Dispute Against the English-Popish Ceremonies, Part 2 · Chapter 5
CHAP. V.
That the Ceremonies are inexpedient, because they are occasions of injury and cruelty.
THe Ceremonies serve to be instruments of cruelty against Sect. I the sincere servants of Christ: they are used, as Absolons sacrifice, to be clokes of wicked malice, they occasion the fyning, confyning, depriving, imprisoning, and banishing of very worthy and good men.
qGen. 49. 5.Such instruments of cruelty, brought into the habitation; not of the sonnes of Iacob, but of the God of Iacob, are to be accursed by all who love the peace of Ierusalem, or beare the bowels of Christian compassion within them, because they are not of Christ the meek (r) Isa. 42. 2. 3.lambe of God, who did not crie, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street, who did not breake the bruised reed, nor quench the smoaking flaxe, but they are of Antichrist: sApoc. 17. 7.to whom it is given to make warre with the Saincts.
Surely, those bowels of mercies, kyndnesse, meeknesse, and forbearance, which tCol. 3. 12 13.the Apostle requireth, as they should be in every Christian, so chiefly in iu qui praesunt, as ucom. in illum locumMelanchton noteth; in them, towards all, but chiefly towards these who are both good Christians, and good subjects; towards these in all things, but chiefly in matters of Ceremony and indifferency. In such matters allwayes but chiefly when there is no contempt nor refractary disposition, but only a modest and Christian desire, to conserve the peace of a pure conscience, by forbearing to doe that which it is perswaded is not right. Let Magistrates remember well.
Parcere subjectis & debellare superbos.
If there were no more, but such a dolefull and woefull effect, as Sect. II the cruell dealing with the faithfull ministers of Iesus Christ, occasioned by the Ceremonies; this is too much for evincing the inconveniency of them.
Dr. Burgesse in a Sermon preached before King Iames, related a speach of the Emperour Augustus, who commanded, that all the glasses should be broken, that no man might incurre such a fright as one Pollio was put into, for breaking one of his masters glasses. Whereby (as xpr…f. of the answ. pag. 17.he expounds himselfe) he meant to intimate unto that wise King, that it were better to take away the Ceremonies then to throw out the Ministers for them. Yet it is the verdict ySarav. N. fratri & amico art. 17.of some, that the blame lyeth not upon the Ceremonies, but upon Ministers themselves, who leave their places, and drawe all this evill upon themselves. This is even as z1. Sam. 23. 10.Naball blamed David for breaking away from his master, when he was chased away against his will; And as aSocrat. lib. 3. c. 12.Iulian, when he had impoverished the Christians, laughed them to scorne, as if they had impoverished themselves, to get that blessing which Christ had promised to the poore.
The Canon Law speaketh for the Lords Bishops, which are persecuted from citty to citty. bdecr. part. 2. causa. 7. q. 1. c. 36.Nec ipsi in hoc peccant, quoniam non sponte sed coacte hoc agunt: sed illi qui eos persecuuntur: nec ipsis Episcopis hoc imputari potest, sed illis qui eos hoc agere cogunt. How is it that they are not ashamed, who say that ministers leave their owne places & callings, when they would faine abyde in them, and with heavie hearts are thrust from them.
Neither is this all the injury which is occasioned by the Ceremonies: Sect. III they make godly and zealous Christians to be mocked & nicknamed Puritans, except they can swallow the Camell of Conformity. Our consciences beare us witnesse, how without all reason we are branded with the name of those auncient Heretikes, cthe pastor and the praelat p. 36.from whose opinions and maners, O! how farre are we? And as for our selves, notwithstanding all this, we shrinke not to be reproched for the cause of Christ, we know the old Waldenses before us, dHistor. of the Waldens. lib. 1. cap. 3.were also named by their adversaries, Cathares or Puritanes: and that without cause hath this name been given both to them & us. But we are most sorry, that such as are walking humbly with their God, seeking eagerly after the meanes of grace and salvation, and making good conscience of all their wayes, should be made odious, and that Piety, Humility, Repentance, Zeale, Conscience, &c. should be mocked, and all by occasion of the Ceremonies.