A letter concerning Christmasse sent to a knight in Suffolke by that Reverent Father in God Dr. Joseph Hall ...

A letter concerning Christmasse sent to a knight in Suffolke by that Reverent Father in God Dr. Joseph Hall ...

Table of contents

§

Title page

To the Reader.

A Letter Concerning Christmass, sent to a Knight in Suffolke.

[Page]

A Letter Concerning Christmass, sent to a Knight in Suffolke.

By that Reverent Father in God Dr. JOSEPH HALL, the late Lord Bishop of NORWICH.

Sir, with my loving Remembrance, &c.

IT cannot but be a great griefe to any wise and moderate Christian, to see Zealous and well meaning Soules carried away after the giddy humour of their new Tea [...]ers, to a contempt of all holy and Reverant Antiquitie; and to an eager affectation of Novel Fancies, even whilst they cry out most utterly against Innovation; when the Practice and Judgement of the whole Christian World, even from the daies of the blessed apostles to this present Age, is pleaded, for [...]y Forme of Government, or Laudable Observation, they are streight taught That old [Page] things are passed, and that all things are become new; making their word good by so new, and unheard of an Interpretation of Scripture, whereby they may as justly argue the introducing of a new Church, a new Gospel, a new Religion, with the annulling of the Old; and that they may not want an alsufficient Patronage of their fond conceit, our blessed Saviour himself is brought in, who in his Sermon on the Mount controlled the antiquity of the Pharisaical glosses of the Law. Mat. 5.21, 27. Ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old, thus and thus; but I say unto you thus & thus, & as if the Son of God in checking the upstart Antiquities of a misgrounded & unreasonable tradition, meant to condemn the truly ancient and commendable customs of the whole Christian Church, which all sober and judicious Christians are wont to look upon with meet respect and reverence: and certainly whosoever shall have set down this resolution with himself to sleight those, either Institutions or Practices which are derived to us from the Primitive Times, and have ever since been entertained by the whole Church of Christ upon earth, that man hath laid sufficient foundation of Schismes and dangerous Singularities: And [Page] doth that which the most eminent of the Fathers St. Augustine, chargeth with no less then the most insolent madness, Insolenti sini est, &c. For me and my Friends, God give us grace to take the advice which our Saviour gave his Spouse, To go forth by the footsteps of the flock, and to feed our Kids besides the Shepherds Tents, Canticle 1.8 And to walk in the sure paths of uncorrupt Antiquity, for the celebration of the Solemn Feast of our Saviours Nativity, Resurrection, Ascension, and the coming down of the Holy Ghost, which you say is cryed down by your Zealous Lecturers: One would think these should be reasons enough in those wonderfull and unspeakable benefits, which those days serve to Commemorate unto us; for (to instance in the said Feast of the Nativity) when the Angel brought the news of that blessed Birth to the Jewish shepherds: Behold (saith he) I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be unto all people; for unto you is born this day a Saviour, Luke 2.10. If then the report of this blessing were the best tidings of the greatest joy that ever was, or ever could be possibly incident unto mankinde, why should not the commemoration thereof be answerable: where we conceive the greatest joy, [Page] what should hinder us to express it in a joyfull Festivity; but you are taught to say the day conferred nothing on the blessing: that every day we should with equal thankfulness remember this inestimable benefit of the Incarnation of the Son of God. So as a set Aniversary day is altogether needless. Know then and consider, that the all-Wise God, who knew it fit that his people should every day think of the great work of the Creation, and of that miraculous Deliverance of the Egyptian servitude, and should daily give honour to their Almighty Creator and Deliverer; yet ordained one day of seven for the more special Recognition of these marvellous works, as well knowing, how apt we are to forget those Duties, wherewith we are only encharged in common, without the designement of a particular renumeration: Besides, the same reason will hold proportionable against any monethly or annual Celebration whatsoever: The Jews should have been much to blame, if they had not every Day thankfully remembred the great Deliverance which God wrought for them from the bloody design of cruel Haman: yet it was thought requisite, if not necessary, that there should be two special days of Purim [Page] set apart for the Aniversary memorial of that wonderful preservation, the like may be said for the English Purim of November. It is well in besides the general tye of our thankfulness, a precise Day ordained by Authority can enough quicken our unthankful dulness to give God his own for so great a mercy: Shall we say it is the work of the year, what needs a day? As therefore no Day should pass over our heads without a gratefull acknowledgement of the great mysterie of God Incarnate: So withall the wisdom of the Primitive Church, no doubt but by the Direction of the Holy Ghost hath pitched upon one special Day wherein we should intirely devote our thoughts to the Meditation of this Work which the Angels of Heaven cannot enough admire. But we are told, that perhaps we misse of the Day, since the Season is Litigious, uncertain, unknown, and in all likelyhood other then our December, and that it is purposely not revealed, that it may not be kept.

