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
the body of all these shadows is and next the libertie giuen by God to the Christian Church mentioned by Isaiah as ye heard before For as by the first we are freed from the bondage of the Law and the obseruation of the set times therein prescribed so by the second all times are sanctified to the worship of God in so farre that the Christian Church may make choyce of any time in the weeke any day in the moneth or yeere for their publique meetings to his worship And as for the Lords Day which hath succeeded to the Iewish Sabbath albeit God hath coÌ„manded to sanctifie it by the publike exercise of religioÌ„ yet neither is the whole publike worship nor any part of it appropriated to that time but lawfully the same may be performed vpoÌ„ any other conuenient day of the weeke of the Moneth or of the yere as the Church shall think expedient Vpon this ground Zanchius affirmed Ecclesiae Christi liberuÌ„ esse quos velit praeter dominic dies sibi saÌ„ctificaÌ„dos deligere And by this warrant did the primitiue Church sanctifie these fiue anniuersarie dayes of Christs Natiuitie Passion Resurrection Ascension and the Descent of the Holy Ghost Where it is obiected that it is onely proper to God to make holidayes I answer That it is onely proper to God to make times and places holy by appropriating to them a diuine worship which may not bee performed lawfully but in these places and on these times such as the Tabernacle and Temple and the Iewish Festiuities vnder the Law were for vnto them was appropriated by God a worship which might not be performed on another day and so these dayes did not only belong to the worship as meere circumstances but were proper parts or points thereof and could not bee omitted without marring of the whole action In which respect these dayes were holier then other dayes because a part of Gods worship consisted in obseruation of them Such holy dayes the Church cannot make But to make times and places holy by consecration of them to an holy vse the Church hath power for the dayes that she appoints are obserued only for order and policie and haue no relation to the worship performed on them as any Rite or religious Ceremonie belonging necessarily to the integritie thereof The Natiuitie of our Sauiour may bee remembred and publike thankes giuen to God therefore vpon any other time as well as vpon the twentie fiue of December likewise the Passion Ascension and the rest of these benefits yet wee remember them at certaine set-times not because the times require such a worship or the worship such a time to the integritie and lawfulnesse thereof but to the end the worship may be performed orderly once euery yeare in euery place vpon one day that all people wheresoeuer they be at home or abroad may bee instructed and admonished to prayse and magnifie the grace of God and goodnesse of their Sauiour Herein the reformed Churches differ from the Papists who Iudaize in obseruation of those Festiuities because they professe to obserue them not for order only but esteeme them to be sacratiores sanctiores alijs diebus pars diuini cultus which we doe not For the Lords Day it hath succeeded to the Sabbath and is holy by diuine Institution hauing for euidence and confirmation thereof both a morall Precept and the exemplarie practice of Christ and his Apostles in Scripture In the forth command after the labour of six dayes the seuenth is appointed to bee sanctified in memoriall of Gods rest from his six dayes worke and the particular day not being expressed in the command was notified to the people either by the exemplary practice of Moses and the Church in the Wildernesse or by tradition of the Fathers going before if so it be that from the Creation that day was obserued Now after the legall shaddowes are abolished whereof the Iewish Sabbath was one if any will demand what day must bee obserued in the Christian Church wee answere that questionlesse for the quotient of the number the day cannot bee altered which by the Law is appointed Heauen and Earth shall perish but one iot of the Law shall not perish Our Sauiour came not to dissolue the Law but to fulfill it In the Law wee heare that God rested the seuenth Day that he blessed and sanctified it and there is a libertie giuen to labour six dayes but the seuenth is commanded to be kept holy so howbeit the Iewish Sabbath which was the shaddow be materially abolished as touching the particular Day yet the Day commanded in the Law formally must remayne and euer be the seuenth after six dayes worke But if yee will aske seeing the seuenth Day in particular is not expressed in the Law and that day which the Iewes obserued is abolished by Christ as the shaddow by the body how the particular and materiall Day may bee knowne that the Christian Church should obserue Vnto this we answere that the particular Day was demonstrated by our Sauiours Resurrection and his Apparitions made thereon by the Apostolicall practice and the perpetuall obseruation of the Church euer since that time of the Day which in Scripture is called the Lords Day as that which the Iewes obserued was called the Lords Sabbath because as the one was appointed by the Lord for a memoriall of his rest after the Creation so the other was instituted by the Lord for a memoriall of his Resurrection after the Redemption For this wee must hold as a sure ground whatsoeuer the Catholike Church hath obserued in all Ages and is found in Scripâ—ure expresly to haue beene practised by Christ and the Apostles such as the sanctification of the Lords Day the same most certainly was instituted by the Lord to bee obserued and his practice in that is exemplar and hath the strength of a particular precept Hereby it is manifest that the sanctification of the Lords Day is of diuine Institution as well by reason of the diuine Precept commanding the seuenth Day in generall to bee obserued as of the diuine practice of Christ and the Apostles their specifying the Day which hath the force of a particular diuine Precept In respect whereof the obseruation of this Day is a point of diuine Worship and is holy not by Ecclesiasticall Constitution but by diuine Institution Moreouer this Day is holy by appropriation of it to a certaine religious vse whereunto no other Day can be applyed namely to bee a memoriall of the Lords rest after the Creation and of his Resurrection after the Redemption As also to be a signe of our sanctification here and of our glorification hereafter as is manifest by the words of the holy Ghost Exod. 31.13 It shall be a signe betweene me and you that I the Lord doe sanctifie you and that of the fourth to the Hebrewes A rest is left to the people of God wherein we should studie to enter For this wee must hold
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
despise the Lords Sabbath and instead thereof appoint some other as the Machomet hath done it were a presumptuous sinne But this wee are farre from acknowledging the Lords Day to bee holy by his institution and appointing the rest to bee kept only for his worship PP We come from priuiledge to fact as de iure none may so de facto none did appoint holy dayes vnder the Law but God and that eyther by himselfe or by some extraordinary direction Therefore none can bee allowed vnder the Gospell without the like warrant Seeing the times vnder the Gospell are not so ceremonious as the times vnder the Law ANS I answered before that if holy dayes bee taken for times whereunto God did appropriate the exercise of some particular forme of worship or for times clothed with some relatiue and respectiue holinesse as to bee signes or types of things to come God only may make dayes holy but if by holy dayes wee vnderstand times dedicated to Gods worship and the commemoration of his benefits as meete circumstances for Discipline Order and Policie such as our Diuines hold the holy dayes vnder the Gospell to bee I denie that either they might not or did not lawfully appoint such dayes vnder the Law or yet may not be appointed vnder the Gospell The answeres which you make to the dayes of Purim instituted by Queene Estther and Mordecai and the Feast of Dedication instituted by Iudas Mâ—cchaâ—aeus are not solid First where ye say that the obseruation was ciuill because Hospinian sayes they might haue wrought vpon the dayes of Purim his opinion in that is not probable seeing these dayes were instituted to bee dayes of feasting and ioy and sending of portions one to another and giftâ— to the poore because on them God had giuen rest to his people froâ— their enemies It is not probable when â—â—ch and 〈◊〉 did feast in remembrance of the rest that God had 〈◊〉 â—hem from their enemies that they did not rest and 〈◊〉 tâ—e dayes according to the Institution for the Text sayes exprâ—sly Est. 9.17 That they rested and kept a day of feastâ—ng and gladnesse with the which seruile labour sorts not Neiâ—hâ—r will it follow that these dayes were not kept for holy Festiuities albeit in them they might haue wrought some kind of labour for on the sixe dayes of the Passeouer and on the sixe dayes of the Feast of Tabernacles seruile worke was not vtterly prohibited but on the first and eight only yet all these dayes are called Festiuall and holy Finally dayes instituted for Documents and Memorials of holy things as of their Fasting and Prayers by which they obtayned deliuerance such as yee affirme these to haue beene cannot bee called nor counted Ciuill And Willet compares them not euill with the fift dayes of August and Nouember but hee does not say this as counting them Ciuill but because they were not diuinae sed Ecclesiasticae institutionis non mysterij sed politiâ—s and if ye thinke the fift of August and Nouember to be ciuill dayes in so farre as vpon them Commemoration is made of his Maiesties Deliuerances with Preaching Thankesgiuing and Prayer you are in a manifest errour for a day which is dedicated to diuine Seruice and the honour of God not to a ciuill vse cannot be esteemed ciuill but sacred and holy Againe where yee say that these dayes had more then humane warrant because it is thought that Mordecai was the Penman of the Booke of Esther and consequently a Prophet and that it appeares that these dayes might not haue beene altered by the Iewish Church which if they had bin of Ecclesiasticke Constitution might haue bin done thoughts and appearances are not sure probations to conclude a certaintie as yee doe of a more then humane warrant And if they had receiued from God any particular direction concerning them the Prophet of God would not haue omitted the same in the Historie A generall warrant they had such as the Church must haue for the determination of circumstances in the worship of God as that of the hundred and fifth Psalme Giue thankes to the Lord call on his Name make knowne his deeds amongst the people Sing vnto him sing Psalmes vnto him talke of all his wondrous workes that he hath done But to say that they had any particular warrant is to be wise aboue that which is written As to the Feast of Dedication yee answere first that if it were Anniuersary in Salomon and Zorobabels time Iudas Macchabaeus followed the example of these who had Propheticall direction and if it was not Anniuersary as first yee leaue it vncertaine yee thinke the saâ—e was an addition of the Pharisies who inlarged the glory of this Feast as they did their Phylacteries but this is a friuolous coniecture and the interpretation of Iunius words out of the Talmude is no better to wit that the Wisemen who decreed that the eighth dayes of that Feast should bee yeerely dayes of ioy were the Pharisies because they are called Sapientes Israelis for it behoued these that appointed the Festiuities not onely to bee Wisemen but men of Authoritie also And therefore it is more probable that the Wisemen in the Talmude were the Masters of the great Synagogue that had power to appoint such Festiuities But how would our Sauiour who censured the Pharisies for inlarging their Phylacteries and corrected the abuses of the Law brought in by them haue omitted such a grosse Errour and Superstition as the Institution and keeping of these holy dayes vnrebuked if it had beene a Pharisaicall Addition and not a lawfull Constitution Then yee teach your Reader a great cunning to play fast and loose in answering all the instances brought from the Iewish Church and that is whether hee grant or denie them to bee lawfull yet to eschew the dint of the Argument for if hee grant them to bee lawfull then he may flye to this refuge that the Iewes had extraordinarie directions which wee want as Prophets who were only Prophets by the Spirit vnto the dayes of Malachie Vrim and Thummim vnder the first Temple and in place thereof vnder the second a slender voyce sounding from Heauen called Bathcoll But if hee denie the same to haue beene lawfull then to alleadge that they were Pharisaicall Additions and that wee should not imitate the Pharisies and fond Iewes I assure my selfe that no honest-hearted man will either follow the Pharisies in their Superstition nor you in vsing such sophisticall euasions of which none will serue against the instances alledged for if yee say that the obseruation of the dayes of Purâ—m or Dedication were Pharisaicall Additions the exact diligence of our Sauiour in rebuking and correcting all such abuses and superstitious Nouations as were brought into the worship of God by the Pharisies will controll you And if ye say that they had extraordinarie directions yee speake without warrant of Scripture which is presumption in you to doe So it remaines for any
thing ye haue said that holy dayes were and might bee lawfully kept vnder the Law without any particular warrant from God But put the case that the same might not haue beene done vnder the Law it followes not that the Christian Church hath not libertie to appoint dayes and times for religious exercises without particular direction For vnder the Law God not only set downe the substance of his worship but all the circumstances also as the persons in particular by whom the place where and the times when he should be worshipped so fully as little or nothing was left to the abitrement of the Iewish Church and as yee say these times were so ceremonious that the greatest part of the externall worship consisted in Ceremonies vnder the Gospell it is not so for in the Gospell the substance of these Ceremonies and of the worship of God is perfectly set downe but the circumstantiall Ceremonies of time place persons and formes which are no part of the worship but pertinences only are left to bee determined by the Church according to the generall Rules of Order and Decencie It is true because the Iewes had one place only appointed by God for his worship to wit the Temple and Tabernacle whereunto the people could not resort at all times therefore to their owne election was permitted the appointing of other commodious places for their Synagogues And now vnder the Gospell there is one onely Day of diuine Institution to wit the Lords Day whereunto to tye the worship of God is a Iudaicall Pedagogie against the Christian libertie and practice For the time is now come that from one new Moone to another and from one Sabbath to another all flesh shall come and worship before God Isa. 66.23 According to the which Prophesie the Apostolike and Primitiue Church did not only conuene on the Lords Day to worship God but on such other times as they thought commodious to obserue Saint Paul taught often on the Iewish Sabbath and at Ephesus daily for the space of two yeares in the Schoole of one Tyrannus Saint Augustine testifies that in some Churches they conuened daily not onely to preaching praying and Lectures but to the celebration of the Sacrament also Epiphanius in his Epitomie or Abridgement of Christian Faith affirmeth Apostolos instituisse synaxes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is The Apostles to haue instituted their holy meetings for diuine Seruice on Wednesday Friday and the Lords Day Soâ—rates witnesses that on these dayes through the whole World for the greatest parâ— the holy mysteries were celebrated Hereby it is manifest albeit the Church was tyed to worship God solemnly and publikely on the Lords Day that yet they were not tyed to that Day only but that all dayes weâ—e sanctified by Christ that the Church might chooâ—e and deâ—ermine of them for the Seruice of God as she pleased So to conclude the Church vnder the Gospeâ—l hath power without any particular warrant of Goâ— keeping the general Rules of Pietie Charitâ—e and Decencie to dedicate times and places and set downe formes and orders for the worshâ—p of God The Ceremonies in the Iewes Câ—urch were not only Circumstantiall but Mysticall for the greatest part and a part of diuine worship it selfe such as the Church vnder the Law and vnder the Gospell hath no power to institute but the Ceremonies vnder the Gospell are meerely Circumstantiall for the greater part not Mysticall and a part of the worship it selfe but onely accessorie thereto these the Christian Church hath power to appoint And such are the fiue dayes of old obserued by the Primitiue Church and now restored againe in our Church and such were the dayes of Purim and the Feast of Dedication which were not obserued as a part of religion instituted by God but only for commemoration of Gods benefits bestowed vpon his people in these times PP The obseruation of Anniuersary dayes pertayned to the Ceremoniall Law but so it is that the Ceremoniall Law is abolished Ye confirme the Antecedent by the reasons following First The Anniuersary Dayes were distinguished from the Morall Sabbath many were the preheminences of the ordinary Sabbath aboue the Anniuersary dayes Secondly The Apostle cals them weake beggerly rudiments Gal. 4.9.10 The elements of the world Col. 2.20 Shaddowes of things to come Col. 2.16 17. The Apostle sayes not the obseruation of Iudaicall dayes but simpliciter the obseruation of dayes serued to the people of God for a typicall vse and rudiment of Religion If the obseruation of some anniuersarie dayes was prescribed to the Iewes as elements and rudiments for their instruction it followes that the obseruation of anniuersarie dayes is of it selfe a rudimentarie instruction Otherwise the Apostles reason will not hold Thirdly Dayes and Meates are paralelled therefore as it is Iudaicall to esteeme some meates cleane and some vnclean so to esteeme one day holier then another is Iudaicall Fourthly To substitute other dayes in place of the Iewish as a Christian Pasche and Whitsonday for the Iewish is to substitute rudiments to the Iewish and not to chase them away Fiftly The Iewish anniuersarie dayes were not onely abrogated as shaddowes of things to come but as memorials of by gone benefits In euery respect all their anniuersarie daies are abolished Therefore in euery respect they belong to the Ceremoniall Law ANS These arguments yee vse to prooue the obseruation of anniuersarie dayes to be ceremoniall I answer them one by one First where yee say that anniuersarie dayes in the Law were distinguished from the morall Sabbath if ye will of this conclude that the anniuersarie dayes were not morall but typicall I will not deny it But if yee conclude anniuersarie daies to be therefore simply ceremoniall I say it followes not and that your argument is a caption à dicto secundum quid ad dictum simplicitèr The obseruation of a weekely day amongst the Iewes was not onely morall but a typicall shadow of things to come Is the Lords Day then because it is weekely not onely morall but also typicall But perhaps ye reason thus Anniuersarie dayes are eyther ceremoniall or morall but so it is they are not morall ergo To this I say that your diuision is not full nor perfect for there be anniuersarie dayes that are naturall as the Aequinoctiall and Solstitiall Others that are ciuill as dayes of Markets and Weapon-shewings c. And there be dayes Ecclesiasticall which are neyther morall nor mysticall but meerely circumstantiall to the worship whereunto they are appoynted To the second I answer that anniuersarie dayes are not called by the Apostle Elements and Rudiments otherwise then the New-Moones which are monethly dayes and Sabbaths which were weekely dayes And therefore if the Aposâ—le had called dayes Shadowes by reason of their yeerely reuolution he could not haue concluded that Sabbaths and New-moones were Shaddowes It is neither the weekly nor monethly nor anniuersarie reuolution that made these dayes
