The Practical Sabbatarian, Title page – Dedication
THE PRACTICAL Sabbatarian: OR, SABBATH-Holineſs CROWNED with SUPERLATIVE Happineſs.
By John Wells, Miniſter of the Goſpel.
Iſa. Lvi. 2. Bleſſed is the man that doth this, and the Son of man, that layeth hold on it; that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil,
Nobis Chriſtianis non congruunt ludi diebus feſtis; ludi noſtri eſſe debent ſacrae cantiones, verbi divini lectiones, aegrotorum viſitationes, afflictorum conſolationes, pauperum ſuſtentationes, &c. Zanch. in Coloſ.
LONDON, Printed 1668.
To the Right Worſhipful Sir THOMAS ALSTON, With his Eminently PIOUS LADY, John Wells wiſheth all Happineſs here, and to ETERNITY.
Much Honoured:
THat the ſacred day of God ſhould run the gantlet, and feel the ſtripes of many malepert adverſaries, is not miraculous; but that theſe enemies of Gods bleſſed day ſhould be reduced under no Head, and caſt into no predicament, this accents the wonder; that Ebion a primitive Heretick with his Complices ſhould rob the Lords day of a moity of its Honour, making two Sabhaths everyweek, retaining both the Jewiſh and the Chriſtian Sabbath: That Turrecremata, a politick School-man, ſhould rob the Lords day of its Authority, and faſten it only upon a Canonical Law; that others of latter times ſhould rob this bleſſed day of its ſolemnity, giving way to Sports and Senſepleaſing Recreations upon this holy ſeaſon; that another ſort with their Confederates ſhould rob the Lords day of its ſite and poſition, rebounding it back again to the laſt day of the week, and ſo put a Jewiſh brand upon the Lords day; nay, that ſome in theſe dregs of time ſhould oppoſe the very Being of the Lords day, and pluck up all Sabbaths by the roots, and confidently, if not impudently affirme, that every day is a Chriſtian Sabbath; this is matter of amazement; we may truly admire that all varieties ſhould troup together to fight againſt the day of God; onelyonly this conſideration may a little break the force of the wonder; if holineſs which is the impreſſion of Gods 2 Tim. 3. 12.Spirit meet with a conſtant and violent perſecution, 'tis not much marvel if the Sabbath, the genuine promoter of holineſs meet with the ſame dealing. Indeed in the Primitive times of the Church, thoſe Halcyon dayes of the Goſpel, The Lords day, like the beloved Diſciple, lay in the boſom; we find Ignatius calling it the Queen of dayes, Ignat. Epiſt. ad Magneſ. foreign. Athan. …piſt. 119. c 13.and ſ… ſetting a Crown upon its Head; Athanaſius making it the firſt of dayes, the beginning of a new world; Juſtin Martyr giving us the ſeveral Branches and methods of its ſacred Solemnization, and ſhews us how exact the Primitive Chriſtians were in the ſeveral duties and ſervices of it; the incomparable Aug Serm. de temp. 251.Auguſtine lays us down the true and pregnant reaſon of its riſe and inſtitution; and Ambroſe tells us flatly, that Chriſts Reſurrection was a real conſecration of this Holy day for weekly and divine worſhip. I need not mention what Tertullian ſpeaks of the Holy Diſcourſes the Primitive Chriſtians uſed upon this day; nor what Clemens Romanus ſaith, of the devout prayers and accurate attentions uſed by the Profeſſors of the firſt times on this Holy Feſtival; nor yet of the great preheminences given by Hierome to this bleſſed ſeaſon; that day alone, ſaith Hierome, is the one proper Lords day, and better Ambr. tom. 2. in 47. Pſal.then all other common dayes, and then all the Festival dayes, New moons, and Sabbaths of Moſes his Law. And ſhould Tertul Apol. cap 39.we caſt our eye upon what Chryſoſtom hath written in his fifth Homily upon Matthew; how unwearied the Chriſtians of thoſe times were in the holy duties of Gods day; how their Devotion was a full and a conſtant ſtream; we ſhould then conclude, that the Lords day hath had its Heralds to proclaim Clem. Rom. l. 2. c. 59.its glory, as well as its Detractors to decry its ſolemnity. Thus the Chriſtian Sabbath hath travelled in the Wildernes of this life under the pillar of a cloud. and a pillar of fire; and as it hath its enemies to oppoſe it, ſo likewiſe its Seconds Hier. ad Euſtoch.to defend it. That which hath caſt a ſpot upon this bleſſed day in theſe Chr…ſoſt homil. 