by the case put how to file their teeth and muzzle their mouthes that they may not infest the flock of Christ If you know of any contentious men what ever they be How wee may deal with contentious men that live like the Salamander in the fire and love to wrangle spend their breath against the decent orders and constitutions of the Church you were best to aske of the blessed Apostle and he will teach you how to handle them You must be sure to use all gentle meanes before you come to sharpnesse and severity for many will lead that will not drive and yeeld themselves to a gentle entreaty that will not be forced by compulsion You shall do well in the first place to set before them your own example for so the Apostle doth in the 1. ver You may take occasion to commend them for their zeale and strictnesse in some thing else for so the Apostle hath taught you ver 2. You must not faile to instruct them in the meaning and signification of the ceremonies for so the Apostle taught you ver 3. What shall I say you may perswade them by reason by authority by decency by nature it selfe for none of these hath Saint Paul omitted and if all this be not able to perswade for who can perswade a contentious man you shall not perswade though you doe perswade not perswade his practice I meane though you perswade and convict his conscience then you must beare him downe with the Churches custome and tell him plainly to his face that the customes of the Church must stand in force maugre the spight of contentious men The power of custome no doubt is great and that of the Church not least of all but lest I may be thought to presse the custome before I have taught you to understand the custome you shall give mee leave to speak something concerning the theorie of the custome that so I may rise with the more force to the practice and observation of the custome While I entreat of Church order me thinks I am bound to keep order and because the nature of the subject will scarce afford any quaint order I will content my selfe with a plaine method Three things there be that offer themselves 1. The use of the Church in having of customes 2. The right of the Church in making of customes 3. The power of the Church in pressing of customes For the custome Custome what it is first to understand that throughly you must please to look back to the 2. ver there the Apostle mentions some ordinances or traditions which he had delivered to the Church of Corinth 2. there he commends their zealous care because they had kept the most of them 3. and then he condemns their halting obedience because they had failed in some particulars What those ordinances were is all the matter that concerns us and because there is mention made of one or two and the Apostle tells the reason of them wee must judge of the Lion by his paw and guesse that the rest were all of the same stamp being all commended at one time to one and the selfe same Church of Corinth What our Apostle meant by his ordinances ver 2. and by his orders ver ult the same he meanes by his customes here all matters of rite and outward ceremony annexed to the preaching of the Word and administration of the Sacraments not as parts of Gods holy worship but as appendices thereunto onely for the order of Gods house and disposition of his service Such were the customes of the Church of Corinth Such customs allowed in all Churches and such customes as these were about time and place and outward gesture whether it be kneeling standing bowing crossing uncovering or whatsoever else of the same alloy as they were freely used in the Church of Corinth so they must needs be allowed in every age in all the assemblies of the Christians You shall never heare of any famous Church since the Apostles time that hath not freely enjoyed some customes of this kind and you shall never reade of any learned orthodox father since the Apostles time that ever oppugned the use of these customes In the primitive Church August ep 118. ad Ian. Amb. in 4. Ephes Socra hist li. 5. ca. 22. zâ—zomen li. 7. ca. 9. Tertul. de veland vir I could easily shew you upon good authority that all the ancient Churches had their severall customes and that while they enjoyed the same faith and which is more to be observed and admired the difference and contrarietie of their customs did neither dissolve the bond of charity nor disturb the unity of religion The Apostolique Churches had their customes to yea for ought we know severall customes yet all by Saint Pauls free allowance In the Apost churches for though hee stover a little as good cause he had against a new-fangled custome of their own devising which contentious men would faine keep up yet withall hee seemes to imply by way of concession that they had some customes of another kind which he would not suffer to be borne downe by the heat of wilfull opposition Those customes what ever they were were not onely allowed to the Church of Corinth In all the Apost churches but to all the Churches of that time or at least to many of them for the Apostle doth not speak in the singular number as of one Church but in the plurall number as of many And if the Churches in the purest times had all their customes and those in the Apostles time their customes to I wonder why the Churches in these times and the Church of England among the rest the gracious Mother of us all may not bee quietly suffered to enjoy her customes Were the ceremonies and orders of the church an ornament to religion in the Apostles dayes and are they now become in these latter times a stain and blemish to religion had the Churches of God their earerings their bracelets and their jewels in the nonage and childhood of religion and must they now be stript of all in the growth and ripenesse of the gospell Alas poore mother what hast thou done to be so shamefully used of thine own children alas good children what doe you meane to offer such wrong to your deare mother Did David bring a scorne upon his person when hee uncovered himselfe before his subjects zSam 6.20 and would not you bring a scorne upon your mother if you should uncover her shame before all her children Psutarch Cat. Vtic. Did Cato Vtican draw a scorne upon his justice when hee went to his pretorian seat without his robes and may not we bring the like upon Gods service if we should repaire to the seat of God in common garments I beseech you for the honour of God for the honour of religion for the honour of your selves think upon your bold and rash adventures it is not the custome she regards
