which maketh a man fall either into dangerous errours in doctrine or else some sinfull act of conuersation Thirdly by weakenesse they interpret such an hinderance whereby a Christian is made onely more slow and remisse in the profession and course of Christianity Which three phrases are notwithstanding expounded more pertinently by others to be set downe thus seuerally not by way of distinction but for exaggeration of the sinne of wilfull offence against Christians in prouoking of them vnto any damnable errour or sinne by any sensible externall meanes And in this last sence do we proceed to discusse this Argument concerning scandall SECT II. Our second Answer is by distinction of the kindes of scandall I. Diuision That distinction of scandall will best fit our purpose whereby it is vsually diuided into these two members the one is called Actiue the other Passiue SECT III. Our I. Subdiuision of Actiue Scandall is in respect of the partie Agent direct indirect The Actiue is in respect of the partie Agent who by an Act which he doth shall willingly prouoke another to any euill And this kind admitteth many Subdiuisions First than an Actiue Scandall is either directly euill or onely indirectly The direct manner of scandall is when the Act is euill in it selfe Thus the Act of Dauids murther was scandalous And this kind of scandall is no way excusable being euill ratione obiecti which is properly sinne The Indirect scandall is seene in Acts which are in their owne nature good or at least not euill but yet because either in respect of time or place or of some other Circumstance the act doth occasionally fall out to be scandalous as did the eating of things offered vnto Idols which was therfore forbidden being a sin either more or lesse according to the diuerse affections of the Offender For this indirect scandall may happen to be after two sorts sometime without the intention of the Agent who hath no meaning to giue any such offence of which kind we may reckon the fact of Saint Peter when he did so partially apply himselfe vnto the Iewes to the scandall of the Gentiles And this we call the lesse sinne The other maner of indirect scandall is that which sometimes proceedeth from the wicked intent in the Scandalizer and such was the sinne of many Heretikes who would vse Fasts and other Ceremonies of deuotion and austerity to draw disciples after them and to seduce men from the truth of Christ. Thus much in respect of the partie Agent SECT IIII. Our 2. Subdiuision of Actiue scandall in respect of persons offended either weake strong The second Subdiuision hereof is in respect of the persons that are offended for it is either perfectorum hominum of men throughly grounded or pusillorum of weake and more simple Concerning the Perfect the Stumbling blocke is on their part that gaue scandall albeit the parties that are offended are not thereby scandalized that is not so offended as to stumble and fall And thus it may be said that Peter did scandalize Christ himselfe when wishing Christ to fauour himselfe and not to die he receiued that answer from Christ Satan thou art a scandall vnto me For albeit this motion proceeded from a good and most friendly intent in Saint Peter who was the speaker for it was onely that Christ should fauour himselfe for the preseruation of his life yet did Christ discerne therein a wicked purpose of the suggester the diuell for the which cause Christ called Peter Satan because in Peters seeking to hinder the death of Christ Satan sought to hinder mans redemption But Christ preferring mans saluation before his owne life taught vs by his owne example to deale with all such scandals or blockes which are temptations to hinder vs in our course of Christianitie euen as a man would do with a blocke that lyeth in his way that is to Cast it behind him for so said Christ in his answer Get thee behind me Satan As for the Pusilli weake ones our Sauiour speaketh in their behalfe saying He that offendeth one of these little ones that beleeueth in me it were better c. Thus much in respect of the Parties SECT V. Our 3. Subsidiuision of Actiue Scandall in respect both of persons and cause either Determined Vndetermined A third subdiuision is both in respect of the cause and of the persons in cases of indifferencie For sometime this case is determined by the Church and sometimes it happeneth not to be publiquely defined When such a matter is once fully concluded by the Church whether in part or in whole so that it doth not euidently appeare to be against the Word of God so far forth it greatly cōcerneth all such persons to conforme themselues thereunto according to the doctrine of S. Paul in a question of Ceremony If any seeme to be contentious we haue no such custome nor the Church of God For indeed all men are bound in conscience to preserue aboue all things the regard of the generall peace of Gods Church before the grieuance of any sort or sect of men Which the Apostle also doth expresly teach saying Giue offence to no man neither to the Iew nor to the Gentle nor which the Apostle addeth in a further speciality to the Church of God Because such a Scandall is so much the more heinous than others by how much more pernicious a thing it is to the endangering of the health of the whole body than to weaken or lame any one limb or member thereof But if the case be either not at all or but onely in part determined by the Church then is there a charitable consideration to be had of other mens consciences who are not perswaded of the lawfull vse of indifferent things Then the generall rule is that so farre as a man may vse indifferent things without offence of others he need not to forbeare them Eate saith the Apostle making no question for conscience sake Why Because God hath giuen man a liberty to vse such things or not to vse them And the Apostles reason is this For the earth is the Lords But in case of offence against others the Rule is Not to eate namely in the behalfe of another mans conscience This was the cause that the Councell of the Apostles giuing libertie to vse such meates as had bene formerly accounted vncleane did notwithstanding make a restraint from eating of Strangled and Bloud and things offered vnto Idols lest thereby they might giue offence to the Iewish Proselites newly called to the faith And for the same cause the Apostle in great circumspection did circumcise Timothie to auoyde the Scandall of the Iewish new Conuerts and lately called to the faith of Christ but at another time would not circumcise Titus lest he might giue way to false Apostles who defended an absolute necessity of Circumcision to the preiudice of the liberty of the Gospell Thus much in respect of both Cause
