Against Symbolizing with Antichrist in Ceremonies, Part 2 · Chapter 6 · Section 4
#Sect. 4. Preſent Neceſsitie pretended by the Oppoſites, makes not the Croſſe convenient.
THE ſecond circumſtance, which in the opinion of our Oppoſites; maketh theſe ceremonies to grow convenient, though inexpedient in themſelves, is preſent neceſſitie: for neceſsitas non habet legem (ſaithaBernard. de praecept. & diſpenſa. Bernard) and the Canon lawe affirmeth,bDecret. Gregor. li. 5. rit. 41. c. 4 Mat. 12.4. quod licitum non eſt, hoc neceſsitas facit licitum: which our Oppoſites backe with Davids facte. the ſhew bread eaten by him, is termed (ſay they) vnlawfull, and yet to him, in time of neceſſitie, it did become lawfull. Firſt, that which is ſpoken of neceſſitie [non habet legem] [ipſa ſibi facit legem,] muſt be vnderſtoode ofcIo. Molan. de Iurame. tyran. praeſtand. c. 24 Nauar li. …. c. 27. Num 35. humane lawes: that when ſome ſuddaine caſe falleth out, ſo that the inferiour cannot hauehave recourſe to the law-maker, that then he may him ſelfedSumma. Silueſtrin. in verb. lex ſect. 8. interprete the lawe, and breake the letter of it, to followe the reaſon and intent thereof. The lawe forbiddeth to open the gate of the citie: the enemie cometh vponupon a ſuddaine, here neceſſitie maketh that lawfull which was not ſo before. Secondly, in the lawe of God, neceſſitie hath power to breake a ceremonie, for the performance of ſome morall duetie, even as it is ſaid, I will hauehave merciemercy rather then ſacrifice. This is the inſtance which the decretall forenamed giveth. Neceſſitie made it lawfull for the Machabies to fight on the Sabboth, which before was vnlawfull. Such is the inſtance which our Oppoſites bring likewiſe. For if Abimelech doth that which is vnlawfull, it is in the breach of a ceremonie onelyonly, to performe a morall duetie. This ſtriketh at thoſe, who for the ſacrifice, and for the ceremonie of Croſſe and Surplice, with drawe merciemercy and louelove from vsus, & from poore men that are ſcandalized by them: but iuſtifieth the courſe we take, who preferre louelove to the ſoules of men (being a morall duetie) before theſe ceremonies, even as we ought. In deed, if Abimelech brake lawfully a ceremonie of God, for the good of the body, how much more (then) muſt we break theſe ceremonies of mans commaunding, for the good of the ſoule? On the other ſide, had Abimelech ſinned, if to keepe this ceremonie he had omitted this duetie of louelove to Davids body, then much more ſinne they, who to keepe theſe ceremonies of their owne, omit that duetie of edification, which they owe to their brethrens ſoules? Thirdly, the ſame Bernard that ſaith neceſsitas non habet legem, affirmeth and avoucheth, that no diſpenſation is admittable againſt Gods lawe. Whene the Schoolemen, Praecepta decalogi ſunt indiſpenſabilia. This holdeth moſt in negative preceptes, which as they doe oblige ſemper, ſo alſo ad ſemper. So that, what neceſſitie can diſpence, with the ſcandal of theſe ceremonies, whoſe precept negatiue runneth thus, 1. Cor. 10.32 Ezra. 8.21.giuegive no offence to Iewe or Gentile, or to the Church of God. Ezra is in neceſsitie, he wanteth horſemen and other ſouldiours, to conduct the people ſafe, yet wil he not for this neceſsitie aske ſuch forces of the King, leaſt he ſhould ſcandalize him. Tertull. ſpeaking of conformitie to an heatheniſh ceremonie in wearing a garland, non admittit ſtatus fidei (ſaitheTertul. de coron. milit he) allegationem neceſsitatis: nulla eſt neceſsitas delinquendi, quibus vna neceſsitas eſt, non delinquendi. To this we may adde that of Cyprian: fCypr. in ſerm. de lapſi….Non excuſat oppreſſum, neceſsitas