The Divine Right of Church Government and Excommunication, Religious tract · Question 7
Queſt. VII.
Whether or no to uſe the indifferent Cuſtomes of heathen and Papiſts, in the worſhip of God, be ſcandalous,
WE are altogether of this mind, that a materiallWhat Conformitie with Idolaters is unlawfull. Similitude between the truee Church and the falſe, is not ſcandalous. Becauſe Rome holdeth that there is one God, it followeth not, therefore it is unlawfull for us to hold there is one God. 2. There is a formall Similitude, as becauſe the heathen kill their children to Molech, ergo, the Children of Iſrael ſhould not doe ſo to the Lord their God. M. Hooker granteth there ſhould be a diſ-ſimilitude betweene the true Church and Heathens in this, and the Similitude (ſay they) is unlawfull. But 3. the Adverſaries draw us to a third diſ-ſimilitude betweene the true Church, and the Popiſh, and heatheniſh Church, and this is a mixt Similitude, that we ſhould uſe indifferent R…tes and Cuſtomes in Gods worſhip, as Croſſing, new deviſed dayes, Surplice &c. which are uſed by Papiſts, and Heathens. This ſay our Adverſaries, is not an unlawfull Similitude, yea with edification and profit (ſay they) we may thus farre conforme with them.
2. This conformitie doth gaine them, not Scandalize them▪ ſay they.
But we hold that this conformitie is unlawfull and a diſſimilitude commanded.
1. It is expreſly ſaid Levit. 18. 3. I am the Lord your God, after the doings of the Land of Egypt, wherein …e… dwelt, ſhall yee not doe: And after the doings of the Land of Canaan, whither I bring you, ſhall ye not doe; Neither ſhall yee walks in their ordinances. 4. Ye ſhall doe my judgements, and keep min… ordinances, to walke therein, I am the Lord your God. Hence if God bee a Conformitie with Idolaters in things, in Gods worſhip, not neceſſarie, unlawfull.God, in a peculiar manner, in covenant with his Church, then may not his Church take a rule of worſhip, and walking from other prophane Churches and people, ſuch as Egypt, Canaan, and whoriſh Rome. There is an Inſtance given in things of their owne nature indifferent, Levit. 19. with the ſame Argument. 27. Ye ſhall not round the corners of your heads,▪ neither ſhalt tho… marre the corners of thy Beard. 28. Yee ſhall not make any cuttings in your fleſh for the dead, I am the Lord. Certaine a greater ſcandall cannot be, then that thoſe who are in Covenant with God, ſhould borrow ſignificant Ceremonies of ſorrowing for the dead, Levit. 19. 19. Yee ſhall keepe my Statutes? Thou ſhalt not let thy cattell gender with divers kinde: Thou ſhalt not ſow thy field with mingled ſeed: Neither ſhall a garment mingled of linnen and wooll come upon thee. Hence there is a cleare oppoſition made betweene Gods ſtatutes. Yee ſhall heepe my ſtatutes, and the ſtatutes of Canaan. The Can…tes might weare Garments of linnen and wooll, and and …owe mingled ſeed. But Deut. 2…. 9. Thou (the Iſrael of God) ſhall not ſowe thy Vineyard with divers ſeeds: Why? le…t the fruit of the ſeed which thou haſt ſowen, and the fruit of thy vi…yard be defiled. The ſeed of the Nations was not defiled, though they did ſowe mingled ſeed, Ergo, the Lord putteth ſome peculiar Character on his people, by this, to diſtinguiſh them from other Nations by giving theſe lawes to them, which did not oblige other Natio….
