Library Edmund Calamy An Indictment against England (Christmas Fast, 1644)
Christmas Buried in a Fast (December 25, 1644)
From Edmund Calamy’s Lords’ fast sermon at Westminster Abbey, 25 December 1644 (printed 1645). Text Creation Partnership transcription (public domain), spelling lightly normalized for reading.
This day is the day which is commonly called The Feast of Christs Nativitie, or Christmas day: A day that hath been heretofore much abused to superstition and prophanenesse. It is not easie to reckon whether the superstition hath beene greater, or the prophanenesse. I have knowne some that have preferred Christmas day before the Lords Day, and have cryed downe the Lords Day, and cried up Christmas day.
I have knowne those that would be sure to receive the Sacrament upon Christmas day, though they did not receive it all the yeare after. This and much more was the superstition of the day. And the prophanenesse was as great. Old Father Latimer saith in one of his Sermons, That the Devil had more service in the twelve Christmas holy dayes (as they were called) then God had all the yeare after.
Seneca saith of his time, Olim December mensis erat, nunc annus est. There are some that though they did not play at Cards all the yeare long, yet they must play at Christmas; thereby, it seemes, to keepe in memory the birth of Christ. This and much more hath beene the profanation of this Feast. And truely I thinke that the superstition and profanation of this day is so rooted into it, as that there is no way to reforme it but by dealing with it as Hezekiah did with the brazen Serpent.
This yeare God by a Providence hath buried this Feast in a Fast, and I hope it will never rise againe. You have set out (Right Honourable) a strict Order for the keeping of it, and you are here this day to observe your owne Order, and I hope you will doe it strictly. The necessitie of the times are great. Never more need of Prayer and fasting. The Lord give us grace to be humbled in this day of Humiliation for all our owne, and Englands sinnes; and especially for the old superstition, and profanation of this Feast: alwaies remembring upon such dayes as these, Isa. 22. 12, 13, 14.
Edmund Calamy, An Indictment against England (London, 1645), sermon of 25 December 1644. Public domain. Digital text: Text Creation Partnership EEBO-TCP (A78979).