Exercitations concerning the name, original, nature, use, and continuance of a day of sacred…

§. 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 ⟨p. 391⟩so called. It is [Greek or Hebrew], the Lords Day, the Day of the Lord, as the Holy Supper is [Greek or Hebrew], 1 Cor. 11. 20. the Lords Supper, by reason of his Institution. [Greek or Hebrew] the Day of the Lord in the Old Testament, which the LXX render [Greek or Hebrew], no where [Greek or Hebrew], signifies indeed, some illustrious Appearance of God in a way of judgement or mercy. And so also in the Person of Christ, this was the Day of his Appearance, Mark 16. 9. So was it still called by the ancient Writers of the Church. Ignatius in Epist. ad Trall. ad magnes. ect. Dionysius of Corinth. Epist. ad Rom. in Euseb. Hist. lib. 4. cap. 21. Theophilus Antioch. lib. 1. in 4. Evangel. Clemens Alex. stromat. lib. 7. cap. 7. Origen lib. 8. con. Cels. Tertul. de Coron. milit. cap. 3. As for those who assign the Institution of this Day to the Apostles, although the supposition be false, yet it weakens not the divine original of it. For an Obligation lying on all Believers to observe a Sabbath unto the Lord, and the Day observed under the Law of Moses being removed, it is not to be imagined that the Apostles fixed on another Day, without immediate direction from the Lord Christ. For indeed they delivered nothing to be constantly observed in the worship of God, but what they had his Authority for, 1 Cor. 11. 23