That it is Credible that the first Fathers were taught of God concerning the manner of Worship And from the same God received the Religion of that Day Thus ye have a glance of Rivet's Third Argument The rest of Rivet's Arguments for the Original of the Sabbath to have been from the Beginning of the World I shall omit and dismiss untoucht both because Rivet himself confesseth That they are not of any great moment if the Three former and chiefer would not prevail as also because I here give the Reader notice that the main of them would be touched in our ESSAY CAP. V. D. Heylyn is Opposed in the Matter and Substance of the present Question of the Original of the Sabbath 1. By Learned Dr. Willet 2. By Worthy Mr Weemes both which contend for the Truth not in single Combat with every particular opposed but to assert and corroborate in gross and in common the main of the Controversy 1. HEylyn * In his History of the Sabbath makes the Challenge That those words Gen. 2. And God blessed the Seventh day c. are there delivered by way of Anticipation Anticipations saith he of the same nature not strange in Scripture No Law imposed by God on Adam touching keeping of the Sabbath The Fathers afore the Law kept not the Sabath c. So Heylyn Verba sine rebus 2. Doctor Willet's Answer Willet On Ger. 2. v. 3.14 in opposition thereunto on Gen. 2.4 Cites and Asserts as follows Here we have the Institution of the Sabbath saith Willet which afterward was revivd by the promulgation of the Moral Law We refuse therefore the erroneous Opinion of Tostatus and * In Gen. Lib. 1. p. 223. Pererius two Popish Authors who think that this Sanctifying of the Sabbath is here mentioned by way of Anticipation being not Instituted till the time of Moses For say they every day to man in the state of Innocency should have been a Sabbath Neither was there any positive Precept given to Adam in Paradise but only that of not eating the forbidden fruit But in this affirming they are grosly deceived 1. Man had now Transgressed before the Sabbath was Instituted as after shall be proved And therefore they do out of time urge the State of Man's Innocency 2. If Man had continued in that State seeing he was appointed to keep the Garden and not to live idly no not in Paradise it is most like that even then he should have kept the Sabbath as a rest and Intermission even from such Labour as became that place and as a Symbole unto him of a further perfection to be attained unto 3. That the Sabbath was Instituted now the Creation being finished it may appear by the Fourth Commandement Exod. 20.11 where this Reason of the Law is given For in Six days the Lord made Heaven and Earth c. 4. It is also evident that the Sabbath was kept by Godly Tradition before the Moral Law was given as appeares Exod. 16.23 To morrow is the Rest of the holy Sabbath to the Lord. N. B. 5. Thus the ancient Fathers Jerom Austin The ancient Fathers alledged and Origen ground the Institution of the Sabbath upon God's Example in this place Jerom. trad in Gen. 2. Aust Ps 80. And Origen thus answereth Celsus Lib. 6. objecting If God were weary that he need to rest God rested saith he that we resting from our labour should celebrate that day Thus of Doctor Willet Of Weemes in Chap. 6. CAP. VI. Now for a close let us hear Learned Weems speaking punctually and fully to the Question in his Exercitations divine Command 4. p. 229. Quest QVestion Whether the Sabbath was from the begining or not Ans The Lord setteth down his Example for Imitation to us because he rested that day that we may learn That the Institution of the Sabbath was from the beginning Which is contrary to them who hold That the Sabbath was not ordained to be kept till after the Lord had rained down Manna Ex. 16. Obj. And they say that these words The Lord rested from all his Works the Seventh day were a Reason added to Moses's Sabbath when the Law was given but not to Adams's Sabbath before the Fall Answ But we answer In the reasons of the Commands there is something Natural from the Begining and something added by Moses As in the respect of the 5th Commandement this was Juris Naturae of natural right given to Adam and all his Posterity viz. Honour thy Father and thy Mother THAT THY DAYS MAY BE LONG that is live happily here and then to be Translated to another life But his was Juris Mosaici of Mosaical right That thy days may be long in THE LAND WHITHER THOU ART TO GO So this was Juris Naturae of Natural Right in the Reason added to the Sabbath Thou shalt rest from all thy Works because God rested from his Works But this is only Juris Mosaici only of Mosaical Right That the Sabbath should be a Sign between God and them and belongeth not