Jehovah the Holy Spirit by whom it is that his Countenance and Favour is eminently lifted up upon his People Which may be intimated in the Communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all 2 Cor. 13. 14 c. And the application of Favour and Peace to the Conscience seems eminently the Work of the Comforter John 14. 26. Ye received the Word with joy of the Holy Spirit 1 Thess 1. 6. Who is called the Eternal Spirit Heb. 9. 14. And the fruits of the Spirit are Love Joy Peace Long suffering Gentleness Faith Meehness Temperance Gal. 5. 22. And he that works these surely must be God these and other Graces are wrought by the Holy Spirit and God is Love 1 John 4. 8 16. Love is the Essence of God and the Holy Spirit works Love Joy Peace c. in Believers for the Holy Spirit is Truth 1 John 5. 6 which I take to be also the Essence of God And those Fruits are not ascribed to Men or Angels but to God the Holy Spirit And the like Blessing to that in Numb 6. 22 23 24 25 26. from the Father Son and Holy Spirit is used by the Apostle The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all Amen 2 Cor. 13. 14. and is used or some like words by the Reformed Ministry of Christ and as I remember by the Romanists also at the conclusion of their publick Work every where And these Blessings may also be noted as Prayers to the Father and to the Son and to the H. Spirit which proves also their Deity And they shall put my Name my Name upon the Children of Israel and I and I will bless them Numb 6. 27. Which may note the Oneness of the Name Jehovah agreeable to that before Jehovah our Aelohim is one Jehovah Deut. 6. 4. and Jehovah is one and his Name one Zech. 14. 9. These Three Mightys are One. And for an Human Authority that the Father Son and Holy Spirit arâ— one God and therefore to be worshipped I shall cite the First of the 39 Articles of the Church of England viz. There is but one Living and True God Everlasting without Body Parts or Passions of Infinite Power Wisdom and Goodness the Maker and Preserver of all things both visible and invisible and in unity of this Godhead there be Three Persons of one Substance Power and Eternity the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost And the late Assemblies Confession of Faith Chap. 21. Parag. 2. Religious Worship is to be given to God the Father Son and Holy Spirit and to him alone not to Angels Saints any other Creatures And the Declaration of those of the Congregational Perswasion of their Faith and Order Chap. 22. Article 2. uses the same words And the self-same words we find in the Confession of Faith published by the Antipaedobaptists Ch. 21. Art 2. To what has been said may be adjoyned that of the Lord Jesus whom the Disciples worshipped Mat. 28. 17. Go ye and teach all Nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit Mat. 28. 19. 'T is not said In thâ— names of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit but in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit shewing those Three to be One and their Name One which Name in which Believers in Samaria were baptised is said to be the Name of the Lord Jesus Acts 8. 10 and Cornelius and his Company were baptized in the Name of the Lord Acts 10. 48. Which Scriptures considered I think do shew the Father to be Jehovah the Son to be Jehovah and the Holy Spirit to be Jehovah and these Three to be one Jehovah and their Name one And the words Hallowed be thy Name Mat. 6. 9 I take to be the same Name and the Name of the Father is the Name of the Son and of the Holy Spirit No man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed and no man can say that Jesus is the Lord but by the Holy Spirit 1 Cor. 12. 3. Gifts are ascribed to the Spirit differences of Administrations ascribed to the Lord Christ diversities of Operations to the Father 1 Cor. 12. 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11. See also some of the Fruits of the Holy Spirit before Gal. 5. 22 23. which Gifts different Administrations and Operations and Blessings and Fruits before mentioned considered with Passages in the Old and New Testament may help us to discern a little what is peculiar to the Father what to the Son and what to the Holy Spirit although as has been said there is an Oneness as in their Name so in their Operations We find Election is ascribed to the Father Sanctification to the Holy Spirit and Reconciliation and Justification to the Son 1 Pet. 1. 1 2 3. One Spirit one Lord one Father Eph. 4. 4 5 6. Which Mystery of God and of the Father and of Christ should be acknowledged Col. 2. 2. 1 Thess 3. 11 13. The comforting their Hearts in Col. 2. 2 is the Work of God the Holy Spirit the Comforter John 14. 26. The Holy Prophets spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit 2 Pet. 1. 21 The Holy Spirit sent down from Heaven one of those things the Angels desire to look into 1 Pet. 1. 12. The Lord the Spirit 2 Cor. 3. 17 18. And that the Holy Spirit is Jehovah I think is also fully proved by Jeremiah He whom Jeremiah stileth Jehovah Jer. 31. 31 32 33 34 is declared to be the Holy Spirit Heb. 10. 15 16 17 and if Father Son and Holy Spirit be Jehovah then Christ the Son is Jehovah Numb 6. 25. And here I pretermit divers passages in Joshua Judges Psalms Proverbs and in the greater and lesser Prophets compared with the New Testament which seem to me to prove that Christ is Jehovah 5. Behold the days come saith Jehovah which seems to be Jehovah the Father I will raise unto David a righteous branch and he shall reign King and prosper and shall execute Judgment and Righteousness in the Earth In his days Judah shall be saved and this is his name whereby he shall be called Jehovah Tzidkennu i. e. Jehovah our Righteousness Jer. 23. 5. 6. And you have the like promise near verbatim in Jer. 33. 14 15 16. Which Jehovah Tzidkennu I think is Jehovah Christ whom Jehovah the Father would raise up unto David And Christ Jesus is made unto us Righteousness and Redemption 1 Cor. 1. 30 31 who was to make reconciliation for iniquity and to bring in everlasting righteousness Dan. 9. 24 where is a Promise of the Messiah the Prince v. 25 26 who by the Father was made sin for us that we might be made the Righteousness of God in him 2 Cor. 5. 21. Which Jer. 23. 5 6 33. 14 15 16 compared as above is my Fiâ—th Proof that
come he directs his Disciples v. 3 to pray their Flight might not be in Winter the season of Cold or Wet would greaten the Distress nor on the Sabbath day which they were commanded to rest upon and to keep holy for such a Tribulation would be heightned if it fell upon a day whereon they used and ought without some real cogent necessity to compose themselves to an Holy Rest And for eminently gracious persons as the Apostles were and all Believers in their measure are by any hindrance though lawful to be diverted from any Ordinance of Christ where they may sedately enjoy Communion with Father Son and Holy Spirit and that for a whole day together is a matter to be deprecated Secondly And that the Sabbath in Mat. 24. 20 was the Jewish Seventh-day Sabbath I have the Opinion I think of all that write upon it that it was the Seventh-day Sabbath they were to pray that their Flight might not be upon And I cannot now imagine that Paul in his Epistles to the Romans Galatians and Colossians before mentioned went about to abrogate what Christ had so confirmed And upon the whole I do think this one place of Mat. 24. 20 compared with Mark 13. 18 which referrs to the like Cases with Mat. 24. is sufficient to prove the Seventh-day Sabbath is not altered but ought to be still observed As for those who think a weekly Seventh-day of Rest was appointed in Paradice and who acknowledge it to be ordained from the foundation of the World before the entrance of Sin and so belonged to all Mankind and that a Seventh-day weekly was directly commanded in the Decalogue wherein Vide Mr. Hughes Treatise of the Sabbath the Law of our Creation was revived and so distinguished from all Ceremonial Ordinances and so having no Concern in those fore-cited Passages in Romans Galatians and Colossians which with much more cannot be fairly denied we shall easily agree with them provided they will withal admit which we think upon what has been said cannot be denied that the weekly day first ordained Gen. 2. 2 was not only a Seventh day but was the Seventh day and no other day of the week and that the Fourth Command doth appoint the same successive Seventh day which was first commanded which was also observed as before And we now find much of this Controversie to be reduced by many except one who still mainly builds upon Traditions to this Whether The seventh or A seventh day be required in the Fourth Command which to the Impartial will reduce the Question into a narrow compass for no man can deny The seventh to be A seventh i. e. the Seventh-day Sabbath to be a Seventh day of the week and yet that admitted would almost end this part of the Controversie And the Fourth Command speaks not of A seventh which is one of the seven but The or That seventh day which Christ rested upon after the Creation And those above mentioned finding the great mischief of making any Breach upon the Ten Commands which are so often asserted throughout the Old and New Testament they now insist on this that these words Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy is the sum and substance of that whole Command and they reduce that to Remember a Sabbath day to keep it holy and then knock off The seventh day as the Romanists leave out the second Command against worshipping of Images whereas the words used in the Fourth Command are such as should stay all Constructions which would change the Seventh day and are such as do not leave the least Pretence or Colour for such a Change The words are Exod. 20. 10 The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God the leaving out the Verb is in the Hebrew I conceive imports as is common in that Tongue that it was is and will or shall be the Sabbath And those who would translate it A seventh as they therein depart from our English Translation which herein rightly renders it The seventh so I think they manifestly depart from the Hebrew Text. And we think the H In Hashabbat Exod. 20. 