Against Symbolizing with Antichrist in Ceremonies, Title page – Part
A SCHOLASTICALL DISCOVRSE AGAINST SYMBOLIZING WITH ANTICHRIST IN CEREMONIES: ESPECIALLY IN THE SIGNE OF THE CROSSE.
Anno Domini, 1607.
To the Reader.
GEntle Reader, thou mayeſt perceiue by the following Proteſtation, how the Author was forced to compile this Treatiſe, to preuent the diſcredit he might reape by ſome ſcattered notes. The like neceſſitie doth compell, the preſent publiſhing hereof, to avoyde the ſcandall which may ariſe, by a large anſwere, penned to the firſt papers, which were ſcribled out by the Author in few dayes, and are not the true copie to which he doth ſlande: In which reſpect I hope the Author will not be offended hereat, when it ſhall come to his knowledge, though he were altogether vnwilling it ſhould paſſe into the handes of his frindes for ſo publick a purpoſe. And to thee good Reader I doubt not but it ſhall bee very acceptable, for the great learning, acutenes, modeſtie, fidelitie and ſufficiencie thou ſhalt finde therein: It containing a full anſwere to whatſoeuer hath bene materially obiected by the Prelates, or any of their Champions in d…fence of the Ceremonies, and in ſpecial, to the Sophiſtications of ſuch, as hauehave written for the Croſſe in Baptiſme. Thus forbearing to commende the worke which will much better commende it ſelfe, I commende both thee and it, to the rich bleſſing of God in Chriſt Ieſus. Farewell.
A protestation of the Authour.
AS Augustine once thought it fitt, vponupon occaſion to make knowne, both whereof he ſtood in doubt, and alſo wherefore: ſo iudged I it my parte of late (touching the Cōtrouerſies about the Ceremonies) to ſhewe in writing, both what the poyntes be I ſtood vponupon, Auguſtinde Genefi. ad liter. lib. 10. c. 26and what are my grounds and reaſons. To this purpoſe I addreſſed a certayne Treatiſe (ſuch as it was) againſt the Croſſe: which I imparted to ſome of my friends: either to hauehave their cenſure of it, or to approoue my ſelfe vntounto them in my forbearance to conforme. This being copied out by ſome (who I know not) was made more cōmon then I would: and that vnliked, & more vnfaſhioned, then might be for my credit. By this meanes I was inforced to take penne in hande againe, & to frame this ſorie Treatiſe: as to ſet right what before was out of ſquare, ſo to poliſh (as I was able) what was vnfyled, and to take in (by ſome additions) ſome things that wanted. Now becauſe I doe not know, into whoſe handes this poore labour of myne may come: therefore I begge of the indifferent Reader, to take knowledge before hande from me of theſe fewe things. Firſt, let none thinke me to be one that ſtandeth vponupon termes of learning: I am too much priuie to ouermuch ignorance: I know well (although not ſo well as I ſhould) quàm mihi ſit curta ſupellex: beſides I want bookes and conference, and my Schoole ſtudies hauehave ben long diſcontinued. In regard hereof I am to craue common humanitie at the leaſt, which is to read my abortiue ouerſightes with due compaſſion: ſome of which I hauehave my ſelfe alreadie found: as Malta miſtaken out of Surius for Nilenus: Nazianzen forgotten in Germanes alluſion, and the time of the German triple Crowne, not ſo diſtinctly ſet down as it ſhould. Secondly, as I doe not ſtande vponupon any chalenge to learning at all, ſo neither doe I ſtande peremptorilie, vponupon the aſſertions of this Treatiſe (not as if I doubted of what I hauehave written, whether it be true or not) but becauſe my determination is no more, then to ſuppone and propound the reaſons which I hauehave againſt the Ceremonies, and that Dicis cauſae onlie, by way of diſputation. To hauehave