The Doctrine of the Sabbath, Chapter 13
CHAP. 13.
THE First which is the maine foundamentall argument, is drawn from the foundation upon which God hath from the beginning builded and surely setled the weekly Sabbath.1 Argument. It is a thing most certaine and undeniable, that whatsoever things are inseperably joyned & cleaue fast together, they stand & move together, the one cannot moue to any place, but the other of necessity must moue with it.
Whatsoever is firmly s…tled on a rock and inseperably fastened to it, & founded on it, must needes moue with the rock and cannot moue to any place but where the rock is moved, upon which ground I argue thus: That which is from the beginning founded upon Christ, and so surely setled and firmly builded vp…n him by God, the founder of al things, that cannot be seperated, it must needs moue and chaunge the place with Christ, and cannot be moved, nor chaunge and remove to any place but onelyonly to that which Christ is removed. The weekly Sabbath from the first institution is founded by God, firmly builded and sure setled upon Christ the redeemer, and is in seperably joyned to him. There…ore it cannot move nor chaunge the place, nor be remoued from the seventh day to any other day of the weeke, vnlesse Christ the Redeemer change his day and moue together with it, and if he doth chaunge his solemne day, it must needes be chaunged and removed with him to the same day. The proposition is undeniable: the assumption also J hauehave fully proved before, in the laying open the grounds of the Sabbath: and therefore the conclusion is a most manifest truth. That whensoever Christ chaungeth his day and chooseth another, the Sabbath must needes bee chaunged to the same day. Which conclusion fully proved I lay it down for a good ground and argue thus upon it.
That day which Christ leaveth and passeth from it vntounto another, which he chooseth for his speciall and particuler day. From that day the Sabbath also is chaunged and moved, and the other day which Christ hath chosen becoms also immediatly the particular day of the holy weekly Sabbath. Now the seventh day which was the speciall day of Christ in the old Testament, because on it Christ was promised a Redeemer of the world, and did first undertake openly and actually to mediate for man, is now ceased to be Christs peculier day, he hath left it, & hath chosen the first day, and made that his speciall and peculiar day aboue all other daies of the weeke, when in it he got the victory ouer death, and by his resurrection entered into his glory and eternall rest; and of a redeemer in promise, became a redeemer indeed & fully perfected mans redemption. Therefore ever since hath the weekely Sabbath beene removed to the first day, and that is the peculiar day of the weekely Sabbath.
Secondly, that God did from the beginning purpose in himselfe,2 Argument. and by many evidences did declare his intent, to chaunge the Sabbath from the seventh to the first day, & also in the first institution of the Sabbath, and in the giuing of his law for the keeping of it, did intend to bind us under the Gospel to the keeping of our weekly Sabbath on the first day of the weeke, as he bound the fathers to the seventh day in the Old Testament. J proue from the determinate counsell and forknowledge of God concerning the chaunges which he foreknew and determined to bring to passe, in the foundation, groundes, and prerogatiues of the Sabbath from the seventh to the first day of the week: It is a thing which all men who hauehave any true knowledge of God must needes know and acknowledge for an undoubted truth: that God whose wisedome is infinit, and his wife providence ordereth and disposeth all things, doth never any thing in vaine, he never laies the foundation in any place but there also he intends the building, he never brings in the proper causes any where, or in any time, but then and there he intends to bring in & to produce the proper effects of them, and whatsoever commandement God giues to men to performe some speciall duty upon some speciall grounds, and for some singular causes, occasions & reasons, by that commandement he binds them to performe the duty whensoever and whersoever he shewes the grounds and reasons to them, and giues and offers the causes and occasions.
So that if it be made to appeare unto us, that now under the Gospel, God had according to his owne determinat counsell and forknowledge chaunged the foundation of the weekly Sabbath, and removed it & all the grounds, reasons, accasions, and praerogatiues of it, from the seventh day to the first which is the Lords day, we must needs see and acknowledge, that it was the Purpose, minde, & will of God to make the Lords day our weekly Sabbath, and in his giving of the first law of the Sabbath, which in the maine substance of it is perpetuall, to binde all his people after the full exhibition of Christ to the last resurrection to keep the Holy weekly Sabbath on that day onelyonly.
