Brotherly Persuasion to Unity and Uniformity, Tract · Chapter 8
CHAP. 8. Containing anſwers to obiections that concerne ſome men ſpecially, touching theſe ceremonies or rites.
THus now their maine and chiefe obiections anſwered, touching the vnlawfulnes of the vrged vſe of our ceremonies, becauſe as I vnderſtand there are ſome, who though they bee brought to confeſſe, that being in nature end vſe, no otherwiſe then they are with vsus, they may of ſome be yeelded lawfully vntounto, yet for their parts in reſpect of ſome particular circumſtances ariſing from their own perſons and places, hold it ſtill ſo vnconuenient for them ſo to doe, that they thinke they were better to ſuffer depriuation for refuſing to yeeld conformity, herein ſomething further I muſt adde, for the anſwering of the obiections of ſuch: wherfore indeed I muſt needs confeſſe, that it is moſt true, that the ſame Apoſtle that ſaid ſpeaking of outward indifferent things, that all things were lawfull for him, ads ſtraight that all things were not yet expedient for him, all things edify not, 1. Cor. 10.23. And therfore queſtionles wel may it be, that ſome that are perſwaded of the lawfulnes of others yelding, yet may doubt of the expediency therof, both in them and in themſelues. But we muſt withal remember (good brethren) that when Paule ſo ſpoke, hee ſpake of things indifferent left at liberty, and not as then for their vſe one onelyonly way limitted by the lawfull order of the Church, as now our caſe in this is, for then as wee heard in the fourth generall rule ſet downe in the beginning, the ſame Apoſtle vrges. Act. 16. & 1. Cor. 11. the obſeruation of the Churches orders in ſuch things. For thē in reſpect of their outward vſe, ſuch things hauehave much altred their nature: for before wheras charity was our rule to direct vsus, how, where, and when to vſe our libertie therin, now the publike order of the Church, is to be our director in that reſpect, & both we and others in charity and louelove to maintaine peace, & good order in the Church, are to conforme our ſelues quietly to her ordinances therein.
1 But thou wilt ſay perhaps thou haſt ſo long diſuſed them, & by ſpeaking againſt them, made them ſo odious vntounto thy people, as that it cannot be but much to thy diſcredit, in that place eſpecially, & to the no ſmall offence of thy people, for thee to yeeld now vntounto thē, though to keepe thy place and miniſtry, which otherwiſe thou haſt ſmall hope to doe. I graunt this may be, and is the caſe of ſome, and where it is ſo, I cannot deny, but it is the harder with ſuch, by much, but yet I cannot think but in time, by vſing good meanes, if not by thy ſelfe, yet by others, theſe inconueniences, as great as they ſeeme to be, may be remoued. For firſt touching the diſuſing of them, or at leaſt of moſt of them, it was and hath beene very common and ordynarie a long time. But in moſt places, not for that the parties that ſo diſuſed them, euer thought it vnlawfull to vſe them, eſpecially when they ſhould be vrged as they are now, vnderunder ſuch a penalty, for I am ſure ſome that hauehave diſuſed ſome of them as long well nigh as any, yet hauehave alwaies both priuately and publikely, when by their text they had iuſt occaſion ſo to do, and otherwiſe alſo ſhewed plainly that that was their iudgment of them: and haply alſo would long agoe hauehave vſed the ſurpliſſe, if they could hauehave had any fit, or any at all to vſe; And therfore in deed only forbore the vſe of them, becauſe they ſaw without danger, & without any publike offence they might ſo doe. In theſe therefore their former diſuſage of them, beeing but in his ſort, it can be no iuſt cauſe of diſcredit, now to vſe them: for notwithſtanding, then & now, their iudgment ſeemes to be one and ſelfſame of them, namely that they thought and thinke them ſuch things, both for nature and vſe, as that they could and can be content to forbeare them, when and as long, as the ſtate will quietly permit them so duplicate page duplicate page to doe, and they can be content againe to vſe them rather then any way they would ſcandalize that, or ſhew any contempt of lawfull