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To all These that OBSERVE Dayes, Moneths, Times and Years; This is WRITTEN, That they may see whether they follow the Example and Doctrine of the Apostle; Or whether they are such as the Apostle testified against.
TO keep a Day Holy to the Lord, is not displeasing, but acceptable to him; and therefore he that regards a Day, let him regard it to the Lord, and not judge him that doth not regard it; For the Apostle saith, one man esteemeth one Day above another; another esteemeth every Day alike, let every man be fully perswaded in his own mind, this was the Apostles Doctrine, who had the spirit of God; he did not judge the one nor the other, but said, let every man be fully perswaded in his own mind: (Mark that) all you that observe Dayes and Times; and consider well whether you regard the Day to the Lord, or you observe it to the satisfying of your lusts; for such observation of Dayes, is not acceptable with the Lord, to wit, to observe them to satisfie your lusts, and live in pleasures and vain delights; this is not a keeping the Day Holy, but rather prophaning it; and against such observation the Apostle writeth, when he saith, How turn you again to these weak and beggerly Elements, where unto ye desire again to be in Bondage; Ye observe Dayes and Months, Times and Years, I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you Labour in vain. So here you may see, though the Apostle did not judge him that regarded a Day to the Lord, yet he reprov∣eth those that had known God, or rather were known of him, who turned again to those weak and beggerly Elements, and he was afraid lest he had best••wed Labour in vain: And therefore all you that ob∣serve Days and Times, take heed that you are not in bondage to your lusts. You that observe a Day for Christs Nativity (as you say) take heed that you spend not away your time in vanity and the pleasures of the flesh, for they that do so, will Crucifie the Just and Holy One, much like those who built the Tombes of the Pro∣phets, and garnished the Sepulchres of the Righteous, and said, if we had been in the dayes of our Fathers, we would not have slain the Prophets; and yet those put Christ to death, of whom the Prophets prophesied; And so you say now, You would not have Crucified Christ, nor put Stephen to death; and you observe a Day for him; but consider, if one come in the Name of the Lord, and bear a Testimony against your Temple and Worship, as Stephen did a∣gainst theirs, and tell you, that you are stiff-necked, and uncir cumcised in Heart and Ears, &c. Would not the same Spirit of Wrath and Envy arise in you as it did in them? And so ye would make it manifest you are of that Generation that put Stephen to death, though you keep his Day. But what do you keep it for? Do you keep it in remembrance of his Martyrdom? If so, how dare you Feast and Rejoyce as if you were glad of his Death? Do you not herein justifie the deeds of that Generation who slew him? And why do you keep a Day for the Innocent Children whom Herod slew, or caused to be slain? And why do you feast upon it, and make merry? Do you not herein justifie Herods fact, and so become guil∣ty of innocent blood? Consider well upon these things, and who it was that first commanded these Dayes to be kept: Was it not the Pope? For the Apostle doth not command Saints Dayes to be kept; but saith, He that regardeth a day, regardeth it to the Lord, he doth not say he regardeth it to Saints, and so it is manifest that the observation of Saints dayes is come up in the night of Darkness and Apostacy since the Apostles, and not by their command or exam∣ple. And further it is manifest, That he who is farthest from a Saints life, will contend most for a Saints day; even the Drunkard, Swearer and most prophane, will be ready to do mischief to the man that doth but follow his lawful imployment upon such a day as they call Holy. Now, whether is it more unholinesle for a man to follow his lawful imployment, or for a man to be Drunk, Swear, Game, and follow the pleasures of the flesh? Consider well upon these things, and dishonour not the Lord God by doing wickedly, while you pro∣fesse you honour his Saints. Oh the abhomination that is commit∣ted in this Nation and throughout Christendom, under pretence of keeping Saints Dayes and Christimas! (as it is called) and where had you that name but from the Pope? If you had it not from him, tell us where you had it, and who was the first Author of it, and of the penalty for not keeping it? And whether is not the inflicting pe∣nalties or punishments for not observing it, clean contrary to the Apostles Doctrine, who said, Let every man be fully perswaded in his one mind; here was no penalty put upon one nor other (but this) and they were not to judge one another about Dayes, nor Meats, nor Drinks, (as you may read) Rom. 14.
And is it not a causing the People to sin, to impose things upon them as Meats, Drinks and Dayes, (in which the Kingdom of God doth not stand) seeing the Apostle saith, he that doubteth is damned if he eat, (Mark that) because he eateth not of Faith: For what∣soever is not of Faith is sin. And Faith is the gift of God, which giveth victory over the World; in which we have unity with the Father, and the Son, and with the Saints, and keep the Day to the Lord Holy (Mark that) in the Faith which purifieth the heart the Day is kept Holy; which faith stands in Christ the Power of God, by whom all things were Created. But if thou doubtst, and keep'st a Day because it is imposed upon thee, then thou sinnest, and so hast not unity with God nor the Saints. And therefore You who are in Autho∣rity, take heed that the observation of Dayes be not imposed upon any (especially those called Saints Dayes) least thereby You cause the people to sin, And why do You forbid working upon those Daies, and not Gaming, as Cards, Dice, Dancing, Sporting, and all other vain Pleasures? Do not those things more dishonour the Lord, then for a man to be Digging, Planting, or following any other lawful employment whatsoever. Consider well upon these things, that prophannesse may be stopt, and the abuse of the good creatures of God in this Nation by excessive Eating and Drinking may be prevented; least the Judgements of God fall upon the Na∣tion as in the dayes past; for such like wickedness Gods Judge∣ments came: And let the Saints life more appear, and the fruits of the Spirit in all Meekness, Gentleness and Patience, and Brotherly love; that the Day of Christ you may see, which Abraham saw and was glad, and Simeon waited for and departed in Peace, who saw the Salvation of God, A LIGHT to lighten the Gentiles (as the Pro∣phets fore-told) and to be the glory of Israel; And if you are against this Light, Gods Covenant, though you profess Abraham to be your father (as the Jews did) and observe Dayes and Times for the Saints, while you are against the Saints life (Christ who lived in them) who is the end of the Law and Prophets, all your Performances and Ob∣servation of dayes and times, are abomination to the Lord, and are Idolatry and Superstition, and are testified against with and by the Spirit of Truth; which Spirit convinceth you of sin, which lea∣deth the Saints into all truth; in which Spirit the God of Heaven and Earth is to be Worshipped, served and obeyed; in which Spirit there is Unity, Fellowship and Peace with God, and one with another, and Holiness is known; Without which, no man shall see the Lord.
This is Written, that all People may take heed, that while they are professing, they honour Christ and the Saints by keeping Dayes for them, they do not dishonour the Lord, by Prophanenesse, Idolatry, Superstition, in observing Dayes not commanded by God, Christ, nor the Saints, but by the Pope in the night of dark∣ness, who hath killed the Saints and Witnesses of Jesus; and then to cover himself, hath Observed and Commanded the Observation of Saints Dayes.