Against Symbolizing with Antichrist in Ceremonies, Part 2 · Chapter 6 · Section 12
#Sect. 12. A ſcandall of the papiſtes removed, ſaying, If Ceremo be removed, it will harden them againſt vsus, and breed an hoſtile alienation of their mindes frō our religion.
THere is a ſecond ſcandall preſſed, in caſe the ceremonies be removed, to witt, an hardening of them againſt vsus, Sect. 12.& an hoſtile alienatiō of their mindes from our religion, who by the retention of theſe ceremonies might be wonne. Firſt, this is to runne with the papiſtes withaFeuerdent. in Irenaeū, lib. 1. c. 24. Feuardentius by name, who knoweth no other courſe to winne pagans, then this: Gentium idolomanià, & ſudaeorum ſuperſtitioni opponendae ſunt imagines. bThe examin of the declarat of the Miniſt. of LondonOne of our Oppoſites to maintayne this axiome [we muſt retayne ſome of the popiſh rites to winne them,] willeth vsus to ſee what courſe Gregorie tooke with Nellitus. This courſe we hauehave ſeene: hecBeda hiſto. li. 1. ca. 30. Gregor. Epiſtol. l. 9. in dict. 4. epiſt. 7. forbiddeth Nellitus to pull downe the idolatrous temples. he commaundeth to lett their feſtivities alone: he will hauehave their temples ſanctified with altars, holy-water, and reliques of Saintes: he adviſeth that on their birth dayes of the Martyrs, whoſe Reliques be there layde, the people ſhould ſett vp greene bowers about the church, and make holy banquets, ſuch as the heathen vſed to make in the feaſtes of their idolls. See what a goodly popiſh courſe for winning, we are ſett to ſee? Secondlie, It is a duetie, that there be a difference in rites and ceremonies betweene Gods Church and heretiques.dTertul. in Il. de cotō. milit. Longum divortium (ſayth Tertullianus) mandas Deus ab idolatria, in nullo proximè agendum: Draco etiam terrenus de longinquo hominis ſpirit…s abſorbet, cBellarmin. controverſ. 6. ca 4. de Monach.Bellarmine him ſelfe confeſſeth, that the ſhaving of the head was forbidden to the Iewe, in reſpect of the Gentiles, leaſt they ſhould be like them: which the reaſon of the text confirmeth, for yee are an holy people to the Lord. Herevpon one,fD. Willet. controverſ. 6. q. 6. p. 2. It was vnlawfull, becauſe a ſuperſtitious rite of the Heathen which did not beſeeme the people of God. In regard hereof, the onelyonly lawfull courſe to winne, is that which accordeth with this duetie, and that is to roote out all hereticall rites and ceremonies & idolatrous obſervations. God is wiſeſt: now he ordayned an abolition of all the idolatrous rites of Canaan, to winne the remnant of the Cananites, which he foreſawe would be reſerved as the offſpring of Rahab and of the Gibeonites, and all other proſelites that ſhould come over to the Church. And the Fathers of the Church giuegive like adviſe,gAuguſt. de verb. Dom. ſerm. 6. Si quaeritis vnde vincantur Pagani (ſayth Auguſtin) vnde illuminentur, vnde ad ſalutem vocentur? Deſerite …as ſolennitates ipſorum. Deſerite nugas eorum. Et ſi non conſentiunt veritati noſtra, ſaltem pudeat paucitatis ſuae. The Councells (alſo) take like order: For whereashConcil. Eliberti. can 34. one of them forbiddeth Tapers at funeralls with ſuch like, this reaſon is rendered euen by alDu…ant. de rit. li. 1. c. 4. ſect. 11. & ca. 23. ſect. …4. papiſt him ſelfe, becauſe the people of Spaine, but newly converted, were ſtill diſtayned with ſome of their olde ſuperſtitious cuſtomes, therefore this Councell forbiddeth many things ad extirpandas & funditus tollendas, Gentilium ſuperſtitiones, quas novi Chriſtiani, in ijs Hiſpaniae locis, tum retinebant. But hauehave yee neuer read (ſaye our Oppoſites) that olde rites & ceremonies hauehave been retayned in the Church for their ſakes, who would hauehave been alienated, if they might not hauehave been permitted to vſe them, as they and their Forefathers had donne longe tyme before? Yes, we hauehave read, and nowe allowe of a certaine tolleration of olde cuſtomes; but that maketh nothing for our retayle of popiſhe ceremonies, nowe controverſed.
