Against Human Ceremonies in Gods Worship, Part 2 · Chapter 4 · Section 11

Against Human Ceremonies in Gods Worship · Part 2 · Chapter 4 · Section 11

p. 499SECT. 24. Concerning ancient Fathers.

1. THe Replier beginneth thus: I had thought verily, that the Def. would have brought some pregnant testimonies out of the Fathers, though he could finde none in the holy Scriptures. Then belike (sayth the Rej.) you knew that there might pregnant testimonies be brought out of them. And so it is:Licuit quae apud Gentes superstitioso cultu impid agerentur, eadem expiata sacto ritu, ad pietatem transferre, ut majori Diaboli contumelia, quibus ipse col… voluerit, Christus ab omnibus honoraretur. Eâ licentiâ, qua Deorum delubra in Ecclesias Christianorum sun… laudabiliter commutata, alij quoque ritus Gentilium à nobis, benedictionibus expiati, divino sunt cultui consecrati. though their doctrine, in generall, were against such Ceremonies, yet from their practise, so pregnant testimony may be brought for divers superstitious Ceremonies, that the Church rueth the pregnancy of them unto this day. Baronius, ad an. 44. in the end, bringeth many examples; and from them concludeth: It was lawfull to apply those things which the Gentiles had abused in superstitious worship, and purged from uncleannesse by holy worship unto pious uses, that Christ to the greater dishonour of Satan, might be honoured with those things wherewith Satan himselfe sought to be worshipped. By the same reason whereby the Temples of the Heathenish gods were laudably turned into the Churches of Christians, other rites also of the Gentils cleansed by our prayers, are rightly turned to holy use. And ad an. 58. about the p. 500midle, he hath, upon the same examples, these words: What wonder is it, if holy Bishops did consent, that those wonted customes of the Gentiles, from which it was imposs…ble to draw them utterly, even after they were professed Christians, should be changed into the worship of God? Venerable antiquity changed superstition into religion, and brought to passe that what was spent upon Idols, should be carefully converted into the worship of God. Quid mirum fi…inolitas apud Gentiles consuctudines, à quibus not, quamvis Christiani effecti essent, penitus divelli impossibile videretur, easdem in Dei cultum transferri, san…ct fimi Episcop… concesserunt? Venetanda antiqui…as superstitionem in religinem conversit, effecitque ut quod impendebatur Idolis, provide in Dei cultum converteretur. Sylva quaedam Iudaicarum & Gentilium Cer…moniarum paulatim agrum Domini occupavit.From hence it came, as Polidore de Invent. in the preface, sayth, that A vast forrest of Iewish Ceremonies, did by little and little, invade and possesse the Lords fielde.

A true reason, and censure also of these practises, is given by Doctor Iackson (Originall of unbeliefe, Section, 4. chapter, 23.) in these wordes: To outstrip our adversaries in their owne pollicies, or to use meanes abused by others, to a better end, is a resolution so plausible to worldly wisedome (which of all other fruits of the flesh, i… for the most part, the hardliest, and last renounced) that almost no sect or profession in any age, but in the issue mightily over-reached or intangled themselves, by too much seeking to circumvent or goe beyond others.

A notable example we have of this pollicy, in Gregories direction unto Augustine the Monke, then in England, lib. 9. ep. 71. which was, that sacrificing of Oxen with feasting, in the Idol Temples, should be turned into slaying of Oxen for fasting about those Temples, made Christian by holy-water.

