as to ioyne with the Church Master Fox was one of the seuenteene that subscribed to this Letter Also after all those stirres vpon the point of their returne into England after Queene Maries death Iames Pilkington Io. Mullins Henry Carow Alexander Nowell c. writing an answere to Io. Knox Christopher Goodman Miles Couerdale Anthony Gilby Willi. Whittingham W. Williams c. We purpose not as wee trust these shall be no cause to enter into contention with you For Ceremonies to contend where it shall lye neither in your hands or ours to appoint what they shall bee but in such mens wisedomes as shall be appointed to the diuising of the same and withall receiued by common consent of the Parliament it shall be to small purpose but wee trust that both true religion shall be restored and that we shall not be burthened with vnprofitable Ceremonies and therefore as we purpose to submit our selues to such orders as shal be established by authoritie being not of themselues wicked so wee would wish you willingly to doe the same For whereas all the reformed Churches differ among themselues in diuers Ceremonies and yet agree in the vnitie of doctrine we see no inconuenience if wee vse some Ceremonies diuers from them for that wee agree in the chiefe points of your Religion c. Discourse of troubles at Franck. fol. 189. B B. Iewell Wee are come as neere as possibly wee could to the Church of the Apostles and of the olde Catholike Bishops and Fathers which Church wee know was sound and perfect and as Tertullian termeth it a pure Virgin spotted with no Idolatry nor with any fundamentall or euident errour And besides that wee haue aymed not onely our doctrine but our Sacraments also and forme of our publike Prayers after the patterne of their rites and ordinances Apolog. fol. 170. Master Deering against Harding Our Seruice is good and godly euery title grounded on holy Scriptures and with what face doe you call it darkenesse sure with the same that the Prophecies of the holy Ghost were sometimes called dreames the doctrine of the Apostles Heresie and our Sauiour Christ a Samaritane As Elias saide to the Priests of Baal Let vs take either our Bullockes namely their Masse booke and our booke of Common Praier and lay the pieces on our Altars and on which God sendeth fire let that bee the light a little before O Master Harding turne to your writings examine your authorities consider your counsells apply your examples looke if any line bee blamable in your seruice Booke and take hold of your aduantage I thinke Master Iewell will accept it as an Article This was their iudgement of our Ceremonies in generall which how opposite it is vnto the doctrine of suffering depriuation for not conforming to them I neede not say no not to men of a contrary iudgement wee will discend vnto the iudgement of the particulars Touching the Surplesse MElancthon Benhagius in the territories of Marques Albertus the Prince and court required the Pastors to embrace and follow the whole booke of the Augustane confession refusall thereof was made pio consensu by the godly agreement of the Nobilitie or Gentry of the Citizens and Pastors The Court hereupon runneth on another deliberation proposing Articles which alter not the doctrine and the Leturgie but thrust vpon them more Ceremonies which yet howsoeuer may well enough bee borne adding withall a threatning that they who will not follow this prescription should depart albeit many Pastors had rather haue departed then yeld to such condition yet the Churches requested that they might not bee forsaken In such a strait what councell should bee giuen some more forward affirme that it were good the Court were frighted with some terrible writing with the feare of sedition and with this scarcrow to represse and hinder farther alteration There be many causes why wee would not giue any such aduice Neither would wee haue the Churches forsaken as it came to passe in Sweuia where in many Churches there remaineth either no Minister or a Wolfe which bring in againe impious doctrine and false worships That it may euidently appeare that we wilfully dissent not from the Papists our aduersaries wee contend about great matters in the which the euidence of trueth doeth conuince the more sound euen among the aduersaries that we iudge to be more profitable then to wrangle about a Surplesse or the like matter where wise men will exclaime against vs that wee withstand and disobey authoritie and nourish dissentions with a foolish frowardnesse Concil Melanth part 2. fol. 90. 91. Againe we perswade not that by the vse of these Ceremonies as the Surplesse the Churches should be troubled neither are wee which thus perswade in this case to conformitie in lesse griefe and perill then they who stand against it But where new burdens are imposed wee thinke fit that it bee iudged whether Churches bee to bee left to Woolues or solitude and vtter ouerthrow of them to bee admitted or else whether seruitude of vsing these prescribed Ceremonies bee to bee endured For neither would we haue any impious Ceremonies to bee receiued neither the Churches to bee forsaken without most weightie reasons as it is written Not forsaking the fellowship c. ibid. fol. 92. Againe Melancthon Surely I could haue wished in these great occasions that these Churches had by no alteration or imposition of these Ceremonies such as Surplesse c. bin troubled But I cofesse I perswaded the Franck. Church and other that they would not forsake the Churches for such seruitude which without impietie may bee sustained Miricus out cries that rather desolation should be made in the Church and that Princes are to bee frighted with the terror of insurrection For my part I will be author of no such sower aduice And for our part it is euident that wee endure farre more heauie and hard burdens in our places then is a linnen garment c. fol. 106. Againe Melancthon I perswaded that desolation should not be made in the Church for the refusing of a linnen garment or matters of the like nature ibid. fol. 108. Bucer I am perswaded that godly men may vse these garments godly In Script Anglican Censur fol. 458. Againe To the question mooued by Bishop Cranmer to him Whether the Ministers of the Church of England might vse the Surplesse prescribed by the Magistrate After he had put in this caueat that his answer cōcerned only such as were true and faithfull Preachers of Gods word answereth that hee iudged those Ministers who are such in the English Church might by the grace of God vse these garments if so withall they did preach the whole trueth and perfect detestation of the Antichrist of Rome and teach withall that their meaning is not hereby to establish any Antichristian corruption that the Ministers by them are nothing more holy then other men neither the more effectuall to please God neither that they thereby intend to reuolue
there are to be discussed The first whether a man may with a good conscience suffer himselfe to bee depriued or suspended of his Ministry for not conforming to the Ceremonies prescribed and established in the present Church of England Such as the Surplesse Crosse in Baptisme Kneeling at Communion Ring in Marriage and the like The second whether a man ought not rather of conscience to conforme to all the Ceremonies prescribed in the Church of England then to suffer himselfe to be depriued of his Ministry Answ 1 These questions depend the one vpon the other so that the answere of the one giueth answer to the other Therefore the former question I answer negatiuely That namely A man cannot as I suppose with a good conscience suffer himselfe to bee depriued of his Ministry for not conforming to the Ceremonies To the latter question I say that a man is bound in conscience rather to conforme to all the Ceremonies of the Church of England then suffer his Ministry to be suspended or depriued The reason of which answers stands in this Because he shall sin against God in not conforming and in suffering himselfe for that cause to be depriued of his Ministration in the Church That he shall sinne in so doing will appeare by these two reasons Reason 1 First that the practise of suffering depriuation for not conforming to the ceremonies of this our Church and the doctrine thereof is directly against the Word of God This also is proued by two points Because it is against the doctrine and practise of the holy Apostles of Christ Because it is against the grounds of Gods Word and they are two One ground is this where two duties doe meet a greater and a lesse whereof both cannot bee done at the same time the lesser dutie must yeeld vnto the greater But this doctrine of suffering depriuation for not conforming teacheth and the practise thereof causeth to neglect a greater duty for the performing of a lesser Therefore it seemeth to bee an errour in doctrine and a sin in practise A second ground is this All things must bee done in loue 1. Cor. 6. 14. But this doctrine and practise is against the royall Lawe of loue and therefore seemeth to bee vnlawfull Reason 2 The second maine reason is this For that the doctrine and practise of suffering depriuation for not conforming to the Ceremonies of our Church or the like tendeth to condemne all true Churches all faithfull and sound teachers all sincere Christians of all times and places since the time of the Apostles of Christ which haue taught and practised otherwise These things being directly and plainely proued it will I doubt not appeare that to suffer depriuation or suspension for refusing to conforme to the Ceremonies prescribed is a sinne Whereupon will follow these conclusions That seeing those Ministers haue sinned at least a sinne of ignorance who haue suffered depriuation for refusing to conforme to the Ceremonies prescribed they ought of conscience to offer conformitie to the Ceremonies that they may returne to their Ministry againe That such as not conforming to the Ceremonies doe remaine in their places vndepriued are bound in conscience to conforme vnto the Ceremonies rather then to suffer themselues to be depriued or suspended That such as are profitably or probably fitted with gifts vnto the Ministry and doe withall desire to enter into that calling are also tied in conscience before God to promise and practise conformity to the Ceremonies prescribed rather then refusing so to doe to bee kept out of the Ministery That such Christians as doe make conscience of the Ceremonies as kneeling at the Communion admitting their children to be baptised with the Crosse hearing of publike prayer or preaching in a Surplesse are of conscience to admit of these things and to practise them rather then to absent themselues or to be depriued of the worships of God and that otherwise they shall sinne against God It remaineth therefore that the former reasons be proued which by Gods helpe I will performe in order Arg. 1 Reason 1 The doctrine and practise of suffering depriuation and losse of Ministry is directly against the Word of GOD which no man will deny to be sinfull and erronious This assertion is confirmed by the probation of two farther points Because such doctrine and practise is contrary to the doctrine and practise of the Apostles of Christ Because it is against the grounds of Gods Word Concerning the first point namely that the doctrine and practise of suffering depriuation especially vpon the reasons vrged against our Ceremonies is contrary to the doctrine of the holy and inspired Apostles and so by consequence is an errour and sin I proue it by two reasons Because 1 the holy Apostles with the whole Church at Ierusalem 2 by inspiration of the holy Ghost and commandement of God 3 did practise themselues 4 and caused others to practise 5 yea aduised one another 6 and inioyned or commanded 7 whole Churches the practise of 8 as euill and inconuenient Ceremonies 9 in sundry maine respects as in their iudgement ours are namely in number 10 nature 11 vse 12 and euill effects and 13 that for reasons equiuolent or inferiour to the auoyding of depriuation This proposition I thus proue in the seuerall members 1. The holy Apostles and whole Church at Ierusalem namely Peter Acts 15. 7. Iames Acts 15. 13. 21. 18. 21. 24. 25. Paul Acts 15. 2. 22. 18. 18. 21. 26. 1. Cor. 9. 10. Barnabas Acts 15. 2. 22. Iudas Sylas which were Prophets Acts 15. 22. 23. The Apostles all the Elders and whole Church Acts 15. 4. 6. 23. and 21. 18. 25. 2. By inspiration of the holy Ghost and commaundement of God as appeareth Acts 15. 28. It seemed good to the holy Ghost and to vs. Also Iames and the Elders Acts 21. 18. that determined before one practise of conformity to Iewish Ceremonies Acts 21. 25. By inspiration of the holy Ghost Acts 15. 13. 28. did afterwards perswade Paul to another practise of conformity to Iewish Rites Acts 21. 23. 24. And the things written and determined by the Apostles euen concerning matters of order in the Church are the commandements of God 1. Cor. 14. 37. 3. Did practise themselues For Paul shaued himselfe and made a vow Act. 18. 18. Paul purified himselfe contributed and entred into the Temple declared the accomplishment of the dayes of the purification vntill that an offering should bee offered for euery one of them Acts 21. 24. 26. Paul vnto the Iew became as a Iew to the men vnder the Law as though he had been vnder the Law 1. Cor. 9. 20. 4. And caused others to practise For Paul circumcised Timothy Acts 16. 3. Paul took the men and was purified with them Acts 21. 24. 5. Aduised one another For Iames and the Elders perswaded Paul thus to conforme Doe this that we say vnto thee take them the votaries purifie thy selfe with them contribute with
for which a man should rather die then intermit for the pleasure of any mortall man and the ceremonie of his praying toward Ierusalem in farre distant place was such as specially did exercise his faith and to which the promise of audience was tyed 2. Chron. 6. 34. The Iewes refusing the eating of Swines flesh did confesse the whole religion of God and faith of the Church and totall obedience to all Gods Commandements which was that which Antiochus did aime at as appeareth 2. Mac. 6. 2. 7. and 18. 24. and 7. 1. 2. 4. Lastly to both cases the meere commandement of a Magistrate and an idolater was opposed to the especiall commandement of God Dan. 6. 7. 9. 10. 2. Mac. 7. 30. In which respect God must of necessitie bee obeyed before man Act. 5. 29. There being no such materiall circumstance in the case in question whereby it also appeareth that they did not neglect a greater dutie to performe a lesser but passed by an inferior dutie to performe a farre greater And thus much of obiections to the first point which being answered I proceede vnto the second point which is this That to suffer depriuation for refusing to conforme is the neglecting of a greater duetie to performe the lesser For the proofe and clearing this point two trueths must be confirmed The first that two duties both commanded of God doe offer themselues in the questioned case to bee obserued where one of the two cannot be done and therefore must be left vndone The former dutie is to preach the word the which duety is commanded to all the Ministers of Christ Mat. 28. 19. 20. 2. Tim. 4. 2. 1. Pet. 5. 1. 2. 1. Cor. 9. 16. and is included in the second Commandement Now this duety cannot bee done with vs ordinarily as things doe stand if Ministers doe not conforme for by order they are to be depriued of their Ministery as very many wee see haue beene Lincol. Apo. arg 1. against the ceremonies Except 2 fol. 17. arg 4 excep 2. fol. 45. 49. The other duty is to refuse Ceremonies as they pretend incōuenient in their vse though in their nature indifferent which is commanded in the second cōmandement Ez. 14. 7 as also to auoid occasions of superstition And to preuent sundry offences and other inconueniences arising from the vse of things in different commanded 1. Thes 5. 21. Iude verse 23. 1. Cor. 10. 32. and 8. 9. 12. Rom. 14. 3. 4. 10. 15. 16. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. The which deuties in respect of diuerse and sundry persons which will take offence in the vse of them cannot be well performed if Ministers doe conforme vnto the Ceremonies The second point is this that for a Minister to continue in preaching is a greater deutie of superior reason and of higher bond to tye the conscience then the dutie of labouring vnto fit Ceremonies or of refusing inconuenient Ceremonies such as ours are presumed to be And this appeareth by reasons drawne first from their nature and secondly from their effects First from the nature of either worke or dutie it is manifest that the dutie of preaching is a duty of farre greater moment then the dutie of performing fit Ceremonies or of refusing inconuenient Ceremonies such as they pretend ours are or the like First because the dutie of preaching the Gospel is a matter simply good in nature but the refusing of such Ceremonies as ours are supposing them to be inconuenient or the practise of other Ceremonies in their steede supposing them to bee more fit is a labouring about matters in their nature simply indifferent as before is manifest and after appeareth further so that in this case there is a refusall of a thing simply good as preaching of the word and propagation of the Gospel Secondly because the dutie of preaching the Gospel is a substantiall externall worship of God the dutie of vsing fit Ceremonies or of refusing vnfit so they be not impious is a matter ceremoniall and circumstantiall For the Ceremonies are but circumstances tending to the better performance of the substantiall worshippes and doe serue those substantiall worships of God that is they must be so ordered as they may best serue to edifie and further the substantiall worships of God and meanes of edification Wherefore to omit preaching is the violation of a dutie substantiall the conforming to inconuenient Ceremonies is but the violating of a dutie circumstantiall It is better suffering an vntoward handmaide in the house then by thrusting out the handmaide to thrust the mistresse out of dores Thirdly because preaching the word is a dutie particularly commanded in the word but the dutie of the practise of fit Ceremonies or of refusing the practise of vnfit so they bee not simply and in nature euill is included onely vnder generall rules of necessitie of edification expediencie c. Fourthly because the dutie of preaching is pressed on the Church as a dutie perpetuall to the worlds end Matth. 28. 19. 20. till we all meete Ephes 4. 11. 12. till the appearing of Christ 1. Tim. 6. 14. But the performance of Ceremonies are variable as appeareth by the frequent and lawfull variation of them as in the chang of the time of the Lords supper from night to morning abolishing of the kisse of loue and of the feast of charitie sometimes in some Church Ceremonies burdensome and scandalous are needefully imposed and practised as Iewish rites by the Apostles sometimes in other Churches others more needfull and they pernitious Galath 2. 3. 5. and 4. 9. 10. and 5. 2. Colloss 2. 20. 21. Besides all Churches differ in their Ceremonies one from another and that in such like Ceremonies as ours are The Primitiue from the reformed and all among themselues some vsing more others lesse conuenientrites and ceremonies But the preaching of the Gospel which giueth life and being to the Church is perpetuall and vniforme for the substance thereof in all true Churches of all times and places They all agree therein Fifthly Because the preaching of the Word is an essentiall and inseparable marke of the true Church without the which a Church cannot consist fit ceremonies are no marke of the Church neither doe vnfit and inconuenient ouerthrow the being thereof and to this I adde that by continuance of preaching by which the Church is gathered and vpholden the danger of the ceremonies whatsoeuer it would be preuented and auoyded by the purity of doctrine but the purity of ceremonies or the refusing incōuenient ceremonies will not counteruaile the losse of preaching Corrupt ceremonies deface the wals perhaps may in time impaire some part of the out house But the nullity of preaching ouerthroweth the whole Church walls couering ornament foundation and all Sixthly Because the preaching of Gods Word is the ordinary meanes of new birth faith hope and of all grace and finall saluation 1. Cor. 1. 21. 1. Tim. 4. 16. Rom. 10. 15. 17. Eph. 4. 12. Fit Ceremonies are no such meanes neither
249. Caluin Epist 303. fol. 497. Bucer script Anglican fol. 705. Resp ad literas Iocun Hooperi de re vestiaria Zepper de Sacrament cap. 13. fol. 32. That Iesus Christ would not prescribe the particulars of externall discipline and ceremonies what we should follow for that hee foresawe that these things depended vpon the condition of the times neither did he iudge one forme to agree to all ages therfore in this case the Church must run vnto the generall rule of the Word namely of order decency and edification of the which rules determination charity must be the moderator in adding altering abrogating Caluin inst 4. 10. 30. Bucer vbi superius fol. 708. Hoopero That albeit the Apostolical doctrine be exactly perfect to the which we may neither derogate neither adde anything yet in rites and ceremonies of the Church it is otherwise for that the Apostles themselues could not set downe at the beginning what was expedient for the Church heerein and therefore did of necessitie proceed by little and little And that euen in their times the same rites or ceremonies were not vsed in all Churches and againe that many ceremonies in their times in vse were afterwards abolished Beza Epist 8. fol. 71. That there must needes bee some certaine forme of rites and orders in all Churches and those established by lawes else the Church must of necessitie bee weakened and dissolued and that it would proue the mother of contention and confusion to suffer euery man to doe as hee list himselfe Caluin inst 4. 10. 27. 31. That the same ceremonies rites and orders cannot possibly nor ought to be the same in all places or in all Christian assemblies Harm confess § 16. fol. 187. 191. Augustan 11. ibid. § 17. fol. 214. Heluet. poster Zepper de Sacram. cap. 13. fol. 328. That ceremonies are alterable and to be disposed according to the circumstances of places times and persons some externall rites are profitable to some places others more auailable for other places Zanch. de operibus Redempt cap. 19. fol. 695. Zepper de polit lib. 1. cap. 11. fol. 73. 74. That all true Churches haue libertie left vnto them of God to ordaine and establish and to command such ceremonies and traditions in their nature not euill but indifferent as they shall perceiue and iudge to bee fittest for the edification of the Church and furtherance of the Gospell which therefore are to bee left free to euery Church to Alexander Alesius in Prooem ad lib. ordinat Angl. Bucer fol. 374 375. Polanus Syntag. Theol lib. 9. cap. 29. fol. 4078. Canon 6. make their choice as they shall perceiue and iudge to be fittest To this end Bucer script Anglican Hoopero de re vestiaria Idem in Epist Ioan. Alasco Zanch. de redemp cap. 19. fol. 696. Polani Symphon cathol cap. 49. thes 4. fol. 1234 Whitaker controuer 3. de concil qu. 1. cap. 3. fol. 18. Zepper polit Eccle. l. 1. c. 11. fol. 73. That albeit in the manner of gouerning the Church churches must not turne aside in any point that Christ hath specially ordained yet this doth not hinder but that there may bee certaine instituta ordinances in euery particular place pront commodum visum fuerit as shal seeme most commodious Harm confess § 17. fol. 216. Gallic That B Bs. may ordaine with the consent of the Church canons or iniunctions of daies feasts reading Sermons for edification and instruction of the true faith in Christ Har. confess § 17. fol. 229. Witemberg That men must not immoderately contend that rites and ceremonies bee in euery Church the same and obserued euery whereafter the same manner But they should bee most carefull of this that these ceremonies bee not repugnant to Gods Word But that they may bee by our vttermost indeuors so ordered as that they may further order an edification in the Church P. Martyr loc class 2. cap. 4. § 34. fol. 203. Zanch. confess cap. 25. § 30. fol. 250. 251. That vnitie of ceremonies in all Churches albeit as much as may bee should bee laboured for yet it is not necessary but for the diuersitie of places and diuers respects and reason of the time it is profitable to haue diuers rites in diuers Churches Zanch. Confessio Scriptu 24. § 15. fol. 21. That diuersitie of Ceremonies in diuers Churches doth serue to testifie the Christian libertie and doth greatly conduce to teach and manifest the true doctrine and iudgement of ceremonies namely that all men may by this diuersitie vnderstand that those things which are not deliuered in the holy Scripture are not necessary to saluation but may bee altered according as the time and circumstance of edification doth require Harm confess § fol. 194. Witemberg P. Martyr loc clas 2. cap. 4. § 39. fol. 203. Zepper polit Eccles 1. 11. fol. 74. That the externall vse of things indifferent must be guided and moderated by the rule of charitie or loue which is the end of the law and bond of perfection Wherefore ceremonies must be squared to the edification vnity of the Church Caluin in act 15. 28. fol. 235. Idem Inst 4. 10. 30. Alesius vbi supra fol. 375. That the Lawe of Loue or of charitie teacheth men to obserue thinges in their nature indifferent though in their vse in sundrie respects inconuenient for the sake of weake brethren to preuent their scandall or hinderance of the Gospell and hurt of the Church Piscator in act 15. 20. obseruat in which respect the vse of such Ceremonies may be necessary not alway and euery where but necessary for the peace of the Church Piscat ibidem in scholijs act 15. 28. Caluin in act 15. 28. That one Church must not condemne another for the diuers obseruation of indifferent things as it came to passe in the Primitiue Church ingenti malo with incredible mischiefe about the obseruation of Easter and fasting Bucan loc 33. qu. 14. fol. 384. That the Church of God is euery congregation which worships God according to his Word albeit there bee great dissimilitude of Ceremonies The true Church of God is distinguished by doctrine and worship and not by Ceremonies hee citeth Ambrose and Augustine Hemming Syntag. in 4. Decal legem § 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. fol. 364. 365. That to the true vnitie of the Church it is sufficient to consent in the doctrine and administration of the Sacraments Neither is it necessarie that humane traditions or rites ordained of men should bee euerie where alike Harm confess 10. fol. 19. August Alesius vt sup That the vnitie of the Church it resteth not in externall rites and Ceremonies but rather in the truth and in the vnity of the Catholike faith the briefe of which Catholike faith is the Apostles Creed Hence among the ancients there was diuers varieties of rites but such as was free by which difference no man euer thought the Ecclesiasticall vnitie to bee dissolued Wherefore the true agreement of the Church
to be forsaken then to vse or obserue any such Ceremonies especially if this caueat be also added That these things are brought in or tolerated to this houre not properly to tie mens consciences but for other not trifling reasons I answere that it appeareth not to me that the Churches ought to be forsaken for Surplesses or Caps or any other the like thing which is truely indifferent Epist 8. fol. 77. Grindallo Againe But our Brethren demaund of vs What iudge you that wee should doe in this case vpon whom these inconuenient Ceremonies are imposed We answere Heere needeth a distinction For the condition of Ministers and people is different besides sundry may and ought to bee tolerated which are not rightly commanded Therefore first I answere albeit in our iudgement these ceremonies are not rightly commaunded Therefore first I answere Seeing these Ceremonies are not of the kinde of those things which are impious in themselues they seeme not vnto vs of so great moment as that therefore the Pastors should rather forsake their ministry then weare those garments or that the flockes should omit and leaue the publike food of their soules then heare their Pastors being arraied in such attire And these things which they cannot reforme or alter let them rather endure and beare withall then by forsaking of their Churches to giue way to greater and more dangerous euils so yeelding to the will of Satan seeking heerein nothing else Idem Epist 12. fol. 98. 99. This Letter is set downe translated in the discourse of the troubles at Frankford fol. 211. and subscribed vnto by diuers Ministers among whom are these Theodorus Beza Nicol. Colladonus Simon Goulartius Franciscus Port. Henricus Stephanus c. Bullinger and Gualter If you weare a Cap or a peculiar kinde of apparel as a ciuill and politicke thing it smelleth neither of Iudaisme nor Monachisme For these will seeme to separate themselues from the ciuill common life and account a meritorious deed in the wearing of a peculiar garment If in case any of the people be perswaded that these things sauour of Papisme Monachisme or Iudaisme let them be told the contrary and perfectly instructed therein And if so be through the importunate crying out hereon before the people by some men many be disquieted in their conscience set them beware which so doe that they bring not greater yokes on their owne neckes and prouoke the Queenes Maiesty and bring many faithfull Ministers in such daunger as they cannot ridde themselues againe In an Epist sent into England by them to Mr. N. and Mr M. It is cited in VVhit gift his defence fol. 277. They presse the vse thereof in the Primatiue Churches Idid fol. 288. Zanch. Touching the forme of garments which Ministers ought to vse publikely either in the execution of their Ministery our iudgement is that about these things wee must not so contend that for this cause the peace of the Churches should be troubled Confes cap. 25. § 30. fol. 249. Againe albeit seeing Christ neither his Apostles did not forbid that any man should take other garments then the vsuall honest graue and cleane garment Liberum est per se vti vel non vti alijs vestibus and albeit it be a free thing and be accounted among matters indifferent yet for signification it rather should become a Minister in the administration of the Sacrament to vse a linnen then a wollen garment for that that colour is an embleme of innocencie and sanctitie hence in the Apocalyps white garments are giuen to the Saints Idem de operibus Redem lib. 1. cap. 16. fol. 445. Heming I would not haue priuate persons to alter any thing in Ceremonies ordained and approued of our Magistrates by graue and waighty reasons and authoritie neither ought a most exact reason of euery particular Ceremonie be enquired so long as they sauour not of manifest superstition and impietie neither doe we iudge Ceremonies to bee of that moment that for them schisme should bee moued in the Church hee nameth there among other Ceremonies the Surplesse let the sincerity of doctrine bee retained as also the pure worship of God let other things serue partly to the peace of the Church partly to the infirmity of men and let vs leaue these things to the wisedome of gouerners and let them determine of these matters Syntag. in 4. Legem Decalogi § 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. fol. 365. Againe It is indifferent in nature to celebrate or performe holy things as Baptisme and the Lords Supper in a white and linnen garment howbeit if the vse bee not free but be reserued superstitionis gratia for superstition it cannot be any longer accounted among things indifferent for then as in a case of confession of the trueth they leaue to be indifferent Idem Enchiridion Tit. de adiaph cap. 16. clas 3. fol. 375. Polanus moues a question whether a Minister of the reformed Church when hee speaketh in the pew or pulpet ought not to put on a linen grament which they call a Surplesse vpon his vsuall attire To which he answereth thus Liberum videtur vtivel non vti in Sacris veste linea then hee sheweth that in the time of Hieron the custome was in the Church that such as did administer the Sacraments did were a linnen garment in the act of practise citing the said Hier. contra Pelag. l. 1. thus speaking quae sunt rogo inimicitiae contra Deum si Episcopus Presbyter Diaconus reliquis or do Ecclesiasticus in administratione sacrificiorum candidâ veste processerit yet hee inclineth to the remouing of these graments out of the Church But further he demandeth and putteth case that if in any reformed Church the vse of a Surplesse may not be omitted without the feare of schisme or incroaching of heretickes what shall a Minister doe then He answereth In that case it is better for a man to weare a Surplesse as an adiaphorall or indifferent thing then by the obstinate refusall thereof to stirre vp schisme to interrupt the course of true doctrine and to giue occasion vnto heretickes of possessing the Church which hee confirmeth by the example of Paul which circumcised Timothy for the Iewes sake because they all knew that his father was a Graecian Act. 16. 3. howbeit if God grant a full reformation vnto any Church so as that with Idolatry it selfe all instruments and helps thereof bee vtterly banished by so much the more is the grace of God to bee acknowledged celebrated and preserued in Ezech. cap. 44. fol. 807. Zepperus Although he testifie his dislike of the superstitious histrionicall and corrupt vse of the Surplesse among the Papists calling it an Aharonicall garment whereof there is no vse but aduiseth men to vse such a simple and decent garment in the worships of God as may seeme most honest or agreeable to euery Country or place and that from the example of Christ the Apostles and Primitiue Church yet hee confesseth that
Chrisostome Homil. 83. in Mat. Hieron lib. 1. contra Pelag. doe make mention of a white garment which the Ministers in those dayes vsed without superstition in token and admonishment of leading an honest life De politia Eccles lib. 1. cap. 12. fol. 19. M. Cartwright Touching the point whether a Minister should weare it although it be inconuenient the trueth is that I dare not bee authour to any to forsake his Pastorall charge for the inconuenience thereof Considering that this charge being an absolute commaundement of the Lord ought not to bee layd aside for a simple inconuenience or vncomelinesse of a thing which in the owne nature is indifferent After if the Prince vpon the declaration of the inconuenience of such Ceremonies and humble sute for release of them will nothing loose of the cord of this seruitude for my part I see no better way then with admonition of the weake that they bee not offended and prayer vnto God to strengthen them thereunto to keepe on the course of feeding the flocke committed to them in the end of his second Replie fol. 262 263. Touching the signe of the Crosse BVcer This signe of the Crosse both in respect that it is of most ancient vse in the Church as also that it is admodum simplex praesentis admonitionis crucis Christi A Ceremonie Signe of the Crosse neither indecent nor vnprofitable of much simplicitie and of present admonition of the Crosse of Christ I doe hold it nec indecens nec inutile neither indeecnt nor vnprofitable With this condition that in the vse thereof it bee purely vnderstoode and Religiously receiued without the addition of any superstition or bondage of the element or common custome In Script Anglican Censur cap. 12. fol. 479. Beza Seeing these things the signe of the Crosse Not Idolatrous in it selfe other things are not perse Idololatrica Idolatrous in their owne nature we thinke of these things as wee did of the Ceremonies going before fol. 100. and what was that Not of that moment to suffer depriuation namely fol. 98. that it seemeth not a matter of that moment that for it Pastors should leaue rather their charge then vse this signe or that the Flockes should let alone the publike foode of their soules then heare their Pastors vsing this signe Againe Touching the Crosse what shall I say admit there was a time wherin there was some vse of this Signe in opposition to the cotemners of Christ crucified Admit also that it was willingly and of long time vsed by Christians for the externall profession of the true Religion After Yet I know that some renouncing the adoration of the Crosse retaine the vse of this Signe vtantur igitur ipsi sicuti par est sualibertate let them therefore vse their libertie as is meet wee in the French Churches for sundry necessary causes may not tolerate it Beza contra Baldwin Heming Some are offended with our Ceremonies in the Denmarke Churches and crie out that they are popish they say we haue Sacerdotes Priests Altars Surplesses Cādles Images Exorcismes signationes Crucis signings with the signe of the crosse plane Papistico more meerly after the Popish fashion To those men I answere the true Church is distinguished from the false by doctrine and worship and not by Ceremonies Quae per se adiaphora sunt which are Of it selfe indifferent in themselues indifferent Neither doe we iudge indifferent Ceremonies to be of that moment as that Schismes should bee mooued for them in the Church Let the sinceritie of doctrine bee retained let other matters ceremoniall and circumstantiall serue partly for the peace and quiet of the Church and partly to the infirmitie of men Syntag. ad 4. legem Decalogi § 33 34. fol. 365. Also in commentar super 1. cap. Ioan. hee sayth Minime improbo signum Crucis Zanch Other sort of Traditions there are not necessarily to be retained in the Church albeit very ancient and mentioned of the Primitiue Fathers As that a Christian ought to arme his forehead with the signe of the Crosse as also to fast on Fridayes and Saturndayes For albeit they may bee vsed si absque superstitione exerceantur if their vse It may be vsed bee without superstition yet they binde not the conscience Compend Relig. loc 16. De tradit Ecclesiast fol. 654. Againe If we diligently consider the things which are reported of the signe of the Crosse wee shall finde that many things were fabulous other matters fained of the Diuel other vses thereof true but not to the confirmation of superstions others also of that quality which in those Primitiue times indeede when as they were not as yet turned into superstition Tolerari potuerunt verò fuerunt laude In some case tolerable digna might bee tolerated nay they were worthy of commendation yet from which vses of this signe for the present wee must wholly abstaine for the danger of superstition Other vses in a word there were of this signe Quae tolerari etiam nunc possunt cum nihil in tali crucis vsu insit periculi which may be tolerated euen now in the Church seeing in such vse of the crosse there is no peril Deredempt l. 1. cap. 15. fol. 367. After he sheweth that the Primitiue had the signe of the Crosse in the forehead to testifie that they were not ashamed of the Crucifix which was causa praecipua eaque non improbanda The chiefe cause mouing them to vse it and that not to be disliked Ibid. Polanus The signe of the Crosse might haue beene vsed of the holy Fathers without sinne so farre forth as it was a free and open testimony of the confident confession of Christians concerning Christ crucified albeit he acknowledgeth that it was with good right abolished out of many reformed Churches because it was Idolatrously abused by the Papists and that all true worshippers might know that God is to bee serued by them in spirit and truth In Ezech cap. 9. v. 4. fol. 258. Zepperus acknowledgeth the practise of the signe of the Crosse to haue been an vsuall and ancient custome of Christians in the Primitiue Church and maketh apology and good construction of the holy Fathers vse thereof namely that they vsed it not superstitiously as the Papists do but to testifie their trust and confidence in the crosse that is in the passion and death of Christ as the Iewes in Egypt did which signed the doore post of their houses not as if the blood of the Lambe had any power to preserue them from the destroyer but because it was a type of the blood and Crosse of Christ though otherwise he dislike the vse thereof in Baptisme because not commanded of God but hath been abused by the Papists to Idolatry yet hereby he sheweth as also do the rest of our classicall Writers that the vse of this signe is not a thing simply and in nature euill de Sacrament cap. 16. fol.
