externall Rites to be no just cause why they should breake amity And indeed they are not no more than difference in apparell is a good reason why the children of the same father should maintaine a contention Dissonantia jejunii fidei consonantiam non tollit difference in fasting saith Irenaeus takes not away agreement in faith and In una fide nihil officit ecclesiae sanctae consuetudo diversa saith S. Gregory Outlandish Church-orders no rule to us Different Church customs bring no prejudice to their one most holy faith Nay it is good saith S. Austin that there should be this variety for this is that raiment of needle-work wherewith the Kings daughter is clothed and beautified With what warrant then doth Cartwright or any of his followers strive to bring us to out-landish customs and make a schisme from us or a faction among us for maintaining the liberty wherewith Christ hath honoured us of making and living by our owne rules Graviter peccant c. They are guilty of a great fault (c) Zanch. l. de Red. p. 765. Graviter peccant qui propter has indifferentes ceremonias turbant ecclesias damnant alios principes magistratus haeccine pietas quam jactamus haecciâ—e charitas quam debemus ecclesiâ—s fractibus saith Zanchy who for these indifferent ceremonies doe disturb the Churches and damne all other magistrates and rulers because they use their liberty in these things is this the piety which is boasted of is this the charity which we owe to the Churches of God If they want piety and charity who trouble and contest with other Churches about ceremonies much more doe they lack it who in this quarrell trouble the quiet of their owne because she will not prostrate her selfe before their Idoll and be servant to their humors Came the word of God from them or came it to them only that I may speak in the Apostles language 1 Cor. 4.36 Are they the Ioseph to whom the Sun and Moon and Stars must bow all Churches must strike sail Calvin indeed was too highly conceited of his owne invented discipline as Pigmalion of his image and having made it did give too honourable a style to it but did his friends so mightily esteem it (a) Vide Calv. ep ad Pullinger It. ep ad Tigur minist It. ep Bullinger ad Calvin Was it not opposed by his owne Senate and Citizens was not he glad for the upholding of it to beg the approbation of Bazil Zurich and other Helvetian Churches And when to gratifie him they gave it a testimony was not this the greatest praise they could afford it that those consistoricall laws of his were good ones and such as were agreeable to the word of God and might well be tolerated not such as were of necessity to be received into their or other Churches To goe no further than Beza Calvins inward friend and scholar (b) Bez. in vit Calvin He in the life of Calvin speaking of the cause why Calvin did so earnestly contend for the continuance of it saith it was Quod eam urbem videret his fraenis indigere because he saw that that City being then it seems somewhat licentious had need of such a bridle by which we see that he derived not its pedegree as high as heaven nor maintained it to be the Lords discipline nor prescribed it imperiously to other Churches Nor doe her owne divines esteem it The government for when occasions have brought them among us they have with singular respect conformed and submitted themselves in practise to our received orders Herein observing S. Austins rule which he gives in one of his Epistles (c) Aug. ep 118. ad Januar. Quod neque contra fidem c. That constitution which is neither against faith or good maners is to be reckoned of as in it selfe indifferent and to bee observed according to the company with whom we converse And againe Ad quam cunque c. To what Church soever thou shalt come follow their customs if thou meanest neither to give nor take offence Herein also imitating S. Pauls example who became all things to all men 1 Cor. 9.20 and that of S. Ambrose (d) Aug. ep ad Casulan who though in his owne Church of Milan he kept no Saturday fast yet when he came to Rome where it was the custome hee fasted as they did by that demeanour giving occasion to that proverb which hath been long in use Si fueris Romae Romano vivito more if you come to Rome live as Romans doe Our owne men are only they our English papists are the greatest admirers of Rome and the papall power because they live a great way from them and know them only in imagination which too often like a false glasse is a deceitfull representer so are our owne disciplinarians the onely men that do so much adore that Geneva platform because they never had any practicall knowledge and experience of it And it is the unhappy chance of our Church to have her bowells eaten out by her owne children whom she hath caried in her womb nursed at her breasts and fed with her favours and preferments A destiny too bad for a well-reformed nay without prejudice to other Churches be it spoken the best reformed Church in the world a Church I appeale to all Church-stories which in her reformation and government commeth neerest the pattern of pious and reverend Antiquity A government so moderate and full of respect to those elder Saints who were in Christ before us and are now triumphing in heaven while we are militant yet on earth and fighting for our Crown (a) Confer ad Hampt Court pag. 38. that a French Embassadour in the beginning of our last Kings raigne of blessed memory upon the view of our solemne service ceremonies at Canterbury and at Court gave out That if the reformed Churches