p. 5012. In that which the Replier collected out of the Defender his allegations, it is confessed, ther is litle or nothing to the purpose. The Rejoynder therfor, accusing the Replier, for picking the Defender his purse, undertaketh to restore it unto him againe, by making this new collection: 1. If the celebritie of the Feast of Easter was held by many to be lawfully kept on the same day which the Iews superstitiously (as then) observed. 2. If they, avoyding Pagan Fasts, and Feasts, did freely institute other. 3. If superstitious habits were lawfully reteyned. 4. If Circumcision, after it became a meer human Ceremonie, was lawfully used: Then the anci…nt Fathers and Churches were of opinion, that godly men may lawfully use some Human Ceremonies, abused by others. But this is a meer empty purse (not worth the picking) which the Rejoynder sticketh into the Defender his pocket; as his owne. For 1. It hath not in it our quaestion, of Ceremonies devised by man, not necessarie, notoriously knowen to have been abused unto Idolatrie, or superstition. 2. In the first instance ther is onelyonly many noted, from whence cannot be concluded, in a kinde of generalitie, the Fathers and Churches opinion. 3. Easter was by them that kept it, not held as a meer human invention, but as Apostolical tradition, as all knowe. 4. Easter was not invented by men, but onelyonly by men superstitiously continued. 5. The second Argument stifles it self. For if they so carefully avoyded Pagan Fasts, and Feasts, though they might have pleased many professed Christians, and drawn on other by retayning of them, it seemeth, they held them unlawfull, because of the Idolatrie wherwith they had been defiled. 6. We p. 502absolutely denie, with all Divines, that Circumcision, after the Date of it, was fully expired, which was in the Apostles time, was ever lawfully used as a religious Ceremonie. 7. Concerning Ceremonious habits, the Defender bringeth no proof at all. The Rejoynder 1. allegeth Tertullian, de Corona mil. as allowing the use of a white linnen garment, he meaneth for a Ceremonie: wheras Tertullian onelyonly sheweth, that our Saviour did lawfully use a linnen towell, in washing his Disciples feet, Ioh. 13. notwithstanding linnen garments had been abused to Idolatrie.

In the 2. place, he referreth us to B. Iewel his Defence, for our belly-full of instances. And it is true, that godly learned man (par. 3. cap. 5. div. 1.) allegeth divers instances, and Authorities: neyther would he have omitted that of Tertullian, if he had esteemed it. But (because it is necessarie) I will set downe the examination of them, which I finde in certayn papers of M^r. Brightman (one Author of the Abrigement) neyther ungodly, nor unlearned; wherby it shall appear, that they doe not so fill our Bellies, but that we can well digest them.

The learning of it, will answer for the length, to every studious Reader.

p. 503M. BRIGHTMANS ANSWER TO B. IEWELS ALLEGATIONS, FOR THE ANTIQVITIE OF DIstinct Ceremonious apparel used by Ministers in their Ministration.

IVSTINE MARTYR preached the word of God in a Philosophers habit, which was his ordinary garment, such as our students at Vniversitie and Innes of Court weare, no Surplice nor any such ministringe attire. But concerning the Bishops brouch, which M. Iewel saith Iohn the Euangelist did weare, as if he had bene a Bishop of the Iewes, I take it, it was no material brouch, but a figurative speech onelyonly. For Polycrates describinge Iohn first by the singular love our Lord bore him, in whose bosome he leaned at his last supper, then of the great holines wherein this noble disciple excelled, he contented not himselfe to declare the same properlye, but allegorically said of him, foreign [which was the Pr…ist that carried the brouch,] not that he ever used any such thinge, but that he expressed by his holy conversation the force of that [Sanctitas Iehovae] written in that golden plate, which the high Preist carried in his bonnet. For shall wee thinke Iohn was a Preist, neyther of Aarons family, nor of the tribe of Levi? or were the holy p. 504thinges of the Temple not so much as to be seene by the people of the Iewes at Ierusalem, nowe exposed to the veiwe of the Gentiles at Ephesus? Would the Iewes have borne this prophaninge of theire holiest mysterie, by a man of another tribe, amonge the heathen, and by a Christian? Besides, the Apostles by common consent had decreed the legal cerem. should not be used by the Christians. Act. 15. And Paul taught Circumcising to be fallinge from the grace of Christ. Gal. 5.2, Would Iohn then bringe a Ceremonie of the Levitical Preisthoode into the Church? D. Fulke was not of that judgement that the wordes in Eusebius are to be taken literaly, but by that figurative allusion allreadie remembred; Rhem. test. Apoc. 1. sect. 7. This figurative speach therefore should not have bene turned into a material brouch, much lesse into a longe Preists garment, as the Rhemists doe, who have battered out this foreign, and shaped it into foreign. Apoc. 1.13. These wordes then make nothing for any garment at all.

