Against Symbolizing with Antichrist in Ceremonies, Part 2 · Chapter 6 · Section 5
#Sect. 5. Inexpediencie of Ceremo. makes not them guilty that only tollerate them, confuted.
THe third principle whervpon this ſort of our Oppoſites ſtandeth, Sect. 5.who graūt the ceremonies are inconvenient, is that the inexpediencie of them maketh not guiltie, ſeeing we doe but tollerat thē only againſt our wills, for the avoyding of a greater evill, which ever hath bin lawfull. Firſt, beit conſidered, that this was Melanct, ſong,aP Melanthon reſpō ad ſcript. concio…ar. Hamburg. plus rituū imponūt, qui vtcun que tollerari poſſunt, ne de ſe…ātur eccleſiae vt in Sueuia accidit, vbi in multis tēplis iāprorſus ſolitudo eſt, aut lupi iā praeſunt. whoſe cō formitie notwithſtāding how odious it was to the beſt divines of that age, it hath bin ſhewed elſwher. Secōdly, our cōformitie to the ceremo. is more then a tollerating of them. For what is it to tollerat? It is nothing els, but to omit the duty of puniſhing & of removing, to prevent a greater hurt. vponupon this axiom, bIoh. Molan. de fid. haetetic. ſer…and lib. 3 cap. 17.imperatiua praecepta nō ligant ad ſemper, ſed ad aliquid, ſci. ad id quod expedit. Herevpō it followeth, that tollerating is only a permiſsion of others voyd of doing, & of approving what they doe. So Tertul. cTertul lib de Monog.poſſum contēdere non merè bonū eſſe quod permittitur: quod n. merè bonū eſt, nō permittitur ſed vltro licet. So Auguſt. dAuguſt. epiſt 119. cap. ….multa eccle ſia, inter multa zizanta cōstituta tollerat, quae tamē nec approbat, nec docet, nec facit. Laſtly, ſo the papiſts thēſelves (although moſt groſſe in tolleratiō, as the tollerating of the ſtewes doth ſhew) who define a tolleration to be that, which permitteth others,eIoh Molan ibid. non probando. Hervpon we reaſon 3. wayes. 1. Conformitie is a commiſsion againſt a negatiue precept, …. Cor. 10.32giuegive no offence, which bindeth ad ſemper. wheras tolleration, is a bare omiſſion only of a precept affirmatiue quādo expedit; which here alſo hath no place, becauſe conformitie is inexpedient. Secondly, conformitie is a doing our ſelves not only a permiſſion of others to doe, that which a lawful tolleratiō only doth. Here are muſtered againſt vsus, certaine ceſſions of the godly, who yelded evē to the very doing of certaine things impoſed on thē, which they yet held to be inexpedient.fGregor li. 2. epiſt. 61. Gregorie proclaymed the law of Mauritius the Emperour, forbidding a ſouldier to become a Mon…e, writing notwithſtāding to him againſt the iniquitie of it. Mr gBeza. in vit. eius.Calvin conformed to the wafer cake at Geneva, preaching ſtil notwithſtanding againſt the inexpediencie of it. Mr Beza giveth coūſell to tollerate the engliſh ceremonies, rather then to be barred frō the preaching of the word. But Gregories caſe is not the ſame with ours: he held Mauritius law to be evil, not inexpedient only, therefore if he did execure it he was in ſinne, as Ioab was when he executed the Kings cōmandement & numbred the people, when he knew it was ſinfull. Howbeit, he executed it not, he only publiſhed what (as he thought)hIoh Molan vb ſup. lib 4 ca 2. ad tempus modicum tollerari potuit. Mr Calvins wafer cake & ours, differ in circūſtances of ſcandalizing, & yet our commu. booke it ſelf, doth refuſe to tollerate it. Mr Beza mBeza. epiſt. 12.denying the ſigne of the croſſe to be indifferent, what reaſon hauehave we to be ruled by him, if he coūſayle vsus to vſe it? But theſe count conformitie a tolleration. They ſpeake not properly; they meane it is mixtly a tolleration, which is partly a ſuffering, and partly a doing like the Philoſophers [mixta actio] partly volūtarie, & partly involuntarie: which they iuſtifie not neither, if we donBeza. epiſt. 