A defense of the Christian Sabbath in answer to a treatise of Mr. Tho. Bampfield pleading for Saturday-sabbath / by John Wallis. Wallis, John, 1616-1703. 1692 Approx. 249 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 44 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2004-08 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A67379 Wing W569 ESTC R2541 09479535 ocm 09479535 43235 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A67379) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 43235) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 1319:13) A defense of the Christian Sabbath in answer to a treatise of Mr. Tho. Bampfield pleading for Saturday-sabbath / by John Wallis. Wallis, John, 1616-1703. 85 p. Printed by L. Litchfield and are to be sold by Chr. Coningsby, Oxford : 1692. Caption title: A discourse concerning the Christian Sabbath. Running title: The Christian Sabbath. Reproduction of original in the Cambridge University Library. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. 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Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Bampfield, Thomas, 1623?-1693. -- Enquiry whether the Lord Jesus Christ made the world. Sabbath -- Early works to 1800. Sunday -- Early works to 1800. 2004-04 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2004-04 Apex CoVantage Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2004-05 Olivia Bottum Sampled and proofread 2004-05 Olivia Bottum Text and markup reviewed and edited 2004-07 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion A DEFENSE OF THE Christian Sabbath . In Answer to A TREATISE of Mr. Tho. Bampfield Pleading for SATURDAY-SABBATH . BY IOHN WALLIS , D. D. And Professor of Geometry in the University of OXFORD . OXFORD , Printed by L. Lichfield , and are to be Sold by Chr. Coningsby , at the Golden Turks-Head over against St. Dunstan's Church in Fleet-street , LONDON . 1692. Imprimatur , IONATH . EDWARDS , Vice-Can . OXON . Sep. 17 t. 1692. A DISCOURSE Concerning The Christian Sabbath . SIR , Iune 12. 1692. I Had a while since a Book sent me by the Carrier ( I know not well from whom ) of Mr. Thomas Bampfield , which in the Title-Page , is said to be Printed for the Author — 1692. It is Concerning the Sabbath . Which he thinks should rather be Observed on what we call Saturday , than on what we call Sunday . I should not , on this Account , give any Disturbance to the Peace or Practise of the Church where I live , so that a Sabbath be duly Observed as to the Substantials of it , though perhaps not upon what day I should chuse . For I do not know ▪ and I believe no man living can tell me , whether what we now call Sunday , be a First , a Second , a Third , or a Seventh day , in a continued Circulation of Weeks from the Creation . And what it is impossible for me to know , I think will be no Crime to be Ignorant of . Nor hath this Author any other way than common Tradition , ( on which he is not willing that we should lay weight , ) whereby to guess , which is the First , or which is the Seventh day , in such a Circulation of Weeks , either from the Creation , or even from Christ's Time. I am sufficiently satisfied that we ought to keep a Sabbath , that is , a day of Holy Rest , after Six days of ordinary Labour , according to the Fourth Commandment : and this in a continued Course or Circulation : But I am not certain , nor can I be , which is a First , or a Seventh day in such a Circulation of Weeks from the Creation . And therefore shall content my self to observe that day which I find observed in the Church where I live . In Old England I observe the Sabbath which here I find : And if I were in New-England , I would observe the Sabbath which I find observed there . Though I think it may be disputable whether they and we may be said to observe the same day , ( the First Meridian passing between them and us . ) And yet I would not advise to have it changed in either . Now I can hardly think , that God hath laid the great stress of so weighty a Point ( as whereon the main of Gods publick Worship doth much depend ) on such a Circumstance as is impossible for us to know , and of which we may be modestly ignorant . I should rather think that what Christ says of the Place , Ioh. 4. 21 , 23 , The hour cometh when ye shall neither in this Mountain nor in Ierusalem worship the Father , but the true worshipers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth , is in good measure true of the Time also ; And , as it is not so material whether in this or that Place , God be Worshiped , so he be Worshiped Aright : so neither is it so material , whether on this , or that day ; as , that a Sabbath or day of Holy Rest be duly kept . The publick Worship of God , was then in great measure confined to the Temple ; not indifferently , in any place within thy Gates , but in the place which the Lord thy God shall chuse , to put his name there , Deut. 16. 6 , 11 , 15 , 16. For which any other place may now be as well assigned ; that men pray every where lifting up holy hands , &c. 1 Tim. 2. 8. ( Privately in private places , and Publickly in places appointed for the publick ▪ ) And I do not think we are now more confined to the Iewish Sabbath , than to the Iewish Temple . This premised , I can agree with this Author in many things by him discussed . I agree , that Our Lord Iesus Christ ( according to his Divinity ) was God ( and is so ) the true God , the God that made Heaven and Earth , the God who delivered the Law upon Mount Sinai . For though we do acknowledge , in the Godhead , a Trinity of Persons ; Father , Son , and Holy Ghost , ( whereof Christ according to his Divinity is called the Second Person , the Son of God , or God the Son ; ) yet those Three Persons are but One God. Nor do I know any other true God but One , The God that made Heaven and Earth , The Lord Iehovah , The God of Abraham , Isaac and Iacob , The Lord God of Israel , The Lord their God who brought them out of the Land of Egypt , out of the House of Bondage , and besides whom we are to have no Other God , The God who delivered the Law to them on Mount Sinai ; And I do agree that Our Lord Iesus Christ , is ( as to his Divinity ) this God , the True God , the onely true God , and that he was so before his Incarnation . How far each of those Actions are to be ascribed to this or that Person of the Trinity , we need not be over solicitous . What in the New Testament is more peculiarly ascribed to this or that of the Three Persons , is in the Old Testament wont to be ascribed to God indefinitely , without such particular application ; the doctrine of the Trinity being then not so distinctly discovered . But I cannot agree that Christ as God and Man ( in contradistinction to the Father and Holy Ghost ) did all those things ; for he was not then Man. I agree with him also , that God who made the World in Six days , Rested the Seventh day , Gen. 2. 23. Exod. 20. 11. And that he Blessed the Sabbath day and Hallowed it . And that accordingly he hath appointed after Six days of ordinary Labour , Man should observe a Seventh day of Holy Rest , and this in a continued succession . But I should rather say , that our Lord Iesus Christ is ( according to his Divinity ) that God who Blessed the Seventh day Gen. 2. than that the God who Blessed the Sabbath day , is the Lord Iesus Christ ; ( as he doth p. 64. and elsewhere very often , seeming to lay great stress upon it . ) For he was not then the Lord Christ ( God and Man ) nor did he bless it as Christ , but as God ; in Union with the Father and Holy Ghost , not as contradistinguished from them . I agree also , that the Law of the Sabbath is one of the Decalogue or Ten Commandments delivered to Israel on Mount Sinai . Ex. 20. But I am willing to think it was a Law before . Not only because we find it observed , Exod. 16. ( before the giving of the Law on Mount Sinai , Ex. 20. ) but especially because of that in Gen. 2. 3. God blessed the Seventh day and Sanctified it , because in it he rested from all his Work. And those who are most averse to the Morality ( as it is wont to be called ) or the Perpetuity of the Sabbath , or Day of Holy Rest , and are yet very zealous for the Holiness of Places , would be very fond of it if they could find so clear a Testimony , and so ancient , for the holiness of Place , as here is for that of Time. I agree also that the Law of the Decalogue or Ten Commandments , though then given peculiarly to Israel , is Obligatory to Us also . For though some Clauses therein do peculiarly respect them ; as that who brought thee out of the land of Egypt out of the house of bondage , and that thy days may be long in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee , ( which I think is there said with a particular respect to the land of Canaan , which God gave to Israel , not to us ; ) yet the Body of that Law and the preceptive part of it , I take to be Obligatory to others also , and to Us in particular ; the Decalogue being Declarative of what was ( I think ) a Law before ( however neglected or forgotten , ) and is by Christ and his Apostles frequently cited as such , even to Gentiles as well as Jews . Nor will I dispute it with him , whether the Sabbath were observed from the Creation to the Floud . For I am willing to think that if it were not , it should have been ; though , in the short History that Moses gives us of that time , there be no mention made of such Observation . But I doubt it was not universally so observed , if at all . For when all flesh had corrupted their ways , I doubt the Sabbath day and the worship of that day were by them not much regarded . Nor do I find ( Gen. 2. 3. ) any express Command ( such as he demands for the First days Sabbath ) that it should be observed thenceforth by Men , every Seventh day of the Week for ever . How far the words he blessed and sanctified it may extend I will not dispute . It may be a strong Intimation ( and I think it is , ) But it is not expresly said , that , All Mankind must , for ever after , observe every Seventh day , in every Week , of days , reckoned continually from the first Creation . Nor do I think it necessary to have been so recorded by Moses , ( any more , than the Law for Sacrifices , ) if it did otherwise appear to have been the Will of God. And therefore I would not have him lay too great a stress , on what he saith , that there is no express Commandment , Recorded in the New Testament , for observing the First day : It is enough if we there find sufficient Intimation for us to judge that God was pleased to have it observed . I say the like as to the time from the Floud to that of Abraham , and from thence to the coming of Israel out of Egypt . For I do not find any mention of their observing a Sabbath ( either in the Writings of Moses , or the Book of Iob ) earlier than that of Exod. 16. after Israels coming out of Egypt , and after the time that God is said to have made a statute and ordinance for them , at Marah , Ex. 15. 25. What that Statute and Ordinance was , we cannot tell . The Jewish Writers think ( or some of them ) that it was that of the Sabbath ; and perhaps it might , or this be some part of it . It was perhaps a Revival of what had been before disused . Nor is it likely that their Task-Masters in Egypt would suffer them to be Idle , and neglect their Work , one whole day in Seven . Nor do I find any foot-steps in History that any other Nation but the Jews did ( for many Ages after this time ) so much as measure out their time by Weeks . I know that many Learned and Pious men have been searching to that purpose and willing to lay hold on any thing that might seem to look that way . And I should be well enough pleased to see it made out . But I have not seen any thing convictive to give me satisfaction therein . I have consulted Clemens Alexandrinus , and what he cites in the Fifth Book of his Stromata , who hath I believe made the best search of any into Heathen Writers for that purpose . His design in that Book is to shew that the Heathens had stollen or borrowed much of their Philosophy from what he calls Philosophia Barbara , or Barbarorum , meaning thereby the Iewish Learning ; ( for , with the Greeks , all but themselves were Barbarians . ) And amongst many other things , he takes notice of the number Seven sometimes mentioned in Heathen Writers , as with some veneration ; which he thinks to be occasioned from that number oft mentioned in the Sacred Writers , and particularly from that of their Sabbath , and measuring their time by Weeks . But he doth not at all intimate as if himself did think the Heathens so to have divided their time , or to keep that Sabbath , but only that they were acquainted with the Jewish Learning , and borrowed much of theirs from thence . That which therein seemed to me the most promising ( and by others also is oft alledged ) was that Cited from Hesiod , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ( the Seventh a Sacred day . ) But when I consulted the place in Hesiod , in his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , ( in the latter part of which he treats of Days ) I find nothing there of Weeks , or days of the Week , but only days of the Month. For 't is this he there proposeth to speak of , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , ( the Thirty days of the Month , ) on which he makes divers Remarks ; as , which of them were to be accounted Good days , and which Bad days , and , for what purposes . And begins with these , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ( Begin we with the First , and the Fourth , and the Seventh , a Sacred day , Because that on this day Apollo who hath the Golden Sword was born of Latona . ) So that ( it seems ) the Seventh day ( not the First ) was then Sunday . ( For Apollo with his Gold Sword , is but another name for the Sun. ) But it was the Seventh day of the Month , not the Seventh day of the Week , ( for of Weeks he there says nothing . ) And he then goes on to speak of the Eighth and Ninth days ; then of the Eleventh and Twelfth , next of the Thirteenth , and so of other days of the Month ; shewing which of them were accounted Lucky days , and which Unlucky , and for what Affairs . But nothing of Weeks at all . However , Hesiod himself , though one of the Oldest of the Heathen Writers , is but young as to the times we speak of ; who is reckoned to have lived about the time of King Uzziah , Seven Hundred years after the time we are now considering , upon the coming of Israel out of Egypt . Nor doth Clemens Alexandrinus think , when they name Seven , it was from any Old Tradition ( from Adam or Noah ) but from what acquaintance they then had with the Jewish Writers of later time . Nor do I find any thing that is more to the purpose , in all there Cited by Clemens Alexandrinus than this of Hesiod . But if any where he could have found , that the Heathens divided their Time by Weeks ; no doubt but he would have mentioned this as borrowed from the Iewish Learning ; ( which was the thing he was there inquiring after . ) And , when he saith nothing of it , we may be sure he could not find it . I find indeed that , some of the Heathens ( as Iuvenal and Lucian ) do laugh or jeer at the Jewish Sabbath ( recutitaque Sabbata pallent ) and therefore did know of the Jewish Sabbath ; But not that they did observe it , or so much as divide their Time by Weeks . Now if we should admit , that in some Families ( where the true Worship of God was preserved ) there be a strong presumption ( for 't is no more ) that they did observe a Sabbath ; that is , a Seventh day of Holy Rest after Six days of ordinary Labour ; yet 't is a question , whether that were just the Seventh day in a continual succession of Weeks from the Creation . And if at any time there chance to be an intermission , and the day forgotten , it is impossible ( without a Miracle or a new Revelation ) that it can be restored again . And if from thenceforth they would again keep a Sabbath ( as we find the Pass-over was revived by Hezekiah and Iosiah which had been long intermitted 2 Kings 23. and 2 Chr. 25. ) they must begin at adventure , and thence continue it . Now if we consider , that the true Worship of God was oft reduced to some one family , as in the time of Noah , and perhaps of Abraham ; and even that Family sometimes corrupt enough , ( as was that of Nahor , from whence Abraham for that reason was removed ; and that of Laban where Iacob sojourned ; and how oft also the like happened , we cannot tell ) It was very possible the Sabbath might be neglected ; as himself observes p. 63 , it had been before and under the Captivity for a long time , and made a Market-day , as well as any other day of the Week ; like as the Temple was become a Market-place , Mat. 21. 12 , 13. Ioh. 2. 14. 16. As was also the Pass-over in great measure from the time of Samuel till that of Iosiah , 2 Chr. 35. 18. And the Feast of Tabernacles , from the days of Ioshuah to Nehemiah , Neh. 8. 17. And Circumcision , for Forty years together in the Wilderness , Iosh. 5. 5. Now if Circumcision and the Pass-over and the Feast of Tabernacles were thus neglected when they were at Liberty ; how much more the Sabbath , when they were Bond-men in Egypt ; of which we have not the least mention from God's keeping a Sabbath , Gen. 2. 3. till after Israels coming out of Egypt , Exod. 16. Nor is there the least mention ( as I shew'd but now ) in any History Sacred or Profane , so much as of dividing their time by Weeks , all that time ; nor , except that of Israel , for many Ages after . And though the Sun , Moon and Stars ( Gen. 1. 14. ) are said to be for Signs and for Seasons , for Days and for Years , yet not a word is there of Weeks . Nor could they indeed , by their Motions , distinguish Weeks , as they do Months and Years . And therefore though I find Years and Months to have been observed all the World over long ago ; yet Weeks no where ( that I know ) of ancient times , but by the Nation of the Iews onely , nor by them before their coming out of Egypt . So that , though , I am willing to think , the Sabbath ought to have been observed all that while , yet there is too much reason to doubt it was not ; or , if at all , not without frequent intermissions , which would , in this case , be fatal . Now to argue as he doth , that Abel , and Enoch , and Noah , and Abraham , were good men , and are ( some of them ) said to walk with God , and to keep his Commandments , and therefore may be presumed to have kept a Sabbath , is but a weak argument as to matter of Fact , and , to begg the Question . For we are not to think them so good as to be guilty of no failings or omissions . The Law of Marriage is certainly as Old , if not Older than that of the Sabbath , the tenour of which was ( he tells us p. 62. ) that they Two should be one flesh ; not , they Three , Four or Five : yet he tells us also , that Polygamy , or having many Wives , was frequently practised , from Lamech to Malachi , even by some eminent in the Church at that time , and by them ( he supposeth ) held to be lawful . And it may as well be thought , the Law for the Sabbath might sometime within that Two Thousand Five Hundred Years ) be neglected and forgotten ; as that of Marriage ; In a time when there was no writing ( that we know of ) to preserve it . And , if once forgotten , it could never ( as to that Seventh day ) be recovered . And I would ask that Gentleman , In case the day should chance to have been sometime forgotten , ( as is very possible and not unlikely , ) and that after such time ( upon finding the Book of the Law , as in Iosiah's time 2 Kings 22. 8. which had been lost ) it did appear that a Sabbath should have been kept , but was not , ( as was there the case of the Pass-over , Chap. 23. 21. ) What doth this Gentleman think ( in such case ) should be done ? Must they never Restore the Sabbath because they do not know the day ? Or must they begin upon a New Account ? I should think this latter ; ( and that it would be warranted by the Fourth Commandment ; ) notwithstanding his Objection , No other day ( but the Seventh from the Creation ) is Commanded ; No Promise to the Observance of any other ; nor Threatning for the Omission . Indeed in our days when so great a part of the World reckon by Weeks , and we be stored with Astronomical Tables adjusted to the Motions of the Sun , Moon and Stars , and many Celestial Observations , ( as for Instance , that such a Year , such a Day of such a Month there was an Eclipse on Monday morning or the like ) 't were more easy to rectify such an intermission . But in those days , when there was nothing of all this , nor so much as the use of Writing ( that we know of ) older than Moses ; There was no way to rectify an interrupted Tradition . All which is not said to disparage the Observation of the Sabbath day ( for which I have as great Veneration as he that pleads for the Saturday Sabbath , ) But onely to shew , that we can be at no Certainty , ( and scarce a Conjecture , ) which is the First , Second , or Seventh day of the Week in a continued Circulation of Weeks from the Creation . And consequently I cannot think that the great stress of the Fourth Commandment is to be understood of just that Seventh day in every such Week from the Creation ( which I doubt cannot be known ) But rather that there should be a Weekly Sabbath ; that is , after Six days of Work , the Seventh should be a Holy Rest , and then , after another Six days of Work , the Seventh should be again a Holy Rest ; and so continually ; which is as truly observed in the Sunday-Sabbath , as in that of Saturday . As when God requires the Tenth of our Increase ; it is not meant of the Tenth in Order ( for it should rather be the First in Order , for he requires the First-fruits ) but the Tenth in Proportion ; So here the Seventh . And this Author knows very well , that it is signally noted by Expositors on the Fourth Commandment , and other Writers about the Sabbath , That this Commandment begins with Remember to keep Holy the Sabbath-day , or the day of Rest , ( not the Seventh day ; much less the Seventh day of the Week from the first Creation ; ) And what is that day of Rest , the next Words tell us , Six days shalt thou labour , but the Seventh is the Sabbath , &c. That is , after Six days of Labour , the Seventh shall be a day of Rest. And in the close of that Commandment ( Ex. 20. 11. ) our Bibles have it wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath-day ( not as we commonly repeat it , the Seventh day ) and hallowed it . The Reason given to inforce it is , For in Six days the Lord made Heaven and Earth &c. and rested the Seventh day , and accordingly should we , after Six days of Work have a Seventh day of Rest , and so onward . If he thinks that to make a difference , that we now reckon our Weeks to begin with the day of Rest , and after that , Six Working days ( which in a continued Circulation comes all to one , ) I will allow that Gentleman ( if that will please him better ) to begin the Week on Monday , and then Sunday will be the Seventh . The Commandment says nothing of the Seventh day of the Week in a continued Succession from the Creation ; but the Seventh day after Six days of Labour . And whereas he observes ( and would lay great weight upon it ) that it is ( hashebigni ) the Seventh ( the article ha answering to our the ) not a Seventh . 'T is very true , and very proper so to be . For the meaning is not that , after Six days of Labour , there should be a Seventh for Rest no matter when ; but the Seventh day , that is , the next day after those Six . But it is not said the Seventh in Course from the Creation . Just as when it is said , a Male-Child is to be Circumcised the Eighth day , it is not meant of an Eighth day in Course from the Creation ; but , the Eighth day from the Birth . And in like manner Ex. 12. 16. In the Seventh day there shall be a Holy Convocation ; it is not meant of the Seventh day of the Week from the Creation ; but on the Seventh day of the Feast of unleavened Bread , what ever day of the Week that happen to be . And Exod. 16. 5 , 25. The Sixth and Seventh day there mentioned , seem plainly to be , not the Sixth and Seventh in course from the Creation ( which I doubt was not then known ) but from the first raining of Manna , ver . 4 , 5. He 'll say perhaps , The Jews observed such Seventh day from the Creation , and that was their Sabbath . But that is more than he or I know , or any man living . They had I grant , a Circulation of Seven days , but from what Epocha we cannot tell . And when Moses tells them ( on the Sixth day ) Ex. 16. 23. Tomorrow is the Rest of the Holy Sabbath . It seems to be the fixing of a new Epocha ( from the first raining of Manna ) and then all his Arguments , from the continual Observation of the Seventh day from the Creation till that time , are at an end . Whether this ( from the first raining of Manna ) be the same with that from the Creation ; no man can tell . And there is Six to One odds that it is not . Now , that there is a new Course of Sabbath ( from a new beginning ) whereof this Seventh day from the first raining of Manna is the First , and not a continuation of a former Course hitherto observed without interruption ; seems farther evident from this consideration , Because , if this were but a continuation of that uninterrupted Course of Sabbaths , then the next Seventh day before it , would have been a Sabbath also , and to have been in like manner observed ; that is , the next day before the first raining of Manna . But , on that day we find ( Exod. 16. 12 , 13. ) the Quails came up and covered the Camp , without any Prohibition to gather them . If therefore they might not ( now ) gather Manna , because it was the Sabbath ; but might ( before ) gather Quails ; it should seem , that was not a Sabbath . And if it be not allowed , upon occasion , to fix a new Epocha ; then if the Circulation of Weeks from the beginning of the World ( which was then about 2500 years old ) did ever chance to have been interrupted , and the day forgotten , ( as in all likelyhood it might be in Egypt , if not long before ) or if ever after it should chance so to be ( as in the days of Iosiah when the Book of the Law was lost , and the Pass-over forgotten ; ) men must never keep a Sabbath thenceforth . For then all his own Arguments return upon him ; No other day is Commanded ( 't is Will-worship , ) no Promise to the Observance , no Threatning for the Neglect . I should rather think , if that day were unknown ( as I believe it is ) Any day were better than None at all . For Gods Commands do more respect the Substance of the Duty than the Circumstance of Time , especially if they cannot both be had . Circumcision was to be Administred on the Eighth day , according to the Institution , ( I do not mean the Eighth day of the Week , but the Eighth day of the Childs Age ; and therefore on the same day of the Week on which the Child was Born. ) But if by Accident or Default it were omitted , it might be done any day after , rather than not at all . Abraham we know was 99 years old , and Ismael 13 when they were Circumcised , ( and what was the Age of other Males in Abraham's Family , we cannot tell ; ) and a Proselyte , at any Age , was to be Circumcised ; ( though perhaps it were not remembred on what day of the Week he was Born ; ) and those who were born in the Wilderness for Forty years together , were all Circumcised at once , Iosh. 5. 4 , 5 , 9. ( though not all born on the same day of the Week . ) The Pass-over was appointed to be eaten standing , with their Loyns girt , their Shoes on their feet , and their Staffs in their hand , as in hast to be gone Ex. 12. Yet our Saviour seemeth to have Eaten it Sitting , or rather Lying . And none of them were to stir out of doors till morning , Ex. 12. 22. Yet Christ and his Disciples went out the same night to the mount of Olives , and thence to Gethsemane , Mat. 26. 