Firſt, a tolleration is an involūtarie permiſſion againſt our wills. it dothmDecret. p. 2. cauſ. 1 qu. 7. c. 18. quaedam tollerare, quaedam amputare, with the ſame vnwillingnes that anCap. 16. Pilote in a tempeſt ſaveth ſome of his wares, and others of them he doth caſt over bord. and whenoIbid. cauſ. 23. qu. 4. cap. 5. quod ſalvo pacis vinculo, excludere non poſſumus, equitate improbamus. yea tolleration is withpAuguſt epiſt 64. greefe: yea with lamentation, as Auguſt. qIdem de ciuit. De… lib. 18.lamented thoſe cōmon ſinnes, which he was conſtrayned to tollerat, for that he could not redreſſe them. Now what like to this, in our retention of theſe ceremonies controverſed? Is it out of an vnwillingnes, that our governours keepe in theſe ceremonies? Is it not rather their will and pleaſure? and doe they diſprove them equitate, doe they not conſtrayne vsus to approve them rather? doe they greeue at them? doe they not rather increaſe the greefe of them that doe greeue, and bring lamentation on them and theirs, who hartily lament to ſee the Church ſo peſtered with them? Secondly, a tolleration of aliene rites, is only a libertie to new converts which cannot well be wayned from them: ſuch as the decree gaue once to the IewesrDecret p. … diſtin. 45. cap. 3. omnes feſtiuitates ſuas ſicut hactenus tam ip ſi quam patres eorum per longa colentes tempora tenuerunt, liberam habeant obſeruandi colendique poteſtatem. the reaſon is giuen by Auguſtine, sAuguſt. d… vtilitat. …eiun.modeſtè vetuſia vulnera pertractemus, & cauti ſimus ne inter manus medici deficiat qui curatur, and by an other canon elſe wheretDecret. pa. 1. dinct. 4. c. 6. Quia tali conſuetudine averti non poſſunt, ideo cum venia ſuo ingenio relinquendi ſunt, ne fortè peiores existant ſi à tali conſuetudine prohibeantur. what like to this (againe) in our retention of the ceremonies controverſed? Is it only a libertie to the rawe cōverted papiſtes that deſire them? Is it not a neceſſitie rather throwne on the children of the church that hauehave been bread and brought vp in it? yea on the Fathers of the church them. ſelves that doe abhorre them, and that to the vtter loſſe and impeachment of their owne chriſtian libertie? Thirdly, a tolleration is onelyonly ad diem ne uAuguſtin. cont. Par… nem. lib. 3. cap. 1.eradicetur triticum, not excuſing either pigritiem corrigend: or negligenti ā vindicandi after a long time and ſeaſon, when nowe a ſcandall may without hurt be done away, and it worketh on men that are not firma radice wDecret. p. 2. canſ. 35. qu. 3… cap. 20.ſollidati, giving milke not meate vntounto them ne bonum quod infirma adhuc radice plantatum erat erueretur, ſed aliquantulum firma. retur & vſque ad perfectionem cuſtodiretur. What like to this (once more) in our retention of theſe ceremonies controverſed, is it not after fortie yeeres preaching of the Goſpell that they continue? And hath there been no oportunitie found in ſo long tyme to roote them out? And is not the tyme of our Churches infancie paſt as yet? Is it not yet fit for meate, ſo to laye this milke aſide? Fourthly, tolleration is onelyonly of thoſe things,xIbid. ca…. 2. qu. 1. ca. 23. quae ſola nocere non valent, ſi caterorum confletintegritas: illa magnopere praecavenda ſunt [in a tolleration] quae recepi, niſi manifeſta decoloratione, non poſſunt. Againe, Ea ſinenda ſunt, quae nullo detrimento aliquoties indulgenda creduntur, & quae rerum temporumque cogit intuitus, velacceleratae proviſionis reſpectus excuſat. To thisyAuguſt. epiſt. 64. Augustine accordeth, who when the abuſe of Martyrs feſtivities grewe to an heigth, he thought them to bee no longer tollerable, vponupon this reaſon, res ſacrilega non tolleranda. The Schoole-men likewiſe walke in the ſame path: the tolleration of hereticall rites, is not helde lawfull by them, no not in the rawe converts them ſelves:zThom. Aquin. 2.2. q. 10. art. 1… no not in the times of weaknes but derationabili cauſa, ſuch as is the good of the Church, or the avoydinge of a worſe miſchief, meant by Saint Matthewe chapter 13. leaſt yee plucke vp corne and all. aaIbid obiect. 