of Inchantment and Popery But methinks since 't is most plain the Cross was us'd in the Church when there was no such thing as Popery heard of in the World it should be clear'd from that aspersion for proof hereof we have the evidence of Tertullian de Resurrec Carnis Origen Homil. 8. Cyprian Epist 70.72 73. Jerom de Hillarione p. 241. 245. CHAP. XIII It is no enormity to have Ceremonies about Gods worship AS for the other Rites and Ceremonies retained in our Church which are as few as in any Church in the Christian world were you at the stern dictating to us the Idea's of your own heads I nothing doubt but we should have more circumstances in Gods worship than now we have but perhaps Cultus divinus non potest osse sine ceremoniss licet Ceremoniae non sint pars cultus Bald. 1138. neither so apposite nor ancient as these we have already I pray wherein are these contrary to Gods word or declared to be any part of Gods worship Bishop Gauden in his preface to Bishop Browwigs Sermons or taught for doctrines They are neither the meat nor sauce of Religion but only as the garnish of the dish to use the words of a reverend Bishop Sires agatur non modo frivole sed eliam iniqua quâ nobâ—… detrimentum adfertur tamen sipater out Magistratus preseripserit id faciendum est Camer de Eccl. p. 370. Epist 120. They are indifferent you yield in their own natures we say so too Neither doth the injoyning of them alter their intrinsecal condition but only as to their outward use we are not so free to use or not to use them as we were before As those things mentioned Acts 15. were some of them lawful in themselves to be used or forborn yet after the Synode had determined the controversies about those indifferent things then they are called necessary vers 28. of that Chapter That good man Bishop Hooper did for a time scruple the Surplice but after that Bucer Peter Martyr and Calvin in an Epistle of his had discovered his weakness unto him he was not so tenacious of his own conceit but he yielded to preach in his Episcopal habit before the King Book of Martyrs p. 1367. If you shall still say these things are indifferent as to their use Conscentia obligatur pâ—aeceptis Ecclesiae ijâ—quae spectant ad ordinem ad vitanda scandala indire Ele quanquam corum materia non est in varbo Dei tamen finis ordo est Camers de Ecl. p. 371. after they are commanded 't is all one as if you should say 't is indifferent whether we obey the King nay whether we obey God who commands obedience to the King Since God hath left us such a latitude to our Superious of setting things in order in the Church and determining what is decent so long as they intrench not upon divine Authority and so by consequence wound not the Consciences of men wherein shall we manifest our obedience unto them As King James was wont to say if not in things of this inferiour nature Especially where they are so suitable that good men would not refuse them were they left to their own choice as to kneel at prayer or at the Sacrament which is delivered by the Minister praying To stand at the Creed and Gospel to shew that we will stand for the maintenance of them both To stand at Praises Himns Songs of Thanksgiving which are branches of prayer and at that lesser Creed Glory be to the Father and to the Son c. Must not God be served with our bodies as well as our souls Can those that serve him in spirit choose to express the zeal of their hearts in the reverential postures of their bodyes As out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks so where there is the heavenly fire of true devotions in the pantings and regular motions of the Soul there it will sparkle out at the eyes break out at the knees elevate the hands and put the whole body into such a frame that it will keep time with those secret wheels and floatings of the soul Inward and outward worship are but the integral parts making up the same worship one without the other is but lame Jam. 2 26 imperfect defective The body without the spirit is dead and spirit without the body is but a meagre ghost Bodily service without the actings of the soul is but hypocrisie and these without the other are oftentimes a spiritual delusion Though God calls for the heart will he have nothing else Though we must worship him in Spirit must not he be worshiped too in truth because some superstitious persons lay the greatest stress of Gods service upon bodily adorations must we place none at â—t all therein lest we should be accounted superstitious Will a wise man forsake his mear because a fool calls it by some ugly nick-name When I see men rude careless slovenly inflexible like statues in Gods service am I uncharitable in judging their offerings to come from a cold Altar and to be no better than dead sacrifices Learned men tell us that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies Gods worship comes from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a dog because as a dog crouches to his Master so must we humble our selves in our devuâ—addresses unto God I find Abraham falling on his face and worshipping God before the Law And I find the Meathen Romans by the very light of nature Livie l. 3. sweeping their Temples with the hair of their heads in their applications to their Gods And shall not we give God that respect which we would give to