Dispute Against the English-Popish Ceremonies, Part 2 · Chapter 4
CHAP. IV.
That the Ceremonies are inexpedient, because they hinder edification.
THat the Ceremonies are a great hinderance to edification, Sect. I appeareth; First, in that they obscure the substance of Religion, and weaken the life of Godlinesse, by outward glory and splendor, which drawes away the minds of people so after it, that they forget the substance of the service which they are about. The Heathnish Priests yNatal. comit. Mythol. lib. 1. cap. 15.laboured, per varietatem Ceremoniarum, rem in pretio retinere. The use for which Papists appoint their Ceremonies, zBell. de effect. Sacram. cap. 31is, ut externam quandam Majestatem sensibus obijciant: And so are the Ceremonies urged upon us, aHooker Eccl. Pol. lib. 4. n. 1.thought to conciliate reverence & due regard to Divine Worship, and to stirre up devotion. In the meane while it is not considered, that bHospin. Epist. dedic. pr…fix. libris de orig. monach.mentes humanae mirifice capiuntur & fascinantur, Ceremoniarum splendore & Pompa. Videmus siquidem saith Bucer, ccensur. Liturg. Angl. cap. 9.vulgus delectari actionibus scanicis, & multis uti signis. dexam. part. 2. de Rit. in administ. Sacr. p. 32.Chemnitius markes of the cumulating of Ceremonies in the auncient Church, that it drew to this, ut tandem in theatricum ferme apparatum Ceremonia illa abierint. ecom. in Ioh. 4. 24.Musculus reprehends Bishops, for departing from the Apostolicall and most auncient simplicity, and for adding Ceremonies unto Ceremonies in a worldly splendor and spectability, whereas the worship of God ought to be pure and simple.
The Policy then which is most simple and single, and lest lustered with the pompe & bravery of Ceremonies, can not but be most expedient for edification. fPsal. 45. 13.The Kings daughter is most like her selfe, when shee is all glorious within, not without, and gLuk. 17. 20. 21.the Kingdome of God appeareth best what it is, when it commeth not with observation: But superstition (saith hPopish prejudic. cap. 10.Camero, the mother of Ceremonies, is lavish and prodigall; Spirituall Whooredome as it is, it hath this common with the bodily; both of them must have their paintings, their trinkets, their invenglements.
Secondly, the Ceremonies are impediments to the inward and spirituall worship, because they are fleshly and externall. iCalv. com. in Exod. 20. 5.In the second Sect. II commandement are forbidden omnes Ritus, qui a spirituali Dei cultu discrepant. The Kingdome of God is within you, kLuk. 17. 21.saith Christ. Now if the Apostle, 1. Tim. 4. 8. say, that bodily exercise such as fasting, watching, &c. which are requisite as helpes and furtherances to the humiliation of the soule, doe but profit a litle, then may we say of our unnecessary and unprofitable Ceremonies, that they are exceedingly nocent and harmefull to true and spirituall worship. The Apostle is not speaking of playes and pastimes, as Bellarmine would have us to thinke. Who can believe that Timothie was so much addicted to play, that the Apostle had need to admonish him, that such exercise profiteth litle? He is speaking then of such bodily exercises, as in those primitive times were used religiously, as fasting, watching, lying on the ground, and such like; and he would have Timothy, rather to exercise himselfe to the life and power of Godlinesse, & to substantiall worship, then to any of these outward things. Neither doth the Apostle, condemne only the superstitious use of those exercieses, as lcom. in illum locum.Calvine well observeth: alioqui in totum damnaret: Whereas he doth only extenuate & derogate from them, saying, that they profit litle. Ergo (saith he) ut maxime integer sit animus, & rectue finis, tamen in externis actionibus nihill reperit Paulus quod magnifaciat. Valde necessaria admonitio, nam semper propendet mundus in illam partem, uti Deum externis obsequiis velit colere; But what, will some say? Doe we allowe of no externall Rites and Ceremonies in Divine worship?
mde divers grad. ministr. evang. contra Bez. cap. 24 s. 25.Saravia, tells us, that dum vitia vitant stulti, in contraria ruunt, and that he is no lesse in the fault, qui nullas in externo Dei cultu Ceremonias admittit, quae tantum decori serviunt, homines que sui admoneant officii, quam qui quasvis citra delectum recipunt, &c. Wherefore, because a transition from idolatry and Superstition, is more easie to Atheisme & the prophanation of holy things, then to the golden mediocrity, he saith, he could have wished, that Beza had not generally condemned all Ceremonies without making any difference.
