Sic fuit ah fuit Amesius Quid funere tanto Cum grege Papali Pelagianus ovat Quid rides Hierarcha Viri nos arma tenemus Astra animam tellus ossa sed os tabula A FRESH SVIT Against HUMAN CEREMONIES IN GOD'S VVORSHIP OR A Triplication unto D. BVRGESSE HIS REJOINDER For D. MORTON The First Part. Psal. 119 113. I hate vayn inventions but thy saw doe I love Printed Anno 1633. An ADVERTYSEMENT to the Reader Occasioned by the never enough lamented death of my deare freind the Authour of this Fresh suite VNderstand Christian Reader that with the comming forth of this booke into the light the learned and famous Authour D r. Ames left the light or darknes rather of this world His name for diverse reasons not needfull here to be recited hath been hitherto concealed and that which generally was but imagined before viz. that the Repl. and this fresh suit to D. B. Rejoynder to be his work now it is certainly known to be his that none need to doubt therof It pleadeth trueth succinctly yet perspicuously and with sinewy Answeres to B.M. and D. B. poore Sophisms as indeed his veinc in all his writings and discourses did most admirably lead him to do Concerning this matter I may not keep back what I heard him speake as in the sight of God that he was in his conscience more perswaded of the evill of these reliques of Popery and monuments of that superstition then ever and yet he never had seen good in them or come from them and that moreover if D. B. or any other of them would yet be daubing with suntempered mortar and not give over to paint rotten sepulchres he was by the grace of God resolved still to maintain the cause and while he liued never let fall the uit commenced this way not that he sought victorie to himselfe no That trueth might returne out of the feild with conquest was the highest pitch of his ambition And though this worthy of the Lord be with us no more yetGod I trust who is rich in mercy and hath more then one blessing will as need shall require supply the advantage trueth had and now hath lost in the losse of this glorious instrument Together with his life God hath put an end to all his travailes wherein he shewed himself a pattern of holines a burning and a shining light and lamp of learning Arts a Champion for trueth specially while for the space of 12 yeares at least he was in the Doctors Chaire at Franequer and having foughâ— the good fight of faith whereunto he was called professed a good profession before nyamwitnesses he hath now indeed layd hold on eternall life His spirit gon to the spirits of just men and his body committed to the ground we committ his labours to thy use wherein he being dead yet speaketh and his memorie we hope shall live for ever Fare well in Christ the Fountain of all welfare To the renovvned King EDVVARD THE SIXT And so To our present Soueraigne King CHARLES his Successor IOHANNES ALASCO a Godly Learned Polonian Baron and Superintendent of the Church of strangers at London in the Epistle Dedicatory of his tractate Concerning the Sacraments printed at London An o. 1552. WEll doth that Father and vvithout doubt diserueth praise vvho having a daughter a Virgin dravvne by the guile of panders into some levvd and dishonest house and there trimmed after the vvhorish guise doth presently rescue her thence and bring her home to his ovvne house before shee be utterly spoyled But the same Father if he be vvise thinks it not enough for the safty of his daughter and the honor of his house that he hath brought her home agayne vnles he take from her vvholly vvhatsoever he knovves to be accounted in those houses a vvhorish attyre Neyther doth he inquire vvhence such attyre came first but iudgeth it dishonorable to himselfe and so unvvorthy his daughter and vvhole family that any such thing at all as strompets haue vsed for dressings in their houses should appeare in his Neyther doth hee giue eare to their persvvasions vvho beare him in hand that all things are to bee Esteemed according to the Fathers mynd in his ovvne house and so thinke that the Fathers approbation can make that honest in his ovvne house for his daughter and vvhole family vvhich in another house is most dishonest for any daughters that regard their ovvne credits ascribing so much to the Fathers prerogatiue that vvhat soever he approues must be of others vvell liked of so farre as it concernes his ovvne house For he knovves full vvell that although all those things vvhich he hath authorized in his ovvne house be there vvell thought of yet that is not enough synce the honor of his daughter and his vvhole Family must not only hee cared for vvithin his ovvne house but also throughout the vvhole Citie that he may remoue all evill suspicions from his family among all his neighbours and is heedfull that the panders haue not the least occasion left them of challenging or laying clayme to the sayd daughter as hauing some of their vvhor-house-marks upon her Even so in the Church of God as in a city Magistrates and Ministers are in place of parents having the pure and right Administration