Now these things may sufficiently appeare by the opening and proving of divers things befor, which I hauehave observed out of this text, & by urging & pressing them home to this present purpose a little more fully here againe I shall put them out of all doubt and question, and make them manifest & clear to al who do not wilfully shut their eares against the truth. First, that the foundation of the Sabbath is Christ the Redeemer, & that all the true & proper grounds, reasons and occasions, of keeping one day in every week Holy to the Lord, are only to be found in Christ and came in with him, as I hauehave before fully proued. And as God first promised Christ to come the seed of the woman, for the Redemption of mankind, & Christ did undertake for man to mediate for him on the first seventh day of the world, and thereupon that day was sanctified to be the weekly sabbath: So God had in his immutable counsell determined to exhibit Christ a perfect Redeemer, & by him to perfect mans redemption on the first day of the weeke, and so to remoue Christ the foundation from the seventh day of the weeke, to the first day, together with all other grounds, reasons, occasions & prerogatiues of the Holy Sabbath. What greater chaunge could be or ever was hard of in Christ the maine foundation both of the Sabbath & of the vniuersall Church, then when of a redeemer promised on the seventh day, and so continuing all the time of the old Testament while the fathers beleeued onelyonly in him promised & not yet come. He became a Redeemer fully exhibited in his resurrection on the first day of the week & changed the state of the Church: and bringing her from the Nonnage and childish estate of bondage vnderunder the rudiments of the world, and legall rites, & carnall ceremonies, to the fulnesse of her time which God had appointed, & to her full age in the new testament. And hereby that first day of the weeke became the chiefest day of the Lord Christ, even his speciall & particular day, & came to hauehave all the subordinat groūds & high prerogatiues of the Sabbath. For in it God perfected his worke which he had made in the creation by the worke of redemption, not promised & undertaken onlie, as in the seventh day, but by a better kind of perfecting and ending, even by redemption fullie finished, on that daie Christ rested from that greater worke of redemption, & declared by his resurrection, that he had made ful satisfaction for mankind to the justice of God, & that God rested in his satisfaction, now actually made & performed, by a more excellent manner of resting then that wherwith he rested on the seuenth, in that satisfaction only undertaken & promised, on that day Christ gott the victory over death, hell, sin, the world & the Devill, and becomming immortall not subject to die, or suffer any more, entered into the glorious state of exaltation and into his eternall rest, and made way for men to that eternall rest wherof the Sabbath is both a liuely pledg, & also a powerfull meanes to fit men for it. And in al these respects God blessed the first day of the week, with a blessing farre aboue his blessing of the seventh day, for that was the promise & undertaking only, this was the performance & perfecting of redemption: & therfore so farre excels that, as the giuing of a great guift & perfecting of a worke exceeds the promise of that guift & undertaking of that worke. Now that that this remouing of the maine foundation of the weekly Sabbath, together with the subordinat grounds, occasions & prerogatiues of it, from the seventh day to the Lords day; the first of the weeke, came to passe by the determinate counsell, foreknowledge and providence of God, and that from the beginning and in the first giuing of the law of the weekely Sabbath, God did purpose and intend this chaunge, it appeares most plainly by diuers reasons. First because God is no idle spectator, but the provident Lord & disposer of all things, which come to passe in the world, & nothing can come to passe but so as he hath appointed, and in the time & season which he hath determined.
The flood and generall deluge by which the old world was destroyed, came to passe in the very yeare and day which God had prefixed, & did for tell to Noah one hundred and twenty yeares before. The end of Jsraell peregrination and servitude in Egypt, came to passe just at the end of foure hundred and …hirty yeares, in the same day which God had determined, & foretold to Abraham. Exod. 12.41. and so the deliverance of the Isralites out of captiuity, and the decree for their return came out at Gods appointed time, which he had foretold by Ieremiah the Prophet. Dan, 9.2 23. And the particular time of Christs satisfaction and attonement for sinne, and bringing in of eternall righteousnesse, was determined by God, and came to passe at the end of the seventy sevens of yeares, as it was revealed to Daniell in the same Chap. 24. ver. And in a word the very time of Christs resurrection, by the virtue whereof we are fully redeemed and shall in our verie bodies be raised vp to life eternall, and rest in glorie, as the Apostl… testifies. Rom. 6.5. 1 Cor. 15.13.21 Philip. 3.10. & 1 Pet. 1.3. It was determined by God befor the foundation of the world, as the words of St Peter do shew. 1 Pet. 1.2. Secondly; God in the very creation & from the first beginning of the world, did foreshew that he had a purpose to honour the first day of the weeke aboue all the other daies, and to make it the Lords day and Christian sabbath by the resurrection of Christ. In that he made it the first fruites of time, and in it created the highest heaven, the place of the eternall Sabbath, and brought forth the light of this inferiour world, by which naturall prerogatiues he made this day the fittest of all daies of the weeke, to be the day of Christs resurrection, wherein he the sun of righteousnesse & light of the world, rose up with healing in his wings, and became the first fruites of them that sleepe, and by virtue whereof he will bring the faithfull into the eternall rest, wherof the weekly Sabbath is a pledge & will make them partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light, as the Scriptures testifie 1 Cor. 15.20. & Coloss. 1.12.
