The Sabbath Vindicated, Chapter 3
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CHAP. III. The former Opinion confuted.
1. CHrist did not command us to sanctifie the Lords-day. Such as would have us beleeve that our Saviour Christ himselfe enjoyned the Lords-day, goe about to prove it by his practice.
1. Because he appeared to his Disciples on the first day as they were assembled together, Iohn 20.
Answ. This assembling was for feare of the Iewes, and it was a very strange kinde of teaching them by his practice to observe the day, not to come unto them till late in the Evening, about halfe an houre before the end thereof, for the night following belonged unto the second day, other wise either that first day had two nights belonging to it, or else I cannot see how Christ lay three dayes in his grave.
Answer.
Had this record of the Apostles being assembled and Christ appearing at this time been alone recorded, there might have been some probable conjecture that it might be but accidentan (although the Text is very exact and expressive concerning the time: for having in the first verse of the 20. Iohn, spoken of the first day of the weeke, the 19. verse reduplicateth that with a significant explanation (as if the Evangelist would be loth to be mistaken in that point of Time) saying, The same day then at night which was the first day of the weeke, &c.) But being seconded with the like afterwards, it argueth it to be ordered by God of a purposed providence, especially if we take along the event and succeeding practice of the Apostles and Church ever after, which to all sober minds putteth it past doubt. And as touching that you say their meeting was for feare of the Iewes, happily the privacy of it was so, but why they should feare the Iewes more on that day, then on any other I see no reason, and therefore can it be no reason of their then assembling.
And now concerning Christs appearing to them at the Evening of the same day, it is so farre from lessening the authority of this institution, as that, being compared with Gods institution of the first Sabbath, which according to your own confession was about the end thereof, it giveth much force thereto.
And although I meane to be briefe in what followeth, yet I must needs by the way shew you M. Breerewoods refutation in this point by Mr. Richard Byfeild, pag. 211. Saith he there. Concerning the authority that translated the Sabbath, you say it is certaine that the translation thereof was actually and immediately prescribed by the Church, deale ingenuously and shew me where, if in Scripture then I answer, that it was not immediately prescribed by the Church, for the Apostles were not Authors of the institution, but ministers of Christ and pen-men of the holy-…host: If in Ecclesiasticall writers, I answer, they all referre us to the Apostles and the Scriptures. This opinion therefore is so farre from certaine, that it is certainly false. You say againe, That certainly Christ never gave his Apostles particular charge of instituting a new Sabbath, either while he conversed with them on earth; or afterwards by Revelation. How know you this? The Apostles delivered many things that the Evangelists did not set downe, not themselves expressely say, that they received them from the Lords mouth, That they concealed Christs command from the Church, that is, this particular expression in so many words, that Christ, commanded it, this maketh to prove that it was given them in charge by Christ, for else when the Apostles enjoyned it, they would have said of that their injunction as of other things, 1 Cor. 7. 6, 12, 25. We speake this by permission, and not by Commandement: We have no Commandement of the Lord, but we speake our iudgement, Herein speak we, not the Lord. This institution then (to use your owne language; of a new day of solemnity instead of an old Sabbath) was of the … and necessity of the Apostles Commission not of the libe…ty. The Apestles did nothing in ordering the Church but from and by Christ, either by precept or example or divine inspiration: And it is more then probable they had speciall warrant from Christ in expresse change, when we compare together their precept and practice, with these two Texts, Matt. 28. 20, Acts 1. The first enjoyning the Apostles to teach what he commanded, and to teach and baptize, in which Ordinances teaching such things he would be with them to the worlds end. … The later declaring that Christ spake the things pertaining to the kingdome of God to his Disciples in these forty dayes before his ascension*Besides this in the 2. verse of 1 Acts, it is said, untill the day that hee was taken up, after that he, through the holy Ghost, had given Commandements to the Apostles whom he had chosen. For all that you say therefore, it is certaine the Sabbath was translated by the same authority that first commanded it.
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2. Because after eight dayes he came to them againe, Iohn 20. 26. Ans. This were more strange, for how can they prove that a weeke is meant thereby? A weeke after is but seven dayes, and should thy friend departing from thine house on Sunday at night, promise to come again after eight dayes, wouldst thou expect his coming upon that day seven-night? either it was not a weeke, or Saint Iohn dreamt not of such a collection, for otherwise he would have said so plainly. Matthew and Marke have the like phrase,Matt. 17. 1. Mark 92 compared with Luk. 9. 28. and seeing by after six dayes they meane on the seventh, it is some likelyhood that Iohn by after eight dayes, may meane on the ninth, this is more probable.
Answer.
