The Institution of Christian Religion

But forasmuch as the two later causes ought not to be reckoned among the old shadows, but do belong a like to all ages: sins the Sabbath is abrogate, yet this hath still place with us, that we should mere at appointed days to the hearing of the word, to the breaking of the mystical bread, and to public prayer: & then, that to servants and labourers be granted their rest from their labour. It is out of doubt that in commanding the Sabbath the Lord had care of both th••• things. The first of them hath sufficient testimony by the only use of the Jews to prove it. The second, Moses spake of in Deuteronomy in these words:¹ that thy man servant and thy maid servant may rest as well as thou: remember that thou thy self didst serve in Egypt.² Again in Exodus: that thy Ox and thy Ass may rest, and the son of thy bo•d•woman may take breath. Who can deny that both these things do serve for us aswell as for the Jews? Me•••ges at the church, are commanded us by the word of God▪ and the necessity of them is sufficiently known in the very experience of life. […] they be certainly appointed and have their ordinary days, […] can they be kept?³ All things by the sentence of the Apostle are to be done comely and in order among us. But so far is it of, that con •••esse and order can be kept without this policy and moderation, that there is at hand present trouble and ruin of the church, if it be dissolved. Now if the same necessity be among us, for relief whereof the Lord appointed the Sabbath to the Jews: let no man say that it belongeth nothing unto us. For our most provident and tender father, willed no less to provide for our necessity than for the Jews. •ut thou wilt say, why do we not rather daily mete together, that the difference of days may be taken away? I would to God, that w•re granted, and truly spiritual wisdom was a thing worthy to have daily a piece of the time cut out for it. But if it can not be obtained of the weakness of many to have daily meetings, and the rule of charity doth not suffer us to exact more of them, why should we not […] the order which we see laid upon us by the will of God?