was the First Month and which the Fourteenth day of that Month we shall find they were at great uncertainties as to the just day yet was not the Service thereof to be neglected upon pretense there was danger of missing the right day For they had not Almanacks in those days as we have now to tell us before hand when will be a New Moon But if we may believe the Jewish Writers their manner was about the time when they expected a New-Moon to send men to watch for it on the Top of some Hill or high Place and he who could first discover a New-Moon was to tell the Priest and he to blow the Trumpet to give the People notice that there was a New-Moon much like our Custom at Oxford at the time of the Assizes to set some on St. Maries Steeple to watch when the Judges are coming and then to Ring the Great Bell to give notice to those concerned that the Judges are at hand But in case of Cloudy Weather if in three days time from their first Expectation no man could see a New Moon they did then venture but not before to blow the Trumpet without seeing it which must needs cause a great uncertainty and the same Moon sooner seen at one place than at another and the Pass-over kept accordingly And t is manifest in the Story of our Saviours last Pass-over that he kept it on one day and the Jews on another perhaps he about a Fortnight before might see a New-Moon a day sooner than they did So great uncertainty there was at that time as to the particular day though the Institution was punctual for the Fourteenth day of the First Month. And the like uncertainty there was as to all their Feasts of New-Moons And even in our days when the Motions of the Sun and Moon are much better known than at that time they were we are far from being exact in point of time Our Rule for Easter is much the same with theirs for the Pass-over The Rule in general is this The Sunday next after the Fourteenth day of the First Month is to be Easter day But when we come to make particular application we do strangely miss of our Rule And our Paschal Tables which should direct us do put us farther out than if we had none at all For by reason that we take the length of our common year a little too long by about Eleven minutes of an hour and the length of our Months too long also since the time that those Tables were made 't is well known that the beginning of our Ecclesiastical First Month is Ten or Eleven days later than that of the Heavens and our Ecclesiastical New-Moons and Full-Moons is later by Four or Five days than those of the Heavens Whereby we do very often mistake the Month and yet oftner the true Week for keeping of Easter And though Pope Gregory the Eighth did somewhat more than an Hundred years ago somewhat rectify the Calendar yet both Papists and Protestants do observe some the Newer Gregorian and some the Older Iulian account and in the United Provinces of the Netherlands one Town observes one account and the next the other account and accordingly keep their Easters if at all at Three Four or Five Weeks distance And so for Christmas-day 'T is not agreed amongst Chronologers either what Year or what Month much less what day of that Month our Saviour was born yet wee keep December 25th in memory of his Birth as supposing him to have been then born Yea we are at so great uncertainty that we reckon the year 1692 from his Circumcision to begin the First of Ianuary but the same year as from his Conception not till the 25th of March next following as if his Birth and Circumcision had been a quarter of a year before his Conception And if we be now at so great an uncertainty in so short a Period as from the Birth of Christ I do not think the Jews could be punctual as to a day in observing their Pass-over and much less as to a day from the Creation of the World He 'l say perhaps that Easter and Christmas being of humane Institution it is not much matter though we miss the day nor much matter perhaps whether it be kept or no. Be it so But the Pass-over was of Divine Institution yet were they at a great uncertainty and might chance to miss more than a day or two yet was not the Duty to be therefore neglected The mistake of a Day was of much less concernment than the neglect of the Duty As was the Tithing of Mint and Annise than the weightier things of the Law These little Circumstances are but Shaddows in comparison of the Substance as the Comparison is Col. 2. 17. Which is not said to incourage any one to violate the Laws of God even in little things for we find God sometimes very severe even in such as in the Case of Uzzah's touching the Ark and Nadab and Ahihu's offering strange Fire for Reasons best known to himself of which we are not aware But onely to shew that the Substantials of a Duty are to be regarded more than Circumstantials and these upon occasion to give way to those And in such Cases if it were a fault the Prayer of Hezekiah 2 Chr. 30. 