A treatise against superstitious Jesv-worship wherein the true sense of Phil. 2, 9-10 is opened, and from thence is plainly shewed and by sundry arguments proved, that corporall bowing at the name Jesus, is neither commanded, grounded, or warranted thereupon ... / written especially for the benefit of weake seduced persons that have a zeale towards God, though not according to knowledge by Mascall Giles.

TO THE IMPARTIALL READER, That hath not the Faith of our Lord Iesus Christ in respect of Persons.

CHRISTIAN READER;

MY Antagonists in this Question are of two sorts; The first are they that ground their opinion upon the Text, and thereupon make bowing at the Name Jesus a necessary dutie. The Second sort do also ground their opinion upon the Text, and also upon the same reasons, and yet make it but an indifferent Ceremony, prin∣cipally grounding it upon the Canon of the Church, professing that as a Law hath established it, so if a Law shall forbid it, they will leavea 1.1 it, but till that time they will use it. There are farre more of this sort than of the former, and they are farre more absurd in their opinion than the former: for the one are true to their owne grounds, though they be mi∣staken, but the other are false to them, and indeed make but a mocke of the Text, yea of Christ himselfe. In my Treatise I contest with them both in one: here I will bend my selfe to the Second sort.

1. I would know of them, if they stand so much upon a Canon, why did they not obey the Order of the House of Commons? What was their Order inferiour to the Canon made by the Convocation onely without consent of Parliament, without which no Law can binde the b 1.2 Subject?

2. If they did ever meane to leave it, why did they fasten it also upon the Scripture? Many of them never practised it, nor found any Text for it, till the Archbishop had charged the Canon for it, which in for∣mer times, asc 1.3 Master Hooker saith, none was constrained to use. What was not the Text authentique, till the Canon had made it so? or were they so ignorant, that they knew not how to worship God

till the Canon was charged? or if they were not, how will they answer it before God, some of them, that having lived long in the Ministery, yet never before this time made knowne this part of Gods Counsell to their People?

3. With what honesty can these men ever leave their practise of it, the Canon being overthrowne, except they renounce their opinion? If they had not medled with the Text, they might have come off more fairely, but if the Canon fall, all the power in the world can never overthrow the Text, but it must stand for ever inviolable. Therefore whereas it is the manner of these men to call all those Ministers facti∣ous, and schismaticall, that observe not the Canon as they expound it, what manner of Persons will these prove themselves to be, that will not obey Gods sacred Word? The evasion, which these men make for themselves is beyond all measure ridiculous. Theyd 1.4 say, the Text doth but warrant this Ceremony, and the Church hath taken occasion from the Texts warranting it, to command it, a very learned distinction. We will view therefore the Text, as they exponnd it, and the Canon as it stands: Thus they open the Text; When Christ had humbled him∣selfe, God highly exalted him, and gave him the Name Jesus to be above every Name, that at the mention of it, all should bow their knees to the Glory of the Father. Is this but a warrant? take the Text any way, can there be a more serious Ordinance? The dutie of the Text is the maine end of Christs exaltation, and the honour of his e 1.5 Kingdome. What shall God lay flat this Glorious Name of Christ, and lay downe his owne honour at the will of man? Surely not to obey this Text, is to deny Christs Resurrection, his Ascension, and his glorious Kingdome, to exclude themselves from being servants to him, and not to suffer him to reigne over them. Yea in their own sense, it is to deny him the Name Jesus, and so they overthrow our Salvation; f 1.6 For if this Name were given him, as they say, because they should bow to it, if they will not bow, they deny him that Name.

Now let us view the Canon, the words whereof are these; When the Lord Jesus shall be mentioned in time of Divine Service, due and lowly reverence shall be done by all Persons present. See now, is the Canon so forcible and plaine as the Text,* 1.7 though understood in their owne sense. Yet these men say, that the Text doth but warrant, but the Canon commands this Ceremony. But the Canon saith not the Name Jesus, but the Lord Jesus, who is mentioned as well by any other of his Titles, as by the Name Jesus. 2. It specifieth onely due

and lowly reverence, which may be done without the corporall bow∣ing of theg 1.8 knee. Grant that there were equalitie in the words and sense of either, shall so great a Scripture have no more authoritie than a Church Canon, yet these men give it not so much, they make the Text but a servant to the Canon, and to waite upon it; for so long as the Canon stands, the Text shall stand; but if the Canon fall, the Text shall fall with ith 1.9. Was there ever heard of such advancing of mens traditions above Gods sacred Word, as there hath been lately? O errour, whether wilt thou runne, if thou once take footing? ô how righteously will these men be clothed with shame? How justly will they eate of the fruit of their owne way, and be filled with their owne devises?