and vehemently oppugne Consider therefore the Case wherein you now stand namely for it is my charge to lay this matter home to your consciences that you now obiect the feare of discrediting your Ministry if after the publishing of your contrary opinion you should conforme as the Rule of your consciences for persisting in Non-conformity although it be to the disturbance of the peace of the Church And notwithstanding make it no Rule of your conscience for practize of conformitie and continuance of the peace of the Church to feare the discrediting your Ministery by gainsaying your former subscriptions Which doth plainly argue the falsenesse of your pretence as if it were a lesse matter of discredit to contradict the writings of your hands than the words of your mouthes But what talke you of discredit in such a cause as this wherein iudicious men must needs account your reformation to be rather a redemption of a former scandall than an introduction of a new Thus much in shewing your pretence to bee false The same obiection of discrediting your Ministery was likewise called presumptuous because heerby you seeme to arrogate to your selues a prerogatiue proper to the Apostles who because they were the immediate and infallible organs and instruments of the holy Ghost and first Embassadours of Christ for the publishing of the Gospel of saluation thorowout the world might if peraduenture they had erred in any thing say of themselues as one of them did If we be found false witnesses then is your faith in vaine euen because all the fabricke of the Church of the faithfull is built vpon the foundation of the Apostles And accordingly the same Apostle speaking to the same purpose saith of himselfe If I build againe that which I destroyed I make my selfe a preuaricator meaning that he thereby should ruinate whatsoeuer Christian doctrine he had formerly built But we alas poore Battes that we are why should we presume that the credit or discredit of the Ministery of the Gospel should relie or depend vpon vs haue wee seene Christ in the flesh or came the word of the Ministrie froÌ„ vs that we should assume to your selues the Apostolical priuiledges of not erring in any thing Nay but let vs rather propound vnto our selues the example of that ingenuitie which was most visible in Saint Augustine whose Retractations of his owne errours wrought him no small credit throughout the Churches of Christ and accordingly stronger ratification of his more constantly professed truthes And furthermore why may we not in the third place call your former pretence as we haue done irreligious for you must needs know that the persisting in an errour for the preseruation of your owne credit although it be taken at the best can be no lesse a crime than which was condemned by the Apostle The doing of euill that good may come thereof Let vs therefore I pray you leaue this Antichristian piece of pollicy to that Church which in her Councell of Trent as it is to bee seene in the Oration which Gaspar had in the same Councell did maintaine her sacrilegious custome of administring the Eucharist to the people onely in one kind principally by this pretence Ne errasse videretur that is lest that she may seeme to haue erred This we hold to be irreligious Fourthly there is as good reason to iudge your former position partiall because if the credit of the Ministry must preuaile in this case then ought you rather to yeeld vnto Conformitie for the credit of the Church than for your owne credite sake to refuse it seeing that the estimation of some few parties as members must necessarily giue place to the whole body The last Epithet remaineth naming your former obiection Pernitious whereunto I thinke my selfe licenced by that saying of the Apostle Woe is mee if I preach not the Gospel By which words Saint Paul in his owne person denounceth a Woe vnto euery Minister of the Gospel that shall put himselfe vnto silence But you are readie to regest that the cause of silencing is not in your selues but in the Bishops that suspend and depriue you and therefoâ—e that they and not you become liable to that curse Know you well what you say or are you desirous to delude your owne soules for the case standeth thus Titus the Bishop doth depriue Titius a factious and schismaticall Minister that he may place Sempronious a peaceable discreet maÌ„ in his stead In this proceeding the intendment of Titus is not absolutely to depriue Titius as he is a Minister but as he was factious yet so only respectiuely that Titius being depriued he may constitute Sempronius For the charge of a Bishop is not determinate to appoint this Minister but indefinite to ordaine a Minister so that the course of Gods Plough is still preserued and continued But as for Titius who will rather be silenced then conforme it is euident that the cause of his silencing being his owne refractarinesse which is onely personal and proper to himselfe and yet hath no facultie in himselfe to appoint or admit of a Successor why therefore may not he be said to haue as properly caused the suspeÌ„sion from his Ministrie as the Steward in the Gospel by his iniustice did cause the losse of his office or Agar Sarahs made may be saide by her contempt and contumely to haue put her selfe out of seruice It is onely the Iustice of the cause that maketh a Martyr and doubles which is a matter that I earnestly desire you to consider the censure of the Apostles Woe being so dreadfull I ought not to esteeme any thing a iust cause why I should wilfully incurre the censure of Silencing my selfe from preaching for the which I ought not as willingly to aduenture my life Which Doctrine ought to seeme so much the more necessarie vnto you for that your owne Witnesses and such as haue bene the principall Authors of vnconformitie M. Beza and M. Cartwright do notwithstanding in the point of Surplice determine accordingly They laying the waring of the Surplice in one ballance which wee may call non prohiberi and the dutie of Preaching in another ballance of Praecipi whereof the Apostle said that Necessitie is laid vpon me to Preach the Gospel so that the wearing of the Surplice being not to be reckoned in the number of things per se impia wicked in themselues and Preaching being an office imposed as necessarie vpon danger of that fearefull Woe haue both of them wisely resolued that the ballance of the necessitie of the performance of our charge in feeding the flocke of Christ doth farre preponderate and exceede in weight the other ballance of all inconueniences which otherwise may happen in wearing a Surplice To this purpose I would exhort you to cast your eies vpon Saint Peter in whom Christ would haue euery Minister to behold his owne face vnto whom he said againe and againe Simon louest thou me feed my