the use in the ancient Church Hieron ep ad Luâ—n Aug. ep ad Casulanum to keep the memory of the passion Where doe you reade in the word of God that you ought to receive the Communion fasting yet that was the universal custom of all the Church in Saint Augustines time Epist 118. ad Ianuar. to preserve the honour of the blessed Sacrament To be short if you think the letter of the word be so requisite to every custome you were best to survey the writings of the Apostles and see what order you can find for standing holydayes what speciall warrant for set fasts upon certaine dayes what expresse charge to keep the first day of the week for the Christian Sabbath Vid Dr. Field li. â— ca. 20. Episc Elienâ—â—â— tract de Sab. pap 98. what expresse immediate warrant to christen or baptize a young Infant I doubt you will find no more but a generall warrant for any of these though they have been constantly observed in all ages and if every of these have been held by custome being onely grounded upon the generall warrant of the Scriptures and deduced from thence by good consequence without any speciall intimation why should we be tyed to a speciall order for the ruling and disposing of every ceremony If the speciall warrant of the Word be so necessary you were best to blame the Apostles of Christ The Apostles never composed any set forme of outward rite Instit li. 4. â—a 10. sect 30. because they forgot to entreat of particular rites and if a generall warrant be not sufficient you were best to blame the Churches of God because they took too much upon them For the Apostles first you cannot blame them for Calvin himselfe can tell you that they had no commission from the Lord to set downe a forme of outward discipline inasmuch as he foresaw how that depended upon the state of the times neither could he judge any one forme to be agreeable to all people He knew well enough that the Church was subject to waxes and wanes to fulls and changes and vicissitudes and therefore as a rare and cunning workman can hardly make a garment for the moone as Plutarch notes that should equally fit her at all seasons as well in the new as in the full no more could the Apostles judge any one form of unchangeable custome to be agreeable to all times and the various conditions of all people All particulars in this kind depend upon the authority of the Church But then perhaps you will blame the Church because she presumes to run of her selfe without a speciall commission for every custome No surely but where the Word of God is dumbe and silent there the voice of the Church must be attended In this case the very silence of the word gives consent that the cause belongs to another court and seeing the word is silent concerning ceremonies and speaks nothing of them in explicite termes where may we looke for a certaine direction and resolution in that case but from the power of the Church and from the authority of her pastors Ep. ad Casulanum In quibu◠〈◊〉 certi statuit script mâ—s populi Dei instituta majorum pro lege temenda sunt Saint Augustine being asked his opinion concerning a custome used in his time takes occasion to answer in briefe not onely for that but for all others of the same stamp that where the Word of God determines no certainty there the custome of the Church and the constitutions of her Pastors are to be taken for a law That this was the generall judgement of all the Churches in all ages if any man doubt let him reade the Canons of the Councels Beza lib. conf fidei Chri. ca. 5. for why should the Councels be called together to order the government of the Church and to settle the forme of outward discipline but that they held it a maxime in all ages that the Church had power of things indifferent There is no Divine of our owne side of any note that stick at this power Beza conf fidei Gualt praefat in 2. Cor. Zuin. li. de bapt Chem. loc com tit tradit Mar. in 1 Cor. 1. Calv. com in loc so it goe no further for besides the judgement of Beza Bucer Zuinglius Chemnitius Peter Martyr and generally all the Worthies of these latter times that freely allow it with one consent you shall take the opinion of Calvin one for all who sets it down for a certaine rule upon the light he drew from this present Cap. that every Church of what place soever may safely compose such a forme of discipline as may be most agreeable to it selfe because the Lord therein hath prescribed no certainty The truth is the Apostle himselfe is so cleare in this that no man can make any further doubt for when he seeks to suppresse an upstart custome by a non habemus talem and grounds himselfe upon this reason because they nor the Churches had none such what doth he but inferre by way of consequence that the practice of the Church and determination of her Pastors is warrant enough for any ceremony It makes me wonder the more and who doth not wonder at the froward humour of some peevish Novelists that think all the practice of the Church in things indifferent to be nothing else but usurpation and all her decent and reverend customes that serve for the furtherance of GODs service to bee nothing else but a meere wil-worship Their spight is so great against the present