Against Human Ceremonies in Gods Worship, Part 2 · Chapter 3 · Section 17 – Section 19
SECT. 29. Concerning the Ancient Custome of Significant Ceremonies among Christians.
1. AS the Def. was passing over from Scriptures, to humane writings, and customes, he was told by the Replier, that heere hee may finde more fish for his net, in the troubled waters of mans infirmitie, then were to bee looked for in the Scripture fountaines. This the Rej. thought not worthy of any answer. Let the Reader yet take knowledge, that we esteeme not any thing like of a thousand objections fetched from testimonie subject to errour, as we would have done of one plaine testimonie Divine, if it could have beene produced.
2. The oldest Records we have (saith the Rej.) doe mention humane misticall Ceremonies in Gods worship, as Apostolicall traditions. Which 1. is not true: because those which call them Apostolicall, use not to call, or esteeme them humane. 2 The Records of the first age, which we have, are so imperfect, and uncertaine, that God (in so disposing of them by his Providence) doeth in a manner warne us, not to depend on them, but onelyonly on his written Word. 3. The great varietie that was found, in the first ages, about the observation of Lent, and Easter, doeth manifestly proove, they were not Apostolicall: as Chamier sheweth (De jejunio, cap. 7.) Not out of any certaine law, but out of private devotions, and consequently Superstition. N…t ex ul…a lege ce…ta, sed en privat…s religionibus, atgue adeo superstitionibus ▪In the next place, for a maine ground of this assertion (that the universall Church observing humane Rites, tooke them to have beene of Apostolicall allowance) the Rej. bringeth in the common text of Papists, out of Augustine, ep. 118. Such universall observations, not being written in Scripture, must be understood to be commanded by generall Councels, or from the Apostles. Where 1. he faulteth twice in the translation, in (turning dantur intelligi, into must be understood, when D. Morton himselfe (Pr. Ap. lib. 2. cap. 28. …. 3.) maketh a strong probabilitie onelyonly; and in turning commendata, by into commanded. 2. This being but a probable rule, and And Augustines conjecture of that probability, being also but probable, it may faile, with all that is built vponupon it. 3. Chamier (in the place fore-mentioned) answereth Bellarmine about it, that it must either include the Apostles time (whose history is in Scripture) and so the humane Ceremonies come not within the compasse of it; or else it may bee denied as false. 4. If this rule bee good, then Apostolicall Ceremonies cannot be knowne from other, but onelyonly by those who know certainely what is and hath beene allwayes observed in all Churches: which will fall hard upon most Christians. 5. Augustine (in the same place) complaineth of mens presumptions and burdensome Ceremonies, contrary to Christ his mercifull institution; requiring the easinesse and lightnesse of that yoke or burden which Christ hath imposed in his Sacraments, to be still preserved in the Church. Now those Ceremoniall observations, which are said to have beene universall in the Primitive Church, did not agree to this rule. For they had then in common use, beside other solemnities, fiftie Holy-dayes, betwixt Easter, and Pentecost, Ambrose in Luc. 17. of which Tertullian boasteth (lib. de Idololatria, cap. 13.) that they were more then the Heathen used:Excerpe singulas Solemnitates Nationum, & in ordinem …exe, Pentecosten explor… n…n possunt. Reckon all the observations of the Heathen in order, and they will never fill up Pentecost. They had also with Lent and all) more then fiftie fasting-dayes. Adde unto these, the Ceremonies the which Tertullian reckoneth up, de Corona cap. 3. and then, I aske, if any man can upon consideration, beleeve, that all these were either Apostolicall, or so accounted by Augustine? Certainely, to exced or equall the Heathen, in humane observations, was not agreeable to the Apostles rules, nor the Fathers. 6. It is a received rule, that the writings of the Apostles, are the onelyonly certayne rule of true Apostolicall traditions. D. Fulke, Rej. ag. Brist. cap. 7. But this rule, as it is understood by our Rej. maketh those writings not the onelyonly certaine rule.
4. The Fathers practise (sayth the Rej.) interpreted their rules touching the perfection of Scripture, and purity of Gods worship, to be vnderstood of necessary doctrine, and proper worship. The contrary whereof appeareth, partly by the fore-mentioned place of Augustine, where hee complaineth of the Ceremonies which he practised, as disagreeing from the Doctrine of the Gospell which he taught. Beside, (because proper worship hath beene discussed in its proper place) it would be inquired, what the Rej. meaneth by necessary doctrine? If he meaneth onelyonly that doctrine which is absolutely necessary to salvation, it is a poore commendation of Scripture-perfection: because that is found in every good Catechisme; and Bellarmine himselfe doth not denie that perfection to Scripture. I cannot gesse at his thoughts, by his words: because (to my remembrance) this distinction (betwixt necessary, and unnecessary doctrine) is foreign, in this place onelyonly let fall. But for the interpretation of doctrine, by practise, if the Rejoynder will have this hold in the ancient times, what reason can he give that it should not also hold in our time? If so, then why is not our argument good: Calvin, Bucer, Beza, the Divines of Helvetia, France, Netherland, &c. have in their practise, banished Crosse, Surplice and kneeling, Ergo, their doctrine is against them?
