The Account Audited and Discounted, Exercitation 1 · Section 34 – Section 35-36
Section 34. The placing of more vertue in ſome things, then either naturally, or by the Rule of the word, or in the eſtimation of purer ages of the Church, may be thought, &c.
UPon this principle of the Doctor, I made an Aſſumption, not onelyonly of Romiſh Ceremonies, unfit, &c. but of all ſuperadded parts of Worſhip, what ever, p. 87. n. 11.[They do place more vertue in them, then either naturally belongs to them, or by the Rule of the word;] ergo, they are ſuperſtious. This argument, the Doctor thinks beſt to wave; leſt his Ceremonies, he pleads for, ſhould be ſuſpected, or concluded ſuperſtitious: becauſe he places that vertue in them, which neither naturally, nor by the Rule of the word belongs to them, as hath been ſhewed. All that he pleaſes to take notice of, is, to anſwer my queſtion; [What he meant to adde to his disjunction, or in the eſtimation of the purer ages of the Church;] thereupon I asked, [Whether the Church after the Apostles, had power to put vertue into things, which they had not, either naturally, or by the Rule of Gods word.] He anſwers, [I never thought any ſuch thing.] Truly he that reads the words, where theſe three are put together, and knowes the Doctors Good-will to the power of the Church, would eaſily take the meaning to be, as I have expreſt it: [That the Church hath power to put ſome vertue into things, which neither nature, nor God hath put into them.] For he makes the Inſtitutions of the Church, to be almoſt, if not altogether, Divine; her Authority, equal and the ſame with that of the Apoſtles, (confeſt to be Divine;) and ſeemes to joyn with, and approve of the phraſes of Romanists; ſpeaking of the power of the Church: I ſhall inſtance in ſome particulars: In this Section, where now we are, n. 4. he alledges a Teſtimony of Pope Leo; p. 83. n. 4.Divinarum reverentia Sanctionum, &c. and renders it thus, [The reverence of Divine, i.e. Eccleſiaſtical Sanctions, hath always this priviledge, &c.] We plain ſimple Proteſtants, would have thought, by Divine Sanctions, he had meant, the Inſtitutions of Chriſt and his Apoſtles, which are truly Divine; but the Doctor underſtood the language of the Beaſt better than we do. [The Divine, that is, the Eccleſiaſtical Sanctions.] Again, when Aquinas was cited, as ſaying, [Worſhip is vitiated by Superfluity, Ad p. 50. n. 5.6.when ought is aſſumed, which neither by Divine nor Eccleſiaſtical appointment belongs to the glory of God, &c.] He ſtops my mouth, with this; [That the Superfluity of it conſiſts, not in being ſupperadded to Gods commands onelyonly, but to the Churches appointment alſo, &c.] Where he ſeems to me, to cloſe with Aquinas, that the Churches appointments of Worſhip, are equal with Gods. And once more, (to take it in here, in this ſo fit a place, and paſs it lightly hereafter) citing a teſtimony from Salmeron the Jeſuite; Omnis ritus colendi Deum, &c. Infra ad p. 147. n. 24.[Every Rite of worſhipping God, that is not delivered from God, nor from the Holy Ghoſt, by the Church, but is invented by the will of man, is ſuperſtitions.] Leave but out thoſe words (by the Church) and Salmeron ſpeaks as full for us, as we could deſire. But does the Doctor boggle at thoſe words? not at all, but thus beſets me, [where it ſeemes, that which is delivered by the Church being by him ſuppoſed to be from the holy Ghost, doth in no degree fall under this cenſure, and then the Diatribiſt is free to make his beſt advantage of this citation.] What advantage I ſhall make of this, he ſhall hear anon; I make this onelyonly at preſent, that the Doctor will eaſily favour a Romiſh Gloſs againſt the truth, and could finde in his heart to believe with them, that the power of the Church is Divine. Some other ſuch paſſages, we may meet again hereafter.
Sect. 35.36. The Nimiety must be, an exceſs of fear, or being afraid of God, when we need not, &c.
TO theſe 2. Sections, the Doctor ſayes not one word, (but leaps to Sect. 37.) Where ſome things were needful to have been conſidered by him; I ſhall briefly remind him of them: Firſt, p. 87. n[An exceſs of fear, or being afraid of God when we need not, is granted a Nimiety, a culpable exceſs; this might be called Superſtition under this notion of Nimiety.] They are his words, in his 46. and 47. Sections of Superſtition. Now hence how juſtly have I inferred; 1. That Superſtition is an exceſs. 2. That this is not the Worſhipping of Daemons; then Superſtition is larger, then he is willing to make it. 3. That a needleſs (which I call ſlaviſh) fear of God, is an exceſs, and Superſtition, againſt the firſt Commandment. All which the Doctor hath laboured to deny; and is now confuted by his own pen. Another thing deſerv'd his notice; That I ſay, Sect. 35. [In matter of Worſhip, it is a Nimiety and exceſs, to do what God hath not commanded:] To which he ſayes juſt nothing. And then again, when he ſaid; [That this way of dogmatizing, &c. is the ſpeciall, and onelyonly kinde of Superstition, which he believes any Proteſtants to be guilty of.] I ſaid, this was a great miſtake; for himſelf hath granted many more kindes of Superſtition; as thoſe newly named, placing vertue, in things, &c. An exceſs of fear, &c. and I may adde, all men-deviſed Worſhip, new kindes and ſorts of Worſhip appointed by men, &c. Happy were it for many Proteſtants, and for the Doctor himſelf, if either there were no Superſtition, but worſhipping of Daemons, amongſt Chriſtians, or none but Dogmatizing among Proteſtants: for then his Ceremonies and Feſtivals, might very well hope to eſcape. But beſides all thoſe named, there is yet another, and that is, in the next conſidered.