not more deceaved by this errour wee pray you marke that a thing commanded by our Superioures in Church or Policie may bee two wayes inexpedient to wit eyther in respect of some particular Persons who through weaknesse or malice doe stumble at it or else in respect of the bodie in generall because it is contrarie to Order Decencie and Edification If the thing commanded bee inexpedient the first way onlie wee may indeed in such a case for eschewing the Scandall of the weake forbeare the practise of the thing commanded hic nunc in some particuâ—ar places and tymes provyding alwayes wee doe this Without offence of our Supericures and without the Scandall of others who by our forbearance may bee made to vilipend the Authoritie of Lawes But wee can not in such a case totallie and absolutelie denye obedience to a Law as wee haue alreadie proven Neyther is your Argument brought to the contrarie valide in respect wee ought more to looke to the vtilitie and benefite which the bodie of the Church may receaue by the thing commanded and by our Obedience to our Superioures than to the harme which some particular Persons may receaue there-by 47. If the thing commanded bee in our private judgement inexpedient the second way wee ought not for that to denye Obedience to the Lawes of the Church for when the inexpediencie of a thing is questionable probable Arguments may bee brought pro and contra concerning the expediencie of it wee haue sufficient warrand to practise it if the Church by her publicke decree hath declared that shee thinketh it expedient Your errour who are of the contrarie mynde is verie dangerous may proue most pernicious to the Church for it maketh the Church obnoxious to perpetual Schisme disconformitie in matters of externall Policie in respect men ordinarilie are divyded in judgement concerning the expediencie of these thinges Suppone then that in a Synode consisting of an hundreth Pastors threescore of them thinke this or that particular Ceremonie to bee expedient for the good of the Church and in respect of the plurality of their voices mak an Act to be concluded for the establishing of it shall the remnant fourtie who are of the contrarie judgement denye Obedience to the Act of the Synode because they are perswaded that the thing concluded is inexpedient and shall they by doing so rent the bodie of the Church Truelie if wee were all of your mynde wee should never haue Peace nor Vnitie in this Church Yee will say perhaps that this our Argument is Popish and leadeth men to acquiesee without tryall or examination in the Decrees of the Church Wee answere that in matters of fayth the trueth where-of may bee infalliblie concluded out of GOD'S word wee ought not without tryall to acquiesce into the Decrees of the Church And in this respect wee dissent from the Papistes who ascrybe too much to the Authoritie of Councells as if their Decrees were infallible But in matters of Policie if we bee certayne that in their owne nature they are indifferent and if the expediencie of them onlie bee called in question seeing no certayne Conclusion concerning their expediencie can bee infalliblie drawne out of GOD'S Word which hath not determined whether this or that particular Rite bee agreeable to Order Decencie and aedification wee ought to acquiesce into the Decree or Constitution of the CHVRCH altho it bee not of infallible authoritie and that partlie because it is impossible that other-wayes wee can agree in one Conclusion concerning matters of this nature and partlie because if wee denye Obedience to the Decree of the CHVRCH in such matters our Disobedience shall proue farre more vnexpedient and hurtfull to the CHVRCH than our Obedience can bee 48. Seeing then what-so-ever yee haue hither-to sayde concerning the Question proponed by vs may bee easilie aunswered with a retortion of the Argument vpon your selues that wee may eschewe all such Logomachie wee must take some other course and trye which of these two Preceptes is in it selfe of greater moment and obligation for thence wee may collect which of these two Preceptes doeth obliedge vs in the case foresayde the other giving place to it and not obliedging vs at all in that case If yee say that the Precept which forbiddeth vs to doe that where-by our weake brother may bee scandalized is in it selfe more obligatorie or doeth more strictlie tye vs to the obedience of it as beeing of greater moment yee must bring a solid Reason for you which wee thinke yee will hardlie finde Wee knowe yee saye that the Precept concerning Scandall is more obligatorie and of greater moment because it concerneth the losse of the soule of a Brother But this Reason is not valide first in respect our Brother if hee bee scandalized by our Obedience to our Superioures sinneth not by our default who doe obey For our carriage in giving Obedience is such as may rather aedifie our Brother Secondlie The Precept which forbiddeth Disobedience concerneth the losse both of our owne soules and of the soules of others who may bee entysed to that sin by our denying Obedience to the lawfull commandements of our Superiours Thirdlie If that Praecept of eschewing Scandall causeleslie taken doe