Against Symbolizing with Antichrist in Ceremonies, Part 2 · Chapter 5 · Section 6

Against Symbolizing with Antichrist in Ceremonies · Part 2 · Chapter 5 · Section 6

p. 10#Sect. 6. 3. Suit, that practiſed commaunding of Ceremonies be reformed for time to come, and the Church freed from divers greevances: As that there be 2. Gods. &c.

OVr third ſuite is, that the practiſed commaunding of them bee reformed for time to come, and we freed from diverſe greevances, brought vpō vsus by the ſame. Firſt we are grieued to heare, that there are twoo Gods, the one in heaven commaunding abſolutly in matters neceſſarie: the other in earth, commanding abſolutely in things indifferent.aaBellarm. de Pontifi. lib. 4. c. 16 Bellarmine him ſelfe ſpeaketh not ſo audaciouſlie: for he draweth the abſolute authoritie of Man, not from God as he is God, but as he is Legis-lator only. Now this diſtinction notwithſtanding,bbMat. Sut. de Pontifi. lib 4. cap. 7 Sybrand. Lubbert. de pap. Romā. li. 8. c. 7 Fran. Iun. controuerſ. 2. lib. 4. ca. 16. not. 8. our writers all holde his allotting of an abſolute power to man, is blaſphemous. his allotting it to the Pope, maketh him Antichriſt, ſitting in the Temple of God, as if he were God. And whereas Andradius agreeth with Bellarmine, and ſo holdeth that man may partake an authoritie non limitata, our common writers build vp againſt him this ſure principle,ccChemnit. exam. pag. 202.204. Nulla eſt plenitudo poteſtatis amongſt men.ddFran. Iun. controuerſ. 3. lib. 4 ca. 16. not. 89. Plenitudo poteſtatis non eſt inſtrumenti, ſed ſolius principalis cauſae. eeA. Willet. controuerſ. 4. qu. 5. p. 3The Princes high, and ſoueraigne authoritie, we make not infinite; the word of God muſt be his rule & ſquare. So that theffIdem controuer. 2. que. 4. p. 2. ceremonies which he commaundeth, muſt be limited to the rules of the ſcripture, which require order and decencie, for the glorie of God, and the edification of the Church. This is that which Tertul. wrote long ſince and Auguſt. after him. the former of which, requireth in a ceremonie,ggTertul. de corō. milit. vt fidei congruat, ſaluti proficiat, diſciplinae conducat. The latter denyeth that to be indifferent, which ishhAuguſt. epiſt. 118. cap. 11. contra fidem & bonos mores. llIbid cap 4freeing vsus from every ceremonie that hath either of theſe faultes, as theſe ceremonies now in handling hauehave them both. Here of late Peter Martyr mmP. Martyr comment. in hunc. loctaught, No rite by any mans authoritie, is well ordayned, vnleſſe the rules be obſerued, which God ſetteth downe, to wit, in the 1. Cor. 14. The lateſt of all, thus one of our Oppoſites:nnD. Bilſ. ag. Apolog. p. 2. pa. 344. To deuiſe new rites and ceremonies of the Church, is not the Princes vocation, but to receaue and allowe ſuch as the Scriptures and Canons commend, & ſuch as the Biſhops and Paſtors of the place ſhall adviſe, not infringing the ſcriptures or Canons, and ſo for all other Eccleſiaſticall things and cauſes. Princes be neither the deviſers, nor directors of them, but the Confirmers & eſtabliſhers of that which is good, and diſplacers of that which is evill. Secondlie, we are grieued, that we hauehave theſe ceremonies enforced vponupon vsus, by the meer will of our Reverend Fathers, who hauehave thought