30 , 36. The Shew-bread was to be eaten by the Priests only : yet our Saviour observes that David did eat of it ( on a special occasion ) without blaming him for so doing . The Rechabites are commended Ier. 31. for obeying the Command of Ionathan their Father , not to drink Wine , nor build Houses , but to dwell in Tents &c. Yet did they , upon Nebuchadnezzar's Invasion , quit their Tents and repair to Ierusalem ; nor is it reputed a Disobedience . The Paschal Lamb was to be kill'd the Fourteenth day of the First Month at Evening : Yet if we consider how little knowledge they had in those days , of the Sun and Moons motions , and if we consider what the Jewish Writers tell us of their very uncertain Method of judging , which was the First Month , and which the Fourteenth day of that Month we shall find they were at great uncertainties , as to the just day ; yet was not the Service thereof to be neglected , upon pretense there was danger of missing the right day . For they had not Almanacks in those days , as we have now , to tell us before hand when will be a New Moon . But ( if we may believe the Jewish Writers ) their manner was , about the time when they expected a New-Moon , to send men to watch for it on the Top of some Hill or high Place ; and he who could first discover a New-Moon , was to tell the Priest , and he to blow the Trumpet to give the People notice that there was a New-Moon , ( much like our Custom at Oxford , at the time of the Assizes , to set some on St. Maries Steeple to watch when the Judges are coming , and then to Ring the Great Bell to give notice to those concerned , that the Judges are at hand ; ) But , in case of Cloudy Weather , if in three days time from their first Expectation no man could see a New Moon , they did then venture ( but not before ) to blow the Trumpet without seeing it , which must needs cause a great uncertainty ; and the same Moon sooner seen at one place than at another , and the Pass-over kept accordingly . And t is manifest in the Story of our Saviours last Pass-over , that he kept it on one day and the Jews on another ( perhaps he about a Fortnight before , might see a New-Moon , a day sooner than they did . ) So great uncertainty there was at that time , as to the particular day , though the Institution was punctual for the Fourteenth day of the First Month. And the like uncertainty there was as to all their Feasts of New-Moons . And even in our days , when the Motions of the Sun and Moon are much better known than at that time they were , we are far from being exact in point of time . Our Rule for Easter is much the same with theirs for the Pass-over ; The Rule in general is this , The Sunday next after the Fourteenth day of the First Month , is to be Easter day . But when we come to make particular application , we do strangely miss of our Rule . And our Paschal Tables which should direct us , do put us farther out than if we had none at all . For ( by reason that we take the length of our common year a little too long , by about Eleven minutes of an hour , and the length of our Months too long also ; ) since the time that those Tables were made , 't is well known that the beginning of our Ecclesiastical First Month , is Ten or Eleven days later than that of the Heavens ; and our Ecclesiastical New-Moons and Full-Moons , is later by Four or Five days than those of the Heavens . Whereby we do very often mistake the Month , and yet oftner the true Week , for keeping of Easter . And though Pope Gregory the Eighth , did ( somewhat more than an Hundred years ago ) somewhat rectify the Calendar , yet both Papists and Protestants do observe , some the Newer Gregorian , and some the Older Iulian account , and ( in the United Provinces of the Netherlands ) one Town observes one account , and the next the other account , and accordingly keep their Easters ( if at all ) at Three , Four or Five Weeks distance , And so for Christmas-day . 'T is not agreed amongst Chronologers either what Year , or what Month , much less what day of that Month , our Saviour was born , yet wee keep December 25th . in memory of his Birth , as supposing him to have been then born . Yea we are at so great uncertainty , that we reckon the year 1692 from his Circumcision , to begin the First of Ianuary ; but the same year as from his Conception , not till the 25th of March next following ; as if his Birth and Circumcision had been a quarter of a year before his Conception . And if we be now at so great an uncertainty , in so short a Period as from the Birth of Christ , I do not think the Jews could be punctual , as to a day , in observing their Pass-over ; and much less , as to a day from the Creation of the World. He 'l say perhaps , that Easter and Christmas being of humane Institution , it is not much matter though we miss the day , nor much matter perhaps whether it be kept or no. Be it so ; But the Pass-over was of Divine Institution ; yet were they at a great uncertainty , and might chance to miss more than a day or two ; yet was not the Duty to be therefore neglected . The mistake of a Day , was of much less concernment than the neglect of the Duty ; As was the Tithing of Mint and Annise , than the weightier things of the Law. These little Circumstances are but Shaddows , in comparison of the Substance , as the Comparison is Col. 2. 17. Which is not said to incourage any one to violate the Laws of God , even in little things , ( for we find God sometimes very severe even in such ; as in the Case of Uzzah's touching the Ark , and Nadab and Ahihu's offering strange Fire ; for Reasons best known to himself , of which we are not aware . ) But onely to shew that the Substantials of a Duty are to be regarded more than Circumstantials ; and these upon occasion to give way to those . And in such Cases ( if it were a fault ) the Prayer of Hezekiah ( 2 Chr. 30. 18. ) is to take place , The good Lord pardon every one that prepareth his heart to seek God , though he be not cleansed according to the Purification of the Sanctuary . And his Service was accepted , though ( as it is expresly noted ) they did eat the Pass-over otherwise than as it was written : And , in the Second Month , in stead of the First . And doubtless in the present case , If we do not know ( as certainly we do not ) which is the First or Seventh day in a continual Circulation from the Creation , it is much better to keep a Weekly Sabbath on any day of the Week whatever , than to keep none at all , and much more agreable to the true meaning of the Fourth Commandment . All which is said , partly by way of Caution , not to be forward , upon slight grounds , to disturb the Peace and settled practise of the whole Christian Church at this day . Partly to take off what he would have to be admitted but cannot be proved , that the Seventh day in a continued Circulation of Weeks from the first Creation , was observed as the Weekly Sabbath , from the Creation to the Floud ; from thence to Abraham ; from thence to Israels coming out of Egypt ; and from thence till after the Resurrection of Christ. Which I think is impossible for any man to know . And partly to satisfy what he objects from the Fourth Commandment . Which saith indeed that there is to be a Rest on the Seventh day after Six days of Labour , but not a Word of its being such Seventh day in a continual Circulation of Weeks from the Creation . And therefore we are safe hitherto , for ought I see . But I 'le come up a little nearer to him . He may perhaps tell us ( though I do not find he doth ) that the Jews did certainly keep their Weekly Sabbath ( at the time of our Saviours death ) on what they called the Seventh day . If not on the Seventh day of the Week from the Creation ( of which we can have no certainty ) at lest on the Seventh day of the Week , as the Weeks were then reckoned ; ( which I readily grant him ) and that they had so done for a long time before , and perhaps from the time of giving the Law on Mount Sinai . ( And it may be so , for ought I know , but we cannot be certain . ) And what was then called the First day of the Week , was another day from what they called the Seventh ( which I admit also . ) And that , what they called the Seventh day , is now what we call Saturday , and what they called the First day is what we now call Sunday . But this , I say , is more than he or I know . He may think so ; and so do I ; but I am not sure of it . The reason why I think so , is , because I think that Christ or his Apostles ( according to Christs direction ) did remove the observation of the Sabbath , from the Seventh to the First day of the Week , and that we have ever since kept the Sabbath as they did , ( for I do not know that it hath been since altered , ) and as we now keep it on Sunday , so I believe they did ; and therefore think that our Sunday is what they called the First day . And if the Apostles did then remove it from their Seventh day to their First day , I presume they had direction from Christ so to do , who after his Resurrection , shewed himself to them for Fourty days , giving Commandments to his Apostles speaking to them of things pertaining to the Kingdom of God , Acts 1. 2 , 3. And therefore , what they did afterwards in settling the Christian Church , they did ( we are to presume ) according to such Directions and Commandments of Christ , and this in particular of so removing the Observation of the Sabbath day , if they did remove it , ( as I think was done ) by his Authority who was Lord of the Sabbath day . Matth. 12. 8. Luk. 6. 5. But if they did not so remove it ; I do not know that it hath since been changed . For I think we keep the same Sabbath which they did : and that the Christian Church hath ever since so done ; and doth pretend so to have done , by a constant Tradition ever since . And we therefore think our Sunday to be their First day of the Week , because we think their Sabbath so to have been . But if we mistake in that Tradition , we are ( For ought I know ) accordingly mistaken in thinking Sunday to be their First day ; ( For we have nothing but Tradition for either . ) And then for ought he can shew ( by better than Tradition ) to the Contrary , our Sunday may be their Seventh day . And then he hath no pretense to quarel with it . If he say the Jews do at this day keep Saturday as their Seventh day . I confess they do . But they do no more know which is the Seventh day ; than we , which is the First day . And because they find that Christians generally take Sunday to be what was before called the First day , they do accordingly take Saturday to be their Seventh day . But their Tradition is of no greater Authority than ours . All depending upon this , that our Sunday being that Sabbath which we think Christ or his Appostles did appoint , we take it to be the First day , because Christ or his Apostles ( by Christs directions ) did remove the observation of the Sabbath to that day . He 'l say perhaps ; I do not my self think our Sunday to be their Seventh day . And then , why should not our Sabbath be on Saturday as theirs was ? 'T is true , I do not think our Sunday to be their Seventh day . And I have told you the reason why I do not think it ; Because I think Christ or his Apostles did change the day , and for that reason only . And for the same reason I think our Sabbath should be as now it is , and as I think it hath been ever since . But if I be mistaken in it , I may be mistaken in the other also : But , either way , Sunday is yet to be our Sabbath . He says , It is no where expresly said in Scripture , that the Apostles did thus change it . True , and 't is no where said in Scripture , that our Sunday is not their Seventh day . It may be the same for ought I know , ( and for ought he knows ) if it were not then changed . Though , because I think the day was then changed , I do therefore think it is not the same . And if it were not changed , then all the difference is , that what they called the Seventh day of their Week , we call the First day of our Week . Which , if the Author do not like , he may call Monday the First day , and then Sunday will be the Seventh , as it was before . But I say further ; There be many things , even as to the Worship of God , which we may reasonably think to have been done , though it be not expresly said so ; but only to be collected by consequence from what is said . 'T is no where said expresly , that , after the First Sabbath of God himself , ( Gen. 2. 2. ) any other Sabbath was ever kept before that in Exod. 16. which was above Two Thousand and Five Hundred Years after . Yet this Author would have us think it was observed all that while ; and that it was commanded so to be , which yet is no where said expresly . But a slight presumption , it seems , may serve his turn , but not ours . 'T is known that God was Worshiped by Sacrifices very early ; at least as early , as that of Cain and Abel ; and that this Worship was accepted of God , at least that of Abel . And therefore I suppose this Author would have us think it was Commanded . ( not a meer Will-worship , without any Direction or Institution from God. ) Yet we are no where told , of any such Command or Institution . We may say the like of Iacob's consecrating a Pillar , by pouring Oyl upon it , Gen. 28. 18. though we do not find mention , before that time , of any direction for any such Consecration ( of things or persons ) by Anointing , or Pouring on of Oyl . We have also reason to think there was some Command from God , that the Fire for Incense should be taken from the Altar , ( or somewhat of like nature ; ) else Nadab and Abihu would not have been destroyed for Offering strange Fire . Yet we are no where told expresly of any such Command . We have no particular Command ( that I know of ) for Baptizing of Infants , nor any particular mention in Scripture of any such Baptized . Yet I do not know that this Author would have us thence infer , that none such were baptized , or that they ought not so to be . Nor have we any express mention of Womens receiving the other Sacrament ; nor any express Command for their so doing ( any more than for Females being Circumcised ) yet I know not any who doth therefore think they ought not . We know that Children were reputed Members of the Church of God before Christ's coming ; and we have no reason to think that Christ did put them out ( and make them in a worse condition than they were before ) but rather would have them continue so to be ; and seems to favour it , by that of suffer little Children to come to me and forbid them not ; for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven Mar. 10. 14. and did accordingly embrace them as such . And therefore , as ( before ) they were Circumcised , ( which was then the Sacrament of Admission ; ) So they should ( now ) be Baptized which is our Sacrament of Admission . ) And when we find whole Families to be Baptized , we cannot think but that there might be little Children in some of them ; ( and more likely so than otherwise . ) And we are , in such cases , to practise according to what we may judge by what we find . We find also that Women were Baptized ( though not Circumcised in the Jewish Church , ) yet we have no Command for so doing . And because there seems to be the same reason for Womens receiving the other Sacrament as for Men , ( and we find nothing to the contrary , ) therefore we do now practise it ( as the most likely to be God's Will , according to the Light we now have ) though we find in Scripture neither express Precept nor Example for it . In like manner it is no Argument that Christ or his Apostles did not make such a change , because in Scripture it is not expresly said so . 'T is enough if we there find so much as that we may thence reasonably Judge they did so ; and more likely so than not . Now I meet with so much there to that purpose , as makes 〈◊〉 judge they did . And so much as ( I believe ) would make this Gentleman so to think , if he were not otherwise prepossessed with prejudice ; and with a great fondness to find out somewhat wherewith to find fault . I find that Christ , on the very day of his Resurrection ( which was the First day of their Week ) did not only appear to the good Women at the Sepulchre ( who sought him there ) and declare to them the Resurrection ( which was then to Preach a new Doctrine , of which they were not before aware ) and bid them tell it to his Disciples : But did also the same day himself declare it to Two of them going to Emmaus ( Luk. 24. ) Preaching to them , from Moses and the Prophets ver . 25 , 26 , 27 ▪ the Doctrine of his Death and Resurrection ( which was to them a new Doctrine , which till then they did not understand , ) or ( as the Phrase there is ) did Expound to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself ver . 27. which I think , was Preaching , and did open to them the Scriptures ( ver . 31. ) concerning those points ; ( which was a Sabbath-days exercise , though perhaps they did not at first so apprehend it ) and did , I take it , celebrate with them the Sacrament of the Lords Supper ( and perhaps the first time after the first Institution ) for so much seems to be implyed in those words , ( ver . 30. ) he took bread and blessed it , and brake , and gave to them , and ( ver . 35. ) he was known to them by breaking of Bread , ( for that Sacrament used to be designed by breaking of Bread. ) And if our Author could but shew so much as this , once done , in the first 2500 years from the Creation , on the Seventh day , it would be a better proof for the Celebration of the Seventh-day Sabbath in that time , than all that he offers at to that purpose . And the Effect of this Preaching was on them so much , that their eyes were opened , and their heart did burn within them , while he talked with them by the way , and opened to them the Scriptures , ver . 31 , 32. and they returned presently ( the same hour ) to Ierusalem , to acquaint the Disciples ( who were there assembled ) with this good news . If he tell us that this Journey from Ierusalem to Emmaus ( being about Threescore Furlongs , near Eight of our Miles ) and back again , was more than a Sabbath-days Iourney ; I confess it was ( unless upon an urgent occasion ) if they had known it to be a Sabbath-day , when they undertook the Iourney ; but this then they knew not ; nor was it therefore , on this occasion , a breach of the Sabbath so to do . If he say , Christ knew it ( though they did not ) if it were now a Sabbath . 'T is true ; he did so . But Christ , I presume , in that estate ( after his Resurrection ) could Travel without Pain , and therefore without breaking the Sabbath . Or if it were painful ; he tells us Mat. 12. 5 , that the Priests in the Temple profane the Sabbath and are blameless ; that is , they take as much pains or labour in killing , dressing , and offering the Sacrifices , as a Butcher would do in killing and dressing his meat ; which would in the Butcher be a culpable Profanation of the Sabbath ; but is not so in the Priests , because theirs is Religious Service . Nor doth this Author think that in Preaching , though it be a Labour , the Minister doth thereby break the Sabbath . And such was Christs imployment here . And , then , whether he Preach Standing , or Preach Walking , 't is all one . And if he say farther , that the Disciples at Ierusalem ( not then knowing this ) could not be thought then to have met upon a Sabbatical account : I grant this also , that their then meeting was Providential ( as was that of the Two other meeting Christ in their Journey , ) yet they might before they parted ( as did those others ) know more of it than at their first coming together . And Christ knew before what he meant to do , though they did not , and did accordingly so order it by his Providence . And though they did not know that it was thenceforth to be kept as a Sabbath , yet may they well be supposed to be imployed on Religious Work , upon what Tidings the Women had before brought them ( of Christs being Risen ) waiting for what directions they should farther receive from Christ. To this purpose let us consider what was further done at this meeting . While these Two were telling the rest what had happened to them ; As they thus spake ( ver . 36. ) Iesus himself stood in the midst of them , and said Peace be unto you : And did ( by shewing them his hands , and feet , and their handling of them , and seeing him eat before them ) convince them that he was indeed Risen from the Dead , and that it was not only a Spirit that appeared to them ( ver . 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42. ) And did again , to them , Preach the same Doctrine which he had before preached to the Two ; That it was what he had told them while he was yet with them ( though they did not understand it , ) That this was but what was written in the Law of Moses , and the Prophets , and the Psalms concerning him ; and opened their understanding that they might understand the Scriptures ; That it was thus written , that it behoved Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the Third day ; and that Repentance and Remission of Sins was to be Preached in his Name among all Nations ; whereof they were to be his Witnesses , and Apostles ( ver . 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 , 48. ) And did renew his Promise of sending the Holy-Ghost , and Power from on high ( v. 49. ) He did moreover at the same meeting , not only upbraid them for their unbelief , ( Mark 16. 14. ) but did Authorize them with a solemn Commission for the Work they were to be sent abqut , to Go into all the World , and Preach the Gospel to every Creature ; that he who believeth and is baptized shall be saved , but he who believeth not shall be damned , ( ver . 15 , 16 , ) and a Power to work Miracles ( ver . 17 , 18 , ) in confirmation of that Doctrine . And to the same purpose , Iohn 20 ▪ 19. The same day at Evening ( in which he before appeared to Mary Magdalen and the rest ) being the First day of the Week ( the very day of his Resurrection ) where the Disciples were assembled ( at a private meeting ) for fear of the Iews ( the door being shut ) Iesus came and stood in the midst of them , and gave them his Solemn Benediction , saying unto them , Peace be unto you ; And in Confirmation of his Resurrection , shewed them his hands and his side ; ( ver . 20. ) And then a Second time gives them his Solemn Blessing together with his Ordination or Commission for Preaching the Gospel , and Planting the Christian Church , Iesus saith to them Again , Peace be unto you ; As my Father hath sent me , even so send I you . And when he had said this , he breathed upon them and said unto them , Receive the Holy Ghost : Who 's soever Sins ye remit , they are remitted to them ; and who 's soever Sins ye retain , they are retained , ver . 21 , 22 , 23. All which being put together , seems to me very like the Celebration ( if not the Consecration ) of a Christian Sabbath , or day of Holy Rest and Religious Service . 'T is all of it Sabbatical Work , and there is a great deal of it . 'T is not indeed expresly said , That he did bid them thus to meet on such other First day of the Week , ( as neither is it expresly said , Gen. 2. 3. that God did then bid Adam and Eve to keep a Weekly Sabbath , or that he did bid them to offer Sacrifice ; ) but it is very likely Christ might so order it ( and more likely than that he did not . ) For , that they did so meet we are sure ; and therefore 't is very likely ( if not a strong presumption ) that they were bid so to do . For so we find it Ioh. 20. 26. After Eight days ( that is , as we commonly speak in English , on that day Sennight ) his Disciples were again within , and Thomas with them ( who before was absent ) the door being shut ; then Iesus came and stood in the midst and said Peace be unto you , ( as he had done the Week before , ) and satisfyed Thomas , who before doubted . So that we have here Two Solemn meetings of the Disciples , Two Weeks together ( the Two first after his Resurrection ) on the First day of the Week ; and Christ with them on both . ( And I am sure we have not more for the First Sabbath , Gen. 2. 3. ) On how many more such Sabbaths he so met with them , I cannot tell . That he oft appeared to them ( during the Forty days of his abode on Earth after his Resurrection ) we cannot doubt , and its like it might be on these days . The Cavil which here he makes to this place , is so weak , that I am sorry to see it from one who would seem to be serious . As if Eight days after , or after Eight days , were not the same as what we would say a Week after or that day Sennight after ; For he must needs know , that 't is not only the Common Scripture Language , but the general Language of Latine and Greek Writers , to reckon Inclusively ; that is , to take in both the extreams ; and so it is even at this day ( I think ) in most Languages except English. What we call a Sennight , the French call huict jours ( Eight days ) and what we say a Fortnight , is with them Quinze jours ( Fifteen days ; ) and so in all manner of reckoning . A Fourth , a Fifth , an Eighth , a Fifteenth , and other Intervals in Musick are always so reckoned . What we call a Third-day-Ague , the Latins call a Quartan ; and what we call every other day , they call a Tertian . So they call Secundo Calendas ( i. e. Secundo die ante Calendas ) what we would say one day ( not two days ) before the Calends ; and they call tertio Calendas , what is with us two days ( not three days ) before the Calends . So nudius tertius is what we would say two days ago ; and nudius quartus is in our Language Three days ago ( not Four. ) So Mark 8. 31. where Christ speaks of himself , that the Son of Man should be killed and After three days rise again , that is , on the Third day after ( inclusively taken ) or after the Third day is come ; whereas , according to the sense this Author would put upon the words , it should rather have been said after one day ( for there was but one day between his Death and Resurrection ; ) And it is the same in sense , with what he says Ioh. 2. 19. Destroy this Temple , ( speaking of his Body ) And in Three days I will raise it up , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , or as Mat. 26. 61. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , that is , the Third day after ( inclusively . ) And Mat. 27. 63. they tell Pilate , This Deceiver said , After Three days I will rise again , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ( meaning thereby the Third day after , inclusively , ) and therefore they pray , that the Sepulchre may be made sure till the Third day . Whereas , if ( as our Author would reckon upon his fingers ) by after Three days ; were to be understood , when Three whole days after that should be past , they need not set their Watch before the Fourth or Fifth day . Thus Christ's Ascension is said to be Forty days after his Resurrection , ( speaking of a Scripture Computation , in Scripture Language , ) which in our ordinary manner of Speech is but Nine and Thirty . For Ascension-Thursday ( if Easter-day be not reckoned for one ) is but 39 days after Easter . Upon a like Account that Christ tells us Mat. 12. 40. that as Jonas was three days and three nights in the Whales Belly , so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the Earth . Not Three whole days , and Three whole nights ; but , till the Third was begun . For by day and night is here understood the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , or what we now call the Artificial day , consisting of 24 hours , day and night : and till such Third day ( or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) was begun , Christ rested in the Grave ; otherwise , though he were in the Grave ( part of ) Three days , yet but Two nights . So Luke 2. 21. When Eight days were accomplished ( for the Circumcision of the Child ) they called his name Iesus ; that is , upon the Eighth day , inclusively ; reckoning the day of Birth for the first , and the day of Circumcision for the last ( of the Eight days ) which with Six whole days between make Eight . ( Whereas , if Eight whole days had been fully past , Christ had been Circumcised the Tenth day . ) The Sense being the same with that concerning Iohn the Baptist , Luk. 1. 59. On the Eighth day they came to Circumcise the Child . So here , After Eight days , that is on the Eighth day , or after the Eighth day was come . And this , I think , is the constant Language of Scripture every where . And his Objection needs no other Answer , but , that St. John did not speak English. And I cannot but think ( however he please thus to object ) that himself doth believe this , after Eight days , to be here meant of the First day of the next Week , ( and he should have been so candid as to own it . ) And that post Octo dies is the same in sense with Octo post diebus , that is , the Eighth day after , ( reckoning the present day for one , ) and that it is so to be understood in this place . We should not , in a serious Enquiry , press what possibly might be , but what we truly think is the meaning . A Lawyer at the Bar may fairly propose For his Client , what possibly may be the Sense of such or such a Clause . But a Judge on the Bench ( and a Counsellor , To his Client , ) is to consider what really Is the Sense of Words in question . I dare appeal to himself , whether ( in his own thoughts ) he do not think after Eight days , here to signifie the same , as after Eight days were accomplished , Luk. 2. 