Against Symbolizing with Antichrist in Ceremonies, Part 2 · Chapter 6 · Section 20
#Sect. 20. The third murther of the Croſſe is thorough home contention.
FRom the croſſes murther of the body through crueltie: of the ſoule through ſcandall, we are to come now to a third murther of them both, thorough contention. For the home diſſentiō which theſe ceremonies hauehave raiſed amongſt vsus, hath brought forth no fewer evills then the contention of Nazianzens dayes, of which ſo tragically heaGregor. Nazianz. in Apalog. cōplayneth. whither we reſpect the cōſuming quite of all remnant of louelove at home, or our growing contemptible to papiſts, hatefull to the churches abroad, or the loſſe of our name & credit among the better ſort of our brethrē or their building on our backes that are lewde, while what we obiect one againſt another, they catch greedily to the commō diſgrace of vsus all. It being ſo, 2. Sam. 20.21.who is wiſe amongſt vsus to cut of the make bates head, that the inheritance of the Lord be no longer troubled, the peaceable in Iſraell no longer purſued, Pſal. 35.20.nor the quiet of the lande moleſted.bIoachim. Vadian. in Iouia. Claudius the Emperour was vniuſt: they were the Iewes that rayſed the tumult in Rome, but he exiled and baniſhed the chriſtians as if they had bin the authors of it. To prevent the like iniuſtice now, we craue of every in different man before he condemne vsus, for the authors of this diſſention which is in our Church, to heare with patience this our Apologie and defence: 1. King. 17.18.Fir…te, it is no contention to contende for the trueth, or to labour to purge corruptions out of the Church, in regarde whereof, Iohn. c. 4.we can no more be accuſed for troubling the Lande, who indeavour to cleanſe it of all reliques of ſuperſtition then Elias could when he cleanſed Iſraell from the Altars of Baall: or be blamed more then the Angell was to bee blamed for troubling the water, ſith it is to cure the ſickneſſes and diſeaſes of the Church that we doe trouble it. Let there be conſidered heere the ſimilitude whichcGelaſ. in epiſt. ad Anaſtaſ. Auguſt. Gelaeſius vſeth: It is the qualitie and condition of the ſicke, to accuſe his Phiſition rather then to repreſſe his owne hurtful luſtes & humors: but if we be proud who miniſter a ſalue for health, quid vocādi ſunt qui reſultant? If we be proud who ſay there muſt be obediēce yeelded to Gods word, qui refragantur, quo appellādi ſunt nomine? If we be proud, qui diuinū cultum pùro atque illibato copimus tenore ſervari, what are they to be called, who defile it with the things vncleane of Antichriſt? vbi ſpiritus ſuperbiae veraciter pugnet, veritas ipſa indicat. It muſt be the truth that muſt be iudge which ſide is cōtētious. A ſtrang thing (crie our Oppoſites here) that men ſhould be foūd crying out for truth in a church that profeſſeth the truth, Zeph. 1.4.& vnderunder pretence of the goſpell, breeding diſturbāce in ſuch peace of the goſpell, as by the infinite bleſſing of God our land at this time enioyeth. As if vnderunder Ioſias him ſelfe that great reformer of the church, there were not remnants of Baal left, againſt which a Zephaniah is bound to contend & ſtrive, vntill they be removed & clenſed? the very idolatrous garments themſelues of the Chemarims not excepted: as badd as which, the Cope & the Surplice are, or els ourdGualt. in Sophon. ho nil 2. writers are deceaued. Thus one of thē, even when the Magiſtrat retayneth rites of baptiſme popiſh, it is the duty of the Miniſter toeZ…nch. in Epiſt. ad Philippenſ cap. 1. doctrin. 