ſet downe eueryevery thing with a Quaere, had bene for a Diſcourſe vnfitt, to hauehave annexed to euerie period and propoſition As it ſeemeth to vsus, or As we thinke, abſurd and tedious: I expect it ſhall ſuffice, that I protest here once for all, that theſe Clauſes be vnderſtood throughout this whole Diſcourſe. What then? I write here, in Pſal. 85:as Augustine elſwhere, non tanquam affirmator, ſed tanquam ſcrutator, which can any miſlike? For a very Papist him ſelfe will hauehave leaue to diſpute againſt a Synode, ſo he do it inquirendo non astruendo: Nicol. Clau. diſputat. de Concil. Melchior Canus. Amos 7.10yea more, an Inquiſitor him ſelfe giueth leaue to detect the corruptions of a church Leiturgie, ſo it be dolenter done, not calumniosè. Thirdly, becauſe our Aduerſaries racke our ſpeeches, and oftentimes without all colour make them ſpeake againſt the ſtate (after the example of Amaziah againſt Amos, The lande is not able to beare his wordes, and of Euſebius, the Court is againſt Laſerius, Facis Imperatorem nostrum Nabuchodonoſorem? Theodorit. hiſtor. eccleſ. lib. 2. ca. 16.when he had pleaded in ſimplicitie, Non diminuitur ſolitudine mea verbum fidei, ſic enim est olim tres tantum inuenti ſunt qui edicto Regis non reſiſterent): Therefore I proteſt, that whatſoeuer ſhalbe founde within this Treatiſe Reprehenſoriè, is intended of the Prelates and thoſe Oppoſites of ours, that be Schollers and Diuines: it is not written of any Ciuill Magiſtrate, much leſſe is it meant of his ſacred Maiestie, (whom the Lord bleſſe, long to raigne ouer vsus): ſo that I clayme here that common Equitie of all ages, The King, and a mans owne Mother must be alwayes excepted when they be not expreſlie named. Fourthlie, let no man ſay, I hauehave an ambition and vaynglorie, ſtuffed the margent with quotations. Being charged with Noueltie and Singularitie, I was in all wiſedome to dye my ſelfe in a tincture concolor mortuis, as neare as I could. Being a dwarfe in ſtature likewiſe, I was to creepe vponupon the ſhoulders of ſome tall men, and with Zacheus to clime ſome trees to ſee the better. Further, who knoweth not how much it auayleth with what arme a Dart is throwen, in which reſpect who can miſlike, if wanting ſides of myne owne, I hauehave vſed the ſtrength of theirs who firſt or laſt hauehave fought the battayles of the Lord? Laſt of all, ſhall it be lawfull for our Oppoſites to rake out of the graue againſt vsus, the rotten reaſons of Papistes, Lutherans, Adiaphorithes: but vnlawfull for me to ſummon auncient and reverend Proteſtantes, to beare witnes to the Trueth? This I ſpeake, becauſe (pull the vizard away) and the ſouldiers with their muſter againſt vsus, will be found no other, Polycen…s de ſtratage.then ſuch as the ſoldiers of Gastro were, to wit, Aegyptians in Graecian harneſſe: whereas on the other ſide none can iuſtlie cenſure me, who before condemneth not Ennius and Naeius, I meane our auncient ſtanderd bearers and forerunners in the faith. Fiftly, let no man put me to buſines about the length of this Diſcourſe, to which my earneſt deſire carried me, which was to ſearch eueryevery corner of the controuerſie which I handle with the lantorne of the Word, Pro. 20.27.and by the light thereof, to ſcatter (as much as laye in me) the groſſe corruptions that infecte the bowelles of our Churches. What that I may pleade example? For Clodis Tarcinenſis wrote a verie great volume of the verie ſame argument, Ionas Anielianenſ. de cultu Imag. lib. 1. Bonauentu. Vulcanius in epiſt. ad Ordin. Belgic.I meane againſt the verie hauing of Croſſes and Images in the Church: and Nilus Suziceus, no leſſe then 120. chapters in an argument of