to Adam's Sabbath Ezek. 20.10 I brought them out of Egypt and gave them my Sabbaths that they might be a sign between me and them The Sabbath was 〈◊〉 particular Sign to them of their bringing out of Aegypt And they should always remember to keep it because the Lord brought them out of Aegypt The Sabbath was from the Beginning but it was accessory to the Jewish Church that it was made a Sign as the Rainbow was from the Beginning the Reflex of the Sun in a Cloud But it was not a Sign to the World until the Deluge Obj. 2 But they say we read nothing in the whole History of Genesis of the Sabbath or that any of the Patriarcks kept it Ans We read nothing that the Adulterous and Incestuous persons were put to Death before Judah's time N. B. Did the Patriarches suffer this sin to be unpunished all this time And is it probable that the Holy Men of God who Sacrificed to the Lord and Worshiped him had not a certain time for his Worship determined to them The Lord Sanctified the Sabbath as soon as he had rested from his Works and set up the Sun and the Moon Lemaguadim which is the Hebrew word used afterwards in the Law for the holy Convention ad stata tempora i. e. Set appointed times What appointed times were then for his Worship N. B. if not the Sabbath For as yet they had none of their Aniversary Feasts Obj. 3 Again they say That the words set down in this Law That thou mayst rest and thy Servant may rest belonged not to Adam's Sabbath For Adam before the Fall was not wearied and there should have been no servile Subjection before the Fall Therefore these words belong only to Moses's Sabbath Answ Although Adam should not have been wearied in dressing of the Garden yet it behoved him to rest that he might exercise himself only in the Worship of God And
though servile Subjection came in after Sin yet if Man had not Fallen there should have been degrees of Superiority and Inferiority And there should have been distinction of Sexes and dignities c. Obj. 4 John 7.22 Christ maketh an opposition between two Laws one of Circumcision and another of the Sabbath And he saith Circumcision is kept not because Moses Instituted Circumcision but because it was from the Fathers And because Moses's Law of the Sabbath was given after the Law of Circumcision therefore it is that Infants are Circumcised upon the Sabbath and yet the Sabbath is not broken Answ The Sabbath was given after Circumcision with the rest of the Ceremonies belonging to it which Christ especially meaneth here But the Moral part was given to Adam before his Fall He maketh Opposition here but between the Ceremony of Circumcision and the Ceremony of the Sabbath The less necessary Ceremony to give place to the greater And the Jews say when a Child was to be Circumcised upon the Sabbath yet the morning Sacrifice behoved to be Offered first before the Child was Circumcised and then all the rest of the Ceremonial Worship in the Sabbath gave place to Circumcision Obj. 5 And whereas they urge us That there is no Example of the Patriarches who kept the Sabbath before the Manna was sent down Answ It may seem out of Job That they kept the Sabbath in his time which was before the Law was given It is said Job had Seven Sons N. B. and they went and Feasted in their Houses every one his day Job 1.4 And then it is subjoyned Job 1.6 That there was a day when the Sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord. Now who were the Sons of God here but Job's Children N. B. who Assembled themselves to worship God upon the Seventh day Obj. They say that these words God rested the Seventh day and Sanctified the Sabbath aâ—â— set down 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by way 〈◊〉 Anticipation because God promised to Sanctifie that day afterwards Answ This carries no probability with it that God is said to Sanctifie it because he was purposed to Sactifie it afterwards For then he might be said to Sanctifie Moriah when he Created it because afterwards he was to build the Temple there and to Sanctifie the Pascha and the Pentecost because afterwards he was to appoint them for holy uses FINIS THE Sunday-Sabbath's Rest FROM CONTROVERSIES CHAP. I. Of the Thesis or Position Section I. THE Thesis or Position Our Sunday-Sabbath or Lords-day is the very same day of the week which was anciently observed by Jews and Gentiles for the Solemn day of their Solemn weekly Worship before Israels coming out of Aegypt and after that by the Gentiles Sect. II. The explanation of the Thesis 1. We call it Sunday 1. Because it is vulgarly so called and best known by the generality of the Nation 2. Because the Jews anciently so called it and observed it in memorial of God their Sun * Ps 84.11 