The Christian Sabbath defended against a crying evil in these times of the antisabitarians…

And consequently the Church hath no authority to change the day, as Doctor Fulke professeth against the Rhemists: And to say the contrary, is to say that the Church hath authority to concur with the Jews in keeping with them the Saturday, with the Turks, in keeping with them the Friday; yea, that they have authority to divide the days of the week, one nation taken one day to observe, and another another, which is as much as to say, that the Church hath authority to be notoriously scandalous. In the fifth he delivers more truth than in all his preface besides: we make no question, but that works of necessity and works of charity may be done on this day, though the proper works of the day are the works of holiness. I know none that thinks it unlawful to dress meat proportionable to a mans estate on this day: some are of opinion, ⟨p. 179⟩that this was not forbidden unto the Jews; and that albeit to go abroad on that day to gather Manna was forbidden, yet not the preparing or dressing of it; though the most common opinion of our Divines is to the contrary: Some think a greater strictness was enjoined them in the wilderness than afterward observed by them.¹ As in the story of Nehemiah it is said, there was prepared for his table daily an Ox, and five chosen Sheep; and our Saviours entertainment by some on the Sabbath day, doth seem to them to intimate as much; howsoever in after times it came to pass that they grew superstitious this way; As Austin observes of them in his days, that Judaei neque occidunt, neque coquunt. Others who think it was both enjoined to them, and practised by them with greater strictness, conceive that this was by reason of the mysterious signification, to wit, of some exact rest in Christ; this was their ceremonial rest; we acknowledge no rest but moral, which we understand in that sense which here is expressed in part, and but in part, after a halting manner; For he professeth, that on the Lords Day we are to abstain from such works as are an hinderance to Gods service, but he delivers this only of the public service; as if to spend an hour and an half in the morning, and an hour and an half in the afternoon in Gods service, were enough for the sanctifying of the day; yet Gerardus the Lutheran observes, that God commands the day to be sanctified, not a part of the day.

And consequently the Church hath no authority to change the day, as Doctor Fulke professeth against the Rhemists: And to say the contrary, is to say that the Church hath authority to concurre with the Jewes in keeping with them the Saturday, with the Turks, in keeping with them the Friday; yea, that they have authority to divide the dayes of the weeke, one nation taken one day to observe, and another another, which is as much as to say, that the Church hath authority to be notoriously scandalous. In the fifth he delivers more truth than in all his preface besides: we make no question, but that workes of necessity and workes of charity may be done on this day, though the proper workes of the day are the workes of holinesse. I know none that thinkes it unlawfull to dresse meat proportionable to a mans estate on this day: some are of opinion,