is set downe if wee make not the Law the rule of our obedience and conscience but our owne priuate opinions and conceits then must we with the Anabaptists disproue and condemne all sorts of Gouernment and liue like lawlesse Libertines euery man following his owne conceite whereunto it is certaine the peruersenesse of our nature carryes vs that is alwayes prone to rebellion and therefore easily drawne thereto with any shew of reason pretext of conscience and religion which the Penner of this pestilent Pamphlet considering intends with Lyes Calumnies Falshoods craftie Cauillations Threatnings and Terrours of Oathes Promises and Subscriptions to deceiue the simple stirre vp the Seditious confirme the Rebellious to beare down the Truth his Maiesties Authority the Power of the Church and all that loue Order follow after peace To obuiate this his seditious and malicious purpose it was not onely expedient but necessary that this answere should bee made which by the grace of God shall giue such satisfaction to all good and vpright hearted men as they shall preferre the iudgement determination and lawfull Constitutions of the Church to the singularitie of their owne and other priuate mens opinions order to confusion peace to contention and vnitie to schisme aswell for the feare of God who hath giuen power to his Church to set downe Lawes for order and decencie and hath commanded vs to submit our selues thereto as for obedience to the sacred will of our most gracious Souereigne at whose instant and earnest desire these Articles being found lawfull were concluded and are now commanded to bee practised When Dauid would haue gone out against Absalon hee was stayed by the people who esteemed his life more worth then a thousand of theirs So should euery good Christian esteeme of the loue and fauour of the Prince towards the Church Salomon sayes that the wrath of a King is the Messenger of Death and like to the roring of a Lion which a Wiseman will pacifie and not prouoke and that his fauour is as the cloud of the latter raine and as the dew vpon the grasse The truth of this is manifest in the Stories of the Church what comfort the fauour of Constantine the Great did giue to the Christian Church may be seene by the barbarous and cruell persecutions of the Emperours that went before The euils troubles and calamities that the Church of England endured in the dayes of Queene Marie declared what benefit they enioyed by King Edward her Predecessor and Queene Elizabeth her Successor The beastly crueltie and massacres vsed in France vnder the Gouernment of the Predecessors of Henrie the Great hath made manifest to the World what wracke and misery the discontentment and offence of Princes and how great blessing and felicity their loue and fauour produces to the Church of God within their Dominions What need wee to goe further then the Scriptures for examples to this purpose therein wee see that as the Church decayed vnder wicked and idolatrous Gouernours so did it euer reuiue and flourish vnder religious and godly Kings We stand much vpon the offence of people and esteeme greatly of their fauour wherein I will not say we doe euill but should wee put their fauour and offence in ballance with the fauour and offence of him whom God hath annointed and appointed to be the nursing Father of this Church In whose loue we haue found by experience and daily findes greater benefite and good for the aduancement of true Religion then can bee expected from many thousands of our best Professors let be at their hands who in Religion like nothing well but contention whereby they make their aduantage one way or other as they are inclined delighting to fish as the Prouerbe is in troubled waters It is often obiected that the chiefe cause of our yeelding at Perth to the fiue Articles was the respect we had to the fauour of the Prince and the feare of his wrath against my selfe in particular it is falsly obiected by the penner of this Pamphlet that I confessed we had neither Reason Scripture nor Antiquitie for them yet to diuert the Kings wrath from the Church yeelding was best The truth is at that time I spake only of kneeling at the receiuing of the Communion and said no more then I haue set downe in print in that Treatise which I published for kneeling in the last words of the first Section of the first Chapter and in the first Section of the second Chapter at the beginning this was That neither Scripture Antiquitie nor Reason doe enforce any necessitie either for lying sitting standing or kneeling at the Sacrament and that all these gestures being indifferent I held it most expedient to yeeld and not to striue with our gracious Souereigne for a matter of that nature repeating this Verse Cedere maiori virtutis fama secunda est Illa grauis palma est quam minor hostis habet This I said at that time and so yet I thinke that to eschue the Prince his offence and to keep confirme and increase his loue and fauour towards the Gospell and the Church was a respect and cause great enough wherefore we should haue yeelded vnto his Maiesties desire in matters indifferent against the lawfulnesse whereof nothing hath beene or can bee obiected which is not and may not be easily answered Against the expediencie the feare of scandall was and is all that could be pretended which if wee were peaceably disposed might haue beene and yet may be very easily remoued and therefore such a seare ought neither to haue impedite our yeelding at that time nor our obedience now We are exhorted by the holy Ghost to feare God and obey the King Where obedience to the Prince may stand with Gods feare it ought to bee preferred by euery good Christian to all other respects and especially by the Pastors of the Church who should as lights goe before others both in doctrine and example chiefly when peace and vnitie may bee procured and preserued in Gods house by our obedience For vnitie wee should bee ready to lay downe our liues as well as for veritie which Dionysius Bishop of Alexandria writing to Nouatus affirmed saying Oportuerit etiam pati omnia ne scinderetur Ecclesia Dei Euseb Hist Eccles lib. 6. cap. 34. erat non inferior gloria sustinere martyrium pro eo ne scindatur Ecclesia quà m est illa ne idolis immoletur Immo secundum meam sententiam maius hoc put◠esse martyrium ibi enim vnusquisque pro sua tantùm anima in hoc verò pro omni Ecclesia martyrium sustinet That is to say It behoued thee to haue suffered all things that the Church of God should not haue been rent it had bin no lesse glorie to haue sustained martyrdome for this that the Churches vnitie might haue beene preserued then for refusing to sacrifice vnto Idols Yea in my minde this is a greater martyrdome for in that euerie man suffereth
manner and forme as followeth Answ The Libeller hath forgotten to exclude Confirmation but since it is vnderstood wee answere to the rest First That the solemne ministration of the Sacraments appointed by the Church especially the act of the assembly holden at Edinburgh Anno 1581. which forbiddeth the ministration thereof in priuate houses excludes not the ministration thereof in priuate places when as necessitie vrges cases of necessitie being euer esteemed as excepted from all ordinarie rules of policie in which the same is not expressed Secondly The obseruation of the Lords day was so appointed as it did not exclude any of the Holy dayes now concluded to be obserued except Christmas only and this our Church excluded not simply but only so farre as it was imposed vpon the consciences of men to bee obserued as a part of diuine worship without warrant of the Word as it is expresly declared in the first booke of Discipline penned by Master Iohn Knox anno 1560. both in the explication of the first head touching doctrine and the second touching the Sacraments Thirdly Sitting at the Table in the act of receiuing the Sacrament was neuer esteemed by our Church either as a necessary point of doctrine or discipline which might not be altered but onely in the iudgement of our Reformers held to be most conuenient Neither was kneeling euer excluded except by way of consequence where sitting is ordained to bee vsed in stead thereof as it is in the first booke of Discipline But neither in that booke nor in the second which was approued by the generall Assembly holden anno 1581. nor by any Ciuill Law or Ecclesiasticall Canon was kneeling condemned or excluded as vnlawfull in the act of receiuing the holy Sacrament This shall suffice for the Articles in generall Now we come to the fiue Obligations whereby our Church as yee alledge is bound The summe of that which yee say is shortly and truely this PP The Obligatious whereby wee are bound to exclude the Conclusions of the Assembly at Perth and to obey defend and maintaine the contrary are first The vniforme iudgement of the Church condemning the one and allowing the other Secondly Ecclesiasticall Canons publike confessions and solemne protestations of lawful assemblies Thirdly actes of Parliament ratifying the Constitutions of the Cnurch Fourthly The prescription of 59. yeares and fiftly the Oath and subscriptions of the whole Estates of the Realme By all these bands the Church in generall and euery member thereof in particular are obliged to sit at the Communion and to reiect kneeling with the obseruation of the fiue Holy dayes and other things concluded in the Assembly at Perth ANS Yee are n̄ot able to produce any warrant for the vniforme iudgement of the Church nor Canon of Assembly nor act of Parliament nor confession of faith nor publike protestation which either condemnes the points concluded at Perth as vnlawfull to bee vsed in the worship of God or establisheth the contrary as things necessary that cannot be altered in no time succeeding And as for your 59. yeares practise it cannot change the uature of things indifferent and make these formes and circumstances which are of themselues alterable become necessary and vnchangeable yea by the contrary the prescription of a long time giues iust cause often of alteration because either the things practised which at the beginning were profitable become hurtfull or that which was conuenient in the time preceding becommeth inconuenient or because the same things are abused to superslition and prophanenesse or because an opinion is bred by long custome of necessitie This I make manifest by the one and twentieth article of the Coufession of our faith confirmed in the first Parliament holden by his Maiesty anno 1567. Decemb. 15. which ye affirme your selfe to haue sworne and subscribed The words of the article are these about the end thereof The other end of generall Councels was for good policie to bee constituted and obserued in the Church whereas in the house of God it becommeth all things to be done decently and in order not that wee thinke that any policie and order in ceremonies can be appointed for all ages times and places for as Ceremonies such as men haue deuised are but temporall so may and ought they to bee changed when they rather foster superstition then that they edisie the Church vsing the same Likewise in the seuenth chapter of the second booke of Discipline registred amongst the acts of the generall Assembly anno 1581. we haue two conclusions to the same purpose set downe in these words The finall end of all Assemblies is first to keepe the Religion and Doctrine in puritie without error and corruption Next to keepe comlinesse and good order in the Church For this orders cause they may make cortaine rules and constitutions pertaining to the good behaniour of all the members of the Church in their vocation Secondly they haue power also to abrogate and abolish all statutes and ordinances concerning Ecclesiasticall matters that are found noysome or vnprofitable or agree not with the time or are abused by the people Hereby it is euident that seeing the matters controuerted are but matters of circumstance forme and ceremony as afterwards shall be proued that neither the Church in generall nor any member thereof in particular did or might lawfully binde themselues by oath subseription or any other obligation not to change or alter their practise and customes touching these things for all they that subscribe the Consession of faith and the second booke of Discipline did sweare that they thought these things should and might be altered when necessitie required This answere being made to the first foure Obligations we come to the Oath about which yee spend many words and before yee begin moue the question following PP Quaritur if one or moe Preachers or Professours in the Church of Scotland standing to the Churches former iudgement and able to defend the same by good reason at least seeing no warrant in the contrary may dispense with the said Oath and follow the pluralitie of Preachers and Professors dispensing with the same in the Assembly Or what power may compell the alteration of iudgement and loose the said Oath in any case aforesaid ANS The former iudgement of our Church whereunto wee did binde our selues by our oathes was that no policie nor order in ceremonies could be appointed for all ages times and places and that the same might and ought to bee changed vpon great causes and weightie reasons as is euident by the former answere To this iudgement of the Church the Assembly at Perth adhered and according thereto altered some customes touching circumstantiall ceremonies formerly vsed in the Church vpon good and great reasons neither did that Assembly loose the said Oath or dispense with it in any sort but hath confirmed it by their owne practise Wherefore I answere That euery Preacher and Professor in our Church should stand to the former iudgement thereof whereunto
so it is that sitting at the Table in the acte of receiuing hath bin established by Lawes Customes long prescription of time and confirmed by oathes and subscriptions as is euident by the former deduction It is notwithstanding expedient to descend further in opening vp the vnlawfulnesse of kneeling First as it is a breach of the Institution Secondly as it is a breach of the second Commandement Thirdly as it is without the example and practise of the ancient Church Fourthly as it disagrees from the practise of the Reformed Churches ANS After yee haue laid downe your grounds some for sitting and some against kneeling yee subioyne the tenor of the acte concluded at Perth but most corruptly as we haue noted in the margine and then yee forme this argument That which hath been established by so many lawes Ciuill and Ecclesiasticall by so long custome and prescription of time and confirmed by oathes and subscriptions we may not lawfully alter But so it is that sitting at Table in the acte of receiuing hath beene established by lawes customes long prescription of time and confirmed by oathes and subscriptions A man that had heard the proposition only would expect some great matter in the assumption belonging to some article of Faith or precept of obedience set downe in Gods Word and all resolues in an indifferent ceremonie of sitting at the Sacrament But yet to make simple people beleeue that it were some necessary or substantiall point of Religion that might not be altered ye make a great shew of lawes customes c which being examined shall vanish as smoake before the winde And where yee beginne with a strong alleageance that it was established with so many lawes Ciuill and Ecclesiasticall I aske you first by what Ciuill lawes Yee say so many yet in your deduction whereby you affirme the assumption to be euident yee cite not one law neither can yee albeit yee are not ashamed to say so many For your Ecclesiasticall lawes yee cite first the words set downe in the second head of the first booke of Discipline the Table of the Lord is then rightly ministred c. These words are not a law for that booke of Discipline was neuer receiued nor confirmed either by the Ciuill or Ecclesiasticall estate some of the Nobility subscribed it but others who had the chiefe authority as Master Knox complaines in his History reiected the same calling it Deuout imaginations Next yee cite the ordinance of the generall Assembly 1562 appointing the order of Geneua to be obserued this Act cannot establish your sitting for in Geneua they stand or passe as they Receiue and sit not at Table The last Acte which yee cite in anno 1564 ordaineth Ministers in the ministration of the Sacraments to vse the order set downe in the Psalme book In that Act there is no mention of sitting and by the order set downe in the Psalme bookes that may be meant which before was called the order of Geneua How soeuer it be there is no particular law for sitting no Ciuil law at all and none Ecclesiasticall but this onely one which is generall Your second probation is That sitting is established by so long a custome and prescription of time Who would not when he heares so long looke at least for a three or foure hundred yeares and all this length of time yee can alledge to is since the yeare of God 1560 not halfe an age before which time kneeling was in vse many hundred yeares on the Lords day and on other dayes in the weeke euer since the first Institution as afterwards shall be proued with better reasons then any yee can bring for the necessity of sitting This long custome and prescription for kneeling yee esteeme to be of no moment albeit it was a gesture instituted by God but for sitting a gesture instituted by man yee count eight and fifty yeares a long prescription So men esteeme their owne Dwarfes to be Giants Nostrum sic nanum Atlanta vocamus The last argument wherein yee glory most is that sitting is confirmed by oathes and subscriptions This is a childish and false alledgeance for there was neuer oath nor subscription giuen in our Church that by any consequence can import a confirmation of sitting or of any other indifferent alterable ceremonie for all times following Seeing no man is astricted longer vnto the obseruatiō of it then the Ecclesiasticall Constitution stands which being altered by the Church that made it their oath and subscription bindes them to obserue that which in stead of the former is ordained to be receiued This is manifest by the Constitutions set downe in the seuenteenth chapter of the booke of Discipline receiued and confirmed in the generall Assembly holden at Glasgow the 24. of Aprill anno 1581 the tenor whereof followes The finall end of all Assemblies is first to keepe the Religion and Doctrine in purity without errour or corruption Next to keepe comlinesse and good order in the Church for this orders cause they may make certaine rules and constitutions pertaining to the good behauiour of all the members of the Church in their owne vocation They haue power also to abrogate and abolish all statutes and ordinances concerning Ecclesiasticall matters that are found noysome and vnprofitable and agree not with the time or are abused by the people And after a few words it is subioyned That it appertaines to the Presbyteries to cause the Ordinances made by the Assemblies Prouinciall and generall to be kept and put in execution Hereby it is manifest that when the Church alters indifferent thing in policie that they who are astricted by their oathes to obey the Discipline of the Church are tyed both not to practise these things which the Church hath discharged and to obserue these things which the Church in stead thereof hath established to be done Whereupon I conclude That so many as haue sworne and subscribed after the forme contained in the Oath to continue in the obedience of the Discipline of the Church are all obliged by their subscriptions now not to sit but to kneele at the Communion because the Church hath found it meete that sitting should bee interchanged with kneeling Thus I haue answered your reasons lawes customes subscriptions and oathes which yee bring for sitting I come to consider the ordinances made as ye alledge against kneeling where first yee alledge an Act made in the Assembly 1591 that an Article should bee formed and presented vnto his Maiesty and the Estates for order to be taken with them who giue or receiue the Sacraments after the Papistical manner but by Papistical maner is meante the giuing of the Sacrament by a Masse Priest and the receiuing the same after the order of the Romane Church which may be cleared by an Act of the Assembly anno 1565. Decemb. 26. Sess 2. The tenor wherof is this Persons reuolting from the profession of the Gospell by offering their children to be baptized after the Papisticall maner
A TREATISE OF THE CEREMONIES OF THE CHVRCH VVherein the points in question Concerning Baptisme kneeling at the Sacrament Confirmation Festiuities c. Are plainly handled and manifested to be lawfull as they are now vsed in the Church of ENGLAND Whereunto is added a Sermon preached by a Reuerend Bishop 1. Cor. 11.16 But if any man seeme to be contentious c. LONDON Printed for Ralphe Rounthwaite and are to be solde at his shop at the signe of the Golden Lyon in Paules Church-yard 1625. TO THE REVEREND AND GODLY BRETHREN The PASTORS and MINISTERS of the Church of SCOTLAND AS in our Church blessed be God touching the truth of Doctrine there is no controuersie so there is no doubt deare brethren but in the controuerted points of Policie wee would soone agree if wee did consider what is the power of the Church in these matters the extent of her power and the obedience that is due thereto therefore concerning these I haue thought meet to 〈◊〉 this short Preface vnto you Albeit all things necessarie to the worship of God The power of the Church and mans saluation bee eyther expressely or by necessarie consequence contayned in the written Word yet the particular circumstances of persons by whom place where time when and of the forme and order how the worship and worke of the Ministrie should be performed are neither expressely nor by necessarie consequence set downe in the Word but for determination of these some generall rules are giuen according to the which the Church hath power to define whatsoeuer is most expedient to be obserued and done for the honour of God The power of the Christian Church in electing Pastors and edification This is a prerogatiue wherein the Christian Church differs from the Iewish Synagogue as is manifest in euery one of the particulars aboue expressed First as touching the persons in the Iewish Church they who were imployed in the Ministrie were particularly designed to bee Leuies Tribe Numb cap. 3. 1. Tim. 3. In the Christians Church neither Family Nation nor People is separated for the worke of the Gospell but the qualities graces and gifts of men meete for the sacred seruice are onely set downe and it is in the power of the Church to trie the persons particularly in whom these graces and gifts are and accordingly to elect them And albeit the function wherevnto they are called be diuine yet the bounds within which and the persons towards whom the same must be exercised is limited by the Church which hath diuided national Churches in Prouinces Dioceses and Dioceses in Parishes so as both the election of Ministers and the limitation of their jurisdiction is from the power of the Church This the Apostle calls the measure of the Canon 2. Cor. 10. which God did measure out to him beyond the which he did not reach in his Apostleship and such a rule and measure should euery Pastor in the Church haue beyond the which hee ought not to passe entering vpon other mens labour As the Apostles had their measure distributed to them by God so now euerie Pastor hath his bounds designed by the Church Secondly vnder the Law Their power in consecrating places Act. 15.21 albeit the Iewish Church had libertie to build Synagogues for their ordinarie meetings on the Sabbath to prayer and reading of the Law yet the place where the chiefe and solemne worship of God was performed was first the Tabernacle and the Temple both built by Gods owne speciall direction Deut. 12.4 and hauing the principall parts of his worshippe so appropriated to them that in another place the same might not be performed But as vnder the Gospel men shall neither worship God in this mountaine saies our Sauiour nor in Ierusalem but the true worshippers shall worship him in truth and spirit the Christian Church hath power according to that Apostolicall Rule 1. Cor. 14.40 Let all things be done decently and in order to make choice of a place conuenient within the bounds of each Parish for the meeting of the faithfull to performe all the points and parts of Gods worship and this place being built and dedicated to the worship of God may not bee condemned neglected nor profaned but frequented and kept for religious vses Not that wee esteeme that there is any more holinesse in it then in another place or that Gods presence and so his worship is annexed more to that place then to another but to the end religious Seruice may be performed decently and in order this is done Thirdly The power of the Church in appointing times to Gods worship Leuit. 23. vnder the Law the chiefe parts of Gods worship were astricted to certaine set times festiuities lawfully could not be performed on other daies but vnder the Gospel omnis dies Domini est omnis hora omne teÌ„pus habile est diuinocultui as Tertul. in his book de Baptismo witnesseth and Esay prophecied in his 66.23 From one Sabbath to another and from one New-moon to another shal all flesh appeare before me saith the Lord. Thus the Apostles ceassed not to teach daily in the Temple Act. 5. Act. 19. from house to house the Doctrine of Christ S. Paul taught in the Schoole of one Tyrannus for the space of 2. yeres daily and as one of the Greeke Editions hath it from the fifth houre to the tenth On the Iewish Sabbath Act. 13.14 Epitom de â—â—â—e Catholica which is our Saturday he taught often in the Iewish Synagogues And Epiphanius records that Christians kept their conuentions on Wednesday Friday and Sonday by Apostolical tradition and example Epist ad Ianuar. 118. S. Augustine affirmes That in his time men receiued the Sacrament euerie day Our owne Church besides the Lords day hath appointed other houres and times for diuine Seruice in great Townes as houres for Morning and Euening Prayer euery day for Preaching and interpretation of Scripture such other times as they hold to bee conuenient Thus is it manifest that the Church hath power to appoint other set times besides the Lords day for his seruice as wel by the liberty which God hath giueÌ„ to his Church to come and worship before him euery day as by the practise of the Apostolicall and Primitiue Churches Yea further the Church hath power to appoint religious exercises and certaine speciall parts of diuine Seruice to be performed in the times which shee thinkes most expedient for edification So hath our Church bin accustomed to appoint particular Scriptures to be interpreted vpon the daies so called of Exercise and by the first Booke of Discipline euery Pastor is ordained to teach in his Congregation on the Sondaies at afternoones certaine heads of the Catechisme Likewise to minister the Sacrament of the Communion vpon the first Sondaies of March Iune Septemb. December It was the custom of the Church of Geneua Caluin 361. Epist in the daies of I. Caluin
our glorification hereafter as is manifest by the words of the holy Ghost Exod. 31.13 It shall be a signe betweene me and you that I the Lord doe sanctifie you and that of the fourth to the Hebrewes A rest is left to the people of God wherein we should studie to enter For this wee must hold that whatsoeuer vse vnder the Law was proper to the Iewes Sabbath wherein now vnder the Gospell both Iew and Gentile haue interest remaynes yet proper to the Lords Day that succeeded thereto And in that respect this Day differs from all other Dayes being obserued not for policie and order only but for diuine institution and the religious vse whereunto it is appropriate that is to bee a memoriall First of the Creation as hath beene said because after our sixe dayes worke we rest on it being the seuenth as God did from the workes of the Creation Secondly of the Redemption because on it the Lord arose and perfected that worke and thirdly to be a signe of our sanctification namely that God who hath chosen and sanctified vs to be his people and whom we worship is God the Creator who in sixe dayes created the World and rested the seuenth and God the Redeemer who rose on this Day and hauing abolished sinne and death did bring in righteousnesse and life and God the holy Ghost by whose power hee did rise and by whose power we hope also to be raised againe Vnto this holy and religious vse this Day is appropriated whereunto no other Day besides can bee applyed That to conclude the Church hath power to appoint times for the publike worship of God and to appoint such a kind of worship as shee thinketh most expedient to bee vsed on these times for edification although shee hath no power to make the obseruation of any time a point of Gods worship or to appropriate thereto any part of his worship Finally to end this point of the power of the Church when the people are conuened in the ordinarie place and at the times appointed the Scripture hath not set downe whereat the Pastour should beginne how hee should proceed and wherewith hee should close vp this Seruice as whether hee should beginne with singing of Psalmes or praying or reading or preaching and when hee prayes with what petition he shall beginne what he shall subioyne next and so forth what order he shall obserue in baptizing and celebration of the Supper in Marriage in censuring of notorious offenders by Excommunication in Absolution and to bee short in all such other points of Doctrine Discipline and Diuine Seruice there is nothing particularly prescribed Although the substance of all be in the Word yet the order disposition forme and manner are left to be determined by the Church Many of which points are of farre greater moment then any of the Articles concluded at Perth Thus much for the power of the Church We come now to the extent of this power It is certaine that this power cannot reach to any thing essentiall or materiall in the worship of God but to the decencie The Church hath power to determine generall circumstances necessary for Gods worship and order only which is to bee obserued for edification in the circumstances aboue specified Let all things bee done decently and in order saith the Apostle The things themselues that are to be done are partly specified in that same Chapter where this rule is giuen and in the word else-where they are fully and particularly expressed and not left to be prescribed according to the will and iudgement of the Church but by this Precept a power is giuen only to the Church to prescribe the decent manner forme and order how they should be done And so to determine the circumstances which are in the generall necessary to bee vsed in diuine worship but not particularly defined in the Word So by warrant of this Precept the Church hath no power to forme new Articles of Faith new Precepts of Obedience new Petitions of Prayer new Sacraments or new Rites and Ceremonies such as Salt Oyle Spittle Chrisme Ashes holy Water Lights and innumerable such other things which cannot be reduced to any circumstances that in the generall are of necessary vse wherein the Church of Rome abusing her libertie hath laid vpon the Christian Church a burthen of Rites no lesse intollerable then the Legall Ceremonies yea and haue imposed them to bee obserued not onely as things belonging to policie and order but as parts of diuine worship which we of the reformed Church reiect esteeming all that to bee will worship which men impose to be obserued as necessarie points of the seruice of God which himselfe hath ordayned in his Word Further The Lawes that the Church makes in their matters are alterable because the Ceremonies and circumstances left to the determination of the Church cannot alwayes be one and the same by reason of the diuersity of Ages Times People and Nations touching them no constant Law can bee set downe as is acknowledged in the one and twentieth Article of the Confession of our Faith confirmed by Parliament but altered they may be and altered they should be when necessitie requires In which case Charitie sayes Caluine can best iudge what is most expedient Hanc si moderatricem patiemur salua erunt omnia The power of the Church being thus limited The obedience due to the Ordinances of the Church it is without controuersie that the Canons made by her touching the circumstances that in the generall are necessary for the worship of God ought to bee obeyed so long as they stand vnchanged or abrogated not because they contayne in them any substantiall or materiall part of Religion or that they haue in them any diuine Authoritie as the Commandements of God which in conscience bind to obedience but because in them an order is established tending to vnitie and peace whereby confusion scandall and Schisme is eschewed and because the power of the Church whereby these Lawes are made is the Ordinance of God and confirmed by the authoritie of his Word commanding vs to obey them that are set ouer vs in the Lord the Canons of the Church must be obeyed for reuerence of the Ordinance and Commandement of God which is the onely direct and immediate obiect of our conscience and the religious band that tyes vs to the obedience of euery humane ordinance for conscience sake But because many excuse their disobedience with a pretext of conscience I will shortly set downe the rules of conscience that by the Word of God we are obliged to follow in our actions The first is whatsoeuer is commanded The rules of Conscience or forbidden in the Word expresly or by necessary consequence ought to be obeyed The next is whatsoeuer is commanded or forbidden by the Lawes and Ordinances of our Superiours Ciuill or Ecclesiastique the same if it be not contrarie to Gods Word should be obeyed by reason of his expresse
alwayes matters must first be brought to some point in the conference and thereafter proponed to the whole number who should be heard to reason of new if he listed Hereupon they resolued to fall into the dispute and first Master Iohn Carmichael brought an Argument from the custome and practice of the Church of Scotland which had beene long obserued and ought not to bee altered except the inconuenience of the present order were shewed and the desired gesture qualified to bee better It was answered that how euer the Argument held good against the motions of priuate men yet his Maiestie requiring the practice to be changed matters behoued to admit a new consideration and that because it was the Prince his Priuiledge that had the conseruation and custodie aswell of the Church as of the Common-wealth to call in question Customes and Statutes which he perceiued to breed any inconuenience in the state euen by himselfe it could not bee denyed that in a Church Assembly such as that was his Maiestie might lawfully craue an innouation of any Church Rite which hee esteemed not to be conuenient for the time From this Argument they went to another of Christ and the Disciples sitting at the first institution in discussing whereof they were brought to acknowledge the gesture not to bee of the essence of the Sacrament but alterable at the discretion of the Church Only they held the custome formerly receiued to be the better This was the proceeding of the first Conference wherein because matters could not be brought to any point continuation was made to the morrow after and they warned to meete againe at eight of the clocke in the morning The Libeller affirmes the Propositions made by them touching the order of dispute and the rest to haue beene reiected by the Moderator adding that he determined by himselfe and that the fewer Reasons proponed by the Ministers were cut off by cauilling and quarrelling at mens persons whereas a number are witnesses and can well remember that they were heard with patience to alledge what they could and answered in that which they proponed till themselues could say no more and that nothing was done but according to the custome kept in such cases in all Assemblies Wednesday the 26. of August THe Conference being met as was appointed after inuocation of the Name of God the Reasoners were desired to proceed where they had left the night before and not to trifle time with speeches of small consequence which was the effect of all the discourses the Libeller seemes to complaine of The reasoning continued from eight vnto eleuen of the clocke And when the whole Reasons proponed by the two forenamed were in the iudgement of all men satisfied others were required and had place giuen them to propone their Arguments also which was done in good order and with such modestie as could be wished It were needlesse here to repeate the seuerall Arguments and Answers seeing they are all in the Disputation subsequent at large set downe onely where the Libeller sayes That reasoning was cut off and the Article of kneeling put to voyces It is true that nothing remayning to bee said more in that head then was proponed the Archbishop desired these of the Conference to giue their iudgement in the matter reasoned They opponed that the custome was not to vote in Conference any matter before it were brought to the full Assembly but it was proued otherwise by these who had frequented the Assemblies both of old and in the latter times as likewise it was told them that these Conferences resembled the meeting of the Lords of Articles in Parliament where matters are accustomed to bee prepared and put in order before they bee proponed to the whole State And that the voting in Conference was by way of aduice onely and not to determine The power whereof belonged onely to the Assembly This being acknowledged by the whole number to bee so they offered that were present to giue their owne iudgement without preiudging the Assembly as accordingly they did The whole number some ten or eleuen excepted declaring that by the Reasons proponed or any thing else they conceiued they could not deny but a change might bee made of the gesture in receiuing the holy Sacrament and that it seemed to them conuenient for the Church to embrace the Article proponed by his Maiestie about kneeling in regard of his desire and resolution to haue the same forme here established The Libeller either forgetting himselfe or misse-informed for by the whole Narration he makes it would seeme hee was not present himselfe casts this in the after-noones Conference though the same was done in the morning but this any man may well thinke is but a light errour yet it may appeare by this how little the Narration he makes is to be regarded for he brings in the Moderator in that afternoone saying to such as conuened That the Article of kneeling was concluded by the Conference and immediately after sayes That the same was put to voyces where it is strange the Moderator should so forget himselfe as to say a thing was voted and incontinent propone the same to bee voted againe but this we will passe After the aduice concluded to bee giuen to the Assembly in this point it was thought meet that the Article presently reasoned with the other Articles proponed by his Maiestie should all of them be formed in the best and most agreeable words that could bee deuised for remouing all offence that might bee taken at the same and no aduantage giuen to the Aduersaries of the Truth and to this effect were named some graue and wise Brethren who were desired to haue the same in readinesse at foure of the clocke in the after-noone it being thought meet that the full Assembly should not meet before Thursday againe at which time all might be prepared Wednesday at after-noone ALbeit the meeting of the full Assembly was differred to the next day yet that after-noone the whole number thronging in whether that they were not aduertised of the delay or that they desired to bee present with the Conference came thither which the Archbishop perceiuing he tooke occasion to excuse the delay of meeting with them declaring how farre they had proceeded and that the Conference had committed the Articles to bee formed vnto certayne Brethren who were at that time to present them and therefore desired they should haue patience till the morrow and leaue the Conference for that time by themselues which they did How soone they were remoued these who were appointed to forme the Articles being inquired what they had done answered That they had formed the Article about kneeling but had no leisure to consider of the rest This being read which they had put in forme was well liked of and they required to haue the rest in readinesse at the time of the Assemblies meeting the next day The Libeller here remembers a word that escaped the Moderator while as they resisted so
