Against Symbolizing with Antichrist in Ceremonies, Part 2 · Chapter 6 · Section 19
#Sect. 19. The fift ſcandall that Ceremo. giuegive, is againſt the whole Church and Goſpell which it profeſſeth.
THe fift ſcandall wich is given by the ceremonies is againſt the whole church of God, and the goſpell which it profeſſeth. Sect. 19.our conformitie being now the very ſame which Peters was, who then ſcandalized the goſpell, when he conformed to the ceremonies of the Iewes: for which even by a papiſt him ſelfe he is cenſured thus,aTho. Aquin. in Gal. c. 2. lect. 3. veritas nunquam dimittenda eſt propter timorem ſcandali. In publicum ergo crimem incurrit Petrus, neque levem dedit Paulo reprehendendi occaſionem, ſci. periculum Evangelicae veritatis. Now theſe ceremonies hurt the Goſpell manie wayes. Firſt they helpe to the reſtoring of popery in time to come: which as it groweth vp, the Goſpell muſt goe downe, like as we ſee in a payre of ſcales. conſider what our ownebHomil. ag. peril. of Idolac. p. 3. Homilies by law eſtabliſhed: A man muſt hauehave regard of poſteritie & therefore no Image muſt be ſuffered in the Church, nor any remnant of popiſh idolatry by cauſſe though n…w they be not honored, yet there is daunger for time to come. Gedeons Ephed is ill ſuffered to ſtand ſtill, if it be but for future daunger. and the Altars of the high place muſt downe, leaſt hereafter they ſhould hurt. And Moſes body muſt be buried out of the way, to prevent occaſion of future idolatrie. Iudg. 8. Exod. 20.25. Deut. 34.6. Gen. 34.2. Reg. 23.13.that which alſo muſt be done with Rahells images. Salomons Temples ſtande now forlorne, yet muſt they be razed becauſe in time they may recouer credit againe. & ſo muſt the temples of the heathens, of which one thus,cP. Martyr… loc. commun. de imag. ſect. 24. etiam extera &c. Images muſt not be kept whole, no not out of the church, becauſe if there be a chaūg they will be reſtored againe. Cōſtantine the great ſhut vp the temples of the Gods, but razed them not. Theſe Iulian the Apoſtata opened againe; which if they had bene overthrowne before, non tam facilè reaedificari potuiſſent, which Theodoſius and other Princes marking, either they razed them altogither, or graūted them to the vſes of Chriſtians. Gratian remooved the Ara victoriae which ſtood in Curia Senatoria, and at which the Senators were wont to be ſworne for feare of daunger in tyme to come. Symachus ſued to Valentinian who ſucceeded to hauehave it reſtored: the chriſtians them ſelues that were of his counſell yeelded: thoſe the Emperour accuſed perfidiae, and further replied,dCarol. Sigon. de Imper. oc…idental. lib. 9. quomodo quod frater eripuit me reddere ſuadetis, cùm & religionem laeſurus ſim & fratrem, à quo nolo pietatis officio ſuperari? Theſe ceremonies laedunt fidem, & laedunt fratres in other churches that hauehave remooued them, and they will be a meane to reedifie poperie magis facile. they emboldē the popiſhe Symachùs, not only to hope, but alſo to ſue for tolleration: and they are a roote of bitternes to defile many in time. and laſtly, a ſtompe of the popiſh tree remayning to make it refloriſh at laſt againe. Heb. 12.15 Dan. 4.12.I conclude (therefore) with that ſaying of Ziſca the famouseLudonie. Lauat. in Deuteron. leader of the Thaborites. diruendi ſunt etiam ipſi ciconiarum nidi neredeant. Secondly, theſe ceremonies hurt the goſpell in regard of the preſent proſperitie of it, and that many wayes, which I will ſet downe in order out of onefFlaccus. Illirie. in lib. de Adiaph. of our writers. Firſt the ceremonies are the ſinewes of poperie in which they place the whole ſumme of their religiō. neither is it poſſible theſe foundations of their ſuperſtitious ſtanding to keepe away from vsus their ſuperſtition. we ſee our Preachers are ſcarſe able to hiſſe out abuſes, when the foundations of abuſes are aboliſhed. nothing more light thē the fooliſh multitude, which can not be kept within the boundes of their dutie, no not when all occaſions of impietie are taken away: how much leſſe then can they be contayned, when occaſion ſhall be reſtored. Secondly, theſe ceremonies breed diſcord and ſtrife. which weakeneth the goſpell, devideth the church, and giveth advātage for poperie to growe. Thirdly, theſe ceremonies both keepe out Preachers and turne out preachers vntill the flockes be left without ſhepheardes, yea left to wolues or hirelings. Fourthly, the