357. 358. de politia Eccles l. 1. c. 10. fol. 57. 58. Gowlartius The ancient or Primitiue Christians did vse the figure of the Crosse without superstition because the doctrine of the merits of Christ preserued them from error which afterward crept in Annotat. in Cyprian lib. ad Demetr cap. 19. he calleth it a thing indifferent Annot. Cyprian Epist. 56. Master Perkins sheweth that the transient crosse that is the signe of the crosse made with the finger in the ayre was in common vse with the Primitiue and purer Church and was vsed as a simple rite as a signe of the externall profession of their faith and confidence in the Crosse that is the death of Christ and as a certaine monitory whereby they stirred vp their faith and that it was not adored or superstitiously vsed as among the Papists Problem tit signum crucis Sect. 1. 2. 3. fol. 83. 84. Touching kneeling in receiuing the Communion CHurches reformed Bohem Geneua The Bohemian confession touching the manner of their receiuing the Communion saith thus The faithfull members of our Church doe most vsually receiue this Sacrament in genua procumbentes kneeling on their knees with thankesgiuing ioyfulnesse and singing Psalmes Harm confess § 14. Bohem fol. 120. Low-country Churches In the administration of the Lords Supper let euery Church impose or vse such Ceremonies as they shall iudge to bee most expedient so they looke that the Ceremonies taken out of Gods word be not rashly changed and superstitions bee diminished Ex actis Synodalibus general inferior Germ. Middleburg anno 1581. Can. 45. apud Sculting Anachrys Hierarch lib. 9. Caluin being questioned of one whether hee might receiue the Supper of the Lord from the Lutheran teachers in whose Churches kneeling is vsed as appeareth before in the Bohem confes as also appeareth in admonitiō of T. C. fol. 84. In his answere to this question makes no difficulty in respect of kneeling but of their erroneous doctrine of consubstantiation and therefore insinuateth it vnlawfull to receiue nisi clara ingenua praecedat sanae doctrinae confessio In which case he alloweth the receiuing thereof notwithstanding their kneeling Epist 292. fol. 479. Bucer If you admit not this I doe not see how you can graunt any Church that it may celebrate the Lords Supper in the Morning and in an open Church consecrate to the Lord that the Sacraments may be distributed to men kneeling or standing yea to women as well as to men For we haue receiued of these things neither couenant of the Lord nor any example yea rather the Lord gaue a contrary example in these things in Epist ad Ioh. Alasco P. Martyr Neither doe I iudge that we ought immoderately to contend that rites and Ceremonies be the same and euery where obserued after the same manner But this must be looked vnto that they bee not repugnant to Gods word yea they ought to be squared vnto that as much as possible may be and to our vttermost indeuour edification and decent order should bee furthered which conditions if they be obserued it is nothing materiall whether we receiue the Lords Supper standing sitting or kneeleng so as the institution of Christ bee kept and occasion of superstition cut off Neither is it much to be respected while the Church receiueth the elements whether some place of holy Scripture be rehearsed openly or whether Psalmes and thankesgiuing be sung of the people Loc. com class 2. cap. 4. § 39. fol. 203. Againe concerning adoration how it may be vsed in receiuing the Sacraments I will say something namely in a cleere case For if ones minde bee applyed not to the elements but to the things signified adoration may lawfully bee interposed Therefore when the Sacraments are receiued the promises as perteining thereto if we adore the Lord by kneeling we doe not thereby testifie the reall and corporall presence of Christ in the Sacrament Idem in defen ad Gardiner de Eucharist part 1. ob 1. fol. 5. Beza Kneeling at Communion while the elements are receaued hath indeede a shew of Godly and Christian reuerence and therefore might heretofore be vsed cum fructu with some benefit yet because from this originall that same detestable bread worship did first arise and sticketh as yet in the mindes of many it seemeth worthily remoued in the Churches where they vse other gesture yet againe seeing this Ceremonie is not per se idololatrica idolatrous of it selfe wee iudge of it as wee did of the Surplesse and other foregoing Ceremonies Epist 12. fol. 100. namely that it is not of that moment as that for the refusall thereof the Ministers should leaue their Ministery or the people the Sacrament Ibid. fol. 98. in another place Epist 8. fol. 77. albeit hee hold it inconuenient yet he confesseth that it is not per se impium in it selfe impious Vrsinus To a question whether among them that defend Consubstantiation a man might lawfully receaue the Lords Supper he answereth thus seeing in those Churches the same foundation of saluation and the same Christ is taught as is in ours albeit some defects and blemishes doe sticke vpon their Sacraments and seeing the authoritie and vse of the Sacraments as also of the whole Ministrie dependeth not on the persons of the Ministers neither can their false opinions or sinnes hurt and preiudicate such as rightly doe vse Christs institution a man rightly informed may holily communicate with them on these conditions 1. If hee haue no more pure Ministrie in the place or about the place of his aboade or be driuen from the vse thereof against his will as now in these partes the communicating in the purer Churches is for bidden to the orthodoxe vnder paine of proscription 2. If he receaue not the Communion with them as a badge of approuing their error and disliking of the true doctrine as it is vsed saith he in the quarters of our neighbourhood 3. If before he come he make confession plainely and ingenuously without darkenesse and doubtfulnesse vnto the Ministers and know whether they will receiue him with this confession and acknowledge him as a member of the Church yeelding confession of the trueth to others also but professe it before all requiring of him a reason of his faith either in publike or in priuate If the Minister refuse him on these conditions let him abstaine if he admit him and there be obiected to him and layed before him his practise vitiosae Ceremoniae corrupt Cemonies false opinions scornings of the trueth by the aduersaries as if hee should be infected with some superstition thereby and that hee giueth scandall hereby to the weake which may suspect that he approueth their opinions and so may be confirmed also in these things It is answered thus that this is scandall taken not giuen if he who endureth this seruitude inioying in the meane while his Christian liberty doeth not omit the confession of the trueth vnto the Ministers and others and with all doe openly
we haue expounded namely of Ceremonies significatiue ordained by the Church not superstitiously but purely vsed This argument also hath Zanch. de redempt cap. 16. fol. 445. a. There is a great question saith hee in these our dayes about Ministeriall garments surely we read not that Christ and his Apostles did appoint any thing of this matter neither that they changed their garments either when they baptised or when they administerd the Lords Supper but neither did they forbid that men might not take other garments Wherefore it is liberum perse a matter free in it selfe to vse or not to vse other garments in the administration of the Sacraments Because if true Christians hauing the pure doctrine of Christ discipline in their Churches should enioine some speciall garment though abused by the Papists for the commendation of the Ministery to the simple people there is no Scripture forbidding a man to leaue such Christians to their iudgement But there are sundry Scriptures clearely teaching a man why he should leaue them to this their practise as Rom. 14. 1. Cor. 8. and 9. and many other places namely wheresoeuer we are taught of the libertie and good vse of the creatures not of meates onely but of all creatures else Hee giueth instance of a white garment vsed on the Baptized or Communicants of the Lords Supper Bucer Script Anglican fol. 708. Hoopero Because they which defend these things may pretend some honest and iust signification not strange from the Scriptures As touching the Surplesse the Ministers of the Church are Angels Mal. 3. 1. and the Angels alwayes for the most part appeared as apparelled in White garments Pet. Martyr loc fol. 1085. Hoopero Bucer will haue them signifie Caelestē puritatem candorē omniumque virtutū ornatū heauenly puritie and sinceritie and the ornament of all vertues Script Angl. fol. 682. so also fol. 707. 709. Againe What should let but that the Churches may vse this white Vesture or more Vestures to monish vs precisely of that diuine benefit of the light and dignitie of the heauenly doctrine which he giueth vs by the holy Ministery and by the which the Ministers themselues may bee the more mindful of their office c. Bucer in his Epistle to Io. Alasco at the end of the examination This reason also hath Zanch. Albeit a garment be a free thing saith he and numbred vp among matters indifferent yet for signification a linnen garment were more decent then a woollen for a Minister to vse in administring the Sacramēts for that it is the Impresse or type of innocencie and holinesse Hence in the Apocalyps white garments are giuen to the Saints Zanch. de redempt cap. 16. fol. 445. a. Because these Ceremonies are ancient and haue some good vse it was an old custome in the Church that such as administred the Sacraments should weare a white linen garment Zanch. ibid. ex Hieron cont Pelag. li. 1. The signe of the Crosse is vetustissima very ancient Beza Epi. 8. fol. 75. There was therfore some vse therof thogh since it hath bin horribly abused and there be small profit thereof Bez. Ep. 12. fol. 99. Kneeling at the Communiō hath a shew indeed of godly Christian reuerence and therefore might heretofore haue been vsed cum fructu with some profit ibid. fol. 100. Because if we proceed to disswade from these indifferent things as from pernicious and euill things we shall thereby condemne very many Churches not disagreeing from the Gospel and shall taxe too bitterly innumerable Churches which haue euer and are of old celebrated as most commendable and approued P. Mart. loc fol. 1086. Hoopero If agreemēt in doctrine might be procured between the Saxon or Lutheran Churches and ours there would be no separation made for Surplesses or Ceremonies of the like nature ib fol. 1127. Bucer hath also this reason If there be no liberty granted to the Churches of ordeining Ceremonies about the Lords Supper whereof they haue not the expresse commandement of Christ By this meanes will all Churches be condemned impiae audaciae of impious boldnesse For all Churches doe obserue in the Supper of the Lord such a time place and habit or site of body and besides doe admit womē to the Cōmunion of all which things they haue not onely no commandement of the Lord but they haue also his contrary example For our Lord did celebrate his Supper at night not in the morning in a priuate house not in a publike leaning with his Apostles and after the receiuing of the Pascall lambe notwithstanding Also hee admitted not the women among whom he had sundry his most holy Disciples Bucer Scrip. Anglic. fol. 807. 809. To this reason Pet. Martyr moueth an obiection The Church authority present or past ought not to be of that force that the truth of Gods Word be thereby wronged which albeit the world do fall about our eares in peeces ought to be kept inviolable It is true sed propter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but for things indifrent I am resolute that by no meanes we may admit that either Churches should be condemned or that wee should lesse reuerently or honestly speake of them Ibid. fol. 1086. Because we must take heed lest these things which be of lesse importance through our contention may be the meanes or occasions that those things which should be esteemed of greater force and valew either cannot at all be brought vnto the Church or if they be once brought in they cannot be established with continuance Peter Martyr ibid. 1086. Because we must take heed of Satans accustomed sleights whereby he leadeth vs away from the care of necessary things to the immoderate carefulnesse of those things which may well be let passe and from searching out of the true doctrine of Christ to induce vs to those things wherein few can consent alike and finally by the which he kindleth in diuers men a zeale to purge those things which are without vs thereby to neglect our inward deformities Bucer Epist. ad Ioan. Alasco After at the ende of that Epistle This coulorable craft of Satan must be taken heed of by which often he effecteth this that wee reckon those things sinnes which are no sins and those that bee sinnes indeede wee seeme not to regard them in our selues or else against those sinnes which our consciences define to bee sinnes indeede we vse no such seuerity as we ought Because we should in this Realme take most godly heedfulnesse that wee further not vnawares the Diuels intents who throweth in among vs sundry questions and controuersies least wee should take in hand to handle the question of setting forward the doctrine of the Gospel and restoring of discipline and thereby to remoue all drones from Ecclesiasticall Ministeries Bucer in Ep. Io. Alascco Because things in themselues otherwise indifferent doe after a sort change or alter their nature when as by any command of lawfull authority they be either commanded or forbidden because they may not
actions that chiefly seemeth to conduce which is written by the Apostle vnto Titus All things are cleane vnto the cleane And vnto Timothy Euery creature of God is good But it is not necessarily required that we haue an expresse mention of euery particular and singular thing which we vse to doe This is sufficient in generall to know by faith that indifferent things cannot defile those which vse them with a sincere minde and conscience Loc. com inter Epist. fol. 1088. Hooper Obiect Bb. Hooper These Ceremonies are Aaronicall and Iewish an imitation of the Aaronicall Priesthood and therefore ought to be eschewed of all that loue Christ Answ Bucer 1. Though I admit your antecedent yet your conclusion followeth not for to imitate Aarons Ceremonies is not of it selfe vicious but onely when men vse them as necessary to saluation or to signifie that Christ is yet for to come to take flesh vpon him Epist. ad Ioan. Alasco Nothing can truely be said to appertaine to the Priesthood of Aaron so farre forth as it is abolished but that which is vsed with such like superstition as if it were now after Christ reuealed needfull to saluation or profitable of it selfe or whereby some occasion is giuen to a man to assume or to retaine this superstition with himselfe or of troubling the peace and quiet of Brethren Idem Script Anglican fol. 707. Hoopero 2 For a Rite or Ceremony to be Aaronicall adheareth or sticketh not to any of the creatures of God in no garment in no figure in no colour in no worke of God But in the minde and profession of such as abuse the good creatures of God to impious signification idem ibid. 3 If by no meanes it be lawfull to vse those things which were of Aarons Priesthood or of the Gentiles Then it is not lawfull for vs to haue Churches nor holy-dayes For there is no expresse commaundement by word in the holy Scriptures of these things It is gathered notwithstanding from the example of the old people that they are profitable for vs to the increase of godlinesse which thing also experience proueth Idem ad Ioan. Alasco Petre Martyr In the Law or Priesthood of Aaron there were 1. Sacraments whereby it pleased God to confirme and seale the promises of Christ to come all which I know are abolished that we must beleeue that Christ is alreadie giuen not to be giuen And seeing other seales of Gods promises are vnder the Gospell giuen by our Lord himselfe namely Bread and Wine we ought not to recall the antiquated signes 2 Howbeit there were some actions in the Law of that nature that properly they may not be said to be Sacraments For they made to decency to order and some benefit which I doe iudge may be recalled and retained as agreeable to the light of nature and furthering some profit to our selues Who knoweth not that the Apostles for the peace and more comfortable conuersing of beleeuers did command the Gentiles that they should abstaine from bloud and strangled Those things were out of question Aaronicall if you will comprehend all things generally which were in the Law Further no man is ignorant that Tythes are inioyned in innumerable places for the maintenance of Ministers besides if I might more diligently search and consider as the time now will not permit me I could finde out not a few things which our Church hath borrowed out of the law of Moses that from the first beginning of the Church And that I may not omit this one thing wee haue the festiuall dayes in memoriall of our Lord Resurrection Natiuitie Pentecost and death of Christ shall all these things bee abolished because they bee shadowes of the olde Law By these things I suppose you see B b. Hooper that all things appertaining to the Aaronicall Priesthood are not so abolished as that nothing thereof either may be retained or vsed by vs. Martyr loc inter Epist Hoopero fol. 1087. Obiect B b. Hooper These Ceremonies were of Antichrists inuention Answ Bucer The vse of such garments as the Surplesse were vsed Godly by the holy Fathers before the Pope became to be the Romish Antichrist Script Anglic. fol. 682. Cranmero Martyr I cannot easily grant that the diuersity of garments had their originall from the Pope seeing we reade in the Ecclesiasticall History that Iohn the Euangelist ware Petalum seu Lamina Pontificalis a kinde of garment proper to a Minister or B b. and Pontius the Deacon witnesseth of Cyprian the Martyr that when as he was to be beheaded he gaue his garment named Birrus to the executioners His garment called Dalmatica hee gaue to the Deacons and stood in his linnen garments And Christians when they were conuerted vnto Christ did as the Fathers witnesse change their garment and for a gowne did put on a cloake For the which when they were mocked of the Heathen Tertullian wrote a most learned booke de Pallio of the cloake Besides Chrysostome maketh mention of the white garment of the Ministers of the Church Neither doe I thinke that you B b. Hooper are ignorant that there was giuen a Whitegarment vnto those that were admitted vnto the Church by Baptisme Wherefore it is cleere that there were some differences of vestures before the tyranny of the Pope was in force But admitte these things to The like answere and allegations doe Bullenger Gualt giue to the sam obiection Looke Whitgifts defence fol. 268. be the Popes inuentions I cannot perswade my selfe that the impiety of the Papacy is so great that whatsoeuer it toucheth it maketh so polluted and defiled as that the vse of such things may not be granted to good and Godly persons Martyr Hoopero fol. 1087. Looke more for answere hereto in the answere to the next obiection Obiect Bb. Hooper These things abused by Antichrist are so defiled that they may not be permitted to any Church howsoeuer knowing and worshipping Christ and acquainted with her liberty of all things Answ Bucer Surely I make great conscience to say thus much For 1. I see no Scripture whereby I may defend it 2. The Scripture doth euery where preach that euery creature of God is good vnto the good that is to such as doe truely beleeue in Christ and doe godly vse his creatures And that this creature of God is good not only in naturall effects as bread is good in the effects of feeding and strengthening our bodies and wine in the effects of drinking and heating vs but also it is good in diuers significations and admonitions For godly men doe stirre vp and nourish in themselues the remembrance and consideration of many of Gods benefits from euery thing which is a creature of God From hence are those things in the Psalmes and in the Songs of the Saints concerning the praise and celebration of Gods Name to the which all the works of God doe inuite them 3. What Scripture teacheth that there is such power giuen to the Deuill
or to euill men that by their abuse they can make any creature of God which is good in it selfe and good also in signification and admonition to be in it selfe euill and impious 4. Nothing can be said to be a rite of Antichristianisme but such whereby some profession of and communication with Antichrist is exercised or whereby such profession and communion is furthered Script Anglic. fol. 707. Hoopero Peter Martyr By this which you alleadge I see not how it may be firmely concluded that we may vse nothing which is vsually done in Popery surely wee must beware lest wee oppresse the Church of Christ with too much seruitude or bondage that namely it haue liberty to vse nothing which appertaineth to the Pope Surely our ancestors in the Primitiue times tooke the Idoll Temples and conuerted them into sacred houses in the which Christ may bee worshipped and the reuenewes which were consecrated to the Gods of the heathen to stage playes and Vestall Nunnes they translated for the maintenance of the Ministers of the Church when as these things did not only serue Antichrist but euen the diuell Further the verses of Poets which were consecrated to the Muses and to diuers of their Gods or vsed in Plaies acted on stages to appease their Gods forsooth the Ecclesiasticall writers vsed such of them as were fit comely and true and that by the example of the Apostle which did not disdaine to cite Menander Aratus and Epimenides and that in the very body of the diuine Scripture which hee deliuered and those wordes which were otherwise prophane hee fitted and applied diuino cultui to the seruice or worship of God vnlesse perhaps ye will say that the words of Paul which are written and set downe in the holy letters doe lesse serue to the worship of God then the visible words which are vsed in the Sacraments Besides who knoweth not that wine was consecrated to Bacchus bread to Ceres water to Neptune oyle to Minerua letters to Mercury songs to the Muses or Apollo and sundry other matters of this nature you may finde in Turtullian de corona militis who there is most of all in this argument Al which things notwithstanding we are not afraid to vse freely as well in holy as prophane vses albeit they haue beene dedicated to diuels or to Idols looke more in the former obiection in that which followeth Loc. com fol. 1087. Hoopero Obiect Bishop Hooper These Ceremonies ars notes of Antichrist and they that communicate with them doe communicate with Antichrist Answ Bucer 1. For any thing to be a note of Antichrist is not in the nature of any creature in it selfe for to that end nothing was made of God But it hangeth altogether of consenting to Antichrists religion and the professing thereof The which consent and profession being changed into the consent and profession of Christianity there can sticke in the things themselues no note or marke of Antichrists religion The vse of Bels was a marke of Antichristianity in our Churches when the people by them were called to Masses and when they were rung against Tempests Now they are a token of Christianitie when the people by them are gathered together to the Gospel of Christ and other holy actions why may it not then bee that the selfe same garment or other like Ceremonie may serue Godly with Godly men that was of wicked signification with the vngodly 2 Truly I know very many Ministers of Christ most Godly men who haue vsed Godly these vestures and at this day doe yet vse them so that I dare not for this cause ascribe vnto them any fault at all much lesse so hainous a fault of communicating with Antichrist for the which fault we may vtterly refuse to communicate with them in Christ 3 The Priests of diuels did celebrate in their sacrifices the distribution of bread and of the cuppe as Iustinus Martyr and Tertullian make mention what let is there why we may not vse the same Ceremonies also Obiect You will say wee haue a commandement of the Lord touching this Ceremonie Answ Very well And by the selfe same it appeareth that same thing to serue among the children of God to the seruice of Christ which the wicked abused in the seruice of diuels if the commandement of Christ bee added thereto But it is the commandement of Christ that in our actions we institute and vse all things so as comlinesse and order be obserued that faith may bee edified c. 4 Many things which the Antichrists haue made markes of their impiety may be tokens of the kingdome of Christ as the signes of Bread and Wine the water of Baptisme and the laying on of hands Preachings Churches Holy-dayes and many other things also these places of scripture are of a great scope The earth and the fulnesse thereof is of the Lord not of the Diuell not of Antichrist not of the wicked And againe the Sonne of man is Lord of the Sabboth and the Sabboth is made for man and not man for the Sabbath and all hings are pure to the pure and euery creature o◠God is good nor can be defiled to good men by the abuse of euill men The word of God must bee followed in all respects as well in our priuate actions as publike For all things are to be done in the Name of the Lord Iesus and to the glory of God Then such libertie as we grant vnto our selues in our priuate vse of external things let vs not denie in publike Bucer Epist. Ioan. Alasco Hemingius Some are offended with our Ceremonies which they exclaime to bee Papisticall They say wee in the Denmarke Churches haue Priests Altars Surplesses Candles Images Exorcismes Signings with the Crosse plainly after the Papistical maner To these I answer that the true Church is to bee distinguished from the false by doctrine and worship not by Ceremonies which are per se adiaphora in their owne nature indifferent neither doe wee iudge indifferent Ceremonies of so great moment as that for them Schismes should be raised in the Church Let the sinceritie of Doctrine be retained and the pure Worship of God let other things serue partly for publike peace partly for the weakenesse of men and let vs leaue these things to the wisdom of our gouernors and let them determine of these matters Syntag. ad 4. leg decal § 33. 34. fol. 365. Obiect Bishop Hooper If ye grant so great libertie to Churches as that they may vse all things for holy significations and instructions we shall open a window to let in all manner of abuses Iewish Gentilish Antichristian yea Holy water Censing and innumerable matters of that kinde Answ Bucer This inconuenience neede not to bee feared at all For the Churches which I haue described and to the which I iudge that libertie whereof I speake cannot bee denied wil so temper whatsoeuer Rites or garments which they assume for their vse that they may serue to illustrate and not
obiected by the ministers in the abridgement that iustly and materially against our ceremonies Yet doth not the maine forces of this third argument lye in that but in this rather that though they be but humane Ceremonies yet they that inioyne them doe esteeme and impose them as partes of the worshippe of God which puts a manifest difference betweene them and the Ceremonies that were vsed by the Apostles or any Church by their appointment 4 In the imposing and vsing of ours those rules that are prescribed in the Word for matters of direction in the Church concerning Ceremonies are not kept For they are no way needfull or profitable for the edification of the Church but are knowne to cause offence euery where and hinderance vnto edification and are obserued only for the will and pleasure of them that doe inioyne them Theirs though they were vsed and appointed by them who had more farre absolute authority and might lawfully haue commanded in the Church of God specially doing that they did by the inspiration of the holy Ghost yet were they also squared directed by the rules of the holy Scripture and were no way offensiue but tended greatly to the edification of Gods people And how often hath Master Spr. affirmed in the prosecuting of this argument that they were profitable and necessary and alleadged for proofe thereof Acts 15. 28. 29. though heere as forgetting himselfe hee doe deny it Yea this very Section heere wherein hee takes vpon him to prooue they were not needfull or profitable they serued rather to destroy then to edifie the Church he concludes with this clause Yet their vse and yeelding serued to edifie by making way to the Churches peace and furtherrnce of the Gospel And this vaine of contradicting himselfe he taketh such pleasure in as he continueth it to the end of his discourse wherein he laboreth to proue that the fourth argument against the Ceremonies in the abridgement maketh as strongly against the Apostles as against our Church They were not profitable for order saith he in the beginning of that Section and in the conclusion of it affirmes yet it was order to vse and practise them in that case And in the beginning of the next Section hauing said they were not profitable for decency for what was more vndecent then for a Christian to vse idle vnfruitfull needlesse and beggarly rudiments by and by he addes yet did this indecency vphold an higher decency Which last phrase of speech besides the contradiction is very hard to be vnderstood for how can indecency support decency or in what sense can the establishment of the faith and the dayly increase of the number of the Churches bee termed a higher decency or how could the indecency of these Ceremonies establish the faith and increase the Churches After this in going about to shew that they were offensiue many wayes in the fift Section hee saith that in the euent they did serue indeede as meanes to infringe the Christian liberty and immediately after yet the vse and practise of these things by the direction of the Apostles did procure the liberty of the Gospell So that if M. Spr. himselfe be to be beelieu'd euery indifferent and vnderstanding man will easily discerne that the 4. Argument which the Ministers haue vsed against our ceremonies in the abridgement doth not any way concerne those which the Apostles did vse And surely it would be altogether needlesse to insist longer vpō this part of this his Discourse but that there is one thing affirmed by him which may not be passed ouer For noting this to be the 4. way whereby those ceremonies were offensiue that the Apostles themselues were offended in imposing that they did hee addeth that they taught against the things which they inioyned that namely they ought not to be vsed by the Iewes or Gentiles It is strange any learned or Godly man should so farre forget himselfe as to charge the holy Apostles to haue inoyned the faithfull to vse those things which themselues did teach ought not to be vsed either by Iewes or Gentiles specially when the text expresly saith that what they inioyned they inioyned by the direction of the Holy Ghost The place he citeth to proue this that he saith viz. Act. 21. 21. doth not affirme that Paul had taught so indeed but that the Iewes had been so informed of him and by Iames his words vers 24. it appeares also that information was false And if this which he speaketh of the Apostles preaching this against that which they did so decree were to be belieued which God forbid what had hee gained by it surely that there could be no force in this example or decree to bind vs in conscience to vse those things which they in their doctrine did teach ought not to be vsed by any Christian And so this his first Argument wherein he hath laboured so much and with so great confidence is by himselfe vtterly ouerthrowen The third maine point in cōfirmation of the assumption of his first Argument is this That the Apostles by diuine inspiration and commandement from God required the Churches to vse so many Ceremonies and such as were as inconuenient and euill as ours are supposed to bee That whatsoeuer the Apostles did inioyne the Churches they did it by diuine inspiration commandement from God is so vndoubted a truth as he needed not at all to haue troubled himselfe in the confirmation of it it being so hard to find any scholler that would so much gainsay or call this in question as hee himselfe hath sometimes done in this Treatise All the question in this point is Whether euer the Apostles did inioyne vnto whole Churches so many Ceremonies as ours are and those also as inconuenient and euill as ours are This he goeth about to prooue after this manner They caused others to practise ceremonies for Paul circumcised Timothie Act. 16. 3. and tooke the men and was purified with them Act. 21. 26. They aduised one another to practise ceremonies for Iames and the Elders perswaded Paul thus to conforme Acts. 21. 23. 24. They inioyned or commanded the practise of Ceremonies for thus did the Councill at Ierusalem Act. 15. 28. 29. This constitution is called the decrees that were ordained by the Apostles and Elders Act. 16. 4. and the determination of the Apostles Act. 21. 25. and this commaundement they gaue to whole Churches of diuers and farre distant countreys and Nations namely to the Gentiles in Antiochia Siria and Cilicia Act. 15. 23. and afterwards he addes that the Ceremonies that they did thus cause others to practise aduise one another to practise inioyne whole Churches to practise were as inconuenient and euill as ours both for number nature and euill effects For answere vnto all this First it were sufficient to say That he hath not performed that which he hath vndertaken because hee prooues not that the Apostles inioyned so many Ceremonies as wee haue in our Church or that
