tion of all the Authority that is vefted in the whole Conftitution; and no Law can have more. If therefore the Members of the Society will take the Liberty, for their own private Conve niency, or Pleafure, to violate the publick Law, there is an End of Government and of Order; of all Decency and Decorum, as well as of Religion. If one Man may take his Pleafure, or a Journey, upon the Sunday, because he cannot do it fo conveniently on any other Day of the Week; every Man must have the fame Liber ty, and every Man must be the Judge of his own Conveniency: fo that this difcretionary Power, in private Perfons, of difpenfing with the Law, does in Effect vacate the Law, and render it of no Ufe But the Law knows nothing of these private Conveniencies, but requires Obedience. In Time of Harvest, when the Weather has been unfavourable, and the Corn, or Hay, is in Danger of being spoiled, it would be extremely convenient for the Farmers, if they might take the Opportunity of a fine Day to break the Sabbath: But, irreligi ous as the prefent Age is, the very worst of them do not prefume upon fuch a Liberty; tho' there would be much more to be faid in Mitigation of their Crime, than can be pleaded in Cafes of leffer Inconveniencies, fuch as moft People's are. Nothing but necessary Works may be done on this Day: But Conveniencies are not Neceffaries. What are Neceffaries our Saviour has determined, viz, pulling an Ox Ditch, or curing a Man that is fick.

out of a

By Pa

rity of Reason we may fave a Perfon from Ruin, or any very great Mifchief, where the Cafe requires immediate Affiftance, as in thofe above-mentioned. I fay, immediate Affiftance; for, let the Service be ever fo great that we can do him, unless it be of fuch a Nature that it cannot wait till next Day, without manifeft Hazard of lofing the Opportunity of doing it, no Neceffity, confequently no Mercy, can be pleaded. But, in those Extremities the Law of the Land, as well as the Law of God, will bear a Man out in doing good on the SabbathDay. But, with Reverence to the Legislature I fpeak it, I think, the Law fhould leave a Man, as little as poffible, to his own Judgment of the Neceffity of the Cafe. In many Cafes it must be done; in others, it needs not. I will inftance in Travelling on the Sunday. There may be very good Reasons, Reasons of Necef fity, for doing it; but, in most of thefe Cafes, it could be no Prejudice, if the Law required the Perfon to carry a Certificate, under the Hands of the Minifter and Church-wardens of his Parish, of the Reality of it; or fome fuch Caution might be used. At London, Watermen, as I have been informed, are not at Liberty to carry a Fare without a Permit; unlefs it be a Clergy-man, Phyfician, Surgeon, Apothecary, or Midwife. And, why cannot this Caution be used on Land, as well as upon the Water? For want of it, we see the infinite bad Confequences arifing from a difcretionary Liberty, Our Roads are filled; Perfons in publick

publick and private Houfes hindered from do ing their Duty, by wicked Families who have no Religion, and by idle People who never think. I am willing to believe, nay I know, that Numbers of thofe who offend in this way, retain a ferious Senfe of Duty, and trangrefs through Ignorance. Thefe I would intreat to confider the Point, with the Attention that is due to its great Importance; and they will eafily convince themfelves, that Difobedience to Government is no light Offence, were the Subject Matter of the Law of ever so trifling a Nature. Every wilful Tranfgreffion of the Laws of our Country adds to the Number of our Sins, and the Load of our Guilt; and, if perfifted in, will increase our Punishment in the next World.

While I am upon the Head of Prohibitions, I must take notice of one Way of profaning the Sabbath, and offending against Civil Authority, which very few, I doubt, have any Notion of; I mean, riding out, either on Horfeback, or in a Coach, after the Duty of the Day is over (as they weakly imagine) whether it be to take the Air, or to make a Vifit. You may be furprised at my Doctrine, but it is certainly true, because this is travelling and employing Servants and Cattle unneceffarily, as much as taking a Journey is; and therefore is as much forbidden, by the Intention of the original Inftitution, by the exprefs Letter of the 4th Commandment, and by the Laws of the Land. For the fame Reafon, all unneceffary Enter

tainments

tainments on the Sunday, are, virtually, pro hibited because, instead of contriving (as every Master of a Family ought to do) how to give his Servants as much Reft, as poffible, from their ordinary Labour, and as much Leifure, as poffible, for the Business of Reli gion, this is loading them with extraordinary Labour, and hindering them from doing their Duty to God.

Having fhewn what we ought not to do upon the Sunday, we are next to examine what we ought to do. For, tho' it is a Day of Reft from the ordinary Concerns of this Life, it is not intended for a Day of Idleness, but of BUSINESS. Let us therefore, confider what is the proper Bufinefs of this Day, At the xxxift Chap. of Exod. Mofes fays, that the Sabbath was holy unto the Lord, and holy unto the People. Before the Deliverance of the Jews from Egypt, the Sabbath was fanctified to the Knowledge and Worship of the true God, as the Creator of the World. To the Jews it was farther fanctified, to the Knowledge and Worship of Him, as their Deliverer from their Egyptian Bondage, and their Law-giver; as they were a peculiar People, diftinguished from the rest of the World by a felect Body of Laws. To us CHRISTIANS the Sunday is fanctified, i. e. fet apart, for the Knowledge and Worship of God, as our Creator; and of Jefus Chrift, as our Redeemer and Law-giver; and to our Improvement in the Knowledge of the Doctrines and Duties of Chrif

Chriftianity. From this fhort Account we may eafily fhew how Chriftians ought to spend the Sunday.

As the Jews were obliged to attend the Jewish Worship, at fuch Times as were appointed by their Law, and to improve them-. felves in the Knowledge of the Law, and of other religious Truths; fo we CHRISTIANS are required to attend chriftian Affemblies, at the Times appointed by publick Authority; and, at Home, to improve ourselves and Families in chriftian Knowledge. To these religious Ufes the Sunday is fanctified, or set apart; in the fame Manner, as Places and Things are confecrated, or fet apart, for religious Ufes. And, as they are profaned whenever they are applied to common Ufes; fo the Sunday is profaned, whenever it is spent in Attendance upon the ordinary Affairs and Amusements of

Life.

How often Chriftians ought to go to Church on Sundays, the New Teftament has not fpecified, any more than how often in a Day we fhould pray in private, or how much of our Income we should give in Charity: but publick Authority has determined, that every Man who has an Opportunity, and is not neceffarily hindered, fhould go to Church Morning, and Afternoon. You may fay, where does the Law of the Land exprefsly require this? To which I very readily anfwer, No where; and, yet, I infift upon it that the Law does, nevertheless, require it. It is the Will, or Intention, and not

the