Answer to the first Argument.

You may remember that the first Argument runneth thus; There is no­thing in the World a duty which 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 [Page 6]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 [Page 7]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 [Page 8]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, [Page 9]& 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 [Page 10]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, [Page 11]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 indeed a sweet and brief Compendium and Abridgment of the whole Gospel: But also I referr you to the learned and authentick Creed of judicious Athanasius, (which is an accu­rate and compleat Exposition of the for­mer;) who saith, Quicun (que) vult salva­ri &c. Whosoever will be saved, it is necessary to his everlasting Salvation, That he believe rightly in the Incarnati­on of our Lord Jesus Christ: For the right Faith is, That we believe and con­fess, that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and Man: And when did He become Man? or when was [Page 12]God manifested in the Flesh, but on this day? And what fitter day can there be, to confess this Faith, than on the very same day he was born? For this is to perform, Opus diei in die suo. And this hath been both done and authori­zed, or allowed of, also to be done, by as ancient, learned, godly, and zealous Doctors and Divines, as ever the whole Christian World affoarded, since the first appearance of Christ in the shape of Man; even by those Chariots & Horse­men of Israel, who were the chief Ori­ent and resplendent Lights of the times, the Glory of the Churches, and the on­ly Diamonds, Pearls, and Ornaments, of the places where they lived, men fa­mous and renowned in their Generati­ons; namely, St. Cyprian, St. Am­brose, St. Augustine, St. Bernard, St. Chrysostome, Basil, Cyril, Beda, Theo­phylact, Euthymius, Ludolphus, Eras­mus, cum multis aliis, &c. whose Ser­mons, Homilies, and Orations, for this day's Solemnity, are both extant and e­minent: and might be made also evi­dent and apparant (if need were), suffi­cient to convince and stop the mouth of any peevish and perverse Antagonist [Page 13]or Gainsayer whatsoever. To these we may add (Dia Poemata) the Divine Poems of those sweet, mellifluous, Christian Poets, Palladius and Pruden­tius, made in an honourable memoriall of our blessed Lord and Saviour's Na­tivity: And what if we mentioned here the rate Prophecies and Praedictious of the Sybillaes of old, who foretold us of these things; and the very Heroicall Verses, and stately Genethliacon's of Hea­thenish Poets, who lived both before some of them, and othersome also about the time of the Birth of Christ, who re­ceived their Raptures and Enthusiasms, not onely from Sybilla or Apollo, but as some think, and are bold to conjecture it, from the Spirit of God.

This was it that made Virgil to raise up his Muse to a higher strain, Eclog. 4.

[Page 14]For now return the daies of Peace, now the new Progeny is sent from Heaven; behold, all things shall then rejoyce and be glad.

Tully, in Lib. Divinationis, gives this Observation out of Sybil, that she prophesyeth of a King to come, Quem Regem colere debemus, si velimus esse sal­vi; which King we must worship if we would be saved. And this King should abolish all false Religions whatsoever. Now concerning all these, if you should cavill and object against them, or any of them, and say, What is this to the Scrip­ture? Then will I answer you, as our Saviour answered the Pharisees, finding fault with his Disciples, for their cry­ing Hosanna before him, when he ridd into Jerusalem; I tell you, that if these should have held their peace, the very stones would cry out and applaud Him. Well then, Have all these doted and de­lired in their writing concerning this thing, namely, the solemn Observation of this high and festival Time, in ho­nour of the World's most gracious, and glorious, and blessed Redeemer? and are you the onely wise man (as it were) that is now left upon the Earth, to cor­rect [Page 15]them and direct us? have all these erred? Even so will we. And more sweet shall our Errour be unto us with these, (I speak especially of those ancient and reverend Fathers of the Primitive Church, whom I named before,) who, I dare say, were all, and every one of them, as fearful to offend God, in deny­ing the Perfection of the Scriptures, as you for the very life can possibly be; more sweet, I say, shall our errour be unto us, with these, of whom we make no question, but that they are all bound up in the bundle of life, with the Con­gregation of the first-born, than a new and recent device and purpose, of bury­ing the Anniversary remembrance of this day, in the silent Night, and dark­some Grave of everlasting Oblivion, ob­truded unto us by you, and such as you, who take upon them to be the grand Re­formers of these times, and great Un­dertakers, and principal Innovators, of all ancient, lawful, and laudable Cu­stomes whatsoever. Let others affect Novelty how they please; for my own part, I ever reverenced and admired Antiquity, especially when I have found it in the way of Verity; and If I were [Page 16]worthy to admonish our young, upstart, malapert, Masters of these times, I would wish them to remember what grave St. Austin saith in his 118 E­pist. & cap. 5. Ipsa mutatio consuetudi­nis, etiam quâ adjuvat utilitate, pertur­bat novitate.

Auswer to the third Argument.

The words of the third Argument are these, I am fearfull lest I should make a day to my self, &c.

Sir, I wonder whether your Lecture­day is not a day made to your self? I doubt not but you have done as much as in you lyeth concerning your Le­cture-day, and both extoll and preferr it before the day of Christ's Birth; For this day hapning, not long since, to be upon your Lecture-day, you did not spare to speak it, nor blush to give it out in the Pulpit, (as I was credibly infor­med by some that heard you;) That if that day had not hapned on your Le­cture-day, you had not then preached; so that your day, must by all means, be observed and kept strictly and praecisely, but our Saviour's day must be scornfully [Page 17]slighted and neglected, as a day not scarce fit to be named, much less to be cele­brated and regarded with honour. But I say, Let his Birth-day be celebrated, yea, all praise and Glory be unto him, who was born and died for our Salvati­on, Amen.

Answer to the fourth Argument.

The fourth Argument is this, I am fearfull, lest by observing this day, I should set up a day against God.

To this I answer, If you observe and celebrate this day, you set not a day up against God, but for God: for that which you do for Christ, you do for God, for we know that God and Christ are not divided, but He and the Father are One, they are his own words, John 10.30. Ego & Pater Ʋnum sumus: hoc est, substantialiter Idem, & in Personis Di­stincti: In which few words, both the Heresy of the Arrians and Sabellians is sufficiently confuted. For, as learned Athanasius observeth, (who for this was happily called the World's Eye, be­cause he did see so much, and pierce so [Page 18]far, into this unsearchable and ineffable Mystery) we must neither 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 [Page 19]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 [Page 21]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 [Page 22]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 [Page 23]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 [Page 24]in Bethlehem; yea, more then this (if if you will believe Josephus, who is a credible Author, and a sufficient Repor­ter of that which was true, being testis oculatus, an eye-witness of many things which he wrote of, and saw them acted and done before his eyes) this malici­ous crafty Fox Herod (as he tells us lib. antiquit. 10.) put to death almost all the Nobility of Juda, and burned the Genealogies of their Kings and Princes, commanding a Pedigree to be drawn out for himself, as descending from the Kings of Juda. This was a right Matchi­avilian policy, and a deep sleight and stratagem of Sathan, to extirpate and eradicate the name of Christ, and the name of Christians for being a People from under Heaven: How then shall we think, or believe it, that he hath any will or desire to set up a Day for Christ, or to have him worshipped or adored, who set upon Christ in the Wildernesse, and tempted Him, by proffering the whole World, and all the Kingdomes and Glory of it to Him, if he would but sall down and worship Him: So that you plainly see, he had rather be wor­shipped himself, then to have Christ to [Page 25]be worshiped; All his chief aim is to have the Power and Kingdom of Christ to be lessened and diminished, and his own Kingdome to be enlarged and ad­vanced. But what did our Saviour an­swer? or how did he resist his temptati­on? Why, surely he defied him, and put him from him, with an Apage Satana, Avoid Sathan, or get thee hence Sathan; For it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him onely shalt thou serve, Math. 4.10. As if he had said, If thou wilt not worship and serve him in Faith and Love, thou shalt be com­pelled to worship him in fear and trem­bling: and for this end is he reserved in everlasting Chains under darkness, unto the Judgment of the great day, saith St. Jude in his Epistle, at the 8. ver. As for Christ we know that all Power is given unto Him, both in Heaven and Earth, Math. 28. And this was it that the An­gel Gabriel intimated to the Virgin Ma­ry, when he saluted her with that first happy and ever-joyful news of bringing forth a Son; He shall be great (saith he) and shall be called the Son of the High­est, and the Lord shall give unto him the Throne of his Father David, and he [Page 26]shall Raign over the House of Jacob for ever, and of his Kingdom there shall be no end: Semper regnabit quem mater virge generabit, It was the answer which Octavius the Emperour received from the Oracle, concerning his Successor. And David himself foretold as much of him; saying, Psal. 145.13. Thy King­dome is an everlasting Kingdome, and thy Dominion endureth throughout all Ages.