Ecclesiae traditione neque vitae corrigendae vtilitate ad certum possunt terminum peruenire c. Tam litigiosas excitant contentiones vt nisi quod ipsi faciunt nihil rectum existiment I haue often thought with sorrow and sighing that the perturbations and offences of many weake ones come by the contentious stubbornnesse of some Brethren and by their superstitious feare who for such matters as neither by authoritie of the holy Scripture nor by the tradition of the vniuersall Church nor by vtilitie for amendment of life can be determined and brought to some certaine point stirre vp contentions that they esteeme nothing right but that which they doe themselues This is it that breaketh the bonds of kindnesse peace and loue amongst Brethren As to things indifferent it is true indeed that they become not only scandalous and morally euill as Perkins sayth but superstitious and Rites of wil-worship when they are vrged as necessary to be vsed for parts of Gods worship instituted by himselfe as ye vrge sitting at the Table in the Sacrament of the Supper or when it is vrged that they be reiected and excluded from the worship of God as simply vnlawfull and which may be vsed without breach of some diuine Ordinance as you will haue kneeling and the commemoration of Gods inestimable benefits vpon the fiue Anniuersary dayes the clebration of the Sacraments in cases of necessity in priuate places and the examination and blessing of yong Children by the Bishop in his Visitation the contentious maintenance of such points against the order of the Church can neither stand with Pietie nor Charitie nor with the Apostolicall Rules Whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne Giue no offence neither to the lew nor to the Grecian nor to the Church of God Let all things be done honestly and in order The fourth Article PP They giue way to humane inuentions and bring the wrong key of mans wit within the house of God whereby toyes and trifling Ceremonies in number and force are multiplyed as mens wits are variable to inuent Who requireth those things at your hands ANS The determination of the circumstantiall Ceremonies belonging to the formes times places and persons by whom where when and how God should bee worshipped concluded by the Assembly at Perth giue no way to humane inuention nor bring within the house of God any key but that which God hath giuen to his Church for piety and edification and for establishing of order and decencie to be vsed in his worship which things God requireth at our hands The fift Article PP The admitting of some openeth the doore to the rest the multitude of such make vs inferiour to the Iewes in two respects First Their Ceremonies were all diuine Secondly In number fewer then rituall Christians do obserue betwixt the Pasche and Pentecost Gerson complayneth Quod multitudine leuissimarum ceremoniarum vis omnis Spiritus sancti quem in nobis vigere oportuit vera pietas sit extincta that with the multitude of friuolous Ceremonies true pietie was extinguished and the force of the Spirit which ought to bee powerfull in vs. Iewell Apollog p. 116. Sed quamuis hoc neque inueniri possit c. Aug. Epist 119. Howbeit it cannot bee found how they are contrary to the faith yet they presse downe Religion it selfe with seruile burthens so that the estate of the Iewes is more tolerable who howbeit they did now acknowledge the time of their liberty are subiect notwithstanding to the burthens of the Law not to the presumptions of man Quanto magis accedit cumulo c. Confess Orthodox cap. 27. that is The more that the heape of Rites and Ceremonies in the Church increaseth the more is derogated not onely from Christian libertie but also from Christ and his faith learned graue men may like better of the single forme of Policie in our Church then of the many Ceremonies of the Church of England Epist before Basilicon Doron ANS Some Ceremonies must bee admitted otherwise neither order nor decencie can be obserued in the worship of God and the admission of such as be lawfull and profitable is not the cause of introducing vnnecessary burthens but when the Church extendeth her libertie beyond the bounds assigned thereto of order and decency and moderateth not the vse of her power according to the Apostolicall Rules of piety and charity 1. Cor. 10.31 Whatsoeuer yee doe doe all to the glory of God 1. Cor. 14.26 Let all things be done to edification Rom. 14.19 Let vs therfore follow after the things which make for peace and things wherewith one may edifie another Gal. 5.1 Stand in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made you free and be not intangled againe with the yoke of bondage When these rules are not looked to and thereby the power of the Church moderated and keeped within the limits of circumstantiall things belonging only to the manners times and places of diuine worship whereof some of necessitie must be determined and appointed to bee vsed in the worship of God vnnecessary burdens are laid vpon the Church as it was in Papistry Against this abuse the complaints of Gerson and Augustine are directed which ye shall neuer be able to apply truly against the Ceremonies determined and concluded at Perth which are all within the compasse of the Apostolicall Canons and concerne only circumstantiall things and there be farre more learned and graue men who like better of them then of our former order as after shall be cleered in the dispute The sixt Article PP Matters of that nature bring ineuitably with them disputations diuisions contentions as may be seen in all Churches where such coales of contention get entrie The Pascha of the Primitiue Church c. ANS It is not the nature of the matters but the nature of contentious persons that for such matters take occasion to make question and strife The seuenth Article PP They hinder edification for how much time and zeale shall bee spent vpon the in-bringing and establishing of these as much leisure and oportunity Satan getteth to sow and water the tares of Atheisme Schisme Popery and Dissention Consider the sentence following Let vs proceed by one rule that we may minde one thing c. ANS This is a prophetical Article easie to bee diuined by these who had already concluded by their opposition and contradiction to hinder the peaceable in-bringing therof to open a gate of dissention wherby Satan might enter to sow the tares of Schisme Atheisme and Popery in the Church yet obedient and peaceable Pastors haue in their Congregations brought in practice all these things without losse of time or trauell And Satan Schisme Atheisme and Popery had bin debarred and the work had pleasantly and profitably gone forward had the rest concurred with them according to the golden sentēces following First Let vs proceed by one rule that we may mind one thing Secondly Let vs follow the truth in
loue Thirdly Giue no place to the Deuill Fourthly Let no root of bitternesse spring vp to trouble you Fiftly Fulfill my ioy that yee bee like minded hauing the same loue being of one accord and one iudgement that nothing bee done through contention or vaine glory but that in meeknesse of minde euery man esteeme other better then himselfe Sixtly Doe all things without murmuring and reasoning The eighth Article PP They bring a sensible blot either vpon the happie memory of our godly and wise Predecessors in so farre as wee depart from that reformation so wisely brought in appointed established by them or else vpon our selues by resuming againe of dangerous superfluities without reason reiected by them for weighty and necessary causes Magnum est hoc Dei munus c. Beza Epist. to Master Knox. This is a great benefite of God that yee brought into Scotland true religion and good order the bond that retayneth doctrine at one time So I beseech and obtest that yee retayne these two together so that yee remember that if the one bee left the other cannot endure long and againe he saith Quam rectè illud quod disciplinam c. How well was that done that yee conioyned doctrine and discipline together I beseech you and obtest that yee goe forward lest it happen to you which is befallen to many that could not make a progresse hauing stumbled in the very entry Yea somtime were not willing which is most lamentable ANS Distingue tempora conciliabis Scripturas What our Predecessors did being agreeable to their times was well done and is approued of vs and by their example in these alterable ceremonies and circumstances wee should likewise conforme our selues to our times by reiecting or receiuing or of new ordayning what wee find to bee meetest for edification according to the power giuen by God to the representatiue Church both to make Constitutions for the good behauiour of all her members in their vocation as also to abrogate and abolish all Statutes and Ordinances concerning Ecclesiasticall matters that agree not with the time c. as is affirmed in the Booke of the Policy of our Church cap. 7. registred amongst the Acts of the generall Assembly Anno 1581. The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or good order of the Church of Scotland which Beza praiseth as the band whereby doctrine is preserued and which hee exhorteth to retayne carefully is the vse of this Ecclesiasticall power in censuring of manners called in the 74. Epist. Discipline and in the 79. Good order which being lost hee saith The doctrine cannot bee long preserued This hee proueth First by the nature of the thing it selfe Quis enim leges satis recte seruari nisi constitutis earum custodibus vindicibus posse sperarit Who can hope that Lawes can bee well enough kept except keepers and auengers of them bee appointed Here hee compareth the doctrine to the Lawes good order and discipline to the auengers and keepers of the Lawes Secondly hee proueth the same by experience Et ipsa saltem stuitorum Magistra experientia earum gentium exemplo docet quibus certum est hodie ob hoc ipsum potissimum erratum quod corrigi populi non sustinent Euangelium ad iudicium potius quam ad misericordiam promulgari that is Experience it selfe the Schoole-master of Fooles by the example of these Nations teacheth this wherein it is certayne this day that chiefly for this errour namely That the people will not suffer themselues to bee corrected that the Euangell is preached amongst them rather for iudgement then for mercy Here it is manifest that by the good order and discipline the points in controuersie belong not But yee no sooner heare good order or discipline commended but presently yee imagine that your table gesture of sitting at the Sacrament the abolition of Holy-dayes and celebration of the Sacrament in priuate places in cases of necessitie c. are meant as if without these Ceremonies and obseruations the doctrine could not bee preserued for how was it preserued in Geneua where they sit not at table but stand or passe at the receiuing of the Sacrament where the fiue Holy-dayes are not discharged but Christmasse and Pasche solemnely kept and the Sacrament ministred on them * Ep. 184. Ep. 51. Ep. 361. Ep. 363. Institut lib. 4. cap. 29. Sect. 4. 13. Caluine holdeth in cases of necessity That Baptisme may be ministred in coetu alique in some meeting without a Temple That the Communion should bee giuen to the sicke and wisheth that the examination of children with the ancient forme of blessing were restored in the reformed Churches whereby it is manifest that the discharge and abolition of these things is not in the iudgement of Caluine and Beza the band wherby doctrine is retayned but the discipline which consisteth in censuring of manners which you both here and in discussing of the Oath following take for the order and policy that consisteth in alterable Ceremonies And by the ambiguitie of the word doe purposely deceiue your Reader The ninth Article PP They set loose the filthy mindes and mouthes of fleshly liuers to triumph against the most sound Professors and to rejoyce in their rotten opinions and restored opportunities of sensuall obseruations of guising gluttony carelesse c. ANS The sacred exercises of sound doctrine appointed to be vsed on the fiue Anniuersarie dayes restoreth not but most powerfully abolisheth the opportunities of sensuall obseruations rooteth out rotten opinions and stoppeth the mouthes of fleshly Libertines not to triumph against sincere Professors The tenth Article PP They are declared by this Church to bee contrary doctrine as may bee seene in the first second and third Chapters of the first booke of Discipline in these words Wee iudge that all doctrine repugnant to the Euangell should bee vtterly suppressed as damnable to mans saluation c. By contrary doctrine wee vnderstand whatsoeuer men by Lawes Councells or Constitutions haue imposed vpon the consciences of men without the expresse Commandement of Gods Word as keeping of holy dayes commanded by men the feast of Christmasse and other feasts c. ANS The iudgement and declaration of our Church touching this point is very sound For whatsoeuer is imposed by men or by Ecclesiasticall Constitution vpon the conscience to bee obserued as parts of diuine worship that is not exprefly or by necessary consequence contayned in the Word is contrary to the wholsome Doctrine as the Papists did the obseruation of Christmasse and other festiuall dayes which the reformed Churches and the Assembly at Perth impose not on the conscience but ordaynes onely to bee kept for order and policie and therefore the imposing of sitting at the Communion to bee obserued as instituted by God and the discharging of the commemoration of Christs inestimable benefits on the fiue anniuersarie dayes the discharging of the administration of the Sacraments in priuate places in cases of extremitie and the discharging of
that the fiue Articles controuerted belong nothing to the Discipline wherein the Swearers binde themselues by their oath to continue to their liues end But if therby be meant the whole policie of the Church in which sense it is sometimes taken though rarely then first it containes all the precepts of policie prescribed in the Word in which precepts there is no determination concerning these articles as before we said Next it comprehendeth all the ordinances of the Church touching formes ceremonies and order to be obserued in Diuine Seruice and in the exercise of Ecclesiasticall Censures according as the circumstances of time place and persons In this part of Discipline it is true that all the controuerted points are contained But as I shewed before it is manifest by the limitations of the matter of the Oath that this part of the policie is excluded for it is neither expressely nor by necessary consequence contained in the Word uor is it receiued beleeued and desended by many notable Churches and Realmes nor is there any thing concerning it set downe in the Confession of Faith confirmed by actes of Parliament onely this generall wee haue that no constant order and policie can be set downe in ceremonies and that constitutions made by men may and ought to be altered when need requires Furthermore in the booke of Policie that was published after the Oath anno 1581 and subscribed by sundrie Ministers there is no mention made of these fiue Articles now in question In the first booke of Discipline penned anno 1560 there are some conclusions set downe touching sitting at the Sacrament the abolition of Holy dayes dedicated to Saints in Popery and the Feast of Christmas imposed vpon the consciences of men as also the administration of Baptisme vpon ordinary dayes of preaching for remouing the Papisticall opinion of absolute necessitie and if by the discipline mentioned in the Oath yee vnderstand the conclusions of Policie set downe in that booke and hold that the Swearers did by their Oath oblige themselues to obey all the conclusions thereof to their liues end then I demand what is the cause that yee and your followers do not only refuse to obey but improue and impugne the most principall point of policie set downe in that booke namely the office of Bishops whose prouision jurisdiction power and election are particularly described in the first head of that booke vnder the name of Superintendents But because the booke is rare and not at euery mans hand I will draw out of it onely some few things touching the jurisdiction and power of the Superintendents that the posterity may see what was the judgement of their Predecessors the Reformers of Religion touching the Office-bearers and gouernment of the Church And to beginne with the bounds of their jurisdiction the same is set down with this Title The names of the places of residence and seueral Diocesses of the Superintendents INprimis the Superintendent of Orknay his Diocesse shall be the Iles of Orknay Caithnes and Strathneuer his residence in the Towne of Kirkwall The Superintendent of Rosse his Diocesse shall comprehend Rosse Sutherland Murray and the North Iles called the Skie and Lewes with their adjacents his Residence the Chanonrie of Rosse The Superintendent of Argyle his Diocesse shall be Argyle Kintyre Lorne the South Iles Arrane and Boote with their adjacents and Lowhaber His Residence in Argyle The Superintendent of Abirdene his Diocesse betweene Die and Spae containing the Shirrefdomes of Abirdene and Banff His Residence in old Abirdene The Superintendent of Brechin his Diocesse the whole Shirrefdomes of Mernis and Angouse with the Brae of Marre to Die His Residence in Brechin The Superintendent of Fife his Diocesse the Shirrefdomes of Fife and Fotthringham to Striuiling and the whole Shirrefdome of Perth his Residence in Saint Andrewes The Superintendent of Edinburgh his Diocesse the Shirrefdome of Lowthian and Striuiling on the South-side of Forth wherto is added by the consent of the whole Church Merse Lawderdale and Weddale his Residence in The Superintendent of Iedburgh his Diocesse Tauiotdale Liddisdale Tueddale with the Forrest of Ettrick his Residence in The Superintendent of Glasgow his Diocesse Cliddisdale Renfrow Monteith Lennox and Cunninghame His Residence in Glasgow The Superintendent of Dumfreis his Diocesse Galloway Carrick Niddisdale Annandale with the rest of the Westdales his Residence in Dumfreis These were the bounds of their Iurisdiction their Office is described as followeth The function and power of the Superintendents THey must not be suffered to liue as idle Bishops hitherto haue done neither must they remaine where gladly they would but they must be Preachers themselues Charge and command shall be giuen them to plant and erect Churches to sett order and appoint Ministers as is prescribed in their Countries After they haue remained in their chiefe Towne three or foure monethes at the most they shall enter in Visitation in the which they shall not onely Preach but examine the life diligence and behauiour of the Ministers as also they shall trie the estate of their Churches and the manners of the People They must further consider how the poore are prouided and the youth instructed they must admonish where admonition needs and redresse such things as by good counsell they are able to appease Finally they must note such crimes as be hainous that by the censures of the Church the same may bee corrected After all this the order of election of Superintendents is set downe which we haue more largely before the booke of our Psalmes in meeter This being one of the chiefe points of policie concluded in that booke how is it that yee haue dispensed with your oath hereabout And by what power is your oath loosed concerning this head Shall men bee tyed by the Oath to the ceremonies prescribed in that booke and not to the substance of the policie to alterable circumstances and formes of actions and not to the power of gouernement whereby they should be disposed and ordered What can be answered to this by him that vrges the Oath for the controuerted points consisting in ceremonies gestures and circumstances lot the indifferent Reader iudge But because it is true that one mans fault excuses not another leauing you to your consciences we answere for our selues according to the one and twentieth article of the Confession of our Faith That we thinke no policie nor order in ceremonies can be established to endure for all ages times and places and that whatsoeuer things are appointed by men they are all temporall and may and ought to be changed when necessitie requireth Hereupon we say That no man did by the Oath oblige himselfe to obey and defend that part of Discipline which concerneth these alterable things all the dayes of his life but onely that discipline which is vnchangeable and commanded in the Word Yea we further affirme that euery man who sware to the discipline of the Church in generall by vertue of that oath
the lawfull obseruation of dayes and the eschewing of their Idolatrous and superstitious abuse as because it appeared that extraordinarie Exercises on these dayes would rather foster superstition then edifie people in true godlinesse Neither could there better order be taken as matters then stood but our Church did neuer presume to condeme religious Exercises vpon these dayes which now the Assembly at Perth hath appointed for that had beene to condemne both the Primitiue Church and all the Reformed Churches now in the World who practised the contrarie And all the exceptions Acts and complaints made to Authoritie against Holy-dayes were rather against dayes dedicated to Saints or against the prophane and superstitious obseruation of Christmas which we call Zule or serued to maintaine the order taken by the Church for the same as shall bee made manifest in the particulars alledged by you PP In the generall Assembly holden at Edinburgh Anno 1566. the latter Confession of Helnetia was approoued but with speciall exception against some Holy-dayes dedicated to Christ These same very dayes that now arevrged ANS By this exception the Assembly did not condemne the iudgement and practise of the Heluetian Church as vnlawfull superstitious or prophane but onely declared that by their approbation they did nothing preiudiciall to the order and policie of their owne Church PP At the Assembly holden Anno 1575. complaint was made against the Ministers and Readers beside Abirdene because they assembled the people to Prayer and Preaching vpon certaine Patroue and Feastiuall dayes ANS This complaint was made for the contempt and breach of the order of the Church and the offence which people might take thereat not for the religious Exercise vsed at the time PP Complaint likewise was ordained to be made to the Regent vpon the Towne of Drumfreis for vrging and conueying a Reader to the Church with Tabret and Whissell to reade the Prayers all the Holy-dayes of Zule or Christmas vpon refusall of their owne Reader ANS This was a iust complaint because the Fact was not onely contrarious to the order of the Church but superstitious and prophane also in it selfe PP Item An Article was formed to be presented to the Regent crauing that all dayes heretofore kept holy in time of Papistrie beside the Lords day such as Zule day Saints dayes and other like Feasts might be abolished and a ciuill penaltie appointed against the obseruers of the said dayes ANS In this Article wee must vnderstand by Dayes not the Time it selfe materially for that cannot bee abolished but the superstitious cessation from labour on these dayes with an opinion of necessitie and the profane excesses of banquetting playing c. which the Act of Perth hath also condemned PP In the Assembly holden in April Anno 1577. it was ordayned That the Visitor with the aduice of the Synodall Assembly should admonish Ministers preaching or ministring the Communion at Pasche Zule or other like superstitious times or Readers reading to desist vnder the paine of depriuation ANS This Ordinance was made to withdraw people from the superstitious opinion they had of these times as is manifest by the wordes Or other like superstitious times and this our Pastors are also ordayned still to rebuke PP Dedicating of Dayes was abjured in the Confession of Faith penned Anno 1580. an Article was formed in the Assembly 1581. crauing an Act of Parliament to bee made against the obseruation of feast-dayes dedicated to Saints and setting out of Bone-fires ANS The dedicating of dayes abiured in the confession is in these words We abiure his to wit the Popes canonization of men calling vpon Angels or Saints departed worshipping of imagery reliques and crosse dedicating of Churches Altars Dayes Vowes to creatures c. What is here dayes dedicated by the Pope are abiured but the fiue dayes concluded by the Church to be kept were not dedicated by the Pope but obserued long before his vsurped authoritie aboue the Church Neither are they obserued in the reformed Churches or ordayned to be obserued in ours according to the intention of the Papall dedication of dayes that is as Bellarmine sayes tanquam sanctiores sacratiores alijs diebus tanquam pars diuini cultus as more holy and sacred then other dayes and a part of diuine worship but onely as fit circumstances for the worship of God appointed to be done vpon them ordinis politias causa for order and policie Further by the words of the Confession and by the Article formed Anno 1581. it is manifest that the dayes abiured are the dayes dedicated to creatures but our dayes are dedicated to Christ and therefore not abiured PP In the Assembly holden in February Anno 1587. it was humbly moued to his Maiestie that Pasche and Zule were superstitiously obserued in Fife and about Drumfreis ANS So would we complaine if any of these dayes were superstitiously obserued for by the act of Perth it is ordayned that Pastors in their Sermons vpon these dayes should rebuke the superstitious obseruation and licentious profanation thereof PP In the Assembly holden 1590. his Maistie in open audience of the Assembly praised God for that he was borne to bee a King in the syncerest Church in the World syncerer then our neighbour Church of England syncerer then Geneua it selfe for they obserued Pasche and Zule ANS His Maiestie from his youth vp hath euer kept these solemne times and wished the same to be kept by all his Subiects without abuse So who will beleeue you that such a speech was vttered in that assembly for at that time neither were yee present your selfe not hauing passed at that time your degrees in the Schooles nor does it appeare by the matters intreated in that meeting that the occasion of any such speech was offered And put the case such a saying had beene vsed by his Maiestie at that time a young King and of lesse experience in matters the same should not controll the iudgment of an old wise Monarch whom a long time and great experience hath taught incomparable prudence You may remember that of the Apostle When I was a child I spake as a child and it is a true speech 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the latest cogitations are wisest PP In the Parliament holden Anno 1592. The act of King Iames the third about the Saturday and other vigils to bee kept holy from Euen-song to Euen-song was anulled Item the act made by Queene Regent granting licence to keepe Zule and Pasche ANS The licence granted by the Queene Regent did authorise the Papisticall that is the superstitious obseruation of Zule and Pasche therefore it was rightly annulled But to what purpose alleadge ye the Act of vigils PP In the Assembly holden Anno 1596. when the couenant was renued superstition and idolatrie breaking forth in keeping of festiuall dayes setting out of Bone-fires and singing of Carrols are reckoned amongst the corruptions which were to be amended The Pulpits haue sounded continually against
was not Anniuersary as first yee leaue it vncertaine yee thinke the same was an addition of the Pharisies who inlarged the glory of this Feast as they did their Phylacteries but this is a friuolous coniecture and the interpretation of Iunius words out of the Talmude is no better to wit that the Wisemen who decreed that the eighth dayes of that Feast should bee yeerely dayes of ioy were the Pharisies because they are called Sapientes Israelis for it behoued these that appointed the Festiuities not onely to bee Wisemen but men of Authoritie also And therefore it is more probable that the Wisemen in the Talmude were the Masters of the great Synagogue that had power to appoint such Festiuities But how would our Sauiour who censured the Pharisies for inlarging their Phylacteries and corrected the abuses of the Law brought in by them haue omitted such a grosse Errour and Superstition as the Institution and keeping of these holy dayes vnrebuked if it had beene a Pharisaicall Addition and not a lawfull Constitution Then yee teach your Reader a great cunning to play fast and loose in answering all the instances brought from the Iewish Church and that is whether hee grant or denie them to bee lawfull yet to eschew the dint of the Argument for if hee grant them to bee lawfull then he may flye to this refuge that the Iewes had extraordinarie directions which wee want as Prophets who were only Prophets by the Spirit vnto the dayes of Malachie Vrim and Thummim vnder the first Temple and in place thereof vnder the second a slender voyce sounding from Heauen called Bathcoll But if hee denie the same to haue beene lawfull then to alleadge that they were Pharisaicall Additions and that wee should not imitate the Pharisies and fond Iewes I assure my selfe that no honest-hearted man will either follow the Pharisies in their Superstition nor you in vsing such sophisticall euasions of which none will serue against the instances alledged for if yee say that the obseruation of the dayes of Purim or Dedication were Pharisaicall Additions the exact diligence of our Sauiour in rebuking and correcting all such abuses and superstitious Nouations as were brought into the worship of God by the Pharisies will controll you And if ye say that they had extraordinarie directions yee speake without warrant of Scripture which is presumption in you to doe So it remaines for any thing ye haue said that holy dayes were and might bee lawfully kept vnder the Law without any particular warrant from God But put the case that the same might not haue beene done vnder the Law it followes not that the Christian Church hath not libertie to appoint dayes and times for religious exercises without particular direction For vnder the Law God not only set downe the substance of his worship but all the circumstances also as the persons in particular by whom the place where and the times when he should be worshipped so fully as little or nothing was left to the abitrement of the Iewish Church and as yee say these times were so ceremonious that the greatest part of the externall worship consisted in Ceremonies vnder the Gospell it is not so for in the Gospell the substance of these Ceremonies and of the worship of God is perfectly set downe but the circumstantiall Ceremonies of time place persons and formes which are no part of the worship but pertinences only are left to bee determined by the Church according to the generall Rules of Order and Decencie It is true because the Iewes had one place only appointed by God for his worship to wit the Temple and Tabernacle whereunto the people could not resort at all times therefore to their owne election was permitted the appointing of other commodious places for their Synagogues And now vnder the Gospell there is one onely Day of diuine Institution to wit the Lords Day whereunto to tye the worship of God is a Iudaicall Pedagogie against the Christian libertie and practice For the time is now come that from one new Moone to another and from one Sabbath to another all flesh shall come and worship before God Isa 66.23 According to the which Pro phesie the Apostolike and Primitiue Church did not only conuene on the Lords Day to worship God but on such other times as they thought commodious to obserue Saint Paul taught often on the Iewish Sabbath and at Ephesus daily for the space of two yeares in the Schoole of one Tyrannus Saint Augustine testifies that in some Churches they conuened daily not onely to preaching praying and Lectures but to the celebration of the Sacrament also Epiphanius in his Epitomie or Abridgement of Christian Faith affirmeth Apostolos instituisse synaxes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is The Apostles to haue instituted their holy meetings for diuine Seruice on Wednesday Friday and the Lords Day Socrates witnesses that on these dayes through the whole World for the greatest part the holy mysteries were celebrated Hereby it is manifest albeit the Church was tyed to worship God solemnly and publikely on the Lords Day that yet they were not tyed to that Day only but that all dayes were sanctified by Christ that the Church might choose and determine of them for the Seruice of God as she pleased So to conclude the Church vnder the Gospell hath power without any particular warrant of God keeping the general Rules of Pietie Charitie and Decencie to dedicate times and places and set downe formes and orders for the worship of God The Ceremonies in the Iewes Church were not only Circumstantiall but Mysticall for the greatest part and a part of diuine worship it selfe such as the Church vnder the Law and vnder the Gospell hath no power to institute but the Geremonies vnder the Gospell are meerely Circumstantiall for the greater part not Mysticall and a part of the worship it selfe but onely accessorie thereto these the Christian Church hath power to appoint And such are the fiue dayes of old obserued by the Primitiue Church and now restored againe in our Church and such were the dayes of Purim and the Feast of Dedication which were not obserued as a part of religion instituted by God but only for commemoration of Gods benefits bestowed vpon his people in these times PP The obseruation of Anniuersary dayes pertayned to the Ceremoniall Law The fourth Reason but so it is that the Ceremoniall Law is abolished Yet confirme the Antecedent by the reasons following First The Anniuersary Dayes were distinguished from the Morall Sabbath many were the preheminences of the ordinary Sabbath aboue the Anniuersary dayes Secondly The Apostle cals them weake beggerly rudiments Gal. 4.9.10 The elements of the world Col. 2.20 Shaddowes of things to come Col. 2.16 17. The Apostle sayes not the obseruation of Iudaicall dayes but simpliciter the obseruation of dayes serued to the people of God for a typicall vse and rudiment of Religion If the obseruation of some anniuersarie dayes was prescribed
not plead after the same manner for our former order so long established that they proue it was impious and vnlawfull before we make a change ANS Ye may not pleade because the change is alreadie made in a lawfull Assembly which had power to abrogate all Statutes of Ecclesiasticall matters that are found noysome vnprofitable disagreeing with the time and abused by the people as is set down in the confession of Faith and seuenth Chapter of the Booke of Discipline concluded anno 1581. Such were the acts made before concerning Holy-dayes for first they were noysome in that they were not conforme to the practise of the Primitiue Church or yet of the later reformed and so in that poynt did breake vnitie Next vnprofitable because they fostered prophanenesse and superstition in the hearts of the people who by want of information of Doctrine did superstitiously or prophanely obserue these dayes Thirdly they agreed not with this time wherein it was expedient that the religious Commemoration of the benefits of Christ should be restored iure pastliminio for it is not enough to dispossesse idolatrie and superstition the violent eiecters and occupiers of the possessions of true Religion but she ought to be restored to the old right and priuiledges of times and places lawfully and wisely dedicated to her before Last of all the discharge of diuine Seruice on these daies was come into abuse amongst the people the preciser sort counting it a part of Gods worship and obedience to his will not to doe seruice vnto God on these dayes and the profane taking thereby occasion to be more licentious And therefore it was needfull in a manner to restore the obseruation of these times PP Our Oath by it selfe bindes more then Law Custome and Prescription farre more when it concurres with them The assumption is euident by that which I haue set downe in the beginning ANS The assumption is alreadie considered I answere to the oathe Lawes Customes Prescription and Oathes in order and policie touching indifferēt alterable things such as these are binde a man no longer to the obseruation then the order remaines vnchanged Your Oath bound you to the gouernement of Superintendents set downe in the first Booke of Discipline from which yee esteeme your selfe absolued because that gouernement was altered by that new Booke of Discipline confirmed in the generall Assembly anno 1581. a yeare after the Oath was set forth Now the order set downe in the same first Booke of Discipline touching the abolishing of Holy-dayes anno 1560. is altered by the late generall Assembly holden at Perthe and by the same Reason whereby yee esteeme your selfe absolued from the gouernement of Superintendents yee should thinke your selfe freed of the act touching the abolishing of Holy-dayes which yee would doe if ye were not contentious PP If Zanchius approued the abolition of Holy-Dayes in some Churches where they were because they had been polluted and grossely abused much more would he and other Diuines knowing the truth of our case thinke it vnlawfull to reinduce them amongst vs. ANS It is true that in the Churches of Bearne Mattins and Euening-Song were abolished for the abuse thereof in Poperie and not many yeares since there was great contention before these Churches could be induced to receiue Morning and Euening Prayers in stead of them So the Popes cursing was abolished out of the Church of Geneua and great contradiction made as Beza testifies in Caluines life before excommunication could be established in place therof yet I hope neither Zanchius nor your selfe will thinke that the reinducing of these was vnlawfull although formerly excluded If Zanchius vnderstood the case of our Church as I haue set it down a little before how we haue not reinduced the Popish obseruation of dayes but made choice of these times for special seruices to be performed on them with a speciall direction to Ministers to rebuke superstition and licentiousnesse both he and other Diuines would approue the constitution of our Church and condemne this your seditious Pamphlet whereby the simple are abused and the peace and quietnesse of our Church disturbed The iudgement of the Reformed Churches of Holy-daies PP OF the ancient Church I haue spoken before Some excuse the Ancients with good intention because to winne the Gentiles they conuerted their dayes into Christian Holy-daies Others excuse them with the circumstance of time that dwelling amongst Pagans they made profession before their eies of Christs birth passion c. by obseruing such dayes But the wisdome of their intention hath proued folly as the seuenth reason maketh manifest The like circumstance of time is not offered therefore we may not be excused ANS Before the penner of this Pamphlet bring the iudgement of the reformed Churches some reason he must pretend for his credite why he reiects the doctrine and practise of the reformed Church which stands wholly in his contrarie First he sayes that he hath spoken before of the Ancient Church But what hath he spoken before that they obserued Easter-day by custome and not by tradition this is all What argument hath he brought against their doctrine against their religious custome and practise of this poynt He sayes some excuse them with their intention Who be these he is ashamed of their names and so he may be for where there is no fault to make an excuse is a sort of calumnious and secret accusation But for their intention who did acquaint him with their intention In Tertullian Chrysostome Ierome Ambrose Augustine and others who all make mention of these dayes there is not so much as any coniecture to bee found for that intention In the end he concludes that the intention of the Ancients hath proued folly and this he sayes is manifest by the seuenth reason because the obseruation of these daies hath beene abused to superstition But so hath the Lords Day beene so hath the Word so haue the Sacraments beene abused and all the other parts of Gods worship Shall therefore the intention of the Holy-Ghost and his wisdome in prescribing these meanes to the Church be esteemed folly They who abuse the good intention of God and his Church to their owne damnation are fooles indeed but Wisdome is iustified of her owne children And although the winning of the Gentiles was one good end wherefore the Ancients obserued these dayes yet their principall end was the honour of God and edification of his Church These ends doe still remaine and iustifie the obseruation of these dayes by the reformed Churches which no man that loues the honour of God and the weale of his Church will condemne PP It is grosse ignorance to say that Holy-dayes were so many hundreth yeare before Papistrie for Papistrie hath been in the Church euer since the daies of the Apostles yea the mysterie of iniquitie was working in their times The errours of the Orthodoxe Church were the beginnings of Papistrie at length they grew to a great masse So howbeit the
