confound the Persons with Sabellius nor divide the Substance with Arrius for there is one Person of the Father another of the Sonne another of the Holy Ghost but the God-head of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost is all One the Glory equal the Majesty co-eternal such as the Father is such is the Son c. And therefore the Glory Honour and Worship that is done to the One is done to the other or is both due and ought to be done to the other How then can it be otherwise that the least Homage Honour and Duty that is done to Christ on this day is accepted of God if it be done in Faith and Obedience Why then do you say That by keeping this day you are fearful lest you should offend God and set up a day against Him It may be you will object and say here as you do in your thirteenth Argument that God is in many places much dishonoured by the great Abuse and Disorders that is committed at this time To this I briefly answer by the way according to that true and well-known Rule The Abuse of any good thing cannot abrogate or take away the right and lawful Use of it and therefore why should you fear when there is no such just cause at all to fear Remember what Christ saieth Luk. 9.48 Whosoever shall receive me receiveth Him that sent me and in the same place and upon the very same occasion when John told Him saying Master we saw one casting out Devils in thy name and we forbade him because he followeth not with us But Jesus said For bid him not for there is no man which shall do a Miracle in my Name that can lightly speak evill of Me for he that is not against us is for us And I am verily perswaded in my Soul and Conscience that whosoever is truly really and sincerely addicted and devoted to Christ neither can nor will speak a word amiss against the due Festivity and Solemnity of this day thus as the Apostle speaks Rom. 14.5 One man esteemeth one day above another another esteemeth every day alike Let every man be perswaded in his own mind he that regardeth a day regardeth it to the Lord and I am perswaded if any man regard this day as he ought to do the Lord will both regard reward him for so doing Answer to the fifth Argument The fifth Argument is this It is the Devil's policy to imitate God and when he will be holy he will be holier then God c. Sir This Argument is as strange stuff as ever I have either seen felt heard or understood for although the antecedent part cannot be much misliked it being taken pro concesso confesso for a thing granted and confessed to be true that it is the Devils policy to imitate God for in many things he is God's Ape as some Divines compare him seeking to counterfeit and resemble him as an Ape doth a Man in such gestures and tricks which he useth and where God will have his Church he will have his Chappel and he will have his Exorcisms and Charms and Spells instead of God's-spell i. e. the Gospel but your Sequel or Subsequent is a meer new fangled Parodox and a Proposition or rather a Supposition which is not onely absurd but ridiculous not onely erroneous but also blasphemous and may be ranked and reckoned amongst those evil-surmisings and perverse disputings which are mentioned by the Apostle 1 Tim. 4.5 and are utterly condemned by him but let us examine what you say in the latter part viz. That when the Devil will be holy he will be holier then God And is that possible But you instance for an example thus When he seeth God will have a Sabbath to be kept then will he set up a Day and he will have a Christmas day to be kept ô monstrum horrendum what a horrible terrible secret is this Is Saul among the Prophers is Sathan among the Saints of God Is it possible or it is probable or is it any way likely to be true That he that was even like the great Turk an Enemy to Christ and all Christendom should so far be a friend and favourer of Christ as to be a prime and forward Erector Abettor and Setter up of a Day for the celebrating and setting forth of his Praise and Honour Alas if this be so in what a lamentable and pittiful case are we and how have we and our forefathers been led hoodwinckt as it were and blindfolded all this while and have been taken in the snare of the Devil and be Captive by him at his will 2 Tim. 2.26 We have sure served a very ill Saint all this while if like the People of Callicut we have worshipped the Devil in observing that Day which you affirm he hath set up but I say it is not so Good Sir for toto erras coelo you are fouly and grosly deceived in this point Shall you or any man alive make me believe that ever the Devil had any desire or inclination this way to propagate or promote the Cause of Christ or of his Gospel who was ever an Adversary bonis incoeptis in germine and whose continual and daylie practise is suffocare Dei filios dum parvuli sunt to smother and murder the Children of God while they are little ones Was it not he who stirred up Pharoah at the first and moved him to command and charge the Midwives to drown the male-children of the Hebrew Women so soon as they were born Exod. 1.22 And was it not this Merchant or Factor or rather that old Serpent called the Devil and Sathan who went about the same designe at Christ's birth did