things that haue bene once superstitiously abused thus The wickednesse of man cannot so farre pollute the good creatures of God Why The abuse of such things doth not cleaue to the things themselues but vnto the minds of them that do abuse them What then As it is superstition to place holinesse so it is to place vnholinesse in them To conclude This doctrine is Contrary to the intention of Christ and to the Libertie of the Church of Christ. The last which is of Not vsing any bodily reuerence at the holy Communion Thus Outward reuerence is requisite in Communicants both for the dignifying of Christs mysteries and for the increase of our Christian deuotion In a word to deny the Church power to choose her gesture of Reuerence is Contrary to the libertie allowed her by Christ. All these with diuerse other authorities and reasons are more expresly mentioned in the Treatise it selfe If you desire not to take vp your ware by retaile you may haue it in a generalitie For to instance but in one Ceremonie be it the Surplice the Reformed Churches although they vsed it not yet did they so certainly iustifie our practise thereof that as it is confessed If we shall condemne these indifferent things we shall condemne infinite Churches which are honoured of vs as most commendable Or thus We shall condemne all Churches of impious boldnesse Not to returne vpon you the many Parlaments and Conuocations which by the generall consent of the learnedst Diuines and the most wise and religious Gouernours in this kingdome haue established these Rites Before I shut vp this Epistle let me acquaint you with some other of your errors which may chiefly require your second thoughts I shal need but only to point at theÌ„ One is your often alleaging of Scriptures Fathers and other Authors and your open mistaking of their meanings as will euidently appeare The next is the many Repugnancies vnto your selues by such an extreme difference betweene your Swearing and Praying your standing and sitting your hands and tongues your heads and your knees c. as if there were some mile distance betweene you and your seluâ—s Not to mention your many obiectionâ— which make against your owne conclusions The third is the extreme iniurie that you do vnto the Church But you pretend peace because forsooth you preach not against Conformitie As though there were not a Preaching as well in the eare as on the house-top or not as well an exemplarie as there is an oratorie seducement else could not Saint Paul haue said concerning onely the Exemplarie Cogis eos Iudaizare And that which herein doth double your offence is that your opposition is grounded vpon a sinister conceit that our Church obserueth these Ceremonies in an opinion of Holinesse and Necessitie which is altogether contrarie to her owne expresse protestation Howbeit if her meaning in this case were but ambiguous or doubtfull yet would wel-conditioned children take things from a Parent with their right hands but your deprauing of her professed and plaine doctrine what can it else argue in you then an earnest bent to contention against the generall custome of the Church not vnlike vnto the Accipencer which vsually swimmeth against the streame The last is your notorious Scandals giuen vnto them that are without and them that are within the Church to the weake and to the strong yea and to the Church of God it selfe by breaking the hedge of peace and opening a gap for the wilde Bâ—re out of the Romish Forrest to enter in and â—oote out that goodly vine which many Pauls the industrious Bishops and Pâ—stors haue plainted and many Apollo's the faithfull Martyrs of Christ haue watered with their bloud And yet more specially that Scandall which you commit against your owne selues I meane so many of you as acknowledge the Innocencie of our Ceremonies fully cleared and your owne consciences sufficiently conuinced and do notwithstanding resolue I can scarce for honor mention so execrable a resolution to continue in opposition only for feare of discrediting your Ministerie which this Treatise proueth to be altogether false presumptuous partiall and pernicious Diuerse other things might haue bene obserued but to conclude Be you exhorted beloued brethren if there be in you a due hatred of Superstition any ioy in the Spirit of vnitie any zeale of the successe of the Gospell or any conscience of truth embrace the peace of the Church and the God of peace replenish your hearts with all spirituall Graces and preserue vs to the glorie of his Sauing Grace TO THE READER BE thou aduertised Christian Reader that the Obiectors in this Treatise are principally the Assembly of the Lincolnshire Ministers in their booke called the Abridgement c. printed 1605. The other in the Margent who for the respect I haue vnto them are but halfe-named are the Ministers in the Diocesse of Chester whose Reasons of their Refusall of Subscription so many as they could either borrow of others or inuent of themselues I keepe by me in writing and haue as methodically as I could ranged them into order in this Treatise Good Reader studie the peace of the Church and eschue all differences touching these matters which are apparently in their owne nature Indifferent Pag. 37. lin 4. Obiect 1. c. Dele the whole line Pag. 49. lin 5. after iudicious Diuines adde 4. Reasons Pag. 61. Sect. 9 after 5. Their owne practise adde 6. Reasons Pag. 100. lin 3. for Their reade Our Answer Pag. 1â—8 lin 26. reade Maozim Pag. 1â—2 lin vlt. in marg dele 1. Pet. 2.8 pag. 294. lin 30. râ—ade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THE CONTENTS OF THIS ENSVING TREATISE PART 1. It consisteth of Two parts 1. A general Defence of the Ceremonies aboue mentioned 2. A particular Defence of each one seuerally CHAP. 1. In the first Part the Non conformists vse sixe Arguments against the foresaid Ceremonies Their first generall Argument is because Euery Ceremonie should haue Special warrant froÌ„ Scripture which as they say these haue not The PropositioÌ„ of this Argument they labour to proue by Scriptures Their I. Text is Heb. 3.2 of Christs faithfulnesse in Gods house Our Answer Sect. 3. c. II. Text 2. Sam. 7.7 God saying to Dauid Shalt thou build me an house Our Answer Sect. 6. c. III. Text Ier. 7.22.23 I commanded not your fathers concerning Sacrifices c. Our Answer Sect. 8. c. IV. Text Esa. 1.11 Who required these things at your hands Our Answer Sect. 11. V. Text Ier. 7.31 God saying Which I commâ—nded you not Our Answer Sect. 12. Their second proofe for their Negatiue arguing from Scriptures is from the iudgement of ancient Fathers Our Answer Sect. 13. c. Their third proofe is from the Testimonies of Protestant Diuines Our Answer Sect. 15. Our generall Confutation of their first Argument in disputing Negatiuely from Scripture in the question of Ceremonies by Reasons Our I. Reason
