standing Law for the alteration of the Fourth Command and for the setting up another day of the week to be perpetually observed as a weekly Sabbath by all the World seems all invented and a meer force upon the Text. Nor does the Command and Institution of the Lord's Supper need any Art to defend it for it is plainly and fully given and established Mat. 26. 26 27 28 Mark 14. 22 23 24 Luke 22. 17 18 19 20 which Institution was also observed by the Apostles 1 Cor. 11. 23 24 25. And this I add to avoid Slanders which unless God awe some men by his Word I expect upon every point And upon this place in Acts 20. 7 and upon 1 Cor. 16. 1 2 and Rev. 1. 10 which come to be considered in the next Objection the three Scriptures upon which the great pious and learned Assembly in the 21st Chapter of Conf. parag 7 do as I understand them principally build their Opinion for the First day For the other Texts cited by them as Exod. 20 8 10 11 Isa 56. 2 4 6 7 Gen. 2. 2 3 Mat. 5. 17 18 seem to be against it but what is said in that Paragraph That God in his Word by a positive moral and perpetual Commandment binds all men in all Ages and hath particularly appointed One day in Seven for a Sabbath to be kept holy unto him I think is right and true but for the changing that day to the First day of the week I find not It may be remembred the Greek word Mia signifies One and Eis Mia En is rendered not the First but One in our Translation of the New Testament as I take it about an hundred times and if it were so rendered here One day of the week it would somewhat abate this Objection but I admit that One day probably was the First day And reading this Text according to our Translation the First day of the week I think this is certain from that place that Paul preached to the Disciples which probably was till the Evening after the Seventh day Sabbath and continued his Speech till midnight v. 7 and till break of day v. 11 being ready to depart in the morning which probably was the morning of the First day and then departed v. 11 13. And if Paul departed and travelled v. 11 13 then this also will overthrow the Objection from this place for Travelling and Sabbatizing do not well agree together excepting Cases of Necessity or Mercy which Mercy is also of some Necessity Which I think sufficient Answer to this Objection And however I do say that here is not one word of instituting the First day no such thing as any Command to observe it no such thing as altering the Seventh day And where the plain Light of the Word doth not go before us it is our Wisdom as I think to sit still and be silent Obj. Another Objection is from 1 Cor. 16. 1 2. Now concerning the collection for the Saints as I have given order to the Churches of Galatia even so do ye upon the First day of the week Gr. one of the Sabbaths or one day of the week Let every one of you lay by him in store as God hath prospered him that there be no gathering when I come Ans 1. What that Order to the Churches of Galatia was I cannot tell unless it were to Remember the Poor which he was forward to do Gal. 2. 10 and Rom. 15. 26. And when this Collection for the Saints was to be made I cannot tell if it were to be upon one day of the week yearly if that Scripture will bear that sence but of yearly Collections nothing is there that I know expresly written All Husbandmen and most Tradesmen and Merchants some few Cases excepted if they be discrete and diligent may about once in a years time make some probable conjecture how God hath prospered them and accordingly lay by in store for charitable uses And some Callings as Ministers Physicians Lawyers and divers Handicrafts men may weekly make a Judgment what they have gotten and accordingly lay by for such uses though I never yet knew the person that steddily practis'd that Rule Some I have known who have for many years lain aside a tenth part of all they spent as they spent what God bestowed upon them besides voluntary occasional charitable Gifts For instance if they took out Ten Shillings to spend they laid aside One Shilling if Ten Pounds they laid aside One Pound and so proportionably Ans 2. And whether that Order to the Church of Galatia were intended as an Order for all the Churches in the World I find not written Ans 3. And if it was a general Order for a charitable laying aside yet it was no Order to observe the First day Ans 4. And if it be an Order to lay aside upon the First day of the week as the Objectors would have it 't is plainly an Order to cast up their Accounts that day and to tell their Moneys they have got and to reckon how much their Stock is encreased and what can be reasonably spared from their necessary Expences and deducting all Charges which every person must well consider that would discreetly lay aside as God hath prospered him which as I said as I never knew or heard of any man that did upon the first day of the week so I think the Advocates for the First day will hardly allow as proper Work for a Sabbath nor yet is very consistent with an holy Rest upon that day which yet such must do for ought I know and more who make that a general Order such strange Inconveniencies do arise when the Scriptures are strained beyond the plain meaning of them The Order is not to give to charitable uses or to distribute to the Poor that day but that every one lay by him in store which certainly must be upon casting up their Accounts but whatever be the meaning of that place as to Accounts on that day the main drift of it is that every one lay by him in store as God had prospered him that there might be a Stock ready to distribute to the Poor Saints as their Necessities required which in the general sometime or other serious understanding Christians I think do or ought But what one word is there in this 1 Cor. 16. 