Against Symbolizing with Antichrist in Ceremonies, Part 2 · Chapter 6 · Section 3
#Sect. 3. Ceremonies may not be vſed in Relatione nor in Compariſon.
THE ſecond ſort of our Oppoſites, who yeeld the ceremonies are inconvenient, Sect. 3.make this their iſſue, that though in regard of them ſelues they may not be vſed, yet in relatione, and in compariſon they may: becauſe compared with other circumſtances they growe to be convenient. Now of theſe circumſtances the firſt is the avoyding of a worſe miſchiefe, which commeth neare to that conceyte of ſome old Papiſtes, who thought it lawfull to commit a veniall ſinne, to prevent a mortall. againſt whom Thomas Aquinas replied,aThom. Aquin. 2.2. queſt. 43. art. 7. reſponſ. ad. 5. Nullum peccatum eſt eligibile. and that of Gratian, that when a man is perplexed betweene two ſinnes, he may chooſe to cōmit the leſſe: which the Gloſſe reprobateth: & latebSumma. Silueſtrin. in verb. lex. queſt. 13. papiſts them ſelues condemne. But è duobus malis minus. true, in malis poenae, but we are in malis culpae. wherefore by no relation to greater offences, doeth any thing become lawfull, which of it ſelfe is euill; becauſe that which is evill, doth neuer become good, vntill it doe exuere, I ſay not relativam onelyonly, but alſo realem rationem peccati, as thecThom. Aquin. vb. ſupra. Schoolemen doe make plaine. Now the reall inexpediencie of the ceremonies, is not put off, as long as any hurtfull circumſtance doeth cleaue to them. ſo that we hauehave to plead againſt thē, with one of the Fathers wordes,dBernard. de diſpenſ. ex pr…c…p…. prudenter advertendum eſt, ſcandalum ſcandalo non emendari; qualis emendatio erit, ſi vt alijs ſcandalum tollas, alios ſcandalizas? It is not good to eate with offence (ſaieth Paule) therefore to conforme with ſcandall, is a thing that is evill: but nowe we hauehave a certaine rule, We must not doe evill, that good may come of it, Rom. 14.21or leſſe evil which is leſſe. It is here obiected, that Paule circumcizing Timothie, after the councell had forbidden circumcizion as ſcandalous, was lawfull enough although ſcandalous, Rom. 3.8.to doe the greater good with the Iewes, and to avoide a greater ſcandall of them. Firſt, if Paule had ſeene it had been ſcandalous, Act. 16.3.he would no more here hauehave circumcized Timothie, thē other where Titus, whom he refuſed to circumcize, becauſe he ſawe it would breede ſcandall. The Councell hauing forbidden circumcizion when it is ſcandalous, will Paule now diſobey (thinke we) and circumcize with ſcandall? Secondly, there is no ſcandall but that which is per accidens only and acceptum, when it ariſeth from doing of a neceſſarie dutie, but now it was a dutie neceſſarie vntounto Paule, to vſe theſe ceremonies of the Iewes to their edification, vntill ſuch time as the preaching of the Goſpell, had made their abolition manifeſt. We hauehave an inſtance of the like in our Lord him ſelf, who doing a neceſſarie dutie of love in breaking conformitie, with the common and vſuall faſtinges of his time, yea with the faſtinges of Iohn himſelfe, for the ſparing of the weake veſſells of his Diſciples, and for the more convenient cleanſing them from all old dregges of weaknes, the ſcandall which ariſeth hereof in Iohns diſciples, is a ſcandall taken by them, and no way giuen by him. What then? wee breaking cōformitie vntounto ceremonies, Mat. 9.14.which doe more hinder edification, thē the faſtings of Iohns diſciples, we doe but that which is neceſſarie, to ridd the old dregges of poperie out of mens heartes, and to prepare them to the wine of the goſpell: ſo that, if any offence come of it, men take it only without any fault in vsus. Secondlie, what though the avoyding of greater miſchiefe, made a thing inexpedient to become convenient (which we ſee it doth not) this were nothing for the ceremonies in preſent controverſie, becauſe we may ſay the ſame of them, which the Germane Divines long ſince ſpake of the ceremonies of their Adiaphoriſme, eIoachim. Weſtphal. in explicat. ſentent. è duob. mal. min.Nihil mali ex ceremonijs iſtis reiectis, ex receptis verò provenit plurimum. Take we a little paynes to ſurvay theſe evills.fP. Melane. loc. theolo. Melancthon, while he was vpright, wrote thus of the hurt that cometh