The Doctrine of the Sabbath Vindicated, Chapter 21
CHAP. XXI. Breerwood. Pag. 36, 37.
BVt let that be admitted alſo; firſt, that the commandement was immediatly given to ſervants. Secondly, that it was given touching the lighteſt degree of workes. Let ſervants bee the perſons, and thoſe workes the matter to whom, and of which the commandement was given, is your doctrine yet juſtified hereby, & ſubject to no other reproofe? The perſons have afforded me exceptions againſt it, becauſe the commandment was not given to ſervants And the matter becauſe it was not impoſed touching that light ſort of works; the time alſo will, becauſe it cannot be underſtood of the Lords day; for what day was it, of which the charge of vacation was ſo ſtrictly given? Was it not the ſeventh day of the weeke? The ſeventh (ſaith the precept) is the Sabaoth of the Lord thy God; In it thou ſhalt doe no worke. And why the ſeventh▪ Becauſe in ſixe dayes the Lord finiſhed all the workes of creation, and reſted the ſeventh day; therefore he ſanctified the ſeventh day; and what day is it whereof we queſtion? The Lords day? That the firſt day of the weeke▪ It is therefore the ſeventh day of the weeke (the Sabaoth of the Jewes) not the firſt day of the weeke (the Sabaoth of Chriſtians) that was ſo ſtrictly by Gods commandement deſtined to reſt. Therefore the workes done on the Sabaoth day are no tranſgreſſions of Gods commandements. Object. But you will ſay, the old Sabaoth is aboliſhed, and the celebration of it tranſlated to the firſt day of the weeke. Tranſlated, by whom? By any commandement of God? Where is it? The holy Scripture we know to be ſufficient; it containeth all the commandements of God, whether of things to be done, or to be avoided, or to be beleeved. Sol. Let me heare either one precept, one Word of God out of the old Teſtament that it ſhould be tranſlated; or one precept, one word of the Sonne of God out of the new Teſtament, commanding it to bee tranſlated; I ſay, one word of any of his Apoſtles, intimating that by Chriſts commandement it was tranſlated. It is certaine that there is none. Therfore it is evident that the ſolemnitie of the Lords day was not eſtabliſhed Iure divino. Not by any commandement of God, and conſequently that to worke on that day, is certainely no breach of any Divine commandement.
Anſwer.
You proceed, and would prove this wicked aſſertion, That it is no breach of any Divine commandement, for a ſervant at the commandement of his maſter, nay, for any one on his owne head, to worke on our Sabbath, which is the Lords day, the firſt day of the weeke.
Firſt, the commandement, ſay you, cannot be underſtood of the Lords day. Why I pray you, can you underſtand it of any other day ſave the Sabbath day? Doth not the tenor of the precept ſound thus, Remember the Sabbath day to ſanctifie it? You yeeld in the next breath, that the Lords day is the Chriſtians Sabbath. You muſt then yeeld, that the commandement is underſtood of it. You would bee thus underſtood, and take it very hainouſly, that you ſhould be ſaid to oppoſe Gods Sabbath, do you? No: you doe not, nor ever did. Farre bee it from you; to thinke it, were to wrong you; to write it, were to calumniate you (thus you pleade for your ſelfe in the firſt ſection of your Reply, pag. 61, 62.) Yet lo, now the commandement cannot be underſtood of the Lords day? Why then, ſay man, the Lords day is not the Sabbath; for of the Sabbath is the commandement.
Secondly, but to your reaſoning; for it is not reaſon nor religion.
