The Lord’s Day

“Remember the Sabbath Day, to keep it holy.”

Ex. 20:8

“Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst…”

John 20:19

“And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them”

Acts 20:7

.

.

Subsections

Change to First Day
Whole Day is Sanctified
When it Begins
What Keeping the Lord’s Day Entails
Recreations on
Works of Necessity & Mercy

Westminster Divines
‘Continental View’
Calvin: Keeping the Lord’s Day

.

.

Order of Contents

Articles  10+
Books  20
Expositions of 4th Commandment
History  6+

Sabbath: a Regulated Circumstance of Worship  3
Sabbath: Partly Moral, Partly Positive  4
Latin  5+


.

.

Articles & Shorter Books

1500’s

Bullinger, Henry – 4th Sermon, ‘Of the 4th Precept of the 1st Table, that is, of the Order & Keeping of the Sabbath Day’  in The Decades  ed. Thomas Harding  (Cambridge: Parker Society, 1849), vol. 1, 2nd Decade, pp. 253-67

Bucer, Martin – On the Reign of Christ  tr. Satre & Pauck  in Melanchthon & Bucer  in The Library of Christian Classics, vol. 19  (London: SCM Press LTD, 1969)

bk. 1, ch. 11, ‘Setting Aside Certain Times for the Worship of God’  250-53

bk. 2, ch. 10, ‘The Second Law: the Sanctification of Holy Days’  280-83

Calvin, John – 4th Commandment  in Institutes of the Christian Religion  tr. Henry Beveridge  (1559; Edinburgh: Calvin Translation Society, 1845), vol. 1, bk. 2, ch. 8, pp. 459-66

Vermigli, Peter Martyr – The Common Places…  (d. 1562; London: Henrie Denham et al., 1583), pt. 2

7. ‘The Fourth Precept: of Sanctifying the Sabbath Day’ 374

‘Of Other Feast Days of the Jews’  376
‘Whether it be Lawful to Solemnize the Birthday of Any Man’  377

Musculus, Wolfgang – Common Places of the Christian Religion  (1560; London, 1563)

4th Commandment  60.a

The consideration of this precept of the Sabbath  60.b
Things to be observed in the letter of this precept  61.a
The two sorts of sanctifying the Sabbath  61.b
The day of the Sabbath  62.a
That six days were employed to work and one to rest  62.b
Isa. 58:13-14  63.a
The profanation of the Sabbath  63.b
No holy days are to be appointed unto the names or memories of saints  63.b
Of cattle: why the rest of the Sabbath was commanded to them also  65.a
That strangers ought not to be compelled unto the religion of the place where they come  65.b
What the hallowing of the seventh day signifies  67.b
The spiritual Sabbath is not tied to any time  68.a
The heavenly Sabbath  68.a
Of the abrogation of the law of the Sabbath  66.a
The error of the [Saturday] Sabbataries is refuted, Gen. 2  66.a
That the Decalogue pertain to the Israelites only  66.a
In what respect we ought not to refuse the Sabbath  66.b
The Lord’s Day, Rev. 1  [Musculus appears to be for keeping the 1st day of the week]  70.a

Ursinus, Zachary

The Sum of Christian Religion: Delivered…  in his Lectures upon the Catechism…  tr. Henrie Parrie  (Oxford, 1587)

Fourth Commandment
Of the Sabbath. The Chief Questions

1. How Manifold the Sabbath is
2. The causes for which the Sabbath Day was instituted
3. How the Sabbath is sanctified or kept holy
4. How the Sabbath is broken or profaned
5. How the Sabbath belongs unto us
Objections against the Abrogating of the Ceremonial Sabbath [Saturday]

20. Of the Six First Commandments in Rules & Axions of Certain Chief Points of Christianity  in A Collection of Certain Learned Discourses…  (Oxford, 1600)

Finch, Henry – 6. Of the Sabbath  in The Sacred Doctrine of Divinity gathered out of the Word of God…  (Middelburg: 1589), bk. 2

Finch (d. 1625) was an English lawyer and politician.

