non ad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sed ad pecâ—liarem Dei beneficiorum commemorationem de communi consensu in Ecclesia Christiana instituere non arbitramur simpliter esse illicitum that is Besides this Sabbath which returneth euery seuenth day wee iudge it not simply vnlawfull by common consent of the Church to institute other dayes not for wil-worship but for a speciall remembrance of the benefites of God PERKINS on the fourth Chapter to the Galatians ECclesiasticall obseruation of time is when set dayes are obserued for orders sake that men might come together to worship God These dayes are eyther dayes of thankesgiuing or dayes of humiliation take the example of the Iewes Ester 9.26 Who obserued yeerely the Feast of Purim for a memory of their deliuerance In like manner they obserued the Feast of Dedication and it seemes that Christ was present at Ierusalem as an obseruer of this Feast Iohn 10.22 And thus for orders sake to obserue certayne dayes of Solemnity is not forbidden WILLET in his six-fold Commentarie vpon the fourteenth to the ROMANS THe Apostle reproues them for the superstitious obseruing of dayes such as then the Iewes practised and now the Papists but to obserue such Holy dayes as God hath appointed such as the Sabbath and others for order and policie not for Religions sake is not within the Apostles reprehension Item The Apostle speakes of the Iewes Festiuals wherein they did clogge their consciences and one iudged another not of the Lords Day which is of Christs appointing and of other Festiuals for Order and Policie and not for a part of the Seruice of God to bind the Conscience An answere to the dispute intituled OF CONFIRMATION and of Bishopping Wherein the Pamphlet penner pretends to impugne the third Article concluded in the Assembly at Perth touching the triall of young childrens education the tenor whereof followes FOr as much as one of the most speciall meanes for staying the encrease of Popery and setling of true Religion in the hearts of the people is that a speciall care be taken in triall of young children their education and how they are catechized which in time of the primitiue Church was most carefully attended as being most profitable to cause young children in their tender yeares drinke in the knowledge of God and his Religion but is now altogether neglected in respect of the great abuse and errors which crept into the Popish Church by making thereof a Sacrament of Confirmation Therefore that all superstitions built thereupon may be rescinded and that the matter it selfe being most necessary for the education of the youth may be reduced to the primitiue integritie it is thought good that the Minister in euery Parish shall catechize all young children of eight yeares of age and see that they haue the knowledge and bee able to make rehearsall of the Lords prayer Beliefe and ten Commandements with answers to the questions of the small Catechisme vsed in our Church And that euery Bishop in his Visitation shall censure the Minister who shall be found remisse therein And the said Bishops shall cause the said children to be presented before them and blesse them with prayer for the encrease of their knowledge and continuance of Gods heauenly graces with euery one of them In the narratiue of this Act the Sacrament of Confirmation is counted amongst the abuses errors and superstitions which crept into the Papistical Church in stead of the profitaâ—le catechizing that the primitiue Church vsed for the tâ—iall of youâ—g childrens education therefore the first part of the dispute wherein the Pamphleter intends to prooue that Confirmation is not a Sacrament contayning nothing that is contrary to the Act shall be passed by In the second part of the dispute intituled Bishopping he contends that the Sacrament of Confirmation and imposition of hands is not proper to Bishops but common to all Presbyters This contention is idle for the Sacrament of Confirmation and imposition of hands being refuted in the former dispute by himselfe and condemned by the Act why should hee striue to haue that common which neither he nor we esteeme to be lawfull But to the end all occasion of debate about this matter might be preuented the Assembly at Perth ordayned that the Bishop after examination should blesse the young children with prayer and purposely omitted the ceremonie of imposition of hands as a thing indifferent to bee vsed or not vsed as the Bishop should thinke most meet Albeit in the primitiue Church this blessing was alwayes giuen with imposition of hands as Caluine affirmes Instit. lib. 4. sect 4. wishing that it were restored to the first integritie in the reformed Churches Yet the Pamphleter to make simple ones beleeue that euery thing concluded in that Assembly was