What day was it of which the charge was ſo ſtrictly given? was it not of the ſeventh day of the weeke, ſay you? Yes indeed, of the ſeventh, as the precept was firſt applied to man. But aske againe, Why of the ſeventh more than the ſixth? And the Lord anſwereth, Becauſe it was the Sabbath of the Lord: for whē it ceaſeth to be the Lords Sabbath, the commandement is not of it, (as you alſo acknowledge, or elſe why keepe you it not?) Yet the commandement ſtandeth in full vigor, viz. of ſanctifying▪ and reſting on the Sabbath. To the Iewes the ſeventh from the Creation was the Sabbath, the commandement ſtood in vigor to them for that day: to the Chriſtian, the ſeventh, even the firſt day of the weeke is the Sabbath: the commandement ſtands in vigor to them alſo for that day. Therefore he ſaith not, Remember thou ſanctifie the ſeventh day, and keep it Sabbath; nor, thou ſhalt doe no worke on the Sabbath day, for it is the ſeventh: but he ſaith, Remember the Sabbath day to ſanctifie it; and, Thou ſhalt do no worke▪ on the ſeventh, for it is the Sabbath. This Reaſon you leape, and yet you aske a Why; And why the ſeventh? Becauſe God reſted thereon, and ſanctified the ſeventh day. Here you violate firſt, the words of the commandement written with Gods owne finger, and then the ſenſe; for it is thus read, oExod. 20. 11.Therefore hee ſanctified the Sabbath day, or reſting day, and ſo hee ſanctified our Sabbath day as well as theirs: for, the Sabbath he ſanctified, be it what day hee ſhall be pleaſed to nominate: a matter of infinite comfort to us, that deſire to doe the duties of the day with faith, in Gods both bleſſing, and acceptation. And hereby your concluſion is utterly weakened.
Thirdly, this reaſon is given both as a reaſon of the reſt on that day, and as a plaine declaration of the inſtitution of that Sabbath day, and of this day in the precept now. Hee reſted the ſeventh day, Wherefore the Lord bleſſed the Sabbath day and hallowed it. When did hee ſo? Gen. 2. 3. In the beginning. Yea, he did ſanctifie the ſeventh. Yea, then he ſanctified the Sabbath, it was inſtituted, when he bleſſed and ſanctified it, and this was in the Creation. But how was this done? The very worke of the day inſtituted the day, which was this, the Lords reſting, bleſſing, and ſanctifying it. Now this teacheth us, that the inſtitution of the Sabbath, in reſpect of the determination of the time, is to bee looked for, in the worke of God. Gods reſting, bleſſing, and ſanctifying the ſeventh day, made it the Sabbath day: therefore in the commandement it is ſaid, The ſeventh is the Sabbath, and the following words ſhew how it was made the Sabbath, and what day he bleſſeth, and ſanctifieth, is the Sabbath. Now Chriſt is the Lord of the Sabbath, by whom the worlds were made, Col. 1. 16. by whom alſo they are renewed, looke in his worke, and find undoubtedly the making and inſtitution of the day to the world renewed; the ſeventh day he lay in the grave, here was no worke of bleſſing and ſanctifying; but the firſt day of the weeke very early he aroſe, and appeared to his Diſciples; and unfolded the Scriptures, and opened their underſtandings to underſtand them.
The fourth commandement (to ſpeake all clearely) ſtands in pNomine Sabbathi nobis ſignificatur, quòd in noſtris debeamus & nos Sabbathiꝭ …, Hoc eſt quieſcere ab illis operibus, à quibus & Iudaei quieſcere jubebantur. Zanch. de red. l. 1. c. 19.force to us, and the Lords reſurrection, reſting from the worke of our redemption, and rejoycing in it, bleſſing it with that worke, with divers apparitions that very day, and ſanctifying it with ſpending it among his Diſciples in his preſence bodily, now glorified, in heavenly expoſitions and operations upon their hearts, and in the returne of the day many times, and in ſpeciall, upon the returne of it at Whitſontide with the miſſion of the Holy Ghoſt. This, I ſay, applieth, and determineth it to this day we now obſerve▪ And as the Iewes are ſent to ſeeke the preciſe day in the Lords reſting from the workes of Creation, ſo we are ſent to the reſt, from the worke of redemption. The inſtitution of this day is clearely in the very worke of the Reſurrection, as the inſtitution of the ſeventh day, was in the worke of finiſhing the Creation.
This hath been anciently taught, and ſtill is ſparſed in the writings of the godly learned.
