rerum nouarum inuentione cederet Some were deceiued by Heretickes who to couer their pernicious heresies did studiously broach traditions vnder the Apostles names and authoritie so did Artemon Basilides Valentius Marcion Eusebius 5. 25. Clemens Strom. lib. 7. And thus Tertullian is noted to haue been deceiued by Montanus his Paraclet and inspiration as appeareth in his booke de veland virgin Some are noted to haue ascribed too too much vnto traditions So did Papias Clemens Origen and they cite Apocryphall booke to countenance them and commend very sory matters both of doctrine and of practise to themselues and others So did Papias Clemens and Origen and Basil and Epiphanius of which point looke Chemnitius examp parte 1. de tradition fol. 85 86 87. and what they could not sound from any true originall sundry of them did vsually ascribe to the Apostles So Hierome Epiphanius and Ambrose doe affirme Lent to bee an Apostolicall tradition So Aug. Epi. 86. makes report of such as alleadged Iames Iohn and Peter the Apostles for fasting on the Sabbath the vrging of which kinde of ground or allegation hee saith is interminabilis contentio generans lites non finiens quaestiones So the Easterne Churches did referre their obseruations of Easter to Saint Iohn and the Churches of the Westerne parts vnto Saint Peter and Saint Paul But heereof sayeth Socrates 5. 22. Sozomen 7. 19. There is no euidence in writing and therefore hee noteth them most likely to arise from custome rather then from Canon Some of the ancient Bishops gouerning at seuerall times in diuers places did commend the traditions which they liked or fancied themselues to their posterities for lawes And this is Socrates obseruation ibid. a president whereof a man may see Dist. 12. cap. 5. Ridiculum and other places see Caluin instit 4. 10. 18. quia periculum c. And their posteritie were no lesse superstitiously obsequious in obseruing then they in prescribing for Sozomen saith that in those dayes in Cities and Villages very many customes which for reuerence of those which brought them in at first or of those which succeeded the bringers in they who had beene trained vp in them did by no meanes holde lawfull or tollerable to violate which very thing fell out vnto men in this very feast of Easter lib. 7. cap 19. Some of the Fathers did bring in the Ceremonies with no superstition or opinion of merit or necessitie but with a good intention namely to stirre vp the more reuerence and admiration towards the Sacraments and to stirre vp a kind of deuotion in the minds of men which going further and further and increasing tooke strength vntill at last they turned to that manifest impiety idolatry and superstitions as wee see in that supposed Church of Rome this day Zepperus de Politia eccl lib. 1. cap. 10. fol 55. Some were deriued from the Gentiles and though sometime they were vsed yet they were afterward abolished such as the yeerely offering for the birth day Sadeel Some of the Ceremonies were brought in vpon occasion such as the signing of a mans selfe with the Crosse which was vsed on occasion of the Pagans mocking of the Christians crucified God that they might testifie vnto them that they were Christians and not ashamed of the Crosse of Christ this Martyr Loc. class 2. cap. 5. § 20. noteth out of Augustine de verbis Apostoli ser 8. which after grew to superstition So the not fasting one the Sabbath was established on occasion that the Maniches did in ioyne fasting on that day to their disciples August Epist 86. so the gloria Patri and as some suppose the threefold dipping of children in Baptisme was brought in by way of opposition to the Arians and Antitrinitarians Sozom. 6. 26. All or the very most part of these their ceremonies were significatiue as before appeares many of them in the euent were holden opperatiue such as the imposition of hands signe of the crosse anointing with oyle Tertullian de resurrectione carnis Caro vngitur vt anima consecretur Caro signatur vt anima muniatur Caro manus impositione adumbratur vt et anima spiritu illuminetur looke more in Bellarm. Tom. de Imag lib. 2. cap. 29. They were in processe of time increase of superstitions as many little streames meeting in along tract doe end in an Ocean So multiplied for number and burthen that to the more sincere and prudent Fathers the estate of the Iewes seemed more tolerable and easie then the estate of the Christians of those times Augustine Epistle 119. cap. 19. Some of them were very eager and inexorable for the obseruation of them it was accounted nefat on the Lords day to kneele in prayer Tertull. cont Marcion lib. 1. de coron mil. and who hath not heard of thē foule coile which Victor the Romish Bishop kept or at least began to keepe against the Churches of the Easterne world whom onely for not obseruing the order of the Westerne Churches hee would haue excommunicated and giuen them all vnto the Diuell at a clap which audacious and frantike attempt of that turbulent and boisterous Prelat albeit