The Divine Appointment of the Lords Day, Title page – Table of contents of the appendix
THE Divine Appointment OF THE Lords Day Proved: As a separated Day for Holy Worship; especially in the Church Assemblies. And consequently the Cessation of the Seventh day Sabbath.
Written for the satisfaction of some Religious Persons who are lately drawn into Error or doubting in both these Points.
By Richard Baxter.
Rev. 1. 10. I was in the Spirit on the Loras Day. Col. 2. 16, 17. Let no … judge you in Meat, or in Driak, or in respect of an Holy day, (or Feast) or of the New …, or Sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the Body is of Christ.
LONDON, Printed for Nevil Simmons, at the three Crowns near Holborn Conduit. 1671.
THE PREFACE.
Reader,
IF thou think this Treatise both superfluous and Defective, when so many larger have better done the work already, I shall not at all gainsay the latter, nor much the former. The reason of my writing it was the necessity and request of some very upright Godly persons, who are lately faln into doubt or Errour, in point of the Sabbath day, conceiving that because the fourth Commandment was Written in Stone, it is wholly unchangeable, and consequently the seventh day Sabbath in force, and that the Lords day is not a Day separated by God to holy Worship. I knew that there was enough written on this Subject long agoe; But, 1. Much of it is in Latine; 2. Some Writings which prove the abrogation of the Jewish Sabbath, do withal treat so loosly of the Lords day, as that they require a Confutation in the latter as well as a commendation for the former. 3. Some are so large that the persons that I write for will hardly be brought to read them. 4. Most go upon those grounds, which I take to be less clear; and build so much more than I can do on the fourth Commandment and on many passages of the old Testament, and plead so much for the old Sabbatical notion and rest, that I fear this is the chief occasion of many peoples Errours; who when they find themselves in a wood of difficulties, and nothing plain and convincing that is pleaded with them, do therefore think it safest to stick to the old Jewish Sabbath The friends and acquaintance of some of these persons importuning me, to take the plainest and nearest way to satisfie such honest doubters, I have here done it according to my judgement: not contending against any that go another way to work, but thinking my self that this is very clear and satisfactory; viz. to prove, 1. That Christ did Commission his Apostles to Teach us all things which he commanded, and to settle Orders in his Church, 2. And that he gave them his spirit to enable them to do all this Infallibly, by bringing all his words to their remembrance, and by leading them into all truth. 3. And that his Apostles by this spirit did de facto separate the Lords day, for holy Worship, especially in Church-Assemblies, and declared the cessation of the Jewish Sabbaths. 4. And that as this change had the very same Author as the Holy Scriptures (the Holy Ghost in the Apostles) so that fact hath the same kind of proof, that we have of the Canon and the integrity and uncorruptness of the particular Scripture Books and Texts: And that, if so much Scripture as mencioneth the keeping of the Lords day, expounded by the Concent, and Practice of the Universal Church from the dayes of the Apostles, (all keeping this day as holy, without the dissent of any one Sect, or single person that I remember to have read of,) I say if all this History will not fully prove the point of fact, that this day was kept in the Apostles times, and consequently by their appointment, then the same proof will not serve to evince that any text of Scripture is Canonical, and uncorrupted; nor can we think that any thing in the world, that is past, can have Historical proof.
I have been put to say somewhat particularly out of Antiquity for this evidence of the fact, because it is that which I lay the greatest stress upon. But I have not done it so largely as might be done, 1. Because I would not lose the unlearned Reader in a Wood of History, nor overwhelm him instead of edifying him. 2. Because it is done already in Latine by Dr. Young in his Dies Dominica (under the name of Theophilus Loncardiensis;) which I take to be the moderatest, soundest and strongest Treatise on this subject that I have seen; Though Mr. Cawdry, and Palmer (joyntly) have done well and at greater length: and Mr. Eaton, Mr. Shephard, Dr. Bound, Wallaeus, Rivet, and my dear friend Mr. George Abbot against Broad have said very much: And in their way, Dr. White, Dr. Heylin, Bishop Ironside, Mr. Brierwood, &c. 3. I chose most of the same Citations which Dr. Heylin himself produceth, because he being the man that I am most put to defend my self against, his confessions are my advantage. 4. And if I had been willing, I could not have been so full in this, as the Subject will bespeak, because I have almost eleven years been separated from my Library, and long from the neighbourhood of any ones else.
