for some others may follow by degrees or in a Croud Let us not be wiser than God or trust our strength too much we give Papists advantage upon us and matter of bragging with cause of hardning themselves that we borrowed our Ceremonies from them and this string they hung upon amongst us or else one way or other they had been gone but by the same reason some Ceremonies were taken away all ought to have been We return to the Intention and say 't is not the Opinion that Men have that makes a true or false Worship but the nature of the thing as already said for thus a Man may go to Mass conceiving a private Opinion to himself different from that which Massmongers have so he may fancy he doth not sin when he commits a gross one Calderinus when he was about going to Mass used to say eamus ad communem errorem let us go to the vulgar Error but going to Mass that is doing all those outward actions which Massmongers use to perform is Idolatry which to avoid the three young Men would not fall down and Worship the Image of Nebuchadnezar Dan. 3.18 If the Intention had made the thing lawful or unlawful they might have fallen down before the Image but intentionally worship'd God but they would not going to Mass with what intention you please is to approve of and commit Idolatry God hath made Body and Soul and will be Worshipped in both the proper Nature of Worship consists in honouring of God so that all outward Ceremonies whose proper use is the honouring of God will be external Worship 'T is sad to see how to defend these Ceremonies retained in our Church they are put upon shifts they are resolved to keep and defend them let what will become of it In order to it they call upon Sophistry for help and to avoid coming to the point they make a Logomachy a Dispute about words coining Definitions Divisions Distinctions as Doctrinal and Ritual Ceremonies essential accessary accidental simple double and treble significant sacred by application mutable ambulatory arbitrary reductively sacramental moral Ceremonies immediate Worship in respect of means by vertue of something else in respect of the manner and reductively in respect of the utmost and Divine Worship and many more of the same stamp so 't is like to me when I hear such words to be with Lombard Durandus Occam and other Schoolmen to hear of entity quiddity ut qui ut quo and such other barbarous terms under which they confounded the Nature of Things Thus they will talk of Altars commanded and Altars permitted under the Law Deut. 4 2â— And when out of Scripture we press them against Additions to be made unto the Word and Worship of God then they will tell us of corrupting Additions but not preserving are there forbidden let them shew the least step in Scripture to ground that shameful and pitiful distinction upon as despicable as those I heard hissed out in Philosophy Schools ex creditis concedo ex credendis nego ut soepius concedo ut semper nego which yet considering the matters they were about and only to try Man's Wits were much more tolerable than this which concerneth things of so high a Nature But such distinctions can never put off the blow of these words Ye shall not add unto the Word which I Command neither shall ye diminish ought from it Besides that these preserving additions are an inlet for Superstition and incongruous Acts of Parliament are for preservation of Religion but they would not hear their Laws are an Addition to the Word and Worship of God All this while our Ceremonies go upon a wrong Principle which 't is necessary to beat them off and this is it they think the Church hath power to institute all such things but a preliminary question is who that Church is They will say 't is the Convocation out of which most Ministers and all the Laity a Chancellor excepted are excluded so this will be a National Church Thus if we ask Papists what they mean by their Church they will say Pope and Council or else Pope and Cardinals Well that 's for Papists For us the Convocation decides and then the whole Church as well Ministers that have right to sit there and give in their Opinions and all the Laity must submit But this Convocation never concludes any thing for the common good of the Church they generally are servile to those whom they depend upon and Tyrannical over those that are subject to them and though sometimes some good motions be made amongst them 't is nothing but what we may say of the Council of Trent and of other mercenary publick Assemblies But doth not this Convocation except they will be above St. Paul think that what Authority the Church hath is for edification 2 Cor. 10.8 and not for destruction 't is a bound power not Magisterial but Ministerial If they may institute Ceremonies then Circumcision if thought fit may be imposed as well as Cross in Baptism It may be as of the King who was not to multiply Horses Wives Deut. 17.16 17 Silver and Gold to himself which Solomon made a shift to go thorough So the Church or Convocation might in time happen to multiply Ceremonies that which is not grounded upon the Word may at last be upon ill Custom if it was thought fit to bring in that which hath been kept out not heeding what Paul saith if I build again things which I destroyed I make my self a transgressor Gal. 2.18 To see how in these matters they tread the steps of Popery they assert how some such Worship is good which is not taught in Scripture that many teaching Ceremonies which God never instituted may by Men be brought in to Worship Images themselves not excepted that Additions to God's Word so they