Against Symbolizing with Antichrist in Ceremonies, Part 2 · Chapter 5 · Section 14

Against Symbolizing with Antichrist in Ceremonies · Part 2 · Chapter 5 · Section 14

p. 32#Sect. 14. Non-Conformitie is neither contempt nor ſcandall.

THis are we nowe to make manifeſt againſt our Oppoſites, who lay to our charge both theſe tranſgreſſions, and hotly charge vsus, that our forbearance of conformitie, doth both contemne and ſcandalize. Cōcerning the former, A man may omit a thing commaunded without contempt, and ſo doe we, whereas our Oppoſites thinke the contrarie, and imagine our bare omiſſion is a contempt, for that they thinke vsus bounde in conſcience to obſerue what is commaunded, they may hauehaveaaBellarm. controuerſ. 5. li. 3. c. 11 Bellarmine to backe them, who out of Rom. 13. yee muſt obey for Conſcience ſake, obiecteth the ſame againſt our Writers, but other Divines they muſt expect to hauehave againſt them, whether they be old or newe. Contumaciae crimen eſt (ſaithbbAuguſt. de verb. Dom. in Ioh. ſerm 57. Augustine) quod iubetur contemnere, quod praecipitur nolle, quod imperatum est declinare. ſo that, it is not a contempt [non obedire] ſimplie, but nolle obedire. that which another more plainely explicateth after this manner. He obſerueth, that when Samuel chargeth Saule with a contempt, he doeth not ſaye,ccBernard. li. de praecept. & diſpenſa. non acquieviſti verbo Domini, but noluiſti acquieſcere, wherevpon he inferreth, non eſt id ipſum, nolle obedire, & non obedire, hoc quippè interdum erroris eſt, nonnunquam & infirmitatis, illud verò aut odioſae pertinatiae, aut contumatiae non ferenda. Non ergo qualiſcun que mandati praeteritio criminalem facit inobedientiam, ſed repugnare, ſed nolle obedire. The ſchole-menddTho. Aquin 2.2. queſt. 1…6. art. 9. reſponſ. ad. 3. teach the verie ſame; to wit, that to omit, is not to contemne, but to omit for this, becauſe we [will not be ſubiect.] Of the ſame iudgemēt are our owne Writers: Non cenſendi ſunt illi (ſaitheeMat. Surcliue. de Pontifie. lib. 4. cap. 7. pa. 352. one) Magiſtratum contemnere, qui aliquam ei…s legem particularem tranſgrediuntur. Apoſtolus enim vbi dicit, neceſsitate ſubditi eſtote propter conſcientiam, de generali obedientia loquitur, & non de particulari. An other to the ſame ſenſe:ffD. Whita, cont. Dureum. lib. 8 pag. 731. Quoad genus parendum eſt propter conſcientiam, quia generali praecepto iubemur Magiſtratni parere, particulares tamen Magiſtratuum leges, nullum habent in conſcientias dominatum. AnggD. Field of the Church li. 4. cap. 34. other more plainly: we anſwer firſt, that the matter of Conſcience due to the Magiſtrate, is to be ſubiect to him in all things: for ſubiection is required generally, and abſolutely, where obedience is not. Secondlie, it is euen to obey when obedience is profitable, and for the good of the common wealth: euen as the reaſon why we are to obey a lawe humane is this, becauſe it p. 33maketh a thing to be good, and to be profitable, by a generall obſervation, which before was not profitable when it was obſerued in private. This conſidered, our Oppoſites cannot lay contempt vntounto our charge, vnleſſe they will break into our conſciences, and take vponupon them to ſee our heartes, and cenſure our thoughtes, & paſſe this ſentence & doome ouer them, that it is euenhhDecret. p. 1. diſtinct. 30. cap. 8. ſuperbiendo that we omit the preſent ceremonies, that we breake the lawe ſtimulo propriae cogitationis impulſi, and becauſe we challenge to our ſelues perfectam in noſtra ſcientia rationē, wherof (we thanke the Lord) we are cleere. They cannot obiect it vntounto vsus neither, as long as we ſubiect our ſelues vntounto our Governours to doe to vsus whatſoeuer they pleaſe, which excuſeth from contempt, when obedience is not profitable, as in our caſe it is not. This hauehave we ſealed euen with the teſtimonie of an adverſarie: ſuffering (““Do. Bilſ. ag. Apolo. p. 2. p. 349 ſaith he) is as ſure ſigne of ſubiection, as obeying. Secondly, what is omitted ex neceſsitate, is not omitted ex contemptu (ſay thellSilueſt. Prier. in ſumma. in ver. contempt. ſchoolmen) to whom one of ourmmSibrand. Lubbert. de Pap. Roman. li. 8. cap. 7. pag. 705. owne accordeth, He that omitteth what he is cōmaunded, ſinneth not ſi it a affectus ſit vt libenter eſſet facturus, modo non impediretur. as we are nowe willing to keepe theſe rites and ceremonies, were not their ſinfull and ſcandalous circumſtances, ſo many lettes and impedimentes to vsus. Thirdly, that which is done ex fragilitate aut ex ignorantia non affectata, is not done (as thennSilueſt. P. vb. ſup. & in verb. in obedienc. Schoolemen doe imagine) ex contemptu, ſo that we proteſting before God and man, we thinke we do well in forbearing the ceremonies: and doubt we ſhould ſinn, if we ſhould vſe them, we are in charitie to be iudged to offende (in caſe we offende at all) of weaknes, frailtie, and of error, and not of contempt. Thus Auguſtin, ooAuguſt. de ſerm. Dout. in mont. lib. 2Si quis conquaſtus de ſtomacho, ieiunare noluerit, & tu id non credens edacitatis vitio tribueris, temerè indicabis. Now we complaine our weake ſtomackes brooke not the croſſe, iudge vsus (then) to hauehave omitted it of contempt, and thou haſt raſhly iudged. Fourthly, whereas our Oppoſites obiect againſt vsus, that our former continued cuſtome, and preſent purpoſe not to conforme for time to come, are evident ſignes whereby they may iudge vsus of contempt: we anſwere firſt, that this contemptus inter pretatiuus is no ſure and certaine grounde. The grounde it ſtandeth vponupon is this,ppZoſim. Pap. epiſt. … contumeliae ſtudio fit, quicquid interdictum toties vſur patur. and a cuſtome without purpoſe to amende, doeth argue an habite of contempt. This interpretation, is not ſecundum veritatem alwayes (ſayethqqSilueſt. P. vb. ſub. one) but ſecundum praeſumptionem oftentymes. The partie may vſe (ſayethrrTho. Aquin. 2.2. queſt. 186. art. 9. ad. 3. another) an accuſtomed omiſſion, for ſome other cauſe, then for an irreuerence, and the ſame wilfull againſt the Lawe: which when he ſo doeth, it is not out of contempt hee doeth it.

