Twelve General Arguments, Argument 11
The 11. Argument.
All humane Traditions and Rites enioyned to bee performed in Gods Worſhip, as neceſſarie to Salvation, are unlawfull.
Theſe Ceremonies in controverſie, beeing but Humane Traditions, are enioyned to bee performed in Gods worſhip, as neceſſarie to Salvation.
Ergo, Theſe Ceremonies are unlawfull.
The Propoſition is freely graunted of all our Adverſaries hitherto. If anie heereafter bv reaſon of ſome difficulties, the cauſe may bee thruſt into by graunting the ſame, ſhalbe deſperate as to denie the ſame: we ſhalbe readie to make it good at any time.
The Aſſumption is thus prooved.
What ſoever, Humane Tradition, Ceremonie, or Action, That may without ſinne, or inconvenience to any part of the Worſhip of God, bee omitted in the ſame, and yet notwithstanding are inioyned and urged as more neceſſarie, then thoſe Actions that are by the woord of God neceſſarie to Salvation: I ſaye, ſuch humane Ceremonies and Traditions, are inioyned as neceſſarie to Salvation.
But theſe Ceremonies are ſuch, as may without any ſinne, or any inconvenience to any part of the Worſhip of God, bee omitted in the ſame, and yet notwithstanding are inioyned as more neceſſarie for Christians to doe, then thoſe Actions that are neceſſarie to Salvation by the Woord of God.
Ergo, Theſe Ceremonies in controverſie are inioyned, &c. as neceſſarie to ſalvation.
He hath no blood of ſhame running in his veines, that will deny the Propoſition.
The Aſſumption hath two partes:
The firſt is this.
That theſe Ceremonies are ſuch as may without ſinne or any inconvenience to anie part of the worſhip of God, bee omitted.
This is evident: For 1. if they could not bee omitted without ſinne in Divine Worſhip, they were Divine & not Humane Ordinances. For example: Though to go clothed to the Congregation be a Civill action, yet becauſe it is a ſinne, for any to goe naked to the Congregation, It is a Divine Ordinance, That men ſhould goe clothed thither. And in this caſe (as in any other caſe of ſinne) a man ought rather never Worſhip God publicklie, then to goe naked to the Congregation. For the omiſſion of a Good action is no ſinne, when it can not be done, but by committing of a ſinne? 2. Divine Worſhip conſiſting in Prayer, the Sacraments, and the Word, no witt of man can ſhew wherein the bare omiſſion of any one of theſe Ceremonies is inconvenient to any one of theſe partes. For what inconvenience can a man (that is not drunk with the dreggs and lees of popiſh ſuperſtition) finde it to publike prayer, to bee ſaide in the Congregation without a Prieſtes Surplice? The omiſſion of ordinarie Pawſes & Accentes pointes & ſtoppes, the ſuppreſſing of the voice, or a lowd whopping and hollowing out of the words, or an undiſtinct ſoundinge of them, were ſuch Actions as common reaſon will teach are inconvenient, for prayer, and ſo inconvenient that a man ought never to praye publikelie in the Congregation, as the voyce thereof, that ſhould by Canon be tied thereto: And the Magiſtrate (though there were no Canon to the cōtrarie) ought to turne ſuch out of the Miniſtery that ſhould omitt ſuch matters in prayer. But for a Miniſter to pray without a Surplice, can be in reaſon no more inconvenient, then for him to pray without booke, without a paire of Spectacles upon his noſe. And there may bee as good reaſon given to proove it convenient, for a man that ſaith a thinge without booke, to putt on a paire of Spectacles, as there can be to prove it convenient for him that is to praye in the Church, to putt upon him ſelfe a white linnen garment.
The ſecond part of the Aſſumption is this:
That they are inioyned as more neceſſary for Chriſtians to doe, then thoſe actions that by the worde of God are neceſſary to Salvation.
