which are and shall be iust reasons to make me humbly obserue your honour the nearenesse of the same soyle which gaue the first ayre vnto vs both then the same two Colledges which gaue furtherance to both our studies and lastly the entrance into my Ministerie which with many fauours I receiued by the imposition of your Lordships hands these all as they are hopefull assurances of your pardon for this boldnes so they are and shall be strong reasons to make me remaine in all dutie at your Honours seruice Lambeth Ianuarie 22. 1605. Your Lordships to be commaunded WILLIAM COVELL A Preface to the Reader THERE are few resolutions that are filled with more hazard then those which are vndertaken to giue satisfaction to distempered humors wherein whilest euerie man would seeme eyther not to erre at all or to haue some colourable excuse for that which they had rather call freedom of conscience and Christian libertie then tearme errour the state of the Church hangeth ballanced with some opposite contrarieties as if it were the most profitable wisdome to stand in consultation and not to aduenture to hold any thing Doubtlesse no cause hath gained lesse to the defendants then this of the Church gouernement for first being in it selfe barren it hath little wherein there can be vse of the ancient Fathers for whilest men out of their owne fancie will frame dislikes wee can but in the generall alleage the constant moderation of our forefathers and without warrant for particulers satisfie them so farre as Religion and reason will giue leaue Secondly all men are caried with a pittie naturally toward such whom they suppose to suffer for the testimonie of a good conscience whilest others are suspected to flatter the present state as if nothing could be reputed honest which were not a bold opposition vnder colour of consciene to a setled gouernment vnto these may be added that which is not the least euill that whilest impatience zeale openeth the mouthes of our enemies for any fault in our answering committed by vs enuy doth open the mouthes of our supposed friends for that which may be thought to be done well So that though the recoÌ„pence hath nothing in it to be desired this only remaineth as the comfort against all trobles that it is a right vse of our small talent dispensed with Humility and dutie for the benefit and peace of the Church of Christ where first in the daies of our late dread soueraigne of blessed memory some fearing superstition might returne like a troublesome guest neither long nor farr absent sundry of the most learned most sincere not called to the honor the burden of a Bishopprick were consulted with all to giue satisfaction to such who seemed rather to follow the example of forraine Churches then to haue iust reasons to mislike their owne To this end letters were sent from the reuerend fathers of the Church to desire the resolution concerning the apparell of ministers Ceremonies and other indifferent things to M. Bullinger F. Martyr Gualter Bucer others men without comparison for integrity learning equall to the best in those times not much exceeded by any to my knowledge that haue liued since their answers to these questions for the contentment of our brethren if they loue peace we thought to haue published in the end of this treatise After these times by the suggestion of some both from Geneua Scotland the Church had not long rest but that diuers admonitions were written to the Parliament desiring a new discipline sundry Inuectiues against the Bishops diuers vnhallowed paÌ„phlets from the brood of Cham who gloried in the discouery of the supposed nakednes of their owne fathers a little more then ordinary rigor for their malypart boldnes had awaked the accustomed clemeÌ„cy of a most gracious prince by the execution of some few stopped in a manner for a time the mouthes the Pennes of all letting the ages that come after vnderstand thus much that writings how learned soeuer as what could be more excellent for modesty iudgement then the pains of that most worthy Archbishop are able to do litle good for the quiet of the Church if the magistrates be wanting to giue aid that they who at first make holines reformation the scope of whatsoeuer they say or write pretending to aime at nothing but to make men better in the end by degrees fall to a vanity prophanely to libel to make others laugh in my weak opinioÌ„ few things euer hapned in this kingdom more auailable to breed Atheisme then that was But the scope being for a Presbyteriall discipline it found with the most of that faction this fauour to be reprooued no more sharpely then the sin of the sons of Hely hitherto all stroue for a Presbitery wherof at the first comming of our most gracious soueraigne to this kingdom many were filled with a vain hope doubtleâ— deceiued by such men who either vnderstood not the