of the Sacraments committed unto them of God for to be tended and tendered as their ovvne daughter It is therfore very commendable in these parents of the church as vvee may terme them if they rescue the lavvfull pure Administration of the Sacraments from the violence and tyrany of the Romish Panders by taking it into their ovvne care and Custody But heer they ought to remember Especially they vvho are called by the holy Spirit Eminent Ministers of God and Nursing Fathers of his church I.E. Christian Kings and Monarchs that it is not enough for them thus to have brought this daughter out of the Papists stevves home into their ovvne care and keeping unles they also put of from her all that dressing vvhich they knovv to be vvhorish in the sayd stevves that no such thing may be seene vvith them vvhich may be accounted vvhorish Especially in that citty vvhere there is great Variety of judgments the ouerruling vvherof by mans Autority is not to bee expected and vvhere there are so mamy hucksters for the stevves remayning Nor let them heare the delusions of those vvho suggest that such kindes of dressing from vvhence soeuer they bee taken may bee made good honest by Authoritye For vvell they knovv they are not set ouer the vvhole church of God but only one part of it as a Family in a Citty and that therfore though they could beare out such things at home by their Authoritye yet it is their dutye as they regard publike Chastity and honesty to procure the honor of their daughter and familye not only vvithin their ovvne vvalls but alsoe throughout the vvhole citty not suffring any thing to be seene vvithin
in such dealing They vvill say all things are to be done decently in order To vvhich vve vvillingly consent but alledge agayne that vve cannot apprehend these Cerem to be necessary for order decency They as our Lords tell us it is enough for our Consciences that They esteeme them so Our Consciences tell us this is to usurp the place of God vvhat can vve say lesse then that vve vvill follovve our Consciences rather then their vvills To conclude the Rej. p. 285. maketh Circumcision lavvfull to be imposed upon the same grounds that our English Cerem stand on Novv if it should please our Prelats in a Convocation to apoynt that all English men should consent to the cutting of their fore-skins denounce vvarr upon those that should refuse this goodly Canon vvas it not a graue Accusation to lay all the mischiefes of such a vvarr upon those vvhich vvould not conforme to such a Ceremony But the vveakest must alvvayes goe to the vvall the Lamb must dye for troubling the vvater if it please the Lyon so to determine it VVe haue done vvith the disease mischeife together vvith the cause of it Vve are novv come to consider the Remedy the D r. administers vve except agaynst his dealing herein as not playne nay not profitable even by his ovvne rules 1. He deales not playnly For making the Abolishing of the Cerem by authority to be one the cheife course for cure as despayring to obtayne that he refuseth to persvvade thereunto Because forsooth to judge vvhat is most convenient to determine therof belongeth only to those vvho together vvith povver of doing vvhat they shall vvell like haue judgement to make choice of the best vvay VVhich is a vveake and a very unvvorthy conceit For. 1. D. B. cannot deny that those vvho impose urge and vvith capitall punishments inforce these Cerem upon Christs Ministers and people do therin abuse that authority vvhich they receaved for the procuring of the quietnesse peace safety of those that desire to serue God according to his vvord not for the troubling vexing scandalizing of them by opposing â—heir meere vvills in Religious affayres to mens Consciences depending vvholly and only upon Gods VVord He cannot I say deny this to be a greivous sinne of those in place yet refuseth seriously to admonish them of the same being called to giue counsell â—dvise about this very cause 2. It is to be supposed that vvorthy Ministers of the Gospell are not destitute of vvisdome and judgement concerning Religious affayres By this reason therfore D. B. might as vvell haue forborne to judge vvhat they should choose as to determine so peremptorily thereof Lastly I vvould gladly knovv of D. B. vvhether the Scriptures be not able as vvell to make Magistrates and Governoures perfect to every good vvorke as they can do Ministers vvhether either Minister or Magistrate should doe or ought to doe any thing vvhich God hath not commanded them VVhether a faythfull Minister in his office ought not to understand vvhat that vvord reveales ought not to teache all Magistrates vvhat out of the vvord he so understands If all vvhich particulars be playne undeniable it vvill appeare that it belonged to D. B. being called to giue counsell declaratively to judge determine vvhat vvas convenient to be done vvhich if he durst not declare he durst not doe his duty And that I may fasten this nayle yet more fully I thus force the conclusion VVhat ever duty of any calling the vvord teacheth that the