OELTGATION OF THE SABEATII. 



Clemext. Jcstix. Tertulliax. Barxabas. Diontsius. Clement Alex. 



Christian writers speak a verj different language. ^^ God hath 

 required us/' sajs Clement of Rome (a. d. 95), "to serve 

 Him in the appointed times and seasons/' " On the day that 

 is called Sundaj/' says Justin Martyr (a. d. 140), " all, 

 both of the country and city, assemble together ; when we 

 preach and pray, and discharge all the otlier icsual parts ofdi- 

 vine worsJup." " On Sunday, we give ourselves to joy," says 

 Tertullian (a. d. 200). '' We keep the eighth day," says 

 Barnabas (still earlier), meaning the day after the Jewish 

 Sahbath, " with gladness." " To-day being the Lord's day," 

 says DiONYSlus of Corinth (a. D. 165), " iDe keep it lioly.^' 

 And Clement of Alexandria still more explicitly says that 

 " a true Christian, according to the commands of the Grospel, 

 ohserves the Lord's day, by casting out all evil thoughts, and 

 entertaining all good ones ; glorifying the resurrection of the 

 Lord on that day." And so far from regarding it as "burden- 

 some," he calls it '^ the chief of days, our rest indeed !" In 

 fact, the only thing " burdensome" about it would be to quote 

 all their various expressions of devout recognition of the 

 Christian Sabbath. 



What, then, in view of these authentic facts, becomes of my 

 friend's assertion to the contrary? or of his confident conclu- 

 sion that " the abrogation of the Sabbath, by the Council at 

 Jerusalem, is as certain and distinct as that of circumcision ?" 

 (^j. 33.) I am curious enough to wish to see whether he can 

 produce such evidcnce as the above, " equally certain and dis- 

 tinct," that the primitive Gentile Christians observed "circum- 

 cision," or, indeed, any other part of the " burdensome" Jew- 

 ish ritual. His eloquent parallel between them is, alas, for 

 him! untrue in every particular — ^^ vox, et præterea nihil." 

 Nor can Bishop Warburton help W. B. T. here, however 

 willing. John Bunyan ivoidd not, if he could; for he really 

 is on my ground, as any one may see who reads him with pro- 

 per attention. 



I have now done with the Fifth Proposition of my eloquent 