Creating the World and that eminentest part thereof the Sun * Exod. â—0 11 If so long after the Creation no don 't but anciently neaâ—eâ— the Creaâ—ion 3. Because the Gentiles of old called it Sunday though upon an ill occasion that they on that day Worshiped the Sun But it is to our purpose to note the number of the day not the iniquity the observation not the misapplication of the day ¶ 2. We call it Sabbath 1. Because many Christians so call it and own it against all Jewish Saturday Sabbatarians 2. Because the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sabbath signifies rest which rest for Body and Soul we have mostly on this day 3. Because in some way of proportion the time of our Sabbath day answers to that of the Jews both being a Seventh day of the week ¶ 3. We call it The Lord's day 1. Because the Scripture so calls it I was saith St. John the Disciple of Christ in the Spirit on the LORDS DAY * Rev. 1.10 meaning our Sabbath or Sunday which we call the Lord's day For surely if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lords Supper doth sufficiently distinguish that Spiritual Supper of the Communion to all ingenuous men from all common Suppers then so doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lord's day sufficiently distinguish to all not willfully blind that special day from all other days For it follows 2ly That we call our Sabbath the Lord's day because it was the day of the Lord Christ's Resurrection from the Dead wherein he rested from his Sufferings and we thereby from our Sins and Condemnation 'T is true That the day of Christ's Resurrection is by the same Apostle called the First day of the week * Joh. 20.1 But 't is as true That this same First day was the Jews and Gentiles Sabbath for Two thousand four hundred fifty four years viz. From the Creation to the reduction of Israel our Aegypt and was the Gentiles Sabbath long after that 3ly We call it the Lord's Day because on that day in every week we solemnly worship the Lord Christ with the Gospel Worship which the Lord himself hath Instituted Sect. 3. The probation or proof of the said Thesis being made good by the orderly succeeding of the following Chapter N. B. the latter strengthning the former it may be hoped that according to the TITLE there will follow a cessation and rest of all Controversies about the Sunday Sabbath or the Lord's day either by the Quotidian or Hemerion Sabbatarians that pretend no one day but every day should be as a Sabbath Or by the Plurian Sabbatarians that would not have all days to be Sabbaths but would have more then one day in Seven Or by the Prosabbatarians that are wholy for the Jewish Sabbath Or by the Antisabbatarians that are against the Jewish Sabbath in the behalf of the Christian Sabbath Or touching the morality of thâ— Sabbath in general Or touching the warrantrie of Christian Lord's day Sabbath Or touching the Scruple whether to calâ— the day of Solemn Worship Sunday or Sabbath day oâ— Lord's day CHAP. II. Of the Natural and Artificial day Sect. 1. THE Natural day of Twenty four hours as it is vulgarly called is with any people the space of time between Sun-rising and Sun-rising or between Sun-setting and Sun-setting called by the Learned the Horizontal day Sect. 2. The parts of this Natural day are two The one is the Artificial day that is the days Light The other part is by relative consequence the Artificial night that is the Nights darkness belonging to that day So that the Artificial day is the whole space between Sun-rising and Sun-setting CAP. III. Of the ancient beginning of the Natural day Sect. 1. THE Artificial day or Day-light was anciently before Israels going out of Aegypt counted the beginning or former part of the Natural day and the Night the latter part of the said natural day This appears three ways
of the Sun or Sunday was the very same day which we call THE LORD'S DAY We have already in several Sections and Paragraphs of the fore-going Chapters dropped some proofs of this But now we shall bring more particularly direct and express Testimonies to this point ¶ 1. Dr. F. White and Dr. Heylin though they were Opposers of the Morality of the Sabbath do confess That Christians of the first ages because they observed the Sunday for their Sacred Services bowing in Prayer towards the East were upbraided for Worshippers of the Sun though they neither Worshiped the Sun as the Heathen nor called the day of their Worshiping God Sunday as they called it but the Lord's day being their Sabbath or Sacred day of REST to the Lord. Therefore if Sunday had not been with the Heathen who were Sun Worshippers indeed a weekly day of solemn Worship there had been no cause of that