state of this coÌ„monwealth or had little care of the happy prosperity of this Church But in the end when authority was more blessed assisted from aboue then to be deluded with such mists or to giue any hope to couetous affections greedily longing for the fall of Bishops which one Act of preseruing their state and honour amongst many thousand arguments of fauour shewed towards them shall stirre vp the praiers of all that now liue for the continuance of his state and make his memorie blessed amongst all posterities to the worlds end then I say many began to make a rent in the Church and to breake from vs chusing rather with what conscience they know to forsake their function and calling then to yeeld their conformitie to the cerimonies of this Church which hitherto by themselues were euer â—eputed as things indifferent and doubtlesse neither so many nor so dangerous but in this time of light and knowledge they may be admitted without superstition at all forseeing as Peter Martyr saith we be so free as we haue but a few Ceremonies and those easie and gentle it would be an intollerable thing and worthie to be condemned if we should not performe them without corruption I wish those to consider well who are desirous to make these things simply vnlawfull both how they differ from themselues and others at other times and what bondage vnder the name of libertie they impose vpon the Church by denying her authoritie to ordaine ceremonies in which if little or nothing be left vnto her neither shall she need much the directioÌ„ of Gods spirit to guid her consultations nor challenge any great obedience in her owne name if all things that are be simply either good or euill to which errour if Zeale or opinion shall tranport any he must eyther make the worship of God to be without Ceremonies or those Ceremonies simply necessarie without which there is no worshippe none that I know would haue religion to want
and the Church we do thinke otherwise God grant vs all in due time truly to thinke and to speake the same things Farewell TO THE KINGS MOST EXCELLENT Maiestie Iames by the grace of God King of Great Britaine Fraunce and Ireland defender of the Faith and in all causes and ouer all persons supreame Gouernour APOLOGY MOST dread and gratious Soueraigne when IOSEPHS cup was found in BENIAMINS sacke IVDAH assured of the fact ignorant of the meanes fals to confession of a falt vnexcusable and yet there was no fault To subscribe and to deny to subscribe to the same articles appeares so manifest a fault either of inconstancie or vnhonesty as were I not priuie to a iust reason of both I should say with IVDAH What shall I say vnto my Lord What can I speake How can I iustifie my selfe God hath found out the wickednesse of thy Seruant ANSVVER TO euery reasonable Spirit the fountaine of all goodnesse hath giuen a twofold power Reason and Affection The one whereby wee discerne the other wherewith wee loue the one leading man vnto Truth the other vnto Vertue From the one are deriued right Counsels from the other vpright affections Mans â—elicity in his creation being this that both had abilitie constantly to worke the owners happinesse if the owner had beene willing to haue kept his affections humbly obedient to the commaundements of his owne reason But suffering himselfe to fall from this gouernment hee hath found his affection a false Counsellour dissentions and oppositions cunningly suggested being the continuall conflict euen betwixt those two nearest whose first loue was Vnion and the bond Peace since which time man whilst he erreth pursuing with eagrenesse what affections desire rather then Reason doth approue hee laboureth euen by contradicting himselfe because he doth not loue what he ought in reason to finde out reason for himselfe for that which hee doth loue And seeing where the Intentions are right our weaknesse doth not euer performe what it ought by reason Infirmity doth accompany al the faculties of mans soule wee neither vnderstand rightly what is truth nor hauing beene deceiued through the strength of some weake affections are easily perswaded to confesse our errour for Trueth and Vertue by creation being mans scope that which hee wanteth abilitie to attaine yet therein hee is not easily perswaded to acknowledge that hee doth faile For that which was at first his duty cannot but bee his desire still shame driuing him to make excuses which may cause him in the opinions of some men though not to be yet to seeme righteous From hence haue proceeded defences and Apologies both tending to this end to shewe that wee desire approbation in all wee doe or that our error wherin wee faile might bee thought lesse This account as wee striue to render vnto all that either see faults or surmise folly in the actions committed by vs so especially to those to whome wee owe most duety both