to celebrate that holy action vpon the day of the Natiuitie which wee call Yule and vpon Easter day which we call Pasche The ground of this power is first the abolishing of the New-moones Festiual daies and Sabbaths by the coming of our Sauiour in whom the body of all these shadows is and next the libertie giuen by God to the Christian Church mentioned by Isaiah as ye heard before For as by the first we are freed from the bondage of the Law and the obseruation of the set times therein prescribed so by the second all times are sanctified to the worship of God in so farre that the Christian Church may make choyce of any time in the weeke any day in the moneth or yeere for their publique meetings to his worship And as for the Lords Day which hath succeeded to the Iewish Sabbath albeit God hath cōmanded to sanctifie it by the publike exercise of religiō yet neither is the whole pub like worship nor any part of it appropriated to that time but lawfully the same may be performed vpō any other conuenient day of the weeke of the Moneth or of the yere as the Church shall think expedient Vpon this ground Zanchius affirmed Ecclesiae Christi liberū esse quos velit praeter dominic dies sibi sāctificādos deligere And by this warrant did the primitiue Church sanctifie these fiue anniuersarie dayes of Christs Natiuitie Passion Resurrection Ascension and the Descent of the Holy Ghost Where it is obiected that it is onely proper to God to make holidayes I answer That it is onely proper to God to make times and places holy by appropriating to them a diuine worship which may not bee performed lawfully but in these places and on these times such as the Tabernacle and Temple and the Iewish Festiuities vnder the Law were for vnto them was appropriated by God a worship which might not be performed on another day and so these dayes did not only belong to the worship as meere circumstances but were proper parts or points thereof and could not bee omitted without marring of the whole action In which respect these dayes were holier then other dayes because a part of Gods worship consisted in obseruation of them Such holy dayes the Church cannot make But to make times and places holy by consecration of them to an holy vse the Church hath power for the dayes that she appoints are obserued only for order and policie and haue no relation to the worship performed on them as any Rite or religious Ceremonie belonging necessarily to the integritie thereof The Natiuitie of our Sauiour may bee remembred and publike thankes giuen to God therefore vpon any other time as well as vpon the twentie fiue of December likewise the Passion Ascension and the rest of these benefits yet wee remember them at certaine set times not because the times require such a worship or the worship such a time to the integritie and lawfulnesse thereof but to the end the worship may be performed orderly once euery yeare in euery place vpon one day that all people wheresoeuer they be at home or abroad may bee instructed and admonished to prayse and magnifie the grace of God and goodnesse of their Sauiour Herein the reformed Churches differ from the Papists who Iudaize in obseruation of those Festiuities because they professe to obserue them not for order only but esteeme them to be sacratiores sanctiores alijs diebus Bellar. de cultu sanctorum lib. 3. cap. 10. pars diuini cultus which we doe not For the Lords Day it hath succeeded to the Sabbath and is holy by diuine Institution hauing for euidence and confirmation thereof both a morall Precept and the exemplarie practice of Christ and his Apostles in Scripture In the forth command after the labour of six dayes the seuenth is appointed to bee sanctified in memoriall of Gods rest from his six dayes worke and the particular day not being expressed in the command was notified to the people either by the exemplary practice of Moses and the Church in the Wildernesse or by tradition of the Fathers going before if so it be that from the Creation that day was obserued Now after the legall shaddowes are abolished whereof the Iewish Sabbath was one if any will demand what day must bee obserued in the Christian Church wee answere that questionlesse for the quotient of the number the day cannot bee altered which by the Law is appointed Heauen and Earth shall perish but one iot of the Law shall not perish Our Sauiour came not to dissolue the Law but to fulfill it In the Law wee heare that God rested the seuenth Day that he blessed and sanctified it and there is a libertie giuen to labour six dayes but the seuenth is commanded to be kept holy so howbeit the Iewish Sabbath which was the shaddow be materially abolished as touching the particular Day yet the Day commanded in the Law formally must remayne and euer be the seuenth after six dayes worke But if yee will aske seeing the seuenth Day in particular is not expressed in the Law and that day which the Iewes obserued is abolished by Christ as the shaddow by the body how the particular and materiall Day may bee knowne that the Christian Church should obserue Vnto this we answere that the particular Day was demonstrated by our Sauiours Resurrection and his Apparitions made thereon by the Apostolicall practice and the perpetuall obseruation of the Church euer since that time of the Day which in Scripture is called the Lords Day as that which the Iewes obserued was called the Lords Sabbath because as the one was appointed by the Lord for a memoriall of his rest after the Creation so the other was inflituted by the Lord for a memoriall of his Resurrection after the Redemption For this wee must hold as a sure ground whatsoeuer the Catholike Church hath obserued in all Ages and is found in Scripture expresly to haue beene practised by Christ and the Apostles such as the sanctification of the Lords Day the same most certainly was instituted by the Lord to bee obserued and his practice in that is exemplar and hath the strength of a particular precept Hereby it is manifest that the sanctification of the Lords Day is of diuine Institution as well by reason of the diuine Precept commanding the seuenth Day in generall to bee obserued as of the diuine practice of Christ and the Apostles their specifying the Day which hath the force of a particular diuine Precept In respect whereof the obseruation of this Day is a point of diuine Worship and is holy not by Ecclesiasticall Constitution but by diuine Institution Moreouer this Day is holy by appropriation of it to a certaine religious vse whereunto no other Day can be applyed namely to bee a memoriall of the Lords rest after the Creation and of his Resurrection after the Redemption As also to be a signe of our sanctification here and of
for his owne soule onely but here hee suffers martyrdome for the whole Church This was the iudgement of that holy Father who esteemed it a glorious martyrdome to suffer for the vnitie of the Church Contrariwise the Donatists did glorie in this that by their sufferings they entertained Schisme and diuision confirmed the hearts of the simple and superstitious in their errours acquired to themselues the renowne of Martyrs and thereby brought vpon the Church the imputation of persecution To whom S. Augustine answers That they complained most vniustly that they were persecuted by the Church because the Church was more heauily persecuted by them and thereupon in the eleuenth Tractate vpon S. Iohn sayes Albeit Ismael was cast out of his Fathers house for Isackes sake yet the Apostle calls not Isaack but Ismael the Persecutor In his Booke intituled De Vnitate Ecclesiae against Petilian the Donatist he writeth thus Grauius persequitur filius patrem male viuendo quam pater silium castigando grauius ancilla Saram persecuta est per iniquam superbiam quà m eam Sara per debitam disciplinam grauius Dominum persequebantur propter quos dictum est Zelus domus tuae commedit me quà m ipse eos cum eorum mensas euertit eos flagello de templo expulit that is to say The sonne persecutes the father more grieuously by his wicked liuing then the father doth the sonne by inflicting due chastisement And Agar the Hand-maid did persecute Sara her mistresse more spitefully by her vndutifull pride then Sara did her by vsing due discipline And they of whom it was said The zeale of thine house hath eaten mee vp did persecute the Lord more cruelly then hee did them while as he ouerthrew their Tables and droue them out of the Temple with scourges And a little before in that same place he affirmes that they were the persecutors of themselues by the Apostles words Qui resistit potestati Dei ordinationi resistit qui autem resistunt ipsi sibi iudicium acquirunt that is He that resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God and they that resist draw punishment and iudgement vpon themselues and often repeateth this sentence Non poena fed causa facit martyrem It is not the punishment but the cause that maketh martyrdome To resist a lawfull ordinance is euill to suffer contumeliously for disobedience is worse but by disobedience and contumelious suffering to confirme People in their errours and rend the bowels of the Church our cōmon Mother is worst of all These things I shall beseech you Brethren to ponder and the Lord giue vs all in meekenesse and humilitie to trie what veritie requires and holding that fast to keepe the vnitie of the Spirit in the band of peace The God of veritie and peace knit vs together in his truth by the Spirit of his Sonne Iesus Christ our Peace AMEN Dauid Brechen To the Reader THou hast here gentle and courteous Reader a true and simple narration of the proceedings of the last generall Assembly kept at Perth opposed to the false and lying Discourse made by the Libeller against the same with an answer to his Nullities the Oath and Arguments propounded against the fiue Articles there concluded These paines are chiefly taken for thy information that thou mayest know the truth and vnderstand both the matter and manner of proceeding in the said Assembly Since that time I heare they haue put the Pamphlet in Latine and set forth other Libels full of impious and reproachfull lies against the principall men of our Church These I haue not seene and if I had I would not haue deigned them any answer For when leauing the matter they fall a rayling at the persons of men that are their betters in all respects they shew the weaknesse of their cause deserue nothing of wisemen but contempt This manner of doing is better replyed with the Pillorie then otherwise Wee know the eares of many are open to admit detractions and he liues not that is not hated by some who will readily beleeue the most false things yet Wickednesse hath not so generally preuailed in the world nor are we so vnknowne in it as wee neede any of vs to feare their defamations If thou notwithstanding doest think that such Libels require an answer I aske thee How shall it be done I know no way my selfe but eyther to vse Apologies or recriminations And this last were not difficile to doe for though the Writer goeth namelesse the Faction to whose pleasure he writes is knowne and they that sport themselues with such libels sending them from hand to hand as matters of some worth Their persons we could easily pay home and repone true things vnto them in stead of forged telling them no other matters then haue beene tried confessed and publiquely acknowledged by those that are hottest in this businesse of themselues but these are the weapons of the vulgar which we disdain to vse vltio haec Christiano homini maxime indecora As for Apologies the Wise man saith That they leaue suspitions in the Readers mind plures Sermones prouocant plurium The best Apologie against calumnies is conuitiatores factis refellere Luther Caluine Beza the great lights of the reformed Church and our owne Knox had many foule aspersions cast vpon them whilest they liued yet did they not faint in their course nor do they now heare the worse for them with posteritie Fame is not at mans disposing and if any amongst men haue power of it in nostra manu est as one speakes bene vel secus audire We therefore resting in the goodnesse of our cause and conscience will keepe silence and not vnderstand such things passing little with the Apostle to be iudged of them or of the day of man He that iudges is the Lord who will lighten things that are hidden in darkenesse and make the counsells of the hearts manifest And then shall euerie man haue praise of God To his grace I commend thee for now and euer AN ANSWER TO THE PREFACE DIRECTED TO THE READER THE PAMPHLETER THE externall worship of God and the gouernment of the Church gentle and iudicious Reader are like Hippocrates twins they are sicke together in health together they liue together they die and dwine together ANSWER The externall worship of God and the gouernement of the Church are neuer matched in Scripture as one twin with another But the gouernment whereby the order decency and puritie of the worship is preserued is sometime compared to a Wall or an Hedge wherein breaches may be made either by persecution of open enemies without or by contention of seditious brethren within and thereby the beautie of the worship defaced Thus for a time they may bee sicke and dwine together but they shall neuer die till the world be done all the enemies of God shall perish but this Kingdome shall endure for euer In this they differ from Hippocrates twins and herein standeth
the consolation of the Church against her feares without and troubles within PP As long as the gouernment of the Church of Scotland stood in integritie as it was established by Lawes Ciuill and Ecclesiasticall according to Gods Word so long was the worship of God preserued in puritie ANS The gouernment of our Church established by Lawes Ciuill and Ecclesiasticall according to Gods Word standeth now praysed be God in as great integritie and the worship of God in as great puritie as euer it did Sed ructare licet cacostomacho but a windy breast must haue leaue to belch Non nostri faciunt tua quod tibi tempora sordent Sed faciunt mores Caeciliane tui PP Since the former gouernment was altered and the insolent domination of Prelates hath entered in by vnlawfull meanes amongst vs Popish Rites and superstitious Ceremonies haue followed and are like to preuaile vniuersally ANS The former gouernment is not altered that is either corrupted or abolished as you insinuate but is perfited by accession of the ancient order which hath beene euer in the House of God since the Apostolicall times and was embraced at the reformation in Anno 1560. and continued in our Church in the persons of Superintendents and Bishops till the yeare of God 1581. after that time it was borne downe till the yeare of God 1598. then it beganne to bee restored and hath entred in amongst vs by the conclusions of generall Assemblies and Acts of Parliament which none but lawlesse Libertines will esteeme vnlawfull meanes nor the function thereby established an insolent domination but the licentious who delight in confusion and detest order The Rites and Ceremonies which haue followed shall be better cleered by the grace of God from Superstition and Popery then this Pamphlet of yours from Schisme and Heresie PP They haue verified in their persons their common tenent No Ceremony no Bishop ANS The tenent is true for where there is no Ceremonie there can be no externall worship of God more then a bodie can bee without dimensions and consequently where there is no Ceremony there can be no Church no Bishop no Pastor PP The liberty granted to our Church to indict and hold generall Assemblies from yeere to yeere and oftener prore nata was the chiefe bulwarke of our Discipline this bulwarke was broken downe to the end a more patent way might be made for their exaltation ANS So long as this liberty preserued the ancient Discipline and Gouernment of the Primitiue and Reformed Church in the persons of Super-intendents and Bishops it was a good bulwarke but when it was licentiously abused to ouerthrow that which it had formerly maintayned and to stop the way whereby it might be lawfully restored againe the licentious abuse was to be restrayned and order taken that it should not impede but further the worke for the which it was appointed PP When vote in Parliament the Needle to draw in the thred of Episcopall authoritie was concluded to the great griefe of the sincerer sort many protestations were made that no alteration in Discipline or Diuine Seruice was intended ANS That the Church which hath euer represented the third Estate of the Kingdome was restored in the persons of Bishops according to the fundamentall Lawes to haue vote in Parliament could bee a griefe to none sincerely affected either to the Weale of the Countrey or Church and as protestations were made that no alteration tending to corruption either in Discipline or diuine Seruice was intended so none hath followed but such as tendeth to the confirmation and perfection of both PP Many cautions and limitations were made to bound the power of the Minister voter in Parliament ANS The limitations and cautions which were agreeable to reason and might stand with the power of the person voter in Parliament according to Law haue beene inuiolably obserued PP They were ordayned to bee countable to the generall Assemblies for the manner of their entrie and behauiour in this new Office but like Bankrupts not being able to render account they laboured that no account should bee made at all that is that there should be no ordinary generall Assembly to take account ANS No man can bee lawfully ordayned to bee countable to these of his entry and behauiour in his Office who professe themselues enemies to the Office it selfe Such were the generall Assemblies which ye call ordinary consisting for the greatest part of the sincerer sort to whose great griefe you say the power to vote in Parliament was concluded reason therefore would that to such a Iudicatory no account should haue beene rendered at all Not because they were bankrupts as you calumniously alledge but for the professed enmity and iniquity of the Iudge whereof his Maiesty hauing proofe before when the ancient Gouernment of Bishops was abolished did now prudently prouide that no generall Assembly should be conuocate without his Highnesse speciall licence lest thereby the restitution of that Gouernment intended by his Maiestie and happily begun before his Maiesties preferment to the Crowne of England might in his absence bee crossed and ouerthrowne by the which prouidence of his Maiesties wisdome that plot was preuented and your purpose disappointed Hinc illae lachrimae and this is that causeth you to rage and raile PP Some few extraordinary Assemblies haue beene conuocated of late yeares at their pleasures and for their purposes and according to their deuice constituted as they thought good wherein they procured or rather extorted with terror and authority a sort of preheminencie aboue their Brethren ANS If ye call these extraordinary Assemblies which by his Maiesties License and Authoritie were conuocated the Councell of Nice and the most famous Councels of the Church must bee counted extraordinary And in these Assemblies no preheminence was granted to Bishops but such as Bishops had euer in the Primitiue Church and such as the Super-intendents and Bishops had before in our owne reformed Church which beeing lawfull in it selfe needeth neither by authoritie to be procured nor by terror extorted from godly prudent and peaceable Brethren PP They were Lords in Parliament Councell Session Exchequer Lords of Regalities Lords of temporall Lands Presenters to Benefices Modifiers of Ministers stipends grand Commissioners in the high Commission was it wonder then if so great Commanders commanded the Assemblies constituted as is said and carued to themselues a spirituall Lorship when c. ANS The power authoritie and credit which was expedient for the time to be in the persons of some Bishops was neither imployed nor needed to be imployed to command these Assemblies which were constituted of the most graue and godly brethren of the Church who against Law and conscience would not haue beene commanded either by Prince or Prelate Neither in these Assemblies did they carue to themselues any spirituall Lordship for they acknowledge no man to haue spirituall Lordship ouer the Church but the man the Lord Iesus him they preach the Lord and
of God By this meanes men are brought to misse-regard all Religion and wee that are the Preachers of the Word come to bee despised In the meane time it is not to be denyed but they are ceremonies which for the inconuenience they bring ought to be resisted and if wee bee pressed with such it is our part to expone our dislike of them in modestie and by the best wisest meanes we can vse to decline these which wee esteeme to bee hurtfull Not as our follies haue beene great in this kinde to runne before the time and seeke to amend matters by declinators and protestations whereby wee haue profited nothing onely wee haue incensed authoritie and hastened vpon our selues the same things which wee laboured to eschue Well these things cannot bee made vndone yet they should make vs wise for afterwards And now Brethren because the resolution we take at this time touching the Articles propounded will giue to the world a testimonie what manner of men wee are whether such as rule their proceedings by iudgement or are carried head-strong with conceits and opinions that wee bee nor misse-led by ignorance for that is the fault of many amongst vs wee inquire not of matters nor take paynes to vnderstand what hath beene the iudgement of the most wise and learned but follow vpon trust the opinions we haue beene bred with and of such as we affect to helpe this I say I will with your patience spend some time in the question of Ceremonies see what warrant they haue and how they should bee appointed then from the generall descend to speake of our particulars touching which I shall freely deliuer my owne minde and so conclude First then concerning Ceremonies howsoeuer some haue imagined them to bee superfluities which might well bee spared and that the Church of Rome hath made the very name of them hatefull aswell because of the multitude of them wherewith she oppressed Christians as for the ridiculous choice she made of most of them are such things as without which no publike action either Ciuill or Ecclesiastique can be rightly performed To this purpose a Politike Writer hath said well That as the flesh couereth the hollow deformity of the bones and beautifieth the bodie with naturall graces so Ceremonies such specially as ancient custome hath made reuerend couer the nakednesse of publike actions and distinguish them from priuate businesse that otherwise should not bee so well knowne The neglect of this in any State breedes confusion and with confusion the ruine and abolishment of the State it selfe whereof the examples were easie to be giuen in the Romane Republike and others if that were our subiect But wee are speaking of Church-Ceremonies concerning which no man will deny this generall truth That in euery publike dutie which God craues at our hands there is besides the matter and forme wherein the substance of the dutie consists a certaine externall forme required to the decent administration of the same As for example God hath commanded his Word to bee preached and the holy Sacraments to be ministred Baptisme by the Element of Water and in a prescript forme of words such as you know wee vse and the Sacrament of his blessed Body and Bloud in the Elements of Bread and Wine with certaine mysticall words added thereunto heere is the dutie to bee done and the substance of it yet for the ministration of the same in a due and decent manner there is place time and other circumstances moe required The substance of the dutie God hath giuen vs in the Word from which we may not goe but for these things that belong to the outward administration Ecclesiasticall wisedome hath to define what is conuenient what not Neque tamen permisit Dominus vagam effraenamque licentiam sayes Caluine sed cancellos vt ita loquar circudedit That is God hath not giuen his Church an illimited power to establish what Ceremonies she lists but hath enrayled her authoritie within borders which she may not passe 1 Cor. 14. and these are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let all things bee done honestly and by order Honestly that is after a good fashion in a decent sort and to the right ends namely the aduancement of Gods honour and the edification of his Church This is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Then they must be done 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by order that is appointed with deliberation and by such as haue the authoritie to ordaine them and being once appointed and concluded by Constitutions they must bee kept and performed by all that are subiect to the same This as one speakes well is that great Ecclesiasticall Canon by which all other Canons must bee squared this is the true Touch-stone of trying Ceremonies and the ballance wherein all Church Orders must be weighed The Ceremonies of the Church must be decent and comely without vanitie without all meretricious brauerie not superfluous but seruing to edification They must also be done to God honour and not be idolatrous or superstitious Generally in the Church all things must be done in order and no confusion be either of persons or proceedings for order hath proceeded from the Throne of the Almightie This fabricke of the World that wee see is vpholden by it States and Kingdomes are maintayned by it and without it nothing can flourish or prosper And if Order should haue place in all things sure the Church of God should not be without Order for our God whom wee serue is the God of Order and not of Confusion as the Apostle speakes These things will be easily condescended vpon I meane that religious duties cannot bee performed without externall Rites that these Rites should bee qualited as I haue said established by Lawes and after they are established obeyed by such as are subiect Si enim velut in medio positae fingulorum arbitrio relictae fuerint quoniam nunquam futurum est vt omnibus idem placeat breui futura est rerum omnium confusio This is Caluines saying in the fourth Booke of his Institutions and tenth Chapter which Chapter I would earnestly recommend to your reading for these matters chiefly In such generals it may bee wee all agree but when wee come to particulars Tanta moribus hominum inest diuersitas tanta in animis varietas tanta in iudicijs ingenijsque pugna Such is the varietie of mens minds and opinions that scarce shall they euer bee brought to agree vpon any one thing For the Ceremonie which to one will seeme decent and comely will to another appeare not to be so Now in this case what is to bee done Some would haue vs search into the Apostolike times examine what then was in vse to bee done and follow that But this cannot well be the rule seeing the Apostles haue not deliuered in writing all that they did and diuers of the formes vsed by them which by occasion wee haue recorded are vnfit for these times and inconuenient such as the assembling of people
in close and secret meetings their Christnings in Riuers the ministring of the Lords Supper after meate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Church-Feasts the abhorring of leuened Bread abstayning from Bloud and that which is strangled the arbitrary maintenance of Ministers and other more particulars which to bring againe in vse were to alter and change in a sort the state of Christianitie it selfe So it being to vs vncertaine what the formes of the Apostles were in euery thing and the dissimilitude of their times and ours being so great they giue no sure direction that send vs to seeke the resolution of our differences in matters of this nature from them Reade Beza his eight Epistle written to that Reuerend Bishop Edmond Grindall then Bishop of London and you shall finde this to bee his iudgement His words are Scio duplicemesse de Ecclesiarum instauratione opinionem sunt qui Apostolicae ill◠simplicitati nihil adijciendum putant ac proinde quicquid Apostoli fecerunt faciendum quicquid autem succedens Apostolis Ecclesia ritibus primis adiecit semel abolendum existiment There are some sayes he who thinke that we should adde nothing vnto that first Apostolike simplicity but doe in euery thing according as they did And that whatsoeuer the succeeding Ages added in matters of Rites should be all abolished Because his answere and discourse is somewhat long I will remit you to the place and giue you the heads of it only first therefore he sayes that the doctrine of the Apostles is in it selfe so exact and perfect as we ought not to derogate nor adde any thing vnto it but next for the Rites and Ceremonies of the Church wee must not thinke so because the Apostles at the first could not set downe euery thing that was expedient for the Church and thereupon they proceeded by little and little and in such Rites as they instituted they had a speciall respect to the time places and persons wherof many were afterwards by the Church worthily abolished Hauing said this hee concludes Itaque quicquid ab Apostolis factitatum est quod ad ritus attinet nec statim nec sine aliqua exceptione sequendum existimo And Caluine whom I often name for the authority which he deseruedly carries with all Reformed Churches in the tenth Chapter of his fourth Booke of Institutions which place I formerly quoted hath to the same purpose these words In his quae cultum Numinis spectant solus Magister est audiendus quia autem in externa disciplina ceremonijs non voluit sigillatim praescribere quid sequi debeamus quòd istud pendêre à temporum conditione praeuideret neque iudicaret vnam omnibus saeculis formam conuenire confugere hic oportet ad generales quas dedit regulas vt ad eas exigantur quaecunque ad ordinem decorum praecipi recessitas Ecclesiae postulabit And after a few lines Prout Ecclesiae vtilitas requirit tam vsitatas mutare abrogare quà m nouas instituere ceremonias Ecclesiae licitum His iudgement is that the power of adding altering innouating and appointing Ceremonies remaynes with the Church to doe therein as shee in her wisedome shall thinke meete And certainly there is no other way to keepe away differences for matters of Rites and Ceremonies but this That euery man keepe the custome of the Church wherein he liues and obserue that which is determined by the Gouernours thereof For in things indifferent wee must alwayes esteeme that to bee best and most seemely which seemes so in the eye of publike authoritie Neither is it for priuate men to controll publike iudgement as they cannot make publike Constitutions so they may not controll nor disobey them being once made Indeed authoritie ought to looke carefully vnto this that it prescribe nothing but rightly appoint no Rites nor Orders in the Church but such as may set forward Godlinesse and Pietie yet put the case that some be otherwise established they must be obeyed by such as are members of that Church as long as they haue the force of a Constitution and are not corrected by the authoritie that made them Except this be there can bee no order and all must be filled with strife and contention But thou wilt say My conscience suffers mee not to obey for I am perswaded that such things are not right nor well appointed I answere thee in matters of this nature and qualitie the sentence of thy Superiours ought to direct thee and that is a sufficient ground to thy conscience for obeying But may not Superiours erre May not Councels decree that which is wrong This no man denyes and if they decree any thing against Scripture it is not to be obeyed for there that Sentence holds good Molius obedire Deo quam hominibus But if that which is decreed be not repugnant to the Word and that thou hast no more but thy owne collections and motions of thy conscience as thou callest it how strong soeuer thy perswasions bee it is presumption in thee to disobey the Ordinance of the Church And of this wee may bee sure whosoeuer denyes obedience to Church Ordinances in rebus medijs the same will not sticke to reiect Gods owne Word when it crosses his fancie Et videant isti sayes Caluine qui plus sapere volunt quam oportet qua ratione morositatem suam Domino approbent Nobis enim satisfacere istud Pauli debet nos contendendi morem non habere neque Ecclesias Dei With such a sentence I close all that I purposed to say of Ceremonies in generall Now hauing shewed you that Rites are necessary in a Church the qualities they should haue and obedience that must bee giuen vnto the Constitutions of the Church once being made I come to the particulars desired of vs to bee receiued these must bee seuerally considered because they are not all of the like respect some of them strike vpon the duties of our calling enioyning the practice thereof in places and at times where vsuall solemnitie cannot bee kept as to administrate Baptisme in priuate houses in the case of necessitie and the Communion to these that are sicke and in dying Others of them prescribe the obseruation of certayne things not in vse with vs as the confirming of Children and the keeping of some Festiuities throughout the yeere And there is a fift Article that requires our accustomed manner of sitting at the Communion to be changed in a more religious and reuerend gesture of kneeling ye shall not expect to heare all that may be said or is at this time expedient concerning these neither the time nor the strength of any one man I think will suffice to say all without interruption I know I speake to men of vnderstanding and my intent is to say no more of them then may serue to iustifie the aduise which I minde with Gods helpe to giue vnto you I begin with the Communion to the Sicke because this Article passed in the late Assembly
of the last generall Assembly at Saint-Andrewes to heare such words of indignation and iust displeasure so often to proceed out of the mouth of so good and so gracious a Prince like MOSES the meekest man vpon the face of the Earth Sed verendum etiam atque etiam quò exeat patientia tam saepe laesa Words spoken against those that are called to be Ministers Embassadors of Peace and patternes of Pietie and Obedience vttered in the eares of them who labour indeed as it becommeth so loyall and louing subiects by their humble and dutifull obedience vnto his sacred Maiestie to out-strip those that went before them and albeit they haue the last yet not to haue the least portion in our DAVIDS loue But as then with all good and well-affected men I much grieued so now I heartily reioyce and praise God that notwithstanding of all that is passed I haue liued to see this day agenerall Synod once more of the Church of Scotland called by the authority and expresse command and pleasure of our Souereigne Lord the KING which is the only true and best meanes indeed vsed in all Ages for extirpating of all Sects Errors Heresies for the planting of truth and good order in the Church of Christ And I pray God that all things at this meeting may by the direction of Gods good Spirit by your wisdomes be so carryed that you abridge not your selues and posterity of so great a blessing and procure that not only these things which are now required but that other things more difficult bee enioyned and enforced vpon you vpon strict penaltie by Supreme Authority And therefore I desire as I am sent to that purpose with the Apostle Titus 3. to put you in remembrance that you bee subiect to Principalities and powers and that you bee obedient and ready to euery good worke to put you in remembrance that by the great blessing of Almightie God you haue to doe with so wise so potent so religious so learned a Prince the matchlesse Mirror of all Kings the nursing Father of his Church that he whose Wisedome and Authoritie is in the composing of all differences both Ecclesiasticall and Ciuill so much required respected and admired not only by his owne people of his other Kingdomes but by all good Christians of forrein Nations throughout the Christian world may not seeme to be neglected by you his natiue Subiects at home and you especially of the Ministeric who ought to be examples and patternes of obedience vnto others you whom he hath so infinitely obliged by his so great bountie and constant loue To put you in remembrance that as with no small disreputation vnto his Maiestie and diminution as it were of his Princely authoritie in the iudgement and sight of the World whose eyes are bent vpon these proceedings he hath granted you so long time by your Christian and godly endeuours with your seuerall flockes whom you are to leade not to be led by them to remoue as you promised both to his Maiesty being here amongst you and againe confirmed at your last generall Synod all those scandals which might be taken by the more ignorant and vnaduised sort of your people to whom all innouations though to the better may seeme at the first somewhat strange so that now you would bee carefull as much as in you lyeth to take away that more dangerous and open offence and scandall which by your delay and refusall of obedience you shall cast vpon the sacred person of our Soueraigne Lord the King the most constant and zealous Protectour and Defender of that Faith and Truth which wee all professe and for the which he hath suffered such open gaine-saying of the Aduersaries thereof the limbes of Antichrist as if hee who hath laboured so much to exalt the glorie of this Nation farre aboue all his Predecessours in the eyes of the World now going about most of all to humble vs vnto our God and in performance of the act of greatest deuotion according to his owne example to bring vs vnto our Knees did in so doing any way vrge his Subiects to any thing which might sauour of Superstition or Idolatrie To remoue the scandall from those who are in authority amongst you and are set ouer you in the Lord who by their dutifull obedience vnto God and their Soueraigne haue alreadie both by their Doctrine and practise commended those things which now are required of you to be both lawfull and expedient To take away that scandall and aspersion which by the seeming reasons of your former refusall or delay you haue cast vpon others so glorious reformed Churches as if the holy Ghost and Spirit of reformation had beene giuen onely and solely rested vpon you To remoue that notorious and publique scandall which by the fierie and turbulent spirits of some few priuate men lyeth heauie vpon the feruent and zealous Professours of the glorious Gospel of Christ as if they also were disobedient vnto Magistracie and in this did seeme to ioyne hands with the maine vpholders and pillars of Poperie It hath wounded the Spirits of good men to heare it often spoken Nec dicatur vtinam ampliùs Gathi in plateis Aschelonis Nay to see it in Print that Herod and Pilate were now reconciled againe if not Contra Christum Dominum yet contra Christum Domini Lastly to preuent that lamentable miserie and calamitie which God in his iustice might bring vpon this Church in that you regarded not the blessed time of your visitation and despised the long suffering and great goodnesse of God and of so bountifull and gracious a Soueraigne And so to conclude for to stand now vpon the particulars were but actum agere and you need no gleanings after so plentifull an haruest or the light of a Candle being inlightned by the cleare beames of the Sunne with that of Naamans seruants 2. King 5. vnto their Lord and Maister Father if the Prophet had commanded thee a greater matter shouldest thou not haue done it c. So right reuerend Fathers and Brethren in Christ if our most gracious Soueraigne Lord who hath done so much for you had commanded you greater things so long as they might stand with the will of God and in no waies be repugnant vnto the same for in that case indeed the Apostles rule holds inuiolably true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That we must rather obey God then men should you not haue beene readie your selues and by your Doctrine and practise haue induced others to obedience much more then when he requireth of you but these few necessarie things necessary and expedient for the glorie of God for the aduancing of pietie amongst you for the honour and due satisfaction vnto our Soueraigne Lord the KING for the happy establishing of order peace vnion and loue amongst your selues and in these vnited Kingdomes Therefore let me beseech you in the bowels of Christ to giue all their due Quae Caesaris Caesari