authority. If any yet will condemne ſuch of inconſtancy or leuity, or that they do ſo of worldlineſſe to ſaue their liuings, they do them the more wrong, and themſelues directly in their ſo raſh iudging, offend againſt the nature of true chriſtian charity, 1. Cor. 13.5. and againſt the rules that flatly condemne all ſuch iudging one another in & for things of this kind, as we heard in the beginning of this treatiſe. Such therfore are by good inſtruction, priuatly and publikly to preſerue their people from theſe faults, but if that will not ſerue againſt all ſuch raſh cenſures, they are with the Apoſtle, 1. Cor. 4. comfort themſelues with the teſtimonie of a good conſcience, that witneſſes with them before God, that that which they do, they do firſt in faith, that ſo lawfully they may do; and then that euen for the good of their flocks, and for the beſt diſcharge of their conſcience before God (as they think in that reſpect) they do as they do herein. And therfore to draw them frō raſh iudging, it were to be wiſhed, that they knew and would imitate the modeſtie of Iuſtinus Martir in his conference with Tripho, and of Cyprian in his epiſtles to Quirinum and to Iubaiam…: where they may find, that the one wiſhed that Chriſtians might not be condemned in his time, for the bare vſing then ſome of the ceremonies of Moſes; & that the other perſwades that none ſhould iudge another, or ſhunne communion one with another, for ther diuerſity of iudgements about the thing then in controuerſie, touching the baptizing againe or no of them that before had bin baptized of heretikes, which counſell as he gaue, he himſelfe tooke; inſomuch that Auguſtine, though therein, diſſenting from him in his third booke againſt the Donatiſts, greatly cō mends his moderation, & chriſtian courage in that point, &c. Truly for my owne part, I muſt & may with a ſafe cōſcience before the Lord ſay & proteſt, that I find my ſelf in conſcience ſo bound to attēd my flock, & to fulfil my miniſterie therin, in feeding of it ſtil with knowledge & vnderſtanding, that I cānot but ſay with the Apoſtle, 1. Cor. 9. Wo is to me if I preach not ſtil the goſpel, ſuch a neceſſity I find laid vpō me ſo to do & therfore I could neuer perſwade my ſelf (as I ſayd before) that if for any or all theſe things, I ſhold willingly ſuffer my ſelf to be put therfrō, it wold euer ſerue me at the laſt day, whē I ſhal appear before the iudge of quick & dead, to yeeld a reaſon & an account why I ſo did, then to make anſwer that I could not be ſuffred ſo to do any lōger, vnles I wold cōform my ſelf herunto. And doubtles (my good brethrē) conſidering you hauehave the ſame outward calling of the church that I hauehave: & moſt of you as good, if not better gifts, & the Lord hath ſealed vntounto you his approbatiō of your miniſtry, b… many excellēt fruits & effects therof amōgſt his peple, why ſhold you not al be of the ſame mind with me if … with me, yet with Maiſter Cartwright, who as you hauehave heard would not hauehave you to forgoe your miniſtery, for refuſing to be cō formable in theſe, notwithſtanding the offence of weak brethren, for where offences cannot be redeemed (ſaith he in that foreſaid place) otherwiſe then by leauing that vndon which the Lord himſelfe hath not left free vntounto vsus, but caſt a yoke of neceſſary ſeruice vppon vsus (meaning therby our continuance in our miniſtry to preach the Goſpell) there the caſe is otherwiſe, then that we ſhould for the not offending of weake brethren, ſuffer our ſelues to be put from that. In deed, when (as he ſaith a little before) the not offending of priuate men is laid but in the ſcales with any thing that God hath left free vntounto vsus, as is the choiſe of meats, and drinks then it will wey that down, but in no caſe as he there adds, it will in the ſcales ſo counterway the preaching of the Goſpell (which is ſo neceſſary for him that is called therunto, as that wo is his if he do it not) as that for the ſhunning of that, he ſhould let go ſo neceſſarie a duty. But if neither of our words nor opinions be of ſufficient waight, to draw all others to our mindes, yet I would think our reaſons ſhould.
