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feems to prevail without fufficient proof; nor does any evidence remain in fcripture, (of what, however, is not improbable) that the first day of the week was thus diftinguished in commemoration of our Lord's refurrection.

The conclufion from the whole inquiry (for it is our business to follow the arguments to whatever probability they conduct us) is this: the assembling upon the firft day of the week for the purpose of public worship and religious inftruction is a law of Chriftianity, of divine appointment; the refting on that day from our employments longer than we are detained from them by attendance upon these affemblies, is to Christians, an ordinance of human institution; binding nevertheless upon the confcience of every individual of a country in which a weekly fabbath is established, for the fake of the beneficial purposes which the public and regular obfervation of it promotes; and recommended perhaps in fome degree to the divine approbation, by the resemblance it bears to what God was pleased to make a folemn part of the law which he delivered to the people of Ifrael, and by its fubferviency to many of the fame uses.

CHAP.

CHA P. VIII.

BY WHAT ACTS AND OMISSIONS THE DUTY

OF THE CHRISTIAN SABBATH IS VIOLATED.

INCE the obligation upon Chriftians, to

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comply with the religious obfervation of Sunday, arises from the public uses of the institution, and the authority of the apoftolic practice, the manner of obferving it ought to be that, which beft fulfils these uses, and conforms the neareft to this practice.

The ufes proposed by the inftitution are,

1. To facilitate attendance upon public worfhip.

2. To meliorate the condition of the laborious claffes of mankind, by regular and seasonable returns of reft.

3. By a general fuspension of business and amufement, to invite and enable persons of every description, to apply their time and thoughts, to fubjects appertaining to their falvation.

With the primitive Chriftians the peculiar, and probably for fome time the only distinction of the first day of the week, was the holding of religious affemblies upon that day. We learn, however, from the teftimony of a very early writer amongst them, that they also reserved the day for religious meditations. Unufquifque noftrum, faith Irenæus, fabbatizat fpiritualiter, meditatione legis gaudens, opificium Dei admirans.

WHEREFORE the duty of the day is violated; ift. By all fuch employments or engagements, as (though differing from our ordinary occupation) hinder our attendance upon public worfhip, or take up fo much of our time, as not to leave a fufficient part of the day at leisure for religious reflection; as the going of journeys, the paying or receiving of visits which engage the whole day, or employing the time at home in writing letters, fettling accounts, or in applying ourselves to studies, or the reading of books, which bear no relation to the business of religion.

2dly. By unneceffary encroachments upon the rest and liberty which Sunday ought to bring to the inferior orders of the community; as by keeping fervants on that day confined and bufied

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in preparations for the fuperfluous elegancies of our table, or drefs.

3dly. By fuch recreations as are customarily forborne out of refpect to the day; as hunting, fhooting, fishing, public diverfions, frequenting taverns, playing at cards or dice.

If it be asked, as it often has been, wherein confifts the difference between walking out with your staff, or with your gun? between spending the evening at home, or in a tavern? between paffing the Sunday afternoon at a game of cards, or in converfation not more edifying, nor always fo inoffenfive?—To these, and to the fame question, under a variety of forms, and in a multitude of fimilar examples, we return the following answer :-That the religious obfervation of Sunday, if it ought to be retained at all, must be upheld by fome public and vifible diftinctions-that draw the line of distinction where you will, many actions which are fituated on the confines of the line, will differ very little, and yet lie on oppofite fides of it-that every trespass upon that referve, which public decency has established, breaks down the fence, by which the day is feparated to the fervice of religion—that it is unfafe to trifle with fcruples and

habits that have a beneficial tendency, although founded merely in cuftom-that these liberties, however intended, will certainly be confidered by those who obferve them, not only as difrespectful to the day and institution, but as proceeding from a secret contempt of the Christian faith-that confequently they diminish a reverence for religion in others, fo far as the authority of our opinion, or the efficacy of our example reaches; or rather, fo far as either will serve for an excufe of negligence to those who are glad of any that as to cards and dice, which put in their claim to be confidered amongst the harmless occupations of a vacant hour, it may be observed, that few find any difficulty in refraining from play on Sunday, except they who fit down to it, with the views and eagerness of gamesters ;-that gaming is feldom innocent—that the anxiety and perturbations, however, which it excites, are inconfiftent with the tranquillity and frame of temper, in which the duties and thoughts of religion fhould always both find, and leave us-and laftly, we shall remark, that the example of other countries, where the fame or greater licence is allowed, affords no apology for irregularities in our own; becaufe

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