482 The , Gofpel of the Feaf of Tabernacles. of God, but rather with the vifible Tokens and Expreffions of his dif- like and difpleafure. For as there is a Bleffing of God upon his Ordinan- ces ; fo he is wont to imprint his Curfe upon the Inventions of Men. Eafler was the firft Ball of Contention that ever was among Chrifti- ans ; the Eaftern and the Weitern Churches contending fharply about the Time of it for above two hundred Years together : So that Villor the Bifhop of Rome excommunicated many Churches for not obferving .Eer at his Time. The thing in difference was, whether to keep it on the faurteenthDayof the firft Month (theDay on whichChrift began his Sufferings) or on the next Lord's Day after, viz.. the Day of Chrift's Refurreç'on. The EafternChurches obferved Eafter on the fourteenth Dayof the firft Month, according to the Time of the Pafl'over. The Weftern Churches on the contrary faid, this was to Judaize, and it was more Chriftian-like to celebrate the Day of his Refurreaion, (fn.. and this Opinion carried it. For in the Council ofNice it was conclud- ed that it fhould be kept on the Day of the Refurreaion. This was the fruit of God's Difpleafure againft the Obfervation of fuch a Time, when he had teftified in his Word, Let no Man judge you in refpeli of Holy Days, &c. . And as to Chriflmaa they have greatly miftaken in their computation of the Time (as hath been chewed) partly through the ignorance and unskilfulnefs which God was pleafed to leave them to, as it were to rebuke them for their Superftition; and partly through their carnal compliance with the Pagans ; which made the Bifhop of Rome take the old Saturnalia and Bacchanaliaofthe Pagans, and to difguife them with a newName,that thofe Feftivitieswhich hadbeenkept before in the Devil's Nàme,-might nowbe kept inChrift's own Name tohis greater Difhonor. Befides there is.little probability that the true Time of Chrift's Birth is Rumbledupon, and many learned Men confefs there is a Mittake as to the Time, and that it muff needs be at the Feat of Tabernacles, and not inDecember. Moreover, God dually gives Men up tomore Sin then, thanat other times ; which is a further Evidence of his Difpleafednefs with the. Ob- fervation of it It was Latmer's complaint of old, in the Days of King Henry VIII. ThaÉChrift was more difhonoured in the Twelve Days, then in all the wholeTwelve Months .befides. Te obferve Days, and Months, and Tears, dam afraid ofyou, that 1 have laboured in vain, Pays the Apoftle in Gal. 4. ro, t I. it is a fign the Preaching of the Gofpel hath been very much favain among the People when they retain the Obfervation of fuch Ti.meS ; theApoftie fpeaks of theDays and Times that Metzhave invent- ed'not of Days that God bath inftituted tobe obferved. It
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