A63997:195
The Christian Sabbath defended against a crying evil in these times of the antisabitarians…
The Christian Sabbath defended against a crying evil in these times of the antisabitarians of our age: wherein is showed that the morality of the fourth Commandment is still in force to bind Christians unto the sanctification of the Sabbath day. Written by that learned assertor of the truth, William Twice D.D. late prolocutor to the Assembly of Divines.The Christian Sabbath defended against a crying evil in these times of the antisabitarians of our age: wherein is shewed that the morality of the fourth Commandement is still in force to bind Christians unto the sanctification of the Sabbath day. Written by that learned assertor of the truth, William Twisse D.D. late prolocutor to the Assembly of Divines.
London: printed for Thomas Pierrepont, 1652
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.
Seventhly, And whereas some urged that it Christ himself had not instituted this day after his resurrection, the most Primitive Church should have been left destitute of a certain day of Gods worship, to wit, from the time of Christs resurrection to the first consecrating of the Lords Day, which they take to be absurd, and I confess, it seems unlikely that the Apostles took upon them to order ought until they received the Spirit on the day of Pentecost, that being the day they were to receive power from on high, to execute the commission given them, Mat. 28.19. to teach all nations; till which time they gathered no Churches. For the strengthening the former reason, it is added; That the Jews Sabbath was now abolished by Christs death and resurrection. This I do not deny, but the Apostles might very well be ignorant hereof as yet, as not having received the Spirit as yet; yea, & after the receiving it, we find they challenged Peter for going to the Gentiles to preach the Gospel, Acts 11. to this argument some answer, as Walaeus saith, that the days between Christs ascension and the coming down of the Holy Ghost upon them, were spent in continual meetings of the Apostles and other Disciples. But from the day of Pentecost, the Lords day thenceforth observed. This answer reacheth not unto the days interceding between Christs resurrection and his ascension. And when I consider Bishop Lake his discourse, grounded, as he professeth, upon universal observation (and which I find no reason to resist) namely, that the work of the day commends the day: If ever any day deserved to be festival to any, surely the day of our Saviours resurrection deserved to be festival unto them, to rejoice in the Lord thereon, according to that of the Psalmist,1 This is the day which the Lord hath made, let us be glad and rejoice therein; the ancient Fathers accommodating the place thereunto. The two verses immediately preceding, carrying in the forehead of them a manifest relation unto Christ as the proprietary of their meaning. 22. The stone which the builders refused, is become the head of the corner. 23. This is the Lords doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes. Now when was this manifested, namely, that the stone which the builders refused became the head of the corner, but by Christs ⟨p. 122⟩