Divine Worship, Chapter 7
CHAP. VII. Of falſe worſhip.
THVS much of true worſhip. Falſe worſhip is ſuch a ſervice of God as hath no warrant from God him ſelfe: worſhip is falſe in matter or manner in whole or in parte; neither can the true matter of worſhip ſanctifie a corrupt maner, or the true manner ſanctifie a corrupt matter, or ſome partes of true worſhip, or the whole it ſelfe, ſanctifie any parte of falſe worſhip that ſhalbe adioyned to it, or mingled with it.
2. Whatſoever is vnholy and ſuperſtitious out of Gods ſolemne ſervice, can not bee made by the ſole appointment & will of man holy and good in the ſolemne ſervise of God, but muſt needes be more vnholy and ſuperſtious therein, & therfore a parte of falſe worſhip. If for a man to ſigne him ſelfe or another in the forchead with the ſigne of the Croſſe out of baptiſme, be ſuperſtitious and vnholy, it can not be good in Baptiſme but a prophanerite.
3. The more light and toyiſh the thinges ſeeme to bee that without warrant from God are brought into the worſhip of GOD, the more wee ſhould abhorre conformitie vntounto them, it being a fearfull preſumption, to ſerve God in a toyiſh manner: for who is he that trembles at the Maieſtie of God, that dares vſe in his worſhip any toy and trifle? They are deceaved therefore that thinke that therefore we ſhould not make ſcruple to vſe them becauſe they are toyes.
4. That is a corrupt manner of worſhip wherein there is confuſion and vndecencie, for all things muſt be done in the ſervice of God, in decencie, order and comelines, as it is graunted; & vnderunder the name whereof theſe ceremonies are obtruded vponupon vsus: But thoſe things that are vndecent and diſorderly in other matters, and of no neceſſarie vſe in Gods worſhip, can not be matters of order and decency in the ſervice of God, except God him ſelfe ſhould in a ſpeciall maner commaund them.
5. It being therefore confuſion and diſorder in civil matters where a multitude ioynes together in a common ſuite and ſupplication for all to ſpeake at once the ſame wordes: and comon wiſdome and diſcretion having taught it to be a decent and orderly ceremonie, that ſome foreman ſhould ſpeake, and the reſt hold their peace, giving only ſome ſigne and teſtimonie of aſſent: he muſt be more then a man, that muſt make it an orderly thing in our generall and ordinarie ſuites and prayers to God, for all the congregation to open their mouthes together in a prayer, eſpecially ſith God hath in ſpeciall appointed the Miniſter to bee the mouth of the people, and expreſſely requireth the aſſent of the people only in the word, Amen.
6. It being a ridiculous diſorder in other matters in any ſolemnitie, where any Deed or Record is to bee read or rehearſed for one to read one period, and another read or ſay another, how can it by mans witt & wil, without ordinance from God, bee a matter of order, for the Miniſter to read one verſe of ſcripture, and the people another; for the Miniſter to ſay one piece of a prayer, and the people by way of catch, to ſaye another.
7. If any thing be vndecent out of the worſhip of God (the ſame reaſon of vndeacency remayning) it is much more vndecent in the worſhip of God; for the more excellent the thing is, in whiche an vndecent thing is vſed, the more vndecent the thing is that is ſo vſed. As if it be vndecent to goe naked in any companie, it is much more vndecent to goe ſo in the Congregation: If fowle apparell be every where elſe vndecent, it can not be decent in Gods ſervice, though all the Biſhops in the world ſhould decree it.
8. An vndecent and diſorderly thing the more ſtrictly it is vrged in the ſervice of God, the more daungerous it is to yeelde vntounto the ſame, & ſo much the more effectuall cauſe of falſe worſhip.
9. If there be ſome apparell that doeth in ſpeciall maner become the ſervice of God, and deſerves to bee appropriated vntounto it, thē by the ſame poſition there muſt be ſome apparell that doeth deforme and diſgrace the ſervice and worſhip of God: for if no apparell can deforme it, then no apparell can bee an ornament or decent forme vntounto it.
10. If any apparell doe deforme Gods true worſhip, it is that apparel, that doth moſt beautifie and grace the falſe and Idolatrous worſhip of God, As that apparell muſt needes moſt deforme a wyſe man that doth moſt adorne a foole, and that apparell muſt needes bee moſt vnbeſeeming a King, that is ſeemely and decent for a begger.