2. d… cere publicè & priuatim quid faciendū ſit, modo placidè & prudēter hoc fiat, abſ que ſeditione & turbatione eccleſiae. Secondly, wiſe men will remēber the loving cōſent, wherin the Paſtors laboured togither, in the beginning of Eliza. dayes: at which time, ſeeing there was no ſuch hāmering noyſe in our temple, no… cry in our ſtreetes (I ſpeak in cōpariſon) til the ſubſcriptiō ſtepped in like an Vſher, & cryed roome for the ceremo. they will (I doubt not) iudge this ſubſcript. & conformitie, to be the very evill ſpirits that hauehave divided Sichem. So Paule iudgeth the circumcizion to be the conciſion, becauſe the ſtirre began about it, whereas the church was quiet before. Whē Ioab was accuſed by Abner, for devouring th'inheritāce of the Lord by civil diſſention, Iudg. 9.23.he excuſeth himſelf thus, who provoked? which now is our Apologie, who would be quiet in our places, but cannot be ſuffred. who ſtrike neither firſt nor ſecond blow, Philip. 3.2.nor offer any occaſion of ſtriſe, but ſuffer only, & only defend, & that with a quiet Apologie only. 2. Sam. 2.27.& deſerue not ſo much as that cōplaint that we do not totum telum recipere. when did we ever offer to drink aboue them, who now teare vsus in pieces for troubling their waters? when ever refuſed we to bowe down our backes to thē, although they hauehave fetched the bloud with their ſpurres in which caſe, is there notfIoh. Sarisburienſ. Exra. 4.15. leave given euē to Balaams aſſe her ſelf to open her mouth? Thidly, it is not nothing, that it may be obiected, The citie hath bin of old ſeditious now thus a whole church:gHarm. cō feſſ ſect 17. ex confeſſ. Saxonica p 228. 8. Auguſt. 223. the neceſſitie of impoſing ceremo. is that which hath bred contention frō time to time. let it be examined whether there was not more peace in the primitiue church, whē nohSocrat hiſtor. lib. 5. cap. 22. lawes of an neceſſarie obſervation in rites and ceremonies were enacted? Let it be examined on the other ſide, ſince a neceſsitie of rites and ceremonies hath been impoſed, what controverſies from time to time hauehave bin in the church about them? iudge by the firſt tumult of all the reſt: Victor goeth about to throw a neceſsitie of conformitie vpō the churches in obſerving Eaſter day: did not Irenaeus reprove him for this tanquā pacis perturbatorem, which ourlMorton. Apolog. p. 2. lib. 2. cap. 2. owne Divines approve? Howbeit, Victor might better exact a conformitie to the obſerving of Eaſtet day, then our Reverend Fathers may driue vsus to theſe ceremonies controverſed, becauſe being Idolatrous and Antichriſtian, they are like to thoſe heatheniſhe ſtage-playes to which when Chriſtians are compelled, it is eſteemed a perſecution. which is thus complayned againſt, Non mConcil. Aphtican. Can. 28.operiet quenquam Chriſtianorum cogi ad haec ſpeclacula, maximè quia in his exercendis, quae contra pracepia Dei ſunt, nulla perſecutionis neceſsitas adhibenda eſt. Fourthly, wiſe men will conſider in everie controverſie, which ſide it is that ſeeketh their owne, Marc. 11.18.as it is eaſie to knowe the Prieſtes are the authours of the trouble betweene Chriſte and them, becauſe they ſtande for their owne gayne, Act. 19.27.when they gainſtande his purging the Temple. That Demetrius with his companions, were the bellowes of the ſturre betweene Paule and him, ſeeing it was for the vpholding of his Schrines, that he contended. and laſt of all, Act. 19.27.That the Papiſts are the ſturrers of the diſſention that nowe is betweene them & vsus, becauſe it is for feare their waters will drye vp, Apoc. 16.12.13.that like ſo many Babylonian frogges, they crooke againſt the Goſpell. Now as for vsus, we are as litle profitable to our ſelves in our forbearance of conformitie, as were the old Chriſtians when they proteſted,nTertul. Apolog. cap. 38. ſi oblectari nolumus, nostri iniuria eſt. ſi fortè noſtra, & non veſtra: ſeeing we ſeeke for nothing elſe vntounto our ſelues, but a troubleſome and paynfull miniſterie: forgiue vsus this contention. whom wronge we ſaue our ſelues? vnleſſe it be that our wrong and loſſe of delights, redoundeth to the loſſe of the church. Yes (mary) ſay our Oppoſites, ye goe about to pull downe the church, & to begger the miniſterie. to which we replie with the auncient chriſtians, we are onelyonlyoTertul. Ibid c. 43. infructuo ſi ijs quibus infructuoſum eſſe maximus fructus eſt, to wit, to pōpous Lords, to nonreſidents, & idell miniſters, to whom when we are moſt vnprofitable, then are we moſt profitable to Gods church. On the other ſide, although we are loth to accuſe any, yet for the clearing of our ſelues we muſt deſire indifferent men, to take knowledge of thoſe preſumptions, which make probable, they be our Oppoſites in this controverſie, of whom we may moſt truelie complaine,pLeo. epiſt. 