Christian Instruction and Sum of Doctrine Part 1, Dialogue 1 · Dialogue · Part 57
¶ VVhat libertie God hath gyuē, in the vſage of ceremonies, and of the meane that muſt be kept in the ſame.
T. IT ſhall then accordyng to thy opiniō, be lawful for mē, to diſpenſe with ceremonies, and with ciuile lawes and to chaunge them at their pleaſures. D. My purpoſe tendeth not to ſuch an ende. For when I do declare for what cauſe God hath left in this, greater libertie vntounto men then in the reſt, wherof we hauehave ſpokē, I wil not therfore ſay, although it be lawfull for God to chaūge all thoſe thyngs at his pleaſure, according as he doth know it, to be mete for the health of man, that man ſhould chalenge to him ſelf ſuch a licēce: but contrarily when they hauehave receiued any ordinaunce of God, be it ceremonies or ſuch lyke, they ought not at all to chaunge any thyng therof, vntill that God him ſelfe, which onelyonly hath libertie ſo to do, do it: as we ſee it hath come to paſſe by the ceremonies, which were obſerued in the Church of Iſraell, whiche were aboliſhed by the commynge of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt, for that they were not ordained, to ſerue but onelyonly vntil that time. Beſides this, in that, in the which God hath gyuen no certaine, and expreſſed ordinaunce, but hath left thoſe things in our libertie, as indifferent, we may vſe that libertie, whiche he hath left vntounto vsus, gouernyng the ſame alwayes according to the rule of faith and of charitie, If ther be then any queſtiō, as touching the ceremonies ordeined in the law of Moſes, we muſt then hauehave regard vntounto that parte of them, whiche was aboliſhed by the commyng of Ieſus Chriſt, whiche may not now be obſerued, without renouncyng of Ieſus Chriſte: as thoughe men douted whether he had accompliſhed or no that whiche was figured by them. Yf there be any queſtion of Sacramentes, ordayned by our Lord Ieſus Chriſte, and of the ceremonies, and of the diſcipline, whiche he hym ſelfe hath ordeyned: we muſte then take good hede that we chaunge no iote thereof, or to adde, or diminiſhe in any thing, that toucheth the ſubſtaūce of ſuch thynges. If there be queſtion of mans traditions, and of the auncient Canons & Decrees, it is requiſite to cō ſider, wherin and how they do agree, with the word of God, & alſo how they may ſerue, to the edification of the Church, or how they may hinder the ſame. For there are many (I ſay euen of thoſe, whiche are not contrarie to the worde of God) whiche were good for a tyme, which not onelyonly would not ſerue at this preſent, but woulde do greate hurte, bycauſe the tyme doth not nowe require that, whiche it then dyd when they were decreed. And therefore, if that of the verye Apoſtles, touchynge the abſtinence from bloud and from ſtrangled fleſhe, whiche was decreed in the Counſell at Ieruſalem, was aboliſhed in tyme conuenient, when the vſage thereof was no more neceſſarie in the Churche: howe muche more reaſon hauehave wee, to doe the lyke of others, that are of ſuche qualitie, when that the tyme and the edification of the Churche ſhoulde require it? T. I agree well to all thys: But there is beſide theſe an other ſorte of people, of whome wee hauehave not yet ſpoken, whiche ſeeme to hauehave more reaſon then the others of whome wee hauehave nowe made mention: but it maye bee, that wee hauehave ſpoken ynoughe for one tyme, it ſhall be beſte that wee leaue them vntill an other tyme. For I doe not doubte, but wee ſhall hauehave occaſion to diſcourſe ſufficientlye of them. D. Who are they I beſeche thee? T. They bee thoſe that wayte for a Councell. D. And bycauſe that we hauehave happened vppon thys matter of the Councel, I am wel content that we put it ouer to an other tyme: for it doth well merite that men looke narowly vntounto it, for ſo muche as many men depende vponupon them.