The Lords Day Vindicated, Tract · Section 13
SECT. XIII.
HE propoſes Page 49. our Argument from our Saviour's appearing to his Diſciples on the firſt day of the Week, for its being the day of Chriſtian and ſolemn Worſhip from John 20. to 26. To which he anſwers, all this amounts not to an Inſtitution, but with other Arguments, it bids fairly for it, and ſhews the Honour our Saviour put upon this day beyond all others. As to his other, 'tis replied, that 'tis probable, that firſt day ſpoken of in v. 19. here, may be the ſame with that ſpoken of Luke 24.13, &c. and 'tis probable 'tis not ſo, for our Lord appeared to his Diſciples on ſeveral Lord-days. But fairly to grant what he cannot get: Suppoſe it were ſo, could the two Diſciples, travelling to Emaus, and our Saviour's coming to them, walking and converſing with them, any way diſparage this day, or weaken this Argument? Not at all. For 1. Theſe Diſciples were yet Unbelievers of Chriſt's Reſurrection, and ſo could have no thoughts of keeping a Firſt-day-Sabbath to the Commemoration thereof. 2. Their Journey to Emaus might be but a Sabbath-days Journey; It might be for religious Ends, and we know many among us do go and ride, or have gone or rid, ſeveral Miles to hear Sermons and receive Sacraments; and yet not be adjudged as Profaners of the Lords day: And our Lord, by ſeveral Diſcourſes of his about, and Actions of his upon, the Sabbath, might well take them off from too ſcrupulous and nice Obſervation of the Lords day. 3. The Journey ſeems not to be ſo great, nor the diſtance between Emaus and Jeruſalem ſo many Miles, as Geographers relate: And therefore Beza ſaith (as Mr. Warren informs me) that they were miſtaken: And there ſeems a great probability thereof, becauſe 'tis ſaid, Luke 24.33. That they roſe up the ſame hour, and went to Jeruſalem; and came to the Congregation of the Eleven, and the other Diſciples, before ever they were diſmiſſed: And therefore 'tis very improbable that it ſhould be ſeven Miles and a half from that City, and much more probable that it was but a Sabbath-days Journey. 4. Our Saviour being riſen and entred into his Glory (at leaſt the firſt degree thereof) was now no longer ſubject to Sabbath Obſervance, neither could he be a Profaner thereof, whatever he did thereon: And beſide, having a glorified Body, he might be with them in an inſtant upon the way, and ſo in a very ſmall particle of time return to Jeruſalem; and all his Diſcourſe to them was moſt proper for the Holy Sabbath; opening to them the Scriptures, reproving them for their Unbelief, and making their Hearts to burn within them: So that our Saviour's Diſcourſes and walking with them, do rather ſerve to confirm the Firſt-days-Sabbath; and their going to Emaus no way to infringe it.
As to that which is produced, Page 50. from John 20.26. he replies, that they might not be gathered together for religious Worſhip: For what elſe then? For fear of the Jews. A very probable Conjecture indeed! For if it had been only for fear, it had been ſafer to have been divided, and every one have hid and concealed himſelf in ſome Friends Houſe, or unſuſpected and ſafe place or other. But to be all aſſembled together in a ſuſpected Houſe (for the Text plainly hints, that was either in a Diſciples Houſe, or ſome other uſual meeting place) would be rather to expoſe themſelves; and to do this without any deſign of religious Worſhip, would argue them very indiſcreet: But now 'twas their duty to meet together to worſhip God, though with hazard; and this they did, and ſhut the doors upon them, that they might not be diſturbed by the Jews. His denial of this ſecond Appearing to be on the Lords day, is taken from a Criticiſm about a Greek Prepoſition, which we tranſlate after: Now all that know any thing of that Language, know that their Prepoſitions are very Polyſemous, and admit of divers Interpretations, or include many of ours; and that two joyned to one Caſe of the following Noun, as this Meta does; for it might be rendred before the Accuſative, in, within, as well as after; and it might have been ſo tranſlated here, but they would render it by after; well knowing that even ſo rendred, it would no way alter the Senſe of the Holy Ghoſt; but according to Scripture Phraſe, ſtill intend the firſt day of the week following, according to the Expreſſion in Mark 8.31. After three days the Son of Man ſhall riſe again: Three days after he was killed he ſhould riſe again; for ſo the Text ſays expreſly, where the meaning muſt needs be upon the third day; and the Engliſh Tranſlation of Queen Elizabeth render this place, within three days he ſhall riſe again And thought it well rendred according to the purport of Meta; which the Criticks tell us is uſually