be not contrary to it may and ought to be made The sum of their Doctrine in this point is by Hooker set down in his Book of Ecclesiastical Policy He hath these words much the Church of God shall always need that which the Scripture teaches not Page 125. Which argueth the Word of God of insufficiency contrary to what our Saviour and Sr. Paul say which no doubt must be supplied with Traditions These are rare Principles They further say Scripture is as perfect in giving general Rules as it should be in setting down of particular Instances this is only to make good to themselves the adding and enlarging Power But general Rules make only the proposition tending to particulars and particulars are not so fully inferred as if they were expresly set down General Rules for Civil Policy may be given in the New Testament yet not so fully and clearly taught as in the Old or as Religious Worship is now in the New the Rule of clean and unclean Beasts was general and easily discernable without Institution of Men as now for Bread and Wine in the Communion
and he addeth Austin would have us to be content with those very few Ceremonies which are contained in the Canonical Scriptures Another saith Dr. Fulk in his Rejoinder to mart The Gates of Hell in idle Ceremonies did assault the Church the Fathers in them declined from the Simplicity of the Gospel Again Every idle Ceremony that prevailed had the Prelates of the Church either for Authors or Approvers Christ committed his Church to them to be fed with his Word and not with dumb Signs and dead Images which things he hath forbidden The Prelates of our Church have continued in the same Temper as those he speaks of out of what hath been said it appears how the Church hath no Authority to institute such Ceremonies as have no warrant in the word of God such are ours But they are not content to assume and usurp that Power to themselves but also to impose such Constitutions of theirs upon the Church and God's People thus arrogating to themselves a legislative and executive Authority but we are perswaded they may do no such things nor Men in Conscience obey and practise them yet 't is a strange Opinion of theirs as if observing or not these Ceremonies could make Men good or evil honest or dishonest they who would require and six our Practice of such Constitutions must first as much as in them lies fix our Judgments which all the Convocations can never do so as to settle other Peoples Judgment concerning things lawful or unlawful according to the Notions they themselves have of them or else to impose it whether one will or not is no less than Tyranny All Casuists amongst Papists do hold it for a Wrong done to Monks Fryars Seculars and Regulars of any Order if their Priors Abbots Generals or other Superiors should impose upon them the Observance of any thing besides the Vow they have made to observe the Rules and Rites instituted by their Founder and we Christians are we not as much by our Vow tied unto the Lord Jesus as they are or can be to Francis Dominick Benedictus Bruno c. Or are we more subject to our Prelates than they to their Superiours by Vow of Obedience Christ hath purchased his Church a Christian Liberty which she ought not to be deprived of and 't is a presumptuous Attempt in any Man or Society of men to go about it and to institute any Religious Ceremonies to be used in God's Worship 't is unlawful for men to add unto God's Institution in Worship and to say this is true as to the doctrinal not as to the ritual Part is as good as to say Man may not add unto God's Institutions any of God's Institutions but mans only which is a Piece of Nonsence And as the Church hath no Authority to add to Divine Institutions or to make new ones upon a religious Account so it may not by its Institution make a thing good or bad true or false only it may declare it so to be according to the Rule of God's Word except we would give it the same Power which some Doctors of the Church of Rome give the Pope namely to alter the Nature of things as to make that to be Sin which is not Sin and that not to be Sin which is Sin I hope we do not entail Infallibility upon our Church nor stretch her Power so as to transubstantiate things a Prayer made in the House of Lords or Commons doth not cease from being a religious Duty to become a civil one Such an Application doth not alter the Nature of it To prove the Churches Authority to institute their unnecessary Ceremonies which we deny after they have screwed up their Wits with Endeavours to prove it out of Scripture of the New Testament they can find but one place which they stretch as far as they can and under the Notion of Decency and Order they think they may bring into the Church what they please not only all Papists but also all Jewish and Heathenish Ceremonies if the Convocation and Rulers of the Church think them to be decent and for Order The Place is let all things be done decently and in order 1 Cor. 14.40 Elsewhere the Objection I answered but thus much I shall add for all their going about to inlarge the Commission there is a Restriction to be admitted V. 26. Let all things be done to edifying That which is granted is to have things done decently and in order for Edification Edification is the end Decency and Order the means or as we may call it a decent Order tending to Edification thus an holy Sacrament must be decently and orderly or in a decent order administred This Decency and Order relate to Place Time Manner Persons Number as how many Psalms sung Sermons preached Chapters read and the