Answer to the sixth Argument.

The sixth Argument is this, If I should celebrate this Day, I am fearful lest I should be condemned for accusing God for want of wisdome, &c.

To this I answer, As our Saviour saith, This is the condemnation (or this is the cause of mens condemnation as Beza interprets the place), that light is come into the World, and men loved darknesse rather than light, because their deeds are evil. For in Him was life, and the life was the light of men, and the light shined in darkness, and the dark­nesse comprehended it not, John 1.4, 5. (i.e.) The darkness that was in the Gen­tiles [Page 27]thoughts and cogitations, and the Vail of blindnesse that was upon the hearts of the Jews, 2 Cor. 4.15 when Moses was read unto them, caused them that they could neither apprehend nor compre­hend this light; And therefore they are both censured and condemned by the Apostle for want of wisdome, and for want of a discerning Spirit, 1 Cor. 1.21, 22, 23, 24. For after that, in the wisdome of God, the World by wis­dome knew not God; it pleased God by the foolishnesse of preaching [or by that preaching which the wise men of the World counted foolishnesse] to save them that believe: for the Jews require a signe, and the Greeks seek after wis­dome; but we preach Christ Crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishnesse: but unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks; Christ the Power of God, and the wisdom of God: because the foolish­nesse of God is wiser then Men, and the weakness of God stronger then Men. And therefore I wire you not, for being careful and chary of accusing God for want of wisdom, as they did: and yet whereas you say further, you are fearfull [Page 28]lest you should make your self wiser then God, as though He knew not what should be done as well as you, and so derogate from the wisdome of God, and herein so far as I conceive your mean­ing, you seem a little to derogate from the wisdome of God, thinking your self not bound to keep this Day, because God in his wisdome hath not directly revealed, or particularly nominated and set down in the Rubrick and Ephemeris, or in the Register or Calender of his Word, what day his Son Christ was born, and there injoyned and com­manded it to be observed and kept, which, albeit he hath not done it imme­diately from his own mouth: yet me­diately or ministerially hath he done it by that heavenly Trumpeter of his, the Angel Gabriel, who particularly did Preach, promulgate, express and declare it openly in the Fields to those Shep­heards of Bethlehem; Luke 2. for this thing was not done in secret, nor in a corner. Now I proceed to the seventh Argu­ment.

Answer to the seventh Argument.

The words of the seventh Argument are these; if I should observe this day, I am fearful lest I should be the more inex­cusable for my Sins.

Sir, This quirk or transcendent ambi­guity (as I may so call it) is but petitio principii, and no better than idem per i­dem, (i. e.) no more then you have said in some of the former: yet, in this case I will not say to you as Christ said to Peter, Mar. 14.21. when he adventuring presumptu­ously to walk upon the Water, was afraid, and his heart deceiving him, or rather his Faith fayling him, he began to sink; immediately whereupon, Jesus stretched forth his hand and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? So, wherefore do you sear, lest, if you should keep this Day, (I mean) the Day of Christ's Nativity, that then you should be the more inexcusable for your fins? What, do you conceit that your carefull and conscionable observing of this time shall add to the weight of your sins? or [Page 30]increase the measure and number of your impieties? What a strange and wonderful, anxious and pensive surmi­sing, and prejudicate or preposterous misdeeming is this? Wherefore as our Saviour cheared and comforted his Dis­ciples against the Persecutions and Tri­bulations which they feared would be­fall them after his departure from them, John 14.1. So let me, with your leave, a little rectifie, and direct you in this point; Let not your heart be troubled, ye believe in God, believe also in me: and I verily believe it, and am strongly per­swaded, that in doing this thing which, you say, you are fearful to do, lest you should be the more inexcusable for your sins; you shall be so far from being ac­cused and condemned for it, that it shall rather be a means to excuse you, and a help to hide and cover your sins at the day of Judgment: and all the harm I wish unto you or my self, or to any of the dearest and nearest Friends that I have in his World, is, that we had no greater Crime or Offence then this to answer for, at the great and terrible Day of our general and common appearance. For then should we be acquitted and [Page 31]dismissed with that sentence of absolu­tion; I mean with that joyful and com­fortable, and soul-reviving sentence of Venite Benedicti, Come ye blessed: And for your further satisfaction herein, and better confirmation of that which I have affirmed and averred: Let me give you a hint and instance of it, in that one and remarkable example of Mary Magdalen, who though she were a no­torious Malefactor, and a great and grievous Sinner, Luke 7. as the History Evange­lical effigiates, and sets her forth unto us: yet, hearing that Jesus sate down to meat in a Pharisee's house, she presn­med and made bold to go into the house; and bringing an Alablaster-Box of Oyntment, she stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears; and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the Oint­ment. Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him, saw it, he spake within himself being discontented; saying, This man if he were a Prophet, would have known who, and what manner of Woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a Sinner: And Jesus answering, said [Page 32]unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee; and he saith, Master say on: There was a certain Creditor who had two Debtors, the one owed five hun­dred pence, and the other fifty; and when they had nothing to pay, He freely for­gave them hoth: tell me therefore, which of them will love him most? Simon an­swered and [...]aid, I suppose that he to whom he forgave most, and he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged: And he turned unto the Woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this Woman? I entred into thy House, Thou gavest me no water for my Feet, but she hath washed my Feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head; Thou gavest me no kisse, but this Woman since the time I came in, hath not ceased to kisse my Feet: My Feet with Oyl thou didst not anoint, but this Wo­man hath anointed my Feet with Oynt­ment: Wherefore, I say unto thee, Her sins which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgi­ven, the same loveth little: Where the Argument is not (as learned Fulk ob­serveth, and as the whole discourse of the Text makes it manifest) from the Cause to the Effect, but from the Effect [Page 33]to the Cause, Many sins are forgiven her, therefore she hath loved much; (for our Saviour had cast seven Devils out of her), therefore she had good cause to love him much, for to whom little is re­mitted, he loveth little, wherefore our Saviour preferrs and extolleth her kindnesse both above, and before the entertainment of the Pharisees House. So that, if we in like manner do shew our love to Christ freely and chearfully, in celebrating the memoriall of his Birth, as she did in token of his Burial, we shall not onely be excused but accepted as she was; for as St. Mark relates the same story more briefly, Mark 14. 4. When there were some that murmured at it, and had indignation within them­selves; saying, Why was this waste of the Oyntment made, for it might have been sold for more then three hundred pence, and have bin given to the poor? But Je­sus said by way of Apology for her, Let her alone, Why trouble you her? She hath wrought a good work on me: for you have the poor with you alwayes; and whensoever ye will, you may do them good, but me you have not alwayes: She hath done what she could, she is come aforehand to anoint my Body to the Burying. Verily [Page 34]I say unto you, Wheresoever the Gospel shall be preached thorow out the whole World, this also that she hath done, shall be spoken for a memoriall of her, (i. e.) for a memoriall of her love, of that good work that she hath bestowed upon me. Wherefore as St. Austin answers some who made a question, How it was possi­ble a Virgin should bring forth a Child, Fides adsit & nulla quaestio remanebit; So I say to you, Si amor adsit timor, iste re­movebit, if you love Christ in sincerity, as you ought to do, then this fear will soon remove, and expell such timorous Niceties, and frivolous Scrupulosities out of your mind: for what saith the Apostle St. John, There is no fear in love, but perfect love casteth out fear; because fear hath torment, or fear hath painful­nesse 1 John 4.18. And let this suffice for the answering of the seventh Argu­ment.

Answer to the eighth Argument.

The words of the eighth Argument are these, It seems to me a vain and need­less thing: &c.