so strictlie obliedge vs when our Superioures requyre Obedience of vs it may happen that a man shall bee in an inextricable perplexitie not knowing whether hee shall obey or denye Obedience to the Commandements of his Superioures in respect hee may feare the Scandall of the weake whether hee obey or denye Obedience For as wee sayde before manie are most readie to bee Scandalized by our denying of Obedience to our Superioures in thinges lawfull and otherwyse expedient and that because wee by nature are most vnwilling to bee curbed and to haue our Libertie restrayned by the Lawes of our Supeperioures For this cause as Calvin judiciouslie noteth Instit Lib. 2. Cap. 8. § 35. GOD to allure vs to the duetie of Obedience to our Superiouree called all Superioures Parentes in the fift COMMANDEMENT 49. But wee with good warrand doe averre that the Precept which forbiddeth resisting of the Civill power and in generall the denying of Obedience to the lawfull Commandements of our Superioures is of greater obligation and moment And first wee proue this by an Argument taken from the dyverse degrees of that care which wee ought to haue of the Salvation of others for this care tyeth vs to three thinges to wit first to the doing of that which may be aedificatiue and maye giue a good example to all Secondlie to the eschewing of that which may bee Scandalous or an evill example to all that is to the eschewing of everie thing which is eyther sinne or hath a manifest showe of sinne Thirdlie To abstayne even from that which altho it bee lawfull yet it may bee to some particular persons an occasion of sinne Of these the first two are most to bee regarded in respect they concerne the good of
thanke Thee O Father Lord of Heaven and Earth because Thou hast hid these thinges from the Wyse and Prudent and hast revealed them vnto Babes even so O Father for so it seemed good in Thy sight Besides if yee compare the Divynes Ancient and Moderne who are of our judgement with these who favour your opinion eyther in number or in the excellencie of their gifts ye shall find that in this the advantage is greatlie ours In the meane tyme yee shall know that wee can bring farre better reasons to free our selues of prejudice than these which yee haue brought agaynst vs to wit the soliditie of our Argumentes which haue put you to such straytes pardon vs to say that which everie one who hath eyes may see that oft-tymes yee doe not so much as attempt to answere them beeing glad to passe them by with the show of an Argument in contrarium or some other lyke shift our humble and earnest attestations in calling GOD the onlie competent judge as witnesse of our sinceritie in the inmost thoughtes of our soule our seriouslie professed Resolution to concurre with you if wee should get satisfaction from you the Modestie Ingenuitie and Peaceablenesse of our wrytings to you and on the contrarie your too great disdainfulnesse and asperitie in your second Answeres bewraying not onlie the weaknesse of your myndes farre by our expectation but also the weaknesse of your cause to vnpartiall Readers who ascrybe this to the pungent force of our Answeres judging that they haue made you some-what more cholericke than you were before To this wee will adde the great reluctance which some of the most Judicious Subscribentes did finde in their Consciences before they subscrybed your Covenant together with the Limitations and Reservations wherewith they subscrybed it evidentlie arguing their strong apprehension of the dangerous ambiguitie and haske sounding of the wordes of the Late Covenant so that even these who are now joyned with you haue beene much affrighted with those thinges which terrifie vs. As for your Protestation in the ende of your Epistle that yee can no more bee brought to our mynde than yee can bee drawne from the profession of our Religion as it hath beene reformed sworne c. Altho this importeth no small prejudice possessing and over-ruling your myndes yet looking to the invincible force of that Trueth which wee mayntayne wee even yet hope that at last it shall prevaile with you especiallie considering that our controversie is not concerning the reformed Religion wherevnto wee as sincerelie adheare as anie who-so-ever but concerning the equitie of that forme of Covenant which yee latelie made Wishing you and all others to adheare truelie and sincerelie to the same true Religion and to all the dueties which in it are recommended to you wee most humblie and earnestlie pray the Almightie GOD to pittie His Church in this Kingdome and to vnite all our heartes in Trueth and Peace in these most dangerous dayes which although they bee to you dayes of gladnesse as yee professe yet to those who loue the peace of Sion and the tranquillitie of this Kingdome they are Sad and Melancholious dayes in respect of the blacke clowdes of GOD'S wrath hanging over our heads threatning vs with stormes of fearfull Calamities which wee pray the Almightie GOD to avert THE FIRST DVPLY IN our Disputes agaynst the Papistes which haue bene frequent and by GOD'S grace not vnfruitfull as wee haue learned that to multiplie objections agaynst the Trueth is a thing easie as yee