Men preach such as they print with Publick Allowance and therefore they ought to provide better for their Souls elsewhere Especially they say That the Doctrine of Justification is Articulus stantis vel cadentis Ecclesiae an Article with which the Church falls or stands This Article say they in the Parish where we live is quite demolish'd by the Doctrine of Justification by Works We are bound therefore to provide for our safety and depart and when We are once out We will advise upon another Church not which is tolerable but which is most eligible and in all things nearest the Word p. 161 Sect. 5. They plead That there 's no Obligation upon them to own the Churches Power to impose new Terms of Communion unless the Church can prove her Power from Christ. It 's not for them to disprove it it lies upon her to prove it and to prove it substantially too or else it will be hard to prove it their duty to own it p. 181 Sect. 6. They say The World is pestered with Disputes about Worship about Religion and therefore since All cannot be in the right they are willing to go the safest Way and worship God according to his Word If the things disputed be lawful to be done let them be so they are sure it is lawful to let them alone And they think there 's no great hazard in keeping to Scripture Rule nor can believe that Christ will send any to Hell because they did not worship God in an external Mode more neat and spruce them God commanded p. 190 Sect. 7. They pretend That the things impos'd are parts of Worship which none can create but God nor will God accept of any but such as are of his own creating and whether they be Integral or Essential parts They do not know but in the Worship of God they find them standing upon even ground with those that are certainly Divine or at least as high as Man can lift them p. 196 Sect. 8. They do not find that God ever commanded the things imposed either in General in Special or their Singulars If God has commanded a duty to be done the Church must find a place to do it in But though the Church must find a place for the Duty a time for the Duty she may not find new Duty for the Time and Place p. 216 Sect. 9. They are the more cautious of all Ceremonies because the Old Church of England in her Homilies Serm. 3. of Good Works tells us That such hath been the corrupt Inclination of Man superstitiously given to make new Honouring of God of his own head and then to have more Affection and Devotion to keep that than to search out God's holy Commandments and do them p. 247 Sect. 10. They say They have read over all the Books that have been written in Justification of those things and they find their Arguments so weak their Reasons so frivolous that setting aside Rhetorick and Railing there 's nothing in them but what had been either Answered by others or is contradicted by themselves which hardens them in their Errour who are gone astray into the right Way p. 254 Sect. 11. They say It 's their Duty to endeavour a Reformation according to the Word which if others will not they cannot help it and hope they will not be angry with the Willing p. 262 A Fresh Inquiry Into the PLEA of the NON-CONFORMISTS c. SECT I. THey plead that some things are imposed upon their Faith tendred to subscription as Articles of Faith which are either false or at least they have not yet been so happy as to discover the truth of them In Article 20. they are required to subscribe this Doctrine The Church hath Power to decree Rites and Ceremonies Which Clause of the Article as we fear it hath been by some indirect means shuffled into the Article it not being found in the Authentick Articles of Edw. 6. so it proves also that the Terms of Communion have been enlarged since the first Times of the Reformation The Answer The Articles of the Church of England are not imposed under Oath nor required to be received with a like affection and piety as the holy Scriptures are nor to be believed as Articles of Faith further then they can approve themselves to be contained in the Holy Scriptures For the Sixth of those Articles declares thus Holy Scripture containeth all things necessary to salvation so that whatsoever is not read therein nor may be proved thereby is not to be required of any man that it should be believed as an Article of the Faith or be thought requisite and necessary to salvation The moderation of the Church of England herein is evinced in another Treatise viz. The Proselyte of Rome called back c. p. 7. to the 10. There is no Protestant Church of any creditable denomination more moderate and ingenious in this point then ours is To keep them from Sects and Corruptions and tie them up close to the Doctrine of the Augustan Confession we find it decreed among the Lutherans Nemo quicunque sit That no man whatsoever shall be admitted to any Office or Ministry in their Churches Schools or otherwise nor shall any such be tolerated therein unless they shall approve and receive such a body of Doctrine as there mentioned and shall persevere therein and neither by word