8. fovere ſilentio, the inexpediēcie of theſe rites, and not earneſtly preach againſt it, which we are not permitted to doe, but are forbidden by the canon to ſpeak againſt them. Suppoſe then a man were in Turky, where is a law that no mā ſpeakoCario. Pencer. chronic. in H…racl…o. pag. 419. againſt the Alcoran, were it a tolleration only, there to conforme, were it not a plaine execution rather? Thirdly, conformitie requireth even an approbatiō of vsus. Firſt it defileth vsus with an approbation real [in fact.] againſt whichpAmbroſ. epiſt. 33. Ambroſe giveth exāple: whē the Emperor Valentinian required the church in Millaine ſhould be givē to the Arrians, he was not behinde to ſuffer & tollerate; but to deliuer the church dore keyes, he thinketh it an actuall approbatiō in fact, as we now ſinne, if by any fact of ours, we giuegive coū tenance to theſe ceremonies, that are impoſed, or doe any thing ſaue to ſuffer the puniſhmēt only. So is Peter qMagdeb. centur. …. li 2. ca. 10. in vit. pero.ſaid to approue (facto) the neceſſitie which was put in the ceremonies of Moſes law: and therHamburg. epiſt. ad P. Melanctō. Adiaphoriſtes in Germanie to teach (facto) the ſuperſtition of the ceremon, of the Interim, when they conformed to the vſe of them, though they preached againſt the abuſe: and when a man hath more care to adorne the church with outward ornaments, thē with a preacher, thogh his mind be not Iewiſh, yet doth he facto (ſaithgBellarm. controuerſ de cult. c. 6. Bellarmine) repreſentare Iudaicam ſuperſtitionem. Our not conformitie is iudged by law, a Refuſall in facte, & ſo puniſhable by the ſtatute, though by word of mouth, we proteſt all reverence to the law. Ergo our conformitie on the other ſide, is an approbation in facte likewiſe, though we teſtifie never ſo much by word of mouth, we doe not approve them. Indeed, if conformitie be in fact an approbation of the popiſh abuſe of them, thē much more of the Engliſh vſe: for which cauſes we muſt forbeare, as theſe words ſhew,tP. Martyr. epiſt. amic. cuida… in Auglia. Quis paulo rectius de religione inſtitutus, vidons te Chriſti nuntiū, ad altare veſtibus indutum, coram imagine crucifixi precari, verba ſacra recitare, diſtribuere ſacramēta, non exiſtimabis abs te quo que ritus iſtos, non tantū ferri, ſad etiam approbari? Secondly, conformitie doth require of vsus a cōfeſſionarie approbation of the ceremonies by ſubſcription, in which caſe we are to depart, even by Mr uBeza. opiſt. 8.Bezaes iudgement: and not of the ceremonies only but even of the impoſing of them, & puniſhing of the neglect of thē, to the iuſtifying of our governours in all their procedings, by their ſuſpentions, excōmunications, deprivations, degradations of good men, & to the cōdemning of the generation of the iuſt, in their ſuffrings about thē. ſo that I know not whether here we hauehave not an Image renewed of Germans cōformitie, of which ſome thus,wConfeſſ. Mans feld. apud Conrad Schluſelburg. lib. 13. pa. 562 by our yeelding we ſhould condemne our ſelves, & offerre our brethrē to the ſeveritie of the oppreſſors, as if they were mē that ſtood in theſe matters cōtumaciter, & ſine aliqua iuſta & neceſſaria cauſa: & our enimies would hereby be confirmed in their hard proceedings, & be hindred frō repentance. Here are 3. excuſes framed. Firſt we intend no ſuch matter in our ſubſcription, but an yeelding only to the vſe of theſe ceremo. which what is to the purpoſe? for all while our church intēdeth, that by thy ſubſcriptiō, thou ſhouldeſt approve al her procedings mentioned, it is now dolus malus in thee, if thou ſubſcribe & cōforme not plainly, according to her intētion & meaning: even asxCicero de offic. lib. 1. heathens thēſelves &yIoh. Mol… ̄ de ſid haeretic ſeruan. li. 1. cap. 15 papiſtes, and notzAmb… of. de offic. lib 3. ca 10. 