A26918:355
The divine appointment of the Lords day proved as a separated day for holy…
The divine appointment of the Lords day proved as a separated day for holy worship, especially in the church assemblies, and consequently the cessation of the seventh day Sabbath : written for the satisfaction of some religious persons who are lately drawn into error or doubting in both these points / by Richard Baxter.
London: printed for Nevil Simmons, 1671
The Divine Appointment of the LORDS DAY, proved, as a separated Day… › Chapter 9
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Obj. Then they made it a fast and not a festival.
Answ. It was not the use then to eat dinners in those hot Countries; much less three meals a day, as we do now. And they accounted it a ⟨p. 97⟩sufficient feasting, to feast once, at Supper, which they did at the first all together at their Church-meeting, with the Sacrament; But afterward finding the inconvenience of that they feasted at home, and used only the Sacrament in the Church: which change was not made without the allowance of the Apostles; Paul saying, 1. Cor. 11. Have ye not houses to eat and drink in? or despise ye the Church of God?
Answ. It was not the use then to eat dinners in those hot Countreys; much less three meals a day, as we do now. And they accounted it a ⟨p. 97⟩sufficient feasting, to feast once, at Supper, which they did at the first all together at their Church-meeting, with the Sacrament; But afterward finding the inconvenience of that they feasted at home, and used only the Sacrament in the Church: which change was not made without the allowance of the Apostles; Paul saying, 1. Cor. 11. Have ye not houses to eat and drink in? or despise ye the Church of God?
2. I further answer that the work of the day being done according to the primitive use, it will be no excessive labour to the Minister: Because in the Celebration of the Lords Supper, he is not still in one continued speech, but hath the intermission of Action, and useth shorter Speeches which do not so much spend him. And the people bear a considerable part, to wit, in Gods praises, which were spoken then in their laudatory tone, and are now uttered by the singing of Psalms (which should not be the least part of the work.) And though their manner of singing was not like ours, in Rhythms and Tunes melodiously, (as neither were the Hebrew, Greek or Latin Poems so sung;) but as most think, more like to our Cathedral singing, or saying; yet it followeth not that this is the best way for us, seeing use hath made our Tunes and Metre, and way of singing more meet for the ends to which we use them, that is, for the cheerful consent of all the Church; Neither should any think that it is a humane unlawful invention, and a sinful change, to turn the old way of singing (used in Scripture times and long after) into ours; For the old way of singing was not a Divine institution,