of him because we keep his Commands 1 John 3. 21. which we are strictly required to walk after 2 John 6. The Eighth of the 39 Articles of the Church of England says No Christian man whatsoever is free from the Obedience of the Commandments which are called Moral Assemb Conf. chap. 19. of the Law of God says God gave to Adam a Law Par. I. This Law after his Fall continued to be a perfect Rule of Righteousness and as such was delivered by God upon Mount Sinai in Ten Commandments Par. II. This Law commonly called Moral doth for ever bind all as well justified persons as others neither doth Christ in the Gospel any way dissolve but much strengthen this Obligation Par. III V. Although true Believers be not under the Law as a Covenant of Works to be thereby justified or condemned Par. VI. So â—ar that great Assembly about the Ten Commands The Declaration of the Faith c. of the Congregational Churâ—hes before cited says the same things in the same words Ch. 19. Art 1 2 3 5 6. And so doth the Confession of Faith of the Antipoedobaptists â—efore mentioned Ch. 19. Art 1 2 3 5 6. And blessed are they who do his Commandments Rev. 22. 14. Now how can any man perswade himself or others that Christ â—r his Apostles do not intend by the above cited Scriptures the Ten Commands And if he do mean them whence comes this alteâ—ation and Why do men open their Mouths so far against his Tabernacle Rev. 13. 6. i. e. his Law which Tabernacle of the Testimony will be opened again in the Churches and some have already gotten the Victory over the Beast in this also Rev. 15. 2 5. And the Tabernacle of God will be again with men when the new Heaven and the new Earth come Rev. 21. 1 3. And 't is remarkable that the Remnant of the Seed of the Woman are such as keep the Commandments of God with whom the Dragon makes War Rev. 12. 17 and Rev. 14. 12. Here is the patience of the Saints here are they that keep the Commandments of God and the Faith of Jesus And all this and much more there is without one word of Exception against the Seventh day Q. 7. Whether the weekly Seventh day Sabbath and no other day was observ'd by the Lord Jesus Christ after his Incarnation and that constantly Answ No Christian man that I know has ever pretended that the Lord did not keep the seventh-Seventh-day Sabbath perfectly or that he kept the First day or any other day as a weekly Sabbath nor is there any Scripture for such Pretences And that he kept the seventh-Seventh-day Sabbath I think is proveâ— by the Scriptures which in general express his being a Lamâ— without blemish 1 Pet. 1. 19 which he had not been if there hâ— been any defect in his Obedience nor had his Righteousneâ— been perfect if he had not fulfilled all the Law i. e. all Righteousness More particularly it appears besides his course of Education under Joseph and Mary that he observed the Sabbath for upoâ— his setting about his Ministry he with Simon Andrew Jamâ— and John at Capernaum entered into the Synagogue on the Saâ—bath day and taught Mark 1. 21. 6. 1 2 on the Sabbatâ— days Luke 4. 31. On the Sabbath day he went into the Synagogâ— Mat. 12. 1 9 and John 5. 9. The Synagogues seemâ— Synagogues be Houses somewhat of the nature of our Parish-Châ—ches for Prayer and for weekly reading the Law and Propheâ— and sanctifying the Sabbath to which our Lord when he wâ— in the Country did resort And the Sabbath day which Christ observed was the Jeâ— Seventh-day Sabbath as is agreed by all and appears plainly bâ— that Mat. 12 and John 5 by the Jews Exceptions against Chriâ— as breaking their Sabbath as they apprehended but were mistaken And it farther appears that Christ constantly observed the seventh-Seventh-day Sabbath for when he came to Nazareth where he had been brought up as his custom was he went into the Synagogue on the Sabbath day and stood up for to read Luke 4. 16 to 21. and then and there preached the Gospel and expounded the Scriptures Which shews it was his Custom i. e. his constant Course from his Childhood at Nazareth where he had been brought up to keep the weekly Sabbath days of which Custom I find little said in some Books the Greek Expression for as his Custom was I take to be very full That it was Christ's usual constant Course And as at Nazareth so at Capernaum Christ taught them on the Sabbath days v. 31. And I shall hereafter shew that what is said here Luke 4. 16 31. of Christ is after the Death Resurrection and Ascension of Christ said of Paul that it was Paul's Custom also to keep the Sabbath Acts 17. 2. so that Paul did not alter the Sabbath which may also stay the mistaken Cavils about some Expressions in his Epistles as if Paul writ one thing and did another which Custom of Paul and other Believers who attended the Apostle's Ministry I think was a good Custom in the general which held from the beginning of the World till the Ascension of Christ and long afâ—er that as I hope to shew more fully hereafter which was â—bove four thousand years a Custom which one long day in Joâ—hua's and another in Hezekiah's time or the variety of the time of the Sun 's setting in different Climates does no way disturb for â—hat a day longer or shorter than another by some hours is still â— day and but a day and so could not alter or disorder the numâ—er of seven days to a week and so did not alter the seventh day â—ut would puzzle those to answer who make the Objection â—gainst themselves who finding the plainness of the Commandment against them have now invented instead of the Seventh â—ay commanded a new seventh part of time which seventh part â—f time from the Creation to this day by those two long days â— utterly impossible to be ascertain'd but however is a meer Fanâ—y there being no other Command but for the Seventh-day â—hich Christ and afterward Paul usually observed So as I may â—y this was a long undeniable and uninterrupted Custom time â—ut of Mind though 't is true the Sabbath had been somewhat â—rophaned in Nehemiah's time and by him reformed which â—ore confirms the Custom whereof more afterwards And I think all the Advocates for the First day as well as all the Reformed Christians in the World do agree that Christ has fulfilled all Righteousness and that he perfectly kept the Ten Commands whereof the Fourth was and is certainly one and the Seventh day certainly part thereof and that every true Believer has a part in Christ's perfect Obedience and consequently in his perfect keeping of the Seventh-day Sabbath Which I think sufficient for proving this point that the Seventh-day Sabbath and no other was constantly observed by him Q. 8. After the Lord Jesus had
so far perfected the Work of Redemption as to say it is finished and after his giving up his Spirit if he rested in Heaven and his Body in the Grave as 't is said he rested when he ended the Work of Creation Gen. 2. 2. Answ That he said It is finished bowed his Head and gave up the Spirit are the words in John 19. 30. Whether he meaneth by finished or accomplished that he had finished or was then ready by his Death to finish all that he was to do and suffer in this World to reconcile Believers to his Father and all that was foretold of him by the Prophets there is little doubt by those who dream not of Purgatories and that Man's Redemption and all the typical Ceremonies of the Law were now fulfilled and ended in Him whom they prefigured where Christ speaketh of that which then presently should be and in the yielding up of his Spirit was accomplished although it may be some of the Types of Redemption were perfected when Christ ascended into the Holy of Holies as the Aaronical and Levitical Priesthood Heb. 8. 4 5. which having little relation that I know to the Sabbath I pretermit That Christ rested in Heaven appears by his giving up the Spirit into the Hands of his Father John 19. 30. and when the penitent Evil-doer upon the Cross prayed unto him Lord remember me when thou comest into thy Kingdom Jesus said unto him Verily â— say unto thee to day shalt thou be with me in Paradice Luke 23. 42 43. And it will not be denied that this Sinner repenting aâ— the last hour and believing in Christ as his Saviour whom he acknowledged as Lord and to whom he prays which also proveâ— the Deity of Christ intended by Christ's Kingdom his Kingdom of Glory and Christ's gracious Answer That that day that Penitent should be with him in Paradice viz. in Heaven the place and state of eternal Blessedness does confirm it beyond question That Christ gave up his Spirit into the Father's Hands and did immediately upon his expiring pass into Heaven That his Body rested in the Grave appears by Joseph's taking the Body wrapping it in a clean Linnen Cloth laying it in his own new Tomb in a Rock and by his rolling a great Stone to the Door of the Sepulchre As also by the Chief Priests saying to Pilate Sir we remember that he viz. Christ said whilst he was yet alive After three days I will rise again Command then that the Sepulchre be made sure until the third day lest his Disciples come by night and steal him away and say to the people He is risen from the dead Whereupon by Pilate ' s order they went and made the Sepulchre sure sealing the Stone and setting a Watch Mat. 27. 59 to 66. All which Caution and Jealousie of Christ's then Enemies did the more certainly establish the truth of his resting in the Grave and his Resurrection which followed and took away all pretences of ascribing it to any other Power than his own which was and is mighty the Enemies themselves against their Intentions being by this means made Witnesses thereof which Rest of our Lord was no way disturbed by the Triumph of Satan and the then unbelieving Hebrews nor by the Dejection and Sadness of some of his Disciples And his Body resting in the Grave appears also by his Resurrection attested by Angels Mat. 28. 2 3 5. Mark 16. 5. Luke 24. 4. And that He took particular care for the observation of the Sabbath after his death appears by Mat. 24. 20. which flight there mentioned was not till Thirty Eight years at least after his death whereof more hereafter in the Answers to Objections Q. 9. Whilst the Lord Jesus Christ thus rested whether private Believers rested also upon the Seventh day according to the Commandment Answ It seems that day when our Lord suffered was the Preparation which we call Friday and the Sabbath drew on or dawned and the Women which came with him from Galilee followed after and beheld the Sepulchre and how his Body was laid and returning they had prepared Spices and Oyntments and rested or and verily they had rested the Sabbath day i. e. the Seventh day Sabbath according to the Command i. e. the Fourth Command in the Decalogue Luke 23. 54 55 56 and the first day of the week they came early to the Sepulchre Luke 24. 1. Which one Instance being of a Matter of Fact witnessed by the Holy Spirit in this Scripture to be done after the Death of Christ and to be done in obedience to the Fourth Command by these believing Women who it seems were many Mark 15. 40 41 47. and Luke 24. 10. is a Proof that all the Ten Commands were in force after the Death of Christ and after his being in Paradice i. e. in Heaven and that his Commands were still a standing Rule for all to walk by and in particular that the Fourth Command for keeping holy the Seventh day and resting upon it was no way abolished or altered by Christ in his Life or by his Death who was now dead and buried and yet the Seventh-day Sabbath observed And if any such Doctrine for the change of the Sabbath had been preached by Christ it is likely so great a Change would somewhere be recorded in one of the Evangelists but no such matter is there written but the quite contrary in this Text and if any such Change had been made by Christ these Women would have known something of it and would have changed their Practice and kept the First day or else if they knew any such Change we must suppose them wilfully disobedient to such new Command which cannot be imagined And he that will compare and consider Mat. 28. 7 8. Mark 16. 7. John 20. 1 2 3 4. Luke 24. 1 9 12 13. where two of the Disciples travelled to Emmaus upon the First day will easily conclude that the Apostles and I think I may add with little or no doubt and all other Believers did then keep that seventh-Seventh-day Sabbath when Christ's Body lay in the Grave in like manner as the good Women did But however that Scripture viz. Luke 23. 56. does fully prove that whilst the Lord rested in Heaven and his Body in the Grave upon his own instituted seventh-Seventh-day Sabbath these Believers rested also according to his Command which Practice of these excellent Women after the death of Christ recorded by the Holy Spirit has great weight to resolve this Question Which is the true Christian Sabbath and does prove that whilst the Lord rested in Heaven and his Body in the Grave private Believers rested also Q. 10. Whether the Seventh-day Sabbath was observed after the Resurrection and Ascension of Christ Answ After his Resurrection what day it was that he ascended into Heaven or what day of the week it will be wherein Christ will come again I may not be positive though from some circumstances as the distance of Mount
