A treatise of the Sabbath and the Lords-day Distinguished into foure parts. Wherein is declared both the nature, originall, and observation, as well of the one under the Old, as of the other under the New Testament. Written in French by David Primerose Batchelour in Divinitie in the Vniversity of Oxford, and minister of the Gospell in the Protestant Church of Roven. Englished out of his French manuscript by his father G.P. D.D.

THE TRANSLATOR TO THE READER.

I Wrote to my Sonne, Preacher of the Go∣spel at Roven, desiring him to set downe in a paper (distinctly and clearely) his o∣inion concerning the Sabbath, with the confirmation thereof by such arguments which hee should thinke most pregnant, and a solide refutation of the contrary arguments; which he did accordingly, but in the French Tongue, as writing onely out of a duti∣full affection to condescend to my desire, not thinking, and far lesse desiring it should be Englished and made publike here: Neither had I any such intention, as be∣ing most unwilling that he, who is a stranger to this nation, although not a stranger to the Church, should goe formost to breake this yee. And therefore I kept it

by me three yeeres, till being advertised that others were gone before, and their Bookes were on the Presse, and finding no man that would or could translate it into our Tongue, and take the wearisome paines to place the additions (which he sent me at divers times afterwards) in their roomes: I undertooke this labour my selfe, hoping that things being compared with things, cause with cause, reasons with reasons, and the contrary arguments, which are to be found in so ma∣ny bookes, for and against the morality of a seventh day of a weekly Sabbath, being examined and conferred one by another, the Christian, charitable, and judicious Readers shall be stirred up, after they have proved * 1.1 all things, to hold fast that which is good, without imparing any thing of that religious service which they owe and yeeld publikely in the Church, and privately at home with their families to the Lord their God, who needs not the errours of men (though never so speci∣ous) for the upholding of his service. If in this end of my translation I have done any thing amisse, I say with David, Let the righteous smite me, it shall be a * 1.2 kindnes, and let him reprove me, it shall be an ex∣cellent oile, w^ch shall not breake mine head. In the meane while, let all Christians, according to the exhor∣tation of the Apostle, put off anger, wrath, malice, * 1.3 and put on charity, which is the bond of perfe∣ction,

and so walk worthy of the vocation wher∣with * 1.4 we are called, with all lowlines and meek∣nesse, with long suffering, forbearing one ano∣ther in love, endeavouring to keepe the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace; that living in * 1.5 peace, the God of love and peace may be with us, and live in us for ever and ever.

Amen.

Notes

• * 1.1

  1 Thess. 5. 21.
• * 1.2

  Psal. 141. v. 5.
• * 1.3

  Col. 3. v. 8, 14.
• * 1.4

  Ephes. 4. v. 1, 2, 3.
• * 1.5

  2 Cor. 13. v. 11,