Answer to the Charge of multiplying Sacraments.

351

Ch. ii. 1.

in both they have their necessary use and force. "The sen- BOOK IV. "sible things which religion hath hallowed, are resemblances " framed according to things spiritually understood, whereunto "they serve as a hand to lead, and a way to direct*.”

[4] And whereas it may peradventure be objected, that to add to religious duties such rites and ceremonies as are significant, is to institute new Sacraments; sure I am they will not say that Numa Pompilius did ordain a sacrament, a significant ceremony he did ordain, in commanding the priests "to execute the work of their divine service with their hands "as far as to the fingers covered; thereby signifying that "fidelity must be defended, and that men's right hands are "the sacred seat thereoft." Again we are also to put them in mind, that themselves do not hold all significant ceremonies for sacraments, insomuch as imposition of hands they deny to be a sacrament, and yet they give thereunto a forcible signification; for concerning it their words are these: "The party ordained "by this ceremony was put in mind of his separation to the "work of the Lord, that remembering himself to be taken as it "were with the hand of God from amongst others, this might "teach him not to account himself now his own, nor to do "what himself listeth, but to consider that God hath set him "about a work, which if he will discharge and accomplish, he

may at the hands of God assure himself of reward; and if "otherwise, of revenge ‡." Touching significant ceremonies, some of them are sacraments, some as sacraments only. Sacraments are those which are signs and tokens of some general promised grace, which always really descendeth from God unto the soul that duly receiveth them; other significant tokens are only as Sacraments, yet no Sacraments: which is not our distinction, but theirs. For concerning the Apostles' imposition of hands these are their own words; "manuum "signum hoc et quasi Sacramentum usurparunt;" "they used "this sign, or as it were sacrament §."

II. Concerning rites and ceremonies there may be fault, The first thing they

352

Charge of swerving from Apostolical Simplicity.

Ch. ii. 2. blame in

our cere

monies is that we have not in them ancient

BOOK IV. either in the kind or in the number and multitude of them. The first thing blamed about the kind of ours is, that in many the kind of things we have departed from the ancient simplicity of Christ and his Apostles; we have embraced more outward stateliness, we have those orders in the exercise of religion, which they who best pleased God and served him most devoutly never had. For it is out of doubt that the first state of things was apostolical best, that in the prime of Christian religion faith was soundest, simplicity, the Scriptures of God were then best understood by all men, greater all parts of godliness did then most abound; and therefore it pomp and stateliness. must needs follow, that customs, laws, and ordinances devised since are not so good for the Church of Christ, but the best way is to cut off later inventions, and to reduce things unto the ancient state wherein at the first they were*. Which rule or canon we hold to be either uncertain or at leastwise unsufficient, if not both t.

but a

[2.] For in case it be certain, hard it cannot be for them to shew us, where we shall find it so exactly set down, that we may say without all controversy, "these were the orders of "the Apostles' times, these wholly and only, neither fewer "nor more than these." True it is that many things of this nature be alluded unto, yea many things declared, and many things necessarily collected out of the Apostles' writings. But is it necessary that all the orders of the Church which were then in use should be contained in their books? Surely no. For if the tenor of their writings be well observed, it shall unto any man easily appear, that no more of them are there touched than were needful to be spoken of, sometimes by one occasion and sometimes by another. Will they allow then of any other records besides? Well assured I am they are far enough from acknowledging that the Church ought to keep any thing as apostolical, which is not found in the Apostles' writings, in what other records soever it be found. And therefore whereas St. Augustine affirmeth that those things which the whole Church of Christ doth hold, may well be thought to be apostolical although they be not found written; this his judgment they utterly condemn. I will

* Lib. Eccles. Disc. et T. C. lib. iii. p. 181.

† [See before, Preface, iv. 4.]

‡ Tom. vii. de Bapt. contra Ponatist. lib. v. cap. 23. [t. ix. 156. T. C. 1. i. p. 31. [18.] “If this judg

Ch. ii. 3.

We do not claim unlimited Discretion for the Church. 353 not here stand in defence of St. Augustine's opinion, which is, BOOK IV. that such things are indeed apostolical, but yet with this exception; unless the decree of some general council have haply caused them to be received*: for of positive laws and orders received throughout the whole Christian world, St. Augustine could imagine no other fountain save these two. But to let pass St. Augustine; they who condemn him herein must needs confess it a very uncertain thing what the orders of the Church were in the Apostles' times, seeing the Scriptures do not mention them all, and other records thereof besides they utterly reject. So that in tying the Church to the orders of the Apostles' times, they tie it to a marvellous uncertain rule; unless they require the observation of no orders but only those which are known to be apostolical by the Apostles' own writings. But then is not this their rule of such sufficiency, that we should use it as a touchstone to try the orders of the Church by for ever.

