Mixture of Scholastical Divinity with Practical Part 2, Excerpt and reply 2 – Excerpt and reply 4
Dr. Hammond. sect. 6.
To make short, and prevent all … of his, or any mans farther mistaking my words, I shall … to tell him the full of my meaning in that …, that (foreign decently) implies (according to custome) viz. that in such things as these, of which then I spake, gestures, habits, and the like circumstances of Gods … service, wherein the … prescribes care of decency, 'tis necessary to observe the custom, of the place wherein we live.
Jeanes.
1. The customes of some places in gestures, habits, and the like circumstances of Gods worship are very undecent, and it is not necessary to observe such customes: But you will perhaps … that you except undecent customs, and then you are to be understood onelyonly of decent customes; for every custome is decent or undecent: because decency and undecency are privatively opposed, and inter … opposita non datur … in subjecto …, between privative opposites there is no middle either of … or participation … a capable subject: The … and upshot then of your meaning is, that, decently implyes, according unto decent customes; and then
1. The full of your meaning is but a … speech, that proves nothing in the Controversie, unlesse you also prove the Ceremonies controverted, to … so decent, as that the … of them will be undecent in the service of God.
2. I would … know, how you will suit unto it the proof of it: Custome is the onelyonly rule of decency, for there too, by custome you understand that which is decent, so that your argument runs thus: decent custome is the onelyonly rule of decency; therefore foreign decently, implyeth decent customs. And this argument most of your learned Readers will (to borrow your words concerning a saying of mine) despise under the appearance of a ….
2. If the full of your meaning in that passage, that foreign decently, implyes according to custome, be, that in such things as these, of which then you spake, gestures, habits and the … circumstances of Gods publique service, &c. it is necessary to observe the customes of the place wherein wee live, why then I must be bold to tel you, that the full of your: meaning is very short of the meaning of the Apostle; for these words of the Apostle, let all things be done decently foreign, &c. foreign, prohibits all undecency not only that undecency against the custom of the place wherin we live, but also that undecency which is against the dictates of the Law of Nature. By this the Reader may see, how defective your exposition is: the Apostle saith, let all things be done decently, and your glosse is, let some things in Gods worship be done according unto some customes, to …, such as are decent.
3. I suppose that by gestures, habits, and the like circumstances in the service of God, you mean such of them as are Symbolical ceremonies; for otherwise your full meaning is nothing unto the purpose, because it will be no ground for that uniformity you plead for. Now that the Apostles words, let all things be done decently implyeth, that in humane Symbolical ceremonies it is necessary that we observe the customes of the place wherein we live, is a thing which I utterly deny, and shall be constant in such denyal, untill you drive me from it by some convincing argument; and that I do not do this out of stomack, will appear by the reason that I shall alledge: The words of the Apostle, let all things be done decently, … not disobeyed, unlesse there be some undecency committed in the worship and service of God; for decency and undecency are privatively opposite, and therefore there is decency in those actions where there is no undecency; but now by the omission of Symbolical ceremonies of humane institution, such as the Crosse in Baptism, Surplice in Prayer and Preaching, which can plead custome of the present place we live in, there is committed no undecency in the worship and service of God, viz. in Baptism, in Preaching and Praying, as will be apparent unto any man that will attempt to prove syllogistically the contrary; therefore the Apostles precept is not disobeyed by the omission of such Symbolical ceremonies, and consequently the Apostles precept doth not in any way imply such Ceremonies.
Dr. Hammond. sect. 6.
This I then thought sufficiently explicated by exemplifying in mens wearing long hair, which the Apostle proved indecent by its being against …, i. e. saith …, foreign, a custome of some continuance in that place (which yet in women there, and men in other places, where that custome prevailed not, had nothing indecent in it.)
Jeanes.
