Five Disputations of Church Government, Section 6 – Chapter 1
THE summ is this; 1. We have already a stinted Liturgy. 1. A form of Doctrine in Scripture,The summ. 2. Real forms in Sacraments 3. A verbal form in Baptizing, 4. A form in delivering the Lords Supper. 5. A Creed (used at Baptism) as a form of confession. 6. We Read the Psalms as Liturgical forms of praise and prayer.Besides s…ms of Catechisms. 7. We have forms of singing Psalms. 8. We have a form of blessing the people in the End. 9. And of Excommunication (see the Government of the Church, &c.) 10. And of Absolution. 11. And of Marriage. 12. And Ministers preparation makes much of their Sermons a form. 13. And they are at liberty to pray in a form if they Please.
2. No more is necessary (of it self) unless (accidentally) Authority or Peace, &c. require it.
3. If Peace, &c. require a form, let it be one, by common Agreement as neer as may be taken out of Scripture, even in words, and as much of the old as is consistent with this Rule retained.
4. Let it not contain any doubtfull or unnecessary things, but be as much certain and necessary for the matter as may be.
5. Let none be forced to use it, but such as by Ordainers or Approvers, are judged insufficient to worship God without it, and yet are allowed or Tolerated in the Ministry.
6. Let no Tolerated Ministers be Absolutely forbidden to use it.
7. Let none be suffered to lay the Vnity and Peace of the Church on it, and suspend, excommunicate or reproach all that dissent from them in using or not using it.
8. In times of Liberty, let none use it constantly (but the unable before excepted.) But let the weaker use it of…er, and the abler seldomer, yet sometimes (voluntarily, and caeteris paribus, still looking to the state of their flocks, and fitting all to their Edification.)
9. When Magistrates command it, or the Agreement of Pastors and Peace of the Churches (though accidentally by mens infirmity) require it, let none refuse the frequent use of lawfull forms.
10. But let none desire or endeavour the introducing of any such Necessity of this or any indifferent thing, that is not first Necessary by some considerable antecedent occasion to the Edification of the Church.
This much will please the moderate, but not the self conceited.
FINIS.
The Fifth DISPUTATION: Of Humane CEREMONIES: Whether they are necessary, or profitable to the Church, and how far they may be imposed or observed? By Richard Baxter.
LONDON, Printed by Robert White, for Nevil Simmons, Bookseller in Kederminster, Anno Dom. 1658.
Qu. Whether Humane Ceremonies be Necessary or Profitable to the Church?
CHAP. I. Distinctions and Propositions in order to the Decision.
§. 1. THE discussion of the Controversie about the Etymologie of the word [Ceremony] is unnecessary to our ends, and would be more troublesome then usefull. Whether it be derived ab oppido Caere, or à carendo, or à Caritate, or à Cerere, as several mens conjectures run, or rather as Scaliger and Martinius think, from Cerus, which in veteri lingua erat sanctus; it sufficeth us that it signifieth a sacred rite. Servius saith that all sacred things among the Greeks were called foreign, and among the Latines Ceremoniae: But by Ceremonies we mean only external Rites or Orders in or about the worship of God. And by Humane, we mean such as are devised and appointed to be used, by men, without any special Revelation from God, or any extraordinary inspiration of his Spirit, by which the institution might have been justly ascribed to God as the certain principal cause.
§. 2. There is so much ambiguity partly in the terms, and partly in the supposed or implyed passages that will rise before us in the dispute, that I judge it necessary to make the way to the true decision of the controversie, and your right understanding of it by these distinctions following, and then to lay down the truth in certain Propositions.
§. 3. Dist. 1. We must distinguish between such Ceremonies as God hath left to humane determination in his worship, and such as he hath not so left; but hath either 1. Expresly forbidden them in particular. 2. Or in a General prohibition forbidden them, or 3. Hath given no man authority to institute them. So great difference is there between things that commonly go under the name of Ceremonies, that they are not in this Controversie to be confounded, if we would not lose the truth.
§. 4. Dist. 2. We must distinguish between Ceremonies commanded by man as in Gods name, and by pretence of a Commission from him; and such as are only commanded in mens own names, or at least on pretence of nothing but a General Power.
§. 5. Dist. 3. We must distinguish between Ceremonies commanded by men as necessary duties or means of worship, and such as are only commanded as indifferent things.
§. 6. Dist. 4. We must distinguish between Ceremonies imposed by a Lawfull Magistrate, or Church-Governours, and such as are imposed by usurpers, or men without authority.