the ſame kinde, to wit, about the leauen. Hauing thus aduertiſed touching the purpoſe of my writing: I come to ſatisfie ſome of them who thinke I ſhould not hauehave written at all: And of theſe Cenſors I obſerue foure ſortes. The firſt ſorte doe iudge all contending about Ceremonies, to bee no better then vayne diſputing, ſuch as the Apoſtle doeth forbid. I aske: Are not Ceremonies matters of faith? Yea certainly. They are indeed matters of faith, and therefore not vaine, but neceſſarie to be knowne and diſcerned by vsus. 1 Tim. 6.5▪That we may not gueſſe, but clearely vnderſtande how they are all establiſhed, or condemned by Gods word. Howbeit were they but thinges indifferent, as indeed they are not in Gods worſhipp; yet muſt they not (ſpecially in this vſe) be done in faith? or can there any faith be of them that is not grounded on the word, which is the only word of faith? It is ſufficient if the ſcripture be not againſt them. True: but (as Tertullian of olde) If the ſcripture doeth not permit them, it doeth forbid them, and ſine lege & contralegem (as in Policie, lib. de Cor…. milit. Thom. Mor ton. Apolog pa. 2. lib. 1. cap. 4…. Idem p. 420 …eza Annot. in 1. Cor. 11 10. 1 Cor. 11.7.14.16.34ſo in Diuinitie) are both one. In deed if not viua ratio out of the word, yet manifesta aequitas alwayes is euer needfull to the very circumſtances of Gods ſeruice: as for lawfulnes ſo for expedience: expedience I ſay, and the ſame, not onelyonly generall according to the perpetuall circumſtances which cleaue to their kinde: but alſo ſpeciall, according to the occaſionall circumſtances that occurre in their particular practiſe. So much is manifeſt by Paule who proueth the Expedience of the vayle (a ciuill cuſtome in the Church of Corinth) by reaſons drawen from the lawe of God and Nature, before he forbiddeth cōtending againſt it: and putteth ouer the ordering of other circumſtances of celebrating Gods publique worſhip in that Church, till by oculata experientia he had ſeene their eſtate, and weighed what was moſt conuenient. What whē this courſe is not obſerued? Why men are ſet to eate their meate without ſalt (ſaieth Hierome) when they are commaunded any thing that hath no reliſhe from the worde: and to builde without haye and ſtubble, like Iſrael in Egypt, when they bee not allowed ſome warrant out of the Scripture, which only can combine the matter of the worke, & make the frame of the building ſure. But Auguſtine will hauehave vsus followe a Synode of a Church etiam latente veritate. What and will he hauehave vsus followe it too, without vſing the meanes that may bring the trueth to light? No, but here he requireth euen certa documenta, lib. de peccat. merit & remiſſ ca 36 Faſc…cul. rer. expetend. artic. 18. folio 129. in 1 Cor. Homil. 13. Rom. 14.5.out of the worde to the commaundements of the Church: euen as Iohn Wiclephe taught ſince his time. We muſt take nothing from the Prelates which is not clarè, euen clarè demonſtrated by the ſcriptures. Chryſostome giueth a reaſon hereof: Our cogitation halteth, when the worde wanteth, which halting is ſinne, becauſe we are bounde to the foreign of a full perſwaſion euen in indifferent things and all. And in this Controuerſie of the Ceremonies the trueth is not latens. I truſt this verie Diſcourſe will ſhewe there is not onelyonly no reaſon to conforme, but alſo reaſon ſtrong and euident againſt Conformitie: at the leaſt I doubt not, but it wil cleare vsus from that ſtomacke and ſtubburnes wherewith we are vniuſtly burthened, as bearing vsus witnes we are the men that keepe the olde rule, Non est a conſuetudine recedendum facile, niſirationi aduerſetur. Auguſti. de Mufic. lib. 2. cap. 8. Tertull. de veland virg. Digeſt. lib. 1 Ticul. 