parallel with the fifteenth of Hezekiah as is evident by the promise of adding fifteen yeers to Hekiahs life 2 Kings 20.6 which fifteen yeers being substracted from twenty nine yeers the space of Hezekiahs raigne 2 Kin. 18.2 leave just fourteen yeers in which fourteenth yeer therefore both Hezekiahs recovery and the ruine of Sennacherib fell out God delivering both the King Church and State in the same yeer 2 Kin. 18.13 according to his promise 2 Kin. 20.6 Let it be granted then that the fifteenth of Hezekiah and the seventh of Merodach Baladan ran parallel The great question now is how long before this time aera Nabonassaris began Before this Baladan there raigned over Babylon Dulilaeus alias Dilulorus five yeers before him Chinzerus and Porus five yeers before them Nassius two yeers and before this last Nabonassar raigned fourteen yeers who in the beginning of his raigne did institute this Epocha commonly called aera Nabonassaris in memoriall of the Chaldean liberty then asserted which aera is much in use with Ptolemy and other Astronomers Now supposing Hezekiah fell sick precisely at the end of his fourteenth yeer as the promise of his living fifteen yeers longer makes good the news of his recovery coming to Baladan together with the sending of Baladans Letters require some good space of time haply five or six moneths Babylon being farre from Iudea therefore his seventh yeer must run parallel with Hezekiahs fifteenth yeer Now adde all the raignes of the forementioned Kings of Babylon to these seven yeers of Merodach Baladan they make up just thirty three yeers the first of which thirty three yeers jumps with the eleventh yeer of Iotham Anno Mundi 3258. according to our account and the aera Vrbis Conditae being six yeers before that falls out Anno Mundi 3252 in the fifth yeer of Jotham and aera Iphiti or Olimpica beginning 24 yeers before aera Vrbis Conditae falls in with the thirty third of Vzziah Anno Mundi 3228. according to my account the difference of both which accounts that it may the more easily be observed I have set them both together in the ensuing draught    Nostra Vulg. Aera Olympica Anno Mundi 3228 3174 Vrbis Conditae 3252 3198 Nabonassaris 3258 3204 The distance between ours and theirs is the space of fifty foure yeers ours falling later then theirs just so many yeers The seventh difficulty is concerning the time of the yeer in which the world began which probably was not in Spring but Autumne the Sunne entring Libra the fourth descending signe of the Zodiack And that upon these grounds First because formerly the yeer began in September till it was changed upon occasion of the Passover Exod. 12.2 It also began the civill yeer and the yeer of Iubilee Lev. 25.9 10. Secondly from the ripenesse of fruits c. Thirdly from the begining of the floud which fell out in the second moneth of the civill yeer Gen. 7.11 that is the moneth October toward the end of it about which time twelve moneth only ten dayes later he came out of the Ark Gen. 8.14 as may appeare 1. Because by this means there was a whole summer to dry up the waters of the floud which could not be had the floud began in May I take Summer here for the whole space betweene the Vernall and Autumnall Equinoctiall 2. From the necessity of sowing the earth For probably Noah stored not the Ark with much more then for present necessity and therefore had not much corn to spare now had he come out of the Ark in the Spring both himself and family must have lived of the old store almost a twelve moneth since the seed time fell not out till winter following at the soonest But coming out of the Ark in winter he immediately fell to sowing of the ground and waited no longer then till the Spring and Summer following for a new crop 4 As the world began in the evening of the the day so probably also in the evening of the yeer namely to those that live on this side of the line for otherwise at the same time Spring began on the other side of the line where yet at the beginning of the world there was neither man nor any other living creature Eden being on this side the line 5. God might in providence order it so of purpose the more to humble man for his sinne with acold and dark winter succeeding his ejection out of Paradise which could not but be a sad affliction to him being left with his wife alone to the wide world and both heaven and earth lowring upon him presently after his fall in which respect they needed raiment to shelter themselves from the injuries of heaven as well as to cover their nakednesse and these garments probably were made of the skinnes of the beasts that were offered in Sacrifice Gen. 3.21 for till after the floud we read of no commission man had to eat flesh Gen. 9.3 I might adde as an eighth difficulty in what part of the naturall day the Lords day begins That it begins not at one precise point of time all the world over I think is without controversie to all who understand any thing either about time or place The reason is evident for whether it begin at Sun rising or Sun-set or midnight c. since all these vary according to the distance of places East or West the beginning of the Lords day and so of the Jewish Sabbath must vary in proportion For example suppose the Meridian of Jerusalem differ from the Meridian of London two thousand