people vvho liue in the bosome of the Church professe the fayth be vvholly taken up vvith conformity both approving practising of it countenancing those that do it VVhy is the Doctor so troubled that a fevv silly despicable people voyd of vvisdome nay if his former charges be true voyd of grace should distast the Ceremonyes vvhen I knovv no Iudicious Non-conformer is disquieted that the crovvde of the formall Gospellers should imbrace them vvhyle the Rej. is searching the reason of these things it may chance he may either search or see his ovvne heart somvvhat more clearely Leaving then these to his consideration Proceed vve a little to survay the praeface the substance of it may be referred to three heads 1. He chargeth Non-conformity to be cause of many mischeifes 2. He debates the cure administreth that vvhich he conceaved most meet for redresse 3. He makes a defense for himself vvriting Agaynst all vvhich vve eycept thus 1. That his charge is not just 2. His dealing in the cure not playne through 3. His defense in that vvhere the stresse lyes either not equall or not sufficient Come vve to skanne the particulars The mischeifs vvhich he conceaues to issue from Non-conformity are no lesse then Seperation prophanesse A heavy charge I confesse but the best is his reasons haue not the vvayt of a rush 1. That of seperation p. 5. is supported upon so slender a grounde that he bevvrayes only his desire to haue surpassed his povver therfore Rhetoricates in stead of reasoning If these sayth he be Idolatrous vvill vvorshipps hovv can you hovv dare you ioyne vvith us in those acts of Religion vvherein these are used VVherein he neither concludeth the quaestion because a man may refuse to ioyne in such acts vvithout sepera 〈…〉 or utter condemning renouncing allChurch-â—ommunion Neither doth he proue that vvhich he conâ—ludeth about joyning in such acts by any other argumeÌ„t â—ut only by hovv can you hovv dare you To vvhich â— ansvver vve so can darejoyne in good acts to vvhich â—omthing perticipating of Idolatry is added as Christ our â—eacher his Apost did joyne in the Ievvesvvorship unto vvhich vvere added many superstitions as unlavvfull as â—ve had our Cerem Nay I vvill add one thing further â—hat if D.B. be resolute in this poynt i.e. that he must â—eperate from all Churches Church actions in â—vhich any superstition is exercised then he must be one of the greatest Seperatists in the vvorld For â—e holding error of judgement to be superstition those â—uperstitious BrethreÌ„ that absteyne for conscience sake â—rom things lavvfull though only upon error in judgeâ—ent must upon the former ground seperate froÌ„ all those Churches in vvhose Religious acts any thing in his judâ—ement lavvfull is so absteyned from much more if â—ny thing in his opinion unlavvfull be put in practise â—rom one of vvhich faults fevv or no Churches vvill be â—ound vvholly free Yet I vvould haue another opinion â—f D. B. think that though he houlde bovving to â—he altar to be superstitious or Idolatrous yet vvould he not therfore seperate from the good prayers that follovv that ridiculous Ape of Idolatry That Other charge of prophanenesse p. 6. pretended to come from praecisenes is so strange a consequence that it can hardly vvith deliberation be fathered upon Non-conformity vvithout Non-conscience For strictnesse in matters of Cerem hath no more force to bring forth loosenes in matters of substance then zeale in matters of faith charity hath to bring forth carelessnes of both nay then pure Religion hath to breed Atheisme Goe vve to experience vievv the places vvhere Non-conformists liue the people vvhom they teach the vvayes of those vvith vvhom they vvalk vvho they be that haue reference to dependence upoâ— their persons or ministeryes I suppose the vvalls of the Churches the stones of the streets vvill giue testimony agaynst this accusation Nay I suppose I may speake it truly as I professe I think it that someone Non-conformable minister hath beene a meanes under God to bring more soules to grace heauen then all the Cloysters or Cathedralls in all England in the same time vvhere all Conformity hath beene the dayly diet liuelehood of the people Goe vve to reason the best that either the Rej. or any beside can make of our Cerem is that they are things indifferent Novv that vveake ones may doubt stagger about such That doubting they ought not to practise them 14. Rom last vers is made a duty That mens vvalking according to conscience should be the cause of others disobedience That keeping the lavv should be an occasion in it self of prophaning the lavv that stopping the very appearance of the least evill should sett open a gappe to the greatest I appeale to any reasonable man vvhether it be not a consequence voyd of common sense unlesse men haue a miraculous skill to soder quicksilver or tysande together or make heauen earth meet Last of all it is remarkable that Doctor Burgesse himself pa. 8. doth impute these mischeifes unto civill vvarr about Ceremonies vvhich if it be vvell vveighed it vvill manifest too much prejudice in his former discourse For in Civill vvarrs the mischeifs ensuing on them are not vvont to be charged upon one part alone that poore passive overpovvred obnoxious to the suffering of vvhat-soever pressures their opposites please to lay upon them vvhich is the Case of the Non-conformists in these