committed the Oracles of God Therefore Epiphanius proves Epiph. de menâ— pond the Bookes of Wisedome and Ecclesiasticus not to be Canonicall because they were not kept in the Arke And S. Augustin calls the Iewes our Librarie-keepers who are so zealous of the Old Testament that they will rather loose their life then one line of it So carefull also hath the Christian Church beene of both Testaments that many Martyrs have chosen to give their Bodies rather then their Bibles to bee burnt Neither doth it onely belong to the Church to keepe the holy Bookes but also to discerne betweene true Scripture and false And so shee is the Defender of the Scripture to which purpose the Spirit of Christ is given unto her whereby she knoweth the voyce of the Bridegroome Here the Church of Rome hath abused her power and betrayed her trust inserting into the Canon diverse Apocryphall bookes which were not written by divine inspiration nor received by the Church in S. Ieromes dayes And as she is the keeper and maintainer of the holy Records So she is as a Herauld Common-cryer to publish notifie propound and commend these Records as the Word of God unto all men For this cause is the Church called the Pillar of Truth because shee beareth up the Truth by her publicke ministery and sheweth us the holy Bookes So that the Testimonie of the Church is an excellent meanes to know the Scripture to be from God even the first motive and occasion of our faith The Key which openeth the doore of entrance into the knowledge of the Scriptures The Watchman that holds out the light in open view and presents the shining beames thereof to all that have eyes to discerne it The guide that directs and assists us to finde out those Arguments in Scripture wherby the Divinitie of it is proved And so like the morning starre introduces that cleare light which shineth in the word it selfe But the testimony of the Church is not the onely nor the chiefe cause of our knowledge nor the formall object of our faith As the Samaritanes at first believed for the saying of the woman Ioh. IV. 39. but afterward because of his own word saying Now wee beleeve not because of thy saying for wee have heard him our selves And as Nathaneel was induced to come to Christ by the Testimony of Philip but was perswaded to beleeve that he was the Messias by what he heard from himselfe as may appeare by his confession Rabbi Ioh. I. 45 4â— thou art the sonne of God so men are first induced to beleeve that this Booke is the holy Scripture by the Testimony of the Church but after they receive greater assurance when their eyes are opened to see that light which shineth in the Scripture To use a more familiar similitude If a man bring you a letter from your father and tell you he received it out of his owne hand you beleeve him but are better assured when you consider the seale subscription forme of Characters and matter contayned in the Letters So are we perswaded of the divinity of the Scripture The Scripture is an epistle sent unto us from God our father The Church is the messenger and tells us that shee received it from him Wee give credite unto her Report but when we peruse it and consider the divinity of the matter the sublimity of the style the efficacy of the speach we are fully perswaded that the same is from God indeed In a word the Church commends the Scripture to be Gods word not by her owne authority but by the verity of the thing it selfe and arguments drawne out of Scripture which proveth it selfe to be divine even as the Sunne manifests it selfe to bee the Sunne a learned man proveth himselfe to be learned and as Wisedome is justified of her children for which cause the Scripture is called a fyre a hammer a word that is lively mighty in operation a light shining in a darke place All which sheweth that it hath a certayne in-bred power to prove manifest it selfe without any outward testimony And therefore the Authority of the Scripture in respect of us doth not depend vpon the voyce of the Church And yet is the Church bound to give testimony to the Scripture we are bound to heare her Testimony Further as the Church is to propound Sect. 16. so to expound the Scripture apply them by preaching and administration of the Sacraments Wee are all of us so blinde in heavenly mysteries that we may say with the Eunuch of Ethiopia Act. Vâ—ll â—â—4 How can I understand except I had a guide God hath appointed us guides to expound unto us the Scripture and to apply the same for doctrine for confutation for Correction for Instruction These bee the uses of Scripture II. Tim. III. 16. and it is The man of God that is the minister and Pastor who is to expound the Scripture and apply it unto these ends In the II. of Haggai vers 12. the Lord sayth Aske now the Priests concerning the Law And Malach. II. 7. The Priests lips should preserve knowledge and they should seeke the Law at his mouth To them it belongs to teach preach labour in the word divide the word exhort confute rebuke as the Apostle