Whole Works, Tracts 1 · Tract 4 · Part 1 · Section 23
¶ How ceremonies ſprang among vsus.
VNderſtād alſo (to ſee how we came into like blindneſſe) that before the commyng of Chriſt in the fleſh, the Iſraelites & Iewes were ſcattered thoroughout all the world, for their Image ſeruice, both Eaſt, Weſt, South, and North, as ye read in the Chronicles how England was once full: ſo that there was no Prouince or great Citie in the world where no Iewes were: God ſo prouidyng for the ſpedy preachyng of the Goſpell among the heathen throughout the world. Now Chriſt, as he was promiſed, ſo was he ſent, vntounto the Iewes or Iſraelites. And what by Chriſtes preaching & the Apoſtles after his reſurrection, there were innumerable Iewes conuerted haply an hundred thouſand or mo in Ieruſalem and Iewry and in the countreys about, and abode ſtill in the lād. Then Paul roſe vp and perſecuted thē Pa…e a truell perſecutor.in Ieruſalē and throughout all Iewry and Damaſco, ſlaying all that he could catch or making them for …weare Chriſt. For feare of which perſecution they fled into all coſtes & preached vntounto the Iewes that were ſcattered, prouing that Ieſus was Chriſt the Sauiour of the world, both by the ſcripture & alſo by miracles: ſo that a great part of the Iewes came to the fayth eueryevery Many Iewes were conuerted to ye …aith of Chriſt.where, and we heathen came in ſhortly after, and part abode ſtill in vnbelefe as vntounto this day.
Now the Iewes beyng borne and bred vp, rooted and noſeld in ceremonyes as I hauehave ſhewed and as ye may better ſee in the. v. bookes of Moſes, if ye would read them, could but wyth great difficultie, depart from them as it is to ſee in all the Epiſtles of Paule, how he fought agaynſt them, and in proceſſe gat the vpper hand. And therto the firſt that were chriſtened, and all the officers and Byſhops of y• church, euen ſo much as ye great God of Rome were Iewes for the moſt part a great ſeaſon.
And moreouer, as Paule ſayth. Ro. All that came of Iſraell are not …ſraelites.ix. not all that came of Iſrael are right Iſraelites, neither are all they Abrahams ſonnes that are Abrahās ſeede, why ſo? becauſe they followed not the ſteps of y• faith of their graundfathers. Euen ſo, not all they that were called and alſo came vntounto the mariage which God the father made betwene Chriſt Math. 22.his ſonne & all ſinners, brought theyr mariage garment with them, that is to were, true fayth wherwith we be maried vntounto Chriſt, and made his fleſh & his bloud and one ſpirit with hym, his brethren and heyres with him, and the ſonnes of God alſo. But many of thē (to fulfill the ſaying of Chriſt, that the kyngdome of heauē, which is the goſpell, is like a net that ketcheth good & bad) were driuen into the net and cō pelled to cōfeſſe that Ieſus was Chriſt and that ſeede that was promiſed Abrahā and Meſſias that ſhould come: not of any inward felyng that the ſpirite The Iewes cam… … to vn… of Chriſt of louelove, bu… … inforced the… unto by the ſcriptures.of God gaue them, neyther of any louely conſent that they had vntounto the law of God that it was good, mourning, both becauſe they had broken it, and becauſe alſo they had no power to fulfill it, and therfore to obtayne mercy and power came to Chriſt and vntounto the father thorow him, with the hart of naturall children which receaue all thyng freely of their fathers bounteous liberalitie, and of louelove become ſeruauntes vntounto their brethren for their fathers ſake: But were compelled onelyonly with violence of the ſcripture which eueryevery where bare witneſſe vntounto Chriſt, and agreed vntounto all that he did, and ouercome alſo with the power of myracles that confirmed the ſame. That is to ſay, they came wyth a ſtory faith, a popiſh fayth, a faithleſſe faith, and a fayned faith of their owne making, and not as God in the ſcripture deſcribeth the fayth, ſo beleuing in Chriſt, that they would be iuſtified by their owne deedes, which is the denying of