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

considering the proportion between Gods rest from his works, and mans rest from his; and that as this day was the first of Gods rest, so it was the first of mans work; And the very Heathens have counted it reasonable, à Jove principium, to begin with God, especially there being no better means to take livery and seisin of the world made by God for the service of man, than by the service of God, man being made to this end, and ⟨p. 195⟩accordingly after Gods image, endued with an understanding heart to know him, and with rational affections to fear and serve him. And that with the first, as Caietan observeth, and that out of the judgement of reason, Par est ut post accepta beneficia agnoscamus benefactorem quandoque uno statím: It is fit after benefits received, we should acknowledge our Creator sometimes, yea, forthwith: As we read the Angels did; as the Book of Job informs us, Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding, who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it. Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof. When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy. The sum of all is this: 1. It is generally confessed, and that by the very light of nature, that sometime, and that in a sufficient proportion, is to be set apart for Gods service. 2. God being our great Lord and Master, it is most fit, by the very suggestion of nature, that God himself should set forth unto us his servants, both the proportion of time, according to which, and the particularity of the day wherein he will be served by us. 3 We judge that proportion which God hath designed, and the day also which he hath marked out to us in his Word, to be most agreeable unto reason in the consideration of his works. And in all this I am very willing to remit, my self to the judgement of Doctor Prideaux. The next reason here mentioned followeth; Can we conceive that this only ceremonial law crept in, we know not how, amongst the moral? Or that the Prophet Moses would have used such care in ordering the Decalogue, only to bring the Church into greater troubles? I answer, that some time should be set apart for Gods service, was never accounted ceremonial;

considering the proportion betweene Gods rest from his works, and mans rest from his; and that as this day was the first of Gods rest, so it was the first of mans worke; And the very Heathens have counted it reasonable, à Iove principium, to begin with God, especially there being no better meanes to take livery and seisin of the world made by God for the service of man, than by the service of God, man being made to this end, and