Now God be thanked our witnes on highe, who hath not lefte vsus voyde of cauſes more then many, which we are able to alleadge out of his worde for that we doe. Secondly, for as much as this interpretation leadeth vsus, to iudge by outward ſignes, we deſire our Oppoſites to remember, that auncient equitie,ssIoh. Pap. … epiſt. 1. de occultis cordis alieni, temerè iudicare, iniquum est: & eum, cuius non videntur opera ni ſi bona, peccatum est ex ſuſpicione repraehendere. We appeale (then) to the carriage of our ſelues, in the accuſtomed courſe of our liues.ttAuguſt. de ſerm. Dom in mont. li. 2. pa. 1154 Auguſtine ſpeaking of one that was ſingular in his attire, and brake in apparell the common order, yee muſt iudge him (ſayeth he) ex caeteris operibus, vtrum contemptu ſuperflui cultus aut aliqua ambitione hoc faciat. Nam ex fructibus cognoſcetis eos: One of our late Writers treadeth in the ſame ſteppes,vvA. Hiper. de ſact. ſtud. non deferend. pag. 161. ^u Ex certis ſignis facile deprehenditur, num quis per contumaciam ſeu contemptum aliquid inſolens faciat. Piorum igitur eſt dare operam, vt ea conſpici in ipſis ſigna poſsint, quae ſimplicitatem, modeſtiam, charitatem fraternam teſlentur. For example: IfwwSocrat. hiſtor. li. 2. c. 32. conci. tō. 1.373. Euſtathius be helde ſciſmaticall, hee euidentlie ſheweth foorth many ſignes and tokens of pride: amongeſt the reſt, the affected peregrinitie of his ſtraunge attire, is one. p. 34when Eunomius is cenſured for axxZozom. lib. 6. cap. 26. contempt, in breaking of the Trin-immerſion, vſed downeward from the Apoſtles dayes, there appeareth an audaciouſnes in his ſpirit, an inſolencie in his wordes and carriage, yea and in his doctrine. Laſt of all, the ceremony-breakers of Auguſtines time, bewraye plainly an affectation of ſtraunge things, ſeene in their travill and peregrination,yyAuguſt. epiſt. 118. cap. 11. Quam eo doctiorem putant, quo remotiorem à ſuis. together with a waywarde pride, vt niſi quod ipſi faciunt, nihil rectum exiſtiment. So it is not the omitting of an Eccleſiaſticall faſte which the CouncillzzCan. 19. Gangrenſe condemneth, but when ſome propter ſuperbiam communia totius Eccleſiae ieiunia contemnunt. And the CouncillaaConcil. Toletan. 9 can. 9. Toletan doth puniſhe them onelyonly, Qui auſu temerario omnia contemnunt, in their breaking of the Churches faſte. When the contempt of the Bogomilici, is condemned, it is withall thus deſcribed,bbDecret. p. 1. diſtin. 30 cap. 8. Omnia ſibi indifferentia putant, nulliſ que praeceptis obligantur. Auguſtine and Epiphanius condemne Aerius, not for his not faſtinge ſimplie, according to the Churches cuſtome, but forccMat. Sutell li. de pontific. 4. ca. 7 diſturbing of the Church, with his inſolencie and his pride. Put vsus then in an euen ballance: waighe vsus as we are founde in our ſelues, and not as we are tranſformed and metamorphized from our ſelues by our accuſers. What ſignes ſee men in vsus of pride or contempt? What be our caetera opera that bewray ſuch an humour? Doe we deſpiſe all the ordinances of the Church? Refuſe we to be obliged to anie? And what bee our auſus temerarij? What diſturbance alſo of the Church can they iuſtly lay to our charge? Nay (indeed) on the other ſide, doe we not as our infirmitie doth permitt, giuegive foorth ſignes of fayth, charitie, ſimplicitie, modeſtie, which giuegive ſauour to the contrarie? There is inddAuguſt. de tempor. ſerm. 62. Auguſtine, a man excuſed, for breaking of a Church faſte, that doeth breake it by him ſelfe, and inviteth not others to breake it with him. euen ſo we: we incite no man to the refuſall of the ceremonies for which we ſuffer, but ſuffer all men to abounde in their owne ſenſe…. Chryſoſtome eeChryſoſt. in Gen. homil. 10.cleareth a man in breaking the ſame, that vponupon a faſting daye ſpendeth the time in prayer, almes, reconciling of enimies, and ſuch like dueties. in quibus infirmitas corporis nihilob ſtat. a iuſt proportion from hence cleareth vsus, if we conforme in other things, in quibus animi conſcientia non obſtat, though otherwiſe they bring their burthen with them.

