Against Human Ceremonies in Gods Worship, Part 2 · Chapter 1 · Section 11
SECT. 22. Concerning the Assumtion, of the maine Argument, handled in this Chapter.
1. THe Repl. set downe the Def. his plea, with a generall answer thus: After all this adoe about the Proposition of the first Argument, Now we are tolde of an Assumtiō, out of the Abridgement, and Mr. Hy: viz: that Ceremonies have no warrāt out of the word of God being humane inventions, For Mr. Hy: I cannot say muche (because his reasons are not in printe) but for …he Authors of the Abridgement, they have great wronge doen them. Whosoever will turne to the place quoted by the Def. in the Abridgement, shall see, that the words which our Def. hath turned into a Proposition, are there but part of an illustration, belonging to this proposition: All Ceremonies that swerve from the Rules given in the Word, for the Churches direction, in matters of Ceremonies, are unlawfull. The Assumtion of which is: But the Ceremonies in question, doe swerve from those Rules. Now all this cheif pith, both of Proposition, and Assumtion, is by the Def. omitted: A by thinge is put in place of the Proposition. A new assumtion is formed: and yet all fathered upon the Abridgement. What hath the Rejoynder to say against all this? 1. This demurrer should have come in at the first. But first, or last, if it be true which here sayd, the Def. cannot be defended.
2. The Repl. granted the whole Argument, sect. 2. In saying (forsooth) that he took for granted, whatsoever was there sayd for the all-sufficiencie of Scripture.
3. This of it self, is an Argument against our Ceremonies. What then? the Authors of the Abridgement, may yet have wronge, if it be made theirs, against their will. 4 It is fit to be the first Argument, because if this be granted, all other rules are vayne. The question is nothere of fitnesse for place, but of fitting it to the Abridgement. Yet this whole Argument being granted (according to our meaning) of those that the Rejoynder calleth double triple Ceremonies, the Rules have use about single ones. 5. The Proposition is taken out of the Abridgement, pag. 44. and the Assumtion is fitted to it, Let it be so, yet if that be made a proposition of theirs, which onelyonly was an illustration, or confirmation of their proposition, and (a new assumtion fitted unto it according to an adversaries pleasure) the whole argument fathered upon them, as a first and cheif one, this surely cannot be excused from wrong doeing.
2. To the Def. his answer unto the Assumtion, viz. that in generall and permissive appointment, our Ceremonies are (not humane but) Divine, the Repl. sayd that he understood not a permissive apointment, to be other then an appointment without appointment: because to permitte, is neyther to command or appointe, nor forbid.
Here the Rejoynder amonge many shrewed wordes, hath this reason that the same thinges are commanded, in general, but in particular are onelyonly permitted, And for ignorance of this, he twi…teth the Repl. with want of logicke. But I cannot yet see, out of any logick how a generall can be commanded, generally, and any true speciall or particular of it be onelyonly permitted. He that commandeth all order and comelinesse, commandeth also every speciall of it. Every generall command, applied unto his true speciall subject, maketh that specially commanded.
It is commanded in generall that every husband should love his wife, not in speciall, that Aquila should love Priscilla: yet suppose Priscilla to be Aquila his wife, she may chalenge conjugall love, all so well as if hername had been in that Command in speciall. Else we may as well say, that superstition, will-worship, or at least disorder, to which order is opposed, is forbidden in generall, but some specialls of them or it, are onelyonly permitted. The trueth is, Crosse and Surplice, cannot with any shew of reason, or common sense, be sayd to be commanded in generall, any more then in speciall, no nor yet permitted, eyther in speciall or in generall. The Rejoynder hath yet found no fit place, to prove the commande though it mainely concerneth his cause, and of it self alone might satisfie any mans conscience, if it could be proved, and the permission is the maine question of this whole Dispute.
Chapter second, Concerning worship.
ALl the materiall doctrine of this Chapter is before discussed, in the Manuduction, sect. 5.6.7. Where the nature, distinctions, and differences of worship, are weighed, and found of no moment for our Ceremonies aide. It shall suffize therfore here, to referre the Reader unto those places, adding onelyonly some notes, upon some passages, formerly not declared.