Earles Dukes and Princes yet except they were Gods Christes wee have no reason to give spirituall homage unto them which is it that in very deede they require in these things And therefore hence it comes to passe That as they turne out of their Pallaces Those servauntes that refuse their liveries and to doe their civill Services So as though they were Lords Masters in the Church They turne the Ministers out of their offices shut them out of the Church if they refuse to weare their spirituall Liveries and to doe them spirituall and Religious Service But I come to the second part of the Assumption II. That the authoritie of our Lorde Archbishops and Bishops is a usurped authoritie This is sufficiently proved of late by Mai. Iacob in his I. Assertion by many reasons Onely because the weight of the Argument leaneth upon it I will use one Reason Those Officers and Rulers in the Church that make claime to be of Divine institution chalenge to them selves Apostolicall authoritie and Iurisdiction as the onely Successours of the Apostles to sitt onely in Moses chaire To have sole power of the Keys To cut from the visible Church receyue againe To haue power of creating displacing all other Ecclesiasticall Officers To bee the Vniversall Pastors of whole Dukedomes and Kingdomes under whom all other Pastors are as Curates c. And yet for all this are such as stand are supported only by humane Traditions and Ceremonies such as a civill Magistrate may without sinne put out of the Church And such as the true Churches of God may renounce and yet continue the true Church as Antichristian Vsurpers and spirituall Tyrants I say all such Officers Rulers exercise a usurped authoritie in the Church But our Archbishops Bishops are such Rulers and Officers as are aforesaid Ergo They execute a Vsurped power over the Church The Proposition may easily be iustified For it inferiour officers viz. Pastors of particular Congregations have had and may have firme continuance in the Church without these humane devises inventions If the Magistrate cannot without sinne put them out of the Church And if those can bee no true Churches that renounce to haue perticular Pastors and Ministers over them It must much more hold in such church-Officers Rulers as these are if their authoritie be lawfull and good For whilest the Apostles lived They needed not any humane Traditions divises to support their authoritie The Magistrates that sought to putt them downe sinned with a high hande And that was no Church that renounced and disclaimed their Office Authoritie and Iurisdiction The Assumptiō is as easilie iustified For 1. They make claime and Title to all those Prerogatives before rehearsed in the first part of the Proposition and unto more then that as shal be proved if it be denied 2. It is an Embleme of their own NO CEREMONIE NO BISHOP Ergo No humane Tradition and Invention no Bishop Ergo The office of a Bishop is supported by them either only or specially 3. Their Ecclesiasticall Iurisdiction is derived from the King els it is a flat deniall of his Supremacie Also them selves graūt in their last Tables of Discipline That the King hath power to increase or diminish the Circuit of a Bishopricke That he may make two or more Bishopricks of one one Bishoprick to be two or more Yea what should hinder but that he may divide the Bishoprike of London into 800. For where God hath not defined the number of Parishes that a Bishop is to raign over it must needes bee a thing indifferent in which by their owne Doctrines the King hath authoritie without sinne to dispose If therefore the King may as well notwithstanding any thing in the Law of God Give the Keyes of the Church to everie particular Pastour of a Congregation over his owne Congregation as to a Bishop over a Diocesse which taketh away the very Essence of an English Bishop He may without sinne take away the very Office of the Bishop which cōsistes in having Iurisdiction over many Cōgregations Also it being not defined by the word of God but left free what attire Bishops shall weare as also what maintenance they shal have The K. having absolute power in things indifferēt according to their owne Doctrine hee may turne them out of their Rochetts and Parliament Robes Thrust them out of their Pallaces and put them to their stipendes to live upon voluntarie devotions of poore Christian people and then a man may easily imagine what the office of a Bishop would bee worth For he that hath authoritie to prescribe to a Bishop and other Ministers the Formes Rites and Ceremonies of their Divine Service hath also power