Against Symbolizing with Antichrist in Ceremonies, Part 2 · Chapter 6 · Section 21
#Sect. 21. The obiection of the Oppoſites, that inferiours not yeelding in ſmall matters be guilty of contention against Superiours, anſwered.
THe firſt obiection againſt vsus here, is that we being inferiors, and not yeelding in ſo ſmal matters, Sect. 21.muſt needes be guiltie of contention againſt thoſe that be over vsus. This obiection would be our preiudice very great, if our ſuperiours might not with a better conſcience for beare to commanude, 1. Sam. 17.25.then we may performe what is commaunded by them. when Dauid was charged by his elder brother, he replyed, is there not cauſe? now this may we reply at this time, hauehave we not reaſon: and is not rationum efficacia praeſtantior omni aMaldonat. apud Tho. Morton. Apolog. p. 2. lib 2. cap 17.authoritate, even in the eyes of a Ieſuit him ſelfe, vnleſſe it be authoritie divine? By which, we are ſo ſtrengthened, as that we require but the meaſure which another Papiſt meatethbArrius Montan. in Gal. 1.8. in rebus divinis, authoritas divina ſpectanda est: neque decet conditionem perſonarum, ſed rem ipſam aeſtimari. The contrarie is the ſame argument wherewith the Adiaphoriſtes in cūbred the Divines of Germanie.cConrad. Schluſſelburg. tom. 13. Caeſar is to be gratified in the ceremonies. Thankfulnes to him requireth you to yeeld. To which they replyed, It is neither obediēce nor thankfulnes to giuegive to Caeſar that which is Gods, but plaine flatterie rather. Muſt we not take heede how by renewing Bellarmines principle Epiſcopiſoli babēt authoritatē iudicandi, nō quia docti ſunt, ſed quia ſunt perſonae publicae, id eſt, principes habentes eccliſiaſticā iuriſdictionē (for we are bounde, men ſay, to conformitie vponupon our obedience canonical vntounto theſe peeres) we open a way to that ruine of the church, which one of ourdTho. Mor ton. Apolog p. 2. l. 4. c. 8. writers proveth will come of it. out of Arelatenſis, If all muſt be in the handes of the Biſhopps, what will become of the catholique faith cùm praeſertim Epiſcopi delitijs indulgeant, ſoli ferè praesbyteri provnitate Chriſti, perſecutiones ſuſtineant: omnes dicunt voluntati regis parere ſe velle nullus dei. Out of this Arelatenſis many other thingseAEneas Siluius de geſt. Concil. Baſilionſ lib. 1. apud. may be drawne to proove that we owe no ſuch obedience to the Biſhopps, as that we are bound for the ſake of their authoritie to conforme. For he thinketh by the word of God we are equall to them, he proveth by Hierome that they are ſola conſuetudine preferred before vsus: of which cuſtome he alſo addeth, fieri vtique poteſt, vt hanc conſuetudinem contraria tollat conſuetudo. In deed not onelyonly a contrarie cuſtome may bee introduced: but alſo muſt vnleſſe we leaue him in this tenent of his nihil eſi quod magis ſequi decet quam eccleſiae primatiuae cōſuetudinem to follow that of Ludovicus, which much aſtoniſhed the Councill of Baſill, we are not to followe the cuſtome of the primitiue Church, and by name not in this, that in the Councill of Ieruſalem the Elders of the Church were ioyned with the Apoſtles in all decrees and determinations. He affirmeth moreover, that Praesbyteri debent Eccleſiam Dei cum Epiſcopis in com…uni regere, and that no Epiſcopall authoritie bindeth any miniſter without the warrant of the worde which in this controverſie is on our ſide. I conclude (therefore) with theſe wordes of his, non dignitas patrum ſedratio ſpectanda eſt: nec aliquid eſt quod in ſingulis rebus ſpectari magis quam veritem conveniat: nee ego cuinſvi… Epiſcopi mendacium, quamvis ditiſsime, veritati praeponam, pauperis praesbyteri. Orthuinus fFaſciculrer. expetend. fol. 12.13.Gratius ſetteth in the margen over againſt theſe wordes: O pieta…, O vex Chriſtiana. which, may it not fill their faces with ſhame, who give forth, that it is the voyce of puritaniſme it ſelfe, and of faction, and of ſciſme? Whereas the ſmallnes of theſe