the administration of the Communion to the sicke and to persons who are to suffer Baptisme by Mid-wiues which simply condemnes Rites in buriall of the dead and Festiual dayes which they were vrged by the Prince to resume after they had beene remoued from amongst them But this and such other peaceable and modest aduices giuen by Caluine and other Learned Diuines yee ascribe to want of consideration PP They had not leisure to consider narrowly the corruption of euery errour that preuailed in their time the worke of reformation was so painfull to them I wish therefore that the iudicious Reader would ponder their Reasons set down in this Treatise ANS The ancient Diuines Saint Chrysostome Ambrose Ierome Augustine ye haue condemned of folly now Caluine Zanchius Chemnitius and the best Diuines of the reformed Church yee esteeme inconsiderate in this point But if the Reader shall take leisure to peruse the Learned Dispute of Chemnitius against the Councell of Trent touching this head the profound Doctrine of Zanchius vpon the fourth Command he shall find that these Diuines haue considered the Question narrowly enough Yet I must confesse that neyther they nor any other Diuines haue found out the errours set downe by you in this Pamphlet which if hee take paines to ponder as ye wish he shall find such things therein as no sound Diuine in the Christian World did euer dreame of before you PP As for our Neighbour Church standing in the middest betwixt the Romane and reformed Churches as Bucerus once said they are more liberall in their Feasts as in other Ceremonâ—es then the other reformed Churches as Gretserus the Iesuite hath obserued Caluino-papistae Angli vt in alijs quae adritus Ceremonias pertinent longe liberaliores sunt quam Puriâ—anâ— in Gallia Germania Belgia ita in Festis retinendis longe largiores ANS Hitherto ye haue neither alledged the practice of any reformed Church nor the iudgement of any learned Diuine for your opinion Now ye beginne vnchristianly to inueigh against the renowned Church of England and are not ashamed to bring the impure words of a Puritan Papist wherein as hee vtters his miscontentment on the one side so doe yee on the other both standing for extremities while as hee will haue all and ye will haue none The Church of England keeping the middle course is condemned of both for her moderation but she regardeth little to be iudged of you or of mans day What are yee that iudge another mans Seruant who stands or fals to his owne Master PP They obserue not only the fiue Holy dayes alreadie mentioned but other dayes also dedicated to Christ c. They keepe also a number of Saints dayes so that their dayes in number are more then the Iewes themselues obserued The Reasons alreadie alledged against dayes dedicated to Christ may serue also against dayes dedicated to Saints and Angels ANS If ye haue no stronger reasons to alledge against dayes dedicated to Saints and Angels then ye haue vsed against the fiue dayes dedicated to Christ the Papists who obserue these dayes will not regard your enmitie much lesse the Church of England which obserueth no dayes but such as are dedicated to the honour of God only as we said before PP We may look assuredly that the fiue dayes presently vrged will bring in all the rest to make vp our conformitie with our Neighbour Church which to vs is not lawfull They were neuer remoued from amongst them we haue abandoned and abiured them c. ANS This is an inuidous Prophesie contrarie to the experience we haue had of his Maiestie who for conformitie with our Neighbour Church hath neuer pressed vs with any thing vnprofitable for vs to receiue The obseruation of the fiue dayes restored in our Church makes vs no more conforme with the Church of England then with the greatest number of the best reformed Churches in Europe and with the Primitiue Catholike Church whilest she yet flourished in greatest puritie of Doctrine and Discipline in the dayes of Tertullian Chrysostome Ambrose Augustine Ierome and such other notable Lights And as long as it shall please almighty God to blesse vs with the continuance of his Maiesties most happy Gouernment wee are assured to be preserued from Heresie Superstition Idolatry and such like corruptions I beseech God that our ingratitude murmuring grudging suspitions and misconstructions doe not prouoke God to stop the breath of our nostrils and remooue the Lords Annointed vnder whose shaddow wee haue enioyed peace and quietnesse aboue all the Nations that are about vs. PP To conclude then to esteeme one day aboue another in respect of any mystery certainly knowne or commonly reputed to haue beene wrought vpon that day to testifie this estimation by cessation from worke To deuise a particular seruice to be done vpon it accounting that forme or part of seruice acceptable to God because it is performed on that day is to obserue a day And in this manner doe wee obserue the Anniuersarie dayes The same reason may bee applyed to an Anniuersary houre ANS The Proposition I admit the Assumption I deny for albeit any mysticall or memorable worke were certainly knowne to haue beene wrought vpon such a time yet to esteeme aboue another except it were sanctified by diuine Institution wee count it Superstition So albeit wee certainly know the memorable workes of his Maiesties deliuerance to haue beene wrought vpon the fift of August and the fift of Nouember yet we doe not esteeme these dayes aboue other dayes as if the seruice done on them were more acceptable to God in respect of the time but wee doe only esteeme them as meete circumstances for the thankesgiuing appointed to be made on them to God The same estimation we haue of the fiue dayes as wee haue oft said before That our Sauiour was borne vpon the 25. of December no man I thinke knowes certainly the common reputation we hold as vncertaine Therefore wee doe not thinke the commemoration of Christs Natiuitie vpon that day and our thankesgiuing therefore more acceptable to God by reason of the day nor doe wee thinke cessation from worke on that day a part of diuine worship at it was held in time of Papistry and is yet by many of our common Professours that lacke instruction but the worship we doe in vnto God for his honour not for the day and the cessation from work is for the commoditie and celebritie of the worship The Act of Perth ordaynes the people to be thus instructed and the superstitious conceite of the time rebuked Finally choice is made of this and the other dayes not for any mysterie esteemed to bee in them more then in other dayes but for conformity with the Primitiue Church the reuerence of whose authoritie in matters of this nature must be of great force to draw Churches of diuers iurisdictions that agree in doctrine to vnity in points of externall policie which vnity is far to be preferred to
beseech and obtest that yee retayne these two together so that yee remember that if the one bee left the other cannot endure long and againe he saith Quam recte illud quod disciplinam c. How well was that done that yee conioyned doctrine and discipline together I beseech you and obtest that yee goe forward lest it happen to you which is befallen to many that could not make a progresse hauing stumbled in the very entry Yea somtime were not willing which â—s most lamentable ANS Distingue tempora conciliabis Scripturas What ouâ— Predecessors did being agreeable to their times was well done and is approued of vs and by their example in these alterable ceremonies and circumstances wee should likewise conforme our selues to our times by reiecting or receiuing or of new ordayning what wee find to bee 〈…〉 edification according to the power giuen by God to the â—epâ—â—sentatiue Church both to make Constitutions for the gâ—od behauiour of all her members in their vocation as 〈…〉 abrogate and abolish all Statutes and Ordinances coâ—câ—â—ning Ecclesiasticall matters that agree not with the 〈◊〉 c. as is affirmed in the Booke of the Policy of our Chuâ—ch cap. 7. registred amongst the Acts of the generall Assembly Anno 1581. The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or good order of the Church of Scotland which Beza praiseth as the band whereby doctrine is preserued and which hee exhorteth to retayne carefully is the vse of this Ecclesiasticall power in censuring of manners called in the 74. Epist. Dâ—scipline and in the 79. Good order which being lost hee saith The doctrine cannot bee long preserâ—ed This hee proueth First by the nature of the thing it selfe Quis enim leges sâ—tis recte seruari nisi constitutis earum custodibus vindicibus posse sperarit Who can hope that Lawes can bee well enough kept except keepers and auengers of them bee appointed Here hee compareth the doctrine to the Lawes good order and discipline to the auengers and keepers of the Lawes Secondly hee proueth the same by experience Et ipsa saltem stultorum Magistra experientia earum gentium exemplo docet quibus certum est hodie ob hoc ipsum potissimum erratum quod corrigi populi non sustinent Euangelium ad iudâ—cium potius quam ad misericordiam promulgari that is Experience it selfe the Schoole master of Fooles by the example of these Nations teacheth this wherein it is certayne this day that chiefly for this errour namely That the people will not suffer themselues to bee corrected that the Euangell is preached amongst them rather for iudgement then for mercy Here it is manifest that by the good order and discipline the points in controuersie belong not But yee no sooner heare good order or discipline commended but presently yee imagine that your table gesture of sitting at the Sacrament the abolition of Holy-dayes and celebration of the Sacrament in priuate places in cases of necessitie c. are meant as if without these Ceremonies and obseruations the doctrine could not bee preserued for how was it preserued in Geneua where they sit not at table but stand or passe at the receiuing of the Sacrament where the fiue Holy-dayes are not discharged but Christmasse and Pasche solemnely kept and the Sacrament ministred on them Caluine holdeth in cases of necessity That Baptisme may be ministred in coetis aliquo in some meeting without a Temple That the Communion should bee giuen to the sicke and wisheth that the examination of children with the ancient forme of blessing were restored in the reformed Churches whereby it is manifest that the discharge and abolition of these things is not in the iudgement of Caluine and Beza the band wherby doctrine is retayned but the discipline which consisteth in censuring of manners which you both here and in discussing of the Oath following take for the order and policy that consisteth in alterable Ceremonies And by the ambiguitie of the word doe purposely deceiue your Reader The ninth Article PP They set loose the filthy mindes and mouthes of fleshly liuers to triumph against the most sound Professors and to rejoyce in their rotten opinions and restored opportunities of sensuall obseruations of guising gluttony carelesse c. ANS The sacred exercises of sound doctrine appointed to be vsed on the fiue Anniuersarie dayes restoreth not but most powerfully abolisheth the opportunities of sensuall obseruations rooteth out rotten opinions and stoppeth the mouthes of fleshly Libertines not to triumph against sincere Professors The tenth Article PP They are declared by this Church to bee contrary doctrine as may bee seene in the first second and third Chapters of the first booke of Discipline in these words Wee iudge that all doctrine repugnant to the Euangell should bee vtterly suppressed as damnable to mans saluation c. By contrary doctrine wee vnderstand whatsoeuer men by Lawes Councells or Constitutions haue imposed vpon the consciences of men without the expresse Commandement of Gods Word as keeping of holy dayes commanded by men the feast of Christmasse and other feasts c. ANS The iudgement and declaration of our Church touching this point is very sound For whatsoeuer is imposed by men or by Ecclesiasticall Constitution vpon the conscience to bee obserued as parts of diuine worship that is not expresly or by necessary consequence contayned in the Word is contrary to the wholsome Doctrine as the Papists did the obseruation of Christmasse and other festiuall dayes which the reformed Churches and the Assembly the present opinions of the Presbyteries particular Churches of the Realme but receiued a free and voluntary Commission to vote as they should bee mooued and perswaded by the motiues and reasons proponed at the Assembly otherwise they had met with preiudice And therefore what they concluded according to their Commission was not obtruded vpon the Churches against their will but according to their wills contayned in the Commission The twelfth Article PP The Commissioners of Presbyteries here assembled vnderstanding the alienation of them from whom they receiued commission from these Articles can by no warrant oblige their vnwilling Presbyteries and Congregations to their votes Ecclesiam dissentientem inuitam obligare quis potest Who can binde a Church dis-assenting and vnwilling ANS If the Commissioners had come to the Assembly without a free and vnbounded Commission to reason vote and conclude in their names they could not by their votes and conclusions haue bound the Churches and Presbyteries from whom they come if they had after dis-assented But the generall and vnlimited Commission giuen to the Commissioners to reason vote and conclude with this expresse clause Firme and stable holding and for to hold whatsoeuer their Coommissioners should conclude in their names obliged the Presbyteries and Congregations by whom the Commission was giuen And here I marke a contradiction betwixt this Article and that which ye affirme in discussing of the Oath pa. 30. Namely that the Oath of the
either by making or obeying the acts concluded at Perth which doe only respect the cases of necessitie So whether to sit at a Table in receiuing the Communion was most conuenient according as our Church esteemed at the time of reformation is not the question but whether to sit at a Table be necessary as instituted and left by our Sauiours example to be obserued and that without breach of the institution the same may not be altered This question was neuer defined by any Canon of our Church Therefore put the case that our Church had sworne and subscribed That to sit at the Communion was most conuenient according to the iudgement of our first Reformers yet we haue done nothing contrarie to that oath by interchanging sitting with kneeling because kneeling at this time is found to be the more conuenient gesture for that which at one time is more conuenient may bee lesse conuenient at another As to our Sauiours sitting if so be he sate â—am adhuc sub iudice lis est it was not exemplary or appointed to be followed of vs as shall be afterwards proued and his practise did only declare that sitting might be lawfully vsed not that of necessitie it must be vsed and cannot bee altered when the Church findes the change expedient Thirdly whether Confirmation as it was abused in Popery for a Sacrament should be re-induced is not the question for that is condemned in the very narratiue of the act made at Perth But whether the Bishop in his Visitation ought to trie the education of yong children in the grounds of Religion as in the first booke of Discipline the Superintendent was ordained to doe whereof yee may reade in the fift head touching the office of Superintendents Therefore put the case our Church had sworne and subscribed all the heads and Constitutions of the foresaid booke yet by the act made at Perth shee hath not violated her oath by appointing Bishops in their Visitations to take this triall For they are now the Superintendents of the Church Fourthly Wee contend not whether the obseruation of Holy dayes as that of Christmas should be imposed vpon the conscience which in the explication of the first head of the foresaid booke of Discipline is condemned as also in the first words of the act made at Perth touching the fiue dayes but the question is whether the Church may appoint the commemoration of Christs inestimable benefits vpon the said dayes as all the reformed Churches doe and our Diuines hold to bee lawfull Of this our Church neuer defined any thing Therfore the making obseruing of the act touching this point is not against her former oath And to conclude The Subscribers and Swearers vnto our Doctrine and Discipline know no Canon nor constitution of the Church made in former times that is contrary to the Articles concluded at Perth Thus much â—ouching the persons who did sweare The next thing yee consider is the matter whereunto they did binde themselues by their oath which yee set downe as followeth PP The matter whereunto they binde themselues by oath is the Religion Doctrine and Discipline receiued beleeued and defended by the Church of Scotland in respect of this matter the Oath is partly assertorie and partly promissorie as yee say ANS By that which alreadie hath been said it is manifest that albeit our Church had sworne to all the heads and ordinances aboue specified set downe in the bookes of Discipline yet there is nothing committed contrarie to this Oath by the actes made at Perth But now since yee are come to the matter of the Oath let vs see if the points in controuersie be any part of that matter The matter as yee affirme is the Religion Doctrine and Discipline receiued beleeued and defended by the Church of Scotland This definition or description of the matter is not so full and particular as is set downe in the Oath it selfe neither haue yee in reciting the words been so faithfull as yee are feruent for the cause yee maintaine For yee haue pretermitted diuers things belonging to the limitation of the matter by which all the particulars in question are clearely excluded The words cited by you are these We beleeue with our hearts confesse with our mouthes subscribe with our hands and constantly affirme before God and the world That the Faith and Religion receiued beleeued and defended by the Church of Scotland the Kings Maiestie and three Estates of this Realme c. is onely the true Christian Faith and Religion pleasing God and bringing saluation to man Heere yee omit many things that concerneth the limitation of the matter which at that time were knowne to such as sware the same and now must be expounded vnto the Reader that is to iudge and consider our Controuersie Therefore I shall set downe heere the words of the Oathe as it was published in print by Robert Waldgraue anno 1590. We beleeue with our hearts c. That this onely iâ— the true Christian Faith and Religion pleasing God and bringing saluation to man which is now by the mercy of God reuealed to the world by the preaching of the blessed Euangell and receiued beleeued defended by many sundry notable Churches Realmes and chiefely by the Church of Scotland c. In these words we haue two limitations pretermitted by you The first is that the matter of the Oath is the Doctrine and Discipline reuealed to the world by the Gospell This limitation excludeth all Ecclesiasticall determinations and constitutions which are not expresly or by a necessary consequence contained in the written Word The next is That the matter of the Oath is the Doctrine and Discipline which is receiued beleeued and defended by many notable Churches and Realmes and chiefely by the Church of Scotland This limitation excludeth all these things wherein the Church of Scotland hath not the consent of many notable Churches and Realmes who with her hath receiued beleeued and defended the same By these two are all the points in controuersie excluded and cut off from being any part of the matter whereunto the Swearers by their oath did oblige themselues And vnto these two if we adde the third limitation there can remaine no more any doubt touching the matter of the Oath This is that the Doctrine and Discipline whereunto they sweare is particularly expressed in the Confession of Faith established and publikely confirmed by sundry actes of Parliament This Confession is registred in the bookes of Parliament at the yeare 1567. and is inserted amongst the Confessions of the Reformed Churches in the booke called Syntagma Confessionum But so it is that in the Confession of our Faith established by Parliament there is no mention made of the Articles controuerted neither hath many notable Churches and Realmes receiued beleeued or defended the same neither are they expresly or by necessary consequence contained in the Gospell And therefore they cannot by any point of our Religion or part of the