seven hundred miles that is forty five degrees that lying so farre East of this its apparent the Sun will rise and set three houres sooner at Jerusalem then at London and that because every nine hundred miles or fifteen degrees East it rises one houre sooner then West as appeares by dividing twenty one thousand six hundred by nine hundred the quotient is twenty foure and just so many houres there are in the naturall day so that 900 miles being the twenty fourth part of twenty one thousand six hundred miles the just compasse of the earth makes the Sun vary in its rising and setting every nine hundred miles the twenty fourth part of a naturall day which is just one houre By which it is evident that if the Sabbath or Lords day begin at Sun-set in Jerusalem it must begin three houres before Sun-set in London and so at the Equinoctial the Sunne sets with them when it is but three in the after-noon with us And at the Antipodes it sets and rises twelve houres before it set and rise with us whence by proportion their Lords-day should begin twelve houres sooner then with us Whence its apparent that begin the Lords day when you please if you begin it at one precise point of time all the world over you must vary the houre of the day all the world over every fifteen degrees and every fifteen miles
East or West the beginning of the Lords day varies one minute Next that neither the Lords day nor Jewish Sabbath namely the first and last day of the week fall precisely upon the same point of time they did in the creation is as evident as the former because the Sunnes standing still in the time of Joshua and going back ten degrees in the dayes of Hezekiah have made a manifest alteration and in probability at least of twenty foure houres or thereabouts For though the Sun and Moon stood yet time stayed not and though afterwards the Sunne went backwards yet still time went forwards fourteen houres probably in Joshuahs time supposing the Sunne stood an artificiall day which with them in Summer was about fourteen houres and ten houres in Hezekiahs dayes so as that day being fourteen houres longer then any former day made all the following Sabbaths till Hezekiahs time to fall fourteen houres later then any former Sabbath and after Hezekiahs recovery the Jewish Sabbath fell ten houres later than all the Sabbaths from Joshuahs time and twenty foure houres later than all the Sabbaths from the beginning of the world till the dayes of Joshuah that is just an whole naturall day later than before So as in truth after Hezekiahs recovery the Jewish Sabbath fell punctually upon the first day of the week and our Christian Sabbath by proportion falls on the second day of the week by reason of those twenty foure houres extraordinary inserted in the dayes of Joshua and Hezekiah But when then must the Christian Sabbath or our Lords day begin Answ To me it seems farre more easie to speak to the Negative than the affirmative and to tell when it begins not than when it begins Certainly a seventh part of time is to be kept and that seventh part must be the first of the week on which our Saviour rose and which upon the former grounds seems to be in precisenesse of time rather the second then first day of the weeke But at what houre this day ought to begin is the great question I have been apt to think and easily should be perswaded with divers eminent for Piety and Learning that it ought to begin at Sunne set were I not staggered with that text Iohn 20.19 being compared with Luke 24.13.29.36 From which places being compared I clearly draw these conclusions First that it was the first day of the week when our Saviour appeared to the ten Apostles for Thomas was not with them till the Lords day following John 20.26 Secondly that on that very day he appeared to the two disciples going to Emam and supped with them it being so late before Supper as they would not suffer our Saviour to go any further that night Luke 24.29 Thirdly That these things fell out at the Equinoctiall when the Sunne alwayes sets at six in the Evening and so probably it was toward Sunne-set when they went to Supper at which time it was dangerous to travell not onely for robbers but also for wilde beasts Psalme 104.19.22 which I suppose was the ground why they constrained our Saviour to abide with them Fourthly that after Supper the two Disciples returned again to JERUSALEM being distant from EMAUS seven miles and an half every mile containing eight furlongs Luke 24.13.33 Now suppose they had supped by Sunset and withall that they footed it after the rate of foure mile an houre for no doubt they went to JERUSALEM with a good will to carry the newes of our Saviours resurrection they came thither toward eight at night and as they were relating the good tidings to the tenne Apostles our Saviour himselfe appeared amongst them Luke 24.36 Suppose then it were but eight at night when Christ appeared its apparent that it was two houres after Sun-set though others thinke it was farre later and so could be no part of the first day of the week if the first day of the weeke end at Sun-set But Iohn sayes expressely that the Evening of the first day of the weeke Christ appeared Iohn 20.19 whereas the first day of the weeke was past two houres before with them who begin the first day at Sun-set Nor