The Sabbath Vindicated, Chapter 2
Broad.
CHAP. II. The latter Opinion maintained.
THe Primitive Christians for the most part held the latter opinion, as I gather by this that followeth. Iustin Martyr in his second Apologie writeth after this manner.*Apol. ad calcem, We hold these assemblies on the Sunday because on that day God began to make the world, and also our Saviour Iesus Christ arose from the dead. Hereby it is manifest that Iustin knew not of a Commandement from Christ or his Apostles, for should a Rabbin yeeld a reason of their meeting on the Sabbath, would it not be because God had so commanded it, who on that day rested after the Creation and sanctified it? And so would Iustin no doubt had he tooke their meeting to be enjoyned by Christ or his Apostles, we hold these Assemblies on the Sunday because Christ hath so commanded, who on that day rose againe from the dead. Thus I am sure some would be ready to write in these dayes.
Answer.
The opinion of the Ancients (how-ever you may force them to speake) was that one day in a weeke, or the seventh day, was still of force by vertue of the fourth Commandement, (and that the individuall first day of the weeke was from Christ or his Apostles or both) as appeareth in that they call the sanctifying of the Lordsday a keeping of the Sabbath. So Ignatius (who ad Magnes. chargeth those Christians to worke on the Iewes seventh day) doth yet say. Let every of us keepe Sabbath spiritually*… ad Magn…s. foreign: (speaking in opposition to the Iews manner of superstitious Sabbatizing) so that he cryeth down both their day and manner of hallowing it*… of this page 50. in margin. … temp. …51. if his., and yet maintaineth the Sabbath to be yet still on foot, and exhorteth them to the right keeping it. St. Augustine also saith. So we also sanctifie the Sabbath the Lord saying, Ye shall not doe any worke therein. And as Mt. Richard Byfeild saith, The Apostle to the Heb. 4. 9. Doubted not to apply the name of Sabbath to the Christian people and our Re…, saying, That the people of God have their Sabbatisme left unto them. For humane authorities in this point, I further referre you to the 21 and 26. Chap. of Mr. Richard Byfeild.
But to shew your leger-de-maine I proceed to that of Iustin Martyr. In which (I say) he doth as Paul sometimes doth concerning his Apostleship, Demonstrating it by such arguments as do properly constitute an Apostle. So Iustin in his Apologie for Christians doth first shew the reason of the Christian Sabbath, i. e. Our new Creation by Christ, who by his resurrection brought light out of darknesse in the first day of the Creation.
But had you looked further (as no doubt you did) you might have seen his opinion to be more then you make it, even witnessing Christ to have taught it to his Apostles, as you shall finde it quoted by Mr. Richard Byfeild Chap. 21. pag. 124.. So that you deale with Iustin Martyr as men deale with Mag-pyes, cut their tongues shorter to teach them to speake what they would have them. And yet a R…bbin might have laid down the Reason and concealed the Commandement without solloecisme or errour, unlesse you will say it was a fault in Rabbi Moses, for so he proscribeth the Israelites to answer their children, when they should aske them concerning the Passeover, as you may see in the 12. Chap. of Exod. 26. 27. so also in the 13 Exod. 13, 14, 15, 16. You shall see the reason of a dutie delivered from the parent to the children, by precept from Moses, without any specification of the Commandement it self.
Broad.
Si dies observare non licet, & menses,… lib. Com. … E…st. ad G…. & tempora & annos, nos quo que simile crimen incurrimus, quartum Sabbati observantes & parascenem & diem dominicum & ieiunium Quadragesima. See the place and note that he doth not yeeld a peculiar reason for the observation of the Lords-day.
Constantinus imperator concessit rusticis,Euseb. de vita Co…st. lib. 4. Cap. 19. ut diebus dominicis agrorum culturae, pro ut ipsi viderint fore necessarium inservirent. Idoneum vero precationi tempus salutarem diem dominicum constituebat, quippe qui tum verè praecipu…s est, tum ha…d dubie primus.
Note the reason Eusebius rendereth of this constitution of Constantine, and consider withall that Constan…ine would not have so constituted, if in his judgement our Saviour Christ had before appointed the Lords-day to this end; Did ever a Christian Prince simply decree that the Lords Supper should be administred? As many Christian Princes and Councels as have simply decreed the observation of the Sunday, were doubtlesse of this opinion.
Answer.
For answer to this, I referre you to Mr. Richard Byfoild, Chap. 29. where the Reader may herein receive satisfaction.
Broad.
As touching moderne writers Calvin saith,… lib. 2 cap. 8. sect. 34. Veteres subrogarunt diem dominicum in locum Sabbati.
