Brotherly Persuasion to Unity and Uniformity, Tract · Chapter 3
CHAP. 3. Conſiſting of the maine propoſition of the whole and of ſeauen grounds of the diſcourſe following.
That we are bound to yeeld the former, the ſtatute made Eliza i: firſt to authoriſe the booke & the vniforme practiſe & vſe thereof, and ſince his Maieſties proclamation publiſhed therewith as it is now, to ratefie the ſame, and the Canons aucthoriſed by his highnes as they are in my opinion, make it ſo cleare and euident, that wee can iuſtly make no doubt thereof. All the queſtion therefore I would thinke now is, whether being thus by lawfull acthority commaunded, the nature of the things within the compaſſe of the commaundement and the maner of the vrging thereof conſidered, we be bound or no, to yeeld quietly our obedience therunto, wherin my opinion is were not the law that requires this at our hands ſo penall as it is, yet but commaunding it (the things commaunded, being neither in their owne nature, either againſt faith or good manners, and therefore but things indifferent, nor yet in the vſe as they are vrged otherwiſe, by the cōmon rules of the word in that caſe ſet downe, touching the obedience of the inferiour, to the ſuperior. Rom. 3.1. &c. 1 Pet. 2.13, &c. wee were quietly and willingly (euen to diſcharge our duety & conſcience towards ſuch, in reſpect of thoſe rules, for our owne good and the Churches, and to maintaine good order & peace in the ſame) to yeeld our obedience & conformity thereunto: yea further ſeemed there to bee ſome inconuenience, and vnexpediency in ſome of the things commaunded, yet being by ſuch lawfull authority, and vnderunder ſuch penalty vrged as they are, ſo long as by any right and charitable conſtruction of our Churches, and her gouernours intent & meaning therein, they may be ſo taken, as that there is nothing in the word of God ſet downe in the canonicall ſcriptures contrary thereunto, in my poore iudgment, it is the duety of eueryevery modeſt and chriſtian Miniſter, to yeeld rather his conformity thereunto, then (hee cannot tell how much to the wrong and preiudice of the Church, himſelfe, and his, vntounto all which he ſtands ſo ſtrictly bound as he doth) for his perſeuering ſtill and refuſing ſo to doe, to ſuffer himſelfe by his ordinary, either to be kept from entring into the miniſtry, or to be depriued of place or miniſtry. Now yet before I can come to anſwere the obiections againſt this required obedience and conformity, by your gentle patience, let vsus a little conſider of a few neceſſary grounds (I hope cō feſſed of vsus all) which notwithſtanding duly weyed, may well ſerue, not onelyonly to confirme theſe points, but alſo to open a way to anſwer all that is or can be obiected againſt the ſame.
1 Firſt therefore (good brethren) I truſt wee all are reſolued, that things neither for their nature, nor vſe commaunded nor forbid by the word of God in the canonicall ſcriptures of the old or new teſtament, expreſly or by any ſound deduction from thence, are & may lawfully be held for things indifferent. Of this mind I am ſure Auguſtine ſhewes him ſelfe to hauehave beene Epiſt. 118. and Epiſt 86 ad Caſulanum, and ſo it is noted in the Heluetian confeſſion Sect. 17. of the harmony of the confeſſions of the reformed Churches: that Hierom writing to Auguſtine was alſo of the ſame iudgement: the ſame alſo appeares moſt flatly to hauehave beene Ambroſe opinion in the foreſaid Epiſtle of Auguſtine. And indeed in all ages, all learned writers amongſt chriſtians, for any thing that euer I could read to the contrary (and yet for this cauſe I may truly ſay I hauehave taken ſome paines to read and ſearch as many of them as I could come by) are fully with vsus in this point.
