by the Light of Nature But much more say I was it clearly manifested to Adam in Innocency But furthermore saith he the outward means or matter of that Worship which would be acceptable to God was not known by the Light of Nature the Law for a spiritual Worship by the Faculties of our Souls was natural and part of the Law of Creation tho the determination of the particular Acts whereby God would have this Homage testified was of positive Institution and depended not on the Law of Creation Tho Adam in Innocence knew God was to be worshipped yet by nature he did not know by what outward Acts he was to pay this Respect or at what Time he was more solemnly to be exercised in it than another This depended on the Directions God as the Soveraign Governor and Lawgiver should prescribe you shall therefore find the positive Institution It is observable that this great Man is not here concerned to confute the Seventh-day Sabbatarians but about another thing yet affirms with many other Learned Men that Adam by the Law of Creation did not know in Innocency at what time God was more solemnly to be worshipped than another 2. No doubt but the substance of all the ten Precepts was wrote in Adam's Heart The Substance of all Moral Precepts written in Adam's Heart yet it appears the knowledg of the Seventh-day to be kept as a Sabbath was not written there tho that which was simply and naturally moral of the fourth Commandment was Secondly I argue thus If the precise Seventh-day was written in Adam's Heart The Law of the 7th day Sabbath not written in Adam's Heart there had been no need of an Institution or positive Law to make it known to him for what more need had he of an outward Revelation of this than of the other Commandments Take here what a Learned Man hath said * Mr. P. a Minister at Rouen in France p. 3. If the keeping of the Seventh-day were a Moral Duty our Father Adam by that Light of Nature God put in his Mind when he created him would have known it as well as he knew all other things in themselves good and necessary but he neither had nor should have had any knowledg thereof if God had not injoined it to him by a particular Command as those which maintain the morality of the Sabbath do avouch So that this followeth manifestly that the observation of the Seventh-day depends merely on Institution My Brethren Let this be considered well that if the knowledg of the Seventh-day wholly depended on the Will of God or on mere Institution and resulted not as all pure and simple moral Precepts do from the holy Rectitude of God's Nature it follows that the precise Day pertains not to the Essence of the Fourth Commandment but the simple Morality of that Precept lies only in a time of Worship And certainly if God by a mere positive Command had not given it to Israel they had no more known it their duty to keep it than the Pagan World did who were wholly ignorant thereof as I shall prove And be sure if God wrote not the Law or knowledg of the Seventh-day Sabbath on Adam's Heart the Seventh-day is not of the same nature with simply moral Precepts which God engraved on his Heart even the substance or tenor of all the Ten Commandments and made him know them naturally without any instruction by word of mouth But it appears by their own Assertion it was instituted c. Therefore the knowledg of the Seventh-day as a special time of Worship was not wrote in his Heart Our Opponents dare not deny but the substance of the whole Moral Law was wrote in his Heart and they foresee it is dangerous to deny it From whence it appears that all the other Precepts are simply moral and so is a time of Worship but the precise Seventh-day by their own concession was instituted in Man's Innocency and so depends wholly upon an express positive Command declared to Adam by audible Words resounding in his Ears Mr. Tillam says Tillam 's Book p. 7. It was instituted before the Fall and founded in Mount Paradise Answ Tho I believe no such matter nor can any Man prove it yet to grant it for Argument-sake then I say it follows it was not written in Adam's Heart for the being perfect he would naturally have known it without being told it was his Duty to keep it For consider that he was created on the Sixth Day and understood what was naturally and universally good i. e. all those Duties that were essential parts of Godliness and Righteousness or things belonging to good Manners Now if so why need he be told he must keep the Seventh-day or why must that Precept come under express Institution and none of the rest Object God saw good to bring all the ten Commandments under express Institution on Mount Sinai as well as he brought the seventh-day Sabbath in Paradise under express Institution Answ I deny it not God did then see good so to do considering how the Nature of Man was corrupted and his Law written in his Heart was blotted and blur'd by the Fall But let it be consider'd that the Law was not written in two Tables of Stone so much for a Rule of Life as for other reasons The Reasons why God added the Ministration of the Law wrote in two Tables of Stone 1. It was added and written there to aggravate Sin on the Conscience It was added saith Pual because of Transgression Gal. 3. 19. it was to make Sin appear exceeding sinful Rom. 7. 13. 