3. Wee make the Papiſts and the Heathen that have uſed white Garments, in the worſhip of God▪ and croſſing in the Sacraments, and the like to be our fathers▪ where as wee are to diſclaime them, and not to harden them ſo, as Iſrael did Egypt▪ who ſaid, Yee cannot ſerve your God, except in our golden Calves, by Gods argument Levit. 19, Iſrael, and Canaan, Proteſtants, and Idolatrous Papiſts have one God, they have the ſame externall ſtatutes,
4. What …ve… is a profeſſed way of being infected and ſna…ed with the falſe religion of thoſe who are at our doores, as Egypt and Canaan was to Iſrael; and Papiſts to us, muſt be ſcandalous conformitie with them, and this argument is cleare, Levit. 18. 3. Yee ſhall not doe after the doings of the Land of Egypt▪ wherein ye… dwell, nor after the doings of the Land of Canaan, whither I bring you; Ergo, the danger is the greater, that we dwell beſide Idolaters, and the publick practiſing of their rites, the more ſcandalous.
5. Wee ſadden the ſpirits of the Godly, and lay a ſtumblingblock before the blind and weak, in that wee build Jeriche again, and with our tongue we lick, and heale the wound of the daughter of Babel, where as with our teeth we ſhould byte it.
6. Learned and godly Cartwright, the Author of the booke of Diſcipline; Ameſius and others have cited Councels, as Concil. Braca. 73. decreed, That Chriſtians ſhould not deck their houſes with Bay leaves, and greene boughs, that they ſhould not keepe the firſt day of the monethmonth, becauſe the Pagans did ſo. And another Councell, Concil. African. c. 27. forbade Chriſtians to Celebrate Feaſt…, on the Birth day of the Martyrs, becauſe Pagans did ſo▪ Tertullian would not have Chriſtians to ſit after they had prayed▪ becauſe Pagans did ſo.
7. The mark and Character of the Beaſt is an externall diſcriminating note, of its owne nature, indifferent. Yet to receive it, is a matter of Plague… and wrath from God, Rev. 13.Eccleſiaſt. Po… licie, l. 4. p. 138. 15 1…. To theſe they reply. 1. Thoſe ſame Ceremon…es▪ becauſe the ſa…, which the heathen uſed, were not forbidden the Jewes. But, th…ſe things (ſaith M. Hooker) are not indifferent being uſed as ſignes of immederate and hopeleſſe lamentation, for the dead, and in effect, it is that which Paul ſaith, 1 Theſſ. 4. …3. Sorrow not as they doe, which have no hope. as Deut. 14. 1. Yee are the children of the Lord your God, ye… ſhall not cut your ſelves, nor make you baldneſſe between… your eyes for the dead, nor i… … hence proven (ſaith Hooker) That God did frame his people of ſet purpoſe, unto any utter diſ-ſi…ilitude with either Egyptians,Pag▪ 13…. or other Nations.
Anſ. 1. Ceremonies may be either the ſame. 1. in number. The ſ…me Ceremonies in Idolaters, and in the true Church may be judged the ſome three wayes.or 2. materially. or 3. formally and Theologically. The firſt identitie and ſamenes is moſt proper. And whereas Morton, and M. Burges, would inſinuate that God forbade theſe ſame Ceremonies in number, it needeth no refutation. God never forbade things, phyſically, and by way of contradiction, unpoſſible. The ſame murthering of our brother forbidden to Cain, the ſame in number, is forbidden in number, and individually to no mortall man, except the Jewes had had the ſame heads, haire, beards, browes, that the Canaanites had, the ſame (I meane) in number, this were to make the lawes of God a matter of laughter to men. 2. Where as Hooker would have God to forbid, not the ſame Ceremonies Materially, or an utter diſ-ſimilitude, but the ſame Ceremonies of the Heathen, with the ſignification which the Heathen did put on them, contrary to Scripture, as upon the cutting of their fleſh, they did impoſe this ſignification, that they ſhould ſorrow for the dead, as thoſe that have no hope. 1 Theſſ. 