much more To prescribe moderate and appointe their Apparell Diet and manner of maintenance So that it is cleare That the King may without sinne disanull the authorities dignities and prerogatives of Bishops Any of which shal be if it bee denied prooved to be matters of greater indifferencie and therefore more appertayning to his Supremacte then the prescribing of Formes of Divine Service and mysticall Rites of Religion For let the King take from the Bishop all indifferent things which he may doe by their owne doctrine and a Bishop will be no Bishop as shal be prooved if it be denied 4. There is no true and sober Christians but will say that the Churches of Scotland Fraunce the low Countries and other places that renounce such Archbishops Bishops as ours are as Antichristian and usurping Prelates are true Churches of God which they could not bee if the authorities prerogatives they claime to them selves were of Christ and not usurped For if it were the ordinance of Christ Iesus That in every Kingdom that receaveth the Gospel There should bee one Archbishop over the whole Kingdome One Bishop over many hundred Pastors in a kingdome and all they invested with that authoritie and iurisdictiō Apostolicall which they claime iure Divino to be due vnto them and to reside in them by the ordināce of Christ certainly that church that should renounce and disclaime such an authoritie ordayned in the Church cannot be a true Church but a Synagogue of Sathan For they that should renounce and denie such must needes therein renounce and denie Christ him selfe Thus the Assumption is cleared The 11. Argument All humane Traditions and Rites enioyned to bee performed in Gods Worship as necessarie to Salvation are unlawfull These Ceremonies in controversie beeing but Humane Traditions are enioyned to bee performed in Gods worship as necessarie to Salvation Ergo These Ceremonies are unlawfull The Proposition is freely graunted of all our Adversaries hitherto If anie heereafter bv reason of some difficulties the cause may bee thrust into by graunting the same shal be desperate as to denie the same we shal be readie to make it good at any time The Assumption is thus prooved What soever Humane Tradition Ceremonie or Action That may without sinne
London Ministers before him was this They are Ceremonies that teach good Doctrine Ergo They are good Ceremonies Whereas the filthiest actions and thinges that are may teach good doctrine The holy Ghost resembleth the soule polluted with sinne to a menstrous cloth A man fallen againe into sinne to a Sowe wallowing in the mire might therfore a filthie sow and such uncelane clothes be brought into the Church to be visible shadowes representations of such thinges Nay what may not by this meanes bee brought into Gods worship yet by this reason be defended to bee a good Ceremonie if the Magistrates and Bishops should decree the same A fooles coate and a beggers worne in Divine Service may fitly teach this doctrine Not many Wise not many Noble A Minister clothed in such apparel as those that act the Divels part in a playe may teach this That by Nature we are lymmes of Sathan and firebrands of hell Men might weare Womens apparell and Womens Men The one to teach That the Church is Christes Wife The other to teache That Women in Christ are equall to Men. Beare-bayting may teache us How Christ was bayted before the Tribunals of the Pharisies or the combate betweene the flesh and the spirit But the grossenes of these Assertions will appeare in our Speciall Reasons against the Ceremonies in particular The 9. Argument To Administer unto the Church of God Sacramentes that are not of Divine institution is to sinne To use divers of these Ceremonies viz. The Crosse in Baptisme the Ring in Mariadge the Surplice c. is to administer unto the Church of God Sacraments that are not of Divine institution Ergo To use these Ceremonies is to sinne The Proposition is graunted of all both Papist and Protestant The Assumption is thus prooved All mysticall bodily Rites and Signes of spirituall grace administred to the Church of God in his solemne service to confirme grace and that by him that representes the person of Christ are Sacramentes The greatest part of these Ceremonies in controversie are such not of any Divine Institution Ergo To use them is to administer Sacramentes that are not of Divine Institution The Proposition is most evident can not bee denied of any that beares the face of a Divine The Assumption is as evident only this one clause may bee doubted of Whether these Ceremonies bee administred to confirme