2. It was written there to shew the Creature his sad and woful condition and to make known how unable fallen Man was to fulfil the Righteousness of God 3. And as a Schoolmaster to lead such as were under it to Christ in whom perfect Righteousness only is to be found Man being not able to keep perfectly that holy and just Law 4. And to shew them as I conceive that nothing but the Finger of God could write his holy Law in the stony Hearts of Sinners as shall be further demonstrated hereafter for that whole Ministration of the Law and Covenant I shall prove was a shadow and typical and so no standing Law or Ministration as there written but as it is in the hand of Jesus Christ 5. That whole Law and consequently the Seventh-day Sabbath was given on Mount Sinai as it suted the Judaical Oeconomy as well their Political as Ecclesiastical state There are many Additions made to the Seventh-day Sabbath together with other Ends annex'd and Designs and Uses thereto employ'd which is granted by such as assert it was given to Adam in Paradise * This gave a new state to it saith Dr. Owen p. 8 9. Secondly If it had been given to Adam in Innocency he not knowing without an Institution it was his Duty to keep it I argue from hence it follows that he had the
continue any longer And thus I close with the fourth general Argument viz. It is not the Duty of believing Gentiles to keep the Seventh-day Sabbath from the Law of the Decalogue given by Moses Exod. 20. Fifthly No Precept to keep the Seventh-day Sabbath in the New Testament It is not their Duty to keep it by any Precept given by Christ or Precedent we have in the New Testament 1. That which is urged concerning Christ's not coming to destroy the Law c. we have answer'd as also that of Paul we do not make void the Law through Faith That Text also we have answer'd and turn'd the Sword against our Adversaries which says the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath and the Sabbath was 〈◊〉 made for Man 3. And also their great Proof in that of James if ye fulfil the Royal Law Jam. 2. 8 10. This I have given a full Answer to in this Discourse 4. I proceed to another pretended Argument viz. Pray that your flight be not in the Winter nor on the Sabbath-day Mat. 24. 20. Answ This Text some learned Men have not I am satisfied given the right sense of But let us premise three things 1. That Christ gave the old Names to Jewish Ordinances very often and so did his Apostles 2. That our Lord well knew how superstitiously zealous the unbelieving Jews were and would remain for their Sabbath Now pray mind the scope of this Text Christ shews how sudden their flight would be when Jerusalem was to be destroyed ver 16 17. and v. 19. he saith Wo to them that are with Child and them that give suck in those days But pray that your flight be not in the Winter nor on the Sabbath-day for then shall be great Tribulation 3. It is evident there is the same reason they should pray that their flight be not in the Winter as not on the Jewish Sabbath-day Why not in the Winter because of the difficulties of the Ways they might be deep and unpassable then whereby their Escape might be hinder'd Why not on the Sabbath-day because say some their Consciences would not admit them to fly then further than a Sabbath-day's Journy It is strange to me that our Lord should tell them a little before that it was lawful to save the Life of a sorry Animal a Brute on the Sabbath-day and bid a Man take up his Bed or bear a Burden on the Sabbath and now hint that it was not lawful or that they would so think to save their Lives by flying on the Sabbath-day believe this who will Was it not lawful to pull an Ox or Sheep out of a Pit on the Sabbath-day or for Men to carry their Goods out of their Houses on the Sabbath-day if a Fire should then happen I do not think they were ever so superstitiously blind Nay to preserve human Life our Lord shew'd was much more lawful on that day than the Life of Beasts But say some it would be grievous and uncomfortable to them to fly on that day in which they used to find so much delight Answ Our Lord gives a direct contrary Reason i.e. for then will be great Tribulation the unbelieving Jews should they fly on their Sabbath would severely handle them may be knock them on the head on this account our Lord bids them so to pray therefore this could not be the meaning of it Moreover he knew his own Disciples before that time came would be convinced that the Jewish Sabbath was ceased with other Legal Rites Therefore this I take to be the direct meaning of our blessed Lord viz. Because on the Jewish Sabbath-day the unbelieving Jews among whom you will remain or many of you when the Destruction of the City comes may be so strict and superstitious as to keep watch and ward at every Gate and Way that you will not be able to escape at least not above one of their Sabbath-day's Journey therefore pray your flight be not on that day This is all I can see in this Text. Both David and Elijah were fain to fly on the Sabbath-day See Pet. Heylin p. 137. Besides some learned Men from this Passage argue for the Christian Sabbath as 't is not unknown to our Opponents as Dr. Twiss and many more and that our Lord alludes to that Sabbath that he knew his Disciples would observe after his Death but I rather adhere to the former Exposition Obj. But the Women rested on the Sabbath-day according to the Commandment Luke 23. 56. Answ The Men themselves I mean the Disciples before our Lord suffer'd were so ignorant that they knew not their Lord should die and some a great while after did not know that they should preach to the Gentiles and is it any wonder that these good Women should not know so soon that the Sabbath was abrogated Some after that were zealous for Circumcision c. and is that an Argument that Circumcision is our Duty Besides no new day for solemn Worship was then appointed nor till after our Lord rose from the dead Object Paul as his manner was and other Apostles observed the Jews Sabbath-day they preached in the Temple and Synagogue of the Jews on the Sabbath-day Answ 1. They never taught the Jews nor Gentiles to observe the Seventh-day Sabbath 2. No one Church as we read of ever met to celebrate any Gospel-Ordinance on the Jewish Sabbath-day 3. There is not one word of any Saint that ever kept it 4. All that is on Record is that the Apostles preached to the Jews on that day Why so because they could not preach to them but when assembled together and having a Commission first to preach the Gospel to them they went into the Temple and into their Synagogue and preach'd to them on that day and so did Paul at Mars-hill to the Athenians Acts. 17. 22. 16. 13. as well as to the Jews on their Sabbath 'T is said that Paul as his manner was went in unto them Act. 13. 14. and three Sabbath-days reasoned with them out of the Scriptures Acts 17. 2. Not saith one to solemnize the Sabbath after the Jewish manner from the observation whereof the Apostles Dr. Young p. 10 11. because of the Authority committed to them by Christ were far enough especially when Paul himself did most severely reprove the Colossians and Galations because some among them stood for the Sabbath and other Feasts of the Jews but because they then had a fit occasion of communing with the Jews met together that after the readings of the Law were over they might preach the Gospel with more fruit in such a concourse of People which upon other days they could not so easily obtain and for no other end as from the alledged Testimony is evident Which things let the Reader seriously weigh for at any time or in what place soever they could they preached the Gospel to the Jews therefore on the Sabbaths as well in their
in the Regions and Climates aforesaid there be no such particular day as is expressed in the fourth Commandment yet there is a sufficient and equivalent space of time which may be measured by hours My answer is That the Law of the Decalogue requireth the keeping holy of such a Seventh-day as is distinguished from the day before and the day after by a new return arising presence and going down of the Sun But Time and Hours in general do not yield or constitute such a Day And saith another Author Mr. Ironside p. 133 There is no moral Law of Nature in Scripture but is it self possible to all in all parts of the World in regard of the thing commanded But a natural Sabbath-day as made to consist of 24 hours or of a Day and a Night is absolutely impossible for some men in some parts of the World to be observed If it be objected That this makes equally against the first Day as against the Seventh I answer We do not say the observation of the first Day is a moral Precept but merely positive No doubt but the Seventh-day was instituted for Israel whose Habitation was fixed in the Land of Canaan See a late Author on the Sabbath T. C. recommended by Dr. Bates and Mr. How c. 10. p. 40. The day of God's Rest saith he which is the seventh Day from the Creation is the same universal Day with all People but it can't be the same Day of the week with all People If the Day of God's Rest be Saturday with some it must needs be Friday or Sunday with others So likewise the time of Christ's coming to Judgment if it be saith he on the Saturday with some it will be on Friday or Sunday with others This he proves because the Earth is not plain but round The Jews saith he neither did nor could keep the very Seventh-day on which God rested in all places but as we according to God's Command work six days and rest the Seventh so did they And as Sunday with Christians was ever the day following six days of labour so was the Saturday with the Jews If this be so it can't be deny'd that the Seventh-day of God's resting cannot be kept by all nor do any know they do keep it Ninthly Christ Lord of the Sabbath can dispose of it as he pleases The morality of the fourth Commandment consists not in the precise Seventh-day Sabbath because of Christ's Lordship over it as Mediator That Commandment over which Christ was absolute Lord as the Son of Man cannot be moral for a moral Precept is part of God's Eternal Law Ironside p. 53 54. over which the Son of Man can have no power saith a Learned Author being made under the Law But Christ as the Son of Man Mat. 12. 8. was Lord of the Sabbath Mark 2. 27. as himself twice has told us Object So it is said he is Lord of the dead and living Answ This saith our Author is to play with the ambiguity of the words 'T is one thing for Christ to be Lord of the Church to guide govern perfect quicken raise and glorify her Eph. 1. 20 21 22. and another to be Lord of a Law or Constitution to moderate dispense with order alter and abolish it for in what other Construction can any one be said to be Lord of a Law Obj. Christ can't be said to refer to this because he had not then abrogated the Sabbath Answ 1. I have shewed that spiritual Rest signified by the seventh-day's Rest was given to all them that believed in Christ so that the Antitype being come the Type was a flying away and was in a dying state at that very time tho all typical Ordinances were not utterly abolished till his Death and Resurrection 2. 