directs his two Sonnes Timothie Bishop of Ephesus and Titus Bishop of Creta When Christ was to remove his bodily presence he established his ministry upon earth when he ascended up on high he gave gifts unto men He gave some to be Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastours and teachers Eph. IIII. 11. He sent forth his disciples with the like commission as he receaved from his father saying As my father sâ—â—t me even so I send you And agayne Goe teach all Nations baptizing them c. Matth. XXVIII 19.20 That this is the office of the Pastors is manifest and acknowledged by all but they must remember that they expound Scripture by Scripture and according to the meaning of the Law-giver comparing spirituall things with spirituall things and adding nothing of their owne Herein the Church of Rome hath abused her power assigning unto Scripture what sense she pleaseth even that which will make most for her owne turne This is ingenuously confessed by Cusanus Apud Illyâ— Clav. Script p. â— Tract 7. that the Church may expound the Scripture one way at one time another way at an other time still fitting the sense of the Scripture to the practise of the Church As they have done touching these words in the institution of the Sacrament Drinke yee all of this which by the auncient Church sayth he were so vnderstood that even the people were to receave the cup By the moderne Church in another sense But howsoever they have betrayed their trust let us not despise the Iudgement of the Catholick Church in expounding the Scripture For as the Scripture is the perfect rule of faith so the Iudgement of the Church
is a speciall meanes to direct us in applying this rule Every man doth challenge some trust in the Art he professeth And is there any that hath studyed the Scripture so well as the Bishops Pastors Doctors of the Church in all ages Besides they have a calling to expound the Scripture are therfore called Guides Rulers Lights Spirituall Fathers Teachers Ambassadors of Christ and disposers of the secrets of God Finally they have not onely a calling but a promise of the assistance of the spirit Matth. XXVIII 20. Loe I am with you unto the end of the world By vertue of which promise it is certaine that all the Pastors of the Catholick Church in all ages did never erre dangerously and therefore their Iudgment to be preferred before the opinion of any private man for God hath commaunded us to heare and obey them II. Sect. 17. The Church is to judge of the abilities of men and who are fit for the Ministery to conferre Orders appoint them their Stations and direct them in the exercise of their Function This power was committed unto Timothie and Titus and must continue in the Church untill the end of the world For as now we are not to expect new revelations so neither extraordinary missions And therefore hee that will take upon him the Office of a Minister not being called by the Church Ioh. X. is an Intruder a Thief that commeth not in by the doore but climbeth up another way What will you say then to some Dominees heere amongst you who having no Ordination to our calling have taken upon them to preach and preach I know not what even the foolish visions of their owne heart As they runne when none hath sent them 11 Sam. XVIII 23.29 and runne very swiftly because like Ahimaaz they runne by the way of the plaine So like Ahimaaz when they are come they have no tydings to tell but dolefull newes They think by their puff of preaching to blowe downe the goodly Orders of our Church as the walls of Iericho were beaten downe with sheepes hornes Good God! is not this the sinne of Vzziah who intruded himselfe into the Office of the Priest-hood And was there ever the like heard amongst Christians except the Anabaptists whom some amongst you have matcht in all manner of disorder and confusion III. sect 18 It belongs unto the Church to decide controversies in religion The Apostle sayth Oportet haereses esse There must bee heresies So there must be a meanes to discover reprove condemne those herisies and pronounce out of the word of God for truth against heresie Deut. XVII 8.9.10 Under the Law the Priests assembled together had authority to give sentence in matters of Controversie The same authority did our Saviour give unto the governors of his Church when he gave them the power of the Keyes and commaunded others to heare them for that their sentence is the sentence of God Titus is commanded to reject an hereticke and so hee had power to Iudge him Doe we therfore make the Church an absolute Infallible Iudge of fayth No Onely God is the supreme Iudge of absolute Authority because he is the Law-giver And in all Common-wealths the supreme power of Iudgement belongs to the Law-giver Inferiour magistrates are but Interpreters of the Law Therefore in Scripture these two are joyned together Esay XXXIII 22. The Lord is our Iudge the Lord is our Law-giver And Iames IV. 10. There is one Law-giver able to save and destroy His throne is established