like Circumstances the Apostle leaves no more to the Churches Liberty than to order God's Ordinances to be performed in a decent manner Any Constitution beyond ordering that which before was enjoyned is properly a Law now Christ is the only Lawgiver of his Church which receiveth no other Laws but his and any Laws added to God's Laws are contrary to them which are really perfect in themselves in their Reason and Manner and those of the Church are but Directions for better observing of Divine Laws according to the Diversity of Times Places and Persons which are occasional Circumstances and no new things in God's Worship The Churches Authority as I already observed is but Ministerial to see those things observed which Christ hath appointed not to institute any new things Decency is when God's Worship is performed with those convenient Circumstances of Gesture and such as I already named agreeing not only with God's Service but also with any grave Assembly In this place Order is strictly taken in Opposition to Confusion so is Decency opposed to the Vice of Undecency hence it follows that Order doth require nothing but what is necessary to avoid Confusion and Decency to hinder Undecency Our Ceremonists must give me leave to make them take notice how they are guilty of the Breach of two things contained in that Chapter the first of Confusion for to speak all together aloud as they do in the use of the Common-Prayer-Book makes a confuse Noise and brings in a Confusion thus they interrupt one anothers Devotion Vers 28. The Apostle forbiddeth to speak all at once Cannot they follow the Minister when he reads Vers 34. and according to the Apostle's Order speak every one to himself and to God Another Breach they are guilty of is directly against Women keeping silence and not speaking in Churches yet commonly they speak the loudest So then if they will answer the Apostles end they must act to edifying which through Persecution they have not taken the Way to do he tells them the right Way Charity wherein they have been so wanting Cor. 8.1 edifyeth Our Ceremonies contribute nothing towards Order and Decency
and Superstitions out of natural propensity in many to Superstition Of old Easter brought in a superstitious Lent to attend upon 't made Baptism wait for their Moon and conformed our Lord's Supper to the Jewish Passover with unleavened Bread so amongst us are superstitiously retained Popish Rites which hereafter I shall speak of in particular by God's Grace Would to God we would here follow good advice and not give way to a prejudice against advisers as in the beginning of Reformation it was done in Suitzerland when Anabaptists there opposed humane Ceremonies as unlawful by publick Authority and common Consent they were abolished and Thanks given them for the Advice because the thing was reasonable by those who in other things were their Adversaries so ours ought to be removed because they train up the People of God in subjecting themselves in the Worship of God uuto the pleasure of Men they make way for gross Superstitions as Images c. and they challenge to themselves that which is proper to God's Ordinances which doth offend many in and out of the Church and encourage Popery yet for these Ceremonies they stand as stiffly as Demetrius and his Ephesians did for their Diana and do not care how they disturb the Peace not only of one City but of the whole World besides right or wrong they defend them and make a point of Honour of it more than to seek after to find and own the Truth when found though they would say 't is our Opposition to these Ceremonies that is the Cause of the Mischief arising therefrom but that is no more the cause of it than the messages of Moses and Aaron to Pharaoh were the Causes of his Cruelty against the Children of Israel The Ceremonies are unjust and unlawful as by the Grace of God we shall make it appear imposing of them is that which breaks the Peace of the Church which consisteth in avoiding to give Scandal Lay aside such Humane Ceremonies which are the ground of Disputes and you take away the Cause of Offence which to give is a kind of Murther for St. Paul calls this Rom. 14.15 to destroy This is to prefer Division before Peace and thereby also to give Popery an inlet upon us and hindereth us from being like-minded one towards another Chap. 15 5 6. and from glorifying God with one mind and one mouth which is no small sin And I wish there be not too much of self worldly end in the case namely to keep out of the Church those who by means of their laborious and fruitful Preaching might have many followers and do Souls more good than others and so exclude them from Church Benefices and Preferments which they are willing to appropriate wholly to themselves Indeed it looks too much that way Ceremonies introduced into God's Worship are a palpable breach of the Second Commandment wherein Will-worship is expresly forbidden as all external Idolatry all Rites and Ceremonies of Man's devising in God's Worship Now the Ceremonies in question are Will-worship and not the least step for them in Scripture yet to make them lawful they must be warranted by the Word which not being they must own that whatsoever is besides the Word is against the Word Now those in question are significant and teaching Ceremonies of Man's invention stated in God's Worship and an addition expresly against the Rule of the Word and I think the dreadful threatnings against those that do so as expressed Rev. 22.18 should make any Man's Ears to tingle and his Heart to tremble Then