Grace whiche is thus proved Those Ceremonies that are administred to edifie the soule and consciences are administred to confirme grace These Ceremonies are administred to edifie the soule and conscience Ergo They are administred to confirme Grace The Proposition can not with anie colour be excepted against For to edifie the soule to confirme grace in the soule and to feede the soule are equivalent The Sacrament of the Supper therfore being for this onely cause a Sacrament because it is a Mysticall Rite whereby the soule spiritually feedeth uppon Christ i. is edified in Christ These being Mystical Rites also wherby the soule is edified which it cannot be but also by feeding upon Christ It must needes follow That these Ceremonies are Sacramentes The Assumption is their owne for when they are urged with this That all things must be done to edification They hold all with one consent That they doe edifie The 10. Argument It is a Sinne against Christ the sole Head of the Church For any one of his Ministers especially in the Administration of Divine things either by Worde or Signes solemnely to professe and acknowledge a spirituall Homage to a usurped spirituall authoritie in the Church But to use these controverted Ceremonies in manner and forme prescribed is even in the solemne Service of Christ by solemne Signes to acknowledge a spirituall Homage to the spirituall authoritie of Lord Archbishops and Bishops which is usurped Ergo It is a sinne to use these Ceremonies The Proposition may not be gainesaid For all spirituall power usurped over the Churches of God is an Antichristian authoritie and to professe spirituall homage thereunto is to professe spirituall homage unto Antichrist which must needs be a sinne The Assumption hath two partes I. That these Ceremonies are an acknowledging by solemne signes a spirituall Homage to the spirituall authoritie of Archbishops and Bishops Which is most evident for it having bene proved before that they are meere Ecclesiasticall Religious spirituall Actions injoyned by an Ecclesiasticall and spirituall authoritie They must needes be Signes of spirituall homage to the same authoritie For either the doing of a Religious and spirituall Action in obedience to a spirituall authoritie is a Signe of spirituall homage or no Actions can bee a Signe thereof As therefore a serving man being a civill person upon the Bishops pleasure wearing a Tawnie Cote and a Chaine of Golde holding vp his Trayne Going bare-headed before him holding a Trencher at his Table lighting him to the house of office dressing his meate rubbing his Horses c. doeth by these Actions as it were by solemne Signes acknowledge Civill homage to him being a Civill Lord and Maister So a Minister of the Gospell and a Pastor of a particular Congregation beeing by his office a mere spirituall man beeing commaunded by the Bishop as he is a spirituall Lord and Maister over the Church of God To weare a Tippet a square cap a Priestes Gowne Cloke a Surplice to make Crosses upō childes faces To put Rings on Brides fingers c. and all this in their Divine Service I say a Minister doeth thereby give solemne Signes and Tokens of spirituall homage to their spirituall Lordships even as by preaching the Word Administration of Sacramentes prayer he professeth by solemne Signes a spirituall homage to the spirituall authoritie of Christ If they shall peremptorilie affirme That they are onely Civill matters as some in high place have done to my self Then this will follow of it Wheras the Bishops commaunde now Ministers To weare a Surplice a Priestes Cloke c. hee may commaund them to weare Tawnie Cotes livry clokes in their courses to waite and attend upon him as serving Creatures For there is no more civill authoritie shewed in requiring the one thē the other If the one as well as the other bee civill matters Neither will it helpe their cause That the Magistrate requireth these things to be done For the Magistrate com̄aunding Ecclesiasticall matters to be done his commaundement doth no more make them civill thē his commanding the Sacraments other partes of Divine worship to bee administred duly doeth make them civill matters For the ratificatiō by civill authoritie the Constitutions of Ecclesiasticall authoritie doeth no more make them civill matters thē the ratification and confirmation of civill matters by Ecclesiasticall authoritie doeth make them Ecclesiasticall or spirituall matters Though therefore there is none of us that stande out in these matters but have ever been content to yeeld unto their Lordships all civill honor such as is given to Barons
