CHRISTMAS IN & out: OR, OUR LORD & SAVIOUR Christ's birthday.  

To the Reader.  
Good Joshua once ordained a holiday,  
Because the Sun stood still in Gi●eon,  
And at his Prayers that the Moon did stay  
His course, above the veil of Aialon:  
And shall not Christians still give thanks & praise  
On th' yearly day our blessed redeemer came?  
Shall Powder Treasons and thanks giving days  
Be still observed in Records of Fame?  
Then let not Christ's birthday forgotten be,  
Remember him that doth remember thee.  
Thine JOHN TAYLOR.   
LONDON, Printed at the Charge of the author, 1652.   

Christmas, or Christ's Day, or Christ's birthday.  
IN imitation of my great and glorious Lord and Master (Jesus Christ) in love to them that hate me, I am come to them that love me not. My Almighty Master was, is, and ever will be GOD, from whom nothing was, is, or ever shall be hid; and he did not only know, but commiserate the miseries of his enemies (most miserable mankind) to whom he had often sent his patriarchs, Prophets, and other Messengers of Peace and prosperity, and how they were, and should be entertained in the world; God knew before, and all Histories of the sacred Volumes, or other Books of ecclesiastical Writings will testify.  
And as my good Master did know how coursely he should be dealt withal (by misbelieving hard hearted Jews) yet he came on this Day, from whom I have my name of CHRISTMAS, or Christ's Day: Even so, I come this 25. of December, though I know I shall be hardly welcome to a great many; yet I am sure that as many as love my Master, will rejoice to see this Day: But as my surname of Master, there is much exceptions taken, by some that understand not what Master, or Christmas meaneth.  
I have heard Learned men say, that the word mass doth signify some heavy or ponderous thing, as Massa is a Wedge of Gold or Iron, or any thing that is pressed or made into a lump of any thick matter of Dough, or Curds, Cheese, or such like; but my surname of Master is mistaken, for my name is Christi missi, or Christ sent, as being sent from God to us this Day. Christ had his Mission, he came not before he was sent (as himself said to his Disciples.) He that believes in you believes in me, and he that believes in me, believes in him that sent me. Here it is plain that my Master was sent, and as he was sent, so he sent his Apostles, and they gave mission to the succeeding ministry, and they that were sent went, and none were so bold to intrude into the ministry without his Mission or Commission of being sent: and so much concerning my name of Christmas.  
But I am more properly called Christ's Day, for he himself did honour me with that Name, and though all days are his (for as he is God, he is the ancient of days) for whem the Jews did speak of ABRAHAM, Joh. 8, 56, My Master said, Before ABRAHAM was, I am, for ABRAMAM saw my Day, and rejoiced in it, and was glad. He appointed me to be the peculiar Day of his blessed Birth; he was promised in paradise, foretold and foreseen by the patriarchs and Prophets; proclaimed by Angels, with Glory be to God in the highest, peace on Earth, good will towards men, Luk. 11. 14. A Song or Christmas Carol, of three parts, to God, to Earth, to Men, (Glory, Peace, & Good will) a gracious Consort sung by celestial Spirits, Angels, and a multitude of heavenly soldiers, they sung and rejoiced all for our good, and not for their own: Then let men sing psalms and Anthems in Churches, and Hymns and Carols in our Houses, let us give glory to God on high, and he will give us peace below.  
Faith is very clear sighted, for ABRAHAM was more than two thousand years before Christ came in the flesh, yet (with the Eye of Eaith) he saw Me, he saw my Master and my Master's day, and rejoiced in it; and his rejoicing was approved of, but the Jews which rejoiced not were reprehended. The holy patriarch rejoiced, and Christ allowed it, and he did dislike the unbelieving Jews that rejoiced not. The Jews did not (and do not) observe it, but all Christians did, do, and will celebrate it and acknowledge it, for no Christian will strike, blot, or scrape Christ's Day out of the calendar.  
