A TREATISE OF THE CEREMONIES OF THE CHVRCH VVherein the points in question Concerning Baptisme kneeling at the Sacrament Confirmation Festiuities c. Are plainly handled and manifested to be lawfull as they are now vsed in the Church of ENGLAND Whereunto is added a Sermon preached by a Reuerend Bishop 1. Cor. 11.16 But if any man seeme to be contentious c. LONDON Printed for Ralphe Rounthwaite and are to be solde at his shop at the signe of the Golden Lyon in Paules Church-yard 1625. 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 meet to 〈◊〉 this short Preface vnto you Albeit all things necessarie to the worship of God The power of the Church 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 The power of the Christian Church in electing Pastors 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 Numb cap. 3. 1. Tim. 3. 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 2. Cor. 10. 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 Their power in consecrating places Act. 15.21 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 Deut. 12.4 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 1. Cor. 14.40 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 this place being built and dedicated to the worship of God may not bee condemned neglected nor profaned but frequented and kept for religious vses Not that wee esteeme that there is any more holinesse in it then in another place or that Gods presence and so his worship is annexed more to that place then to another but to the end religious Seruice may be performed decently and in order this is done Thirdly The power of the Church in appointing times to Gods worship Leuit. 23. 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 diuinocultui 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 Act. 5. Act. 19. 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 Act. 13.14 Epitom de â—â—â—e Catholica 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 Epist ad Ianuar. 118. 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 Caluin 361. Epist in the daies of I. Caluin
of the last generall Assembly at Saint-Andrewes to heare such words of indignation and iust displeasure so often to proceed out of the mouth of so good and so gracious a Prince like MOSES the meekest man vpon the face of the Earth Sed verendum etiam atque etiam quò exeat patientia tam saepe laesa Words spoken against those that are called to be Ministers Embassadors of Peace and patternes of Pietie and Obedience vttered in the eares of them who labour indeed as it becommeth so loyall and louing subiects by their humble and dutifull obedience vnto his sacred Maiestie to out-strip those that went before them and albeit they haue the last yet not to haue the least portion in our DAVIDS loue But as then with all good and well-affected men I much grieued so now I heartily reioyce and praise God that notwithstanding of all that is passed I haue liued to see this day agenerall 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 a 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 Ministeric 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 hee who hath laboured so much to exalt the glorie of this 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 vnto 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 be both lawfull and expedient To take away that scandall 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 of reformation had beene giuen onely and solely rested vpon you To remoue that notorious and publique scandall which by the fierie and turbulent spirits of some few priuate men lyeth heauie vpon the feruent and zealous Professours of the glorious Gospel of Christ as if they 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
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 indifferent it is true indeed that they become not only scandalous and morally euill as Perkins sayth but superstitious and Rites of wil-worship when they are vrged as necessary to be vsed for parts of Gods worship instituted by himselfe as ye vrge sitting at the Table in the Sacrament of the Supper or when it is vrged that they be reiected and excluded from the worship of God as simply vnlawfull and which may be vsed without breach of some diuine Ordinance as you will haue kneeling and the commemoration of Gods inestimable benefits vpon the fiue Anniuersary dayes the clebration of the Sacraments in cases of necessity in priuate places and the examination and blessing of yong Children by the Bishop in his Visitation the contentious maintenance of such points against the order of the Church can neither stand with Pietie nor Charitie nor with the Apostolicall Rules Whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne Giue no offence neither to the lew nor to the Grecian nor to the Church of God Let all things be done honestly and in order The fourth Article PP They giue way to humane inuentions and bring the wrong key of mans wit within the house of God whereby toyes and trifling Ceremonies in number and force are multiplyed as mens wits are variable to inuent Who requireth those things at your hands ANS The determination of the circumstantiall Ceremonies belonging to the formes times places and persons by whom where when and how God should bee worshipped concluded by the Assembly at Perth giue no way to humane inuention nor bring within the house of God any key but that which God hath giuen to his Church for piety and edification and for establishing of order and decencie to