erroneous hee giues out that the Sacrament at least the ceremonie of Confirmation was there allowed and appropriated to Bishops PP We haue abjured Episcopall gouernment and therefore we cannot lawfully admit Episcopall Confirmation giuing and not granting their office were lawfull and that they haue gotten a lawfull calling by the Church to the said office Thirdly that we were free of our oath and fourthly That Confirmation were to be allowed whether as a Ceremonie or as a Sacrament yet it is damnable presumption to appropriate vnto themselues the dutie that belongs to all Pastors ANS If by the Ceremonie or Sacrament of Confirmation yee vnderstand the miraculous imposition of hands vsed by the Apostles or yet the bastard Sacrament of Confirmation vsed in Poperie whereby Bellarmine whom yee afterwards cite sayes That the Lord would honour Episcopalem dignitatem neither of these are allowed by the Act nor appropriated to Bishops Therefore your whole dispute following being directed onely against these two points is idle superfluous But if by Confirmation ye did vnderstand according to the meaning of the Act the dutie which Bishops should performe in trying at their Visitation the diligence of Pastors in catechizing young children and in causing them bee brought before them to bee examined and blessed this part of Episcopall gouernment yee haue not abjured but haue approued by your assertorie oath and obliged your selfe to maintayne and obey by your promissorie oath if so bee yee did sweare to the Policie set downe in the first booke of Discipline Anno 1560. as yee haue often professed For the wordes in that booke touching this point of Bishops dutie are these After the Superintendents haue remayned in their chiefe Townes three or foure moneths at the most they shall be compelled vnlesse by sicknesse onely they be retayned to re-enter in their Visitation In which they shall not onely preach but also examine the life diligence and behauiour of the Ministers as also the order of their Churches and manners of their people They must further consider how the poore are prouided for and the youth instructed By these wordes it is manifest that it was not a thing common to euery Pastor to visite Churches
which at that time commonly perplexe men require this at our hands therefore Visitation of the sicke is earnestly commended to Ministers in their admission that they bee readie to attend the sicke person and as his estate craues minister comfort vnto him by preaching the promises of grace and mercie to all penitent sinners Why this Sacrament that is the seale of Gods promises and a speciall meane of binding vp our Communion with Christ should bee denyed to such as desire the same in that time there can be no reason Howbeit saluation depends not vpon the Sacrament and that they vse it superstitiously that giues it for a viaticum to the dying the end of a man cannot but be the more comfortable and his death accompanyed with the greater contentment and tranquilitie of minde when his desire is satisfied in this point For this is to bee considered that it is not to all that die nor to all that are sicke but to such onely whose recouery is desperate and vrgently desire the comfort of this Sacrament that the same is appointed to bee ministred Of which purpose Caluin deliuers his opinion in his 52. Epistle in these words De Coenae administratione censeo libenter admittendum esse hunc morem vt apud aegrotos celebretur communio quum ita res opportunitas feret Nec magnopere repugnandum esse quin maleficis detur qui plectendi sunt si quidem postulent ad receptionem satis comparatos esse appareat hac tamen lege vt sit vnà communio hoc est vt panis in coetu aliquo fidelium frangatur And in his 361. Epistle answering some one that had moued him in this matter he beginnes on this manner Cur coenam aegrotis negandam esse non arbitror multae graues causae me impellunt as you may see in the place Bucer Bullinger and Zepperus are of the same iudgement and the last of these three putting the case that none is by this sicke man disposed to communicate sayes Quod ne sic quidem priuandus est communione aegrotus You may see his reasons in the twelft Chapter of his first Booke De Politia Ecclesiastica Our owne Church hath practised the same in former times as was qualified in diuers particulars at the last Assembly So where the reformed Churches haue approued it and wee our selues by our owne practice now to stand against it when by a speciall Canon it is appointed to bee done cannot but bee thought obstinate disobedience I come to the Article of Baptisme This craues that in the case of necessitie when a child without hazard may not bee brought out of doores it bee lawfull to the Minister to baptise in a priuate house It was not long since