criminis, vbi crimen eſt voluntatis. Fourthly, though neceſsitie might make conformitie lawfull, yet no neceſsitie is in place, to make it lawfull. as for the neceſsities which are pretended, there is no neceſsitie in them. Firſt it is obiected, we ought to conforme, for the performing of a neceſſarie duetie, which we owe to the weake to winne them. to which our anſwere is moſt iuſte, Rom. 15.2.we muſt pleaſe the weak only in that which is good. charitie reioyceth not in iniquitie, 1. Cor. 13.6but in the trueth. Peter conforming ſcandalouſlie to pleaſe & winne, is ſharpelie by Paule reprooued. The ſecond neceſſarie duetie obiected, 1. Cor. 9.16is the continuance of our miniſterie; for a neceſsitie is layd vponupon vsus to preach the Goſpell, therefore woe vntounto vsus in that we diſable our ſelues frō preaching of it. That we diſable not our ſelues, it hath been ſhewed elſwhere: that being called from the preaching of the goſpell, by the violence and iniuſtice of our Reverend Fathers, no neceſſitie lyeth vponupon vsus, it is evident: for aſmuch as Paule ſpeaketh of them only to whom the diſpenſation is committed, and who being called thereto, doe it not willinglie through their negligence and their ſlouth: which is not our ſinne, who deſire nothing more willinglie, then to hauehave againe that libertie of preaching: which while we had once, we ſhewed not our ſelues ſo vnwilling and negligent, as many of our Oppoſites doe. The Prieſtes of Holland were condemned by their owne ſide, when to remayne with their flockes (forſooth) they tooke the oath, to the true reformed church, in a ſenſe ſecrete, whereby they meant their owne church of Rome: excuſing this equivocation of theirs, becauſe they were compelled. Somewhat is here, which toucheth our caſe. We are tolde it is lawfull to beare the ſervitude of theſe ceremonies, for our flockes ſakes, ſeeing it pleaſeth our ſuperiours to compell vsus vntounto them. to which we anſwer, as one anſwered them,“Io. Molan. de fid haeretic. ſeruā. lib. 4. cap. 9 primum; non videntur cogi, qui poſſunt abire: deinde nomen Dei, verbum Dei, claram & apertam confeſsionem requirit. The third neceſſarie duetie obiected, is obedience to the Magiſtrate. For which (men ſay) we are bound to conforme; which Chriſt was not, in the ceremonie of waſhing handes: nor Daniel (neither) in the ceremonie of opening the window towards Ieruſalem, when there was ſuch a ſcandall towardes the Magiſtrates law to enſue. And the doctrine of the Proteſtantes Churches denyeth this neceſsitie likewiſe, which is this: Franſc. Iun. cont. 3. cap 16. nota. 7.Nemo efficere poterit vllo praecepto ſuo vt actus per ſe indifferens ſit per ſe bonus aut neceſſarius per ſe. The commandement of the Magiſtrat maketh a thing indifferent good per aliud onlie and propter aliud, to wit, by the word, and for the profit of edification which the ſame word doth enioyne, Ibid. nota. 21.22. Nota. 59.which becauſe it is not euer in place, therefore leges Principum non obligant ſemper. And this wee hauehave againſt this ſuppoſed neceſſitie in caſe the ceremonies were indifferent, which we worthelie hold to be evill. Neither is it any thing, when it is ſaid, the Magiſtrate doth not impoſe theſe rites, but only as a politicall ordinance for order and decencie. So did diverſe Princes impoſe the ceremonies of the Germane Adiaphoriſme, to whom there was returned that aunſwere, which now fitlie ſerueth our turne,gIo. Brent. de Adiaph. apud Conrad. Schluſſelburgh. pag. 564 etiam ſi politicus Magiſtratus postulat recipi Adiaphora, tanquam politicas conſtitutiones, & res externas, è quibus tamen ſcandalum & contumelia Evangelij