in heaven but in earth we may heare his voice in the holy Scripture revealing his will to the sonnes of men whereby he speaketh to us for God now speaketh to us and teacheth his Church not by any extraordinary voyce from heauen not by Anabaptisticall Enthusiasmes but by the mouth of his holy Prophets and Apostles whose sentence is contayned in the holy Scripture Lib. V. that wee may say with Optatus Milevitanus De coelo quaerendus Iudex Sed ut quid pulsamus ad coelum cùm habeamus hic in euangelio testamentum The Iudge is in heaven But we need not goe so farre to know his sentence when we have his will expressed in the Gospell So Moses Deut. XXX v. 11.12.13.14 This commaundement which I commaund thee this day is not hidden from thee neyther is it farre off It is not in heaven neyther is it beyond the sea But the word is very nigh unto thee in thy mouth and in thy heart that thou mayest doe it This word being lively and accompanied with the power of the Spirit doth illuminate the minds of men with the knowledge of the truth reprove convince and condemne error and therefore is said to accuse judge condemne Ioh. v. 45. VII 5. XII 4.8 by our Saviour himselfe And so though properlie the Scripture be not the Iudge but rule of faith yet we call it the Iudge by a Metonymie because God who is the Iudge speaketh in it and by it Poli◠lib. III. c. 16. So the Philosopher sayth The Law is the Vniversall Iudge that magistrates are but Ministers and Interpreters of the Law to apply it to particular causes and persons That which the Magistrates doe in Civill matters the chiefe Pastors of the Church are to doe in matter of Religion If a controversie arise they are to heare the reasons on both sides compare them try by the Touchstone of the word weigh them in the ballance of the Sanctuary And so that which the word hath defined in generall they are according to the rule of this word to apply unto the particular cause and controversie pronouncing for truth against error Yet so as they swarve not from the Rule whereunto God hath tyed them Esay VIII 20. To the Law to the Testimony if they speake not according to this word there is no light in them So that the Church doth Iudge and determine controversies not as an absolute infallible Iudge but as a publicke Minister and Interpreter by a subordinate power which yet is more to be esteemed then the Iudgement of any yea of a thousand private men Shee is not the Iudge but interpreter of Scripture Shee doth not Iudge of the verity of Gods Law but of the truth of private mens Iudgements And that especially if the matter in controversie bee of weight when the Bishops are assembled in Councell When there was a Controversie touching Circumcision the Apostles and Elders assembled at Ierusalem for composing the matter Act. XV. The godly Bishops in the primitive Church following their example did at all occasions assemble in Councells for determining Controversies condemning of hereticks and clearing the Truth by their joynt suffrages even in time of persecution under Pagan Emperours they did celebrate diverse Provinciall Synods as at Antioch at Casarea at Carthage And in that famous generall Councell of Nice wherein Arrius was condemned the Fathers saw such a necessitie of this Synodicall Iudgment
highest perfection of Religion Besides the weakenesse of their understanding is such that they were not capable either of Arguments or answers but transported with the opponents sighes groanes lifting up of his eyes spreading out of his hands being the best Arguments which ever these zelots learned in the Schooles And indeed of no small waight with the common people As the Orator well knew when being in a certaine defence prevented of his usuall and lamentable conclusion by the teares and more lamentable conclusion of Horsensius he cryed out as one halfe undone Surripuisti mihi ornamenta Orationis meae Is it then any wonder that my conference which was only begun and so rather intended then acted had not the desired successe yet I dare say that censure which Erasmus past upon that conference betwixt S. Augustin and the Manichee may be as truly applyed unto ours Which is this and not impertinent to the present purpose In his actis nescio quid potissimum admirer Aug. Tom. 6. de act cum Foel fol 363. edit Basil Foelicisnè impudentiam qui provocârit ad publicam disputationem ad quam adeo non fuit instructus ut vix Asinus possit insulsius argumentari An populi tolerantiaw quae delirantem beluam citra tumultum auscultârit An Augustini stomachum invincibilem qui tam indoctis ineptijs tamdiu tantâ lenitate responderit In these Acts I know not what cheifly to admire the impudency of Foelix who did appeale to a publicke disputation for which he was so unpraepared as no Asse could have spoken more absurdly Or the lenitie of the people who without tumult heard that raving doting beast or the invincible patience of S. Augustin who with much mildenesse did so long answer to such unlearned fooleries Though I