Against Human Ceremonies in Gods Worship, Part 1 · Chapter 112
CHAP. IX. Concerning Superstition: answere to 64.65.66.67.68. of the Preface.
Novum crimen (Iudicis) …nte hunc diem …andit…m.BEhold a new crime (O yee Iudges!) and unheard of before this day: These who hould the reliques of Popish confessed superstition, unlawfull, are (in that very name) indited of superstition. Nay they must be content to have it for their solemne style, in publique writings, for so Dr. Morton hath dubbed them (To his superstitious brethren the non-conformists) and Dr. Burges will maintaine it. If any man take it ill, and say, that such a title doth rather beseeme those, which allow of religious holy water, images, circumcision &c. besyde crosses and surplices (as these two Drs doe,) hee is straight way scurlous: But let us inquire into the Inditement.
1. It was noted by the Replyer as a ridiculous peece of Rhethoricke, Pag. 64.and a trick of prevention, usuall with crafty men. The Rej. answereth these two titles suite not well, and the charge is weightye: which is very true, they suite not well, neither, to them they were intended unto, nor yet, betwixt themselves, and the charge of superstition, if it be in good earnest and upon ground, is weightye: But not well suting, do meet often times in affected accusations, and so doe here ridiculous Rhetorick, and craftinesse: Shee that hasted, to call her party whore, in the beginning of their scoulding fray, for feare she should be prevented, with that salutation, as more deserving it, was therin crafty, and yet if she called her whorish Sister, it was ridiculous: Ridiculous I account, a new unexpected toy, which bringeth some admiration with it, Now this accusation is such, for untill now, it hath scarce beene heard of. The Iesuites want neither inven…ion, nor good will, in accusing such, as reject their ceremonies with all kynd of reproaches, and yet they could never yet, hitt upon this imputation, to charge them with superstition for that cause: Nay Balthasar Chavasius (a Iesuite) lib. 2. cap. 7. s. 54. though he would fayne have …astened some such thing upon us, yet seing it would not …ake, but be accounted ridiculous, even by his owne …reinds, he doth so much as say, he durst not do it for …hame: We must not expect sayth he, Non est, quoae a Pseudoevangelicis (reformatos puta) superstitiones multas indebit… cultus expectemus▪ ut pote quae observationes quaedam inanes, ac superflua esse solent, illi ant… ceremonias poenè omnes insectantur.many superstitious ex…ressions of undue worship, from those who are falsely called, Evangelicall professors, considering th…se superstitions are …ont to be certaine, vaine and superfluous observations: but …hey (meaning the reformed churches) do bitterly inveigh almost against all Ceremonies. So our Rhemists on Acts …7. Sect. 4. discharge us of superstition: whereupon Dr. Fulk saith: we accept of your restimbnie as the witnesse of our adversaries: And is it not admirable then? that our Def. and Rej. should goe beyond the Iesuites in their owne element, and teach them how, and in what sense, they may here after better accuse Calvin, and those that agree with him of superstition, then of rash irreligious, or profane innovation, for rejecting so many Ceremonies of theirs: which not only they, but also our Divines (if we may beleeve the Def. and Rej.) esteeme easily reformable to good use, & not simply unlawful: And by the same reason, Non-residents, Pluralists, Tot Quots, common swearers of diminitive oaths, & dicers, standing upon the lawfulnes of their practise, may upon that supposition, call those, that gaynesay them superstitious brethren.
2. For the exploiding rather then answering or confuting of the foresaid ridiculous accusation it was alledged: That superstition is a kynd of excesse of religious worship, and that an excesse, or error in a negation, was never called by any author superstition, when he meant to speake properly, except that very negation, be held as a speciall worship. That we doe not absteine from these Ceremo. but as from other unlawfull corruptions (even out of the compasse of worship: That every erroneous deniall of things lawfull is not superstition, and that all sorts of definitions which are given of superstition, doe touch upon our Cerem. rather then on the deniall or condemning of them. All this could not stay the Rej. but he must maintaine, and renue this weighty charge, as he calleth it, and pronounce, that if we can avoyd it, it is our witt, (as if he would say) our book hath saved us: Lett us therfore consider, what the accuser can say, to bringe us to this extreame passe.