2 Now next we know that though chriſtiā liberty eſpecially conſiſts in our freedom from the curſe of the Law, from ſin, & from the wrath of god for the ſame, & in our freedom from the ſeruice of ſin, & from the rites & iudicialls of Moſes, & frō being tyed in all cōmon wealths & churches, to the preciſe followng either of one outward ciuill policy, or of one & ſelfe ſame forme of rites & ceremonies eccleſiaſticall, yet one parte therof lyeth vndoubtedly alſo, in our freedom & liberty in & cōcerning things indifferent. For of theſe things the Apoſtle ſpoke, ſaying I know & am perſwaded, thorough the Lord Ieſus, that there is nothing vncleane of it ſelfe, but to him that iudgeth any thing to be vnclean, to him it is vnclean. Rom. 14.14, & againe vntounto the pure all things are pure. Tit. 1.15. And all things are lawfull for mee, though all things are not expedient. 1. Cor. 10.23. And therefore in reſpect of ſuch things, it was no ſmall part of his glory as he ſhewes. 1. Cor. 9.19. &c. to become all vntounto all, ſo to win the more.
3 Thirdly therefore wee may not deny the chriſtian ſupreme magiſtrate, who by Gods ordinance is to be Eſai. 49.23 as a nurſe father vntounto his churches vnderunder him, nor to the Biſhops and others of the Clergy by his authority lawfully aſſembled in a nationall Synod, authority in ſuch matters as theſe, for the more orderly gouernment of the Church in their iudgments, to preſcribe ordinances: alwaies prouided that the rites & ceremonies that thereby they impoſe vponupon the Churches, be not contrary, but rather conſonant to the generall rules left them in the word, to direct thē therein. For elſe to what purpoſe hath the Apoſtle left that generall rule in this caſe to al churches to the worlds end? 1. Cor. 14.40. Let all things be done honeſtly & by order, this therefore as their very due and right, is with one conſent yeelded thē in the foreſaid 17 ſection of the harmony of the confeſſions, & Caluin vponupon the 11 of the firſt to the Corinth. & Beza in his 8 epiſtle (as indeed generally alwaies the learned of all ages & the continuall practiſe of Chriſts church alſo hauehave done) graunt thē the ſame: Indeed whiles as yet conſultation is but by them held, what ſhall in this kind be ordayned or continued, or what ſhall not. I find that lawfully (ſo it be done orderly & in quiet ſort) they that hauehave lawful calling thereunto, may ſhew the beſt reaſons they can, to direct them therein, to determine & conclude for the beſt: but when once vponupon mature deliberation, the concluſion is made & publiſhed howſoeuer then we may not deny the reſt of the church that fredome & liberty, becauſe of thoſe generall rules giuen all chriſtians, try all things, and keepe that which is good. 1. Theſſ. 5.21. & try the ſpirits whether they are of god or no, 1. Iohn. 4.1. to examine cōcluſions by the word, yet doubtles in things of this nature & kind, all muſt alſo remember, that Paul hath giuen rule, that neither the Apoſtles nor the churches of God, hauehave any cuſtome to warrant any to be contentious. 1. Cor. 11.16. In caſe therefore any conſtitutions at any time by chriſtian Princes, and there nationall Synods in ſuch matters, ſhall chance to be made, which ſome priuate man or men examining by the word of God, are thereby able to proue the ſame to be contrary thereunto (which I cannot deny but may bee poſſible, for the trueth is, as our Church very ſoundly holdeth. Artic. 21. generall counſels may erre, & ſometimes hauehave erred, euen in things appertaining vntounto God) yet ſuch are then, but in all peaceable and in dutifull manner, to make knowne thoſe their reaſons, for which they ſo thinke thereof to thoſe that are in authority, & no way otherwiſe by preſſe or in pulpit, to ſeek to trouble or to deface, either thē or the church, in other reſpects cōmendable, for matters of no greater moment then an aberration or twoe can be, touching the outward orders only therof; ſo leauing in patience the ſucceſſe thereof to God, & to more mature cōſideration in the next Synod, for ſo much I thinke the foreſaid rule of the Apoſtle binds vsus vntounto, and certain it is, as Auguſtine teaches in his ſecond booke againſt Parmenian, Toleranda quaedam ſunt, quae non ſunt tamen probanda: & therefore as he there ſaith Cap. 1. as a man of right may quaedam improbare, ſo & firmitate debet quaedam supportare.
