Part 18 (1/2)

And further, if any such reasons be to be given forth for the ceremonies, why are they so long kept up from us? But if they hold them at the former, thereupon it will follow, that it shall be lawful for us to do every thing which the church shall judge to be agreeable to the law of G.o.d and nature, and consequently to all the Jewish, popish, and heathenish ceremonies, yea, to wors.h.i.+p images, if it happen that the church judge these things to be agreeable to the law of G.o.d and nature.

It will be answered (I know), that if the church command anything repugnant to G.o.d's word we are not bound to do it, nor to receive it as lawful, though the church judge so of it; but otherwise, if that which the church judgeth to be agreeable to the law of G.o.d and nature (and in that respect prescribeth) be not repugnant to the word of G.o.d, but in itself indifferent, then are we to embrace it as convenient, and consonant to the law of G.o.d and nature, neither ought we to call in question the lawfulness of it.

But I reply, that either we must judge a thing to be repugnant or not repugnant to the word, to be indifferent or not indifferent in itself, because the church judgeth so of it, or else because the church proveth unto us by an evident reason that it is so. If the latter, we have what we would; if the former, we are just where we were: the argument is still set afoot; then we must receive everything (be it ever so bad) as indifferent, if only the church happen so to judge of it; for _quod compet.i.t alicui qua tale_, &c. So that if we receive anything as indifferent, for this respect, because the church judgeth it to be so, then shall we receive everything for indifferent which the church shall so judge of.

_Sect._ 10. 3d. The church is forbidden to add anything to the commandments of G.o.d which he hath given unto us, concerning his wors.h.i.+p and service, Deut. iv. 2; xii. 32; Prov. x.x.x. 6; therefore she may not lawfully prescribe anything in the works of divine wors.h.i.+p, if it be not a mere circ.u.mstance belonging to that kind of things which were not determinate by Scripture.

Our opposites have no other distinctions which they make any use of against this argument, but the very same which Papists use in defence of their unwritten dogmatical traditions, namely, that _additio corrumpens_ is forbidden, but not _additio perficiens_: that there is not alike reason of the Christian church and of the Jewish; that the church may not add to the essential parts of G.o.d's wors.h.i.+p, but to the accidentary she may add.

To the first of those distinctions, we answer, 1. That the distinction itself is an addition to the word, and so doth but beg the question.

2. It is blasphemous; for it argueth that the commandments of G.o.d are imperfect, and that by addition they are made perfect.

3. Since our opposites will speak in this dialect, let them resolve us whether the was.h.i.+ngs of the Pharisees, condemned by Christ, were corrupting or perfecting additions. They cannot say they were corrupting, for there was no commandment of G.o.d which those was.h.i.+ngs did corrupt or destroy, except that commandment which forbiddeth men's additions. But for this respect our opposites dare not call them corrupting additions, for so they should condemn all additions whatsoever. Except, therefore, they can show us that those was.h.i.+ngs were not added by the Pharisees for perfecting, but for corrupting the law of G.o.d, let them consider how they rank their own ceremonial additions with those of the Pharisees. We read of no other reason wherefore Christ condemned them but because they were doctrines which had no other warrant than the commandments of men, Matt.

xv. 9; for as the law ordained divers was.h.i.+ngs, for teaching and signifying that true holiness and cleanness which ought to be among G.o.d's people, so the Pharisees would have perfected the law by adding other was.h.i.+ngs (and more than G.o.d had commanded) for the same end and purpose.

_Sect._ 11. To the second distinction, we say that the Christian church hath no more liberty to add to the commandments of G.o.d than the Jewish church had; for the second commandment is moral and perpetual, and forbiddeth to us as well as to them the additions and inventions of men in the wors.h.i.+p of G.o.d. Nay, as Calvin noteth,(901) much more are we forbidden to add unto G.o.d's word than they were. ”Before the coming of his well-beloved Son in the flesh (saith John Knox),(902) severely he punished all such as durst enterprise to alter or change his ceremonies and statutes,-as in Saul, (1 Kings xiii.; xv.) Uzziah, Nadab, Abihu, (Lev. x.) is to be read. And will he now, after that he hath opened his counsel to the world by his only Son, whom he commandeth to be heard, Matt, xvii.; and alter that, by his holy Spirit speaking by his apostles, he hath established the religion in which he will his true wors.h.i.+ppers abide to the end,-will he now, I say, admit men's inventions in the matter of religion? &c., 2 Cor. xi.; Col. i.; ii. For this sentence he p.r.o.nounceth: 'Not that which seemeth good in thy eyes shalt thou do to the Lord thy G.o.d, but that which the Lord thy G.o.d commanded thee, that do thou: Add nothing unto it, diminish nothing from it,' Deut. iv. 12. Which, sealing up his New Testament, he repeateth in these words: 'That which ye have, hold till I come,' ” &c., Rev. ii.