S. Auguſtine ſaith, qDomini reſuſcitatio promiſit nobis aeternum diem, & conſecravit nobis Dominicum Domini. Qui vocatur Dominicus, ipſe propriè videtur ad Dominum pertinere, quia eo die Dominus reſurrexit. Aug. de verbis Apoſt. Serm. 15. Dominicum ergò diem Apoſtoli & Apoſtolici viri ideò religios… ſolennitate habe…dum ſanxerunt, quia in eodem Redemptor noſter▪ … mortuis reſurrexit▪ Serm. de temp. 251.The Lords Reſurrection hath promiſed us an eternall day, and hath conſecrated to us the Dominicall day of the Lord. The day which is called the Lords day, it ſeemeth properly to pertaine to the Lord, becauſe that day the Lord roſe againe.
The ſame Father tells us, that in this reſurrection of Chriſt, the Apoſtles and Apoſtolicall men ſaw as much: he ſaith, the Lords day the Apoſtles and Apoſtolicall men have ordained with religious ſolemnity to be kept, becauſe in the ſame our Redeemer roſe from the dead.
Ignatius rforeign. Epiſt. ad Magn…ſ.giveth this for the onelyonly Reaſon binding every one to keepe this day, ſaying, Let every one that loveth Chriſt, celebrate the Lords day, the day pertaining to the Reſurrection, the Queene and Prince of all dayes.
Athanaſius ſAthanaſ. de Sabbat. & circumciſ. Pſal. 118. 124.calls the Lords day in which Chriſt renewed the old Man, the beginning of the new Creature; and therefore, hee ſaith, when hee had renewed the Creature which was made within ſixe dayes, he would have that day conſecrated to this inſtauration, which the Spirit foretells in the Pſalme, This is the day which the Lord hath made.
Iunius tTempus ad conventus ſacros, ſemper eſt dies octavus, quem inde à reſurrectione Chriſti Eccleſia vocavit Dominicum, quod Chriſtus ſuareſurrectione & ſacto ſacris coetibus dicavit, quem Apoſtoli obſervarunt & coetibus dicatum eſſe doc…erunt, & quem Chriſtiana Eccleſia dictis corum obſequens, & facta imitans, concelebrat. Eccleſ. lib. 1. cap. 4. ſub ſinem.ſpeaking of the time neceſſary to publike worſhip, ſaith, It is the eighth day for ever, which the Church from the reſurrection of Chriſt, hath called the Lords day, which Chriſt by his reſurrection and deed hath dedicated to holy aſſemblies, which the Apoſtles have obſerved, and have taught, that it is dedicated thereto, and which the Chriſtian Church obedient to their words, and imitating their deeds, doth joyntly celebrate.
In the Preface to the Aſſembly of the Church of Scotland at Perth, Anno 1618. the queſtion being moved, how the particular and materiall day may bee knowne, that the Chriſtian Church ſhould obſerve; the anſwer is, that the particular day was demonſtrated by our Saviours Reſurrection, and his apparitions made thereon; by the Apoſtolicall practice, and the perpetuall obſervation of the Church ever ſince that time, of the day which in Scripture is called the Lords day, as that which the Iewes obſerved, was called the Lords Sabbath; becauſe as the one was appointed by the Lord for a memoriall of his reſt after the Creation, ſo the other was inſtituted by the Lord for a memoriall of his Reſurrection after the Redemption. For this we muſt hold as a ſure ground, whatever the Catholike Church hath obſerved in all Ages, and is found in Scripture expreſſely to have been practiſed by Chriſt and the Apoſtles, (ſuch as is the ſanctification of the Lords day) the ſame moſt certainely was inſtituted by the Lord to bee obſerved, and his practice in page missing Word of the Lord, and of equall worth, as if the Lord by voice from heaven had ſpoken it, and more ſure for us than ſuch a voice, 1 Pet. 1. 12, 25. and 2 Pet. 1. 19, 20, 21. Whence it is cleare, that the Goſpell preached by the Apoſtles with the holy Ghoſt ſent downe from heaven, is the Word of the Lord that endureth for ever.
Secondly, it was enjoyned by the Apoſtles precept, and obſerved by them: enjoyned, and the worke of the day in part preſcribed, 1 Cor. 16. 2. obſerved Act. 20. 7.
Thirdly, the Apoſtle ſaith, that which you have ſeene and heard in me, that doe; and the God of peace ſhall be with you, Phil. 4. 9. But this was ſeene, and heard of, to bee done by him, Act. 20. 7. Therefore do it. Perkins on Gal. 4. verſ. 10.
