A53694:401
Exercitations concerning the name, original, nature, use, and continuance of a day of sacred…
Exercitations concerning the name, original, nature, use, and continuance of a day of sacred rest wherein the original of the Sabbath from the foundation of the world, the morality of the Fourth commandment with the change of the Seventh day are enquired into : together with an assertion of the divine institution of the Lord's Day, and practical directions for its due observation / by John Owen.
London: printed by R.W. for Nath. Ponder, 1671
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
1 Cor. 16. 2. the same practice is exemplified; 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. The constant Day of the Churches solemn Assemblies being fixed, he here takes it for granted, and directs them unto the observance of an especial duty on that Day. What some except, that here is no mention of any such Assembly, but only that every one on that Day ⟨p. 390⟩should lay by himself what he would give, which every one might do at home, or where they pleased, is exceeding weak, and unsuitable unto the mind of the Apostle. For to what end should they be limited unto a Day, and that the first Day of the Week, for the doing of that which might be as well, to as good purpose and advantage, performed at any other time, on any other Day of the Week whatever? Besides it was to be 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. But if this was done only privately, it would not of its self come together at his Advent, but must be collected. But all exceptions against these Testimonies have been so lately removed by others, that I shall not insist farther on them.
§. 28 That from these Times downwards the first Day of the Week had a solemn observation in all the Churches of Christ, whereby they owned its substitution in the room of the seventh Day, applying the duties and services of a Sabbath unto it, hath also been demonstrated. And that this was owned from the Authority of the Lord, is declared by John in the Revelation, who calls it the Lords Day, Rev. 1. 10. whereby he did not surprise the Churches with a new name, but denoted to them the Time of his Visions, by the name of the Day which was well known unto them. And there is no solid Reason why it should be so called, but that it owes its pre-eminence and observation unto his Institution and Authority. And no man who shall deny these things, can give any tolerable account, how, when, or from whence this Day came to be so observed, and