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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
master_n	able_a	good_a	word_n	268	4	3.7846	3	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A96885	Christ-mas day, the old heathens feasting day, in honour to Saturn their idol-god. The Papists massing day. The prophane mans ranting day. The superstitious mans idol day. The multitudes idle day. Whereon, because they cannot do nothing: they do worse then nothing. Satans, that adversaries working-day. The true Christian mans fasting-day. Taking to heart, the heathenish customes, Popish superstitions, ranting fashions, fearful provocations, horrible abhominations committed against the Lord, and His Christ, on that day, and days following.	Woodward, Ezekias, 1590-1675.	1656 (1656)	Wing W3482; Thomason E868_3; ESTC R207652	24,177	32

walked in the Temple c. Now as we conceive here is the very Hinge ●● the Argument from our Lords example observing that novel Feast for that is the force of the word is of the Argument Our Lord and Saviour observed that Feast a novel thing and meerly of mans institution Therefore may we observe the Feast of his Nativity Well It is not a day for mirth but rather in some respects of signing with breaking of the Loyns yet we cannot pass over this without a smile at least though we are serious for the truth and ridentem dicere vere quis negat so we say on and enquire into this farther we mean this Feast of Dedication that so we may try the strength of this H●●e whereon this Argument holds We read the Temple was Dedicated three times First by Solomon in the seventh Moneth 2 Kings 8. that was in the midst of Autum Then after the Temple was restored and built again by Nehemiah and his fellow-workmen It was Dedicated again by him the third day of the twelfth Neh. 12. 27. Moneth which falls out in our twelfth and first Moneths commonly called February and March It was a Festival time with them as we read but it held but that time we mean it was not Anniversary it was not observed the Year after neither by King Solomon nor by that Prince-like Ruler Nehemiah The third time after it was renewed and purged Dedicated by Judas Machabaeus in the Moneth Chisten which answers our tenth Moneth December therefore it was said in the Text And it was Winter It was ordered also that ●he Mac. 4. 59. Feast of Dedication be kept in its season from Year to Year by the space of eight days from the five and twentieth day of that Moneth called with us December Indeed to speak our mind here in passage onely and then to go on This their Feast and th●s your Feast we make bold to call it yours because you seem to own it and to hold for the observation of it falling out pat upon one day would make a wise man after the flesh as surely it doth mad upon that Idol-day to observe it as an holy-day and with more strict and solemn observation then he will or possibly can that onely Holy-Day which hath the stamp of the Lord upon it but of this anon That which is now to be done is to vindicate our Lord going up to that Feast And that in so doing it will not justifie us in our observation of that Festival Day the Church observes all over the Nation or the National Church there First then to justifie our Lords practise 〈◊〉 it needed ou● justification Sect. 3. This we say That our Lord did not observe the Feast but the season or opportu●●●● 〈…〉 of 〈◊〉 good As Paul who followed him obs 〈…〉 day of Prince at Jerusalem and afterward ●● Ephes●● Acts 20. 16 Co● 16. 8. See Calvin upon the place There he knew he should find a grea 〈…〉 of people very observant of their ow● days which are devised of their own heart as Jeroboams Feast was and have their own s●a 〈…〉 on them His heart was upon his work the doing 〈…〉 will He did it as chearfully as we eat and drink 〈…〉 the seasons and all advantages to do good the manner of all that walk as he walked He went up to the Feast though of mans institution and as the advise is spragit manum some good might be done some seeds might take as he well knew that knew all things And though i● was winter yet he went up Be it fair or foul Sun-shine or rain Summer or Winter it hinders not a true Christian from doing his duty for he doth in desire and endeavour as Christ did It is natural to the new Creature the divine Nature so to do But now if it be replyed here as we think it will That a Minister is never like to find such a Concourse of people at his meeting place as he may do on that day And therefore if all advantages of doing good may and ought to be taken why may not a Minister preach a good may and ought to be taken why may not a Minister preach a good Sermon on that day and take his Warrant from his Lords practise going up to Jerusalem on that Feast day To this we would briefly reply these things Sect. 4. ¶ 1. It is not always safe to do what we read the Lord did though we may urge him for our example Our Lord went over the Sea on foot he could that made the Sea make the sea solid like the land to bear him up we must not do so unlesse we have a more then his Example his word too as Peter had COME Again the Lord Christ went into a chiefe Pharisees house to dinner Mat. 14. 29. on the Sabbath day where there was great Company and answerably great Cheer probable it is it was a marriage feast Luk. 14. 1. He did not allow of the feast nor of the usage or manners of the guests there nor of our feastings on the Lords day but there he took the season to do good and to correct the ill and being Lord of time and Master of the means and end could remove as pleased him whatever hindered all this which the best Minister in the world is not able to doe which we take to be considerable at this point Secondly we should say granting this that all advantages are to be taken for doing good That as Master Burroughs an excellent preacher in his days saith A Sermon may be preached on that day and another on the following day it being a time of leisure a vacant idle time which no time should be the least minute whereof is too much to give to idleness or sin which is all one the one is the mother the other the daughter his meaning i● A good Minister should take all the advantages to doe good why then take the season give the people their expectation a Sermon on this day so we may do and do well too as he may choose his Text and handle it before the people which will be sure enough if he be a good Minister and a Godly man too to throw out the observation of this day their super●●itions her in and their heathenish customes all that time along which wil not be a good Sermon in the peopl●s eares But if this Sermon be for the holding up of that day the greater the concourse of people shall be the more hurt and mischiese he will do by his Sermon It is the word of institution from the Lord that makes the day holy And the words which the Minister speaks to the people must have a word from God for it else no word of blessing can be expected from the Lord upon it Gods word of blessing goeth along wi●h his word of institution So now we have done with the first undertaking to justifie our Lords pract●se