To this Argument I answer first in the words of the Roman Oratour, Quaedam videntur & non sunt, some things seem to be that which they are not; for accor­ding to the Opinion of the Philosopher, Quando (que) sensus fallitur circa proprium Objectum, sometimes the sense is decei­ved about its proper Object; as when a Man seeth a Bush a far off he takes it to be a Man, which when he cometh neer it, he finds it to be no such matter: even as the Man in the Gospel, having recei­ved a little glimpse and glimmering of his sight, thought he saw men walk like Trees, (i.e.) he took them to be as bigg as Trees, because the Organ of his Eye, being not sufficiently cleansed, he could not otherwise discern them, Mark 8.24. But it seems to you to be a vain and needless thing. What? Is it a vain and needless thing to serve God? It seems there were some who both thought and spake so in, Malachi's time: Mal. 3.13, 14. but their gross error and their madness was repro­ved by the Prophet; even as St. Peter tells us that Balaam was rebuked for his Iniquity: the dumb Asse, speaking with Man's veice, forbade the madness of that false Propher, because he loved the wa­ges [Page 36]of Unrighteousness, & went beyond his permission, being blinded with the hope of Bribes and Rewards of Divina­tion; 2 Pet. 2.16. and, Is it (think you) a vain thing & unprofitable to serve the Lord? as Eliphaz the Temanite saith, Job 4.7. Who ever pe­rished being innocent. So, who ever waited on the Lord and went away unreward­ed? He that serveth himself serveth a Fool; He that serveth the Devil serveth his Enemy; He that serveth the World serveth his Servant; The onely true free­dom is, to serve the Lord: For Godliness with Contentment is great Gain (saith the Apostle) 1 Tim. 6.6. yea, it is profitable unto all things (saith he) having promise of the life which now is, & of that which is to come, 1 Tim. 4.8. How then can you ju­stify or affirm it to be a vain & needless thing to spend this time in the publick Worship and Service of God; namely, in the duties of Piety, and exercises of Reli­gion, in hearing of the Word, & in offe­ring up Prayers & Praises to God, cele­brating it, & lauding his holy and glori­ous Name, with Psalms, and Hymns, and spiritual Songs. singing and making me­lody in our hearts to the Lord, Eph. 5.19, 20. giving thanks alwaies, for all things, unto God [Page 37]and the Father, in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ. And especially, and a­bove all things, giving thanks for this one thing; I mean, that inestimable benefit and unspeakable gift which God bestowed upon the World at this time. And me thinks, to this end and purpose we may very well encourage and stirr up our selves with the words of David, and say as he doth Psal. 69.31, 32. I will praise the name of God with a Song; and magnify it with thanksgiving, this also shall please the Lord better than a Bullock which hath horns and hoofs; yea this shall be as precious and odoriferous in his Nostrils, and no less pleasing and acceptable in his sight than that right & costly Spikenard which was spent to an­oint our Saviour's feet withall; although it be said of that, That the whole House wherein our Saviour was at that time was filled and perfumed with the odour of the Oyntment, Joh. 12.3.

But the Reasons you alledge, to prove it to be a vain and needless thing to ob­serve this day, are in the next place to be examined and considered; the first whereof is this, as you affirm it, because God hath set apart a Sabbath, the Lord's­day, [Page 38]for this purpose, to meditate upon God's Love in redeeming the World, and this seems to be an indifferent good one; yet you know, or at the least cannot but know, that the Sabbath, or the Se­venth day, was at the first ordained, san­ctified, and set apart, onely in remem­brance of the World's Creation, as it ap­pears in that passage or Conclusion of the fourth Commandment, Exod. 20. For in six daies the Lord made Heaven and Earth, the Sea, and all that in them is: Wherefore the Lord blessed the Se­venth day, and hallowed it: For this Commandment is hedged in on every side, lest we should break out from ob­serving it; with a Caveat and speciall Memorandum before it, Remember &c. and with two Reasons after; one drawn from the Equity of the Law, and the o­ther taken from the Law-giver's, or the Law-maker's, own Example: Six daies shalt thou labour; As if God should speak thus, If I permit thee six whole daies to follow thine own business, thou mayest well afford me one onely for my own Service; but six daies shalt thou la­bour and do all thine own work, there­fore hallow the Seventh in doing my [Page 39]work. Six daies shalt thou labour; whereupon, both Reverend Calvin, and that learned Gentleman B. Babington, who was once Bishop of this Diocesse, a man of no mean Note, but of good Report both for Life and Learning, do observe, That these Words (Six daies shalt thou labour &c.) are a permission, or a remission of God's right, who might challenge all, rather than an absolute Commandment: For as Judicious Per­kins hath also delivered it in his Golden Chaine, for a sound, Orthodoxal, and undeniable Thesis, Catenâ au­reâ, cap. 13 The Church upon just occasion may separate some week daies also to the Service of the Lord, and rest from Labour, Joel 2.15. Blow the Trum­pet in Zion, sanctify a Fast; call a so­lemn Assembly. And as daies of publick Fasting for some great Judgment, so daies of publick Rejoycing for some great Benefit, are not unlawfull, but ex­ceeding commendable, yea, necessary: And you cannot in Modesty, and I hope you will not for Shame, deny this to be the Truth; for besides the ordinary Sabbath, among the Jews, they had their Sabbaths, and their new Moons, and ap­pointed Feasts; yea, Almighty God [Page 40]himself ordained, in the old Testament, divers and sundry Feasts, to put his Peo­ple in mind of his great Benefits be­stowed upon them: Amongst the rest there were three solemn Festivals every year; namely, the Passover, the Pente­cost, and the Feast of Tabernacles, as we read in the 16th of Deuteronomy; The Passover was instituted in remem­brance of the deliverance from Egypt's bondage; Pentecost, in remembrance of the Law, given in Mount Sinui; The Feast of Tabernacles, in remembrance of Israel's dwelling in Tents forty years in the Wilderness: Now, as Hemingius observes in his Postil. dom. 1. post Epiph. instead of those three Jewish Feasts, our Christian Church (which may challenge as much Liberty as the Jewish, if not more) hath substituted Christmas in ho­nour of Christ's Incarnation; Easter, in honour of Christ's Resurrection; and Whitsuntide, in honour of Christ's con­firmation of the Gospel, by sending un­to us the Holy Ghost at that time; So that we say, according as St. Austin saith in his 108 Epist. cap. 1, Celebran­tes Anniversariâ solemnitate Pascha, re­liquas (que) Christianas diêrum Festivitutes [Page 41]non observamus tempora, sed quae illis sig­nificantur temporibiu: (i.e.) In celebra­ting Easter, and other Christian Feasts, we do not so much observe the times, as the things that are represented and signified unto us at those times. If then it be granted, as it cannot be denied, ac­cording to your words, that God hath set apart a Sabbath (which is our Christ­ian Sabbath) and is called the Lord's Day, because the Lord rose from death to life on that Day, and that on this day (in that respect) we are to meditate on God's Love in redeeming the World; if we must do this once every week in an ordinary course, how much more may the Church and Spouse of Christ ap­point, and set apart, one day in the year, after an extraordinary manner, to medi­tate, and muse, and think on his Love in redeeming her from the hands of all her Enemies; for so indeed the holy Priest Zacharias tells us, in his Song called Benedictus, That this was the main End of our Redemption, Luk. 1.74. that we being delivered out of the hands of our Enemies, might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness, all the daies of our Life: Whereupon I infer, That [Page 42]if we must serve him all the daies of our life, as he may justly challenge and re­quire it at our hands, in regard he hath redeemed us, How much more ought we to meditate on his Love, not onely once a week, but also once in every year praise his most Holy Name after a more speciall and singular manner? For at this time especially and particularly, it may be said of Him, as the Psalmist doth Psal. 111.9. He sent Redemption unto his People; He hath commanded his Co­venant for ever, holy and reverend is His Name.

But, in your second Reason, you say That you never heard a good Argument for it: Well, be it so as you say, yet I dare say, that you say it, not so much out of your Ignorance, as through a miscon­struction and sinister Interpretation of that which you have both heard and read concerning this thing: Wherefore for answering you, first, Hoc tibi inno­tescere velimus, we do you to wit, or would have you to know and under­stand, That albeit the gray-headed An­tiquity and Authority of our dear Mo­ther, the Church of England, and the uniform Discipline with Us established, [Page 43]for some Centuries of years, making and constituting it an antient and lauda­ble Order, and generally approved Cu­stome, may be a sufficient Plea, Argu­ment and VVarrant to perswade you, or any other rational man to consent and conforme unto it; for what saith grave St. Austin, He that will have God to be his Father, must acknowledge the Church of God for his Mother: and then, let every Member of this Church remember that good and wholesome advice of Solomon's, Prov. 11.8. My Son, hear thy Fathers Instruction, and forsake not thy Mothers teaching: For St. Austin tells us in his Epist. 118. Extremae est dementiae seu insolentis in­saniae, ea negligere [...] repudiare quae tota observat ecclesia. It is extream folly, and insolent madnesse to neglect and re­fuse, to observe those things which the whole Church (whereof we are born Members) doth observe; yet for your better satisfaction herein, I have a de­sire and purpose to bring in a few Argu­ments, which perhaps may be thought by some to be as good, and strong, and forcible for the keeping of this Day, as any you have hi her to urged, or may [Page 44]hereafter devise and produce, against it.

