Against Human Ceremonies in Gods Worship, Part 1 · Chapter 5
CHAP. V. Of the sorts and differences of Ceremonies.
THe first partition of Ceremo. into private or publike, close or open, may passe for the evidence of it, but yet it may be quaestioned, seing institution is essentiall to a Ceremony, as before we have beene taught, to whom the institution of private Ceremonies do belonge? whether the convocation house may appoint men, when they eat and drink, goe to bedd and rise up, to signe themselves with the signe of the Crosse?
The second partition into Ceremon. civill, sacred or mixt: Civill, when theire immediate object and end is civill; Sacred, The distrib…tion is imperfect and excludes naturall Cerem out of the world.when the immediate object and end is matter pertaining to religiō, requireth more attention. And 1. it is to be noted, that by this division, all naturall Ceremo. are abrogated or excluded, for else the first distribution should have beene; Ceremo. are either naturall or instituted: Now Bellarmine himself more considerately maketh some ceremon. naturall.De effect. Saeram. lib. … cap. 29. Q…aedam Ceremoniae sunt ab ipsa natura …uodammodo institutae, quae naturales dici possunt: quale est. respicere in …lum, tollere, manus, …ectere genua, cum De…m oramus. Certaine Cerem. receave institution, as it were from nature it self, which may be called naturall Cerem. as to looke up to heaven, to lift up our hands, and to bow our knees, when we pray unto God. Note also the varying of the phrase: In civill cerem. he requireth an immediate civill object & end, but in sacred he will have it enough, that the immediate object and end, be matter pertaining to religion. There may be some purpose in this, to exclu…e all civill Cerem. and so civility out of matters pertaining to religion, that all things being counted religious, humaine misticall Ceremo. in religion, may not be discerned from common observations, which are equally and often used to the same immediate end both in civill, and in religious matters. These things reserved, the substance of this partition may passe, together with the illustrations of it: Only one illustration I would have remembred for future use. An action (saith the Rej.) imperated of religion, or springing out of the feare of God, may be civill, and belong to the second table. This is that which some of our Divines meane, when they speake of mediate worship, that is, there be duties belonging to the second table, imperated or governed by religion, but not immediatly flowing from it. This the Rej. taketh hould of in many places, and maketh thus actions religious, which here he calleth civill. The conclusion drawen out of this partition is, that they have the spirit of contradiction, which say that the church may not ordaine Cer. meerely ecclesiasticall, but only common, because all Cer. in religious affaires, are m…erely ecclesiastical: And besyde the crosse & surplice have ther civill use, as a crosse for a shop signe, &c.
But if one spirit crosse another,Contradiction. those spirits must be tryed (saith the Apost.) and where ther is want of reason and good ground, there is that spirit, which the Rej. blameth, and objecteth to others. Now upon a short triall, it may appeare, where it waketh: The Rej. tould us before, that some ceremonies are mixt, partly civill, and …artly sacred; now he telleth us with the same breath, that any ceremony in religious affayres is meerely sacred and ecclesiasticall: And by proportion any Cerem. in civill affaires must needs be meerely civill, what then is become of the mixt or common sort: here sure is a contradiction from what spirit soever it come. 2. What …n assertion is this, any ceremony used in religious affay…es, is meerely sacred? If men and women come purposely in their best apparell to church, if they compose themselves to a grave posture, give the upper place to …he cheifest persons, and take such to themselves, as they may heare the preacher in, and yet have no exception taken against them for it, if all the places and seats be made cleanly and fitt for a meeting, to be held in a comely fashion, all these are ceremo. according to the Rej. his definition, yet no man but out of contention …ill affirme they are meerely religious, or ecclesiasticall: For all these in the same manner & to the same immediate end, the same persons would doe, if the meeting were to heare the magistrate propound unto them a grave civill busines, concerning the common wealth affaires. And surely that which remaining the same may be civill,Many Ceremonies are of common use, in things civill & ecclesiastick. is not meerely and properly ecclesiasticall, but common to both uses, and rather meerely civill, then meerely ecclesiasticall, because civility is supposed and included in ecclesiasticall affaires, but ecclesiasticall proceedings are supposed and included in civill. Dr. Iackson in his originall of unbeleef, pag. 337. doth wel observe: That decent behaviour doth change the subject only, not alter its owne nature and forme, whilest its used in matters sacred: Nor is the habit of civill complement, or good manners, such an unhallowed weed, as must be layd asyde, when we come into the sanctuary. And indeed there is no more reason, to shutt civility out of the church, or sacred busines, then to shutt religion out of the towne-house or civill affaires. 3. That which is added of a civill use of the Ceremon. in quaestion doeth nothing agree. If a porter or baker weare a lynnen garment in the Church, upon occasion, as at other tymes, no man will except against it, or account it a ceremony, ecclesiasticall, or religious.