Now let it be named wherein we goe not two myle when we are commaunded to goe but one. Mat. 5.41.Matt 5:41yea, wherein we goe not, as many myles as any ſhooe of the preparation of the Goſpell, Epheſ. 6.15Eph 6:15will beare vsus? What payment, what payne, what labour, what taxation, made vsus euer to murmur? Survey our charges, where wee hauehave laboured, if they be not founde to be of the faythfulleſt ſubiectes that be in the lande, we deſerue no fauour. Nay there is wherein we ſtretch our conſciences to the vttermoſt to conforme and to obeye in diverſe matters, which our beſt Writers finde faulte withall.ffDoctor Willet. controverſ. 9. quaeſt. 8. pag. 2. One of theſe ſpeaking of the heatheniſh names of the dayes which are vſed, which theggRhem. in Annotat. in Apoc. 1. verſ. 10.Rev 1:10 Ieſuites them ſelues condemne, applyeth to them that of Auguſtine, hhAuguſtin. in Pſalm. 93.Ps 93Nolumus vt dicant, & vtinam corrigantur vt non dicant. The ſame we may well applye, I ſaye not to theſe names, but to many other ceremonies; to the feaſt dayes of ſaints; therforellIoha. Reynold. conferenc. c. 8. diviſ. 2. worthy to be aboliſhed, becauſe they breede an error in men, as if the ſainct him ſelfe were honoured. to abſtinence from fleſhe, and faſtings, comformable to thoſe of the papiſtes, which themmTheſ. de Adiaphor. Theolog. Saxon. apud Conrad. Schluſſelburg. Tom. 13. pag. 510.512.514. Germane Divines condemned, although commaunded as they are here, for politie only and not for religion to the ſeiunctio chori à reliquo tēplo for the miniſter alone to pray in, whichnnBucerus in Cenſur. cap. 1. one holdeth Antichriſtian. to the going vp of the prieſt to the communion table to ſay all the prayers of the canon till he come to the offertorie, which is calledooIbidem cap. 3. quoddam coenae ſimulachrum, idoneū ad confirmādam p. 35miſſae fiduciam, with others like, of which we may ſay, Nolumus vt fiant, & vtinam corrigantur vt non fiant. to which notwithſtanding we doe conforme, and are we yet cōtemptuous? we are able to ſay, are we refractarie in other things, as Balaams Aſſe ſaide to his Maiſter: have I vſed to ſerve thee ſo at other times? therefore the Canon lawe doth cleare vsus, for they are without fault (ſaith it) who when they diſobey their Prelates, are able to pleade in the words of this Aſſe,ppDecre-. p. 2. cap. 2. qu. 7. ca. 41 cur nos verberibus affligit is? cur nobis iniuſtè iraſcimini? nunquid vobis inobedientes fuimus, niſt nunc cum ad malum cogimur? videte illum qui prohibet ab incepto.