The divine appointment of the Lords day proved as a separated day for holy…

III. Therefore we cannot make good the Authority of any one single Verse or Text of Scripture which we shall allege, without historical evidence. Because we are not certain of that particular text, (or words,) whether it have been altered or added, or corrupted, by the fraud of Heretics, or the partiality of some Christians, or the oversight of Scribes: For if a Custom of setting apart one day weekly, even the first, for public Worship, might creep into all the Churches in the World, and no man know how, nor ⟨p. 64⟩when; much more might one or a few corrupt Copies become the exemplar of those that follow. For, what day all the Churches meet, men, women, and children know; Learned and unlearned know; the Orthodox and Heretics know; and they so know, as that they cannot choose but know. But the alterations of a Text, may b• unknown to all save the Learned, and the observing diligent part of the learned only, and […] that they tell it to. And besides Origen ([…] a Heretic) and Hierome, alas, how few of the Fathers were able and diligent Examiners of such things? Therefore in the case of various Readings such as Ludov. Capellus treats of in his […] Sacra, contradicted in many things by Bishop Usher and others, who are those Divines that have hitherto appealed either to the Spirit, or to the proper light of the words, for a decision? Who is it that doth not presently fly to historical evidence? And what that cannot determine we all confess to be uncertain? And if Copies and History had delivered to us as various Readings o• every Text as they have done of some, every Text would have remained uncertain to us.

III. Therefore we cannot make good the Authority of any one single Verse or Text of Scripture which we shall alledge, without historical evidence. Because we are not certain of that particular text, (or words,) whether it have been altered or added, or corrupted, by the fraud of Hereticks, or the partiality of some Christians, or the oversight of Scribes: For if a Custome of setting apart one day weekly, even the first, for publick Worship, might creep into all the Churches in the World, and no man know how, nor ⟨p. 64⟩when; much more might one or a few corrupt Copies become the exemplar of those that follow. For, what day all the Churches meet, men, women, and children know; Learned and unlearned know; the Orthodox and Hereticks know; and they so know, as that they cannot choose but know. But the alterations of a Text, may b unown to all save the Learned, and the observing iligent part of the learned only, and that they tell it to. And besides Origen ( a Heretick) and Hierome, alas, how few of the Fathers were ble and diligent Examiners of such things? Therefore in the case of various Redings such as Ludov. Capellus treats of in his Sacra, contradicted in many things by Bishop Vsher and others, who are those Divines that have hitherto appealed either to the Spirit, or to the proper light of the words, for a decision? Who is it that doth not presently fly to historical evidence? And what that cannot determine we all coness to be uncertain? And if Copies and History had delivered to us as various Readings o every Text as they have done of some, every Text would have remained uncertain to us.