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 diftinguifhed in commemoration of our Lord's refurrection.

The conclufion from the whole enquiry (for it is our bufinefs to follow the arguments to whatever probability they conduct us) is this: The affembling upon the first day of the week for the purpose of public worship and religious instruction, is a law of Christianity, of divine appointment; the refting on that day from our employments longer than we are detained from them by attendance upon thefe affemblies, is to Chriftians an ordinance of human inftitution ; 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 obfervance 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

SINCE

comply with the religious obfervance of Sunday, arifes from the public uses of the inftitution, and the authority of the apoftolic practice, the manner of obferving it ought to be that which best fulfils these uses, and conforins the neareft to this practice.

The ufes propofed 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 feasonable returns of reft.

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

With the primitive Christians the peculiar, and probably for fome time the only diftinction 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 worship, or take up fo much of our time as not to leave a fufficient part of the day at leifure for religious reflection; as the going of journeys, the paying or receiving of vifits which engage the whole day, or employing the time at home in writing letters, fettling accounts, or in applying ourselves to ftudies, 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

in

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 anfwer:-That the religious obfervance of Sunday, if it ought to be retained at all, must be upheld by fome public and visible diftinctions-that, draw the line of diftinction where you will, many actions which are fituated on the confines of the line, will differ very little, and yet lie on the oppofite fides of it-that every trespass upon that referve which public decency has established, breaks down the fence by which the day is separated to the service of religion-that it is unfafe to trifle with scruples and

habits

habits that have a beneficial tendency, although founded merely in custom-that these liberties, however intended, will certainly be considered 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 gamefters-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; because

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