had the honour to be appointed by God himselfe This Proposition is yours and is very true I assume But the fiue anniuersarie dayes appointed by the Assembly of Perth are not Iudaicall prescribed in the Ceremoniall Law tolerated by Saint Paul in weake Christians and such as had once the honour to be appointed by God himselfe The Assumption is likewise yours set downe in the last wordes of your Answere and is true also Therefore I conclude That the fiue anniuersarie dayes are not the dayes whereof the Apostle condemnes the obseruation Consequently hee condemnes not the obseruation of dayes simply as a Iudaicall Rite and Pedagogicall instruction contrary to your former Assertion PP It is secondly obiected that seeing the Lords Day was instituted in remembrance of Christs resurrection the other notable acts of Christ ought likewise to be remembred with their seuerall festiuities Ans. It followes not that because Christ did institute the remembrance of one benefit therefore men may institute for other benefits Secondly Christs resurrection was a benefit including the rest of his benefits Thirdly The Lords Day was not appointed to celebrate the memory of Christs resurrection onely for then the resurrection should bee the proper subiect of Diuine seruice euery Lords Day and then it were vnlawfull to fast thereupon Fourthly It is called the Lords Day either because the Lord did institute it as the Communion is called the Lords Supper or else because it was instituted to the Lords honour and worship as the Iewish Sabbath is called the Sabbath of the Lord our God Fiftly Although it may be applyed to the remembrance of Christs resurrection seeing he rose that day and in some sort to be a signe of the heauenly rest yet that is but typus communis factus a common type fitted to resemble such things not typus destinatus that is appointed by God for that end Finally it was appointed for remembrance of all Christs actions and for his worship in generall not in a mysticall manner for the ioyfull remembrance of his resurrection onely So to diuide Christs actions and appoint anniuersary mysticall dayes for their remembrance is superstitious will-worship and a Iudaicall addition to Christs institution in your mind ANS Here onely I haue taken vp the summe of your answere which is this That Chist did not institute the Lords Day for a remembrance of his resurrection in a mysticall manner and therefore wee haue no warrant to appoint mysticall dayes for remembrance of the Natiuitie Passion and the rest of his notable actions Vnto which I answere first generally That it is the iudgement of some recent Diuines that the Lords Day was onely instituted as Ecclesiasticall dayes are for order and policie and hath no further but a circumstantiall vse in the worship of God Others following the Ancients hold that the Lords Day is not onely appointed for order and policie but that it is a memoriall of Christs resurrection and a signe of our eternall rest in hâ—auen Saint August tom 5. de ciuit Dei lib. 22. cap. 30. Dominicus dies Christi resurrectione sacratus aeternam non solùm spiritus sed etiam corporis requiem praefigurat That is The Lords Day which was made holy and sacred by the resurrection of Christ prefigures not onely the eternall rest of the spirit but also of the body Item tom 10. de verbis Apostoli Serm. 15. Domini resurrectio promisit nobis aeternum diem consecrauit nobis Dominicum diem qui Dominicus vocatur quia eo die Dominus resurrexit That is The resurrection of the Lord hath promised vnto vs an eternall day and hath consecrated the Lords Day vnto vs which is so called because the Lord rose vpon that day Item Epist. ad Ianuarium Artic. 119. cap. 13. Dies Domini non Iudaeis sed Christianis resurrectione Domini declaratus est ex illo habere coepiâ— festiuitatem suam Thaâ— is The Lords Day was declared not to the Iewes but to the Christians by the resurrection of the Lord and from that time it beganne to be a festiuall day ibidem cap. 19. Vita prima quae de peregrinatione redeuntibus primam stolam accipientibus redditur per vnam Sabbathi quem diem Dominicum dicimus figuratur That is The first or euerlasting life which is giuen to them that haue ended their peregrination and receiued the glorious robe is figured by the first day of the weeke which we call the Lords Day Iust. Martyr Apol. 2. ad calcem Conuentus autem hos die Solis facimus quia hac die primùm Deus depulsis tenebris formataque materia mundum creauit Iesus Christus quoque noster seruator eadem die resurrexit a mortuis That is We keepe these meetings on the Sonday because on this day first God dispelled darkenesse and formed the matter whereof the world was created our Sauiour Iesus Christ also rose againe from the dead the same day In the iudgement of these Ancients the Lords Day was not onely instituted for the worship of God in generall and in that respect called the Lords Day but because Christ rose vpon that day and by his resurrection stamped it to bee a memoriall as well of his resurrection as of the eternall rest whereunto we shall be raised on the last day In a word it was not onely instituted for order and policie but also for a mysterie and therein differs from Ecclesiasticall dayes which are onely appointed for a circumstantiall and not for a mysticall vse These things being premitâ—ed I come to answere the particulars First where yee say that albeit Christ did institute a day in remembrance of one benefit men may not for other benefits I grant that men maâ— not iâ—â—â—itute a mysticall day to be obserued as â— part of Gods worship yet they may appoint a commodious dâ—y to bâ—e obsâ—râ—ed as a fit time for the worship of God and remembrance of his benefits Next where yee say the resurrection inclâ—dâ—s the rest of Christs benefits it is true in some sense that is either as the beginning or originall of some as the Ascension and sending downe of the holy Ghost or as the perfecâ—ion and consummation of others as of the Natiuitie and Passion And so generally and virtute as wee say in vertue the Resurrection contaynes the rest but it contaynes them not distinctly and expresly as it is necessary we should remember them for then we should not need any moe Articles of our Creede but that one of the Resurrection As the Articles are particular concerning the Natiuitie Passion Resurrection and Ascension so they ought to bee distinctly and seuerally remembred both on the Sabbath and on other conuenient times which the Church shall appoint Thirdly Although the Lords Day was not onely instituted for a memoriall of the Resurrection yet that was one of the principall causes wherefore it was sanctified rather then any other day of the weeke Saint Augustine sayes as before Domini
Worship For albeit the Lords Day be consecrated to the Worship of God yet the Worship is not tied to it but from one Sabbath to another and from one New-Moone to another all flesh may appeare before the Lord. That which ye speake of diuiding Christs actions and the appointing of mysticall dayes is partly foolish and partly false Is it not a folly to thinke that the actions of Christ ought not to bee diuided and seuerally remembred in Lectures and Sermons seeing the Spirit of God hath diuided them in this Storie and that it is impossible at once to remember them all And it is false also because for rememberance of them no day is appointed to bee kept mystically as a part of the worship but only circumstantially for order and commoditie which kinde of obseruation is not a superstitious wil-worship but a lawfull determination of commodious times for the worship of God belonging to the power and policie of the Church PP It is thirdly obiected that Paul kept the Feast of Pentecost Act. 20. 1. Cor. 16. I answere it was the Iewish Pentecost c. ANS If it was the Iewish Pentecost then Saint Paul did not only obserue an Anniuersary Day but such also as was legall and abrogated by the Gospell and such as hee discharges the Church to obserue Yet I hope yee will not say that his obseruation was Superstitious or Pedagogicall because he obserued it not as a necessary part of Gods worship prescribed in the Law in respect whereof only it was Pedagogicall but as a fit circumstance and opportunitie for the worke of his Ministerie like as he did often obserue the Iewish Sabbaths which was not onely lawfull but in those times verie expedient to be done by him Hereby it is manifest that the obseruation of dayes is not condemned by the Apostle as a Iewish Rite because Anniuersarie Monethly or Weekly but because it was conioyned with opinion of necessitie and vsed as a Legall worship therefore although vpon the Iewish Sabbath or vpon their Pentecost diuine worship was performed as the Euangell preached the Sacraments celebrated Prayers publikely conceiued c. If these things were done without any mysticall relation or respect had to the day but only because the time was opportune and happily fit for Gods Worke the exercise was lawfull and could not bee condemned So wee finde in some churches that on eueryday the sacrameÌ„t was ministred that on the Iewish Sabbath they had an ordinarie Fast and no well aduised Christian did euer thinke these to be vnlawfull by reason of the day For if to the cleane euery thing be cleane all dayes are cleane and sanctified to euery lawfull exercise of the man who is himselfe made cleane by the bloud of Christ Consequently euery day whether it be Weekly or Anniuersarie is cleane and sanctified by Christ to the exercise of any part of his Worship which shall bee thought meete by the Church to be performed to his honour and the edification of her selfe The Legall Sabbath and Pentecost which were abrogated could not make the Euangelicke Worship which was performed on them by the Apostles vnlawfull farre lesse can the Lords Day such as the Christian Pasche and Whitsonday are or any other day of the Weeke Moneth or Yeare which were neuer legally obserued make the Doctrine Prayers and Sacraments administred on them vnlawfull and superstitious To conclude I finde in this Obiection a Solution to all your Arguments for here I find that there may be a lawfull obseruation of dayes which are abrogated let be of dayes which are not discharged so the obseruation bee not legall with opinion of necessâ—tie or of any mysterie in the time but Euangelicall with knowledge of our Christian libertie and for opportunitie of time onely which both may bee lawfull and expedient So Saint Paul keeped many Sabbaths and the Pentecost whereon Saint Peter also conuerted three thousand by his first preaching This is the obseruation for which only we stand against which ye haue neuer concluded a contradictory but either against the Legall of the Iewish or superstitious of the Gentiles So all your Arguments fall vnder one forme of Caption which wee call ignorantia Elenchi when a contradiction seemes to bee where there is none because the tearmes in the apparant contradiction are not taken in the same sâ—nse PP It is fourthly obiected out of the Epistles of Polycarpus and Polycrates extant in the Historie of Eusebius and out of Beda following Eusebius that the Apostles kept the Feast of Easter Answ. Beda was but a Fabler and a follower of fabulous Reports Eusebius was a little better c. ANS Thus it pleaseth your pride to disdaine these ancient learned and holy Writers because they crosse your Nouelties by the truth of Antiquitie not vnlike the Painter of whom Sadeel writes Qui cum gallum gallinaceum infeliciter pingeret verum gallum á tabula abigebat Hauing drawne a Cocke vnskilfully that his errour should not bee perceiued he chased away the liuing Cocke that stood by him so the Papists forbid the vse of Scriptures that their Errors should not be discouered Nouators cannot sustain the authority of the Ancients But ye make mention of Polycarpus Epistle extant in Eusebius and in Eusebius there is no Epistle of Polycarpus onely Irenaeus in a Letter that hee sends to Victor mentions him The Epistles of Polycrates yee affirme to bee counterfeit and vpon what reason Because ye say that it is said in the Epistles that Saint Iohn bore on his fore-head pontificale petalum that is the golden plate or the High Priests Mitre Polycrates ye thinke would not haue written so because Scaliger sayes that no man will grant that eyther Iohn or Iames did beare it who vnderstand that none of Christs Apostles was a Priest and that it was lawfull to none but the High Priest to beare the golden plate It is true that Polycrates in propertie of speech would not haue written so but what is more frequent amongst the Ancients then by such flowers colours of Rhetorick to describe the Euangelick Ministers amoÌ„gst whom such as Polycarpus Thrasias and others by him named Iohns authoritie was as great as was the High Priests aboue the inferiour vnder the Law Therfore to distinguish him froÌ„ them Polycrates attributes to him the name and ornament of the High Priest So Tertullian de Baptismo distinguisheth the Bishop from the Elder and the Deacon calling him the High Priest Dandi quidem habet ius summus Sacerdos qui est Episcopus dehinc Presbyteri Diaconi Shall wee esteeme this Treatise of Tertullian counterfeite because hee calleth the Bishoppe an High Priest This is too weake a warrant whereon to build an improbation against so strong a partie as Eusebius PP The Bishop of Elie in his Sermon takes needlesse paines to proue the Antiquitie of Easter but when he proues it to be Apostolicall he shoots short his eldest Antiquitie is the counterfeit Epistles
to Ierusalem to the Pentecost was counsailed or not scandalizing the Iewes to carrie himselfe as one that obserued the Law and practise some legall ceremonies to that effect which he did vsing them not as a part of diuine worship but as indifferent things and meanes expedient to win him credite with the Iewes that hee might edifie them in the truth So himselfe sayes He became all things to all men that he might winne some The keeping of the 14. day by Iohn and Iames is not an argument that they disagreed from the rest in iudgement touching the set day if any then was determined more then the practise of other ceremonies proues their disagreeing from S. Paul in the poynt of Christian libertie for this they did onely by way of condescension So the Apostles in these times might haue kept Easter vpon diuerse daies by the direction of the Spirit because the solemne commemoration of our Sauiours resurrection which we call Easter is not to be kept at any set time for any mystery that one day hath more then another by diuine institution The contentions therefore about the day were iustly blamed by the reformed Churches who acknowledge no day except the Christian Sabbath to haue greater prerogatiue then anotheâ— But the greater part of the world keeping the solemnitie of Easter vpon the Lords Day which followed the 14. of the Moone the Churches of Asia being a fewer number did not well to preferre the singularitie of their opinion and custome to vnitie and conformitie with the greater part of Christendome in such a poynt Againe Victor Bishop of Rome cannot bee excused who first did vrge conformitie pressed it by violence vpon the Churches that were without his Iurisdiction and to excommunicate them was an insolent tyrannie seeing they were not subiect to his power Yet after the Nicene Councell had setled that controuersie and determined the day these must iustly be blamed that contentiously troubled the Christian peace disobeyed the Canon of the Councell and were disconforme to the rest of the Churches not by mistaking the day as some were but through wilfulnesse and pride the parents of contention PP Lasâ—ly they reason with Augustine à posteriorâ— That seeing the Lords passion resurrection ascension comming down of the Holy Ghost is celebrated with anniuersary solemnity through all the World they must needs haue beene ordayned eyther by the Apostles or by generall Councels But so it is that these daies were obserued before there was any generall Councell It must follow therefore that the Apostles ordained them Ans. Augustines distinction is not necessarie for many customes crept in and thereafter preuailed vniuersally which were neither ordained by the Apostles nor generall Councels Socrates in his Historie sayes I am of opiniâ—n c. ANS Socrateâ— in the testimonie which yee alledge lib. 5. cap. 22. for probation of your answere sayes that he is of opinion that the Feast of Easter hath preuailed amongst people of a certaine priuate custome and not by Canon He confirmes his opinion by this reason that they who keepe Easter on the 14. day of the Moone bring Iohn the Apostle for their author Such as inhabite Rome and the West parts of the World alledge Peter and Paul and yet there is none of them can shew in Writing any testimonie for confirmation of their custome First here it is to bee marked that Socrates in this testimonie calls his allegation an opinion onely that is a likely and probâ—ble conceit but that is not sufficient to infringe Saint Augustines rule and the probations that he brings are of no force for first it makes nothing against Augustines rule that the Easterne Churches kept the solemnitie on one day and the Westerne on another because Saint Augustine sayes not that the commemoration of these benefits was made vpon one and the selfe-same day onely hee sayes Anniuersaria solennitate celebrantur 〈◊〉 is They are yearely celebrated after a solemne manner The diuersitie of the day confuteth not this assertion but confirmes rather his saying namely that the solemnitie was obserued through all the World seeing in one part it was celebrated for winning of the Iewes according to the practise of S. Iohn and in the rest of the World on Pasche Sonday whereon our Sauiour rose according to the tradition of Saint Paul the Apostle of the Gentiles So this same solemnitie being kept through the whole Church although not on the same day Saint Augustines rule remains good that the solemne commemoration of Christs resurrection is Apostolicke The next probation is no better to wit that there is no testimonie in writing for the confirmation of that custome for by this reason it would follow that the obseruation of Sonday in stead of the Iewish Sabbath hath preuayled by a priuate custome only For in the Apostolique writings we haue no testimonie for the confirmation of that custome In Scripture we reade that our Sauiour rose on that day that on that day he appeared to his Disciples that on that day the Apostle appointed collections to be made for the poore that on that day at Troas the Disciples were assembled to breake bread and that S. Paul preached All these actions make aswell for the obseruation of Pasche Sonday and as the Bishop of Winchester saith somewhat more seeing it is after a sort the same day by reuolution whereon our Sauiour did rise yet all these practises exercises and meetings on the Lords day had not demonstrate the sanctification of it if it had not beene perpetually and vniuersally obserued afterwards by the Church This constant and vniuersall obseruation of the Church hath declared these practises to be exemplarie and that our Sauiour did consecrate that day by his resurrection and apparitions to be in stead of the Sabbath Vpon this ground S. August Epist. ad Ianuar. 118. sayes Illa quae non scripta sed tradita custodimus quae quidem â—oto Terrarum orbe obseruaÌ„tur dantur intelligi vel ab ipsis Apostolis vel plenarijs Concilijs quorum est in Ecclesia saluberrima auctoritas commendata atque statuta retinere Sicuti quod Domini Passio Resurrectio Ascensio in coelum aduentus de coelo Spiritus Sancti anniuersaria solennitaâ—e celebrantur that is Those things which come to vs by Tradition and not by Writing and yet are obserued in the whole world must bee esteemed to haue beene commended vnto vs and instituted either by the Apostles themselues or by generall Councells whose authoritie hath euer beene wholsome to the Church as by example the Passion Resurrection Ascension and the descent of the holy Ghost from heauen which wee solemnely keepe euery yeare This rule of Saint Augustine if it bee not demonstratiue yet it is more probable then Socrates his opinion for it is more like a custome receiued by the vniuersall Church should proceâ—d from the authoritie of the Apostles or some generall Councell rather then from a priuate obseruation as Socrates
thinks Yet to confirme his opinion yee say that Iustine Martyr mentions no Holy day but the Lords Day What then Hee had not the occasion yet Tertullian who flourished but fortie yeares after him in the second booke directed to his wife hath these wordes Quis denique solennibus Paschae abnoctantem seeurus sustinet And in his booke De Praescriptionib aduers. Haereticos mentions one Blastus whom hee calls an Heretike for maintayning that Pasche should bee kept on the 14. day of the Moone as the Iewish custome was Tertullian flourished in the yeare of our Lord 183. and speaking thus of Pasche not as of a new Constitution but as of a custome long before receiued in the Church does confirme the Bishop of Winchester his iudgement That in all lâ—kelihood this obseruation was Apostolique By Apostolique I meane not a doctrinall point which is to bee obserued as a substantiall part of diuine worship or a condition necessary to saluation but the imitation onely of an Apostolique practice concerning order and policie neither doe I meane such a practice as is expresly set downe in Scripture and vniuersally obserued through the world such as the Lords Day is for such a practice hath the strength of a diuine Precept but I vnderstand such a practice as albeit it be not recorded in Scripture to haue beene done by the Apostles themselues or the Churches in their time yet the same being vniuersally receiued in the world and obserued since the Apostles dayes is most probably presumed to haue beene practised in their times and allowed by them And in this the Lords Day differs from Pasche and the other three dayes mentioned by Saint Augustine that the Lords Day hath not onely the vniuersall and perpetuall obseruation of the Church since the dayes of the Apostles but also the practice of our Sauiour his Apostles and the Church in their times expresly recorded in Scripture The other haue onely an vniuersall and constant practice of the Church since the Apostles time which not the lesse ought to be preferred to any priuate or late particular custome And to returne to the Act of Perth it ordaynes none of these dayes to be kept for Diuine and Apostolique but onely that on them once in the yeare a solemne commemoration be made of the benefits of our Redemption and therefore the Reasons ye bring to proue that these dayes are not Apostolique impugne no wayes the lawfullnesse of the act Where yee say that the obseruation of the Passion day hath brought into the church set dayes of fasting condemned by our Diuines I aske you how yee doe proue that affirmation It is enough yee haue said it But to conclude this point I doe verily thinke That to fast and pray at some set times were lesse offensiue to God then to bee often feasting and surfetting pratling and lying traducing our Brethren and condemning the good order and policie of Gods Church PP If it had beene Gods will that the seuerall acts of Christ should haue beene celebrated with seuerall solemnities the holy Ghost would haue made knowne to vs the dayes wheron they were done Secondly if the actions of Christ aduance the dayes wherein they were wrought as Hooker sayes or consecrate them as Bellarmine sayes they ought to be knowne otherwise it will fall out that we shall keepe the dayes holy that were neuer aduanced nor consecrated by Christs action on institution But so it is the day of Christs Natiuitie is hid from mortall men ANS It is true that if it had beene Gods will to haue aduanced and consecrated the dayes of Christs Natiuitie Passion c. by annexing to them some particâ—lar exercise of Religion such as the festiuall dayes of the Iewes had and clothing them with some mysticall signification the holy Ghost had made the dayes knowne otherwise they could not haue beene obserued But from the beginning we haue declared according to the iudgement not of Bellarmine but of our best reformed Churches and Diuines that these dayes are not kept for any relation that the worship hath to them as if by Christs actions or institution they were to be honoured with some religious exercise but for order and policy only as the most meet and oportune occasions in the iudgement of the primitiue Church and in our estimation most meet for testifying our conformitie with her and with the whole Christian world euer since The long discourse and dispute which yee subjoyne to proue the time of Christs Natiuitie to be vncertayne because it is not contradictoriâ— to the Act made at Perth and the practice thereof in our Church I passe it as superfluous Onely to your last words of the Section I answere PP Nay let vs vtter the Truth December Christmasse is a iust imitation of the December Saturnall of the Ethnicke Romanes and so vsed as if Bacchus and not Christ were the God of Christians ANS This protestation yee might haue made and craued licence if your custome were to lye but to the purpose If Christmasse hath beene thus abused I am sure the abuse hath not come by preaching on that day and the exercise of diuine worship thereon for that wee haue lacked these 57. yeares by-past in our Church yet riot profanenesse surfet and drunkennesse hath not beene wanting What hath beene the cause hereof and by what meanes the abuse may be best remedied wise men will easily consider PP It is commonly obiected That wee may aswell keepe a day for the Natiuitie as for the Resurrection of Christ. We haue answered already That Christs day or the Lords Day is the day appointed for remembrance of his Natiuitie and all his actions and benefits aswell as for the Resurrection Next the one is morall and weekely the other is mysticall and anniuersarie The Lords Day it selfe is no longer to vs mysticall but morall sayes Willet and therefore Pasche day is a mysticall Sabbath and anniuersarie whereas the Lords Day it selfe should be onely morall ANS The answere which yee haue already made is already confuted The Lords Day is generally appointed for remembrance of all his actions therefore none of his actions may or should bee remembred at any other set time This consequence is not necessary for then we may not remember his actions in the morning and euening Lectures wee may not remember them in Sermons Exercises on weekly dayes nor may wee remember them in Catechizing the people Your next answere is That the day of the Natiuitie is mysticall This is contrarie to that which yee cited out of Saint Augustine pag. 68. Ille celebratur ob memoriam solùm ideo semper die vigesimo quinto Decembris at iste celebratur ob memoriam Sacramentum But I pray you How proue yee obseruation of the day of Natiuitie to bee mysticall because it is anniuersarie yee say If this be your Argument for I finde no other here it is not good for in the reuolution of time there is no mysterie