the body of Christ to be present there By this yee conclude that some of them held the errour of Reall presence in the Sacrament and yet their Confession mentioneth neither reall nor corporall nor locall presence And it is no errour to beleeue the presence of Christs body in the Sacrament after some manner as to beleeue that it is there obiectiue that is as the reall obiect whereupon we must fixe and fasten our Faith and to beleeue that it is there virtute efficacia in vertue and efficacie to nourish and strengthen vs in newnesse of life heere and raise vs vp vnto eternall life hereafter In respect whereof Christ â—aith That his flesh is meate indeed and his blood â—s drinke indeed and that he who eateth his flesh and drinketh his blood hath life eternall and that he shall raise him at the last day Lastly to beleeue that the body of Christ iâ— present in the Diuine Person wherein it subsisteth albeit locally the same be in heauen is no errour for wheresoeuer the person is there both the Natures are preâ—ent coniunctly The Diuinitie is euer and euery where clothed with the humanitie wherein it dwelleth bodily and ought to be considered so in all actions of diuine worship and the Humanity is euer and euery where conioyned with the Diuinitie albeit the same be not extensiue or diffuse as the Vbâ—quetars hold through euery place with the Diuinitie As by example wheresoeuer a man is personally present there his head his body all his members are present albeit the foot or the hand be not in the place where the head is yet they are coniunctly present with the head where the person is and so as Christ is personally present at the Sacrament so is his Diuinitie and Humanity coniunctly present in the Person That to conclude it is no errour according to the Confession aboue expressed to beleeue the spirituall powerfull and personall presence of Christs bodie at the Sacrament and in that respect to worship his flesh and blood there yea Saint Augustine saith That it is sinne not to worship his flesh there But you must be excused to exclude all from your Communion that beleeue any such thing because yee haue denied before that the Sacrament hath such a promise and presence of Christ as the Temple or Arke had vnder the Law pag. 51. And pag. 50. yee denied that it was a signe that should moue vs vpon the sight thereof â—o lift vp our hearts to the spirituall obiect of Faith I vse your own words or a meanes or occasion to stirre vp men to adore the Principall that is Christ And so yee doe acknowledge that they are ordered of God to be signes only and seales of his graces without any promise power vertue or presence of the bodie of Christ that is the opinion of the Anabaptists If these be they whom yee call the purer sort amongst the Bohemians I know not this I know that the Polonian Church esteemes them Arrians who sitte at the Sacrament whom I hope yee will not repute to be the purer sort or reckon amongst the Reformed Thirdly if yee debar from the communion of the well reformed Churches all who are of the Bishop of Rochester and Suttons minde who commend their simplicitie that beleeue Christs presence and are not inquisitiue of the maner but professe with Durandus saying modum nescimus prasentiam credimus then shall yee excommunicate from your societie all that preferre the peace of the Church to the loue of contention and curious disputes that haue disquieted the Church rent the body therof a sunder and diuided the same in factions Where yee say that if the maner of Christs presence be not determined there can arise no other but a confused worship of such a confused and indetermined presence your allegation is but rash and prophane Can yee determine the maner of Christs presence in heauen particularly or the manner of God the Father his presence in heauen and earth albeit we beleeue that God is in essence and power euery where and that Christ is bodily in the heauens These determinations are but generall and confused notions yet God forbid wee should say as yee doe that the presence of the Father and the Sonne in heauen and in earth are confused or that the worship is confused that is giuen thereto according to Gods Word As to the Papists who acknowledge as yee say that there ought to be no adoration but where there is a bodily presence acknowledged in the Sacrament although yee be of the same minde and thereupon condemne all adoration of Christ in the Sacrament yet we 〈◊〉 no more â—o that their opinion then to the rest of their errours and therefore affirme with the learned and Diuine Bishop IEVVEL That iâ— is without doubâ— our dutie to adore the body of Christ in the word of God in the Sacrament of Baptisme in the mysteries of the body and blood of Christ and wheresoeuer any foot-step or signe of it appeare◠〈◊〉 chiefely in the holy mysteries in which we haue a liuing expresse Image of all Christs peregrination in the flesâ— To conclude if yee except out of the number of the reformed Churches all that thinke that Christ is present in the Sacrament and in the Sacrament to be adored I feare yee draw the number of the reformed Churches to a very small count whom yee call the purer sort such as Arrians Anabaptists and their followers But if by the reformed Churches yee vnderstand those who distinguish betweene the signes and the things signified giuing to the signes the reuerence due to them and adoring onely the thing signified to wit the body and blood of Christ in the Sacrament of these some I confesse do erre in esteeming Christs bodie to bee really and locally present and yet seeing they agree with vs in the chiefe and principall grounds of Religion wee must not excommunicate them from the number of the reformed But let vs lay aside these whom yee call Vbiquetars If yee hold the rest for Reformed Churches that are in Germanie Polonia Bohemia Hungaria Denmark Norway and great Britaine with the Church of Ireland for one that sitteth at the receiuing of the Sacrament in all these Churches they are an hundred that kneele I mention not the Church of France where they stand and sit not whom yee condemne by your doctrine of breaking the Institution and transgressing the Precept and precedent of our Sauiour and with them the ancient Church for the space of a thousand yeeres that stood and receiued as also others of the Reformed who follow their example for when yee maintaine sitting as necessarie by institution example and precept yee condemne all that do otherwise Yet yee could pâ—esse heere to excuse them or rather to mitigate your censure of them saying first that by standing men accommodate themselues to a table to participate of the dainties set thereon Next that standing hath neuer beene abused to idolatry as kneeling
onely but as essentiall parts and properties thereof The worship which consisted in sacrificing paying of vowes obseruation 〈…〉 to serue aâ— circâ—msâ—ances but by reason also oâ— their mystiâ—ke signification and of the worshâ—p appropriated vnto them which mâ—ght not aâ— another tâ—me be lawâ—ully performed Other times were onely holy by reason of the vse or dâ—uine worship performed on them and not for any mysterie or solemne worshâ—p appropriated to them such as these which were appointed for solemne humiliation in the day of calamitie After the first manner our Diuines hold That it is onely proper tâ— God to make times and places holy but after the second manner it is a prerogatiue and libertie of the Church to make places and times holy by dedication of them to the seruice of God So the feast of Purim and Dedication were made Holy-dayes by Mordecai Indâ—â— Maâ—chabâ—us and by the Church So times are appoynted by our Church for Morning and Euening Prayers in great Townes houres for preaching on Tuesday Thursday c. Houres for weekely exercises of prophecying which are holy in respect of the vse whereunto they are appoynted And such are the fiue dayes which we esteeme not to be holy for any mysticke signification which they haue either by diuine or ecclesiasticke institution or for any worship which is appropriated vnto them that may not be performed at another time but for the sacred vse whereunto they are appoynted to be employed as circumstances onely and not as mysteries This ye know to be the iudgement and doctrine of our best Diuines yet yee presse to refute it in the Section following PP The obseruers of dayes will say they count not their anniuersary dayes holier then other daâ—es but that they keepe them onely for order and policie that the people may be assembled to religious exercises Ans. The Papists will confesse tâ—at one day is not holier then another in its owne nature no not the Lords day But they affirme that one day is holier then another in respect of the end and vse and so doe we They call them Holy-dayes and so doe we They vse â—â—em as 〈◊〉 sâ—gnes of sacrâ—d mysteâ—ies wherof tâ—ey carrie the names as Natiuâ—tâ—e Passion Ascention c. and so doe wee ANS Antiquum obâ—inâ—â— yee keepe still your old cusâ—ome for bâ—fore yee did â—xteâ—uate the Idolatrie of the Papists in adoring Images that with some appearance yee might prooue these that kneele at the Sacrament to be guiltie of the same abomination and now ye trauell to extenuate their superstition in obseruing dayes that yee may inuolue vs in the same impietie Yet our act in the beginning sayes Wee abhorre the superstitious obseruation of the Festiuall dayes of the Papists Thus we professe our disagreement from them in this poynt which they also acknowledge Bellarmine in the tenth Chapter of his third Booke De cultu Sanctorum rehearses the Doctrine of Luther and Caluine to which wee adhere and reproues the same as erronious in these wordes Tertiò docent dies determinatos ad feriandum non debere haberi caeteris sanctiores quasi mysterij aliquid vel piam significationem continerent sed solum haberi tanquam determinatos Disciplinae ordinis ac politiae causa ita vt cum hac determinatione etiam consistat aequalit as dierum in hoc nos accusont quasi habeamus discrimen dierum Iudaico more He sayes that we teach the dayes appoynted for holy exercises not to bee holier then others or to be esteemed as if they contayned any mysterie or diuine signification but onely as determined for discipline order and policie with which determination the qualitie of dayes may consist And hee sayes that we accuse them for putting difference amongst dayes after the Iewish manner which is the doctrine indeed of our best Diuines Against this Bellarmine setteth downe this proposition Festa Christianorum non solùm ratione ordinis politiae sedetiam ratione mysterij celebrantur suntque dies festi verè alijs saenctiores sacratiores pars quaedam diuini cultus that is The Festiuities of Christians are not onely kept for order and policie but also by reason of a mysterie and the Festiuall dayes are more holy and sacred then other dayes and a part of diuine worshippe This is the Papists opinion which wee with all the reformed Churches abhorre as superstitious and idolatrous But yee take part with Bellarmine against the Doctrine of Luther and Caluine labouring to prooue that the reformed Churches obserue these dayes not onely for discipline order and policie but for memoriall signes of sacred mysteries as Papists doe PP The presence of the Festiuitie putteth a man in minde of the mysterie howbeit he haue not occasion to be present in the holy Assembly ANS It follows not of this that we obserue the dayes for signes of sacred mysteries because they put vs not in minde of Christs birth passion c. as ceremonies significant or sacramentall signes instituted by God or the Church for that effect but as circumstances onely determined for celebration of the religious action whereby the commemoration of these benefits is made And there is nothing more vsuall then by considering the circumstances of times places and persons to remember the actions and businesse whereunto they are destinate PP We are commaunded to obserue them in all poynts as the Lords Day both in publique Assemblies and after the dissoluing of the same ANS This is manifestly false for the Lords Day is commaunded to be obserued of necessitie for conscience of the diuine Ordinance as a day sanctified and blessed by God himselfe These are commanded to be obserued onely for ecclesiasticall order and policie and doe not oblige men in conscience to obedience but for eschewing scandall and contempt Secondly the Lords Day is to be obserued as the Sabbath of IEHOVAH that is not onely for a day wherein we are appointed to rest to God but as a day whereon God himselfe did rest after the Creation So it is obserued as a remembrance and resemblance of Gods rest Thirdly the Lords Day is obserued as is the Lords Supper this in remembrance of his death that in remembrance of his resurrection Fourthly the Lords Day is obserued as a pledge of that rest wherein hee that enters shall rest from his labours as God hath done from his And fiftly we obserue the Lords Day as a perpetuall signe betweene God and vs to signifie and declare that the God who hath sanctified vs to be his people and whom wee adore as IEHOVAH the Father who created the World in sixe dayes and rested the seuenth IEHOVAH the Sonne who redeemed the World and rising that day to life abolished sinne and death and brought life and immortalitie to light and IEHOVAH the Holy Ghost who on that day descended vpon the Twelue Apostles sanctifying them and the whole World by them with the truth of Gods Word In none of these fiue poynts doe we obserue
haue said is not appointed for the Time but the Time is appointed for the worship So it is not absurd to remember Christs Natiuitie so oft as occasion is offered with all conuenient solemnitie as it may serue to his honour and the edification of the Church Thus wee haue seene that according to the Doctrine of the reformed Churches Anniuersarie dayes are and may bee obserued though not for any mysterie or holinesse that is in them more then in other dayes but for order and policy onely Against this all the Reasons which Bellarmine or yee haue brought or can inuent shall neuer preuaile more then the barking of a dogge against the Moone PP ANS The conclusion agreeth not with the premisses for if it be Gods souereigâ—tie to make or ordayne a thing to bee holy how may the Church make a thing holy by appointing an occasionall feast or fast as yee grant shee may doe The instinct of nature and that command out of Ioel is a generall warrant onely The particular calamitie or benefit wherefore a fast or feast should be proclaymed is not expressed neither is the time particularly determined whereupon the solemne festiuitie or fast should be kept but the one is left to the estimation and the other to the determination of the Church So by that warrant libertie is giuen to the Church to consider and define the causes for the which a fast should bee proclaymed and to determine the time when the same should be obserued and to separate that time from common businesse and consecrate the same to the spirituall exercise of preaching hearing praying fasting c. as our Church hath vsed to doe very often Now if the Church hath power vpon occasionall motiues to appoint occasionall fasts or festiuities may not shee for constant and eternall blessings which doe infinitely excell all occasionall benefits appoint ordinary times of commemoration and thanksgiuing Ye say that this hath no warrant but yee speake without warrant for there is as great warrant to appoint such dayes as is for any other point of Ecclesiasticall policie touching the determination of times places formes and order to be obserued in the worship of God according to these generall gâ—ounds Let all things bee done to the glorie of God 1. Cor. 10. to edification 1. Cor. 14. with order and decencie 1. Cor. 14.16 The whole policie of our Church touching the vse of these circumstantiall things is ordered by these rules and according to these did our Church in the first booke of Discipline which yee cite often ordayne for the purpose now in hand That in euery notable Towne a day beside the Sonday should bee appointed weekely for Sermon that during the time of Sermon the day should be kept free from all exercise of labour as well by the Master as by the seruant That euery day there be either Sermon or prayers with reading of the Scriptures That Baptisme be orderly ministred either on the Sonday or after Sermon and the dayes of prayer That at foure seuerall times of the yeere the Sacrament of the Lords Supper be ministred viz. on the first Sonday of March on the first Sonday of Iune first Sonday of September and the first Sonday of December That in euery towne where Schollers are and learned men repaire a certaine day euery weeke be appointed for the exercise of Ministers in prophecie And the said booke affirmes The dedication of times and houres for such generall and particular exercises of the Word and Sacraments and Prayer to appertayne to the policie of the Church If the Church hath power after this manner to appoint times for Doctrine and diuine Seruice and Doctrine and diuine Seruice for times as the doctrine of the Catechisme on Sonday at afternoone reade the 9. Chapter of the said booke it cannot be denyed but the Church hath also power to appoint a certaine time day and houre for commemoration of Christs Natiuitie Passion c. For what more power had our Church at that time to appoint the Sacrament to be ministred the first Sondaies of March Iune c. then she hath now to appoint a Sermon to be made of Christs resurrection vpon Easter day and a Sermon of the sending downe of the holy Ghost vpon Whitsunday and does not the light of Nature teach vs that rare and great benefits should be remembred with more then ordinary thankefulnesse Hereby it is cleere that it is not the Lords soueraignty onely to make or ordayne a thing to be holy but it is a prerogatiue that God also hath giuen to the Christian Church But to the end this matter may be fully cleered it is to be obserued as we said before that times are made holy and places two manner of wayes so things are made holy either by some inherent qualitie of holynesse or by consecration of them to holy vses After the first manner Angels and men were made holy in the creation sinners are made holy by regeneration and sanctification of the holy Ghost and of this holynesse God onely is the author Next things are made holy by consecration of them to holy vses which vses are either mysticall or politicall The consecration of things to holy mysticall vses as of water in Baptisme to be a signe of the bloud and Spirit of Christ the elements of Bread and Wine in the Supper to be the Sacrament of his Bodie and Bloud the Sabbath to bee vnto the Iewes a memoriall of the Creation a type of signification and a badge of their profession the Temple the Altars the Sacrifices and Priests to bee shaddowes of things to come all these and such like are made and ordayned holy by God but the consecration of things to holy vses for policie as for maintayning religion or for order and decency to be obserued in the worship of God is not onely Gods prerogatiue but a priuiledge and liberty granted by him to the Church for example to build and consecrate places to be Temples houses to bee Hospitals to giue rent lands money and goods to the Ministry poore to appoint Vessels Vestures Instruments for the publike worship as Tables Table-clothes Napkins Basens Cups and Lauers for the holy Sacraments these things and the like are made holy by the dedication and consecration of men After this last manner the Church hath power to consecrate the fiue Anniuersary dayes to the commemoration of our Sauiour his benefits to separate them from all other ordinary workes and so to make them sacred and holy dayes It was I grant a part of Idolatry to proclaime a holy day vnto the golden Calfe or to any Idol or Creature as ye affirme but it will not follow that it is Idolatry to proclaime a holy day for the honour and worship of the true God And as it was one of Ieroboams sins to despise the Festiuities appointed by God for his worship and instead of these to ordaine a Feast after the deuise of his owne heart so if we should