Chriſt. As our Papiſtes beleue, which more mad thē thoſe Iewes, beleue nothing by the reaſon of the ſcripture, but onelyonly that ſuch a multitude conſent thereto, compelled wyth violence of ſworde, with falſifiyng of the ſcripture and fayned lyes. Which multitude yet is not the fift part ſo many The Turk… are a …re greater number then the Papiſtes.as they that conſent vntounto the lawe of Mahomet. And therfore by their own argumentes, the fayth of the Turkes is better then theirs. And their fayth thereto may ſtand by their owne confeſſion, with all miſchiefe (as it well appeareth by them) and with yeldyng themſelues to worke all wickedneſſe with full delectation, after the enſample of the faith of their father the deuil, and without repenraunce and conſent vntounto the lawe of God, that it is good. And the popiſh alſo do ſo beleue in Chriſt, and ſo will be his ſeruauntes, that they will be bound vntounto dumme ceremonies and dead workes putting their truſt and confidence in them, and hoping to be ſaued by them, and aſcribing vntounto them the thanke of their ſaluation and righteouſnes.
And therfore becauſe, as I ſayd, the Iewes ye and the Heathen to, were ſo accuſtomed vntounto ceremonies, and becauſe ſuch a multitude came wyth a faithles fayth, they went cleane cōtrary Ceremonies ſet vp in the newe teſtament.vntounto the mynde of Paul, and ſet vp ceremonies in the new teſtamēt, partly borowing them of Moſes and partly imagening like, as ye now ſee, and called them ſacraments, that is to ſay, ſignes (as it is plaine in the ſtories) the ſacrament of holy water, of holy fire, holy bread, holy ſalt and ſo forth. And they gaue thē ſignifications. As holy water ſignified the ſprincling of What holy water ſignifieth.Chriſtes bloud for our redemption, which ſacrament or ſigne) though it ſeeme ſuperſtuous, in as much as the ſacrament of Chriſtes body and bloud ſignifieth ye ſame dayly) yet as lōg as ye ſignification bode, it hurted not. And the kiſſing of the Pax was ſet vp to ſignifie, The Pax.that the peace of Chriſt ſhoulde be euer among vsus, one to louelove an other after his enſample, as the word it ſelf well declareth. For pax is as much to ſay as peace.
And as for confirmation, it is no doubt but that it came this wiſe vp, & Confirmation.that this was the vſe, which the word it ſelfe well declareth. We read in the ſtories, that they which were conuerted vntounto the fayth of the age of diſcretion, Cōfirmation how it came firſt vntounto the church.were full taught in the law of God (as right is) and in the fayth of our ſauiour Ieſus, yer they were baptiſed, & vppon the profeſſion or promiſing to to keepe that law and faith, were baptiſed. And then for the ſ…ccour & helpe of young children, baptiſed before the age of diſcretion, to know the lawe of God and fayth of Chriſt was confirmation inſtituted, that they ſhould not be alway ignoraunt and faythleſſe, but be taught the profeſſion of their Baptim. And this no doubt was the maner, as we may well gather by probable coniectures and euident tokens, when the children were of ſixe or ſeuen yeares olde, their elders brought them vntounto the prieſt or Deacon in eueryevery pariſh, which officer taught the children what their baptim ment, & what they had profeſſed therein: that is to wete: the law of God and their dutie vntounto al degrees, and the faith of our ſauiour. And then becauſe it ſhould not be neglect or left vndone, an higher officer, as the Archdeacon (for it hath not bene as I ſuppoſe in the Byſhops handes alway as now, neither were it meete) came about from pariſh to pariſhe, at The maner of confirming of children.tymes conuenient. And the Prieſtes brought the children vntounto hym at xj. or xii. yeare olde, before they were admitted to receaue the ſacramēt of Chriſtes body haply. And he appoſed them of the lawe of God and fayth of Chriſt, & aſked them, whether they thought that lawe good, and whether their hartes were to follow it. And they aunſwered yea.