written and ſpoken by the Grecians in the meaning of in or upon: Other Tranſlation render Meta by an Adverb, and not by a Prepoſition; as afterward in three days; and ſo in John, afterward in eight days; in which eight days are compriſed the firſt Lords day and the ſecond, as compleating the number; and ſo this ſecond meeting of Chriſt, and his Diſciples, was on the firſt day, as his Circumciſion was on the eighth day, which the Scripture expreſſes by another ſuch like Phraſe as this, When eight days were accompliſhed for the Circumciſion of the Child, Luke 2.21. As for his Evaſion of that paſſage in Mark, by telling us the ſame Expoſitors think, that Mark reckons the time from his firſt being betrayed and apprehended. This no way helps him, for ſuppoſe he do ſo, yet his after muſt ſignifie upon, or on the third day, for 'tis clear that he was betrayed in the Evening late of the ſixth day; for St. John tells us, chap. 18.3. that they came with Lanthorns and Torches to take him; and 'tis very probable, that that young Man who followed him with only a Linnen Cloth upon his Body, as he was immediately upon his Apprehenſion led to the High Prieſts Palace, Mark 14.51. was one ſtartled out of his Sleep and Bed by the rude Violence of the Souldiers, haling him through the Streets: Therefore this muſt be the former part of the ſixth day; in the latter part whereof he was Crucified, and laid in the Grave, in which he continued throughout the ſeventh, and out of which he roſe very early in the Morning of the firſt day: And ſo it could not be after, as he would fain have it, but upon the third day: And therefore without any danger of ſhaking the third days Reſurrection, our Expoſitors, according to the uſe of Scripture, do thus interpret this Paſſage, and this Prepoſition: (See another expreſs place for this, where, after three days, is ſaid to be upon the third day, 2 Chron. 3.5, 12.) And becauſe it was our Saviour's uſe to appear to them upon that day, even the firſt day: 'Tis ſtrange that he ſhould herein go againſt all the Criticks of that Language, and againſt all the Senſe of all the Expoſitors that I can ſee, to ſerve his own Hypotheſis. 'Tis without doubt, that it was not upon the Seventh day that our Lord did now appear to his Diſciples; unleſs we will underſtand it thus, after four or five days, after the eighth day he appeared to them: And thus he ſlily evades this other Argument for the Lords days Obſervance, even his Appearance to his Diſciples, when gathered together for religious Worſhip, which as I have ſhewed formerly, was not once only, but ſeveral times after his Reſurrection: And 'tis the only day of the Week which is named by all the four Evangeliſts, upon which our Saviour appeared to them, and graciouſly diſcourſed with them; no other day ſo much as mentioned, nor the Seventh ſo much as hinted, to be the day of his Perſonal Manifeſtation of himſelf unto them; which is another high Honour and Prerogative our Lord, and the King of the Church, has beſtowed upon this firſt day of the Week, and ſeems to be a practical and exemplary laying aſide of the Seventh day from being the weekly Sabbath-day, and ſubſtituting the firſt day to be that day conſecrated to the publick and ſolemn Worſhip of God; and an Aſſurance that he will be in the midſt of his People aſſembling themſelves upon this his day; and will come and Bleſs them; which has been, and is, according to the Experiences of his People in their religious Devotions and publick Congregations, for there have they met, and do they ſtill meet him, in thoſe his Galleries: Then he brings them into his Wine-Cellar, and his Banner over them is Love: Then he gives them the raviſhing Kiſſes of his Mouth: Then they behold his Beauty in his Sanctuary, apprehend his Glory, Experience his gracious Power in and upon their Souls: Then they are abundantly ſatisfied with the Fatneſs of his Houſe, and drink delicious Draughts of the Rivers of Spiritual Pleaſures that flow therein: Then they experience that that firſt day of the Week in Gods Houſe, is inconceivably better to them, than all the days of the Week any where elſe, or about any other Imployment whatever. Wherefore we have juſt cauſe to hope, that our People will not, and perſuade them that they do not, neglect the Sanctification of the firſt day of the week, and their Aſſembling themſelves together on that Holy day. Seeing herein they follow the Examples of the Apoſtles themſelves, and the other Chriſtians in their days; and experience the Gracious Spiritual Preſence of our Lord in the midſt of them (as they did both his Carnal and Spiritual Preſence then) and turn aſide after the novel and ſingular Opinion of this Author, being alſo poorly grounded, as we have ſeen.
