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A29935
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A perswasive to the stricter observation of the Lords day in pursuance of His Majesties pious order and directions to preachers particularly about the observation of the Lord's day, &c. / by Matthew Bryan.
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Bryan, Matthew, d. 1699.
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1686
(1686)
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Wing B5247; ESTC R19898
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22,342
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36
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〈◊〉 For so S. Athanasius saith expresly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our Lord translated the Sabbath to the Lords day Whether he did this immediately by himself or by his Apostles inspired by him all comes to one That it was so translated is evident and a Christian Name given it being not call'd the Sabbath and when we call it so stiling it the Christian Sabbath it is not strictly and properly but analogically and by way of allusion to the Jewish Sabbath which was a day of rest but the proper and peculiar and Evangelical Name is the Lords day which the Jews stil'd the first day and the Gentiles Sunday But it matters not much by what Name we call it whether Sabbath or Sunday or the First Day so that we allow the divine right and Institution and observation of it Only I must observe to you that the Lords day is the most proper and peculiar and Evangelical Notion which was observ'd and us'd not only in the Apostles times but in the succeeding Ages of the Church which is an historical Evidence of the divine Institution of the day that it was not instituted by the Church succeeding the Apostles but by the Apostles themselves and the usage derived to the succeeding Ages of the Church by Apostolical Tradition and the day generally observed by the Church immediately after the Apostles days and so forward as I could shew you at large by the Testimony of the * St. Ignatius who was St. Johns Disciple makes it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Queen the Lady paramount among the other weekly days 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. After the Sabbath let every Friend of Christ make the Lords day a Solemn Festival says the same Ignatius Upon the Sunday 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a common assembly both of Citizens and common people is held c. says Just Mart. Apol. 2. Upon that day i. e. Sunday we Christians meet together in the common Assembly c. says Tertullian Apol. cap. 39. We Christians assemble our selves with much diligence upon the Lords day to praise God c. Clemt Rom. Const Ap l. 2. c. 63. St. Basil de Spir. Sanct. 27. Numbers the Observation of the Lords day amongst Apostolical Traditions And St. Augustine's general Golden Rule proves it to be so Quod universa tenet Ecclesia nec Conciliis institutum sed semper retentum est non nisi authoritate Apostolica traditum rectissimè creditur Aug. de Bapt. c. Donatist l. 4. cap. 24 Plin. Ep 97. ad Trajanum lib. dec p. 434. essent soliti stato die ante lucem convenire carmenque Christo quasi Deo dicere secum invicem seque Sacramento c. Ancients But I shall only take particular notice of the Testimony of an Enemy as to the matter of fact that the Observation of the day was as old as the Apostles and that is the famous Heathen Pliny who inform'd the Emperor Trajan in whose Reign the Apostle St. John liv'd that it was the use of Christians on a stated day by which he could mean no other than the Lords day to meet together to sing their Hymnos antelacanos their Hymns to Christ as God before day-break and to bind themselves by a Sacrament not to do any wickedness c. This is the Testimony of a great Heathen whose report as an Historian is not to be questioned Nay the observation of this day was so taken notice of by the Heathen in the Primitive persecutions before any Imperial Edict or Canon of Council enjoyn'd it that it became a constant interogatory to the Christians when brought upon their Tryal and Examination Have you kept the Lords day To which their answer was ever ready I cannot intermit it for I am a Christian and the Law of God prompts me to it Now put these things together the historical Notices which occur in Scripture of the Apostolical Institution and Observation of the day and their Approbation of it in others for certainly they would not have approv'd of it but vigorously oppos'd it had it been an usurpation and contrary to the mind of Christ these things I say together with the concurrent testimony of the succeeding Ages of the Church and not only of Friends but Enemies too I think sufficiently prove the Apostolical Observation of the day and consequently the Divine Institution of it and that in obedience to the Command of God in this precept Remember the Sabbath day to keep it Holy which may be prov'd by an Enumeration or induction of particulars what Christ the Son of God did that God the Father did who sent him into the World what the Spirit the Holy Ghost did that Christ who sent him did and what the Apostles who were inspir'd with the Spirit did that the Spirit himself did Thus in their first Council Act. 15.28 It seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us and the Spirit was to lead them into all Truth and bring all things to their remembrance c. Now I have prov'd to you both by Scripture and History that the Apostles did command and institute and approve of the Observation of the Lords Day And if they did it the Holy Ghost did it and if the Holy Ghost did it Christ the Son did it and if Christ did it God the Father himself did it who here commands us Remember the Sabbath day to keep it Holy So that there are two things whereon the Divine Right of the Lords Day is founded Upon the moral Equity of the Fourth Commandment and upon Evangelical Institution Our Church reduceth the Institution of this day as a weekly day to the Fourth Commandment and as the first day of the Week she foundeth it upon Apostolical practice and tradition For which I might refer you to the Words of the Homily of the place and time of Prayer As concerning the time which Almighty God has appointed his people to assemble together solemnly Book of Homilies p. 214. it doth appear by the Fourth Commandment of God Remember saith God that thou keep Holy the Sabbath day Vpon which day as is plain in the Acts of the Apostles the people accustomably resorted together and heard diligently the Law and the Prophets read among them And albeit this Commandment of God doth not bind Christian people so straitly to observe and keep the utter Ceremonies of the Sabbath day as it was given unto the Jews as touching the forbearing of Work and Labour in time of great necessity and as touching the precise keeping of the seventh day after the manner of the Jews For we keep now the first day which is our Sunday and make that our Sabbath that is our day of rest in the honour of our Saviour Christ who as upon that day rose from death conquering the same most triumphantly Yet notwithstanding whatsoever is found in the Commandment appertaining to the Law of Nature as a thing most godly most just and needful for the setting forth of Gods Glory
