2. 3. 4. Fourthly Iesus Christ preferring the healing of the sicke a greater duety before the strict keeping the Ceremoniall rest a lesser duty and commanding a kind of seruile labour viz. the carying home of a bed in some case vnlawfull Io. 5. 8. 9. proueth it not onely by a peculiar reason proper vnto himselfe that hee is Lord of the Sabbath and therefore might ouerrule in this case Mat. 12. 8. But euen by reasons of Common equity namely First because it is lawfull by not strictly keeping ceremoniall rest to doe morrally well on the Sabbath day omitting sacrifice to doe mercy Mat. 11. 12. Secondly because the end is superior to the meanes for the Sabbath was made for man not man for the Sabbath Mar. 2. 27. 4 Fourthly because it is contrary to the inspired examples in the Scripture which are of common equity and reason and to the practise of the faithfull Saints of God namely besides the forenamed examples of the Priests of the Apostles of Dauid of our Sauiour first of Salomon who in a case of necessity did offer vpon another Altar then the Altar appointed for the worship of God because it was not able to receiue the offrings 2. Chro. 7. 7. but was to little for that end 1. King 8. 64. Whereas they were to offer sacrifice and to burne incense vpon one onely Altar in the Temple 2. King 23. 12. It being a Type of Christ the only sacrifice and mediator Heb. 13. 10. 2. of Hezekias who to set forward the mayne and substantiall worships of God did admit of many to the Passeouer albeit they were not ceremonially sanctified but legally vncleane and did not receiue the same as it was written in the Law nor according to the purification of the Sanctuary yet with a true heart seeking the Lord they were accepted namely in a case of superiour reason 2. Chron. 30. 17. 18. 19. 20. Thirdly of Paul who to saue his life a greater duety did with his owne hands cast away into the Sea the good creatures of God which otherwise should haue beene preserued and so for that cause neglected a lesser duety Act. 27. 30. Fourthly of the inspired Apostles of Christ who as before is noted did practise on themselues Act. 21. 26. and vpon others Acts 16. 3. and did aduise Act. 21. 23. 24. yea ordaine inioyne and command the practise of Iewish ceremonies as circumcision shauing purifying abstayning from blood and strangled meate and that as a duty good and necessary Act. 15. 28. which to auoide and not to vse was a duety required of God which to vse and practise in other cases was reprooued by the holy Ghost Acts 15. 10. and 21. 21. Gal. 4. 9. 10. 11. and 2. 12. 13. 14 and 5. 2. 3. 4. Colo. 2. 20. 21. 22. 23. and were needlesse shadowes Col. 2. 20. Ordinances of the world Col. 2. 20. Commandements of men turning from the trueth Col. 2. 12. Titus 1. 14. Impotent and beggarly rudiments Gal. 4. 9. 10. And of sundry perillous and perniciouse effects yet this they did admit albeit the violation of a duety to doe a greater duety of superior reason namely to procure the vnity of brethren Act. 15. 2. 4. 6. 7. 24. The wyninng of strangers to the faith 1. Cor. 9. 19 20. And to propagate the Gospell 1. Cor. 9. 23. To preuent the scandall of weake beleeuers Act. 16. 3. and 21. 20. And the danger of interruption or depriuation of the Ministery by the violent Iewes persecution Act. 21. 12. 24. 27. 28. Thus is the first point confirmed to the which doctrine sundrie godly learned men euen so many as I haue reade of this point doe also consent both in the same words and proofes viz. * vid. Caluin in Mat. 12. 1. 3 fol. 260. Vrsin cat part 3. fol. 707. immediat ante praecept 1. impress Cantabridg anno 1585. Piscator in Mat 12. 1. 2. 3. in analisi fol. 190. in obseruat ad eundem locum fol. 205. 106. 107 Idem in obseruat in Mat. 9. 13. fol. 156. Idem in obser ad Mat. 15. 3. 4. 5. 6. fol. 243. Polan syntagm Theolog. lib. 9 c. 29 fol. 4077. 4078. Martyn in summula verbi dei cap. 2. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. fol. 47. 48. de-calogo Mr. Perkins vol. 1. of his workes treatise of conscience Cap. 2. fol. 520. Yet to this poynt or proposition howsoeuer firme it bee in it selfe as hath appeared and is approoued by the best diuines yet some obiections haue beene layd against it which I will heere set downe Ob. Where it is sayd in the former proposition when two dueties doe meete at one time it is obiected that they cannot bee dueties both at once For if they were both dueties they would both bind and so a man must needes commit a sinne seeing hee is straitned betweene two dueties and must omit the one this therefore is not well proposed Ans The mentioning of these two duties meeting together at one time in our practise doeth not intend that they doe both of them bynd the conscience at the same instant but they are called dueties as they are considered apart being both workes are commanded of God in two seuerall commandements Which two