And he appoſed them in the articles of our fayth, and aſked them, whether they put their hop and truſt in Chriſt, to be ſaued thorow his death and merites. And they anſwered ye. Thē cō firmed This is a right confirmation.he their baptim ſaying: I confirme you, that is, I denounce and declare, by the authoritie of Gods worde and doctrine of Chriſt, that ye be truely baptiſed within in your hartes, and in your ſpirites, thorow proſeſſing the lawe of God and the faith of our ſauiour Ieſu, which your outwarde baptim doth ſignifie, and therupon I put this croſſe in your foreheades, that ye goe and fight agaynſt the deuill, the world and the fleſh, vnderunder the ſtandard of our Sauiour, in the name of the father, the ſonne, & the holy ghoſt. Amē. Which maner I would to God for his tender mercy were in vſe this day.
But after that the deuil was broken lowſe and the Byſhops began to purchaſe, and the Dea…s to ſcratch all to them, and the ſpiritualtie to clime an hygh: then becauſe the labour ſe… to tedious and paynfull, to appoſe the children one by one, they aſked the Prieſts that preſented thē onelyonly, whether The abuſe of confirmation.the children were taught the profeſſiō of their Baptiſme. And they aunſwered y…. And ſo vponupon their wordes they confirmed thē without appoſing. So whē they no lenger appoſed them, the Prieſts no lenger taught them, but committed the charge to their Godfather and Godmothers, and they to the father and mother, diſchargyng them ſelues by their owne authoritie within halfe an houre.
And the father & mother taught thē The fruts of ignoraunce.a monſtrous Latin Pater noſter and an Aue and a Crede. Which gibbreſh eueryevery Pop…iaye ſpeaketh with a ſundry pronunciation and faſhion, ſo that one Pater noſter ſemeth as many languages almoſt as there be tounges that ſpeake it. Howbeit, it is all one, as lōg as they vnderſtand it not. And in proceſſe as the ignoraunce grew, they brought them to confirmation ſtraight from Baptiſme: ſo that now oftymes they be volowed and biſhoped both in one day, that is, we be confirmed in Confirmatiō is made now a confirmyng in all ſuperſtition, ignoraunce and popery.blindneſſe to be kept from knowledge for euer. And thus are we come into this damnable ignoraunce and fierce wrath of God through our owne deſeruyng, becauſe when the truth was told vsus we had no louelove therto. And to declare the full and ſet wrath of God vponupon vsus, our Prelates whom we hauehave exalted ouer vsus to whom we hauehave geuen almoſt all we had, hauehave perſuaded the wordly Princes (to whō we hauehave ſubmitted our ſelues and geuē vp our power) to deuour vsus vp body & ſoule, and to kepe vsus, downe in darkeneſſe, with violence of ſword, and with all falſehead and guile. In ſo much that if any do but lift vp his noſe to ſmell after The Papiſticall tyranny.the truth, they ſwap him in the face with a fire brande to ſeng hys ſmellyng, or if he open one of his eyes once to looke toward y• light of gods word, they bleare & daze his ſight with their falſe iugglyng: ſo that if it were poſſible, though he were Gods elect, he could not but be kept down and periſh for lacke of knowledge of the truth.