government because it crosses their selfe-will'd humours that they will scarce allow that power to the Church in the meanest things that every Church-warden and meane Artificer would soon challenge if they might be left to their owne liberty Belike the Seers of the Lord are become blind that they cannot discerne the meanest things or else the stewards of the Lord are become unfaithfull that they may not be trusted with the poorest ceremony But well fare the good and courteous Samaritan he was not halfe so strait to the good Inkeeper when he gave him the care of the wounded traveller in the Gospell so willing was he to enlarge his favour that beside the two pence hee left to discharge the reckoning hee gave him leave to spend more and to runne upon the score till his next returne Vid. Aug. de quaest Euang. li. 2. quaest 59. Ambro. Origen in Luc. Maca. Cyrill alios in Cat. Gâ—aeâ— patrum in Luc. No doubt a large allowance given to a stranger but if we be the wounded travellers as indeed we are that unhappily miscarried in Adams sinne and if the two pence he left us to discharge the reckoning may seeme to allude as most expound it to the two Tables of the Testament I wonder what course we may take to spend the overplus that he may allow it at his comming In necessary expences for food or physick
to come to bring upon us a new custome either in praying or preaching or baptizing or communicating or marying or burying whatsoever it bee or by whomsoever it bee allowed wee will say no more then S. Paul does Non habemus talem wee have none such You may not set up a new custome On the other side if any shall seek to put down the old whether in standing or kneeling or crossing or bowing or uncovering or whatsoever else of the same alloy that hath beene either prescribed in our booke of Canons or religiously continued in the reverend practice of our mother Churches we shall need to say no more then S. Paul implies habemus talem we have such a custome allowed amongst us and you have no power to put it downe Indeed custome is a good plea for outward rite Custome no good plea for matter of doctrine but for the doctrine of Gods worship that concernes the essence of religion we must not plead a bare custome When any part of that gracious charter shall be called in question by stubborne hereticks we must not follow the customes of men Cypr ep 63. ad Pomp 78. ad Quint. 74. but the truth of God nor must we regard what men have done but what Christ hath said for our direction Ad legem testimonia to the law and the testimonies must we goe for tryall there must wee seeke for our direction but for matter of rites and outward discipline which are things in themselves meerely arbitrary and no where expressed in the word of God we can never use a more strong demonstrative argument then S. Paul hath used in the words of my text We have or we have not such a custome The very name of custome hath some weight because the allowance of the Church is added to it yet it is not the allowance of every Church that takes up a rite of her owne head contrary to the order of other Churches but the unanimous consent of sundry Churches agreeing in one that gives the name and force of a custome S. Paul doth not stand upon the custome of one Church much lesse doth he urge it against all the rest but loe he stands upon the generall use of the Apostolique Churches and urges the harmony of the most against the private use of the Church of Corinth to teach us that if any question should arise in time to come about the different orders of sundry Churches that wee could hardly know which to follow we should ever preferre the customes of the most and specially those which are most Apostolique before the private orders of some few that have degenerated from the rule You see the nature of S. Pauls customes 1 Cor. 14.40 26. and what power you have to stand upon them a better custome you cannot have nor better authority to beare you out I will but onely adde this one word more that your customes bee decent and reverend customes surnished with all those speciall properties which S. Paul requires in every custome and then you come fully up to the Apostles talis you have a custome I warrant you against all exception and if any man seeme to be contentious you may safely plead it in open Court habemus talem we have such a custome But I feare I shall exceed the time and so break the custome while I stand so long upon the Churches custome but if I have tyred the patience of any in tracing this strange unusuall argument I desire the blame may rest upon them whose wilfull and stubborne oppositions have forced mee to breake my usuall custome For most of you this labour might be spared for I have seene your order and approved it but others there are of that crosse and peevish spirit that I thinke if S. Paul himselfe would supply this place he could hardly win them to conformity Let the Church stand upon her customes while she will the rulers of the Church observe the custome and all the Doctors of the Church both old and new allow the custome yet they resolve to hold their custome their custome of wilfull contradiction If any custome at all goe downe with them it must be the custome of some forraigne Church Great is Diana of the Ephesians and they are apt enough to admire her customes but for the customes of our owne Church Sr. George Paul in the life of Archb Whitgift Apoc. 3.17 18 19. which all our neighbours so much renowne and our very adversaries themselves account an honour to our reformation they must not be allowed upon any tearmes Alas poore Mother thou sayest thou art rich and wantest nothing and knowest not that thou art poore and naked and miserable and blinde that thou canst not judge of the least custome Thou must buy thy gold of them if thou wilt be rich and thy raiment of them if thou wilt be cloathed