8 at the beginning of the Command and v. 11 at the end of it to be emphatical that is an earnest express and forcible signification that the Holy Spirit here means that very Seventh-day Sabbath which was first instituted Gen. 2 and that very day mentioned in the 10th and 11th Verses is to be kept holy and the day that is to be kept holy is the or that Seventh day which two H's in v. 8 11 do referr to one another the Sabbath to for or of Jehovah thy Aelohim 'T is not A seventh day is the Sabbath but The seventh day is the Sabbath and lest there should be found some who would curiously distinguish a seventh part of time from the seventh day expresly commanded and by so subtile and plausible a distinction enervate the Command and transferr the rest of the seventh day to some other day of the week at their will and pleasure as either to the first day of the week as some Heathens and some Christians do or to the sixth day of the week as the Mahometans do To stop up all such Gapps which one would think largely provided for by the former words of the Command and to leave it beyond all Doubt and fair Dispute with such as acknowledge the Law of God to be a Rule to walk by who generally are such as we now reason with the Lord has I think made sure work against this Objection in v. 11 where he graciously condescends to give us a Reason why we are to keep holy the seventh day because in six days he made these Heavens which we see and this Earth which we stand and lye upon And here Opposers will certainly admit the two 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be emphatical and not at all to referr to any other Heaven and Earth in the Moon or elsewhere And He did quietly rest in that viz. in that Seventh day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bajom where the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the H is compensated by Daggesh The or That seventh wherefore he did bless the or that day of the Sabbath or the same weekly Seventh-day Sabbath whereon He first rested and whereon He only rested and not at all upon the First day of the week Which never any man has yet affirmed or so much as that I know pretended And it seems to me impossible for any but God only who is infinite in Wisdom in so few words so warily so straitly and with like exact Wisdom and Circumspection to secure any thing by words as this Command in the body of the Ten Commands and the very Seventh day in the heart of the Fourth Command is secured by Christ against this new Conceit and Cavil of A seventh and not The or That seventh Such surely deal over-slightly and somewhat quibble with the word who take such a liberty to turn The into A and
he created Now from Gen. 2. 4. I reason thus He that made the Heavens and the Earth was and is Jehovah The Lord Jesus Christ made the Heavens and the Earth and therefore the Lord Jesus Christ is Jehovah That he that made the Heavens and the Earth is Jehovah is proved from that Gen. 2. 4. That the Lord Jesus Christ made the Heavens and the Earth is proved before from John 1. 1 3 10. from Col. 1. 12 13 14 15 16. from Heb. 1. 1 2 10. and from Eph. 3. 9. And if that be so then it follows that the Lord Jesus Christ is Jehovah Which great Truth that Christ is Jehovah and that these Three the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit are one Jehovah as God has graciously opened it to us by the help and light of the Old and New Testament compared may now be somewhat perceived throughout the Scriptures In the beginning or by the Head Aelohim i. e. the Mightys Father Son and Holy Spirit he created the Heavens and the Earth Gen. 1. 1. and the Spirit of God Heb. Aelohim the Mightys he moved upon the face of the waters Gen. 1. 2. and Aelohim the Mightys he said Let there be Light Gen. 1. 3. And Aelohim the Mightys he said Let there be a Firmament Gen. 1. 6. So also Gen. 1. 9 14 20 24. And Aelohim the Mightys he said Let us make Man Gen. 1. 26. So also Aelohim the Mightys he created Man in his own image Gen. 1. 27. And Aelohim the Mightys he blessed them v. 28. And Aelohim the Mightys he said v. 29. And Aelohim the Mightys he saw that every thing he had made was very good Gen. 1. 31. And Aelohim the Mightys he ended his Work which he had created And Aelohim the Mightys he rested from all his work which he had created Gen. 2. 2 3. And then it is said that Jehovah Aelohim the Mightys he made the Earth and the Heavens Gen. 2. 4. And the same Jehovah Aelohim the Mightys who made the Earth and the Heavens be formed Man Gen. 2. 7. And he took Man and he put him into the garden v. 15. And Jehovah Aelohim the Mightys he drove Man out of Eden Gen. 3. 23 24. And Jehovah Aelohim the Mightys he said behold the man is become as one of us Gen. 3. 22. And Jehovah he said Gen. 11. 6 Let us go down and there let us confound their language Gen. 11. 7 So Abraham to Abimelech God Heb. Aelohim They caused me to wander So Jacob Gen. 35. 7 built an Altar and there Aelohim they appeared to him Which with other like Expressions do somewhat open the Mystery of the Trinity and their Oneness throughout the Old Testament which place Gen. 2. 4. compared as before does prove the Lord Jesus Christ to be Jehovah who made the Heavens and the Earth And here I pretermit many passages in Genesis as Gen. 18. 1 where Jehovah he was seen by Abraham And Jehovah he said to Abraham v. 13 17. And Jehovah he went away when he had left communing with Abraham v. 33. Which Jehovah I think was the Lord Jesus Christ who here appeared in the shape of a man Gen. 18. 2 the two others who were with Jehovah Gen. 18. 2 seem to be the two Angels who went to Sodom Gen. 19. 1. Which appearing of Jehovah to Man as Man gave Man a kind of foresight of his after-intended Incarnation See the like in the Garden of Eden Gen. 3. 8 22. The word of Jehovah or the word Jehovah came before to Abram in a vision Gen. 15. 1 4. and made him a great personal and family Promise v. 1 5. and he believed in Jehovah and he imputed it to him for Righteousness Gen. 15. 6. Which Jehovah seems to be Christ and the Righteousness imputed to Abram to be the Righteousness of Christ imputed to him by Faith and Abram's believing in Jehovah seems to be believing in Christ Rom. 4. 5 8 9 18 22. I pretermit also that in Gen. 19. 24 where Jehovah he made it to rain upon Sodom and Gomorrah Brimstone and Fire from Jehovah out of Heaven which I think was Jehovah the Son from Jehovah the Father And that in Gen. 32. 24 28 29 30. a man wrestled with Jacob and Jacob as a Prince had power with God and prevailed and was blessed and Jacob called the place Peniel for I have seen God face to face I think was Christ I pass by also that of Jehovah appearing to Moses in a flame of Fire out of the midst of a Bush Exod. 3. 2. called Jehovah v. 4 the God of Abraham of Isaac and of Jacob v. 6 and Jehovah he said I have seen the affliction of my people v. 7. This Jehovah is called the Angel of Jehovah or the Angel Jehovah Exod. 3. 2 which I think was Christ by whose Hands the Father sent Moses Acts 7. 30 31 32 35 whom Stephen there preached and to whom he prayed Lord Jesus receive my spirit v. 59. which Prayer of Stephen to Christ proves also the Deity of Christ Who often spake to Moses Exod. 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14. Chapters Jehovah who called to Moses out of the Mount and to whom Moses went up Ex. 19. 3. These places I offer as intimating Jehovah mentioned in them to be eminently Christ although I do acknowledge and think there was an unconceivable presence of Jehovah the Father Son and Holy Spirit in the Creation and through out the Scriptures But Gen. 2. 4 compared with John 1. 1 3 10 Col. 1. 12 to 15 Heb. 1. 1 2 10. and Eph. 3. 9 I rely upon as Proofs that Christ made the World and that Christ is Jehovah 2. A second Proof that Christ is Jehovah I offer from Christ's giving of the Law Exod. 20. 1 2. And God Heb. Aelohim He spake all these words saying I the Lord thy God Heb Jehovah Aeloheka i. e. the Lord thy Mightys It has been said that Aelohim comprehends the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit and then if Aelohim spake the Commands then Christ the Son spake them And if Aelohim He spake all these words saying I Jehovah thy God i. e. thy Mightys then Christ who spake all these words is Jehovah Which Jehovah our Aelohim is one Jehovah Deut. 6. 4 which Jehovah is one and his Name one Zech. 14. 9. Although Jehovah One. Jehovah be the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit yet they are one Jehovah Zanchy's Title is Of the Three Aelohim the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit one and the same Jehovah which he rightly calls the Orthodox Doctrine of that Mystery Which as I take it is the professed Judgment also of the most Learned since the Reformation So that if Christ made the World then he is Jehovah and if he be Jehovah then he gave the Law for Jehovah gave the Law and Jehovah Aelohim the Mightys are one Jehovah Aelohim said