some noble personage or carthly Prince Go and offer it to thy Prince was once an Ironical check and may not God still use the same far casm expostulating with as much bitterness would you carry your selves so unmannerly if you were either to petition for or receive a favour from the hands of a King Mr. Torshal on Mal. 1.7 There is less danger in superstition overvaluing Gods worship than in profaneness I must refer you to my Authors in the Margin Baldwin p. 174. else I shall bear the blame The exercise of true piety lies in external worship and this is called Religion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hence it is that Salvian so sadly complains Minori Reverentia introimus templum we shew less respect in Gods house than we would in a Judges Hall Or we go with as little reverence sayes the Martyr'd Arch-Bishop into the Temple as a Tinker and his dog into an Alchouse Were our Church cumbred and even oppress'd with so pompous liveless and numerous train of Ceremonies as that of the Church of Rome which might either distract or divert our devotions Were it with us as Saint Jerome sayes it was per totas Orientis Eccleâ—â—â— throughout all the Eastern Churches 〈◊〉 they read the Gospel Adversus Vigildation p 121
Pelopidos He in Plutarch said he was ashamed that he should come into so much danger as that a dart should fall near him This was not cowardise but a couragious prudence Lysander did but disgrace himself and prejudice the Graecians by running his head against the walls of Aliarte Plutarch p. 523. So the impairing of the Bishops power and lessening their honour is nothing else but our loss If the whole body were an eye where were the hearing and if a numerous Army should consist altogether of Commanders or have none at all what a confused rout would it prove to be Like a multitude of ciphers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Philo Juda. de opifiâ—to mundi without any Numerical letter before them Just so the Church would be but a rude mass if there were no overseers to put it into some comly shape and awful posture A paralytick body if without nerves to convey the spirits and keep the parts together I read of no creatures in the whole volumn of nature but they are headed with some imperial Leaders under whose conduct they are marshal'd and repay them with an obsequious admiration and a devout kind of trembling Prov. 30.27 except the Locusts And these indeed Solomon sayes have no King I presume you have read who those were that did much resemble them What have Christians to do said they with an impudent mouth with Kings et quid Episcopis cum palatio Why do Bishops live in ceiled houses and build their nests on high If any of you are ignorant who these were I 'le inform you They were the furious and factious disciples of Donatus And if you have perhaps some kinder resentments for these more innocent Hereticks Can you chuse but quake to see your own faces in the mirrour of those that durst expostulate with Moses and Aaron just as ye do Numb 16.3 Wherefore do ye lift up your selves above the Congregation of the Lord Take heed lest whilst you disdain to draw in the same yoke with us you be guilty of a worse Syncretism Natura tanto magis superba quanto magis dominio peccoti mortique subjecta fulgent p. 174. in being conformable to Core and his company is not this to act the part of cursed Cham over again Are not these malignant looks upon your Governours the relicks of Adams aspiring Ambition a spice of that lawless Law in your members and a tang of that scornfulness which fell from heaven with the lapsed Angels Of all men you have the least cause to draw up this black bill of indictment against the Bishops if you would call to mind with what condescention they have treated with you in order to the satisfaction of your scruples in what a fatherly and pathetical manner they have intreated you to continue in your places untill they have not only wept in secret but even in publick view their tears have started out of their eyes And do you thus requite them O ingrateful men and unwise 'T is reported of Sylla that whilst he was venturing his life in several Battels for the good of his Country Plutarchin the life of Sylla at that very time his Wife was driven out of Rome his Houses overthrown and his Friends slain Just so when these Worthies lay under an unlucky Ostracism they were contriving our good and disputing for our Religion And when God in a miraculous manner raised up these dead bones they were so far from vindictive passions that so long as there were any hopes of prevailing they ceased not to beseech and woe you to partake in the harvest of their indefatigable labours in a peaceable submission to the Ordinances of God As if they had forgot who they were that voted their proscription and with the Emperour could remember all things saving injuries And are these so lofty as you represent them Rub your own eyes perhaps the fault may be rather in the Organ then in the Object 'T is possible your apprehensions of them may arise from some predominant humour in your selves As Diogenes trampled on Plato's bed sed fastu majori And the old Romans denominated Tarquinius proud quia Regios ejus fastus aliâ superbiâ ferebant because they were so proud themselves Aust de Civit Dei Lib. 3â— Câ—p. 15. that they