462 The manifoldfinfulnefs of the Popifh Holy-days. Ground the firft Day of the Week, being the Rett -day of the Lord our God from the great Work of Redemption, ( his former Reïl be- ing difturbed and fpoiled by the Fall and Sin of Man ) is our Chri- ftian Sabbath. But thefe Popifh Roty-days are not the Lord's Ref?ing- days, nor is any fuch thing pretended. 4. They commonly put it upon the Church. and fay, the Church bath et apart thefe Times. But this is not enough to make them holy ; for all that the Church can do towards the fanetifying of any Time or Thing, is only to prefent it and offer it to the Lord ; but if the Lord do not accept, but refufe fuch Prefents, and cafe them down as Dung in their Faces, they are not Holinefs to the Lord, but an Abomination to him. As fuppofe the Church of the Jews had offered Swines-flefh unto God, would this have made Swines -flefh Holy ? Noverily, be- caufe the Lord did not accept it. So here, the Church dedicates thefe Days to the Lord, but there mutt be forne Word of God to evidence his Acceptance of them, or elfe they are not indeed holy Times, but fuperftitious Times, of which the Lord will fay at the great Days who required thefe Things atyour Hands ? whatfoever is not of Faith is Sin, Ifa. I. 12.. Rom. I4.. 23. Rear 2. There is not only no Warrant in the Scripture for them, but clear and fharp Reproofs and Teftimonies againft them. It was one part of the Superftition of the Pharifees in our Saviour's Time, to faff twice a Week, Luke 18. 12. Thofe old Papifts the Pharifees, and our new Pharifees the Papifts, being Men of the fame Spirit, and af- ed by the fame Principle, and walking in the fame ways ofSuperftition. And it was the brand let upon Yeroboam, i Kings 12.33. That he or- dained a Feaft unto the Children of Ifrael upon the fifteenth Dayofthe eighth Month, even the Month which be had deviledof his own Heart, which he had lied or feigned, as the Word fignifies, afher bada millibbo, quern rnentitus eft de corde fuo. And tho' it was like unto the Feaft that was in Judah, Verf. 32. and tho' he pretended the Glory and Worship of that God, that brought them up out ofthe Land of Egypt, as well as the cafe and accommodation of the People, Verf 28. yet all this wouldnot ex- cufe him. And what is Chriftmas and Eafter, and all the reft of them, but Days which the feroboam of ROME hath devifed of his own Heart ? And the Pope had them from the Jews and from the Pagans ; for what is Chriftmas but the old heathenifh Bacchanalia ? It is kept at the fame time of the Year, and after the fame profane winner, only the Pope bath varnifhed it with a new Name. But how ill it becomes a Chriítian to keep the Pagan Feftivals, hear what Tertulian (de Idol. rap.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=