A Modest Plea for the Lords Day, Chapter 1
CHAP. I. The occaſion of the Diſcourſe, and what moved the Author to it.
IF in the following Diſcourſe I had deſigned to have advantaged my Name in a printed Book, I had certainly made choice of another Subject, or handled this in another manner than I have. I know nothing left for an Author on this ſubject, it hath been ſo variouſly and learnedly handled by eminent Authors: Nothing is to be added to what Mr. Ley hath ſaid to juſtifie the application of the Name Sabbath to the Lords day. Nor to what Dr. Twiſs, Mr. Sheppard, Mr. Caudry, and Mr. Warren, have ſaid for the Morality of it, for the repeal or expiration of the Jewiſh Sabbath, for the change of it to the firſt day of the Week. Mr. Sheppard and Mr. Caudry have not lef… Oc…fo…d or Brabourn nor Mr. Warren left Mr. Tilham a rag to cover the nakedneſs of their faireyes; nor is ought to be added to wha… Dr. Young hath ſaid to the primitive obſervation of it. For the practical ſanctification of it, all the Authors aforeſaid have ſpoke… fully, to which may be added Dr. Bound, Mr. Bernard, and lately Mr. Wells: To ſay nothing of the controverſial part handled by the aforeſaid Authors, againſt Heylin, Primroſe, Ironſide, and all of that party who would make our Sabbath but an ordinary Church-holiday: ſo that indeed there is not room left for a new Author to croud in, bringing any thing new in this caſe.
Nor ſhall this diſcourſe pretend to any thing of that nature. I look upon it as our great diſadvantage in reference to moſt of our brethren, who contend for the Jewiſh Sabbath to be ſtill in force, that what is already ſaid in the caſe (which is abundantl… enough) is either ſpoken ſo learnedly as they cannot underſtand it: or elſe hidden in large volumes of conſiderable price, which either ordinary people want money to buy, or time to…ad, or judgement to finde out. All therefore I ſhall pretend to, is in a plain familiar Diſcourſe to preſent our brethren with the ſumme of what hath been far more fully and learnedly diſcourſed by others. To which, that which hath been the next occaſion is my preſent leiſure, and the Providence of God caſting me in a place, where I obſerve very many, and thoſe whoſe hearts I would charitably think God had touched with a ſenſe of Religion, and who I truſt truely fear God, and love the Lord Jeſus, have received impreſſions, leading them to a great zeal for the old Sabbath. The conſequents of which opinion, I look upon as very ſad, theſe Chriſtians breaking communion with all Chriſtian Churches in the World: and depriving themſelves of the advantage they might have from communion with us on the Lords day. For though I have known ſome of that opinion, who yet on the Lords day would come to hear the Word preached and joyn in Prayer with other Congregations, yet I perceive another ſpirit in many of my preſent Neighbours. And beſides if (being poſſeſſed of that opinion) they did come, it would not be with ſuch preparation, nor in ſuch a Conſcience of what they did as were requiſite for ſuch as expect a bleſſing from or in ſuch dutyes. God hath pleaſed at preſent to call me to ſit down in ſilence as to my publick Miniſtry, that I might in ſomething ſerve my generation, and be uſefull to the Souls of others, I have put my pen to Paper in this cauſe; nor have I had any other motive whatſoever: but if it might be to do good to ſome Soul or other; or if I cannot cure, yet at leaſt (through the ſtrength of God), to ſtop the ſpreading of this diſeaſe, amongſt Chriſtians.