These words of Iohn after eight dayes,Paralel places to this are, Mark. 8. 31. after. 3. dayes, id…est, the third day, and Ie…. 25 12. when 70. yeares are accomplished, i. e. in the seventieth yeare. or as it is in the Geneva eight dayes after, what do they intend more then if I should say, Eight dayes hence I will doe such a thing. Surely according to this propriety of speech, the eighth day is the fittest to be understood. So here after eight dayes is as much as if he had said, after eight dayes were come, or after the eighth day was come (signifying thereby that it was the first day of the weeke and not the last,And M Sprint, pag. 138. observes that it is as if he should say, The eighth day after by an Hebraisme, & quoteth further the like speech in Luke 2. 21, and 1. 59. which as I observed before, from comparing the 1. and 19 verses of this Chapter, he is c…ious (and sure not without cause) to notifie unto us) againe his Disciples were within, &c.
Thus E…t…nus… pag. 71. saith: Parum obstat obi…ctioilla … The two Evang. speake of 6. daies, and Luke 8. dayes after. Six inclusive, and eight exclusive.non ipso…ctav… esset sed non s…bsequente; Obiectio (inqu…) haeo par… …alet, quia vel Synechdochicè exponenda … verba illa, …t alibi saepiu… in scriptura,There are 6. dayes in the week; and Sabbath and Sabbath make eight, on the former Sabbath he appeared, and the next succeeding. sic …t Luk. 2. 21. …
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3. ….
… Supper in memory of his Passion, and 3. of the Evangelists together with Saint Paul make mention thereof, what the least shew of Scripture or reason can be alleadged, where fore if Christ would have a day kept in memory of his resurrection, he should not command so by word of mouth, or commanding so the Evangelists should not commit it so to writing but leave us to picke out his meaning in such a sort?
Answer.
So in the instance that you gave even now, from the expression of the Evang. Matt. 17. 1. (After sixe dayes) had it not been as easie for him and the rest to have said the seventh day (if they had meant the seventh day) as after six dayes? But it seemeth had you been in those dayes a follower of Christ, you would now and then have stopped before him, and have given him occasion to have plucked you back, with a Come behind me; Or his councellor, Then alwaies when the Iewes had asked a Miracle, he should have shewed them one, and not have suffered them to have gone so farre about, as to finde their desire in the miracle of Ion…, nor have bid the man carry his bed on the Sabbath, but he should also have given satisfaction to the Iewes in the point, nor have turned the water into wine after they had well drunken, but withall he should have preached sobriety to them. Doe you preach it to your selfe.
Indeed if there had been no footsteps nor grounds for this in the old Testament, or that the Apostles had not had the assistance of the holy Ghost, then it had been somwhat which you alleadge. But as there is nothing so cleerely expressed, but wrangling and perverse spirits will finde some matter of controversie thence, so some things are left purposely to try mens spirits, whether they delight more in sobriety or disturbance.
It seemeth you cannot satisfie your selfe with crying downe the fourth Commandement or old Sabbath, but you would also perswade that the sanctifying of the Lords-day (the day which, as the Psalmist saith, the Lord hath made for us to rejoyce and be glad in) is against Christs will, or at least not with his will, when you say, If Christ would have a day kept in memory of his resurrection. &c.
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2. The Apostles did not command us to sanctifie the Lords-day.
That the Apostles commanded us to sanctifie the Lords-day, some goe about to prove.
1.1 Cor. 16. 2. Because Saint Paul ordained that upon the first day of the weeke collections should be made in the Churches of the Corinthians and the Galathians.
Answ. If they met usually upon the Lords-day, it may seeme strange, that Saint Paul had not rather ordained that a collection should have been made in the Congregation, then that every one should lay by him in store (at home) as God had prospered him, thus we would thinke that their benevolences would have been in greater readinesse. But be it that they met every first day, yet by whom this manner began is uncertaine. They themselves will have it begun long before Saint Paul tooke this order about the Collection.
Further,See D. Field of the Church, booke 4. Chap. 20. Zanch. de red chap. 10. de trad. Eccles. let Saint Paul be the author thereof, yet every ordinance of an Apostle doth not bind us in these times, yea this very ordinance doth not. Were there the like collection to be made, who would take himselfe to be bound every first day to lay up by him in store, as God had prospered him?
Answer.
Certainly this Ordinance of Saint Paul, doth wonderfully commend this day, and argue the point in hand. For first they were hereby prompted, to give to the poore members of Christ, as they had received from him a worke becoming an holy day, and conducing to the pious hallowing thereof, like as did those charitable cures which Christ wrought on the Sabbath-day.