quae Dei Deo And as Constantine the Great as Eusebius hath it wrote vnto his Churchmen that troubled his peace and other weightie affaires with their contentious humours So let me intreat you in the behalfe of our CONSTANTINE Qui dum regat iubet Date illi dies tranquillos noctes curae molestiarum expertes That so he may with much ioy and contentment of heart yet once more as hee proposeth if not often visit your coasts and those places which his soule so loueth And that this poore Church and his natiue Kingdome may be made euer more and more happie by his comming and long peaceable and prosperous reigne And GOD and Men say Amen vnto it Amen Amen This Speech hee deliuered most grauely and with great affection to the contentment of all good and wise men And how falsly the Libeller charges him with bringing in the Puritane and Papist like Herode and Pilate conspiring together we leaue it to the Reader to iudge Thus ended the first Session of that Assembly The second Session of the Assembly was differred to the morrow after and the Conference warned to meet at three of the clocke in the afternoone IN the Conference after Prayer made for a blessing to that meeting his Maiesties Letter was read againe to put them in minde that were conuened of the businesse in hand at what time the Archbishop of Saint Andrewes did remember them of the proceedings that had beene kept in these matters since his Maiesties first Proposition of them at Saint-ANDREWES The promises made at that time to his Maiestie for passing the said Articles the delay made in the preceding Assembly vpon pretext of satisfying the simple and ignorant sort touching the lawfulnesse of them Hee toln them also of the offence which his Maiestie had taken at that delay the seuere rer course that was intended against the disobedient Mininisters and the mitigation which was procured by the humble intercession of himselfe and others and hereupon besought them earnestly to doe as became wisemen for howbeit as he perceiued against the aduice giuen in the particular Synods they were come thither almost all of them who were disposed to resist the conclusion intended and that they supposed to carry matters by voyces without regard what reason would craue of them they would deceiue themselues in that case and finde their numbers too weake if they did not hearken and submit themselues to reason And in the end shewing them the end of their sitting apart was to consider by what meanes matters might most easily be brought vnto a point hee said that there appeared but two wayes one whereof was by disputing the Articles which was likely to consume along time and breed irritation rather then any contentment else The other was by a calme and wise consultation to consider how the said Articles might bee receiued in all the Churches with least offence and conclude the same specially since they had promised in the last Assembly to resolue themselues and others of the equitie of the points required and which they like best he desires them to choose The greater part esteeming that such as were contrary minded would neuer receiue satisfaction vnlesse matters were first reasoned and that it should bring a sore imputation vpon the Assembly to conclude any thing which had not beene first debated by arguments vrged the disputing of the Articles which was of the rest condescended vnto Then it being proponed if they would take the said Articles in order or beginne with the most controuerted they agreed vniformely to treate of kneeling at the receiuing of the holy Sacrament in the first place hoping that satisfaction being giuen in that Article the lesse scruple should be made of the rest So according to the order two were named to dispute that Arcicle to wit Doctor Henrie Philip and Doctor William Forbes for the one side and Master William Scot and Master Iohn Carmichael for the other these two last named after a graue protestation made of their vnwillingnesse to be heard opposing to any matter for the which his Maiestie seemed so earnest excused themselues by the necessity of the Commandement and their owne resolutions which they held to bee well grounded wishing that no offence might be taken at their speeches which they should be carefull of and say nothing but with that reuerence which become them in so honourable an hearing And then adding that the contrary order had beene long time kept in this Church with great profit and the comfort of many good Christians if now any would preasse to abolish that which had beene in force and draw in things not yet receiued they should bee holden to prooue eyther that the things vrged were necessary and expedient for our Church or the order hitherto kept not meet to be retayned And for this purpose they alleadged a passage of Master Hooker in his Preface before the Bookes of Ecclesiasticall Policie wherein hee craues that such as seeke the reformation of Orders Ecclesiasticall in the Church of England should content themselues with the Opponents part and bee subiect to prooue these two things mentioned It was replyed that the difference of their case and ours was great for there a few priuate men desired the Lawes publikely established to bee inuerted and it was good reason that such should bee put to their confirmation of what they proponed but heere the Prince that by himselfe had power to reforme such things as were amisse in the outward policie required to haue the change made And therefore it concerned them to bring reasons why his Maiesties Propositions ought not to bee granted This they declined for a great while still protesting the reuerence they beare to his Maiesties commandements and without mentioning that which they would not oppose in Thesi they wished this question to be reasoned Whether kneeling or sitting at the Communion were the fitter gesture It was answered that the question could bee no otherwayes proponed then thus His Maiestie desires our gesture of sitting at the Communion to be changed into kneeling Why ought not the same to be done If it could bee shewed by the Word or by any necessary consequent deduced out of the same that his alteration craued ought not to bee granted because impious or vnlawfull that should bee enough humbly to decline the desire which wee doubted not his Maiestie would accept well and if otherwayes they could bring no argument to the contrary a necessitie lay vpon vs to obey An houre or more was spent in such speeches they declining still to giue any argument and offering themselues to answere such reasons as any man would propone for the alteration desired whereupon the Archbishop of Saint Andrewes said that if none would reason hee would put the Articles to voyces Then they proponed that reasoning should bee publike and in face of the whole Assembly it was replyed that nothing should be in conference concluded to the preiudice of the Assembly
importunately the voting of the Articles in Conference saying That hee would commit twentie preiudices to please the King whereas the truth is that after many answers made to giue them satisfaction and shew that no preiudice was either intended or done to the Assembly when as nothing could content them but still they talked of preiudice he willed them to be quiet for rather then his Maiestie should offend with the Church and these troubles come vpon it which were iustly to bee feared hee would commit twentie such preiudices as these were The rest of that after-noone was spent in talking as the Libeller sayes vpon Simony c. but in the deuising some ouerture for the restrayning of that abuse to bee proponed to the whole Assembly which the next day after was by vniuersall consent allowed As likewise the Commission for the planting of the Church of Edinburgh and the forming of the booke of Common Prayers and extracting of the Canons of the Church And thus ended this Conference Thursday the 27. of August THat day being an ordinary day of preaching a Sermon was made by the reuerend Father in God William late Bishop of Galloway against which the Libeller excepts three manner of wayes First saying that his Doctrine was farre contrary to that which he had taught before the Estates of Parliament Anno 1606. Secondly that hee set at nought the ancient order of our Church sometime highly commended by himselfe extolling the new light and thirdly that he presumed to teach them a new kind of Catechisme vnder whom he himselfe might be yet catechised To all which seeing he is now at rest this much may be truely replyed in his behalfe That howeuer his opinion in these matters of the externall gouerment were sometimes other his Doctrine was neuer contrarie to that which at any time he professed and preached but these men haue beene so accustomed in feeding the eares of people with matters belonging to order neglecting the substantiall points of Religion which are Faith and Repentance as they dreame of no other Doctrine but that and counts the alteration of iudgement in these points of outward discipline a sort of Apostasie and falling from the truth And where he is said to set at nought the ancient order of our Church it is a false and impudent lye for neither he nor any else that seeme most earnest for receiuing these Articles did euer contemne the orders and rites formerly established but while as they stood in force reuerently practised them and were obedient to the ordinances of the Church made thereabout but the circumstances of things now being changed and these times requiring other fashions and manners wee thinke without the despising of these they may be well admitted and as commendably vsed as euer the other were For the third of presuming to teach them by whom he might be catechized because this is spoken in despight I passe it with this answere That his Sermons and workes left behind him which will continue with the posteritie will witnesse against all their malice that hee was inferiour to none of the Opposites in preaching yea in many degrees superiour to them all But to returne to our purpose the Assembly being not in full number to take some conclusion in the businesse for which they were conuened after inuocation of the Name of God it was declared vnto them that by the labours of the Conference in their priuate meetings the Articles proponed by his Maiestie were brought and reduced into that forme as it rested for the Assembly to consider whether or not the same should be receiued in our Church and to moue them the rather to condescend his Maiesties resolution to haue the Articles receiued was declared and how no other answere could satisfie but granting of the said Articles They were likewise remembred of their promises made to his Maiesties selfe at Saint Andrewes and in the last generall Assembly and had the lawfulnesse and indifferencie of these matters at length of new exponed vnto them Neither was any of their common pretexts left vnanswered place being giuen to all that would reason against any one of the Articles to doe the same And while some of them insisted by long speeches to haue a continuation made of matters to another Assembly and a supplication sent to his Maiestie for some longer delay his Highnesse Commissioners hauing vrged a present answere they were desired to cease and not to trifle time with vnnecessary speeches seeing matters should receiue decision before they went forth of doores And so some few making shew to reason in the contrary were permitted to speake till they had no more to say and had their reasons answered to the full The Libeller sayes the libertie was granted to a few and that the reasons were checkt and borne downe with authoritie but how contrarie this is to the truth wee leaue it to bee answered by such as were present And now when they haue set downe in writing all that then was said or possibly they can inuent Let the Reader iudge if by the answeres giuen their obiections be not sufficiently confuted Doctor Lindsay his answere being posed on conscience to declare his iudgement touching kneeling at the Sacrament is maliciously mutilated His declaration was this as all the Assembly can testifie in whose presence it was giuen On my conscience I neither know Scripture reason nor antiquitie that enforceth kneeling sitting standing or passing as necessary but thinke them all indifferent and therefore that any of them may bee lawfully vsed when it is found expedient And considering nothing to be more expedient for the weale of our Church then to keepe peace with our gracious Soueraigne and not to contend for such matters I iudge yeelding to his Highnesse desire to bee the onely best When all the reasoning was ended his Maiesties Letter was againe read to the end the Assembly might see his earnestnesse about the same matters And because of a Pasquill cast in in the Pulpit of Edinburghe the Sunday before which was deliuered to the Archbishop of Saint Andrewes the penners whereof had warned the Ministers not to yeeld to the Articles giuing them promises of satisfaction for their stipends in case they should be taken from them and to fight in the defence of thē that cause He disswaded them to leane vnto such suggestions or be moued with them for that they would proue nought in the end as the experience of the seuenteene dayes worke might teach them And added which he is not ashamed of nor will denie That were there no other to take imployment against these Mutiners and seditious persons he could wish that he were honoured therewith These are the great blasts and terrours which the Libeller mentions otherwaies they can take exception at nothing iustly that then was vittered As matters were then proponed to be voted one of that number gaue in writing some particular reasons for disswading the grant of the said Articles which they
euer accustomed to come to any Assembly heretofore and to many Assemblies none of these Countreyes come at all yet their absence did not annull the Assemblies But in this Assembly there were at the least the Bishops of the Dioeeses who might suffice to answere for the whole one only excepted who was absent not for lacke of aduertizement but because of disease Thirdly if we looke to ancient generall Councels in the Primitiue Church we shall find that the absence of Bishops or their Commissioners who remayned in Countreyes farre distant from the place where the Councell was holden did nothing derogate from the lawfulnesse thereof as for example in that first famous Councell of Nice there were present three hundred and eighteen Bishops yet out of all the Occidentall Countreyes there are only named in the Catalogue sixteene Bishops and two Presbyters Commissionaries for the Bishop of Rome to wit out of Spaine one out of Egypt eleuen out of Calabria one out of Dalmatia one out of Carthage one and out of France one so in the first generall Councell at Constantinople there were numbred an hundred and siftie Bishops whereof only two or three are found to be out of all the Occidentall Nations In the first Councell of Ephesus there are numbred two hundred Bishops and only three out of the Occident In the Councell of Chalcedone were three hundred Bishops whereof of the Occidentall Countreyes only foure or fiue In the second generall Councell of Constantinople an hundred sixtie fiue Bishops and of these only ten or eleuen out of the Occident Now albeit in the Occidentall Empire there were many large Kingdomes and Prouinces wherein Christian Religion was professed yet these Councels notwithstanding the absence of such ceassed not to be acknowledged as generall or if this might be esteemed a iust cause to annull a Church Assembly what a doore should be opened to the Arrians Macedonians Nestorians Eutychians to reiect the Decrees of these famous Countreyes by the which their Heresies were condemned Lastly the obedience giuen by the Pastors of these Dioceses which you alledge to haue beene neglected testifieth their consent to the Acts and that they haue ratified them for their owne parts PP The generall Assembly the highest Iudicatorie Ecclesiasticall within this Realme hath euer after exhortation made by the last Moderator lited and lawfully elected a new Moderator according to diuers Acts continuate Custome and Practice of this Church The which Presbyters haue beene so regarded that the conuention holden at Perth by his Malesties missiue the last of Feb. 1596. although frequented by his Maiesties presence with a great number of the Nobilitie Barones and Burgesses with the Commissioners from euery Presbytery was for the defect aforesaid no further acknowledged to bee a lawfull Assembly then the generall Assembly holden at Dundy the yeare following 1597. declared the same to be a lawfull extraordinary Assembly Neuerthelesse no Moderatour was lawfully elected in this Assembly but the place vsurped by him who had practised against the matter there proponed and not as yet determined and consequently who ought to haue beene secluded from any authoritie in respect of the preiudice committed by him ANS In this as in all the rest almost of their exceptions against the Assembly there is a false rule laid whereby to try the lawfulnesse thereof To wit the Acts and Custome of the Church of Scotland vnder Presbyteriall Gouernment which must not rule vs now seeing the true forme of Church-gouernment now restored is much different from the estate of these times It is true that when the Church was gouerned by a paritie of Ministers they choosed a Moderator by suffrage though without any warrant or example eyther out of Scripture or Antiquitie but being compelled thereto of necessitie in regard of that forme of Gouernment wherein no man had any ordinary prerogatiue aboue or before others but now the forme of Gouernment being altered and each man knowing his owne roome and station we are not tyed to obserue that custome but ought rather to follow the Constitutions and practice of the Primitiue Church which was ruled by the same forme of Episcopall Gouernment that now is established in this Land And it is manifest that euer while the Pope of Rome did tyrannically arrogate vnto himselfe and his Legats Presidencie in all Councels this course was obserued that eyther the Christian Prince himselfe when he was present was President as Constantine the Great Sozom. l. 1. c. 9. Nic. l. 8. c. 14. 3. Tom. Con. 1. p. 6. in the first Councell of Nice and Constantine called Pogonatus in the third Councell of Constantinople or else by the Prince his permission and appointment the Bishop Metropolitan or Patriarch of greatest authoritie in these bounds where the Councell was holden who was alwayes acknowledged President except he himselfe were indited or condemned of Heresie then by the Emperours appointment and not by Election of the Councell a President was appointed as in the first Councell of Ephesus Cyrillus Bishop of Alexandria was appointed President by Theodosius the Emperour because both the Patriarchs of Constantinople and Antiochia who were of chiefe authoritie in these bounds were fauourers of the Nestorian Heresie which was there condemned And if we looke through the whole Ecclesiasticke History wee shall find this euer to haue beene the order yea in that Apostolike Councell Act. 15. according to the iudgement of the most learned both old and new Writers the Apostle Iames was there President as Bishop of Ierusalem Euseb li. 2. cap. 1. Theophil in Act. 15. Lyranus ibidem Dionysius Carthusianus ibid. Whittakerus de Concil Quaest 4. And so is it probable out of the Text because hee pronounced the sentence in the conclusion of the action which is the speciall dutie of a Moderatour and according to the words of his sentence are the Synodicall Letters written to other Churches This exception therefore of not lyting or electing a Moderator being grounded vpon a Custome or Constitution now abolished in the place whereof hath succeded the commendable order alwayes obserued by the Primitiue Church in her purest times is not to bee respected and the example yee bring to qualifie this exception out of that Assembly at Perth Anno 1596. is not only insufficient to proue but likewise in many points false First because in the Acts of the Assembly there is no mention made of any exception taken against the Election of the Moderator Secondly that Assembly was acknowledged to be a lawfull Assembly by an expresse Act in the same Assembly Thirdly it was called extraordinary not for any exception taken against the Election of the Moderatour but because of the time and place to wit that the time and place appointed by the sormer Assembly was preuented vpon an extraordinary occasion by his Maiesties missiue Fourthly by the Assembly that followed at Dundy Anno 1597. it is acknowledged to be a lawfull Assembly without the addition of extraordinarie as appeares by the
Acts thereof Session 7.14 Maij. PP By order established Acts standing in force and continuall Custome free of all Controuersie and Quarrell all and euery one of the ordinary members of a generall Assembly hauing place and power to vote or capable of moderation are and should bee authorized with lawfull Commissions from inferiour Assemblies viz. Presbyteries Burgesses and Vniuersities according to the Act made Anno 1573. Neuerthelesse the Bishops a great number of Noblemen and Barones and some Ministers hauing no lawful Commission presumed to carry themselues as lawfull members of the said Assembly ANS Because that which heere is summarily said is at greater length set downe in the Articles following I referre the Answer to that place PP Whereas the proceeding of the Assembly ought to bee free without preoccupation either with terrours or allurements this Assembly was preoccupyed with Sermons Letters Harrangues with allurements on the one side and terrours on the other ANS This is repeated in other words in the twelfth exception For the Libeller making a great muster of Arguments to inferre his nullity commits many tautologies PP No others ought to be chosen members of the priuie conference but such as are authorized with Commission to be members of the Assembly neuerthelesse the pretended Moderator did nominate for the priuie Conference such as hee pleased before the Commissions were deliuered and consequently not duly informed who were the iust meÌ„bers of the Assembly According to the rule Totum est maius sua parte The Assembly is greater then the CoÌ„ference according to another rule Turpis pars omnis totinon congrua It is an absurd Conference that disagrees from the whole Assembly Neuerthelesse in that Assembly some few named by the pretended Moderator not chosen by the Assembly not only according to the custome of the priuie Conference concurred with the said Moderator for preparing and digesting of matters to be proponed in due order but tooke vpon them to reason vote and conclude the matters properly belonging to the whole Assembly ANS Against the priuie Conference there are foure exceptions made first that others were nominate then these who were lawfull members of an Assemblie That this is false shall bee cleered hereafter when wee speake of the lawfull members of an Assembly The second that they were nominate by the Moderatour to this I answere hee vsed no other forme in the nomination of them then hath beene heretofore vsed in all other Assemblies for the priuie Conference was neuer chosen by suffrages but the Moderatour did nominate such of all parts of the Countrey as were thought most meete and so was done heere In the yeere of God 1579. in an Assembly kept at Edinburgh and another in Anno 1580. at Dundy this forme of nomination beeing quarrelled it was reasoned voted and concluded that the Assessours of the priuy Conference should bee nominate by the Moderatour and therefore in the next Assembly after the names of the Assessours it is added All these were nominate by the Moderatour Thirdly it is obiected that they disagreed from the whole Assembly Answere The euent prooued otherwise for that which was thought good by the Conference was concluded by the whole Assembly Fourthly that the Conference tooke vpon them to reason vote and conclude matters before they came to the Assembly Answere The end wherefore the priuy Conference is institute is to prepare matters for the Assembly by cleering the points by reasoning declaring what in their iudgements and opinion was meetest to bee done without preiudice of the Assembly it selfe and so was it done in this priuie Conference PP It hath beene the commendable care of godly Emperors and their honourable Deputies in generall Councells to prouide that nothing bee done violently nor extorted by terrour but that time and libertie bee granted for reasoning vpon matters proponed and that the Booke of God be laid open for finding out the Truth Agatho writing to the Emperour Constantine aduised him to grant free poâ—… of speaking to euery one that desires to speake for hiâ—…â—…th which he beleeueth and holdeth That all men may euidently see that no man willing or desirous to speake for the Truth was forbidden hindred or reiected by any force-threatnings terrour or whatsoeuer else might auert them from so doing Conforme to this aduice the Emperour answered as followeth By God Almighty we fauour no partie but shall keepe our selfe equall to all no way making necessitie in any point Neuerthelesse in this Assembly the necessitie of yeelding was inforced vnder no lesse pangs then the wrath of Authoritie imprisonment exile depriuation of Ministers and vtter subuersion of the estate and order of this Church such as by the prouidence of God had their mouthes opened to reason were checkt quarrelled rebuked boasted interrupted and for their discouragement it was plainly prosessed That neither the reasoning nor the number of voters should carry the matter away The party defender was forced to pursue The collecting and putting in order of the Reasons of either side was refused ANS It is obiected here That necessitie of yeelding was enforced contrary to the example of Constantine who protested he would sauour no party but keepe himselfe equall to all no way making necessitie in any point To this wee answer first The cause is different for the question to be debated in that Councell of Constantinople was a substantiall point of Doctrine in it selfe not subiect to his Imperiall power controuerted betwixt the Greeke and Latine Church concerning the twofold will in Christ and because hee being a Grecian himselfe it might haue beene thought hee would fauour more the Greeke Church therefore he purges himselfe of partialitie referring the whole matter to the decision of the Councell according to the Scriptures But here the question is of no substantiall point of Doctrine but of matters indifferent not particularly determined by Scripture but â—â—pending vpon the Prince and Churches pleasure to haue them practised or not In which the Prince might by his owne authoritie impone a necessitie vpon all his Subiects to obey the same except they could shew euident proofes out of the Scripture that the same were absolutely vnlawfull And in case of disobedience hee might iustly threaten them by his authoritie Yet all these particular terrours and threatnings which yee mention with the wrath of Authoritie imprisonment exile depriuation c. were directed onely to such as without reason should bee found obstinate and refractarie who by reason ought not onely be threatned but punished For if men will not regard authoritie but doe as their conceit which some falsly call conscience leades them if neither the Prince his command nor acts of Synods can bind them to obedience may not these threatnings yea ought they not to bee vsed towards them as it hath euer beene the practice in all Councels And to meet you with your owne example which yee alledge that same Constantine who protests he would impose no necessitie in any point in
made at your Assemblies contayning bitter Inuectiues against his Maiestie the whole State and sometimes against the Ministers themselues And then was it your ordinarie custome to set vp in Pulpit not the wisest or most learned Preachers by whom the rest might haue beene instructed but if there was any bold and impudent fellow that would not forbeare to vtter whatsoeuer was suggested to him in priuate he was the man And all that he spoke was fathered vpon the holy Spirit These were your formes in former times worthie of reproofe And diuerse of the Assemblies yee count to haue beene free and vncorrupt if they were well tried would for this cause be seene most worthy to be reiected PP In all free and lawfull Assemblies the estate of the question to bee voted ought to bee so formed that it carry with it no danger Neuerthelesse in this Assembly the matter to be voted was proponed with sensible danger agree or bee reputed disobedient to his Maiestie that is either make a Constitution to bind all Ministers and Professors of this reformed Church to returne to these fiue Articles which they haue vomited or else yee shall be reputed disobedient ANS What the forme of the question was hath beene shewed in the Narration preceding and thereby is your malice discouered which yee haue need to vomit or it may be shortly this poyson consume your selfe Behold in what reuerence this man hath the religious Rites and Customes of other reformed Churches Thou art a very Satan the Lord rebuke thee PP As the Acts which are to passe in voting should be distinguished in number cleare in order particularly expressed from point to point because they should contayne directions of certayne actions to be performed c. so the matters offered to voting should be distinctly clearly and particularly proponed Neuerthelesse in this Assembly all was shut vp in a confused caption A multis interrogatis and voted at once voting in one Session Iustly therefore may these Conclusions be called Leges Saturae ANS In Saint Andrewes aswell as Perth the Acts were distinguished clearly and orderly set downe to the vnderstanding of all they were also seuerally reasoned and discussed The number order and meaning of euery Act made known Why they were voted in Cumulo hath beene shewed in the Narration and they of your minde had therein the aduantage for whosoeuer refused any one of them their voyce was counted negatiue and none taken to be affirmatiue but these who consented to them all PP In all free Assemblies such order is obserued in calling the names of the Voters that no publike preiudice be committed Neuerthelesse in this Assembly neither the accustomed order of Prouinces nor Presbyteries was obserued but such were called on first as were knowne to be affirmatiue Voters to discourage and disperse the negatiues ANS The calling of the Roll depends vpon the writing of the Clerke or the pleasure of him that presides in the Assembly and there is no Constitution in our Church for this vpon the breach whereof yee may inferre your nullitie PP Leo sayes Epist 25. That some that came to the Councell of Ephesus were reiected and others were brought in who at the pleasure of Dioscorus were brought to yeeld captiue hands to their impious subscriptions for they knew it would be preiudiciall to their estate vnlesse they did such things as were injoyned them it is crimen falsi in gathering of votes either to passe by them who haue place and power to vote or to admit such as are not lawfully authorized Neuerthelesse in this Assembly not onely were some past by who were knowne resolued to vote negatiue but diuers others also disposed to vote affirmatiue were admitted or rather brought in without commission ANS In the Narration preceding this is answered PP In all free and lawfull Assemblies not onely Ministers but all others of whatsoeuer ranke ought to be authorized with commission or else they haue not the power of voting Neuerthelesse in this Assembly persons of all rankes not authorized with commission were admitted to vote as may be seene by the induction following ANS The Libeller giues vs a rule here which his Inductions will not make good and thinks that because it was the custome while the Presbyteriall gouernment stood in force that all Commissioners at least of the Ministrie should bee chosen by the seuerall Presbyteries it should now bee so But he must remember that sort of gouernment is changed and now they must haue place in Assemblies that are authorized by their callings to sit there aswell as by their Commissions When the Church was gouerned by Superintendents these Commissions were not knowne onely the Superintendents themselues because of their place and preheminence and such of the Ministers as they esteemed worthy to haue voyce in Assemblies came thither Now the Bishops on whom lyes the burthen of the Church affaires haue place by vertue of their callings to sit and giue voyce in Assemblies and Ministers by cōmission from their Countries and Diocesses because all cannot bee present nor may the Parishes in the Country bee left destitute of their Preachers at once This was the forme of the old Synods and Councells in the primitiue Church and that first Synode of the Apostles was not otherwise held If in that or in any Councell or Synode of the purest times yee shall find Commissioners appointed to be brought yee might seeme to say somewhat But your late orders we regard not and tell you now againe that your Presbyteriall and confused gouernement is ceassed PP It hath pleased his Maiestie in former times to send but some few Commissioners in his Highnesse absence to concurre with the Assembly and to propone his Highnesse desire thereunto c. Neuerthelesse in this Assembly not only his Maiesties Commissioners but also their Assessors gaue euery one vote whereas his Maiesties selfe being present neuer claymed further then the power of one vote ANS Whatsoeuer his Maiestie in former times hath done remitting of his owne right for causes knowne to himselfe should be no preiudice to his Royall priuiledges especially amongst these that haue abused and set themselues obstinately to crosse his Royall and iust designes The practice of these famous Monarchs and Kings who were in their times nursing Fathers of the Church shewes that Princes are not tyed to any number of Commissioners but as it seemes good to them or as the businesse in hand requires so they doe Thus in the Councell of Chalcedon where Constantinus Pogonatus whom yee alleadged before for example of equitable proceeding was present and President there sate with him other thirteene Iudges and Senators whose names are there expressed And it is noted in euery Session almost they sate there ex iussione Imperatoris and had definitiue votes Thereupon yee meet often with these words Gloriosissimi edicunt gloriosissimi Iudices dixerunt In that famous Councell also of Chalcedon called the fourth generall there were present for Valentinian
and Martian the Emperours eighteene Commissioners whereof sixe were Iudges and twelue Senators who as it is most euident through the whole Acts had the chiefe moderation of the Synode and vote definitiue therein Neither was this pluralitie of Commissioners receiued onely in generall Councells but also in Nationall as in the second Councell of Orangue Anno 529. where together with the Bishops ten Pretors and Counsellors of France sate and subscribed the Acts sent thither by the King Likewise in the eight Nationall Councell of Spaine holden in Toledo Anno 653. there sate and subscribed sixteene Dukes and Earles In the twelft Nationall Councell of Toledo Anno 681. conuocate by Eringius King of Spaine together with the Bishops did sit the King himselfe and vniuersi Seniores Palatij The Ancients or Senators of the Court fifteene in number of whom in his speech to the Councell hee sayes Quos interesse huic Concilio delegit nostra sublimitas In the thirteenth Councell of Toledo there sate and subscribed sixe and twentie Dukes and Earles In the fifteenth Councell thereof there sate and subscribed seuenteene Earles In the sixteenth there sate and subscribed sixteene Senators of whom the King sayes in his speech Quos huic Concilio nostra serenitatis praeceptio vel opportuna inesse fecit occasio I might bring a large Catalogue of examples but these are sufficient to proue that which we haue in hand to wit that the number of Commissioners sent by his Maiestie is warranted by the practice of all good Christian Princes in most ancient Synods yea it is certayne that Monarchs and Princes had euer these priuiledges vntill that the Popes tyrannie increasing did bereaue them of their right and exclude them from all Church assemblies And looke wee to the custome of our owne Church many Counsellours and Noble men haue had vote in Assemblies in name of his Maiestie In the Assembly holden at Edinburgh Anno 1563. Decemb. 25. besides the Superintendents Ministers and Commissioners of the Churches and Prouinces there were present nine Lords of the Counsaile Earles and Barons and because thereafter the Regent his Counsaile and Nobilitie did not assist the Assemblies so frequently as before an earnest Petition was made by the whole Assembly conuened in Edinburgh Anno 1573. March 6. to the Regent his Counsaile and Nobilitie to giue their presence and concurrence with the Church in their proceedings because such had beene the practice in Assemblies from the beginning of the reformation The truth whereof is manifest by the inscriptions set before the Acts of many assemblies wherein the Counsaile and Nobilitie are euer distinguished from Bishops Superintendents Ministers and Commissioners of Prouinces and Churches In the generall Assembly holden at Edinburgh Anno 1573. August 6. it was appointed Sess 1. as followes Because it is vnderstood that certayne of the Nobilitie of this Realme and secret Counsaile are to repayre to this Assembly Therefore these whole Brethren ordaynes that the whole Nobilitie and Counsailors with the Commissioners of Townes Prouinces and Churches hauing power to vote shall sit within the inner barre of the Tolbuithe and all others without In the Assembly holden at Edinburgh Anno 1567. were present ten Earles and Lords of Baronies about the number of three and fiftie besides the ordinarie Commissioners of Townes and Churches Likewise in the Assemblies holden Anno 1563. Decemb. 25. Anno 1566. Inn. 25. Anno 1567. Iul. 21. Anno 1567. Decemb. 25. 1568. 1569. 1570. c. the Earles Lords and Barons are distinguished from Commissioners of Churches Prouinces and Townes And in the Assembly at Edinburgh 1563. Decemb. 25. the Lords of secret Counsaile with the whole Brethren of the Assembly appointed Master Iohn Woodlocke Superinten dent of the West Moderator So as wee see the practice of our owne Church hath euer esteemed this free that his Maiestie at his pleasure or Regents in his minoritie should choose what number of Commissioners they liked PP At Edinburgh in Iuly 1568. it was ordayned that Barons should be chosen Commissioners in Synodall Assemblyes At Dundie in March 1597. after the full establishment of Presbyteries it was appointed in presence of his Maiestie that Barons should be chosen Commishioners with consent of Presbyteries and that one Baron onely should bee directed out of the bounds of a Pres byterie Neuerthelesse in this Assembly the Noble men and Barons had neither Commission according to the old act nor according to the new In the yeere of God 1568. it was ordayned that Burgesses should be chosen Commissioners by the Counsâ—ile and Church Session of their Burge coniunctly And in the yeere 1597. that they should be chosen with consent of the Presbyterie Item that euery Barghe haue power to direct but one Commissioner except Edinburgh to whom it was permitted to direct two Neuerthelesse in this Assembly neither of the said Articles were obserued ANS The acts alleadged for choosing Commissioners of the Barons and Burghes were neuer so precisely kept in our Church as to exclude any of them that came thither without Commission from Presbyteries But such regard was euer had to Noble men and Barons of any note that if they were present they had their places with the first were allowed to giue their aduise and voyce in euery matter proponed and had thankes giuen them that vouchsafed their concurrence this is euident by all the Registers of our Assembly and so well knowne as none can deny it It grieues the Lybeller and the rest of that Sect to see the Nobles and Barons so ready at his Maiesties call and that that which sometimes serued them to good purpose in their tumultuous meetings is turned against themselues to wound them And by all good order in Church Assemblies none of the Laicall sort onght to haue place except they be called by the Prince his letters or assured by the Bishops to giue authoritie to the acts concluded Reade in Concilio Turracenens act 13. about the yeare 517. and Concil Tolet. where the order of Councells is set downe which order is prefixed to the first Tome of the Councells yee shall finde this cleare For that which he sayes of the Commissioners of Burghes let this bee added That otherwise then by the Counsell of their owne Burghe they were neuer chosen which wee referre to the Townes themselues that know it PP At Montrosse 1600. it was statuted and ordayned that none of them who shall haue vote in Parliament in the name of the Church shall come as Commissioners to the generall Assembly nor haue any vote in the same volesse they be authorized with Commission from their owne Presbyteries to that effect This Act was neuer repealed no not at the pretended Assembly holden at Glasgow but by the same Assembly they stand countable to euery generall Assembly for their proceedings Howbeit the Presbytories were spoyled of their authority in many things at the said pretended Assembly Yet of the power of election of Commissioners they were not spoyled neyther
