Against Human Ceremonies in Gods Worship, Part 1 · Chapter 2
CAP. II. Of the rise and proceeding of Ceremoniall contentions, with variety of tenents about them.
THe first records the Rej. bringeth for contentions about Cerem: are from Rom. 14. but he might, (and would also if it had served his turne) have fetched it further, from Math. 15. where the Pharisyes contend against Christ, and his Disciples about their ceremoniall observations: Or from the first authors of that Sect, Sammay and Hilles, prophane dissipators of Gods Law, by their traditions, as out of their very names, Cardinall Baronius himselfe noteth. Neither is that contention Rom. 14. agreeable to our Quaestion, because the Ceremonies there quaestioned, were not of humaine institution, nor urged by authority of any Church or Prelates.
The second instance which the Rej. bringeth, is about the feast of Easter, whereabout he saith, the world was set on fire. And this indeed is worth the observing, that so soone as Victor-Bishops begann to urge humaine cerem: upon the Church of God, all was presently in a fyre, but were not these presumptuous Victors, the kyndlers of that fyre? The next stepp which the Rej. taketh (over a thousand yeare wyde) is to Illiricus, about permitting the use of a surplice, where it is to be noted, that before Illyricus, ther had beene effectual pleading against Ceremonies,The first rise of the controve…sy of Ceremonies. even Crosse and Surplice, in Helvetia, at Tigure, wherupon they were removed, as Zwinglius relateth de baptismo: And a long tyme before that, the Waldenses (of whose blood were made torches to light us in the right way) did contend against all humaine traditions as unlawful.Omnes consuctudines Ecclesiae, quas in Evangelio non legunt cōtemnunt, Refut. erro…ū Waldens anonyma in Biblioth. Pa…ū Cap. 13. error 7. Dicunt, quod ea quae constitaunt ab E…iscopis & Praelate, non sunt servand… ▪ eò que sum traditiones …oma…m… non Dei. So Reinerus cap. 5. All customes of the church, which in the Gospell they do not read, they do contemne. They affirme that those things which are appointed by the Bishops and Prelates, are not to be observed: because they are the traditions of men and not of God. Where also the answer given by that refuter unto your Waldens. is very observable, for by that, it will appeare, that humaine Ceremonies in Divine worship, were then impugned and defended after the same manner, they are to this day. Our allegations being the same with those, which the Waldenses used, and our adversaries answers the same, which the Papistes opposed to the Waldenses.Resp Ecclesia nō es… contenta his, quae Chri…tu doc…it & ideo potuit compe e…tes constitutiones facere: ut …cclesia Iudaica, Est. 9.1. Mac. cabae. 2 & 4. Author…tates haetetic…rum Deu. 10 & 13. non ad…etis. Resp. Iudaei nō debeb…nt addere legi aliqui…, ut insufficiens lex eo tempore videtur. Ad Isay 29.13. Math. 15. Resp. Quod constitutiones Ecclesiae, non sunt tantum hominum sed Dei. Ad Gall. 1.9. Resp. praeter id▪ est contra id. Answ: the Church is not content with those things which Christ taught, and therfore might make competent constitutions, as the Church of the Iews: in the 9. Est. 1. Maccabae 2. and 4. Touching the authorities alledged by the Haeretikes, Deut. 10. and 13. you shall not add. &c. Answ: is: The Iews might not add any thing to the law, least it might have seemed insufficient at that tyme. To that place Isay 29. Matth. 15. Answ: is: That the constitutions of the church come not only from men but God also: To that of Gall. 1. Answ: is: beside the word, that is against it.
2. That Illiricus in this part stood against that, which Calvin writt against, and many excellent Divines …ere silenced and deprived for. 3. That this conten…on of Illiricus was not properly about the Surplice: …o Calvin Ep. 117.Quod dicis Magdeburgē ses de linea veste rixas movere, quo… sum pertineat non video: Linea enim vestis usum (cum multis ineptiis) tā apud vos quam apud illos hactenus retentū esse arbitror. Non agi…u… profecto de parvis rebus, nec est necesse, quosdam semper albā ves…em pro exemplo istarium actionum, sophistice imperitis proponere, multae gravissimae plagae Eccles…ae Christi, per istas conciliationes infliguntur. The Bishops and Rej. joyne w…th Lutherās about images. That you affirme the Magdeburgenses to …ove contentions concerning the lynnen garment, I perceave …ot what your purpose is in so speaking: Since I suppose the use …f the lynnen garment (with many such fopperyes) to be yet …etayned amongst you and them. So Illiricus himself pro…esteth: Asuredly we contend not about trifles, nor is in need…ull, that some men should alwayes cunningly propose a lynnen …arment for instance of these proceedings, to such, as are un…cquainted with them, many & those most dangerous wounds …re given to the Church of Christ, by these reconciliations.
