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

Now in disputing against the unreasonableness of this interpretation given by Tostatus, I am very willing to make Doctor Prideaux my judge, and (as it were) under his moderation to proceed in this. And here I purpose not to revive the disputations of Walaeus, and Rivetus against Tostatus his anticipation; but only to content my self with the ground laid by Doctor Lake Bishop of Bath and Wells, in his Thesis ⟨p. 196⟩of the Sabbath, Thes. 46. The work of the day is the ground of hallowing the day, whether it be weekly, monthly or yearly, as particulars evince in Scripture and History. I make bold to lay this for my ground in this place, because it is apparent that God made his work on the seventh day, the ground of hallowing that day, namely, because it was the day of Gods rest, therefore to make it the day of mens rest, for the sanctifying of it unto the Lord. Now I pray consider is it reasonable, that because such or such a work hath been done in such a day, provoking us to keep it a festival day unto the Lord, therefore it becomes us accordingly to sanctify it, but when? not that day nor the same day sennight, nor throughout the 52. weeks of that year, nor any of the 52. weeks the next year; no nor for the space of a 1000 years, or two thousand: but after the expiration of 2500 years and more, then and not till then to sanctify that day, because on that day of the week the Lord rested from the work of Creation, 2500 years before? why might not the wisdom of our Parliament have imitated God, and in memory of our deliverance from the Gunpowder treason, on the 5. of November, ordained that day, should be kept festival, so far forth as in the public congregation to make a solemn, and thankful commemoration of that wonderful deliverance, to begin forsooth a thousand or two thousand years after. So the Jews observed yearly the feast of Purim, in remembrance of Gods merciful deliverance of them, from the conspiracy of Haman, but when did they ordain this feast to begin? not till a thousand years after, had they done so, who would not have said, that their wisdom herein had exceeded all humane discretion? Or to avoid the like unreasonableness on their side, well they say that the case is not alike;

Now in disputing against the unreasonablenesse of this interpretation given by Tostatus, I am very willing to make Doctor Prideaux my judge, and (as it were) under his moderation to proceed in this. And here I purpose not to revive the disputations of Walaeus, and Rivetus against Tostatus his anticipation; but onely to content my selfe with the ground layd by Doctor Lake Bishop of Bath and Wells, in his Thesis