A treatise of the Sabbath and the Lords-day Distinguished into foure parts. Wherein is declared both the nature, originall, and observation, as well of the one under the Old, as of the other under the New Testament. Written in French by David Primerose Batchelour in Divinitie in the Vniversity of Oxford, and minister of the Gospell in the Protestant Church of Roven. Englished out of his French manuscript by his father G.P. D.D.

CHAPTER Tenth.

Answer to the allegations of some pretended instan∣ces, conjectures, and inconveniences.

1. First instance. The observation of the first day of the weeke hath as solid foundations in the Scripture, as hath the Baptisme of little Children.

2. First Answer. Baptisme is commanded in the New Testament to all those that are in the Covenant, wherin little Children are comprised.

3. But there is no commandement in the New Testament to ob∣serve one of the seven dayes of the weeke.

4. Second Answer, although our Saviour hath substituted Bap∣tisme to the Circumcision, he hath not put any set day in the roome of the Iewish Sabbath.

5. Third Answer, the observation of the first day of the weeke from the beginning, inforceth not a divine institution therof, no more than the observation of Easter, and of other holy dayes, which are of as old date.

6. Second instance, of diverse judgements upon those that have neglected or contemned the observation of the first day of the weeke, answered.

7. Third instance, Man is naturally averse from the sanctificati∣on of the first day of the weeke.

8. Answer, shewing that he is sluggish and backward in Gods ser∣vice, not in keeping of dayes.

9. Fourth instance, of diverse inconveniences that shall follow, if the observation of the first day of the weeke be not a divine in∣stitution.

10. Answer to the first inconvenience, that the Church should bee Lady and Mistresse of the Sabbath, if it depend on her insti∣tution, shewing how the Church may and may not sanctifie a day for Gods service.

11. First Answer to the second inconvenience, that she may ap∣point as many or as few dayes for Gods service as pleaseth her. shewing that both extremities must be avoyded.

12. Second Answer, The Church hath not failed in either of them.

13. Third Answer, The Church in her reformation hath taken or∣der with the multiplication of holy dayes, and brought them within a little compasse.

14. Answer to the third inconvenience, that the Church might change the Lords day into another, shewing that she might have done so in the beginning.

15. The fourth inconvenience, that the appointing of a day for Gods publike service injoyned in the fourth Commandement, should depend on the Church, is no inconvenience.

16. Saving in case no day were appointed, which is not to bee fea∣red.

17. Answer to the fifth inconvenience, that many men will neglect the keeping of the first day of the weeke, if they be perswaded that it is not a divine institution, shewing, that profane men will, religious men will not.

18. This Answer is confirmed by daily experience.

1 ALL the foresaid arguments, taken in some sort from the Scriptures, being most weak, as is cleere by what hath been said, it is to no purpose that some of those with whom we are indifferent, dare say, that the keeping of Sunday hath as good a foundation, and prop in the Scripture, as hath the baptizing of lit∣tle Children.

2 For although we find no expresse commandement in the New Testament to baptisme little Children, no more than to keepe Sun∣day or the first day of the weeke for a seventh day of rest, yet we find baptisme expressely ordained by Iesus Christ, to be a seale of the covenant of grace, and of Gods promises contained therein, which because they appertaine to little children, as S. Peter saith, Act. 2. verse 39. and that in a manner so expresse, that St. Paul affirmeth the Children of faithfull Parents to be holy, 1 Cor. 7. ver. 14. we conclude very pertinently, that the seale of these promises, which is Baptisme, pertaineth to them.

3 But we find not any ordinance in the Gospell to observe the se∣venth day, neither in generall, nor in particular, neither I say, one of the seven dayes of the weeke in generall, nor in particular the first day, or any other comprised in the order of seven. The Com∣mandement to observe the seventh day under the Old Testament was ceremoniall as was Gods ordinance concerning circumcision, and had in the Law of the decalogue the same respect that circum∣cision hath in the covenant of grace. And as our Lord Iesus Christ leaving the covenant of grace, firme and steady, hath abolished the signe of circumcision; even so leaving the Law stable in the princi∣pall substance thereof, which is the whole morality therof, he hath abolished the ceremony of the seventh day established in it of old.