VponUpon these premises before proved at large, and here againe pressed home to the purpose. The conclusion followeth necessarily: That it was the purpose, intent and will of God to make the first day of the weeke, the Lords day and the Christian Sabbath, and in the first institution of the Sabbath. and by his first law of the Sabbath (which in the maine substance of it is perpetuall) to binde all his people in the time of his glorious Gospell, to observe that day onelyonly for their holy weekly Sabbath; vntill they come to that wherof the Sabbath is a liuely pledge, even the eternall rest of glory in Heaven.
3 Argument.Thirdly whatsoever tends most to the perfect fullfilling of any speciall law and commandement of God given to men, and is manifestlie made known to man to be most agreeable to Gods will revealed in that law, and to the endes and uses which God openly pretendeth therein, that man is chiefly bound to do by that law and commandement. This is a most certaine and undoubted truth. For Gods generall commandement is, that we louelove him with all our heart, and worship and serve him with all our soule and all our strength. Deut. 6; 5. & Mat. 22.37.
Now the will of God revealed in this first institution, and sanctifying of the sabbath, and in the fourth Commandement of the law, is often repeated & urged by Moses & the Prophets, is more perfectly fulfilled in the right sanctification of the Lords day vnderunder the Gospell, then it was in the observatiō of the sevēth the sabbath of the old Testament, & whatsoever necessary duty God in the law of the sabbath requireth of mā from the beginning, Or whatsoever end and use he openly pretendeth, his law of the keeping of the holy sabbath that is more fully obtained, effected, and brought to passe by an holy sanctification of the Lords day, and by keeping it an holy Sabbath to the Lord now vnderunder the Gospell. Therefore by the law of the sabbath given at the first, and by the fourth commandement, it is repeated and explaned, Christians are bound to to keepe the Lords day which is the first of the weeke for their weekly S…bbath.
If any man doth make doubt of the assumption in this Syllogisme. It is easily proved by a particular enumeration, both of the particular substanciall and necessary duties which Gods word requires in the Sabbath: and also of the ends and uses for which God requires an holy sabbath to be kept every seventh day.
The First maine dutie from which the seventh day requirs the name of Sabbath, is rest and cessation from all worldly labours, pleasures and delight, wherein man is to withdraw his mind from worldly cares and secular affaires, which concern this fraile earthly life, and is to giuegive rest and refreshing to his owne body, and to the bodies of his children, servants straungers, and toyling cattell as appeares. Exod. 20.10. Isa 58.13.
And the proper end and use of this rest is. First to admonish man that he must not place nor seeke felicity in this world, nor since his fall and breaking of the Covenant of workes by his disobedience, hope for any happinesse or felicity either here or else where to be purchased by his owne workes of righteousnesse, which he either is, or was able in the first creation to performe in his owne person. Secondly to shew that Gods just wrath appeased by C…rist, and the sting of death and the curse and bitternesse of mans sorrowes, and toilsome laboures which God imposed on him for his transgression, is taken away, and God will not hauehave his people to torment their bodies which continuall toile, and painfull labour, but to ease and refresh themselves with a weekly rest. Thirdly to make men take notice that God hath a provident and fatherly care of his creatures both men and beasts, hates all mercilesse cruelty, & oppression of their very bodies, and will hauehave them so refreshed & eased that they may last the longer, and goe cheerfully through their weeklie labours.