21. And , if so , then this is rather to Wrangle , than to Dispute fairly . Before I dismiss this place , it is not amiss to take more particular notice about what time it was that Mary Magdalen and the other Women came to the Sepulchre on the day of Christs Resurrection . 'T is said Luke 23. 55 , 56. When they beheld the Sepulchre and how the body was laid , ( on the sixth day day at night whereon he was Crucified ) they returned and prepared Spices and Ointments , and rested the Sabbath day according to the Commandment . And in the next words Luk. 24. 1. Now upon the First day of the Week , very early in the morning , they came to the Sepulchre bringing the Spices which they had prepared . In Mat. 28. 1. In the end of the Sabbath when it began to dawn toward the First day of the Week . In Mark 14. 15. When the Sabbath was past , very early in the morning the First day of the Week , they came to the Sepulchre at the rising of the Sun , or by Sun-rising . And Ioh. 20. 1. The First day of the Week , early , when it was yet dark , they came to the Sepulchre . ( Perhaps all the Women did not come just at the same time , but were all there by Sun-rising . ) But the Body was raised before they came , as is agreed by all the Evangelists . Where I observe First that the Sabbath , according to their Account , did not end till toward the morning of the next day . The end of the Sabbath , or when the Sabbath was past , was early in the morning , before the Sun-rising , while the day did begin to dawn , and while it was yet dark . Very early indeed in the morning , but yet not till morning , ( not in the Evening over night . ) And therefore ( without disputing how the day was reputed to begin in the time of Moses ) 't is manifest that , at this time , as well the Sabbath as other days was by them reckoned not from ( the beginning of ) the Evening to ( the beginning of ) the Evening , but rather ( according to the Rom. account ) from Midnight to Midnight . For 't is manifest that it was toward Evening of the Sixth day before the Crucifixion was over ; For it was some while after the Ninth hour ( that is , after our Three a Clock ) that he cryed with a loud voice and gave up the Ghost , Mark 15. 34 , 37. And it was yet later , when they brake the Legs of the two Thieves , ( that they might not remain on the Cross upon the Sabbath ) but only pierced his side , because he was already dead , Joh. 19. 31 , 32 , 33 , 34. And later yet when Ioseph of Arimathea begged his Body and buried it . For 't is expresly said , When Even was come there came a rich man of Arimathea , named Ioseph , and begged the body of Iesus , and when he had taken the Body ▪ he wrapped it in a clean linnen Cloth and buried it in his own new Tomb , Mat. 27. 57 , 58 , 59 , 60. Mark 15. 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 46. Luk 23. 51 , 52 , 53. But , though Even were come before this time , yet the Sabbath was not begun ; for so it followeth , Luk. 23. 54. that day was the Preparation and the Sabbath drew on . And after this , ver . 55 , 56. the Women who beheld the Sepulchre , and how the Body was laid , returned and prepared Spices and Ointments ( the same night ) but rested the Sabbath day according to the Commandment ; And by this time it must needs be pretty late at night ; while yet the Sabbath was not begun . That is , I suppose not till Midnight of the Sixth day . Nor was the Sabbath ended when Evening began on the Seventh day . For if so , the Women might that night have brought and applyed their Spices and Ointments which they had prepared the night before . For they had as much time so to do , after the Evening was begun that night ( if the Sabbath were now ended ) as they had , to do what was done the night before ; after that Evening was then begun . Nothing hindered them but because the Sabbath was not yet done , and they were to rest the Sabbath day according to the Commandment . But , so soon as well they could , when the Sabbath was ended , they came early , the next morning , while it was yet dark . And might as well have come the night before , if the Sabbath had ended when the evening began . I add farther , If the Sabbath had ended at the evening of the Seventh day , and the First day of the Week had then begun ( as this Author would have it , ) Christ might have risen that night ( for it would then have been the Third day , ) and not have stay'd in the grave ( for the third day ) till the next morning , which yet we know he did . 'T is manifest therefore that the First day of the Week did begin from the middle of the night , not from the First Evening of the Seventh day . And that Christ was risen very early in the morning of that First day while it was yet dark . We are next to Consider how long that First day lasted . After Christ was risen early in the morning while it was yet dark , ( how early that was , we cannot tell , but it was in the Morning , not over night ; ) he appeared first to Mary Magdalen , and the Women who went to the Sepulchre ; they , as they were directed , carried news of it to the Disciples ; and when they were going , ( Mat. 28. 11. ) the Watch came into the City and shewed to the High-Priests the things which were done ; who , calling a Councel , gave the Souldiers Money to say , His Disciples came and stole him away while they were asleep ; undertaking to secure them in case the Governour should come to hear it . Upon this news being brought by the Women to the Disciples , Two of them , from the rest , went to the Sepulchre to enquire into the business ; and brought an account of it to the rest , who were Astonished at it . And all this happened before the Two Disciples began their Journey to Emmaus ; for they discoursed of it by the way , and told it to Iesus who fell into their Company , Luk 24. 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24. Now their Journey from Ierusalem to Emmaus , was about Threescore Furlongs , ver . 13. which our Author rightly computes to be about Seven miles and an half , of our miles ; which they Travelled on foot , for 't is said they walked , ( Mark 16. 12. ) and Iesus in their company , Preaching to them ( out of Moses and the Prophets ) the Doctrine of Christ's Death and Resurrection . When they came near to Emmaus it was towards Evening , and the day far spent , ( Luk. 24. 29. ) they did there abide for some time , and Iesus with them , continuing to Preach on the same Subject , and was at length known to them by breaking of Bread , ver . 30. 35. After which they returned to Ierusalem and told these things to the Disciples then gathered together , ver . 33. By which time ( having now walked another Seven miles and an half ) we may reasonably suppose it to be pretty late at night ; For , when they first approached to Emmaus it was then so late , as that it was not thought convenient ( unless upon some such great occasion ) to Travel further , ver . 28. Yet , after they were come back to Ierusalem , Christ then appeared himself to the Disciples , blessing them , reproaching their unbelief , confirming their Faith , giving them Instructions , and Commission for Preaching the Gospel , and Planting the Christian Church . And it was yet but the same day at evening , being the First day of the Week , ( Joh. 20. 19. ) on which he rose : but , now late at night , when the doors were shut ; that is , ( if I mistake not ) so late as that it was time to shut up doors as men use to do towards bed-time . Not as if Christ came in through the Key-hole ( any more than did the Two Disciples that came from Emmaus ) or did Penetrate the doors , ( as the Papists would have us think in favour of their Transubstantiation ; ) For they were not so shut but that they could , be opened again ( upon occasion ) to let him in ( as they had been to let in those Two that came from Emmaus ) ▪ as well as to let in Peter ( late at night ) Act. 12. 16. So that from very early in the Morning while it was dark , till very late night and about Mid-night , was the same day , the first day of the Week . 'T is manifest therefore that about our Saviours time , according to the Computation of the New Testament , both the Jews and the Four Evangelists did reckon their days from mid-night to mid-night . And if they did not so reckon ▪ Christ could not be said ( Mat. 12. 40. ) to be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth . For it was Evening , when ▪ Ioseph begged the Body of Iesus , and later yet before he had buried it , and yet this must be reckoned part of the Sixth day , olse he had not been three days in the Grave , or heart of the earth . And I think they were so reckoned in the times of the Old Testament also . Which though it be not so much to the present purpose , yet ( if you will pardon this digression ) I will tell you why I think so . It is I know an Opinion taken up by some ( and I find it is grown pretty current even amongst Learned men ) that the Jews in the time of the Old Testament did reckon their days from Evening to Evening ( whether they mean from Sun-set to Sun-set , or from Six a Clock to Six a Clock , I cannot tell , nor perhaps are they all agreed as to that point . ) But I take it to be a mistake ; which being at first taken up without sufficient ground hath since passed ( without further examination ) from hand to hand . We find Exod. 12. 6. the Pass-over was to be killed in the First month , on the Fourteenth day in the Evening ; which I think is agreed by all to be the Evening at the end of the Fourteenth day , ( not that at the end of the Thirteenth , ) for the next morning was the Fifteenth day ; which evening therefore belonged to the Fourteenth day . But it is noted in the Margin of our Bibles , that it is , in the Hebrew , between the two Evening ▪ s. You 'l ask perhaps , what are those two Evenings : I 'le tell you what I think they are . The word Day , you know , is taken in a double sense . Sometimes for ( what we call ) the Natural day ( as it is contradistinguished to night ) from Sun-rising to Sun-setting : sometimes for ( what we call ) the Artificial day ( or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) so as to take in both day and night . Our Saviour tells us there are Twelve hours in the day ; meaning the Natural day . But in the Artificial day ( of which we are now speaking ) there be Four and Twenty hours . Some please to call that the Natural day , which I call the Artificial ( for all do not use the words in the same sense ) But that matters not , so long as we understand one another . Now by the word Evening is understood the end of the day . Which , as to the Natural day , is at Sun-set ; but as to the Artificial day , it is ( I think ) at Mid-night . And consequently , between the two Evenings , is as much as to say , after Sun-set , and before Mid-night . And this is what , in our Language , we commonly call the Evening , which is in the Hebrew between the two Evenings , ( that is , between the end of the Natural day , and the end of the Artificial day : ) and within this time was the Passover to be Killed , Rosted and Eaten ; Nothing of it was to remain till the Morning ; that is , not after Mid-night ; for as soon as Mid-night is past Morning begins . And within this time all Leaven was to be put away ; that is before the Mid-night of the Fourteenth day . Which is so fair an account of it , as that we need not scruple to embrace it . And it was the Fifteenth day , that was the first day of the Feast of Unlevened bread ; ( all Leven being put away before Mid-night , ) and this Fifteenth day was to be kept as a Sabbath , and a Holy Feast to the Lord , ver . 14. ( on what ever day of the Week it chanced to fall . ) And so was the One and Twentieth day , which was the last of those Seven days : Seven days shall ye eat Unleavened bread ; even the first day ye shall put away ( or shall have put away ) leaven out of your house . And in the First day there shall be an Holy Convocation , and in the Seventh day there shall be an Holy Convocation ; no manner of Work shall be done in them , save that which every man shall eat ; ( that is they are to be kept as a Sabbath or day of Holy Rest ; ) ver . 15 , 16. From the Fourteenth day at evening till the One and Twentieth day at evening , ver . 18. that is , from the Fourteenth day at Midnight , till the One and Twentieth at Mid-night . And in like manner , Lev. 23. 32. from Even to Even , or Night to Night , that is , from Mid-night to Mid-night ; or from the end of one Evening to the end of the next Evening . So in Levit. 23. 5. and Numb . 28. 16 , 17. In the Fourteenth day of the First month is the Pass-over of the Lord ; and in the fifteenth day of this month is the feast ; Seven days shall unleavened bread be eaten , &c. Where it is manifest that the fourteenth day which is the Lords Pass-over , is another day from the fifteenth which is the first day of the Feast . For I will pass through the land of Egypt ( saith God ) this night ; ( that is the night of the Fourteenth day ) and will smite all the first born in the land of Egypt , Ex. 12. 12. And what time of the night it was , we are told ver . 28. And it came to pass at Midnight the Lord smote all the first born of the land of Egypt . And to the same purpose Moses tells Pharaoh , chap. 11. 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , Thus saith the Lord , About Mid-night will I go out into the midst of Egypt , And the first born of the land of Egypt shall dy , from the first born of Pharaoh , &c. that ye may know that the Lord hath put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel . So that the fourteenth day , which was the Lords Pass-over continued till the Mid-night of that day ; and then began the fifteenth day which was the first day of the Feast . Than which I think nothing can be more clear . And Num. 33. 3. The fifteenth day of the first month is the morrow after the Pass-over . In like manner , Deut. 16. 6. Thou shalt Sacrifice the Pass-over at even , at the going down of the Sun , ( that is , after the going down of the Sun , or when the Sun is gone down ) at the season that thou camest forth out of Egypt , which was about Mid-night , Ex. 12. 21. Ex. 11. 4. What he offers from Gen. 1. 5. is easily answered . The evening and the morning were the first day , ( and so of the other days ; ) Whence he would have it thought , that the day is to begin at the begining of the Evening . Or ( as the Margin tells us it is in the Hebrew ) the evening was , and the morning was , the first day . Or , there was evening , and there was morning , day one , ( for in such order the words stand in the Hebrew . ) Or , and was evening , and was morning , day one . That is , there was in the first day , ( and so in the rest ) evening and morning ; or darkness and light ; And the Dark is put first , because ( beginning the day from Midnight ) the dark is before the Light. And by day one , is meant the first day . And it was moreover very agreable so to reckon . For , supposing Paradise the principal seat of Action ; the Sun may reasonably be supposed to be Created ( in the middle of the Fourth day , Gen. 1. 16. ) in the Meridian of that place , ( as in its greatest Splendor ) or , if not in the Meridian of that place , it must needs be in the Meridian of some place : and wherever that be , the day ( of 24 hours ) being there half past , it must have begun at Mid-night foregoing . And I doubt not but a Child born on Saturday night at Ten a Clock , was to be Circumcised the next Saturday ( as being the Eighth day , ) not on the Sunday after . I have insisted the longer on this , because I find him afterward moving another question about what time the Sabbath is to begin and end , and lays great stress upon it , as we shall see anon . Of which I think we need not be further solicitous than to begin and end this day , according as other days are accounted to begin and end in the places where we live . I do not think the Fourth Commandment to descend to these Punctilio's . But , if he think it necessary to be more curious in it ; I take it to be very plain from what I have said , that at the time of Christs Death and Resurrection , it was accounted to begin very early in the morning , while it was dark , and continue till very late at night , according as we now account our days , from Midnight to Mid-night . But I go on . We have now found our Saviours Example , as to the two First Sundays from his Resurrection ( if at least their first day of the Week be our Sunday ) imploying the day in Religious Exercises and Sabbatical Affairs with his Disciples . How many more Sundays he so spent with them we cannot tell . Which Examples of his Two first , with their Imitation of him in others after , ( of which we are to speak by and by , ) and the Churches practise ever since , looks so like the Celebration and Institution of a Christian Sabbath , or day of Holy Rest and Religious Exercise , as that we may warrantably do the like . I am sure it is more than he can shew for the Saturday Sabbath in Gen. 2. 3. Save that men are apt to think a small thing an Institution and Ius Divinum for what they fansy ; but , as to what they do not , nothing will serve but Full Express Words . We have next clear Evidence , of a like Practise ( consonant to this Example ) in Act. 20. 7. On the first day of the Week ▪ when the Disciples came together to break bread , Paul Preached unto them ready to depart on the morrow , and continued his Speech until Mid-night . Which is so plain that he is much put to his shifts to avoid it . That here is a Religious Assembly of the Disciples , he doth not deny ; Paul was Preaching very late , even till Mid-night , and they met to break bread , which I think is generally agreed by Interpreters , to signify the Celebration of the Lords Supper ; and I know not well what clearer Character we need demand of a Religious meeting for Worship , sutable to the Work of a Sabbath or Holy Rest. And it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which I think he will not deny ( though he seem to cavil at it ) to signify , on the first day of the Week . But he excepts , that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here translated Preached , is elsewhere render'd Reasoned or Discoursed . Be it so , and if that word will please him better , let it be so here ; he reasoned , discoursed , treated , or did hold forth ; that I think will not alter the case ; and he continued , or held on ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) this Discourse , this Speech , this Sermon , ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sermonem ) till Mid-night ; ( he held on this holding forth till Mid-night ) which I take to be the same with what we now call Preaching , ( or very like it ; ) 't was a long continued discourse to a Congregation met together on a Religious account for the Service of God. But let it be called ( if he please ) a Religious Discourse of the Holy Apostle to a Congregation of Christians met together for such a purpose . He would then have it thought a favour or condescention to admit this breaking of bread , to be meant of the Lords Supper ; and not barely a Common eating . But since he doth not deny it , we will accept the favour and take it so to be ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , The Disciples being congregated or assembled to break Bread ▪ 'T is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , The Disciples ; ( not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some of them : ) and they were ( perhaps not every one but the generality of them , as at other meetings ) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 congregated or assembled ; and it seems to be a good full Congregation , by Eutychus's being mounted to the third loft ( whatever he meant by that third loft , though but the third scaffold , ) so high that by a fall from thence he was in great danger of being killed . Now it is not likely that such a Congregation of Christians were thus assembled for common eating . He says , Paul was to go away on the Morrow . True ; But it is not said they came together to take leave of Paul ; but , came together to Break Bread. Paul's going away on the Morrow , might be the reason ( and I believe was ) why they continued there so long : but the End for which they came together , was to Break Bread : and the occasion of their so coming , because it was the first day of the Week : On which , it should seem , they were wont so to do for that end . And if he candidly ▪ consider it , methinks ▪ it should seem so to him . Paul came to them at Troas in five days , where he abode seven days : And on the first day of the week when the Disciples came together to break Bread , Paul preachea to them . Doth not the fair prospect of the place import thus much , that they were then met to break Bread , as being the first day of the week ? What other occasion was there of mentioning what day of the Week it was ? It had been otherwise a fairer transition to have said , He staid there Seven days , and on the Seventh day ( or the last of those Seven ) the Disciples came together to take leave of Paul and Sup with him over night , who was to depart on the morrow . Now if it had been said on the Seventh day ( though meaning but the last of those Seven ) it would no doubt have been urged as a great argument of Paul's keeping a Seventh day Sabbath , and the Disciples with him ; not as a Iewish but as a Christiam Assembly ; for breaking of bread ( which was a Christian not a Iewish Service ; ) For then , breaking of bread , would certainly have been the Lords Supper : ( But because it was on the first day of the Week ) it must now be but common eating , to take leave of Paul ▪ and to Sup with him ; as ( he tells us p. 57. ) Friends commonly do ( when a Minister or any other special Acquaintance intends to take a Iourney in the morning ) to sup with him over night . But if he thinks this to be all which is there meant by the Disciples coming together on the first day of the Week to Break Bread ; he must excuse me if I cannot be of his Opinion . But because he is content to admit ( upon some terms ) their meeting might be upon a Religious account , for the Lords Supper ( as no doubt it was ) I shall press him no further therein : but accept of his condescension . When he tells us , that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is Greek for one , and therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may as well be rendered One day of the Week , as the First day of the Week : Surely he is not in earnest . Such trifling doth more hurt than help his cause . No doubt , but , when ever they met ▪ it was one day of the Week , we need not be told it ; nor need the word Week be added , he might as well have said one day ; nor need he have said so much ▪ But this Author cannot think ( nor doth he ) that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth any where signify other than the first day of the Week . In the whole story of Christs Resurrection , and what followed on that day in all the Four Evangelists , we have no other word for it but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , nor have we any other word for it ( that I know of ) there or any where else . I do not know that it is any where called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Such shifting doth not look well . 'T is somewhat like the Story of a man who bought a Horse for Five Pounds to be paid the next day . And accordingly on the next day he sent Five Pounds of Candles . Perhaps ( in the Bargain ) it was not said expresly ( in words at length ) Five Pounds of Lawful Money of England . But , by common intendment , it must be so understood . ( And an honest English Iury ▪ upon a Tryal , would so Find it . ) The Latin word Pridie , is a Derivative ( or Compound rather ) from prae , prior ; and Postridie from post , posterior ; and accordingly ( in Latin ) pridie Calendarum , and postridie Calendarum must signify a day before , and a day after the Calends . But can any man think it is meant of any day ? No , but the next day before , and the next day after . So if we say , Christ was Crucified one day before the Sabbath , and Rose again one day after the Sabbath . This one day is the next day . And so any man who hath not a mind to Cavil , will understand it . And so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , one day after the Sabbath , must needs be understood of the next day after the Sabbath : Nor is it ever used in any other sense . If it were to be understood of any indefinitely , it should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some day after the Sabbath , not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one day after . But the most pleasant shift of all , is , when he would have us think that this Evening ( which is called the first day of the Week ) was the Evening after the Seventh day , that is Saturday night ; and the next morning ( when Paul was to go away ) was Sunday morning ( and he to travel that Sunday : ) And that the Evening of Saturday was the beginning of Sunday , and was therefore called the First day of the Week . Because it is said Gen. 1. the evening and the morning was the First day , ( and so of the rest , ) and therefore the evening was the beginning of every day . See what ▪ shift a man will make , rather than quit an Opinion he hath once taken up . We are taught that on the Fourteenth day of the first month at even the Pass-over was to be killed . Doth he think that this Fourteenth day at even was the end of the Thirteenth day , the Fourteenth day then beginning ? I think every body else takes it to be the evening at the end of the fourteenth day , and the Fifteenth day ( on the morrow ) was the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. For though it were the fourteenth day at evening , yet it was the fourteenth day , not the fifteenth . And Luke 23. 54. the evening after our Saviours Crucifixion , on the sixth day , when it was late at night ( as was shewed before , and must be , according to the story of what had been done before that time ) was yet but the preparation , not the Sabbath , the Seventh day being not yet begun . For so we have it , it was the preparation , and the Sabbath drew on . And the Women were then preparing their Spices and Oyntments , yet rested the Sabbath day according to the Commandment ; So that the Sabbath day was not yet begun ; nor was it ended when the evening of the next day began , but on the morning of the day following ▪ as was shewed above . And ( as we shewed at large before ) the first day of the Week ( on which Christ rose ) began very early in the morning while it was dark , and continued ( the same day ) till very late at night . And this is the constant Language of the New Testament every where . So that when the Congregation of Christians , Acts 20. 7. did on the first day of the week assemble to break Bread , and Paul Preached to them , continuing his Sermon till Mid-night ; this must needs be on what we call Sunday ; and the morning following was Munday morning ; not Sunday morning as this Author would have it . 'T is manifest therefore , that there was a Religious Assembly , of the Christian Congregation at Troas , on the First day of the Week , for celebration of the Lords Supper , and Preaching ; and Paul with them . Which I take to be the celebration of a Christian Sabbath . However , this ( he says ) is but One Instance . True , this is but one . ( But we have heard of more before , and shall hear of more by and by . ) But this one is more than he can shew for more than Two Thousand Five Hundred Years ( from God's resting on the Seventh day Gen. 2. 3. till after Israel was come out of Egypt Ex. 16. ) during which time he would have us think the Seventh-day Sabbath was constantly observed . And if he could shew any one such instance ( of Enoch , Noah , Abraham , or other , ) where such a Religious Assembly , for the Worship of God , was held on the seventh day in course from the Creation ; he would think his point well proved , though no more were said of it than is of this . Whereas now as to the time from thence to the Floud , he brings no other proof , but that Abel , and Enoch , and Noah were good men ( as no doubt they were ) and therefore it is to be presumed they kept a Sabbath ; and that upon the seventh day . Which is to beg the question , not to prove it . From thence till Israels going into Egypt , all that he brings to prove this matter of fact is but that of Gen. 13. 