I will argue the lawfulnesse of the Apostles vsing them an hundred times and in an hundred Churches Againe if Paul did lawfully practise circumcision on Timothy and shauing vowing offering and purifying on himselfe I will conclude that he might as lawfully practise on the like occasions and for the same iust reasons the most part of the Ceremonies of the law ceremoniall if need had beene which amount to a farre greater reckoning then the Ceremonies of our Church make them as many as my brethren may In a word if they were lawfully practised then might the practise thereof be lawfully inioyned vn-the Churches where necessitie enforceth seeing it is the iniunction of a lawfull and needfull thing As for those proofes of mine which my brethren doe sift cleane contrary to my drift or practise there was no neede for themselues so to wrest them and then to lay the wresting of them to my charge as if from them I had concluded quidlibet ex quolibet They were orderly and perspicuously set downe by mee vnder euery head or member in as much as that without wresting and abusing they could not intend more then I did there cleerely proue by thē For though I did vndertake to proue euery head or member of my proposition by the Scripture annexed to them in seuerall yet I did not vndertake to proue euery member or any member by euery Scripture as my brethren would inforce vpon me This dealing of my brethren was not so direct as I could wish And one thing more that whereas I alleadge the Apostles iniunction of abstaining from blood and strangled My Brethren answere that these Ceremonies were not by them inioyned as Ceremonies to the Churches of the Gentiles That also of their obseruation of preaching on the Iewish Sabbath they say it cannot bee called a religious obseruation As if they could produce or conclude out of my wordes any such absurd or vnsound doctrine as my Brethren would seeme to thrust vpon me Or as if it were not sufficient to my purpose that the Apostles inioyned to the Churches of the Gentiles and obserued the time of the Iewish Sabboth matters which were Ceremonies of Moses law and in themselues fruitlesse though not religiously or as Ceremonies of the Lawe as before I noted such an assertion would serue a Papist well who obserueth humane Ceremonies as religious obseruations which our Church disclaimeth and therefore were it needlesse for any man to straine himselfe to such a purpose The second point of mine assumption is touching the nature of the ceremonies where my brethren do respect the second member of my confirmation of the assumption to be this That those Ceremonies which the Apostles and the Churches in their times vsed were euery way as inconuenient and euill as ours are in their iudgement And to make this good my Brethren tel the Reader that I take vpon me to shew 1. That they are as euill in nature as ours are 2. That they had been and were asmuch abused as ours haue been 3. That the vse of them wrought as dangerous effects as the vse of our can doe 4. That whatsoeuer is obiected against our Ceremonies might haue been said against them To which report of theirs I say before I proceede further to answere that seeing trueth needs no falshood or fraud for confirmation for God needes not the helpe of mans lye I doe greatly maruell that my Brethren men of that approued pietie learning and sharpe iudgement should be found failing in their fidelitie as I doe herein challenge them 1. In the vntrue reporting of my assertion as is euident by collation of either part 1. They report that I should say that those Ceremonies which the Apostles vsed were euery way as inconuenient and euil as ours and that it may appeare it was no slip nor ouersight they proceed to misinterprete that I should say that they are first as euill in nature as our ceremonies are secondly as much abused thirdly and hauing as dangerous effects in the vse as ours haue 2. Whereas it is true that I say that they were as inconuenient and euil as ours but I say withall in sundry maine respects which is farre from that which my Brethren do report namely euery way as euill 2. The like dealing my Brethren vse in misreporting me touching the fourth member of the things alleadged First I say the same obiections in substance and for the most part which are obiected against our Ceremonies to proue them simply euill might be obiected against the Ceremonies practised by the Apostles But they wil haue me say that whatsoeuer is obiected against our Ceremonies might haue beene said against them But thus an elder Brother might easily put besides his yonger Brother from that benefit of enioying his poore patrimonie The Fathers will saith the elder Brother shall haue his Fathers goods for the most part but the elder Brother saith that his Father gaue him all whatsoeuer what equitie were this let my Brethren iudge Secondly another exception against my Brethrens lacke of fidelitie towards mee is this that they alleadge the heads of probation but they conceale the most part of the proofs of those heads by which they be confirmed And further in taking such things which they thinke they may say most against with greatest probability and leauing much more that strongly maketh against them as by collation the Reader may iudge easily But by this dealing who may not easily confute the cleerest trueth or confirme the strongest error Now to the reply of my Brethren to this second point touching the nature of the Ceremonies which is by them distinguished into three members First they say that no one of those testimonies of Scripture alleadged by me touching the titles giuen to Ceremonies how abused what euill effects they had doth make any whit to my purpose or can with any colour of reason be applied to any Ceremony vsed or inioyned by the Apostles and they bring out three or foure instances to which they speake leauing cleane out and passing by all the other Scriptures cited by mee and annexed to the euill vse and effects of those Ceremonies which are very many which places and proofes doe still remaine in full force and had beene answered as I suppose if there were not that force in them which is vnanswerable Wherefore my Brethren should not haue thus said that no one of the testimonies make any whit to my purpose vnlesse they had answered all for wherefore should they say not one and leaue so many vntouched To answere three and suffer more then thrice three or foure to escape their censure But let vs see the places which they deale withall First they say the Ceremonies vsed or inioyned by the Apostles were no yokes or burdens or burdening traditions This is vntrue For circumcision vrged Act. 15. 1. is called a yoke vers 10. and a burden vers 26. Yet after that Paul circumcised Timothy Act. 16. 3. Whereupon I inferre that the holy
Gods of worships not accidentall And secondly that these our Ceremonies are esteemed imposed and obserued by the intention and doctrine of the Church of England for things of such nature For this I constantly auerre and resolutely holde that if they can be proued matter of this nature that they are doubtlesse to bee refused of all in a case of confession vnto the losse of Ministery and of life it selfe Howbeit of this I can by no meanes be perswaded as yet and I will giue my Brethren the reasons thereof namely because the Church of England doth not so esteeme them impose them or obserue them for parts of Gods worship But here it wil be first asked what I mean by the Church of England To which I answere that as the Church is considered two wayes first for the Congregation of the faithfull scattered here and there or for the whole societie of English men compact in one entire body visibly professing the religion of Christ distinguished from the bodies of Scotland France Germany other Countreys So by the Church of England in either acception ceremonies are not esteemed imposed or vsed as parts of Gods worships Of the Church in the former sence I know my Brethren make no question the latter I will iustifie For the doctrine and practise of the Church of England I take to be that which by coÌ„mon consent of the whole State King Nobles Bishops Iudges Commons in Parliament is taught and commanded Whatsoeuer commeth hence cometh from the compleate bodie of the Church of England and is to bee ascribed to it as to the visible Church Now the doctrine of this Church of England is included in the Bookes established by this power which are the booke of Articles and the booke of Common prayer Now for the doctrine of our Church in this point the booke of Articles expresly teacheth first that it is not lawfull for the Church to ordaine any thing that is contrary to Gods word Act. 20. Secondly that the Church ought not to enforce any thing to be beleeued besides the holy Scriptures for necessitie of saluation Act. 20. Thirdly that nothing of traditions and Ceremonies be ordained against Gods word Act. 34. Fourthly that euery particular or Nationall Church hath authoritie to ordaine change and abolish Ceremonies or Rites of the Church ordained onely by mans authoritie so that all things bee done to edifying Act. 34. So likewise the Preface of the common prayer booke tit of Ceremonies enacted by Act of Parliament that is by the authoritie of the visible Church of England this doctrine of Ceremonies is set downe We thinke it conuenient that euery country should vse such Ceremonies as they shall thinke fit to the setting forth of Gods honour and glory and to the reducing of the people to a most peafect and godly liuing without error or superstition and that they should put away other things which they perceiue to bee most abused as in mens ordinances it often chanceth diuersly in diuers countreys And thus wee see the doctrine of our Church doth not esteeme any Ceremonies as parts of Gods worships but doth disclaime it vtterly And for the application of their doctrine to our Ceremonies that wee may see what maner of Ceremonies and of what nature the Church of England doth propose to be practised and with what affection such as practise them should performe it the said Preface to the Booke of Common prayer saith of the Ceremonies prescribed in that Booke That they are retained for a discipline and order which vpon iust causes may bee altered and changed and therfore not to be esteemed equall to Gods Law Now according to this doctrine and application thereof by our Church all doctrines and practise of intention and action should bee conformed to this they should be referred If there bee any contrary direction or doctrine taught published or inioyned by any one person or many together or in diuers places it is nothing to the point For they who preach esteeme practiâ—e and impose any Ceremonies otherwise by any conceit word or acte then according to the afore mentioned direction they doe it contrary to the iudgement of the Church of England and it is to bee esteemed as the iudgement and practise of priuate persons violating the doctrine and lawes of this Church for the which they shall answere vnto God and are liable to the censure of authoritie Whatsoeuer Ceremonie therefore of our Church is either imposed or the omission censured by any persons or by any Minister practised or obserued by superstitious or ignorant people as a part of Gods worship is onely accidentall adherent and not inherent to our Church neither ought it to bee laide vnto the charge of our Church Neither doe any of the Diuines Abridg. fol. 38. 39. mentioned in the depriued Ministers reasons nor can any Diuinity iustifie or say that the questioned Ceremonies are imposed by the Church as parts of Gods worships for this cause or will perswade men to suffer themselues to be depriued for refusing to coÌ„forme vnto them For here is no such case of confession to which we are inforced seeing we may all freely and ought as in obedience to the Church confesse the doctrine thereof agreeing to Gods Word and conforme vnto the Ceremonies according to the doctrine namely as to things which are no worships of God nor needfull to saluation And as for them that hold teach or conforme vnto them as to the parts of Gods worships they are to be esteemed as malefactors condemned by the Church which can no more preiudice the doctrine of the Church then the practise of theeues rebels and murtherers can preiudice the good lawes of our Common-wealth that are made against them and it were no lesse strange to blemish our Church with the iudgement or practise of the one then to brand the Common-wealth with the practise of the other Now where my Brethren say that the Apostles neither obserued nor imposed the Ceremonies of the Iewes as parts of Gods worship I referre them to my answere in the former member touching the seruice of God and do adde that if they vsed them not as parts of Gods worship taken strictè yet they did vse them inioyne theÌ„ as parts of his worship taken latè or in a larger sence seeing God may be said to be worshipped by that he is serued and he is serued by duties done according to his will and they conformed inioyned coÌ„formity to those ceremonies that they might do duties according to his will viz. the winning of the Iewes the freedome of their teaching and the like But now whereas it is demanded further by my Brethren what it is vnto the purpose I alledge that the Iewes esteemed imposed obserued them as necessary to saluation Acts 15. 1. 5. and the rest I answere first that I might make those Ceremonies analogicall with ours that as our Ceremonies were and are holden as parts of Gods worship and needfull to
seeing by the way these are the chiefest and maine arguments which the depriued Ministers haue brought against the Ceremonies to proue them simply and in their nature euil let it be cōsidered by the iudicial godly Reader whether they might not vpon these grounds except against the Apostles prescription and refuse the practise of those Iewish Ceremonies euen with the losse of ministry interruption of the Church as well as to suffer depriuatiō for refusing of the Ceremonies prescribed in the Church of England But from this point I argue thus Whatsoeuer Ceremonies are of humane inuention of no necessary vse abused to superstition of misticall and spirituall signification esteemed imposed and obserued as parts of Gods worship swaruing from the generall rules of Gods word not profitable for edification order or decencie of fensiue many wayes to the godly weake and wicked infringing Christian libertie strictly inioyned as necessary such Ceremonies by the doctrine of the Ministers refusing conformitie are simply and in nature euill and could not be practised by any persons no not the Apostles themselues and that through the direction of the holy Ghost without sinne But the Iewish Ceremonies prescribed and practised by the Apostles through direction of the holy Ghost were of this nature and qualitie in euery one of the points aboue named Therefore by the doctrine of the Ministers refusing conformitie in the case of depriuation the Iewish Ceremonies prescribed and practised by the Apostles through direction of the holy Ghost were simply and in nature euill and could not by them be practised without sinne Or thus Whatsoeuer doctrine and practise tendeth to accuse and condemne the inspired Apostles in their inspired practise and doctrine of teaching the practise and of practising Ceremonies in sundry maine respects as vnlawfull as ours are pretended to bee tendeth to accuse and condemne the Apostles in their inspired practise and doctrine for teaching and for practising things simply euill But this doeth the doctrine and practise of suffering depriuation for refusing to conforme to our prescribed Ceremonies Therefore the doctrine and practise of suffering depriuation for refusing to conforme to our Ceremonies doeth directly tend to accuse the inspired Apostles in their inspired practise for teaching and practising things simply euill Whereupon I thus conclude Whatsoeuer doctrine or practise doeth directly tend to accuse and condemne the inspired Apostles for practising teaching and prescribing things simply euill such doctrine and practise is erronious and sinnefull So doeth the practise and the doctrine of suffering depriuation for refusing to conforme vpon the grounds alleadged as hath beene prooued Therefore the doctrine and practise of suffering depriuation for refusing to conforme vnto our Ceremonies is erronious and sinnefull To this that hath beene here alleadged there are certaine obiections made by certaine godly graue and learned depriued Ministers which here I thinke fit to make answere vnto Obiection The Apostles might doe many things which wee may not doe in respect of their immediate authoritie from God Those cases were decreed by the holy Ghost ours not so they did it by the direction of the spirit there is no proportion betweene their case and ours they guided by the spirit we not so The Apostles could not erre we subiect to error It is no good consequent to say they vsed such and such things therefore we may they had warrant for what they did the holy Ghost gaue them warrant Answere First it is to bee noted that they who thus obiect against this reason must needes relinquish the excuses and accusation of the Apostles which others make for vsing the Iewish Ceremomnies vnlawfully For the one affirming their practise to be vnlawfull the other granting it to bee done by direction of the spirit doe mistically ouerthrow one another so that both cannot stand as true This being obserued I answere First if the Apostles were immediatly from God authorized and did those things by direction of the holy Ghost as vndoubtedly they did wee may be the bolder to immitate them in their practise and in their doctrine and in so doing wee shall not erre For in so doing wee may say wee doe no more about matters of Ceremonies then the Apostles haue done before vs. It is a point wee wish the Church of Rome could say Secondly though wee may not immitate the Apostles in things peculiar to their office persons and times yet we may follow them and are bound in conscience so to doe in matters of common equitie and generall reason For as the Apostles had warrant from the holy Ghost so wee haue warrant from the example of the Apostles and from the reasons for which the holy Ghost mooued them to do those things For the holy Ghost being euer the same teacheth and ruleth the Church by one and the same reason reuealed in his word as well now as then Now the Apostles in this case did vrge the practise of these Ceremonies not from their immediate authoritie from God nor from inspiration onely of the holy Ghost but by reasons and rules of common and perpetuall equitie namely expediencie It seemed good to the holy Ghost and vs Acts 15. 28. and necessitie these necessary things Acts 15. 28. also to winne more 1. Cor. 9. 19 20 21 22. to further and propagate the Gospel 1. Cor. 9. 23. By the which rules the holy Ghost doeth teach the Church in the like cases of the Church to follow the like example by the same generall rules namely to practise the same Ceremonies in the like case or other Ceremonies of like nature in other cases no lesse then he doeth teach the Church to pray and singin a language vnderstood from the generall rule of edification Let all things in the Church be done to edification 1. Cor. 14. 12 26. And for Prophets to speake one after another not many at once and for women to hold their peace in the Church to auoyd confusion from the generall rule of order and honesty Let all things bee done honestly and by order in the Church 1. Cor. 14. 27 30 31 34 35 40. Which may the rather appeare because they be all cases of one nature namely of order and Ceremonie in the Church and worship of God which I thinke a sufficient answere to this obiection Obiection There is a great difference betweene the Ceremonies of the Church of England and those prescribed by the Apostles Master Parker of the Crosse part 2. sect 13. fol. 69. and at first ordained of God and must haue honourable buriall for that our Ceremonies are farre worse in many respects and circumstances As being Antichristian more scandalous more hurtfull more dangerous more strictly inioyned then sometimes Gods commandements these the inuentions of men yea of Antichrist c. stubble and straw or rather straw when they are at the best Answere I know and grant there is a great difference in many circumstances betweene the Iewish Ceremonies and the Ceremonies of this our Church but
Acts 15. that it was of matter of omission it maketh little to infring the practise of Saint Paul Because 1 They were Ceremonies of the Law aswell as the other 2 They were significatiue one as well as the other 3 They were abolished by the comming of Christ as well one as the other In which respect they were in their nature no lesse euill though they might be lesse in conuenient then the Ceremonies of practise in some respects To this obiection I answere a little the more sharpely because it sauours of a little to much insolence and small regard vn-the holy Apostles of Christ and I would shew the absurdity thereof let the reader take the lesse offence thereat And thus much of this point To the former argument let these Propositions following be added and obserued A Man may lawfully for the edification of the Church Proposition and furtherance of Gods substanciall worshippes and for the propagation of the Gospel Acts 16. 3. 1. Cor. 9. 23. Practise and obserue such Ceremonies which he preacheth euery where against that men should not doe Acts 21. 21. Neither hee himselfe in some other cases would doe Gal. 2. 5. 11. 14. Burdensome Ceremonies Acts 15. 28. For the edification and peace of the Church and vnitie of brethren Acts 15. 2. 5. 24. May lawfully bee imposed and inioyned on Churches euen by the minde of the holy Ghost Acts 15. 28. 29. Burdensome Ceremonies and many wayes inconuenient may be necessary in some cases to be imposed on such Churches as neuer obserued them before Acts 15. 19. 28. and 21. 25. It may bee expedient for Minsters in a case of superior reason to procure greater good vnto the Church and to auoyd greater mischiefe to perswad others Acts 21. 18. 23. 24. And to be perswaded by others to conforme Acts 21. 26. to such Ceremonies as in many respects are fit to bee preached against Acts 21. 21. as burdensome traditions Acts 15. 28. Col. 2. 20. impotent and beggarly rudiments Gal. 4. 9. and occasions of sundry euill effects Vt supra It may bee expedient and necessary for a Minister or other Christian in the like cases of superior reason to practise the like Ceremonies voluntarily of his owne free accord not being enioyned or commanded by authoritie there vnto Acts 16. 3. and 18. 18. 1. Cor. 9. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. and 10. 33. Those Ministers and people doe well Actes 15. 29. and according to the will of God and minde of the holy Ghost Acts 15. 28. who in a like case of necessitie and furtherance of the Gospel 1. Cor. 9. 23. do practise the like Ceremonies being enioyned them by authoritie Acts 15. 28. and 16. 4. and 21. 25. Paul to redeeme his Ministrie and to gaine liberty to the Gospel to adde soules vnto the Church and to winne the more vnto Christ Acts 16. 3. and 21. 20. 21. 1. Cor. 9. 20. 21. 23. might as well and lawfully haue worne a linnen Ephod or a linnen Surplesse as well as to haue purified and shaued himselfe vowed circumcised Timothy or to haue ioyned in offering sacrifice Paul might as well haue vsed the signe of the Crosse to a baptized person in a case of depriuation or of redeeming the Gospels libertie or of winning vnto Christ as to haue vsed the signe of circumcision to a baptized person as hee did to Timothy Acts 16. 3. And thus much of this argument being the first member of the maine reason Argu. 2 Now I proceede to the second member of the first reason which is this Reason 1 Because the doctrine and practise of suffering depriuation is against the grounds of Gods word whereupon I conclude that such doctrine and practise is an error and a sinne The grounds of Gods word which are contraried by this doctrine and practise are two in number and they doe Minister two arguments which I will prosecute in order by the helpe of God The first ground is this When two workes or deuties commanded of God doe meete in one practise so as we cannot doe them both but one of them must of necessitie be done the other of necessitie must be left vndone in this case the worke or dutie of greater reason must be performed and that of lesser reason must bee neglected and omitted and it is a sinne to neglect the greater to performe the lesser Out of which ground I assume But the doctrine and practise of suffering depriuation for refusing to conforme doth cause men to neglect greater duties to performe the lesser Therefore the doctrine and practise of suffering depriuation for refusing to conforme to our prescribed ceremonies is an errour and a sinne For the confirmation of this argument there are two poynts to be prooued 1 That it is contrary to Gods word and therefore a sinne to passe by a greater worke or duety to performe a lesser 2 That to suffer depriuation for refusing to conforme vnto the ceremones prescribed in our Church is to passe by a greater worke or duety to performe a lesser whereupon the former conclusion must follow of necessity Touching the former poynt namely that it is contrary to Gods word and therefore a sinne to passe by a greater worke or duety to performe a lesser The which poynt although it be in it selfe euident and must needs bee graunted by euery sound diuine yet for illustration sake I make more manifest by these reasons Reason 1 First because the will of God is such then when mercy a greater duety and sacrifice a lesser duety doe meete so as both at the same time cannot bee done mercy must be done and sacrifice left vndone Mat. 12. 4. 7. I will haue mercy and not sacrifice Because hypocrites are reprooued of God for passing by greater dueties to performe lesser thus were the Scribes and Pharises reprooued by our Sauiour for letting passe the weightier matters of the Law and following the smaller As strayning at a gnat and swallowing of a Cammell Mat. 23. 23. 24. Luke 11. 42. For vrging sacrifice of ceremoniall dueties and for omitting and reproouing mercy Mat. 12. 7. Luke 13. 14. 15. 16. For offering sacrifices and oblations with the neglect of parents Matthew 15. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Because the Godly are excused and approued of God for passing by smaller dueties to performe greater thus were excused and reprooued First the Priests of the Law for breaking the Sabboths ceremoniall and strict rest by sacrificing and other businesse to performe Gods Publique worship a greater duety are pronounced blamelesse therein Mat. 12. 5. Secondly Dauid for eating shew-bread not lawfully for him to doe in a case of necessity hee and they who were with him were acquitted as innocent and blamelesse Mat. 12. 3. 4. Thirdly the Apostles of Christ for plucking rubbing and eating the eares of corne so violating the Sabbaths strict and Ceremoniall rest a lesser duety to satisfie hunger the necessity of nature a greater and morrall duety were called innocent Mat. 12.