Fourthly, to shew that in Christ vponupon whom the Sabbath is founded, there is spirituall rest and ease and refreshing of the soul, from the heavie burden of sinne, and the miser…es of sinne, to be found of all them who being heavy laden do flee to him, and in him place their hope and confidence.
Fif…ly, to put in mind of Gods resting in Christs mediation from the worke of creation, and that he hath wholy given over all purposes and thoughts of repairing the world, and restoring man fallen and corrupted by any worke of creation, and hath set his mind on another kind of worke, even the work of redemption by Christ, and the new creation of heavenly spirituall and supernaturall graces and perfections in men by his holy spirit.
Sixthly, to be a signe and memoriall of Christ his full perfecting of the worke of mans redemption, and of his perfect satisfaction made to the justice of God for fraile sinfull men.
Lastly to be a token and pledge of the eternall rest in heaven, and of the Sabbathisme which after the labours and troubles of this life, the elect and faithfull people of God shall enjoy for ever in the world to come.
Now there is no day in all the weeke, in which this first maine dutie of the Sabbath can be well be performed, for the ends and uses, as on the Lords day which is the Christian Sabbath. The seventh day never yeelded halfe so much light & helps to Gods people in the old Testament for these purposes, as the Lords day doth to us vnderunder the Gospell. For the Lords day in which Christ arose from death, and entered into his glorie, and perfected the worke of Redemption, It discovers Christ the maine foundation of all rest, & even of the Sabbath it selfe more plainly unto us, and in it being bewtified and adorned with so manie blessings and prerogatives which Gods word gives to it, wee may as in a cleare glasse see and behold Christ with open face, we see in his resurrection Gods justice fully satisfied, his wrath appeased, redemption fully perfected, Gods resting in Christ mediation, eternall rest purchased by Christ for us, and gained to himselfe, & heaven opened unto us, & sin, death and hell already ouercome and conquered. And therfore there is no day by many degrees, soe fit as this day of Christs resurrection to make us rest comfortably in our bodies and minds from worldly cares, and bodilie l…boures, and in our soules and consciences from the burden of sinne and the guilt thereof. No daie or time can so plainly shew vntounto us, that our fellicity is not in this world, nor to be obtained and purchased by the righteousnesse of our owne workes. This sets before us Christ raised for our justification. This shews Gods aboundant mercy and compassion …o us, and that hee hates all cruelties and oppressions. And this is a speciall meanes to bring us to the assurance of the blessed hope and eternall rest reserved in Heaven for vsus. And therfore the first maine duty with all the partes thereof, and the speciall endes and uses of it, are more fully performed and obtained in the observation of the Lords day for the Holy weekly Sabbath, then they possibly can be now by vsus, or could be of old on the sabbath of the seventh day, by the fathers in the old Testament.
The second maine duty of the Sabbath is sanctifying and keeping of it holy to the Lord, which comprehends in it many speciall and particular duties. 1. Setting of their affections even their joy and delight wholy vponupon God and heavenly things. 2. Honouring & worshipping of God, in their hearts with holy thoughts and meditations, by their lipps with holy prayers, praises, and thanksgiuing, in their outward actiōs by preaching, hearing, reading, & repeating of Gods word, and solemne commemoration of his promises, mercies and blessings in the word and sacraments. 3. Teaching and learning all holy duties which tend to bring vsus nearer to God in Christ. 4. Offering spirituall sacrifices to God of sweet sauour, such as are almesdeedes & works of mercy and charity, wherby others may be made to tast of Gods goodnesse and stirred up to laud and praise his name.
All these are comprehended vnderunder the maine duty of sanctifying the holy Sabbath which the Lord commands expresly in the law, and they are commended to vsus by the Prophet. Isa. 56.4. & 58.13. And the proper end and use of this duty and all the partes thereof, is. First to make vsus set our affections on things which are aboue and not on things below, and to stirre us up to seeke eternall life and heavenly happinesse in Christ onelyonly, and in him crucified and raised up.
Secondly, to continue and increase in fraile men the knowledge and memory of Christ, and of the way to eternall life and blessednesse in him, which without keeping holy of a weekly Sabbath, would faile & cease among the sonnes of men.