The first that I shall propound and present to your quaint and curious and supercilious censure, or to your Austere and Rigid consideration, shall be the Legality and lawfulness of Ordering and Ordaining, and setting apart of some dayes of publick Thanksgiving, and holy rejoycing to the Lord for great Benefits, and publick Blessings received; which, if this day of Christ his Incarnation and Manifestation in the flesh, might be but set up and celebrated amongst the rest as it deserveth, I am perswaded it would contend and strive so for the Su­periority and Preheminence above the rest, that it would even devour and swallow the rest up, as Aarons Serpent did the Serpents of those Egyptian Ma­gicians and Praestigiators; or excell them, and cast them down, as the Ark did Dagon; or as the Image of Christ when it was placed by the Senators at Rome in the Capitol, threw down the Image of Jupiter, Mars, Mercury, and others of their feigned heathenish gods, as Ensebius and Nicephorus report it for [Page 45]truth; and the Men of this Generation would soon condescend and yield to this motion, and not deny nor gain-say this reasonable proposition, if they were not too much like those blind and blinded Pharisees among the Jews, who were for the most part, culicem excolan­tes, & Camelum deglutientes, apt and inclined to strain at a Gnat, and swallow a Cammel, Math. 23, 24. For if it be lawful to give God thanks for Corporal and Temporal Deliverances, How much more for our Spiritual and Eternal Deli­verance by Christ, from the thraldome of sinne and Sathan; Again, If it shall be thought lawful and allowable to praise God for the spilling of blood, 2 Kings 6. and de­stroying of Mens lives, (which yet nei­ther the Prophet Elisha, 2 Chron. 2.8. nor the Prophet Oded would allow of;) how much more then shall it be lawfull and commenda­ble to praise the Lord for the sparing and preserving of Mens lives, and for the saving of their Souls, and freeing or delivering both their Bodies and Souls from the everlasting pains and tor­ments of Death and Hell; For the Son of Man came to seak and save that which was lost, and God sent not his Son into the [Page 46]World, to condemn the World, but that the World through Him might be saved, Joh. 3.17.

The second Argument which I shall here set down for the solemnity of this Day, I will make bold to borrow from the words of St. Austin, which, I do not onely conjecture, but presume, were Preached and Delivered by him on the very Day; we find them recorded in his Serm. 2. & 4. de tempore; Be­hold (saith he), all of us are bidden on this Day to a Marriage, for Christ came out of the Virgins Womb, as a Bride­groom out of his Chamber; the God­head was joyned unto the Flesh, and the Flesh unto the God-head, and these two were coupled together; and, after an in­effable manner, in an ineffable Marriage made one. The marriage-Chamber was the Virgins Womb, (which he abhorred not) out of which that Sun of Righte­ousness, Christ Jesus came in the day of his Birth, as a Bridegroom out of his Chamber, Psal. 19.5. and as a strong man joyfull to run his race. For the Son of God, knowing that according to the eternall decree enacted in the Court of Heaven, [Page 47]our Salvation could not be perfected be­fore he was Incarnate; Gal. 4.4. in the fulnesse of time, came down (sealing our Redemp­tion) with rejoycing of Spirit, and glad­nesse of heart, exsuiting, trium phing, and preparing himself to the desired work of his mediatorship. Long had the Church waited and prayed for this com­ing of Christ in the flesh: Isa. 64.1. O would God thou wouldest burst the Heavens, and come down: Cant. 8.1.O that then werst as my Brother, which sucked the breast of my Mother, partaking the same humane na­ture with me. I would find thee with­out, here below on Earth, I would kisse thee, and familiarly intreat thee with­out the reproach of the World. Then I would lead thee, and bring thee into my Mothers house, though now I am penned up in the Straights of Judea, I would bring thee into the Light and Knowledge of the Universal Church, whose Daughter I am; and herefore he was worthily called desideratus om­nium gentium, Hag. 2.7. the desired of all Nati­ons: but when he came, he came merily; with nimbleness of Spirit, zeal of Piety, fervency of Love, as the Church espying him, joyfully relates it; It is the voice [Page 48]of my well-beloved, Cant. 2.8. Behold, he cometh leaping by the Mountains, skipping by the Hills: My well-beloved is like a Roe or Hart. He came flying on the wings of the Wind, he out-leapt Gabriel the Archangel, and came to the Virgin before him, by the Testimony of the Angel himself: Luk. 1.27. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Behold, Gabriel left Christ in Heaven, but finds him in the Womb: How so? Volavit & praevolavit super pennas vontorum, he flew, and out-flew him on the wings of the wind; he sent his Messenger, but (like Ahinoaz) got before him. Will you see his Jumps? He lept from Hea­ven into the Womb, from the Womb to the Manger, from the Manger to the Crosse, from the Crosse to the Grave, from the Grave to Heaven again: from whence we look for, and expect his second coming. David sang of this his alacrity; Psal. 20. The King is glad of thy strength (O Lord) and exceeding joyfull of thy Salvation, Quia verbum caro factum est, & habitavit in nobis; be­cause (saith Augustine on those words), The Word was made flesh, and dwelt in us, the Day of Christ's Nativity was [Page 49]his Day of Festivity, his Birth Day was his Mirth Day, for then his Mother Crowned him with the Crown of his Incarnation; which was the Day of his Espousals, or the Day of the joy and gladness of his heart, as it is so called, Cant. 3.10. This is a great Mystery (saith Paul), but I speak concerning Christ and the Church; &, sine dubio, magnum est pietatis mysterium; And without controversy great is the Mystery of godliness; How God was manifested in the Flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of Angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the VVorld, 1 Tim. 3.16. and received up in Glory; and He being thus ascended and received up into Glory; for the Heaven must receive Him (in regard of his bodily presence) untill the times of restitution of all things, saith Peter, Act. 3.21. And thus, leaving his Spouse the Church as a VViddow, as He hath enjoyned and Commanded her in the Gospel to think upon his Love, and of­tentimes to remember him and his Death, especially as often as she receiv­eth the blessed Sacraments of his Body and Blood: So she for her part thinks it meet not onely to Commemorate his [Page 50]Death, but sometimes, also especially once a year to Congratulate and Solace her self in remembrance of his Birth; That happy and joyful Marriage day which was once Solemnized betwixt her and that great King of Glorie's Son, who now sitteth at the right hand of his Fa­ther in Heaven: even as I have also ob­served it to be the fashion and condition of many good and honest Couples whilst they live on Earth together, to keep a solemn remembrance every year of their Wedding day, even untill their Dying day: So should every good Christian and faithful Soul keep a due and perpe­tual remembrance of her Loving Lord, and gracious Head and Husband, Christ Jesus. As it is reported of that famous Artemisia, That to shew her love to her dead Husband Mausolus, she took the ashes of his Urne or Pitcher, and mingled them with her Drink, and so intombed his dead Carkasse within her living Body: And it is said of blessed Ignatius after his Martyrdome, that these words were found written upon his heart (so it were to be wished that they were also ingraven and imprinted in Ours) Amor mens crucifixus, my [Page 51]Love Christ Jesus was crucified for me. But perhaps here you, will object, and say, that this is Symbolica Theologiae, and that it is not Argumentativa, (i. e.) that it is an Argument Rhetorical rather than Dialectical. What say you then to Theo­logia miraculis confirmata: which▪ in the third place I shall alleadge; namely, the strange accidents, and wonderful effects that happened at the Birth of Christ, or rather those rare and singular miracles that were acted and done near about the time of his Nativity: For a little before, this was it that made a young Babe while he was yet in the Womb of his Mother to Spring and Sprout, and leap therein for joy; yea, Luk. 1.44. this was it that made an old man that was dumb before, to speak, and to praise the Lord with a song; and say, Luke 1.6, 8. Blessed be the Lord, &c. And this was it that moved another old man, after he had seen the Lord Christ to hold him in his arms, and desire life no longer. He was so much ravished and overjoyed with the sight of his Saviour, that he present­ly chanted out Cantionem Cygneam, that swanne-like song, Lord, now it is enough, and I am abundantly satisfied [Page 52]because thou hast fulfilled my desire, in performing thy promise to me, that I should not see Death before I had seen thy Son.