Zanchius saith,In 4 Prece…t. that the Lords-day, Nullum habet Domini mandatum.
Dr. Feild saith,Book 4. Church, Chap. 20. that the Lords-day is an Apostolicall tradition not precept.
The Book of Homilies (not to stand upon other) saith,Homily of the place and time of pray…r. That Christian people chose the first day which is as much in effect as that it is not Christs Commandement. Will any man say that the people of Israel chose the seventh day? Now of this opinion I am, and these are my reasons.
(1.)
Had Christ or his Apostles commanded to sanctifie the Lords-day, mention should have been made thereof in Gods word, for the Scripture containeth in it all things needfull for our instruction. Seeing then we finde not mention of any such matter, I cannot beleeve that Christ or his Apostles gave Commandement to sanctifie the Lords-day.
Obiect. Every thing to be done by us is not mentioned in Scripture.
Answ. No marvell though some particulars be not mentioned, but consider that were it …ods expresse Commandement we should sanctifie a day, this were a matter of great moment concerning all men, and very often, and therefore it may well seeme a wonder, that Christ and his Apostles should be so silent herein, as never to exhort any man to sanctifie the Sabbath or Lords-day, nor to reprove any for the prophaning of either of them. We see how often Moses and the Prophets called upon the Israelites to sanctifie the Sabbath, and how often and earnestly many now cry out for the sanctifying of the Lords-day no man can be ignorant.
Obiect. The Precept of the Sabbath was in force during Christs time, yet Christ never moved the people to sanctifie the Sabbath, nor reproved any for prophaning thereof.
Answ. Though it were then in force, yet its strength began to weare a pace from the dayes of Iohn Baptist, and therefore no marvell, seeing the Sabbath and other Ceremonies were shortly to give up the ghost, though Christ passeth them over as he doth, contenting himselfe to preach the Kingdome of God, which is not meat nor drinke, (nor times nor places) but righteousnesse and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost, Rom. 14.
(2.)
Saint Luke taketh upon him to write the Acts of the Apostles, and it were very strange that if any thing had been done by the Apostles concerning the changing of the Sabbath into the Lords-day, he should wittingly omit such a weightie matter. In the 15 Acts, he giveth us to understand that after the Gospel was preached to the Gentiles, some would have them to be circumcised, and and keepe the Law of Moses, one part of which Law was the sanctifying of the Sabbath or seventh day: Hereupon the Apostles and Elders came together to consult, at which meeting there was not one word (that we find) of changing or observing any day whatsoever, although no doubt they which urged Circumoi…ion urged the Sabbath in like manner, For Baptisme might serve In stead of Circumcision as well as the Lords-day in stead of the …. Had they befo…e made a Dec…ee, concerning the changing of the Sabbath into the Lords-day, … just occasion was … same,To handle the point and not to in…mate so much as any difference between daies, if any there were, had not beene wisdome in Paul, especially writing to strangers, the Romanes must needs have thought him contrary to their former teachers. or if they had … something concerning this matter. After this time it is not likely that the Apostles … met together in Councell…gain.
(3.)
Had the … would have charged all men to observe the same Decr…ee, … one man to esteeme of dayes one way, and to another another way as he doth, Rom. 14. 5. One man esteemeth one day above another, another esteem th everyday alike. Let every man be fully perswaded in his minde. The Apostles I know used to beare for a time with the weake, but they would not have born with those who held new and ungodly opinions, as he did that esteemed every day alike, if every day had not been alike. He that esteemed every day alike, no doubt used every day alike, and had this been tolerable in any sort, were it Gods Commandement to sanctifie any day? This Chapter doth much trouble some in these dayes, and they feare not to tearme him weake there after Saint Paul that esteemeth every day alike, howsoever he be strong that esteemeth every meat alike. But is he to be tearmed weake that esteemeth a day sanctified by God like unto all other dayes? rather ignorant and ungodly, would not Saint Paul presently have such an one instructed in this matter? The weake brother esteemed one meat above another, and one day above another, the strong brother beleeved that he might eate all things and so esteemed every day alike, according to Paul, and it is good holding of Paul herein.
(4.)
Saint Paul alone by way of Doctrine teacheth of dayes,Rom. 14. Col. 2. Gal. 4. he teacheth of them purposely in three severall Epistles, in these he delivereth as much as is needfull to be taught about this matter. And now all that can be gathered by his Doctrine is, that there is no more account to be made of one day then of another. Saint Pauls Doctrine (saith Mr. F…x) putteth no difference nor observation in times and dayes,In the summe of Saint Pauls doctrine before Acts and Monuments. It is a true saying and worthy of all men to be received.