a custome amongst vs that no Minister would baptise except vpon the ordinarie day of teaching this same being complayned of in the Assembly that was kept at Holy Rood-house in the yeare 1602. an Ordinance was made that whensoeuer a Parent should require baptisme to his child the Minister should not deny it without delaying to the ordinarie day of preaching The question was then of the Time now it is of the Place Whereabout this you all know that in the institution of Baptisme the Lord Iesus hath not tyed vs to any place but his command binds all men to bee baptized And wee that are Ministers by our calling are obliged to baptise howsoeuer wee doe not thinke Baptisme absolutely necessary vnto saluation and the child that wants it vpon a necessitie ineuitable nothing preiudiced that way yet if the occasion present there is no doubt but the Minister hath a necessitie lying vpon him to baptize although time place and other circumstances required for the due and solemne administration be not concurring But this yee will say fosters the Popish opinion of the necessitie of Baptisme Let Buce◠answer it To with-hold Baptisme for want of the due solemnities sayes hee opens a doore to the Deuill to bring in the contempt of Christs Ordinance and our whole redemption by him We haue a Commandement to baptize and this to vs is a necessary duety which we may not leaue vndone As for inconueniences we must meet them as wisely as we may by doctrine and diligent catechizing but in no sort neglect the Commandement that is giuen Yee shall haue Caluin his iudgement also in this matter being asked Vbinam baptismus recte administrari possit He answers Fas non est administrare baptismum nisi in coetu fidelium non quidem v◠templum requiratur sed vt vbiuis numerus aliquis fidelium conueniat qui Ecclesiae corpus efficiat Yee haue this in his 185. Epistle And thus much for Baptisme The third Article is of Confirmation to be giuen to children when they are come to the yeares of discretion and that is one of the most ancient customes of the Christian Church from the dayes of the Apostles it hath continued and with them it began Neither is there any thing more profitable for it helps children to bee seasoned with the principles of true Religion layes a good foundation for the better direction of their whole life preserues the seede of the Church sound makes children more diligent to learne and Pastors and Parents more carefull to instruct them The neglect of this dutie hath done much harme in the Church and the restitution of that good custome which Caluin in the fourth Booke of his Institutions earnestly wishes could not but bring with it an exceeding great benefit It was in substance agreed vnto in the Assembly at Abirdene but two things his Maiestie found deficient in the Act One that there was no mention of laying on of hands vpon the child confirmed Another was that the performance of it was not restricted to the Bishops care And for this last it is cleare by all Antiquitie that the power of Confirming appertayned euer to Bishops Not that Confirmation is a Sacrament of greater dignitie then Baptisme as the Papists teach these were the thoughts of ignorance but as S. Hierome speakes The Church thought fit that seeing Baptisme is giuen by Presbyters lest children should be ignorant of the spirituall superioritie of Bishops ouer them they should attend the receiuing of Confirmation by their hands so this was done for the honour of Prelacy as he speakes Now if any man will enuy this honour to Bishops it is a silly and poore enuy for it encreases their charge and burthen and if the conscience of their dutie make them not carefull of it in this profane and irreligious age the honor or credit it can bring them will neuer worke it Touching imposition of hands let Saint Augustine tell vs what it meanes Hee in his fift Booke De Baptismo contra Donatistas cap. 23. sayes Quid est manuum impositio nisi oratio super hominem that is to say What is imposition of hands but a prayer vpon the man that hands are laid vpon In all personall benedictions from