that Assembly at Linlythguow a man for his Wisdome Knowledge and Holinesse in greater reputation then that thy calumnies can touch him All the conclusions thereof were penned by himselfe at least by his aduice and to haue made a greater aduantage then that conclusion could bring with it would not haue altered a sillable in any Act nor forged or foysted in any clause as thou speakest The Scribe of that Assembly was Doctour Henry Philip yet Minister at Arbrothe whose truth and fidelity to speake nothing of his Learning Prudence and other gifts is as well knowne as is thy perfidle and presumptuous rebellions for which now thou liuest in Exile And if thy sayings or the speeches of the like of thee might call such mens honestie in question it should not goe well If I seeme more bitter in this Answere to the Reader then I am accustomed let him consider that he who neither spares dead nor liuing great nor small must bee answered sometimes as he deserues Now where yee say that the Bishops will not stand to that Assembly now more then the Church then did I doe not conceiue whom ye call the Church except ye thinke a handfull of mutinous persons such as your selfe to be the Church otherwise the Ministers generally in all the parts of the Countrey did consent and obey the Acts of that Assembly And what if the conclusions taken therein yet stands vnrepealed by other Assemblies that haue followed the Bishops doe all acknowledge and stand to For it is the Law of the Church that rules them in matters of outward policie and all other peaceable Ministers yee and the like of you stand to no Law but the will of your owne minds Thirdly where ye say that some Moderatours were sent Commissioners by the Presbyteries vpon an ignorant conceit that they were bound by the Act of Linlythguow so to doe ye qualifie no part of this by any particulars and if ye did it would be replyed that in euery cōuention that is permitted for exercise through the Land the fittest and choysest of a number is appointed to moderate And that whether the moderation lay vpon them or not their Brethren would haue elected them and no others to haue bin Commissioners to that Assembly Lastly where ye tell vs scoffingly that the present Moderators are of a new edition to wit the deputies of Bishops yee must know That your changeable Moderators were of that new edition yee speake of for in no age was it seene euer before this that indifferently euery man was taken in his course to rule and preside without consideration had of his gifts and qualities And these we haue now are such as the Christian Church euer had vsed to keepe order in their meetings conuentions PP The Assessours to his Maiesties Commissioners the Nobilitie Barons Bishops Burgesses and Moderators imposed vpon Presbyteries with some Ministers voting without warrant being substracted from the number of the affirmatiue voters the negatiues will not bee found inferiour in number to the affirmatiues authorised with Commission And suppose inferiour in number yet not in weight for the negatiue voters adhered to the iudgement of the Church heard no reasons for the nouelties proponed were not ouercome with perswasions or terrours as was the affirmatiues ANS It hath beene sufficiently proued that there was neyther Nobleman Baron Burgesse nor Bishop but had as good warrant to vote as any of the negatiues therefore should not be substracted from the number of the affirmatiue voters This yee perceiue and flie to another shift according to your custome Yee graunt your number were fewer for so they were by more then another halfe but their weight yee say was greater for with them as ye alledge there was three great ouer weights in the ballance First they had no feare Secondly they were not ouercome with perswasion And the third they adhered to the iudgemēt of the Church It is true indeed that neither the feare of inconueniencies and euills which might haue ensued to the great hurt of the Church and hinderance of the Gospel did moue them nor could reason whereby the change was manifestly proued both lawfull and expedient perswade them but to the iudgement of the Church as ye call it they adhered without regard of good or euill without respect to right or wrong And this is the Idoll which they still adore Now let vs consider this iudgement whereunto they adhered The iudgement of our Church touching ceremonies and circumstances to bee vsed in the worshippe of God is two-fold There is one that is particular the other is generall The particular iudgement determineth and defineth what ceremonies in particular the Reformers thought expedient to be receyued and reiected The generall declares what the Church and euery Christian should esteeme beleeue and hold touching the particular order and policie which is set downe for the vse of ceremonies and circumstances to be obserued in the worship of God The former iudgement is expressed in the first Booke of Discipline and some few Acts of the generall Assemblies cited afterward by your selfe This other we haue in the one and twentieth Article of the Confession of Faith about the end thereof and in the seuenth Chapter of the second Booke of Discipline both which are afterwards cited in the examination of your Discourse where yee professe your selfe to discusse the oath And it is that iudgement whereunto the Swearers did oblige themselues by their oath In this it is declared expresly That no order nor policie in ceremonies can be established for all times ages and places but that it is temporall and may and should be changed when necessitie require This is the generall and constant iudgement of the Church whereunto the negatiue Voters were bound by their oath to haue adhered which they did not That other whereunto they adhered as yee alledge is onely temporall and subiect to change according to the opportunities and occasions of times places and persons For if by occasion of any of these circumstances the obseruation which was profitable at one time become hurtfull at another and that which serued for reformation breedes and fosters corruptiō profanenesse or superstition it is the constant and generall iudgement of the Church that it should bee changed and altered which formerly was obserued And to apply this to the purpose in hand It is notoriously knowne That sitting at the Communion which at the reformation was iudged most conuenient to abolish the opinion of transubstantiatiō bread-worship makes the Sacrament now to be contemned and profaned by the common sort of Professours That the want of diuine exercise on the fiue holy-dayes hath almost buried in obliuion the inestimable benefits of our redemption the superstitious obseruation of these times not the lesse continuing still in our Church That the withholding of Baptisme from infants in times of necessitie and the holy Supper from others at the houre of their dying hath beene the griefe of many good
the Festiuities and the Article of kneeling which his Maiestie was graciously pleased to Answer by himselfe for his better satisfaction These fiue and fortie yeares or aboue he hath liued a Minister in the Church of Scotland and was his Maiesties owne Chaplaine during the most of that time And for his labours and continuall trauels taken for the benefit of the Church deserued better reward then all the pensions hee enioyes But when this age is gone his iust praise in despight of you all shall continue with the posteritie If I pleased I could reply that the chiefe of your Sect hath a pension of his Maiestie of greater worth then all his put together and enioyes it with preiudice of many poore Ministers and for no merite at all except it be merite to worke his Maiestie perpetuall vexation and keepe the Church with his conceits in continuall trouble And I could tell you in a word that it is more fitting to be his Maiesties pensioner then the pensioner of any Burgesses wife or Ladie in the Countrey such as many of you are and were not your purses filled by this meanes we should not be troubled with your vnrulinesse These things you must patiently heare for they are truths seeing yee forbeare not to lye of men more worthie beyond all comparison then is your selfe Your third calumnie is That they were Platseruers for augmentation of stipends this is an euident vntruth The Commission for stipends expired in the Moneth of Iuly before that Assembly and further hope of augmentation they could not haue where yee shall suffer this to be told you that the negatiue voters had greater benefit by that Commission then the affirmatiue And that according to your manner you gaue good attendance all that time and many hopes of good behauiour till your businesse was effected Howbeit since diuers of your haue turned your Cloakes as wee vse to say Albeit the benefit is not lost for it was not to you done or for any of you but to the Churches at which ye presently serue Ye say fourthly That they were gapers for promotion But how doe you know that Who made you a Iudge of your Brethren Is this pietie to iudge of mens hearts and affections at your pleasure None of you forsooth like to haue promotions and I warrant you would flie into deserts to hide your selues if ye knew your selues to be sought to be placed in high roomes but what meanes then your continuall resort in the chiefe Townes with the neglect and contempt of your owne cures at home Yee professe not to loue the World yet none followes it so much Ye may not endure domination yet will play the Lords ouer Kings and the consciences of euery man and think while as ye declame against ambition wealth and worldly honour that yee are not perceyued euen then and by that meane chiefly to hunt after these things Ye say fiftly That they were of suspect credite and I beleeue it well with you they were so Nay yee might say more ye suspected they were Reprobates for it is a thing familiar to your Sect to pronounce of mens saluation and condemnation as they fancie And yet that Booke which they say some of you haue made vp to note therein the names of the holy Societie is not the Booke of Life The credite of that Register is not committed vnto you Sixtly They had subscribed ye say other priuate Articles more dangerous then the present I conceiue your meaning to be of the Articles offered vnto them that enter in the Ministrie If yee haue not seene them ye shall know that these Articles bind such as enter to the obedience of the present discipline and of all and whatsomeuer acts and constitutions that shall be lawfully made hereafter by the Church in matters of outward policie and order whereunto I will not say the falshood but the inconstancie of some of your number gaue the occasion who after they had promised to liue peaceable and obedient to the Church within a few dayes hauing gotten what they sought for became more turbulent and vnquiet then any Seuenthly They had beene threatned you say priuately with deposition by their owne Diocesian Bishops And wil ye qualifie this of any one person wee shall grant all your informalities But this is so vntrue as yee neuer shall bee able to doe it Eightly They were not well informed in their iudgements for lacke yee say of full and free reasoning Here ye construe other men by your selfe and some of your side who being asked the reason of their negatiue voyce answered That they had neuer studied the question well yet that they followed the example of learned and godly men with whom they had rather erre ignorantly then follow the Bishops with some shew of reason And one of your negatiue Voters professed publiquely in the Assembly That he saw no euident reason against the lawfulnesse of the Articles yet he would refuse them because his deceassed father did mislike them These were the best informations that the most of your negatiues had as to the affirmatiue Voters when yee or any man shall aske them they will giue reason sufficient for their iudgement Ninthly they were circumuented with promises yee say made to them by their Bishops that they should not be vrged with the practice if they would only consent to make an act to please the King But you should haue named the Bishops that made such promises for your saying deserues not that credit It is true that when fome of you acknowledging the matters to be lawfull in themselues complayned only of precipitation and that time was not giuen them to resolue it was answered by some in priuate That if they would ceasse from their businesse and professe so much in publike which in conference they acknowledged of the lawfulnesse of the Articles time should bee granted vnto them before the practice were vrged But this they obserued not and did to the contrary what they could and this I hope was no circumuention of any man nor were any of the affirmatiue voters carryed by these promises for what they voted vnto without any scruple they haue since that time practised Your tenth and last calumny that they were terrified with publike threatnings hath been answered before And now when ye desire your Reader to iudge whether the voices should be pondered or numbered I trust it hath not appeared by any of your alleadged motiues that there is such cause on the other side if your negatiue voters had equalled the affirmatiue in number they might haue beene iustly reiected first for the open preiudice they had committed in preaching and publike condemning the Articles that they knew were to be reasoned as impious Papistical and Idolatrous I know yee will oppose to this the preiudice you mentioned before committed by the affirmatiue voters in the practice of the Ceremonies before they were established But what they did in this was by the aduice of the chiefe
iudgement incline hee must render himselfe obedient to the Constitutions of the Church in which he liues And there is a great difference betweene decerning and discerning though eyther yee or your Printer hath mistaken it for it belongeth to the Iudge to decerne and Christians as ye say euen in their priuate callings may discerne but this their discerning will neuer free them from the subiection of Lawes imposed especially in matters of this nature for wee are now vpon order and policie onely And except ye could shew some euident place out of the Word or bring a necessarie demonstration to warrant your contrarie iudgement your disobedience will euer be faultie The authoritie of the Church must yeeld to the written Word but the iudgements of priuate men to the authoritie of the Church Otherwise we should open a doore to all confusion neyther could there be order in a Church if euery man should bee permitted to follow his owne conceit and doe as his priuie iudgment did leade him This our Church wisely foreseeing in an Assembly kept at Edinburghe anno 1583. 10. Octob. statuted and ordained That no Act concluded by a generall Assembly should bee called in question by any particular brother nay not in another generall Assembly except some iust cause might be seene for the change thereof And if it be not lawfull to call any of the constitutions of the Church in question much lesse to impugne by writ and print the same so maliciously as you haue done I omit the vnseemely match which yee make of English ceremonies and Lutheranisme with Papistrie for this is your malice against the English Church which it becomes you to reuerence and of whom if ye did loue the truth of God ye would haue spoken more honorably PP If the Parliament by acts authorize matters effected with such informalities and nullities matters of themselues so contrarious to our profession their ratification of a vicious thing cannot be a rule to a christian mans conscience But it is to be hoped that the Lord shall so dispose the hearts of Statesmen to the loue of the truth quietnesse of the Church and Country and peace of mens consciences that no vnreason able butthen shall be knit vpon the members of Christs Body by any deed of theirs vnder the name of a benefit to the Church Inuito beneficium non datur ANS Since the time that Kings and Princes became Christian it hath alwayes beene the custome that Synodicall Decrees were authorized by their Lawes not that the allowance or authoritie of Ciuill Lawes is made a rule to a Christians Conscience but that the externall man might thereby bee tyed to the obedience of these things which the Church hath found to be agreeable to the Word of God that is the only rule of conscience and it is to bee hoped that God shall so dispose the hearts of the whole Estate to the loue of his Truth and the Peace and quietnesse of his Church that refractarie and turbulent persons such as ye are shall bee restrayned of your vnbridled licentiousnesse and kept vnder the obedience of the Church and the Orders by her lawfully established which howsoeuer ye that loue to liue after your owne mindes call an vnreasonable burthen all true and peaceable Christians will esteeme a benefite to the Church and bee thankfull vnto God for the same PP Consider three things first the Nullity of this Assembly Secondly thy owne Oath and Subscription how it admits or abhorres this change suppose the Assembly had bin lawfull Thirdly if the particulars offered can be made lawfull or expedient by any Assembly whatsoeuer ANS We haue considered all these three as ye desire and finde the reasons proponed by you for the Nullitie of this Assembly to be Nullities in themselues Next that the Oath and Subscription by you mentioned admits the change concluded and does not abhorre it the same change being a part of the Oath which we all gaue as in discussing of the Oath shall be cleered Thirdly that the particulars concluded are things lawfull of their owne nature indifferent and most conuenient for this time in regard the generall Church who hath the place and power of determining the expediencie of Rites and Ceremonies hath interposed their authority to the same which in the estimation of Wisemen is sufficient to make them bee compted such An answere to the Articles presented to the Assembly AVGVST 27. and quotations added by the Pamphleter for confirmation PP FOr so much as we haue beene debarred of accesse and from hearing the proceedings of the Conference their Reasonings Consultations and Aduisements about the Articles proponed to this generall Assembly whereof all and euery one of them so nearely touches vs in our Christian resolution and offices of our Ministry in most humble manner wee present to your consideration the particulars hereafter specified in the feare of God intreating your fauourable answere to the same ANS Neither he who presented the Articles nor they who penned them can affirme truely that they were absent from the Conference and none were debarred who were desirous to be present The truth is after long and modest reasoning and graue deliberation when all had beene heard both in priuate at the Conference and in publique before the Assembly and all doubts and obiections had beene proponed answered and satisfied these or the like Articles were presented not for resolution of those by whom they were proponed who were already setled in this resolution not to be resolued but to perturbe the mindes of these who were prepared to vote and conclude and so to bring all in question againe that before had beene discussed and therefore were iustly reiected by the Moderator as malicious and crafty delatorie exceptions as shall bee manifest by the answeres following made to them not as they were presented to the Assembly but as they are proponed here with your Additions Quotations and Confirmations The first Article PP THe Articles proponed if they be concluded they doe innouate and bring vnder the slander of change the estate of this Church so aduisedly established by Ecclesiasticall Constitutions Acts of Parliament approbation of other Churches and good liking of the best reformed Christians without and within this Kingdome and so euidently blessed with happy successe and sensible experience of Gods greatest benefits by the space of fiftie eight yeares and aboue so that wee may boldly say to the praise of God That no Church hath enioyed the truth and puritie of Religion in larger libertie And vpon some such considerations it pleased his gracious Maiestie to continue the Church of England in her established estate as may bee seene in the Conference at Hampton Court and Thomas Sparke his booke written thereupon Ipsa quippe mutatio etiam quae adiuuat vtilitate nouitate perturbat quapropter quae vtilis non est perturbatione infructuosa consequenter noxia est saith Augustine Epist. 118. that is Euen a change that is helpefull for vtilitie perturbeth
with the noueltie Wherefore consequently a change that is not profitable is noysome through fruitlesse perturbation Rather a Church with some fault then still a change it is said in the Conference at Hampton Court Answere to the first Article IF the estate of our Church did consist in circumstantiall alterable Ceremonies the change of these might import a change of her estate But such points and ceremonies as were concluded by the Assembly at Perth haue the like respect to the estate of the Church that ornaments and vestures haue to the body seruing onely for commoditie order and decency to bee kept in the worship of God And therefore when occasion requireth as a change should bee made of apparell and may bee made without alteration of the constitution and health of the body So the change of Ceremonies necessary for the time doe not innouate and bring vnder slander of change the estate of the Church as Augustine saith Epist 86. Vna fides est vniuersae Ecclesiae tametsi ipsa fidei vnitas quibusdam diuersis obseruationibus celebratur quibus nullo modo quod in side verum est impeditur omnis enim pulchritudo filiae Regis intrinsecus illae autem obseruationes quae variae obseruantur in eius veste intelliguntur vnde illi dicitur in fimbrijs aureis circumamicta varietate that is The Faith of the vniuersall Church is one albeit the Vnitie of the Faith it selfe bee celebrate with some diuers obseruations whereby the Veritie of the Faith is not impedit for all the beautie of the Kings daughter is within but these obseruations which are variantly obserued are vnderstood to be in her apparell therefore it is said of her That shee is clothed with varietie in vestures of gold Psal 45. In this veritie of Faith whereby the Church standeth her estate consisteth this must bee euer kept one and the same albeit of the obseruations and ceremonies wherewith it is clothed it may sometime be said as God said of IOSVA Take away the filthy garments from him I will clothe thee with a change of rayment Tertull. de Virginibus Velandis Regula quidem sidei vna omnino est sola immobilis irreformabilis c. Hae lege sidei manente caetera iam disciplinae conuersationis admittunt nouitatem correctionis operante scil cet proficiente vsque in finem gratia Dei The rule of Faith is altogether one onely vnchangeable and such as cannot be reformed c. This Law of Faith standing firme the remanent things that concerne discipline and conuersation admit the noueltie of correction by the grace of God which worketh and maketh a profitable progresse euen to the end Augustines sentence which yee cite is not repugnant to this for in that place he speaketh not of such a mutation as proceedeth from the instant and lawfull desire of a Prince and after due deliberation is concluded by the body of the whole Church but of such a nouation as is vrged contentiously by some curious spirits who being strangers to the Church wherein they presse to make the nouation would haue the customes thereof changed according to the formes of their owne Countrey or being trauelled abroad would make a reformation according to that which they see in their peregrination Aut quia in sua patria sic ipse consueuit aut quia ibi vidit vbi peregrinationem suam quo remotiorem à suis eo doctiorem factam putat In such a case saith Augustine the nouation helpeth not so much by vtilitie as it hurteth by noueltie such was the alteration that was intended and vrged by some Innouators at Hampton Court Where notwithstanding some few particulars were explayned in the Liturgie of the Church of England as is set downe in the third dayes Conference by D. William Barlow as followeth 1. Absolution or remission of sinnes in the rubricke of absolution 2. In priuate Baptisme that a lawfull Minister bee present 3. Examination and Confirmation of Children 4. Iesus said vnto them twice to bee put in the Dominicall Gospels in stead of Iesus said to the Disciples Thus his Maiesty who had wisely said before in that Conference Rather a Church with some fault then still a change declared that where the fault might bee redressed without change of the estate of the Church the fault was to be mended and the estate preserued The second Article PP The receiuing againe of these Articles so iustly reiected and so carefully and long kept forth of the CHVRCH grieueth reformed Professours tenderly affected to our reformation and giueth occasion to our Aduersaries to reproue our separation from them of rashnesse leuitie and inconstancie and not only hindereth their conuersion but strengthneth their hope of our further conformitie with them quoties non mutarunt suam quisque sententiam c. ANS The receiuing againe of these Articles neuer reiected as vnlawfull giueth no iust occasion of griefe to any who are not superstitioussy affected to externall Rites and Ceremonies and such are not to be followed but should be better informed And as for the Aduersaries it grieueth them that by this change their mouthes are stopped who before took occasion to slander our Church of prophanenesse for fitting at the Sacrament of impious ingratitude for neglecting the solemne commemoration of the inestimable benefits of our Redemption of contempt of the Sacraments and crueltie for refusing in cases of necessitie Baptisme to Infants and the Supper of the Lord to these who desire the comfort thereof at the time of their death which things being now restored in our Church they are afraid that many who before of their Sect did not so much abhorre our profession for the substance of doctrine as for the precise excluding of these religious Rites may now bee moued to adioyne themselues to our Church But to be short what can bee so well done by vs whereat they will not take occasion to slander vs either of inconstancie or prophanenesse and impietie Therefore our actions must not depend on their constructions but we must doe that which is most expedient and best for the estate of our owne Church and not regard their hopes conceits calumnies and lyes whereby they maintaine their Kingdome of darknesse The third Article PP They cannot stand in one profession with brotherly kindnes peace and loue which must bee tenderly kept amongst the members of Christs body as the same consisteth of strōger and more infirme as may appeare in the Apostolicall Rules following c. Things indifferent put the case mans inuention were of that nature in the case of scandall ceasse to be indifferent and are as things morall Perkins Gal. 2.3 ANS Vnto this Article Augustine answereth in his 118. Epistle to Ianuarius cap. 2. in these words Saepe sensi dolens gemens multas infirmorum perturbationes fieri per quorundam fratrum obstinationem superstitiosam timiditatem qui in rebus huiusmodi quae neque sacrae Scripturae authoritate neque vniuersalis
the examination of yong children by the Bishop in his Visitation are things simply vnlawfull without expresse or necessary warrant of Gods Word are contrary to doctrine according to the declaration and iudgement of our Church set downe in the first booke of Discipline as is aboue expressed and by Saint Paul Coloss 2. is condemned for a doctrine of will-worship in these wordes Touch not taste not handle not Vers 21. Thus the imposing either of negatiue or affirmatiue positions touching points of Religion without warrant of the Word on the conscience of men is will-worship which you doe wilfully maintayne and vrge throughout the whole Pamphlet The eleuenth Article PP The Commissioners of Presbyteries haue conuened sufficiently vnderstand that neither the Presbyteries from whom they haue their Cōmissions nor the particular Churches of this Realme either require are willing or consent to admit these nouations Confitentur Theologi nihil esse per Synodos Ecclesijs inuitis obtrudendum The Diuines confesse that nothing should bee obtruded vpon Churches against their will ANS The Commissioners of Presbyteries were not astricted to the present opinions of the Presbyteries particular Churches of the Realme but receiued a free and voluntary Commission to vote as they should bee mooued and perswaded by the motiues and reasons proponed at the Assembly otherwise they had met with preiudice And therefore what they concluded according to their Commission was not obtruded vpon the Churches against their will but according to their wills contayned in the Commission The twelfth Atticle PP The Commissioners of Presbyteries here assembled vnderstanding the alienation of them from whom they receiued commission from these Articles can by no warrant oblige their vnwilling Presbyteries and Congregations to their votes Ecclesiam dissentientem inuitam obligare quis potest Who can binde a Church dis-assenting and vnwilling ANS If the Commissioners had come to the Assembly without a free and vnbounded Commission to reason vote and conclude in their names they could not by their votes and conclusions haue bound the Churches and Presbyteries from whom they come if they had after dis-assented But the generall and vnlimited Commission giuen to the Commissioners to reason vote and conclude with this expresse clause Firme and stable holding and for to hold whatsoeuer their Coommissioners should conclude in their names obliged the Presbyteries and Congregations by whom the Commission was giuen And here I marke a contradiction betwixt this Article and that which ye affirme in discussing of the Oath pa. 30. Namely that the Oath of the Church representatiue giuen An. 1596. did oblige them all who were liuing to the maintenance of the puritie of Religion in Doctrine and Discipline Heere yee acknowledge that the Church representatiue hath power to oblige all liuing within the iurisdiction therefore yee cannot allow of this Article according to your grounds The thirteenth Article PP There stand in force diuers Acts of Parliament in fauours of our present order Iacob 6 Parl. 1 cap. 8. Iames 6. Parl. 8. cap. 68. cap. 69. Item in the first Act of Parliament Anno 1592. ANS None of the Acts of Parliament here cited is contrary to the alteration The fourteenth Article PP The Ministers of this Church by order of the same printed and inserted before the Psalme Booke at their admissions respectiue promise in the presence of God and of his Congregation assembled to abhorre and vterly refuse all Doctrine alledged necessary to saluation that is not expresly contayned in the olde and new Testament c. Item to submit themselues to all admonitions secretly or publikely giuen ANS Against this promise nothing was concluded by the Assembly at Perth but how this promise is performed by these who disobey the Ordinances thereof let them aduise with their owne conscience The fifteenth Article PP The Subscribers of the Confession of Faith by their oath therein contained promise and sweare to continue in the obedience of the doctrine discipline of this Church to defend the same according to their vocation and power all the dayes of their liues c. And to abhor and detest all contrary religions but chiefly all kind of Papistry in generall euen as they are now damned by the Church of Scotland but in special the Popes fiue bastard Sacraments whereof Confirmation is one with all Rites and Ceremonies and false doctrines added to the Sacraments without the Word of God his absolute necessity of Baptisme c. which Confession is come to the eyes of the World in print and solemnly renued in the Couenant celebrated in the generall and prouincial Assemblies Presbyteries and Church Sessions in the yeere of God 1596. and how shal any man be heard to speak against that whereunto he hath formerly sworne and subscribed For the better vnderstanding of this last Article I will set downe a short discussion of the Oath ANS There is nothing that the Subscribers of the Confession of faith did by their oath oblige themselues to obserue and defend that is contrary to any of the Articles concluded at Perth and no man should bee heard to speake contrary to that whereunto hee hath formerly sworne subscribed And therefore they who haue sworne subscribed in the 21. Article of the Confession of faith confirmed in Parliament Anno 1567. That no policie and order in Ceremonies can bee appointed for all ages times and places but that they may ought to be changed when necessity requireth should not now bee heard affirming the contrary in this Pamphlet that they may not bee changed wherein ye contradict your oath and perswade others to doe the same Of the which oath the discussion set downe by you is a glosse that destroyeth the Text as shall by Gods grace bee made manifest by the examination thereof which followeth The Examination of the Oath discussed BEfore the Penner of this Pamphlet begins to discusse the oath he sets downe the articles controuerted then fiue seuerall obligations whereby as he alledgeth our Church is obliged to exclude and abhorre the particular actes concluded at Perth Thirdly he considers the Oath which is the chiefe of the flue obligations Keeping his order wee shall seuerally examine his sayings concerning them And first touching the articles controuerted he sayes thus Pp. The Religion Doctrine and Discipline receiued beleeued and defended by the Church of Scotland namely the publike ministration of Baptisme and the Lords Supper sitting at the Table in the act of receiuing the bread and the wine of that Sacrament The obseruation of the Lords day and the examination of Children for the first time at the ninth yeare of their age for the second at the twelfth for the third at the fourteenth excluding and abhorring priuate Baptisme priuate Communion kneeling in the act of receiuing the Supper Holy dayes or Feasts of Christmas Passion Resurrection Ascension and sending downe of the Holy Ghost were brought in at the resormation of Religion and enioyed ener since in
he bound himselfe by his Oath when he did sweare to the Confession of faith and that no power can compel the alteration of iudgement or loose the said Oath in any case And that he who sware That he did thinke that no policie and order in ceremonies can be appointed for all ages times and places but that the same may and ought to be changed when necessitie requires Did neuer nor could sweare without breach of this Oath that the ceremonie of sitting at the receiuing of the Sacrament esteemed by our Church at the reformation most conuenient but not necessarie could bee appointed for all ages times and places and that it might not nor ought to bee altered in any case by the contrary all who swore to the Confession of faith did sweare That the policie and order of sitting at the Sacrament was such as could not be appointed for all ages times and places and that it might and should be changed when it did not so much edifie the people in pietie as foster prophanenesse and superstition And this sitting fosters in all theso that practise it with a superstitious conceit and opinion that the same was instituted by our Sauiour as a point of diuine worship and by his exemplary practise commended to the Church for an essential or integrant part of the Sacrament which yee maintaine in this Pamphlet Now leauing this to bee considered by such as are not partially affected but loue the truth and hate contention I proceed to the Oath which yee consider first in the persons takers of the same Secondly in the matter whereto they sweare Thirdly in the forme and manner whereby they are bound And fourthly by the force and effect of that forme for making sure mens particular deeds Touching the persons yee say this PP The Persons takers of the Oath are Christians come to perfect yeares and free persons who did not only know in generall the doctrine and discipline whereto they bound themselues by their oath but in particular the points controuerted as followeth First That in the yeare of God 1581. it was concluded that the Sacraments should be solemnely ministred and not in priuate houses Secondly That in the yeare 1560 it was declared by the Church that Christ sate with his Disciples at Table when hee instituted the Supper and that sitting at Table was the most conuenient gesture to this holy action Thirdly That Confirmation was to be abhorred as one of the Popes fiue bastard Sacraments Fourthly That the keeping of Holy dayes such as the Feast of Christmas imposed vpon the consciences of men without warrant of Gods word was condemned by preaching and corrected by publique censures of the Church ANS I will not answere you as iustly I might that the first booke of Discipline whereby the most of these constitutions are warranted was neuer knowne to our common Professors nor acknowledged by our Church to haue the authoritie of Ecclesiasticall Canons but I say The Assembly at Perth hath decreed nothing to the contrary thereof For first Touching the administration of the Sacraments we fully agree to the ordinance made anno 1581 to wit That the Sacraments should bee solemnely ministred and not in priuate houses The occasion of making this ordinance was a misorder that fell out in the persons of two Ministers namely Master Alexander Mure Minister at Falkland and Master Alexander Forrester Minister at Trenent as is cleare by the narratiue of the act which is relatiue only to the celebration of Mariage and the ministration of the Sacraments extra casum necessitatis where without any vrgent necessitie order may be kept But our question is whether in extraordinary cases the Sacraments may be ministred extraordinarily in priuate houses as they were in the Primitiue Church by the Apostles and in the beginning of the reformation by the Preachers of the Gospell In these and the like cases there is no act of any Assembly that determines what should bee done Therefore put the case our Church had sworne and subscribed that ordinance yet hath shee done nothing contrary to her oath either by making or obeying the acts concluded at Perth which doe only respect the cases of necessitie So whether to sit at a Table in receiuing the Communion was most conuenient according as our Church esteemed at the time of reformation is not the question but whether to sit at a Table be necessary as instituted and left by our Sauiours example to be obserued and that without breach of the institution the same may not be altered This question was neuer defined by any Canon of our Church Therefore put the case that our Church had sworne and subscribed That to sit at the Communion was most conuenient according to the iudgement of our first Reformers yet we haue done nothing contrarie to that oath by interchanging sitting with kneeling because kneeling at this time is found to be the more conuenient gesture for that which at one time is more conuenient may bee lesse conuenient at another As to our Sauiours sitting if so be he sate nam adhuc sub iudice lis est it was not exemplary or appointed to be followed of vs as shall be afterwards proued and his practise did only declare that sitting might be lawfully vsed not that of necessitie it must be vsed and cannot bee altered when the Church findes the change expedient Thirdly whether Confirmation as it was abused in Popery for a Sacrament should be re-induced is not the question for that is condemned in the very narratiue of the act made at Perth But whether the Bishop in his Visitation ought to trie the education of yong children in the grounds of Religion as in the first booke of Discipline the Superintendent was ordained to doe whereof yee may reade in the fift head touching the office of Superintendents Therefore put the case our Church had sworne and subscribed all the heads and Constitutions of the foresaid booke yet by the act made at Perth shee hath not violated her oath by appointing Bishops in their Visitations to take this triall For they are now the Superintendents of the Church Fourthly Wee contend not whether the obseruation of Holy dayes as that of Christmas should be imposed vpon the conscience which in the explication of the first head of the foresaid booke of Discipline is condemned as also in the first words of the act made at Perth touching the fiue dayes but the question is whether the Church may appoint the commemoration of Christs inestimable benefits vpon the said dayes as all the reformed Churches doe and our Diuines hold to bee lawfull Of this our Church neuer defined any thing Therfore the making obseruing of the act touching this point is not against her former oath And to conclude The Subscribers and Swearers vnto our Doctrine and Discipline know no Canon nor constitution of the Church made in former times that is contrary to the Articles concluded at Perth Thus much touching the perfons who