1. This conceit that you have out of …, … de … disputes against; but his argument satisfyeth me not, and therefore I shall wave all that he saies, and confine my self unto the very words of the Apostle for disproof of your sense of them, and my reason is taken from the joyning of foreign with foreign; for suppose that foreign, Nature, may sometimes signifie custome, yet that' foreign, nature it self should signifie custome, is very improper.
2. Womens wearing of long hair is no religious … ceremony, but used out of Gods worship and service, as well as in, and therefore a most impertinent exemplification of that which you plead for, … in religious mystical Ceremonies, that are proper and peculiar unto the special and solemn worship of God.
I readily grant, that in some places, custome hath made the long hair of women one badge of distinction between them and men; but being by custome made such a badge, nature it self dictates the observation of it; and if a man wear such long hair as women, he sins against the law of nature. if not immediately and …, yet mediately ex interventu … ….
As … is your second exemplification, if Chrysostomes and others exposition may have place; for they refer [we have no such custome] unto the words immediately foregoing (and why we should goe … for a coherence, I can see no reason) if any man seem to be contentious: So that the meaning of the Apostle is, we have no custome to be contentious: Now to be contentious, is a sin against the Moral Law, the Law of Nature, and therefore belongs not … to your discourse of Ceremonies.
Dr. Hammond. sect 7.
But this exemplification of my meaning he thought … to conceale from the Reader, and supply that vacuity onelyonly with an &c. yet reciting at length, to a word, what was immediately before, and after it. His design in so doing, I judge not, but shall endeavour to undeceive the Reader for the future, by farther enlarging on it.
Jeanes.
1. Womens wearing of long hair is no Symbolical ceremony, and therefore what you said of it was an …, and no exemplification of your …, and therefore I had no reason to take notice of it.
But 2. suppose it were an exemplification, yet unlesse it were also for … of your …; that … is … onelyonly rule of …, I was no wise obliged to … what you said herein; for I … told the Reader, I would transcribe what was … in your words; now what I … out was not argumentative; … from it, neither you, nor any man else can ever infer your now mentioned conclusion.
Dr. Hammond sect. 8.
All people, I think, in the world, have some outward significations, and expressions of Reverence; but all have not the same, but according to Topical customes, some different, some contrary to others: We of this and all our … nations expresse reverence by uncovering the …, the … … the contrary. Again, among Christians, 'tis customary for men so to expresse their reverence, but for women, saith the Apostle, it is not, but the contrary; and so it is still among us. Nay it was once among some Heathens (that worshipt Mercury) an act of the highest reverence, even of adoration, to throw stones at their God; among others, to cut themselves with Lances, when they were a praying to him. And it can be no news to Mr. …. that these customes were not observed by other Countries; the Jews that … stones at Christ, and the … that cut himself with them, were neither of them … to worship him.
Jeanes.
1, Unlesse you can prove, that there cannot be outward significations and expressions of reverence in Gods service, without humane Symbolical ceremonies, all this your enlargement about the expressions of reverence will be to no purpose. We require reverence in all parts of Gods worship as well as you; but then we hold, that Gods worship may be performed reverently, and in a seemly manner, without mystical ceremonies of humane invention.
2. Kneeling in Prayer is an expression of the highest degree of Reverence, Adoration; and it hath a higher rule than Custome, viz. Scripture and the light of Nature: No Custome can render this Kneeling undecent; unlesse you will say those words of the Psalmist, Psal. 95. 6, doe not oblige Christians: O come, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord our maker.
3. There be some customary expressions of reverence, that are undeniably unjustifiable, and you cannot say that they are implyed in the Apostles foreign. Thus … expression of reverence, 'tis a … with Papists not to touch the bread with their hands, but to have it put into their …; and upon the like pretence of reverence, it is customary amongst them, for Lay men to abstain from the Cup altogether.
Lastly, why you bring in the Heathens throwing of stones at Mercury in a way of worship, I cannot divine; for I cannot imagine, that you … it to be a decent way of worship, and if it be undecent, then … serveth nothing unto the exemplification of your meaning.