The Lords Day Vindicated, Tract · Section 20
SECT. XX.
AND thus I have paſſed through all his Book that concerns the Sabbath; and have done what God hath enabled me to ſhew the Weakneſs and Non-Concluſion of all his Arguments, having endeavoured to look into the Depth, and find out the Strength of every one of them: And on the other hand, to confirm and eſtabliſh ours againſt all his Endeavours to undermine and baſſle them. And, might here have concluded; but ſhall not 'till I have ſhewen him the Tradition of the Lords-days-Reſt down along from the Apostles Time, home to the Concluſion of the Fourth Century; which is the pureſt Antiquity, and enough for our purpoſe, being found in the moſt ancient orthodox Fathers, and ſpoken of as the Practice of the Church of God in their Days, whom I ſhall but name, and ſet down the Time of their flouriſhing in the Church, referring the Reader to Dr. Young, and Mr. Warren, to find out their Quotations thus.
Ignatius Co-temporary with the Apoſtles.
Juſtin Martyr in the Year 160.
Dioniſius Bp. of Corinth near the ſame time.
Tertullian Anno. 200. Origen 226. Cyprian Martyr An. 250. Athanaſius An. 326. Hilary 355. Ambroſe 374. Hierome 385. Chryſostom 398. Augustine in their Time. Euſebius (ſaith my Author) teſtifies, 'twas obſerved all the World over. And Bp. Andrews (as I have read him) in his Speech againſt Thrask a Sabbatarian, in the Star-Chamber, avows it on his Credit, that there is not any Eccleſiaſtical Writer, in whom 'tis not found. Viz. The ſacred Obſervance of the Lord's Day, that is, the Firſt Day of the Week. Which Teſtimonies of ſo many excellent Doctors (yea, ſaith Bp. Andrews of all eminent Doctors) of ſo many great and flouriſhing Churches, carry much more Weight with them, than all his Collections can pretend to do againſt them.
As touching Eaſter and it's Obſervance, that is no Part of this Controverſy; therefore I ſhall only ſay, that I am no Zelot for it's Obſervance, and am perſwaded it has leſs Grounds for it's Celebration than any other of thoſe Feſtivals which are appropriated to our Lord, and in Commemoration of his Birth, of his Manifeſtation, of his Aſcenſion, of his Miſſion of the Holy Ghoſt, becauſe the Lord's Day is a conſtant Memorial of that Reſurrection, being that Day of the Week whereon he reſted from all the Work of his Redemption: wherefore, ſeeing there is a weekly religious and ſolemn Commemoration thereof, there muſt needs be the leſs Cauſe for an Annual. As for the other Feſtivals which are appropriated to meer Men, and dedicated to their Remembrance and Praiſe; as I have nothing to ſay for them, ſo I think it neither prudent nor ſeaſonable to ſay any thing againſt them. But, let him that keepeth a Day, keep it to the Lord, and he that keepeth not a Day, unto the Lord let him not keep it: And let both maintain the Unity of the Spirit, in the Bond of Peace.
Here I hoped to have annexed my Epilogue, but ſome Paſſages in the Diſcourſe of Eaſter, do require a little Animadverſion. As when,
He tells us, Page 134. (which he had done ſeveral Times before) that the Change of the Seventh Day to the Firſt, was introduced by the Bp. of Rome, and ſo impoſed by him upon the other Churches, which he thinks evidenced by his former Collection. But, 1. We have ſeen it obſerved before there was a Bp. of Rome, and he received it from the Aſſemblies of the Diſciples and Chriſtians juſt upon our Saviour's Reſurrection, and in the Apoſtles Days. 2. We have ſeen it obſerved by very great Churches in the Purity of the Roman Faith, and the Moderation of the Roman Eccleſiaſtical Government, when either the Roman Biſhop did not pretend to any Authority over them; or if he did, they rightly and ſtoutly reſiſted and refuſed it: And therefore 'twas rather an univerſal Reception of all the Churches conjunctly, as from the Apoſtles and ſcriptural Authority; than any Impoſition of Rome upon them.
He has a ſtrange Notion, Page 130. (as it appears to me) which is, that firſt Rome endeavoured to introduce the Obſervation of the Paſſover upon the Lords-day; and ſo the weekly Holy Reſt upon that day; which to my Apprehenſion, implies that Rome her ſelf obſerved the Paſſover; Lords-day, before ſhe did the weekly. Whereas 'tis clear, that Rome obſerved the firſt day of the week, becauſe 'twas the Dominical day, the day of our Lord's Reſurrection; whereas the proper Paſchal-day was two or three days before the Lords day: And therefore in Honour to that day, did the Biſhop of Rome require Eaſter to be kept; and not ordained Eaſter Firſt-day, as a Shooe-horn to bring in the weekly firſt day after. Moreover in thoſe Churches wherein they diſſented from Rome, as to the day of Eaſter, they concurred with her in the weekly Lords-day: So that the Lords-day was weekly obſerved by them, before Eaſter was kept upon that day; and therefore the yearly firſt day could not be an uſherer in of that week-day which was before it.