have troubled many in the universities and elsewhere Neither can they rest heere the fruite of the Hierarchie that is not a tree of Gods planting must needes grow worse Ioh. 15.2 and worse which shewes it concernes the faith it self to have the hierarchie abolished All which things considered doe manifest that their pretended devotion in commanding to kneele at the Sacrament is but like that of signing children with the signe of the Crosse wherein they straine at a gnat and swallow a Camel God must needes regard their kneeling verie litle as that of the Papists who exceede in that and all other humble and devout gestures because they are not better or more obedient Christians they doe not more feare God nor indeed so much as Protestants that kneele not when they receive For they ordaine that men should bow the knee so oft as they heare the name Iesus mentioned in the Church which they doe not at any other name of God nor when Ruffins sweare by it as also that all should kneele at the Sacrament But what a mockerie is this while in the meane with the Papists they themselves neither bow to the word and ordinances of God nor consequently to Christ Iesus who is the word nor suffer others that would in such proofes of Scripture as prove that there ought to be * Act. 14.23 Acts. 20.17.28 Tit. 1.5 1 Pet. 5. Elders in every flock to govern the same and no such Lords of Gods heritage as Diocessan Bishops no such edicts against confutation of Arminians nor no such traditions canons set fasts as make the word of none effect It is true that the Lent fast is very ancient but so is the mysterie of iniquitie the Popes usurped primacie dominion and many other parts of Romish superstition and errour that English Bishops doe not yet affirme plainly that it ought to be observed as an ordinance of God or pari pietatis affectu ac reverentiae because it is an ordinance of the Church but they so hover about it that men feare it will come to that if their dominion stand As to this reason that Christ fasted fortie dayes they might as well tel us because he walked on the water or suffered for sinners so therefore should wee And what a mockerie is it to make this time of the yeare the time of repentance and mortification when that is not to be put off till Lent but is due at all times of the yeare as mens soules by reason of daylie sins doe oft stand in need of bodily fasting and humiliation the better to fit them for praier Or if it were necessarie what a mockerie is it to ordaine abstinence from all flesh when men have libertie to eate the daintiest fish and other delicates used in fish dinners banquets and feasts and that as much and as oft as they lift And if the Prelates themselves did not use it they would not be so fat and lustie as they are * B. Bangor March 4. 1631. They make great feasts at their consecration in Lent But say they it makes much for the increase of cattel that the subject may have them in more plentie and better cheape I could say this might be much better effected by forbidding many great and superfluous feasts as was partly practised in that dearth 1630 but I answer They might as well tell us that the great feasts used in the twelve daies and at other festivall times cause plenty and cheapnes as Lent which costs men more in fish For who sees not that both the one and the other make all things the dearer That when they approach all men striving to store their houses with flesh and fish the markets are raised to that extremitie that mens purses find a dearth in the midst of plentie Butchers and Poulterers pay deere for their licences which makes all extreame deere to such poore and sick or weake persons as must needs eate some flesh and Lent ended people buy as if they had never eaten flesh before which makes it want for no price Besides how many thousands are there who are not sick and yet of such weake constitutions that they cannot live six weekes without eating some flesh all these must needes abstaine to their hurt or bee reckoned Rebels and vexed by promoters resembling them of the Inquisition But fishing and shipping would otherwise decay This were somewhat if they had beene or were like to be used in the defence of Religion or against the enimies thereof and not against such as the Rochellers but howsoever if men were free to eate fish when they list they would desire it more as experience shewes in other countries where such freedome is Or if there were but one or two daies in a weeke as wednesday saterday or both wherein it were prohibited to all under great penalties sick persons excepted and especiallie to Inholders Alehouses Vintners Cookes and Victuallers that none should dresse or sell dressed any flesh on that day on paine of having his house shut up and paying some great fine all thorow-fare and market townes would strive to be furnished with fish for those daies and there would be more fishing and fish spent in the land in one yeare then now there is in two and this being only a common law and but for a day or two in a weeke and not imposed as a fast would be no burthen But the lawes are alleadged for this Lent fast as for the dominion of the Prelates and observation of other their traditions and ceremonies I might answer that the way to have lawes observed is to commaund things reasonable and agreeable to Gods word such as may without hurt be