general THese signs and rites are called Ceremonies A Ceremony is a corporeal adumbration of some hidden thing in the mind that it desireth to affect others withall in some effectual manner for by such means as these are the secrets of the soul disclosed and painted out or figured to our own and others bodily senses 2. Such actions properly are ceremonial that are meer shadows and signs exhibiting nothing but some similitude and resemblance of such things as man is desirous but not able to exhibite in substance and in deed And therefore are called complements because in doing them a man laboureth to supply that in a shadow that he cannot do in substance And hence it is that the more unable a man is to do that he would the more he useth to supply his defect with signs and tokens CHAP. III. Of Natural Ceremonies CEremonies are either Natural or Instituted Natural Ceremonies are all such voluntary compositions and gestures of the body as are with moderate deliberation used to shadow-forth those hidden motions affections and habits of the mind that are begotten in the mind by some goodness in those unto whom they are performed and done for a man performeth no ceremony unto himself but unto others and the ground of that ceremony is in him unto whom it is performed 2. For example Authority in another begetteth reverence in me This reverence possessing and affecting my soul it breedeth in me a desire to manifest it unto the party reverenced but I cannot possibly do it by any other means but by some bodily shadow and sign whereupon nature teacheth me to bow the body the like may be said of lifting up of hands casting up the eyes c. All of which kind are certain natural impressions of the soul made in and upon the body endeavouring in and by them to make her hidden motions so visible and effectual as they may affect our selves and others 3. Comliness and decency doth especially consist in the use of Ceremonies of this kind and they have been ever carefully observed in the Church of God as well before Christ as since both in her publike and private ministrations which wilfully to neglect were to sin against God and for any to inhibite only upon their will and pleasure were impiety But these Ceremonies in controversie are of another nature as shall afterward appear 4. This first kind of Ceremonies the more natural they are and the more they shall appear to flow from the free and inforced will of him that acteth them the more decent and of greater grace they are for they are such shadows as are sent forth from our passions by the light of nature and are not fit for any other use or signification 5. And as nature only frameth them well so if it shall appear that they proceed from her and are not forced and wrung from men invita minerva she putteth into them such a light that any of ordinary conceit may in the sign see the thing signified 6. These Ceremonies though Natural and therefore common to all men yet are they not in all degrees universally the same because having their original from the natural motions and conceptions of the mind especially passion and affection by which they are animated and formed there being in the stock of mankind such diversity of natures and dispositions such divers degrees of the same inclination such a divers composition and mingling of affections it cannot be but nature must needs vary and be divers in them 7. And though they are natural yet are they noâ— such as nature by violence forceth and wringeth from men as the actions of panting and breathing such as men cannot at their pleasure abstain from or lay down for laughter in extreme mirth and weeping in great sorrow though they be natural impressions and signs of inward and hidden passions yet are they not Ceremonies but such signes only are Ceremonies wherein there is concurrence both of nature and will in the framing and use of them as appeareth in the particulars above specified and therefore are such as may upon some special or particular occasions be omitted or suppressed 8. Thus much of natural Ceremonies Instituted Ceremonies are such outward rites and signs as by reason of some Analogy or similitude are ordained and appointed to signifie and shadow forth any mystical truth they being not brought forth by nature to any such end or purpose Of which kind are all the Jewish Ceremonies Our Sacraments All Paganish and Popish Rites and those Ceremonies in present controversie For none of all those externall Rites do by nature signifie any such matter but their uses and significations are put upon them only by the will of the institutor or user and are not so much intended for decency and order as for solemnitie and state 9. Those things that are put to this Ceremonial use being not made by nature to any such end or purpose must if they be not vain and foolish borrow light from some word of institution for the more mystical the Ceremonies of this kind are and of secreter sense of greater grace they are 10. Natural Ceremonies if by institution and appointment they be put to any other use than nature it self hath fitted them unto do lose their name and become instituted Ceremonies as kneeling tied to eating and drinking in the Sacrament c. CHAP. IV. Of Civil and Religious Ceremonies in general THE Use of both these kindes of Ceremonies that is natural and instituted is either in civil service of man to man or in religious services of man to God from whence Ceremonies receive a second Denomination and are called whether they be natural or instituted either Civill or Religious Ceremonies 2. Civil Ceremonies therefore are such Rites and Ceremonies as are performed in Civill Offices and Duties between man and man as they are members of a Civill Body or Incorporation The right use whereof is called Civility and the contempt rudeness the end of Civil Ceremonies is to signifie and shadow those inward affections that one man desireth to shew to another In the due use of these Ceremonies consists humanity lowliness courtesie good manners civil state and pompe c. Because the Ceremonies of this kinde are not controverted we passe them by 3. Religious Ceremonies are such outward Rites as are performed in religious Duties and services of man to God and they are outward shadowes of zeal devotion faith holiness reverenâ—â— of the Majesty of God c. 4. In the use of these Ceremonies especially doth external worship consist whether true or false 5. Religious Ceremonies are either common or proper Common Ceremonies are such as are equally used in civil and religious matters bowing the knee used in prayer is a religious Ceremony signifying in that action a Divine Reverence of God Yet it is not a Ceremony peculiar and proper to Religion because it is a Ceremony that is and may be used to the Magistrate to shadow forth also civill
Worship due unto him Of which nature all natural Ceremonies seem to be and any instituted Ceremony may be if it have no reference to Religion in the Use 6. Though matters of Civill Order and Decency be very improperly called Ceremonies they being rather matters of substance and it being impiety wilfully and without necessity to neglect them in the Congregation of Saints or to do any thing contrary unto them Yet all things tending thereto may for Doctrine sake be referred to this head For though Gods worship do not consist in them yet Gods worship is prophaned in the wilfull contempt and neglect of them Yea as far forth as naturall and civill decency and comlinesse are outward shadowes of inward worship They may be safely reputed parts of divine worship 7. Matters therefore of Order and decency in the service of God are all such matters as are drawn from the ordinary civil Customes of men and which for any to neglect wilfully would seem to the reason of a naturall man a disorderly and unseemly thing As to come to the Assembly clothed and that in seemly and usuall apparell according to our civill Callings in the world to sit there quietly and in a comely manner in respect of composition of body to give as much as may be upper place to our civill Superiours that the place of meeting be fair swept that the Table of the Lord in the time of Communion be spread after the civil fashion of the Country with a fair table-cloth that men pray bare-headed c. These Orders used in civill Meetings of men wherein civill decency is observed and kept ought not to be neglected in religious Meetings and therefore they may be called common Ceremonies or Orders 8. These Ceremonies of civil Order and decency are of that nature and necessity that for the Magistrate wilfully to inhibite were sin in him and for any particular man not to use and observe as much as conveniently he can though Authority had never enjoyned them in particular were impiety And therefore they are of a far different nature from the Ceremonies in controversie For let it be supposed to be no sin to use these when the Magistrate enjoyneth them yea suppose them to be holy Ornaments and Rites yet if no Authority humane or divine had instituted them it had been no sin for any man to neglect them nay it were a foul sin to use them For example Our Lords spiritual enjoyn every Minister in Divine Service to wear a white linen Ephod or Surplice they may if it please them as lawfully enjoyn him to have painted before and behinde two fair red crosses but if a private man upon his own head should use his Surplice so though it be an honourable signe that he addeth it would be made a grievous crime 9. They therefore do but gull the simple of the world that from humane authority to institute such civil Orders as are above specified do inferre that man hath authority to bring into the service and worship of God such Ceremonies as are clean of another nature As though because the Magistrate may ordain such Ceremonies as without his ordinance were impiety for a man not to observe therefore he may ordain such Ceremonies which without his ordinance at least were impietie and wickedness for any to use CHAP. V. Of Ceremonies peculiar to Religion THose Ceremonies that are proper to Religion are such as in a peculiar manner are tied to religious persons actions and