could not come neere that eminent Bishop in learning yet I laboured to imitate him in patience whereof I will yet give a further proofe by revising that Libell and making a full answer to those objections which the Disputer being instructed by the rest of his brethren what weapons to use made against the Orders of our Church at lest as many of them as keepe off the people from Conformitie And yet I finde the Libellers relation so voyd of sense that I should blush to set downe his owne words lest the Eccho might bee taken for the voyce But I hope the reader shall finde that albeit I set not downe all his words yet I have neglected nothing therein materiall And by this my hafty answer Quam non meditor sed effundo all men may receive satisfaction who are capable of instruction And wherein if my style be homely nay abject I desire the reader to remember what sort of people I have to doe with how I apply my selfe to their capacitie And perhaps the very reading of that Libell hath infected my pen with barbarisme At first our Disputer did onely dally with our Translation of the Psalmes Apocryphall Lessons and Collect for Christmasse day wherein he intended onely Velitationem quandam tanquam levis armaturae sending forth his light horsemen rather to view the advantages of the ground then to fight whom I shall not need to encounter in regard the Auditory was generally wearie of these peevish and poore exceptions And the Disputer himselfe hath confess'd as I am credibly informed that it was against his will he did moove those first scruples even in his owne judgement so apparently frivolous but that he was wrought and in a manner enforced thereunto by one of his brethren who praesumed much upon his skill in the Hebrew Besides those exceptions all that was objected for orders sake I shall reduce unto three heads for in the Libell there is neither method nor sense First he desired a warrant from Scripture to justifie our Ceremonies whereunto my answer was That if they meant a particular and expresse commaundement for every Ceremony and Church-constitution I had sufficiently proved in my Sermon that it could not be expected neither are they themselves able to produce such a warrant for such orders as they themselves injoyne and practise in their owne Congregations But if they meant a generall warrant our Church hath as much as they or any other Church yet ever had for their constitutions Even that warrant of the Apostle Let all things be done decently and in order 1. Cor. XIV 40. Which is that great Apostolicall Canon Calvin in locum by which all other Canons must be squared the true Touch-stone to try Ceremonies and the Ballance wherein all Church-Orders should bee weighed And whereas some Ceremonies seeme decent unto some which unto others seeme otherwise Those whom God hath made Governours of his Church and not any private man are to judge of their decencie If private men appoint orders to be used in the publicke worship of GOD as these men doe in their Congregations they must shew their Commission otherwise we must take that for decent in things indifferent which seemeth decent in the eye of publicke authority And those things which they were required to practise were in themselves things indifferent no wayes repugnant unto the Word of GOD had beene esteemed by the Church in all ages to be not onely decent but of singular good use And are now injoyned by lawfull authoritie And therefore they were bound in Conscience to submit themselves thereunto having for the same a warrant in Scripture in all those places which require obedience to be given unto our Superiours Rom. XIII 1. Let every soule be subject unto Superiour powers I. Pet. II. 13. Snbus it your selves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake Hebr. XIII 17. Obey them that have the rule over you Now what sayth the Libeller to this he struggles like a fish on the hooke and uttereth such pittiful stuffe that I am ashamed to relate it Hee tells us that the meaning of the Apostles words is Let all things ordayned by God be done decentlie and in order Bee it so The Sacrament is ordayned by God and therefore to be received decently Now I have fully proved in my Sermon that God hath not in Scripture either by precept or by example determined what particular gesture should bee used in the Sacrament And therefore the same is left to bee appointed at the discretion of the Church The Church hath appointed kneeling which is a decent gesture as afterwards I shall shew I have also declared that Kneeling is no humane invention but a naturall gesture and so ordayned by God which hath been and may bee applyed to every part of Gods worship He further sayes That rule must abide the tryall of other rules of Gods word This is strange Divinitie Will he question a rule of Gods Word call it to the barre and try it by a surie of its fellowes But I thinke his intent was if hee could have written sense to say that Kneeling at the Communion must abide the tryall of other rules And so it