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
that whatsoeuer vse vnder the Law was proper to the Iewes Sabbath wherein now vnder the Gospell both Iew and Gentile haue interest remaynes yet proper to the Lords Day that succeeded thereto And in that respect this Day differs from all other Dayes being obserued not for policie and order only but for diuine institution and the religious vse whereunto it is appropriate that is to bee a memoriall First of the Creation as hath beene said because after our sixe dayes worke we rest on it being the seuenth as God did from the workes of the Creation Secondly of the Redemption because on it the Lord arose and perfected that worke and thirdly to be a signe of our sanctification namely that God who hath chosen and sanctified vs to be his people and whom we worship is God the Creator who in sixe dayes created the World and rested the seuenth and God the Redeemer who rose on this Day and hauing abolished sinne and death did bring in righteousnesse and life and God the holy Ghost by whose power hee did rise and by whose power we hope also to be raised againe Vnto this holy and religious vse this Day is appropriated whereunto no other Day besides can bee applyed That to conclude the Church hath power to appoint times for the publike worship of God and to appoint such a kind of worship as shee thinketh most expedient to bee vsed on these times for edification although shee hath no power to make the obseruation of any time a point of Gods worship or to appropriate thereto any part of his worship Finally to end this point of the power of the Church when the people are conuened in the ordinarie place and at the times appointed the Scripture hath not set downe whereat the Pastour should beginne how hee should proceed and wherewith hee should close vp this Seruice as whether hee should beginne with singing of Psalmes or praying or reading or preaching and when hee prayes with what petition he shall beginne what he shall subioyne next and so forth what order he shall obserue in baptizing and celebration of the Supper in Marriage in censuring of notorious offenders by Excommunication in Absolution and to bee short in all such other points of Doctrine Discipline and Diuine Seruice there is nothing particularly prescribed Although the substance of all be in the Word yet the order disposition forme and manner are left to be determined by the Church Many of which points are of farre greater moment then any of the Articles concluded at Perth Thus much for the power of the Church We come now to the extent of this power It is certaine that this power cannot reach to any thing essentiall or materiall in the worship of God but to the decencie and order only which is to bee obserued for edification in the circumstances aboue specified Let all things bee done decently and in order saith the Apostle The things themselues that are to be done are partly specified in that same Chapter where this rule is giuen and in the word else-where they are fully and particularly expressed and not left to be prescribed according to the will and iudgement of the Church but by this Precept a power is giuen only to the Church to prescribe the decent manner forme and order how they should be done And so to determine the circumstances which are in the generall necessary to bee vsed in diuine worship but not particularly defined in the Word So by warrant of this Precept the Church hath no power to forme new Articles of Faith new Precepts of Obedience new Petitions of Prayer new Sacraments or new Rites and Ceremonies such as Salt Oyle Spittle Chrisme Ashes holy Water Lights and innumerable such other things which cannot be reduced to any circumstances that in the generall are of necessary vse wherein the Church of Rome abusing her libertie hath laid vpon the Christian Church a burthen of Rites no lesse intollerable then the Legall Ceremonies yea and haue imposed them to bee obserued not onely as things belonging to policie and order but as parts of diuine worship which we of the reformed Church reiect esteeming all that to bee will-worship which men impose to be obserued as necessarie points of the seruice of God which himselfe hath ordayned in his Word Further because the Ceremonies and circumstances left to the determination of the Church cannot alwayes be one and the same by reason of the diuersity of Ages Times People and Nations touching them no constant Law can bee set downe as is acknowledged in the one and twentieth Article of the Confession of our Faith confirmed by Parliament but altered they may be and altered they should be when necessitie requires In which case Charitie sayes Caluine can best iudge what is most expedient Hanc si moderatricem patiemur salua erunt omnia The power of the Church being thus limited it is without controuersie that the Canons made by her touching the circumstances that in the generall are necessary for the worship of God ought to bee obeyed so long as they stand vnchanged or abrogated not because they contayne in them any substantiall or materiall part of Religion or that they haue in them any diuine Authoritie as the Commandements of God which in conscience bind to obedience but because in them an order is established tending to vnitie and peace whereby confusion scandall and Schisme is eschewed and because the power of the Church whereby these Lawes are made is the Ordinance of God and confirmed by the authoritie of his Word commanding vs to obey them that are set ouer vs in the Lord the Canons of the Church must be obeyed for reuerence of the Ordinance and Commandement of God which is the onely direct and immediate obiect of our conscience and the religious band that tyes vs to the obedience of euery humane ordinance for conscience sake But because many excuse their disobedience with a pretext of conscience I will shortly set downe the rules of conscience that by the Word of God we are obliged to follow in our actions The first is whatsoeuer is commanded or forbidden in the Word expresly or by necessary consequence ought to be obeyed The next is whatsoeuer is commanded or forbidden by the Lawes and Ordinances of our Superiours Ciuill or Ecclesiastique the same if it be not contrarie to Gods Word should be obeyed by reason of his expresse command Obey them that haue the rule ouer you and submit your selues Heb. 13. And againe Submit your selfe to euery ordinance of man for the Lords sake 1. Pet. 2.13 To this appertaynes lawfull customs hauing the force of a Law where there is no written Law Thirdly touching things that are free and are neither determined by Ciuill nor Ecclesiasticall Constitutions we haue this rule Let euery man stand fully perswaded in his owne minde that he may doe or omit that which hee intends without the offence of God or his Neighbour but
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
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
preached Rom. 15. We kneele not when wee giue almes These improper and metaphoricall sacrifices are not acts of adoration The Paschall Lambe was slaine in the manner of a reall sacrifice and yet notwithstanding this immolation they kneeled nor at the eating of the Paschall Lambe The Sacraments of the old and new Testament were alike in representation signification and exhibition ANS Howsoeuer the sacrifices aforesaid be metaphoricall as yee say and no proper sacrifices yet they are spirituall sacrifices which men are accustomed to offer with kneeling Although wee kneele not when we giue almes yet we kneele when we pray praise The sacrifice of the Passeouer and other sacrifices vnder the Lawe although when they were eaten in priuate houses they did not kneele that eat them because it could not be done conueniently for the reasons oft recited yet it appeares when they were offered on the Altar which was the publike act of Gods worship that they bowed their knees So Micheas Cap. 6. vers 6. and Saint Luke saith in his first that when Zacharie was offering Incense all the people continued praying which they did not without kneeling or some other externall rite of adoration Where yee affirme that the Sacraments of the old and new Testament were alike in representation signification and exhibition it is true as touching the matter represented but the manner was as farre different as the shaddow is from the expresse and perfect image of the thing it selfe The sacrifices of the olde Testament were but shaddowes of Christ our Sacraments by reason of the Word annexed to them and the doctrine of the Gospell whereby they are cleerely expounded are viue and perfect images of Christ and of the benefites wee haue by him therefore they are to bee celebrated with greater adoration and deuotion both externall and internall then the sacrifices vnder the Law because our deuotion and adoration should be proportioned to the measure of our knowledge and faith An Answere to the Section entituled Kneeling not practised in the ancient Church PP THE two former breaches are sufficient of themselues howbeit kneeling were otherwise warranâ—ed by the practise of the Church c. ANS I am assured if kneeling be warranted by practise of the ancient Church no good Christian will thinke for the friuolous reasons adduced by you that they committed any of these breaches But you labour to proue that the ancient Church did not practise it for yee say that when the Arrians denyed Christs true diuinitie the Orthodoxe Church who acknowledged his diuinitie kneeled not in the act of receiuing which had beene expedient if the same had beene lawfull vnto which I answere That there be many things expedient to be done which notwithstanding are not done nor ought to be done not because they are vnlawfull in themselues but for some other respect as some custome receiued or some order formerly established which vpon euery apparant expedience is not to be altered for example It was expedient because of the same heresie to haue kneeled at all times when publike prayers were offered to Christ or to the Father in his name yet on the Lords day which was the most solemne time of worship the ancient Church kneeled not at publike prayer not because it was vnlawfull in it selfe to haue kneeled but because there was an order receiued in the Church that on the Lords day the people should stand and not kneele Next when yee say that the ancient Church did not kneele at the receiuing of the Sacrament and will prooue it by this that it was the custome of the Church to stand in the time of publike prayer all the Lords dayes in the yeere and on euery day from Easter to Pentecost because of the ioyfull memory of Christs resurrection for say yee this Sacrament being a matter of great ioy far lesse would they kâ—eele at the celebration of it To this I answere That if the order of the Church could haue permittâ—d kneeâ—ing the nature of the action although 〈◊〉 bee a matter of great ioy would haue sorted â—ell enough with this humble gesture In the 17. of Genâ—â— 16. God promised to Abraham that hee would â—â—esse Sarah and giue him a sonne by her and make her the mother of many Nations and Kings to come of her the Text saith in the next verse that Abraham fell vpon his face and laughed Here yee see a matter of great ioy which made Abraham to laugh ioyned with a gesture of greater humilitie then bowing of the knee is The bowing of the body and the knee is not as your Master of table gesture and ye here affirme the gesture onely of an humble Penitentiar but it is the gesture also of these that giue thanks So the Leper gaue thanks Luke 17.16 And of these who ioyfully sing prayses to God Psalm 1â—8 vers 2. And of these who pray as our Sauiour Luk. 22.41 who kneeled and prayed though â—e was no Penitentiar And of these who offered their gifts to God Mich. 6.6 And of these with whom God talked either immediately as he did with Abraham Gen. 17.3 or mediately as by Mayses to the people of Israeâ— Exod. 12.27 And of these that were astonished at the works of God or his Word 1. King 18.39 1. Cor. 14.25 To be short if Abraham when he did onely receiue the promise of the blessed seede fell on his face Gen 17.17 how much more ought the faithfull bow their knees when they receiue the performance of this promise euen the blessed Seede himselfe from the hand of God in this spirituall Banquer So it is not the nature of the action that will enforce the gesture of standing to haue been vsed in the Sacrament rather then at prayer but the custome and order of the Church only which if ye were able to produce as well for standing at the Sacrament as at praying on the Lords day your argument were strong but that yee shall neuer doe except ye grant according to the truth that the Sacrament is an act of reall adoration In that case Tertullians testimony which you cite would aduance your cause mightily who sayes De geniculis adorare nefas ducimus Two or three testimonies of Eusebius Chrysostome and Tertullian for standing on the Lords day at the Table or Altar when the Sacrament was receiued will not proue a constant and vniuersall practise of that gesture Neyther is the example of the Abissines and Muscouites who stand to this day able to counterpoyse the practise of the vniuersall Church for the space of foure or fiue hundred yeeres preceding their dayes wherein they kneeled at the receiuing Nor are you able to prooue that the gesture of kneeling was brought into the Church by the error of Transsubstantiation as ye confidently affirme in the last line of this Section For Honorius as wee sayd before did not decree kneeling to bee vsed at the receiuing of the Sacrament but at the eleuation and circumgestation which was a superstitious and
idolatrous worshippe inuented by man And it is euident at the time when that Decree was made the people were accustomed to kneele at the receiuing and if it had not beene the custome there is no question but the same would haue beene straitly enioyned by the same Decree But it is playne that before that time as euer since this gesture is continued in the Church for as Saint Augustine vpon the 98. Psalme testifies No man doeth worthily receiue but hee that adores And in the same places hee saith Non peccatur adorando carnem Christi sed peccatur non adorando that is Wee sinne not in adoring Christs body in the Sacrament but we sinne if wee adore it not And Chrysostome in one of his Homilies hath these words Ergo adora communica that is Adore then and communicate but vnto these and the rest of the testimonies yee answere That it followeth not because they adored that therefore they kneeled because say yee their testimonies make mention of adoration not of the Sacrament but of Christ in the Sacrament and wee say the same that at the Sacrament Christ only is to be adored and not the sacramentall Elements which are the signes So in this wee agree but because that maketh nothing against kneeling yee subioyne that their testimonies are to bee vnderstood of spirituall and internall adoration and to confirme it yee quote in the Margine D. Fulke vpon the first to the Cor. 11. Sect. 18. But let the Reader peruse the place he shall finde nothing in it against the gesture of kneeling or any other religious signe of adoration onely hee saith that adoration mentioned by the Fathers is to be vnderstood of the spirituall adoration of Christ and not of the externall adoration of the Sacrament And if hee had meant otherwise Chrysostomes words in the 24. Homilie vpon the first to the Corinths Cap. 10. cited by himselfe would haue controlled his saying Hoc corpus etiam iacens in praesepi reuâ—riti sunt Magi c. that is to say The wisemen did reuerence to this body he meanes the body of Christ lying in the Manger and these wicked and barbarous men leauing their houses and Countrey hauing finished a long iourney and comming to the place they adored with great feare and trembling Let vs therefore sayeth hee that are Citizens of heauen imitate these Barbarians Thus farre Chrysostome Now to imitate them is not to come with inward reuerence onely but to shew it also in outward gesture for of them the Scripture saith That falling downe they adored CHRIST And it is manifest by the words following that Chrysostome meanes not of the inward adoration onely but also of the outward Non solum hoc ipsum corpus vides sicut illi c. Thou doest not onely see the same body as they did but thou knowest both his power and dispensation and thou aâ—t ignorant of no thing done by him as being exactly and accurately imitated in all mysteries Let vs therefore stirre vp our selues with feare Et longe maiorem quà m illi Barbari ostendamus reuerentiam that is Let vs shew foorth much more reuerence then these Barbarians The word Ostendamus manifestly shewes that Chrysostome exhorteth his people not to the inward adoration of Christ onely at the Sacrament but to the externall also The practise of all Churches since the dayes of Christ confirmeth the same for there was neuer any Church wherein the Sacrament was receiued without some externall signe and gesture of adoration To stand before the Lord in a solemne act of diuine worshippe is a gesture of adoration and as yee obserued before out of Drusius in the 51. Page of this Pamphlet standing is taken for prayer because it was the vsuall gesture at prayer The discouering of the head in our Chuâ—ch is an externall signe of adoration otherwise our people who are wont to sitte at the reading of the Word singing of Psalmes and publike prayers did vse no externall signe at all And as in these actions the discouering of the head is a signe of adoration so is it in the receiuing of the Communion and was so euen when wee did sit at the receiuing for the reuerence of the bare head was not giuen at that time to the externall Minister nor to the externall Elements but to 〈…〉 PP The proofes already made for standing vpon the Lords day for 1000 yeeres in the Church doe euince that geniculation had no place in the act of receiuing all that time It hath therefore followed vpon bodily presence and transsubstantiation ANS Your proofes haue euinced nothing except yee grant that to receiue the Sacrament is an act of adoration for all the testimonies ye bring runne that way And at most yee haue onely proued that on the Lords day they stood at the Sacrament whereupon if yee conclude that geniculation had no place yee must vpon the same ground that sitting had no place yea it sâ—all euince that sitting had no place in the Church vnto the yeere 1560. at which time it was receiued in our Church for after these 1000. yeeres wherein yee proue that standing was vsed kneeling succeeded and hath continued euer since in the Church vntill the time of reformation So sitting was neuer in vse by your owne argument As to the gesture vsed by our Sauiour at the Paschall Supper which yee affirme was continued at the institution of the Sacrament it was not sitting at a Table vpon fourmes or chaires but lying and leaning vpon beds and it is vncertain as I shewed before whether that gesture was continued or not and albeit it had beene continued there was neuer Church or Diuine that thought it exemplary for if they had done they would neuer haue vsed standing or passing or kneeling in stead of it If we might bee bold to coniecture with what gesture the Apostles receiued the Sacrament as yee are bold to affirme that they sate or what gesture Christ would haue vs to obserue it were doubtlesse surest to thinke that the Apostles receiued with that same gesture which they vsed at the thanksgiuing and blessing wherewith the Institution begins and therefore that the gesture which the Church thinketh most meet to be vsed at the thankesgiuing is the gesture fittest for the people to receiue because the action it selfe is a reall thankesgiuing and should haue conioyned with it the thankesgiuing and blessing wherewith the action beginnes in the minde and affection of the receiuers and because euer since the first Institution wee finde the Church to haue vsed the same gesture at the receiuing that they vsed at the thankesgiuing and prayer For when for the space of a thousand yeeres they stood and prayed as you your selfe affirme and so doth your namelesse Master of table gesture then they stood and receiued the Sacrament and after that when on the Lords day the Church began in stead of standing to vse kneeling at prayer they began also to receiue the Sacrament kneeling