purposes only especially such as are in a special manner tied to the solemn worship of God In these Ceremonies consists the external form of divine worship and they are the outward badges and cognizances of the same 2. All Ceremonies used in the service of God are either civil Ceremonies to wit such as are also of the same use out of the service of God or holy Ceremonies to wit such wherein holiness consists in the due use of them or else they are prophane that is such as have no use or a superstitious use The Ceremonies in controversie are not civil * For then the bare omission of them would argue rudeness and incâ—vâ—lity Ceremonies again it is granted there is no holinesse in the use of them †Some nigher his M. have given it out that he would if hâ— cou'd hang those that put holinesse in them Therefore they are prophane Ceremonies and by consequent not to be mingled with holy things 3. As there are diversities of Religion and Churches so there are diversities of Rites and Ceremonies by which they are distinguished and Ceremonies are the partition walls whereby foâ— the most part one Church is divided from another For he that shall with a more narrow eye seek into these things shall see that for the most part the diversities and varieties of Ceremonies are the begetters of diversity of Doctrines and Opinions whereby one Religion differeth from another 4. The more one Church differeth from another in Rites and Ceremonies the more it useth to differ in substance of Doctrine and the more one Church draweth nearer unto another in Ceremonies the more it draweth near unto it in substance of Doctrine The Churches of France and Scotland in substance of Doctrine do so much the more differ from the Synagogue of Rome by how much the farther they differ from her in Ceremonies than other Churches and some in the Church of England that do strive to come to Rome in Ceremonies come so much the nearer to her in Doctrine as might appear by divers instances if the matter were not too too apparent 5. He that hates the Religion it self hates all the shadowes and shews of the Religion and he that loves the shadows and Rites of a Religion he loves the Religion it self he loves a Pope well that loves the triple Crown he loves a Fryer well that dotes upon his Cowl and shaven crown and out of question he loves a Massepriest with all his heart that is mad upon his massing attire or any part thereof 6. As it is rudeness and want of civility to neglect or contemn a Civil Ceremony so it is prophanesse and irreligion to neglect or contemn a religious ceremony and as outward civility consists in the due use of civil Ceremonies so outward holiness and religion consists in the due use of all Religious Ceremonies Those Ceremonies therefore are prophane and not beseeming the true worship of God that are so far from any shew of holinesse in the use of them that they make the partie that refuseth the use of them to seem and to be reputed pure holy and precise of which nature our Ceremonies in controversie are 7. As Civil Ceremonies tend to the honor of them unto whom civil worship is due and is a part thereof So Religious Ceremonies tend to the honor of him unto whom religious worship is due and is a part thereof neither can a man possibly imagine how any thing should be religious whether a substance
deprived of their Ministry and Service 9. They hold that though one Church is not to differ from another in any Spiritual Ecclesiastical or Religious matters whatsoever but are to be equal and alike yet that they may differ and one excel another in outward Civil Circumstances of place time Person c. So that although they hold that those Congregations of which Kings and Nobles make themselves members ought to have the same Ecclesiastical Officers Ministry worship Sacraments Ceremonies and Forme of Divine Worship that the basest Congregation in the Country hath and no other yet they hold also That as their Persons in civil respects excel so in the Exercises of Religion in civil matters they may excel other Assemblies Their Chappels and Seats may be gorgeously set forth with rich Arras and Tapestry their Fonts may be of Silver their Communion Tables of Ivory and if they will covered with gold the Cup out of which they drink the Sacramental blood of Christ may be of beaten gold set about with Diamonds their Ministers may be clothed in silk and velvet so themselves will maintain them in that manner otherwise they think it absurd and against common reason that other base and Inferior Congregations must by Ecclesiastical Tithes and Oblations maintain the silken and velvet suits and Lordly retinue of the Ministers and Ecclesiastical Officers of Princes and Nobles 10. They hold that the Lawes Orders and Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction of the visible Churches of Christ if they be lawfull and warrantable by the Word of God are no wayes repugnant to any Civil State whatsoever whether Monarchical Aristocratical or Democratical but do tend to the further establishing and advancing of the Rights and Prerogatives of all and every of them And they renounce and abhor from their soules all such Ecclesiasticall Jurisdiction or Policy that is any way repugnant and derogatory to any of them especially to the Monarchical State which they acknowledg to be the best kind of Civil Government for this Kingdome 11. They hold and belâ—eve that the equality in Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction and authority of Churches and Church-Ministers is no more derogatory and repugnant to the State and glory of a Monarch than the Paritie or equality of Schoolmasters of several Schools Captains of several Camps Shepherds of several flocks of sheep or Masters of several Families yea they hold the clean contrary that inequality of Churches and Church-Officers in Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction and Authority was that principally that advanced Antichrist unto his throne and brought the Kings and Princes of the earth unto such vassallage under him and that the Civil Authority and glory of Secular Princes and States hath ever decayed and withered the more that the Ecclesiastical Officers of the Church have been advanced and lifted up in authority beyond the limits and confines that Christ in his word hath prescribed unto them CHAP. III. Concerning the Ministers of the Word 1. THey hold that the Pastors of particular Congregations are or ought to be the highest Spiritual Officers in the Church over whom by any Divine Ordinance there is no superiour Pastor but only Jesus Christ And that they are led by the spirit of Antichrist that arrogate or take upon themselves to be Pastors of Pastors 2. They hold that there are not by any Divine Institution in the word any ordinary National Provincial or Diocesan Pastors or Ministers under which the Pastors of particular Congregations are to be subject as Inferior Officers And that if there were any such that then the Word of God would have set them down more distinctly and precisely than any of the rest For the higher place that one occupieth in the Church of the more necessity he is unto the Church of the more necessity he is to the Church the more carefully would Christ the head of the Church have been in pointing him out and distinguishing him from other Hence in the Old Testament the High Priest his Title Office Function and special Administration and Jurisdiction is more particularly and precisely set down than the Office of any of the Inferior Priests and Levites Also in the New Testament the Office of a Pastor is more distinctly and more precisely set down than of a Doctor or any other inferior Church-Officer So that a man may as well call into question the whole New Testament as doubt whether there ought to be a Pastor in every Congregation or doubt of his proper Office and Function And if by Gods Ordinance there should be an ordinary Ecclesiastical Officer above the Pastors of particular congregations than Christ out of all question would with that special care and cost have set it forth by Titles prerogatives peculiar Offices Functions and Gifts that the Churches and people of God should have reason rather â—o doubt of any Office or Jurisdiction than of the peculiar office or Jurisdiction of the Primates Metropolitanes Arch-Bishops and Prelates of the world 3. They hâ—ld that if there were a supream National Ecclesâ—astical Minister or Pastor that should be the Prince of many thousand Pastors that then also Christ as he did in the Jewish Church would have appointed a solemn National or Provincial Liturgy or worship unto which at sometimes of the year the whole body of the people should ascend and that unto the Metropolitan City as unto a Jerusalem and that he would as he did in the Jewish Church more precisely and particularly have set down the manner of solemnization thereof than of his parochial worship Forasmuch therefore as they cannot read in the New Testament of any higher or more solemn worship than of that which is to be performed in a particular Congregation they cannot be perswaded that God hath appointed any higher Ministers of his service and worship under the New Testament than the elect Ministers of particular Congregations 4. They hold that the High Priest of the Jews was typically and in a figure the supream head of the whole Catholique Church which though it were visible only in the Province and Nation of Jury yet those of other Nations and Countries as appears by the History of Acts even though they were Ethiopians were under this High Priest and acknowledged homage unto him So that he was not a Provincial Metropolitane but in very deed an Oecumenical and universal Bishop of the whole world And therefore they hold this being the best ground in the word for Metropolitane and Provincial Pastors or Bishops that the Pope of Rome who alone maketh claim unto and is in possession of the like universal Supremacy hath more warrant in the Word of God to the same than any Metropolitane or Diocesan not dependant upon him hath or can have So that they hold that by the Word of God either there must be no Metropolitanes and Diocesans or else there must be a Pope 5. They hold That no Pastor ought to exercise or accept of any Civil publique Jurisdiction and authority but ought to be wholly imployed in spiritual Offices
