with joy and Feasting in the Citie § 30. The like may be said of the Festivities at marriage which were not indeed instituted by God nor need to be being that Marriage it selfe is a Civill thing and not Religious and in things of that nature if they were soberly and temperately observed Christ was never scrupulous to conform to the customes of the places where he came But Christmas day is made a piece of Religious service and a voluntary oblation to the honour of Christ by others and by the Dr. himselfe sect 28. § 31. These Instances then are both impertinent what hath he more pertinent to the present purpose Why that which I still expected to meet with is his strongest plea for this he saies It must be remembred that the weekly Fast of the Resurrection the Lords day was not instituted by Christ or God himselfe but by the Apostles of Christ and that the mentions of the first day of the week are no prescriptions or Law for the observing of it c. Before we hear more le ts consider this For first there want not learned men who thinke that Christ himselfe did institute or designe the day But secondly if the Apostles did institute it as the Doctor grants that 's more than some of his Colleagues will grant and thank him for it and more than he dare peremptorily say of his Christmas day Hee speaks it doubtingly either of the Apostles or succeeding Church Secondly if the Lords day was instituted by the Apostles of Christ do not their Institutions carry in them a Divine prescription or Law for the observation of it And if they instituted the first day of the week to be the Lords day or Christian Sabbath do not at least some mentions of the first day of the week imply their Institution of that day to be holy and require withall the observation of it as 1 Cor. 16.2 in the judgement of some no great Favourers of the Lords day Sabbath Le ts now hear what hee saies more If any thing of that nature as a law be there sought for it will rather appear to belong to the Annuall than weekly Feasts So 1 Cor. 5.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let us keep the paschall Festivity is annexed immediately to Christ our Passeover c. and to that also the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Lords day Rev. 1.10 is thought to belong To which I say 1. The vulgar Latin authorized by the Church of Rome as willing to make Easter of Apostolick Institution as the Doctor did not find this Law for it in this text That renders it onely epulemur let us keep Feast though the word signifie also festum diem agere and is by some no mean ones glossed thus Because on Festivall daies there were solemn Feasts of slesh observed Estius in locum hence this word is used for to celebrate festum solemne epulum asolemn Feast or Banquet by allusion to the typicall Paschall Feast Before him the learned Aquinas In locum could not find Easter here Epmlemur scilicet manducantes Christum c. let us feast viz. eating Christ not onely Sacramentally but spiritually Before them Saint Chrysostom was not so quick sighted to find a Law for Easter here but an every day Holyday for so he saies The Apostle saying let us keep the Feast he said not because the pasch or Easter or Pentecost was present but shewing that all or every time is a Festivall season to Christians And presently after 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 every day is a Pestivall to us yea all our life Not much unlike doth Saint Ambrose interpret the word Hoc est laetitiam habentes renovationis facta vetera fugiamus That is having the gladnesse of renovation let us fly our old works c. Serm of Resurr I adde but one thing more The learned Bishop of Winchester who pleads as strongly for this Easter Feast as any yet founds it not upon this text though he had occasion to name it but upon the Custome of the Church 2. It is proved above out of Socrates that the Apostles instituted not any Holydaies except the Lords day therefore nor this of Easter 3. That the Lords day Rev. 1.10 should belong to the Easter day is the fancie of some who of late have laboured to depresse the honour of the Lords day contrary therein to all the antient and modern writers In a word as was said afore the difference in observation of it in the severall Churches argues it not to be Apostolical Which difference the Doctor notes in this Section § 32. It s true that Aerius is by Epiphanius branded as an Heretick for some opinions justly if they be truly charged upon him But it is well known to the learned that all is not Heresie that Epiphanius calls so Nor all Aerius opinions justly censured as Heretical Epit. Hist Cen. 4. cap. 47. as the Doctor or any may see if he consult with Osiander the Epitomizer of the Centuriators And he is found in some of those opinions to be seconded by divers antient Fathers as is asserted by some of our learned Modern Divines if it were not unnecessarie here to manifest 2. As for the Festivities of the Martyrs it is granted