Uniformity in Human Doctrinal Ceremonies, jeanes 28 – hammond 29
Jeanes.
Here we have a groſſe miſtake, and a bitter jeer.
1. A groſſe miſtake, to ſay no worſe, for Ames hath no where any Argument againſt things indifferent; it is a Concluſion which he never dreame of, and therefore you moſt injuriouſly faſten it upon him, and hereof, I hope, you will repent, and give ſome publique reſtimonial thereof.
Next we have a bitter jeere at Non conformiſts, as if their opinion concerning humane, religious Ceremonies, were ſo filly and ridiculous, that Biſhop Morton deſpiſed it, and ſmiled at it, and could refute it eaſily, by trifling inſtances by unbuttoning and buttoning his Caſſock: There may be truth in this your relation concerning Mr. Hynde and Glapthorne, but your falſe accuſation of Ames will render your bare word queſtionable, if it be not backed with farther proofs; but ſuppoſe your relation true, yet all that you can gather hence is, that they were weak Reſpondents, and knew not the ſtate of the Queſtion; and unto that you ſeem as great a ſtranger as they, for you dare not ſay that Biſhop Mortons buttoning and unbuttoning his Caſſock, was a religious Ceremony, and if it were not, was it not a proper medium to prove the lawfulneſſe of humane religious Ceremonies?
The Non conformiſts layd downe four qualifications in the Ceremonies which they oppoſe: 1. Humane Inſtitution. 2. Ordained ſignification. 3. Myſticall ſignification. 4. Appropriation unto Gods ſolemne Worſhip and Service.
1. Humane Inſtitution, they are humane inventions, now Kneeling, Bowing, Proſtrating, lifting up of the eyes and of the hands, ſhouting and dancing for joy, they abſolutely deny to be humane inventions, as you may ſee in Ames his diſpute about Ceremonies, pag. 495.
2. A ſecond thing is ordained ſignification, though they have an aptneſſe to ſignify, yet they doe not actually ſignifie, without ſpecial inſtitution of man… thoſe ſignes then that ſignifie without inſtitution by nature or by civil cuſtome a… ſhut out of this controverſie.
1. By nature, naturall Ceremonies as they are called, ſuch as to looke up to Heaven, to lift up our heads, to bow our knees in prayer; for theſe Nature …t ſelf, ſaith Ames, doth teach all nations to obſerve without any institution, though not without ſome government of counſel, nor without ſuch varle…y, as Nature it ſelf is ſubject unto. Manuduct unto diſp about humane Ceremon. pag. 27.
2. By civil cuſtome, and of this nature was the womans vail, 1 Cor. 11. By received uſe and ancient cuſtome, it ſhewed the ſubjection of a woman unto the husband, and ſo was an indicant ſigne thereof without any new inſtitution of man.
3. They are of myſtical ſignification, they ſignifie either ſome grace or duty, they teach ſome ſpiritual and religious thing by their inſtituted ſignification, and therefore are termed by ſome, doctrinal Ceremonies.
4. They are appropriated unto the acts of Religion in Gods ſervice, and ſo are religious in ſtate, and have, as Parker phraſeth it, a kinde of immobility in Gods worſhip, and hereupon they are termed rel…gious Ceremonies, and by this all circumſtances, or if you will call them circumſtantial Ceremonies, all Ceremonies of meere order and decency are excluded out of the controverſie, becauſe they are common to things civil as well as ſacred, and uſed as well out of Gods worſhip, as in it.
Whereas Doctor Morton objecteth, that a Pulpit-cloath, Communion cup, the Church and place of Gods ſervice it ſelf, may be appropriated and aſſigned onelyonly unto Gods Worſhip: Ames for anſwer diſtinguiſheth betwixt appropriation of this or that individual, and of the kinde; Individuals (ſaith he) may be extrinſecally and accidentally appropriated, the kind remaining intrinſecally common and indifferent, and the individuals that are thus extrinſecally appropriated, are of the ſame uſe out of Gods ſervice that they are in it; this, ſaith Ames, is occaſion of admiration unto Dr. Burges the Rejoinder, but hee might have conſidered, that the immediate end of a Cloath, is to cover; of a Cup, to drink out of; of Meeting places to meet in; and then where is the ſtrangeneſſe of this aſſertion? Is there nor the ſame immediate uſe of a mans eyes, in reading one booke, as another, of a mans ears, in hearing one voice, as another, however the ſubject ſeen, or heard, may differ in nature or kind?
This is a true ſtate of the Queſtion, made, not by me, but by Parker, Ames, Didoclave, and other learned Non-conformiſts long agoe: And now I hope you are ſenſible that Biſhop Morton his buttoning and unbuttoning his Caſſock, came not within many leagues of it; there is no doubt, but that either you have, or may eaſily procure a Caſſock of the like ſtuffe and faſhion, as that of the Biſhops; and why ſhould not this fear be as feaſible …nto you as unto him? P…ay, Sir, try the utmoſt of your skill, and let all the Biſhops in the Land bee your aſſiſtants; nay, take in what help you can from Mr. Hooker his diſcourſe of Lawes that you referre mee unto, and if from the buttoning and unbuttoning of your Caſſock, you can with all your united forces, prove the lawfulneſſe of humane religious Ceremonies, ſymbolical ſignes; that is, thoſe which teach ſome things ſpiritual by their myſtical inſtituted ſignification, and are appropriated unto Gods worſhip, I will then confeſſe that there is as miraculous a virtue in your Caſſock, as you aſcribe unto the ſign of the Croſſe in the Primitive times, and ſhall be ready publiquely to terract whatſoever I have written, or ſpoken againſt theſe Ceremonies; but untill ſuch proof be made, it will bee no act of imprudence in you to forbear for the future, ſuch unſavoury girds; for however they bewray a paſſionate, high, and ſcornfull contempt of your poore Antagoniſts, yet upon examination they will be found to be ſapleſſe and irrational, to have in them nothing of truth, and as little of charity and humility.
Dr. Hammond. ſect. 35.
Mean while, to the reproach of my great ſtupidity, I willingly acknowledge, that it cannot enter into my underſtanding, what ſenſe that text is capable of, which with the beſt (poſſible) managery can be taught plainly to condemne all inſtitution of Ceremonies in the Church, i.e. by what Proſyllogiſmes or ſupplies, or advantages of art this Enthymeme ſhall be rendered concludent. The Apoſtle commands that all things be done decently, and in order: ergo, he condemns all inſtitution of Ceremonies for Gods worſhip. He that can maintain this conſequence not onelyonly to be true but (as Mr. J. affirms it) plain and evident, will be a formidable adverſary indeed, much better deſerving that title, than one whom he knows not, and therefore honours with it.