they are Man's Inventions and have been and are Popish Idols whereby they make a Conformity between us and Idolaters in God's Worship and are Occasions and Appearances of Evil In a word they are the strange fire and garments spotted with the flesh Why then should we not with Ephraim say What have I to do any more with Idols Hos 14.8 God hath taught us as formerly he did his People Isa 30.20 to defile the covering of Images to cast them away as a menstruous Cloth and say unto it get thee hence Now whatsoever is brought in without God's Appointment is an Idol of Jealousie in his sight Civil Governours may according to the Constitution of their Government make new Laws but in God's Worship it may not be so 't is not under their Jurisdiction only they are to see God's Laws put in Execution All their Humane Inventions are as many Snares to destroy to adulterate the Worship of the Lord and to strip him of his Right who is the only Law-giver And the Tyranny of those that impose such things exceedeth the Laws of other Tyrants because they Tyranise over the Conscience Besides that this is contrary to the sufficiency and perfection of Scriptures and maketh Christians Condition worse and less tolerable than that of the Jews for their Ceremonies were imposed of God and there was but a certain number of them but as to ours though they be not many yet 't is in their power to bring in what they please Theirs were God's Ordinances ours are the Traditions of Men and yet theirs are abolished So that in such things from the power of God we pass under that of Men and thereby become their Servants which ought not to be for we are Christ's Servants by purchase and that very reason Paul giveth Ye are bought with a price 1 Cor. 7.23 be ye not the Servants of Men. If those Rites did cease by which God himself did instruct the World as we said before it is an imprudent part to press others in their place in the purer times they appointed no Ceremonies but were content with that pure and simple Form that God had commanded One in his Work called Verbum abbreviatum Petrus parisiensis doth relate how one Arnulphus in a Council of Lateran where they were about to make new Ceremonies said to them ye ought rather to take away the old ones which are a burthen to Christians Now they must not say ours are but few and theirs were many for though not in the same degree yet few are a burthen as well as many and in the beginning of our Reformation in his Censure of the English Liturgy Page 458. Bucer saith It is fit that in all outward things and actions of God's Worship as in Ministerial Garments we should accommodate our selves to the simplicity of Christ's Appointment and Apostles Practice and we should saith he witness to all Men that we have no Communion with the Relicks of the Romish Antichrist But our Teachers should teach and we should hear only that which Christ hath commanded Matth. 10. and John 10. Quaeritis quomodo Vincuntur pagani saith Austin Ye ask how Pagans may be overcome deserite eorum ritus the way is to leave off their Ceremonies and that same consideration made Tertullian so steddy that he would not endure Bays and Ivy at the Doors of Christians whom he forbideth to use any of
Will or a Deed and knows nothing of the Contents thereof Indeed there is such a Lordly Carriage amongst some of them as doth not become Ministers of the Gospel who would not so much as say Grace at their own Table but have their Chaplains to do it nor to give a Visit to the sick to comfort the afflicted they have Worldy Businesses to mind besides that some use as Servants their Fellow-ministers despising or otherwise abusing them in the same Degree as they neglect their Flocks Ezech. 34. whereby they become liable to the Judgments of God pronounced against the Shepherds But we leave that Point to come to the Abuse of their Power in Convocation about Ecclesiastical Affairs as to the making of Canons and Constitutions which if they please may happen to be such as will endanger or bring the Nation under Bondage and wrong Men in their Free-holds Some of that kind have formerly been made and others have encroached upon thelegislative Power of the Nation They who will take the Pains to peruse the Records of that worthy Parliament in 1610 may find they took notice of such Courses as were contrary to the Authority of Parliaments condemned urging of Subscriptions above that appointed by the Statute of 13 Elizabeth only concerning Confession of the true Christian Faith and the Doctrine of the Sacraments Farther Prelates kept their Courts in their own Names silenced deprived excommunicated which is to encroach upon the Crown 's Prerogative and so thereby fall into the Penalty of Premunire by the Statute of 25 of Henry VIII except they can shew some special Warrant by Statute for so doing which they cannot because in King Edward the VIth's days they were ordered to keep their Courts in the King's Name Canonical Oaths and Subscriptions are Tyrannical Things so are their more severely punishing the breach of their Laws than of God's and to teach a necessity where Christ hath left a Liberty is an effect of Arbitrariness It cannot be denied but that several good and faithful Servants of Christ for refusing to submit to Ceremonies which God never Commanded but hath forbid 'em have through merciless and unjust Persecution been reduced to Want and Misery to pay Fines be put in Prison where some dyed good learned and laborious Ministers turned out for Nonconformity and others scandalous and unfit put in their place only