nor deed oppose the same And it is further decreed and established That if any shall be but suspected as contradicting those Doctrines and the unanimous consent therein if they refuse to be better instructed and give no place to the Fatherly admonitions of others their Superiours they shall be removed from their Offices or Employments or else their names shall be signified that due execution of punishment may proceed against them as persons refractory and contumacious And 't is their practice too upon occasion to make their Ministers and Professors to renounce such opinions as are declared to be erroneous sub jurisjurandi sacramento even under the Sacrament of a solemn Oath And the Calvinists are no less strict in this point The Proxies or Deputies to be sent from the Provinces to the National Synod as is expressed in the Form of the Letters written à Synodo Victoriacensi in Brittain are tied to this Solemn Engagement Promittimus coram Deo c. that is We do promise before God that we will submit our selves to all things which shall be agreed and decreed by your holy Assembly and will execute the same with all our power because we are persuaded that God presides over it and that he will direct you by his Holy Spirit according to the rule of his Word into all truth and equity Here we have a promise of submission made before God by a kind of implicit Faith and blind Obedience to the Decrees of a Synod of Calvinists before the Convention of it And this is grounded upon a Divine persuasion else with what confidence can they
and the Edification of the Church This is an Apostolical Precept 3. That Power which the Church exerted from the beginning and has exercised in all after-Ages That Power the Church is invested with if not let them shew us some defeasance or forfeiture of it But a power to appoint and settle Rites and Ceremonies the Church did exert from the beginning and has exercised in all after-Ages St. Paul exercised this Power in appointing Their Method and course of Prophesying their weekly Collections for the Poor that they speak not in an unknown tongue unless they do interpret that the Women keep silence in the Church that the Men be covered and the Women uncovered in the time and place of Publick VVorship And 't is the affirmation of the most Learned and Judicious Sanderson Posse de novo leges Condi de Ritibus de Rebus Personis Ecclesiasticis omnibusque Sacri cultus externi Circumstantiis ad Ordinem honestatem aedificationem spectantibus extra eas quae sunt à Christo ejus Apostolis traditae in Sacris literis adeo Manifesta res est rationi Consentanea ut perversi judicii obstinatique animi suspitione aegre se liberaverit qui siccus sobrius id negaverit That new Laws may be made concerning Rites Things and Persons Ecclesiastical and all the Circumstances of our external holy Worship concerning Order Honesty and Edification besides those delivered in holy Scripture by Christ and his Apostles is a thing so manifest and agreeable to reason that he will very hardly free himself from the suspition of an obstinate mind and a perverse judgment who shall soberly deny it And this Power is of necessity to be perpetually in the Church because such Rites and Ceremonies are not perpetual For they are of things in their own nature indifferent and alterable and there may be a just Cause if the Church thinks good to alter them and consequently there must be a constant Power in the Church to appoint or alter them accordingly as occasion serves And this is the judgment of the Learned Whitaker Fatemur Apostolos in singulis Ecclesiis Ritus aliquos atque Consuetudines ordinis decori Causa Sanxisse non autem scripsisse quia hi Ritus non erant perpetui futuri sed liberi qui pro Commodo temporum ratione Mutari possent we acknowledge saith he that the Apostles did in all Churches establish some Rites and Customs for order and decency sake and yet did not commit them to Writing Because these Rites were not to be perpetual but free and such as might be changed in regard of the time and benefit of the Church See Hemmingius 4. That Society whose Custom and Practice in matter of Rites and Ceremonies not repugnant to God's Word is a Supersedeas to all objection and ought not to be disputed that Society hath a Power to appoint Rites and Ceremonies I say not repugnant to God's Word for Custom is not pleadable in God's Church without Right or against God's Word for Consuetudo sine veritate est vestustas erroris Custom without Truth is but the dotage of Errour But the custom and practice of the Church in matter of Rites and Ceremonies not repugnant to God's Word is a Supersedeas to all objection and ought not to be disputed This is St. Paul's own Argument 1 Cor. 11. 