4 Yet although he thought fit to put in the place of circumcision, which was ministred to little children, and which he hath abolished, the holy Sacrament of Baptisme, which consequently ought to be ministred to infants, he hath not judged convenient to doe the like, by establishing another stinted day in the roome of the seventh Iew∣ish day, which he hath abrogated. For if he had esteemed it con∣venient, hee had left us an institution thereof as expresse as of Baptisme, which he hath not done, but was pleased to leave to the wisdome and liberty of the Church the appointing of a time for his service.

5 As indeed the Church from her first beginnings, and as it were from her cradle, hath observed Sunday. But of this practise and custome so long continued, some doe inferre too rashly, that the keeping of Sunday is an institution of Iesus Christ or of his Apo∣stles. For by the same reason may be inferred, that the keeping of Easter, and of some other holy dayes under the Gospell, is a divine institution, because it hath beene practised in the Church from her first age, not long after the times of the Apostles. To which con∣clusion these disputers wil not consent unto, because our Lord Iesus Christ hath made us free from the necessity of keeping feasts, by any divine obligation as is evident by the texts of Saint Paul alleadged and explaind in the first part of this treatise. The truth is, that custom hath introduced, and ever fithence hath intertained that day, and some other holy dayes in the Church, without any commande∣ment of Iesus Christ, or of his holy Apostles, which also Socrates hath recorded in the fifth book of his ecclesiasticall History Ch. 21.

6 They produce also examples of divers judgements of God up∣on sundry persons, who neglected or contemned the Lords day, whence they would prove, that God thereby hath ratified the ob∣servation thereof, as ordained by him. Whereunto I answer, that undoubtedly God may have punished many for the profanation of the Lords day, not because he hath ordained and commanded it, but because (according to the order of the Church) this day hath beene appointed for the excrcises of Religion, which hee hath com∣manded. All persons which set at nought the preaching of the Word, the administration of the Sacraments, publike and com∣mon Prayers in the assemblies of the faithfull, and the order of the Church, whereby these holy actions are ordinarily practised on the first day of the weeke, deserve (in the righteous judgement of God) to be punished with exemplary and publike plagues: and when the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against their ungodlinesse, the cause of their punishment (to speake properly) is the carelesse disregard of the holy Congregations, of the religious and fruitfull exercises practised in them, and of the order of the Church, and not any necessity proceeding from a commandement given of God, to observe the first day of the weeke, rather than another day.

They urge also the backwardnesse which is naturally in men to the sanctification of the Lords day, which is our Sabbath day. All wicked men are altogether averse unto it, and the faithfull and truly regenerate too remisse and restie. Of this they inferre, that the com∣mandement concerning the Sabbath is morall, and the Lords day is a divine institution, considering the great contradiction and oppo∣sition of the flesh against it.

8 But it is easie to answer this argument. For this rebellion and stubbornnesse of the flesh, is not simply against Sunday, no more than against another day, but against the keeping and applying of Sunday to serve God, to heare his Word, to powre out prayers be∣fore him, to meditate on godlinesse and other exercises of religion, whereunto the naturall man hath no inclination, no more in other dayes, than on the day that is stinted for them. For otherwise, to to observe a day for passing the time in sporting, in gaming, or in worldly solemnities, the flesh is too too forward to that. Whence it followeth, that verily Gods service, true religion, and godli∣nesse in it selfe is a morall thing established of God, seeing the flesh

is so averse unto it. But it is not necessary, that the keeping of a certaine day of Sabbath, as of Sunday, should be of the same na∣ture, because the flesh hath no aversion to that, saving in as much as the observation of such a day is ordained for Gods service.

9 But say they, if one of seven dayes (and namely Sunday) be not under the new Testament necessary to be kept by divine instituti∣on, but onely by the order of the Church, it shall follow, that the Church hath authority of her selfe to sanctifie a day for Gods ser∣vice, [unspec 1] and consequently, that she is Lady and Mistresse of the Sab∣bath, which prerogative pertaineth not to her, but to God alone. [unspec 2]

That if she hath that authority, she may ordaine as many, and as few dayes as pleaseth her, make all the dayes, or the most part of the dayes of the weeke Sabbath dayes, or onely one of ten, or of fifteene, or of a whole yeere, if she will.

That particularly, [unspec 3] she may change Sunday into another day, which should be absurd, seeing there shall never be any action so important to oblige us to the keeping of another day, as was the Resurrection of our Lord Iesus Christ, which fell upon the first day of the weeke, and to move us to consecrate that day to be a Sab∣bath day.