from the Civil Communion of men so ought the Congregation of which he is a Member cut him off from all spiritual Communion with them If any one of the Ecclesiastical Officers themselves shall sin he is subject to the censures of the rest as any other member of the congregation If they shall all sin scandalously either in the execution of their Office or in any other ordinarie manner Then the Congregation that chose them freely hath as free power to depose them and to place others in their room If the Congregation shall erre either in choosing or deposing of her spiritual Officers Then hath the Civil Magistrate alone power and authority to punish them for their fault co compel them to make better choise or to defend against them those Officers that without just causes they shall depose or deprive 27. We hold that those Ecclesiastical Persons that make claim to greater power and authority then this Especially they that make claim Iure Divino of power and Iurisdiction to meddle with other Churches then that one Congregation of which they are or ought to be members Do usurp upon the Supremacy of the Civil Magistrate who alone hath and ought to have as we hold and maintain a power over the several Congregations in his Dominions and who alone ought by his authority not only to prescribe common Laws and Canons of uniformity and consent in Religion and worship of God unto them all But also to punish the offences of the several Congregations that they shall commit against the laws of God the policy of the Realm and the Ecclesiastical Constitutions enacted by his authority 28. We hold that the King ought not to give this authority away or to commit it to any Ecclesiastical Person or Persons whatsoever But ought himself to be as it were Archbishop and general overseer of all the Churches within his Dominions and ought to imploy under him his honourable Counsel his Iudges Leiftenants Iustices Constables and such like to oversee the Churches in the several divisions of their civil Regiments visiting them and punishing by their civil power whatsoever they shall see amiss in any of them Especially in the Rulers and Governers 29. For as much as no people are more hated persecuted and wronged of the wicked world then the true Churches of Christ We hold that no people in the Earth stand in more need of the civil Magistrate then they And that it is the greatest outward blessing they can injoy in this life to live under the Protection of their Swords Scepters the greatest cause of mourning when the same shall be bent against them And we hold those Churches to be no true Churches of Jesus Christ that living in any Country shall refuse subjection to the civil Regents and Governers of the same be they in respect of Religion never such Paganish Infidells 30. We hold it utterly unlawfull for any Christian Churches whatsoever by any armed force or power against the will of the civil magistracy and State under which they live To erect and set up in publique the true worship and service of God or to beat down or suppress any superstition or Idolatry that shall be countenanced and maintained by the same Only Every man is to look to himself that he communicate not with the evils of the times induring what it shall please the State to inflict and seeking by all honest and peaceable means all reformation of publick abuses onely at the hands of civil publicke persons and all practises contrarie to these we condemn as seditious and sinfull 31. All that we crave of his Majestie and the State is that by his and their permission and under their protection and approbation it may be lawfull for us to serve and worship God in all things according to his revealed will and the manner of all other reformed Protestant Churches that have made separation from Rome that we may not be forced against our consciences to stain and pollute the simple and syncere worship of God prescribed in his word with any humane Traditions and Rites whatsoever but that in Divine worship we may be actors only of those things that may for matter or manner either ingeneral or special be concluded out of the word of God Also to this end that it may be lawfull for us to exhibite unto them and unto their Censure a true and syncere Confession of our faith containing the main Grounds of our Religion unto which all other doctrines are to be consonant as also a Form of Divine worship and Ecclesiastical Government in like manner warranted by the word and to be observed of us all under any civil punishment that it shall please the said Majestie and state to inflict under whose authority alone we desire to exercise the same and unto whose punishment alone we desire to be subject if we shall offend against any of those Lawes and Canons that themselves shall approve in manner aforesaid and our desire is Not to worship God in dark corners but in such publick places and at such convenient times as it shall please them to assigne to the intent that they and their officers may the better take notice of our offences if any such shall be committed in our Congregations and assemblies that they may punish the same accordingly And we desire we may be subject to no other Spiritual Lords but unto Christ nor unto any other Temporal Lords but unto themselves whom alone in this Earth we desire to make our Judges and supreame Governers and Overseers in all causes Ecclesiastical whatsoever renouncing as Antichristian all such Ecclesiastical powers as arrogate and assume unto themselves under any pretence of the Law of God or man the said power which we acknowledge to be due only to the Civil Magistrate 32. So long as it shall please the King and civil State though to the great derogation of their own authority as we may have occasion hereafter to prove to maintain in this Kingdom the State of the Hierarchy or Prelacie We can in Honour to his Majestie and the State and in desire of peace be content without envy to suffer them to injoy their state and dignity and to live as brethren amongst those ministers that shall acknowlege spiritual homage unto their spiritual Lordships paying unto them all temporal duties of tenths and such like yea and joyning with them in the service and worship of God so far as we may do it without our own particular communicating with them in those humane Traditions and rites that in our consciences we judge to be unlawfull Only we crave in all dutifull manner that which the very Law of Nature yeeldeth unto us that for as much as they are most malicious enemies unto us and do apparently thirst either after our blood or shipwrack of our faith and consciences that they may not hence forth be our judges in these causes but that we may both of us stand as parties at the bar of
7.16 and those Ceremonies accounted Rudiments of the World Gal. 4.3 So that after faith that is the Gospel came that Law and the Ceremonies thereof gave place as being less perfect a childish Paedagogy and beggarly Rudiments 1 Cor. 13.10 11. Gal. 3.25 and 4.2 3 9. In respect of the more perfect Word of Christ Col. 3.16 2 Cor. 3.13.17 18. Who is that Messias who when he came did tell us all things concerning the outward worship of God Joh. 4.19 20 25 26. But Christ never told us the Ceremonies in question Therefore if the Negative Doctrine against Jewish Ceremonies instituted by God to the purposes aforesaid be part of the Gospell or Word of Christ much more is the Negative Doctrine against Ceremonies instituted by man to the same purposes without warrant of the word part of the Gospel Col. 2.20 22 23. Galat. 1.6 7 8 10. And the rather because the Word saith That they who burthen the Church with Ordinances of the world which are Traditions after the Commandemens and Doctrines of men do not hold Christ the heâ—d Col. 2.19 20 22. and 3.1 and opposing such Traditions to the Commandements of God and Faith of Jesus maketh them part of the Beasts Mark Revel 14.9 12. Hereunto accordeth that which is affirmed in the BOOK of Common-Prayer in the Preface of Ceremonies viz. Christ his Gospell is not a Ceremonial Law as much of Moses was but it is a Religion to serve God not in bondage of the Figure or shadow but in the freedome of spirit 4. Ministers refusing Conformity are Schismaticks This word Schisme according to the now received use thereof in the Church signifieth A voluntary rending of the Church only for matters of the outward Government therof So that Schismaticks are by Dr. Bancroft in his Notes before his Sermon at Pauls Cross an 1588. defined as out of Augustine to be such as retaining with us the true Faith seperate themselves from Orders and Ceremonies In which sence though Brownists so called may be deemed Schismaticks yet cannot Ministers refusing only to conforme be so accompted Because their Deprivation or Suspension notwithstansting they do not seperate themselves from the Church neither do they indeed forsake the Ministry of the Gospel which they desire before all worldly benefits whatsoever to execute with a good Conscience but are thrust from it and therefore If men driven by Excommunication out of the Church be not Schismatiques much lesse Ministers driven by deprivation or suspension only from the Execution of their Ministry This word Schisme is sometimes taken for any dissention in the Church whereby the Peace but not the Unity thereof is broken 1 Cor. 11.18 In which sense they are to be called Schismaticks who are specially to be blamed for such Dissention But if all the Prelates cannot give one Argument soundly concluded from the word to prove That the Ceremonies in question may be prescribed by authority and yielded unto by the Ministry without sin then are they Schismaticks according to the judgment of the Apostle who beseecheth the Brethren To mark them diligently who cause Division and Offences besides the Doctrine which they have learned and to avoid them For they that are such serve not the Lord Jesus Christ but their own bellies and with fair speech and