3. There can be no plainer reason of this accusation (saith the Rej. then that out of Coll. 2.23. where will worship is instanced in negative observances, Pag. 65. answere to the praface. Answer to Coll. 2 23.touch not, tast not, handle not, &c. But 1. we teach no negative observances so called, for observances are ceremoniall: Tho. 1.2. q. 101. art. 4. we make no ceremonies of our negations, but make them morall duties: The Prelates on the other syde, appointing positive observances, do seeme to include the negations of them, as of the same kynd: Bap…ize not without crossing, doe not divine service without surplice, communicate not without kneeling, so that …y this meanes they are made guilty of double super…tition.
2. The practise of superstitious persons in those dayes, condemned here by the verdit of this place, caries no proportion or resemblance, with our cessation, or negative absteining from cerem. because there touch not, …ast not, &c. were taken up by virtue of mans imposi…ion, and for the more speciall worship of God,When ba…e cessations of evill come to be worship. in a more peculiar manner, but we cease from ours, by virtue of another rule, with no such intent, as to present any peculiar kynd of honor to God therby: And thus absteining from our Ceremon. as unlawfull, upon conscience (though they were lawfull,) cannot be superstition, except first it be an elicited act of religion, or worship: Such worship it cannot be, except either in the intention of the absteiner, or in the nature of the forbearance, it be used as a meanes, to give unto God speciall honor, that is, other and more immediate honor, then we do, by acts of obedience, common to the second table, with the first: But this is neither in our intention, nor doth the nature of such forbearance as we use, implye it: For that common charge which usually occurrs in scripture, cease to do evill, Isay. 1. Absteine from all appearance of evill, 1. Thess. 5. is a duty of obedience in generall common to both tables: Now, if it be onelyonly materially determined, upon a work of the second table, not formally elicited, from love or justice to our brother, it is no act of love or …ustice. As if a man hating his neighbour, should yet for feare of Gods judgment, absteine from killing of him, this was no act of love, or justice, toward him; Even so, absteining from our Cerem. as evill for feare of offending God, though it may materially be referred to the first table, yet cannot it be an elicited act of worship, except it floweth from religion, or a desire to do speciall honor to God therby.
3. These negative prohibitions, were so plainly the Commaundements of men, ver. 22. that from hence our divines do commonly argue against such popish Cerem. as ours are: And therfore Papists in their commentaries, as Estius ad Corn. de lapide &c. upon that place, do strive to putt-off that blow from their Cerem. but yet are constrained to confesse, unprofitable and superfluous Ceremo. or instituted by a meere humaine spirit, (such as ours are) to be in those words condemned; If therfore this place, be the plainest reason, which the Def. and Rej. have, of charging us with superstition, it is plaine enough, there was more affection and affectation, then reason in this weighty charge.
4. Whether any definition of superstition will beare up this weighty charge, forced upon those, that reject humaine Cerem. the Rej. will not try by the Schoolemen, because he loveth them not so well, but only by a Definition which is found in D. Ames his Medulla: but passing by the Schoolemen, he might have found in our Divines, Definitions, very fitt for this triall, as that of Vrsyne Tom. 1. in praecept 2. Superstition is that which …dds humaine inventions to divine praecepts: That of Dr. Fulk in Act. 17. Sect. 4. A will worship is, more then … appointed by the law of God: That of Mr. Perkyns on …he second commaund, Superstition is worship of God, …ithout his commaundement &c. For ther is not one …f our writers, who treateth of superstition, and doth …ot give such descriptions of it, as from them it may …e concluded, that the rejecting of such Ceremon. as …urs are, is so farr from superstition, that it is the oppo…ing of superstition: Yet let him choose by what Defini…ions, the cause shall be tryed.