do vnfit Ceremonies destroy the power efficacy thereof Seuenthly Because the dutie of preaching is simply necessary both in respect of Gods particular command and also in respect of the preacher who is attended with a woe if he neglect 1. Cor. 9. 16. Hos 4. 6. and in respect of the people who are ordinarily by this meanes gathered edified and saued Ephes 4. 11 12 1. Cor. 1. 21 and doe perish if they haue it not Prou. 29. 18 Hos 4. 6. But the vsing of conuenient Ceremonies is not simply necessarie onely secundum quid for the sake of preaching to further and vphold it in which respect scandelous and dangerous ceremonies may be necessary to be inioyned and practised Act. 15. 28. 29. And with inconuenient and hurtful Ceremonies a Church may be a true church as the Apostolical Church of Antioch was as the most part of primitiue churches were and of reformed Churches vsing far worse ceremonies then ours are pretended to be Also a Christian may haue the being of a true Christian may so remaine standing in the true practise of faith repentance loue patience c. and in the assurance of his election adoption iustification and in that state may finally be saued albeit hee liue and die in the practise of as euill ceremonies as ours are supposed who if he should continue without the meanes of preaching the Word might haue great cause to doubt of all Eightly Because of their subordination for Ceremonies as before is noted and the determination of them doe serue the ordinance of preaching the Word and are by the Church to be determined as may best serue for the furtherance thereof so they be not formally in their nature impious in which respects as before is said it may be expedient to admit of very inconuenient and accidentally hurtfull Ceremonies namely for the furtherance of the Gospel edification of the church Else the Apostles by direction of the holy Ghost sinned in their doctrine and practise But the ordinance of preaching doth at no time serue fit Ceremonies neither should giue place by laboring against vnfit Thus from the nature now from their effects it doth in like sort appeare that the duty of preaching tieth the conscience with a farre greater bond then the duty of refusing of the prescribed Ceremonies First on the better part The benefit of preaching the Word is incomparably greater then the benefit of auoyding these or the like inconuenient Ceremonies By the preaching of the Word the Church hath name and being yea though Ceremonies as is noted be very inconuenient and doe remaine in the Church as timber hay and stuble vpon Christ the foundation Ceremonies be they euer so well ordered without preaching are of no force to giue name or being to the Church Now farre greater is the Churches being the progresse and liberty of the Gospell the publike vse of the meanes of new birth faith and saluation and the visibility of Christ his kingdome vpon earth then the auoyding of offence and such other inconueniences accidentall not inherent neither purposed by Ceremonies in their nature not euill but meerely indifferent the one bringing a publike good to the whole Church the inconuenience of the other but priuate to a few who take offence and in this case by their owne default Besides experience sheweth how God hath prospered multitudes of latter times that haue entred by conformitie in euery place and such who standing in their places haue with a grounded conscience not by sinister respects conformed to preuent their depriuation or to redeeme it being lost The Lord hath done as much good by them as by any Minister depriued by the conuersion confirmation consolation reclamation excitation edification I say not refusing Ceremonies speaking against Bishops pleading for Church discipline but in the maine doctrines and duties of sauing grace and goodnesse Gods blessing hath beene on them as much as euer before the Papists and enemies of righteousnesse haue beene no lesse vexed and conuinced yea Saints no lesse comforted and confirmed the Church no lesse fortified and the truth of the Gospell no lesse propagated if not much more And the reason hereof is plaine because experience sheweth that the Church is not builded vp but destroied rather afflicted consciences nothing quieted but troubled rather doubtful mindes not setled but distracted rather zealous mindes not rectified but disordered rather Papists and Brownists not wonne or conuinced but rather driuen further backe by the doctrine practise endlesse disputations of discipline ceremonies constitution of Churches and the like but by the sound doctrine essentiall practise of repentance from dead works faith in Christ loue patience and good works which sauing points of the mistery of godlinesse are more taught and better practised by simple hearts when the stumbling blockes of these lesse pertinent questions as Mint and Cummin in respect of Mercy and Iudgement are remoued or more sparingly and peaceably debated Secondly on the worser part The mischiefe offence and inconuenience of the Ministers depriuation for not conforming to the Ceremonies seemeth in reason and hath appeared in experience to bee more by many degrees then the scandall and inconueniences arising of conforming to redeeming of their preaching which thing appeareth First because the Papistes doe more reioyce the Godly are much more grieued the Libertines doe much more triumph and so are like to doe as they haue all more cause to behold the Gospel interrupted the trueth obscured the Church weakened the Ministers of God throwne out the flocke of Christ scattered and the visible kingdome of Christ diuided and dessolued then they would be to behold some inconuenient Ceremonies these greater things of the law remaining entire whereby Antichrist and sinne is dayly discouered and wasted and by the which trueth and pietie doe more encrease and preuaile Admit that by inconuenient Ceremonies the Church should bee blemished and the consciences of many scandalized yet in depriuation of teachers without supply of as good the Church of God tendeth to dessolution and vtter ruine yea the soules of all the people are endangered to perish Prouerb 29. 18. Hos 4. 6. Math. 15. 14. For without the preaching of the worde there is no publique ordinary meanes of saluation left and so by consequence no ordinary meanes of the hope of saluation though all both Minister and people should abstaine from these inconuenient Ceremonies Wheras so long as the word and Gospel preached doeth remaine Christ the foundation doeth remaine both in sound and doctrine 1. Cor. 3. 11. Ephe. 2. 20. as also in assured presence Matth. 18. 20. and 28. 20. the infinite value of whose blood clenseth from all sin 1. Ioh. 1. 7. and 5 12 howsoeuer the stubble of corrupt doctrine Ceremonies do remaine withall and so the Church both Minister and people retaining and laying hold on the foundation may bee saued though as by fire 1. Cor. 3. 15. Secondly experience teacheth vs what a decay of
dutie tying the conscience with a greater band then the dutie of refusing to conforme or the like These two points therefore being thus confirmed it followeth That for a Minister to suffer himselfe to be depriued of his Ministery for refusing to conforme to the prescribed Ceremonies is contrary to Gods word and so an error in doctrine and sinne in practise Now I will answere the obiections which are brought against this poynt Obiect The Ceremonies prescribed in our Church are vnlawfull as they are prooued by sundry reasons by the depriued Ministers therefore wee may not conforme vnto them but rather suffer depriuation for wee may not doe euill that good may come thereof Rom. 3. 8. Answ If it should be granted which they cōtend for It followeth Answ not that because they be vnlawfull in some respect therefore they may or bee conformed vnto because a man may doe that which is vnlawfull in some respect and yet not sinne against God as appearth by these instances out of Scripture A man may breake the Sabboth It is our Sauiours phrase in some respects and yet be blamelesse before God Mat. 12. 5. A man may doe that in some case which by Gods Law is not lawfull for him as our Sauiour Christ speaketh to doe and yet bee innocent Matth. 12. 3. A man may in some cases performe some circumstances in a substantiall worship of God not as it is written and yet performe that worship in Gods acceptation and with his blessing 2. Chron. 30. 18 19 20 21 25 26. A man may in some case practise lawfully and necessarily Act. 15. 19 20. such Ceremonies which in some other cases to practise were impotent and beggarly rudiments Gal. 4. 9. will worships traditions commandements and doctrines of men Collos 2. 20 21 22 23. and in many maine respects euill and vnlawfull Againe vnto the Apostles saying I further say that a man may bee sayde to doe some euill to doe some good Which answere will appeare out of the sayde places For to breake the Sabboth was euill yet to breake the Sabboth in some duetie to further a greater duetie in Gods worship which was good made the Priests blamelesse To doe a thing not lawfull was euill yet to preserue life which is good made Dauid innocent before God To performe Gods worship not as it was written was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and a sinne yet to further Gods substantiall worships which was a good thing was not regarded of God To practise antiquated and superannuated vnprofitable yea very hurtfull Ceremonies was vnlawfull yet to purchase the libertie of the Gospell and vnitie of brethren which was good made their practise good and necessary So that this rule of the Apostle must bee limited and in some cases holdeth not for that as wee see a man may bee sayde to doe some euill that some greater good may come thereof the reason whereof is included in the foregoing argument the summe whereof is this Because the relinquishing of obedience to a lesser duty leaueth to be a sinne when a greater duety commeth in place which yet were euill if the greater duety were absent As for example to violate sacrifice namely to breake the Sabbath by rubbing eares of corne to eate that which is expresly forbidden him of God and so to doe a thing not lawfull is noe sinne when mercy and necessity comes in place which if mercy or other superior worke and duety were away were sinne In a word a man may doe a thing euill in vse circumstance and by accident so it be not simply and in nature euill also a man may violate a duety ceremoniall to further or accomplish a morrall good thing in which case the euill of the action ceaseth and this was the Apostles in the practise of the Iewish ceremonies Obiect But the ceremonies prescribed in our Church are not onely euill in the vse or inconuenient but are in their nature simply euill especially in their vse as appeareth by the reasons made against them in sundry writings of the depriued Ministers Ergo by noe meanes may they bee conformed vnto to procure the greatest good An. 1 The reasons alleadged by the depriued Ministers to prooue these ceremonies to be simply euill are very weake and friuolous because as it is noted in the first argument they al of them or the most part be applied to the Iewish ceremonies practised enioyned by the inspired Apostles and therefore either the practise and prescription of such ceremonies in a case of necessity leaueth to bee a sinne or else the Apostles must be accused for practising of such things as were simply a sinne and it is not in Apostolicall power to make a matter simply and in nature sinne to be noe sinne at all Howsoeuer these ceremonies bee now iudged in their nature simply euill by the depriued Ministers yet they were neuer so iudged of in the church of christ in any age or place by any sound teacher or wel grounded Christian the most curious sights among them that most stand for reducing of the Church to the primitiue purity in discipline ceremonies that euer looked on them in these dayes though they wished them to bee abolished as being many wayes inconuenient yet they iudged of them in their nature as things indifferent not onely as they are considered in themselues but as they are in vse with vs. Thus iudged they of a surplesse or linnen garment in the worship of God In a surplesse there is no impious thing per se noe not Bucer in the vse of it Script Anglican fol. 79. Hoopero These garments are not impure of themselues speaking also of their vse idem in his Epistle to Io. Alasco In the English litargie there is nulla manifesta impietas Epist Caluin P. Martyr 200. fol. 336. Per se sunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 these garments are of themselues indifferent Loc. com fol. 1085. amico cuidam The vse of them not impious or pernitious per sese aut sua natura verbo dei contrariae ibidem 1086. Hoopero These garments are not per se impiae impious of themselues that a Minister should rather leaue his Ministry then Beza vse them Epist 12. fol 98. I graunt them to bee indifferent being considered in themselues It is adiaphoron natura in the vse a matter indifferent in nature Enchirid. Tit. 1. de Adiaph Clas 3. cap. 16. Hemingius fol. 375. It is liberum per se a free matter of it selfe to vse or not Zanchius to vse de redempt lib. 1. cap. 16. fol. 445. yea magis deceret vestis linea quam lanea It is an indifferent thing Lo. 33. Quaest. 13. fol. 382. Bucan It is a thing indifferent in vse in Ezech. cap. 44. fol. 807. Polanus The surplesse in the owne nature indifferent meaning Cartwright in the vse for hee perswaded to the vse in the case of depriuation Rest of the second reply fol. 262. Thus also
iudged they of the Crosse in Baptisme and of kneeling at Communion the rest which afterward shal be alleadged The reasons prouing this poynt are these Because they are neither expresly Commaunded nor forbidden of God Bucanus vbi superius this rule also of a thing indifferent hath Polanus Syntag. lib. 6. cap. 38. fol. 3036. Paraeus Colleg. 2. cap. 31. sect 15. fol. 274. Illyricus claue Scriptur fol. 22. part 1. Adiap And are distinguished from things simply good which are expressely Commaunded from things simply euill which are expressely forbidden of God being in their nature neither morrally good or euill neither Commanded nor forbidden of God and by accident may bee both good and euill Exerc. part inter Thes fol. 826. Obiection Beza contra Sarauiam cap. 25. fol. 200. saith indifferent things I call which are neither expressely nor secretly Commaunded nor forbidden by the word neither maketh vs the better being vsed nor the worse if wee vse them not But our ceremonies are forbidden in the word in generall and in particular in our vse Ergo. Answere So may be said of the Iewish ceremonies rather then of ours both they and these are in nature indifferent not impious and in the case of depriuation or necessity are not forbidden any way but commaunded rather because wee must vse indifferent things for the furtherance of the Churches edification and not refuse them though they seeme to vs inconuenient to the Churches destruction And as for Beza with all other sound writers that are of other mindes concerning our ceremonies they hold them in their nature indifferent and not forbidden in the word especially in our vse and in the case of simple necessity 2 Because in some cases a man may vse them and not sinne which a thing in nature euil he can neuer vse but he shal incuitably sin of this nature are Idolatry adultery blasphemy periury which sins no circumstance can euer amend Beza cont Saraui cap. 25. fol. 199. Indifferentia sunt quorum vsus modo bonus modo illicitus prout viz bene vel male illis vtitur quae naturam habeant neque ad bonum neque ad malum determinatam 3 Because in some respects and in some vse they may bee good a thing in nature euill can neuer bee put to any profitable vse Peter Martyr saith Adiaphoris bene vel male vti possumus L. Clas 4. cap. 4. fol. 707. 4 Because in some respects and in the same vse they may bee good and necessary as the Iewish rites were in the Apostles practise 5 Because they are of the same nature with the Iewish rites practised by the Apostles Of this opinion is Peter Martyr Loc cum inter Epist fol. 1087. Zanchius in Philip. 1. fol. 45. Polanus in Ezech. 44. fol. 807. which ceremonies by the streame of all sound writers are holden as indifferent in nature in the case wherein they vsed them 6 Because a man vsing them all the dayes of his life as they are prescribed in our Church and that without repentance for such vse of them may still remaine a godly and good man and presupposing him otherwise to walke in holinesse may in that estate bee saued whereas one sinne in nature as to liue in fornication 1. Cor. 6. 9. 10. Being continued in especially if it should bee pleaded for and defended Mat. 5. 9. Cannot stand with his saluation So Bucer script Anglican 1458. Martyr inter Episto fol. 1085. Amico cuidam Aretius sayth that indifferent things are such as are in equall respect to good and to bad Prob. cap. 83. de Adiaph fol. 266. 7 Because if they were in nature euill a godly person could not communicate with a good conscience with our Church which doth prescribe and practise them and remoueth them not being admonished neither in the Ministery or any worship of God Bucer Epist. Io. Alasco Martyr fol 1086. Hoopero 8 Because all such as haue continued in the vse of them and defended the same might be iudged impiouse and wicked such as are the Martyrs and other worthy persons of our Church and other Churches also yea the Apostles and all faithfull teachers and Churches since their time should be condemned yea it might bee taught as a doctrine that such as vse them with continuance or maintaining them could not be saued which I suppose none of the Ministers which are depriued will iustifie Martyr fol. 1086. Hoopero Simply euill may be taken for any thing particularly forbidden of God or the omission of a thing particularly commanded of God sundry things of which kind though in themselues considered are euill may bee done lawfully for a superior good and in that case doe leaue to be simply euill as to doe seuile labour on the Sabbaoth day to eate such bread as God had forbidden to the persons which did eate thereof to come or admit commers in a legall vnsanctified estate to the Sacraments and the like which shall bee after mentioned more fully therefore to this purpose I distinguish of euill as before which may bee two wayes considered either for that which is intrinsically formally and in the nature thereof euill not onely because God hath forbidden it or commaunded the contrary which kinde of euill is immutabiliter malum as murther periury adultery c. Being against the immutabilitie of Gods nature no circumstance can make them good though by circumstances they may bee lessened or made greater of this nature our Ceremonies are not neither can they bee euills of this kinde or else euill is taken for that which being indifferent in nature yet by accident is euill namely in vse when offence will be taken thereat by diuers persons in diuers respects or rather inconueniences will arise which were euill therefore to vse if it lay in mans power to refuse them Againe for that which being particularly forbidden of God in his Word is therefore vnlawfull to doe The euill of both which latter kinde may by circumstances bee amended and the practise thereof may leaue to be a sinne namely in a case of superiour reason when a dutie of greater band doth tie the conscience which that it may be the better manifested we may obserue two points First the degrees Secondly the subordination of duties commanded in the Law of God Consider first that there are degrees of duties of both Tables of the Law which appeareth in reason for there are duties substantiall and duties circumstantiall Substantiall duties are both internall of the first Table as loue knowledge feare and confidence in God of the second Table as loue reuerence patience kindnesse compassion iustice c. Substantiall externall also of the first Table standeth in the maine worships of inuocation preaching and hearing of the Word receiuing of the Scraments lawfull swearing c. Of the second Table as outward reuerence obedience helpe and tribute to superiours kindnesse and thankfulnesse shewed to equalls almes reward correction and instruction to inferiours The circumstantiall duties of either Table are
of necessitie that a man must either goe naked and so impaire his health or indanger his life and goe after an vnseemely fashion or else hee must weare some inconuenient apparrell in the wearing whereof some good mindes will bee offended with him in the vse others will take it as an occasion by the fashion to bee vnlawfully inamored with his person and so may be an occasion to draw them to actuall adultery in thought desire intreatie or attempt suppose also that other men doe vse the same fashion or finenesse to pride and intention of adultery take away the necessitie and I confesse euen the least occasion of these scandalles were vnlawfull but with the necessitie it leaueth to bee a sinne in the wearing thereof because a greater dutie comes in place nay it were a sinne to neglect health by leauing the apparrell and compare this case with ours it may as well bee say de to bee adultery as this idolatrie it being a violation of a negatiue precept as well as this is supposed to be for all the occasions of the sinne are forbidden with the sin that a sinne of commission as well as this is conceiued to bee and the redeeming of preaching the Word the meanes of mans life spirituall and celestiall may be paralled and put in ballance with the redeeming of our health and naturall life in comparision of the other other comparisons may bee made out of other precepts but this sufficeth Secondly This Obiection doeth ineuitably accuse the Apostles of idolatry in prescribing and practising Ceremonies scandalous significant abused and apt to bee abased to superstition and in many other respects in conuenient yea what Church in the world shall escape censure for prescribing and practising Ceremonies of the like nature which euer in the purest Churches haue beene vsed more or lesse yea if this hold how can any manioyne to the Church of England or to any primitiue or reformed Church of any age seeing by this they may all be sayd to be Churches practising and maintaining of idolatry and so idolatrous Churches How can any depriued Minister communicate in any assembly in England where kneeling at the Communion is if kneeling at Communion be idolatry albeit hee sit himselfe seeing he communicateth with an idolatrous Church and with a company of idolators and so must needes be driuen to separate from England with the Brownists and from all the most and best reformed Churches primitiue and latter For we must come out from idolators and touch no vncleane thing 2. Cor. 6. 17. Rom. 18. 4. By which reason also our Sauiour Christ himselfe his Mother his Apostles al the faithfull of those times could not escape the gilte of a sinne for communicating with the Word Sacraments inuocation and Ministery of such a Church as proposed some Ceremonies of meere humane inuention as the worships of God and necessary to saluation Mat. 5. 8. 9. Lastly it takes away saluation from the Apostles the Martyrs and all faithfull teachers which communicate with such like ceremonies both because Idolators shall neuer enter 1. Cor. 6. 11. Gal. 5. 19. 20. 21. Reu. 21. 8. as also because presupposing it to be a breach of the lowest degree thereof yet breakers of the least commandement and teaching so cannot be saued Mat. 5. 19. Obiect Admitting the ceremonies of our Church to bee indifferent yet we may not by the vse of any indifferent thing offend or scandalize our brethren rather wee must neuer vse it 1. Cor. 8. 9. 12. 13. 10. 28. Rom. 14. 15. 16. 21. Answ True we may not vse any indifferent thing by which our weake brother is offended if the not vsing or vsing thereof be voluntary within our power as that indifferent thing seemeth not to be the vse whereof is commanded by a Magistrate or publique law whom therefore wee must obey whosoeuer bee offended and the offence that any doth take in this case is Scandalum acceptum non datum A Magistrate onely commandes my outward man and inflictes an outward penalty whom albeit I am commanded to obey and that of conscience in a thing indifferent yet if I disobey him not of purpose or contempt but with a conscionable and charitable respect of not offending weake or godly Christians that so I may not destroy my brother Ro. 14. 15. 20. 1. Cor. 8. 10. 11. neither wound his conscience neither sinne against Christ 1. Cor. 8. 12. I doe not sin against God but am onely lyable to the penalty enioyned my conscience is not herein touched before God because I respect and follow a greater duety 2. A Magistrate cannot command me to vse a thing whereby either purposely or by accident I shal offend my weake brother sin against Christ 1. Chro. 8. 12. though he should yet God commands me to auoyde it and tells me it is a sinne against Christ 1. Cor. 8. 1◠a superior command and of superior reason better obey God then man Answ All this is in some sence true howbeit al this holdeth onely in case of outward and ciuill penalty where I ought to beare some corporall paine or externall losse to violate the magistrates command in not offending the godly weake brother But it holdeth not in a case of spirituall publique generall penalty as of depriuation of the ministry which to auoyd by vsing a thing indifferent is a duty of superior reason then by not vsing a thing indifferent to giue offence where in that case it should not be broken which apeareth two wayes First by the greatnesse of in conuenience for it is ten times more in conuenient by not vsing of the ceremonies things indifferent in nature to suffer depriuation of ministery the Gospell to be hindred suppressed the whole Church visible kingdome of Christ to be vtterly dissolued and dissipated then by vsing them to redeeme these benefits to offend some few who in this case should not be offended and that they are is meerely their sinne Secondly by the proportion of offence and scandall For the Papist Athiest will much more triumph and reioyce and a Godly Christian wil much more grieue be troubled to see a worthy painefull and profitable minister be depriued and silenced then to weare a surplesse vse some few ceremonies the one being a smal in cōuenience but the other a deadly mischiefe to the Church of Christ so much of the second argument of the first reason Argum. 3 Now followeth the third prouing That to suffer depriuatiō for the refusing to cōforme to the prescribed ceremonies is contrary to Gods word and therefore a sin because it is contrary to a second ground of Gods word namely the royall law of loue for the further euidencing of this reaso there are two points to be considered and proued First that to do any thing that is contrary to the law of loue is contrary to the word of God Secondly to refuse conformity to the prescribed ceremonies in case of depriuation
the preaching of Gods Word 2. Tim. 4. 2. but vpon iust cause and draw the heauy woe vpon vs 1. Cor. 9. 16. Fourthly what good conscience may a man haue by breaking a greater duty to performe a lesser by committing a greater sinne to auoid that which in this case leaueth to bee a sinne to make conscience of that where none in this case is to be made and to make no conscience of that where great conscience is to bee made namely of continuing to feede the flocke committed to their charge Fifthly this obiection is answered before and holds in matters euill onely by nature not in things indifferent of nature and in vse onely inconuenient Reas 2 Because the doctrine and practise of suffering depriuation for inconuenient ceremonies is a great enemy to the edification of the Church which is a speciall property and effect of loue for loue edifieth Ephes 4. 16. 1. Cor. 8. 1. For by ineuitable consequence it ouerthroweth all the Churches and ministery of Christ in England yea al the reformed churches Zanch. in Phil. 1. fol. 45. b. Read the Question of Christendome at this houre yea all Churches since Christ and his Apostles Wherefore this doctrine and practise is opposite vnto the law of Loue. The ineuitable ouerthrow dissipation and destruction of all Churches by this doctrine and practise appeareth by this that followeth First wee must consider this that no Church since the Apostles time but hath practised inconuenient Ceremonies in some respect neither is there any true reformed Church at this houre in the Christian world German Danish Bohem Heluetian Dutch or French which doth not practise some inconuenient ceremonies some of them doe practise farre more then ours and more liable to exception all which is made euident in Argument the fourth Yea the Apostolicall Churches did practise inconuenient ceremonies that by the Apostles command and that as things good and necessary for the Church Act. 15. 28. 29. Secondly it therefore followeth by this doctrine of suffering depriuation for inconuenient ceremonies that all the Ministers of England yea of al Christendom must necessarily suffer depriuation for refusing their inconuenient ceremonies seing all Churches doe strictly tie their Ministers to the practise of their ceremonies yea the Apostles by this doctrine did very ill and committed sin to perswade others to conforme to inconuenient ceremonies Act. 21. 23. 24. yea to command them to conforme to them as good and necessary in that case Acts 15. 28. 29. Yea to practise this conformity on themselues Act. 21. 26. Yea and on others also Acts 16. 1. 3. Yea they should rather haue suffered their Apostleship to haue bene forfeited and left the preaching of the Gospel to haue bene suppressed the Churches of Christ to haue bene dissolued and desolated then to haue yeelded to this conformity of inconuenient ceremonies But to admit of this is apparantly absurd wherfore the reason followes and remaines in force Reas 3 Because this doctrine and practise doth needlesly on no ground or iust cause breed or produce sundry scandalls and offences against diuers sorts of persons which is against the law of loue as appeareth First it is the occasion of fraternall discord mouing the Ministers to â—udge and account of the reuerend Bishops as of Antichristian and tyrannous Prelates and the Bishops to esteeme of them as of pernitious and vnsufferable Schismatickes This disturbeth the Churches peace maketh the common enemy insult and blaspheme the Gospel at our mutuall discords and deuoureth our owne strength by biting one another and is Ergo against the law of loue 1. Thess 5. 13. Galat. 5. 13. 14. 15. Rom. 12. 8. Whereas if in the case of depriuation the Ministers did peaceably conforme this scandall would be cut off or exceedingly made lesse and mittigated of which sin the authors and accessaries are guilty before God Secondly it two fold more scandalizeth the Papist then conformity for hee doth farre more reioyce and insult to see a godly Minister thrust out and with him all the truth of the Gospel feruently and continually pressed the greatest enemy to Popery that can be then to see him weare a Surplesse in the face of our Church with his mouth opened and stomacke inlarged against Antichrist and his superstitions and will worships Thirdly it two fold more scandalizeth the Atheist and carnall Libertine and Epicure who by the painfull Ministers depriuall will exceedingly triumph to see a doore opened for him without resistance to liue in drunkennesse whoordome swearing oppressing to bring in securely wanton dancings Church-ales profane wakefeasts reuells vnlawfull sports and a thousand euills much more then to see the Minister though conforming to the ceremonies yet present to withstand disgrace and suppresse these sins and therein to glorifie God to further his kingdome to edifie his Church to propagate his Gospel with a Surplesse on his backe Fourthly it two fold more scandalizeth such one as doth truly feare the name of God who could bee more contented to enioy the meanes of his Faith and saluation and of the Communion of Saints and visible prosperity of Christ his kingdome vpon earth with a small inconuenience of some Ceremonies which hee grieueth at and is not guilty of then to lose his Pastor the Gospel and ordinary meanes of his sauing faith yea of his saluation and heereby to see if it so fall out loyterers and Wolues in sheepes clothing take the charge of the flocke of Christ and to behold the sheepe and lambes so deerely bought and heeretofore so well instructed to lie scattered vp and downe which were vnited in one fold together and led into the greene pastures of grace and life Fiftly it offendeth the Magistrate by prouoking him perswaded and resolued as hee is to disgrace these otherwise well deseruing Ministers and to strike them with the sword of authoritie and that in the dayes and light of the Gospel which would cease by conforming in this case And if wee should not offend a priuate person much lesse should we offend the Magistrate which is a publicke person about the vse of a thing indifferent If it be saide that therefore they abstaine from the Ceremonies that they might not giue offence to godly mindes I say againe that good mindes should not bee offended in this case which if they do we must neglect for that by refusall of conformity the Magistrate is prouoked to depriue them and such as are well minded haue farre more occasion of offence at the depriuation of a good teacher which is a mischeefe then at his conformity which is but a simple inconuenience at the most 6 Sixtly it vniustly condemneth the harmonie of all true Churches that euer were Primitiue and reformed for teaching false doctrine and many godly and most reuerend persons who in case of depriuation partly haue taught the doctrine of necessary conformity to inconuenient Ceremonies partly who aduised thereunto partly who practised the same themselues which hath bene an
