The Catholic Hierarchy, Chapter 19
CHAP. XIX. Of Humane Conſtitutions in the Worſhip of God, beſides the Word.
§ 1. THe uſual grand Evaſion of what hath been ſaid, That although the Church cannot make Laws contrary to the Word, yet ſhe may make Laws beſides the Word, i.e. new Laws which Chriſt never made: and if ſhe make ſuch Laws which are not contrary to the Word, (i.e. directly and materially) ſhe is to be obeyed by every conſcientious Chriſtian. For Anſwer, I premiſe theſe things.
1. All Laws for divine Worſhip are enacted by Chriſt, or not: if enacted, we queſtion not the obeying of them; if not, let any one ſhew by virtue of what divine Authority we muſt obey them, for we cannot obey them without.
2. As Chriſt never deputed any humane Legiſlative Authority in his Church, ſo he never allowed any to rectifie and correct his Laws by adding to their penalties, and making them more ſevere, and giving ſuch expreſs and explicite Authority, which he hath left implicite and conſequentially onelyonly; and thoſe things more neceſſary, which he hath left leſs: Chriſt blamed the Phariſees for ſo doing, and not allowed any Churches or Chriſtians ſo to do.
3. It would be groſly impudent if the Church ſhould pretend to a power of making Laws contrary to the Word of God, though they ſhould be ſo; therefore they cannot pretend to this Law-making power in any thing but what ſhe ſaith is in it ſelf indifferent: therefore ſhe can pretend onelyonly to the making a new additional Law for Chriſt, ſuch as he never made, and for and in ſuch things which he thought beſt in his wiſdom to leave indifferent. But the Church finds a miſtake in that firſt Conſtitution, and thinks beſt to make ſuch things neceſſary; thinks that Chriſt left too few ceremonies and ſignificant ſignes: and therefore enacts more Laws beſides the Word, not contrary to what he hath enacted and eſtabliſhed already.
§ 2. But I ſhall now prove that all humane Laws and Conſtitutions in matters of divine Worſhip, beſides the Word, are contrary to the Word.
1. That which is not the revealed Will of God for his Worſhip in his Word, is contrary to the Word of God; but humane Conſtitutions and Laws for divine Worſhip, are not the revealed Will of God in his Word: Ergo. The Major is true, becauſe the Word is the revealed Will of God; and that Rule of Worſhip which is not the revealed Will of God, is contrary to the revealed Will of God for his Worſhip; for Revealed and not Revealed, are contradicentia, as juſtus & non juſtus, honeſtum & non honeſtum; and contradicentia will never be denied (by any good Logicians) to be contraria: therefore the revealed Will of God in his Word, and not the revealed Will of God in his Word, are contraries, or there is no contraries in the world. The Minor carries its evidence from the very terms: for what is beſide the Word, is beſide the Will of God in the Word, and not to be found there; for whatever is found to be the Will of God in the Word, poſitively or conſequentially, ſo obligeth as a Law of God to obedience, according to the true intent and meaning thereof.
2. Whatever be humane Laws for the Worſhip of God beſides the Word, are at the beſt but the Will of man, that thoſe things ſhould be neceſſary in the Worſhip of God, which Chriſt hath willed indifferent, and revealed in his Word ſo to be; but for man to will thoſe things to be neceſſary in the Worſhip of God, which Chriſt hath willed and revealed in his Word to be indifferent, is to will or make a Law contrary to the revealed Will of Chriſt in his Word, i. e. for the matter of the Law; for neceſſary and indifferent are adverſa, and therefore alſo contraria: if the oppoſites be neceſſary and not neceſſary, they are contradicentia, and they are contraria as before.
3. Whatever is not according to the Will of God in the Word, is contrary to the Will of God in his Word; but all ſuch humane Laws beſides the Word, are not according to the Word: Ergo. The Major is true, becauſe all actions are agreeable to the Word by being according to the Word, and diſagreeing by not being according to the Word; and ſo are contrary to the Word, and are really contradicentia: for according to, and not according to, referring to the ſame ſubject, are contradicentia, every action being according or not according, and ſo contrary or not contrary to the Word of God. Minor: I prove ſuch Laws beſides the Word are not according to the Word; the meaning (of beſides the Word) is, that there is no ground for it in the Word, and therefore that cannot be according to the Rule laid down in the Word; for that were to be built upon, and to be juſtified by it: a man cannot ſit upon a ſeat and ſit beſides it at the ſame time; the ſame water poured cannot fall in the Cup and beſides it too: whatever Law cannot claim a Sanction from the Word, is not according to it, therefore beſides it, or againſt it; as Chriſt ſaith, Whoever is not for me, is againſt me. The Word doth either juſtifie or condemn all actions; and thoſe Laws that are not juſtified at leaſt by Chriſt's approbation, are condemned by the Word of God.
§ 3. 4. Whatever is contrary to the Legiſlative Prerogative of Chriſt maintained in his Word, is contrary to the Word; but ſuch humane Laws and Conſtitutions beſides the Word, are contrary to the Legiſlative Prerogative of Chriſt: Ergo. The Major is clear, becauſe every truth maintained and defended by the Word, is the Word; and whatever is contrary to that truth, is contrary to the truth of the Word. And what truth is more clearly atteſted, and firmly ratified, than this Prerogative of Chriſt? The Minor is clear, becauſe nothing can detract more than a Ʋſurpation in this kind: What can detract more from the Legiſlative power of King and Parliament, than for a Corporation or any inferiour combination of men, to aſſume this power to themſelves?
5. To adde any thing to the revealed Will of Chriſt, in matters of ſpiritual concern, is contrary to the Word of the Old and New Teſtaments, Deut. 4.1, 2. Rev. 22.18. but to make ſuch Laws, is to adde, &c. becauſe ſuch Laws (by our ſuppoſition) being beſides the Word, we have proved to be no parts of it; and Ergo, additions to his Laws and inſtitutions in the Word, which are perfect and entire in themſelves for Doctrine and Diſcipline in divine Service and Worſhip; and theſe Laws of humane enaction (whatever pretences are put upon them) being for the ſame end and uſe, muſt needs be additional.
6. To teach for Doctrines the commands of men, is contrary to the Word of Chriſt; but all humane Conſtitutions of this kind ſpecified beſides the Word, are but Commands of men taught for Doctrines. The Major is true and undeniable, from Mat. 14.9. where ſuch Doctrines and Commands are charged by Chriſt for the intolerable ſin of the Phariſees. Compare with this place that in the Old Teſtament, quoted and applied to them by our Saviour, Iſai. 29.14. Their fear towards me is taught by the precepts of men; or which our Saviour (the beſt Interpreter of Scripture) ſaith, In vain do they worſhip me; producing this from the Prophet, Their fear is taught by the Commandments of men; not but that they obſerved alſo Moſes his Commands, but becauſe they ſet up their Poſts with Gods, their Laws with Gods Laws: and this is that which Chriſt condemns. This Argument is cleared, and fully proſecuted by another very lately, (in a learned Exerc. on Mat. 15.9. and Mark 9.13.) And therefore I ſhall not actum agere. As to the Minor, it's evident that ſuch Legiſlators teach for Doctrine their own Laws: for they preſs them doctrinally on the people, and charge it as their duty to walk in the practice of active obedience unto ſuch Laws, and condemn all ſuch as refuſe ſuch obedience (upon any pretence whatſoever) as diſobedient to Governours, and Schiſmaticks.