A chronological discourse touching, 1 The Church. 2 Christ. 3 Anti-Christ. 4 Gog & Magog. &c. The substaunce whereof, was collected about some 10. or 11. yeares since (as may be gathered by an epistle prefixed before a tractate, called, The visible Christian) but now digested into better order; and first published, by the author himselfe, H. Cl.

CHAP. ix. (Book 9)

Touching thinges of an indifferent Nature. &c. (Book 9)

SVch thinges we say to be of an Indifferent nature, (speaking ecclesiastically, and to the present pur∣pose) as for the doing, or not doing whereof, we haue no expresse word of God in particular; onely, by some generall rule, we are led to vse our Christian Reason, for examining whether the doing or vsing such a thing, may stand with Gods glory, & our neighbours good. The Rule was giuen by the Apostle in 1. Cor. 14. 40. when hauing spoken of Schooles of Christian lear∣ning, and hauing set downe some particular Rules of Order, he leaueth the rest vnto Christian discretion, vn∣der this generall rule; Let all thinges be done (Euschemónôs, kaj cata taxin) decently, and according to order.

The Generall rule so commaunding Decorum & Order, and the particulars thereunto belonging, being not of God in his written-word expressed; it so necessarily followeth, that our owne Christian reason herein must be the Determiner. And the same particulars so conclu∣ded we are to say of them (as the Apostle doth) herein; * 1.1 I speake, and not the Lord: expounded afterwards thus: I haue no commaundement of the Lord; but I giue mine aduice. And vpon this rule it was, that the Apostle became all vnto all, (Iew and Gentile) for winning some: that is, in thinges of an indifferent nature (neither simply com∣maunded nor simply forbidden of the Lord) he applied himselfe; vsing, or not vsing; doing, or not doing the thing, as thereby he might be of the winning hand, in furtheraunce of some good.

And of such nature, be Orders in the Church: As,

Standing, Kneeling, Lying prostrate, at the time of Prayer: Standing, S••tting, or Kneeling on the receipt of the Lords Supper: Sitting or Standing, Preaching: Lea∣uened or Vnleauened bread in the Communion: This or that houre for Meeting: Formes of Garment at the Church or abroad, &c. touching all which, the Apostle sheweth, that Decency and Order must be obserued; but for the particulars, he hath no particular iniunction from the Lord. But when the Church hath concluded of the particulars, then it shalbe a mighty sinne to op∣pose (as for the Child to oppose to the Mothers honest aduice, or the Subiect to his Princes lawfull determina∣tion) and this falles out, rather in respect of the thinges Vse, then Nature. Dauid had no particular preceptes from Moses or the Lord, for such and such* 1.2 Musicall In∣struments, or such & such distributiue classes of Priestes, Singers, &c. Nor had Salomon any expresse commaund for making the two Pillers, Iachin Boaz, so many Cal∣drons vnited with the molten Sea, such Knops and Flo∣wers as beautified the Pillers, &c. And yet, hee that should haue been an opposer to these particulars, should haue sinned mightily against the King, and so consequently against God: for the breach of the fift Commandement, is a violation to the whole Decalogue.

Obiection. If the King or Church should inioyne the Minister to weare such Garments as a Diuell weares in a Play, can it lawfully be vndergone, &c? I answere: First, it hath been sayd, that it is no Play, that hath not a Diuell and a Foole. The Schismatique found out the Di∣uel: and knew we the Obiectors name, we could as ea∣sily

finde out the Foole. Secondly, what proportion is there betweene Decencie, and Vndecencie? Or thinke they it to be a true Church? yea, thinke they that in the Churches Synode (or in the body of the Parliament) that there is a reasonable spirit, that put a case of such absurditie, as no reasonable spirit (though vnchristian) euer yet committed? Had this fellow had no more witte to hide his name, then to couer his shame, ten to one, they of S. Dunstanes would hire him to be the Foole to S. Dunstanes Diuel in the Pageant. If I haue answered a Foole according to his foolishnesse, I haue but followed the precept of Salomon in Prou. 26.

For a Corallarie, obserue these Writers.

August.* 1.3 in l. 2. de serm. in monte (collected by Beda on Rom. 14.) Sunt quaedam facta Media quae ignoramus quo animo fiant (quia, & bono & malo fieri possunt) de quib. temerarium est iudicare, maxime vt condemnemus. —And in Ep. 118. c. 2. ad Ianuar. Quod ne{que} contra fidem, ne{que} contra bonos mores iniungitur, Indifferenter est habendum, & pro eorum (inter quos viuitur) societate, seruandum est.