flattering deceive the hearts of the simple Rom. 16.17 18. By which Answer Protestants do sufficiently justifie their Separation from the Papists Much more may Ministers justifie their refusing to Conforme yet without Separation But when any such Argument shall be given which hath not yet been heard of then are Ministers refusing Conformity to be deemed Schismaticks In mean while this Position is to be taken for Petitio Principii FINIS A Treatise of Divine Worship Tending to prove that the Ceremonies imposed upon the Ministers of the Gospel in England in present Controversie are in their use unlawful CHAP. I. Of Divine Worship in general DIvine Worship is any action or service that is immediatly and directly performed unto God himself whether the true God or a false whether commanded by Divine Authority imposed by humane or assumed upon our own heads and pleasures For in this latitude of sense is Divine Worship to be conceived that it may comprehend under it both true and false Worship 2. Though all Actions and Services that Man performeth unto Man are not parts of Civil Worship yet every Action and Service that Man performeth directly to God is a part of Divine Worship and ought meerly to concern his own glory It being impossible to imagine how the Creature should perform any service or do any action to the Creator himself but Worship For the ground of Worship is the sence of some excellent eminency of goodness in the Party worshipped and defect and inability to do an answerable good to a good received in the party worshipping for we need not to worship God if we could be as good to him as he is to us and therefore except we should mock him because receiving all good from him we are not able to do the least good unto him all that we can do is to worship him that is to glorifie him above all things and debase our selves before him as nothing in his presence 3. All special things therefore done in the Service and Worship of God is Worship and a part of that honour that is done unto him And whatsoever special thing done in Divine Service is not a special honour and worship unto God must needs be a dishonour and abuse of his Majesty who requireth nothing but worship at our hands and unto whom we cannot possibly do any other good 4. If therefore a man shall do any special Action in the Service of God of which there is no use out of the same and that Action so done bring no special honour to God the doing of it is a prophanation of the Name of God For all special Actions done in the Service of God must either bring special honour to God or else they must needs dishonour him 5. Divine Worship is Internal only or External also Internal worship is meerly spiritual and performed only within the temple of mans heart of which none are witnesses but God and a mans own conscience All the inward motions of the heart directed unto God are parts of this VVorship as Faith Hope Confidence Love Fear and Joy in God c. which are all of them divers acts and parts of Inward worship in every one of which God is honoured All which spring from the apprehension of our own wants and Gods infinite excellency and goodness towards us We need not proceed any further in handling of this Worship it nothing appertaineth to our present purpose 6. External Worship is an expressing and setting forth of the Internal by outward signs and rites By which as by certain outward bodily shadows and colours the spiritual and Inward Worship of God is made visible and sensible to others CHAP. II. Of Ceremonies in
or a Ceremony but it must needs respect him that Reâ—igion it self respecteth â—s therefore we performe civil honour unto those unto whom we performe civil Ceremonies so we performe Religious and Divine honours unto those that we obey in a Religious Ceremonie They therefore that claim and performe obedience therein do claim and performe that which is due only to God 8. Nothing intended or done by man is an honour to God but that which is an obedience unto God in some Commandement All Ceremonies therefore of Religion that are an honour unto God must be commanded by God himself and to bring in such Ceremonies into his worship as are no honour to him is to mock God 9. All Religious Ceremonies or Ceremonies of Religion are spiritual that is are ordained for spiritual uses and ends and not for civil or temporal and therefore are outward notes and testimonies of those things that make us spiritual men and they are parts of spiritual honour due unto spiritual authority and Lordship 10. All spiritual Lords may claim as their due spiritual worship and therefore may institute religious Ceremonies for look what difference there is between humane and divine Temporal and Spiritual the same difference there is between the peculiar worship due to the one and to the other if therefore Temporal Lords may require all civil rites and honors Spiritual Lords may require all Divine and Spiritual Rites and honors 11. Civil honor and reverence only cannot nor ought not to please a Spiritual Lord hence it is that the Spiritual Lords of our Church cannot content themselves with such honor that we give to civil Magistrates and Princes but we must obey them in peculiar religious duties and services and surely it is meet that if there be any such besides Christ that we performe spiritual homage unto them and they are not worthy that high style that will be content with temporalls when spiritualls are due 12. Those Ceremonies that are enjoined by true spiritual Lords are truly spiritual and holy even as spiritual and holy as the Sacraments though they consist of some things in their own nature indifferent and those Lords are not spiritual that are not able by their sole authority and word to hallow that which before was not holy 13. Those that can make a Surplice a Cope a Cross c. to be ornaments of Religion and holy Ceremonies can when it pleaseth them make a shaven Crown a Monks habit spittle in Baptism holy Water the triple Crown and all the Missal Rites as holy For they are all of the same nature And those that can find no reason to prove those unholy and unlawful would find none to prove any other external Rite to be so if they should in the same manner be imposed 14. Those that have power upon their own will and pleasure to bring into Gods Service some indifferent thing may bring in any * For all indifferent things are of the same nature indifferent thing those that may bring in without special warrant from God pyping into his Service might as well bring in dancing also those that have authority to joyn to the Sacrament of Baptism the sign of the Cross have authority also no doubt to joyn to the Sacrament of the Supper Flesh Broth Butter or Cheese and worse matters than those if they will Yea those that have power to make peculiar forms of Religion and Worship have power to make and invent a Religion and Worship of their own CHAP. VI. Of Divine Worship in special and first of true Worship THus much of Divine Worship in general both Inward and Outward and of Ceremonies wherein Outward Worship especially consisteth Now let us in special consider the same Divine Worship therefore is either true Worship or false 2. True Worship is that immediate service that the true God himself requireth to be performed unto himself In the exercise whereof consisteth true holiness and Religion 3. True Worship both for matter and manner ought to be according to the prescript rule of Gods Word only Neither hath any mortal man authority to frame according to his own conceit any form or fashion of Gods Service and Worship for the manner of Worship also must be holy and not the matter only and no man hath power to make any thing holy that God halloweth not by his Word and Spirit 4. All civil furtherances and necessary circumstances of Gods solemn Worship though they be not essentiall parts of the same nor by special Nomination commanded Yet are they to be esteemed Ordinances of God and not humane inventions As God having ordained that this Saints dwelling together both Men Women and Children of all sorts and degrees should ordinarily at appointed times meet together it must needs be presupposed to be his Ordinance that they meet together in some such ordinary places as are fittest for to receive most commodiously such Assemblies So God having ordained that his Ministers should preach or proclaim salvation to a multitude gathered together and that they should sit at his feet hath also ordained that the Ministers seat should be higher than the rest of the Peoples and the like may be said of all other such Circumstances of Divine Worship which are matters of so base and low consideration and so subject to common sence that it neither beseemeth the majesty of the Word of God in special or humane authority derived from God to make any Laws in particular about them no more than to make Laws that one should not fit in the Congregation upon anothers lap or one spit upon anothers cloaths or face or that men should not make antick faces in the Church CHAP. VII Of False Worship THus much of true Worship False Worship is such a service of God as hath no warrant from God himself Worship is false in matter or manner in whole or in part neither can the true matter of Worship sanctifie a corrupt manner or the true manner sanctifie a corrupt matter or some parts of true Worship or the whole it self sanctifie any part of false Worship that shall be adjoyned to it or mingled with it 2. Whatsoever is unholy and superstitious out of Gods solemn Service cannot be made by the sole appointment and will of man holy and good in the solemn Service of God but must needs be more unholy and superstitious therein and therefore a part of false Worship If for a man to sign himself or another in the forehead with the sign of the Cross out of Baptism be superstitious and unholy it cannot be good in Baptism but a prophane rite 3. The more light and to toyish the things seem to be that without warrant from God are brought into the Worship of God the more we should abhor conformity unto them it being a fearful presumption to serve God in a toyish manner for who is he that trembles at the Majesty of God that dares use in his Worship any toy and trifle They are deceived therefore