As to the first, I deny not that the just Day is not certainly known, the great Saviour of the World, that would [Page] have his second coming without observation going before it, would have his first coming without observation following it: he meant to come down without noise, without a recorded notice, even in the second hundred so ancient we are sure this Festivity is. There was question and different opinions of the season, the just knowledge and determination whereof, matters nothing at all to the duty of our celebration; most sure we are that such a day there was, and no less sure that it was the happiest day that ever lookt forth into the World: It is all one to us, whether this day, or that, we content our selves with this, that it hath pleased the Church for many hundred years to ordain this day for the Commemoration of that transcendent blessing, what care we to stand upon these 12. hours that made up the Artificial day wherein this wonderfull work was wrought, which we are sure cannot be much changed by so many intercalations, so long and constant a practise of the Christian Church upon so holy grounds, it is no less warrant to us, then if an Angel from heaven should have revealed unto us the just hour of this blessed Nativitie.

As to the second, Surely, whosoever shall [Page] tell you, that God did purposely hide this day from us that it might escape a Celebration, as he concealed the burial of Moses to avoid the danger of an Idolatrous Adoration, makes himself a presumptuous Commentator upon the Actions of the Almighty; when did God tell him so? or what Revelation can he pretend for so bold an assertion? If this were the matter, why then did not the same God, with equal caution conceal the day of the Passion, Resurrection, & Ascension of our blessed Saviour, and of the descent of the Holy Ghost, the Observation of all which Days, is with no less vehemency, and upon the same danger cried down by these scrupulous persons; either therefore let him say that God would have these other Feast days observed because he would have them known to the World, or yield that he did not therefore conceal the day of the Nativity of Christ, because he would not have it observed.

But you hear it said, there is Popery and Superstition in keeping that Day. Tell those that suggest so, that they cast a foul slander upon the Saints of God in the Primitive Church, upon the Holy and Learned Fathers, who Preached, and wrote so, and kept [Page] the Feast of Christs Nativity; which sacred Solemnity many hundred years before Popery was hatched, and that they little know what wrong they do to Religion and themselves, and what honour they put upon that Superstition which they profess to detest, in ascribing that to Popery which was the meer act of holy and devout Christians.

But to colour this Plea, you are taught that the mysterie of Iniquity began early to work, even in the very Apostolick Times; and that Antichrist did secretly put in his claw before his whole body appeared. Surely there is a singular Use wont to be made of this shift by those which would avoid the countenance of all Primitive Authority, to any displeasing (however lawfull and laudible) Institutions and practises: so the Anabaptists tels us, that the baptizing of Infants is one of the timely workings of the mysterie of Iniquity; so the blasphemous Nestorians of our time tell us that the mysterie of the blessed Trinity of persons in the unity of one Godhead, is but an ancient device of Antichrist, working under hand before his formal exhibition. Every sort is apt to make this Challenge, and therefore it behooves us wisely to distinguish betwixt [Page] those things which men did as good Christians, and those which they did as engaged to their own private, or to the more common Interest of others: What advantage can we conceive it might be to Antichrist, that Christ should have a day celebrated to the memory of his blessed Birth, and that devout Christians should meet together in their Holy Assemblies, to praise God for the benefit of that happy Incarnation: And what other effect could be expected from so Religious a Work, but Glory to GOD and Edification to Men? Who can suppose that the enemy of Christ should gain by the honour done to Christ? Away therefore with this groundless Imagination, and let us be so Popish, so Superstitious, as those holy Fathers, and Doctors of the Primitive Church, famous for Learning and Piety, who Lived and Died devout Observers of this Christian Festival.