In a word Christ and his Apostles never commanded to observe a day, they never reproved for not observing. Saint Paul reproved the Galathians for observing dayes, and writing to the Romanes and Colossians he sheweth the indifferency of dayes as of meats, speaking of one as of the other, among these he had never been. The Galathians turned from the Gospel he had preached to them, so that he had diverse times just occasion to shew his minde fully in this point. Yet doth he never so much as intimate the least difference between dayes, or between dayes and meats. Now what Christ or his Apostles could doe more, to make us know that Religion is not placed in the observation of dayes I cannot imagine.
Answer.
I have in the introduction of this Treatise shewne you Mr. Calvins opinion of the fourth Commandement,Com. on Gen. 2. to be universall and perpetuall, and how? but by the succession of the first day of the weeke to the last.
Zanchy saith,In 4. Pracept. Morale est mandatum quatenus praecepit ut è septem diebus unum consecremus, &c. quatenus tale nunquam fuit abrogatum nec abrogari potest. And yet if the fourth Commandement be not observed in the Lords-day it is abrogated.
The Book of Homilies maketh this good likewise of the divinum ius of the Lords-day, as it is the seventh day, from the fourth Commandement as hath been shewed before; and so hath your objection been answered in respect of the peoples choosing the Lords-day, by a reference to Mr. Cleaver his Moralitie of the Law, pag. 137.
And now of this opinion am I.
I have ever granted you that the Christian Sabbath is not by any expresse precept from Christ or his Apostles enjoyned, nor is it needfull,*Nay it had been prejudiciall as Eatonus observ…th, pag. 69. Novum praeceptum ferre dere illâ, quae v…teri praecep…o stabilit… fu…rat esset v…tus praec…tum abolere, quod …ristus venit impl…re, to be due jure divino, but forsooth the Sabbath must be jure humano. for if upon this ground you will conclude it to be an arbitrary practise and not de iure divino *They can allow Tithes, you may as well cry down the writings of the Apostles, and turne Anabaptist in point of baptizing of Infants. For as for the Scriptures, what expresse precept of Christs, have we to his Apostles for writing of them? and … the Epistles were most of them occasionally written by the Apostles, and yet who of us for these reasons denyeth them to be the work of God, universall and … divi…o? F…urth Po…ke Church, ch…p. ….For as Feild saith in answer to the Papists, … the imperfection of the Scriptures because they were written by the Apostles and Apostolicall men of their own motions, and not by Commandement from Christ (which is a paralel argument to this of the Christian Sabbath and the answer equall to both) who knoweth not (saith he) that the Scriptures are not of any private motion, but that the holy … of God were moved, impelled and carryed by the Spirit of truth th… the performance of this worke, doing nothing without the instinct of the Spirit which was … the… a Commandement. And why may not all these reasons and grounds warrant, and give equall force to their practice in the point of our Christian Sabbath or Lords-day as well as to their writing of Scripture. So speaketh Dr. Ames. med. pag. 359. Si dies bac dominica conced…ur fuisse Aposto… … author it as … est divina, quia divino Spirit… agebantur Apostoli, non minus in Sacris institutionibus, quam in ipsa doctrina Ev…ngelii, vel verbo vel script is proponenda. Especially seeing that the same things that accompanied the Gospel, did accompany the Sabbath, the better to approve it to be of God, to wit, The gift of the holy Ghost.
And now we know there is nothing more ordinary in Scripture, then for God to grace the first institutions of his Ordinances, with extraordinary tokens of his savour, which are of an argumentative nature, and of an establishing and instituting force. As at the first setting up of the San…drin among the Iewes, Numb. 11. 25. Every one of the seventy Elders prophecyed for a while, to testifie that their calling was from heaven. And though divers others besides these have had the Spirit of Prophecy bestowed on them, that yet nothing detracts from Gods sealing the ordination of this Councell or Sanedrin by the Seventies prophecying. So though Christ appeared to his Disciples on other dayes, besides the first day of the weeke, yet it detracteth not from his instituting and authorizing that day by his remarkable apparitions and operations thereon, as Dr. Heylyn would insinuate, part. 2. pag. 13.
