A Defense of the Sabbath Day, Chapter 5 · Commentary · Section 3 · Argument 6
ARGVM. VI.
My 6th argument to proue that the 7th day Sabbath is ſtill in force is, becauſe it is the 7th day, beſides which there is no 7th day; & thus I frame it.
That day which is a 7th day, beſids the which there is no 7th day; that day muſt be our Sabbath day:
But Saturday the 7th day, is a 7th day beſids which there is no 7th day:
Therefore Saturday the 7th day, muſt be our Sabbath day.
For profe of the Maior or firſt propoſition: many Diuines are of iudgement, that the 7th parte of time is Gods, & to be conſecrated to his worſhip & ſeruice as morall: wherefore all ſuch Diuines muſt approue of this Major, to wit, that that day which is a 7th day, beſids which there is none other 7th day, that day muſt be our Sabbath day, conſecrated to Gods worſhip and ſeruice: my reaſon hereof is, becauſe that day which is the 7th day, beſids which there is no 7th day, it is the 7th parte of time, in the ſtricteſt and beſt accounte.
2. All Diuines in expounding of the 4th com. doe expound theſe words, The 7th day is the Sabbath, Exod. 20.10. to be vnderſtod of a 7th day: and ſo they would hauehave a 7th day to be in force, though not the 7th day: wherefore, ſince they hold a 7th day to be in force; they muſt needs grant, that that day which is a 7th day, beſids which there is none other 7th day, it muſt be our Sabbath day: and thus all Diuines doe iuſtify my Major, w…ither hey hold a 7th parte of time, to be Morall: or that a 7th day, is Morall; and ſo much for proofe of the Major.
I come now vntounto the profe of the Minor, or ſecond propoſition, to wit, that Saturday the 7th day, is a 7th day, beſids which thereis no 7th day. For this purpoſe note, that a 7th day muſt be ſo accounted, either Naturally or Diuinly; firſt for the account Naturall, Saturday muſt needs be a 7th day naturally, beſids which there is none other 7th day: for Saturday is the 7th day from the Creation; and there is no 7th day beſids it from the Creation: now the account, which fet cheth its begining, from the Creation, that is the naturall account; becauſe time and dayes, begane at the begining of the Creation; and he that counteth daies in number as they were in being, he followeth the Naturall computation. Further, as Saturday is naturally the 7th day, beſids which there is none other: ſo Saturday is the 7th parte of time, in a naturall accounte, beſids which there is no 7th parte of time, this is very apparent at the firſt viewe.
2. For the account Diuine; Saturday muſt needs be a 7th day in Diuine account, beſids which there is none other 7th day: for the Scriptures (whoſe computation is Diuine) doe informe vsus that Saturday is a 7th day; inaſmuch as they cale the day whereon Chriſt roſe, the firſt day of the weeke, Mat. 28.1. Mark. 16.2. & that is our Sunday; now if Sunday be the firſt day of the weeke, in a Diuine account, then Saturday which went before it, or the Saturday which comes after it, muſt be the laſt, and a 7th day of the weeke, in a Diuine account: & foraſmuch as the Scripture, accounteth no day, the firſt day of the weeke, but one, to wit, our Sunday; therefore beſids Saturday, there can be none other 7th day, in a Diuine accompt. Further, as Saturday is a 7th day, beſids which there is no 7th day, in a Diuine accompt; ſo is Saturday, the 7th parte of time, in a Diuine accompt, beſids which there is no 7th parte of time.
Thus you hauehave ſeene the Minor proued, to wit, that Saturday the 7th day, is a 7th day, beſids which there is no 7th day: and it is proued to be a 7th day, both in the account Naturall, & Diuine.
Further if we ſhall come to the computation of all Chriſtian Churches, whither Proteſtants or Papiſts, ſtill Saturday will be both the 7th day, beſide which there is no 7th day; & alſo the 7th parte of time: for doe not all Churches, account our Lords day, or Sunday, for the firſt day of the weeke? if then Sunday be the firſt day, Saturday muſt be the 7th day: & alſo, if there be no firſt day of the weeke but one, to wit; Sunday; then can there be no 7th day of the weeke but one, to wit, Saturday.