'T is as if our Lord should have said you magnify the Sabbath as if that was one of the greatest Commandments and the main end of Man's Creation but you must know the Sabbath was made for Man and not Man for the Sabbath as were all legal Rites and Ceremonies And if it be thus I that am the Messiah am by my Office Lord of the Sabbath and I can and will abrogate it and appoint another day in its room Certainly Man was made to discharge all pure moral Precepts they being originally stampt on his Heart as Christ who was made under the Law was ordain'd to keep the Law for us and not the Law made for him Man was made in the Image of God and under a holy Law and Covenant of perfect Obedience to serve his Creator and by the observation of that holy Law written in his Heart as the Law of his very Creation he bore the Image of God in the World Mark 2. 27. serving him in Righteousness and Holiness to the Glory of his Name and for this he was made yet Man was not made for the Sabbath but the Sabbath for him i. e. for his good in respect to his Body and Soul 1. As to his outward Rest c. 2. As a help to discharge all Duties of instituted Worship the better for the good of his Soul 3. And chiefly to point out or shadow forth to him the true Rest by Jesus Christ and so that typical Sabbath was to remain no longer than till that true Rest was come and finally established for then it could be of no further use to Man for which end it was chiefly appointed for him Object I know some object from these words the Sabbath was made for Man that therefore it was for every Man Answ The Woman was made for Man also but must every man have a Wife therefore God ne'r design'd that for such to whom he hath given the Gift to live without marrying So neither were all Men to have this Sabbath no none but they to whom it was given tho it was made for Man yet not for every Man in the World but only for the whole House of Israel and the proselyted Stranger within their Gate as I shall shew in the next place Tenthly The pure Morality of the fourth Command consists not in the observation of the precise Seventh-day Sabbath The simple Morality of the fourth Command lies not in one day in seven because it lies not in one day in seven but in a sufficient time for Rest and the Worship of God tho I do assert and stedfastly believe that by a positive Precept contain'd in the fourth Commandment one day in seven God will have observed to the end of the World which I think is the sum 〈◊〉 what the Learned mean by a Law positive â—â—ral Not that precise day for mind the words Exod. 20. Remember the Sabbath-day to keep it holy In this Clause it does not directly point at one peculiar day more than another the Light of Nature requires a time and God positively lays claim to a seventh day or one day in seven perpetually to be observed as a day of Rest
come in the Flesh at least of his being King and Law-giver to his Church And to lay the Foundation of all religious solemn Worship in the observation of a Day as the Seventh-day precisely had no relation to any natural or moral Precept nor was instituted or approved by Jesus Christ cannot but be unpleasing to them who desire to have their Consciences immediately influenced by his Authority in all their approaches unto God But Christ herein is supposed to have built the whole Fabrick of his Worship on the Foundation of Moses and to have grafted all his Institutions into a Stock that was not of his own planting 11. Moreover it is evident that the Consequence of their Opinion concerning the necessary observation of the Seventh-day Sabbath as the Doctor saith It tends to Schism tends to the increasing and perpetuating of Schisms and Differences among Christians And those are the worst saith he and most pernicious which occasion or draw after them any thing whereby men are hindred from joining together in the same publick solemn Worship whereby they yield unto God that reverence of his Glory But now upon a supposition of an adherence by any unto the Seventh-day Sabbath all Communion among Professors in solemn Gospel-Ordinances is rendered impossible For if those of that Perswasion do expect that others will be brought unto a relinquishment of an Evangelical observance of the Lord's Day Sabbath they will find themselves mistaken The evidence which they have of its appointment and the experience they have had of God's presence in its religious observation will secure their practice in this matter c. The Seventh-day Sabbath men on the other hand supposing themselves obliged to meet for solemn Worship on the Seventh-day which the other account unwarrantable for them to do on the pretence of any binding Law to that purpose and esteeming it unlawful saith he to assemble religiously with others on the First-day on the plea of Evangelical Warranty do absolutely cut off themselves from all possibility of Communion in the administration of Gospel-Ordinances with any other Churches of Christ And whereas most other breaches as to Communion are in their nature capable of healing without a renunciation of those Principles in the minds of men which seem to give countenance to them the