vniuersall doctrine of all sound Teachers of all times and places as appeareth else where in the following arguments yea it condemneth the very inspired Apostles of Iesus Christ and the Churches of their planting which for performance of greater duties did conforme themselues perswade others to conforme and commanded the same to others as a duty good and necessary All which inconueniences by conformity euen vnto inconuenient Ceremonies in the case of depriuation would bee wholy auoyded which by not conforming are needlessely maintained strengthened and vpholden It followeth therefore that the doctrine and practise of suffering depriuation for refusing Ceremonies though in some respect inconuenient is opposite vnto the law of loue and so by consequence and error and a sinne * Touching the doctrine of this point and application thereof vnto the practise of like Ceremonies to ours in a like case looke Gual in act 16. 3. hom 106. fol. 199. Pâ—sc in act 15. 28. Idem in act 21. 20. Idem in act 16. 3 Calu. in act 15. 28. fol. 265. Idem in act â—8 18. Aret. in act 15. 28. fol. 72. Idem in act 16. 3. fol. 75. Beza annot in act 15. 29. in act 16. 4. 21. 20. 18. 18. Reason 2 Thus much of the first maine reason prouing that the doctrine and practise of suffering depriuation for refusing to conforme to the prescribed Ceremonies is contrary to Gods word and therefore an error and a sinne Argu. 4 Now the second maine reason standeth in this because the doctrine and practise of suffering depriuation for refusing to conforme to the Ceremonies prescribed in the present Church of England or the like tendeth directly to condemne all true Churches of Christ Primitiue and latter and all sound teachers and sincere Christians of all times and places since the time of the Apostles which appeareth to bee an errour in doctrine and a sinne in practise For the further manifestation of this reason there must be proued these two points That to condemne all true Churches and sound Teachers of all times and places primitiue and latter for teaching error in any doctrine or maintaining or committing maintained sinne in practise is a sinne and error That this Doctrine and practise of suffring depriuation for refusing to conforme to the prescribed Ceremonies in our present Church of England or to the like doth condemne all true Churches and sincere Teachers of all times and places since the times of the Apostles Which points being prooued the conclusion will ineuitably follow that to suffer depriuation for refusing to conforme is a sinne and an error to be taught and practised Touching the former point That namely to condemne 1. Point all true Churches and sound teachers for teaching and maintaining false doctrine and sinne is both an error and a sinne First I say it is an error Because in condemning their doctrine for false doctrine euen in this point they condemned the inspired doctrine of the holy Apostles for false doctrine as before appeareth which must needes bee an error and a sinne of no light degree Because it condemneth their doctrine practise which are followers of the Apostles in their inspired doctrine and practise and which walke so as they haue them for an example which rule of doctrine and practise being commended as true and commanded as iust Phil. 3. 17. and 4. 9. the contrary thereto must needes be an error Because the true Catholike Church indefinitely taken for the company of the faithfull in all ages being as they are euer built on the foundations of the Prophets and Apostles and Christ the corner stone Eph. 2. 20. is the pillar and ground of trueth 1. Tim. 3. 15. but whatsoeuer is against the ground of trueth must needes be an error Because the true Church of all ages being defined truely ly to bee the congregation of the faithfull consisteth of a company of spirituall persons not of carnall blinde or prophaine persons or hereticall Idolatours and tiranious Popes or Prelates as the Papistes Now the spirituall man discerneth all things 1. Corinth 2. 15. euen the deepe things of God vers 10. by the spirit which God hath giuen him ver 12. how much more is the whole company of all the spirituall able to performe the same wherefore the contrary to their doctrine must needs be an error Because it condemneth the whole streame of the faithfull teachers and Churches of all ages of an hainous and damnable crime namely the breaking the lesser commandements of God and the teaching of men so to doe whereby they exclude them by necessary consequence out of heauen Matthew 5. 19. which must needes bee a grosse error and no small sinne Because no scripture is of priuate interpretation 2. Peter 1. 20. either of priuate spirits of carnall persons though they be many as the interpretations of the Romish Popes and Doctors or of other heretickes failing in the foundation or of a few Godly and well affected Persons against the Ocean and world of the faithfull but the iudgements of the English depriued Ministers being against the whole true Church of Christ is but as a litle streame vnto the Ocean or a small field vnto the world their opinion therefore against the whole Church is of priuate interpretation and an error Because it is against the rules of Gods word and meanes appointed of God for the finding out of the trueth euen in such like cases as this for a few Ministers and other persons be they otherwise neuer so faithfull to be opposite in iudgement to the whole Church 1 One meanes is for learners to obey their teachers Hebrew 13. 17. especially teaching secundum legem according to the law Deut. 18. 11. but the Fathers and Godly learned Doctors since them being the Ministers of the Church of Christ in all ages are the Teachers of all others specially if they teach secundum legem which must be hearkened vnto and obeyed and whosoeuer doth not hearken to them so teaching erreth 2 An other meanes and ordinance of God is this that two or three Prophets speaking the rest must iudge of that they speake and that the spirit of the Prophets must bee subiect to the Prophets 1. Cor. 14. 29. 32. When therefore a few English Ministers doe speake in the Church the will of God is this that the whole Church of all ages and places should iudge but for the whole Catholike Church of all ages and places to speake and a few Ministers of one only Prouince and of one time to iudge and censure them is the mother of confusion and an enemie to peace as the Apostle saith 1. Cor. 14. 32. 33. and contrary to this rule and ordinance of God and therefore the way to error 3 An other meanes of Gods appointment euen in the like case with this that in matters of difference not onely about fundamentall points but also in matters of Ceremonies when the peace of the Church is broken about them the vnitie of brethren
deuided and the course of the Gospel hindred and interrupted to aske and seeke the iudgement of other true Churches and Teachers about the case in question As the Apostles did in Act. 15. 2 3 4 6. and the Primitiue ages following after their example also did imitate as their duty was Ph. 3. 17. and 4. 8 9. in which case if the iudgment of one two or twenty Churches be to be harkned to and not despised or contradicted rashly how much lesse the iudgement of all true Churches of all times and places Now for a few persons of one Prouince as of England and of one season to sway against all Churches to condemne their doctrine and practise of sinne and error is against this ordinance of God and the way to error Because the swaying against the iudgement and practise VIII of all Churches and Teachers is against the equity of many forcible and maine reasons For 1 Who are more likely to know the trueth euen in such a point as this then the whole company of such First who are indued with the most excellent gifts in the Church and greatest degrees of knowledge and vnderstanding of Gods word and with meanes tending thereunto doe not the best sights best iudge of colours Secondly who are and haue been endued with greatest degrees of euident sanctity Thirdly whose labours haue beene most of all blessed of God for the conuersion of soules for the ouerthrow of sinne and Antichrist and Heresies Fourthly who haue liued and died most comfortably in the Lord If a man should not rest in the iudgements of the whole company of such where should he rest or what peace or assurance shall hee haue to haue all these so many as all and so incomparable persons his aduersaries as in condemning such for sinners and false Teachers 2 No one point of error can be shewed which is established by this rule namely by the consent of iudgement and practise of all Churches primitiue and reformed latter For albeit some faithfull persons and some true Churches may differ from some other in sundry points and thereby there must needes bee error in one part or other yet it were hard for a few priuate persons to conuince them all of errour in a matter wherein they all agree if they were in errour is it not strange no age should bee able to discerne it 3 Such as haue wilfully and professedly differed from this rule haue beene found to haue beene New-fangles Heretickes Schismatickes and prophane persons such as Donatists Anabaptists Brownists Arians Famelists and the like and are of infinite varieties one from another and therefore all or the very most must needes bee an errour for there is but one trueth 4 By the reiecting of this rule euery Sect maketh a way open to their owne contempt For if the iudgement of so reuerend and so excellent lights and agreement of them all is to bee despised and reiected by any particular why should not others reiect and contemne them and their iudgement the matter being difficult and of disputable nature and themselues being so many thousand degrees behind the person whom they thus despise in their worth or number 5 It opens a doore to singularitie noueltie and of endlesse differences errors and contentions and leaues no rule of Peace or of ending dissentions in the Church of God For if one may vnder colour of trueth teach and practise what he list in his diuersitie why may not another do the like or what rule will there be to compose the dissention that doe and will arise in the Church which one part hauing the trueth may vrge vnto the other voyd of truth why should hee rather follow this part then that wherefore in this case wee are to note that no priuate person or persons may raise vp any new opinion and pretend Scripture for it and so propose it for a Doctrine and a truth in the Church though hee condemne the whole Church beside for an error and a sinne Because as the Scriptures are not of priuate interpretation so Gods Spirit is not priuate but generall to all the faithfull Thus wee see this doctrine of swaying against all true Churches and Teachers of all ages and places and condemning them of sinne and error is false doctrine Whereupon also it followeth secondly that it is a sinne which also appeareth further I Because Dauid doth iudge himselfe that he trespassed in that he being a priuate man condemned and censured all the generation of Gods children Psal 73. 13. 14. 15. Againe because God laieth a woe vpon the practise of taking away the righteousnesse of the righteous from him Esa 5. 23. or of condemning the iust Pr. 17. 15. But that doctrine practise which laieth a sin vnto the charge of all Gods Church takes away their righteousnes and condemnes them in that point Therefore it is a sinne euen of bearing false witnesse against the whole congregation of neighbours 2 Because the censuring of all true Churches for a sin or of false Doctrine is contrary to the Commandements of God who would haue the Teachers obeyed and hearkened vnto which doe teach and define secundum legem as aboue I noted Heb. 13. 17. Deut. 17. 9 10 11 12. and would haue the rest to iudge of the words of a few which prophesie 1. Cor. 14. 29. 32. and of the commandement of walking in the wayes of good men Pro. 2. 20. Phil. 3. 17. and 4. 9. It is also contrary to the practise of the holy Apostles who determined one Churches differences by another Act. 15. 2. as before I noted 3 Because this Doctrine is the ground and mother of schisme For S. Paul noteth that they cause diuision and offences that teach and practise contrary to the doctrine which the whole Church hath receiued especially from the Apostles Rom. 16. 17. Therefore this doctrine is a sinne Obiect Against this point it is alleadged first that it is a Popish ground to make the Church the ground of our Faith It contradicteth the Doctrine of our Churches against the Papists Answ This point includeth no Popish ground nor doeth it contradict the Doctrine of our Churches against the Papists For the Churches desire nothing so much against the Papists then that they would grant the elect and faithfull to bee the onely Church and then that they would stand to the iudgement determination and practise of such as are faithfull in all ages But that this may the better appeare to bee no Popish ground Wee are to note 1 The Papists vnderstand the Church to consist onely of persons in office and those often hereticall sacrilegious and prophane persons such as their Popes Cardinalls carnall Bishops Wee the only faithfull in all times and places whether in office or not 2 They vrge Apocriphall and basterd Fathers for the patronage of their errors Wee the vndoubted writings of the approued Fathers 3 They vrge the Fathers errors and things wherein they differ we their truth
so farre foorth onely as they agree and consent 4 They alleadge the vngrounded opinions of some priuate fathers we their trueth so farreforth as they agree to Gods word and examples of the Prophets of Christ and his Apostles 5 They insist vpon Fathers further from the Apostles from Apostolicall and Primitiue purity wee most of all insist on those who were most neere to the Apostles as being most pure and free from Antichristian contagion 6 They are only for the former Fathers we bring the consent of all our later worthy Fathers and teachers of the most reformed and purest Churches of the world Obiect This were to giue and to ascribe as much to man as to God to make them the grounds and iudges of our faith or practise yea it is so farre from being a sinne to sway from all iudgements that it is a sinne to iudge that all iudgements should bee the rule of our consciences Answ This obiection is both vnfit and vntrue It is vnfit because the argument concludeth not that they are or that we should make them the grounds and iudges of our faith and practise But that it is an errour and a sinne to condemne the whole Church of Christ for teaching errour and for practising and maintaining sinne Next it is an vntruth to call the whole company of Saints and spirituall persons Man opposed vnto God Which appeareth further by considering the aequiuocation of the word Man For man is taken either for meere man i a carnall man or to the poynt a company of carnall men prophane ignorant and erronious which cannot know nor perceiue the things of God because they are spiritually discerned 1. Cor. 2 14. and so it is true if the case were thus that wee should put the iudgement of this thing to a company of carnall persons for in this case it is sayde that all men are lyers Rom. 3. 4. But there is also the spirituall man which hath vnderstanding to iudge what other men do say 1. Cor. 10. 15. and discerneth all things euen the deepe things of God Psal 25. 14. 9. 1. Cor. 2. 15. 10. 12. Dan. 12. 10. Iohn 7. 17. 1. Iohn 2. 27. The consent in iudgement of which company is not to be termed a company of men opposed against God But such as being built one the foundation of the Prophets Apostles and Christ the corner stone Eph. 2. 20. are also called by holy the Ghost in this respect the pillar and ground of trueth 1. Tim. 3. 15. Obiect A priuate man may see a truth which a great many Godly men may not discerne Answ Though a priuate man may see more into some trueth and explicate or confirme it better than many other yet it were absurd to say that one man might see more then all the faithfull all godly learned Teachers all true Churches that euer were in the world for the rule is good which Lyrinensis giueth Nouè non noua The Papists take the Church for onely persons in office as Pope Cardinall Bishops and Abbots and other Doctors gathered in a Councill and it was well maintained by Gerson that a priuate man by the light of Gods word may see more then they all And the reeson is plaine First because those persons haue many wayes prooued themselues to be carnall and prophane and not able to discerne the things of God which are spiritually to be discerned And againe because they iudge not as it was inioined to the Priest in the law Secundum legem Deut. 17. 11. and so there can be no light in them Esa 8. 20. But the case in question is quite opposite to this in either part and therefore this obiection toucheth not the point Obiect The whole Church of God may erre in some circumstantiall matters All visible Churches may erre in matters not fundamentall The consent of Churches and of the faithfull teachers according to Gods word a rule of fundamental truths that is of al such truths as may quiet a mans conscience it is not so in matters of circumstance Answ 1 Wee hold rightly against the Papists that all particular Churches may erre whereupon wee assume and inferre But the Roman Church is a particular Church Therefore it may erre But that the Catholique Church taken in the sence that our part doe explicate it i for the company of the faithfull in all ages it was neuer holden by any sound diuine But the cleane contrary 2 Though the iudgement of all true Churches in matters fundamentall be infallible because without fundamentalls they could not be Churches and againe albeit all particular Churches may erre in matters circumstantiall and ceremoniall yet it is an hard speach to say that the generall or Catholique Churches or company of the faithfull in all ages haue generally consented in an error neither can there possibly on instance be shewed of such a point no not of a circumstantiall point 3 The depriued Ministers hold it a sinne in nature to practise the ceremonies prescribed in our Church or the like but sinne in nature is a thing substantiall in the practise whereof a mans conscience cannot bee quieted and therefore if the iudgements of all Churches bee brought against them either they must confesse their doctrine in this point to be an error or else that the whole general Church since Christ haue erred fundamentally which is not farre from haeresy and blasphemy and I earnestly do pray them to consider of this poynt Obiect Churches and fathers haue exceedingly differed among themselues in all times heere should wee make their iudgement and consent to bee a rule of our doctrine and practise Answ This is soone answered because I speake not of their differences or of the things wherein they are deuided but only of such things wherein they all consent and agree as namely they all agree that the Christian Sabbath must bee sanctified and that from the ground and in memoriall of Christ his resurrection for they agree that al the bookes of Scripture are the word of God and in the point in question they agree that Churches may vary in their ceremonies and discipline and yet retaine their peace one with another And that ceremonies as inconuenient as our ceremonies are supposed to be in some respect fit to be abolished yet may they be retained and ought to be practised to preuent the diuision of brethren disquiet of the Church hinderance of the Gospel and there are few points wherein they agree more constantly then in this Obiect We are commanded to call no man our teacher vpon earth because one is our Doctor and teacher euen Christ Mat. 23. 8. 10. there is one law giuer Iam. 4. 12. Answ This obiection is much vrged by Brownists as some of the others are But what will they conclude from hence surely if any such thing it must be this Therefore we may not make the iudgement of the Fathers or whatsoeuer men in earth a rule of our conscience And indeed I say
that it is wel concluded neither verely would I nor any other that I know of sound iudgement hold otherwise But that it may appeare how little to the purpose it is alleadged I say 1 If they will apply this to our Church in respect of our ceremonies prescribed then may they conclude against the Apostles for prescribing Iewish ceremonies notwithstanding the end and accomplishment of them all by the death and consummatum est of Christ 2 The Primitiue auncient and latter reformed Churches are all of them deficient this way either in disipline or ceremonies they are faulty and doe faile more or lesse yet they will not accuse them for denying Christ to be their teacher and Prophet 3. They onely deny Christ to be their Prophet and teacher who doe preach another Gospell to the Church Gal. 1. 6. 7. which teach any thing besides Gal. 1. 8. 9. Ro. 16. 17. otherwise 1. Tim. 6. 3. Contrary to the word of God Tit. 1. 9. diuers and strange doctrines Heb. 13. 9. Heresies Tit. 3. 10. which will not heare him in all things whatsoeuer hee shall say Act. 3. 22. Mat. 28. 20. Ioh. 3. 36. 10. 5. All which our Church with all other reformed Churches doe vtterly disclaime and are free from and namely in prescribing and vsing of these ceremonies or the like as appeareth by considering First the matter which is taught which is of two sorts some things are fundamentall and of greater moment some things circumstantiall and of lesser againe some things are specially commaunded others included vnder generall rules and are left free to euery Church to bee determined as shall best serue for the edification thereof sometimes after one manner and at other times after some other where we are to obserue that our Church as other reformed Churches doe teach nothing fundamentall which is not expresly taught in the Word neither doth it teach any thing contrary to that which is expresly commanded by Christ in his Word onely it varieth the circumstantialls or ceremonialls according to the liberty left vnto all Churches and practised by all Churches which the gouernours doe suppose best to further or edifie the substantialls Secondly consider we the manner of our Churches proposing of these things The fundamentall points and speciall precepts of Christ shee proposeth as binding the conscience vnder paine of condemnation to euery wilfull and impenitent transgressour The circumstantialls or ceremonialls determined by her out of the generall rules of the Word she proposeth and inioyneth as free not binding the conscience in themselues as variable not perpetuall as accidentall not as necessary In which case our Church cannot bee saide to deny Christ for her onely teacher and Prophet but rather to confesse him seeing shee teacheth nothing but that Christ hath commanded In which respect hee is with our Church by promise ad finem saeculi Matthew 28. 19. 20. and hee that heareth the teachers thereof thus teaching heareth Christ Luke 10. 16. Ioh. 13. 20. And thus the first point is confirmed The second followeth Point 2. to be spoken of which is this That the doctrine and practise of suffering depriuation for refusing to conforme to the prescribed Ceremonies doth tend to condemne all Churches and godly teachers Primitiue and latter of teaching false doctrine of practising a maintained sin Which point is thus made euident Because such Ministers as haue suffered depriuation for refusing to conforme or doe hazard their ministery for the same doe account and conclude it to bee a sin simply to conforme vnto the Ceremonies proposed in the present Church of England or the like and that all that doe conforme in any case vnto them shall therein commit a sinne against God and further that whosoeuer teacheth the contrary they stand out to confute them and conuince them of an errour But all true Churches of Christ and all true Orthodoxall Teachers both auncient and latter of all times and places without exception of any one haue vniformely and constantly taught this conclusion That it is a truth and no errour to teach a dutie and no sinne to practise the prescribed Ceremonies of the present Church of England or the like rather then to violate and breake the peace of the Church or that a Minister should suffer depriuation and so the preaching of the Gospell should bee interrupted or that a Minister or any other Christian should separate themselues or suffer themselues to bee separated from the publike worships of God in a true Church Wherefore it must needes follow that they who iustifie the former must needs condemne the latter Now that it may appeare that all Orthodoxall Churches and Teachers of all ages and places since the time of the Apostles of Christ are of this iudgement and practise and not of the other I will first begin with the Primitiue Churches before the Reuelation and raigne of Antichrist and next in order of the latter reformed Churches since the restauration of the Gospell and declination of Antichrist Concerning the Primitiue Churches and their teachers I will obserue two points First the state of the Churches of those times concerning Ceremonies and secondly the iudgement and practise of the Fathers and the faithfull in that estate Point 1 And touching the former point wee must not bee ignorant that euen in the dayes of the Apostles the mysterie of iniquitie did beginne to worke as themselues obserued 2. Thessalonians 2. 7. For euen then there were many Antichrists 1. Iohn 2. 18. And after the Apostles departure the seruants and workemen of Christ his fielde that is the Ministers of Christ his Church did fall a sleepe that is they were not vigilant and watchfull but grew carelesse and remisse in teaching and propagating the truth of Gods Word to confute errours and to resist and keepe out corruptions attempted to bee brought in by Heretickes and Sectaries and while they thus slept the Diuell sowed his tares Matthew 13. 25. a president whereof wee haue Apocalips 2. and 3. Where the Angels or Teachers of the Churches are reproued in this respect of which kinde of tares that the Diuell sowed the Ceremonies of the Church were not the fewest nor the least hurtfull And they farre exceeded our Ceremonies if wee should esteeme or proue them much worse then they are and namely in three respects First in respect of their multitude varietie and difference Secondly in regard of their nature kinde and qualitie Lastly in respect of their effects and abuse arising from them 1 Their multitude variety and difference did begin very high and neere the times of the Apostles For the difference of the celebration of Easter if the Ecclesiasticall Records bee true began before or about the time of Policarp Bishop of Smyrna and disciple of Saint Iohn and Anicetus Bishop of Rome Euzeb 5. 24. Socrat. 5. 22. and who readeth the antiquitie with any obseruation that shall not perceiue in the vndoubted writings of the most auncient Fathers both of the
charitie and concord others to discipline of manners and sanctitie of life the people of God must bee instructed by the diligence of Ministers and vnderstand how they may apply themselues to euery of them with fit and competent obseruation Muscu Loc. part 2. de traditionibus § 6. fol. 31. That if any man hath so profited in Christs religion that himselfe can receaue either no profite or very small from any on tradition yet if this tradition bee so fitted as that it may serue for edification vnto the vnskilfull multitude hee ought to obserue that Ceremonie with that study of charitie whereby such as are perfect are debters to the more imperfect so farre forth that they harme them not by their example in those things wherein they are bound in the whole study of their life to profit them Musculus ibid. That when men vnder the colour of the study of perfection cannot indure any imperfection either in the body or members of the Church then are they admonished that the diuell attempteth to puffe them vp with pride and to seduce them with hypocrisie Caluin aduersus Anabaptist art That where the foundation remaines entire albeit there remaine behind some stubble error or corruption in doctrine externall policie manners or Ceremonies there we may and ought bee present at Sermons and receiue the Sacraments and exercise or hold charitie and peace with our brethren yet so as making manifest our more sound doctrine and perswasion of these corruptions and farther to signifie that for these corruptions wee will make no schisme Zanch. in Philip. 1. fol. 37. Idem confess cap. 24. § 10. fol. 207. Mornaeus de ecclesia cap. 20. fol. 32. and in respect of corruptios it were to be wished indeed that the church were pure and without spot yet if it be not we must vse patience else it is ineuitable that wee must needes make a priuate schisme which is most diligently to bee auoided of euery Christian man Wherefore those errors for which a man shall separate from the Church in which he is baptised and is conuersant must not be of any other sort but onely such as ouerthrow and violate the very substance of faith and articles of the faith either directly and clearely or in sence and consequence Danaeus Isagog part 3. cap. 13. fol. 148. Bucanus Loc. 41. qu. 22. That there are many things which are not to bee approued in the Church which are not worthy of contention Caluin Epist. 51. fol. 100. That there may and ought many things to be tollerated By tollerating them also we meane practising Beza Epist 8. which yet are not rightly commanded Beza Epist. 12. fol. 98. That many things must of vs be tollerated which is not in our power to reforme Caluin Epist 148. fol. 254. That albeit men must endeauour to purge the Church of corruptions which sprung vp out of superstition yet this exception must go along that certaine things although they bee not to bee approued yet must bee borne with all Caluin Epist 305. fol. 504. to Iohn Knox. That some rites and Ceremonies albeit not necessary are yet to bee tollerated or borne withall for concords sake Beza Epist 8. fol. 70. That as the maners of doting parents so the customs of our vnaduised country must bee endured yea the seruitude which is without impietie and that in matters of lesser nature in the Church must bee borne withall Harm confess § 11. fol. 860. Melanctho concil Thelog part 2. fol. 107. and that there is euer some kinde of seruitude of the Church more milde somewhere somewhere more hard howbeit more or lesse there is euer some Malanch ibid. fol. 92. And thus we see their iudgement and doctrine concerning Ceremonies in generall Now let vs see the generall practise of the Churches in these points Thus they speake thereof Albeit our Churches doe not equally obserue all Rites and Cerimonies with other Churches a matter which both cannot neither yet is necessary to be done that namely in all places of Christian assemblies one and the selfe same Ceremonies should bee vsed yet doe they not impugne or oppose themselues to any good and godly constitutions Neither are they so minded that they would raise vp any dissentions for the cause of Cerimonies albeit some of them might be iudged not very needfull so as they be not found opposite to God and to his worship and glory and to the true iustifying faith in Iesus Christ Harm confess § 17. fol. 214. Bohem. We the reformed Churches of these dayes hauing diuersitie of Rites in the celebration of the Lords Supper and in some other things yet in doctrine and faith we doe not dissent neither is the vnitie and societie of our Churches rent or diuided thereby But euer the Churches haue in these Rites as in things indifferent vsed liberty That which we the reformed Churches at this day do also vse ‖ Harm confess § 17. fol. 211. Heluet. Poster So much for the iudgment and practise of the Churches and of our classicall writers concerning Ceremonies in generall Now also we will consider of them in particular wherein we will giue notice of foure points First of the iudgment censure of our classicall writers touching these Ceremonies which are prescribed in our Church and the like and their aduice to others touching the practise thereof especially in a case of Depriuation Secondly the vse and practise of these ceremonies by the most excellent and worthy persons in this case Thirdly the reasons moouing them vnto this iudgement practise and aduice And lastly the obiections against these things especially in the case of Depriuation answered by them Touching their iudgement and censure of our Ceremonies I find them in a threefold difference For some of them doe approue sundry of our controuersed Ceremonies as fit and commendable Some againe do iudge of many of them as of things indifferent to bee vsed or not vsed euen as the Church shall thinke fittest for it selfe And lastly some there be who account them as things in many respects vnlawfull and inconuenient but yet in respect of greater inconueniences and namely of Depriuation doe holde them tolerable and excusable which difference if any man be desirous to make vse of he may discerne it in the reading and obseruing of them seuerally In the iudgement censure and aduice of the godly learned touching our Ceremonies we may obserue first what they thought in generall of the Common prayer Booke of our Church and of the Ceremonies therein contained Secondly what they thought concerning them in the seuerall particulars which are vsually excepted against Touching the Common prayer Booke in general BVcer In perusing the Common prayer Booke of the Church of England wherin he was set a worke by Bishop Cranmer I gaue God thanks who had giuen you to reforme these ceremonies vnto that purity I haue not found any thing in the Ceremonies of that leturgie which is not taken out of the word of God or at least is