upbraiding by the Jews or Heathen-Gentiles (a) White of the Sabbath and Heylin part 2. p. 53. But we have more approved Authors then these as it follows ¶ 2. Sozomen telleth us That Constantine Commanded Diem Dominicum quem Hebraei primum Hebdomadae appellant craeci Solis deputant a cunctis celebrari (b) Sozom. Eccles Histor L. 1. c. 8. That is Constantine commanded that the Lords day which the Jews call the First day of the week and the Greeks depute to the Sun to be celebrated of all Whence it is justly inferred That Constantine then held That the Day which the Heathen-Greeks deputed to the Sun was the very same which we call the Lord's day ¶ 3. Coeli Rhodignin tells us Nos jure optimo diem quem Mathematici Solis vocant Domino ascripsimus dicavimusque illius Cultui totum mancipavimus That is with the greatest Equity we have ascribed and Dedicated to the Lord and wholly given up to his Worship that day which the Mathematicians call THE DAY OF THE SVN (c) Coel. Rho. Antiq. L. 13. c. 22. ¶ 4. Bonaventure tells of the pious fraud that Christians acted to rob the Sun of its Idolatrous Worship and transfer the observation of that day to Christ His Words are these Secundum Gentiles dies Dominicus primus est Cum Principio illius diei incipit dominari principalis Planeta Sol propter quod vocabant eundem Diem Solis exhibebant ei venerationem Vt ergo error ille excluderetur reverentia cultus Solis Deo exhiberetur praefixa fuit Dominica Dies qua populus Christianus vacaret cultui Divino (d) Bonavent 3. Dist 37. That is According to the Heathen the LORD'S DAY is a CHIEF day when in the beginning of that day the Principle Planet the SUN begins to Rule For which cause they called it the Day of the SUN and gave Worship thereunto To the intent therefore that Error might be shut out of doors and that reverence of Worship of the Sun might be given to God The LORD'S DAY was prefixed wherein the Christian people gave themselves to Divine Worship For a close of this Chapter we add a Fifth Paragraph ¶ 5. Justin Martyr doth diverse times in his Works call the LORD'S DAY 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THE DAY OF THE SVN as then the Gentiles or Greeks called it (e) Just Mar. Apol. 2 pro Christian 2. centur So also Tertullian sometimes calles it Diem Solis Sunday sometimes Diem Dominicum The Lord's day And in the Edicts of Constantine Valentinian Valens Gratian Honorius Arcadius Theodosius all of them Christian Princes our LORDS DAY is commonly called Dies Solis Sunday A DIAGRAM OR Representation as to the Eye of the Summe and Design of the whole Treatise preceding CHAP. X. THE PREFACE To the said DIAGRAM THE Jews as we have shewed were to begin their Sabbath at the Even next before the succeeding Morning And after the immediate Morning or Day-light preceding Levit. 23.32 Consequently the rest of the Seven days of the Week so began or else they could not measure out the Sabbath to begin as aforesaid As also the Jews Festivals and Solemnities would justle out or rob one another of their due time when diverse come together As Levit. 23.5 6 7 8. In the Fourteenth day of the First Month at Even is the Lord 's Passover On the Fifteenth of the same Month is the Feast of Vnleavened-bread c. Grotius on v. 32. of that Levittic tells us punctually the mode of this Mutation Cum dies per annum inaequales fint c. That is Seeing that days by the year are unequal and in Summer the Sun sets much more slowly or laterly as to us then in the Winter the Hebrews begin their Rest on the Sabbath six hours after the Noontyde Now for an example to the point in hand Let us consider the Measures anâ— Mutations of Friday Saturday and Sunday in this Diagram The Diagram or Representation According to the Jews Account 1. FRIDAY which was thâ— day of the Week when Christ suffered iâ— as to the beginning thereof put back to take its beginning at the immediate preceding Evening of that day as but now is aforâ— described by Grotius viz. it began at the sixth hour after thâ— Noon or Twelve of the Clock 2. SATVRDAY consequentially which was the day of the Weeâ— wherein Christ lay in his Gravâ— did begin at the immediate succeâ—ding Evening of that Day 3. SVNDAY therefore whicâ— was the day of the Week wheâ— Christ arose from the Grave bâ—gan at Sunday Evening And 〈◊〉 that Evening with the Day-lighâ— next following make the Thirâ— day And so in the rest of the day of the Week proportionably Thus ye see the Jews Measure and Computation of the Week by Days by the Example of the three Days before exprest The Parallelogram what proportion the Christian Account holds with the Diagram of the Jewish According to the Lord Jesus Christ Account 1. But Christ by his Resurrection beginning the Third Day That is Sunday in the Morning which takes to it naturally the succeeding Evening to make it a compleat day calling it the Third Mat. 20.19 Mal. 9.31 10.34 Luk. 18.33 24.7 2. Now as linck after linck in a Chain Friday begins that day of 24. hours at Friday-morning SATVRDAY begins at Saturday Morning 3. SVNDAY begins at Sunday Morning And so all the Evenings re-associated with their Mornings move forward and slip into their natural places the Sun constantly measuring out a Night to every Day and naturally makes the Night the latter part of its race as if the Sun rested after its Labour in the day whilst it gives good nights rest to the labouring man And now as the close of the Diagram ye may behold Sunday-Sabbath standing by it self distinguishedly in Mode Measure and Order Thus The Jewish Sabbath doth consist 1. Of the Evening which began Six hours after the Noon At which they killed their Paschal Lamb. 2. Of the Dark-night at which time Israel went out of
which it was Sun-rising or Sun-setting or Noon or Midnight or when the Sun first shined forth to the World or when half of that Fourth-Day or when it was fully ended I say therefore these days these Universal days cannot be made the footing of the Accompt for the measuring out of our Artificial Day and Night the parts of the Natural Day Our ordinary Seven days cannot derive their Number and beginning from the said Vniversal Days to an hour ¶ 4. We answer That Moses wrote the Book of Genesis when he had been Inspired by the appearance of God to him calling him and enabling him to that Miraculous Work of bringing Israel out of Aegypt Exod. 3.2 So that he wrote that Book after Israels coming out of Aegypt at which deliverance their Year Month and Day was changed Exod. 12.41.42 Levit. 23.32 The Natural Day was now to begin at Evening as aforesaid whereas before that it began in the Morning as we have shew'd Therefore if Moses should now have said Gen. 1. The Morning and the Evening was the First Second Third Fourth Fifth Sixth Seventh Day putting the Morning before the Evening he might have seemed thereby to have disliked the said Change appointed by God as aforesaid of making the Evening the beginning of each day after their coming out of Aegypt CAP. VI. Of the Reason why the Jews must change the beginning of the Day as aforesaid and so of the Day from our Sunday or Lord's-day to the Jews Saturday as they commonly call it Sect. 1. THE First Reason was for a Memorial or Memorandum of their deliverance out of Aegypt as before proved Sect. 2. The Second was because the Heathens did Dedicate and Celebrate the Ancient Sunday that was observed piously to God before Israels coming out of Aegypt to the Sun the Heathen I say Dedicated it to worship that Planet on that day And for that reason the Lord would not have the Jews to observe it any longer but would have them change it ¶ 1. Thus God of old would not have his people use the names of lawful things nor mention such names which the Idolaters were wont to use Hos 2.16.17 It shall be at that day saith the Lord that thou shalt call me ISHI and shalt call me no more BAALIM For I will take away the Names of BAALIM out of her mouth c. Why would not the Lord be called Baalim but Ishi seeing both fignifie the same thing that is My Husband or my Lord The Reason was because Baal was the name that Heathens gave to their Gods And therefore God would have the name of Baalim the plural of Baal to be utterly removed out of the mouths of his people ¶ 2. For the same Reason he would not have his people to observe the Ancient Sunday in use before Israels return from Aegypt because the Heathen called it by that name in relation to their Worshiping the Sun on that day And therefore God would have the day changed This will more appear in the next Chapter CAP. VII Touching the Ancient Sunday and the observation thereof by Jews and Heathens before Israels deliverence out of Aegypt Sect. I. T IS untradictably probable beyond all demonstration to the contrary and with fair reason on our part that the ancient Sunday for solemn Worship of God before Israels return from Aegypt which Sunday is now our LORD'S DAY was observed by the Patriarchs before the Flood and by them after the Flood in honour to the true God who had Created that wonderful frame of Heaven and in it that transcendent shining Planet the Sun whom that is God that Creator they of the Patriarches before the Flood worshiped on that day by imitation of God's resting on the Seventh day of his Creation which is urged in the Fourth Commandement as to a Seventh day Sabbath if not to THE Seventh day Sabbath which we now observe as our Lords-day