But you are bidden to aske what warrant we find in the Word of God (which is to be the rule of all our actions) for the solemn keeping of this Day? In answer you may tell that Questionist, that to argue from the Scripture Negatively in things of this nature is somewhat Untheological. Aske you him again [Page] with better reason, what Scripture he findes to forbid it, for if that be unlawfull to be done, which is not in Gods Word commanded▪ then much rather that which is not there forbidden, cannot be unlawfull to be done: Generall grounds of Edification, Decency, peaceable Conformity to the Injunctions of our Spiritual Governors, are in these Cases more then enough to build our Practice upon: If it be Replyed that we are Injoyned six dayes to Labour, and forbidden to observe Dayes and Times as being part of the Jewish Pedoegogie (two common pretences with which the eyes of the Jgnorant are wont to be bleared) know that for the first, it is not so much Preceptive, as Permissive, neither was it the intentions of the Almighty to interpose the command of Humane affaires in the first Table of his Royal Law, wherein Himselfe and his Service is imediately concern'd, in such like expressions; mayst, and shalt, are equivalent and promiscvovsly used, that instance is clear and pregnant, Gen. 2.16. The Lord, (saith the Text) commanded the man, Saying, Eating thou shalt eat of every Tree in the Garden, which our last Version renders well to the sense: Thou mayst freely eat of every tree [Page]of the Garden. And if that charge in the 4th. Commandment were absolute and peremptory, what Humane Authority could dispense with those large threds of Time, which we usually cut out of the six days for Sacred occasions, what warrant could we have to intermit our work for a daily Lecture; or a monethly Fast, or for an Aniversary Fifth of November; And if notwithstanding this command of God it be allowed to be in the power of man, whether Soveraign (as Constantine appropriated it) or Spiritual, to ordain the setting of some set parcels of time to holy uses, why should it be stuck at in the Appropriating and Observing the Pious and usefull Celebration of this Festival. As for that other suggestion of the Apostles taxation of observing Days and Times; any one that hath but half an eye may see that it hath respect to those Judaical Holy days, which were part of the Ceremonial Law, now long since out of date, as being of Typical signification, and shadows of things to come, should we therefore go about to revive those Jewish Feasts, or did we erect any new day to an essential part of the worship of God? or place holiness in it as such? We should justly incur that blame which the Apostles cast upon the Galatians and Colossians, False Teachers; but to wrest this forbiddance to a Christian solemn Purity, which [Page] is meerly commemoration of a blessing received, without any prefiguration of things to come, without any opinion of holiness anexed to the day, is no other then injurious violence.

Vpon all this which hath been said, and upon a serious weighing of what ever may be further alledged to the contrary, I dare confidently affirm that there is no just reason why good Christians should not withall godly cheerfulness observe this, which that holy Father stiled the Metropolis of all Feasts, to which I add that those, which by their Example and Doctrine sleight this Day, causing their People to dishonour it with their worst cloaths, with shops open, with servile works, stand guilty before God of an high and sinfull contempt of that lawfull Authority under which they live; for as much by the Statutes of our Land made by the full concurrence of King and State: This is commanded to be kept holy by all English Subjects, and this power is backed by the charge of God; Submit your selves to every Ordinance of man for the Lords sake.

If now after all this I should let my Pen loose to the suffragant Testjmonies, whether of Antiquity, or Modern Divines, and Reformed Churches, I should tire your patience, and instead of a Letter send you a Volume, let it suffice, that ever since the second 100▪ [Page] years after Christ, this Feast hath without contradiction obtained due respect in the Church of God, & received many noble Elogies and passionate inforcements from the Learned and holy Fathers of the Church, amongst the rest that of Gregory Nazianzen [in his Orations upon the Day of the Nativity of Christ] is so remarkable, that I may not omit it, as that which sets forth the excess of joyfull respect wherewith the Ancient Christians were wont to keep this day. ‘Let us saith he, Celebrate this Feast, not in a Panegyrical, but Divine, not in a worldly, but supersecular manner: not regarding so much our selvs, or others; as the worship of Christ, and how shall we effect this? not with Crowning our doors with Garlands, nor leading of Dances, nor adorning our Streets, not by feeding our eyes, not by delighting our ears with pleasant Songs, not by effeminating our smell with perfumes, not with humouring our taste with dainties, not with pleasing our touch, not with silken & costly cloaths, and not with the sparkling Jewels, not with the luster of Gold, not with the artifice of counterfeit colours; let us leave these things to Pagans; for their pomp, &c. But we who adore the word of the Father, if we think fit to affect delicacies, let us feed our selves with the dainties of the Law of God, and [Page] with those Divine Discourses, especiall which are fitting for this present Festival.’ So that Learned and eloquent Father to his Auditors of Constantinople, where to, let me (if you please) have leave to add one or two practical instances, one shall be of the good Emperour Theodosius, lying now for eight moneths under the severe Censure of Bishop Ambrose when the Feast of the Nativity drew neer, what moan did that Religious Prince make to his Courtiers, that he was by that resolute Bishop shut out (for his blood-guiltiness) from partaking with the assembly in that holy Service, and what importunate means did he make for his admission, Hist. tri. partit. lib. 9. cap. 30. Had that gracious Emperour been of the Diet of these our new Divines he would have sleighted that repulse, and gladly taken this occasion of absense from that Superstitious Solemnity, or had one of these grave Monitors been at his elbow, he might have saved that pious Prince the expence of many sighs and tears, which now he bestowed upon his abstention from that dearly affected Devotion. The other shal be a History of as much note, as horror, too clear a proofe of the ancient Celebration of this Feastival, it was under the Tyrany of Dioclesian, and his Co-partner Maximinus, Nicephor. 1.7. ca. 6. that 20000. Christians [Page] met to Celebrate the Feast of this Nativity in the large Church of Nicomedia, which were made an Holocaust, and burnt together with that goodly Fabrick to ashes on that day; Lo so great a multitude as 20000. Christians of al ages, of both Sexes, had not thus mett together in a time of so mortal danger, to celebrate this Feast, if the holy Zeal of their duty had not told them they ought to keep that day, which these Novellers teach us to contemne.