6. where ( speaking of Abram and Lot , with the multitude of their Cattel ) it is said , the land was not able to bear them that they might Dwell together ; for their substance was great so that they could not Dwell together ; and there was a strife between the Herd-men of Abrams Cattle , and the Herd-men of Lots Cattle , &c. They could not Dwell together , that is ( saith he ) they could not Rest together , that is , they could not keep a Sabbath together ; therefore ( he concludes ) they did use to keep a sabbath ; and that Sabbath was the seventh day in course from the Creation . And is not this a goodly proof ? I should think ( if he would put a stress on the word Rest ) it should rather signify , they could not live quietly together without their herd-mens quarrelling about their Pasture ; for so it follows in the next words , there was a strife between their herds-men . From thence till after their coming out of Egypt , he brings no other proof but that of Ex. 5. 4 , 5. Where , when Moses and Aaron had been pressing Pharaoh to let Israel go three days Iourney into the Wilderness , to keep a Feast and Sacrifice to the Lord their God ; Pharaoh replies , Wherefore do ye Lett ( or hinder ) the People from their Work ; you make them rest from their Burdens , or you take them off from their Work ; that is , says he , you make them keep a Sabbath . For the Word or Verb there Translated you make them Rest is , ( he tells us ) a derivative from another Verb which signifies to Rest , from which Verb the word Sabbath is also derived : They did therefore Rest ( saith he ) that is keep a Sabbath , and that Sabbath was every Week , and it was on the seventh day in course from the Creation . Alas ! how little do either or both of these places prove , of what he would have to be granted him thence ! He tells us sometimes there were other Sabbaths , besides that of the seventh day ; I am sure there were other Restings . If Moses and Aaron had desired Pharaoh to excuse them from their Work one day in seven , that on such day they might serve the Lord their God ; it would have looked like an Argument . But when it is , to go three days into the Wilderness to keep a Feast to the Lord ; what is this to a Weekly Sabbath ? This Seventh-day sabbath , so runs in the mind of this Author , that if any where he can lay hold of the word Rest , it must presently prove a Seventh-day-sabbath . Else who would have thought , that because Abram and Lot could not dwell quietly together ; therefore they must needs keep a Sabbath , and that upon the seventh day , and in course from the Creation ? And the like of the Israelites in Egypt , because Moses and Aaron are said to hinder them from their work ; Therefore they did constantly keep a weekly Sabbath , and that upon the seventh day , in course from the Creation . He might have to better purpose , alleged Pharaoh's seven fat kine and seven lean ones , and the seven full Ears of Corn , and seven empty ; for here we have the number seven signalized ; only these were Seven Years , not Seven Days ; and the like of Nebuchadnezzar's being seven years turned out to the Beasts of the field , Dan. 4. 25 , 32 , 33. Or that of the Clean Beasts and Fowls coming into the Ark by sevens , Gen. 7. 2 , 3. But , what is more to his purpose ( and which he should not have missed ) is that of Gen. 7. 4. and Gen. 8. 10 , 12. where we have the interval of seven days particularly mentioned ; For yet seven days , and I will cause it to rain upon the Earth , &c. ( Chap. 7. 4. ) where God gives to Noah just a Weeks warning of the time when the Floud should begin , during which interval ( if those days were Sabbath days ) he might remove himself and what was necessary into the Ark before the next Sabbath . And , toward the end of the Floud , Noah sends out the Dove , Chap. 8. 8. And he staid seven days , and again sent forth the Dove , ver . 10. And he staid yet other seven days , and sent forth the Dove , &c. ver . 12. Where we have the Dove sent out three times , just at seven days distance . And how do we know but that these three days were three Sabbath days ? Which though it be not a conclusive Argument , is better than any that he brings . For here we have three Intervals of seven days , in these two Chapters . But if a Weekly Sabbath were then kept , 't is very strange that we should have no intimation of any such thing in the books of Moses ( before Israel's coming out of Egypt . ) And much more , that there is nothing of it in the Book of Iob. And , that none of his friends ( amongst the many charges they bring against him ) should never object his Neglect of the Sabbath , or want of due observance thereof . Which being so plausible an objection , it seems more likely , that a Sabbath was not then wont to be observed : for which he hath so very little to shew . And by what we have Iob 1. 4. It should seem that Iob's Seven Sons kept Feasting ( each in his own day ) for Seven days together ; without any mention of a Sabbath intervening . Nor was it a Religious Feast but a Feast of mirth and jollity , such as made Iob suspicious lest they might sin and curse God in their heart , v. 5. And therefore he offer'd propitiatory Sacrifices for them continually , or ( as the Margin tells us it is in the Hebrew ) all the days , that is every of these Seven days . As little a matter will serve his turn to prove ( p. 43. ) that Christs Ascension was , and his coming to Iudgment is to be , on a Saturday , or Seventh-day-Sabbath : Because it is said Acts 1. 12. that Mount Olivet ( whence he ascended ) is , from Ierusalem , a Sabbath-days Iourney . But he tells us that by no account that he can make ▪ can he assign the Ascension on the First day , ( No more can I. ) But what then ? Well! But why upon a Saturday rather than a Sunday ? Because he observes , that after Christ's Ascension from Mount Olivet , it is said , Then they returned to Ierusalem , from Mount Olivet , which is from Ierusalem a Sabbath-days Iourney . Well! what of this ? He cannot see why it was expresly said , that it was but a Sabbath-days Iourney from Ierusalem , but because it was the Sabbath-day . Perhaps I may shew him another reason as likely as it . If the word then do not there signify the same day ( but only at large , after his Ascension ▪ ) this is nothing to the purpose . But admitting that by then be meant the same day ; the connexion runs fairly thus , After his Ascension they returned from thence to Ierusalem the same day , for it was ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) but a little way off , about a Sabbath days Iourney . Which , I think , is a fair account of the place ▪ Especially since we know otherwise , that it was not upon 〈…〉 Account ( as he speaks ) will serve as well for the one as for the other . But , indeed , for neither . But how doth this concern his Coming to Iudgment ? Yes , Because it is there said ( ver . 11. ) He shall come in like manner ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) as ye have seen him go into Heaven . And ( because this Author fansies ) he did Ascend on a Sabbath day , therefore ( he fansies also ) he shall on a Sabbath day come again . I see a Weak Argument , with a strong Fansy will go far . But to prove his Ascension to be on the Sabbath ( besides this , of a Sabbath-days Journey ) he adds further , That Christ and his Disciples were then Assembled , and that Christ Preached . Well! And why may we not as well conclude that the day of his Resurrection was also a Sabbath ? For Christ and his Disciples were then assembled , ( first at Emmaus , and then at Ierusalem , ) and Christ did then also ( at both places ) Preach to them , and the substance of his Preaching was much the same , ( as will appear by comparing Luk 24. with Acts 1. ) and did then also Celebrate the Lords Supper . And eight days after , Christ was again Assembled with the Disciples , and Preached to them , on the same day of the Week . If Christs Presence and Preaching will prove the Ascension day to be a Sabbath , why should it not as well prove the Resurrection day to be a Sabbath ? the onely difference is , That ( he thinks ) serves his turn , But this makes against him . And why should it not also be thought a Sabbath , Acts 20. For Paul and the Disciples were then Assembled ; and they were assembled to break Bread ; and Paul there Preached to them . And all these Assemblies were on the first day of the Week . And they seem to me a much stronger proof of the First day , ( the day of his Resurrection ) being a Sabbath , than that the Ascension day was so . And the Preaching which our Author here mentions as on the day of Ascension , seems to me rather to have been on that of the Resurrection . For St. Luke in the beginning of this Chapter of Acts 1. seems to give a short repetition of what himself had delivered more at large Luk. 24. And gives an account not only of what happened on the day of Ascension , ( though he close with it ) but of what happened during the forty days from his Resurrection to that time . And this Preaching , I take to be that mentioned Luke 24. on the day of his Resurrection . But ( after all ) this is but a Whimsey , ( what he tells us of Christs Ascension on a Seventh-day-Sabbath . ) For 't is very plain that his Ascension was neither on a seventh day , nor on a first , but on a fifth day of the Week . For 't is plainly said , Acts 1. 3. That he shewed himself alive after his Passion , being seen of them Forty days , ( that is , he was seen of them at times , not constantly , for the space of Fourty days ) whereof that of his Resurrection was the first , and that of his Ascension was the last . And if that were Sunday , this must be Thursday . He may tell it upon his fingers ( as he speaks p. 5. ) if he please . But though our Saviours Ascension was not on the seventh day of the Week ( in observance of the Seventh-day Sabbath , or in confirmation thereof : ) Yet the mission of the Holy Ghost ( according as on the First day of the Week , the day of his Resurrection , he had promised . Luk 24. 49. ) was on the first day of the Week fulfilled also , as appears Acts 2. When the day of Pentecost was fully come , that is , the Fiftieth day ( for so Pentecost signifieth in Greek ) they were all with one accord in one place ( that is , they were unanimously assembled ) and suddenly there came a sound from Heaven , as of a rushing mighty Wind , and filled the house , where they were sitting ; And there appeared to them cloven tongues like as of fire , and it sat upon each of them ( that is , at least , upon each of the Apostles , ) and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost , and began to speak with other Tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance . Which I take to be a further instance , ( if our Author will not allow it to be called a Sabbath ) at lest of a Religious Assembly for the Worship of God ; ( And if it had been on the seventh day , how great a proof would this have been with him for a Seventh-day Sabbath . ) This I take to be a Christian Sabbath , and within the prospect of the Fourth Commandment . And though it be not expresly called a Sabbath ( to avoid confusion or ambiguity , because the word Sabbath in common speech was then appropriated to the Jewish Sabbath , ) yet it is the same thing . And if he doubt whether the Feast of Pentecost were on the First day of the Week , as was that of the Resurrection ; he may be satisfied from Levit. 23. 15. where that Feast is appointed . After mention made of the Pass-over , ( ver . 5. &c. ) Moses proceeds to that of the Wave-offering , v. 10 , 11. When ye be come into the land which I give unto you , and shall reap the harvest thereof ; then shall ye bring a sheaf of the first-fruits of your harvest unto the Priest , and he shall Wave the sheaf before the Lord to be accepted for you ; on the morrow after the Sabbath the Priest shall wave it . Whether by the Sabbath here mentioned be meant the Weekly Sabbath , or the first day of the Feast of Unleavened-Bread , is not material ; because , in that year whereof we are speaking , this first day of the Feast was on the Weekly Sabbath , ( as is manifest from the story of Christs Crucifixion , which was on the Sixth day of the Week , and the next day ( being the Seventh day ) was the Feast of the Pass-over ) and the morrow after this Sabbath , was the day of Christ's Resurrection , as well as of the Wave-offering . And then he proceeds , ver . 15 , 16 , to the Feast of Pentecost , or the Feast of Weeks . Ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the Sabbath , from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the Wave-offering , seven Sabbaths , shall be compleat , even unto the morrow after the seventh Sabbath , shall ye number Fifty days ▪ ( inclusively taken , as the manner is in Scripture reckoning , and must needs be so here . ) It was called the Feast of Pentecost , or the Feast of Weeks ( as Deut. 16. 9 , 10. ) which Feast of Pentecost was the morrow after the Sabbath ; on a first day of the Week . And on this first day of the Week , ( the morrow after the seventh day Sabbath ) here was a solemn Assembly for Religious Worship , and a very large one , both of Jews and Gentiles out of every nation under Heaven , Parthians , Medes , Elamites , &c. And this solemnized by a Miraculous Effusion of the Holy Ghost , in the gift of Tongues ▪ For we all hear ( say those of that great assembly ) every one in our own Tongue where in we were born the wonderful Works of God , ver . 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12. With a long Sermon of Peter's on that occasion ▪ Which I take to be another celebration of the First day Sabbath ; and a very eminent one . We are to observe also , that in some of the places alleged to this purpose , though but single instances , there is an intimation of a frequent usage . As in that Act. 20. ● . On the first day of the week , the disciples being assembled to break bread , Paul preached , &c. Is a fair intimation , that on the first day they did use so to assemble . If it were said amongst us , About six a clock ; when they were come together ( in the College-Hall ) to supper , such a thing happened : Any ( unprejudiced ) person would take it for a fair intimation , that they used to suppe about six a clock . And if this Author could any where find , in the book of Iob , that On the seventh day of the week ( from the Creation ) when Iob and his friends were assembled for the joint service of God ▪ Bildad spake thus , &c. He would take this for a strong proof , that the seventh-day Sabbath was then wont to be observed . Much stronger than what he allegeth to that purpose ; Abram and Lot had each of them so many Cattel , that they could not dwell or rest ) together , without quarrellings amongst their servants . And that of what Pharaoh said to Moses and Aaron , Why do you Hinder their work , you make the people Rest from their burthens ? A like place is that of 1 Cor. 16. 1 , 2. Nov concerning the Collection for the Saints , as I have given order to the Churches of Galatia , even so do ye ( and what that was , we are told in the next words , ) Upon the first day of the week , let every one of you lay by him in store as God hath prospered him ; that there be no gatherings when I come . ( If it had been so said ( to 〈◊〉 , to 〈◊〉 , or to Iob , Upon the Seventh day of the week do this or thus ) what a strong proof would this have been for the Observation of a seventh day Sabbath ! ) I think it is plain from hence , that the First day of the week , was weekly observed , and was wont to be so observed , both by the Church of Corinth , and by the Churches of Galatia . For So Paul doth not here advise it , but suppose it , or take it for granted . What that order was to the Churches of Galatia our Author says he cannot tell . 〈◊〉 thought it had been plain enough : he bids the Corinthians do , as he had bid the Galatians , that is , on the First day of the Week , &c. What further order , he had given the Galatians , it is not as to this point necessary for us to know . But saith he , if they must on that day lay by as God hath blessed them , then they must on that day cast up their accounts , tell their mony , reckon their stock , compute their Expenses , &c. which are not Sabbath-day Works . A wise objection ▪ As though all this could not as well be done before ( so far as is necessary ) and , on Sunday , put so much into the poor mans box ( or give to the Deacons or Collectors ) as ( upon such account ) they should have found fit ; like as is now done in our Churches when there is occasion for such Collections . Why doth he not make the same exception to that of Deut. 16. 10. concerning the Feast of Pentecost ? where they are to bring a tribute of a free-will-offering , which ( says he ) thou shalt give unto the Lord thy God , &c. according as the Lord thy God hath blessed thee ; Doth he think that on the day of Pentecost ( which was to be strictly observed as a Sabbath , a holy Convocation and no servile work to be done , Lev. 23 , 1. ) they must cast up their accounts , tell their money , &c. because they were to offer according as the Lord hath blessed them ? I think not ▪ But here comes in again his former trifling objection of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , whether it signify , the first day of the Week ? Yet I am very confident , himself doth really believe it doth here so signify , and ( as to his own thoughts ) doth not doubt of it . But perhaps thinks it a piece of wit , or skill in Greek , thus to object against his own judgment . Yet since he will have it so , ( and we must come again to Childs play , ) I will say some what to it . Whether 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be good Greek or no , as to the common analogy of that Tongue ; or , what is the reason of that Syntax ; I need not trouble my self to enquire , ( because it is nothing to the purpose ; for we are not inquiring whether it be good Greek , but what it here signifies . ) There are I presume in all Languages ( by negligence or corruption ) some harsh expressions , as to the analogy of the Language , which yet are allowable by common usage , and well enough understood . He would think it perhaps a little harsh to say in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , ( that is in Latine , tres & decimum , quatuor & decimum , ) for what we say in English thirteenth , fourteenth ; yet so they speak . And somewhat harsh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rev. 2. 26. Rev. 3. 21. and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , Rev. 3. 12. ( instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) yet so it is . And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , yet so we find it Rev. 1. 4. And many such may be shewed . In Latine , idcirco , quocirca , posthac , quapropter , controvertor , paterfamilias , omne genus homines , Aethiops albus dentes , pridie catendas , and many more , are scarce to be accounted for as regular , save that they are so used ; but , because they are so used ; they are accounted elegant enough . In English ; Methinks ( for I think , ) three pound ten shillings , ( for three pounds , &c. ) three foot nine inches , many a one , a few Pottage , and the like , are scarce regular ; yet are so used . When a Merchant marks his Parcels ( and so calls them ) number one , number two , &c. he means first and second . So , in the Year of our Lord one thousand six hundred and ninety one , One thousand six hundred ninety two , is commonly said ; when yet we mean ninety first , ninety second ; so one a clock , two a clock , for the first and second hour after Twelve . And other the like cases , where the Cardinal number is put for the Ordinal . As it is also in Gen. 1. The evening , and morning were ( jom echad ) day one ; which the Septuagint renders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth there signify 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Yet no wise man will cavil as to the sense of such expressions , ( what ever they may do as to the Grammatical construction , ) when we know what is meant by them . So here ; 't is true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth properly signify one in common construction : but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth never signify other than the first of the week , ( either in the New Testament or any where else , ) not any day of the week , any more than one a clock doth signify any other hour than the first after twelve . When a thing is said to be done at one a clock ; he that shall object , this may be any hour , for every hour is one ; would be laugh'd at . And when a Merchant bids his Prentice bring him number one , if he bring him what else he pleases ( because every number , is number one , or one number ) he deserves to be knockt . Now when every one knows ( who understands any thing of this nature , ) that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the proper name of that day which is next after the Iewish Sabbath , as much as one a clock is the proper name of that hour which is next after Twelve : it must either be great ignorance , or somewhat worse so to object . I appeal to himself , whether ever he met with that name ( in any Author ) in any other sense . He seems to take it very unkindly , pag. 66. of those who should think that , by son of man should be meant an ordinary Man , in Mar. 2. 27 , 28. The Sabbath was made for Man , and not Man for the Sabbath ; Therefore the Son of Man is Lord also of the Sabbath . Where I think it is plain , that in the former verse ( the Sabbath was made for Man , &c. ) it is manifestly spoken of ordinary Men. And though in the latter verse , ( the Son of Man is Lord also of the Sabbath , ) by Son of Man I suppose is meant Christ ; yet is that Title given also to ordinary Men , elsewhere , very often . As Iob , 25. 6. How much less Man who is a Worm , and the Son of Man which is a Worm ? And Isai. 51. 12. Who art thou that shouldst be afraid of a Man that shall dy , and of the Son of Man which shall be made as Grass . So Ps. 8. 4. What is Man , that thou art mindful of him , and the Son of Man that thou visitest him ? And to the same purpose , Ps. 144. 3. And ( to name no more ) in the Book of Ezekiel , the Prophet Ezekiel is , in that one Book , called Son of Man , oftener than Christ is so called in the whole Bible . And if we would argue as he doth , we might plausiby object , It might be so meant here ; though I think it is not . But he cannot shew that ever the Iewish Sabbath was called the Lords day ( however he thinks it might have been ; ) nor ( though 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be Greek for One ) that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is ever used for other than the first day of the week , or the next after the Jewish Sabbath . Nor doth he think it . Such trifling ( to give it no harder name ) may do well enough in Drollery or Burlesque , but not in a plain honest Enquiry . But if he would be curious as to the Phrase ; 't is plain enough that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not properly the Genitive case governed of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For then it should have been 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is of the Neuter Gender . ( And 't is a mistake therefore when p. 58. he renders it by One of the Sabbaths , as if it had been 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . ) But 't is governed rather of some Praeposition or Particle understood , ( as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the like , ) and then , as in Latin pridie calendas ( that is , p●io● dies ante calendas ) is the next day before the Calends . so is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ( or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) the next day after the Sabbath : The full construction is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , ( the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being understood in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 understood in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , ) That is one day after the Sabbath ; which being the proper Name of a day , cannot be meant of any other but the Next day after . 'T is certain therefore that ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) the first day of the Week , or the first day after the Iewish Sabbath , was from the Resurrection of Christ and after , eminently signalized , as a day of special Observation ; 'T was honoured with Christs Resurrection on that day ; with his first appearance to Mary Magdalen and the other Women ; then , to the Two Disciples going to Emmaus , and his Religious Assembling with them there ; after that , to the Disciples at Ierusalem and assembling with them the same day ; and the whole time of those Assemblings employed in Religious Exercises , ( Preaching , Celebrating the Sacrament , Instructing and Blessing his Disciples , and giving them Commission for Preaching the Gospel and Planting the Christian Church . ) And again with the same Disciples on that day sen-night , assembled with them , and in like manner employed . It was specially signalized also by the Miraculous Effusion of the Holy Ghost on that day , in a great assembly of Iews and Gentiles on the day of Pentecost ; and the day employed in Preaching and other Religious exercises . It was observed in like manner at Troas , in preaching the Word , Celebrating the Sacrament , and other Religious Communion , as things there usual on that day . It was observed at Corinth , not once onely , but as a thing of course ; and so presumed by the Apostle when he gives particular Instructions concerning a Collection for the Saints to be made weekly on that day . And in like manner in the Churches of Galatia , with a like direction to them . ( And we have no reason to suspect but that in other Churches also , there was a like custome of observing that day ) And it is the onely day of the week ( unless the Seventh-day , in order to the Iewish Sabbath ) that is so much as Mentioned by name after the Resurrection of Christ. ( At least I do not at present remember the Second , Third , Fourth , Fifth , or Sixth day of the week by name so mentioned . ) Now what we have reason to believe was so generally observed after the Resurrection , by Christ himself ( more than once , ) by his Apostles , and by the Christian Churches in their days ; we have reason to believe was according to Christs direction . For we know very well , that Christ did after his resurrection give commandments to the Apostles , about things pertaining to the kingdome of God , and ●●●●ling the Christian Church . What those Commandments were in particular , we cannot tell ; but are to presume that what they did therein , was pursuant of those commands ; and this in particular about observing the first day of the week , which we call the Christian Sabbath ; And which ( in contradistinction to the Iewish Sabbath ) is called the Lords day ; Rev. 1. 10. And hath accordingly been so called , and so observed ever since . Which being so practised by the Apostles , and so continued ever since , I take to be a good warrant for us to continue it , as a thing agreeable to the Will of God. As to what he so often objects , that there is no express command thereof recorded : that is , not such a command as our Author demands . We are not to prescribe to God in what terms he shall make known his Will , ( any more than the Pharisees , Mat. 16. 