puriorque Ecclesia santificare solita fuit Now if ye demand what Zanchius vnderstood by the Apostolike Church hee answeres it himselfe Nomine veteris Apostolicae Ecclesiae eam intelligo quae à tempore Apostolorum per annos fere quingentos durauit vsque ad Gelasium qui praefuit Romanae Ecclesiae Anno 495. I maruell how ye can cite Zanchius so confidently for you as if he had disallowed the obseruation of these dayes And if ye will stand to his doctrine and iudgement our controuersie shall soone be at an end For this hee sayes expresly that the Church hath power to make choice of the dayes shee likes best and sanctifie them besides the Lords Day If ye will haue vs yeelding to Zanchius when he sayes non male fecerunt doe ye also yeeld to him when hee sayes Ecclesiae liberum est quos velit dies sibi sanctificare But to the end the singularitie and noueltie of your doctrine may bee euident and our defence may bee seene to agree with the Primitiue Church her practice and the iudgement of the best Diuines amongst the reformed wee grant with Zanchius that they who abolished all dayes did not ill but well in respect of the time and estate of their Church As for example it was not euill done by our Church to discharge the obseruation of all Festiuall Dayes because in the beginning they could not be lawfully obserued for the raritie of Preachers at least vniuersally for in Congregations where Pastours were wanting to inform the people the obseruation of them should haue entertayned the superstitious conceit which the Papists formerly had of them Neither did they euill in Zanchius iudgement that retayned the dayes obserued by the Primitiue Church consequently in appointing on these 5 dayes Sermons to be preached and diuine Seruice done cannot be euil Specially if we shall consider how notwithstanding of all the Acts Ciuil and Ecclesiastick made against the superstitious obseruation and prophane abuse of Zule day our people could neuer bee induced to labour on that day and leaue their idlenesse and wheresoeuer diuine Seruice was done that day as in Townes that haue alwayes morning and euening Prayers they were euer perceiued to resort in greater numbers on that day then any other to the Church So these dayes being spent prophanely by the greatest sort and superstitiously by many these euils could not be better remooued then by Doctrine and diuine Seruice whereby the time is well spent and these conceits of the people driuen away and their opinions confuted in the time when the same are most pregnant Saint Paul tooke occasion by inscription of the Altar in Areopage To the vnknowne God to preach the true God to the Gentiles thereby he did not authorize their Superstition which hee there cals 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but refuted it with a diuine Sermon he also kept the Iewish Sabbaths and Pentecost which both were abolished not to confirme the Iewes in the Pedagogie of the Law but to take the commoditie of the time and confluence of people in it for preaching the Gospell that he might draw them with time from the shaddowes to the substance and truth in Christ. So wee who haue the like occasion by confluence of our people on that day to Church haue not done euil to appoint sermons to bee made on the day of the Natiuitie that the people may thereby be drawne from profanenesse and superstition to the true worship of God and to the religious exercises vsed in the Primitiue Church on that day whereof the Sermons preached by Saint Augustine and many others yet extant in their Monuments beare witnesse as also that in obseruing this and the remanent dayes we might keepe a conformitie with them which Zanchius holds to be honest laudable and profitable Finally that in so lawful a thing we might giue odience to his Maiestie our Souereign desiring an vniformity amongst the Churches of his Maiesties Dominions in things which are neither against pietie nor good manners and haue beene obserued vniuersally throughout the World in the most pure Ages of the Church PP The same Zanchius sayes in the place aforesaid If any Feasts were celebrate before religiously and holily but therafter were contaminate with Superstition and Idolatry that worthily they were taken away by our Reformers who imitated herein the example of Ezechias breaking to poulder the brazen Serpent when it was abused to Idolatry ANS Zanchius in these words compares not the Brazen Serpent with the diuine Worship and Sermons appointed to bee made by our Church vpon the fiue dayes for in them there is neither superstition nor false worship nor is there any burthen layd vpon the Church but a profitable policie established hee onely compares the Brazen Serpent abused to Idolatry to the abuses superstitions false worships wil-worships and the intollerable burthens laid on the Church in Popery by the multiplication of Festiuall Dayes which were indeed to bee abolished because the same did not only equall but surpasse the Legall Ceremonies of the Iewes PP Wee pretend that wee place no part of Gods Worship in the obseruation of dayes But how can wee obserue a day to the honour of Christ and not worship him by that obseruation ANS We worshippe not Christ by obseruation of the day but by the obseruation of an euangelicke and lawfull worshippe done to him vpon the day With this ambiguitie from the beginning ye presse to abuse the Reader for the obseruation of a day is taken as wee said before two waies eyther for a sacramentall and mysticall obseruation that is when the day is obserued as a type of some spirituall or eternall benefit to come This obseruation of a day is a part of the worship and we condemne it as yee doe or it is taken for the obseruation of a fit occasion and time to the exercise of religious and diuine Seruice as we obserue the dayes of fasting houres of prayers preaching and exercise This manner of obseruation is onely accessorie to the worship and is no part thereof and so we obserue the fiue dayes The Papists in dedicating dayes to Saints appointed dayes to be kept mystically and not circumstantially onely When we dedicate a day to Christ we dedicate it not as a mysticall signe and make it a part of his worship but as a meete circumstance for the worship to be performed to him And whosoeuer he bee that holds Christ may not be worshipped on these dayes and on all dayes and times priuately and publiquely is a dogmatist and teacher of will-worship for if the Apostle call this a Doctrine of will-worship Touch not taste not such and such things as are in themselues indifferent certainely by the same reason he who out of the temeritie of his singular proud and wilfull opinion sayes Teach not on such a purpose Heare not such a purpose Worship not after such a manner Giue not thanks for such a benefit vpon such a day not because the
of Discipline touching the abolishing of Holy-dayes anno 1560. is altered by the late generall Assembly holden at Perthe and by the same Reason whereby yee esteeme your selfe absolued from the gouernement of Superintendents yee should thinke your selfe freed of the act touching the abolishing of Holy-dayes which yee would doe if ye were not contentious PP If Zanchius approued the abolition of Holy-Dayes in some Churches where they were because they had been polluted and grossely abused much more would he and other Diuines knowing the truth of our case thinke it vnlawfull to reinduce them amongst vs. ANS It is true that in the Churches of Bearne Mattins and Euening-Song were abolished for the abuse thereof in Poperie and not many yeares since there was great contention before these Churches could be induced to receiue Morning and Euening Prayers in stead of them So the Popes cursing was abolished out of the Church of Geneua and great contradiction made as Beza testifies in Caluines life before excommunication could be established in place therof yet I hope neither Zanchius nor your selfe will thinke that the reinducing of these was vnlawfull although formerly excluded If Zanchius vnderstood the case of our Church as I haue set it down a little before how we haue not reinduced the Popish obseruation of dayes but made choice of these times for special seruices to be performed on them with a speciall direction to Ministers to rebuke superstition and licentiousnesse both he and other Diuines would approue the constitution of our Church and condemne this your seditious Pamphlet whereby the simple are abused and the peace and quietnesse of our Church disturbed The iudgement of the Reformed Churches of Holy-daies PP OF the ancient Church I haue spoken before Some excuse the Ancients with good intention because to winne the Gentiles they conuerted their dayes into Christian Holy-daies Others excuse them with the circumstance of time that dwelling amongst Pagans they made profession before their eies of Christs birth passion c. by obseruing such dayes But the wisdome of their intention hath proued folly as the seuenth reason maketh manifest The like circumstance of time is not offered therefore we may not be excused ANS Before the penner of this Pamphlet bring the iudgement of the reformed Churches some reason he must pretend for his credâ—te why he reiects the doctrine and practise of the reformed Church which stands wholly in his contrarie First he sayes that he hath spoken before of the Ancient Church But what hath he spoken before that they obserued Easter-day by custome and not by tradition this is all What argument hath he brought against their doctrine against their religious custome and practise of this poynt He sayes some excuse them with their intention Who be these he is ashamed of their names and so he may be for where there is no fault to make an excuse is a sort of calumnious and secret accusation But for their intention who did acquaint him with their intention In Tertullian Chrysostome Ierome Ambrose Augustine and others who all make mention of these dayes there is not so much as any coniecture to bee found for that intention In the end he concludes that the intention of the Ancients hath proued folly and this he sayes is manifest by the seuenth reason because the obseruation of these daies hath beene abused to superstition But so hath the Lords Day beene so hath the Word so haue the Sacraments beene abused and all the other parts of Gods worship Shall therefore the intention of the Holy-Ghost and his wisdome in prescribing these meanes to the Church be esteemed folly They who abuse the good intention of God and his Church to their owne damnation are fooles indeed but Wisdomâ— is iustified of her owne children And although the winning of the Gentiles was one good end wherefore the Ancients obserued these dayes yet their principall end was the honour of God and edification of his Church These ends doe still remaine and iustifie the obseruation of these dayes by the reformed Churches which no man that loues the honour of God and the weale of his Church will condemne PP It is grosse ignorance to say that Holy-dayes were so many hundreth yeares before Papistrie for Papistrie hath been in the Church euer since the daies of the Apostles yea the mysterie of iniquitie was working in their times The errours of the Orthodoxe Church were the beginnings of the Papistrie at length they grew to a great masse So howbeit the whole lumpe was not formed till the Antichrist came to his full strength yet many particulars were entered before and like brookes came into the great riuer As the Antichrist was borne and did grow in yeares so did Papistrie ANS Here ye insinuate that the obseruation of the fiue Daies in the Primitiue Church was Papistrie or else this Discourse is idle But Papistrie it could not be before it was receiued and confirmed by the Pope so in these dayes it was not Papistrie formally And if it were not an errour of the Orthodoxe Church but a lawfull order as at length we haue proued it was neyther materially nor formally Papistrie The obseruation of these dayes with a superstitious and idolatrous worship is Papistrie Such was not the obseruation of the Primitiue Church and such is not the obseruation of the Reformed But as the lawfull obseruation vsed in the Primitiue Church was abolished by the introduction of a superstitious and idolatrous worship in Papistrie so is the superstitious and idolatrous obseruation in Papistrie abolished in reformed Churches by the restitution of the lawfull and religious obseruation vsed in the Primitiue Church which of all reformations is the most perfect and profitable Iehu abolished Idolatrie of the Heathen but he restored not the true worship of God therefore his reformation was imperfect But the reformation made by Ezechias and Iosias was perfect because Idolatrie was not onely abolished but the true worship of God established in place thereof This was not so sufficiently prouided for at our reformation in this poynt for the want of Pastours and is well supplied by the Act made at Perth PP As for the reformed churches except our neighbor Church they haue abandoned daies dedicated to Saints ANS Now yee come to the iudgement of the reformed Churches And here I wish the iuducious Reader to obserue whether ye bring either the iudgement of any reformed Church or of any learned Diuine that consents with you in opinion namely that the obseruation of the fiue anniuersarie dayes with the lawfull exercise of true Religion is a Iudaicall Pedagogie a rudimentarie instruction and a superstitious wil-worship And to the end all that ye say may be exposed to the view of the World I shall set all fully downe which yee bring to this purpose First where ye alledge that all the reformed Churches haue abandoned the dayes dedicated to Saints In this their practise is no way contrarie to the Act made at
Perth for by it no day is ordained to be kept which is or was dedicate to any Saint except vnder the name of Saints yee reprehend him who is the most holy Next the exception ye make of our neighbour Church is calumnious and false It is a calumnie that they obserue any day dedicated to Saints All the dayes which they obserue are dedicated to the honour of God either for the inestimable benefits that by our Sauiour he hath bestowed vpon the World or in regard of the blessings that haue come to man by the Ministrie of his seruants and Saints And it is false that all the reformed Churches except they haue refused the obseruation of these dayes For Bullinger in his Commentary vpon the 14. to the Romans affirmes that the Church of Tigurie obserues the Feasts of the blessed Virgin of S. Iohn the Baptist of Magdalene of Stephen and of the Apostles PP Some admit dayes dedicated to Christ some two some fiue but not with the full consent and liking of the learned but either forced by the authoritie of the Magistrate or wilfulnesse of the people or because remaining in the middest of their enemies they are not permitted otherwise to doe ANS They in Geneua who obserue the day of Natiuitie and Easter approue the practise and order of the Church of Heluetia who obserue all the fiue and there is as great reason why on the other three dayes the Passion Ascension and sending downe of the holy Ghost should be remembred as the Natiuitie and Resurrection If by the learned ye vnderstand these whom ye doe afterwards name Farellus Viret and Caluine I am perswaded no man will thinke that either they or any other such Pastors of the Church would haue bin forced to practise that which was vnlawfull in it selfe and a superstitious will-worship either by Magistrate or People PP Farellus and Viret remooued all Holy-dayes out of the Church of Geneua as Caluine testifies The same decree which banished Farellus and Caluine out of Geneua brought in other Holy-dayes They were all againe abrogate except the Sabbath day Howsoeuer after came in the keeping of Pasche and the Natiuitie ANS The iudgement of Caluine touching the abolition of the Festiuall dayes in Geneua may be seene in his 118. Epistle where he professes that it was done se inscio ac ne optante quidem And a little after subioynes Ex quo sum reuocatus hoc temperamentum quaesiui vt Christi Natalis celebraretur vestro more alijs autem diebus extraordinariae supplicationes tabâ—rnis mane clausis fierent à prandio ad suas operas res agendas quisque abiret And albeit in that place he confesses that the abrogation of the Festiuall dayes did not grieue him yet he protests as followes Hoc tamen testatum esse volo si mihi delata optio fuisset quod nunc constitutuÌ„ est non fuisse pro senteÌ„tia dicturum If Caluine had thought as ye doe that December Christmas is a iust imitation of December Saturnall of the Ethnicke Romanes and that the obseruation of the rest of the Festiuall dayes had beene a superstitious kinde of Will-worship and a Iudaicall Pedagogie he would neuer haue consented to the keeping of that Natiuitie and would not only haue abolished the holy dayes by his suffrage if the same had beene in his option but also testified to the world his dislike of them by his Pen and writing But that all may see how different his iudgement is from yours he concludes with these words Nec tamen est cur homines adeo exasperentur si libertate nostra vt Ecclesiae aedificatio postulat vtâ—mur quemadmodum nec vicissim praeiudicio esse morem nostrum aequum est By these words it is manifest that in Caluines iudgement the obseruation and abrogation of these dayes consists in the power and libertie of the Church and that the obseruation of them in it selfe is not vnlawfull but a thing indifferent to be vsed and not vsed as the edification of the Church requires which iudgement wee imbrace and follow PP Caluine was so farre from liking of Holy dayes hee was slandered of intention to abolish the Lords Day ANS His Doctrine shewes the last to bee a calumnie his practise and iudgement declares that hee did not mislike the obseruation of the dayes vsed in the Primitiue and other reformed Churches PP The Belgike Churches in their Synode holden at Dort Anno 1578. wished that only the Lords Day might be celebrated Luther himselfe in his Booke De bonis Operibus set forth Anno 1520. wished that there were no Feast Dayes amongst Christians but the Lords Day And in his Booke to the Nobilitie of Germany he sayes Consultum esse vt omnia festa aboleantur solo dic Dominico retento ANS This wish Luther and the Belgike Churches conceiued out of their miscontentment at the number corruptions and superstitions of the Festiuall dayes besides the Lords Day as ye doe The late Councell holden at Dort Anno 1618. did celebrate the Feast of Christs Natiuitie most solemnely for the space of three dayes so the practise of these Churches and of Luther shewes that they agree in iudgment with vs touching the obseruation of the fiue dayes PP Howsoeuer forreine Diuines in their Epistles and Councels speake sometimes sparingly against Holy dayes when their aduice was sought of Churches newly risen out of Poperie and greatly distressed they neuer aduised a Church to resume them where they were remoued ANS If forreine Diuines had esteemed the obseruation of these fiue dayes a Iudaicall Pedagogie a rudimentary instruction a superstitious wil-worship as ye doe they had spoken no more sparingly thereof then they do of other like things in the Papisticall Church Where yee say that they neuer aduised Churches to resume them who had once remooued the same Caluine in his one and fiftieth Epistle aduises the Monbelgardens not to contend against the Prince for not resuming of all Festiuall dayes but only such as serued not to edification and were seene to be superstitious such as the Conception and Assumption of the blessed Virgin In festis non recipiendis sayes hee cuperem vos esse constantiores sic tamen vt non litigetis de quibuslibet sed de eis tantum quae nec ad aedificationem quicquam factura sunt supertitionem prima ipsa facie prae se ferunt c. And in the end of the Epistle answering one Obiection which is frequently vsed in our Church he saies Quod autem vos terret offendiculorum periculum si quam nouam agendi formam receperitis quae non sit nostris Ecclesiis vsitata id quidem meritò facitis Sed quia non eò ventum est perfectionis quin optemus adhuc progredi hic timor vos impedire non debet ab ijs ritibus admittendis quos alioqui non liceat penitus improbare What these Ceremonies were whereof he speakes ye will find in the same Epistle to wit
