A53694:428
Exercitations concerning the name, original, nature, use, and continuance of a day of sacred…
Exercitations concerning the name, original, nature, use, and continuance of a day of sacred rest wherein the original of the Sabbath from the foundation of the world, the morality of the Fourth commandment with the change of the Seventh day are enquired into : together with an assertion of the divine institution of the Lord's Day, and practical directions for its due observation / by John Owen.
London: printed by R.W. for Nath. Ponder, 1671
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.
§. 3 Besides, there are not a few complaints, and those managed, at least some of them, by Persons of sobriety and learning, pretending also a real care for the preservation and due observance of all duties of Piety and Religion, that there hath been some excess in the Directions of many given about the due sanctification of the Lords Day. And there is no small danger of mistakes on this hand, whilst therein is a pretence of zeal and devotion to give them countenance. Of this nature some men do judge some rigorous prescriptions to be, which have been given in this matter. And they say that a great disadvantage unto Religion hath ensued hereon. For it is pretended that they are such as are beyond the constitution of humane nature to comply withal; of which kind God certainly requires nothing at our hands. Hence it is pleaded, that men finding themselves no way able to come unto a satisfaction, in answer unto the severe Directions for duties, and the manner of their performance, which by some are rigorously prescribed, have taken occasion to seek for relief, by rejecting the whole command; which is duly interpreted in such a condescension as they were capable of a compliance withal, they would have adhered ⟨p. 416⟩unto. On this account men have found out various inventions to colour their weariness of that strict course of duty which they were bound unto. Hence have some taken up a plea, that every Day is to them a Sabbath, that so they might not keep any. Some, that there is no such thing as a sacred Rest on any Day, required of us by the Authority of Christ, and therefore that all Directions for the manner of the observance of such a Day, are to no purpose. And many by degrees have declined from that strictness, which they could not come up unto a delight in, until they have utterly lost all sense of duty towards God in this matter. And these things are true, only the Reasons of them are not agreed on.
§. 3 Besides, there are not a few complaints, and those managed, at least some of them, by Persons of sobriety and learning, pretending also a real care for the preservation and due observance of all duties of Piety and Religion, that there hath been some excess in the Directions of many given about the due sanctification of the Lords Day. And there is no small danger of mistakes on this hand, whilest therein is a pretence of zeal and devotion to give them countenance. Of this nature some men do judge some rigorous prescriptions to be, which have been given in this matter. And they say that a great disadvantage unto Religion hath ensued hereon. For it is pretended that they are such as are beyond the constitution of humane nature to comply withall; of which kind God certainly requires nothing at our hands. Hence it is pleaded, that men finding themselves no way able to come unto a satisfaction, in answer unto the severe Directions for duties, and the manner of their performance, which by some are rigorously prescribed, have taken occasion to seek for relief, by rejecting the whole command; which is duely interpreted in such a condescension as they were capable of a compliance withall, they would have adhered