The prophecy of Haggai, interpreted and applied in sundry sermonsThe prophesie of Haggai, interpreted and applyed in sundry sermons

for whatsoever the Princes are whom God stirreth up to maintain it, the Gospel is to be reverenced and embraced for it self. The month also is noted, ¹when it is said, In the sixth month, because that it is the custom of the Scriptures not to give the proper names to the month whereby they are called but to note them by their order, as the first, second month &c. There are some which mislike that this use is no• rather observed, than that which we have for the profane use of the months and days of the week, but chiefly they mislike the retaining of the names of Feasts, as Christmas, Michaelmas, Candlemas, where the use of the names of Mass derived from that abomination seemeth to savour of some superstition and profaneness: To which, though happily it might be said that some of those names might seem not so to have been framed, but rather to have come from the old Saxon language, as in the names of Lamonds, &c. Yet if we grant that thence they were derived, i• followeth not that we may not note or call the days or months otherwise than after the manner that is here used. For as I acknowledge a godly mind in them that desire to speak in more religious sort, and to banish as much as in them lieth the remembrance and names of all Idolatry; So of the things I say as St. Paul doth to the Corinthians, Art thou called being a servant, ⟨p. 9⟩care not for it? but yet if thou mayest be free, use it rather. If we ²live amongst them that use no other names for these times, we may (seeing otherwise they cannot understand us to whom we speak) use these words and names, and care not for it: But if ³we be amongst those that have left the use of them, we are to use the other rather. As for the manner which is mentioned in the Scripture, not only the Jews named their months after their order, as in this place, but sometimes they also used their proper names also, as in Moses, the month of Abib &c. And after their return from Babylon they did not still follow their number and order, but sometime they used the Chaldean language, and the names which they gave their months; as appeareth in the books of Nehemiah, Ezra, Esther;