for preserving the peace of the Church that they ordayned that in every Province once every yeare the Bishops should assemble in Councell The same afterwards was injoyned by the Emperour Iustinian And so it was observed in the Church and by the sentence of Councells generall or particular all heresies arising were condemned Those Assemblies being lawfully called and proceeding orderly are great and awfull representations of the Church Catholick the highest externall Tribunall which the Church hath on Earth their authoritie is immediatly derived and delegated from Christ their decrees binde all persons within their Iurisdiction to externall obedience And it is not lawfull for any private man to oppose his judgement to the publicke He may offer his contrary opinion to be considered of so he doe it with evidence of Scripture and reason and very modestlie But if he doe factiously advance his own conceit and despise the Church so farre as to cast off her communion as many of you have done hee may bee justly branded and condemned for a Schismaticke In the IV. sect 19 place wee are to consider the Churches power for making of Lawes to direct us in the order that is to be observed in the outward administration of God's worship This is the thing which I must principally endeavour to prove for if the Church may make Lawes of things Indifferent and appoint matters of Order Decencie and Politie then are you bound even for Conscience sake to submit your selves unto the Orders of our Church which you now so violently oppose I will therefore joyne issue with you in this point and prove as I hope by arguments unanswerable that the Church hath such a power I. sect 20 All things lawfully incident to the outward worship of God are not expressed in the Scripture as sayth Tertullian Harum aliarum ejusmâ—di disciplinarum si legem expostules Scriptu rarum nullam invenies De Corona â—â—il If you looke for a Law in Scripture for these and such other like matters of discipline you will finde none And therefore certainly they are left to be ordered at the discretion of the Church Doe wee therefore derogate from the perfection and sufficiencie of Scripture God forbid You shall understand there is great difference betweene matters of Faith and matters of Order The Apostle hath distinguished them Col. II. 5. Beholding your Order and the stedfastnesse of your Faith T.C. first Reply p. 26. Your great master Cartwright compares matters of Faith unto garments which cover the Churches nakednesse matters of Order unto chaynes bracelets rings and other Iewells to adorne her and set her out which no man will say are of that necessitie as the former Now matters of Faith and whatsoever is essentiall in the worship of God are plentifully set downe in Scripture but besides there are other matters of Order concerning the circumstances of Time Place and Person the outward forme of Gods worship all which are not expressed in the Scripture for albeit these things be not altogether omitted in Scripture yet are they not taught so fully as the former Matters of Faith are so perfectly taught in holy Writ that nothing ever can neede to be added nothing ever cease to bee necessary But as for matters of Order and Politie both much of that which the Scripture teacheth is not alwayes needfull and much the Church of God shall alwayes neede which the Scripture teacheth not And this doth nothing derogate from the perfection of Scripture For we count those things perfect which want nothing requisite to the end for which they were ordayned Now the end for which God delivered the Scripture was to bee the Canon of our Faith and guide unto salvation within the compasse whereof those matters of Order Ceremonie and Circumstance doe not come for they respect not Credenda but Agenda or rather modum agendi Not points of doctrine but matters of practice or rather the manner of performing of outward duties And as it is no disgrace for Nature to have left it to the wit of Man to devise his owne attire no more is it any disgrace for Scripture to have left a number of such things free to be ordered at the discretion of the Church But indeed it is a great commendation to the Scripture to have omitted those things which neither needed nor could bee particularly expressed They needed not because they are so obvious And they could not both because they are so numerous and because so chaungeable I. They neded not sect 21 because they are so obvious for what need is there of any high consultation about such things as are easie and manifest to all men by common sense As a great councellour of state whose wisedome in weighty affaires is admired would take it in scorne to have his Councel solemnely asked about a toy which a poore plow-man could resolve So the meannesse of these things is such that to search the Scripture for ordering of them were to derogate from the reverend authority and dignity of the Scripture The Apostle speaking of a matter of this kind touching being