to Moses thus say to Israel Jehovah the Mightys of your Fathers the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob he hath sent me this is my name for ever Exod. 3. 15. And these Aelohim these Mightys whose Name is Jehovah gave the Ten Commands Exod. 20. 1 2. which Commands are called Christ's Commands If ye love me saith Christ keep my Commands John 14. 15. He that hath my Commands and keepeth them he it is that loveth me Joh. 14. 21 23. And in the second Command against all uninstituted Worship by the word Pesel which one late learned Writer seems willing to take out of the second Command as I doubt for I Jehovah Aeloheka Jehovah thy Aelohim thy Mightys Ael kana a jealous God where the Heb. word Ael is in the singular number and may especially point at Christ as in other places it may point at the Father and at the Holy Spirit I Jehovah thy God and if God be ours it is by Christ I Jehovah thy God shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me that love me and keep my Commands Exod. 20. 5 6. Which agrees well with that of Christ If ye love me keep my Commands John 14. 15. Jesus Christ the Propitiation for our Sins hereby we know that we know him if we keep his Commandments And he that saith I know him and keepeth not his Commandments is a Liar 1 John 2. 1 2 3 4. Upon which fourth verse a learned Paraphrast saith He that professeth the Knowledge and Faith of Christ and calls himself a Christian and yet doth not sincerely keep his Commandments is a Liar and he is not what he professeth to be And this is the love of God that we keep his Commandments 1 John 5. 3. and this is love that we walk after his Commands 2d Epistle of John v. 6. Know that Jehovah Aeloheka thy Mightys he is the Aelohim Hael Hanneeman the Faithful El the Faithful God which keepeth Covenant and Mercy with them that love him and keep his Commands Deut. 7. 9. Ye are my Friends if ye do whatever I command you John 15. 14. If ye keep my Commandments you shall abide in my love John 15. 10. They are his Commands who made the Heaven and the Earth Jehovah he made the Heavens and the Earth Exod. 20. 11. And he that made the Heavens and the Earth Gen. 2. 4. he is Jehovah as before So that the Commands are Christ's Commands and Jehovah giving the Commands by consequence Christ is Jehovah And that Christ gave the Law appears further by this The Commands are said to be given by Christ Jesus the Mediator whose voice at the giving the Law then shook the Earth Heb. 12. 24 25 26. Who gave the Law and the Gospel Jesus the Mediator spake in the Gospel by his Blood whose voice at the giving the Law on Mount Sinai did shake that Mountain Heb. 12. 24 25 26. compared with Exod. 19. 18. Sinai was moved at the presence of Aelohim the Elohe both in the plural the Mightys of Israel Psal 68. 8. The mountains skipped Psal 114. 1 4 Tremble thou Earth at the presence of the Lord Heb. Adoun another of the Names of God signifying a Stay or Pillar at the presence of the God of Jacob Psal 114. 5 6 7. the God of Israel whom Moses Aaron Nadab Abihu and seventy of the Elders saw Exod. 24. 9 10. Who spake unto Moses face to face Exod. 33. 9 12. and no man hath seen the Father but the Son John 1. 18. 6. 46. So that the God of Israel who appeared in the Mount who gave the Law was also and is Jehovah the Son the Lord Jesus Christ and blessed are they who do his Commandments Rev. 22. 14. 3. A third Proof That Christ is Jehovah When Israel journied from Mount Hâ—r they were discouraged because of the way and the People spake against God Num. 21. 4 5. Heb. Aelohim whereupon Jehovah he sent fiery Serpents among the People Num. 21. 6. These Serpents were sent by Jehovah Neither let us tempt CHRIST as some of them tempted him in the wilderness and were destroyed of Serpents 1 Cor. 10. 9. 4. And I think I may offer another Proof from Numbers Jehovah by Moses directs Aaron how to bless the Children of Israel and Jehovah is thrice mentioned Jehovah bless thee and keep thee Jehovah make his face to shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee Jehovah lift up his countenance upon Numb 6. 22 23 24 25 26. thee and give thee Peace Jehovah bless thee and keep thee Now although blessing and keeping be from the Father Son and Holy Spirit yet here they seem peculiarly ascribed to Jehovah the Father as he that blessed and kept his People to whom Blessing is ascribed in many places of the Word Gen. 1. 28 22. And God is said to have blessed Christ for ever Psal 45. 2 c. And Keeping is ascribed to Jehovah the Father in that Christ prays to the Father to keep those whom the Father had given to Christ that they may be one as we are i. e. the Father and Christ are one John 17. 11 21 22. I pray not that thou shouldst take them out of the World which is Christ's Prayer to the Father but that thou shouldst keep them from the evil John 15. 17. So Blessing and Keeping seem eminently ascribed to the Father The Elect are kept by the Power of God through Faith to Salvation 1 Pet. 1. 23 5. spoken of God the Father And Jehovah make his face to shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee Numb 6. 25. Which shining upon us and Jehovah the Son being gracious to us may be from the Father Son and Holy Spirit yet here they seem especially to referr to Jehovah the Son The shining of his Face seems the Love and Favour of God in Christ Cause thy face to shine and we shall be saved Psal 80. 19. And how it is that we have the Favour of God and are saved but by Christ I know not And God hath shined in our Hearts in the Face of Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 4. 6. And be gracious unto thee Num. 6. 25. Now Grace came by Jesus Christ John 1. 17. The grace of God is given you by Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 1. 4. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you 1 Cor. 16. 23. 2 Cor. 13. 14. Phil. 4. 23. We believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved Acts 15. 11. And the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you Amen 1 Thess 5. 28. 2 Tim. 2. 1. c. So that Jehovah's Favour and Grace seem eminently to come from Christ Jehovah lift up the light of his countenance upon Jehovah the Holy Spirit thee and give thee Peace Num. 6. 26. Which lifting up his Countenance and giving Peace may be from the Father Son and Holy Spirit yet here they seem especially to referr to
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
true That in Christ Jesus neither Circumcision nor Uncircumcision availeth any thing but a new Creature Gal. 6. 15. In Christ Jesus neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor Uncircumcision but Faith which worketh by Love Gal. 5. 6. which Love is the fulfilling of the Law Gal. 5. 14. and the fruit of the Spirit Gal. 5. 22. And as many as walk according to this Rule Peace on them and Mercy Gal. 6. 16. Upon All whether Jews or Gentiles who believe in Christ and walk by Rule And Circumcision is nothing and Uncircumcision is nothing but the keeping the Commandments of God 1 Cor. 7. 19. Col. 3. 9 10 11. And upon the whole of this it seems to me the Law was given to Jews and Gentiles And through Christ both Jews and Gentiles have access by one Spirit to the Father Eph. 2. 11 14 18. where you have also Father Son and Holy Spirit 2dly That the seventh-day Sabbath after the promulgation of the Law by Christ at Mount Sinai and that ordinarily was called by the name of the Sabbath and by that name known and observed I think is agreed by all that I know and is so plain throughout the Old Testament that there needs little to be said thereto Six days thou shalt work and on the seventh day thou shalt rest Exod. 23. 12. Upon the seventh day the Lord called to Moses out of the Cloud Exod. 24. 16. which probably was the first Sabbath after the giving the Law Exod. 20. which seventh day is often called a sign for ever between him and his People and a perpetual Covenant Exod. 31. 13 to 17. to distinguish his People from others Where the Law of the Pool's Annot. on Exod. 31. 16. Sabbath is confirmed and established to be perpetual and the reason given for the perpetuity of the Sabbath is such as hath its force till the end of the World and it 's fit and just men should retain this Monument or Memorial of the Worlds Creation even till its Dissolution And this was whilst the Lord was communing with Moses in the Mount and before the giving Moses the two Tables of Testimony Exod. 31. 18. which they were to observe in Earing-time and Harvest Exod. 34. 21. And the seventh day shall be to you an Holy day a Sabbath of rest to Jehovah Exod. 35. 2. which is repeated here and in Exod. 31. 13. before to teach them to remember that Precept above all their ceremonial Observations And the Weekly Sabbaths are called The Sabbaths of the Lord v. 38. in a way of distinction from other days of Rest which also appears in the fourth Command Exod. 20. 8 9 10 11. afterwards we have the Judgment against the Stick-gatherer Num. 15. 32 36. And after the Command renewed for lively fiery and not dead and formal Morning and Evening Word and Prayer Num 28. 3 to 8. Jehovah also repeats the Law for the Sabbath v. 9 10. which Israel prophan'd whereof we read much in the Prophets and Psal 92. is a Psalm for the Sabbath day I love thy Commandments above gold yea above fine gold I esteem all thy Precepts concerning all things right Psal 119. 127 128. As if he had said I make not all thy Commands void as some do nor am I partial in approving some and rejecting or altering those I like not which cross my Opinion as others do all thy Commands ever were are and ever will be right Which I take to be the import of the Hebrew leaving out the Verb there and in many other places And he that turneth away his Ear from hearing the Law his Prayer is an abomination Prov. 28. 9. it ever was so is so and will be so an abomination 1 John 3. 22. Thus saith Jehovah My Salvation is near to come Blessed the man that keepeth the Sabbath he will accept their services Isa 56. 1 2 6 7. such ever were are and ever will be blessed Which place referring to Gospel-times is the larger Promise now And it shall come to pass that from one Sabbath to another shall all flesh come to worship before me saith Jehovah Isa 66. See also Jer. 17. 21. 23 24. And with this that great Gospel-Prophet concludeth his Prophecy The Covenant which Jehovah made with their Fathers which they broke Jer. 31. 31 32. 33. was the Moral Law I will put my Laws in their inward parts and write them in their Hearts called an everlasting Covenant Jer. 32. 40 38 39. Rom. 2. 29. John 1. 47. Rom. 7. 22 Heb. 8. 8 9 10. The Lord charges Jerusalem as having changed his Statutes therefore I even I against thee Ezek. 5. 5 6 8. That the Sabbath was appointed as a sign between him and his People is often mentioned which because they polluted he gave them Statutes not good Ezek. 20. 12 13 16 20 21. 24. My Sabbaths they greatly polluted v. 13. the Lord threatned them not to bring them into Canaan because they polluted his Sabbaths v. 15 16. which should be a sign between him and them v. 20 21 24. Which Weekly Sabbaths were to be a weekly keeping alive their Hopes of an Eternal Rest with the Lord that Rest or Sabbatism or keeping Sabbath in Heaven which remaineth for the People of God Heb. 4. 8 9. of which the seventh-day Sabbath was and is a Pledge and Representation And the prophaning the Sabbath is reckoned amongst the greater sins of Israel whose Ministers hid their Eyes from his Sabbath Ezek. 22. 8 26. 23. 38. After many Threatnings against Aegypt and after the Promises in that Prophet of converting the Jews the Resurrection of the dry Bones the Promise of Christ's Kingdom God's Judgment on Gog and Ezekiel's Vision of the new Temple Thus saith the Lord God The gate of the inward Court that looketh toward the East shall be shut the six working days but on the Sabbath it shall be opened for the Prince to enter and offer upon the Sabbath day Ezek. 46. 1 2 4. and a little after that Prophet closeth his Prophecy and God threatens to cause the Sabbath to cease Hos 2. 11. And when will the Sabbath be gone that we may set forth Wheat Amos 8. 5. By all which I conclude that the seventh day was the Sabbath till our Lord's Incarnation These and other Voices of the Prophets do shew how highly the Sabbath was valued by the Lord who gave it to his People and was ordinarily called by the Prophets and afterwards by the Apostles the Sabbath or the Sabbath day and those terms of the Seventh day and the Sabbath were Synonimous in the Church noting all along throughout the Old and New Testament one and the same Seventh-day-Sabbath And it is very observable that the Old or New Testament do never call the First day the Sabbath Q. 6. If the Ten Commands without any exception of the fourth Command or any part or tittle of it were confirmed by the Lord Jesus Christ after his taking our Nature upon him