workes being dueties considered apart doe sometimes offer themselues to our practise at one instant As to heare a Sermon at the Church on the Sabboth and to tend a sicke person ready to die at home at the sametime both are duties being cōsidred apart but meeting together and offering themselues to our practise at one time there is indeede but one duety because both cannot be performed in one instant In which case the greater worke is the duety the lesser bindes not for that present In like case for a minister to refuse inconuenient ceremonies albeit it be a duty being cōsidered apart from the duty of preaching the word yet when it meeteth with the duty of preaching so as preaching the word will not stand with refusing inconuenient ceremonies this refusing of ceremonies bindeth not the cōscience but leaueth to be a duty There are not two duties at that instant but only one which is to preach the word of God In which case the refusing of inconuenient Ceremonies is no duety neither is their practise a sinne yea the practise of them is a duety if otherwise they cannot preach the Word this obiection therefore needeth not Obiection The doctrine included in that point or proposition is not true because there may be a greater duetie neglected for the performance of a lesser which may then be done when the performance of the lesser keepeth him frō sin as for example A Preacher enioyned to preach naked ought to neglect preaching Besides it is contrary to the rule of the Apostle Rom. 3. 8. The least euil must not be done that the greatest good may be performed For when I cannot doe it without sinne it is no duety and therefore you should propose the matter thus It is necessary to performe
a lesser sinne for to performe a duety that is greater Answere First the doctrine of the proposition remaineth true notwithstanding this obiection For the case is proposed not of a sinne and a duetie but of two dueties being considered a part being both commanded of God and there is no such case wherein a greater duetie is to bee neglected for the performance of a lesser which also is in reason absurd Secondly to the instance of preaching in a naked manner I say that in this case there are two things to bee considered Necessitie and Decency if then he cannot preach naked but with the perill of his life he ought to refuse preaching it being a case of necessity and mercy is better then sacrifice But if his life will consist with his naked preaching hee ought to preach notwithstanding the scandall or indecencie if there bee no other meanes admitted for his preaching 1 Because a mans naked body being considered as it is naked it is the good creature of God and is not indecent to be looked on but to vncleane and vaine mindes it is decent enough to the pure 2 Because the gayning of soules and meanes of mans saluation is a duety of farre greater reason and waight then the auoyding of an inconuenient circumstance of scandall or of seeming indecencie arising only by accident not from the nature of the obiect and the like case is of the practise of our Ceremonies to redeeme the libertie of preaching to the place Rom. 3. 8. which sheweth that we may not doe the least euill to compasse the greatest good I say that to the present purpose wee may consider euill two manner of wayes For first euill is either that which is formally simply and in nature euill which no circumstance can amend As to redeeme preaching vpon condition of blaspheming God Inuocating the Deuill committing of idolatry periury idultery teaching of heresie or the like the which kind of euill is intended by the Apostle and may not bee done at any hand for the gayning of the greatest good 2 Againe euill may bee taken for that which is onely circumstantially ceremonially or accidentally euill which kind of euill may in some cases bee practised without sinne namely in case of superior reason at what time it is improperly called euill That this is so appeareth in the Priests who brake the Sabbath in Dauid who did that which was not lawfull for him to doe and yet were blamelesse and innocent Mat. 12. 4 5. 7. Also in the practise of Iewish inconuenient and many wayes euill Ceremonies which practise was so farre from being euill in that case that it was good and necessary Act. 15. 28. 29. touching this obiection see more at the end of the argument Obiect Mordecay refused to bow and performe the gesture of reuerence to Haman yea though hee were commanded by the King Hest 3. 