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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A54505	A religious scrutiny concerning unequall marriage to be represented to the Generall Assembly of the Kirk of Scotland : together with a postscript to the Commissioners of the Kirk : whereunto is subjoyned an appendix humbly tendred to the Parliament of England in reference to the late transactions of state, and now lastly is added a faithfull and conscientious account for subscribing the engagement / by Thomas Paget ...	Paget, Thomas, d. 1660.	1650 (1650)	Wing P169B; ESTC R31749	30,942	56

causes and occasions that gave calling to such religious Humiliation viz. Greater and more notorious sins and evils to be deprecated and more choice and affecting blessings to be obtained see Vers. 3. and the other Texes already quoted in Daniel Ezra and Esther 3. The Reformed Churches in their doctrine and practice of Fasting are wont also to insist prudentially on the occasions and causes noted in Scripture to be observed in these New Testament-times as way is thereunto and particularly it is thus in England Many yet alive may remember how since the time of Reformation in Queen Elizabeths days Religious Humiliations have been observed on occasion of War Famine and Pestilence invading more or less Since Note The current stream of Orthodox Interpreters comparing Vers. 3. 5. chap 8. 19. with Jere. 5. 2. and 41. do conceive that the special occasions of these four Fasts were 1. The siege laid before Jerusalem in the tenth moneth 2. The taking of Jerusalem in the fourth moneth 3. The burning of the Temple in the fift moneth 4. The murder of Gedaliah in the seventh moneth Now touching these conceits of the godly learned The Observator acknowledgeth that those occurrences were very sad and might well cause deep Humiliation to the Jews yet observeth that there is not the least hint in any Texts of Zechariah or Jeremiah or elsewhere in Bible to fasten such assertion of the mentioned occasions as the cause of such their anniversary monethly Fasting The slaughter of King Josias and captivity in the third yeer of Jehoiakim not long before were most sad occurrences and might justly also as they did occasion great mourning as well as these four in hand So that it is wished that Interpreters would be cautious in their Expressions and not be too bold in their Breachings and Printings in asserting and publishing for current that which the Scripture is wholly silent in Who knoweth not what mischief hath ensued by an easie receiving of Traditions the sitting of the present Parliament there hath been very much occasional Fasting required even as floods of evils have invaded viz. In the behalf of Ireland frequently in regard of unseasonable weather in regard of pernicious Errors and Heresies March 10. 1646 c. Yea the Parliament in their late Act for the Fast that was on April 19. 1649. do acknowledg They have learned from the Word of God and the example of his people in all ages and likewise their own experience the singular advantage of due occasional Fasting And albeit for just cause they have annulled the monethly Fast yet at the same time they enacted a Fast in the behalf of Irish Affairs to be observed on May 17. 1649. next ensuing And blessed be God that hath hither so ordered their hearts and ways for the promoting of the true welfare not onely of England but Ireland also As for the Mourning and Fasting of the Jews frequently in the time of seventy yeers captivity which was so grievous every one that observeth may see there was cause enough see Lamentations Psal. 137. 1.   IV. Howbeit God might approve and accept the Jews in their occasional Humiliation and Fasting so far as the exigencies of the seventy yeers captivity did call thereunto and as sincerity swayed in the manage thereof unto just ends yet nevertheless he seemeth to dislike and reprove the anniversariness or monethliness of their four Fasts as not being commanded nor directed unto by him see vers 5. Sith God required one onely anniversary Fasting and Humiliation on the tenth day of the seventh moneth Levit. 23. 27. and it onely peculiar to old Testament times So that these such their set monethly anniversary Fasts seemed in point of set-time to be a Will-worship and humane Invention reproved in Scripture see Isai. 29. 13. Col. 2. 22 23. And even thus Interpreters do gloss on 4. Howbeit God may have been pleased to accept a course of Fasting and Humiliation in the Reformed Churches and more specially in England in some set times of moneths together and of late for divers yeers together monethly in the behalf of Ireland in as much as much sincerity might be in the ends and manage thereof in great part whatever formality and undue carriage might creep in c. Yet nevertheless the set-time of moneths and yeers may seem to have wanted good ground Orthodox Divines do condemn as otherwise so in a special maner in point of set-time The Lent Fast albeit of great Antiquity and of long use the Ember week Fasts pretended in imitation of these four monethly Fasts of Jews Friday Fasts and Eves of Festivities c. which Reformed Churches have therefore abrogated and in these our Reforming times are totally abrogated in England by Parliamentary Authority The Scots to their high praise above other Churches in the yeer 1560. the first yeer of their Universal Reformation abrogated all anniversary set-times for divine on Zech. 7. 5. The Geneva Note on Text there is That as the Jews were diversly reproved so that such their Fasts for the set-time of them were invented by themselves Learned Junius and Tremellius Annot. Summa redargutionis est Jejunia haec anniversaria vobis non imperavit Deus 1. The sum of the Reproof is God did not com mand you to observe such your yeerly moneth Fasts W. Pemble in his Exposit. on Zechary sets out at large such their Reproof for their set-time of those Fasts Chap. 7. 5. Unto me even to me Such interrogation hath a vehement denial That as otherwise failing was so the time was not com manded by God That which is pretended from these words of Calvin on Zech. 8. 19. Non dicemus haec jejunia temerè aut perperam fuisse ab illis suscepta c. We shall not say That those their Fasts were rashly or vainly undertaken c. If the scope and sense be candidly and ingenuously weighed he pleadeth not in approbation of the set anniversariness of four moneth Fasts in point of set fixt and unmoveable times but of their being duly affected in a mournful deportment expressed by Fasting at the beginning of the captivity It is well known that Calvin was no friend to superstitious set-times for will worship worship save the Lords day which is of divine Institution See Re-examination of Articles enacted at Perth 1618. sundry strong Reasons against observing set-times c. True it is The pretence of the observing a monethly Fast in England onely whilest the Irish troubles should remain is more specious then the superstitious course of Papists and Hierarchical Conformists whose old Leven is not hitherto wholly purged out who set no such bounds but yet the pretence at best can be no other then what the Jews pretended for their set Fasts during the seventy yeers captivity see Zech. 7. 3 5. The Parliament therefore approving and requiring occasional Humiliation in Fasting and Prayer hath done well to enact the annuling of that monethly Fast and in a prudential way to enact occasional Fasting both in the behalf of Ireland and otherwise as in their Religious and Consciencious Wisdoms do judg the meetest V. The Jews sometime after the first return of some of them from the captivity enquire what was meetest to be done in point of their set Humiliation vers 1 2 3. And a satisfying answer is given to them vers 4 5. 5. Many godly zealots returned from spiritual Babylonish captivity having had scruples and made inquiries touching late monethly Fasts who yet have been consciencious in observing occasional Fasts have now good satisfaction by the late Act of Parliament annulling the monethly fasting and yet enacting occasional fasting even as occasion requireth VI. The words of the Text in Zech. 8. 19. prophesying or promising joy and gladness c. instead of monethly fasting do not infer an approbation of the four set monethly fast ing yeers after yeers Sith such just reproof was thereunto chap. 7. 5. But they seem to infer that there should be a change of the state of future times and that such as had mourned unfeignedly in a godly maner that they should be comforted see Psal. 126. 5 6. 6. The people of God of the English Nation having sown in tears divers moneths and yeers walking mournfully before the Lord and exercising Humiliation in their measure as cause and occasion hath required and are still in such wise affected shall finde to their comfort That their course shall not be in vain in the Lord. The valley of Achor is given for a door of hope FINIS Note Note