5 in Matth.latter dayes of the world, is not ſo much Errour as Prophaneneſs; Gods day hath not ſuffered ſo much (yet too much) by the blaſts of Opinion, as by the blackneſs of open prophanation: Concil. Prag. Synod. D… drect. Seſſ. 4….Were we but ſenſible of the groans of the Council of Prague; how thoſe conveened there, bemoaned the prophanation of Gods Holy day; or had we heard the ſighs of the Synod at Dort, Hoſp. de Orig. Feſt. l. 1. c. 3.how they lamented this evil, and with what pathetical language they importuned the petitioning of Magiſtrates for the redreſs of this great evil; nay, were we ſenſible of the mournful expreſſions of many worthy and learned Divines of Simler. comment in Exod.the Reformed Churches, when their Pens ſeemed more to drop Teares, then Ink; we could not but be much affected Aret. Prob. Theol. loc. 123.and impreſſed: Nay, ſhould we take a nearer Proſpect, and take notice of the prodigious vanities, and great impieties which are acted on Gods Holy day here at home in our own Nation, Chemnit. exam. Concil. Trident.trembling may juſtly ſeize upon us. Now to put ſome ſtop to this ſinful Inundation, is the deſign of this Treatiſe, which (Much Honoured) ſhelters it ſelf under the Protection of your Patronage: The promoting of Sabbath-holineſs hath been the care of Courts, and the zeal of Councils, and the Vindication of that Eminent Piece of Piety hath been written not only with Pens, but with Scepters. Sabbath-holineſs is the glory of Princes; Conſtantines Edict Euſeb. de vitâ Conſtantini.for the ſtrict obſervation of the Lords day, is recorded by Euſebius as a Piece Nehem. 13. 15. 16, 17, 18, &c.of Memorable Piety. Sabbath-holineſs is the ſplendour of Nobles. Nehemiahs zeal for Gods bleſſed Sabbath is recorded not by the Hiſtorian, but by the Spirit, and made part of Gods ſacred Word. Sabbath-holineſs is the richeſt field in the Gentlemans Eſcucheon. Mr. Bruens piety in an exemplary obſervation of Gods Holy day Mr. Clark in the life of Mr. Bruen and Mr. Dod.is tranſmitted by a faithful Pen to future times, as an Emblem of his perpetual honour. Sabbath-holineſs is not only the duty, but the dignity of a Miniſter; the rare and ſtrict obſervance of Gods Holy day, by the moſt pious Mr. Dod is ſet down in the Hiſtory of his Life, as a fair Copy for future ſucceſſions to write after. Nay, Sabbath-holineſs is the honour of a people; Chryſoſtom hath left it upon record in one of Chryſoſt. 19. Homil. in Geneſ.his Homilies upon Geneſis, as the Crown of his people, that with unwearied patience, and unwonted alacrity they would wait upon his Miniſtry upon the Lords day, and thought not the circuit of a Sabbath too great a compaſs, but fill'd up the time of it in holy Devotion. Indeed the Sabbath Crowns them who honour it. Now, (Moſt Worthily Honoured) I ſhall make no Applications; what I could ſay, is better ſeen in your practice, then in my Epiſtle: Suffer me only to be your Remembrancer; thoſe who are moſt ſpiritual, lie under the motions of the Spirit; if you ſee your ſelves in the Glaſs of this Treatiſe, pardon me, if I hold the Glaſs, and let not my ſervice be my offence. Thus Eph. 1. 11.commending your ſelves, your worthy Family, and this Tract (ſuch as it is) to the grace of him who worketh all Eph. 3. 20.things for us, and in us, Iremain
Your faithful Servant in the Goſpel of Chriſt, John Wells.