not he instigate Herod to send his Men of Warr and to kill all the young Children of Bethlehem from two years Old and under intending thereby to murder Christ in Infancy and Childhood wherefore as devout Bernard cryeth out in the like Case so may we ô malitia Herediana nascentem persequi Christum nascentem persequi religionem O Herodian malice to persecute Christ and his Religion in their minority to destroy the Sprigg lest it become a Tree and break the Egg lest it prove a Dove O divelish malice indeed for as Expositors upon the place aptly observe and apply it thus Herod represents the Devil Apoc. 12.4 who stands before the Woman in the Wildernesse great with Child ready to devour her Babe Gen. 3.15 He knew that the seed which should break his head was to be born of the Jews and therefore caused Pharoah to murder all the Hebrew Males Exod 1. And stirred up Haman to destroy the whole Nation of the Jews Esther 3. And Athalia to kill all the sons of David 2 King 12. And so soon as the noise was of Christ's Birth Herod was troubled and all Jerusalem with him Math. 2. And he sent incontinent to cut the throats of all the Children in Bethlehem yea more
of yours I mean the Fable and story you tell us of in your Saints Rest touching the raining down of Manna on the Leads of the Church at Bridgnorth when you preached there For some Gentlemen of worth in those parts have credibly reported it to be nothing else then the seeds of Hips and Hawes being the excrements of Rooks and Jack-dawes which they there had voyded Answer to the Twelfth Argument The twelfth Argument is this In all doubtfull Cases a Wise man ought to go on the surest side and I am sure it is no Sin not to keep it c. I Answer in this Allegation you seem to play the part of a Wise man but in my Opinion you are onely wise in your own conceit for my part this I am sure of First in respect that Christmas day being the day of our Lords Nativity is the Lords day Cant. 4.9 and by his spouse the Church is set a part to Gods publick worship and our Souls edification therefore it ought clearly to be esteemed above any other of the common Week dayes And for people on this day willfully and contemptuously to follow their ordinary though at other times lawfull vocations or Callings is in the first place a breach of the fourth Commandement for the day of Christs Nativity is a Sabboth or Rest to the Lord and God will have us to keep holy the Sabboth or rest-Rest-day Next it is a despising Perk. cases of Consc l. 1. c. 5. Sect. 5. and dishonouring of their Mother the Church which whosoever are guilty of not onely sin against the fifth Commandment but by our Saviour himself we are Injoyned to account all such as Revolters from the Christian faith Heathen men and Publicans Matth. 18.17 Lastly it is a ground and inlet to the violation of all order and decency in Gods Service which is expressely condemned in Holy Scripture and if to break Gods Commandements 1 Cor. 14.40 to contemn his Churches Authority to become Heathens and Publicans and to overthrow all order and decency in Gods Services be sins and Offences to God Then must we conclude that not to keep this day must needs be a sin and that to work or follow our vocations on Christmas day is a great and high offence or indignity offered unto God and his Church And how then are you sure it is no sin not to keep it but that your erronious Conscience tells you so and yet is it so nice and tender on the other side you are not sure it is no sin to keep it this is the other part of your Dilemma for this is called in the Schools Syllogismus cornutus or Syllogismus Crocodilinus Well sat verbum Sapienti If a word to the Wise may serve the turn then will I answer you in a word for although you are perswaded and sure in your strong Conscience that it is no sin not to keep it yet we on the other side in our weak Consciences are perswaded that it is a sin if we keep it not And therefore if you remember the Apostle's rule is Let not the stronger Christian despise the weaker Rom. 13.3 4. especially in such a Case as this Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not and let not him that eateth not judge him that eateth for God hath received him Who art thou then that judgest another man's Servant to his own Master he standeth or falleth yea he shall be holden up for God is able to make him stand One man esteemeth one day above another another esteemeth every day alike Let every man be fully perswaded in his own mind he that regardeth a day regardeth it unto the Lord and he that regardeth not the day to the Lord he doth not regard it He that eateth eateth to the Lord for he giveth God thanks and he that eateth not to the Lord he eateth not and giveth God thanks For none of us liveth to himself and no man dyeth to himself for the Kingdom of God is not Meat and Drink but Righteousness and Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost and he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God and approved of Men. Let us therefore follow after the the things which make for peace and things wherewith we may edify another for meat destroy not the work of God all things indeed are pure but it is evil for that man