4. were to prescribe to Christ what kind of signs he was to shew to testify his authority ; ) 't is sufficient if God do in his own way intimate what is his Will , though it be it not with the formality of Be it Enacted . And those who are willing to be taught of God , will be content so to understand his meaning . An approved Practise in the Worship of God , frequently Repeated , attested by Miracles , encouraged by Christs own Example , and that of the Apostles and the Christian Churches then , and continued in the Christian Church ever since : Is to me great evidence of the will of God ; and that there was a command for it , though it be not recorded . ( Like as I believe that there was , very early , a command from God , to worship him by Sacrifice , though that Command be not recorded . But ( to that of its being so observed ever since ) he objects , we have nothing but Tradition , either that the Christian Sabbath hath been so observed , or that it is called the Lords-day . And Tradition is what he takes great pleasure to exclaim against ; If that be admitted ( saith he ) where shall we stop ? Very well ! I am not over fond of laying too great a weight upon Traditions ; at least not on all things that are pretended so to be . But I pray , How can he tell , otherwise than by Tradition , whether our Saturday or our Sunday , be the Seventh day in course from the Creation ? Or , ( if that be too hard a question ) whether of the two is the Seventh day of the Iewish week ? I know nothing but Tradition for it . I cannot remember so long : Nor have I so long kept so strict account of days as to be sure of it . I trust to the common Computation of the world , that our Sabbath is a continuation of that Sabbath which the Apostles kept . And if so , I am safe . If not , I cannot help it . And because I think the Apostles Sabbath was on the first day of the Jewish week , therefore I think ours to be so . But if theirs was not , neither is ours . He would not have that of St. Iohn , Revel . 1. 10. I was in the spirit on the Lords-day to be understood of our Sabbath . And why not ? He tells us , 1. Some think it to be Christmass-day ; 2. Some think it to be Easter-day ; and 3. Some think it to be the Day of Iudgment . And long Discourses we have upon all these . Well! But doth he think it to be meant of any of these ? No. Then , to what purpose are these alleged , in disparagement of the Christian Sabbath ? But he seems to have so great displeasure against the Christian Sabbath , that whatever he can think of to be Objected ( though he do not think it to be true ) he will be sure to Object , ( that he may disparage the Day , or perplex the Argument ) as if he were more concerned to beat down the Christian Sabbath , than to set up the Iewish . Not considering , that , by all this , he is doing their Work who would have none at all . For they know well that the Iewish Sabbath hath been long since laid aside ( without any great fear of returning ; ) and if they can but throw off the Christian Sabbath also , 't is what they would have . And 't is of a like import what he argues ( p. 84 ) for coming to the publick but once a day , ( not twice as our manner is ; ) For those who care not to come at all , if he dispense with them as to the One , they will dispense with themselves as to the Other meeting . I should rather think , that , the whole day being due to the Service of God ( publick and private ) it is to be parcelled out , as to the number and times of publick meeting ; as might ( according to Christian Prudence ) be judged most conducing ( in this or that place ) to those ends , and to common Edification ; and that , to make such little Circumstances ( otherwise than as they conduce to those general ends ) a matter of Religious Observation , or Divine Institution , is a like extravagance as that of the Pharisees in laying like weight on their Traditions , and that of the Papists on their numerous Superstitious Ceremonies . And is as properly superstition , as these . I do not know this Author , ( who thus argues against observing the Christian Sabbath , and against publick meeting on that day more than once ; ) And therefore am not willing to judge hardly . But the natural result of what he argues , is as I told you . He doth not think that Iohn , was ( on the Lords day Rev. 1. 10. ) keeping the Anniversary of Christs Incarnation ; nor of his Resurrection . ( No more do I. ) But why not ? Because ( saith he ) he may say as in the case of Moses's dead body , No man knows of his Sepulchre to this day . Now as to the Incarnation , I am apt to think , that no man doth At this day know certainly , either on what day of the Year , or what day of the Week Christ was born ( nor is it any matter whether we do or no. ) But I should rather say , no man knows At this day , than ( as he ) no man knoweth To this day , ( as if no man hitherto had known it : ) for certainly there have been those who knew it heretofore ( while he was alive ) though it be now forgotten , and at this day no man knows it . But will he say so as to the Resurrection ? I think it is plain , that Christ was Crucified on the fourteenth day , lay in the Grave the fifteenth , and rose again the sixteenth day , of the first month . And that he rose on the first day of the week , no man doubts . He should rather have put it thus , As no man knows To this day , where is the Body of Moses , ( that it might not be worshiped , ) So no man knows At this day , which is the Seventh in course from the Creation ; that we might not contend about it . However , I am contented to admit , ( if that will please him ) that the Lords day there mentioned was neither meant of Christmass-day , nor Easter-day , nor Whit-sunday , nor the day of Iudgment ; but think it to be meant of the first day of the week , which is the Christian Sabbath . Not , of any of those other days mentioned ; nor of the Iewish Sabbath , as he would have it . 'T is , I think , a new notion of his own ( at least I know none other of his mind ) that it should be meant of the Iewish Sabbath . He grants there is nothing from the Circumstances of the place to determine it to this day . Nor doth he pretend to shew that the Jewish Sabbath was ever so called . But he thinks it might have been so called . For he says God blessed and sanctified the seventh day ( that is , the Seventh day after Six days of Labour ) therefore it might have been called the Lords day : and so may as well the Christian Sabbath as the Iews Sabbath . That the Son of Man is Lord also of the Sabbath day ; And so he is of every day in the Week ; and of the Christian Sabbath ( when that is the Sabbath ) as well as of the Iewish . That the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord our God ; that is , the Seventh day after Six days of Labour , but whether the Seventh day in course from the Creation , is no where said . That Isai. 58. 13. The Sabbath is called my holy day : True , on what ever day the Sabbath be : First or Seventh of the Week ; or whatever day God appoints to be kept Holy ; As for instance , the first and seventh day of the Feast of Unleavened bread , Ex. 12. 16. The First day shall be a Holy Convocation ; and the Seventh day shall be a Holy Convocation ; and each of them was the Lords Holy day , on what ever day of the week they happened . And the like for other days . So Levit. 23. 2 , 4 , 7 , 8 , 21 , 24 , 25 , 27 , 28 , 30 , 32 , 35 , 36 , 39. and Num. 28. 18 , 25 , 26. Num. 29. 1 , 7 , 12 , 35. All the days here mentioned are the Lords Holy days , yet I do not take any of them to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And all he can pretend to from these or whatever he produceth , is no more but that the Iewish Sabbath ( while it was the Sabbath ) might have been so called , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lords day ; he doth not pretend to shew that ever it was so called . Now I would desire this Gentleman ( if he can but a little while lay aside his prejudice ) to consider , first that the Lords day was the proper name of a day ; whereby it might be known as distinguished from other days ; ( else to what purpose is it said I was in the spirit on the Lords day ; ) whereas the proper name of the Iewish Sabbath ( and of that onely as he would have us think p. 64. ) was the Sabbath day ; and there is no appearance of reason , why , if he meant that day , he should not rather have said I was in the spirit on the Sabbath day , or the seventh day . This therefore must needs be meant of some other day , known by another name . 2. I would have him next consider , that the Lord in the Old Testament is the usual name of God indefinitely ; without particularizing this or that of the Three persons ; and the Sabbath of the Lord thy God , doth not appropriate it to the second Person more than to the first and third . And though I do not deny , that our Christ was the God who gave the Ten Commandments ( for all the three Persons are the same God , ) yet I do not think it to be Christ onely , as contradistinguished to the other two . And when it is said , I am the Lord thy God , thou shall have no other God but me ; the meaning is not , I the second Person , am so the Lord thy God , that thou shalt own no other Person for thy God beside me the second Person . But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lord , in the New Testament , is for the most part applied peculiarly to our Lord Christ ( God and Man. ) and is understood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of him . ( As he is called elsewhere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Son of Man. ) And accordingly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must be a day peculiarly appropriate ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) to our Lord Christ ; which the Jewish Sabbath was not , nor that of the Fourth Commandment ; which is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God , that is of God indefinitely ; for 't is in that notion that God speaks in the Ten Commandments , not as one person contradistinct to the other two . It is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lords day in a like sense as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lords Supper , 1 Cor. 11. 20. and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the Cup of the Lord , the Table of the Lord , 1 Cor. 10. 21 , 22. 1 Cor. 11. 27. In all which , by the Lord is meant the Lord Christ , God and Man. And because , there being a double Sabbath then in use , ( the Iewish Sabbath , and the Christian Sabbath , ) and the word Sabbath indefinitely having been a long time applied to the Iewish Sabbath , and would be apt to be understood of it ; therefore ( by way of distinction ) that of the Christians ( though a Sabbath also , within the sense of the Fourth Commandment ) was called the Lords day , as being the Day or Sabbath appropriate to our Lord Iesus Christ. And therefore when he tells us , so often , the World was made by our Lord Iesus Christ , and the Law given on Mount Sinai by our Lord Iesus Christ , ( upon which Notions he seems to lay great stress , though it be nothing to the purpose , ) I think it is a mistake . For our Lord Iesus Christ is God and Man , but he was not God and Man when the World was made , or the Law given , but onely God. 'T is true Christ as God , ( according to his Divine Nature ) is the same God who made the World , and gave the Law , ( for we have no other God but one ) but not as God and Man. For Man he was not at that time , but in the fulness of time became Man. The Sabbath of the Lord our God ( in the fourth Commandment , with equal respect to all the Three Persons ) doth not signify the same as , The Sabbath of our Lord Iesus Christ ( God and Man. ) The Lord our God there , not the same with our Lord Iesus Christ , in the New Testament . But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ( the Lords Supper ) is the Supper of our Lord Iesus Christ ( God and Man ) the Founder of our Christian Religion : And accordingly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ( the Lords day ) is the day of our Lord Iesus Christ , a day appointed by him . 3. I would have him consider further , that the Lords day , ( dominica , or dies dominicus , ) hath been all along , in all ages of the Christian Church , used as the proper name of what we otherwise call the Christian Sabbath ; and not for the proper name of any other day ; and therefore , till somewhat do appear to the contrary , I shall take it to be the same with what is called the Lords day in Scripture . There is , in the New Testament , a place called Rome ; and there is at this day a place in Italy called Rome , and which hath been so called all along ever since ; neither do I know of any other eminent place of called . Therefore ( till somewhat do appear to the contrary ) I shall presume our Rome to be the same place with that which in the New Testament is called Rome . We find in scripture there is an Island of the Mediterranean Sea called Melita or Malta ( where St. Paul suffered Ship-wrack ) not far from another Island called Crete : Now we know also there is in the Mediterranean Sea an Island called Malta at this day , and another not far from thence called Crete or Candy , and we do not know of any other Islands so called , then , or at any time since ; and therefore we may safely presume ( till somewhat do appear to the contrary ) that those Islands now so called , are the same Islands with those which were then so called . And in like manner , that Day which hath been ever since called the Lords-day as by its proper name , we may and ought to presume to be the same day which was by St. Iohn so called ( as by its proper name ) in Rev. 1. 10. when he wrote the Book of the Revelation ; till it can be shewed that he did by that name mean some other day . And we have the more reason so to presume , because we find it so called by others , very soon after St. Iohn's time ; and by those whom we have great reason to believe to have been well acquainted with St. Iohn's meaning and his manner of speech . The first I shall name is St. Ignatius , who was not onely Contemporary with St. Iohn , but was a Disciple or Scholar of St. Iohn . Now St. Iohn ( according to the best account we can have from Chronology ) wrote his Revelation in Patmos ( whither he was banished by Domitian , ) in or about the year of our Lord 96 ; ( after which he wrote his Gospel , upon his return from Patmos to Ephesus : ) And Died in the Year 98 or 99 under Trajanus . And Ignatius died a Martyr under the same Emperour Trajan , in the Year of our Lord 107. So that there is no great distance in time . ( And if we should miss a year or two it is not material . ) How long before his death Ignatius wrote his Epistle to the Magnesians , we are not sure ( nor is it material ; ) Now in that his Epistle to the Magnesians , even according to the genuine Edition published by Bishop Usher out of an ancient Manuscript ( not that which is justly suspected to be interpolated , ) he doth earnestly exhort them not to Iudaize , but to live as Christians ; ( Si enim usque nunc secundum Iudaismum vivimus ; confitemur gratiam non recepisse . ) And as to the Sabbath in particular , Non amplius Sabbatizantes , sed secundum Dominicam viventes , in qua & vita nostra orta est ▪ ) Not any longer observing the Iewish Sabbath , but the Lords Day on which Christ our Life 〈…〉 is manifest therefore , that within 8 or 10 years after 〈…〉 writing , the Lords day did not signify the Jewish Sabbath , but the first day of the week , on which our Saviour Rose again ; and that it was then observed in contradistinction to the Jewish Sabbath . I forbear to mention his Epistle ad Trallianos ( where again we have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 applied to the first day of the week on which Christ rose again ) because it is in that Edition which is suspected to be Interpolated . I might to this add the Testimony of Polycarp , who was also a Disciple of St. Iohn , and collected and published these Epistles of Ignatius , and may be presumed to understand what St. Iohn meant by the Lords day . But I shall add in the next place that of Iustin Martyr ; whom though I cannot call a Disciple of St. Iohn , ( because he was not converted to the Christian Religion till about the Year of our Lord 129 , about Thirty years after St. Iohn's Death , ) yet he lived so soon after , that he could not be ignorant of the Christians Practise , and what they understood St. Iohn to mean by the Lords Day . And how that day was observed in Iustin's time , he tells us in ( what is called ) his Second Apology , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and a little after 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . On that day commonly called Sunday , there is held a Congregation or a general Meeting together , of all Inhabitants whether of City or Country , and there are publickly read the Memorials or Monuments of the Apostles , or the Writings of the Prophets , &c. And again , The day called Sunday we do all in common make 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Meeting-day ; for that the First-day is it on which God from Darkness and Matter made the World , and our Saviour Iesus Christ did on the same day rise from the dead . In which places though it be not called dominica , but dies solis , yet how it was then solemnly observed , in memory of our Lord Christs Resurrection , is evident . 'T is manifest therefore that the Lords day ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , Dominica , or Dies Dominicus , ) was the known name of a day so called when St. Iohn wrote his Revelation ; That it was a day of Religious Worship contradistinguished to that of the Iewish Sabbath , so observed and so called by ( St. Iohn's Disciple ) Ignatius within 8 or 10 years at most after St. Iohn's writing that Book ; ( Which he would not have done if he had not thought it to be so meant by his Master St. Iohn . ) 〈…〉 manner it was observed ( in their solemn religious assemblies ) Iustin Martyr tells us within ●0 years after that ; and that it was otherwise called ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) Sunday . And that Dominica or Dies Dominicus ; hath been so used not onely by the Ancient Christian Writers , Ignatius , Clemens , Irenaeus , Origen , Tertullian , &c. but by the Councils and Church History all along ; hath been so often shewed by divers , and is to be seen by any who please to consult them , as is not to be doubted by any ; unless we would ( under the notion of Tradition ) deny all History ; which in a plain matter of Fact were very unreasonable . Nor can he shew that the name of the Lords day ever was ( however it might have been as he thinks ) attributed to the Iewish Sabbath . And therefore to tell us that this name is stollen from the Iewish Sabbath to be applied to ours ▪ is such a Fansy as may be laughed at , but doth not deserve a serious Answer . Sure we are that the Christian Sabbath hath been long in possession of that Name ; but , that ever the Iewish Sabbath was so , there is no evidence : Therefore the Theft must be on his side , who steals it from us to give it to the Jewish Sabbath . But he tells us , that our Saviour himself observed the Jewish Sabbath . ( And I suppose he did so ▪ And , that he was Circumcised also , and did observe the Ceremonial Law ▪ ) But it was before his Death and Resurrection . I do not find that he observed it afterward . But he says , after Christs Death when he had said It is finished , he kept the Sabbath in the Grave . Be it so ( if that were keeping a Sabbath . ) And the good Women rested on that day according to the Commandment . And why not ? Since Christ was not yet risen ; nor was the day yet changed , or pretended so to be . This therefore is but Whimsey and nothing to the purpose . We all agree ; that , till the Resurrection of Christ , the Jews observed the Jewish Sabbath , on what they called the Seventh-day of their Week . But whether or no it were a Seventh from the Creation , we cannot tell . 'T is more to the purpose what he tells us , that Paul and other Christians did after Christs Resurrection seem to observe the Jewish Sabbath ; Going to the Temple and to the Synagogues on the Sabbath-day ; meaning thereby the Iewish Sabbath . And it is true ; They did so go . But I answer ; 1. So they did on other days as well as on the Sabbath , and in other places , as well as in the Synagogue and the Temple , Act 5. 42. Dayly in the Temple , and in every house , or from house to house ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈…〉 they ceased not to preach Iesus Christ. And Act. 2. 46. they continued dayly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with one accord in the Temple , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and breaking bread at home , or from house to house . As to such duties of Worship as were common to them with the Jews , they took the opportunity of joining therein with them ; whether on their Sabbath , or on any other day ; but as to what was peculiarly Christian , this they performed in separate meetings from them ; breaking their Bread at home , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , or from house to house ; The Sacrament of the Lords Supper ( being peculiarly a Christian service ) they did celebrate in their houses , or separate places of meeting . And so we find it at Troas ; and , on the first day of the week ; Act. 20. 7. on the first day of the week , when the Disciples were met to break bread , Paul preached , &c. Their meeting for this Christian service , was in a separate place , and on another day , from that of the Iewish service . And Paul at Athens . Act. 17. 17. he disputed in the Synagogue with the Jews , and with the devout persons , and in the Market , Dayly , ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , ) He took the opportunity of publick meetings , whether in the Synagogues or elsewhere , whether on the Sabbath or any other day , to preach Christ to them , whether Jews or Greeks . Which doth not prove that they did then take the seventh day to be the Christian Sabbath ▪ any more than our going to Hear or Preach a Week-day Lecture , suppose on Thursday , would prove , that we take Thursday to be our Sabbath ▪ or Paul's Preaching on Mars-hill , or in the Market-place , would prove that he took these places to be the Temple or Synagogue . He knew these to be Times and Places of concourse , and therefore took the opportunity of Preaching Then and There ; and would so have done at any other time and place as there was occasion : In season or out of season , as he adviseth Timothy , 2 Tim. 4. 2. He doth not deny , p. 122. but that Paul did keep the Feast ( of the Pass-over ) after the Resurrection of Christ ; Because of what we have Act. 18. 21. He bids them farewel ( at Ephesus ) saying , I must by all means keep this Feast that cometh , at Jerusalem ; but I will return again unto you , if God will. Which Feast he thinks to be that of the Pass-over , though it be not named . But whether that or whatever Feast of the Jews it be , it is all one as to our business . How great a proof would this have been for the Seventh-day-Sabbath , if it had been said I must by all means keep the Sabbath ! 'T is said indeed , he did on the Sabbath-day go into the Synagogue ( but so he did on other days , ) but not that he kept the Sabbath-day ; much less that he must by all means Keep it . Or that he must by all means take a journey from Ephesus to Ierusalem rather than not keep it , though he were to return thither again . Yet this Author doth not , for all this think , the Law for the Iewish Pass-over to be then in force . But onely that Paul took occasion to be there at that publick great concourse of People , to preach Christ to the multitude . For , that the Apostles were under no obligation to keep that feast of the Pass-over , after the death of Christ , is to him ( he says ) past doubt . And why may not we say the same of his going into the Synagogue on the Sabbath day ( rather than miss such an oportunity of a publick concourse ) which was a less journey than from Ephesus to Ierusalem ? though under no obligation to keep the Iewish Sabbath , more than to keep the Iews Pass-over . 2. But I answer further . The Jews who were not Christians , did yet continue to observe the Jewish Sabbath as a matter of duty . And there was no reason why they should not . For , while they did not acknowledge our Christ to be the Messiah , nor the Mosaick Law to be at an end , but Circumcision and the Jewish Oeconomy yet in force , there was no reason why they should not think themselves obliged to the Jewish Sabbath . And many of the Christian Jews , who were not yet satisfied of the Abolition of the Mosaick Law , did comply with them therein . For knowing this to have been a law once , and not yet being fully satisfied that it was expired , they were content still to observe it . ( And if our Gentleman be of that mind , I would not hinder him , if a Jew , from so doing ; but neither would I incourage him . ) And I find the Apostles willing to connive at it , and even to countenance it . Not as a thing necessary , but at least allowable . And though they did not think fit to bring a new Yoke upon the Gentiles , who had not before been obliged to the Jewish Law , ( and therefore would not allow the Gentiles to be Circumcised ; as appears by S. Paul's Epistle to the Galatians , and the Decrees of the Synod at Ierusalem , Act. 15. ) yet he allowed the Iews to practise it ( to whom it had once been a Law ) and accordingly Circumcised Timothy Act. 16. because , though his Father were a Greek , yet his Mother was a Jew : ( but he did not Circumcise Titus , Gal. 2. 3. for whom there was not the same reason . ) And he did himself comply with the Iewish ceremonies ; As Act. 18. 18. Having shorn his head in Canchrea ; For he had a vow . And those of Purification Act. 21. Not that he thought those Laws now obliging ; but , because many of the believing Iews were yet zealous of the Law , and thought themselves obliged by it , he would not give offense to them . For he was satisfied as to himself , that Circumcision availeth nothing , nor Uncircumcision , 1 Cor. 7. 19. Gal. 6. 15. But was content ( till by time and further instruction they should be better satisfied ) that each one should be gratified , as to their own practise , according to their own sentiments , as to things yet disputable . And accordingly , as to eating or not eating things forbidden by Moses's Law , his advise was , to the Romans , ( many of whom were Jews ) Rom. 14. 17. Let not him that eateth not , judge him that eateth , ( as breaking a Law which he thinks to be yet in force , ) nor let him that eateth , despise him that eateth not , ( as a fool that doth not understand his own liberty ) for the kingdom of God is not meat and drink , &c. And in like manner those at Ierusalem Act. 15. though they did not think fit to bring a new Yoke of Circumcision upon the Gentiles ( to whom before it had not been a Law ) yet do advise them to forbear things strangled and bloud , because this had once been a Law to all the Sons of Noah , Gen. 9. 4. Not but that this was even now antiquated , but ( to avoid offense ) because it had once been a Law. For I take even those things to fall under these Generals , The kingdom of God is not meat and drink , but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost , Rom. 14. 17. and every creature of God is good , 1 Tim. 4. 4. I know , and am perswaded that there is nothing unclean of it self : But All things indeed are pure , Rom. 14. 14 , 20. Tit. 1. 15. Meat commendeth us not to God ; for neither if we eat , are we the better ( as making use of our lawful liberty ) neither if we eat not ( in compliance with those who be unsatisfied ) are we the worse , 2 Cor. 8. 8. So that the Practise of the Apostles or of the Church at that time , in compliance with the Jews , as to what had before been a Law , but now was not ; is no argument that the thing was then obligatory , as before it had been , but onely an argument of their condescension in things of a middle nature , rather than to give offense to those who were therein unsatisfied ; according to that principle of his All things are lawful for me but all things are not expedient , 1 Cor. 10. 23. To give no offense either to Iew or Gentile , or to the Church of God , ver . 32 , 33. To the Iews I became as a Iew ; To the weak I became as weak ; I am made all things to all men ; 1. Cor. 9. 19. In so much that even in those things which he knew to be lawful , yet , rather than give offense to a weak brother , he would forbear , If meat make my brother to offend , ( or , be an offense to a brother ) I will eat no flesh while the world standeth , left I ma●● my Brother to offend . And the like I suppose as to the Iewish Sabbath ▪ He that regardeth a day regardeth it to the Lord ; and he that regardeth not the day , to the Lord he doth not regard it . He that eateth , eateth to the Lord , for he giveth God thanks ; and he that eateth not , to the Lord he eateth not , and giveth God thanks , Rom , 14. 