3. we ſee then 1. all the Ceremonies of the Heathen, as the cutting of the fleſh, the killing of their Children to Molech. So they be formallized, and charactered with a ſignification according to the word of God, ſhall be lawfull. Put then Scripturall and lawfull ſignifications, either of faith in Chriſt already incarnate, or of Chriſtian converſation, as of moderate mourning for the dead, ſuch as was in Abraham, who mourned for Sarahs death, and in our Lord Jeſus, who wept for the death of Lazarus; And ſo the Sacrificing of Bullocks, Sheep, Rams, Formaliſts grant Conformitie with heathen and Idolators in Ceremonies clothed with a Scripturall ſignification.yea, Circ…ciſing and Sacrificing of children to Molech, ſhall not be condemned as a complyance, and Symbolizing with the Jewes and Idolaters. Nor can any ſay that ſhedding of blood to God, and killing of men muſt be now forbidden, I anſwered before ſhedding of blood, with this Scripturall and lawfull ſignification, and as an indifferent means of the worſhiping of God, is no other way forbidden in the firſt 7. bl…, then becauſe it is not commanded in Scripture. But this is no forbiding at all of worſhip, or of new poſitive meanes of worſhip; So you 1. make it not a part of the word of God, and neceſſarie worſhip. 2. So it be materially indifferent, and be inſtamped with a lawfull and Scripturall ſignification, as we ſuppoſe it to be. 3. Nor doth the Word any where condemne killing of men as a worſhip, except that i… commandeth it not as a worſhip, which we ſay, as it is a breach of the ſixt Commandement, it is forbidden as man-flaughter, but not as unlawfull worſhip. But then how will Morton and Burges juſtifie. Circumciſion which they ſay is lawfull, yet, ſo it have not a Jewiſh intention, nor any neceſſitie or efficacie impoſed on it? it is a degree of murther, and why may not, upon the ſame ground cutting the fleſh for the dead, launcing of the body with knives, the Popiſh ſelfeſcourging be lawfull? Now the text ſignifieth no allowance at all of the rounding of the corners of the head, and the cutting of the body▪ and how ſhall Hooker prove that only heatheniſh and Pagan-rounding of the haire, and cutting of the fleſh, as they betoken mourning in a hopeleſſe manner for the dead were forbidden, 1 Theſſ. 3. divers of the Pagans, amongſt whom isPhocyllide…, foreign. Phocillides and many others taught the reſurrection of the dead, They might then ſow their land with divers ſeeds, cut their fleſh for the dead, yea, and obſerve times, be diſmayed at the ſignes of the heaven, as the heathen. And what ever the Pagans did in their worſhip, they might doe ſo to the Lord their God, and doe all the judgements, ordinances, and lawes of Egypt. Canaan, Turkie, of Rome materially, even to the falling downe before Bread, ſacriſicing of Beaſts, cutting of the haire, &c. 3. What Hooker meaneth by a diſ-ſimilitude, with the heathen of ſet purpoſe, Pag. 13….is eaſily knowne. Only in things wicked and unlawfull (ſaith he) or Idolatrous, or againſt the law of God, we are to be diſlike to the heathen, becauſe it is ſaid, Yee ſhall doe my judgements, for he expreſly denyeth that there was any danger of infection by reaſon of nearneſſe to the Egyptians, and Canaanites, in theſe indifferent things, or that they were forbidden, becauſe the Pagans uſed them, they were unlawfull, though the Pagans bad ever uſed them.
Anſ. Tannerus the Jeſuite ſaith, tom. 3. in 22. diſp 9. de fide, ſpe. q. 6. dub. 9. abſtinendum eſt ab omni ſpeciè male pr…pter ſcandalum, ratio, quia ſcandalum tali caſ… oritur ex vi actionis ipſius, non aliter f…r… quam ſi mala eſſet, then though the Nations heatheniſh rites were not ill, yet being not neceſſarie to the Jewes, and having appearance of ill, in that they are Characters of the worſhip of ſtrange Gods, ſcandall muſt ref…e from the uſing heatheniſh Ceremonies, vi actionis, from the nature of the uſing of them, as if they were intrin…ecally ill. 2. If it were no more but this, they were ſo much the worſe, and more ſcandalous▪ that beſide that they are intrinſ…cally evill, yet they are the Statutes of Egypt and Can…a…, and not the Statutes of the Lord. So either theſe words muſt bee idly ſet downe, amongſt whom yee dwels, and to which the Lord bringeth you. Or they muſt adde a degree of wickedneſſe to the ſinnes that they were the ſinnes of Egypt, and of Canaan, and ſo they are forbidden, both as ſinnes, and alſo for the bare Similitude, as the words imply, for God will not only have them to walke in right judgements, but alſo in his righteous judgements, becauſe …aith hee, (I am the Lord) and ye ſhall not doe after ſuch and ſuch a way, becauſe ſuch are the doings and wayes of Egypt, and Canaan. Ergo, Though all were intrinſecally evill, that are forbidden of this kinde, they partake alſo of a farther degree of morall evill, in that Egypt, Canaan, and Idolatro…s Papi… doe theſe ſame things to their Idols.
