Showing the Necessity of Conformity, Treatise · Reformed practices · Part 1 – Part 5
And ſo much of the iudgement and practiſe of the Primitiue Churches and fathers, out of the which I know it is not poſſible, that any man ſhould conclude the doctrine of the neceſſitie of ſuffering depriuation, for refuſing inconuenient Ceremonies; for my part, I ſuppoſe it clearely cruſhed and quelled, in the vniforme iudgement and practiſe of the Primitiue times. Neither truely doe I know, or hauehave euer read, or heard any thing much differing from this which is here ſet downe, not that I make their iudgement or practiſe the infallible rule of trueth, to ouerrule and guid my conſcience or the conſciences of others by, but it proueth the point in queſtion clearely, that namely the doctrine and practiſe of depriuation, is oppoſite to all the beſt iudgements, the moſt ſpirituall and Godly minded, yea the moſt eminent lights, and muſt ſanctified veſſels of Gods grace, after the times of the Apoſtles in the Primatiue Churches. Neither doe I thinke that there were any better or many other then theſe to bee found, vnleſſe a man ſhould picke out the opinions of conuinced and condemned Heretikes and Schiſmatikes. And for my part ſince I perceiued this their vniforme conſent, I durſt not bee peremptory or refractorie in diſſenting therefrom, eſpecially perceiuing withall the conſenting harmony of all our later writers, and reformed Churches, to agree and iumpe with them, both in doctrine and in practiſe of theſe things, and in matters of this nature; which now in the next place, by the helpe of God, I will labour to make manifeſt.
Secondly therefore I will prooue the ſecond part of the aſſumption, namely, [that the doctrine and practiſe of leauing ones miniſterie by ſuffering depriuation for not conforming to the Ceremonies preſcribed, is oppoſite vntounto the doctrine and practiſe of all true reformed Churches and teachers or all claſſicall writers.]
That this point alſo may bee made euident, wee muſt conſider (as wee did before) two points: firſt of the eſtate of reformed Churches in reſpect of Ceremonies: Next, the iudgement, doctrine, and practiſe of the moſt excellent teachers and claſſicall writers of our time.
The former of theſe points will teach vsus, that the eſtate Point. 1.of reformed Churches, in reſpect of inconuenient Ceremonies exceedeth ours, (ſuppoſing ours to bee inconuenient, as is pretended) in three points, euen in number, nature, and effect. For the Ceremonies of other reformed Churches, are for number more, and for their nature and effect much worſe, whereof the intelligent Reader may eaſily vnderſtand, in conſidering ſome of their particular Ceremonies, which I here ſet downe.
Touching Baptiſme.
THey doe vſe the ſigne of the Croſſe in the Daniſh and Lutheran Churches: Heming. ſyntag. 4. lege Decalog. §. 3. fol. 365.
They doe vſe exorciſme in Baptiſme: planè Papistico more, ibid. Putaeus lib. 2. exercit. 24. fol. 170. Lutherani exorciſmum cum ſignatione crucis defendunt, vt Muller. Leiſer.
They permit allow and defend the Baptiſme of Women, Colloqu. Mompelgart. fol. 499. Conrad. Schluſſelb. lib. 1. cap. 18 fol. 60.
They vſe the old hallowed Fonts to baptize in Berne, and Lanſanna: Beza in vita Caluini anno 1538. and euerie where.
They hauehave ſuch as vndertake for childrens education in Baptiſme, commonly called Godfathers, Caluin. Ep. 302. fol. 491. So in the Lowe Countries, as appeareth, in Actis inferioris Germaniae, M. Can. 41. anno 1581. apud Sculting. Anachr. Hierarch. lib. 9.
Touching the Lords Supper.
THey vſe kneeling at the Communion in all the Lutheran Churches, Harmon. confeſſ. Bohem. §. 14. fol. 120 and that is the more dangerous, becauſe of their doctrine of conſubſtantiation.