3. cap. 39. Tho. Aqui. ſum. p. 2. q. 92. art. 3.for which wee proteſt according to the auncient tenor, Nullam reſpicimmus conſuetudinem quam damnare non poſſumus: and therevpon call at the Tribunall for that olde ſentence, Quod non ratione introductum eſt, ſed ex errore primum, deinde conſuetudine obtectum est, in alijs ſimilibus non obtincat: in the Schooles, for that Deciſion Theologicall, For aſmuch as the law Diume proceedeth from the will of God, the Humane onelyonly from the wil of man, vſus authoritati cedat, prauum vſum lex & ratio vincat. The ſecond ſorte of our Cenſors, though they miſlike not all ſticking at Ceremonies, yet all ſtanding they condemne againſt an Order once eſtabliſhed in a Church. What, and hauehave we then liued to the time to heare Sion ſpeake in Sorbons language: No further reaſon muſt be ſought, then a Synodes owne authoritie, that which the wiſer ſort of Papiſtes them ſelues condemne? nicol Clau. collat. de Concil. Cyril Hieroſol ca. 4. Mat. 23.8.Sure to beleeue any, or each ſimpliciter dicent, vponupon his bare worde: is to ſett vp a Maiſter on earth, to no ſmall preiudice of our Maiſter in heauen, whom we are onelyonly in this maner to beleeue. It is alſo to inthrall the Church to a ſeruitude Babylomeall, if not worſer, for ſo much as ſome childrè of Babell her ſelf, refuſe to bowe downe their neckes to this yoake, as we ſee by Alphonſui, Alphonſ. de Caſt. cont. haereſ. lib. 1. cap. 7. Martin Luther li. cont. papat. Nicol. Clau. diſputat. de Concil.Miſerrima ſeruitus eſt (ſaith he) iurare in alicuius verba Magiſtri. I omitt to obiect here, yea ſo much to inquire, whether the Synode that made this order, ſate as Iudges in their owne caſe, which is againſt the lawe of Nature: whether they aſſumed an Immunitie to them ſelues, to hauehave al accuſing of them reputed ſchiſme, which is our exception againſt the Concill of Trident. whether they came reſolute againſt Reformation, and fully bent to make ſuch Decrees as beſt might ſtrengthen their owne eſtates, whereby the Concill of Piſa once barred and ſhut out the Holy Ghoſt from their aſſemblie: whether the name of the houſe it ſelf knew not of many Canons made, as at the ſecond Councell of Epheſus many ſubſcribed to what they knew not. Laſt of all, whether ſome Canons were only read, as at the Diet. of Auguſta the Jnterim was propoſed only by the Chaūcelour of Charles the fifth, & ſo thought ſufficiently ratified, although the States and Peeres there preſent, neuer gaue their voyce to it. The Inquiſition of theſe things and other the like, I ſay, I omitt. This is the anſwere I rely on: the Reformation we ſeeke, Zepper de polit, eccleſiaſt. in epiſt. dedicator.is in ſubſtance the ſame, which not one, but many: Why ſpeake I of many? which euen all the godly Synodes hauehave agreed on, that hauehave bene gathered from time to time, ſince the reſtoring of the Goſpell, in all the Churches beſt reformed beyond the Seas. The third ſort of our Cenſors will giuegive vsus leaue, to gainſaye a Peter, Nilus Theſſalonicenſ. de precat. Papae.when in Ceremonies hee walketh awry: howbeit in conference to his face onelyonly and not in writing. Nilus ſuppoſed it was in vayne to debate with the Pope, alwhile he looked to bee iudge him ſelfe, and doe the Prelates looke for leſſe? The Biſhop Argenſius found by experience in the Councill of Baſile, that there is no dealing with Superiours who expect the inferiour muſt ſuccumbere: Aeneas Sylu… in geſt. Concil. Baſilienſ. lib. 1. Polydor. Virgil. de Inuentor. rer. li. 8. ca. 4 Auguſtin. epiſt 174. Carol. Sigō. de regn. Ital. lib. 9.and doe not the Prelates expect