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
Objections and without him was not any thing made that was made Which word by him John 1. 3. 10 and Col. 1. 16. as I take it explains the word Bereshith Gen. 1. 1. He was in the World and the World was made by him and the World knew him not John 1. 10. who came forth from the Father and came into the World John 16. 28. And the Worlds were made by him the Heavens and the Earth were made by him and the World knew him not the men of the World did not know him acknowledge him believe in him or obey him the Heathen knew him not and but few of the Israelites John 1. 26. although the World was made by him Joh. 1. 10 which Gospel of John doth much assert the Divinity of Christ and here in this first Chapter v. 1 2 3 10 the Creation of the World by Christ for if all things were made by Christ and without him was not any thing made that was made as v. 3 and if the World was made by him as v. 10 then the World was made by the Lord Jesus Christ and we ought to believe it Which is the second Proof I bring to prove that Proposition That the World was made by Christ 3dly The third Proof I take from Heb. 1. God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in times past unto the Fathers by the Prophets v. 1 hath in these last days spoken to us by his Son whom he hath appointed Heir of all things by whom also he made the Worlds Heb. 1. 2. And speaking of Christ the Son the Author of that Epistle saith And thou Lord in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the Earth and the Heavens are the works of thine hands v. 8 9 10 11 12. with which if you compare Psal 102. 21 22 25 26 27. you may see that spoken of Jehovah-Christ who made the Earth and See Charnock's Attrib pag. 473 474 475. the Heavens Gen. 2. 4. Psal 95. hath a special reference to the Messiah and his days and is so understood by Heb. 3. 7 8 9 compared with Psal 95. 3 5 6 7 8 9. where he is called Jehovah our Maker the Sea is his and his hands formed the dry Land and so the Lord Jesus Christ the Son is he by whom the Father made the Worlds and he who in the beginning laid the foundation of the Earth and the Heavens are the work of his hands Heb. 1. 2 10. And that the World which consisteth of Heaven and Earth was made by Christ see Charnock's Attributes f. 229 472 476. And he that built all things is God Heb. 3. 4. 4thly The Fourth Proof I take from the Epistle to the Ephesians Paul had clear knowledge in the Mystery which in other Ages was not made known as it is now revealed by the Spirit which from the beginning of the World hath been hid in God who created all things by Jesus Christ Eph. 3. 9. The Mystery which was revealed to Paul v. 3 4 5 6 8. that the Gentiles should be called was foretold and known but not so known as after the coming of Christ nor was Christ after his coming so clearly and fully known as He by whom the Father created all things At the Creation and some Ages after there was no such difference as Jews and Gentiles which difference was by Christ taken away and the whole World of Believers reconciled to God by Jesus Christ Luke 2. 32 which was not then nor is yet understood by the Jews or Heathen Gentiles but by Revelation was made known to Paul v. 3. This in other Ages was not made known to the Sons of Men as it is now revealed by the Holy Spirit v. 5 that the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs with the Jews v. 6 of which Doctrine Paul was made a Minister v. 7 to make all men see what is the Fellowship of the Mystery which from the beginning of the World had been hid in God v. 9. Christ's coming in the Flesh was prophesied The seed of the Woman shall break the Serpents head Gen. 3. 15. And God's purpose of justifying the Heathen through Faith was preached before unto Abraham In thee shall all Nations be blessed Gal. 3. 8 Gen. 12. 3. And so this Doctrine was known to Abraham who saw it in the Promises and in the Type of Isaac's being offered Gen. 22. 18 Heb. 11. 19 which Mystery was hid in God who created all things by Jesus Christ Eph. 3. 9. Either of which four quoted Scriptures I think sufficient to prove That the World was made by the Lord Jesus Christ And for an human Authority I quote the late Assemblys Confession of Faith chap. 4 of Creation It pleased God the Father Son and Holy Spirit to create the World of nothing Which Confession is a great Summary of the Christian Faith And the Elders and Messengers of the Congregational Churches who met at the Savoy anno 1658 in their Declaration of their Faith and Order say the like and so do the Antipaedo-Baptists in their Confession of Faith printed in the year 1677. The Second Proposition That the Lord Jesus Christ is Jehovah is the Foundation of Christianity and other foundation can no man lay than that is laid which is Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 3. 11. Eph. 2. 20. Which Foundation is cleared by many and in particular by Zanchy in his Tract on this Subject of the three Aelohim i. e. Mightys God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Spirit one and the same Jehovah written about an hundred years since who cites Justin in his second Apology to Anthony he cites also Irenaeus Tertullian Moses and the greater and the lesser Prophets compared with passages in the N. Testament to prove that Christ is God to which Book being in Latin I refer the learned Reader and shall offer a few Scriptures of many which have confirmed me and I hope may satisfie others that Christ is Jehovah I take the first from Gen. 2. 4. These are the generations of the Heavens and the Earth when they were created in the day that Jehovah Aelohim made the Earth and the Heavens The word Jehovah is a Name proper to God and incommunicable to any other according to Psal 81. 18. That men may know that hou whose name alone is Jehovah art the most High over all the Earth Isa 45. 5. I am Jehovah and none else there is no God beside me So Deut. 5. 35 39. Isa 42. 8. Which Name Jehovah signifies God's Self-Existence or Absolute Being from Eternity to Eternity To this effect Buxtorf in his Hebrew Lexicon explains this Name as well as other Hebricians which explication is genuine and comports well with the Root 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from whence this great name is thought to be derived And the word Aelohim Scholars know is of the plural number which word signifies Strongs Potents Mightys The Hebrew word Bara render'd created is of the singular number and signifies
Christ is Jehovah Jehovah our Righteousness I pass by that in Zecharâ—ah Zech. 11. 11 12 13 where the Price Jehovah was prized at was thirty pieces of silver cast to the Potter compared with Mat. 26. 14 15 27. 6 7 10 Mark 14. 10 11. And Zech. 9. 1 9 compared with Luke 19. 30 33 35. And Zech. 12. 10 compared with John 19. 7. I pass by also that in Malachy Behold I will send my Messenger and he shall prepare the way before me and Jehovah whom ye seek shall suddenly come to his Temple Mal. 3. 1 and Es 40. 3 where Christ is expresly named Jehovah compared with Mat. 3. 1 3 and Mat. 11. 13 Mark 1. 3 Luke 1. 17 3. 4 John 1. 23. before whom John was the Messenger Behold I will send you Elljah the Prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of Jehovah Mal. 4. 5 6. Elijah was John the Baptist Mat. 11. 7 9 11 13 14 and Mat. 17. 11 12 13 which John was to prepare the way of Jehovah Es 40. 3 compared with Luke 1. 6 7 11 76. Luke 2. 9 11 13 14. Which places in Zechariah and Malachi compared as above do also prove Christ to be Jehovah 6. The last Proof of the Deity of Christ I take from the New Testament which is very full of that great Doctrine of the Mystery of the Trinity and the Deity of Christ in special According to the Promise of the righteous Branch whom Jehovah the Father would raise unto David who should be called Jehovah our Righteousness Jer. 23. 5 6. We have Jesus Christ the Son of David Mat. 1. 1. Behold a Virgin shall be with Child and shall bring forth a Son and they shall call his name Emmanrel which being interpreted is God with us Mat. 1. 23. Which was promised as I think by Jehovah the Father Behold a Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son and shall call his name Emmanuel Es 7. 14. Now if the name of Christ be God then He is God for He is what his Name is and if he be God then he ought to be so acknowledged and his Name Jesus from his saving his People from their sins Mat. 1. 21 I think proves his Godhead also for none else but God can save â—s from Sin into whose Name Christians are baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit Mat. 28. 19. Which is one name into which those in Samaria were baptized i. e. the Name of the Lord Acts 10. 48. as before And what is called the Gospel of Jesus Christ Mark 1. 