6. Where 't is manifest that he doth parallel the observing or not observing a day than questionable ; with the abstaining from meats disputable ; that is , from such as before were unlawful , but now ceased so to be , though all were not yet therein satisfied . And though it be not expresly said , what was the Day thus in question ; yet it is most likely to be that of the Iewish Sabbath ; For , that the first day of the Week or Christian Sabbath was now observed , seems very plain : and whether the Iewish Sabbath should be observed also , was the question . And those who were for continuing Circumcision and the Mosaick Ceremonies , were doubtless for that also . And the Apostles Rule was for a mutual condescension ( as to the Jews ) for each to follow their own sentiments therein , without censuring one another . But as to the Gentiles , he seems to be of another mind ; And therefore to the Galatians , who were most of their Gentile-Christians , he would not so much as allow the practise of Circumcision ( which to the Jews he did ; ) and tells them that if they be Circumcised Christ profiteth them nothing ; and he that is Circumcised is debtor to the whole Law , Gal. 5. 2 , 3. For it was a renouncing Christ who had made them Free ; putting themselves under the Jewish Yoke , to which ( even before ) they were not subject . And therefore to these he speaks more warmly , Gal. 1. 6 , 7. I marvel that you are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ , unto another Gospel : Which is not another , ( or , there being no other Gospel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , where as there is not any other Gospel ; ) onely there be some that trouble you , and would pervert the Gospel of Christ. And such are those who would bring on them a new Yoke , ( by making that a Duty which God had not made so . ) Where he presseth them to keep close to the Gospel of Christ , as by him delivered ( without any connexion of Moses's Law , ) there being indeed no other Gospel but that ; and they who teach them otherwise , do pervert the Gospel ; the true Gospel of Christ , including no obligation to the Jewish Law ; either as to Circumcision or the difference of meats , or other particulars of that Law ; as he argues , in the second , third and fourth Chapters ; shewing that even those who were before under it , are now freed from it , and they much more who were never under it . And thereupon Chap. 4. 9 , 10 , 11. he rebukes them severely , that after they had known God ( or rather were known of God ) they should turn again to the weak and beggarly rudiments or elements . Ye observe ( saith he ) days and months and times and years , I am afraid of you lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain . 'T is not indeed here said in particular , what those days were , that are here meant ; yet it is most likely ( and scarce to be doubted ) to be meant of the Iewish Sabbath . For though other Observation of Times be here reckoned up ( there being the same reason of all ) yet there was no occasion for the others , in Galatia . For the Jews themselves did not think themselves obliged ( nor do the Jews at this day ) to the observation of their other Feasts or Fasts out of their own land . But to that of Circumcision , and of the Iewish Sabbath , and the distinction of Meats , they thought themselves obliged even out of their own land . And of such we must understand this to the Galatians . These being the things there in question ; not those other , which were confined to the land of Canaan . But he objects here , that though Days be mentioned , yet not Sabbath days ; and fansies it might be meant of some other days ; not of Sabbaths . To gratify him therefore in this also , I will proceed to that of Colos. 2. 16. Where Sabbaths are expresly named . To the Colossians , who were also Christian Gentiles , he pursues the same notions ; Least any one should beguile them with inticing words , Col. 2. 4. ( thereby to bring them under the Mosaick Law : ) He bids them Beware lest any spoil them through Philosophy and vain deceit . Whereby , I suppose , he means the Mosaick doctrines or Philosophy of the Jews , ( which Clemens Alexandrinus doth all along call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in contradistinction to that of the Greeks , ) after the traditions of men , after the rudiments ( or elements ) of the world , and not after Christ , ver , 8. and that particularly of Circumcision ver . 11. ( in the room of which , Baptism is come ; ver . 12. ) Christ , by his Death having blotted out the hand-writing of ordinances ( meaning the Jewish Law ) and took it out af the way , nailing it to his Cross , ver . 14. and ( amongst other things ) Let no man therefore judge you in meat or in drink ( as if some were now clean others unclean , as under the Mosaick Law , ) or in respect of an holy day , ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Festival ) or of the new Moon , or of the Sabbath days ▪ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , ver . 16. Where by Sabbath must be meant the Iewish Sabbath ; the day which in common speech was understood by the word Sabbath . For this , he hath two or three evasions . He doth commonly press hard in other places , that by Sabbath is to be understood the Jews Seventh-day-Sabbath , and no other day . ( The holy Spirit doth call the Seventh-day , the Sabbath , ( and no other day of the week ) both in the Old and in the New Testament throughout , p. 46. And , I think , he is not much out therein ; that it doth , usually , so signify where it doth not come with some intimation to direct us to some other sense . And why it should not be thought so to signify here , I see no reason . For though I take our Christian Sabbath to fall as properly under the word Sabbath in the Fourth Commandment , as that of the Iews ▪ yet the word , in common use , having by this time become the proper name of that Day which the Jews so called , it was necessary ( to avoid confusion ) to give the Christian Sabbath another name ; as that of the Lords Day , or the first day of the week . And consequently that the Sabbaths here mentioned , are to be understood ( according to the then use of the word ) of those Sabbaths . Not as if all days of Holy Rest where hereby forbidden ; but onely the nicety of confining it particularly to that day which was then ( in common speech ) so called . But he would not have it here understood of the Seventh-day Sabbath ( as every where else ) but some other Ceremonial Sabbaths ; but what those are , he doth not tell us . That there were some other Feasts observed by the Jews , which , in the Old Testament , are sometimes called Sabbaths ( but very seldome , ) I do not deny : nor that those come under the general Words in this place . But those do not seem to be here principally intended , because it is manifest to be understood of the Sabbath there in dispute . Now there was no occasion of a dispute concerning the observance of those other Sabbaths , amongst the Gentiles , out of the Holy-land . These observations being not thought obligatory , even to the Jews , but in their own Land onely . And it is expresly provided , Deut. 16. that these were not to be kept in any place promiscuously ; not within any of the Gates which the Lord thy God giveth thee ; But in the place which the Lord thy God shall chuse to place his name there . So of the Pass-over , ver . 5 , 6. So of the Feast of Pentecost , ver . 11. So of the Feast of Tabernacles , ver . 15. And of altogether , ver . 16. And therefore , not out of their own Land. I do not deny but that they might , in private houses , eat the Paschal Lamb , ( as Christ did , with his Disciples , ) but not Sacrifice the Pass-over . For it was to be sacrificed in the Temple onely ; and the Feast of the Pass-over to be there solemnly kept . Not in private houses ; and much less out of their own Land. Nor do I remember , that any where in all the New Testament , the word Sabbath is used for any such Sabbaths : Nor can reasonably be supposed to be here meant of those Feasts , because it is put in contradistinction to them . Let no man judge you in respect of a Feast , of the New-moon , or of the Sabbaths . Which yet I do not understand as if no Sabbath might now be kept , but that the Obligation to that Sabbath was now at an end . Another evasion is this , He would have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ( Sabbata ) in the plural number , to signify Weeks , not Sabbath-days . The Sabbath-day being called , in the singular number , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ( Sabbatum . ) For he will rather play at small game than stand out . If we should allow him this , it would not advance his purpose at all . For if the business of Weeks be at an end , ( that we are no longer to distribute our time into Weeks , ) than that of the Sabbath much more , which he would have to be the seventh day of the Week . But suppose we do allow that one Sabbath is to be called Sabbatum what are we to call two or more Sabbaths ? Must not they be Sabbata ? And if this be his meaning , then are we not to observe such Sabbaths any longer . But what must we then say to Mat. 28. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which we render In the end of the Sabbath , meaning thereby the Seventh day Sabbath then past , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , as it began to draw towards the first day of the Week : must we read it , at the end the Sabbaths ( because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is in the plural number , ) when the Sabbaths ( meaning the Seventh-day Sabbaths ) were now at an end , and the First-day Sabbath coming on in their place ? If that reading please him ; it will serve us as well . But he is mistaken in his criticism . 'T is true that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the plural number seems to be sometime put for a Week ( but not Weeks , that I know of , as he would have it . ) And so it is commonly taken to be where we find 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , for the first day of the Week ( but may as well be rendered , the first day after the Sabbath . ) And so is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the singular , as Luke 18. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , I fast twice in the week , I suppose he would not have us render it I fast twice on the Sabbath day ( though it be in the singular number , ) as if he did fast twice upon one day . But thus rather , I keep two Fasts to one Sabbath ; which is the same in sense with , I fast twice in the Week ▪ In like manner as the Olympiad , may be taken sometime for that particular year on which were the Olympick Games ( which were wont to return every fifth year inclusively , that is , as we use to speak the fourth year after the last Olympick ; ) sometime for the interval of four years from the end of one Olympick to the end of the next following . So here , Sabbatum may be sometime taken strictly for the Sabbath-day , and sometime for the whole septiduum or week from Sabbath to Sabbath . And so is Sabbata ( in the plural number ) taken also for a Sabbath-day ; Thus I take it to be here , ( Mat. 28. 1. ) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when the Sabbath-day was ended ; in the same sense with that of Mark 16. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ( speaking of the very same time ) when the Sabbath was past . And in like manner , Matth. 12. 1. At that time Iesus went on the Sabbath day through the Corn , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ( Sabbatis ) in the plural number . And so it is in Mark 2. 23. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Yet it is meant but of one day , as appears by the parallel place ( where the same is again related Luk. 6. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . And so Mat. 12. 5 , 10 , 12. Mar. 3. 4. Luk. 4. 31. Luk. 6. 2 , 9. And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Septuagint is commonly put for the Sabbath-day . I will not say . Allways ( because I have not examined it ) but in all the places which I consulted . And even in the body of the Ten Commandments Exod. 20. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . ( Remember the day of the Sabbaths ; in the plural number ▪ ) And again ver . 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . ( but the seventh day Sabbaths to the Lord thy God ; ) So Ex. 16. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . ( the Sabbaths a holy Rest unto the Lord , to morrow . ) And Levit. 23. 3. six days shall work be done , but the seventh is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Sabbaths of Rest ; ye shall do no work therein , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is the Sabbaths of the Lord. Which are the signal places wherein the Sabbath is commanded . And the like very often ( if not always ) in the Septuagint , whose language the New Testament doth usually follow . So that his criticism comes to nothing , but only to shew how careless he is of what he says if at least he may seem to say somewhat . ( Such is that when he tells us p. 136. that God who hath reserved a Tenth of our Substance , hath reserved But a Seventh of Time. As though he thought a tenth part to be more than a seventh part . And many such negligences , which I spare to mention . ) But whether we render it Sabbath-day or Sabbath-days the sense is still the same . And the Apostles design in all these places seems to be this , that though to the Iews , to whom it had once been a Law , he doth allow a liberty ( till they should be better satisfied ) for each to follow his own judgment ( without censuring others ) as well in this of the Iewish Sabbath , as in the business of Circumcision , and the abstinence from Meats , and their other Rites ; yet he would by no means suffer these to be brought upon the Gentiles as a new Yoke to which before they had not been subject . I say as a new Yoke to which they had not been subject . For though I do admit that by natural light , or the Law of Nature , man ought to allow a competent time for the solemn service of God ; and , by a positive Law , that it should be at least one day in seven , that is , after six days of Labour , the seventh to be a day of Rest ; and so much to be intended in the Fourth Commandment . Yet , I do not think it to be so determined to this day in order , as to be unchangable to after Ages . We can be no ways sure , that the seventh day in order from the first raining of Manna , Ex. 16. was the seventh in order from the Creation . And as they did observe it then in order from thence ; so when Christ , or his Apostles by direction from him , did put it into a new order , this new order doth as well sute the words of the Fourth Commandment as that former . I do the rather say that this to the Gentiles is a new Yoke , because I find this to be given as a sign , a covenant , or distinctive mark given to the Jews , as Gods peculiar People , in contradistinction to other Nations ; just as Circumcision was . So Exod. 31. 13. My Sabbaths ye shall keep , for it is a Sign between me and you throughout your generations , and ver . 16. The Children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath , to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations for a perpetual Covenant , and ver . 17. It is a Sign between me and the Children of Israel for ever . So Ezek. 20. 12. I gave them my Sabbaths to be a Sign between me and them ; and ver . 20. They shall be a Sign between me and you , that ye may know that I am the Lord your God. Just as it is said of Circumcision , Gen. 17. 7. I will establish my Covenant between me and thee ( saith God to Abraham ) and thy seed after thee , for an Everlasting Covenant , to be a God unto thee and thy seed after thee : and ver . 10 , 11. This is my Covenant which ye shall keep between me and you , and thy seed after thee , every male-child among you shall be Circumcised , and it shall be a Token of the Covenant between me and you : and ver . 13. My Covenant shall be in your flesh an everlasting Covenant , ( not as if Circumcision were to be for ever obligatory ; but rebus sic stantibus , so long as things continued in that estate . ) And so it is called Rom. 4. 11. He received the Sign of Circumcision , a Seal of the Righteousness of Faith. And such was the Bloud of the Paschal Lamb on the Door-posts of the house , Ex. 12. 7. to be a distinctive mark between the Israelites and the Egyptians ; as ver . 13. The bloud shall be to you for a Token upon the houses where you are , and when I see the bloud I will pass over you . And so Ex. 11. 5 , 6 , 7. That ye may know how that the Lord doth put a Distinction between the Egyptians and Israel . And our Author himself , pag. 26. doth press the same , and puts great weight upon it , that this Seventh-day-sabbath is often called a Sign for ever between him and them , and a perpetual Covenant , to Distinguish his people from others ; that is , the people of the Jews from other Nations . And so to be a Sign for Ever , as Circumcision is an Everlasting Covenant . Now whatsoever was a Distinctive Mark of the People of Israel , from other Nations , as was that of Circumcision , the Pass-over , and the Seventh-day-sabbath , was at an end and to cease when the partition-wall was broken down between Jew and Gentile , when Christ had made both one , and abolished in his flesh the Enmity , ( even the law of Commandments contained in Ordinances , ) to make of twain One new man ; to reconcile both in One body by the Cross , having slain the Enmity thereby , Eph. 2. 14 , 15 , 16. Or as it is Col. 2. 14. Having blotted out the hand-writing of Ordinances which was against us , and was contrary to us , ( as separating us Gentiles from the Jews , and so excluding us out of Gods Visible Church , ) and nailing it to his Cross. From whence he there infers , ver . 16. Let no man Therefore judge you in meat or drink , or in respect of a holy-day ( a Festival ) or of Sabbaths , ( the proper name , at that time , of the Seventh-day Sabbath : ) which things are a shadow of things to come , but the body is of Christ ; these being but shadows or empty things , whereas it is the body , ( the Substance ) that Christ regards . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , those are but shadow , but 't is the Body that Christ looks at . That is ( in our language ) those are only Circumstantials , but 't is substance or the Substantials of Religion that Christ and Christianity respects . And , as it is meerly Circumstantial ( and doth not at all influence Religion ) whether in the Temple or other place God be worshiped ( Ioh. 4. 21. ) So , whether on this or another day , a Sabbath be kept . If therefore those Sabbaths ( as is shewed ) were distinctive Marks or Signs of Gods peculiar Covenant or Contract with the Church of Israel as their peculiar God , in contradistinction to other Nations ; then 't is manifest that those other Nations did not at all keep a Sabbath , or not on that Day ; ( else how could this be a distinctive Mark ? ) and therefore to bring this now upon the Gentiles , was to bring upon them a new Yoke . I add further , that this Iewish Sabbath ( as is shewed before ) seems to be , not a Continuation of a former Sabbath from the Creation , ( which I doubt was either not observed at all , or had long before this time been forgot , ) but rather a New Institution or Restitution after their coming out of Egypt ( from a new Epocha ) at Marah ; where God is said to have made a Statute and an Ordinance , Exod. 15. 25. to which Commandment and Statute if they would hearken diligently and give Ear , he would not bring upon them the Diseases which he had brought upon Egypt , For ( saith he ) I am the Lord that healeth thee , ver . 26. Whereupon follows ( in the next Chapter ) a sabbath to be observed on the seventh-day from the first raining of Manna , ( not from the first Creation . ) And with reference to their Rest or Refreshing after their Labour or Bondage in Egypt ; ( as was that of the Pass-over , to their being passed-over , when the first-born of the Egyptians were slain . ) For so he saith , Exod. 31. 13. My Sabbath shall ye keep , for it is a Sign between me and you , that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctifiy you ( or separate you to my self as a peculiar people , a holy people ; ) and ver . 16 , 17. The Children of Israel shall keep my Sabbaths ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) for a perpetual Covenant ; It is a Sign between Me and the Children of Israel for ever ; for in six days the Lord made Heaven and Earth , and on the Seventh Day he Rested and was Refreshed . Not that God was Wearied with his Work , and needed Refreshment ; but he doth parallel his Rest after his Work of Creation , with their Refreshment after their Labour in Egypt . And that God had a particular respect to their Rest and Refreshment from their Labour and Bondage in Egypt ; is farther evident , not onely from the General Preface to all the Commandments , ( I am the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the Land of Egypt , out of the house of Bondage ; ) but from the Close of this Fourth Commandment , as it is repeated in Deut. 5. 12 , 13 , 14 , 15. ( somewhat different from what is in Exod. 20. ) where , ( instead of For in six days the Lord made Heaven and Earth , &c. Exod. 20. 11. ) we have ( Deut. 5. 15. ) And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt , and that the Lord thy God brought thee out thence , through a mighty hand , and a stretched out arm ; therefore the Lord thy God commanded thee to keep the Sabbath-day . Which shews that this Sabbath , had a particular respect to that deliverance . Now as God by Moses did , upon a New occasion ( of their Rest from their Labour in Egypt ) give a New Epocha or Beginning to a Circulation of Sabbaths , to be reckoned from thence , in imitation of his own Resting from the Work of Creation ; Not by the Fourth Commandment ( for that speaks indifferently as to any Circulation , ) but by this Ordinance at Marah , or at Elim ( for 't is this determines the Circulation to the seventh day after the raining of Manna ; ) So might Christ as well ( by himself or his Apostles ) six another Epocha from his Resurrection ; ( as we have reason to think he did ; ) and this Equally within the prospect of the Fourth Commandment . This Rest from the Egyptian Bondage , being as much a shadow , of what Christ regards as the substance ; as was the escaping of the Egyptian Destruction , of which the Pass-over was the Memorial . And accordingly this Circulation equally to cease with that of the Pass-over , at the coming of Christ ; notwithstanding the continuance of the Fourth Commandment , in a New Circulation from another Epocha . It is not indeed expresly said that Christ Bid his Apostles so to do : But as Moses is presumed to do what he did by Gods direction ; so the Apostles by Christs direction ; to whom he gave Commandments for that purpose , Act. 1. 2 , 3. As to what he says so often ; that not one Iott or Tittle of the Law ( meaning that of the Decalogue ) is destroyed , but doth still continue in force : This , as to the substance of the Duty , I grant . But if his meaning be , that there is not a Word or Letter therein which doth not as literally belong to Us Now , as it did Then to Israel : I cannot assent to it . For it cannot be said of all Us who are under that Law , that God hath Brought us out of the land of Egypt , out of the house of Bondage ; or that We are to expect long life , in the land ( of Canaan ) which he Gave Them. If he say that our deliverance from spiritual bondage is equivalent to theirs from Egypt , and our land the same to us as Canaan was to them : I grant it . But so is our Lords Day equivalent to their Seventh-day-sabbath , and Christ the true Manna ( more than ) equivalent to that of theirs , from the raining of which they reckoned their Iewish Sabbaths . As to what he says of Mat. 24. 20. Pray that your flight be not in the Winter , nor on the Sabbath-day ; which he thinks to be understood of the Iewish Sabbath , 38 years after Christs Resurrection . Perhaps it may . For the obstinate Jews , ( who would not in their day understand the things that belonged to their peace , but rejected Christ , ) did no doubt continue to observe their Jewish Sabbath , and thought themselves obliged so to do : And it would then be as great an Affliction to them , as if their Sabbath were yet in force : But no more a sin to fly on that day , than to fly in the Winter . It would be so to the Christians , if put to flight on the Christian Sabbath ( for the case would be the like of both ) and they might as well Pray against it : That is , Against their Flight on the Christian Sabbath ; as the Iews on the Iewish Sabbath . This therefore makes nothing at all to his purpose . He might as well argue from hence , that it were a sin to labour in Winter ; as , on the Iewish Sabbath . He hath many other little excursions , as little to the purpose , with which I shall not trouble my self or you ; having fully answered what seems to me to have any appearance of Argument . But he takes great pleasure to expose the Name of Sunday . Yet I do not find any more fond of using it , than he . Not , that he would be thought to like the Word , but because he thinks it a Reproach . If he do not like that name , he may call it as we do , the Lords Day , the Christian Sabbath , or ( if he think these too good names for it ) he may call it the First day of the Week . But why not as angry with the Monday ? or other of the Week days ? If on Monday the Heathens ( as he would have us think ) did worship the Moon , as the Sun on Sunday , why is he not as angry with that ? It is as much Idolatry to worship the Moon on Monday , as the Sun on Sunday . True. But that doth not concern the Christians Sabbath ( which is what he hath a mind to reproach ) and therefore he speaks little of the other , and but seldome : But Sunday is to be snubbed upon every occasion . He would not have a Sabbath upon Sunday , because he says , on that day they worshiped the Sun. But why upon Saturday if on that day ( as he would have us think ) they worshiped Saturn ? Now 't is true that some of the Heathen did worship the Sun , and the Moon , and the Host of Heaven . But that they did worship the Sun more upon Sunday , than they did upon Monday or Tuesday , is more than I know , or he can prove . He tells us , Verstegan says , that the Heathen Saxons did so . But Verstegan is too young an Author to settle this upon his own Authority ; unless he can bring Vouchers for it more ancient than himself . It was , I suppose , a Fansy of Verstegan Then ( as it is of our Author Now ; ) But I do not remember that he cites any Author ancienter than himself . And though some others may say the like ; Yet I look upon it but as a plausible conjecture , without any good foundation in History . And even the Heathen Suxons are too late for his purpose . He tells us , p. 88. The Heathen Nations long before Christs Birth did offer Sacrifice to the Sun , and worship it as a God upon Sunday . His proof is from Iob 31. 