they began betimes as Superstition ever attends Religion and Devotion which though they were intended for good ends yet as things of mens Inventions do they produced in time much Superstition not onely in multiplication of Holydaies but in opinion of more Holinesse more * As the Romans did s 67. efficacie of prayers on such daies and at last flat Idolatry both in dedication of the daies to those Saints and Martyrs and to Invocation and praying to them Which at first were onely times of commemoration of their vitues and encouragements of Imitation of them And this might suffice for answer to the next section § 33. Yet when he would inferre from this example of the Martyrs Festivities Where will be no reason to doubt that so the daies of the death or Martyrdome of the Apostles themselves were formerly solemnized by them and that this early c. he presumes too much upon his own reason not able it seemes to produce any Testimonies of those or former times for such observations which I the rather take notice of because the Doctor uses not to wave any Testimonie that doth but look that way and allso because I observe that the learned Chemnitius a man of vast reading having reckoned up the Festivalls Vbi supra p. 263. that were in observation in the first four hundred years can find none by name of any Apostle but referres them to the time of Carolus Magnus Anno 800. or at least to Constantines time which was in the begining of 400. § 35. That Christmas or the Feast of the Nativitie was not Apostolicall hath been made appear before That which he now alledges from the Constitutions called Apostolicall will weaken his cause the more
heavie or heavier than the Iewes Who knowes not the multitude of wholsome Ceremonies of Rome came in at this door § 33. This question of a competent Iudge in such matters is the matter to be resolved because the Doctor makes so many distinctions about these wholsome Ceremonies Sect. 42. that vulgar wits are not capable of them You distinguish of such Acts wherein that excess is supposed to be that they are either ordinable fit or proper to that end the service of God or inordinable unfit c. What ordinary man who yet hath a Conscience to be satisfied in the worship of God is capable of these distinctions Hee confesses there are great store inordinable unfit unproper of these in the Church of Rome Yet they are not of the Doctors opinion but think them all both fit and necessary But yet he hath a salve for such In this case though any one may be a Nimiety and that a fault yet still this not the fault of Superstition but rather of folly and vanity c. And I pray what is Superstition but folly and vanity in the worship of God Are not Idols and all false worship called vanities and folly many such like things ye doe Mar. 7 8 9. full well ye reject the Commandement of God that ye may keep your own Tradition In vain do they worship me Let the Doctor shew his dislike of such as he will yet if men may be Iudges what are fit for number and wholesomness every after-comer will thinke himselfe as wise as he that went before till they have loaded the Christian above the Jew Besides as the learned Chamier well observes there may be many mischiefes in a few if the Authority to institute them be in the Church or any man or men For suppose they be but few now yet we must consider how many they may be hereafter seeing the Authority is given to every succeeding Church or Pope to constitute ceremonies or ecclesiasticall lawes as they shall think fit and so the yoake never certain but alwaies growing as experience tells us To passe this if Superstition be so named because it is Super statutum above the Statute Law of worship or because it is an Excess of services added to the worship of God certainly these unfit improper Ceremonies may well be deemed such Sect. 43. and the Doctor need not grudge the child the name of Superstition As for those that charge such trifles they are to the Doctor belike but trifles with the title of Superstition and then extend it to those things which have no such fault and so run the circle Let them for me see how to get out I onely still say what ever deserves the name of Superstition is a Nimiety and Excess in Religion and what ever is an Excess in Religion is Superstition Let 's hear wherein the Doctor is pleased to place it § Sect. 45. 