Against Symbolizing with Antichrist in Ceremonies, Part 2 · Chapter 5 · Section 13
#Sect. 13. Ceremonies as nowe vrged, take away libertie of Conſcience.
COme we now to the ſubiectes wherein, whether inward or outward. Concerning the former, the law of man binding no further, then where he is able to take notice of a tranſgreſſion, & where he hath power to puniſh, reacheth not to the ſoule of any, but bindeth only the outward man, on the inward man, if it make any invaſion, a breach is made vpō the libertie of the ſame. what then (will ſome ſay) is not the affection of the heart required, in the obedience of humane lawes? yet by the generall lawe of God, by the laweaD. Field. of the Church. li. 4. ca. 34. of man, it is not required, which may be obeyed although the affection of the heart be bad: whence commeth the rule, A man may be a good Citizen, that is not a good man. But now the law of the ceremonies ſetteth vp a throne within our heartes moe wayes then one, both for the matter, and for the manner of their proceeding. They impeach our chriſtian libertie in the matter of their commaund, in that they require a ſubmiſſion of our iudgements without any reaſon out of Gods lawe: as appeareth by the ſubſcription, which requireth vsus to beleeue that all is well, which nowe is in force for the governement of the Church. They impeach it alſo in the matter of their puniſhing, becauſe they threaten to kill the ſoule, with which no man hath power to medle, as it is evident by the Canons, who excommunicate ipſo facto, which is to deliuer vntounto Sathan, and to thruſt out of Chriſtes kingdome. And is there not a curſe pronounced, and an Anathema to the breakers of the ſame Canons If ſo, then is the ſoule vſurped on, as a man famous among our late writers hath lately taught,bD. Field. vb. ſup. cap. 32. mortall men forget them ſelues, when either they commaund vnderunder payne of damnation, or take vponupon them to preſcribe inward actions of ſoule or ſpirit. Againe,cIbid. c. 33. they impiouſly vſurpe, who publiſh all their Canons and conſtitutions in ſuch ſorte, that they threaten damnatiō to all offenders. As for the iniurie, by the manner of proceeding, be it conſidered that indIoh. Gerſon. de vita ſpirituali animae lectione. 2. Gerſons opinion, they only leaue our libertie free, who deale now as he thinketh the beſt and wiſeſt among the guides of Gods church dealt, who hauehave not ſo ill a meaning as to hauehave all their conſtitutions to be taken for lawes properly ſo named, but for threatninges, admonitions, counſells and directions only. The ceremonies quite contrarie ſett vponupon vsus with the power of a lawe to force, which what doth it effect in our harts but griefe, whereby is not the ioyfull libertie of the ſpirit impay…d much in manie? Siterrerentur (ſaitheAuguſt. epiſt. 48. Auguſtine) & non docerentur, improba quaſi dominatio videretur. Therefore he preſcribeth elſwhere:*Auguſtin. epiſt. 64. Non aſperè quantum exiſtimo, non duriter, nō modo imperioſo iſta tolluntur, magis docendo quàm iubendo, magis monendo quā minando. Now if the Law of the ceremonies would proceed by this way of perſwaſion, and ſhewe vsus reaſon, and teach vsus out of the word of God, then ſhould it in all ſweetnes leade vsus, as when a Nurſe doeth leade a childe. Terrifying without this teaching, is for a ſlaue: euen as indeed, it doeth begett a ſervile ſpirit in mens hearts, like to the Germane Adiaphoriſme, of which one“Flace. Illyrie. in lib. &c Adiaph. complayneth thus: libertatae quae à Christo donata eſt, privamur, neque. n. per iſtas ceremonias politica libertas tollitur, ſed religionis; vbi tristis ſervitus eſt in Ceremonijs (ſicut ipſemet Adiaphoriſtae affirmant Ceremoniae iſtae triſti ſervitute eccleſiam onerant) ibi certè non poteſt eſſe laeta Chriſti libertas. From the thraldome which the ceremonies bring vponupon our inner man, come we nowe to that iniurie wherewith it cloyeth the outward. Firſt, remember we the generall neglect, and antiquation of this Lawe, in the dayes of Q. Elizabeth. This is*D. Field. of the Church. li. 4. ca. vlt. one difference betweene the lawes of God and man, that eueryevery preſcription or contrarie vſe is a corruption and a fault, which is againſt the lawe of God, whereas a long continued diſvſe prevayleth againſt the lawes of men, and are a iuſt abrogating of the