observed things burthensome to little purpose are as little regarded That Ministers of the Gospel should rather alleadge the law of Christ that fasts and almes ought to be voluntarie or obtained by the word preached for private humiliation or publick being commanded by authoritie when there is a publick calamitie or some great enterprise in hand needing such humiliation to obtaine the assistance of God and thus only are they used in the reformed Churches but in this and the like cases there is an example noted in a hystorie worthy our observation Quarrels of Paul 5. lib. 1. p. 9. The state of Luca finding many Citizens had changed their Religion and retired into protestant countries published an Edict forbidding all their subjects to have commerce with such persons The Pope that could not dislike their intent saide The Republick had no authoritie to make such an ordinance which touched Religion for as much as the laicques have not any power to decree in matters of Religion although the law be in favour thereof therefore he commanded it to be raced out of their Records If the Pope said this of States and lawes helping and maintaining his Religion how much more may God say it of Diocessan Bishops Councels States and all such their lawes Canons and Edicts as helpe the
conversion of his power and not of mans free will that men doe beleeve and persevere because they were predestinated though they be plainly taught in the Scripture yet they will not have them nor the like points cleared by Preachers in Pulpit nor Print nor by Divines in the Vniversities no not in a time when Papists Arminians corrupt men in them but they must be left to them the Fathers and Rulers as if diocessan Bishops never ordained of God being many of them Courtiers swolne with ambition depending on the interests of favourites such as the Duke parties in such factions corrupted with flatteries contesting against the endeavours of Parliaments daily busied at the Councell table in the Star chamber or high Commission Court should better know how to cleere and determine these and other high points then Preachers that study nothing else but Divinity and are not led by such particular interests There is no man that hath but an indifferent judgement and any sparke of true love to Gods Kingdome but will say it is impossible that these men or their flatterers should bee fit Iudges or give just lawes to men in such cases yet they governe all in Synods and elsewhere and if they have but colourable pretences like the Papists who doe resist or question them These are they that ruling all and having many things in their gift are sure to be flattered and followed in Court Synods and Vniversities and if as the Appealer doth they can but alledge the opinion of Bishop Bancraft or any such politician Prelate like themselves they care for no better authority Onely strengthned by the secular arme they know how to prevaile by power All which considered it is no marvell that they have decreed so many things to so little profit yea to so great damage to the Church and kingdome of God And all true Christians are the rather to take heed of them and their decrees and not to say it is either necessary to have Bishops or a thing indifferent seeing they so much endanger the faith and that in these respects it greatly concernes the faith and all the faithfull to have their government abolished and the Eldership restored lest by them as by the Bishops in the Church of Rome religion come to be corrupted It will be objected the most ancient Councels were governed by Bishops I answer that otherwise Popish errours could not have beene established nor so long maintained against the truth that at first Presbyters had their voices in them that Bishops of old differed little from Presbyters had pastorall charges and were not like ours but onely began to decline and therefore I wonder not that Nazianzen so long since observed that there came little good yea much hurt of them and that contentions have alwayes beene encreased by the Episcopall assemblies as also Bishop Iewel proves in many particulars In an Epistle annexed to the history of the Counc of Trent I wonder not if in our dayes some Bishops are learned affect some good things make some good bookes and tollerable constitutions For some of them have beene great Divines Pastors and of a good conscience in many things but might not a man have found the like in some of the Sadduces Heredians Arrians 〈…〉 Pâ—pists and other heretikes that is take them out of their heresies in such things as they hold common with other Iewes or Christians yet many things determined by them were dangerous so must it needs be in the diocessan Bishops of England who are of a humane law and heretikes in matter of the Eldership if not Arminians Therefore in this cause that may be said of them which Paul 4. said of the Bishops of his time that it was a vanity to assemble 60. Pa. 339. Bishops of the least able and 40. Doctors of the most insufficient as was twice done already in Trent and to beleeve that by those things could bee well regulated All which considered who can thinke that the Hierarchy or any Synod of English Bishops can be for the service of God In the meane the Churches or at least many thousands in them in their practice receive the hierarchy ceremonies and traditions Pari pietatis affectu ac