmouth or other Port on the East-side of England and Sail as far West-ward as the West of Ireland or a little farther it will be an Hour later and not be Noon there till it be One a Clock at the place where he Embarked And so in proportion an Hour for every Fifteen degrees And accordingly when he hath gone round the whole Circle of Three hundred and Sixty Degrees that is Four and twenty times Fifteen it will be later by Four and twenty hours That is it will be but Saturday-noon with him when it is Sundaynoon with those who staid here That is His Saturday will be Our Sunday And thenceforth his Saturday-Sabbath will be the same day with our Sunday-Sabbath ever after And this I think should fully satisfy him For he tells us p. 39. The variety of the time of the Sun-rising or setting in different Climates doth no way disturb for that a day longer or shorter is still a day and but a day Most certain it is he who shall have thus Sailed round the World will have had one day fewer than those who staid here So it was with Sir Francis Drake and his Company And so it hath been with all who have taken such a Voyage as many have done for it is not a rare case and so will be to any who shall so do What he would resolve upon this case or what he thinks Sir Francis Drake was to do when this happened I cannot
tell If he would go on to reckon the days according as they had happened to him in his Voyage then this Expedient must fully satisfy him For then he keeps his Saturday-Sabbath on our Sunday If he thinks the account should be rectified when or before he comes home and call the days thenceforth as he finds those to do that staid here what shall be come of that day he hath lost and which day of the Week shall he reckon that to be And When must he rectify that account when he comes home or somewhere by the way For it would be just the same if before he come at England he should have landed in France or Spain or on the Coast of Africk or even at the East-Indies and all the way from thence he would still be a day behind them And so he would be with every Ship that in his way he should meet with If he and such other Ship meet at the Isle of St. Helens to take fresh water his Saturday will be their Sunday and on which of the two days are they to keep their Sabbath or must they keep it one on the one day and the other on the other If he say that the account is to be rectified by the way before he comes home then Where or When and by What rule For when ever he doth so rectify it he must then begin to call Sunday what just before he was to call Saturday If he say This must be left to Discretion when and where Then must it be matter of discretion and not determin'd by the Fourth Commandment on which of the two days in question the Sabbath shall be kept But then here will again come in our amazing demand as p. 48 86 87. What man or men without an high Usurpation of the Divine Authority contrary to the First Commandment shall with pretended good intentions assume an authority of their own heads to appoint for this or that place suppose the Streights of Magellan what day shall be the Lords holy Sabbath Who but our Lord Iesus Christ that is Lord of the Sabbath hath power to institute a Sabbath day If the Church or any part thereof be once admitted to have such Power what Bolts or Locks will be strong enough for such a Door to keep it from letting in upon the Churches of Christ what soever pleaseth those in Power I shall not much trouble my self to answer all this Warmth But when that is over if at or near the Streights of Magellan a place I think not inhabited or not by Christian a Colony be planted by some from hence and some from the East-Indies those who come thither from hence will according to their account call that Saturday which those who come thither from the other side will according to their account call Sunday Must they have no Sabbath at all that 's against the Fourth Commandment Or must they by consent agree upon the day this I should think if he would give me leave Or must they keep it some upon one day some on the other This I would by no means advise if it may be avoided Because it would be a manifest confusion and disorder And they would not both if either be the Seventh-day in course from the Creation And which of them is so is not possible for any man to know And it would be more for common Edification that they do agree upon a common day And not much matter whether of the Two This Gentleman if he can consider of it calmly I am apt to think will be of the same mind and think it better to have such a Sabbath than none at all and that the little circumstance whether on this or that day should be disregarded in comparison of the Substantials of the Duty There be many things which the Word of God or the Divine Law doth determine in Thesi which when in Hypothesi they come in practise will require the intervention of Prudentials or Humane Laws The Eighth Commandment says I must not Steal or take unduly from my Neighbour what is His But What is Mine and what is my Neighbours will depend much upon Humane Laws and what shall be reputed a Trespass on my Neighbours land or a forfeiture of his right The Seventh Commandment says Thou shalt not commit Adultery But it will depend much upon Humane Law what shall be reputed a Good Marriage The Sixth Commandment says Thou shalt not Kill But it will much depend upon Humane Law what shall be reputed Self-defense or a Just War or a Forfeiture of Life The Fifth Commandment requires us to Honour and Obey our Parents But in many cases 't is Humane Law that is to determine who is to be reputed the Father If a Widow be left whith Child by a former Husband and marry another before that Child be born which sometime happens 't will be a point in Law not in Divinity to whether of the Two Fathers this Son shall be Heir And if my Father require me to part with what Estate is my own 't will be a point in Law how far I am required to obey such a Command And the like as to other Superiours as well as Natural Parents And those Laws which seem Absolute as Thou shalt not Kill Thou shalt not Steal c. Have yet their Tacite Limitations implied For no man doubts but there are cases wherein to Kill may be lawful as in Self-defense in a just War and for Capital Crimes And in such cases to take from our Neighbour what was His. And notwithstanding the Command of Honour thy Father and Mother or that of Children obey your Parents in all things there may things happen wherein we are not obliged to do what they bid us And in all such cases there is room for Prudence to interpose Not to Abrogate or Repeal a Law of God But to judge what is the true Intent of that Law So not withstanding that Command of the Sabbath In it thou shall do no manner of work yet our Saviour tells us The Priests in the Temple profane the Sabbath and are blameless and against the Pharisees superstitious rigour he argues not onely from his own Authority The Son of Man is Lord of the sabbath-Sabbath-day But from the Reason of the Law The Sabbath was made for Man and not Man for the Sabbath and consequently is so to be understood as may be for the Good of Man spiritual and bodily not for his Hurt And our Author allows the emergent cases of Necessity and Mercy And no man doubts but that if a House be on Fire we may Labour to quench it In all which cases Prudence may be used but must not upon that pretense be Abused Not as if it were left to our Prudence whether or no the Law of God shall be Obeyed But what is in such cases the true Intendment of the Law of God And there needs no other Locks or Bolts as our Author speaks to confine Prudence in such