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Preliminary Instructions

CONCERNING

FESTIVALS.

Quest.

W

HAT do you mean by Fefti-
vals?

Anfw. Days fet apart by the Church, either for the Remembrance of fome special Mercies of God, fuch as the Birth and Refurrection of Chrift, the Descent of the Holy Ghost, &c. or in Memory of the great Heroes of the Chriftian Religion, the Bleffed Apoftles, and other Saints; who were the happy Inftruments of conveying to us the Knowledge of Chrift Jefus, by preaching his Gospel through the World; and moft of them attefting the Truth of it with their Blood.

Q. Of what Authority is the Obfervation of thefe Feftivals?

A. They are of Ecclefiaftical Institution; agreeable to Scripture in the general Design of them, for the promoting of Piety; confonant to the Practice of the Primitive Church, as appears by the joint Confent of Antiquity.

Q. Are not Holy-Days enforced by the Laws of the Land?

A. When upon the Reformation the Liturgy was fettled and established, fuch Days were enjoined to be obferved; as plainly appears by the

B

Statutes

I

& 19.

5

1.

VI. cap.3.

2 & 3 Ed. Statutes of Edward VI. and though these Laws VI.cap. I. were abrogated by Q. Mary, yet they were re& 6 Ed. Vived in the first Year of Q. Elizabeth, and continued in the firft of K. James. And when upon the Restoration, K. Charles II. iffued out a Commiffion for the reviewing of the Liturgy, and making fuch Alterations as fhould appear to be fit and neceffary; the Alterations made by the Commiffioners were brought to the Convocation then fitting, where they were Synodically agreed upon, and the King and Parliament confirmed all thefe Proceedings, as the Act of Uniformity teftifies: In which the Rubrick and the Rules relating to the Liturgy are established by Royal Authority, as well as the Liturgy itself.

18. 10.

Lev. 19.

Q. But is not the Obfervation of Days fuperftitious?

A. There is an Obfervation of Days certainly fuperftitious, if not idolatrous, fince in DeuDeuter. teronomy an Obferver of Times is declared an Abomination to the Lord: And it is one of the Provocations for which the Gentiles were driven out of the Land. And the Galatians are reproached by St. Paul, for obferving Days and Months, and Times, and Years; which appeared to him fo criminal, that upon this Account he feared the Labour he had bestowed upon them had been

26.

Gal + 10, 11.

in vain.

Q. What kind of Days are they whofe Obfervation is here condemned?

A. Such as were dedicated by the Heathens to their falfe Gods, or fuch as were obferved by them as lucky or unlucky Days; these being the Abominations of the Heathens condemned in Deuteronomy: Or thofe of the Jews, which, though abrogated, the Judaizing Chriftians at

tempted

tempted to impofe upon the Galatians, as neceffary to Salvation; contrary to the Apoftle's Endeavours of fetting them at Liberty in the Freedom of the Gofpel; and to the Doctrine of Salvation by Chrift alone, which might juftly make him afraid of them.

Q. Is the Obfervation of fuch Days as are in ufe among Chriftians, forbidden in Scripture?

A. No: Becaufe God, who had in Abomination the Obferver of Times, doth himfelf ordain feveral Feafts to be obferved in Memory of paft Benefits; as the Feast of the Paffover, of Weeks, and of Tabernacles. Befides, our Saviour kept a Feaft of the Church's Inftitution, viz. the Feaft of Dedication: And the common Practice of all Chriftian Churches and States in appointing and keeping Days of publick Thanksgiving and Humiliatin, is Argument fufficient to prove, that in the common Senfe of Chriftians it is not forbidden in Scripture.

Q. What may be pleaded for fuch Days, from the Defign of their Inftitution?

A. It being not only good, but a great Duty' to be grateful, and to give Thanks to God for the Bleffings we receive from him, it must be not only lawful, but commendable, upon the Account of Gratitude, to appoint and obferve Days for the particular Remembrance of fuch Bleffings, and to give Thanks for them: The fanctifying fuch Days being a Token of that Thankfulness, and part of that publick Honour which we owe to God for his ineftimable Benefits.

Q. But do not thefe Festivals reftrain the Praifes of God to certain Times, which ought to be extended to all Times?

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A. No Duty can be performed without the Circumftance of Time: And that there is a cer tain Time allotted for this Duty tends only to the fecuring of fome Time for the Exercife of the Duty, against the Frailties of Men, and the Disturbances of the World, which otherwise might fupplant and rob it of all. And though the Days of Solemnity, which are but few must quickly finish that outward Exercife of Devotion, which appertains to fuch Times; yet they increase Mens inward Difpofitions to Virtue for the prefent, and, by their frequent Returns, bring the fame at length to great Perfection. What the Gospel enjoins, is a conftant Difpofition of Mind to practife all Christian Virtues, as often as Time and Opportunity require; and not a Perpetuity of Exercife and Action, it being impoffible at one and the fame Time to discharge Variety of Duties.

Q. Is not the hallowing unto God more Days than one, against the Meaning of the fourth Commandment, Six Days fhalt thou labour; whence fome argue, that it is no more lawful for human Authority to forbid working any of the fix Days, than to forbid the holy Obfervation of the Se

venth?

A. By the Solemn Feafts which were established by God himself, each of them at least of a Week's Continuance, it is manifeft that [Six Days fhalt thou labour] is no Commandment, but expreffes only an ordinary Permiflion of Working: For it could not be but that fome Days of thefe holy Feafts must be of the fix. And it is not to be thought God would contradict his own Commandment, by a contrary Inftitution. As therefore, when he commanded

that

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