The Lords Day Vindicated, Tract · Section 11
SECT. XI.
HAving done with this Conjecture, we proceed to the Author's Queſtion in the ſame Page, Whether the Seventh-day-Sabbath was obſerved after the Reſurrection and Aſcenſion of Chriſt: Whereof he thinks he demonſtrates the Affirmative: But is far enough from it by thoſe Inſtances which he brings from the Apoſtles, and eſpecially and moſtly from St. Paul; yea, only from him. For though we take it for granted, that many of the newly Proſelyted Jews to the Doctrin and Faith of the Lord Jeſus, (the ordinary and common ſort of them) did continue to obſerve the Seventh-day-Sabbath, out of an Erroneous Conſcience toward God, and a Perſuaſion of the perpetual Obligation of the Fourth Command, as to this Seventh day, as they did alſo Circumciſion, the Paſſover, and other Moſaical Rites, and Conſecrated Times (for all which, St. Paul in his Epiſtles to the Galatians and Coloſſians, does clearly and ſeverely reprove them.) Yet we ſay that the Apoſtles themſelves never did ſo, much leſs St. Paul, the great Doctor of the Gentiles, and the great Vindicator of their Freedom from the Rites and Days of the Old Teſtament-Adminiſtration: For they were otherwiſe, and better taught by their Lord, and inſtructed by the Holy Ghoſt; for they went indeed, (I mean Paul and his Companions) into the Synagogues on the Sabbath-day, I mean here the Seventh-day; though it deſerves not now that Name. But 'twas not in any Obſervance of that day, as more Holy than another; as 'twas not in any Obſervance or Deference to the Synagogue, as a more Holy Place than another, that he went into it. But 'twas becauſe that then and there, the Jews were aſſembled in great Numbers, becauſe that was the time, and that the place of their Solemn and Numerous Aſſociations for their Divine Worſhip: And he could not find ſo fit an Opportunity any other day, nor ſo convenient a Room in any other place to Converſe with them, to Preach the Goſpel to them, to prove the Lord Jeſus to be Gods promiſed, and their expected Meſſiah; to Convince them hereof, and to Exhort them to Believe on him, and Embrace him as ſuch, which his Zeal for Chriſts Glory, and his Love to their Souls, ſtrongly conſtrained him to. And this we aſſert, was the only cauſe of his ſo often, and ſo unuſal going into their Synagogue on the Seventh day, without any Difference as to Time and Place; as if it were more holy than any other. We know how ardently he longed after the Converſion and Salvation of his own Countrymen and Kinsfolk, according to the Fleſh; how fervently he panted after our Lord Chriſts being acknowledged by them; as that which would be their greateſt Good, and his greateſt Glory in the World: For ſo his Enemies would become his Friends; his Baſphemers of him, as the worſt of Deceivers, would be turned to be his Praiſers, Adorers and Relyers on him; as the Son of God, the King of Iſrael, and Saviour of the World: And therefore this conſtrained him to apply himſelf to them in every Place, and at every Time, where he might diſcourſe with moſt of them, and with greateſt Freedom and Advantage. And if the Jews had convened on other Days, in other Places, in as great Crowds; he could doubtleſs then and there, have applyed himſelf unto them: And had they accuſtomed their Aſſemblies at any other time, or in any other place, he would have made it his Cuſtom and uſual Manner, to have aſſociated with them. The Reaſon that the Holy Ghoſt gives us of Paul's going into the Jews Synagogues on the Seventh day, and making it his uſual Cuſtom, is no where ſaid, as I remember, that he might Worſhip with them; much leſs, that he might obſerve the day with them; but only that he might Preach the Goſpel to them, and prove the Lord Chriſt to be their Meſſiah: Wherefore ſeeing the Holy Ghoſt tells us every where, that this was his great Deſign, and this his great Work in their Synagogue: Therefore it hence follows, That if he could not have had ſuch Advantages for this Work among them, he would never then nor there, have accompanied with them: So far was he from any Reſpect, either to Time or Place, in this his Cuſtom, that he only made uſe of them, in a Subſerviency to his farther Deſign: And therefore 'tis very remarkable, and worthy our moſt diligent Obſervance, that when the Apoſtle Paul, had ſound the Jews given up ſo far to their curſed Blindneſs and Prejudice againſt the Lord Chriſt, that all his Pains