1 is called the Gospel of God Rom. 1. 1 and called the Gospel of Christ Rom. 1. 16. To you is born a Saviour Christ the Lord Luke 2. 11. I I Jehovah and beside me there is no Saviour Es 43. 10 11. Jesus is a Saviour by which name he is often named in the Psalms Isaiah and other Prophets and whom at his Ascension the Disciples worshipped Luke 24. 52 which they ought not to have done if he had not been God The Glory which Esaias saw was Christ's Glory John 12. 41 the King Jehovah of Hosts Es 6. 1 2 3 5. And here I shall pass by the many Miracles wrought by Jesus Christ whereof the four Evangelists are full whereof some were done before Thousands of Witnesses which Miracles every one of them are Proofs of his Deity And I pass by after the giving the Holy Spirit the Miracles wrought by the Apostles in his Name and in particular the conversion of Thousands by a Sermon which turning Men from Darkness to Light and from the power of Satan unto God Acts 26. 18 and John 3. 3 I think is still a standing Miracle in the World and will so continue to the end of it whereof whilest some men find nothing in their private Conversation nor in the effects of their publick Ministry no wonder if they proclaim their Infidelity by speaking and writing against Christ's Deity Which Conversion and new Birth was and is and must needs be a Mystery to Unbelievers And Christ is exalted to give Repentance which none can give but he that is God Such a change from Contraries are frequent in some Christian Assemblies and cannot be brought about but by Jehovah the Father's giving such to Christ Jehovah the Son's purchasing and redeeming them and Jehovah the Holy Spirit 's converting and sanctifying them whereof we have also much in the Epistles which I pass by and shall offer a Case After the Resurrection of our Lord he had appeared unto the rest of the Apostles but Thomas was not with them when Jesus came and the other Disciples told Thomas that they had seen the Lord but he said Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails and put my finger into the print of the nails and thrust my hand into his side I will not believe Afterwards the Disciples being within and Thomas with them the doors shut Jesus came and stood in the midst and saith to Thomas Reach hither thy finger and thy hand c. and be not faithless but believing And Thomas said unto him My Lord and my God John 20. 24 25 26 27 28. Which case plainly intimates that the rest of the Apostles there did believe the same Truth before which Confession of Thomas Christ approves with Blessed are they who have not seen as Thomas did and yet have believed that Christ is our Lord and our God Whom after our Lord's Ascension and after they were all filled with the Holy Spirit Peter preaches to be Jehovah Acts 2. 4 14 22 24 25. And David v. 25 speaking concerning Jesus of Nazareth I foresaw the Lord alwaies before my face which is quoted out of Psalm 16. 8 where He whom Peter names the Lord David names Jehovah by which Sermon about Three thousand were converted Acts 2. 41. So that Peter preached Christ to be Jehovah Jesus Christ which before was preached unto you whom the Heavens must receive until the time of restitution of all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of his holy Prophets since the World began Acts 3. 20 21 26. whereof you may before see a small collection By the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth doth this man stand here before you whole neither is there salvation in any other for there is no other name under Heaven given among men whereby we must be saved Acts 4. 10 12. And if this be so then Christ is God The Church of God which he i. e. God hath purchased with his own blood i. e. with the Blood of Christ Acts 20. 28. Out of the Israelites as concerning the flesh Christ came who is over all God blessed for ever Amen Rom. 9. 4 5. Which is also plain and positive that Christ is God Christ the Lord of the dead and living we shall all stand before his Judgment-seat for it is written As I live saith the Lord every knee shall
do referr the words of our Lord The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath Mat. 12. 8. Mark 2. 28. Luke 6. 5. He instituted it and was best able to give a true and right Interpretation of it whereof more hereafter Q. 4. If the seventh day Sabbath was kept by Believers The Sabbath kept till the Law given from the Creation till it was repeated at Mount Sinai Exod. XX It is at least probable from the words Mikketz Iammim the cutting off of days and the graciousness of Abel and the respect the Lord had to Abel and his Offering Gen. 4. 3 4. who obtained witness that he was righteous Hâ—b 11. 4. that Abel kept the Sabbath and that Enoch kept the Sabbath who walked with God Three hundred years Gen. 5. 22 24. who had this Testimony that he pleased God Heb. 11. 5. The like I may say of Noah a just man and perfect in his Generation who walked with God and found Grace in his eyes Gen. 6. 8 9. and became Heir of the Righteousness which is by Faith Heb. 11. 7. And that Abraham kept it Gen. 13. 2 4 5 6. from the word Lashebet to dwell or sabbatize together but especially from that Testimony the Lord gives him Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my Charge my Commandments my Statutes and my Laws Gen. 26. 5. General words which include whatsoever God had commanded and two of those words are applied to God's Commands in general and particularly to the Sabbath Exod. 16. 4 5 28 29. which Commands were committed to writing upon Mount Sinai Exod. 19. 18. 20. 1 2 3. which Commandments we have And that Moses and the Israelites in Aegypt kept the Sabbath appears from Pharaoh's Answer Behold the people of the land are many and you Moses and Aaron make them sabbatize or keep the Sabbath or rest from their burthens Ex. 5. 1 2 3 4 5. Vehishbattem from the Root Shabat he rested or kept the Sabbath mentioned in Gen. 2. 3. And that Moses Aaron and Israel kept the Sabbath after their deliverance out of Aegypt appears in Exod. 16. 5 22 23 25 26 27 28 30. which was before the promulgation of the Law at Mount Sinai Exod. 20. Q 5. Whether the Ten Commands were given by Christ to Jews and Gentiles And whether the same weekly seventh-day Sabbath after the giving the Law at Mount Sinai was observed during the Old Testament That the Commands were spoken by Christ eminently I think appears under the second Head Answ 1. That they were given by him as well to the Gentiles as to the Israelites may appear by God's creating Man in his own image Gen. 1. 27. Which Image and Likeness eminently consists and remarkably appears in the Soul whose Nature is spiritual and ordinarily invisible whose Faculties wherewith GOD in Man's Innocency had enriched it were a clear understanding of his Creator's Mind and a rectitude of Will to observe his Laws and we find Paul chiefly placeth this Image of GOD in Man in Knowledge Col. 3. 10. and in Righteousness and true Holiness Eph. 4. 24. After the Fall of Adam the Understanding was darkened and the Will and Affections corrupted and so they remain to this day until Man be regenerated by Christ and his Holy Spirit and so that first Image of God wherein Man was created according to our measure be by Grace restoâ—ed which brings converted Men and Women about again to much of that original Light and Knowledge of the Will of God and to those good Inclinations to keep his Laws wherewith the Soul of Adam was first beautified which Conversion of Man is called the New Creature 2 Cor. 5. 17. and a Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1. 4. Which does teach and strongly dispose the Hearts of gracious persons to observe God's Commands which Knowledge in Col. 3. 10 may referr to the Will of God in both Tables and the Holiness in Ephes 4. 24. may referr to conformity to the Laws of the first Table and the Righteousness there to Obedience to the second Table Now the Gentiles as well as the Hebrews at first were all in Adam's Loins and there was no such Difference till the time of Heber Gen. 10. 21 24. and Abraham was of Heber's Posterity and Christ in the Genealogy is said to be the Son of Abraham Mat. 1. 11. Luke 3. 34. in whose Genealogy who was the second Adam we find of the Gentiles And if we look into this Case we may see that as now when the Lord shall by Conversion renew his Covenant with the lost Sheep of the House of Israel those branches broken off above sixteen hundred years shall be grafted in again Rom. 11. 5 to 33. and they shall mourn over him whom their Fathers pierced Rev. 1. 7. So it was then with us Gentiles the Bought with Money which were not of Abraham's Blood at the institution of Circumcision were to be circumcised as well as his own Seed Gen. 17. 12. and Strangers as home-born passed alike under the Discipline of the Church Exod. 12. 19. which shews they were in Fellowship with Israel and Strangers if circumcised might keep the Passover at its first institution one Law was to the Stranger and to the home-born Exod. 12. 48 49. And so for Offerings of a sweet savour to the Lord there was but one Law for the Strangers and for the Jews As ye do so he shall do and as ye so shall the stranger be before the Lord Num. 15. 14 15 16. which Passover and Offerings were all before giving the Law at Mount Sinai Exod. 20. So that the Law in Exod. 20. was given to both And the Lord would not have the Son of the Stranger who joyned himself to him to say The Lord had utterly separated him from his People and those Strangers who joyn themselves to him to serve him and to love the Name Jehovah who keep his Sabbaths he will make them joyful in his House of Prayer and accept their services Isa 56. 1 to 7. And not only Israel but the Stranger were alike established a People unto him Deuteron 29. 10 11 15. And in the fourth Command 't is said of the seventh-day Sabbath neither thou nor thy stranger shall do any work therein Exod. 20. 10. So that before the Moral Law given one Law was to the Jews and Gentiles as Exod. 12. 48 49. Exod. 15. 14 15 16. and we may say What Difference was there then or is there now between them and us Those of the Jews or Gentiles then living and dying impenitently had not Salvation by the Messiah those of them or the Gentiles then who joyned themselves to the Lord to serve him and to love the Name Jehovah which as I take it was to love Christ had Eternal Life by him and so all such now have and will have to the end of the World And altho' Circumcision in its season were a good Institution yet in the sence above it ever was and will be