because they Conformed a sign that they minded Conformity more than the main Duties of God's Service for rather than to put in Nonconformists they left Parishes unprovided wear the Surplice or Preach not Cross or Baptise not Kneel or no Sacrament for you and the Minister Administring to such by the Canon to be suspended By their 6th Canon Nonconformists are accounted to be Schismaticks Puritans and Excommunicated ipso facto without Appeal This is to make as great a difference between Protestants and between Men and Men as between Men and Beasts however let us give praise to whom it is due Bishop Grindal was commanded to suppress an exercise called Prophecying which he constantly refused to do There hath been but few Grindal's in that point for commonly they turn'd out Preaching under pretence of Praying or rather reading of Prayers We look somewhat back but certainly upon account of Nonconformity here strange things have been acted not only of old but also under some of the late Reigns and the continued succession of such hard usages have preserved the memory of them so that the smart thereof doth last to this very day and cannot easily be forgotten And though now thanks be to God Men live under the favour of an Act of Indulgence and amongst some Church-men who have more Moderation than others had yet still there are too many remaining that act by a Spirit of that kind and if it was in their power would be as virulent as formerly others were The Church was barbarously dealt with when persecuted by cruel tyrants and Strangers as by Egyptians Assyrians Caldeans but never more than when she turned to persecute her self in her own Members Heb. 11. two Instances we have one amongst the Jews when the Prophets and other good Men were put to Death then when our Saviour his Disciples and other Primitive Christians were cruelly butchered so always since when one part persecuted another then Popery out-did all that had been done before And lastly here amongst us though not so cruelly yet ill enough as contrary to greater Lights and against the Rules of Christian Meekness and Charity a sign of a bad cause which makes use of such means to promote it In the mean time the most important Concern hath been and is still neglected in some parts of the Nation At this very time I write People have hardly a Sermon once a Month no Minister in the place upon occasion to visit and comfort the Sick Livings are sometimes bestowed upon those who live many Miles off who come not near the place and a poor Reader or vicar or Curate kept who hath hardly Bread to put in his Mouth the People are deprived of the Right of Electing or Approving one fit or unfit is imposed upon them which is quite as unreasonable if not worse than if a Husband was pressed upon a Woman whether she will or not Are not Bishops concerned to look to and endeavour within their Diocess to remedy these Abuses When a Parish is worth 80 or 100 l. a year and yet cannot have a Minister to live among them In a word for I am tired to think upon this subject what shall we say of Chancellors Commissaries Officials Parators Pursuivants and so many more Blood-suckers of the Church's income of calling Ministers without express consent of the Congregations of Ministers going to Law for their places of Plurality Non-residency dumb Ministers Simony prophane Contemners of Religion Carnal proceedings in Spiritual Courts taking Money for Ordination Citations change of Penances into Money c. are not these abominable Abuses This point I shall almost conclude with the Lordly and Pompous Prelate whom we have seen usurping the sole Authority of Jurisdiction Ordination and Excommunication But now we must speak few words of his assuming wholly to himself the power of Confirmation though some good may come by it yet the thing in it that is good might be done under another Name which we would not borrow from Papists through whose hands this is passed into ours when they so superstitiously abuse and make a Sacrament of it but I will not insist upon some things I might say to the Purpose only I must make an Observation how strange it is that a Minister that hath a lawful Calling to preach the everlasting Gospel to administer the Sacraments and hath a Right to do every thing else that belongs to the Office of Ministery yet may not perform this Part of it which in Substance is to examin and Catechise Children but this is reserved for the Bishop Those are sad Times when Will and
to kindle his Fury against us And though the Epistle deserves wholly to be transcribed yet not to be too tedious I shall shorten it He calls those Garments unknown to the Christian World in the Times of the Apostles and of the Apostolical Men Garments of Godless Priests and Slaves of Antichrist So assuredly by the arguing of things indifferent to trouble the Peace of Churches and to cause Strife between good Men and bad yea between good Men themselves is so wicked that it can by no means be defended If your gracious Majesty desireth as you would to seem Apostolical then in this matter imitate the Apostles Neither lay and impose this Yoke upon the Neck of Christ's Disciples your self nor suffer others to do it For all Men know that most part of all the Churches that are fallen from the Bishop of Rome for the Gospel's Sake not only have left off but also abhor those Garments 'T is in vain to hope in so doing to bring in Papists over to us who can never amend their Doctrines nor part with their abominable Superstitions and Idolatries then saith he this woundeth the Consciences