did sweare The next thing yee consider is the matter whereunto they did binde themselues by their oath which yee set downe as followeth PP The matter whereunto they binde themselues by oath is the Religion Doctrine and Discipline receiued beleeued and defended by the Church of Scotland in respect of this matter the Oath is partly assertorie and partly promissorie as yee say ANS By that which alreadie hath been said it is manifest that albeit our Church had sworne to all the heads and ordinances aboue specified set downe in the bookes of Discipline yet there is nothing committed contrarie to this Oath by the actes made at Perth But now since yee are come to the matter of the Oath let vs see if the points in controuersie be any part of that matter The matter as yee affirme is the Religion Doctrine and Discipline receiued beleeued and defended by the Church of Scotland This definition or description of the matter is not so full and particular as is set downe in the Oath it selfe neither haue yee in reciting the words been so faithfull as yee are feruent for the cause yee maintaine For yee haue pretermitted diuers things belonging to the limitation of the matter by which all the particulars in question are clearely excluded The words cited by you are these We beleeue with our hearts confesse with our mouthes subscribe with our hands and constantly affirme before God and the world That the Faith and Religion receiued beleeued and defended by the Church of Scotland the Kings Maiestie and three Estates of this Realme c. is onely the true Christian Faith and Religion pleasing God and bringing saluation to man Heere yee omit many things that concerneth the limitation of the matter which at that time were knowne to such as sware the same and now must be expounded vnto the Reader that is to iudge and consider our Controuersie Therefore I shall set downe heere the words of the Oathe as it was published in print by Robert Waldgraue anno 1590. We beleeue with our hearts c. That this onely is the true Christian Faith and Religion pleasing God and bringing saluation to man which is now by the mercy of God reuealed to the world by the preaching of the blessed Euangell and receiued beleeued defended by many sundry notable Churches Realmes and chiefely by the Church of Scotland c. In these words we haue two limitations pretermitted by you The first is that the matter of the Oath is the Doctrine and Discipline reuealed to the world by the Gospell This limitation excludeth all Ecclesiasticall determinations and constitutions which are not expresly or by a necessary consequence contained in the written Word The next is That the matter of the Oath is the Doctrine and Discipline which is receiued beleeued and defended by many notable Churches and Realmes and chiefely by the Church of Scotland This limitation excludeth all these things wherein the Church of Scotland hath not the consent of many notable Churches and Realmes who with her hath receiued beleeued and defended the same By these two are all the points in controuersie excluded and cut off from being any part of the matter whereunto the Swearers by their oath did oblige themselues And vnto these two if we adde the third limitation there can remaine no more any doubt touching the matter of the Oath This is that the Doctrine and Discipline whereunto they sweare is particularly expressed in the Confession of Faith established and publikely confirmed by sundry actes of Parliament This Confession is registred in the bookes of Parliament at the yeare 1567. and is inserted amongst the Confessions of the Reformed Churches in the booke called Syntagma Confessionum But so it is that in the Confession of our Faith established by Parliament there is no mention made of the Articles controuerted neither hath many notable Churches and Realmes receiued beleeued or defended the same neither are they expresly or by necessary consequence contained in the Gospell And therefore they cannot by any point of our Religion or part of the Doctrine and Discipline whereunto the Swearers did oblige themselues by their assertory and promissory Oath By the Gospell it is not certaine That our Sauiour and the Apostles did sit at the Supper and albeit he had sitten yet sitting is no more commanded to be obserued in that sacred action then the vpper chamber where he sate or the night season when the Supper was celebrated or the sex and number of the Communicants who were twelue men and no women or the qualitie of the element which was vnleauened bread or the order finally after Supper All these howbeit they be certaine yet none of them are esteemed exemplary far lesse can sitting which is vncertaine be esteemed such And for the rest of the points Neither kneeling at the Communion nor the administration of the Sacraments in priuate houses when necessitie requires nor the commemoration of Christs inestimable benefits on certaine set times of the yeare nor the triall of yong childrens education by the Bishop at his Visitation none of these I say are either expresly or by necessary consequence forbidden in the Gospell nor are heâ—y condemned by many notable Churches and Realmes nor abiured in the Confession of our Faith confirmed by actes of Parliament and so cannot be counted the matter of this Oath But to remooue all scruple that may arise touching the matter of this Oath It is true That in the promissorie Oath the Swearers thereof binde themselues to continue in the Doctrine and Discipliue of the Church of Scotland and to defend the same according to their vocation and power all the dayes of their liues vnder the paines contained in the Law and danger both of body and soule in the day of the Lords fearefull iudgement Heere touching the Doctrine praised be God there is no controuersie amongst vs all the doubt concerneth Discipline and that is remoued also if it be taken only for that which is reuealed in the Gospell or receiued beleeued and defended by many notable Churches and Realmes or that which is set downe in the Confession of Faith as is already declared But because the Discipline of the Church may be extended beyond these limits and made to comprehend all Ecclesiasticall constitutions and determinations of generall circumstances formes and ceremonies belonging to the worship of God and the decent ordering of his house let vs consider this point more particularly If by the Discipline of the Church in the words of the Oath A consideration of the Discipline whereunto the Swearers did oblige themselues that part of Ecclesiasticall policie bee meant which concernes the censuring of manners in which sense it is taken in the order set downe before our Psalme bookes and in the seuenth head of the first booke of Discipline intituled of Ecclesiasticall Discipline and in the second booke wheresoeuer it is mentioned and by all Ecclesiasticall writers most frequently Then it is certaine
standeth obliged not only to obey and defend the constitutions of the Church that were in force at the time of making his oath but also to obey and defend whatsoeuer the Church thereafter hath ordained or shall ordaine to be obserued for edification comlinesse and decencie whether thereby the former constitutions bee established or altered and abrogated euen as they who sweare to obey the gouernment of a Kingdome or Citie are by their oath not onely obliged to obey the present Actes and Lawes but all which shall afterwards bee made for the Common-wealth howbeit the former be thereby discharged as when Lawes are made for exportation and importation of goods for weights and measures for fishing cutting of woods for peace for warre and whatsoeuer constitutions they bee that are made such as haue giuen their oath of obedience are thereby tyed to reject the former and obey the later I conclnde this with the doctrine of that learned Diuine Master CALVINE Instit lib. 4. cap. 10. sect 30. God would not saith hee in externall ceremonies and discipline prescribe particularly what we ought to follow because he foresaw that to depend on the condition of times neither did he iudge one forme agreeable to all ages Heare then saith he we must flie to the generall rules which God hath giuen that according to them may be defined whatsoeuer the necessitie of the Church requires to be appointed for order and deceneie Finally seeing God hath set downe nothing of those matters expressely because they are not necessary to saluation and are diuersely to bee applyed to the manners of euery age and for edification of the Church it is lawfull as the vtilitie of the Church shall require as wel to change and abrogate these that haue been in vse as to appoint new ceremonies I confesse indeed that we should not runne rashly and vpon light motions vnto nouation but what may hurt and what may edifie Charity can best iudge which if wee admit to bee moderatrix all shall be in safetie and goe well Thus farre Caluine whereby he doth manifest that the Church hath power to change and innouate as necessity requireth all the particular ordinances shee maketh of things alterable and they who in generall haue sworne to obey the Discipline of the Church are all bound by their oath to kneele at the Communion to obserue the fiue Holy dayes and to obey all the rest of the Articles concluded at Perth That which yee afterwards subjoyne touching the forme and force of the Oath we approue onely we wish you to consider seeing it is a part of Ecclesiasticall Discipline as well to change and abrogate ceremoeies in vse as to appoint new That yee by all these forcible formes of the Oath which cannot be loosed are obliged to follow the Church in the alterations shee makes and to defend and obey the Actes and Constitutions that concerne the same and that all who disobey in their owne persons or by their exemplary practise and perswasions induce others to disobey and rebell to the disgrace of their Mother the Church and the breaking of the bond of peace whereby the vnitie of the Spirit is conserued doe assuredly lye tyed vnder the foarefull cords and chaines of periury except they seriously repent The Libeller hauing ended his foure Considerations propounds some defences vsed by them who submit themselues to the Actes of Perth whom contumeliously he calleth Temporizers and to other Defences maketh his owne Replies First saith he they make themselues freed of the Oath because the nouation was made by the King and the Church their Superiours vnto this he giueth a double answere first that this nouation could not bee lawfully made by the King because hee himselfe did sweare the Confession of Faith Next that the Church could not make any such nouation because all of the Church did sweare the Oath either personally or really Personally all who subscribed the Confession of Faith which he reckons to haue been the generall assemblies of the Church Synods Presbyteries Schollers passing their degrees and Burgesses when they obtained their Liberties Really Children sweare in the persons of their Parents and all the particular members of the Church in the Church representatiue This his Assertion being duly examined will bee found false for the greatest part touching the persons whom he alledgeth to haue sworn and as to their reall obligation it is friuolous for no man can bee really bound by an assertory oath but onely the person that sweares But passing by this I answer That when the King and Church sweare the Confession of Faith by that Oath they did neither abiure any of the Articles concluded at Perth neither did oblige themselues to maintaine and obey the contrary for it is manifest by the limitations set downe in the beginning of the Oath that all these particulars were excluded And they who sweare to continue in the Discipline of the Church of Scotland generally and to defend the same all the dayes of their life were so farre from tying themselues to continue in the obedience of euery particular ordinance touching indifferent and alterable things that by the contrarie the one and twentieth Article of the Confession of Faith aboue rehearsed they stood obliged to obey euery alteration that should be concluded by the Church The Church representatiue did sweare in that Article to alter all such constitutions when it should be needfull and the particular members of the Church sweare to obey her will and ordinance in the points altered and changed For to obey the Discipline in generall is to obey euery thing that the Church by the power giuen her of God appointeth to bee done or not done for order and policie So for any nouation that is made neither hath the King nor the Church representatiue violated their Oath nor haue the inferiour members beene loosed and freed from their oathes but in giuing obedience to the points of Discipline concluded by their Superiours they made their oathes and promises good which otherwise by their disobedience they should haue transgressed As to the Oath which as you say the Bishop of Ely now Bishop of Winehester affirmeth his Maiestie twice to haue giuen for maintaining that sorme and manner of Gods worship established by the Lawes of both Kingdomes you might easily haue perceiued that he did not by the forme which he mentioneth vnderstand these indifferent points of policie wherein some little disconformity there is and cannot but be in regard of the different estate of our Church and theirs but by that forme her vnderstood that same fashion and manner of worshipping God as is prescribed to vs in his Word is proponed in the seuerall Confessions of our Faith which is one and the same both with them and vs. So you depraue that reuerend Fathers speech and craftily insinuate his Maiestie to be guiltie of periury in that by his Highnesse most lawfull and earnest desire the alteration of these indifferent things hath beene wrought but
Supper and retained c. was not instituted The Proposition is so euident that against it yee are able to bring no instance besides that which is in controuersie namely the Table gesture of sitting Yee afterward bring in the Table it selfe whereunto wee shall answere in the owne place alwayes this is certaine that nothing was instituted but that which is expressely set downe in the words of the Institution and such things as necessarily followeth thereupon PP pag. 37. lin 5. The second reason wee are bound to imitate Christ and the commendable example of his Apostles in all things wherein it is not euident they had speciall reasons moouing them thereto which doe not concerne vs. ANS This is a rule of your owne making which I hope no wise Christian will receiue as a principle of Faith or Diuinity except it be confirmed with better reasons then any alledged by you The first argument whereby yee labour to proue it is in these words PP It is grosse hypocrisie for vs to pretend more reuerence and deuotion in the act of Receiuing then the Apostles did when Christ was present ANS This particular will not proue the generall rule yet I answere That if we kneele of purpose to pretend more reuerence then the Apostles had it is grosse hypocrisie But if we kneele out of the simplicity of our hearts to testifie our reuerence to Christ whom we know not only to bee bodily present in heauen but to bee spiritually present with vs at the Sacrament it is an action of true piety and not of grosse hypocrisie for I demand of you what gesture vsed the Apostles at the thinkesgiuing If yee say they sate is it not a grosse hypocrisie for you to stand or kneele and to command the people to humble themselues at the thankesgiuing wherewith the Sacrament begins seeing in so doing yee pretend or shew more reuerence and deuotion then the Apostles did who sate but if yee say they stood or kneeled as wee doe how know yee that they sate at the Receiuing and retained not still the gesture wherewith they gaue thankes PP Wherefore doth the Apostle propound the custome of the first Churches 1. Cor. 11.16 2. Tim. 3.14 1. Cor. 14.33 if they did not oblige vs to imitation ANS More impertinent testimonies yee could not haue brought then the last two and if they be rightly cited let the Reader iudge to the first wherein mention is made of the custome of the Churches I answere If the custome of the Church and the actions and practises of Christ be morall and of the nature of things commanded generally in the Decalogue they oblige vs indeed to imitation but naturall actions such as eating drinking waking sleeping resting talking and such like done by them with the circumstances thereof namely the manner time and place of their eating drinking c. doe not tye vs to the imitation of them although there bee no cause mouing them thereto which concernes vs not Therefore in all things we are not obliged to their imitation Neither doe the ceremonies and circumstances obserued by them in the exercise of Religion astrict vs except they be enioyned by some constant precept in the Gospell as by example Iohn baptised at a riuer and they who were baptised went downe into the water and came vp out of it againe in some places the Church vsed a threefold immersion in the Apostles time they vsed to salute one another with a holy kisse they kept their banquets of loue at their meetings and other moe customes they had which not being enioyned to vs by a constant command doe no wise oblige vs as no more doth the circumstance of place time habite persons position and site of body as standing sitting or walking And in a word in the actions of Christ his Apostles or the customes of the Church there is nothing exemplary and left to be imitated of vs but that which either being morall is generally commanded in the Decalogue or being ceremoniall and circumstantiall is particularly commanded by some constant precept in the Gospell But I will aske you that would haue euery action of Christs to be imitated by vs which hath not a speciall exception of some cause mouing him that concernes vs not what is the cause that at the celebration of the Sacrament yee blesse not the Bread first seuerally by it selfe and the Cup seuerally by it selfe after the distribution of the Bread seeing Christ did so as it is expresly mentioned yet hauing no cause to moue him which concernes vs not This I am perswaded if your ground bee sure is a more euident breach of the Institution then is our not sitting at the Sacrament for in the words of the Institution there is no mention of sitting but the giuing of thankes twice is expresly set downe and there could bee no cause to moue Christ vnto this which doth not concerne vs. For sitting if it be so that Christ sate there is a manifest cause moouing him vnto that which doth not concerne vs to wït the Paschall Supper by occasion whereof he was sitting before Therefore to conclude if it bee no breach of the Institution once to giue thanks and blesse the bread and cup at once which Christ Iesus in the Institution is said to haue done at two seuerall times it is without all reason to make that necessary which is not expressed in the Institution and call that a breach of the Institution which neuer was instituted Thus hauing shewed the ground whereupon you build your exemplarie actions to bee a heape of sand scraped together by your selfe without warrant of Scripture Antiquity or any moderne Writer the arguments yee bring afterwards from the sitting of Christ with some of the Disciples after his Resurrection when he was at Emmaus and the sitting of the Apostolike Church after our Sauiours Ascension are to no purpose seeing your rule failes and cannot proue the sitting of Christ and his Apostles at the Sacrament if so they sate to be exemplary more then any of the other circumstances of time place order and persons But that the Reader may see how vncertaine your testimonies and reasons are we will consider them particularly PP Christ after his Resurrection when hee was in Emmaus with some of the Disciples as he sate at meat with them tooke bread blessed it brake it and gaue it vnto them as it is said Luk. 24.30 This place is interpreted by Augustine Paulinus c. But so it is they were sitting when Christ gaue them the bread whatsoeuer be the interpretation of the Text yee see they acknowledge sitting at the Table ANS I see not that they did acknowledge the Disciples to haue sate at Table when they receiued for as I said before there interuened betweene the taking of the bread by Christ and the receiuing of the same by the Disciples the act of thaukesgiuing breaking and giuing the bread in which time the gesture of sitting might haue beene altered Thus
dare not bee so bold as to affirme them to be necessary As in extending the sense of Parables a moderation would be kept that it be not racked beyond the bounds and scope of the purpose whereupon the Parable is inferred so the parabolicke names giuen to these holy mysteries should not bee extended beyond the resemblance similitude set downe in Scripture for which these names are imposed Therefore when the Sacrament is called a Table and a Supper wee must not thinke that euery thing which is competent to an ordinary table and supper are to be found and obserued there but only such as haue cleare warrant in the Institution either in particular or by necessary consequence In particular the whole substantiall things actions and ceremonies are expressed from the which wee should take nothing and whereunto we should adde nothing The circumstances that doe necessarily accompany such things actions and ceremonies as the time when the place where the part whereon the person by whom and to whom and the order doe necessarily follow the action for some time and place must be when and where it must be done some persons by whom and to whom it must be celebrated some part there must be whereon the elements must be set and from whence they must be giuen and receiued some position and site of body must be vsed by the giuers and receiuers and some order must be obserued for entring and proceeding in the action and finishing therof some things would go before as Sermons or Seruice and it is decent that the celebration be closed with Psalmes and blessings but none of these circumstantiall things are particularly defined by Scripture therefore they are left to bee determined by the Church according to the rules of edification order and decencie PP The Sacrament of the Passcouer was also a holy Supper and the people of God vsed it so they kneeled not in the act of receiuing it ANS The Passeouer was an holy Supper yet it was also coenarecta that is a full and perfect repast The Sacrament is a Supper in resemblance onely as hath beene declared not instituted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for filling of the flesh but for feeding of the spirit and therefore is not to be receiued after a common and carnall manner but with a spirituall and religious carriage Lastly where you say that when the people receiued the Law of the Passeouer they bowed their heads and worshipped Exod. 12.17 and they did not so in eating of it That they were more reuerent in hearing the Law of the Passeouer then in the participation of it I answere They bowed not their head whilest they did heare but after they had heard and this I hope you will not deny but after the participation of the Passeouer they gaue thankes with as great reuerence and deuotion as they vsed after hearing of the Word Further at the participation they sate not but stood all the time wherin they shew farre greater reuerence then bowing of the head which is finished at one instant could import And after the first celebration when the Passeouer was slaine and sacrificed at the Altar you cannot say that the people did not bow for Micheas testifieth cap. 6. ver 6. That when the people brought their oblations they bowed As to the eating of it the same was in priuate houses and did serue them for an ordinary supper therfore was it to be receiued accordingly Our Sacrament is not such nor hath no such vse as hath been said therefore our manner of receiuing ought not to be conformed vnto that which was vsed at the participation of the Paschal Supper An answere to the second head wherein kneeling is considered as a breach of the second Commandement PP KNeeling in the act of receiuing the sacramentall elements is not onely a breach of the Institution in the Gospell but also of the second Commandement of the Law The first breach of the Commandement made by kneeling is the sinne of idolatrie idolatrie is committed in this act diuers wayes The Papists kneele in the acte of receiuing because they beleeue verily that the bread is Transubstantiate into Christs bodie and vpon this supposition of Transubstantiation and bodily presence they kneele this is the grossest idolatrie that euer was in the world The Lutheran kneeles vpon his supposition of Consubstantiation and Christs Reall presence by Consubstantiation This also is idolatry and a supposition false A third sort kneele for reuerence of the elements not giuing to the elements that high kinde of worship called commonly cultus Latriae which the Papists giue but an inferiour kinde of worship due as they thinke to consecrate creatures This also is idolatry ANS The penner of this Pamphlet takes it pro confesso that our Church which hee calleth the third sort kneeles at the Sacrament for reuerence of the elements and to proue it to be idolatry he makes a long confused and idle discourse touching the relatiue worship which Papists giue to their Idols I call it confused because hee makes no distinction therein betweene the proper accidentall and improper honour which Papists professe to giue to their Images without the knowledge whereof the disputation following cannot be vnderstood Therefore it must be cleared in the owne place I call it idle because he takes paines to proue that which is not controuerted namely that it is idolatry to kneele to the elements or for reuerence of the elements which we deny not yet hee confesseth that a religious honor which he calleth veneration should bee giuen to the elements and thereupon moues and answeres an obiection touching this point pag. 47. as followeth PP It may be obiected that holy things ought to bee reuerenced Answer True but not worshipped veneration is one thing adoration another adoration belongeth to persons veneration to things pertaining to persons and is nothing else but a religious respect or reuerent estimation of things pertaining to the vse of Religion a preseruation of them that they be not lost and a decent vsage of them according to their kinde this veneration or reuerence is a respectiue or relatiue reuerence giuen to them for Gods sake kneeling for reuerence of senselesse creatures is to take the proper gesture of relatiue adoration and apply it to relatiue reuerence for religious kneeling in all the Scripture is a gesture of adoration and soueraigne worship c. ANS This all is sound and touching it wee agree fully with you that reuerence which is done to the Sacrament should not bee expressed by kneeling which you truely call a gesture of adoration and soueraigne worshippe Therefore should it neither bee giuen to the booke of the Euangell nor to the elements of the Sacrament but to him only who is the Author and matter of both And yet if men fall downe and worship him at the hearing of the Gospell or after at the receiuing of the Sacrament or after and before it be receiued being moued thereto by contemplation
his people he held their hāds insteed of the blessing which he should haue vsed at the deliuery of the Elemēts he cōceiued an oath made the people sweare by that which was in their hands insteed of Amen which they should haue answered the blessing with he made the people say That they should not returne to CORNELIVS Whereby it is manifest that the blessing vsed by the Pastor at the deliuery of the Elements differed not at that time from the mentall prayer of the Communicant neither ought it now to differ but be the same in substance PP As for the prayer of the Minister in the act of distribution it is flat against the Institution as I haue already said The Minister is ordained by the Institution to act the person of Christ and pronounce the words of promise This is my body and not change the promise into a prayer Fenner in his Principles of Religion layeth this downe for a ground that in the second Commandement we are forbidden the practise and vse of any other rite or outward means vsed in the worship or seruice of God then he hath ordained Ioh. 4.22 2. King 18.4 And that by the contrary we are commanded to practise all these parts of his worship which hee in his word hath commanded and to acknowledge only the proper vse of euery rite and outward meanes which the Lord hath ordained Dent. 12.32 2. King 17.26 ANS It is false that yee say we change the promise into a prayer for at the Consecration wee obserue precisely the words of the Institution In the deliuery of the elements we vse a prayer that is not contrary but most agreeable to the Institution for directing the hearts of the people in the receiuing that they may worthily communicate So doe the Pastors in France at the deliuery vse a short speech and it was the custome of late in our Church to vse some exhortations before the distribution at euery Table wherein neither we nor they did or doe practise any rite or vse any means which God hath not ordained to bee vsed in his worship For although the particular forme of speech vsed in the French Church and the exhortations and prayers vsed by vs bee not expressely set downe yet being agreeable to the Word and the nature of the action in hand they haue sufficient warrant by these generall precepts Let all things be done to edification Let all things bee done decently and in order And with these precepts Fenners grounds doe agree Otherwise by what warrant is it appointed in the forme set downe before our Psalme bookes touching the celebration of the Lords Supper that during the time of the distribution some place of Scripture should bee read which doth liuely set forth the death of Christ to the intent that our eyes and senses may not onely be occupied in these outward signes of bread and wine which are called the visible word but that our minds and hearts also may be fully fixed in the contemplation of the Lords death which is by this holy Sacrament represented This ordinance is not contained in the Institution yet I hope yee will not say that it is flat contrary thereto but that it hath sufficient warrant by the generall Apostolike precepts before expressed and so hath the prayer vsed by vs in the acte of distribution But yee subioyne another reason to prooue the prayer vsed at this time vnlawfull PP Further wee are forbidden by the second Commandement to pray by direction before any creature ANS Why do yee then pray at the table when your meate is set before you and at the Consecration hauing the sacramentall Elements before you And when you visite the Sicke why direct yee your face and senses towards the person and the place where he lyes while yee are praying to God for him PP This publike prayer is but a pretended cause of kneeling as the Ministers of Lincolne make manifest in their Abridgement c. ANS To the Abridgement of these Ministers sufficient answeres are made by the learned Diuines of that Church and the Canons and Customes thereof defended against their calumnies Therefore let vs come to our owne touching which yee say PP As for our Church no such prayer is ordained to bee vttered by the minister Therefore no such prayer can be pretended Iu the late Canon it is said That the most reuerend and humble gesture of the body in our meditation and lifting vp of our hearts best becommeth so diuine an action Meditation is no prayer and the heart may be lifted vp by the act of faith and contemplation aswell as the action of prayer So that neither publike nor mentall prayer is expressed in our Act. ANS Albeit neither mentall nor publike prayer be expressed in the Act yet prayer thankesgiuing and praise are all insiuuated for albeit all meditation bee not prayer yet euery prayer is a meditation and although in the act of faith and contemplation the heart may bee lifted vp yet that eleuation of the heart requireth not the most humble and reuerent gesture of the bodie as kneeling In the ancient Church they were not accustomed to kneele when they made confession of their faith but to stand as Christian souldiers Our act insinuateth such a meditation and lifting vp of the heart as is vsed in actions of deuotion such as prayer and thankesgiuing which are practised by all who giue obedience to the act or doe worthily communicate But put the case that by the act no such thing were ordained expresly yet vpon this antecedent which yee vse namely wee are not ordained by any act of our Church to pray at the receiuing this conclusion will not follow Therefore we may not pray at the receiuing For wee are not ordained by any act of our Church expressely to discouer our heads in the act of receiuing May wee not therefore discouer our heads But any shew of reason is good enough to deceiue simple people PP But let the words be interpreted of mentall prayer euen mentall prayer is not the principall exercise of the soule in the act of receiuing the sacramentall Elements the minde attending on the audible words the visible Elements the mysticall actions and making present vse of them men should not be diuerted from their principall worke and meditation vpon the analogie betweene the signes and the things signified ANS The meditation vpon the analogie betweene the signe and the thing signified cannot be the principall worke of the soule it being nothing else but the consideration of the similitude that is betweene the natuall vse of the signes and the spirituall vse of the thing signified Namely that as the Elements serue to nourish the outward man so the body and the bloud of Christ hath a vertue to nourish the inward man and by eating and drinking the Elements are applied to feede the body So by faith the body and the blood of Christ are applied to feed the soule Such a
sufficient of themselues howbeit kneeling were otherwise warranted by the practise of the Church c. ANS I am assured if kneeling be warranted by practise of the ancient Church no good Christian will thinke for the friuolous reasons adduced by you that they committed any of these breaches But you labour to proue that the ancient Church did not practise it for yee say that when the Arrians denyed Christs true diuinitie the Orthodoxe Church who acknowledged his diuinitie kneeled not in the act of receiuing which had beene expedient if the same had beene lawfull vnto which I answere That there be many things expedient to be done which notwithstanding are not done nor ought to be done not because they are vnlawfull in themselues but for some other respect as some custome receiued or some order formerly established which vpon euery apparant expedience is not to be altered for example It was expedient because of the same heresie to haue kneeled at all times when publike prayers were offered to Christ or to the Father in his name yet on the Lords day which was the most solemne time of worship the ancient Church kneeled not at publike prayer not because it was vnlawfull in it selfe to haue kneeled but because there was an order receiued in the Church that on the Lords day the people should stand and not kneele Next when yee say that the ancient Church did not kneele at the receiuing of the Sacrament and will prooue it by this that it was the custome of the Church to stand in the time of publike prayer all the Lords dayes in the yeere and on euery day from Easter to Pentecost because of the ioyfull memory of Christs resurrection for say yee this Sacrament being a matter of great ioy far lesse would they kneele at the celebration of it To this I answere That if the order of the Church could haue permitted kneeling the nature of the action although it bee a matter of great ioy would haue sorted well enough with this humble gesture In the 17. of Genes 16. God promised to Abraham that hee would blesse Sarah and giue him a sonne by her and make her the mother of many Nations and Kings to come of her the Text saith in the next verse that Abraham fell vpon his face and laughed Here yee see a matter of great ioy which made Abraham to laugh ioyned with a gesture of greater humilitie then bowing of the knee is The bowing of the body and the knee is not as your Master of table gesture and ye here affirme the gesture onely of an humble Penitentiar but it is the gesture also of these that giue thanks So the Leper gaue thanks Luke 17.16 And of these who ioyfully sing prayses to God Psalm 138. vers 2. And of these who pray as our Sauiour Luk. 22.41 who kneeled and prayed though he was no Penitentiar And of these who offered their gifts to God Mich. 6.6 And of these with whom God talked either immediately as he did with Abrabam Gen. 17.3 or mediately as by Mayses to the people of Israel Exod. 12.27 And of these that were astonished at the works of God or his Word 1. King 18.39 1. Cor. 14.25 To be short if Abraham when he did onely receiue the promise of the blessed seede fell on his face Gen. 17.17 how much more ought the faithfull bow their knees when they receiue the performance of this promise euen the blessed Seede himselfe from the hand of God in this spirituall Banquet So it is not the nature of the action that will enforce the gesture of standing to haue been vsed in the Sacrament rather then at prayer but the custome and order of the Church only which if ye were able to produce as well for standing at the Sacrament as at praying on the Lords day your argument were strong but that yee shall neuer doe except ye grant according to the truth that the Sacrament is an act of reall adoration In that case Tertullians testimony which you cite would aduance your cause mightily who sayes De geniculis adorare nefas ducimus Two or three testimonies of Eusebius Chrysostome and Tertullian for standing on the Lords day at the Table or Altar when the Sacrament was receiued will not proue a constant and vniuersall practise of that gesture Neyther is the example of the Abissines and Muscouites who stand to this day able to counterpoyse the practise of the vniuersall Church for the space of foure or fiue hundred yeeres preceding their dayes wherein they kneeled at the receiuing Nor are you able to prooue that the gesture of kneeling was brought into the Church by the error of Transsubstantiation as ye confidently affirme in the last line of this Section For Honorius as wee sayd before did not decree kneeling to bee vsed at the receiuing of the Sacrament but at the eleuation and circumgestation which was a superstitious and idolatrous worshippe inuented by man And it is euident at the time when that Decree was made the people were accustomed to kneele at the receiuing and if it had not beene the custome there is no question but the same would haue beene straitly enioyned by the same Decree But it is playne that before that time as euer since this gesture is continued in the Church for as Saint Augustine vpon the 98. Psalme testifies No man doeth worthily receiue but hee that adores And in the same places hee saith Non peccatur adorando carnem Christi sed peccatur non adorando that is Wee sinne not in adoring Christs body in the Sacrament but we sinne if wee adore it not And Chrysostome in one of his Homilies hath these words Ergo adora communica that is Adore then and communicate but vnto these and the rest of the testimonies yee answere That it followeth not because they adored that therefore they kneeled because say yee their testimonies make mention of adoration not of the Sacrament but of Christ in the Sacrament and wee say the same that at the Sacrament Christ only is to be adored and not the sacramentall Elements which are the signes So in this wee agree but because that maketh nothing against kneeling yee subioyne that their testimonies are to bee vnderstood of spirituall and internall adoration and to confirme it yee quote in the Margine D. Fulke vpon the first to the Cor. 11. Sect. 18. But let the Reader peruse the place he shall finde nothing in it against the gesture of kneeling or any other religious signe of adoration onely hee saith that adoration mentioned by the Fathers is to be vnderstood of the spirituall adoration of Christ and not of the externall adoration of the Sacrament And if hee had meant otherwise Chrysostomes words in the 24. Homilie vpon the first to the Corinths Cap. 10. cited by himselfe would haue controlled his saying Hoc corpus etiam iacens in praesepi reueriti sunt Magi c. that is to say The wisemen did reuerence to this
themselues with the Lord vpon an equall Throne Therefore we exhort and desire the Sacrament of the Lords Supper may bee administred to the people standing or bowing their knees with protestation against the bread-worship maintayned by Papists Paraeus 1. Cor. 11. Controuersia 2. De fractione panis in sacra Eucharistia NEque conuellitur instantijs quas quidam alioqui eruditus Theologus obijcit quod si singula nobis imitanda essent etiam prius agnum paschalem nos edere in mensa sedere duodenos tantum communicare in domo vel palatio et nocte oporteret Hasce enim peristaseis non sacramenti proprias de quibus solis propositio haec omnis Christi actio est nostra institutio loquitur sed accidentarias fuisse iam modo ostensum est That is this proposition is not improoued by the instances which a Theologue otherwise very learned obiects saying If wee should imitate all Christs actions then it behooued vs first to eate the Paschall Lambe sit at a Table and twelue persons only communicate in a priuate house or Palace and in the night season for these circumstances are not proper to the Sacrament but accidentary onely as wee haue shewed And it is of the proper actions of the Sacrament that this proposition Euery action of Christ is our institution speakes Caluinus Instit Lib. 4. Cap. 17. Sect. 37. CHristo inquiunt hane venerationem deferimus Primùm si in coena hoc fioret dicerem adorationem eam demum esse legitimam quae non in signo residet sed ad Christum in coelo sedentem dirigitur That is Wee giue this worshippe say they to CHRIST First if this were done in the action of the Supper I would confesse the adoration to bee lawfull which resteth not in the signe but is directed to Christ sitting in heauen Beza Epist 12. pag. 100. GEniculatio denique dum symbola accipiuntur speciem quidem habet piae ac Christianae venerationis ac proinde olim potuit cum fructu vsurpari That is Kneeling at the receiuing of the Elements hath a shew and forme of holy and Christian adoration and therefore of olde might haue beene vsed profitably Petrus Martyr Class 4. locus 10. Sect. 49. 50. IN Sacramento distinguimus symbola à rebus symbolis aliquem honorem deferimus nimirum vt tractentur decenter non abijciantur sunt enim sacrae res Deo semel deputatae quo verò vel res significatas eas promptè alacriter adorandas concedimus inquit enim Augustinus hoc loco Non peccatur adorando carnem Christi sed peccatur non adorando Adoratio interna potest adhiberi sine pericul◠neque externa suâ naturâ esset mala Multi enim piè genua flectunt et adorant That is In the Sacrament we distinguish the symboles from the things signified and some honour wee yeeld to the signes namely that they bee decently handled and not cast away for they are sacred things and once dedicate to God As to the things signifyed we confesse these should bee readily and cheerefully adored for Saint Augustine in this place sayes That it is no fault to adore Christs flesh but it is a sinne not to adore it In the next Section Inward adoration may bee vsed without perill neyther is the outward euill of it selfe for many bow their knees religiously and adore Iewell in the 8. Art of Adoration BVt they will reply Saint AMBROSE sayes We adore Christs flesh in the mysteries heereof groweth their whole error for Saint AMBROSE sayth not Wee adore the mysteries or the flesh of Christ really present or materially contayned in the mysteries as is supposed by Master HARDING onely hee sayes we adore Christs flesh in the mysteries that is in the ministration of the mysteries And doubtlesse it is our duetie to adore the body of Christ in the Word of God in the Sacrament of Baptisme in the mysteries of Christs body and bloud and wheresoeuer wee see any steppe or token of it but especially in the holy mysteries for that there is liuely layd foorth before vs the whole Historie of Christs conuersation in the flesh But this adoration as it is sayd before neyther is directed to the Sacraments nor requires any corporall or reall presence So Saint HIEROME teaches vs to adore Christs body in the Sacrament of Baptisme CHRYSOSTOME in MARKE Hom. XIV An Answere to the reasons vsed by the penner of the Pamphlet against the Festiuall DAYES PP FRom the beginning of the Reformation to this present yeere of our Lord 1618. the Church of Scotland hath diuers wayes condemned the obseruation of all Holy-dayes the Lords day onely excepted In the first Chapter of the first Booke of Discipline penned Anno 1560. the obseruation of Holy-dayes to Saints the feast of Christmas Circumcision Epiphanie Purification and others fond Feasts of our Lady are ranked amongst the abominations of the Romane Religion as hauing neither commandement nor assurance in the Word It is further affirmed that the obstinate maintainers and teachers of such abomination should not escape the punishment of the Ciuill Magistrate The Booke aforesaid was subscribed by the Lords of secret Counsell ANS This Booke was neuer authorised by Act of Counsell Parliament or by any Ecclesiasticall Canon and Iohn Knox as we said before complaines of some in chiefe Authoritie that called the same Deuote imaginations yet let vs giue vnto it the Authoritie which yee require the same will not serue your purpose For in the explication of that first head which yee cite we haue these words which yee haue omitted In the Bookes of old and new Testaments We affirme that all things necessarie for instruction of the Church and to make the man of God perfect are contained and sufficiently expressed By the contrarie doctrine wee vnderstand whatsoeuer men by Lawes Councels or Constitutions haue imposed vpon the consciences of men without the expresse commandement of Gods word such as be the vowes of chastitie forswearing of Marriage and keeping of Holy-dayes of certaine Saints c. By which words it is manifest that the obseruation of dayes here cōdemned is not that which was in the Primitiue Church and now is vsed in the Refōrmed Causa ordinis politeias as our Diuines speake that is for order and Policie sake But such as are imposed vpon the consciences of men as a necessarie point of Diuine worship This obseruation vrged vpon the people of God and practised with opinion of necessitie and merit was vtterly to be abolished And to banish this opinion together with the superstitious Idolatrie and prophanenesse which was otherwise conioyned of banqueting drinking playing quarrelling and such like enormities it was thought expedient that on these dayes the people should be discharged rest from their ordinarie labours and that no Diuine seruice should be done in places where there was not a dayly Exercise of Religion as well because of the raritie of Pastors to informe people touching