which forme of receiuing hath continued to our times But to returne againe to your argument where yee say that the proofes made for standing doe euince that for the space of a thousand yeeres kneeling had no place I will let you see how futile your argument iâ— The Church stood on the Lords day at the Sacrament for the space of a thousand yeeres Ergo say yee they kneeled not for the space of a thousand yeeres May you not by the very same reason conclude The Church laboured not nor fasted on the Lords day for the space of a thousand yeeres Ergo they neither fasted nor laboured at alâ— for the space of a thousand yeeres If during all that time the Sacrament had been onely celebrated on the Lords day your argument were probabâ—e but seeing the Sacrament as S. Augustine writes was giuen euery day and to giue it on the first fourth and sixt dayes of the weeke was held to bee an Apostolike constitution Therefore as on the rest of the weeke dayes except the Lords day they prayed fâ—xis in terram genibus with their knees close to the ground so with that same gesture they receiued the Sacrament for the Church did euer receiue with the same gesture which they vsed in prayer as I haue proued by induction The Apostles receiued with the same gesture which they vsed at the thankesgiuing This yee cannot denie except yee ouerthrow all the grounds that yee laid for the example and precept of Christ to bee obserued The Church on the Lords day hath euer vsed to stand at the Sacrament when they stood at prayer and if you can produce one instance to the contrarie I shall pray you doe it or if not suffer mee to conclude against you that as on the Lords day when they stood and prayed they also stood and receiued so at that same time on the weeke dayes when they kneeled and prayed they kneeled and receiued and this is proued by all these testimonies of the Ancients wherein the people are exhorted to humble themselues externally at the Sacrament as by the mâ—st cleare testimony of Chrysostom I cited before Hereby it is manifest that the gesture of kneeling followed not the errour of Transsubstantiation but was receiued and retained in the Church on the Lords day at publike prayer and receiuing of the Sacrament as it had been vsed before on the weeke-dayes at these religious exercises Thus following your owne foot-steps and building on your owne grounds kneeling is proued to haue been in vse in all ages and with your owne hands yee haue thrust sitting to the doore for the space of 1560. yeares An answere to the last Section entituled Kneeling not practised in the Reformed Churches PP THe Lutheran Churches do acknowledge reall presence by way of Consubstantiation it is no wonder therefore that they approue kneeling The Reformed Churches as they damned bodily presence so haue they reiected the gesture of kneeling in the act of receiuing The Church of Bohemia hath retained this gesture since the dayes of Iohn Husse In their Confession exhibited to King Ferdinand anno 1535. it is thus said Ministri verò Dominicae coenae verba referentes plebem ipsam ad hanc fidem hortantur vt corporis Christi praesentiam adessâ— credant The Ministers are willed to stirre vp the people to beleeue that the bodie of Christ is present the purer sort amongst them as they haue reiected the errour of reall presence so depart they from this gesture In our neghbour Church some of their defenders of kneeling will not haue vs inquisitiue of the maner of Christs presence in the Sacrament And the Bishop of Rochester commends the simplicity of the Ancients which disputed not whether Christ was present con sub in or trans in this Supper Sutton in his Appendix to his Meditations on the Lords Supper condemnes likewise this diligent search of the maner of Christs presence If the maner of Christs presence be not determined there can arise no other but a confused worship of such a confused and determinate presence The Papists acknowledge that there ought to be no adoration but where there is acknowledged a bodily presence in the Sacrament Hence it is that they proue mutually the one by the other It will not follow that we may change sitting into kneeling because the ancient Church and some Reformed Churches haue changed sitting into standing because kneeling maketh so many breaches both in the Institution and in the second Commandement and is no wayes a table gesture By standing we accommodate our selues to a table to participate of the dainties set thereon standing was neuer abused to idolatrie as kneeling hath been we are not bound to imitate other Churches further then they imitate Christ. Our sitting is not Scottish Geneuating but a commendable imitation of the Apostolicall Churches and obedience to Christs Institution They flee vp at last to the Church Triumphant and alledge for kneeling the foure and twenty Elders falling downe before the Lambe but how conclude they this that they that are called to the Supper of the Lamb kneele at the Supper of the Lamb And seeing the blessed soules shall not be clothed with their bodies before the Resurrection how can they conclude materiall geniculation of the blessed Saints in heauen All creatures in heauen in earth or vnder the earth are said to bow their knee at the name of Iesus that is to acknowledge his Soueraigne authority howbeit the celestial Angels blessed soules and infernall spirits haue not knees to bow with The euerlasting felicity of the children of God is the Supper of glory Doe they drinke continually of that felicity vpon their knees Thousands thousands stand before him many shall come from the East and from the West and sitte at the heauenly Table with Abraham Isaack and Iacob may we not then conclude sitting and standing as well as they do kneeling if we looke to the letter of parables visions allegories and prophecies but symbolicall theologie is not argumentatiue Lastly how will they prooue euidently that the falling of the foure and twenty Elders before the Lambe is to bee interpreted of the Church Triumphant rather then of the Church Militant ANS To proue that kneeling is not practised in the Reformed Churches yee cut off in the beginning from their number the Lutherans because they acknowledge the Reall presence by way of Consubstantiation This I grant is an error yet is it not directly fundamentall They abhorre as we doe the Bread-worship and they worship Christ in the Sacrament as we should do their errour is onely in the manner of his presence which errour should not debarre them from the Communion of the Reformed Churches with them yee reckon the Church of Bohemia because in their Confession exhibited to King Ferdinand anno 1535. they say Ministri verò coenae Dominicae c. Let the Ministers when they rehearse the words of the Lords Supper exhort the people to this faith that they may beleeue
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
the Festiuall dayes as the Lords Day PP It is lest free to teach any part of Gods Word on the Lords day but for solemnitie of the festiuall solemne Texts must bee chosen Gospels Epistles Collects Psalmes must bee framed for the particular seruice of these dayes and so the mysticall dayes of mans appointment shall not onely equall but in solemnities surpasse the morall Sabbath appointed by the Lord. ANS If by the solemnitie of the Festiuall yee vnderstand the honour done to the Day wee deny that wee are appointed to choose any Text or frame our Doctrine and Exhortations thereto but if by the solemnitie of the Festiuall yee vnderstand the coÌ„memoration of the benefits made on these daies it is true that euery Minister is ordayned to choose pertinent Texts and frame his Doctrine and Exhortations thereto But vpon this yee will neuer conclude that these dayes which yee falsly call mysticall doe not onely equall but surpasse the morall Sabbath in solemnitie for the whole solemnitie hath onely respect to the benefits which on these times are remembred and no respect at all to the Time The solemnitie not being obserued for the Time but the Time for the solemne remembrance of these benefits The Lords Day otherwise is not onely obserued for the diuine seruice that is performed thereon but the same seruice and publike worship which may bee omitted on all the sixe dayes must be performed on the Lords Day because God hath appointed it to be sanctified with these holy Exercises PP If they were instituted onely for order and policie that the people may assemble to religious exercises wherefore is there but one day appointed betwixt the Passion and the Resurrection Wherefore fortie dayes betweene the Resurrection and Ascension and ten betweene the Ascension and the Pentecost Why follow we the course of the Moone as the Iewes did in our moueable feasts making the Christian Church clothed with the Sunne to walke vnder the Moone as Bonauentura alludes Wherefore is there not a certayne day of the Moneth kept for Easter aswell as for the Natiuitie Does not Bellarmine giue this reason out of Augustine that the day of Natiuitie is celebrated onely for memorie the other both for memorie and for Sacraments ANS Saint Augustines opinion alleadged by Bellarmine is not receiued by the reformed Churches as the reason moouing them to obserue these times for they expresly deny that they keepe these times for any mysterie or Sacrament that is in them but onely for order and policie which directeth all things to bee done to edification and allowes vs to make choyce of such circumstances as are most meet to promoue the spirituall businesse whereunto they are applyed And this is a kinde of Christian prudence and dexteritie for who knowes not what moment there is in the opportunity of Times and Places to aduance actions Now because no times can be found more conuenient for a solemne commemoration of the Birth Passion c. then these which are either he same indeed by reuolution or in coÌ„mon estimation they follow in this the iudgement of the primitiue Church esteeming it pietie to prefer vnitie with the Catholike church in things indifferent and lawfull to the singularitie of any priuate mans opinion or the practice of any particular Church The allegation of Bonauentura his allusion in such a graue point is ridiculous for if the Sunne and the Moone bee taken mystically as they are in the Reuelation in this case the Church clothed with the Sunne that is with the light of the Gospell walkes not vnder the Moone that is according to the opinions and fashions of the world but treading these vnder foote followes the rules of order and decency for edification If by the Sunne and Moone these two Planets be vnderstood which God created for signes seasons dayes and yeares So long as the Church is militant on earth shee must vse the benefiâ— of these Creatures in the determâ—nation of times for all her actions PP If the Anniuersary commemorations were like the weekely preachings Why is the Husband-man forced to leaue his plough at the one and not at the other Why did not Master Galloway curse the people for absence from the one aswell as from the other ANS I answere Although the circumstance of Time whereon the Anniuersary commemoration is made differs not in holinesse or any mysticke signification from the weekly dayes of preaching yet it differres in frequency and raritie for the dayes of weekely preaching doe returne and to astrict the Husband-man to leaue his plough so often were against equitie and charitie but the times of these commemorations being so rare to wit three seruile dayes onely in the yeare and the exercise so profitable Reason would if the Husband-man willingly did not leaue his plough at these times that by authoritie he should be forced aswell for his owne benefit as for eschuing scandall and contempt And Master Galloway had reason to curse these who for contempt and with offence of their Brethren absented themselues from the Sermons of Christs Natiuitie Lastly the difference of the seruice on these dayes from the weekely and ordinary makes them not to differ in holinesse or mysterie from the weekely dayes more then the difference in seruice which is performed on the fift of August and fift of Nouember makes these two dayes to bee mysticke or more holy then other times PP To make solemne commemoration of Christs Natiuitie vpon any other day then vpon the putatiue day of his Natiuitie would be thought a great absurditie ANS If yee haue not fallen into this absurditie yee must grant that yee neuer made in your time any solemne commemoration of Christs Natiuitie And I verily beleeue that in this omission yee haue many companions by whose negligence God hath beene defrauded of the honour due to him for this benefit and the people lacked instruction in a principall Article of Faith This Article is the ground of all the rest for as Chrysostome sayes If our Sauiour had not beene borne he had neither suffered nor risen againe from the dead and thereupon he calls the day of this commemoration Metropolim omnium Festorum Euen for this it was expedient that a certayne time of the yeare should haue beene appointed for this commemoration which otherwise would haue been neglected and as yee say thought absurd But to returne to your Argument The commemoration of Christs Natiuity is no more astricted to the 25. of December then to any other time for although the 25. of December by ordinance of the Church bee dedicated to that religious seruice yet the seruice is not astricted to the time as the seruice of the Iewish festiuities which lawfully might not be performed on any other dayes then the festiuall The commemoration appointed by our Church to bee made on these fiue dayes may lawfully be performed at other conuenient times although on these dayes the same must not bee omitted For the seruice ar I
ceremoniall for then ciuill and naturall and all kinde of dayes should be ceremoniall but it was the mysticall signification which they had and the ceremoniall worship appropriated vnto them That the Apostle forbiddeth the obseruation of these dayes and not simpliciter of dayes is manifest both by that which goeth before vers 9. and that which followeth vers 21. The dayes whereof hee speakes were Elements of the Law from the which that we might be deliuered Christ was made vnder the Lawe And the obseruation of these dayes was a remayning still vnder the seruile yoake of the Law But there was neuer man before you that did thinke the obseruation prohibited for any naturall respect such as the yeerely weekely or monethly reuolution is but onely for some legall consideration or some heathenish superstition And seeing for these respects onely the religious obseruation of dayes is discharged it is a caption ab accidenti to conclude that the obseruation of anniuersarie dayes is forbidden I answer to the third that to esteeme one day holier then another for any inherent holinesse they haue by nature is superstitious and to esteeme one day holier then another for any sacramentall holinesse that they haue by diuine institution is Iudaicall but for the vse whereunto the day is applied as a meete and commodious circumstance so to esteeme it is no more superstitious and Iudaicall then to esteeme a Temple holier then a priuate house and the instruments vessels and clothes that are vsed in the ministration of Sacraments more holy then other common instruments and vessels These we call holy onely by reason of their separation from a common vse to a religious So this argument is a caption ab homonymia I answer to the fourth That one thing is properly said to be substitute to another when it is applied to the same vse Our Pasche and Pentecost are neyther applied to be memorials of the deliuerance out of Aegypt nor testimonies of our thankfulnesse for the First-fruits of the earth nor to be shaddowes of our spirituall deliuerie to come and of the First-fruits of the Holy Ghost neyther doe wee offer the Passeouer nor the First-fruits nor any legall sacrifice and so in no respect are they substitute to these times but they are dedicated to the commemoration of Christs resurrection and the comming downe of the Holy Ghost not as mysticall and sacramentall ceremonies and a part of the diuine worshippe which the Papists esteeme them to be but as they are fit and meete circumstancess onely for these holy exercises To the fift and last argument I answer That the anniuersarie dayes of the Iewes are abolished in euerie respect for which by them they were obserued and so are the weekely and monethly daies but as the weekly and monthly course was not the respect for which the Sabbath and New-moons are abolished no more is the anniuersarie reuolution of the feasts the respect wherefore they were abrogate but because they were shaddowes of things to come and remembrances of temporall benefits as of their deliuerie out of Aegypt which was also typicall And because they had a legall worship appropriated vnto them which was likewise ceremoniall Now to conclude vpon this that the obseruation of anniuersarie dayes vnder the Gospell is abolished is a caption à non causa pro causa For the anniuersarie daies kept vnder the Gospell are not obserued as any part of diuine worship or as shaddowes of things to come or as memoriall signes and Sacraments of by-past temporall and typicall benefits but they are obserued as commodious circumstances for the worship appointed to be done on them to wit the commemoration of the inestimable benefits of our redemption which are not temporall and peculiar to any People or Nation such as the deliuerance of the Iewes out of Aegypt and their dwelling in Tents remembred by their Pasche and their Feast of Tabernacles but eternall and common to all Nations and People Neither is the worship performed on them legall and ceremoniall but euangelicall and spirituall Thus the obseruation is wholly different The time is appointed to be obserued not as a shadow but as a circumstance onely the wâ—rship is not the sacrificing of beasts or oblation of First-fruits but the Preaching of Christ who is the body the veritie the yea and amen and end of the Lawe and the Oblation of prayers thankesgiuing and praises in his name to the Father and the benefits which are remembred are not temporall and typicall but eternall and spirituall PP The prerogatiue belonging to God in the Old Testament was transferred to Christ God and Man the Law-giuer in the New-Testament one that was faithfull in all the house of God But so it is that Christ neither by his owne commandement nor by direction of his Spirit inspiring the Apostles instituted any other day but the Lords Day c. ANS The Theologie of your Preface or Proposition I vnderstand not I learne in the Scripture that the Prerogatiue of the Father is communicated with the Son and that all power in heauen and in earth is giuen to our Lord Iesus Christ. But I neuer read that God hath made any translation and denuded himselfe of any prerogatiue in the New Testament that belonged to him before in the olde That which ye subioyne that Christ and his Spirit hath instituted no other day but the Lords Day we freely graunt for if it were euident that the fiue dayes had beene instituted by Christ then we behoued to obserue and esteeme them as necessary parts of Gods worship and not circumstances determined by the Church to the worship of God for order and policie which we hold with our best Diuines And therefore wee say in the verie first wordes of our Act Wee abhorre the superstitious obseruation of Festiuall dayes This superstitious obseruation is nothing else but an obseruation of them with opinion of necessitie that is as necessarie parts of Gods worshippe instituted by Christ. So in this wee agree yet I doe not allow of the reasons which yee vse for probation hereof Your first argument is If there had beene any other dayes dedicated to Christ the Apostle spake vnproperly and obscurely when he said Hee was rauished in the Spirit vpon the Lords Day For if there had beene a day for his Natiuitie and another for his Passion he should haue said that he was rauished in the Spirit vpon one of the Lords Dayes This argument is friuolous Although all the Festiuall dayes vnder the Law were dedicated to God and were called Sabbaths yea sometimes Sabbath Sabbathôn yet none of them is called the Sabbath of IEHOVAH or the Lords Sabbath that is reserued to the seuenth day of the Weeke and the seuenth Yeere which resembled Gods rest And although all the Synagogues were Houses dedicated to God yet the Temple is not called one of Gods Houses but the House of God euen so the Day of Christs resurrection 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the
excellencie thereof is called the Lords Day albeit other times had beene appoynted for his honour Your next Argument is false in it yee affirme That the Apostle condemnes not onely the obseruation of Iewish dayes and the Iewish obseruation of the Iewish dayes to a typicall vse for the conuerted Iewes yee say did not obserue them as shadowes of things to come for then they had denyed Christ but he condemnes the obseruation of dayes as a Pedagogicall and rudimentarie instruction not beseeming the Christian Church But howbeit the conuerted Iewes did not obserue the Iewish dayes as shadowes of things to come yet they might haue obserued them as memorialls of by-past temporall and typicall benefits and for present temporall blessings as the benefit of their deliuery out of Egypt and for the Fruits of the earth which vse was also typicall Further they did obserue them with opinion of necessitie as things instituted by God for his worship and their saluation which sort of obseruation was Legall but this proceeding from infirmitie and for want of sufficient instruction was not a denying of Christ as it had beene if the same had proceeded from pertinacy after the knowledge of the Truth receiued And this was it which the false Apostles vrged vpon the Galatians and Saint Paul condemnes in that Epistle written to them and not simply the obseruation of any day for as after shall bee made manifest euery obseruation of the Iewish dayes is not damned by the Apostle who did sometime obserue them in his owne person after a most lawfull manner Neither can the obseruation of all dayes bee a Iewish custome and rite and Pedagogicall or rudimentarie instruction but the obseruation onely of these dayes which are prescribed in the Law otherwise the Festiuities appointed by Ieroboam and the festiuall dayes kept by the Heathen should all bee Iewish Customes and Pedagogicall instructions which yee will not say I hope PP Zanchius speaks to this purpose after this manner Magis consentaneum est cum prima institutione cum scriptis Apostolicis vt vnus tantum dies in septimana sanctificetur It is more agreeable to the first institution and the writings of the Apostles that one day of the weeke onely bee sanctified ANS It is your custome I perceiue to falsifie mutilate and corrupt the Acts of Assemblies and testimonies both of the ancient and moderne Diuines Beza his testimony yee adulterated in the dispute of kneeling here yee mutilate Zanchius his testimonie and bring it directly against his owne minde He writing vpon the fourth Precept of the Law pag. 671. mooues this question An plures habere festos debeat Ecclesia Christi c. for answere to this question he setteth downe two Propositions and confirmes them at length the first whereof is this Tametsi magis consentaneum est cum prima institutione cum scriptis Apostolicis vt vnus tantum dies in septimana sanctificetur cum Scripturis tamen minime pâ—gnat si plures vno sanctificentur modò omnis absit superstitio faciant ad aedificationem that is Albeit it be more agreeable to the first institution and the Apostles writings that one day onely in the weeke be sanctified yet it is not repugnant to the Scripture if moe then one be sanctified prouiding that all superstition bee auoyded and that they serue to edification Hauing confirmed this by the testimonies of the Ancients as Euseb. de vita Constant. lib. 4. Sozom. lib. 1. cap. 8. lib. 2. cap. 19. August tom 2. Epist. 118. Epiphan Tertull. de Idololat and the practice of the reformed Churches he concludeth with these wordes Dubitari igitur non potest quin liceat Ecclesiae plures dies festos constituere sanctificare that is It may not be doubted but the Church may lawfully appoint and sanctifie moe festiuall dayes His second position makes a full answere to the question Quanquam Ecclesiae Christi liberuâ—est quos velit praeter Dominicum dies sibi sanctificandos deligere honestius tamen est laudabilius atque vtilius eos sanctificare quos etiam vetus atque Apostolica puriorque Ecclesia sanctificare solita fuit that is Howbeit the Christian Church hath libertie to make choyce of dayes to sanctifie them besides the Lords Day yet it is more honest commendable and profitable to sanctifie these which the ancient and Apostolique and most incorrupt Church hath beene in vse to keepe holy What dayes these were he shewes in the same place numbering out the dayes of the Natiuitie Passion Resurrection Ascension and Pentecost as principall dayes and after their enumeration subjoynes Atque haec sunt Festa quae sicut à veteribus sanctificabantur sic si nunc sanctificentur non solùm improbari non potest sed etiam laudabile est honestum atque vtile quemadmodum in thesi diximus that is These are the festiuals which were kept holy by the Ancients and if wee should now obserue the same not onely is it not to bee improued but also it were commendable honest and profitable as wee said in the Position Thus Zanchius is directly contrary to your opinion for where yee alleadge that the Apostle condemnes the obseruation of dayes simply Zanchius affirmes the obseruation of some dayes beside the Lords Day not to bee repugnant to Scripture as it behoued to be if the same were condemned by the Apostle for a Iewish rite and Pedagogicall instruction By this let the Reader iudge what credit yee deserue in the rest of your reports where there is no proofe but your owne affirmation PP Against this Argument it is first alleadged That the Apostle comporteth with the obseruation of dayes Rom. 14.5 6. Ans. The Apostle beares with the infirmitie of the weake Iewes who vnderstood not the fulnesse of the Christian libertie And the Ceremoniall Law was not as yet buried But the same Apostle reproues the Galatians who had attayned to this libertie and had once left off the obseruation of dayes Next the Iudaicall dayes had once that honour as to bee appointed by God himselfe but the Anniuersarie dayes appointed by men haue not the like honour ANS After yee haue vsed two Arguments to proue That there is no day of diuine institution but the Lords Day a point not controuerted amongst vs yee labour to answere fiue obiections which yee propone against your selfe and the summe of your answere to the first is this That the dayes wherewith the Apostle comported were not the anniuersarie dayes appointed by men but the Iudaicall dayes which had once that honour to bee appointed of God and therefore were to be tollerated in the weake Iewes as long as the Ceremoniall Law wherein they were commanded was not buried the obseruation whereof notwithstanding hee condemned and reproued in the Galatians Out of this answere I forme this Proposition All the dayes whereof the Apostle condemned the obseruation were Iudaicall dayes prescribed in the Ceremoniall Law tolerated by him in weake Christians and that once