16. in a Matter of Ceremonies the Womans vail in the time and place of Publick Worship If any man seems to be contentious we have no such custom neither the Churches of God Quae sententia tam ad contentionem quam ad velandi ritum referri potest which Sentence may as well be referred to the contention as to the Rite of Covering the head saith Bullinger Duabus securibus disputationes amputat saith Grotius He cuts off Disputes with two Hatchets Apostolical Institution and the Custom of the Churches Quod per omnes Ecclesias receptum est to call that in question which is received among all Churches est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the part of such as are contentious And as Bullinger very well observes Hoc ultimo hujus negotii loco This being added in the last place by the Apostle to conclude the whole matter Vehementèr potuit eorum pungere Mentes qui non omninò praefracti atque deploratae erant pertinatiae It might have nettled them exceedingly who were not altogether stubborn and desperately obstinate To conclude this Matter Christ hath settled in his Church a Power to make Laws and appoint Rites and Ceremonies for the decent and orderly performance of all her Administrations and such as do otherwise than these Laws Command with a contemptuous and disloyal mind Mr. Perkins has declared them guilty before God in sundry places of his Works For that general Rule of the Apostle Let all things be done decently and according to order must be look'd upon with the same Reverence as if it dropt from the Lips of Christ himself saith Mr. Calvin This is the foundation upon which the whole Ecclesiastical Discipline is built saith Hemmingius And from hence it is confirm'd that the Pious Constitutions of the Church are so far sorth Divine as they serve to Edification by their decency and good order Whereupon they bind us to Obedience saith he in that respect Etiam jure Divino even of Divine Right When St. Austin therefore had received this advice from St. Ambrose whatsoever Church thou comest into observe the Customes of it that thou may'st not be a Scandal to others nor others to thy self This saying of that holy Father St. Austin often thought on and always embraced it as an Oracle from Heaven And concludes from thence there is no better Rule or Instruction for a discreet and sober Christian to follow than to do as the Church does where e're he comes Quod enim neque contra fidem neque contra bonos Mores injungitur indifferenter est habendum pro eorum inter quos vivitur Societate servandum est For that which is injoyn'd if it be neither against the Faith nor against good Manners it is to be esteem'd as a thing indifferent and ought to be observed in regard of their Society with whom we do converse And so much for the Power of the Church to decree and injoyn Rites and Ceremonies As to the Superfaetation of this Article That it is not found in the Authentick Articles of K. Edward the Sixth and so the Terms of Communion have been enlarged since the first times of the Reformation To this I answer 1. That the Corinthians and the Cretians might have made the like objection as well against St. Paul as against Titus because all things were not presently settled at the first plantation of the Gospel 1 Cor. 11. last Tit. 15. Much may be abolisht in an instant but such as pretend to Reformation and yet do nothing but pull down they
he treats more mildly and gently in His Epistle to the Romans but more severely and sharply a great deal in his Epistles to the Galatians and Colossians Was it out of Condescention to their weakness at his first Writing which was not to be continued when success of time might have afforded them sufficient means of better Information So the Author of the Synopsis thinks but then the Epistle to the Romans should be more early written then the Learned do allow it was Soto is of Opinion That the Mystery of St. Peter's Vision which directed him to converse with Cornelius and other Gentiles Act. 10. 10 c. was not yet published to the Romans or at least that they did not understand the meaning of it and thence he Collects also that the Council mentioned Act. 15. was not then assembled In the Epistle to the Romans the Controversie chiefly lay between Grace and Nature but in that to the Galatians it was betwixt the Law and Faith saith Ambianus The Apostle was angry with the Galatians because tho' they were very well instructed yet they were easily seduced But he ought not to be angry with the Romans but to commend their Faith quia nulla virtutum videntes insignia susciperunt fidem Christi saith the Comment of St. Ambrose because they had embraced the Faith tho' they had seen no Miracles and tho' they mistook the sense it was because they had not yet been sufficiently instructed in the Mystery of Christ's Cross. The Epistle to the Galatians was written only to Gentiles that to the Romans was written both to Jews and Gentiles as S. Hierom has observed The Jewish Converts tho' they embraced the Faith yet they thought themselves still obliged to Moses Law to abstain from certain Meats and to observe certain days according to the Jewish Customs On the other side the Gentiles and such as were better instructed in the Truth of the Gospel they embraced the faith of Christ but would not be concern'd in those Mosaical Observances to which they had