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

§. 15 The Hebdomadal Revolution of Time generally admitted in the world, is also a great Testimony unto the Original Institution of the Sabbath. Of old it was Catholic, and is at present received among those Nations, whose converse was not begun until of late, with any of those parts of the world, where there is a light gone forth in these things from the Scripture. All Nations, I say, in all Ages have from Time immemorial, made the Revolution of seven Days to be the first stated Period of Time. And this Observation is still continued throughout the world, unless amongst them, who in other things are openly degenerated from the Law of Nature; as those barbarous Indians who have no computation of times, but by Sleeps, Moons, and Winters. The measure of time by a Day and Night is directed unto sense, by the diurnal course of the Sun: Lunar Months, and Solar years, are of an unavoidable Observation unto all Rational Creatures. Whence therefore all men have reckoned Time by Days, Months, and Years, is obvious unto all. But whence the Hebdomadal Revolution, or Weekly Period of Time should make its Entrance, and obtain a Catholic Admittance, ⟨p. 82⟩no man can give an Account, but with respect to some Impressions on the minds of men from the Constitution and Law of our Natures, with the Tradition of a Sabbatical Rest instituted from the Foundation of the world. Other Original, whether Artificial and Arbitrary, or Occasional, it could not have. Nothing of any such thing, hath left the least footsteps of its ever being in any of the Memorials of Times past. Neither could any thing of so low an Original or Spring, be elevated to such an Height, as to diffuse it self through the whole world. A derivation of this Observation from the Chaldeans and Egyptians, who retained the deepest tincture of Original Traditions, hath been manifested by others. And so fixed was this computation of time on their minds, who knew not the Reason of it, that when they made a disposition of the Days of the year into any other Period on accounts Civil or Sacred, yet they still retained this also. So the Romans, as appears by the Fragments of their old Calendars, had their Nundinae which were days of Vacation from Labour, on the eighth, or as some think the ninth Days recurring, but yet still made use of the stated Weekly period.

§. 15 The Hebdomadal Revolution of Time generally admitted in the world, is also a great Testimony unto the Original Institution of the Sabbath. Of old it was Catholick, and is at present received among those Nations, whose converse was not begun until of late, with any of those parts of the world, where there is a light gone forth in these things from the Scripture. All Nations, I say, in all Ages have from Time immemorial, made the Revolution of seven Dayes to be the first stated Period of Time. And this Observation is still continued throughout the world, unless amongst them, who in other things are openly degenerated from the Law of Nature; as those barbarous Indians who have no computation of times, but by Sleeps, Moons, and Winters. The measure of time by a Day and Night is directed unto sense, by the diurnal course of the Sun: Lunar Months, and Solar years, are of an unavoidable Observation unto all Rational Creatures. Whence therefore all men have reckoned Time by Dayes, Months, and Years, is obvious unto all. But whence the Hebdomadal Revolution, or Weekly Period of Time should make its Entrance, and obtain a Catholick Admittance,