To which Objection from John 8. 56 some Answer may be from John 9. 4 5 where Christ says to his Disciples I must work the Works of him that sent me whilest it is day the night cometh when no man can work Where day referrs to the time of Christ's Life and publick Ministry and shews the day of Christ Abraham rejoyced to see John 8. 56 to be the time of Christ's preaching the Gospel which was in part whilst Christ's Life in this World lasted and so John 9. 4 is explained John 9. 5 As long as I am in the World Their Father Abraham joyfully believed the Promise of the Messiah and so by Faith foresaw Christ's Coming and was glad The Jews gloried much in this that they had Abraham to their Father Abraham their Father by Faith foresaw Christ's Coming into the World his preaching the Gospel his dying upon the Cross Abraham saw this by Faith in the Promise which was made to him That in his Seed all the Nations of the Earth should be blessed Gen. 12. 3 22. 18 Abraham saw this in the Type of Isaac's being offered Heb. 11. 17 18 19. This Abraham saw by the Light of Divine Revelation he saw Christ's coming in the Flesh his dying for Sinners typified by the Ram sacrificed instead of Isaac and typified by other Offerings and Sacrifices and he saw by Faith upon the coming of Christ the publication of the Gospel of Christ to the whole World by which means all the Nations of the Earth both Jews and Gentiles are become blessed in his Seed and Abraham was glad with the joy of Faith which gives the Soul a clear view of a certain promised Blessing and Good at a distance as if it were present Heb. 11. 1 13 and so I think John 8. 56 evidently referrs to those Gospel Times which Abraham by Faith in the Promise saw afar off But that day which Christ says Abraham saw being mentioned as a day in general some would fain hook in as one day in every week and so by a narrow understanding of what Abraham saw by Faith would restrain it only to a particular day of the week by their Conjecture Obj. Some guess that Psal 118. 22 24 This is the day the Lord hath made we will rejoice and be glad in it is the Resurrection day And so they say of the day Psal 2. 7 and Acts 13. 33 Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee and to that of Psal 118. 24 they joyn Rom. 1. 4 where Christ is said to be declared the Son of God with Power according to the Spirit of Holiness by the resurrection from the Dead Ans Now that the Stone which the Builders rejected Psal 118. 22 is meant of Christ is agreed as also that Christ is the Son of God Psal 2. 4 and that he is declared to be the Son of God with Power by his rising from the Dead Rom. 1. 4. But the day mentioned Psal 118. 24 I take as before to be the time of preaching and promulgating the Gospel of Christ and the Resurrection of Christ did plainly declare him to be God the true Messiah and Saviour of all that believe in him But to graft upon these places any thing of an institution of a weekly new Sabbath or of repealing the Seventh day I take to be a meer Conjecture and has no Foundation but in mens Fancies Others guess the day mentioned Psal 118. 24 to be the Incarnation day either of which Conceits if I could but find somewhere written in the Scriptures I hope I should believe but finding none of these there written to me they do but seem to prove the Shifts and Windlaces some are driven to use to patch up such Conceits And some of the Ancients are said to understand by Psal 2. 7 and Acts 13. 33 the eternal Generation of the Son of God Which some referr to the Resurrection others to the Incarnation of our Saviour The Gospel-day before mentioned is a day of glad Tydings for the promise which was made unto the Fathers God hath fulfilled in Christ Acts 13. 32 33 the glad Tydings of our Deliverance from Sin and Hell by the satisfaction made to the Justice of God by the Merits and perfect Obedience of Christ Obj. Some object from Heb. 4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11. Ans Where the rest spoken of v. 1 I take to be the everlasting Rest in Heaven and the day spoken of v. 7 to be the same day spoken of Heb. 3. 13 15 compared with Heb. 4. 2 the day of preaching of the Gospel to which it concerns us much that we hearken lest we be hardened through the deceitfulness of Sin and do not hear the Voice and Call of Christ that so by believing we may enter into everlasting Rest v. 3. of which everlasting Rest the Seventh day on which God rested from all his Works was a Type v. 4 into which everlasting Rest the Hebrews who did not believe in Christ should not enter v. 5 6 who by his own Mouth and the preaching of his Apostles and Ministers did first preach the Gospel to the Jews and warned them to day to hear his voice and not to harden their Hearts which Jews understood the rest formerly promised to referr to a Rest in the Land of Canaan and overlooked that everlasting Rest which was typified by God's giving that Country of Canaan and by the weekly Sabbath Which everlasting Rest Joshua who led them into Canaan did not give them but there remaineth a Sabbatism v. 9 an everlasting Rest to the People of God which those who did believe in Christ upon the preaching of the Gospel in the day and time of preaching of it called another day v. 8. should enter into v. 5 6. Which everlasting Rest it concerned the Jews then and concerns all the World to labour to enter into lest any of us should come short of it v. 1 7 8 9 10 11. Which Sence of that place seems to me not hard to â—e apprehended by a plain understanding without any farther quarrelling about it But for any word there to lay aside the Seventh day which is a Type of Heaven and of everlasting Rest there until we come to Heaven which is the Antitype thereof or for any word there for instituting the First day of the week as a weekly Sabbath after the Resurrection of Christ and in remembrance thereof to be observed by the Churches of Christ in all after Ages I find not The great Sabbatism or Rest then and before promised to the People of God is yet to come This Sabbatism or Rest is all the state of the Churches Deliverance and eternal Felicity by Christ incarnate and glorified which in the First-fruits is all the Grace which he giveth his on Earth but in the proper full performance is the state of Glory that great glorious final anâ— everlasting Life Love Peace Light and Rest in Heaven Anâ— the 9th and 11th
for Times â—e Times of First-fruits c. and for Years the Years of Jubiâ—e the seventh and the fiftieth years And some of the Colossiâ—s Col. 2. 16 might be corrupted with the same Conceits about â—oly Days and New Moons and Sabbaths which Sabbaths I think ought here to be render'd Weeks as the same Greek â—ord is render'd John 20. 19 Luke 24. 1. Mark 16. 2 Mat. 28. 1. â—y Expositors and by our Translation of all the four Evangelists â—d so also 1 Cor. 16. 1 2 and Acts 20. 2. And if this in Col. â— 16 be Weeks then there is also an end of that Doubt and â— it be meant Sabbaths yet then by the whole Context there â—here the Apostle speaketh of the Hand-writing of Ordinances â—hich Christ hath blotted out and taken out of the way naiâ—g it to the Cross Col. 2. 14. It must plainly referr to the yearâ— Levitical Festivals which being part of the Ceremonial Law â—nd no part of the Moral Law were all abolish'd by Christ â—nd this I humbly offer as plain and that which I think may â—ve others satisfaction Some think Gal. 4. 10 spoken against Astrologers who observe times forbidden Deut. 18. 10 12 14 Mic. 5. 12 Jâ—â— 27. 9 2 Kings 23 5. but I rather think the Apostle speaks of and means Weeks or Days imposed by the Ceremonial Law and not at all such days as are commanded by the Moral Law whereof then there was no manner of doubt That Magistrates or private Christians may set apart a day of Thanksgiving for some eminent Mercy or of Fasting and Humiliation under some extraordinary Case is not controverted though such as are yearly or monthly or weekly soon degenerate into Form Custom and Coldness And I take this to be past doubt that neither private Christians nor Magistrates noâ— Churches no nor the greatest Councils ever could since the time of Christ and his Apostles have any power to make a constant common weekly day holy so that it should be a Sin against God to labour thereon Nor have any now a liberty to keep Jewish Holy-days But if those places in Romans Galatians and Colossians do referâ— to Ceremonial days as days of Circumcision Col. 2. 11 12 and other Days and Weeks before mentioned which some of the converted Jews having been educated in the observation oâ— them might be still fond of and contend for then they have no such rueful Consequences as some few would draw froâ— them And what if I should add Why may not the observation oâ— Days blamed in those Scriptures be amongst others the observation of the First day for worshipping the Sun which was lonâ— before observed by the Heathens And if the First day haâ— been then observed by the Churches of Christ which I thinâ— was not or the Apostle's sence in those Epistles had been â—â— level all days he had by those general words certainly as it seemâ— levelled the First day with the rest but as I think that was nâ— the Apostle's sence so I think also that the First day was not at aâ— then observed by Christians nor by any that bore that Namâ— for about One hundred years after and that was one Sunday in year in favour of Easter and when a few were corrupted iâ— that matter for some Corruptions crept in very early and Antâ—christ began to work in the times of the Apostles 2 Thess 2. â— the generality of Christians observed the Seventh-day Sabbaâ— whereof more hereafter But if Sunday were then observed bâ— any Christians any man may well affirm by such an Interpretation as some would make that those Scriptures do absolutely lay it aside and if Sunday were then laid aside it is wholly and for ever laid aside Ans 5. Or it may be those places may referr to some other Heathenish Holy-days and Bacchinals as well as to Sundays and to the Jewish Ceremonial Festivals which some then as now in compliance with those under whom or with whom they lived might observe and think themselves obliged so to do or to have a Liberty to observe without damage to that Liberty which Christ had purchased for them Col. 2. 14 but this is somewhat uncertain Ans 6. And that these Scriptures quoted out of Paul's Epistles were never meant by him to abolish the weekly Seventh-day Sabbath appears plainly from Paul's constantly keeping that day as his manner was Acts 17. 2 and every Sabbath Acts 18. 4 whereof before for no man can charitably think that Paul in â—his Epistles forbids all observation of any days whatsoever and so â—he weekly Seventh day Sabbath and yet that his own Practice â—hould be recorded by the Holy Spirit to be constantly as is mentioned Acts 17. 2 18. 4. Ans 7. And besides Who can possibly understand the many Expressions in his Epistles in such a sence wherein he commends â—e whole Law where he undoubtedly means the Moral Law â—s holy just and good a part whereof was the Seventh-day Sabâ—ath whereof also before Ans 8. The last Answer I offer to this Objection is taken â—om Mat. 24. 20 21 22 30 and the rest of that Chapter Pray â—at your flight be not in the Winter nor on the Sabbath day with â—hich you may compare Mark 13. 18 19 20 26 and the rest â—â— that Chapter First The soonest time that Flight could referr unto was the â—estruction of Jerusalem which was about Thirty eight years â—ter the Death of Christ which whether it were before or after â—â—ul's writing these Epistles which I think not much material do not certainly know But if the time of Flight there mentioned referred to the Season of any Desolations then and still yet to come then this Scripture in Matthew is the stronger for the Seventh-day Sabbath though I think it fully strong enough by referring to Thirty eight years after Christ's Death although divers Expressions in those Chapters of Matthew 24 and Mark 13 in my weak Opinion may and do referr to some other great Periods of Time and I think most certainly to Christ's second Coming Mat. 24. 29 30 Mark 13. 26 which answers the Question of the Disciples Mat. 24. 2 3. and it may be to some other times of great Trials which would come upon the Churches whereof one may not be far off but of that I have no certainty All which sences of longer Times will carry the Observation of the Seventh-day Sabbath till the Times there mentioned come which are not yet come But however that be I think it is agreed that Prophesied Flight was partly fulfilled upon the Romans besieging and taking Jerusalem about Thirty eight years after the Death of Christ and so the Sabbath by the Lord Jesus Christ in that express Text Mat. 24. 20 was not to be abrogated by his Death or Resurrection nor Thirty eight years after which I think is as much as to say Not at all as long as the World should last And whenever the Desolation Christ prophesied in that Chapter should
