"that he would hold conformity with his Majesty's ordinances for matters of doctrine; but for matters of ceremony, they were to be left in Christian liberty unto every man." See Roger's Expos. of the Art. p. 104.

2. Others go further, and assert upon a worse principle, that the Church has no power to decree rites and ceremonies, because nothing is to be done in the worship of God, for which we have not an express Divine command in particular to determine us. Both which are such absurd paradoxes, that Mr. B. himself could never digest them; and it must be owned he has written as severely as any man against them. But yet he cannot let this Article pass wholly without a stricture. For he says, "The Church's power to decree ceremonies, being unlimited in this article, is doubted of by good Christians." But those good Christians sure were none of Calvin's disciples, nor governed by the discipline of the French Church, which asserts the same power to herself and all other Churches, without any other limitations than those expressed in our Article; that is, that such ceremonies be not contrary to God's Word, nor enforced upon men as things absolutely necessary in order to salvation. In the 32d Art. of their confession, they thus express themselves: "We believe it to be expedient, that they, who are chosen governors of any Church, should consult among themselves, by what means the whole body may conveniently be governed; yet so, as that they do not swerve from what Christ hath appointed. And this doth not hinder, but that some Churches may have peculiar constitutions, as they shall think most convenient for themselves." Then certainly, every Church is judge for herself, both of what is expedient, and what is agreeable to the appointment of Christ.

The next Article says, "We exclude all such human devices and laws, as are introduced under pretence of Divine worship, to bind the conscience; but we admit such as serve to maintain concord, and keep every man in due obedience." That is, such laws as are only made for order and uniformity, they willingly allow of. Which they express more clearly in another confession extant among Calvin's works:

"We acknowledge, say they, that all Churches have power to make laws and ordinances, for establishing a common policy among themselves; because all things in the House of God ought to be done regularly and in order. And therefore all such constitutions are to be obeyed, provided they be not superstitious, nor ensnare the conscience with an opinion of necessity. And such as refuse obedience in this case, we esteem self-conceited and stubborn. Cerebrosi et Pervicaces apud nos habentur. See this confession among Calvin's Opuscula, p. 254.

Calvin has a very excellent and long discourse upon this matter, in his Institutions, lib. iv. c. x. n. 27, &c. too long to be here inserted: I will select only a few remarkable passages out of it. First, he says, "If we would consult the welfare of the Church, we must have an especial regard to that rule of the Apostle, Let all things be done decently, and according to order.' But now, because there is such diversity in the dispositions of men, such variety in their minds, and difference in their judgments and tempers; no polity can be upheld, but by certain laws, nor any rites be observed, without a stated form. Therefore we are so far from condemning the laws, which conduce to this end, that we say, to take them away, is to cut the sinews of the Church, and render it both weak and deformed. For there can be no order and decency observed, as the Apostle requires, unless laws be added, as certain ties, to bind men up to the observance of them. Only in such laws, two things must always be excepted. 1. That they be not believed necessary to salvation, and imposed upon the conscience as such. 2. That they be not taken for parts of God's worship, and religion be placed in them."

Then he tells us what he means by decency and order. "The end of decency is, partly that by appointing such rites as will create a reverence for holy things, we may by such helps be excited to devotion: partly that our modesty and gravity, which is commendable in all our actions, may there more especially appear. And for order, he places it in the governor's making, and the people's obeying, such constitutions as are proper to take away all confusion, barbarity,

contumacy, tumults and dissensions out of the Church; and preserve its peace and tranquility inviolable He gives several instances in each kind, and then concludes with these remarkable words; "Ita omnes ecclesiasticas constitutiones, quas pro sanctis et salutaribus recipimus, in duo capita referre licet: alteræ enim ad ritus et ceremonias, alteræ ad disciplinam et pacem respiciunt. All ecclesiastical laws, which we esteem holy and useful, may be referred to these two heads; such as relate to rites and ceremonies, and such as relate to discipline and peace." Ibid. Numb. 28. & 29.

Can any one speak plainer to the sense of the Article than this? If ecclesiastical laws made about rites and ceremonies, may be holy and useful, then doubtless the Church has power to decree them.

