A treatise of the Sabbath and the Lords-day Distinguished into foure parts. Wherein is declared both the nature, originall, and observation, as well of the one under the Old, as of the other under the New Testament. Written in French by David Primerose Batchelour in Divinitie in the Vniversity of Oxford, and minister of the Gospell in the Protestant Church of Roven. Englished out of his French manuscript by his father G.P. D.D.

CHAPTER Ninth.

Answer to the eighth Reason.

1. Eight Reason, from the excellency of things done on the first day of the weeke.

2. First Answer. Besides that this assertion is uncertaine, it pro∣veth nothing.

3. Second Answer, it is grounded upon a superstitious opinion of the perfection and mysticall signification of the number of se∣ven.

4. Seeing there is no certainty in the observation of numbers, and the Scripture maketh mention of other numbers observed in many things.

5. Whence no solid argument can be gathered, and are disclamea by many which dispute for the authority and preeminence of the first day of the weeke.

6. In what sence the number of seven is called mysterious, and that there is no mysterie in it under the New Testament.

1 SOme fetch an argument from diverse solemne things recited in holy Scripture, which they marke to have beene done on the first day of the weeke, as that on it the light was created, the pillar of a cloud covered at first the people of Israel, Manna rai∣ned from heaven upon them, Aaron and his children began to ex∣ercise the Priest-hood, God at first blessed his people solemnely, gave the Law on the Mount Sinai, CHRIST was borne, bap∣tized, turned water into Wine, fed five thousand men with five loaves and two fishes, shall come from heaven to judge the quicke and the dead.

2 But, it is most uncertaine, that all these things were done on the first day of the weeke. For the Scripture saith no such thing: Besides this, although all these things had beene done on the first

day of the weeke, it shall never follow by any necessary argument, that for such a cause the first day of the weeke ought to be solemni∣zed under the New Testament. Diverse other things very solemne may be found, which God and Iesus Christ effected in other dayes of the weeke, whereof we might conclude with as great probabili∣ty, that under the New Testament the day wherein they were per∣formed ought to be solemnized.

3 This argument is like to another that is produced, to prove the necessity of the observation of one day of seven, when it is said, that this number of seven is perfect and mysterious, and hath beene observed in the Scripture in diverse things, which some have sear∣ched with great curiosity, but with no profit.

4 For there is no certainty to bee found in this observation of numbers. Some for some reason find a great perfection in one num∣ber, and others for other reason give the preference of perfection to another number. The Mathematicians doe hold the number of six for the most perfect, and the first of perfect numbers. And if the Scripture pointeth out unto us the number of seven observed in many things, she doth the like in other numbers. The author of Ecclesiasticus Chapter 33. verse 15. and Chapter 42. verse 24. saith, That God in all his workes hath observed the number of two and made them all double, coupling two and two, one against another. Wee marke that God in the beginning made the two principall parts of the world, heaven and earth, two great lights the Sunne and the Moone, of all living creatures the Male and Fe∣male, in wedlocke two in one flesh. There were two Tables of the Law, two Cherubims upon the Ark, two precious stones wher∣in were graved the names of the twelve Children of Israel, and put upon the shoulders of the Ephod. Every day two Lambes were offered in Sacrifice to God, there be two Testaments, two great Commandements, two ordinary Sacraments of the Iewish, and as many of the Christian Church. Hee that would search parti∣cularly all things subsisting in this number of two, or of three, or of foure, might devise thereupon a thousand mysteries.

5 In summe, such arguments have no solidity. Many also which dispute for the necessity of the Sabbath in one of seven dayes, and for the divine authority of the first day of the weeke, disclaime them, acknowledging freely, that Christ had no respect to these faire acti∣ons

which are pretended to have beene done on the first day of the weeke under the Old Testament, and was not moved by them to institute that day for Gods service under the New Testament: That also these mysteries of the number of seven have no certainty, and were not the cause of the institution of one of the seven dayes of the Weeke, to be a day of rest, and that God had no regard unto them in that institution.

6 For rather, if the number of s••v••n be in the Scripture a mysti∣call number, which I would not deny absolutely, seeing that among all other numbers it is used in it to denote perfection and perpetui∣ty, it must be Gods observation thereof from the beginning, when he rested on the seventh day, that made it mysterious, and the cause why God useth it, rather than any other day, in holy Scripture, to denote perfection, for as much as he ordained and established the se∣venth day wherein he rested, for figure and type of the heavenly, perfect, and eternall rest which he hath prepared for all those that are his: But this consideration is of no force to make the number of seven or the seventh day to be mysterious under the New Testa∣ment, and to be kept as a day of rest. For the types and mysticall figures of the heavenly rest, which God had established under the ancient Testament, bind not Christians under the New Testament, seeing all old things are past away, and behold, all things are become new, 2 Cor. 5. ver. 17.