Against Symbolizing with Antichrist in Ceremonies, Part 2 · Chapter 6 · Section 14
#Sect. 14. The argument of tollerating Ceremonies drawen from Paules puriſying, and the Iewiſh obſervation of Penticoſt, confuted.
I Come nowe to the ſecond allegation againſt vsus drawne from Paule purifying himſelfe in the Temple: Sect. 14.and obſeruing the feaſt of the Iewiſh Penticoſte, both which conformities to Iewiſh rites, Act. 21.26. Act. 20.16.with euerie other which he vſed I ioyne together, gether, becauſe they mayaD. Willet. controuer. 9. qu. 8. p. 2 receaue one anſwere. Firſt, this reaſon runneth with all Adiaphoriſtes, both of all times and ſortes: Symmachus drewe the example of Chriſt, liuing in the Nazarites vowe as he ſuppoſed, out of Math. 2.23. to prove that the obſeruing of Iewiſh rites muſt be perpetuall. The hereticall Nazarites proued the ſame by theſe examples of the Apoſtles which we hauehave touched,bLambert. Dane. in Auguſt. de …reſ. ca. 9 Auguſtinus ſcribit ex conatam haereſin, quod quae Apoſtoli conceſſerunt ad tempus, inter Iudaeos obſeruari, illi ſemper eavellent eſſe retinenda inter omnes Chriſtianos. Let them looke to this, who out of theſe examples of Paule, and of the reſt of the Apoſtles indeauour in like manner to proue a perpetuall retention in the church, not of Iewiſh ceremonies, but of popiſhe which are farre worſe. Sure if they looke not well vntounto it, they will doe great hurt by iuſtifying thoſe, who reaſon from hence in verie like manner, not only for an Adiaphoriſme (as they in Germanie)cConrad. Schluffell…. com. 13. pag. 520. Apoſtoli quaedam conceſſerunt Iudaeis, vt abſtinere à fanguine & ſuffocato, ergo & nos fratribus & cupientibus iuuare eccleſiam aliquae concedamus: but alſo for a Nichodemyiſme, for why may not we preſent our ſelues in a popiſhe temple and adſtare miſsificationi (ſaydZanch. vb ſup. pag 492. Col. 2. Conrad Schluſſelb. rom. 12. the Nichodemites now) aſwell as he affoorded his preſence in the temple, of the Iewiſh and ſtoode before their Altars there in the time of their ſacrificing? Secondlie it is doubted, whether Paules conformitie in the temple were lawfull or no. there beeZanch. de vitil… extern cult oppoſit. Theſ. 11. pa. 491 many that condemne it, both offTertul. cont. Marcion. lib. 1. cap. 20. Hieron. apiſt. 89. old and ofgGualt. in Act. 21. homil. 138 Bullenger. commen. in Act. 11. verſ. 26. Magdebu…entur. 1. li. 2. ca 10. de vit. Paul. newe writers: and with verie great ſhewe of reaſon. The Iewes were Zelo accenſi towards the ceremonies of the lawe. againſt theſe Paule hath preached elſewere: and it is after twentie yeeres, that the Goſpell hath nowe been preached: and God did not bleſſe it: ſo that his conformitie ſtrengthened the perverſe zeale of the Iewes; gaue occaſion to them, to thinke he was a diſſembler: and laſtlie, nouriſhed them in their Iudaiſme ouer long. Receaue theſe reaſons, and then conformitie to our ceremonies controverſed is likewiſe vnlawfull, becauſe we knowe it will harden the papiſt in his ſuperſtition: open mens mouthes to report of vsus, as of turnecoates, keepe our owne brethren in their poperie ouerlong, and God will not bleſſe it in vsus, eſpeciallie who cannot conforme without ſinne againſt our conſciences in his ſight. Thirdly, though this conformitie of Paules were lawfull, yet is it not able to iuſtifie vsus, becauſe our caſe and his are divers in ſundry reſpectes. Firſt, this was counſelled by Iames and performed by Paule, vponupon a ſuppoſall the Iewes were weake, and as yet not well inſtructed in their libertie from the ceremonies of Moſes lawe: which error of theirs (ashAuguſt: epiſt. 19. Auguſtine termeth it) their charitie in part excuſed, whereas the papiſtes hauehave been inſtructed againſt their idolatrie and ſuperſtition in theſe ceremonies, and are growne obſtinate in the ſame. Paules cauſe here was the ſame that it was at Corinth, when he tooke the vowe of the Nazarites, to drawe on them, who were though alreadie comming onward. Ours is now againſt his then, when he would not circumcize Titus to drowne them deeper in ſuperſtition, who were drenched alreadie in it. Secondly, there is a difference in the tyme. Though the ceremonies of Moſes were deprived of life, yet thelZanch vb. ſup. 492. Willet controverſ. 6. queſt. 3. p. 1 time was not come that they were to be actuallie buried; their funerall day being paſt, to wit, the day of the TemplesmA mand. Polan. in Dan. 9. verſ ruine, (for it was the rubble of the temple vnderunder which all the ceremonies of it lay healed and buried) nowe Paule might not as he might before, conforme him ſelfe to them, nor innAuguſt. epiſt. 19. Colum. 