and thy eye-salve of them if thou wilt be cured of thy blindnesse and yet the most of them will freely confesse if they are not too ingratefull that they themselves have been debtors unto thee not onely for the light of heavenly truth but for the helpe of outward supportation Did the fame of thy children never spread beyond the Alps or their glory beyoÌ„d the Lemanian lake Why then should thy children despise thy customes and dote upon the love of forraign Churches unlesse they meane to play the parts of ungracious children to discredit the wombe that brought them forth and the pappes that brought them up For our parts wee are loath to discredit our neighbour Churches such as have joyned with us in the reformation whatsoever customes they have we envy them not good leave may they have to stand upon them and if any of us should converse among them we would not stick to use their customes The rule that S. a Apud Aug. ep ad CasulanuÌ„ Quando Rome sum c. ad quamcunque aliam ecclesiam veneritis ejus mâ—â—em servate si pari scandaâ—um nec vultis aec facere ibid. Ambrose gave to his friend S. Augustine when he asked his opinion concerning fasting on the Saturday which was the custom at Rome but not at Millaine that when hee was at Rome he used to fast and when he was at Millaine hee used to eate the same must we alwayes observe in matter of Rite as S. Augustine teaches If wee will neither offer nor suffer scandall Let mee give the counsell that b Ier. ep ad Lucin. Ego illud te breviter admonendum puto c. NecalieruÌ„ consuetudi nem aliâ—ruÌ„ contrario modo subverti Ierome gave to his friend Lucinius that thou keepe the customes of the Church inviolable and suffer not the customes of one Church to be undermined to bring in the customes of another Thou maist easily offend either way but chiefly in opposing thine owne Church for if it be matter of scandall as you heard before to refuse the customes of forraigne Churches whensoever we chance to communicate with them how can we free our selves from cause of scandall when we spurne at the rites of our owne Church and refuse to conforme to her authorised customes I must say no more of these kinde of men for I doubt my doome is passed already I must goe for a formalist a time-server and I know not what if I plead so hard for the Churches custome but if I suffer in this cause S. Paul may best answer for me he hath deceived me if I be deceived and if he have a share in this hard censure I shall bee well content to suffer with him although they should make me yet more vile Howsoever it be I shall yet intreat for all that and I will not intreat in mine owne name but in the words of the blessed Apostle 1 Cor. 1.10 Now I beseech you brethren by the name of the Lord Iesus Christ that you all speake one thing and that there may be no schismes and dissentions among you Let no man strive against the customes of the Church for that will turne to his owne confusion these warres are like the warres of Saul and David 1 Sam 3.1 where the house of Saul grew still weaker and the house of David gathered strength It is hard to kick against these pricks for you may sooner gall your owne feete by a foolish opposition then you can blunt or spurne down the Churches custome There is neither comfort nor gaine in this rash adventure but onely the shame of your own mother but if you will yeeld your selves like dutifull children to observe the custome or like stout champions to plead the custome you have the warrant of the Apostle to defend you and the countenance of your Mother to encourage you and the promise of your Father to reward you even the Father of peace and the Father of all comfort who shall sanctifie you all throughout and keepe you both in soule and body and spirit blamelesse untill the day of Iesus Christ Amen FINIS
and their haire disheveld as a greater signe and pledge of holinesse Whatsoever the reason were I am sure of this that the one member at least of that reverend order that I mean that concernes the men is so fully ratifyed and confirmed by the Canon of our Church that no man may presume to cover his head during the whole time of divine Service Canon 1◠without the breach of Church order For the women indeed we have no commandement in our Church for nature it self the rules of modesty have taught them freely to yeeld conformity But for the men at least some of them in some places where they have beene traind in a course of schisme they are so loath to stoop to this Apostolique order that the Church is fain to interpose her power to bind thē to it by a double bond That any man covers of wilfull stubbornnesse against the Canon of the Apostle it were little charity to beleeve for my part I rather impute it to meere weaknesse and could they be throughly resolved that the reason of this Canon were yet in force I presume there is none of them all of what sort soever but would thinke themselves bound to yeeld conformity They think perhaps that this Apostolique order may concern the Ministers of the Church Objectiōs against the bareing of the head c Ob. 1. because it is laid upon fuch as pray and prophecie but by their leave if the hearing of a Sermon be not prophesying as well as the preaching and that in the sense and meaning of our own Apostle Ver. 4. I desire to know how the same Apostle in the next words immediately following could apply the same words of praying and prophesying as well to the women as the men Ver. 5. when they were not allowed by his own rule either to speak or preach in the congregation 1 Cor. 14.34 35. Ob. 2. But say it concerne the people as well as the Ministers as being equally ingaged in praying and prophesying yet perhaps it may lay a tye upon the people of those times and not upon the Churches in after ages Dr. Field lib. 4. ca. 20 T is true that all customes of what sort soever are things dispensable