Mixture of Scholastical Divinity with Practical Part 2, Excerpt and reply 6
Dr. Hammond. sect. 10, 11, 12, 13, 14.
10. Certainly this is so evident in it self, and so undeniably the importance of my words, that there can be no need farther to inlarge on it, much lesse to examine the weight, or meaning of his concession, … it cannot be … but that … doth imply such customes, the omission of which … inferres indecency]
11. This saying of his some Readers may look on with Reverence, as not readily comprehending the importance of it, others may … to … it under the appearance of a tautologie. But upon pondering, it will appear that the Author had a … in it; which be designed should bring in some advantage to his cause, and without which he was not likely to advance far, … succeed in it.
12. Some customes we know there are, which are so highly decent, as that the omission of then necessarily infers indecency: But what are they? why such as the law of (at least …) nature prescribes, covering of nakednesse, and the like; of which 'tis evident among all that have not learnt of Carneades industriously to rase out all naturall measures of honest and dishonest, that the omission of them … indecency, yea and necessarily infers it, this sort of decency being naturall to all men that ever were, or shall be in the world, born and educated in what uation, or inured to what custome seever, and this the very first hour after our first Parents fall, before any custome had been contracted which might recommend it to them.
13 And as of these his rule is true, that the omission of these necessarily inferrs undecency, so it is in a manner proper to these, and belongs not to any other sort of things, whose decencie flowes but from some positive command though it be of God, or custome, or command of men. To such things whose decency flowes from any … either of God or man, this rule cannot be fully applyed; for that command might have been not given, or there might be a space before it was given, or a people to whom it was not given, and then in any of those cases the omission would not be indecent, to whom the law was not given; and so it doth not necessarily and absolutely, but onelyonly dependently on the …, and …, … …; so in like manner the … holds not in those things, whose … is introduced onelyonly by custome, for that Mr. …. … saith, … … frequency of actions, it must againe bee granted, … there was a time when that which now is …, was new, and so not custome; and againe, there are, or may bee Nations, with whom that custome (whatsoever can be instanced in) hath not …, which prejudges still the … spoken of, that such omission should inferre indecencie.
And so we see the summe of Mr. J. his liberal concession, viz. that decency … naturall decency, or such customes, which are naturally decent, and so the omission of them naturally indecent; and if the Doctor or his party do not prove, or make …, that the administration of Baptism without the Crosse is against the law of nature, that the Preaching without the Surplice beares … to the … of nakednesse, he is utterly refuted by Mr. J. in his interpretation of foreign, or notion of decency.
Jeanes.
1. That I had no design in putting in the word necessarily, is evident by my leaving it out in the next words; but that the omission of such ceremonies as ours doth inserre …, the Doctor and all his party can never make good. You shall have my good leave instead of necessarily to place truly, or convincingly. Voeiferations I have heard many against the undecency of Gods worship and service amongst …, and when I have called for proof, … have been told, amongst other things, that they Baptised without the …, that they put up prayers unto God … a …; but that … is undecently …, where such toyes as these are omitted, you may stoutly affirme, but can never prove, by so much as one convictive …: the word necessarily may … very well be inserted, in opposition to the … … of the ignorant, and prooflesse dictates of some learned men. Ignorant men may …, and learned men may …, that the omission of our ceremonies … infer indecency, but this surmise and dictate can never be made good by argument.
2. In Logick, a necessary inference is opposed unto that … is follacious, as also that which is but probable and contingent; and therefore I wonder why you should quarrell at the word necessarily? for doe you think in earnest, that decency implyes such customes, the omission of which doth sophistically, or at the best, onelyonly probably inserre undecency, you cannot, I know, harbour so … and irrational a thought, and therefore you must say as I doe, that decency here implyeth onelyonly such customes, the omission of which, necessarily inferre undecency.
3. When you say that my rule is in a manner proper to those customs, which the Law, of at least, laps'd Nature prescribes, that limitation in a manner is a backdoor, out of which how farre you may run, I know not, and therefore untill you somewhere make a stand, I shall not run after you.
4. Whereas you fasten upon me this assertion, that decency here implyeth onelyonly such customes which are naturally decent, viz. prescribed immediately by the Law of Nature, and so … omission of them naturally indecent, you have for this no colour, but that which you take from the word necessarily, and how weak a ground this is for such an imputation, you must needs …, when you remember what I now told you, that accessarily here is opposed unto fall: ciously and probably. Dr. … himself in the dispute about humane ceremonies, pag. 58. confesseth, that comelinesse, in the very place of the Apostle, containeth all naturall and civill handsomness; and in his Reply to Mortons general Defence, &c. cap. 3. sect. 28. he acknowledgeth the womens vailes, 1 Cor. 11. to be an instance of this decency; for by the example of it, he concludes that other Churches may be directed so farre, just as the Apostles rule stretcheth, 1 Cor 14. 40. Let all things be done …: when Bishop Morton desired to know whether this matter were not a thing indifferent? his answer is, it is indifferent in the general nature of it; yet at that time, and in that place, they sinned that did otherwise, … before Paul, or any of their overseers gave them charge about it. By this his answer it is apparent, that he did not think it dictated by Nature unto the Corinthians, before any custome had recommended it unto them. As for my own part you shall have here my frank concession, that decency here implyeth even that decency which is introduced by civill custome, provided,
1. That it be, consuetudo rationabilis; for no other custome can have the force and … of a law, and if you, or any other can bringSuarez … legib. any arguments, that it was consuetudo rationabilis which introduced our ceremonies, they shall have, God willing, an answer.
2. That the omission of it renders Gods worship undecent: the equity of this limitation appeareth from this reason, because the Apostles command of decency is not violated but by undecency: This is at large set down in Ames his dispute about humane ceremonies, pag. 77, 78.
Lastly, your, and my learned friend Mr Barlow, resolveth and proveth, Exercit. Metaph. p. 29. every morall evill, every evill of sin, to be against the law of Nature, if not proximè and immediatè, yet mediatè ex interventu legis positivae, now the undecency here prohibited by the Apostle is a morall evill, a sin, malum culpae, therefore 'tis at least mediately against the Law of Nature. Your great and learned …, pag. 95. of his Ecclesiastical Politie saith, that this rule of the … is an edict of Nature, a Canon of that Law which is written in all mens hearts; the Church had for ever, no lesse then now, stood bound … observe it, whether the Apostle had mentioned it or no. And hereupon I shall infer, that if you or your party doe not prove or make good, that the administration of Baptisme without the Crosse, that Preaching, Praying, without the Surplice, is against the Law of nature, in some sense at least, mediately, he is utterly … by Mr. Hooker his interpretation of 'foreign, or notion of decency; and I doe not desire to live so long, as to see such a proof as this made.