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 Second.

Answer to the first Reason, taken from some Texts of the Old Testament, to prove the divine in∣stitution of the first day of the weeke.

1. Answer to the Reasons taken from the Circumcision admini∣stred on the eight day, and from the inscription of certaine Psalmes, &c.

2. Reasons taken out of the 110 Psalme 3. ver. and of the 118. Psalme verse 24.

3. Answer, In the hundred and tenth Psalme no mention is made of any particular day.

4. Nor also in the hundred and eighteenth Psalme.

5. And although there were, a day of rest in every weeke cannot be inforced from thence.

6. No more then the words of Isaiah Chapter 9. and of the An∣gels Luke 2. verse 10, 11. can inforce a weekely observation of a day, in remembrance of Christs birth.

1 IT were a losse of time to stay here upon the refutation of the reasons taken from the ancient circumcision, which was cele∣brated on the eight day, and which some say to have beene a fi∣gure of the spirituall circumcision that we were to obtaine by our Lord Iesus Christ one the first day of the weeke which is as the eight day, succeeding immediately to the seventh and last day there∣of:

Nor also of these which are overthwartly wrested out of these Psalmes, which have in their titles or inscription 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Has∣cheminith, * 1.1 that is super octava, upon the octave, as if in these titles mention were made of the first day after the seventh, which is Sun∣day. For although these reasons have beene alleadged by some of the ancients, they broached them rather as allusions and allegories, then as solid proofes to rely upon. Wherefore leaving them, I goe for∣ward to the consideration of two others, which have greater like∣nesse of truth.

2 They would faine take advantage of the hundred and 10. Psalm, and of the 3. ver. as also of the hundred and 18. Psalme, and of the 24 v. thereof, as if in these places there were a prophesie, that Sun∣day, or the day of the Resurrection of our Lord Iesus Christ, should be observed in the Christian Church. In the hundred and 10 Psal. verse 3. mention is made of a day wherein Christ should raise an army in a holy pompe, and his people should be a willing people. In the hundred and 18 Psalme verse 24. the people is exhorted to rejoyce and be glad in the day which the Lord had made, day where∣in the stone, which the builders refused, should become the head stone of the corner verse 22. Stone which is Christ. Now Christ in his ignominious death was like a stone rejected by the builders, that is, by the governours and rulers of the Iewes; and it was by his glorious Resurrection, that he became the head stone of the corner, Act. 4. ver. 10, 11.

3 To this I answer, that no certaine argument can be drawne from the two foresaid allegations. For who dare affirme, that in them a particular day is denoted, and not rather indefinitely the time of the publication of the Gospell, and gathering together of the Christian Church, which was done by the Apostles after the Re∣surrection of Christ? It is said in the hundred and tenth Psalme ver. 2. that the Lord should send out of Sion the Scepter of Christs strength; the meaning of which words is, that out of Ierusalem he should send forth, and spread every where the preaching of the Gos∣pell, to wit, by the Apostles and other Ministers, and that in the day, that is, in the time wherein he should raise his army, that is gather together his Church, she should be a free, voluntary and forward people. Now the first assembling of the Christian Church happe∣ned not in one day, more than in another, but the Apostles ap∣plyed

themselves to that worke every day, preaching the Gospell, wherefore we must not understand in that place of the Psalme any particular day, but the whole time wherein this worke was done by the Apostles, and their Disciples.

4 I say the same of the hundred and eighteenth Psalme. For Ie∣sus Christ is not become the head stone of the corner simply by his Resurrection, but in as much as after his Resurrection, he hath, by the preaching of the Gospell, built up the faithfull upon himselfe, as so many lively stones, to be a spirituall house, as we may see in the first epistle of Saint Peter Chapter 2. verse 4, 5, 6, 7. And there∣fore this day which the Lord hath made, and wherein the Psalmist exhorteth the faithfull to rejoyce, is not a particular day, but all this time, blessed and sanctified by the LORD, wherein should begin and goe forward this great worke of the preaching of the Gospell for the edifying in all places of the Church upon Iesus Christ: for this is ordinary both in Scripture and in the common language, when mention is made of a day wherein a thing is a doing, or shall be done, to understand, not alwayes necessarily a certaine particular day, but indefinitely the time of such a thing, which may be such that it cannot bee performed in one particular day, but requireth a continuation of time. So the Apostle applying to the Christians of his time the words of God in Isaiah Chapter 49. 8. saith, Be∣hold, now is the accepted time, behold, Now is the day of salvation, 2 Cor. 6. verse 2. This time, and this day is now also in our time, and shall be till the worlds end. Such was the worke where∣of mention is made in the foresaid Psalme, a worke which hath ever beene a doing since Christs Ascension into heaven, and shall not be performed till he come visibly from heaven, to judge the quicke and the dead.

5 But granting that the Psalmist speaketh of a particular day, which God ordained then for the Resurrection of Iesus Christ, and wherein it was afterwards fulfilled, it followeth not, that he would binde the faithfull under the New Testament to make weekely of that day a day of rest. For he exhorteth them only to rejoyce and be glad for it, as for a day wherein a great thing, and belonging to their salvation should bee performed, which they may well doe, according to the exhortation of the Psalmist, although they make not that day every weeke a day of rest. For they may and

ought to rejoyce every day privately at home, and also publike∣lie in the congregation as often as they meete together to serve GOD.

6 And if the question be of the stinting of a solemne day for the commemoration of this great worke, the exhortation of the Psal∣mist obligeth them not more particularly to one ordinary day in the weeke, then to a yeerely day. Esay in the ninth Chapter prophe∣sieth, that the faithfull shall rejoyce with a great joy for the day wherein the child was borne, and the Sonne was given, and the Angels of GOD on that day brought to the Shepheards good ty∣dings of great joy, which should be to all people, because unto them was borne that day in the City of David a Saviour, which is CHRIST the LORD, Luke 2. verse 10, 11. And yet these words inforce not, that the day of CHRISTS birth must ne∣cessarily be observed as a day of rest, and farre lesse as an ordinary day everie weeke. And the Church which hath thought fit to make commemoration thereof on a set day, was pleased to ap∣point for that purpose one day only in the whole yeere. Neither can there a greater obligation then this be inferred of the foresaid passage, for the day of the Resurrection. For we may, yea wee ought to rejoyce for the day of the Nativity of Christ, of his passi∣on, of his Ascension, and likewise of his Resurrection, but for all that, we are not bound to make of them Sabbath dayes. And so the foresaid places conclude nothing.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Psal. 6. v. 1. Psa. 12. ver. 1. &c.