Mart.* 1.4 Bucer. l. 1. de regno Christi, cap. 13. Ecclesijs Christì sua est permit∣tenda libertas, quò vnaquae{que} cum prefiniat modum & rationem sacrarum lectionùm, interprelationem scripturarum, Catechisini, administrationis sacramentorum, praecum, & psalmorum: item publicè peccantium repre∣hensionis, &c. Quam posset quaelibet ecclesia confidere suis populis maximè conducturam. &c. Exhorting afterwardes, Vt quantum possi••, in his reb. obserues Conformit••tem. And in script. Angl. pag. 454.) Has etsi (supple ceremonias) etsi seruare & omittere, etiam extra•• candalum licet, tamen, si ex proteruia aut petulantia, quis ordinem publica authoritate Constitutum contemnat, & turbet, non leuiter peccat.

Caluin.* 1.5 in 1. Cor. 11. 2. Scimus vn••cui{que} ecclesiae liberum esse politiae for∣mā instituere sibi aptam & vtilem, quia Dominus Nihil Certj prescripserit.

Melan.* 1.6 in Commun. locis.) Cum Ministerium diuinitus ordinatum, debeat esse publicum & externum, opus est aliquib. humanis ordinationibu••.

Bezae Ep.* 1.7 24. &c. Res alioqui per se Medi••, mutant quodāmodo natu∣ram, cum aliquo legitimo mandato, vel precipiantur, vel prohibentur: quia ne{que} contra iustum preceptum omitti possunt si precipiantur; ne{que} contra interdictum fieri, si prehibeantur—Nam etsi conscientias propriè solus Deus ligat, tamen quatenus Ecclesia Ordinis & Decori, adeo{que} aedificationis

rationem habens, leges aliquas de rebus Medijs rite condit, eiusmodi leges pijs omnibus sunt obseruandae & eatenus Conscientias ligant, vt nemo sciens & ••rudens rebe••landi animo, possit abs{que} peccato, vel facere quae ita prohi∣bentur: vel omittere quae sic praecipiuntur.

And Vpon this ground, M.* 1.8 Iohn Burgesse went (in his answere to our King) when as he sayth: I doe thinke and beleeue, touching the gouernment by Byshops, as with vs in England; or by ruling El∣ders, as in other Churches of God: that neither of them was prescribed by the Apostles of Christ, neither of them is repugnaunt to the word of God, but may well and profitably be vsed, if more fault be not in the persons, then in the callinges themselues. Secondly, I doe hold and am perswaded of the Crosse and Surplice, that as our Church vseth them, they be not vnlawfull. &c. And this man standing as he doth, his testimonie (not medling with the application) is auaileable against the factions.* 1.9 Of Fundamentall poyntes, the league runneth thus: Hee that is not vvith vs, it against vs: But of poyntes not fundamentall, thus: Hee that is not against vs, is vvith vs. And so, that Rite, Fashion, and Forme that is not fundamentall in Fayth, is not against the Church, but with it.

Notes

• * 1.1

  1. Cor. 7. 12. 25.
• * 1.2

  which ordi∣nances are cal∣led properly in Ezra 3. 10. the Handy worke of Dauid, (Gnal jedei Dauid) transla∣ted of the 70. Epiche••ras. Of like nature is the Feastiuall day Purim. in Hester, 9. in∣ioyned by Mardecaj. Such also the Feast of Dedi∣cation kept of our Sauiour in S. Iohn. 10. 22. &c. though instituted 1. Maccab. 4. 59.) by Iudas Maccabeus, a Leuite, and an vsurper of Iudahs sword. The Brownist calleth shutting vp of shop on such a day, A marke of the Beast in England: and yet himselfe on such a day, doth in the Low-countries shut vp shoppe. Who is the Beast the••? Caelum, non actum mutant qui trans mare currunt.
• * 1.3

  Augustin.
• * 1.4

  Mar. Bucer,
• * 1.5

  Caluin.
• * 1.6

  Ph. Melan.
• * 1.7

  Beza.
• * 1.8

  Burges.
• * 1.9

  Sir Fran. Ba∣con, in Adu. of lear. b. 2.