[unspec 4] That Easter, Whitsunday, and other Holy dayes instituted by the Church, shall be equall in authority to Sunday.

[unspec 5] That there shall be nothing in the fourth Commandement in∣joyned to particular men, saving, perhaps to keepe the time which shall be appointed in the Church, whereupon they shall brabble and strive about the number of dayes; namely, about the particular day which is to bee observed, some jarring for one day, some for ano∣ther, and so contending one against another, without hope of a∣greement, and comming to a certaine resolution. Yea, they shall take licence themselves, to observe any day whatsoever they shall thinke good, and dispence with keeping of Sunday, when they shall thinke that they are not tied unto it by Gods Commande∣ment.

10 I answer, that none of these inconveniences is to bee feared. As for the first, That the Church should have authority to sanctifie a day for Gods service, if so be God hath not appointed one, I see no inconvenience in it. It is true, that it is Gods prerogative ex∣clusively to all men and Angels, to sanctifie a thing, if sanctifica∣tion

be taken for a reall and inherent sanctification, by impression of holinesse in the thing, or if a thing is to be sanctified, to bee an essentiall part, and properly so called, of Gods service. For God will be served according to his Ordinances, and not according to the ordinances of men. But this is not the sanctification that wee treat of here, for a day is not susceptible of such an impression of ho∣linesse. And to speake properly, it maketh no part of Gods service under the new Testament, but is onely an accidentall circumstance thereof, whereof God hath left the determination to the liberty of the Church. For in that he hath not in himselfe given an expresse, and particular Ordinance concerning it; hee hath testified that hee did leave that power to his Church, teaching her onely in generall to doe it conveniently.

And indeed, doth not she sanctifie places, when she appointeth, and setteth them apart, that in them God may be served? Doth she not sanctifie times, other than Sunday, ordaining fasting dayes, when necessity doth require it; and feast dayes, which she causeth to be solemnized in remembrance of the Birth, Passion, Ascension of Iesus Christ, and of the sending of the holy Ghost, &c. All Christians hold this sanctification to bee indifferent, and no man brings her authority in question in that respect, neither doth any blame the holy use of those dayes, providing shee carry her selfe wisely, and keepe a due proportion and fit moderation in her stin∣ting of them. Why then might she not in the same manner, after Ie∣sus Christ had abolished the Iewish Sabbath, sanctifie the first day of the weeke, to be an ordinary day of Gods service, in remembrance, that on it Christ rose from the dead? Wherein she takes not upon her a masterie that belongs not unto her. It is true, that she is not Mistresse of the Sabbath, to change a day that God hath ordained, and to dispence at her pleasure with the keeping thereof. But since there is no day ordained of God to the Christian Church for his ser∣vice, and that which he had ordained of old being expired, she hath as great authority to appoint a day for Gods service, as to ordaine other circumstances and helpes thereof.

11 To the second inconvenience, I say, that the two extremities of excesse and defect are to be avoided in this point: For there must be, neither so many Holy dayes ordained, that the faithfull bee in∣thralled and surcharged with them, as with an onerous yoke, which

they are not able to beare, Act. 15. vers. 10. nor so few, that they become unto them an occasion to give themselves over unto pro∣fanenesse and irreligion. It is certaine, that a day ordinary and frequent is necessary for many good and excellent uses, as for the maintenance of the true religion & godlines, of union and Christian society among the faithfull, for the celebration of the Name of God, and conservation of the remembrance of his benefits towards us, by hearing the same Word, receiving the same Sacraments, and above all, by Common-Prayers, and other points of Divine Service, which being practised in the same time and place with an holy affection, by many faithfull incouraging and exhorting one another, both by word and by example, are of great efficacie and a∣vaile much with God. If there were not such a day, these exerci∣ses not being practised ordinarily, these duties would also easily decay by little and little, and men would become slacke and faint∣hearted in the performance of them: As on the contrary, if this day returned too often, and the one upon the heele of the other, that might bee troublesome to the faithfull, and would not onely incommodate them in their temporall affaires, which God is well pleased they apply themselves unto, but also would make the exercises of religion to bee grievous and loathsome unto them, by reason of their infirmities in this life.