zealous when they ſee theſe ceremonies reinforced, which they hauehave deſpiſed, will loath the ſervice of God the more, the ſimple who will thinke the worſe of all the religion, becauſe they will indge ſumman… eſſe lenitatem miniſtrorum, qui iam abrogant ceremonias pontificias & extreme vituperant, iam verò eaſdem reſtituunt. Fiftly, when the Miniſter yeeldeth to theſe ceremonies, he being their captaine, and thus ſhrinking, it cōmeth to paſſe what Chabrias ſaid once, Better an armie of hartes with a Lyon to their Captaine, then an armie of. Lyons with an Hart to their Captaine. the people are moſt vnwilling to ſuffer, though there be neuer ſo great neede, & when they can drawe the inconſtancie of their Miniſter to cloake their coldnes, they thinke they hauehave excuſe ſufficient. and the Miniſter him ſelfe whatſoeuer neede ſhould be, can not exhort them vntounto perſeverance and to ſuffering: if he doe, his wordes moue not, becauſe he is but held a turne-coat. Sixtly, theſe ceremonies hinder the refutation of poperie in the pulpit, they make men beleeue Preachers are too vehement againſt the papiſtes, as the Interim when it came forth, made men to ſay of Martine Luther, he was not a man of moderation. they make the people beleeue alſo, that the vehement and zealous Preachers againſt poperie, are Stoickes and preciſe, and inhumane, and too ſtrickt and ſevere, even as the Germane Preachers were iudged of at the ſame time. Seventhly, by reaſon of theſe ceremonies, the people wil be induced to ſay as they did once whē popiſh ceremonies did reenter in Germanie, we perceaue now the Pope is not ſo blacke as Luther made him: and that wee may come to ſome agreement if we will: ſo by theſe meanes the Preachers labouring to ſeaſon mens heartes with an hatred of poperie, will ſee their labours come al to nothing. Eightlie, our yeelding to the ceremonies, will drawe others by our example againſt their conſciences, for that the Germane Epiphonema will be taken vp againe, vide quid illi num tu es illis doctior aut ſanctior, qua machina conſtat partim oppugnatas, partim ſubrutas Eccleſias tum in Germania, tum in Hungaria. Ninthly, Theſe ceremonies yeelded to by vsus, will make the ſonnes of Gath to reioyce, and the daughters of the Philiſtines to triumphe, which were litle diſcretion in vsus, if the old rule hold, neque tu tuae occaſioni deſis, neque ſuā hosti Dei. They make accoūt that their ſide ſhall now goe vp, & that as many as returne to their ceremoni. are cōming towards them, & will be wholy theirs in the end, evē as Luther was wont to ſay, papiſtae noſtras conceſsiones intelligunt largè, largius, largiſsimè ſuas. a. ſtrictè ſtrictius, ſtrictiſsimè quod cum ſctant noſtri Theologi, tanto malo occaſionem dare non deberent. And the libertine, who maketh more account of his ſwine then of Chriſt, will hereby count him ſelf freed from all care of religion, as which he ſeeth left in the ſuddes, even by the chief profeſſors themſelues, when once they come ad vocem ancillae. for let a Miniſter but conforme (who before was zealous) and who will thinke better of him thē of one that is arundo vacua inclinans ad quemvis ventum? Here I apply not to our Reverend Fathers, what once was ſpoken of this ſcandall, yet thinke I it fit to ſet it downe that they may cōſider of it,gHilar. l. 1. contra Cō ſtant. defunct. only dogges treturne to their vomit, and will you compel the miniſters of Chriſt to ſuppe vp thoſe things which they had ſpit foorth? Tenthly, & laſt of all, there be not preachers enough in the lande (men ſay) and therfore the Nonreſidents & the dumbe dogges muſt continue: what wound (then) will there be givē in this want, when the ſubſcription ſhall ſweepe out a great part of them which ordinarilie preach on every Sabboth? that which will follow hereof is this: the people will returne to their old lipp-labour, which now for the want of preachers, is ſaid to be found in the Greeke church. if their prieſtes (ſaithhDauid. Chytre. in praerat. Antelection Chtonie. one) can reade the common Orologie, they count nothing more required to the duetie of a true Paſtor. And if the people heare it read, or reade it them ſelues in private, they thinke nothing vnperformed which true devotion requiteth of them. This who ſeeth not, in great part, is come vponupon our church alreadie? but this may ſuffice for the murther of ceremonies thorough ſcandall.