vsus vnworthie that any reaſon ſhould be giuen vsus, or aſſuming vsus vntounto conference, 1 Cor 11.6.1 Cor 11:6hauehave expected we ſhould obey although they hauehave giuen vsus no better reaſon then ſuch as (for the ſleightnes of them) hauehave confirmed vsus in our opinion more then before. Paule him ſelf will proue the covering of the woman to be decent, both by the law of God & nature, before he throw it on the church.ooTertuli. in Apolo. cap. 4. Nulla lex ſibi ſoli conſcientiam iuſtitiae ſuae debet, ſed ijs à quibus obſequium expectat, (ſayeth Tertull.) coeterum ſuſpecta lex est quae probari ſe non vult, improba (autem) ſi non probata, dominetur. When Augustine was asked his iudgement about the p. 11ceremonie of the Saterſdayes faſte, he would notpp… epiſt. 118. cap. 11. admonere ſola ſua authoritaete, nulla addita ratione. The ſame thruſteth out eueryevery ceremonie of which it is doubtfull,qqIdem epiſt. 119. quam rationem ſequuti ſunt, who firſt ordayned it. Conſtantine in the queſtion of Eaſter, followed that, whichrrSocrat. hiſtor. lib. 5 cap 22. accurata ratione appetebatur. ssHieron. epiſt 152.Hierome condemneth eueryevery Pythagoras in the Church, that looketh to be beleeued or obeyed for his owne credit and authoritie without good reaſon. The papiſtes themſelues affirme, thatttAndr. Piriſ de leg. lib. 2. cap. 2 ratio is anima legis. yea the moſt ridged and ſterneſt papiſtes, that it isuuSilueſt. Prier. in ſumma. verb. conſuetud. & alib. paſſim de eſſentia legis to be r…tionabilis. They which gaineſtande this tenent,wwIo. Bodin de re publi. attainte the iuſtice of our Engliſh Lawes, which alwayes come foorth with a reaſon premiſed, ſhewing the cauſe, the ground, and the equitie of them. As for Eccleſiaſticall ceremonies, the admonition prefixed before our commun. booke, thinketh well of none, which hauehave notxxBucer. in Cenſur. rationē manifeſtam for edification. There is obiected vntounto this,yySenec. epiſt. 95. lex iubet, non diſputat. It belongeth to the nature of a law, vt zzAriſtot. ethic. lib. 10. cap 9.vim habeat cogendi. And the Apoſtles impoſe their Canons on the churchaaChryſoſt. in act. honul. 33. per breuem epiſtolam neque epich remata, neque ſillogiſmos habentem, ſed imperium. But the beſt is, none butbbBellarmi. controuerſ. 3 li 4. c. 16 papiſtes hitherto hauehave thus obiected as for ourccF. Iun. controuer. 3. li 4. c. 16 Nota. 8. writers, they thus confront them, ſeeing the lawes of man come ſhort of that perfectiō which is in the law of God, & that which is beſt in them, receaueth waight, not of it ſelf, ſed à miniſterij authoritate, therefore they binde not to obedience, without ſome reaſon, that can proue, that they agree with the law of God moſt perfect, & hauehave warrant from his worde. They replie beſides, thatddF. Iun vb… ſup. nota. 86.87.95. diſpoſitiones eccleſiaſticae, non ſunt verae leges. they are foreign rather, and foreign, as they are vſually called, Canones, quae dirigunt agentes voluntario, non. a neceſsitatem faciunt, vt leges ſolent. who hauehave the adminiſtring of theſe lawes, but the Biſhopes? Now it is not for a Biſhop toeeMat. Sutcliu. de Pontific. li. 4. cap. 7. ex Origine. offerre vim & neceſsitatem. It is for themffChryſoſt. tract 12. in Math. ſuadere only, not vim offerre.