12 Therefore the Church ought not to sinne in this point, neither by excesse, nor by defect, and farre lesse through defect than through excesse, but having the establishing of Gods publike service committed to her wisedome, ought to refraine from establishing, either an excessive number of dayes, lest shee should render the yoke too heavie; or too few, as one in a fortnight, in a moneth, in a yeere, or in many yeeres, lest she should seeme to be slightly affe∣cted to devotion, and carelesse of Gods service. For dayes so rare, and so distant, should not be sufficient for the entertainment of the ends above specified, which be so necessary for her edification.

Also God hath so governed her by his providence, that although Iesus Christ hath given her no ordinance for a particular day, yet we see that from her beginnings she hath alwayes kept at least one in the weeke, to wit, Sunday, not through an opinion that in a seventh day there was some greater moment and efficacie for the entertainment of godlinesse, & for the obtaining of Gods bles∣sing,

then in another number, but judging it a fit and convenient thing to keepe the distinction of weekes, which was already accu∣stomed and usuall in the Church, and to consecrate to God as ma∣ny dayes, at least, as did the Church of the Iewes; that is one of seven in ordinary, and some others extraordinarily, returning and following the one the other afarre off, as from yeere to yeere in re∣membrance of some things considerable, either in the person of Iesus Christ, or of some of his most excellent servants.

13 This hath by time growne to a great abuse, through the multi∣plication of too many and divers feasts, serving almost for no use, but for idlenesse and riot: This we see in the Romane Church, which hath ordained an excessive number of Holy dayes, not onely to the honour of God, but also of Angels, of he and she Saints of Pa∣radise; yea, of sundry which having never beene men on earth, can∣not be Saints in heaven: to which dayes they oblige mens consci∣ences, as to dayes more holy, and more capable to sanctifie the actions of religion done in them, than all other dayes; nay, as more holy than those things which God hath commanded, foun∣ding that attempt (but most fondly) upon the fourth Commande∣ment. Therefore the Church, in her reformation, hath most justly redressed this abuse, and hath reduced the observation of the time of Gods service, either to Sunday onely in the weeke, or besides to a few moe, more rare in their revolution, and consecrated to the honour of God alone, to be observed onely for orders sake, and for ecclesiasticall government, that in them her children may apply themselves more particularly, then they doe on other dayes, to Gods service, but without tying the consciences of the faithfull far∣ther than to the order of the Church; not urging the Holy dayes ob∣ligatorie immediately on Gods part.

14 To the third inconvenience, that she may change Sunday into another day, if the stinting of a day depend on her. I answer, that happily she might in the beginning have made choice of another number than of seven, and in the number of seven of another than the first, which is Sunday. For although it be true, that since the resurrection of Christ, no action hath, or shall be done so impor∣tant as this, which came to passe on the first day of the weeke, it followeth not, that the remembrance of that action was of neces∣sity to be celebrated once in the weeke, and that a day should bee

appointed for that end, more than for the remembrance of others of the Lords wonderfull actions, or that the Church was tied by necessity to appoint the first day of the weeke for that purpose, ra∣ther then another day, upon the sole consideration, that it happe∣ned on that day, which in it selfe is not more obligatory now, than it was then; because the celebration of Christs actions, in any day whatsoever, is (in it selfe) a thing indifferent, and the Lord doth not require, that we tie our selves to the dayes wherein they were performed. And so this consideration was no hinderance, why in the beginning the Church might not have made choice of another day then Sunday.

But seeing Sunday is established by a long custome, for the re∣gular and ordinary day of Gods service, seeing the faithfull Christi∣ans kept it in the beginning, through respect to the resurrection of Christ, and so it is become usuall every where by degrees, seeing al∣so time hath confirmed this custome, and it hath beene ratified by Imperiall constitutions, and divers ecclesiasticall ordinances, I esteeme it should be an imprudent and impudent course to attempt the changing thereof into another day.

15 The fourth inconvenience, that particular men shall have no∣thing injoyned of God unto them in the fourth Commandement, nor in any other part of Scripture, concerning the time of Gods publike service, saving that they observe the time prescribed in the Church, according to the will of those that are in authority, is not an inconvenience, but is in effect the whole substance of the Commandement, in regard of particular men, to whom God ha∣ving injoyned in the three former Commandements, to serve him particularly every day, and upon all occasions, in the fourth he in∣joyneth them to doe it publikely together, and to observe the time appointed for that purpose by ecclesiasticall discipline.

