The Jews Sabbath Antiquated and the Lords Day Instituted, Title page – Preface
THE JEWS SABBATH ANTIQUATED, AND THE LORDS DAY INSTITUTED By DIVINE AUTHORITY.
OR, The Change of the Sabbath from the Laſt to the Firſt Day of the Week, aſſerted and maintained by Scripture-Arguments, and Teſtimonies of the Beſt Antiquity; with a Refutation of ſundry Objections raiſed againſt it.
The Sum of all Comprized in Seven Poſitions.
By EDM. WARREN Miniſter of the Goſpel in COLCHESTER.
REV. 1.10.
I was in the Spirit on the Lords Day.
foreign, Athanaſius in Hom. de ſement. ad init.
Imprimatur, EDM. CALAMY.
LONDON, Printed by David Maxwel, for W. Weekly of Ipſwich, and are to be ſold by John Rothwel, at the Fountain in Cheapſide, and alſo by Nath. Web, and Will. Grantham, at the Black Bear in Pauls Church-yard, 1659.
To the Right Worſhipful JOHN GƲRDON Eſq Juſtice of Peace in the County of SUFFOLK.
HONOURED SIR,
THe deſign of this Dedication is not ſo much to ſhelter the enſuing Treatiſe under the protection of your name (let it ſtand or fall at the bar of Scripture and right reaſon) as to ſhew my real and unfeigned gratitude for the many and much-obliging favours you have been been pleaſed to heap upon me, both while I lived under your roof, and ſince my removal to a more publike ſtation: I thought thus with my ſelf, It is the firſt, and likely to be the laſt time of my appearing in Print, therefore the beſt and fitteſt ſeaſon to ſignifie my due reſentment of your love and friendſhip, which from firſt to laſt, ſince my acquaintance with you, I have experienced ſo firm and conſtant; as alſo to ſhew the precions eſteem I ſtill have of you and your pious Family, which as I found, ſo I left moſt religiouſly devoted to the practiſe of the truth here pleaded for, the keeping holy of the Lords day, the undoubted Chriſtian Sabbath; it is verily no ſmall joy to me in theſe days of liberty and looſneſs to find any (eſpecially of your rank) walking in this truth of Chriſt. Go on (dear Sir) in this good old way of truth and holineſs, be you ſtill a friend to this good day [the Lords Day] and the Lord will be a friend to you in in an evil day, yea, in that great day of his appearing, Concerning which, as Paul prayed for Oneſiphorus and his houſhold [the Lord grant that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day] ſo prays for you and yours
The Unworthieſt of Chriſts Miniſters EDM. WARREN.
A Word by way of Preface to the Courteous Reader, With a Word of Advice to my Chriſtian Friends and Hearers, in and about the Town of Colcheſter.
Good Reader,
I Shall not tire thy patience with any tedious Prefatory Diſcourſe, only hint a Word or two concerning the occaſion of this Treatiſe, with the Method obſerved in the compoſure of it; about a year and half ſince, or ſomething more, amidſt that African brood of Erroneous Books which the lawleſs liberty of the Preſs has Midwiv'd into the world, came forth a Treatiſe ſwelling as, with a Timpany of vain glorious confidence for the Jews Saturday-Sabbath; ſo no leſs opprobious contempt of the Lords day, our Chriſtian Sabbath. The Author of it Mr. Tho. Tillam by Name, by Profeſſion an Anabaptiſt, was pleaſed in Print to found a challenge and provoke me to the combat in anſwering of it. It was ſome time before I was fully reſolved what to do, the ſenſe of my own Inſufficiency beſpake my ſilence, and willed me rather to ſit ſtill in obſcurity, than venture abroad to the view of a captious and quarrelſom World: Beſides, my Paſtoral charge and Preaching-work would ſcarce afford me that leiſure which others of more natural promptneſs and dexterous parts and gifts might well enough ſpare for ſuch an Imployment: But on the other hand the ſpreading of this Jewiſh Leaven, together with the preſſing Importunity of ſome Chriſtian Friends perſwaded me to undertake this work, which accordingly I did, and after I had ſpent much time and written many ſheets in anſwering this Author Page by Page, I found his Method ſo confuſed, his excurſions ſo many, his eructations of putrid choler and calumny ſo bitter, that I had not the patience to follow him any longer in that wildgooſe-chaſe, but laid all aſide, and reſolved upon a new Method; namely, to aſſert the Truth thetically in diſtinct Poſitions, and anſwer his moſt material Arguments as Objections againſt it. He would fain perſwade ſilly people, That Antichriſt