we may kneele in the act of receiuing Ans. This Obiection insinuateth that kneeling is the proper and only commendable gesture of prayer and therefore the Bishop of Rochester expounds the standing of the Publican Luk. 18.11.13 to haue been kneeling because saith hee the Iewish custome was to pray kneeling But if he had remembred the Lords owne saying Ier. 15. Though MOSES and SAMVEL stood before me c. he might vnderstood that they prayed standing as well as kneeling c. ANS The obiection yee bring concludeth that wee may kneele not that we ought to kneele therefore no man will thinke that the obiection insinuateth kneeling to be the proper and only commendable gesture of praying but that it is a very commendable gesture such as may be vsed that which you ayme at in answering this obiection is to confute the Bishop of Rochester his opinion that by standing kneeling Luk. 18.11 13. is meant But the Bishops opinion is not so absurde as you would haue men to thinke for by standing in the Scripture any diuine seruice is signified Therefore the Lords Prophets Priests and Angels are said to stand before him that is to serue him In the first of the Kings 8.22 it is written that Salomon stood before the Altar of the Lord and prayed but in the second of the Chronicles 6.13 It is said he kneeled downe and prayed vpon his knees So standing in the booke of the Kings is taken for kneeling But leauing this I come to your next words PP The prayer meant of is either some publike prayer vttered by the Minister or the mentall prayer of the Communicant ANS This is a needlesse distinction for the mentall prayer of the Receiuer should not bee different from the prayer vttered by the Minister at the deliuery of the Elements and ought only to bee an Amen to the Ministers prayer The ancient custome of the Church was such for in the dayes of Cornelius Bishop of Rome anno 251. as Eusebius records l. 2. c. 32. when Nouatus gaue the Sacramēt to his people he held their hāds insteed of the blessing which he should haue vsed at the deliuery of the Elemēts he cōceiued an oath made the people sweare by that which was in their hands insteed of Amen which they should haue answered the blessing with he made the people say That they should not returne to CORNELIVS Whereby it is manifest that the blessing vsed by the Pastor at the deliuery of the Elements differed not at that time from the mentall prayer of the Communicant neither ought it now to differ but be the same in substance PP As for the prayer of the Minister in the act of distribution it is flat against the Institution as I haue already said The Minister is ordained by the Institution to act the person of Christ and pronounce the words of promise This is my body and not change the promise into a prayer Fenner in his Principles of Religion layeth this downe for a ground that in the second Commandement we are forbidden the practise and vse of any other rite or outward means vsed in the worship or seruice of God then he hath ordained Ioh. 4.22 2. King 18.4 And that by the contrary we are commanded to practise all these parts of his worship which hee in his word hath commanded and to acknowledge only the proper vse of euery rite and outward meanes which the Lord hath ordained Deut. 12.32 2. King 17.26 ANS It is false that yee say we change the promise into a prayer for at the Consecration wee obserue precisely the words of the Institution In the deliuery of the elements we vse a prayer that is not contrary but most agreeable to the Institution for directing the hearts of the people in the receiuing that they may worthily communicate So doe the Pastors in France at the deliuery vse a short speech and it was the custome of late in our Church to vse some exhortations before the distribution at euery Table wherein neither we nor they did or doe practise any rite or vse any means which God hath not ordained to bee vsed in his worship For although the particular forme of speech vsed in the French Church and the exhortations and prayers vsed by vs bee not expressely set downe yet being agreeable to the Word and the nature of the action in hand they haue sufficient warrant by these generall precepts Let all things be done to edification Let all things bee done decently and in order And with these precepts Fenners grounds doe agree Otherwise by what warrant is it appointed in the forme set downe before our Psalme bookes touching the celebration of the Lords Supper that during the time of the distribution some place of Scripture should bee read which doth liuely set forth the death of Christ to the intent that our eyes and senses may not onely be occupied in these outward signes of bread and wine which are called the visible word but that our minds and hearts also may be fully fixed in the contemplation of the Lords death which is by this holy Sacrament represented This ordinance is not contained in the Institution yet I hope yee will not say that it is flat contrary thereto but that it hath sufficient warrant by the generall Apostolike precepts before expressed and so hath the prayer vsed by vs in the acte of distribution But yee subioyne another reason to prooue the prayer vsed at this time vnlawfull PP Further wee are forbidden by the second Commandement to pray by direction before any creature ANS Why do yee then pray at the table when your meate is set before you and at the Consecration hauing the sacramentall Elements before you And when you visite the Sicke why direct yee your face and