Sunday, April 11, 2004

Easter?

"By the contrary doctrine [i.e. contrary to Sola Scriptura ], we understand whatsoever men, by laws, councils, or constitutions have imposed upon the consciences of men, without the expressed commandment of God's word: such as be vows of chastity, forswearing of marriage, binding of men and women to several and disguised apparels, to the superstitious observation of fasting days, difference of meat for conscience sake, prayer for the dead; and keeping of holy days of certain saints commanded by man, such as be all those that the Papists have invented, as the feasts (as they term them) of apostles, martyrs, virgins, of Christmas, Circumcision, Epiphany, Purification, and other fond feasts of our lady. Which things, because in God's scriptures they neither have commandment nor assurance, we judge them utterly to be abolished from this realm; affirming further, that the obstinate maintainers and teachers of such abominations ought not to escape the punishment of the civil magistrate." -- First Book of Discipline, 1560.

"The kirk under the Gospel has past the rudiments, and therefore the observation of anniversary days does not beseem her. To substitute other days in place of the Jewish, a Christian Pasche and Pentecost for the Jewish, is but to substitute rudiments and elements to the Jewish, and not to chase away, but to change the Jewish holy days.... The Jewish frankincense was perfume: the Popish is a simple frankincense without any other ingredient. The Jewish lights were of oil: the popish of wax, and yet we charge them with Judaizing. The Jews had no anniversary days, but such as were abrogated; they were abrogated not only as shadows of things to come, but also as memorials of bygone benefits. Even as they were days of remembrance they belonged to the pedagogy of the law. Converted Jews may not lawfully observe the Jewish festivities, even as remembrances of bygone benefits. In every respect all their anniversary days are abolished, and they had none other, but such as were abolished. Therefore in every respect they belonged to the ceremonial law. The observation therefore of anniversary days even in respect of remembrance was to the Jew's pedagogical, rudimentary and elementary, and consequently ceremonial." -- David Calderwood, Perth Assembly, 1619.

"THERE is no day commanded in scripture to be kept holy under the gospel but the Lord's day, which is the Christian Sabbath. Festival days, vulgarly called Holy-days, having no warrant in the word of God, are not to be continued." -- The Westminster Assembly's Directory for the Public Worship of God, approved 1645.

"But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain." -- The Apostle Paul, Epistle to the Galatians 4:9-11.

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