12 Iſidor. d… ſum bon. lib 1. ca. 31 Orthodox writers only hold it fraud in othes & contracts, not to follow their intention with whō we deale: much more then is it equivocation, when it is a Magiſtrate that dealeth with vsus, who repreſenteth the perſon of God, & of whomaBernard. li. de praecep & diſpenſ. Bernard well exvolūtate iubentis pendet intentio exequētis. The 2. excuſe is, that the Biſhops before whō they ſubſcribe, do allow them fauorable interpretations, exceptions, limitations in their ſubſcribing, which helpe not neither. firſt it is knowne, that the Bb. hath no authoritie to giuegive ſuch exception, limitation. &c. as nobThom. Aquin. 1.2. queſt. 97. art. 4. cai…t. ibid. inferior officer hath againſt the intent of any cōmon law. But our law giueth ſpecial libertie to the Biſhop to interpret the cōmun. booke. true, to interpret, by giuing of the right ſence of it, which is no eaſe to the ſubſcriber, ſeeing the originall intent, of thoſe that firſt framed it, is manifeſtly corrupt. Firſt it is a manifeſt corruptiō, that popiſh phraſes are left in it, which muſt needs turne to danger, howſoeuer by the Biſhops interpretatiō, they may be turned to ſome good ſenſe. know we not, that the Germane diuines, thought it a ſinne againſt cōfeſſion,cThoſ. de Adiaphor. Theolog. Saxon. ap. Conrad. Schluſſelb. Iſa 3. p. 467 phraſes papiſticas recipere in the Interim? & todIo Wigād in Synopſ. Antichriſt. ibid. p 300 imitari ambiguas & flexiloquas phraſes Antichriſti? Secondly, there be rubrickes & ſentēces which cānot be ſolued, vnles it be by ſome ſhifting gloſſe, which ſwerveth frō the intent of the book it ſelf, & ſerveth only for a figge leafe to cover (as it were) the nakednes of it. This ingenuitie it ſelfe abhorreth ſo much the more, the more it draweth neare to that glozing of the Valētin. wherby the ſucceſſors of that ſecteeLambert. Dane de haereſ. c 12 tantū ſibi permittebant, quantū lupae & meretrices faeminae, quibus formā quotidie ſuppurare ſolenne eſt as ſpeaketh Tertull. fTertul. de praeſcript.vnuſquiſ que proinde ſuo arbitrio modulatur quae accepit, quēadmodū de arbitrio ea compoſuit, ille qua tradidit. As for religion and a good conſcience, they much more abhorre this painting, as we ſee by the Germane Divines, who ſcore this vp for an Adiaphoriſticall ſinne,gTheſ. de Adiaphor. Theolog. Saxon ap. Conrad. Schluſſelb. pag. 464. Non neceſſarias, vel etiam ſcandaloſas, imo etiam impias ceremonias, fucis ac praeſtigijs artificioſe pingere ac commendare, ad decipiendum ſimpliciores. But this is the Biſhops fault (you will ſay) that tempereth theſe paintings: As if the miniſter that ſuffereth himſelfe to be induced to ſubſcription by thē, doth not when he hath done, defend his ſubſcription by them alſo? whereby they ſinne with thoſe Adiaphoriſtes, who to decline frō the dutie of confeſſionhConfeſſ. illuſtriſ…i. mor. princi. & Duc. Saxon. aedid. ann. 1560. apu. Conrad. Schluſſelb. pag 580. humana ſapientia latebras quaerebant, & foreign ſiue aſtuta effugia captabant, quibus elaberentur, ne propter confeſsionē eliquid periculi ſuſtinere cogerētur: and who pertinaci & ſophiſticae propugnatione, iniu ſte factorum, recte que ſentientium, ac monentiū damnatione, nō ſolum augebant diſsidiam, lIo. Wigād. vb. ſup.