little difficulty in this Question if the Scriptures as they ought be the Rule to judge it by As to the time when the Sabbath doth begin Sabbath when it begins I conceive it not to be at Midnight nor to end at Midnight after when we generally sleep according to the reckoning of this Kingdom nor at Noon as some other Countries reckon nor in the Morning when we usually rise as upon other days and so to end at Night when we usually go to Bed as upon other days as others reckon but upon the Evening before and so to the Evening after as the Lord reckons the Days to begin and end Gen. 1. 5 8 13 19 23 31. and Gen. 2. 1 2 3 and I do no where find that first Distribution of Days altered or distributed by Him wherein Mr. Shepherd in the latter end of his learned Book for the First day having done very well I referr the Reader who makes any doubt thereof to him for farther satisfaction in that if need be As for the manner of keeping holy the Sabbath day there is in Principle no great variety of Opinion or Practice amongst the Protestants but what an ordinary Understanding who is willing to live by Rule may with a little help resolve although I have known some over-strict and many overloose therein And it seems in short to lye in a lively spiritual Converse with the Father Son and Holy Spirit in private Duties and publick Ordinances where they may be had and in a Holy Rest all that day saving only nightly and dayly emergent Cases of Necessity and Mercy for Men and Beasts Sick and Well which generally are well stated by the Ministry of the Gospel For that which I enquire is Whether the Law of the Fourth Command as to the seventh-Seventh-day Sabbath be repealed or altered by any Word of God Which Enquiry may be allowed to one that is no Minister and indeed to every Christian whoin in Practice it equally concerns with me As to the publick Worship of that day I think it Eabbath Worship worthy some farther Enquiry Whether that Worship should not be twice as much as the Evening or the Morning Worship ordinarily is and Whether all that Publick Worship of the Sabbath should not be performed at one Publick Meeting Which Evening and Morning-Worship in their proper Seasons is not to be intermitted upon the Sabbath day and for this see Num. 28. 3 4 8 9. And I cannot upon the sudden recollect from the Old or New Testament any light of two distinct publick meetings of the Churches one before Noon and the other in the Afternoon as Standing-Duties of the Sabbath day and as distinct from the Evening and Morning-Worship but this I submit to farther Enquiry We have one Psalm for the Sabbath day Psal 92 and but one expresly appointed for that day that I find although the rest of the Psalms may be used on that day as the rest of the Scriptures And as to the time of that one Publick Meeting and Worship of the Churches upon the Sabbath I think it would be enquired whether the Direction we have about it be not towards Noon which seems to be the time of feeding and resting spiritual Flocks Solomon's Song ch 1. v. 7. Evening and Morning and at Noon will I pray and cry aloud Psal 55. 17. And Daniel kneeled upon his Knees three times a day and prayed and gave Thanks before his God as he did afore-time Dan. 6. 10 13. which as I take it were the three stated times of Worship among the Jews but what certain Rule the Jews had from God as to their daily precise times of Evening and Morning Worship I know not but only Evening and Morning Exod. 29. 39 41 42 43 45. Num. 28. 4 8. When the Holy Spirit was given to the Disciples it was the third hour of the day which was our Nine of the Clock Acts 2. 3 4 15. And Peter's Vision was about the sixth hour Acts 10. 9 which was about our Noon And Peter and John went into the Temple at the ninth hour the hour of Prayer Acts 3. 1 for the Hebrews accounted the twelve hours of the day thus our six of the Clock in the Morning was their first our ninth their third hour of the day our twelve of the Clock at Noon their sixth hour our three of the Clock in the Afternoon their ninth hour our six of the Clock at Evening their twelfth hour as Scholars know so that their sixth hour was Noon and Peter's Vision was about Noon And Cornelius was praying about the ninth hour Acts 10. 30. But whether that of David or Daniel or Cornelius or this of Peter and John were upon the Sabbath being not directly written that I know I cannot tell And although we have so much of our LORD 's constant keeping of the Sabbath as his manner was and of Paul's keeping the Sabbath as his manner was yet I do not remember any Instance of their publick congregating or preaching above once upon that day But this also I submit entirely to the Word and to farther Enquiry But if that be the Mind of Christ which he has directed in his Word I think there is much to be said for it as accommodated to the ordinary Cases of Mankind both spiritual and worldly and I am credibly informed that in some parts of England Christians do meet but once upon the Sabbath day As for Tradition I mean so far as I can weakly Tradition gather from my small Stock of Books about the Seventh-day Sabbath when the observation thereof ended and about the First day when the observation thereof began amongst any Christians hoping the World may hereafter have a more exact account thereof if need be from some one or other who has better Abilities a better Library and more Youth Strength and Leisure whom the Lord may raise up I shall offer such broken imperfect Collections as I can after so many Removes of my little Study by the Distresses of this Age. But this I premise that my own clearest satisfaction that the Seventh-day Sabbath is not altered came by the means of the Scriptures and the Writings of the most Consciencious and Learned for the First day and after all I am of this opinion That the Sabbath cannot be repealed or altered but by the same Power and Authority which first commanded it which was our LORD himself As for me it was as I remember some years after I was convinced of the Seventh day Sabbath before I had seen any Book that was written for it or before I had spoken with any person that was for the observation thereof and â— did and do find that the ablest Writers in my weak Opinion for the First day have with that soundness established the Ten Commands and their abiding Obligation to the end of the World and then by Conjectures have endeavoured to bring in â—he First day that the more I see the more I am
it as a God upon Sunday My first Authority shall be out of Job who probably was iâ— the time of the ancient Patriarchs If I beheld the Sun when it shined or the Moon walking in brightness and my Heart hath been secretly enticed or my Mouth hath kissed my Hand this were an Iniquity to be punished by the Judges for I should have denied the God abovâ— Job in answer to Bildad chap. 25 and it may be especially â—â— ver 5. in his Apology professeth his Innocency as to open oâ— secret idolizing of the Sun or Moon which in his days it seemâ— was a common practice which probably had its Rise from somâ— broken Traditions touching the Dominion given to the Suâ— Gen. 1. 16 whence they termed the Sun Molech i. e. he thaâ— reigneth or ruleth or the King mentioned Lev. 18. 21 anâ— in many other Scriptures The Sun had also the Name of Baa i. e. Lord Num. 22. 4 41 the Idol of the Moabites whom theâ— supposed to be Lord of All for with these great Titles they honoured this Idol and worshipped him as the Great visible Lord and Ruler of the World whose glorious Light and other Influences together with that Blindness contracted by the Fall and Dispersion of Mankind led them to make and worship various Images thereof The Priests of this Idol were called Chemarim Chemarim Garments of Heathen Priests black from their black Garments whom Josiah put down 2 Kin. 23. 5 which Name of Chemarim the Lord threatens to cut off Zeph. 1. 4. And it is likely the Romanists have that black Colour and Habit from the Heathen Priests for any thing from Christ or his Apostles in precept practise or in favour thereof I do not remember Unto which Idol of the Sun some of the Kings of Israel did sacrifice and build high places which other gracious Kings as Hezekiah Josiah c. broke down whereof see the Histories at large in Kings and Chronicles which the Lord forbad as that which he had not commanded Deut. 17. 3 and which also the Prophets sharply reproved Jer. 19. 5. 32. 35 as that which the Lord never commanded which was the manner used by the Prophets to reprove and brand Corrupt Worship That it was not commanded by the Lord which is the same Exception we take against the First day And he that went a whoring after Molech the Lord would set his face against that man which high Places and Images of the Sun he threatens to cut down and destroy Lev. 26. 30. And the Aegyptians to whom the Remnant of Judah would go down had Temples dedicated to the Sun whereupon the Lord threatens to send the King of Babylon into Aegypt to break the Images in Bethshemesh i. e. in the House of the Sun Jer. 43. 10 to 13. And this sort of Idolatry was anciently performed about the rising of the Sun and this was that Sin which in a Vision the Lord shewed Ezekiel viz. 25 men of Judah with their Faces towards the East worshipping the Sun towards the East Ezek. 8. 16. And hence it was as I remember that the Heathen Temples were generally built toward the East the East being the Point wherein the Sun riseth in the Vernal and to which it returns in the Autumnal Aequinox which as some think from Gen. 2. 8 is directly over Paradice where the Sun is supposed first to have shined whence might arise a Custom amongst Idolaters of praying towards the East which is also very ancient though Solomon's Temple had its Priests and Sacrifices turning towards the West to avoid that Superstition Ezek. 8. 