Works of Joseph Hall, Section 48 – Section 49
SECTION XLVIII.
ANd touching Ceremonies; you refuſed them formerly, but not long:Eſtimation of Ceremonies, and ſubiection to the Prelates. and when you did refuſe them, you knew not wherefore; for immediately before your ſuſpenſion, you acknowledged them to be things indifferent, and for matter of ſcandall by them, you had not informed your ſelfe (by your owne confeſſion) of a whole quarter of a yeere after: Why refuſed you then, but as the Poet made his playes, to pleaſe the people, or as Simon Magus was baptized, for company? But refuſing them, you ſubmitted to the Prelates ſpirituall Iuriſdiction: there was your crime; this was your Camell, the other your Gnats: Did euer any Prelate challenge ſpirituall rule ouer your conſcience?
This they all appropriate to the great Biſhop of our ſoules: and if other; grant them as your malice faineth: what ſinne is it to be the ſubiect of a Tyrant? now vponupon more grace, refuſing the Prelacy, you hauehave branded the Ceremonies: So you did before your ſeparation; Tell vsus, how long was it after your ſuſpenſion, and before your departure, that you could hauehave beene content (vponupon condition) to hauehave worne this linnen badge of your Man of ſinne? Was not this your reſolution, when you went from Norwich to Lincolneſhire, after your ſuſpenſion? Deny it not; my witneſſes are too ſtrong. But let vsus take you as you are: theſe Ceremonies, though too vile for you, yet are good enough for our Miniſters of England: As if you ſaid, Lord, I thanke thee, I am not as this Publican: Why for our Miniſters? Becauſe, thoſe are the Liueries, and theſe the ſworne ſeruants of the Antichriſtian Biſhops:1 Cor. 4.1. Ier. in Pſal. 44. Heming. Claſſ. 3. Poteſt. Eccl. c. 10. Vt cui que ſuus clirus & ſua plebs in bis quae Domini ſunt, pie obſequerentur. We hauehave indeed ſworne obedience to our Ordinary, in honeſt and lawfull Commandements, but ſeruice to Chriſt: But doth all obedience imply ſeruitude? This obedience is, as to ſpirituall Fathers, not to Maſters: yet ſo are we the ſeruants of Chriſt, that we are ready to giuegive our ſeruice to the leaſt of his Saints: Thus vile will we be for God: How much more to thoſe whom God hath made (as Hierome ſayes) Principes Eccleſiae: whiles they command for God: What doe we herein, but that which Epiphanius vrged of old againſt Aërius; What but the ſame which Ignatius (that holy and old Martyr) requires (not once) of all Presbyters, and offers the ingagement of his owne ſoule for vsus in this act?Ignat. Epiſt. ad Tarſenſ.
As for our Ceremonies, aggrauate them how you can for your aduantage, they are but Ceremonies to vsus: and ſuch, as wherein we put no holineſſe, but order, decencie, conuenience: but they are preferred (you ſay) in our Church, before the preaching of the Goſpell: a moſt wrongfull vntruth; We hold preaching an eſſentiall part of Gods ſeruice, Ceremonies none at all: the Goſpell preached we hold the life and ſoule of the Church; Ceremonies either the garment, or the lace of the garment: The Goſpel preached we hold the Foundation and Wals; Ceremonies hardly ſo much as Reed, or Tile: But how then (ſay you) hauehave they ouerturned our beſt builders? This is a word of rare fauour: I had thought you had held vsus all ruiners, not builders: Or if builders; of Babel, not of Ieruſalem: in which worke the beſt builders are the worſt. Thoſe whoſe hand hath been in this act, would tell you, that not ſo much the Ceremonies are ſtood vponupon, as obedience: If God pleaſe to try Adam but with an Apple, it is enough: What doe we quarrell at the value of the fruit, when we hauehave a prohibition? Shimei is ſlaine: what meerely for going out of the City? the act was little, the bond was great: what is commanded, matters not ſo much, as by whom; inſult not, wee may thanke your outrage for this loſſe.
