g us to take time and opportunity on these
Sabbath-days, (since we cannot otherwise attain them,) to attend _to
divine service_, so that we may assemble ourselves to hear and treat of
the Word of God, and then to praise him, to sing and pray to him.

"But this, I say, is not so confined to time, _as ii was among the Jews,
that it must be precisely on this or that day; for one day is not
better in itself than another, but it should be daily attended to;_ but
since the mass of the people cannot attend to it, we should _reserve
one day in the week, at least, for this purpose_. Inasmuch, however, as
Sunday has been _set apart from of old_ for this purpose, we should
therefore let it remain so, that the Sabbath may be observed with
_uniformity_, and that no one create disorder through unnecessary
innovation."

The above testimony of Luther is so distinct and decided, that he
certainly would not have approved of the Augsburg Confession if
Melancthon had introduced a different doctrine into it. But there was
no difference of opinion on this point, between these two luminaries of
the church.

2. _Melancthon_, in a letter addressed to Luther from Augsburg, dated
July 27, 1530, thus speaks of the Christian Sabbath: "When St. Peter
appoints the religious observance of Sunday, I regard this work (the
observance of the day) _not as divine worship_, (Gottesdienst, cultus,)
but as being attended by bodily advantage, (leiblichen Nutzen,) if the
people assemble together on a fixed day." [Note 4]

Again, in his _System of Divinity_, or _Loci Theologici_," [Note 5] we
find the following unequivocal declaration: "We have, heard above that
the Levitical _ceremonies_ are abolished. But the law concerning the
Sabbath is a Levitical ceremony, and _St. Paul_ expressly says,
Col. ii., Let no one judge you, if you do not observe the Sabbaths,"
(Niemend [sic] soll euch richten, so ihr die Sabbathe nicht haltet;) why
then (it may be asked) do you insist so rigidly on this precept? Answer.
This precept in the words of Moses embraces two things, one _common_,
that is necessary to the church at all times, and a _particular day_,
which concerned only the government of Israel. The _common_ part (of
this precept) is the proper public office (or duty) to preach and to
observe the divine ceremonies, which God has at any time enjoyed. This
_common_ precept binds all men; for this honor all rational creatures
owe to God, to aid in sustaining the office o