A crosse that is used for a shopp signe, hath no ecclesiasticall or civill use in religion, except ther be so many temples in one place, that they must be distinguished by signes, as shopps are: As for the examples mentioned before, of the Bishops in their formalities, and the Clerks in their surplices, at a funerall for civill use: I answer, the immediat end of such formalities is religious, even in that, they are characters of ecclesiasticall persons, and their religious office: Are not Rochetts and such like formalities ecclesiasticall ceremonies, being signes of cheif ecclesiasticall officers as such? The furnerall, at which they are present, doth no more make them civill, then among the Papists it maketh all their superstition to become a civill order: Nay by this it appeareth that both civill ceremonies may be used in ecclesiasticall affaires, and ecclesiasticall cerem. in civill affaires, because both may be used in the same affaires. To traverse these notiōs more full, I add these considerations: These words, matter pertaining to religion added in the explication of sacred cerem. may cary a double sense. Pag. 35. The definition of sacred ceremon. discussed.1. That it is enough to make ceremonies sacred, if this be their end to be serviciceable to some thing, which is an ordinance, or to some person, in a holy function, or performance of an ordinance, and this seemes to be the Rej. meaning for his examples cary this meaning, when wearing of blackes, rending of garments, in dayes of humiliation are made by him sacred cer. as also by those words, wherein he is so peremptory, and expresseth his lordly censuring, even of mens hearts, in lusting after contradiction, if they deny ceremonies used in religious affaires to be meerely ecclesiasticall, but this we conceave to be false, & hope it hath in part, and shall appeare to be more plainly in the following discourse.
Secondly it may cary this sense: that is truely sacred, when the object is God, and his honour aymed at immediatly, as when we kneele to God in prayer, we do not kneele to the scripture, or man praying but God directly: or when the next object is a holy thing, but so attended as by that, or in the use of that, we tender up honor to God and attaine that end. As the minister preacheth the word to the people, and they heare it preached, but by both and in the virtue of both, according to Gods appointment, the heart is caried in holy affections, and apprehensions to him, and so both hould out Gods honor: So Sacraments given and receaved, excommunicatiō dispensed, they hould out the spirituall government of God and his honor unto us, & bring our hearts under his hand to give that honour which is due to his power, soveraignty, and holines, appearing therin unto us: This only makes a thing properly sacred, but if things of any nature, only so farr attend a religious, either person, thing, or performance, as that they help not in carying out the act to God, and so tendering honor to him, but stand only in a distance, and subordination as things of necessity, or in some conveniency presupposed to goe before a religious work, in a common way to that, as to other things, in the like proportion, and have the self same work in that sacred as in civill affaires, this is not sacred at all: So place and tyme, a font, will do as much to any civill action, as to a sacred: So that only religion applyeth, and takes to it self, that civill circumstance, that it might put forth his owne act, as upon a stage, makes such things do as much for him, as for any politike and naturall work, Religion serve its turne upon these occasions. In a word the ground lyes here: The latter art, ever useth the work of the former, A…s posteriot … titu… ope… How a th…ng may …rve a sacred action, or be used ecclesiastically, & yet not be sacred.sometymes for necessity, sometymes for conveniency, and adjoining himself to it, doth of it self, do its owne work: So that the thing, is either a subject unto which the act of religion or policy is applyed, or else, that fitnes which such things have in subordination, to have other things to be annexed to them, is that common end, which such things hould out indifferently, by the …ame rule, to civill and sacred actions, and ergo are common to them both, but are neither properly: Instance …hus: A magistrate of the common wealth; A Generall in the feild; A minister of a congregation, they may successively stand upon the same hill: the magistrate to deliver the law, and judgment, to the subject: The Ge…erall to give his charge to the souldiers: The Minister …o preach unto a congregation. Is any man such a wise…ker, as to say, this hill is a civill, or politike hill, a warlike hill, a sacred hill, because it serves all these actions of po…icy, warr, and religion: so that to make the point plaine, because we are forced to show forth the feeblenes of the Rej. dispute, we will now from these grounds (Reader) reason, and exemplifye, that the meanest may understand.