never been addicted Hereupon heats and animosities did arise which kindled into a despising and condemning of one another Now in this Epistle to the Romans it was the great Temper and Prudence of the Apostle to carry an even hand betwixt the two contending Parties and amicably to compromise the difference between them We must remember St. Paul had not yet been at Rome And altho' upon Information and Complaint from some other Churches He gave Orders at a distance for the redress of some particular Miscarriages yet some other things he thought fit to reserve till his own personal presence should give him an opportunity to inspect the Temper and Conditions of the People that he might be the better able to settle such Rules and Orders as should appear to be most convenient Thus he did in the Church of Corinth Many undecent Carriages he corrected by his Epistle Coetera autem quae ad aedificationem Ecclesiae pertinent praesentiâ suâ Ordinare se promisit saith St. Ambros. ad 1 Cor. 11. ult Other things which concern'd the Edification of the Church He promised to set in order by his presence And thus de did touching the Church of Rome Some Points of Doctrine he carefully stated as Justification by Grace through the Faith which is in Christ Jesus c. He Taught the Jew and Gentile-Converts likewise how they should carry themselves respectively to one another That the strong should not despise the weak nor the weak judge and condemn the strong But these were Directions for Common use among private Christians but for Decrees and Orders of publick use and practice he gave out none to this Church because as yet here was no Jurisdiction settled no Laws made no Governours appointed to put them in Execution This Grotius Collects from Rom. 16. 4 5 17. This makes me believe that there were then no Common Assemblies of Christians saith he or no Presbyterie at Rome Otherwise in stead of commanding to mark such as caused those Scandals or Schisms He would have had them Excommunicated For when the Church is without such Government single Persons can do no more than avoid familiar Conversation with such as live not according to the Rule of Christ. Thus Grotius Catharinus seems to Collect no less from the Apostles expostulation Rom. 14. 4. Who art thou that judgest another man's Servant Cùm non sis Pastor aut Dominus ejus seeing thou art neither his Pastour nor his Lord and therefore thou hast no right to pass Sentence on him And as much is to be concluded from the 22 Verse Hast thou faith have it to thy self before God Had there been a Bishop settled there it had been their Duty in any Matter of Hesitation to consult him to resolve their Doubts and settle their Persuasions But as yet there was no such Establishment hereupon he does advise them to be sincere in their Profession and to carry themselves uprightly between God and their own Conscience Catharinus to this purpose saith thus Thou hast Faith that is thou hast a clear knowledge of thy Liberty in matters indifferent But have this Faith to thy self before God that thou mayest not hurt thy weak Brother And this is always to be the Practice in such things as the Church does tolerate They are to be dissembled or concealed and we must yield to Infirmity for a time till the matter comes to be made more clear But then we ought to dissemble or conceal our persuasion no longer but freely to declare and boldly to follow what the Church hath established Thus Catharinus for then Obedientia praecepti est our Obedience is under Precept as Tolet hath observed The Apostle doth Predict and Promise them a happy Conquest over all adversary Power whether exercised by subtlety and imposture or otherwise Rom. 16. 20 The God of Peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly He means the false Apostles Deceivers and Disturbers of the Churches Peace the signal Instruments of Satan and their overthrow should be by his speedy comming to them to ordain what was wanting to their settlement The design of this Digression is to shew that the Apostle did never give colour to set up Christian Liberty against the Laws and Authority of the Church And 't is further evident that the Church did from time to time prescribe and limit the use of things indifferent as they judged it most expedient to avoid Scandal and promote Edification And to this purpose they did observe times and determine things and distinguish persons 1. They did observe times For the People of the Jews had been so long Wedded unto Moses had so great a veneration for all his Laws Rites and Ceremonies and these were so constantly inculcated into them every Sabbath Day as St. James observes Act. 15 21. That they could not suddenly be weaned from the Practice of them And they were a People so perverse