purpose,

[3] Our end ought always to be the same; our ways and means thereunto not so. The glory of God and the good of His Church was the thing which the Apostles aimed at, and therefore ought to be the mark whereat we also level. But seeing those rites and orders may be at one time more which at another are less available unto that what reason is there in these things to urge the state of one only age as a pattern for all to follow? It is not I am right sure their meaning, that we should now assemble our people to serve God in close and secret meetings; or that common brooks or rivers should be used for places of baptism; or that the Eucharist should be ministered after meat; or that the custom of church feasting should be renewed; or that all kind of standing provision for the ministry should be utterly taken away, and their estate made again dependent upon the voluntary devotion of men. In these things they easily perceive how unfit that were for the present, which was for the first age convenient enough. The faith, zeal, and godliness of former times is

Ch. ii. 4.

354 A similar Change approved in the Jewish Church.

BOOK IV. Worthily had in honour; but doth this prove that the orders of the Church of Christ must be still the selfsame with theirs, that nothing may be which was not then, or that nothing which then was may lawfully since have ceased? They who recall the Church unto that which was at the first, must necessarily set bounds and limits unto their speeches. If any thing have been received repugnant unto that which was first delivered, the first things in this case must stand, the last give place unto them. But where difference is without repugnancy, that which hath been can be no prejudice to that which is.

[4] Let the state of the people of God when they were in the house of bondage, and their manner of serving God in a strange land, be compared with that which Canaan and Jerusalem did afford, and who seeth not what huge difference there was between them? In Egypt it may be they were right glad to take some corner of a poor cottage, and there to serve God upon their knees, peradventure covered in dust and straw sometimes. Neither were they therefore the less accepted of God, but he was with them in all their afflictions, and at the length by working of their admirable deliverance did testify, that they served him not in vain. Notwithstanding in the very desert they are no sooner possest of some little thing of their own, but a tabernacle is required at their hands. Being planted in the land of Canaan, and having David to be their king, when the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies, it grieved his religious mind to consider the growth of his own estate and dignity, the affairs of religion continuing still in their former manner : "Behold now I dwell in an "house of cedar-trees, and the ark of God remaineth still "within curtains*." What he did purpose it was the pleasure of God that Solomon his son should perform, and perform it in manner suitable unto their present, not their ancient estate and condition. For which cause Solomon writeth unto the king of Tyrus, "The house which I build is great and won"derful, for great is our God above all gods +." Whereby it clearly appeareth that the orders of the Church of God may be acceptable unto him, as well being framed suitable to the greatness and dignity of later, as when they keep the reverend simplicity of ancienter times. Such dissimilitude therefore

Charge of maintaining Popish Rites.

355

Ch. iii. 1.

between us and the Apostles of Christ in the order of some BOOK IV. outward things is no argument of default.

8

and cere

that so

many of

the same

Rome

III. Yea, but we have framed ourselves to the customs Our orders of the church of Rome; our orders and ceremonies are monies papistical. It is espied that our church founders were not so blamed, in careful as in this matter they should have been, but contented themselves with such discipline as they took from the church them are of Rome*. Their error we ought to reform by abolishing all which the popish orders. There must be no communion nor fellowship Church of with Papists, neither in doctrine, ceremonies, nor government. useth. It is not enough that we are divided from the church of Rome by the single wall of doctrine, retaining as we do part of their ceremonies and almost their whole government +; but government or ceremonies or whatsoever it be which is popish, away with it. This is the thing they require in us, the utter relinquishment of all things popish.

Wherein to the end we may answer them according unto their plain direct meaning, and not take advantage of doubtful speech, whereby controversies grow always endless; their main position being this, that "nothing should be placed "in the Church but what God in his word hath com"manded ‡," they must of necessity hold all for popish which the church of Rome hath over and besides this. By popish orders, ceremonies, and government, they must therefore mean in every of these so much as the Church of Rome hath embraced without commandment of God's word: so that whatsoever such thing we have, if the church of Rome hath it also, it goeth under the name of those things that are popish, yea although it be lawful, although agreeable to the word of God. For so they plainly affirm, saying §, "Although the "forms and ceremonies which they" (the church of Rome) "used were not unlawful, and that they contained nothing "which is not agreeable to the word of God, yet notwithstanding neither the word of God, nor reason, nor the examples of the eldest churches both Jewish and Christian do "permit us to use the same forms and ceremonies, being "neither commanded of God, neither such as there may not

Eccles. Disc. fol. 12. T. C. lib. i. p. 131. [102. Whitg. Def. 474.] †T. C. i. 20. [al. 8, 9. ap. Def. 54-]

T. C. i. 25. [al. 13. Def. 76. from Answ. 20.]

§ T. C. lib. i. p. 131. [102.]