And in like maner, becauſe Chriſt How the ceremonies about the miniſtration of the Lordes Supper came firſt into the Church. …mice.had inſtitute the Sacrament of his body and bloud, to kepe vsus in remembraūce of his body breaking & blud ſheding for our ſinnes, therfore went they and ſet vp this faſhiō of the Maſſe and ordeined Sacramentes in the ornamentes thereof to ſignifie and expreſſe all the reſt of his paſſiō. The amice on the head is the kercheue that Chriſt was blynd folded with, when the ſouldiours buffeted him and mocked hym ſaying: prophecie vntounto vsus who ſmote thee? But now it may wel ſignifie that he that putteth it on, is blynd and hath profeſſed to leade vsus after him in darkeneſſe, according vntounto the beginnyng of his play. And the flappe theron is the crowne of thorne. And the albe is the The flappe on the amice.white garment that Herode put on him, ſaying he was a foole becauſe he held his peace and would not aūſwere The albe.him. And the ij. flappes on the ſleues and the other ij. on the albe beneath ouer The flappes on the albe.agaynſt his fete behind and before, are the. iiij. nayles. And the fanon on his hand, the cord that his hādes were The fanonbound with: And the ſtole the rope The ſtole.wherwith he was bound vntounto the piller, when he was ſcorged: And the corporiſcloth, The corp… reſcloth. The altar.the ſindon wherin he was buried: and the altare is the croſſe or haply the graue and ſo forth. And the caſting abroad of his hands, the ſplaying of Chriſt vponupon the croſſe. And the light and ſticking vp of candles & bearyng of candles or tapers in proceſſion happly ſignified this text. Math. v. ye Candels.be the light of the world, and let your Math. 5.light ſo ſhyne before mē, that they may ſee your good workes & glorifie your father which is in heauen. And the ſalt ſignifieth the wiſedome of Chriſtes doctrine, Salt.and that we ſhould therewith ſalt our dedes and do nothing without the authoritie of Gods word. So that in one thing or other, what in the garmētes and what in the geſtures all his ☜playde, in ſo much that before he will go to Maſſe, he wilbe ſure to ſell hym, leſt Iudaſes part ſhould be left out.
And ſo throughout all the Sacramēts, ceremonies or ſignes (iij. words All ceremonyes at the begynnyng had ſignifications.of one ſignification) there were ſignifications vntounto them at the beginning. And ſo long as it was vnderſtād what was ment by them and they dyd but ſerue the people and preach one thyng or an other vntounto them, they hurted not greatly, though that the free ſeruaunt of Chriſt ought not to be brought violently into captiuitie vnderunder the bōdage of traditions of men. As S. Auguſtine complayneth in his dayes, how that Auſtine.the condition and ſtate of the Iewes was more eaſy then the Chriſtiās vnderunder The ſtate of ye Iewes more eaſie then the Chriſtians vnderunder traditions.traditions: ſo ſore had the tyranny of the ſhepheardes inuaded the flocke all ready in thoſe dayes. And thē what iuſt cauſe hauehave we to cōplaine our captiuitie now, vntounto whoſe yocke from that tyme hetherto, enen. xij. hundred yeares long, hath euer ſomwhat more waight bene added to, for to keepe vsus bowne and to confirme vsus in blyndneſſe? howbeit, as long as the ſignificatiōs bode, they hurted not the ſoule, though they were paynefull vntounto the body. Neuertheleſſe I impute this our Out of the ceremontes ſprang the ignoraunce o… the ſcripture.greuous fal into ſo extreme and horrible blyndneſſe (wherin we are ſo deepe and ſo deadly brought a ſlepe) vntounto no thyng ſo much as vntounto the multitude of ceremonies. For aſſoone as the Prelates had ſet vp ſuch a rable of ceremonies, they thonght it ſuperflnous to preach the playne text any longer and the law of God, faith of Chriſt, louelove toward our neighbour and the order of The multitude of ceremonies put away preachyng.our iuſtifying & ſaluation, for as much as all ſuch thynges were played before the peoples faces dayly in the ceremonies & eueryevery child wiſt the meanyng: but got them vntounto allegories, faynyng them eueryevery mā after his owne brayne, without rule, all moſt on eueryevery ſilable, and from thence vntounto diſputyng and waſtyng their braynes about wordes, not attending the ſignifications vntill Ceremonies are the chirt cauſe of ignoraunce.at the laſt the laye people had loſt the meanyng of the ceremonies & the Prelates the vnderſtandyng of the playne text, and of the Greke Latin and ſpecially of the Hebrue whiche is moſt of nede to be knowen, and of all phraſes, the proper maner of ſpeakynges and borowed ſpeach of the Hebrues.
