Chapter 40

THAT THE CEREMONIES ARE INEXPEDIENT, BECAUSE THEY HINDER EDIFICATION.

_Sect._ 1. That the ceremonies are a great hinderance to edification, appeareth, First, In that they obscure the substance of religion, and weaken the life of godliness by outward glory and splendour, which draws away the minds of people so far after it, that they forget the substance of the service which they are about. The heathenish priests laboured,(306) _per varietatem ceremoniarum, rem in precio retinere_. The use for which Papists appoint their ceremonies,(307) is, _ut externam quandam majestatem sensibus objiciant_; and so are the ceremonies urged upon us,(308) though to conciliate reverence and due regard to divine worship, and to stir up devotion. In the meanwhile it is not considered,(309) that _mentes humanae mirificae capiuntur et facinantur, ceremoniarum splendore et pompa. Videmus siquidem_, saith Bucer,(310) _vulgus delectari actionibus scaenicis, et multis uti signis_. Chemnitius marks of the cumulating of ceremonies in the ancient church,(311) that it drew to this, _ut tandem in theatricum ferme apparatum ceremoniae illae abierint_. Musculus reprehends bishops for departing from the apostolical and most ancient simplicity,(312) and for adding ceremonies unto ceremonies in a worldly splendour and respectability, whereas the worship of God ought to be pure and simple.

The policy, then, which in most simple and single, and least lustred with the pomp and bravery of ceremonies, cannot but be most expedient for edification. The king’s daughter is most like herself when she is all glorious within, not without, Psal. xlv. 13, and the kingdom of God appeareth best what it is, when it cometh not with observation, Luke xvii. 20, 21. But “superstition (saith Camero),(313) the mother of ceremonies, is lavish and prodigal; spiritual whoredom, as it is, it hath this common with the bodily; both of them must have their paintings, their trinkets, their inveiglements.”

_Sect._ 2. Secondly, The ceremonies are impediments to the inward and spiritual worship, because they are fleshly and external. In the second commandment are forbidden _omnes ritus, qui à spirituali Dei cultu discrepant_.(314) “The kingdom of God is within you,” saith Christ, Luke xvii. 21. Now, if the Apostle, 1 Tim. iv. 8, say, that bodily exercise, such as fasting, watching, &c., which are requisite as helps and furtherances to the humiliation of the soul, do but profit a little, then may we say of our unnecessary and unprofitable ceremonies, that they are exceedingly nocent and harmful to true and spiritual worship. The Apostle is not speaking of plays and pastimes, as Bellarmine would have us to think. Who can believe that Timothy was so much addicted to play, that the Apostle had need to admonish him, that such exercise profiteth little? He is speaking, then, of such bodily exercises as in those primitive times were used religiously, as fasting, watching, lying on the ground, and such like; and he would have Timothy rather to exercise himself to the life and power of godliness, and to substantial worship, than to any of these outward things. Neither doth the Apostle condemn only the superstitious use of these exercises, as Calvin well observeth,(315) _alioqui in totum damnaret_: whereas he doth only extenuate and derogate from them, saying, that they profit little. Therefore (saith he), _ut maxime integer sit animus, et rectus finis, tamen in externis actionibus nihil reperit Paulus quod magnifaciat. Valde necessaria admonitio, nam semper propendet mundus in illam partem, uti Deum externis obsequiis velit colere._ But what will some say? Do we allow of no external rites and ceremonies in divine worship?

Saravia tells us,(316) that _dum vitia vitant stulti, in contraria ruunt_, and that he is no less in the fault, _qui nullas in externo Dei cultu ceremonias admittit, quae tantum decori serviunt, hominesque sui admoneant officii, quam qui quasvis citra, delectum recipiunt, &c._ Wherefore, because a transition from idolatry and superstition is more easy to Atheism and the profanation of holy things, than to the golden mediocrity, he saith, he could have wished that Beza had not generally condemned all ceremonies without making any difference.

_Ans._ Neither Beza, nor any other, who dislike the English ceremonies, condemneth such rites and circumstances in the external worship of God as serve only for decency, but those sacred and significant ceremonies which admonish men of their duty are not of this sort. What shall we say then of such a conjunction as this, _quae tantum decori serviunt, hominesque sui admoneant officii_? Why would not Saravin write a chronology; I say not _magnarum_ (as others), but _mirandarum conjunctionum_, and record that at such a time he found out the conjunction and compatibility of two things which were ever thought incompatible in former ages, namely, rites serving only for decency, and holy significant ceremonies admonishing men of their duty in God’s worship? Had there been no moralist (trow we) then to note, that decency and things serving only for decency, have place in civility and all moral actions, in which notwithstanding there is no significant nor admonitory sacred signs of men’s duty in God’s worship? And thus should these two things be severed, which he hath conjoined and confounded.

To conclude, we condemn the English controverted ceremonies which are regarded as holy and significant, as most inexpedient, because they derogate from the true inward and spiritual worship; for man’s nature, saith Camero,(317) “is delighted in that which is fleshly and outward, neglecting that which is spiritual and inward.” And this is the reason why least spiritual, lively, and holy disposition hath followed upon the addition of unnecessary ceremonies; and why there was never so much zeal, life, and power of religion inwardly, in the church of Christ, as then, when she was freest of ceremonies. This much(318) a Formalist of great note is forced to acknowledge. Let us consider, saith he, “the primitive church, flourishing more in times of the apostles than ever it did afterwards. Who will not admire her great simplicity in all points, and especially in ceremonies? for excepting the celebration of baptism by washing of water, and of the holy supper, according to the Lord’s institution, in taking the bread and wine, and distributing them after thanksgiving; excepting also the imposition of hands upon those who extraordinarily received the Holy Ghost, whether it were in a general calling or a particular, to a charge in the church, and availing for a miraculous effect of healing the sick; I say, these excepted, there will not be found any other ceremony in those primitive times, so admirable was their simplicity.”

_Sect._ 3. Thirdly, the ceremonies are a great hinderance to edification, because they make much time and pains to be spent about them, which might be, and (if they were removed) should be spent more profitably for godly edifying. That which is said of the ceremonies which crept into the ancient church, agreeth well to them.(319) _Ista ceremoniarum accumulatio, tum ipsos doctores, __ tum etiam ipsos auditores, a studio docendi atque discendi verbum Dei abstraxit, atque impedivit necessarias et utiles divini eloquii institutiones._

Pulpits sound oftentimes with declamations for the ceremonies, when there is need of pressing the power of godliness upon the consciences of people, and when there are many more necessary things to be urged. The press also sends forth idle discourses and defences of the ceremonies which might be employed more profitably.

And, moreover, faithful men whose labours might be very profitable to the church in the holy ministry, have neither a door of entrance nor a door of utterance licentiated to them, and that because they will not consent nor yield themselves to be the unhappy instruments of imposing this yoke of ceremonial bondage upon the necks of God’s people. Others who have entered, and have been both faithful and painful labourers in the Lord’s vineyard, are thrust from their changes for no other quarrel, but that of non-conformity. O unhappy ceremonies! woe unto you, you mischievous lets and prejudices to the edification of the church.