To these we may add the apparition of that glorious Starr which shewed it self unto the Wise men of the East, about the time of his Nativity: which was not an ordinary Starr, but extraordinary and miraculously created at this time, for this very end and purpose, not onely to signifie, but to dignifie and set forth the Birth of Christ, Math. 2. for said they, We have seen his Starr in the East, that is, the Starr which he hath newly made, to testifie unto the World, that he is born. It differed from other Starrs in Place and Motion, in Lustre and Brightnesse. Haec stella quae solis rotam vincit decore ac lumine, saith Prudentius of this Starr; it hath another way then the way of the Starrs from the East to the South, from Persia to Palestina, it appeared not when other Stars appeared; It shined in the day, Other in the Night; it did appear & was hid, it was hid and did appear. It shew­ed it self before they entred Jerusalem, and hid it self while they were there: but [Page 53]so soon as they left Herod and the City, it did shew it self; and went right for­wards in a straight course towards Beth­lehem, no otherwise then the Cloud and Pillar of fire went before the People of Israel at their departure, and going out of Egypt into Canaan: It kept not the ordinary course of the Starrs, nor any proper way, for it went that way which the wise men would go, and when they would stand still, then that stood still; yea, it did not keep aloft like other Starrs, but it descended to shew the Messiah: the Messah so poor, so base and contemptible. Whereupon it is that St. Austin calleth it, magnifica lin­gua caeli, the stately congue of heaven, appointed by God, as it were, to reveal and preach unto the wise men that Christ was that Starr of Jacob, prophesied of by Balaam, Numb. 24.17. that he was Stella illa splendida & matutina, that bright Morning Starr, Revel. 22.16. and that he was Oriens ab alto, that day­spring from high, that came to visit us, and to give light to them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet in the way of Peace, as that holy Priest Zacharias telleth us [Page 54]comfortably in his song, Luke 1.75. Wherefore, as the Roman Orator speaks, so will I here say, Nihil horum era vultus (que) movernunt? and as the Ro­man Poet elegantly, Quid satis est, si Roma parum: so will I be bold here to speak it, Quid satis erit illi, cui non suf­ficient ista? If these things will not serve to convince you, I know not what will? Mark. 16. [...]6. For, if neither the VVord, nor Miracles, nor the VVord confirmed by Miracles, will prevail and work upon us to make us believe; then I say, as it is in the 16 of Luke at the last verse, If they hear not Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be perswaded, though one rose from the dead: Yet, willingly would I add here one strange thing more or two, (which are no more strange then true) as a Corollary and Appendix to the former; which though they were not Synchronisms, or things Contem­poraneous with the Birth of Christ, yet the People of our Nation, and our own Countrymen can witnesse them to be true, as I relate them; The first is the Thorne at Glastenbury in Sommerset­shire, which was commonly called Jo­seph's Thorne: which for many hun­dred [Page 55]years together, even (as it is to be thought) since the first arriving of Jo­seph of Arimathea there, which was within five years after the Death and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus, (as that antient Historian of our Nation, the Golden-mouthed Gildas reporteth) this Thorne constantly budded and shewed forth its green leaves, fair, fresh and flourishing on this Day every year, to the great admiration of all Specta­tors that came of purpose to behold it; and this was no other then a Miracle, and may serve for our confirmation in the faith of Him, who, for our sakes was contented to wear (Coronam Spi­neam) a Crown of Thornes: Or it may well be supposed, that ir flourished on this Day, to testifie the truth of his Nativity, and to signifie the flourishing Estate of the Gospel by Him, which shall prosper and flourish, manger the head and hatred of all Gain-sayers. And although this Thorne be now, as they say, cut down by some spightful and malig­nant Zoilus; yet, those sufficient men of our parts, who, with their eyes have seen it, and beheld it, will still talk of it, and tell it to their Children, not for an [Page 56]old Wives Fable, but for truth; and one Gentleman among the rest of good rank and quality in these Parts (who is a man well affected and devoted to the power and purity of Religion) for that Thorn's sake, having seen it, doth strictly, and carefully, and conscionably keep this Day, and is resolved to ob­serve and keep it so long as he liveth.

The other rare and strange thing, are the three pitts of Durham, commonly called Hell kettles, which are adjoy­ning near unto Darlington, whose Wa­ters are somewhat warm; these are thought to come of an Earth-quake, which happened in the year of Grace, 1179. whereof the Chronicle of Tin­mouth maketh mention, whose record is this; That on Christmasday at Oxen-Hall, in the Territories of Darlington, within the County of Durham, the ground heaved aloft, like unto a high Tower, and so continued all that day, as it were unmoveable, untill the eve­ning, and then fell with so horrible a noise, that it made the Neighbourhood-dwellers much afraid, and the Earth swallowed it up, and made in the same place three deep pits, which are there [Page 57]to be seen for a Testimony unto this Day. Here then we may apply that of the Psalmist, and say, Tremble thou Earth at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob, which tur­ned the hard Rock into a standing Wa­ter, and the flint stone into a springing Well, Psal. 114.7, 8. But whilst I am relling you a story of a Thorne-Tree, and of deep pits of Water, you bring me into another difficult and thorny question, and plunge me, as it were, in a deep pit of non plus, or nil ultra; and into such a quick and and quagmire of troublesome meditation, that I shall hardly get out of it; the Quaery is this ninth following.

Answer to the ninth Argument.

The ninth Argument is this; It is an impossibility to keep it, and God never made an impossibility a Duty: and, that no man in the World knoweth certainly what day Christ was born on.

To this I answer, although I first in­genuously confesse, according to that Adage, Davus sum ego, non Oedipus: [Page 58]for it is true which Chrysostome saith, Praestat probâ ignoratione detineri quàm falsa opinione mancipari. It is easier to plow in the plain, then in the ground new-stocked; better to write on a pa­per free from writing, than on that which is full of lines; and more easie to reach the simple, then him that is opinionated of his own knowledge: Better it is for a man, and more com­mendable to confess a little ignorance, then to boast of too much knowledge; wherefore, as Beza on that place in 1 Cor. 11.10. For this Cause ought the Woman to have power on her head, be­cause of the Angels gives no other note but this, Quid hoc sit, nondum mihi liquet, wherein he confesseth, he did not understand, as yet, what the Apostle meant by these words: So if we should here yield and acknowledge that we do not certainly know what day Christ was born on: Vaux. yet, As a late Starr­gazing Speculator takes upon him in his Almanack, to define the year of Christ his coming to Judgment, but dare not precisely set down the day and hour of his coming; So perhaps we shall here endeavour, pro Nosse & Posse, [Page 59]to calculate and discover unto you the year when our Saviour Christ was born, if not the day. And for this I shall re­ferr you to the Rhemists Marginal note on the second of Luke, which re­ports unto us that in the year from the Creation of the World 3199, from Noah's flood 2957, from the Nati­vity of Abraham 2015, from Moses and the coming forth of the People of Israel out of Egypt 1510, from David anointed King 1032, from the first Olympias 800, from the building of Rome 752, Hebdomada 63, according to the prophecy of Daniel (c. 9.) that is in the year 440, or thereabout; in the sixth age of the World, when there was universal Peace in all the World: the eternal God, and son of the eternal Father, meaning to Consecrate and Sanctifie the World with his most bless­ed coming, being conceived of the Holy Ghost nine Months after his Con­ception; Jesus Christ the Son of God is born in Bethlehem of Juda, in the year of Caesar Augustus 42 (Usuard in the Martyrol) And then why should not the 25 of Decem. be as so­lemnly ob­served, and kept, as the 5 of Nov. December 25 according to the common ancient supputation. But it may be, you will object against this, & [Page 60]because it comes from the Rhemists, you will mislike it, and disdain it; yet nevertheless (I say) because it is not thwarted nor contradicted by Calvin, nor Beza, nor Fulke, nor any other of our late Protestant Writers; I see no just Cause or Reason why we should re­ject it, but rather receive it, Fide histo­ricâ, and believe it for truth, as it is faithfully and exactly related by them for a sufficient Author, and ancient Chronologer, or Reporter of that which was nothing else but a true story, and cannot be denyed or disproved; yet, put the Case here that we neither do, nor cannot certainly know the Day where­on Christ was born, therefore shall it be thought a thing impossible to keep it? Then by the same 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 [Page 61]twenty four hours; or a day artificial consisting of twelve hours, from Sun­rising 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 K [...]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 [Page 62]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, [Page 63]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 [Page 64]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. 'Tis 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 [Page 66]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 and hour, of that last day and hour, Omnem crede di­em, &c. And doth not our Saviour him­self tell us as much, and forwarn us, both in the 24. and 25. Chapter of St. Mat­thew's Gospel, Watch therefore, for ye neither know the day nor the hour where­in [Page 67]the Son of man cometh; But whereas you say that God hides things on pur­pose from us, to see whether we will do any thing on our own heads, I perceive your meaning is, that God hath so hid­den and concealed the day of Christ's Birth from us, to try whether we will celebrate and observe it, or no, as both you and others of your Fraternity have made the Comparison, and vented and vaunted it in the Pulpit, touching the body of Moses, how God should bury it Himself in some secret place, and keep it from the Knowledge of the Children of Israel, lest they should worship and adore it: So you would have the Re­membrance of this day to be buried for ever, and quite obliterated and forgot­ten, lest we should commit Idolatry to it. Now, touching the body of Moses, we know it was buried by God, as ap­peareth, Deut. 34.6. that no man should know where his Sepulchre was: There­fore, as learned Fulk answereth the Rhe­mists on the Epistle of Jude, at the 9th. verse; It is like, the Altercation and Combat that is there mentioned to be betwixt Michael the Archangel and the Devil about it, was immediately before [Page 68]that time, when the Devil desired to have the Body of Moses discovered, that it might be abused to Idolatry; as it al­waies hath been the practise of Sathan to persecute the Saints while they live, and to make Idols of their Bodies when they are dead. That ancient Father which wrote the Book De Mirabilibus Sacrae Scripturae, which goeth under the name of St. Augastine lib. 1. cap. 35. writeth thus of the body of Moses; For two Causes, as wise men say, No man was privy of his death, nor of his Sepul­chre; First, That no man should see that face, which had shined through the familiarity of the Lord's Speech unto him, stricken down or dimmed with the heaviness of Death. And then Se­condly, lest the People of Israel, if they had known where his Sepulchre was, should have adored it. Wherefore, as most men think, he carried away with him the Rod wherewith he had done Wonders, lest it should have been ado­red; seeing the Children of Israel did afterwards adore the Serpent which he made.