in their own nature yea the very customes of the Apostles themselves are no certaine and perpetuall rules to all Churches to abridge their liberty in things indifferent And what of that will any man deny them a binding power for the time being while they are allowed by the present Church because the Church hath power to change when time and place shall so require no surely but the stampe and impresse of the present Church must make them current for the time being and seeing this custome is allowed as you heard before and that under the seale of our owne Church let no man presume to strive against it as long as it stands so allowed unlesse he desire to seeme contentious Perhaps you may say this Apostolique Canon may not be sutable to these times Ob. 3. for the Apostle seems to allow no covering at all Ver. 4. if that should be strictly observed in this crazie age we should soone make the Churchyard full and the Church empty Well be it so and what of that were there not any weak in the Apostles time aswell as now yes surely why then no doubt the exception is implyed though it be not expressed in the Text to shew that if we conforme our selves as neere as we can and make use of a coyfe or night-cap in stead of a hat as our Church hath dispenced with the Apostles rule Gan. ut supra in case of weaknesse and infirmity we shall never incur the Apostles censure nor seem to the Church to be contentious But the most of our people for ought I see are ready to uncover in the time of prayer Ob. 4. onely they stick at the strictnesse of some that require the baring of the head in the time of preaching belike they are willing to shew reverence when they speak unto God by their earnest prayers but they think it too much to shew the like when God speaks to them by his sacred ordinance Let me aske them is it not as great a favour to receive a blessing as to crave it and shall we not receive the blessing with as much reverence when t is offered as wee would crave it when t is wanting Saint Paul for his part makes no odds betwixt prayer and prophesie and if any man think that the Canon of the Church will not reach to both because it mentions no more but the whole service let him please to compare the words of the Canon to the rubrick of the service book Immediatly after the Nicen Creed and he shall finde that the Sermon or exhortation is no other but a part of divine Service There is no dispensation for ought I can see more for the Sermon then for the prayer Ob. 5. Cypr. ep 73. Quale est ut quia hoc Novatianus facere audet nos putemusnon esse saciendum neither can I beleeve for mine own part that any man of reason or sound religion would ever stick at this reverend order but that t is the use of the Church of Rome with which they dare not comply in outward ceremonies for feare of the danger of superstition Indeed t is like enough this Apostolique order hath been abused and scarce can you name any thing else that hath not been abused to superstition yet when the thing it selfe is charged upon us by the Apostle August debap con Don lib. 6 cap. 44 Jpsi gentiles sl quid rectum babuerunt non improbarunt sanctipatres et in hunc modum lib 3. ca 11. and the superstition is brought upon it by the fault of men we must not presume for the fault of men to stir a duty of Saint Pauls prescribing but wee must learne a better way of reformation to mend the fault of our owne devising and let the duty still remaine To be warie of superstition is a good thing but there is another extreame to be avoided which religion hates as well as that and if we run so far from superstition that wee fall into profanenesse and think we have never driven superstition far enough unlesse we drive together with it all decent order from the Churth of God I feare we shall bring a mischiefe upon the cause of religion while wee seeke to avoid an inconvenience Say the Lord hath forbidden superstition Ageneral apologie for the bareing of the head in prayer and prophecie Psal 2.11 Heb. 12.28 c. yet I trow he hath commanded reverence all along and if the baring of the head in the house of God during the time of divine service be not a signe of holy reverence I am yet to learne what reverence meanes Sure we make it a signe of reverence in civill worship for servants uncover to their masters
so much as your obedience to the custome and if you be so stiffe and cruell to your mother that she may not enjoy her ancient customes why should she allow your ancient discipline as you call it which you can never demand upon better warrant You say the Apostles had the Discipline but we are sure of this they had the customes and if you seeke to rob us of those rites which we know the Apostles once delivered why should we give way to your new pretended forme of Geneva discipline which I doubt the Apostles never heard of Shew us that warrant for your discipline as wee have shewed you for our customes and wee shall have cause to hearken to you In the meane while wee have right enough to enjoy our ceremonies by the Apostles leave if not by yours and though you thinke it a ragge of Rome and a relique of Popery and superstition yet we shall rejoyce and triumph at all your taunts as long as we can say with the blessed Apostle habemus consuetudinem wee have a custome c. To have a custome is not much Right of the Chu in holding the customes but all the matter is by what pretended right wee hold the customes No man heares of the customes of the Church for the ordering and disposing of Gods service but presently he begins to examine our Patent and to renew the question of those Priests and Elders Qua potestate Mat. 21.23 By what authoritie doe you these things and who gave you that authority The Church I trow will doe nothing without a warrant and if shee have that warrant from her husband bequeathed unto her in his Testament reade us the Will