by ceremonies, which are borrowed and tranſlated out of poperie into the churches, pertinacia eorum laudanda non eſt. &c. their pertinacie is not to be commended, who when they acknowledge the doctrine is true, tam acerbe flagitant omnes ritus. this partinacie is a manifold ſcandal, becauſe it confirmeth the enemies of the trueth, and bringeth the weake into a doubting, that the vſe of chriſtiā libertie is not approved, by thoſe great men that are of learning and in authoritie, and the holy ghoſt is made ſadde in the heartes of other weaklings, who are much grieved to be accuſed of lenitie.gTheſ. de Adiaphor. Theolog. Saxon. apud Conrad Schluſſ. pag. 521. The Divines of Saxonie drewe theſe inconveniences from the yeelding of the Adiaphoriſtes, even from their owne mouthes, and there is not any one of them, but may bee imputed to the corruptions of our church. By the reducing of popiſh ceremonies, good mē are troubled, and made ſadde, ſo that invocation is hindred in them, Papiſtes are confirmed and made glad: this change is ſo taken, as if it were a beginning to greater things hereafter, mutatio ipſa per ſe, eſt obſcuratio doctrinae: Item, abalienant hae animos hominum à concionatoribus & alijs. hConfeſſ. Eccleſ. Manifeld. aedit. Ann. 1560. Ibid pag. 554.Others of them deſcribe the hurt of the popiſhe corruptions retayned on the one ſide of the cloth, and the good of their purging out on the other. Firſt, by yeelding to popiſhe Ceremonies, an evil example is left behinde vntounto poſteritie, if any perſecution ſhall hereafter befall, vt & ipſi ſimiliter agant languide, vnde ſimilia oriantur certamina & offenſiones. Secondly, Papiſtes are exceedinglie confirmed in their impietie, whereas if wee had ſtood ſtedfaſt, our conſtancie would hauehave made them perpetually doubtfull of their owne religion. Thirdly, certaine weake men of our owne brethren, are ſo offended with our inconſtancie, yea ſo weakned and caſt downe, that they are in a mammering whether the doctrine be true or no, which heretofore we hauehave preached to them. Fourthly, the mindes of our Diuines are ſo diſtracted, vt metuenda ſint in futurum maiora mala. For where Divines conſent not, there trueth is corrupted, and pietie in the ende quite loſt. Fiftlie, there is nothing more certainlie to be expected, from the ſtrife about ceremonies, quam vt & alios novos errores pariat, ſicut eſt error foecundus. Sixtly, theſe queſtions will bee ſo beaten into the mindes of our yong ſchollers, as that there will be no hope of concord with our poſteririe, & ita rurſum aliud ex alio malum. Seventhly, vnleſſe theſe quarells be appeaſed, all occaſion of converſion wil be ſhut vp againſt papiſtes, and others that be vncalled, and ſo the kingdome of Chriſt will be hindered. Eightlie, the opinion of indifferencie, will be alwayes a vayle, for all falſe doctrines quae iam irrepſerunt, quaeque poſtea excogitabuntur, ad palliandas eas & ornandas: many other incommodities are there, which ariſe frō conformitie to popiſh rites, which if they cannot mooue our Oppoſites, yet let them be mooued by that happines which will refloriſh, as ſoone as theſe ſcandalls, are remooued out of the way. For firſt, (ſay theſe men) all poſteritie will be admoniſhed to take heede, how they admit the leaſt leaven of poperie, or giuegive occaſion of declining to ſuperſtitiō, or of diſſipating of the church. Secondly, the papiſt will be the ſooner brought to doubt of his religion. Thirdly, the weake and doubtfull amongeſt our ſelues, will bee rayſed and comforted. Fourthly, the mindes of our Divines ſhall be ioyned together in peace and vnitie, and ſhall doe and preach, many profitable things, to the glorie of God, and to the vtilitie of the church. Fiftly, newe errours latelie ſprong vp, by occaſion of theſe controverſies, ſhall quite be cut off, & petulantia ingenia occaſionem habebunt nullam, deinceps alia fingendi nova. Sixtly, the yonge Divines, after the example of their Elders, ſhall be lovers of peace, and haters of contention. Seventhly, great occaſion ſhall be opened to convert papiſtes: for there is nothing more effectuall, for their converſion, thē our agreement, & quis omnes vtilitates poteſt reſenſere? tempus verò plures dabit, quam quiſquam nunc excogitare queat.