# Brown on the Sabbath



## Kaalvenist (Dec 29, 2005)

John Brown of Wamphray's _magnum opus_ was a work on the Christian Sabbath. I've seen the title as either _De causa Dei contra antisabbatarios,_ or _De causa Dei adversus Anti-Sabbatario._ Apparently, it was written in Latin, was never translated into English, and was larger than all of the published works of William Cunningham put together (according to Walker in _The Theology and Theologians of Scotland 1560-1750_).

Anyone seen this book? I can't even find it in seminary libraries like Westminster and RPTS. (Not that I can read Latin...yet...)


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Dec 29, 2005)

Good question, Sean. I'd like to know more about this myself. FYI, I posted a brief bio on John Brown of Wamphray previously here.


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## NaphtaliPress (Dec 29, 2005)

Yes, I have a friend who has the original work. If I recall correctly, because it was published in Latin in Holland no doubt, this work is not in the Early English Books collection, which for most of us doesn't really matter any way since most cannot read it. I've asked another friend to consider translating just the portion defending psalm singing; but he is hesitant given he sees nothing extraordinary about it to justify the time. My thinking is it may, depending upon what is actually said, be the earliest covenanter defense of exclusive psalmody or at least predominant psalm singing (depends on what he says, and what he says about other scripture songs). Any way, I've had an interest in the work for 20 years. There are a couple or three Scottish works that need to be translated; probably the most important historically is Didoclavius´s {that is David Calderwood, Scottish divine and historian (1575-1650?)}, Altare Damascenum (1623; 1708). I know two people who each say they are working on translating two of Rutherford´s Latin works. This would be the next one for someone to tackle in my opinion.


> _Originally posted by Kaalvenist_
> John Brown of Wamphray's _magnum opus_ was a work on the Christian Sabbath. I've seen the title as either _De causa Dei contra antisabbatarios,_ or _De causa Dei adversus Anti-Sabbatario._ Apparently, it was written in Latin, was never translated into English, and was larger than all of the published works of William Cunningham put together (according to Walker in _The Theology and Theologians of Scotland 1560-1750_).
> 
> Anyone seen this book? I can't even find it in seminary libraries like Westminster and RPTS. (Not that I can read Latin...yet...)



[Edited on 12-29-2005 by NaphtaliPress]


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## glowvue (Dec 30, 2005)

Kaalvenist, For older latin works, you may want to try some of the college libraries in the east like Yale, Princeton, or Dickinson College.


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## NaphtaliPress (Dec 30, 2005)

Harvard (Hollis online catalog) has 17 entries but not this work. No copy at Dickinson. Yale.edu (orbis) seems to have two copies. Princeton University (not seminary) library has a copy of at least volume 2 (not sure what the last note means): 
Author/Artist: Brown, John, 1610?-1679.
Title: De causa Dei contra antisabbatarios tractatus. Auctore Joanne Broun.
Published/Created: Rotterodami, Apud H. Goddaeum, 1674-76.

Description: 2 v.
Notes: Vol. 1 has title? De causa Dei adversus anti-sabbatorius. -Cf. Dict. nat. biog.
Contents: t. 2., liber 4. De Decalogo, & speciatim de quaÌrto decalogi praecepto. liber 5. De die dominico ejusque institutione. liber 6. De sanctificatione diei dominici.
Subject(s): Sabbath.
Location: Annex A, Forrestal: use annex button to request
Call Number: 5885.214
Location Has: v.2

Being a rare set, I would suspect all these would have some kind of access restrictions.


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## NaphtaliPress (Feb 16, 2007)

*Psalm Singing Section to be Translated*

FYI. Lord willing, the 2007 issue of _The Confessional Presbyterian_ will have a first time translation from Brown's work on the Sabbath, covering the full section dealing with psalm singing. Whether it indicates anything surprising or not, given his status as the most important Scottish theologian during the Killing Times, it is an important contribution to the literature to have in English in my opinion. I'll make more disclosures on CPJ 3 content in the coming weeks; getting to the crazy period as we rush headlong to meet deadlines. NB. I'm in the process of moving the CPJ and Naphtali websites to new hosts so these and my main email will "go dark" for the next day or so. Thanks go to Rich for helping me get these moved to new digs at his place.


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