Hooker addeth. Wee muſt be unlike to Rome, not only in Doctrine,pag. 132. l. 4. but in Ceremonies and Govern…, and eſpecially Government not commanded in the Word, for all is Papiſh▪ though lawfull and agreeable to the word of God, whatſoever Rome h… received without commandement of Gods word.
Anſ. The…e is not required properly a conformitie in us with Rome in doctrinals, as if Rome were our Rule, nor is the word of God properly conforme to the Proteſtant religion, but the Proteſtant religion muſt be conforme to the Word. Wh…neſſe is not properly like to Snow or Milke, but Milke or Snow are like to whiteneſſe. Nor have we properly a … with Papiſts in doctrine, they are not our patterne, nor wee theirs. 2. We do not plead for a Government in all things to be commanded in the Word, but to be warranted by the Word, either according to command or promiſe, or morall practiſe, fo… theHow the Scripture is a Rule. Scripture is our Rule, but 1. not in miraculous things. 2. Not in things temporarie, as Communitie of Goods. 3. Not in things Literally exponed, as to cut off our hands and feet. 4. Not in things of Art and Science, as to ſpeake Latine, to demonstrate concluſions of Aſtronomie. 5. It is not properly our Rule in Circumſtances, which are but naturall conveniences of time, place, and perſon, and ſuch like. But it is our Rule 1. in fundamentalls of ſalvation. 2. In all morals of both firſt and ſecond table. 3. In all inſtitutions, and wee conceive the GovernmentChurch Government properly an Inſtitution. of the Church to be a proper inſtitution, to wit, it is a ſupernaturall ordinance, or helpe above nature to guide the Church to a ſupernaturall happineſſe, nor can the Church be governed by the light of nature, or by the rules of morall Philoſophie, or civill prudence or humane lawes, as Cities, Common-wealths, and Kingdomes, are. 4. It is a rule in Circumſtantials of worſhip: becauſe ſome time ſome thing, as the Lord, day is both worſhip, and a Circumſtantiall of worſhip; but not properly a Circumſtance, in all theſe the Church, as the Church muſt …ir by the Word of God. 3. What ever is in Rome in phyſicall or natural circumſtances is not by us judged Popiſ…. But what ever religious obſervance Symbolicall ſigne, new worſhip, ſuch as …renging to Bread, Altars, humane Feſtivals, Surplice, and the like, that are neither things of nature, nor 2. things of prudence and civill policie, nor 3. Miraculous things, nor 4. Things of art and ſcience, nor 5. meere Circumſtances, and yet are added to the worſhip of God▪ not neceſſarie in themſelves, not warranted by Precept, practice, or promiſe in the word of God, we take to be deviſed by the wil of men, and if by Papiſts, ſo much the more unlawfull, and may well be tearmed Popiſh, as Popiſh is contradiſtinguiſhed from that which is …ound and warranted by the Word, and that which is not thus agreeable to the Word, is repugnant thereunto, and either Popiſh, or worſe, or heatheniſh.
Hooker. The queſtion is, whether wee may follow Rome in133. l. 4. orders, Rites and Ceremonies, wherein we doe not thinke them blamable, or elſe ought to deviſe others, and to have no conformitie with Rome, no not ſo much as in theſe.