Olivet but a Sabbath days Journey from Jerusalem and from the two Angels prophesie That that same Jesus should so come in like manner as they saw him go into Heaven and that this was when Christ and his Apostles were assembled and come together and Christ preached to them and promised to them the Holy Spirit Acts 1. 4 5 6 11 12. it is somewhat probable to me that his Ascension might be and that his Coming may be upon the Seventh-day Sabbath though some from the number of Forty days wherein he was seen by the Apostles Acts 1. 3 make some doubt thereof But by no Account I can make can I assign the Ascension on the First day nor can I see why that is so expresly said that Mount Olivet where Christ ascended and whence the Disciples returned to Jerusalem was but a Sabbath-days Journey Acts 1. 12. but because it was the Sabbath day And yet in this also I may not be positive because it is not positively written when it was otherwise than as above that Christ and his Disciples were then assembled and Christ preached and that Mountain was but a Sabbath days Journey from Jerusalem Acts 1. 12 which was as great a length of way by the Law of Exod. 16. 29 and Josh 3. 4 as was commonly thought by the Hebrews they might travel upon a Sabbath day which is held by divers to be about two miles for which I know no certain Scripture Some say Mount Olivet was but about a mile from Jerusalem but be the Sabbath-days Journey more or less 't is recorded here to be but a Sabbath-days Journey from Jerusalem and if this was the Sabbath day it may be thus expressed to answer an Objection As if our Lord by this Walk and his Disciples by accompanying him and by their return to Jerusalem had after his death broken the Sabbath for we find the Jews during his life watching him and his Disciples for some Pretence to charge him and them with breaking the Sabbath as we find Mat. 12. 1 2. Mark 2. 24. Luke 6. 2. And so might also be at the same wrangling and objecting work upon his Ascension But however that were for the main point which is the Sabbath does dot depend thereon it is undeniably certain that after the Ascension of the Lord Jesus into Heaven Acts 1. 9 and after the giving the Holy Spirit Acts 2. 1 2 3 4 Barnabas and Paul who were sent forth by the Holy Spirit Acts 13. 4 and their Company went into the Synagogue on the Sabbath day and after the reading of the Law and the Prophets which were then read every Sabbath day Acts 13. 27. upon the desire of the Rulers of the Synagogue of the Jews Paul stands up and preaches Christ at large Acts 13. 13 to 41. and when the Jews were gone out of the Synagogue the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them not the next morning upon the First day of the week but the next Sabbath This Authority in Acts 13. 14 42 44 is full where both the Jews and Gentiles hear the Word upon the Sabbath day which no man can deny and is granted by all to be the Seventh-day Sabbath Acts 13. 42. And the next Sabbath day came together almost the whole City to hear the Word of God Acts 13. 44. So that Barnabas and Paul and his Company and the Jews and Gentiles at Antioch observed the Seventh-day Sabbath after the Resurrection and Ascension of Christ and Paul preached Forgiveness of Sin and Justification of all Believers by Christ to the Jews and upon the particular request of the Gentiles to the Gentiles also not upon the First day of the week which had been more grateful to the Gentiles who generally dedicated the First day to the adoration of the Sun whence we still corruptly call it Sunday whereof more afterwards if that had been grateful to the Apostles but upon the seventh-day Sabbath whereupon the Jews contradict and blaspheme Acts 13. 45 but many Gentiles believed Acts 13. 47 48. so that here were also many converted to Christ upon the seventh-day Sabbath and this in a time after the Holy Spirit was promised to come and promised to guide the Apostles into all Truth John 16. 7 13 and after that Promise performed in the actual giving of the Holy Spirit Acts 2. 4 which taught them all things 1 John 2. 27 by which Holy Spirit Barnabas and Saul were sent forth and which Holy Spirit as I humbly think plainly led them to this Work and into this Truth and this affirmed by the Holy Spirit in the Word of Truth as the Word is called John 17. 17. and this after Christ's Resurrection and Ascension and all this as it seems to me a plain Matter of Fact affirmed by the Holy Spirit in the Scriptures with which Holy Spirit the Apostles were now filled Acts 2. 4. 4. 31. 6. 3 5. 7. 55. 8. 17. 10. 44. 11. 15. 13. 52 and which sent them forth Acts 13. 2 4 9. Which Testimony of the Holy Spirit and the Writer or Writers of this Book of the Acts that the Seventh day was still the Sabbath day by whose Inspiration this Book as the other Scriptures 2 Tim. 3. 16 whereunto give heed 1 Pet. 1. 19 was undeniably written I insist upon as that which no man ought to deny And for any to pretend that Barnabas and Paul did herein Judaize and only humour the Jews for a season I take it to be a meer groundless Surmize to say no worse of it without any word from the Scriptures for such Conceit But this is not all the same Holy Spirit doth further witness that Paul did not only keep the seventh-seventh-day Sabbath once or twice or now and then after Christ's death but continually for at Thessalonica where was a Synagogue of the Jews Paul as his Manner was went in unto them and three Sabbath days reasoned with them Acts 17. 2 3. or preached to them being the same Greek word with that much as I think distorted place Acts 20. 7 where the same word is rendered preached to them It was Paul's constant Use Manner and Custom to preach Christ upon the seventh-day Sabbath And this also is a Matter of Fact which no Christian man can deny and 't is remarkable that we have the same certain Evidence that it was the Custom of Paul Acts 17. 2. and this also after Christ's Resurrection and Ascension as before that we have of Christ's keeping the Sabbath Luke 4. 16 there being in those two Scriptures the like Greek Phrase for both and he that denies Paul in his measure his continual keeping of the Sabbath after the Resurrection and Ascension of Christ and after his being declared the Son of God with Power and after the solemn giving of the Holy Spirit and the whole Work of Man's Redemption by Christ absolutely finished must deny this express Scripture which is hard for any Christian
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
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-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
the Jews took exception v. 10 where the cured man carried his Bed on the Sabbath day v. 9. See also John 7. 22 23 where Christ defends his curing on the Sabbath and John 9. 14 16 Christ curing the Blind man By which frequent Counsels and Examples Christ did prove and demonstrate that the Law for observing the Sabbath did no way prohibit doing good on the Sabbath day when Necessity or Mercy to Man or Beast did require it as those who need may read in all the four Evangelists at large And thus Christ as Lord of the Sabbath who gave it and who perfectly understood the scope and meaning of his own Law gives a clear and sound Interpretation and Exposition of that Law But as to changing the Sabbath day there is not the least tittle in those cited places or any where else that I can yet find in the Scripture So that supposing the Scriptures are able to make the Man of God perfect and to make one wise unto Salvation 2 Tim. 3. 15 17. which is true past doubt I think they are sufficient to resolve this Doubt Which is that Sabbath day the Lord would have us to keep holy And upon the whole matter I take it to be evident that by the Testimony of Christ in Gen. 2. 4 and in the Moral Law and by like express Testimony of the Prophets of old and of Matthew Mark and Luke three of the Evangelists the Lord's day mentioned by John the fourth Evangelist is the Seventh-day Sabbath and that only is pecuâ—iarly the Lord's day and so called Rev. 1. 10. And Tradition all the considerable Pretences to subvert this plain Law of Christ in the Fourth Command and to apply the Lord's day to the First day of the week as far as I can gather is meer Conjecture Invention and pretended human Tradition into which he that travelleth but a little may easily discover how â—hose who go that wandering way do lose themselves in endless Mazes meeting with little else but Darkness Contradictions â—nd Uncertainties As for settlement and satisfaction to the Mind and Conscience it comes in no other way that I find â—ut from the LORD and his Word and Holy Spirit And â— my observation there is no one thing has so much held up â—is Conceit that the first day of the week may be the day of â—est to be observed under the Gospel as the stealing away â—e Name of the LORD's day from the seventh-Seventh-day â—bbath to which only the Scriptures do apply it and giving â—at Name to the First day to which the Scripture being Judge does not belong And hence it is that when we appeal to the â—riptures those of the other side finding the plain Institution â—ommand and Word of God against them fly presently to Traâ—tion by which Tradition if God give me Strength and Leiâ—re they may hereafter find a little to beat them out of that â—old and that Tradition is not full for them in this Case as â— think they over-confidently pretend but directly also â—ainst them Obj. Another Objection against the Seventh-day Sabbath is â—m Rom. 14. 5 6. One man esteemeth one day above another anoâ—r esteemeth every day alike let every man be fully perswaded in his â—n mind He that regardeth the day regardeth it to the Lord â—d he that regardeth not the day to the Lord he doth not regard it And from Gal. 9. 10 11. After ye have known God or ratheâ— are known of God how turn you again to the weak and beggarly Elâ—ments whereunto again ye desire to be in bondage Ye observe dâ—yâ— and months and times and years I am afriad of you lest I hâ—â—â— bestowed on you Labour in vain And from Col. 2. 8 11 12 14 16 where Christ is said â—o blot out the hand-writing of Ordinances and to take it out of thâ— way nailing it to his Cross v. 14. Let no man therefore judge â—â— in Meat or in Drink or in respect of an Holy-day or of the new Mâ—â— or of Sabbaths v. 16 which are a shadow of things to come but tâ—â— body is of Christ And from these Scriptures some few of the Advocates for the First day count the weekly Seventh-day Sabbatâ— to be abrogated Ans 1. But others of them who are more wary think thesâ— places only applicable to the Ceremonial Sabbaths for that iâ— they should reach all Sabbaths they would reach also the Firâ— day if that were a Sabbath and cashier that also and make eâ—ry day alike Ans 2. Rom. 14. 5 6 Gal. 4. 10 name only days not Sâ—baths and Col. 2. 16 does name Sabbaths or weeks as it mâ— be rendered and I think ought so to be as before not the weeâ—ly Seventh-day Sabbath and so all the weight of this Objectioâ— depends on their conjecture of the meaning of the word Sabbathâ— in Col. 2. 16 which word Sabbaths in the plural number I finâ— no where in the New Testament applied to the weekly Seventh day Sabbath which is there expressed by the Sabbath in the sâ—gular number only Ans 3. The Seventh day weekly Sabbath was never in quâ—stion that I find in any of those Epistles or any where else iâ— the Scriptures to be abrogated or altered and if there be â— Question there found about altering it how can such a sence â— imposed And if it were ever in question shew us where for could never yet find it And for any now to imagin the Apostâ— advisedly threw down part of the Moral Law not questionâ— seems an hard Construction The Jews made many Doubts about Circumcision and tâ— Ceremonial Laws whereof we find somewhat in the Acts aâ— more in the Epistles but whether the Ten Commands weâ— still in force after the death of Christ there was I think no doubt Ans 4. Rom. 14. 5 6 and Gal. 4. 10 may fairly be applied to other days than Sabbath days and Col. 2. 16 to other Sabbaths or Weeks and not at all to the weekly Sabbath and this I take to be the true and a good and full Answer to the whole Objection Some of the converted Jews and it may be of the believing Gentiles also might make Conscience to keep the Jewish Ceremonial Feast-days and Fast-days others knew that Christ had abrogated them And he that soberly considers Rom. 14. 1 5 6 and Rom. 15. 7 will find one main drift of the Apoâ—tle there to be to prevent the Pastors from debarring such as â—ade doubt about Days from the Communion of the Church which it seems some did or would have done whom the Apoâ—tle directs should be received And the Weak there mentioned â—eem to be those who made Conscience of uninstituted Days â—nd some of the Galatians Gal. 4. 10 thought the Ceremonial â—aws still obligatory and so might by Days understand and obâ—erve New Moons as Holy and Festival Days and by Weeks the â—east of Tabernacles Num. 29 and by Months the first and seâ—enth Months when they had Feasts and Fasts and
