Essay Concerning the Sabbath, Errata – To the reader
ERRATUM.
Page 74. Sect. 7. Line 1. rea… Uncontradictably.
AN ESSAY Concerning the Sabbath; OR THE SABBATH-DAYS REST FROM CONTROƲERSIE.
Wherein is aſſerted, That our CHRISTIAN SABBATH Lords-day, or Sunday is, the very ſame day of the Week, which was Anciently obſerved by the Jews, and Gentiles, for the Solemn day of their Solemn weekly Worſhip, before Iſraels coming out of AEGYPT, and after that by the Gentiles.
PREFACED With an INTRODUCTION thereunto, touching the true meaning of Gen. 2. v, 2, 3. And on the Seventh day God ended his work, and reſted that day, and bleſſed, and ſanctified it.
In parvo magnum. By N. Homes D. D.
LONDON, Printed for the Author, 1673.
THE EPISTLE TO THE Reader.
INgenious, and Ingenuous Candid Reader, I had thought that by this time I had been (Rude donatus) freed from any further attendance at the Preſs, having toyled ſo much, and ſo long in that Warfair. But ſeeing that neither all Men, nor all pretenders to Learning, are yet ſatisfied about our Chriſtian Sabbath: ſome Heſitating about the time; others about the number; a third ſort about the morality of it: And others, on the other hand, encouraging me to ſet forth this Irenicon, I yielded to them their deſire: Of which, that I might not be fond, as of a birth of my Brain, I anticipated it, by following in ſome degree, Quintilian's advice, to the Author of any Book (Nonum que prematur in annum; ut refrigerato inventionis amore tanquam Lector perpenderet) That he ſhould ſuppreſs his Treatiſe for Nine years, whereby, he cooling the fervor of his Affectionate love to his own invention, he might peruſe and weigh it rather as the Reader of it then the Author.
This Counſel I have followed halfe way, my judgment (in Oppoſition to fond Affection) leading me thereunto (Quartum que repreſſit in annum) and ſuppreſt this Treatiſe this Four years; and upon the ſame account as aforeſaid, viz. to prevent doting upon it. But when its Leaſe was out, it was releaſt and got abroad into the World, more to oblige Conſcience to a more ſerious ſolemnizeing the Lord's-day; and to mind us of that Eternal foreign Sabbatiſme, of which it is the Typical Repreſentation. A fit Subject for my old Age, and all that are ancient in days.
Yet let no man Dream that in this Treatiſe I dote; as if that little Learning I have had, made me beſides my ſelf; or that it is now too late for me to meddle with Mathematical Numbrings, Meaſurings, and Revolutions of times, So that they dare ſay, I cannot make good the Title of the Book; I think I may as boldly ſay, ſuch Confidents endeavour to advance their neſcience above anothers Knowledge; yea, and indeed, to make raſh Cenſoriouſneſs to ride in Triumph over ſober Conſideration. For they judge of things (as we ſay) unſight and unſeen, and ſo make their illiterateneſs (ad hoc) to be the meaſure of another mans diſcoveries. But he only that is Learned is able duly to judge of a Man of Learning. Nor doth God diſcover all truths at once, Heb. 1.1. nor to all men alike; to ſome more, to ſome leſs. One Micajah (let me ſpeak it without boaſting my ſelf, but in a way of Apology for my lonelineſs in this Tenet): I ſay one Micajah in 1 King. 22.6. &c. was in the right, when Four hundred falſe Prophets were in the wrong. And ſo was Elijah in the right when the Four hundred and fifty Prophets of Baal, and the Four hundred Prophets of the Groves greatly erred. 1 Kings 18. v. 19. &c. And of latter times, one Paphnutius by his Wiſdom and ſtrength of Reaſon turned a whole Council. (A memorable ſtory).
Men building on falſe Principles, are ſure to erre in their Concluſions. For Example: The Sabbath (ſay moſt) is the Seventh day from the Creation. which (ſay we) cannot be; becauſe no Mortal Man could ever tell where the Sun firſt appeared to the World; N. B.whether in the Eaſt, or in the Weſt, whether at Noon, or at Midnight, whereby to fix the Beginning and the Ending of the Natural Sabbath-day; that is, The Natural Seventh day, of Twenty four hours. Beſides, no one day ſo meaſured out, could be comenſurate, to make an Ʋniverſal Seventh day to ſerve all Nations to begin their Sabbath at the ſame hour. For the Sun in its ſwift Courſe makes in every hour a new Horizon, and ſo a new hour to every Nation, according to their various Situations. So that the Seventh day from the Creation is quite out of doors, N. B.and the Seventh day after Six days labour in every Countrey muſt be taken into the room thereof.
In this Eſſay, as I follow no Common Rode, or plural of Authors, ſo nor do I (as if diſpleaſed) tread upon any mans heels that hath gone before, bearing Witneſs to the Divine Authorization and Morality of the Sabbath though on different Principles. But my greateſt care is, leaſt the Reader ſhould not be as clear in his apprehenſions of my expreſſions, as I am in this Notion touching the Identity and ſameneſs of our. Lord's Day, or Sabbath with that from the Creation to Iſraels coming out of Aegypt. The Reader therefore, N. B.that is deſirous to underſtand, is intreated ſtudiouſly to read the whole, and then compare and ponder part with part, and then impartially judge of all. And may perhaps thereby be provoked and be enabled to ſpeak more fully to the Point then I have done: as a looker on (we ſay) ſees oft-times more then he that plays the Game. If I have broken the Ice, another may wade further. Truth (ſay the Ancients) lies hidden in a quick-Spring-Well; therefore is not drawn out but by degrees. And every degree gives Light into further Truth; Impoſſibles (as deemed) become poſſible, poſſibles to appear probable, probables to evidence themſelves demonſtrable.
Is it impoſſible for a Maſter of Reaſon to imagine this Suppoſition; That he ſees Noah in his Ark, and while he there ſees him, one while in the upper room of the Ark, another while in the lower, that ſtill he ſees him in the Ark? No more is it impoſſible for a man to conceive that whiles he conſiders the Sabbath day in the upper region of the time of the natural Sabbath day of Twenty four hours, to wit in the Evening; or conſider the Sabbath in the lower Region of it, namely in the Morning and beginning of the ſaid day, that ſtill it is Materially the ſame Sabbath day, though Formally it became the Jews Sabbath, as limited by Moſes's Adminiſtration: And it becomes formally the Chriſtian Sabbath as it was firſt ſtated by the Patriarchs before the Flood, &c. and afterwards ſtabliſhed by Chriſts Reſurrection.
I ſhall conclude with this confidence in the ſight of God, that if I have not promoted the Stabliſhment of our Chriſtian Sabbath (which was my whole deſign) I am ſure, it is not prejudiced by
Nathanael Homes.