Certain quæries touching the rise and observation of Christmas; propounded to the consideration of all such as are zealously (but blindly) affected towards the observation of it. / To which an answer is desired and expected by Joseph Heming. Heming, Joseph. This text is an enriched version of the TCP digital transcription A86187 of text R205524 in the English Short Title Catalog (Thomason E476_41). Textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. The text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with MorphAdorner. The annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). Textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. This text has not been fully proofread Approx. 6 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 5 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. EarlyPrint Project Evanston,IL, Notre Dame, IN, St. Louis, MO 2017 A86187 Wing H1419 Thomason E476_41 ESTC R205524 99864879 99864879 117111 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A86187) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 117111) Images scanned from microfilm: (Thomason Tracts ; 76:E476[41]) Certain quæries touching the rise and observation of Christmas; propounded to the consideration of all such as are zealously (but blindly) affected towards the observation of it. / To which an answer is desired and expected by Joseph Heming. Heming, Joseph. 8 p. [s.n.], London : printed, Ann: Dom: 1648. Annotation on Thomason copy: "Dec: 19". Reproduction of the original in the British Library. eng Christmas -- Early works to 1800. A86187 R205524 (Thomason E476_41). civilwar no Certain quæries touching the rise and observation of Christmas;: propounded to the consideration of all such as are zealously (but blindly) Heming, Joseph. 1648 881 0 10 0 0 0 0 114 F The rate of 114 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the F category of texts with 100 or more defects per 10,000 words. 2008-08 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2008-09 SPi Global Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2008-12 Mona Logarbo Sampled and proofread 2008-12 Mona Logarbo Text and markup reviewed and edited 2009-02 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion CERTAIN QVAERIES TOUCHING The Rise and Observation OF CHRISTMAS ; Propounded to the consideration of all such as are zealously ( but blindly ) affected towards the Observation of it . To which an answer is desired and expected BY JOSEPH HEMING . LONDON Printed , Ann : Dom : 1648. Certaine Quaeries touching the rise and observation of Christmas , &c. Quaere I. WHether such religious customes as are binding to all the Churches of Iesus Christ , ought not to have sure footing upon the Word of God , or Apostolicall practice ? II. Whether you can substantially prove that Christ was borne on the 25 of December ? and what your proofes are ? III. Whether the celebration of that day ( grant he was borne on it ) can be clearely warranted by you from Scripture ? and what your Scriptures are ? IV. Whether you can cleare it by sound consequence from the New Testament , though not set downe there in totidein verbis ? V. Whether you can do it by universall tradition ? VI . Whether ( in case it can be evidenced by none of these , viz. plaine Text , sollid Inference , universall Tradition ) it be not a moere humane invention , and so Will-worship ? And how you will one day acquit your selves before God , for placing , and crying up mens Inventions , instead of the Institutions of Iefus Christ ? And whether it were not faithfull dealing with poore simple people to tell them that you have neither of these to warrant it ? VII . ( Since daies and times commanded by God himselfe to be observed under the Law , were and are unlawfull under the Gospell ) Whether daies and times commanded by men , and not by God , under the Gospell , are not lesse lawfull . VIII . Whether the true and genuine Interpretation of Christmas be Christ man ? And whether to perswade people t is so , be not to abuse and delude them ? And whether we may not as well interpret Candlemas Candleman , Michaelmas Michaelman , as Christmas Christman ? IX . Whether the Saints are bound to rejoice in the birth of Christ on that day men superstitiously call Christmas , more then at other times ? And whether the Lords day be not [ the ] day appointed for them to rejoice on ? X. Whether Christmas day ought in any respect to be esteemed above another of the Weeke daies ? And whether people may not without offence to God follow their lawfull vocations on that day ? XI . Whether you thinke the Parliament and Assemblie have erred and played the fooles in condemning and rasing out Holy-daies not warranted in the Word ? And whether to observe them be not highly to dislike , and flatly to contradict ( in point of practice at least ) their proceedings in order to a Reformation ? XII . Whether ( since most men and women in England do blindlie and superstitiouslie beleeve Christ was borne on that day ) preaching on it doth not nourish and strengthen them in that beleefe ? XIII . Whether this Feast had not its rise and growth from Christians conformitie to the mad Feasts Saturnalia ( kept in December to Saturne the Father of Gods ) in which there was a Sheafe offered to Ceres Goddesse of Corne ; a hymne in her praise called {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} or {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} ? And whether those Christians by name , to cloake it , did not afterwards call it Yule ; and Christmas ( as though it were for Christs honour ? ) And whether it be not yet by some ( more ancient then truelie or knowinglie religious ) called Yule , and the mad plaies or sports ( wherewith t is celebrated , like those Saturnalia ) Yule-games ? And whether from the offering of that Sheafe to Ceres ; from that song in her praise ; from those gifts the Heathens gave their friends in the Calends of Ianuarie , ominis gratia ; did not arise or spring our blazes ; Christmas Kariles , and New-yeares gifts ? XIV . Whether conformitie to , and retention of heathenish Customes be commendable in Christains , sutable or agreeable with Gospell principles , though under pretext of Christ Honour and Worship ? XV . Whether you are not bound to prove your practice for the conviction and satisfaction of your Brethren , whose duty it is to walke with you in things agreeable to the mind of Christ ? And in case you cannot ; Whether you ought not to acknowledge your errour , lay downe your practice ( as others have done theirs ) no longer befooling and misleading the People committed to your charge ? XVI . Whether in case you returne no answer to these Quaeries , I have not ground sufficient to conclude you utterly unable to give any rationall account of your practice , now put upon it ? From my Study in Vttoxeter . 1648. FINIS