A TRVE NARRATION OF ALL THE PASSAGES OF THE PROCEEDINGS IN the generall Assembly of the Church of SCOTLAND Holden at PERTH the 25. of August Anno Dom. 1618. Wherein is set downe the Copy of his MAIESTIES Letters to the said ASSEMBLY Together with a iust defence of the Articles therein concluded against a seditious Pamphlet By Dr. LYNDESAY Bishop of Brechen PROV 24.21 My Sonne feare thou the Lord and the King and meddle not with them that are seditious IOHN MORRIS LONDON Printed by William Stansby for Ralph Rounthwait dwelling at the signe of the golden Lyon in Pauls Church-yard 1621. TO THE REVEREND AND GODLY BRETHREN The PASTORS and MINISTERS of the Church of SCOTLAND AS in our Church blessed be God touching the truth of Doctrine there is no controuersie so there is no doubt deare brethren but in the controuerted points of Policie wee would soone agree if wee did consider what is the power of the Church in these matters the extent of her power and the obedience that is due thereto therefore concerning these I haue thought meeâ— to vse this short Preface vnto you Albeit all things necessarie to the worship of God and mans saluation bee eyther expressely or by necessarie consequence contayned in the written Word yet the particular circumstances of persons by whom place where time when and of the forme and order how the worship and worke of the Ministrie should be performed are neither expressely nor by necessarie consequence set downe in the Word but for determination of these some generall rules are giuen according to the which the Church hath power to define whatsoeuer is most expedient to be obserued and done for the honour of God and edification This is a prerogatiue wherein the Christian Church differs from the Iewish Synagogue as is manifest in euery one of the particulars aboue expressed First as touching the persons in the Iewish Church they who were imployed in the Ministrie were particularly designed to bee Leuies Tribe In the Christians Church neither Family Nation nor People is separated for the worke of the Gospell but the qualities graces and gifts of men meete for the sacred seruice are onely set downe and it is in the power of the Church to trie the persons particularly in whom these graces and gifts are and accordingly to elect them And albeit the function wherevnto they are called be diuine yet the bounds within which and the persons towards whom the same must be exercised is limited by the Church which hath diuided national Churches in Prouinces Dioceses and Dioceses in Parishes so as both the election of Ministers and the limitation of their jurisdiction is from the power of the Church This the Apostle calls the measure of the Canon which God did measure out to him beyond the which he did not reach in his Apostleship and such a rule and measure should euery Pastor in the Church haue beyond the which hee ought not to passe entering vpon other mens labour As the Apostles had their measure distributed to them by God so now euerie Pastor hath his bounds designed by the Church Secondly vnder the Law albeit the Iewish Church had libertie to build Synagogues for their ordinarie meetings on the Sabbath to prayer and reading of the Law yet the place where the chiefe and solemne worship of God was performed was first the Tabernacle and the Temple both built by Gods owne speciall direction and hauing the principall parts of his worshippe so appropriated to them that in another place the same might not be performed But as vnder the Gospel men shall neither worship God in this mountaine saies our Sauiour nor in Ierusalem but the true worshippers shall worship him in truth and spirit the Christian Church hath power according to that Apostolicall Rule Let all things be done decently and in order to make choice of a place conuenient within the bounds of each Parish for the meeting of the faithfull to performe all the points and parts of Gods worship and â—his place being built and dedicated to the worship of God may not bee condemned neglected nor profanâ—d but freqâ—ented and kept for religious vses Not that wee estâ—â—me that there is any more holinessâ— in it then in another place or that Gods presence and so his worship is anâ—â—xed more to that place then to another but to the end religious Seruice may be performed decently and in order this is done Thirdly vnder the Law the chiefe parts of Gods worship were astricted to certaine set times festiuities lawfully could not be performed on other daies but vnder the Gospel omnis dies Domini est omnis hora omne teÌ„pus habile est diuino cultui as Tertul. in his book de Baptismo witnesseth and Esay prophecied in his 66.23 From one Sabbath to another and from one New-moon to another shal all flesh appeare before me saith the Lord. Thus the Apostles ceassed not to teach daily in the Temple from house to house the Doctrine of Christ. S. Paul taught in the Schoole of one Tyrannus for the space of 2. yeres daily and as one of the Greeke Editions hath it from the fifth houre to the tenth On the Iewish Sabbath which is our Saturday he taught often in the Iewish Synagogues And Epiphanius records that Christians kept their conuentions on Wednesday Friday and Sonday by Apostolical tradition and example S. Augustine affirmes That in his time men receiued the Sacrament euerie day Our owne Church besides the Lords day hath appointed other houres and times for diuine Seruice in great Townes as houres for Morning and Euening Prayer euery day for Preaching and interpretation of Scripture such other times as they hold to bee conuenient Thus is it manifest that the Church hath power to appoint other set times besides the Lords day for his seruice as wel by the liberty which God hath giueÌ„ to his Church to come and worship before him euery day as by the practise of the Apostolicall and Primitiue Churches Yea further the Church hath power to appoint religious exercises and certaine speciall parts of diuine Seruice to be performed in the times which shee thinkes most expedient for edification So hath our Church bin accustomed to appoint particular Scriptures to be interpreted vpon the daies so called of Exercise and by the first Booke of Discipline euery Pastor is ordained to teach in his Congregation on the Sondaies at afternoones certaine heads of the Catechisme Likewise to minister the Sacrament of the Communion vpon the first Sondaies of March Iune Septemb. December It was the custom of the Church of Geneua in the daies of I. Caluin to celebrate that holy action vpon the day of the Natiuitie which wee call Yule and vpon Easter day which we call Pasche The ground of this power is first the abolishing of the New-moones Festiual daies and Sabbaths by the coming of our Sauiour in whom
Rebellious to beare down the Truth his Maiesties Authority the Power of the Church and all that loue Order follow after peace To obuiate this his seditious and malicious purpose it was not onely expedient but necessary that this answere should bee made which by the grace of God shall giue such satisfaction to all good and vpright hearted men as they shall preferre the iudgement determination and lawfull Constitutions of the Church to the singularitie of their owne and other priuate mens opinions order to confusion peace to contention and vnitie to schisme aswell for the feare of God who hath giuen power to his Church to set downe Lawes for order and decencie and hath commanded vs to submit our selues thereto as for obedience to the sacred will of our most gracious Souereigne at whose instant and earnest desire these Articles being found lawfull were concluded and are now commanded to bee practised When Dauid would haue gone out against Absalon hee was stayed by the people who esteemed his life more worth then a thousand of theirs So should euery good Christian esteeme of the loue and fauour of the Prince towards the Church Salomon sayes that the wrath of a King is the Messenger of Death and like to the roring of a Lion which a Wiseman will pacifie and not prouoke and that his fauour is as the cloud of the latter raine and as the dew vpon the grasse The truth of this is manifest in the Stories of the Church what comfort the fauour of Constantine the Great did giue to the Christian Church may be seene by the barbarous and cruell persecutions of the Emperours that went before The euils troubles and calamities that the Church of England endured in the dayes of Queene Marie declared what benefit they enioyed by King Edward her Predecessor and Queene Elizabeth her Successor The beastly crueltie and massacres vsed in France vnder the Gouernment of the Predecessors of Henrie the Great hath made manifest to the World what wracke and misery the discontentment and offence of Princes and how great blessing and felicity their loue and fauour produces to the Church of God within their Dominions What need wee to goe further then the Scriptures for examples to this purpose therein wee see that as the Church decayed vnder wicked and idolatrous Gouernours so did it euer reuiue and flourish vnder religious and godly Kings We stand much vpon the offence of people and esteeme greatly of their fauour wherein I will not say we doe euill but should wee put their fauour and offence in ballance with the fauour and offence of him whom God hath annointed and appointed to be the nursing Father of this Church In whose loue we haue found by experience and daily findes greater benefite and good for the aduancement of true Religion then can bee expected from many thousands of our best Professors let be at their hands who in Religion like nothing well but contention whereby they make their aduantage one way or other as they are inclined delighting to fish as the Prouerbe is in troubled waters It is often obiected that the chiefe cause of our yeelding at Perth to the fiue Articles was the respect we had to the fauour of the Prince and the feare of his wrath against my selfe in particular it is falsly obiected by the penner of this Pamphlet that I confessed we had neither Reason Scripture nor Antiquitie for them yet to diuert the Kings wrath from the Church yeelding was best The truth is at that time I spake only of kneeling at the receiuing of the Communion and said no more then I haue set downe in print in that Treatise which I published for kneeling in the last words of the first Section of the first Chapter and in the first Section of the second Chapter at the beginning this was That neither Scripture Antiquitie nor Reason doe enforce any necessitie either for lying sitting standing or kneeling at the Sacrament and that all these gestures being indifferent I held it most expedient to yeeld and not to striue with our gracious Souereigne for a matter of that nature repeating this Verse Cedere maiori virtutis fama secunda est Illa grauis palma est quam minor hostis habet This I said at that time and so yet I thinke that to eschue the Prince his offence and to keep confirme and increase his loue and fauour towards the Gospell and the Church was a respect and cause great enough wherefore we should haue yeelded vnto his Maiesties desire in matters indifferent against the lawfulnesse whereof nothing hath beene or can bee obiected which is not and may not be easily answered Against the expediencie the feare of scandall was and is all that could be pretended which if wee were peaceably disposed might haue beene and yet may be very easily remoued and therefore such a feare ought neither to haue impedite our yeelding at that time nor our obedience now We are exhorted by the holy Ghost to feare God and obey the King Where obedience to the Prince may stand with Gods feare it ought to bee preferred by euery good Christian to all other respects and especially by the Pastors of the Church who should as lights goe before others both in doctrine and example chiefly when peace and vnitie may bee procured and preserued in Gods house by our obedience For vnitie wee should bee ready to lay downe our liues as well as for veritie which Dionysius Bishop of Alexandria writing to Nouatus affirmed saying Oportuerit etiam pati omnia ne scinderetur Ecclesia Dei erat non inferior gloria sustinere martyrium pro eo ne scindatur Ecclesia quà m est illa ne idolis immoletur Immo secundum meam sententiam maius hoc putâ— esse martyrium ibi enim vnusquisque pro sua tantùm anima in hoc verò pro omni Ecclesia martyrium sustinet That is to say It behoued thee to haue suffered all things that the Church of God should not haue been rent it had bin no lesse glorie to haue sustained martyrdome for this that the Churches vnitie might haue beene preserued then for refusing to sacrifice vnto Idols Yea in my minde this is a greater martyrdome for in that euerie man suffereth for his owne soule onely but here hee suffers martyrdome for the whole Church This was the iudgement of that holy Father who esteemed it a glorious martyrdome to suffer for the vnitie of the Church Contrariwise the Donatists did glorie in this that by their sufferings they entertained Schisme and diuision confirmed the hearts of the simple and supeâ—stitious in their errours acquired to themselues the renowne of Martyrs and thereby brought vpon the Church the imputation of persecution To whom S. Augustine answers That they complained most vniustly that they were persecuted by the Church because the Church was more heauily persecuted by them and thereupon in the eleuenth Tractate vpon S. Iohn sayes Albeit Ismael was cast out
in these matters only but in others that yee hate more But I feare it be the purpose of many to rubbe this way vpon his Maiesty the imputation of tyrannie for what Christian King did euer determine in Ecclesiasticall matters any thing without aduice of his Clergie And to impose Lawes vpon the Church without their consent were as much as to say the King imposes things vnlawfull for if they be lawfull Why will wee be dissenting Brethren his Maiestie is styled Defender of the Faith and hath it by desert aswell as by inheritance It were a peruerse course for vs to make it seeme otherwayes When Iesuites and Papists of all sorts are by their infamous writings belying his Maiestie and traducing his Highnesse fame onely because he opposes them for the defence of the common Faith if wee should furnish them matter of new obloquie by our rebellion we could neuer be excused of vile ingratitude Rests but one obiection that I haue heard which I will not omit They say the English Church hath beene seeking of old times to haue vs wonder their gouernment and vpon this some haue called our yeelding vnto a conformitie in these points with them a betraying of the libertie of our Church and Kingdome This reason is so euill grounded that though we should conforme with them in euery outward Rite obserued not onely by them but by the whole Church of Christ long before it was so infected with Poperie it would not inferre the dependance of our Church vpon theirs but that there is that harmony and conformitie amongst vs which ought to bee amongst all the reformed Churches both in Doctrine and Discipline And for our part in maintayning our right yee may remember not long since when that Noble man was absolued in England who was excommunicate by vs wee ceassed not to complaine vntill a new command was giuen that hee should receiue from vs a new absolution If matters should come thus to be contested for which is not to bee expected wee should not bee found neglectful either of our Church or Country But what is this we are iealous of We liue vnder a King that loues the kingdomes honour more then we all there offers not one occasion wherein his Maiestie failes to expresse his naturall affection towards his country Euen now that Mischant sometimes one of your number and vnworthy to be named did vomit forth his spite and vnnatural malice against the whole Nation And how did his Maiestie resent it As I haue beene aduertised he did solemnely declare That albeit much had beene said against his Maiesties owne person and nothing omitted in that kinde which the Deuill could inuent yet all that did not so much grieue him as that Mischants taxing of his Country and Nation He is not worthy the name I will not say of a Christian but of a Scottish man that will not if need be lay downe his life to meet his Maiesties affection I know yee are ready enough to make your protestations this way but beleeue me he shall neuer hazard willingly his life for his Prince who stands against his pleasure in so iust demands I will say no more for I haue wearied both you and my selfe out of a desire to giue satisfaction to you all How freely and plainly I haue spoken ye are my witnesses with what an affection towards the Churches good God hee knowes Brethren wee haue made too much businesse about these matters The Kingdome of God consists not in them but in righteousnesse and peace and ioy of the holy Ghost Away with fruitlesse and contentious disputings Remember the worke wee are sent for is to build the Church of God and not to destroy it to call men to Faith and Repentance to stirre them vp to the works of true pietie and loue and not to make them thinke they haue Religion enough when they haue talked against Bishops and Ceremonies If wee shall goe about this carefully and all of vs striue in our places by fruitfull preaching honest liuing and a wise gouerning to approue our selues vnto the consciences of our people wee shall shortly finde matters in a better estate then wee haue seene and be all of vs an acceptable people to the Lord our God which that it may bee God for his Christs sake grant to vs all Amen THe Sermon ended the Archbishop of Saint Andrewes came to the Table at which his Maiesties Commissioners Noble men and other members of the Assembly were sitting and calling for the ordinarie Clerke of the Assembly was answered That Master Thomas Nicholson who formerly serued the Church in that place had dimitted his office in fauour of Master Iames Sandelands Aduocate This he notified to the Assembly as that which hee had vnderstood before and shewed that the said Master Iames was a man sufficiently qualified for the place of good report and one that by his aduocation and pleading might further the particular businesse of Ministers before the Session He desired the Assembly to consider what was fittest to bee done and aduise whether they would receiue the said Master Iames in the others place or not The voyces of his Maiesties Commissioners the Noble men Bishops and diuers of the Ministers being asked they all without exception agreed to his receiuing And the said Master Iames being recalled for while the voyces were asked he was remoued had an oath ministred vnto him for his diligent and faithfull discharge of that seruice The Libeller obserues here first That seates being appointed for Noble men Barons Burgesses and Bishops with the Doctors the Ministers were left to stand behinde them as if their part had onely beene to behold Then sayes that the choosing of Master Iames Sandelands to be Clerke was done without formall voting or lite But to that first although it might bee replyed in a word that the care of placing seates was onely in the Magistrates hands of the Burghe where the said Assembly was kept and that the neglect thereof if any was cannot be thought purposely done yet because no diligence was omitted on the part of the Magistrates and the seates conueniently enough placed according as the house could beare wherein the said meeting was kept wee must thinke this complaint proceeds of too much pride and sawcinesse The man cannot abide to heare of degrees in the Church and places according to degrees but he must haue patience Presbyters must now content to sit and stand behind the Bishops according to the degrees of the old Christian Councels for the time of confusion is expired and Church men must learne now to liue orderly That there was not a lite for election of the Clerke hee must remember that the dimission made by the former was in fauour of Master Iames onely and that the Assembly had not so much adoe to choose a Clerke as to aduise if they would accept him in whose fauour the dimission was made Concerning which point the voyces of the most that could bee obserued
that is passed I haue liued to see this day a generall Synod once more of the Church of Scotland called by the authority and expresse command and pleasure of our Souereigne Lord the KING which is the only true and best meanes indeed vsed in all Ages for extirpating of all Sects Errors Heresies for the planting of truth and good order in the Church of Christ. And I pray God that all things at this meeting may by the direction of Gods good Spirit by your wisdomes be so carryed that you abridge not your selues and posterity of so great◠blessing and procure that not only these things which are now required but that other things more difficult bee enioyned and enforced vpon you vpon strict penaltie by Supreme Authority And therefore I desire as I am sent to that purpose with the Apostle Titus 3. to put you in remembrance that you bee subiect to Principalities and powers and that you bee obedient and ready to euery good worke to put you in remembrance that by the great blessing of Almightie God you haue to doe with so wise so potent so religious so learned a Prince the matchlesse Mirror of all Kings the nursing Father of his Church that he whose Wisedome and Authoritie is in the composing of all differences both Ecclesiasticall and Ciuill so much required respected and admired not only by his owne people of his other Kingdomes but by all good Christians of forrein Nations throughout the Christian world may not seeme to be neglected by you his natiue Subiects at home and you especially of the Ministerie who ought to be examples and patternes of obedience vnto others you whom he hath so infinitely obliged by his so great bountie and constant loue To put you in remembrance that as with no small disreputation vnto his Maiestie and diminution as it were of his Princely authoritie in the iudgement and sight of the World whose eyes are bent vpon these proceedings he hath granted you so long time by your Christian and godly endeuours with your seuerall flockes whom you are to leade not to be led by them to remoue as you promised both to his Maiesty being here amongst you and againe confirmed at your last generall Synod all those scandals which might be taken by the more ignorant and vnaduised sort of your people to whom all innouations though to the better may seeme at the first somewhat strange so that now you would bee carefull as much as in you lyeth to take away that more dangerous and open offence and scandall which by your delay and refusall of obedience you shall cast vpon the sacred person of our Soueraigne Lord the King the most constant and Zealous Protectour and Defender of that Faith and Truth which wee all professe and for the which he hath suffered such open gaine-saying of the Aduersaries thereof the limbes of Antichrist as if he◠who hath laboured so much to exalt the glorie of thi◠Nation farre aboue all his Predecessours in the eyes of the World now going about most of all to humble vs vnto our God and in performance of the act of greatest deuotion according to his owne example to bring vs vnt◠our Knees did in so doing any way vrge his Subiects to any thing which might sauour of Superstition or Idolatrie To remoue the scandall from those who are in authority amongst you and are set ouer you in the Lord who by their dutifull obedience vnto God and their Soueraigne haue alreadie both by their Doctrine and practise commended those things which now are required of you to b◠both lawfull and expedient To take away that scandal and aspersion which by the seeming reasons of your former refusall or delay you haue cast vpon others so glorious reformed Churches as if the holy Ghost and Spirit◠reformation had beene giuen onely and solely rested vpon you To remoue that notorious and publique scanda◠which by the fierie and turbulent spirits of some fe◠priuate men lyeth heauie vpon the feruent and zealou◠Professours of the glorious Gospel of Christ as if the also were disobedient vnto Magistracie and in this did seeme to ioyne hands with the maine vpholders and pillars of Poperie It hath wounded the Spirits of good men to heare it often spoken Nec dicatur vtinam ampliùs Gathi in plateis Aschelonis Nay to see it in Print that Herod and Pilate were now reconciled againe if not Contra Christum Dominum yet contra Christum Domini Lastly to preuent that lamentable miserie and calamitie which God in his iustice might bring vpon this Church in that you regarded not the blessed time of your visitation and despised the long suffering and great goodnesse of God and of so bountifull and gracious a Soueraigne And so to conclude for to stand now vpon the particulars were but actum agere and you need no gleanings after so plentifull an haruest or the light of a Candle being inlightned by the cleare beames of the Sunne with that of Naamans seruants 2. King 5. vnto their Lord and Maister Father if the Prophet had commanded thee a greater matter shouldest thou not haue done it c. So right reuerend Fathers and Brethren in Christ if our most gracious Soueraigne Lord who hath done so much for you had commanded you greater things so long as they might stand with the will of God and in no waies be repugnant vnto the same for in that case indeed the Apostles rule holds inuiolably true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That we must rather obey God then men should you not haue beene readie your selues and by your Doctrine and practise haue induced others to obedience much more then when he requireth of you but these few necessarie things necessary and expedient for the glorie of God for the aduancing of pietie amongst you for the honour and due satisfaction vnto our Soueraigne Lord the KING for the happy establishing of order peace vnion and loue amongst your selues and in these vnited Kingdomes Therefore let me beseech you in the bowels of Christ to giue all their due Quae Caesaris Caesari quae Dei Deo And as Constantine the Great as Eusebius hath it wrote vnto his Churchmen that troubled his peace and other weightie affaires with their contentious humours So let me intreat you in the behalfe of our CONSTANTINE Qui dum regat iubet Date illi dies tranquillos noctes curae molestiarum expertes That so he may with much ioy and contentment of heart yet once more as hee proposeth if not often visit your coasts and those places which his soule so loueth And that this poore Church and his natiue Kingdome may be made euer more and more happie by his comming and long peaceable and prosperous reigne And GOD and Men say Amen vnto it Amen Amen This Speech hee deliuered most grauely and with great affection to the contentment of all good and wise men And how falsly the Libeller charges him with bringing