Beza, Theodore, Anthony Faius & Students – 33. ‘Upon the Fourth Commandment’  in Propositions & Principles of Divinity Propounded & Disputed in the University of Geneva by Certain Students of Divinity there, under Mr. Theodore Beza & Mr. Anthony Faius…  (Edinburgh: Waldegrave, 1591), pp. 78-82

Virel, Matthew – 4th Commandment  in A Learned & Excellent Treatise Containing All the Principal Grounds of Christian Religion  (London, 1594), bk. 2, 1. Of Good Works, 1st Part

.

1600’s

Perkins, William – 23. 4th Commandment  in A Golden Chain  (Cambridge: Legat, 1600)

Ames, William – ch. 15, ‘The Time of Worship’  in The Marrow of Theology  tr. John D. Eusden  (1623; Baker, 1997), bk. 2, pp. 287-300

Ames (1576-1633) was an English, puritan, congregationalist, minister, philosopher and controversialist.  He spent much time in the Netherlands, and is noted for his involvement in the controversy between the reformed and the Arminians.  Voet highly commended Ames’s Marrow for learning theology.

Thysius, Anthony – 21. ‘On the Sabbath & the Lord’s Day’  in Synopsis of a Purer Theology: Latin Text & English Translation  Buy  (1625; Brill, 2016), vol. 1, pp. 512-56

Wolleb, Johannes – Abridgment of Christian Divinity  (1626) in ed. John Beardslee, Reformed Dogmatics: J. Wollebius, G. Voetius & F. Turretin  (Oxford Univ. Press, 1965), bk. 2

4. ‘The Works Connected with the Second, Third & Fourth Commandments in General’, pp. 201-2
7. ‘The Duties Connected with the Fourth Commandment’, pp. 220-24

Burton, Henry – A Brief Answer to a Late Treatise of the Sabbath Day Digested Dialogue-wise between Two Divines, A. & B.  (1635)  31 pp.

Burton was an Independent puritan.

Gouge, William – The Sabbath’s Sanctification  (London, 1641)  42 pp.

Leigh, Edward – ch. 5, The Fourth Commandment  in A System or Body of Divinity…  (London, A.M., 1654), bk. 9, pp. 749-57

Hammond, Samuel – ‘Of the Sabbath Day, with God’s Judgments upon the Profaners Thereof’  in God’s Judgements upon Drunkards, Swearers & Sabbath-Breakers. In a Collection of the Most Remarkable Examples of God’s Revealed Wrath upon these Sins with their Aggravations, as well from Scripture, as Reason.  And a Caution to Authority, lest the Impunity of these Evils bring a Scourge upon the Whole Nation  (London: London, 1659), pp. 83-128

Lightfoot, John – The Christian Sabbath: a Sermon…  58 pp.

Owen, John – Commentary on Heb. 4:9-10  (†1683)  11 pp.  in Commentary on Hebrews

“There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.” – Heb. 4:9

Turretin, Francis – Institutes of Elenctic Theology, tr. George M. Giger, ed. James Dennison Jr.  (1679–1685; P&R, 1994), vol. 2, 11th Topic

13. ‘Whether the first institution of the Sabbath was in the Fourth Commandment; and whether the commandment is partly moral, partly ceremonial.  The former we deny; the latter we affirm.’  77

14. ‘Whether the institution of the Lord’s Day is divine or human; whether it is of necessary and perpetual or of free and mutable observance.  The former we affirm and the latter we deny (as to both parts).’  92

15. ‘Whether it belongs to the faith in the New Testament that besides the Lord’s Day there are other festival days properly so called whose celebration is necessary per se and by reason of mystery, not by reason of order or ecclesiastical polity only.  We deny against the papists.’  100

.

1800’s

Miller, Samuel – ‘An Introductory Essay to: A Manual on the Christian Sabbath’  (1834)  16 pp.  This is an Introduction to a larger work by John H. Agnew.

Miller was the 2nd professor at old Princeton Seminary.