distance is here made absolutely irreparable while the Opinion maintained is owned by any I will press this saith he no further but only by affirming that Persons truly fearing the Lord ought to be very careful and jealous over their own Understanding before they embrace an Opinion and Practice which will shut them from all visible Communion with the generality of the Saints of God in the World To which let me add How can they have Communion with us if they consider and observe the Consequences of their Principle Are not we guilty of absolute Immorality i. e. the literal breach of one Precept of the first Table Can they or we have Communion with such as bow down to a graven Image or profane the holy Name of God or are guilty of Murder c. And thus you may see what the natural and genuine Consequences of this Principle are and that it not only tends to lay the Generation of the Righteous under the guilt of the breach of a moral Precept and renders them guilty in their sense of the breach of the whole Law but hath other bad Consequents attending it also And this may tend to convince all that consider of what I say that the Morality of the fourth Commandment doth not consist in that precise Seventh-day Sabbath and discovers how blind these Men are Brethren tho I believe many who keep this Day and affirm it is a moral Precept are very pious and good Christians Some of them are for free Grace c. and do not affirm what I say nor may be see it not to be so or will not say thus What then yet I will appeal to all thinking impartial Persons whether I do not infer the direct natural Consequence of their Principle Moreover let me ask here this Question how it can stand consistent with a good Conscience for a Minister to forbear preaching in any Congregation some part of Morality or a moral Precept I grant that Love Wisdom Charity Peace c. may prevent some Men from preaching some Duties of mere positive right for a short time at least that are disputable and not Essentials of Salvation But what are such things to a simple moral Precept both materially and formally one of the Ten Commandments as they affirm their Sabbath is Suppose a Minister preaches to a Congregation that he knows are generally guilty of worshipping a Graven Image or of profane Swearing or of Adultery or of killing their innocent Neighbours would not he preach against these horrid Evils for fear he should offend the Congregation or if he forbear so to do would he not be shamefully guilty of great Sin and of their Blood also Happy is the Man that condemns not himself in the thing he allows I know what some have said about Polygamy if they answer me let them use that Argument I am prepared to reply But let none think I speak thus to expose any of them out of Prejudice for I can appeal to Almighty God I have none against any of their Persons But it is to expose their Principle and Practice in love to their Souls and to the Souls of other Persons But before I conclude with this old Sabbath I must add one dangerous Consequence more of their Principle 12. Is not that a dangerous Error that reflects nay casts Contempt upon the Holy Ghost in respect of his Work and Office which is to convince Believers of all Sin especially of all immoral Evils under his most clear and glorious Ministration since our Saviour's Ascension into Heaven Now I ask our Opponents Whether the holy Spirit doth convince all Believers that they ought to keep the old Seventh-day Sabbath or reprove them for Immorality in the non-observance thereof Sirs as these things aggravate their Evil in what they affirm so it clearly tends to overthrow the pretended Morality of that precise Seventh-day Sabbath for the holy Spirit never convinces Believers of any such Duty nor reproves them for working on that day or for bearing of Burdens on it any more than on any other day in the week to their dying day But it lets them silently fall asleep without the least sense of any such pretended immoral Evil. Besides the generality of Believers after their utmost inquiry search and seeking to God in all sincerity cannot be convinc'd it is their Duty to keep this Day Would the Holy Ghost thus leave the Generation of the Godly under Sin and such Ignorance think you were this a moral Duty And as to such as do observe it I am satisfied the Spirit of God never taught them so to do But they in this are left to themselves and have a Zeal
of the very day next after the Jewish Sabbath as much as one a Clock is the proper name of one hour which is next after twelve It must be great ignorance or somewhat worse thus to object I will appeal to himself * That is Mr. Bamfield whether ever he met with that Name in any other sense Object They must on that Day lay by them as God had blessed them i. e. then cast up their Accounts tell their Mony reckon their Stock compute their expences c. and not collect Mony or lay it together on that day A wise Objection saith Dr. Wallis as tho all this could not be done before so far as necessary and they on Sunday put so much into the Poors Box or give it to the Deacons c. 2. According to this childish Objection they were but bid as it were to take so much Money as they purposed to give out of one Pocket on that day and put it by it self into another But I will appeal to them whether this would have prevented any gatherings when the Apostle came to them and no doubt Paul here put them