23. dum priuata cauſae religionis exercentur obtentu, commiſſum eſt impietate paucorum, quod vniverſam Eccleſiā vulneravit. Amongeſt theſe, none ſo bitter againſt vsus, as they who before were with vsus, but nowe hauehave ſubſcribed: of many of which, may it not beſayde,qIbid. impijs ſubſcriptionibus captivas manus dederunt, quod nociturum ſtatui ſuo ſcirent, niſi imperata feciſſent? As for our Reverend Fathers, whoſe wrath purſueth alwayes, we onelyonly applie to them theſe wordes of Caſſander. I will never denie (ſayeth he) but that many Proteſtantes at the firſt, were ſturred vp with a pious deſire, to a ſharpe reproofe of certayne manifeſt abuſes: and that the chief cauſe of this diſtraction of the Church,rGeorg. Caſſaud. conſultac▪ act. 7. illis aſsignandam eſſe, qui inani quodam faſlu, eccleſiaſticae poteſtatis inflati, rectè & modeſtè admonentes, ſuperbè contempſerunt, & repulerunt. Therefore I thinke there is no hope leaft for peace in the Church, vntill they bee begunne with all, who firſt gaue cauſe of this diſtraction: to witt, that they, qui eccleſiaſticae gubernationi praeſunt, de nimio ſue rigore aliquid remittant; & eccleſiae paci aliquid concedant, & multorum piorum votis ac monitis obſequentes, manifeſtos abuſus, ad regulam divinarum literarum, & veteris Eccleſiae, à qua deflexerunt, corrigant. Fiftly, Is not this a fruite of ſtrife and contention in our Oppoſites, that they croſſe vsus ſo much the more, the more that in all humilitie we ſue and ſeeke for reformation of thinges amiſſe? Exod. 5.10.even as it was contention in Egipt taſke-maiſters, to growe the more heavie in their burthens, the more that libertie was ſought for? And in the Epheſians to crie the more,fSigibert. Anno 712. Great is Diana (as now men crie, Great is the croſſe) the more her idolatrie was oppugned? When Philippicus at Conſtantinople, to prevent idolatrie vntounto Images, ſcraped out the images of the Fathers of the ſixt Councell that were in the portch of the church of Sophia, Conſtantinus the Pope of purpoſe to ſpite him, painteth thē vp in the church portch of Saint Peters at Rome? To no other iſſue hauehave there ſorted the humble petitions that hauehave been made for the remoovall of popiſh rites and ceremonies out of this church, ſeeing our adverſaries the more they ſee them wiped out by vsus with the ſpounge of Gods worde, the more hauehave they painted them with ill tempered colours, & that to the wiping out of the images of the Apoſtles, which many antAct. & monu. in hiſtor. eius. Huſſ had painted gloriouſlie before in the ſpirituall walles of his Bethlehem.
It it written of Iulius uIoh. Sleidan. comment. lib. 6the third, that what he could finde or heare to bee moſt contrarie to the proteſtantes, or if he knewe any thing that would greeue them moſt, that he cauſed to be decreed in the Councel of Trent. Our Reverend Fathers hauehave taken the like courſe againſt vsus, in all their courſes, eſpecially of late; and is no ſpirit of contention (then) within their boſomes? When the Thab… rites of Boheme would hauehave the popiſh rites removed, the Prieſtes popiſhlie addicted, ſtroue ſo much the more, to hauehave them retayned: and becauſe the Challice was chieflie puſhed at, they painted challices, till one (not vnfitly) wrote vnderneath,wIoh. Dubranius hiſtor. Bohemic. lib. 26
tot pingit calices Bohemorum terra per vrbes,
vt credas Bacchi numina ſola coli.