senses towards the person and the place where he lyes while yee are praying to God for him PP This publike prayer is but a pretended cause of kneeling as the Ministers of Lincolne make manifest in their Abridgement c. ANS To the Abridgement of these Ministers sufficient answeres are made by the learned Diuines of that Church and the Canons and Customes thereof defended against their calumnies Therefore let vs come to our owne touching which yee say PP As for our Church no such prayer is ordained to bee vttered by the Minister Therefore no such prayer can be pretended In the late Canon it is said That the most reuerend and humble gesture of the body in our meditation and lifting vp of our hearts best becommeth so diuine an action Meditation is no prayer and the heart may be lifted vp by the act of faith and contemplation aswell as the action of prayer So that neither publike nor mentall prayer is expressed in our Act. ANS Albeit neither mentall nor publike prayer be expressed in the Act yet prayer thankesgiuing and praise are all insinuated for albeit all meditation bee not prayer yet euery prayer is a meditation and although in
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
before alleged His proofe out of Scripture Psal. 118.8 1. Cor. 7.8 are very weake for the first testimonie is applyed to euery Lords Day is not to be restrained to Pasche day The other testimonie imports not a CelebratioÌ„ of Easter Feast vpoÌ„ any Anniuersary day but rather the Apostle teaches vs to celebrate this Feast of the Passeouer all the yeare long His last proofe is taken from the custome of Baptisme and the Eucharist ministred vpon Pasche day as if they had beene ministred only vpon that day ANS Ye turne your selfe now against the learned Sermon preached at Whiâ—e Hall by the Bishop then of Elie now of Winchester who prouing the obseruatioÌ„ of Easter to haue bin an old custom obserued in the Church since the Apostles daies yea by the Apostles themselues hits the marke whereat he shoots directly while as ye will proue these Epistles of Polycrates and Irenaeus counterfeit ye shoot short indeed The testimonie of the 118. Psalme yee say should be applyed to euery Lords Day but seeing he rose on the first day of them as yee cannot deny doubtlesse when that day returnes by course once euery yeare vnto it all the prototype and architype of them all of euery congruity saies the Bishop the Resurrection is to be applyed somwhat more This by example he makes plain His Maiesties deliuerance vpon the fift dayes of August and Nouember being Tuesdayes both wee keepe for their remembrance a Sermon on Tuesday euery week of the yeare but when by course of the yeare in their seuerall moneths the very originall dayes theÌ„selues come about shal we not doe wee not celebrate them in much more solemne manner what question is there weigh them well ye shal find the case alike one cannot be but the other also must bee Apostolike These are the words of the learned Bishop which proue his intent so cleerly that ye are forced to flye to another shift as your custome is say If the Prophesie should be applyed to any precise day it should bee applyed to the Lords day But seeing the words are to be vnderstood aswel of Dauid as of Christ the day is taken ye say for the time indefinitely wherin Dauid was made King the corner stone of Gods people This is your shift which cannot auaile you for if it be taken indefinitely for the day wherin Dauid was made the typick corner Stone then much more must it bee taken for the definite day whereon Christ the Veritie was made the true corner Stone of the Church of God If of Dauids Coronation it might be said This is the day which the Lord hath made Let vs reieyce and bee glad in it much more is it to be said of that day whereon CHRIST rose againe from the dead and was crowned with glory and honour and set ouer the workes of Gods hands and had all things put vnder his feet For this day hath euer beene esteemed since the resurrection of our Lord a day made by God not by creation onely but also by institution Thus doe yee not escape the Bishops hand flie where you can When ye entered into combate with such an Antagonist yâ— were not wel aduised Infoe lix puer atque impar coÌ„gressus Achilli In the other testimonie I grant with S. Augustine that by the Feast the course of our Christian Life is to bee vnderstood yet the allusion would import that a Paschall Feast was kept amongst them and the Sacraments celebrated The last proofe that Baptisme and the Eucharist were on this day solemnely ministred yee cannot denie And the Bishoppe affirmes not that they were onely ministred on that day Tertull. de Baptis Diem Baptismo solenniorem Pascha praestat cum passio Domini in qua tingimur adimpleta est c. Exinde Pentecoste