4 Our fourth ground & principle therefore is, that the Soueraigne magiſtrate and the church, hauing in things indifferent lawfully once enacted their eccleſiaſticall orders, and conſtitutions, howſoeuer before therein men might vſe their freedome and liberty to vſe or not to vſe them, as charity in not offending their weake brother thereby would beſt permit them, all men then are onelyonly ſo to vſe their liberty therein, as that they giuegive no ſcandale and offence to publike authority, nor ſhew any contempt thereof in wilfully not conforming them ſelues, according to the order thereby preſcribed therein. For when the councell. Acts. 15. had once decreed that the gentiles ſhould abſtaine from things offered to Idolls, ſtrangled, and bloode Ʋerſe. 29, wee reade that Paule & Silas: Acts. 16. gaue the Churches of the gentiles the ſame to obſerue and keepe after, as they trauelled. And hee him ſelfe hauing preſcribed, and further preſcribing certaine ordinances touching ſuch matters to the Corinthians. Chap. 11. commends them for obſeruing them verſe. 2. and condemns thoſe that contentiouſly refuſed ſo to do verſe. 16. The frequent and vſuall practiſe of the Church, as it appeare both in all eccleſiaſticall ſtories, and in the decrees of auncient famous councels, both in making of canons touching ſuch matters, and in obaying the ſame pregnantly proue, that this is an auncient receiued truth. Yea euen thereby, for the further proofe hereof, it appeares, that it hath beene an vſuall thing in the Churches of Chriſt, aſwell to cenſure them for Schiſmaticks, who for a rite or ceremony, not vnlawfull in it ſelfe, neither for nature nor vſe, would make a rent therein, to the breach and diſturbance of the communion & fellowſhip thereof, as thoſe for heritikes, that would ſet abroach and wilfully defend errors in doctrine of faith or manners, to the diſquieting and infecting of the ſame. And truly not without iuſt cauſe hath it thus done, for as Caluin writes Lib. 4. Inſt. Cap. 10. Sect. 31. what a ſeed of braules and confuſion of things would that bee, if eueryevery one might be ſuffered, as he liſt to alter things appointed by publique order. The conſideration whereof, as Beza to his commendation notes in his diſcourſe of his life, cauſed him to ſubmit himſelfe to the order of Geneua touching their communion bread, when hee was admitted thither againe, though he then diſſembled not, that he liked other bread better.
5 But then fiftly we are to take this with vsus, that then rites and ceremonies by publique authority commaunded are ſuch, as thus we are bound (though not in reſpect of the things themſelues in particular, yet in regard of gods ordinance ſet downe in his word in generall, to binde vsus in all things not contrary to his reuealed will in the ſcriptures, to obey our ſuperiors) to yeeld vntounto, when not onelyonly in their owne nature they are things neither commaunded nor forbid by the word, as is aforeſaid, but alſo are neither for multitude nor coſt too burthenſome to the Church nor are ſuch in reſpect of the vſe wherein they are vrged, wherein any part or peece of Gods proper and immediate worſhip, outward or inward, or any opinion of holineſſe, merit or greater perfection, or neceſſitie to inthrall or inſnare the conſcience is lodged: And when they are impoſed as ſuch things ought to be, only for order, decency, and comlineſſe, as mutable & changable vponupon iuſt occaſion by like authority, and therefore as edifying onelyonly as ſuch things may, and not iuſtly tending to the offēce of any, for that they are vrged but to the lawful ends laſt named, and extra caſum ſcandali and contemptus, lay not an Ineuitable neceſſity vponupon the conſciēce of the obſeruer. For ſo