SECTION II.

Of the Paffion, Death, and Refurrection of our Lord and Saviour JESUS CHRIST, and the Paffion-Day, of our Thurfday or Friday.

Herefore, if the Paffion of our Lord was on the 25th Day of March,and theYear herein specified,which,for certain Reafons, appears evident to me, that it was the Sun on that Day about 3 Days paft the veneral Equinox, and the Moon 2 Days paft the Full. So that there could be no Eclipfe of the Sun or Moon at that Time, Matt. 27. 45. and confequently that no natural Caufe, but a fupernatural Miracle, wrought by the Omnipotent Power of God to confirm our Faith in the mighty Work of this Day; the Cycle of the Sun was then 15, the Dominical Letter, and the 25th Day of March was Thursday, according to the indifputable Courfe of the Julian Period; which from the Four Evangelifts appears to be precarious and ambiguous, Matt. 27. Ver. 57, 58, 62. Now the next Day that followed the Day of the Preparation. Now that the Day of the Preparation was the Paffion-Day is not in Difpute, but whether for the Jews Sabbath, or for the Paffover-Feaft doth not yet appear, as it is indeed specified, Mark 15. 42. And now when the Even was come, because it suas the Preparation, that is, the Day, before the Sabbath) But here it is in a Parenthefis, and not in the Affirmative; and it is evident that the Paffion-Day was not the Feaft Day, Matt. 26. 3, 4, 5. Therefore confequently the ay before the Feaft, John 19. 41, 42, again Luke 23. 54. And that Day was the Preparation and the Sabbath drew on; this, indeed, is Affirmative that the next Day was the Sabbath, or, as I have leen it in an original Manufcript, and the Sabbath fhone out, which is evident was the Paffover-Moon, for it was Night; and the Notes in the Margint of the Geneva Tranflation faith directly, that it was the Day of the Preparation; for the Feaft which was to be kept the Day following, and St Luke fought his Gospel out of StPand and other Apoftles, which he reports to have publifh'd as he received it from them, Eufeb. Lib. 3. Chap. 4. Again, job 19. 31. The Jews, therefore, because it was the Peparation, that the Bodies fhould not remain upon the Cross on the Sabbath-Lay (for

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that

that Sabbath-Day was an high Day) therefore confequently the Feaft-Day, and if this most be taken inclufive, of the Sabbath Day alfo, then the Paffion Day on our Friday.

Wherefore now let us confider these Texts together, with other Texts, for the Word Sabbath here specified feems to be ambiguoufly expreffed, and may fignify as well the Jews Paffover-Day as the real Sabbath-Day, Levit. 16. 29, 31. And this fhall be a Statute for ever unto you, that in the Seventh Month, on the Tenth Day of that Month, ye shall afflict your Souls and do no Work, it fhall be a Sa bath of rest unto you; whence it is evident, that the Tenth Day of the Seventh Month muft happen on any Day of the Week, and yet may be accounted as an high Sabbath-Day, and fo it might be at this Time, and yet Friday; and this feems evident from our Suviour's own Words, Jonah 1. 17, and Jonah was in the Belly of the Fish three Days and three Nights, Matt. 12. For as Jonas was three Days and three Nights in the Whale's Belly, fo fhall the Son of Man be three Days and three Nights in the Heart of the Earth, and how can this be, unless the PaffionDay was Thursday? For Matt. 28. 1, 5, 6. In the End of the Sabbath, as it begun to dawn, towards the first Day of the Week, Jefus was rifen, and how long who can tell?

40.

Whence it is evident, That this was before the Seventh Day was ended with the Romans, but it was the First Day of the Week, both with the Jews and us; for the Romans at this Time began their Days at Sun-rifing precedent, and the Jews theirs at Sunfeting, Matt. 27. 46. And it is evident, that it was towards the Evening when Chrift yielded up the Ghost, and his Funeral not until Night, Mark. 15. 44. And that the First Night, and he rose again in the End of the Roman Sabbath before theirs was compleatly ended, Matt. 28, 5, 6.

Wherefore, if we take the Paffion to be Friday, all contains no more than two Nights inclufive of only one natural Day, and at moft about 14 or 15 Hours; and that the Second Day with the Romans not compleat, including the whole Paffion-Day. But if we take the Paffion-Day to be Thursday with the Romans, then that Night will be one, Friday Night two, and Saturday Night three ; and the Third Day again, if we take it from the Jews Thursday Even, wil begin their First Night and Day, Friday their Second, and Saturday their Third, and the First Day of the Week, and their Third Day not ended until Sun-fet, after Christ's Refurrection, and that our Sunday Evening; and if we compute it in a natural Way for Diftinction, all, including the Paffion-Day, will contain no more than three natural Days with their three Nights, agreeing

agreeing to our Saviour's own Words, Matt. 12, 40. Cha. 16, 4. and Luke 11, 29, 30. Now to reconcile these and other Texts, relating to this Subject, (let us confider) that it is evident, the Paffion-Day was the Preparation for the Jews Paffover, Matt. 27, 15. Now at the Feast the Governour was wont to releafe unto the People, a Prifoner, whom they would. And the next Day being the Feaft could not to be celebrated as a Preparation for the Sabbath; wherefore, if the Paffion-Day was Thursday, it must confequently be the Preparation, both for the Poffover, and alfo the Sabbath which follow'd it, which is reasonable to believe were both celebrated as one high Sabbath, including both Days, as it is with us when Christmass-Day falls on Saturday, or how can it properly be called the Third Day, when Chrift rofe from the Dead And bow before the Sun rofe! Matt. 16, 21. Luke 24, 20, 21. the chief Priest and our Rulers delivered him to be condemned to Death, and have crucified him; and befides all this, to Day is the Third Day fince thofe Things were done; and if Friday, all contained only one Day and 15 Hours.