Thirdly, to begit and increase true grace and holinesse in men by exercising holy duties of religion; and so to bring them by justification & adoption to the right of inheritance in Heaven, and by sanctification to fit them for the possession of it. Now the observation of the Lords day, in which Christ arose is such as may far more powerfully & effectually moue men to the performance of these duties, & lead men more directly to the proper end and use of them, then the old Sabbath of the the seventh day, either now can, or of old could do when it was most in force. For it had no other light or life in it, but onelyonly from obscure promises, and darke shaddowes through which Christ was seene as things farre off are seene, and in the starre light nights. But the Lords day the first day of the weeke, hath light and life from the sun of righteousnesse Christ who in it rose up, and to be the light of life to all nations, & hath brought life & immortallity to light by the Gospell, and discovered to us the kindnesse and louelove of God & the riches of his goodnesse, in giving grace and shedding his spirit on us abundantly here, and so fit us for glorie hereafter. And therefore this day must needes be of great force and power, farre ab…ve the seventh day, to make men set their affections on God and heavenly things, especially upon the inheritance incorruptible and undefiled which fadeth not away: reserved in heaven for us, unto which God hath begotten us by the resurrection of Christ from the dead. 1. Pet. 1.3. It is also powerfull and excellent to incite and stirr us up to honour God in our hearts, by the due consideration of his goodnesse and merciemercy. Also it much furthereth us to proclaime the high praises of our God, and kinge, and to make prayers and supplications to him. Besides to make us helpfull unto others, in seeking after their salvation. And thus we may see what are Sabbath duties, even the workes of piety, mercy, charitie, &c. pleasing to God, and by which others may be brought to joyne with us, in lauding and praising God, and we our selves fitted for glorie.
VponUpon …hese points so fullie proved. The conclusion followes necessarilie: that the law by which God first instituted the Sabbath on the first s…venth day of the world, doth binde us under the Gospel to keepe the Lords day for our weeklie Sabbath.
Argum.Fourthly, that day which God hath made, most Honourable, and hath given it a most Honourable name and title aboue all the daies of the week, to that he hath given the prerogatiue to be the weekly Sabbath & hath made it his day of Holie rest. For it is a property of the sabbath, to be the Lords Holy and Honourable day, as the Evangellicall Prophet Isaiah shews. Jsa 58.13. & making of it Hono…able, is making of it the Sabbath. Now the first day of the weeke is the day which God hath Honoured aboue all daies, by the glorious victorie of Christ, ouer death and over all enemies, and powers of darknesse, and to it he hath given the most Honourable, name and title: For the holy evangelist and divine Apostle S. Iohn, who was the intimate, beloved, and bosome Disciple of the Lord, and did best know his minde cals it the Lords day. Revel. 1.10. that is, the day which the Lord hath made the day of great joy & gladnes to his people, as David foretold. Psa. 118. which day the Lord Christ hath appropriated to himselfe, & his honour, & Honoured with his own name, as he is the Lord God, one Iehovah with the father. For the Greeke word (foreign) Lord, is in respect of the roote from whence it is deriued the same in signification, with Gods proper name Iehovah, and most commonly in the new Testament, is used to expresse that sacred name. Therefore it is now under the Gospell made by God himselfe the weekly Sabbath.
The Fifth argument is grounded upon the wordes of our Saviour. Math. 12.8. & Mark. 2.27·28. Where he saith, that the Sabbath was made for man, and not man, for the Sabbath. Therefore he, even as he is the sonne of man, or God made man, is the Lord of the sabbath.
The first clause, to weet: (the sabbath was made for man,) notes out vntounto us two things. 1. That the Sabbath was first instituted for man, even by reason of the sonne of God promised to become man, and so he is the foundation of it. 2. That it was made for man, that is, for the man Christ, and for the benefit of all mankinde in him, for his honour and the advancement of his kingdome among men, and for the good of men, both naturall and civill, in respect of weekly rest, and refreshing, & also spirituall, as knowledge, instruction, growth in grace & holinesse.
