As therefore our Communion is termed the Lord's Supper, because it was instituted of the Lord, for the remembrance of his death: so the Christian Sabbath is called of theg Lord's day, because it was ordained of the Lord, for the memorial of his Resurrection. And as the Name of theh Lord honoureth the one, so doth it the other: and as the Lord of the Sabbath, by his royal Prerogative, and transcendent authority, could, so he had also reason, to change the Holy Sabbath from the seventh day to this, whereon we keep it. For as concerning the seventh day; which followed the six days, wherein God finished the Creation; there was no such precise institution, or necessity of sanctifying it perpetually, but such, as by the same authority, or upon greater reason and occasion, it might very well be changed and altered unto some other seventh day. For the Commandment doth* not say, Remember to keep only the seventh day, next following the sixth day of the Creation, or this or that seventh day: but indefinitely, Remember that thou keep holy† a seventh day. And to speak properly, as we take a day for the distinction of time, called either a day natural, consisting of 24 hours, or a day artificial, consisting ⟨p. 226⟩of 12 hours, from Sun-rising, to Sun-setting: and withal consider the Sun standing still at noon, in Joshua's time, the space of a whole day;5 and the Sun going back ten degrees,6 (viz. five hours, almost half an artificial day) in Hezekiah's time, the Jews themselves could not keep their Sabbath upon that precise and just distinction of time, called at the first, the seventh day from the Creation.
As therefore our Communion is termed the Lord's Supper, because it was instituted of the Lord, for the remembrance of his death: so the Christian Sabbath is called of theg Lord's day, because it was ordained of the Lord, for the memorial of his Resurrection. And as the Name of theh Lord honoureth the one, so doth it the other: and as the Lord of the Sabbath, by his royal Prerogative, and transcendent authority, could, so he had also reason, to change the Holy Sabbath from the seventh day to this, whereon we keep it. For as concerning the seventh day; which followed the six days, wherein God finished the Creation; there was no such precise institution, or necessity of sanctifying it perpetually, but such, as by the same authority, or upon greater reason and occasion, it might very well be changed and altered unto some other seventh day. For the Commandment doth* not say, Remember to keep hnly the seventh day, next following the sixth day of the Creation, or this or that seventh day: but indefinitely, Remember that thou keep holy† a seventh day. And to speak properly, as we take a day for the distinction of time, called either a day natural, consisting of 24 hours, or a day artificial, consisting ⟨p. 226⟩of 12 hours, from Sun-rising, to Sun-setting: and withal consider the Sun standing still at noon, in Joshuah's time, the space of a whole day;5 and the Sun going back ten degrees,6 (viz. five hours, almost half an artificial day) in Ezekiah's time, the Jews themselves could not keep their Sabbath upon that precise and just distinction of time, called at the first, the seventh day from the Creation.
- gRev. 1. 10. The Scripture of the New Testament, gives not this honourable title to any thing, but only to the blessed Sabbath, and holy Supper. For as he substituted the Lord's Supper in stead of the Passover, so did he the Lord's day, in the Jewish Sabbath's ro•m.
- h1 Cor. 11. 20.
- *Wolphii Chronolog. de Tem. l. cap. 1. p. 92.
- †Legis substantia est sex diebus, terr•nis negotiis encumber; septimâ, divino cultui dare operamLegis substantia est sex diebus, terr•nis negotiis incumb•re; septimâ, divino cultui dare operam
- 5Josh. 10. 12, 13.
- 62 Kin. 20. 11.