The Prophet Isaiah did write of Christ's coming 600 years before he came, in these words, Behold a Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and he shall call his name IMMANUELL, or Emanuel, Esay 8. v. 14.  
And again in the 9 Chapter v. 6. For unto us a Child is borne, and unto us a Son is given: He is born and unto us a Son is given born of the blessed Virgin his Mother, and given by Almighty God his Father: a Child Natus, a gift Datus, Is borne, Is given: The Prophet says not, was borne and given, but Is, which is ever, in the present Tense, Borne still in the heart, soul, and memory of every Christian. He that Was, and Is, and Is to come, Was borne a Child and is born a Child unto us, Was given a Son, and is given a Son unto us, this Day of my Master's blessed Nativity.  
In the second of S. Luke, v. 10 11. Then the Angel said unto them, be not afraid, for behold I bring you glad tidings of great joy which shall be to all the people, a Saviour is born on this Day, Christ's Day, Christ's birthday, my day, Christmas day.  
The Angel appeared to the shepherds, and told them news of a Lamb, the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the World: a Lamb that was come to save all the sheep of Israel that were lost, and lost everlastingly we should have been, had not this blessed Lamb come and redeemed us.  
And as he was a Lamb, so likewise he was a shepherd, the true shepherd, the chief shepherd, 1 Pet. 5. 4. the good shepherd, Joh. 10 11. 14. so we read that his Birth and birthday was first made known unto shepherds. Indeed shepherds were in odious and contemptible abomination amongst the Idolatrous Egyptians, Gen. 46. 32. So was and is my Master Christ's Name and birthday to the misbelieving Jews, miscreant Turk, and Sectarian, schismatical, outside seeming Christians. This day he that was prophesied of to come, did come, and he that was promised is come; an angel preached at his coming, and Quires and multitudes of blessed Spirits sung, when our Saviour came, who was, is, and ever will be, not only a Saviour, but salvation itself.  
He was the Word, and the Word was God, and God was the Word. Here God (the Word) was a child, a Babe, an Infant; and here the Word was not able to speak a word, Joh. 14. And the Word was made Flesh, and dwelled among us, we saw the glory thereof, as the glory of the only begotten Son of the Father, full of Grace and Truth.  
God sent his Son this day; note who he was that did send, and what it was that he sent: He sent first to us, that should in all humility have been Petitioners to him; we were enemies to God, to us he had sent often by his Messengers; but this Day he sent his Son, who was and is himself.  
Therefore let our deserved misery, and God's undeserved mercy, love and compassion, be thankfully remembered this day, and every day in all places, times, ages, and generations.  
This Day, Mercy and Truth are met together, and righteousness and peace have kissed each other, Truth shall flourish out of the Earth and righteousness hath looked down from heaven, Psal. 85. Here was a gracious and happy meeting, here the Lord chief Justice of Heaven and Earth, brings justice, truth, and righteousness to judge, and mercy and compassion to save; here mercy showed herself a good Mistress to misery: This Day he came in clouts that will come in Clouds. And without controversy great is the Mystery of godliness, which is, God is manifested in the Flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached to the Gentiles, believed on in the world, and received up in Glory, 1 Tim. 3. This was a great M●stery indeed; this was the sum and substance of all Tropes, Types, Figures, shadows, Sacrifices, Ceremonies, and the one and only absolute fulfilling and accomplishment of all prophecies. And in the first Chapter to the Hebrews, verse 1, 2, 3. the Apostle saith: And at sundry times, and in divers places, God spoke in the old time to our Fathers by the Prophets; in these last days he hath spoken to us by his Son.  
Thus my Master (who had no beginning) did begin this day to come and dwell amongst sinful men; the Son of God, the King of Glory came this Day, and this Day was the first Day of Christianity to all Christians, and as many as have true faith in Christ.  