in France had kept the same orders among them that we have he was assured there would have been in that countrey many thousand Protestants at that time more than there were But alas poore mother it is thy lot to be despised by thine owne sons and if there be no remedy thou must beare it Time and chance saith Salomon happeneth to all men and so it doth to all Churches (b) Hor. l. 1. Carm. Ode 24. Levius sit patientia quicquid corrigere est nefas Patience is a means to make that burden easie which must be endured without remedy And so I come to the third Consectary 3. Consectary Persons that spurne at Church-ordinances may be justly punished by Church-governours their power to make orders implies a power to censure disorders in whomsoever they finde refractary For every law supposeth in the Law-maker a power directive to make it and a power coercive to restrain transgressors of it as S. Paul implies Rom. 13.4 where speaking of the Magistrate he saith He beareth not the sword in vaine First he beareth a sword
eating the consecrated bread in the Church at the time of the holy Communion or carying it home to their houses and eating it when they thought good (x) Tert. l. de Cor. â—il c. 3. id l. 2. ad ux circa â—l of crossing themselves when they went out or came in when they arose or went to bed when they sate down to meate when they lighted candles and when they had any businesse of moment to doe Many more customs the Church had in former times which doubtlesse most of them drew their breath from some rules and constitutions established by their governours for their use Now that Ceremonies and Rites of this nature are under the Churches power to ordaine we generally grant our adversaries and what is granted by all sorts of divines cannot be called in question by any without some note either of singular ignorance or arrogancy or both And so I come to shew the reason of the point The Churches power proved by reason No Church without Rites and rules which may be thus declared No Church can consist without orders no worship without rules given and observed concerning times places manner c. These as I have shewed are not of the essence of Gods worship no more than a mans coat or skin is of the essence of a man but yet such necessary appurtenances they be that take them away and you take away all publique worship But where are these orders to be found where is this forme prescribed In Gods Word are no such ordinaÌ„ces delivered some indeed are mentioned which were given by the Apo to some particular Churches and by them observed in their sacred assemblies but they were never intended to be of perpetuall right nor for universall use nor yet mentioned directly and purposely but as the riots and disorders of particular congregations gave them occasion It was not the Apostles drift saith (a) Socrat. eccles hist l. 5. â— 21. Socrates to lay downe Canons concerning festivals and other ceremonies but to become patterns of piety and godly life Certainly the Christian Churches through all her successions should have been extreamly injurious to their first founders the Apostles in antiquating many of those mentioned Canons had they been intended for perpetuall presidents to all Churches Three things doe clearly evince that neither they nor any other forme were propounded in Scriptures to be of perpetuall right No set forme of government prescribed for or used by the Churches 1. The impossibility of making such orders or regiment as should fit all Churches in the world In the time of the Law Gods people were but one and they a small people and therefore one kinde of discipline might well enough serve their turns But now the Church is an heterogeneall body consisting of severall nations and of dispositions as different as of countries and therefore not to be yoked under the same laws and customs Civill or Ecclesiastique It is as hard to make one government to fit the Church in her severall times and countries as to make one shoo to fit all feete or one coate to serve all bodies And so saith Calvin in effect (b) Calv. Inst l. 4. c. 10. Sect. 30. Christ would not prescribe particular ceremonies to his Church because it was impossible that the same ceremonies should be agreeable to all so different nations as are in the world To the same purpose it is which Iunius speakes (c) Jun. Animadan Pell cont 1. l. 4. The Scriptures saith he containe in them all matters of doctrine belonging necessarily to faith and good life but they only set downe a generall law concerning ceremonies Let all things be done decently and in order Therefore particular Rites appertaining to the Church because they be mutable and ambulatory might well be omitted by the Spirit of God and permitted to the conveniences of the Church Secondly the impossibility of finding out such a forme is an argument against it such orders could never be found in the Scriptures at least till this last over-weening age never any could or durst determine what the Lords discipline as some call it is though many with greater passion than discretion have earnestly called for it Certainely had God intended such a thing for his Church or thought it necessary he would have set it downe so plainly for so he did the Iewish regiment which he meant they should live by that every Church without grosse ignorance might have knowne what it was But they are yet to learne what it is and will be to the worlds end Some talke of a Phoenix and of a Philosophers stone but who did ever see a Phoenix or who did ever enjoy