1 2 3. by which refusall of obedience to a ceremoniall hee violated two greater dueties One was the Kings command and the other was the hazard of his life and destruction of the Church of the Iewes and thereby for performance of a lesser duetie hee did violate a greater Answ Either this gesture was Spirituall or Ciuill if the former hee ought to auoide spirituall adoration to a creature an heathen a wicked person an Amalekite and an enemy of the Church which is a sufficient and the true answere and thus doe all interpreters vnderstand this place thus the Hebrew glosse thus the Apocryphall prayer in the additions to Hester Lyra Vataplus Iunius Drusius Merlyne vpon these places If the latter either his action was euill or good if euill in disobeying the Magistrate in a thing indifferent it is impertinently alledged if well the reason is vnknowne and not expressed wee cannot iudge of the qualitie of the dueties compared if he did refuse this reuerence 1 Because hee was of the Amalekites which were especially cast out by God Exod. 11. 14. Deut. 25. 7. Num. 24. 7. 2 Because an open prophane person a malitious and professed aduersary of Gods Church 3 Because himselfe was a better man then Haman being the Queenes Vncle it may bee considerable whether hee did not well euen in this respect to refuse this reuerence Touching the hazard of his life and ruine of the Church it was vnknowne to Mordecai for Haman practised it because he did refuse it Obiect Daniel neglected a greater duety to performe a lesser for hee continued to pray three times a day kneeling vpon his knees his window being open towards Ierusalem notwithstanding that he knew that he should die for doing it so hee preferred the ceremonie and circumstance of prayer which was a smaller duetie before the safety of his life which was a greater Dan. 6. 10. Also the Iewes chose rather to die then to eate Swines flesh 2. Mac. 7. 1. and 6. 8. preferring obseruance of a ceremoniall duetie before their life Answ To these instances I first demaund whether these bee brought therefore to conclude that therefore Ministers should rather die then to vse the Ceremonies prescribed in our Church And let it bee considered seriously by euery person truely fearing God whether they thinke it fit for another or could resolue himselfe to loose this life by being at a stake for none other cause then for refusing the prescribed Ceremonies especially in a true Church of Christ wherein there are otherwise a true confession of faith and sufficient meanes of their saluation If it should fall out that they would not die in such a case I would know further how then they could loose their Ministery for not vsing them seeing it were better for a Minister to loose his life then to loose the comfort of his Ministerie Act. 20. 24. 1. Cor. 9. 15. If they would rather suffer death then vse the Ceremonies let them shew the ground and comfort they should haue before the Lord in this proceeding If they alleadge these instances I wil shew to how small purpose they serue therein therefore I say that their cases doe farre differ from the case in question First they were controuersies depending betweene the heathen and professed enemies of Gods Church and betweene the people of Gods couenant and members of the Church our controuersies are in the Church and betweene professed louers and beleeuers in Christ Secondly they were cases of confession wherein they were called to confesse the trueth and religion of God amongst Gods enemies as also the necessitie of inuocation of Gods name and of obedience to Gods precepts With vs the doctrine of Ceremonies is true and according to Gods word and the parts of our generall confession in the Booke of Articles is agreeable to the word of God Thirdly the dueties were of exceeding great moment for the performance whereof they should haue hazarded and lost many liues Daniel stood in obedience of a maine substantiall duetie not Ceremoniall or circumstantiall of the first commandement namely prayer to God and praysing of his name
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
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
grace and backe sliding of many most forward professors of religion what increase of Popery and all prophanenesse in euery corner of the Land and euen in sundry of the places where the depriued Ministers were placed haue ensued this their suffering of themselues to be thus put besides their Ministrie And being thus depriued what good haue they done vnto the Church Or what good vse haue they imployed their talent in more then to some few priuate families wherein some of them haue beene exercised Verily in sundry others especially the younger and more vnstaied sort especially of them which draw neere the brincke of Brownisme it hath falne out that after the losse and leauing their Ministrie small other fruite hath happened in them then to make the Churches rent the wider to speake euill and scoffe at persons in authoritie which had more neede to haue beene prayed for in these dangerous times to breede distraction in the hearts of the people to vilifie their Godly breathren which haue submitted themselues to conformitie to swell in scorne and pride against them and to prepare the mindes of vnstable persons of tender consciences and