2. proofe being brought from the example of Godly Emperors qui templaidolorum primū claudi, deinde deſtrui fecerunt, which St Auguſtine approveth. No reaſon in the earth then lefte that theſe ceremonies ſhould ſurviue, which doe they not hurt? Are they not a manifeſt blemiſhe to our Church? Are they not ſo farre from being ſuch, as the ſtate of the time exacteth, or acceleratae proviſionis reſpectus excuſeth, as that preſently they muſt bee aboliſhed, if the voyce of the tyme may be heard or their ſuit that liue therein? And if there be any care left to make ſpeedie proviſion of the churches good? are they not ſacrilegious alſo? Laſt of all, they doe no good, they doe drawe in miſchiefe, but drive none away: the corne would farre better thrive, if they were gone. F…ſtlie, a tolleration proceedeth thus, when by reaſon of the multitude an abuſe cannot be redreſſed, it firſt ſetteth vponupon thoſe that are the more ſpirituall. then it dothbAuguſt. epiſt. 64. monere till they be wōne: then are they ſet to admoniſh others, till what by their counſell, what by their example all be reclaymed. Nowe I need not to ſay, this courſe is not taken, in this our tollerating old popiſh rites and cuſtoms, when all the world may perceive there is taken a quite contrarie to it. no winning here of multitudes from them, that will not leaue them: there is an enforcing here of whole multitudes to them who would not hauehave them: no admoniſhing here to leaue them, there is a puniſhing here of thoſe who doe leaue them: no incouraging here of thoſe, that are the more ſpirituall, that they might draw others from them theſe are firſt nipped, cruſhed, and diſcouraged, as men too forward when they indeavour to drawe men from them. Againſt this and the like courſes in Africa acConcil. Aphric. …n. 27… Councell thus requeſted, illud etiam petendum vt quae contra praecepta divina convivia multis in locis exercentur quae ab errore gentili attractae ſunt (ita vt nunt à paganis Chriſtiani ad haec celebranda cogantur. ex qua re temporibus Chriſtianorū imperatorum perſecutio altera fieri occultè videatur vetari talia iubent. how many things are there here to be obſerved? A law muſt be made againſt all cuſtomes which doe ariſe from the old & accuſtomed error of aliens, none of the Chriſtians muſt be compelled to the vſe of them though the aliens them ſelves be ſuffered to vſe them. When the Chriſtians be compelled, it is a ſhewe of a ſecret perſecution. this may fall out in the tyme of godly Princes, if things be not looked to: the aliens themſelues, will growe to ſuch heigth as that they will be able divers wayes to vexe and moleſt the ſeruants of God that will not conforme themſelues to theſe their cuſtomes. Sixtly, a prudent tolleration will conſider whether it doth winne or no,dGregor. li. 11. …pi. 15▪ cur Iudais qualiter Cerem…nias ſuas colere debeant regulas ponimus, ſi per hoc eos lu…rari non poſſumus. ſo to what end ſhould papiſtes be permitted now to vſe their ceremonies: or to what end ſhould we ponere regulas how our own Church ſhould vſe them, ſeeing the experience of more then fortie yeeres doth ſhewe, that by this meanes we can doe no good, to gaine and winne them? For mine owne part I neuer knewe papiſt yet trulie converted, but he grewe to that religious deteſtation of popiſhe Croſſes which iseFenarden. in Irenaeſi. lib. 1. ca. 24 imputed vntounto Beza, confiteor me Crucifixi imaginem, etiam ex animo detestari. and as I remember on the other ſide, I hauehave read in the ſtorie of France, that the leaguers would neuer beleeue, when they had taken any towne, that any were Catholiques vntill they did ſweare and croſſe hemſelues. Indeed the papiſt cannot thinke any to be truly converted to this faith, vntill he doe croſſe himſelfe, by a principle of his faith, which is this,fIacob. Ledeſima catechiſ. vaux catechiſ. Doul. in…truction. (that which alſo they ſet downe in the beginning of everie catechiſme that they make) It is the ſigne of the croſſe, that is, the ſigne, marke, and badge of a Catholique Chriſtiam man, No pretence then to keepe in the ceremonies for the winning of the papiſt.