16 The inconvenience to be feared should be, in case no order at all were established in the Church for the time of Gods publike ser∣vice, and every particular man were left to his owne choice, which should cause a disordered diversity. But this were to forge feares, where there is no cause. For order hath beene taken with that in the Christian Church from her beginning, and it hath beene forti∣fied by use and custome, so that particular men, if they happen to come to places where there is no Church, no discipline ordered,

will not omit, being religiously disposed and fearing God, to ob∣serve the day which the Christian Church hath chused and practised since so many ages. And as God, when he commandeth a frequent resorting to the holy assemblies, giveth no injunction to particular men, but in dependancy upon the order which shall be established in the Church for such meetings, even so he tieth them to the same de∣pendancy, when he ordaineth that a certaine time be appointed for the said publike meetings.

17 For the fifth and last inconvenience, some feare least particular men should presume to observe any other day at their leasure, and neglect the keeping of Sunday, if they be taught that they are not bound unto it by Gods command. Whereunto I answer, that if these particulars be profane men, which make light of the exercises of godlinesse, and of the order of the Church, in all likelihood they will doe worse, and keepe no day at all. But for such unruly wights wee need to disquiet our selves too much. For it is not in our power to prevent and hinder all the abuses and profanations which they would commit, although they were perswaded that Sunday is a divine institution. He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: Nay although * 1.1 they might be recalled, it is not reasonable, that to rescue them we should speake or write any thing against truth.

If they be men which take to heart religion and godlinesse, and carry a due respect to the order of the Church, no such unrulinesse is to be feared of them: For because the preaching of the word, the ad∣ministration of the Sacraments, publike and common prayers are meanes ordained of God for the maintenance of godlinesse and of true Religion, and Sunday is established by the order of the Church for the practise of these exercises, they will make great account of that day, and observe it, not for its owne sake, knowing that it is not in it selfe more esteemeable, nor more belonging to Gods service then another day, not also through opinion that God hath particu∣larly sanctified it by his ordinance, and that their conscience is in that respect more tyed unto it then to another day; but because they have a speciall regard to the order of the Church, which being very good and profitable, they know they are bound to submit them∣selves unto it, seeing God hath commanded it, although in generall termes, yet most expressely in his holy word. They will also feare

to contemne that day, and in so doing to sinne, not in consideration of any dignity of that the day hath of it felfe, or that God hath gi∣ven it, whereby it should oblige more than another day, and make the contempt thereof more blame worthy; but in consideration of Gods service whereunto it is applyed by the ordinance and custome of the Church. So then a particular Church will conforme her selfe to the order of all other Churches, and the particular mem∣bers of each Church will submit themselves to the order received in it, and so all shall religiously celebrate Sunday, because by the order of the Church, it hath beene observed so long and in all places where the Gospell was preached, for the publike exercise of Gods service.

18 To shew that the foresaid inconvenience is not so much to be feared, it is a thing common and well knowne, that our Churches ordaine upon diverse occasions extraordinary dayes of fasting, and of particular prayers, and command the whole people to come together for that end in these dayes, which are otherwise common and worke dayes.

There are also in many Churches yeerely feasts injoyned by the or∣der and discipline of the Church, as of the Nativity, Passion and As∣cension of Christ, &c. wherein the people is gathered together to heare the word of God, and all the parts of divine service. Do they not know that God hath not bound them by speciall cōmandement to the observation of such dayes, and that their conscience is not ty∣ed unto them in that name? And yet we see not any of them under that pretence neglect the keeping of those dayes, or presume to or∣daine others at their pleasure. Some profane men may attempt such a thing, but honest men which love the Word of God, and the ex∣ercises of godlinesse, will submit themselves to the order of the Church, and observe such dayes, not as I have said, for any particu∣lar commandement that God hath given concerning them, seeing in this respect they know they are free, yet through respect and affe∣ction towards the order of the Church, and true devotion towards the holy exercises whereunto shee hath thought fit to apply such dayes.

It is even so of Sunday, betweene which and these other dayes there is not in effect any difference in regard of a necessity to keepe them, saving that Sunday is more ordinary and frequent then these

others are, which being joyned to the antiquity and generality of the observation thereof ever since the beginning of the Christian Church, hath worthily purchased unto it the precedence of credit and respect, to all other dayes which may be extraordinarily now appointed by the Church for the exercises of Religion.

This is all that I have to say concerning the institution and set∣ting a part of Sunday for Gods service, which hath beene the mat∣ter of the third part of this treatise.

Notes

• * 1.1

  R••. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. v. 11.