A Christian PLEA Against CHRISMASS AND An OUTCRY against Chrismas-mongers.  2 COR. 5.16. Though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. TITUS 1.16. 
— Their mind and conscience is defiled.  
They profess they know God, but in their works they deny him; being abominable, and disobedient, and to every good work reprobate.  1 COR. 10.7. Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them: as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and risen up to play. 
LONDON, Printed for the Author. 1656.   

To his Highness OLIVER Lord Protector AND To the Parliament of England, etc.  
O ye Assembly of Mortal Gods,  
I Formerly presented you with a Treatise against Idols Temples; Here is a Tractate against Idols Times: It's in your power to demolish the Idols Temples, and abolish the idolatrous Times, and to suppress the profane crew of Chrismas-mongers, and expel such unclean Spirits from your coasts, and destroy the names of the Idols out of these places.  
The Antichristian sect of Chrismas-mongers is of many hundred years standing, and to be rooted out; especially considering that it hath overspread the Nations like a Gangrene; and this their way is their folly, yet their posterity approve of their say, Psal. 49.13. And although their forefathers have inherited lying vanities, yet they will not be wiser: But you (Legislators) have a restraining power over them, and therefore I am bold humbly to present these lines following unto you who are the Heads of the People, and leave you to do as God shall persuade your hearts, and so rest,  
Your Friend and servant Samuel Chidley.   

A Christian Plea against Chrismass.  
SInce the Mass is put down by the Supreme Authority, and that Christ is no Massmonger, It concerneth you (Noble Senators) not to keep Christ's Mass falsely so called, for it is Antichrists Mass, and I think than it will appear that there are many Antichrists, and more Papists, besides Roman Catholics; for they are Papists and Massmongers, who solemnize the Mass; or swear by it, as the Israelites of old by the sin of Samaria, or keep Christmas (vulgarly so called) though they would be all counted Protestants.  
If you say it's Christ's time, tide, or birthday, Wots you not, that Christ's tide or time is the first day of every week? which well-informed Christians observe from Even to Even, two and fifty times a year, still keeping in Remembrance the Lords birth, death and Resurrection; whereas Chrissmas comes but once a year, (as say the Massmongers themselves) only there is ten day's difference between the old Style and the New; the Hollanders observing it ten days before the English; for Christ indeed foreseeing the vanity of the Gentiles, hath hid the day of his birth; so that all the Christians in the world cannot find that time, more than the Jews the place of Moses Sepulchre.  
Nevertheless the supreme Sabbath, even the Lords day, the first day of the week, Joh. 20.1. rightly called by the papists the Dominical day, in the Rhemish Testament, Rev. 1.10. is known throughout all Christendom; It is the day which God hath made, Psal. 118.24. a holy convocation, Leu. 23.7. a day of better acceptation, v. 11. the day of Christ's resurrection, Mar. 16. and of the holy Ghosts descension, Act. 2. (as is showed by Chidley in his book called the Evening Star,) this is the day wherein we are called to rejoice, Psal. 118.24. & one day of solemn assembly in the Lords Courts, is better than a thousand, Psal, 84.10 & a thousand, than a thousand thousand.  
And although our enemies (and the Hollanders) keep their Chrismas-day more solemnly than the Lords day, and profane the sacred time which God hath so highly honoured, yet the Apostle of the Gentiles, who had the mind of Christ, saith, Henceforth know we no man after the flesh, yea though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more, 2 Cor. 5 16.  
For if the day of Christ's death were better than the day of his birth, how much more than his resurrection. St. Paul saith, If Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. And again he saith, If Christ be not raised, your Faith is vain, ye are yet in your sins, 1 Cor. 15.14, 17.  
Why then do the fleshly-minded Gentiles feed themselves with such fancies, of their own imaginations, and reproach others that will not dance with them about such Calves of invention? A foolish people! Who hath bewitched them? For they have not the true Christ neither do they serve him, but their own bellies; For Christ was not as they set him forth to be, He was no Mass-monger or belly God, No drunkard: He wanted neither cards, dice nor Tables to play with, to pass away the time; nor Lord of misrule to take his place, He needed no new Games to make him merry, no Holly or Ivy to dress his windows, nor Misletow to conjure his lovers, nor other toys to please his fancy, or blindfolded fools, or Hot Cockle payers to make him sport, But was born in poverty, lived in affliction, and died in distress; A man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief, as a worm and no man, Yet not without hope, for God had caused him to trust in him from his mother's womb; And though he was crucified through weakness, yet was he raised up with power, and made an high Priest, not after the law of a carnal Commandment, but after the power of an endless life.  
Therefore it is humbly desired by the well-affected, That the Parliament would with great severity punish the profanation of the Lords day, & decree,  
That no Chrismass-day, or such like fooleries, be set in the Almanacs, or observed.  
That the names of Idols may be no more in remembrance throughout the Dominions of the Commonwealth of England.  
And it's also humbly desired, that the High and Mighty States of England would not adjourn, but sit all the idle time called Chrismass, in direct opposition to the vanity of the Gentiles who profess that they know God, but in works deny him.  
Nevertheless it is in your Honour's liberty, So that if any one bid you to a Feast, and ye be disposed to go, you may eat that which is set before you, ask no question for conscience sake. But if any one say unto you, This or that is offered in sacrifice to an Idol (as the Mass is an abominable Idol) eat not, for his sake that shown it, and for conscience sake, but rather feed with bread and water, Consider Daniel, and his fellows, whose health and countenance in holy abstinence was well, and their wisdom transcending all the wisest men in Babylon; and God delivered them from all their enemies, and he is able to deliver us. If we will seek for experience the right way, we shall find much of God in Jesus Christ, whilst Mass-mongers feed their bodies with Anti Chrismass-Pies, and famish their souls, and perish eternally, being without Christ the bread of life, which came down from heaven.   