the Philosophers stone Ab omnibus amatur tamen virgo est it hath had a great many suitors but never any husband An evident argument that these are but imaginary things And so that there is such a discipline into whose mold and by whose modell all Churches must be cast and squared considering that never any yet knew it is but a meer Chimera 3. The perpetuall variety of all Church governments doth sufficiently disprove it for if as there is one Lord one Christ one faith and one baptisme so there be one frame of government for Christs Kingdome on earth why doe not all Churches stick to this as they doe to them Scarce three Churches in the whole Christian world do jump in every thing It must follow therefore that either all the Churches of God are blinded and cannot see what lyeth before them in broad day light or which is worse that they are all too proud to submit to their masters lawes or that the conceited platforme is a very Vtopian Common-wealth Two objections removed Nor doth this argue as some more fondly than truly imagine any defect of love in God to the Church of the new Testament or of fidelity in Christ to his Father or of sufficiency in the Scriptures to direct us in our wayes Want of a set forme argues no want of love in God 1. No want of love in God to his Church now in comparison of the Iews can be hence inferred for I hope the cleare revelation of the mysteries of salvation and the abundant grace bestowed on us above the Iews may more truly shew the exuberancy of Gods affection to us in comparison of them than their prescribed platforme which wee want his care of them more than of us The Philosopher accused nature to be a stepdaâ—e to man and a kinde mother to other creatures because these bring their coats upon their backs into the world and are quickly made able to shift for themselves whereas men come naked in and are faine to depend long upon others for their sustenance A simple accusation Because the reasonable nature wherewith men are beautified and their dominion over all creatures doe much over-ballance those defects and argue more bounty bestowed by nature on him than on them And it is a cavill no lesse
hath authority to punish as well as to prescribe Secondly he beareth it not in vain hath authority to smite with that sword and to put his power in practise upon evill doers There is one Law giver saith S. Iames cap. 4.12 who is able to save and to destroy in which words is given us by consequent to understand that it belongs to all Law-givers to doe either of these as occasion requires And the reason why they are to have this power as well as the former is because it is a back to the former without this that other would be unprofitable for (c) Morinus de cens eccles c. 2. Inermis authoritas non authoritas dicenda est sed authoritatis larva unarmed authority is rather a mask and semblance of authority than authority indeed Into all creatures God hath put two faculties 1. A concupiscible by which they are caryed to seek out whatsoever things are needfull for their preservation 2. An Irascible by which they are inabled ad omnia contraria eliminanda to expell by slight or resistance at least in endeavour whatsoever threatens their destruction And without this last the former would not be sufficient to keep the creature in being Answerable to this there is in governours a concupiscible faculty of making good orders for the maintenance of that body wherof themselves are a part and an Irascible of resisting and executing vengeance on such irregular persons men of Belial as assault that body those orders and without this that other of making laws is not only weak and of little use but oft times a snare to law-makers who otherwise would be like the log in the fable fabula vulgi a scorne to the rude unruly multitude But lest some may think that this last power is peculiar to the civill magistrate A coactive power necessary to Chu governours and belongs not to Bishops and governours of the Church their Canons being but councells and their authority only to perswade as (a) V. d. Vrsin catech some of note to the disparagement of their learning doe not stick to say Par. Orat. de Q. anleges magist obligent Consc pag. 13. Cast your eyes on Timothy and Titus two Bishops of the Church S. Paul armeth them both with this double authority Command and teach saith he to Timothy 1 Tim. 4.11 There is a power directive given him Them that sin rebuke before all that the rest also may feare 1 Tim. 5.10 there is his power coactive And to Titus he saith These things speak and exhort and rebuke with all authority Tit. 2.15 Teach there is his authority to informe and direct but is this all No Rebuke too there is power to censure the disobedient But how rebuke not with weak words only for that belongs to the inferiour Clergy but with all authority that is with censures deeds even to the stopping of mouths if need be as we may see Tit. 1.11 Nor doth S. Paul give these his Bishops any greater allowance than he knew his master would warrant for he was not ignorant of what with his owne mouth he had uttered Mat. 18.17 18. Goe tell the Church and if he neglect to heare the Church let him be unto thee as a heathen man and a publican Verily verily I say unto you whatsoever ye shall binde on earth shall be bound in heaven c. In which words 1. Our Lord erecteth a Tribunall in the Church to which offenders against the Church must be cited and by it censured Goe tell the Church 2. He ratifies and setleth it whatsoever ye binde on earth c. â—i