The second clause (not man for the Sabbath) shews that the Sabbath is not one of those things which man was made to obserue in the creatione, neither is the law of it written in mans heart in the the creation: it was the fall of man and his corruption, which caused his to stand in need of a weekly rest, and of holy Sabbath exercises, to worke good in him, and to bring him neerer to God. And being made for mans use, he may in case of necessity dispence with outward obseruations of the Sabbath: & the same must giuegive place to works of necessity which cannot be omitted either without losse of life or some certaine losse or mischiefe
The third clause (Therefore is the sonne of man Lord also of the sabbath) doth giuegive us to understand that the use of the Sabbath was founded on Christ promised to be Lord of the sabbath, and was in, & under him made man, and necessary for the profit of man corrupted, not for man in innocency. Therfore C…rist the son of man is Lord of the Sabbath that is, he hath th… true proper right and propriety, in it for to make it serve for his use being the Lord possessor of it, and he hath authority and power ouer it, so that it is at his command, either to be or not to be in vse, either the seventh day or upon some other day of the weeke. Now we never read, that Christ exercised any Lordship ouer the Sabbath, as hee is the son of man, either to command it or to chaunge it, but only in thes… two respects. First that he brought it first into the world by undertaking to be the seed of the woman, & the sonne of man, & so it was setled on the seventh day, in which he was promised during the time of the old Testament, while he was a redeemer pr…mised.
Secondly, that he by his resurrection in which he perfected redemption, did consecrate the first day and made it the most honourable day, fit to be the Sabbath of the new Testament, and also gaue commandement to his Apostles so to ordaine in all Churches. Besides this Lordship and power of Christ as sonne of man ouer the Sabbath, we cannot conceiue or imagine any other. Therefore undoubtedly he hath chaunged it to the first day of the weeke, and as Lord of it hath given commandement for this chaunge and alteration.
6 Argument.The sixth Arg. is drawne from Gods sanctifying of the Lords daie by his sonne Christ more fully and excellently, then he did the seventh day in the first institution of the Sabbath. For seeing the making of the seventh day to be the Holie Sabbath, is the sanctifying of it as the words of my text shew, and also the words of the law. Exod. 20.13. It must needes hereupon be granted. that what day God by his Son Christ, hath in all respects more fullie and excellentlie sanctified, then the seventh day was sanctified when God made it the Sabbath. That daie God by Christ hath made his Holie Sabbath, and so it is worthie to bee esteemed, and soe is to be observed in the new Testament. But now it is most certaine and manifest: That the Lord God by his son Christ hath in all respects more fullie and excellentlie sanctified the first daie of the weeke, in which Christ arose from death (as appeares by diuers things which I hauehave formerlie touched.) First he in that daie more abundantlie revealed his holines to the world in that he declared Christ our Redeemer and the head of the whole bodie the Church, To be the Sonne of God with power, according to the spirit of Holinesse by the resurrection from the dead. Rom. 1.3.
Secondlie, he then opened as it were the flood-gates of Heaven, that Holinesse might be more abundantly with his spirit powred out upon all flesh, when Christ was raised up and exalted by Gods right hand, that he might shed his spirit on all sorts of people of all nations, as wee read. Act. 2.33. Yea in that, in the feast of Pentecost which was the first day of the weeke, and the 49. day after Christs resurrection, the Holie Ghost was sent downe vponupon the Apostles to sanctifie them, and to lead them into all truth, and to giuegive them the guifts of tongues, to preach the Gospell unto all nations which they presently did, and the same day converted 3000. soules, herein he both shewed his Holinesse more abundantly then before.
Thirdly; It is piously held by manie Divines, that among other things which after his resurrection Christ spake to his Disciples, concerning the Kingdome of God, that is the Church under the Gospell: this was one, namely, of the keeping of the Holy Sabbath, and holie assemblies, or gathering of the saints togither vponupon the first day of the weeke: For immediatly after, the Apostles observed that day, and all churches in all ages since hauehave followed their example. Therefore it is God who by his Sonne Christ hath made this first day, that is the Lords day the weekly Sabbath of Christians.
J might here adde for further proofe of this truth, an observation of diuers godly and learned writers, to weet: that our Saviour sanctified the first day of the weeke more then any other day by his promise and example, in that he did most commonly appeare to the Disciples after his resurrection, and came amongst them when they were assembled together on that day, and taught and instructed them and breathed on them, so we reade. Luk. 24.13.36. & Ioh. 20.19.26.