opposit therto if it be fauourably taken or construed on the better part For I confesse there want not some few matters which if they be not * candidè fairely taken may seeme not altogether to agree vnto the word of God Script Angl. fol. 456. Praefac ad censur Caluin In the English Leturgie or booke of Common prayer which you describe I perceiue sundry * tolerabiles ineptias Looke the discourse of the troubles at Frankford fol. 28. wherin is shewed that Knox Whitingham and others described the English Leturgie to which description this was the answer of Caluin as appeareth there fol. 34 35 tolerable vnfitnesses In which two words I expresse thus much that there was not that purity therein contained which were to be wished which blemishes at the first day of reformation could not be corrected Wherein seeing there is conteined no manifest impiety these things therfore ought to be borne with for a season Ep. 200. fol. 336. and a little after to the English exiles at Frankeford which desired reformation of the English Leturgie hee giueth this aduise Vos vltra modum rigidos esse nolim Epist. 200. fol. 336. Of the which aduice of his he thus speaketh in Epist. 228. fol. 374. in Anglorum controuersia moderationem tenui cuius me non poenitet in Epist 206. fol. 342. hee perswadeth one part to incline themselues to all possible moderation and is displeased with the other part that nothing by them was yeelded or mitigated Martyr loc com inter Epist fol. 1127. amico in Angliam For mine owne part I wish that all things may bee done simplicissimè most free from humane mixtures in the worship of God Yet when I thinke with my selfe that if peace betweene the Saxon Churches and ours might be obtained there would follow no separation for such matters as these Ceremonies Alexander Alesius a worthy Scot of great account and note in Proaem before his Translation of the Common prayer Booke in Script Anglican Buceri fol. 373. commendeth the performance of it by our Countrey-men exceedingly with their great diligence and care therein and calleth it Preclarissimum diuinum factum in constituting and ordering the Church of Christ according to that Booke further declareth that the vertue and pietie of English men in this matter would reioyce many mindes and bee an help to the endeuors of others in the like and that it was euident that the enemies of the trueth were very sorry of the good successe and progresse herein Also hee complaineth with Gregory of some Vt cōmotis studijs contentio semper irritet aliquorum indignationem vtque nimio ardore interdum admodum peccetur dum nemo minus videri altero ac potius solus sapere vult fit vt non necessarijs quaestionibus disputationibus necessariarum rerum cognitio negligatur further he sheweth this contention of brethren about this booke to come of the diuell who failing one way seeketh another to mischiefe the Church hee complaineth of some Aliquam diuisionis occasionem arripientibus non iam nulli vocabula penissyllabas expendendo verbis tantùm litigant reipsa si placidè exquiratur futuri concordes Of the common prayer booke it selfe he saith Hic liber per se vtilis futura lectio ipsius quà m plurimis hoc tempore diuinitus oblatus esse videatur ibid. fol. 375. Cranmer Martyr In his purgation of slanders against him If the Queenes highnesse will graunt thereunto I with Maister Peter Martyr and other foure or fiue which I shall chuse will by Gods grace take vpon vs to defend not onely the common prayers of the Church the ministration of the Sacraments and other rites and Ceremonies but also all the doctrine and religion set out by our said Soueraigne Lord King Edward the sixt to be more pure and according to Gods word then any other that hath beene in England these 1000. yeeres so that Gods word may bee iudge Acts mon. fol. 1465. Bishop Ridley When Bishop Grindall from beyound Sea wrote to him in prison being condemned to bee burned concerning Knox his peremptory and violent exceptions against our booke of Common prayer which was euen misliked by Caluin himselfe Epist fol. answered by writing thus Alas that brother Knox could not beare with our booke of Common prayer in matter against which although I grant a man as hee is of wit and learning may finde apparant reasons yet I suppose hee cannot soundly by the word of God to disproue any thing in it Act. mon. Doctor Taylor Martyr There was after that set forth by the most innocent King Edward for whom God be praised euerlastingly the whole Church seruice with great deliberation and by the aduise of the best learned men of the Realme and authorised by the whole Parliament and receaued and published gladly by the whole Realme which booke was neuer reformed but once and yet by that reformation it was so fully perfected according to the rules of our Christian religion in euery behalfe that no Christian conscience could bee offended with any thing therein contained I meane of that booke reformed Act. mon. fol. 1521. Exiles at Franckeford Among them was great diuision and dissention about the vsing of the Common prayer booke of England one part refusing it as Iohn Knox William Whittingham Christopher Goodman Dauid Whitehead Miles Couerdale Iohn Fox Anthonie Gilby c. The other part standing for it which also were reuerend persons as Thomas Leauer Iohn Iewell Iohn Mullins Iohn Parckhust Lawrence Humphry Iames Pilkington Alexander Nowell Iames Haddon Edwin Sands Edmund Grindall and others Looke the discourse of the troubles at Franckeford fol. 16. 23. 19. Which dissentions caused them to seeke the iudgements of other churches and their teachers as of Caluin Beza Bullinger fol. 25. 199. Also Robert Horne Thomas Leauer Io. Mullins Tho. Bentham W. Cole Io. Parckhust Lawrence Humphry c. were all fully determined to vse none other then the order last taken in the Church of England Discourse fol. 16. 223. The same order of seruice concerning religion which was in England last set forth by King Edward fol. 10. Also Iames Haddon Edwin Sands Edmund Grindall Christopher Goodman c. not doubting or distrusting their good conformitie and ready desires in reducing the English Church now begun there to it former perfection it had in England least by much altering the same wee should seeme to condemne the chiefe authours thereof whereas they now suffer so are they not ready to confirme that fact with the price of their bloud c. fol. 22. 23. They also at Franckford writing to them at Zurick exiled also dissenting from them about our Ceremonies Thought not that any godly men would stand to the death in defence of those Ceremonies which as the booke specified vpon iust occasions may be altered accounting it an argument that they are slenderly taught which for a Ceremony will refuse such a singular benefit
Aharonicall garments but onely in obedience to the King his Maiestie and those with whom God hath left authoritie to determine of externall Rites of the Church yet according to Gods word and further that they doe it to auoid the scandall of troubling the publike order and agreement and last of all testifying to godly men that euery creature of God is good and therefore all Christians may vse such things godly howsoeuer others haue impiously abused them Idem ibid. in Epistol ad Cranmer fol. 682. Againe I can by no meanes affirme these garments by Antichrists abuse to bee so defiled that they are not to bee permitted to any Church notwithstanding that that Church knoweth and worshippeth Christ and withall knoweth and practiseth the Christian libertie of all things Neither doe I see any Scripture whereby I may defend this condemnation of the good creature of God Ibid. in Respons ad liter as Hooperi de re vestiariaÌ„ fol. 707. To make it impium perse an euill thing in nature for a man to vse these garments in Gods seruice in any respect I see no Scripture to permit or affirme so much ibid. fol. 709. § Againe I verely as I haue confessed vnto you and declared to our Countreymen had rather that no kind of vesture which the Papists vsed were reteined amongst vs for the more full detestation of the Antichristian Priesthood for plainer aduouching of Christian libertie for the auoyding of dangerous contention among the Brethren Yet I cannot be brought by any Scriptures as farre as to see hitherto to denie that the true Ministers of Christ his Church may vse without superstition and to a certaine edification of faith in Christ any of those vestures which the Antichristians abused Idem in Epist Io. Alasco at the ende of the examination a booke so named and written in answere of a booke called the vnfolding of the Popes attire Againe I know very many Ministers of Christ most godly men who haue vsed godly these vestures and at this day doe vse them So that I dare not for this cause ascribe vnto them any fault at all much lesse so hainous a fault as communicating with Antichrist For the which fault wee may vtterly refuse to communicate with them in Christ Ibid. Peter Martyr Seeing these garments are things in different and in themselues good they neither make any man godly nor wicked yet as you also thinke I iudge it rather expedient that these garments and other things of that kind be remooued when conueniently they may that matters of the Church may much more simply bee perfourmed Loc. com ad finem inter Epist. Amico fol. 1085. Againe the reasons by you Bishop Hooper alleadged perswade me not to holde the vse of these garments to bee pernitious or in their nature contrary to the word of God which I suppose to be altogether indifferent being not ignorant of this that things indifferent may sometimes be vsed and sometimes should bee remooued Ibid. Hoopero fol. 1086. Againe albeit I doe but slenderly approue these of garments yet I perceiue somtimes that some indifferent things albeit troublesome and burde some yet must needs bee borne with thus farre foorth as wee cannot doe otherwise lest if it be contended more bitterly then it ought to be it prooue to be an hinderance vnto the Gospel and by our vehement contention we teach those things to be impious which in their nature are indifferent Ibidem Againe surely to mee it should bee farre more pleasing as I haue often testified that wee might onely doe those things which Christ himselfe practised and deliuered to his Apostles Howbeit if some indifferent things be added such as the Surplesse I would not haue men too eagerly to contend about this matter especially when we see those by whom the light of the Gospel is much furthered in England and may yet more bee furthered to oppose themselueâ— to vs heerein Ibid. fol. 1085. Againe First I exhort that you withdraw not your selfe from your calling to the Bishopricke which is offered you in regard of the wonderfull penury of able Ministers Whence this mischieâ—e will come that if you that are the pillars of the Church pull backe and refuse to execute the Ecclesiasticall affaires both the Churches will bee distitute of faithfull Pastours and you shall giue toome to Wolues and Antichrists after Concerning the square Cappe and externall Apparrell of Bishops I suppose that it ought not much to bee disputed of seeing it is free from superstition and may haue a ciuill reason especially in this Kingdome of England Touching the holy Garments as they call them I wonder that they bee so strictly retained For I wish that all things in Gods worship may be perfourmed with greatest simplicitie Howbeit when I thinke with my selfe that if reconcilement in points of doctrine might be made betweene the Saxon Churches and ours there would be no separation for such garments as these For albeit wee like them not a whit yet wee would beare with their vse among them and gratulate our selues that wee haue abolishâ—d them Wherefore you may lawfully vse these garments either in preaching or in administring the Lords Supper yet so as you proceed to speake and teach against the inconuenience in the vse of them Idem ibid. fol. 1127. amico in Angliam Caluin of Bishop Hooper As I commend his constancy in refusing vnction and annealing so I had rather that hee had not so exceedingly contended de pileo veste linea about the square Cap and Surplesse Epist 120. fol. 217. Againe to Melancth To that you say the Magdeburg Ministers doe moue brawles about a linnen garment onely I see not whereto such brawles of theirs did appertaine or tend a little before It may be some will vrge some things as in contentions it came to passe will odiously ventilate some ceremonies wherein there is not so much euill as they pretend Epist. 17. fol. 213. Also although at first Caluin being demanded his iudgement de rebus adiaphoris of things indifferent in the Saxon Churches such as Surplesse c. did freely manifest his iudgement and admonish Melancthon whom some accused as to soft and too remisse for hee perswaded to conformitie rather then to suffer depriuation vt superius yet saith Beza they accused him immerito quidem very vndeseruedly as afterwards Caluin knew more thorowly For then it was not known with what intention that euill spirit and whole troope of Flaccians which perswaded rather to be depriued then conforme which after occasioned so many tumults and now saith Beza at this time doth hinder the worke of God against the Papists with that impudency and fury as if he had beene hired with large summes vnto it by the Pope of Rome Beza in vit Caluin anno 1540. Beza But if any man demand whether nothing at all of those things which are indifferent in themselues may bee retained at least for the sake of the weake and whether I thinke the ministry rather
Syntag. Tom. 2. lib. 9. cap. 35. fol. 4148. The Churches of the Low-countries make this Canon for themselues as holidayes shall bee abolished excepting the Lords day and the dayes of Christs Natiuity and Ascension howbeit if more festiuals be to be kept by the Magistrates command the Ministers must be admonished that they labour by preaching to turne the peoples idlenesse on those dayes into godly businesse or excercise Ex actis Synod inferior German Middleburgi anno 1581. canon 50. apud Schulbrig Anacrysi Fulk That other dayes also besides the Lords day may bee kept by the Churches ordinance for the assembly of Christians to the exercise of religion wee acknowledge But that any are simply necessary more then be of the Holy Ghosts appointing in the Scriptures we deny In Rhem. Test. ad Gal. 4. 10. § 5. fol. 603. Againe that any contention should arise for keeping or not keeping of the such feastes it is a fault in our time but yet such a fault as was very ancient as appeareth by the contentions of Victor and the Bishops of the East for the celebration of Easter and pursued with more bitternesse by Victor Bishop of Rome then by any of our time For he presumed to excommunicate as heretickes all such as would not keepe Easter after his manner Euseb 5. 25. wee acknowledge it was a very auncient custome of the Church to celebrate the memory of Martyrs as the Church of Smyrna doeth write in their Epistle Euseb 4. 12. For the remembrance of them that haue fought before vs and for the excercise and preparation of them that shall fight hereafter But your Popish manner of celebration is nothing like either in the forme or in the end for you keepe your holy-dayes as the Iewes did the feast of the Calfe wherefore it is written The people sate downe to eate and drinke and rose up againe to play In your Churches you solemnize them with idolatros worshipping of the creatures and their images out of the Churches with banquetting reuelling and idlenesse so that the people by your festiuities of Martyrs are not taught what true Martyrdome is nor prepared to suffer for Christ but rather to become Epicures whose belly is their God who glory in their shame c. In abrogating and retaining of feasts our Church hath vsed that libertie which Christians haue in obseruation of dayes To conclude we learne by many testimonies of the ancient Fathers how Christian solemnities may be kept that they bee not Iewish or Heathenish obseruations as when they are free from superstition idolatrie or opinion of holinesse in the times and when they be kept as things indifferent wherin the Church may vse her liberty to appoint or abrogate what is best for edification not to be seruilely bound to keepe thē of necessity as you the Papists defend that they are Fulk Rhemi Gal. 4. 10. § 5. fol. 603. 604. Also we shew the Christian liberty in respecting all dayes alike that are not discerned by the commandement of God As for the doung of your festiuities we condemne as open idolatry by manifest texts of scripture forbidding Gods honour to be giuen to creatures yet the dayes appointed by the Church for excercise of religion wee obserue and that without superstition Idem in Rom. 14. 5. § 2. fol. 480. Looke also Reu. 1. 10. Perkins He reproueth the Papists for dedicating many of their Holy-dayes to the honour of Saints and Angels whereas the dedication of ordinary and set dayes is a part of religious worship hee sheweth that it is the priuiledge of God to appoint an ordinary day of rest and to sanctifie it to his owne honour After Indeede the Church of England obserueth Holy-dayes but the Popish superstition is cut off For first we are bound in conscience to the obseruation of these dayes secondly neither doe we place holines in them thirdly but we keep them only for orders sake that men may come to the Church to heare Gods word fourthly and though we retaine the names of Saints dayes yet we giue no worship to Saints but to God alone fiftly and such dayes as contained nothing in them but superstition as the Conception and Assumption of the Virgin Mary we haue cut off Thus doth the Church obserue dayes with vs and no otherwise Indeed the ignorant multitude among vs faile greatly in obseruing of dayes For they greatly solemnize the time of the Birth of Christ and then they keepe few or no Markets But the Lords day is not accordingly respected and men will not be disswaded from following on that day On the Gal. cap. 4. 10. fol. 316. Touching sundry other Ceremonies some vsed in our Church others of much like nature vsed in other reformed Churches THe other Ceremonies which are vsed in our Church are thus by our classicall writers that haue written of them partly defended and excused The Ring in marriage with the words annexed In the name of the Father the Sonne and she holy Ghost This albeit some learned men condemne as the outward signe of a Popish Sacrament yet Bucer calls it admodum commodus ritus a very fit Ceremonie with this condition if it bee expounded to the people what all this may signifie which there he setteth downe Bucer Script Anglican in censura cap. 20 fol. 488. The Purification of women deliuered of childe now called more appositely The thankesgiuing for women deliuered some condemne it as Iewish yet Bucer giueth this censure and excuse for it Haec omnia Scripturis congruunt This Ceremonie is agreeable to the Scriptures with that which in the Common prayer booke is expressed He excepteth the offering of a white garment which is since abolished Bucer ibid. cap. 24. fol. 490. Priuate Communion to be giuen to the sicke Bullinger granteth that good men might admit of a priuate Communion to bee giuen to the sicke euen in these our dayes for a time to these which haue not as yet vnderstood the full vse of the Lords Supper yet hee would not haue this libertie graunted vnto all neither they that receiue it to hold it as viaticum a necessarie supplie to helpe them in the way to heauen Decad. 5. Serm. 9. fol. 498. a. Caluin alloweth it if there be some company of the kinred friends and neighbours of the sicke that the distribution thereof may bee performed according to the institution of Christ and withall if the action of this communicating be explained to the receiuers neither any different matter done from the common practise of the Church yet he would not haue this vsed commonly He holdeth it valdè periculosum huc illuc promiscuè deferre very dangerous for superstition and ambition or vaine ostentation to haue the Sacrament carried hither thither Epist. 360. fol. 625. Bucer holdeth it in our Church Scripturis satis consentanea sufficiently agreeable to the holy Scriptures for the consolation of troubled consciences if it bee receiued as the Lord appointeth Censura cap. 22. fol. 489. The
423. Name of Priest by the Latine word Sacerdos Heming ibid. Against which Ceremonies albeit the said Beza doeth by many pregnant reasons shew his dislike yet doeth he and Hemingius conclude them to be things of their owne nature adiaphora indifferent howsoeuer in vse inconuenient also the obseruators on the harmony of confessions doe mention other Ceremonies such as the vse of Ecclesiasticall discipline in Sect. 8. August obseruat 6. Of Excommunication in Sect. 10. Bohem. 3. in Sect. 11. Anglic. 1. Of Suspēsion in Sect. 17. Gallic 1. Of priuate Absolution in Sect. 8. Bohem. 1. and Saxon. 1. and Wirtemberg 1. and in Sect 11. Bohem. 8. Putting on of hands on the head of the baptised in Sect. 13. obseruat 1. Imposition of hands on the head of the Minister in Sect. 11. Heluet. prior obseru 2. All of the which they doe not simply condemne but doe leaue them to be done or not at the libertie of euery Church vpon two conditions First that the libertie of other Churches of different practise being kept entire not preiudiced Secondly that the inconueniences of such Ceremonies bee carefully preuented So that we see here the vnitie of iudgements of the godly learned to bee opposite vnto the doctrine of suffering depriuation for not vsing or conforming to our inconuenient Ceremonies or to the like Secondly also after the suruay of their iudgement we will take a view of their practise also what it hath beene in this respect In Geneua about Wafer-bread in the Lords Supper This Church in the reformation thereof vsed common bread in the Lords Supper and had abolished the vse of the Wafer-cake as also their fontes to be baptised in and all their holy dayes except the Lords day Now it fell out that the Church of Berne assembling a Synod required a restoring of these things vnto the Churches of Geneua Caluin Coraldus and Farell refusing to consent vnto them or to administer the Sacrament in such maner they were banished therupon the Citie of Geneua and within three dayes after their refusall were depriued of the vse of their Ministery in that place the great part commanding ouer the better Now in their absence sundry godly persons were so offended with this change from common bread to the Wafer-cake as that they thought best for them to abstaine from the Lords Supper and to separate from their Ministry rather then vse the same with the sayd Wafer-bread Whereupon Caluin seriò monuit ne ob istud 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 litem mouerent seriously admonished them that they would not raise contention about this indifferent matter which is set downe in his Epistle 17. fol. 37. 38. 39. 40. so saith Beza the vse of the Wafer-bread tooke place and was established about the which Caluin after he was restored to his Ministry againe Nunquam contendendum putauit minimè tamen dissimulans quid alioqui magis esset probaturus did not thinke it meete to contend yet not dissembling his minde what otherwise he did meane to approue Beza in vita Caluini anno 1538. In Germany about excommunication and discipline Bullinger There was neuer any contention about excommunication betweene our Church of Zuricke and the Church of Geneua most beloued of vs Apud Erast de excom fol. 365. also in another place In the meane space wee neuer condemned the Church of Geneua which hath her discipline albeit we haue none Ibid. fol. 350. About the Surplesse It being inioyned to the Ministers of Sueuia they vtterly relinquished their Ministery rather then they would conforme vnto it this practise did Melancthon and Pomeranus vtterly dislike and perswaded the Ministers of Marquesse Albertus dominions to conforme rather then to suffer depriuation which they yeelded vnto for the most part Consil Melancth part 2. fol. 91. About an Altar There is a history related of two great persons a Prince and an Earle the one a Lutheran the other a reformed Protestant The Earle supposing that hee had more iurisdiction in a certaine Church then the Prince had commanded an Altar in the Church to bee pulled downe and a table to be erected in the place The Lutheran Prince vnderstanding thereof commanded the table to bee taken downe and the Altar to bee againe set vp The Earle repeated his practise the second time so did the Prince at last the Earle in a matter of that nature let alone the Altar in the Church suffered the contentious Prince to haue his will Colloqu Mompelgart fol. 424. In the Low-countries about breaking bread of Lords Supper A certaine person was accused to the generall Synod of the Low-countries gathered at Midleborough 1581. That hee would not haue the bread in Lords Supper to bee cut as the manner is of those Churches but would haue it broken out into parts out of the whole loaues the which Ceremonie of breaking is doublesse the more agreeable to the institution of Christ who brake the bread Mat. 26. 26. and to the analogie it had to Christ his Passion whose body was broken 1. Cor. 11. 24. howbeit it was demanded of the Synod what was to be done and practised in this case It was answered by the Synod that they must remaine in the receiued custome of the Belgicke Churches and if any should doe against the custome they must be admonished to desist and leaue of that their practise In actis Syn. inferioris Germ. partic interrogat numb 76. apud Schul Anachrys Hierar l. 9. In America When Villagagno transported the French Coloniae into Brasil anno 1555. vnder direction and protection of Gasper Colignius Admirall of France there was a question on occasion moued touching the elements of the Lords Supper whether in defect of Wine and so of Bread of Wheate they might administer the Sacrament in the Bread of Rootes and common drinke of the Americans made also of Roots Hereof there was difference in iudgement some holding that it were better to abstaine from the Lords Supper then to administer or receiue it seeing Christ mentioneth expresly Mat. 26. 16. Marc. 14. 25. of the fruit of the Vine Others on the other side thought that our Sauiour speaking of Bread and Wine mentioned them onely as the common or vsual meat drinke not as determining those very elements To which cōtrouersie Ioan Lerius the reporter that was then present inferreth Albeit quoth he the greater part inclined to the latter iudgement yet because there was not so great scarcitie of the things questioned as then the controuersie rested to bee determined by further iudgement yet this peaceable disputation was cause of no kinde of discord among vs who by the grace of God remained most neerely knit in our affection in as much as I could willingly desire and wish that there were so good agreement betweene all those which doe professe the true Christian Religion as there was at that time among vs Ioan. Lerius Histor. nauigat in Brasil cap. 6. fol. 69. In England About Episcopal garments and