16 where their Backs are said to be towards the Temple of the Lord when their Faces were towards the East worshipping the Sun towards the East And in the Temple in Ezekiel there were three Gates one in the East another in the North and the third in the South Ezek. 46. 1 9 but none in the West And that the day for worshipping the Idol of the Sun was Sunday the First day of the week I offer one Authority from our own Country for our Ancestors in England before the Light of the Gospel came amongst them went very far if they did not outstrip others in this Idolatry and dedicated the First day of the week to the Adoration of the Idol of the Sun and gave it the name of Sunday from whom we have the name Sunday and hold fast that name to this day and this Idol they placed in a Temple and there sacrificed to it See Verstegan's Antiquities fol. 68. And upon like reason they made an Idol for every other day of the week by the names of which Idols they called the several days which names we still retain concerning which names consider Exod. 23. 13 Hos 2. 17 Psal 16. 4 Gen. 26. 18 Num. 32. 38 Zech. 13. 2 Josh 23. 7 Deut. 12. 3. And I think I do remember to have read in the Histories that a very great part of the World and particularly those parts of it which have since embraced Christianity did anciently adore the Sun upon Sunday Obj. A Learned Writer objects That the First day was set apart by the Apostles and that there is not the least Trace for any other day besides the First for Sabbath services and for this they have he says the universal Concurrence of all the Christian Churches for One thousand Six hundred years Ans In answer to which Affirmation I premise That all the Tradition in the World cannot add to take from lay aside or alter any Word of Christ or any Duty of any Man Obj. And the same Learned Objector on Rev. 1. 10 notes The vain Gavil of those that deny the Lord's day here to mean the Christian's day of Holy Worship even the First of the week I have fully confuted in a Book upon that Subject and it needs no confutation to those that are acquainted with Church-History who know that this day hath been kept holy as of Apostolical Ordination and Practice by the Universal Church ever since the Apostles days the Hereticks themselves consenting An Answer to that place Rev. 1. 10 I think you have before and that the Lord's day there mentioned is not the First but rather the Seventh day of the week the true Lord's day Ans And for further answer to the rest of that positive Affirmation I shall shew that there have been many Christian Churches who have for some Hundreds of years after Christ assembled for Publick Worship on the Seventh day Sabbath which will prove there have been some Dissenters from his Opinion in former times And to the rest 1st I answer first That the seventh-Seventh-day Sabbath was observed for Publick Worship during the Apostles time I think is plain in the Scriptures and so prov'd before in the Answers to the Ninth and Tenth Questions And who could change it after that Non Constat 2dly And if it were true that the Churches ever since the Apostles days One thousand Six hundred
and fol. 140 That amongst thâ— days for publick Assemblies the Dominical day is mostly named also amongst some the day of the Sabbath is found â— was the Sabbath day the third hour when the People were oppressed in the Church by Grimoâ—ldus in the Popilian Markeâ— which was in Rome it self Sabelicus Eâ—eadis 8. lib. 2. So thâ— in Rome it self in this seventh Century some kept the Sabbath for which they were oppress'd and yet for ought I find in aâ— other respects were free from all Exception And fol. 161 they say The Dominical day was solemn â—â— Christians but amongst other Festivals religiously observeâ— they say Isid de Officiis remembers or makes mention of thâ— Sabbath And fol. 185 they say When they did assemble and hoâ— often is not expresly written but the most mention is made â— the Sabbath and of the Dominical day as it is written of Coâ—stance the Emperor in libro Pontificali that coming to Roâ— quarta feria which I take to be our Wednesday that same dâ— he went to the Temple of St. Peter and upon the Sabbath dâ— to St. Maries and upon the Dominical day to St. Peter's Churcâ— which probably was in Lent Cent. 8. In the Eighth Century fol. 1 they say That the Faâ— of the Church of God was deformed and sad being miserabâ— afflicted with two Antichrists the Saracens addicted to the Bâ—phemies of Mahomet and the Popes of Rome Antichrist sittiâ— in the Temple of God Fol. 377 378 they say That the Monks in His Island and the Picts began to celebrate the Sabbath in the Romish manner Ann. Dom. 716. Beda lib. 5. cap. 23. Cent. 9. In the Ninth Century 'tis They kept holy the Dominical day and Synodus Moguntina i. e held at the City Mentz in Germany says We have decreed that all Dominical days be observ'd with all Veneration I find little more of the Dominical day or Sabbath in that Century How far the Canons of that Synod at Mentz were influenc'd from Rome or how far they reach'd in their Power I know not Cent. 10 fol. 365 54 we find that servile Works are not to be done upon the Dominical day Cent. 11 fol. 287 44 Leo the Ninth endeavoured to obtrude a Fast upon all the Sabbaths of the whole Year ever in Lent upon the Eastern Churches c. But Niceâ—as saith That only in the Year is to be observed the Lord's Burial and that a Fast Fol. 289 we have four Columns of Festivals above forty Festivals Fol. 290. 59 Urbane the Second in a Synod at Claremont ordain'd that the Office of Mary i. e. St. Mary should â—e solemnly celebrated upon Sabbath days Diebus sabbathiâ—is Fol. 341 On the Sabbath William the Conqueror in the princiâ—al Feast had magnificent and sumptuous Banquets Malmesb. â—b 3. cap. 52 which they call a Prophanation of the Sabbath Which of the days this was I cannot certainly say but I think â— was the Seventh-day Sabbath Fol. 542. 10 Pope Urbane the Second decrees the Mass to be â—elebrated upon the Sabbath day to the Praise of the Lady-Virâ—in Mary Dominae virginis Mariae So now at Rome the â—ord's Sabbath day was the Lady Maries day so wanton in this â—ey were in that Age. Cent. 12 fol. 911. 17 de Festis They kept holy the Dominiâ—al day and they say that it is the Christian Sabbath Fol. 216 The Sabbath is a Figure of the Passion of Christ â—nd now we must celebrate the Dominical day because of the â—esurrection of Christ Fol. 999. 10 Prophanation of the Sabbath â—hat Slaves and â—xons upon every Dominical day frequenâ—â—â— Market forum â—unense neglecting Divine Worship which Bishop Gerold by â—e Word of God prohibited Cent. 13. The Thirteenth Century brought forth the famous Dominicus by whom afterward the Order of Dominicans was instituted fol. 556. 30. Fol. 320. 44 Estius says The Precept for observing the Sabbath is none of the Ten Commands yet distinguisheth four Precepts as belonging to God the first I am the Lord thy God the second Thou shalt have no other Gods before me the third Command he says is Thou shalt not make to thee any graven Image the fourth Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain And he says There are six pertaining to our Neighbour the first of these is Honour thy Father and Mother c. And so the Sabbath was none of the Ten Commandâ— such wild Conceits have some had about the Moral Law and to lay aside the Seventh day And Fol. 331. 32 one Thomas saith The Precept of the Sabbath literally understood is partly moral and partly ceremonial moral as to this that Man should depute some part of his Life to give his Mind to Divine things But as to this Commands determining a special time in sign of the Creation of the World so the Precept is ceremonial Thus he determines that a special time in the Fourth Command is ceremonial and that this Command is only moral as to some part of Man's Life and says not what part And Estius says that the Fourth is none of the Ten Commands LUCIUS ' s Ecclesiastical History which he gathered out of the Magdeburgenses and out of the oldest and best Historians and Writers printed at Basil 1624. COntentions were stirred up by Anicetus and Victor Cent. 1. lib. 2. Bishops of Rome about celebrating the Passover upon the Dominical day fol. 387 A B C. Cent. 4 fol. 41 The Emperor Constantine commanded that the Dominical day should be free from hearing Causes and doing Business à judiâ—â— negotiis except Tillage and as holy to be observed by all fol. 230 A â— D E. See Magd. 4th Cent. fol. 224 D Sozomenus shews in many Cities and Villages amongst the Egyptians they used to assemble the Evening of the Sabbath on which day that there were publick Assemblies Athanasius signifies also where he names these days of Ecclesiastical Assemblies viz. The Sabbath the Dominical day the Second of the Sabbath Parasceven i. e. a Preparation or Good Friday and the Fourth of the Sabbath or week i. e. Wednesday I think this was in Lent They say Sozomenus has delivered down Tradidit that at Constantinople and almost amongst all the Christians did assemble upon the Sabbath and also Unâ Sabbati upon the First day of the week but at Rome and Alexandria not so Fol. 248 Can. 23 Concilii Eliberini constituted a Fast upon the Sabbath day Fol. 268 F G of the Rights or Customs of the Church of Rome Publick Assemblies 't is said That the Ecclesiastical Assemblies at Rome were not upon the Sabbath as in See Mâ—gdeb 4th Century the Churches of the rest of the World So that the rest of the World kept the Seventh day Sabbath in the fourth Century Sozomenus seems to shew sol 271 D E that a Fast upon every quocunque Sabbath day was peculiar to the Church of Rome Socrates saith At Rome they fast every Sabbath Fasting in Lent upon the