2 As for that which is vrged in the ſecond place, namely that thou haſt preacht againſt them &c, though as I ſaid that make thy caſe in yeelding harder, yet (good brother) both you & your people know I hope, that it is no newes to heare famous men, to hauehave their ſecond cogitatiōs (witneſſe but S. Aug. bookes of retractations in matters of a higher nature then theſe, and for which yet there is better & more cleare light in the word) wiſer & better then their firſt. And alwaies it hath beene counted a glorious thing to yeeld vntounto the truth, thogh men hauehave oppugned it neuer ſo long before. And what ſhould any man ſo ſtand vponupon his owne priuate credit, as in compariſon thereof to forget the maintenance of the credit of ſo gratious and chriſtian a King, and the publike credit of ſo famous an eſtate of a Church as this of ours is, that vrg vsus hereunto? we deceiue our ſelues, if we think we offend men ſtraight in the ſenſe that it is forbid, when they are angry at that we doe, & therfore prate & talke their pleaſures of vsus: but thē only we ſo offend Gods children & others indeed, when we do or ſay any thing wherby iuſtly in truth we occaſion thē either to fall into an error, or into any ſin, neither of which we do in this caſe, in obeying for the good of thē, & Gods church the lawful ordināces of the ſame
3 O that eueryevery one would as forcibly bend his wits to take a ſuruey aſwell of the inconueniences of their refuſall hereof, as it ſeemes they hauehave done of the contrarie. For then quickly they would and ſhould find (in my opinion) that the inconueniences this way are farre the greater: For doubtleſſe whiles they pretend conſcience, as they do, for their ſo doing, and ſtand vponupon ſo many reaſons for that their refuſall, as though the things whereunto they are vrged were in ſo many reſpects contrarie to Gods word, do they not thereby as farre as the credit of their perſons, and thoſe their reaſons ſtretch, diſcredit both his Highneſſe, and all the ſtate of this Church, that ioyne with him in the vrging hereof, as vrgers of ſo many things againſt the word of God, to the weakning of them, … conſequently ſo much, in their reducing to conformitie of religion, and the open practiſe thereof with vsus, both Papiſt and Brownist? for ſo many reaſons they hauehave by this meanes put into their heads and hands, why they ſhould hold out as Recuſants ſtill. And though I muſt needs confeſſe their cauſe be ìnfinitly worſe then this of theſe men, yet by this their example doubtleſſe, they take the more encouragement to plead their blind and fond conſcience, for the iuſtifying of their ſaid ſtubbornnes and peuiſhneſſe, and alſo to thinke that they may be yet aſwell borne withall in their diſobedience in greater matters (which as they thinke more deeply concerne their ſaluation or damnation) as th…s, in theſe things of leſſer momēt. And ſay they in words neuer ſo much, that they yeeld his Maieſtie his iuſt and full title of ſupremacie in all cauſes, and uer all perſons as well Eccleſiaſticall as Ciuill, yet as long as they refuſe, as they do in things of this kind, to yeeld him obedience, hardly can they perſwade his Highneſſe (ſaith the libeller T. W. in his late augmented and printed libell againſt vsus, that in earneſt they doe meane ſo indeed. For in matters that God hath expreſly, or by good conſequent from his word commanded, firſt himſelfe (ſay they) they would and ſhould obey though hee ſayd nothing, and if hee ſhould commaund contrarie to that his word, then anſwer would and might be made, that they were rather to obey God then him, and therfore in ſuch matters as this, which are neither commanded nor forbid by him, are they to ſhew they yeeld it, or wherein elſe can they? And by perſeuering in this refuſall, and ſo occaſioning thereby the ſentence of their ordinarie to paſſe againſt them to their depriuation, alas, to what inconueniences (beſides the weakning of our ſelues and our whole cauſe) do they expoſe themſelues, their wiues and children, and their flockes, whereunto they are ſo ſtrictly bound as they are, by ſo many bonds, naturall, ciuill, and Eccleſiaſtical? Surely, ſurely (deare brethren in this yron and hard world, men had neede be