This was he to whom God the Father said, Psal. 2. Thou art my Son, this Day have I begotten thee. And this was he that in the same psalm was prophesied to say, Lord I will preach thy Law, and declare thy Will. The Evangelist S. Luke saith, Chap. 2. Ver. 12, 13. And this shall be a sign unto you, you shall find the Babe swaddled and laid in a Cratch, some read it in a Manger. Here is to be noted the great humility of my Master, that though he were Lord and maker of all, the first joyful tidings of his birth was, not brought to Princes and Potentates, or to Scribes, Pharisees, Lawyers, or Doctors; but he was graciously pleased to be first declared to poor and humble shepherds, and not to be borne in any magnificent or stately Palace, or in the best room in the inn: No, the innkeeper had his Chambers filled with Guests more welcome and gainful than Christ: There was no room for him in the inn, therefore the Redeemer of mankind had entertainment in a Stable amongst Beasts, swaddled and laid in a Cratch.  
Neither would he be borne in any great or glorious City, Jerusalem had not the honour to be graced with the Birth and first presence of the Son of God; in great Cities there hath ever been more misery than mercy, and more persecution than pity; therefore great Jerusalem was the place of his bitter death and passion, and little Bethlehem was honoured with his birth, as it was prophesied many years before, by the Prophet Micah, Chap. 5. in these words: And thou Bethlehem Ephrathah are little to be among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me, that shall be the Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth have been from the beginning, and from everlasting.  
And Heb. 2. 16. For he in no wise took the angels▪ but the seed of Abraham he took.  
He took our nature (in the seed of Abraham) upon him, the nature of angels he took not: He came this day to help us, who had most need of a Saviour; he gave to us not only a dignity which he gave not to angels, but also he gave himself for us, and sure we cannot take 〈◊〉 safer or wiser course, than thankfully with all humility 〈◊〉 give ourselves to him that gave himself for us.  
My Master gave power to his Church to celebrate and to ordain and command the annual celebration of his blessed Nativity, I have twelve days to attend me, and twelve months I do absent myself before I come again, the kind or course entertainment, the courteous or churlish usage to me, doth not, or cannot increase, or diminish my Master's glory; or add to me, or take from me one minute of time; if men could be as faithful and charitable as Abraham, as humble as David, as mild and meek as Moses, as zealous as Elias, as patient as Job, as solicitous as Martha, and as devout as the blessed Virgin Mary: those gracious gifts have been, are, and will be a happiness unspeakable to such as are by supernal grace endowed with them, but the profit of them is only theirs that have them, for he that is rich in mercy, cannot be enriched by the piety-virtue, or merits of men; so that every Christian may truly say,  
Lord the great love thou bear'st to me is thine,  
But all the profit of it's only mine.  
So likewise if poor old Christmas day be made welcome, I am not the richer or fatter, if I be ill entertained, I will neither be poorer or leaner: Let them make me a feasting or fasting day, all my joy or grief is not of long continuance, I am but a short day, and not far from the shortest day, and therefore their loves are but short to my Master, that will not rejoice and be glad at the coming of his anniversary Birth day.  
The old year was before Christ, when misbelieving Jews and Gentiles lived in the darkness of ignorant Idolatry under the Law, (or without the Law) but the New year came when the Father of Lights sent my Master (the Light of the world) who by the glorious light of his gospel expelled and dispersed the black clouds and mists of Egyptian blindness, and devilish Idolatry. Therefore with the old year let is shake off our old faults, (the deeds of darkness) and with the new year let us be renewed in our minds, and follow the true light, and amend our manners, & let our hearts be filled with praises & thanksgivings, before our bellies be overfilled with meat.  
There were lately some over curious, hot zealous Brethren, who with a superbian predominance did do what they could to keep Christmas day out of England; they did in divers places Preach Me for dead in funeral Sermons, and laboured tooth and nail to bury me alive in the grave of oblivion; they were of opinions, that from the 24. of December at night, till the 7. of January following, that Plumb-Pottage was mere Popery, that a choler of Brawn was an obhomination, that Roast Beef was Antichristian, that Mince Pies were relics of the Whore of Babylon▪ and a Goose, a Turkey, or a Capon, were marks of the Beast.  