5. The Definition which he maketh choice of is: Superstition is that wherby undue worship is exhibited to God: …rom hence the Rej. collecteth, and assumeth 1. that supersti…ion properly is in the opinion and mynd of the worshipper: …. That a man may imagine himself to honor God in the use …f such things, as God hath not forbidden or condemned, and …hereupon forbeare, even for conscience to God, things lawfull: …. That the very not doing of things prohibited in the first …able (if it be for conscience to God,) is worship. Now the first of these, is to fetch quidlibet ex quolibet, any thing out of every thing: For ther is nothing in the Defini…ion alledged, from whence (by any logick) it can be concluded, that superstition is properly in opinion and mynd: 2. The assertion is as false, as untowardly col…ected, for though inward superstition, be in the mynd or soule, and springeth from an erronious opinion, yet neither it, nor any morall vice or virtue, doth properly consist in opinion, but rather in affection, and disposition of the heart and will, as all that consider of the matter, will easily perceave and confesse: And as for outward superstition, that consisteth in outward observances. 3. The second collection serveth nothing to the purpose: Neither yet the conclusion drawne from it, that there may be a negative superstition: yet is it so intricately sett downe, that it conteyneth a kynd of contradiction, for the forbearing of things lawfull, is termed the use of such things, in what sense I cannot conjecture: The last would prove something, if it were generally true as it is not: The avoyding of synne or things forbidden by God, is an act of common obedience, belonging as well to things forbidden, in the second table, as to those, that are forbidden in the first: And the terminanation of this act, upon matters of the first table, doth no more make it properly worship toward God, then the like termination of it, upon the matters of the second table, doth make the same act, properly justice, o… charity towards men: It may, in this or that particular, be imperated or commaunded by religion to God, and in others by charity to men, but it is not, in that particular elicited, or naturally flowing from either, as worship doth from religion and bounty from charity.
The Def. and Rej. absteine every day upon conscience from innumerable things forbidden concerning Gods worship, as from Popish Idolatries, Mahometicall impostures, & all the rabble of those divillish divises, which are among the Heathen. Yet I doe not thinke, that they themselves conceive, their acts of dayly worship to arise in account, unto such a number, as is there to be found, of such things forbidden. The plaine truth is, that an absteining frō this or that instituted, or chosen to be observed, in the worship of God, & for the honouring of God …herby, is a kynd of Cere. worship: But the mere absteining from this or that unlawfull action upon conscience of Gods commaund is no speciall worship, nor was ever …o esteemed. 6. But out of D.A. who sayth; That Religion is an observāce wherby we performe those things which directly belong to the giving of honour to God, so much may be wrūg …s the Rej. meaneth, viz. that if any observance be made of …et doing any thing, which God hath not forbidden, of purpose & directly to give honour to God in the not doing thereof, this must needs be an excesse of religion a negative superstition. Iust so as not observing, is observance; not doing a thing, is …erformance of it, as the purposed absteining from that which …ppeareth a dishonouring of God is a dir…ct giving of honour …nto him. 7. Neither is the other allegation out of D. A. to any better purpose than the former: There is a su…erstitiō sometimes in absteining from certaine lawfull things, viz. when some singular service, & honour is by that abstinēce …ntended. Did the Rep. ever deny this? Nay, doeth he not …xpresly confesse as much in these words; The supersti…ions excesse of religion, do…th sometimes seeme to consist in a …egation, viz. when t…at very negation, abstinence, or forbearing is held for a speciall worship? The Rej. indeed, seemeth to finde a difference in that terme of singular: But that is to finde a knott in a rush; For by singul…r Dr. A. meant the same thing which the Replyer meant by speciall, according as theis termes are oftē promiscuously used. The descant therfore which the Rej. maketh upon this occasiō, that we fancy our non-cōformity so singular a piece of service, a