it serves to illustrate but not to prove the point in hand speaking the probability but not the certainty of the thing I have somewhat to offer in the next place that will put the matter out of all doubt and therefore 2. My second Argument I draw from the Authority of the Apostles who did nothing of themselves but by commission from Christ Mal. 28.19 20. Go ye therefore and teach all Nations c. teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and lo I am with you alway even unto the end of the World How could he be with them when he was to be taken from them and depart into Heaven He tells them Joh. 14.26 where he promises to send his Spirit as his Vicar General to supply his place and absence and direct them about all things relating to his Kingdome But the Comforter which is the Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my name he shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you and Chap. 16.13 14. When he the spirit of truth is come he will guide you into all truth for he shall not speak of himself but whatsoever he shall hear that shall he speak He shall glorifie me for he shall receive of mine and shall shew it unto you So that what the Apostles did they did by Divine Warrant Now we have both Apostolical precept and practise to warrant the observation of the day 1. For Precept 1 Cor. 16.1 As I have ordained in the Churches of Galatia so do ye and what that Ordinance was he tells them v. 2. Vpon the first day of the Week let every one of you lay by him in store as God has prosper'd him that there may be no gathering when I come He ordains their Collections for the poor Saints and oblations should be on that day And why should that day be the Collection day rather than any other had it not been observ'd holy in those times and that Christians did use on that day to assemble The collection therefore being enjoyn'd on that day and that in the weekly returns of it for the collection was not to be made at once and no more but time after time till it swell'd to a Treasure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gathering a Treasure as the greek word signifies adding something weekly as God had prosper'd every man this I say is an argument that the day was celebrated as the Christian Sabbath the work being so suitable to the day and then most effectually promoted by the opportunity that offer'd it self through the numerous assembly of Christians There is one thing objected against the validity of this place for the proof of the point in hand and that is the Greek phrase which the Objectors say is not truly translated the first day of the Week the words in the Greek being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which word for word is on one of the Sabbaths So that say they the Apostle intended the collection should be made on the Sabbath day the seventh and not the first day of the Week To this I answer that the Translation is good and warrantable Chrys in 1 Cor. Hom. 43. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. as St. Chrysostome the learned Grotius and Dr. Hammond observe yea St. Chrysostome interprets it the Lords day The word Sabbath is oftentimes put for the whole Week which is signified by that Notion Lev. 15.23 Seven Sabbaths shall be compleat i. e. seven Weeks So St. Luke 18.12 I fast twice in the week in the Greek 't is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 twice in the Sabbath And 't is observable that the same Phrase is used concerning the day of the Resurrection Mat. 28.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is render'd without any objection against it the first day of the Week And so St. Luke 24.1 and Joh. 20.1 There is the like Phrase in the Greek and the like Translation in English Now they may as well deny the Resurrection of Christ to be on the first day of the Week as the Christian Assemblies to be on that day by force of the same Objection the Phrase being in each place the same and therefore must needs have the same signification And St. Mark seems so to expound the other Evangelists Chap. 16.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which cannot possibly with any sense be understood of the Sabbath but the first day of the Week and the Greek Scholiast confidently renders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lords day on which the Apostles were wont to keep their Assemblies which is the next thing that we are to take notice of and inquire into viz. 2. Their practice We find in the 2d of the Acts that the Apostles and Disciples of Christ were assembled for religious exercises on the first day of the Week the usual solemn time of their meeting in honour and memory of their Lords Resurrection And Act. 20.7 We read that upon the first day of the Week when the Disciples came together to break Bread i. e. the Sacramental or Eucharistical Bread St. Paul Preached to them ready to depart on the morrow 'T is true we have but a few hints in Scripture of the observation of the day which is enough however to signifie the usage of the Church then there being no more need for the Apostles to inform the Christians and others of that time that the first day of the Week was the Christians day for the publick and solemn Worship of God and religious exercises than for an English Man to write a History to inform his Country men that Sunday is kept in England as the Christian Sabbath and that the Word of God is Preached and the Lords Supper administred on that day it being matter of fact of common and notorious usage Yea into so great Reputation and such general and common usage was the observation of this day grown amongst the Christians even in the Apostles times that it had obtain'd a peculiar name appropriate to the Original and occasion of it as the Apostle St. John observes Rev. 1.10 I was in the spirit on the Lords day in the spirit i. e. in spiritual Exercises and Meditations on the Lords day i. e. the first day of the Week in which the Lord rose from the dead Observe St. John does not say on the day which is worthy to be call'd the Lords day but he speaks it as a Notion or Phrase of general and common use a Title given to the day a known discription of it whereby they might easily understand what day he meant The Lords day so called either because Christ rose on that day and it was by the Church peculiarly dedicated to his honour or it is so called as the Sacrament is called Coena Dominica the Lords supper and the Lords Prayer Oratio Dominica because the Lord instituted the one and taught and commanded the use of the other Athanas Homil. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