because such discerning our follies must prize vs at a lower rate and their examples are vsually the Rules of all others iudgements The ground of this second corruption worse then the first is only an Inordinate seâ—e Loue a sin as euer neere in affinity to mans nature so especially foretold to be in a manner peculiar to these last times VVherein men shall be louers of their owne selues couetous boasters proud cursed speakers disobedâ—â—t to Parents vnthankful vnholy many other falts do accâ—Ì„pany these but the Apostles conclusion is that they haue a showe of godlines but haue denyed the power therof of whom he giueth this caueat turn away from such But S. Austin a man far beyond al that euer were before him or sâ—al in al lâ—kelihood follow after him both for humane diuine learning those being excepted that were inspired gained more honor vnto himselfe gaue a better example vnto the Church in that small worke of his Recantations then in all the rest of those admirable monuments that hee left behinde him Hee knewe well there was nothing more easie then not onely to say but to thinke that they haue founde the truth The strongest externall motion which caused him to forsake the Manichies was that he perceiued them to be more cunning and eloquent to confute others then sound or certaine to defend their owne If this moderation could in humilitie haue possessed some otherwise profitable Instruments in this Church then should neither their second excuses haue beene worse then their first faults nor our labour in answering haue beene required at this time To subscribe vnto the orders of the Church of England and not long after to refuse as a thing vnlawfull to subscribe vnto the same orders must imply vnlesse it bee well excused vnhonesty Inconstancie or both seeing it is not like the cuppe in the sack of BENIAMIN which IVDAH confesseth a fault their difference being this that in the one the fact was not done by him that was thought guiltie and confessed by him that was not and in the other certainly done by him that cannot but confesse the fact and yet excused to bee no fault so that the summe of this whole defence is Whether a man subscribing to the orders and constitutions of the Church of England foure times may afterward haue reasons to deny a subscription or obedience vnto them In all reason it must require some sufficient disiunction that contradictories should both bee and both bee warranted to bee lawfull Let vs then heare him speake for himselfe APOLOGY BVt if it may appeare that the compasse of our Churches Intention to which my former subscription made reference be eyther varied by some degrees toward the Antartique or newly discouered to be other then I conceiued it I may be censured for former blindnesse in not seeing but not of falshoode then oâ— now ANSVVER IF it may appeare the Intention of the Church euer since the beginning of our late Maiesties Raigne of most blessed and happie memory euen vntill this present to haue beene both for the Doctrine and ceremonies all one and in both as neere as was possible proportioned to the state of both in the daies of King Edward the sixt it must needes bee in all reason some vncharitable collection to pretend a difference where there is none or some sodaine alteration eyther in iudgement or affection to doe and to denie the same things where there is no difference nay it must needs be an vnexcusable indiscretion to lay the fault of our owne lightnes vpon the variation or declination of our doctrine and ceremonies from that they were as if we ment eyther to conceale vnthankfully the greatest benefit from God bestowed vpon this land namely the zealous continuance vnder a new Prince of the olde auncient and true Religion amongst vs or to lay an Imputation of some declining vpon his gouernement whose princely care zealously indeuoured that there might be none Nay who wee may truly say neyther can wee conceale it
maximè potuimus ad Ecclesiam Apostolorum veterum Catholicorum Episcoporum patrum quam scimus adhuc suisse integram atque vt Tertullianus ait incorruptam viâ—ginem nulla dum idolclatria nec errore graui ac publico contaminatam nec tantùm doctrinam nostram sed etiam sacramenta praecumque publicarum formam ad illorum ritus instituta direximus In al which doubtlesse there is nothing wanting which is requisite in a religious reformed Church sauing the charitable construction of our brethren who will needs eyther out of singularitie or feare bee our aduersaries in this cause And when nothing can bee said against the forme of that Lyturgy which wee vse they blame the orders of our Church which inioyne the whole Lyturgy to be read at the vsuall houres And vnder pretence of long prayers to banish preaching out of the Church I meruaile that any man will obiect it now seing it was an vntrue imputation long since by Master