can this argument be solidly evaded by those who say that here John reckoned the day after the Roman account from mid-night to mid-night For first granting the Romanes reckoned so it will be a very hard taske for them to prove that John intended here to follow their acount and we can as easily deny it as they affirm it Secondly as feare scattered the Apostles at our Saviours death so probably conscience of the Lords Day made them keepe so late together otherwise they had been safer from the Jewes danger being asunder than together which was the ground they now shut the doores upon themselves John 20.19 This is further confirmed by their meeting again the Lords Day following verse 26. as also by Pauls preaching on the first day of the weeke till midnight Acts 20.7 And though his Sermon might be longer then ordinary because he was to leave the Disciples of TROAS yet the ground of his preaching that evening was the conscience of the Lords Day nor did hee probably begin his Sermon till after the celebration of the Lords Supper which in those times was at night 1 Cor. 11.20 21. and after Supper in imitation of our Saviour though this custome hath ceased with us for the most part as well as dipping in Baptisme because of the inconveniency of meeting so late especially in many places where the people live further off from the place of Assembly And I think either place or time doth binde unlesse there be an expresse command for it Otherwise we should be bound to receive the Lords Supper in an upper roome as well as after Supper By all hath beene said appears very probably that the latter as well as the former Evening is part of the Christian Sabbath Let who will interpret John to speak after the Roman account I must crave liberty to adhere to that rather then the Jewish account especially since Paul himself hath confirmed this interpretation by his own practice Act. 20.7 And why the time of the day may not be altered as well as the day it self and that by the same authority I see no cleare evidence to the contrary Nor see I any convincing strength in that maine argument so much insisted upon The first day of the weeke is the Christian Sabbath Evening and morning are the first day of the week Ergo Evening and morning are the Christian Sabbath For first grant the whole Syllogisme it makes not against us For since the Evening is put for night and the morning for day our Christian Sabbath still begins at Evening if it begin at midnight and so still Evening and morning are the Christian Sabbath Secondly to the Major we answer that the denomination is taken a Majors parte and therefore the Christian Sabbath is truly said to be the first day of the weeke and
contra because the greatest part of it falls on the first day of the week Thirdly we deny the Minor if affirmed de praesente as the termes carry it in their sence We deny not but before Christs Resurrection the day began in the Evening about Sun-set but our Saviour after his Resurrection altered the houre of the day as well as the day of the week as hath beene proved Nor do I conceive it such an inconvenience to affirme that the six or nine houres from the end of the Jewish to the beginning of the first Christian Sabbath were suffered to lapse and be vacant upon so extraordinary an occasion and every Lords Day afterwards to begin at midnight or the morning watch and upon this ground Paul might preach till Midnight though he discoursed afterwards till break of Day Acts 20. Nor need it seeme more strange that Christ should change the houre of the day than the day of the weeke If the beginning of the yeere was changed upon a farre lesse occasion Exodus 12.2 why may not the beginning of the day bee changed upon a farre greater occasion That Christ might change it no man doubts that he did change it we have proved by Scripture evidence drawne from two pregnant examples Only I leave it in medio to every indifferent mans judgement and conscience whether the Lords day begin at Sun set or midnight or at the precise minute of our Saviours Resurrection which is uncertain onely with this proviso that at what houre soever we begin it it must last the space of twenty foure houres namely a naturall day as well as any other day In this as well as other cases where we want cleare Scripture evidence we must suffer every man to enjoy his owne judgement and conscience so he be not a Stickler to make a Party and cause Divisions in the Church What a madnesse were it for me because I judge the Lords day begins in the Evening or midnight to separate from those who differ from me in opinion and make a Church onely of such as are of my judgement I wish this were not too frequent in these times amongst Gods owne People Otherwise how comes it to passe that one Church cannot hold us because we differ in judgement about Church Government especially when no subscription is urged nor approbation of the Presbyterial Government and upon the like conditions wee would not sticke to joyne with them were their way stablished by Authority as ours is The bare setling under a Government is no approbation of it so we subscribe not to it nor be forced under it to practise any thing contrary to our consciences But I must crave pardon for this digression which I ventured upon the rather to perswade some erring Brother