Against Symbolizing with Antichrist in Ceremonies, Part · Chapter 4 · Section 8
#Sect. 8. That the Ceremonies controverſed, hinder the word in whole.
MOreouer, theſe ceremonies controuerſed hinder the preaching of the worde in whole, Sect. 8.whereof no maruaill. For whereas they aroſe in barbarous tymes out of a want of preaching, either they ſee they muſt ſcant it ſtill or looſe their poſſeſſion: for they knowe too well,aSaluſt. in lugurth. Regna ſeruantur ijſdem modis, quibus parantur. Now their firſt hinderance is by their ſtrife and burthen, euen as they who write of the impedimentes that hinder from the Miniſterie, write downe theſe two for ſpeciall ones:bAndre. Hipper. de ſacr. ſtud. non deſerend. p. 152 A too rigide exaction of certaine troubleſome traditions: and the obſeruation of certaine vnprofitable ceremonies, to which in many places they are tyed which are ſet ouer charges. and thencIbid. p. 140 An heat of differences & diuerſities in iudgement about iuriſdiction, about rites or ceremonies, or the like. It being ſo, the preſent ceremonies muſt be aboliſhed, becauſedIbid. fo. 23 Math. 9. vlt. occaſions that deterre from the miniſterie, muſt very carefully be weeded out: and all meanes poſſible brought in place that may thruſt (I ſay thruſt) into the Vineyard.eTripartit hiſtor. lib. 7. cap. 8. Valentinian reioyced when he heard that Ambroſe was made a Miniſter, whom he before had made a Pretor, and prayſed God for it. The like reioycing ſpirit now to ſee many enter into the miniſterie of the worde, if it were in all men, how would the Croſſe and Surplice bee handled, the two Gilliadites that keepe the paſſages of our Church to ſtay (if not ſtabbe) eueryevery able and worthy ſcholler that will not pronounce their Shibboleth, Iudg. 12.6.and daunce roundly after the pipe of their ſubſcription. Alas that euer ſuch ſworne ſervaunts to the man of ſinne, ſhould be made porters of Chriſt his houſe. or that the keyes ſhould be committed vntounto them to open and ſhutt, who cannot longer ſtay in office then whiles the keyes of heauenly knowledge are takē from the people away. So Bucer, fBucer. in Cenſur. ca. 2. pag. 458 & de re veſtiar. pag. 706.The Ceremonies and the preaching of the worde doe mutually, for the moſt parte, expell one another. where knowledge prevayleth, through the preaching of the Goſpel, there the louelove of them withereth, and where the louelove of theſe prevayle, there knowledge decayeth. Who can expreſſe the good that one good Preacher is able to doe (through Gods bleſſing) for the ſpreading of his glorie: for the building of Chriſtes kingdome; for the gathering of the Saintes, and for the comforting of the called. On the other ſide, what loſſe is there euen in one able preacher turned to ſome other courſe of life: and how irrecouerable? For it is a plague of all plagues, whē Miniſters want: a iudgement of all iudgements, when in the wante of a Church already Sathan is ſuffered to trompe hinderances in their way, who are able to make ſupplie. And ſeeing God (the onelyonly Father of a Prophet) enableth not without the meanes of longe ſtudie and education whē he ſendeth any, 1 Sam. 12.10and is provoked to ſend no more when thoſe whom he hath fitted already, are ſpurned out, what hope is there now of our Church, 2 Cron. 36.15.when Gods wrath is likely to kindle becauſe his Meſſengers are refuſed: and when the contempt of his great grace riſing earely and ſending to vsus, becauſe he hath compaſſion on vsus and on his holy habitation amongſt vsus, groweth vp to ſo full a meaſure as that there ſeemeth to be no remedie. Nowe this abuſe & refuſing is committed in our Church by the ſubſcription in the higheſt degree: which hath put thee (O England) to the loſſe of preachers, thou knoweſt not how many. O take vp a lamētation ye that louelove Syon ouer the many that are gone over, ſome to Gallen, ſome to Iuſtinian, ſome to Littleton, whom wee might long ſince hauehave ſeene in Moſes chaire, had not the ſubſcription like the blade of a fierie Cherubin kept them out. And can we ſee the Harpes of the Sanctuarie hanged on the Willowes: the ſiluer Trumpettes of the Temple hanged vpp like Trophees on the Walles of theſe artes, and not curſe the Croſſe and Surplice, by whoſe treaſon they are loſt? Sure, ſith the word preached is the tree of life, theſe Ceremonies in that they doe hinder preaching, are as baddgAnd…. Hipper. de ſacr. ſtud. non deſerend. pag. 22. 23. as the ſerpent, and bring in all manner of euill into the worlde: error, wickednes, Atheiſme, Papiſme, blindnes, darknes, and an vtter deſolation of ſoule and body. He that doethhDigeſt. li. 47. tit 14. de abiges. abigere but alienum pecus invite domino, is held worthy of moſt ſharpe puniſhment. What indignation (then) from the Lord doe theſe Ceremonies in iuſtice deſerue, that drive from his ſervice many and many worthy Miniſters, which he with long & much preparation had bredd and brought vp to his worke.