and it sufficeth But if shee take her power from the will of man or from the favour of Princes or from the authoritie of her governours then you must give us leave to put in a caveat untill it be tryed by the Law Loe this is the plea of all the sectaries in the world Nulla specie illustriore sâ—duci pos sunt miseri Christians c. Calv. adver Anabapt Shew us your ceremonies in the word of God and we shall be willing to obey and it prevailes the more with many a man because it seemes to give to the written word but if it appeare upon just tryall that the word of God with honour and reverence be it spoken was never constituted as the judge for the speciall designation of particular ceremonies then wee come upon them Luk. 11.22 like the strong man armed in the Gospell that take away their weapons wherein they trust and liave them nothing to object Whilest I take upon me to make this good Particular customes depend not upon the immediate and expresse warrant of the word let no man thinke I dishonour the Scriptures let shame and confusion fall to my portion if I cast any blurre upon that sacred volume I know well that it is the priviledge of the Scripture to bee the onely rule of faith and manners and it was the only scope of the holy Apostles * Ioh. 20.30 to leave a perfect record of all those things that might essentially conduce to our salvation For other accidentall adventitious circumstances that were no part of the service of God but onely an ornament to the service it seemed not good to the Spirit of God that they should passe by the same Patent Well may they passe in generall tearmes as many things are conveyed in every deed under the name of the appurtenances but they are never expressed in that gracious Patent by any speciall intimation Well may they belong to those traditions which the Apostle delivered by word of mouth 2 Thes 2.15 but they can be no part of that holy tradition which he delivered to the Church by his written Epistle Well may you referre them to those rituall orders which our Apostle promised to compose when he came to Corinth ver ult but you cannot referre them to that heavenly doctrine of which the Apostle sayes a little before Accepi à Domina ver 23. I have received from the Lord. The truth is all that I can finde in the new Testament concerning ceremonies is nothing else but a generall warrant that you have in expresse tearmes 1 Car. 14.40 1 Cor. 14.40 That all things bee done decently and According to order but for the speciall practisie and application of this order whether this or that be more agreeable to the rule there the word is so mute and â—â—lent that you 〈◊〉 finde the least title No doubt the Apostles composed some speciall orders Calvin Theophil aâ—â— in 〈◊〉 S. Paul 〈…〉 composed the Churches observed what he delivered and if 〈◊〉 of those can bee found in 〈◊〉 Scriptures why should we look for a speciall warrant for the ordering and disposition of things indifferent If the Churches were bound to those strait conditions The Church is not tiâ—d to any 〈◊〉 such warrant in matter of custome there is none of them all for ought I can see but have forfeited their recognisance long agoe in asmuch as they have used some speciall customes which were not expressed in the sacred Scriptures Cartwright himselfe Pag. 22. sect 1. 2. apud Dr. Whitgift answer to the defence c. the great scourge of all our customes while hee seekes to binde us to the speciall warrant of the word for all particulars is forced to confesse for the Iewish Church that shee had many and sundry customes at least twenty for our one about sacrificing and preaching and burying and marrying and fasting c. which were no where expressed in the law of Moses Vid. S. Bas ep 63. Cypr l. 10. ep 12. l. 4 ep 6. Epist ad Vict. Rom apud Eâ— seb l. 5. cap. 25. 26. Whether the Christian Church had the same liberty no man can doubt that hath read any thing for beside the records of the ancient Fathers who give us some hints of sundry customes about prayer and baptisme and singing of Psalmes and celebration of Easter which I could never finde in the word of God * Adver Praxeam lib. de corona militis Tertullian for his part is resolute and peremptory upon his own knowledge that for matter of rite and outward order Si legem expostâ—â—es scriptuâ—â—r 〈◊〉 iâ—venies nuâ—â—am If you looke for the Law of the word of God you shall be sure to finde none But to shew this liberty of the Church in some particulars Vid. Hila. praefat in Ps Ieâ—oâ—â— advers Lucifer Just Mart. lib. quaest idem confirmat Synod Niâ— can 20. Where can you finde in the holy Scriptures that we ought to pray standing on the Lords day yet that was the custome of the ancients for a certaine season to preserve the memory of the resurrection Where can you shew in the word of God that we ought to communicate every day yet that was
children to their parents subjects to their prince yea and to the chaire of his state to as a type and figure of his presence and will you refuse to give the same reverence in divine worship to the great King of all the earth when he claimes it of you by the same titles of respect Mal. 1.5 If I be a father where is my honour if I be a Lord where is my reverence You will not come into the court of a Prince as Chrysostom notes but you will compose your selves in gate and eye and habit and gesture Hom. 24. in Act. 36. in 1. Cor. Idem Martyr in loc Erasm de morum civil in templo in huc modum Si quis regem hominem alloquuturus circumstante procerum corona nec caput aperiat nec genu flectat non iam pro rustico sed pro insano haberetur least you may offend in any respect and will yee come into the pallace of the great King with wandring eyes and mincing feet and heads covered as if you made no more of the house of God then of a taverne or barbars shop I heare good Iacob crying out when the Lord appeared