do any act of Religion or Divine service that cannot evidently be warranted by the same 2. They hold that all Ecclesiastical actions invented and devised by man are utterly to be excluded out of the exercises of Religion especially such actions as are famous and notorious Mysteries of an Idolatrous Religion and in doing whereof the true Religion is conformed whether in whole or in part to Idolatry and superstition 3. They hold that all outward means instituted and set apart to expresse and set forth the Inward worship of God are parts of Divine Worship and that not only all moral actions but all typical rites and figures ordained to shadow forth in the solemn worship and service of God any spiritual or religious act or habit in the mind of man are special parts of the same And therefore that every such act ought evidently to be prescribed by the Word of God or else ought not to be done it being a sin to performe any other worship to God whether External or Internal Moral or Ceremonial in whole or in part then that which God himself requires in his word 4. They hold it to be grosse superstition for any mortal man to institute and ordain as parts of Divine Worship any mystical Rite and Ceremonie of Religion whatsoever and to mingle the same with the Divine Rites and Mysteries of Gods Ordinance But they hold it to be high presumption to institute and bring into Divine worship such Rites and Ceremonies of Religion as are acknowledged to be no parts of Divine Worship at all but only of Civil Worship and Honour For they that shall require to have performed unto themselves a Ceremonial Obedience Service and worship consisting in rites of religion to be done at that very instant that God is solemnly served and worshiped and even in the same worship make both themselves and God also an Idol so that they judge it a far more fearfull sin to add unto and to use in the worship and service of God or any part thereof such mystical Rites and Ceremonies as they esteem to be no parts or parcells of Gods worship at all than such as in a vain and ignorant superstition they imagine and conceive to be parts thereof 5. They hold that every act or action appropriated and set apart to divine service and worship whether moral or ceremonial real or typical ought to bring special honour unto God and therefore that every such act ought to be apparently commanded in the Word of God either expresly or by necessary consequent 6. They hold that all actions whether Moral or Ceremonial appropriated to Religious or Spiritual Persons functions or actions either are or ought to be Religious and Spiritual And therefore either are or ought to be instituted immediately by God who alone is the Author and Institutor of all Religious and Spiritual actions and things whether Internal or External Moral or Ceremonial CHAP. II. Concerning the Church 1. THey hold and maintain that every Companie Congregation or Assembly of men ordinarily joyning together in the true worship of God is a true visible Church of Christ and that the same title is improperly attributed to any other Convocations Synods Societies combinations or Assemblies whatsoever 2. They hold that all such Churches or Congregations communicating after that manner together in divine worship are in all Ecclesiastical matters equal and of the same power and authority and that by the Word and will of God they ought to have the same spiritual Priviledges Prerogatives Officers Administrations Orders and Formes of Divine worship 3. They hold that Christ Jesus hath not subjected any Church or Congregation of his to any other superior Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction than unto that which is within it self So that if a whole Church or Congregation shall erre in any matters of faith or Religion no other Churches or spiritual Church-Officers have by any warrant from the Word of God power to censure punish or controle the same but are only to counsel and advise the same and so to leave their soules to the immediate judgment of Christ and their bodies to the sword and power of the Civil Magistrate who alone upon earth hath power to punish a whole Church or Congregation 4. They hold that every established Church or Congregation ought to have her own spiritual officers ministers resident with her those such as are injoyned by Christ in the New Testament and no other 5. They hold that every established Church ought as a special prerogative by which she is indowed by Christ to have power and liberty to elect and chuse their own spiritual and Ecclesiastical Officers and that it is a greater wrong to have any such forced upon them against their wills than if they should force upon men wives and upon women husbands against their will and liking 6. They hold that if in this choice any particular Churches shall erre that none upon earth but the Civil Magistrate hath power to controle or correct them for it And that though it be not lawfull for him to take away this power from them yet when they or any of them shall apparently abuse the same he stands bound by the Law of God and by vertue of his Office grounded upon the same to punish them severely for it and to force them under civil mulcts to make better choice 7. They hold that the Ecclesiastical Officers and Ministers of one Church ought not to bear any Ecclesiastical Office in another but ought to be tyed unto that Congregation of which they are members and by which they are elected into office And they are not without just cause and such as may be approved by the Congregation to forsake their Callings wherein if the Congregation shall be perverse and will not hearken to reason They are then to crave the assistance and help of the Civil Magistrate who alone hath power and who ought by his Civil Sword and Authority procure to all Members of the Church whether their Governors or others freedome from all manifest injuries and wrongs 8. They hold that the Congregation having once made choice of their spiritual Officers unto whom they commit the Regiment of their Soules they ought not without just cause and that which is apparently warrantable by the Word of God to discharge deprive or depose them but ought to live in all Canonical obedience and subjection unto them agreeable to the Word of God And if by permission of the Civil Magistrate they shall by other Ecclesiastical Officers be suspended or deprived for any cause in their apprehension good and justifiable by the Word of God then they hold it the bounden duty of the Congregation to be continual suppliants to God and humble suters unto Civil Authority for the restauration of them unto their Administrations which if it cannot be obtained yet this much honour they are to give unto them as to acknowledge them to the death their spiritual Guides and Governors though they be rigorously
and Duties to that Congregation over which he is set And that those Civil Magistrates weaken their own Supremacy that shall suffer any Ecclesiastical Pastor to exercise any Civil Jurisdiction within their Realms Dominions or Seigniories 6. They hold that the highest and supream Office and authority of the Pastor is to preach the Gospel solemnly and publickly to the Congregation by interpreting the written Word of God and applying the same by exhortation and reproof unto them They hold that this was the greatest work that Christ and his Apostles did and that whosoever is thought worthy and fit to exercise this authority cannot be thought unfit and unworthy to exercise any other spiritual or Ecclesiastical authority whatsoever 7. They hold that the Pastor or Minister of the Word is not to reach any Doctrine unto the Church grounded upon his own judgment or opinion or upon the Judgment or opinion of any or all the men in the world but only that truth that he is able to demonstrate and prove evidently and apparently by the Word of God soundly interpreted and that the people are not bound to believe any Doctrine of Religion or Divinity whatsoever upon any ground whatsoever except it be apparently justified by the Word or by necessary consequent deduced from the same 8. They hold that in interpreting the Scriptures and opening the sence of them he ought to follow those Rules only that are followed in finding out the meaning of other writings to wit by weighing the propriety of the tongue wherein they are written by weighing the Circumstance of the place by comparing one place with another and by considering what is properly spoken and what tropically or figuratively And they hold it unlawfull for the Pastor to obtrude upon his people a sence of any part of the Divine Word for which he hath no other ground but the bare testimonies of men and that it is better for the people to be content to be ignorant of the meaning of such difficult places than to hang their Faith in any matter in this case upon the bare Testimony of man 9. They hold that the people of God ought not to acknowledge any such for their Pastors as are not able by Preaching to interpret and apply the Word of God unto them in manner and forme aforesaid And therefore that no ignorant and sole reading Priests are to be reputed the Ministers of Jesus Christ who sendeth none into his Ministry and service but such as he adorneth in some measure with spiritual gifts And they cannot be perswaded that the faculty of reading in ones Mother tongue the Scriptures c. which any ordinary Turk or Infidel hath can be called in any congruity of speech a Ministerial gift of Christ 10. They hold that in the Assembly of the Church the Pastor only is to be the mouth of the Congregation to God in Prayer and that the people are only to testifie their assent by the word Amen And that it is a Babilonian cofusion for the Pastor to say one piece of a Prayer and the people with mingled voices to say another except in singing which by the very ordinance and instinct of nature is more delightfull and effectual the more voices there are joyned and mingled together in harmony and consent 11. They hold that the Church hath no authority to impose upon her