Whence if we take the Paffion-Day to be Thursday, it will reconcile all these Difficulties, for in this Cafe it must be allowed most natural to begin the Day with the Accident, as the Evening and the Morning were the First D.y; wherefore, if we begin the Paffion with their Thursday Noon, which is three Hours fooner at Jerufalem, then ours I fay from Thursday Noon, to Friday Noon, was the First Day; and from Friday Noon, to Saturday Noon, was the Second Days and from Saturday Noon, to Sunday Noon, was the Third Day, and Chrift was rifen that Morning, which was Three Days and Three Nights inclufive; but this will be illuftrated again, as I proceed, which brings me now to Eafter.:

SECTION III.

Of the Feast of EASTER, and other moveable Feasts that depend on it.

OW, as touching Eafter; as to its Name it is (as fome fay Complication of a German and English Word, brought in amongst us by the Saxons, from Oeft and Star, which they called

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After

Aofter, Eofter, or Offer, from a Saxon Goddess, whofe Feaft they obferved in Eafter Month, Oeft fignifying arifing, or the East, the Sun, Moon, and Stars, rifing to us in the Eaft, alluding to our Saviour, the bright Morning Star, whofe Resurrection was performed at this Seafon of the Year, and which we celebrate in Remembrance of his moft precious Death, Paffion, and Refurrection, for the Salvation and Juftification of Mankind, 1 Cor. 15. 20, 21, 22, 27. Whence it is termed by fome Learned Divines, the King of Days, and Queen of Feafts, being the Chriftian Paff

over.

We read nothing in Scripture about the Celebration of Eafter, yet it is evident it was observed in the Apostles Times, but on what Day, or Manner, is doubtful, and continual Contentions and Debates in the primitive Churches concerning the Day of Celebration. The First I read was about Anno 51, there was then fo great a Sedition and Stir in Jerufalem at the Feast of Eafter, that of them only, which were preffed to Death in the Porches of the, Temple, and troden under Foot, were flain 30 Thoufand Jews; and as to the Full Moon, Eafter, it might be brought into the Church by Inftigation of the converted 'Jews, from their Cuftom of Celebrating the Paffover, which in Tenderness for the Common Good, and to propagate Chriftianity, fome of the Aportles feem to comply with, from which it might become a fettled Rule, 1 Cor. 9. 19, 20, 21, 22, 33. Thus faith St Paul, For though I be free from all Men, yet have I made my felf Servant unto all, that I might gain the more; and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews, &c. Yet it is evident that St Paul and St Peter differ'd about fome Jewish Ceremonies, Gal. 2. 11,13.

It was Anno 142 when Lent was inftituted 7 Weeks before Eafter, by Telefphorus Bifhop of Rome; and Anno 154, the Name of Pope began; and Anno 157, Pius the Pope ordained that Eafter-Day fhould be kept on Sunday; and Anno 190, ChristmasDay began to be observed. But the Churches in Afia followed the Tradition of St Philip and St John, and his Difciples (as Polyerates faith) and celebrated the unviolated Day of Eafter, neither adding or deminishing from it in the Fourteenth Moon, on which Day the Jews were commanded to offer their Pafchal Lamb (but where we find this Command in the Livitical Law, I know not) however, that was upon what Day foever of the Week that Moon fell, the Fafting Days ended when as the Western Churches kept Eafter after this Manner, but obferved another Apoftical Tradition (as they fay) viz. that the Fafting Days fhould be broken up on no other Day but the Day on which our Saviour rofe from the Dead. Whereupon

Whereupon, Anne Chrifti 199, there arofe much Contention and Cotroverfy about the Keeping of Easter-Day; Synods and Meetings of Bishops were fummoned in Palleftina, at Rome, at Pontus, at France, and throughout Oftroena, and all with one Accord ordained an Ecclefiaftical Decree that upon no other Day than the Sunday, the Myfteries of our Saviour's Refurrection fhould be celebrated, which was op ofed by Polycratus, and other Bifhops in Afta. Now as to this Fourteenth Moon, it is in itself an ambiguous and uncouth Computation, and to be queftioned, if the Antient Hebrews, or the then present Jews, or the Churches at that Time could trully account for it, it is evident from Tradi tion, it must confequently be the next Full Moon after the ver nal Equinox, aud after-Day the next Sunday after, provided it fall not before the Sixth Day after the veneral Equinox, on which Day. Chrift rofe from the Dead, which is now with us the 15th Day of March; for I cannot but think it uncouth to celebrate Eafter-Day before its Seafon.

DEMONSTRATION.

Now the true Time that the Sun and Moon liberate betwixt every New or Full Moon, according to their mean Motions, is 29 Days, 12 Hours, and 44 Minutes, computed from the true Revolution of the Sun, or Quantity of the Solar Year, containing 365 Days, 5 Hours, and 49 Minutes; whence every 13 Moons contains in Time one fuch Year, 18 Days, 15 Hours, and 43 Minutes; fo that when 13 Moons is added to the precedent Full Moon, it makes 14 Moons; whence it is evident, that by a conftant Addition of 13 Moons, Eafter-Day would run through all the Seafons of the Year, which I fhall now prove and illustrate by Examples and a true Method of computing Eafter-Limmit.

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