34. The placing of more virtue in some things than either naturally or by the rule of the word or in the estimation of purer ages of the Church may be thought to belong to them as in the crosse c. We spake something in generall to this Sect. â—4 but now wee shall assume of all those Ceremonies of the Church of Rome unfit improper c. and of all superadded parts of worship what ever They do place more virtue in them than either naturally or by the rule of the word belongs to them ergo they are Superstitious The Assumption I prove thus They place in them virtue to please God by them to procure more acceptance from God and his blessing upon them which neither naturally nor by the rule of the word the institution of God they have in them ergo more might be added but I forbear But what meanes the Doctor to adde to his disjunction or in the estimation of purer ages of the Church Had the purer ages of the Church after the Apostles any power to put virtue into things which they had not either naturally or by the Rule of Gods word If he denies this the addition was superfluous If he affirm it hee begges the question For we say the purest Church hath no Authority in matters of Religion to put virtue or efficacie into them but God onely in Nature or by his institution in the word Or if any the Purest Church shall take upon her to doe it I shall make bold to adde the Doctors words in part The doing of such is either groundlesse and then it is folly or else it fastens some promise on Christ which he hath not made in the Gospell And what is that but a lye and an Addition to the word a Nimiety or excesse of Religion as he calls it that is sinfull Superstition and that would impure the purest Church § 35. The Nimiety must be an excesse of fear or being afraid of God when wee need not as thinking our selves bound when God neither commands nor forbids absteining religiously c. Wee take what hee grants this is one kind of Superstition as we noted above in stating of the question at Sect. 7. but not the onely there are many more And I like the Doctors reason well here because such a man addes to the Commands of Christ as the former to the promises annexed to the Christian Religion those things which belong not to it and so is an exceeder in the fear and service of God c. And this is Superstition Sect 47. And this he confesses is a culpable and criminous excesse not in doing what God commands not for that may be innocent enough but in affirming God to command or forbid what he doth not c. True in things left indifferent and free by God hee is not guilty of this kind of Superstition if he doe them or abstain But yet he may of another kind that is if he place more virtue in them in doing or abstaining than either naturally or by the rule of the word is due to them as he said before But in matter of worship it is not so For there it is a Nimiety and excesse to doe what God hath not commanded as wee have often said § 36. When as he concludes That this way of dogmatizing Sect. 47 48. or imposing as necessary such things as the Law of Christ hath not made necessary is the speciall and onely kind of Superstition which he beleeves any kind of Protestants to be guilty of it is a great mistake For 1. he granted another kind Sect. 45. In placing more virtue in things than naturally or by the rule of the word belongs to them 2. All Willworship devised by men and added as parts of Gods worship hath been proved to be an Excess in Religion and so Superstition besides the rest which we have noted above As for his addition of observing ominous inauspicious events unluckie daies c. they fall under his first kind of Superstition Sect. 45. Placing anl putting more Virtue in
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
this The Churches that retain these Feasts especially the Lutherans are not reputed the best Reformed Churches nor by the Doctor himself I beleeve thought fit to be compared with England some other Churches in Doctrine and Worship and so no fit presidents for our Reformation What private persons wish or say is not much to be regardded unlesse their reasons bee constringent However we are not alone nor the first in this dis-usage of this Festivall Some Protestant Reformed Churches are with us and afore us As for the Sermons given to Christmas day by some that now disuse it wherin The whole body of their publick devotions is falsely said now to consist their prayers being as good and as large as the Liturgies it will afford him no more succour than this That the Authority then in being commanding Vacation from work they onely took the opportunity to preach to prevent disorders in their people which attend such Festivities And the Authority now in force prohibiting they doe forbear to preach § 12.3 The laying down or disusing the observation of this Festivity is not an act of Division or separation from either the particular Church of England or from the Universall Church in all ages especially that of the first and purest times Not the latter for certain for we have proved afore the first and purest ages of the Church did not observe it Not the former unlesse he will yeeld that the Reformation of the Church of England in former times was a Division or separation from the Church of Rome or the Reformation in Luthers time was a division and separation from the Catholick Church as Papists say it was § 13.4 If Superstition and profaness may be ground sufficient to lay aside a Custome the complexion of the times have long since invited to the laying aside the usage of this Feast His pretences to the