Against Symbolizing with Antichrist in Ceremonies, Part 2 · Chapter 6 · Section 11
#Sect. 11. The Oppoſites opinion thinking greater ſcandalls would come vponupon the Remoovall of Ceremonies, confuted.
SOme there are who oppoſe two greater ſcandalls towardes the papiſtes, which would followe vponupon a remoovall of the ceremonies, Sect. 11.for which they thinke it is moſt fit they ſhould be ſtill retayned. Firſt this is the law of the Germane Adiaphoriſtes, aFlac. Illiric in li. de Adiapho. p. 2.accipiendae ſunt aliquae papiſticae ceremoniae, vt papistae noſtra lenitate, ceremoniarum que ſimilitudine ad noſtram doctrinam invitemus. Paulus factus eſt omnia omnibus: noſtra ista horriditate, & ceremoniarum diſsimilitudine abſterrētur papiſtae à noſtra doctrina. that which alſo they extended thus farre,bConfeſſ. Mansfild. …edit. ann. 1560. ap. Conrad. Schluſſelb. tom. 13. pa. 533. nemini dandum eſt ſcandalum: quapropter non eſt ita malum, aſsiſtere ceremonijs & miſsificationi papiſticae ne illi offendantur. Secondly, ne veniale quidem peccatum committendum est (ſay thecThorn. Aquin. 2.2. queſt. 43. art. 7. reſponſ. ad 5. Silueſt. Priet. in ſumma. verb. ſcādal Papiſtes) vt evitetur ſcandalum. Let vsus not be worſe then they to commit a great ſinne (for ſuch we hauehave prooved the croſſe to be) to avoyde a ſuppoſed ſcādall only, which indeed is none at all. Thirdly, the papiſt is beſt edified when he is moſt diſpleaſed by our refuſall of his rites: as Chriſt to edifie the Phariſies, and Paule the Iewes, tooke a courſe of not conforming which did diſpleaſe them. Againſt pleaſing of them we hauehave this ſure and certaine rule levyed againſt all conformitie with the Ceremonies of the German Adiaphoriſme,dDecret. Eccleſ. Ge… man. apu… Conrad. Schluſſel…. tom. 13. pag 566. Nulla eſt concedenda in gratiam adverſariorum mutatio externi cullus ſeu ceremoniarum, eIbid.niſi prius nobis conſentiant in fundamento: hoc eſt, in vera doctrina & vſu ſacramentorum are not the papiſtes obſtinate? nowe, contra veritatis obſtinatos hoſtes, exercenda est Chriſtiana libertas. Fourthly, to pleaſe the papiſtes, whom wee are to diſpleaſe, and to diſpleaſe our owne brethren at home, whom wee are to pleaſe is to incurre the fault of Peter which was this:fBeza. in Gal. 2. he choſe rather to pleaſe the Iewes by conforming to their Ceremonies, when he ſhould hauehave rather pleaſed the converted gentiles by abſtinence from them,gDocret. Eccleſ. German. vb. ſup. Offendicuſum infirmorum quod exiſtit ex abnegatione veritatis, vel inconſtantia in confeſsione pluris factendum eſt, quam omnium hoſtium gratia & benevolentia. hIoſias Simler. in Exod 26. fol. 87.Si volumus conſulere obſtinatis papiſtis plures interea è noſtris laedemus. Peter ſo doing, who feared to diſpleaſe the Iewes, and therevpon diſpleaſed the Gentiles, was reprehended of Paule. AnlBucer. in Math. 18. other giueth a generall direction in this compariſon infirmorum rationem ita hebebunt, vt eas & exemplis provehere dabunt operam, neque paucorum (qui Antichriſti Ceremonijs plus aequo addictiores ſunt, & fortaſsis non ver… fratres) morabuntur caecitatem vt plurimos interim alios offendant quibus nunequam iſta cogitatio non in animis verſatur. Si iſta tam male eſſent abolerentur, ſi tam bona, opera ca cuncti prafertim qui Chriſts haberi volunt, am plecterentur. we are not then to vſe the ceremonies in regard of any offence, which the papiſtes may take of our diſvſe or any of our owne brethren at home that are popiſhly giuen. But now what might thoſe offences be, which may ariſe on our refuſall and remouall of their rites? Firſt, it is ſaid, that if the ceremonies be remoued, the papiſt will holde it a point of profanes in vsus. as alſo an affectation of noveltie ioyned with a contempt of the gray haires of antiquitie, which ought to be reuerenced by vsus. Firſt, the remouall of theſe ceremonies hath been proued a dutie, therfore all obtrectations are to be troden vnderunder foote. was not our Lord held common and profane, Mark. 7.whē he refuſed the auncient ceremonie of waſhing handes? Iſa. 36.7.was not Hezechias counted profane and new fangled for pulling downe the auncient altars and high places? was notmEunapi… Constantine eſteemed profane for defacing the Idolls temples? were not the Chriſtians held the moſt profane, and the moſt irreligious men in the world, for refuſing the incenſe of pagan Gods? well one.nBucer. in Cenſ…s. Net quicquam no…itatis temerè & irreligioſe admiſſuri estis, vt maleuoli ſemper obijcere ſolent de omnibus ijs qui expurgare ſtudent vetus Antichriſti fermentum, & nouam domino exhibere ſtudent populi conſpertionem. Secondly, if for this calumniation wee muſt keepe the Croſſe and Surplice, then muſt we reduce the reſt of their traſh which we hauehave long ſince aboliſhed. They affirme our communiō will come at laſt, to a profaneoRhem. in annotat. in Io. 4. ſect. 4 ſacrifice of Ceres and Bacchus, and the bread of ourpFidem in …. Cor. 11. ſect. 18. communion they hold profane. as for the want of a Surplice, ſo for the want of a conſecrated altar, of a Prieſt vnmarried, of hallowed handes, and of the ſigne of the Croſſe. all which, ſeeing we hauehave aboliſhed notwithſtanding this imputation, why ſhould it hinder vsus from the aboliſhing of the baptiſme croſſe aſwell? where doe they lay to our charge, that we aboliſhe all true religion out of the world, and make men plaine atheiſtes for the remouall of Croſſes, where they lay not the ſame to our charge for aboliſhing of otherqRheum. … Philip. 2. ſect. 2. Images we hauehave aboliſhed other Images notwithſtanding this obtractation, why not (then) this Croſſe aſwell? And we pull downe vnneceſſarie chappells and Churches without all feare, which is more ſubiect ten timesrBriſtow. Mo…e. to this ſlaunder, then the remouall of the Ceremonies controuerſed: for theysDuraut. de rit. lib. 1. ca. 2. ſect. 5. match vsus for doing this euen with Arrians, and with Donatiſtes, and with Euſtathians, and with what not? Neither can the remouall of preſent Ceremonies beare the like colour, or heare the like clamor of profanes as the breaking of Images doth, for which they yoke vsus with thetIdem. li. 1. c. 4. ſect. 13. Manichees with Xenaias the heathen, and with Andrewe uMart. of the Croſſ…. art. 8.Lampugnan beginning his murther of Galiatius Maria Duke of Millane, with a ſtabbing of his Image to get him couradge. Finally, we breake downe their altars ſtill, though herein they make vsuswD…rant. lib. 1. ca. 15 ſect. 12. Donatiſtes, and match vsus with Iulianus Praefectus for profanes, ſtricken with a fearfull diſeaſe, for his piſſing againſt an altar: and laſtly with the ſouldiers of Stillico, torne in pieces with Leopardes, for that they violated an altar by drawing one Creſconius from it, who had made it his ſanctuarie.