76 Auguſtines iudgement, any man vſe them, becauſe now tanquam ſopitos cineres eruens, non erit pius deductor & baiulus corporis, as Paule was here in his conformitie, ſed impius potius ſepulturae violator. Now the ceremonies cōtroverſed, comming not from heauen but from the lande of the vncircumcized, we never owed to them any honorable burial which was due to theſe of the Iewes: but the buriall rather of the vncircumcized, which was to caſt them to the Moules and to the backes: Iſa. 2.20, 1…and to throwe them away like a menſtruous cloth. Iſa. 30.22.But if for a time they were to be kept to a ſolemne funerall day, yet who knoweth not, this funerall day ought to hauehave been long ſince haſtened, euen as our writers teache. One of them thus:oGualt. in hunc loc. Act. 21, 26. Docemur hinc quanto incommodent, &c. we are taught hereby how much hurt commeth to the Goſpel by thoſe ſuperſtitious patrones of ceremonies (he ſpeaketh of them who labour ſtill to keepe rites popiſh aboue ground) who nouriſh infirmitie of faith, by their too long continuing of them, & ſud indulgentid, ardentioribus miniſtris remoras obijciunt. So another▪ vponupon pretence of the peoples weaknes (ſaithpBucer. in Math. 18. he) they deferre the reforming of popiſh rites, whereas it is nones weaknes (indeed) but their owne that doeth with-hold them. Ceremonies (ſaithqLaurenc. Saund. Act & Monument pag. 1494. another) are ordayned for mans imperfection, ſo that popiſh ceremonies retayned, muſt needes both argue imperfection, and alſo nouriſh it. The papiſt muſt be healed like the Melancholie man, who was to beſmoothed vp a while to get credit with him, when he thought his noſe was great. howbeit ſtill to hauehave ſoothed him, now when credit was gotten with him, or when no credit was to be gotten at all, this had been to hauehave nouriſhed his conceyte, as we nowe nouriſh the conceyt of the papiſtes, in that we indeavour to pleaſe them ſtill in the vſe of theſe ceremonies, now that we ſee there is no good to be done with them. Thirdly, betweene our, and Paules conformitie, there is a difference in regard of the place. If Paule conforme him ſelf to the ceremonies of the Iewes, it is at Ieruſalem, where they hauehave not beenrIoh Caluin. in Act. 21. verſ. 26 preached againſt, or if preached againſt at all, yet verie remiſſlie, would he hauehave conformed him ſelfe atsIoh. Reynold. de Idololat. lib. 1. cap. 4. ſect. 18. Antioch, where he him ſelf had preached againſt them, to the ſtrengthening of the Iewes in their error, and to the diſcouradging of the Gentiles, in their zeale? it appeareth by his withſtanding of Peters conformitie in that place that he would not: which now is our caſe: for aſmuch as it is at Antioche that we muſt conforme our ſelues: and in thoſe very churches, where they hauehave been diſvſed, where we our ſelues hauehave preached againſt them: where the papiſt will be incouraged: the chriſtian cooled in his zeale againſt poperie. Fourthly, there is a difference in the ende: For Paule was reported to bee an Apoſtata from the lawe, and in histAuguſt. Zanch. doct willet. vb. ſuq prophanes to hauehave condemned aſwell theſe rites, as he condemned the idolatries of the Gentiles: and it was to wipe away this ſcandall that he conformeth: thereby to get audience to preach vntounto them. This ende of his we are onelyonly to followe by conforming our ſelues to all good workes, thereby to defeate the imputation of profanes and looſe life, which the papiſtes obiecte vntounto vsus. in conforming to the ceremonies we cannot followe it, vnleſſe our governours will hauehave vsus ſhewe by our conformitie to theſe their badges, that it is falſe we hate their religion, and condemne it, as idolatrous. Fiftlie, there is a difference in the ſubiect, and the ſame double. Firſt, the ceremonie in which Paule conformed him ſelfe was indifferent, till the totall aboliſhing of all the reſt: whereas the croſſe we hold to be evill, which anſwere we hold by them, who whē a Nichodemite argueth, I may be preſent at maſſe aſwell as Paule in the temple, give thisuZanch. vb. ſup pa. 492. Colum. 2. replie, The maſſe and popiſh ſervice, is evill, but Paules vowe was indifferent. Secondly, the ceremonie to which Paule conformed, was a morall ceremonie: to wit, a ceremonie of thankſgiving: it was none of them in which the Iewes placed then ſalvation: in regard whereof, it had not thenwIoh. Galuin. in Act. 21. verſ. 16 Fran Iun. alibi. been lawfull for him to hauehave gone to the brazē altar to offer there an expiatorie ſacrifice for his ſinne; that which we muſt doe now if we cōforme our ſelues to the croſſe. For doe not the papiſtes hold him neceſſarie to ſalvation, and expiatorie of veniall ſinne: and meritorious, as hath been ſhewed elſewhere?