1 2 for repealing altering or changing the Sabbath or for assembling of the Churches or for assembling any one particular Church or for performing any manner of Worship upon this day Let it be what day some would have it but every one was to lay by him in store i. e. every one as it seems asunder so far is this place from that sence some put upon it Read and Judge Obj. Another Objection is from Rev. 1. 9 10. John was in the Isle Patmos for the Word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ and was in the Spirit upon the Lords day Gr. En te Kuriake
deliberately to do and may with like reason deny almost any thing for which we have full Authority from the Word That a very contrary Custom was afterwards introduced into many Churches I think we may say is evident a Custom of observing another day viz. the First day instead of the Seventh day which has been as it is maintained with great Authority and doth prove a Plant impossible for Man to pluck up without a full Testimony of the Word and Holy Spirit especially being supported as it is by such mighty men dead and alive as have written for it who are opposed only by a few weak persons 'T is plain that Paul preached in the Synagogue every Sabbath i. e. every seventh-day Sabbath for all Writers agree that the Sabbath which the Jews observed was the seventh day and that he perswaded Jews and Gentiles So that we have here Scripture-Instances of Ministers and of Believers in Christ after his Resurrection and Ascension and after the pouring out the Holy Spirit by deliberate choice keeping the seventh-day Sabbath in the Synagogue or Church where they came together for their publick Worship and the Ministers there preaching Christ to Jews and Gentiles And who can considerately think that the Holy Spirit misnamed the Sabbath and calls the Seventh day the Sabbath if it were changed to the First day And if I had offered no more than those few Lines in answer to the Tenth Question in my weak Judgment this were sufficient to answer all that I know is written for the First day and I have read much about it and this consisting of Matters of Fact has no need of being argued search the Scriptures as the Bereans did Acts 17. 11 and see if these things be so or no. Q. 11. Whether the Holy Spirit calls the Seventh day the Sabbath and no other day of the week both in the Old and in the New Testament throughout Answ I answer affirmatively as appears in the Answer to the former Questions and in particular That the Seventh day has the name of the Sabbath and was kept as the Sabbath after the Resurrection and Ascension of Christ and after the pouring out of the Holy Spirit appears in the Answer to the Tenth Question And the Advocates for the First day do not pretend that the First day is any where in the Scriptures called the Sabbath as Mr. Baxter a very learned Writer for the First day doth acknowledge in Print Nor has any man yet shewn any Word or Command from God to observe it Nor are there two weekly days set apart by God for holy Worship and so I think this Eleventh Question needs no farther Labour Objections which are made in this Case although they seem to me to arise mostly from Conjectures at the meaning of some Expressions in the Word which seem Objections and Answers to others to have no such sence now come to be considered it being reasonable that the Evidence of the other side be heard also that the Reader may make a right Judgment thereon Object 1. The first Objection which I consider is that raised from the Resurrection of Christ which Resurrection some think convenient should be celebrated by a particular weekly day and the rather as one says because it is possible the Seventh day was changed Others more frankly say it was changed but they are not sure whether by Christ during his Life or by him after his Resurrection or whether by his Apostles or any of them after his Ascension or when or where or by whom any of these Uncertainties they do not yet resolve us and I think we are sure and some of the other side do acknowledge that no such Change is recorded in the Scriptures But however they suppose it for the Honour of Christ that one day in a week be set apart to commemorate his Resurrection Answ They do suppose this Our Law and all Mankind do admit that there is as much reason for those things that have no Existence i. e. which are not as there is for those things which do not appear If once Suppositions be allowed instead of Evidence and Proof any man of Parts and Credit may introduce great Absurdities When it can be truly