11. If therefore men would ſett their wittes vponupon the higheſt ſtreyne to invent an apparell to diſgrace the Miniſters of the Goſpell, they could not invent a more odious attire then the conſecrated attyre of a filthy maſſe-prieſt, the moſt abhominable Idolater in the earth.
12. Thoſe that abhorre Idolatrie as much as they doe beggerie and folly, can not but hate and abhorre the badges of Idolatrie as much as the badges of folly and beggerie, and therefore can not but accompt that prieſtly attyre that is enioyned vntounto vsus by our Prelates, an apparell more vnbeſeeming the Miniſter of the Goſpell, then a Cloake with a thouſand patches, or a coate with foure ellebowes, for beggery and folly being iudgementes and not ſinnes, the notes of beggerie and folly can not be ſo odious in a ſpirituall eye, as the notes of Idolatry.
13. If it be denyed, that the apparell enioyned is popiſh, becauſe it was before popery was; this anſwere may be made. 1. It can never bee proved that it was before popery. For though not all popery, yet ſome popery was in the Apoſtles tymes: moſt of the hereſies were before the full revealing of Antechriſt which notwithſtanding wee faſten vponupon them and count popiſh they having intertained them. If therefore an errour mainteyned before Popery, & retayned by Papiſtes, deſerue the name of a popiſh errour, why ſhould not vnneceſſary apparell, though vſed before, yet entertayned now only by them, and thoſe that receaue it from them, bear the name of Popiſh attyre. 2. As a Coat of divers colours is a fooles coate, notwithſtanding that Ioſeph one of the 12. Patriarkes wore one, ſo a white linen garment is a popiſh garment though ſome Miniſters in the Eaſt Churches did weare them, and yet it can never bee proved that either they wore ſuch a one, as is preſcribed vntounto vsus, or that it was a miniſteriall garment and not their ordinary civill attyre, or proper to the Miniſter only, or if al this, that it was wel done: for there being no one father that wrote ſince the Apoſtles times, but hauehave erred in ſome matters of Doctrine, why may they not as well erre in matters of ceremonie, if all the true Churches of God beſide our own in England, and the greateſt parte of the ſufficienteſt Paſtors of our owne Church, are held to erre in the generall renouncing of theſe ceremonies; why might not ſome few Miniſters in the olde Church, as well erre in inſtituting and vſing them?
14. A corrupt and ſcandalous Ceremonie in the worſhip of God is ſo much the more dangerous and ſcandalous to others, by how much the more it comes graced and countenanced with lawfull authoritie. A corrupt ceremonie enioyned by a Heatheniſh Pagan & Tyrāt vntounto the Miniſters of the Goſpell living vnderunder his iuriſdiction, cannot doe ſo much ſpirituall hurt, as when it ſhalbe required by a Chriſtian Magiſtrate, for the good conceyt of the inſtitutour and ordeinor of a religious Rite, is it that breedes ſuperſtition. Thoſe therefore whoſe ſpecial calling from God is, to edifie the ſoules of men & not to deſtroy them, ought ſo much the more to avoid theſe Ceremonies they iudge & know to be ſcandalous and hurtfull to the ſoules of men, by howe much the greater grace and countenance they receaue from the authoritie of man, neither can the commandement of the Magiſtrate bee a ſufficient plea at the barre of Gods iudgment ſeate for a man that by vertue or force thereof alone, hath done any action (how indifferent ſo ever in it ſelfe) that his conſcience tels him will ſcandalize his brother, and ſo hurt his ſoule; groſſe therfore is the doctrine of them that teach, That Paule (if the Magiſtrate had commaund him) ſhould hauehave eaten fleſhe, though his brothers ſoule ſhould hauehave bene damned for it.