Anſ. We never dreamed of ſuch a Queſtion, it is as if oneThe worſhip of God ne…oeth no rel…gious Ceremonies, …ut what God hath himſelfe preſcribed. ſhould have formed ſuch a queſtion to debate with Moſes, Whither may we follow Egypt and Canaan in rounding the corners of our head, and cutting our fleſh for the dea…, in ſowing o…r land with mingled ſeeds, &c. or ought we to deviſe others the like, and have no Conformitie with them, no not ſo much as in theſe? Now Moſes gave never leave to Iſrael to deviſe either theſe, or any other the like. The Queſtion ſuppoſeth two things for granted, which are plainly falſe. 1. That if we may refuſe Popiſh Ceremonies as ſcandalous, becauſe Papiſts deviſed them, that therefore the worſhip of God hath need of other Symbolical and religious ſignes of the like nature, which we ought to deviſe. But the worſhip of God neither needeth theſe nor any Phylactaries of that kind. 2. It ſuppoſeth, we doe not thinke the Rites of Rome blamable, this is a begging of the queſtion, for both we blame them as poſitive religious Rites beſide, and ſo contrary to the Word, and becauſe Romiſh, and ſo in a high degree ſcandalous.
Hooker. When Reaſon evicteth that all ſuch Ceremonies areHooker, pag. 134▪ not to be aboliſhed they anſwer, they doe only condemne Ceremonies unprofitable, or Ceremonies in ſtead whereof as good, or better may be deviſed, ſo they cannot get out of the Bryars.
Anſ. 1. Who anſwereth ſo? Hooker ſhould have knowne, that if the Teſtament of Chriſt warrant not Ceremonies, they and all their kind are unprofitable, and to be aboliſhed, whither they lay in the wombe of the mother of …ornications, or be baſtards of any other Mother. 2. Yea, we condemne all ſuch Ceremonies, becauſe unneceſſarie, as deviſed by the will or luſt of men, for all neceſſatie and uſefulneſſe of poſitive, religious, and teaching obſervances is from the will of God. And when he ſaith, we condemne only all unprofitable Ceremonies, wee are not in the briars, for he ſaith, his owne Ceremonies are unprofitable briars, for we condemne them as unprofitable. Chartwright, that godly and learned witneſſe of Jeſus Chriſt. from whom Hooker would bring this anſwer, ſaith, Popiſh Ceremonies are not to be uſed to adorne the worſhip, when as good or better may be eſtabliſhed. But he meaned never that as good poſitive Symbolicall rites, without the word of God, can be lawfully deviſed at all, this ſhould have been proven from Cartwrights words.
But (ſaith he) we retaine theſe, becauſe we judge them profitable134. 135. yea ſo good, that if we had either ſimply taken them cleane away or elſe removed them, ſo as to place others in their ſtead, wee had done worſe. But who authorized them to ſit judges? the burden of proving them inconvenient lyeth on them.
Anſ. 1. It is a proud Reply. Wee retaine popiſh Ceremonies, becauſe we judge them profitable, where as the queſtion is not what the Prelates (who muſt bee called the Church) judge them to be, but what they are, for it is a farre other queſtion, who ſhould ſit Judges (though we can prove Christ never made Prelates at all, and ſo he never made them judges) and whether the Ceremonies be profitable or not? When Prelates ſay, we retaine Popiſh Ceremonies, becauſe we judge them profitable, it is to ſay, We judge Popiſh Ceremonies to be profitable, becauſe we judge them profitable. For we ſay to retaine them, is to paſſe a law and a judgement that they are profitable. But our▪ argument is againſt their judgeing them to be profitable and againſt their retaining them. Might not Phariſees ſay as much? Wee retaine the precepts and traditions of men uſed by our fathers, becauſe, we judge them profitable: and who authorized Chriſt and his Diſciples to judge the Church? the burden of proving them inconvenient, lyeth on the Diſciples. Chriſt ſaid their Ceremonies were the doctrines of men, and ſo unlawfull: and the like argument bring wee againſt the Ceremonies, and ſo they muſt be unprofitable. 2. If the Church make, or retaine lawes beſide, and without the Word, they are under the burden of proving them to be profitable, for they affirme, and▪ affirmanti incumbit probatio, for they ought to give another reaſon, of their lawes, then we judge; We affirme, it is Gods prerogative to ſay that. 3. If Prelates ſhould doe worſe to have cleane removed theſe, or brought others in their place▪ Then muſt the Prelaticall Church be better then the Apoſtolike Church, for they neither had theſe, nor any in their ſtead, except they make us ſee that Peter and Paul diſpenſed the Word and Sacraments clothed either with lineing Rochets, and croſſing the aire with the Thumbe, or then they adorned Word and Sacraments, with other the like myſticall Rochets, or ſome merry toyes like croſſing the aire with the Thumbe, and if not, they did worſe then our Prelats, who raiſe bloody warr…s in three Kingdomes, for ſuch fooleries, and for an office, which of old, for ſhame, had no kinred nor houſe, but mans law, jus humanum, by their owne grant. But that (ſaith Hooker) wherein the Iſraelit… 138.might not be like to the Egyptians and Canaanites, was ſuch as peradventure as had beene no whitleſſe unlawfull, although thoſe Nations had never been, I would know what one thing was in theſe nations, and is here forbidden, being indifferent in it ſelfe, yet forbidden only becauſe they uſed it.