it be cogingly blanched ouer by a Sanderus visib Monarch lib 7. num 22 23 24 25 fol. 246 247 248. Sanders b Bellarm de Rom pont l. 2. c. 19. Bellarmine c Baron Annal Tom. 1. anno 198. Baronius d Genebrard Chronol lib. 3 anno Christi 206 fol. 389. Genebrard fit dawbers of so tottring a wall as if it had beene by him as by the primacy of the Romish Sea yet it is farre otherwise reported in the records of antiquity for first it is plainely said by Irenaeus that this excommunication was flat against the minds and practise of the most reuerend Fathers such as Policarp the disciple of Saint Iohn and other Romish Bishops his predecessors such as Amicetus Pius Higynus Telesphorus Xistus who in the like difference gaue not the like example neither did they hold this odds of such trifles as Irenaeus calls them a matter of that quality to breake communion but held fast the band of loue and vnity Euseb 5. 24. Socrat. 5. 22. That this censure of the man was done in excessiue heate or in a pelting chafe on his part as Socrates affirmeth 5. 22. that Irenaeus Bishop of Lions did put Victor in remembrance of his duety Eusebius 5. 24 sharpely reprooued him ibidem and bitterly inueighed against him and contested with him by letters Socrates 5. 22. that all the Easterne Bishops still kept their old by as from the Romish Sea for all the threates of Victor euen vnto the time of the Nicaene Council when all agreed without any absolution at all from Victors thunder-clappe yea that Policrates the president of the Easterne Bishops and all the rest which were very many were not moued an haire at these rattles set vp to fright them Euseb 5. 23. Where by the way wee may vnderstand two points First what
Col. 2. 17. fol. 67. Zepper de politia Eccles lib. 1. cap. 13. fol. 94. Aretius Problem de Ferijs fol. 289. Paraeus in Rom. 14. dub 4. fol. 1203. 1204. The latter sort of holy dayes albeit they be not vsed in some Churches as in Heluetia Belgia France county Palatine c. but are by sundry godly persons in some respects misliked as Har. confess § 16. Heluet. Poster fol. 175. Bulling in Ep Caluin 129. f. 227. Dec. 2. Ser. 3. f. 126. Caluin Ep. 278. fol. 456. Ep. 379. fol. 658. Muscul loc part 1. in 4. praecept fol. 133. 134. 135. Zegedine loc cō fol. 324. de fest is Christianorū Oleuian in Rom. 14. 5. f. 691. 692. Idē in Gal. 4. 10. fol. 95. Rolloc in Coloss 2. 16. fol. 164. 165. Paraeus in Rom. 14. dub 4. fol. 1204. 1205. 1206. Bb. Hooper on Command 4. fol. 48. Paraeus in Rom. 14. Idem exercit 29. lib. 2. fol. 200. Yet by sundry reuerend persons they are excused and by some allowed and practised in sundry Churches as the Churches of the Augustane Confession Danish Bohem. Berne and others Harm Confess § 16. Bohem. fol. 179. Hemming syntag in 4. legem Decal § 27. 28. fol. 363. 364. Aretius Problem loc 99. f. 289. Bucer script Anglic. censura cap. 26. fol. 494. allow them vpon condition that they bee sanctified by preaching practising of holy duties and not profaned by sin belly cheare and vanitie Zanchius excuseth them in that the Fathers who first ordained them did vpon those dayes worship God and not the Saints and besides by this Quod nulla lege prohibebantur id facere quod faciebant de redempt cap. 19. fol. 601. as also in respect of their endes of institution the remembrance of the Saints excellency to our own profit the declaration of their vertues to Gods glory and an excitation of mens mindes to thankfullnesse vnto God Idem in Col. 2. 17. fol. 67. And therefore he concludeth that as those Churches did well to abolish the Popish supestitious dayes which were abused to Idolatry as the day of the Conception and Assumption of the Virgin Mary c. yea they also did not euill which for the state of their Church did abrogate omnia praeter diem Dominicum all dayes being matters meerely indifferent and to preuent future superstition Zanch. in Coll. 2. 17. fol. 614. de redempt cap. 19. lib. 1. fol. 618. yet seeing they are matters in their nature indifferent Liberum est Ecclesiae deligere sibi dies Festos Euery Church hath liberty to chuse holy dayes for the edification of it selfe Idem de redempt cap. 19. fol. 615. Idem confess cap. 25. § 30. fol. 250. on condition that they bee not too many neither vsed prophanely or superstitiously or when they be so abused if they cannot well be reformed to abolish them Idem de redempt cap. 19. fol. 615. 618. confess vbi supra And so he affirmeth that these holy dayes ought by no man to be contemned and that by the example of Christ Zanch. in Col. 2. 17. fol. 67. a. Idem de Redempt ibid. fol. 612. The obseruators on the Harmony of confessions on sect 16. ad Bohem. 