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-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-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
great deal of Rubbish and before mentioned may be sufficient in my weak Opinion to prove to the satisfaction of the unprejudic'd that the Word of God fully and a strong Tradition are for the seventh-Seventh-day Sabbath and against the First day And if the Seventh day be the true Christian Sabbath and that day and that day only be commanded to be kept as it plainly seems to me by the Scriptures and very far by Tradition except that of Rome and its Followers then do we weekly and wilfully break the Fourth Command in a point wherein there seems no sound Reason can be assigned for God expresly commands to keep the Seventh day and we will keep not that which he commands but one of those upon which he has commanded us to labour What a learned Noble Gentleman means by his Inequality of days in his Cosmical Suspicions I know not See Isa 30. 19 26. Prov. 3. 1 2 16. Orek Jammim Nor what of Truth there may be in the Story of Fluvius Sabbaticus in Palestine which some say only flows another that it only rests upon the Seventh day but divers take notice of it Baronius An. Chr. 33 fol. 28 sect 12. Josephus 7. de bello 24. Plin. 31 Hist 2. c. but on these I build not And here I think it may be of some use to bestow a Sheet or two upon the case of Easter to shew how that came in and is held up As to the time of keeping the Passover the Lamb was to be taken up the tenth day of the first Moon or Month Nisan which Nisan they say answered to part of our March and part of April and was to be killed the fourteenth day of that Month Exod. 12. 1 6. The Month Nisan I take to be the first New Moon after the Vernal Aequinox which Vernal Aequinox is our Eleventh or Twelfth day of March and whether the Fourteenth day was not to be reckoned from the day of the Aequinox which Fourteenth day was alwaies in the Month Nisan I cannot tell Lucius Cent. 2. 117 D. But this I doubt and rather take the first viz. That the Month or Moon Nisan began after the Vernal Aequinox and that the Paschal Lamb was to be killed the Fourteenth day of that Moon Or what other Reckoning they had I cannot certainly resolve To this Feast of the Passover i. e. passing over the Houses of the Israelites when God slew the First born of the Aegyptians our Lord's Parents went up to Jerusalem every year Luke 2. 41. This Passover though it preserved the Memory of the great Deliverance the Israelites had out of Aegypt yet the Lamb then killed was eminently a Type of Christ This Passover was also observed by Christ Mat. 26. 1 17 18 19. Mark 14. 12. Luke 22. 7. John 13. 1. The day when Christ went with his Disciples to keep the Passover was probably the Evening before our Friday and that Evening i. e. the beginning of Friday he and his Disciples probably began to keep it and that night he was betray'd and taken and on Friday was crucified which Passover the Jews observed upon the next day after being the Sabbath day The Ancients say the Jews had a Custom when two Feasts viz. the Passover and the Sabbath came so near together as to be next one another that by Rabbinical Tradition they observed both upon one day viz. upon the Sabbath day 'T is said thereupon that the Jews by that Rule then kept the Passover upon the Seventh-day Sabbath which began in the Evening which they should have observed upon Friday the Sixth day of the week And that Christ kept it upon the Evening of the Sixth day which was the right day which was the Evening after our Thursday Mark 15. 42. Luke 23. 54. John 19. 14. See Lucius Cent. 1 lib. 1. fol. 259 E Whether the Apostles kept it after the Death of Christ I cannot yet resolve although in Acts 18. 21 the Feast which the Apostle says he was to keep at Jerusalem seems to be the Passover though that be not named and if it were I think Paul took occasion to be there at that publick great Concourse of People to preach Christ to that Multitude And so in 1 Cor. 5. 8 the Feast there spoken of might be the Passover though it be not named But that the Apostles were under no obligation to keep that Feast of the Passover after the Death of Christ is to me past doubt because the Passover and Lamb then slain were a Type of Christ and prefigured him who is our Paschal Lamb who being himself slain and sacrificed for us 1 Cor. 5. 7 at his Death the Passover the Type and Figure wholly ceased and was abolished by his Death the true Antitype and so the Apostles and all others were by his Death delivered from that as Lucius Cent. 1. well as other Ceremonies which are all nailed to his Cross and the keeping the Feast with Unleaveneds the Apostle v. 8 expounds of their sincerity of Life who believed in Christ Lucius Cent. 1. lib. 2. 36. H However there were some particularly those at Rome in conformity to the Jews Passover though in crossness to the day the Jews kept the Passover on or it may be out of a good Intention in memory of the Resurrection or for what other reason I cannot tell who it seems by the Histories did about the Second and Third Centuries observe one yearly Festival in commemoration of the Resurrection which Resurrection falling out to be the First day of the week they would have others yearly observe upon the First day which the Eastern Churches generally opposed those there who kept it keeping it the fourteenth day of the first Month the day Christ kept it upon whatever day of the week it fell out to be But what Law from Christ either they or any others had or have to make any such Observation now upon either of those days or upon any other day I am wholly to seek 'T is true the Jews observed the Passover as appears Acts 12. 4 where the Passover is rendered Easter And that some yearly Feast was kept by divers Christians in lieu of the Passover is very likely Lucius 1 Cent. lib. 2. fol. 387. C D where John and Philip the Evangelist and other Apostles are said to keep that yearly Feast the fourteenth day of the first Moon and that some cast it rejecisse upon the Dominical day Cent. 2 fol. 7. C D where a Question being moved Who first preached the Gospel in Britain 't is said It does not sufficiently appear but certainly this is not unlikely to Truth That that Church i. e. in Britain was planted in the beginning by the Grecian or Oriental Teachers and not by the Romans or Western Teachers and that the Grecians transferred their Riâ—es and Ceremonies to them and he so thinks first because Petrus Cluniacensis Abbas writing to St. Bernard affirms The Scots according to the manner of
little Colour some at first by Subtilty making and others by Carelesness letting in that Observation and now finding some Good by the Ordinances then celebrated approve of the day also and have put all their Strength to defend it An Opinion blown up to a wonderful heighth which yet God by his Word can easily take down For the present some have altered and in part abrogated this old Command and set up a contrary one in its stead and so do become in this not God's Subjects but his Law-givers as if they could make a more holy See Charnock's Attrib pag. 75. righteous Law than the Law of God and have so far forsaken God's Law and walked after the imagination of their own Hearts Jer. 9. 31. In this taxing his Wisdom as if he did not understand Job 21. 22 How unreasonable is this to impose any Law upon God and force him to revoke his own Upon the whole to my weak Understanding it seems evident That the World was made by the Lord Jesus Christ and that he is Jehovah who after the Creation instituted the Seventh day rested on it sanctified it and blessed it and that it was observed from the Creation till it was repeated at Mount Sinai and that there the Commands were given by Christ the Redeemer to Jews and Gentiles i. e. to all Mankind and that same Seventh day observed by Moses and the Prophets till his Incarnation that the Ten Commands and therein the Seventh-day Sabbath were confirmed by Immanuel our God and Saviour after his taking our Nature upon him that the same Seventh-day Sabbath and no other day of the week was kept by him during his life here and that perfectly and constantly and when he had finished the Work of Redemption that his Body rested in the Grave the next seventh-Seventh-day Sabbath and himself in Heaven as he rested the Seventh day after he ended the Work of Creation and that while he rested in Heaven and his Body in the Grave Believers then rested also according to the Fourth Command and by the Testimony of the Scriptures that the seventh-Seventh-day Sabbath was observed by the Apostles and all other Believers after our Lord's Resurrection and that constantly and that the Holy Spirit does call the Seventh day only and no other day of the week the Sabbath throughout the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament and that after Christ's Ascension and after the pouring out of the Holy Spirit and that there is no Law nor any Word to be found in the Scriptures which do 2 Tim. 3. 17. Acts 20. 32. most certainly and fully contain the whole and perfect Duty of Man which requires the keeping holy the First day of the week and that there is not there one word of Promise made to the Observers of it nor any Promise of Acceptance from the LORD for any person in that Observation and that there is not one word of Threatning or Displeasure there against those who do not observe it Not one word there which constitutes the First day a Sabbath or calls it by that Name and How can it be proved by any man to be of God when the Word of God does not tell us of it Not one word that repeals or alters the Fourth Command in any jot or tittle nor any Power there given to any that ever were are or shall be in the World to make any Alteration therein and Who can tell us the persons authorized from God to do this Which therefore as long as the Heaven and Earth abide seems to me Luke 16. 17. Exod. 20. 10. Matth. 5. 