Alexander, Archibald – ‘The Lord’s Day’  in Brief Compend of Bible Truth  (1846)  16 paragraphs

Alexander was the first professor at old Princeton Seminary.

Binnie, William – ‘The Sabbath’  (1882)  6 pp.  in The Church, p. 106 ff.

Binnie was a professor in the Free Church of Scotland.

Kennedy, John – ‘The Fourth Commandment, Lecture’  (1883)  9 pp.

Kennedy was a noted minister of the Free Church of Scotland in the Highlands.


.

.

Books

1500’s

Ursinus, Zacharias – A Very Profitable & Necessary Discourse concerning the Observation & Keeping of the Sabbath Day, Serving as Well to Confute the Superstition of the Jews which Obstinately Urge the Strict Keeping of the Seventh Day, as also to Overthrow the Vain & Godless Reasons of Others that Stiffly at this Day Maintain that Christians ought to Keep No Set or Appointed Time to Worship & Serve the Lord in in his Church & Faithful Congregation  (d. 1583; London, 1584)  62 pp.  ToC

.

1600’s

Bownd, Nicholas – The Doctrine of the Sabbath  Buy  2nd ed. enlarged  (1595; London, 1606)  479 pp.  ToC  contemporary ed. ToC with significant excerpts from the book.

“No book had more influence in confirming a Sabbatarian heart to Puritanism than that of the parson of St. Andrews, Norton, Suffolk, Nicholas Bownd.  The True Doctrine of the Sabbath was the first scholarly treatment defending the concept of the Christian Sabbath or Lord s Day, later embodied in the Westminster Standards.” – Book-flap

Widley, George – The Doctrine of the Sabbath  (1604)  223 pp.

Wedley (b. 1566 or 1567) was an English minister in Portsmouth, England.

Cleaver, Robert – A Declaration of the Christian Sabbath, wherein the Sanctifying of the Lord’s-Day is Proved to be Agreeable of God…  (London: A.M., 1625)  156 pp.

Byfield, Richard –  The Doctrine of the Sabbath Vindicated in a Confutation of a Treatise of the Sabbath, written by Mr. Edward Brererwood against Mr. Nicholas Byfield, wherein these Five Things are Maintained: First, that the Fourth Commandement is given to the servant & not to the master only. Secondly, that the Fourth Commandment is moral.  Thirdly, that our own light works as well as gainful and toilsome are forbidden on the Sabbath. Fourthly, that the Lord’s Day is of divine institution.  Fifthly, that the Sabbath was instituted from the beginning  (London: Kyngston, 1631)  227 pp.

Brerewood, Edward

A Learned Treatise of the Sabbath…  To Mr. Nicholas Byfield, Preacher in Chester.  With Mr. Byfield’s Answer & Mr. Brerewood’s Reply  (1632)

Brerewood (c.1565-1613) was an English scholar. The dispute hinges on whether a servant is free of his own prerogative from all the directions for work from his master on the Sabbath, or whether that rest is mediated through the administration of the master.

A Second Treatise of the Sabbath, or an Explication of the Fourth Commandment  (1632)

This work propounds the doctrine of the Sabbath more generally.

Primrose, David – A Treatise of the Sabbath & the Lord’s Day  (1636)  350 pp.

Primrose (c. 1600-c. 1665) was an Oxford educated, French, reformed minister.  Primrose argues against the position that the Sabbath is moral and of perpetual necessity, and instead argues that the stinting of a day for God’s public service (which is morally necessary to uphold) is a point of order and ecclesiastical government, depending wholly on institution; see the preface for the statement of the question.  Not recommended.

Walker, George – The Doctrine of the Sabbath, wherein the first institution of the weekly Sabbath, with the time thereof, the nature of the law binding man to keep it, the true ground, and necessity of the first institution, and of the observation of it, on the several day in the Old Testament, and also of the moving of it to the first day under the Gospel, are laid open and proved…  (Amsterdam, 1638)  167 pp.