Remember ye not how within this The doctrine of Dunce aduaunced.xxx. yeares and farre leſſe, and yet dureth vntounto this day, the old barkyng curres Dunces diſciples &. lyke draffe called Scotiſtes, the children of darkeneſſe, raged in eueryevery pulpit agaynſt Greke Latin and Hebrue, and what The blynd Papiſtes are enemies to all good learnyng and knowledgeſorrow the Scholemaſters that taught the true Latin toung had with them, ſome beatyng the pulpit with theyr fiſtes for madneſſe & roaryng out with open and ſomyng mouth, that if there were but one Tirence or Ʋirgil in the world and that ſame in their fleues & a fire before them, they would burne them therein, though it ſhould coſt thē their liues, affirming that all good learnyng decayed & was vtterly loſt ſence men gaue them vntounto the Latin toūg? yea & I day ſay, that there be. xx. thouſand Prieſts Curates this day in England Igaoraunt Prieſtes.and not ſo few, that cā not geue you the right Engliſh vntounto this text in the Pater noſter, fiat voluntas tua ſicut in coelo & in terra & aunſwere therto.
And aſſoone as the ſignification of the ceremonies was loſt, and the prieſtes preached Chriſt no longer then the common people began to wax mad & out of their mindes vponupon the ceremonies. And that truſt and confidence which the ceremonies preached, to be ☜geuen vntounto Gods worde and Chriſtes bloud, that ſame they turned vntounto the Ignoraūce made vsus ſeruauntes to ceremonies.ceremonie it ſelfe, as though a man were ſo mad to forget that the buſhe at the tauerne dore did ſigniſſe wine to be ſolde within, but would beleue that y• buſhe it ſelfe would quench his thirſte. And ſo they became ſeruauntes vntounto y• ceremonies, aſcribing their iuſtifying and ſaluation vntounto them, ſuppoſyng that it was nothing elſe to be a chriſtē man, then to ſerue ceremonies, & him moſt chriſten that moſt ſerued them, & contrary wiſe him that was not Popiſhe and ceremoniall, no chriſtē man at all. For I pray you, for what cauſe worſhip we our ſpiritualtie ſo highly, or wherefore thinke we their prayers better then the poore laye mens, then for their diſguiſings and ceremonies? yea and what other vertue ſee we in y• holieſt of them, then to waite vppon dumme ſuperſtitious ceremonies?
Yea and how cōmeth it that a poore laye man hauing wife and xx. children, and not able to finde them, though all The ſole Papiſtes are preſerred by ceremonies.his neighbours know his neceſſitie, ſhal not get with begging for Chriſtes ſake in a long ſommers day inough to fynde them two dayes honeſtly, when if a diſguiſed monſter come, he ſhall wyth an houres lying in the pulpit, get inough to finde thirty or forty ſturdy lubbers a monethmonth long, of which y• weakeſt ſhall be as ſtrong in the belly when he commeth vntounto the manger, as the might…eſt porter in y• weyhouſe, or beſt courſer that is in y• kynges ſtable? Is there any other cauſe then diſguiſing and ceremonies. For ye deedes of the ceremonies we count better thē the deedes which God cōmaundeth to be done to our neighbour at hys nede, who thinketh it as good a deede to feede the poore, as to ſticke vp a candle before a poſt, or as to ſprinckle himſelf with holy water? Neither is it poſſible to be otherwiſe, as long as the ſignification is loſt. For what other thyng Is long as we had the ſignificatiō of the ceremonies, ſo long they were ſufferable, but y• …can… tion beyng gone, the ceremony is mere ſuperſtuiō.can the people thinke, then that ſuch deedes be ordeyned of God, and becauſe as it is euident, they ſerue not our neighbours neede, to be referred vntounto ye perſon of God, and he though he be aſpirite, yet ſerued therewyth? And then he can not but forth on diſpute in his blynde reaſon, that as god is greater then man, ſo is that deede that is appointed to ſerue God greater then that which ſerueth man. And then when it is not poſſible to thinke them ordeyned for nought, what can I other wiſe thinke then that they were ordeyned to iuſtitie, and that I ſhould be holy therby, according to the popes doctrine, as though God were better pleaſed when I ſprinkle my ſelfe with water or ſet vp a candle before a block, then if I fed, or clothed, or holpe at his neede him whom he ſo tenderly loueth that he gaue his owne ſonne vntounto the death for hym, and commaunded me to louelove him as my ſelfe?