could not endure any Kingly state in their Monarch To hear you to cry out of other mens pride is all one as to hear the Gracchi complaining of sedition or to hear Catalin calling Cethegus Traitour I pray tell me why there are so many Heteroclites or Anamola in the Church and who are they walking without the compass of any rule who they are who have raised and fomented so many schims and divisions amongst us And I will tell you from the mouth of Saint Paul in the general from whence they arise that is from the flesh Whereas there is among you envying strife divisions 1 Co 3.3 p. 530.531 are ye not car nal Hooker goes a step further and tells you in particular that they arise from pride Naming pride sayes he we name the Mother that brought them forth and the nurse that feedeth them It is not enough as he goes on to make shew of a demure humility for a foul scar may be covered with a fair cloth And such as are as proud as Lucifer may be in outward appearance lowly Give me leave to give an instance of my own experience and that 's a very convincing Mistress I was once tempted to go to the Tryars then whom neyer was Juncto of men more high scornful overlooking and brow-beating their poor clients As if we had scarce been made out of the same mettal with themselves As if they had been the only Seraphick Numb 13.33 and Angelical Doctors but we a company of lumpish and phlegmatick pedants poor Grashoppers scarce worthy to come into their presence And if we did so which was not easie without long attendance what distances did we keep How were we fain to observe their eminencies And look what informers and confederates they had in the Country these were also blown up with the same elation of spirit so that 't is easie to guess what humble and meek spirited men we should have met withall had Gods anger still continued us under your yoke It was but time for such conceited Rabbies and strutting Mountebanks to disappear who by soaring too high had put out their own eyes and to leave their usurped charges to more sober and better poysed Raphaels And though some of them are naturally alive yet because I hope mine eyes shall never see them again in that capacity I shall write out the same Epitaph for them as the Hystorian set upon Nero Sua immanitas Tacitus Hist 1 sua superbia Cervicibus publicis depulere And since I would fain thaw your congealed hearts and melt them into a better opinion of these reverend Fathers which now sit at the stern Consider I beseech
any violent or compulsive jurisdiction over their Brethren in exercising the power of the Sword He would have them to leave that to temporal Princes Therefore 't is said it shall not be so among you that is as it is with civil Magistrates Princes of the Gentiles punishing offenders with corporal stripes And accordingly our Bishops meddle not with criminal matters but as I am inform'd they go forth of the Parliament house when sentence of death is pronounced against Malefactours You might as well conclude that no men should be called Masters Fathers Lords because the Scripture sayes Be not called Masters Call no man Farher upon Earth There is but one Lord Jesus Christ But this word Lord is taken in a latitude of interpretation It carries with it respect and superiority Rebecca did so respect and reverence Abrahams servant that she sayes drink my Lord. Sarah called Abraham Lord. 1 King 18 Elias a Prophet is so called my Lord Elias so is Elizeus too 2 King 2. There is honour nay double honour due to those that wait at the Altar therefore methinks we may signifie that honour in our expressions Ambrosius de dig Sacer. c 3. If we must honour them with our hearts why not with our lips since Nihil sublimius Episcopis No calling is more sublime then that of the Bishops Bishop Bilson of the perpetual Government of the Church p. 63. I conclude this return with the very words of that excellent Bishop of Winchester God is my witness I smooth no mans pride I seek no mans favour I read as sincerely as my simple learning will suffer me I see no reason why it should trouble any godly mind to hear a Bishop called by that name with which Saint Peter willeth every woman to honour her Husband CHAP. V. An Answer to that popular clamour Godly meetings are disturb'd and Papists favour'd IT is no small rub in your way to hinder your advance towards us and does not a little open your mouthes against your Governours that you cannot be quiet in your private meetings but you are ferreted and disturb'd by the secular power so that Papists and drunkards are not so narrowly observed in their extravagancies as you are in the true worship of God Ad populum Phaleras This Topick does you much service whereby you perswade the credulous multitude that you suffer a great deal of wrong this is oppression and persecution in grain What must godly sober conscionable Ministers be more severely dealt withal then those that sing Dirges and say Mass Then those that flock to those seminaries of misdemeanours Alehouses and Taverns Far be it from me from being patron or advocate for either of these better my tongue should cleave to the roof of my mouth Yet comparatively and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 compose your countenances untill I come to a full period I mean in point of obedience to Government and so in respect of publick peace and tranquility I wish it may not be truly said that these very persons against whom you so bitterly declaim and sharpen all your invectives overwhelming them with showrs of stones from your slings as if none were sinners but they were not less dangerous to the welfare of the Kingdom then those reputed Godly men who with a sullen kind of sobriety like him in the Hystorian go about to destroy the common wealth Sober men did I call them Then who are those pernicious drunkards of whom the Prophet speaks who are drunk but not with wine Drunk with malice and revenge and drench'd in such furious passions that like Etna they belch forth nothing but flames There are some unclean spirits that walk in dry places Matth. 