Cartwright layd vpon this church but as one telleth him neither aduisedly nor truly spoken wee will not compare two things of that nearenes and vse together but if some mens discretion could haue tempered their Zeale so farr that their owne paynes which they call Sermons might haue beene shorter and the orderly prayers of the church wholly read I doubt not but the religion of the people would haue beene much greater the worship of God more sound and the vnseasonable contentions of the Church farr lesse and if they continew but as some before them haue done to allow an houre half according to the pattern of reformed Churches for the whole Lyturgy or seruice wee are perswaded it will both bee time sufficient for performing the intention of the Canon which forbiddeth all diminshing in regard of preaching yet no man shal haue iust cause if he be willing to preach to complaine that hee wants time or that the length of prayers hath deuoured the Church for by this means hauing time which the wisdom of authority thinketh sufficient for both all extemporall inuention of vnsounde prayer shall bee vtterly banished out of christes Church and in Preaching the shortnesse of time shall necessarily cut off all impertinent discourses whilest they are sorced to comprize abundance of matter in few words But if any man thinke the Communion booke at first to be ordayned in part to supply the want of a Learned ministry which being obtayned may beomitted either in part or in whole as men please It is an error greatly mistaking the first vse and ouermuch differing from the modesty and humility of auncient tymes Wherein the Apostles came into the Sinagogue of the Iewes at Antioch and sat downe and after the Lecture of the law the prophetts which I take was their ordinary seruice the rulers of the Sinagogues sent vnto them saying ye men and brethren if ye haue any word of exhortation for the people say on read the ordinary marginall note vpon this place and it will seeme that the Sermon expected the finishing of ordinary diuine seruice as neither all waies necessarily following when this was nor at any time presuming to be vpon the Sabbath when this was not nor if the vnhallowed boldnesse of some in our time hath aduentured to thrust the graue religious discreete deliberate and iudicious prayers established by authoritie out of our Churches and forced them against all reason to giue place to an vnlearned vnorderly and bould exhortation without wisedome or sobrietie onely somewhat glorying in the show of a hote zeale was it not a petition necessary and seasonable humbly at the conference to intreat of his Maiestie for a praying ministery From the contempt whereof haue directly proceeded the prophannesse the Atheisme and all the want of Religion in this land yet let no man thinke that eyther the Canons or any of the Reuerend Fathers desire that preaching may be lesse but rather that with all modesty God being honoured in our praiers as we ought wee maye the better be able to profit by those lessons that sermons doe giue vnto vs. And therefore it is ouer greate boldnes of our aduersaryes in this to accuse any man in authoritye in the church as an aduersarie to preaching seing the whole scope of sundry of these late Canons prouideth better for more and more learned Sermons then any lawes heretofore concluded in this Kingdome so that wee banish not preaching for prayers as you would make the world beleeue but saye as our Sauiour doth in another case this ought ye to haue done but not to haue left the other vndone For doubtles the children of God fynd continually an excellent vse of both by prayer saith Isiodore wee are clensed by reading and hearing wee are instructed If both may be had they are both good If both cannot be had it is better to pray So then to say lesse then their vncharitable accusation deserueth in this cause wee affirme that they surmise vs to seeke to haue preaching neglected but wee know too wel that praiers are contemned by their meanes from which at the last without great care the neglecting of preaching must needs follow and therefore the restraynt of the one with discretion to giue way to the other is neither to delay or delude the Kings purpose against an vnlearned and scandalous ministery or like the shadowe of the moone at the battell of Cremona or an abuse to his Maiestie a sinn to bishops aplague to the Church or to the offenders Intollerable Insolencye in stead of deserued shame but rather to speake truly and as this wisdome deserueth in the vpright sinceritye of a good conscience an execution of the Kings vertuous and religious care an honour to his Princelye Maiestye a holye discretion in the reuerend Bishops a happines to the Church a brydle strayt enough to such as deserue shame for now all may learne to be longer in prayers and shortter in Sermons because