who eateth with Offence It is good neither to eat Flesh nor to drink Wine nor any thing whereby thy Brother stumbleth or is offended or is made weak You see how wary the Apostle is to advise us in and for things indifferent not to be offended one with another but to use all good Christian moderation and discretion not to abuse our Christian Liberty to the Scandal and Offence of our weak Brethren Answer to the thirteenth Argument The thirteenth Argument is That this day ought not to be celebrated because there is more Sin committed in these 12 dayes than is in all the year following viz. in Drunkenness c. Oh Sir This Argument and your last are the least and the weakest of them all therefore I shal more easily answer them briefly conclude To this 13th I say as I did before The Abuse of a thing that in it self is lawful and good cannot justly abolish or take away the lawful Use of it For the best things that ever God created have been abused through Man's Corruption even the whole Creature is subject unto Vanity that is to Destruction because of Man's sin Rom. 8.20 The holy Temple of our God hath been prophaned and defiled and made a den of Theeves and a Cage of unclean Birds and a very Stable for Barbarous Souldiers Horses to Lodge in in these late uncivil Warrs the holy Sabbath of our Lord hath been polluted his Word and Sacraments abused Yea because the Scriptures are in some places somewhat hard to be underâ—â—ood therefore those that are unlearned and unstable do wrest them and perven them to their own Destruction 〈…〉 Pâ—â— 3.16 And because of this must the Scriptures be rejected and not perused Because the good Creatures of God are abuse 〈◊〉 some ungodly and wicked Miscreants therefore must the Creatures be refused seeing every Creature of God is good and nothing ought to be refused 1 Tim. 4.4 especially if it be received with thankfulness for iâ— is land â—â—ed unto us by the Word of God 〈◊〉 prayer The like may be said of 〈◊〉 Sanctuary of our God of the Sabâ—â—… 〈◊〉 the Sacraments for unto the 〈…〉 things are pure but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure but even their minds and consciences are defiled Titus 1.15 But you affirm and that peremptorily that there is more sinne committed in these Twelve Days than in all the year after in Drunkenness and Gluttony And how are you sure of this for it is impossible that you should prove this to be true Can God be more dishonoured
Rule and Reason you may as well say It is impossible to keep the Sabbath day H. Wolphii Chronol lib. 2 p. 1. p. 92. For the Commandement doth not say remember to keep holy the seventh day next following the sixth day of the Creation or this or that seventh day but indefinitely remember that thou keep holy a seventh day And to speak properly as we take a day for the distinction of time called either a day natural consisting of twenty four hours or a day artificial consisting of twelve hours from Sun-rising to Sun-setting and withall consider the Sun standing still at noon in Joshua's time the space of a whole day Josh 10.12 13. and the same going back ten degrees viz. five hours 2 Kâ—ng 26.11 almost half an arificial Day in Ezekias time the Jews themselves could not keep this Sabbath upon that precise and just distinction of time called at the first The seventh day from the Creation therefore in such difficult and doubtful Cases the best way is to be ordered and guided and resolved by the Judgment and Discipline and Direction of the Church wherein we live for she is our Mother saith Calvin Lib. Instit 4. C. 1. Sect. 4. forasmuch as there is no other entry into life unless she conceive us in her Womb unless she bring us forth unless she feed us with her Breasts and keep us under her Custody and Governance untill such time as being unclothed of mortal flesh we shall be like unto Angels Again in his Lib. 4. Cap. 10. Sect. 30. He saith of the Church and Church-Ordinances that in outward discipline and Ceremonies the will of God was not to prescribe each thing particularly what we ought to follow because he foresaw this to hang upon the State of times and did not think one form to be fit for all Ages herein we must fly to those general Rules which he hath given that thereby all those things should be tryed which the necessity of the Church shall require to be commanded for order and comeliness And forasmuch as he hath therefore taught nothing expresly because these things both are not necessary to Salvarion and according to the manners of every Nation and Age ought diversly to be applyed to the edifying of the Church therefore as the profit of the Church shall require though it might be thought convenient as well to change and abrogate those that be used as to institute new yet I grant it indeed and must needs confesse it That we ought not rashly nor oft nor for leight and trivial Causes to run to Innovation but what may hurt or edifie Charity shall best be judge which if we will suffer to be the Governess all shall be safe And in the next Section at the latter end thereof It is alwayes meet saith he for the publike worship and service of God that there be both certain dayes and appointed hours and a place fit to