long neither any thing ſet downe or ment in the ſecond commaundement, nor any elſewhere in the Scriptures againſt adding thereto, or againſt the worſhiping of God in vaine by the precepts and traditions of men (howſoeuer ſome ſeeme to think otherwiſe) can iuſtly & rightly be drawn againſt ſuch ordinances: for the ſecond commaundement only condemnes any worſhiping of God, otherwiſe then he hath appointed himſelfe. And ſo likewiſe all the other places againſt additions, and vaine traditions, are onelyonly againſt ſuch wherein any opinion of faith, Gods worſhip, or ſeruice is laid. And the opinion touching the ſufficiency of the Scriptures, by the godly learned in all ages held and maintained, hath beene and is this, that either expreſly or by right inference, they are ſufficient to determine all truth, concerning faith & gods worſhip neceſſarie to ſaluation: whereas ſtill it hath beene alſo held and yet is, for outward accidentall and changeable rites and ceremonies, that the Churches of Chriſt hauehave libertie to ordaine touching them, as the gouernours thereof ſhall think fitteſt, and ſo neither all, nor alwaies, that they are tyed to one preciſe forme therein. Alwaies prouided that in their ordayning the ſame they croſſe not but rather agree as neere as they can as is aforeſaid, to the generall rules left them in the ſame Scriptures, touching the ſame: elſe how cā we iuſtifie Salomons ſeauen daies feſtiuity at the dedication of the temple 1. Kings 8. Heſters & Mardocheus yearly holy days Chap. 9 or of Iudas Machabaeus his brethren? Math. 4.59 All which yet we allow and all this is ſet downe as one of the points agreed on amōgſt our ſelues in this Church. Act. 6.20 and 34, whereunto none refuſe to ſubſcribe: and Caluin vponupon the eleuenth of the firſt to the Corinthians, & Beza in his foreſaid eight Epiſtle, moſt plainly teach the ſame: yea euen Cartwright himſelfe, as you may ſee in the 84 Page of the late Archbiſhops booke againſt him, confeſſes, that it is not neceſſary that eueryevery rite and ceremony be expreſſed therein, but that it is ſufficient to make the orders of the Church therein lawfull, if they be according to the generall rules ſet downe in the Scriptures, concerning ſuch things. They therefore being ſo, if any yet will be offended, either at the commaunders or obeyers therein, it is an offence taken, & not giuen, and therefore at their owne perill onelyonly, for both reaſon and religion teach, and therefore as an vndoubted truth it is held and alwayes hath bene, and namely of Caluin, 1. Cor. 11. Inſtit lib. 4. Chap. 10. Sect. 31.32. Chap. 16. of the harmonie of the confeſſions: by August. Epiſt. 118.119. & 86. by Bucer to Alaſco, by Peter Marter to Hooper, and by Bucer to Cranmer, that the Churches of Chriſt hauehave freedome and libertie according to theſe generall rules to preſcribe orders, rites and ceremonies, and then they hauing ſo done, it is not for priuate men to refuſe, for the maintenance of good order and peace therein, to conforme themſelues thereunto, for that the publicke iudgement of the Church in ſuch matters, is alwayes to be preferred before the priuate opinion of this man or that, and the Church is not to ſtay from making any conſtitutions in ſuch things, vntill ſhe can be aſſured that all will be pleaſed therewith, for then hardly euer ſhould ſhe make any, and ſo alſo there would neuer be any end of brawles, iarres, diſcords, and diſſentions thereabout. He therefore that herein would neither giuegive offence nor take any, is according to the councell of Ambroſe in this caſe, as Auguſtine hath reported in two of the former places, modeſtly and quietly alwayes to conforme himſelfe according to the order of the Church wherein he liueth.