18. unalterable and shews that the Seventh day is the true weekly Christian Sabbath and ought to be observed 〈◊〉 not repeaâ—ed nor altered there and so confirmed by Christ faces their Consciâ—â—â—'s 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all the 〈◊〉 and throws down all the Batteries raised against it Fain they would find out some colourable Objections to shelter themselves in a continual Violation of it but still that Law rises up and overthrows all Opposition They pray to God to encline their Hearts to keep that Law and yet keep it down what they can but all will not do GOD who has reserved a Tenth of our Substance has reserved but a Seventh of our Time which we should neither alter nor begrudge And indeed it seems to me marvellous that the observation of the weekly Seventh-day Sabbath should be so long laid aside here in a Land of Light notwithstanding so direct and plain a Command and that the First day should so far obtain for which we have so very little Colour some at first by Subtilty making and others by Carelesness letting in that Observation and now finding some Good by the Ordinances then celebrated approve of the day also and have put all their Strength to defend it An Opinion blown up to a wonderful heighth which yet God by his Word can easily take down For the present some have altered and in part abrogated this old Command and set up a contrary one in its stead and so do become in this not God's Subjects but his Law-givers as if they could make a more holy See Charnock's Attrib pag. 75. righteous Law than the Law of God and have so far forsaken God's Law and walked after the imagination of their own Hearts Jer. 9. 31. In this taxing his Wisdom as if he did not understand Job 21. 22 How unreasonable is this to impose any Law upon God and force him to revoke his own Upon the whole to my weak Understanding it seems evident That the World was made by the Lord Jesus Christ and that he is Jehovah who after the Creation instituted the Seventh day rested on it sanctified it and blessed it and that it was observed from the Creation till it was repeated at Mount Sinai and that there the Commands were given by 〈…〉 kind and that same Seventh day observed by Moses and the Prophets till his Incarnation that the Ten Commands and therein the Seventh-day Sabbath were confirmed by Immanuel our God and Saviour after his taking our Nature upon him that the same Seventh-day Sabbath and no other day of the week was kept by him during his life here and that perfectly and constantly and when he had finished the Work of Redemption that his Body rested in the Grave the next seventh-Seventh-day Sabbath and himself in Heaven as he rested the Seventh day after he ended the Work of Creation and that while he rested in Heaven and his Body in the Grave Believers then rested also according to the Fourth Command and by the Testimony of the Scriptures that the seventh-Seventh-day Sabbath was observed by the Apostles and all other Believers after our Lord's Resurrection and that constantly and that the Holy Spirit does call the Seventh day only and no other day of the week the Sabbath throughout the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament and that after Christ's Ascension and after the pouring out of the Holy Spirit and
bow to me Rom. 14. 9 10 11. Which is taken from Isa 45. 21 22 23 where Christ is named Jehovah a Just God and a Saviour Heb. and the Messiah or Christ Look unto me and be ye saved for I am God Isa 45. 22 23. Phil. 2. 9 10 11. Which is to the Glory of God the Father v. 11. And you have Father Son and Holy Spirit 2 Cor. 13. 14 and in many other places which I had collected but omit And no man can say that Jesus is the Lord but by the Holy Spirit of God 1 Cor. 12. 3. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself he that believeth not God hath made him a liar because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son 1 John 5. 10. The Witness i. e. the Holy Spirit Some have preached and printed another Jesus and another Spirit and another Gospel 2 Cor. 11. 4. and not Jesus the Lord 1 Cor. 12. 3. and Phil. 2. 11. And have preached another Spirit not the Lord the Spirit 2 Cor. 3. 17 18. And another Gospel not the true Gospel by the Grace of Christ Gal. 1. 6. Some pervert the Gospel and are under that Curse and Anathema Gal. 1. 7 8 9. Christ Jesus the Lord was that Christ whom Paul preached 2 Cor. 4. 5. Paul an Apostle not by man but by Jesus Christ Gal. 1. 1 2. Christ Jesus is said to be equal with God Phil. 2. 5 6 11. Christ is our life and is all in all Col. 3. 4 11. And whoso denieth the Son hath not the Father 1 John 2. 23. Let those who deny the Son consider well that word Christ Jesus the Lord in whom dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily Col. 2. 2 3 6 9. a very full expression of his Godhead God our Saviour 1 Tim. 2. 3. God manifest in the flesh 1 Tim. 3. 16. The living God the Saviour of them that believe 1 Tim. 4. 10. God our Saviour Tit. 1. 3. 2. 10. Looking for the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ who gave himself for us Tit. 2. 13 14. Jesus Christ our Saviour Tit. 3. 6. Some false Teachers there were then who privily brought in Damnable Heresies denying the Lord that bought them and some will follow them 2 Pet. 2. 1 2. Deceivers who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh such have not God and if any come to you and bring not this Doctrine receive him not into your house nor bid him God-speed 2 John 3. 7 9 10. Gr. Chairein to rejoice There is no ground that I know to desire Joy to such There are certain men crept in corrupt Worshippers denying the Only God and Master our Lord Jesus Christ Jude 4. To the only wise God our Saviour be glory and majesty dominion and power v. 25. The Son is the brightness of the Father's Glory of whom God saith And let all the Angels of God worship him Heb. 1. 1 3 6 13. And we are to worship God not Angels Rev. 19. 10. 22. 8 9. Unto the Son the Father saith thy Throne O God for ever and ever Heb. 1. 8. His Son Jesus Christ he is the true God and eternal life 1 John 5. 20. The first and the last who was dead and is alive Rev. 2. 8. The son of God who searcheth the reins and heart and who will give to every one according to his works Rev. 2. 18 23. And to conclude this point in the close of the Scriptures the Prayer of John unto Christ Come Lord Jesus and for his Grace Rev. 22. 20 21. do also prove the Deity of Christ which is my present point Some defend this Truth from the Opinion of ancient Doctors and learned Fathers whereof I have seen a great collection for whom I have due reverence yet satisfaction to the Conscience coming in ordinarily by the Word of God I have rather chosen this familiar way by the Scriptures Q. 3. The third Question proposed is Whether after the Creation the Lord rested on the seventh day and whether The Seventh-day Sabbath instituted by Christ the seventh-day Sabbath was sanctified and so instituted by him and was observed by him who made the World Answ 1. He that made the World rested on the seventh day for which we have these full Authorities Thus the Heavens and the Earth were finished and all the Host of them Gen. 2. 1. And on the seventh day God Heb. Aelohim the Mightys he ended his work which he had made and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made Gen. 2. 2. For in six days Jehovah he made Heaven and Earth the Sea and all that in them is and he rested the seventh day Exod. 20. 11. My Sabbaths ye shall keep for it is a sign between me and you A sign whereby his People were distinguished from the rest of the World It is holy unto you a perpetual Covenant For in six days Jehovah made Heaven and Earth and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed Exod. 31. 13 14 15 16 17. And God did rest the seventh day from all his works Heb. 4. 4. Which is also a farther confirmation of the Deity of Christ Answ 2. He that made the World sanctified or made holy the seventh-day Sabbath After God Heb. Aelohim ended his work it is said expresly and God Heb. Aelohim he blessed the seventh day and he sanctified it Gen. 2. 1 3 4. Wherefore Jehovah he blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it Exod. 20. 11. Blessed and sanctified it and so instituted it In the first Question it appears that the Lord Jesus Christ made the World and in the second that Christ is Jehovah Ans 3. And Jehovah who made the Earth and the Heavenâ— he rested on the seventh day and he blessed it and he sanctified it So we have here the Lord Jesus Christ who made the World resting on the seventh day that is observing it and blessing and sanctifying of it i. e. giving the institution of it and this to Adam and in Adam to Jews and Gentiles to all Mankind without distinction who then were all in Adam's Loâ—â—s and that before the Sin and Fall of Adam So this part of the Moral Law was in Adam given to him and to all his Posterity And this recorded for the Glory of the Lord Jesus Christ which some pretend to greaten by dedicating another day to him which he never blessed sanctified or observed that I can find nor has any where in the Scriptures either blessed sanctified or commanded Comparing this with what was before offered That the Lord Jesus Christ made the World and that he is Jehovah I think this one Authority in Gen. 2. 1 2 3 4 sufficient to prove that he rested on the seventh day that he blessed the seventh day and sanctified and so instituted it and no other day of the week And to this Institution I think
because it is his Holy-day And if it be His day then it is the Lord's day and that which He calls his day and says is his day is certainly his day and we ought to believe and acknowledge it to be his day In which plain Arguments I think there is some strength though weakly expressed 4. Another Argument I take from Mat. 12. 8 For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath day And the like Mark 2. 28 The Son of Man is Lord also of the Sabbath And the like in Luke 6. 5 Christ saith to the Pharisees That the Son of Man is Lord also of the Sabbath Which places also farther prove Christ's Deity That the Sabbath there in Matthew Mark and Luke spoken of is the Seventh day Sabbath I think is agreed by all Expositors and appears in those Chapters to be the Sabbath which the Israelites then observed which was then and is still the Seventh day of the week And we find in Mat. 12. 5 that the Exception was taken by the Pharisees as if Christ's Disciples by plucking Ears of Corn and eating them had done that which was not lawful to be done on the Sabbath day Mat. 12. 1 2. And surely they did not object against Christ as breaking Sunday i. e. the First day And so it must needs be the seventh-Seventh-day Sabbath that this Debate between the Lord and the Pharisees was about And the same may be said of Mark 2. 24 28 and of Luke 6. 2 3 5 in which Scriptures it was the Jewish Sabbath that was in question And that the Son of Man who is there said to be Lord of the Sabbath day is Christ I think also certain for that our Saviour useth this term of Son of Man about sixty times in the Gospel and always of himself and I think never with reference to any other man And Christ is called the Son of Man by John Rev. 1. 13 but three Verses from Rev. 1. 10. from whence this main Objection is taken And Rev. 14. 14 Christ is again called the Son of Man so that the Son of Man in Matthew Mark Luke and John who writ the Revelation is the Lord Jesus Christ who is Lord of the Sabbath day As for those who would interpret the Son of Man in those places of Matthew Mark and Luke to be ordinary Men and so give ordinary men a Lordship over a Moral Law as no such thing is written so I take that Interpretation to be wholly unscriptural and exploded by all sound Expositors and would give Men a Lordship over the Moral Laws which would be a very loose Interpretation And I take it to be plain that by the Son of Man in Matthew Mark Luke and John is meant the Lord Jesus Christ Then supposing the Sabbath mentioned by Matthew Mark and Luke to be the seventh-Seventh-day weekly Sabbath and the Son of Man mentioned by Matthew Mark Luke and John to be the Lord Jesus Christ which day then if the Scriptures may be Judge is the true Lord's day Whence I may thus reason That day whereof Christ the Son of Man is Lord is the Lord's day but the seventh-Seventh-day Sabbath is that day whereof Christ the Son of Man is Lord therefore the seventh-seventh-day Sabbath is the Lord's day And if the Scriptures may and must resolve the Case and the seventh day be the Lord's day sure then there is an end of this Objection I know some put a very wrong Gloss as I think upon these three plain Texts of Mat. 12. 