ſure that they ſuffer for an apparent righteous cauſe indeede, to beare them out cheerefully to endure the manifolde vnkindneſſes thereof. O what a griefe can it not chuſe but be, for many to ſee as it is much to be feared, it will come to paſſe by one meanes or other vponupon this occaſion, they leauing their places, that ſuch ſhall creepe into their roomes, as not onelyonly ſhall want the skill and will that they had to doe good in their flocks, but alſo that ſhall euen in their ſightes, if not pull downe themſelues, yet ſuffer by the common aduerſary that to be ruinated that they with great labour before had built. But put caſe Law ſhould not be executed ſo ſeuerely, yet who ſeeth not, whiles men openly by their refuſall of this conformitie lay themſelues open to the danger therof, that thereby they ſo weaken themſelues in their places, that they ſhall no ſooner go about to bridle by other lawes, any lewd perſons in their charge, but that therby they ſhall prouoke them to vrge the execution of this law againſt them. It may be the mouths of ſome Papiſts & fooliſh proteſtants alſo will be opened againſt them that yeeld, & ſurely we ſe, they will not be ſtopt againſt them that refuſe. Many will be offended at thy yeelding thou ſaiſt, but more and they that are more worthy to be reſpected, will be offended at thy refuſall; by thy yeelding thou ſtrengthens thy ſelf, thy Prince, & the whole ſtate ſo much, by thy vnity with thy brethren that do againſt their common enemie, and thine, to all your reioycing, by thy continuance in thy refuſall, thou weakens all theſe, to the ioy of our common aduerſaries.
4 To conclude therefore this point, the beſt aduiſe and councell further that I can giuegive is, that as heretofore thou haſt ſought to gather all the reaſons together thou couldeſt, to induce thy ſelfe ſtill refuſe ſo much thy owne harme, and perill, and the Churches, ſo thou wouldeſt henceforth ſtudy as ſeriouſly to ſatisfie the ſame, and ſeeke out as carefully, reaſons to perſwade thy ſelfe that with a good conſcience thou both mayeſt and oughſt to yeeld. For this I muſt needs tell thee, that thou but deceiueſt thy ſelfe, and ſeekeſt alſo to beguile others, as long as thou pretendeſt that thou refuſeſt only of weakneſſe or tenderneſſe of conſcience, and yet wittingly and willingly thou holdeſt on the former courſe, and doeſt not follow this aduice. Forecaſt therefore in time, as well what is or may be ſayd to ſtrengthen thy conſcience in the lawfull vſe of theſe things, as euer thou haſt, what tendeth to hold it in weakneſſe ſtill and therfore not to dare to vſe them, and earneſtly with thy ſelfe aſwell forethink of the ſcruples and troubles, that thou maiſt hauehave in thy conſcience, after that by thy ſtanding to long in this refuſall, depriuation bee pronounced vppon thee, for the inconueniences that many waies may grow thereby, as euer thou haſt thought of thoſe that may come by thy yeelding; leaſt when it is too late, thou then cry, had I wiſt; Chriſt yeelded of his right to pay tribute to the officers of heathen Caeſar, leaſt he ſhould offend them. Math. 17.27. And ſo likewiſe Paule, though he could truly ſay he was free from all men. 1. Cor. 9.19, yet withall, euen there, he glorieth in it, not as in an infirmity of his, but as a commendable courſe of his, wherin hee was to bee imitated of others, that he made him ſelfe ſeruant vntounto all, in ſuch outwarde things that he might ſo win the more, in conforming him ſelfe both to Iew and Gentile, weak and ſtrong (as there he ſets downe at large) that ſo by all meanes, of all ſorts he might ſaue ſome, yea thus he did, when there was no poſitiue law of the Church, to binde him ſo to doe, how much rather would hee hauehave ſo done, if there had beene any ſuch to hauehave bound him thereunto, vnderunder pain of ceaſing elſe from preaching of the Goſpell, which to do he confeſſeth then ſuch a neceſſity was laid vponupon him, that woe was vntounto him if hee preacht it not? None of all the Apoſtles more feruently and frequently taught and vrged the doctrine of chriſtian liberty in ſuch things then hee, and namely from the rites and ceremonies of Moyſes law, Chriſt beeing come, and hauing put an end therto; and yet