resurrectio consecrauit nobis diem Dominicum dies Dominicus sacratus est declaratus Christi resurrectione inde coepit habere festiuitatem suam And in Tertullian his time it was indeed esteemed a thing vnlawfull eyther to fast or kneele vpon the Lords Day which custome was confirmed in the Councell of Nice Can. 20. When ye say that if it were appointed for remembrance of Christs Resurrection all the diuine Seruice done on the Lords Day should haue relation only to the Resurrection It is no consequent for albeit God blessed and sanctified the Iewish Sabbath because hee rested thereon there were yet other Scriptures read on their Sabbath then the storie of Creation and God his rest from it Fourthly where ye alledge that it was called the Lords Day because it was instituted by the Lord and for the Lord we will not contend about this prouiding it be not denyed that it is called the Lords Day principally because the Lord rose thereupon as Augustine and other Ancients affirme euery-where The Communion is called the Lords Supper because hee appointed it to be kept for a memoriall of his death till his comming againe The Iewish Sabbath was called the Sabbath of the Lord their God not only because it was consecrated to his worship for then the New-moones and all the other Festiuall Dayes should haue beene so named which they are not but also because it was the signe and memoriall of Gods rest that Day Therefore in the fourth Command it is expressed as the reason why the Lord did blesse and sanctifie the Sabbath He rested the seuenth Day therefore namely because hee rested on it hee blessed and hallowed it euen so is the Sonday sanctified and blessed by our Sauiour and called the Lords Day because it hath imprinted in it by his Institution a perpetuall memoriall of his Resurrection whereby hee abolished all the Sabbaticall shaddowes of the Law as first the strict and precise bodily rest by bringing in the spirituall and eternall Secondly the memoriall of their temporall deliuerance out of Egypt by bringing in the eternall and spirituall deliuery from the tyrannie of Satan the slauerie of sin and the feare of death and thirdly the signe and marke of distinction which separaâ—ed the Iew and Gentile and was a part of the partition wall in respect whereof the Iewes were called Sabbatarij all these shaddowes Christ by his Resurrection â—th abolished and by the obseruation of the Lords Day they are declared to bee abolished which the obseruation of no other day of the weeke could haue done because Christ stamped none of them with the memoriall of his Resurrection but this Day only whereupon he rose Against this ye alledge that it is not typus destinatus but communis factus that is a Type not instituted by God to be a memoriall of Christs Resurrection but a common Type fitted to resemble such a thing the contrary whereof is true For nothing can bee called a common Type but that which hath in it selfe by nature some respect or qualitie wherby it is fitted to make the resemblance of such a thing As in Marriage in the coniunction of the head and members there is a fitnesse naturall to resemble our vnion with Christ So in the Pismire there is a qualitie naturall to resemble the vertuous man and in the Lion and Horse to resemble the strong and stately but in this day by nature there is neither qualitie nor respect more then in any other to make such a resemblance Moreouer common Types are neither memorial prognosticall signes but demonstratiue only all memoriall prognosticall signes which are not naturall are signes destinate either by God or by man If ye affirme that the Lords Day was destinate by man to be a signe of Christs Resurrection then yee must grant that it was instituted by man to bee obserued in remembrance of that benefit and so it shall not be a day of Diuine but humane Institution Lastly all the times which God hath marked with some rare worke or euent and hath therefore appointed to bee obserued solemnely haue euer beene destinate by God to be memoratiue signes of these same things So the seuenth Day marked with Gods rest and therefore blessed and sanctified is a memoriall of Gods rest and is called the Sabbath of Iehouah and it is also a prognosticall signe of the rest of God to be communicated with the faithfull who resemble that rest by a corporall cessation This the Apostle witnesseth Heb. 4.9 There remaynes therefore a rest to the people of God for hee that enters into his rest hee also ceases from his owne workes as God did from his In like manner the fourteenth day of the first Moneth marked with that rare deliuerance from the destroying Angell and their escape out of Egypt and therefore appointed to be solemnly obserued to the honour of God was destinated by God to bee a memoriall of that their deliuerance and called the Passeouer of the Lord. And euen so the Lords Day being marked with that rare and incomparable benefit of the Resurrection and consecrated in the iudgement of all the Ancients to the worship of God insteed of the Iewish Sabbath is a memoriall signe of the Resurrection destinated by the Lord himselfe a demonstratiue signe of our spirituall Resurrection from sinne to newnesse of life and a prognosticall signe of our corporeall Resurrection vnto euerlasting life This Saint Augustine expresseth in the words before cited Dominicus dies Christi resurrectione sacratus aeternam non solum spiritus sed etiam corporis requiem praefigurat In end where yee conclude that the Lords Day was not appointed only for a remembrance of his Resurrection after a mysticall manner but for the remembrance of all his actions and worship in generall if your meaning bee that on the Lords Day all Christs actions may and ought to be orderly remembred as occasion requires and not his Resurrection only it is true that yee say but if your meaning bee that the sanctification of the Lords Day was not ordayned to be a memoriall of Christs Resurrection I deny your assertion preferre to your opinion the iudgement of all the Ancients Vnto that which yee subioyne that it is a superstitious wil-worship and a Iudaicall addition to Christs Institution to diuide Christs actions and appoint Anniuersary and Mysticall dayes for their remembrance I reply that it is a superstitious wil-worship indeed and a Iudaicall addition to Christs Institution so to tye all the worship of God to the Lords Day that no other day nor time may bee appointed for preaching praying or remembring any of Christs benefits seeing vnder the Gospell as Tertullian speakes De Baptismo omnis dies Domini est omnis hora omne tempus habile est baptismo that is euery day is the Lords euery houre and euery time is fit for Baptisme If for Baptisme why not for Doctrine and Prayer and Thankesgiuing and all other parts of Gods
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
but in the signification and we haue often said before that we obserue no day for signification but the Lords Day onely The rest we obserue as times meet and commodious for the worship appointed to be done on them As to Doctor Willets assertion That the Lords Day is not mysticall to vs I oppone to it Saint Augustines iudgement who calls it as yee heard before a figure and type of life eternall which is confirmed by the Apostle in the fourth to the Hebrewes But Doctor Willet I hope takes mysticall for a darke and obscure shadow of things to come such as the festiuall dayes vnder the Law were kept in remembrance not of spirituall and eternall but of temporall benefits which were shadoweâ— of spirituall and eternall benefits to come And in this sense the Lords Day is not mysticall for it is not kept in remembrance of temporall benefits which are shadowes of spirituall and eternall but in remembrance of Christs Resurrection by whom we are put in present possession of our spirituall rest and life and in hope of eternall In respect whereof as it is a memoriall signe of the Resurrection of our Sauiour so is is a demonstratiue signe of the benefit which wee enjoy of spirituall rest and prognosticall of our eternall and therefore is called a figure and type by Saint Augustine Thus taking a mysterie in a large sense for any significant signe in Religion it may be called mysticall The Sacraments of the new Testament are called mysteries by the Ancients not in the sense that the Sacraments of the old Testament were called mysteries for they were so called because they were darke and obscure shadowes of things to come but our Sacraments are the liuely Images of the things themselues by reason of the plaine and manifest Word of the Gospell annexed to them By this distinction Saint Augustine and Doctor Willet may be agreed PP It is still obiected The benefits of God ought to bee remembred specially Christs notable benefits Ans. It is one thing to remember another thing to remember with solâ—â—â—â— â—â—stiuities To remember is a morall dutie and perpetuall for we ought to keepe not onely an anniuersarie but also a weekely and daily remembrance But to celebrate an Anniuersarie solemnitie and to keepe a Sabbath of rest in remembrance it is a pedagogicall ceremonie of the Iewes c. ANS Wee thinke it sufficient to haue made that obiection once because it hath neuer yet beene answered but yee propone it often to assay if yee shall bee able to fall on some solide solution at last yet like an euill Archer the longer yee shoote yee stray the further from the marke Yee thinke an Anniuersarie remembrance may be kept but an Anniuersarie solemnitie should not bee celebrated yee hide your minde from simple people vnder a mysticall solemnitie of words but to speake that plainly which yee call the celebration of an Anniuersarie solemnitie your meaning must be if yee contradict the Act that preaching should not bee made prayers thanksgiuing and prayses should not be offered on certayne set times in the yeare in remembrance of Christs Natiuitie Passion c. If yee will haue no such exercise to bee vsed what Anniuersarie remembrance is it that yee would haue obserued Is it a priuy meditation in our Chambers whereunto neither God nor Man is priuie or some occasionall remembrance in our Lectures and Sermons as they fall out now and then Is this the thankfulnesse that wee are taught by the light of Nature and the Word of God to render for the inestimable benefits of our redemption which God hath vniuersally and publikely bestowed vpon all Oh but to keepe a Sabbath of rest in remembrance say yee is a pedagogicall ceremonie To keepe a mysticall rest such as the rest of the Sabbath was is pedagogicall but to keepe a rest for the more commodious and solemne performance of a great and diuine action such as the commemoration of Christs Birth Death c. is not pedagogicall but necessary for the commoditie and celebritie of the worship which cannot bee well and worthily performed without cessation from other seruile businesse That this is the vse of the rest commanded in his Maiesties Proclamation is manifest by the reasons set downe therein in these words That euery one may the better attend the holy exercises which are to bee kept in the Church on these times Yee are cunning to deceiue the simple with ambiguitie of words There is a rest that is ciuilly kept which is a cessation from our ordinary workes for some other ciuill employment as for marriages triumphs weapon-shewings and such like this rest is lawfull but it is not Sabbaticall There is a rest kept superstitiously as when men ceasse from their labouâ—s for some foolish feares of ill successe by reason of the time this is not called a Sabbath of rest but a superstitious rest There is a rest kept idolatrously for the honour of idols as the Baechanalia Floralia and the holy dayes proclaymed by the Israelites for honour of their golden Calfe These are damnable rests Finally there is a rest that is kept religiously and this rest is kept either for celebritie and commoditie of the religious action onely or mystically for commoditie and celebritie of the religious seruice a rest is kept in all the solemne times of fasting a rest is kept in the houres of Prayers or Preaching and other diuine Seruice And such is the rest that his Maiestie hath appointed to bee obserued The rest kept mystically was a significant rest of some thing by-past present or to come such was the rest of the Iewish Sabbath and of the Legall Festiuities and such Augustine holds and other many good Diuines our rest on the Lords Day to be from the fourth to the Hebrewes This is called a Sabbath of rest such a rest his Maiestie hath not commanded but a rest for commoditie and celebritie of the diuine Seruice only which in nothing is like to the Iewes Frontlets Phylacteries and such other Legall shadowes PP Pope Alexander the third gaue this reason wherefore the Romane Church kept not a Holy day to the Trinitie Quoniam Ecclesia Romana in vsu non habet c. Because sayes he Glorie to the Father and to the Sonne and to the holy Ghost and other such like things belonging to the praise of the Trinitie are daily vttered The Popes reason is grounded vpon this rule Whatsoeuer is intreated or remembred in the diuine seruice ordinarie ought not to haue a speciall Holy day to celebrate the memorie of the same beside the day alreadie decerned by the Lord. We assume Christs Natiuitie Death Resurrection c. are not onely the continuall meditation of a Christian in priuate but also a remembred and intreated in the ordinarie and publique seruice Euery Communion Sonday is a Passion Holy day Euery Sabbath that Christs Natiuitie is preached is a time of remembrance of his Natiuitie But to ordayne an Anniuersarie
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
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
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
of his Fathers house for Isackes sake yet the Apostle calls not Isaack but Ismael the Persecutor In his Booke intituled De Vnitate Ecclesiae against Petilian the Donatist he writeth thus Grauius persequitur filius patrem male viuendo quam pater filium castigando grauius ancilla Saram persecuta est per iniquam superbiam quà m eam Sara per debitam disciplinam grauius Dominum persequebantur propter quos dictum est Zelus domus tuae commedit me quà m ipse eos cum eorum mensas euertit eos flagello de templo expulit that is to say The sonne persecutes the father more grieuously by his wicked liuing then the father doth the sonne by inflicting due chastisement And Agar the Hand-maid did persecute Sara her mistresse more spitefully by her vndutifull pride then Sara did her by vsing due discipline And they of whom it was said The zeale of thine house hath eaten mee vp did persecute the Lord more cruelly then hee did them while as he ouerthrew their Tables and droue them out of the Temple with scourges And a little before in that same place he affirmes that they were the persecutors of themselues by the Apostles words Qui resistit potestati Dei ordinationi resistit qui autem resistunt ipsi sibi iudicium acquirunt that is He that resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God and they that resist draw punishment and iudgement vpon themselues and often repeateth this sentence Non poena sed causa facit martyrem It is not the punishment but the cause that maketh martyrdome To resist a lawfull ordinance is euill to suffer contumeliously for disobedience is worse but by disobedience and contumelious suffering to confirme People in their errours and rend the bowels of the Church our cōmon Mother is worst of all These things I shall beseech you Brethren to ponder and the Lord giue vs all in meekenesse and humilitie to trie what veritie requires and holding that fast to keepe the vnitie of the Spirit in the band of peace The God of veritie and peace knit vs together in his truth by the Spirit of his Sonne Iesus Christ our Peace AMEN Dauid Brechen To the Reader THou hast here gentle and courteous Reader a true and simple narration of the proceedings of the last generall Assembly kept at Perth opposed to the false and lying Discourse made by the Libeller against the same with an answer to his Nullities the Oath and Arguments propounded against the fiue Articles there concluded These paines are chiefly taken for thy information that thou mayest know the truth and vnderstand both the matter and manner of proceeding in the said Assembly Since that time I heare they haue put the Pamphlet in Latine and set forth other Libels full of impious and reproachfull lies against the principall men of our Church These I haue not seene and if I had I would not haue deigned them any answer For when leauing the matter they fall a rayling at the persons of men that are their betters in all respects they shew the weaknesse of their cause deserue nothing of wisemen but contempt This manner of doing is better replyed with the Pillorie then otherwise Wee know the eares of many are open to admit detractions and he liues not that is not hated by some who will readily beleeue the most false things yet Wickednesse hath not so generally preuailed in the world nor are we so vnknowne in it as wee neede any of vs to feare their defamations If thou notwithstanding doest think that such Libels require an answer I aske thee How shall it be done I know no way my selfe but eyther to vse Apologies or recriminations And this last were not difficile to doe for though the Writer goeth namelesse the Faction to whose pleasure he writes is knowne and they that sport themselues with such libels sending them from hand to hand as matters of some worth Their persons we could easily pay home and repone true things vnto them in stead of forged telling them no other matters then haue beene tried confessed and publiquely acknowledged by those that are hottest in this businesse of themselues but these are the weapons of the vulgar which we disdain to vse vltio haec Christiano homini maxime indecora As for Apologies the Wise man saith That they leaue suspitions in the Readers mind plures Sermones prouocant plurium The best Apologie against calumnies is conuitiatores factis refellere Luther Caluine Beza the great lights of the reformed Church and our owne Knox had many foule aspersions cast vpon them whilest they liued yet did they not faint in their course nor do they now heare the worse for them with posteritie Fame is not at mans disposing and if any amongst men haue power of it in nostra manu est as one speakes bene vel secus audire We therefore resting in the goodnesse of our cause and conscience will keepe silence and not vnderstand such things passing little with the Apostle to be iudged of them or of the day of man He that iudges is the Lord who will lighten things that are hidden in darkenesse and make the counsells of the hearts manifest And then shall euerie man haue praise of God To his grace I commend thee for now and euer AN ANSWER TO THE PREFACE DIRECTED TO THE READER THE PAMPHLETER THE externall worship of God and the gouernment of the Church gentle and iudicious Reader are like Hippocrates twins they are sicke together in health together they liue together they die and dwine together ANSWER The externall worship of God and the gouernement of the Church are neuer matched in Scripture as one twin with another But the gouernment whereby the order decency and puritie of the worship is preserued is sometime compared to a Wall or an Hedge wherein breaches may be made either by persecution of open enemies without or by contention of seditious brethren within and thereby the beautie of the worship defaced Thus for a time they may bee sicke and dwine together but they shall neuer die till the world be done all the enemies of God shall perish but this Kingdome shall endure for euer In this they differ from Hippocrates twins and herein standeth the consolation of the Church against her feares without and troubles within PP As long as the gouernment of the Church of Scotland stood in integritie as it was established by Lawes Ciuill and Ecclesiasticall according to Gods Word so long was the worship of God preserued in puritie ANS The gouernment of our Church established by Lawes Ciuill and Ecclesiasticall according to Gods Word standeth now praysed be God in as great integritie and the worship of God in as great puritie as euer it did Sed ructare licet cacostomacho but a windy breast must haue leaue to belch Non nostri faciunt tua quod tibi tempora sordent Sed faciunt mores Caeciliane tui PP Since the former
