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A89447 A box of spikenard newly broken not so much for the preparation of the burial; as for the clearer illustration, and exornation of the birth and nativity of our blessed Lord and Saviour Christ Jesus. Contained in a short and sweet discourse which was at first hinted, and occasioned through a question propounded by R.B.P. de K. Which is now answered and resloved by T.M. P. de P. Malpas, Thomas. 1659 (1659) Wing M340; Thomason E2140_2; ESTC R208367 46,250 128

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God hath not made a duty But God never made the Celebration of the Nativity of Christ a Duty Ergo it is no Duty Though this Argument is Scholastically and Syllogistically propounded yet I shall be so bold as to deny the Minor or second proposition and that for these Reasons for although it be not in words plainly expressed yet in sense it is significantly and sufficiently implyed and by way of necessary consequence may be deduced and gathered out of the first Chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrews at the 6. Verse When he bringeth forth his first begotten Son into the World He saith And let all the Angels of Gods worship him and for proof hereof to shew the sweet harmony and consent of both Testaments the Old and the New and that one and the same Spirit speaks in both For the same God is Author of both and the same Christ is Subject of both insomuch that each Testament is in other for in the Law there is an hidden Gospel and in the Gospel a revealed Law Being like the two Cherubius on the Mercy-Seat whose faces looked one towards the other Exod. 15.20 St. Paul alleadgeth that in Psal 97.7 And howsoever the ordinary reading of the Psalm is worship Him all ye gods yet the Apostle Interprets it of Angels directly saying according as Tremelius renders it out of the Original Incurvanto se bonorem exhibentes ei omnes Angeli Let all the Angels of God worship Him For so we find it to be true indeed and so it was at Christ's Birth and upon the very Day of his Nativity That one Angel first reports it to the Shepheards of Bethlehem and many other of those Celestial Choristers sing Praises to God for it Fear not said Gabriel for Behold I bring you good tydings of great joy which shall be unto all Nations For unto you is born this Day in the City of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord and suddenly there was with the Angel a multitude of the Heavenly Host praysing God and saying Gloria Deo in Excelsis c. Luke 2.13.14 Now I inferr from hence that these Angels came not about this Errand without some special Commission and Command from God and therefore it was a Duty Commanded and Given in charge to them Now if the Angels for whom Christ came not were to performe it How much more ought we Men to observe it for whose sake and for whose Salvation he was Incarnate and became Man for verily He took not on Him Naturam Angelorum sed Semen Abrahami Heb. 2.10 not the nature of Angels but the seed of Abraham saith the Apostle Dubartas Wherefore the Angels As they are called by a Divine Poet The sacred Tutors of the Saints and the guard of God's Elect c So they may also be called Tutors and Instructors to us to instruct and teach us this Lesson and may be also exemplary Patterns and Precedents to us in the practise and performance of this Duty Answerable and agreeable hereunto is the plat-form of our grand Master and blessed Lord and Saviour Christ Jesus who hath taught us in the third Petition of that his most absolute and perfect Prayer to pray thus Thy will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven wherein we are taught to pray as all the best Orthodoxal Divines do expound it that the will of God may be obeyed and done by us as Chearfully Speedily Faithfully Constantly and Continually as it is done by the Angels in Heaven And therefore as the Angels melodiously chanted it here on Earth at the Birth of Christ So let us likewise unanimously celebrate set forth his praise and say Glory be to God on High in Earth Peace good will towards Men. We blesse Thee we praise Thee we glorifie Thee we give thanks to Thee for thy great Glory These words were at first added to the Heavenly Carroll of the Holy Angels by that famous Bishop Hilary and used by him in his own Church Anno 340. So saith Cassander's Litturgy Cap. 22. And that this is a Duty expected and required from us upon good ground and special Reasons and Causes that should move us hereunto grave St. Austin tells us wittily and profoundly This Quaery hath a sufficient Quaery Quia verbum caro factum est habitavit intra nos Because the Word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us vidimus Gloriam and we faw his Glory saith St. John as of the onely begotten of the Father full of Grace and Truth John 1.14 Wherefore as those Persian Sages who were both Wisemen and Kings being led by the guidance and assistance and direction of a Starr to the place of Christ's Birth and there did adore and worship Him and presented gifts unto Him Gold Frankincense and Myrrh Math. 2.10 and this their coming made to the greater condemnation of the Jews and to shame their blockishness and blindness their sluggishness carnality and infidelity who standing hard-by saw not so much as they who came from far according to that speech of Leo Veritas illuminat magos Infidelitas obcoecat magistros So it is to be feared lest the Lord for our contempt of Christ and the unspeakable benefits that we have received by his first coming in the flesh lest the Lord I say for our ingratitude and for our carelessenesse and carnality take his Word from us Christians as he did his King ●om from the Jews and give it to such as we think to be most alien from God and his Gospel even to Moors and Tartars Turks and Infidells who perhaps may bring forth better fruits of Obedience and Thankfulness than we have done and so rise up in Judgment at the latter day and condemn us for if wisemen brought up in Gentilism and Idolatry come to Christ and believe what excuse then belongs to the Jews So if Infidels and Pagans believe and obey What shall become of us Christians who want both Faith and Obedience Thus much for the answering of the first Argument Answer to the second Argument The Words of the second Argument are these If I should observe this day I am fearfull lest I should deny the Perfection of the Scripture for in the Scripture all things are contained which are necessary to Salvation and all things which are needfull to be believed and done by a Christian man for the attainment of Salvation But the Celebration of Christ's Nativity is not contained therein Ergo If I should observe this I should deny the Perfection of the Scriptures To this I answer That the Article of our Faith touching Christ's Incarnation and Manifestation in the Flesh is both commended and commanded in the Scripture and I refer you or any other indifferent Man not onely to our Apostolicall Creed which although it be not Protocanonical Scripture yet as Ambrose speaks it is the Key of the Scripture and as Augustine terms it a plain short absolute summ of all holy Faith It is