the exercise of that Right and Power in every Christian Common-wealth ought to depend upon the Authority of the Supream Civil Magistrate Wherefore that Learned and Ingenious S. P. in The Case of the Church of England p. 264 265. hath very well observed That the Bottom we build upon is this That the Church own'd by the Law of England is the very same that was establisht by the Law of Christ. For unless we suppose that the Church was Originally settled by our Saviour with Divine Authority we deny his Supremacy over his own Church and unless we suppose that the Supream Government of the Kingdom has power to abet and ratifie our Saviours establishment by Civil Laws we deny his Majesties Supremacy over his Christian Subjects and therefore both together must be taken into the right State and Constitution of the Church of England There are some Rites and Ceremonies whose Original cannot be trac'd out having bin in use in the Church of God at all times and places These are supposed with great Reason to have been derived from the Apostles themselves for such an Vniversal practice could not be introduced but by a Common and Vniversal Authority as an Vniversal effect must have a Cause of no less efficacy to produce it Now for any Particular Church to attempt a Change of such Rites and Ceremonies is as if a Quarter Sessions in a private Corporation should take upon them to dissolve or over-rule what has been regularly done and settled in a Full Parliament 3. We should consider whether there be any need of such Reformation as they endeavour There are some Rites and Ceremonies which no Person no Particular Church should presume to alter because the Vnity and Vniformity of the Catholick Church is preserved hereby and if we will possess our selves to continue in her Communion we must observe them upon the account of our Conformity to her practice But other particular Rites and Ceremonies are left to the prudence of Particular Churches to exercise their Power and Liberty with respect to the Manners and Temper of the People But That there is no Necessity of Reformation of the Publick Doctrine of the Church of England hath been made good against Doctor Burges by the Right Reverend Learned and Judicious Doctor Pearson now Lord Bishop of Chester And that there is no Need of such a Reformation of the Publick 1. Doctrine 2. Worship 3. Rites and Ceremonies 4. Church Government 5. Discipline as is pretended hath been proved by H. S. D. D. 1660. But we shall not take it for granted tho we know no Answer returned to these and several other Learned Men who have wrote in Justification of the Church of England to that effect but give our proof for it That Church which is already Reform'd and establisht according to the Word as far as a state of Frailty and Humane Prudence will admit That Church hath no need of further Reformation But such is the Church of England I would not be mistaken For I know there ought to be a proficiency in Grace and Holiness and the practice of all Christian Vertues till we arrive at such a Degree of Perfection as this Mortal condition is capable of But for a further Reformation of Doctrine or Government of Liturgy Rites and Ceremonies or of Laws and Canons if what are already enacted were duly inforced and executed we have no need of it It is duly observed by that Worthy Person even now mentioned That if every defect from Christs Institution should forfeit the Rights of a Christian Church there never was as we may find by the Apostles account of the Churches in their times nor ever will be such a thing as a Church in the World For in this life it is not to be expected that any thing should be absolutely perfect the very nature of Christianity supposes Imperfection and accepts of Integrity and as long as with sincere Affections men adhere to the Principles of the Church they are within the Promise of the Grace of God That the Church of England is not Reformed up to those Principles who can make good the Charge against her Where was the failure Did not our Reformers use sufficient Means 1 Did they not search the Scriptures according to the Rule of our Blessed Saviour Did they not understand the sense and latitude of the Scriptures Had they not an eye to the Rules of Decency and Order to God's Glory and the Edification of the Church 2 Did they not consult Antiquity according to Divine Direction Job 8. 8 10. Jer. 6. 16. 3 Did they not use a Moral Diligence to search into the nature of things for their full satisfaction 4 Did they not make this Inquiry after the Truth with a Christian Simplicity and Godly Sincerity We appeal to the Searcher of Hearts to witness this and to their own Learned and Judicious Writings to assert the other 5 Had they not as full Authority both Ecclesiastical and Civil as was needful to establish that Reformation And 6 and Lastly Have we not had God's Blessing while we Conform'd obediently to it to assure us he was well-pleased with that Establishment King James tells us in his Proclamation even now mentioned We had no reason to presume that things were so far amiss as was pretended because we had seen the Kingdom under that Form of Religion which by Law was established in the days of the late Queen of Famous Memory blessed with a Peace and Prosperity both extraordinary and of many years continuance a strong Evidence that God was therewith well-pleased But 't is an ill sign of a growing Reformation when the times afford us as they have done a long while so many Evil men and Seducers who wax worse and worse deceiving and being deceived 2 Tim. 3. 