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The Divine Appointment of the Lords Day: Proved, as a Separated Day for Holy Worship, Especially in the Church Assemblies, and Consequently the Cessation of the Seventh Day Sabbath
Excerpt from The Divine Appointment of the Lords Day
And its new he bodiljre?s'wfx o'ther 'm'ens» But agam,again, I muft' give notice that drj'. Dominica is the Bank which I agree with in the Method and Mid dle way of determining this Contro verfie, and which I take to be the firongef't written of it And that I omit moft which he hath, as taking mine but as an Appendix to his, and defire him that will write againfi mine, to anfwer both together, or elfe liball fuppofe his work to be undone.
And its new he bodiljre?s'wfx o'ther 'm'ens» But agam,again, I muft' give notice that drj'. Dominica is the Bank which I agree with in the Method and Mid dle way of determining this Contro verfie, and which I take to be the firongef't written of it And that I omit moft which he hath, as taking mine but as an Appendix to his, and defire him that will write againfi mine, to anfwer both together, or elfe liball fuppofe his work to be undone.
255 pages, Paperback
Published August 24, 2018
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About the author
Richard Baxter
453 books107 followersRichard Baxter (1615-1691) was an English Puritan church leader, poet, hymn-writer, theologian, and controversialist. Dean Stanley called him "the chief of English Protestant Schoolmen". After some false starts, he made his reputation by his ministry at Kidderminster, and at around the same time began a long and prolific career as theological writer. After the Restoration he refused preferment, while retaining a non-separatist presbyterian approach, and became one of the most influential leaders of the nonconformists, spending time in prison.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
September 8, 2025
Not as useful as I’d hoped it to be. Most of the information here can be found in his Puritan Catechism for Families on the fourth commandment.
He doesn’t engage as much as I would have hoped with his peers who eventually codify the Westminsterian position on the fourth commandment, but rather gives his case for:
1. The cessation of the seventh-day Sabbath
2. The appointment of the Lord’s Day on the first day
3. What ought and ought not to be done on the Lord’s Day
4. The general abrogation of the Law
Some will find this to be a refreshing via media between the anti-sabbatarian positions of someone like Calvin or Luther and the Westminster, but I firmly disagree with the methods as laid out in section 4 because I think they are insufficient to get where Baxter wants to go in section 3. For example, let’s say you want to say that labor as far as it is an act of necessity or mercy is permissible on the Lord’s Day as Baxter does, how would you prove this? Most likely you would go to Christ’s teaching, but this is His teaching on the Sabbath, which, if you want to deny is transferred in substance to the Lord’s Day, how can you rely on these clarifications for the fourth commandment to prove something for the Lord’s Day?
Baxter wants to maintain the Puritan piety of Lord’s Day observance I.e. full day dedicated to private and public worship while removing the Puritan view of the Law and the fourth commandment which is that the substance of the law
His views here all fit within his “political method” as Packer calls it where the New Covenant is also a “new law” which is how he can say the Mosaic law is abrogated and also still be a scourge to the Antinomians. I don’t find it particularly compelling in this case. Christ’s law is not different in substance from the law of nature summarized in the Decalogue.
The historical analysis was helpful near the end of the book, and you may find it useful. I just wish he had spent a little more time interacting with Westminsterians, Bullinger, or Junius instead of merely responding to people who wanted to worship on Saturday.
He doesn’t engage as much as I would have hoped with his peers who eventually codify the Westminsterian position on the fourth commandment, but rather gives his case for:
1. The cessation of the seventh-day Sabbath
2. The appointment of the Lord’s Day on the first day
3. What ought and ought not to be done on the Lord’s Day
4. The general abrogation of the Law
Some will find this to be a refreshing via media between the anti-sabbatarian positions of someone like Calvin or Luther and the Westminster, but I firmly disagree with the methods as laid out in section 4 because I think they are insufficient to get where Baxter wants to go in section 3. For example, let’s say you want to say that labor as far as it is an act of necessity or mercy is permissible on the Lord’s Day as Baxter does, how would you prove this? Most likely you would go to Christ’s teaching, but this is His teaching on the Sabbath, which, if you want to deny is transferred in substance to the Lord’s Day, how can you rely on these clarifications for the fourth commandment to prove something for the Lord’s Day?
Baxter wants to maintain the Puritan piety of Lord’s Day observance I.e. full day dedicated to private and public worship while removing the Puritan view of the Law and the fourth commandment which is that the substance of the law
His views here all fit within his “political method” as Packer calls it where the New Covenant is also a “new law” which is how he can say the Mosaic law is abrogated and also still be a scourge to the Antinomians. I don’t find it particularly compelling in this case. Christ’s law is not different in substance from the law of nature summarized in the Decalogue.
The historical analysis was helpful near the end of the book, and you may find it useful. I just wish he had spent a little more time interacting with Westminsterians, Bullinger, or Junius instead of merely responding to people who wanted to worship on Saturday.
Displaying 1 of 1 review