18. is to take place The good Lord pardon every one that prepareth his heart to seek God though he be not cleansed according to the Purification of the Sanctuary And his Service was accepted though as it is expresly noted they did eat the Pass-over otherwise than as it was written And in the Second Month in stead of the First And doubtless in the present case If we do not know as certainly we do not which is the First or Seventh day in a continual Circulation from the Creation it is much better to keep a Weekly Sabbath on any day of the Week whatever than to keep none at all and much more agreable to the true meaning of the Fourth Commandment All which is said partly by way of Caution not to be forward upon slight grounds to disturb the Peace and settled practise of the whole Christian Church at this day Partly to take off what he would have to be admitted but cannot be proved that the Seventh day in a continued Circulation of Weeks from the first Creation was observed as the Weekly Sabbath from the Creation to the Floud from thence to Abraham from thence to Israels coming out of Egypt and from thence till after the Resurrection of Christ. Which I think is impossible for any man to know And partly to satisfy what he objects from the Fourth Commandment Which saith indeed that there is to be a Rest on the Seventh day after Six days of Labour but not a Word of its being such Seventh day in a continual Circulation of Weeks from the Creation And therefore we are safe hitherto for ought I see But I 'le come up a little
a Power given them from Christ to Abrogate Circumcision or the like and thereupon to proceed pro imperio But they Argue it from the nature of the thing That what was Typical of Christ was at an end now Christ is come That what was Distinctive of the Jews from other Nations was now to cease when the partition wall was broken down That what were but shadows as to the Substantials of Religion were now to pass away as beggarly Rudiments Christ regarding the Body or Substance not the Shadows 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 these are but shadows in comparison of what Christ came to settle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 't is the Body the Substance that Christ respects Col. 2. 17. They do not Command but Argue They do no where pretend that God or Christ had given them Authority to Abrogate a Law which God had made But Argue from the nature of the thing that the Law was ceased and was not intended to Oblige longer That the Law was now Antiquated or Expired when the End for which it was made was attained That the Types were at an End when the Thing Typified was Exhibited That the Distinctive Marks were now no more of Use when Jews and Gentiles were United That the Elements or Rudiments 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which God for reasons best known to himself thought fit for the Training-up of his Church while as in a State of Minority wherein a Child though Heir of All doth little differ from a Servant should now cease when it comes to full Age Gal. 4. And to the same purpose Heb. 8. He argues that the Old Covenant was at an end when a Better Covenant was come in the room citing that of Ier. 31. Behold the days come saith the Lord when I will make a New Covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Iudah Not according to the Covenant which I made with their Fathers when I led them out of the land of Egypt For this is the Covenant that I will make That I will put my laws into their Mind and write them in their Hearts Meaning instead of an outward Ceremonial Service he would establish a service more Spiritual From whence he concludes the Antiquation of the Former In that he saith a New Covenant he hath made the first Old Now that which Decayeth and waxeth Old is ready to Vanish away They do not claim a Power to Abolish a Law of Gods making But prove by Argument that these Laws are Antiquated or Expired as not being intended by the Law-maker to bind longer than till such a time As Rom. 7. The Woman is bound by the Law to her Husband as long as he lives But if the husband be Dead she is free from the Law Not that the Law is Abolished but the Case is Altered And it is from these Considerations that he Argues against Circumcision Col. 2. 