Against Symbolizing with Antichrist in Ceremonies, Part 2 · Chapter 6 · Section 24
#Sect. 24.
THe ſecond followeth: and it ſaith though the auncient church requireth no conformitie as neceſſarie to peace in diuers churches, yet that in one and in the ſame church it is to be required. Firſt, the Fathers did as well require a conformitie in the vniverſall church, as in any particular congregation, as hath been plainly ſhewed: and the difference about leavened and vnleavened bread was in diuerſe churches the Greeke and the Latin. yet what the Fathers ſpake againſt the neceſſitie of conformitie therein, is applied by one of our reverend writers againſt the neceſſitie of conformitie within this one church of ours. To this letter of Anſelme, I hauehave (ſaithaAct. and Monu. pag 170. he) adioyned an other Epiſtle of his to the ſaid Waltram: appertayning to matters not much vnlike to the ſame effect: wherein is intreated touching the varietie & diuerſe vſages of the ſacraments in the church: where by ſuch as call and cry ſo much for vniformitie in the Church may note peraduenture in the ſame ſomething for their better vnderſtanding. Secondly, why ſhould diuerſitie of rites breake peace more in one church then in diuerſe, ſeeing the faith is the ſame which is affirmed to be inviolat by this diuerſitie: and diuerſitie of ceremonies is likewiſe the ſame in all places: hauing as great power beyond the ſeas to diſturbe peace, as it hath behither them? To hauehave peace in the church the papiſtes require an vniformitie in the languadg of Gods ſeruice,bBellarmin de verb. Dei li 5 ca 1… & de effect. Sacram. c. 31. alioqui communicatio Eccleſiae tolleretur. Indeed who ſeeth not that a conformitie in languadg is a neceſſaratie for peace as conformitie in tryfling ceremonies: wherevpon the Interim impoſed the Latin tongue to bee vſed for the peace of Germanie as well as conformitie in other rites and Ceremonies. Nowe would not he ſhewe himſelfe ridiculous that ſhould thus reaſon: the diuerſitie of language will not breake peace betweene England & Spaine, but it will breake peace betweene England and Wales, betweene Cornwall and Yorkeſhire: and England and Scotland can hauehave no Vnion vnleſſe the languadg bee firſt made one? Surelie the Councell of Lateran made account that diuerſitie of rites, would no more break peace in one church then in diuerſe: euen as the diuerſitie of language doth not when it decreedcConcil. Latera. ſub Innocent. 3. cap. 9. quoniam in pleriſque partibus inter eandem ciuitatem permixti ſunt populi diuerſarum linguarum habentes ſub vna fide varios ritus & mores, praecipimus vt provideantur viri idonei qui ſecundum diuer ſitates rituum & linguarum divina officia illis celebrant, & Eccleſiastica Sacramenta miniſtrent. GiueGive wee another inſtance: The Iles of Gerſey and Garnſey differing in language and diſcipline from vsus, hauehave yet euermore agreed in the faith with vsus: and in obedience vntounto one ſupreame Soueraigne. Hath not the diſagreement of language & diſcipline as great power to trouble peace as the diuerſitie hath of Croſſe and Surplice? Giuewe a third inſtance. Some of our churches hauehave Organs, ſome not: ſome diſcant and broken ſinging, ſome plaine: ſome none at all. hath this diuerſitie euer diſturbed or troubled our peace? GiueGive we inſtance laſt of all in the Croſſe and Surplice themſelues: what breach of peace either in the ſtate or church did the Preachers raiſe all the dayes of Queene Elizabeth, who differred in them from their fellowes? For, as for the ſtate, where more peaceable or loyall ſubiectes thoroughout the Land, then in the places where they hauehave laboured? As for the church, the vnitie of it hath bene vpheld againſt theſe of the ſeparation, by no mens writings (that I knowe of) but by theirs? As for the faith, ſhewe me one that hath broached one point againſt it, as ſome hauehave done, who are for the Ceremonies? Thirdly, I ſee no reaſon why the churches of this Iſland ſhould be held to bee one Church, and the churches of the continent beyond the ſeas to be diuers churches, ſeeing if we ſpeake of one church collectiuè, we beleeue out of the ſcriptures that there is but one Catholique church over all the earth: if we ſpeake of one church diſtributiuè, we finde by the phraſe & ſpeach of ſcripture, that