13. A Reformation of Manners and Practice we acknowledge highly needful but for Ecclesiastical Orders and Constitutions about the Worship and Service of God there wants nothing but a hearty Observation to improve them 4. It is to be considered with great attention Whether such as are in Authority and are satisfied that there is no need of Reformation should alter Legal Constitutions to gratifie whether the Humor or Importunity of Dissenters In the management hereof I shall consult no Passion or Interest nor be swayed by any prejudice resolving only to give the sense of other Protestants and I shall begin with the Lutherans 'T is the Resolution of David Rungius After a faithful account given of the free use of things indifferent such as will not submit to a just Authority nothing is to be done in their favour but as Persons persisting in their purpose out of Hypocrisie or Stubborness out of a love of Contention or some other Mental distemper they are sharply to be reproved Brochmand another eminent Man of that Party saith Some respect is to be had of the Weak in order to their Information but to such as are obstinately Superstitious
maliciously Treacherous or falsé Brethren there ought not to be the least yielding His Reasons are these Lest hereby we should confirm the Superstitious in their Superstition or Minister Scandal and an occasion of Errour to such as are conformable or afford such false Brethren matter to glory in The Learned Meisner has muster'd up no less than Seven Arguments to the same purpose which I shall collect as briefly as is possible 1. The first is drawn from the Nature of things Indifferent which is such as that they may be freely used or freely disused or abrogated but when the disuse abrogation or practice is obtruded as of Necessity and Coaction the nature of such Indifferent things is violated 2. From the Nature of Christian Liberty This is a valuable Treasure and of Christs own purchasing but 't is endanger'd by a double Invasion 1. When things not commanded by God's Word are imposed as absolutely necessary to be observed 2. When things not forbidden by God's Word are restrain'd as sinful to be practised There is Errour and Superstition on either side and Christian Liberty is equally betrayed in them both which Authority therefore should neither abet nor tolerate 3. From the Duty of true Christians An ingenuous Profession of the Gospel to assert the whole Truth thereof with the Priviledges which accrue to us thereby especially when assaulted and opposed and such is our Christian Liberty with the free use or disuse of things Indifferent not determined by Authority whose Power the Gospel has established This is a Christians Duty A flat denial whereof is against that Profession which Christ requires Matt. 10. 33. and to dissemble it is unwarrantable and we ought to avoid the appearance of it as one of the unfruitful works of darkness that we betray not our Profession 4. From the general Command touching the lawful use of Ceremonies and things Indifferent Wherein three things are to be observed Order Decency and Edification Good Order is not kept in tumultuous Alterations All Change is dangerous in Church and State No man can foresee what disturbance will ensue upon an inconsiderate variation of indifferent and inoffensive Ceremonies especially in a time when such Christian Priviledges and Publick Authority ought to be own'd and preserved inviolable What Doubts may arise upon such a Change and what Confusion may follow it who will take upon him to determine Is not the Confusion great when things Indifferent are exposed for Necessary and things Absolutely necessary accounted but Indifferent Can it be inservient either to Order or Decency when there is no degree of Superiority and Subordination among the Ministers of the Church No distinction of Habits between the Laity and the Ministers of the Gospel observed Who can think the Church is Edified where all Genuflexion all Reverence all evidences of a Devout mind are out of practice When all the Proper Lessons that should inculcate the Great Mysteries which are to be represented for our Memory our Devotion and Gratitude on the Festivals of the Nativity the Resurrection and Pentecost c. are abrogated and perhaps the History of Lot's Incest and the like things most incongruous for such Sacred Solemnities shall be surrogated and read in their stead 5. A Fifth Argument is drawn Ab incommodo from the great Incommodiousness of it As the general Command requires in matters of Indifferency that all things be done to edification so the Law of Charity forbids us to do any thing that may either offend the Weak in the practice of their Conformity or confirm the Adversaries in their Errour the Example of the Great Apostle affording us signal Instances to these purposes The Mischiefs of such a Scandal are sufficiently collected from the Woe our Saviour has denounced against the Authors of them Matt. 18. 