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

If all talk of observation of the Jewish Sabbath vanished not till the days of Bede, it was 700. years first in the account of Bellarmine. And of any resolutions made by Bede or Damascene hereabouts, in D. Prideux sect. 2. I find no mention. Yet I think it likely enough, that both they and Procopius might easily contrive as many resolutions hereabouts, as either Theodoret upon the twentieth of Ezekiel, or Epiphanius against the Ebionites; for neither of them in the places mentioned, make any resolutions on this point at all. He grants the Lords day to have been instituted by the Church from the Apostles days, which latter clause is an ambiguous phrase. For it may be applied to the days after the Apostles. If in the Apostles days, then undoubtedly it was instituted by the Apostles, what meant he then to say it was instituted by the Church, and not to be so ingenuous as to confess that it was instituted by the Apostles? How far off is he from acknowledging it to have been instituted by the Lord? yet Athanasius openly professeth thus much. Olim certe priscis hominibus in summo pretio Sabbatum fuit, quam quidem solennitatem Dominus transtulit in diem Dominicum. Heretofore with men of old time the Sabbath day was in great price: which Festivity truly the Lord hath translated unto the Lords day. And Cyril in his 12. book on John, chap. 58. considering the Lords appearance a second time on the eighth day, Thomas then being present, and upon consideration finding it to have been ⟨p. 19⟩the first day of the week, concludes thus: Jure igitur sanctae Congregationes die octavo in Ecclesiis fiunt. By right therefore holy Congregations in the Churches are made on the eighth day, meaning thereby the first day of the week, that is the Lords day: and as he concludeth thus, so undoubtedly his opinion was the Apostles themselves did conclude in like manner.

If all talke of observation of the Jewish Sabbath vanished not till the daies of Bede, it was 700. years first in the account of Bellarmine. And of any resolutions made by Bede or Damascen hereabouts, in D. Prideux sect. 2. I finde no mention. Yet I thinke it likely enough, that both they and Procopius might easily contrive as many resolutions hereabouts, as either Theodoret upon the twentieth of Ezekiel, or Epiphanius against the Ebionites; for neither of them in the places mentioned, make any resolutions on this point at al. He grants the Lords day to have beene instituted by the Church from the Apostles dayes, which latter clause is an ambiguous phrase. For it may bee applyed to the dayes after the Apostles. If in the Apostles dayes, then undoubtedly it was instituted by the Apostles, what meant hee then to say it was instituted by the Church, and not to bee so ingenuous as to confesse that it was instituted by the Apostles? How far off is he from acknowledging it to have beene instituted by the Lord? yet Athanasius openly professeth thus much. Olim certe priscis hominibus in summo pretio Sabbatum fuit, quam quidem solennitatem Dominus transtulit in diem Dominicum. Heretofore with men of old time the Sabbath day was in great price: which Festivitie truly the Lord hath translated unto the Lords day. And Cyrill in his 12. book on Iohn, chap. 58. considering the Lords appearance a second time on the eighth day, Thomas then being present, and upon consideration finding it to have beene