26 , 27 , 28. If I beheld the Sun when it shined , or the Moon walking in brightness , and my heart hath been secretly enticed , or my mouth hath kissed my hand , this were an iniquity to be punished by the Iudges ▪ for I should have denied the Lord above . But what is all this to Sunday ? It may perhaps be a disclaimer of worshiping the Sun ; but says nothing of Sunday . Doth our Author think the name of Sunday to be as old as Iob's times ? If Iob had said , If I have worshiped the Sun upon Sunday , or the Moon upon Monday , and not the Lord upon Saturday ; it had been to his purpose : But here is nothing of that . Not a word of what day it was on which they worshiped the Sun. But I would not have him lay too great a load upon Sunday . For Hesiod tells us ( as was said before ) that in his time ( one of the oldest of the Heathen Writers , though younger than Iob ) the Seventh day was Sun-day , not the First . And he hath nothing to shew ( more than the bare Name of Sunday ) to make us believe that those of the Heathen , who worshiped the Sun , did confine that worship to this day of the Week ; or , Did more worship it on this day than on others . I do not certainly know how Ancient those Names are of Saturday , Sunday , Monday , &c. nor upon what occasion they were first taken up , ( nor is it much to our purpose . ) The most ancient Heathen Writer whom I know to have mentioned them is Dio Cassius , who lived about the Year of our Lord 230. Who speaking of the Destruction of Ierusalem and the Temple , tells us that the Iews had such a reverence for Saturn's day , as that they would not Labour on that day for their Defense ; which the Romans understanding , did on that day assault them , and prevailed . ( Against their Temple and Sabbath both at once . ) Not as if the Iews did then call it Saturn's day , ( nor am I sure that any other did then so call it , ) for they called it their Sabbath-day ; But it was that day of the Week which , in Dio's time , was called Saturday . But Dio speaks of it as a new Thing so to call the Days of the Week , and which the Ancient Greeks ( he tells us ) knew not . ( 'T was therefore not very Ancient . ) And therefore he supposeth the Romans to have taken it up from the Egyptians . Not the Old Egyptians of Moses's time , but rather from those about the time of Ptolomy ; not of King Ptolomy , but of Claudius Ptolomaeus the Astronomer ( or perhaps somewhat earlier ) when Astronomy there flourished , and from whom the Romans had it . In a Christian Writer , I find it earlier than Dio ; in Iustin Martyr's Apology , written about the Year of Christ 150. who mentions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the Day of the Sun , as the Christian Sabbath . And Tertullian in his Apology , mentions Saturday and Sunday . And it may perhaps be found in Writers earlier than these , Though I do not at present meet with it . Nor do I think it worth the while to make any great search about it . I grant , that when Christianity was spread among the Gentiles ▪ and , with it , the Christian Sabbath ; they did ( in order to the observing that Sabbath ) distinguish their time into Weeks , and thereupon gave Names to each Day . I grant also that the Iews did , before , so distinguish their Time : but I do not find that any other Nation did so . If any think , that All nations did so distinguish , and every Nation , all the World over , call the days by those Names by which they are now called : This I take to be but a Presumption , without proof . But when ever those names were first taken up , I do not think they were taken from the number of their Gods ( for then they must have had a great many more days in their Week than Seven , if each of their Gods must have a peculiar day : ) But from the number of the Planets , which were then reckoned to be Seven , and in this order Saturn , Iupiter , Mars , Sol , Venus , Mercury , Luna . Though we now know the Planets to be more than Seven . ( For the Satellites of Iupiter and Saturn are as much Planets as our Moon ; but were not then known . ) Nor were the Seven Planets always reckoned in the same order ; but some had been thought to be above the Sun , which , before these names were given , were accounted to be below it . And therefore these Names must be at least so late . And certainly not so old as Iob's time . I take them not to be older than what are called the Planetary Hours , but to take their Rise from thence , and the Order of the Names to be thence determined . For having divided the Day into 24 Hours ; Beginning with Saturn , the highest of the Planets , they assigned to him the First hour of one day , which thence they called Saturn's day ; the Second hour to Iupiter , the Third to Mars , and so in order till they came to the Eighth hour which falls to Saturn's turn again , and so again to the Fifteenth , and the Two and Twentieth ; and then the Three and Twentieth to Iupiter , the Four and Twentieth to Mars , and the next hour , being the first of the next day , to Sol. Which day doth thence take the name of Sol or Sunday ( next in order after Saturn . ) And , in like manner proceeding , the Eighth , Fifteenth , and Two and Twentieth hour of that day will fall again to Sol , the Three and Twentieth to Venus , the Four and Twentieth to Mercury ; and then the first hour of the next day to Luna , thence called Monday ( next after Sunday . ) And , in like manner , the first hour of the following day to Mars ; of the next to Mercury ; the next to Iupiter , the next to Venus ; and then again to Saturn ; and so onward as before . And this I take to be the true account of those Names , and in that Order : Saturday , Sunday , Monday , after which ( in the Latine Denomination ) follow the days of Mars , Mercury , Iupiter , and Venus . But some of our Ancestors the Saxons , thought fit ( as is supposed ) to put-in the Names of Twisco , Woden , Thor , Frea , ( some of their Princes ) instead of Mars , Mercury , Iupiter , and Venus , ( as Iulius and Augustus , amongst the Romans , gave their Names to the Months formerly called Quintilis and Sextilis . ) From which Saxon Princes we have the Names of Tuesday , Wednesday , Thursday and Fryday : the other days retaining the Names of their respective Planets as they did before . This account ( from the order of the Planetary Hours ) Dio gives us of the Names of the Week-days , and of their Order . Why so called , and why in this Order . He tells us of another account from the Principles of Harmonicks . Because Dia-tessaron ( which we call a Fourth ) is Reputed a Concord in Musick ; therefore they might , beginning with Saturn ( skipping two , Iupiter and Mars , ) take the Fourth Sol : then ( skipping the two next Venus and Mercury ) take Luna : And then ( skipping Saturn and Iupiter ) take Mars : Then ( skipping Sol and Venus ) take Mercury : Then ( skipping Luna and Saturn ) take Iupiter : Then ( skipping Mars and Sol ) take Venus : Then ( skipping Mercury and Luna ) take Saturn ; and so onward as before . But this account seems more Forced , and the former more Natural . Which therefore I take to be the true ground of this Order . But either way , depending upon the order of the Planets as they were then accounted when these Names were given to the Week-days , it is at least so far evident that they cannot be older than since the Planets were accounted to be placed in this order . And therefore not so old as when Venus or Mercury or both of them were thought to be above the Sun. ( For this would quite disturb the Order . ) And therefore , certainly , not so old as Iob's time . Whether on each of these Days they did worship those respective Planets , as so many Gods , I cannot say ; nor do I think it . Nor do I think that each of those Planets have any more Government of their respective Hours , or Days , than of others . For I take the whole foundation as well of These , as of the other parts of Iudicial Astrology , to be purely Precarious ; and assigned onely at pleasure , by those whose business it was to amuse credulous people , and thereby to make a Gain of them . But , whatever were the occasion of the first imposing ; these are now the known Names of those days . ( And we need no more scruple the use of these Names ; than to talk of Pope Pius , Clemens , Boniface , and Innocent ; though possibly the Persons so called , had none of those good Qualities . ) In like manner as we have a Spring near Oxford which we call Aristotle's Well ; not that we think Aristotle was ever there , or was Lord of the place , and much less that he was wont to be there Worshiped ; but we so call it as being now the proper name of the place ( imposed at pleasure ) by which it is known . And so for the days of the Week ; whatever were the occasion of the first imposing , they now signify no more than the proper distinctive names by which the days are known . And why we may not continue so to call them , I know not . We are told Act. 17. 19 , 22. of Paul's being at Areopagus or Mars-hill , because that was the known name of the place , without scrupling the reason why it was so called ( whether , because Mars had been there worshiped , or for what other reason . ) And Act. 28. 11. 〈◊〉 a Ship designed by Castor and Pollux , or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , without scrupling the reason of that name , or what relation these Stars had to Iupiter , so as to be called his Lads . And when Paul 1 Cor. 8. allows them without Scruple to eat of things offered in Sacrifice to Idols , even though they knew , or had reason to presume them so to be , ( unless when they might be suspected to do it with respect to the Idol ) as the Apostle argues at large 1 Cor. 8. and again Chap. 10. No doubt we may as lawfully make use of proper Names ( whereby persons , times , or places be commonly known ) without scrupling the occasion of their first imposition . And I would desire those Gentlemen ( who are so over scrupulous where there is no just occasion , and make it their business to throw Scruples and cast Stumbling-blocks before others , ) to consider seriously , whose Work they be doing all that while ; and whether it be not as truly and properly superstition to represent and quarel with things as unlawful and sinful , which in their own nature are not so ; as it is to introduce things under a pretence of holiness which have in them no such thing . And whether this be not to dote about questions and strife of words ▪ Whether these be not of those foolish and unlearned questions which we are advised to avoid ; knowing that they gender strifes ; and to avoid foolish questions , and genealogies and contentions about the law , for they are unprofitable and vain ; and instead thereof to mind those things that are good and profitable to men ; to follow righteousness , faith , charity , peace , &c. as we are directed , 1 Tim. 6. 4 , 5. 2 Tim. 2. 22 , 23. Tit. 3. 8 , 9. They do not consider how much the studying and prosecuting these foolish questions , and needless Scrupulosities , doth eat out the power of Godliness and true Piety , and the substantials of Religion , while we busy our selves about these shadows ; about little circumstances which do not at all influence the Substance of spiritual Worship . There be so many necessary duties , and indubitable truths , in the serious practise of Piety and Godliness , that we need not trouble the heads of men ( and make it our business so to do ) with doubtful disputations . It seems to be the design of the New Testament to take us off from the Circumstantials and Scrupulosities of Religion ( which commonly produce strifes and contentions to no purpose ) and put us upon worshiping God in Spirit and in Truth . Si Deus est Animus , nobis ut carmina dicunt , Hic tibi praecipue sit pura Mente colendus ▪ Was well enough said of the Poet ; and is a good Paraphrase on that , God is a Spirit and will be worshiped in Spirit and in Truth . I have been told long since of a Grave Divine , who when asked , Why he did not Preach against Long hair ( which was at that time more Offensive than now it is , ) gave this Answer ; If he could but Preach Jesus Christ into their Hearts ; he should not much concern himself for their Hair. This Author tells us , p. 49. that our Liberty Gal. 5. 1. doth eminently consist in a Freedome not onely from the Ceremonial Law of old , but also in a Liberty not to be intangled with a new yoke of mens devices . I take needless Scrupulosities to be such ; the making of more Sins than God hath made ; the making or pretending of those things to be Sins which are no sins , and putting a religious Necessity upon things which are matters of meer Prudence and Discretion . Like those 1 Tim. 4. 3. Forbidding to Marry , or ( as I would rather render it ) Bidding not to Marry ; and , to abstain from Meats , &c. Forbidding things as Unlawful which are not so ; is alike Superstitious as to Impose things as holy which are not Holy : and equally contrary to the Liberty there intended . Whether the days be called Saturday , Sunday , Monday , or Alpha , Beta , Gamma , is all one to me , ( I take them as I find them : ) I think we ought not to foment quarels upon such trifles ; and we sin if we do so . Whether to meet once , or twice , or thrice , on a Sabbath-day , ( if so as is most for edification and the real service of God , ) is meerly prudential in this or that place , without laying a new religious yoke where God leaves it to Prudence . And if , in Prudentials , things be not managed sometimes with so much Prudence as we think they might , we must be content to bear with such Imprudences as we cannot help ; and better so , than to pull-on greater Inconveniences . Whether to begin the Sabbath at Six or Ten or Twelve a Clock on Saturday-night , is a thing ( I think ) not worth contending about ▪ ( so that it be religiously observed as to the Substantials of it , ) and for which we ought not to disturb the Church where we live , but to follow righteousness , charity , peace ; and avoid foolish questions which gender strife . And I should not think it much more , whether on this or that day , so the Sabbath be well kept : and I would by no means , on that account , give a disturbance to a Church where it is peaceably settled : 'T is less material When , than How , a Sabbath be kept . And , in many cases , it must be unavoidably left to Prudence , whether this or that day be called the First or Seventh day of the Week . We are in such cases to study the things that make for Peace , and wherewith one may edify another . Rom. 14. 19. The fruits of the spirit are love , joy , peace , &c. but variance , emulation , wrath , strife , are fruits of the flesh : Gal. 5. 20 , 21. To study and spin out Disputes into too fine a Threed ( like that of a Spider out of her own Bowels ) is but to pervert the Simplicity of the Gospel of Christ ; to make that Abstruse and Difficult , which the Scripture would have Plain and Easy : in Speculatives as well as Practicals . We should mind the substantials of spiritual worship ; and not dote upon circumstantials further than as they do really advance the Substance . Refuse profane and old-wives fables , and exercise thy self rather unto Godliness ; for bodily exercise profiteth little , 1 Tim. 4. 7 , 8. Such are those Col. 2. 20 , 21. Touch not , tast not , handle not , ( and others of like nature ) all which perish in the using , ( there is no real advantage doth ac●rew from the use of them ; 't is but labour lost ; ) or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they are but mischievous in their use . We complain of the Papists ( and deservedly ) for loading their Worship with a multitude of Ceremonies and mimical Gestures ; the number of which would be a Burthen , even though singly they were Tolerable . Being so many Diversions of the mind from Attending the spirituality of the Service . But they have some reason for it . For when much of their Devotion is either to be spoken so low as not to be Heard , or in such a Language as not to be understood , they have need of somewhat to gratify the Eye , when the Ear is not Edified . And it is almost the same mischief , when mens Minds are amused with Nice Speculations and needless Scrupulosities , whereby they are Diverted from the Substantials of Serious Religion . Yet I would not so be understood , as if no care were to be had of Corporeal Worship , or the necessary Circumstances attending it . ( For God expects the Worship of the Body as well as the Soul , and Religious Actions must have their Circumstances , as Time , Place , Gesture , and the like , as well as other Actions . ) But these Circumstantials should be considered as Circumstances ( not as the substance of the Worship ; ) and as Prudentials ; so to be managed ( as in all other actions ) as may , with Decency and Convenience , best advance the spiritual Worship ; and may be varied according as the diversity of times and places may require . Not to lay the Weight of Divine Institution upon such little things . As if , because Paul Kneeled down and Prayed ( Act. 20. 36. ) therefore it were unlawful to use any other Gesture in Praying ; Or as if , because Christ bids , when thou Prayest , enter into thy Closet and shut the door ( Mat. 6. 6. ) therefore we may not pray in the Chamber ▪ Parlour , Dining-Room , or Chappel : Or , because Christ did Celebrate the Lords Supper , at Night , in an Upper-room , to Men onely , and but Twelve , and to those Sitting or Lying ; therefore we may not do it at Noon or Morning , in a Low-room , to Women as well as Men , in greater Numbers , or in some other Gesture . For though such Circumstances may be Lawful , and sometimes Advisable when convenient ; yet to put a Religious Necessity upon them , as of Divine Institution , looks like a piece of Superstition . And if we consider seriously how great a mischief many times some needless Scruples do create to the Church of God ; how great a matter a little fire kindles ; and how great hindrance to real Piety ; it might justly make us wary how we add Fewel to such a Flame , and rather bear with some things we think amiss , ( but may perhaps not be so ) than by attempting to remove a suppos'd Evil create a greater Mischief . As to the present point in question ; I have said so much upon the whole , as I think might satisfy the Gentleman if he well consider it . Yet I know , when men have once espoused a notion of which they are fond ; and have so long pored upon it as to rivet it in their mind ; catching at every little thing that may seem to favour it , and slighting whatever makes against it ; ( as we find our Author doth very often ; ) And that hardly any thing can be said so plain , as that there be nothing to be cavilled at , by one who is minded so to do ; And that when God hath declared his will as plainly as he thinks fit to do , if men will not be contented with reasonable evidence , he is not obliged to gratify their humours : When ( I say ) we consider this ; It looks somewhat like what Solomon tells us Prov. 18. 19. of a Brother offended , harder to be won than a strong City ; and I must leave the success to God ▪ who so teacheth as none like him . He remits us to two Writers on this Subject , in defense of the Christian Sabbath , Mr. Shepheard and Mr. Hughs ( whom I have not read , nor have them at hand , ) and Two others whom he names not ( nor know I well whom he means , for more than two have since written ; ) who , he thinks , do tacitly retract somewhat that those before had granted . And divers 〈◊〉 have written on this Subject ▪ though I have scarce consulted any of them . And particularly I have not seen what is written by Dr. Young or Mr. Warren , whom I find cited in a late Book of G. T. which came out since this was Written and part of it printed . It is very possible , that some of those may have said much of what I now say , or that I may now say somewhat of what they have said before . But , in this , there is no hurt . If in some particulars I vary from some of them ; it is not because I slight them , or out of a desire to contradict them , but freely to speak my own thoughts as they do theirs . Nor is it to be expected that all Writers on the same Subject should agree in every particular , ( Nor is he to make advantage of it ; For p. 3. he owns it is so also with those who are for the seventh day : ) But as to the main ( I presume ) we do well enough agree . I have been a great deal longer than I did intend when I first began to write . I shall give you a brief Summe of what I have said to this purpose , as to both Questions . ( For the Question is double , though it seem to be but one . ) First concerning the Iewish Sabbath , Whether that be Antiquated and at an end . Secondly , concerning the Christian Sabbath , Whether there be sufficient ground for this to succeed in the place thereof . As to the first ; I agree with him in many things which he prosecutes at large , though not peculiar to his Question ; As , That Our Lord Iesus Christ is God ; that he is the Lord Iehovah , the God who made the World , who rested the seventh day , who brought Israel out of Egypt , and gave the Law on Mount Sinai : For there is no other God. But , this I say , he did as God ( in Union with the Father and Holy Ghost ; ) not as Christ ( God and Man ) our Mediator and Redeemer . For he was not then Man ; nor was there occasion of a Mediator and Redeemer before the fall . I agree also that the Decalogue ( or Ten Commandments ) is Obligatory to us Gentiles ; ( as being for the substance of it , a Law before it was so delivered on Mount Sinai . ) And that the Fourth Commandment concerning the Sabbath is one of them ; which requires after six days of Labour , the seventh day to be a Sabbath or day of Holy Rest. And our Christian Sabbath is such . But it doth not say , the seventh in course from the Creation , nor doth it appear that the Iewish Sabbath was such , but rather the Seventh day from the first raining of Manna . I do agree also that God himself did rest on the Seventh day from the Creation , Gen. 2. that is , He did cease to Create . But I do not there find , that Man did so rest , or that there was any express command for him so to do on that day ; much less for ever after , on every Seventh day in course from the Creation . How much may be thought to be implyed in those words , he blessed and sanctified it , I will not dispute ; However , it is but by Implication not by any express command ; such as our Author demands for the Christian Sabbath . Nor do I find that ever it was observed by Man till after the Israelites coming out of Egypt , or expresly commanded so to be . Nor do I find that any other Nation ( beside the Jews ) did anciently so much as divide their time by Weeks . Since the times of Christianity they have : But that they did so , long before that time , I do not find . I do agree also that after Israels coming out of Egypt they did observe a Sabbath , Exod. 16. But it was from a new command , ( at Marah or Elim ) which appeared New to them , not a continuation of a constant practise ; and it was from a new beginning ( the Seventh day from the first raining of Manna , ) and as a distinctive sign or token , of Gods being their God in a special manner , as contradistir guished to other nations ; ( as himself owns p. 26. and 28. ) and as a memorial of their Refreshing after their Bondage and Labour in Egypt , and feeding them with Bread from Heaven . I do presume also that , they did , from this first raining of Manna continue a circulation of Weeks for a long time , and perhaps till the time of our Saviour . Yet we are not sure but that it might be intermitted in the seventy years of the Babylonish Captivity , and the day forgotten ; and then restored a-new by Nehemiah ( from a new beginning ) Neh. 13. as he restored the Feast of Tabernacles ( Chap. 8. ) which had been intermitted from the days of Ioshua the son of Nun to that day . But I rather think , the memory was preserved ( by Tradition ) during those seventy years . I agree also that the Church of the Jews was the most visible Church of God , but I am loth to say ( with him , p. 79. ) it was the whole visible Church ; For I presume there might be many Good men of other Nations , who worshiped the true God ( of whom we have no History , ) though not joined to the Jewish Church , nor were ( that I know of ) obliged so to be . Such was Melchizedek ( whoever he were ) not of the seed of Abraham , much less of Israel . And such was Iob , and his Friends from divers Countries ( of whom , were it not for the story of Iob , we should have had no knowledge , ) nor are we to think these were the onely persons of those Countries who worshiped the true God. And how many such were in other Nations , we cannot tell . Who might , if they had opportunity , join as Proselites with the Iewish Church , when established . But I do not think they were necessarily obliged so to do , or to keep the same Sabbath with them . For I take it to be true , even before Christs coming , that God is no respecter of persons ; but in every nation , he that feareth him and worketh righteousness , is accepted with him . Act. 10. 34 , 35. Whether Iew or Greek , Rom. 2. 10 , 11. 1 Pet. 1. 17. Which are but Quotations from Deut. 10. 19. Nor do I find that any Nation , except the Iews , did observe the Iewish Sabbath . But I rather take it to be a distinctive sign of them from other Nations , Ex. 31. 13 , 17. as Circumcision and the Pass-over were ; which , when the wall of partition was taken away , ceased also . Yet , as to what was Moral in them ( the Circumcision of the heart being pointed at by that of the Flesh ; and the old leaven of malice and wickedness to be put away instead of that of Bread ; and a rest from Sin of more respect with God than that from Labour ; ) we have instead thereof , Baptism , in the room of Circumcision ; the Lords Supper , in the room of the Pass-over ; and the Lords Day or Christian Sabbath , instead of the Iewish . And , as that took date from the raining of Manna after their deliverance from Egypt ; so ours from the Resurrection of Christ , the true Manna . I agree also that the Apostle , and other Christians , even after Christs Resurrection , did go to the Temple and the Jewish Synagogues on their Sabbath days ( and did there assist at Prayers , and Reading the Law , and other services common to Jews and Christians ) on a like account as when we now meet to hear a Sermon , or keep a Fast or Thanksgiving on a Week-day . But so they did as to Circumcision , and other Iewish Rites . As when Paul circumcised Timothy , and joined in the Jewish Rites of Purification , Act. 21. on account of those believing Iews who were yet zealous of the Law : To testify to them that he had been misrepresented by those who said he did teach the Iews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses , and that they ought not to circumcise their Children , nor to walk after the Customs . Whereas indeed he taught that Gentiles ought so to forbear , ( as being a new yoke to which before they were not subject , ) but as to the Iews which were amongst the Gentiles he did allow them ( if not yet satisfied of their Christian Liberty ) so to practise . For he puts a great difference between the Gentiles , and the Iews among the Gentiles ; of which I doubt our Author doth not take notice ; else he would not tell us ( p. 39. ) of Paul's writing one thing , and practising another . He preached and wrote against Circumcision as to the Gentiles ; but allowed it to the Iews ; and himself practised it , As to Timothy ( a Jew ) but not as to Titus who was no Iew. And the like we may say as to the Iewish Sabbath on their Seventh day . As to what Services were peculiarly Christian ( as breaking of Bread ) they did it not at the Temple or Synagogues , but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at home , or from house to house , Act. 2. 46. and on another day , the first day of the Week , Act. 20. 7. Now this is all that he hath to urge , for the Iewish Sabbath in particular : which he cannot shew to be commanded to all the World ( but rather to them in particular in contradistinction to the rest of the World , ) nor that it was a Seventh day from the Creation , but from the first raining of Manna . For the Fourth Commandment saith nothing of this Sabbath in particular , but onely of the seventh day after six days of labour . As to that Imperious demand , p. 40 , 48 , 64. Where is there any such Power recorded in Scripture to be given to any Man or Men whatsoever , after Christ had said It is finished , to alter the Seventh-day Sabbath instituted by our Lord Iesus Christ ? I doubt he hath forgotten that the same God who gave the Law of the Ten Commandments , gave also the Ceremonial Law ; and if it were the Lord Iesus Christ who gave the one , it was he that gave the other also . And will he then ask Where is there any power recorded in scripture to be given to any man or number of men to abolish Circumcision and the rest of the Mosaick Rites instituted by the Lord Iesus Christ ? I know no such power recorded in Scripture to be given , as to Circumcision and the rest , more than as to the Iewish Sabbath . And we find them both put together Col. 2. 11 , 16. Or will he say , Where is any Power recorded in Scripture to be given to any Man or Men , ( after Christ had said It is finished , ) to appoint Elders and Deacons and other Officers in the Christian Church , and give Orders concerning it , which Christ ( before he so said , ) had not given ? Yet we know Circumcision was abolished , and such Officers and Orders given . So that all this is but Flourish . As to that of Christ having said It is finished ; whatever be meant by that , we know that the whole Order and Constitution of the Christian Church was settled after that time : And whatever else be signified by it , it is not meant that there was nothing to be done further concerning it ; For , if so , to what purpose did Christ give Commandments to his Apostles , of things pertaining to the Kingdome of God after his Resurrection , if nothing were to be further done ? And if we consider the Apostles deportment ; We do not find them any where insist Authoritatively upon a Power given them from Christ , to Abrogate Circumcision or the like , and thereupon to proceed pro imperio . But they Argue it from the nature of the thing , That what was Typical of Christ , was at an end now Christ is come ; That what was Distinctive of the Jews from other Nations , was now to cease when the partition wall was broken down ; That what were but shadows as to the Substantials of Religion , were now to pass away , as beggarly Rudiments , Christ regarding the Body or Substance not the Shadows ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , these are but shadows in comparison of what Christ came to settle , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , but 't is the Body ( the Substance ) that Christ respects , Col. 2. 