their writings And therefore you conclude That other matters are to be handled and that point of observation as to that day not to be dealt in before the people let them alone with their customes It is a controverted point holy men are for the observation of that day and holy men against it Let it be left in Medio speak neither for it nor against it medio tutissimus ibis this is your advice and we judge it not but thank you for it Your intentions may be holy your ends pure before your own eyes and the eyes of others And all that is nothing before God unto which Master you stand or fall It is not what our intentions are but what the word of institution is for that carries it against all the godly and learned men of the world suppose them to be all and every one for the keeping holy that day whereas we are verily perswaded you will not find two godly men now adays maintaining the Observation of that Feast either by their writing preaching or practise yet if you should spye out two we humbly conceive they are too many by two And we could wish that you had not spoken a word in favour of it for the least word whispered in favour of an Idol Day should be as much avoided by a true Christian we think as was the offering the least Grain of Incense to an Idol God by the faithful Antipasses Anti-papas in days of old whereof you have read so much that we will Brightman tell you nothing And we are perswaded we could hold this forth had you commanded us but you considered our strength and dealt with Sect. 3. us as with children in understanding as indeed we are yet able to cleer this from them uth of God That this name Christmas is not to be named unless with indignation by a godly man truly and indeed such an one godly in Christ Jesus Let 1 Cor. 5. 1. Hos 2. 17. 1 Tim. 6. 20. See Cartw. p. 576. 577. us say the Rhemists which is their councel also Keep to our fore-fathers words and we shall keep to our fore-fathers faith and be as Idolatrous still as they were Keep up the Name of Christmas ●hat is one of their old words and we shall keep up the superstitious Customes and Heathenish practises in use among us at that time Do not you if our advice may take We must do what possibly we can that the very names terms and phrases that Idolators have used might be utterly abolished and remembred no more Exod. 23. 13 Deut. 12. 3. place a low your people the Name for then they will allow themselves the thing those Idolatrous services customes and practises before spoken of If you will allow them an Inch here as we say indulgeban sibi latius they will take an El. Certainly Ministers should not suffer us to come nigh Popery they should bid us keep from the Verges of it to abstain from the least appearance of that great evil Ye must restrain us in our provoking ways ye must tell us we stand not fast while we stand neer to danger no more then we do standing neer those places where the Sea is bearing-in yet if we will do so for we are very wilful ye should frown upon us we think and restrain us what ye can assuring us nothing is little or small as not in Gods Law so nor in His Worship nor in any of those matters which lead on to the greatest and highest provocations And if ye shall not so do ye bid us upon the matter to speak and do as we have done Name the 25. of December as superstitiously as we commonly name the Lords day qui non velat cum potest jubet heathen●shly Ye must estrain us in these things else ye bid us do it Keep-on your Heathen●sh Names and Customes still Let us say the R●emists in the place ●ore mentioned take heed of the words of Hereticks they mean those truly godly all over Act. 24. 14. the world who can speak of that Heresie as Paul did And should not we say as much of those Hereticks indeed whose Religion or way of Worship is but meer error as their head 2 Thes 2. 3. merum s●●lus Bez. and body is but meer wickedness Let us take heed of the words of these Hereticks else we shall never come off cleerly from their works You teach your people we think we know it is your duty That it is not enough that they forb●a an Oath but that they must fear an Oath not onely not to commit sin but to hate yea to abominate so to do so i● this case not enough not to observe this Idol-day but to loath to do it We cannot choose or like that we do not love not leave or decline that we do not loath We must hate every false way because God hateth it And with that excellent R●ler contend against those that will walk therein stirring up our selves against superstious persons and practises as all that truly worship the Father must do so they cannot but shew how much they love him what zeal they have for him and with what indignation they are carried out against all that and onely that their Lord hath indignation against But we will take no more work into our hands but what you were pleased considering our Shoulder for which we thank you to impose upon us The maintaining the Negative That Christmas Day commonly so called by common and unclean tongues is not to be kept holy that the people are to be told so and beaten off from it and no delay to be used in these matters shall be we hope cleered as was said in its respective place CHAP. 2. HEere we must excuse you again you like not that ancient plea for the observation of the day old customes Sect. 1. our Grand-parents kept this day so did our parents and so have we done hitherto and so we are resolved to do while we live stubbornly enough This is too rotten to hold and as wil● and sawey reasonning it is as theirs was what our Fathers did we will do how abominable soever their doings were And yet the little you have said for the observation of the Day hath no little force in it being taken from Scripture if your Allegation be right that which you may borrow from the writings of holy men and from their practise also is of little or no account at all with us though something may be said to it in due place we would deliver our selves from your Scripture allegation First for that will bear you out if any will Scripture proof being sure proof Your Scripture we call it yours for possibly it may be mistaken Sect. 2. if not perverted male dum recitas incipit esse tuus is taken out of John 10. 22. And it was at Jerusalem the Feast Ioh. 10. 22. Vid. Bez. of Dedication and it was Winter and Jesus