Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	church_n	fervent_a	great_a	30	3	2.0890	3	false

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

day than on the other Thirdly that the excesses and riot are onely on other daies after the Nativity is a poor excuse For the whole twelve daies are accounted part of the Festivity and ordered to wait upon it Sect. 39. That feast consisted of all the twelve daies saies the learned Doctor The Saturnalia were celebrated about the same time sect 63. And so the Day it selfe is guilty in part of all the excesses of the following dayes which are services fitter for the Revells of Bacchus or Saturn or for the birthday of an Herod than for the Festivity of a Spirituall Saviour § 27. Hee now passes from the Authority of the particular Church of England to that of the universall Christian Church to shew upon what grounds Festivalls in generall this of the Nativity in special pretend to stand and that he doth by certain degrees or steps § 28. First he acknowledges it hath not its beginning from any institution of Christ but either of the Apostles or the succeeding Church That it was not instituted by the Apostles the same arguments will conclude which are used against their Institution of Easter sect 6.1 There is no mention either of Institution or observation of it in Scripture nor any ground produced thence to found it on 2. Socrates the Historian saies expresly Neither our Saviour Lib. 5. cap. 22. nor the Apostles commanded it the Feast of Easter to be observed and there the scope was not speaking of the Apostles to settle any lawes for Festivall daies but of a good life If for no Festivalls then not for this of the Nativity And its observable what he addes There are some who think all whoredome to be a thing indifferent that do contend for Festivall daies as for life It must then remain upon the succeeding Church And there is no doubt but this is true the succeding Church did set up Festivalls but what Church was that not that of the Apostles age nor that of Apostolicall men that had lived some time with the Apostles For the first Records of Fathers wee have say not a word of any such observation The succeeding Church in the second or third Centurie it seemes began to take it up and then Socrates addes They that received such rites from their Ancestors afterwards transmitted them to their posterity as a Law And here is the most likely Originall of all Festivalls Heare what the learned Lord Faulkland saies in a like case to our purpose some of great authority moved by a good meaning might thus deceive others these thus deceived might deceive others till being generally spread other good men being loath to oppose them for the same reason for which others desired to spread them thinking it an errour that would encrease piety they be at last taken to have been commanded by the Apostles without contradiction To which may be added what he had said in the end of the former page In those things which were beleeved very convenient and yet feared that unlesse men counted them necessary they would be backward to practise how easie was it for them to be after taught under pain of more danger then at first they were delivered with But Superstitious rites were never without a shew of wisdome as the Apostle saies Col. 2.23 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a faire pretence of Reason And the Doctor gives us one here It being very reasonable that those who acknowledged the receit of such a mercy from God as was the gift of his Son c. should desire to celebrate the remembrance of it and offer it up a voluntary oblation to Christ But if this was so very reasonable why did it not seeme so to the Apostles and the Church of that and the next age Or did not they acknowledge the receit of such a mercy and were not their desires as fervent for the celebration of a Remembrance of ir c. would not Christ himselfe respect his owne service and honour Nor his Apostles prescribe and institute a voluntary oblation to Christ if they had thought it so great an honour to him Are not all Superstious inventions of men in the worship of God intended as voluntary oblations to him because they would not have their pietie restrained within those narrower bounds of doing nothing in the service and to the honour of Christ but what was distinctly prescribed and particularly instituted by him which is expresly against the second Commandement by the Apostle under the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Willworship Col. 2.23 18. as we have said § 29. Such saies he was the Feast of the Dedication of the Altar among the Jewes not instituted by God himselfe yet the observation of it was approoved and confirmed by Christs presence at that Feast Joh. 10.23 But there may be many mistakes in this and not applyable to the case in hand First there were which he takes notice of three Feasts of the Dedication 1. by Solomon 2. by Zerubbabell at the Repairing of the Temple 3. by Judas Maccabaeus for the purging of it Now hee cannot but know that learned men are divided of which its here meant Some of the first Vide Tolet in Ioh. 10.23 some of the second though its probable it was not meant of either of them both because we read not that those two were ever observed above once and also because of the time of the observation specified it was in winter which the other were not 2. But grant it of the last yet there are reasons to think that it was not a Religious Festivall but civill as the Feast of Purim seemes to be Esth 9.21.22 A day of feasting and joy and sending portions one to another and gifts to the poor And so it s said of the Feast of Dedication 1 Maccab. 4.59 They ordering it should be kept yearly with mirth and gladnesse For though it be said ver 56. they offered burnt offerings yet that was ver 53. according to the Law and so was worship commanded 3. If it yet be said it was a Religious Festivall and so observed even the day it self then it may fairly be suggested That they went beyond their commission in making this feast Annuall and perpetuall which neither Solomon nor Zerubbabell did theirs for ought we read And so those were kept as extraordinary daies of thanksgiving for one turn onely which we grant lawfull to be done by the Superiour powers as also we do extraordinary daies of Humiliation which the Doctor also approves pract Catech. Append. p. 304.4 Another mistake is this that that Feast was approved confirmed by Christs presence at it The t xt produced saies no such thing but onely thus It was at Jerusalem marke that not at the Temple not elsewhere the Feast of the Dedication and ver 22. Jesus walked in the Temple So hee did other daies any day when no Feast was Hee was present in the Temple not at the Feast for ought appeares which it seemes was kept