Wherefore, whilst Hooker saith,(903) that Christ hath not, by positive laws, so far descended into particularities with us as Moses with the Jews; whilst Camero saith,(904) _Non esse disputandum ita, ut quoniam in vetere Testamento, de rebus alioqui adiaphoris certa fuit lex, &c., id in novo Testamento habere loc.u.m_; and whilst Bishop Lindsey saith,(905) that in the particular circ.u.mstances of persons by whom, place where, time when, and of the form and order how, the wors.h.i.+p and work of the ministry should be performed, the church hath power to define whatsoever is most expedient, and that this is a prerogative wherein the Christian church differeth from the Jewish synagogue, they do but speak their pleasure in vain, and cannot make it appear that the Christian church hath any more power to add to the commandments of G.o.d than the synagogue had of old.

It is well said by one:(906) ”There were many points of service, as sacrifices, was.h.i.+ngs, anniversary days, &c., which we have not; but the determination of such as we have is as particular as theirs, except wherein the national circ.u.mstances make impediment.” For one place not to be appointed for the wors.h.i.+p of G.o.d, nor one tribe for the work of the ministry among us, as among them, not because more power was left to the Christian church for determining things that pertain to the wors.h.i.+p of G.o.d than was to the Jewish, but because the Christian church was to spread itself over the whole earth, and not to be confined within the bounds of one nation as the synagogue was.

_Sect._ 12. Let us then here call to mind the distinction which hath been showed betwixt religious ceremonies and moral circ.u.mstances; for as touching moral circ.u.mstances, which serve for common order and decency in the wors.h.i.+p of G.o.d, they being so many and so alterable, that they could not be particularly determined in Scripture, for all the different and almost infinite cases which might occur, the Jewish synagogue had the same power for determining things of this nature which the church of Christ now hath. For the law did not define, but left to be defined by the synagogue, the set hours for all public divine service,-when it should begin, how long it should last, the order that should be kept in the reading and expounding of the law, praying, singing, catechising, excommunicating, censuring, absolving of delinquents, &c., the circ.u.mstances of the celebration of marriage, of the education of youth in schools and colleges, &c.

But as for ceremonies which are proper to G.o.d's holy wors.h.i.+p, shall we say that the fidelity of Christ, the Son, hath been less than the fidelity of Moses, the servant? Heb. iii. 2, which were to be said, if Christ had not, by as plain, plentiful, and particular directions and ordinances, provided for all the necessities of the Christian church in the matter of religion, as Moses for the Jewish; or if the least pin, and the meanest appurtenance of the tabernacle, and all the service thereof, behooved to be ordered according to the express commandment of G.o.d by the hand of Moses, how shall we think, that in the rearing, framing, ordering, and beautifying of the church, the house of the living G.o.d, he would have less honour and prerogative given than to his own well-beloved Son, by whom he hath spoken to us in these last days, and whom he hath commanded us to hear in all things? Or that he will accept, at our hands, any sacred ceremony which men have presumed to bring into his holy and pure wors.h.i.+p, without the appointment of his own word and will revealed unto us? Albeit the wors.h.i.+p of G.o.d and religion, in the church of the New Testament, be accompanied without ceremonies, _numero paucissimis, observatione facillimis, significatione proestantissimis_ (as Augustine speaketh of our sacraments,(907)) yet we have in Scripture, Eph. i. 18, no less particular determination and distinct direction for our few, easy, and plain ceremonies, than the Jews had for their many heavy and obscure ones.

_Sect._ 13. As for the third distinction, of adding to the accidentary parts of it, I remember that I heard in the logics, of _pars essentialis_ or _physica,_ and _pars integralis_ or _mathematica_; of _pars similaris_ and _pars dissimilaris_; of _pars continua_ and _pars discreta_; but of _para accidentaria_ heard I never till now. There is (I know) such a distinction of _pars integralis_, that it is either _princ.i.p.alis_ and _necessaria_, or _minus princ.i.p.alis_ and _non necessaria_; but we cannot understand their _pars cultus accidentaria_ to be _pars integralis non necessaria_, because, then, their distribution of wors.h.i.+p into essential and accidentary parts could not answer to the rules of a just distribution, of which one is, that _distributio debet exhaurire totum distributum_. Now, there are some parts of wors.h.i.+p which cannot be comprehended in the foresaid distribution, namely, _partes integrales necessarioe_. What then? Shall we let this wild distinction pa.s.s, because it cannot be well nor formally interpreted? Nay, but we will observe their meaning who make use of it; for unto all such parts of wors.h.i.+p as are not essential (and which they are pleased to call accidentary), they hold the church may make addition, whereunto I answer, 1. Let them make us understand what they mean by those essential parts to which the church may add nothing, and let them beware lest they give us an identical description of the same.