speeches ouer much inlarged want vnderstanding saith Saint Austen And you may be aduised heareafter to blame your selfe and to pardon others APOLOGY ANd thus from the generall I descend to some particular exceptions as first those about the Scriptures to be read which are three 1. The omission of the Canon 2. The appointing of some corrupt Apocripha 3. The translations It is manifest that 160. Chapters of the Canon and therein some whole bookes as the Chronicles Canticles and most of the Apocalipse are omitted in the Rubrick as least to edifying This I excused in my owne heart thus that because most of these chapters omitted were either obscure or obnoxius to euill hearts if read without interpretation the Church in good discretion making a choyce of Scriptures which the learned allow did omit them in the direction of the Kalender but made no doubt but any able Minister might read them ouer and aboue the appointed Lessons with some exposition of
derided our fathers in the christian faith for preaching beleeuing in him who was crucified vpon the crosse by which all vertuous and pure both men and times were so farre from being discouraged in their profession by the ignominie of the crosse as that thereby they rather reioyced and tryumphed in it yea the holy Ghost so farre honored the dispised name of the crosse amongst the Iewes that vnder it was contained all the suffering the merits the fruites and the comforts of Christs death From hence proceedeth a reuerend vse and estimation of the signe of the crosse in the Apostles time signing hereby not onely themselues when they met with the Iewes but their children which were baptised to dedicate them by badge as it were to his seruice whose benefits bestowed vpon them were contained vnder that name and procured vnto man by Christs death vpon the crosse But time corrupting often with staines of superstition the best things for if Christ tell Peter If I wash thee not thou shalt haue no part with mee Peter will answere Lord not my feete only but my hands and my head so apt are we to ouerdoe that which wee finde to bee profitable vnto vs The signe of the crosse in the more ignorant times of the church that followed after became so loaden with a continuall and necessarie obseruation full of superstitious Idolatry as if it had beene for all occasions a compleate armour to euery Christian and that nothing could bee well either begun continued or ended that was not first hallowed with this signe From which ignorant opinion blemishing a thing of vertuous and good vse the Church of England desiring to free the signe of the Crosse doth not commaund or allow the publick vse at any other time but in Baptisme and that first as no part of the substance of that Sacrament adding any thing to the vertue or perfection of Baptisme Secondly nor as a meanes of admitting of any into Christs flock but as a lawfull outward ceremony and honorable badge whereby the Infant is dedicated to the seruice of him that dyed vpon the crosse In respect whereof the very name hath and shall bee honorable amongst all true christians to the worlds end and therefore your comparison of those in the conuocation for making of this Canon to them in the councell of ARMINE might haue beene well spared seeing the perticulers of both beeing duely waighed wise men may easily perceiue the beginnings the proceedings and the conclusion to bee farre vnlike and therfore I must tel you though not with so much seuerity as the cause deserueth you could not with all your studie haue found out a comparison more vnbefitting this cause more presumptuously iniurious to the King and the whole Church which that the reader may better vnderstand wee will briefly set downe as others haue done from the begining to the end the proceeding of that councell After CONSTANTINES death whose wisdom supprest the greatest heresy whose vertue taught the whole world religion CONSTANTIVS his sonne raigned one rather seeming not so euill as hee was then beeing in trueth so vertuous as hee seemed whom to haue setled in a right opinion in his Fathers time had beene a duety of good seruice toward God a meane of peace and quietnesse to the church of Christ a labour easie and peraduenture as pleasing as the suggestion of those who were the vnnaturall corruptions of a well disposed sonne of so vertuous a father CONSTANTIVS by the perswasion of the ARRIANS deuised to assemble all the Bishops of the whole world about their great controuersie but in two seueâ—all places the Bishops of the West at ARIMINA in Italy the Eastern at SELVCIA the same time amongst them of the East there was no stoppe they agreed without any great adoe gaue their sentence against heresie excommunicated some cheefe maintainers thereof and sent the Emperour word what was done whom doubtlesse it much offended not that an heresie of that