say but fruitlesse and vaine so also wee haue learned that to multiplie Evasions agaynst solide Arguments brought for the Trueth is a thing no lesse easie but altogether vnprofitable which wee pray you take heede to How forcible are right wordes but what doeth your arguing reproue IOB 6.25 2. Yee say that our objection agaynst your calling and the warrand of your cōming to vs was framed published in Print before it was proponed vnto you and ere your Answere could bee had Indeede our DEMANDES were at the Presse at your comming that they might be in readinesse but were not published before your selues in your Sermones did publicklie reade them and dispute agaynst them in audience of such of our People as were there present for the tyme albeit that written copie of them was delyvered to you onlie and not at that tyme communicated by vs to anie other 3 Your Authoritie which ye acclayme is neyther from his Majestie nor warranded by Act of Parliament nor by the Lordes of his Majesties Counsell nor by anie Nationall Synode of this Kingdome nor by anie Judicatorie established in it And both in your first Answere as also now agayne yee professe that yee came not hither to vsurpe the Authoritie of anie Civill or Spirituall Iudicatorie As for your multitude which yee call allmost the whole Kirke and Kingdome it beeing destitute of Authoritie foresayde maketh no warrand of ordinarie calling Therefore yee seeme to pretende an extraordinarie calling from GOD alleadging an extraordinarie necessitie at this tyme which truelie wee see not in anie such degree as may deserue and warrand so great a change from the receaved order which is publicklie by Lawes established in this Kirke and Kingdome That saying of the Apostle Let vs consider one another to provoke vnto loue and to good workes which yee alleadge for your extraordinarie imployment importeth not an extraordinarie calling but an ordinarie duetie to bee performed by all Christians according to their Callings 4. The Word of GOD and the Canons of Councells doe so permit to Pastors the care of the whole Kirke as they must remember to doe all thinges Decentlie and in Order and not to interpone themselues in their Brethrens charges and agaynst their will And praised bee GOD there was not anie Combustion Errour or Confusion in these places of our charges as yee doe alleadge Neyther did our People stand in neede of such helpe from you And if yee meane the Combustion of our Nationall Kirke wee doe thinke your remeede not convenient as beeing in our judgement not agreeable to the right way of Trueth and Peace 5. Whereas yee alleadge that if some members of this Kirke had not cared more kyndlie in this tyme of common danger than others haue done the whole bodie had beene ere now dangerouslie if not desperatelie diseased Wee answere That wee most heartilie wish anie disease of this Church to bee tymouslie prevented and cured But withall wee wish this to bee done without a rupture and such a dangerous division chieflie seeing our Church is not infected with anie such Erroures nor is in such dangers as may giue just occasion of so fearfull a division which in it selfe is a sore disease and from which in holie Scripture wee are often and verie earnestlie dehorted Dionysius Bishop of Alexandria in his Epistle to Novatus recorded by Eusebius Lib. 6. Historiae Cap. 37. worthilie sayeth You ought rather to haue suffered anie thing
Divines doe ground the lawfullnesse of the Ceremonies which wee allowe 16. Fourthlie Since that Commaundement of blessing the People is generall what reason haue yee for not including other civill important Contractes especiallie that are performed with a Vowe or Promissorie Oath A Vowe made to GOD is a COVENANT with GOD as well as the Matrimoniall Oath All Vowes and Oaths are Acts of Religious Worship although they bee joyned to Civill Contractes and there-fore if because of the COVENANT with GOD yee blesse Marriage solemnlie yee ought to doe the same to other Civill Contractes where-in there is the lyke COVENANT by vertue of an Oath or Vowe 17. Fiftlie Where-as yee saye that though Marriage were a Paction meerlie Civill yet because it is so important yee would not with-holde Ecclesiasticke Benediction from it not-with-standing of the abuse of Poperie wee would vnderstand howe this agreeth with the current Doctrine of those that are of your mynde for wee reade in the Abridgement of Lincolne Pag. 17 that wee should cast away even such thinges as had a good originall if they bee not still necessarie and commaunded of GOD when once they are knowne to bee defiled with Idolatrie or abused by it So in The Dispute agaynst the English Popish Ceremonies Parte 3. Cap. 2. Sect. 2. it is affirmed that Rites Ancient lawfull and agreeable to GOD'S Word should not-with-standing necessarilie bee abolished because of their superstition and wicked abuse Yee adde that yee will not vse Marriage superstitiouslie according to the praescript of the Service-booke Yee did not finde the Service-Booke neyther in our Demaundes nor in our Replyes yet wee knowe not howe yee so often reach vnto it 18. Lastlie Of the Stipulation of God-fathers in Baptisme instanced by vs in