id	author	title	date	pages	extension	mime	words	sentence	flesch	summary	cache	txt
A45297	Hall, Joseph, 1574-1656.	A letter concerning Christmasse sent to a knight in Suffolke by that Reverent Father in God Dr. Joseph Hall ...	1659.0		.xml	application/xml	4592	97	45	The tenor of it , therfore is this , As we abhor the superstitious observation of Festivall days by the Papist : and detest all licentious and prophane abuse thereof , by the common sort of professors , so we think that the inestimable benefits received from God by our Lord Iesus Christs Birth , Passion , Resurrection , Ascension , and sending down of the Holy Ghost , was commendably and godly remembred at certain particular days , and times , by the whole Churches of the World , and may be also now ; therefore the Assembly ordains that every Minister shall upon these days have the commemoration of the aforesaid inestimable benefits , and make choice of severall pertinent Texts of Scripture , and frame their doctrine and Exhortations thereto , and rebuke all Superstitious observation , & licentious prophanation thereof . This makes nothing against us , who place no Holiness in the very hours , nor plead any Apostolicall injunction for days , nor tye any person , or Church to our strict Calender , but only hold it fit out of obedience to the Laws both of our Church and Kingdom , to continue a joyfull Celebration of a memorial Day to the honour of our blessed Saviour : But that other Authority which you tell me was urged to this purpose , I confess doth not a little amaze me : it was , you say , of K. James our Learned Soveraign of late & blessed memory , whose testimony was brought in before the credulous people ( not without the just applause of a Solomon-like-wisdom ) as crying down these Festivals : and in a certain Speech of his applauding the purity of the Church of Scotland above that of Geneva , for that it observed not the common Feasts of Christs Nativity & Resurrection , &c. Is it possible , that any mouth could name that wife and good King , in such a cause , whom all the world knows to have been as zealous a Patron of these Festivals , as any lived upon earth ; and if he had let fall any such Speech before he had any Down upon his chin , & whiles he was under the Ferule , what candor is it to produce it now to the contradiction of his better experience , and riper judgement :	cache/A45297.xml	txt/A45297.txt