nature could not from the authoritie of wisdome obtaine strength which it is like had not beene so much fauoured by him if hee had not esteemed the daunger in the word to bee little whilest their meaning as they pretended in sence was all one but I lay the greatest part of the blame for this euill vpon AELIVâ— LEONTIVS Bishoppe of ANTIOCH that fauoured the ARRIANS for mildnesse and yeelding in some Bishops made the whole church bee troubled with that herisy who scratching his head white for age said wheÌ„ this snow is melted there will bee much durt as if the bishops which were to succed him would not suffer the same Hymnes it is like of gloria patri agreeable to the Nycen councel which he did they had at Armine foure hundred which held the trueth scarce of the aduerse part foure score But these obstinate and the other wearie of contending with them thereupon by both it was resolued to send to the Emperour such as might informe him of the cause and declare what hindered their peaceable agreemeÌ„t there are chosen on the Catholick side such men as had in them nothing to be noted but boldnesse neither grauitie nor learning nor wisdome The Arrians for the credit of their faction take the eldest the best experienced the most warie and the longest practised Veterans they had amongst them the Emperour coniecturing of the rest on either part by the quality of them whom he saw sent them speedily away and with them a certaine confession of faith ambiguously and subtilly drawne by the Arrians whereunto vnlesse they all subscribed they should in no case bee suffered to depart from the place where they were whereby many vexed with hunger and violent detention yeelded vp their conscience as captiue to those penalties that were vrged vpon them yet as it seemeth by some others what error soeuer was concluded in that councell was rather from the obscurity of the Greek word then from any penaltyes of which Saint Hierom saith thus Ingemuit totus orbis se ArrianuÌ„ esse miratus est Now what can there be in the late graue and reuerend conuocation of the clergie of England answerable to this councell First for any thing that I know there was amongst them no faction Secondly they dealt not deceitfully with the king to obtaine an allowance of what they concluded Thirdly no mn was vrged by compulsion or detained vpon penalties to giue his consent onely in this one thing peraduenture not vnlike that the councell of Nyce had on her side foure hundred whereas the Arrians these inuentors of new opinions had not foure score besides I doubt not but what was practised with the Emperour in this councel the contrarie was done with the King at the conuocation and so consequently you haue little reason to thinke that they were vsed as the good fathers at the councell of Armine for all men see that such as the Catholicks made choyce of as Embassadors for their part to the
is worship And againe it is confessed by the learned that in dedication of the Temple at Hielrusaem mens houses the Priests the Altars or whatsoeuer was dedicated 〈◊〉 Gods seruice or protection the very ceremonies as being then built vpon a word of God were parts of Gods worship and concluded against the Popish dedicating ceremonies that we now may vse no other means or rites of dedication then the word SacrameÌ„ts thanksgiuiâ—g and prayers such as Constantine onely vsed at the dedication of the Temple which he built at Hierusalem Add hereto that the Papists which abound in significant ceremonies for dedication do hold them all to be meane and parts of Gods worship finally yet if he that dedicated an Altar to an Idol were as Austine saith the worshipper of an Idol in that dedication theÌ„ they that dedicate a child vnto God are in that dedication worshippers of God and then the means of that dedication must be the means of his worship which for man to deuise de nouo and impose is to teach for doctrine mens traditions ANSVVERE THere is no plea we so willingly heare as that which striueth for the sincerity of Gods worship for that being mans duety and happinesse yet because easily corrupted least of all permitted to mans liberty God hauing prescribed an exact forme how hee will be honored wee ought all of vs both to search out and to further those holy obseruations which are free from superstition do serue vnto this end To dedicate the infant by this signe to Christ is to make this signe say you a meanes whereby Christ is worshipped and so will-worshippe is raised repugnant to the word of GOD a thing surely not fit either to bee commanded or performed by any that are vertuous in our Church It seemeth that in this more then ordinary curiosity of zeale you haue neither rightly waighed what it is to dedicate in that sense which the Church taketh it nor how many and of what nature are the parts of externall diuine worship For euery