and
laymen appeal to sustain their argument for the change, says: "Under the
christian dispensation the Sabbath is _altered_ from the _seventh_ to
the _first day_ of the week." The arguments for the change are these:
1st. "The _seventh_ day was observed by the Jewish church in memory of
the rest of God; so the _first_ day of the week has always been observed
by the christian church in memory of _Christ's resurrection_. 2d. Christ
made repeated visits to his disciples on that day. 3d. It is called the
Lord's day. Rev. i: 10.--4th. On this day the Apostles were assembled,
when the Holy Ghost came down upon them to qualify them for the
conversion of the world. 5th. On this day we find Paul at Troas when the
disciples came together to break bread. 6th. The directions the Apostles
gave to Christians plainly alludes to their assembling on that day. 7th.
Pliny bears witness of the first day of the week being kept as a
festival in honor of the resurrection of Christ."

"Numerous have been the days appointed by man for religious services,
but these are not binding because of _human_ institution. Not so the
Sabbath. It is of _divine_ institution, so it is to be kept holy onto
the Lord."

Doct. Dodridge, whose ability and piety have seldom or rarely been
disputed, comments on some of the above articles thus: (Commentary p.
606.) "Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in
store as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I
come." I Cor. xvi: 2. "Show that it was to be put into a [32]common
stock. The argument drawn from hence for the religious observance of the
first day of the week in these primitive churches of Corinth and Galacia
is too _obvious_ to need any further illustration, and yet too important
to be passed by in entire silence." Again, p. 904, "I was in the spirit
on the Lord's day," &c. Rev. i: 10. "It is so very unnatural and
contrary to the use of the word in all other authors to interpret this
of the Jewish Sabbath, as Mr. Baxter justly argues at large, that I
cannot but conclude with him and the generality of Christian writers on
this subject, that this text _strongly_ infers the extraordinary regard
paid to the first day of the week in the Apostle's time as a day
solemnly consecrated to Christ in the memory of his resurrection from
the dead." There is much more, but these are his strong arguments. I
shall quote some more from the Commentaries by and by. I wish to place
by t