Seventhly That which the Apostle taught by word and writing and ordained in all Churches of Christian Gentiles,7 Argument. and confirmed by their constant practise, is undoubtedly a Commandement which they received from the Lord Christ, so it appeares. Act. 15.28. where they professe that what they prescribed to the Chirstiā Churches, was the dictate and sentence first of the holy Ghost, and then of them joyntlie. And our Saviour tells us that the Holie Ghost leads men into all trueth by speaking his word onelyonly to them and calling it to their remembrance, Ioh. 16.13.14. therefore it was Christ his word and ordinance, St. Paul also professeth that he deliuered unto them, such traditions as be received from the Lord 1 Cor. 11.23. And againe he saith 1 Cor. 14.37. Jf any man thinke himselfe to be a Prophet, or spirituall, let him know, that the things which J write unto you are the Commandements of the Lord. Now it is manifest in the Gospel, and in the writings of the new Testament: that it was a constant practise of the Apostles to keep their assemblies with one accord on the first day of the weeke, so we read: Ioh. 20.19.29. Act. 2.1.2. and in those their assemblies the Lord Christ presented himselfe to them bodily, and by the visible appearance and powerfull operation of his spirit. Also Act. 20.8. St Paul on that day kept an holie assembly at Troas, and there he preached and administered the sacrament of the Lords supper and performed Holie exercises of the Christian Sabbath. And the same Apostle gaue a precept and commandement to the Corinthians, even the same which he there saith hee had ordained in the Churches of Galatia. 1 Cor. 16.1.2: to weet: that they should observe the first day of the week, and in their Holy assemblies on that day offer up pleasing Sabbath sacrifices, that is do good & distribute to the necessities of the saints, with which sacrifices God is well pleased. Heb. 13.16.
Therefore vndoubtedly it is the ordinance and commandement of Christ, which the Apostle receiued from him. That the first day of the weeke should be the Holy Sabbath, and the day of weekly Holy assemblies to all Christians.8. Argu. The 8. argument is drawn from the blessing of stability wherwith God hath blessed the Sabbath of the first day, the joy and comfort & great benefit which most godly & religious christians finde in it, and the tediousnes of it to carnall people, & the loathsomnesse of it to all such as are opposites to Christ, and from his grace. This is most true which graue and learned Gamaliell gaue in the counsell of the high priests and elders of the Iewes. That which is of men and not an ordinance of God, if it concerne religion, it will come to nought, it cannot continue in force, nor prosper any long time. Act. 5.38. And surely if the Christian Sabbath, & keeping holy of the first day of the weeke were an invention of men, and not the ordinance of the the Lord Christ, it could not prevaile and stand in force in all Christian Churches, and in all ages by an uniforme consent without interruption. The most godly zealous, and religious Christians, would find no solid joy and comfort in it, nor any blessing from God in their religious obseruation of it. And the world of carnall men who hate Christ, & his ordinances, would not be so opposite to it, as to hate and loath it. For the world loveth her own. But all carnall worldlings, and profane persons, do so hate it, as they hate Christ, and it is loathsome and tedious to them, & notwithstanding many and great oppositions of profane persons. Yet we see it stands firme in all ages since the Apostles, and in all Christian Churches. None but Heretiques hauehave rejected it, & all godly Christians finde solid joy & abudance of blessings in the strictest observation of it. Therefore it is most certainly no humane invention, but Christs ordinance, It is he who hath made the first day of the weeke his owne Holy day and our weekly Sabbath. The Ninth Arg. is drawn from the manifestatiō of Gods wrath against the open profaners of the Lords day,9. Argu. and from the great & fearefull judgments, which God hath in former ages, & doth still execute on the dispicers & polluters of the christiā Sabbath. It is certain that the Lord doth not cut of or consum mē in wrath, but for some notable scandalous sinnes & transgressions against some expresse law & commandement, hee makes no men examples of vengance by sudden and fearfull d…struction, and notable plagues, but for some notable sinne, & all notable sinnes, are transgressions of Gods law, comitted against his revealed will & word. Now as the Histories of all ages do afford many examples of fearefull judgments suddenly executed & inflicted on wilfull profaners of the Lords day in former times. So I could rehearse and relate aboue 30. examples of Gods vengance, which he hath shewed openly in this land within the space of two yeares, upon such as hauehave shewed open contempt of this Christian sabbath, some of whith hee hath sticken with sudden death by his mediate hand, others he hath devoured