468 The manifoldfnfulnefs of the Popifb Holy-days. it may take away the Yoke alfo that God bath put upon us. But as it is Pro-, fanenefs to call that Common, which God hath fanaified and made. Holy : So on the other fide it is tyrannical Superftition and Prefumpti- on, to make that holy, which God bath made Common. And this is one of the Apoftle's Arguments in this very Cafe, Col. 2. 16, 2o. Let no Man judgeyou in refpeFJ of an Hoy-day, ifyou be dead with Christfrom the Rudiments ofthe World, why as though living in the World are ye fab jelï' to Ordinances ? So likewife Gal. 4. 9, t o. ye delre again to be in Bon- dage, ye obferve Days and Months and limes and Tears. Si quifquam mortalium ( faith Calvin in Col. 2. 17. ) judicvs ofjicium hic in partefibi ufurpet, ne obfequamur, gum Chriflus legitimas 7udex nos abfolvat. " It tendeth to no good Policy, nor Wealth of the People, " or Prefervation of good Order, that there Ihould be fo many Days " wherein Men fhould ceafe from Work, being a thing that breedeth " Idlenefs, and confequently Poverty, betides other Diforders and " Vices which always go in Company with Idlenefs, faith Mr. Cart-- " Wright (Firib Reply, pag. 155.) And upon this Account King Hen- ry the Eighth did abrogate fundry of them, as Mr. Fox fheweth in the Book of Martyrs. Ali and Mon. Vol. 2. pag. 386. Obj. But then Days of Humiliation and Thankfgiving, as alfo Week- day Sermons and Leaures are unlawful. .Anfw. It followethnot ; for there is clear Scripture-ground and war- rant for occafional Days of Humiliation or Thankfgiving, when there is any prefent Zmergency of Providence calling thereunto : For Jeho- faphat proclaimed a Faft, 2Cbron. 2o. 3. fo did the King of Nineveh, jon.3.7. Joel ht4. and 2.15. From whence fome have not unaptlyPaid, That God hath left as it were a Warrant dormant with the Magiftrate and with the Church for fuch Days : Neither indeed could all the par- ticular Caufes and Occafions and Times thereof be particularly fet down in the Scripture, becaufe they are infinite. And Chrift allows alfo private Faits,. Matto. 6. 17, 18. and fo the Apoftle, 1 Cor. 7.5. But there is no colourable Confequence from fuch occahonal Days, to thefe annual ftated Popifh Feflivals, for which we have neither a gene- ral Warrant in the Scripture,, nor a particular Call of Providence. And as for Week-day Lectures, ¡hey are molt impertinently objeaed, feeing as fome llave well obferved, (Re-exam. Art. ofPerth. P. 144.) " Thefe are not hours fanaified or confeerated to God's Service, but " only the molt convenient Times, when molt may refort to the hear- " ing ofSermons, fo that time is only defigned occafionaily, not dedi- 6e cate or fanaified. Time is made to ferve God's People, and not " God's People made to ferve the Time, or to ferve God, becaufe it is an
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