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

must be granted by them for undoubted truth then it is most certain that it must and did at its very first institution and observation begin and end at Evening not at morning or Midnight or b●cause Christ himself his Apostles and the Primitive Church did ever constantly observe this computation Therfore they would not did not institute any other beginning of it but this alone which reason in my poore weak apprehension is so solid that it admits of no evasion or reply Lastly That beginning and end of the Lords-day which the Church people of God in all ages from the first institution of the Lords-day to this present age have constantly observed and the Church and learned in those ages pofitively in expresse terms resolved to be most true and genuine is * questionless the proper infallible inception conclusion thereof This no man I presume either will or can deny But this beginning and ending of the Lords-day at Evening which I here pl●ad for is that which the Church and people of God in all ages from the first in stitution of the Lords-day to this present age have constantly observed and the Church and learned in those age have positively in expresse termes resolved to be most true and genuine none ●ver oppngning i● till q Wolphius about some sixty years since the first I find or hear of that broached ●● is new opinion of its beginning at morning because our Saviour did then rise again whose authority and sophisticall reason a meere Non sequitur as I shall prove anon hath s●duced and drawn over many unto his opinion both in their judgements and practise too Therefore it is questionlesse the proper infallible inception and Conclusion thereof The Minor which is onely liable to exception and may seem a Paradox to some who over-rashly stile this Position of the Lords-dayes beginning at Evening an upstart novelty never heard of in the Church of God till this present age in truth because th●mselves are ignorant in Antiquities and versed onely in late modern writers who fome●t the contrary Error which I da●e affirm to be the late sigment of some modern Auth●●u●s not once so much as heard of in any former ages which I here challenge them to disprove I shall make good by unanswerable Reasons and Authorities as I conceit them even from the very Apostles time to this present Century and that in a Chronologicall method beginning with the Primitive times and so descending in order to this present age It is a Querie not yet resolved amongst Divines when and by whom the observation of the Lords-day for a Sabbath was instituted Some hold it was instituted by Christ himself between his Resurrection and Ascension Others that it was instituted by the Apostles after Christe the Ascention but at what certain time they do not accord A third sort affirm that it was ordained onely by the Primitive Church and Christians a little after the Apostles times or as the * Council of Paris and others affirm by the Council of Laodicea about 360 yeares after Christ but not by Christ or his Apostles For my own part as I shall not peremptorily resolve in this place which of these opinions is the truest it being not the scope of this present discourse ●eferring you to Mr. Sprint Dr. Bownd Mr. Widly Mr. Dod Mr. Cleaver Mr. Bernard Dr. Twisse Bishop Andrews the Practise of Piety Mr. Elten and others who have written of this subject on the fourth Commandement for satisfaction herein which requires a particular Tract. So I shall on the other side positively affirm that let the Lords-day be instituted either by Christ himself or the Apostles or the Primitive Church and Christians succeeding next after the Apostles about the end of the first Century after Christ at which ti●e it is clear by the testimonies of Ignatius Clemens Alexandrinus Justin Martyr Tertullian Irenaeus Plinie and others that the Lords day was usally solemnized by Christians yet the fi●st Institutors of it and the Primitive Christians who first observed it did ever begin and end it at Evening which I shall make good by these reasons there being no direct convincing authority ●●●ant either when the Lords-day was first instituted or ●t what time it was first appointed to begin 1. If Christ or the Apostles constituted it for a Sabbath it is more then probable if not certain that they ordained it to begin and end at Evening 1. Because they being all Jews and ever exactly following the Scripture and their own Nationall account of commencing the day at Evening as I haue formerly euidenced we cannot conceive that they should institute any new beginning of the Lorde-day at Midnight or Moruing contrary to the Scripture and their received Count●ey account but that they still observed this usuall and divine computation even in the Institution and Solemnization of this day 2. Because this beginning of this day being immutable and in * God the Fathers power onely to alter not in theirs it had been a presumption in them to change it without a speciall Commission from him the times being still in his power even at Christs Ascension not in Christs or his Apostles Acts 1. 