shallow knowledge to schisme and seperation and in the meane time to neglect the maine dueties of true Godlinesse as meekenes mercie tender heartednes patience visiting the sicke comforting the feeble minded instructing the ignorant chatechising children perswading of Papists to the trueth reproouing raigning sinnes in wisedome loue and meekenesse conference of godlines to edification prouoking to loue to good workes painefull labouring in some honest trade of life to preuent the eating of the bread of idlenesse which I write not in reproach but in sobernesse and tender hearted greife declaring that which I haue seene not in a few And further to this end it may be profitably noted what degrees of grace doe appeare in such as are violently carried this way surely it is commonly seene that the more eager people are against the Ceremonies and for reformed discipline their zeale is so exercised and their affections carried to things without them as that they finde small leasure to looke into Gods kingdome within them their tongues pennes practise are carried this way together with their hearts so that they commonly neglect mercy iudgement fidelitie and loue of God mortification of sinne moderation of affections holy guidance of the tongue fruites of loue and conscience in their walking before men and are brought at last so neere vnto their practise who were taxed by our Sauiour that they can hardly escape their reproofe viz. To straine at a Gnat and swallow a Cammell Let the Brownists and such as draw neere vnto them witnesse for themselues both in their owne practise and report of faithfull witnesses and in the dismall proceedings of such fierie spirits whom Arianisme Familisme Anabaptisme Libertisme or plaine prophanenesse haue swallowed and vndone at last For it is a true maxime in Theologie That when men bestowe more zeale vpon circumstantialls or ceremonialls matter right or wrong one way or another for them or against them then they doe vpon substantialls they are vndoubtedly setled in the high way to hypocrisie Lastly this poynt will the rather appeare by the enumeration of sundrie inconueniences which are by some alleadged to arise from the prescribed Ceremonies and comparing of those euills with the euill or inconueniences which would arise from the generall doctrine and practise of suffering Depriuation by refusing to conforme Obiect The prescribed Ceremonies doe blemish the worships of God viz. the Word the Sacraments and the pure administration of them Answ But Depriuation of all preaching Ministers ouerthroweth them quite Vtrum horum Obiect The continuing in the practise of these Ceremonies will be occasion of future superstition Answ They will much more so doe when all preaching is taken away which should teach the people the true nature of them Obiect It is most expedient to reduce the Church from humane mixtures burdens to Apostolicall simplicitie and purity Answ But if it be not in the power of priuate persons shall we all giue ouer and let all alone the whole Church fall downe on the ground because we cannot doe all the good that we would Obiect The Ceremonies prescribed doe hinder the true knowledge of Christ and sincere worships of God and the maine duetie of godlinesse the mindes of ignorant people being led aside by these so that they put religion and Gods worship in them Answ How much more will the knowledge of Christ be obscured the sincere worship of God and duties of pietie bee neglected and these Ceremonies turned into will worship if the generall preaching of the Word which is our direction should be interrupted Obiect These Ceremonies are vailes and shadowes to couer Antichrist and the mysterie of iniquitie from the eyes of the people that they cannot so well discerne detest and flee from Popery as is enioyned by Gods expresse Commandement Answ Generall depriuation of Preachers is the high way not so much to hide as to bring in Antichrist againe with all his abhominations Obiect The Ceremonies doe disgrace our Church and hinder the growth thereof Answ Generall suffering of depriuation kills the Church and ouerthroweth not the growth and grace but the life and being thereof Obiect The continuing of Ceremonies doeth take away all hope of future reformation Answ The discontinuing of Preaching doeth take away the hope of the continuing of the Gospell yea the ordinarie meanes of the hope of our saluation Obiect The Ceremonies doe take from many good christians a great part of the comfort of their consciences in the seruice of God Answ Suffring depriuation taketh away the ordinary meanes of saluation and bringeth a greater discomfort in the place Obiect The Papists other enemies of godlines religion wil reioyce greatly to seevs conforme and draw neere to them Answ But will they not more reioyce to see you depriued and being emptied of Preachers will they not thinke the places fitter