reverentiae with like affection of piety and reverence as the written word of God and many with greater There are foure pillars that uphold the Hierarchy 1. Traditions and ceremonies 2. Spirituall ignorance and blinde devotion in the Nobility and Laity For that makes them take it for granted that Bishops and obedience to their traditions are de jure divino hence proceedes a 3. Riches and authority and from these a 4. reciprocall resolution combination with such Statesmen as the Duke and his confederates so to maintaine each others cause against al accusers as if they were one and they each others Advocates And as a branch of this the severe suppression of all bookes and complaints that discover their errors or practices There is no need to prove further that the three last are against the service of God it will suffice to shew that they are against the service of the King and State But first of ceremonies and traditions received in the Church of England Histor of the Councell of Trent pag. 259. It is remarkable that when some German Protestants for feare received those appointed in the Interim saying after they were indifferent Others whom necessity had not compelled said it was true that indifferent things concerne not salvation yet by meanes of them pernicious things are brought in and going on they framed this generall conclusion That ceremonies and rites though by nature indifferent doe then become bad when he that useth them hath an opinion that they are good or necessary Which hath beene proved of them in England and that generally they are men popish neutrall or of least sincerity that stand most for them as for the best meanes to uphold the hierarchy because they know that rule to be true No ceremonie no Bishop which as it seemes is the reason that the Bishops looke to little else though that bee to confesse that they serve for nothing but to uphold their owne traditions and ceremonies wherein they are very zealous like the Trent Bishops that anathematized them that say that the ceremonies Pa. 574. vestments or externall signes used in the Masse are rather incitements to ungodlinesse Pa. 548. then offices of piety Where if by ungodlinesse you understand superstition and ignorance the Trent censure is extreame harsh the rather because Antonius of Veltelina a Dominican had proved unto them that the Rite of Rome had beene received to gratifie the Pope but not in all places and by a booke called Ordo Romanus that it hath had great alterations not onely in ancient times but even in the latter ages also that the Roman Rite observed within 300. yeares is not that which is now observed by the Priests in that City For the vestments vessels and other
was Christ that as it feedes and saves our bodies from perishing so doth Christ our soules that as his promise is to save all that beleeve in him receive and feed on those promises so he ordained this Sacrament as a signe and seale of the same to every true beleever to whom in particular it is given and applied His new covenant is to * Iet 31.33 write his law in our hearts that wee may by vertue of that covenant in his blood walke in his waies and for what is past to remember our sins no more and each man takes the Sacrament as an assurance thereof to his owne soule that groanes under the burthen of them The Sacrament is best received when wee mind and beleeve these and the like things and hunger and thirst for them therefore there is no more need of kneeling in the act of receiving then in hearing the same offered in the word preached nor indeed so much Praier on our knees is necessarie before receiving that wee may bee prepared and receive accordinglie and after receiving to shew all humble thankfulnes but in giveing us this Sacrament at his table the Lord would shew us a great favour as a great Lord or Prince doth to a poore mā when he calls him to his table he requires him not to come eate kneeling for that is not an action fitting the intended favour nor the act of eating a supper It is the best part of manners to be ordered by him as the guests were that were first set In standing or sitting he may behave himself reverently as they doe that so receive in the reformed Churches If any do yet replie it is better for men to command kneeling in receiving the Sacrament though the Apostles and others in their time received it sitting that is to infer that the like may be commanded that the witnesses shall kneele while a child is baptised or sprinckled that the Kings Preists of Israel might have commanded the like as most necessary in circumcision and in eating the Paschal-lambe that is that all should eate it kneeling for the eating of the Lambe before Christs death was in place of this Sacrament but this they could not doe for God saith of the Passeover according to all the rites of it and according to all the ceremonies thereof Num 9.3 shall yee keepe it Not with others much lesse with contrarie It may be that the striking of the doore posts with blood was not after so necessary nor perhaps the eating of it in hast and with staves in their hands because the Angel had then past their houses and the journey into Canaan was past but the rest of the ceremonies mentioned vers 12. were to remaine Vers 12. No man might presume to change them No more indeed may any do these save in such as doe not necessarily belong to the