In detestation of which superstitious diet, they assumed to themselves spiritual and temporal jurisdiction, power, and authority to search and plunder Pottage-pots, to ransack and rifle Ovens, and to strip spits stark naked, and triumphantly carry the pillage to be disposed of as they pleased, for the profit and edification of the righteous, and chastisement of the wicked.  
As there are many sundry Nations, so are there as many inclinations: the Russian, Polonian, German, Belgian, are excellent in the Art of Drinking, the Spaniard will Wench it, the Italian is revengeful, the French man is for fashions, the Irish man Usquebagh makes him light heeled, the Welsh man's cows-boby works (by infusion) to his finger's ends, and translates them into the nature of lime-twigs, and it is said, that a Scot will prove false to his Father, and dissemble with his Brother; but for an English man he is so clear from any of th●se Vices, that he is perfectly exquisite and excellently endued with all those noble above said exercises.  
I am old and bold to tell the nose wise Brethren of these critic days, that my great Master is King of Kings, & Lord of Lords, whois the ancient of days, who never had beginning, and never shall have end. And on this day, which is kept in a thankful remembrance of his blessed incarnation, 1652 years since, I [Christmas] have not failed to make my aniversary & yearly progress into Christendom.  
When my Master Christ was graciously pleased to exchange his unexpressible grory for man's unsupportable misery, when (in his mercy) he put off the Majesty of his Godhead, and took upon him our miserable Manhood, leaving his glorious Throne for a manger, when he laid by his immortal honour, and clothed himself with our shame, to free all true believers from eternal damnation: Then (on his day's birth) my day began. Then on that day, and at that time, as the shepherds were in the field, they were saluted with an Angel, and a multitude of the heavenly Host with a most celestial Carol.  Luk. 2. 
All glory be to God on the highest,  
And on the Earth be Peace.  
Good will towards men, 'tis the will of Christ,  
Our joys should never cease.  
Thus was my good Master ushered into the World, and for his sake, I with my followers (being 12 days in number) honest Stephen & true John, with my Innocents Pages, and all the rest have been welcomed and joyfully entertained ever since, by all sorts of people that have loved or do love and honour the memory of the birthday of my gracious and glorious Lord and Master.  
But now of late the case is quite altered, Christ and Christmas are both alike welcome; and if the Saviour of mankind should come personally here amongst us again, he were likely (through ignorance, malice, and madness) to be recrucified: if Christmas may be so bold as to ask those fiery spirited people the same question as my Master might have asked the Jews; for which of my good works that I have done do you stone me?  
So I may say to England, what harm have I ever done unto you? I am sure I never persuaded you to be so uncharitable as to cut one another's throats, and to starve and famish the poor (as you have done continually) and do still ever since you banished me from your territories, and it is to be feared that you will never be quiet, or have a happy Peace amongst you, till you do give me better welcome for my Master's sake; he is the Prince of Peace, and his peace you will never have that do unthankfully despise & neglect to solemnize the day of his most blessed Nativity.  
It is a lamentable and too long a story to relate in what a pitiful quandary I and my followers have been in any time these twelve years, when we came into this Country: I was in good hope that so long a misery would have made them glad to bid a merry Christmas welcome: But welcome or not welcome, I am come, and at my coming (a little before day) I heard the Cock crow merrily, which ● took for a good Omen, or Preface of a most free and jovial accommodation, which rejoiced me much, for I and m● men were as hungry as Hawks, and as cold as snowball the sable curtains of the night being drawn, I gazed to an● fro to make choice of the best houses, and housekeeper to take up my quarters amongst them; but alas, the come fort that I found was colder than the weather; indeed saw many stately buildings, but very little smoke from the chimneys, for most of the owners did carry their Kitchi● in Boxes, and the best and dearest part of their Roast-me● in Pipes; besides there was a great complaint that Mr. 〈◊〉 and Mr. Plunder had played a long game at sweep-sta 〈…〉 'mongst them, and that they would willingly have 〈…〉 deed good cheer for me, but that they are so misera 〈…〉 that they were not able to feed themselves.  