11. and the Iewish Sabbath ver 16. For as to the Substantials of the Service provided a Sabbath be duly kept it is much one whether on the Seventh or the First day Now these Substantials are he tells us p. 83. a lively spiritual Converse with the Father Son and Holy-Ghost in private Duties and publick Ordinances where they can be had and in a Holy Rest all that day saving emergent cases of Necessity and Mercy Which may be equally done on either day But as to those who were not satisfied with these Arguments if they were such as were before under those Commands he doth not urge his Authority He leaves them to practise according to their own judgment but without censuring others till they shall be better satisfied as in Rom. 14. But as to the Gentiles who had never been under these Laws the case was otherwise Which makes him argue otherwise with the Gentile Galatians Ephesians and Colossians than with the Christian Iews at Rome And as to his Question p. 47. When where and by whom it was taken away I say Then there and by the same who took away Circumcision and the other Mosaick Rites That is Fundamentally by Christ at his death who nailed them to his Cross after which they ceased to be Obligatory But Executively and Practically by his Apostles and the Christian Church according as they did leisurably and in time come to understand their Liberty All which we are to presume they did according to such directions as Christ gave them For as this Author observes p. 80. Paul in those Primitive times when the Ceremonial Law was fresh in memory and the Gospel newly preached had much a do tâ—â—e move the first converted Iews from Circumcision and other Ceremonials and so from their Iewish Sabbath therefore these things were to wear off by degrees and not to be torn from them all at once And this I think is enough to a person not prejudiced as to the Removal of the then Iewish Sabbath appointed by Moses after their coming out of Egypt on the seventh day from the first raining of Manna and not given to all the world but to be a distinctive sign of them from other Nations Now as to the other Point in Question the Observation of the Lords day I would ground that originally on the Fourth Commandment which doth appoint a Seventh day of Holy Rest after Six days of Ordinary Labour Which doth directly concern the Substantials of Worship that a Sabbath be kept and God thus served but whether on this or that day of the Seven is meerly Circumstantial and as Paul calls it a Shadow in comparison of the Body or Substance which is he tells us what Christ respects But then as to that Why the First day rather than another I answer First Here was a much more memorable Accident of Christs Resurrection than was that of Raining Manna from whence the Jewish Sabbath takes its date as the Seventh day from it not from the Creation or that of the Quails the Night before the first day that God fed them by Miracle from Heaven And therefore stands as fair for beginning such a Circulation of Weeks and Sabbaths We are told Ier. 16. 14 15. and Ier. 23 7 8. Behold the days come saith the Lord that it shall no more be said The Lord liveth that brought up the Children of Israel out of the land of Egypt But The Lordliveth that brought up the Children of Israel out of the North Country Not that the former deliverance was to be forgotten but a greater than it did make it comparatively to disappear as when the light of the Sun doth obscure that of the Moon and Stars And so here the Resurrection of Christ to be commemorated paramount to that of former Mercies Next in pursuance of this Occasion we find our Saviour did on that day of his Resurrection appear to Mary Magdalen and the other Women declaring to them the Doctrine of the Resurrection then to the two Disciples going to Emmaus Preaching to them at large the same Doctrine and Celebrating with
shewed to the High-Priests the things which were done who calling a Councel gave the Souldiers Money to say His Disciples came and stole him away while they were asleep undertaking to secure them in case the Governour should come to hear it Upon this news being brought by the Women to the Disciples Two of them from the rest went to the Sepulchre to enquire into the business and brought an account of it to the rest who were Astonished at it And all this happened before the Two Disciples began their Journey to Emmaus for they discoursed of it by the way and told it to Iesus who fell into their Company Luk 24. 19 20 21 22 23 24. Now their Journey from Ierusalem to Emmaus was about Threescore Furlongs ver 13. which our Author rightly computes to be about Seven miles and an half of our miles which they Travelled on foot for 't is said they walked Mark 16. 12. and Iesus in their company Preaching to them out of Moses and the Prophets the Doctrine of Christ's Death and Resurrection When they came near to Emmaus it was towards Evening and the day far spent Luk. 24. 29. they did there abide for some time and Iesus with them continuing to Preach on the same Subject and was at length known to them by breaking of Bread ver 30. 