He proceeds Page 51. againſt that which ſome bring from John 8.56. Abraham ſaw my day, &c. as the day of Chriſt's Reſurrection; and ſo the Firſt day of the Week: He ſays ſome would have it meant of his Birth-day, for the Obſervance of Chriſtmas; others all the days of his Fleſh; and the things which he did ſpeak and ſuffered, and our Redemption thereby, which I think to be a true Notion: But then to be ſure he muſt foreſee his Reſurrection, and ſo a day thereof; and this was the great Cauſe of his Joy and Gladneſs: Becauſe without this, there could be no cauſe of Gladneſs in all the reſt. For his Birth, Life and Death, could have brought no Glory to him, if he had ſtill layen in the Grave; nor Good, nor Profit to us, if he had not roſe out of it; but he would have been conquered by his Enemies, and we forever undone. But now his Reſurrection is for his own greateſt Glory, his Enemies Confuſion, and our Comfort and Triumph: This was properly our Lords day. He calls the day and time of his Sufferings, Luk. 22.53. the hour of his Enemies, and the power of Darkneſs: Becauſe then they inſulted over him, and he was delivered into their Hands. But the time of his Reſurrection was his own day; becauſe he therein Triumphed over all his Enemies, and had perfectly vanquiſhed them; and therefore this day muſt chiefly be intended by Abraham; becauſe 'twas the chief day of his, and all Believers Joy and Gladneſs: Though Mr. B. does not ſo much as once mention it in all thoſe Particulars he reckons up, under this Head.
Moreover, Page 52.53. he mentions thoſe Texts, Pſal. 118.22, 24. and Heb. 4.1, 11. where the day the Pſalmiſt ſpeaks of, which God hath made, ſome do interpret of the Reſurrection-day; and that therefore upon that day of the Week, Chriſtians or the Churches, ſhould go into the Houſes of Worſhip; and there praiſe the Lord, and adore him: And Pſal. 2.7. where the day of God's begetting his Son, is interpreted the day of Reſurrection: And there is very good reaſon, nay, there is Divine Authority for it; for it's applyed and appropiated to that very day, Act. 13.33. So that the Text in the Hebrews, which ſpeaks of a Sabbath, beſides the Seventh day from the Creation; and that Sabbath or Reſt, which Jehovah brought Iſrael into, in the Land of Canaan; (which was to ſucceed, and as it were, to antiquate, and exclude the others) is by good and excellent Authors, underſtood of the Lords day; the Sabbath of the Firſt day. Who bring many excellent Arguments, for this their Interpretation and Opinion: Which Mr. B. ſhould have Produced, Anſwered and Invalidated; and not put them off only by a bare Denial, or Calling them Shifts and Wind-laces: As though his only Rejection of theſe Paſſages, were enough to Counterballance all the Arguments, and rational and ſcriptural Diſcourſes, which many good Scholars, Divines and Holy Men do draw from them, and give us upon them: And therefore ſeeing he ſaith nothing to Confute what they have ſaid, and I deſire to ſtudy Brevity, I ſhall ſpeak nothing more here, but only refer the Reader to theſe Orthodox Authors themſelves; and Particularly to Mr. Warren, in whom he ſhall find very good Improvement of theſe Paſſages for the Lords day.