bare or covered in Church assemblies using long haire or being shorne hee brings an Argument from Nature Doth not even Nature it selfe teach you II. Cor. XI 14. As nature that is Custome which is an other nature had taught the Corinthians that it is not comely for a man to have long haire So nature it selfe doth teach us that when a man commeth to present himselfe before the Lord by prayer he should doe it with al humility of mind and humiliation of body as the Psalmist sayth Ps XCV 6. Worship and fall downe kneele before the Lord our maker So likewise when wee make confession of our sayth or lift up our voyces to praise God that we should use a gesture sutable to expresse our resolution And diverse things of this kind hath the Church appointed ex ductamine rationis for albeit the substance of the service of God being above the pitch of naturall reason may not be invented by men as it is amongst the heathens but must be receaved from God himselfe yet in matters of lesser moment especially concerning outward behaviour in performance of Church-actions De Resur carnis Luminis naturalis ducatum repellere non modó stultum est sed impium Lib. IV. de Trin c. VI. wee may bee directed by naturall reason as saith Tertullian Wee may even in matters of God bee made wiser by reasons drawne from the publick perswasions which are grafted in mens minds And St Austin It is not onely foolish but impious to refuse the guydance of naturall light And if nature direct us in any thing then certainelie in this what gestures are fittest for Gods worship for gestures are naturall in so much that one of your owne Authors speaking of gestures Treatise of Divine worship p. 30. sayes that Nature stands sn stead of a direction and that they are not to be esteemed
example But the accommodation of the gesture to severall parts of Gods worship left altogether to the liberty of the Church And the Church hath thought Kneeling the most decent and comely gesture to be used in the Sacrament wherein her determination is not to be esteemed a meere humane constitution for if an Ecclesiasticall Canon be made as this is of a thing indifferent in a lawfull manner to a lawfull end by lawfull authority according to the generall rules of Scripture The same is approved in the sight of God as not meerely humane but in some sort divine as is confessed by M. Calvin in these words Calv. in I. ad Cor. XIV ult Golligere promptum est has posteriores ecclesiasticas non esse habendas prohumanis traditionibus quandoquidem fundatâ— sunt in hoc generali mandato liquidam approbationeâ—â— habent quasi ex ore Christi And in another place he gives an example of Kneeling in Gods solemne worship Calv. Inst lib. IV. cap. 10. Sect. 30. and moves the Question Quaritur sitne humana traditio whereunto he answers Dico sic esse humanam ut simul sit divina Dei est quatenus pars est decoris illius cujus cur a observatio nobis per Apostolum commendatur Zanch in compend loc 16. Seâ— Epist 24. And to the same purpose we have the judgment of Zanchiâ— of Beza and indeed of all judicious Divines Hath not the Disputer then a face of brasse or as the Scripture speaketh a whoores forehead who calls Kneeling a needlesse humane Ceremonie I have now proved both that all humane inventions which have been abused are not therefore to be abolished which I shall have occasion to manifest further hereafter And also that Kneeling at the Sacrament is no humane invention In the third place I will make it appeare that our Kneeling was never abused to Idolatry for as it was not devised by Papists so we received it not from them To let passe the Church of Scotland where that gesture was intermitted for the space of above forty yeares till all memory of former superstition was past Even in the Church of England the gesture of Kneeling was not continued for in the beginning of King Edwards reigne there was an intermission for a space when all gestures were free But the Church afterwards perceiving the inconvenience thereof thought fit to reduce all her Children to an Uniformity in Gods worship by ordaining one gesture to be used in that Ordinance And she made choyce of Kneeling not out of a desire of conformity with Papists or out of an honourable respect to their worship But having a liberty of gestures allowed her in Gods word she did judge Kneeling of all others to be most fit decent and comely But say that we had received that gesture from the Papists as we did Ordination Baptisme and many other good things yet it cannot be imagined how they could abuse that which was never in their power to use for the gesture which we use is our owne the Papists never had the command of it And Tit. 1.15 Vnto the pure sayth the Apostle all things are pure Surely there cannot be a more senselesse dottage then to think that the Papists by their Idolatrous kneeling have infected ours when their gesture and ours is not the same Apud Plutarch Heraclitus sayd that it is impossible for any man eundem fluvium hiâ— intrare I