gouernment was altered and the insolent domination of Prelates hath entered in by vnlawfull meanes amongst vs Popish Rites and superstitious Ceremonies haue followed and are like to preuaile vniuersally ANS The former gouernment is not altered that is either corrupted or abolished as you insinuate but is perfited by accession of the ancient order which hath beene euer in the House of God since the Apostolicall times and was embraced at the reformation in Anno 1560. and continued in our Church in the persons of Superintendents and Bishops till the yeare of God 1581. after that time it was borne downe till the yeare of God 1598. then it beganne to bee restored and hath entred in amongst vs by the conclusions of generall Assemblies and Acts of Parliament which none but lawlesse Libertines will esteeme vnlawfull meanes nor the function thereby established an insolent domination but the licentious who delight in confusion and detest order The Rites and Ceremonies which haue followed shall be better cleered by the grace of God from Superstition and Popery then this Pamphlet of yourâ— from Schisme and Heresie PP They haue verified in their persons their common tenent No Ceremony no Bishop ANS The tenent is true for where there is no Ceremonie there can be no externall worship of God more then a bodie can bee without dimensions and consequently where there is no Ceremony there can be no Church no Bishop no Pastor PP The liberty granted to our Church to indict and hold generall Assemblies from yeere to yeere and oftener prore nata was the chiefe bulwarke of our Discipline this bulwarke was broken downe to the end a more patent way might be made for their exaltation ANS So long as this liberty preserued the ancient Discipline and Gouernment of the Primitiue and Reformed Church in the persons of Super-intendents and Bishops it was a good bulwarke but when it was licentiously abused to ouerthrow that which it had formerly maintayned and to stop the way whereby it might be lawfully restored againe the licentious abuse was to be restrayned and order taken that it should not impede but further the worke for the which it was appointed PP When vote in Parliament the Needle to draw in the thred of Episcopall authoritie was concluded to the great griefe of the sincerer sort many protestations were made that no alteration in Discipline or Diuine Seruice was intended ANS That the Church which hath euer represented the third Estate of the Kingdome was restored in the persons of Bishops according to the fundamentall Lawes to haue vote in Parliament could bee a griefe to none sincerely affected either to the Weale of the Countrey or Church and as protestations were made that no alteration tending to corruption either in Discipline or diuine Seruice was intended so none hath followed but such as tendeth to the confirmation and perfection of both PP Many cautions and limitations were made to bound the power of the Minister voter in Parliament ANS The limitations and cautions which were agreeable to reason and might stand with the power of the person voter in Parliament according to Law haue beene inuiolably obserued PP They were ordayned to bee countable to the generall Assemblies for the manner of their entrie and behauiour in this new Office but like Bankrupts not being able to render account they laboured that no account should bee made at all that is that there should be no ordinary generall Assembly to take account ANS No man can bee lawfully ordayned to bee countable to these of his entry and behauiour in his Office who professe themselues enemies to the Office it selfe Such were the generall Assemblies which ye call ordinary consisting for the greatest part of the sincerer sort to whose great griefe you say the power to vote in Parliament was concluded reason therefore would that to such a Iudicatory no account should haue beene rendered at all Not because they were bankrupts as you calumniously alledge but for the professed enmity and iniquity of the Iudge whereof his Maiesty hauing proofe before when the ancient Gouernment of Bishops was abolished did now prudently prouide that no generall Assembly should be conuocate without his Highnesse speciall licence lest thereby the restitution of that Gouernment intended by his Maiestie and happily begun before his Maiesties preferment to the Crowne of England might in his absence bee crossed and ouerthrowne by the which prouidence of his Maiesties wisdome that plot was preuented and your purpose disappointed Hinc illae lachrimae and this is that causeth you to rage and raile PP Some few extraordinary Assemblies haue beene conuocated of late yeares at their pleasures and for their purposes and according to their deuice constituted as they thought good wherein they procured or rather extorted with terror and authority a sort of preheminencie aboue their Brethren ANS If ye call these extraordinary Assemblies which by his Maiesties License and Authoritie were conuocated the Councell of Nice and the most famous Councels of the Church must bee counted extraordinary And in these Assemblies no preheminence was granted to Bishops but such as Bishops had euer in the Primitiue Church and such as the Super-intendents and Bishops had before in our owne reformed Church which beeing lawfull in it selfe needeth neither by authoritie to be procured nor by terror extorted from godly prudent and peaceable Brethren PP They were Lords in Parliament Councell Session Exchequer Lords of Regalities Lords of temporall Lands Presenters to Benefices Modifiers of Ministers stipends grand Commissioners in the high Commission was it wonder then if so great Commanders commanded the Assemblies constituted as is said and carued to themselues a spirituall Lorship when c. ANS The power authoritie and credit which was expedient for the time to be in the persons of some Bishops was neither imployed nor needed to be imployed to command these Assemblies which were constituted of the most graue and godly brethren of the Church who against Law and conscience would not haue beene commanded either by Prince or Prelate Neither in these Assemblies did they carue to themselues any spirituall Lordship for they acknowledge no man to haue spirituall Lordship ouer the Church but the man the Lord Iesus him they preach the Lord and themselues the Seruants of the Church for him PP When their worthy brethren were banished imprisoned confined or detayned at Court that they might the more easily effectuate their purposes ANS Their worthy brethren I may truely say were banished imprisoned confined and detayned at Court sore against their wils who wish that good brethren then had beene and now were lesse addicted to singularitie of opinion and more inclined to the peace vnity of the Church And that they would put difference betwixt indifferent things in Discipline and doctrinall points and consider that in the one we must stand for veritie and in the other for expediencie which changeth with times places and occasions That the forme of gouernment
entreated it is as cleere that in all his Discourse hee did so strictly keep himself to the purpose as there was not so much as one digression made from it And whether hee brought no Arguments for proofe or peruerted the testimonies of these learned men Let the Reader iudge by the Sermon it selfe which wee haue made here to bee inserted word for word as the same was then deliuered The Sermon preached by the Right Reuerend Father in GOD the Archbishop of Saint ANDREWES to the generall Assembly holden at PERTH the 25. of August 1618. 1. COR. 11.16 But if any man seeme to bee contentious wee haue no such custome neither the Churches of God MY Lords and Brethren the businesse for which we meete heere is knowne to you all namely to take some resolution in these Articles which we are required to admit in our Church by that power vnto which wee bee all subiect Of the indifferency of these Articles I thinke there is little or no question amongst vs The conueniencie of them for our Church is doubted of by many but not without cause They are new and vncouth such things as we haue not beene accustomed with and nouations in a Church euen in the smallest things are dangerous Etiam quae vtilitate adiuuant nouitate perturbant Saint Augustine spake it long since and wee haue tryed it to bee true this yeare past I beseech God we feele no more of it hereafter Had it beene in our power to haue disswaded or declined them most certainly wee would and if any of you thinke otherwise yee are greatly mistaken but now being brought to a necessitie I am sorry to speake more sorry to thinke of the meanes that wrought the same either of yeelding or disobeying him whom for my selfe I hold it Religion to offend I must tell you that the euill of nouations especially in matters of Rite Ceremonie is nothing so great as the euill of disobedience That which is new this day with a little vse will become familiar and old yee know the prouerbe A wonder lasts but nine nights in a Towne But how farre disobedience may goe what euills it may produce God knowes As the Apostle speakes here of Contention so I say of Disobedience we haue no such custome nor the Churches of God We leaue that to Papists and Anabaptists that carry no regard to authoritie Our Religion teaches vs to obey our Superiours in all things that are not contrarie to the Word of God So our Confession speakes which is printed in the beginning of your Psalme bookes So haue wee taught the people in former times and God forbid wee should now come in the contrarie Our case as I thinke at this time is not farre different from that of the Corinthians at the writing of this Epistle The question was amongst them of the behauiour of men and women in holy Assemblies What was most decent and beseeming men to be vncouered women to haue their heads couered or by the contrarie Saint Paul after that hee had shewed his owne minde in the matter and giuen some reasons for it as hee doth in the Verses preceding concludes now with this protestation If any man seeme to bee contentious wee haue no such custome neither the Churches of God As though hee would say I haue said so much as may content calme and moderate spirits as for contentious men I trouble not my selfe with them They will still be disputing and say what yee will they shall still finde a reply for they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 louers of Victorie not of Veritie men that seeketh not the Churches weale but their owne wills and make it their credit to bee alwayes stirring that is not my custome saith the Apostle he might speake it well for hee neuer cared for himselfe or how he was counted of so as he might be profitable to the Church and an instrument of sauing soules And as it is not my custome no more is it the custome of the Churches of God for they fauour not contention but follow the things which concerne peace wherewith one may edifie and make better another Some of the Interpreters refer these words to the question in hand and thinke that the Apostle is here opposing the custome of the Churches to these that contended for men couering their heads in publike meetings but the better sort take this to bee spoken against the studie of contention and thinke the Apostle his meaning here is onely to shew that it is not his fashion nor the fashion of the Churches of God to bee contentious for matters of such indifferency as those were of This is Caluines interpretation amongst others for he writing vpon this place after he had said that contention in a Church is of all euills the most pernicious addes by way of admonition these words Diligenter notemus locum istum ne abripi nos super vacuis disputationibus sinamus Let vs carefully obserue this place saith hee that wee suffer not our selues to bee carryed away with vnnecessary disputings Now these are vnnecessary disputings which are made De rebus non magnis of matters of light moment Vel de rebus non ambiguis that is of matters in themselues cleare and euident Atqui tales sunt importuni quidam disputatores qui artis esse putant omnia in dubium vocare Some there are that can finde probabilities against the clearest Truth and are still disputing about the lightest matters Such are very troublers and dangerous heads in a Church of whom wee should be wary Brethren to contend is not a fault if so it bee for a weightie matter but to bee contentious in a light businesse this is faultie and reprooued here by the Apostle Wee ought to contend alwayes for the Faith and that earnestly as Saint Iude teacheth not yeelding to the Aduersarie in the substance of Religion one jot There should our courage and spirituall zeale kindle it selfe but for matters of circumstance and ceremonie to make businesse and as much adoe as if some mayne point of Religion were questioned it is to iniurie the Truth of God By this meanes men are brought to misse-regard all Religion and wee that are the Preachers of the Word come to bee despised In the meane time it is not to be denyed but they are ceremonies which for the inconuenience they bring ought to be resisted and if wee bee pressed with such it is our part to expone our dislike of them in modestie and by the best wisest meanes we can vse to decline these which wee esteeme to bee hurtfull Not as our follies haue beene great in this kinde to runne before the time and seeke to amend matters by declinators and protestations whereby wee haue profited nothing onely wee haue incensed authoritie and hastened vpon our selues the same things which wee laboured to eschue Well these things cannot bee made vndone yet they should make vs wise for afterwards And now Brethren because
reputed disobedient to his Maiestie that is either make a Constitution to bind all Ministers and Professors of this reformed Church to returne to these fiue Articles which they haue vomited or else yee shall be reputed disobedient ANS What the forme of the question was hath beene shewed in the Narration preceding and thereby is your malice discouered which yee haue need to vomit or it may be shortly this poyson consume your selfe Behold in what reuerence this man hath the religious Rites and Customes of other reformed Churches Thou art a very Satan the Lord rebuke thee PP As the Acts which are to passe in voting should be distinguished in number cleare in order particularly expressed from point to point because they should contayne directions of certayne actions to be performed c. so the matters offered to voting should be distinctly clearly and particularly proponed Neuerthelesse in this Assembly all was shut vp in a confused caption A multis interrogatis and voted at once voting in one Session Iustly therefore may these Conclusions be called Leges Saturae ANS In Saint Andrewes aswell as Perth the Acts were distinguished clearly and orderly set downe to the vnderstanding of all they were also seuerally reasoned and discussed The number order and meaning of euery Act made known Why they were voted in Cumulo hath beene shewed in the Narration and they of your minde had therein the aduantage for whosoeuer refused any one of them their voyce was counted negatiue and none taken to be affirmatiue but these who consented to them all PP In all free Assemblies such order is obserued in calling the names of the Voters that no publike preiudice be committed Neuerthelesse in this Assembly neither the accustomed order of Prouinces nor Presbyteries was obserued but such were called on first as were knowne to be affirmatiue Voters to discourage and disperse the negatiues ANS The calling of the Roll depends vpon the writing of the Clerke or the pleasure of him that presides in the Assembly and there is no Constitution in our Church for this vpon the breach whereof yee may inferre your nullitie PP Leo sayes Epist. 25. That some that came to the Councell of Ephesus were reiected and others were brought in who at the pleasure of Dioscorus were brought to yeeld captiue hands to their impious subscriptions for they knew it would be preiudiciall to their estate vnlesse they did such things as were injoyned them it is crimen falsi in gathering of votes either to passe by them who haue place and power to vote or to admit such as are not lawfully authorized Neuerthelesse in this Assembly not onely were some past by who were knowne resolued to vote negatiue but diuers others also disposed to vote affirmatiue were admitted or rather brought in without commission ANS In the Narration preceding this is answered PP In all free and lawfull Assemblies not onely Ministers but all others of whatsoeuer ranke ought to be authorized with commission or else they haue not the power of voting Neuerthelesse in this Assembly persons of all rankes not authorized with commission were admitted to vote as may be seene by the induction following ANS The Libeller giues vs a rule here which his Inductions will not make good and thinks that because it was the custome while the Presbyteriall gouernment stood in force that all Commissioners at least of the Ministrie should bee chosen by the seuerall Presbyteries it should now bee so But he must remember that sort of gouernment is changed and now they must haue place in Assemblies that are authorized by their callings to sit there aswell as by their Commissions When the Church was gouerned by Superintendents these Commissions were not knowne onely the Superintendents themselues because of their place and preheminence and such of the Ministers as they esteemed worthy to haue voyce in Assemblies came thither Now the Bishops on whom lyes the burthen of the Church affaires haue place by vertue of their callings to sit and giue voyce in Assemblies and Ministers by coÌ„mission from their Countries and Diocesses because all cannot bee present nor may the Parishes in the Country bee left destitute of their Preachers at once This was the forme of the old Synods and Councells in the primitiue Church and that first Synode of the Apostles was not otherwise held If in that or in any Councell or Synode of the purest times yee shall find Commissioners appointed to be brought yee might seeme to say somewhat But your late orders we regard not and tell you now againe that your Presbyteriall and confused gouernement is ceassed PP It hath pleased his Maiestie in former times to send but some few Commissioners in his Highnesse absence to concurre with the Assembly and to propone his Highnesse desire thereunto c. Neuerthelesse in this Assembly not only his Maiesties Commissioners but also their Assessors gaue euery one vote whereas his Maiesties selfe being present neuer claymed further then the power of one vote ANS Whatsoeuer his Maiestie in former times hath done remitting of his owne right for causes knowne to himselfe should be no preiudice to his Royall priuiledges especially amongst these that haue abused and set themselues obstinately to crosse his Royall and iust designes The practice of these famous Monarchs and Kings who were in their times nursing Fathers of the Church shewes that Princes are not tyed to any number of Commissioners but as it seemes good to them or as the businesse in hand requires so they doe Thus in the Councell of Chalcedon where Constantinus Pogonatus whom yee alleadged before for example of equitable proceeding was present and President there sate with him other thirteene Iudges and Senators whose names are there expressed And it is noted in euery Session almost they sate there ex iussione Imperatoris and had definitiue votes Thereupon yee meet often with these words Gloriosissimi edâ—ount gloriosissimi Iudices dixerunt In that famous Councell also of Chalcedon called the fourth generall there were present for Valentinian and Martian the Emperours eighteene Commissioners whereof sixe were Iudges and twelue Senators who as it is most euident through the whole Acts had the chiefe moderation of the Synode and vote definitiue therein Neither was this pluralitie of Commissioners receiued onely in generall Councells but also in Nationall as in the second Councell of Orangue Anno 529. where together with the Bishops ten Pretors and Counsellors of France sate and subscribed the Acts sent thither by the King Likewise in the eight Nationall Councell of Spaine holden in Toledo Anno 653. there late and subscribed sixteene Dukes and Earles In the twelft Nationall Councell of Toledo Anno 681. conuocate by Eringius King of Spaine together with the Bishops did sit the King himselfe and vniuersi Seniores Palatij The Ancients or Senators of the Court fifteene in number of whom in his speech to the Councell hee sayes Quos interesse huic Concilio delegit nostra sublimitas