action referred to God of which kinde pearaduenture this is not to set out any part of our deuotion and duety to him is not of necessity worship for as in Baptisme wee are incorporat into the death of christ which was ignominious vpon the crosse so by this signe we doe externally testifie to the world that we haue coÌ„mended our selues for it doth not please you to say dedicated vnto his seruice of whose death merit and profession we are not nor euer purpose to bee ashamed all which wee testifie by signing this signe in the seat of shame without any proportion or resemblance with diuine worship Only we acknowledge as D. Whitakers noteth that this is an ancieÌ„t ceremony from the first beginning almost of Religion and the christian church the reason wherof as hee noteth was this Vt Christiani qui tum inter Ethnicos viuebant qui a fide alienissimi essent sese omni ratione Christianos esse declararent atque testarentur publice That christians who then liued amongst the Heathen and such as were aliens from the faith might publickly restifie and declare themselues that they were christians For with this signe by reason of the contempt of the crosse which all others had the christians were accustomed to marke and signe themselues as with the ensigne of their owne profession which being the custome of those times as Doctor Whitakers noteth and no more then is performed at this day wee cannot but wonder at the cauelling of such as make it any part of Diuine worshippe and at the peeuishnesse of those who from hence would conclude a will-worship inuented from humane reason All men may knowe that there was vnto the Iewes and so is and shall bee in all Churches vntill the end of the world besides the Sacraments in the externall worshippe sacrifices oblations and such like which are not the inuentions of men but traditions of the church which in matters of this nature hath authority to appoint daies places and things furtherances and parts though not of the immediate yet in a large phrase of the externall worshippe of God of which external worship some parts belong to obedience doing and fulfilling the morall precepts some other to the obseruation of outward ceremonies and yet euen these are not all of one nature nor of equall nearnes to the principall parts of the outward worshippe for the ceremoniall worshippe which hath and shall bee in the Church in all ages consisting in things and actions is thus distinguished into those wherein the worshippe consisteth into those which are annexed to it These amongst the Iewes were Temples Altars Persons Garments Vessels Times and such like but with vs as one noteth they are for number fewer for signification more famous for vertue more excellent forâ— obseruation more easie And howsoeuer wee can bee content to say and thinke that it is not lawfull to worshippe God with any other externall and ceremoniall worshippe then is warranted in his word by his owne allowance yet if any thing bee varied which is not commaunded of God or added not as essentiall but accidentall and not as necessarie but as indifferent pertaining to comelinesse order and edification wee cannot thinke that there is any change in the worship commaunded nor any new worship brought in without warrant For example Christ celebrated the Supper at eâ—ening the Apostles and the Church after theÌ„ in the morning shall wee say therefore any thing is added or detracted in this Sacrament no because Christ did not command that this should be celebrated in the euening as he did but only that we should do that which hee did not at that time wherein hee did it so that the auncient Church as wee may reade in Iustin Martyr mingling and delaying the wine with water did not therefore or thereby change the institution of the Supper whereof there may be a twofolde reason one that the wine which Christ gaue to his disciples might be so allaid for any thing wee knowe seeing the Apostles haue set nothing downe to the contrarie and therefore probable that the ancient Church receiued it from them Secondly because the ancient Church did not adde â—his in the Sacrament as an esseÌ„tiall necessary thing pertaining to the substance of the Supper but as accidentall to signifie a mysterie the like may bee saide of many things in Baptisme where either by adding or detracting to alter things otherwise not essentiall in Baptisme and therein stil following the lawes and ceremonies of that Church wherein wee liue is not to change either the sacrament of Christ or to prophane it by addition of any wil-worship to ordaine then new diuine worshippe is to adde vnto his word which thing is not lawfull seeing the word is necessarie bindeth the conscience deliuereth the substance of diuine worshippe and hath nothing in it expressed indifferent Now to adde hereunto is to ordaine somewhat as a thing absolutely