Edinburgh and the forming of the booke of Common Prayers and extracting of the Canons of the Church And thus ended this Conference Thursday the 27. of August THat day being an ordinary day of preaching a Sermon was made by the reuerend Father in God William late Bishop of Galloway against which the Libeller excepts three manner of wayes First saying that his Doctrine was farre contrary to that which he had taught before the Estates of Parliament Anno 1606. Secondly that hee set at nought the ancient order of our Church sometime highly commended by himselfe extolling the new light and thirdly that he presumed to teach them a new kind of Catechisme vnder whom he himselfe might be yet catechised To all which seeing he is now at rest this much may be truely replyed in his behalfe That howeuer his opinion in these matters of the externall gouerment were sometimes other his Doctrine was neuer contrarie to that which at any time he professed and preached but these men haue beene so accustomed in feeding the eares of people with matters belonging to order neglecting the substantiall points of Religion which are Faith and Repentance as they dreame of no other Doctrine but that and counts the alteration of iudgement in these points of outward discipline a sort of Apostasie and falling from the truth And where he is said to set at nought the ancient order of our Church it is a false and impudent lye for neither he nor any else that seeme most earnest for receiuing these Articles did euer contemne the orders and rites formerly established but while as they stood in force reuerently practised them and were obedient to the ordinances of the Church made thereabout but the circumstances of things now being changed and these times requiring other fashions and manners wee thinke without the despising of these they may be well admitted and as commendably vsed as euer the other were For the third of presuming to teach them by whom he might be catechized because this is spoken in despight I passe it with this answere That his Sermons and workes left behind him which will continue with the posteritie will witnesse against all their malice that hee was inferiour to none of the Opposites in preaching yea in many degrees superiout to them all But to returne to our purpose the Assembly being not in full number to take some conclusion in the businesse for which they were conuened after inuocation of the Name of God it was declared vnto them that by the labours of the Conference in their priuate meetings the Articles proponed by his Maiestie were brought and reduced into that forme as it rested for the Assembly to consider whether or not the same should be receiued in our Church and to moue them the rather to condescend his Maiesties resolution to haue the Articles receiued was declared and how no other answere could satisfie but granting of the said Articles They were likewise remembred of their promises made to his Maiesties selfe at Saint Andrewes and in the last generall Assembly and had the lawfulnesse and indifferencie of these matters at length of new exponed vnto them Neither was any of their common pretexts left vnanswered place being giuen to all that would reason against any one of the Articles to doe the same And while some of them insisted by long speeches to haue a continuation made of matters to another Assembly and a supplication sent to his Maiestie for some longer delay his Highnesse Commissioners hauing vrged a present answere they were desired to cease and not to trifle time with vnnecessary speeches seeing matters should receiue decision before they went forth of doores And so some few making shew to reason in the contrary were permitted to speake till they had no more to say and had their reasons answered to the full The Libeller sayes the libertie was granted to a few and that the reasons were checkt and borne downe with authoritie but how contrarie this is to the truth wee leaue it to bee answered by such as were present And now when they haue set downe in writing all that then was said or possibly they can inuent Let the Reader iudge if by the answeres giuen their obiections be not sufficiently confuted Doctor Lindsay his answere being posed on conscience to declare his iudgement touching kneeling at the Sacrament is maliciously mutilated His declaration was this as all the Assembly can testifie in whose presence it was giuen On my conscience I neither know Scripture reason nor antiquitie that enforceth kneeling sitting standing or passing as necessary but thinke them all indifferent and therefore that any of them may bee lawfully vsed when it is found expedient And considering nothing to be more expedient for the weale of our Church then to keepe peace with our gracious Soueraigne and not to contend for such matters I iudge yeelding to his Highnesse desire to bee the onely best When all the reasoning was ended his Maiesties Letter was againe read to the end the Assembly might see his earnestnesse about the same matters And because of a Pasquill cast in in the Pulpit of Edinburghe the Sunday before which was deliuered to the Archbishop of Saint Andrewes the penners whereof had warned the Ministers not to yeeld to the Articles giuing them promises of satisfaction for their stipends in case they should be taken from them and to fight in the defence of theÌ„ that cause He disswaded them to leane vnto such suggestions or be moued with them for that they would proue nought in the end as the experience of the seuenteene dayes worke might teach them And added which he is not ashamed of nor will denie That were there no other to take imployment against these Mutiners and seditious persons he could wish that he were honoured therewith These are the great blasts and â—errours which the Libeller mentions otherwaies they can take exception at nothing iustly that then was vtttered As matters were then proponed to be voted one of that number gaue in writing some particular reasons for disswading the grant of the said Articles which they haue now writ and imprinted in this Pamphlet which beeing suspected as the Libeller speakes to be some seditious protestation the Preferrer thereof was aduertised to take heede to his doing and giue in no Libels which hee did not set his hand vnto This while he offered himselfe to doe the Archbishop of Saint-Andrewes beeing loath to bring him that way in danger tooke backe the said Writing and desired the Clerk of the Assembly to reade the same And when they were perceiued to containe no matter of moment or any new thing which had not beene before talked of they were cast by as not deseruing any consideration Thus the question was made Whether they would receiue or refuse the Articles Here the Libeller peruerts the question and sayes it was this Whether yee will consent to the Articles or disobey the King which is a question of his own
is repeated in other words in the twelfth exception For the Libeller making a great muster of Arguments to inferre his nullity commits many tautologies PP No others ought to be chosen members of the priuie conference but such as are authorized with Commission to be members of the Assembly neuerthelesse the pretended Moderator did nominate for the priuie Conference such as hee pleased before the Commissions were deliuered and consequently not duly informed who were the iust meÌ„bers of the Assembly According to the rule Totum est maius sua parte The Assembly is greater then the CoÌ„ference according to another rule Turpis pars omnis toti non congrua It is an absurd Conference that disagrees from the whole Assembly Neuerthelesse in that Assembly some few named by the pretended Moderator not chosen by the Assembly not only according to the custome of the priuie Conference concurred with the said Moderator for preparing and digesting of matters to be proponed in due order but tooke vpon them to reason vote and conclude the matters properly belonging to the whole Assembly ANS Against the priuie Conference there are foure exceptions made first that others were nominate then these who were lawfull members of an Assemblie That this is false shall bee cleered hereafter when wee speake of the lawfull members of an Assembly The second that they were nominate by the Moderatour to this I answere hee vsed no other forme in the nomination of them then hath beene heretofore vsed in all other Assemblies for the priuie Conference was neuer chosen by suffrages but the Moderatour did nominate such of all parts of the Countrey as were thought most meete and so was done heere In the yeere of God 1579. in an Assembly kept at Edinburgh and another in Anno 1580. at Dundy this forme of nomination beeing quarrelled it was reasoned voted and concluded that the Assessours of the priuy Conference should bee nominate by the Moderatour and therefore in the next Assembly after the names of the Assessours it is added All these were nominate by the Moderatour Thirdly it is obiected that they disagreed from the whole Assembly Answere The euent prooued otherwise for that which was thought good by the Conference was concluded by the whole Assembly Fourthly that the Conference tooke vpon them to reason vote and conclude matters before they came to the Assembly Answere The end wherefore the priuy Conference is institute is to prepare matters for the Assembly by cleering the points by reasoning declaring what in their iudgements and opinion was meetest to bee done without preiudice of the Assembly it selfe and so was it done in this priuie Conference PP It hath beene the commendable care of godly Emperors and their honourable Deputies in generall Councells to prouide that nothing bee done violently nor extorted by terrour but that time and libertie bee granted for reasoning vpon matters proponed and that the Booke of God be laid open for finding out the Truth Agatho writing to the Emperour Constantine aduised him to grant free power of speaking to euery one that desires to speake for his faith which he beleeueth and holdeth That all men may euidently see that no man willing or desirous to speake for the Truth was forbidden hindred or reiected by any force-threatnings terrour or whatsoeuer else might auert them from so doing Conforme to this aduice the Emperour answered as followeth By God Almighty we fauour no partie but shall keepe our selfe equall to all no way making necessitie in any point Neuerthelesse in this Assembly the necessitie of yeelding was inforced vnder no lesse pangs then the wrath of Authoritie imprisonment exile depriuation of Ministers and vtter subuersion of the estate and order of this Church such as by the prouidence of God had their mouthes opened to reason were checkt quarrelled rebuked boasted interrupted and for their discouragement it was plainly professed That neither the reasoning nor the number of voters should carry the matter away The party defender was forced to pursue The collecting and putting in order of the Reasons of either side was refused ANS It is obiected here That necessitie of yeelding was enforced contrary to the example of Constantine who protested he would â—auour no party but keepe himselfe equall to all no way making necessitie in any point To this wee answer first The cause is different for the question to be debated in that Councell of Constantinople was a substantiall point of Doctrine in it selfe not subiect to his Imperiall power controuerted betwixt the Greeke and Latine Church concerning the twofold will in Christ and because hee being a Grecian himselfe it might haue beene thought hee would fauour more the Greeke Church therefore he purges himselfe of partialitie referring the whole matter to the decision of the Councell according to the Scriptures But here the question is of no substantiall point of Doctrine but of matters indifferent not particularly determined by Scripture but depending vpon the Prince and Churches pleasure to haue them practised or not In which the Prince might by his owne authoritie impone a necessitie vpon all his Subiects to obey the same except they could shew euident proofes out of the Scripture that the same were absolutely vnlawfull And in case of disobedience hee might iustly threaten them by his authoritie Yet all these particular terrours and threatnings which yee mention with the wrath of Authoritie imprisonment exile depriuation c. were directed onely to such as without reason should bee found obstinate and refractarie who by reason ought not onely be threatned but punished For if men will not regard authoritie but doe as their conceit which some falsly call conscience leades them if neither the Prince his command nor acts of Synods can bind them to obedience may not these threatnings yea ought they not to bee vsed towards them as it hath euer beene the practice in all Councels And to meet you with your owne example which yee alledge that same Constantine who protests he would impose no necessitie in any point in that selfe-same Synode perceiuing the obstinacy of Macarius Bishop of Antiochia and his followers Stephanus Polychronius Constantius and others not onely threatned them bitterly but likewise in presence of the Synode presently caused to depriue Macarius of his Bishopricke by taking his Episcopall cloake from him and did cast him and his Associates forth of the Councell by the necks Ceruicibus eijcâ—entes foras as the words are Vide Concil Constantinop 3. Act. 8.9 15.16 Binni Annotat. Then yee say yee were threatned by the vtter subuersion of the Estate and order of the Church And is it not lawfull to lay before your eyes the danger that may follow vpon your disobedience for looke all the Letters and harrangues of the godly Emperours the generall Councells and such as were speciall persons therein yee shall finde them euer lay before the eyes of such as were conuocated as the speciall motiues that might serue to induce them to condescend
est vniuersae Ecclesiae â—amersi ipsa fidei vnitas quiâ—usdam diuersis obseruationibus ceâ—ebratur quibus â—ullo modo quod â—n â—ide verum est impeditur â—mnis enim pulchritudo siliae Regis intrinsecus â—llae autem obâ—eruationes quae variae obseruantur in â—ius veste entelliguntur vnde illi dicitur in fimbrijs aureâ—â— circumamicta varietate that 〈◊〉 The Faith of the vniuersall Church is one albeit the Vniâ—ie of the Faith it selfe bee celebrate with some diuers obseruations whereby the Veritie of the Faith is not impedit for all the beautie of the Kings daughter is within but these obseruations which are variantly obserued are vnderstood to be in her apparell therefore it is said of her That shee is clothed with varietie in vestures of gold Psal. 45. In this veritie of Faith whereby the Church standeth her estate consisteth this must bee euer kept one and the same albeit of the obseruations and ceremonies wherewith it is clothed â—t may sometime be said as God said of IOSVA Take away â—he filthy garments from him I will clothe thee with a change of rayment Tertull. de Virginibus Velandis Regula quidem fidei vna omnino est sola immobilis irreformabilis c. Hac lege fidei manente caetera iam disciplinae conuersationis admittunt nouitatem correctionis operante scil cet proficiente vsque in finem gratia Dei The rule of Faith is altogether one onely vnchangeable and such as cannot be reformed c. This Law of Faith standing firme the remanent things that concerne discipline and conuersation admit the noueltie of correction by the grace of God which worketh and maketh a profitable progresse euen to the end Augustines sentence which yee cite is not repugnant to this for in that place he speaketh not of such a mutation as proceedeth from the instant and lawfull desire of a Prince and after due deliberation is concluded by the body of the whole Church but of such a nouation as is vrged contentiously by some curious spirits who being strangers to the Church wherein they presse to make the nouation would haue the customes thereof changed according to the formes of their owne Countrey or being trauelled abroad would make a reformation according to that which they see in their peregrination Aut quia in sua patria sic ipse consueuit aut quia ibi vidit vbi peregrinationem suam quo remotiorem à suis eo doctiorem factam putat In such a case saith Augustine the nouation helpeth not so much by vtilitie as it hurteth by noueltie such was the alteration that was intended and vrged by some Innouators at Hampton Court Where notwithstanding some few particulars were explayned in the Liturgie of the Church of England as is set downe in the third dayes Conference by D. William Barlow as followeth 1. Absolution or remission of sinnes in the rubricke of absolution 2. In priuate Baptisme that a lawfull Minister bee present 3. Examination and Confirmation of Children 4. Iesus said vnto them twice to bee put in the Dominicall Gospels in stead of Iesus said to the Disciples Thus his Maiesty who had wisely said before in that Conâ—erence Rather a Church with some fault then still a change declared that where the fault might bee redressed without change of the estate of the Church the fault was to be mended and the estate â—reserued The second Article PP The receiuing againe of these Articles so iustly â—eiected and so carefully and long kept forth of the CHVRCHâ— grieueth reformed Professours tenderly affected to our reformation and giueth occasion to our Aduersaries to reproue our separation from them of rashnesse leuitie and inconstancie and not only hindereth their conuersion but strengthneth their hope of our further conformitie with them quoties non mutarunt suam quisque sententiam c. ANS The receiuing againe of these Articles neuer reiected as vnlawfull giueth no iust occasion of griefe to any who are not superstitiously affected to externall Rites and Ceremonies and such are not to be followed but should be better informed And as for the Aduersaries it grieueth them that by this change their mouthes are stopped who before took occasion to slander our Church of prophanenesse for fitting at the Sacrament of impious ingratitude for neglecting the solemne commemoration of the inestimable benefits of our Redemption of contempt of the Sacraments and crueltie for refusing in cases of necessitie Baptisme to Infants and the Supper of the Lord to these who desire the comfort thereof 〈◊〉 the time of their death which things being now restored in our Church they are afraid that many who before of their â—ect did not so much abhorre our profession for the substance of doctrine as for the precise excluding of these religious Rites may now bee moued to adioyne themselues to our Church But to be short what can bee so well done by vs whereat they will not take occasion to slander vs either of inconstancie or prophanenesse and impietie Therefore our actions must not depend on their constructions but we must doe that which is most expedient and best for the estate of our owne Church and not regard their hopes conceits calumnies and lyes whereby they maintaine their Kingdome of darknesse The third Article PP They cannot stand in one profession with brotherly kindnes peace and loue which must bee tenderly kept amongst the members of Christs body as the same consisteth of stroÌ„ger and more infirme as may appeare in the Apostolicall Rules following c. Things indifferent put the case mans inuention were of that nature in the case of scandall ceasse to be indifferent and are as things morall Perkins Gal. 2.3 ANS Vnto this Article Augustine answereth in his 118. Epistle to Ianuarius cap. 2. in these words Saepe sensi dolens gemens multas infirmorum perturbationes fieri per quorundam fratrum obstinationem superstitiosam timiditatem qui in rebus huiusmodi quae neque sacrae Scripturae authoritate neque vniuersalis Ecclesiae traditione neque vitae corrigendae vtilitate ad certum possunt terminum peruenire c. Tam litigiosas excitant contentiones vt nisi quod ipsi faciunt nihil rectum existiment I haue often thought with sorrow and sighing that the perturbations and offences of many weake ones come by the contentious stubbornnesse of some Brethren and by their superstitious feare who for such matters as neither by authoritie of the holy Scripture nor by the tradition of the vniuersall Church nor by vtilitie for amendment of life can be determined and brought to some certaine point stirre vp contentions that they esteeme nothing right but that which they doe themselues This is it that breaketh the bonds of kindnesse peace and loue amongst Brethren As to things inâ—ifferent it is true indeed that they become not only scanâ—alous and morally euill as Perkins sayth but superstitious â—nd Rites of wil-worship when they are vrged as necessary â—o be vsed
