(92) and we mufl: red:ifie the mifiake? Shall thefe fellows come in at the end of the world, and call the Apofiles :1ndall the Churches. of all ages P~ritanes , for k.Jeping holy the Lords day.? Or will any but a brain-fick perfon hearken w fuch fhamele[., men s rhefe ? Object. But the antientCh~>trches didnot kJep that day a~ a Sah– bath, 6ut only tU aday for pubtir;k__ worfoip. Anfw. We will not fiick with you for the name: We urge you not to call it theSaqbath~ ( the-Hgh the Antien.ts fornetimes die lo: See our Homilies of the Place and Time of Prayer) if you will call it as Scriptureand the Churches did, by the name of the Lords d.zy. And it was rben the cuftom of the Churches, to (pend almoft all the day-in public/z Worfoip and Holy Communiun, and therefore they had but little time for any private duties that day. And yet ( thotJgh the private practifes of particubr perfons on that day be ~ittle mentioned in Church-hiftory ) . no man can prove that they ukd to fpc:nd any remaining hours.of that day as common tvne in cemmonbufinefs. So that to quarrel againfi the holy obfervation of rhe Lords day, is but to <quarrel with che Holy · Ghoft and the Apo{lles 1 andall the Churches (}f all ag1s jince, and with the happyeft feafon for the worfotpping of God, and fee.king our own and other mens edification. · 7· What is there yet remaining then that yo~ quarrel with as too muchprccifenefs? Is it the /lriEl~tefs of mens lives in forbearing fin, and not doing a& their n·eighbours do, in rioting and vain recrea– tions, anddelights ? For this I need not fiand to jufhfie th~m , with any impartial fober man. Ifjin be evil, and dijpleafe God, and deferve d~tmnation, he that moft fully and caref~>tlly avoideth it, is the honefteft and the w.ifeft man. You will not blame your child or fervant for being loth to offend and difobey you even irt' the fmallefi: matter. You like not him that offererh you the leaft. abufe, fo well as him tha~ offereth you none. . You had rather be 'Well then have the leaft difeafe. You will not take a little.[oy(on ; 1 nor would you feel a little of hell : Why then ilioutd·we not avoid the leaft fin {o far as we are able ? If finning be tqo~, then Devilsare thl.'! beft creatures, and Angels and C~rift ( m h1~ man,. hood) the worft . .But if fin be the greatefl: evd, What wdl you call thofe men that do not only wilfully commit it, but plead for it, and rlproach thofe that would f~in avoi.d it ? Or ~hat if fome oJ th.ofe that y~u rep~oach, are mli.laken 10 fome ppmr, ~nd ~h~~ .
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