12.43 Now if spiritual sins are worser then carnal as partaking more of the will and the whole soul certainly this drunkenness which throws fire-brands into the roof of Government and longs to wallow in the ashes of a Kingdom is worse then his that rowles in his own vomit This degrades us below bruit beasts and that equals us to the very devils This hath more scandal before men but that hath more guilt in the sight of God Such as these may in time be brought to repentance but those are commonly hardned in their impiety that as Christ told the Preists and Elders that Publicans and Harlots should go into the Kingdom of Heaven before them so 't is easier to teach these prophane wretches their duty to 〈◊〉 their Prince and convince them of their exorbitant carriage then it is to turn those about whose webs are finer spun and their fardels wrapt up in Eliah's Mantle I hope you will not call this pleading for Baal and arguing for debauchery no more then Saint James pleaded for Devils when he sayes they beleive and tremble or our Saviour for Heathenism when he prefers the condition of Tyre and Sâ—don before that of Chorazin and Bethsaida A Serpent is a Serpent still though in some respect that is in looking to his head he is the emblem of wisdom But as the Moralities of Pagans and honest dealings of Turks do but aggravate the vices and cheatings of Christians and will rise up in judgment against them So that loyalty which is in profane persons doth the more condemn that disobedience which is in men professing Religion Are not you ashamed to violate the commands of Authority when Swearers and Drunkards are zealous for them and herein it is to wit in what is good that they deserve both favour and incouragement I pray study Metaphysiks better and do not confound and jumble together the notions of those things which ought to be distinguished abstracted and sever'd one from another These men are câ—untenanc'd 't is true as obedient subjects but not as Drunkards For so the Laws of the Land are severe against them if they were well executed 'T is an arrand fallacy to conclude absolutely and comprehensively when the premises are only to be understood of things in some particular respects and considerations Although I wish from my heart there were no need of such logical acceptations but that such as were loyal heretofore and do still keep their integrity did not blast their own vertue and give their enemies occasion by the looseness of their lives to traduce the goodness of their cause Now as to your darling private meetings whereby you contront the publick establish'd worship of God and would make men believe that God is served only in your corners That as Eliah once spake unadvisedly and with too much ostentation you are left alone that you are as a garden of Cucumbers that our Temples are profan'd with superstition Sirs be not angry if the supream Magistrate have a jealous eye upon your Assemblies as having paid dear already for the like method and procecdings Is there no cause for him to fear lest you should hatch such Harpy's as may in time devour him And what necessity I pray of this schism I can call it no better if
desires glossing n Ecclâ—â— 5 〈◊〉 Tâ—r. 〈◊〉 in Mat. 26.20 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in â—â—xâ—d 2â— though tendered in the same words In oraeione quantum verbis accedit tantum spieitui decedit sayes the Casuist The more intent we are upon words in prayer the weaker is our spirit in praying Though we pray in an old form yet if we put forth new vigour of soul Bâ—lâ—m p 21 our prayers shall be fresh every day and not for that reason be the less prevalent since that God with whom we have to do looks more after our Hearts and Reins and those secret groans which cannot be uttered this is prayer indeed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 effectually wrought in us by Gods own spirit than after the froth of our lips or cadency of our words In sacro quid facit anrum It was an Heathenish conceit that the smoak of their Incense burnt upon their Altars and the savour of their Sacrifices did delight the Nostrils of their Gods Let us come before him with humility repentance steddy zeal Et farre litemus It matters not though our words be few and plain though our prayers be short and repeated every day in the same numerical syllables though our ears are so carnal that they long itch as much after change of sentences as a wanton stomack doth after variety of meats yet far be this from us when we have to do with God Our words may be the same yet our prayers may be