Remegius saith that That Sabbath which the Jews were enjoyn'd to celebrate is a sign of future Rest Fol. 141 D Defestis They rested upon the Dominical day And fol. 141 F The Sabbath is holy on which Christ rested in the Grave Rabanus Cent. 11 fol. 144 E De festis That the Feasts received in the former Ages were yet in use is manifest in Authors for they did to that degree abstain from prophane Works upon the Dominical day that it was thought a Sin to make Ditches Teste Cranizio in Metropoli Fol. 210 Michael Bishop of Constantinople and Leo Arch-deacon did blame damnabant the Church of Rome because they used unleavened Bread in the Supper and observed the Sabbath in Lent This in the 11th Century Fol. 291 D E Pope Urban the Second That Mass is to be celebrated upon the Sabbath to the Honour of the Lady-Virgin Mary Nauclerus Lucius Cent. 12 See Balaeus's Acta Romanorum pontificum That Urban the Second one of the Pope's who lived An. Christi 1126 who if we may believe the Historians was a very bad man made certain Statutes wherein amongst other things he dedicated the Sabbath day to the Virgin Mary with a Mass which Dedication I think remains amongst the Romanists to this day Binius 572 fol. 570 571 says Pope Innocent the First constituted a Fast on the Sabbath day which seems to be the first Constitution of that Fast But the alteration of the Sabbath and the turning it into a Fast and dedicating the Sabbath to the Virgin Mary came all from Rome and was made in the XII Cent. or thereabout by Pope Urban the Second Fol. 134 B Thomas I think Aquinas the Precepts of the Decalogue are by divers diversly distinguish'd for Esychius saith The Precept for the observation of the Sabbath is none of the Ten Commands because it is not at all times to be observed according to the Letter yet he distinguisheth four Precepts belonging to God That the first is I am the Lord thy God The second Thou shalt have no other Gods The third Thou shalt not make to thy self any graven Image The fourth Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain And those pertaining to our Neighbor the first is Honour thy Father and so the Command for the Sabbath is none of the Ten Commands whereof before But he says This seems to be inconvenient that the Precept for observing the Sabbath should be put amongst the Precepts of the Decalogue if it do not at all belong to the Decalogue Fol. 134 F he says afterward as I understand him that in the Precept Thou shalt not make a graven Image and in the fourth Precept the determinate day of the Sabbath are ceremonial And if that be the meaning then the Command against graven Images as well as that for the Sabbath in the Opinion of â—ome were ceremonial Which Opinions agree well with â—ome now Fol. 139 D E F of the Sabbath Thomas Aquinas The Precept of sanctifying the Sabbath literally understood is partly moral and partly ceremonial moral as to this that Man depute some part of his Life to apply it to Divine things and to this he says there is in Man a natural Inclination and sometime to be deputed to Divine things falls under a moral Command but as to the determining a special time so it is a ceremonial Command and that the Command for sanctifying the Sabbath is put amongst the Commands of the Decalogue so far as it is a moral Precept not in what it is ceremonial So Thomas doth not much differ from Esychius I shall add here a few other old Collections about observing the Sabbath Socrates scholasticus in the fifth Book of his Ecclesiastical Socrates Cent. 4. History chap. 21 about the diversity of Observations in divers places touching Easter Fasting Marriage Service with other Ecclesiastical Rites says Touching the Communion there are sundry Observations and Customs for though in a manner all the Churches throughout the whole World do celebrate and receive the holy Mysteries every Sabbath day after other yet Tradition in Cent. IV for the Seventh day the People inhabiting Alexandria and Rome of an old Tradition do not use it The celebrating and receiving the Holy Mysteries I take to be their publick weekly Assemblies for preaching and for their hearing the Gospel preached for Prayer and Praises and for Baptisms and the Lord's Supper which in a manner were celebrated and received by all the Christian Churches throughout the whole World upon every Sabbath day after other yet the Alexandrians and Romans did not use it This was in the 4th Century between the year of our Lord 380 and the year 397. Socrates fol. 353 354 Ann. Dom. 380. This Writer Socrates was born and brought up in Constantinople where he lived and flourished about 412 years after Christ and so lived in that Age and saw with his Eyes many of the things whereof he writ his History ends Ann. Dom. 440 whose Doctrine is acknowledged by Dr. Hanmeâ— who translated him out of the Greek to be sound and the Story faithful that Socrates was learned and his Judgment grave and his Writings of great Antiquity So we havâ— here Socrates a learned faithful Writer positively affirming aâ— the Churches every where throughout the World as every week came about holding their Religious Assemblies and celebrating the Mysteries i. e. administring of Baptism the Lord's Supper Prayer Preaching Singing c. upon the Sabbath day i. e. the Seventh-day Sabbath upon every Sabbath day after other except the Alexandrians and Romans who then refused to do as all the Christian Churches in the World besides did So here also Tradition is for the Seventh day Sabbath for at least 380 years after Christ Alexandria was a City in literal Aegypt Rome a City in mystical Aegypt these two were then famous for making a Separation and Schism in this from the Word and Command of God and from all the Christian Churches in the World besides And so by the Testimony of Socrates the not sanctifyâ—ng the seventh-Seventh-day Sabbath was eminently and principally made by Rome And we find by many Writers whereof â—ome are here before-mentioned that Rome celebrated theri Mysteries at this time upon the First day of the week for which they stifly contended Which Testimony of Socrates I take to be the stronger because it was some time before that Constantine appointed a Rest upon the Dominical day by which Name he called it favouâ—ing the Romish Church under which he had his Education whose removing from Rome to Constantinople gave one lift to â—his day And it seems to me that Constantine being bred unâ—er the Roman Church and having there sucked in their Noâ—on of the First day when he went to Constantinople promulâ—ates his Law for observing it where yet it was not for a long â—me received and then he commanded that day to be conâ—ecrated to Prayer and that throughout all the Roman Empire
true That in Christ Jesus neither Circumcision nor Uncircumcision availeth any thing but a new Creature Gal. 6. 15. In Christ Jesus neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor Uncircumcision but Faith which worketh by Love Gal. 5. 6. which Love is the fulfilling of the Law Gal. 5. 14. and the fruit of the Spirit Gal. 5. 22. And as many as walk according to this Rule Peace on them and Mercy Gal. 6. 16. Upon All whether Jews or Gentiles who believe in Christ and walk by Rule And Circumcision is nothing and Uncircumcision is nothing but the keeping the Commandments of God 1 Cor. 7. 19. Col. 3. 9 10 11. And upon the whole of this it seems to me the Law was given to Jews and Gentiles And through Christ both Jews and Gentiles have access by one Spirit to the Father Eph. 2. 11 14 18. where you have also Father Son and Holy Spirit 2dly That the seventh-day Sabbath after the promulgation of the Law by Christ at Mount Sinai and that ordinarily was called by the name of the Sabbath and by that name known and observed I think is agreed by all that I know and is so plain throughout the Old Testament that there needs little to be said thereto Six days thou shalt work and on the seventh day thou shalt rest Exod. 23. 12. Upon the seventh day the Lord called to Moses out of the Cloud Exod. 24. 16. which probably was the first Sabbath after the giving the Law Exod. 20. which seventh day is often called a sign for ever between him and his People and a perpetual Covenant Exod. 31. 13 to 17. to distinguish his People from others Where the Law of the Pool's Annot. on Exod. 31. 16. Sabbath is confirmed and established to be perpetual and the reason given for the perpetuity of the Sabbath is such as hath its force till the end of the World and it 's fit and just men should retain this Monument or Memorial of the Worlds Creation even till its Dissolution And this was whilst the Lord was communing with Moses in the Mount and before the giving Moses the two Tables of Testimony Exod. 31. 18. which they were to observe in Earing-time and Harvest Exod. 34. 21. And the seventh day shall be to you an Holy day a Sabbath of rest to Jehovah Exod. 35. 2. which is repeated here and in Exod. 31. 13. before to teach them to remember that Precept above all their ceremonial Observations And the Weekly Sabbaths are called The Sabbaths of the Lord v. 38. in a way of distinction from other days of Rest which also appears in the fourth Command Exod. 20. 8 9 10 11. afterwards we have the Judgment against the Stick-gatherer Num. 15. 32 36. And after the Command renewed for lively fiery and not dead and formal Morning and Evening Word and Prayer Num 28. 3 to 8. Jehovah also repeats the Law for the Sabbath v. 9 10. which Israel prophan'd whereof we read much in the Prophets and Psal 92. is a Psalm for the Sabbath day I love thy Commandments above gold yea above fine gold I esteem all thy Precepts concerning all things right Psal 119. 127 128. As if he had said I make not all thy Commands void as some do nor am I partial in approving some and rejecting or altering those I like not which cross my Opinion as others do all thy Commands ever were are and ever will be right Which I take to be the import of the Hebrew leaving out the Verb there and in many other places And he that turneth away his Ear from hearing the Law his Prayer is an abomination Prov. 28. 9. it ever was so is so and will be so an abomination 1 John 3. 22. Thus saith Jehovah My Salvation is near to come Blessed the man that keepeth the Sabbath he will accept their services Isa 56. 1 2 6 7. such ever were are and ever will be blessed Which place referring to Gospel-times is the larger Promise now And it shall come to pass that from one Sabbath to another shall all flesh come to worship before me saith Jehovah Isa 66. See also Jer. 17. 21. 23 24. And with this that great Gospel-Prophet concludeth his Prophecy The Covenant which Jehovah made with their Fathers which they broke Jer. 31. 31 32. 33. was the Moral Law I will put my Laws in their inward parts and write them in their Hearts called an everlasting Covenant Jer. 32. 40 38 39. Rom. 2. 29. John 1. 47. Rom. 7. 22 Heb. 8. 8 9 10. The Lord charges Jerusalem as having changed his Statutes therefore I even I against thee Ezek. 5. 5 6 8. That the Sabbath was appointed as a sign between him and his People is often mentioned which because they polluted he gave them Statutes not good Ezek. 20. 12 13 16 20 21. 24. My Sabbaths they greatly polluted v. 13. the Lord threatned them not to bring them into Canaan because they polluted his Sabbaths v. 15 16. which should be a sign between him and them v. 20 21 24. Which Weekly Sabbaths were to be a weekly keeping alive their Hopes of an Eternal Rest with the Lord that Rest or Sabbatism or keeping Sabbath in Heaven which remaineth for the People of God Heb. 4. 8 9. of which the seventh-seventh-day Sabbath was and is a Pledge and Representation And the prophaning the Sabbath is reckoned amongst the greater sins of Israel whose Ministers hid their Eyes from his Sabbath Ezek. 22. 8 26. 23. 38. After many Threatnings against Aegypt and after the Promises in that Prophet of converting the Jews the Resurrection of the dry Bones the Promise of Christ's Kingdom God's Judgment on Gog and Ezekiel's Vision of the new Temple Thus saith the Lord God The gate of the inward Court that looketh toward the East shall be shut the six working days but on the Sabbath it shall be opened for the Prince to enter and offer upon the Sabbath day Ezek. 46. 1 2 4. and a little after that Prophet closeth his Prophecy and God threatens to cause the Sabbath to cease Hos 2. 11. And when will the Sabbath be gone that we may set forth Wheat Amos 8. 5. By all which I conclude that the seventh day was the Sabbath till our Lord's Incarnation These and other Voices of the Prophets do shew how highly the Sabbath was valued by the Lord who gave it to his People and was ordinarily called by the Prophets and afterwards by the Apostles the Sabbath or the Sabbath day and those terms of the Seventh day and the Sabbath were Synonimous in the Church noting all along throughout the Old and New Testament one and the same Seventh-day-Sabbath And it is very observable that the Old or New Testament do never call the First day the Sabbath Q. 6. If the Ten Commands without any exception of the fourth Command or any part or tittle of it were confirmed by the Lord Jesus Christ after his taking our Nature upon him
