The Lords Day Vindicated, Tract · Section 12
SECT. XII.
THe firſt Objection againſt the Seventh day, and Argument for the Lords day, is Page 47. from the Reſurrection of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt upon that day, &c. Againſt which he has nothing directly and particularly, but only hints the Differences of Opinions about the changing of the day; but all (ſave one) do agree, that it is changed, and reaſon would judge, that their univerſal concurrent Suffrages, ſhould weigh more for its Mutation, than their Differences about the Circumſtances thereof, ſhould againſt the Change of it. He anſwers, there is no expreſs Alteration of the Seventh into the First-day-Sabbath: And he expreſſes his meaning to be, not by any expreſs Precept; but we ſay there are other ways of Abrogating and Eſtabliſhing things in Scripture, than by expreſs Prohibitions, or poſitive Injunctions; even by genuine Conſequences from Doctrins, from Examples of thoſe that are propoſed to our Imitation, &c. And that the Sanctification of the Seventh day is as much abrogated in the Goſpel, and the Lords day eſtabliſhed in its ſtead, as any of the Ceremonies of the Old Adminiſtration are. And I think we may challenge him to produce any one expreſs Command for the Aboliſhing of any one of the Jewiſh Ceremonies, or of all of them conjunctly; which becauſe we cannot find, conſequently we muſt ſtill look upon them to be in force, and keep them alive in the Chriſtian Churches, and theſe days of Reformation. I do verily believe, if my Judgment were ſway'd with ſuch Arguments againſt the Lords day, and for the Seventh, they would lead me back to all the Jewiſh Religious Worſhip, becauſe they were all as really commanded by the Second Command (even all inſtituted Worſhip) as the Seventh day is by the Fourth, both which are in themſelves poſitive, though referred to, and virtually contained in the Moral Commands; yet he acknowledges the Abolition of theſe without an expreſs Command, and why not of this? Let him bring his Arguments from Scripture for the Abrogation of any of them, and I do verily believe we ſhall be able to uſe the very ſame for the Excluſion of the Seventh day. I know not any one particular Rite of the Old Teſtament, more particularly ſpoken of in the New Teſtament by the Apoſtle towards its Excluſion from the Chriſtian Church, than Circumciſion; yet there is no expreſs Command againſt it that I know of: And I aſſert, that let him bring what Argument he can from theſe Epiſtles againſt it, I will produce the ſame againſt the Seventh-day-Sabbath, and ſo they muſt either ſtand or fall upon the ſame Ground, and ſo muſt the other Ceremonies that are not ſo much as mentioned in the Books of the New Teſtament. Again, here he recurs to the Danger and Preſumption of Indulging to Conjectures and Humane Fancies in the things of God, without any warrant from Scripture, or againſt the Commands thereof, under a pretence of honouring God and Chriſt thereby, and unworthily applies all this to the Aſſertors of the Lords-day. But to this we have anſwered already, and doubt not but to be as Innocent in this Reſpect as himſelf; and this is the ſumm of all his anſwer to this Argument for the Firſt-day-Sabbath. But we muſt not ſo leave it, but ſpeak what (I hope) God will direct to the Vindication of it: And here we muſt know, that this Argument is not the ſolitary Proof that we bring for the Lords-day's Holy Obſervation; for then it might ſeem to carry no great weight with it. But,
Firſt, We undertake to prove an Abolition of the Seventh day from the Word, and then propoſe the Firſt day, as bidding faireſt of all the other Week-days for it; becauſe we acknowledge one day of the Seven to be the ſubſtance of the Fourth Commandment, and to be poſitively and ſecondarily Moral in it; and that therefore there lies ſtill an Obligation upon all the Churches unto the end of the World, to keep one day in ſeven Holy unto the Lord (at leaſt all who may have the Commands intirely conveyed to them, and duly taught them, for there may be a caſe of Exemption in this particular, as we may ſee in the progreſs) and we ſay the Seventh day being caſhiered, the firſt day ought to be its ſucceſſor; and that becauſe of the glorious Privileges of this day above all others of the Week; whereof this of our Lords Reſurrection from the Dead is chief, becauſe this was the day of God the Redeemer's entring into his Reſt. And our Argument for the Lords day is both a Pari & a Majori; from Equality and Eminence; Equality with, and Eminency to, the Reſt of God the Creator upon the Seventh day; for as the Creators having finiſhed the Sixth days work and reſted the Seventh, was made a poſitive Motive for the Obſervance of that day for a religious Reſt, during all the time that Jehovah reſted from no other more eminent work of his: So we ſay in like manner, the Reſt of God the Redeemer from that his greater work of Redemption on the firſt day, may be as good a Motive for the Conſecrating thereof to a religious Reſt; for here we ſuppoſe the Seventh day excluded: Yea we argue a fortiori, and ſay it may much more upon this account challenges its Holy Obſervation. Becauſe,