of which more after N. B. I note it chiefly here to intimat that Gods example of resting the Seventh day at the Creation hath in it an Argument for Imitation that his people should observe that most ancient Sunday of which we speak that example of God's resting being then fresher to the Patriarchs and those times by Two thousand of years then at the giving of the Moral Law And the practise of the after-times do much shew us what was the practise of former-times Men being very apt to follow their Fore-fathers in the outward profession of Religion And to use those forms of speech relating to Religion which of old were wont to be used The Patriarches therefore before the Flood no doubt called and accompted God to be their Sun in a figurative sense as the Patriarches that were after the Flood and their succeeding Generations did likewise Num. 6.25 Aaron and his Sons shall on this wise bless the Children of Israel saying unto them The Lord bless thee and keep thee the Lord make HIS FACE TO SHINE VPON thee So Deut 33.1 2. And this is the blessing wherewith Moses the man of God blessed the Children of Israel before his death And he said the Lord came from Sinai and rose up from Seir unto them he SHINED FORTH from Mount Paran And Job at least as ancient as Moses if not ancienter argues with God that he would not shine upon the Wicked and therefore would not oppress or despise him that is would SHINE upon him And it is a common phrase with David in Prayer to say Make thy face to SHINE upon me or upon us Psal 31.16 Psal 71.1 And Psal 8. It is the burden or foot of the divine Song And Psal 84. ver 11. He calls God by the name of the Sun The Lord God saith he is a SVN and a Shield to them that walk uprightly And Malac. 4.2 He viz. Christ is called the SVN of Righteousness with healing in his wings that is in his Beams Sect. 2. Now as 't is true that the Pious Patriarchs of old in a figurative sense calling and accompting God to be as their Sun did call and accompt their weekly solemn day of their Solemn Worship of him by the name of Sunday or Suns-day See before Chap. 7. or day of the Sun as aforesaid So it is as true which further confirms the Section next before that Idolatrous Heathen of very ancient times and downward in imitation of the Jews Worshiping the true God their Metaphorical Sun did on the said Sunday worship the Material and Natural Sun and upon that accompt called it their Sunday or Day of the Sun For we know that Idolaters were always the Apes as Divines call them of true Religion Upon their mis-apprehensions and mal-applications of divine Inspirations and Institutions given by God to Godly men they grounded their Idolatrous Superstitions Of many take but two or three Instances viz. Because Abraham whiles there was no solemn set place appointed of God for Worship built an Altar on the Mountain neer
Bethel Gen. 12.8 and Chap. 13.4 and there called on the name of the Lord the true God And likewise he planted a Grove in Beer-sheba and there called on the name of the Lord Gen. â—1 33 the Everlasting God And prepared all things at God's command to offer up his Son Isaac for a burnt-offering though afterwards he was forbidden the Execution Therefore Idolaters planted Groves Gen. 22. and Worshiped in High-places their Idols and made their Children to pass through the fire to them mentioned as high Crimes throughout the Old Testament Even such is the Rise of the highest Idolatry to wit of worshiping of false Gods That because Godly men Worshiped the true God according to his divine Inspirations and Institutions therefore Idolaters it an inique and unequel imitation Worshiped their false Gods according to their own inventions And this Idolatry is most Ancient N. B. and practised by Abraham Terah and Nachor in Chaldea before they were called out Josh 24. v. 3. and Converted from it Gen. 12.31 And Chap. 12.1 Now to draw down our discourse to the particular point in hand ¶ 2. The great and Universal Monarches Saturnus Babylonicus and Belus his Son and other Potentates of Assyria and Chaldea having Idolatrously seâ— up the whole Host of Heaven i. e The Sun Moon and Stars to be their Gods it is not imaginable that they would Dedicate any other day to the honour of their greatest God viz. the Sun theâ—â— the day which the Patriarchs before the Flood Dedicated to God the Creator of the Sun which doth further appear in that those Worshippers of the Sun having robbed God of his Worship they robbed him also of his Name For Nimrod having given to the Sun his greatest God the Name of Baal â—e afterwards assumed that name â—o himself * Jo. Gr. Assyr Monarch And Belus giving â—o their greatest God the Sun â—he name of Jove the