Exercitations concerning the name, original, nature, use, and continuance of a day of sacred…

And the Institution mentioned, upon the Reason of Gods Rest joined with it, is so express, as that none can doubt a Practice conformable unto it, by all that truly feared the Lord, although the particulars of it should not be recorded.

And the Institution mentioned, upon the Reason of Gods Rest joyned with it, is so express, as that none can doubt a Practice conformable unto it, by all that truly feared the Lord, although the particulars of it should not be recorded.

§. 12 It was from no other Original, that the Tradition of the Sacredness of the septenary Number, and the fixing of the first Period of time, (next unto that which is absolutely natural and appearing so to the senses, of night and day, with the composition of the Night and Day into one Measure of time, which was also from the Original creation and conjunction of Evening and Morning into one Day) unto a septenary Revolution of days, was so Catholic in the world; and that both amongst Nations in general, and particularly amongst Individual Persons, that were enquiring and contemplative. Not only that sort of Philosophers who expressed their Apprehensions Mystically by Numbers, as the Pythagoreans and some of the Platonics, who from hence took the occasion of that way of teaching and Instruction, esteemed the septenary Number sacred, but those also did so, who resolved their Observations into things Natural or Physical. For in all their Notions and Speculations about the Pleiades, and Triones in Heaven; Lunar Changes, Sounds of Instruments, Variations in the Age of man, Critical Days in bodily Distempers, and Transactions of Affairs Private and Public, they found a Respect thereunto. It must therefore be granted, that there is a great Impression left on the whole Creation of a Regard to this Number, whereof Instances might be multiplied. The Ground hereof was no other but an Emanation from the Old Tradition of the Creation of the world, and the Rest that ensued on the seventh Day. So say the ancient Verses which some ascribe to Linus, others to Callimachus.

§. 12 It was from no other Original, that the Tradion of the Sacredness of the septenary Number, and the fixing of the first Period of time, (next unto that which is absolutely natural and appearing so to the senses, of night and day, with the composition of the Night and Day into one Measure of time, which was also from the Original creation and conjunction of Evening and Morning into one Day) unto a septenary Revolution of dayes, was so Catholick in the world; and that both amongst Nations in general, and particularly amongst Individual Persons, that were enquiring and contemplative. Not only that sort of Philosophers who expressed their Apprehensions Mystically by Numbers, as the Pythagoreans and some of the Platonicks, who from hence took the occasion of that way of teaching and Instruction, esteemed the septenary Number sacred, but those also did so, who resolved their Observations into things Natural or Physical. For in all their Notions and Speculations about the Pleiades, and Triones in Heaven; Lunar Changes, Sounds of Instruments, Variations in the Age of man, Critical Dayes in bodily Distempers, and Transactions of Affairs Private and Publick, they found a Respect thereunto. It must therefore be granted, that there is a great Impression left on the whole Creation of a Regard to this Number, whereof Instances might be multiplyed. The Ground hereof was no other but an Emanation from the Old Tradition of the Creation of the world, and the Rest that ensued on the seventh Day. So say the antient Verses which some ascribe to Linus, others to Callimachus.