our fift Demaund yee haue spoken nothing particularlie eyther in your first or second Aunsweres Wee haue no Praecept or example of it in holie Scripture yea some of our learned Divines affirme that it was instituted by Pope Higynus and yee will not denye that it hath beene much abused in Poperie Howe commeth it to passe then that this Ceremonie is allowed and vsed by some of you Wee saye some for wee are informed that some of your mynde doe not vse it at all See D. Morton in his Defence of the three Ceremonies Pag. 24. THE VI. DVPLY IN your first Answere to our sixt Demaund yee answered nothing to that which wee affirmed concerning the judgement of Divynes Auncient and Moderne who eyther haue absolutelie allowed these Rites which were concluded in Pearth Assemblie or else haue thought them tolerable and such as ought not to make a stirre in the Church Neyther did yee touch that which wee objected concerning the venerable custome and practise of the Auncient Church and the most eminent lights of it which yee condemne in your Interpretation of the Negatiue Confession contayned in the Late Covenant Wherefore in our Replye to that Answere of yours wee did holde your silence for a granting of the Trueth of that which wee sayde concerning so manie Divynes Auncient and Moderne who stand for vs. Now in your second Answere to that Demaund yee labour to bereaue vs of this advantage and granting that Divynes both Auncient and Moderne are agaynst you concerning the the lawfulnesse of things controverted a thing to be noted by the Reader and which should make you more sparing in your speaches of vs who favour Pearth Articles than yee are yee say first that Divynes Auncient and Moderne are agaynst vs also and that both these propositions may bee true in respect they are both indefinite in a matter contingent But our Propositions concerning the judgement of Divynes who stand for vs was more than indefinite For all-bee-it wee sayde not that all are for vs yet wee sayde that manie yea so manie meaning that a great manie are for vs and against you in matters of lawfullnesse and vnlawfullnesse and consequentlie in matters of Fayth This expression of the number yee were glad to passe by because yee can not saye the lyke of these who favour your judgement concerning the vnlawfullnesse of those thinges For scarce knowe wee anie Moderne Divines without his Majesties Dominions that peremptorlie condemne these Rites as vnlawfull which were concluded in Pearth Assemblie and of Auntientes wee meane the Fathers of the Auncient Church wee knowe none at all who are of your mynde Howe is it then that for these your Newe Positions yee make such stirre and doe take such Dangerous Courses in hand Secondlie Yee saye that allmost all Divines allowe of such a Forbearance of thinges indifferent as yee requyre of vs. But yee will not bee able to make this good For who of our Divines haue anie-where allowed in Subjectes such a Forbearance of thinges indifferent and lawfull as is conjoyned with a totall and sworne Disobedience of standing Lawes agaynst the Prohibition of their Superioures Thirdlie That which yee saye concerning Innovations allreadie introduced to wit that no-thing is requyred of vs concerning them but a Forbearance of them for a tyme and that wee may condescende to it without eyther Disobedience to Authoritie or wronging of our Flocke it is allreadie refuted in the two former DVPLYES THE VII DVPLY OUR REASON proponed in the seaventh DEMAND is not sufficientlie aunswered neyther the Impediment removed as wee haue formerlie made manifest especiallie in our fourth DVPLY Where-as for removing of our Scruple concerning your Interpretation of the Short Confession yee tell vs that yee vrge not vpon vs your meaning but leaue vs to our owne till the matter be examined in an Assemblie We aunswere Wee loue not the swearing of an Oath without cleare Interpretation there-of and wee approue not Subscription of such a Covenant with diverse or doubtfull meaninges neyther doe wee thinke that a convenient meane for solid Pacification And as wee are free in professing our meaning concerning the Pearth Articles and Episcopie so wee requyre of you the lyke playnnesse or then the reason of your Retyrednesse 2. The Pearth Articles ye doe vnjustlie call Novations if by this name yee vnderstand thinges repugnant to our Reformed Religion or forbidden by our Publicke Lawes for these Articles are not of this sort Those of them which wee call Necessarie the Assemblie of Pearth did not conclude as indifferent as yee alledge neyther can anie such thing be inferred from the words of the Actes of that Assemblie There-fore we haue no reason to change this opinion as yee would haue vs to doe Wee holde all the fiue poynts to bee Lawfull Laudable and some of them more than Indifferent which also the wordes of the Synode it selfe doe implye So that without just reason it hath pleased you to say that thinges formerlie indifferent are become necessarie and what was but lawfull before and had much a-doe to gayne that Reputation is nowe become Laudable Thus agayne wee doe playnlie declare vnto you that the cause of our vnwillingnesse to Subscrybe or promise