Contract of Jehovah the said Belus afterwards took that name to himself and was called Jove Bel. * Idem Biblian ¶ 3. And moreover seeing â—he Idolaters assigned to every of their Seven Planet-Gods one of the seven days in the week â—o considering sober man can â—hink otherwise but that they would Dedicate and Celebrate â—o their greatest God the SVN whom they called God of Gods and Lord of Lords the day formerly observed and celebrated to the great and true God of Heaven and Earth rather then to the Moon and Mercury or other their inferior Gods And therefore nothing can be more probable then that the Seventh day with the ancient Patriarchs was no other but that which afterwards was the SUN-DAY Sonnes-day or Day of or to the Sun with the Assyrians and from them was called Sunday or Day of the Sun by other Nations also as the other days of the week were called by the other names of the Planets as we do to this day viz. Moonday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday all Saxon names of the Six inferiour Planet-Gods Whereupon as I said before this was one reason why the Lord changed to the Jews the Seventh day from our Sunday to the Jews Saturday CHAP. VIII Proving that the Heathen Gentiles did of old in all Countries and Generations Worship the Sun Sect. 1. HAving shew'd how and by what means the Heathen Gentiles of old took cognizance of the Supereminency of Sunday or day of the Sun and hinted that they on that day worshiped the Sun Now for Confirmation of it and to make way to that which must follow it is requisite that I should prove That the Heathen Gentiles did â—n all Countries and Generations of old Worship the Sun ¶ 1. The Assyrians with the help of the Chaldeans set up the Idolatry of Worshiping the Host of Heaven viz. Sun Moon and the rest of the Planets Macrob. Saturn l. 1. c. 9.17 18 19 20 21 22 23. And Rabbi Maimonides one of the soberest of the Jewish Writers as some Learned assert affirms That from the days of Enosh the Stars were Worshiped as Gods After which time the great God was generally forgotten No man scarcely knew the true God but Enoch Methusalah Noah Sem. and Heber De Jol. 1. Quest Thus Maimonides * Maimon Some yea and of the Learned Quaere How Maimonides should come to know what he hath said Ans 1 To this first we Answer from Gen. 4.26 And to Seth was born a SON and he called his name ENOS then began men saith our English Translation to call upon the Name of the Lord. But the Learned H. Broughton * Broughtons works in Folio p. 11. p. 64. p. 219. p. 339. Presented it to King Jâ—â—â—s in Print five times at least in his Works blame this Translation and thus Translates it Also to Seth was born a Son and he called his name Sorrowful Enos Then had sprung up prophaneness instead of calling upon the name of the Eternal And gives these reasons 1. At Enos Birth Religion is sorrowfully corrupted through Marriage with Cain's House Enos Sorrowful and Kenan Lamentable so called for Idolatry then arising For he saith in another place of his Works That the Ten Fathers or Patriarchs before the Flood had names given to them Consignificant to the time And 2. Because presently in the next Chapter save one Moses tells us viz. in Chap. 6. is the declining of the Sons of God in Religion and of the coming of the Flood And it seems by Nicholas de Lyra That the Learned Jews did understand this Scripture of the corrupting Religion in those times The Chaldeâ— Paraphrase likewise Translates 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Sons of Men gave off from calling upon the name of the Lord. And in that Edition in 4 o. Printed at London of that accurate Translation of the Bible by F. Junius a Learned Christian and J. Tremelius a Pious and Learned Jew Printed at London this Text is thus Translated Tunc coeptum est profanari in invocando nomine Jehovae That is then began men to be Prophane in calling upon the name of Jehovah And sutable are his notes upon the place Tunc sub Enoschi tempora Caeptum est profanari id est Alii posteri Schethi apud quos mansura est Ecclesia a Caiinitis corrupti caeperunt prophanare se In invocando i. e. in cultu Dei vide inquit Cap. 5.22 cap. 6.2 Now this Enos living above Five hundred years before the Flood shews us no small antiquity of Idolatry 2. We answer to the Quaere That the knowledg of the Planetary Idolatry might come down to the Ancient Rabbies by sure Tradition For as Sem lived about an hundred years before the Flood when the Planets were deemed to be the Universal Governors of the World So he lived long viz. Five hundred years after the Flood Though he lived not to Moses's time yet did he live till Abraham was an old Man if he did not live after Abraham's Burial Before which