new As he that read over Virgil several times and alwayes observ'd a new fansie in that Poet. But what necessity of any new strain of words If God would grant me those petitions which are offered up to him in the Common-Prayers I should account my self sufficiently happy Although we are not so restrain'd but upon occasions even in publick we may use our gifts if there we be grave modest discreet and humble And here we have a Royal approbation of one that was the best Interpreter of the Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If men would study to undermine the very walls of Zion and throw Granado's into the Holy of Holies they could not find out a more compendious way than by bringing into the Church such a Trojan Horse as this intollerable tolleration in permitting every one to do what is good in his own eyes if some Ministers should pray by Book and others without if some should observe the Rubrick and others go by the Cards of their own distorted fansies What Censuring What condemning each other must inevitably follow hereupon Look what the one did must needs be a reproach and a defiance unto the other He that reads will pass sentence upon him that reads not As those Christians that were converted from Gentilisme and did eat all sorts of meats indifferently did judge and despise those judaizing converts who were more scupulous in abstaining from several sorts of meats What casting of dirt I had almost said darts into one anothers faces would there be betwixt the Ministers of this and the next Parish Ardet adbuc Ombros et Tentyrs summus utrinq jude suror populo quad numina vicinorum die marg locusquum jolos credat habondas â—…sse d 〈…〉 ipso 〈…〉 Methinks I here one say of the other he is a legal flat hide-bound flegmatick Parish-Priest And the other replying before the words are quite out of his mouth that he who is so forward to brand his neighbour is a proud daring pragmatical babler evaporating crude indigested and lame petitions which he would be asham'd to offer unto his Prince What will the people do in this case Scinditur in incertum c. they are at best but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like Proteus turning into several shapes they are as unstable as water and therefore are compar'd in the Revelation to floods and great waters which roar this way and the other way as they meet with impressions of several winds They will hardly be kpt within their own channels They will adhere to the one and despise the other and like that rout Acts 19. Some will cry one thing some another some will say such a Minister is a good man no sayes his neighbour for he deceiveth the people The Sabbath day will be spent in counter-traversing the wayes from one Church to another Here goes a troop of Male-contents from their own Jerusalem unto Hiericho These have nice squeamish stomacks that care not for solid meat but cry out upon their daily Manna therefore they are looking out for novelties and change of dyet which may suit better with their curious stomacks Perhaps by the same way they meet as many that are weary of their running-banquets and kickshaw dishes these are looking our for sincere milk They desire to worship God not at the discretion of a single Minister but in such a way as hath been approved of by Synods Convocations Parliaments by the best Divines ancient and modern at home and abroad so that after the way which others even those they met a little before call Superstition Heresie Idolatry so worship they the Lord-God of their Fathers Now what confusion is here like to be especially since no discords swell higher than those that are maintain'd by dissenters in Religion and where Conscience whether rightly inform'd or deluded is call'd in to abet the quarrel In such cases there are bella plusquam civilia inveterate and irreconcileable jarrs here a company of Guelphs and yonder as many Gibelines Several Congregrations will be but as York and Lancaster one to the other Consider now my Brethren whether this motion of yours is like to come from the God of peace and order from that spirit which sayes as much as possibly ye can live peaceably with all men As if the Apostle would have us to strain our selves and not to stand upon gnats and petty provocations that so we may preserve the bonds of peace Doth this spirit prompt you to promote such courses which are like to crumble the Church and state into Atomes And to break our staves into shivers both that of beauty and this of bonds Hoe ithacus velit this is that which the common enemy watches for such designs though they setch a compass about yet in the conclusion will jump in and concenter with theirs Now you are so unkind to the Church and your own native Country yet can you blame the supreme Magistrate whom God hath appointed to be our nursing Father and hath intrusted him with two swords and with both the Tables of his Law if he seeing his Subjects rushing precipitantly perniciously as well as pertinaciously upon the point of their own ruin does interprose his Authority and restrain theem by setting them bounds which they shall not pass But I have heard some pleading very vehemently who would not seem inconsiderable persons That in point of policy those that are in authority should allow liberty in indifferent things For this say they would content