But there cannot be the same reason for the burying of Christ's Birth-day, as [Page 69]was for the burying of the Body of Mo­ses; It is but a lame Similitude, neither can the Comparison be aequivaleut, or any way co-incident or correspondent; for Moses was but a Servant, Christ a Son; and the Servant abideth not in the House for ever, but the Son abideth e­ver, Joh. 8.35. Moses was a Type and Shadow, Christ the Body and Substance; the Shadow vanisheth, but the Body and Substance remaineth. Besides this, the one was but a Man, the other God, even God and Man; and shall that be coun­ted Idolatry and Superstition, which is a holy Worship, and devout Service performed to the true God? So that Moses must yield, subscribe, and give way to Christ; when he is present, the Law must depart out of the Conscience, Isa. 28.20. and leave the Bed which is so strait, that it cannot hold two, to Christ alone: For the Law came by Moses, but Christ hath put an end to the Law, and so Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ, Joh. 1.16. (i. e.) Joy, and Liberty, and Freedom, and Justification, and Redemption; for if the Son once shall make us free, we shall be free indeed. For there is a great Antithesis, even a great deal of [Page 70]distance and difference, betwixt Moses and Christ, the Law and the Gospel; the one being the ministration of Death & Condemnation, and the other the mi­nistration of Righteousnesse and Life e­ternal, 2 Cor. 3. And therefore I say, to conclude this Point, that this day is not so hidden and obscured from us, but that the very dawning and breaking thereof is discovered and descryed: For, did not the heavenly Herald proclaim it in the fields of Bethlehem? and did not the Shepherds find it to be true, that very day, according as the Angel had told them? and shall we think that there were no Registers nor Records of it in that City wherein he was born? and did not that Starr in the East, signi­fying this Day-Star from on high com­ing to visit us; did it not directly point the Wise-men to the place of his Birth? Yea, And Christ himself told the Jews of this his day, Job, 8.56. saying, Your Father Abraham rejoyced to see my day, and he saw it and rejoyced: Hic Dies Do­mini uil aliud significat quàm Adven­tum Christi in carne, This day of Christ (saith Beza, on that place in John) sig­nifieth nothing else but his first coming [Page 71]in the Flesh, which many Prophets and Kings desired to have seen as well as Abraham; for the Messias is cal­led The desire of all Nations, Hag. 2.8. of whom the Prophets enquired, search­ing when or what time the Spirit, which was in them, should declare the Suffe­rings which should come to Christ, and the Glory that should follow, 1 Pet. 1.11. When Balaam had prophecyed of Christ, There shall come a Star out of Ja­cob, and a Scepter shall rise out of Israel, Numb. 24.17. he brake forth into this Passion; Alass! Who shall live when God doth this? As if he should have said, Happy men are they, who shall see that glorious Star, and Sun of Righ­teousness, coming out of his Chamber as a Bride-groom; giving light to such as sit in darkness, and in the Shadow of Death: Oh that thou wouldest break the Heavens and come down, said the Prophet, Isa. 64.1. Good old Simeon looked long for this day, and with an earnest desire waited for the consolati­on of Israel: So did also Joseph of Ari­mathaea, that honourable Counsellor & great Friend and Well-wisher to Christ; for he also himself was one of them who [Page 72]waited for the Kingdom of God, Luk. 23.51. So did that ancient and reve­rend Father St. Augustine, of whom it is reported that he wished he might have seen three things especially, Rome in her Glory, Paul in the Pulpit, and Christ in the Flesh. If the Queen of Sheba reputed the Servants of Solomon happy, for that, attending about his Throne, 1 King. 10.8. 1 King. 4.33. they heard his Wisdom dif­coursing of Prees, from the Cedar that is in Lebanon, even unto the Hyssop that springeth out of the Wall: How blessed and happy then may we think were the Disciples of Christ, in hearing a greater than Solomon, Math. 12.4. and in seeing him who was fairer than the Sons of Men, Psal. 45.3. and in whom also are hid all the Treasures of Wis­dom and Knowledge, Colos. 2.3.

Answer to the eleventh Argument.

In the Eleventh Objection you say, It hath not been the Practise of Christian Churches to observe the Birth-day of Christ.

To this I say, you deserve a sharp re­jection, and a serious and severe repre­hension. For it is a meer falshood, and a grosse and manifest untruth; and I wonder that a man of your account, Countenance and gravity, should suffer such an unjustifiable thing, to fall ei­ther from your tongue or pen; for I say, contrarium hujus argumenti est ve­rum, &, credat Judaus Apella, non ego, believe it who will, for I cannot other­wise be perswaded, but you speak herein that which is contrary to truth: for, be­sides that it is well known among the Learned, especially by those who are conversant in the large Volumes, and accurate writings of the Ancient Fa­thers; It hath been the annuall and constant Practice of the Primitive Church to observe it; especially in the time, August. 118. Epist. cap. 7. and since the time of Constantine the Great, who gave peace to the Church and commanded this Festivall time among divers others to be observed. Witnesse August. con. Aimant. c. 16.118. Epist. and in divers of his Ser­mons de Tempore, especially in his se­cond and fourth Sermon de Tempore. Witnesse Fulgentius de dup. Nat. Chri­sti, [Page 74]witnesse Ambrose de Incarnat. Do­mini, witnesse Bernard in his first Ser­mon in Nat. Domini. for that ingenu­ous and Religions man, that witty and Godly Father of the Primitive Church, preaching on this day, in that his first Sermon, and towards the latter end of it, uttered these words, and said, Brevi­tas temporis cogit me contrahere & co­arctare Sermonem meum; the shortness of the time constraineth me to shorten my Sermon, at this time; & ne cui ve­strûm sit mirum, si brevis esse laboro, Let none (quoth he) wonder if my words be short, seeing on this day, God the Fa­ther hath abbreviated his own Word: For whereas it was so long and so large, that it filled Heaven and Earth (Jer. 23.24.) it was on this day so short, that it was laid in a Manger: I wish here un­fainedly, with the same devour Bernard in his Sermon in Natalem Domini, that as the Word was made flesh, so our stony Hearts may be made flesh also; that we might alwayes meditate on his Sacred Message, and his. Heavenly Gospell: Unto you this day is born, in the City of David, a Saviour which is Christ the Lord: For all our sound comfort stands [Page 75]in happinesse, and all our happinesse is in the Fellowship and Communion with God, and all our Fellowship and Communion with God, is by Jesus. Christ, for so that good Divine St. John, tells us in his 1 Epist. cap. 2.3. Where­fore also, St. Austin useth a most ex­cellent acclamation, to this purpose, in his ninth Sermon de Tempore, which as it is probable, he also preached on this day, ô beatum vagitum Infantuli be­ati, oh the blessed crying of a blessed babe, by which every faithfull servant and Son of God, escapeth eternal how­lings in Hell; ô splendidum & Glorio­sum praesepe! Oh famous and glorious Manger, in which our Souls Manna lay! [...], the bread of life that came down from Heaven, on which if a man once, &c. ô quàm dites: sunt panni tui! Oh how Rich and Honourable are the rags which have made plaisters for our sores, even for our sins! I will shut up this passage with a Hymn of Prudentius.