17. They do not Command , but Argue . They do no where pretend that God or Christ had given them Authority to Abrogate a Law which God had made : But Argue ( from the nature of the thing ) that the Law was ceased ; and was not intended to Oblige longer : That the Law was now Antiquated or Expired when the End for which it was made was attained : That the Types were at an End , when the Thing Typified was Exhibited : That the Distinctive Marks were now no more of Use , when Jews and Gentiles were United : That the Elements or Rudiments ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) which God ( for reasons best known to himself ) thought fit for the Training-up of his Church while as in a State of Minority ( wherein a Child though Heir of All doth little differ from a Servant ) should now cease when it comes to full Age , Gal. 4. And to the same purpose Heb. 8. He argues that the Old Covenant was at an end when a Better Covenant was come in the room ; citing that of Ier. 31. Behold the days come , saith the Lord , when I will make a New Covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Iudah : Not according to the Covenant which I made with their Fathers when I led them out of the land of Egypt , For this is the Covenant that I will make , That I will put my laws into their Mind , and write them in their Hearts . Meaning , instead of an outward Ceremonial Service , he would establish a service more Spiritual . From whence he concludes the Antiquation of the Former : In that he saith a New Covenant , he hath made the first Old : Now that which Decayeth and waxeth Old , is ready to Vanish away ▪ They do not claim a Power , to Abolish a Law of Gods making ; But prove by Argument , that these Laws are Antiquated or Expired ; as not being intended , by the Law-maker , to bind longer than till such a time . As Rom. 7. The Woman is bound by the Law to her Husband as long as he lives ; But if the husband be Dead , she is free from the Law : Not that the Law is Abolished ; but the Case is Altered . And it is from these Considerations that he Argues against Circumcision Col. 2. 11. and the Iewish Sabbath , ver . 16. For as to the Substantials of the Service , provided a Sabbath be duly kept , it is much one whether on the Seventh or the First day . Now these ( Substantials ) are ( he tells us p. 83. ) a lively spiritual Converse with the Father , Son and Holy-Ghost , in private Duties and publick Ordinances ( where they can be had , ) and in a Holy Rest all that day , saving emergent cases of Necessity and Mercy . Which may be equally done on either day . But as to those who were not satisfied with these Arguments ; ( if they were such as were before under those Commands ) he doth not urge his Authority ; He leaves them to practise according to their own judgment ( but without censuring others ) till they shall be better satisfied , as in Rom. 14. But as to the Gentiles , who had never been under these Laws , the case was otherwise . Which makes him argue otherwise with the ( Gentile ) Galatians , Ephesians , and Colossians , than with the Christian Iews at Rome . And as to his Question , p. 47. When , where , and by whom , it was taken away , I say Then , there , and by the same , who took away Circumcision and the other Mosaick Rites . That is , Fundamentally by Christ at his death who nailed them to his Cross , after which they ceased to be Obligatory ; But Executively and Practically by his Apostles , and the Christian Church , according as they did ( leisurably and in time ) come to understand their Liberty . All which we are to presume they did according to such directions as Christ gave them . For ( as this Author observes p. 80. ) Paul , in those Primitive times , when the Ceremonial Law was fresh in memory , and the Gospel newly preached , had much a do t●●e move the first converted Iews from Circumcision and other Ceremonials , ( and so from their Iewish Sabbath ; ) therefore these things were to wear off by degrees , and not to be torn from them all at once . And this I think is enough ( to a person not prejudiced ) as to the Removal of the ( then ) Iewish Sabbath ; appointed by Moses after their coming out of Egypt , on the seventh day from the first raining of Manna , and not given to all the world , but to be a distinctive sign of them from other Nations . Now as to the other Point in Question , the Observation of the Lords day : I would ground that originally on the Fourth Commandment ; which doth appoint a Seventh day of Holy Rest , after Six days of Ordinary Labour . Which doth directly concern the Substantials of Worship ( that a Sabbath be kept and God thus served ) , but whether on this or that day of the Seven , is meerly Circumstantial , and ( as Paul calls it ) a Shadow , in comparison of the Body or Substance , which is , he tells us , what Christ respects . But then as to that , Why the First day rather than another ? I answer , First , Here was a much more memorable Accident , of Christs Resurrection ; than was that of Raining Manna , from whence the Jewish Sabbath takes its date , as the Seventh day from it ( not from the Creation ) or that of the Quails the Night before , ( the first day that God fed them by Miracle from Heaven , ) And therefore stands as fair for beginning such a Circulation of Weeks and Sabbaths . We are told Ier. 16. 14 , 15. and Ier. 23 , 7 , 8. Behold the days come ( saith the Lord ) that it shall no more be said , The Lord liveth that brought up the Children of Israel out of the land of Egypt ; But , The Lordliveth that brought up the Children of Israel out of the North Country . Not , that the former deliverance was to be forgotten ; but a greater than it did make it ( comparatively ) to disappear ( as when the light of the Sun doth obscure that of the Moon and Stars ; ) And so here , the Resurrection of Christ to be commemorated paramount to that of former Mercies . Next , in pursuance of this Occasion , we find our Saviour did on that day of his Resurrection , appear to Mary Magdalen and the other Women , declaring to them the Doctrine of the Resurrection ▪ then , to the two Disciples going to Emmaus , Preaching to them ( at large ) the same Doctrine , and Celebrating with them the Lords Supper ; and afterward ( the same day ) to those assembled at Ierusalem ( with other Sabbatical works ) and solemnly Blessing that Convention . And if our Author by blessing the Seventh day Gen. 2. would have us understand an Institution or Command to observe it ; We have as much here ; Christ joined in this Assembly , and Blessed it . For so much is intimated in that his solemn Benediction ( a first and second time , Ioh. 20. 19 , 21. ) Peace be unto you ; and he Breathed on them saying , Receive ye the Holy Ghost . He did so a second time on the same day the next Week ; he Assembled with them ( in Religious Services ) and Blessed them . He did ( according to his Promise made on that First day of his Resurrection ) send on them that miraculous Effusion of the Holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost , which being the Fiftieth day from his Resurrection , was therefore the first day of the week as was that of the Resurrection . On which day of Pentecost we find them also otherwise exercised in Religious Employments , and attested further by a miraculous conversion of three thousand souls . We find St. Paul at Troas Act. 20. Preaching to the Disciples assembled ( as it seems their manner was ) on the first day of the week to break bread ; that is , to celebrate the Lords Supper . That such Assemblies were wont to be at Corinth , on the first day of the Week , the Apostle presumes , or takes for granted ; and gives direction for a Collection to be then made , 1 Cor. 16. And he had so done before , as he there signifies , to the Churches of Galatia ; presuming or taking for granted , that they also did so use to meet on the first day of the Week . And we have no reason to doubt but that such Meetings were wont to be in other Churches . We cannot doubt but that other of the Apostles did disperse themselves in other parts of the World , though we have not a like account of their Travels , as we have of Paul's recorded by St. Luke : But we are to presume ( though it be not recorded ) that their Doctrine and Practise was consonant to his ; and that accordingly they had such weekly meetings on the Lords Day as these Churches had of whom we have the History . Hence that day had the name given of the Lords day , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , as we find it called Rev. 1. 10. ( as that of the Sacrament is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lords Supper , 1 Cor. 11. 20. ) which name it retaineth to this day , and for such purpose . And all this , I think , is sufficient for us to continue our Observation of the same day . I am sure 't is much more than he can shew for his seventh-day Sabbath for more than two thousand five hundred years from the first Creation . It is not necessary that we have express words of Command Recorded . We have no Record in Scripture of such express words of Command for the Seventh-day Sabbath , till after Israels coming out of Egypt ; nor for the Worshiping of God by Sacrifice ; nor for other things which yet were Duties before any Record of such express words of Command . It is enough if we can otherwise Collect it to be Gods Will , according to the best light we have . If this Gentleman think himself obliged to keep the Jewish Sabbath also : this doth not hurt us . This , I think , was the case of the Christian Iews at first . I do not much question but that they did , as other Christians , observe the Lords Day . The doubt was , whether they were not to observe also the Jewish Sabbath as before they did . And these Believers who were yet zealous of the Law , and thought themselves obliged , together with Christianity , to observe the Law of Moses , did no doubt think themselves equally obliged to the Iewish Sabbath . Those who thought themselves obliged to be Baptized , and to be Circumcised also , thought themselves in like manner obliged to observe the Lords day and also the Iewish Sabbath . And ( till they should be better satified ) the Apostles permit ( the Iews ) so to do . If this do not satisfy him ; I have yet two Expedients for him . 1. Let him begin his Week on Monday ▪ and then Sunday will be the Seventh day . Whether the Seventh in course from the Creation , I cannot tell ; nor can any Man living inform me . But it will at least be the Seventh day of His Week . 2. If he be not satisfied with this : My next Expedient is thus . Let him take a Voyage round the World , as Sir Francis Drake did . Going out of the Atlantick Ocean West-ward by the Streights of Magellan to the East-Indies ; and then , from the East , returning by the Cape of Good Hope ( the usual way ) homeward . And take with him as many as please of those who are of his mind . And let them keep their Saturday-Sabbath all the way . When they come home to England , they will find their Saturday to fall upon our Sunday ; and they may thenceforth continue to observe their Saturday-Sabbath on the same day with us . Which is the second Expedient . If you ask , How this can be ? I will make it very plain , that so it will be , and so it must be . For , Supposing the Earth to be Round , and the Sun moving from East to West ; you must allow that it comes sooner to the Eastern parts than to the Western . It will sooner be Noon in Holland than in England , and sooner here than in Ireland . If you ask , How much sooner ? We say , that Fifteen Degrees of Longitude West-ward , makes it an Hour later . As if he Embark about Dover , Yarmouth , or other Port on the East-side of England , and Sail as far West-ward as the West of Ireland ( or a little farther ) it will be an Hour later , and not be Noon there till it be One a Clock at the place where he Embarked . And so in proportion , an Hour for every Fifteen degrees . And accordingly , when he hath gone round the whole Circle of Three hundred and Sixty Degrees , ( that is Four and twenty times Fifteen , ) it will be later by Four and twenty hours ▪ That is , it will be but Saturday-noon with him , when it is Sundaynoon with those who staid here . That is , His Saturday will be Our Sunday . And thenceforth his Saturday-Sabbath will be the same day with our Sunday-Sabbath ever after . And this , I think , should fully satisfy him . For he tells us , p. 39. The variety of the time of the Sun-rising or setting in different Climates doth no way disturb ; for that a day longer , or shorter is still a day , and but a day ▪ Most certain it is he who shall have thus Sailed round the World will have had one day fewer than those who staid here . So it was with Sir Francis Drake and his Company : And so it hath been with all who have taken such a Voyage , ( as many have done , for it is not a rare case : ) and so will be to any who shall so do . What he would resolve upon this case , or what he thinks Sir Francis Drake was to do when this happened ; I cannot tell . If he would go on to reckon the days according as they had happened to him in his Voyage ; then this Expedient must fully satisfy him . For then he keeps his Saturday-Sabbath on our Sunday . If he thinks the account should be rectified when or before he comes home , and call the days thenceforth as he finds those to do that staid here , what shall be come of that day he hath lost ? and which day of the Week shall he reckon that to be ? And When must he rectify that account ? when he comes home , or somewhere by the way ? For it would be just the same , if , before he come at England , he should have landed in France or Spain , or on the Coast of Africk , or even at the East-Indies ; and all the way from thence , he would still be a day behind them . And so he would be with every Ship that in his way he should meet with . If he and such other Ship meet at the Isle of St. Helens to take fresh water , his Saturday will be their Sunday ; and on which of the two days are they to keep their Sabbath ? or must they keep it one on the one day , and the other on the other ? If he say that the account is to be rectified by the way ( before he comes home ) then Where ? or When ? and by What rule ? For when ever he doth so rectify it , he must then begin to call Sunday what just before he was to call Saturday . If he say , This must be left to Discretion , when , and where : Then must it be matter of discretion ( and not determin'd by the Fourth Commandment ) on which of the two days in question the Sabbath shall be kept . But then here will again come in our amazing demand ( as p. 48 , 86 , 87. ) What man or men , without an high Usurpation of the Divine Authority , contrary to the First Commandment shall , with pretended good intentions , assume an authority of their own heads , to appoint ( for this or that place ; suppose the Streights of Magellan ) what day shall be the Lords holy Sabbath ? Who , but our Lord Iesus Christ , that is Lord of the Sabbath , hath power to institute a Sabbath day ? If the Church or any part thereof be once admitted to have such Power , what Bolts or Locks will be strong enough for such a Door , to keep it from letting in upon the Churches of Christ what soever pleaseth those in Power ? I shall not much trouble my self to answer all this Warmth . But ( when that is over ) if at or near the Streights of Magellan ( a place , I think , not inhabited , or not by Christian , ) a Colony be planted by some from hence , and some from the East-Indies ; those who come thither from hence will ( according to their account ) call that Saturday , which those who come thither from the other side will ( according to their account ) call Sunday : Must they have no Sabbath at all ? ( that 's against the Fourth Commandment : ) Or must they by consent agree upon the day ? ( this I should think , if he would give me leave : ) Or must they keep it some upon one day some on the other ? This I would by no means advise , if it may be avoided : Because it would be a manifest confusion and disorder ; And they would not both ( if either ) be the Seventh-day in course from the Creation : And which of them is so , is not possible for any man to know . And it would be more for common Edification that they do agree upon a common day . And not much matter , whether of the Two. This Gentleman , if he can consider of it calmly , I am apt to think will be of the same mind ; and think it better to have such a Sabbath than none at all ; and that the little circumstance , whether on this or that day , should be disregarded in comparison of the Substantials of the Duty . There be many things which the Word of God or the Divine Law doth determine in Thesi , which when in Hypothesi they come in practise , will require the intervention of Prudentials or Humane Laws . The Eighth Commandment says , I must not Steal , or take unduly from my Neighbour what is His : But , What is Mine , and what is my Neighbours , will depend much upon Humane Laws ; and , what shall be reputed a Trespass on my Neighbours land ; or , a forfeiture of his right . The Seventh Commandment says , Thou shalt not commit Adultery : But it will depend much upon Humane Law , what shall be reputed a Good Marriage . The Sixth Commandment says Thou shalt not Kill : But it will much depend upon Humane Law what shall be reputed Self-defense , or a Just War , or a Forfeiture of Life . The Fifth Commandment requires us to Honour and Obey our Parents ; But , in many cases , 't is Humane Law that is to determine , who is to be reputed the Father . If a Widow be left whith Child by a former Husband , and marry another before that Child be born ( which sometime happens ; ) 't will be a point in Law , not in Divinity , to whether of the Two Fathers this Son shall be Heir . And if my Father require me to part with what Estate is my own , 't will be a point in Law , how far I am required to obey such a Command . ( And the like as to other Superiours , as well as Natural Parents . ) And those Laws which seem Absolute ( as Thou shalt not Kill , Thou shalt not Steal , &c. ) Have yet their Tacite Limitations implied . For no man doubts but there are cases wherein to Kill may be lawful ; as in Self-defense , in a just War , and for Capital Crimes ; And in such cases , to take from our Neighbour what was His. And , notwithstanding the Command of Honour thy Father and Mother , or that of Children obey your Parents in all things ; there may things happen , wherein we are not obliged to do what they bid us . And in all such cases there is room for Prudence to interpose . Not , to Abrogate or Repeal a Law of God ; But to judge what is the true Intent of that Law. So not withstanding that Command of the Sabbath , In it thou shall do no manner of work ; yet our Saviour tells us , The Priests in the Temple profane the Sabbath and are blameless ; and against the Pharisees superstitious rigour he argues , not onely from his own Authority ( The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath-day ) But from the Reason of the Law , The Sabbath was made for Man , and not Man for the Sabbath ; and consequently is so to be understood as may be for the Good of Man ( spiritual and bodily ) not for his Hurt . And our Author allows the emergent cases of Necessity and Mercy ; And no man doubts but that if a House be on Fire , we may Labour to quench it . In all which cases Prudence may be used , but must not ( upon that pretense ) be Abused . Not as if it were left to our Prudence , whether or no the Law of God shall be Obeyed ; But , what is , in such cases , the true Intendment of the Law of God. And there needs no other Locks or Bolts ( as our Author speaks ) to confine Prudence in such cases , than in all other Prudential Acts. So when the Fourth Commandment requires us to keep holy the Sabath-day ; it may yet , in many cases , depend much upon Prudence or Humane Laws , which day shall be reputed the Sabbath . And if this Author tell us , it must be the Seventh in course from the Creation ; We are never a whit the nearer . For though he take great pleasure , on all occasions , to exclaim against Tradition ; yet he must admit a great deal of Tradition to intervene before he can prove this or that day to be a Seventh in course from the Creation . I am apt to think also , that when he hath well consider'd the case of Sr. Francis Drake ( and many more since that time , who sailing round the world , as he did , have lost a day , ) he will come to one of these two Resolutions : Either that when he comes back to England he must continue to call that Saturday which on his account was so ; ( and then his Saturday-Sabbath will be the same with our Sunday : ) Or else that his account must be somewhere rectified in his Voyage by skipping a day ; and then and there beginning to call Sunday what , just before , he was to call Saturday . Now because there is nothing in Nature to determine where this must be ; nor is there any thing of divine Institution ( that I know of ) to determine where it shall be ; It seems to me to be Prudential , or most rational , ( if nothing intervene to counterbalance it , ) to be at what we call the first Meridian , from whence we reckon the Degrees of Longitude , East-ward , 1 , 2 , 3 , &c. and so onward till we come round to 360 , at the same Meridian again ; and thence begin to reckon onward 1 , 2 , 3 , &c. as before , for another round . This first Meridian , in Ptolemy's time , was accounted to be about the Western part of the African shore ; as being the most Western part of the World then known . Of later times , Geographers have been pleased to remove it more West , about the Islands called Azores , or the Flemish Islands . But all agree to place it between our Continent and that of America . And if from that Meridian , from whence we reckon the beginning of Longitude , we reckon also the beginning of Days ; then the last of Saturday must there end , and the first of Sunday must there begin . And therefore at that Meridian the sailers round the World should rectify their account , calling it Saturday on the one side of it , and Sunday on the other ; that being the latest of Saturday , and the soonest of Sunday . He will tell me perhaps , that , by this account , if We keep our Sabbath on Sunday , those in New-England must be said to keep theirs on Monday , as being on the other side of that Meridian . And 't is true , it would so follow . And therefore I did interpose , if nothing else do intervene to counterbalance it . And this is what I did at first intimate , as disputable , whether we and they in New-England are to be said to keep our Sabbath on the same day . But it is the same case as to the whole Continent of America . And the same resolution will reach all . And therefore , the thing being once settled by the common consent of all , I would by no means advise to change the day . For the placing the first Meridian is purely Arbitrary . It might as well have been placed beyond America , ( if men had so pleased , and that America had been known in Ptolemy's time ) as on this side : ( And we might have numbred our Degrees of Longitude Westward , as now we do Eastward : ) And may be so reputed now , if men so please ( as it is now reputed about 10 or 15 degrees more to the Westward than it was in Ptolemy's days . ) And it is purely Arbitrary , where to begin to change the name of the day which is to be so called ; whether at the First Meridian , or else-where . And consequently 't is purely Arbitrary or Discretional , whether in America such day shall be called Sunday or Monday . There is nothing in the fourth Commandment , nor in the Word of God , to determine it . But it so happening , that America hath been peopled from Europe , traveling Westward from hence ( without taking notice that we cross the first Meridian , ) we have reckoned the days ( and so named them ) according as they appeared to those upon their Voyage who went thither . Whereas if it had been peopled ( I mean , as to the Christians there ) from Asia and the East-Indies ( by people coming thence to the other side of America ) what there is now called Sunday , would ( for the like reason ) have been called Monday : and the Fourth Commandment equally observed either way . And upon a like account Christians in the East-Indies , and in China and Iapan , traveling Eastward from hence thither , do call their days there according as they appeared to fall out to them in the course of their Voyage . Now 't is true , that some part of the day which we here call Sunday , is coincident with some part of what is so called in Iapan , and also some part of our Sunday ( though not the same part ) is coincident with part of theirs in America . But very little of theirs in the East of Iapan , with theirs in the West of America . About Eleven a clock at night in the one ( or yet later ) before it begins to be one a clock in the morning in the other , ( scarce an hour in common ) according to our ancient Maps . ( Our later Maps make it somewhat more , as if it might be Ten at night in the one , when it begins to be Two in the morning at the other . ) Yet these pass for the same sunday . And 't is well enough so to reckon . But it is Prudentially so : Because the chief Trade and intercourse of America , is with Europe ; not with Asia . And therefore it is considered as lying West from Europe ; rather than as East from Iapan . And accordingly it is so placed in our Maps . And though we continue to reckon our Longitude as from a Meridian between Us and America , yet the account of our days we begin as from a Meridian beyond it , between America and Asia . Which is not said to raise new scruples , ( as if I would advise an alteration of a received computation ; which is well enough as it is ; and I know not how to mend it : ) But to shew there is an unavoidable Necessity of leaving much to Prudential considerations , What day shall be reputed sunday , and what the sabbath , in this or that place . And therefore it cannot reasonably be thought the design of the fourth Commandment to confine us to such Circumstantial Niceties , which do not at all influence the substantials of Worship . The fourth Commandment requires the seventh day of Holy Rest , after six days of ordinary Labour . But of a Seventh day in course from the Creation to be so observed , it saith nothing : Nor is it possible for us to know . The Iews observed a seventh day in course from the first raining of Manna ; but I do not know how that concerns us ; or , if it did , how we shall know which is that day ? ( for this Gentleman will not allow Tradition to be a good proof . ) We observe a seventh day in course from what ( we think ) the Apostles did observe . If we mistake our reckoning ( which I think we do not ) it is not a Culpable Ignorance ; for it is according to the best Light we have . This day we are in possession of , and the Christian Church hath so been for many Hundred years . And he that would dispossess us of it , must shew a better Title . ( The old rule is , Possidentis potior est ratio . ) To change meerly for change sake , is Foolish . If he would lay a Divine Necessity on us to observe the Iewish Sabbath from the first raining of Manna ( if at least that be the day by them observed in our Saviours time ; ) he must make it clear to us , which is that day ( by a better argument , if he can , than Tradition : ) And , that we are of necessity obliged to that day ; which was ( himself acknowledges ) a distinctive sign of them from other Nations , as Circumcision also was . And if this distinctive mark ( when the partition wall is broken down ) do as much cease as that did : 'T is as truly superstition now to put a necessity upon it , as upon Circumcision . Which though the Apostles would , for a while , permit to the Jews ; ( to whom it had once been a Law ) till they should be better satisfied ; Yet would by no means allow to the Gentiles , to whom it had not before been a Law. And I think the case is just the same of the Iewish Sabbath as contradistinguished to the Lords day . I am Yours , &c. FINIS .