receive all if there be regard had of the preservation of peace For how great an occasion of scandal brawling and contention should the confusion of these things be if it were lawfull for every man as he listeth to change those things which belong to common State forasmuch as it will never come to pass that one and the same thing shall please all Men it being an old and true saying difficillimum est omnibus placere if things be left as it were at randome and in the middest to the choice of every Man to do what he pleaseth to have a Psalm and a Doctrine and a Revelation and an Interpretation by himself as the Apostle speaketh with a kind of Indignation and Increpation of them that used it 1 Cor. 14.26 If any man therefore do Carp and Cavil against us and herein will be more wise then he ought let him see himself by what reason he can defend his own preciseness to the Lord. As for us That saying of Paul ought to satisfie us If any man seem to be Schismatical and contentious we have no such use we have no such Custome nor the Churches of God 1 Cor. 11.16 Where we may perceive that that good Man and faithful Pastor of Geneva though he liked not the Masse yet he preached Christ sincerely and maintained and defended his Church and laboured by all means to preserve Tunicam ejus inconsutilem his seamlesse Coat to be without brack or breach Sector Schism Rent or Division at all but still to continue pure and undefiled without spot or wrinkle or any such thing I will then conclude and shut up this passage with the witty Sentences of St. Austin Contrarationem nemo sobrius contra Scripturas nemo Christianus contra ecclesiam nemo pacificus senserii And if we will be the Children of the Church as we professe our selves to be then let us hearken what the wise man saith Ecclus. 3.1 The Children of wisdome are the Church of the Righteous and their exercise is Obedience and Love Answer to the tenth Argument The words are these I observe God hides things on purpose from us to see whether we will do any things on our own heads I answer This Argument is derived de profundis and drawn or fetched ab absconditis secretis 'T is true and we cannot much deny it For He hideth or concealeth from us his Decree of Election and final Dereliction or Reprobation Rom. 9.13 because he will have Mercy on whom he will and whom he will he hardneth And this he doth because he would not have us like curious Bethshemites to pry into the Ark of his Secrets but rather to work out our own Salvation with fear and trembling Phil. 2.12 as the Apostle St. Paul speaks and as the other Apostle teacheth and exhorteth us 2 Pet. 1.10 to give all diligence to make our Calling and Election sure And now is this to be understood why surely thus if I be not deceived sure to God I need not I cannot 2 Tim. 2.19 the Foundation of God stands sure enough of it self and the Gifts and Calling of God are without Repentance Rom. 11.29 i. e. Sine mutatione stabiliter fixa sunt saith St. Austin they are irrevocable immutable and unchangeable but Sure to my own Soul I may I must by all means labour and endeavour to make and effect it or else this Precept is in vain of giving all diligence to make our Calling and Election sure Secondly He hideth the hour of every particular man's death and the day of the generall Judgment from us and reserveth them in the private Cabinet of his own Foreknowledgeship Act. 1.17 For it is not for us to know the times and the Seasons which the Father hath reserved in his own Power And this he doth for this very end as an ancient Father of the Primitive Church hath told us truly and especially Ideò latet ultimus dies ut observetur omnis dies It is to make us careful and watchful every day
in Twelve Days than in twelve Moneths Although a bare Denyall might serve here for a sufficient answer yet put the case that many men being at this time apt and addicted genio suo indulgere to give way to their unbrideled lusts and disordered affections in the free use of God's Creatures should be excessive in their Eating and Drinking and so exorbitant and extravagant in other vain Recreations and idle Gaming 's and Pastimes that God may hereby be somewhat dishonoured and this blessed time of his Son's Nativity abused men a little forgetting the right and proper End wherfore at first it was instituted and ordained Yet considering the many good and gracious and bountifull Deeds that heretofore have been done at this time the gallant Hospitality the free and generous House-keeping by our worthy noble and renowned Gentlemen and our rich honest able and sufficient Yeomen by relieving the Poor helping Widows and Fatherless Children cloathing the Naked feeding the Hungry visiting the Sick and those that were in Prisons Take but a Ballance or a pair of Scales and lay these many good Alms-Deeds and Works of Piety and Charity in one Scale and put the Evil Deeds that have been committed in the other Scale and I dare say the good deeds shall outweigh the bad Zac. 5.7 though they be as heavy as massa plumbi a Talent of Lead And this which I have here written hath more probability and likelyhood of truth in it than that which you affirm in saying there is more sin committed