he took with them, all the Affections he ſhewed he had for them, all the undeniable Demonſtrations from Scripture he produced before them, could prevail nothing with them, but rather they contradicted and blaſphemed. He forſook them and their Society, and turned to the Gentiles, Act. 13.45, 46. and doubtleſs, went into their Synagogues no more on the Seventh day. In other Places he did go into the Jews Synagogues after this, on the Seventh day, as long as he had any hope of ſucceeding in his Preaching the Lord Chriſt to them; but when he ſaw that they were generally hardned, and took Advantage to ſpeak Evil of the Lord Chriſt, and his Doctrin before others, (the Gentiles) he turned away quite from them, and forſook their Synagogue; and made the School of a Heatheniſh Philoſopher, one Tyrannus, the common Meeting-place of his Auditors, Act. 19.8, 9. and ſo queſtionleſs, altered the Time and Day, as well as the Place of his Preaching, and the Meeting of his Auditors: For after this, throughout all the remaining Book of the Acts, throughout the remaining part of this Chapter, and all the other Nine, you find not the leaſt Mention of Paul's Preaching or Praying, or Aſſociating with any others upon the Seventh day; neither could this Author produce, becauſe he could not find any ſuch Paſſage after this Eighth Verſe of this Nineteenth Chapter: Wherefore that Word of Mr. B. Pag. 45. Line 15. Continually, might well be omitted; for he did not continually go into the Jews Synogogue, on the Seventh day, but ceaſed from it, when his great Deſign thereof was fruſtrated; and never is ſaid more to do it, after this time: No, not at Rome, where he lived Two whole Years in a hired Houſe of his own, and might have appointed what day he would for the Collection of his Diſciples and Hearers. Is he ever ſaid to have called them together on the Seventh day? which I aſſert to be a clear Proof that he never did it before out of any Regard to that day, as more holy than other: And therefore this Diſcourſe of Two or Three Pages, and the particular Remarks which he makes upon this Practice of St. Paul, in ſome few of the Chapters of the Acts, and the great Advantages he thinks he has for the Seventh day from them, are dwindled and vaniſhed into nothing. If he would have gotten any thing for his Cauſe, from this Practice of St. Paul, he ſhould have ſhewn theſe, or ſuch like Particulars.
1. That St. Paul called his Auditors together upon that day; which he cannot do, for the Jews aſſembled themſelves thereon. 2. That he aſſociated himſelf with the Gentiles, and made their Religious Aſſemblies upon that day; but this he never reads. 3. That he did this perſeveringly, even when he turned from the Jews; but this he can never ſhew, and therefore all this ſhew is but a ſhew. Beſides, we know St. Paul preached where-ever and whenever he found a convenient Auditory, in the School of Tyrannus, Acts 19.9. in the Market-place, Acts 17.17. on Mars-hill, v. 22. at the High Prieſts Bar, and before Feſtus and Agrippa; and as he made no diſtinction of places, ſo none of days, as to the preaching of the Goſpel (though as to the Churches ſolemn ſtated Worſhip he did, though not the Seventh day) and ſo theſe days and times have as much to plead for their Sanctity from the Apoſtles preaching on them, as the Seventh hath. But I ſuppoſe I have ſaid enough of this, to ſatisfie any unprejudiced conſidering Perſon.
Page 46. To his Queſtion we grant, that the Holy Scriptures do call no other day of the Week a Sabbath but the Seventh (though Dr. Lightfoot ſhews, that one day of the Year is called a Sabbath day, whenever it falls out upon any other day of the Week, viz. Pentecoſt) and do not begrudge him all the Advantage he can take from hence. Thus (I hope) by Gods Aſſiſtance and Guidance, I have ran through all this Author's Arguments for his Sabbatarian Opinion, and if I deceive not my ſelf, have proved them to be very weak and ineffectual, as to the Edifying and Eſtabliſhment of it: And now I muſt proceed to try his Skill in plucking down, and to ſee if he be more Dextrous and Succeſsful in defeating our Arguments againſt the Seventh day, and for the Sanctification of the Firſt day (which from henceforth I will take liberty to call the Lords day) which he judges to be moſt weak and empty, even the Conjectural Miſtakes of the meaning of ſome Paſſages in Scripture; let us ſee whether he can prove them to be ſuch.