1. doe thus affirme of these Holy dayes As some Churches doe so farre submit themselues to their infirmity with whom they conuerse as that they doe obserue these holy dayes titled with the names of the Apostles albeit with an vneuen yea altogether a repugnant reason So other sundry Churches being driuen vnto it by no such necessitie haue taken these holy dayes also not only as vnprofitable but also in some respects hurtfull Hemingius sheweth that there is great difference between the obseruation of these Holy dayes distinguished by the names of Saints as it is performed by the Papists and Heathens The ends of whose obseruing them being idolatrous and prophane we abhorre saith Hemingius as vnworthy of whom any mention should bee made among Christians and as it is obserued among the reformed Churches whereof he giueth 6. profitable ends That the historie of the Church may be the better made knowen That the benefits of God towards the members of his Church may bee thought vpon That thankesgiuing may be giuen to God for them That the diuers cases of the Saints may be considered weighed That we may imitate the Saints in repentance life worship confession constancy patience and in other vertues That lastly with holy sighes we may desire the communion of Saints Syntag. ad 4. legem Decal § 25. 26. 27. 28. fol. 364. Caluin to the French Church at Mompelgart concerning the not receiuing of feasts I could wish you to bee more constant yet so vt non litigetis de quibus libet as yee contend not about all the holy dayes but about such onely which neither make anything at all for edification and besides doe manifest themselues to bee superstitious in the very first appearance He giueth instance of the holy dayes of the Conception and Assumption of the Virgin Mary which are built the one on false doctrine the other on a lye Epist 51. fol. 100. Againe In another place touching Festiuall dayes and other ceremonies as I suppose then to be subiect to the censure of God which vnder the colour of I know not what conformitie and agreement among Churches haue both nourished an inconuenience and turned aside the remedy and it is an hard matter for the godly Brethren to subiect themselues to such things which they apprehend neither to be right nor profitable Ita etiam defectus multos tolerandos iudico vbi emendari non possunt Euen so I do iudge that many defects are to be borne withall where they cannot bee reformed Wherefore I doe not thinke it fit that any of the Brethren should for this cause insist so farre as to depart and separate from the Church whereof hee is a member if the greater part of the Church bee carried in a contrary course because in such cases it seemeth vnto me sufficient if that which we know to be right be of vs laboured vnto for albeit it bee thrust vpon vs malam caudam trahat and doe draw a long some euill effects with all yet because it is not repugnant to the word of God concedi potest it may be yeelded vnto especially where the greater number doeth ouercome the lesser when as there is no possible way or meanes for him which is onely but a member of that body to porcure and to further reformation Idem Epist. 379. fol. 658. Aretius Because the appointing and determining of Feasts hath euer beene a matter free that is that other Churches may adde other dayes to the Sabbath to bee kept holy Nihil in hac re vitij inesse iudicamus Probl. Loc. 99. fol. 289. Polanus The obseruing of holidayes in the beginning of the Christian Primitiue Church was a matter indifferent and therefore discord and contention for the celebration of them should not bee moued Polan
Syntag. Tom. 2. lib. 9. cap. 35. fol. 4148. The Churches of the Low-countries make this Canon for themselues as holidayes shall bee abolished excepting the Lords day and the dayes of Christs Natiuity and Ascension howbeit if more festiuals be to be kept by the Magistrates command the Ministers must be admonished that they labour by preaching to turne the peoples idlenesse on those dayes into godly businesse or excercise Ex actis Synod inferior German Middleburgi anno 1581. canon 50. apud Schulbrig Anacrysi Fulk That other dayes also besides the Lords day may bee kept by the Churches ordinance for the assembly of Christians to the exercise of religion wee acknowledge But that any are simply necessary more then be of the Holy Ghosts appointing in the Scriptures we deny In Rhem. Test. ad Gal. 4. 10. § 5. fol. 603. Againe that any contention should arise for keeping or not keeping of the such feastes it is a fault in our time but yet such a fault as was very ancient as appeareth by the contentions of Victor and the Bishops of the East for the celebration of Easter and pursued with more bitternesse by Victor Bishop of Rome then by any of our time For he presumed to excommunicate as heretickes all such as would not keepe Easter after his manner Euseb 5. 25. wee acknowledge it was a very auncient custome of the Church to celebrate the memory of Martyrs as the Church of Smyrna doeth write in their Epistle Euseb 4. 