If to be applyed to a religious affaire, make a thing sacred, then all things almost and all arts may be sacred, because they may be applyed to a matter, thing, or person religious, as the next object and end. If the pulpitt be a sacred thing, because it is applyed to support the minister preaching: then is the ayre sacred, its applyed to his speech in speaking: then is the light sacred, its applyed to his eye in reading, then are his spectacles sacred, for they are used by him, reading his text, then the two pottle potts, which hould the wyne consecrated, should be sacred potts, Nay the ministers doublett, that covers him, yea if he was hoarse, and tooke some oyle to help his voice, they should now become sacred doubletts, and sacred oyle. The paper book which the preacher looked on, when he is out in his sermon, should be a sacred paper book, and to follow the Rej. if putting on of ashes upon the head, be sacred in the day of humiliation, then by like proportion, when God enjoines people in a fast, to putt on their poorest and meanest attyre, those ragged bands, and ould Capps, and Quoifes were sacred bands, and Quoifes and Capps: But do you laugh at these things masters? when the Rej. is so violent in this cause, that he breakes the bridle, and flyes out against all, that will not yeeld to him in this: And I would wishe the reader to consider how righteous it is, with God, to suffer men to fall foully whē they will follow their owne imaginations: Erewhyle the Rej. made all things Cerem. by the loosnes of his definition, and now to help the Ceremo. he would make all things sacred by the large compasse he gives to religious Cere. The vanity of which expression, I hope appeares sufficiently, by that, which hath beene sayd, but yet that the meanest may feele with his finger, the grossnes of this mistake,A pregnant example confuting the falsne… of the for…e… ground. I shall add one more instance. The height of the sunne, or the sound of a clock one & the same, may at the same tyme, in the same city, be a directiō for Protestants, Papists, Iewes, Anabaptists, & all sects to assemble for religious service: It may at the same tyme by the same sound be a direction, for magistrats to meet for judicature, for drunkards to meet to riott, for gaimsters to meet to play, for travelers to meet to sett upon their journey: so that it hath relation to all these religious politike, prophane practises at once, I would fayne have the Rej. tell me, what a kynd of Ceremony this is? If he say religious, I then demaund, is it Anabaptisticall, Papisticall, Iudaicall, Lutheran, Protestant, Arminian, superstitious, or truely religious cerem. is it any one of these, or all of these, for to them all it serves in their intentions, and purposed observation, and by the institution of him that sett it up happely. Nay it hath relation to many other affaires, and so it shall be a politike, civill cerem. it serves to that end, it may be called, a riding, a playing, a drunken ceremo. for it serves at once to all these purposes, and in all their intentions and purposed observations hath equall relations unto all: Againe those things whose end is immediatly Gods honour, they must be able to cause that honour, for each thing can reach his owne and immediate end, in the course of nature, or rationall institution, one tyme or other: But all things which only attend upon religious affaires, can never attaine this end, or cause the worship of God in lifting up his honour: of this kynd are tyme and place, being bare circumstances: the like may be sayd of the font, which is no more sacred, then the mudd & banks were that contained the water of Iordā wher baptisme was celebrated.
Thus of the definition in the generall, some other specialls be, in the explication whereof, I shall desire the Rej. judgment, and help a little, that I may understand his meaning, at his next returne. When he sayth, pag. 36.Pag. 36.
If the next immediate use belong to religion, as Ieroboams setting up of his calves, that the people might worship there, the action shall be construed religious whether true or falsely so called.
Ioyne to this the words of the eight corallary which goe thus:
It is not the same end, and use, which maketh a ceremony part of divine worship, I desire a reconciliation of these two: For:
That which makes actions, such species of religious worship as Ieroboams bowing to the Calves, that makes them parts of divine worship, though false.
But the use and end here make actions such true and reall species of false worship religious, as Ieroboams bowing to the calves was: ergo, the use and end makes Cerem. parts of divine worship.
Againe he sayth: it is not so much the terme from which, that shall denominate the action, as the terme to which, Pag. 36.Pag. 36.
If he meane by not so much, that is never a whitt, as I conceave he doth or must, I desire he would informe us, by his next answ: of this case: Conceave a man (coming to do homage according to custome to the King) shall by reason of an erronrous conceit, bow out of a sacred opinion and affection, though the object be civill, and the act terminated in the person of the King, whether is this action sacred or no?
Againe I enquire what those words meane: The same Ceremony which is in present use sacred, may be forth with by the change of the object become civill: Pag. 36. The change of the object doth … …ke the …eremony … before ….The people bowing downe worshipped God and the King, the Ceremony was materially the same, but objectively different. These expressions need a comment: If by materially the same, he meane the naturall action is the same, its true, but that is nothing to this purpose. Let him tell us, whether there is a peculiar specification of those actions in themselves, before they come at the object: Since the object supposeth the being of the thing in its kynd, before it can be an adjunct to it: If there be the same specificall and formall nature of the action, then that bowing being civill when it is performed to a man, why might not Ihon have tendered the like to an Angell, and the angell receaved it, in that he might have done it, as to a fellow servant of higher honour and account, and the angell needed to have feared religious worship, for he being knowne once to be a creature, the change of the object would have altered the worship: But the angell it seemes was of another opinion, then the Rej. and conceaved that it was religious worship before it came to him, and would not have beene civill worship if the object had beene changed.