5. The Rej. calleth it, a spirit of singular singularity, to thinke, the whole Church, in the dayes of purest zeale, and frequent martyrdome, did not du…ly exami…e the…r Cerem…nies. And yet the same Rej. (without any spirit of singular singularity) acknowledgeth, that in the two first ages, after the Apostles, there was either want of clearnesse, or a manifest touch of error, about some sixteene points of doctrine, very important: pag. 458. Which if he will reconcile with this affected accusation, he must say, that Christians in those times, more attended to certain humane Ceremonies, then to divers points of divine doctrine, though in the maine power of Godlinesse they went beyond those which are purer both in Ceremonies and doctrine. But the trueth is, he spake there for excessive commendation of our English-Church-doctrine, and so, in comparison, depressed the Primitive; and heere he seeketh to defend our Ceremonies, by theirs, and so extolleth their judgement of Ceremonies; in both places (according to occasion) exceeding th… just measure, as it usually falleth out to those, who dispute out of affection, more then out of judgement.
6. The Rej. taketh it ill, that the Repl. should say, that the bringing in of humane Ceremonies, made any way for Antichristian supers…ition. But seeing that the Antichristian Papists, argue so strongly from those first humane Ceremonies, to divers of those which they use, and by us are rejected, that they cannot bee fully confuted, but by rejecting of both, I see no reason for his indignation. Gideons Ephod, in the argument of the eight chapter of Iudges (according to our new translation) was a cause of Idolatrie. And was not the old crossing, at every step, at every comming to and going out, Ad … progressum, atque promotum, ad omnem ad itum, & exiitum, ad vestitum & calceatum, ad lavacrae, ad monsat, ad lumina, ad cub…iie, ad s…dil…a (sert. a… Corona.at the apparreling themselves, at washing, at eating, at lighting candles, at sitting, &c. as a great cause of that Idolatry which hath been, and is-used, about the crosse? D. Fulke (in his Rej. to Bristow, cap. 3.) mainteyneth, that many abuses and corruptions, entred into the Church, immediately after the Apostles time, which the Divell planted, as a preparative for Antichrist. The same Doctor also (ibid. sect. 4) proveth many Ceremonies of the Primitive times, to have been unprofitable; because they are abrogated. And (cap. 9.) hee sayth plainely, that the error of conceiving and using some superstitions, or superfluous Ceremonies, is common to the Fathers, with Papists.
6. A great matter is made of that which the Replier said, concerning 1500. yeares experience of humane significant Ceremonies. For about this the Rej. sayth, that it is wonderfull rashnesse, answering the spirit of montanus, to challenge the whole Church of error, in this matter, for 1500. yeares. But 1. it is rashnesse in the Rej. to accuse one of challenging the whole Church, who mentioned not, in his challenge, either Church or whole. 2. The whole Church cannot be understood, except the Waldenses and all like unto them, that is the purer part, bee excluded out of the whole Church. 3. Doctor Morton himselfe (Prot. Apol. cap. 25. sect. 9.) maintaineth this sentence of Mr. Calfhill: the Fathers declined all from the simplicity of the Gospel, in Ceremonies; if by simplicity be understood a vertue, opposite, either unto superfluitie, or superstition. And And are not superfluity and superstition, errors? 4. From the primitive times by the space of sixe hundred yeares, the Church generally erred, in giving the Lords Supper unto infants, as D. Morton sheweth (Prot. Apol. l. 2. cap. 25. sect. 10.) and after that for many hundred yeares, it mended (for the common course of errors) as soure ale doth in Sommer. 5. The Rej. cannot name any Church in all that time free from errors: neither can he denie, but the Church that erreth in doctrine, may erre in Ceremonies. Ergo. 6. Hee was unhappie in mentioning Montanus his spirit, which breathed, and broached so many humane Ceremonies, that the Church hath ever since beene more wronged thereby, in Ceremonies, then in any other respect, or by any other spirit of that time, as all men know, that have read those writings of Tertullian, which were dictated by a piece of Montanus his spirit. Montanus would have three Lents, in stead of one: Montanus advanced the Crosse unto more honour, then ever it had before: Montanus (in one word) was of a ceremoniall spirit.
SECT. 30.
IN this section, foure or five Protestant Divines are named, as allowing of some significant Ceremonies. But there is not any one of them, whose judgement to the contrary, hath not beene manifestly declared. I will not therefore so much distrust the Readers attention, and understanding, as to weary him with needlesse repetitions.
SECT. 31.
HEere the Defend. urgeth upon us, the ordinary forme, of swearing upon a booke. To which if the Replier hath not sayd enough, I leave it to the Readers judgement, after hee hath compared the Rej. opposed: which speaketh 1. of Gamballing; 2. of Bucklers and Quarrelling; 3. of a proofe necessary to an answere; 4. of swearing by a bocke; 5. of Sophistication, in confounding our Churches esteeme, and the trueth about this forme of swearing; 6. of equalitie betwixt speciall solemne worship of God, and occasionall swearing, in civill Assemblies. I will onelyonly adde, as an explication of the Repliers answere, that which D. Iackson answereth the Papists, about this fashion (Orig. of unbel. sect. 4. cap. 35.) We use the booke, onelyonly as a complement of the civill act, whereby we give satisfaction unto men; or as a visible resemblancer partly, to by standers, or spectators, whose eyes by this meanes may become as true witnesses as their eares, that such protestations have beene made; partly unto him that makes them, who will be more wary and circumspect what he avoucheth and protesteth, when he perceiveth his speeches must be sealed with such remarkeable circumstances, as they cannot be often recalled to his owne and others memorie. To the same ende, men of honourable place and calling, use to lay their hands upon their hearts, when they take a solemne oath.