ſame. This may be gathered out of that common and beaten tenent, lex inſtituitur cum promulgatur, vigorem habet cùm moribus vtentium approbatur. Howbeit, it muſt be graunted, that the common vſe and diſvſe of the inferiors is not to be thought to hauehave any force or vigour, either to ſtabliſh or to abrogate without the conſent, & the contentement of thoſe that hauehave authoritie. What then, from hence perchaunce ſome will ſaye: ſeeing the governours are not conſenting to the remouall of the corruptions controverſed. Firſt, the greater parte of the lande doe euen deſire a remoovall of them, when we goe from Biſhopps, and from others that are parties in them; much more doeth it conſent to the diſvſe and antiquation that is paſt. They that conſent not to it, ſhould conſent. If they doe not, they make this lawe, like vntounto the lawe of God, as if no diſuſe could prevayle againſt it, as none prevayleth againſt Gods lawe, and ſtriue againſt the ſocietie in which they liue, and that for a ceremonie, which is too highe an honour for him, and throw a neceſſitie thereof on them who hauehave given foorth ſufficient ſhew of their vnwillingnes, by their general diſvſe aforeſaide: in al of which, as the ceremonies are advaunced too high, ſo chriſtian libertie is too lowe depreſſed. As the proceeding of the ceremonies, oppreſſe our libertie in regard of former diſvſe, which the inferior hath ſhewed, ſo alſo doeth he impeach the ſame in regarde of the preſent vſe which the ſuperior preſſeth. This is a neceſſarie obſervation, the fountaine, and the grounde whereof doe ſhewe ſufficiently what it is. The fountaine of it is poperie. To what ende ſhould Canons be made (ſay ſome) if men ſhould not be tyed to a neceſſitie of keeping of them? Iuſte ſo Bellarmine, fBellarmin. de Pontifie. lib. 4. ca. 17actus indifferens, ſi praecipiatur iam erit neceſsarius, alioquin frustra praecipitur. The ground from whence this fountaine iſſueth, is an opinion, that mans lawe doth binde the conſcience: euen as it appeareth by Bellarmine, who being to ſpeake of a neceſſitie of obſeruation in the outward vſe of ceremonies,gBellarmi, de effect. Sacrament. cap 31. hoc dependet (ſaith he) ab alia quaeſtione. Anleges eccleſiaſticae obligent conſcientias? This fountaine thus flowing our of this grounde, falleth into a mariſhe (to ſpeake with Ezechiel.) where ſtandeth a poole of vnwholeſome water, which is this,hBellarmi. controuerſ. 5. li. 3. c. i 1 as Gods commandement maketh actions indifferent to be vertues, his inhibitions to be ſinnes, ſo mens precepts doe likewiſe. This blaſphemie of theirs, equaling the creature with the Creator, how do ourlD. Field. vb. ſub. cap. 34. writers handle? which notwithſtanding our Oppoſites muſt fortifie, or elſe their whole tower will like to a Babell down to the ground. For if the ceremonies be of neceſſarie obſervation, and muſt abſolutly be kept, then muſt they become things abſolutely good, foraſmuch as there is nothing to bee done neceſſarilie, but that which is good and vertuous. And as the papiſtes equall man with God, ſo ſhall we by this our conceyt of a neceſſarie obſervation: that which wee may ſee bymGerſ. de auferibili. papae. conſideratio. 8. Gerſon, who complayneth that men will hauehave their conſtitutions to bee obſerved aequali tenore with Gods lawes, becauſe they will hauehave them neceſſarilie kept Quemadmodum cuſtodiri divinā legem, abſque vlla variatione neceſſe eſt. Sweeter waters are they farre, which flowe from the ſanctuarie of our home writers, vponupon theſe grounds, The law of man is not infallible as Gods is. ruleth not over the heart, as Gods doth: is not abſolute and perfecte, as Gods is: cometh not from a ſupreme Lorde, as Gods doth. therefore there is due vntounto it no certaine obedience; no obedience in the heart at all, no abſolute obedience in the outward behaviour, in the outward behaviour only. ſuch obedience is due to it, as is proportionable to the right end, of that ſubordinate power and authoritie, to which the ſupreme Lord hath choſen him. This being bonum commune, which nothing hurteth, but ſcandall onelyonly and contempt: it cometh to paſſe, that extra caſum contemptus & ſcandali, the obſervation of hamane lawe is left free to vsus. This doe all ournD. Whitak. controuerſ. 1. queſt 6. ca. 16. pa. 503 Sibrand. Lubbert. de Pap. Roman. li. 8. cap. 8. Mat Sutcl. lib. 4. cap. 7 Pran. Iun. controuer. 