I much pitty and wonder at those Godly men, who are so much for stretching the words of Scripture, to a sense that other men cannot find in them, as that in the word [Graven Images] in the second Commandment, they can find all set Formes of Prayer, all composed studyed Sermons, and all things about Worship of mans invention to be Images or Idolatry; and yet they cannot find the abrogation of the Jewish Sabbath in the express words of Col. 2. 16. nor the other Texts which I have cited; nor can they find the Institution of the Lords day in all the Texts and Evidences produced for it. But though Satan may somewhat disturbe our Concord and tempt some mens Charity to remissness, by these differences, he shall never keep them out of Heaven, who worship God, through Christ, by the Spirit, even in spirit and truth: Nor, shall he, I hope ever draw me, to think such holy persons as herein differ from me, to be worse than my self, though I think them in this to be unhappily mistaken: much less to approve either of their own separation from others, or of other mens condemning them as Hereticks, and inflicting severities upon them, for these their opinions sake.
THE CONTENTS.
CHAP. 1.
THE state of the Question, with the summary proof of the Divine separation of the Lords Day, page 1.
CHAP II.
That Christ commissioned his Apostles as his principal Church-Ministers, to teach the Churches all his Doctrine, and to deliver them all his Commands and Orders, and so to settle and guide the first Churches. p. 5.
CHAP. III.
Christ promised his Spirit to his Apostles to enable them to do what he had commissioned them to do, by leading them into all truth, and bringing his words and deeds to their remembrance, and by guiding them at his Churches Guides. p. 9.
CHAP. IV.
Christ performed all these Promises to his Apostles, and gave them his Spirit to enable them to all their commissioned work. p. 11
CHAP. V.
The Apostles did actually separate and appoint the first day of the Week for Holy Worship, especially in Church Assemblies. Which is explained in several subordinate Propositions; And proved 1. By Scripture; 2. By unquestionable History; And the validity of this proof evinced; and the denyers of it proved to subvert the Churches certainty of greater matters. p. 12
CHAP. VI.
This act of the Apostles appointing the Lords Day for holy Worship, was done by the especial inspiration and guidance of the Holy Ghost. p. 69
CHAP. VII.
Whether the seventh day Sabbath should be still kept by Christians, as of Divine obligation? Neg. proved. Where is shewed how far the fourth Commandment is abrogated (and all the Law of Moses.) p. 71
CHAP. VIII.
Of the Beginning of the Day. p. 91
CHAP. IX.
How the Lords Day should be kept. Of the length of the time, and the Objection about weariness. p. 93
CHAP. X.
How the Lords Day should not be spent or what is unlawful on it; Of worldly business: Of recreations: of Idleness, &c. p. 108
CHAP. XI.
What things should not be scrupled as un lawful on the Lords Day. p. 129
CHAP. XII.
Of what importance the due observing of the Lords Day is. Many great Reasons for it. p. 139
CHAP. XIII.
What other Church Festivals, or separated Dayes are lawful. p. 148
THE CONTENTS OF THE Appendix.
CHAP. I.
An Answer to certain Objections against the Lords Day, p. 157
CHAP. II.
An Answer to more Arguments for the seventh day Sabbath, p. 180
CHAP. III.
Whether the seventh day Sabbath be part of the Law of Nature; or only a Positive Law? p. 202
CHAP. IV.
Whether every word in the Decalogue be of the Law of Nature? and of perpetual obligation? And whether all that was of the Law of Nature was in the Decalogue? p. 214
CHAP. V.
Whether the truest Antiquity be for the seventh day Sabbath, as kept by the Churches of Christ? p. 220