said that the Lord has no where in his Word enjoyn'd the observation of the First day that they can shew or after the strictest search that we can find What Colour has any man to observe it And when it can be truly said that the Lord has no where in his Word repealed the Fourth Command nor altered the Seventh day or any way blotted it out of his Law by which Law we are to walk and by which we are to be judged that they can shew or we can find how can we presume to alter it Or if the Lord had any where in his Word transferred Power to any Man or Men to invent a new way of honouring Christ and to set apart a new day to commemorate his Resurrection this were something but where is there any such Power recorded in the Scriptures to be given to any Man or Men whatsoever And if there be no such new Command given by Christ to keep the First day and no such Authority given by him to any persons whatsoever to alter the Seventh day who then shall set Bounds to such as once undertake of their own Heads without any Commission from Christ to vary from and to add to the Commands of Christ However specious and plausible the Pretences be can any think it is for the Honour of Christ or the Resurrection that Men of their own minds should take the liberty and boldness to add to or to alter any of his Commands Why may not others command us to kneel to the consecrated Bread and pretend as many do that it is for the Honour of Christ And why may not one as well maintain the yearly Observation of Christmas in memory of his Birth and of Good-Friday in memory of his Passion and of Easter in memory of his Resurrection and of Whitsuntide in memory of his Ascension and of Altars and Adoration towards the East and that standing and not kneeling in expectation of his second Coming which some pretend to guess may be from the East as well as a new weekly Sabbath All which Conceits and many other such-like do pretend to be for the Honour of Christ and are ancient Traditions and seem to intend and mean very well When any persons whatsoever shall with pretended good Intentions assume an Authority of their own heads to add to the Word of God or any way to alter it in a tittle in comes therewith not only the common Tides of Christmas c. as they call them but the whole Romish Kalendar of Saints and all their Mass and Monkery which have specious Pretences and cannot be resisted if the Churches corrupted or the purest Churches be once admitted to have such a Power for if the Church or any part thereof may invent and
alter one day of the week and the World of Christians be thereby concluded and bound to observe such alterations I know no Bolts or Locks strong enough for such a Door to keep it from letting in upon the Churches of Christ whatsoever pleaseth those in Power in any part of the World whether it do concern God's immediate solemn Worship or Matters of Doctrine Discipline or Conversation Men may as well take the other six as one day as the Romanists for many weeks in the year do and they may as well make any other alteration in the Essentials of Christianity if such Gapps be laid open and by the like reason lay as great Burthens upon the Christian Churches as were upon the Jews of old or as are now upon the Romanists such as are utterly inconsistent with all Instituted Worship and all true Liberty wherein Christ by his Word has made his Churches free in which Liberty we are to stand fast Gal. 5. 1 which Liberty eminently consists in a Freedom not only from the Ceremonial Laws of old contained in Ordinances which are laid aside by Christ which Liberty is purchased by him but also in a Liberty not to be entangled with a new Yoke of Mens Devices and Inventions whereof there is no end Christ has left Laws enough for the well governing of his Churches to which Laws of his if we yield entire subjection we have certainly no need farther to trouble our selves and whilst no man has yet shewn us from the Scriptures any Institution of the First day nor any Alteration of the Seventh after One thousand Six hundred and Ninety years elapsed I do not now expect it for places have been already searched by many Writers and not being yet found I think we may conclude that Change never will be found Obj. This change of the Seventh day to the First some have endeavoured to find in John 20. 19 26. In the 19th Verse it is said That the same day at Evening viz. the Evening after his Resurrection being the First day of the week when the Doors were shut Jesus stood in the midst and said unto them viz. to the Disciples Peace unto you Whence some gather because Christ rose upon the First day and appeared to the Disciples in the Evening therefore we must observe the First day And in the 26th Verse it is said And after eight days his Disciples within and Thomas with them came Jesus the doors being shut and stood in the midst and said Peace unto you Now say some after eight days signifieth here the Eighth day from the Resurrection counting the day wherein Christ rose for one as we call those third days Agues which have but one days intermission Tertians and those Agues which have but two days intermission Quartans and so the Disciples having met on the Resurrection day met again that day Sevennight Answ 1. All which if we do admit here is no Institution of the First day nor any pretence of laying aside or altering the Seventh which I take to be an Answer sufficient to all the Objections that I ever met with upon this Question viz. The First day has no Word-Institution Answ 2. But more particularly the First day John 20. 