Selected quad for the lemma: rest_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
rest_n	creation_n	day_n	week_n	2,218	5	10.3550	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A91155	A briefe polemicall dissertation, concerning the true time of the inchoation and determination of the Lordsday-Sabbath. Wherein is clearly and irrefragably manifested by Scripture, reason, authorities, in all ages till this present: that the Lordsday begins and ends at evening; and ought to be solemnized from evening to evening: against the novel errours, mistakes of such, who groundlesly assert; that it begins and ends at midnight, or day-breaking; and ought to be sanctified from midnight to midnight, or morning to morning: whose arguments are here examined, refuted as unsound, absurd, frivolous. Compiled in the Tower of London, and now published, for the information, reformation of all contrary judgment or practise. By William Prynne of Swainswick Esq;.	Prynne, William, 1600-1669.	1654 (1654)	Wing P3916; Thomason E814_11	82,955	107

of the day at Evening is ratified by the fourth Commandement a morall and perpetuall precept founded on the very course and L●w of nature at the Creation as most assert Gen. 2. 1 2. 3. For this Commandement enjoyning men b To keep holy the Sabbath day to do no manner of work upon it and to labour six dayes and do all their wor● For in six dayes the Lord made heaven and earth the Sea and all that in them is and rested the seventh day wherefore the Lord blessed he Sabbath day and hallowed it doth her● in apparently confirm for ever the beginning ●nd and limits bo●h of dayes and weeks as they were ●●ttled at the Creation For this precept having a retrospect to Gods six dayes work and his seventh dayes rest when he created the world and enjoyning men to work six dayes to rest the seventh day and keep it holy as God did then doth apparantly intimate that these foresaid seven dayes were as so many royall Standards of time by which all subsequent dayes and weeks must be measured which must begin end and have the same dimen●ions with that originall week and those first seven dayes Wherefore since they began and ended at Evening then as I have proved all other dayes likewise must do so by vertue of this command The rather because it prescribes men to finish all their work in six dayes and then to begin their rest when their work ends as God did his but their six dayes work usually c ends at Evening therefore their six days also should then d●termine and their Sabbath or seven dayes r●st begin and so by consequence all the six dayes the Sabbath day and so all dayes for ever should commence and end at Evening so long as this commandement is in being or dayes and weeks shall last Fourthlv The beginning of dayes must needs be immutable because the alteration of it from Evening to morning or midnight which thwarts the Scripture computation would falsisie corrupt many Passages and Texts of Scripture call into question the truh of our Saviours Resurrection on the third day and somewhat alter the Scripture Chronology which is most exact and punctuall neither of which are sufferable by God or Christians Lastly this beginning and close of dayes hath an influence into Gods worship who as he hath prescribed men how so likewise when to worship him to wit especially on the Sabbath which he hath appropriated to himself stiling it his own Sabbath and holy day Exod. 16. 23 25. Levit. 23. 3. Deut. 5. 14. Neh. c. 14. Isa. 58. 13. Exod. 20. 10 c. 31 16. The sanctification therefore of the Sabbath being a part of Gods worship and the Sabbath his own peculiar day * which most hold Christ and his apostles and the Primitive Christians by Gods warrant translated to the Lords day that beginning and limits of it which God hath fixed must not be changed but by God because it would alter both Gods day and worship too To prevent which inconvenience God hath given not onely generall commands to sanctifie this day but likewise a speciall precept to begin and end it at Even Levit. 