for their Masse-priests Obiect The Papists by those Ceremonies are shrouded are confirmed by them in superstition are occasioned by them to commit superstition they kindle in them an hope of letting Popery in againe Answ All these things are tenne times more effected by generall depriuation of the Word Obiect Very many godly mindes are vexed and grieued in their consciences at the Ceremonies in the Church much more if their Pastors doe conforme Answ But will they not be much more troubled and grieued to be vtterly depriued of them Obiect It wil be very inconuenient for the Minister to conforme in many respects Answ And in many more it will bee inconuenient for him to suffer depriuation to loose the comfort of his labour to bid farewell to his deere neighbours and hearers to bee turned with his wife and children from his house and meanes of liuing into silence contempt and beggery Thus is this second point confirmed viz. that the duty of preaching the Word is a greater
Christ and that from the reason for which Moses did permit this inconuenient precept which was the hardnesse of the Iewish nations heart Matth. 19. 8. Marke 10. 5. Also it is not lawfull for it is not good to cast away the good creatures of God which may serue for the life of man but they must bee preserued that nothing bee lost Matthew 15. 26. Iohn 6. 12. 13. yet in a case of necessitie to preserue life and preuent violent death a substantiall of the second table of greater reason Paul and the rest of his company which were in the Ship with him in danger of Shipwracke did lawfully cast with their owne handes the tackling and the wheate out of the Ship into the Sea where it was spoiled and destroyed Acts 27. 19. 38. Fourthly and lastly the substantials of the first table doe ouerrule the ceremonials of the first table which includeth the case in question It was vnlawfull in the law for the Priestes to admit or for the people to come vnto the Sacraments otherwise then as it was written though the failing was but a ceremoniall matter yet so did the people come and the Priestes admit the people in the time of Hezekias that the substantiall worship of God in the Passeouer should not bee hindred In which respect God layed not the breach of dutie to the charge of such as sought God in that Sacraments with their whole heart 2. Chron. 33. 18. 19. 20. likewise the substantiall worships of God requiring paines and labour of body such as the sacrifice of the law and other businesse to be done vpon the Sabboth meeting the precept of bodily rest vpon the Sabboth by which practise the Sabboth in respect of the rest is broken Mat. 5. 12. yet in respect of performance of the superior and substantiall worships they were blamelesse for breaking the Sabboth in the ceremoniall rest thereof The vnlawfulnesse of Iewish Ceremonies in many respects hath before appeared whereby was violated a ceremoniall circumstantiall dutie of the first Table which yet the Apostles we see did practise to further the substantials thereof namely the libertie of the Gospel and edification and peace of the Church of God By all which instances wee may see this conclusion prooued A matter euill by it selfe alone considered leaueth to be euill when a superior dutie commeth in place to ouerrule it whereby we may inferre that admitting the Ceremonies prescribed to bee euill in some sence yet in performance of a superior worke as to continue in preaching of the worke they leaue to bee a sinne Because the dutie of refusing of such like Ceremonies is a subordinate dutie to the practising of the word by preaching the one being a dutie circumstantiall the other an externall dutie substantiall Obiection To conforme to these Ceremonies prescribed is the violation of a negatiue precept now negatiue precepts doe bind ad semper and as Master Perkins saith Golden Chaine cap. 19. they bind at all times and to all times The affirmatiue bindeth at all times but not to all times A negatiue is broken by acting or doing a thing forbidden an affirmatiue is broken by omitting some dutie positiuely commanded as for example I may for a time omit preaching or prayer I am not bound continually to vse them but haue houres of omission But no sinne of adultery bowing to an idoll murther swearing prophaning of the Sabboth so neither of conforming to forbidden Ceremonies The negatiues are these Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any similitudes Exodus 20. 4. giue no offence to the Church 1. Cor. 10. 32. vse not the fashions of idolaters Leuit. 19. 27. 28. wherefore we may not neglect the refusing of Ceremonies to redeeme our dutie of preaching Answere 1 This rule is not rightly conceiued for Master Perkins saith not that all negatiues doe alway bind and in all cases so that in no case they may at any time be violated but only addeth that negatiues are of more force then affirmatiues which indeede is trew Also this rule is not generally true for these precepts were negatiue which yet were violated none but Priestes must eare sheaw bread let none of the people eate thereof not lawfull but onely for Priestes Matth. 