Twisse, William – Of the Morality of the Fourth Commandment as still in Force to Bind Christians Delivered by Way of Answer to the Translator of Doctor Prideaux his Lecture, concerning the Doctrine of the Sabbath  IA  (1641)  This was later reprinted as The Christian Sabbath Defended in 1652.

Ley, John – Sunday as a Sabbath  (London: Young, 1641)  203 pp.

Bernard, Richard – A Threefold Treatise of the Sabbath  IA  (1641)  230 pp.

Bernard (bap. 1568-1642) was a reformed puritan.

Abbott, George – Vindiciæ Sabbathi [A Vindication of the Sabbath], or an Answer to Two Treatises of Master Broads, the One Concerning the Sabbath or Seventh Day, the Other, concerning the Lord’s-Day or First of the Week: with a Survey of All the Rest which of Late have Written upon that Subject  (1641)  109 pp.

Abbott (1604-1649) was an English, puritan, lay theologian and scholar who sat in the House of Commons.  He was a friend of Richard Vines and Richard Baxter called Abbott “a dear friend”.

Shepard, Thomas – Theses Sabbaticae  (†1649)  245 pp.  in Works, vol. 3, pp. 25-271

Shepard was a New England puritan.  His argumentation and minority view that the Sabbath is from evening to evening is not recommended.  For a correction to this, see When Does the Lord’s Day Begin?

Dell, William – The Doctrine of the Sabbath, as it has been Believed and Taught, by Ancient & Eminent Christians, collected word for word out of their own writings, and now tendered to the consideration of all the godly, especially to direct them to the Parliament, to direct them in their intended Act, for the due & strict observation of the Lords Day  (1650)

Dell (c. 1607–1669) was an English clergyman and radical parliamentarian with an antinomian tendency.  He seems to argue against a ‘strict’ observation of the Sabbath in this work.  Nonetheless, numerous of his historical quotes are helpful.

Ussher, James – The Judgement of the Late Arch-Bishop of Armagh & Primate of Ireland… 2. Of the Sabbath & Observation of the Lord’s Day  (1658)

Hammond, Samuel – God’s Judgments upon Drunkards, Swearers & Sabbath-Breakers. In a Collection of the Most Remarkable Examples of God’s Revealed Wrath upon these Sins with their Aggravations, as well from Scripture, as Reason. And a caution to Authority, lest the impunity of these evils bring a scourge upon the whole nation  (1659)

Hammond (d. 1655) was a puritan.

Hughes, George – Aphorisms, or, Select Propositions of the Scripture Shortly Determining the Doctrine of the Sabbath  (1670)

Hughes was a puritan.

Baxter, Richard – The Divine Appointment of the Lords’ Day Proved, as a Separated Day for Holy Worship, especially in the Church Assemblies & Consequently the Cessation of the Seventh Day Sabbath  IA  (1671)

Homes, Nathanael – An Essay concerning the Sabbath, or the Sabbath-Day’s Rest from Controversy wherein is asserted that our Christian Sabbath, Lord’s-Day, or Sunday is the very same day of the week which was anciently observed by the Jews & Gentiles for the solemn day of their solemn weekly worship, before Israel’s coming out of Egypt and after that by gentiles: prefaced, with an introduction thereunto touching the true meaning of Gen. 2:2-3  (London, 1673)  141 pp.

Owen, John – Exercitations Concerning the Day of Sacred Rest, 35-40  (†1683)  151 pp.  from the preliminary exercitations in his Commentary on Hebrews, vol. 1 (of 4), pp. 599-750.  See also this abridged version, 71 pp.

Bunyan, John – Questions about the Nature & Perpetuity of the Seventh-Day Sabbath & Proof that the First Day of the Week is the True Christian-Sabbath  (1685)

.

1800’s

Gilfillan, James – The Sabbath Viewed in the Light of Reason, Revelation & History, with Sketches of its Literature  (1862)  650 pp.

