Commissioners Petitioning for Review of Book of Common Prayer, Commentary 2 · Preface · Section 10
Sect. 10.
[The Command for decent Ceremonies,Ans. 3. Ans. may still continue in the Church, notwithstanding the 12. of Deut. and so it may too, for all the exceptions taken against them, by sundry Learned, Pious, and Orthodox persons, who have judged them they say unwarrantable; and if Laws may be abrogated as soon as those that list not to obey, will except against them, the world must needs run into confusion; but those that except are weak Brethren, whom by Christs Precept and Example we must not offend. If by weak we understand ignorant, they would take it ill to be so accounted, and it is their own fault if they be, there having been so very much written, as may satisfie any that have a mind to be satisfied. And as King James of blessed memory, said at Hampton Court (if after so many years Preaching the Gospel, there be any yet unsatisfied, I doubt it proceeds rather out of stubborness of opinion, than out of tenderness of Conscience; if by tenderness of Conscience, they mean a fearfulness to sin, this would make them most easie to be satisfied, because most fearful to disobey Superiours.) But suppose there be any so scrupulous, as not satisfied with what hath been written, the Church may still without sin, urge her Command for these decent Ceremonies, and not be guilty of offending her weak Brother; for since the scandal is taken by him, not given by her, it is he that by vain scrupulosity offends himself, and layes the stumbling-block in his own way.]
Repl. Rep.But the Command for mans Institution of a new Worship of God, or Rites Sacramental, are so like to Sacraments as the Cross is; or for the unnecessary imposition of unnecessary things, which should be left to every prudent Ministers discretion, and this upon pain of being cast out of the Church or Ministry; and the Law for subscribing that all these are lawful, and for swearing obedience to the Bishops; all these Laws are not to be found in Scripture. If you should but command your Servant, to do what you bid him, decently and orderly, you would think he mistook you, if upon that pretence he would do any other work, which he could but say tended to the decency of yours. And we would gladly hear, what you can think your selves, is forbidden in Deut. 12. 32. if not such humane Ordinances? And why you forbear giving the truer sense of the Text? It is a sad Case with the poor Church, when Gods Wisdom that made a few and necessary things, the matter of his Churches Concord, is no more valued, but we will be wiser; and when the experience of the Church, that hath been torn into pieces 1400. years, by mens inventions, and needless usages and impositions, is yet of no more force with us that come after them; but whatever can be said, or done, or seen, we will still make Laws, that all men shall be tantum non, unchristned, and damned (that is, cast out of the Ministry or Church-Communion) that will not wear this or that, or bow thus or thus, or look this way or that way, or say this word or that word; and when we have laid such a needless snare, we will uncharitably cry out [that the world will be brought into Confusion, because men that list not to obey, would have the Laws abrogated] where hath Christ set you to make such Laws? Is it not work enough for us and you, to obey the Laws that he hath made? why made he none for Postures, and Vestures, and Words, and Teaching Signs of this nature, if he would have had them? If he had not told us, that there is one Law-giver, one Lord; and that his Word is able to make us wise unto Salvation; and that he would lay no greater burden on us, than necessary things, and would not have us despise or judge each other on such occasions: If he had but told us, that he left any Officers after his inspired Apostles, for the making of Ceremonies, or new Laws of Worship, or Teaching engaging Signs for the Church, we would as gladly understand and obey his Will in these things, as you. What hurt is it to us, to use a Cross or other Ceremony, if it were not for fear of disobeying God? Enforce Gods Law upon us, as zealously as you will, and see if we will disobey it: But that the world shall run into confusion, rather than we shall leave to serve God, as Peter and Paul did, without Crossing, Surplices, and kneeling at the Sacrament, and then that we shall be reproached as the Cause of all, by our disobedience: God hath told the world by his Word, and will tell them by his Judgements, that this is not his way to Unity and Peace. As to your Argument, from your Brethrens weakness, we say, 1. It is not your strength to slight it, or them; nor is it their weakness, that they are willing to be esteemed weak. The Apostle called those weak, that placed a necessity in indifferent things, Rom. 14. and not those that understood their indifferency. But the truth is, the nature of things indifferent, is not well unstood by all on either side; some may think evil of some things that deserve it not, and in this they are weak, though in other matters they may be strong. And for the rest, we speak according to the worst, that you your selves can charitably suppose: you can say no more of them, but that they are weaker, that is, in this know less then you: though perhaps we may take them to be stronger, that is to be more in the right; yet are we not so confident, as to censure you or others; but speak of things difficult, and doubtful, as they are. But how prove you that we would take it ill, to be our selves, or have those we speak of accounted ignorant in such things as these? use us no worse then the ignorant should be used. And till you would turn a man out of the Ministry, or Church, for being ignorant of the nature of a Ceremony (which never was in his Creed, the Decalogue or Scripture) deal not so by us, that would be wiser if we knew how; That all our ignorance is our own fault we deny not; But it is an excesse of confidence, and uncharitableness, to tell us that there is so very much written as may satisfie any man [that hath a mind to be satisfied] when we professe in his sight that knoweth the hearts, that we have a mind to be satisfied, and would know the truth, at what rate soever if we knew how: what would you have us to do that we do not, to be satisfied? Do we not read as much for Ceremonies, as the dissenters use to do against them? many Books against them are yet uuanswered: as we never shuned any Publick or private conference with any of you, and such reasonings are not like to convince us. If you will be the Judges of your Brethrens hearts, and say it is not tenderness of Conscience, but stubbornness, we shall refer that to the day, when your hearts, and ours shall all be opened. Must none be tender Conscienced, that dare not venture to obey you in such things? when you may with undoubted safety forbear the imposing of your Ceremonies, and so forbear the casting out of your Brethren, if you will not, who shews less tenderness of Conscience? That the scandal is taken, and not given, is still the thing in question, as to many things: And if it were no just occasion of offence, yet you ought not to lay that which others weakness will turn into a stumbling block, unnecessarily before them. If the Apostles Argument be good, Rom. 14. The Church may not urge unlawful things, nor things meerly lawful, upon such penalties, as will exclude things necessary. If an idle word be to be accounted for, an idle Law is not laudable, much less when all men must be excluded the Ministry o… Communion that scruple it; when yet a man may be a prophane Swearer, for 12. pence an Oath, and may swear an 100. times, before he payes that 12. pence. A Papist shall pay 12. pence for not coming to Church, and a Protestant be thrust out of your Communion, for not kneeling at the Sacrament, and a Minister suspended, imprisoned, undone, for not crossing a Child, or wearing a Surplice. May Magistrates, or the Church rhus urge their commands? can any thing be spoken plainer then the Scripture speaks against this course? And would you make the world believe, that the Brethren that do not all that you bid them, are so unreasonably, and obstinately scrupulous, as to have no matter of offence but what they lay before themselves, when they have the Practise of the Apostles, and the Custom of the Primitive Church, for many hundred years against you, and this called by them an Apostolical Tradition, and decreed by the most venerable Councils that ever were? If you had but one of these, (the decree of a General Council, or Practice of all the purest Church alone) for one of your Ceremonies, you would think him uncharitable, that so reproached you for pretending Conscience.