23. 32. From Even to Even you shall celebrate your Sabbath there being no such particular precept given for the limits of other dayes which are bounded out in more generall termes it being both dangerous and absurd to leave the inception or bounds of the Sabbath arbitrary unto men to begin and end it when they please the day being Gods not theirs the sanctification thereof a speciall part of his service which men have no power to alter or diminish and whatsoever in God● service is not of faith warrantted or prescribed by his word being sinne and will-worship Rom. 14. 23. Col. 2. 18. 20 21 22 23. From all which I may safely affirm that this beginning and ending of dayes at Even especially of the Sabbath day is immutable and so my fourth Conclusion undeniable For the fifth That Christs Resurrection in the morning did no wayes alter the beginning or end of dayes nor yet translate the inception of that day whereon he arose From Evening to morning it is unquestionable First Because this commencement and conclusion of dayes at Evening is immutable as I have manifested in in the fourth Conclusion therefore not altered by Christ● Resurrection Secondly because Christs Passion and Resurrection abolished or changed nothing but that which was typicall and ceremoniall witnesse Gal. 4. 9 10 11. Col. 2. 14. to 22. Acts 15. 24. 28 29. Heb. 9. 10 11. c. 10. 1. 2 9. with the unanimous suffrage of all Divine● But the beginning and end of dayes at Even was no wayes typicall or ceremoniall but rather naturall and morall being instituted at the Creation ratified by the fourth Commandement and immutably fixed for ever as the premise● testifie Therefore it was not abolished or translated by Christs Resurrection or Passion from Evening to morning Thirdly Christ abrogated or changed nothing but what was necessary to be abolished or altered upon warrantable reasons and substantiall grounds See Heb. 8. 6 7 8. c. 9. 9. to 16. c. 10. 1. to 11. Col. 2. 16 17 22 23. Ephes. 2. 15. Gal. 5. 1. to 7. Acts 15. 10. 28. But there was no necessity reason cause or ground at all of altering this begining and end of dayes at Evening therefore Christs Resurrection did not alter or abolish it Fourthly the alteration limitation of times dayes and seasons is a Peculiar Prerogative of God the Father reserved in his own power not in Christs as is manifest by Acts 1. 7. Matth. 24. 36. Mark 13. 32. Levit. 23. 2. c. Psal. 118. 23 24. Exod. 13. 2 3 6 14. Exod. 20. 1 8 10 11. compared with Daniel 2. 20 21. Psal. 74. 16 17. Jer. 33. 20. c. 31. 35. Psal. 136 1. 7 8 9. upon which Priviledge Royall none anciently durst encroach but that presumptuous Horn typifying the Papacy Dan. 7. 25. Christ therefore by his bare Resurrection made no such alteration of the dayes inchoation having no speciall Commission from his Father so to do Fifthly there is not one word or sillable in all the Scripture which either affirms or intimates that Christs Resurrection made any mutation of the beginning or end of dayes neither can any man produce one substantiall reason grounded on Scripture why Christs resurrection should cause such a change as this or why his resurrection should do it rather than his Nativity Passion or Ascension Therefore I may saf●ly conclude that it made no such change untill the contrary can be proved Sixthly the Scripture is expresse that Christs Resurr●ction did no wayes change either the order name or nature of that day whereon he aros● For all the Evangelists speaking of it as Christs Resurrection day in their Histories of the Resurrection penned some space after it ever stile it The first day of the week Math. 28. 1. Mark 16.

