Page 7. “Believe, in all divine worship, it is not enough that this or that act of worship is not forbidden in the word of God; if it be not commanded, and you perform it, you may fear you will be found guilty and be exposed to divine displeasure. Nadab and Abihu paid dear for offering in divine worship that which the Lord commanded them not. It is an honour done unto Christ, when you account that only decent, orderly and convenient in his house which depends upon the institution and appointment of Himself, who is the only head and lawgiver of his church.”
Page 65. “God alone is Lord of the conscience, and hath left it free from the doctrines and commandments of men which are in anything contrary to his word, or not contained in it: so that to believe such doctrines, or to obey such commands out of conscience, is to betray true liberty of conscience; and the requiring an implicit faith and an absolute and blind obedience, is to destroy liberty of conscience and reason also. Acts 4, 19. Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. Acts 5, 29. We ought to obey God rather than men. Jam. 4, 12. There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: Who art thou that judgeth another? Col. 2, 22. But in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines commandments of men? Mat. 15, 9. Which all are to perish with the using, after the commandments and doctrines of men. John 4, 22. Ye worship ye know not what. Hos. 5, 11. Ephraim is oppressed and broken in judgment because he willingly walked after the commandment.”
These are the scriptures they quote for their proof, with many more. All these quotations, quoted out of the book of the Confession of their own Faith, with much more, was presented to the abovesaid Courts, Elders and Messengers of said churches, with the following questions, grounded upon the said Confession of their pretended Faith, but can obtain no answer but violence to compel us to rebel against it, as will appear by said questions as followeth.
To Richard Christophers Assistant, and from him to Gov. Saltonstall and Eliphalet Adams.
I request of you, as you profess yourselves to be Christians, and the Scripture to be your rule, to give me a direct answer to these scriptural questions, Rom. 4, 15. “For where no law is, there is no transgression.”
My question is, Hath God any law to forbid labor on the first day of the week? If he hath, quote chapter and verse for it, to convict us of our error, or be convicted that you will be found fighters against God, in striving to compel us to worship the works of your own hands, which would be idolatry in us.
And consider the age and antiquity of an idol doth not make the sin one whit the less, but the greater; for God’s patience and long suffering towards idolaters should lead them to repentance.
A second question I crave of you is, Whether the name “Sabbath” (which you impose upon the first day of the week in your law book) be a title that God by his word hath put upon it? If it be, pray quote the chapter and verse, where it is so named by God’s word; if not, judge yourselves.
A third question I crave your answer to is, Whether the name Lord’s Day (which you impose in your law book on the first day of the week) be a Scripture name peculiar to that day? And how you prove the revelations of Jesus Christ to John was upon the first day of the week?
And if you cannot answer the said questions by the holy Scriptures, then I request of you to read and to consider what is written, Psal. 94, 20, 21. “Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee, which frameth mischief by a law? They gather themselves together against the soul of the righteous, and condemn the innocent blood.” From the New London Prison, the 17th of the 9th month, 1719.