3. lib. 4. ca. 17. D. Willet. controuerſ. 9. qu. 8 pag. 2. &c. writers teſtifie. yea this whole churches confeſſe vntounto vsus; yea this our owne church holdeth. There be bookes lately ſet foorth, (ſaith theoHarmon. confeſſ. ſect 17. ex confeſſ Saxon. 228. church of Saxonie) full of labytinthes, in quibus ſcribitur peccata eſſe mortalia violationes talium rituum extra caſum ſcandali, but the true conſolation, is the voyce of the Goſpell, which will hauehave a contrarie vnderſtanding of our libertie to be knowne in the Church againſt this error. An other church thus:pIbid. Auguſtan. cō feſt. p. 218. ſentiendum eſt quod res adiaphorae extra caſum ſcandali omitti poſſunt. And againe,qIbid. pag. 224. contra libertatem noſtram ſancitam authoritate divina, non eſt recipienda opinio, vt violatio rerum mediarum, extra caſum ſcandali ſit peccatum. Yea,rThe treariſe whether it bee mortall ſinne to tranſgreſſe a ciuil law. whole home treatiſes affirme aſmuch: yea our owne communionsAdmonit. de ceremo. praefix. leiturg. booke: yea ſome of the very papiſtes themſelues, as the Authour of ſumma tSum. Siſueſtrin in verb. inodience. & verb. neyligen. Ier. 35 11. 2. act. 15.19.3. 1. cor. 1….27.Angelica, and as many as followe his way. The appoſition of examples, I truſt will not be tedious. The Rechabites retire vntounto Ieruſalem, when Nebuchadnezzar invadeth the lande, ſo breaking the commaundement which their Father Ionadab gaue them, againſt dwelling in any cittie, and are guiltleſſe, becauſe they break it on private occaſion without contempt. and a 2 Corinthian eateth an Idolothire, breaking the Apoſtles decree, and 3 ſinneth not becauſe he breaketh it without ſcandall. ButvBellar. d… Pontifie. lib. 4. ca. 17 Blandina thought it a ſinne, to breake their lawe againſt bloud, euen in private, where was no daunger of any ſcandall, & euen in ſecret did other Chriſtians abſtaine from bloud aſwell as ſhee: Our anſwere is, ſhee with the reſt abſtained for daunger ofwFra. Iun. ibi. nota …0 future ſcandall, which might hauehave followed. They were charged by the pagans to ſpill the bloud of infants in ſecret, if they had not euen in ſecret abſtayned from bloude, how could they hauehave conteſted openly as now they doe? It is not likely that we ſhould eate the bloud of infantes, whoſe cuſtome is, to abſtayne from the very bloud of beaſtes. Spiridion doubted not to breake the order of the Church in Lent, and to vſe his chriſtian libertie when without ſcandall it might be vſed. For when his gueſte ſaid, I can eate no fleſh in Lent, becauſe I am a chriſtian: he replyed,xSozom. hiſtor. lib. 2. cap. 11. 2 Cor. 6.17. tanto minus recuſare debes, quia omnia munda mundis. wee hauehave more cauſe to omit the Croſſe, then he his fiſhe. he onelyonly did it becauſe he had none readie, we becauſe the Croſſe is a meate vncleane. It was theyConcill. Gerunden. & Melden. cap. 6. order of the church to baptize ſolemnly at no other time, but at Easter and Pentecoſte onlie, ſo thatzLeo de cō ſecrat. diſtinct. 5. ca. vt Ieiuni. Leo calleth it a raſh preſumption to baptize at any time elſe. and a certaineaConcil. Antiſiodor. Councell excommunicateth them that doe ſo. and yet this order did not all men keepe. ſomebSocrat. Hiſtor. lib. 5. cap. 22. wrote againſt it, becauſe by this meanes many dyed vnbaptized, otherscChryſo. in Geneſ. homil. 40. Bafil. in orat. ad Bapt. Nazianze. orat. 3. ad ſanct. laua. preached againſt it, and ſo (by all likelyhood) practized againſt it too, becauſe all tymes werealike for baptiſme. When the wholedSocra. hiſt. li. 5. ca. 22. Church receaued the communion in the morning, they of Alexandria and Thebais did vſe to receaue it after Supper, and did not ſinne; euen as at Antioche in Syria prayer was made towardes the Weſt, againſt the order of all the whole Church, and no tranſgreſſion made. IneNicephor. lib. 12. c. 34 Epiphanius it is a tradition of the church to hauehave a publique aſſemblie and meeting thrice eueryevery weeke, which was broken without ſinne. SofAuguſt. epiſt. vlt. ad Hieron. Augustine iuſtifieth Rome, againſt the order of the whole church in a Saterſdayes faſte. giuegive vntounto vsus our libertie (then) and we are free in our diſuſing of the ceremonies, becauſe it is without contempt, and without ſcandall, that we diſvſe them.