Commotions Tell us I pray yovv if in your conscience the Praelats Canons courses Courts proceedings haue had no hand in vvorking mischeife nay diverse of these mischeifes vvhich you haue affectedly placed on the other syde If non-residents double treble beneficed men unable perverse scandalous half-Popish Ministers haue not had a finger in them If those trumpetours drummers vvho proclayme the innocency justnesse of our Prelats proceedings haue not brought something to the furtherance of these mischeifes If you speake your conscience it must needs say yes so confesse it vvas your passion not your judgement that obtruded all upon Non-conformity The state of this vvarr is this vvee as it becommeth Christians stand upon the sufficiency of Christs institutions for all kynde of vvorship and that exclusively the vvord say vve nothing but the vvord in matters of Religious vvorship The Praelats rise up on the other side vvill needs haue us allovve use certayne humane Ceremonyes of Religion in our Christian vvorship VVe desire to be excused as houlding them unlavvfull Christ vve knovv all that cometh from him vve are ready to imbrace But these human Cerem in divine vvorship vve knovv not nor can haue any thing to doe vvith them upon this they make feirce vvarr upon us yet by the penne of D. B. lay all the fault of this vvarr the mischiefes of it upon our backs Novv all yee that passe by consider judge vvhat aequity is used
Rej. determination He adds It is an externall action Pag. 30. because internall actions of the mynd being matters of substance cannot duely be called ceremonies Peradventure these words may have some true sense in some specialties but they serve not his turne in this place because though he only mentions outward actions yet he requires a purposed observation of them which caries the work both of mynd and will and therfore includes an internall action of the man for no man can purposely observe but he must both judge what he should doe and affect what he judgeth so that the Rej. here speakes daggers nor can I see how he can excuse a contradiction or two He that requires a purposed observation in a Cer. he Rej. contradiction â— requires an act of mynd will so an internal act But D. Burg. requyres a purposed observation in a ceremony Therfore he requyres an act of mynd and will and so an internall act whence defining a Ceremony to be an action externall and yet making it internall also he crosseth shynns with himself Or thus He that duely and of right judgment requires a purposed observation he requires an internall and so a substantiall act or a matter of substance But D r. Burg. requires duely and in right judgment I meane in his apprehension a purposed observation Therfore he requires a substantiall matter in a Ceremony which he denies should be done and that is a contradiction The second terme is designed or purposely observed and done and as he explicates himself Institution or that which is all one intended observation is essentiall to a Cerem P. 30. Which words are confused and draw with them dangerous inconveniences when Institution and intended observation are made simply all one For neither is all institution an observation because many things are instituted which are not observed 2. Neither is an intended free observatioÌ„ for one tyme used an institution 3. an institution with authority implyeth much more in it then intended observation D r. Iackson in his originall of unbeleif Institution and purposed observatioÌ„ are not all one pag. 334.335 very aptly to this purpose noteth that some expressions may sometyme be used and observed well which to use ordinarily much more to institute â—ould be ridiculous or impious As Iacob did unblameablely â—ish his sonne Iosephs coate yet to have hanged it about his â—edd or table that it might receave such salutations evening and morning or at every meale tyme might have countenanced many branches of superstition once and use it not may be discretion of those things whose continuall use degenerates into abuse All observers of Ceremonies are not instituters of them I thinke D. B. would be loath to institute the Crosse and Surplice with other Cerem which yet he doth observe In his interpretations of subscription he refuseth to defend how well these be imposed that is as I take it instituted and yet acknowledgeth the intended observation of them to be very well Besyde all this it is to be marked that the Rej. by confounding institution and purposed observance doth exclude or forget all naturall ceremonies such as bowing of the body before superiors imbracing of those who are deare unto us lifting up the hands and eyes to heaven in ordinary worship which nature it self doth teach all nations to observe without any institution though not without some government of councell nor without such variety as nature it self is subject unto Againe if by this phrase he meane that a purposed observation of an outward act with an ayme and reference to such a thing is of necessity required to make up a Cerem or a Ceremonious action in worship or otherwise it is a miserable mistake Instance thus A carnall Protestant presents himself amongst such as are at Masse he professeth to his companions before he goes in and doth in the purpose of his heart seriously loath the pix and Idoll there yet when it s lifted up he bowes as others doe Lett any man in