4. That the ceremonies then controverted were im…osed by Papists, with Popish intention, which kynd of Ceremonies the Rej. doth seeme, in all his book to dis…layme. 5. That in this Quaestion, the Rej. (under the …ame of certaine reverend Divines, doth seeme to joine …im self with the Adiaphorists and the interim, against which Calvin, and Illiricus did contend. 6. It may …urther also be observed, that the Rej. doth on the other …art, joyne with Illiricus, in defence of images for religious use even in temples, for about these images did …lliricus write, against the reformed churches, as is to be …eene in Vrsine, Par. 2. Pag. 45. where he is confuted by name, and accused to have too large a conscience, in esteeming such images indifferent; yet both D. Morton, …nd D. Burgesse are now come to the same largenes, that they may fynd roome for significant Ceremonies in Gods worship as appeareth in this Rej. cap. 3. sect. 7. For the Protestants most receaved opinion of humaine Ceremonies, Cassander (whose stepps the Def. and Rej. follow in this cause) is a good witnes. They have not only omitted these Ceremonies as lesse profitable, Non modo illas ut minus utiles & supervacaneas omiserunt, sed ut ineptas ludicras, ridiculas, imo noxias & perniciosas, plerique damnandas & profligandas ducunt. Pag. 8532.& superfluous, but the most have esteemed them, as foppish, babish and ridiculous, yea that they were to be condemned, and abandoned as noxious & pernitious. And our Martyr book doth give sufficient testimony, how diverse of the Godly Martyrs, did absolutely condemne all humaine Ceremonies in Gods worship. To name one for all: This was the first occasion of Mr. Tho. Hawkes, his persecution, and this he defended unto the death, against Bonner: Harpsfeild, Fecknam and Chadsye: No ceremonies (saith he) but those which Christ hath appointed: In which story, it is to be marcked,What opinion the martyrs had of our Ceremonies. that Bonners Chaplayne, and Kynsman Darbyshyre, graunted as our Def. and Rej, doe, that their humaine Ceremonies were not necessary to salvation, but only to instruction: In this cause of Cerem. saith: Dr. Willet, Richard Gibson gave up his life pa. 111. Synop. In the beginning of Queene Elizabeth Reigne, ther was a company of honest men, that for the Ceremonies, refused to joine with the Parish assemblyes at London, as appeareth in the examinatiō of Iohn Smyth, W. Nyxson &c. exstāt in the book called part of a Register, will any man think, that they esteemed those Cere: for which they made a kynd of seperatiō to be lawfull?
The first example then of humaine Ceremonies, by any orthodox church imposed upō Gods people, which the Rej. brings, is in the Church of Engl. And here he …eginneth, with famous Queene Elizabeths dayes, …hough he fetch that very story, out of the History of …ranckford troubles, which were in Queene Maryes …ayes: about the same Cerem: and before that in King Edwards: To say nothing of the manyfold testimonies, of Martyrs against such corruptiōs, before King Edward: …s this any illustration of your Quaestion to be debated?
Now for the Tenets, which have beene and are about …hese Cerem. the Rej. noted out of T. C. that the ould …enet of those, who opposed our Cerem., was to hold …hem inconvenient only, not unlawfull, But 1. he sheweth no such thing about the Crosse: 2. Nay the contrary appeareth in D.B. himself, who pag. 16. confesseth, that 39. yeares agoe, he did at the least doubt, that the Crosse was unlawfull, and for that cause (not for scandall, as he did the Surplice) he refused it even to Deprivation: He would not have us think, I am sure, that he had then a singular new Tenet by himself, but inclined to the ould. 3. Mr. Hooker P. 246. observeth, that the first pleadings of T. C. against other Cerem: either inferred unlawfulnes, or nothing. 4. The last rules,T. C. his judgment of Cerem: significant. and resolutions of T. C. doe evidently speake, of unlawfulnes, of all significant Ceremonies: Although the Cerem: of Crossing were indifferent and convenient, yet to rayse a doctrine of it, is unlawfull, for as much as it is not enough, to teach the truth, unlesse it be truely taught, and that is only out of the word of God. 2. Reply: P. 227. This was his judgment in these, and we have no other Tenet of significant Ceremonies untill this day: Now if in the Hypothesis of one or two signif. Cerem. he swarved a little there frō, out of extrinsecall considerations, yet that doth not make his tenet such, as the Rej. would have it, but rather it is to be held, as an occasionall declinatiō from his Tenet, which also (he is sayd) by faithfull witnesses to have cōfessed, as an error before his death: 4. That tenet of inconveniency, or inexpediency was never yet sufficiently explayned, and therfore had beene fitt work for it.