19 26 is understood by Expositors to be the same day mentioned in Luke 24. 13 29 where two Disciples travelled to Emmaus and Christ with them which Emmaus was about seven miles and an half according to our computation from Jerusalem and so more than a Sabbath-days Journey which they say was about two miles So then these two Disciples did not observe the First day the day of the Resurrection nor assemble to worship nor rest upon it but travelled as far as does appear to us about their ordinary occasions upon the same day that Christ rose Luke 24. 1 13. and Christ travelled with them also upon the same day and how that day was observed by him or them as a day of Rest and Travel too that is to journey and to rest at the same time is very hard for me to conceive Obj. And as to that in John 20. 26 where Jesus is said to come again after eight days when the Disciples were within with Thomas Answ First It is not said they were assembled about any Religious Worship whatsoever is affirmed of that nature is meerly guessed it 's said only that they were within with Thomas with them it 's probable the Persecution against them being then hot upon the crucifying of our Lord they lay concealed from the Jews and locked the Doors and were seldom abroad and at that time were certainly within when Christ miraculously stood in the midst and appeared to them But then Secondly That this second appearing was upon the First day of the week is gratis dictum freely said but is not there written the Text says It was after eight days say these Objectors It was the Eighth day including the former First day that is the day sevennight after his Resurrection So the Text says it was after eight days say they 'T was after six or seven days which seems to me impossible for let any man tell eight upon his Fingers and if he do not find that day after eight days to be Monday or Tuesday as we now call the days then I misreckon and this being an account easie to be cast up I leave it But for men to say that after Eight is after Seven or Six days and must be so understood because some would fain have it so and thereupon to build this Change seems to me contrary to all Sence and further Answer to this I think needless And as to that which they offer from Mark 8. 31 I find divers learned Expositors understand that Mark reckons the time from his first being betrayed and apprehended and that Matthew speaks only of the time that he lay in the Grave which was but part of three days other Answers are given but this part of the Objection seems not to be over-ingenious for that those who make it seem to go about to shake the day of his Resurrection if they could rather than want some Pretence for the First day weekly But however this or that in John 20 be understood yet here is no Institution of the First day nothing of the Worship the Disciples were met about either the one or the other of these Days and consequently little Colour for such a Conceit And as to the Resurrection it is so fully proved by many Eye-witnesses throughout the New Testament as I need to add no more to that Obj. Some fancy the day which Christ says to the Jews that their Father Abraham rejoyced to see and saw and was glad John 8. 56 was the day of the Resurrection and therefore the First day of the week as the day of the Resurrection must be for ever kept holy Ans Which day that Abraham saw others think referrs to the day of his Incarnation and thence inferr the Observation of Christmas-day
Offerings v. 26. And yet these Texts speak of the Law in general but cannot be understood as meant of the Ten Commands because the Ten Commands were not in dispute The Law which concerned Circumcision and Purifications with their Offerings which were all ceremonial was that only then in question and so becomes applicable to that Law in question and not at all to the Ten Commands or any jot or tittle of them which were not in question which as before stand fully established And this Difference the Occasion and Context do best explain and this in Acts 21 is an Instance may open divers Expressions about the Law in some of the Epistles for Paul in those Primitive Times when the Ceremonial Law was fresh in memory and the Gospel newly preached had much ado to remove the first converted Jews from Circumcision and other Ceremonials as we find in his Epistles 1 Cor. 9. 19 20 where in the 20th Verse Law as I think referrs to the Ceremonial Law where to the Jews he became as a Jew and in the 21st Verse Law referrs to the Moral Law which unto Christ Paul was under And in other Cases Paul to preserve the Liberty he had in Christ Jesus says Titus was not compelled to be circumcised Gal. 2. 3 4 Acts 16. 3. a Liberty which Christ has purchased for his People to be no longer in Bondage to the Ceremonial Laws And upon this Difference we find Paul withstanding Peter to the face Gal. 2. 