Anſ. This is not our argument, I am not to ſay, the only reaſon, why the Lord forbade theſe rites, was becauſe the Egyptians and Canaanites uſed them. But it is enough for our purpoſe, that God uſeth this reaſon, Ye… ſhall not doe ſo to the Lord We need not ſay that conformi…ie with Idolaters was the only cauſe, why God forbade his people, heath… niſh rites.your God. Yee ſhall not doe after the doings of the Land of Egypt, or of the Canaanites, Deut. 12. 30. 31. See that then inquire not after their Gods, ſaying how did theſe Nations ſerve their God? even ſo will I doe likewiſe, Levit. 18. 3. 4. This is enough to prove that it is a ſtrong argument, and Gods argument to prove that a worſhip, that Heathen uſeth to their Gods, though in it owne nature indifferent, can not lawfully be given to the Lord, it wanting all warrant in Gods word, becauſe heathens doe ſo to their Gods and it is cleare to me, Deut. 12. 2. Yee ſhall utterly d…ſtroy all the places wherein the Nations, which ye poſſeſſe, ſerved their Gods, upon the high Mountaines, and under every greene tree. 3. And you ſhall breake downe their Altars, and breake their Pillars, and burne their Groves with fire, and you ſhall hew downe the Graven Images of their Gods, and deſtroy the Names of them out of this place. 4. Yee ſhall not doe ſo to the Lord your God. 5. But unto the place which the Lord your God ſhall chooſe out of all your Tribes, to put his name there, even unto his habitation ſhall yee ſeeke, and thither ſhall you come. There is nothing more indifferent, then the place of worſhip▪ yet doth the Lord in theſe words Yee ſhall not doe ſo to the Lord your God, forbid to worſhip God in the place, where the Canaanites worſhipped their Idols. And this proveth our point that Rites uſed by heathen indifferent in their owne nature, as, place, ſtone-altars, hils, are not to be uſed, as poſitives with a new ſignification (as our Ceremonies have) to the Lord our God, becauſe Heathens have done ſo to their Idol-Gods. Wee know the Lord may have, and hath other reaſons in the depth of his unſearchable wiſdome, why he forbiddeth ſome things of their owne nature indifferent, then becauſe heathen and wicked men doe ſo, as he forbade the eating of the tree of knowledge, a thing in it ſelfe indifferent, not for any ſuch conformitie with wicked men. And Hooker yeeldeth our argument to be concludent, when he ſaith, Notwithſtanding ſome fault undoubtedly pag 139.thire is in the very reſemblance with idolaters. Then notwithſtanding all that Hooker ſaith on the contrarie, our argument is good. The reſt of this ſubject is more fully and learnedly diſcuſſed by others, and therefore no more of this. Peace bee on the Iſrael of God, and to the moſt high Dominion and Glorie.
Amen.
FINIS.
End of the text · Samuel Rutherford, The Divine Right of Church Government and Excommunication (1646)