8 Mark 2. 28 Luke 6. 5 and pretend that the Son of Man's being Lord of the Sabbath imports that Christ the Son of Man hath power to change the Sabbath by which Gloss they do acknowledge that the Son of Man there is Christ and that by the Sabbath in those Texts is meant the Seventh-day Sabbath and that Christ is Lord of the Seventh-day Sabbath which also farther proves Christ to be Jehovah which no Christian man can deny but that there was any Thought of changing it there is not a tittle written And if Christ's words had had that meaning and the Jews to whom he spake had so understood him they would surely have taken greater Offence at such Doctrine whereof there is not a word in those Texts where the Case was this in short The Jews by misunderstanding the true meaning of the Fourth Command thought Christ broke that Law by working miraculous Cures on the Seventh-day and that his Disciples broke it by plucking and rubbing Ears of Corn for their necessary Food upon the Sabbath day This Mistake of the Jews Christ who gave the Sabbath and who was and is Lord of it and so best understood the true scope and meaning of the Law which he himself gave reproves and rectifies by a clear Exposition of that Law When the Pharisees Mat. 12. 1 2 and Mark 2. 23 24 25 took exception against Christ's Disciples for plucking Ears of Corn c. as doing that upon the Sabbath which was not lawful Christ referrs them to what they read about David's eating Shew-bread which was only lawful for Priests but in case of necessity was lawful for David to do v. 4. And Christ for farther answer referrs them to the Case of the Priests in the Temple who upon the Sabbath day did divers acts of much servile Labour as offering Sacrifices and many other things which in their sence would have been a Profanation of the Sabbath yet being Labour appointed by the LORD and about his then instituted Worship the Priests in doing of it were blameless v 5. And Christ farther tells them that if they had known what that meaneth I will have mercy and not sacrifice Hos 6. 6 they would not have condemned the Guiltless And when in the Case of the man with a withered Hand they asked Christ Whether it were lawful to heal on the Sabbath day Mat. 12. 10 and Mark 3. 1 2 5 Christ answers What man having a Sheep fallen into a pit on the sabbath day will not lay hold of it and lift it out Ver. 11. This they themselves would do and they also knew that the Life or Good of a Man was to be preferred before the Life or Good of a Beast and so Christ appeals to them as condemning themselves in a Case which they allowed that it was lawful to do well on the sabbath day v. 12 and cures the withered Hand v. 14. see also his curing and defending the Cure of the Woman who had an Infirmity eighteen years on the Sabbath Luke 13 10 to 17 where all his Adversaries were ashamed of their false Glosses upon the Law of the Sabbath v. 17. We have also Christ curing and defending that Cure of the man who had a Dropsy by the case of an Ass or Ox fallen into a Pit on the Sabbath day Luke 14. 1 2 5 and of a man who had an Infirmity thirty eight years on the Sabbath John 5. 5 to 9 and v. 16 at which
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-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-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
confirmed â—hat the vulgar Opinion for the First day is a vulgar Error which wants nothing to remove it as I humbly apprehend â—ut only the time when Christ will by his Spirit give an efficaâ—y to his plain Command and Word which First day has this Evidence of its weak Foundation that while some of the most â—earned do what they can by Writing and Practice to support â— they often beget new and confirm old Doubts about it and â— discover the Dust they raise to darken the Question to be â—ut Dust and shew the Sandiness of the Ground upon which â—hey build that Change And one sure way to convince an impartial enquiring Mind who has leisure enough is to read Mr. Hughes and Mr. Shepherd's Treatises about it wherein a plain Mind may discern so large Concessions about the Obligation of the Moral Law as seem to me to answer all Objections besides the great Contrariety there is amongst the Writers for the First day wherein he that will observe the Order of Time wherein their Books are written may find especially now of late that the last Book printed for the First day is ordinarily a tacite Answer to that which was last printed before it for the First day as two eminent Writers for the First day as it seems to me in answer to Mr. Hughes without naming him and to one another do shew whereof somewhat before by which 't is evident they think some hurt the Cause they write for and no two that I know of the many that have written have yet agreed upon the Grounds of its Observation And now at last it is openly avowed by one of the greatest of all the Writers for the First day that it is not instituted by the Scriptures By which words I think he gives up this Cause for if it be not instituted by the Scriptures and consequently not by Christ or by his Apostles or by the Holy Spirit there by whom when and where was it instituted Who but Christ has Power to institute a Sabbath day or to alter his Institution To whom has Christ given any Authority to alter one Iota or Tittle of the Moral Law Who are they that are bound to observe a weekly day not instituted by Christ in the Scriptures or are bound to lay aside what he has there instituted because of Private Mens Sayings and Writings And how this Law for the First day being an Universal Law and endeavoured to be imposed on the Universal Church can be excused from an high Usurpation of the Divine Authority and from an accusing Christ as if he had not sufficiently done his Work I know not And whatsoever some write for Obedience to their Inventions I cannot imagine they think any shaâ— be condemned or blamed by Christ at last for not doing whaâ— he has not required in his Word or that they would have uâ— live by the Rule of Tradition when they know and acknowledgâ— we must be judged by another Rule viz. by the Word Anâ— that the Word of God which we have is the Rule by which aâ— Worship Doctrines Conversation Discipline and all Mankindâ— are to be tryed in this World and shall be finally judged at laâ—â— I take to be the great Christian Principle as to this and thâ—â— which as far as I can recollect is generally avowed by all the sound Protestants that I have read or known in the World And I shall not wonder if some men under the colours of Tradition usurp the Divine Authority against the First Command and if such write and plead for what I think I can shew is forbidden in the Second Command and if they break in upon all the Commands for all which Men may easily plead Tradition all Ages more or less having brought forth some Transgressors of all the Commands which to such Arguers are Historical Evidences for such Practices But follow no man farther than he follows Christ And there is no Principle more evident and universally confessed by all the Reformed Christians than that whatever God commands us in his Worship or otherwise that we are to do be the things themselves in our Eye great or small And when Men can bind God's Promises of Assistance and Acceptance to their Inventions whether they be days or any thing else in his Worship or other Duty of Man then and not before they may appoint a new day of Rest Obj. And whereas one learned Writer for the First day thinks we cannot make good any one single Verse of the Scripture without Traditions Ans I had thought to have shewn in a Sheet or two that the sound Protestant Divines do generally agree that a Christian may be infallibly certain of his Faith by the Scriptures the Certainty whereof the Lord by his Spirit seals upon the Hearts of his Converts John 16. 7 8 13. And I had thought to give Instances of those converted by Christ and by his Apostles and since by his Ministers by his Word and Holy Spirit as never â—ent nor going to Tradition to assure them of the Divine Auâ—hority of that Word which did convert them which Word â—veth and abideth for ever And this is the Word which by the Gospel is preached unto us 1 Pet. 23. 25 and is settled in Heaven Psal 119. 89 and will stand for ever Isa 40. 8. But thus much â—ay be a sufficient Answer to that Objection The late great and learned Assembly in their Confession of Faith â— 1. par 9 10 say The infallible Rule of Interpretation of â— Scripture is the Scripture it self and therefore when there is â— Question about the true and full sence of any Scripture it must be searched and known by other places that speak more clearly And parag 10. The supreme Judge of all Controversies in Religion can be no other but the Holy Spirit speaking in the Scriptures And the Elders and Messengers of the Congregational Churches c. that met at the Savoy Ann. 1658 in their Declaration of their Faith and Order Ch. 1. Art 4 say The Authority of the Holy Scripture for which it ought to be believed and obeyed dependeth not upon the Testimony of any Man or Church but wholly upon God who is Truth it self the Author thereof and therefore it is to be received because it is the Word of God See also Art 5 6. And Art 9 't is said The infallible Rule of interpretation of Scripture is the Scripture it self c. As in the Assemblys Confession above cited and Artic. 10. to the same effect with the Assemblys Confession also And the Confession of Faith of the Antopaedobaptists Chap. 1 speaks the same things and in the same words or at least with very little variation of the words As to Traditions for the First day called Sunday the observation thereof amongst some I acknowledge is Traditions for and against Sunday ancient and that the Heathen Nations did oâ— old long before the Birth of our Lord offer Sacrifice to the Sun and worship
that as well as other Holy days Tho' I remember in one of the English Chronicles I met with an Act of the Common-Council of London in favour of the First day as I take it about their Markets which was some time before this but when I do not remember That the Seventh day of the week has held the name of the Sabbath from the beginning of the World to this day I take to be evident though 't is also true that some late Writers within Eighty years or thereabout have endeavoured to apply the name of the Sabbath to the First day which as is acknowledged by others is no where given to it in the Scriptures The ancient Liturgies do prove this and the Mass book now in use still retains the Name of the Sabbath for the Seventh day Our own Records in England do also prove this those of the House of Lords the highest Court of England Elsing fol. 94 95 and their Journals to this day whereof I have seen many and every one that will may see that all things enter'd in the Journals of that House as done upon the Seventh day are enter'd as done Die Sabbati upon the Sabbath day i. e. upon the Seventh-day Sabbath And the like Orders for the House of Commons are weekly printed Sabbati for the Seventh day The Rules and Records of the Kings Bench Common Pleas and the Latin Records in the King's Court of Exchequer and in Chancery and those also in the Chequer-Chamber do call the Seventh day the Sabbath whereof I have now some in my Hand This all Lawyers and Attorneys know and all others who will ask the Question may know and there is no other Latin Word in the Courts of Westminster nor any Latin Process from any of them for the Seventh day but die Sabbati the Sabbath day and Sabbati upon the Sabbath but when the Courts began to sit upon the Sabbath I do not remember to have found but guess it might be after Edward the Third who died about Three hundred and fourteen years since So that this Question is not yet so fully settled but that some did long observe the Seventh day Sabbath and that day has the name of the Sabbath to this day and I remember nothing by the Parliament of England in favour of the First day till the time of Edward the Sixth about One hundred and forty years since whereof before All which put together seems a very strong Tradition for the Seventh-day Sabbath The Grecians and their