contrary are insufficient 1. The omission of Christmas sermons and services tends not to raze out of the minds of the ignorant sort the slender knowledge they have of the birth of Christ and consequent mysteries of Religion For the Gospell being read and preached on all the year long they cannot but often hear of the Birth Life Death Buriall and resurrection of Christ The Knowledge which the ignorant people learned by some mens Christmas Sermons Act 25 was slender indeed nothing but a Superficiall as he Notionall carnall knowledge of one Jesus as that Roman Deputie spake that was borne at that time to give men liberty to Feast be merry 2. This cannot as he charges it gratifie their worldly affections and assist Atheism c. but rather to keep it as usually they did in all Festivall delights like the Revells of Bacchus did both mote gratifie their Worldly lusts and tended to Atheism and profanesse 3. The Casuists whose great reason hee seemes to applaud affirming that the necessaries of beleefe for the vulgar sort are no more than the great Holy dayes of the year spake with as much that is as little reason as their fellowes the Jesuits who say and affirm that Images are the best laymens-books instead of the Scriptures 4. The ejecting of these Holydaies out of the Church will not any with dispatch the opinion of any necessity of beleeving the Articles of faith the Creed being still to be retained in and with the Catechisme for the Ministers preaching constantly of those Truths may helpe not onely in some degree as he but very much and more than the great Holydaies of themselves can doe And why not abundantly sufficient as it was in the first planting of Churches before these Festivalls were invented We have had enough experience that in those places Cathedrall Cities where those Festivalls have been most punctually and solemnly observed taking in there Chrystmas Sermons too there have been found lesse saving knowledge of Christ more Superstition and more Prophanesse than in any Country Villages where the Gospell hath been sinceerely preached § 14. The Impatience of sound Doctrine and readinesse to embrace what ever is novel is not to be found in those of dee per sound knowledge but in the ungrounded professors of former times made formal Christians by external Ceremonies outward Pomp of service But those that endeavoured to Reforme the abuses of Superstition and prophanesse are the men onely or chiefly that propugne and maintain sound Doctrine whereas those that were the greatest favourers of those Festvities some of them either are fallen into the propagating of error Arminianism c. or at least doe little appeare to maintain the truth As for Hospitality and charity at those times its observable in many strong pleaders for Christmas that they are willing enough to abate the charge of the Feast both then and all the year after yet no body hinders them from being Hospitable and Charitable § 15.5 What ever specious design was in the first institutors of this piece of Service to Jesus Christ as after it is called it matters not much Gideons design in making a Golden Ephod was very fair to leave a Monument of his Victory as a pious publik acknowledgement of his thankfullnesse yet it proved a snare to him and his house to all Israel Many of the Superstitions of the now Church of Rome had no doubt a pious design and a shew of wisdome but the issue hath been very mischeivous Even so it hath happened to this Institution now in hand § 16. There may indeed a threefold guilt and danger be charged upon the Institution and continuance of this observance 1. Of Will-worship because it is not commanded in scriptures 2. of Superstition in observing dates 3. Of Riot frequent in such Festivalls The two former he saies he hath spoken to else where viz. both in his Treatises of Will-worship and Superstition and also in his practicall Catechisme In the two former though something be said in generall or in thesi yet nothing that I observe in speciall or in hypothesi of this Festivall Indeed in his practicall Catechisme hee hath undertaken the vindication of it from all these three charges but more largely the two first there aad here more of the last that of Riot we shall consider what he saies in order First to free the Festivall from the charge of Willworship he proceeds two waies 1. In respect of those who retain the usage of it they observe it in obedience to the Lawes of the Church and so it proceeds from obedience to Superiours a duty of the 5 th Commandement This argument should not have had the first place but the second in a just method The Doctor should first have proved that they that instituted the Festivall had a lawfull power to do it before he proved them that observe the usage to be innocent For may not Papists plead the same argument for observation of not onely their Holydaies but of their invocation of Saints adoration of Images and the Masse it selfe They do it in obedience to