Ans After the Birth of our Lord Jesus Christ Emmanuel i. e. God with us Mat. 1. 18. 23. we find in that famous Sermon of his in the Mountain Mat. 5. 17 18 19. which was about the beginning of his publick Ministry Christ does prevent an Objection of his Hearers who in regard his manner of preaching was different from their Teachers might suspect that he intended to abrogate the Moral Law or to alter it or some part thereof and to bring in another Law and warns them not to imagine that he came to destroy dissolve or loosen the Law but to fulfill it viz. by his perfect Obedience exactly to observe it and by his Word to establish it a standing Rule of Obedience to his Churches and People to the end of the World Till Heaven and Earth pass one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the Law Mat. 5. 17 18 19. So that all the Commands have the same Character of the same Divine Authority and do all without excepting one jot or tittle equally bind man Mat. 5. 19. And that this place in Matthew referrs to the Ten Commands I take to be generally agreed by Expositors and by Writers for the First day the first Table whereof contains the method prescribed by Christ how to express our Love to God a part of which first Table is to keep holy the seventh day And the second Table contains our Love to Man Mat. 22. 37 38 39. And agreeable to Mat. 5. 17 18 19. is that of Luke It is easier for Heaven and Earth to pass than one tittle of the Law to fail Luke 16. 14 17. where our Saviour shews the scoffing Pharisees that he taught no new Doctrine contrary to the Law but that Heaven and Earth should pass away before one tittle of the Law should pass The Interpretations of the Law by the Jews were mistaken but the Law shall remain as a sound and certain Rule to his People until the World should have an end Where I take it also as agreed that Christ spake of the Ten Commands As he does also when the Lawyer asked him which was the Great Commandment in the Law Christ answers Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart And the second is like unto it Love thy Neighbour as thy self Upon which two hang all the Law and the Prophets Mat. 22. 35 to 40. And Mark 12. 28 29 30 31. where Christ confirms the Ten Commands and both Tables thereof whereof the Law for the seventh day is a part which seventh day those who set up and substitute the first day so far lay aside The Romanists leave out the second Command against Images and a late learned Protestant Writer excepts against a word or two in the second Command and what he meant thereby I cannot say certainly but if he think it lawful to make such Pictures as of a Glorious Light from which occasion may be taken of good Thoughts of God he seems to me under the specious colour of that good Intention to break in directly upon those words in the second Command Lo tagneseh leka temunati asher bashamajim Thou shalt not make to thee any likeness that is in Heaven above and to go very near the borders of Idolatry that God is Light 1 John 1. 5. is true but we may make no Image or Picture thereof for any such purpose Light is as I take it one of the words opening the Essence of God and to make any Likeness of his Essence seems to be of the Likeness of God which I think is forbidden in the second Command To say nothing of the word As in the Parenthesis which seems something a kin to an c. nor can this be excused by the good intention before of taking up thence good Thoughts of God which surely must be from making and looking upon that pictured Light to the end above so dangerous it is to sit loose in Principles from the Obligation of the Moral Law or any part thereof And to this looseness from the Commands and to the not observing of them I think I may assign the great Transgressions of this Age against all the rest of the Commands but I forbear And how much farther such Great Learned and Worthy men may go unless God convince them or restrain them I know not who by his Word and therein by Promises of his Holy Spirit hath furnished all Believers with sufficient matter for Good Thoughts of God And those take away these words out of the fourth Command the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God which has not only many Iotaes and Tittles i. e. Letters and Vowels but Words and is a whole Paragraph but I think will not so pass away Conformity to which Commands is the Perfection of the Nature of Man Consider also how very much is said in the New Testament against Anomie that is Lowlesness Acts 2. 22 23. Mat. 13. 40 41. Mat. 23. 28. Mat. 24. 12. Rom. 6. 19. The Mystery of Anomie did work in the Apostle's time 2 Thes 2. 7. Until he that letteth be taken out of the way and then that lawless one that anomous one shall be revealed whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth v. 8. Looking for our Saviour Jesus Christ who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all Anomie Tit. 2. 11 to 14. which Anomie the Lord Jesus Christ hates Thou hast loved Righteousness and hated Anomie Heb. 1. 8 9 10. One great Article of the new Covenant is I will put my Laws into their minds and write them in their hearts which includes the whole Moral Law And another Article is Their Anomies I will remember no more Heb. 8. 10 12. Heb. 10. 16 17. And of old the Lord commanded That whatsoever he commanded his People they should observe to do it Thou shalt not add thereto nor dimish from it Deut. 12. 29 30 31 32. This Law is framed for the good of all and if all the Laws of all the Kingdoms of the World were lost the Ten Commands rightly understood in their true Extent and Latitude as explained in the Old and New Testament would revive and preserve the Duties men owe to God and due Bounds between Kings and their Subjects Ministers and People Husbands and Wives Masters and Servants Parents and Children and all Superiors Infeâ—iors and Equals whatsoever Which Law the Lord will magnifie â—nd make honourable Isa 42. 21. And the Ten Commands as â—hey are opened in the Scriptures do in general or particular Rules with great Justice and Equality resolve Cases as far beyond â—he Laws of Men as the Treasures of Wisdom in Christ are beâ—ond the depraved Wit of fallen Man And here I had thought to have inserted That See Charnock's Attrib fol. 612. â—he true Law of Nature in Adam is the Ten Comâ—andments A Preface to which Ten Commands commemorating and celeâ—rating the wonderful and famous Deliverance of the
Church of Christ by the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit out of Bonage in and under literal Aegypt we have in Exod. 20. 1 2. I had also thought upon the first Command to have shewn â—hat Faith in Christ though it be the Gift of Faith a Duty â—od Eph. 2. 8. as every other Grace is is a â—uty commanded This is his Command That we believe in his Son Rom. 16. 26. 1 John 3 23 24. And by our Lord Jesus Christ Faith is said to be one of the weightier matters of the Law Mat. 23. 23. The People asked Jesus What shall we do that we may work the works of God Jesus said This is the work of God that ye believe on him which he hath sent John 6. 22 28 29. And the Righteousness by the Faith of Jesus Christ is witnessed by the Law and the Prophets Rom. 3. 21. Which may also pass for a further Proof That the Moral Law still obliges under the Gospel I had also prepared a few Sheets upon the second Command to enquire Whether Forms of Worship graved printed or written not instituted by the Lord but invented by Man are Good Right True Spiritual Christian Worship and Whether forbidden by the Letter of the second Command in the word Pesel about which good Worship there is much in the Old and much in the New Testament As also If the Lord's Prayer were not for Secret Prayer Enter into thy Closet shut thy Door pray to thy Father in secret thy Father who sees in secret shall reward openly Mat. 6. 6 9. All in secret but the Reward which should be open As also about Right Singing from Eph. 5. 18 19. And to have enquired after the import of those words there Psalms If that mean Psalms in the Word Hymns if that mean occasional Singing by such as have that excellent Gift And Spiritual Songs if that mean Songs composed of Spiritual Matter for which the Scriptures are full to furnish the meanest Minister of Christ and others also and all without Rhime And something concerning the horrible Prophaners of God Name by swearing and cursing against the third Command Thâ— Lord will not hold them guiltless I had prepared also some Thoughts about the rest of the Commands and in particular about the fifth Command and thereiâ— about Monarchy but finding I have much to do to recover thâ— word Seventh i. e. one word in the fourth Command I haâ— at present left it out Now seeing Mat. 5. 17 18 19 and Luke 16. 17. do so confâ— the Decalogue how is it that it confirms all the Ten Commanâ— without exception and not the Seventh day which is a part the Decalogue and is a seventh part of Time and one Day of tâ— Week And why should we so hotly oppose it God has plaâ—ly prescribed that day why do we alter it The best Reaâ— that I can give is the marvellous Corruption that is in our Nature which doth incline us to be as Gods and to give Rules to the Divine Majesty and to all the World and puts us upon Pretences to be wiser than God And the earnestness which I find in some for the First day I ascribe to the looseness of others who were for the First day and for Sports and Pastimes also upon it and much to the force of Example and Education we have been long trained up in the observation thereof and so entertained strong Conceits that we are in the right and cannot yet be put out of it though when we are asked we can assign no Command from Christ or his Word for it and yet fiercely contend for it Which shews plainly that it is God's Work to convince the World of this Sin yet means may be used It has been acknowledged that the Advocates for the First day generally mean well but should remember that good Intentions when they run in any Channel besides the Word have been the occasion of bringing in Monkery many Ceremonies great Controversies Errors Divisions and some bloody Wars and many Mischiefs which from the Primitive Times to this day have afflicted and shaken the Churches from which after some years consideration I think there can be no deliverance but by a profeâ—â—ed returning to be ruled in all cases by the plain Word of Christ And Learned Excellent Commenius the only surviving Bishop Commenius if he be yet alive Bishop of Bohemia in his printed Exhortation to the Churches of England upon the Restitution of Charles the Second Ann. Dom. 1660 prophesies our Ruine upon this Rock whilst Christ in his Word teaches one thing and men teach another where he brings in the Lord protesting against us all as no Christians because we keep not the Commands of Christ and when he shall vouchsafe to raise up some Repairers of the Collapsed state of the Church he would haâ—e them give God this Honour to do nothing but according to the Prescript of his Will Exod. 25. 