For your retortion of my Zoar and Sodom: I can giuegive you leaue to be witty, you vſe it ſo ſeldome: but when you hauehave plaied with the alluſion what you liſt, I muſt tell you that he which will needs vrge a compariſon to goe on foure feet, is not worthy to goe vponupon two: Zoar was neere to Sodom, not part of it: Zoar was reſerued when Sodome was deſtroyed:Fidem Domino habere debuerat qui ſe eam ſeruaturum propter eum dixerat. Mercer. in. Gen. Zoars neereneſſe to the place where Sodome ſtood, needed not hauehave giuen Lot cauſe of remoueall. Zoar might ſafely hauehave beene the harbour of Lot: his feare was, for want of faith: God promiſed him, and the place ſecurity: the far-fetcht application therefore of the wickedneſſe of Zoar, to our Ceremonies, might well hauehave beene forborne, and kept to your ſelfe: much leſſe needed you (like ſome Anti-Lot) to call for fire and brimſtone from heauen vponupon your Zoar.
SEP.
How we would hauehave behaued our ſelues in the Temple, where the Money-changers were, and they that ſold Doues, we ſhall anſwere you, when you proue your Church to be the Temple of God, compiled and built of ſpiritually-hewne and liuely ſtones, 1 King. 5.17, 18. and 6, 7. 1 Pet. 2.5. and of the Cedars, Firres, and Thyne trees of Lebanon, 2 Chron. 2.8. framed and ſet together in that comely order, which a greater than Salomon hath preſcribed: vntounto which God hath promiſed his preſence. But whileſt we take it to bee (as it is) a confuſed heaped of dead and defiled and polluted ſtones, and of all rubbiſh, of briers and brambles of the wilderneſſe, for the moſt part, fitter for burning than building; we take our ſelues rather bound to ſhew our obedience in departing from it, than our valour in purging it, and to follow the Prophets counſell in flying out of Babylon, as the Hee goates before the flocke, Ier. 50.8.
SECTION XLIX.
HOw you would hauehave behaued your ſelfe in the Temple to the Money-changers, you will anſwer when wee proue our Church to be Gods Temple,The ſtate of the Temple, and of our Church in reſemblance. built of that matter, and in that forme which God hath preſcribed: & here you ſend vsus to 1 King. 5.17. and 2 Chron. 2.8. Ignorantly; as if Salomons Temple had ſtood till Chriſts time: when neither the firſt, nor ſecond (though called Beth Gu…am) outlaſted more than foure hundred yeeres: Or as if the Market had beene vnderunder the very roofe of that Temple. Whether Herods were built of the ſame matter with Salomons, and in full correſpondence to it, I diſpute not: it was certainely dedicated to Gods ſeruice, and that (which you would hardly diſgeſt) in a ſolemne anniuerſary Holy day; though not erected vponupon the word of any Prophet. But to let paſſe Allegories: we muſt proue our ſelues the true Church of God: Thus we doe it: We are true Chriſtians, for we were baptized into the Name of Chriſt; we truly profeſſe our continuance in the ſame faith▪ into which we were baptized: we ioyne together in the publike Seruices of God: wee maintaine eueryevery point of the moſt ancient Creeds: we ouerthrow not the foundation by any conſequence. Therefore what euer is wanting to vsus, whateuer is ſuperfluous, in ſpight of all the gates of Hell, we are the true Church of God. Let me aske you: Were not the people of the Iewes in the Prophets, & in Chriſts time, a confuſed heape of dead and defiled, and (for I will vſe your Tautologies) polluted ſtones, and of all rubbiſh, of beyers and brambles of the Wilderneſſe, for the moſt part fitter for burning than building? Can we be worſe than they? If wickedneſſe can defile a Church, they ſhall iuſtifie vsus: did either thoſe Prophets, or our Sauiour, rather ſhew their obedience to God in departing from it, than their valour in purging it? you hauehave well imitated theſe heauenly patternes. But what; Can your charity finde nothing but rubbiſh? Not one ſquare ſtone, not one liuing? You will be iudging till God iudge you: if you take not heed of theſe courſes, you will ſo runne with the He-goats, that you will ſtand with the Goats on the left hand. That God, whoſe place you hauehave vſurped, giuegive you more wiſdome and louelove.
SEP.
And what (I pray you) is the valour which the beſt hearted, and moſt Zealous Reformers amongst you hauehave manifeſted, in driuing out the money-changers? doth it not appeare in this, that they ſuffer themſelues to be driuen out with the two ſtringed whip of Ceremonies and ſubſcription, by the money-changers, the Chancellors and Officials, which ſell ſinnes like Doues and by the chiefe Prieſts, the Biſhops which ſet them on worke? ſo farre are the moſt Zealous amongst you from driuing out the money-changers, as they themſelues are driuen out by them, becauſe they will not change with them to the vtmoſt farthing.