0 h God had granted them, and a festival whereby were distinguished from the rest of the inhabitants ne world. Consider, saith Moses to the Israelites', God hath given you the sabbath, or rest; and in her place", My sabbath shall you keep, for it is a between me and you, throughout your generations, you may know that I am the Lord, who hath sanctiyou, that is, separated you from the rest of mankind. emiah speaks of the sabbath, as of a particular ir which God had granted the Israelites, and places Ordinance relating to it among those other laws, h he had given unto them by the hand of Moses". ne prophet Ezekiel the sabbath is ranked among special mercies which God had vouchsafed his le, and the marks of distinction he had been ed to honour them with. Accordingly the most nt writers that have spoken of it, have considered der no other view. Philo doth expressly rank the ith among the laws of Moses ", and when in another › ? he calls it the feast, not of one people or country , but of the whole universe, it is plain that he speaks figuratively. Josephus also mentions it 's as a ceremony peculiar to the Jews, and styles it w of their country'. The ancient fathers of the h had the same notion of this matter; Justin yr, in his dialogue with Trypho the Jew, tells him ', he sabbath was given to the Jews upon the account eir transgressions, and for the hardness of their ; and Theodoret * also says, that the observation e sabbath was enjoined them, with a design to guish them from all the other nations of the The Jewish doctors are of the same opinion. Exod. xvi. 29. Nehem. ix. 14. Phil. de Decal. p, 185. (m) Exod. xxxi. 13, 16, (0) Ezek. xx. 11, 12. de Vita Mosis, p. 529. (r) Jos. Ant. 1. just. Mart. Dialog. contra Tryph. * Theodo which may be added Cyril of Alexandria, Hom. 6. and several other, both Greek and Latin, fathers. This hath given rise to a question, that hath very much exercised the learned world, whether the sabbath was appointed from the beginning of the world, and only renewed after the coming of the Hebrews out of Egypt; or whether it be a ceremony instituted with respect to the children of Israel, to turn them from idolatry, by putting them in mind of their Creator and Deliverer; in a word, whether the sabbath is a mere ceremonial institution, or an universal law, which binds all mankind? We shall not determine this question either way, but only set down the chief arguments that render the first opinion the most probable, and give an answer to the objections that have been advanced against it *. 1. That scripture does not make the least mention of the sabbath's being observed before the coming of the children of Israel out of Egypt, though there are frequent accounts of the worship which the patriarchs rendered to God. Now, is it probable that the sacred historians would have omitted so holy and solemn a law as that of the sabbath, (a law, the violation whereof was punished with death; a law, which having been delivered from the beginning of the world, ought to have been universally received) and not have spoken of it, till two thousand years after its institution? Moses, indeed, when giving an account of the times that went before him, speaks of the number seven, as if it had been accounted holy, but says not the least word about keeping the sabbath. Would the same sacred historian, that hath so carefully and exactly transmitted to posterity the travels of the patriarchs, not have sometimes taken notice of their stopping to celebrate the sabbath? or, can it be supposed, that the patriarchs would have neglected to observe so strict a command ? 2. The sacred writings never represent the sabbath otherwise than as a sign between God and the children of Israel, as a privilege peculiar to that nation, as a rest * Vide Warburton, b. 4. sec. 6. vol. 1. 0 which God had granted them, and a festival whereby they were distinguished from the rest of the inhabitants of the world. Consider, saith Moses to the Israelites', that God hath given you the sabbath, or rest; and in another place ", My sabbath shall you keep, for it is a sign between me and you, throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord, who hath sanctified you, that is, separated you from the rest of mankind. Nehemiah speaks of the sabbath, as of a particular favour which God had granted the Israelites, and places the ordinance relating to it among those other laws, which he had given unto them by the hand of Moses ". In the prophet Ezekiel the sabbath is ranked among the special mercies which God had vouchsafed his people, and the marks of distinction he had been pleased to honour them with. Accordingly the most ancient writers that have spoken of it, have considered it under no other view. Philo doth expressly rank the sabbath among the laws of Moses ", and when in another place he calls it the feast, not of one people or country alone, but of the whole universe, it is plain that he there speaks figuratively. Josephus also mentions it always as a ceremony peculiar to the Jews, and styles it the law of their country'. The ancient fathers of the church had the same notion of this matter; Justin Martyr, in his dialogue with Trypho the Jew, tells him', that the sabbath was given to the Jews upon the account of their transgressions, and for the hardness of their heart; and Theodoret also says, that the observation of the sabbath was enjoined them, with a design to distinguish them from all the other nations of the world. The Jewish doctors are of the same opinion, xx. (1) Exod. xvi. 29. (n) Nehem. ix. 14. * (p) Phil. de Decal. p. 185. (m) Exod. xxxi. 13, 16, 17. (r) Jos. Ant. 1. *Theodor. in Ezek. (s) Just. Mart. Dialog. contra Tryph. To which may be added Cyril of Alexandria, Hom. 6. de Fest. Pasch. and several other, both Greek and Latin, fathers. This hath given rise to a question, that hath very much exercised the learned world, whether the sabbath was appointed from the beginning of the world, and only renewed after the coming of the Hebrews out of Egypt; or whether it be a ceremony instituted with respect to the children of Israel, to turn them from idolatry, by putting them in mind of their Creator and Deliverer; in a word, whether the sabbath is a mere ceremonial institution, or an universal law, which binds all mankind? We shall not determine this question either way, but only set down the chief arguments that render the first opinion the most probable, and give an answer to the objections that have been advanced against it *. 1. That scripture does not make the least mention of the sabbath's being observed before the coming of the children of Israel out of Egypt, though there are frequent accounts of the worship which the patriarchs rendered to God. Now, is it probable that the sacred historians would have omitted so holy and solemn a law as that of the sabbath, (a law, the violation whereof was punished with death; a law, which having been delivered from the beginning of the world, ought to have been universally received) and not have spoken of it, till two thousand years after its institution? Moses, indeed, when giving an account of the times that went before him, speaks of the number seven, as if it had been accounted holy, but says not the least word about keeping the sabbath. Would the same sacred historian, that hath so carefully and exactly transmitted to posterity the travels of the patriarchs, not have sometimes taken notice of their stopping to celebrate the sabbath? or, can it be supposed, that the patriarchs would have neglected to observe so strict a command? 2. The sacred writings never represent the sabbath otherwise than as a sign between God and the children of Israel, as a privilege peculiar to that nation, as a rest * Vide Warburton, b. 4. sec. 6. vol. 1. |