Verses especially do shew that it is the Heavenly Rest with the Beginnings of it by Faith and Holiness whicâ— is meant in the 4th of Heb. Let us labour therefore to enter into thâ— Rest v. 11 which is the Use that since many through Unbelieâ— fall short of that everlasting Rest let us study hard and wiâ— Earnestness and Diligence endeavour to obtain it for which eâ— the Word of God is quick and powerful v. 12 to stir us up â— strive to enter into God's Rest which Labour is commended â— all and especially to the Hebrews to whom that Epistle is directeâ— to bring them to believe in Christ Jesus the Son of God v. 13 1â— whose being God-man the Author of that Epistle doth clearâ— assert and the only Mediator by Faith in whom alone we câ— obtain that everlasting Rest Obj. But one of the principal Objections is raised from Aâ— 20. 7. And upon the First day of the week when the Disciples caâ— together to break Bread Paul preached unto them ready to depart the morrow and continued his speech until midnight Ans The first day of the week they guess was Sunday which I shall not controvert provided they will admit which I think they will not deny that it was Paul's manner to keep the Seventh-day Sabbath Acts 17. 2 and provided they tell us what part of Sunday this was for it seems to me and I think to these Objectors also to be the Evening after the Seventh day which Evening was the beginning of Sunday as the Evening was the beginning of every other day of the week Gen. 1. 5 8 13 19 23 31. And that it was in the Evening after the Sabbath I think probable from his being ready to depart on the morrow i. e. on Sunday and from his speaking till midnight and till break of day v. 7 11. And they guess the breaking of Bread there was the Lord's Supper which they guess the Disciples did there once come together to do upon the First day of the week and therefore they guess did upon the First day of every week then and ever after and Paul's preaching to them then they guess was because the Seventh day was changed to the First day but when where or by whom they shew us not but generally acknowledge to be no where found in the Scriptures only we must take their word for it which without a word from the Lord I cannot satisfie my self to do In answer to which Objection the Reader may take notice that the Greek word here preached is the same Greek word which is rendered reasoned Acts 17. 2 where Paul as his manner was his constant manner was went in unto them and three Sabbath days i. e. Seventh-day Sabbaths he preached to â—hem out of the Scriptures and is the same Greek word which is â—endered reasoned Acts 18. 4 where Paul reasoned i. e. preached in the Synagogue every Sabbath And he that without â—rejudice considers those two places will see somewhat how far â—his goes in answer to the Objection Now if we do admit that once for 't is but once Paul with the Disciples came together upon the First day of the week to break Bread â—nd if we should admit that breaking of Bread was giving and â—eceiving the Lord's Supper I say it is but once that is but one â—nstance but one Fact which was never yet understood to make New or repeal an Old Law and it would be a very dangerous â—octrine to affirm that one Fact done by the Apostles â—nd those Disciples who were at Troas and that upon a special occasion should have the force of a Law to repeal or alter one of the Ten Commands to all the World in all after Ages And this once was upon occasion of Paul's being to depart on the morrow i. e. on Sunday This was but once that Paul preached upon the First day buâ— his constant Custom was to preach on the Sabbath days Acts â—7 2 and that upon every Sabbath day Acts 18. 4. The other is pretended to be but once And not one word of instituting the First day or repealing the Seventh day And if we may humbly take a liberty of offering our weâ— sence upon this place as others do upon this and all the rest oâ— the Scriptures I further answer that it is likely to me that Pâ— abiding seven days at Troas which some think was Troy or the Country thereabout Acts 20. 6. kept as his manner was Act 17. 2. 18. 4. the Sabbath there as his Custom was and in thâ— Evening when the First day began as every other day of thâ— week did begin in the Evening Gen. 1. 5 8 13 19 23 31 the Disciples came together to break Bread And that it was thuâ— I think I have the Opinion of a whole Synod Lucius Ecclesiasâ—cal History V. Cent. 313 D. 315. a b c d e Basileae 162 Synodus Toletana Which breaking of Bread might be to receive the Lord 's Suppeâ— together or it might be only for common eating or supping togâ—ther for neither is positively or particularly expressed And may be it was common Eating because in the same Book of thâ— Acts viz. Acts 27. 35 the same Greek word is used for Paâ— breaking Bread which was common Eating in the Ship wiâ— the Centurion Souldiers and Seamen who were Heathenâ— whatever the other Prisoners with Paul were which the Serâ— of the History there shews was common Eating and I take â— be so understood by Expositors And in this very Chapter vâ— Acts 20. 11 when Paul had broken Bread and eaten he departâ— which may be the same breaking Bread mentioned v. 7 but the same Greek word and probably was common Eating Aâ— the same Greek word for breaking Bread is used Mat. 14. 1â— where Christ fed a Multitude with five Loaves and two Fishâ— which was before the Institution of the Supper And the saâ— Greek word is also used Mat. 15. 36 at another miraculous feeâ—ing of a Multitude and Mark 8. 6 19 which could not be â— Supper being before the Institution thereof So that compâ—ring Acts 20 7 with Acts 20. 11 and Acts 27. 35 and Mat. 15. 36 and Mark 8. 6 19 it seems it might be common Eating but suppose it were the Lord's Supper 't is likely Paul having kept the Sabbath with them as his manner was and intending to be gone the next morning i. e. on Sunday morning they met to have the Lord's Supper together and after Supper that Paul preached to them and talked long till break of day and then departed which seems to be Sunday morning But why the coming together of the Disciples v. 7 might not be as Friends commonly do when a Minister or any other special Acquaintance intends to take a Journey in the morning to supp with him over-night I see no substantial Reason which is a Sence obvious to common Understandings as it seems without Violence Whereas the haling of this Text to make a new
observed as some compute from Joshua to Nehemiah which was for about One thousand years And for how many years the Seventh day Sabbath was before and under the Captivity turned into a Market-day Neh. 13. 15 to 21 I know not but 't is there written that their Fathers marketting upon the Sabbath occasioned the Captivity of Israel and Israel under their oppressing Persecutors was there particularly reproved for prophaning the Sabbath by Nehemiah as I shall shew more under the twelfth Question So that Commands may be broken and great and plain Duties may be long and generally omitted in the Churches and great Faults committed and yet Commands are still Commands and Duties continue Duties and Sins are still Transgressions of the Law and as soon as God does give us the knowledge of any Duty we ought to set about it and when He discovers to us any Sin we should bewail it and turn from it And in Truth the longer the observation of the Seventh day has been discontinued if it had been for Sixteen hundred years together which Reckoning I think you may hereafter find diminished the louder the Lord in the Fourth Command doth call upon us to return to the Law and to the Testimony the length of time wherein some Churches have given a Bill of Divorce to the Sabbath being a strong Argument to continue no longer in observance of the First day to which we never were married that I find by the Lord. And supposing the Churches had all for a long time observed the First day and by Tradition taken it for the Lord's day if they were long mistaken must they therefore persist in that wrong Observation and never be reclaimed And must no man dare under pain and peril of many Reproaches and other Persecutions and Ruin in this World so far as Angry men can do it practise it or speak or write a Word for it For all the Cry about the length of time if it were true has only this Force that because we have been out of our way for a long time therefore let no man presume or think to put us in our way again which is no good Arguing upon the Road nor in other Cases and why in this Ans 5. From Rev. 1. 10 it is plain That John was in the Island Patmos and was there in the Spirit i. e. in an Extasie and Rapture of Mind wherein the Understanding is raised and fixed in Contemplation of Divine things which were afterwards to come to pass in the Churches and the World Which also in part was the case of Peter Acts 10. 10 about the sixth hour but whether on the Sabbath I know not and of Paul 2 Cor. 12. 2 but whether on the Sabbath I know not and often of the Prophets and John being in the Spirit was on the Lord's day Now to find out which day of the week this was if it were a weekly day which is not written I shall offer the best Evidence I can from the Word Opinions in such undetermined Cases being only Conjectures which I heartily submit to the Word and better Judgments who are awed by the Word From the Text or Context we find nothing very considerable on either side that I know and therefore to find out what day this is shall collate other Scriptures for whatsoever is necessary to be known and not expressed in one Text is found in another for the Word of God is certainly compleat as to all necessary Truths I find a great deficiency in my own Understanding and Memory but nothing wanting in the Scriptures and whosoever is once poisoned with Conceits that the Scriptures are defective I do not wonder if such run to any thing that is uppermost For as the Scriptures are given by Inspiration of God so they are able to make us wise to Salvation 2 Tim. 3. 15 16 17. And he that thinks this Scripture or any other Scripture false will be no Rule to me And here I may first recollect what was offered on the Third Question viz. That after the Creation the Seventh-day Sabbath was instituted by the Lord Jesus Christ and by him was blessed and sanctified Gen. 2. 1 2 3 4 and thence thus reason 1st That day which the Lord blessed and sanctified is the Lord's day but the Seventh day of the week is that day which he blessed and sanctified therefore the Seventh day is the Lord's day That the Lord blessed and sanctified the Seventh day and thaâ— he that blessed it was the Lord Christ and that the Seventh day is the day he blessed and sanctified are expresly proved by Gen. 2 2 3 4 and in the first second and third Questions And if it be so it seems to follow somewhat strongly that then the Seventh day is the Lord's day Now although all the days of the week are the Lord's that is 't was he that made that division of Time into Seven days and there stayed and every day is his yet he having peculiarly blessed sanctified and called the Seventh day his day and rested upon it and set it apart for Man to rest on and He having no where that I can yet find in his Word said any such thing of the First day or of any other day of the week but only of the Seventh I dare not speak or think contrary to his express Command and Word and the Seventh day seems to me only to be and to be by Him called The Lord's day 2. Another Scripture to prove that the Seventh-day Sabbath is the Lord's day is Exod. 20. 10 where the Seventh day is directly affirmed to be the Sabbath of the Lord that is the Seventh day is the Lord's Sabbath day or the Lord's day of Rest or the Lord's day and the like is in Deut. 5. 14 The Seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God Now that which is the Lord's Sabbath day I should think cannot well be denied to be the Lord's day and it being his Sabbath day does not make it cease to be a day or cease to be his day and if it be his day then 't is the Lord's day Or we may reason thus That day which the Lord commanded to be kept holy is the Lord's day but the Seventh day is that day which the Lord commanded to be kept holy therefore the Seventh day is the Lord's day Now that the Seventh day is that day which the Lord commanded to be kept holy appears from Exod. 20. 8 10 and Deut. 5. 12 14 15. The latter end of that 15th Verse is very cogent For thus hath the Lord commanded thee to do or to make that day the Sabbath 3. Another Scripture to prove the Seventh day to be the Lord's day is Isa 58. 13 where the Sabbath is called the Lord's Holy-day and the Holy of the Lord. I think no Writer has yet doubted that the Sabbath there spoken of was the Seventh-day Sabbath then and still observed by the Israelites and it cannot be the less his day