12. For the remembrance of them that haue fought before vs and for the excercise and preparation of them that shall fight hereafter But your Popish manner of celebration is nothing like either in the forme or in the end for you keepe your holy-dayes as the Iewes did the feast of the Calfe wherefore it is written The people sate downe to eate and drinke and rose up againe to play In your Churches you solemnize them with idolatros worshipping of the creatures and their images out of the Churches with banquetting reuelling and idlenesse so that the people by your festiuities of Martyrs are not taught what true Martyrdome is nor prepared to suffer for Christ but rather to become Epicures whose belly is their God who glory in their shame c. In abrogating and retaining of feasts our Church hath vsed that libertie which Christians haue in obseruation of dayes To conclude we learne by many testimonies of the ancient Fathers how Christian solemnities may be kept that they bee not Iewish or Heathenish obseruations as when they are free from superstition idolatrie or opinion of holinesse in the times and when they be kept as things indifferent wherin the Church may vse her liberty to appoint or abrogate what is best for edification not to be seruilely bound to keepe thē of necessity as you the Papists defend that they are Fulk Rhemi Gal. 4. 10. § 5. fol. 603. 604. Also we shew the Christian liberty in respecting all dayes alike that are not discerned by the commandement of God As for the doung of your festiuities we condemne as open idolatry by manifest texts of scripture forbidding Gods honour to be giuen to creatures yet the dayes appointed by the Church for excercise of religion wee obserue and that without superstition Idem in Rom. 14. 5. § 2. fol. 480. Looke also Reu. 1. 10. Perkins He reproueth the Papists for dedicating many of their Holy-dayes to the honour of Saints and Angels whereas the dedication of ordinary and set dayes is a part of religious worship hee sheweth that it is the priuiledge of God to appoint an ordinary day of rest and to sanctifie it to his owne honour After Indeede the Church of England obserueth Holy-dayes but the Popish superstition is cut off For first we are bound in conscience to the obseruation of these dayes secondly neither doe we place holines in them thirdly but we keep them only for orders sake that men may come to the Church to heare Gods word fourthly and though we retaine the names of Saints dayes yet we giue no worship to Saints but to God alone fiftly and such dayes as contained nothing in them but superstition as the Conception and Assumption of the Virgin Mary we haue cut off Thus doth the Church obserue dayes with vs and no otherwise Indeed the ignorant multitude among vs faile greatly in obseruing of dayes For they greatly solemnize the time of the Birth of Christ and then they keepe few or no Markets But the Lords day is not accordingly respected and men will not be disswaded from following on that day On the Gal. cap. 4. 10. fol. 316. Touching sundry other Ceremonies some vsed in our Church others of much like nature vsed in other reformed Churches THe other Ceremonies which are vsed in our Church are thus by our classicall writers that haue written of them partly defended and excused The Ring in marriage with the words annexed In the name of the Father the Sonne and she holy Ghost This albeit some learned men condemne as the outward signe of a Popish Sacrament yet Bucer calls it admodum commodus ritus a very fit Ceremonie with this condition if it bee expounded to the people what all this may signifie which there he setteth downe Bucer Script Anglican in censura cap. 20 fol. 488. The Purification of women deliuered of childe now called more appositely The thankesgiuing for women deliuered some condemne it as Iewish yet Bucer giueth this censure and excuse for it Haec omnia Scripturis congruunt This Ceremonie is agreeable to the Scriptures with that which in the Common prayer booke is expressed He excepteth the offering of a white garment which is since abolished Bucer ibid. cap. 24. fol. 490. Priuate Communion to be giuen to the sicke Bullinger granteth that good men might admit of a priuate Communion to bee giuen to the sicke euen in these our dayes for a time to these which haue not as yet vnderstood the full vse of the Lords Supper yet hee would not haue this libertie graunted vnto all neither they that receiue it to hold it as viaticum a necessarie supplie to helpe them in the way to heauen Decad. 5. Serm. 9. fol. 498. a. Caluin alloweth it if there be some company of the kinred friends and neighbours of the sicke that the distribution thereof may bee performed according to the institution of Christ and withall if the action of this communicating be explained to the receiuers neither any different matter done from the common practise of the Church yet he would not haue this vsed commonly He holdeth it valdè periculosum huc illuc promiscuè deferre very dangerous for superstition and ambition or vaine ostentation to haue the Sacrament carried hither thither Epist. 360. fol. 625. Bucer holdeth it in our Church Scripturis satis consentanea sufficiently agreeable to the holy Scriptures for the consolation of troubled consciences if it bee receiued as the Lord appointeth Censura cap. 22. fol. 489. The