everie viſible congregation is one church by it ſelfe. Howſoeuer, of ſuch diuerſe churches, and ſuch churches held to be one, the foreſaid teſtimonies and theſe following, meane indifferently, to witt, that varietie in rites breedeth iarre in neither of them. The Italians anddDurant. rational li. 4 cap. 2…. Germenes vſe two Corporalls without any breach of peace, from the French, who vſe one only: and yet all the three make vp but one church Romane. IneNi…ephor. li 12 c 34. Antioche of Syria altaria diuerſum prorſus quam alibi ſitum habent: yet all theſe make vp one Greek church. ThatfAuguſt epiſt l 19. cap 27. Haleluiah ſhould be ſoung only betweene Eaſter & Whitſontyde, non vſque qua que obſeruatur, nam & varijs diebus variè cantatur alibi. In the Vnion of the Greeke and Latin, they were both made one, and yet the diuerſitie of leavened and vnleavened bread is permitted without all feare that it would impeach this Vnion.gThom. Aquin p. 3 queſt. 74. art. 4 vidi. Thomas alſo and Caietan think that the difference of this ceremonie is not to be reckoned among the partes of the ſchiſme of that church,hWalafrid. Strab. de reb eccleaſti ca. 15. See Walafridus Strabus what varietie he confeſſeth in the celebration of diuine ſervice, which neuer bredd any iarre or diſcord: and conſider that oflSocrat. hiſtor. lib. 5. cap. 21. Socrates apud nos Eccleſiarum & ſectarum Eccleſias nuſquam re perire poteris duas qui in precand… more inter ſe conſentiant. It was a ſacred order to hauehave 7. Collectes in the Maſſe, neither more nor leſſe: & a great matter was made of it, vſu tamen mRodulph Tungr…nſ. de canon. obſeruat. prop of. 23Leodienſi vltra quinque non di…untur: and all theſe vncōformities were within one Greek or Romane church. Fourthly, take the churches of England to be one, and it is eaſie to bring examples of diuerſitie in the ceremonies, euen in one and the ſame church, where they hauehave broke no peace: In one and in the ſame region (ſaithnSozom. hiſtor lib. 7. cap. 19. one) permulti ritus per ciuitates & pagos in veniri poſſunt, quos ſine piaculo intollerabili praeuaricari non poſſe putant. At Rome the Gregorian oP. Morne o… Euchariſt l. 1. c. ….Leiturgie obtained: the Ambroſian at Millane was vſed the ſame time in the ſame Italie: & yet after they were ſetled the peace and vnitie of the church was not diſturbed by thē. There were diverſe formes of ſeruice in one Spain for a long time. The Councell Gerundenſe: firſt taking order that there ſhould be one forme vnderunder one Metropolitan, which after the Coūcell of Toledo the 4. extended ouer all Spaine: and while theſe rites were thus diverſe, there was more peace then after that one and vniforme order which Alphonſus the 6. brought in. AtpSocrat. hiſtor. li. 5. cap. 20. Rome it was decreed that chriſtians might celebrate Eaſter day differently with out any feare of breach betweene thē. Here in England of old the vſe differed: and although the vſe of Sarum ouertopped all the reſt, yet did it not conquer them. euen as in Germanie qIlli…i. i…l. de AdiaphBrandeburg had one breuiarie: Magdeburg an other: and ſo in the reſt when as yet there Satan kept all his Miniſters in a league and peace together. In Ruſſia to this hower, the Biſhop ofrDurant. de rit. l 2. c. 9. Nouograde differed in Ceremonie from all the reſt: wearing a white Miter with two hornes, ſuch as the popiſh Biſhops weare: whereas other Biſhops weare round Miters like the Turkiſh: blacke in colour, and what hurt breedeth this difference there? Wheras (then)sP. Morne. de Euchariſt. l. 1. c. … Charles the great, hauing a purpoſe to vnite the Church of Rome and of France together, and being Romiſh aboliſhed Cantum Gallicanum and eſtabliſhed ordinē Romanū, which before Pipin his Father decertauit vt fieret though he could not bring it to paſſe, ſo were it a worthy thing for our Soueraigne, purpoſing to vnite the two proteſtant churches of England and Scotlande, being himſelf a Proteſtant to aboliſh, ordinem quemcunque Romanum, and to eſtabliſh the order of the Scottiſh church, and of the other reformed churches, with whom he is in faith vnited. And this is the firſt plea of the auncient Chriſtian libertie, vnconformitie breaketh no peace either in the whole Orthodox church, or in the diuerſe partes thereof, or in any one church viſible.