40. all to be after the Paâ—tern in the Mount and to take that for an everlasting Rule â—â— was not thus from the Beginning Mat. 19. 8. and to have a caâ—e that what is not of Divine Institution but contrary thereunto be taken away as a Plant not of the Father's planting Mat. 15. 13. and whatever is instituted by GOD but through Carelesness of Man neglected or hath by Guile been changed be restored Mat. 5. 17 18 19. This Book of Commenius was printed about 1660 upon the occasion of the late King's Restitution wherein as I think he plainly intimates the restoring the Instituted Sabbath by Guile changed but in such terms as Quarrelers might have no certain Advantage he drives at a more thorow Reformation than hitherto hath been in the Churches and to bring us back to the Times of the Apostles wherein consists the true Glory and Happiness of the Churches although Commenius in that same Book fol. 51 52 53 54 says The Custom of the Bâ—hemian Churches was to keep the Dominical day As for those Laws which we call Ceremonial I take them to teach and Command Faith in Christ who was veiled and hid under Typical Ordinances as Sacrifices and Altars which in their very Nature ceased to be farther literally observed when Christ the true Antitype was sacrificed for his People and Circumcision the Passover and the then Priesthood were by his Death taken away and Baptism the Lord's Supper and another more excellent Gospel-Ministry instituted Mat. 28. 19 20. And the Epistles especially that to the Hebrews do open much of the Mysteries of Christ and the many Benefits Believers in him do receive by the several old and new Ordinances now explaining one another and I suppose may be of use for convincing the Jews when their time of Conversion comes and the Law of Sacrifices does discover how Man was justified from the Guilt contracted by transgressing any of the Commands viz. by Christ typified by the Sacrifices and his Righteousness As the Judicials did shew how Transgressors
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-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-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-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
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
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-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-day Sabbaâ— whereof more hereafter But if Sunday were then observed bâ— any Christians any man may well affirm by such an Interpretation as some would make that those Scriptures do absolutely lay it aside and if Sunday were then laid aside it is wholly and for ever laid aside Ans 5. Or it may be those places may referr to some other Heathenish Holy-days and Bacchinals as well as to Sundays and to the Jewish Ceremonial Festivals which some then as now in compliance with those under whom or with whom they lived might observe and think themselves obliged so to do or to have a Liberty to observe without damage to that Liberty which Christ had purchased for them Col. 2. 14 but this is somewhat uncertain Ans 6. And that these Scriptures quoted out of Paul's Epistles were never meant by him to abolish the weekly Seventh-day Sabbath appears plainly from Paul's constantly keeping that day as his manner was Acts 17. 2 and every Sabbath Acts 18. 4 whereof before for no man can charitably think that Paul in â—his Epistles forbids all observation of any days whatsoever and so â—he weekly Seventh day Sabbath and yet that his own Practice â—hould be recorded by the Holy Spirit to be constantly as is mentioned Acts 17. 2 18. 4. Ans 7. And besides Who can possibly understand the many Expressions in his Epistles in such a sence wherein he commends â—e whole Law where he undoubtedly means the Moral Law â—s holy just and good a part whereof was the Seventh-day Sabâ—ath whereof also before Ans 8. The last Answer I offer to this Objection is taken â—om Mat. 24. 20 21 22 30 and the rest of that Chapter Pray â—at your flight be not in the Winter nor on the Sabbath day with â—hich you may compare Mark 13. 18 19 20 26 and the rest â—â— that Chapter First The soonest time that Flight could referr unto was the â—estruction of Jerusalem which was about Thirty eight years â—ter the Death of Christ which whether it were before or after â—â—ul's writing these Epistles which I think not much material do not certainly know But if the time of Flight there mentioned referred to the Season of any Desolations then and still yet to come then this Scripture in Matthew is the stronger for the Seventh-day Sabbath though I think it fully strong enough by referring to Thirty eight years after Christ's Death although divers Expressions in those Chapters of Matthew 24 and Mark 13 in my weak Opinion may and do referr to some other great Periods of Time and I think most certainly to Christ's second Coming Mat. 24. 29 30 Mark 13. 26 which answers the Question of the Disciples Mat. 24. 2 3. and it may be to some other times of great Trials which would come upon the Churches whereof one may not be far off but of that I have no certainty All which sences of longer Times will carry the Observation of the Seventh-day Sabbath till the Times there mentioned come which are not yet come But however that be I think it is agreed that Prophesied Flight was partly fulfilled upon the Romans besieging and taking Jerusalem about Thirty eight years after the Death of Christ and so the Sabbath by the Lord Jesus Christ in that express Text Mat. 24. 20 was not to be abrogated by his Death or Resurrection nor Thirty eight years after which I think is as much as to say Not at all as long as the World should last And whenever the Desolation Christ prophesied in that Chapter should
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
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-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
vowed to God that hereafter they would neither buy nor sell any thing upon the Dominical days unless perhaps Food and Drink to such as passed by They vowed also That of all things which they sold of the value of Five Shillings de singulis quinque salidatis rerum they would give a Farthing or a fourth part to buy a Lamp or Candle for the Church and for the burial of the Poor And for the collecting of this the aforesaid Abbot ordained to be made an hollow piece of Wood in all Parish Churches under the Custody of two or three faithful men where the People should cast in the fore-mentioned Brass The aforesaid Abbot also ordained that an eleemosynarie or Alms-dish or Platter should be daily had to the Table of the Rich in which they should send part of their Meats to the use of those who were Indigent who had not prepared for themselves Which in part was a very charitable Appointment And the same Abbot prohibited That none should buy or sell any thing or litigate in Churches or in the Church-Porch or Church-yardâ— Then the Enemy of Mankind envying these and other Admonitions of this Holy Man put into the Heart of the King and Princes of Darkness so it seems the King and Nobility of England did not keep Sunday at that time that they commanded That all who should keep or observe the aforesaid Traditions and chiefly all who had cast down the Market for things vendible upon the Dominical days should be brought to the King's Court or to the King's Examination to make satisfaction or purge themselves about observing the the Dominical day But our Lord Jesus Christ whom we ought to obey rather than men who illustrated or made famous and as exceedingly renowned dedicated unto himself this day which we call Dominical or Lord's day by his Birth and by his Resurrection by his Coming and by the sending the Holy Spirit upon his Disciples he raised up Miracles of his Virtue and thus manifested it upon some Transgressors of the Dominical day Upon a certain Sabbath after the ninth hour a certain Carpenter in Beverlac making a Wooden Pin against the wholsome Admonitions of his Wife being struck with a Palsie fell to the Ground And a certain Woman knitting after the ninth hour of the Sabbath i. e. after Three of the Clock upon Saturday whilst she was very anxious to knit out part of her Work falling to the Earth struck with a Palsie she became dumb And at Nasfortun a Village of Master Roger Arundle a certain man made for himself Bread baked under the Ashes upon the Sabbath day after the ninth hour and eat of it and reserved to himself part until the Morning which when he brake upon the Dominical day Blood came out of it And he that saw it hath given Testimony and his Testimony is true And at Wakefield upon a certain Sabbath when a Miller after the ninth hour endeavoured to grind his Corn suddenly in the place of Meal there issued out so great a stream of Blood that the Vessel put under was almost filled with Blood and the Mill wheel stood immoveable against the vehement impulse of the Water and those who saw marvelled saying Forgive Lord forgive thy People And in Lincolinsiria whether he mean Lincolnshire or what place else I cannot tell a certain Woman had prepared