12. 4. yet Dauid did lawfully violate it and they that were with him out of standing reason I will haue mercie not sacrifice Matthew 12. 7. thou shalt doe no worke Exodus 20. 10. yet the Priestes brake this and are blamelesse the Apostles violate it and are innocent by the former reason I will haue mercie and not sacrifice Matthew 12. 1. 2. 5. 7. In the the like case men doe lawfully feede and saue the life of their cattle Mat. 12. 11. 12. Lu. 14. 5. 6. and 13. 15. seruile labour is vsed as carrying of a bead Ioh. 5. 8. 9. 10. cast not bread to whelpes Matth. 15. 26. let nothing of Gods good creatures be lost Ioh. 6. 12. 13. yet Paul and his company doe lawfully cast away the goods in the Ship to saue their liues Acts 27. 19. 38. Let no murtherer liue let not thine eye spare a man hating and killing his neighbour Deut. 19. 11. 12. 13. Num. 35. 30. 31. 32. 33. yet Dauid suffered Ioab the murtherer of Amasa Abner Vriah all his dayes vpon this ground hee was to hard for Dauid 2. Samuel 3. 39. till after his death 1. Kings 2. 5. 6. neither was Dauid reprooued or the land plagued as it was threatned Numb 35. 33. Deut. 21. thou shalt not kill Exodus 20. 13. no not in heart or intention Matthew 5. 21. 22. yet Abraham sinned not but is commended and rewarded of God for purposing and setling himselfe to kill his onely sonne Genesis 22. 11. 16. grant no diuorce betweene man and wife for euery cause not for light cause Ab initio non fuit sic Matthew 19. 8. yet Moses is not blamed for permitting or commanding such a bill Matthew 19. 8. Deut. 24. 1. 2. but is iustified because hee did it for the hardnesse of their hearts Matthew 19. 8. Marke 10. 5. Let none bee vncircumcised after eight dayes Genesis 8. 11. 12. 13. yet for fortie yeeres there was not one circumcised Ios 5. 5. 6. 7. 9. let none legally vnsanctified be admitted to the Passeouer 2. Chron. 30. 18. Matth. 7. 6. yet in case of necessitie some were admitted and approued of God being internally sanctified 2. Chro. 30. 19. 20. hate not father mother brother sister wife life Exodus 21. 17. Pro. 20. 20. yet when Christ calleth vs to shew our loue to him and that the loue of these will not stand with our loue to Christ we must hate them indeede and testifie it by our outward practise Luke 14. 26. 33. Deut. 13. 6. 7. 8. 9. 2. Chro. 15. 16. for the better explication of this rule and to see how farre it holdeth and how smally it concernes our case I say first that this rule holds in the duties of the first table which
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
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.
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
is contrary to the law of loue The first point is of it selfe cleere ynough without any further proofe howbeit it appeareth by these reasoÌ„s that namely it is coÌ„tray to Gods word to do any thing coÌ„trary to the law of loue First because if loue be the fulfilling of the law Ro. 13. 8. 12. theÌ„ the violatioÌ„ of this law is the violatioÌ„ of the law of God which is a sin 1. cor 16. 14. al our things must be done in loue Secondly because of the fulfilling of the law of loue according to the scrip by wel doing for the Apost saith If ye fulfil it ye do wel Iam. 2. 10. theÌ„ the violatioÌ„ of the law is euil doing which is sin Thirdly because the violation of the law of loue is a breach of the end of the coÌ„mandemeÌ„t 1. Tim. 1. 5. 6. which is a sin Fourthly because the violatioÌ„ of the law of loue is a breach of the law of loue to God Io. 3. 17. 4. 20. 21. 5. 1. therefore a sin Fiftly Because the violation hereof putteth out the infallible and true badge in vs of being ture christians * Ioh. â—3 35. 1. Ioh. 4. 7. 13. 10. 19. which is a sin Sixtly because the violatioÌ„ of this law putteth out the internall assurance of regeneratioÌ„ of being the childreÌ„ of God * that wee be translated from death to life which is a sinne The second point is also prooued thus namely That to incurre and suffer depriuation for refusing to conforme 2 Poynt is contrary to the royall law of loue The reasons are these Reason 1 First because this doctrine and practise is a greate enemy to mans saluation which is a breach of this law of loue in the highest degree Rom. 14. 