reason tell me did he not use or abuse rather a Divine Ceremo in that bowing or no If the Rej. say yes as he must unlesse he will speake against all reason truth I then reply upon his owne grounds That outward action which is not purposely referred that is not a Cerem but this action is not purposely observed with any ayme to that end for the party intended no such thing purposed no such matter but did it as a thing of-course as a man should bow his knee for exercise when he is alone 2. Peter withdrawing himself from the Gentiles at the coming of the Iewes he did not purposely this with reference to any Iudaicall seperation as judging any legall pollution in joyning with the Gentiles or holines in parting from them and therfore he did not praâ—tise any Iewish Cere according to the Rej. conceit but directly contrary to the text there is no end of these absurdities The differenâ—ing terme is placed in reference to some other matter of the substance whereof it is neither necessary cause nor part Pag. 30. Where he seemeth to expound that which before he called a proper cause by a farr differing terme of a necessary cause what should be the intention of this variation I cannot guesse It may be the Rej. forgot that he was in giving of accurate rules and so fell into a loose varying of phrases So likewise in illustrating of this difference in stead of part he nameth a substantiall part as distinguishing parts into substantiall and accidentall of which addition I cannot tell what to make How ever this is no forme or essentiall difference of a Cerem from other actions D. B. hath preached a thousand good sermons in reference to his flock or people yet I do not think he esteemed them Cerem of his hearers This Paradoxe he enlargeth with many similitudes and examples I looked he should have alledged some scripture from whence this might have beene gathered or concluded at the least adjoyned some convicting argument which might have cleared this so mayne poynt of his definition or if none of those that yet he would have shewed some authority or author who had so writt and spoke but here is deepe sylence and we must take all upon the D rs bare word but by the D rs leave we are purposed to trye his novellies and not to take them upon trust Here 1 it is justly to be faulted The second part of the definition examined and foâ—nd faâ—lty against all rules of art that he goes against all rules of art and reason making up the cheif part of his definition of a negative and so in yssue tells us what the thing is not not what it is For having said that a cerem must be in reference the demaund might be what reference is that he adds it is not a cause or a part And any may in reason still enquire if it be not either if those two what is
his power soveraignty and holines appearing therin unto us This only makes a thing properly sacred but if things of any nature only so farr attend a religious either person thing or performance as that they help not in carying out the act to God and so tendering honor to him but stand only in a distance and subordination as things of necessity or in some conveniency presupposed to goe before a religious work in a common way to that as to other things in the like proportion and have the self same work in that sacred as in civill affaires this is not sacred at all So place and tyme a font will do as much to any civill action as to a sacred So that only religion applyeth and takes to it self that civill circumstance that it might put forth his owne act as upon a stage makes such things do as much for him as for any politike and naturall work Religion serve its turne upon these occasions In a word the ground lyes here The latter art ever useth the work of the former Aâ—s posteriot 〈…〉 tituâ— opeâ—â— How a thâ—ng may â—â—rve a sacred action or be used ecclesiastically yet not be sacred sometymes for necessity sometymes for conveniency and adjoining himself to it doth of it self do its owne work So that the thing is either a subject unto which the act of religion or policy is applyed or else that fitnes which such things have in subordination to have other things to be annexed to them is that common end which such things hould out indifferently by the â—ame rule to civill and sacred actions and ergo are common to them both but are neither properly Instance â—hus A magistrate of the common wealth A Generall in the feild A minister of a congregation they may successively stand upon the same hill the magistrate to deliver the law and judgment to the subject The Geâ—erall to give his charge to the souldiers The Minister â—o preach unto a congregation Is any man such a wiseâ—â—ker as to say this hill is a civill or politike hill a warlike hill a sacred hill because it serves all these actions of poâ—icy warr and religion so that to make the point plaine because we are forced to show forth the feeblenes of the Rej. dispute we will now from these grounds Reader reason and exemplifye that the meanest may understand If to be applyed to a religious affaire make a thing sacred then all things almost and all arts may be sacred because they may be applyed to a matter thing or person religious as the next object and end If the pulpitt be a sacred thing because it is applyed to support the minister preaching then is the ayre sacred it s applyed to his speech in speaking then is the light sacred it s