may say as truely that it is impossible for any man eandem actionem â—iâ— peragerè for though the man be the same the knee the same the end the same yet the Action repeated is not the same for to make an action such as kneeling is the same all these things must concurre Idem agens Idem agendi modus finis tempus locus All which are impossible to concurre any oftner then once So that it is certaine that our kneeling at the Sacrament is not Individually and Numerically the same with that which is used by the Papists I will now proceed further and shew that it is not so much as of the same kind with theirs being distinguished from it by two or three substantiall differences The first is taken from the Agents their kneeling is the gesture of Papists ours of Catholickes Now if Papists and Protestants be two diverse kinds of worshippers which I thinke the brethren will acknowledge then their actions of worship must be as different in kind as be their Agents The second difference betweene their kneeling and ours is taken from their different ends and objects which makes them yet more distant for Actiones distinguuntur finibus gestures and actions are principally distinguished by their objects and ends They in kneeling at the Sacrament worship their breaden-god Wee detest that abominable bread-worship and worship only the great God of heaven and earth in his owne Ordinance his Son Iesus Christ who sitteth at the right hand of the Father in heavenly places From these two differences there arises a third that their kneeling is formally evill Ours good and commendable so that if any man for the abuses of their kneeling shall condemne ours it is all one injustice as if ye should condemne an innocent man for the crime of a malefactor Esay V. 20. Proverb XVII 1â— and so he falleth directly under the curse of the Prophet Woe be unto them that call good evill And of the wise-man He that Iustifieth the wicked and he that condemneth the lust they are both abomination unto the Lord for as S. Austin sayes Peccat Lib. IIV cap. 15. de lib. arb qui damnat quasi peccata quae nulla sunt And those men condemne our kneeling for sinne which is none but an expression of many vertuous affections And for this I am sure they have no warrant for whensoever God commands his people to destroy monuments of Idolatry the commandement is to be understood of the same Individua which have beene abused not that the whole Species for their sake is to be destroyed Deut. VII 5. They are commanded to cut downe the groves of Idols yet they did not cut downe all groves for then they should not have left one tree growing They are also commanded to overthrow the Altars of Idols yet the Israelites did not thinke themselves bound by that commandement to overthrow the Reubenites Altar though it were erected without any warrant and in shew had some repugnancie with Gods commandement for as you may read Iosh XXII When the Tribe of Reuben Gad and the halfe tribe of Manasses erected an Altar upon the passages of Iordan the other Tribes were so offended that they were about to destroy both it and them imagining that it had beene for sacrifice But when they were truely informed that it was only for a memoriall that they had a part in the God of Israel they were well pleased they blessed God and Phineas said This day we perceive the Lord is among us because you have not
pit wherein people may fall then leaving it open to set one to bid people goe about it O acumen Aristotelicum he should first have proved that kneeling is a pit I have shewed that it is not but surely his heart is a deepe pit of error and deceipt It is no blocke to stumble at but the blocke is in his head Ps 14.5 which makes him feare where no feare is This is superstitiosa timiditas as S. Austin Epist 118 ad Ianuar. truely censures it It is indeed to feare superstition with a superstitious feare Finally sitting at the Sacrament is as much occasion of unreverence and prophanenesse as kneeling is of Idolatry And albeit I have so charitable an opinion of the brethren that I think they use not sitting of purpose to expose the Sacrament to contempt yet if any from thence take occasion to prophane it putting no difference between that supper and a common supper They cannot be excused because they did appoint that gesture without any lawfull calling contrary to the commandement of their Superiours and the custome of the Church But if any man should superstitiously abuse kneeling we are not to be blamed not only because we teach men to worship God and not the Elements But also because we have a lawfull calling to kneele the commaÌ„dement of authority And since some men will turne all gestures into sinne it is enough for us that the Word allowes them we have a calling to use this gesture and if we should refuse to use it wee should occasion worse effects the disturbing of the Churches peace the losse of our Ministery and of the comfort of the Sacrament As these men doe by their disobedience So to turne to the