Againe at the instituting of the Leviticall priesthood and sacrifices, there came a fire from the Lord, and consumed the burnt offering: also at Christs baptizing we see how extraordinarily the Spirit came down in likenesse of a Dove; and so at Peters first preaching to the Gentiles, what an extraordinary worke was there wrought, Acts 10. 44. And may not we well conclude the divinity of the Lords-day from these manifold rare occurrences which fell out in the practice or usage of it*We have Davids example in a like case, for in the 1 Chron. 22. he there concludeth Ieruselem to be the place that God had chosen for his more solemne worship, by that speciall token of Gods favour to it, in delivering it from the destroying Angell., and such as are most remarkably and eminently recorded in Scripture, mentioning the Time as well as the things themselves, As, That Christ appeared to them on the first day of the weeke, and the first day of the weeke they had the gifts of the Holy Ghost given them, and on the Lords day Saint Iohn was ravished in the Spirit (not any other day in the weeke having the honour to be denominated the day of his appearance in all the New Testament, though no doubt he did appeare to them on other dayes of the weeke, besides the first, in those other times of his appearances) And why is all this? But to give the better authority and estimate to that day: Which we may the rather judge, because that since then God hath shewne extraordinary judgements upon the breakers and prophaners of it, which being frequently and remarkably instanced, I will referre you for them to the Martyr-booke, Practice of Piety, and Mr. Richard Byfeild, pag. 99. 100. 101. As also if we consider the benefits, which nationally we have enjoyed therby, above all other Protestant Churches, of Peace, Plenty, and also powerfull Preaching and Professing*Which now begin to leave us, and to decline together with the Sabbaths declension. For as one piously observeth, The Ark shaketh through the old Sinnes and new Doctrines of our land. for a long season, and which doe experimentally and personally redound to the due observers of it, how extraordinarily and feelingly they delight themselves in the Lord, according to that promise Isai. 58. ult. So that then beleeve it for the works sake, as Christ saith in another case. And indeed Argumentum ab effectis, is an argument of no small evidence and power with those that professe Christianity in the power of it: The want of which medium in the experiences of men (either not at all wrought in them, or else not taken notice of by them) is the cause of so many false conclusions in these dayes, as well as it was amongst the Galathians, till Paul (a man of spirit) put them in minde, Gal. 3. 2. And observe it as a maine argument in this way of experience, That at the first beginning of mens conversions, when God enlighteneth and convinceth the Conscience, commonly the first thing the Conscience fastens on, is the mispending the Sabbath, and the first duty that he conscionably putteth in practice upon his conversion, is commonly the better sanctifying and keeping the Sabbath.
Now as touching the baptizing of Infants, there is neither an expresse precept for it, nor yet an example of expresse practise delivered in Scripture; and yet the grounds, causes and reasons of the necessity of that practice, and the benefit or good that followeth on it, are evidently contained in the Scripture, and for this respect it is named a tradition: But yet the grounds of it being in Scripture (as Feild in the fore-quoted place observes) it is not therefore a bare tradition, but is therefore of Divine authority, and unalterable in the Church of God. The same in all respects holdeth good concerning the Sabbath, and with some advantage, for that there is the expresse practice of the Apostle Paul in this point mentioned in the Scripture, which is not so in the baptizing of Children. And this is apparant, that those things which had their grounds and reasons in Scripture, the Apostles were not curious or exact in commanding them expressely, nor intreating of them largely, except they were then controverted and scrupled at, which (it seemeth) the Lords-day was not, but was currantly received and practised among the Gentile converts (the Infant Iewes being born withall) for on that day they ordinarily were wont to celebrate both the death and resurrection of Christ, the one by the Sacrament, and the other by the Sabbath, as appeareth, Acts 20. 7. And therefore Saint Paul when he speaketh of it, still mentioneth it as a thing granted and not doubted of, although the Ceremoniall or Iewish temporary Sabbaths, as like wise the Ceremoniall meats were, which maketh the Apostle so often and so largely handle that point.
Thus Eatonus, pag. 69. Nullum praeceptum de ritu aliquo. Iudaico abrogando à Domino nostro Apostolis & Discipulis suis relictum legitur. Nusquam dicitur Pascham, non comedetis, non circumcidemini, & similia, Solum enim controversia in Ecclesiiis de illis orta est ex occasione ista. Apostoliritus illos prohibuerunt, iam autem cum in confess… est diem nostrum dominicum à nullo Christiano impugnatum fuisse, non mirandum est, si nullum de illo observando vel abrogando Sabbato Iudaico mandatum expressum reperimus. Est tamen generale mand…tum de illo observando comprehensum in illo Apostoli, Estote imitatores mei, sieut & ego sum Christi.
And thus much may serve for answer both to your opinion and reasons, as also for the remainder of your Treatise (excepting some short observations) for what followeth hath been mostly spoken of before both by you and me.