applyed to his eye in reading then are his spectacles sacred for they are used by him reading his text then the two pottle potts which hould the wyne consecrated should be sacred potts Nay the ministers doublett that covers him yea if he was hoarse and tooke some oyle to help his voice they should now become sacred doubletts and sacred oyle The paper book which the preacher looked on when he is out in his sermon should be a sacred paper book and to follow the Rej. if putting on of ashes upon the head be sacred in the day of humiliation then by like proportion when God enjoines people in a fast to putt on their poorest and meanest attyre those ragged bands and ould Capps and Quoifes were sacred bands and Quoifes and Capps But do you laugh at these things masters when the Rej. is so violent in this cause that he breakes the bridle and flyes out against all that will not yeeld to him in this And I would wishe the reader to consider how righteous it is with God to suffer men to fall foully wheÌ„ they will follow their owne imaginations Erewhyle the Rej. made all things Cerem by the loosnes of his definition and now to help the Ceremo he would make all things sacred by the large compasse he gives to religious Cere The vanity of which expression I hope appeares sufficiently by that which hath beene sayd but yet that the meanest may feele with his finger the grossnes of this mistake A pregnant example confuting the falsneâ— of the forâ—eâ— ground I shall add one more instance The height of the sunne or the sound of a clock one the same may at the same tyme in the same city be a directioÌ„ for Protestants Papists Iewes Anabaptists all sects to assemble for religious service It may at the same tyme by the same sound be a direction for magistrats to meet for judicature for drunkards to meet to riott for gaimsters to meet to play for travelers to meet to sett upon their journey so that it hath relation to all these religious politike prophane practises at once I would fayne have the Rej. tell me what a kynd of Ceremony this is If he say religious I then demaund is it Anabaptisticall Papisticall Iudaicall Lutheran Protestant Arminian superstitious or truely religious cerem is it any one of these or all of these for to them all it serves in their intentions and purposed observation and by the institution of him that sett it up happely Nay it hath relation to many other affaires and so it shall be a politike civill cerem it serves to that end it may be called a riding a playing a drunken ceremo for it serves at once to all these purposes and in all their intentions and purposed observations hath equall relations unto all Againe those things whose end is immediatly Gods honour they must be able to cause that honour for each thing can reach his owne and immediate end in the course of nature or rationall institution one tyme or other But all things which only attend upon religious affaires can never attaine this end or cause the worship of God in lifting up his honour of this kynd are tyme and place being bare circumstances the like may be sayd of the font which is no more sacred then the mudd banks were that contained the water of IordaÌ„ wher baptisme was celebrated Thus of the definition in the generall some other specialls be in the explication whereof I shall desire the Rej. judgment and help a little that I may understand his meaning at his next returne When he sayth pag. 36. Pag. 36. If the next immediate use belong to religion as Ieroboams setting up of his calves that the people might worship there the action shall be construed religious whether true or falsely so called Ioyne to this the words of the eight corallary which goe thus It is not the same end and use which maketh a ceremony part of divine worship I desire a reconciliation of these two For That which makes actions such species of religious worship as Ieroboams bowing to the Calves that makes them parts of divine worship though false
the former testimony the Rejoynder answereth 1. That these words are not the definitive judgement of the Assembly but onely spoken as the Plea of some tender-hearted men which suffered for refusall of those things Now if this were so as the Rej. maketh it yet this we may gather from thence that the Plea of many godly ministers of England in those dayes was that our Ceremonies are unlawfull For so it is there sayd many thousands both godly and learned have their consciences continually stricken with these sentenses what hath Christ to doe with Belial what fellowship is there betwixt darkenesse and light c. in the words formerly cited What meant the Rejoynder then to perswade his Readers in his Preface and upon all occasions that our Ceremonies were not by Non-Conformists held unlawfull but onely inconvenient untill of late If nothing else can yet this his owne not confession but peremptory answer may so convince him that he must acknowledge his accusing of us as dissenting therein from the first seekers of reformation in the Ceremonies and so the occasion of his bitter writing is a meere conceyt built up by desire of putting some colour upon that which nakedly beheld would be offensive Observe further that a definitive judgement is vainely heere denyed where it was never sought for The Ministers of England did not send into Scotland for a definitive sentence concerning the use or abuse of things in England