6. And yet though hee doe ſo, let not any man thinke, but for all that he may be fully in poſſeſſion of his Chriſtian libertie in ſuch matters, and ſo according to the rule of the Apoſtle, ſtand faſt in that libertie wherewith Chriſt hath made him free, not ſuffering himſelfe any whit to bee entangled againe with the yoke of bondage, Galathians 5.1. For we may ſufficiently to that end bee poſſeſt thereof, within our conſciences, though for not offending of a weake brother, much more for not offending the publicke eſtate of a famous Church, wee neuer outwardly poſſeſſe our ſelues thereof: For the ſame Apoſtle that giues vsus that rule, and as we hauehave heard of ſuch things confidently ſayd, that all things were lawfull for him: 1. Corinthians 10.23. yet ſayth alſo, if meate did offend his brother, hee would eate no fleſh whiles the world ſtood, that hee might not offend his brother, 1. Corinthians 8.13. For Chriſtian libertie in reſpect of ſuch outward things, lies in our right iudgement thereof, in that we are alwayes perſwaded that extra caſum ſcandali & contemptus, both of priuate perſons, and the publicke ſtate wherein wee liue, wee may without ſinne, and hurt to our conſciences vſe our libertie therein. The ignorance or forgetfulneſſe but of which point, is the ground and cauſe of manie vnbrotherly quarrels and contentions in the Church, about things of this kind; let vsus therefore take this for the ſixt generall point needefull to bee reſolued of, for the better directing our ſelues and others, how to behaue our ſelues in matters of this nature. If any doubt whether extra caſum ſcandali & contemptus, one may lawfully without ſin or hurt of conſcience in ſuch commanded rites and ceremonies, ſometimes vponupon due and iuſt conſideration and circumſtances, omit, or intermit the vſing of them, let him conſider that the decree of abſtaining from things offered to idols, ſtrangled, & bloud, mentioned Act. 15. notwithſtanding after, the Apoſtle Paul in his firſt Epiſtle to the Corinths (though he vtterly diſalow the breach of that ordinance by any of the church in the idols temple to the offence of any weake brother, Chap. 8.10. &c.) yet when in reſpect of the circumſtances, there is no ſuch danger of offence, Chap 10.27. permits them freely to eat thereof, without any ſcruple of conſcience. Neither ought this to ſeeme ſtrange vntounto any: for as there is a preciſe keeping of ſuch lawes, and as flat a breaking thereof, ſo is there alſo a middle or meane betwixt both, which is to do prater legem, and yet not contralegem, becauſe though then the letter of the law be not ſtrictly obſerued, yet neither the true meaning, nor end of the law is croſſed, by doing otherwiſe then it appoints. VponUpon which ground, though the foreſaid decree of the Apoſtles and brethren in the councell of Hieruſalem, was ſet downe, as it appeares there, without limitation of time or place, how long and where it ſhould binde the chriſtian gentiles to the obſeruation therof, yet in due place & time, without ſin or hurt of conſcience, they grew to the diſuſe thereof, and now it is vniuerſally held not to bind at all any, when there is no danger of offence to any weake brother by doing otherwiſe. Wherefore it is to be wiſhed that the Church, and they that are in authoritie therein, would alwayes in the vrging, the obſeruation and execution of ſuch their ordinances, not onelyonly hauehave a care (as queſtionleſſe this of ours hath had) firſt that by all good meanes they whom the obſeruation thereof concernes, might be taught how with a good conſcience they may, and ought to yeeld thereunto (for doubtleſſe the rule of the Apoſtle, whatſoeuer is not of faith is ſinne, Rom. 14.23. holds not onelyonly of things indifferent left at libertie, but alſo limited by authoritie, for their vſe one onelyonly way) then alſo that they bee but vrged according to the nature of the things themſelues, that is, neither as perpetuall and vnchangeable vppon any occaſion, nor as ſimply and abſolutely alwayes to bind the conſcience, as the things