And when the people beganne to When the people by ignoraunce waxed ſuperſtitious then y• clergie holpe them forward with falſifiyng the ſcripture.run that way, the prelaces were glad, and holpe to heue after with ſubtill allegories and falſifying the ſcripture, & went and halowed the ceremonies, to make them more worſhipfull, that the laye people ſhould hauehave them in greater eſtimation & honour, and to be afrayde to touch them for reuerence vntounto the holy charme that was ſayd ouer them, and affirmed alſo that Chriſtes death had purchaſed ſuch grace vntounto y• ceremonies to forgeue ſinne and to iuſtifie. O monſter, Chriſtes death purchaſed grace for mans ſoule, to repent Chriſtes death purchaſed grace for mās ſoule.of euill, and to beleue in Chriſt for remiſſion of ſinne, and to louelove the lawe of God, & his neighbour as himſelfe, which is the true worſhipping of god in the ſpirite, and he dyed not to purchaſe ſuch honour vntounto vnſēſible thinges, that mā to his diſhonour, ſhould do them honourable ſeruice & receaue his ſaluation of them.
This I hauehave declared vntounto you, yt ye might ſee and feele eueryevery thing ſenſibly. For I entend not to leade you in darckneſſe. Neyther though twiſe ij. Cranes make not iiij. wilde Gees, woulde I therefore that he ſhoulde beleue that twiſe two made not foure. Neither entend I to proue vntounto you that Paules ſteple is the cauſe why Temmes is broke in about Erith, or y• Teinterden ſteple is the cauſe of the Teinterden ſteple.decay of Sandwich hauen as M. More ieſteth. Neuertheleſſe, this I woulde were perſwaded vntounto you (as it is true) that the building of thē and ſuch like, thorow y• falſe fayth that we hauehave in them, is the decay of all the hauens in England, & of al the cities, townes, hye wayes, and ſhortly of the whole common wealth. For ſince theſe falſe monſters crope vp into our conſciences, and robbed vsus of the knowledge of our ſauiour Chriſt, makyng vsus beleue in ſuch popeholy workes, and to thinke that there was none other way vntounto heauen, we hauehave not ceaſſed to build thē abbeyes, cloyſters, coledges, The building of … beies, clopſters & religious houſes hauehave bene … great decay to the good ſtate of this realingChauntries, and cathedrall churches with hye ſteples, ſtriuing and enuying one an other, who ſhoulde do moſt. And as for the deedes that pertayne vntounto our neighbours, and vntounto the common wealth, we hauehave not regarded at all, as thynges which ſeemed no holy workes, or ſuch as God woulde not once looke vppon. And therfore we left them vnſene to, vntill they were paſt remedy, or paſt our power to remedy thē, in as much as our ſlowbellies with their falſe bleſſinges had iugled away from vsus, that wherwith they might hauehave bene holpen in due ſeaſon. So that y• ſilly poore man though he had haply no wiſdome to expreſſe hys mynde, or yt he durſt not, or y• M. More faſhioneth his tale as he doth other mens to leſt out the truth, ſawe that neither Goodwinſandes nor any other cauſe alleaged was the decay of Sandwich hauen, ſo much as that the people had no luſt to mainteyne the common wealth, for blynde deuotion which they hauehave to popeholy workes.