wee ſee euen hee, many yeares after Chriſts aſcenſion comming to Hieruſalem, there at the perſawſion of Iames and the brethren, to maintaine the peace of the Church, and ſo to winne an opportunity to do the more good amongſt them, yeelded according to the ceremoniall law of Moiſes, to bee purified the next day with foure men that had made a vow, and entred into the temple with them, declaring the daies of the purification, vntill that an offering ſhould bee offered for eueryevery one of them. Act. 21.23. And to the ſame end hee yeelded to the circumciſion of Timothie before that Act. 16.3. And yet he could not, nor was not ignorant what a ſuperſticious opinion many of the Iewes then had of thoſe things, & what a ſhew of a dangerous conſequent the retaining of thē in vſe, ſo long after the coming of Chriſt might ſeem to hauehave. Howbeit as long as he knew in his cōſcience how rightly to vſe them, and he knew that Iames and the brethren vrged him to yeeld to the vſe of them, but to a good and lawfull end, he thought it his duty to that end to yeeld, as you hauehave heard. Wherein though the ſucceſſe anſwered not their good meaning therein, yet that is no ſufficient argument to condemne his ſo doing, as vnlawfull, for wee know that moſt lawfull and commendable actions through the frowardneſſe of the vngodly hauehave often as hard euents as that had; and we hauehave heard, 1. Cor. 9. how he glories in his ſo doing, and layes his example therein foorth at large to be imitated of others. Indeed when theſe things, and namely circumciſion was vrged by the falſe Apoſtles, as neceſſarie to ſaluation, and as a thing to merit by, and to tender vntounto God any part of his proper and immediat worſhip, then the ſame Apoſtle is moſt ſtoute in the refuſall thereof, and therefore in that caſe by no meanes, as he writes Galathians 2.3.4. would he yeeld that Titus ſhould be circumciſed, and hee moſt confidently aſſures the Galathians, that whoſoeuer (meaning with that opinion thereof) ſhould be circumciſed, Chap. 5.2. Chriſt ſhould profit them nothing at all. Otherwiſe yet when it was vſed but as an indifferent thing, without any ſuch ſuperſtitious opinions tied thereunto, euen in the ſame Epiſtle twice, hee ſayd thereof, that neither circumciſion, nor vncircumciſion was anie thing, but a new creature, or faith that wrought by louelove, Chapter 5.6. and 6.15. for as he ſayd in another place, the kingdome of God is not meate nor drinke, but righteouſneſſe, peace, and ioy in the holy Ghoſt, Romans 14.17. And (God be thanked for it) vnleſſe we would wilfully offer the Church of England manifeſt wrong, we cannot ſay that any ſuch ſuperſtitious opinions are tied by the ordinance or meaning thereof, to any of the rites and ceremonies that it preſcribes vsus: but that they are impoſed no otherwiſe then ſuch things lawfully may bee, and therefore I would thinke that this example of Saint Paule giues vsus a plaine light how to carrie our ſelues therein, and accordingly to ſay, the wearing or not wearing of a Surpliſſe, the making or not making the ſigne of the Croſſe, is not any thing. For the beſt and moſt honourable defender thereof that hath beene, and whoſe ſayings thereof for his learning and place, may worthily be taken for the true meaning of our Church therein: hath of the Surpliſſe ſaid in plaine words, Pa. 258. of his foreſaid book, that he thought none that would communicate with vsus in the vſe of the Sacraments, though either the better or the worſe thereof for the externall habit of the miniſter, and of the other as much (as we hauehave heard before.) Theſe things therefore duely and without partiall or preiudicate opinion weyed and pondered, I hope will be ſufficient to perſwade that lawfully, & with a good conſcience we are rather to conforme our ſelues to the order of our Church in theſe ceremonies, then for refuſing ſo to do, to incurre the ſentence of depriuation of miniſtery and all. Hauing therfore thus ſayd what I thought fit, and I hoped might ſerue the turne for this, let vsus now proceed to the conſideration of the other exceptions, that are made againſt conformitie required, taken from the things that by order miniſters are enioyned, by the booke to read or vſe.