Pastors or any other of her Officers any other ministerial Duties Offices Functions Actions or Ceremonies eiâ—her in Divine worship or out of the same then what Christ himself in the Scriptures hath imposed upon them or what they might lawfully impose upon Christ himself if he were in person upon the earth and did exercise a Ministerial Office in some Church 12. They hold that it is as great an injury to force a Congregation or Church to maintain as their Pastor with Tithes and such like Donations that person that either is not able to instruct them or that refuseth in his own person ordinarily to do it as to force a man to maintain one for his wife that either is not a woman or that refuseth in her own person to do the duties of a wife unto him 13. They hold that by Gods Ordinance there should be also in every Church a Doctor whose special office should be to instruct by way of Catechizing the Ignorant of the Congregation and that particularly in the main grounds and Principles of Religion CHAP. IV. Concerning the Elders 1. FOrasmuch as through the malice of Sathan there are and will be in the best Churches many disorders and scandalls committed that redound to the reproach of the Gospel and are a stumbling block to many both without and within the Church and sith they judge it repugnant to the Word of God that any Minister should be a sole Ruler and as it were a Pope so much as in one Parish much more that he should be one over a whole Diocesse Province or Nation they hold that by Gods Ordinance the Congregaâ—ion should make choice of other Officers as Assistants unto the Ministers in the spiritual regiment of the Congregation who are by office jointly with the Ministers of the Word to be as Monitors and Overseers of the manners and conversation of all the Congregation and one of another that so every one may be more wary of their wayes and that the Pastors and Doctors may better attend to Prayer and Doctrine and by their means may be made better acquainted with the estate of the people when others eyes besides there own shall wake and watch over them 2. They hold that such only are to be chosen to this Office as are the gravest honestest discreetest best grounded in Religion and the ancientest Professors thereof in the Congregation such as the whole Congregation do approve of and respect for their wisdome holinesse and honesty and such also if it be possible as are of civil note and respect in the world and able without any burden to the Church to maintain themselves either by their Lands or any other honest Civil Trade of life Neither do they think it so much disgrace to the policy of the Church that Tradesmen and Artificers endowed with such qualities as are above specified should be admitted to be Overseers of the Church as it is that persons both ignorant of Religion and all good letters and in all respects for person quality and state as base and vile as the basest in the Congregation should be admitted to be Pastors and Teachers of a Congregation And if it be apparent that God who alwaies blesseth his own Ordinances doth often even in the eyes of Kings and Nobles make honourable the Ministers and Pastors of his Churches upon which he hath bestowed spiritual Gifts and Graces though for birth education presence outward estate and maintenance they be most base and contemptible so he will as well in the eyes of all holy men make this Office which is many degrees inferior to the other precious and Honourable
of sorrow for him they are to denounce him to be as yeâ— no member of the Kingdom of Heaven and of that Congregation and so are to leave him to God and the King And this is all the Ecclesiastical Authority and Jurisdiction that any spiritual Officers of the Church are to use against any man for the greatest crime that can be committed 10. They hold that the Officers of the Church are not to proceed unto the extreamest Censure against any man without the free consent of the whole Congregation it self 11. They hold that the Minister or any other particular Officer offending is as subject to these Censures as any other of the Congregation 12. They hold that if any Member of the Congregation having committed a scandalous sin shall of himself forsake the Worship of God and the Spiritual Communion with the Church that then the Ecclesiastical Officers have no authority or jurisdiction over him but only the Civil Magistrate and those unto whom he oweth Civil subjection as Parents Masters Landlords c. CHAP. VI. Concerning the Civil Magistrate 1. THey hold that the Civil Magistrate as he is a Civil Magistrate hath and ought to have Supream power over all the Churches within his Dominions in all causes whatsoever and yet they hold that as he is a Christian he is a Member of some one particular Congregation and ought to be as subject to the spiritual Regiment thereof prescribed by Christ in his Word as the meanest subject in the Kingdom and they hold that this Subjection is no more derogatory to his Supremacy than the Subjection of his body in sickness to Physitians can be said to be derogatory thereunto 2. They hold that those Civill Magistrates are the greatest Enemies to their own Supremacie that in whole or in part communicate the virtue and power thereof to any Ecclesiastical Officers And that there cannot be imagined by the wit of man a more direct means to check-mate the same than to make them Lords and Princes upon Earth to invest them with Civil Jurisdiction and Authority and to conform the state and limits of the Jurisdiction to the State of Kings and bounds of Kingdoms 3. They hold that there should be no Ecclesiastical Officer in the Church so high but that he ought to be subject unto and punishable by the meanest Civil Officer in a Kingdom City or Town not only for common crimes but even for the abuse of their Ecclesiastical Offices yea they hold that they ought to be more punishable than any other Subject whatsoever if they shall offend against either Civil or Ecclesiastical Laws 4. They hold that the Civil Magistrate is to punish with all severity the Ecclesiastical Officers of Churches if they shall intrude upon the rights and prerogatives of the Civil Authority and Magistracy and shall pass those bounds and limits that Christ hath prescribed unto them in his Word 5. They hold that the Pope is that Antichrist and therefore that Antichrist because being but an Ecclesiastical Officer he doth in the height of the pride of his heart make claim unto and usurp the Supremacy of the Kings and Civil Rulers of the Earth And they hold that all defenders of the Popish Faith all endeavours of reconcilement with that Church all plotters for tolleration of the Popish Religion all countenancers and maintainers of Seminary Priests and professed Catholicks and all deniers that the Pope is that Antichrist are secret enemies to the Kings Supremacy 6. They hold that all Arch-Bishops Bishops Deans Officials c. have their Offices and Functions only by will and pleasure of the King and Civil States of this Realm and they hold that whosoever holdeth that the King may not without sin remove these Offices out of the Church and dispose of their Temporalities and maintenance according to his own pleasure or that these Offices are Jure Divino and not only or meerly Jure humano That all such deny a principal part of the Kings Supremacy 7. They hold that not one of these Opinions can be proved to be contrary to the Word of God and that if they might have leave that they are able to answer all that hath been written against any one of them FINIS TWELVE General Arguments Proving that the CEREMONIES Imposed upon the Ministers of the Gospel in England by our Prelates are unlawful And therefore That the Ministers of the Gospel for the bare and sole omission of them in Churh-Service for conscience sake are most unjustly charged of disloyalty to His MAJESTIE Mat. 18.23 If I have spoken evil bear witness of the evill but if I have spoken well why smitest thou me Printed in the Year 1660. To the Reader GOod Reader We come not as voluntaries into this field of Contention but dragg'd into it by the very hairs of our head If our cause be righteous and good Thou wilt easily grant in so great Imputations and Extremities inflicted upon us for the same that we can do no less than give reasons for our selves and it All the favour I require of thee is That thou wouldst look into our cause not by the flashing lighting 's that come out of the mouths of our Adversaries the Prelates but by the light of our own Reasons by which if thou shalt see the goodness of our cause and innocency of our persons than embrace it with us and in pity pray for us that without shipwrack of Faith and a good Conscience we may endure patiently and meekly whatsoever God shall suffer to be inflicted upon us for the same in these wicked and licentious times THE FIRST ARGUMENT All Will-Worship is sin To use these Ceremonies in Church-Service in manner and form prescribed is a Will-Worship Ergo To use them is sin THE Proposition cannot be denied for the Apostle Paul plainly condemneth Will-Worship The Assumption may thus be proved All parts of Divine Service and Worship imposed only by the will and pleasure of Man upon the Ministers of Divine Service and that of necessity to be done is Will-Worship But to use these Ceremonies in manner and form prescribed is to use such Ceremonies as are 1. Parts of Divine Service and Worship 2. Imposed only by the pleasure and will of Men upon the Ministers of Divine Service 3. Of necessity to be done therein Ergo To use these Ceremonies in manner and form prescribed is a Will-Worship The Proposition is as clear as the Sun at noon-day The Assumption hath three parts 1. That they are parts of Divine Worship and Service This is proved evidently by this Argument All Mystical and Ecclesiastical Rites and formes of Divine Service instituted by Ecclesiastical authority to be Ministerial actions in the solemn Worship of God and performed in that manner and having that use in Divine Service that if God should but ratifie and confirm the same use they should then be parts of his true Worship I say all such Ceremonies are used as parts of Divine Worship But these Ceremonies