Gilfillan was a Scottish minister.  This work is one of the most comprehensive treatments of the doctrine and practice of the Sabbath through history.  He “argued that the Reformers had a more strict practice than was commonly noted.” – Chris Coldwell

The work’s sections in order include: Controversies & Literature of, Proofs from Reason & Experience, Revelation’s Testimony, Pagan & Church History, Defended Against Opposing Arguments, Sabbath Practically Enforced.

Dabney, Robert – The Christian Sabbath: its Nature, Design & Proper Observance  (1882)  93 pp.  Here is an HTML version.  This book is also in his Discussions, vol. 1, p. 496-550

.

1900’s

Kayser, Phillip – Sunday as a First-Day Sabbath  (1995)  51 pp.


.

.

Expositions of the 4th Commandment

See treatments of the 4th Commandment in the many works on our page, Expositions of the Ten Commandments  40+


.

.

The History of the Doctrine & Practice of the Sabbath

.

On the Whole of History

1800’s

Gilfillan, James – The Sabbath Viewed in the Light of Reason, Revelation & History, with Sketches of its Literature  (1862)  650 pp.

Gilfillan was a Scottish minister.  This work is one of the most comprehensive treatments of the doctrine and practice of the Sabbath through history.  He “argued that the Reformers had a more strict practice than was commonly noted.” – Chris Coldwell

The work’s sections in order include: Controversies & Literature of, Proofs from Reason & Experience, Revelation’s Testimony, Pagan & Church History, Defended Against Opposing Arguments, Sabbath Practically Enforced.

Cox, Robert – The Sabbath Question, vol. 1 (up through 1658), 2 (1658-1865)  (1865)  ToC 1, 2

Cox (1810-72) here comprehensively surveys the literature of Sabbath debates through history, though he was personally an anti-Sabbatarian.  The work is nearly wholly historical.

“Gilfillan’s The Sabbath viewed in the Light of Reason…  argued that the Reformers had a more strict practice than was commonly noted.  Cox took the opposite view in his The Literature of the Sabbath Question…” – Chris Coldwell

.

.

On the Puritans

1800’s

Earle, Alice – The Sabbath in Puritan New England  (1891)  355 pp.  ToC

Earle was a lay-cultural historian of New England puritanism.  This often humorous, and sometimes unsympathetic sketch of the Lord’s Day in puritan New-England focuses not theology, but on interesting historical details and is a delight to read.

.

1900’s

Dennison, James – The Market Day of the Soul: The Puritan Doctrine of the Sabbath in England, 1532-1700  Buy  (1983)  176 pp.  ToC

Highly recommended.

Katz, David S. – Sabbath & Sectarianism in Seventeenth-Century England  (Brill, 1988)  213 pp.  ToC

Primus, John – Holy Time: Moderate Puritanism & the Sabbath  Buy  (Mercer Univ. Press, 1989)  181 pp.  ToC

A scholarly work not always sympathetic with the puritans, but contains a wealth of historical information.

Parker, Kenneth L. – The English Sabbath: a Study of Doctrine & Discipline from the Reformation to the Civil War  (Cambridge, 1998)  260 pp.  ToC


.

.

The Sabbath is a Morally Regulated Circumstance of Worship

See also, ‘Some Circumstances are Regulated’.

.

Intro

Surely keeping the Sabbath is not an element of worship, as we consider the other elements of worship to be.  So then what is it?  It seems like it may be a circumstances of worship, being the time when a regular public assembly of the Church is to take place; but are not all circumstances of worship wholly indifferent?

As the Bible morally regulates certain circumstances of worship, they being morally necessary adjuncts of worship, so Rutherford rightly expounds below that not all circumstances of worship are wholly indifferent; rather God has appointed some such circumstances to be morally significant.

Hence, for those who seek to worship God in as much religiously significant specificity as the Word directs, as we are bound to do, so we must recognize a category for these morally regulated circumstances.

Rutherford speaks of this category as ‘moral circumstances’, and includes the Sabbath in it.  As keeping such moral circumstances fulfills a religious duty of worship unto God, such an observance is itself a worshipping of God.

.