7. But we never read of any such Commission granted them to alter this day from Evening to morning therefore it is presumption yea folly to believe or assirm it 3. Because the Lords-day as all sides accord was instituted in memory of Christs resurrection on the first day of the week Now the first day as I have manifested began and ended at Evening in divine Evangelicall account even as our Saviours Resurrection day neither did his Resurrection on it alter its beginning from Evening to morning Therefore the Lords-day being but the first day of the week and having the same beginning and setting as Christs very resurrection day had must begin and end at Even at its Primitive Institution and observation neither did or could the Institution of the first day of the week for a Sabbath in memory of Christs Resurrection change the beginning of the day since Christs resurrection it self in the morning the supposed cause of this alteration did it not 4. Because Christ or his Apostles would never consecrate a day in memory of the Resurrection on it within the compasse of which day Christ did not rise again for that were a great absurdi●y But had they consecrated a Lords-day to begin at Morning from day-breaking or from the very time that Christ ar●se which is uncertain unknown and so this Lordsdayes beginning too they had instituted such a Lords-day within the compasse of which Christ did not rise he being risen before day-break whiles it was dark Matth. 28. 2. John 20. 1. and his Resurrection being but the point from which the day begins and so not within it on it but before it Therefore they instituted it to begin at Evening not at morning 5. It is certain that Christ himself his

Apostles and the Primitive Christians for some good space of time did constantly observe the seventh day Sabbath after Christs Passion and Resurrection the Evangelists and Saint Luke in the Acts ever stiling it the Sabbath-day which name it yet retains in * Latine and making mention of its conscionable solemnization by the Apostles and other Christians Mark 16. 1. Luke 23. 56. See Mark 15. 42. and Luke 23. 54. Matth. 24. 20. Acts 1 12. c. 13 14 27. 42. 44. c. 14. 1. c. 15. 20 21. c. 17. 1 2 10. and c. 18. 4. it being still solemnized by many Christians after the Apostles times even till the Council of Laodicea about the year of our Lord 360. as Ecclesiasticall writers and the 29th Canon of this Council testifie which runs thus ſ Quod non oportet Christianos Judaizare otiare in Sabbato sed operari in eodem die which many did refuse at that time to do Praeferentes autem in veneratione Dominicum diem there being then a great Controversie among Christians which of these two dayes the seventh day Sabbath or the Lords-day should have precedency t both of them being then observed by some si vacare voluerint ut Christiani hoc faciant Quod si reperti fuerint Judaizare Anathema sint à Christo Since thererefore the seventh day Sabbath was thus solemnized by Christ the Apostles and Primitive Christians after the resurrection till this Laodicean Council did in a manner quite abolish the observation of it it necessarily follows that they began their Lords-day celebration at Evening For the seventh day Sabbath as I have proved in the second Conclusion did ever begin and end at Evening and is so solemnized and begun by the Jews at this day Wherefore they concluding this day at Evening they must necessarily begin the Lords day then because the first day of the week which they celebrated as the Lords-day did then commence the Evening following the seventh day Sabbath being apart of it in their account and one day ever necessarily beginning when the other ends To these five Reasons I might adde those others formerly alledg●d to prove that the Lords-day ought to begin at Evening All which being laid together are an infallible proof that admit the Lords-day instituted by Christ and his Apostles yet it was ordained by them from the very first to begin and end at Evening and so to be solemnized and that themselves did thus begin it If it were onely instituted by the primitive Christians * succeeding them no question but they at first concluded that it should be sanctified from Evening to Evening many of them being Jews who kept all their Sabbaths and Festivals from Evening to Evening to whom the other Christians did readily conform in this particular because it was the Scripture computation even from the Creation and for other premised Reasons For the Apostles themselves and other Christians condescending to them for a time in the point of Circumcision Purification and other such Ceremonies quite abrogated by Christs death Acts 21. 20 to 28. 1 Cor. 9. 20. Gal. 2. 14 15. c. 6. 12. would certainly concurre with them in the beginning and ending of their Sabbaths and sacred festivities which were no wayes ceremoniall nor altered nor abrogated by Christs death From which premises I conclude that let the Lords-day be instituted when or by whomsoever yet it was ordained in its primary institution to be solemnized from Evening to Evening and that it was sanctified in this manner by its originall Institutors To put this out of question I shall descend from the alledged reasons to direct Authorities culling out some few of the chiefest in all ages and pretermitting all the rest for brevity sake I shall begin with the ancientest first and so proceed in order to our present times The first Authority I shall insist on is that of Acts 21. 