of the precept, as stated in our extract from Melancthon, they resolve
into the general duty of preaching and hearing the gospel, and of
sustaining public assemblies for this purpose; that is, of bearing the
expenses incident to the support of the ministry and the ordinances of
God's house.

"Our American churches, on the contrary, as well as some few in
Germany, believe in the divine institution and obligation of the
Christian Sabbath, or Lord's day, convinced that the Old Testament
Sabbath was not a mere Jewish institution; but that it was appointed by
God at the close of the creative week, when he rested on the seventh
day, and blessed it, and sanctified it, (Gen. ii. 2, 3,) that is, set
it (namely, one whole day in seven,) apart for holy purposes, for
reasons of universal and perpetual nature, Exod. xx. 11. Even in the
re-enactment of it in the Mosaic rode, its original appointment is
acknowledged, '_Remember_ the Sabbath day--because in six days God made
heaven and earth--and rested on the _seventh; wherefore_ he, (_then_, in
the beginning,) _blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it_.' Now this
reason has no more reference to the Jews than to any other nation, and
if it was sufficient to make the observance of the Sabbath obligatory
on them, it must be equally so for all other nations before and after
them.

'Since therefore the observance and sanctification of a portion of his
time, is based on universal reasons in the nature of man, especially as
a religious being, and the proportion of time was fixed at a _seventh_,
by the example and precepts of the Creator in the beginning; the
Sabbath or religious observance of one day in seven, must be
universally obligatory, and the abrogation of the Mosaic ritual, can at
most only repeal those ceremonial additions which that ritual made, and