Now let these bold men see, of how contrary a disposition they are to those, blessed Martyrs, which as this day sent up their Soules (like Manoahs Angel) to Heaven in those flames.

After thus much said, I should be glad to know (since reason there can be none) what Authority induces these Gain-saiers to oppose so antient & received a Custome in the Church of God; you tell me of a double Testimony cyted to this purpose, the one of Socrates the Historian, which I suppose is fetched out of the 5th. Book of Eclesiastical Story Chap. 21. where upon occasion of the Feast of Easter, he passeth his Judgement upon the indeffrent nature of all those ancient Feasts which were of use in the Primitive Times, shewing, that the Apostles never meant to make any Law for the keeping them, but left men to the free observation thereof.

For Answer whereunto, I do not tell you that this Author is wont to be impeached of Novatianism, [Page] and therefore may seem fit to yield Patronage to such a Clyent; I rather say, that take him at the worst, he is no enemy to our opinion, or Practice, we agree with him that the Apostles would have men free from servitude of the Jewish observation of days, that they enacted no Law for set Festivals, but left persons and places so to their liberty in these Cases, that none should impose a necessity upon others; this were to be pressed upon Victor Bishop of Rome, who violently obtruded a day for the Celebration of Easter upon all Churches (supposing in the mean time an Easter universally kept of all Christians, though not on the same day.) This makes nothing against us, who place no Holiness in the very hours, nor plead any Apostolicall injunction for days, nor tye any person, or Church to our strict Calender, but only hold it fit out of obedience to the Laws both of our Church and Kingdom, to continue a joyfull Celebration of a memorial Day to the honour of our blessed Saviour: But that other Authority which you tell me was urged to this purpose, I confess doth not a little amaze me: it was, you say, of K. James our Learned Soveraign of late & blessed memory, whose testimony was brought in before the credulous people (not without the just applause of a Solomon-like-wisdom) as crying down these Festivals: and in a certain Speech of his applauding the purity of the Church of [Page] Scotland above that of Geneva, for that it observed not the common Feasts of Christs Nativity & Resurrection, &c. Is it possible, that any mouth could name that wife and good King, in such a cause, whom all the world knows to have been as zealous a Patron of these Festivals, as any lived upon earth; and if he had let fall any such Speech before he had any Down upon his chin, & whiles he was under the Ferule, what candor is it to produce it now to the contradiction of his better experience, and riper judgement: Nay, is it not famously known that it was one of the main errands of his journey into his Native Kingdom of Scotland, to reduce that Church into a conformity to the rest of the Churches of Christendom in the observation of these Solemn Dayes, and to this purpose was it not one of the main businesses which he set on work in the Assembly at Perth. [one of the 5. Articles of Perth] And wherein he imployed the service of his worthy Chaplain, Dr. Young Dean of Winchester, to recall and re-establish these Festivals. And accordingly in pursuance of his Majesties earnest desires this way, was it not enacted in that Assembly, that the said Feasts should be duly kept? Doubtless it was, & that not without much wise care & holy caution, which act because it cannot be had every where, and is well worthy of your notice: and that which clears the point in hand, I have thought good here to insert: The tenor of it, therfore [Page] is this, As we abhor the superstitious observation of Festivall days by the Papist: and detest all licentious and prophane abuse thereof, by the common sort of professors, so we think that the inestimable benefits received from God by our Lord Iesus Christs Birth, Passion, Resurrection, Ascension, and sending down of the Holy Ghost, was commendably and godly remembred at certain particular days, and times, by the whole Churches of the World, and may be also now; therefore the Assembly ordains that every Minister shall upon these days have the commemoration of the aforesaid inestimable benefits, and make choice of severall pertinent Texts of Scripture, and frame their doctrine and Exhortations thereto, and rebuke all Superstitious observation, & licentious prophanation thereof. I could, if it were needfull, give you other proofs of K. Iames his zeal for these days: but what should I spend time in proving there is a Sun in the Heaven, & light in the Sun, the name of that great King suffereth for his exces this way. Seeing then the Church of God, his anointed Law, Antiquity, and Reason, are for us in this point (and I doubt not but we wil gladly be on their side) Away with all Innovations and frivolous quarrels, we were divided enough before, and little needed any new rents; the God of Peace quiet all these distempers, and unite our hearts one to another, and all to Himself; Farewell in the Lord.