The commō Protestant tenet was alwayes, as Mr. Fox, Mart. P. 4. expresseth it, that it is reproveable to adde unto Christs intention, new found rites, and Phantasyes of men: And Mr. Burgesse in an Epistle to King Iames, in the beginning of his Raigne, witnesseth, that in those dayes, many hundred worthy ministers thought our cer. unlawfull, and would surely dye, rather then use them: which worthy men, surely were not the first authors, of that Tenet: If they were, why did he call them worthy, who now judgeth otherwise of us, for maintaining the same sentence. 5. That tenet of incōveniency or inexpediency, without unlawfulnes in such Cer. was never yet sufficiently explained. And therfore had beene fit work for the Rej. Civill incōvenience, or incommodity may stand with lawfulnes: But how a thing morally inconveniēt, or inexpedient, whyle it remaineth such, may be lawfull, is not so cleare: Nothing is thus inexpedient to morall or spirituall good, but it is impedient, or an impediment to it, and all such impediments of good, whyle they are such, …eeme to be opposite to good, & in that regard evill. I remember, I heard it once defended, in Cambridge,Quicquid nō expedit, quatenus nō expedit non licet. in these termes: What ever is morally inexpedient, so far as it is such, is unlawfull. 6. This Tenet of the Cere: to be inexpedient, but yet lawfull, hath confounded the thoughts of many, & made them to doe that with greif, which they were ashamed of Mr. Hooker P. 246. maketh a speech in their persons, which I will here write out, because I remember my self, at the first reading, to have beene much affected, & as it were bafled out of that contenance, which stood somewhat that way. Conformers of that sort, are fayned thus to declare their mynds, & excuse their practise: Brethren, our hearts desire is, that we might enjoy the full liberty of the Gospell, as in other reformed churches they doe else where, upō whom, the heavy hand of authority hath imposed no great burden: But such is the misery of these our dayes, that so great happines; we cannot looke to attaine unto: were it so that the equity of the law of Moses, could prevaile, or the zeale of Ezekias could be found in the hearts of those guid… & governours, under whō we live, or the voice of Gods owne prophets could only be heard, or the example of the Apostles be followed, yea or their precepts be answered with full & perfe…t obedience, the…e abominable raggs, palluted garments, marks & sacraments of Idolatry, which power as you see constraineth us to weare, & conscience to abhor, had long …ere this day, beene removed both out of sight, & out of memory. But as now things stand, behold to what narrow streits we are driven, on the one side we feare the words of our Saviour Christ, woe to them by whom scandals and offences come, on the other syde, at the Apostles speech we can not but quake and tremble, if I preach not the Gospell woe unto me, Being thus hardly beset, we see not any other remedy, but to hazard our soules the one way, that we may the other way indeavour to save them. Touching the offence of the weake therefore, we must adventure it: If they perish they perish: Our Pastorall charge is Gods absolute commandement, Rather then that shall be taken from us, we are resolved to take this filth, and to putt it on, although we judge it to be so unfitt, and inconvenient, that as oft as ever we pray or preach, so arayed before you, we do as much as in us lyes, to cast away your soules, that are weak mynded, and to bring you unto endlesse perdition: But we beseech you brethren have care of your owne safety, take heed to your stepps, that you be not taken in these snares, which we lay before you, and our prayer in your behalf is, that the poyson which we offer you, may never have power to doe you harme. This is the miserable Apology of a man, putting on the Surplice, which he thinketh inconvenient, upon such grounds as the Rej. did hold, and doth not yet condemne; This all such do speake either in deeds or words, that putt on a Surplice in that manner: The state of the quaestion is now changed saith the Rej. and the Cerem. held unlawfull, wherupon many mischeifs follow: It may be the compasse of our Prelats intention, to which the former tenet had reference, is varyed by some degrees, towards the Autartique, as Dr. B. speaketh in his Apologye, if ther be no other change, but that after more mischeif don by these ceremonies, then was before, they are now more strictly urged then ever (which the Rej. confesseth) they are now at the least more hatefull, if not more unlawfull then before, This is also considerable, beside the change is little or none, the same mischeives which the Rej. imputeth to the new tenet, Mr. Hooker in his preface chargeth that Tenet with, which this Rej, calleth the ould: Yet neither accusations have any force or colour, but upon the supposall, that the ceremonies are innocent and lawful in their imposition and use. The plaine truth is, that in the beginning of Queene Elizabeths dayes, and before, in King Edwards tyme, the Cerem: were accounted weeds of popery, as that zealous and famous preacher, Mr. Anthony Gilbye doth intitle them, in his letter to Mr. Coverdall, Mr. Turner, &c. Mr. Whittingham, D. Vmphryey, and others, who then laboured the rooting of them out. They were not curious of distinguishing of unlawfulnes and inexpediency, but contented themselves to reject and oppose them: Some as Mr. Greenham refused to give their reasons fully, untill they should be constrained: In the meane tyme they utterly refused them, as unlawfull for them to use: This appeareth out of a booke called a part of a Register &c. Synce that tyme, we have beene forced to shew more distinctly, what grounds we stand on, and so pronounce them unlawfull. In the following pages spent principally about answering of objections, made or feared, or at least imagined, against the Author of this Rej. few things are found capable of any great dispute: Neither can many passages be touched, without odious grating upon D. Burges personall credit, which I tender so much, that I would wish more added to it, by other works, then is detracted from it by this: I will therfore leave these things to stand or fall, without any paynes or perill of myne, or the cause, and passe forth unto the stile of our Cerem: in giving and maintaining whereof the Def. and Rej. are so tender, as to proclaime them innocent.