ita premunt, vt tolerabilior sit conditio Iudaeorum: qui etsi tempus liber∣tatis
non agnouerint, Legalibus tamen sarcinis, non humanis Praesumptionibus
subijciuntur: Al be it these thinges be not against the Faithe, yet with seruile burthens
they so oppresse our very Religion, whiche God of his Mercie woulde haue to bee
free, vnder very fevve, and moste manifeste Sacramentes of Diuine Seruice, that the
state of the Ievves is mutche more tolerable (then the state of the Churche of
Christe). For the Jewes, notwithstandinge they knewe not the time of Libertie, yet were
they subiecte to the packes, and burthens of the Lawe (of God): and not vnto the Diuises,
and Presumptions of Menne.
Of sutche Diuises, and Presumptions, Chrysostome saithe, Non dicunt, Cur
Legem Mosi, sed Cur Traditionem Seniorum transgrediuntur? Vnde patet, eos
multa innouasse, cùm Deus contrà vetuisset, ne quid adderent, aut minuerent. Sed illi,
cùm timerent, ne Principatum amitterent, ceu legum Latores, vt Maiores esse vide∣rentur,
plurima innouarunt. Quae res ad tantam peruenir nequitiam, vt praecepta sua
custodirent magis, quàm Praecepta Dei: The Phariseis saie not vnto Christe, Where∣fore
doo thy Disciples breake the Lawe of Moses, but, Wherefore doo they breake the
Traditions of the Elders? Whereby it appeareth, that they had altered many thinges:
whereas God had commaunded, that they shoulde neither adde, nor diminishe. But fearinge,
leste they shoulde lose their Authoritie, as if they had benne Lawe Makers, to thende they
mighte seeme the greatter, they altered mutche. VVhiche thinge (in the ende) grewe to
sutche a wickednesse, that they keapte their ovvne Commaundementes, more then
the Commaundementes of God.
In like manner saithe S. Cyril, Vellent suam Doctrinam, & Paternas Tra∣ditiones
ab hominibus potiùs suscipi, atque in admiratione, honore{que} haberi. Quicquid
igitur Christo credentium accesserit, sibi detractum putant: The Phariseis woulde, that
menne should receiue, and magnifie their Doctrine, and the Traditions of the Fathers:
Therefore howe many so euer Faitheful came vnto Christe, they thought so many were loste
from them.
It is not true, yt ye saie, Traditions maie not be changed, or abolished without
the general Consente of the whole Churche. For Ceremonies, as thei neuer grew
togeather at one time in al places, so can they not lightly be abolished togeather
at one time in al places. Socrates saithe plainely, Videtur mihi, Multa modò in
his regionibus, modò in illis Consuetudinem obtinuisse: It seemeth vnto me, that
many thinges haue benne receiued by Custome, novve in one Countrie, and novve in
an other. Againe he saithe, In vniuersum certèe, & in omnibus Obseruationibus pia∣rum
precum, non possunt duae Ecclesiae inueniri, quae prorsus inter se consenti∣ant:
Verily to speake Vniuersally, in al maner of Obseruations, or Fourmes of Common Praier,
there cannot tvvo Churches be founde, that agree thorovvly bitvvene them
selues. S. Augustine saithe plainely, Omnia talia, &c, vbi facultas tribuitur, sine
omni dubitatione resecanda existimo: Al sutche thinges, in my iudgemente, ought
to be cut of, as soone as iuste occasion, or Power is geeuen, vvithout any manner of
doubtinge. So saithe Pope Steuin, Si nonnulli ex Praedecessoribus, & Maioribus
nostris fecerunt aliqua, quae illo tempore potuerunt esse fine culpa, & posteà vertuntur
in errorem, & Superstitionem, sine tarditate aliqua, & cum magna Authoritate
à posteris destruantur: If sundrie of our Predecessours, or Elders haue donne certaine thinges,
whiche at that time might wel be donne without hurte, and afterwarde are turned into errour,
and superstition, vvithout any staggeringe, and vvith greate Authoritie let them be
destroied, and abolished by the Successours.
We laugh not, as, ye saie, at the nakednesse of our Father, M. Hardinge. Our
Father is in Heauen, the Father of Light, the God of Glorie: and in him there is
no nakednesse. Wée laugh not at any of these thinges, but wee saie with S. Au∣gustine,