Which I proove by this collection of Reaſons;
1. If the whole Solemne Worſhip and Miſterie of Ieſus must ſtoupe and yeelde to theſe; And theſe must not ſtoupe or yeeld to them. 2. If thoſe that will yeeld to theſe are diſpenced with for omiſsiō of ſome duties that God requires of the Minister to be performed as neceſſarie to Salvation, and thoſe that are willing to doe all neceſſarie Services tending to the Salvation of Man, can not be diſpenced with for the Omiſsion of theſe, but must bee turned out of Christes Service. 3. If thoſe that refuſe onelyonly Conformitie to theſe are worſe then Idolatrous Papistes. 4. If the bare omiſsion of theſe, though upon tenderneſſe of Coſscience, bee Sedition, Sciſme, Diſloyaltie, Rebellion, a deniall of the Kings Supremacie, Anabaptistrie, Frenzie, Worthie impriſonment, Baniſhment, loſſe of Goods and living. 5. If all that profeſſe theſe to bee unlawfull, are to be delivered up to Sathan, and anathematized as men holding wicked & damnable errours. 6. If a man beeing in that Church, ought not to be of it where theſe Ceremonies are omitted. 7. If the bare omiſsion of theſe, make a Minister by our law: more ſubiect to deprivation and ſuſpenſion, then the commiſſion of the foulest Crimes, even Drunkennes, Blaſphemie, groſſe Ignorance, Vncleanneſſe. 8. If her late Excellent Ma. Religion conſisted in theſe: I ſay, If all theſe Aſſertions bee true, then are they inioyned as more neceſſarie to bee done, then thoſe Actions that by the worde of God are neceſſarie to Salvation.
But all theſe 8. pointes are to bee iuſtified.
Ergo, Theſe Ceremonies are enioyned as more neceſſarie to bee done, then ſome Actions that are neceſſarie to Salvation.
The Propoſition can not be gaineſayed. It being a Topick Axiom. Cuius privatio eſt deterior, illud ipſum eſt melius: to wit, The worſe the Privation of a thing is, the better the thing is. For example: If blindnes be worſe thē deafneſſe: Then is the poſitive habit of ſeeing better then that of hearing. So, if Non-Conformitie be worſe then drū kennes, blaſphemie, Idolatrie, Filthines of body, &c. It muſt needs follow, that Conformitie is a more excellent thing in it ſelfe, then Sobrietie; the true worſhip of God; the glorifying of the name of God, then a chaſte and honeſt life: But all theſe are urged by the worde of God, as neceſſarie meanes to Salvatiō. For the holy Ghoſt ſaith: No Murderer, Adulterer, Vncleane perſon, Idolator, &c. ſhall enter into the kingdome of heaven. If therefore Conformitie be more urged by our lawes, then theſe, and the Privation more puniſhed. If this be more ſtrictly required of Chriſtians, yea of principall Chriſtians, even the Miniſters of the word, then the other, They muſt needes bee urged more neceſſarie to Salvation, then the other. For of the more excellencie a Chriſtian vertue is, the more neceſſarie to Salvation it is.
The Aſſumption in every part and parcell thereof may be iuſtified by the practiſe and Aſſertions of our Adverſaries, not onelyonly privately but in publique. For the 1. God muſt not by Canon bee Worſhipped ſolemnely in England, except theſe be mingled with it, Though without them he might be never ſo well worſhipped. For the 2. Thoſe that yeeld to theſe, neede not preach at all in our church except they will, No nor to doe any other parte of Divine Service in their owne perſon, if they will maintayne a Curate, that will keepe the Ceremoniall Law, and fairely Read or Sing the Kings Service, as they call it: And yet if preaching were not neceſſarie to Salvation, Paule that was above an Archbiſhop, ſhould not hauehave been under a woe, if hee had not done it. For no Miniſter of the Goſpell is under a woe That performeth all ſervices to the Churches of God, that are neceſſarie to Salvation. Neither was Paules preaching, A reading of Homilies, or of a Service booke. For the 3. Nothing is more notorious then for us that make ſcruple of theſe things to be reputed worſe then Papiſtes: One that is a great Iudge in theſe cauſes Eccleſiaſticall, affirmed it unto my ſelfe. Another openly at Paules Croſſe in myne owne hearing, made no doubt but the Papiſtes were in the Church, but he made great doubt whether the Puritanes were. And yet we are Puritanes for nothing els but for refuſinge Cōformitie to their Ceremonies: For howſoever they ſclaunder us with manie other groſſe imputations, yet they can not laye any thing to our charge but our Conſcience in this. For all other matters concerning their own eſtats, and dignityes, cōſidering how deſperate they are, and unreformable we can be content to leaue them to the Iudgment of God, who (as it ſeemes) intendeth to gloryfie himſelf by ſome other meanes, then by then converſion. For the 4. Read Scottiſh. Genevat. The Survey, Remonſtraunce etc. And yea ſhal find all this laid to their charge. Alſo their practiſe ſufficiently proveth it, for the miniſters that are of late ſusſpended and deprived, only refuſing to uſe theſe Ceremonies, beare their cōdemnation vnderunder theſe names and Titles.