teach and presse vnto their flocks such doctrine as may serue to take away offences arising by the vse of these Ceremonies Beza Epist 12. fol. 99. Because if wee preach and teach indifferent things to bee impious we shall so alienate mens mindes from vs that they will no longer endure to bee attentiue and patient hearers of sound doctrine and of necessary instructions P. Martyr ib. fol. 1086. Hoopero Because it is farre better to contend about greater matters in which the euidence of trueth may conuince the Papists and other our aduersaries then to wrangle or braule about a Surplesse or the like thing where wise men cry out vpon vs that with peeuish way wardnesse and obstinacy we crosse our gouerners and nourish dissentions Melancth concil part 2. fol. 91. Because the sinew and principall members of Antichrist should first of all bee studiously oppugned such as an vnlearned Ministry slackned discipline c. The which things if all of vs on either side did vniformely with vnited force and indeuours set vpon the abuses of Surplesses and of all other inconuenient things would easily be abolished and all the markes and shadowes of Antichrist would vanish Elsevaine will bee the labour of driuing or expelling Antichrists reliques and shadowes from the Church Bucer script Anglican Hoopro fol. 706. For if we did suffer the Gospel first of all to be spread abroad to take deepe rooting perhaps men would better and more easily bee perswaded that they might remooue these externall inconuenient shewes and Ceremonies like as a sicke man lusting after some small trifling meates which after hee is well againe doeth voluntarily renounce as vnfit Wherefore let England bee first diligently instructed and confirmed in the chiefe and most necessary perils of Religion and so afterwards in my iudgement the Church shall not much be offended to haue these things somewhat superfluous to be remooued P. Martyr loc fol. 1086. Hoopero Because if some things in their nature indifferent be imposed it is not meete too egerly to contend about such matters especially when as we see those Magistrates by whom the light of the Gospel is much furthered in England and by whose authority it may much more be furthered to oppose themselues against vs. Peter Martyr ibid. fol. 1085. Hoopero Because whereas the Ministers are willing to reforme abuses the Magistrate is peremptory and resolute not to reforme for some reasons of policy the Minister in that case is not to leaue his ministery or to trouble the Church intempestiuis clamoribus or to contest or contend with the magistrate The reason is because this course tendeth to the ouerthrow of the Church and is opposite to that charity which he oweth vnto Christ to his church out of which ground and rule he ought to preach and to hold on in the course of his ministery Hee ought indeede to teach publikely and priuately as the matter requireth what is to be done but this he must performe without sedition and troubling of the Church but peaceably and discreetly Charity will informe the Pastor if he loue the Church indeede how hee ought in these cases to behaue himselfe Zanch. in Philip. 1. fol. 45. Looke also Musculus loc part 2. de tradit § 6. fol. 31. Because the Apostles in this case being guided by the rule of loue did at the instant request of the Iewes inioyne the Brethren and the Churches which were gathered out of Gentilisme to abstaine from strangled meate and bloud and chose rather to burthen them for a season with the obseruation of these things which sauoured of Iewish superstition Also by the same rule of loue was Paul led whenas he came into the Temple with those foure Iewes which had a vow vpon them and purified himselfe with them Yet these Rites of those times were Stipulae cum fundamento Christo non cōgruentes Stubble not agreeing with Christ the foundation But the edification of the Church required this thing Wherefore many things are to be tolerated by the Ministers that the peace of Churches be not rent and that Schismes may bee auoyded so that they bee not such things or doctrines which doe fight with the foundation and doe heaue at it Zanch. ibid. Because if Pastors cannot reforme all things which need amendment according to their desire they must not therefore cast away their Ministry or trouble the whole Church with an vnvsuall asperity The reason Because all godly ground and forme of Ecclesiasticall discipline ought euer to haue respect and haue reference to the vnitie of the spirit in the bond of peace which the Apostle commanded to bee kept by seruing one another and which rule not being kept the medicine of discipline groweth to be superfluous and pernicious It is confessed that Pastors ought with their vttermost endeuours to labour that there remaine no corruption in the Church but they must vse that wisdome which our Sauiour prescribeth lest by plucking vp the tares they hurt the good corne Wherefore the precept of the Apostle of separating the euill or of mending corruption must by no meanes be neglected cum sine periculo violandae pacis fieri potest when it may bee done without the danger of violation of the Churches peace for else hee would not haue it done Caluin instit 4. 12. § 11. 13. Because the charge of preaching the word of God is an absolute commandement of the Lord and it is so necessary for him that is called thereunto that a woe hangeth on his head if he doe not preach it It ought not to be laid aside for a simple incōuenience or vncomlinesse of a thing which in its owne nature is indifferent such as the Surplesse is whereof he speaketh or the like Ceremonies Master Cartwright in the rest of the 2. reply fol. 262. 263. Because when two commandements of the morall Law are opposite in respect of vs so as we cannot doe them both at the same time then the lesser commandement as auoyding inconuenient Ceremonies giues place to the greater such as preaching of the Word and doeth not binde for that instant Master Perkins in his Treatise of conscience cap. 2. fol. 14. 15. Because it is euident that Iesus Christ our Lord did onely prescribe the substance of the Ministry both of the Word and Sacraments in his owne words and all other things which appertaine to the decent and profitable administration of his mysteries he hath left and admitted to be ordered by his Church Hence wee celebrate the Lords Supper neither in the euening neither in a priuate house neither leaning neither yet with men onely Now who would condemne the Church if by a pure and holy consent of the members thereof it should bee the custome that euery communicant as in the Primitiue Church the new baptised did should weare a white garment Bucer Script Anglican fol. 708. Hoopero so also hee argueth in his Epistle to Io. Alasco Christ no where hath forbidden such a vse of them as
be omitted contrary to a iust commandement if they bee commanded neither may they be done against a prohibition if they be forbidden as appeareth by the Law Ceremoniall Bez. Epist 24. fol. 143. Because there is some burthensome seruitude in euery Church in some more milde in others more hard and the sorrowes of such seruitude and burthens should be comforted by the Brethren and not increased by their condemnation so long as the foundation is retained Melancht consil part 2. fol. 92. Because concord and mutuall loue must by Brethren be defended lest inuocation in themselues or in the people be interrupted and lest lamentable and pernicious doubts be produced from questions not necessary as of old time it did about Easter they who haue their Christian libertie lesse restrained should giue God thankes and vse the same godly for the illustration of doctrine not for that cause to slacken the raines of discipline the more others in more burthen some seruitude should acknowledge themselues to be corrected of God and let them not suffer the true worship of God to be corrupted as it is written All this hath come vpon vs yet haue we not forgotten thee Melancht consil part 2. fol. 92. And so much of the reasons mouing these persons to this iudgement and practice of admitting rather inconuenient ceremonies then to suffer depriuation or the ouerthrow of the Church Fourthly and lastly wee will obserue such obiections as haue beene made against this doctrine and practice which haue by them the said excellent persons and pillars of Christ his Church beene answered and resolued Obiect Why haue yee not abolished these Ceremonies and corruptions out of your Churches all at once Answ 1 Melancht As it is with a Pilote of a ship which must take that way and runne such a course not which he knoweth to bee most right but which the windes doe permit vnto him so we when we could by no meanes hinder the greater it was sufficient to admit the lesser Consil part 1. fol. 76. 2 Zanchius I approue not their intemperancy which doe nothing vnlesse it bee tumultuously and which haue more minde to teare and rend through all things then discreetly and aduisedly to vnrippe them Compend loc 14. de Scandalo fol. 6. 15. taken out of Caluin Institut 3. 19. 13. 3 Illyricus That Medicall and politicall rule heere taketh very good place omnis mutatio periculosa That all kindes of alterations are not without some perill For alteration of Ceremonies cannot easily bee made without offence vnto the weake nor without an imputation or aspersion of leuity or of ambition with the more wise Clau. script part 1. fol. 33. verbo adiaph 4 Zepperus de Sacramentis cap. 13. fol. 324. 325. 326. 228. 1 The furious clamors and persecutions of the Papists did not permit this reformation of Ceremonies at the first which were so violent and bloody that it gaue small or no leisure to the teachers and lights of the Church neither was it safe for them to bend their care or cogitations this way 2 The people were so drowned in the deepe darkenesse and Idolatry of the Papacy that the amendment of Ceremonies and of externall worship could not in those beginnings be vndertaken It was necessary to vse doctrine and to instruct the people of sundry and horrible errors Idolatry Superstitions and abuses which the whole Papacie and Popish ceremonies haue in their departure that so all those ougly things might first bee remooued out of their mindes before they were remoued from their sight That which is not the work of one yere but a task of long season For as Ceremonies which are visible things and apprehended by the eyes doe more affect and mooue then the inuisible doctrine So the people did closely sticke to their accustomed Ceremonies and opposed themselues vehemently against the reformation of them Euen as wee see at this day to come to passe when as yet sound doctrine hath preuailed and flourished for aboue these 80. yeeres 3. The Church in Popery was nothing else but a sicke body In which from the sole of the foote to the crowne of the head there was nothing sound and intire Wherefore at the first beginning of reformation that whole chaos and abomination of error and of Popish Idolatry could not suddenly be perceiued but vse and experience did daily manifest and teach euery day more then at the first ‖ Obiect Bishop Hooper Your ceremonies are humane inuentions and mans Traditions about Gods worship and are spoken against Matt. 15. Col. 2. Answ P. Martyr 1 All humane inuentions about Gods seruice are not presently to bee condemned for it was an humane inuention that we should rather receiue the Lords Supper in the Morning then after dinner So it was an humane inuention that the price of the things sold in the Primitiue Church should be laid at the Apostles feete 2 I confesse with you that these ceremonies such as the Surplesse are humane inuentions and of themselues they doe not edifie Howbeit to some it may bee thought expedient that they be borne with for a season for it may bring this to passe that by these contentions there is great danger lest greater good fruit and more rich commoditie will be hindred and that the minds of men be suddenly turned from the Gospel the experience whereof we haue seen heretofore Loc. com inter Epistolas Hoopero fol. 1087. Bucer 1 Whatsoeuer Scripture you alleadge against humane Traditions that altogether you know to be vnderstood only of those things whereby men wil by these things offer worship vnto God and that also by letting passe the Commandements of God 2 To the place of Matt. 15. Euen you B b. Hooper had rather receiue your meate with your hands washed then with your hands vnwashed as the Pharises did To Col. 2. Whatsoeuer is spoken there of beggerly and weake elements appertaineth to superstition by which superstition these things were exacted as matters necessary or profitable to saluation euen after Christ was reuealed And whatsoeuer abuse there bee of these garments or the like Ceremonies that sticketh not on the garments but in impure mindes Obiect Wee must adde nothing to Gods word Deut. 12. Reue. 12. Pro. 30. Answ No parts of worship to the worship of God 1. Beza There is a twofold opinion concerning the reformation of Churches some hold that nothing at all should be added to Apostolicall simplicitie and by consequence are of minde that whatsoeuer the Apostles did they thinke they are to doe it but whatsoeuer the Church after the Apostles did adde to the first rites they thinke them fit euen all at once to be abolished There are others on the other side which hold that certaine ancient rites besides the Apostolicall ordinances are to bee retained partly as profitable and necessary partly also albeit not necessary yet to be tolerated for concord sakes For mine owne part I doubt not but the Apostolicall doctrine to bee most absolutely perfect
good for the Commonwealth that some thing otherwise lawfull in it selfe be not done either the Church hauing respect of order and decencie and edification doeth establish some lawes orderly concerning things indifferent such lawes are altogether to bee obserued of the godly and so farre forth doe tye the conscience as that no man wittingly and willingly and deliberately with a purpose to disobey may without sinne either doe the things which are forbidden or omitte the things which are commanded Epist. 24. fol. 143. Zanchius Christians albeit they bee subiected to no lawes of men in respect of their conscience but are exempted from all power of men yet in respect of their outward man in respect of the flesh they are not exempted from all power of men but are rather subiect to Magistrates as well Ciuill as Ecclesiasticall and are tyed to obey them both for Gods commandement and the publike good and for keeping of order in the Church as Rom. 13. 1. 1. Pet. 2. Compend cap. 14. fol. 620. Hemingius That no man abuse this his Christian libertie both pietie to God and charitie to his neighbour perswade vs that we obserue the godly Rites and Ceremonies established for order and discipline sake so as the necessary worship of God opinion of righteousnesse merrit and necessity bee not placed in them Enchirid. clas 3. cap. 14. fol. 372. de libertate Christiana Sarauia Christian liberty doeth not exempt men from the obedience of those to whom God hath made vs subiect The pure doctrine of the Gospel doeth take away the abuse of things and restoreth the true vse of all things which infidelitie had polluted in as much as albeit the actions outwardly are very like yet they are diuerse aswell from the cause efficient from which they are done as the end for the which they are done Defens de gradibus Ministr cap. 25. fol. 582. And so much for the proofe of this argument In all which precedent allegations I thinke fit to obserue and note thus much that albeit I confesse there bee some difference among those worthy writers primitiue and latter about this matter circumstantiall and ceremoniall some looking more vpon the practise of the Primitiue Church and the substantials and maine worshippes of God and danger of their remouing by remouing of these Ceremonies were more inclined to the defence of ceremonies other looking into the inconueniēces many euill effects of the ceremonies wishing Apostolical simplicity in the iust detestation of Antichrist all his superstitions haue been more sterne against them yet all of them haue vniformely agreed in the substātials of Religion as also in this point for the which they are alleadged onely namely that such Ceremonies as are with vs prescribed suppose they were inconuenient and fit to bee abolished yet they are not of that moment for a man to lose his Ministery and to hazzard the ouerthrow of the Church for the refusing of them and this is worthy to bee noted for the confirmation of this argument that they are all and euery one among the Orthodoxe ancient and late classicall Fathers and Diuines of this very mind And againe there is not one I say not one of any sound iudgmēt or good report in the Church of God for the contrary opinion vnles Heretikes Schismatikes such as Donatists Anabaptists Separatists As for Illiricus and his few associats and defendants who onely is alleadged to bee of this minde albeit he well deserued for his labour in the Centuries and certaine other of his workes And something might besaid for his excuse and to shew the difference of his case from ours as that 1. The Ministers of Germanie were compelled to vse Illir clau Scriptur par 1. fol. 23. verbo adiaph such Ceremonies which were cast out by the Church before 2. That they were commaunded and enioyned them by the Romish Church Charles the fift by the aduice of Sleid. comment li. 20. ann 1548. fol. 330. a. fo 332. b. f. 349. a his Clergie imposed the Interim wherein were sundry Popish errors to bee receiued and approoued on the German Churches which was refused confuted by diuers Churches in which respect Illiricus and the rest refused the Ceremonies as in a case of confession and in which respect Hemingius himselfe an adiaphorist maketh an excuse for Heming Enchirid class 3. cap. 16. tit adiaph fol. 375. the Ministers refusall in that case because superstitionis gratia seruabatur whereas in another hee pleadeth for the vse of them as being things indifferent Yet for all this the condition of Illiricus is not vnknowen to the Church of God how furiously and turbulently he was addicted to the peremptory maintenance of vnsauoury and grosse errors diuers other wayes and vnsufferable disgrace of his betters for desert vnto the Church of God whereby wee may the more probably gesse of the truth of his opinions this way and supposing that his case were the self same case with our depriued Ministers yet what is one to vniuersality Illiricus to all the Church of God to broach a singular and new opinion of suffering depriuation for inconuenient Ceremonies not knowen nor heard of since the time of Christ yea accusing and condemning of all others besides himselfe of errors and false doctrines But if any be desirous to see further of Illiricus and of the iniquitie of his cause and proceedings let him looke Melancthon consil part 2. fol. 104 105 106. 107 108 109. and Beza in vita Caluini anno 1549. And it is worth the obseruation that a French Historian saith of him Mathias Flaccius homo vehemens quocunque loco pedem figeret acerrimus turbarum incentor Iac. Aug. Thuanus hist l. 38. fol. 806. b. anno 1567. Thus wee haue seene the iudgement of all true antiquitie and of all their pure posteritie to be opposite to the doctrine and practise of suffering depriuation for vsing inconuenient Ceremonies whereby his argument is proued And therefore the conclusion which followeth is that the doctrine of suffering depriuation for not vsing inconuenient Ceremonies cannot bee admitted with a good conscience and lastly to admit and practise it it is a sinne against God The whole foregoing argument is thus concluded in a Syllogisme Whatsoeuer doctrine or practise tendeth to condemne all true Churches and godly learned teachers which are knowen to haue declared their iudgements of these things since the time of the Apostles without exception of any one for teaching of false doctrine and for maintaining of a sin is contrary to Gods Word an errour in doctrine and a sinne in practise But Thus doth the doctrine and practise of suffering depriuation for refusing to conforme to the prescribed Ceremonies in the Church of England Ergo the doctrine and practise of suffering depriuation is contrary to Gods Word an errour in doctrine and a sin in practise This whole argument I shut vp with the sayings of Lumbertus which he vsed on another occasion
In Ep. dedicat de Christo seruatore contra Socinum Nihil noui attuli sed antiquam receptam doctrinam quam hoc saeculo Martinus Chemnitius Iohannes Caluinus Petrus Martyr Zacharias Vrsinus multi alij Sancti Viri ex Dei verbo clarè solide docuerunt defendi tutatus sum Idem ibid. Subijcio hunc librum iudicio sanctae orthodoxae Ecclesiae quae Augustanam Helueticam Gallicam Brittanicam Belgicam confessiones sequitur Hanc enim esse veram Ecclesiam de his dogmatis quae in hoc libro tractantur rectè sentire credo cum hác me concordiam colere profiteor To these authorities there are some things excepted which heere I will setdowne And Obiect Frist that there is not that consent in these authorities no harmony nor agreement neither in iudgement nor in practise Not in iudgement for they disagree among themselues some commend the Ceremonies others discommend them esteeming them vnprofitable inexpedient hurtfull Not in practise for the first 200. yeeres their vniforme practise was answerable to the simplicity of the ordinance of Christ and his Apostles in the parts of Gods publike worships which will appeare if ye cite the vndoubted writings of the pure Fathers and not their Apocryphals or Bastard and supposed writings Answ 1 This obiection is quite besides the question and is nothing to the point in hand and therefore might haue well beene spared The question here is not whether the Churches and Writers agree or disagree in their iudgement practise of such Ceremonies as ours are but whether in a case of depriuation a man ought to conforme to Ceremonies as euill inconuenient as ours are pretended to be rather then suffer depriuation The answer by me is affirmatiue which conclusion all the forealleaged Authors as well one as other doe vniformely hold consent and agree vpon and of this there is an vndoubted harmony For their differences let them be vrged when question is concerning any point wherein they differ To giue instance hereof suppose a question betweene Timothy and Titus whether it were fit that the Apostles should visit the Church which they had by preaching conuerted to the faith and to finde out the truth heereof they will referre themselues to the iudgement of Paul and Barnabas who conuerted them vnto the truth Timothy saith that they should doe well to visit them and alleadgeth that Paul and Barnabas did consent in that iudgement and practise as appeareth Acts 15. 26. Titus denieth it and saith there was no consent nor agreement in their iudgement nor practise For Barnabas counselled to take Iohn called Marke with him but Paul thought it not meet Heere may Timothy reply that the question betweene vs is not about the taking a long of Marke wherein they disagreed but about the visiting of the Churches wherein they were both of one minde Touching their practise of 200. yeeres that it was answerable to the simplicity of the ordinance of Christ and his Apostles I grant that it was much more pure for that space then it was euer after for as the time ran on so purity vanished and superstition grew on as in a praecipitium and desperate downefall Howbeit the mystery of iniquity began to worke euen in the Apostles times The Diuell in those dayes began to sowe his tares as the watchmen began to sleepe both of false doctrine and corrupt Ceremonies the controuersie which troubled all the Christian world was within one hundred yeeres And Anacletus Euaristus Telesphorus Anicetus Victor as also Polycarp Irenaeus which note the controuersie about Easter and others were within the 200. yeeres So were the Hereticks Valentinus Montanus Chiliastae and others who brought innumerable ceremonies Clemens Alexandrinus and Tertullian within the 210. yeere did stirre in their writing Origen about the 216. yere Cyprian about the 240. yeere In whose vndoubted and not bastard writings may be seene and hath beene alleadged the diuersity and multitude of Ceremonies which were then in vse and much more might be said touching the confirmation of this point namely that such ceremonies as were then in vse as inconuenient in vse and nature as ours were practised by them and the doctrine of suffering Depriuation for refusing to conforme vnto such Ceremonies as ours was not by any of them taught but by all of them confuted partly by their doctrine and partly by their practise Obiect These Churches and writers were strangers to our cause nor so well acquainted with the state of our Church and therefore could not so well iudge of our case Answ The persons whose iudgements are alleadged were either strangers to our Church or acquainted with the state thereof The strangers thereto were the Fathers of the Primitiue Church and the Lutheran authors Both which because they were the practisers of more and worse Ceremonies then ours can bee imagined to bee it is nothing to the point whether they were ignorant of our Church or not For they that for the Churches peace did practise and perswade the practise of Ceremonies more in number and worse for quality would much more practise and perswade the lesser and the fewer in the same case as all men know For the rest which were acquainted with the state of our Church they were either forreiners or members of our Church The forreiners were some of them inform'd of our Churches estate by such as were not partiall in the relation thereof Such as Caluin who had our Leturgy translated and sent him to peruse Beza Bullinger Gualter Zanchius Vrsinus Polanus c. Others were such as dwelling in our Church were eye-witnesses themselues of the state thereof such as Bucer in Cambridge For whose censure the common praier Booke was translated into Latine P. Martyr in Oxon. The members of our Church were no lesse worthy then the Forreiners and could not be ignorant of the state of this Church such as the Martyrs Cranmer Ridley F. and Hooper who at last conformed Exiles as Foxe Iewell Nowell Parkhust Sanders Grindall Humphry c. And the latter teachers as Deering Fulke Perkins and especially Master Cartwright who with most exact diligence did sift euery thing to the vtmost of his power that might cary any shew of the warrant of an opposition Obiect These persons which had notice of our state considered not of our grounds of Scripture and of the arguments which we alleadge they professed that they saw but if they saw our reasons and so vrged as we vrge them they would doubtlesse haue bene of other iudgement Answ They considered of all the maine reasons which are now vrged as appeareth before in the Answeres of Master Bucer and P. Martyr to the seuerall obiections of B b. Hooper Besides the members of our Church were wel acquainted with the reasons vrged against them especially the later Obiect Some of the Authors which perswade to vse the Ceremonies doe giue such allegations as ouerthrow their owne grounds and thereby we are more confirmed
which yet would be neither necessary nor expedient for other persons at another time to doe without a speciall and immediat calling from God It was expedient and necessary that the Apostles should preach the Gospel to all nations and do sundry other things that were peculiar and proper vnto their function which yet none in these dayes may take vpon them to doe because they haue not the like immediat calling and authority from God neither is there any thing more euident to euery reasonable and vnderstanding man then this that the same things which in some places and times haue been both expedient and necessary to be done haue at other times and in other places proued farre otehrwise That which he alleadgeth in the same place viz. in his answere to the first obiection to confirme this that the reasons for which the holy Ghost moued the Apostles to do those things do warrant and binde vs to vse our ceremonies now because the holy Ghost being euer the same teacheth and ruleth the Church by one and the same reason reuealed in his Word as well now as then is not easie to be vnderstood For if this be his meaning as by his words it seemes to be that vpon what reason the holy Ghost at any time teacheth any person in the Church to doe a thing he teacheth all persons in the Church to do the same when they shall haue the same reason because hee is alwayes one and the same it would follow that whatsoeuer God hath by any speciall commandement for any speciall reason required of any should be done of all where there is the same reason though there be not the same speciall commandement of God And so forasmuch as God vpon this reason that Abraham might make knowen his faith commanded him to sacrifice his sonne all men shall bee bound to shew the like readinesse that he did to kill his owne children seeing the reason that mooued God to require this of him concerneth them as well as him all men being bound to manifest and make knowen their faith Where he addeth that by the same rules whereby the holy Ghost teacheth the Church to pray and sing in a knowen language Prophets to speake one after another and women to be silent in the Church hee teacheth that Conformitie which is in question because they bee all cases of one nature namely of order and Ceremonie in the Church and worship of God hee affirmeth that which seemeth to haue no colour of good reason in it For these things are of themselues and by the very light of nature at all times and in all places matters of order and decencie and such as if no precept had been giuen common and generall reason would say are fitting And the contrary in themselues and not in respect of circumstance onely vnseemely which hee will neuer surely say of any of these Ceremonies And what consequence there is in this reason the holy Ghost doth no lesse teach the one then the other because they are all cases of one nature namely of order and Ceremonie in the Church Are there not some impious and idolatrous orders or at least Ceremonies such as a man ought to die rather then to yeelde vnto them Are there not or may there not be some contrary to all these generall rules Doth not the damnablest idolatry that is lie in orders and Ceremonies how can it follow then that they are of the same nature and required by the same rules because they are matters of order and Ceremonie And so much shall suffice for answere to the proposition of his first maine argument and to that which in his answere to the first obiection hee hath brought for the fortifying of it now let vs come to consider how he proues the assumption of this argument All that hee hath said to this purpose though it bee by him spread into thirteene seuerall branches may well bee referred vnto these foure heads and yet nothing omitted that is worthy consideration or carrieth any weight in it at all viz. 1. That the Apostles and whole Churches in their times vsed as many Ceremonies as ours doth 2. That these many Ceremonies which they vsed were euery way as inconuenient and euill as ours are supposed 3. That the Apostles by diuine inspiration and commaundement from God required the Churches to vse so many Ceremonies of such sort 4. That the Apostles were moued to doe thus vpon reasons of no greater weight then the auoiding of depriuation and suspension with vs. These foure points if he can indeede make good as hee hath vndertaken to doe then will no man deny but that hee hath confirmed his assumption sufficiently The first of these points concerning the number though it be not set downe by him in so many words yet it is euidently collected from that which hee hath heere written without any wresting of his words or peruerting of his meaning For when he saith The holy Apostles with the whole Church at Ierusalem did practise themselues and inioyned whole Churches the practise of ceremonies in number equall vnto ours there is no doubt to bee made but that he intended to say as much as in this first point he is charged to say Let vs therefore obserue well how he proueth this The Ceremonies saith hee that they that is the Apostles and Church at Ierusalem and whole Churches of diuers and farre distant Countries and Nations namely the Gentiles in Antiochia Syria Cilicia did vse were diuers as namely circumcision shauing the head vowing purifying contributing offering sacrifices for the persons purified obseruation of the Iewish Sabboths abstaining from bloud abstaining from strangled Whereunto this answere may be giuen first that sundry of these 9. things which he hath here reckoned vp can with no good reason be called Ceremonies In the last clause of his answere to the first obiection when he had matched praying and singing in a knowne tongue the Prophets speaking one after another and womens keeping silence in the Church with our Ceremonies he makes this the reason of it Because saith he they be all cases of one nature namely of Order and Ceremony in the Church and worship of God Whereby hee seemeth to vnderstand that this is of a nature of a Ceremony to bee vsed in the Church and in the worship of God which if it bee so then surely can neither abstaining from blood nor abstaining from strangled be accounted Ceremonies And though it be granted that all these nine things he mentioneth were once commanded in the Ceremoniall Law yet that the Apostles or Churches he speaketh of did vse any of them as Ceremonies or as in obedience to that Law he wil neuer be able to proue If a man in these daies should abstaine from flesh in Lent in the presence of a Papist whom he is loth to offend and of whom he conceiueth hope that by condiscending to him in this hee may winne him to the Gospell or if a Minister coming to a