dayes prescribed in Gods Word Hookers is more large and may bee applyed to the Ecclesiasticall Festiuities The Iewish Sabbath according to these descriptions is not properly festiuall yet the Lords day was esteemed such by the primitiue Church and ancient Diuines who held it not lawfull for Christians to fast thereon Proper Texts Epistles Gospels c. are not to bee framed for the mysterie of the festiuall day as yee say but for the benefit and diuine action appointed to be remembred thereon If by the ordinary Sabbath yee vnderstand the Iewish Sabbath it was not onely morall but mysticall as their festiuall dayes were and if by festiuall dayes yee vnderstand the dayes obserued in the Christian Orthodoxe Church we deny them to be mystically If by essentialia festi yee vnderstand the essentiall parts of the worship performed on the festiuall day wee deny cessation from worke to be an essentiall part of the worship but only concomitant and consequent thereto because it cannot be commodiously performed without cessation from other businesse As to Bellarmines opinion himselfe professes that it is contrarie to the iudgement of our Diuines For they hold as wee doe that our Festiuall dayes are not obserued for signification and representation of our mysteries or memorable workes wrought on these dayes or as a part of diuine worship but for order and policie as meete and commodious circumstances for commemoration of the workes and benefits of God thereon Bellar. de cultu Sanctor l. 3. c. 10. PP Six dayes shalt thou labour and doe all that thou hast to doe These words are either a command to doe the workes of our calling as many both Iewish and Christian Diuines doe interpret or else a permission as others doe interpret If they contayne a command no countermand may take it away If a permission no humane authority may spoyle men of the libertie that God hath granted vnto them as long as they haue any manner of worke to doe for the sustentation of this life The Muscouites therefore say very well that it is for Lords to keepe Feasts and abstaine from labour The Citizens and Artificers amongst them vpon the Festiuall dayes after diuine Seruice to betake themselues to their labor and domestick affaires as Gaguinus reports ANS Whether the words of the command bee preceptine or permissiue I will neither curiously nor contentiously dispute but it seemes they are not preceptiue for if wee were commanded to spend the whole sixe dayes in seruile labour then times could not bee lawfully appointed for publike Prayers in Cities at morne at euening nor ordinary times for preaching on the weeke dayes or for exercise or for catechizing nor times for fasting vpon vrgent occasions without sinne and breach of the Precept Next the precept touching labour belongs not to the first Table but is comprized in the Command of the second Table as Saint Paul giues vs to vndestand in these words Let him that stole sleale no more but rather let him labour working with his hands the thing which is good that hee may haue to giue to him that needes Ephes 4.28 If therefore here any precept be contayned it is per accidens by occasion onely of the principall command touching the sanctification of the Sabbath Thirdly if the words were preceptiue and had relation to the time that is if a certaine time were prescribed during the which men should labour it would bee told quam diu how long or for what space we should labour as the Precept of the Sabbath contaynes the space during the which we should rest from our labours and not quando only when wee may labour It is more probable therefore that the words are permissiue like these in Genesis Of all the Trees in the Garden thou shalt eate which words did not aslrict Adam to eate of all the Trees onely they gaue him libertie to eat of such as he should choose so the words of this command astricts not the people of God as slaues to labour still without intermission during the whole space of sixe dayes whether they bee taken for a precept or a permission but they leaue to their arbitrement that haue the dispensation of workes and businesses priuate Oeconomicall Ciuill Ecclesiastick the choice of houres dayes and times which they shall thinke most conuenient and thus the priuate man may make choice of times to his labour and to his refreshment The Master of the Family may appoint times to his Seruants and Children for their labour and times for their relaxation the Ciuill and Ecclesiasticke Gouernours haue power to ordayne for Ciuill and Ecclesiasticke actions meet and conuenient times which power is rightly vsed when as Superiours make choice of such times as neither hurt nor hinder the necessary labours of their Inferiours Like as priuate persons and Inferiours must in the dispensation of the times whereof they haue power accommodate themselues to the order taken by Superiours for publike actions that by a mutuall harmonie the weale of the whole bodie both temporall and spirituall may be procured Otherwise if by this permission the libertie were granted to euery person which you imagine to attend his own businesse without respect of order or subiection to policie there could be nothing but confusion amongst men The generall libertie granted to men touching the vse of times meats clothing talking sleeping watching c. takes not away the power of Ciuil Ecclesiastick Gouernors to set down Constitutions Canons touching the Dispensation of these things for the weale of the Countrey Neither doe the Lawes and Ordinances touching this Dispensation spoyle men of their libertie but directs them how to vse it profitably and well The Act therefore of Councell and Proclamation made thereupon commanding cessation and abstinence from all handie-worke vpon the fiue dayes that euery one may the better attend the holy exercises appointed for these times cannot bee called a spoliation of the libertie which God hath giuen to men for labour seeing as hath beene said that libertie is not absolute but subiect vnto order Moreouer if we consider the matter it selfe this which yee say will appeare to be a manifest calumnie For if vnder the Law God did not spoyle his people of libertie when hee appointed them to rest two dayes at Pasche one at Whitsonday one at the Feast of Trumpets one at the Feast of Expiation and two at the Feast of Tabernacles how can the Kings Maiestie and the Church be esteemed to spoyle vs of our libertie that command a cessation from labour vpon three dayes only throughout the whole yeere for two of the dayes commanded to wit Easter and Whitsonday are Sondayes Last of all he cannot be said to bee spoyled properly that makes a profitable interchange without any losse but he that changes the exercises of the body which are little worth with the exercises of Pietie which is profitable to all things makes a profitable change without losse therefore hee who makes this
change according to the Proclamation is not spoyled of his liberty but maketh vantage by the right vse thereof Here it shall not bee amisse to recite Zanchius opinion in this purpose who defending their opinion that esteeme the words to contayne a command moues a doubt and answers it after this manner Verùm enimuerò videtur cum hac sententia pugnare c. That is But this fights against their opinion that hold the words to be a command that it was euer lawfull to Gods people to assemble themselues on other dayes beside the Sabbath to heare Gods Word to bee present at Prayers to offer Sacrifices and such other things belonging to outward worship which farre lesse can bee denyed to vs and therefore beside the Lords Day other dayes are instituted in the Church ad feriandum ab operibus seruilibus to rest from feruile workes if not for the whole day yet for the morning time He answeres Facilis est horum conciliatio sicut opera diuini cultus praeponenda sunt operibus seruilibus ita haec sunt omittenda quando illis vacandum est c. that is These things may be easily reconciled as the workes of Gods worship are to bee preferred to seruile workes so these must be omitted when those are to bee performed And a little after We sinne not against this precept sayes hee when wee ceasse from our seruile labour to waite on Gods worship quoties ordo Ecclesiae aut necessitas postulat so often as the order of the Church and necessitie requires This is Zanchius iudgement vpon the fourth precept of the Law in the sixe hundred sixty two page of that Worke. And if a precept cannot impede the appointing of solemne times for the worship of God farre lesse can a permission The Muscouites saying that it is for Lords to make Feasts and abstaine from labour is true yet amongst them Festiuall Dayes are obserued That the Citizens after diuine Seruice on these Dayes betake themselues to their labour wee doe not reproue because it is agreeable to their policie PP It may be obiected that Constantine the Emperour made a Law that none but the Prince may ferias condere erect an idle day The Prince then may enioyne a day of cessation Answ The Lawes of the God are not Rules of Theologie A Prince may not enioyne cessation from Oeconomicall and Domesticke workes but for weapon-shewing exercise of Armes defence of the Countrey or other publike workes and affaires But that is not to enioyne a day of simple cessation but to enioyne apoliticke worke in place of the Oeconomicall ANS Though the Lawes of the God bee not Rules of Theologie yet where they are not contrary to Scripture they are good Rules of Gouernment to Princes and of obedience to Subiects That the Prince may enioyne a day of cessation from seruile worke for the worship of God is not only not contrary but most agreeable to Scripture The Festiuall Dayes of Purim kept by the Iewes were confirmed by the Decree of Queene Esther Esth 9.32 It is written in the Booke of Ionah the third Chapter and seuenth verse That ye the Decree of the King of Niniue and his Nobles a Fast was proclamed The Feast of Dedication graced with the presence of our Sauiour was instituted by Iudas Machabaeus and the people 1. Mach. 10. And if the King may command a cessation from Oeconomicall and priuate workes for workes ciuill and publike such as the defence of the Crowne the liberty of the Countrey c. What reason haue yee why hee may not enioyne a day of cessation from all kind of bodily labour for the honour of God and exercise of Religion Is hee not custos vtriusque tabulae If the one may be done as yee grant for the weale of the politicall body much more may and should the other bee done for the weale of the Mysticall especially when the order of the Church so requires PP What if the Church representatiue enioyne a weekly holy day as another Sabbath ought the Church to bee obeyed What power hath the Church representatiue to enioyne an Anniuersary day more then a weekly or hebdomary holy day ANS I aske you againe what power hath the Church to appoint one houre or two in the day for publike Prayer in Cities at morning and euening more then six or seuen houres Or why may she appoint an houre or two in the weeke for preaching more then a day or two Is it not because the one cannot stand with Charitie the inseparable companion of Pietie as the other may The obseruation of these Anniuersary dayes agrees with Pietie and Charitie but to enioyne the obseruation of a weekly day besides the Sabbath were against Charitie and Equitie Is this a good Argument The Church may not doe that which is vnlawfull therefore shee may not enioyne that which is lawfull or this The King may neyther banish nor put to death an honest and peaceable Subiect therefore he may not execute a Traytor or banish a seditious man This kinde of reasoning is more then childish PP I say further that the poore Crafts-man cannot lawfully bee commanded to lay aside his Tooles and goe passe his time no not for an houre let be for a day And yet farther that he ought not to be compelled to leaue his worke to goe to diuine Seruice except on the day that the Lord hath sanctified ANS This is a strong argument confirmed with the great authoritie of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I say further But what say yee to that which is ordayned in the first Booke of Discipline out of which yee tooke your first argument in this dispute of daies In the ninth Chapter thereof we haue these words In euerie notable Towne we require that one day beside the Sonday be appoynted to Sermon and prayers which day◠during the time of Sermon must be kept free from all exercise of labour aswell to the Maister as to the seruant When yee discussed the oath yee cited the ordinances of this Booke as poynts of Discipline sworne vnto and subscribed If it bee not lawfull to commaund and compell a man to goe to diuine Seruice except vpon the Lords day why did yee sweare in the assertorie oath that it was lawfull But yee will say I sware not that he might be compelled but if he may be lawfully commanded to cease from his labour during the time of diuine seruice he may be as lawfully compelled to obey the cōmand Necessitie ye know excuses the breach of the Sabboth it selfe But the precepts of this Booke ye vse or vse not as they may serue to your purpose Such of them as yee allow must all be obserued vnder the paine of periurie others that are contrarie to your opinion must be reputed reiected as vnlawfull PP It is the priuiledge of Gods power to appoynt a day of rest and to sanctifie it to his honour The second Reason as our best Diuines maintaine c.
If the speciall sanctification of a day to an holy vse depends vpon Gods commandement and institution then neither King nor Church representatiue may make a Holy day ANS Dayes are sanctified and made holy as are places two manner of wayes some places were made holy by annexing to them a peculiar worship instituted by God which lawfully could not be performed in another place such were the Tabernacle and the Temple which were also holy by reason of the typicke and mysticall signification wherewith they were clothed by diuine institution These places did appertaine to the worship not as mere circumstances onely but as essentiall parts and properties thereof The worship which consisted in sacrificing paying of vowes obseruation of certaine festiuities was not perfect and acceptable except in that place it were performed Other places were holy for their vse onely being dedicated to the seruice of God but they had not the seruice so appropriated vnto them as that it might not be performed in another place and such were the Iewish Synagogues and the Christian Churches Euen so some dayes were made holy not onely because they were dedicated to the worship of God but because a speciall worship was instituted by God and appropriated vnto them And because the obseruation of these times with that worship was typicall and mysticke hauing in it the shaddow of things to come such were the Feasts of the Passeouer of the first greene fruits of Whitsonday of the Trumpets of Expiation and of Tabernacles all these dayes were holy not onely for the vse whereunto they were appoynted to serue as circumstances but by reason also of their mysticke signifitation and of the worship appropriated vnto them which might not at another time be lawfully performed Other times were onely holy by reason of the vse or diuine worship performed on them and not for any mysterie or solemne worship appropriated to them such as these which were appointed for solemne humiliation in the day of calamitie After the first manner our Diuines hold That it is onely proper to God to make times and places holy but after the second manner it is a prerogatiue and libertie of the Church to make places and times holy by dedication of them to the seruice of God So the feast of Purim and Dedication were made Holy-dayes by Mordecai Iudas Macchabeus and by the Church So times are appoynted by our Church for Morning and Euening Prayers in great Townes houres for preaching on Tuesday Thursday c. Houres for weekely exercises of prophecying which are holy in respect of the vse whereunto they are appoynted And such are the fiue dayes which we esteeme not to be holy for any mysticke signification which they haue either by diuine or ecclesiasticke institution or for any worship which is appropriated vnto them that may not be performed at another time but for the sacred vse whereunto they are appoynted to be employed as circumstances onely and not as mysteries This ye know to be the iudgement and doctrine of our best Diuines yet yee presse to refute it in the Section following PP The obseruers of dayes will say they count not their anniuersary dayes holier then other daies but that they keepe them onely for order and policie that the people may be assembled to religious exercises Ans The Papists will confesse that one day is not holier then another in its owne nature no not the Lords day But they affirme that one day is holier then another in respect of the end and vse and so doe we They call them Holy dayes and so doe we They vse them as memoriall signes of sacred mysteries wherof they carrie the names as Natiuitie Passion Ascention c. and so doe wee ANS Antiquum obtinet yee keepe still your old custome for before yee did extenuate the Idolatrie of the Papists in adoring Images that with some appearance yee might prooue these that kneele at the Sacrament to be guiltie of the same abomination and now ye trauell to extenuate their superstition in obseruing dayes that yee may inuolue vs in the same impietie Yet our act in the beginning sayes Wee abhorre the superstitious obseruation of the Festiuall dayes of the Papists Thus we professe our disagreement from them in this poynt which they also acknowledge Bellarmine in the tenth Chapter of his third Booke De culiu Sanctorum rehearses the Doctrine of Luther and Caluine to which wee adhere and reproues the same as erronious in these wordes Tertiò docent dies determinatos ad feriandum non debere haberi caeteris sanctiores quasi mystery aliquid vel piam significationem continerent sed solum haberi tanquam determinatos Discipline ordinis ac politia causa ita vt cum hac determinatione etiam consistat aequalit as dierum in hoc nos accusant quasi habeamus discrimen dierum Iudaico more He sayes that we teach the dayes appoynted for holy exercises not to bee holier then others or to be esteemed as if they contayned any mysterie or diuine signification but onely as determined for discipline order and policie with which determination the qualitie of dayes may consist And hee sayes that we accuse them for putting difference amongst dayes after the Iewish manner which is the doctrine indeed of our best Diuines Against this Bellarmine setteth downe this proposition Festa Christianorum non solùm ratione ordinis politia sedetiam ratione mysterij celebrantur suntque dies festi verè alijs saenctiores sacratiores pars quaedam diuini cultus that is The Festiuities of Christians are not onely kept for order and policie but also by reason of a mysterie and the Festiuall dayes are more holy and sacred then other dayes and a part of diuine worshippe This is the Papists opinion which wee with all the reformed Churches abhorre as superstitious and idolatrous But yee take part with Bellarmine against the Doctrine of Luther and Caluine labouring to prooue that the reformed Churches obserue these dayes not onely for discipline order and policie but for memoriall signes of sacred mysteries as Papists doe PP The presence of the Festiuitie putteth a man in minde of the mysterie howbeit he haue not occasion to be present in the holy Assembly ANS It follows not of this that we obserue the dayes for signes of sacred mysteries because they put vs not in minde of Christs birth passion c. as ceremonies significant or sacramentall signes instituted by God or the Church for that effect but as circumstances onely determined for celebration of the religious action whereby the commemoration of these benefits is made And there is nothing more vsuall then by considering the circumstances of times places and persons to remember the actions and businesse whereunto they are destinate PP We are commaunded to obserue them in all poynte as the Lords Day both in publique Assemblies and after the dissoluing of the same ANS This is manifestly false for the Lords Day is commaunded
to be obserued of necessitie for conscience of the diuine Ordinance as a day sanctified and blessed by God himselfe These are commanded to be obserued onely for ecclesiasticall order and policie and doe not oblige men in conscience to obedience but for eschewing scandall and contempt Secondly the Lords Day is to be obserued as the Sabbath of IEHOVAH that is not onely for a day wherein we are appointed to rest to God but as a day whereon God himselfe did rest after the Creation So it is obserued as a remembrance and resemblance of Gods rest Thirdly the Lords Day is obserued as is the Lords Supper this in remembrance of his death that in remembrance of his resurrection Fourthly the Lords Day is obserued as a pledge of that rest wherein hee that enters shall rest from his labours as God hath done from his And fiftly we obserue the Lords Day as a perpetuall signe betweene God and vs to signifie and declare that the God who hath sanctified vs to be his people and whom wee adore as IEHOVAH the Father who created the World in sixe dayes and rested the seuenth IEHOVAH the Sonne who redeemed the World and rising that day to life abolished sinne and death and brought life and immortalitie to light and IEHOVAH the Holy Ghost who on that day descended vpon the Twelue Apostles sanctifying them and the whole World by them with the truth of Gods Word In none of these fiue poynts doe we obserue the Festiuall dayes as the Lords Day PP It is left free to teach any part of Gods Word on the Lords day but for solemnitie of the festiuall solemne Texts must bee chosen Gospels Epistles Collects Psalmes must bee framed for the particular seruice of these dayes and so the mysticall dayes of mans appointment shall not onely equall but in solemnities surpasse the morall Sabbath appointed by the Lord. ANS If by the solemnitie of the Festiuall yee vnderstand the honour done to the Day wee deny that wee are appointed to choose any Text or frame our Doctrine and Exhortations thereto but if by the solemnitie of the Festiuall yee vnderstand the cōmemoration of the benefits made on these daies it is true that euery Minister is ordayned to choose pertinent Texts and frame his Doctrine and Exhortations thereto But vpon this yee will neuer conclude that these dayes which yee falsly call mysticall doe not onely equall but surpasse the morall Sabbath in solemnitie for the whole solemnitie hath onely respect to the benefits which on these times are remembred and no respect at all to the Time The solemnitie not being obserued for the Time but the Time for the solemne remembrance of these benefits The Lords Day otherwise is not onely obserued for the diuine seruice that is performed thereon but the same seruice and publike worship which may bee omitted on all the sixe dayes must be performed on the Lords Day because God hath appointed it to be sanctified with these holy Exercises PP If they were instituted onely for order and policie that the people may assemble to religious exercises wherefore is there but one day appointed betwixt the Passion and the Resurrection Wherefore fortie dayes betweene the Resurrection and Ascension and ten betweene the Ascension and the Pentecost Why follow we the course of the Moone as the Iewes did in our moueable feasts making the Christian Church clothed with the Sunne to walke vnder the Moone as Bonauentura alludes Wherefore is there not a certayne day of the Moneth kept for Easter aswell as for the Natiuitie Does not Bellarmine giue this reason out of Augustine that the day of Natiuitie is celebrated onely for memorie the other both for memorie and for Sacraments ANS Saint Augustines opinion alleadged by Bellarmine Epist 119. is not receiued by the reformed Churches as the reason moouing them to obserue these times for they expresly deny that they keepe these times for any mysterie or Sacrament that is in them but onely for order and policie which directeth all things to bee done to edification and allowes vs to make choyce of such circumstances as are most meet to promoue the spirituall businesse whereunto they are applyed And this is a kinde of Christian prudence and dexteritie for who knowes not what moment there is in the opportunity of Times and Places to aduance actions Now because no times can be found more conuenient for a solemne commemoration of the Birth Passion c. then these which are either he same indeed by reuolution or in cōmon estimation they follow in this the iudgement of the primitiue Church esteeming it pietie to prefer vnitie with the Catholike church in things indifferent and lawfull to the singularitie of any priuate mans opinion or the practice of any particular Church The allegation of Bonauentura his allusion in such a graue point is ridiculous for if the Sunne and the Moone bee taken mystically as they are in the Reuelation in this case the Church clothed with the Sunne that is with the light of the Gospell walkes not vnder the Moone that is according to the opinions and fashions of the world but treading these vnder foote followes the rules of order and decency for edification If by the Sunne and Moone these two Planets be vnderstood which God created for signes seasons dayes and yeares So long as the Church is militant on earth shee must vse the benefit of these Creatures in the determination of times for all her actions PP If the Anniuersary commemorations were like the weekely preachings Why is the Husband-man forced to leaue his plough at the one and not at the other Why did not Master Galloway curse the people for absence from the one aswell as from the other ANS I answere Although the circumstance of Time whereon the Anniuersary commemoration is made differs not in holinesse or any mysticke signification from the weekly dayes of preaching yet it differres in frequency and raritie for the dayes of weekely preaching doe returne and to astrict the Husband-man to leaue his plough so often were against equitie and charitie but the times of these commemorations being so rare to wit three seruile dayes onely in the yeare and the exercise so profitable Reason would if the Husbandman willingly did not leaue his plough at these times that by authoritie he should be forced aswell for his owne benefit as for eschuing scandall and contempt And Master Galloway had reason to curse these who for contempt and with offence of their Brethren absented themselues from the Sermons of Christs Natiuitie Lastly the difference of the seruice on these dayes from the weekely and ordinary makes them not to differ in holinesse or mysterie from the weekely dayes more then the difference in seruice which is performed on the fift of August and fift of Nouember makes these two dayes to bee mysticke or more holy then other times PP To make solemne commemoration of Christs Natiuitie vpon any other day then vpon the putatiue day
of his Natiuitie would be thought a great absurditie ANS If yee haue not fallen into this absurditie yee must grant that yee neuer made in your time any solemne commemoration of Christs Natiuitie And I verily beleeue that in this omission yee haue many companions by whose negligence God hath beene defrauded of the honour due to him for this benefit and the people lacked instruction in a principall Article of Faith This Article is the ground of all the rest for as Chrysostome sayes If our Sauiour had not beene borne he had neither suffered nor risen againe from the dead and thereupon he calls the day of this commemoration Metropolim omnium Festorum Euen for this it was expedient that a certayne time of the yeare should haue beene appointed for this commemoration which otherwise would haue been neglected and as yee say thought absurd But to returne to your Argument The commemoration of Christs Natiuitiy is no more astricted to the 25. of December then to any other time for although the 25. of December by ordinance of the Church bee dedicated to that religious seruice yet the seruice is not astricted to the time as the seruice of the Iewish festiuities which lawfully might not be performed on any other dayes then the festiuall The commemoration appointed by our Church to bee made on these fiue dayes may lawfully be performed at other conuenient times although on these dayes the same must not bee omitted For the seruice ar I haue said is not appointed for the Time but the Time is appointed for the worship So it is not absurd to remember Christs Natiuitie so oft as occasion is offered with all conuenient solemnitie as it may serue to his honour and the edification of the Church Thus wee haue seene that according to the Doctrine of the reformed Churches Anniuersarie dayes are and may bee obserued though not for any mysterie or holinesse that is in them more then in other dayes but for order and policy onely Against this all the Reasons which Bellarmine or yee haue brought or can inuent shall neuer preuaile more then the barking of a dogge against the Moone PP Next it may be obiected that the people of God might haue indicted dayes of fasting at their owne determination and an interdiction of all kind of worke Ans They had a generall warrant from God Ioel. 2.15 to proclayme a generall fast according to the occurrence of their calamities and other affaires of the Church The light and Law of Nature leades a man to this obseruation of an occasionall fast The like may be said by analogie of thanksgiuing that wee ought to praise God in the meane time when wee receiue the benefit But to make of the occasionall dayes of fasting or feasting anniuersarie and set festiuall and fasting dayes is without warrant It remaynes therefore that it is the Lords soueraignty to make or ordayne a thing to bee holy God first sanctifies by commandement and institution man sanctifies thereafter by obseruation applying to an holy vse the time sanctified by God ANS The conclusion agreeth not with the premisses for if it be Gods soueraigntie to make or ordayne a thing to bee holy how may the Church make a thing holy by appointing an occasionall feast or fast as yee grant shee may doe The instinct of nature and that command out of Ioel is a generall warrant onely The particular calamitie or benefit wherefore a fast or feast should be proclaymed is not expressed neither is the time particularly determined whereupon the solemne festiuitie or fast should be kept but the one is left to the estimation and the other to the determination of the Church So by that warrant libertie is giuen to the Church to consider and define the causes for the which a fast should bee proclaymed and to determine the time when the same should be obserued and to separate that time from common businesse and consecrate the same to the spirituall exercise of preaching hearing praying fasting c. as our Church hath vsed to doe very often Now if the Church hath power vpon occasionall motiues to appoint occasionall fasts or festiuities may not shee for constant and eternall blessings which doe infinitely excell all occasionall benefits appoint ordinary times of commemoration and thanksgiuing Ye say that this hath no warrant but yee speake without warrant for there is as great warrant to appoint such dayes as is for any other point of Ecclesiasticall policie touching the determination of times places formes and order to be obserued in the worship of God according to these generall grounds Let all things bee done to the glorie of God 1. Cor. 10. to edification 1. Cor. 14. with order and decencie 1. Cor. 14.16 The whole policie of our Church touching the vse of these circumstantiall things is ordered by these rules and according to these did our Church in the first booke of Discipline which yee cite often ordayne for the purpose now in hand That in euery notable Towne a day beside the Sonday should bee appointed weekely for Sermon that during the time of Sermon the day should be kept free from all exercise of labour as well by the Master as by the seruant That euery day there be either Sermon or prayers with reading of the Scriptures That Baptisme be orderly ministred either on the Sonday or after Sermon and the dayes of prayer That at foure seuerall times of the yeere the Sacrament of the Lords Supper be ministred viz. on the first Sonday of March on the first Sonday of Iune first Sonday of September and the first Sonday of December That in euery towne where Schollers are and learned men repaire a certaine day euery weeke be appointed for the exercise of Ministers in prophecie And the said booke affirmes The dedication of times and houres for such generall and particular exercises of the Word and Sacraments and Prayer to appertayne to the policie of the Church If the Church hath power after this manner to appoint times for Doctrine and diuine Seruice and Doctrine and diuine Seruice for times as the doctrine of the Catechisme on Sonday at afternoone reade the 9. Chapter of the said booke it cannot be denyed but the Church hath also power to appoint a certaine time day and houre for commemoration of Christs Natiuitie Passion c. For what more power had our Church at that time to appoint the Sacrament to be ministred the first Sondaies of March Iune c. then she hath now to appoint a Sermon to be made of Christs resurrection vpon Easter day and a Sermon of the sending downe of the holy Ghost vpon Whitsunday and does not the light of Nature teach vs that rare and great benefits should be remembred with more then ordinary thankefulnesse Hereby it is cleere that it is not the Lords soueraignty onely to make or ordayne a thing to be holy but it is a prerogatiue that God also hath giuen to the Christian Church But to the end
The fift Reason was transferred to Christ God and Man the Law-giuer in the New-Testament one that was faithfull in all the house of God But so it is that Christ neither by his owne commandement nor by direction of his Spirit inspiring the Apostles instituted any other day but the Lords Day c. ANS The Theologie of your Preface or Proposition I vnderstand not I learne in the Scripture that the Prerogatiue of the Father is communicated with the Son and that all power in heauen and in earth is giuen to our Lord Iesus Christ But I neuer read that God hath made any translation and denuded himselfe of any prerogatiue in the New Testament that belonged to him before in the olde That which ye subioyne that Christ and his Spirit hath instituted no other day but the Lords Day we freely graunt for if it were euident that the fiue dayes had beene instituted by Christ then we behoued to obserue and esteeme them as necessary parts of Gods worship and not circumstances determined by the Church to the worship of God for order and policie which we hold with our best Diuines And therefore wee say in the verie first wordes of our Act Wee abhorre the superstitious obseruation of Festiuall dayes This superstitious obseruation is nothing else but an obseruation of them with opinion of necessitie that is as necessarie parts of Gods worshippe instituted by Christ So in this wee agree yet I doe not allow of the reasons which yee vse for probation hereof Your first argument is If there had beene any other dayes dedicated to Christ the Apostle spake vnproperly and obscurely when he said Hee was rauished in the Spirit vpon the Lords Day For if there had beene a day for his Natiuitie and another for his Passion he should haue said that he was rauished in the Spirit vpon one of the Lords Dayes This argument is friuolous Although all the Festiuall dayes vnder the Law were dedicated to God and were called Sabbaths yea sometimes Sabbath Sabbathôn yet none of them is called the Sabbath of IEHOVAH or the Lords Sabbath that is reserued to the seuenth day of the Weeke and the seuenth Yeere which resembled Gods rest And although all the Synagogues were Houses dedicated to God yet the Temple is not called one of Gods Houses but the House of God euen so the Day of Christs resurrection 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the excellencie thereof is called the Lords Day albeit other times had beene appoynted for his honour Your next Argument is false in it yee affirme That the Apostle condemnes not onely the obseruation of Iewish dayes and the Iewish obseruation of the Iewish dayes to a typicall vse for the conuerted Iewes yee say did not obserue them as shadowes of things to come for then they had denyed Christ but he condemnes the obseruation of dayes as a Pedagogicall and rudimentarie instruction not beseeming the Christian Church But howbeit the conuerted Iewes did not obserue the Iewish dayes as shadowes of things to come yet they might haue obserued them as memorialls of by-past temporall and typicall benefits and for present temporall blessings as the benefit of their deliuery out of Egypt and for the Fruits of the earth which vse was also typicall Further they did obserue them with opinion of necessitie as things instituted by God for his worship and their saluation which sort of obseruation was Legall but this proceeding from infirmitie and for want of sufficient instruction was not a denying of Christ as it had beene if the same had proceeded from pertinacy after the knowledge of the Truth receiued And this was it which the false Apostles vrged vpon the Galatians and Saint Paul condemnes in that Epistle written to them and not simply the obseruation of any day for as after shall bee made manifest euery obseruation of the Iewish dayes is not damned by the Apostle who did sometime obserue them in his owne person after a most lawfull manner Neither can the obseruation of all dayes bee a Iewish custome and rite and Pedagogicall or rudimentarie instruction but the obseruation onely of these dayes which are prescribed in the Law otherwise the Festiuities appointed by Ieroboam and the festiuall dayes kept by the Heathen should all bee Iewish Customes and Pedagogicall instructions which yee will not say I hope PP Zanchius speaks to this purpose after this manner Magis consentaneum est cum prima institutione cum scriptis Apostolicis vt vnus tantum dies in septimana sanctificetur It is more agreeable to the first institution and the writings of the Apostles that one day of the weeke onely bee sanctified ANS It is your custome I perceiue to falsifie mutilate and corrupt the Acts of Assemblies and testimonies both of the ancient and moderne Diuines Beza his testimony yee adulterated in the dispute of kneeling here yee mutilate Zanchius his testimonie and bring it directly against his owne minde He writing vpon the fourth Precept of the Law pag. 671. mooues this question An plures habere festos debeat Ecclesia Christi c. for answere to this question he setteth downe two Propositions and confirmes them at length the first whereof is this Tametsi magis consentaneum est cum prima institutione cum scriptis Apostolicis vt vnus tantum dies in septimana sanctificetur cum scripturis tamen minime pugnat si plures vno sanctificentur modò omnis absit superstitio faciant ad aedificationem that is Albeit it be more agreeable to the first institution and the Apostles writings that one day onely in the weeke be sanctified yet it is not repugnant to the Scripture if moe then one be sanctified prouiding that all superstition bee auoyded and that they serue to edification Hauing confirmed this by the testimonies of the Ancients as Euseb de vita Constant lib. 4. Sozom. lib. 1. cap. 8. lib. 2. cap. 19. August tom 2. Epist. 118. Epiphan Tertull. de Idololat and the practice of the reformed Churches he concludeth with these wordes Dubitari igitur non potest quin liceat Ecclesiae plures dies festos constituere sanctificare that is It may not be doubted but the Church may lawfully appoint and sanctifie moe festiuall dayes His second position makes a full answere to the question Quanquam Ecclesiae Christi liberumest quos velit praeter Dominicum dies sibi sanctificandos deligere honestius tamen est laudabilius atque vtilius eos sanctificare quos etiam vetus atque Apostolica puriorque Ecclesia sanctificare solita fuit that is Howbeit the Christian Church hath libertie to make choyce of dayes to sanctifie them besides the Lords Day yet it is more honest commendable and profitable to sanctifie these which the ancient and Apostolique and most incorrupt Church hath beene in vse to keepe holy What dayes these were he shewes in the same place numbering out the dayes of the Natiuitie Passion Resurrection Ascension and Pentecost as