This was no good news to me and my company; we had not been used to such uncomfortable breakfasts, which made us all search up and down the chief Cities for better cheer, but my especial mind was to try the courtesy of London, where I entered a fair house which had been an alderman's, but it was now possessed with a grave fox-fured Mammonist, whom I found sitting over a few cinders to warm his gouty toes, (for no other part of him did need the comfort of a fire,) from head to heel he was fured like a Muscovite, and instead of a Bible he had a Bond in his hand, which he poard upon to see if it were forfeit or no; he seldom looked upward, but as it were riveted his eyes to the earth, as if he had been looking for a Mine: his keys of his treasure were hanged at his waste, and his clutches always on them, and he no sooner espied me and my Company, but he cried Thieves, Thieves, and reviled his ●oor starveling servant, saying, thou Villain, hast thou let in base Rakehells to rob me, and cut my throat.  
Then I began to entreat him to be patient, saying, Sir, there are none here that intend to hurt you, if you take any ●arme, it must be yourself that must do it to yourself, ●nd not we. My name is Christmas these grey haired men that are with me, are men of my old acquaintance; ●hey are all poor and true; we are come to dine with you, out if it be not your pleasure to give us entertainment, it is not our purposes to force it.  
This old muck worm cast as dogged a look upon me as if I had brought him a privy Seal to borrow money, and ●t last he opened his mouth and said, thou old saucy intru●ing fellow, I prithee let me have thy absence, thou com●st to do nothing but mischief, to make men waste and 〈◊〉 so much to entertain thee in twelve or thirteen days' 〈◊〉 of riotous Gluttony and Gurmondizing, that for 〈…〉 after they can hardly purchase a good meals meat; besides thou art attended and waited on by a cursed crew of Gamesters, Cheaters, Swearers, Roarers, and whimwham gambols; me thinks one of thy age should have left off thy Coltish tricks, and prodigal expenses: Dost thou see any one that hath a care to live and thrive in the world, to be so mad as to mind thee and thy babbles, we are grown somewhat wiser in twelve years, than our Fathers were in twice eight hundred: There dwells my worshipful good neighbour (Sir Achitophel Pinchgut, and M. Nabal (an ancient Justice of the Quorum) it is neither they or myself that had ever come to have any estates, if we had entertained thee, or relieved beggars: I tell thee if we and a great many more had been as lavishly minded as thou wouldst have us to be, we had then been as poor as thou, or any of the rest of the vaggabond beggarly Varlets that are thy hangers on, and so let them hang still, or starve, all's one to me; therefore without any more ado, avoid my house, I have nothing for thee, neither am I in the giving humour at this time.  
I could have answered him with divine Commandments and Precepts, with many human Histories and Examples concerning good housekeeping, and charitable Hospitality; but every virtue (in this Age of Vice) is between two extremes, (as my Master was betwixt two Thieves) as liberality is in the middle, but prodigality and covetousness are on each side of her, always ready to spoil and devour her.  
All true Christians do know, that what relief soever is given to the poor, is lent unto my Lord and Master Christ, and he hath, is, and will be bound to see it paid with Heavenly interest; but he is a surety that few Usurers will accept of.  
At my departure from this old Father Penny-wise, his son, (M. Pound foolish) desired his crabbed Sire to bid me stay and dine with him, at which the miserable Curmudgeon was even half mad with anger, calling his Son spendthrift, and prodigal Jack-an-Apes, saying, that if he bade me to dinner, that I with my followers, would take the boldness to sup with him, and lodge in his house till Twelftide was past, and that I would draw more Guests to his house than he had a mind to bid welcome, & more beggars to his gate than he had a mind to relieve.  