any one of those Ceremonies which hee saith they did inioyne were as inconuenient and euill as ours are And for this point hee is to be referred to that which hath beene answered vnto the two former partes of his Assumption 2. Though he had proued that they did inioyne vnto some one or some few persons such Ceremonies as were both for number and for nature as bad as ours yet vnlesse hee had shewed that they had inioyned them vnto whole Churches hee hath not concluded that which he tooke in hand And therefore that which hee brings of Pauls circumcising of Timothy or Iames perswading Paul to purifie himselfe is nothing to the purpose 3. Hee hath not proued nor euer will bee able to doe that the Apostles did ioyne the practise of any one of those Ceremonies to any one Church or to any one person eitheir by inspiration of the Holy Ghost For as for circumcision of Timothy though it be true that Paul did it did it well yet it would be a harsh speach and vniustifieable to say that he compelled or inioyned or commanded Timothy to be circumcised And for that which Iames and the Elders said to Paul concerning his purifying besides that it cannot hastily bee called a commandement or iniunction because no Church or Apostle had so much authority ouer Paul as to command him any thing 2. Cor. 11. 5. Gal. 2. 6. 9. Maister Spr. knoweth well that some are ‖ Magdaburg Centurion 1. lib. 2. p. 603. Gualt in act 21. hom 139. Zanch. de red p. 491. b. great Diuines who haue plainely affirmed that Iames and the Elders did ill in pressing Paul so farre in this matter †Caluin in act 21. 22. 23. others stand in doubt whether they did well in it or no sure it is hee can neuer soundly proue either out of this or any other place of Scripture that they did it by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost or commandement of God The place which hee puts most confidence in for the proofe of this third point is Acts 15. for there we read indeed of a decree sent by the Apostles vnto sundry Churches and that decree was made by the inspiration or direction of the Holy Ghost But to this place it may bee answered that things mentioned in this decree were so farre from being so many Ceremonies or so bad as ours are which hee must still bee put in minde that hee should haue proued that in very deed they were no Ceremonies at all neither euer came into the minde or purpose of the Apostles when they made that decree to inioyne the vse of any Ceremonies to the Churches For to omit this that the meere abstaining and forbearing the vse of many things can with no good shew of reason bee called the vse or practise of a Ceremonie though the abstinence from bloud strangled were once a ceremoniall dutie while the law was in force yet it was now inioyned by the Apostles to the Gentiles not as a ceremoniall but as a morall dutie that they should absteine from their libertiy in the vse of these indifferent things when they saw the vse of them would offend their weake brother And surely seeing the reason and end of this abstinence was not any such misticall signification as it had vnder the law but onely to auoide the offence of the Iew it could no more bee called a Iewish Ceremony then if either out of a naturall loathing of those meates or respect had to their health or some such like consideration they had forborne the same Neither let Mr. Spr. thinke it strange that the same thing which being cōmanded in the law was a Ceremonie should now being commanded by the Apostles alter the nature and become no Ceremonie Let him consult with the best Diuines and Interpreters of the Scripture and he shall finde that though circumcision was a Sacrament vnder the Law yet Timothy his circumcision Caluin in Act. 16. 3. was no Sacrament and that all the Ceremonies of the law were so abrogated by the death of Christ as that though some vse of them did remaine for a time yet they did no longer belong to the worship of God nor were figures of spirituall things nor were obserued in conscience of obedience to the ceremoniall law In which things consisteth the very life and essence of a Iewish Ceremonie and without which nothing can in good propriety of speach bee called a Ceremonie But what neede any more bee said of this matter when the Apostles themselues speaking of this decree affirme that they that said the Gentiles ought to keepe the law did in saying so seeke to subuert their soules that they had written and concluded that the beleeuing Gentiles should obserue no such thing as vowing shauing of the head purifying c. saue only that they keepe themselues from things offered to idols and from blood and from strangled and from fornication By which wordes also they doe plainely intimate that this abstinence which they inioyne in this decree was no such thing but of another kinde and nature as vowing purifying shauing of the head offering c. and consequently was not inioyned by them as any Ceremony of Moses Law The fourth and last point in the confirmation of his assumption is this that the Apostles and Churches were moued thus to enioyne and practise such Ceremonies so many so inconuenient and euill vpon reasons of no greater weight then the auoiding of depriuation is with vs. This hee prooueth by specifying the causes and reasons that moued the Apostles to practise and enioyne those Ceremonies which hee sayth were these three First for the beleeuing Iewes that they might not bee offended nor occasioned to turne backe to Iudaisme Acts 16. 1 3. and 21. 20 21 24. Secondly for the vnbeleeuing Iewes that they might be wonne to the Gospel and saued 1 Cor. 9. 20 22. and 10. 32 33. Thirdly to auoyd the persecution of the malicious Iewes and so to redeeme the libertie of the ministerie which otherwise was like to be indangered Act. 21. 22 27 28 30 31 32. For answere vnto all this it may be said that if the Apostles had practised inioyned such as are euill Ceremonies as ours are they had farre greater reason so to doe then the auoiding of depriuation is with vs. For first as their ministery was of more great excellencie then ours whether we respect the extraordinary gifts wherewith they were indued or the wonderfull power of God which did accompany them and giue successe and fruit to their labours so the redeeming of the liberty of their ministery if that were any cause as he here supposeth it was was and ought to haue been of much more weight to moue them to doe as they did then the continuance of vs in our ministery can be to perswade vs to the vse of our Ceremonies What one Minister of the Gospel is there that dare to bee so presumptuous as to say that his preaching and
807. moueth a question de veste linea of the Surplesse Si in aliqua Ecclesia Euangelica prorsus non possit omitti vsus vestis lineae seu superpelliceae absque metu Schismatis aut subreptionis haereticorum quid tum faciendum Hee answereth Praestat tum vti veste linea tanquam re adiaphorâ quà m obstinata eius reiectione excitare Schisma inter rumpere cursum veritatis doctrinae praebere occasionem haereticis occupandi Ecclesiam And of this his iudgement he giueth instance in the Apostles practise thus Exemplum est in Paulo qui circumcidit Timotheum propter Iudaeos sciebant enim omnes Patrem eius Graecum esse Act. 16. 3. Now to the answer of my first reason Which first reason of mine when my Brethren went about to answere if they would needes vnstrip out of his owne coat which I had framed and draw into a Syllogisme of their owne yet ought they not to make an argument or new reason of their owne and so to fight without an aduersary But their duetie was as they wel know faithfully to haue taken all the substance of that I set downe in the whole reason and that especially included in my Syllogisme which they haue not done pietie and sinceritie and faithfull dealing should goe together and thus they should haue laid it downe To refuse to practise such Ceremonies which the Apostles by direction of the holy Ghost and vpon reasons of common and perpetuall equity did practise themselues and caused others to practise yea aduised and enioyned as matters good and necessary to be done on others especially in a like case in sundry maine and materiall respects is a sin But to refuse conformitie with our Ceremonies in the case of depriuation is to refuse to practise such Ceremonies which the Apostles by direction of the holy Ghost and vpon reasons of common and perpetuall equitie did practise themselues and caused others to prctise yea aduised and inioyned as matters good and necessary to bee done on others and that in like case in diuers maine and material respects Ergo To refuse to conforme in the case of depriuation is a sinne The Proposition of this argument thus proposed is sufficiently confirmed in that which is included in the second member of mine answere to the first obiectiō in these words though we may not imitate the Apostles in things peculiar to their office persons and times yet we may follollow them and are bound in conscience so to doe in matter of common equitie and generall reason for as the Apostles had warrant from the holy Ghost so haue we warrant from the Apostles examples and from the reasons for which the holy Ghost moued them to doe these things Thus if my Brethren had proposed mine argument they needed not to haue spent so many words nor sounded such a triumph before the victory viz. 1. That the proposition is false and vnsound 2. That I neuer go about to proue it which assertion of theirs they streight confute themselues by setting down my proofes of the proposition 3. That I forgot my selfe what I had vrged before 4. That I weaken my proposition and make it of no strength But let vs see what materiall shew of exceptions they bring against the proposition of mine argument Whereas I said that the Apostles did vse and inioyne the Iewish Ceremonies not onely by immediat authority from God but by reasons also and rules of common and perpetuall equity and further did giue instance of the rule of expediency and necessity out of Act. 15. 28. The answere is that though it be granted to be true yet shall they be as farre to seeke as before they were For still the question will be whether there be the same reasons now to moue vs to the vse of our Ceremonies as moued the Apostles then because they suppose there might be some speciall causes might make those Ceremonies necessary which neuer fell out before nor shall doe so againe And to this I say that there needed no such further seeking as before and the questions demanded touching common reasons with the Apostles were set downe in the selfe same place where they read the other in the words immediately following which reasons are these namely 1. To winne the more 1. Cor. 9. 19. 20. 21. 22. Now all men know that this reason should moue euery godly minister in his place and according to his parts and calling to labour the winning of soules no lesse then it did moue the Apostles for all are required to be faithfull 2. Cor. 4. 1. 2. all are alike commanded of God in the Prou. all alike are to receiue reward Dan. 12. 3. 2. To further and propagate the Gospell 1. Cor. 9. 23. which also is a common care appertaing to vs now as to the Apostles then For the commandement giuen to the the Apostles doth stretch in respect of place to all Nations Matth. 28. 19. Luk. 24 47. and in regard of time to the end of the world Mat. 28. 19. 20. Reu. 14. 6. 7. Wherefore the following might be or supposall of causes might haue well beene spared vnlesse they had been named For my Brethren doe well know that A posse ad esse non val et argumentatio Howbeit they confesse at last that the two forenamed reasons be matters of common and perpetuall equity what need then was there to seeke for that they had or question that they grant at last and yet againe they ouerwhelme them with a new supply of vnwarranted supposalls that something may be expedient for some persons and times as are not for other without a speciall calling from God But heere againe the former rule cuts them off from arguing from a naked and vnproued supposal And indeede it is but petitio principij an encroaching on the point in question Besides it is a very feeble answere that is onely affirmed without proofe so might a man argue against the practise of euery part of discipline practised by the Apostles which may be said to be proper to their function time and place Therefore it followeth by this kinde of argumentation their practise may seeme to giue vs no stronger warrant then the practise of those Ceremonies in the case of necessity vnlesse we were inspired and had immediate authority from God The like might be argued from other sundry matters 2. To the exception of the next member or allegation that namely the holy Ghost teacheth ruleth the Church by the same reason reuealed in his Word as well now as then and therefore the reasons warranting the Apostles to conforme to the Iewish ceremonies may moue vs to conforme to these in the like case It seemeth to me a palpable cauill and it may seeme probable to others that my Brethren would heere studiously not vnderstand my meaning For what need was there for me as they could possibly suppose to proue a duty of common equity by an extraordinary case or by a sentence of extraordinary
sence And if there had beene that difficulty in that sentence which they pretend yet Grammer might haue put them in minde that sentences of doubtful interpretation should be construed by that which immediatly goeth before or followeth after especially if it cohaere therewith Now the rules or reasons spoken of in that very place immediatly before as also immediatly after this sentence are expresly specified to be rules and reasons of perpetuall and common equity which they could not be ignorant of and therefore the instance of Abraham vrged this second time commeth in heere as vnseasonably as it did before that is as much to say as to no purpose at all 3. Lastly to the instance which I gaue out of 1. Cor. 14. 27 30 31 34 35 40. It is answered by my Brethren that I affirme that which seemeth to haue no colour of good reason in it namely because of the different natures of the Iewish ceremonies and of these prescribed by S. Paul in the forenamed place Howbeit I say againe although there be disagreement in respect of dissimilitude of Ceremonies the one sort of them decent of themselues and by the light of nature the other sort namely for a Christian to practise Iewish Ceremonies vnseemely the one sort fitted to all times the other only practised in certain cases and in some Churches yet there is agreement betweene them in those things for which they are alleadged For 1. both sorts are matters ceremoniall and circumstantiall not substantiall or fundamentall Ceremonia may bee genus to them both 2. Both sorts were prescribed and practised by the holy Apostles 3. Both sorts had the same rules grounds or ends of practise namely Necessity expediency profit and edification of the Church Now touching our Ceremonies albeit they be not of that nature altogether with those prescribed of the Apostle 1. Cor. 14. yet I suppose them to be of the nature of the Iewish Ceremonies practised by the Apostles and therefore doe conclude with all godly learned teachers that euer vttered their iudgements herein that for necessity expediency profit and edification of the Church as for the liberty of the Gospel and preuenting the depriuation of faithfull Teachers they may lawfully and must necessarily be practised no lesse then the Iewish practised or the Christian Ceremonies prescribed by the Apostles 1. Cor. 14. As for the question concerning impious and Idolatrous orders such as a man ought rather to die then yeeld vnto their practise I maruell my Brethren would not consider that if they speake of other Ceremonies then ours they are besides our question and touch not the point in hand If of ours yet that they doe still petere principium vnlesse they plainely prooue our Ceremonies as they are vsed in our Church to bee such indeede And thus much also shall suffice for the defence of the proposition of my Argument Now to the answere of the Assumption The answere which my Brethren make they haue reduced to 4. heads replying to 4. parts of mine Assumption Touching 1. the number 2. the nature 3. the warrant or ground 4. the reasons of practise of the Iewish ceremonies and ours In the first part of mine Assumption whereas I affirmed that the ceremonies which the Apostles practised and prescribed were in number equall to our ceremonies The answere of my Brethren hath three members The first member saith That sundry of the things I alleadge can with no good reason be called Ceremonies because they would enforce my words against their will to say that I defined a ceremony to be that which is vsed onely in Gods worship But sundry of the things alleadged were not such and therefore by mine owne account they were not Ceremonies But my Brethren should know that howsoeuer I say that there bee Ceremonies in Gods worships yet that letteth not but that there may be ceremonies out of Gâ—ds worship and so that collection of theirs is marred But if for once I shall let it stand and bee as they would haue it what could they get by it As though euery ceremony of the ceremoniall Law whereof wee spake were not a worship of God because whatsoeuer God commandeth is a worship to performe Therefore these things were both worships and Ceremonies in Gods worships sometimes which if my Brethren had remembred they would haue blotted out this for a cypher yea by this reason abstaining from blood and strangled must needes bee Ceremonies though they would not haue it so Which might further appeare because it is one distinction of the Ceremonies of Moses law that they were either of action as circumcision or of abstinence as abstaining from swines flesh blood and strangled Because they had signification and were shadowes of good things to come and therefore Ceremonies Lastly because ceremoniall duties and therefore Ceremonies seeing they were included vnder and commanded by the ceremoniall law of God and so receiuing denomination from that law Which last reason my brethren themselues doe giue hereof therefore by their confession they are Ceremonies But they adde that I shall neuer be able to proue that the Apostles or Churches did vse them as Ceremonies or as in obedience to that law And I say againe suppose I neuer goe about to proue it what needeth me to doe it What if I grant as I doe freely that it is true and euident and that it can by no meanes bee proued nay that the contrary is manifest It suffiseth me that they inoyned these things that were some times duties though not as they were duties of the law meerely ceremoniall and now after Christ his death when as the holy Apostles practised them were fruitlesse dead vnprofitable in themselues yea which might did proue hurtfull vnto some which held them still as worships Col. 2. 23. and meanes of iustification Gal. 5. 2. 4. and euen necessary to saluation Act. 15. 1. 5. Wherefore the instances of abstaining from flesh or from mariage for the wining of a Papist and of Pauls departing from his right are of no valew To the second and third members concerning the number and often vse of the Ceremonies alleadged I answere that albeit they grant but sixe of the Iewish Ceremonies and alleadge nine and fortie Ceremonies of our Church yet the Ceremonies which are questioned by the depriued Ministers at this time such so many I meane as come vnder the compasse of their practise or of this our question that is so many the practise whereof would keepe a man from depriuation are not sixe as Crosse in Baptisme Surplesse Ring in Mariage obseruation of Holy-dayes if there be one or two more let it be so It is a matter needles to contend about the number and about the often vse and iniunction of them For if I proue but one Iewish Ceremonie at one onely time vsed lawfully by the Apostles yet as euill in the most maine and materiall respects as ours are and that by reasons of common and perpetuall equitie thence
of the Law not in the time of the Gospel in as much as being pressed by the blinde and wilfull Iewes they were called the commandements of men Col. 2. Tit. 1. I would know here of my Brethren what maine difference there is betweene the inuentions of men and the commandements of men Seconly because they were abused to superstition and false doctrine many wayes and had very many euill and pernicious effects as I haue proued in the first reason of my first argument Numb 11. 12. which cannot be denied with any shew of contradiction Thirdly because they were notoriously knowen to haue bin so abused euen whersoeuer the Christian faith was planted in Italy Graecia Asiaminor Syria Coelosyria Iudaea Creta and may wee thinke that the famous controuersie and Councel at Ierusalem for deciding thereof about the false opinion about Circumcision was not notoriously knowen vnto all the Christian Churches which also prescribed some Iewish Ceremonies on occasion of abuse of other as also the tumult made on Paul by the furious Iewes at Ierusalem In a word wheresoeuer the Iewes were as they were scattered almost in euery part and new Iewish conuerts there must needes be knowen their notorious abuses of the legall Ceremonies and I much admire that my Brethren should denie this Fourthly Because they are of no profitable vse because of no vse at all I meane in themselues and in their nature being considered being as shadowes without a body weak rudiments without signification shewes without substance types and similitudes without an antitype yea resemblances of nothing Though I denie not but they were of necessary and very profitable vse in the Apostles practise but that was not in respect of any power in themselues or of any vertue which the Apostles gaue them by their iniunction but as meanes and weapons of necessitie to defend the Church from mischiefe and the Gospel from interruption which by no meanes they would haue practised without such necessitie the like I say of our Ceremonies These things being so cleere and euident it must needs follow that these Ceremonies in their nature must bee tainted with that formal and inseparable euil which the arguments of the depriued Ministers doe fasten on our Ceremonies so farre forth as they agree in these Circumstances alleadged which my Brethren fearing are faine to runne into their old and onely refuge That though they had been neuer so much abused and had been also in any other respect of no necessary vse yet this aagument toucheth them not because they were vsed by warrant of Apostolicall and diuine authoritie But that I may driue my Brethren from this their vltimum refugium I say their answere is of no force at all which appeareth by these reasons 1. Because the answere of our Brethren is barely affirmed without all shew of proofe or reason which is sufficiently confuted with a bare deniall and matter of this nature Eâdem facilitate comtemnitur qua probatur as the olde saying of Hierome is yea the Holy Ghost is silent and giueth not the lest touch to intimate that this action was peculiar to the Apostles and how can my Brethren speake so confidently where the Holy Ghost is silent 2. Because of the equall necessity of the Church in all ages and like care which God hath of his Church in giuing equall remedy who doth not onely command and inioyne duties for the purity and comely order of the Church but also prouideth remedies against the diseases thereof Now is there not a necessity for other things aswel as for these Primitiue Churches to appease dissentions schismes tumults interruption of the Gospell depriuation of Ministers arising from inconuenient and abused Ceremonies Must all other Churches besides these for euery inconuenient Ceremony or other thing of like nature with the Iewish Ceremonies suffer the Church to bee ouerthrowne and the Gospell interrupted did God giue them onely priuiledge thus to conforme and not to others in other cases or did he giue remedy to their euills and take it from vs If it seemed good necessary to the Holy Ghost in one cause for the good of the Church to giue way to the practise of inconuenient Ceremonies of this nature by what reason should it not bee still as good and necessary for other Churches in the like case in the sight of the same blessed spirit to practise the like Ceremonies 3. Because Saint Paul rehearsing his practise of conforming to the Iewish Ceremonies doth draw his practise thereof out of a generall doctrine 1. Corinthians 9. 19. The generall doctrine is this That though hee were free from all men as euery faithfull Minister is yet he made himselfe the seruant of all men as in this sense euery faithfull Minister should doe to winne the more From this ground he deduceth his particular practise vers 20. of becomming a Iew vnto the Iewes that is of practising the Iewish Ceremonies for the Iewes sake to auoide their scandall and to winne them to the Gospel shewing and declaring that out of this generall doctrine any godly and sincere Minister of the Gospel might lawfully and ought needfully to conforme to the like Ceremonies of the Iewes in the like case to win them and to gaine liberty to the Gospell Therefore I conclude the Apostles practise of Iewish Ceremonies was not peculier to them as arising from meer Apostolical authority and that the practise of like inconuenient ceremonies in the like case is lawful needful 4. Because the same Apostle declaring his withstanding of the practise of Iewish Ceremonies in other cases doth specifie the reasons thereof namely 1. They would compell men vnto it Galat. 2. 2. and bondage their Christian liberty Galat. 2. 4. with Act. 15. 1. 5. 10. 19 3. And it was not the right way to the truth of the Gospel Galat. 2. 14. Therefore I conclude they practised the Iewish Ceremonies by a certaine and standing reason and not alone by Diuine or Apostolicall authority If they had not beene Apostles by these reasons they would haue practised them in these cases or the like 5. Because by this means any shifting disputant may shift off al necessity of the practise of any part of Apostolical discipline and order namely of excōmunication of obstinate offenders because a matter peculiar to the Apostles as Erastus Erast de excom in Thes fol. 46. Thes 58. others doe or of the Churches meeting on the First day of the weeke as many Libertines and Sabbatarians do things of like nature yea also of our particular assurance of true grace iustification remission of sinnes and saluation which we vsually ground from the example of the Apostles Rom. 8. 38. 39 Gal. 2. 20. 1. Tim. 1. 1. 15. which yet the Papists put off with this our Brethrens answer It was peculiar to the Apostles it was of speciall reuelation For Bellarm. de iustificat lib. 3. cap. 9 in resp ad 7. testimon Staplet de Iustific l. 8. c. 24. f.
not shew of words but waight of reason and besides it was needfull for me to publish those reasons which the hazard of my depriuation did heeretofore occasion mee to frame and enforced me of late to follow The Lord giue such blessing to the same as I heartely desire for the peace of the Church and for the quieting of the consciences of such as neede it Pag. Err. Correct 7 GAl. 5. 20. 21. 22. Gal. 5. 30. 10. 21. 22. 10 of Faith dayly in the Faith dayly 11 as ours are now as ours are not by our Church 13 mystically mutually 14 then sometimes they sometimes  or rather straw or rather tares  those many things those maine things 16 noted to King noted by King 18 as also all as also did 19 both by otah doctrine both by doctrine  Papists popishly Papists and Popishly 21 these dayes those dayes  Act. 25. 28. 29. Acts 15. 28. 29. 22 and 10. 13. and 10. 31.  of his iudgement of this iudgement 24 in one practise in our practise 25 reproued approued 27 2. King 23. 12. 2. Chron. 32. 12. 28 being both works because both workes 31 we cannot iudge and therefore we cannot iudge 31 by euery person by all persons 35 the performance the formes 38 yea saints the Saints  essentiall practise effectuall practise 39 sound doctrine sound doctrine 43 to conforme or the like to conforme vnto our ceremonies or the like 45 the Apostles in the Apostles case in 46 Contrariae contrarius 47 Exercit part inter thes Vrsin Excercit part 2. inter thes 126. 48 because all such because otherwise al such 49 or rather or other 50 kneeling high or low kneeling outward habite as this or that forme of apparell voice high or low 51 Consider that which also Consider secondly that as also 52 obedience to good obedience to God 54 proued a matter proued that a matter 54 preaching of the worke preaching of the word 55 practising of the word by preaching preaching of the word  no sinne of adultery no time of adultery 57 the praecepts these praecepts 59 The former as a circumstantiall duetie to which all ceremonies as a lesser work to a greater the former as a circumstantiall duty commanding fit ceremonies the other as a substantiall duty to which all ceremonies ceremoniall duties must serue as a lesser work to a greater 62 broken taken 63 of the fulfilling if the fulfilling  by well doing be well doing  violation of the Law violation of that Law 64 many thousands may thousands 72 as the Papist as the Papists wil haue it 74 as in condemning or in condemning  must needs be an error must needs be in error 78 the consent of Churches suppose then the consent of Churches 79 Catholique Church taken Catholike Church may erre being taken  Catholike Church haue Catholike Church hath  here should we make how should we make 80 For they agree so they agree 87 Decret caus 26. qu. 6. 7 8. 10. Decret Caus 26. qu. 6. can 9 ex Nicaeno Conc. item can 6. 7. 8 10. 88 Commended and commended as 90 onely fish and fowles onely fish some fish and foules 91 Valentius Valentinus 92 that in those dayes in cities in villages that a man in those dayes might find in cities and villages 97 afterwards the same afterwards the Sunne 98 wholesome wholesomely 102 Easterne Controu Easter Controu 103 praesumptuous praesumptions  pacificum pacificum filium 106 M. Middelburgi  Putaeus Paraeus  Witenberg Wirtenberg so Correct it pag. 108. 109. 115.  gaue giue 107 Epistle of Luther Postill of Luther the like pag. 109. 109 Harm Confess § fol. 176. Bohem. Harm confess § 16. fol. 179. Bohem.  4. Lex Decal § 11. fol. 43. albeit 4. Lex Decal § 33. so doe the Tigurines Har. conf § 11. fol. 43. albeit 110 First of their iudgement touching ceremonies in generall appeareth First of their iudgement touching ceremonies in generall as also of their practise after and then also of our cere  Iniunction Inuention 113 Iocun Ioan. 115 an aedification and aedification  Scriptu fol. 21. Cap. fol. 211. 118 for the Churches aedification Deleatur 125 penislyllabas Paenè syllabas 128 Benhagius Bugenhagius 130 Myricus Illyricus  reuolue reuoke 133 Came Comes 134 therefore first I answere albeit in our iudgement these ceremonies are not rightly commanded Deleatur 140 primitiue had the Primitiue Church vsed 144 yeelding Confession of the trueth yeelding to his request heerein 4. if he conceale not this confession of the trueth 151 lesser better 152 wherefore it is written whereof it is written 153 we are bound following wee are not bound following faires 157 Paraeum Duraeum  Commandeth commendeth 159 meane to rather 162 then to then so to 165 paritie purity 166 perils points 167 of mending of weeding out 168 admitted permitted 170 haue some notwithstanding haue had some not standing 171 to be kept inuiolable to be kept inuiolable And he answered it thus 175 No partes neither partes 191 hold a right affection should preiudice a right affection 197 admonition of them admonition of the weake that they be not offended praier vnto God to strengthen them 199 so respected so reserued 202 his argument this argument 203 Lumbertus Lubbertus 205 which note the controuerfie which were the controuertists  did stirre doe shew 288 though pure past 209 soote salt 213 so refusing for refusing 214 doctrine and practise of the Apostles doctrine and practise of the Apostles therefore it is a sinne 215 viz. that the Apostles doctrine and practise doeth not so warrant a minister viz. that it is both against the doctrine and practise of the Apostles for a minister  beginne begge  doctrine of the Scribes practise and doctrine of the Scribes 224 Apostles inioyned them Apostles vsed and enioyned them 225 when that himselfe then that himselfe 226 his first proposition his proposition  to be obserued to haue beene obserued 227 for matters of direction in the Church concerning ceremonies for the direction of the Church in matters of ceremonies 230 nature and euill nature vse and euill 235 this commandement his commandement 236 Answeres Answerers