Fourthly, if the ſame reaſon, grounded on Gods Word, be as well for the firſt day of the weeke, as it was once for the Sabbath of the Iewes, then we are as certainely tyed by the Lord to the obſervation of this day, as they were for their Sabbath: for the ſame reaſon is of the ſame force. But there is the ſame reaſon; therefore wee are bound by the Lord. That there is the ſame reaſon, is apparant by thoſe three places laid together, Exod. 20. 10. Mat. 12. 8. Ioh. 5. 23. The maine reaſon of the Iewes Sabbath is, becauſe it was the Sabbath of the Lord. In like manner ours is the Sabbath of the Lord Chriſt, when hee had finiſhed the worke of our redemption: for which cauſe hee taketh this name, the ſon of man is even Lord of the Sabbath: as if in more words he ſhould ſay; when God the Father had once ended the making of the world, hee reſted, and publiſhed himſelfe to be the Lord of that reſt, and dedicated it to himſelfe, giving it the name of the Sabbath of the Lord. In like manner, when I ſhall have finiſhed the worke of mans Redemption, I will reſt (& have the day of my reſt dedicated unto my ſelfe; for which cauſe, I ſay, that the ſonne of man is even Lord of the Sabbath alſo; it ſhall be called, the Lords day. And thus the will of the Father ſhall be fulfilled, which is, that as they honoured the Father in keeping the Sabbath betwixt the Creation and Redemption; ſo they ſhould honour the Sonne, in keeping the Sabbath betwixt the redemption and conſummation of the world.
Fifthly, the judgments of God fearefully, and to miracles lighting on the contemners and prophaners of this day by worldlineſſe, the oppoſition of godleſſe and moſt evill men; the Conſcience working on men, for the obſervation and againſt the neglect thereof; the errors of Familiſts, Anabaptiſts, Papiſts, and ſuch looſe pleaders, as you and others have ſhewed themſelves to be, are ſtrong and impregnable arguments for the Divine Authority of it; together with the contradictions, and the groſſe opinions you are forced to runne into, which argue that you rebell againſt the light in you, and your prophane Atheiſticall hearts would have that true, which yet your owne light diſproveth, in the truths that are forced thereby to drop from you.
Sixthly, yea I ſhall (through Gods grace) evince this, that it is of the Lords owne inſtitution: for, beſides that his reſurrection inſtitutes it, as I ſayd before;
Firſt, it is called the Lords day. Rev. 1. 10. Which cannot bee for any reaſon, but becauſe it is of the Lords inſtitution: for ſo, firſt, the phraſe, his day, not by creation, for ſo all daies are his; not by deſtinatiō, for that intendeth a time yet to come; and ſo the day of generall judgement is his 1 Theſ. 5. 2. but by conſecration, and choiſe and inſtitution; a fourth way I would heare deſigned, and then I ſhall bee ready to make anſwer. Secōdly, the like phraſes of Scripture prove it in the ſame caſe in Exod. 20. 10. the ſeventh is the Sabbath of the Lord; in other ordinances of Chriſt, the Lords Supper, 1 Cor. 10. the Table of the Lord, 1. Cor. 10. 21. his miniſtry, 1. Tim. 1. 12. Thirdly, the manner of predication ſheweth, xThom. Aquin. 3. q. 16. art. 3.that this day belongeth to him by his owne aſſuming, properly, for its predicated of him denominatively, becauſe it is ſaid to bee of the Lord denominatively, the man Chriſt is not the Lords, but the Lord; but his will, hand, Paſſion is lightly called, the Lords Will, the Lords hand, the Lords paſſion: for that which is of, and belonging properly to the Lord, is called the Lords. page missing
…he firſt day of the weeke, ſaith Tylenus, g Is deſtinatedPrimus Hebdomadis dies ſacris congreſſi…us deſtinatus eſt, iſque non modo ab Apoſtolis obſervatus ſed etiam ab ipſo Chriſto inſtitutꝰ videri poteſt, quem hoc die in conventus diſcipulorum veniſſe, teſtatur hiſtoria Evangelica. Tylen. Synt. loc. 44. p. 276. to holy aſſemblies; and that not alone obſerved of the Apoſtles, Act. 20. 17. 1 Cor. 16. 1. But alſo it may bee ſeene to be Instituted by Chriſt himſelfe, whom the evangelicall Hiſtory doth teſtifie to have come this day into the aſſemblies of the Diſciples, Ioh. 20. 19, 26.