testimonies of their principall witnesses You your selues in this question haue obiected M. Caluin P. Martyr and Zepperus as if they had abandoned all vse of Romish Ceremonies with as an extreme a detestation as they do the very Heathenish whereas if you would haue consulted with M. Caluin in a place professedly assigned for the Auoiding of Romish superstition he would haue taught you that there is a maine difference betweene Turkes and Papists Because Multa habemus c. There are many points common saith he betweene vs and Papists especially this that we haue both our Denominations from Christ c. And after he inferreth that Although there be many Ceremonies among the Papists which we may not obserue yet saith he Nequis me adeo austerum esse vel praecisi rigoris c. lest any man may thinke me to be so rigorously precise that I would forbid a Christian ne se Papistis vlla in Ceremonia aut obseruatione accoÌ„modet that is to apply himselfe in any Ceremony vnto the Papists Be it knowne that it is not my purpose to condemne any thing which is not directly euill in it selfe Now who knoweth not that the thing which is made Euill onely through Abuse cannot be said any way to be euill in it selfe And we haue heard already of his allowance of materiall Churches howsoeuer they were once polluted with Romish superstition whereof Zepperus confesseth saying The Popish Temples what were they but the Receptacles of all Idolatrie which did bellow out nothing but meere abhominations yet from hence it doth not follow that the Churches of Protestants must therefore be destroyed and new ones built in their steads because those Temples were not the immediate instruments of Idolatry as the Altars were which could not but serue immediatly vnto their God Mauzim euen to the execrable sacrifice of the Masse And although we reade in the Ecclesiasticall Storie of Ruffinus of the destruction of an Heathenish Temple by conuert Christians and of Constantine his Edict for the demolishing of the Temples of the Gentiles and Heretickes the like of the Edict of Theodosius the elder that is no more than we may say of some Churches and Temples which stand in remote places instituted by Papists for the vse of Pilgrims and Passengers whereof there is no conuenient vse In this Authour you may obserue a distinction betweene things immediatly as Altars and mediatly as Temples dedicated to Idolatrie and that Zepperus excluding the latter yet alloweth of the first although the Temples so polluted with Idolatry be now materially and indiuidually the same which are vsed by Protestants in the syncere and holy worship of God P. Martyr is plentifull in this point first putting in a Caueat which will be for the direction of your consciences if you will hearken vnto him if you will not yet then also will it make for your correction Cauendum est profectò c. Wee must in any case take heed saith he lest that we do presse the Church with too much seruitude as to thinke that we may vse nothing which hath bene Popish Surely the ancient Fathers tooke the Temples of Idols and conuerted them into holy houses of God wherein Christ our Sauiour should be worshipped and the Reuenewes which had bene consecrated vnto the gods of the Gentiles for the maintenance of their Vestall Virgins that they tooke for the support of the Ministers of the Church albeit such things had serued not onely to the honour of Antichrist buâ— of the diuels themselues Yea and also the very verses of the Poets which were dedicated vnto the Muses and diuerse gods or for the vse of Comedies or seruing in the Theater for pacifying of their gods such did Ecclesiasticall Writers the holy Fathers vse so farre as they found them fit good and true and were thereunto directed by the example of the Apostle who did not disdaine to cite Menander Aratus and Epimenides and to set downe the same words which were otherwise prophane and to apply them to Gods worship Except perhaps you shall deeme that the words in holy Writ do serue so much vnto Gods worship as do the visible words of the holy Sacraments Furthermore who doth not know that wine was consecrated vnto Bacchus Bread to Ceres Water to Neptune Oliues to Minerua Letters to Mercurie Songs to the Muses or to Apollo All which notwithstanding we doubt not to apply as well in Sacred as in Ciuill vses albeit they had beene dedicated vnto the very Diuels So he Whereby as we see he putteth in a caueat against all fierce and calumnious Disputers who inferre from euerie former abuse of Surplice a necessarie abolishing of all vse thereof SECT XXX Our fift and last ground of Confutation of their generall Argument against our Ceremonies in respect of their former Abuses is taken from the Confession and Practse of the Non-conformists themselues The first and fairest obiects which offer themselues vnto our eyes among the Ceremonies in Romish worship and their Churches Chalices Vestiments Bels and if you will also their round Wafer-cake all which haue bene Idolatrously abused by Papists Their Churches were most superstitiously dedicated after the manner of charming their Chalices and Table-clothes were no lesse immediate Instruments of their Idolatrous Masse than were their Altars their Bels were baptized with an opinion of infused Holinesse and vertue to driue away Diuels Durandus and Durantus two Maisters of the Ceremonies in the Romish Church do deriue many superstitious Significations from these almost all other Instruments of Romish seruice even vnto the verie Knots of the Bel-ropes The Case thus standing must we now by the Conclusion of our Non-conformists stand chargeable to turne our Temples into Barnes or Hay-lofts which I wish were not practised by some that will seeme to make most coÌ„science against a Ceremony Siluer Chalices into wooden cuppes Bels into Gunnes and Bel-ropes into halters c Nay euen your selues are not so farre fallen out with Popish Ceremonies but that you can be contented to except out of your Position such as may bee of necessary vse Yea and one who is held as a principall and as it were Super-intendent among you doth more fully expresse your opinion than others thus Many of our Churches were builded by Papists and dedicated to the honour of Saints and seruice of some Idol yet these being in the first foundation which I take to hâ—ue beene in Constantines time intended for the true worship of God and hauing both then and now a needfull vse among vs may be retained I thinke that Gregory did well who said vnto Augustine the Monke being then in England that for the Pagan and Idol Churches he should onely purge them and not pull them downe yea and Popish vestments may serue for substance of the stuffe to make window Cushions or a Pulpit-Cloth Prouided alwayes that there be no Crosse nor Crucifix vpoÌ„ it The like may be said of