ordinandis lauacris laetissimum spacium est quod Domini resurrectio inter Discipulos frequentata est gratia Spiritus sancti dedicata spes aduentus Domini subâ—stâ—nsa c. Caeterùm omnis dies Domini est omnis hora omnâ— tempus habilâ— baptismo Si de solennitate interest de gratia nihil refert that is Easter is the most solemne Day for Baptisme seeing the Passion of our Lord wherein wee are dipped is thereon fulfilled after that Whitsonday is a most ioyfull time for the lauacre of Regeneration because on that Day the resurrection was frequently shewed to the Disciples the grace of the Holy Ghost dedicated and the hope of Christs comming againe insinuated Otherwise euerie day is the Lords euerie houre and euerie time is meete for Baptisme The solemnitie may be lesse but the grace is not diminished So that which ye say that Baptisme was tied of olde to Pentecost and Easter is false But that which the Bishop sayes is true that on these daies the Sacraments were lwaies solemnely ministred PP I will now frame one argument against this conceit of Apostolicall tradition and obseruation of Pasche The Apostles were led all their life-time by the infallible direction of the Spirit If they had accorded on the obseruation of Easter they had not dâ—sagreed on the day But their most ancient Records the baâ—tard-Episâ—les aboue mentioned report that Philâ—p and Iohn kept the fourteenth day of the Moone as the Iewes did And Peter the Lords Day following the fourteenth day of the Moone ANS In these Epistles there is no mention of Peâ—er and so by these Epistles ye cannot proue that Iohn and Peter disagreed on the day It is said that Polycarpus and Aâ—icâ—tus disagreed on the day yet they accorded in the obseruation of the Feast which is directly contrarie to your argument But ye say the Apostles who were gouerned by the Spirit could not disagree on the day Did not Paul and Barnabas agree in planting of the Gospell yet they disagreed in chusing of their Fellow-Labourer Paul Peter agreed on this ground that a man is not iustified by the workes of the Law but by the Faith of Iesus Christ yet in the practise of the workes of the Law they disagreed Gal. 2. They agreed in the substance yet in the matter of circumstance and vse of things in their owne nature indifferent they disagreed But for these diuersities of opinion neither did they cast the substance away nor broke they the bond of charitie amongst themsâ—lues as ye doe who can brooke no man but him who will be sworne to your opinions as if they were Oracles But to be short this argument is answered by the learned Bishop in that Sermon so fully as may giue contentment to any that delights not in contention His words are these Pag 25. Iames Bishop of Ierusalem and others who â—ucceeded him the sooner to win their Brethren the Iewes condescended to keepe Easter 14. Lunae the 14. of the Moone as they did That which by them was done by way of condescension was after by some vrged as a matter of necessitie So we see S. Paul when he came vp
and trie the diligence of Ministers specially concerning their instruction of the youth but that it was proper to the Superintendent Now if yee haue sworne that this is lawfull in the person of the Superintendent how can yee call it a damnable presumption in the person of a Bishop whose function and name is the same differing onely in the origination of the word the one being drawne from the Latine the other from the Greeke for a Bishop in the Greeke tongue is the same that a Superintendent is in the Latine And in visiting of Churches the triall of the education of children which now is a dutie belonging to the Bishops function is here set downe as a speciall point of the Superintendents office As to the blessing which the Bishop is appointed to giue vnto them Caluine in the place aboue cited sayes That it should bee vsed to the end that graue and sacred action may haue the greater reuerence and dignitie This examination of children in the ancient Church had ioyned with it not the blessing onely but the ceremonie also of imposition of hands and thereupon in the fourth Councell of Carthage Can. 85. It is called Examinatio impositionis manus and is appointed to be often vsed towards the Catechumenists before they were baptised But this blessing and imposition of hands vpon the Catechumenists and vpon the young children of Christians was not the principall action nor a Sacramentall rite as it was after esteemed nor giuen to Bishops for honour of their Episcopall dignitie but accessorie onely as Caluine rightly thinks vnto the examination which was the Bishops speciall dutie in his Visitation It is true the omission of the principall dutie and the vsing onely of the accessorie to wit the imposition of hands was the first corruption that crept in after