matters is by our Oppoſites greatly ſtood on, wee deſire that Baſils anſwere to Modeſtus may be remembred. The Emperour is to be obeyed (ſaid he) what ſoeuer yee pretende it is obſtinacy for you to gaineſtande him in tam tenui exquiſitione dogmatis▪ to which his reply was this:gTheodoret. hiſtor. l. 4. c. 19. Qui diuinis innutriti ſunt literis, ij nullam ſyllabam illarum in diſcrimen venire pati poſſunt. would Moyſes yeeld in one houſe? Chriſt in one rite of waſhing handes? would Daniell forbeare but one ceremonie of looking towardes the Temple? would Eleazar eate but one morſell that might giuegive ſcandall, nay would he but ſeeme to eate it? would Paule yeeld in one ceremonie for one hower? The ſecond contention wherewith we are charged, is againſt the papiſte: becauſe we ſet our ſelues againſt him in ſuch things, wherein we hauehave no need to ſtriue. Firſt, the matter is good wherein we ſtande, therefore no contention can be imputed to vsus, ſaue that which the ſchoole-men callgSilueſt. Prie. ſumma in verb Contētio. contentionem per accidens, as when a man exceedeth. This contention where it is found, beſides that it is perſonall, hath this extenuation in the eyes of a papiſt,hConrad. Lutzenburg. Catalog. haereticor. verb. Nouatiani. venialiter peccant quando hareticifaciunt aliquem in quo eſt zelus infirmitate excedere. For example, the Georgians forbid ſtouping downe, though it be to pull a thorne out of the foote, ouerright the church of the l Armenians, for feare to countenance their religion. The m Grecians when they were in contention with the Romanes, waſhed every altar, where any one of their Prieſtes had ſaide a Maſſe. The noble mē of n Muſcovia waſhe their handes as vncleane, when they hauehave taken the Popes Legate by the hand, either at his firſt comming or at his laſt farewell. Suppoſe a good cauſe in all of theſe, & zeale will cover eaſilie all that ſauoureth of contention which ſeemeth to be in them. Secondly, the popiſh ceremonies beingoFlac. Illiric. lib. de Adiapho…. etiam ipſa ſumma ſuperſtitionis papiſticae, and that by their ownepIoh Dowley. inſtruction. cap. c. Gal 2.12. confeſſion the croſſe is the verie abridgement of their faith, our conformitie to pleaſe them would be a Peterlike deſire to pleaſe, if not a Manichees deſire to get liking, which was this,qAuguſt. cont. Adamant l. 13. videbatur velle favere ſimulachris, vt hac ratione ethnicorum etiam conciliaret benevolentiam. let this be conſidered by them who giving way to this deſire of pleaſing papiſtes vponupon a pretence to avoyde the ſinne of cōtention againſt them, hauehave fallen at laſt into that coldnes which was reproued in Tymotheus: when the heretiques ſawe him in the ſtreetes they were wont to cry out to himrLiberatus Car…hag. in breuiar. cap. 16. vel ſi non tibi communicamus tamen amamus te. He puffed vp with theſe acclamatious manſuete agebat. and although the Emperour checked him for his remiſnes, yet would he not ſturre againſt them. Nay it were well if the effect of this deſire not to ſturre and cōtend againſt the papiſtes bredde in our Oppoſites, were nothing elſe but a remiſnes againſt them, doth it not breede in them a fiercenes alſo againſt vsus their owne brethrē? For this is ill provided for and can hauehave no excuſe, that ſome, not to contend with papiſtes, ſhould contend with their brethren, and diſpleaſe the ſonnes of their owne mother to pleaſe the enimies of their Father: and beate, not the dogge before the Lyon, but the Lyon for fauour of the dogge, and make the naturall childe to weepe, while the ſonne of the bound woman doth triumphe. Such would be loth to be iudged by the auncient tenent which is this,sAgathias. ſcholaſtic. hiſtor. Inſtinian. l. 4. hoſtis nomen, non et ſolum qui remot: ſsimè est diſsitus convenit, ſed cui vis etiam populari qui hoſtibus gratificart ſtudet. Now although I will not iudg them by this rule, yet may I not ſuffer them to goe cleare with that excuſe, which ſayth that this