A dispute against the English-popish ceremonies, obtruded upon the Church of Scotland Wherein not…A dispute against the English-popish ceremonies, obtruded vpon the Church of Scotland Wherein not…

Ours, are pressed by such pretended reasons, as make them ever and every where necessary: Theirs, by such reasons, as did only conclude a necessity of using them at sometimes, and in some places. 13. Ours, are urged after the full promulgation of the Gospel, and acknowledgement of Christian liberty: Theirs, before the same. 14. Ours, are urged with the careless neglect of pressing more necessary duties: Theirs not so. These and other differences, betwixt the controverted, and Jewish Ceremonies, do so break the back of Mr. Sprints Argument, that there is no healing of it again.

Ours, are pressed by such pretended reasons, as make them ever and every where necessary: Theirs, by such reasons, as did onely conclude a necessity of using them at sometimes, and in some places. 13. Ours, are urged after the full promulgation of the Gospell, and aknowledgement of Christian liberty: Theirs, before the same. 14. Ours, are urged with the carelesse neglect of pressing more necessary duties: Theirs not so. These and other differences, betwixt the controverted, and Iewish Ceremonies, doe so breake the backe of Mr. Sprints Argument, that there is no healing of it againe.

His second reason, whereby he goeth about to prove, the necessity Sect. III of conforming to inconvenient Ceremonies in the case of deprivation, ⁱhe taketh from this ground: That when two duties commanded of God, do meet in one practise, so as we can not do them both, in this case we must perform the greater duty, and neglect the lesser. Now, whereas he saith, when two duties do meet, &c. he means not, that both may be duties at once, for then a man shall be so straitened, that he must needs commit a sin, in that he must needs omit one of the duties. But (as he explaineth himself) he calleth them duties, being considered apart: as, to hear a Sermon at the Church on the Sabbath, and to tend a sick person ready to die at home at the same time, both are duties being considered apart, ⟨p. 4⟩but meeting together in our practise at one time, there is but one duty, because the lesser work binds not for that present. Now he assumes, that the doctrine and practise of suffering deprivation for refusing to conform to inconvenient Ceremonies, doeth cause men to neglect greater duties, to perform the lesser. For proof whereof, he enlargeth a needless discourse, tending to prove, that preaching is a greater duty and of higher bond, then the duty of labouring unto fit Ceremonies, or of refusing inconvenient Ceremonies; which can not help his cause. That which he had to prove, was, that not to suffer deprivation for refusing of inconvenient Ceremonies, is a greater duty, then the refusing of inconvenient Ceremonies. But it will be said, that to suffer deprivation for refusing of inconvenient Ceremonies, doeth cause men to neglect the preaching of the Word, and that is a greater duty, then the refusing of inconvenient Ceremonies. Ans. 1. Mr. Sprint him self layeth down one ground, which proveth the refusing of inconvenient Ceremonies to be a greater duty, then the preaching of the Word: for