Minister by the vvord ought to judge determine deliver Else hovv can he teach the vvholl counsell of God hovv can he giue every one his portion But the dutyes and doings if good of all Magistrates the vvord teacheth Ergo the Minister ought to judge determyne of those by the vvord so deliver them Ergo it doth not belonge to those onely vvho haue povver are in place to judge determine vvhich vvas the Doctors assertion Agayne vvhat ever God commands that and all that the Minister should teach so judge determine else the trumpet should give an uncertayne sound But vvhat ever men or Magistrates ought to doe that Christ hath commanded Both the parts of the argument are in 28. Math last v. therfore the conclusion follovves vvhat ever men or Magistrates ought to doe Ministers should teach and consequently judge and determine And as thus the Rej. dealt not playnly in his cure â—o vvhether hath be dealt profitablely in that his â—eceit is agaynst his ovvne rule as it shall appeare in â—he scanning of his defense VVhich vve except agaynst â—s insufficient in those particulars vvherin the stresse â—nd vveight of the plea lyes And those appeare in â—hree speciall obiections he makes the dynt of none of vvhich he is able to declyne The objections are pag. 12.13 the summe of them â—n short is this vvriting stirrs strife ob 2. exasperatâ—eh authority Obj. 3. hinders the remoueall of the Cerem ob 4. Heare vve novv his defense to each of these in order To the first he ansvvers in truth by deniall that this course of his is so far from stirring the fire of contention that its casting on vvater to quench â—t to this also belongs that p. 11. there is a necesâ—ity that some should speake for the cause unlesse vve shall suffer ourselues not only to be rooted â—ut of our livings but vvhich is vvorse out of the hearts of our people vvhom vve serue in the Lord. Ans bare deniall vvith-out reason yields small releife to a cause but vvhen it is contrary to the vvorâ— it self it betrayes a cause doth not defend it such is this 1. It is contrary to the vvord that staple 〈◊〉 delivered by the Apostle vvhich he setts dovvne as station shelter for the vveake in the fayth to be take them selves unto 14. Rom. 1. vvhere the 〈◊〉 toleration of those vvho are vveake in the practiseâ— things indifferent is ever the ground of contention disturbance in the Church And therfore this courâ—â— of forbearance he inferrs 19. v. as the vvay to follow peace sence teacheth it also vvhen a company of passengers are confined to one vvay to passe or one door to enter it causeth them to croud jussle 2. This Deniall is contrary to the Doctors ovvâ— doctryne delivered in 3. pag. vvhere it s granted by him and proved by the experience of threscoâ— yeares that opposition begetts opposition thâ—â— vvhich vvas giuen to stirr the humor did only sharpen it Putt vve novv the case to the Colledgâ— of Phisitions nay let D.B. himself be judge Is it rationall course Or like to vvork a cure that vvhâ—â— the body hath beene distempered many moneths vvitâ— phisick vve should still continue the same receiteâ— And its marvellous to see hovv conviction vvrests truth from a man even agaynst his ovvne passion purpose vveigh these tvvo passages see if
which was against Popish Recusancie of our Communion-booke and not against refusall of some few ceremonies contained therein I speake now of the Statute Law not of lawlesse canoÌ„s Or what if wee should stand upon that interpretation which fetcheth the obligation from the weight of the matter imposed which in our ceremonies is very little Some of these I am â—ure the Bishops must flye if they will defend their disuse of the Crosiers slaffe which they are bound by our lawes as well to use as the Ministers are surplusses But all this is needlesse because there can be no contempt in a conscionable forbearance of unlawfull impositions such as the ceremonies are sufficiently proved to be SECT XII HEre certaine Divines are brought in witnessing 1. that superstitions doe depâ—ive men of Christian liberty which we deny not but take their testimonies as making against our ceremonies because as I haue formerly shewed some of these superstitious opinions are inseparable from the imposing and using of them 2. That Christian liberty doth not consist in the use or disuse of things indifferent which we also willingly grant But I would haue the Defendant remember that all freedome is not in the minde conscience For where the minde is free the body may be bound else Christians should not taste so much of this worlds misery as they doe Now Christ hath left unto us not onely an inward liberty of minde and conscience but also an outward freedom of our bodies and outward man from such bodily rites in his worship as have not his stampe upon them and his Spirit and blessing promised unto them Of this the Defendant saith nothing at all Sect. XIII XIIII COncerning the profession of our Church so often brought in enough hath beene said before now it sufficeth to answer that no profession whatsoever can make humaine