The third partition (of sacred Ceremo. into properly sacred, is those of divine institution, which are simply necessary, The third partition.necessitate praecepti, & reductively so called, as those which in their particular have no divine institution, but are applyed to things divine, and these are arbitrary and ambulatory cerem. This partition is somthing obscure and therfore should not have beene sett downe in bare words, but had some sufficient warrant and explication: For 1. if these be true members they must have the true nature of things sacred agreeing to them both equally and essentially: but things which are applyed to Divine actions, have not the nature or definition of things sacred, because they be applyed as adjūcts to the subjects in a seperable manner. Its all one as if a man should divyde, a living creature, either that which is so properly, as a man, or that which is so reductively,The vanity of these ter…es reductively sacred. as a garment, because it is applyed to a man. 2. Proper is usually opposed either to tropicall, or to common, or to alien, or else to unfitt, unto none of these senses can it be referred in this place where it is opposed to reductive. 3. Sacred arbitrary cerem. are in truth arbitrary worship, and arbitrary worship is will worship. 4. I would know to whom our Cere. are arbitrary? Surely to the imposers only, and so all instituted Cerem. are arbitrary, though to others, they be made never so necessary, they are not (it will be sayd) made necessary to salvation. No more say I are all popish Cerem. nor all Divine, absolutely necessary to salvation, nor so made or esteemed: Ours are made, as necessary to salvation, as man can make them, when the ordinary meanes of salvation, are absolutely denied to all those that refuse them.
The fourth partition is, The fourth partition.of reductive sacred ceremo. into rightly so called, and abusively: which is indeed an explication of the former division, for sacred Cerem. of Divine institution, are rightely called and the other abusively: But the Rej. fyndeth both these under the head of reductively sacred (Rightly reductively sacred strang amazing termes) are they whose object and end is good, and the things not unapt, &c. where I cannot but admire, that no place is given, to a good efficient or institutor, with fitt authority in matters of institution: we cannot understand by this description, but a Ceremo. is as sacred and religious, when it is appointed by a Vestrye of Layicks, as when the convocation imposeth it. 2. The papists have as good ends, and objects, and also as much aptnesse in most of their Cerem. as we have in ours, and yet they are taxed by our divines, as not rightly sacred, and they themselves are ashamed to defend sacred ceremonies, meerely humaine, or without speciall authority of the institutors, how good soever they esteeme them for object and end: So the Rhem. on Math. 15.9. Cerem. are made by the H. Ghost, joyning with our Pastors, in the Regiment of our Church. So also Bristow against Dr. Fulk in his Rejoi. to Bristow, pag. 104. Nay there is no order of Friars that will admitt of new Ceremon. to be rightly reduced upon them, what ever their object, end, and aptnesse be, except they come from the institutor of the order: All Casuists do hold it for a wrong unto them, if their Priors, Abbatts Generalls, should impose upon them the observance of any thing, besyde the vowe which they have made, to observe the rites instituted by their founder: And are not we Christians, as much tyed by our vow unto Christ, as they are to Dominicus, Fransciscus, &c. Or are we more subject to our Prelats, then they are to their superiors, by vow of obedience? Luther also hath given us a good item in Gen. 22.In religion… nihil tentandū vel audendum: Querendum in talibus, quis, qualis, quantus sit qui jusserit; Diabolus mutat haec, in Quid, quale, quantum. In religion nothing is to be attempted or rashly adventured upon, but in things belonging thereunto, we must alwayes enquire, who, how good, and great the person is who commaunds: But the Divill changeth these things, in to what, of what quality, and how great the thing is. Is it not strange then, that from an auncient reverend minister of the Gospell, a hundred yeares after, ther should come a doctrine, of right instituted reductive sacred Ceremon. without any respect of the authority, which is in the institutor? And yet even if these conditions made necessary by the Rej. a quaestion may be made concerning the crosse, whether two crosse motions of a finger and a thumb, be things apt to putt Christians in mynd of Christs passion for us, and our passion and profession for him?
Abusively reductive sacred Cerem. sayth the Rej. are Idolatrous, superstitious: Idolatrous, respecting a wrong object: Superstitious made divine in termes or in effect: Impious, casting-off Gods Cerem. or obscuring the Gospell, by representing the History and mystery thereof by dumbe showes, as in the Pageants of the Masse. Here againe the same fault is committed, that opposite members of a distribution, are made subordinate one to another, and may be predicated or affirmed, as Genus and Species, which is an infinite feeblenes, in a judicious disputer: for are not idolatrous, impious: are not superstitious impious Ceremo. as those which professedly crosse the first and second commaund, wherein pyety is most properly placed, and thus divisions fill up places and breed confusion.