ospel. And yet, as it
was necessary to appoint a certain day, in order that the people might
know when they should assemble, the _Christian church_, (not the
apostles,) has up appointed Sunday (the Lord's day) for this purpose;
and to this change she was the more inclined and willing, that the
people might have an example of Christian _liberty_, and might know
that _the observance of neither the Sabbath nor any other day is
necessary_. There have been numerous erroneous disputations published,
concerning the change of the law, the ceremonies of the New Testament,
and the change of the Sabbath, which have all sprung from the false and
erroneous opinion, that Christians must have such a mode of divine
worship as is conformed to the Levitical or Jewish service, and that
Christ enjoined it on the apostles and bishops, to invent new
ceremonies, which should be necessary to salvation." [Note 6]

Here we are distinctly taught, (_a_) that the Jewish Sabbath is
entirely abolished; (_b_) that no particular day was divinely appointed
in its stead; (_c_) that those who suppose the ordinance concerning
Sunday instead of Sabbath is enacted as necessary, "are greatly
mistaken." (_d_) But that, as it was necessary to appoint a certain day
for the, convocation of the people, "the _Christian church_ (not the
apostles,) appointed Sunday."

II. Of similar import are the teachings of the _Apology to the
Confession_, which also flowed from the pen of Melancthon.

_Apology to the Confession, Art. IV._

"But we maintain, that the harmony of the church is no more broken by
variations in such _human ordinances_, than it is by variations in the
natural length of the day in different places. Yet we like to see the
_general ceremonies_ uniformly kept, for the sake of harmony and order,
as in our churches, for instance, we retain (behalten) the _mass_, the
_Lord's Day_, and _other great festivals_.

"And we approve, all _human ordinances_ which are good and useful,
especially those which promote good external discipline among youth and
the people generally. But the inquiry is not, shall human ordinances be
observed on account of external discipline and tranquillity? [sic] The
question is altogether different; it is, is the observance of such
human ordinances a divine service by which God is reconciled; and that
without such ordinances, no one can be righteous before God? This is
the chief inquiry, and when this shall have been finally answered