to him by the way to Haran a Gen. 28.19 20. Lev. 19 30 Exod. 30.18 Surely the Lord is in this place and I was not aware how fearefull and terrible is this place this is no other but the house of God and the gate of heaven and canst not thou behold the presence of God in the assemblies and congregations of his Saints when thou speakest to him by thy zealous prayers or hee to thee by his sacred word I heare the Lord charging the Jewes that they should reverence his very Sanctuary as being the place where the Lord appeared and shall not we reverence his word and his sacraments and his oracles and his ordinances when we appeare before him in his holy Sanctuary Did the wise King give it in charge that wee should looke to our feet when we enter into Gods house Eccl. 4.17 and is there no regard to be had to our heads Exod. 3.5 Was Moses commanded to put off his shoes when he appeared before the Lord and doe we thinke much to put off our hatts 1 Sam. 5.5 Did the Philistims give so much unto Dagon and the Syrians so much to their god Rimmon 2 Kings 5.18 and cannot wee afford as much as they to the great Creator of heaven and earth Let me aske the question with divine Salvian Wherefore do ye come to the house of God Anides tātum ingredimu ad placandum simul et exacerbandū c. anejusdemest officis indulgentiam poscere iracundiam provocare if you shew no more regard to his holy ordinances Doe ye come to pacifie and asswage his wrath and doe yee kindle and provoke his wrath Is it the same work both to honour God and dishonour him too To sue for his favour and set a barre against his favour Wilt thou presume to offer unto God that surly service which thou wouldst take in scorne from thine owne servant Must God take that for an honour to himselfe which thou thy selfe wouldst take for a foule dishonour Must he account it a pacification which thou thy selfe wouldst take for a provocation Away with such a proud and sawcy submission away with such a rude unmannerly service Let us never be guilty of such dishonour unto God Ver. 4 supr Let us never bee guilty of such dishonour to our selves If we stand not so much upon our owne honour yet take heed how wee betray the honour of God if we feare not so much the censure of men Sigenus humanum mortalia temaitis arma at sperate Deum c. yet take heed how we fall into the hands of God Let it never be said of the Christian religion that the heathens worship their owne handy works with more reverence and devotion then we adore the maker of all things let it never be laid to the reformed Churches that wee have chosen to our selves an easie and slovenly kinde of service Stapleton orat quodl to the shame and dishonour of religion If other Churches are guilty of that fault oh let not us suffer for their offence if any of our peevish brethren have offended oh let not our mother beare the blame Shee hath done what she can for the honour and reverence of her husband for shee hath made a law to binde her children shee hath practised that law in the godly examples of her governours she hath censured the breach of it in some of her stubborne and rebellious children and if all this be not enough to perswade reverence what can she doe more but give them over to the just censure of her husband who will surely prove a sharpe avenger upon the heads of those that love contention We have seene the ground of this vaine contention together with the time it began to hatch By whō this contention was set a foote and now could we search a little further and find out the author of this quarrell we might do a gracious worke to the Church of God to draw the pedigree of Contention That some notorious schismatique began this quarrell we may easily judge by S. Pauls Si quis no famous schisme ever began without some head and ringleader of the faction yet because the head of this trifling faction may seem to be a man of unworthy parts as most of that brood have ever beene the Apostle would not vouchsafe to give him a name for feare he should give him too much honour 〈…〉 All the title he gives him here is contentiosus a contentious man to teach us that whosoever strives against the orders of the Church specially those that tend to reverence hee may enjoy the name of a contentious man and must not look for a better title Whatsoever may be thought of other ceremonies yet I am sure this quarrell in my text will beare the title Vide canon 18. ut supr for when the Church allowes a coife or nightcay in case of weaknesse and infirmity and men shall wilfully refuse to enjoy that favour to pick a quarrell with the Church of God what Advocate will undertake to plead their cause that they may not stand upon record for contentious men I should be loath to say that the bare omission of this order or any other should conclude a man to be contentious Nay S. Paul himselfe doth not goe so farre till he had shewed the ground of this holy order but if any shall wilfully oppose themselves after lawfull warning and instruction then we have our warrant from the blessed Apostle to write them downe for contentious men To seeme contentious is a small matter but S. Paul himselfe goes a great deale further and sets him downe to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say a lover of contention as if he loved contention as he