be vsed in his worship which things God requireth at our hands The fift Article PP The admitting of some openeth the doore to the rest the multitude of such make vs inferiour to the Iewes in two respects First Their Ceremonies were all diuine Secondly In number fewer then rituall Christians do obserue betwixt the Pasche and Pentecost Gerson complayneth Quod multitudine leuissimarum ceremoniarum vis omnis Spiritus sancti quem in nobis vigere oportuit vera pietas sit extincta that with the multitude of friuolous Ceremonies true pietie was extinguished and the force of the Spirit which ought to bee powerfull in vs. Iewell Apollog p. 116. Sed quamuis hoc neque inueniri possit c. Aug. Epist 119. Howbeit it cannot bee found how they are contrary to the faith yet they presse downe Religion it selfe with seruile burthens so that the estate of the Iewes is more tolerable who howbeit they did now acknowledge the time of their liberty are subiect notwithstanding to the burthens of the Law not to the presumptions of man Quanto magis accedit cumulo c. Confess Orthodox cap. 27. that is The more that the heape of Rites and Ceremonies in the Church increaseth the more is derogated not onely from Christian libertie but also from Christ and his faith learned graue men may like better of the single forme of Policie in our Church then of the many Ceremonies of the Church of England Epist before Basilicon Doron ANS Some Ceremonies must bee admitted otherwise neither order nor decencie can be obserued in the worship of God and the admission of such as be lawfull and profitable is not the cause of introducing vnnecessary burthens but when the Church extendeth her libertie beyond the bounds assigned thereto of order and decency and moderateth not the vse of her power according to the Apostolicall Rules of piety and charity 1. Cor. 10.31 Whatsoeuer yee doe doe all to the glory of God 1. Cor. 14.26 Let all things be done to edification Rom. 14.19 Let vs therfore follow after the things which make for peace and things wherewith one may edifie another Gal. 5.1 Stand in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made you free and be not intangled againe with the yoke of bondage When these rules are not looked to and thereby the power of the Church moderated and keeped within the limits of circumstantiall things belonging only to the manners times and places of diuine worship whereof some of necessitie must be determined and appointed to bee vsed in the worship of God vnnecessary burdens are laid vpon the Church as it was in Papistry Against this abuse the complaints of Gerson and Augustine are directed which ye shall neuer be able to apply truly against the Ceremonies determined and concluded at Perth which are all within the compasse of the Apostolicall Canons and concerne only circumstantiall things and there be farre more learned and graue men who like better of them then of our former order as after shall be cleered in the dispute The sixt Article PP Matters of that nature bring ineuitably with them disputations diuisions contentions as may be seen in all Churches where such coales of contention get entrie The Pascha of the Primitiue Church c. ANS It is not the nature of the matters but the nature of contentious persons that for such matters take occasion to make question and strife The seuenth Article PP They hinder edification for how much time and zeale shall bee spent vpon the in-bringing and establishing of these as much leisure and oportunity Satan getteth to sow and water the tares of Atheisme Schisme Popery and Dissention Consider the sentence following Let vs proceed by one rule that we may minde one thing c. ANS This is a prophetical Article easie to bee diuined by these who had already concluded by their opposition and contradiction to hinder the peaceable in-bringing therof to open a gate of dissention wherby Satan might enter to sow the tares of Schisme Atheisme and Popery in the Church yet obedient and peaceable Pastors haue in their Congregations brought in practice all these things without losse of time or trauell And Satan Schisme Atheisme and Popery had bin debarred and the work had pleasantly and profitably gone forward had the rest concurred with them according to the golden sentēces following First Let vs proceed by one rule that we may mind one thing Secondly Let vs follow the truth in
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 disagreed on the day But their most ancient Records the bastard-Epistles aboue mentioned report that Philip 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 Peter and so by these Epistles ye cannot proue that Iohn and Peter disagreed on the day It is said that Polycarpus and Anicetus 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 themselues 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 succeeded him the sooner to win their Brethren the Iewes condescended to keepe Easter 14. Luna 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 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 anothen 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 Lastly they reason with Augustiue a posteriori 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 opinion c. ANS Socrates 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 probable 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 solennitaie celebrantur that is They are yearely celebrated after a solemne manner The diuersitie of the day consuteth 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