Matthew Poole and continuators on John 10:22

22 And it was at Hierusalem, the feast of the dedication, and it was winter .

This Verse affords Two Questions, which have not a little troubled Interpreters. 1. What feast of Dedication this was. 2. Whether Dedications of places to the Worship of God be warrantable, or no, in that manner as they are Dedicated amongst the Papists at this day. As to the first of these, That which we have about it in Scripture is this, Exod. 40. from the First to the Fifteenth Verse, we have Gods Command and Direction for the Hallowing, or Dedication of the Sanctuary, or the Tabernacle, which was the first House we read of in Scripture, set apart for the Publick Worship of God. We have a particular accompt of Moses, his punctual Obedience to that Command, Levit. 8. When the Temple was Builded by Solomon, we read of Solomons Dedication of it; but nothing of Ceremony used at it, onely a Multitude of Sacrifices Offered, (which was God's ordinary Worship in the Iewish Church,) and a Feast kept Fourteen days: We read of no Law that he made for the Annual keeping of it: no Obligation upon all the Males in Israel, to be present at it: As concerning the other Solemn Feasts which God appointed, Levit. 33. and Solomons Feast of Dedication in this differed from them, that it held double the time, for Seven, or Eight days was the longest time that any of those Feasts were kept. This Temple was Destroy'd by the Caldeans, and Babylonians; and Rebuilded by Zorobabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah, as we read in the Books known by that Name. In Analogy to the practice of Solomon, when they had finished the Building of the Temple, there was another Feast of Dedication kept; of which we read, Ezra 6.16, 17, 18. but we read of nothing done in that Dedication, but the offering of 100 Bullocks, 200 Rams, 400 Lambs, and 12 He-Goats; and setting the Priests and Levites in order for the service of God. This Temple was defaced by Antiochus, but not wholly ruin'd; and was Repaired and Purifyed by Iudas Maccabeus, of which we read, 2 Maccab. 2.23. Chap. 10 6, 7, 8. 1 Maccab. 4.52, 58. which Books of Maccabes, though they be no Canonical Scripture, yet are as good a piece of Ecclesiastical History as any; and Iosephus also giveth us an account of it, Antiq. l. 12. cap. 11. We do not read of any thing they did, saving Offering Sacrifices, and setting things in order, according to the Law of Moses, and Feasting; Iosephus tells us, They used all Lawful Pleasures. We do not read, that either God appointed an Annual Feast of Dedication for the Sanctuary, nor Solomon, nor Ezra, for either of the Temples: but we read twice in the Book of Machabes and Iosephus (Writing the Iewish History tells us,) That Iudas Machabeus made it a Law, That the Feast should be kept Yearly for Eight Days, in Memory of that Mercy which God had shewed them. This was without doubt the Feast of Dedication here mentioned: for this Feast began upon the Twenty fifth day of the Moneth Chisleu, which answereth our Moneths of November and December, and took in part of each; so it agreeth with the Text which saith, That it was in Winter: whereas Solomons Dedication was in Autumn, Ezra's in the Spring. Some make a Question, Whether Iudas Machabeus did well in appointing this Annual Feast; neither Solomon, nor Ezra having, that we read of before, done any such thing: and that our Saviour was not at this Feast in any honour to the Feast, but onely to take advantage of the Multitude of People that met to Preach the Gospel. For my own part, as I will not defend, so I durst not condemn him: I see no more that he did in this, than was done Esth. 9.27, 28. as to the days of Purim. Magistrates certainly have a power to appoint Publick days, yea Annual days of Thanksgivings, for Mercies never to be forgotten. Indeed they cannot make a day holy, so as it shall be a sin against God to labour in it, or to use any pleasures (as in the case of the Sabbath) but they may command the publick Worship of God to be performed on particular days, and men ought to attend it when with conveniency they can: Onely they ought to take care that such days be not spent in Luxury and Profaneness, and that they be for signal Providences, and not so multiplyed, and frequently renewing, as that the service of them degenerate into meer matter of form. Whether Christ went up in order to the Feast, or because of the great concourse of people he knew would be there at that time, cannot be determined. For the second Question, It is not so much a question, whether it be lawful in a solemn and decent manner, to consecrate an house to the publick Worship of God, by such Acts of Worship as God hath appointed under the Gospel; such as Prayer and Praise, Reading, Preaching and hearing the Word: As whether it may be done by such Rites and Ceremonies as the Papists do it with, for the which there is no institution; for the former, though it may be some will not agree it necessary; yet certainly, no sober person can deny, but if a place be made for people ordinarily to meet in to Worship God, there, they may as well meet at the first to Praise God for his mercy, and to beg his presence, when they shall there meet together to Worship God, and to hear his Word, as they may meet there afterwards for Prayer, Praise, Preaching; or Hearing; but this satisfieth not the Papists. They first do it by many Superstitious Ceremonies. Secondly, They plead for the Holiness of the place when so Consecrated. As the Ceremonies of their Consecrations, or Dedications. Bellarmine reckoneth up eight. 1. The Painting twelve Crosses in the several parts of the house to be Consecrated, and lighting up twelve Lamps, one at every Cross; To signifie the twelve Apostles who carried the Banner of the Cross throughout the world. 2. The Bishop's knocking at the door with a Pastoral staff, commanding the Devil to give place, and invoking of God, the Angels and Saints, to grant their presence in that place, which they make to signifie the opening of peoples hearts by the Preaching of the Gospel. 3. The scattering of ashes upon the flore of the places, upon which the Bishop writes the letters of the Latine and Greek [illegible: 1 word], in the figure of a Cross. 4. The sprinkling the place with Holy-water, and lighting up wax Candles. 5. The [illegible: 1 word] of the Crosses before mentioned, and painted on the walls. 6. The sprinkling of the place, with a mixture of Water, Wine, Salt, and Ashes. 7. The anointing of the Temple, and the Altar. 8. The keeping of a Festival upon it: And for all these they have devised several significancies too vain and fanciful to repeat. For none of which we know not the least warrant in holy writ: Nor can we conceive, how any Consecration can imprint any character of holiness upon a place, or make prayers offered up in or toward it more acceptable: though we know it did so as to the Temple, both because it was an eminent Type of Christ, and also because of the particular promises made to it, 1 Kings 9. which were not applicable to the Synagogues, which were the Iews ordinary meeting-places for publick Worship, but onely to the Temple upon the account before mentioned. Tho we say that all places for that use, ought to be used with all imaginable decency; and we ought during the publick Worship of God, to carry our selves in them with all reverence, because of the Angels, and because of the special presence of God, promised to the assemblies of his people in his name, and for his publick Worship.