An OUTCRY AGAINST CHRISMASS-MONGERS.  
CHrismass-mongers are the worst sort of Christians; when Antichrismas comes, they show themselves by their fruits, to be Christians in name, but Antichristians in nature; and their hearts not worth a halfpenny, (Prov. 10.20.) for they are the Pope's Imps, Malignants in soul and flesh, polluted in lips and life.  
Their Religion at the best is but like a threadbare cloak outworn, and their Conversation spotted by the flesh; they are not filled with grace, but with meat; Chrismass cheer is their charity, and their hope is in this life, and their faith no better than the faith of devils, who believe and tremble, Jam. 2.19.  
They are often drunk with wine and strong drink, but never filled with the Spirit, but with the spirit of envy; their Hymns are carnal, not spiritual, unless spiritual wickednesses set up in their high places; Their songs are Christmas Carols, not of the Lamb Christ; their contemplation is on their Cards, to play at 31. a fraction of Antichrist's number. They make use of Christ Jesus his name (chawing it in their mouth as common beggars do) for their private advantage, but care neither for him nor his substitutes here on earth, but for their Sovereign Lord their belly, that is their God, and their glory is their shame; shall not their end be destruction? for they are enemies to Jesus Christ, and mind earthly things, and make the devil their playfellow. And yet these children of wrath will needs be called Christians, and fly unto Christ the Saviour of Saints, to rescue them from the wrath to come, without bringing forth fruits meet for repentance.  
O thou earthly Protector and Parliament of England, not of Israel, Was not Zion called Sodom, because of the Crying sins therein, Pride, Idleness, Gluttony, and Cruelty? And now at such Massing times these abominations are cloaked under the pretence of Chrismass.  
What greater patched impiety, and impurity then now? the Protestants mangle Christ with their minced Pies, the Papists like Cannibals eat him up, flesh, blood, bones and all, if they may be believed  
For Chrismass sake, the Parliaments Orders have been contemned, tumults raised, the Ten Commandments broken; Yea, the Thief will steal and rob his own father against Chrismass, though it cost him dear; and the poor will pawn all to the  of their back, to provide Chrismass Pies for their be lies, and the broth of Abominable things in their vessels, though they starve or pine for it all the year after. Is not this religion rebellion, O ye rulers of this people? yea, it is so; And he that refraineth himself from these evils, maketh himself a prey.  
Samuel Chidley.   

A lesson for the whole sect of Chrismas-mongers.  
MAsks, Mumming, Massing, are made Cover  
For Chrismass-mongers to do evil things.  
There's carding, dicing, drinking, bellowing, roaring,  
And under Chrismass cloaks rogues go a whoring.  
In fuddling Schools 'mongst fools, there Bacchus bears the Bell,  
And Chrismass-mongers dance and prance away to hell.  
S. C.   

Postscript.  
SInce this was in the press, I understand that the Right Honourable Sir Robert Tichburne Knight, Lord Mayor of the City of London, hath taken Order for the protecting of those who shall open their shops on Chrismass day: good reason it is that the Parliament should give due encouragement to such zealous Magistrates, in the execution of their duty, and by one Act put down Chrismass, (wholly) throughout City and Country.   

Here followeth an order of the first Parliament against Chrismass; which order the Malignants condemned, and abused the honest Citizens in their shops on Chrismass Day, for want of an effectual course against Chrismass.  
Friday, the 24 of December, 1652.  
REsolved by the Parliament, That the Markets be kept to morrow being the 25 day of December, and that the Lord Mayor, and Sheriffs of London, and Middlesex, and the Justices of Peace for the City of Westminster, and liberties thereof, do take care that all such persons as shall open their shops on that day, be protected from wrong or violence, and the offenders punished.  
Resolved by the Parliament, That no observation shall be had of the 25 of December, commonly called CHRISMASS DAY, nor any solemnity used or exercised in Churches upon that day in respect thereof.  
Ordered by the Parliament, That the Lord Mayor in the City of London, and Sheriffs of London and Middlesex, and the Justices of the Peace of Middlesex, respectively, be authorized and required to see this order duly observed within the lines of Communication, and Weekly Bills of Mortality.  
Hen: Scobel, Cler. Parl.  
FINIS.