whomsoever you cast out for neglect or contempt of that authority which I have given you shall be reputed an outcast in the kingdome of heaven and by consequent whatsoever other punishment you justly inflict shall be authorized in the highest Court by the highest judge What will you saith S. Paul 1 Cor. 4.21 shall I come unto you with a rod or in love and in the spirit of meeknesse that is will you be perswaded by faire words or shall I exercise my Iudiciall authority over you shall I punish you For as the rod of Christ signifies his authority to rule his servants and subdue his enemies and therefore is called the rod of his strength Psal 110.2 So doth the rod of S. Paul here signifie his punishing power as S. Chrysostome and S. Austin expound the place And which is a thing that should work with us this is also the doctrine of our owne Church to the truth of which wee my brethren of the Clergy have subscribed Whosoever saith the Article by his private judgement willingly and purposely doth openly breake the traditions and ceremonies of the Church which be not repugnant to the word of God and be approved by common authority ought to be rebuked openly that others may feare to doe the like as he that offendeth against the common order of the Church and hurteth the authority of the magistrate and woundeth the consciences of weak brethren And shall we not thinke that the Church hath need of this latter power as well as the common-wealth Are people so well affected to the orders of the Church that they will obey them if they be but barely propounded or at most by a few perswasions commended to their obedience Is the Church so setled by divine goodnesse that no unruly windes within her bowels can make her quake Or is the King of the Church so carelesse of his flock which he hath purchased with his owne blood that he hath given it weaker supports than Kingdomes and civill States enjoy and hath set over it shepheards indeed but yet lame ones that cannot or must not strike if there be occasion Certainly this earthly Paradise would soon be entred and wasted were not those Angels that are set to keepe the doore armed with a flaming sword of vindicative power to keep out or drive out all those that either professedly or secretly have evill will to Sion And therefore we cannot think with reason that Church-governours have the place of commanding but no power of compelling and urging obedience to their commands The Lords of the Gentiles c. no argument against the Churches primitive power But they that would have a parity in the Church and would make Church governours to be but empty Cyphers alledge the speech of our Saviour to his disciples contending among themselves for superiority Mat. 20.25 26 17. The Lords of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them and they that are great exercise authority over them but it shall not be so among you But whosoever will be great among you let him be your minister and whosoever would be chiefe among you let him be your servant c. And say that Christ here compares the world and his Church and forbids the use of that power to the Pastors of the one which belongs to the Princes of the other and that is principally a punitive and coactive
THE CHVRCHES AVTHORITY ASSERTED IN A SERMON Preached at Chelmsford at the Metropoliticall Visitation of the most Reverend Father in God VVILLIAM Lord Arch-bishop of Canterbury his Grace c. March 1. 1636. BY SAMUEL HOARD B. D. and Parson of Morton in Essex HEB 13.17 Obey them that have the rule over you and submit your selves for they watch for your soules as they that must give account that they may doe it with joy and not with griefe for that is unprofitable for you LONDON Printed by M. F. for JOHN CLARK and are to be sold at his Shop under S. Peters Church in Cornhill MDCXXXVII To the Christian and courteous Reader SO Sweet a thing is Peace that God is pleased to put it into his owne title and to style himselfe the God of Peace 1 Thes 5.23 Nay Peace and Love it selfe 1 Joh. 4.16 and to pronounce him that seekes and makes peace a blessed man Blessed are the Peace-makers Mat 5.9 But much more amiable is the peace of the Church being the principall thing that our blessed Sauiour next to mans peace with God came into the world to procure Ephes 2.15 and that which makes Gods family on earth like to the State of innocency in Paradise and of glory in heaven This peace therefore should every sonne of peace pray for Pray for the peace of Jerusalem Psal 112. and pursue with all endeavour possible as men doe their game for so the word may signifie Hob. 12.16 Follow peace with all men But what peace can be expected without unity like Hypocrates twins they decay and thrive live and die together And therefore S. Paul puts them both together Ephes 4.3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace and for the procuring of agreement in affections he conjures the Philippians by all the arguments enforcing concord among Christians to a consent of judgement 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To be of one minde Phil. 2.2 to beleeve and think the same thing And therefore it should be every mans care contrary to the custome of too many turbulent dispositions who can fish best in troubled waters and gaine most profit or respect to themselves by kindling contentions among brethren not only to marke them that cause divisions and avoide them Rom. 16.17 but fixâ— pede with a sâ—eled resolution and courage to oppose them as S. Paul did S. Peter Gal. 2. when he