Page 54. He mentions Act. 20.7. as an Objection againſt the Authority of the Seventh day, and for that of the Firſt; and well he may: For 'tis an eminent one, and ſuch an one as he will find very difficult to anſwer; but yet we muſt expect the utmoſt of his Efforts to do it: I ſhall track his Endeavours. 1. He ſays we gueſs that he Firſt day of the Week, was that day we call Sunday; as though this were but a bare Gueſs: (as a Blind Man ſhoots the Mark, or catches the Hare; as the other Three Gueſſes, he ſays we make in the very next Paragraph.) But yet 'tis ſuch a Gueſs as he will not controvert; and we think 'tis becauſe he cannot gain-ſay it: But yet this great Condeſcenſion to us, muſt be with a Grant from us to him, that St. Paul was a Keeper of the Seventh day, and an Obſerver of it as a Sabbath; and ſo for his granting us what he cannot deny, we muſt grant him what he can never prove; Yea, what we have denyed and ſtill do, viz. that Paul was a Keeper of the Old Sabbath-day. We grant indeed (as before) that he Preached on that day uſually to the Jews in their Synagogues, becauſe he could have no other ſuch convenient Time and Place for it: But that he kept that Sabbath, we utterly deny. For then he would have done it among the Gentiles, as well as among the Jews; which yet we never read he did: Or if he ſaith he did, let him prove it; which we are ſure from Scripture, he can never do: Nor after the former Chapter, that ever he did go ſo much as to the Jewiſh Synagogue (for this is all the Proof of his keeping it) upon the Seventh day. But here we find that the Diſciples came together uon the Firſt day, and Paul came to them, and aſſociated with them in Religious Duties: And why is the Firſt day now named, and the Seventh never after, as the Solemn, Dedicated Day to their Worſhip; but becauſe it was never ſo from that time? But yet this is not all the Condition upon which he will be ſo exceedingly kind to us, as to grant the Firſt day of the Week, to be Sunday or our Lords day; but it muſt be bought with another Information, even on what part of the Sunday 'twas that this Aſſembly was, and St. Pauls aſſociating in them; which he takes for granted, (and I am ſure does but gueſs that his Opponents do) that 'twas in the Evening after the Seventh day: Which he takes for the beginning of the Firſt day, and ſo Paul Preached till the Midnight; and brake Bread, and diſcourſed only till the Light of the Firſt day; but performed no Religious Duty upon the Morning of that day at all; but as ſoon as ever the firſt Day-light began to dawn, he betook himſelf to what was Profane, and Travelled. Which I think is a begging of the Queſtion; and in a ſcriptural Senſe, is to ſay, that he performed no Religious Duties at all thereon; for 'twas the Light that God called day, and the dakneſs he called night, Gen. 1.5 and ſo to contradict the expreſs words of the Text. Beſides, I would fain know of him which is the chiefeſt part of a natural Day, either the dark part of it, which we with Scripture call Night, or the light part of it, which with it we call Day: If the light part (as I think an unprejudiced Mind will grant) why ſhould he ſuppoſe that all the Religious Duties of that Day, ſhould be done in the Dark thereof; and not in the Light?
Again, we think that the Lords day did not begin at Even, but rather in the Morning, when our Lord roſe out of the Grave; that being the great occaſion of its Sanctification to ſacred Duties, and its being imployed therein by thoſe Diſciples and Paul. And for this we have expreſs Scripture, (I mean for the Firſt day of the Weeks beginning in the Morning) as Mat. 28.1. in the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn towards the Firſt day of the Week; where the Scripture determines the Sabbath to end with the Darkneſs of the Night, before the Firſt-day Morning; and the Lords day to begin at the dawning of the Morning of the Firſt day: So far is it from Truth, that the Evening and Night before the Morning of it, were part of that day; (at leaſt in this Scripture Phraſe) and hence we ſay that Paul began to Preach to them in the light part of that Day, as the beginning thereof; and continued with them till the following Midnight. Yea, throughout that Night, and ſo the next Morning being the Second day, on Monday took his Journy, as a proper day for it: And now we have another of our Gueſſes, which is, that the breaking of bread here ſpoken of, was the Lords Supper; and we would fain know what other breaking of Bread ſhould be meant. Can it be imagined that all the Diſciples ſhould come together to Feaſt it with Paul, and that too in the Night-ſeaſon, as he would fain have it? They had Houſes of their own to Eat and Drink in, and they would doubtleſs rather chooſe to receive the Conſecrated Bread from the Apoſtle, that day being the laſt he was to tarry with them; having as 'tis probable, no other Apoſtle, or Evangeliſt, or Paſtor with them at that time; than to eat common Bread, which they could do when they pleaſed in his Abſence: And the Sacrament is more ſuitable to the Society of Diſciples as ſuch, to the Preaching of the Word of God by the Apoſtle, than the feeding their Bodies. Wherefore we ſay, that ſeeing 'tis clearly here implied, that the Diſciples gathered themſelves together uon this day, as upon the uſual time, and the Apoſtle miniſterially ſerved them then; 'tis very probable, (and more than a bare Gueſs) that this day was the uſual day; and ſo to be the future day of their Solemn and Religious Devotions, Dedicated thereunto. As to what follows in the other Paragraph about Preaching and Reaſoning, we may with good reaſon paſs it over, ſeeing we can ſee in it but little to the preſent Caſe.