HaueHave not the ceremonies in like maner been the more paynted, preached, commēded, preſſed, puniſhed, ſince here of late that their removall hath been ſought for? Sixtly, who hauehave exceeded in this controverſie? they are the men that are contentious: and they be our Oppoſites. It was contention in Cyneſias at Athens, xP. Melane. in reſponſ. ad Hamburgenſ.feſtos dies contrarios populi conſuetudini celebrare: in Aſiaticis ſues mactare & contrariū anni initium conſtituere: vt oſtenderent prorſus ſe alienos eſſe ab Iſraelitis. The like exceſſe was contentious in the Priſcilioniſtes, when they faſted on the Lords day,yLeo epiſt. 91. capit. 4. vt per omnia eſſent à noſtrae fidei vnitate diſcordes: & dies quae à nobis in laet itia habetur, ab illis in afflictione ducatur. & inzAuguſt. epiſt l. 86. ad Caſialan. Vrbicus when he cōdemned church-aſſemblies on the Saterday, becauſe the Iewes ſolemnized their aſſemblies then. ſuch exceſſe is contentious in theaCuſpinian de relig. Turcor. Turke, chooſing Fryday for his Sabboth to be contrarie to the chriſtians: in thebIoh. Laficius de relig. Muſcovit. ca. 5. Muſcouite to reiect the Sabboth wholy, and the whole lawe, in hatred of the Iewes. Our Oppoſites are guiltie of this exceſſe, in that to be cōtrarie to Geneva, they hauehave oppoſed badd doctrines & orders to be againſt them: as in the controverſie of Chriſtes ſufferings: of his deſcending into hell: of divorſe to ſeparate à thoro only, & not à vinculo, with the like. GiueGive we inſtance in an exceſſe of an other kinde. which is to ſtretch a thing too farre. The Apoſtles obſerved certayne dayes for a time to winne the Iewes, & ſo wascWhitak. controuerſ. 5. q. …. c. 9. p. 405. Eaſter kept at firſt. Hence it grew to a cuſtome, which while ſome ſtroue to continue, a contention aroſe, whereby exilium rerum pretextu, alij ab alijs ſeperati ſunt: chaunge but the name, and the caſe is ours. The ceremonies were intended at firſt to be kept for a while for the winning of the papiſtes: hereby they grewe to bee a cuſtorne: ſome are founde that will needes cōtinue this cuſtome ſtil, and that with ſuch contention, that the moderation of Victor and Policarpe is quite forgotten: who thought it vndecentdZo…om. lib 7. ca. 19. Conſuetudinum cauſa ſe ab invicem ſeperari: and the adviſe ofeAuguſt. epiſt. 86. ad Caſulan. Auguſtine troden vnderunder foot, Nequaquāde veſtis regiae varietate litigemus, ne ipſius reginae interiora membra vexemus. Another exceſſe, The Fathers are miſliked in thatfSint. Sene…ſ. in praefat. l 5. bibliothec. dum vnū errorem deſerunt, in alium incidere ſolent: Agricolarū more, qui incuruum arboris ſtipitem corrigere volentes, immodica nonnunquā attractione extra modum excedūt plantam que in contrariam diverſam que deducunt formam In this contention of the ceremonies it were to be wiſhed our Reverend Fathers would turne their edge againſt the papiſtes, and not againſt their owne brethren, whom now they wrythe & wreſt too farre towardes the papiſtes: vponupon a ſuppoſall they are wandred too farre from them. Seventhly, we are cleare from thegTho. Aquin. 2.2. q. 38. effectes of contention, contumelie, ſlaunder, wrath, wrong, contempt, with the like: which in our Oppoſites are more then manifeſt againſt vsus. Firſt, what their wordes and writings? it is noted for contention in the Fathers, that often tymes non hHieron. Apolog. pro lib. cont. Iovinian. c. 4.quod ſentiunt, ſed quod neceſſe eſt dicunt, adverſus ca quae dicunt Gentiles. howe ſicke our Oppoſites are of this diſeaſe, their writings, and pulpit invectives ſhewe: in which they that will iudge the beſt of them, wil deeme they ſpeak not often times what in their conſciences they thinke to be true: but quod neceſſe est dicere contra fratres, as if we were Gentiles. what their doings? for if they ſeparate vsus not for trifles, in ſuch ſort as the Donatiſtes did, yet ſeperate vsus they doe, and caſt vsus foorth out of the inheritance of the Lord, as if we were ſchiſmatiques, yea heretiques: or if they be our fellowe Miniſters that be conformed, they breake