come he directs his Disciples v. 3 to pray their Flight might not be in Winter the season of Cold or Wet would greaten the Distress nor on the Sabbath day which they were commanded to rest upon and to keep holy for such a Tribulation would be heightned if it fell upon a day whereon they used and ought without some real cogent necessity to compose themselves to an Holy Rest And for eminently gracious persons as the Apostles were and all Believers in their measure are by any hindrance though lawful to be diverted from any Ordinance of Christ where they may sedately enjoy Communion with Father Son and Holy Spirit and that for a whole day together is a matter to be deprecated Secondly And that the Sabbath in Mat. 24. 20 was the Jewish Seventh-day Sabbath I have the Opinion I think of all that write upon it that it was the Seventh-day Sabbath they were to pray that their Flight might not be upon And I cannot now imagine that Paul in his Epistles to the Romans Galatians and Colossians before mentioned went about to abrogate what Christ had so confirmed And upon the whole I do think this one place of Mat. 24. 20 compared with Mark 13. 18 which referrs to the like Cases with Mat. 24. is sufficient to prove the Seventh-day Sabbath is not altered but ought to be still observed As for those who think a weekly Seventh-day of Rest was appointed in Paradice and who acknowledge it to be ordained from the foundation of the World before the entrance of Sin and so belonged to all Mankind and that a seventh-Seventh-day weekly was directly commanded in the Decalogue wherein Vide Mr. Hughes Treatise of the Sabbath the Law of our Creation was revived and so distinguished from all Ceremonial Ordinances and so having no Concern in those fore-cited Passages in Romans Galatians and Colossians which with much more cannot be fairly denied we shall easily agree with them provided they will withal admit which we think upon what has been said cannot be denied that the weekly day first ordained Gen. 2. 2 was not only a Seventh day but was the Seventh day and no other day of the week and that the Fourth Command doth appoint the same successive Seventh day which was first commanded which was also observed as before And we now find much of this Controversie to be reduced by many except one who still mainly builds upon Traditions to this Whether The seventh or A seventh day be required in the Fourth Command which to the Impartial will reduce the Question into a narrow compass for no man can deny The seventh to be A seventh i. e. the Seventh-day Sabbath to be a Seventh day of the week and yet that admitted would almost end this part of the Controversie And the Fourth Command speaks not of A seventh which is one of the seven but The or That seventh day which Christ rested upon after the Creation And those above mentioned finding the great mischief of making any Breach upon the Ten Commands which are so often asserted throughout the Old and New Testament they now insist on this that these words Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy is the sum and substance of that whole Command and they reduce that to Remember a Sabbath day to keep it holy and then knock off The seventh day as the Romanists leave out the second Command against worshipping of Images whereas the words used in the Fourth Command are such as should stay all Constructions which would change the Seventh day and are such as do not leave the least Pretence or Colour for such a Change The words are Exod. 20. 10 The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God the leaving out the Verb is in the Hebrew I conceive imports as is common in that Tongue that it was is and will or shall be the Sabbath And those who would translate it A seventh as they therein depart from our English Translation which herein rightly renders it The seventh so I think they manifestly depart from the Hebrew Text. And we think the H In Hashabbat Exod. 20. 8 at the beginning of the Command and v. 11 at the end of it to be emphatical that is an earnest express and forcible signification that the Holy Spirit here means that very Seventh-day Sabbath which was first instituted Gen. 2 and that very day mentioned in the 10th and 11th Verses is to be kept holy and the day that is to be kept holy is the or that Seventh day which two H's in v. 8 11 do referr to one another the Sabbath to for or of Jehovah thy Aelohim 'T is not A seventh day is the Sabbath but The seventh day is the Sabbath and lest there should be found some who would curiously distinguish a seventh part of time from the seventh day expresly commanded and by so subtile and plausible a distinction enervate the Command and transferr the rest of the seventh day to some other day of the week at their will and pleasure as either to the first day of the week as some Heathens and some Christians do or to the sixth day of the week as the Mahometans do To stop up all such Gapps which one would think largely provided for by the former words of the Command and to leave it beyond all Doubt and fair Dispute with such as acknowledge the Law of God to be a Rule to walk by who generally are such as we now reason with the Lord has I think made sure work against this Objection in v. 11 where he graciously condescends to give us a Reason why we are to keep holy the seventh day because in six days he made these Heavens which we see and this Earth which we stand and lye upon And here Opposers will certainly admit the two 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be emphatical and not at all to referr to any other Heaven and Earth in the Moon or elsewhere And He did quietly rest in that viz. in that Seventh day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bajom where the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the H is compensated by Daggesh The or That seventh wherefore he did bless the or that day of the Sabbath or the same weekly Seventh-day Sabbath whereon He first rested and whereon He only rested and not at all upon the First day of the week Which never any man has yet affirmed or so much as that I know pretended And it seems to me impossible for any but God only who is infinite in Wisdom in so few words so warily so straitly and with like exact Wisdom and Circumspection to secure any thing by words as this Command in the body of the Ten Commands and the very Seventh day in the heart of the Fourth Command is secured by Christ against this new Conceit and Cavil of A seventh and not The or That seventh Such surely deal over-slightly and somewhat quibble with the word who take such a liberty to turn The into A and
so to overturn the commanded day and to lay it aside and then to set up another Day of Rest every week which as has been said we do not find commanded by the Lord when they certainly know that the Day observed in obedience to the Fourth Command by the Israelites and Proselytes was the Seventh day and no other and the Sabbath and Seventh day did both result in the weekly Seventh-day Sabbath and both relate to the first Sabbath Gen. 2 ordained by Christ which they know was the Seventh day and no other day of the week And whosoever not over-prejudic'd does read this Command I think will find this strongly there enforced viz. That the weekly day the Creator rested on is the very day to which this Command referrs and that all the World who have and receive the Word do know and confess was not the first nor sixth but the seventh day of the week and that day only and no other day and upon this I do insist And here I commend to the Reader Heb. 8. 10 where the Lord promises to put his Laws into the Minds of his People and to write them in their Hearts which is called a new Covenant v. 8 with which we may compare Jer. 31. 33 which Law promised to be written in our Hearts I think is the Moral Law which Moral Law is the Ten Commands whereof the Fourth is one And with how many Distinctions must the Word the Promises New Covenant and Command be mangled to be accommodated to such a new sence of the First day Which change of the day well considered may be one cause of the Israelites standing off from Christ Who will be converted grafted into Christ and saved by him Rom. 11. 7 26. And I hear some of late in defence of the First day have positively affirmed that the First day of the week is the Seventh day of the week and so the very day which the Letter of the Command requires by which Rule that which the Word calls the Seventh day should then become the Sixth and the Sixth the Fifth and so all the days in confusion and all the Jews and Christians hitherto in the World out in their reckoning of Seven Whilst I was considering this Question a learned Manuscript was sent me from an unknown Author who to maintain the First day of the week to be the Seventh day by the Fourth Command says to this effect That we ought to invert the Days i. e. to reckon them backward and then that which the Scriptures call the Seventh day is the First the Sixth the Second the Fifth the Third the Fourth the Fourth the Third the Fifth the Second the Sixth and then the First is the Seventh so great contrariety there is and must needs be in defending a Paradox Obj. and Ans Some farther object That the Sabbath was a Type and withal acknowledge it a Type of that Rest which is above with Christ in the upper World which we shall easily admit provided such will admit also what we think cannot be denied to Types that the Sabbath which is the Type continue till Heaven the Antitype do come Obj. and Ans Those who build the whole of this Change upon the Authority of the Church and not upon the Word which Word is against them who are very eminent may take this short Answer That if the Church have Power to change one of the Commands the Consequence is plain why may not the Church change more If any one of them be left to the Discretion of the Church certainly all are exposed as was said before Obj. and Ans Some Objectors there are who misunderstanding certain general Expressions in Paul s Epistles about the Law misapply them against the Ten Commands and so lay aside all the Moral Law which general Expressions are evidently meant of the Ceremonial Laws and may sometimes be written against some then erroneous Conceits of Justification by obedience to the Moral Law And others taking advantage of some incautelous Writings about the Privileges purchased by Christ have that way attempted to throw down the Ten Commands a Doctrine which would surely please many in this debauched licentious and erroneous Age if it would hold and some of these with the Law take away the Old Testament Obj. and Ans One thinks the Decalogue is not at all in force to the Gentiles and thinks the Preface to it Exod. 20. 