The 5 and 6 is proved by their owne late Canons, ffor yf they bee to bee excommunicated ipſo ſacto as houlding damnable & wicked errours, that ſhall Profeſſe any of theſe Ceremonies to bee vnlawefull, a man ought not to acknowledge himſelf a member of any ſuch Churche, as doth affectedly caſt them out of gods worſhip: ffor for what error a perticular perſon is not to bee reputed a member of the Churche but as a heathen and publican, ffor the ſame a whole church is not to be reputed a church but a Sinagoge of Sathan.
The 7 may be iuſtified by many inſtances of many vile and impious perſons of thoſe kindes tolerated in the miniſtry.
The 8 is proved by him that anſwers the Plea of the Innocent. Whoe Saith that they that call in queſtiō the lawfulnes of theſe Ceremonies, call in queſtion hir late Maieſties Religion, which they could not doe, except (at the leaſt) parte of hir religiō conſiſted in them.
Further yf this doth not ſufficiently proue the maine aſſumption, let theſe reaſons following be wayed.
1 If the Church be neceſſary to ſalvatiō, and yf the pillars of the church be neceſſary to the Church, and if the lord Biſhops be the Pillars of the Church, and theſe or ſuch like Ceremonies be the maine Supporters of L. Biſhops: then are theſe Ceremonies in the iudgment of the prelates, neceſſary to Salvatiō. For no Church no Salvation, no pillor of the church no Church, no L. Biſhop no pillar of the Church, No ceremony no Lord Biſhop. Ergo no Ceremonie of this kinde, no Salvation.
2 All divine conſtitutions binding conſcience are neceſſary to Salvatiō: But by the late doctrine of the Prelates and others, theſe Ceremonies (being not vnlawefull) when they ar commanded by the Church, are ſaid not to be humane but divine Conſtitutions, binding conſcience; therfore they (as they are vrged) are neceſſary to Salvation. For all divine conſtitutions binding conſcience, are neceſſary to Salvation, or …ls nothing on our part can be ſaid in any ſence to be neceſſary thereunto.
3 It is neceſſary to Salvation, that men ſhould not only worſhip God, but worſhip him in a comly decent and orderly manner, it being a matter of damnation to worſhip God in a confuſed vnſeemely and diſordered manner, but by the doctrine of our Prelates, comelines, decencie, and order conſiſts, in the vſe of theſe Ceremonies, Ergo in their Iudgment, they are neceſſary to Salvation.
Ob. The Church doth not intende to vrge theſe thinges as neceſſary to Saluation. Ergo, They are not urged, …s neceſſary to Salvation.
Anſ. 1 The Churche vrgeth not theſe things at all, but onelyonly 3 or 4 Biſhops in the Churche, whiche (if theyr owne doctrine be true (are Vſurpers over our Churches, & not ſo much as any true members of a Church.
2 what if the Synode ſhould decree that the Kinge ſhould hould the arch biſhop ſtirrop, and the Prnce & Nobles kiſſe his Toe, once or twice a year and withall they ſhould proteſt, that they doe not require this as a worſhip or honor to the Archbiſhop but only for Comelines Order & Edification were not this a ſhamefull ſhift as bad, as the thing it ſelf.