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superstitious veneration of one day above another, or supposing there is any inherent holiness in it.

I shall conclude by extracting from the writings of our Friends, at different periods, a statement of what the Society has believed and practised, in relation to this subject.

"We, not seeing any ground in Scripture for it, cannot be so superstitious as to believe, that either the Jewish Sabbath now continues, or that the first day of the week is the antitype thereof, or the true Christian Sabbath, which, with Calvin, we believe to have a more spiritual sense; and therefore we know no moral obliga tion by the fourth command, or elsewhere, to keep the first day of the week, more than any other, nor any inherent holiness in it. But, first, forasmuch as it is most necessary, that there be some time set apart for the saints to meet together to wait upon God; and, secondly, it is fit at some times that they be freed from their outward affairs; and, thirdly, reason and equity doth allow, that servants and beasts have some time allowed them, to be eased from their continual labour; and, fourthly, it appears that the apostles and primitive Christians did use the first day of the week for these purposes; we find ourselves sufficiently moved, from these causes, to do so also, without superstitiously straining the Scriptures for another reason: which, that it is not there to be found, many Protestants, yea, Calvin himself, upon the fourth command, hath abundantly evinced. And though we therefore meet, and abstain from working on this day, yet doth not that hinder us from having meetings also for worship, at other times." Barclay's Apol. Prop. 11, § IV.

"We, however, consider the setting apart of one day in seven for cessation from business, and for reli ́gious services, no more than a reasonable duty; and we encourage the observance of it among our members. It has been our practice from the commencement of our religious Society; and although we do not consider the first, or any day of the week, as possessing a superior degree of holiness; yet we believe considerable advantages to religion and virtue arise, not only from a proper dedication and employment of it, but even from the imperfect observance, with which it is on the whole regarded." Tuke's Principles, p. 132.

"In turning our attention to the state of the Society, as it has been now laid before us, the proper employment of the first day of the week, the day more particularly set apart for public worship, is a subject that has claimed our serious attention. It is no small privi→ lege to be living in a country, where much regard is paid to this duty; and it highly becomes us to be careful that our example, in this respect, be consistent with the profession we make to the world. We desire that heads of families, and our younger friends also, may closely examine, whether they are sufficiently solicitous to improve that portion of this day, which is not allotted to the great duty of meeting with their friends for the purpose of Divine worship. To those who are awakened to a due sense of the eternal interests of the soul-and O that this were the case with all!—we believe that these intervals have often proved times of much religious be nefit. Many have derived great increase of strength, both at these and other times, from retiring to wait upon the Lord; from reading the Holy Scriptures with minds

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. turned to their Divine Author, in desire that He would bless them to their comfort and edification; and from perusing the pious lives and experiences of those who have gone before them. But we avoid prescribing any precise line of conduct, believing that, if the attention be sincerely turned unto the Heavenly Shepherd, his preserving help and guidance will not be withheld,” London Epistle, 1817.

The following extract of a Letter of Advice, from a meeting of the representatives of the Society, held in London, in the year 1751, will explain our reasons for giving the months and days of the week their proper, numerical names, instead of those by which they are commonly called.

"A brief account of the origin of the names of some months of the year, and of all the days of the week, now customarily and commonly used.

"I. January was so called from Janus, an ancient king of Italy, whom heathenish superstition had deified; to whom a temple was built, and this month dedicated.

“II. February was so called from Februa, a word denoting purgation by sacrifices; it being usual, in this month, for the priests of the Heathen god Pan, to offer sacrifices, and perform certain rites; conducing, as was supposed, to the cleansing or purgation of the people.

"III. March was so denominated from Mars, feigned to be the god of war, whom Romulus, founder of the Roman empire, pretended to be his father.

"IV. April is generally supposed to derive its name from the Greek appellation of Venus, an imaginary god, dess, worshipped also by the Romans.

"V. May is said to have been so called from Maia,

the mother of Mercury, another of their pretended ethnic deities, to whom, in this month, they paid their devotions.

"VI. June is said to take its name from Juno, one of the supposed goddesses of the Heathen.

"VII. July, so called from Julius Cæsar, one of the Roman emperors, who gave his own name to this month, which before was called Quintilis, or the fifth.

"VIII. August, so named in honour of Augustus Cesar, another of the Roman emperors. This month was before called Sextilis, or the Sixth.*

"The other four months, namely, September, October, November, and December, still retain their numerical Latin names: which, according to the late regulation of the calendar, will, for the future, be improperly applied. However, from the continued use of them hitherto, as well as from the practice of the Jews before the Babylonish captivity,† it seemeth highly probable, that the method of distinguishing the months by their numerical order only, was the most ancient, as it is the most plain, simple, and rational.

"As the idolatrous Romans thus gave names to several of the months, in honour of their pretended deities; so, the like idolatry prevailing among our Saxon ancestors, induced them to call the days of the week by the name of the idol, which, on that day, they peculiarly worshipped. Hence

"The First day of the week was by them called Sunday, from their customary adoration of the Sun upon that day.

"The Second day of the week they called Monday, Macrob. Saturn. lib. I. cap. 12. + See the Scriptures to the time of Ezra.

from their usual custom of worshipping the Moon on that day.

"The Third day of the week they named Tuesday, in honour of one of their idols, called Tuisco.

"The Fourth day of the week was called Wednesday, from the appellation of Woden, another of their idols.

"The Fifth day of the week was called Thursday, from the name of an idol called Thor, to whom they paid their devotions upon that day.

"The Sixth day of the week was termed Friday, from the name of Friga, an imaginary goddess by them worshipped.

"The Seventh day they styled Saturday, as is supposed from Saturn, or Seater, by them then worshipped.*

"In the ages of popish superstition, not only the use of such heathenish names and customs was indulg ed, but also other unsound and unscriptural practices in religion, were invented and introduced. For, when the profession of the Christian religion became national, multitudes of the Heathen priests, whose interests lay in the performance of rites, ceremonies, and sacrifices, embraced prevailing Christianity with selfish views; and laboured early, with too much success, to find employment for themselves, by imposing on the people a new set of ceremonies and sacrifices, bearing some resemblance to those, which, in their former state of heathenism, they had been accustomed to. From this corrupt source sprang the popish sacrifice of the mass, the cele bration of which, at particular times, and on particular

* See Verstegan and Sheringham.

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