in controversie are either all or the greatest part of them such Ergo They are parts of Divine Worship and Service The Proposition cannot with any modest face be denied For else how could a sole Divine ratification of the present use of them make them parts of his true Worship If they were not used as parts of his Worship before The Assumption is as manifest For if Christ should by some Revelation from heaven signifie That it is his will that a Minister in Divine Service should wear a white linnen garment in Baptism make the sign of a Cross to these ends and purposes that are expressed in the Service Book then certainly they should be essential parts of his Divine Worship else the Jewish Rites and Ceremonies and our Sacraments are no parts thereof The second part of the Assumption of the first Syllogism That they are imposed only upon the pleasure and will of man This is evident For those things that God leaves as indifferent to the will and discretion of man to do or leave undone being imposed by man upon man are imposed only upon the will and pleasure of man The third part of the Assumption is That they are of necessity to be done in Divine Service Which is also out of all doubt For a Minister stands bound to do them upon pain of suspension and deprivation And God must have no solemn Worship in England except it be administred in the same Upon all this it follows That to use these Ceremonies in manner and form prescribed is to use such Ceremonies as are parts of Divine Worship imposed only by the will of Man c. The Second Argument It is a sin against God for him that is by way of Excellency a servant of Jesus Christ without a precise and direct warrant from him at any time especially in the Solemn Worship of God to give special honour to Antichrist and his members But to use these Ceremonies is in that manner aforesaid to give special honour to Antichrist and his members Ergo It is a sin against God to use them THE Proposition is manifest and clear to any that have an eye of Reason and any light of Divinity shining in it For what is a sin if this be not That a Servant of Jesus Christ even then when he is in the Service of Christ should perform special honour and service to Antichrist or any of his Limbs The Assumption is proved if our Adversaries will grant it that the Pope is Antichrist and that all the visible members of his Church acknowledging him their supream head are members of him by this reason Such a Conformity to Antichrist and his members in the Ceremonies of Religion and Form of Divine Worship as is not only besides the Word of God but in a special manner derogatory to all reformed Churches that have departed from the Synagogue of Rome is a special honour to Antichrist and his members But to use these Ceremonies in Divine Worship is such a Conformity to Antichrist and his members Ergo. To use these Ceremonies in that manner aforesaid is to give special honour to Antichrist and his Members The Proposition is without exception For if it should be a special honour to the Bishops of England and their conformed Cleargy for the Churches of Scotland voluntarily to leave conformity to the Churches of the Low Countries France and Germany and to conform themselves in Ceremonies and Form of Divine Worship to the Prelatical Clergy of England It must needs be a special honour to Antichrist and his Members for any to do the like to them The Assumption is thus proved For a Minister of Jesus Christ to conforme himself in such peculiar Rites Ceremonies and Formes of Divine Service to Antichrist and his members as other reformed Churches have rejected for vain foolish and superstitious is in a special manner derogatory to all other reformed Churches But to use these Ceremonies in controversie is in that manner to conforme himself Ergo It is in a special manner derogatory to all other Reformed Churches Both parts of the Syllogisme are such as may easily be proved if they be denyed The 3. Argument All Worship more than Civill performed to any besides God is a sin To use these Ceremonies in manner and forme prescribed is to performe a more than civil honour even a Religious only to a humane Power and Authority Ergo To use these Ceremonies is to sin THe Proposition needs no proof For there is no middle Honor between Civil and Divine and therefore that which is more than Civil is Divine Now Divine Honor is to be given only to God who will not have his Glory given unto another The Assumption is thus proved If these Ceremonies be Religious Ceremonies and all Religious Ceremonies be a part of Divine worship performed to that authority that instituteth and commandeth them If also the authority that instituteth and commandeth them is but meerly humane Then the Assumption is true But the first is true Ergo The latter is true also The Proposition cannot be denyed of any reasonable creature The Assumption hath three Parts I. That these Ceremonies are Religious Ceremonies This needs no proof For what shall we make to be Religious Ceremonies if those Ceremonies be not that are prescribed by the Church to the Church only tied to Religion only and Religious Functions Offices and Persons to be acted and performed only in Exercises of Religion and Divine Worship and are mystical shadowes and types of Religious Doctrine II. That all Religious Ceremonies are parts of Divine Worship This neither should need any proof If those that are adversaries unto us in this cause did not too much presume of the weakness of our Discourse and the strength of their own wit For there being an external Divine Worship which properly consists in the outward Rites and Ceremonies of Religion What Ceremonies can be called parts thereof if such Religious Ceremonies as these be not For if bowing the knee c. in Divine Worship though it be used also in Civil Worship be a part of Divine Worship much more are those Ceremonies that are peculiarly appropriated to Divine Service and Worship and wherein part of the forme thereof is made to consist But it may for further satisfying of men be thus proved All meer and immediate Actions of Religion are parts of Divine Worship All Religious Ceremonies are meer and immediate Actions of Religion Ergo They are parts of Divine Worship Further How can a man imagine that a meer Religious Ecclesiastical Act done by a Servant of God in the solemn Service and Worship of God by precise Canon of the Church should be no part of Divine Worship sith all the solemn Rites and Ceremonies that are used in the solemn Services of Civil States especially such as are done in their presence have been ever reputed parts of civil Honor and Worship Lastly Considering that God in his Divine Worship doth require the whole heart
Whereas it shall appear that no Christians in the world give more unto the same then we and that in very truth the cause that we maintain is for the King and Civil State against an Ecclesiasticall State that secretly and in a Mystery as we may hereafter have occasion to prove opposeth it selfe against the same If this protestation shall in any measure satisfie you Then we desire your Honourable Mediations for us to the highest If not That then we may know wherein it is defective and we shall be found ready to give all satisfaction CHAP. I. A PROTESTATION of the Kings Supremacy WE hold and maintain the same Authority and Supremacy in all causes and over all persons Civil and Ecclesiasticall granted by Statute to Queen Elizabeth and expressed and declared in the book of Advertisements and Injunctions and in Mr. Bilson against the Jesuites to be due in full and ample mannner without any limitation or qualification to the King and his Heirs and Successours for ever Neither is their to our knowledge any one of us but is and ever hath been most willing to subscribe and swear unto the same according to form of Statute And we desire that those that shall refuse the same may bear their own iniquity 2. We are so far from judging the said Supremacy to be unlawful that we are perswaded that the King should sin highly against God if he should not assume the same unto himself and that the Churches within his Dominions should sin damnably if they should deny to yield the same unto him yea though the Statutes of the Kingdom should deny it unto him 3. We hold it plain Antichristianism for any Church or Church Officers whatsoever either to arrogate or assume unto themselves any part or parcel thereof utterly unlawful for the King to give away or alienate the same from his own Crown and dignity to any spiritual potentates or rulers whatsoever within or without his dominions 3. We hold that though the Kings of this Realm were no Members of the Church but very Infidels yea persecutors of the truth that yet those Churches that shall be gathered together within these Dominions ought to acknowledge and yeild the said supremacy unto them And that the same is not tyed to their faith and Christianity but to their very Crown from which no subject or subjects have power to separate or disjoyne it 5. We hold that neither King nor civil estate are bound in matter of Religion to be subject and obedient to any Ecclesiastical person or persons whatsoever no further then they shall be able to convince their consciences of the truth thereof out of the Word of God Yea we think they should sin against God if they should ground their Religion or any part or parcel thereof upon the bare Testimony or Judgment of any man or of all the men in the world 6. We hold that no Churches or Church-Officers have power for any crime whatsoever to deprive the King of the least of his Royal Prerogatives whatsoeer much less to deprive him of his Supremacy wherein the Height of his Royal Dignity consists 7. We hold that in all things concerning this life whatsoever the Civil Jurisdiction of Kings and Civill States excelleth and ought to have preheminence over the Ecclesiasticall and that the Ecclesiasticall neither hath nor ought to have any power in the least degree over the bodies lives goods or liberty of any person whatsoever much lesse of the Kings and Rulers of