If they met usually upon the Lords-day (say you) it may seeme strange, &c. Bishop White telleth you, page 211, 212. That although this Text of Sa…nt Paul maketh no expresse mention of Church assemblies on this day, yet because it was the custome of Christians, and likewise it is a thing convenient to give almes upon the Church dayes. It cannot well be gain-said but that in … and Galat… the first day of every weeke was appointed to be the day for almes and charitable contributions, The same was also the Christians weekely Holy-day for their religious assemblies. Secondly, it argueth their rest on … day, from the labours of the … dayes, with a reco…ection, and tha…kefull calling to minde the blessing of God upon their foregoing week-day labours, and what can there be more Sabbath-like.
Dr. Heylyn, parr. 2. pag. 26. … prove this laying up to be appointed by … on some Sabbath day or other (and to a little before doth he labour to make then meeting at Tro… to be on the Sabbath-… too, and not on the first day of the weeke) and yet pag. 27. he ….
Acts. That as concerning the Gentiles which beleeve we have written and determined that they observe no such thing as the Law of Moses, whereof the Sabbath was a part saith he. Now these things are very inconsistent. That Paul should countenance the Sabbath even among the beleeving Gentiles at Troas, and command this laying up thereon also to the Corinthians, and Galatians, and yet be an opposer of the Sabbath, and therefore it must needs be upon the first day of the weeke or Lords-day.
Again, in the same place he quarrels foreign in the 1 Cor. 16. 1. to intend the first day of the weeke, under some authorities quoted to countenance his acceptation. But Bishop White being in print before him might have given him better satisfaction (saving that it seemeth he loves to vary) who pag. 196. saith, In the holy Gospel, this day is styled foreign the first day of the weeke following, Matth. 28. 1. Mark. 16. 2. Iohn 20. 1. likewise, Acts 20. 7. 1 Cor. 16. 2. Besides his quotation of sundry authors to confirme this translation, which phrase is an Hebraisme thus to expresse the first day by one day, and so used in the 1. Gen. and the word Sabbath for weeke, Levit. 25. 8. Luke 18. 12. as Mr. Sprint affirmeth, pag. 101. And sure I am, the same phrase is used by the Evangelists, to signifie the day of Christs resurrection to be on the first day of the weeke.
Moreover, pag. 211. Bishop White, in positive tearmes upon the argument in hand, saith, That the Apostles themselves at some times observed the Lords-day, and brings (with a for it is written) these very places to prove it, Acts 20. 7. The first day of the weeke, &c. and 1 Cor. 16. 1, 2. Concerning the gathering for this Saints; even as I have ordained in the Churches of Galatia, so do ye: Every first day of the weeke, &c. In that you say. Every Apostolicall Ordinance doth not bind; I grant it, if the Ordinance be circumstantiall, proper either to times or persons, it cannot be properly said to be cominon, but if it have for substance a Morall Law, for order a Prophecy, for confirmation an Apostolique ordinance and example, me thinks, this might be very well allowed to be binding. And all this is (as hath been proved) true of the Christian Sabbath,
Some ordinances (I confesse) there are of the Apostles that are not of perpetuall obligation, for that they were done only occasionally, and to an exemplary end, for to authorize their successours (the Governours of the Church) to order things of an indifferent nature to the benefit of the Church, all which things the Church had and hath authoritie, as well occasionally to abolish, as occasionally to institute; but this Ordinance of the Sabbath is beyond the authoritie of the Church to abolish or alter, as much as it is to adde or detract from the new Testament.
And therefore is it not of those sorts of Apostolique Ordinances which bind not in perpetuum. For the foundation of it is so laid in Scripture (as aforesaid) as neither time nor authoritie can expire nor alter it.
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2. Because the Disciples at Troas being come together to breake bread on the first day of the weeke, Saint Paul preached to them.
Answ. Granting that the Disciples assembled every first day, and also by Pauls own ordinance (neither of which can be proved) yet doth it not follow that they kept it Holy-day, and abstained altogether from works of their Callings.
Saint Augustine saith,Tom. 2. Epist. 118. that in some places they communicated every day, and in others on the Sabbath and Lords-day.
Socrates saith,Hist lib. 1. cap. 21. that in all Churches of Christians (two excepted) they communicated every Sabbath-day.
Sozomenus saith,Lib. 7. cap. 19. that at Constantinople and almost in all other places, they came together on the Sabbath and the day following, that is, the Lords-day: yet no man (I trust) will hence inferre,Certainly such as communicated every day, did not keep every day Holy-day. that these who met and received the Communion, both on the Sabbath-day and the Lords-day, kept them both Holy-dayes and forbare worke altogether. Ad…e that in likelyhood they came together at Troas, late in the Evening, about that time of the day,Consider that many Christian servants had heathens to their Masters, who would not suffer them to keep the Lord-day Holy-day. Againe, this had beene 2 meanes to bewray Christian Masters. wherein Christ did institute the Sacrament, otherwise Saint Pauls preaching till midnight should have been very long, and this they might well doe though they kept it not Holy-day. The Disciples at Troas assembled on the first day to breake bread, ergo, Saint Paul ordained that all Christians should assemble on that day to breake bread is a likelier inference then this, ergo, Saint Paul ordained that all Christians should keep that day Holy-day. If any thing may be inforced from their meeting at Troas, this may as well (or rather better) that the Lords Supper must be celebrated every first day.