saw that he did not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 walk with a right foot and take a right course for the uniting of the mindes and by consequent the hearts of Jews and Gentiles As therefore it hath alwayes been my desire that we who are of the same saith might be if possible in all things of the same opinion so I thought it my duty at this time having so faire an occasion by the command of my superiours to preach the Visitation Sermon put into my hands to cast in my mite toward the purchasing of this pearle and to set one small prop under the house and Church of God in our Israel too much tottering by our mutuall dissentions and for that end to justifie the authority of our Church in requiring an uniforme subjection in judgement and practise at the hands of her children to the comely and good orders therein established and to perswade a generall good opinion of and obedience to her just authority in these things Some there be so obstinate in their error and undutifulnesse that like Solomons foâ—le though they be brayed in a morter and sufficiently convinced of their false and disorderly opinions and practises will not leave their folly others there be I hope of more teachable and tractable tempers and willing if better informed to frame their courses to more moderation and subjection Now sermons of this nature may be of use to both these to the first to take off their fig-leaves and present them naked as troublers of Israel to the deserved stroke of justice to the rest to make them peaceable members of the body wherein they live and obedient children to the heads by whom they are governed Whether I shall effect this last and best end of such discourses by preaching or printing this small peece I know not I doe not altogether despaire the former I doubt not I shall in some measure compasse at least liberabo animam meam I shall hereby discharge mine owne conscience and famam meam redeeme in some degree my reputation too Words being then most liable to envious mistakes and mis-reports when they are but taken in by the eares of some few partiall and prejudging hearers not exposed to the eyes and view of more indifferent and charitably minded Readers Bring an obedient and peaceable spirit with thee and then reade and censure as thou seest cause Sa Hoard REcensui concionem hane cui titulus est The Churches Authority asserted in qua nihil reperio quò minus summâ cum utilitato Imprimatur March 28. 1637. SA BAKER THE CHVRCHES AVTHORITIE 1 COR. 14.40 Let all things be done decently and in order OF the Devils practises against the Church The Cohaerence of the Text. which our Saviour gives notice of Mat. 13.25 while men slept the enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way the Corinthians were too true an example For no sooner had S. Paul after much paines taken to sowe the good seed of saving truth among them and to make them one of Christs cornfields departed from them to plow up other grounds to plant other Churches but the enemy of Christ and his deare Church began to sow the tares of ungodlinesse among them which as ill weeds for the most part doe sprang up apace For they became 1. Sectaries dividing themselves among Christ Apollos Paul and Cephas 1 Cor. 1.11 12. and making men the Lords of their faith and consciences which they should have captivated to Christ alone 2 They were Heretiques denying a fundamentall Article the Resurrection 3 Polluters also of Gods sacred worship and ordinances First by their base indecencies Their women sate before God with their heads uncovered and the men with their hats on 1 Cor. 11.4 5 they mingled intemperate and carousing bankets with the spirituall feast of the blessed Eucharist ver 21 their women beyond the modesty that becomes that sexe presumed to chat and talke their shares in the congregation c. 14.34 Secondly By their disorders likewise for they received not the holy Communion together but by snatches one before another came cap 11.33 they interposed unseasonable questions while their Ministers were preaching and rudely interrupted them in their discourse cap 14.29 Thirdly By their empty and unprofitable assemblies for their trumpets made an uncertaine sound they prayed in their Churches in a tongue they understood not All these were great scandalls 1 Cor. 1.11 The Apostle therefore being informed by some of Cloes family of their declined condition like a loving pastor labours to remove these tares and reduce
silly that if we be not provided for by God with a standing government in the Church as the Synagogue was Gods care of us now is nothing so great as it was at that time of them because those many things wherein by Gods bounty wee out strip them are abundantly sufficient to countervaile that defect if it be a defect But I rather take it to be an honour to be free from such a burdensome yoke of many and costly and toilsome ceremonies as was laid on their backs 2. This is no derogation neither Nor of fidelity in Christ to the fidelity of Christ to his Father If we compare him with Moses Gods servant in those times Who was faithfull in all Gods house Heb. 3.5 it is true that hee did not all the particulars that Moses did and yet he was never the lesse faithfull in his place For the fidelity of a sonne or servant is to bee measured not by the number of acts which he doth but by the conformity of his actions to his fathers or masters commands and so is our Saviours God appointed Moses to make every thing belonging to that typicall and temporary dispensation