Augustines indifferencie what apparell be worne, is onelyonly of that in common life, not in Ecclesiastical and administringe function.Nihil sanò pertinet ad istam Civitatem quo habitu v…l more vivendi, (si non est contra divi…ia praecepta, istam sidera qua pervenitur ad Deum) quisque sectetur. Vnde ipsos quoque Philosophe…s quando Christiani fiunt, non habitum vel consuetudinem vi…tus, quae nihil impedit Religionem, sed falsa dogmat… mutare compellit. Truly it nothing perteines to that citie, what habit or fashion any one followeth, so it be not against the word, and that faith whereby we come to God. Whence it never Compelled the very Philosophers when they became Christians to change their garments or manner of diet, but onelyonly to lay aside their false opinions. De civit. lib. 19. c. 19. As for proper administring apparell he speaketh not one word of it, neither doe I finde there was any in his tyme.

I had not Hilary to consider his wordes, but the spoiles of p. 505the Gentiles in persons, places, learning and such other things, may be many wayes divided to the ornament of the Church, without borrowing any Ceremony from them, to be used in the service of God. For this is not to spoyle them as the Israelites did the Aegyptians, who had the word of God for their warrant, but as Achan did Iericho, fu…l dearely to his cost, and of the whole hoste of Israel. Iosh. 7.