and Parties SECT VI. Our 4. Subdiuision of Actiue Scandall in respect of consequences and effects in occasioning A lapse into sinne or errour Hinderance from Grace The fourth and last Subdiuision is in respect of the Consequences and the effects of Scandall whether it be an Hinderance of their saluation who are already members of the Church by prouoking them with such Scandalous examples either to vse indifferent things against their consciences and occasion them to relapse from the faith as hath bene said or else if it be an hinderance of them who are yet aliens from the couenant of grace to set a Scandall and blocke against them Which latter point of Scandalizing S. Paul doth condemne saying Giue no offence neither to the Iew nor to the Grecian Whereupon The Apostle saith M. Caluin nameth Iewes and Gentiles teaching vs that we are debters vnto all sorts of men euen to those that are Aliens that we may gaine them to the faith Thus much of Actiue Scandall SECT VII Of the second generall member of Scandall which is called Passiue and the diuision thereof is in respect of the Party offended Matter of offence The second generall member of Scandall is called Passiue when the offence is not giuen by any fault of the Speaker or Doer but rather taken by the sinister apprehension of the Hearer or Interpreter concerning some thing that is either good or at least not euill in it selfe Which Passiue offence is distinguished either in respect of the party offended or else in respect of the nature of that matter wherein the offence doth consist SECT VIII Our 1. Subdiuision of the Passiue Scandall is concerning the fault of the party offended either by defect in Iudgement Affection The fault of the party offended may proceed from a double defect one is the corruption of his iudgement yet through a wilfull and an affected ignorance such as was the Scandall taken by the Capernaites through their carnall construction of that speech of our Sauiour saying Except you eate the flesh of the Sonne of man c. Whereat some were so greatly offended that they refused to heare Christ any more for the which some Disciples also did apostatate from him This I may call an affected ignorance because they did not ingenously seeke to be satisfied by any Reason but onely in a meere stupiditie or rather obstinate incredulity asked How shall he giue vs his flesh to eate For notwithstanding they were answered by Christ himselfe that the speech was not to be taken carnally or literally but spiritually yet had they not the patience to endure the speech of Christ For which cause he suffered them wretched men that they were to Depart from him Thus much of the Scandall proceeding from the iudgement of the Party The second defect proceedeth directly from the poison of a carnall affection whether of pride as in such as tooke offence at the pouerty of Christ or in enuy which is called oculus nequam as in him that tooke offence at Christs bounty vnto whom it was said Is thy eye euill because mine is good Or lastly in malice which is called Scandalum Pharisaeorum who tooke offence both at the miracles of Christ imputing them to the Prince of the Deuils and at his doctrine conceâ—ning whom Christ as permitting malicious men if they needs will to fall sinck and perish in their sinnes saith in that place Let them alone they are blind Leaders of the blind and both shall fall into the Ditch And the truth is that whosoeuer they be that are Scandalized through their owne malice or wilfulnesse Non tam pati dici possunt quà m facere Scandalum that is They may be said more properly to do than to suffer scandall Thus much of the Scandall passiue as it respecteth the disposition of the party scandalized SECT IX Our 2. Subdiuision of Scandall Passiue in respect of the opinion of Indifferencie Necessitie The second respect considerable in a Scandall of this kinde doth râ—gard the nature of the cause whereabout it doth arise which is sometimes about a matter indifferent Now in such a case questionlesse much indulgence should be vsed towards weake persons whose infirmity proceedeth onely from simple ignorance Nor should we where the case stands thus prouoke any by our example to vse any thing although otherwise indifferent against their consciences because this is called a Destroying of thy brother Which indulgence notwithstanding is to be allowed onely till such time as the doctrine concerning the indifferencie of vsing or not vsing the thing in question hath bene sufficiently declared after which time if any presumptuously perseuer and will not be instructed the condigne penalty which shall be thenceforth inflicted cannot bee called Scandalum sith that this doth alwaies presuppose a meere weakenesse for want of due meanes of knowledge But if the euent and consequence of the Scandall be not onely an offence of priuate mens consciences but also an ouerthrow of some generall and necessarie doctrine of the Church which tendeth to edification and saluation then ought we to maintaine the Tenet of S. Augustine Praestat vt scandalum admittatur quà m vt veritas amittatur meaning that it is better the persons of some men should take offence by our Preaching and doctrine then that the truth of God should suffer any preiudice through our regardlesse silence And for our better warrant in so doing S. Paul hath giuen vs manifest documents from his owne examples one in not circumcising of Titus and the other in withstanding of Peter Thus much of the Diuisions and Subdiuisions of Scandall which being duely considered will expedite all difficulties that you can obiect in the question of Scandall for out of these you may collect the true and full sence of the Scriptures which you haue alleaged in your first Obiection from holy Writ as will better appeare in our Answers and Confutations In the meane time leauing your Proposition as granted according to our former limitations we put you to the triall of your Assumption SECT X. The Generall Assumption of the Non-conformists against our Ceremonies because of Scandall Their Pretences of Scandall occasioned by our Ceremonies are manifold to wit in respect of 1 Superstitious Papists 2 Prophane â—â—rsons 3 Weake brethrâ—n 4 Their whole Congregations 5 Their owne vnconformable Ministers 6 All sorts in generall at least by appearance of euill Their first Obiection of Scandall by our Ceremonies is in respect of superstitious Papists The Papists will bee hardened to see vs borrow our Ceremonies from their Religion Our Answer We answer that our Rites which haue beene purged from Popish superstition are no more the Ceremonies of Papists then our Churches are theirs wherein notwithstanding your selues do willing Pray and Preach being now conuerted from the seruice of the Romish Idoll vnto the syncere worship of God And therefore Papists by our reformation of things which they haue abused haue