Quotes

1500’s

Philip Melanchthon

As quoted in Paul Barth, ‘Natural Law & Divine Positive Law’

“In this commandment there are properly said to be two parts—the one natural, the other moral [positive]; the one the genus, the other the species. Of the former it is said, that the natural part or genus is perpetual, and cannot be abrogated, as being a command concerning the maintenance of the public ministry, so that on some one day the people should be taught, and divinely appointed ceremonies handled. But the species, which bears respect to the seventh day in particular, is abrogated.”

.

1600’s

Samuel Rutherford

Divine Right of Church Government…  (1646), p.

“And here also we consider things circumstantial, as time, place, etc. And circumstances are either merely physical, or 2. merely moral, or 3. mixed, partly moral, partly physical;

[1.] Circumstances merely physical are such adjuncts of divine worship as are common and inseparable concomitants of both civil, natural, and religious or sacred actions performed by men, and as they are such, contribute no moral goodness or badness to the action or agent in the performance thereof…  All these are common concomitants of civil, natural, and religious actions, for all actions performed by man of what kind soever, as natural, to eat, sleep; or civil, to declaim an oration before the people; or religious, to preach or pray, must be done…  in some time, in some place…  for because he preaches in time, or in place simply, the preaching is neither morally good, nor ill, better or worse…

2.  Some circumstances are merely moral, for as divines distinguish time and place; in time as time, and as such a religious time, the Lord’s Sabbath, Tempus, & tempus ut sic [time, and a time so thus], and place as place, or such a religious place, Locus, & locus ut sic. [a place, and a place so thus].  So we may distinguish here between circumstances in common or in gross, and such and such circumstances; As time is a common adjunct of divine worship: But such a time, to wit, the Lord’s Day is both the time of worship, and worship itself [in observing it].  So there is place of worship, and there is such a religious place, [in the Old Testament,] the holy of holiest, the Temple.  A habit [garment] is a mere accident of worship; the person, John or Thomas, is also an accident; but if God command such an ephod as Aaron and the priests were to wear, this is not a mere [physical] circumstance [rather it is a moral circumstance because of its religious appointment]…

And therefore these circumstances, taken in common and their universal nature, are merely physical circumstances; but taken in their particular and determinate restrictions, as such circumstances, they may be merely moral circumstances, such as are the common adjunct of the time of worship, the place, and the Sabbath time and the Temple for Jewish Worship.  The former [two] are circumstances merely physical, the latter [two are] merely moral;”

.

Article

Palmer, Herbert & Daniel Cawdrey – ch. 12, ‘The Necessary Sufficient Chief Time for Religion, together with the Particular Day for it, is a Part of Worship & Not a Mere Adjunct or Circumstance Only’  of Part 1 of Sabbathum Redivivum, or the Christian Sabbath Vindicated…  (1645)


.

.

That the Sabbath is Partly Moral & Partly Positive

Quotes

Westminster Confession 21.7

“As it is of the law of nature, that, in general, a due proportion of time be set apart for the worship of God; so, in his Word, by a positive, moral, and perpetual commandment, binding all men in all ages, He hath particularly appointed one day in seven for a sabbath, to be kept holy unto Him…”

.

Samuel Rutherford

The Covenant of Life Opened…  (Edinburgh, 1655)

p. 19

“…in the Ten Commandments, in which one of seven is a Sabbath to the Lord, it will be found that many positives Moral are in the Covenant of Works…

But man being considered as endued with the Image of God, so the Holy God made with him a Covenant of life, with Commandments, though positive and moral, yet not deduced from the Law of Nature, in the strictest sense, as to observe such a Sabbath, the seventh from the Creation…”

.

p. 214

“Question.  Wherein stands the eternity of the Covenant of Grace?  And what other properties there be of the Covenant?

Answer.  The Law and Covenant of Works is a rule of everlasting righteousness, and so may be called an everlasting righteousness, containing precepts of the Law of nature intrinsically good, such as to know love, fear, trust in Him as the only true God: and in this sense it is an eternal Covenant.