Church representatiue giuen An. 1596. did oblige them all who were liuing to the maintenance of the puritie of Religion in Doctrine and Discipline Heere yee acknowledge that the Church representatiue hath power to oblige all liuing within the iurisdiction therefore yee cannot allow of â—his Article according to your grounds The thirteenth Article PP There stand in force diuers Acts of Parliament in fauours of our present order Iacob 6 Parl. 1 cap. 8. Iames 6. Parl. 8. cap. 68. cap. 69. Item in the first Act of Parliament Anno 1592. ANS None of the Acts of Parliament here cited is contrary to â—he alteration The fourteenth Article PP The Ministers of this Church by order of the same printed and inserted before the Psalme Booke at their admissions respectiue promise in the presence of God and of his Congregation assembled to abhorre and vterly refuse all Doctrine alledged necessary to saluation that is not expresly contayned in the olde and new Testament c. Item to submit themselues to all admonitions secretly or publikely giuen ANS Against this promise nothing was concluded by the Assembly at Perth but how this promise is performed by these who disobey the Ordinances thereof let them aduise with their owne conscience The fifteenth Article PP The Subscribers of the Confession of Faith by their oath therein contained promise and sweare to continue in the obedience of the doctrine discipline of this Church to defend the same according to their vocation and power all the dayes of their liues c. And to abhor and detest all contrary religions but chiefly all kind of Papistry in generall euen as they are now damned by the Church of Scotland but in special the Popes fiue bastard Sacraments whereof Confirmation is one with all Rites and Ceremonies and false doctrines added to the Sacraments without the Word of God his absolute necessity of Baptisme c. which Confession is come to the eyes of the World in print and solemnly renued in the Couenant celebrated in the generall and prouincial Assemblies Presbyteries and Church Sessions in the yeere of God 1596. and how shal any man be heard to speak against that whereunto he hath formerly sworne and subscribed For the better vnderstanding of this last Article I will set downe a short discussion of the Oath ANS There is nothing that the Subscribers of the Confession of faith did by their oath oblige themselues to obserue and defend that is contrary to any of the Articles concluded at Perth and no man should bee heard to speake contrary to that whereunto hee hath formerly sworne subscribed And therefore they who haue sworne subscribed in the 21. Article of the Confession of faith confirmed in Parliament Anno 1567. That no policie and order in Ceremonies can bee appointed for all ages times and places but that they may ought to be changed when necessity requireth should not now bee heard affirming the contrary in this Pamphlet that they may not bee changed wherein ye contradict your oath and perswade others to doe the same Of the which oath the discussion set downe by you is a glosse that destroyeth the Text as shall by Gods grace bee made manifest by the examination thereof which followeth The Examination of the Oath discussed BEfore the Penner of this Pamphlet begins to discusse the oath he sets downe the articles controuerted then fiue seuerall obligations whereby as he alledgeth our Church is obliged to exclude and abhorre the particular actes concluded at Perth Thirdly he considers the Oath which is the chiefe of the fiue obligations Keeping his order wee shall seuerally examine his sayings concerning them And first touching the articles controuerted he sayes thus PP The Religion Doctrine and Discipline receiued beleeued and defended by the Church of Scotland namely the publike ministration of Baptisme and the Lords Supper sitting at the Table in the act of receiuing the bread and the wine of that Sacrament The obseruation of the Lords day and the examination of Children for the first time at the ninth yeare of their age for the second at the twelfth for the third at the fourteenth excluding and abhorring priuate Baptisme priuate Communion kneeling in the act of receiuing the Supper Holy dayes or Feasts of Christmas Passion Resurrection Ascension and sending downe of the Holy Ghost were brought in at the reformation of Religion and enioyed euer since in manner and forme as followeth Answ. The Libeller hath forgotten to exclude Confirmation but since it is vnderstood wee answere to the rest First That the solemne ministration of the Sacraments appointed by the Church especially the act of the assembly holden at Edinburgh Anno 1581. which forbiddeth the ministration thereof in priuate houses excludes not the ministration thereof in priuate places when as necessitie vrges cases of 〈…〉 PP 〈◊〉 Obligations whereby wee are bound to exclude the â—onclusions of the Assembly at Perth and to obey defend and maintaine the contrary are first The vniforme iudgement of the Church condemning the one and allowing the 〈◊〉 Secondly Ecclesiasticall Canons publike confessions and solemne protestations of lawful assemblies Thirdly actes of Parliament ratifying the Constitutions of the Church Fourthly The prescription of 59. yeares and fiftly the Oath and subscriptions of the whole Estates of the Realme By all these bands the Church in generall and euery member thereof in particular are obliged to sit at the Communion and to reiect kneeling with the obseruation of the fiue Holy dayes and other things concluded in the Assembly at Perth ANS Yee are not able to produce any warrant for the vniforme iudgement of the Church nor Canon of Assembly nor act of Parliament nor confession of faith nor publike protestation which either condemnes the points concluded at Perth as vnlawfull to bee vsed in the worship of God or establisheth the contrary as things necessary that cannot be altered in no time succeeding And as for your 59. yeares practise it cannot change the nature of things indifferent and make these formes and circumstances which are of themselues alterable become necessary and vnchangeable yea by the contrary the prescription of a long time giues iust cause often of alteration because either the things practised which at the beginning were profitable become hurtfull or that which was conuenient in the time preceding becommeth inconuenient or because the same things are abused to superstition and prophanenesse or because an opinion is bred by long custome of necessitie This I make manifest by the one and twentieth article of the Confession of our faith confirmed in the first Parliament holden by his Maiesty anno 1567. Decemb. 15. which ye affiâ—me your selfe to haue sworne and subscribed The words of the article are these about the end thereof The other end of generall Councels was for good policie to bee constituted â—nd observed in the Church whereas in the house of God it becommeth all things to be done dâ—cently and in order not that wee
Doctrine and Discipline whereunto the Swearers did oblige themselues by their assertory and promissory Oath By the Gospell it is not certaine That our Sauiour and the Apostles did sit at the Supper and albeit he had sitten yet sitting is no more commanded to be obserued in that sacred action then the vpper chamber where he sate or the night season when the Supper was celebrated or the sex and number of the Communicants who were twelue men and no women or the qualitie of the element which was vnleauened bread or the order finally after Supper All these howbeit they be certaine yet none of them are esteemed exemplary far lesse can sitting which is vncertaine be esteemed such And for the rest of the points Neither kneeling at the Communion nor the administration of the Sacraments in priuate houses when necessitie requires nor the commemoration of Christs inestimable benefits on certaine set times of the yeare nor the triall of yong childrens education by the Bishop at his Visitation none of these I say are either expresly or by necessary consequence forbidden in the Gospell nor are hey condemned by many notable Churches and Realmes nor abiured in the Confession of our Faith confirmed by actes of Parliament and so cannot be counted the matter of this Oath But to remooue all scruple that may arise touching the matter of this Oath It is true That in the promissorie Oath the Swearers thereof binde themselues to continue in the Doctrine and Discipline of the Church of Scotland and to defend the same according to their vocation and power all the dayes of their liues vnder the paines contained in the Law and danger both of body and soule in the day of the Lords fearefull iudgement Heere touching the Doctrine praised be God there is no controuersie amongst vs all the doubt concerneth Discipline and that is remoued also if it be taken only for that which is reuealed in the Gospell or receiued beleeued and defended by many notable Churches and Realmes or that which is set downe in the Confession of Faith as is already declared But because the Discipline of the Church may be extended beyond these limits and made to comprehend all Ecclesiasticall constitutions and determinations of generall circumstances formes and ceremonies belonging to the worship of God and the decent ordering of his house let vs consider this point more particularly If by the Discipline of the Church in the words of the Oath that part of Ecclesiasticall policie bee meant which concernes the censuring of manners in which sense it is taken in the order set downe before our Psalme bookes and in the seuenth hâ—ad of the first booke of Discipline intituled of Ecclesiasticall Discipline and in the second booke wheresoeuer it is mentioned and by all Ecclesiasticall writers most frequently Then it is certaine that the fiue Articles controuerted belong nothing to the Discipline wherein the Swearers binde themselues by their oath to continue to their liues end But if therby be meant the whole policie of the Church in which sense it is sometimes taken though rarely then first it containes all the precepts of policie prescribed in the Word in which precepts there is no determination concerning these articles as before we said Next it comprehendeth all the ordinances of the Church touching formes ceremonies and order to be obserued in Diuine Seruice and in the exercise of Ecclesiasticall Censures according as the circumstances of time place and persons In this part of Discipline it is true that all the controuerted points are contained But as I shewed before it is manifest by the limitations of the matter of the Oath that this part of the policie is excluded for it is neither expressely nor by necessary consequence contained in the Word nor is it receiued beleeued and defended by many notable Churches and Realmes nor is there any thing concerning it set downe in the Confession of Faith confirmed by actes of Parliament onely this generall wee haue that no constant order and policie can be set downe in ceremonies and that constitutions made by men may and ought to be altered when need requires Furthermore in the booke of Policie that was published after the Oath anno 1581 and subscribed by sundrie Ministers there is no mention made of these fiue Articles now in question In the first booke of Discipline penned anno 1560 there are some conclusions set downe touching sitting at the Sacrament the abolition of Holy dayes dedicated to Saints in Popery and the Feast of Christmas imposed vpon the consciences of men as also the administration of Baptisme vpon ordinary dayes of preaching for remouing the Papisticall opinion of absolute necessitie and if by the discipline mentioned in the Oath yee vnderstand the conclusions of Policie set downe in that booke and hold that the Swearers did by their Oath oblige themselues to obey all the conclusions thereof to their liues end then I demand what is the cause that yee and your followers do not only refuse to obey but improue and impugne the most principall point of policie set downe in that booke namely the office of Bishops whose prouision jurisdiction power and election are particularly described in the first head of that booke vnder the name of Superintendents But because the booke is rare and not at euery mans hand I will draw out of it onely some few things touching the jurisdiction and power of the Superintendents that the posterity may see what was the judgement of their Predecessors the Reformers of Religion touching the Office-bearers and gouernment of the Church And to beginne with the bounds of their jurisdiction the same is set down with this Title The names of the places of residence and seueral Diocesses of the Superintendents INprimis the Superintendent of Orknay his Diocesse shall be the Iles of Orknay Caâ—thnes and Strathneuer his residence in the Towne of Kirkwall The Superintendent of Rosse his Diocesse shall comprehend Rosse Sutherland Murray and the North Iles called the Skie and Lewes with their adjacents his Residence the Chanonrie of Rosse The Superintendent of Argyle his Diocesse shall be Argyle Kintyre Lorne the South Iles Arrane and Boote with their adjacents and Lowhaber His Residence in Argyle The Superintendent of Abirdene his Diocesse betweene Die and Spae containing the Shirrefdomes of Abirdene and Banff His Residence in old Abirdene The Superintendent of Brechin his Diocesse the whole Shirrefdomes of Mernis and Angouse with the Brae of Marre to Die His Residence in Brechin The Superintendent of Fife his Diocesse the Shirrefdomes of Fife and Fotthringham to Striuiling and the whole Shirrefdome of Perth his Residence in Saint Andrewes The Superintendent of Edinburgh his Diocesse the Shirrefdome of Lowthian and Striuiling on the South-side of Forth wherto is added by the consent of the whole Church Merse Lawderdale and Weddale his Residence in The Superintendent of Iedburgh his Diocesse Tauiotdale Liddisdale Tueddale with the Forrest of Ettrick his Residence in The
vnderstand thereby a materiall table appointed for feasters to sitte at such a table is not necessary as shal be cleared in the answer to the second breach but if by a Table yee vnderstand a commodious part whereon the elements must bee placed then the table must be reckoned amongst the necessary circumstances that accompany the action for when Christ commanded to doe this the command did insinuate That they must conuene in some place to doe it that there must be a Pastor to giue and some persons to receiue that the elements which are giuen and taken must be placed in some commodious part on which they may bee consecrated with thankesgiuing and blessing where they may bee broken and where they may be giuen and receiued such a table is necessary yet what the matter the forme and quality of this table should be is no where expressed in the Scripture but as the time when and the place where and the particular persons to whom and by whom the Sacrament shall bee celebrate so the particular matter and forme of the Table is not mentioned in the Institution but omitted with the rest of the necessary circumstances and left to be determined by the Church according to the rule of edification and decencie and is onely insinuated as a thing necessarily enioyned with the actions prescribed in the command for when the Apostle saith doe this albeit he saith not doe it at night or in the morning or in a priuate or publike place by such a person and congregation and such a part or Table or with such gesture yet the command imports that it should bee done at a conuenient time in a conuenient place by meete and qualified persons with a conuenient gesture and on a conuenient Table or on somewhat in stead of a Table Now what should be conuenient in such things it could not be defined for conueniency changes according to times ages and nations The specification thereof is left to the wise iudgement of the Church according to charitie quam si moderatricem patiemur saith CALVâ—N salua â—runt omnia that is Charity being the moderatrix all shal goe well PP No doubt our Sauiour instructed them how to discerne the Lords body how to eate and drinke before he commanded them to eate and drinke But the Euangeâ—lists and Paul writes of the Sacrament as of a thing knowne to the Church by practise presupposing a Table and the Communicants conuened and sitting at the Table ANS Yee appeare in this place to haue forgotten that which you affirmed in the beginning of your dispute to wit That nothing interuened betweene the celebration of the Sacrament and the eating of the Paschall Supper for now you say That our Sauiour no doubt instructed them how to eate and drinke before they were commanded to eate and drinke that is in your minde he taught them to conuene themselues and set them downe at Table but I alledge he taught them to stand or kneele ar the receiuing which wee know certainly to haue bin the practise of the Churches thereafter What warrant haue you more for the one then I haue for the other The Papists will say that hee taught them the doctrine of Transubstantiation and the Sacrifice of the Masse and all the ceremonies vsed at that action which being after knowne to the Churches by practise are omitted by Saint Paul and the Euangelists when they wrote of the Sacrament because as yee say they presupposed these things to bee knowne So farre are yee miscaried with the loue of your darling Table gesture that for establishing and authorising the same yee dare alledge vnwritten verities whereupon the Church of Rome founds all her heresies But to conclude against your false Assertion I forme you this reason Whatsoeuer is of necessary vse in the Sacrament is expressed in the words of the Institution or then is annexed vnto that which is expressed as a necessary circumstance belonging thereto But sitting is neither expressed in the words of the institution nor is annexed to that which is expressed as a necessary circumstance belonging thereto Therefore sitting is not of necessary vse in the Sacrament PP The second breach of the Institution made by kneeling in the act of receiuing is the taking away the vse of a table Christ and his Apostles sate at Table 1. Cor. 10. Luk. 2â— Wherefore serueth the name of a Table if wee keepe not the proper vse and employment of it The Fathers call it the Lords Table the heauenly Table the sacred Table the mysticall Table the spirituall Table the rationall Table Whereto serue all these commendations if in the meane time it be not vsed as a Table but rather as an Altar if it be not vsed as Christ and his Apostles vsed it that is by sitting at it to receiue the dainties set vpon the Table And a little after The people of God had an Altar for the Sacrifice and a Table for a Feast Such like the Ethnickes so Christians haue an Altar for a Sacrifice to wit Christ who is Priest Altar and Sacrifice Heb. 13.10 And a Table for the Feast after this Sacrifice once made to wit the Sacrament of the Supper As the Israelites and the Ethnickes sate at the table of their feasts so doe we at our sacred Feasts to distinguish betweene an Altar and a Table a Sacrifice and a Supper made of the thing sacrificed a dresser or cupboord may serue as well for the disposing of the elements c. ANS I must take paines heere for clearing your minde to draw your arguments together which are set downe â—anquam scopae dissolutae as loose or euill knit beesomes yee proue that kneeling taketh away the vse of a table because the proper vse of a table is for sitting This yee qualifie because Christ and his Apostles sate at Table And because the Iewes and the Ethnickes sate at their feasts made of things sacrificed And this is your first argument Your next is because sitting makes a distinction betweene an Altar and a Table betweene a Supper and a Sacrifice For answere to your first argument I say it is a meere caption à fallacia consequentis for albeit that Christ and his Apostles the Iewes and the Ethnicks sate at their feasts it followeth not that the proper vse of a table is sitting The proper vse of a table is to hold and sustaine the meat that is set thereon beds in these dayes were ordained for sitting fourmes chaires and bonkers in our times the taking away of sitting takes away the vse of the beds fourmes and seates whereon they sate but not the vse of the table this still remaines if the elements be placed thereon and consecrate in the celebration of the Sacrament albeit no man sitte thereat As to Christ and the Apostles the Iewes and the Ethnicks they sate at their feasts when they did eate their sacrifices because these feasts were sufficient bodily repasts at which they spent long time in eating drinking and