people of God for hee that enters into his rest hee also ceases from his owne workes as God did from his In like manner the fourteenth day of the first Moneth marked with that rare deliuerance from the destroying Angell and their escape out of Egypt and therefore appointed to be solemnly obserued to the honour of God was destinated by God to bee a memoriall of that their deliuerance and called the Passeouer of the Lord. And euen so the Lords Day being marked with that rare and incompatable benefit of the Resurrection and consecrated in the iudgement of all the Ancients to the worship of God insteed of the Iewish Sabbath is a memoriall signe of the Resurrection destinated by the Lord himselfe a demonstratiue signe of our spirituall Resurrection from sinne to newnesse of life and a prognosticall signe of our corporeall Resurrection vnto euerlasting life This Saint Augustine expresseth in the words before cited Dominicus dies Christi resurrectione sacratus aeternam non solum spiritus sed etiam corporis requiem praesigurat In end where yee conclude that the Lords Day was not appointed only for a remembrance of his Resurrection after a mysticall manner but for the remembrance of all his actions and worship in generall if your meaning bee that on the Lords Day all Christs actions may and ought to be orderly remembred as occasion requires and not his Resurrection only it is true that yee say but if your meaning bee that the sanctification of the Lords Day was not ordayned to be a memoriall of Christs Resurrection I deny your assertion preferre to your opinion the iudgement of all the Ancients Vnto that which yee subioyne that it is a superstitious wil-worship and a Iudaicall addition to Christs Institution to diuide Christs actions and appoint Anniuersary and Mysticall dayes for their remembrance I reply that it is a superstitious wil-worship indeed and a Iudaicall addition to Christs Institution so to tye all the worship of God to the Lords Day that no other day nor time may bee appointed for preaching praying or remembring any of Christs benefits seeing vnder the Gospell as Tertullian speakes De Baptismo omnis dies Domini est omnis hora omne tempus habile est baptismo that is euery day is the Lords euery houre and euery time is fit for Baptisme If for Baptisme why not for Doctrine and Prayer and Thankesgiuing and all other parts of Gods Worship For albeit the Lords Day be consecrated to the Worship of God yet the Worship is not tied to it but from one Sabbath to another and from one New-Moone to another all flesh may appeare before the Lord. That which ye speake of diuiding Christs actions and the appointing of mysticall dayes is partly foolish and partly false Is it not a folly to thinke that the actions of Christ ought not to bee diuided and seuerally remembred in Lectures and Sermons seeing the Spirit of God hath diuided them in this Storie and that it is impossible at once to remember them all And it is false also because for rememberance of them no day is appointed to bee kept mystically as a part of the worship but only circumstantially for order and commoditie which kinde of obseruation is not a superstitious wil-worship but a lawfull determination of commodious times for the worship of God belonging to the power and policie of the Church PP It is thirdly obiected that Paul kept the Feast of Pentecost Act. 20.1 Cor. 16. I answere it was the Iewish Pentecost c. ANS If it was the Iewish Pentecost then Saint Paul did not only obserue an Anniuersary Day but such also as was legall and abrogated by the Gospell and such as hee discharges the Church to obserue Yet I hope yee will not say that his obseruation was Superstitious or Pedagogicall because he obserued it not as a necessary part of Gods worship prescribed in the Law in respect whereof only it was Pedagogicall but as a fit circumstance and opportunitie for the worke of his Ministerie like as he did often obserue the Iewish Sabbaths which was not onely lawfull but in those times verie expedient to be done by him Hereby it is manifest that the obseruation of dayes is not condemued by the Apostle as a Iewish Rite because Anniuersarie Monethly or Weekly but because it was conioyned with opinion of necessitie and vsed as a Legall worship therefore although vpon the Iewish Sabbath or vpon their Pentecost diuine worship was performed as the Euangell preached the Sacraments celebrated Prayers publikely conceiued c. If these things were done without any mysticall relation or respect had to the day but only because the time was opportune and happily fit for Gods Worke the exercise was lawfull and could not bee condemned So wee finde in some churches that on euery day the sacramēt was ministred that on the Iewish Sabbath they had an ordinarie Fast and no well aduised Christian did euer thinke these to be vnlawfull by reason of the day For if to the cleane euery thing be cleane all dayes are cleane and sanctified to euery lawfull exercise of the man who is himselfe made cleane by the bloud of Christ Consequently euery day whether it be Weekly or Anniuersarie is cleane and sanctified by Christ to the exercise of any part of his Worship which shall bee thought meete by the Church to be performed to his honour and the edification of her selfe The Legall Sabbath and Pentecost which were abrogated could not make the Euangelicke Worship which was performed on them by the Apostles vnlawfull farre lesse can the Lords Day such as the Christian Pasche and Whitsonday are or any other day of the Weeke Moneth or Yeare which were neuer legally obserued make the Doctrine Prayers and Sacraments administred on them vnlawfull and superstitious To conclude I finde in this Obiection a Solution to all your Arguments for here I find that there may be a lawfull obseruation of dayes which are abrogated let be of dayes which are not discharged so the obseruation bee not legall with opinion of necessitie or of any mysterie in the time but Euangelicali with knowledge of our Christian libertie and for opportunitie of time onely which both may bee lawfull and expedient So Saint Paul keeped many Sabbaths and the Pentecost whereon Saint Peter also conuerted three thousand by his first preaching This is the obseruation for which only we stand against which ye haue neuer concluded a contradictory but either against the Legall of the Iewish or superstitious of the Gentiles So all your Arguments fall vnder one forme of Caption which wee call ignorantia Elenchi when a contradiction seemes to bee where there is none because the tearmes in the apparant contradiction are not taken in the same sense PP It is fourthly obiected out of the Epistles of Polycarpus and Polycrates extant in the Historie of Eusebius and out of Beda following Eusebius that the Apostles kept the Feast of Easter Answ Beda was but
better to wit that there is no testimonie in writing for the confirmation of that custome for by this reason it would follow that the obseruation of Sonday in stead of the Iewish Sabbath hath preuayled by a priuate custome only For in the Apostolique writings we haue no testimonie for the confirmation of that custome In Scripture we reade that our Sauiour rose on that day that on that day he appeared to his Disciples that on that day the Apostle appointed collections to be made for the poore that on that day at Troas the Disciples were assembled to breake bread and that S. Paul preached All these actions make aswell for the obseruation of Pasche Sonday and as the Bishop of Winchester saith somewhat more seeing it is after a sort the same day by reuolution whereon our Sauiour did rise yet all these practises exercises and meetings on the Lords day had not demonstrate the sanctification of it if it had not beene perpetually and vniuersally obserued afterwards by the Church This constant and vniuersall obseruation of the Church hath declared these practises to be exemplarie and that our Sauiour did consecrate that day by his resurrection and apparitions to be in stead of the Sabbath Vpon this ground S. August Epist ad Ianuar. 118. sayes Illa quae non scripta sed tradita custodimus quae quidem toto Terrarum orbe obseruātur dantur intelligi vel ab ipsis Apostolis vel plenarijs Concilijs quorum est in Ecclesia saluberrima auctoritas commendata atque statuta retinere Sicuti quod Domini Passio Resurrectio Ascensio in coelum aduentus de coelo Spiritus Sancti anniuersaria solennitate celebrantur that is Those things which come to vs by Tradition and not by Writing and yet are obserued in the whole world must bee esteemed to haue beene commended vnto vs and instituted either by the Apostles themselues or by generall Councells whose authoritie hath euer beene wholsome to the Church as by example the Passion Resurrection Ascension and the descent of the holy Ghost from heauen which wee solemnely keepe euery yeare This rule of Saint Augustine if it bee not demonstratiue yet it is more probable then Socrates his opinion for it is more like a custome receiued by the vniuersall Church should proceed from the authoritie of the Apostles or some generall Councell rather then from a priuate obseruation as Socrates thinks Yet to confirme his opinion yee say that Iustine Martyr mentions no Holy day but the Lords Day What then Hee had not the occasion yet Tertullian who flourished but fortie yeares after him in the second booke directed to his wife hath these wordes Quis denique solennibus Paschae abnoctantem seeurus sustinet And in his booke De Praescriptionib aduers Haereticos mentions one Blastus whom hee calls an Heretike for maintayning that Pasche should bee kept on the 14. day of the Moone as the Iewish custome was Tertullian flourished in the yeare of our Lord 183. and speaking thus of Pasche not as of a new Constitution but as of a custome long before receiued in the Church does confirme the Bishop of Winchester his iudgement That in all likelihood this obseruation was Apostolique By Apostolique I meane not a doctrinall point which is to bee obserued as a substantiall part of diuine worship or a condition necessary to saluation but the imitation onely of an Apostolique practice concerning order and policie neither doe I meane such a practice as is expresly set down in Scripture and vniuersally obserued through the world such as the Lords Day is for such a practice hath the strength of a diuine Precept but I vnderstand such a practice as albeit it be not recorded in Scripture to haue beene done by the Apostles themselues or the Churches in their time yet the same being vniuersally receiued in the world and obserued since the Apostles dayes is most probably presumed to haue beene practised in their times and allowed by them And in this the Lords Day differs from Pasche and the other three dayes mentioned by Saint Augustine that the Lords Day hath not onely the vniuersall and perpetuall obseruation of the Church since the dayes of the Apostles but also the practice of our Sauiour his Apostles and the Church in their times expresly recorded in Scripture The other haue onely an vniuersall and constant practice of the Church since the Apostles time which not the lesse ought to be preferred to any priuate or late particular custome And to returne to the Act of Perth it ordaynes none of these dayes to be kept for Diuine and Apostolique but onely that on them once in the yeare a solemne commemoration be made of the benefits of our Redemption and therefore the Reasons ye bring to proue that these dayes are not Apostolique impugne no wayes the lawfulnesse of the act Where yee say that the obseruation of the Passion day hath brought into the Church set dayes of fasting condemned by our Diuines I aske you how yee doe proue that affirmation It is enough yee haue said it But to conclude this point I doe verily thinke That to fast and pray at some set times were lesse offensiue to God then to bee often feasting and surfetting pratling and lying traducing our Brethren and condemning the good order and policie of Gods Church PP If it had beene Gods will The sixe Reason that the seuerall acts of Christ should haue beene celebrated with seuerall solemnities the holy Ghost would haue made knowne to vs the dayes wheron they were done Secondly if the actions of Christ aduance the dayes wherein they were wrought as Hooker sayes or consecrate them as Bellarmine sayes they ought to be knowne otherwise it will fall out that we shall keepe the dayes holy that were neuer aduanced nor consecrated by Christs action or institution But so it is the day of Christs Natiuitie is hid from mortall men ANS It is true that if it had beene Gods will to haue aduanced and consecrated the dayes of Christs Natiuitie Passion c. by annexing to them some particular exercise of Religion such as the festiuall dayes of the Iewes had and clothing them with some mysticall signification the holy Ghost had made the dayes knowne otherwise they could not haue beene obserued But from the beginning we haue declared according to the iudgement not of Bellarmine but of our best reformed Churches and Diuines that these dayes are not kept for any relation that the worship hath to them as if by Christs actions or institution they were to be honoured with some religious exercise but for order and policy only as the most meet and oportune occasions in the iudgement of the primitiue Church and in our estimation most meet for testifying our conformitie with her and with the whole Christian world euer since The long discourse and dispute which yee subjoyne to proue the time of Christs Natitutie to be vncertayne because it is not contradictorie to the
to bee made by our Church vpon the fiue dayes for in them there is neither superstition nor false worship nor is there any burthen layd vpon the Church but a profitable policie established hee onely compares the Brazen Serpent abused to Idolatry to the abuses superstitions false worships wil-worships and the intollerable but thens laid on the Church in Popery by the multiplication of Festiuall Dayes which were indeed to bee abolished because the same did not only equall but surpasse the Legall Ceremonies of the Iewes PP Wee pretend that wee place no part of Gods Worship in the obseruation of dayes But how can wee obserue a day to the honour of Christ and not worship him by that obseruation ANS We worshippe not Christ by obseruation of the day but by the obseruation of an euangelicke and lawfull worshippe done to him vpon the day With this ambiguitie from the beginning ye presse to abuse the Reader for the obseruation of a day is taken as wee said before two waies eyther for a sacramentall and mysticall obseruation that is when the day is obserued as a type of some spirituall or eternall benefit to come This obseruation of a day is a part of the worship and we condemne it as yee doe or it is taken for the obseruation of a fit occasion and time to the exercise of religious and diuine Seruice as we obserue the dayes of fasting houres of prayers preaching and exercise This manner of obseruation is onely accessorie to the worship and is no part thereof and so we obserue the fiue dayes The Papists in dedicating dayes to Saints appointed dayes to be kept mystically and not circumstantially onely When we dedicate a day to Christ we dedicate it not as a mysticall signe and make it a part of his worship but as a meete circumstance for the worship to be performed to him And whosoeuer he bee that holds Christ may not be worshipped on these dayes and on all dayes and times priuately and publiquely is a dogmatist and teacher of will worship for if the Apostle call this a Doctrine of will worship Touch not taste not such and such things as are in themselues indifferent certainely by the same reason he who out of the temeritie of his singular proud and wilfull opinion sayes Teach not on such a purpose Heare not such a purpose Worship not after such a manner Giue not thanks for such a benefit vpon such a day not because the doctrine and worship is vnlawfull in it selfe but by reason of the time which is an indifferent circumstance Non est verus Apostoli interpres sed verè dogmatistes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 PP That which lawfully hath beene abolished by ciuill and Ecclesiasticall Lawes The eighth Reason and by consent and vniforme practise in the contrarie without interruption and beyond the prescription of time allowed to things moueable put the case that Holy-daies were things moueable and indifferent and hath beene borne downe by Sermons of all the most reuerend Preachers since the reformation corrected with censures and abiured by publique oathes of Preachers and Professours cannot lawfully be receiued and put in practise againe ANS Your assumption must be this But to make commemoration of the inestimable benefits of our redemption vpon the fiue anniuersarie daies hath beene abolished lawfully by ciuill and Ecclesiasticall Lawes c. This assumption is false in all the parts of it for first as we haue shewed the obseruation ordayned by the Act at Perth was neuer abolished by Ciuill or Ecclesiasticall Lawes nor yet by consent and vniforme practise of the contrarie Onely the superstitious obseruation of these dayes with opinion of necessitie as a part of diuine worship and the profane abuse thereof with excessiue banqueting playing and carroling was condemned Secondly to your prescription of time in things moueable I answer that circumstantiall ceremonies belonging to Religion are alwaies alterable and neither can bee abolished nor established by prescription for if prescription had force in such things then the space of 1200. yeares during which time these fine dayes were obserued vniuersally throughout the whole Christian world should haue greater force to establish the obseruation of them then the abrogation of seuen and fiftie yeares in durance onely Continuance of time does not establish without change such things but giues occasion to alter them rather when the alteration makes for the honour of God the edification of his Church and auoyding corruption Thirdly the Sermons of reuerend Preachers condemned onely the superstitious and profane obseruation of these dayes and not the obseruation made by the Primitiue and by the reformed Churches in our time which is the obseruation onely commaunded by the Act of Perthe Fourthly If any were censured it was not for any fault in the action it selfe but for transgression of the Ecclesiasticall order and the scandall which might haue followed thereupon as the censures which wee now vse against these that refuse to performe the diuine seruice appoynted to be done on these times are not inflicted for any fault that is in omission in regard of the time but onely in regard of the order and policie of the Church which being contemned giues offence to the simple and breaks peace and vnitie Fiftly we neuer abiured with oathes publique or priuate the obseruation now required the dedication of dayes imposed vpon the conscience with opinion that they are sanctiores sacratiores alijs diebus pars diuini cultus we detest and abiure for nothing can be imposed vpon the conscience but by the precept of God onely The Canons of the Church in matters indifferent doe not oblige the conscience ratione rei praeceptae quasi pars sit aliqua aiuini cultus sed ordinis politias causa tantum So the Canons of the Church made for obseruation of these fiue dayes bindes not the conscience to the obseruation thereof as a part of diuine worship and as the commaundement of God bindes vs to the obseruation of the Lords Day for it is the will of God that on the Lords Day we be religiously exercised and therefore our obedience in that point is a part of his worship but to be exercised in Gods publique worship on another day is not Gods expresse will yet it is his will that we should heare the Church and obey her ordinances in all things that tend to edification and serue for good order whereof God is the Author To conclude seeing the obseruation of these fiue daies as the same is prescribed in the act at Perthe is neither contrarie to any Law Ciuill or Ecclesiastique nor condemned by the practice doctrine and censures of our Church nor abiured by oathes And therefore may lawfully be restored receiued and put in practise againe by our Church PP Hooker and Sarauia vrged for maintenance of their ceremonies Law custome prescription and craues that the impietie and vnlawfulnesse of their ceremonies be proued or else let the Non-conformists conforme May we
whole lumpe was not formed till the Antichrist came to his full strength yet many particulars were entered before and like brookes came into the great riuer As the Antichrist was borne and did grow in yeares so did Papistrie ANS Here ye insinuate that the obseruation of the fiue Daies in the Primitiue Church was Papistrie or else this Discourse is idle But Papistrie it could not be before it was receiued and confirmed by the Pope so in these dayes it was not Papistrie formally And if it were not an errour of the Orthodoxe Church but a lawfull order as at length we haue proued it was neyther materially nor formally Papistrie The obseruation of these dayes with a superstitious and idolatrous worship is Papistrie Such was not the obseruation of the Primitiue Church and such is not the obseruation of the Reformed But as the lawfull obseruation vsed in the Primitiue Church was abolished by the introduction of a superstitious and idolatrous worship in Papistrie so is the superstitious and idolatrous obseruation in Papistrie abolished in reformed Churches by the restitution of the lawfull and religious obseruation vsed in the Primitiue Church which of all reformations is the most perfect and profitable Iehn abolished Idolatrie of the Heathen but he restored not the true worship of God therefore his reformation was imperfect But the reformation made by Ezechias and Iosias was perfect because Idolatrie was not onely abolished but the true worship of God established in place thereof This was not so sufficiently prouided for at our reformation in this poynt for the want of Pastours and is well supplied by the Act made at Perth PP As for the reformed churches except our neighbor Church they haue abandoned daies dedicated to Saints ANS Now yee come to the iudgement of the reformed Churches And here I wish the iudicious Reader to obserue whether ye bring either the iudgement of any reformed Church or of any learned Diuine that consents with you in opinion namely that the obseruation of the fiue anniuersarie dayes with the lawfull exercise of true Religion is a Iudaicall Pedagogie a rudimentarie instruction and a superstitious wil-worship And to the end all that ye say may be exposed to the view of the World I shall set all fully downe which yee bring to this purpose First where ye alledge that all the reformed Churches haue abandoned the dayes dedicated to Saints In this their practise is no way contrarie to the Act made at Perth for by it no day is ordained to be kept which is or was dedicate to any Saint except vnder the name of Saints yee reprehend him who is the most holy Next the exception ye make of our neighbour Church is calumnious and false It is a calumnie that they obserue any day dedicated to Saints All the dayes which they obserue are dedicated to the honour of God either for the inestimable benefits that by our Sauiour he hath bestowed vpon the World or in regard of the blessings that haue come to man by the Ministrie of his seruants and Saints And it is false that all the reformed Churches except they haue refused the obseruation of these dayes For Bullinger in his Commentary vpon the 14. to the Romans affirmes that the Church of Tigurie obserues the Feasts of the blessed Virgin of S. Iohn the Baptist of Magdalene of Stephen and of the Apostles PP Some admit dayes dedicated to Christ some two some fiue but not with the full consent and liking of the learned but either forced by the authoritie of the Magistrate or wilfulnesse of the people or because remaining in the middest of their enemies they are not permitted otherwise to doe ANS They in Geneua who obserue the day of Natiuitie and Easter approue the practise and order of the Church of Heluetia who obserue all the fiue and there is as great reason why on the other three dayes the Passion Ascension and sending downe of the holy Ghost should be remembred as the Natiuitie and Resurrection If by the learned ye vnderstand these whom ye doe afterwards name Farellus Viret and Caluine I am perswaded no man will thinke that either they or any other such Pastors of the Church would haue bin forced to practise that which was vnlawfull in it selfe and a superstitious will-worship either by Magistrate or People PP Farellus and Viret remooued all Holy-dayes out of the Church of Geneua as Caluine testifies The same decree which banished Farellus and Caluine out of Geneua brought in other Holy-dayes They were all againe abrogate except the Sabbath day Howsoeuer after came in the keeping of Pasche and the Natiuitie ANS The iudgement of Caluine touching the abolition of the Festiuall dayes in Geneua may be seene in his 118. Epistle where he professes that it was done se inscio ac ne optante quidem And a little after subioynes Ex quo sum reuocatus hoc temperamentum quaesiui vt Christi Natali◠celebraretur vestro more alijs autem diebus extraordinariae supplicationes tabernis mane clausis fierent à prandio ad suas operas res agendas quisque abiret And albeit in that place he confesses that the abrogation of the Festiuall dayes did not grieue him yet he protests as followes Hoc tamen testatum esse volo si mihi delata optio fuisset quod nunc constitutū est non fuisse pro sentētia dicturum If Caluine had thought as ye doe that December Christmas is a iust imitation of December Saturnall of the Ethnicke Romanes and that the obseruation of the rest of the Festiuall dayes had beene a superstitious kinde of Will-worship and a Iudaicall Pedagogie he would neuer haue consented to the keeping of the Natiuitie and would not only haue abolished the holy dayes by his suffrage if the same had beene in his option but also testified to the world his dislike of them by his Pen and writing But that all may see how different his iudgement is from yours he concludes with these words Nectamen est cur homines adeo exasperentur si libertate nostra vt Ecclesiae aedificatio postulat vtimur quemadmodum nec vicissim praeiudicio esse morem nostrum aequum est By these words it is manifest that in Caluines iudgement the obseruation and abrogation of these dayes consists in the power and libertie of the Church and that the obseruation of them in it selfe is not vnlawfull but a thing indifferent to be vsed and not vsed as the edification of the Church requires which iudgement wee imbrace and follow PP Caluine was so farre from liking of Holy dayes that hee was slandered of intention to abolish the Lords Day ANS His Doctrine shewes the last to bee a calumnie his practise and iudgement declares that hee did not mislike the obseruation of the dayes vsed in the Primitiue and other reformed Churches PP The Belgike Churches in their Synode holden at Dort Anno 1578. wished that only the Lords Day might be celebrated Luther
quod hisce in rebus minutilis videretur optimum ad pietatem commodissimum sequeretur that is Ye shall find in the Ancients specially in Eusebius and Saint Augustine certaine memorials instituted to some holy persons but farre different from the Papall forme and manner not vnlike the rite which we obserue in our Church of Tigurine in the celebration of the Natiuitie Circumcision Passion Ascension Resurrection of the Lord and the sending downe of the Holy Ghost of the Mother of God the Virgin of Iohn the Baptist Magdalene Stephen and the Apostles of the Lord. In the mean-time we condemne none of these that keepe no festiuall day but the Sabbath For when we looke ouer the Monuments of the Fathers wee find this hath euer beene in the liberty of the Church to doe that which seemed best and most commodious for the aduancing of Pietie in these matter of little moment PARAEVS cap. 14. ad Rom. hyp 4. FEria Dominicalis Natiuitatis Resurrectionis Ascensionis Domini Pentecostes rectè obseruantur à Christianis that is The Lords Day the Feast of the Natiuitie Resurrection Ascension of the Lord and Whitsonday are lawfully keeped by Christians Ibidem Vtile institutum primitiuae Ecclesiae ritè obseruatur tale hoc est vtile enim est praecipuas Dei patefactiones beneficia in Ecclesiam collata stato tempore publicè rep etere profiteri aduersus haereticos infideles populo inculcare vt sint notissima in perpetua memoria magis enim mouent haerent in memoria iuuentutis populi quae solenniter anniuersariè simul ab omnibus vno consensufiunt quà m quae aliâs ab alijs fiunt dicuntur that is A profitable Statute of the Primitiue Church is rightly obserued such is this of Holy dayes for it is profitable to remember and professe publikely on a set appointed time the chiefe manifestatiōs of God and his benefits bestowed vpon the Church against Heretickes and Infidels beating them in the eares of the people that they may be familiar vnto them and keeped in a perpetuall remembrance For these things moue more and stick faster in the memorie of youth and common people which are solemnely and yeerely done by all together and with one consent then these things which are done at other times by diuers persons seuerally TILENVS Praecep 4. Th. 17. PRaeter hunc Sabbatismum septimo quoque die recurrentem alio◠dies non ad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sed ad peculiarem Dei beneficiorum commemorationem de communi consensu in Ecclesia Christiana instituere non arbitramur simpliter esse illicitum that is Besides this Sabbath which returneth euery seuenth day wee iudge it not simply vnlawfull by common consent of the Church to institute other dayes not for wil-worship but for a speciall remembrance of the benefites of God PERKINS on the fourth Chapter to the Galatians ECclesiasticall obseruation of time is when set dayes are obserued for orders sake that men might come together to worship God These dayes are eyther dayes of thankesgiuing or dayes of humiliation take the example of the Iewes Ester 9.26 Who obserued yeerely the Feast of Purim for a memory of their deliuerance In like manner they obserued the Feast of Dedication and it seemes that Christ was present at Ierusalem as an obseruer of this Feast Iohn 10.22 And thus for orders sake to obserue certayne dayes of Solemnity is not forbidden WILLET in his six-fold Commentarie vpon the fourteenth to the ROMANS THe Apostle reproues them for the superstitious obseruing of dayes such as then the Iewes practised and now the Papists but to obserue such Holy dayes as God hath appointed such as the Sabbath and others for order and policie not for Religions sake is not within the Apostles reprehension Item The Apostle speakes of the Iewes Festiuals wherein they did clogge their consciences and one iudged another not of the Lords Day which is of Christs appointing and of other Festiuals for Order and Policie and not for a part of the Seruice of God to bind the Conscience An answere to the dispute intituled OF CONFIRMATION and of Bishopping Wherein the Pamphlet penner pretends to impugne the third Article concluded in the Assembly at Perth touching the triall of young childrens education the tenor whereof followes FOr as much as one of the most speciall meanes for staying the encrease of Popery and setling of true Religion in the hearts of the people is that a speciall care be taken in triall of young children their education and how they are catechized which in time of the primitiue Church was most carefully attended as being most profitable to cause young children in their tender yeares drinke in the knowledge of God and his Religion but is now altogether neglected in respect of the great abuse and errors which crept into the Popish Church by making thereof a Sacrament of Confirmation Therefore that all superstitions built thereupon may be rescinded and that the matter it selfe being most necessary for the education of the youth may be reduced to the primitiue integritie it is thought good that the Minister in euery Parish shall catechize all young children of eight yeares of age and see that they haue the knowledge and bee able to make rehearsall of the Lords prayer Beliefe and ten Commandements with answers to the questions of the small Catechisme vsed in our Church And that euery Bishop in his Visitation shall censure the Minister who shall be found remisse therein And the said Bishops shall cause the said children to be presented before them and blesse them with prayer for the excrease of their knowledge and continuance of Gods heauenly graces with euery one of them In the narratiue of this Act the Sacrament of Confirmation is counted amongst the abuses errors and superstitions which crept into the Papistical Church in stead of the profitable catechizing that the primitiue Church vsed for the triall of young childrens education therefore the first part of the dispute wherein the Pamphleter intends to prooue that Confirmation is not a Sacrament contayning nothing that is contrary to the Act shall be passed by In the second part of the dispute intituled Bishopping he contends that the Sacrament of Confirmation and imposition of hands is not proper to Bishops but common to all Presbyters This contention is idle for the Sacrament of Confirmation and imposition of hands being refuted in the former dispute by himselfe and condemned by the Act why should hee striue to haue that common which neither he nor we esteeme to be lawfull But to the end all occasion of debate about this matter might be preuented the Assembly at Perth ordayned that the Bishop after examination should blesse the young children with prayer and purposely omitted the ceremonie of imposition of hands as a thing indifferent to bee vsed or not vsed as the Bishop should thinke most meet Albeit in the primitiue Church this blessing was alwayes giuen
Baptisme Nullatenus in no case be ministred in a priuate Oratorie If it be done otherwise let the Clergie-man be deposed the Laickes excommunicate If in no case where was then the case of necessitie ANS The necessarie Doctrine ought not to be omitted and the act ordaines Baptisme in priuate houses to be ministred after the same forme that in the Congregation Doctrine at the baptising of Infants is not vsed for the instruction and comfort of the Infant but for the instruction and comfort of the Parents and witnesses Though it be abridged in times of extremitie it diminishes not the dignitie of Baptisme but the Sacrament is rather highly aduanced when it is esteemed to be sufficient by it selfe as the ordinary meane of saluation to the infant In the generall Councell of Constantinople holden in the Emperour Constantinus his Palace in a roome called Trullus two Canons are set downe of which yee cite the 59. onely forgetting according to your custome the Canon preceding touching Baptisme the words whereof are these Clericos qui in Oratorijs quae sunt intra domos ministrant vel baptizant hoc illius loci Episcopi sententia facere decernimus qui hoc non sic seruauerit deponatur The Canon ordaines these that baptize in priuate Oratories to doe it by the Bishops appoyntment And that cited by you is not contradictorie to this but concerneth the ordinarie administration of Baptisme whereas vpon extraordinarie considerations of infirmitie and inhabilitie of persons the Councell acknowledges that the same may be done vpon the Bishops speciall licence So your Nullatenus includes not cases of necessitie If the Bishop in such cases may permit Baptisme in priuate houses much more might the Assembly at Perth where so many Bishops and Pastors were present set downe an ordinance to that effect PP Priuate baptisme hath bred a new kinde of baptisme that is a baptisme by supposition for if the child baptised in priuate conualesce they baptise it ouer againe c. ANS Baptisme ministred in a priuate house by a lawfull Pastor before a sufficient number of Christian witnesses is not priuate and needes not be supplied by such a conditionall Baptisme PP Baptisme was solemne in the Primitiue Church as wee may reade of Iohn baptized in Iordan and Christs Disciples baptising and the new Conuerts in the Acts Some were not baptized in any Visible Church because they had not the occasion as the Eunuch and the Centurion No man will denie but in the infancie of a Church a priuate Baptisme may be tollerated but we speake of a Church constituted c. The Lord appoynted a precise day of Circumcision which might not be preuented It was no wonder if they had not euer opportunitie of a solemne Conuention there is no precise day set downe for Baptisme c. The Church ought to be assured of the Baptisme of such as are reputed fellow-heires with them c. ANS That the Church may be assured of the Baptisme of the Childe it is ordained in the Act of Perth That the Minister shall the next Lords-day after any such priuate Baptisme declare in the Church that the Infant was so baptized and therefore ought to be receyued as one of the true Flocke of CHRISTS folde In a constituted Church Baptisme should not be ministred ordinarily but according to the constitutions of the Church but extraordinatie cases cannot be subiect to ordinarie constitutions more in a constituted Church then in the Infancie of it And that which is lawfull to be done in the Infancie of the Church is yet lawfull to be done in a constituted Church ratione rei praeceptae dininae institutionis And it is vnlawfull onely ratione ordinis in regard of the order appointed by the Church from which cases of necessity are alwaies excepted Also that which might haue beene tolerated in the infancy of the Church for necessity must euer bee lawfull in the like case for it was not the infancie of the Church that made the toleration lawfull but the necessity Where ye thinke that the Iewes were more strictly obliged to circumcision then Christians are to Baptisme because a certain day was appointed for it and to Baptisme there is no day prefixed in the Word Wee know by the Law that he who is not obliged at a certaine day to pay his debt may be charged to pay it at all times and therefore when God layes sicknesse on a childe a charge is giuen by God instantly to the Parent to performe his dutie PP The Lords Supper ought to be publique We haue a spirituall vnion with the whole Church but because it is not possible to celebrate a sacramentall Communion with the whole Church militant the Lord hath appointed vs to celebrate a sacramentall Communion with some particular Church We that are many are one bread and one bodie because we are partakers of one bread 1 Cor. 10.17 We cannot then be one body sacramentally except we be pertakers of one bread Other Feasts may be priuate in priuate houses but the Lords Supper ought to be publique 1 Cor. 11.12 When yee conuene to cate tarrie one for another 1 Cor. 11 33. Synaxis a word signifying as much as Synagogue was one of the names giuen of olde to this Sacrament ANS As with the whole Church Militant wee haue a spirituall Communion so haue wee an Euangelicall and Sacramentall Communion for as wee are partakers of the same spirit so are we partakers of the same Word and Sacraments The Bread is one which all receiue and the water one wherewith all are baptised Sacramentally for they are clothed with the same sacred mysterie of signification exhibition and obsignation of saluation in Christ crucified When the Apostle sayes 1. Cor. 10.17 Because the bread is one we who are many are one body for we are all partakers of one bread he speaks not of our Communion with a particular Church onely but with the Catholike and by one bread he meanes not one bread materially in number for one bread in number materially none but one particular person can receiue The bread which I receiue materially is not the same that thou receiuest but the Sacrament is one and the same in number To bee short wee haue no more a Sacramentall communion with these in the Parish with whom wee communicate then wee haue with the whole militant Church who are all partakers of the same Sacraments And thus as we haue a spirituall so we haue a sacramentall Communion with them It is true that our communion in the Word and Sacraments is not visible but with some particular Church and therefore as it is lesse or more publike so is it lesse or more visible yet we doe euer celebrate a Sacramentall communion with the whole Church when the action is lawfully performed The other places which yee cite 1. Cor. 11.22 Haue yee not houses to eate and drinke in and Vers 33. When yee convene to eate tarry one for another of