Ans. Neither Beza, nor any other, who mislike the English Ceremonies, condemneth such Rites and circumstances in the externall worship of God, a… serve only for decency, but those sacred & significant Ceremonies, which admonish men of their duty, are not of this sort. What shall we say then, of such a conjunction as this, que tantum decori serviunt, hominesque sui admoneant officii? Why would not Saravia write a Chronologie, I say not Magnarum (as others), but mirandarum conjunctionum, and record, that at such a time he found out the conjunction and compatibility of two things, which were ever thought incompatible in former ages, namely, Rites serving only for decency, and holy significant Ceremonies admonishing men of their duty in Gods worship? Had there been no Moralist (trowe we) then to note, that decency and things serving only for decency have place in civility & all morall actions, in which notwithstanding there is no significant nor admonitory sacred signes of mens duty in Gods worship? And thus should these two things be seavered, which he hath conjoyned and confounded.
To conclude, we condemne the English controverted Ceremonies which are regarded as holy and significant, as most in expedient, because they derogate from the true inward and spirituall worship; for mans nature saith nPopish. prajud. cap. 10.Camero, is delighted in that which is fleshly and outward, neglecting that which is spirituall and inward. And this is the reason, why least spirituall, lively, and holy disposition hath followed upon the addition of unnecessary Ceremonies; and why there was never so much zeall, life, and power of Religion inwardly, in the Church of Christ, as then, when shee was freest of Ceremonies. This much oCamero Ibid.a Formalist of great note, is forced to a knowledge. Let us consider saith he, the Primitive Church, flourishing more in times of the Apostles, then ever it did afterwards: Who will not admire her great simplicity in all poynts, and especially in Ceremonies? for excepting the celebration of Baptisme by washing of water; and of the holy Supper, according to the Lords institution, in taking the Bread and Wine, & distributing them after thanksgiving: excepting also the imposition of hands upon those who extraordinarily received the holy Ghost, whether it were in a generall calling, or a particular, to a charge in the Church, and availing for a miraculous effect, of healing the sicke; I say, these excepted, there will not be found any other Ceremony in those primitive times, so admirable was their simplicity.
Thirdly, the Ceremonies are a great hinderance to edification, Sect. III because they make much time and paines to be spent about them, which might be, and (if they were removed) should be spent more profitably for godly edifying. That which is said of the Ceremonies which crept into the auncient Church, agreeth well to them. pHospin. ubi supra.Ista Ceremoniarum accumulatio tum ipsos doctores tum etiam ipsos auditores, a studio docendi atque discendi verbum Dei abstraxit, atque impedivit necessarias & utiles divini eloquii institutiones.
Pulpits sound oftentimes with declamations for the Ceremonies, when there is need of pressing the power of Godlinesse upon the consciences of people, and when there are many more necessary thinges to be urged. The Presse also sends forth idle discourses and defences of the Ceremonies, which might be employed more profitably.
And moreover, faithfull men whose labours might be very profitable to the Church, in the Holy Ministery, have neither a doore of enterance, nor a doore of utterance licentiated to them, and that because they will not consent, nor yeeld themselves to be the unhappy instruments of imposing this yoke of Ceremoniall bondage upon the necks of Gods people. Others who have entered, & have been both faithfull & painefull Labourers in the Lords Vineyard, are thrust from their charges, for no other quarrell, but that of Non-conformity. O unhappy Ceremonies! Woe unto you; you mischeivous lets and prejudices to the edification of the Church!