with waters, and some he hath cut of by surfets which they got in dauncing & drinking on the Lords day, and sōe he hath fired out of their houses in the middest of their drinking & jollity, & consumed al their substance. And these judgments hauehave suddenly & unexpectedly befallen them in the very act of their transgression, while they were in the midst of their actions, very busie about their owne workes, sports & pleasure. And these things are as cleare as the light, and manifest to our eyes & outward sences, that God is most severe against the profanation of this day, and that it is apparent that his sonne Christ made this day his Holy Sabbath, and commands all men to keep it. Lastly we hauehave clear testimonies both from the Apostles them selves, that the day wherin Christians keepe their Sabbath, even the first day of the week is the Lords peculiar day. Revel. 1.10. And also from all the most auncient fathers and learned Christian writers which succeeded the Apostles in the next ensuing ages, that the Lord Christ changed the Holy Sabbath to this day, consecrated it by his resurrection, & that all Christian Churches from the time of the Apostles kept their holy rest in it, & devoted it to publick exercises of religion, and of Gods worship & counted it the Queene of daies, the supreme Lady & princesse, & worthy to be observed & sanctified with Sababaticall solemnities Ignatius cals it. foreign. Epist ad magnesios Justin Martyr 2. Apol. pag. 77. discribes the observation of it in his times, and tels us, that Christians spent it in reading, preaching, prayer administration of the Sacraments, offering of almes, & other publick worship of God in their publick assemblies, besides priuate exercises of religion. Tertullian also acknowledgeth this first daies sabbath, & none other lib. adversus Gent. p. 41. & 155.
Eusebius lib. 4. Eccles. Histor. cap. 22. brings in the profession of Dionysius Corinthius, who saith thus. This day we kept holy the Lords day. St. Austen in his 119. Epistle and in the 22. booke. De Civit Dei. Cap. 30 & serm. de verbis Apostoli. 15. And many other which it would be a tedious thing here to reherse, especially seeing. J hauehave before mentioned diuers of their testimonies, which tend to this purpose, and shall produce some also hereafter. Now upon all these arguments laid togither, J hope wee may boldly and confidently conclude against all both Iewish Sabbatarians, who retaine the old abolished Sabbath of the seventh day, and also vnchristian Antisabbatarians who deny the Lords day to bee the Sabbath vnderunder the Gospell, which Gods people by Gods law and Christs appointment are enjoyned to keepe Holy to the Lord.
And that this Sabbath of the Lords day, cannot bee chaunged but must stand firme, and be still in force among all Gods people vntill the end of the world and the last resurrection, I will briefly demonstrate & shew by two plaine reasons which I hope none will deny, and thus I frame them. The first is grounded on Christs wordes. Mark. 2. vers. 28. thus I frame it.
That which hath Christ, as hee is become the Sonne of man, Lord of it, must needs exist and hauehave a being under him as he is the sonne of man, that is in the time of the Gospell. The Sabbath hath Christ the sonne of man Lord of it. Mark 2.28. Therefore it continues in being under Christ.
Whatsoever ordinance of God is given to his People to bee unto them a token and pledge of some great blessing, and future good promised, that God will hauehave them to keepe saf… and to hold fast, vntill they receive the blessing and come to the full possession of it. This is manifest by the tipes and sacraments of the law, which could not bee a bolished, nor without sinne purposely neglected vntill Christ was fully exhibited, of whom they were signes and pledges and he was the body and substance. And we finde by daily experience, that the loosing or casting away of the pledg, is the forfetting or forgoing of a mans right whereof it is a pledge: If we will receiue the blessing we must do the condition of it. Now the observing of a weekly Sabbath is not onelyonly a signe of eternall rest in heaven, but also a token and pledge if it, given in the beginning, togither with the first promise of Christ, and conveighed ouer from the fathers to us, & setled on the day wherin Christ arose from death, and perfected mans redemption. That it is a pledg of the Sabbathisme which remaines for the people of God, the Apostles words imply. Heb. 4.9. And the best learned hauehave ever held it to be our pledge of eternall rest in Heaven. As Aust…n. Tom. 4. Quaest. 162. and lib. contra Adimantum. cap. 13. & divers others. Therfore the holy weekly Sabbath upon the Lords day must be observed by all Gods people, & the law of the Sabbath binds them therunto perpetually to the end of the world; & to the day of resurrection to glory. And thus I hauehave finished the Doctrine of the sanctification of the Sabbath, as it is the proper act of God, even his seperaing of the seventh day to be an holy rest, by his word & commandement.