withall that there is no part of diuine worship more heauenly and spirituall then is the holy receiuing of the blessed body and blood of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ like as the most humble and reuerent gesture of the body in our meditation and lifting vp of our hearts becommeth well so diuine and sacred an action Therefore notwithstanding our Church hath vsed since the reformation of Religion heere to celebrate the holy Communion to the people sitting by reason of the great abuse vsed in the idolatrous worship of Papists yet now since all memory of by-past superstition is blotted out of the hearts of the people praised be God in reuerence of God and in due regard of so diuine a mysterie and in remembrance of so mysticall an vnion as wee are made partakers of thereby the Assembly thinkes good that that blessed Sacrament bee celebrated hereafter to the people humbly and reuerently kneeling vpon their knees This is the true copie of the act differing in many things from that which you sette downe Pag. 34. in the narratiue thereof the reasons are set downe wherefore the people should kneele when they receiue the Sacrament which are repeated orderly in the conclusion as the causes of the same The first reason is Since we are commanded by God himselfe that when we come to worship him wee fall downe and kneele before the Lord our Maker Relatiue vnto this we haue in the conclusion Therefore in reuerence of God the Assembly thinkes good that the Sacrament be giuen to the people kneeling The second reason in the narratiue is And considering withall that there is no part of diuine worship more heauenly and spirituall then is the holy receiuing of the blessed bodie and blood of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ. Relatiue to this wee haue these words And in due regard of so diuine a mysterie Wee say not in regard of the diuine mysteries which you interpret the elements but Mysterie that is the holy receiuing of the body and blood of Iesus Christ mentioned in the narratiue Our third reason is the correspondence which ought to be betweene the outward gesture of our body and the meditation and lifting vp of our hearts when we remember and consider the mysticall vnion betweene Christ and vs and amongst our selues whereof we are made partakers by receiuing of Christs blessed body and bloud This is expressed in these words Like as the most humble and reuerent gesture of the body in our meditation and lifting vp of our hearts becomes so diuine and sacred an action Relatiue to this in the conclusion we haue these words And in remembrance of so mysticall an vnion as we are made partakers of thereby for this remembrance is a part of our meditation So to conclude we come to worship at the Sacrament the Lord our Maker who hath not onely made vs by creation but who by redemption hath made vs his people and the sheepe of his pasture Psal. 95.7 Psalme 100.3 that is God manifested in the flesh We come to receiue his flesh and bloud and in reuerence of him wee are commanded by the act to kneele As yee then inferre vpon your forgery and falshood that to kneele for reuerence of the mysteries is nothing else but to worship the mysteries so I inferre vpon the very words wherein the act is conceiued That to kneele for reuerence of God in due regard of the diuine mysterie that is the receiuing of Christs body and bloud in remembrance of the mysticall vnion whereof thereby we are made partakers first with our Head and Sauiour and next through him with God and amongst our selues to kneele I say at the Sacrament for the reuerence and respects aforesayd is to worship God rightly and that is the due obseruation of his commandement PP Wheresoeuer the publike intent of a Church is to worshippe the Sacrament euery priuate man following that intent is formally an idolater If his priuate intent be diuerse from the publike yet he is still materially and interpretatiuè an Idolater c. ANS Yee begin now to manifest your selfe yee peruerted the words of the act to draw vpon our Church the vile imputation of idolatry and now yee seeke to diuide the Church and perswade people to disobedience vnder that colour But the publike intent of our Church was neuer to worship the Sacrament but was and is to worship the Lord Iesus of whose flesh and bloud wee are made partakers in the Sacrament And they who follow the Church in this are neither formally nor materially idolaters but true and sincere worshippers of God PP Kneeling directed to the bread and wine in the hands of the Minister is idolatry howbeit the inward motion of the minde and affection of the heart be directed onely to God or his Sonne Christ as the onely obiect of adoration ANS Still you build vpon the false ground you haue layd that kneeling is direct to the bread and wine in the hands of the Minister which is a manifest calumny for the act doth appoint no such thing To direct our knees to the signes and the affection of our heart to the thing signified is not onely idolatry but a kinde of hypocrisie and mixture of worship which God abhorres Neither did our Church euer allow it in our doctrine prayers and exhortations which are vsed at the Ministration this is condemned and the very act ordayning that we should kneele before the Lord our Maker forbids the same PP This immediate conuoy of worship to the principall obiect is nothing else but that finer sort of idolatry and relatiue worship which Durandus Holcot Mirandula Alphonsus Petrus Cluniacensis and others giue to their Images ANS If wee did kneele to the Sacrament that by it our worship might bee conueyed to God our kneeling were such a relatiue worship as yee affirme but we kneele at the Sacrament and not to the Sacrament as wee kneele at prayer and not to the words and oration of the prayer but to God to whom wee direct our prayer When God spake Abraham fell on his face not to the sound of words which he heard but to the Speaker When the fire came downe at Elias prayer the people fell on their faces not to the fire which they saw but to God who wrought the myracle This kneeling and falling on the face before God in the act of prayer in the act of seeing in the act of hearing is a worship done to God immediately and so it is in the act of receiuing the Sacrament PP They say Images are not otherwise adored then that before and about them are exhibited the externall signes of honour The inward affection is directed onely to the principall obiect as the seruices done at a Funerall shew to an empty Coffin as if the corps were present ANS To make it appeare that there is no difference betweene our kneeling at the Sacrament and the kneeling of the Papists to their Idols the Pamphleter such is
generally yee take from the Creatures of God and the holy Sacraments the most excellent vse for which they were appointed namely to be meanes and motiues to stirre vs vp vnto the worship of our Creator and Redeemer PP If this kinde of relatiue worship were to be allowed then the holy signes both in the olde and new Testament should haue serued to the same vse then they who are farre distant from the Table should kneele for the Elements are to them obiectum à quo significatiuè then at the sight of the Sunne or any beautifull Creature we should kneele seeing they put vs in minde of Gods incomprehensible beautie and seeing many of them allow the historicall vse of Images we may fall downe before the Crucifixe prouiding the action of the minde be abstracted from the Image ANS We allow no worship whether it be relatiue or absolute that is either giuen to Sacrament or Creature But it is a grosse error to thinke that the worship which is onely giuen to God immediately or directly is relatiue because it is motioned and occasioned by the consideration of Gods Creatures and blessed Sacraments for so all the worship of God must be relatiue because it is all occasioned either by the Word the Sacraments or the Creatures whereas indeede there is no worship relatiue but that which is giuen to some mediate thing for the relation it hath to the principall and as for vs wee neyther giue to the Word the Sacrament or any Creature diuine worship but onely to God whom by the Word the Sacrament and the Creatures wee are taught and admonished to worship The relatiue worship is onely that which Papists giue to their Idols for the relation they haue to the principall which we detest and condemne as much as your selfe Where you say that the signes of the olde and new Testament and the sacramentall Elements when they are onely seene as likewise the Sunne or any beautifull creature might then moue vs to adore I answere that although they be potentially obiectuÌ„ à quo obiects whereby we may bee stirred vp to worship yet are they not actually such except they bee applyed and accommodate to that vse either in the ordinary publique ministerie or in a mans priuate meditation and deuotion or extraordinarily vpon some present and great occasion as when the fire came downe at the prayer of Elias and consumed the sacrifice When the Signes Sacraments or Works of God are after that manner propounded and insinuated they are in statu accommodato ad orandum and then men ought to adore and worship God yet it is not necessary that they should vpon all such occasions fall downe and kneele as yee conclude For when in our priuate meditation and deuotion or when by some present great occasion wee are inwardly moued and affected to worship our externall gesture of adoration is arbitrarie and left to our owne priuate election to doe what is most conuenient decent for that time Sometime the discouering of the head is sufficient sometime the lifting vp of the eyes onely and sometime no gesture at all is required but in the ordinary Ministerie when the works of God or his benefites are propounded and applyed publikely to stirre vs vp to worship in the assemblies of the Church then our gesture ceaseth to bee arbitrarie for it must be such as is prescribed and receiued in the Church where we worship So when by the sight of the Sacraments onely or by the sight of holy signes or creatures of God wee are moued priuately to worshippe wee may vse or not vse what gesture we thinke meetest yet when we come to the table our selues not to be spectators but to communicate with others we ougâ—t to receiue and worship after the forme and custome of that Church in which we are If they sit with their heads discouered so should we If they stand or passe by so should we If they kneele so should wee for vniformity and peace sake Saint Augustine in his 118. Epist. Ad quam fortè ecclesiam veneris eius morem serua si cuiquam non vis esse scandalo nec quenquam tibi that is Keepe the custome of the Church whereunto thou comest if thou would be offensiue to no man and wouldst haue no man offensiue to thee This Saint Augustine learned of Saint Ambrose and as he saith hee did neuer thinke of it but he esteemed it as an oracle that he had receiued from heauen As to those in the Reformed Churches who allow the historicall vse of Images they condemne with vs both the externall and internall adoration of Images Therefore by their doctrine wee may not kneele before the Crucifixe because it is a sort of externall adoration PP All the parts of Gods worship ought to be direct and not oblique Perkins saith It is idolatry to turne dispose or direct the worship of God or any part thereof to any particular place or creature without the appointment of God and more specially to direct our adoration to the bread or to the place where the bread is what is it lesse then idolatrie ANS If by the Act of Perth wee had beene ordained to kneele to the Sacrament either in stead of Christ or coniunctly with him you might call it an oblique worship that were enioyned but seeing we are commanded in receiuing the holy SacrameÌ„t to bow our knees to God only and to nothing with him or in his stead our worship is direct and not oblique Therefore wee subscribe to the iudgement of Perkins But I must tell you that hitherto your disputation hath not only been oblique but impertinent for your haue impugned nothing set downe in the Act only you haue set your selfe against a position forged by your selfe in falsifying the Act. Thus while you haue intended that you shall neuer be able to performe namely to proue that by kneeling at the Sacrament a breach is made of the second Commandement you haue made a manifest breach of your credit and honesty PP Kneeling before the Elements referred directly to Christ is either a gesture signifying the humble submission of the minde in generall whereby wee make obeysance as if hee were bodily present or else it signifieth more particularly our humiliation in prayer This is but a speciall the former was a generall the like reasons serue against both It is true wee cannot kneele to God in prayer but there are many things before vs a Church a house a wall a tree a staire c. But wee set them not before vs purposely wee are by no direction tyed vnto them they stand only before vs by casuall position neyther can we choose otherwise to doe ANS Your former dispute was founded on falsehood this runnes all vpon ambiguity of speech To kneele before the Elements hath two senses either it signifies to kneele to the Elements as wee are said to kneele before God when we kneele vnto him and Papists before their Images when they kneele
Christianae venerationis ac proinde olim potuit cum fructu vsurpari That is Kneeling at the receiuing of the Elements hath a shew and forme of holy and Christian adoration and therefore of olde might haue beene vsed profitably Petrus Martyr Class 4. locus 10. Sect. 49. 50. IN Sacramento distinguimus symbola à rebus symbolis aliquem honorem deferimus nimirum vt tractentur decenter non abijciantur sunt enim sacrae res Deo semel deputatae quo verò vel res significatas â—as promptè alacriter adorandas concedimus inquit enim Augustinus hoc loco Non peccatur adorando carnem Christi sed peccatur non adorando Adoratio interna potest adhiberi sine periculo neque externa suá naturá essct An Answere to the reasons vsed by the penner of the Pamphlet against the Festiuall DAYES PP FRom the beginning of the Reformation to this present yeere of our Lord 1618. the Church of Scotland hath diuers wayes condemned the obseruation of all Holy-dayes the Lords day onely excepted In the first Chapter of the first Booke of Discipline penned Anno 1560. the obseruation of Holy-dayes to Saints the feast of Christmas Circumcision Epiphanie Purification and others fond Feasts of our Lady are ranked amongst the abominations of the Romane Religion as hauing neither commandement nor assurance in the Word It is further affirmed that the obstinate maintainers and teachers of such abomination should not escape the punishment of the Ciuill Magistrate The Booke aforesaid was subscribed by the Lords of secret Counsell ANS This Booke was neuer authorised by Act of Counsell Parliament or by any Ecclesiasticall Canon and Iohn Knox as we said before complaines of some in chiefe Authoritie that called the same Deuote imaginations yet let vs giue vnto it the Authoritie which yee require the same will not serue your purpose For in the explication of that first head which yee cite we haue these words which yee haue omitâ—â—â— In the Bookes of old and new Testaments We affirme that 〈…〉 necessarie for instruction of the Church and to make 〈…〉 of God perfect are contained and sufficiently expresses By the contrarie doctrine waâ— vnderstand whatsoeuer men by Lawes Counceâ—s or 〈…〉 imposed vpon the conscâ—ences of men 〈…〉 expresse commandement of Gods word 〈…〉 c. By which worâ—s 〈…〉 the obâ—eruation of dayes here coÌ„demne◠〈…〉 the 〈◊〉 Church and 〈…〉 as our 〈…〉 But such 〈…〉 of men â—s a necessitie point of Diuine 〈◊〉 This obseruation vrged vpon the peopâ—e of God and practised 〈◊〉 opinion of necessitie and 〈◊〉 was vtterly to be abolâ—shed And to banish this opinion together with the superstitious Idolatrie and prophanenesse which was otherwise conioyned of banqueting drinking playing quarreâ—ling and such like 〈…〉 was thought expedient that on these dayes the people should be 〈…〉 from their ordinarie labours and that no 〈◊〉 â—eruice should be done in places where there 〈…〉 a dayly Exercise of Religion as well because of the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 to informe people â—oucâ—ing the lawfull obseruaâ—â—on of dayes and the eschewing of their Idolatrous and superstitious abuse as because it appeared that extraoâ—dâ—narie Exercises on these dayes would rather foster supersâ—ition then edifie people in true godlâ—nesse Neither could there better order be taken as matters then stood but our Church did neuer presume to condeme religious Exercises vpon these dayes which now the Assembly at Pâ—rtâ— hath appointed for that had beene to condemne both the Primitiue Church and all the Reformed Churches now in the World who practised the contrarie And all the exceptions Acts and complaints made to Authoritie against Holy-dayes were rather against dayes dedicated to Saints or against the prophane and superstitious obseruation of Christmas which we call Zule or serued to maintaine the order taken by the Church for the same as shall bee made manifest in the particulars alledged by you PP In the generall Assembly holden at Edinburgh Anno 1566. the latter Confession of Heluetia was approoued but with speciall exception against some Holy-dayes dedicated to Christ These same very dayes that now are vrged ANS By this exception the Assembly did not condemne the iudgement and practise of the Heluetian Church as vnlawfull superstitious or prophane but onely declared that by their approbation they did nothing preiudiciall to the order and policie of their owne Church PP At the Assembly holden Anno 1575. complaint was made against the Ministers and Readers beside Abirdene because they assembled the people to Prayer and Preaching vpon certaine Patrone and Feastiuall dayes ANS This complaint was made for the contempt and breach of the order of the Church and the offence which people might take thereat not for the religious Exercise vsed at the time PP Complaint likewise was ordained to be made to the Regent vpon the Towne of Drumfreis for vrging and conueying a Reader to the Church with Tabret and Whissell to reade the Prayers all the Holy-dayes of Zule or Christmas vpon refusall of their owne Reader ANS This was a iust complaint because the Fact was not onely contrarious to the order of the Church but superstitious and prophane also in it selfe PP Item An Article was formed to be presented to the Regent crauing that all dayes heretofore kept holy in time of Papistrie beside the Lords day such as Zule day Saints dayes and other like Feasts might be abolished and a ciuill penaltie appointed against the obseruers of the said dayes ANS In this Article wee must vnderstand by Dayes not the Time it selfe materially for that cannot bee abolished but the superstitious cessation from labour on these dayes with an opinion of necessitie and the profane excesses of banquetting playing c. which the Act of Perth hath also condemned PP In the Assembly holden in April Anno 1577. it was ordayned That the Visitor with the aduice of the Synodall Assembly should admonish Ministers preaching or ministring the Communion at Pasche Zule or other like superstitious times or Readers reading to desist vnder the paine of depriuation ANS This Ordinance was made to withdraw people from the superstitious opinion they had of these times as is manifest by the wordes Or other like superstitious times and this our Pastors are also ordayned still to rebuke PP Dedicating of Dayes was abjured in the Confession of Faith penned Anno 1580. an Article was formed in the Assembly 1581. crauing an Act of Parliament to bee made against the obseruation of feast-dayes dedicated to Saints and setting out of Bone-fires ANS The dedicating of dayes abiured in the confession is in these words We abiure his to wit the Popes canonization of men calling vpon Angels or Saints departed worshipping of imagery reliques and crosse dedicating of Churches Altars Dayes Vowes to creatures c. What is here dayes dedicated by the Pope are abâ—ured but the fiue dayes concluded by the Church to be kept were not dedicated by the Pope but obserued long before his vsurped authoritie