changed the Sabbath, and goes about to prove it from Dan. 7. where we read of a little horn that thought to change Times and Laws; and with this little horn he makes a loud noiſe up and down his Book. But who told him that this horn was Antichriſt? Our beſt Expoſitors take it to be meant of Antiochus Epiphanes, and indeed Dan. 8. cleerly proves it. But what deſperate inſolency is this, to take the crown of Chriſt and ſet it upon the head of Antichriſt? Is not the change of the Jewiſh Law attributed to Chriſt, Hebr. 7.12. and did he not alſo change their times and ſeaſons of worſhip? was their weekly Sabbath exempted? I pray where or how? not by the fourth Commandement, for we have proved that the ſeventh day from the Creation was never the ſubſtance of that precept; nor by any clauſe in the New Teſtament, for there it is rather repealed. 'Tis true, the Moral duty of reſt, remains ſtill in a holy day of weekly recourſe, according to the Commandment, but the old Sabbath being of a ſhadowy nature in the after obſervation (if not in the firſt Inſtitution) of it, is certainly done away by Chriſt the ſubſtance of all Legal ſhadows; yet not ſimply, but in way of exchange for a new day of the ſame number, though not of the ſame ſhadowy nature.
What I have argued for the change of the day is ſufficiently authorized by the Scriptures, the Fathers, and our own judicious Divines. My Arguments are but few in number; more might have been added but for oppreſſing the Reader's either purſe or patience. Mr. Cawdrey and Mr. Palmer have largely handled, what I have but briefly touched. If what I have written be anſwered with ſcurrilous gibes, and railing Rhetorick, as Mr. Jeniſons Book was, My next anſwer ſhall be nothing but ſilence and contempt; which I the rather hint, becauſe the Adverſary has threatned a Reply before he read my Book; right or wrong, it ſeems he is reſolved to have the laſt word, for which I purpoſe never to contend. If I know my own heart, 'tis truth, not triumph that I ſeek and thirſt after; truth I ſay, grounded upon the Scriptures, ſealed with the blood of Martyrs, atteſted by the Primitive Fathers, and maintained by the pens of the moſt Reformed Writers; ſuch is the truth here aſſerted, and I ſhall own nothing as an Anſwer to it, but that which fully anſwers all theſe.
Now my Chriſtian Friends and Brethren, I beſeech you love and live this truth; ſtand to it, ſtand for it, and ſtand in it as long as you live. Take heed of corrupt Books and broachers of error; you may be too credulous, too cautelous you cannot be. Let neither the pompous Phraſes, nor proud threats of men either allure you, or affright you from the truths of God. T. T. abounds in both theſe Artifices; charming ſome with his Rhetorick, ſcaring others with his Bulls and big words, as he does William Sloat by name, leaving him (as his Printed Book ſpeaks) under the unpardonable ſin to the judgement of the great day: and yet this William Sloat is known to be a man of ſober converſation, profeſſing Repentance towards God, and Faith towards our Lord Jeſus Chriſt; only he muſt be expunged out of the Catalogue of Chriſtians for not being able to keep the Jews Sabbath, and damned to the fiery furnace of Hell, becauſe he could no longer dance after this mans Pipe, or bow down to Images that he has ſet up in his fancy; Opinions I mean. To conclude, I beſeech you, Chriſtians for the Lords ſake, and your ſouls ſake hold faſt the Good Old Truths of Chriſt in this hour of Englands temptation, and cleave to that Good Old Cauſe the (Chriſtian Sabbath) which the rigid Prelatical party ſought to ſubvert by the Book of Sports, and many pernicious Pamphlets and practiſes, till the wrath of God brake out upon the land in thoſe late bloody ſhowers, the Remembrance whereof methinks ſhould daunt the heart of the moſt Goliah-like Adverſary, that ſhall dare to draw the ſword of defiance the ſecond time againſt this Chriſtian Cauſe: If any will be ſo fool-hardy as ſtill to fight againſt God and the Lamb, in profaning, and teaching others to profane his day, by working, as formerly ſome did by ſporting; yet be exhorted all you that fear God and love the Lord Jeſus to keep holy the Lords day, making it no otherwiſe a working-day, then by working out your ſalvation with fear and trembling, which is the humble and hearty advice of
Yours in all Goſpel-Offices EDM. WARREN.