changed from the feventh to the firft Day of the Week. This is a Subject that has em+ ployed the Pens of the Learned, and occafioned many Books to be written upon it: but I never confidered any disputed Subject that feems to lie in a lefs Compafs, or to be more obvious to common Senje, without the Affiftance of Learning... From the Hiftory, which I have given you out of the Old Teftament, it appears very plainly, that a Seventh-day Sabbath was ap pointed for a Reafon, the Force of which muft reach backwards to the Beginning, and forwards to the End of the World, I fhall not repeat what. I have faid, but the Sub ftance of it is this: "In Six Days God crea+, "the World; on the Seventh Day God had ended his Work; and for This Reafon He bleffed the feventh Day, and made it holy "This is the Tenour of the original Inftituti on at the Creation, of the Republication of it "from Mount Sinai, and of the feveral Repe "titions of it afterwards." This Inftitution being thus established upon a Reason that must hold univerfally, it clearly follows that we Chriftians are obliged to obferve a Seventhday Sabbath, in Memory of the Creation. The only Question is, whether we be obliged to observe the fame Day of the Week which the Jews obferved. If we be, is it because God commanded them to keep that Day? If fo, then you make it a mere Jewish Inftitution; and, confequently, it was nailed to the the Crofs of Chrift, and died with Him, as all the other Mofaical Ordinances did.-Is it becaufe the Jewish Sabbath was upon the very Day of the Week which was appointed at the Greation? This is more than any Man, or all the Men in the World can prove. But to cut this Argument fhort, it has been demonftrated that the Same Day would not be the feventh Day from the Creation in, all Parts of the World; and that in fome Parts the Sabbath would fall eighteen Hours later than in Palef tine. If there be therefore fuch a thing as a Demonftration, this Fact demonftrates that it never could be the Intention of God, that the Obfervance of the feventh Day from the Creation fhould be of perpetual and univerfal Obligation; though he moft certainly intended that the Obfervance of one Day in feven should be fo. -If therefore, upon the Abolition of the Jewish Law, Chriftians had no Directions from the New Teftament, it must have lain in the Breaft of human Authority to determine it. But then, as the Jews had fomething particular appointed them, in honour of their miraculous Deliverance from Egypt; so Chriftian Powers, if left to themfelves, would naturally have been led to fomething, in the Appointment of a Chriftian Sabbath, that might preserve the Memory of our Deliverance from a much greater Bondage by Christ. Having thus prepared the Way, let us fee It 1 It is objected, that our Saviour did not, Himfelf, appoint the first Day of the Week for the Sabbath. But, how do thefe Objec tors know That? If He did not Himself obferve it, it does not, however, follow from thence, that He did not inftruct the Apoftles privately what They should do after his Death. But They may reply, that, tho He could not Himself observe this Rite in his Life-time, He might have done it after his Refurrection. To this Objection it is a fufficient Answer to fay, that He knew best what was proper to be done. But, tho' He did not observe it Himfelf, yet if he had not done it before, He might, as far as They knew, then order it to be done; and there is abundant Reafon to think that he did. He was Forty Days upon Earth with them, inftructing them concern ing the future Settlement of his Church; and it is not at all probable, that in his Inftructions He fhould omit fo capital a Thing as the Appointment of a Chriftian Sabbath, in the Room of the Jewish; and fuch a one, as might be a Sign or Token, between God and Us Chriftians, in the fame manner as the Jew ifh Sabbath was a Sign, or Token, between God and That People. Some Chriftian Writers in the Warmth of their Zeal, have maintained that our Saviour, after his Refurrection, did, in effect, tho' not directly, appoint the first Day of the Week for cur Sabbath, becaufe He appeared to his Dif-. ciples on that Day, when they were affem bled T * bled together for Chriftian Worship-I muft afk their Pardon, if I do not fee how thefe weekly Meetings for publick Worship on that Day fhould derive their Authority, or how that Day could receive its Sanction, from Chrift's Appearances among them, when these Meetings on that Day were prior to his having appeared there; for we read, that they were affembled together before He came But, their having made Choice of this Day before He did come, this fhews plainly that Chrift had given them Inftructions about it before. This feems to me highly probable, tho' I lay no Strefs upon it: But his firft Appearance to them being on the first Day of the Week, when they were affembled for Chriftian Wor thip, feems to be the strongest Teftimony of his Approbation of the Inftitution; as his Apr probation gave a strong Sanction to it. It is fufficient for the Purposes of my Point, that the Apostles, who must know their Master's Will, and had full Power to determine all Points which He himself had not determined, did obferve this Day, as the Chriftian Sabbaths and that all Chriftian People, in all Parts of the World, from the Apoftles Days have followed their Example.It is no Anfwer to this Argument to fay, that in the Acts of the Apostles we meet with no express Injunction; for, their Practice had the Force of a Law, because they had a Commiffian from Chrift, and by Infpiration from the Holy Ghoft were infallibly directed in the Execution of it; and ས B 3 they they proved their divine Commiffion and Ins fpiration by Miracles. Thus commiffioned, thus infpired, they fettled this Rite by their constant Practice; it was then understood to be a Chrif tian Ordinance; and what would any Man have more? As Primate Bramhall justly ob→ ferves," He that will not be fatisfied with the perpetual Tradition of the Univerfal Church, ".. the whole World of Believers, inclu ding the Apoftles themselves, is utterly incapable of any real Satisfaction."But, what ever Foundation the Sunday may be fuppofed to ftand upon; whether an immediate Appointment by Chrift Himself, whether an Apoftolical Inftitution under his Direction, whe ther an Ecclefiaftical, or Civil Establishment 3 a Seventh-day Sabbath stands, and ever must ftand, irreversible, immoveable, upon the for lid Rock of an immediate Appointment by God Himself as the Creator of the World. If this be admitted (and I may venture to challenge the whole World to confute it) there can be no Room for a rational Debate, whether the firft or the laft Day of the Week, be the fittest for a Chriftian Sabbath. -The Death of Chrift delivered us from the Dominion of Sin, and the Power of the Grave; upon the firft Day of the Week He rofe from the Dead, publickly to testify that God had accepted his Death for the Purposes of our Redemption. Highly expedient, therefore, is it, that the Memory of this glorious Event should be perpetuated in the Hearts of all |