Thus was poor Christmas used, which made me and my men look blank upon the matter, and without bidding him farewell, I took a going welcome from him, and wandering into the country up and down from house to house, I found little or small comfort in any; some would only smile upon me, and (because I should not piss at their doors) they would give me a cup of single, slender, lean, small Beer, or Ale, which had the virtue to cause a man to make an Alphabet of faces, for it would have warmed a man's heart like pangs of death in a frosty morning. And as thinking or remembering former prosperities, do make adversities seem the more heavy: So I call to mind the vigorous spirit of the buttery, Nappy. Nutbrown, berry-brown, Ale Abelendo, whose infusion and inspiration was wont to have such Aleaborate operation to elevate & exhilarate the vitals, to put alementall Raptures and Enthusiasms in the most capital Perricranion, in such plenitude that the meanest and most illiterate Plow jogger could speedily play the Rhetorician, and speak alequently, as if he were mounted up into the Aletitude. This merry memory (or sad remembrance) of Ale, caused me to ask the reason of this alteration, to which question an honest Smith made this answer.  
Alas Father Christmas (quoth he) our high and mighty Ale, that would formerly knock down Hercules, and trip up the heels of a giant, is lately st●ook into a deep Consumption, the strength of it being quite gone with a blow which it received from Westminster, and there is a Tetter and ringworm called Excise, doth make it look thinner than it would otherwise do; before these times every Brewer did keep two strong fellows to carry the malt, and one weak boy to pump the Water; but now they have shifted or changed hands unluckily, for the poor boy carries the malt, and the two strong knaves carry the Water.  
Indeed (to speak truth) my best and freest welcome with some kind of country Farmers, I will describe one for all the rest in Devonshire and Cornwall, where though both the Armies had been with them, and given them several visits, insomuch that if the Cavaliers had taken their Horses, thee other Party made bold with their Oxen; if the one had their Sheep, the other played sweepstake; so that (according to the country phrase) great Crock, and little Chock, all was I go; yet as soon as they spied me, they saluted me with much love and reverend courtesy. The goodman, with the Dame of the house, and all the rest of the men were exceeding glad to see me, and with all country courtesy and solemnity, I was had into the Parlour, there I was placed at the upper end of the Table and my company about me, we had good cheer and free welcome, and we were merry without music.  
A, ha, quoth I, this piece of the world is well mended, our Dinner is better than our Breakfast, this was as Christmas would have it, here is neither too much cost, nor too little meat; here is no surfeit on the one side, or hunger on the other; they are always the best Feasts where the poor are relieved, for the rich can help themselves.  
After Dinner we arose from the board, and sat by the fire, where the hearth was embroidered all over with roasted Apples, piping hot, expecting a bowl of Ale for a cooler (which presently was transformed into warm lambs-wool:) within an hour after we went to Church, where a good old Minister spoke very Reverendly of my Master Christ, and also he uttered many good speeches concerning Me, exciting and exhorting the people to love and unity one with another, and to extend their charities to the needy and distressed.  
After Prayers we returned home, where we discoursed merrily, wi●hout either profaneness or obscenity; supper being ended, we went to Cards, some sung carols, and merry Songs (suitable to the times;) then the poor la●ouring Hinds, and the maid servants, with the Plow●oyes, went nimbly to dancing, the poor toiling wretches being all glad of my company, because they had little or no sport at all till I came amongst them; and therefore 〈◊〉 leaped and skipped for joy, singing a catch to the Tune of hay,  
Let's dance and sing and make good cheer,  
For Christmas comes but once a year.  
Thus at active Games and Gambols of Hotcockles, 〈◊〉 the Wild Mare, and the like harmless sports, some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the tedious night was spent; and early in the morning we took our leaves of them thankfully, and though we had been thirteen days well entertained, yet the poor people were very unwilling to let me go; so I left them 〈◊〉 out of hope to have my company again for a twelvemonths space, that if I were not banished in my absence they should have my presence again the next 25. of December 1653.  Glory be to God in the Highest, Peace on Earth, and to Men goodwill. 
FINIS.