15. The more indifferent an action is in it ſelfe, the more odious it ought to be vntounto vsus when we ſhall perceaue it to hurte our brothers ſoule, which ought to be a thouſand times dearer vntounto vsus then his body, or our owne liues, for he ſhewes neither louelove nor mercy to his brother, that had rather be the inſtrument of his everlaſting damnation, then omit the doing of a meere indifferent thing, though hee ſhould incurre therefore any bodily puniſhment whatſoever. That forme therefore of Gods ſervice that conſiſts in the vſe of ſuch things indifferent, as experience manifeſteth, are a ſcandall (and by conſequent a deſtruction) to the ſoules of infinit numbers, ought not to bee vſed of any, much leſſe of thoſe, who are called by Chriſt to feed the ſoules of men and not to deſtroy them. How ſcandalous theſe Ceremonies are to all, how the omiſſion of them cannot be ſcandalous to any, but vntounto ſuch as are worſe ſcandalized already by embracing them, requires a larger Treatiſe.
16. No Magiſtrate that is a Chriſtian will chalenge authoritie to deſtroy the ſoule of any man, and therfore he cannot vponupon his owne meere will & pleaſure without ſinne againſt God, enioyne any thing (not required by God) that evidently tendeth to the deſtruction of any mans ſoule; and thoſe ſubiects that (being ready to performe any dutie that God requireth vntounto the Magiſtrate) ſhall refuſe to doe any ſuch thing ſo required, and ſhall patiently and meekely yeeld themſelues to any puniſhment the Magiſtrate ſhall thinke good to lay vponupon them without reſiſtance, ſhall *A paciant ſuffring, when wee cannot in conſcience obey, is the beſt obedience.performe more true and loyall obedience vntounto his authoritie therein, then any of thoſe that ſhall yeeld obedience to any lawes of that kind enacted by never ſo good a Magiſtrate and (in ſhew) to never ſo good an end.
17. No ſubiect therefore can take any ſuch authoritie from the handes of the Magiſtrate, which may warrant him to doe any thing that ſhall evidently deſtroy his brother ſoule at any time, much leſſe in the ſervice & worſhip of God wherin all things that are to be done, ought to tende to the edification of his ſoule in a ſpeciall maner.
18. It is plaine in the word of God, that the kingdome of God (that is) the ſervice and worſhip of God, ſtandeth not in meates and drinkes, nor any ſuch externall rytes having no authoritie from God. When therefore without any commandement from God, ſuch external things ſhalbe brought into the ſervice of God, & made the very formes of the ſame; ſuch Rytes muſt needs be falſe worſhip, and that forme of Gods ſervice muſt needes bee adulterate, that is made to conſiſt in ſuch thinges. For no authoritie can make that a part of Gods kingdome, that the worde of God doeth expreſly deny to be a part thereof.
19. Thoſe Ceremonies therefore in preſent controverſie being meerly by man brought into the worſhip of God, are by no means to be yeelded vntounto, for it is in effect to make the Kingdom of God to cōſiſt in meats and drinkes or in ſuch like thinges. For if man hath authoritie to make the kingdom of God conſiſt in apparel, &c. he hath alſo authoritie, if it pleaſe him, to make it conſiſt in eating and drinking, & may make them a part of the Liturgie aſwel as any of thoſe things that are in controverſie.
20. Thoſe peculiar Rites and Ceremonies which are in that maner & forme vſed in the ſervice of God, that if God himſelf did but ratifie & confirme that preſent ſſe of them ſhould then be parts of his true outward worſhip; muſt needs as they are vſed (without Gods ordinance) be partes of a falſe outwarde worſhip: But our ſurplices, croſſes, kneeling at the Lordes Supper, &c. are ſuch, that if God ſhould but command to vſe them as we vſe them, that is if hee ſhould require every Miniſter in divine ſervice to weare a ſurplice to note ioy, dignitie or ſanctitie, or in Baptiſme to croſſe a child in ſigne, &c. Nay though he ſhould expreſſe no vſe at all, but barely enioyne the things thēſelves to be vſed in his ſervice, yet they ſhould bee partes of Gods true outward worſhip, for whatſoever God tieth in a peculiar maner to his worſhip, is a parte thereof. Theſe Ceremonies therfore in controverſie having ſuch a vſe in the ſervice of God, vntounto which they are peculiarly tied, muſt needes be vſed as partes of Divine worſhip, for elſe the bare ratifying of their preſent vſe, could not make them true worſhip; Being therefore (as they are vſed) partes of divine worſhip and not parts of true divine worſhip, becauſe not commanded of God; they are partes of falſe divine worſhip, for that divine worſhip that is not true worſhip, is falſe worſhip.
FINIS.
End of the text · William Bradshaw, Divine Worship (1604)