ſed & ſibijpſis iram Dei accerſebant, iuxta illud Iſa. 5. vae vobis qui dicitis malū bonum. To omit this, it is the duetie of a Miniſter to preach to others, what the thirde Angell in the 18. of the Apocal. ſuggeſteth to him, to wit, l Ne larva Ceremoniarū Antichriſti induatur: & ne ipſius corruptelae, aliqua callida gloſſula fucentur. Heare themConrad. Schluſſelb. lib. 13. in epiſt. dedicator. complaint which one maketh againſt all thoſe who ſwarne from this rule, inſuper palam & publicè. &c. openly and publiquely they goe about to reconcile with the trueth erronious ſpeaches, that is, the foundations of errours with their violent expoſitions. Now theſe erronious ſpeaches, them ſelues are ſtill left remayning, ſed inter pretationes illae fucoſae & fumoſae diſperiunt, ſo the Preachers ſuffer the fountaine it ſelfe to be troubled: they ſuffer ſluttiſh chaunnels to flow: they ſuffer the ſheepe to drinke muddy water, and what (then) ſhall poſte ritie receyue at our handes? Is this faithfully to diſcharge our ſelues of that dep oſitum which God hath committed to our keeping?npag. 58. Againe, erronious ſentences againſt the rule of trueth, and their owne conſciences, with gloſſes and interpretations, deviſed with exceeding craft, they excuſe, cloke, inſtill, contrarie to the authours meaning. Now, is not this to giuegive falſe teſtimonie before God and his Church? evaneſcunt. a. illae philoſophicae & bellae gloſſulae ſeu cluſiones, in teneras a uras, ipſa verò axiomata, ipſi que nervi errorum, manent. Gloſſator ille ſubtilis, errores cuns veritate concilians, non ſemper erit praeſto, & textus ipſe repugnat. As for the exceptions and limitations, whereby ſubſcribers excuſe them ſelues, what authoritie hath the Biſhop to allow them, in which their conſciences may reſt? The beſt exception which is ſtoode on, is that the Rubrick and the Callender ſometimes are excepted of which we may ſay as was replied to the like exception, wherewith the conformers to the Germane Adiaphoriſme ſmoothed over their conſciences,oConrad. Schluſſel. li. 13. p. 519 Caeſar nequaquam vult eſſe contentus, tali partiali ceſsione, ſed integram poſtulat obedientiam, id quod extra omnem controverſiam eſt. As for limitatiō ſtood on they hauehave the ſame evill in them, which the limitations of the Germane Adiaphoriſme had,pTheſ. de Adiaphor. Theolog. Saxō, apud Conrad. Schluſſelb. pag. 510. Confeſſ. Eccleſ. Mansfeld. ap. eundem pag 529. et ſi quaedam limitationes adduntur, tamen ſcandalum non tollitur. therefore, the q Germane Divines would nullas recipere de rebus medijs conditiones, ne haberent adverſarij quod gaudeant, pij quo turbentur, and leaſt themſelues ſhould be proclaymed inconſtant, and men trembling at eueryevery feare of danger, ſeu tremit à quovis fraxina virga noto. The third excuſe which our Oppoſites bring, is, that they are ſuffered to vſe proteſtation by word of mouth, which cleareth from a totall approbation. Marcellinus is ſaid to hauehave vſedrChemnit. Iudic. de Adiaphor. ap. eundem pag. 720. proteſtation, when he threw his frankencenſe into the fire, yet did he afterward repent deeplie this fall of his. SaintsConrad. Lutzenbn. in catalog. heteticor. verb. Ital. Martine, for one hower hath cōmunion with the Priſcilianiſtes, to deliuer certaine captiued chriſtians, which Maximus otherwiſe would hauehave ſlaine. Notwithſtanding this neceſſitie, and notwithſtanding that he did it with proteſtation againſt their hereſie, notwithſtanding that he refuſed hanc communionem ſubſcriptione firmare, yet he lamented afterward this fact of his, with many bitter teares. When they oftIo. Molan. de fide haereti. ſeruan. li. 5. ca. 25. Antwarpe, ſwore to the Duke of Alencon, they excuſed them ſelues in like maner by proteſtation, & ſubintellect a conditione, to whom it was anſwered (which is common to this our caſe) quaſi proteſtatio aliquid operaretur, vbi proteſtans facit contrarium ſua proteſtationi? ad hunc modū, turare ad rem turpem, ſubintellecta conditione, non differt à proteſtatione Pilati, qui Christum condemnavit, praemiſſa ſpecie quadam proteſtationis. And thus farre to thoſe, who thinke conformitie may and muſt be performed to the ceremonies, though they be inexpedient.