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

Homily on Genesis, whose words in Latin he rendreth thus, Jam hinc ab initio doctrinam hanc nobis insinuat Deus, erudiens in circulo hebdomedae diem unum integrum segregandum, & reponendum ad spiritualem operationem, Now from the beginning God insinuates this instruction, teaching that in the circle of the week one entire day is to be sequestered and employed on spiritual actions. These authorities in my judgement should be of the greater force, for as much as they deliver their opinion by way of interpretation of Gods Word, and that according to the plain literal meaning, and that such as whereunto every Christians conscience, not fore-stalled with prejudice, is prone enough to yield by reason of the native evidence of the words. For they denote an external action and transient, not an internal and immanent in God, (all of which kind are eternal) which external action is the dedication of the day to holy uses, which cannot be imagined to be done any other way (as I should think) then by commanding it to be sanctified. The same Author shows Austin to have been of the same judgement, writing thus,¹ When God sanctified the seventh ⟨p. 16⟩day, because thereon he rested from all his works, he did not deliver ought concerning the Fast or Dinner of the Sabbath: nor afterwards, when to the Hebrew people he gave commandment for the observation of the day it self, did he mention ought as touching the receiving or not receiving of food: only commandment is given concerning mens vacation, from their own or from servile works, which vacation the former people receiving as a shadow of things to come, in such manner rested from their works as now we behold the Jews to rest. He citeth also Theophilus Patriarch of Antioch a most ancient writer in his second book to Autolychus writing thus, Furthermore, as touching the seventh which amongst all people is celebrious, most men are in great ignorance. For this day which is celebrious amongst all is called the Sabbath; if a man interpret in Greek, it is called Septimana; by this name all men call this day, but the cause of this denomination they know not. Now what was the cause hereof in his judgement, but the Lords resting thereon as the seventh;

Homily on Genesis, whose words in Latine he rendreth thus, Iam hinc ab initio doctrinam hanc nobis insinuat Deus, erudiens in circulo hebdomedae diem unum integrum segregandum, & reponendum ad spiritualem operationem, Now from the beginning God insinuates this instruction, teaching that in the circle of the weeke one entire day is to bee sequestred and imployed on spirituall actions. These authorities in my judgement should bee of the greater force, for as much as they deliver their opinion by way of interpretation of Gods Word, and that according to the plaine literall meaning, and that such as whereunto every Christians conscience, not fore-stalled with prejudice, is prone enough to yeeld by reason of the native evidence of the words. For they denote an externall action and transient, not an internall and immanent in God, (all of which kinde are eternall) which externall action is the dedication of the day to holy uses, which cannot bee imagined to bee done any other way (as I should thinke) then by commanding it to bee sanctified. The same Author shewes Austin to have beene of the same judgement, writing thus,