significant Ceremonies in Gods worship agree with Christian liberty As for superstition which the Defendant doth now the second time most ridiculously object I have answered in the beginning of this Confutation Now onely I note 1. how loosely he describeth that superstition which he calleth affirmative as if no man could use any thing superstitiously except he did hold that without it the faith of Christianity or the true worship of God could not possible consist Never was there such a description given by any man that considered what he said 2. How manfully he concludeth our negative superstition upon this ground that Christ hath left these ceremonies free which is the maine quaestion betwixt him and us 3. How he mis-reporteth our opinion in saying absolutely that wee hold a Surplice to have unholinesse and polluâ—ion in it whereas we hold that it is onely made more unfitt for Gods service then it was before through idolatrous abuse but yet unto other uses it may be applyed 4. That in stead of Scripture he bringeth forth the universall practise of men in the Church which yet hath beene formerly also refuted 5. That he can finde no Divine that calleth opposing of Ceremonies superstition but onely M. Calvin in one place speaking rhetorically as he useth to doe and not intending any definition or distributioÌ„ of that vice 6. How he corrupteth P. Martyrs words to have some colour for a new accusation P. Martyr taking there upon him the person of an adversarie unto Hoopers opinion with whom notwithstanding afterward he consented and recalled the counsell which then he gave as appeareth pag. 1125. saith that if we should refuse all things that the Papists used we should bring the church into servitude which assertion is most true because the Papists abused many necessary things even Christs own Ordinances the observing of which is liberty Now the Def. would have that precisely understood and that in the rigour of every word concerning the Surplice I have here subjoyned apart an Epistle of Zanchius who otherwaies was somewhat favourable to Bishops wherein the Reader may see his judgement concerning superstitious garments To the most renowmed Queene ELYZABETH Defendresse of the Christian Religion and most mighty Queene of England France and Ireland H. Zanchius sendeth greeting MOST gracious most Christian Queene we have not without great griefe understood that the fire of contention about certaine garments which we thought had beene quenched long agone is now againe to the incredible offence of the godly as it were raised from hell and kindled a fresh in your Majesties Kingdome and that the occasion of this fire is because your most gracious Majesty being perswaded by some otherwise great men and carried with a zeal but certainly not according to knowledge to retaine unity in religion hath now more then ever before resolved and decreed yea doth will and command that all †Zanchius it is like was misinformed for Bishops have bin the chief devisers and advisers Bishops and Ministers of the Churches shall in divine service putt on the white and linnen garments which the Popish Priests use now in Poperie yea that it is to be feared least this fire be so kindled and cast its flame so farre and wide that all the Churches of that most large and mighty kingdome to the perpetuall disgrace of your most renowned Majesty be sett on a flaming fire seeing the most part of the Bishops men greatly renowmed for all kinde of learning and godlines had rather leave their office and place in the Church then against their owne conscience admit of such garments or at the least signes of Idolatry and Popish superstition and so defile themselves wiâ—h them and give offence to the weak by their example Now what other thing will this be then by retaining of these garments to destroy the whole body of the Church For without doubt that is Satans intent by casting a seed of dissentions amongst the Bishops And that hee aimed at the infancie of the Church by stirring up discord betweene the East and West Churches about the Passover and other Ceremonies of that kind Therfore Irenaeus Bishop of Lions had just cause in his Epistle sent out of France to Rome sharply to reprove Victor the Pope of Rome because he out of a kind of zeale but not according to knowledge was minded to excommunicate all the Churches of Asia because they celebrated not the Passeover just at the same time as they at Rome did For this was nothing but by an unseasonable desire to retaine the same Ceremonies in all Churches to rent and teare a peeces the unity of the Churches I therefore so soone as I heard that so great a ruine hanged over the Church of Christ in that kingdome presently in respect of that dutie which I owe to the Church of Christ to your gracious Majesty and to that whole kingdom intended to write thither and to try by my uttermost endevor whether so great a mischiefe might possibly be withstood some that feare Christ and wish well to your Majesty exhorting me to the performance of this duty But when I had scarcely