II6 The HIS T 0 R Y of the PuRITANS. VoL. IT, K. Charles I." within the kingdom ; and that every congregation be enjoined to have ~ " one of the faid covenants fairly printed, in a fair letter, in a table '' fitted to bang up in fome public place of the church to be read." Which was done accordingly,and they continued there till the refiorat ion. But that which occalioned the greatc!1 difiurbance over the whole na– tion, was an order of both houfes relating to Cbrijlmas day. Dr. Ligbt– Joot fays, the London minifiers met together !aft year" to confult whet he!' they fhould preach on that day 'I and one of conliderable name and au– thority oppofed it, and was near prevailing with the reil, w.hen the doc– tor convinced them fo far of the la wfulnefs and expediency of it, that the que!1ion being put it was carried in the affirmative with only four o!' five diff~ nting voices. But this· year it happening to fait on the monthly fafl, fo that either the jojf, or the fefiival, mufi be omitted, the parlia– ment after fome debate, thought it mofl: agreeable to the prefent circumfiances of the nation, to go on with fafting and prayer; and therefore publi!bed the following order~ Die Jovis I 9 Dec. I 64'4-· 0 1 r~er !O:d " wHEREAS fome doubts have been raifed, whether the next aytng aJl e • f theob{erw- " ' fajl fhall· be celebrated, becaufe 11 ails on the day which tiono/Chrift-" heretofore was ufually called the feafi: of the nativity of our Saviour; ~"ili " the lords and commons in parliament affembled do order and orda in; a: 7 •w. p. " tiCJat public notice be given,. that the fall appointed to be kept the " lafl: Wednejday in every month ought to be obferved, till it be other– ,., wife ordered by both houfes; and that this day in particular is to be " kept with the more folemn humiliation, becaufe it may call to remem– "' brance our fins, and the fins of our forefathers, who have turned this '' feafl:, pretending the memory of Chrifl:, into an extreme forgetfulnefs •·• of him, by givin~ liberty to carnal and fenfual delights, being con– " trary to the life which Chrift led here on earth, and to the fpiri– .., tual life of Chrill: in our fouls, for the fantlifying and faving where– " of, Chrifi: was pleafed both to take a human life, and to lay it down " again." Remarks. The royalifts raifed loud clamours on account of the fupp(}(ed impiety and profanenefs of this tranfaB:ion, as what had never before been heard of in the chrifiian world, though they could not but know, that this, as well as other fe!1ivals, is of eccleliaflical appointment; that there is no mention of the obfervation of Cbrijimas in the 1irfi: or fecond age of c::hriflianity ; that the kirk of Scotland never obferved it fince the re– formation~ except during the !hont reign of the bilhops, and do not regard
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