Against Symbolizing with Antichrist in Ceremonies, Part 2 · Chapter 6 · Section 13
#Sect. 13. The defence of tolleration of ceremonies from Act. 15. confuted.
THe replie that is wont to be brought againſt this plea, Sect. 13.is drawne from the example of the Apoſtles, and primitiue Church, who are ſaide to retaine certaine Iewiſh, and certaine hearheniſh rites to winne them. And here is obiected firſt, the decree made by the Apoſtles for the retayning of bloud and ſtrangled. Firſt, as an oldaWilfridus ap. Bedam. in hiſtor. lib. 1. ca. 25 ſtickler for conformitie ſaid once: there is a difference betweene the rites of Idolaters, which by and by muſt be throwne away, & the rites of the Iewes which Iohn and the Apoſtles obſerved for a time ad vitandum ſcandalum. that ſay I here. there is great difference betweene the ceremonies of the Iewes, and the ceremonies of the man of ſinne, the Antichriſt. they were inſtituted of God, and therforebAuguſt. epiſt. 19. non continuo deſerendae, vel canum morſibus obijciendae: but they were to ſtay till the Goſpell was preached and the people inſtructed to a leaving of them: and when the day of funerall came (which iscHieron. Zanch. de viti…s. exter. cult oppoſit. Theſ. 11. p. 40… ſuppoſed to be the time of the Temples deſtruction) then to be layd in the grave with honor: whereas to theſe ther muſt be applied, what one of our writersdIo Calu… in act 13. verſ. 3. hath, Nunc cum ſatis cōtat tales ceremonias, nec vela eſſe, nec ſepulchra, quibus tegitur Chriſtus, ſed foetida potius ſtercora, quibus obruta eſt ſincera fides & religio, qui promiſcuè faciunt liberum earum vſum, longè plus Papae arrogant quam legi ſuae Deus concedit. Secondly, the Apoſtles retayned the abſtinence from bloude and ſtrangled for a time onelyonly, during the weaknes of the Iewes: which reaſon ceaſing, they are noweAuguſt. quo ſup. mortiferae, quocunque, animo quis eas obſervaverit. as our rites at home in controverſie are much more, now that the time of weaknes & of firſt comming out of poperie hath overgone vsus. Euen afLyra▪ in act. 15. Lyranus him ſelfe can comment herevpon, ceſſante cauſa, ceſſat effectus, to ſhewe that aliene rites muſt ceaſe, when the cauſe of their firſt ſtay is ceaſed which is the weaknes of them that are to be converted. ThegConcil. Aur…haneſ. 2. Can. 19.20. Counſell of Orliance ſome …oo yeeres after, renewed theſe ceremonies of bloud, and ſtrangled, and it ishFran. Iun. controuer. 3. lib. 4▪ ca. 16. nota. 25. & 34. cenſured as ſuperſtitious. Let them looke to this, who deſerue worſe cenſure for their renewing of theſe popiſhe ceremonies.lAuguſt. epiſt. 19. Auguſt affirmeth, that the obſeruation of Iewiſhe Ceremonies was at the firſt time of weaknes, to wit, in the Apoſtles time approbanda, but this time being once paſte, that nunc eſt detestanda, Let this be conſidered of them, that not only continue ſtill popiſh and Antichriſtian ceremonies, but alſo impoſe them. It will be ſaide, the abſtinence from bloud was ſtill in vſe after the weaknes of the Iewes was paſt: as appeareth by themBellarmi. de pontifi. lib 4. ca. 16 Fathers. We confeſſe it was but to an other ende, which now cutteth the croſſes throat, to wit, to avoyd thenFran. Iun. ibid. nota. 34.37. offence of the Gentiles, an ende drawen proportionally out of the Apoſtles firſt decree which prevented the like offence againſt the Iewes. And the offence which this abſtinence of bloud prevēted was all ſhew of communion with the Gentiles in bloudie ſacrifices: for which alſo the Idolothite was forborneoOrigen. cont. Celſum. lib. 8. Ciril. Catecheſ▪ 4. Euſeb. li. 5. cap. 1. Auguſt. epiſt. 154. Leo ad. Nicet. epiſt. 79. c 5 togither with it. By a proportion drawne (then) from this obiection againſt the Croſſe: It muſt bee forborne, to avoyde all ſhewe of participation with the papiſtes, in their ſuperſtitious & idolatrous croſſing. This decree of the Apoſtles (ſay our Oppoſites) retayned in the Church cettaine ceremonies of the Iewes. but (alas) for their blindnes which cānot ſee, that though ſome ceremonies of the Iewes were for a ſeaſon ſuffered, yet that the idolothite (ſuch as the Croſſe and Surplice are) is in the ſame decree forbidden, and not permitted to remaine in vſe, ſo much as one hower. Thirdly, Act. 15.29.no humaneplun. vb. ſu. not. 24. & 57. Math. Sutcliu. d… pontlfic, li▪ 4. cap. 6. pa. 334. &c c. 7. p. 348. lawe can hauehave like force nowe to retaine Ceremonies popiſh, as this decree had of the Apoſtles to retaine ceremonies Iewiſh, ſeeing as it was foreign it came from men, that were authorized extraordinarilie not torWilliam Perk. in epiſt. Iud. erre in their decrees, and as it was foreign it came from the King of the Church Chriſt Ieſus: and from the moſt bleſſed holy ghoſt-Fourthly, and laſt of all, the lawe of the ceremonies now retayned, is more heavie then that of the bloud and ſtrangled: for aſmuch as it enforceth a neceſſitie of obſervation which that did not. For Calvins argument is ſtrong againſt Bellarmine, ſeeing the Apoſtles intendement was, to deliuer the Church from the [sIun. vb. ſup. not… 27.29. yoke] of the Iewes ceremonies, they cannot be deemed in any ſenſe to enact theſe ceremonies of bloud and ſtrangled with an intent to hauehave them obſerued neceſſarelie. But they call them neceſſarie. This maketh againſt thoſe, who impoſe a neceſſarie yoke vponupon this church in theſe ceremonies which they acknowledg to be tryfles: which if they be they are not neceſſarie to edification, like theſe ceremonies which the Apoſtles doe enioyne, eſpeciallie for perpetuall continuance which nowe is ſought, which if they bee alſo, they are made more neceſſarie then theſe Ceremonies of the Apoſtles, which they held neceſſarie for a time only & no longer: and neceſſarie only ſotWhitak. cont. Durium. lib. 8. pag. 731. farre forth as they ſhould edifie the weake of the Iewes, and no further: and neceſſarie propter aliud only, to wit, the word. what that the ApoſtlesuAuguſt. cont. Fauſt lib. 32. cap. 21. Herman. de tradit. Col 498. eligerunt pro tempore rem facilem, & nequaquam obſernantibus oneroſam … in qua cum Iſraelitis genies aliquid communiter obſeruarent. for euen the gentiles were before accuſtomed to abſtaine from bloud and ſtrangled, eſpeciallie they which had been,wHarmon Confeſſ. ſect. 17. ex confeſſ. Auguſt. pag. 224. domiti à Iudeis, and were bordering round about them. Whereas theſe ceremonies receaued from poperie are not eaſie but burthenſome: nor accuſtomed, which we our ſelues hauehave long time vſed, but vncouth and quite contrarie to vsus: yea they are as the bread of mourning: nay more as gall and as worm-wood to our ſoules.