Ch. i. 3. hands of his Church, there is, besides that matter and form BOOK IV. wherein the essence thereof consisteth, a certain outward fashion whereby the same is in decent sort administered. The substance of all religious actions is delivered from God himself in few words. For example's sake in the sacraments. "Unto the element let the word be added, and they both do “make a sacrament," saith St. Augustine. Baptism is given by the element of water, and that prescript form of words which the Church of Christ doth use; the sacrament of the body and blood of Christ is administered in the elements of bread and wine, if those mystical words be added thereunto. But the due and decent form of administering those holy sacraments doth require a great deal more. [3.] The end which is aimed at in setting down the outward form of all religious actions is the edification of the Church. Now men are edified, when either their understanding is taught somewhat whereof in such actions it behoveth all men to consider, or when their hearts are moved with any affection suitable thereunto; when their minds are in any sort stirred up unto that reverence, devotion, attention, and due regard, which in those cases seemeth requisite. Because therefore unto this purpose not only speech but sundry sensible means besides have always been thought necessary, and especially those means which being object to the eye, the liveliest and the most apprehensive sense of all other, have in that respect seemed the fittest to make a deep and a strong impression from hence have risen not only a number of prayers, readings, questionings, exhortings, but even of visible signs also; which being used in performance of holy actions, are undoubtedly most effectual to open such matter, as men when they know and remember carefully, must needs be a great deal the better informed to what effect such duties serve. We must not think but that there is some ground of reason even in nature, whereby it cometh to pass that no nation under heaven either doth or ever did suffer public actions which are of weight, whether they be civil and temporal or else spiritual and sacred, to pass without some visible solemnity: the very strangeness whereof and difference from that which is common, doth cause popular eyes to observe and to mark the same. Words, both because they are common, and Ch. i. 3. 350 Analogous Use of Forms in Civil Actions. BOOK IV. do not so strongly move the fancy of man, are for the most part but slightly heard: and therefore with singular wisdom it hath been provided, that the deeds of men which are made in the presence of witnesses should pass not only with words, but also with certain sensible actions, the memory whereof is far more easy and durable than the memory of speech can be. 66 The things which so long experience of all ages hath confirmed and made profitable, let not us presume to condemn as follies and toys, because we sometimes know not the cause and reason of them. A wit disposed to scorn whatsoever it doth not conceive, might ask wherefore Abraham should say to his servant, "Put thy hand under my thigh and swear*:" was it not sufficient for his servant to shew the religion of an oath by naming the Lord God of heaven and earth, unless that strange ceremony were added? In contracts, bargains, and conveyances, a man's word is a token sufficient to express his will. Yet "this was the ancient manner in "Israel concerning redeeming and exchanging, to establish all things; a man did pluck off his shoe and gave it his neigh"bour; and this was a sure witness in Israel+." Amongst the Romans in their making of a bondman free, was it not wondered wherefore so great ado should be made? The master to present his slave in some court, to take him by the hand, and not only to say in the hearing of the public magistrate, "I will that this man become free," but after these solemn words uttered, to strike him on the cheek, to turn him round, the hair of his head to be shaved off, the magistrate to touch him thrice with a rod, in the end a cap and a white garment to be given him. To what purpose all this circumstance? Amongst the Hebrews how strange and in outward appearance almost against reason, that he which was minded to make himself a perpetual servant, should not only testify so much in the presence of the judge, but for a visible token thereof have also his ear bored through with an awle§! It were an infinite labour to prosecute these things so far as they might be exemplified both in civil and religious actions. For *Gen. xxiv. 2. [See Persius, Sat. V. 75, &c. Fes tus, voc. "manumitti." Isidor. Orig. ix. 4.] § Exod. xxi. 6. Answer to the Charge of multiplying Sacraments. 351 in both they have their necessary use and force. "The sen"sible things which religion hath hallowed, are resemblances "framed according to things spiritually understood, where"unto they serve as a hand to lead, and a way to direct*." BOOK IV. [4] And whereas it may peradventure be objected, that to add to religious duties such rites and ceremonies as are significant, is to institute new Sacraments; sure I am they will not say that Numa Pompilius did ordain a sacrament, a significant ceremony he did ordain, in commanding the priests "to execute the work of their divine service with their hands "as far as to the fingers covered; thereby signifying that fidelity must be defended, and that men's right hands are “the sacred seat thereof+" Again we are also to put them in mind, that themselves do not hold all significant ceremonies for sacraments, insomuch as imposition of hands they deny to be a sacrament, and yet they give thereunto a forcible signification; for concerning it their words are these: "The party ordained by this ceremony was put in mind of his separa"tion to the work of the Lord, that remembering himself to "be taken as it were with the hand of