exoritur, non ſunt recipienda. In one only caſe, doth neceſſitie diſpence, & that is when it ſo altereth a facte as that it taketh away from it al reaſon of ſinning: as extreame neceſſitie maketh it lawfullhBellarmn de matri mon. lib 1 cap. 27. tollere alienū. wherfore becauſe it is now alienū no longer. for the law of nature it ſelfe maketh all things common in ſuch extremitie. Now, the ceremonies remayne ſtill ſcandalous, neither can the commandement of the Magiſtrate bring it about, that they ſhould do no longer hurt, therfore the neceſſitie of his obedience, diſpenſeth not. what ſay I. the cōmaundement of the Magiſtrate doth not take away frō the ceremo. the real hurt & ſcandal of them, ſeeing (indeed) it much increaſeth it? the papiſtes being the more confirmed, the godly more greeved, the ſimple more intāgled with the ſuperſtition of them, the more the Magiſtrat doth cōmand thē. In this caſe our Oppoſits ſaying, the Magiſtrat doth beare out the ſcandall of thē, is to affirme, that he hath power to diſpēce againſt the law of God, yea againſt the law of nature: that which the papiſts are aſhamed to doe. when Molinaeus affirmeth Quando que Papa contra ius divinū diſ penſat, the InquiſitorslIndex exputgator. Hiſpan. fol. 40. cōmaund his words to be blotted out. But a ſcandal ſtil remayning in the ceremo. is forbidden iure Divino; ſo that, if the Magiſtrate hath power to diſpence with thē he is able in the iudgement of our Oppoſites, to diſpēce againſt the law of God. Again, to giuegive ſcādal is againſt the law of nature, euē as themIo. Howlet refuſal. ration vlt. papiſtes them ſelves will cōfeſſe, & all reaſon demonſtrate. For ſcandalum properly is ſuch an obex in nIoh Piſcat in Mat. 18via, as enimies vſe to throw in warre to turne the horſe heeles vpward, & to ſhed the bloud of warre in peace, & to do that hurt to a brother, which an enimie doth to an enimie, is it not vnnaturall? To this there is nothing to replie, but that which Bellarm. oBellarmi. de matrimon lib. 1 cap. 27.ſuggeſteth, to make it lawful for the Pope to diſpēce with thoſe degrees of affinitie, which nature in marriage it ſelf forbiddeth. That which is againſt nature in it ſelf (ſaith he) may become natural & good ob mutatas circūſtantias. as to kil a man is in it ſelf a thing againſt nature, which yet cōmanded by publike authority ob bonū cōmune is agreable to nature, which doth deſire that ſocieties be preſerved. Our Oppoſits thē muſt ſay, that the cōmanding of the ceremo. doth mutare the circūſtance of their ſcandall, ſo that they hurt no more. For thē to ſay, that remayning ſcandalous & hurtfull as now they are, the Magiſtrate hath power to make thē lawful to be vſed, is to be worſe then papiſtes thēſelves, whoſe tenent is,pBellarm. ibid ca … Non poteſt inferior diſpenſare in lege ſuperioris, proinde nec homo in lege Dei. & qca… 17.quod eſt cōtra ius naturae, est indiſpenſabile. I would faine know, whether a Magiſtrat cōmanding ceremo▪ that be ſcandalous, cometh not within the cōpaſſe of that threat, vae homini per quēvent ſcandalum? and whether the Germane divines were not in the right, whē they taughtrTheſ de Adiaphor. Theolog. Saxon ap. Co…ad. Schluſt. lb. rom 13. pa. 466. Eccleſiae ceremonias rebus & cō modis politicorū, ſub praetextu politicae poteſtatis & ordinationis, attēperare velle, cū ſcandalo Eccleſiae, is an heynous tranſgreſsion? But our governours may be in ſinne to commaund, and yet we bound to obey them. True, if the ſinne were only in the maner of their cōmaunding: but here their ſinne is in the matter, it being ſcandalous what they cōmaund: in which caſe,sSeneca. bis peccat, qui peccanti obſequtū accōmodat.