2 I the Lord thy God which have brought thee out of the Land of Aegypt out of the House of Bondage was to shew that it only concerned the Jews Whereas if we consider that the Church then in Aegypt was the Church of Christ and that Deliverance was of the whole then visible Church of Christ in the World amongst whom there were also many Gentiles as well as Jews I think it may be allow'd that the Preface concerns all Christians and that Deliverance expressed in the Preface as before ought to be celebrated in all After-ages by all Christians in the World whereof there is often mention in the Psalms and other Scriptures and so that Consideration from the Preface does not lessen the Obligation of the Decalogue upon the Gentiles but strengthen it And for the Obligation of the Decalogue when I find Christ so directly confirming the Law Mat. 5. 18 and Luke 16. 17 by which Law is understood the Decalogue I think I ought not to be over-ruled by any man's contrary Opinion whatever esteem I have of those who thus write and of many useful things written by them Mark 10. 19 and John 14. 15 If ye love me keep my Commands By which Commands the Decalogue is generally understood I do believe that Text Blessed are they who do his Commandments Rev. 22. 14 relates to the Ten Commandments And those general Expressions about the Law in the Acts and Epistles will be better understood if we reflect upon the occasion of them In Acts 15. 1 certain men taught the Brethren Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses ye cannot be saved Where it was Circumcision and the Ceremonial Law that was in question not the Moral Law the Ceremonial Laws were as a burthen lain aside by the Death of Christ and by the Holy Spirit as is plain in that Chapter And when Paul Acts 21. 17 18 21 came to Jerusalem some told him that many Thousands of the Jews who believed were zealous of the Law i. e. of the Ceremonial Law and were informed of Paul that he taught the Jews which were among the Gentiles to forsake Moses that is the Ceremonial Laws given by Moses saying They ought not to circumcise their Children neither to walk after the Customs and then they advise Paul to purifie himself to remove that Objection to whose Advice Paul yields v. 24 25 26 which occasion'd the Commotion v. 27 28 Crying Men of Israel help this is the man that teacheth all men every where against the Law i. e. the Ceremonial Law of Purifications and
Dominical day was forbidden by Damasus Fol. 308 D E Constantine admonished all the Subjects of the Roman Empire that they should keep holy the days dedicated to the Saviour and likewise that those which are Sabbaths should be honoured or worshipped and he gave a Law to the Presidents of all Nations that they should observe the Dominical day according to the Nodd or Will of the Emperor and that they should honour the days of the Martyrs Eusebius Fol. 396 At a Synod in Eleberide a City in Spain Can. 26 it pleased them to correct an Errour that they should celebrate a Fast of Fasts jejuniorum superpositionem upon every Sabbath day Fol. 477 G 29th Can. Christians oâ—â—â—ot to Judaize and to rest upon the Sabbath but they are 〈◊〉 upon that same day preferring the Dominical before 〈◊〉 day if this please them let them rest as Christians but iâ— they shall be found to Judaize let them be accursed Anathema sint or excommunicated Fol. 740 A B Pope Sylvester changed the How the 1st day came to be called the Lords day Names as Sunday Monday Tuesday c. of all the days of the week changing the Name of the First day which he called The Lord's day Dominicum dixit c. Fol. 915 A the Wife of the Emperor Valence is called Dominica Fol. 360 A B Primasius shews that in some places of Syria and Egypt men did assemble in the Church upon the Sabbath day and some by night after Supper Fol. 380 G H when the Writers of that Age speak of Fasting they mean Not Dining As Peter and his Con-disciples lived together in Concord so let those live together in Concord who fast upon the Sabbath whom Peter planted and those who dine upon the Sabbath whom his Disciples planted Also he says farther that in one Church it was frequent to have some dining upon the Sabbath others fasting In the Eastern Churches they never fasted upon the Sabbath one Sabbath in the whole year excepted which is Pridie feriarum Paschalis the day before the Passover The Churches of the West on the contrary celebrated a Fast every Sabbath of the week Cent. 5 fol. 381 of this Diversity Augustine speaks If we should say that it is sinful to fast upon the Sabbath day we should damn not only the Church of Rome but also many places near to it and somewhat remote where the same Use is held and remains and if we should think it sinful not to fast upon the Sabbath with a sort of Rashness we should blame so many Eastern Churches and the far-greater part of the Christian World And elsewhere he shews from the beginning that this was peculiar to Rome and to a few Western Churches that they observed the Fast of the Sabbath And of the same Sabbath Fast in the African Churches he saith That one Church and the Churches of One Region have those that do fast upon the Sabbath and who do not fast Fol. 383 That â—â—â—ominical day was observed by some at that time appears out of Augustine Also at Colen the Dominical day was a Festival Vincentius Solemn Max. Taurinen Epise Lucius Cent. 6 Fol. 213 F we read of Dominicus Bishop of Carthage Fol. 370 D Dominicus Bishop Centum Cellences Fol. 411 Dominicus Presbyter and Abbot Fol. 323 C D E F G Synodus Matisconensis secundus held by Command of King Junthran made certain Statutes pertaining to Ecclesiastical Discipline and Ceremonies which they promulgated in a Synodal Epistle in this manner viz. We see the Christian People in an unadvised manner to deliver to contempt the Dominical day and as in private days to indulge continual Labours c. And therefore they determine that every one of themselves in the Holy Churches would instruct the People subject to them to keep the Dominical day c. which if not observed by the Lawyer he is irreparably to lose his Cause and a Country-man or Servant not keeping it is to be beaten with heavier blows of Cudgels Cent. 7 fol. 169 206 We find two other Bishops named Dominicus Fol. 61 D Amongst the days the Dominical is most named for amongst the Senones a People in France near the River Sein Lupus performed the Sacrifice upon the Dominical day Vincentius Also the day of the Sabbath is found amongst some It was the Sabbath day the third hour when the People in the Popilian Market in foro Popilio were oppressed in the Church by Grimoaldus Sabellicus Aenead 8 lib. 2. whereof before Fol. 95 E When they did assemble is not expresly shewn but the most mention is made of the Sabbath and of the Dominical day As it is written of the Emperor Constance in the Book belonging to the Pope In Libro Pontificali That coming to Rome quarta feria which I think was on Wednesday that day he went to the Church of St. Peter to Prayer and upon the Sabbath day to St. Mary's and to Peter's upon the Dominical c. In vitaliano this might be in Lent Fol. 103 The Fathers in a Synod held in a Town in Narbone in France forbad the doing any Country Work upon the Dominical day Cent. 8 fol. 181 A Assemblies at the 〈◊〉 were to be either upon the Dominical days and then 〈◊〉 things only were to be done which pertained to the Worship and Service of God Synod Arelaten in Turonensi or upon the Sabbath day for in some places in memory of the old Religion they used to say the Song of Deuteronomy in which is contain'd the whole state of the ancient People to wit what they deserved by pleasing or displeasing Beda Fol. 201 H They rested upon the Dominical day when in Consilio Dinglefingensi it is thus decreed Teste Aventino Upon the Festival of Sunday intent upon a Divine Rest abstain from prophane Business whoso upon this day useth Carriages or doth such work let his Cattel be common publica sunto i. e. as I think Let him have them that will take them and if he disobediently go on let him be reduc'd to Servitude i. e. Let him be made a Bondman or a Slave And Charles the Great in his Constitutions prohibits all buying or selling in any place on the Dominical day Fol. 203 Upon the Sabbath days a sign being given by the Bells Workmen go away from their Labours Ut annotat Author vitae Crode-gangi and that the Dominical day ought to be observed from Evening to Evening Which for the time of beginning and ending the day I agree was rightly commanded if they had not mistaken the First day for the Sabbath day and now that of Dan. 7. 25 was somewhat near coming to pass Fol. 312 B Upon the Feast of Sunday intent upon a Divine Rest abstain from prophane Business the like with fol. 201 else let him be made a Slave Aventin Cent. 9 fol. 34 E Haymo saith The Lord commanded to rest upon the Sabbath which was a sign of future Rest Fol. 107 H. 108 A
