Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	die_v	time_n	year_n	9,015	5	4.8371	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A31437	Diatribe triplex, or, A threefold exercitation concerning 1. Superstition, 2. Will-worship, 3. Christmas festivall, with the reverend and learned Dr. Hammond / by Daniel Cawdry ...	Cawdrey, Daniel, 1588-1664.	1654 (1654)	Wing C1626; ESTC R5692	101,463	214

because they are generally accounted posthumous and spurious And that saying of Nicephorus no very credible Author that Justinus the Emperour commanded it to be kept Festival over the World Shakes the Antiquity of it For if the Apostles had instituted it it would have had an universall observation over the world long before Justinus his daies ho lived in the 6. Century As for Dioclesians burning so many thousand on Christmas day wee have spoken before and onely now note that Nicephorus saies it was done by Maximinus However this was in the beginning of the 4th Centurie as was said above § 36. Though it be not much Materiall to the Festivities observation whither it was the 25. day of December as now of late Sect. 61 it was kept or some other day as he elsewhere saies yet the proofes for that day are not very cogent It s probable they that first instituted the day did fixe it by some Tradition on that day Some yea many things there are that may make us doubt of the truth of our Calculation First the Doctor himselfe hath given us one ground of scruple sect 7. when he saies Christmas day is in our old Monuments called Midwinter day which is the day of the Winter Solstice confessed by him to be a fortnight distant from the 25. of December Secondly it hath been the opinion of many if not most of our learned Divines that our Lord dyed when he was about 33. and halfe years of age or near unto 34. as the Doctor saies Now the death of Christ was at the time of the Passeover about our March Quaer 1. Sect. 10. or Aprill If now Christ died at 33. and an half then count 6. months backward when he was just 33. years old and that will fall about September If at 34. compleat then hee was born and dyed just about the same time that is about Aprill That 's another ground of scruple in our Calculation Thirdly the Arabick Codex of the Counsells is of younger date not able to justifie the Canons called Apostolicall to be Apostolicall Fourthly Sect. 37. the Doctor himselfe is upon his ifs and t is probable If it were framed by those that succeeded the Apostles c. so it is probable they were first intitled Canons of Apostolicall men Or if it were one of those which in succeeding times were added and put into that volum c. This is enough to shake the authority of those Canons and so the Antiquity of the Festivall on such a day § 39. It s very like that Twelfe day is of the same Originall and same Antiquity with Christmas day or not not much younger but both of them Posthumous to the prime Antiquity The observation of both not much differing in their solemnitie A speciall Holyday imitating the custome of the Jewes which kept the first and last daies of every Feast daies of solemn assembly so speciall and solemn that it outwent the Lords day as Christmas also did which is usuall for mens inventions to out do the Institutions of God § 40. But there is something that weakens the Antiquity of this Twelfe day Festivall viz. Vide Chemnit Prolegom 4. p. 14. a in Harmon p. 15 a. As baptized in the beginning of December that it is not certain 1. whence it had the name of the Epiphanie whither from the appearing of the Star to the wisemen or from the descending of the Holy Ghost upon Christ at his Baptisme or as the Doctor himself addes Sect. 41. From the first appearing of Christ in the World 2. It is made more uncertain because Epiphanius affirms that many orthodox Christians in Aegipt did keep the Feast of the Nativitie on that Twelfe day And the Doctor saies hee is more inclined to the last of the three conjectures that is that Epiphania signifies the day when Christ was born in the flesh as Epiphanius had said which though the Doctor say that it is confuted by Saint Hierome yet is enough to shake the Authority of the Institution that certainly it is not Apostolicall nor by the Primitive purest Churches when the name was not agreed on in Epiphanius time in the fourth Centurie nor the day it selfe distinguished but Christmas day by some was observed on the same day Whither the Mag● came to Christ the next twelfe day after his Birth or that day twelvemonth I shall not dispute onely I shall tell the Doctor that Cheronicus is of opinion that they came the twelfth day after Christs Birth and seem to have reason for it The 41 42 43. Sect. 45. Harm in locum Sections may receive their solution from what is all-ready said § 44. But now hee will put it beyond all question by the testimony of Chrysostome and other Antients out of the censuall Tables of Augustus the Registers of such as were enrolled at the Taxe Luc. 2.1 together with the place and day of the month and year when it was done This indeed would end the question concerning the day of Christs Birth but makes yet nothing to the maine question That Christmas so called is of Apostolicall Institution or of the next age Le ts hear what may be said to those Testimonies To begin with the most antient Justin Martyr he brings the Rolls to evidence the place of Christs Birth but saies not a word of the observation of the Festivitie of his Birthday in his time The like may be said for Tertullian He alledges the Rolls fidelissimum testem Dominicae Nativitatis marke that a most faithfull witnesse of the Lords Nativity which Marcion denyed not Natalis Diei testem a witnesse of the Observation of his Birthday as Festivall in his time or on the 25. of December for he makes no mention of that Festivall at all which is probable he would if any such Custome had been then in Being The whole weight then of the businesse must lye upon Saint Chrysostom who in his Hom. of the Nativity saies We have received the day from those that accurately knew these things and which dwell in the City of Rome Suppose we shotld grant this Testimonie to be true and Authentick for the day of our Lords Birth which yet is doubtfull by what hath been said before and shall anone yet this will not prove that Antiquity of the Festivall which the Doctor would thence conclude For besides that Chrysostome lived in the fourth Centurie when the Tradition was grown to a Law as Socrates said himselfe gives us occasion of scruple by the weakness of his proofs He tells us of a threefold demonstration that the Day which they celebrated Tom. 5. p. 512. l. 23. was in the month of December called by the Greeks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the month wherein Christ was conceived was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wee shall consider his Demonstrations in order 1. The first is this That this Festivall was so suddenly published every where and that it arose and flourished to such an