Neither were they of Scotland so simple as to take that authority of defining upon them But for their advizing judgement is plaine enough to all that read their words with any indifferency They were not ignorant of our English question there were among them that had beene at Frankford as M r. Knoxe M r. Good-man c. They did not so farre forget themselves as to send allegations in other mens names into England to be admitted there which themselves did not allow of Beside they directly call them unprofitable vaine trifles Yea sayth the Rejoynder but they disclaime the very question they supposed the refusers of the Ceremonies not to damne the consciences of the users and call them vaine trifles in comparison of preaching the Gospel They disclaim indeed professed entering into the ground of that question as mediators use to doe but yet insinuâ—te their judgement of it Ceremonies may be damned â—hough the consciences of all that use them be not condemned Vnprofitable vaine trifles found not of compaâ—ison Neither is there any thing in the letter that gives â—ny inkling of such a limitation To the second testimonie taken out of the Scottish Confession the Rejoynder answereth 1. that it respecteth all Ceremonies as they were Antichrists formally and not all materialy After which manner it is easie to answer any â—estimonie that ever was alleged For in the Confession there is no difference made betwixt all and some neyther can the Rejoynder give any apparent reason of his formal interpretation and it is well knowen that the â—ery material Popish Ceremonies were then detested by M r. Knoxe with those that agreed unto his direction as â—hey also have been ever since the Reformation abhorâ—ed generally in Scotland untill of late when that which one of them calleth an Altar of Damascus came into that Countrey The Rejoynder his 2. answer is that they of the Assembly professed what liked them best in Scotland not what they thought others bound to do as appeareth by our late King Iames the chiefe of them But before this can stand it must be shewed in what Synode we detest is taken for wee like â—ot so well in our Country and then how the after-interpretation of one who was then but fifteene yeares old can over-sway the common interpretation of the whole Church 2. Oecolampadius requireth a Minister of Scaphusium Epist. 1. lib. 1. pag. 129. utterly to cast off all the Ceremonies of the Papists in celebration of the Lords Supper as those which cannot be continued without nourishing of the superstition and impiety whereunto they served of olde The Rejoynder answereth 1. That this was not Oecolampadius his owne advise but that which some others would have had him given But he propounding it and onely excusing himselfe modestly that he was slow in put on others so farre insinuating that though he himselfe was so resolved yet he durst not urge others thereto and therefore onely requireth conveniency without offense sufficiently testifieth his allowance of that advise And who thinke you were the Authors of that advise but zuinglius c He 2. addeth out of divers Epistles that Oecolampadius would not have all that country tye themselves in Ceremonies to Basil Tigure or Bern that he holde goldâ—â— silver glasse or wooden vessels in administration of the Sacrament indifferent As if any of us were of another minde this is a meere colour of something where nothing is to be found In the third place he sheweth how Oecolampadius allowed of the termes of Sacrifice Altar and omitted no wonted Ceremonies but onely the latine tongue in reading the Epistle and Gospel But if the Rejoynder had considered that termes are no Ceremonies and that Oecolampadiuâ— allowed and Practised this last mentioned imperfect reformation when he was in comparison but a Novice in religon before he came to Basil he would not have so exulted in this quotation as he doeth The Abridgers sayth he never I thinke read Oecolampadius his Epistles But he hath no just reason to thinke but some of them had read those Epistles unlesse he can shew from whence else they had this testimony I have read them long since and remember well that to be true which now I sayd How it stood at Basil with Popish Ceremonies when Oecolampadius was Minister there it appeareth out of Zuinglius his Fellow-Minister de Baptismo in these words worthy to be recited though somewhat too large for this place Lubenâ— equidem Catabaptistu concedam fatebor aliqui dutilitatis ex contentione illa quam ipsi de Baptismâ— instituerunt enatum esse Hine enim factum est ut eae quae humanae rationis stulta superstitio addâ—derat qualia sunt exorcism sputi sausque usus alia hujus generis complura in lucem protracta ab omnibus pro vanis inutilibus habita fint Non infiâ—iamur illa à Majoribus nostris ad nos usque nostra tempora manavisse Interim tamen constat hac divinitus institut a non esse sed ab hominibus olim addita quae fortasse tune pro temporum ratione ferri poterant eo quod ut Israelitae olim subâ—ndâ— Aegypti desiderio tactâ— ad illius delicias respicsebant fic qui nuper ad Christâ— pertes concesserant ad Gentilium religioxem non nihilo promptiores propensioresque erant quae Ceremonias â—â—â—usmodi plures continebat I will easily grant the Catabaptists and confesse that the strife which they made about Baptisme hath not beene altogether without benefit For hence it comes to passe that