receiving of the Sacrament as that there should be a Paschal-lambe eaten at the same time that it should be at a supper time when men make a meale and not rather before dinner the Apostle changed one that it should not be eaten when men eate a meale or for hunger and the other was changed upon the same or like reason But this of the gesture cannot so well be changed much lesse to one so contrary as that of kneeling The example of Christ and his Apostles have the force of a precept that it should be eaten afer the manner of a supper and the greatest difference and contrarietie of gesture that can be in such an action is that betweene sitting and kneeling which of all others is farthest from that used in the institution and time of the Apostles and therefore must needes be displeasing to God the rather because it hath beene invented imposed and practised by idolatrous Papists It is the necessitie of conformitie imposed upon Ministers that furnisheth them with arguments to the contrarie You will say many in the primitive Church received it standing This cannot properly be called a change because men do oft eate standing and it is likely that when Christ after his ascension the Apostles gave the bread some might receive it standing Besides the conveniencie pleades for the gesture For when as in Diepe and Paris and some other Churches of France there be about 4000 to communicate at a time thirtie or fortie of them come one behind an other toward the side of the table where the first three or fower standing still receive and then passing forward give way to the next three till all bee served whereas if all should sit and rise by companies it would aske a far longer time Besides this is a reverent gesture and a lawfull and an indifferent meane betweene sitting and kneeling Object Some answer there cannot bee too much reverence in such an action therefore kneeling is best Answ The same reason holds as well for the Sacrament of baptisme and the word preached that witnesses who answer for a child should kneele when it is sprinkled that men of age baptised in the primative ages should have kneeled while they were sprinckled or dipped that all should kneele al the while the word is preached because therein God speakes unto us and plainely manifests his eternall wisdome power and grace whereas in the Sacraments those things are only taught us by signe and seales Object It is objected that they are commonly prentises and people of the least knowledge who refuse to kneele Answ Answ Many that had as little knowledge and could as ill give a reason of their faith were Martyrs in Queene Maries daies Howsoever they have lesse knowledge in this point though they be Bishops and Doctors who mayntaine that kneeling may be imposed as most fitting in this action Plessis mysterie of iniquitie progress 50.51 For it was Pope Honorius the third that first ordained kneeling at the Sacrament about the yeare 1220 when a little before the doctrine of transubstantiatiō determined in the Councell of Lateran in the time of his predecessor Innocent the third and then in the yeare 1264 that feast was ordained by Vrban the fourth Platin in vit Honor. 3. Annot. which Papists call Gods daie or Corpus Christi with them the greatest in the yeare when withall pompe and ceremonie the bread is caried in procession and adored of all Thence it followed that men ought to kneele before it And that this ceremonie was held necessarie as also bowing to the Altar both which might bee used by some in an ignorant and officious devotion before the time of Honorius but ratified and received by all the Westerne Churches it could not bee till the Pope had power and champions to maintaine it These were the locusts the Regulars Innocent the third confirmed the order of Friars whose head was Francis so famous for lying wonders and Honorius the third that of the preachers whose head was Dominick canonized for a saint by the following Pope Gregorie the 9 these stouly maintained the cause
against the Waldenses and Albigenses whilest these popes were busie in sending Kings to conquer Ierusalem and persecuting the Emperours King Iohn of England and other Princes Such was the religion of those times the ages next before for as one observes If the Bishops of Rome sent into any countrie it was not principally to preath the Gospel Plessis mysterie iniquitie prog 24. but to broach their owne ceremonies their singings their service in latine howres organs Altars tapers c. stirring up Princes to enforce their subjects to use and practise them who would faine have kept themselves to the first institution of the Church in the puritie of the Gospel And as he observeth the worser sort of men are most zealous in such things to shadow and obscure their evill acts and indeed to serve them in steade of the Religion which Christ ordained therefore though they neglected and contemned found doctrine true faith knowledge zeale and the like graces yet they would build stately Temples bow to the Altar and to the bread which is called the body of Christ and thinke they did God the better service I will not say that those English Bishops and Doctors who had hand in the reformation and ordained kneeling at the receiving of the bread and wine did beleeve transubstantiation or consubstantiatiō or teach men to doe honour to those elemēts because they are