Twelve generall Arguments Proving that the Ceremonies imposed upon the Ministers of the Gospell in England by our Prelates are unlawfull And therefore that the Ministers of the Gospell for the bare and sole omission of them in Church Service for conscience sake are most unjustlie charged of disloyaltie to his Maiestie 〈…〉 Math. 18.23 If I have spoken evill beare witnesse of the evill But if I have spoken well why smitest thou mee 1605. To the Reader GOod Reader We come not as voluntaries into this field of Contention but draug'd into it by the very haires of our head If our cause bee â—ighteous and good Thou wilt easily graunt â—in so great Imputations and Extremities â—nflicted upon us for the same that we can â—oe no lesse Then give reasons for our selves â—nd it All the favour I require of thee 〈◊〉 That thou wouldest looke into our cause 〈◊〉 not by the flashing lightninges that come â—ut of the mouthes of our Adversaries the Prelates but by the light of our owne Reasons by which if thou shalt see the goodnes of our cause and innocencie of our persons theâ— imbrace it with vs. And in pitie pray foâ— vs that without shipwrack of Faith and a good Conscience wee may endure patientliâ— and meekely what so ever God shall suffer to bee inflicted vpon vs for the same in these wicked and licentious times The first Argument All Wil-worship is sinne To use these Ceremonies in Church Service in manner and forme prescribed is a Wil-worship Ergo To use them is sinne The Proposition can not be denied for the Apostle Paule plainly condemneth Wil-worship The Assumption may thus be proved All partes of Divine Service and Worship imposed only by the wil and pleasure of Man upon the Ministers of Divine Service and that of necessitie to be done is Will-worship But to use these Ceremonies in manner and forme prescribed is to use such Ceremonies as are 1. partes of Divine Service and Worship 2. imposed onely by the pleasure and will of Men upon the Ministers of Divine Service 3. 9 necessitie to bee done therein Ergo To use these Ceremonies in manner anâ— forme prescribed is a Wil-worship The Proposition is as cleare as the Sunne at noone-day The Assumption hath three parts 1. That they are parts of Divine Worship and Service This is proved evidently by this Argument All Mysticall and Ecclesiasticall Rites and formes of Divine Service institutâ—d by Ecclesiasticall authoritie to beâ— Ministeriall actions in the solemne Worship of God and performed in that manner and having that use in Divine Service that if God should but ratifie and confirme the same use they should then be parts of his true Worship I say all such Ceremonies are used as partes of Divine Worship But these Ceremonies in controversie are either all or the greatest parte of them such Ergo â—hey are partes of Divine Worship and Service The Proposition cannot with any modest face bee denied For els how â—ould a sole Divine ratification of the present use of them make them partes of his true Worship if they were not used as partes of his Worship before The Assumption is as manifest For if Christ should by some Revelation from heaven signifie That it is his will that a Minister in Divine Service should weare a white linnen garment In Baptisme make the signe of a Crosse To these endes and purposes that are expressed in the Service booke then certainly they should be essentiall parts of his Divine Worship els the Iewish Rites and Ceremonies and our Sacraments are no partes thereof The second part of the Assumptionâ— the 1. Syllogisme That they are imposed onely upon tâ— pleasure and will of man This is evident For those things thâ—â— God leaves as indifferent to the wiâ— and discretion of man to doe or leavâ— undone being imposed by man upoâ— man are imposed onely upon the wiâ— and pleasure of man The 3. part of the Assumption is That they are of Necessitie to be donâ— in Divine Seruice Which is also out of all doubt Forâ— Minister standes bound to doe them upon paine of suspension and deprivation and God must haue no solemne Worship in England except it be administred in the same Upon all this it followes That to use these Ceremonies in manner and forme proscribed is to use such Ceremonies as are partes of Divine worship imposed onely by the will of Man c. The 2. Argument It is a sinne against God for him that is by way of Excellencie a servaunt of IESVS Christ without a precise and direct warrant from him at any time especially in the Solemne Worship of God to give speciall Honour to Antichrist and his members But to use these Ceremonies