As for the Magiſtrate, let him conſider, howe Conſtantine the great, proceeded in the ceremonies of the Church. For when he tooke orders for Eaſter, and that as Bellarmine will hauehave it, with this direction,ggBellarm. de cult Sāctor. c 12 viſum eſt vt omnes obtemperarent, he preſented it with a letter of exhortationhhSocrat. hiſtor. lib. 5. cap. 21. onelyonly. wherein he proueth it with ſuch reaſons, as fight directly againſt the ceremonies controverſed. this one eſpecially he will not hauehave Eaſter kept the ſame day with the Iewes,llEuſeb de vit. Conſtāt. li. 3. c 18 vt nihil nobis cum illorum conſuetudine ſit commune. Neither did the Apoſtles enioyne their Canons on the Church imperio only. Iames and Peter alleadged very good reaſon for them: the reſt of the Aſſemblie had great diſputation and reaſoning about them before they were concluded. In regard heereof we wiſhe that equitie were now ſurviving, which we finde in a little booke that beginneth with this treatiſe, whether it be mortall ſinne to tranſgreſſe a Civill Lawe or no. The whole booke was ſet foorth, by ſome great man at the beginning of this broyle; it contayneth the iudgements of learned men for a conformitie to theſe rites. It were harde if our Reverend Fathers nowe would not allowe vsus the bread it breaketh, which is this, Alleadging Gerſon, he maketh euen the civill lawes which are for neceſſitie, and which are for comelineſſe onelyonly (ſuch as our ceremonies controverſed are pretended to bee) members oppoſite in one diviſion: and then inferreth, this difference liketh me, not only becauſe [REASON] breedeth ſundrie bondes, but rather becauſe the minde of the Magiſtrate is evident, which in the former matters that ſerue for common peace and quietnes, as of thefte, murder, and ſo foorth, ſimplie requireth obedience. in other lighter matters which are onelyonly for comelineſſe (as that a woman marrie not, till ſhee hath lefte mourning for her former husband) hee doeth not ſo exacte it. By this our Governours ſhould not intende any ſimple obedience in a matter of comlineſſe; much leſſe intende it without good reaſon: whoſe bonde wee ſee tyeth not men neceſſarilie to obſervation. G. Caſſander, ſpeaking out of Eraſmus about Church Ceremonies: p. 12mmG. Caſiā. in Conſult. art. 15.Nullus eſt verè pius (ſaith he) qui ſi rem attentè conſideret, non mallet in his rebu obligationem verſam in exhortationem. What? ſhall an Adiaphoriſte be more moderate, then Orthodoxe Biſhops? Cardinall Aliacus in the binding of Clerkes ad Matutina & veſpaereina officia, & to the faſtings of their Church, hath theſe words,nnPet. Aliac de reform. Eccle. ca. 3. de his (ſaith he) & de multis alijs ſimilibus videtur expediens declarare, quod non ſunt praecepta, ſed conſilia. What? ſhall a Cardinall be a better reformer, then a true Chriſtian? wherein are our ceremonies better accounted of by vsus, then the Aue Maria, the palme, the holy water, with the like, by the papiſt? which are not enioynedooBellar. de pontific. li. 4. cap. 8. tanquam leges ſed tanquam admonitiones, & vt piae inſtitutiones ſine obligatione ad culpam. What? ſhall Antich. giuegive more libertie in his ceremonies, then the true church of Ieſus Chriſt?ppD. Bilſon vb. ſup. p. 3 pag. 75. Princes hauehave a warme ſuite (ſaith one of our Reuerend Fathers) to depende on his lawes, a reaſon of whoſe facte, no man may aske him? TheqqIbid. pag. 2. pag. 316. ſame thinketh it ſacrilegious in the papiſtes to applie the words of Samuel, not to obey is the ſinne of witchrafte to enforce obedience to the conſtitutions of their Church. M^r Morton imputeth it as heynous to the Romiſh inquiſition, that as Agrippa ſaid before,rrThomas Morton. Apolog. p. …. li. 2. c. 19 ſi quis opinionem ſuam defendere conetur, mox iratis buccis reſpondent, non eſſe illi negotium cum ſcholaribus ad cathedram, ſed cum iudicibus ad tribunal. Now I appeale vntounto the conſciences of our heavieſt adverſaries, whether they hauehave not knowen vsus ſcorned for asking a reaſon? Whether they hauehave not heard the wordes of Samuell layd to our charge? Finally, whether it be not to their knowledge a common anſwere, ye ſtande before your Iudge; you come hither to be iudged: ye are not now in the ſchooles, but before a tribunal? Againſt theſe courſes, we tender this our thirde petition in the wordes of their owne lawe, ſi ergo de hac re. &c. If yee can giuegive a reaſon (for Conformitie) I would you would ſhewe it vsus,ssDecret. p. 2 c. 24. queſt. 3. cap. 1. vt poſsimus & nos (that ſo wee may remayne in our Miniſterie, and conforme with you.) But if you cannot, conſider what raſhnes it is for you to doe that, vnde ſi interrogati fueritis rectam rationēnon valeatis invenire?