there is a ful an apparence of coÌ„tempt of lawfull Authoritie as may iustly deny vnto you that fauour which you so earnestly contend for we shall make euident in our answer to your next Argument concerning Christian libertie whereunto we proceed CHAP. VI. SECT I. The Sixt generall Argument made by the Non-conformists against the three Ceremonies aforesaid vpon pretence that they are against the Libertie of the Church Maior That which dâ—priueth mâ—n of Christian libertie is vnlawfull Assumption But the imposition of these Ceremonies of Surplice c. doth depriue vs of Christian libertie Ergo they are vnlawfull Our Answer WE do so willingly grant your Maior that we account it a kind of spirituall fellonie to depriue the subiects of Christ his Kingdome of that libertie which our Lord Christ hath purchased vnto all the faithfull professors of the Gospel But we denie your Assumption SECT II. The Non-conformists generall Assumption concerning our Ceremonies But the imposition of these three Ceremonies viz. Surplice Crosse in the administration of Baptisme and Kneeling at the receiuing of the Eucharist do depriue vs of Christian libertie Our Answer The sinne of impeaching the libertie of Christians being so hainous a crime you stand either chargeable to prooue this Assumption or else compellable to confesse it to be no better than a false and impious Slander against the Church Proceed therefore to your Proofes SECT III. Their Proofes It is our Christiâ—n libertie to vse Ceremonies appointed by man as things indifferent but these Ceremonies are imposed as necâ—ssarie Therefore do they depriue vs of our Christian libertie Our Answer by distinction shewing the state of the Question The Non-conformists themselues will acknowledge that our question in this dispute is not concerning that Christian libertie which the Apostle mentioneth Rom. 6. whereby we are freed from the rigour of the morall Law pronouncing a curse vpon all them that persist not in all the Commandements of God to do them nor of the libertie from the Iewish bondage of the Leuiticall Law which the Apostles call an importable Yoake But the subiect matter of this our Controuersie is a libertie from the necessary obseruation of such things which are in their owne nature indifferent as is implyed by the Obiector himselfe This being the state of our Question our Reader shall need no more for the resolution thereof than to know first what it is not secondly what it is that may be said to depriue a Christian of that libertie which Christ by his Testament hath bequeathed vnto his Church both which he may easily learne by distinguishing betweene two kinds of necessities which are incident vnto humane precepts and ordinances in the case of indifferencie The one is the necessitie of obedience to the commandement the other is the necessitie of Doctrine The first necessity of obedience vnto hâ—mane precepts in things lawfull and indifferent are so farre from preiudicing our Christian libertie that Christ himselfe hath established this necessitie in his Church charging Christian Subiects to obey their Rulers Children their Parents seruants their Masters Therefore necessitie of obedience cannot properly contradict our Christian libertie I haue said properly and in it selfe albeit accidentally in respect of the multitude of impositions which may be impossible to be kept our Christian liberty may be extremly wronged but this being onely accidentally ought rather to be called a deprauation of Christian liberty than a depriuation thereof Thus much of the necessitie of obedience We returne to the Doctrinall necessitie which is as often as a man shall attribute vnto an humane constitution any of those properties which are essentiall vnto Diuine Ordinances These properties are principally three 1. immediatly to bind the consciences of men 2. to be a necessary meanes to saluation and 3. to hold it altogether vnalterable by any authoritie of man all which points do inferre a Doctrine of Diuine necessitie and therefore are not these that I may so say the Images or superscriptions of Caesar but Characters of an authoritie properly belonging vnto God and consequently all such kind of Prescriptions which containe in them any opinion of Doctrinall necessitie whensoeuer they shal be ordained by men although they concerne onely the outward Ceremonies of Gods worship yet must wee iudge them no better than meere presumptions and preuarications against the Soueraignty of God himselfe This Doctrine Saint Peter learned in the case of indifferencie of meates by that heauenly vision of the great sheete wherein were all manner of beasts and birds which was interpreted by the Diuine oracle that said vnto Peter the things which God hath purified pollute thou not If therefore when God hath signed any doctrine with a marke of Indifferency to vse or not to vse man shall come and stampe vpon it his owne marke of necessitie teaching it to be vncleane that it may not in any case be vsed by man this is a plaine heresie whereinto notwithstanding diuers false fantasticall spirits plunged themselues who taught concerning such meates as were represented in that sheete albeit that heauenly voyce had said to Peter Kill and eate Touch not taste not handle not This explication thus premised you may proceed and shew if you can that any of the foresaid properties of necessitie are imposed by our Church as you haue pretended SECT IIII. The pretended proofes of the Non-conformists are taken from 1. Scriptures 2. Reasons Their first Obiection from Scriptures The first place The Apostle saith 1. Cor. 7.35 This I speak to your profit not that I might cast a snare vpon you Shewing that the imposition of necessitie vpon things indifferent is a very snare of mens Consciences Our Answer When the Apostle had said that It is good for man not to marrie and againe The vnmarried careth for things belonging to the Lord but the married for the things of this world lest that he might seeme thereby to inferre a generall necessitie of not marrying he preoccupateth saying This I speake not to insnare you meaning that his intent was not to intangle mens consciences in an opinion of necessitie of single life because God himselfe gaue a libertie of marrying For in such a case to inioyne a necessitie is indeed mans snare whereby the Papists by their Lawes of vowes vnto men burning in lusts Stringunt imò strangulant do euen stifle many thousand soules The case of necessitie standing thus I maruaile how you could apply the snare mentioned by the Apostle vnto our Doctrine of Ceremonies without some twitch of your owne consciences seeing that you neuer heard this point of necessitie taught in our Church Examine her Articles reuiew her Rubricks search her Canons and Constitutions and trie whether I meane in Churches wherein there are the like prescriptions either the want of a Surplice or forbearing the vse of the Signe of the Crosse or the not kneeling at the receiuing of the holy Communion
