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SECT. V.
HEre the Defendant can find nothing to bring out of Scrip∣ure for Christs faithfulnesse in rituall ordinances, but as Moses appointed ceremonies, so Christ removed them. Is not this a proper explication of Scripture, to interpret a similitude by a dissimilitude? The Scripture maketh Christ like unto Moses: this Defendant expoundeth the likenesse to be in this, that Christ pulled down that which Moses had set up.
Out of M. Calvin, Instit. lib. 4. c. 10. S. 30. he taketh upon him to decide this question. But he should haue dealt more plain∣ly, and according to the scope of his author, if he had cited Bellar∣mine de pont. l. 4. c. 17. where the same words are according to his meaning. For in that place of Calvin there is nothing at all which vvithout grosse aequivocation will serve the Defendants purpose: For Calvins meaning was nothing lesse then to teach that Christ had given libertie unto men for to prescribe at their discretion mysticall signes in the Church: but onely to dispose of such cir∣cumstances as in their kind are necessarie, but in particular deter∣mination doe varie. He instanceth in the next section in the cir∣cumstance of time, vvhat houre the congregation should meet: in the place, how large, or in what fashion the Church should bee built: in meere order, what Psalmes should be sung at one time, and what another time. These and such like circumstances of or∣der and comelinesse, equally necessary in civill and religious actions are understood by Calvin: not significant ceremonies, proper unto religious worship, such as ours are now in controver∣sie. This allegation therefore borroweth all the shew it hath from the ambiguous meaning of the word ceremonies.
The same deceit is in the known case which the Defendant ad∣joyneth to Calvins words. For if by Rites he meaneth such circum∣stances of order and decencie, as were before mentioned, then I grant all he saith: but if by Rites he meaneth ceremonies properly of religious nature, use, and signification, such as the crosse in bap∣tisme, and surplice are knowne to be, then there is no reason in his speech. For 1. there is no necessitie that in any nation the Chur∣ches should haue any religious ceremonie of spirituall significati∣on, beside those which Christ hath appointed to all: and if the De∣fendant can shew any such necessitie, then I would desire him also to shew by what rules, and for vvhat cause these religious ceremo∣nies imposed upon us in England, are fitter for us, or tend more to our edification, then other ceremonies would, or then they would in any other nation under heaven. Except both these positions be proved, the words of this section are all but wind: and proved I am sure they never were nor will be.