God commanded the Jews to take into their Sabbath the next preceding Evening then either we must say The Jews Sabbath began the Evening next AFORE our Sabbath-day-light began or else that the Jews Sabbath began at the Evening AFTER our Sabbath-day-light began If we say AFTER then one whole day is lost in the computation of time If we say AFORE then we have that we contend for viz. That the Jews Artificial Sabbath-day of Day-light and the Christians Artificial Sabbath of Day-light were Materially as to Day-light the very self same as before at the very first change of the Sabbath Thus of the Second Conclusion ¶ 3. Conclusion to be cleared afore named is That both Sabbaths the Jews and ours in several respects and on several accompts are much the same 1. They are the same Materially as to Day-light not only in the same Horizon of which Jerusalem is the Centre point as was said in the First Conclusion but also in that Horizon which encircleth England and Judaea excepting about four or five hours that Day-light begins in Judaea so much sooner then with us in England as is demonstrable upon the Globe 2. They are the same reputatively that is They are reputed and esteemed the same day of the week in number For what is the Reason that the French and Dutch are said to keep the Twenty fifth day of December for the Feast of the Nativity of Christ and yet we English also are said to keep the same Feast on the Twenty fifth day of December though we keep it Ten days Old Style after them beyond Sea that observe New-Style Ten days before us I say what is the Reason but because the French and Dutch ever since that Pope Gregory altered their Year begin their Months sooner by Ten days then we do Just so it is in the Matter of the Sabbath namely both Jews and Christians all of them keep their Sabbath on the same day of the Week viz. on the SEVENTH day of the Week and that the Reason why the Seventh day of the Week with the Jews comes to be almost a day sooner then it doth with the Christians is because the Jews began their Week near a day sooner this they did formerly before the change of it at their coming out of Aegypt and sooner then the Heathen Gentiles did and the Christians now do 3. Both Sabbath days the Jews and Ours are the same boundarily For as the Six days of Man's Labour do bound out the Jews present Sabbath Six days saith the Fourth Commandement Shalt thou Labour and do all thy Work but the Seventh is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God So all the Six days of our Labour are the boundary of our Christian Sabbath for after our Six days of our Labour we keep our Sabbath not sooner nor later And the natural necessity of the thing constreins For the Sabbath must either relate to the Six days of God's Work of Creation or to the Six days of Man's Labour in his Vocation Now it cannot relate to the Six days of God's Work of Creation and so to the day of God's Rest For then either the day of God's Rest and the Jews Sabbath must be the same beginning in all places at Sun-setting where-ever the Jews did or ought to observe their Sabbath which cannot be except the Earth were all a flatt and not a round Globe as we see by sence both on the Globe and on the Hills and Mountains of the Earth how their roundness makes the day begin successively over the whole Earth Or else the day of Gods Rest did at the first and still doth begin in this computation of a Seventh sooner in some places then in other and so first at one particular place whiles it was no where else the day of God's Rest either of which are so against sence and reason that no understanding man can rationally imagine it Therefore the bounding and measuring out of the Sabbath must relate to the Six days of Man's Labour in his Vocation as 't is directed in the Fourth Commandement immediatly after which Six days of our Labour follows the Seventh day for Rest So that in this respect also the Jews Sabbath and our Sabbath are the same The Close THus have I Laboured in this small Treatise with great Ventilations and Careful thoughts to give rest to others hoping that upon due consideration of what hath been cleared in the precedent Treatise touching the Seniority of our Christian Sabbath before the Law The sameness in several respects of both Sabbaths at this day And that the Crown of Morality is rather Set Worn or to be worn on the head of our Christian Sabbath then on the Jewish Our Christian Brethren of the Saturday Sabbatarians will be brought off from the Errour of their Opinion and out of that discomfort and those encumbrances that attend the Practise thereof Which is the Prayer of their hearty well-wishing Friend N. H. FINIS