And what say you now to these things before said? Can they not yet perswade you to yield, that it was the practise of Christian Churches in Antient times to observe it? Yet put the case, or sup­pose it was not; you cannot, yea, I hope you will not deny, but it hath been the practise of these our Churches of Great Brittain, I mean the Churches of England, Scotland, and Ireland, for divers Centuries, or hundreds of years to observe it; for they are both Chri­stian, and reformed Churches, and there­fore, unlesse you mean by Christian Churches, the old Brownists of Am­sterdam, or the new Anabaptists, and Antipaedobaptists of England, and o­ther the like proud and phantasticall, and Pharisaicall Sectaries, and Separa­tists that are amongst us, in these Giddy and unsetled times of ours, who think there is no true Christian Church, but what is of their choosing, planting, and erecting; who, like the Jews of old, cry Templum Domini, or like the Papists, who will have no Church to be a true Church, but their Church at Rome; who stand upon their Pontificatibus, and are [Page 77]all for the justification of their own O­pinion, saying as those Justiciaries of old did, Esay 65.5. Stand by thy self, or stand far off me, come not near me, for I am Holier then thou, &c. And here I could tell you a thing (which perhaps also you are not ignorant of) that the late upstart Seraphicall illuminated Independents, (as it is commonly thought) are likely to jostle and thrust the proud, rigid, Fantasticall, and Pha­risaicall Presbyterians out of their pla­ces, even as they have cunningly sup­planted, and undermined the Reverend Bishops, and their conformable Clergy out of theirs, neque enim lex justior ulla est, Quam necis artifices, &c. Indeed I ne­ver heard nor read of any Christian Churches, but have observed this day; and therefore howsoever such factious and Schismaticall Wild-brain'd Zelots of our time, refuse to do it, and both write and speak against it, yet we know that all the Antient Fathers of the Pri­mitive Church, did celebrate it with great Solemnities, as Mr, Fisher in his Vindication of our Gospell Festivalls, hath wittily observed in his fifth Secti­on, even Cyprian, Basil, Nazianzene, [Page 78]Ambrose, Epiphanius, Jerome, Chryso­stome, Fulgentius, alledging and produ­cing their very words, which they prea­ched on this day, and proving it withall, punctually plainly, and directly, that it was the 25th day of December that Christ was born on: And further, to confute your palpable Errour, he tells us there, That the Churches of Helvetia, Bohemia, Leye Sun­day a Sab. pag. 173. Dr. Rayn. Confer. with Hart. c. 8. S. 2.Bremen, Auspurg, the Chur­ches of Savoy, Poland, Hungary, Scot­land, France, and the Low-Countries, do allow the Feasts that belong to Christ, his Nativity, Circumcision, Passion, &c. The Churches of Denmark, Sweden, and all other Lutheran-Churches, do solemnly observe the Feast of the Nati­vity of Christ, and on that day use pro­per Hymns of Thanksgiving, made by Martin Luther himself; Perth. As­sembly re­futed. pag. 85. the Church of Geneva doth celebrate the day of his Nativity: wherefore (as he saith here for a Conclusion) seeing we are compassed about with so great a Cloud of Wit­nesses, we must, according to the truth, affirm, That the Celebration of this Feast, is confirmed by the judgment of the Christian Church in all ages. So we conclude against you, that your eleventh [Page 79]Assertion is a meer falshood, and ma­nifest untruth, and no more to be credi­ted or believed, then that vain fancy, and fond surmise 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 [Page 80]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-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 [Page 81]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; [Page 82]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 [Page 83]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 [Page 84]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 un­der [...]ood, therefore those that are un­learned and unstable, do wrest them and perven them to their own Destru­ction, [...] P [...]. 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 i [...] is land [...]ed unto us by the Word of God. [...] prayer. The like may be said of [...] Sanctuary of our God, of the Sab [...] [...] the Sacraments; for unto the [...] things are pure; but unto [Page 85]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 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 Ga­mings 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 [Page 86]been done at this time, the gallant Ho­spitality, the free and generous House­keeping, 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 [Page 87]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 [Page 88]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 ver [...] 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 [Page 89]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 Interpre [...]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. [Page 90]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 z [...]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 [Page 91]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. And from thence, this Rod and this Power of his shall streth forth it self throughout all the World; and this Power chiefly consisteth and stand­eth in the Preaching of his Word; and by this Rod, and by this Scepter of thy Kingdom, which is a right Scepter, be thou Ruler in the middest of thine E­nemies; thy People shall come willing­ly at the time of assembling thine Ar­my in holy beauty, (i.e.) by thy Word, [Page 92]thy People shall be assembled into thy Church; whose Increase shall be so ab­undant, so plentiful, and so wonderful as the drops of the Dew of the Mor­ning; For it is said, The Youth of thy Womb shall be as the Morning Dew, or (as the ordinary Reading of the Psalm is), In the Day of thy Power shall they offer thee Free-will-Offerings with a Holy Worship; the Dew of thy Birth is of the Womb of the Morning. Which howsoever some Interpret it of the Birth of Christ, yet Junius and Tre­melius do understand it to be innumera illa multitudo electorum quae comparebit in ecclesia tanquam stillans ros à coele, & sub auroram depluens, That innumera­ble multitude of the Elect, which shall be as visible and apparent, and as abun­dant in the Church, as the dew which distilleth from Heaven, and lyeth on the face of the Earth in the morning; as we know the Elect else-where in the Scrip­ture are compared to the Starrs of Hea­ven, Gen. 22.17 and to the sand which is upon the Sea-shore for multitude; the Prophet Haggai hath also foretold of these things, speaking of the peace, and plen­ty, and glory of the Church of God, [Page 93]that should be by the Kingdome and coming of Christ: Thus saith the Lord of Hosts, saith he, Yet a little while, and I will shake the Heavens and the Earth, and the Sea, and the dry Land; and I will move all Nations, and the de­sire of all Nations shall come, and I will fill this House with Glory, saith the Lord of Hosts. The desire of all Nations shall come; (i. e.) Christ, for in Him are all things that can be desired, and all Nations ought to look for, and de­sire Him; and therefore in this sense He is called Rex gentium, the King of Na­tions, because all Nations ought not onely to seek and desire Him, Jer. 10.7. but also to serve Him and obey Him: And doth not also the Prophet Zachariah say as much? For he prophesied much about the time as Haggai did, and was sent of the Lord to help him in the labour, and to confirm the same Doctrine, even when the time of the 70 years Captivity, pro­phesied by Jeremiah, was expired; and he paralleleth or compareth that time of their deliverance from Captivity, to this happy time of our spiritual delive­rance from the thraldome and Capti­vity of Sin and Sathan; saying, Zach. [Page 94]9.9. Kejoyce greatly O Daughter of Zion; shout for joy O Daughter of Je­rusalem; Behold, Thy King cometh un­to thee; He is just, and having Salvati­on; He is meek and lowly, Riding upon an Asse, and upon a Colt the foal of an Asse. And I will cut off the Chariot from Ephraim, and the Horse from Je­rusalem, and the Battle-bow shall be cut off; and He shall speak peace unto the Heathen, and His Dominion shall be from Sea even to Sea, and from the River (i. e. from the River Euphrates) even to the Ends of the Earth. Here is suc­cess enough, if we observe it; for His Dominion shall be from Sea to Sea, that is, from the Red Sea, to the Sea called Syriacum: and by these places, which the Jews knew well enough, he meant an infinite space and compass over the whole World. As for Thee also, (i. e. as for Thee Oh Daughter of Zion and Daughter Jerusalem) by the blood of my Covenant, (i. e.) the blood of Christ, Thou shalt be saved; and by this blood I have loosed, or I have sent forth the Prisoners out of the pit, (i. e.) not the pit of purgatory, or Limbus patrum, as the Papists would have it understood; [Page 95]but out of the bottomless pit of Hell, wherein there is no water; (i. e.) no Comfort, no Cooling, no refreshing at all, for they that are there, are alwayes scorched and tormented in these infer­nal, eternal, and unquenchable flames without any hope of ease or end at all, as it may appear by the confession of Dives; Turn ye then to the strong hold, ye Prisoners of hope, even to Day do I declare that I will render double unto Thee; that is, double Benefit, and prosperity in respect of that which your Fathers enjoyed, from David's time to the Captivity, as some Interp [...]e [...] the place; or, as others think, by double in that place, may well be understood a double deliverance; not onely a Tem­poral and Corporal, but a Spiritual and Eternal deliverance; no onely a delive­rance from 400 years bondage in Egypt, Act. 7.6. or from 70 years Captivity in Babylon, but from the everlasting bondage, Cap­tivity, and Thraldome of Sin and Sarban. Wherefore comfort ye my People, doth your God say by the mouth of the Prophet Isaiah, Isa. 40.1.Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto Her, that Her warfare is accomplished, (i. e.) That [Page 96]the time of Her affliction is ended, and that Her iniquity is pardoned, for She hath received of the Lord's hand dou­ble for all her sins, (i. e.) as some under­stand it sufficient correction for all Her sins, insinuating that the Lord will afflict his People no more so long, or so sharp­ly, because his Loving-kindness hath overcome his heavy displeasure; so saith Jerome and Calvin, the word [dou­ble] ought to be taken for enough, or full, as it is used by the same Prophet, or as some interpret it, Isa. 61.7. double grace for double grief; as Jerusalem had a dou­ble punishment, one in her Soul, ano­ther in her Body; so now, she shall have by Christ a double blessing, vix. in this World Collation of grace, and in the World to come possession of glory: or a double favour; First, in that her travail is ended; Secondly, For that her sin is pardoned: or double, that is, as Va­tablus and Arcularius expound it, many benefits, a certain number being put for an uncertain, (which is an usuall Hebraism in the old Testament,) for the sufferings of Christ are a sufficient pro­pitiation for all her sins, 1 Joh. 2.2. and for the sins of the whole World: yea, where [Page 97]sin abounded, there grace super-aboun­ded, saith Paul, Rom. 5.20. For, that place in Esay before alleadged, is, a di­rect prophesie concerning the coming of Christ in the flesh, and the happy success of this Day, as both Musculus and Hyperius and Calvin do expound it; and the coming of Christ in the Flesh (you know) is the consolation of Israel, and comfort of Jerusalem, (for so it is called, Luke 2.25.) and this comfort the God of all comfort will have proclai­med unto Jerusalem by the mouth of all his Prophets and Preachers, which have bin since the World began, and so we find in holy Writ, that he stirred up Daniel, Haggai, Malachi, Zachariah, Ezra, Nehemiah, and other; (untill the coming of Christ himself) who did alwayes exhort his People, to be of good chear, and to be of good comfort in the midst of all their afflictions and tribulations, and still to hope against hope, as our Father Abraham did: Rom. 4.1 [...] So Zacharias, in his Hymn, openeth his mouth, saying, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he hath Visited and Re­deemed his People, raysing up the horn of Salvation unto us, as he speak by the [Page 98]mouth of all his Prophets, which have been since the World began; So St. Peter in his Sermon, ad populum, all the Prophets from Samuel, and thenceforth, as many have spoken, have likewise foretold of these dayes; and to Cornelius, that pious and famous Captain of Casarea, Acts 10.43. To him give all the Prophets witness, That through his Name, all that believe in Him shall receive remission of sins: Now with what face can any man say, That God hath not blessed this Day with successe, seeing this Day hath pro­duced so many good & gracious effects, glorious wonders, and these not only in the Earth, but also in the Heavens; for if we will believe Venerable Beda, it was so, nato Domino, stellae dederunt lumen in Cus­todiis, & laetatae sunt; plus nam (que) solit [...] luxêrrent ei cum Jocunditate, qui fecit illas, quasi sign is sic conclamantes, Hic est domi­nus noster & non aestimabitur alius: The Staris at His Birth did shine more clearly and chearfully then their cu­stom was; because their Maker was then born, seeming to tell us; This is the Lord our God, and we must look for none other. Here me-thinks, alluding to that excellent saying in Job, I cannot chuse but argue and inferr upon it; Did [Page 99]the Starrs of the morning praise him, the wise men of the East rejoyce, and so the Shepheards, and all the Chil­dren of God (i. e.) the Angels rejoyce and sing? Job 38.7. And why then shall we be dumb and silent? and not break forth into the like Exultation, Jubilation, and Rejoycing? And have we not a war­rant so to do, Psal. 33.1. Rejoyce in the Lord, Oye Righteous, for it becometh well the just to be thankful; Rejoyce in the Lord alwayes, and again I say Rejoyce, Phil. 4.4. Yea, let the heart of all them rejoyce that serve the Lord. Let us then here a little correct our Selves and re­collect our Spirits, as those four leprous men did, who returned from the spoyl of the Syrian-Camp; and say, We do not well, This Day is a Day of good ty­dings, and should we hold our peace? For mine own part, let the Leprosie of those men cleave unto my skin, if it be not as joyful a thing to me to record, and recount, to commemorate and con­gratulate the honour and happinesse, and good success of this Day, as ever it was to them to carry the happy news of the flight of Aram: Rejoyce then O ye Heavens, and be glad O Earth, for [Page 100]on this Day Heaven and Earth were re­conciled, and God was made Man to make peace between God and Man: Rejoyce, O Grandfather Adam, for on this Day, that first promise made unto thee concerning Christ, began to be ful­filled, How that the seed of the Woman should break the Serpents head, Gen. 3.15. Rejoyce, father Abraham; for on this Day in thy Seed All the Nations of the Earth are blessed, Gen. 22.18. Re­joyce, King David; for on this Day God hath of the fruit of thy Body, set a King upon thy Throne, Psal. 132.11. Re­joyce, ye Prophets of the Lord; for all your prophecyes on this Day were ful­filled. Rejoyce ye that are sick, for on this Day the Physitian of the World was borne. Venit de coelo magnus Medicus, Qui per totom ubi (que) Jacebat agrotus, saith St. Austin. Rejoyce ye Virgins, for a Virgin on this Day brought forth a Son: Rejoyce ye Children, for on this Day the great God became a little Babe: Let all People, Jews, and Gentiles; Bond and Free; High and Low; Rich and Poor, one with another: Let all rejoyce together, for that He who was in the beginning without any [Page 101]beginning; for He is that true Melche­zedeck, who is [...], having neither beginning of Dayes, nor end of Life, Heb. 7.3. And therefore in this sense is Styled an everlasting Father, Isa. 9.6. because he is the Author of eternity to all Crea­tures, for that He who was in the begin­ning, before all beginnings, and in a time when there was no time measured or limited out, Gal. 4.4. yet in the fulness of time was made of a Woman, and wrap­ped in Swadling-Clothes; for that He who [...], Luke 2.7. the Word became Infans in cunis vagiens, an Infant not able to speak one syllable; so that He, who was God, did vouchsafe to become Deus nobiscum, God with us; yea, and to dwell amongst us, appearing in the shape of a Man; for as the Apostle ex­ellently expresseth both his humiliati­on and exaltation, thus saying, Phil. 2.7, 8, 9, 10, 11. Ipse sese exinanivit (i. e.) as Theodore Beza neat­ly expoundeth it, Quasi ex omni seipsum ad nihil redegit, (i. e.) He that at first made all things of nothing, did after­wards make nothing of Himself for Man's sake, He made Himself of no Reputation, and took upon Him the form of a Servant, and was made in the [Page 102]likeness of a Man; and being found in fashion of a Man, he humbled Himself, and became obedient unto Death, even the Death of the Cross: Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a Name which is above eve­ry Name, That at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in Heaven, of things in Earth, and of things under the Earth: and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. To which God the Father, and God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost, three in one, and one in three; one immortall, invisible, indivisible, incomprehensible, and one onely ever wise God; be ren­dred and ascribed (as of due belongeth) all Honour and Glory, Power, and Praise, and Obedience, both now and for ever more Amen.