1. The Reſt of Jehovah after the works of the Creation, was no proper Reſt (as has been proved) but now his Reſt after the work of Redemption, was a real and proper one, from the Labours, Sufferings and Humiliation of his humane Nature. 2. The Work of Creation coſt God but ſix words of his Mouth; but the work of Redemption coſt him his Incarnation, and in his Manhood, his mean and contemptible Birth, his poor, obſcure, laborious Life, for thirty Years together in his reputed Fathers Houſe, and probably at his Trade too; and after that his itinerant, weariſom, tempted, reproached, perſecuted and ſad Life, for 3 or 4 Years before his Sufferings, and his compleat, voluntary and ſinleſs Obedience to his Fathers Will, all his days; and his fearful Sufferings, and moſt dreadful, ſhameful, painful, lingring and accurſed Death. 3. By the work of Creation God brought all things out of nothing, and ſo could not poſſibly meet with any oppoſition thereto; but in the work of our Redemption he waded through and overcame all Oppoſition, all the Temptations of Men and Devils; all the Rage and Malice, the Revilings, horrible Reproaches, falſe Accuſations, unjuſt Condemnations of Men; all the Rage, Fury and Cruelty, of Earth and Hell, of Men and Devils: Yea, all the Wrath and Vengeance of his Father (which was infinitely worſe than all the former) and at laſt Death and the Grave. 4. By the Creation God brought our Nature out of nothing; but by Redemption, from Satan, from Sin, from Death, from Hell, from the Wrath of God, and from the Grave. 5. By the Creation God made us perfectly Holy and Happy; planted Paradiſe for us; gave us an Immortality, and Abilities, and Inclinations, and infinite Obligations, ſo to remain for ever; but not the effectual Grace (for we ſpeedily fell) and an animal Life (for we were to eat and drink and ſleep in Innocency, to recruit the Decays of Nature) but by Redemption God brings us again into a perfect and more glorious State of Holineſs and Happineſs, conveys us into the third Heaven, gives us an eternal Security there, and makes us like the Angels for ever and ever; and doubtleſs our Condition in the third Heaven, where Redemption conveys and lodges us, will be as far more Noble, Glorious, Bleſſed and Happy, than our Condition in Paradiſe, where Creation made and ſtated us, as that is in Situation above this. 6. God glorified his Power, Wiſdom and Goodneſs in the work of Creation; but much more all theſe in the work of Redemption (as might eaſily be diſplayed to the Reader) and withall, his Pity, his Grace, his Juſtice, his Holineſs, his Truth, his Jealouſie for his own Glory; more of Gods Glory ſhining forth in one Line of the Redeemers Face, than in all the Creation both viſible and inviſible. Wherefore ſeeing this work of Redemption does ſo unconceivably ſurpaſs that of Creation, both as to Excellency, as wrought out by God; and as to its Ʋtility to us, as wrought out for us; we ſay (with Reverence and without Offence) that the firſt day hath more to ſhew upon this account for its Holy Separation from, and Exaltation above, the reſt of the Week-days, than ever the Seventh had, or can pretend unto: And we ſay withall, that it is very Congruous, that God the Redeemer ſhould have one day of the Week conſecrated to his Reſt for 2000 Years in the latter days of the World; as well as God the Creator have a day throughout 4000 Years conſecrated to his Reſt: Eſpecially ſeeing that the Honour and Glory of the Redeemer herein, is the Glory and Honour of God the Creator, for both are the ſame Jehovah; whereas the Glory of the Creator herein, is not the Glory of the Redeemer; for the Redeemer was not when the Creation was produced, neither ſhould ever have been, had the Creation ſtood in that Eſtate wherein God created it, and reſted in his works: So that 'tis clear from hence, that 'tis not a Pretence to honour the Lord Chriſt, that is pleaded for the firſt day; but 'tis really an Honour, a great Honour to the Redeemer, that it ſhould be dedicated to a holy Commemoration of his Reſt. That the Firſt-day-Sabbath hath the ſame Argument and Motive in this particular that the Seventh hath, even God's Reſting from his work; and herein a ſtronger, as far as the Glory and Profit of Redemption, excels that of Creation. I have been ſomewhat long here, and the Subject is very Glorious, Delightful and Profitable; and the Argument, with others, weighty and convincing, and ought not to be ſlightly paſſed over, how little ſoever is ſaid againſt it; the Author ſeeming to fancy he could blow it out of door with a puff.