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

(3.) Granting the Dedication of some Time or part of Time unto the Solemn Worship of God to be required in this Command, as is by all generally acknowledged, and let a Position be practically advanced against this, we insist on, namely, that one Day in seven is the Time determined and ⟨p. 212⟩limited for that purpose, and we shall quickly perceive the mischievous consequents of it. For when men have taken out of the hand of God the division between the Time that is allowed unto us for our own occasions, and what is to be spent in his service, and have cast off all influencing Direction from his Example of working six days, and resting the seventh, and all guidance from that seemingly perpetual Direction that is given us, of employing ordinarily six Days in the necessary affairs of this life; they will find themselves at no small loss what to fix upon, or wherein to acquiesce, in this matter. It must either be left to every individual man to do herein as seems good unto him, or there must an Umpirage of it be committed unto others, either the Church or the Magistrate. And hence we may expect as many different Determinations and Limitations of Time, as there are distinct Ecclesiastical or Political Powers amongst Christians. What variety, Changeableness would hence ensue, what Confusion this would cast all the Disciples of Christ into, according to the prevalency of Superstition or Profaneness in the minds of those who claim this power of determining and limiting the time of Public Worship, is evident unto all. The Instance of Holy Days as they are commonly called, will farther manifest what of it self lies naked under every rational Eye. The Institution and Observation of them was ever resolved into the Moral Part of this Command, for the dedicating of some part of our Time unto God; but the Determination hereof being not of God, but left unto the Church, as it is said, one Church multiplies ⟨p. 213⟩them without End, until they grew an unsupportable yoke unto the people; another reduceth this number into a narrower compass, a third rejects them all, and no two Churches that are Independent Ecclesiastically and Politically one on the other, do agree about them. And so will, and must the matter fall out as to the especial Day whereof we discourse, when once the Determination of it by Divine Authority is practically rejected.