God from amongst "others, this might teach him not to account himself now his own, nor to do what himself listeth, but to consider that "God hath set him about a work, which if he will discharge " and accomplish, he may at the hands of God assure himself "of reward; and if otherwise, of revenge." Touching significant ceremonies, some of them are sacraments, some as sacraments only. Sacraments are those which are signs and tokens of some general promised grace, which always really descendeth from God unto the soul that duly receiveth them; other significant tokens are only as Sacraments, yet nó Sacraments which is not our distinction, but theirs. For concerning the Apostles' imposition of hands these are their own words; "manuum signum hoc et quasi Sacramentum usurpa"runt;""they used this sign, or as it were sacrament §." II. Concerning rites and ceremonies there may be fault, The first thing 66 they blame in 352 Charge of swerving from Apostolical Simplicity. Ch. ii. 2. the kind of our that we have ancient apo city, but a and stateli ness. BOOK IV. either in the kind or in the number and multitude of them. The first thing blamed about the kind of ours is, that in many ceremonies is things we have departed from the ancient simplicity of Christ not in them and his Apostles; we have embraced more outward statelistolical simpli- ness, we have those orders in the exercise of religion, which greater pomp they who best pleased God and served him most devoutly never had. For it is out of doubt that the first state of things was best, that in the prime of Christian religion faith was soundest, the Scriptures of God were then best understood by all men, all parts of godliness did then most abound; and therefore it must needs follow, that customs, laws, and ordinances devised since are not so good for the Church of Christ, but the best way is to cut off later inventions, and to reduce things unto the ancient state wherein at the first they were*. Which rule or canon we hold to be either uncertain or at leastwise unsufficient, if not both†. 66 [2.] For in case it be certain, hard it cannot be for them to shew us, where we shall find it so exactly set down, that we may say without all controversy, "these were the orders "of the Apostles' times, these wholly and only, neither fewer nor more than these." True it is that many things of this nature be alluded unto, yea many things declared, and many things necessarily collected out of the Apostles' writings. But is it necessary that all the orders of the Church which were then in use should be contained in their books? Surely no. For if the tenor of their writings be well observed, it shall unto any man easily appear, that no more of them are there touched than were needful to be spoken of, sometimes by one occasion and sometimes by another. Will they allow then of any other records besides? Well assured I am they are far enough from acknowledging that the Church ought to keep any thing as apostolical, which is not found in the Apostles' writings, in what other records soever it be found. And therefore whereas St. Augustine affirmeth that those things which the whole Church of Christ doth hold, may well be thought to be apostolical although they be not found written; this his judgment they utterly condemn. I will * Lib. Eccles. Disc. et T. C. lib. iii. p. 181. † [See before, Preface, iv. 4.] Tom. vii. de Bapt. contra Donatist. lib. v. cap. 23. [t. ix. 156.] T. C.1.i. p. 31. [18.] "If this judg Ch. ii. 3. We do not claim unlimited Discretion for the Church. 353 not here stand in defence of St. Augustine's opinion, which is, BOOK IV. that such things are indeed apostolical, but yet with this exception; unless the decree of some general council have haply caused them to be received*: for of positive laws and orders received throughout the whole Christian world, St. Augustine could imagine no other fountain save these two. But to let pass St. Augustine; they who condemn him herein must needs confess it a very uncertain thing what the orders of the Church were in the Apostles' times, seeing the Scriptures do not mention them all, and other records thereof besides they utterly reject. So that in tying the Church to the orders of the Apostles' times, they tie it to a marvellous uncertain rule; unless they require the observation of no orders but only those which are known to be apostolical by the Apostles' own writings. But then is not this their rule of such sufficiency, that we should use it as a touchstone to try the orders of the Church by for ever. [3.] Our end ought always to be the same; our ways and means thereunto not so. The glory of God and the good of His Church was the thing which the Apostles aimed at, and therefore ought to be the mark whereat we also level. But seeing those rites and orders may be at one time more which at another are less available unto that purpose, what reason is there in these things to urge the state of one only age as a pattern for all to follow? It is not I am right sure their meaning, that we should now assemble our people to serve God in close and secret meetings; or that common brooks or rivers should be used for places of baptism; or that the Eucharist should be ministered after meat; or that the custom of church feasting should be renewed; or that all kind of standing provision for the ministry should be utterly taken away, and their estate made again dependent upon the voluntary devotion of men. In these things they easily perceive how unfit that were for the present, which was for the first age convenient enough. The faith, zeal, and godliness of former times is "ment of St. Augustine be a good 66 judgment and sound, then there "be some things commanded of "God which are not in the Scrip"tures; and therefore there is no "sufficient doctrine contained in "Scripture_whereby we may be * Vide Ep. 118. [al. 54. t. ii. |