Hierom hath the words you cite, lib. 1. adv. Pelag. pag. 416. much urged by Bellarmine and the Papists for their apparrell, and no lesse vehemently pr…ssed by our men, for ours, but duely considered, without ca…se. The Candida vestis Hierome speakes of, was no peculiar garment of the Ministers, but the ordinary cl…thing of the common people,Eumque cum esset reus, noque barbor… desi …sse radi, noque non candida vesto uti, neque fuisse solito cultu reorum. primò in vesto candida visi sunt,] [vesta sordida sumpea, principum domos circum ire, &c.] Liv. decad 5. lib. 5. pag. 254. [candidati, coronatique] Sueton. Aug. c. 99. [visa quondam pro conci… pullatorum turba.] [N… quis pullatorum media cavea sedaret.] Sueton. Aug. c. 40.44. in former time generally used by all, and daily, but afterwardes onelyonly by those of the better sort, and upon Festivall dayes. So Aulius Gellius writeth of Africanus: That when he was guilty, neither was his beard shaven, nor his white garment off, nor was he of the common attire of the guilty. The Ambassadors of Rhodes comming to Rome, were first seene in white, but finding things contrary to their expectation, they were forced presently with a viler garment to compasse the houses of Princes. Liv. decad. …. lib. 5. pag. 254. Yea, the very mariners and passengers in a ship of Egypt, seeing Augustus to passe by, shewed themselves in white, and crowned. The same Augustus was angry when he saw a company in mourning, and thereupon made a law, That none should sit among the mourners. From thence grew a difference among the Citizens, not heard of in former ages, whereby some were called Candidate, some Pullati: Candidati, not such as sued for offices, as in times past, but the Citizers of better p. 506ranke: Pullati, the lowest of the people, and the vulgar multitude:Si famulum tuum libertate mutavetii, & vestis albae nitore, & aurei annuli honore, & Patroni nomine, ac tribu mensaque honoratur. de resut. carnis. Aderant quidem impij candidis & magnificu vestibus celebrantes festum sui intoritus, solus autem Indes atris indutus vestibus. Vnde adjungis gloriam vestium & ornamentorum Deo esse contrariam. Quae sunt rogo inimicitiae contra Deum, si tunicam habuero mundiorem? Cavete Clerici cavete Monechi, Viduae, & Virgines: periclitamini nisi surdidas vos atque pannosas vu…gus aspexerit. Tac…o de hom…nibus saculi, quibus aperte bellum indicitur, & inimicitiae contra Deum, si prec…o… atque nitentibus utantur ex…ijs. both, from the colour of their garments which they used. Tertullian sayth of the manumitted servants (who upon their first infranchising appeared in their gownes, that is, the common vesture of the Citizens) If thy servant be free and honoured with the brightnes of the white garment, & the grace of the gold ring, and the name of a Patron, & with the tribe and table. Yea the Papists themselves (as Baronius) allege to this purpose [Simeon Metaphrastes] in the acts of [Indes and Domna,] where it is said of the multitude, Some wicked ones were present in white and magnificent garments, celebrating the feast of their owne ruine, but Indes onelyonly was in blacke. And of Honofrius [qui alba induit vestimenta] least he should be discovered to be a Christian put on white. For the devoater Christians began to take themselves to darker colours, as more modest and decent, especially after the Monkes once began to growe in credit. 2. It is plaine out of Hierome himselfe, that [Candida vestis] was no garment belonging to the Minister a…one in divine service, but an honest, decent▪ and cleanly vesture, opposed to a foule, sluttish, and ragged habit. For the Pelagians condemned glorious garments, as he there saith, Whence you adde, the shew of garments, and ornaments is contrary to God. In confutation whereof he demandeth, But wherein is that against God, if I have a cleaner garment? And then presently after the words you cite▪ Looke to it O Clarks, take heede O Monkes, Widowes, and Virgines: you are in danger, unlesse the people see you in foule apparrell. I say nothing of Secular, against whom warre is proclaimed, and enmity against God, if they use fine p. 507apparrell. By which it is evident, he defended comely, honest a…tire, such as was common to Monkes, Widowes, Virgins, [& homines saeculi] not proper to any office of the Minister. So in Eccl. 9.8. expounding what [Candida vestimenta] be, he saith,Cave ne quando pollutu vestibus induatis, populus quippe peccator in vestibus suscis luxisse describitur, Tu autem induere lucem, & non maledictionem, &c. Beware thou put not on at any time polluted garments, because sinners have mourned in obscure garments, but put thou on the light, and not cursing. If [Candida vestimenta] should be onelyonly Ministers apparrell, then Solomons exhortation is onelyonly to Ministers, and they are the men he willeth to be merry, and alwayes to have on their Surplices, not onelyonly in their Ministereall duty. In his precepts to Nepotian he adviseth,Vestes pullat aque devita ut candidas: Ornatus, ut sordes pari modo fugiendae sunt: quia alterum delicias, alterum gloriam redolet. Avoid sad garments as well as white, Ornaments, as well as Spots, one savoureth of delights, the other of too much glory. Would he have willed him to avoid white garments in common life, (for make it a Ministeriall garment, and then you have Hieroms counsell against it) had they not beene usuall? In divine service therefore, the Ministers used the white garment of the people, but in ordinary life, Hierome thought a meaner clothing fitting, and so some devoter, as Nepotian, and such like practised, though others differed nothing in their attire from the Laity. 3. There was no set Ministring garment in Hieromes time, and therefore [Candida vestis] was no such. For Coelestinus, who was not Bishop till after Hieroms death, writeth thus to the French Bishops concerning apparrell in divine service, among whom this superstition began to spring,Discernendi … plebe vel cateris sumus doctrina, non veste, conversatione, non habitu, mentis puritate non cultu. Nam si studere incipi amus novitati, traditum nobis à Patribus ordinem calcabimus, ut lo…um supervacuis superstitionibus faciamus. Ru…es ergo Fidelium mentes ad talia non debemus inducere Decendi enim potius sunt quam illudendi. N…c imponandum est corum oculu, s…d mentibus insundendo praecepta sunt. Wee are to be distinguished from the common sort by doctrine and not by garment, by conversation, and not habit; by the purity of minde, not by apparrell. For if we study innovation, we tread p. 508that which our Fathers delivered us under foote, to make way for idle …uperstitions. Wherefore, the weake mindes of the Faithfull must not be led to such things, they mst rather be instructed then played withall. We must not blinde their eyes, but helpe their mindes with wholesome precepts.