bound out the beginning or end of the dayes for then these days must begin and conclude when the occasi●ns of their solemnization do But on the contrary t●e dayes do ever limit the occasions and F●stivalls which must begin and end with the dayes to which they are confined This I shall make mani●est by examples and make good by unanswerable reasons For Examples we have all the Festivalls in Scripture which together with their occasions are restrained to the bounds of dayes not the limits of dayes to them To instance in particulars When God himself instituted the seventh day for a Sabbath because on it he had rested from all his works of Creation he confined the Sabbath and his rest to the seventh day not the seventh day to it blessing the seventh day and hallowing it not changing the beginning ending limits or order of it in the week but the use Gen. 2. 2 3. Exod. 20. 7. to 12. When God instituted the fourteenth day of the Moneth Abib for a Passeover day in memory of his passing over the Israelites and sl●ying the Egyptians at Midnight he ordained that Feast to begin at Evening because the day to which this Festivall was confined did then begin not at Midnight wh●n the occasion of its sol●mnization happened Exod. 11. 4. c. 12. 3 6. 12. 10 40. Lev. 23 5. Numb. 9. 11. Deut. 16. 4. Josh. 5 10. So all the other Jewish Feasts * began and ended at Evening as the dayes on whi●h they were solemnized did the limits of the day being the bounds of the Festivalls not the Festivalls or their occasions the boundaries of the day a Festivall or Holy day being none other but a common day set apart and dedicated to Gods speciall honour and service Therefore being but a common day consecrated must needs begin and end ●s the day doth This is manifest by Exod. 12. 18. c. 13. 3 4. c. 14. 30. c. 35. 2. Levit. 23 3 to 43. Numb. 29. 1. Josh. 10. 12 13 14. Judges 5. 1. 1 Sam. 14. 23. Neh 8 9 10 11. Esth. 8. 12. c 9. 17 18 19 22. Psalm 81. 3. Psal. 118. 24. Isa. 22. 12. Matth. 28. 1. Mark 16. 1. Luke 23. 56. c. 21. 1. Wher● all Festivalls Fasts and memorable occasions are regulated by dayes not dayes by them the Festivalls and Feasts ever beginning and ending with the dayes to which they are appropriated not the dayes or Festivalls or Fasts with the occasions of their solemnization So in all annual or weekly Holy-dayes Feasts or Fasts instituted by men let the occasions of their institution happen what houre or time of the day they will at morning noon or afternoon yet we still begin the solemnization of them when the day begins For Example our Saviours Passion on the Crosse was not till about three of the clock in the afternoon John 9. 14 Mark 15. 34. Yet we solemnise our Goodfriday in memory of his Passion from the time the day begins So our Saviours Ascension as is probable by Acts 1. 9 10 11 12. 13. Luk. 24. 50 51 52. was about Noon or after yet we begin the Festivall of his Ascension with the dayes inception whereon it was So the descent of the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles in cloven tongues ' was about nine of the clock in the monring Acts 2. 15. Yet we solemnize our Whitsonday in memory thereof from that dayes inception Our deliverance from the a Gunpowder Treason on the fifth of November was about nine or ten in the morning or after when the King Queen Prince Lords and Commons should have m●t together in the Lords-house though suspected and in part discovered ten dayes before and actually detected at Midnight yet we begin the solemnization of it from the foregoing Evening with ringing of Bells and the like The Birth of many of our Princes hath been about noon or after and their Coronations about that time yet we solemnize their Birth-dayes and Coronation-dayes from those dayes beginnings The Crown descended to our present Soveraign King Charls in the afternoon yet we solemnize not that day from Noon to Noon but from Evening to Evening because the day doth then commence and end and so the solemnity confined onely to that day that whole day not to part of it and part of the ensuing day If then all Festivalls whatsoever begin and end with the dayes beginning and end on which they are kept not at the very time of those dayes when the occasions of their solemnization happened as these and other infinite other examples testifie Why should not the Lords-day begin at Evening though Christs Resurrection the chief cause of its sanctification was not till morning because that day as a day doth then begin and determine Certainly whatever the Opposites conceipt it must needs do so and that for these unanswerable Reasons First because God himself at the very Creation hath set inviolable bounds for the beginning and end of daves and weeks appointing them to be as so many Royall Standards for the limiting or measuring out of all Festivall occasions happening on them and reducing them to a certainty as I have manifested at large in the