that came in the crossing the annointing of the forehead and the buffet giuen to the child in stead of the blessing and so a Bastard Sacrament was instituted in the place of a most profitable point of the Episcopall function Further as it is the dutie of euery Pastor to catechize the young children in his Parish and try whether the Parents haue kept their promise made at the Baptisme of their Children in which tryall if hee shall finde the childe to haue profited well hee ought to blesse and pray for them So is it the Bishops dutie in his Visitation to try if the Pastors haue performed their parts and after examination to blesse these same children And as the examination and blessing vsed by the Pastor takes not away the power that parents haue to examine and blesse their owne children so the examination and blessing of Bishops takes not away the power that Pastors haue of triall and blessing within their owne Parish Therefore to conclude the Ordinance set downe in the Act of Perth appropriates nothing to Bishops that is common to Pastors and Parents but preserues vnto euery one the prerogatiue of his owne calling Neither is there any thing ordayned in the Act but that which Caluine wished earnestly to be restored againe in the Church In the fourth booke of his Institutions cap. 29. sect 4. 13. De Confirmatione hee writes as followes Hic mos olim fuit vt Christianorum liberi postquam adoleuerant coram Episcopo sisterentur vt officium illud implerent quod ab ijs exigebatur qui se ad Baptismum adulti offerebant hi enim inter Catechumenos sedebant donec ritè fidei mysterijs instituti poterant fidei confessionem coram Episcopo ac populo edere Qui ergo Baptismo initiati erant infantes quia fidei confessione apud Ecclesiam tunc defuncti non erant sub finem pueritiae aut ineunte adolescentia repraesentabaâ—tur iterum à parentibus ab Episcopo examinabantur secundùm formulam Catechismi quam tunc habebant certam communem Quo autem haec actio quae alio qui grauis sanctaque meritò esse debebat pluâ— reuerentia haberet ac dignitatis ceremonia quoque adhibebatur manuum impositiones Ita puer ille fide sua approbata cum solenni benedictione dimittebatur c. Talem ergo manuum impositionem quae simpliciter loco benedictionis fiat laudo restitutam hodie in purum vsum velim that is to say It was the custome of old that the children of Christians after they were growne vp to some perfection were brought vnto the Bishop to performe that dutie which was done by these that were of perfit yeares before they came to be baptised For these sate amongst the Catechumenists while they were sufficiently instructed in the mysteries of Religion and were able to giue a confession of their Faith before the Bishop and the People But such as were baptised in their infancy because they had not giuen a confession of their Faith vnto the Church about the end of their childhood they were presented by their Parents of new and examined by the Bishop according to a certayne common forme of Catechisme which they had in these times And to the end this action that was in it selfe graue and holy might haue the greater reuerence and dignitie the ceremonie of imposition of hands was also vsed Thus the child after approbation of his Faith was dimitted with a blessing c. Such an imposition of hands which is vsed for a simple blessing I commend doe and wish the sincere vse thereof were restored Et Sect. 13. Vtinam verò morem retineremus quem apud Veteres fuisse admonui priusquam abortiua haec Sacramenti larua nasceretur non enim esset Confirmatio talis qualem isti fingunt quae sine Baptismi iniuria nec nominari potest sed catechesis qua pueri aut adolescentiae proximi fidei suae rationem coram Ecclesia exponerent Esset autem optima catechizandi ratio si formula in hunc vsum conscripta esset summam continens familiariter explicans omnium fere religionis nostrae capitum in quae vniuersa fidelium Ecclesia consentire sine controuersia debet Puer decennis Ecclesia se offerret ad edendam fidei confessionem rogaretur de singulis capitibus ad singula responderet si quid ignoraret aut minus intelligeret doceretur ita vnicam veram synceram Fidem qua vnanimiter Deum vnum colit fidelium populus testâ— spectante Ecclesia profiteretur Haec disciplina si hodiè valeret profectò parentum quorundam ignauia acuâ—retur qui liberorum institutionem quasi rem ad se nihil pertinentem securè negligunt quam tunc sine publico dedecore omittere non possent maior esset in populo Christiano fidei consensus nec tanta multorum inscitia ruditas non adeò temerè quidam nouis peregrinis dogmatibus abriperentur omnibus denique esset quaedam velut methodus doctrinae Christianae that is Would to God we did obserue the custome which I shew the Ancients vsed For then Confirmation should not be such