into the way and that if possibly we might all unite in one heart and one way though haply we cannot in one judgement nor one principle and I must confesse this whole section doth not so properly belong to a discourse of Chronology yet it may give further occasion to the godly learned to seeke out the truth in this as well as in other particulars which the Lord give us all grace to doe in love gentlenesse and humility Since I have transgressed thus farre I thinke my selfe bound to adde this caution least weake or ill affected persons should hence take occasion to curtalize the Lords day and sacrilegiously to robbe him of his due beginning the Lords day haply at Sun-rising and ending it at Sun-set I wish too many did not worse spending the day it selfe in sinne and vanity as if that of all dayes in the week were a time of licentiousnesse The Jewes formerly had a saying Let my Soule be in their case who begin the Sabbath with them of the VALLEY and end it with them in the MOUNTAINE intimating thereby that they thought them in the best condition who begin the Sabbath soonest and end it latest When-ever the Lords Day begins certainly an antecedent preparation is necessary and they doe much wrong their owne souls who by busying themselves in worldly imployments late over night do indispose themselves for the Lords Day following and are sitter to sleep then to attend upon Gods service Yet if I might presume to guesse I should be apt to thinke that either at mid-night or about three of the clock in the morning the Lords day begins The First of these I ground upon Pauls preaching till midnight Acts 20.7 probably because the Lords Day lasted so long which seemes the more likely because in the same verse he sayes he was to depart on the morrow which morrow in verse 11. is interpreted to be breake of day and this all know is before Sunne-rising where then I pray should that morrow begin unlesse it were immediately after midnight or about three in the morning And at this time we reckon the day to begin at midnight as is apparent by the houres of the day for with us the twelfth houre of the day is at noone but with the Jews it was at Sun-set If we say the Lords day begins about three in the morning it may well agree with the time of our Saviours Resurrection who is expressely said to rise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is in the fourth and last watch of the night as is evident by Mark 16.9 compared with Mark 13.35 for the night was divided into twelve lesser houres and foure watches each containing three houres a piece In like sort the day had twelve lesser and foure greater houres Thus our Saviour is said to be crucified about the sixth houre Luke 23.44 but about the third houre Mark 15.25 that is about twelve of the clocke which ended the sixth lesser houre and began the third greater houre so that between three and six in the morning our Saviour rose and therefore some make this time of his Resurrection to be the beginning of the Lords day as well as his Resurrection to be the ground or occasion of the Lords Day But these differences may easily be reconciled by charity If thou have faith have it to thy self Rom. 14.22 Errata In the DIFFICVLTIES Controverted c. Pag. 6. line 28. read for it which l. ult r. that is the four hundred p. 8. l. â—2 r. the fifty eight Iubilee p. 9. l. 18. r. Athnac for a Colon. p. 10. l. 6. r. Chronologie l. 22. r. to the 10th year p. 21. l. 21. r. neither place nor time In the Chronological Tables p. col ult l. 13. r. 12. Jub fol. 26. p 2. l. 18. r. Embolimaeus fol. 36. in the columne of the Promise r. Gen. 12.4 Sacred CHRONOLOGIE Adam S. W. 1 1  2 3 4 5 6 7 8 2 10 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 3 20 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 4  23 24 25 26 7 28 29 5 30 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 6 40 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 7  44 45 46 47 48 49 50 1 Jubi 50 51 8 52
eightie seventh yeer currant I should conceive that Messias was to suffer Anno Mundi 3952. Might not Daniel well have answered I pray pardon me there for to tell you the Truth I know not whether the seventy weeks begin the first yeer of Cyrus or in the raign of some other King and am still to seek in what yeer of the world Christ shall suffer By all which its apparent That either the seventie weeks began with the first of Cyrus and the last of the Babilonish Captivitie or else for all Gabriels vision he was still ignorant when Christ should suffer as knowing not when the seventie weeks were to begin The next or fifth difficulty is about the Jubilees which some make to contain fourtie and nine others fiftie solid yeers To me it seems probable they contain but fourtie and nine solid yeers a peece so that the fiftieth or Jubilee yeer is the last of the preceding Jubilee and the first of the following Jubilee and that upon this ground because otherwise the course of the Sabbatical yeers must needs be broken once every fiftie yeers by a yeer added to every seven weeks of yeers which make just fourty and nine yeers so that the seventh week of the Jubilee must contain eight yeers which is as absurd as to say a week contains eight dayes Now whereas there are two sorts of Jubilees namely the Jubilees of the World and the Jubilees of Canaan the question is when the Jubilees of Canaan begin Ordinarily they are reckoned from the Conquest of the Land by Joshuah that is about seven yeers after they entred Canaan To me it seems far more probable they rather began the September after Canaan was entred Levit. 