is in that manner aforesaid to give speciall Honour to Antichrist and his members Ergo It is a sinne against God to use them The Proposition is manifest cleare to any that have an eye of Reason and any light of Divinitie shyning in it For what is a sinne if this be not That a Servaunt of Iesus Christ even then when hee is in the Service of Christe should performe speciall Honour and Service to Antichrist or any of his limmes The Assumption is prooved If our adversaries will graunt it that the Pope is Antichrist and that all the visible members of his Church acknowledging him their supreame head are meÌ„bers of him by this reason Such a Conformitie to Antichrist and his Members in the Ceremonies of Religion and Forme of Divine worship as is not only besides the word of God but in a speciall manner derogatorie to all reformed Churches that have departed from the Synagogue of Rome is a speciall honor to Antichrist and his members But to use these Ceremonies in Divine Worship is such a Conformitie to Antichrist and his members Ergo To use these Ceremonies in that manner aforesaid is to give speciall honor to Antichrist and his members The Proposition is without exception For if it should bee a speciall honor to the Bishops of England their conformed Cleargie For the Churches of Scotland voluntarily to leave conformitie to the Churches of the low Countries France Germanie and to conforme them selves in Ceremonies and Forme of Divine worship to the Prelaticall Cleargie of England It must needes bee a speciall honour to Antichrist and his members for anie to doe the like to them The Assumption is thus proved For a Minister of Iesus Christ to conforme him self in such peculiar Rites Ceremonies and formes of Divine Service to Antichrist and his members as all other reformed Churches have reiected for vaine foolish and superstitious is in a speciall manner derogatorie to all other reformed Churches But to use these Ceremonies in Controversie is in that manner to Conforme him selfe Ergo It is in a speciall manner derogatorie to all other Reformed Churches Both partes of the Syllogisme are such as may easilie bee prooved if they bee denied The 3. Argument All worship more then Civill performed to
any besides God is a sinne To use these Ceremonies in manner and forme prescribed is to performe a more then civill honor even a Religious onely to a humane Power and Authoritie Ergo To use these Ceremonies is to sinne The Proposition needs no proofe For there is no midle Honor betweene Civill and Divine and therefore that which is more then Civill is Divine Now Divine Honor is to be giveÌ„ only to God who will not have his Glorie given unto another The Assumption is thus proved If these Ceremonies bee Religious Ceremonies and all Religious Ceremonies bee a part of Divine worship performed to that authoritie that instituteth commaundeth them If also the authoritie that instituteth and commandeth them is but meerely humane Then the Assumption is true But the first is true Ergo The latter is true also The Proposition can not be denied of any reasonable creature The Assumption hath three partes I. That these Ceremonies are Religious Ceremonies This needes no proofe For what shall we make to be Religious Ceremonies If those Ceremonies be not That are prescribed by the Church to the Church only tied to Religion only and Religious functions offices persons To be acted and performed onely in exercises of Religion and Divine Worship and are mysticall shadowes types of Religious Doctrine II. That all Religious Ceremonies are partes of Divine Worship This neither should need any proofe If those that are adversaries unto us in this cause did not to much presume of the weaknes of our discourse and the strength of their owne wit For there being an externall Divine Worshipp which properly coÌ„sists in the outward Rites and Ceremonies of Religion What Ceremonies can be called parts thereof if such Religious Ceremonies as these bee not For if bowing the knee c. in Divine Worship though it be used also in Civill Worship be a part of Divine Worship much more are those Ceremonies that are peculiarly appropriated to Divine Service Worship wherein part of the forme thereof is made to consist But it may for further satisfying of men be thus proved All meere and immediate Actions of Religion are partes of Divine Worship All Religious Ceremonies are meere and immediate Actions of Religion Ergo They are partes of Divine Worship Further how can a man imagine that a meere Religious and Ecclesiasticall Act done by a Servant of God in the solemne