conscience saying that We must be obedient for conscience sake How as if the obligation of conscience in obeying man were immediatly tyed vnto man No but vnto God and therefore that obedience vnto Magistrates is there expressed because that Magistracie is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Ordinance of God And lastly concerning Gods punishment he addeth They that resist shall receiue condemnation thereby imputing a guilt of damnation vpon all wilfull and contemptuous disobedience We may not therfore confound the distinct Courts Iurisdictions one whereof is Gods and the other is Mans The first being spirituall and inuisible the second onely ciuill and sensible But rather ought we to acknowledge the Act of binding mens consciences which is spirituall and inuisible to be properly belonging vnto Forum coeli God iudging according to the inward transgression of mans heart but not vnto forum soli wherein man hath power as to punish so to iudge directly onely the outward Acts of men It is God therefore and not man that properly and directly bindeth the conscience of Man SECT VIII Our second Answer is by confuting the Non-conformists owne Obiection from their owne Witnesses Our Diuines say you teach that Humane Lawes binde not the consciences of men Where by Our Diuines you vnderstand such Doctors of our Church who condemne your Non-conformity as though all other Diuines whom you vsually produce in fauour of your cause were contrarily-minded Among whom one catechising you in the duty of obedience vnto the Politicall lawes of men telleth you that Such politicke precepts of Magistrates and other Gouernours meaning of Parents and Masters do bind the consciences of men that is saith he we must necessarily performe them neither can they be neglected without offence vnto God we are bound to obserue them euen without the cause of scandall as for example To carry Armes is not a worship of God in it selfe but it is made a worship of God accidentally when the Magistrate shall command vs to carrie Armes because that obedience due to the Magistrate is the worship of God Another to the same purpose instructeth you that The conscience of a Christian knowing that Magistracie is the Ordinance of God doth willingly yeeld obedience This cause saith he moueth godly men to obey the Lawes of Magistrates euen then when they haue power to deceiue them and to transgresse without punishment and this is the difference betweene the godly and wicked the one obeyeth for feare of punishment the other doth it in conscience A third will reueale his iudgement in the Section following SECT IX Our third point in answering is to shew that Ecclesiasticall Lawes haue no lesse force in the case of Conscience than haue the Politique Your former Witnesses although they attribute to the Politique Lawes a power of binding mens consciences yet do they deny the same to the Ordinances which are of Ecclesiasticall cognizance Among others P. Martyr affirmeth Ecclesiastica non obstringunt conscientias si remoueatur contemptus scandalum nè aut tumore animi de industriâ constituta rescindamus aut turbemus communem pacem Ecclesiae At praeceptis ciuilibus iubemur parere non tantùm propter tram sed etiam propter conscientiam nec alienam sed nostram So hee whereof Vrsinus indeuoureth to giue vs a reason saying Nam violatione legum Ecclesiasticarum sine scandalo non violatur prima tabula decalogi cui seruire debent at violatione legum politicarum etiam extra scandalum violatur secunda tabula quià vel reipub aliquid detrahitur societas politica laeditur vel aliqua laedendi occasio praebetur But can this reason satisfie any reasonable man thinke you as though that diuine authoritie which in the behalfe of obedience vnto politique Magistrats saith vnto subiects Let euery soule be subiect to the higher powers and to seruants Obey them that are your bodily masters and to children Obey your parents in the Lord the same doth not likewise charge and command people concerning their spirituall parents and Gouernors saying Obey them that are set ouer you for they watch as those who must giue account for your soules Now the commandement of obeying proceeding equally in both from the same diuine authoritie it must needs follow that the obligation and bonds of Obeying in both is of equall necessitie to charge vs as well to preserue the peace of the Church as of the common-wealth For is there not in the Church a Societie and is not also a breach of the vniforme concord and peace of the same Societie an vnsufferable iniurie and mischiefe as wherby Aliquid Reip. Christianae detrahitur ipsa Societas Ecclesiastica laeditur c. And therefore how shall not this be a violation of the second table as well as the like transgression against lawes politique But I need not vse much arguing to confute the former opinion 1. because the opinion it selfe is not common 2. because it can haue no place in our Church wherein our gracious Soueraigne Lord and King hath set his Royall stampe vpon our Constitutions and Ceremonies by his Maiesties politique authoritie And lastly because the light of Scripture is euidently against it especially in diuers Aposâ—olicall Constitutions whereof some were Ceremoniall and yet challenged obedience in their times Thus much of the manner of obliging mans conscience We proceed to the measure SECT X. Our fourth point in answering is to expresse how farre humane Lawes do bind mens consciences and whether all iust Lawes do not bind them against Scandall and contempt of authoritie as the measure of Obedience It is not onely the vniforme iudgement of the Authors aboue mentioned but also the vniuersal consent of all diuines that write of this argument that al persons are bound in conscience to performe obedience as wel to Gouernors Ecclesiastical as vnto Ciuill so farre as to auoid all Scandall and coâ—tempt against their lawfull precepts and Ordinances so that to suppose an Aduersary in this case were but to fight with a shadow This therefore being but a measure of the bond of Conscience I proceed to inquire wherein the transgression of conscience by Scandall and contempt concerning matters indifferent doth principally consist SECT XI The Obiection of the Non-conformists If a bare omission of a Rite were a contempt then all that vse bowling which the Lawe disalloweth and do not weare Caps and such habiâ—s as the Statutes inioyne should be contemners Our Answers This point concerning the measure of that obligation of conscience in the question of due obedience requireth a more exact and accurate discussion because this Case is variously disputed off in the Schooles Some take their measure from the will of the Law-giuer conceiuing that the conscience of the Subiect is then bound to obedience whensoeuer the lawfull Gouernour doth impose any Law with an intention that men should make conscience of his command Some fetch the measure of Obligation from the