fourth Conclusion wherefore no event or Festivalls happening on those dayes can alter the limits or beginning of them nor make them longer or shorter no more than the Corn to be measured by the peck or bushell or the cloth to be measured by the yard can alter limit or measure out the quantity of the peck bushell or length of the yard Secondly because every occasion that may cause a subsequent consecration of a day for a Sabbath or Holy day and so Christs Resurrection doth only dedicate that day yea all that day on which it falls not part of that day and part of the day ensuing on which it did not happen therefore consecrating onely that very day all that day and no other day but that it must needs begin and end when that day doth Now that very day on which our Saviour arose began and ended at Evening as I have proved his Resurrection therefore being the cause of consecrating all that day not part of it and part of the following day for the Lords-day this day as a Lords-day must necessarily begin and conclude at Evening Thirdly because no occasion of consecrating the day on which it falls extends in point of Consecration further than that very day which is set as the utmost limits of it But should the Lords-day begin and end at morning or Midnight not at Evening Christs Resurrection the cause of its consecration should extend beyond the bounds of the day to consecrate half or at least a quarter of the second day for a Lords-day on which he arose and besides it should not consecrate all that day on which it happened but that part onely which ensued not that which preceded it since that day began at Evening as I have proved Both which were absurd to affirm Therefore it must

beginning of that day whereon he arose from Evening to Morning Therefore the Lords-day ought to be kept from Evening to E●vening not from morning to morning or midnight to midnight What can be truly and substantially replyed to these five Arguments I cannot conjecture they being of sufficient weight to oversway the ballance of this Controversie Now to clear this truth more fully I shall to these five Arguments accumulate ten reasons more proving that the Sabbath and Lords day ought to begin at Evening First because this inception of the Sabbath and Lords day is most suitable to the nature of these dayes For the Sabbath being nothing else in proper speech but a day of rest and being oft times stiled in Scripture a Sabbath of rest Exod. 16. 23. c. 23. 12. c. 31. 15. c 34. 21. c. 35. 2 Levi. 16. 31. c. 23. 3. 32. c. 15. c. 25. 21. c. 34. 21. Deut. 5. 14. both man and beast being enjoyned to rest from their labours on this day it is most agreeable to reason and the equality of the day that this resting day should begin at Evening when men naturally and customarily begin their rest and end their labours rather than at morning when they commonly begin their work or at Midnight when as they are in the mid●est of their rest and sl●ep For when can a day of rest so aptly commence as when men begin their rest their resting on it from other labors being one part of the solemn zation of it This therefore being the fittest time to begin the day no doubt but God who doth all things wisely and in the * aptest season hath ordered that it should then commence ●s I have manifested in the foregoing Conclusions it being most proportionable to the nature of the day Secondly this commencement is most agreeable to Gods own example and to the fourth Commandement for God began his seven dayes rest i so soon as ever he ceased from his six dayes works of Creation Gen. 2. 1 2. 3. Exod. 20. 9 10. yea the fourth Commandement prescribing us to labour six dayes and to do all our work and to rest the seventh day implies that we should b●gin our Sabbath dayes rest when as we finish our six dayes wo●k and that is at Evening not at morning or midnight Therefore we should then commence our sanctification of it and rest upon it Thirdly this beginning of the Sabbath and Lords-day is every way best for men as most consonant to the course of nature and their common practise for men naturally and customarily and that by Gods own appointment and the Scriptures approbation end their weekday labours at Evening and b●gin their rest at k or night witnes Ps. 124. 22 23. The Sun ariseth man goeth forth unto his work and to his labour untill the Evening John 9. 4. I must work the works of him that sent me whiles it is called to day the night cometh when no man can work Judg 19. 16. Behold there came an old man from his work out of the field at Evening Z●ph 2. 7 In the houses of Askelon they shal lie down in the Evening 1 Thess. 5. 7 Those that sleep sleep in the night together with Gen. 19. 1 2. Exod. 18 14. Gen. 2● 11. Numb 29. 19. Levit. 19. 13. N●b 4. 21 Judg. 19. 4. 11. Eccle● 2. 23 Num 22 21. Judg. 9. 33. c. 20. 19. c. 19. 8. Hos. 7. 6. Is 5. 