Dough or 〈◊〉 or Pudding pye which carrying to the Oven after the 〈◊〉 â—ur of the Sabbath she put it into a very hot Oven and 〈◊〉 she had drawn it out she found it not baked and she put it again into the Oven made very hot and on the morning and on Monday when she thought to have found the Bread baked she found the Dough or Pudding-pye unbaked Also in the same Province when a certain Woman had prepared her Dough willing to carry it to the Oven her Husband said to her It is the Sabbath and the ninth hour is now past let it alone until Monday and the Woman obeying her Husband did as he commanded and wrapt the Dough in Linnen and in the morning when she went to look to her Dough lest it should exceed the Vessel because of the Leaven put into it she found by the Divine Will Bread made thereof and well baked without material Fire This is a Change of the Right Hand of the Most High and although the Almighty Lord by these and other Miracles of his Power did invite the People to the observation of the Dominical day yet the People fearing more Kingly and Humane Power than Divine and fearing those more who kill the Body and can do no more than Him who after he hath killed the Body can send the Soul to Hell and fearing more to lose Earthly things than Heavenly and Transitories than Eternals Oh sad as a Dog to the Vomit returned to keep Markets of things saleable upon the Dominical days Haec ille This referrs to England so Scotland did not receive the Change till 1203 and the King and Princes of England would not then agree to change the Sabbath or keep Sunday by this Authority This was I think in the time of King John against whom the Popish Clergy had a great Pique as not favouring their Prelacy and Monks by one of whom he was poysoned So we have here an Authority and for Matter of Fact undedeniable for ought I know or can find of a Council held in Scotland for initiating that is for the first bringing in there the observation of the Dominical day i. e. the first day of the week or Sunday and the King Princes and People of England were then against observing Sunday That Kingdom of Scotland was Christian very early and generally received the Christian Religion about Ann. Dom. 435 as before and has this Honour that they were one of the last in this part of the World which admitted the First day and that was not till 〈◊〉 thousand Two hundred years after Christ And to Binius 〈◊〉 Hoveden and Matthew Paris and to the Records of that Kingdom of Scotland where so great a Transaction cannot probably be lost further Enquirers are referred Which Matter of Fact strikes off One thousand Two hundred years out of the Kingdoms of England and Scotland from the Sixteen hundred years universal Concurrence so confidently affirmed as before And take out 1201 out of 1690 and there remains 489. Which is a Prescription much too modern and weak to alter and lay aside a lesser matter than the ancient establish'd Law of God I may safely leave any Reader to make his own Inferences in so plain a case only there being here and afterward mention made of Judgments inflicted on such as violated the Dominical day this I may say of that though I doubt many supposed Judgments are mistaken wrested and misconstrued and the Instances before given may be better applied to Breakers of the Seventh day Sabbath than of Sunday they being Instances of Facts done about the ninth hour upon
Nor in the Eleventh Century only fol. 215 E one Humbert contended strongly That Christ eat the Passover the Fourteenth day of the Moon and not the Thirteenth Cent. 12. Fol. 660 We have Pope Paschal the Second Fol. 677 Pope Paschal the Third Antipope Cent. 13. Nor is there any thing considerable that I find of this Question in the Thirteenth Century He who will take the pains may find much more of this about Easter in Binius and in Magâ—eburgenses and in Eâ—sebius which I had also collected but upon further thoughts I think this sufficient The Difference that still remains about the time of observing Easter between Rome and those who with Rome observe the new stile and those Nations who observe the old stile shews that in this also one of them is an Error and I think they are both out as before Upon the whole of this matter it seems to Rome made the Alterations me the first Endeavour of Rome was to introduce without any Command from God the yearly observation of the Passover upon the First day of the week in the Spring which was about the Second and Third Centuries and then the weekly observing the First day instead of the Seventh all the year long and by degrees they introduced other yearly and weekly Feasts and Fasts the weekly Fasts are Wednesdays Fridays and Saturdays 〈◊〉 Saturday is their Lady Maries day the yearly Fasts are Leâ— and the Eves of Saints days Their weekly Feast is the First day their yearly Festivals are the Passover Pentecost Christmas and a multitude of Saints-days So a great part of the year is now all in Feasts and Fasts and the rest of the Fourth Command Six days shalt thou labour and do all that thou hast to do is in effect much lain aside also as well as the Seventh day for Rest such Confusion has Rome brought into the World for which I see no other total Cure but by laying all Additions aside and returning singly to the Law and Word of God And as I say to that about the First day the same I say to this of the Passover that neither one nor the other is commanded in the Word 't is I think evident they both come from Rome I know a little that whosoever varies from Peace and Truth other mens common Sentiments in matters of Religion in any one point he presently falls under Prejudice And because there have been many Errors and Heresies therefore the plainest Truths however confirmed by Christ and this Word become suspected plain Christians for fear of displeasing others are frighted from looking into the Scriptures and searching there whether things are so or no and so for Peace sake go on in ways of Sin because it is the common Road and Track of others whom they esteem and whose Kindness they endanger if they be not made Masters of their Faith and Practice which Peace is a great thing and carefully to be maintained but still so far as is consistent with Truth and Holiness and no further for otherwise the Reformed Churches had never put for nor obtained that great degree of Reformation which we have if they must for Peace sake have sate down contented without those Alterations wherein they now generally differ from the Church of Rome and we must contentedly have sate down under all Administrations as they are used in that Church without looking further if Peace had been a Rule abstracted from Truth and Holiness but in regard the Lord has made it the Duty of every Man and Woman to obey GOD rather than Man Acts 4. 19 and whatever others whether they be more or less say or do to the contrary that we must follow them so far and so far only as they are followers of Christ and no further 1 Cor. 11. 1. Eph. 5. 1. 1 Pet. 3. 13. And seeing that all our Thoughts Words and Actions should now be governed and shall at last be judged by Christ as our Judge and by his Law and Word as the Rule it behoves us not to reject any Light which he graciously offers to set us right in any part of his Will And as God of old reserved the more open giving restoring and divulging of his Law upon Mount Sinai and therein this Fourth Command to the time of his delivering his People Israel out of literal Aegypt whether he have not also reserved the calling the Western Churches and those of the Eastern Churches of Christ which have in any sort sucked in the like or any other Corrupt Alterations to the time of delivering his People out of spiritual Aegypt or thereabout I cannot tell but that he will some time or other restore the Knowledge and Practice of his Will in this I do the more expect because of his Promises by his Holy Spirit to teach us all things John 14. 26. And for that reason as I ought not to prescribe so I am indeed no Judge which time is fittest but do plead his Cause in my day as I think my Duty is and hold my self and all others bound to the observance of his Commands although I acknowledge great Imperfections in our Obedience to every one of the Commands which nothing can expiate but the perfect Righteousness of Christ I remember some had a desire to keep up Circumcision not fully understanding that God had abolish'd that Ceremony while Paul was clear in the Doctrine of laying it aside and it often comes to pass that God puts a Thought into our Mind that like a Sun-beam makes a Truth visible in a moment which before we could not discern The Holy Spirit divides to every man severally 1 Cor. 12. 11 as he will and distributes the Treasures of Evangelical Knowledge sometimes upon the meanest of Earthen Vessels and maketh use of one man in one and of another in another Case that none may Glory and all may see their Need of Him and of one another and may all be willing to receive all his Will As Christ is Lord of his Grace so he is Lord of his time when to dispence it and of persons to use whom he will about it Acts 17. 26. Quest 12. If the Seventh-day Sabbath were prophaned by the Church before the Coming of Christ and reformed And whether it be prophesied by any of the Prophets who should change the Sabbath in the Times of the Gospel Q. 1. If the Sabbath day were prophaned before Christ's Coming and reformed Ans The Restauration of the Jewish State after a long discontinuance of it was brought about and their Temple rebuilt by Nehemiah Governour under the King of Persia Nehem. chap. 1 to the 7th Chapter and when he had drawn Israels Princes Priests and People into an Oath to observe God's Commands and not to buy Wares on the Sabbath day Neh. 9. 38. 10. 28 29 31 he saw some who trod Wine-presses laded Asses brought in Sheaves Wine Grapes Figgs and Burthens into the City on the Sabbath day and the men
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
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-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-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-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-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