25.2 The Scripture sayes not when you have Conquered but when you come into the Land which I shall give you then shall the Land keep a Sabbath unto the Lord. The first Sabbath of yeers then began the Autumne after their entrance into Canaan which they entred in the Spring in the tenth day of the seventh moneth Seven of which Sabbaths made fourtie and nine yeers and so the fiftieth yeer or the yeer of Jubilee began on the tenth day of the seventh Moneth and was proclaimed by sound of Trumpet throughout all the Land in the very day of Atonement Levit. 25.9 10. I conclude then that the fiftieth yeer after they entred Canaan was the yeer of Jubilee and not the fiftie seventh yeer as some would have it And after this rate as appears in my Chronologie the Jubilees of Canaan run parallel with the Jubilees of the World and are noted in the top of the Columne that contains the Sabbatical yeers Yet to give satisfaction I have noted in the Columne containing the yeers of the World the Jubilees that contain fifty solid yeers and in the Columne of the Sabbatical yeers I have noted both the Jubilees that began at their entrance and also seven yeer after they entred Canaan Thus p. 53. in the top of the Columne for the Sabbatical yeer the fiftie ninth Jubilee of the World and the seventh Jubilee of Canaan concur with the eight and twentieth yeer of Elies government after my account but after the ordinary account the seventh Jubilee concurs with the thirty fifth yeer of Ely If we reckon fifty yeers to a Jubilee the seventh Jubilee concurs with the first yeer of Saul as is noted in the same Column the reason is clear because every Jubilee gains a yeer and therefore the seventh Jubilee must needs fall seven yeers later In the same page my fifty and ninth Iubilee concurs with the twenty eighth of Ely but if we reckon fiftie yeers to a Jubilee then the fifty eighth Jubilee of the world concurs with the thirty sixth of Ely 9. yeer later then the former the reason is because a yeer is gained in every Jubilee and so the fifty eighth Jubilee containing fifty yeers falls later than the fifty ninth Jubilee containing but fourty nine yeers The sixth Difficulty is about the Expiration or end of Daniels seventy weeks which some terminate with the death of Christ others with the destruction of Jerusalem Daniel seems cleerly to terminate them with the death of Christ Daniel 9.24 by which he made reconciliation for sinne brought in everlasting Righteousness c. Of which their return from Captivity was but a type and shadow Nor doth it follow that the seventy weeks reach to the destruction of Jerusalem because mention thereof is made in this Prophesie For besides that the twenty fourth verse determines the seventy weeks in the Death Resurrection and Ascension of Christ It s further evident by the several parcels of the seventie weeks verse 25 26. seven weeks and sixty two weeks after which Messias was to be cut off seven and six two make sixty nine after which namely in the midst of the seventieth week verse 27. Messias by offering up himself should cause the Sacrifice and Oblation to cease virtually they being of no force after the death of Christ though they were in use as well as other Ceremonies till the destruction of Jerusalem And though the Translatours divide the seven weeks Daniel 9.25 by a Colon from the 62. weeks in the same verse following therein the custome of the Hebrews who usually make the Accent Athnac to serve for a Colon as if the seven weeks had proper reference to Messias and the sixty two weeks to the building of the street and wall Yet besides that this sence cannot agree with the History its evident that in divers places of Scripture the Accent Athnac cannot express a Colon nay scarce so much as a Comma for proof whereof I offer these places to the judgement of the Learned Psalme 70.3 4 5. If you count the Title of the Psalme for the first verse as the Hebrews do Ps 71.14 and 79.6 and 84.4 and 86.2 and 72. last and 1 Kings 8.17 And why then should we in this place namely Dan. 9.25 take Athnac from a Colon when as the sence can as ill bear it here as in any of the fore-mentioned places and without a Colon the sence is clear and direct that from that Decree as before to Messias should be seven weeks and sixty two weeks that is just sixty nine weeks namely to that time in which he should beginne his Ministerial Office in which he continued the first half of the last or seventieth week that is three yeers and an half and then by his death took away the daily Sacrifice in its significancy and virtue confirming the Covenant the last half of that week by his Apostles and after that rejecting the Jews for contempt thereof as learned Mede observes Let us then suppose which to me seems to come neerest the Truth that Daniels weeks begin where the seventy yeers of Captivity ended That is according to my Chronologie Anno Mundi 3466. Add to this four hundred and ninety yeers contained in Daniels seventy weeks of yeers The summe is three thousand nine hundred