11. whereas as by a natural insti●ct and Gods command they usually begin their work in the morning not their rest as is evid●nt by Eccles 11. 6. In the morning sow thy seed Mat. 20. 1 2 3. The Kingdome of heaven is like to a man that is an housholder which went out early in the morning to hire Labourers into his vineyard and by Gen. 19. 15 c. 28. 24. 54 44. 3. Exod. 20. 1. c. 18. 14. Judg. 20. 19. Ruth 3. 13 14. Psal. ● 27. 2. 1 Chron. 23 30. Mat. 27. 1. Psal. 104. 22. 23 Now the Sabbath being a day of rest from labour and being likewise made for man no●man for it Mark 2 27. and men naturally and ustomarily in all ages all ●l●ces by Gods own ordination determining their weekly labours and beginning their rest at Evening it is most fit mo●● proper and convenient in respect of men and this their naturall use that the Sabbath and Lords day should begin at Evening when as they voluntarily and naturally ce●se their secular labours and devote themselves to r●st But most unsuitable and inconvenient to begin it in the morning the time when work begins or at midnight when half their rest is past Neither is this reason to be sl●ighted For all things being made l for man and the Sabbath too no doubt but God did accommodate and suit them in such manner as should be most commodious and convenient for men and most consonant to the naturall course of their affairs This Inchoation therefore of the Sabbath and Lords-day being most proportionable to the naturall order of mens working and rest and so the more easie and possible to be observed by them is no doubt the truest the properest of all others and therefore ought to be embraced 4. That the beginning of the Sabbath and Lord-day which is easiest for Christians to observe and doth best of all begin the sanctification of them is questionlesse the best the tru●st But this beginning them at Evening is such 1. Because men then naturally end their worldly imployments and begin their rest ●ven of their own accord without constraint and what so easie as that which is naturally and voluntary 2. Because all men that have any Religion or shew of Christianity in them do then constantly fall to their private devotions and family duties the Evening being a fit time for holy meditations prayers and religious exercises Gen. 24. 63. 1 Chron. 16. 14. 2 Chron. 13. 11. Psal. 55. 47. Psal. 65. 8 Dan. 9. 21. Now what time so fit to begin the Sabbath and Lords-day appropriated n wholly to Gods worship as that whereon most Christians voluntarily and constantly apply themselves unto his immediate Service in their closets or in their familie devotions 3. These dayes are dayes of o holynesse and being such ought alwayes to begin and end with holy duties Every Christian will grant it fitting and convenient if not necessary that the Lords day should be begun and ended with private and continued with holy publick exercises suitable to the day Which being so if it should begin and end at Midnight what Christians usually do or can conveniently begin end it thus they being then at rest yea * fast asleep in their beds that by the course of nature and Gods own appointment without any sinne at all 1 Thes. 5. 7. Mat. 25. 5 6. c. 26. 45. And for men to be tied to rise up at midnight or to sit up til then to begin then the Lords-day

better excellenter than Gods work of Creation which I deny will it thence follow Ergo it altered the work of Creation the cause of Sunne Moon Starres Dayes weeks years the beginning and end of the Sabbath or first day of the week and by consequence of all other dayes and times setled by God himself at the Creation by an unalterable Law Gen. 1. 5. 8. to 20. 23. 21. c. 2. 2 3. Exod. 20. 8. to 12. Psalm 148. 5. 6. Eccl. 3. 14. Jer. 31. 35 36. c. 33. 20 21. 2 Pe. 3. 14. Certainly all these Texts wi●● others forecited resolve and experience proves the contrary the dayes weeks months morning Evening course of Sunne Moon and Starres being still the same they were from the Creation till this present and every thing or action that is greater better than another not abrogating or altering their course or limits which God or men had formerly settled 7. The ends of Christs Resurrection and Redemption were meerly spirituall to redeem justifie raise up from sinne from the dead and avance to heaven at last all those whom Christ redeemed John 5. 29. c. 11. 25. Rom. 1. 4. Rom. 5. 5. to 16. 1 Cor. 15. throughout Phil. 3. 10. 11. 1 Pet. 1. 1. 3 c. 21. Rev. 20. 5. 6. Rom. 4. 24 25. c. 8. 11. 2 Cor. 4. 14. Ephes. 2. 