Churches solemnize Saturday Festivals Brerewood's Enquiries f. 128 and eat therein Flesh forbidding as unlawful to fast any Saturday in the year except Easter Eve Villam en voyage l. 2. c. 2. alii The Grecians are under the Patriarch of Constantinople under whose Jurisdiction in Asia are the Christians of Natolia excepting Armenia the Less and Celicia of Circassia of Mengrelia and of Russia In Europe are the Christians of Greece Macedon Spirus Thrace Bulgaria Rascia Servia Bosnia Walachia Moldavia Podolia and Moscovia and all the Islands of the Aegean Seas and others about Greece as far as Corsu besides a good part of the large Dominion of Polonia and those parts of Dalmatia and of Croatia that are subject to the Turkish Dominion And the Melchites or Syrians celebrate Divine Service as solemnly on the Sabbath as on the Dominical day Brerewood's Enq. f. 131 132. And these Assyrians are esteemed for their number the greatest Sect of Christians in the East So that a vast number of Christians in the World have not yet fully received this Alteration The Georgians who are also very numerous together with the Mengrelians and Circassians are Christians of the Greek Communion and their Religion the same in Substance and Ceremonies with that of the Grecians The Muscovites and Russians also repute it unlawful to fast on Saturdays and have not any material Difference in Religion from the Grecians The Maronites in the Mountain Libanus in Aleppo Damascus Tripoli of Syria and in Cyprus fast not on the Dominical day â—or on the Sabbath Th. a Jes l. 7. par 2 c. 6. The Habissines or Midland Aethiopians reverence the Sabbath Saturday keeping it solemnly equally with the Dominical day Brerewood's Enquiries 128 131 132 155 c. Purchase writes of the Habissines as subject to Peter and Paul and especially to Christ as observing the Saturday Sabbath Purch Pilgrims part 2 fol. 1176 1177. So that there are a multitude of Christians in the World besides those in England who still keep the Seventh-day Sabbath Sandis Travels fol. 173 the Author travelling in the Eastern parts speaks of the Aethiopians a Christian Fmpire still celebrating Saturday as he calls it as well as the Sunday they have it seems divers Errors amongst them and also many ancient Truths and this is taken notice of in other Histories I shall easily acknowledge this Collection out of the Councils Centuries and Histories to be very broken being made but out of a few Books and that at several times and in several places as that Condition which the Lord saw best for me would give me leave and that they are hastily and weakly put together my Time and Strength having been for divers years much taken up in Studies and Business referring to my own Profession and what with Weaknesses Winters Persecutions and Age I could do little But it seems to me these Instances of the Seventh day still observed in so many parts of the Christian World not only for many hundred years but even down along to this Century though they are but as Scrapps of History may be sufficient to shew that Tradition is for the Seventh-day Sabbath And if the Collections before cited be right then there is not one line in that Author's Note on Rev. 1. 10 before cited that is not mistaken And this may also suffice to satisfie the Consciencious that this is not a new Doctrine which so many Christians have held and still hold and practice to this day I should not have thought it meet to have written at all upon this Question but that I see the more Able take it not in hand by this Essay therefore I have endeavoured to provoke some other better furnished to clear this up if need be to greater satisfaction which I have only a little looked into and such may find as I think much more than I have who also by many Removes under this late Persecution have lost as I think divers Authorities which I had collected for my share in which Persecution I have great cause to bless God as giving me leisure to look into this and other matters I have also passed by some Expressions in the Histories in favour of the First day which are written by the Favourers of the Romish Opinion which are very common in the Writings of the Monks and other Romish Prelates And now I leave all with the Son of Man the LORD of the Sabbath But what I have gathered out of a
AN ENQUIRY Whether the LORD JESUS CHRIST made the World and be Jehovah and gave the Moral Law AND Whether the Fourth Command be Repealed or Altered By THO. BAMPFIELD LONDON Printed for the Author and are to be sold by Tho. Fabian at the Bible in St. Paul's Church-yard a Corner-Shop next Cheapside 1692. AN ENQUIRY Whether the Lord JESUS CHRIST made the World and be JEHOVAH c. THE Word of God and the general Consent of the Christian and of much of the Heathen World being agreed for a weekly day of rest And Opinions and Practice varying which day of the week is to be observed some affirming it to be one day and some another And those agreeing upon the day differing in the Grounds of its observation and the time of its beginning and ending And these Questions concerning a Moral Duty to which All are weekly obliged do make it worth while to look into it to find if possible whether the Question be as doubtful as the many Treatises thereof have left it and whether the Unresolvedness which is upon and still afresh ariseth in the Minds of Men be incurable And when we consider the number and weight of Books and their Authors for about an Hundred years last past pleading for the first day of the week as the weekly day of rest it is some marvel whence that Unresolvedness does come and how it is maintained and with some gets Strength under many endeavours to suppress it private Consciences raising sometimes the old and sometimes new Objections and Doubts which neither themselves nor any Man or Book did yet ever answer to their satisfaction The plain Word and Law of Jehovah seeming expresly to command the observation of one day and many writing for and keeping up another Consciences are commonly startled out of all that settlement which they seem sometimes to have gotten from the Opinions good Intentions Practice Authority and Books of Men and are still suspicious that a positive Command of God and that one of the ten Commands requires positive Obedience from Man Wherein that I may commuâ—icate what I can I premise 1. First The Persons herein eminently treated with being such as are professedly awed by a Principle of Subjection to the Will of Christ if it can be known what it is and who resolve their Perswasion in Religion into the Word of God and who acknowledge themselves obliged to practise his Will whatsoever it shall prove to be I take this for granted That whatever is the Mind of Christ in this as in other Cases in his Word ought to be observed by us all 2. Secondly That Christ's Will in this is revealed to us in the Scripture or no where As for those who because they find not a Command for the first day in the Scriptures do reflect upon them as not perfect and resort to Traditions to make up what they surmise is defective in them and who to supply the want of a particular Command for the First day lodge a general Power in the Church to make Laws in this Case to bind after-Ages I answer That the Scriptures do teach us all Truths and Duties necessary to Salvation and that it is so full a Direction 2 Tim. 3. 16 17. in all cases that Christians need not go down to what is not written for direction what to do Peace on them who walk according to this Rule Gal. 6. 16. And if the Church had such Power as some pretend there being such variety of Churches which of the Churches shall give the World a Rule in this And if all Churches had been of one mind all along quo jure by what Right could they alter any Law of God And after such a loose Principle admitted where shall any man and who shall set Bounds to that loose Principle And generally the most Learned of the Prelatical as well Romanists as others go that way Mr. Calvin Calvin's Instit Book 2. chap. 8. sect 33 34. also lays the greatest stress for the observation of the First day upon the Authority of the Church he says the old Fathers have not without reason of their choice put in place of the Sabbath-day the day we call Sunday so Mr. Calvin allows the alteration to be made by the old Fathers but Mr. Calvin's particular Opinion in this case was for a seventh part of every day And for those who think the Seventh day in the fourth Command was ceremonial and that keeping one day in seven that is the First day of the week is moral and remaineth Calvin calls this a trifling of false Prophets and an infecting the people with a Jewish Opinion and he adds that such do as much exceed as the Jews in gross and carnal Superstition Some of those again but those few and mean who are for the Seventh day have run far into another Extreme and endeavoured to introduce some of the Mosaical Ceremonies which are all abolish'd by the death of Christ and are nailed to his Cross and buried in his Grave and by such Col. 2. 14. conceits occasion Slanders upon others and discourage Eph. 2. 15 16. further Enquirers which Extravagancies I take to be the usual Artifice of Satan to prejudice and hinder us from using due means to givâ— our selves or others that satisfaction we need in so weighty a case and by how much the more Wanderings there are about this Question by so much the more it is requisite that we do what we can to clear our way therein And some who have written for the First day are so confident that they count all contrary Reasoning vain Cavils and say they think they have fully proved that point And some represent such as think that Seventh day is still the Christian Sabbath as Jews On the other hand same few of those who think the Seventh day the Christian Sabbath set out the First-day-men as decliniâ—g the determining Authority of the Scriptures And these Heats are carried so high on both sides that the Bonds of Love are much broken and Christian Communion almost cut asunder which ways of speaking and writing as vehement we much dislike and I am perswaded many of both sides whoever do mistake do conscientiously mistake and I hope if it be possible to come at the certain knowledge of the Will of Christ our common Lord would sit down thereby and a right way herein we may well presume has been often and earnestly sought on all hands of Him about it and the Scriptures and Histories searched and those who love Christ are undoubtedly or ought to be willing to keep his Commands Joh. 14. 15. And here without prejudice it cannot be denied but those worthy learned pious and excellent Ministers of Christ and others who have written so many elaborate Tracts for the First day have done it with good intentions as thinking it for the Honour of Christ to keep up a day in memory of his Resurrection Nor can they or any others without