§. 7. Dist. 5. We must distinguish between Ceremonies imposed as Vniversally to be practised by all ages, or all people, in the Church at least, and such as are imposed only on some one Congregation or Nation by their proper Governours, and that as things mutable, that upon special occasion were taken up, and may so be laid aside again.
§. 8. Dist. 6. We must distinguish between Ceremonies commanded as things necessary to the being of the Church or Worship, or only necessary to the Order and convenient administration, and better being of them (in the judgement of the imposers.)
§. 9. Dist. 7. We must distinguish between the absolute command of Governors imposing such ceremonies, upon grievous penalties, or without tolerations; and the simple recommending them, or requiring them to be used with (expressed or implyed) exceptions.
§. 10. Dist. 8. We must very much difference the several Countreys where such things are imposed, and the several sorts of People on whom, and the several seasons in which they are imposed, and thence foresee the effects or consequents that are like to follow.
§. 11. Dist. 9. We must distinguish between the Commanding of such Ceremonies, and the Obeying of such Commands. Its one thing to ask whether it be necessary, profitable, or lawfull to Impose them? and another whether it be necessary or lawfull to use them when commanded?
§. 12. Dist. 10. We must distinguish between that which is Necessary or Profitable to the order or Peace of one Church or Nation: and that which is necessary or profitable to the order, peace or unity of many Churches or Nations, among themselves: or supposed to be so.
§. 13. These Distinctions premised to remove ambiguity; I lay down that which I conceive to be the truth in these Propositions following; which having mentioned, I shall re-assume and confirm such of them as seem of neerest concernment to the Question.
§. 14. Prop. 1. Such Ceremonies as God hath wholly exempted from humane power to determine of, or institute, or hath given man no power to institute, are not necessary, or profitable to the Church, nor may they lawfully be instituted by man.
§. 15. Prop. 2. In such unlawfull Impositions, it is a great aggravation of the sin, if men pretend that they are the Institutions of God, or that they have a Commission from God to institute or impose them, when it is no such matter; and so pretend them to be Divine.
§. 16. Prop. 3. If things unlawfull (either forbidden, or that want authority) are commanded as indifferent, it is a sinfull command, but if commanded as parts of Gods Worship or necessary to the Being or well being of the Church, it is an aggravation of the sin.
§. 17. Prop. 4. Things indifferent, lawfull and convenient, are sinfully Commanded when they are pretended to be more necessary then they are, and as such imposed.
§. 18. Prop. 5. A thing convenient and profitable, is sinfully commanded▪ when it is commanded on a greater penalty, then the nature and use of it doth require, and the common good will bear.
§. 19. Prop. 6. It is not lawfull to make any thing the subjects Duty by a command, that is meerly Indifferent, antecedently both in it self, and as cloathed with all accidents.
§. 20. Prop. 7. Some things may be lawfully and profitably commanded at one time and place, and to one sort of People, that may not be lawfully commanded at another time, or to another people: no nor obeyed, if so commanded.
§. 21. Prop. 8. Those Orders may be Profitable for the Peace of the Churches in one Nation, or under the Government of one Prince, that are not necessary or profitable in order to the unity or Peace of the Churches under divers Princes.
§. 22. Prop. 9. There is no meer humane Vniversal Soveraign Civil, or Ecclesiastical over the Catholick Church, and therefore there is no power given to any from God, to make Laws that shall universally bind the Catholick Church.
§. 23. Prop. 10. If it be not our own Lawfull Governors Civil or Ecclesiastical, but Vsurpers that command us, we are not therefore b…und to obey them, though the things be lawfull.
§. 24. Prop. 11. The Commands of lawfull Governors about lawfull Ceremonies are ordinarily to be understood with exceptions, though there be none exprest, as that in certain cases it is not their will that such commands should bind us.
§. 25. Prop. 12. It may be very sinful to command some Ceremonies, which may lawfully, yea must in duty be used by the subject when they are commanded.
§. 26. Prop. 13. Though they are not Commanded, nor called Necessary, but professed to be indifferent, yet constantly to use Indifferent things, doth breed that custome which maketh them to be taken as necessary by the people, and usually doth very much hurt.
§. 27. Prop. 14. Yet certain things that are commonly called Ceremonies may lawfully be used in the Church upon humane imposition, and when it is not against the Law of God, no person should disobey the commands of their lawfull Governors, in such things.
§. 28. Having laid together these Propositions, I shall review them, in a very short explication and confirmation, and insist more largely on those of chief concernment.