In the thirteenth Councell of Toledo there sate and subscribed sixe and twentie Dukes and Earles In the fifteenth Councell thereof there sate and subscribed seuenteene Earles In the sixteenth there sate and subscribed sixteene Senators of whom the King sayes in his speech Quos huic Concilio nostra sereniâ—atis praeceptio vel opportuna inesse fecit occasio I might bring a large Catalogue of examples but these are sufficient to proue that which we haue in hand to wit that the number of Commissioners sent by his Maiestie iâ— warranted by the practice of all good Christian Princes in most ancient Synods yea it is certayne that Monarchs and Princes had euer these priuiledges vntill that the Popes tyrannie increasing did bereaue them of their right and exclude them from all Church assemblies And looke wee to the custome of our owne Church many Counsellours and Noble men haue had vote in Assemblies in name of his Maiestie In the Assembly holden at Edinburgh Anno 1563. Decemb. 25. besides the Superintendents Ministers and Commissioners of the Churches and Prouinces there were present nine Lords of the Counsaile Earles and Barons and because thereafter the Regent his Counsaile and Nobilitie did not assist the Assemblies so frequently as before an earnest Petition was made by the whole Assembly conuened in Edinburgh Anno 1573. March 6. to the Regent his Counsaile and Nobilitie to giue their presence and concurrence with the Church in their proceedings because such had beene the practice in Assemblies from the beginning of the reformation The truth whereof is manifest by the inscriptions set before the Acts of many assemblies wherein the Counsaile and Nobilitie are euer distinguished from Bishops Superintendents Ministers and Commissioners of Prouinces and Churches In the generall Assembly holden at Edinburgh Anno 1573. August 6. it was appointed Sess. 1. as followes Because it is vnderstood that certayne of the Nobilitie of this Realme and secret Counsaile are to repayre to this Assembly Therefore these whole Brethren ordaynes that the whole Nobilitie and Counsailors with the Commissioners of Townes Prouinces and Churches hauing power to vote shall sit within the inner barre of the Tolbuithe and all others without In the Assembly holden at Edinburgh Anno 1567. were present ten Earles and Lords of Baronies about the number of three and fiftie besides the ordinarie Commissioners of Townes and Churches Likewise in the Assemblies holden Anno 1563. Decemb. 25. Anno 1566. Iun. 25. Anno 1567. Iul. 21. Anno 1567. Decemb. 25. 1568. 1569. 1570. c. the Earles Lords and Barons are distinguished from Commissioners of Churches Prouinces and Townes And in the Assembly at Edinburgh 1563. Decemb. 25. the Lords of secret Counsaile with the whole Brethren of the Assembly appointed Master Iohn Woodlocke Superintendent of the West Moderator So as wee see the practice of our owne Church hath euer esteemed this free that his Maiestie at his pleasure or Regents in his minoritie should choose what number of Commissioners they liked PP At Edinburgh in Iuly 1568. it was ordayned that Barons should be chosen Commissioners in Synodall Assemblyes At Dundie in March 1597. after the full establishment of Presbyteries it was appointed in presence of his Maiestie that Barons should be chosen Commishioners with consent of Presbyteries and that one Baron onely should bee directed out of the bounds of a Presbyterie Neuerthelesse in this Assembly the Noble men and Barons had neither Commission according to the old act nor according to the new In the yeere of God 1568. it was ordayned that Burgesses should be chosen Commissioners by the Counsaile and Church Session of their Burge coniunctly And in the yeere 1597. that they should be chosen with consent of the Presbyterie Item that euery Burghe haue power to direct but one Commissioner except Edinburgh to whom it was permitted to direct two Neuerthelesse in this Assembly neither of the said Articles were obserued ANS The acts alleadged for choosing Commissioners of the Barons and Burghes were neuer so precisely kept in our Church as to exclude any of them that came thither without Commission from Presbyteries But such regard was euer had to Noble men and Barons of any note that if they were present they had their places with the first were allowed to giue their aduise and voyce in euery matter proponed and had thankes giuen them that vouchsafed their concurrence this is euident by all the Registers of our Assembly and so well knowne as none can deny it It grieues the Lybeller and the rest of that Sect to see the Nobles and Barons so ready at his Maiesties call and that that which sometimes serued them to good purpose in their tumultuous meetings is turned against themselues to wound them And by all good order in Church Assemblies none of the Lâ—iâ—all sort ought to haue place except they be called by the Prince his letters or assured by the Bishops to giue authoritie to the acts concluded Reade in Concilio Turracenens act 13. about the yeare 517. and Concil Tolet. where the order of Councells is set downe which order is pâ—efixed to the first Tome of the Councells yee shall finde this cleare For that which he sayes of the Commissioners of Burghes let this bee added That otherwise then by the Counsell of their owne Burghe they were neuer chosen which wee referre to the Townes themselues that know it PP At Montrosse 1600. it was statuted and ordayned that none of them who shall haue vote in Parliament in the name of the Church shall come as Commissioners to the generall Assembly nor haue any vote in the same vnlesse they be authorized with Commission from their owne Presbyteries to that effect This Act was neuer repealed no not at the pretended Assembly holden at Glasgow but by the same Assembly they stand countable to euery generall Assembly for their proceedings Howbeit the Presbyteries were spoyled of their authority in many things at the said pretended Assembly Yet of the power of election of Commissioners they were not spoyled neyther is there any other order of Election of Commissioners and Constitution of the members of the Assembly set downe by any Act of our Church then was established Anno 1597. Neuerthelesse in this Assembly they not only presented themselues without Commission but sate as Lords ouer-ruling it they had practised the Ceremonies against the established Laws before they were proponed to the Assembly they ought therefore to haue beene secluded and sharply censured but they vsurped the place both of Iudge and partie ANS This Act of MoÌ„trosse Assembly was past when these caueats were deuised to restrayne the immoderate power of Bishops in the Church and was yeelded vnto for satisfying the importunity of such as opposed to their restitution and keeping them quiet in the time but the Bishops now beeing restored by the Assemblies of the Church and by Acts of Parliament to the exercise of that lawfull power and Iurisdiction which euer they had in the Church that
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
of Religion might take thus abused by people vnto superstition this is one pregnant reason wherefore the alteration should haue beene made As to that which they speake of the credite of Pastors the same ought not to be maintained by â—ostering an errour in the hearts of people namely that the Ministers taught that which they neuer taught or at least should not haue taught As by example that the obseruation of the fiue Holy dayes to the commemoration of Christs benefits is vnlawfull This I am assured was ne-neuer done by any well aduised Preacher for it had bin a condemning of the Primitiue Church and all the Reformed Churches now in the world Likewise to haue taught that kneeling in the acte of receiuing the Sacrament is vnlawfull were to haue contradicted the best and most learned Diuines we haue Beza saith of it Speciem habet piae ac Christianae venerationis ac proinde olim potuit cum fructu vsurpari That is to say kneeling at the Sacrament hath a shew of holy and Christian worshippe and therefore of old might haue been fruitfully vsed Whereby yee see he condemneth not simply the ceremonie but witnesseth that there was a time when the same did edifie and profite Caluine before him called it Cultum legitimum that is a Lawfull adoration being vsed in the action of the Supper and directed to Christ. Petrus Martyr saith Multi piè genua flectunt adorant that is Many in receiuing the Sacrament doe bow their knees religiously and adore Christs flesh Paraeus speaking of the same gesture esteemes it an indifferent ceremonie And that which so great and learned Diuines iudged to bee lawfull what are we to condemne Next I answere That the credite of the Pastours should not be maintained with the discredit of the Prince amongst his Subiects for if they who should be patternes of reuerence and obedience to others shall in their owne persons withstand the lawfull desires godly intention 〈…〉 〈◊〉 〈…〉 wee become 〈…〉 the contrary This is an high 〈…〉 we contrauene our oath 〈…〉 â—n the contrary â—herafter 〈…〉 â—ath â—s â—uritanisme If sincere and 〈…〉 â—â—albe still â—ursued for their constanâ—◠〈◊〉 their â—rofession and the conscience they make of 〈…〉 â—oe we not expone the whole Nation to a woâ—ull â—engeance and perpetuall ignominy ANS Our assertory Oath touching the Articâ—es controâ—erted condemneth those onely in the guilt of periury who hold that policy and order in ceremonies may not be altered when necessity requireth and being altered ought not to bee obeyed And indeede it is a profound point of infernall policy not only by an exemplary practise of disobedience against the lawes of Ecclesiasticall Discipline to contrauene the Oath in your owne Person but also vnder pretext of constancy of Profession and conscience of the Oath to perswade others for feare of periury to periure themselues Whereby yee both expose your selues to the fearefull iudgement of Gods vengeance and drawe others with you to the same perdition Your sophisticke cauillations whereby yee intend seditiously to proue the vnlawfulnesse of the Articles concluded at Perth shall now bee answered and the truth cleared to the satisfaction of all men who are not contentious An answere to the arguments brought against kneeling in the act of receiuing of the holy Communion PP IT hath been the vniforme and constant order of this Church since the Reformation that the Communicants should receiue the Sacramentall elements of Bread and Wine sitting at the Table In the second head of the first booke of Discipline are set downe these words The Table of the Lord is then rightly ministred when it approacheth most neere to Christs owne action But plaine it is that at that Supper Christ Iesus sate with his Disciples and therefore we doe iudge that sitting at that Table is most conuenient to that holy aâ—tion In the generall Assembly holden in Decemb. 1562 it was ordained That one vniforme order should be obserued in the ministration of the Sacraments according to the order of Geneua And in December 1564 It was ordained That of time and confirmed by oathes and subscriptions as is euident by the former deduction It is notwithstanding expedient to descend further in opening vp the vnlawfulnesse of kneeling First as it is a breach of the Institution Secondly as it is a breach of the second Commandement Thirdly as it is without the example and practise of the ancient Church Fourthly as it disagrees from the practise of the Reformed Churches ANS After yee haue laid downe your grounds some for sitting and some against kneeling yee subioyne the tenor of the acte concluded at Perth but most corruptly as we haue noted in the margine and then yee forme this argument That which hath been established by so many lawes Ciuill and Ecclesiasticall by so long custome and prescription of time and confirmed by oathes and subscriptions we may not lawfully alter But so it is that sitting at Table in the acte of receiuing hath beene established by lawes customes long prescription of time and confirmed by oathes and subscriptions A man that had heard the proposition only would expect some great matter in the assumption belonging to some article of Faith or precept of obedience set downe in Gods Word and all resolues in an indifferent ceremonie of sitting at the Sacrament But yet to make simple people beleeue that it were some necessary or substantiall point of Religion that might not be altered ye make a great shew of lawes customes c which being examined shall vanish as smoake before the winde And where yee beginne with a strong alleageance that it was established with so many lawes Ciuill and Ecclesiasticall I aske you first by what Ciuill lawes Yee say so many yet in your deduction whereby you affirme the assumption to be euident yee cite not one law neither can yee albeit yee are not ashamed to say so many For your Ecclesiasticall lawes yee cite first the words set downe in the second head of the first booke of Discipline the Table of the Lord is then rightly ministred c. These words are not a law for that booke of Discipline was neuer receiued nor confirmed either by the Ciuill or Ecclesiasticall estate some of the Nobility subscribed it but others who had the chiefe authority as Master Knox complaines in his History reiected the same calling it Deuout imaginations Next yee cite the ordinance of the generall Assembly 1562 appointing the order of Geneua to be obserued this Act cannot establish your sitting for in Geneua they stand or passe as they Receiue and sit not at Table The last Acte which yee cite in anno 1564 ordaineth Ministers in the ministration of the Sacraments to vse the order set downe in the Psalme book In that Act there is no mention of sitting and by the order set downe in the Psalme bookes that may be meant which before was called the order of Geneua How soeuer it be there is no particular law for
is a manifest â—ause moouing him vnto that which doth not concerne 〈…〉 the Paschall Supper 〈◊〉 occasion whereof he was sitting â—efore Therefore to conclude if it bee no â—reach of â—he â—nstitution once to giue thanks and blesse â—he bread and cup at once which Christ Iesus in the Institution is said to haue done at two seuerall times it is without all reason to make that necessary which is not expressed in the Institution and call that a breach of the â—nstitution which neuer was instituted Thus hauing shewed the ground whereupon you build your exemplaâ—e actions to bee a heape of sand scraped together by your selfe without warrant of Scripture Antiquity or any moderne Writer the arguments yee bring afterwards from the sitting of Christ with some of the Disciples after his Resurrection when he was at Emmaus and the sitting of the Apostolike Church after our Sauiours Ascension are to no purpose seeing your rule failes and cannot proue the sitting of Christ and his Apostles at the Sacrament if so they sate to be exemplary more then any of the other circumstances of time place order and persons But that the Reader may see how vncertaine your testimonies and reasons are we will consider them particularly PP Christ after his Resurrection when hee was in Emmaus with some of the Disciples as he sate at meat with them tooke bread blessed it brake it and gaue it vnto them as it is said Luk. 24.30 This place is interpreted by Augustine Paulinus c. But so it is they wete sitting when Christ gaue them the bread whatsoeuer be the interpretation of the Text yee see they acknowledge sitting at the Table ANS I see not that they did acknowledge the Disciples to haue sate at Table when they receiued for as I said before there interuened betweene the taking of the bread by Christ and the receiuing of the same by the Disciples the act of thankesgiuing breaking and giuing the bread in which time the gesture of sitting might haue beene altered Thus it is not certaine that they sate at the Receiuing If yee reply it is not written that they did alter the gesture of sitting to that I answere before and it is the Papists argument against the giuing of the Cup to the Layickes it is not written say they that the Cup was giuen in this place Therefore c. Also yee know that the time of Christ his sitting heere with his Disciples at Emmaus was the night season the place a priuate Inne that the breaking and giuing of that bread was before or after another ordinary supper and that onely men were there present and not women all which points being certaine according to your first reason whereby yee â—â—tended to proue sitting to haue been instituted it will â—ollow that all these circumstances and things were instituted to be obserued as well as sitting because our Sauiour retained all these things hauing no necessity at this â—â—me to celebrate the Sacrament Thirdly I say if the â—acrament was here ministred we haue an expresse warrant for priuate Communion which yee impugne for Iesus heere ministred vnto two onely and yee will not â—â—ntent 〈◊〉 haue 〈◊〉 ministred to â—hree Lastly it is the iudgement of the learned Calume That there was no ceâ—ebration of the Sacrament at that time and that Christ was knowne to these Disciples by an ordinary prayer which he vsed in blessing of the Table and not by the celebration of the Sacrament which opinion he saith although it seeme plausible is no more then a coniecture which leanes to no probable reason Then yee see that 〈◊〉 vncertaine 〈◊〉 Christ gaue this Sacrament at Emmaus and if he did that there sitting at the Receiuing 〈◊〉 also vncertaine And therby your argument is nought and serueth only to establish priuate Communion Thus â—aue you gained nothing by this testimony but lost much PP Last of all after his Ascension and glorification in the â—eauens the Apostolike Church sate at Table The manâ—er of â—he partaking of the table of Diuels was by formaâ—â— sitting at table in the house of the Idoll Ionathan the Chaldee Paraphrast Amosâ— 8 interpreteth the garments whereon the Vsurer sate beside euery Altar to â—aue been beds prepared in the houses of their gods to sit 〈◊〉 when they feasted vpon things sacrificed to Idols The people of Israel sate downe to eate and drink at the â—dolatrous feast of the golden Calfe The Apostle compareâ—â— the partaking of the Lords Table and the table of Diuels 1. Cor. 10.21 Next they sate at the Loue feasts we cannot thinke that they rose from the Tables to receiue the Sacrament ANS To proue that the Apostolike Church sate at Table you bring the comparison that the Apostle makes betweene the partaking of the Lords Table and the table of Diuels and the partaking of the table of Diuels you say was by a formall sitting at table in the house of the Idoll for which yee alledge Ionathan the Chaldee Paraphrast vpon the eight verse of the second chapter of Amos but neither the Text nor his interpretation proues the formall sitting yee speake of for the text saith they laid themselues downe vpon clothes by euery Altar and not that they sate And the Paraphrast as Mercerus expounds him saith That those clothes were Parapetasmaâ—a that is couerings or mattes whereupon they laid themselues downe and not sate by euery Altar and not in the Idols house And for the place of the Apostle Yee cannot be partakers of the Table of the Lord and of the table of Diuels there is no materiall or artificiall table vnderstood either by the one Table or the other and by participation formall sitting is not meant This is manifest by these words Yee cannot be partakers for certaine it is that they might haue sitten formally at table in the house of the Idoll and eaten of their sacrifices and might also haue sitten at the Lords Table formally and receiued the external elements But the Apostle saith That these two Tables and the participation of them are so opposed as they could not be partakers of both Therfore by the table of Diuels in that place we vnderstand the sacrifices offered to Diuels and by participation we vnderstand the eating of these sacrifices with a conscience toward the Idoll where euer it was done whether in the Idols Temple as 1. Cor. 8.10 or in the priuate houses of Idolaters as 1. Cor. 10.27.28 And by the Table of the Lord we vnderstand the body and blood of our Sauiour in the Sacrament and by the partaking of the Lords Table the spirituall eating and drinking of his flesh and bloud in the Sacrament by a true and liuely faith These two Tables and partakings could not stand together And so by the Table of the Lord the Apostle meanes not a material table at which the Communicants sate but the body of Christ in the Sacrament According to this Causabone in his Exercitations against Baronius 16.36 citing these words Non
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
conference For the ease of their bodies sitting lying or such like a gesture was necessary but our Sacrament which is wholly finished by receiuing a morsell of bread and a very little wine requires not a long time nor such an easefull gesture for the body It is vncertaine as I shewed before what kinde of gesture our Sauiour and the Apostles vsed and if they sate it was occasioned by the former Supper and no wise requisite for the Sacrament neither for ease of the body the action being quickly ended neither for conference for there was none vsed thereat neither for receiuing the dainties or the elements from the table by stretching out their hands As to the bread Scaliger saith that the custome was of the Master of the feast to breake the bread in so many peeces as the number of the feasters were and vnto euery one a peece was giuen as great as an Oliue or if yee reiect his authority whom yee formerly cited in the booke of Discipline 1560 which yee make the ground of your order it is said the bread was broken by our Sauiour and deliuered to him who sate next and that they brake and deliuered each to his neighbour Likewise that they diuided the cup amongst them after our Sauiour had giuen the same so they stretched not forth their hands to take the elements from the table and their sitting at table for these ends was needlesse To your second argument I answere the distinction of the Table from the Altar is not made by sitting but by the employments proper to them The Altar was ordained for the sanctifying of the oblations made to God the Table to hold and sustaine such things as are offered and giuen to vs according to Christs Institution The Priest stood at the Altar when he offered and the people when they praied so the Communicants in the Primitiue Church stood at the Table when they receiued the Sacrament on the Lords day and this conformity in gesture tooke not away the difference between the Altar and the Table as no more doth kneeling or any other gesture But to come to the ground whereupon yee build this reason yee say the people of God had an Altar for the Sacrifice and a table for the feast So Christians haue Christ for the Altar and the Sacrifice and a Communion Table for the Sacrament which is their feast This your comparison hath some shew but no solidity There is a correspondence I grant betweene the Iewish Altar and Christ who was the Altar that did sacrifice himselfe to be a Sacrifice for the sinnes of the world for the Iewish Altar was the type and Christ the verity But what correspondence is there betweene the tables whereon the Iewes did eate their sacrifices and the Communion Table The tables whereon they did eate their sacrifices were not holy instruments which appertained to the Tabernacle and Temple but such as they had in their owne priuate houses and therefore were not types which did eyther signifie our Communion Tables or whereunto our Communion Tables doe answere as anti-types for it is to be obserued that in Christian Religion there is nothing which hath any necessary correspondence or relation to the Legall ceremonies but that which is either the verity of some type or the antitype of some type As for example betweene Christ and the Leuitical Priest the Altar and the Sacrifice there is relation as betweene the type and the verity so betweene Circumcision and Baptisme the Passeouer and the Lords Supper there is relation as betweene the type and the antitype for our Sacraments haue succeeded these and are in their stead But as to the Table whereon the Passeouer and other sacrifices were eaten the same not being a sacred instrument or type appointed by God as hath been said there is nothing in Christian Religion answering thereto either as the verity it selfe or as an antitype succeeding thereto As therefore their tables were not necessary for eating of their sacrifices for it is certaine the Iewes were not a stricted by any diuine ordinance to sitte at Table when they did eate the Passeouer and their other Sacrifices but were only commodious receptacles deuised by themselues which they might haue altered and interchanged as they thought meet Euen so a materiall artificiall table for celebration of this Sacrament is not an instrument appointed by our Sauiour as the Altars and Tables of Shew-bread but the same is appointed by the Church according to that power which shee hath to determine circumstances for the actions of diuine worship To the disposing of the elements some such receptacle and subiect is necessary as a table and decency requires it when and where the same may be had but it is not of such a necessary vse as the Altar vnder the Law for without an Altar a sacrifice could not be offered but without any such table the Sacrament hath often been ministred Euagrius lib. 6. hist. cap. 13. records That Gregorius Pastor of Antiochia did minister the Sacrament to the Souldiers on the grasse before the 600. yeare of our Lord at Banâ—ock burne in the dayes of King Robert Bruce the like was done to the Scottish army on the fields and so at many other times when a table commodiously could not be had Finally where yee adde That for disposing of the elements a dresser or cupboord may serue these speeches smell of profanity as if to hold and sustaine the elements were such a base employment that the instrument wheron the Church thought meet they should be placed should neither be a table nor named a table And yet all these religious Epithets which yee alledge the Fathers gaue to the Communion as when they called it the Lords Table the heauenly Table the sacred Table c. were giuen to it not because the Communicants did sitte thereat or for any other gesture of body vsed by them but because the Lords body the bread of heauen the sacred mysticall and spirituall food of our soules were presented thereon in the holy Sacrament Causabone Exercit. 16.36 saith That by these appellations the Eucharist it selfe was vnderstood But heere it is manifest that the Epithets interiected in your discourse are not only impertinent but repugnant to the opinion yee hold For when yee aske why is it called a table if men sit not at it they answer you Because vpon that table the heauenly sacred and spirituall mysteries are set In respect thereof it is called a heauenly spirituall sacred and mysticall table In the dayes of Chrysostome and Theodoret by whom these Epithets were most frequently giuen to the Sacrament there was not a table in the Churches at which men did sitte but one onely on which the elements were placed and consecrate but yee neuer fall vpon the name of a Table sooner then yee imagine it was appointed for sitting And what then thinke yee of the Table of Shew-bread at which no man did sit Shall it not be called a Table