their proceeding againſt vsus is the ſame whichtConcil. Chalcedo. act. 3. p. 134. Martianus the Emperour tooke, who puniſhed thoſe that did contende about religion before Iewes and before pagans, to the ſcandalizing of them, and to the publique derogation of the catholique faith it ſelfe. For the contending which in this caſe is to be puniſhed, is when it is againſt the truth that men cōtend ſuch as was decreed in the councel of Chalcedon in the dayes of Martianus: for vsus to contend againſt that ſmatch of popery which attainteth our religion, is to contend for the truth againſt their ſuperſtition. Little cauſe hath the papiſt to glorie and boaſt of vsus, euen as the Samaritan had little cauſe to boaſt of them in Ieruſalē, that ſtoode with a ſword in one hand to fight and with a trewell in the other to biuld vp againſt them. nehem. 4.17.If the Samaritan hath glorie in any thing it is in this, that he hath ſome within the walles of Ieruſalem that doe ſauour him. But ſhall it be ſuffered, that the papiſt ſhall glorie in the vnitie of his church, and laugh at ours for our cōtention? To omit all other replies, this glorying of his may be raunſomed and repreſſed, without ſo deare and great a price, as is their wracke, who for the truth contend againſt him, to wit, by returning home vntounto their owne doores this impatation of diſagreement in the very ſame matters. For not only the maine doctrine of images is in controuerſie amongſt them, whileuBellarm. de imag. cap. 20. ſome hold the image is not to be worſhipped at all: others not with latria, which yet is the common tenent amongſt them: But alſo there is great ſtriſe amongſt them in particular about the worſhippe of the croſſe.wIn Ioſu… cap. 22. Andreas Maſius ſaith the croſſe is propoſed in the, church, non vt illam adoremus: thexIndex expurgator. Hiſpan. in Andre. Maſ. Spaniſh Inquiſitors finding this, deleatur (ſay they) non vt illam adoremus. Neithet was Maſius the ringleader of this oppoſition: we finde elſewhere,yConcil. Colon. in explic. decalog Durant. de rit. lib 2. c. 23. ſect. vlt. non veneramur crucis materiam, ſed id quod typo ſigno que exprimitur. But this perchance more obſcurely; more plainly that famous Earle ofzIoh. Picus. Mirandul. Concluſ. 3. Mirandula, nec crux Chriſti, nec illius imago adoranda eſt adoratione latriae etiam co modo quo ponit Thomas. For the fauorers where of there areaG. Caſſander. Conſultac. art. 21. rehearſed. Durandus, Henricus de Gandauo, Iohannes Guevarra, Robertus Holcot: Petrus de Aquila, Franciſcus Maronis: Gabriel Biel with others. And they may remember that our difference about the communion booke, cōmeth not neare the contention that was of old about the Ambroſian bP. Mornzus de Euchariſt. lib 1. c. 8.and Gregorian order: with which whole Kingdomes were diſturbed in Italie, France, and Spaine. Neither is our difference like to that, which fell out in latter times about the French and Engliſh order within this lande, which brake forth to the ſhedding of bloud, and that in the quier it ſelfe ofcAct. and moun. in Guilhih…l. conqueſt. Glaſſenbury. and no cōtention amongſt vsus about the image of the croſſe did euer proceed to that extremitie as was founde amongſt them, when Iohn dAuentin. Anal l. 7.the 22. condemned them for Anthropomorphites, and brunt ſome with fire who repreſented God the Fathers in the forme of an aged mā: the ſonn in the forme of a yong man, and the holy ghoſt in the ſhape of a doue. About the yeare 1321, the Franſiſcanes began to teach, that Chriſt was poore, and his Apoſtles farre from the pompe wherein the Prelacie then did liue: the foreſaid Iohn thought it his parte to looke to this matter, therefore heeIbid. fol. 751. Sabellie. Aenead. 