Fathers of the first Ages doe not so much as intimate any such usage in their times No mention there is amongst the most antient of celebrating the Feast of the Nativitie till Basills Nazianzenes and Chrysostomes time who lived not till the fourth Centurie at least They say indeed it was in practise in some places before their time but that might be some 100. more or lesse years and yet be farre from the first ages of the Church or being Universall 3. Another of the Doctors cautions is it must be attested without any considerable opposition But this his Christmas found in the fourth Centurie as we heard Sect. 44. In Chrysostomes time there was a considerable opposition Many being doubtfull many charging the Festivity with novelty and as of late brought in For a conclusion then of all the Doctors Censure is too harsh and the Character too hard that is set upon the refusing of it That it hath nothing but the Novelty and contempt of Antiquity to recommend it unto any We shall onely put him in mind of two places in his owne writings The one here at Sect. 35. the other Testimony of Nicephorus That Justinus the Emperor first commanded it to be kept Festivall over the world Then say I it was not an Universall usage in all ages of the Church which the Doctor hath so long pleaded for for Justinus lived in the sixt Century I know what hee answers to it That belonging onely to the edict of the Emperour for the universall observation doth no way prejudge the Churches whither Apostolicall or Primitive Institution of it It s enough to prejudge the universall observation of it in all Ages and consequently it is not Apostolicall The other place is in his Practicall Catechisme where he confesses pag. 181. It was not solemnized universally till about 400. yeares after Christ. How often hath he charged us with departure from the Universall Church in rejecting and not observing the Festivities of the Universall Church c. Sect. 12. and in that Sect. 45. I hope upon second thoughts hee will be more moderate in his Censures and find that his rash zeale for the Authority of the Church his Mother and Tradition of the Antients his Fathers hath carried him beyond the bounds of Reason and Religion § 46. The remaining part of the Doctors discourse is spent in answering 16. Quaries propounded by another But most of what hee hath said may be taken away by what hath above beene answered I shall not put my sickle into another mans Corn but leave it to the Author of them or some friend of his to vindicate them § 74. The Doctor now for a conclusion drawes out some Quaeres of his owne to be considered and answered by him that shall undertake this businesse as a shorter way to question and debate the truth or supposed certainty of some of his own principles For an essay this § 75. Whither it be not lawfull for the Church either nationall of one or Universall of all parts of Christendome especially of that age nearest the Apostles of the first and purest time to take upon it to institute one or more daies upon any speciall occasion of some eminent mercy of Gods toward the whole Church to be used yearly in acts of Christian piety and charity Chemnit Exam. de dieb Fest Ames Medul in 4. precept D. Riv. in Exod. 20. p. 206. 6. by all the Children of that Church and to expect obedience from them But under favour this is not the question now between us For not onely the Lutherans but even the most rigid Calvinists and Nonconformists as they were called do grant That the Church or rather the State hath power to set apart any day to the acts of piety and charity not onely upon extraordinary eminent mercies but upon ordinary occasions provided 1. They be not too many for number nor 2. Imposed as necessary to the prejudice of Christian libertie Nor 3. made parts of the worship of God and other like cautions and conditions by them prescribed And if the Superiour Powers shall appoint such daies so qualified this may secure both those that institute them and those that observe them from any crime of Superstition It s more then probable that they who first appointed those daies in memory of the Martyrs in their particular Churches intended no more but on such a day yearly to commemorate the Faith and constancie of those holy Sufferers as with thanks to God for his Graces in them so to the Incouragement of other Christians to imitate their virtues But after Ages soon grew Superstitions in their Number in their use and end Dedicating daies to to Saints Invocating them in their prayers Making the observation of them necessary The daies themselves holy holyer than other daies than the Lords day placing the worship of God in them expecting more acceptance more blessing from the services of those daies as a voluntary worship These abuses were foreseen by the Reformed Churches and thereupon either the Daies were rejected altogether by some or cautioned against by others especially by this Church of England as all doe know But when this last generation of misdevout men began to exceed in the honour estimation and observance of those remaining Festivalls especially this of Christmas equalling them with if not preferring them above the Lords day as was said before c. then those that were conscientious and tender of the Worship of God beganne to oppose such inchroachments upon it who formerly did observe the daies and others that thought they had Power in their hands did lay them aside upon these reasons It were too long to instance the particular Superstitions not onely of the vulgar people but even of many Divines discovered in their Practises and Discourses against the Lords day and for the Holydaies None that I know or have met with have manifested more waies of being Superstitious in this Subject of Holydaies than the Doctor in this discourse of Festivalls as hath beene made appeare at the end of the sixteenth Section to which I referre the Reader and proceede to his second question § 77. Whither such an antient Institution of the Church of Christ by name the anniversarie feast of Christs birth though it be not affirmed to be commanded by Christ or instituted by the Apostles or in it selfe considered without respect to the Institution absolutely necessary to the being of a Church yet being thus more than lawfull pious in it selfe proper in respect of the ground primitively Catholick if not Apostolick in respect of the Institution may be lawfully abolished c. Wherein the Doctor takes for granted these things which he hath not proved 1. That this Festivall is of so antient Institution as primitively Catholick if not Apostolick Seeing it hath beene made appear to be neither 1. Apostolicke or 2. a Primitive Institution nor 3. Of Catholick observation till at least the 400. yeare by his owne confession 2. That it