observed Dominicam diem non colendam and this was An. 1555 in the sixteenth Century but they if it be true what is written of them by Popish Writers were otherwise Heretical as in their sence all Dissenters from them are And if they were Hereticks yet this will disprove part of the Assertion before mentioned but frequently the most Orthodox were by them called Hereticks as they are by them and others to this day In Lucius's Thirteenth Century f. 264 B and fol. 357 C D of introducing the Dominical day into Scotland we have before in the Story of the Abbot of Flay and the King's Council of Scotland An. Dom. 1203. Fol. 385 a Synod was held at Oxford An. 1223 by Stephen Archbishop of Canterbury where they determine That all Dominical days be kept with all veneration and a Fast upon the Sabbath c. So that how far some part of England then followed the Example of Scotland is worth further enquiry which is about Twenty one years after that of the Abbot of Flay And this is the sum of what I have collected out of those Books As for the Books quoted by Binius by the Magdeburgenses and by Lucius I had very few of them where those Passages probably would be found more at large which such as are furnished with or have the use of a better Study may collect if they please and give a more exact account thereof But these Writers as to Matters of Fact written by them I take to be of Credit although one of them viz. Binius were a profest Romanist and Canon of the Virgin Mary at Collen and writ permissu superiorunt But the Magdeburgenses and Lucius were Protestants and are generally allowed for ought I know as persons of Fidelity in their Collections So that as to the Matters of Fact which I have brokenly gathered from them some for and some against my Opinion I think there remains little doubt Inferences from what I have collected I leave to the impartial Reader Binius's 13th Century King John about Ann. Dom. 1208 and the Tenth year of his Reign upon occasion of a Popish imposing upon his Prerogative in a Case of Conge-de-lier was excommunicated by the Pope and his Kingdom interdicted which bred so great Troubles at home and abroad as at last forc'd him to lay down his Crown at the Feet of Pandulphus the Pope's Agent After he was humbled by that Excommunication and Interdiction this King An. 15. of his Reign by Writ removes the Market of the City of Exon from the Dominical or first day of the week on which it was formerly held to Monday Prinn's History of the Pope's Usurpations part 3 fol. 17. So that Exon kept Markets on Sunday above 1200 years after Christ And the Market of Launceston was from the first to the fifth day of the week And in the 2d and 3d of Henry III the next King succeeding King John K. Henry III removes another Market in Devon and Ten more in other Counties from the First day to other days of the week Which alteration of Markets which we find before in the Case of the Abbot of Flay King John would not then admit And 6 Hen. III Prinn's Jurisdiction of Courts fol. 153 there is the King's Writ Ballinis de Hastings to answer before the Justices for removing Markets from one day to another without the King's Licence unless it be from the Dominical day It seems some then held Markets on that day but might remove them to another day without the King's Licence And those who desire and need such Presidents may probably there find many more like these these coming to hand upon the perusal of a few Leaves of that voluminous Book In our Records we find by the Writs to summon Parliaments that they were of old appointed to meet upon Sundays Elsyng's Method of holding Parliaments fol. 91 92 in the time of Edw. I Edw. II and Edw. III which Edw. I. succeeded Henry III who succeeded King John But 5 Rich. II. who was deposed by his Popish rebellious Subjects and Clergy and who succeeded Edward III. the Parliament appointed to meet upon Sunday met that day and adjourned till Monday Prinn's Jurisdict of Courts fol. 4. From which time of 5 Rich. II. Prinn says no Parliaments have been summoned to meet on the Dominical days And Prinn thinks Modus tenendi Parliamentum was compiled after 5 Rich. II. for many ancient Parliaments of Edw. I Edw. II and Edw. III were summoned to meet on Sunday on which day the Modus c. says Parliaments ought not to be held but upon all other days that excepted So that it seems in Edward the Third's time Sunday was not much if at all observed by that King and the Civil Government of England See his Jurisd fol. 42 and his Register fol. 10 11 15. England which one lately in his Defence of the First day calls a barbarous and remote Corner of the World had the Gospel here preached in the First Century as Historians say and it was afterward generally entertained for some hundreds of years before they received the Change of the Passover to the Dominical day and by the best Collection I can make with my few Books about 1200 years or more before they received the observation of Sunday and yet had a weekly day of Rest which all the Records of old yet extant and down along to this day did then and do still call the Sabbath day And having once received the Gospel they did not so soon receive Alterations in Religion for the worse as other places nearer to Rome as appears by the Case of the Passover the change of which from the 14th day of the first Moon to the first day of the week was not here admitted as I take it till the Sixth or Seventh Century and then also but in part as appears in the Passage of Bishop Coleman which Alteration Scotland then refused And for the First day it seems to be introduced by the Popes and their Agents by degrees but not generally to obtain in England nor at all in Scotland till the beginning of the 13th Century and without any Law that I can recollect made by the King and Parliament till Edward the Sixth's time 5 6 Edw. VI cap. 3 which Act was made about 150. years since where Sunday and many Holy-days the Feast of All-saints and of Holy Innocents are established Festivals and jumbled all together it seems then esteemed much alike Which Act provides that it shall be lawful for Husband men Labourers Fishermen and all others in Harvest or any time of the year when Necessity shall require to labour ride fish or work any kind of Work at their free will and pleasure upon any of the said days So that the Civil Government of England did never that I find give Countenance to Sunday by any Act till about 150 years since and then allowed a Liberty so large as shews what Esteem they had of
do referr the words of our Lord The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath Mat. 12. 8. Mark 2. 28. Luke 6. 5. He instituted it and was best able to give a true and right Interpretation of it whereof more hereafter Q. 4. If the seventh day Sabbath was kept by Believers The Sabbath kept till the Law given from the Creation till it was repeated at Mount Sinai Exod. XX It is at least probable from the words Mikketz Iammim the cutting off of days and the graciousness of Abel and the respect the Lord had to Abel and his Offering Gen. 4. 3 4. who obtained witness that he was righteous Hâ—b 11. 4. that Abel kept the Sabbath and that Enoch kept the Sabbath who walked with God Three hundred years Gen. 5. 22 24. who had this Testimony that he pleased God Heb. 11. 5. The like I may say of Noah a just man and perfect in his Generation who walked with God and found Grace in his eyes Gen. 6. 8 9. and became Heir of the Righteousness which is by Faith Heb. 11. 7. And that Abraham kept it Gen. 13. 2 4 5 6. from the word Lashebet to dwell or sabbatize together but especially from that Testimony the Lord gives him Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my Charge my Commandments my Statutes and my Laws Gen. 26. 5. General words which include whatsoever God had commanded and two of those words are applied to God's Commands in general and particularly to the Sabbath Exod. 16. 4 5 28 29. which Commands were committed to writing upon Mount Sinai Exod. 19. 18. 20. 1 2 3. which Commandments we have And that Moses and the Israelites in Aegypt kept the Sabbath appears from Pharaoh's Answer Behold the people of the land are many and you Moses and Aaron make them sabbatize or keep the Sabbath or rest from their burthens Ex. 5. 1 2 3 4 5. Vehishbattem from the Root Shabat he rested or kept the Sabbath mentioned in Gen. 2. 3. And that Moses Aaron and Israel kept the Sabbath after their deliverance out of Aegypt appears in Exod. 16. 5 22 23 25 26 27 28 30. which was before the promulgation of the Law at Mount Sinai Exod. 20. Q 5. Whether the Ten Commands were given by Christ to Jews and Gentiles And whether the same weekly seventh-day Sabbath after the giving the Law at Mount Sinai was observed during the Old Testament That the Commands were spoken by Christ eminently I think appears under the second Head Answ 1. That they were given by him as well to the Gentiles as to the Israelites may appear by God's creating Man in his own image Gen. 1. 27. Which Image and Likeness eminently consists and remarkably appears in the Soul whose Nature is spiritual and ordinarily invisible whose Faculties wherewith GOD in Man's Innocency had enriched it were a clear understanding of his Creator's Mind and a rectitude of Will to observe his Laws and we find Paul chiefly placeth this Image of GOD in Man in Knowledge Col. 3. 10. and in Righteousness and true Holiness Eph. 4. 24. After the Fall of Adam the Understanding was darkened and the Will and Affections corrupted and so they remain to this day until Man be regenerated by Christ and his Holy Spirit and so that first Image of God wherein Man was created according to our measure be by Grace restoâ—ed which brings converted Men and Women about again to much of that original Light and Knowledge of the Will of God and to those good Inclinations to keep his Laws wherewith the Soul of Adam was first beautified which Conversion of Man is called the New Creature 2 Cor. 5. 17. and a Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1. 4. Which does teach and strongly dispose the Hearts of gracious persons to observe God's Commands which Knowledge in Col. 3. 10 may referr to the Will of God in both Tables and the Holiness in Ephes 4. 24. may referr to conformity to the Laws of the first Table and the Righteousness there to Obedience to the second Table Now the Gentiles as well as the Hebrews at first were all in Adam's Loins and there was no such Difference till the time of Heber Gen. 10. 21 24. and Abraham was of Heber's Posterity and Christ in the Genealogy is said to be the Son of Abraham Mat. 1. 11. Luke 3. 34. in whose Genealogy who was the second Adam we find of the Gentiles And if we look into this Case we may see that as now when the Lord shall by Conversion renew his Covenant with the lost Sheep of the House of Israel those branches broken off above sixteen hundred years shall be grafted in again Rom. 11. 5 to 33. and they shall mourn over him whom their Fathers pierced Rev. 1. 7. So it was then with us Gentiles the Bought with Money which were not of Abraham's Blood at the institution of Circumcision were to be circumcised as well as his own Seed Gen. 17. 12. and Strangers as home-born passed alike under the Discipline of the Church Exod. 12. 19. which shews they were in Fellowship with Israel and Strangers if circumcised might keep the Passover at its first institution one Law was to the Stranger and to the home-born Exod. 12. 48 49. And so for Offerings of a sweet savour to the Lord there was but one Law for the Strangers and for the Jews As ye do so he shall do and as ye so shall the stranger be before the Lord Num. 15. 14 15 16. which Passover and Offerings were all before giving the Law at Mount Sinai Exod. 20. So that the Law in Exod. 20. was given to both And the Lord would not have the Son of the Stranger who joyned himself to him to say The Lord had utterly separated him from his People and those Strangers who joyn themselves to him to serve him and to love the Name Jehovah who keep his Sabbaths he will make them joyful in his House of Prayer and accept their services Isa 56. 1 to 7. And not only Israel but the Stranger were alike established a People unto him Deuteron 29. 10 11 15. And in the fourth Command 't is said of the seventh-day Sabbath neither thou nor thy stranger shall do any work therein Exod. 20. 10. So that before the Moral Law given one Law was to the Jews and Gentiles as Exod. 12. 48 49. Exod. 15. 14 15 16. and we may say What Difference was there then or is there now between them and us Those of the Jews or Gentiles then living and dying impenitently had not Salvation by the Messiah those of them or the Gentiles then who joyned themselves to the Lord to serve him and to love the Name Jehovah which as I take it was to love Christ had Eternal Life by him and so all such now have and will have to the end of the World And altho' Circumcision in its season were a good Institution yet in the sence above it ever was and will be