One thing be pleaſed to note, that ſince Saturday, is as well the onelyonly 7th parte of time, as the onelyonly 7th day, as appeareth formerly; therefore I might frame an other argument, concluding Saturday to be the Sabbath day: becauſe it is the onelyonly 7th parte of time, as well as becauſe it is the onelyonly 7th day, as thus, That day which is the 7th parte of time, beſids which there is no 7th parte of time; that day must be Sabbath day. But Saturday, is the 7th parte of time, beſids which there is no 7th parte of time. Therefore Saturday, must be our Sabbath day. Let me heere demand of thoſe Diuines, who hold that a 7th parte of time, is to be conſecrated to Gods worſhip, as Morall; which time they would make to be the 7th parte of time, beſides our Saturday, which is the 7th day from the Creation? I deſire to know where they would begine, or which day, ſhall be their firſt parte of time, beſids our Sunday, which is the firſt day of the worlds Creation? it cannot enter into my head as yet, where they ſhould begine their account of time, vnleſſe it be from the Creation or from the Redemption; there is none other famouſe action in the world, that I can conceiue of, the which Chriſtians ſhould make their computation of time by, then theſe two, the Creation & the Redemption: Now if they will account from the Creation, which is the Naturall account, yea or by the Diuine accompt, then Sunday muſt be the firſt parte of time, & Saturday muſt be the 7th parte of time: but if they will account from the Redemption; then ſuer I am in the firſt place, that they cannot make our Sunday or Lords day, which now we conſecrate to Gods worſhip, to be a 7th parte of time: & ſecondly, if they will rekone our Lords day, to be the firſt day of the weeke and ſo the firſt day & firſt parte of time, it being the firſt day of the Redemption, Then they muſt hould our Saturday to be the 7th parte of time, and ſo to be conſecrated to Gods worſhip.
Thus let them rekone either from the Creation, or from the Redemption, & they muſt acknowledg Saturday to be the day, to be conſecrated to God.
It is meete, that all Diuines, who acknowledge a 7th parte of time, to be Gods, & for his worſhip, (as I think the moſt Diuines doe) ſhould tell vsus alſo, which is that day, & which is that 7th parte of time, in particular, that ſo we may know it, and keepe it: & it is meete alſo, that they tell vsus, from whence they begine theire account, whither from the Creation, or Redemption, or whence elſe; & ſo ſhew vsus which day is the firſt parte of time in their accompt.
Let me alſo demand, of all Diuines, who expound the 4th com. of a 7th day, which day of the weeke that a 7th day is whereof they ſpeake? I deſire of them, that they ſhew vsus, which day of the weeke, they will count for their firſt day of the 7, ſo ſhall we ſee where they will begine their account, whither from the Creation, or from the Redemption, or rather from neither of of them, but from ſome new deuiſe of their owne braine: ſuer I am, if they will follow that account which is naturall, or that which is Diuine, they muſt rekone our Sunday for their firſt day; & then they muſt fale vponupon Saturday for their 7th.
To conclude this argument, whereas all Proteſtant Diuines, that I either know, or heare of, doe maintaine theſe ij Poſitiones; the one; that a 7th parte of time is Gods, to be conſecrated to his worſhip & ſeruice: the other, that a 7th day is to be ſanctified for a Sabbath day: whereas it is now diſcouered vntounto them, that there is none other 7th parte of time, or 7th day, in any approued Authenticall accompt, beſides our Saturday the 7th day; my petition heere vntounto them all is, that henceforth, they would imbrace, that auncient ordinance of God, the Saturday Sabbath; or elſe, their owne Doctrine & poſitiones, ſhall riſe vp in iudgement, againſt them. And ſo much for my 6th argument.