commanded by God himſelfe do. Much leſſe would they be vrged more earneſtly then the ordinances and commandements of the Lord himſelfe in his word, leaſt ſo the reprehenſion of the Scribes and Phariſes ſhould iuſtly be incurred, yee tythe mint and anniſſe, and leaue the greater things of the law vndone, or ye make the commandements of God of none effect, for the obſeruing of your owne traditions, Math. 23.22. and 15.3. for it is all that the verie lawes of God himſelfe do, or can do, ſimply and abſolutely to bind the conſcience, and therefore human lawes and ordinances doubtleſſe bind not ſimply of themſelues, but ſo farre forth onelyonly, as they are made by lawfull authoritie, whereunto the word of God requires ſubiection and obedience, as long as the things commanded thereby are not contrarie, but rather conſonant to the ſame word of God. Maruellous well therefore ſaith the late Archbiſhop in his anſwer to the admonition (as it is to be ſeene Pag. 279. of his foreſaid anſwer to M. Cartwright) that a chriſtian magiſtrate may ordaine or retaine, any ciuill, politike, or Eccleſieſticall orders and rites, ſo that firſt they be not againſt the word of God, ſecondly, that iuſtification or remiſſion of ſinnes be not attributed vntounto them, thirdly, that the Church be not troubled with the multitude of them, fourthly, that they be not decreed as neceſſarie and not to be changed, and laſt of all that men be not ſo tied vntounto them, but that by occaſion, they may be omitted, ſo that it be without offence and contempt.
7. Hereunto I will adde onelyonly one generall rule more, and that is this, the nature of charitie being as it is deſcribed, 1 Cor. 13.4. &c. Certainly where it is indeed, it will make the owner alwayes ſtriue to hope and to iudge the beſt that he can of his priuate neighbours actions and deeds; how much more then ought it to bind all men to conceiue and to conſtrue the beſt of the lawes and orders of the Church of Chriſt wherein they liue? contrarie therefore doubtleſſe it is to Chriſtian charitie (let men therein pretend neuer ſo much zeale) to ſtretch and bend their wits, to make the worſt and hardeſt conſtruction they can of the lawes and ordinances, ſet forth by lawfull authoritie in the Church whereof they are. Thus queſtionleſſe whiles men do, they giuegive not vntounto Caeſar that which is Caeſars, as Chriſt hath commanded, Math. 22.22. neither do they yeeld vntounto their ſuperiours that honour and reuerence, that both Peter and Paul enioyne all Chriſtians to giuegive them, 1 Pet. 2.17. Rom. 13.7. but rather by thus doing, they make themſelues like ſuch as Pet. 2. Epiſt. 2.10. and Iude verſ. 8. deſcribe to be deſpiſers of gouernement, preſumptuous, ſtanding in their owne conceipts, and fearing not to ſpeake euill of them that are in dignitie. For they cannot but ſee that ſo farre as they by their hard conceipt, and conſtruction diſgrace their lawes and ordinances, ſo farre alſo they deface and diſcredit them that made and vrge them. Remember we therefore that as it is an ancient ſaying, ſo it is alſo in this caſe a verie ſound rule, the words of the lawe may not captiouſly be taken, nor the law it ſelfe ſlandered. For he that in wreſting of the lawes would ſeeme to be foreign, therein vſes to prooue himſelfe commonly to bee no better then a Sycophant. Theſe things thus premiſed, and as I hope by vsus all yeelded vntounto, as certaine truths, I truſt I ſhall be able to iuſtifie as much as I hauehave ſayd, namely that with a ſafe and good conſcience we may and ought to yeeld conformitie, ſo farre as by publike authoritie is now required at our hands. Howbeit whiles I go about thìs, vnderſtand, my purpoſe is not to take vponupon me particularly and expreſly to ſeeke to ſatisfie euerie obiection, that I know hath bene or is made, but onelyonly thoſe that I iudge to be moſt materiall, and that alſo as briefly as I can, for that I hope I hauehave to deale with men of learning and iudgement, who therfore being ſatisfied in the greateſt, will neuer ſticke (I ſhould thinke) at the reſt.