in mind of some extraordinary Occasion that they might have more Money collected and put together against he came than usually on that Day they might collect yet it is clear it was all the Churches practice by the direction of the Holy Ghost on every First-day when the Churches met together for solemn Worship to gather Money for their poor Brethren and Sisters 3. The constant day of the Churches solemn assemblings Owen on the Sabb. p. 391. being fixed saith Dr. Owen Paul here takes it for granted and directs them to the observance of a special Duty on that day Object But here is no mention made of any meeting that was or was to be at this Season or the least prescription binding the Conscience to the weekly observation of the First-day for a Sabbath by divine Appointment Answ As the Doctor saith this and other Churches were before fixed on the constant observance of the First-day of the Week for the solemn Worship of God and his directing them upon this Day to make Collections for the Poor even every First-day c. doth fully shew that it was the precise Day of Church-Assemblies and that among all the Churches 'T is enough that on this day the Churches met not to preach only and make gatherings for the Poor Act. 20. 7. but to administer the Lord's Supper and we read of none that met as a Church to do any of these things on the Seventh-day Besides it is called the Lord's Day our Lord Christ allows us all the other days to work in but this is his Day wholly to be sequestered to his Service and therefore of divine Institution Had it been said on every Seventh-day let every one lay by him c. our Opponents would have urg'd it as a great proof for their Sabbath What some except Owen p. 391 392. saith Dr. Owen that here is no mention of any Church-Assembly but only that every one on that day should lay by him what he would give which every one might do at home or where they pleased is exceeding weak and unsutable to the mind of the Apostle For to what end should they be limited to a day and that the first of the Week for doing of that which might as well and to as good purpose and advantage be performed at any other time or on any other day of the Week whatever Besides it was such a laying aside such a treasuring of it in a common Stock as that there should be no need of any Collection when the Apostle came And now if this Practice and Example of the Primitive Churches be no Rule to us or bind us not certainly nothing they did or practised as Churches can oblige us Nay if so worse will follow also for if their Example in observing the First-day be no warrant for us nor it is not our duty from any thing that has been said to observe the Lord's Day it will follow that we in Gospel-times are not obliged to keep any special weekly day at all seeing we are by no Precept nor Precedent obliged to keep the Jewish Sabbath So that these men from hence appear the chiefest Enemies to any Gospel-Sabbath or day of Rest and solemn Worship in the World Note also Dr. Wallis that this day was not observed or to be observed once only but as a thing in course and so presumed by the Apostle when he gave particular Directions concerning a Collection for the poor Saints to be made weekly on that day And in like manner in the Churches of Galatia with like direction to them And we have reason to believe that it was observed in all other Churches also for Paul in another case saith 1 Cor. 7. 17. as he ordained in all Churches of the Saints they all walked by one and the same Rule and observed besure one and the same day and discharged the same Duties upon that day The First-day of the Week therefore being that on which Christ rose from the Dead and upon which the Churches met together in one place to break Bread Acts 2. 1 2. 20. 7. and which is called the Lord's Day and on which they were injoined to make Collections for the poor Saints besure is that day which our Lord commanded them to observe while he was with them forty days giving Commandments to his Apostles about things pertaining unto the Kingdom of God and setling the Affairs of the Christian Church And no doubt the observance of the First-day was one thing he commanded because on that day they afterwards met together and were most eminently owned in so doing Acts 2. 1 2. And what signifies their Objection There is no express Command to observe this Day As if it must be expressed as one observes be it enacted My Brethren an approved practice in God's Worship frequently repeated attested by Miracles incouraged by Christ's own Example with that of the Apostles and Christian Churches and continued ever since is evidence sufficient that it is the Will of God that this Day ought to be observed and such as cannot see it must remain blind As to such as still question whether this was the First-day of the Week let me note one thing more Beza * One or two Learned Men mention this had an antient Manuscript where it is called the Lord's Day Let every one on the Lord's Day lay by him c. But enough was said to that before it was the First-day of the Week and therefore the Lord's day And if this day had not been more holy or more fit for this Work of Love than any other Shepherd on the Sab. p. 219. Paul durst not have limited them to this Day nor have honoured this Day above any other yea above the Jewish Seventh-day Moreover saith Mr. Shepherd the Apostle doth not in this place immediately