6. Not to alter the beginning or ending of dayes times seasons not one of all these Texts nor any other speaking of Christs Resurrection and the ends or benefits thereof ass●rtin● importing much lesse resolving any thing Therefore it did not could not alter the beginning or limits of the fi●st day ●i●her as a naturall or as his Resurrection day as these Writers averre 8. Christs Pa●sion a bloodshed was the principall part of his Redemption yea his Nativity Ascention to omit his whole life on earth and perpetuall mediation in heaven for us were parts thereof the one the first part the other the last of all B●t it is clear that our Saviours Passion and bloodshed in the Evening though it were the chief●st part of his Redemption made no alteration in the b●ginning or end of dayes so as to change the beginning of Goodfriday f●om Evening before to three of the clock in the afternoon that his Nativity about Midnight or his Ascention about Noon or eleven of the clock in the morning as is most probable did not translite the beginning of those dayes or any other to Midnight Noon or Morning though they were the first and last parts of of his work of Redemption why then should his Resurrection onely in the Morning a lesse principall part of his work than his Passion or perchance than his Nativity or Ascention the one of which preceded the other followed his Resurrection make such a change in dayes beginnings when neither of these three other did so If it be because it was a part of Christs Redemption So were the other three and yet they produced no such mutation and why a part of Christs Redemption should cause such an alteration onely because it is a part or why one inferior part of it alone should do it and not the chiefest why the intermediate not the first or last part of it transcends my apprehension If it be because God ordained it should effect such a transmutation then shew me expresse Scripture for it as none can do or else reject it for a groundlesse fancy as in truth it is But more of this in the Answer to the next Objection The second Objection is this Christs Resurrection on the first day of the week in the morning did actually change the beginning of the day from Evening to morning and constitute the Lords-day to begin at morning Therfore it ought to begin at morning If we c●st this into a sormall Argument it will be more perspicuous Christs Resurrection the cause of the Lords-day was not till the morning Ergo the Lords-day must not begin till morning because the effect must needs be with or subsequent to the cause and cannot precede it whereas the effect should over-reach ●●e cause in point of time if the Lords-day should begin at Evening Christs Resurrection beginning not till the morning This reason and argument is the main foundation whereon the Opposites build their errour wherefore I shall be more copious in discovering the sandinesse falshood and fallaciousnesse of it First therefore I answer that this whole Argument is but a chain of severall grosse falshoods and mistakes contrary to the Scriptures I wonder therefore why so many grave judicious men should be ensnared by it 1. The first of them the ground work of all the rest and of this errour concerning the Lords-day beginning at morning is this That Christs Resurrection did alter the beginning of that first day of the week whereon be arose from Evening to Morning which I have manifested to be an apparent Errour contrary to the Scriptures which testifie that that day began at Evening and that Christs Resurrection did nothing alter it as the third and fifth preceding Conclusions prove at large Wherefore I shall here demand of the Objectors how it appears that Christs Resurrection made such a change as they pretend If by Scripture shew one Text that necessarily proves it this I am sure they cannot do If not by Scripture then it is a meere groundlesse conceit of their own forging Yea but though they want Scripture yet they have this sound reason to prove it Christ rose again upon the first morning therefore he translated the beginning of it from Evenig to morning To which I reply that this main Capitall reason is but a grosse in consequent and a circular Argumentation For if the Argument be denyed as justly it may be then they prove it by that very medium which was next before denied and they ought to make good that Christs Resurrection did chan●e the day from morning to Evening there being no other medium but this to confirm it therefore if he rose again upon it in the morning he made such a change as they pretend So that this their reason is but Idem per Idem a Petitio principii a Circular dispute a grosse Non sequitur and so to be rejected as false and idle But yet a little more to lay open the falshhood of this Proposition That Chists Resurrection made such an alteration of that first dayes beginning which hath neither Scripture nor Reason to back it I would first demand this Question of them Why Christs Resurrection should produce such a Change when as his Nativity Passion and Ascention parts of his Redemption too as beneficiall to Christians as his Resurrection had no such effect 2. How they come to know that such a Change was de Facto made when no Scripture rev●als or intimates it 3. How was it possible for Christs Resurrection to call back and adnul that beginning of the day which was irrevocably past and gone before it happened since by