The occasion of my publication of this Treatise is this; Sundry men in the Countrey wherein I live, especially since this Archbishops time, have grounded this superstition upon the Text, and that upon the perill of damnation, if it be refusedi 1.10: Ʋpon which, multitudes of ignorant men were drawne to it, upon the opinion of these mens worth: Yea of my owne Parish some staggered, and others were tainted with it; therefore I thought it my dutie to labour in the point, and I tooke paines to reade some Tracts of those of that opinion, and found no∣thing but emptie stuffe, without any ground from Scripture; and being furnished with the Arguments that follow against it, I delive∣red sundry of them to my People, proving that this bowing hath no foundation upon the said Text, and in no other sense I reproved it: This comming to these mens eares, I was presently called factious, schis∣maticall, and what not. I hearing of it, desired Conference with some of them, and I found that they had no Scripture for their opinion, but onely such muddy reasons as have been raked out of the kennels of Popish Authors. I much desired to talke with one of these men of the more corrupt opinion, who taking it in scorne that I should re∣prove what he held, railed against me above measure. This man ne∣ver practised or preached for this Ceremony, till this Archbishops time, and then he began to ground it upon the Text, and after a while he pressed it againe upon a very great danger, if not done; and the better to winne his People to it, he publiquely told them, that he had studied more houres in this Question, than others of a different opi∣nion had done minutes, and said that he was able to satisfie any one in the Question. After I had talked with this man, immediately it was noised about in the Countrey, that my Arguments were accounted

light andk 1.11 weake, and his such as I could not Answerl 1.12. I having heard this from many credible Persons, and knowing my selfe to be wronged, wrote to the said party, to request another Conference before indiffe∣rent Witnesses, for the other was private, and shewed reasons why it could not be unequall on his behalfe, and also declared unto him that none of my Arguments were solved, and to avoid prolixitie, instanced but onely in one, shewing him how I stated it, and how he answered it, and how his answer made to it,m 1.13 sufficed not, meekly desiring him to answer it more fully by Letter, or else to conceive one against another time. I desired him also to cleere unto me this his opinion, how the Text doth but warrant this Ceremony, and not injoyne it, and how he can ever leave practising it (as he said he would, if an Act of Parliament should forbid it) with a safe Conscience, except he renounce his opinion. I received a Letter from him, in which my Arguments are againe sligh∣ted, and he justifieth his opinion, making it but an indifferent Ceremo∣ny, and yet grounds it upon the Text of Phil. 2. 9, 10.n 1.14 and yet refu∣seth to give me his reasons, & utterly denies to satisfie my demands, and to answer my Arguments, and resolves to meddle no more in the o 1.15 Question, and will not admit of another Conference, because it would be a Conventicle, and yet he ceaseth not continually bitterly to censure those that differ from him in opinion, though he refuseth to bring his opinion to light. I have also received hard measure from ano∣ther, (though not of so grosse an opinion in this point as the former) who having obtained some Arguments from me, promised to answer them, or else to yeeld. I had from him not one word of reason, but all rai∣ling, & yet he boasteth, that he hath overthrowne all my Arguments. Thus lying downe under great contempts and reproaches, I am neces∣sitated to publish this Tract (which otherwise I had not thought to doe) to cleere my selfe, and to try the strength and valour of those kinde of men; that the world may judge where the truth is; and also if it be pos∣sible, to helpe those that stagger, and are misled. Now this is that I en∣tend to prove in the ensuing Treatise, that bowing at the Name Jesus, hath not onely no command, but also not the least warrant from Phil. 2. 9, 10. If any will make answer to it, I desire them to answer the whole, and not a part, and to ground their reasons upon the Scriptures, which hitherto they have not done. Thus Christian Reader, I commit thee to God, and rest

Thine in the Lord Jesus, MASCALL GILES.

Notes

• a 1.1

  If the Text may be over∣throwne by a Law made by the Creature, Then, seeing that Devils & Reprobates must fulfill the Text by suffe∣ring their ut∣ter destruction, as I shall after∣wards make manifest, then if these be wise they will make a Law to save themselves from it.
• b 1.2

  The times altered too suddenly up∣on them.
• c 1.3

  Eccl. Pol. lib. 5. sect. 30.
• d 1.4

  Master Page saith some∣thing to this purpose, Iusti∣fication of bowing, pag. 7.
• e 1.5

  All Exposi∣tors hold, that this Text doth denote Christs Kingdome.
• f 1.6

  A damnable opiniō to make the honour of Christ, as he is King of Kings and Lord of Lords, who by his death over∣threw all cere∣monies, to be but a Ceremo∣ny, & arbitrary also at mans will.
• * 1.7

  I know no he∣resie either old or new, of a more fearfull consequence than this o∣pinion.
• g 1.8

  The Canon makes not plainly for it, whatsoever the Canon-makers intended.
• h 1.9

  These men deale with the Text as little Children doe with Babies, who when they have done playing with them, throw them away: So they, when they have done playing with this Text, and may not be suf∣fered any lon∣ger to mocke Christ by it, then they will throw it away.
• i 1.10

  I have heard of some that have wished that those knees might rot that would not bow at the Name Jesus. Much like the words of Bish. Andrewes on Phil. 2. 9. who saith, that that knee which will not bow at that Name, shall be smit∣ten with som∣what, that it shall not be able.
• k 1.11

  If so why would not he suffer one of his Parish to partake of the Conference, who came to his house in the midst of it, and earnestly desired it.
• l 1.12

  His reasons were onely the three first, no∣ted in the Se∣cond part of my Booke, and there thou maist reade my Answers.
• m 1.13

  Part. 1. Sect. 8. Argu. 1.
• n 1.14

  I testifie to the world, that I wrong him not, but can shew it from his own hand, which opinion neither him∣selfe nor the wit of any man can ever make good.
• o 1.15

  A strange thing that a Divine so greatly stu∣died in the Point, beyond other Divines of the other opiniō, should refuse to stand up for his opi∣nion when it is opposed.