7 8 11. which many object against me though it be most pregnant for me And upon the first day of the week when the Disciples came together to break bread Paul preached unto them ready to depart on the morrow and continued his speech untill Midnight And there were many lights in the upper chamber where they were gathered together c. When therefore he was come up again and had broken bread and eaten and talked a long while even till break of day so he departed This is the very first and best Scripture Authority properly alledged for the solemnization of the Lords-day by the Apostles and Christians of that age who began the celebration thereof at Evening not at morning or midnight as is plain by this Text 1. Because their solemnizing of it begun no doubt at that time when as they came together to break bread that is to receive the Sacrament as most or to keep their Agape or Love-feasts as others interpret it or rather in truth to do both But the Christians in that time did both celebrate the Sacrament and keep their Love-Feasts at u Evening in imitation of our Saviour who first instituted and kept the Sacrament at Evening after Supper Luke 22 20. John 13. 2 4. c. 21. 20. whence it is called the Lords Supper 1 Cor. 11. 20. See Luke 14. 12 16 17 24. Rev. 19. 9. 17. This is manifest by 1 Cor. 11. 20 21. When ye come together therefore into one place this is not to eat the Lords-Supper for in eating every one taketh his own supper and one is hungry and another is drunken Now this Text styling the Sacrament the Lords Supper and informing us that the Corinthians did usually receive it after they had eaten their own Suppers and that some were drunk when they came to receive it and in those times They that were drunk were drunk in the night 1 Thes. 5. 7. ascertains us that this their coming to receive the * Sacrament and keep their Love-feasts was at Evening or candletining when it was Supper time 2. Because the Text saith There were many lights in the upper room where they were gathered together and that Paul preached from the time of their coming together till midnight Both which do manifestly declare their Assemblies begun at Evening as they anciently did because there were many lights in the room where they met which were lightted as the Text insinuates before or so soon as they assembled in it and because it is not probable that Paul who begun his Sermon when they came together as the words imply did preach from Midnight or the morning before till midnight following there being never such a Sermon heard of but onely from Candle tining till midnight the space of four or five hours 3. Because the Christians in the next succeeding ages as is manifest by y Plinie and z Tertullian did begin their Christian meetings and Love-feasts at Evening whence they likewise stiled them a Supper which Tertullian thus describes Coena nostra de nomine rationem suam

night not for the next naturall day which begins at Evening but the next artificiall day of twelve houres day light which begins at Morning In this sense it is used most commonly in Scripture witnes Levit. 22. 30. When ye will offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the Lord a● your own will on the same day it shall be eaten up ye shall leave none of it untill the morrow compared with Levit. 7. 25. which speaking of the same offering saith He shall not leave any of it till the morning See Exod. 12. 10. c. 16. 19 23 24. where there is the same expression In which Texts the Morrow is nothing else but the morning following for had this offering been at Evening or night when the naturall day begins in Scripture accompt yet they might not have reserved any of it till the Morning for that had been to morrow as morrow is opposed to the night not to the naturall day So in 1 Sam. 19. 11. Saul sent Messengers to Davids house that night to watch and to slay him in the morning and Michall told him saying if thou save not thy life to night to morrow thou shalt b● slain Where morrow is not put for another naturall day that morrow in Scripture and the Jews account being part of that naturall day of which this night was the beginning but onely for the day-light or artificiall day being the same naturall day on which these words were spoken Thus it is used in 2 Sam. 11. 9 12 13 14. Esther 2. 14. So Zeph. 3. 3. Her Judges are Evening-wolves they gnaw not the bones till the morrow that is till the morning following And Acts 23. 31. 32. Then the Souldiers took Paul by night and brought him to An●ipatris on the morrow they left the horsemen to go with him In all which places the morrow is put onely in opposition to the preceding night and for the day light following which night and morrow make up the same naturall day not for the beginning of the next en●uing naturall day or for another day Hence the Scripture useth this phrase The morrow after that day or after the Sabbath Levit. 23. 11 15. Josh 5. 12. 1 Chron. 