11 12 which in a good case may still be done to others though otherwise never so eminent And as to this Case of Circumcision Paul effectually lays that aside by saying that if ye be circumcised Christ shall profit you nothing Gal. 5. 1 2 3 4 for those who were for Circumcision were Debtors to the whole Law i. e. to all the Ceremonial Law and therefore he there advises them to stand fast in the Liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free and not to be entangled again with that Yoke of Bondage It may be also some amongst the Jews had Conceits Justified not by the Law of being justified by the Law of such Paul says they were fallen from Grace and that Christ was become of none effect to them Gal. 5. 4 which Saying of Paul is true Let their conceit referr to what Law it would for if Righteousness be by the Law then Christ is dead in vain Gal. 2. 21. It seems some of the Jews thought if they were circumcised and observed the external and ceremonial part of the Law they should be sure to go to Heaven and if they were that which we call Morally Righteous and as concerning the Law as Paul said of himself blameless they thought then as the Romanists do now that their Works would save them And the Romanists think also they may supererrogate whence arises the Doctrine of Merits of the Saints and Indulgences whereas true Justification is and ever was only by Faith viz. by Christ and his Righteousness by Faith in whom Abraham was justified Rom. 4. 3 9 Gal. 3. 6 Jam. 2. 23 to whom the Gospel was before preached by that word In thee shall all Nations be justified Gal. 3. 8. And yet all this Doctrine about Justification by Faith doth no way hurt or touch the Doctrin of Obedience to Christ's Ten Commands nor set any man at liberty to sin in any thing as some weakly and others maliciously would inferr for of that true Faith universal and sincere conformity to the Laws of Christ i. e. to the Ten Commandâ— is the Evidence and constant inseparable Companion and so by works Faith is made perfect Jam. 2. 22. And 't is by Faith a Believer goes when God commands him Heb. 11. 8 and this I write also to avoid Slanders And on this Subject the generality of Protestant Ministers have written very well and if any dream that Paul made void the Moral Law by preaching up Faith God forbid or be it nor as the Greek imports Yea he established the Law Rom. 3. 31. And 't is as I have thought observable in the 2 Pet. 3. 15 16 17 Peter speaking of Paul and his Epistles says in which are some things hard to be understood which they thâ—t are unlearned and unstable wrest as they do also the other Scriptures Beware therefore lest ye also being led away with â—he errour of the Wicked i. e. the Lawless the Greek is Athesmâ—n from Thesmos a Law fall from your own stedfastness And about the Law there are many Errours and this is an Age wherein Anomy or Lawlesness as to God's Commands abounds which Anomy is rendered Iniquity Mat. 7. 23. 13. 41 and in many other Texts in the New Testament Mat. 23. 8 Rom. 6. 19 Antichrist is called that Lawless one the Mystery of Anomy 2 Thes 2. 3 to 10 and the Law i. e. the Moral Law is good and is made for the Lawless 1 Tim. 1. 8 9. And certainly it behoves us no longer to yield to this Lawlesness because the Lord Jesus Christ gave himself for his People that he might redeem them from all Anomy or Lawlesness Tit. 2 13 14 from all manner of Contrariety in Principle or in Practice in whole or in part to Christ Laws i. e. to the Ten Commands which Paul consented were all without excepting the Seventh day holy just spiritual and good in which after the Inner man he delighted and which he served i. e. yielded Obedience to it which Commands he that keepeth without excepting the Seventh day loveth Christ John 14. 21 1 John 2. 3. Which Commands some laying aside hold the Tradition of Men and the Commandments of Men and so lay aside the Commandments of God Mark 7. 7 8. The Law our Lord has given us in the Ten Commands is excellent which absolutely requires in All all manner of true Love to GOD and Man on which Two Commands which include the Commands of both Tables i. e. all the Ten Commands hang all the Law and the Prophets Mat. 22. 37 38 39 40. Obj. As for such as think that the Blessing and Sanctification in the Fourth Command are not appropriated to the Seventh day but to the Sabbath day because of the words there Wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it and so think the change of the Seventh day to be thereby insinuated Ans The express words of the Command Exod. 20. 10 are The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God and so the Seventh day was that day and that Sabbath day which he blessed and sanctified Read the Command and Judge and the Seventh day is there twice named These I take to be the great Objections and were it not that the First day hath got possession of the Names which belong not to it and had we not been generally educated in this Mistake wherein also some of us have lived long and so are rivetted and this defended by Writers of Renown in the World I see