2. That there are many parts of G.o.d's wors.h.i.+p which are not essential, yet such as will not suffer any addition of the church: for proof whereof I demand, Were all the ceremonies commanded to be used in the legal sacraments and sacrifices essential parts of those wors.h.i.+ps? No man will say so. Yet the synagogue was tied to observe those (and no other than those) ceremonies which the word prescribed. When Israel was again to keep the pa.s.sover, it was said, Num. ix. 3, ”In the fourteenth day of this month at even, ye shall keep it in his appointed season, according to all the rites of it, and according to all the ceremonies of it, shall ye keep it.” And again, ver. 5, ”According to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so did the children of Israel.” _Ritibus et ceremoniis divinitus inst.i.tutis, non licuit homini suo arbitrio aliquid adjicere aut detrahere_, saith P. Martyr.(908)

_Sect._ 14. 3. If those accidentary parts of wors.h.i.+p, which are commanded in the word, be both necessary to be used _necessitate praecepti_, and likewise sufficient means fully adequate and proportioned to that end, for which G.o.d hath destinated such parts of his wors.h.i.+p as are not essential (which must be granted by every one who will not accuse the Scripture of some defect and imperfection), then it followeth that other accidentary parts of wors.h.i.+p, which the church addeth thereto, are but superfluous and superst.i.tious.

4. I call to mind another logical maxim: _Sublata una parte, tolitur totum._ An essential part being taken away, _totum essentiale_ is taken away also. In like manner, an integrant part being taken away, _totum integrum_ cannot remain behind. When a man hath lost his hand or his foot, though he be still a man physically, _totum essentiale_, yet he is not a man mathematically, he is no longer _totum integrale_. Just so if we reckon any additions (as the cross, kneeling, holidays, &c.) among the parts of G.o.d's wors.h.i.+p, then put the case, that those additions were taken away, it followeth that all the wors.h.i.+p which remaineth still will not be the whole and entire wors.h.i.+p of G.o.d, but only a part of it, or at the best, a defective, wanting, lame, and maimed wors.h.i.+p.

5. I have made it evident that our opposites make the controverted ceremonies to be wors.h.i.+p,(909) in as proper and peculiar sense as anything can be, and that they are equalled to the chief and princ.i.p.al parts of wors.h.i.+p, not ranked among the secondary or less princ.i.p.al parts of it.

6. Do not our divines condemn the addition of rites and ceremonies to that wors.h.i.+p which the word prescribeth, as well as the addition of other things which are thought more essential? We have heard Martyr's words to this purpose.

Zanchius will have us to learn from the second commandment,(910) in _externo cultu qui Deo debetur, seu in ceremonus nihil n.o.bis esse ex nostro capite comminiscendum_, whether in sacraments or sacrifices, or other sacred things, such as temples, altars, clothes, and vessels, necessary for the external wors.h.i.+p; but that we ought to be contented with those ceremonies which G.o.d hath prescribed.

And in another place,(911) he condemneth the addition of any other rite whatsoever, to those rites of every sacrament which have been ordained of Christ, _Si ceremoniis cujusvis sacramenti, alios addas ritus_, &c. Dr Fulk p.r.o.nounceth,(912) even of signs and rites, that ”we must do in religion and G.o.d's service, not that which seemeth good to us, but that only which he commandeth,” Deut. iv. 2; xii. 32.

And Calvin p.r.o.nounceth generally,(913) _Caenam domini rem adeo sacrosanctam esse, ut ullis hominum additamentis eam conspurcare sit nefas._

_Sect._ 15. And thus have we made good our argument, that the lawfulness of the ceremonies cannot be warranted by any ecclesiastical law. If we had no more against them this were enough, that they are but human additions, and want the warrant of the word. When Nadab and Abihu offered strange fire before the Lord, and when the Jews burnt their sons and their daughters in the valley of the son of Hinnon, howsoever manifold wickedness might have been challenged in that which they did, yet if any would dispute with G.o.d upon the matter, he stoppeth their mouths with this one answer: ”I commanded it not, neither came it into my heart,” Lev. x.

1; Jer. vii. 31. May we, last of all, hear what the canon law itself decreeth:(914) _Is qui praeest, si praeter voluntatem Dei, vel praeter quod in sanctis Scripturis evidenter praecipitur, vel dicit aliquid, vel imperat, tanquam falsus testis Dei, aut sacrilegus habeatur._