Disputers Argument against himselfe That which is an occasion of unreverence prophanation of the Sacrament disturbing the Churches peace losse of our Ministery and the comfort of the Sacrament is to be avoyded aswell as that which may be an occasion of Idolatry But sitting at the Sacrament and refusing to kneele is the occasion of all these Therefore to be avoyded I come to the third exception that Kneeling is an appearance of Idolatry will-worship so contrary unto the word of God I. Thess V. 22. Abstaine from all appearance of evill Surely the brethren content themselves with the sound of Scripture and As the foole thinkâ—th so the bell clinketh They never search into the sense and meaning of it If they should expound that Text so as if the same were to be extended to all appearances of evill whatsoever without any manner of restraint or modification Then may we not doe good duties at any time if the same have an appearance of evill unto others Then must we condemne diverse actions which are approved in the word of God As Lacobs laying of rods before the cattell had a manifest appearance of fraud The Reubenites Altar had an appearance of defection from God and of separation from their brethren Ruths going to the bed of Boaz had a manifest appearance of unchastity Eziekiahs asking of a signe had a shew of diffidence and Davids dauncing before the Arke of levity Obadiah his falling on his face before the Prophet Elijah had an appearance of Idolatry The Apostle Pauls shaving of his head and purifying of himselfe was a shew of Iudaisme And his pleading that he was a Pharisee to put dissention betwixt the two sects might seeme dissimulation and worldly policie Therefor it is certaine that the Apostles precept must be understood with some limitation To helpe them then to the understanding of that Text I say I. That howsoever that precept may be applyed unto matters of practise yet the Apostle speakes there only of matters of doctrine as M. Calvin observes following therein S. Chrysostome and S. Ambrose and as is evident by the words going before Despise not prophecying try all things and keepe that which is good And then Abstaine from all appearance of evill Where he teaches us how prophecying or preaching shall be profitable Calv in loc Docet qualiter nobis utilis futura sit prophetia citra periculum nempe si attenti erimus ad omnia probanda siâ—evitas festinatio aberit And Quum nondum ita comperta est doctrinae falsitas ut meritò rejici queat sed tamenaliqua haeret sinistra suspitio timetur ne quid veneni lateat Vbi autem subest falsi metus aut mens dubitatione est implicita pedem referre vel gradum suspendete convenit and without danger unto us namely If we be carefull for to try the doctrine as the Bereans did by the rule of Gods word And then embrace that which wee find to be good reject that which is manifestly false But if any thing be doubtfull neither so evidently true that it ought to be embraced nor so manifestly false that it ought to be rejected We are to keep off from it till we have more thoroughly proved it This is to abstaine from all appearance of evill or as the word beares all evill appearance And would to God that these mens disciples had followed this advise then should they not have beene so much infected with the poyson of their doctrine II. The appearance of evill which we are to abstaine from is not in respect of others but in respect of our selves We should abstaine from that which appeares to us after due tryall and examination to be evill for it is every man himselfe that is to prove all things that is all doctrines and not others for him And he is to keepe that which is good not that which appeares good unto others But that which he himselfe after tryall evidently finds to be good And so he is to abstaine from that which after tryall appeares evill unto himselfe whatsoever it appeare unto others And so this is all one with that which the Apostle requires Rom. XIV 5. Let every man be fully perswaded in his owne mind But then if any man should apply this rule to the practise of things indifferent he must extend it no further then to those things which are in our owne choyce as not being determined by any constitution civill or Ecclesiasticall III. If the precept be extended unto those things which appeare evill unto others then those others are only men of sound Iudgement rectè sentientes to whom nothing seemes evill but what indeed is evill And so nothing is forbidden but what is evill As the Syriack expresses it Abstain from all kind of evill or from every evill thing As namely intire familiarity with wicked persons and Communion with them in evill which is not onely an appearance of evill but evill it selfe And so this precept is all one with that of the Apostle Iude who borrowing a Metaphor from the Ceremoniall pollution of the Law bids us Hate even that garment which is spotted by the flesh ver 23. Also the unseasonable practise of holy duties without regard to the circumstances