Exercitations concerning the name, original, nature, use, and continuance of a day of sacred…

And hence it is, that whereas there are two general concernments of such a Day, the Doctrine, and the Practice of it, or the Duties to be performed unto God thereon, they are both of them solicited by such various Questions through the many Inventions which men have found out, as have rendered this Day of Rest, a matter of endless strife disquietment and contention. And whereas all Doctrines of Truth do tend unto practice, as their immediate Use and End, the whole Scripture being [Greek or Hebrew], Tit. 1. 1. the Truth which is according unto Godliness, the contentions which have been raised about the Doctrine of the Holy Day of Rest, have greatly influenced the minds of men, and weakened them in that practice of Godliness, which all men confess to be necessary in the Observation of such a Day of Rest unto the Lord, if such a Day of Rest there be, on what foundation soever it is to be observed. For Christians in general, under one notion or other, do agree, that a Day of Rest should be observed, in and for the Celebration of the Worship of God. But whereas many Controversies have been raised about the grounds of this Observance, and the Nature of the Obligation thereunto, advantage hath been taken thereby to introduce a great neglect of the Duties themselves, for whose sakes the Day is to be observed, whilst one questions the Reasons and Grounds of another for its Observation, and finds his own by others despised. And this hath been ⟨p. 5⟩no small nor ineffectual means of promoting that general Profaneness, and Apostasy from strict and holy walking before God, which at this day are every where so justly complained of.

And hence it is, that whereas there are two general concernments of such a Day, the Doctrine, and the Practice of it, or the Duties to be performed unto God thereon, they are both of them solicited by such various Questions through the many Inventions which men have found out, as have rendred this Day of Rest, a matter of endless strife disquietment and contention. And whereas all Doctrines of Truth do tend unto practice, as their immediate Use and End, the whole Scripture being 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, Tit. 1. 1. the Truth which is according unto Godliness, the contentions which have been raised about the Doctrine of the Holy Day of Rest, have greatly influenced the minds of men, and weakned them in that practice of Godliness, which all men confess to be necessary in the Observation of such a Day of Rest unto the Lord, if such a Day of Rest there be, on what foundation soever it is to be observed. For Christians in general, under one notion or other, do agree, that a Day of Rest should be observed, in and for the Celebration of the Worship of God. But whereas many Controversies have been raised about the grounds of this Observance, and the Nature of the Obligation thereunto, advantage hath been taken thereby to introduce a great neglect of the Duties themselves, for whose sakes the Day is to be observed, whilst one questions the Reasons and Grounds of another for its Observation, and finds his own by others despised. And this hath been