29 21. because there is a morrow opposed to the night wherein a thing is done or spoken which is a part of the same naturall day that the night is In this sence morrow must needs be taken here for this meeting beginning but at night and Paul continuing his Preaching untill midnight following ready to depart on the morrow this morrow was nothing but the next morning which was a part of that fi●st day on which the disciple met as it was a naturall day consisting of twenty four houres and beginning but that Evening not another day of the week or our Monday morning as some affirm This morrow therefore being but the next morning and opposed to the night onely not to the naturall day on which this Assembly was kept at Troas and this night being part of the fi●st day of the w●ek which as a natural day in Scripture accompt b●gan at Evening could be no other but the Lords-day morning not the Monday following and this meeting ●s the promised Reasons prove could be no tim● else but our Sa●u●day night notwithstanding this O●j●ction So that I may safely conclude that Saint Paul and the Christians of Troas the fi●st solemnizers of the Lords-day that we ●ead of did begin its solemnization at Evening not at morning or Midnight Wherefore we ought to begin it then This is my first Authority in point of practise to prove that the Primitive Christians began the Lords-dayes sanctification at Evening My next evidence is that of a Plinie the second who writes thus to the Emperour Trajan concerning the time and manner of the Christians solemnization of the Lords day Soliti erant STATO DIE ANTE LUCEM CONVENIRE carmenque Christo quasi Deo dicere secum invicem Seque SACRAMENTO non in scelus aliquod astringere sed ne furta ne latrocinia ne adulteria committerent ne fidem fallerent ne depositum appellati denegarent c. By which it is evident that the Christians in that age a time of persecution and after ages too did b usually meet together to receive the Sacrament and perform their holy Exercises at night when it began to grow dark and concluded them at day-light or about day-break as the disciples did at Troas Acts 20. 7. to 12. which Assemblies some Ecclesiasticall Histories call Antelucani coetus Night-Assemblies or meetings before day light not because they began in the morning about day-break as some would have it but because they both began and ended be●ore day-dawning the Christians in that time of persecution not daring to meet publickly in the day time for fear of apprehension Now this set night on which they kept those Assemblies was not our Sunday but our Saturday night on which our Saviour arose whiles it was dark and in Honour of his Resurrection did they begin and keep their Lords-day solemnization on this night not the night ensuing as is evident by Justin Martyrs second Apology with other ensuing testimonies And these their night conventions were the Occasion of those slanderous imputations which the Gentiles cast upon the Christians c that after their Exercises of Religion ended they did use to put out the lights used to expell the darknesse of the night Acts 20. 8. and then couple promiscuously one with another yea murther and eat up children and commit all manner of villany Since therefore they began their Lords-day exercises at Evening before day light began as this Heathen Authour and all Ecclesiasticall Historians writing of this age accord we need not doubt but the day in their acc●mpt did then begin since they would not begin the exercises of the day till in truth it began My third Authority is that of Tertullian about 200 years after Christ in his A●ol●gy for the Christians c 38 39. the words whereof I have already alledged and de Corona militis c. 3. where he writes thus Eucharistiae Sacramentum in tempore victus mandatum à Domino ANTELVCANIS CAETILVS nec de aliorum manu quam praesidentium sumimus wch expresly shews that the Christians of that age did begin their publick Lords day meetings and Love feasts in the Evening and spending the Saturday night as we falsly deem it in Gods worship receiving the Sacrament and other holy duties which night assemblies he stiles b Nocturnae Convocationes because they spent the greatest part of that night in them nocturnae properly not morning or early risings and mee●ings before day but a watching or fitting up all night without going to bed or taking rest as the common proverb Nocturnae lucubrationes periculosissimae sunt compared with its opposite Adagie Diluculo surgere saluberimum est and Isa. 30. 29. Luke 2. 8. c. 5. 5. c. 6. 12. John 3.

cited at large because they are punctuall the books unknown to most and ●ully manifest the Doctrine and practise of the Church of England in that and former ages to be fully consonant to my opi●ion though now out of ignorance of Antiquity r●puted a strange unheard of Novel●y by ●ome who repute themselves no mean Rabbies and scorn the Title of Ignoramus wherewith they upbraid all Lawyers though more knowing more learned than many of themselves 30. To these I could h●ve added sundry others but to avoid prolixity I shall onely remember the names and works of some late Authors from Anno 1100. till this present who expressely resolve That the Lords-day begins and concludes at Evening N●● to mention Juo Carnoten-Gratian Alexander A●ensis Radulphus T●ngrensis Barthol●mae-Brixiensis Joannis de Thiery Antonius de Brutio Gulielmus Lindwood Joannis de Aton Laurentius Surius or Laurentius Bechellus who all concurre in this opinion in their f●re-named works where the precedent Canons and Decrees are registred I shall onely refer you to Thomas Aquinas in 3. Sentent Distinct 37. Art 5. Distinct 11. qu. 2. Art 2. qu. 3. ad 2m 2a s●cundae qu. 122. art 4. Tostatus Abulensis in in Exod. c. 20. qu. 12. Hostiensis sum l. 2. Tit. de