off all familiaritie with vsus: and as they are able by word or deed, doe vsus all the ſpite they can. TheymExamin. of the declarat of the M of London. ſay we iudge them: that we condemne them: which is one of the greateſt fruites of contention in things indifferent. The greatnes of the fault we acknowledge, the fault it ſelfe we diſclayme. It was contention in Eunonius that he would not enter into a church where the reliques of a Martyr were, leaſt hee ſhould ſeeme to adore the Martyr. Vigilantius is not of indifferent men condemned for oppoſing himſelfe againſt theſe reliques for the daunger of idolatrie that was in them. In like manner for vsus to oppoſe our ſelues againſt the reliques of idolatrie, it is not contention. contention reſteth in the boſome of thoſe who wholy refuſe to come to a church where the reliques of poperie are: Now if we condemned our brethren that be contrarie minded; wee would ſeperate from them, as ſome doe from vsus, and as we our ſelues doe from the papiſtes whom we condemne. As longe as we holde vnitie with them, they that accuſe vsus for iudging and condemning of them, knowe not what it is to iudge, or what to condemne. when the Interim giveth leaue to miniſter the Communion vnderunder both kindes, they give it with this condition,nConrad. Schluſſelburg. tom. 13. p. 77. ſic tamen ne reprehendant cos qui diuer ſum faciunt. It may be when they would not hauehave vsus to iudge or condemne them, they ayme at that the Interim did, to wit, that we ſhould not miſlike them in quo diverſum faciunt: nor ſo much as reprehende them in their conformitie: but it is one thing to condemne this facte of theirs out of the word (which when we doe it is the worde of God that iudgeth them and not we) an other thing for this fact of theirs to condemne their faith or perſons, which is the onelyonly condemning or iudging that is forbidden. Now as for this iudging or condemning thus forbidden, I would they would pull out the beame out of their owne eyes, who ſo deale with vsus as mē vſe to deale with them that are not acknowledged to be brethren, partakers of the benefit, members of the ſame Chriſt Ieſus, and fellowe heires of the ſame kingdome. Aidanus was vnconformable in Eaſter, whichoBeda. hiſtor lib. 3. cap. 17. p. cap. 17. q. cap. 25. Beda much deteſteth in him: yet was hepcap. 17. beloued of the adverſe part, and iudged a good man,qcap. 25. humble, peaceable, not contentious, not vayne glorious ſo much the ſooner that though he did not celebrate Eaſter as the Church did, yet he did not celebrate it with thercap. 10. Iewes: and when he did celebrate it, he preached the ſame reſurrection that others did. Preach not we the ſame doctrine that others doe? in that we conforme not is it not for hatred againſt the papiſts (as bad as the Iewes) ſeeing we preach the ſame Chriſt, and hate the ſame Antichriſt, why are we iudged more then he was, or miſſe of that brotherly louelove and fellowſhippe which was ſhewed him? I heare ſome obiect vntounto vsus, the leaving of our miniſterie, as if that were a breach of vnitie and a ſeparation from them. I beare more louelove to them that ſeparate in this reſpect both vsus and them ſelves then to wiſh that the Lord ſhould iudge them who are guiltie in this fault. But in the ſame Beda it issIbid. c. 29. p. 124. ſtoried, that Colman did loco cedere, rather then he would conforme, and mutare conſuetudinem, and yet notwithſtanding the King both loved him and maintayned him. In ſteed of this meaſure, there is renewed, the miſerable image of that diſtraction which once aroſe about conformitie betweene onetBeda hiſtor. lib. 2. cap. 4. Laurentius and the Scottes: Laurentius iudged and condemned the Scottes, that they were out of the chriſtian vnitie, becauſe their Paſſeover was diverſe; as we are now iudged by our Oppoſites. The Scottes on the other ſide, refuſed to eate with Laurentius, as now they of the ſeparation refuſe their fellowſhippe and cōmunion, who preſſe the vſe of theſe ceremonies controverſed, vnderunder a colour to maintayne the peabe and vnitie of the Church.