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
the Congregation of Israel and spread forth his hands For SALOMON had made a brasen scaffold of fiue cubits long and fiue cubits broad and three cubits high and set it in the middest of the court and vpon it hee stood and he kneeled downe vpon his knees before all the Congregation of Israel and spread forth his hands towards heauen and said c. Likewise it is manifest by the Prophet Micha 6.6 That the people bowed when they offered their Oblation Wherewith shall I come before the Lord and bow my selfe before the most high God Heere we haue Salomon kneeling before the Altar and the people kneeling when they offered their oblations Where you say that the Arke and Cherubins were not seene towards which they bowed 〈◊〉 makes nothing for your purpose for the Temple was seene and the Mountaine was seene towards the which they also bowed So was the Altar and the Oblations Therefore this is but a dreame that you haue fancied to your selfe to say it is idolatry to bow our knees to God before his creatures or holy mysteries if so we vse them only as meanes and instruments and memorials to stirre vs vp to worship God PP The Sacramentall Elements haue neither the like presence the like promise nor the like commandement ANS If yee doe maintaine this it is an absurde heresie for the holy Sacrament hath farre more euidence and excellent promises presence and command then any type vnder the Law Our Sauiour before his Ascension when he commanded his Apostles to teach and baptise promised that whilest they taught his people that which hee commanded them He would be with them to the end of the world Amongst the obseruations which hee commanded them to teach this is one of the first and principall Doe this in remembrance of mee Is not Christ present then with Pastor and people according to his promise in this holy action And in another place he saith Where two or three are mette together in my name there am I in the middest of them Where so many Communicants are met together is not our Sauiour in the middest of them Further when he saith of the bread This is my Body and of the Cup This is my Blood doth it not import a coniunction betweene his Body and the Elements and a spirituall presence of his Body in the Sacrament And should not his body and blood be as present to the eyes of thy minde thy knowledge and vnderstanding and to the hand of thy heart thy faith and confidence as are the Elements to thy externall senses and bodily hand Haue we not taught our people to this day and yet should teach them that in this action there is an internall and externall receiuer the hand and the heart that there is an earthly and spiritual gift the Elements of the Sacrament and the body and blood of Christ And should we not beleeue that Christ God and Man is as really present in the Sacrament according to his Diuinity as we beleeue him to bee bodily present in heauen giuing and applying the selfe-same bodie which is in heauen as really to the inward man as the Pastor is giuing the Elements to the outward How dare you then affirme that the Sacrament hath not such a presence of Chrst as the Arke the Propitiatory and the Cherubins had O but he said that he would dwell betweene the Cherubins That dwelling was typicall but Christ hath promised to dwel spiritually and really in the hearts of the worthy receiuers The bread which we breake is it not the communion of the body of Christ The cup which we blesse is it not the communion of the blood of Christ And saith he not of this communion Hee that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood remaineth in me and I in him God called the Arke his foot-stoole but Christ calleth the sacramentall Elements his body and blood Sometime hee called the Arke his face and glory because it was a type of his face and glory but the Sacrament is not a bare type but a powerfull instrument whereby Christ is communicate vnto vs that wee may bee made partakers heere of his grace and hereafter of his glory Finally when we are commanded to doe this in remembrance of him we are commanded to adore him for according to the interpretation made in the Confession of Faith confirmed by act of Parliament which yee professe your selfe to haue sworne To doe this in remembrance of Christ is to magnifie declare extoll and praise his death till his comming againe And this is a reall act of adoration PP Worship is tyed no longer to any certaine thing or or place on earth ANS That is true yet worship stands in certaine actions which must bee performed in some conuenient place as Prayers Supplications Intercessions Thankesging and Praises whersoeuer these actions are performed in these places God must bee worshipped and if the blessed Sacrament bee an action of that kinde in it God must bee worshipped and in the place where it is celebrated PP Adoration is tyed in the new Testament to the Manhood of Christ the true Arke and Propitiatory and is carried to that place in which wee certainly know the said Manhood to exist substantially saith Perkins and therefore it is that wee lift vp our eyes to the heauens where hee is and direct our very externall worship to him ANS We doe fully agree with Perkins in all this for wee neither direct our internall nor externall adoration to the sacramentall Elements nor to the place where they are but to the Manhood of Iesus which wee acknowledge and beleeue to be locally only in heauen Therfore in the ancient Church when the people came to the Sacrament the Deacon cried Sursum corda Lift vp your hearts and the people answered Habemus ad Dominum Wee haue our hearts lifted vp to the Lord. But what is this to the purpose in hand For the question is not in whom God should bee worshipped or in what place Christs Manhood is wherin God should be worshipped but the question is whether at the Sacrament in the act of receiuing the sacramentall Elements externally and the body and blood of Iesus Christ internally we may bow our knees and lift vp our hearts and adore that Manhood by reason of the personall vnion that it hath with the Godhead and the Godhead dwelling in the Manhood corporally This is the only true relatiue worship acceptable to God in the Humanitie to worship the Diuinitie and the Humanitie with the Diuinitie in one Person the inuisible God in his owne essentiall and incarnate Image the Lord Iesus That such worship may and should bee performed in receiuing the blessed Sacrament neuer any Diuine ancient or moderne hath doubted to this day except Anabaptists and Arrians who deny Christs Diuinity and will neither adore him in the Sacrament nor any other action of Diuine worship PP It is obiected and said that we may pray in the act of receiuing Therefore
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
the Eunuch and the Centurion No man will denie but in the infancie of a Church a priuate Baptisme may be tollerated but we speake of a Church constituted c. The Lord appoynted a precise day of Circumcision which might not be preuented It was no wonder if they had not euer opportunitie of a solemne Conuention there is no precise day set downe for Baptisme c. The Church ought to be assured of the Baptisme of such as are reputed fellow-heires with them c. ANS That the Church may be assured of the Baptisme of the Childe it is ordained in the Act of Perth That the Minister shall the next Lords-day after any such priuate Baptisme declare in the Church that the Infant was so baptized and therefore ought to be receyued as one of the true Flocke of CHRISTS â—olde In a constituted Church Baptisme should not be ministred ordinarily but according to the constitutions of the Church but extraordinarie cases cannot be subiect to ordinarie constitutions more in a constituted Church then in the Infancie of it And that which is lawfull to be done in the Infancie of the Church is yet lawfull to be done in a constituted Church ratione reipraeceptae diuinae institutionis And it is vnlawfull onely ratiâ—ne ordinis in regard of the order appointed by the Church from which cases of necessitie are alwaies excepted Also that which might haue beene tolerated in the infancie of the Church for necessitie must euer be lawfull in the like case for it was not the infancie of the Church that made the toleration lawfull but the necessitie Where ye thinke that the Iewes were more strictly obliged to circumcision then Christians are to Baptisme because a certain day was appointed for it and to Baptisme there is no day prefixed in the Word Wee know by the Law that he who is not obliged at a certaine day to pay his debt may be charged to pay it at all times and therfore when God layes sicknesse on a child a charge is giuen by God instantly to the Parent to performe his duetie PP The Lords Supper ought to be publique We haue a spirituall vnion with the whole Church but because it is not possible to celebrate a sacramentall communion with the whole Church militant the Lord hath appointed vs to celebrate a sacramental coÌ„munion with some particular Church We that are many are one bread and one bodie because wee are partakers of one bread 1. Cor. 10.17 We cannot then bee one body sacrameÌ„tally except we be pertakers of one bread Other Feasts may be priuate in priuate houses but the Lords Supper ought to be publique 1. Cor. 11.12 When yee conuene to eate tarrie one for another 1. Cor. 11.33 Synaxis a word signifying as much as Synagogue was one of the names giuen of olde to this Sacrament ANS As with the whole Church Militant we haue a spirituall Communion so haue we an Euangelicall and Sacramentall Communion for as we are partakers of the same spirit so are we partakers of the same Word and Sacraments The Bread is one which all receiue and the water one wherewith all are baptised Sacramentally for they are clothed with the same sacred mysterie of signification exhibition and obsignation of saluation in Christ crucified When the Apostle sayes 1. Cor. 10.17 Because the bread is one we who are many are one body for we are all partakers of one bread he speaks not of our Communion with a particular Church onely but with the Catholike and by one bread he meanes not one bread mateâ—ially in number for one bread in number materially none but one particular person can receiue The bread which I receiue materially is not the same that thou receiuest but the Sacrament is one and the same in number To bee short wee haue no more a Sacramentall communion with these in the Parish with whom wee communicate then wee haue with the whole militant Church who are all partakers of the same Sacraments And thus as we haue a spirituall so we haue a sacramentall Communion with them It is true that our communion in the Word and Sacraments is not visible but with some particular Church and therefore as it is lesse or more publike so is it lesse or more visible yet we doe euer celebrate a Sacramentall communion with the whole Church when the action is lawfully performed The other places which yee cite 1. Cor. 11.22 Haue yee not houses to eate and drinke in and Vers. 33. When yee convene to eate tarry one for another of which yee gather that other feasts may be in priuate houses but the Lords Supper should be in publike These places I say are relatiue to the ordinarie meetings of those times which were often in priuate houses Caluine in his 363. Epistle to Oleâ—ian answers this obiection Neque verò Paulus dum Corinthios admonet domum suam cuique esse in qua comedat bibat coenam excludit à priuatis aedibus tunc neque fidelibus patebant templa nec permissum erat noua extruere sed tantùm à communibus epulis discernit spirituale mysterium ne cum illis misceatur that is When Paul admonishes the Corinthians that euery one hath his owne house wherein hee may eate and drinke he does not exclude the Lords Supper from priuate houses for in those dayes Temples were not patent to Christians neither had they libertie to build new Churches but hee discernes onely the spirituall mysterie from their common feasts and will not haue it to bee mixed with them So the mysterie was called Synaxis because it was euer celebrated in some Conuention lesse or more ordinarie or extraordinarie PP It is a badge of our publike profession it ought therefore to be publike ANS It should not onely be publike but most solemne ordinarily And in cases of necessitie when the same is ministred by an ordinarie Pastor to two or three assembled in Christs name it ceases not to be publike PP The Communion was sent to the sicke in the time or mediately after the action in Iustine Martyr his time It became afterwards to bee reserued for the vse of dying persons c. Some put the Eucharist into the mouthes of the dead lest they should want their voyage victuall Yet in all Antiquitie we reade not that the Communion was celebrated at the sick-mans bed-side ANS The corruptions that haue flowed of mens erroneous conceit of the Sacraments should not take away the lawfull vse of them when necessitie requires As to the sending of the Sacrament to the sicke it was a custome of the ancient Church which Beza allowes and where the Communion was daily at least weekely celebrated in the ordinarie Congregation as that was the custome of those times it was not necessarie to celebrate the Communion at the sick-mans bed-side PP Clinicall Communions haue not onely bred and still doe foster the opinion of absolute necessitie but also of Opus operatum of a preposterous confidence
make a lawfull Church that hath power to censure and excommunicate such as are subiect to their iurisdiction otherwise Christ would not haue promised to ratifie their censure As to the Masse it is not a priuate Masse where distribution is made but where the Priest receiues alone otherwise ye must graunt that it was a priuate Masse that Christ celebrated at Emmaus where two onely did participate and receiue from our Sauiour In a word if in Christs promise the number bee not defined which at the least may make a Church wherein the publique actions of Religion ought to be performed since it is no where else defined in Scripture it must be left to the determination of the Church which hath power to define what the least number is that may make a lawfull extraordinarie conuention aswell as to diuide a Nationall Church in Diâ—â—cesses and Diocesses in Parish Churches So the Assemblâ— at Perth hauing defined that three or foure besides the Miâ—nister and the sâ—cke person are a sufficient number to maâ— a lawfull extraordinarie conuention wherein the Sacraments may be ministred in cases of necessitie we ought to stand at their iudgement and obey the ordinance against the which in the Word of God there is nothing PP Baptisme is a ceremonie initiatorie of our entrance into the bosome of some visible Congregation or as Caluine sayes It is a sacred and solemne introduction into the Church of God and is a testimonie of our heauenly Burgesship in which they are written vp whom hee adopteth to himselfe It ought therefore to be publique ANS Caluine in the Epistle which ye quote the 185. sayes not that therefore it ought to be in a Parishionall Church but that it behoues the Infant baptizari in coetu aliquo and expresly non quidem vt templum requiratur Sed vt vbiuis numerus aliquis fidelium conueniaâ— qui Ecclesiae corpus efficiat Now if Baptisme may be ministred in any place where a number of the faithfull doe conueene then doubtlesse in a priuate house PP Baptisme is a signe of Christian Profession before the world it ought therefore to be publique ANS As it is impossible that it can be publike after such a manner as all the World may be witnesses thereto so it is not absolutely necessarie that it bee before the whole Parish when the Childe is in such extremitie that he cannot bee brought vnto the Church PP The Congregation should make fruit of the Ministration of Baptisme in remembring their owne Baptisme c. ANS Ordinarily it ought to be publique in presence of the Parishiones the extraordinarie ministration serues for their comfort who are present But if it were not ministred at all in time of necessitie as ye would haue it then all should bee depriued of that comfort and the childe of the benefit of the ordinarie meane of Saluation PP Not onely the Parents but the Church presents the Childe before God and concurs with the Minister in prayer for the saluation of the Infant ANS Such as are present conioyne their prayers with the Pastor And the presence of some number makes the action publique although lesse solemne PP Priuate Baptisme hath sprung of the opinion of the necessitie of Baptisme and doth still foster the same damnable opinion In the ancient Church two solemne times were appoynted for Baptisme c. ANS The opinion of absolute necessitie ratione medij that is of a middest without which the Infant cannot be saued is not to be allowed yet the opinion of necessitie ratione praecepti that is of an ordinarie meane commaunded by God to bee vsed when and where it may be had is sound And in that opinion the people ought to be confirmed and admonished as it is in the act Not to deferre the Baptisme of their Infants nor neglect it But to perswade the people that it is not necessarie as an ordinarie meane is as great an errour as any yee alledge hath sprung of the opinion of absolute necessitie These errours ought to be remoued not by refusing Baptisme when it is required which is a disobedience no lesse dangerous then the errours are but by the wholsome doctrine of the Word which is the onely powerfull meane to abolish all errours in Religion PP In priuate Baptisme the doctrine of Baptisme is omitted for haste to saue the soule of the Infant as is thought and so the Sacrament is not ministred according to the dignity of it and this hath bred a negligent ministration of Baptisme in publike The Trullian Synod decreed that Baptisme Nullatenus in no case be ministred in a priuate Oratorie If it be done otherwise let the Clergie-man be deposed the Laickes excommunicate If in no case where was then the case of necessitie ANS The necessarie Doctrine ought not to be omitted and the act ordaines Baptisme in priuate houses to be ministred after the same forme that in the Congregation Doctrine at the baptising of Infants is not vsed for the instruction and comfort of the Infant but for the instruction and comfort of the Parents and witnesses Though it be abridged in times of extremitie it diminishes not the dignitie of Baptisme but the Sacrament is rather highly aduanced when it is esteemed to be sufficient by it selfe as the ordinary meane of saluation to the infant In the generall Councell of Constantinople holden in the Emperour Constantinus his Palace in a roome called Trullus two Canons are set downe of which yee cite the 59. onely forgetting according to your custome the Canon preceding touching Baptisme the words whereof are these Clericos qui in Oratorijs quae sunt intra domos ministrant vâ—l baptizant hoc illius loci Episcopi sententia facere decernimus qui hoc non sic seruauerit deponatur The Canon ordaines these that baptize in priuate Oratories to doe it by the Bishops appoyntment And that cited by you is not contradictorie to this but concerneth the ordinarie administration of Baptisme whereas vpon extraordinarie considerations of infirmitie and inhabilitie of persons the Councell acknowledges that the same may be done vpon the Bishops speciall licence So your Nullatenus includes not cases of necessitie If the Bishop in such cases may permit Baptisme in priuate houses much more might the Assembly at Perth where so many Bishops and Pastors were present set downe an ordinance to that effect PP Priuate baptisme hath bred a new kinde of baptisme that is a baptisme by supposition for if the child baptised in priuate conualesce they baptise it ouer againe c. ANS Baptisme ministred in a priuate house by a lawfull Pastor before a sufficient number of Christian witnesses is not priuate and needes not be supplied by such a conditionall Baptisme PP Baptisme was solemne in the Primitiue Church as wee may reade of Iâ—hn baptized in Iordan and Christs Disciples baptising and the new Conuerts in the Acts Some were not baptized in any Visible Church because they had not the occasion as