offence To this objection let the wise Lawgiver make an answer Sol. Nulla lex satis commoda omni bus idton tum quaritur c. Cat. apud Liv. decad lib. 4. Singulos per dies nâ—vum aliquid affectant Iren. lib. 1. Ob. 2. Sol. There is no Law sayes he profitable and commodious unto all that is the thing to be enquired whether it suit with the greater part and if it be liked of the most and better part wee must not alter a Law so generally allowed to give content to a few humorists that will hardly bee pleased with any Law But another will say these pretended customes are a great impeachment to Christian liberty If any man think so let * Inst l. 4. c. 10. supr Ob. 3. Calvin answer if they will take his word That the outward orders of the Church can lay no bond upon the conscience as long as they are no fixed and perpetuall laws but externall rudiments of humane weaknesse and infirmity Whatsoever they are may another say as long as they deale in things indifferent they may bee used indifferently and not pressed upon such as cannot brooke them I marry Sol. if every one should bee left to his owne will when the Church hath agreed upon a rule Resalioquin per se mediae mutant quodammodo naturaÌ„ c. Thes eccl Belg. art 6 we should have a goodly Church in a short time Such a liberty M. Calvin can tell you could not chuse but cause great confusion and that confusion and disorder could not chuse but breed sundry quarrells I Ob. 4. but they need not be urged for all that with such rigour and extremity as if they were equall to the law of God No Sol. Obligatio siâ—â— coertione nullâ— Aug. Iura nâ—n juâ—a dicenda sâ—â—â— God forbid it should come to that yet they must be urged upon some to make the bond so much the stronger Give us a law without a binding power and t is like a bell without a clapper every man will be ready to put it off like a slipper or pantofle at his pleasure so the Church her selfe all her customes shall become a scorn and by-word to contentious men It may be some may urge further Ob. 5. if your customes were such as the Apostle stands upon none would deny them a binding power Those it seems were framed by the Apostles and generally allowed by all the Churches and if it were not so indeed Saint Paul had never implyed so much by his nos habemus Ecclesiae Dei we have them and the Churches of God whensoever you make it appeare that any of your customes were either delivered by the Apostles or universally received of all the Churches you shall finde us ready to subscribe without more adoe that we may not be thought to be contentious Whether any of our customes be such or no Sol. Ambr. in 4. Ephes at least if it were his ownwork To. 3. tit 7. cap. 63. I dare not avouch upon any certainty I heare St. Ambrose complaine in his time that the Churches had swarved from the Apostolique customes and Waldensis likewise in his time that the Apostolique traditions could hardly be discerned from such as were meerely ecclesiasticall yet if the rule of Saint Augustine goe for current as t is allowed by some of our best Divines Li. 4. cont Don. ca. 23. Zuing. de bapt Field li 4. ca. 21. that whatsoever hath been generally observed in any age and yet not prescribed in any Councell may be certainly beleeved to be Apostolicall I see no reason but some of our owne customes which found such generall allowance in the daies of our Fathers whereof wee can find no beginning neither in the Councels of the Church nor in the writings of the Fathers may safely passe for Apostolicall It were to be wished if wishes might stand for good proofs that all the customes of the Church were onely such and that nothing might be used in any one but what were allowed by all the rest when antiquity and universality meet both together in the same custome Aug. 118. ep ad Jan. insolentissimae est insaniae c. they give such credit and countenance to the practice of the Church that no man can refuse to joyne with us without suspition of distraction But what if our customes be not such have wee therefore no right to stand upon any unlesse they come home to Saint Pauls conditions I warrant you habemus talem will be sufficient for a ceremony though we cannot say habemus candem for neither the a Doct. Field li. 4. c. 20. ut sup Apostolique customes can bind us nor any else that have been generall unlesse the present Church give free allowance and seeing wee have the same power in things indifferent the same I say to frame a custome the same if need be to b Tert. de velaÌ„d virg Caetera quidë disciplinae admittunt novitatem correctionis Eâ— Aug. ep ad Jan. vel emëdari oportet quod fiâ—bat vel institui quod non fiebat change a custome let not us dispute any more either of the novelty or particularity of the custome but readily submit to the Churches order without any further disputation Before the custome was ordained it was free for every one to put in a caveat but when the rule is once setled there is no further place for disputation a simple obedience without any speciall inquisition in such a case is most absolute and if the Church can hardly erre as you heard before in the ordination of a custome why should I doubt that I should erre in yeelding obedience to the custome No argument holds against a custome Custome a good plea for matter of rite nay it is so far from that that the Apostle makes the bare allegation of the custome a speciall argument of it selfe against innovation Many arguments had he used in the former verses some from * Ver. 13. Ver. 7. Ver. 14 decency some from authority some from nature according as the nature of the matter would best allow and now being desirous to strike home and to set a barre against all reply he brings them up to the Churches custome that if the rest of his arguments could not perswade yet this might be sure to enforce obedience Blessed Saint Paul thou hast now taught us an easie way to put an end to all contention that ever shall arise concerning ceremonies henceforth if any shall seeme contentious wee shall not need to beat him downe either with Fathers or Councels or Apostles or Scriptures no nor yet the authority of other Churches what shall wee need to goe about when Saint Paul hath shewed us a nearer way Acclamatio patrum in 1. Con. Nicen. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let the custome prevaile in the name of God and let no man presume to speak against it If any private man shall attempt in time