15. This appeareth because it doeth by abstaining from a thing in nature indifferent such as our ceremonies are prooued to be needlesly depriue him of the ordinary meanes of his saluation which is the preaching ministry of the word of God and of the Sacraments For as things doe stand all such as doe not conforme vnto the ceremonies are to be depriued without exception Obiect A man may haue the ministry of others though some be depriued Answ Surely very hardly For where almost in any place many thousands of persons fearing God in this land enioy a preaching minister hauing lost their faithfull teachers by this doctrine of suffering depriuation for refusing conformity to our ceremonies which haue no teachers neerethem in a greate compasse and are tyed by necessitie of outward meanes that they cannot remooue their dwelling where they may enioy this ordinary meanes of their saluation Secondly this obiection is nothing to the point in hand for in that some preachers remaine for the comfort of Gods people is Gods extraordinary blessing and grace of whose mercy it is that wee are not consumed because his compassion fayles not Howbeit this is no thanke to this doctrine of suffering depriuation for indifferent ceremonies which if it might preuayle according to their minde would leaue noe preacher in England at this houre but sweepe them all away at once which I thus manifest First our Soueraigne King and the Ecclesiasticall gouernors vnder him with the whole state as appeareth by the Statutes yeat in force doe remaine resolued and vnremooued to maintaine the practise of ceremonies prescribed indifferent and that it is not a conuenient thing neither yet safe neither standing with the credit of the Church or common-wealth to remoue these things which they hold to haue bin at first with mature aduice established and this resolution of theirs experience in the losse of many woorthy preachers hath taught vs. Secondly the doctrine of suffering depriuation for inconuenient ceremonies if it bee truth as they suppose it be who haue beene for that cause depriued doth tie all Ministers alike so that if it tie the conscience of one it tieth also the conscience of another yea of a thousand besides not one excepted Wherefore no man if wee presuppose the state of things to remaine as they doe may by that doctrine without sinne conforme to redeeme his Ministery not onely at this time but not in any posteritie heereafter and so this doctrine doth vniuersally depriue all places of this Land at all times things standing as they doe of the ordinary meanes of their saluation which is the Ministery of the Word and Sacraments Obiect God blesseth the priuat meanes of priuat reading catechising instruction reproofe comfort exhortation and inuocation in the absence of the publike Answ True vnto such persons as are not cause of depriuing themselues needlesly of the publike meanes in which case I know God accepteth a man according to that he hath and not according to that he hath not But what is that to the Ministers that doe not on iust cause but needlesly suffer depriuation for refusing to conforme whereby it seemeth that they incurre the danger of two mischiefes One by needlesly suffering the light of Gods publike ordinance to be quenched they create to themselues iust feare that hee will not blesse their priuat meanes to them being guilty of the needlesse leauing of the publike The other that they may also feare least they haue done though in ignorance purpose of well doing as much as in them lay needlesly to destroy the flocke committed to their charge by denying further instruction to them and publike ordinary meanes of their saluation which they might haue with good conscience continued in to the comfort conuersion of many a soule Obiect Wee must so loue our neighbour as that wee must loue Christ aboue our deerest friends Matth. 10. 37. Luk. 14. 26. Secondly loue reioyceth in the truth not in iniquity 1. Cor. 13. 6. Thirdly wee must so loue our neighbour as that we offend not God by breaking his will Fourthly wee must so loue our neighbour as that we offend not God by violating a good conscience and breaking our peace Heb. 13. 18. Fifthly we must not doe euill that good may come thereof wherefore wee must not vse the ceremonies though wee suffer depriuation and by this practise wee breake not the law of loue but keepe it Answ First wee loue Christ when we keepe his Commaundements Ioh. 14. 21. 24. who hath commanded his Ministers to preach his Word to the worlds end Matt. 28. 19. 20. he breaketh not Christs commandement that doth practise indifferent ceremonies though in some respects accidentally inconuenient to redeeme the fulfilling of his greater duty of teaching the Gospel to the flocke which is a great argument of our loue to him Ioh. 21. 15. 16. 17. Secondly the truth is this wherein true loue reioyceth that for tender loue vnto the sheepe of Christ that Ministers must conforme and practise euen inconuenient ceremonies that the Gospell may haue a free passage which truth is proued Act. 16. 1. 3. 15. 28. 29. 21. 23. 24. 25. 26. Thirdly we breake the will of God if we neglect
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
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
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.