called the body and blood sacramentally it may be it was rather to draw Papists the sooner to Church that this and other Romish rites were retained as also because this had beene so long used in all the world they thought it too much as once to fall from kneeling to sitting thinking that if they should ignorant Papists of which the land was then peopled would never bee drawen to Church or to hearken to thē in other things when having once laid these things for Rules like the Lutherans in their tenets they can heare nothing to the contrarie but above all because they knew the office of a Diocessan Bishop could not subsist in these daies of reformation without maintaining them against all opposers of traditions and humane inventions I know that as yet there is no publick constitution teaching plainly that reverence ought to be done to the Elements because they are called the body and blood of Christ but if they that stand so much for kneeling at the Sacrament have not some such superstition in it why doe they bow toward the Altar or table rather then toward the pulpit or some other side of the Church seeing God is every where and on all sides of us And why else doe they begin to erect Altars at the east end of the quier in Churches where there have beene none since poperie was abolished These Popish ceremonies should also have beene abandoned to shew plainly that they doe not favour superstition and the worship of bread They vainly say it argues too much boldnes to sit or stand at the table of the Lord for it is a far greater presumption to use and ordaine a ceremonie so contrarie to the institution and practise of the Church in the Apostles time The greatest reverence wee can doe to God is to stick close to his ordinances to obey and love them and the greatest presumption to thinke any thing can be better devised performed and practised then it was in his institution with the Papists they doe but mock God with a name of greater reverence whilest they withstand that of the institution and command another gesture that is farthest from it God is a spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and truth In beleeving and following his word and ordinances as Paul worshipped the God of his fathers Ioh. 4. Act. 24.14 1. Cor. 11. who delivered this ordinance so as he received it of the Lord and not as they did whose feare toward God was taught by the precepts of mē they worshipped him in vaine he regards not their kneeling It is not enough for preachers to say wee preach and urge them because our Princes and Bishops have commaunded them for he will answer Who required these things at your hands Isa ◠1◠which doe but open a gap for Kings and Prelates to commaund what they list Hence came that * Besides that about the Saboath order of King Iames that men should not in pulpits confute poperie in things controverted but leave that to the Bishops and Deanes and that which succeded that Ministers should not in the Vniversities pulpits and print dispute preach or write against Arminianisme they that perswade a King that he may doe this strive in effect to make a Pope of him And lastly thence comes the great domineering and strange injunctions of prelates in their visitations that none must dare to speake against any of their orders or ceremonies whatsoever unles he long to be silenced reckoned a mad fellow Dr. Clewit at the Bishop of London visit An. 1631. thence comes the extreame flatterie of their Agents and Chaplaines who begin to preach thus Auctoritàs praecipientis est ratio praecepti and no man considers that thus the Church of Rome grew to an unlimited and licentious power that such are the naturall fruits of the hierarchie and they must needes grow worse and worse In those reformed Churches where men sit they come to the table more prepared with more knowledge feare Rev. 2.20 reverence and circumspection then such men they dare not admit a notorious drunkard Adulterer Arminian or the like nor any person utterly unknowne because it tendeth to corruption 1. Cor. 5.6 For a litle leaven leaveneth the whole lumpe Whereas in England all that will may come bodly even in the Cathedrall Church in London They that receive are utterly unknowne to them that administer no man examines them nor testifieth for them they may be Arminians excommunicate prophane or Church-papists for ought that any man there knowes they looke after no religion but this that he kneele at the Sacrament which if he doe but observe be his life or religion what it will he may come boldly Notwithstanding all these things many say so long as the Gospel may be and is freely preached why should wee trouble a Church or leave it our places and meanes for such faults and ordinances Marke how God hath suffered these men to be punished and deceived the Gospel is there freely preached by them that will needs preach so but not by the care of the Bishops nor yet in all points much lesse in all places Ministers are called upon to urge these ordinances of men yet in the meane they are not suffered to preach Gods ordinance the Eldership nor yet against Arminianisme It is true that after the prohibition the Parliament immediately succeeding many couragiously preached against Arminianisme and so doe some to this day but not in the Court nor in the Vniversitie much lesse before the Bishops who are still against such and