of private Believers a tender Conscience that feareth God is a most precious thing and acceptable to him for if these things be imposed as necessary we do ungodlily because we make those things to be necessary which Christ would have to be free if indifferent they ought to be left free These are the same Arguments we use but here we leave off thinking we have done enough to shew the Sence of that Learned and Famous Divine upon so solemn an Occasion But this Letter nor other weighty Reasons could not prevail for any thing they were resolved upon another way the Queen was young when she came to the Throne and they that were about her and coming upon the Stage were willing to retain Part of that Pomp and as much as they could of that Power which popish Predecessors in their places had enjoyed Self denial and a perfect Zeal for the Glory of God did not wholly govern in the Spirits of some Men wherefore in that Convocation in 1571 when the Cranmers Hoopers Latimers c. were gone instead of following The Reformation began in King Edward's Days they made those Alterations which we all know But I need not to insist upon these Evidences of particular though eminent Men seeing we have for us that of whole Churches I mean that the Generality of Reformed Churches doth about the Matters now in Hand joyn and agree with us so that we are not fingular in our Opinion but well grounded therein For first we affirm that Christ hath instituted a Discipline according to which and no other his Church ought to be governed The French Reformed Churches say the Order which Christ hath by his Authority setled in his Church ought inviolably to be kept Confes Gallic Articl 25. and somewhat lower they add we believe the true Church must be governned according to the Rule and Order setled by the Lord. Art 29. And this is the Perswasion of the Church in the low Countries how the Church ought to be governed according to the Spiritual Policy which God hath taught in his Word Conf. Belgica Art 30. which containeth three things First There is a Government already settled secondly That Government is set down in Scripture thirdly The Church ought to be governed according to that exclusively to any other seeing a Divine Institution doth exclude Humane Inventions To this also agree the Churches of Switzerland for say they Discipline is administred according to the Order which the Lord hath given in his Word Helv. Conf. cap. 18. quemadmodum suo verbo praescripsit dominus Docemus Gubern c. And a little lower the Church-Government given us by the Apostles is sufficient to keep it in good Order And the Church of Scotland in her Confession of Faith published in the beginning of Reformation giveth for a Mark of the true Church the Administration of Church Discipline such as God hath prescribed in his Word Conf. Scot. Art 18. This overthroweth the prelatical Opinion that 't is left to the Prudence of the Governors of the Church to establish what Government they shall think fit Secondly We say all Ministers of Christ have the same Authority and by the Commission none is to have more Power than another and are not these the positive Words of a Confession of Faith we believe all true Pastors to have one and the same equal Power among them Gal. Conf. Art 30. Let this be taken notice of how 't is an Article not only of their Discipline but also of their Faith we believe the low-Dutch Churches speak to the same purpose Conf. Belg. Art 31. whatsoever Place God's Ministers are in they have the same Power and unequal Authority Helv. Conf. cap. 18. So do those of Switzerland all Ministers of Christ have received the same Power and Office Observe how as there is but one and the same Power so there is but one and the same Office whereby are condemned Primacy and the Episcopal Distinction which they explain elsewhere Apostolis suuis principatum Christus Severis sine prohibuit c. Christ hath most strictly forbidden his Apostles Primacy in the Church who then can but perceive that those who oppose this plain Truth and do bring in a different Government and as it may be taken Diversity of Government into the Church ought to be taken for those of whom Christ's Apostles have foretold 2 Pet. 2. and Paul Acts 20.29 2 Cor. 11. 2 Thess 2. and in several other Places It is also the third and chief Advice of that religious Prince Conf. Palat. at the latter end the Palsgrave in his Confession of Faith to his Children and Successors to take heed of those who acted by meer Ambition as 't is practised in Popery dostrive for a Command over the Consciences of Magistrates and Subjects and to erect for themselves some new Primacy of a large Extent And to shew that Union Equality and Affection which ought to be between Ministers The antient Church of the Waldenses saith Discip of the Vaud Chap. 2. about the middle speaking of Pastors He that is ordained last ought to do nothing without the Leave of him that was ordained first and he that was first must do nothing without the Leave of him that was chosen last Now all this doth ruine the superiority settled by Bishops We say in the third place that no Humane Invention ought to be introduced into God's Worship and that Men must not impose upon Consciences the Yoke of Ceremonies and the Reformed Conf. Gal. Art 24. reject Ceremonies partly because they are Humane Inventions and a Yoke which Humane Authority imposeth upon Consciences Indeed Divine Worship ought to be practised according to the Purity and Simplicity of the Gospel which Mind the Vaudois are of Compend Conf. Art 1. Divine Worship