35. After which they returned to Ierusalem and told these things to the Disciples then gathered together ver 33. By which time having now walked another Seven miles and an half we may reasonably suppose it to be pretty late at night For when they first approached to Emmaus it was then so late as that it was not thought convenient unless upon some such great occasion to Travel further ver 28. Yet after they were come back to Ierusalem Christ then appeared himself to the Disciples blessing them reproaching their unbelief confirming their Faith giving them Instructions and Commission for Preaching the Gospel and Planting the Christian Church And it was yet but the same day at evening being the First day of the Week Joh. 20. 19. on which he rose but now late at night when the doors were shut that is if I mistake not so late as that it was time to shut up doors as men use to do towards bed-time Not as if Christ came in through the Key-hole any more than did the Two Disciples that came from Emmaus or did Penetrate the doors as the Papists would have us think in favour of their Transubstantiation For they were not so shut but that they could be opened again upon occasion to let him in as they had been to let in those Two that came from Emmaus as well as to let in Peter late at night Act. 12. 16. So that from very early in the Morning while it was dark till very late night and about Mid-night was the same day the first day of the Week 'T is manifest therefore that about our Saviours time according to the Computation of the New Testament both the Jews and the Four Evangelists did reckon their days from mid-night to mid-night And if they did not so reckon Christ could not be said Mat. 12. 40. to be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth For it was Evening when Ioseph begged the Body of Iesus and later yet before he had buried it and yet this must be reckoned part of the Sixth day olse he had not been three days in the Grave or heart of the earth And I think they were so reckoned in the times of the Old Testament also Which though it be not so much to the present purpose yet if you will pardon this digression I will tell you why I think so It is I know an Opinion taken up by some and I find it is grown pretty current even amongst Learned men that the Jews in the time of the Old Testament did reckon their days from Evening to Evening whether they mean from Sun-set to Sun-set or from Six a Clock to Six a Clock I cannot tell nor perhaps are they all agreed as to that point But I take it to be a mistake which being at first taken up without sufficient ground hath since passed without further examination from hand to hand We find Exod. 12. 6. the Pass-over was to be killed in the First month on the Fourteenth day in the Evening which I think is agreed by all to be the Evening at the end of the Fourteenth day not that at the end of the Thirteenth for the next morning was the Fifteenth day which evening therefore belonged to the Fourteenth day But it is noted in the Margin of our Bibles that it is in the Hebrew between the two Evening s. You 'l ask perhaps what are those two Evenings I 'le tell you what I think they are The word Day you know is taken in a double sense Sometimes for what we call the Natural day as it is contradistinguished to night from Sun-rising to Sun-setting sometimes for what we call the Artificial day or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so as to take in both day and night Our Saviour tells us there are Twelve hours in the day meaning the Natural day But in the Artificial day of which we are now speaking there be Four and Twenty hours Some please to call that the Natural day which I call the Artificial for all do not use the words in the same sense But that matters not so long as we understand one another Now by the word Evening is understood the end of the day Which as to the Natural day is at Sun-set but as to the Artificial day it is I think at Mid-night And consequently between the two Evenings is as much as to say after Sun-set and before Mid-night And this is what in our Language we commonly call the Evening which is in the Hebrew between the two Evenings that is between the end of the Natural day and the end of the Artificial day and within this time was the Passover to be Killed Rosted and Eaten Nothing of it was to remain till the Morning that is not after Mid-night for as soon as Mid-night is past Morning begins And within this time all Leaven was to be put away that is before the Mid-night of the Fourteenth day Which is so fair an account of it as that we need not scruple to embrace it And it was the Fifteenth day that was the first day of the Feast of Unlevened bread all Leven being put away before Mid-night and this Fifteenth day was to be kept as a Sabbath and a Holy Feast to the Lord ver 14. on what ever day of the Week it chanced to fall And so was the One and Twentieth day which was the last of those Seven days Seven days shall ye eat Unleavened bread even the first day ye shall put away or shall have put away leaven out of your house And in the First day there shall be an Holy Convocation and in the Seventh day there shall be an Holy