in these Twelve Days than in all the year after But you had spoken more properly and truly if you had said There are more good Deeds done by some good minded and charitably disposed Christians in these Twelve Days than in all the year after Yours is a false assertion and a gross absur'd asseveration and I verily think that you vent it to skar and deterr men from keeping any Christmas at all because some ignorant dissolute and deboist Fellows do spend this time idely and vainly in excessive eating and drinking ryoting and revelling c. But our pious Ancestors of famous memory were so addicted and devoted to the Reverence and religious Observation of this Time that they spent it in a sober civil and careful manner being thankful to God and rejoycing in the Lord for that ineffable and inaestimable Benefit and Blessing which he bestowed upon the World at this time and therefore they were willing and contented freely and cheerfully to part with their goods and impart them to the poor in plentifull manner And this they did for his sake alone who being rich for their sakes became poor that so they through his Poverty might be made rich as the Apostle elegantly expresseth it and setteth forth the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ in a most sweet and gracious and glorious manner 2 Cor. 8.9 But where is our Bounty or our Benificence Where is our Charity Liberality and Hospitality in these cold degenerate and Apostate times That witty Saying may here be verified How that one handful of old Friendship is better than an an armful of new Courtesy For all our Love and Charity in these daies is turned into nothing else but meer verball and external Complement so true is that of the Apostle Tit. 1.16 Men in these daies profess that they know God but by their works they deny him and therefore they are abominable and disobedient and to every good work reprobate Answer to the fourteenth Argument The fourteenth is this God blesseth His own day the Sabbath but hath not blessed this with success Int his your ultimum Refugium you think you have paid it home and bitt the verâ— Nail on the head But Good Sir What could you say If any man should ask you Why God hath not blessed this day For it hath been proved that this day is aequal and aequipollent with the Sabbath and if he hath blessed the one so questionless he hath blessed the other and sanctifyed it and set it apart for a holy Convocation and thankful Commemoration of the Birth and Nativity of his onely begotten Son and that in the 118 Psalm may fitly and properly be applyed unto it This is the day which the Lord hath made i. e. which the Lord hath magnifyed and advanced and fingled out and selected for a more peculiar end and purpose than other ordinary daies of the year are And this Interpreâ—ation of the Word that place in the 1 Sam. 12.5 6. doth well approve of and allow it This is then the day which the Lord hath made yea this is the day wherein the Lord Himself was made saith Eusebius Emissenus Therefore we will rejoyce and be glad in it Fear not said the Angel Gabriel to those Shepherds of Bethlehem for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy so that here good Tidings do attend it and great Joy doth accompany it which shall be unto all People for unto you is born this day in the City of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord. And that the Lord hath blessed this day with success the goodly fellowship of the Prophets and their harmonious and unanimous consents shall bear me witness First That Evangelical Prophet Isaiah prophesyes of it saying Unto us a Child is born unto us a Son is given Datus ex Divinitate natus ex Virgine saith Eusebius Emissenus on the words excellently In that he is said to be born it betokens his Manhood in that he is said to be given it signifies his Divine Nature The Hypostatical Union of both doth make one and the same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or one Immanuel i. e. God with us The Government is upon his shoulder his Name shall be called Wonderfull Counsellor the Mighty God the Everlasting Father the Prince of Peace the Increase of his Government and Peace shall have none End he shall sit upon the Throne of David and upon his Kingdom to order it and to establish it with Judgment and with Justice from henceforth even for ever The zâ—al of the Lord of Hosts shall perform this i.e. his singular Love and Care for his Elect shall effect it And doth not God blesse this day then with snccesse and doth not the Princely Prophet David also sing of this Alacrity and chant it to the Tune of his Harp and Viol and set forth the happy and prosperous successe of this Day and the flourishing Estate of the Church by the Kingdom and coming of Christ in the Flesh The Lord said unto my Lord Sit thou at my right hand untill I make thine Enemies tpy Foot stool in Mat. 22.44 we find that Christ Himself giveth the Interpretation hereof and sheweth that this cannot be properly applied unto David but to Himself and this appeareth by the words that follow in that Psalm Psal 110.1 2 3. The Lord shall send the Rod of thy Power out of Zion For out of Zion hath God appeared in perfect Beauty Psal 50.2