Next by way of Conceſſion, he tells us that though this were a Religious Aſſembly, and the breaking of Bread was the Lords Supper, yet then all this is but once. But this is ſuch an once, as leaves the Seventh day for ever out of mention from being the day of Aſſociation: Such an once, as clearly ſeems to imply the Cuſtom of the Diſciples, to be their Convention on the Firſt day: Such an once, as the Holy Ghoſt is pleaſed here, ſo particularly to mention, after he had ſhewed us before, that 'twas the uſual day of the Diſciples Religious Aſſociation, and our Saviours perſonal Preſence with them, and his gracious Diſcourſe to them: Such an once, indeed now, (as no Meeting can be but once at a time) as with the former, makes more than once; and ſuch an once, as with what hath been ſaid, and what may be ſaid, will be of force enough not to repeal a Law, or the Fourth Command, but only to alter a Circumſtance and Motive therein; the whole Subſtance thereof continuing in its full Vigour and Authority. Once he ſaith, occaſioned by Paul's being to depart to Morrow. Which very Circumſtance, ſeems to me to be of ſome Moment againſt the Seventh, or for the Firſt day. For we may well ſuppoſe, that St. Paul had determined ſome days before the very day of his Departure; and therefore ſeeing he intended the Second day of the Week to be it, he might with much more Conveniency have Met and Preached, and Adminiſtred the Lords Supper to the Diſciples on the Seventh day: If that had been now the Conſecrated day of the Week, and ſo have had more Time and Leiſure with them for his Work, and not have ſo ſtraitned himſelf, or incommoded them throughout a whole Night: But becauſt the Lords day was the ſacred day of the Week to be obſerved and kept, therefore he would defer it till then; though to his own and their greater Inconvenience. Here we have a Conjecture ſomewhat ſtrange, viz. that the Apoſtle kept the Seventh day at Troas. What, was it alone by himſelf, and without any other with him? as a private Perſon, and not as an Apoſtle? and then would keep the Firſt day of the Week as an Apoſtle, and with the Aſſembly of Believers? Doubtleſs St. Paul was no ſuch Diſſembler on one hand, nor Superſticious Bigot on the other; to obſerve Two Sabbaths in the Week, one by himſelf, and another with the Church; when God commands but one only. But he ſeems to do all he can to turn the Firſt day into the Seventh, and to perſuade us that the Aſſembly of the Diſciples, was begun on the laſt day of the Week; and continued ſome time of the Firſt: Whereas the Text expreſly tells us, they came together on the Firſt day, and ſo continued together the Firſt day, till its Concluſion in the Second days Morning. Here he takes no notice at all, or to no purpoſe, that the Holy Ghoſt tells us expreſly, that Paul abode Seven days at Troas; of which one muſt neceſſarily be the laſt day, the Seventh day in order of the Week: And yet never tells us that the Diſciples met on that day, or Paul with them; but only on the Firſt day. And why ſhould this be (if for any reaſon) but to ſhew us that the Lords day was the day of their Religious Conventions; and the Seventh day antiquated and no more to be mentioned, and obſerved among Chriſtians as ſuch a day? What follows has been (if I miſtake not) ſatisfactorily anſwered already.
'Tis well he recedes from and ſtands not much upon the Greek word foreign to be interpeted one, for he knows that in both the Sacred Languages, the Numerical word is frequently uſed for the Ordinal; and if we ſhould render this word here one, it would make the Language of the Scripture very Impertinent and Uncertain: It would be Impertinent and Superfluous, becauſe if it were upon any day, it muſt be upon one day of the Week, for there is no day that is not one of the Week; and what need the Holy Ghoſt to tell us that was, which we are ſure could not but be. And it would be uncertain and dubious, for according to this meaning we could never know what day of the Week this religious Congregation met, whether on the firſt, or ſecond, or third, or fourth, &c. and the Expreſſion ſeems to hint, that the Holy Ghoſt would acquaint us with the particular day thereof. But ſuch an uncertain Tranſlation would greatly befriend this Author, for then he might more confidently ſuppoſe it to be the Seventh day. Seeing that now when the Spirit clearly aſſerts it was upon the Firſt day, he does perſwade himſelf, and would perſwade us, that it was upon the Seventh. What follows after, being Conjectures and Conſequences drawn from his former weak Premiſes, I ſhall ſay nothing more to them.