But 1. it is not eternal in the positives of the Second, and Fourth, and Fifth Commands, the way of worship, the means, as ceremonies, Sabbath, magistracy, and such like, which are not to continue in the life to come, and so neither faith nor hope in God through Christ, 1 Cor. 13:13; Rom. 8:24-25; 2 Cor. 5:7, nor a Temple, nor ordinances, nor the Kingdom of Christ as now dispensed are to be the binding rule for eternity to such as are confederates of the Covenant of Grace, Rev. 21:22,23; 1 Cor. 15:24.”

.

Francis Turretin

Institutes, vol. 2, 11th Topic, Question 2, section 21, p. 13

“XXI.  The fourth commandment is moral and perpetual as to the substance of the thing commanded (to wit, that some solemn external worship is due to God and that a certain time should be devoted to it; not as to the particular determination of the seventh day [a matter of positive right], which moreover as ceremonial could be changed…).”

.

Articles

Palmer, Herbert & Daniel Cawdrey – Sabbathum Redivivum, or the Christian Sabbath Vindicated…  Part 1  (1645)

ch. 1, ‘Of the Term of a Moral Law…’, pp. 12-16, ‘On Moral-Positive Laws’

ch. 2, ‘Rules to Know a Law to be Moral, though but Positive’

Turretin, Francis – 13. ‘Whether the first institution of the Sabbath was in the Fourth Commandment; and whether the commandment is partly moral, partly ceremonial.  The former we deny; the latter we affirm.’  in Institutes of Elenctic Theology, tr. George M. Giger, ed. James Dennison Jr.  (1679–1685; P&R, 1994), vol. 2, 11th Topic, pp. 77-92


.

.

Latin

1600’s

Voet, Gisbert

4th Commandment  in Syllabus of Theological Problems  (Utrecht, 1643), pt. 1, section 2, tract 1   Abbr.

Select Theological Disputations  (Utrecht, 1659 / 1667)

vol. 3

93. On the Sabbath Day & Festival Days  1227
94. pt. 2  1252-81

vol. 4

section 15  of 49. ‘A Disputation: Some Miscellaneous Positions’  in Select Theological Disputations  (Amsterdam: Jansson, 1667), pp. 760-62

50. ‘A Syllabus of Questions on the Whole Decalogue’, 4th Commandment

Of the Sabbath  787
Of feasts in general & of OT feasts  787

Crawford, Matthew – Exercitatio Apologetica, pro doctrina (de perpetua obligatione quarti precepti de Sabbato) ab Ecclesus Reformatis Communites recepta, adversus Socinianos, Anabaptistas, Libertinos, Pontificiodo quosdam Lutheranos, Enthusiastas, & quosdum Viros Doctos in Ecclesiis Reformatis  Ref  (Utrecht, 1669)  164 pp.

“…Matthew Crawford (c. 1640-1700), a Scottish Presbyterian minister, wrote: Exercitatio Apologetica, pro doctrina…  and dedicated it to Gisbertus Voetius.  He was drawn to the Continent ‘having been captivated with the writings of the Belgic divines, on account of their signal erudition, and complete agreement in doctrine with his own Church and the Westminster Assembly.’

His grief at seeing the profanation of the Lord’s Day there led to the eventual publication of this treatise, which Jacobus Koelman said in 1685 had never been answered.” – Andrew Myers

Brown of Wamphray, John – A Tract on the Cause of God Against the Anti-Sabbatarians, vol. 1 (1. Divine Laws, the Law Natural, Moral, Ceremonial, Moral-Natural, Moral-Positive, etc.; 2. Rite & Temporal Festival; 3. Nature & Origin of the Sabbath), 2 (4. Decalogue & 4th Commandment; 5. Institution of the Lord’s Day, 6. Sanctification of)  (Rotterdam, 1674/6)  The tables of contents are at the beginning of each of the 6 books.

.

.

.

“People who cannot abide the Lord’s Day, cannot abide the Lord.”

Thomas Watson

.

.

.

Related Pages

Topics

Religious Holidays