the Earth 8. We hold that Kings by virtue of their supremacy have power yea also that they stand bound by the Law of God to make Laws Ecclesiastical such as shall tend to the good ordering of the Churches in their Dominions And that the Churches ought not to be disobedient to any of their Lawes so far as in obedience unto them they do not that which is contrary to the Word of God 9. We hold that though the King shall command any thing contrary to the Word unto the Churches that yet they ought not to resist him therein but onely peaceably to forbear Obedience and sue unto him for grace and mercy and where that cannot be obtained meekely to submit themselves to the punishment 10. We hold that the King hath power by virtue of his supremacy to remove out of the Churches whatsoever he shall discern to be practised therein not agreeable to the Word of God And if he shall see any defect either in the Worship of God or in the Ecclesiastical Discipline he ought by his royal Authority and power to procure and force the redress thereof yea though it be without the consent and against the will of the Ecclesiastical Governers themselves 11. We hold that the King hath as much Authority over the Body Goods and Affaires of Ecclesiastical Persons as of any other of his Subjects whatsoever And that by his Authority he may force them not onely to all civil duties belonging unto them but also unto Ecclesiastical afflicting as great punishment upon them for the neglect thereof as upon any other of his Subjects 12. We hold that he hath power to remove out of the Churches all Scandalous Schismatical and Heretical Teachers and by all due severity of Lawes to repress them 13. We hold that all Ecclesiastical Lawes made by the King not repugnant to the Word of God do in some sort bind the consciences of his Subjects and that no subject ought to refuse obedience to any such Law 14. We hold that the King onely hath power within his Dominions to convene Synods or general Assemblies of Ministers and by his Authority Royal to ratifie and give life and strength to their Canons and Constitutions without whose ratification no man can force any subject to yeild any Obedience unto the same 15. We hold that though the King may force the Churches to be subject and obedient unto him and to be Members of the Common-wealth yet that the Churches severally or joyntly have no power to force him or any Subject against their will to any service unto them or to any religions duty whatsoever No nor to be so much as a Member of any Church 16. We hold that the King ought not to be subject to the Ecclesiastical Censures of any Churches Church Officers or Synods whatsoever but onely to that Church and those Officers of his own Court and Houshold unto whom in reverence of their Religion and of the spiritual Graces of God he sees shining in them he shall of his own free will subject and commit the Regiment of his Soul in whom there can be no suspition nor fear of any partiality or unjust or rigorous dealing against him 17. We hold that if any Ecclesiastical Governours call them by what name you will shall abuse their Ecclesiastical Authority in the execution of their censures upon any man whosoever That the King and Civil States under him have power to punish them severely for it much more if they
shall abuse it upon the Supream Majesty himself 18. If the King subjecting himself to spiritual Guides and Governours shall afterwards refuse to be guided and governed by them according to the Word of God and living in notorious sin without Repentance shall wilfully contemn and despise all their holy and religious Censures that then these Governours are to refuse to administer the holy things of God unto him and to leave him to himself and to the secret Judgement of God wholly to resign and give over that spiritual charge and tuition over him which by calling from God and the King they did undertake And more then this they may not do And after all this We hold that he yet still retaineth and ought to retain intirely and solidly all that aforesaid supream power and Authority over the Churches of this Dominion in as ample a manner as if he were the most Christian Prince in the World 19. We acknowledge King JAMES to be our onely lawful Sovereign and unto him to be due all the aforesaid Supremacy and we renounce and abjure all Opinions Doctrines Practises whatsoever repugnant or contrary to the same as Anabaptistical and Antichristian and wish they may be severely punished 20. We never refused Obedience to any Lawes or Commandements of the King or State whatsoever but onely to such as we have proved or are ready to prove if we might be heard with indifferency to be contrary to the Word of God And we are ready to take our Solemn Oathes before the Throne of Justice that the onely cause of our refusal of Obedience to those Canons of the Prelates for which we are at present so extreamly afflicted is meere Conscience and a fear to sin against God And that if by due form of reasoning we may be convinced in our Consciences of the contrary we are as willing as any Subjects in the Realm to Obey and Conform 21. We refuse Obedience onely to such Canons as require the performance of such Acts and Rites of Religion as are rejected and abandoned of all other Reformed Churches as Superstitious Disorders Such as are special Mysteries of the Romish Antichristian Idolatry Such as have been controverted in the Church ever since the last breaking forth of the Light of the Gospel out of the cloud of Popery in Luthers time Such as all Protestant Writers and Defenders of our Faith beyond the Seas and most of our own Country men have either in general or particular condemned as vain idle and unprofitable Such as all the Faithful and Painful Pastors of this Realm and in a manner all States and degrees of the same would be content were removed and swept out of the Church and for which few or none are zealous but the Prelates and their Adherents 22. We deny no Authority to the King in matters Ecclesiastical but onely that which Christ Jesus the onely Head of the Church hath directly and precisely appropriated unto himself and hath denyed to communicate to any other creature or creatures in the World For we hold That Christ alone is the Doctor of the Church in matters of Religon and that the Word of Christ which he hath given unto his Church is of absolute perfection containing in it all parts of the true Religion both for Substance and Ceremony and a perfect direction in all Ecclesiastical matters whatsoever Unto and from which it is not lawful for any Man or Angel to add or detract 23. We are so far from making claim of any supremacy unto our selves and those Ecclesiastical Officers which we desire that we exclude from our selves and them as that of which we are utterly uncapable all Princely and Lordly state pompe and power whatsoever holding it a sin for any whosoever to exercise no not by commission from the Magistrate any Authority over the Body Goods Lives Liberty of any Man whosoever for any crime or offence whatsoever So that any one of the basest and most inferiour civil officers in a Kingdom hath and ought to have in our Judgement more Authority and Power over men then any or all the Ecclesiastical Officers in the same Kingdom or in the whole World Yea we hold that the highest Ecclesiastical Officer in the Church ought to be as subject unto the basest civil officers in the Kingdom as the meanest Subject in the Kingdom And that they ought not by virtue of their office to challenge any freedom or immunity at all from any Civil Subjection whatsoever belonging to any common Subject 24. We confine and bound all Ecclesiastical power within the limits onely of one particular Congregation holding that the greatest Ecclesiastical power ought not to stretch beyond the same And that it is an arrogating of Princely Supremacy for any Ecclesiastical person or Persons whosoever to take upon themselves Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction over many Churches much more over whole Kingdomes and Provinces of Christians 25. We hold it utterly unlawful for any one Minister to take upon himself or accept of a sole Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction over so much as one Congregation And therefore we hold that some of the sufficientest and most honest and godly men in the Congregation ought to be chosen by the Heads of Families to be adjoyned in Commission as assistants to the Minister in the spiritual Regiment of the souls of that Congregation of which he is the pastor 26. We hold that these Ecclesiastical Officers being so chosen by the Church or Congregation are to exercise over the said Congregation only a Spiritual Iurisdiction and power consisting in a carefull oversight of the outward behaviour of the Members of their Church That it be not scandalous offensive and unbeseeming Christians And if any Member shall be delinquent they are brotherly to admonish him shewing him the nature of his crime by the word of God And if after two or three admonitions he shew no tokens of sorrow and penitencie then are they to deny unto him the pledges and seales of the Church to wit the Sacraments If this cannot humble him but that he continue obstinate in that sin then they are by the mouth of the Minister in Congregation the whole Church consenting freely thereto denounce him to be no Member of the Kingdom of Heaven and so forbear to have any further charge over him untill God shall work the grace of Repentance in him in this manner they are to proceed against all apparent and Evident crimes only as Murder Adultery Theft Blasphemie Ribaldery Lying Slandering Profanation of the Sabothes contempt of Divine Worship Disobedience to the Civil Magistrate c. Neither ought the extreamest of the Ecclesiastical Censures any whit hinder the course of justice that the Civil Magistrate is to exercise against the same crimes for if a Traytor himself should be penitent the Church ought to forgive him and lovingly to imbrace him as a Son but the Magistrate ought to execute him if he should be obstinate in that crime As the Magistrate ought to cut him off