Service and Worship of God by precise Canon of the Church should be no part of Divine Worship Sith all the solemne Rites Ceremonies that are used in the solemne Services of Civil States especially such as are done in their presence have bene ever reputed partes of Civill Honor Worship Lastlie considering that God in his Divine Worship doeth require the whole heart and all the powers of the Soule during the act of his Worship It were great presumptioÌ„ for any mortall Creature to prescribe any Action to man during the same Act that is no part thereof Considering that every Action so prescribed must of necessitie pull a part of the heart from Divine Worshipp III. That authoritie that instituted them is but merely Humane This is most certaine for if they were â—nstituted by Divine authoritie They could not bee esteemed Matters indifferent and should not be in the power â—nd discretion of the Magistrate to disannull them The 4. Argument If it be lawfull for a Minister of the Gospell without sinne to use these Ceremonies in Divine Worship It is lawfull for him upon the same occasion to use any Iewish Turkish Paganish or Popish Ceremonie whatsoeuer But it is not lawfull for the Minister of the Gospell to use in Divine Worship upon the same occasion any Iewish Popish Paganish or Turkish Ceremonie Ergo Hee cannot without sinne use these The Assumption cannot for shame be denied We prove the consequent of the Proposition If any Iewish Turkish Paganish or Popish Ceremonies and Rite bee a thing in it owne Nature as indifferent as these Ceremonies are and either have or may haue by such like institution as good use then the consequent of the Proposition is true But the first is true Ergo The latter is true also The Proposition as I think cannot be denied nor the Assumption but by bringing som contrarie instance in som of their Ceremonies When any such â—hall be given this Argument shal bee â—urther prosecuted The 5. Argument Everie scismaticall action done by a Minister of the Gospell is a Sinne. To use these Ceremonies in controversie are scismaticall actions Ergo To use these Ceremonies is Sinne. The Proposition will bee graunted I must proove the Assumption All Actions of irregularitie and nâ—â— coÌ„formitie to the Catholike church wherin we liue are scismaticall Actions To use these Ceremonies in controversie are actions of irregularitie and non conformitie to the Catholike church whereiâ— we live Ergo The use of these Ceremonies in controversie are scismaticall Actions The Proposition cannot be denieâ— for if we be branded with the cole 〈◊〉 scisme iustly for denying coÌ„formitie in some Ceremonies but to some of our owne particular Churches wherein we live though we be content to ioyne with them that use theÌ„ in Divine worship much more scismatiks are they that are not conformable in Rites and Ceremonies to the Catholike Church wherein they live I proove the Assumption If all the Protestants Pastors Ministers Governors living this day in Europe and all the painefull resident Pastors of our owne countrey except some Nonresidents Idoll shepheards som that depend upon the prelacie and some other that are forced and constreyned to use them against their will doe not only refuse to use these Ceremonies but esteeme them vaine foolish and superstitious Then the use of these Ceremonies are actions of irregularitie and non Conformitie to the Catholike Church But the first wil be prooved true Ergo The latter is true also The Proposition is evident by their owne principles For an irregularitie non-Conformitie to the Pastors and Governours of Churches is an irregularitie and non-Conformitie to the Churche for they are reputed the CHVRCH REPRESENTATIVE and if they be to be anathematized excoÌ„municated that deny The Bishops and other Ministers assembled in the CoÌ„vocation to be the Church of England representative then surely are all the Pastors of the visible Churches in Europe the Catholike Church representative those particular Ministers in this Realme that shall use not onely different Ceremonies but such as they have renounced and forsaken are scismatikes and irregular persons The Assumption is evident in it self The 6. Argument All spirituall Communion with those Idolatours amongst whom we live in the mysteries of their Idolatrie and Superstition is sinne To use these Ceremonies in Divine worship is a spirituall Communion with the Idolatrous Papistes That doe not onely border round about us but are tollerated in infinite numbers to live amongest us in the mysteries of their Idolat and Superstition Ergo To use these