prejudice blame those who can find no Command in the Word for the First day if they look a little further as they are weakly able to learn what is the true Will of Christ in this and what he would have his People do and whether it be for his honour that such a Change be made by Men without a Command from him That there are already many Treatises upon this Question is notorious but mostly in favour of the First day whereof two of the fairest I take to be that of Mr. Shepheard and of Mr. Hughes of Plymouth and since Mr. Hughes two learned men have also written upon the same Subject viz. for the First day as it seems to me obliquely to answer what Mr. Hughes yields who moved some Doubts and left many confirmed that there was need of looking further into the Question for what he admits about the Seventh-day Sabbath â—he doth not afterwards answer to their satisfaction since which time except two or three little Tracts for the Seventh day of which no notice is taken by any Writers that I know nothing has past in Print about that matter and so it has for ought I hear rested for some years Now forasmuch as the Advocates for the First day have generally meant well I purpose to avoid Reflections and shall rather offer that little which I think God has given mâ— in this Question with all the Candour I can and leave the Effect with him If we have been generally mistaken in the true Sabbath as I doubt we have 't is high time we return to our Duty And in reading of some learned mens Writings about Sacred things when they reason concerning the Moral Law and Ten Commands in general we may see That they then establish with many excellent words their perpetual Obligation shewing what a Summary the Law of God is of a Christian's Duty That all God's Laws are reasonable That it is a controuling the Divine Wisdom to make any alterations in his Laws That Man's Glory in the World lies in his conformity to Christ and our conformity to him lies in â—ur keeping all his Commands and that the Ten Commands are absolutely confirmed by Christ and frequently by the Apostles in Luk. 16. 17. the Evangelists and Epistles and that they are a settled standing Rule of our Obedience to the end of the world Which are right and sound Expressions But when they write of the Seventh day there they bring in many Distinctions and take a liberty to add and alter and if such liberty were used in the rest of the Commands it would go far to make further alterations in them And whose will admit what is commonly affirmed about the Obligation of the Ten Commands and that God's Commands are unalterable by Man such may in a little time resolve this Question And it is to me somewhat observable that except the Alteration in the second Command about Images by the Romanists and some few others and in the fourth about the Seventh day as I think made originally by the Romanists all the Wit of the World since the Creation has not pretended to mend any other of the Ten Commands Our Question is If they can be abolished or in the least Iota or Tittle altered or amended in any part by Man which we doubt cannot be without Reflection upon the Wisdom of Christ the Law-giver Now that we may find out if possible the Will Q 1. Whether the World was mâ—â—e by Christ of our Lord in this matter let us enquire Whether the World was made by our Lord Jesus Christ This being of weight in it self and in its Consequences as to many things which of late have been controverted about the Deity of Christ and giving Light for clearing the usefulness of the Old Testament and also for proving the second Question That the Lord Jesus Christ is Jehovah and affording Help as I think to find out the true Day of Rest Let us see whaâ— the Scriptures say by whom the World was made 1st Consider Coloss 1. where Paul writing of giving The World waâ— made by Christ Thanks unto the Father who hath translated us into the Kingdom of his dear Son Ver. 12 13 in whom we have Redemption through his Blood i. e. the Blood of Christ v. 14. By him that is by Christ were all things created that are in Heaven and that are in Earth visible and invisible all things were created by him and for him v. 16. By which Scripture of Col. 1. 12 13 14 15 16. I understand Christ as a principal Efficient of all things in Heaven and Earth and that all things were created by him to whom the Creation is eminently and particularly ascribed whom Isaiah calleth Jehovah the Redeemer who maketh all things who stretcheth forth the Heavens alone that spreadeth abroad the Earth by himself Isa 44. 24. 33. 6. Which I think eminently spoken of Christ For by him were all things created that are in Heaven and that are in Earth visible and invisible whether Thrones or Dominions or Principalities or Powers all things were created by him and for him Col. 1. 16 17. 2d Proof In the beginning of all things that is when the Foundations of the World were laid was the Word John 1. 1 3 10. that is the Lord Jesus Christ who 1 John 1. 1. is called the Word of Life and Rev. 19. 13. the Word of God And the Word was with God and the Word was God the same was in the beginning with God John 1. 2. The Word was made Flesh i. e. the Word that made the World assumed our Humane Nature and dwelt among us and we beheld his Glory the Glory as of the only begotten of the Father John 1. 14. All things were made by him and without him was not any thing made that was made John 1. 3. What the Evangelist here calleth all things the Epistle to the Hebrews calleth the Worlds Heb. 1. 2 and Paul calleth all things that are in Heaven and Earth visible and invisible Col. 1. 16 which Moses calleth the Heaven and the Earth Gen 1. 1. These were all made by Christ John 1. 3. Which as I think with others does not exclude the Father from this work who by the Son made the Worlds Heb. 1. 2. Bereshith by the Head Gen. 1. 1. nor the Holy Spirit to whom the Creation is also ascribed Job 33. 4. 26. 13. and Gen. 1. 1 2. and by the word of Jehovah or by the word Jehovah i. e. by Christ were the Heavens made and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth i. e. by the Holy Spirit Psal 33. 6. which work is eminently ascribed to the Lord Jesus Christ by whom all things were made and without him was not any thing made that was made John 1. 3. In which place viz. John 1. 3 we have an universal Assertion that all things were made by Christ and an universal Negative added to prevent and answer all
should be proceeded against by Magistrates and by Ministers for there we find many Directions for the Discipline of transgressing Subjects by their Princes and Judges and of Members of the Church by their then Pastors But to return to those who defend the Change of the Seventh day and teach it to others let such have a care of that Threatning Mat. 5. 19 20. for if the Exceptions they make against the Law in that point be not good they are certainly dangerous to those that make them Whosoever shall break one of these least Commandments and shall teach men so he shall be called the least 〈◊〉 the Kingdom of Heaven Mat. 5. 19. And how far that least Extends think well of These Ten Commands many call the Moral Law and not to quarrel with Terms Moral signifieth pertaining to Moral Law Manners which being applied to Divine Laws may be said to be a Rule prescribed by the Lord to direct our Thoughts Words and Actions and so does include whatsoever is commanded or forbidden in Thought Word or Deed which our Lord comprehends in the love of God and of our Neighbor Mat. 22. 38 39. a part of which Moral Law all agree was in the time of Christ the Command for the Seventh day And he that will enter into Life must keep the Commandments Mat. 19. 17. Which he that keepeth loveth Christ and Christ will love him and manifest himself unto him John 14. 21. And it is easier for Heaven and Earth to pass than one tittle of the Law to fail Luke 16. 17. And surely Christ does not there exclude the Law of the Ten Commands whereof one tittle cannot pass away And let any man shew us what other Law it is that Christ there means And if it be easier for Heaven and Earth than for one tittle of the ten Commands to pass away it will be impossible to take away the Seventh day positively said to be the Sabbath of the Lord And if the Commands and therein the Seventh day stand as long as Heaven and Earth they surely stand now for the Heaven and Earth yet stand And our Lord farther confirms the Moral Law by shewing what Sins they are which defile a man Mat. 15. 3 11 18 19. Evil Thoughts Murders Adulteries Fornications Thefts False-witness Blasphemies Now Murders Adulteries Fornications Thefts and False-witnessing are Sins against the Second Table Blasphemies Sins against the First Table and Evil Thoughts Sins against every Command in both Tables The Scribes and Pharisees there transgressed the Commandments of God by their Traditions v. 3. The Commands Christ there affirms are the Fifth Command v. 4 and the Second Command v. 8 9. which Moral Law they unlorded v. 6. The Command Christ charges them with as making it of no effect or of unlording it Exod. 20. 12. Deut. 5. 16. is the Fifth Command one of the Second Table And that about their vain Worship v. 8 9 was against the Second Command in the First Table and so Christ by those instances affirms both Tables When the young man asked Christ what good thing he should do that he might have Eternal Life Mat. 19. 16 17 18 19 20. Christ answers If thou wilt enter into Life keep the Commands and names some of them as Thou shalt do no Murder and Thou shalt not commit Adultery so that Christ in his Answer referrs him to the Moral Law Charnock's Attributes pag. 612. And so Christ there affirms the Moral Law which I think does fully prove that by the general word of Commands Christ meant the Ten Commands and if Christ meant the Ten Commands and have confirmed and established them by One and much more by so many plain Scriptures what Power on Earth can alter any one of them The great Commission which the Lord gives his Ministers is to teach all Nations to observe all things Christ doth not except the Seventh day whatsoever I have commanded you Mat. 28. 19 20. A very learned Writer in his Annotations on that Text saith It implyeth that his Commands are the Universal Laws of his Catholick Church and no Man or Men have Authoâ—ity to make Laws for the Universal Church on Earth but He and to undertake it is to undertake the Prerogative of Christ and be Vice-Christ by Usurpation be it Pope or Councils Which I think are words of much strength consequence and truth and I may say as Cornelius to Peter We are here present to hear all things that are commanded thee of God Acts 10. 33. But if any speak not according to this Rule we are not to follow Paul further than he follows Christ 1 Cor. 11. 1. And as any person is brought to love Christ he takes present care to keep his Commands John 14 15. and Christ shews mercy to those who love him and keep his Commands Exod. 20. 6. And what other way is there to declare our selves the Friends of Christ and good Subjects to him but by doing whatever he commands us John 15. 14. 14. 21 here is no exception of the Seventh day nor elsewhere that I can find in all the Scriptures 't is by this Law of the Decalogue that we have the knowledge of Sin Rom. 3. 20. 7. 7. And we find the Apostle did not make void the Law through Faith but established it Rom. 3. 31. And the Law of Works mentioned in Rom. 3. 27 shews the Law which Faith doth not make void Rom. 3. 31 to be the Ten Commands and speaking of the same Law resolves it to be holy and the Commandment holy just and good and spiritual to which he consented as good and delighted in it after the Inner man Rom. 7. 1 12 14 16 22 25. To which the carnal mind cannot be subject Rom. 8. 7. What Law do Opposers understand by these Scriptures if not the Ten Commands And if these Scriptures mean the Ten Commands as they plainly do how comes one to be changed and mangled and the Seventh day to be excepted Which Ten Commands are called a Royal Law to be fulfilled and a Law by which all Believers shall be judged Jam. 2. 8 12. which Law in the new Covenant is promised to be given into their Minds and to be writ upon their Hearts and that by Jehovah Christ Heb. 8. 18 10 compared with Jer. 31. 33 which is farther Proof that Christ is Jehovah and this without any exception of the Seventh day But if any man sin i. e. break the Sabbath or any of the Ten Commands we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous he is the Propitiation for our sins And hereby we know that we know him if we keep his Commands John 2. 1 23. And it is as it seems to me very strange how the World should be so long misled in so discernible a case And this is the love of God that we keep his Commands 1 John 5. 3. And what can that mean if not the Ten Commands And whatsoever we ask we receive
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
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