6 7. And the Mischiefs of such a Confirmation of obstinate Dissenters are too evident saith he by Experience The Peace of the Church is not hereby obtained but the safety thereof much endangered for the Adversaries do not acquiesce in such Concessions but take occasion from thence to proceed in defending their Errours and disturbing the Church an Example whereof has given us a late Experiment in the Dukedom of Anhalt If they can obtain to have things abrogated because they are pleased to load them with the reproach of Superstition and Sinfulness they cannot with a fairer occasion to traduce other Matters and by this specious Argument of yielding in such Cases among the weaker and worse sort of Men to render Them suspected in their Principles whom they had formerily treated with all respect and reverence as the Ministers of God Hereupon such as are not well Confirmed will be apt to fall away and others will be offended at their defection and so the Church saith he will not be edified but destroyed the Course of the Gospel not promoted but hindred and at last Truth it self not asserted but weakened and subverted 6. A Sixth Argument he draws from The Practice of the Primitive Church Circumcision being then but a thing indifferent as he observes St. Paul according to the Rule of Charity and Christian Liberty did sometime practice it but when false Brethren did fraudulently intrude to spy out and betray the Liberty of the Church and attempted to impose it as a matter of Necessity St. Paul did absolutely reject it and condemn it Simile ergo c. In like manner the Rites and Ceremonies used in the Lutheran Churches are Adiaphora things indifferent neither commanded nor forbidden either by any Divine Law or Prohibition God leaving them as a middle sort of things which the Church may either freely use or not use at her pleasure Now saith he seeing the Calvinists would put a necessary abstention and restraint upon us as to the use of these things 't is out of all question they would in effect betray our Liberty Wherefore such as are faithful Asserters of the Christian Liberty ought not to yield to them in the least that according to their duty the Truth and Priviledges of the Gospel may be preserved inviolable from all bondage and dissimulation Such as do otherwise by a tame and cowardly Cession do betray our Liberty give scandal to the weak and offer a manifest violence to Apostolical Practice 7. His last Argument is drawn from the insufficiency and weakness of the Adversaries Reasons to make good their pretensions which he does clearly evince as will appear to any man that shall take the pains to examine the Discourse it self to which I remit the Reader I have studied to be concise in the Abridgment of his Arguments which he concludes thus That the Calvinists may obtain what they desire 't is necessary that they urge their abrogation upon an honest Title and prove by evident Reasons that the Rites received in our Churches are not purged from the Superstitions and abuses of the Romanists but serve to nourish them Which since they never did attempt because Experience is a clear
Evidence to the contrary therefore according to the Liberty purchased for us saith he we do retain these Ceremonies which are indifferent in themselves and no where forbidden by the Word of God And that the Nature of things indifferent may remain entire Christian Liberty safe and the Truth unshaken we are resolved not to yield no not so much as for one moment to the intemperance of our Adversaries who under a pretence of Zeal do nothing in matters of Religion but with tumult and an immoderate Asperity Thus the Learned Meisner on behalf of the Lutherans Yet I cannot omit another pregnant Evidence of their strictness in adhering to their establishment which we find in an Extract out of the National Synod held by the Churches of France at Charenton in September 1631. In the Chapter which contains their General Acts their Answer made to an Address of some of the Lutheran Perswasion Translated into English either by Mr. Samuel Hartlip or Mr. John Dury Printed 1641. runs in these very words viz. Touching the request made by the Province of Burgoigne that such of the Faithful as embrace the Augustane Confession might be permitted to Contract Marriages and bring their Children to be baptized in our Churches without abjuring the former Opinions which they hold contrary to the Belief of these Churches The Synod doth declare that seeing the Churches of the Confession of Ausburg do agree with the other Reformed Churches in the Principles and Fundamental Points of true Religion and that in their Discipline and Form of Divine Worship there is neither Idolatry nor Superstition Such of the Faithful of that Confession as shall with the Spirit of Charity and in a truly Peaceable way joyn themselves unto the Publick Assemblies of the Churches in this Kingdom and desire to Communicate with them may without the Abjuration aforesaid be admitted to the Holy Table Contract Marriages with the Faithful of our Confession and present themselves in the quality of God-Fathers to the Children which shall be baptized Upon their Promise given to the Consistory that they will never solicite them to Contradict or do any thing directly or indirectly against the Doctrine believed and professed in our Churches but shall content themselves with giving them Instruction only in things wherein we all agree The Note in the Geneva Bible at 1 Cor. 14. 