aſmuch? Luther ſtept away from Caietan, euen after the liſtes were entred, becauſe he ſaw he would magis imperio rem definire, quam diſreptatione: and hauehave we not cauſe to ſuſpect them & feare the ſame of the Prelates? Auguſtine when he conferred with a great man, he was ouercome, though not veritate, yet clamore: and it was giuen foorth againſt him, that he was foyled when he was not: and hauehave former conferences with the Prelates ſorted to any better euent? For my owne parte I had a priuate defence for my ſelfe. Albericus was better at writing, then at diſputing: ſo is it with me, by reaſon of the dulnes of my witt, I muſt plodd on what I doe, and when I hauehave aduiſed my ſelfe all that I can, yet all cometh ſhort of that which ſhould be. The fourth and laſt ſorte of our Cenſors, miſlike not writing, ſaue at this time, when wee ſhould buſie out ſelues (they thinke) about more needfull matters. Certaine it is that we their miſtake. For it is an Hercules that is fitt to throw out the dounge it ſelfe of Poperie: ſuch as I am, ſerue beſt, to ſweepe downe (as they are taken) the Cobwebbes of it which yet remayne in the houſe of the Lord. When the Cobwebbes fell downe all on a ſuddayne at the Councell in Trullo, the Fathers there preſent tooke it as ominous: Concil. Tom. 2 p. 895. Caro. Sigon. vbi. ſupra. p. 49ſo may we nowe our ſelues learne from it how cleane the houſe of the Lord muſt be kept from al coinquination with hereticques. Suppoſe the Ceremonies were no more then that they are taken, the cobwebbes of poperie? Doe not euen cobwebbes foſter poyſonful ſpiders? ſure theſe cobwebbes of ours doe. And ſee ye not how they hauehave gotten euen to the verie toppe of the Pallace, as Salomon ſpeaketh? Shall we ſuffer them there with ſilence? Pro. 30.2….muſt we not write to ſweepe them downe at the leaſt from thence? And let others looke to thoſe matters, which ſome repute only able to ſhake the mountaynes of our religion, whom the Lord (as a Father ſpeaketh) hath taken vp into the mount: my ſtanding is at the foote of the hill, therefore it ſhalbe inough for me to acquite the place I ſtande in, from thoſe corruptions, Which howſoeuer counted molehilles, yet much moleſt the holy vineyard of the Lord. Euen this alſo muſt needes be done by ſome or other. For though the people were fooliſh, whom Gerebrard mentioneth, who thought the moūtaines were endangered as often as the Moales did wagg: yet I remember I hauehave read that euen Moles in Theſſalie once ouerthrewe a whole Towne: Plin. hiſtor. lib. 8. c. 29.ſure I am (I ſee it with my eyes and am ſorie) that theſe Moles againſt which I write, hauehave euen alreadie annoyed, if not vctie neare decayed diuerſe goodly Cōgreganous. And as for the time, 1. Cor. 16.9where is aſſiſtance to the trueth moſt neceſſarie, but where it hath moſt aduerſaries? It is time for the aſſe him ſelfe (ſaieth one) to open his mouth, Gildas de excid Britan. in proaem. Inc. 19.40.when things runne to ruine. And our Sauiour, where other witneſſes doe fayle, let the ſtone him ſelfe crie. Theſe premiſes conſidered, I am not deterred from proceeding to the Search following, into which I now enter in the name of the Lord: premiſing that common and beaten rule, non eſt obſtinatus qui paratus eſt corrigi: for which I finally proteſt with Iob: Teach m… and I will holde my tongue, Iob. 6.24.2.26.and cauſe me to vnderſtande wherein I hauehave erred? How ſtedfaſt are the wordes of righteouſnes, and what can any of you iuſtly reproone? Doe ye imagine to reproous words that the talke of the afflicted ſhould be as winde? Now therfore be content to looke vponupon me, for I will not lye before your faces.