Feriis sol 142. Joannis de Burgo Chanceilour of Cambridge in Henry●he sixth his raign Pupilla oculip●rs 9. c 6. de Feriis B. E. Baptista Trouomala in his Summa Rosella Tit. Feriae sect 4 5. Angelus de Clavasio in his Summa Angelica Tit. Dies sect. 1. Cavarruvius l. 4. c. 13. Tom. 2. with all other Canonists in the titles De Feriis Diehus Festis who all resolve in these very p●●si●ive terms Abstinendum est ab op●ribus omni die Dominica Ab Hora D●ei Sab●●ti vespertina inchoando non ipsam Ho●am praeveniendo Quod feriation●m diet Sabbati tenere d●bemus à vespera ad v●speram sci●icet ab ultima parte diei praecedentia vigiliae Quod dies quoad celebration●m divinaerum consideratur de vespera in vesperam and That the whole day is to be wholly dedicated to God and spent in his Service and Worship Which resolution is likewise seconded by Fridericus Lindebrogus in his Glossarium in Cod Legum Antiquarum Tit. Dominicus dies by learned Hospinian de origine Festorum fol. 31. 68 69 70. 161 162. by Mr. Sprint in his Treatise of the Sabbath with a sundry others Wherefore I shall close up these authorities with that of Jacobus de Graffiis Decisionum aurearum casuum Conscientiae Pars 2. lib. 2. c. 13. De Diebus Festis sect. 8. 9 10. p. 136 137. Qua ad feriationem INCIPIT DIES VESPERA PRAECEDENTI ET FINITUR IN SEQUENTI VESPERA c. Igitur SECUNDUM SCRIPTURAM ET ECCLESIAM FESTUM INCIPIT IMMEDIATE POST OCCASUM SOLIS DIEI PRAECEDENTIS USQUE AD OCCASUM SOLIS DIEI FESTI Igitur ex his colligitur QUOD NULLA CONSUETUDO POTEST EXCUSARE LABORANTES SABBATO POST OCCASUM vel in praecipuis solemnitatibus CUM FIAT CONTRA JUS DIVINUM For which he quotes Pisanus verbo Feriae as concurring with him From all which expresse concurring authorities which none ever contradicted before Wolphius for ought that can be proved to which I might subjoin the opinions and practise of Mr. Cotton Mr. Hooker with sundry other Ministers and Churches in New England I hope I may safely conclude That the Church and people of God together with the Fathers Councels and learned of all ages from the very first institution of the Lords day to this present have constanly resolved both by their Writings and practise too that the Lords-day doth and ought of right to begin and end at Evening not at Morning or Midnight and that all former ag●s have thus constantly solemnized it as all these severall Testimonies clearly manifest beyond all contradiction or dispute I have now I hope by all the premises sufficiently proved the truth of this Posi●ion That the Sabbath and Lords-day doth and ought of right to begin and end at Evening not at Morning or Midnight and manifested it to be the resolved Doctrine and constant practise of all fotmer age There is nothing now remaining but that I should answer those Pretences or Ojections which are or may be made against it and take off one Cavill which may be made against some of the premises when this is dispatched the truth will be most perspicuous so that none can further doubt or question it as I suppose for the future The Arguments produced for the proof of the adverse opinions or rather onely for one of them to wit that the Lords-day begins and ends at morning are six which I shall answer in order The first of them is this That what the Law of nature setled for a time to wit that the Sabbath and other dayes should begin at Evening * that Christs Resurrection a part of his Redemption hath now changed to the morning the work of redemption being far more excellent than the work of Creation Which if we reduce to a Logicall Argument is but this Christs Resurrection a part of his Redemption is more excellent than the work of Creation Ergo it changed the beginning of the Lords day and by consequence of all other dayes from Evening to Morning To which I answer 1. It is very dangerous unsafe for any Mortalls to make comparison between the glorious works actions attributes and ordinances of Almighty God and to prefer one of them so highly before the other as many do without an expresse warrant from God himself in his word which hath been the cause of many a grosse errors and practises amongst Christians I grant the work of Christs Redemption is a most glorious work and signal testimony of Gods transcendent love to the world of Gods elect and redeemed ones John 3. 16. Rom. 5. 8. Ephes. 2. 4 5. c. 5. 2. 25. 2 Thes. 2. 16. Rev. 1. 5. But was not his creating of us in holynesse and righteousnesse after his own image and likenesse as transcendent an act of love as this Gen. 1. 26 27. Psal. 8. No doubt it is 2. That no Scripture to my best observation prefers or advanceth the work of Redemption much lesse our Saviours Resurrection from the dead on the first day being but one part or branch thereof before the work of Creation both these works being very great and glorious in themselves wherefore I cannot believe the work of Redemption or Christs Resurrection alone to be more excellent and glorious than the work of Creation without sufficient Texts and Scripture grounds to prove it but may deny it as a presumptuous fancy or unsound assertion till satisfactorily proved as well as peremptorily averred without proof 3. If such comparisons may be admitted or made without presumption in my apprehension Gen. 1. and 2. compared with Psalm 8. Psal. 104. Psal. 19. 1. 2 9. Psal. 95. 6 7. Psal.