Polyander, Rivet, Walaeus, Thyſius, affirme hHic dies abſolutè non foreign tantum, ſed & denominativè cum articulo foreign nominari coepit, Apoc. 1. 10. nempe non ſolum quod eo reſurrexit Dominus, & vivum ſe exhibuit, ſedetiam quod ei rei imò univerſim Dominò imò à Domino ſacratus dedi…aiuſque eſſet. Qualiter & coena Domini foreign appellatur & locus conventus foreign & praec…tioſ…lemnis foreign ſcitè declarat Aug. de verbis Apoſt. Serm. 15. Si autem Apoſtolicae institutionis, divinae quoque fu…rit authoritatis ſynopſ pur. Theo. 2. diſp. 1. p. 263.that this day began to be named not onelyonly the day of the Lord, but alſo denominatively the Lords day. Apoc. 1. 10. To wit, not only becauſe the Lord roſe thereon, and preſented himſelfe alive, but alſo becauſe it was made holy and dedicated to that thing, yea, wholly to the Lord, yea, and of the Lord ſo ſanctified and dedicated; like as alſo the Supper of the Lord is called the Lords Supper, 1 Cor. 11. 20. and the place of aſſemblies the Lords, and the ſolemne prayer The Lords Prayer, as wittily Auguſtine declareth in his fifteenth Sermon of the words of the Apoſtle. But if it were of Apoſtolike Inſtitution; it were alſo of Divine authoritie.
Biſhop Andrewes ſaith, iSerm. 13. of the Reſur p. 529.the Lords day hath teſtimony in Scripture; for how came it to bee the Lords day? But that, as it is in the Pſalmeſt, the Lord made it; and why made he it? but becauſe on it the ſtone caſt aſide, that is, Chriſt was made the head ſtone of the corner; that is, becauſe then the Lord aroſe, becauſe his reſurrection fell on it.
Who altered it? I anſwer, (ſaith Maſter Atterſol) kAtterſoll. on Numb. 15. verſ. 3…. p. 644.Chriſt himſelfe is the Author of this change; the Apoſtles often teach, that whatſoever they taught, they received it from Chriſt; they learned it at his hands before, either by word of his mouth, or by revelation of his Spirit: but the Apoſtles enjoyned the firſt day of the weeke to be kept as a Sabbath of reſt. 1 Cor. 16. 1.
Maſter Barker, lOn the fourth Commandement p. 186.God did change the dayes, and to ſhew the alteration, the Apoſtles gave this day the name of the Lords day, they themſelves kept it and ordained that the Churches in their time ſhould obſerve it.
Our renowned Champion Doctor Fulke, in the confutation of the Rhemiſts ſaith, mDr. Fulke on Reve. 1. 10. ſect. 6.To change the Lords day and keepe it upon Monday, Tueſday, or any other day, the Church hath no authoritie; for it is not a matter of indifferencie, but a neceſſarie preſcription of Chriſt himſelfe delivered to us by his Apoſtles.
Chriſt did appoint the new Sabbath, ſaith Wolphius, nWolph. Chronol. l. 2. c. 1.when our laſt enemy death being overcome, hee made an end of the labours of our Redemption, which in his humanitie were to be borne, and the next day with the new man reſtored, he brought out a new time; the time of our Redemption, and of the new Covenant.
Adde hereunto Docter Bownd in the booke of the Sabbath commended by that painefull and learned Divine, Doctor Willet and Doctor Iones, in two latine epiſtles prefixed.
To conclude this matter, the Apoſtles made this day the Lords day, by a declaratorie conſecration, which Chriſt himſelfe made before the Lords day, by a fundamentall and binding relation, to wit, His reſurrection thereon; and by bleſſed and actuall applycation to his uſe in his apparitions and expoſitions thereon, and by inſtitution in his deedes and words, for the Apoſtles taught to doe but what Chriſt commanded. Matth. 28. 20. Act. 1. 3.