THE MARKET DAY OF THE SOUL:
The Puritan doctrine of the Sabbath in England, 1532-1700
By James T. Dennison, Jr.
Soli Deo Gloria Publications
209 pages
ISBN 1 57358 062 7
James Dennison, through his careful research, has made an important contribution to our understanding of the Puritan mind on an issue which continues to be important for the church world-wide.
In a style which is lucid, and carefully documented for an academic audience, Dennison distinguishes three main positions held in the period 1532-1700. The 'Prelatic' position of the church establishment believed the Sabbath only applied in the old Jewish state. So the only basis for Sunday observance was the practice of the apostles, with the implication that the apostles' successors (the prelates of the day) could decide its use in the present. At the other extreme the Saturday-Sabbath group argued for Saturday observance because it was one of the ten commandments and was nowhere abrogated in the New Testament.
