Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Sabbatarianism in 1657?

The Seventh-Day Sabbath
by Thomas Tillman

THE
SEVENTH-DAY
SABBATH
Sought out and celebrated
OR
The Saints last Design upon the
Man of sin, with their advance of
God’s first institution to its
Primitive perfection, being a clear
Discovery of that black
Character in the head of the
Little Horn, Dan. 7:25
THE
Change of TIMES & LAWS
London, Printed for the Author
and are to be sold by Livewell Chapman
at the Crown in Popes head Alley.
Published 1657

"The first Royal Law that ever Jehovah instituted, and for our Example celebrated, (namely his blessed Seventh-day Sabbath) is in these very last days become the last great controversy between the Saints and the Man of sin, The Changer of Times and Laws.....

Why Christians will you stick here? Have you got victory over the Beast, and beheld the Holy One tumble down his Image, and will you now lose all your labours for want of a complete victory over the Mark of the Beast, (Rev. 13:2,20) which is so visible and legible in the head of the little Horn, The changer of Times and Laws. Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, Because they have transgressed the Laws, changed the Ordinances, broken the everlasting Covenant. (1sa. 24:5).

You are assured Christians the Horn hath changed the Laws; and he cannot be that Horn unless he changed your Times also, will you therefore wisely weigh that he had no Times to change, save the Lords Sabbath Time,....

1. The Sabbath is one of the Assemblies approved points.

2. The time is contested to be the very seventh day determined by God;
3. God’s precept, seconded by his own practice give such full honour to the Sabbath that I hear of none save Atheists, Papists, Prelates, Ranters, Quakers, and some Notionists that gainsay it.
4. Neither was this ancient Law instituted for a year, or an age, but perpetuated to all posterity,
5. This royal Sabbath is no base or beggarly rudiment but an honorable perfect Law of liberty,
6. Not as a Covenant accompanied with thunder, denouncing curses for the least disobedience; but as a holy just religious Rule, breathed by the still and soft voice of the Gospel.
7. To persons principled in Church order, Isa 8:13 (the Antitype of God’s Ark) in whose renewed hearts by virtue of the new Covenant all God’s Laws are fairly registered which are by others slighted Hos. 8;12
8. And all for these two great Ends,
1. To honour God,
2. To enjoy him forever (which is the peculiar prerogative of such as obtain victory over the Beast’s Mark, The changer of Times and Laws.  
The seventh day Sabbath is a perpetual royal Rule for the righteous,
established by precept and precedent, to God’s praise, and Saints privilege.
 
The Sabbath is a precept as ancient and universal as marriage: both made for Adam a public person, and for all his posterity.
 
But none can (though all should) sanctify the Sabbath, save Christ's Disciples:
who are redeemed from earthly interests and brought out of Babylon (Rev. 14:4,12; 12:12,17);
 these in these last days has God designed to build the old waste places to raise up the foundations (that Antichrist has destroyed) of many generations to repair the breach,
 and restore paths to dwell in, by turning the foot (of transgression)
from (any further pollution of) the sabbath (Isai. 57:12,13).
 This is a generation work,
here is royal service for enlightened souls.
Glorious work for such only as get victory
over the Beast his image and his mark,
viz. THE CHANGE OF TIMES AND LAWS."