38. is worth our observation The Church ought not to care for such as be stubbornly ignorant and will not abide to be taught but to go forward notwithstanding in those things which are right Nay in their Books of Discipline as was observed above they Decree That such as will not acquiesce in the Decision of their National Synod and expresly cast of their Errours shall be cut off from the Communion of the Church And this we find practised in Genevah with great severity for Goulartius and the rest of the Consistory deprived Rotarius one of their Ministers and thrust him out of their City and which is more they hunted him by their Letters out of a Town not far from thence which had entertain'd him for their Pastour And all this was done because he gave the Cup in his own Church with his own hand not permitting a Lay-man to deliver it This Fact of his was not the breach of any Ancient Canon of the Church but consonant to our Saviour's own Practice at the Institution of the Sacrament yet being against the Custome of that place they did thus sharply punish it And Mr. Calvin does seem to justifie such rigour upon a Rule of the Apostle 1 Cor. 11. 16. which affords him this Observation Authoritate magìs compescendos esse pervicaces rixandi cupidos quà m refellendos longis disputationibus that is Such as are stubborn and addicted to dispute and wrangle and refuse to sit down quietly by the Publick Determinations and Practice of the Church are not to be treated with Disputations but to be bridled by Authority And there 's AN END AN ANSWER Sent to the Ecclesiastical Assembly at LONDON By the Reverend Noble and Learned Man JOHN DEODATE THE Famous professor of Divinity And most vigilant Pastor of GENEVAH With some Marginal Notes by the late King Printed at Newcastle by Stephen Bulkley 1647. The Translators Preface To the Simple Seduced Reader Reader MAy the Father of Lights open thine Eyes to see over this Strangers shoulders and by this Impartial perspective what thou whilst kept down thus low by the new Masters and through thy Seducers false Mediums hast not hitherto been suffered to perceive it being till now purposely hid from thine Eyes Behold a meer Stranger that notwithstanding his manifold Obligations and personal ingagements to a contrary Discipline in the Church and different form of Government in the State yet overruled by the manifest Truth and Honesty of the Kings Cause breaks through all those Restraints of his Liberty as far as he may to tell the thus much plain English Truth Behold here Geneva's veneration and full vindication too of thine own Mother the Church of England as it stood under Episcopacy traduced here at home by her own spurious Brood for Superstitious Popish Antichristian what not And this Apology directed to the Assemblymen in answer to their Letter what ever it was Behold here again a clear Justification of the King vilified by his own for that for which strangers do admire him his Clemency his Inclinations to Peace his Acts of Grace c. Behold here the Root of Gall that which hath brought forth all these National Mischiefs the Popular Tumults and Conspiracies pointed at there as the only Evident Cause of the Kings Divorce from the Parliament See here by whom poor Ireland was deserted one thing also thou mayst here take notice of from these standers by That the Clergy in their own proper Sphere may be as fit and as honest and perhaps in some respect more able for the good speed of a Treaty than those that do slight them with utter preterition Last of all behold here the Loyal and Religious Subjects only Militia or his own proper Magazine to witt the known Laws of the Land that and Prayer and Submission are the only defensive weapons allowed here by this Master of Fence I say no more to thee save only that I do heartily pity thee and therefore I do still pray for thee and for all thy fellow-bondmen That God will bring into the way of Truth all such as have erred and deceived Amen Reverend Godly and worthy Sirs our Dear Brethren and Companions in the work of the Lord. IF proportionably to the grief we have conceived at your Letters wherein you have expressed the most sad face of your Affaires we had but as much Ability either by our Consolations to asswage your sorrows or by our Counsels to ease your Burthens or by any our Co-operation to help your Extremity we should think our selves very happy in so well corresponding with your Honourable and most