aboue the Church Neither are they obserued in the reformed Churches or ordayned to be obserued in ours according to the intention of the Papall dedication of dayes that is as Bellarmine sayes tanquam sanctiores sacratiores alijs diebus tanquam pars diuini cultus as more holy and sacred then other dayes and a part of diuine worship but onely as fit circumstances for the worship of God appointed to be done vpon them ordinis politias causa for order and policie Further by the words of the Confession and by the Article formed Anno 1581. it is manifest that the dayes abiured are the dayes dedicated to creatures but our dayes are dedicated to Christ and therefore not abiured PP In the Assembly holden in February Anno 1587. it was humbly moued to his Maiestie that Pasche and Zule were superstitiously obserued in Fife and about Drumfreis ANS So would we complaine if any of these dayes were superstitiously obserued for by the act of Perth it is ordayned that Pastors in their Sermons vpon these dayes should rebuke the superstitious obseruation and licentious profanation thereof PP In the Assembly holden 1590. his Maistie in open audience of the Assembly praised God for that he was borne to bee a King in the syncerest Church in the World syncerer then our neighbour Church of England syncerer then Geneua it selfe for they obserued Pasche and Zule ANS His Maiestie from his youth vp hath euer kept these solemne times and wished the same to be kept by all his Subiects without abuse So who will beleeue you that such a speech was vâ—â—ered in that assembly for at that time neither were yee present your selfe not hauing passed aâ— that time your degrees in the Schooles noâ— does it appeare by the matters intreateâ— in that meeâ—ing that the occasion of any such speech was offereâ— And put the case such a saying had beene 〈◊〉 by his 〈◊〉 at that time a young King and of â—â—sse experience in matters 〈◊〉 â—ame should not controll the iudgment of an old wise Monâ—râ—a whom a long time and great experience 〈◊〉 â—aught â—â—comparable prudence You may remember that of the Apostle When I was a child I 〈…〉 and it is a true speec◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the latesâ— cogiâ—ationâ— are wisest PP In the Parliament holden Annâ— 1592. The act of King Iameâ— the third about the Saturday and other vigils to bee kept holy from Euen-song to Euen-song was anulled Item the act made by Queene Regent granting licence to keepe Zule and Pasche ANS The licence granted by the Queene Regent did authorise the Papisticall that is the superstitâ—ous obseruation of Zule and Pasche therefore it was rightly annulled But to what purpose alleadge ye the Act of vigils PP In the Assembly holden Anno 1596. when the couenant was renued superstition and idoâ—atrie breaking forth in keeping of festiuall dayes setting out of Bone-fires and singing of Carrols are reckoned amongst the corruptions which were to be amended The Pulpits haue sounded continually against all festiuall dayes The censures of the Church haue beene put in execution in all due forme against the obseruers ANS Yet the commemoration of the inestimable benefits of our redemption vpon these fiue dayes was not reckoned amongst the corruptions to be amended Neither did Pulpits sound nor were censures put in execution against preaching prayers and other holy exercises in these dayes for at that time the Preachers gaue all obedience to the acts of the Church made concerning these things But doe yee not see by the regraite made at this Assembly and by the acts complaints and ordinances by your selfe rehearsed that the abstayning from preaching and reading at these times hath not remoued from people their superstitious opinions of the times nor yet abolished the enormities and abuses committed in them Certainly nothing is so powerfull to abolish prophanenesse and roote out superstition of mens hearts as the exercise of diuine worship in preaching praying and thanksgiuing chiefly then when the superstitious conceits of merit and necessitie are most pregnant in the heads of people as doubtlesse they are when the set times of these solemnities returne for then it is meetest to lance the oposteme when it is ripe Vpon these and such other reasons it pleased his Maiestie to require and our Church to condescend that commemoration of the benefits purchased to vs by the Natiuitie Death Resurrection and Ascension of our Sauiour should be made solemnely on these dayes according to the practise of all other reformed Churches And there is no question the errours of the multitude shall hereby bee farre more easily remoued then by any prohibition that can be made to the contrary and therewithall the people better instructed in the principall grounds of Religion then they could by occasionall Doctrine as also the honour of God more highly aduanced for wee know that ordinary seruices are performed with lesse regard and more coldly then these which come more rarely to bee celebrated Of all these the hope is the greater that now wee owe it to our King vnder God the Churches are planted with able and sufficient Pastors meete to discharge these duties So by the Assembly at Perth there is nothing concluded either contrarious to any former constitution of the Church or to any sound Doctrine deliuered from Pulpits in former times 〈…〉 The Act about Festiuities In the 〈◊〉 of this Act the Assembly professes to abhorre all that was condemned by any Ecclesiasticall Constitution touching the obseruation of these dayes It is therefore consonant to former Acts. In the Conclusion the Pastors are appointed to rebuke all supersâ—â—tious obseruation and liceâ—cious profâ—â—â—tion thereof This agrees with all the sound Doctrine deliuered from Pulpits concerning this point That which is interlaced in the Canon Saint Augustine affirmes to bee Apostolique Epist. 118. ad Ianuarium Illa autem qua non scripta sed traditâ— custodimus quae quidem toto terrarum orbe obseruantur dantur intelligi vel ab ipsis Apostolis vel à plenarijs Concilijs quorum est in Ecclesia saluberrima autoritas commendata atque statuta retinere sicuti quod Domini Passio Resurrectio Ascensio in coelum aduentus de coelo Spiritus Sancti anniuersaria solennitate celebrantur si quid aliud tale occurreret quod seruatur ab vniuersa quacunque se diffundit Ecclesia that is Whatsoeuer things are not written but by Tradition obserued through the whole world must be thought to haue beene prescribed by the Apostles themselues or then to haue beene ordayned by generall Councells whose authoritie hath euer beene great in the Church as namely The anniuersary celebration of the Passion Resurrection and Ascension of our Lord with the descending of the holy Ghost or any such like thing that is obserued by the whole Church diffused through the world And in the same Epistle hee affirmes that it is most insolent madnesse to doubt if that should bee obserued which the
doctrine and worship in vnlawfull in it selfe but by reason of the time which is an indifferent circumstance Non est verus Apostoli interpres sed verè dogmatistes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 PP That which lawfully hath beene abolished by ciuill and Ecclesiasticall Lawes and by consent and vniforme practise in the contrarie without interruption and beyond the prescription of time allowed to things moueable put the case that Holy-daies were things moueable and indifferent and hath beene borne downe by Sermons of all the most reuerend Preachers since the reformation corrected with censures and abiured by publique oathes of Preachers and Professours cannot lawfully be receiued and put in practise againe ANS Your assumption must be this But to make commemoration of the inestimable benefits of our redemption vpon the fiue anniuersarie daies hath beene abolished lawfully by ciuill and Ecclesiasticall Lawes c. This assumption is false in all the parts of it for first as we haue shewed the obseruation ordayned by the Act at Perth was neuer abolished by Ciuill or Ecclesiasticall Lawes nor yet by consent and vniforme practise of the contrarie Onely the superstitious obseruation of these dayes with opinion of necessitie as a part of diuine worship and the profane abuse thereof with excessiue banqueting playing and carroling was condemned Secondly to your prescription of time in things moueable I answer that circumstantiall ceremonies belonging to Religion are alwaies alterable and neither can bee abolished nor established by prescription for if prescription had force in such things then the space of 1200. yeares during which time these fiue dayes were obserued vniuersally throughout the whole Christian world shoâ—ld haue greater force to establish the obseruation of them then the abrogation of seuen and fiftie yeares in durance onely Continuance of time does not establish without change such things but giues occasion to alter them rather when the alteration makes for the honour of God the edification of his Church and auoyding corruption Thirdly the Sermons of reuerend Preachers condemned onely the superstitious and profane obseruation of these dayes and not the obseruation made by the Primitiue and by the reformed Churches in our time which is the obseruation onely commaunded by the Act of Perthe Fourthly If any were censured it was not for any fault in the action it selfe but for transgression of the Ecclesiasticall order and the scandall which might haue followed thereupon as the censures which wee now vse against these that refuse to performe the diuine seruice appoynted to be done on these times are not inflicted for any fault that is in omission in regard of the time but onely in regard of the order and policie of the Church which being contemned giues offence to the simple and breaks peace and vnitie Fiftly we neuer abiured with oathes publique or priuate the obseruation now required the dedication of dayes imposed vpon the conscience with opinion that they are sanctiores sacratiores alijs diebus pars diuini cultus we detest and abiure for nothing can be imposed vpon the conscience but by the precept of God onely The Canons of the Church in matters indifferent doe not oblige the conscience ratione rei praeceptae quasi pars sit aliqua diuini cultus sed ordinis politias causa tantum So the Canons of the Church made for obseruation of these fiue dayes bindes not the conscience to the obseruation thereof as a part of diuine worship and as the commaundement of God bindes vs to the obseruation of the Lords Day for it is the will of God that on the Lords Day we be religiously exercised and therefore our obedience in that point is a part of his worship but to be exercised in Gods publique worship on another day is not Gods expresse will yet it is his will that we should heare the Church and obey her ordinances in all things that tend to edification and serue for good order whereof God is the Author To conclude seeing the obseruation of these fiue daies as the same is prescribed in the act at Perthe is neither contrarie to any Law Ciuill or Ecclesiastique nor condemned by the practice doctrine and censures of our Church nor abiured by oathes And therefore may lawfully be restored receiued and put in practise againe by our Church PP Hooker and Sarauia vrged for maintenance of their ceremonies Law custome prescription and craues that the impietie and vnlawfulnesse of their ceremonies be proued or else let the Non-conformists conforme May we not plead after the same manner for our former order so long established that they proue it was impious and vnlawfull before we make a change ANS Ye may not pleade because the change is alreadie made in a lawfull Assembly which had power to abrogate all Statutes of Ecclesiasticall matters that are found noysome vnprofitable disagreeing with the time and abused by the people as is set down in the confession of Faith and seuenth Chapter of the Booke of Discipline concluded anno 1581. Such were the acts made before concerning Holy-dayes for first they were noysome in that they were not conforme to the practise of the Primitiue Church or yet of the later reformed and so in that poynt did break vnitie Next vnprofitable because they fostered prophanenesse and superstition in the hearts of the people who by want of information of Doctrine did superstitiously or prophanely obserue these dayes Thirdly they agreed not with this time wherein it was expedient that the religious Commemoration of the benefits of Christ should be restored iurâ— postliminio for it is not enough to dispossesse idolatrie and superstition the violent eiecters and occupiers of the possessions of true Religion but she ought to be restored to the old right and priuiledges of times and places lawfully and wisely dedicated to her before Last of all the discharge of diuine Seruice on these daies was come into abuse amongst the people the preciser sort counting it a part of Gods worship and obedience to his will not to doe seruice vnto God on these dayes and the profane taking thereby occasion to be more licentious And therefore it was needfull in a manner to restore the obseruation of these times PP Our Oath by it selfe bindes more then Law Custome and Prescription farre more when it concurres with them The assumption is euident by that which I haue set downe in the beginning ANS The assumption is alreadie considered I answere to the oathe Lawes Customes Prescription and Oathes in order and policie touching indiffereÌ„t alterable things such as these are binde a man no longer to the obseruation then the order remaines vnchanged Your Oath bound you to the gouernement of Superintendents set downe in the first Bookâ— of Discipline from which yee esteeme your selfe absolued because that gouernement was altered by that new Booke of Discipline confirmed in the generall Assembly anno 1581. a yeare after the Oath was set forth Now the order set downe in the same first Booke
the priuate custome of any Church or the singularity of any mans opinion and fantasie And therefore ZANCHIVS said well and wisely in the places cited before That albeit the reformed Churches haue liberty to sanctifie what dayes they thinke good yet it is more laudable honest and profitable to sanctifie these which the most pure Apostolick and Primitiue Church sanctified So to conclude we obserue no day for mystery or with opinion of necessitie but only for commodity and policie And this obseruation is approued by the iudgement of the best Diuines in the reformed Church The consent of the Reformed Churches and Diuines for keeping the fiue Holy Dayes Heluetica Confessio de Ferijs Art 24. PRaeterea si Ecclesiae pro Christiana libertate memoriam Dominicae Natiuitatis Circumcisionis Passionis Resurrectionis Ascensionis item in Coelum missionis sancti Spiritus in Discipulos religiosè celebrent maximoperè probamus That is to say If the Churches according to their Christian Libertie doe celebrate religiously the memory of the Lords Natiuitie Circumcision Passion Resurrrection his Ascension to Heauen and the sending downe of the holy Ghost wee doe exceedingly approue it Beza speaking of this Confession in his first Epistle sayes Dico Helueticam Gallicam Confessionem cui innumerabiles paenè Ecclesiae subscripserunt nulla re prorsus differre that is The Church of Heluetia and France differ in nothing and haue but one Confession whereunto innumerable Churches haue subscribed All the reformed Churches did agree in this point of the Confession touching the obseruation of the fiue dayes our Church only excepted which now hauing condescended to a Conformity with the rest by the Ordinance of the Assembly at Perth the same will bee allowed of all that preferre the peace and vnitie of the Reformed Churches to the singularitie of their owne opinions CALVIN Col. 2.16 ATque dicet quispiam nos adhuc retinere aliquam dierum obseruationem Respond Nos dies nequaquam seruare quasi in ferijs esset aliqua religio aut quasi fas non sit tunc laborare sed respectum haberi politiae ordinis non dierum that is Some will say that we yet retayne some obseruation of dayes I answere We keepe not dayes as if there were any Religion in the festiuall time or as if it were not lawfull to labour on them but a respect is had of Policie and Order not of dayes ZANCHIVS in the Confession which hee made to be published when he was seuentie yeares of age in name of himselfe and his Family De Ferijs cap. 15. Sect. 30. POst diem Dominicum non possumus non probare illorum quoque dierum sanctificationem quibus memoria recurrit celebrataque in veteri Ecclesia fuit Natiuitatis Domini nostri Iesu Christi Circumcisionis Passionis Resurrectionis Ascensionis in Coelum Missionisque sancti Spiritus in Apostolos that is Next vnto the Lords Day we cannot but allow the Sanctification of these dayes wherein the memory returnes of the Natiuity of our Lord Iesus his Circumcision Passion Resurrection Ascension into Heauen and the sending downe of the Holy Ghost vpon the Apostles which memorie was celebrated in the ancient Church CHEMNITIVS de diebus Festis in examine Concilij Tridentini ATque haec sunt quae in Scriptura noui Testamenti ad festa pertinentia tradita sunt iuxta quam normam vt deuota religiosa Festorum celebratio ad augendam pietatem restituatur nemo improbat sed omnes pij optant that is These are the things which are deliuered in the Scriptures of the new Testament concerning festiuall times according to which rule no man dislikes the deuout and religious celebration of festiuall dayes but all the godly wish it because it serues to encrease godlinesse To this hee subioynes a long Narration of the dayes obserued in the Primitiue Church which he approues BVLLINGERVS ad Rom. 14. APud Veteres quidem Eusebium inprimis Augustinum inuenias memorias quasdam pijs quibusdam institutas fuisse hominibus sed longè alia ratione ac modo nimirum parùm differente à nostro ritu quo adhuc in Ecclesia nostra Tigurina Natiuitatis Circumcisionis Passonis Resurrectionis Ascensionis Domini Missionisque sancti Spiritus Deiparae Virginis Ioannis Baptistae Magdalenae Stephani Apostolorum Domini Festa celebramus neminem eorum interim damnantes qui post Dominicam aliam nesciunt Festiuitatem videmus enim veterum monumenta perlustrantes liberū hoc Ecclesiae semper fuisse vt quisque quod hisce in rebus minutilis videretur optimum ad pietatem commodissimum sequeretur that is Ye shall find in the Ancients specially in Eusebius and Saint Augustine certaine memorials instituted to some holy persons but farre different from the Papall forme and manner not vnlike the rite which we obserue in our Church of Tigurine in the celebration of the Natiuitie Circumcision Passion Ascension Resurrection of the Lord and the sending downe of the Holy Ghost of the Mother of God the Virgin of Iohn the Baptist Magdalene Stephen and the Apostles of the Lord. In the mean-time we condemne none of these that keepe no festiuall day but the Sabbath For when we looke ouer the Monuments of the Fathers wee find this hath euer beene in the liberty of the Church to doe that which seemed best and most commodious for the aduancing of Pietie in these matters of little moment PARAEVS cap. 14. ad Rom. hyp 4. FEria Dominicalis Natiuitatis Resurrectionis Ascensionis Domini Pentècostès rectè obseruantur à Christianis that is The Lords Day the Feast of the Natiuitie Resurrection Ascension of the Lord and Whitsonday are lawfully keeped by Christians Ibidem Vtile institutum primitiuae Ecclesiae ritè obseruatur tale hoc est vtile enim est praecipuas Dei paetefactiones beneficia in Ecclesiam collata stato tempore publice repetere profiteri aduersus haereticos infideles populo inculcare vt sint notissima in perpetua memoria magis enim mouent haerent in memoria iuuentutis populi quae solenniter anniuersariè simul ab omnibus vno consensu fiunt quà m quae aliás ab alijs fiunt dicuntur that is A profitable Statute of the Primitiue Church is rightly obserued such is this of Holy dayes for it is profitable to remember and professe publikely on a set appointed time the chiefe manifestatiōs of God and his benefits bestowed vpon the Church against Heretickes and Infidels beating them in the eares of the people that they may be familiar vnto them and keeped in a perpetuall remembrance For these things moue more and stick faster in the memorie of youth and common people which are solemnely and yeerely done by all together and with one consent then these things which are done at other times by diuers persons seuerally TILENVS Praecep 4. Th. 17. PRaeter hunc Sabbatismum septimo quoque die recurrentem alios dies