_Ans._ This is a very showy objection, but indeed it is a very weak one. I do not find that any more than one was stoned, and it was for presumptuous breaking of the Sabbath. But suppose that penalty be in force; every saint is not a magistrate to put it in execution. If a saint should kill a man, saints as they are saints are not to execute him; all that they can do is to endeavor his repentance, but it belongs to the true magistrate to inflict the punishment. The penal laws of God take hold of presumptuous sinners, not for sins of ignorance, and therefore it is not to be thought that any punishment will be inflicted upon any for a breach of the Sabbath till it be universally acknowledged. So then, if God hath annexed the penalty of death to the breaking of it, doubtless it will be just. But we find in Nehemiah's time, that although they had made a market-day of the Sabbath, treading of wine-presses, lading of asses, and selling of all manner of provisions upon it, yet he doth but contend with them. He contends with the Jews of Jerusalem, the nobles of Judah, and the men of Tyre, but inflicts no punishment on either. Neh. 13:15-17, 21. But what a strange thing is this, that men should count it a dangerous opinion, to hold that the Sabbath is in force, because of the penalty! Suppose it be so; the same may be said of the rest of the commandments. For instance, the first commandment is, _Thou shalt have no other gods before me_; he that worshiped a strange god was to be put to death. Now, shall we not own this commandment, because the breakers of it were so punished? Again, _He that sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed._ Now, is there any danger in the owning of this commandment, _Thou shalt do no murder_, because the punishment is in force? Again, the fifth commandment is, _Honor thy father and thy mother_, but he that cursed father or mother was to be put to death. Now, shall we not honor father and mother, and so shall we break this commandment, because this punishment belongs to the breakers of it? So this objection is of no weight or use at all, except it be as a bear-skin put upon the truth to frighten children away, lest they should look into it. _Obj._ But we do not find any of the apostles urge this commandment in any of their epistles, namely, that the Sabbath day should be observed.