Answer.
That on that day the Disciples abstained from the workes of their callings exercised on the other sixe, I have even now more then probably proved by a just and proper deduction, or collection, from 1 Cor. 2. 16. I have also quoted the authority of Ignat ad Mag. and Aug. serm. de temp. 251. And is it probable that the lewes were to abstaine from workes on their remissest Holy-dayes, and that we must make a worke-day or a mixed day of our Ca…itallest?
And as for the time of the day when they met… (though it might bee in the Morning for ought the Scripture saith to the contrary) it is not so materiall to us to know, considering the Natures of those Times.
It sufficeth that that was the only day (being also paralel with consonant places of Scripture of the same nature) that they imployed solemnely in their sacred affaires.
And if there were diverse observed, as you say, it was because for a time Christians were diverse, consisting of Iewes and Gentiles.
As touching your conclusions whereby you argue hence rather the practice of the Sacrament then the Sabbath, I answer, That if it was an ordinance, yet it was but temporary; for from those words of Christ (So often as ye shall …at it) the times of celebrating the Sacrament are at the disposition of the Church (and it was in the Churches then, occasionally celebrated, for the Christian Sabbaths sake, as a means of its sanctifying, and not the Sabbath for its sake) whereas the time of the Sabbath and Lords-day is by Precept and practise determined.
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3. Because Saint Iohn telleth us that he was in the spirit on the Lords-day.
Answ. I acknowledge that whereas Christians in many places used to assemble on the first day of the weeke. Christ hereby may seeme to approve of their meetings on this day, and this is the most that can be gathered from Saint Iohns being in the spirit: Now whereas from the name Lords-day, some would inferre that therefore the Lord himselfe enjoyned it. Let them consider that this name might well be given, because that upon occasion of Christs Resurrection the Churches held their meetings therein.Psal. 74. 8. The Synagogues in Canaan are called the Synagogues of God, and yet we finde not that God commanded to build them: Some call the Church Gods house, whose meaning is not, that it is Gods expresse Commandement to build Churches now, as it was to build the Temple heretofore.
The most that can be gathered from these Texts is, that after a time Christians used to assemble on the first day of the weeke, and that Christ and his Apostles approved this manner, which I acknowledge, but that Christ or his Apostles would have the observation of the Lords-day be a matter of Religion in the time of the Gospell,Excepting the two s…cra…ets, there is no outward thing required to make a good Christian. M. Fox in the page before the Acts & Monuments. as the keeping of the Sabbath was in the time of the Law, is not to be beleeved. God is a spirit, and the time is come wherein he will be worshipped in spirit and truth. The kingdome of God consisteth of a matter of another nature, Rom. 14. 17.
Answer.
From these Texts may wellbe gathered the laudable and Evangelicall practice of the Apostles, and the excellent confirmation, countenance and authority that God gave thereto, in this point of sanctifying the Lords-day, so that God bare witnes thereto by signes and wonders, and gifts of the holy Ghost, according to his owne will; besides the benefits and fruits of it at this day to every mans experience that observeth it conscionably, of peace of Conscience, Ioy in the holy Ghost, and sensible increase of knowledge & grace do also make it good, according to that where it is said, That it is a signe that the Lord doth sanctifie you, as also according to that promise, Isai. 58. 13, 14.
It was by these two Arguments of Christs speciall appearing to him, and the fruits thereof, that Paul proved his Apostleship, and so may we prove the Sabbath.
For the name Lords day, and force of that argument to prove Christ the instituter thereof, see Eatonus, pag. 73. saith he, Arguinus ex appellatione eius, Apocal. 1. foreign &c. sic autem dici non potuit, nisi eam Dominus instituisse… ut in C…na … & oratione …actum est. Hic respondetur, do…inic… diem dici potuisse, quia in commemoratione domini, licet non … domino fuerit instituta. Sed assertionis … racion… non vide…s; Cum e…im Ecclesia … & ascensionis eius memoriam retinuerit, dies tamen illos … non vo…it.
Lastly the Iewish superstition we disclaime, but the true spirituall worship of God we retaine, as it is requisite in the present state of the Church, and why a solemne day should be prejudiciall to solemne service, and why wee stand lesse need of rest and opportunity to serve God, then the Iewes, or Adam in Innocency, I see not.