e omitted. And yet,
because it was necessary to appoint a certain day, that the people
might know when they ought to come together, it appears that the Church
designated the Lord's Day for this purpose; and this day seems to have
been chosen all the more for this additional reason, that men might have
an example of Christian liberty, and might know that the keeping neither
of the Sabbath nor of any other day is necessary. There are monstrous
disputations concerning the changing of the law, the ceremonies of the
new law, the changing of the Sabbath-day, which all have sprung from the
false belief that there must needs be in the Church a service like to
the Levitical, and that Christ had given commission to the Apostles and
bishops to devise new ceremonies as necessary to salvation. These errors
crept into the Church when the righteousness of faith was not taught
clearly enough. Some dispute that the keeping of the Lord's Day is not
indeed of divine right, but in a manner so. They prescribe concerning
holy-days, how far it is lawful to work. What else are such disputations
than snares of consciences? For although they endeavor to modify the
traditions, yet the mitigation can never be perceived as long as the
opinion remains that they are necessary, which must needs remain where
the righteousness of faith and Christian liberty are not known.

The Apostles commanded Acts 15, 20 to abstain from blood. Who does
now observe it? And yet they that do it not sin not; for not even the
Apostles themselves wanted to burden consciences with such bondage; but
they forbade it for a time, to avoid offense. For in this decree we must
perpetually consider what the aim of the Gospel is.

Scarcely any Canons are kept with exactness, and from day to day many
go out of use even among those who are the most zealous advocates of
traditions. Neither can due regard be paid to consciences unless this
mitigation be observed, that we know that the Canons are kept without
holding them to be necessary, and that no harm is done consciences, even
though traditions go out of use.

But the bishops might easily retain the lawful obedience of the people
if they would not insist upon the observance of such traditions as
cannot be kept with a good conscience. Now they command celibacy; they
admit none unless they swear that they will not teach the pure doctrine
of the Gospel. The churches do not ask that the bishops should restore
concord at the expense of