9. l. 8 condemned thē, and ſome of them he burnt with fire. And for the ſtreng thening of him ſelfe, he ſet the Dominican Friers againſt them, whence crucifixes of quite cōtrary ſhape began to be ſeene in churches.fHoſpinian. de retemplar. cap de imag. fol. 71. The Franciſcans paynted Chriſt hanging naked on the croſſe with a crowne of thornes on his head. The Dominicans, they paynted him on the croſſe with a purple robe limmed with gold, with a crowne of gold, with gilded ſhoes: and though he had one hand faſtened to the croſſe, yet the other was paynted looſe, putting a couple of the fingers into a rich and coſtly purſe, as if he were a pulling out ſome ſtore of monye. When will the papiſtes ſhewe ſuch an heauy and yet ridiculous contention, about the ſigne of the croſſe amongſt vsus? The 3. contention that is obiected, is againſt the greater part of our owne church. The fault of this contention, muſt needes be in the preachers (ſay our Oppoſites) becauſe being the fewer in number, they are in all reaſon to yeelde, which was the courſe that Conſtantine gSocrat. hiſtor lib. 5. cap. 22.tooke in the Councell of Nice, to appeaſe the controverſie about Eaſter day. Firſt, this argument drawne from the many, is in our vnderſtāding, popiſh: who hauehave learned a contrarie leſſon, from the Fathers,hAuguſt. in Pſal. 39. nō numeranda ſuffragia, ſed appendenda▪ yea from our OppoſiteslD. Bilf. p. 3. p. 301. cont. Apolog. them ſelves who feare not to ſay, that one mā preaching the trueth, hath warrant inough againſt the whole world. Nay from ſome papiſtes them ſelves, both olde we are mGerſon. de exam. doctri. p. 1. Confiderat. 3. Panormic. extrauag. de election. c. ſignificaſti.more to beleeve one man skilled in the ſcripture, though not authorized, then whole Councell that hath no warrant out of the worde: and new,nGregor. de Valent. Analyſ. l. 8. cap. 7. potest errare maior pars. Againe,oCanus. Theolog. l. 5. c. penult. ſcimus frequenter vſu venire vt maior pars vincat meliorem. As for Conſtantine, he decreed not with the multitude, but with reaſon, yea ſuch reaſon, as now maketh againſtour ceremonies in preſent …trife, We muſt not conforme our ſelves to the Iewes (ſaied he) no more ought we to the papiſtes now. Secondlie, all thinges well conſidered, this argument drawne from the multitude, maketh for vsus. Some twoo or three Biſhoppes at the firſt were the beginners of this ſtrife and contention about the Ceremonies: at this day, there bee of the Biſhopps, of the lay, Gentrie, of the Cleargie a verie great number, who (notwithſtanding their conformitie) wiſhe the aboliſhing of theſe rites and ceremonies. As for the rabblement of idle, and of Idoll miniſters, what reaſon is there, they ſhould come into the reckoningpAuguſt. vb. ſupra. multi ſunt, & quis numer at? Againe.qChryſoſt. homil. 40. ad popul. Antiochen. quaenam (quaeſo vtilitas eſt, multum eſſe foenum potius, quam paucos lapides praetioſos? non in numeri multitudine, ſed in virtutis probitate, multitudo conſiſtit. But ſuppoſe, not onelyonly the greater parte, but alſo the whole Engliſh church were for the ceremonies, is the Engliſh church all the church? their verie popiſhe argument it ſelfe, commaundeth Germanie (a greater Church then Englande hath) to conforme to the Latin ſervice of Rome vponupon this reaſon, non debet totum parti cedere, ſed pars toti, which ourrT. Morton. Apolog. p. 2. lib. 1. cap. 28. p. 101. Writers doe approoue. If then in cceremonies the fewer muſt yeelde to the greater parte, then much more muſt Englande (being but a parte) aboliſhe the ceremonies controverſed, ſo to yeelde to the whole Orthodox church, or at the leaſt to the greater parte thereof, which longe ſince hath remooved them. Sure, they can not ſay to vsus, as once Eugenius the fourth ſaide,sConcil. Florentin. in vnion. Armenior. Conforment ſe Armenij, cum vniver ſo orbe Chriſtianorum. we may rather beſeech them to ſuffer vsus to conforme our ſelves, with the whole vniverſall Church of Chriſt beyonde the ſeas, that ſo we may be releeved, them ſelues delivered from that obiection oftBeda hiſtor. lib. 3. cap. 25. p. 125. Wilfrid, All the world is against you, praeter Pictos & Britanes, qui contra totum orbem, vano labore pugnant.