In the next paragraph he answers the scruples of those whom he terms over timorous men, nimis meticulosos, who with the Flaccians in Germany, and our Brownists in England, rejected all Church laws about rites and ceremonies, as mere human inventions, because they were not particularly prescribed in the word of God. To these he answers, "that such laws are founded on the authority of Scripture. and so are both human and divine." Which he illustrates by the instance of kneeling at public prayer, which is the law of France and Geneva. "If it be asked," says he, "whether this be an human tradition, which any man may refuse or neglect at pleasure: I answer, it is so human, as also to be divine. It is of God, as it is part of that decency commended to us by the Apostle, 1 Cor. 14. 40. But it is of men, as it particularly points out and specifies what the Scripture only declared in general. By this one example we may make an estimate of all things of this kind. Forasmuch as Christ hath not only fully comprised, but also clearly expounded to us in His Holy Oracles, the whole sum of true righteousness, and all the parts of Divine worship, and whatever is necessary to salvation; in these things we are only to hear our Master. But in outward discipline and ceremonies, He would not particularly prescribe what we should do, because He foresaw that would depend upon the

different condition of times, and He did not judge one form agreeable to all ages: therefore in this case we must have recourse to those general rules He has left us, and thereby square those laws that are proper to be made for the preservation of order and decency in the Church."

This is a full answer upon true principles, to those who condemn all ceremonies as human inventions in the worship of God, that are not particularly commanded in Scripture. It were easy to add many other testimonies out of Calvin's Epistles, and Beza, Spanheim, Chamier, Amyrault, Rivet, Turretin, &c. but as some of these have been produced by others, so I need not heap up authorities in so plain a matter. I only add the advice which Calvin gave to Farel, and wish all who are concerned would follow it. "Use your endeavour, that the brethren may not pertinaciously contend about ceremonies: we are free from all men, yet let us be the servants of peace and concord. Nos ab omnibus liberi, servi simus pacis et concordiæ." They are words fit to be written in letters of gold, and would all men but follow the direction which is given, we should have no disputes about ceremonies in the Church. Vide Calvin.

Ep. v. ad Farel. p. 5.

But alas, men have been so terrified with frightful arguments against ecclesiastical laws about rites and ceremonies, that they are scarce themselves when they think of them. They have been made to believe, that it is usurping dominion over their consciencies, a depriving them of their Christian liberty, adding to the Word of God, inventing new sacraments, and imposing other necessary terms of salvation upon them, more than what Christ appointed. Now though it might be sufficient to answer all this in general, by saying, that whatever force there is in any of these objections, it holds as well against the French Church as ours, whose doctrine I have shewn to be the same: yet because these arguments are popular, and gain by noise and terror, what they could not do by strength, I will consider them distinctly, and shew what answers are given to each of them in particular, by the best writers of the French Church.

CHAP. IV.

That to decree Rites and Ceremonies, is no usurping Dominion over Men's Consciences, or infringing their Christian Liberty.

The ground of this objection is only the false notion men have entertained of the freedom of conscience and Christian liberty; which consists not in being set free from obedience to human laws and decrees, whether of Church or state, for we are obliged to obey for conscience sake, but it is an internal liberty of the mind, which cannot be bound to take any doctrine or law to be of absolute necessity to salvation, but only such as are imposed upon it expressly by God alone. For no king nor Church can make new articles of faith for us to believe, nor impose their laws with an opinion of absolute and immutable necessity, as if the things commanded were not indifferent in their own nature, but simply and universally necessary, so as no human power could alter them upon any occasion whatsoever: for so to tie up the conscience belongs only to God. But if our judgment be left free as to the nature of indifferent things, then it is no usurping dominion over our consciences, or infringing our Christian liberty, though we be restrained in the outward act, upon just reasons, by the laws of Church or state. For charity restrains our Christian liberty in some cases without infringing it, and so may the laws of just authority in others.

This is the resolution of Calvin,* Rivet, and Spanheim, whose authorities are produced at large by Dr. Durel. I add that of Beza, in his epistle to the French Church in London; where he has these words of the same import. "Forasmuch

* Calvin. Inst. lib. iv. c. 10. n. 31. Rivet. Synop. Pur. Theol. Disp. 35. n. 39. Spanheim, Thes. de Libert. Christ.