I know Marianus Victorius, in that Nepotian when he died, be queathed his garment to Hierome, which he had used in the ministery of Christ, Hierom, ad Heliod. de morte Nepotian. As also out of that forementioned place against the Pelagians, thinkes he hath found their Albe, Pl…net, Camissa, Casula, and I know not what. But N…potians garment was no other then what …ath beene shewed, onelyonly as he was a man hum…le▪ and of modest, and meanest attire in ordinary life, so in matters of his Ministery, he was fine, neate, and magn…ficent; [Solicitus si niteret Altare, si parietes absque inligine, si pavimenta tersa, &c.] and t…erefore no doubt in that action arraying himselfe without any note of p…ide after the best mann…r of the people, he might well b…queathe that garment to Hierome, who had i… beene never so meane would have esteemed it for the donours sak…. But observe, Nepotians ministring garment was non… of the Churche goods, but provided at his owne cost. It is objected also that Stephanus …ishop of Rome in Cyprians time, ordained peculiar ministring garments, as it is recorded by Polyd. de Invent. lib. 6. c. 12. and by Issidor. writing de Stephano. VntoUnto which you may adde Gratian if you will, de consecrat. dist. 1. Vestimenta Ecclesiae. p. 509But though Stephanus flourished before Antichrist was hatched, yet he is too yonge to be a lawfull Authour of any such garments.

Besides who seeth not, by that alleged out of Caelestine 160. yeares at least after Stephen, that decree of Stephen to be a meere forgerie? was it a Novel…ie to bringe in any such apparel in Caelestínes time, and yet had prescription of such antiquitie? But the [Century writers] have discovered the forgerie by many arguments, that I mervaile any man of learninge should seeke any strength from such a rotten foundation.

Hierome is also alledged in Ezech. 44. Per qua discinius, non quotidianu & quibustibet, & usu v…ta communis, poliutu vestibus nos ingredi debere insancta sanctorum, sed nounda consciē tia & mundis vestibus tener… Domini Sacram…nta.By which we learne to enter the holy of holyes, not with commune and defiled garments, but to hold the Sacraments in a cleane Conscience and garments unpolluted.

Where first he interpreteth the garments to be a cleane conscience. And secondly that he requireth for the outward garments, is onelyonly they be cleane without any note of differe…ce betweene the Ministers garment and the peoples.

So a litle after, Divine Religion hath one habit in the Ministerie, and another for ordinarie use.Religio divine…, alterum habitum habet in Ministorio terum in usu veràque communs.

To admitt these wordes spoken not of the Preists in the Temple, but of Christian Ministers, this [alter habitus] was a better garment for the time of publike duetie, as Nepotian had, not any d…fferinge attire from that of the assembly. Thus much for Hi…rome.Hac est dignitas vo…tra, ha… stabilitas, hac corona non quia tunicam indut… candidissim…m per Ecclesiam ambulasis.

Chrysostome when he saith, [This is your dignity, stability▪ crowne, not that you walk through the Church in a white coate. Hom. 83. in Mat. necessarily requireth the same interpretation. For this most white coate was no p. 510other then the better sort of people did usually weare, as wel in other Countries, as at Rome, as hath bene shewed by the Embassadours of Rhodes, and the shipmen of Aegypt. OnelyOnly the Bishops in humili…ie thought it too sumptuous for daily use, and reserved it for the tyme of their publike function.

And therefore Sisninius a Novatian Bishop; livinge in Constantinople at the same tyme with Chrysostome, and clothinge himselfe not onelyonly in his Ministery, but for his ordinarie rayment, in white, was demaunded by one, foreign &c. where it is to be observed,Socrat. lib. 6.23. It was an unwonted garment in ordinary use for a Bishop, no… for other men: and unwonted in ordinarie use, not in divine use, in which the Bishop was allowed without any grudge, such dignitie of apparall as was then received by men of best place.

That of Chrysostome hom. 6. ad popul. Antioch. is [palea.] I have troubled you with many wordes, but the truth is so overswayed with prejudice, that to my poore power I would disburden it a litle if I can.