singular point of piety, and of true syncerity, this, I say, is but a declamatory venting of bitter, but ungrounded, surmizes. We account our abstinence from theis Cerem. no speciall or particular worship, much lesse singular for degree of excellency; nor doe we esteeme it a point of piety, more singular, than to absteine from swearing by the Masse. Some point of sincerity there is, in refusing theis mixtures, but not worship, or so singular in our opinion, as the Rej. would perswade his readers to our singular prejudice, & wrōg. Many things are singular faults, if they be admitted, the leaving of which is no singular commendation. What if some had rather never preach the Gospel, or receive the supper than tell a lye for those endes? Will the Rej. thence conclude that they make the absteining from a lye a more singular piece of worship, and piety, than either Word, or Sacraments? I would be loath to undertake the prooving of such a wilde consequence. Divine, and blessed Bradford refused to be admitted unto the Ministery by B. Ridley, except he might be excused from the abusive formalities, then and now, in use: yet Gardiner, nor Boner, neither did, nor being asked would therefore (as is probable) have accused him of Superstition, as esteeming the absteining from those abuses more singular service of God, or piety, than all he might doe, and did afterward in the ministery.
8. The examples brought by the Rej. are like unto his Reasons: 1. The Pharisees did superstitiously restrain… labour on the Sabbath, beyond that which God imposed; this was a negative superstition. True; it was an humaine in…tituted Ceremony someth…ng like unto Popish holy …ayes: But the Pharisees absteining from the feasts of Bacchus, Venus, &c. was no speciall worship. 2. The …hilas…ims not treading on Dagons th…eshold was negative …uperstition: True, as the former, It was an observation …nstituted to honour Dagon by: But their not-admit…ing of Circumcision was no superstition. When there…ore upon such wretched examples, and reasons as theis …re, the Rej is so confident in laying his weighty charge …f Superstition upon us, as that he pronounceth all the …ater of Nilus not to be sufficient to wash us from grosse su…erstition, the understanding reader hath no cause to …hinke otherwise but that even the Rej. may have a …onfident full persuasion such as that he buildeth much …n, and yet but hollow empty supporters for the up…olding of it.
9. Such also are his distinctions, whereby (as with a wett finger) he dischargeth the Convocation of all su…erstition, because they impose the Ceremonies, not as …hings directly, properly, immediatly, but onelyonly consequently, …nd mediately, belonging to the giving of honour to God. For 1. If they be consequently directed to God in …eaching of men Gods will, as the word doeth, they are …irect worship unlesse preaching be no worship. 2. If …hey be worship proper to this office, they are proper worship. 3. If they be worship belonging to the first …able, then they are immediately worship: But all the former are true, as was before shewed, yet one thing more would be knowne, what reason the Rej. hath to place the observance of our Cerem. for the kynde of it, in one degree of distance, and latitude: and the rejecting of them, in another? It seemeth to be as if the English day, and night should be so disioyned that our night should be in England, and our day in China. When he further expounds himselfe we shall be more able to discerne his meaning.
10. Last of all, For ending of this quaestion about superstition, I require a resolution of this not-unlike Quaere, which with change of persons conteineth the same case. Seeing there be different opinions concerning our Diocesan Bishops places, and functions, eve… among them that make benefitt of them, some holding them to be of divine institution, or else not lawfull, so that (as they say) without this perswasion they would give over their Bishopricks, to day before to morrow▪ Others holding them onelyonly of humaine Institution, and yet lawfull; Let him, I say, tell us plainly, whether the Prelates of this later opinion may call the other Prelat… superstitious brethren or fathers, for holding Ecclesiastical… Bishops of Mans institution unlawfull? If not, let no… the Rej. nor his Diocesan be so liberall of this title to others that dissent from them about humaine Ceremonies as unlawfull, except they either thinke Bishops cannot be superstitious, or that we cannot be wronged with any odious imputation.