according to the pattern which he saw in the mount Heb. 8.5 and if he had not done so hee had not been faithfull And he sent his Sonne to be Our high Priest to sacrifice himselfe for the salvation of men to be a Prophet also to instruct them in all necessary truths and to be a King to protect his people in the world and to bring them at last maugre all their spirituall enemies into his glorious kingdome All these our Lord hath truly and fully done who will deny it But he never gave him in charge to prescribe externall laws for his Churches government while warfaring here on earth Nor imperfection of Scriptures 3. Nor doth this involve the Scriptures imperfection for the Scripture is an instrument and the perfection of an instrument is only relative We doe not say that a pen or an axe is naught because they cannot doe all things if a pen can write well and an axe cut well we take them for perfect and good So wee must not say that Gods word is insufficient if it reveale and prescribe not whatsoever we imagine it should if it be able to make us wise to salvation and compleatly furnisht to every good work for which use and end only it was given 2 Tim. 3.16 17. it must needs be granted that it is full and perfect though it teach us not how the Church should be governed otherwise than by generall rules these in my text and such other It is with the Scriptures as with nature Non deficiunt in necessariis nec abundant in superfluis They are neither defective in necessaries nor excessive in superfluous things such as this is This passage I meane to close up with the Testimony of Beza in his Epistle to Bishop Grindall Bez ep 8 ad Grindall ep Lond. Proved by a Testimony of Beza where first he mentions two sorts of men one that would have all orders that had been of use in the Apostles times brought back into the Church and observed and whatsoever succeeding ages have added to them abolished the other sort would have old Rites of use in the Church after the Apostles times to be retainâ—d as either necessary or profitable or for unities sake And then saith Quod ad me attinet c. As for my part that the doctrine of the Apostles was exact and perfect I make no question but I am of another opinion concerning Rites For first it is certaine that the Churches every day increasing the Apostles could not ordaine whatsoever they held expedient and therefore in their making of orders they proceeded by degrees as by the institution of Deacons it appeares tolerating for a while even many Iudaicall Rites as we may see in the history of their Acts. Secondly who seeth not that in their externall constitutions they had very great respect to the present times places and persons So that it is not probable that the same Rites were used in all places as is evident enough by that famous Epistle of Irenaeus to Victor Besides some of their ordinances those love feasts for example necessity it selfe abolished Therefore whatsoever was done by the Apostles concerning ceremonies is not in my conceit either presently or absolutely to be made a rule And I doe not wonder that the ancient Pastors of the Church having respect to their owne times did antiquate some of those first injunctions and set up new ones in their roome Their fault was that by their leave I may speake what I thinke that they held not a meane in the number of their Rites nor had so much regard to Christian simplicity and purity as was meet In this discourse of his Beza 1. delivereth his judgement plainly that there is no forme of government left us by the Apostles incompatible with additions or detractioÌ„s 2. He proves his opinion by divers arguments 1 from its impossibility the Church was then in motu non statu in motion not in its full perfit state and they were forced to proceed by degrees in their constitutions answerable to the increase of the Church and the tempers of such people as were made the Church 2 from the abrogation of Apostolique Rites by the Churches as they saw cause and of some of them even by the Apostles themselves after they had ordained them 3 Lastly he concludes that the faults of Church-governours in prescribing orders have not stood in this that they passed by the Apostles and set up their owne laws but that they exceeded in the number or quality of such Rites as they introduced into their Churches Quest But perhaps it will be granted that the Church hath power to decree such Rites and ceremonies as are decent and orderly but what if the Rites decreed doe want this externall forme and qualification and are neither comely nor orderly doth not the Church then which ordaines such exceed her commission or how shall we know what ceremonies are agreeable to these rules 1. Answ Significancie or abuse no mark of indecent ceremonies If any Bishops in the Church authorize Rites not suitable to these rules they presume beyond their allowance and shall give account to God who hath set them over his family the Church 2. We must not judge of ceremonies by false rules 1 Some reject all ceremonies as uncomely that are significant and yet those holy kisses given and taken by the Primitive Christians were significations of mutuall charity the womens coverings the mens bare heads were signes of womens subjection to their husbands and the husbands subjection to Christ alone And of ceremonies saith (a) Pet. Mart in 1. Cor. 11. vid. etiam Calv. Inst l. 4. c. 10. Sect. 15 Peter Martyr those are the most laudable that are the most lively in signification 2 Some againe condemne all Rites that are or