Against Symbolizing with Antichrist in Ceremonies, Part 2 · Chapter 5 · Section 3
#Sect. 3. Anſwere to this Obiection: There is difficultie in the Remo… vall of Ceremonies, Therefore they are rather to bee let alone.
THirdly, it is obiected againſt this our petition, that there is difficultie in the remouall of the Ceremonies, which rather then it ſhould breede inconvenience, they are to bee let alone. Firſt of all it excuſeth not the ſluggard when he ſaith there is a Lyon in the way, nor the bad husbande when he ſoweth not, becauſe he feareth there is foule weather towards. Pro. 26.13. Eccleſi. 11.4.The Prieſtes ofaTheodor. hiſtor. li. 5. cap. 22. Serapis in old time made the people beleeue, that if any ſhould drawe neare his Image to remoue it, motum exoriturum & omnia occidione interitura. The like craft vſe our Oppoſites in their maintayning of the corruptions of our Church: They beare men in hande, the reforming of them, would bring heauen and earth togither. Heere who is wiſe, like Theophil, of Alexādria, to diſcerne this ſcar-crowe? In deed, what difficultie in this buſines, vnleſſe it be in the cōtinuing, & perpetuating of them, ſith their remouall is euer looked for: the people of Parliament ſpeaking now as once of olde, Riſe, for the matter pertayneth to thee, be of good courage, and doe it, Ezra 10.4. Secondly, This excuſe hath place, when there is no neede of a chaunge, as there was no need to chaunge the olde Calender, for the Popes new one, whervpon happened great hurly-burlye, both atbDauid Chytre. in Rodolph. 2 Riga in Lyvonia, & at Auguſta: wheras the remoual of theſe needleſſe ceremonies, is moſt needfull, for that they make againſt faith and good manners, as hath been ſhewed: in which caſecAuguſtin. epiſt. 119. cap. 19. Auguſtine will not hauehave them to be tollerated in a Church. Thirdly, this feare of difficultie and inconvenience, goeth for good payment, when the evill to be chaunged, is likely in time to languiſh of it ſelfe in caſe it be let alone, but to get ſtrength, if it be ſturred, the Magiſtrat being as a Phyſition, who thē muſt let an abuſe alone,dTitus Liuius lib. 22 quando quiete magis proficit, quam agendo & mouendo: which heere hath no place, becauſe it is impoſſible that either the ſcandall, or ſuperſtition of theſe ceremonies, ſhould in their liues time dye, or be healed by their reſte, which doeth (indeed) much ſtrengthen them. Fourthly, feare of inconvenience and difficultie then holdeth water, when time convenient is not ſtayed for, and therfore ſerued for Q. Elizabeth and K. Edward, if for any, when mens weake veſſells newly converted, could not beare (without breaking) the new wine, of an exact reformation in all things: wheras to vsus there may be applied, Mat. 9.17.what one of our writers hath,eBucer in Mat. 18. non pauci, &c. not a few fearing trouble, indeavoring in vaine to pleaſe God & men together, euen where the Goſpel hath been a long time preached, & where the worde doth now require example of deedes, pretending the infirmitie of others (whereas their owne weaknes doth only withholde them) doe both themſelues ſerue mans traditions, and compell others therevnto. Fiftly, this feare of inconvenience, doth paſſe for currant, when a Magiſtatte is vnable to reforme: in this caſe onlyfSenec. honeſtè ſuccumbit, qui ſeruit tempori. at this time onelyonlygCicero ad Attic. li. 12 epiſt. 1. parendum tempori. they beinghCornel. Tacit. Anal. lib. 3. adulta, & prevalida vitta, which are alone to bee tollerated, in which potius eſt omittere, quam illud aſſequi, vt palam fiat, quibus flagitijs impares ſimus. And the phiſicke which muſt be forborne, as immature, is when the ſicknes being in full ſtrength, it ratherlSenec. de conſolat. ad Heluia Matrem. irritateth then cureth. euen as the olde counſell goeth; multa mAuguſt. epiſt. 119.tolleranda, vbi facultas non datur reſecandi, and the new,nFranciſ. Iun. inſtit: princip. in praefat. expendere convenit, non ſolum quod debeas, ſed quid poſsis. Now what ſtrength in the corruptions of our Church, to make reſiſtance? who are ſtrooke through, throughout the Realme, and hauehave no meanes to maintayne life, but the plaſters, drugges, and ſalues which the Biſhoppes and their dependantes; miniſter to them? Now by the iudgment of SaintoAuguſtin. ibid. Auguſtine, we are not only to leaue them languiſhing, but alſo euen to ſtoppe their breath. for his wordes are theſe: Though a Ceremonie hauehave not euident hurt, yet becauſe it is vnfit, the Church (now) ſhould bee burthened with humane preſumptions, if it hauehave no authoritie from ſcripture, nor from generall Councells, nor from the cuſtome of the Vniverſall Church, but is of a variable and doubtful beginning, vbi facultas tribuitur, abſque omni dubitatione, reſecanda. Are not our ceremonies humane preſumptions? are they not burthenſome to the Church? doth any moderne Councell commaunde them? doeth any Church, beſide our owne, vſe them? are they not in nature variable, and vncommaunded in the worde? Nay, are they not (indeed) to bee varied, becauſe contrarie to the worde? I ende with the wordes which one writeth againſt the Croſſe,pCalfh. againſt Mar. praeſa. fol. 10. Beware of theſe Syren tunes, theſe inchaunting charmes, that the wiſe men of the world are wont to vſe, beare for a time; vſe diſcretion; be not raſhe in reformation. &c. we are rather to hearken to Chriſt him ſelfe, To walke in the light, whiles we hauehave the light: if the miſte, thorough our ſufferance, once ouercaſt the cleere ſhining of the Sunne, darknes ſooner will ouertake vsus, then we would.