They vſe the Wafer cake, as the Papiſts doe, in the Church of Geneua, Bez. in vita Caluin.
They giuegive it in priuate, and vntounto the ſicke, Schluſelb. lib. 1. cap. 30. fol. 161, 162. Harm. confeſſ. §. 16. Witenberg. fol. 197. Yea, they gaue it vntounto onelyonly two, ibid. §. 14. fol. 146.
They retaine the name of Miſſa, the Maſſe, Harm. confeſſ. §. 14. fol. 107. Augustan.
They keepe none backe from the Communion, be they neuer ſo ſcandalous of life, in the Churches of Heluetia, in libello de ritibus Eccleſ. Tigur. fol. 16.
The miniſters doe put in the Bread and Wine into the mouthes of the Communicants, ibid. fol. 15.
Touching the holy Scripture.
THey make the Epiſtle to the Hebrewes, and that of Solom. Geſner. compend. de Script. fol. 11.Iames, and the ſecond and third of Iohn, and Iude, with the Apocalyps, to be either Apocryphals, or at leaſt of more doubtful authority then other parts of Scripture in the Lutheran Churches, Chemnit. Enchir. fol. 63. propoſitiones Marpurg. tom. 1. Hunnij. fol. 3. tom. 2. Winkelman. fol. 5. Laelius de verbo Dei propoſit. 22. fol. 113. propoſ. 22. 130.
They reade the Scriptures after the forme of Epiſtles and Goſpels in the Churches of the Lutherans, Heluetians, Naſſouians, Countie Palatines, as appeareth by the Epiſtle of Luther, Melancthon. Heming. Gualt. Oleuian. Textor. So Harm. confeſſ. §. 1. fol. 9. Bohem. lib. de ritibus Eccleſ. Tigur. fol. 4.
They reade publikely the Apocryphal Books of Scripture in the Church.
Touching prayer and Leturgie.
THey retaine the forme of their Leturgie like vntounto the Maſſe booke, Harm. confeſſ. §. 14. fol. 127. Auguſtan. fol. 131. ibid. Looke the Booke de ritibus Eccl. Tigur. fol. 12, 13, 15, 16. they hauehave the Angelicall Hymne, Goſpels, gloria Patri, gloria tibi Domine after the Goſpel, &c.
They hauehave ſundry prayers and Hymnes in the Latine tongue, Harm. confeſſ. §. 14. fol. 127. Aug.
They hauehave the vſe of Waxe candles in the Lutheran and Daniſh Churches, Heming. ſyntag. 4. lex. Decal. §. 33. fol. 365. Simlerus de vita Bulling. fol. 34.
They vſe the Surpleſſe, Heming ibid. Simler. ibid.
They vſe no ſinging of Pſalmes in ſome Churches of Heluetia, in lib, de ritibus Eccle. Tigur. fol. 9. b.
They ſuffer and doe vſe priuate prayers at burials, ibid. fol. 27. a. b.
Touching Churches.
THeir old Churches idolatrouſly abuſed, ſtanding Eaſt and Weſt, with the Chancell, and in forme of a Croſſe retained eueryevery where.
They retaine Images in their Churches, and maintaine a lawfull vſe of them, Colloq. Mompelg. fol. 390, 403, 404. Schluſheb. Theolog. Calu. li. 1. cap. 10. fol. 35. 36. Eckhard. Faſc. quaeſt. cap. 8. quaeſt. 3. Heming. ſyntag 4. lex Decal. §. 33. fol. 365. Siml. b. ſup.
They retaine Altars, in ſtead of the Communion Table, ſo placed in the Church, as are the idolatrous altars of the Papiſts, Colloqu. Mompelgart. fol. 424. 425. In the Lutheran Churches, and alſo in the Church of Berne, Ibid. Heming. ſyntag. 4. lex decal. §. 33. fol. 365. They retaine the vſe of Organs in the Church and other muſicall inſtruments, Colloq. Mompelg. fol. 391. 409.