emera and heard behind him a great voice as of a Trumpet saying I am Alpha and Omega The Question is What day this was Ans 1. Some have thought this to be a yearly day in Commemoration of the Birth of our Lord Jesus Christ which some think was in December and therefore we in England and a few others who observe the old Style keep the 25th of December and the rest of the Christian and Romish World in the Western part of it who observe any day upon that account keep the 15th day of December i. e. ten days sooner than we in remembrance of it And some thought the day of Christ's Birth was in September and I find in Gregory's Posthuma p. 164 that the day of Christ's Nativity was not in use till 532 years after He says the Alexandrians Aethiopians and Armenians hold he was born the Sixth of January and the Bishop of Middleburgh that he was born in April Beroaldus in October Scaliger and Calvisius that 't was in September Hospinian that Christians did not celebrate the 25th of December as to Christ then born but to make amends for the Saturâ—alia p. 166. And as to the time of Christ's Birth and the time of making the World he says there are forty several Opinions p. 171. And which of these forty the World should follow in so doubtful a matter which was not in use in 532 yeaâ— after Christ and about which there are so many several opinions who shall resolve us Which Gregory was a very learned man and if these Matters of Fact be true about Christmas-day they may somewhat stumble Christmas-day-men But supposing â— were in December either those who observe the 15th of December or those who observe the 25th are certainly out in that observation one of those must needs be out and mistaken unleâ—â— they will both yield That if Men observe any one day upon thâ— account it sufficeth no matter which or unless they will say That if the Church in France or Rome command the observing the 15th there that is the right day there upon which Christ was born because the Church there says it And if the Church here observe the 25th that is the right day here because the Church here says it By which large Rule other Churches may as well observe any day they please but no one day at all being appointed that I ever read of in the Scripture for commemorating the Nativity of our Lord I know no good ground for observing any day upon that account Ans 2. Some think the Lord's day in Rev. 1. 10 is a yearly day in Commemoration of the Resurrection of Christ which is commonly kept upon Easter-day which Resurrection-day John and his Disciples observed if the History be true upon the Fourteenth Day of the First Month upon whatever day of the week it fell according to the Jewish Account Ans 3. And some think the Lord's day in Rev. 1. 10 to be that Great Providential day in the latter days when Christ will appear to plead the Cause of his Lordly Authority and Kingly Power which they think John might see in that Vision And some may take it to be the day of Christ's Coming which 1 Thess 5. 2 is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Day of the Lord or the Lord's day which day Phil. 1. 6 10 is called the day of Jesus Christ and the day of Christ Ans 4. Some think the Lord's day in Rev. 1. 10 to be a Weekly day of which sort some have thought it to be the First day of the week which we commonly call Sunday for which they alledge Ecclesiastical Tradition Others think if it be a Weekly day that it is the seventh day of the week for which they alledge divers Scriptures and which is to be preferred in such Cases which God has thought fit to leave so undetermin'd as this in Rev. 1. 10. either Tradition if Tradition were for it or the Scriptures collated with Rev. 1. 10 is much of the Question between these two Now as to the first Opinion That the day in Rev. 1. 10 was an Anniversary day observed by John in remembrance of the Incarnation or that it was an Anniversary day observed by him in remembrance of the Resurrection I may say as in the case of Moses's dead Body Deut. 34. 6 No man knoweth of his Sepulchre to this day so I say here the Lord has no where in his Word certainly revealed what day this was but has as it seems to me if we may be allowed humbly so to write purposely hidden it and if we may humbly enquire into the reason of that hiding it the notorious Idolatries Debaucheries Uncleannesses Blasphemies and great Wickednesses to which God in his Word gives no Countenance accompanying its observation may somewhat resolve us As 't is generally thought the reason why the Lord did not make known where be buried Moses was that his Body or Sepulchre might not be to the Israelites an occasion of Idolatry and consequently of all other Wickedness as it was in the case of Aaron's Golden Calf Exod. 32. 4 5 6 7 which Moses burnt powdered and strewed upon the Water and so made it impossible ever to be found v. 20. But the main doubt from Rev. 1. 10 is Whether it be a Weekly day and what day of the week it is One of the great Writers for the First day says There is an Universal Testimony for its observation for Sixteen hundred years together to which if that Account were true which I think will appear after in this Book to be mistaken I answer That from Lamech Gen. 4. 19 to the Prophet Malachi Mal. 2. 14 15 which as some compute was about 2480 years together Polygamy or the having many Wives was frequently practis'd by some eminent in the Church at that time and was doubtless held lawful by them for we cannot charitably suppose they commonly and openly lived in gross Sins and practised what they condemned in their Judgments as sinful and yet there were Laws in the Word at that time as we now find expresly against it as Gen. 2. 23 24 The man and his Wife shall be one flesh and after Lamech Thou shalt not take a Wife to her Sister during her life Lev. 18. 18 for that two Wives at once for one man they two would be to one another as two Sisters and yet the having more Wives than one was for a long time practised and little taken notice of if at all by the Prophets who sharply reproved other Sins of that People till the time of Malachi which sinful practice is fully refuted by our Lord upon occasion of his rightly stating the Case of putting away a Wife Mat. 19. 3 4 5 6 Mark 10. 7 8 They two viz. the Man and his Wife not they three four or five shall be one flesh and by the Apostle 1 Cor. 6. 16 Eph. 5. 3. And so the Feast of Booths in Nehemiah 8. 17 was not
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
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
of Tyre brought all manner of Ware and sold on the Sabbath to Judah in Jerusalem so here was a notorious general Violation of that Law whereupon he contends with the Nobles of Judah What Evil is this that ye do and prophane the Sabbath day Did not your Fathers thus it seems keeping Markets upon the Sabbath day was before his time and did not our God bring all this Evil upon us and upon this City Yet ye bring more Wrath upon Israel by prophaning the Sabbath And then he commanded to shut the Gates as it began to be dark till after the Sabbath and set his own Servants at the Gates that no Burthens might be brought in on the Sabbath Neh. 13. 15 to 22. Q. 2. If it be prophesied by any of the Prophets that the Sabbath should be changed in times of the Gospel and by whom Ans That other which should rise and be diverse from the first Dan. 7. 24 I find many Expositors think agrees best with Antichrist And who should wear out the See the Dutch Annotaâ— on Dan. 7. 24. Saints of the Most High and think to change Times and Laws and that they should be given into his Hand until a time and times and the dividing of times Dan. 7. 25. Divers learned men understand his wearing out the Saints to prophesie his Prosperity for a Season and his changing of Times and Laws to be of changing the Sabbath which would be given into his Hand and a time and times and half a time to be the Three years and an half elsewhere spoken of Rev. 12. 14. 11. 11 with Dan. 7. 24 25. Compare also Isa 24. 1 5. Hos 2. 11. But when those Three years and an half will end I know not And it seems to be somewhat observable That Ludovicus the Name of a great Prince now in the World has in the numerical Letters of it the exact number of 666 Rev. 13. 18 which Note as I am now of late credibly informed since the writing of these Sheets has been taken notice of 3 or 4 years since by a learned Doctor and Prelate of the Church of England and it may be since by some others And if this be the Meaning of the Holy Spirit in that Place and Context it has many Consequences which much concern the Churches of Christ at home and abroad to consider But that in truth this Change of the Seventh day was introduced by the Bishop of Rome let any man who peruses those few Collections before about that matter judge And if the observation of the First day no where commanded in the Word by the Lord that I could ever find or read or hear of be an Error as I conceive it is Jehovah the Messiah who is Head of the Church who loves it and gave himself for it can by his Word and Holy Spirit cleanse it from this and all other Mistakes which yet remain and will present it a glorious Church without spot or wrinkle that it may be holy and without blemish Eph. 5. 23 25 26 27. Charnock's Attributes f. 755 756 757 758 782 783 414. That no man ought to alter God's Laws and that Disputes against them are intolerable and that it is a controuling of the Divine Wisdom to make any Alteration in his Precepts Charn Attrib f. 400 402 403 404. The wise in Heart will receive the Commands Prov. 10. 8. I have heard Mr. Charnook's Practice was to preach upon the First day but what his Judgment was in the main point I do not remember to have read in those Writings of his which are in my Hand Mr. Pool of whom mention is made before I think might be in Opinion and Practice for ought I know for the First day and of the same Opinion have been and are many other worthy men as has been acknowledged Yet still Sin is the Transgression of the Law 1 John 3. 4. And this is the love of God that we keep his Commandments which are not grievous 1 John 5. 3 nor have any thing in them which Men should be unwilling to keep The Wisdom of God appears in his Laws Charn Att. f. 412. Submit to his Wisdom in this Case f. 413. The Moral Law cannot be abolished or altered in the whole or any part of it without Reflection upon the Wisdom and Righteousness of Christ the Law-giver Charn Att. f. 549. Man's Glory in the World lies in his Conformity to Christ and our Conformity to him lies in our keeping his Commands His Law is holy Rom. 7. 11. Pure Psal 19. 8. Holy and pure as it is a Ray of the pure nature of Christ the Law-giver f. 559. though they be never so many and great who are of another Opinion The Law to alter the Seventh day to the First you may see before in the Collections out of the Centuries was by the Bishops of Rome who though they pretended to dispense with the Laws of the Church could not alter or dispense with the Laws of God because no Law can be dispensed with or altered in any point by any Authority but that which is equal to that which enacted it Now no Pope or other men on Earth can pretend to an Authority equal to the Authority of God so as if there be no Divine Precept for any other than the Seventh day then it is certain that no Decrees of Popes or Councils or any Tradition can be of any force to alter that Law God hath declared to be his Law The Apostles have made no new Laws about this as before but left it as they found it And that neither the Pope nor any other Power can dispense with the Law of God I think has been agreed by all the great Protestant Writers and the Reason is evident The Laws of God are above them and no Church or Man or Men can dispense with them in any Case It may be some may secretly wish that this Fourth Command for the keeping holy the Seventh day were not so plain or that it were expressed or that they could somewhere find it altered in the Scriptures because so plain a Command not repealed nor altered there and so confirmed by Christ faces their Consciences answers all the Books and throws down all the Batteries raised against it Fain they would find out some colourable Objections to shelter themselves in a continual Violation of it but still that Law rises up and overthrows all Opposition They pray to God to encline their Hearts to keep that Law and yet keep it down what they can but all will not do GOD who has reserved a Tenth of our Substance has reserved but a Seventh of our Time which we should neither alter nor begrudge And indeed it seems to me marvellous that the observation of the weekly Seventh-day Sabbath should be so long laid aside here in a Land of Light notwithstanding so direct and plain a Command and that the First day should so far obtain for which we have so very