FINIS.

[Page]

§

§

[Page]

Vera Effigies Reverendi Doni. Iosephi Hall Norwici nuper Episcopi

§

§

[Page]

A LETTER Concerning Christmasse; Sent to a Knight in SUFFOLKE: By that Reverent Father in God Dr. JOSEPH HALL, late Lord Bishop of NORWICH.

London, Printed by E.C. for Fran Grove, dwelling on Snow-hill. 1659.

To the Reader.

[Page]

[Page]

I Here present you with a true Copie of a Letter sent by Dr. Joseph Hall, late of Norwich Bishop, to the Right Worshipfull Sir Iohn Wentworth Knight, in Suffolke; And this Iaverre to be Transcribed by me Iohn Smith from the Bishops own hand-writting, and I wish it as good success as St. Pauls Letter to the Corinthians had (that you may not read it with prejuduce) that ye sorrow Godly, So that in nothing ye be hurt therby. And rather then this so worthy a Letter [Page] should have been obscured [...] one Familie I have ventured it to the Publick; that they may save the good that was meant to my Noble Friend and Kinsman before mentioned, and that that hvmble and meeke Author (and Saint now in Abrahams-bosom; might have his due of all.

Now the Lord grace us with all Spirituall Blessings, till he bring us to Glory the perfection of Grace; for the attainment of which, together with all External Prosperity, and Temporal Felicitie in this life, You shall never want the instant Prayer of,

John Smith, Gent.

Information about this book

Title statement

A letter concerning Christmasse sent to a knight in Suffolke by that Reverent Father in God Dr. Joseph Hall ...

Hall, Joseph, 1574-1656.

Edition statement

1652

Publication

Publisher

Text Creation Partnership,

Place of publication

Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) :

Date

2007-01 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A45297

ID [STC]

Wing H389

ID [STC]

ESTC R40929

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

19536726

ID [OCLC]

ocm 19536726

ID [VID]

109039

Availability

This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal. The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission.

Series

Early English books online.

Notes

(EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A45297)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 109039)

Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 1689:2)

Source

— A letter concerning Christmasse sent to a knight in Suffolke by that Reverent Father in God Dr. Joseph Hall ..., Hall, Joseph, 1574-1656..

Extent

[4], 7-24 p., [1] leaf of plates : port.

Printed by E.C. for Fran Grove ...,. London :: 1659.. (Engraved frontispiece portrait of author opposite t.p.) (Reproduction of original in the Harvard University Library.)

Creation

Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford.

Editorial practices

EEBO-TCP is a partnership between the Universities of Michigan and Oxford and the publisher ProQuest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by ProQuest via their Early English Books Online (EEBO) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). The general aim of EEBO-TCP is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic English-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in EEBO.

EEBO-TCP aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the Text Encoding Initiative (http://www.tei-c.org).

The EEBO-TCP project was divided into two phases. The 25,363 texts created during Phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 January 2015. Anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source.

Users should be aware of the process of creating the TCP texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data.

Text selection was based on the New Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature (NCBEL). If an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in NCBEL, then their works are eligible for inclusion. Selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. In general, first editions of a works in English were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably Latin and Welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so.

Image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. Quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in Oxford and Michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet QA standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. After proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. Any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. Understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of TCP data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. Users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a TCP editor.

The texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the TEI in Libraries guidelines.

Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements).

Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site.