saith Caluin is commanded to abstaine from meates 1. Cor. 10.28 where albeit God commandeth him to abstaine in things indifferent in respect of Scandall yet doth not man thereby lose the libertie of conscience because his own conscience hath respect vnto God viz. by beleeuing that the meat is in nature indifferent and may in due time be lawfully eaten but his abstinence hath respect vnto the Conscience of another that he be not offended who thinketh such eating vnlawfull And throughout the whole Treatise he sheweth that To make such Traditions necessary to eternall life and to place in them the iustice of remission of sinnes and the summe of all religion and pietie is to inuade the Kingdome of Christ by whom we haue libertie of conscience in things indifferent All which doth euidently shew that Christian libertie doth not coÌ„sist in the vse or dis-use of things indifferent but in an opinion of the necessitie of vsing or not vsing them Which point may be yet furthermore most plainly demonstrated thus In the case of Scandall where by the doctrine of the Apostle I am bound in conscience to abstaine from eating certaine meates for feare of offending a weake Christian my conscience notwithstanding is free in regard of my opinion to beleeue that the meate which I abstaine from may be eaten or not eaten in due time and place SECT XIII Our second Reason of Confutation from the profession of our Church Hearken I pray you vnto the publique profession of our Church whereby albeit shee challenge a necessarie obedience to her command yet doth she not command or teach any vse of these Cereremonies in any opinion of necessitie thereof but saith plainly These Ceremonies are retained for Discipline and Order which vpon iust causes may be altered and changed and are not to be esteemed equall with Gods Law What then needeth this lowd clamour or rather lewd slander which some blush not to cast vpon her imputing vnto her no lesse a crime than the bereauing them of their Christian Libertie by whom notwithstanding they themselues do at this day enioy all the spirituall freedome and happy interest that they haue in Christ. SECT XIIII Our last Proofe or rather Reproofe against the Non-conformists shewing that they by their manner of refusing these Ceremonies haue superstitiously withstood that Christian liberty which they would seeme to defend Christian libertie as hath bene alreadie proued and acknowledged is properly impeached by a Doctrinall necessitie namely by teaching men to beleeue some thing to be necessarie in it selfe which Christ by the power of his new Testament hath left to his Church as free and indifferent Which kind of doctrine our Church condemneth as false and superstitious And this Superstition is two-fold the one is affirmatiue the other negatiue Affirmatiue superstitioÌ„ is to affirme the vse of any thing that is indifferent to be of absolute necessitie as without which the faith of Christianitie or the true worship of God cannot possibly consist Of which kinde we haue had many examples in Poperie The negatiue superstition is to deny the lawfull vse of any thing which Christ hath left free with whâ—ch kind of superstition not onely Papists but also many ancient Heretikes haue bene dangerously infected the Marcionites teaching that it is not lawfull for any man to marrie the Discalceati to weare shoes the Tatiani to eate flesh the Seueriani to drinke wine And that there is a Negatiue Superstition it is euident by an heresie that had taken roote in the verie infancie of the Church teaching concerning meats and other indifferent things and saying Eate not touch not handle not Now your Negatiue superstition in opposing against those Ceremonies doth bewray it selfe by your doctrinall opinion saying for example Weare not a linnen Surplice and that by two degrees The first is an opinion of the vnholinesse and pollution in it because as you say it hath bene abused by the Papists in their Idolatrous Masse This opinion I iudge to be notoriously superstitious and so it seemeth to be acknowledged by M. Iewel who speaking of the Surplice doth iudicially account it to be an equall errour To commend any apparell as holy and to condemne it as vnholy the Papists are in the first extremitie and you in the other Which Negatiue superstition is flatly condemned by that saying of Saint Paul An Idoll is nothing that is as M. Beza confesseth It hath no power to vnhallow any thing that was offered vnto it Which is apparent by the conclusion of the same Apostle where excepting the case of Scandall as it then stood he did teach that men might eate of the Idolothytes or meates sacrificed to Idols making no question for conscience sakâ— The second degree of your Negatiue Superstition is seene in your other opinion which you alleage for refusing of it euen because it is prescribed vnto you in Gods worship in a necessitie of obedience Which is a plaine ouerthrow of Christian libertie by taking away from the Church that authoritie of ordaining Ceremonies and prescribing obedience thereunto which by the practise of the Vniuersall Church of Christ from the daies of the Apostles vnto these latter times was neuer questioned by any Orthodoxe yea or Hereticke excepting onely the Acephalists and is at this day condemned by M. Caluin and all other Diuines of sound iudgement But we were to proue this kinde of Negatiue opposition vnto Ceremonies to be superstitious and to bring in with it a doctrine of seruitude vpon the Church by the confession of their owne Witnesses If this were not a Superstition M. Caluin could not haue warned Christian Churches as he hath done to take heed lest in opposing of Ceremonies they be not too superstitious Nor could P. Martyr haue concluded that To thinke that that speaking of the Surplice which hath bene vsed in Poperie may not be vsed of vs is to oppresse the Church with too much seruitude This I thought fit in this place onely to point at that my Reader may discerne that our Church is not so Superstitious in her prescribing of Ceremonies as the Non-conformists are superstitious in opposing against them as will furthermore appeare in full view by our Answer to your particular Accusations against the Surplice and the rest whereunto we instantly descend PART II. A PARTICVLAR DEFENCE OF THE INNOCENCIE of the Three Ceremonies viz. Surplice Crosse after Baptisme and Kneeling at the receiuing of the holy Communion in opposition to All the Particular Accusations made by the Non-conformists against them CHAP. I. I. Of the Surplice SECT I. The first Accusation of the Non conformists is in respect of the distinction of Habite In appointing any seuerall apparell vnto Ministers there is some iniury done vnto them For Bucer professeth that in all the Churches where he had bene Teacher he tooke order that no speciall apparell might be prescribed for the Ministers to weare Our Answer ALTHOVGH as in Women the best