this Island He might have added Nor Joseph of Arimathea nor Simon Zelotes upon the reason there by him given The Affirmation of Gildas that this was in Tiberius's Raign was meer Tradition and farre from probability For then England should be converted within four yeares after Christs death In the 18. of Tiberius our Lord suffered and Tiberius raigned but 22. in all No Authors of any credit lay it so high As for Tertullian and Origen they lived both in the third Centurie above 200. years after Christ And it s very likely Christianity was planted here in some parts some time before them But it s very observable that neither of those Antients nor any before them in all their writings ever mention the Feast of the Nativity as then in observation though they often speake of other usages of the Church before and in their times The most probable opinion is that though some persons of this as of most Nations were converted early to the Faith yet the Nation or any considerable part of it was not converted till King Lucius his time about the yeare of Christ 180. the first Christian King in the whole world which is a great honour to our Nation This was done say Historians in the time of Eleutherius then Bishop of Rome who lived towards the end of the second Centurie And his Epistle to King Lucius if that be Authentick Sir Henr. Spilm concil Brit. p. 16. for the Doctor doubts it and well he may if hee do but remember what a learned Historian saies doth not say that Britain had long ago before Lucius his time received the Faith but rather nuper lately and so it was in the Latine in the Doctors Margine but wisely left out in the English which why it was done let others judge Historians say that King Lucius desired of Eleutherius that he and his people might have some sent to baptize them who accordingly sent Fugatius and Damianus Now if Christianity had been planted here from the Apostles times or by Apostolicall men it s not probable that they left no Presbyters here to baptize but that they must send to Rome for such which would give Romanists a fairer plea to subject England to Rome then that of Augustine the Monke which the Doctor disputes so much against hereafter § 5. Dioclesians persecution falls in the beginning of the fourth Century after Christ before which time wee hear of Christianity planted here and it may be the Feast of the Nativity was set up in some Churches before this time but not universally in all till about 400. years after Christ as wee shall hear the Doctor confesse before we have done though he pleads hard to prove it a custome of the Church in all ages And this may serve anon to answer that which will be produced for the Festivitie that Dioclesian slew 20000 Christians assembled together on that day though the Author of that report is of no great credit § 6. The celebration of Easter by the antient British Churches contrary to the custome of the Western Churches will give little light to the maine question concerning the first Plantation of the Gospell here by the Apostles c. or the Antiquity of the Festivall pleaded for It may indeed argue that England did not receive Christianity first from Rome in Augustines time but does not prove that those that planted Christianity here were such as in the Apostolicall times kept their Easter after the Jewish manner For the Eastern Christians commonly kept it so but not in the Apostles times Which the Doctor takes for granted but is denyed him and that upon these Reasons 1. There is no mention of either the Institution or observation of it in Scripture nor any ground to found it upon The Apostles did take advantage of that and the like Solemnities to preach to the Jewes to convert them as was said afore but so farre were they from Institution of them as Christian Feasts that they do expresly repeal them and cry them down 2. Lib. 5. c. 22. Socrates the Historian saies The Apostles were not sollicitous to appoint any Festivall daies at all then not this of Easter 3. The difference of the observation of it in the Eastern See Lo Falk reply p. 99. and Western Churches makes it evident it was not Instituted by the Apostles for then it would be uniformly observed in all places And as for the Authority of the succeeding Church in such matters we shall meet with it anon yet this we say at present that the observation of Easter hath better Antiquity than this of Christmas though not Apostolicall § 7. But the Doctor hath found one Evidence of moment Christmas day is called in our old Monument Midwinter day whence it may reasonably be concluded that when that name was first applyed to that day Christmas day was in the Calendar either coincident with or not far removed from the Winter Solstice and wee continue to call the 24. of June Midsomer day halfe a year from the 25th of December How sweetly all agree John Baptist was conceived six months before our Lord and and so born six months before him Hence the Feastmasters plead his birth on the 24. of June and his and our Lords on the 25. of December 1. But I would be satisfied which is the Older Festivall that of John or this of Christ It s observed by Chemnitius that the Feast of the Nativity was not heard of in the most antient Church till towards the 400. year but no mention of the Feast of Iohn Baptist till towards the 800. year Or it may be they were both appointed about the same time upon supposition then by the Western Church that our Saviour was borne on the 25. of December as the Doctor saies and the Feast of Nativity setled upon that day either they or some others placed the Feast of Iohn Baptist on the 24. of Iune that all might correspond 2. If the names of Midwinter day and Midsommer day were so called here while the Island was Heathen they were far more antient than Christmas Day and then Christmas day was rather applyed to Midwinter day than Midwinter day to Christmas day but however it was it followes not as the Doctor would have it that it must be soon after our Saviours times that this day was capable of that appellation and consequently that the day was here celebrated so early For it might be a good while after so called when the Island was first converted which was not as we have discoursed till towards the end of the second Century 3. It is confessed by the Doctor that Midwinter day is a fortnight sooner than our Christmas day the solstice being about the 11. of December Then say I they kept not Christmas day on Midwinter day for that 's a fortnight sooner So wee keep it not on the same day with our first converts nor yet on the day that the Western Church now keep it who