A01760:201
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…
A dispute against the English-popish ceremonies, obtruded upon the Church of Scotland Wherein not only our own arguments [sic] against the same are strongly confirmed, but likewise the answers and defences of our opposites, such as Hooker, Morton ... Forbesse, &c. particularly confuted.A dispute against the English-popish ceremonies, obtruded vpon the Church of Scotland Wherein not only our ovvne argumemts [sic] against the same are strongly confirmed, but likewise the ansvveres and defences of our opposites, such as Hooker, Mortoune ... Forbesse, &c. particularly confuted.
Leiden: printed by W. Christiaens, 1637
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
2. Let it be considered, which side exceeds in contending, they Sect. III ⟨p. 28⟩are in the fault, 1 Tim. 6. 4. Now our Opposites do far overmatch us and overstride us in contention. For, 1. They harbour a inveterate dislike of every course and custom which we like well off; and they carp at many deeds, words, writings, opinions, fashions, &c. in us, which they let pass in others of their own mind. Whereas we (God knows) are glad to allow in them, any thing which we allow in others, and are so far from nitimur in vetitum semper cupimusque negata, that most heartily we condescend to apply our selves by all possible means to observe them, please them, and entertain peace with them, who impose and urge upon us, a unconscionable observation of certain Ceremonies, and to do as much for them as any ground of conscience or reason can warrant. aSo far as we have attained, we walk by the same rule with them, and so exceed not in the measure. 2. It may be seen, that they exceed in contending with us, if we be compared with the Papists: against them they contend more remissly, against us more intensively. bSaravia professeth, that he thinketh worse of us, then of Papists. He hath reason cwho complaineth of Formalists their desire not to stir and contend against the Papists, and their fierceness against their own brethren. This (saith he) is ill provided for, and can have no excuse; that some not to contend with Papists should contend with their brethren, and displease the sons of their own mother, to please the enemies of their Father, and beat not the dog before the Lyon, but the Lyon for favour of the dog, and make the natural child to weep, while the son of the bondwoman doeth triumph. 3. That they exceed, appeareth from the effects of their contending: hurt & damnage is a main effect of contention. Calvin, Perkiness, & Pareus observe upon Gal. 5. 15. that contentions breed hurtful & pernicious effects, which tend to consumption and destruction. Now wherein do we injure or harm our Opposites, in their persons, callings, places, &c? yet in all these and many other things do they wrong us, by defamation, deprivation, spoliation, incarceration, &c. How much better were it, to remove the Babylonian baggage of Antichristian Ceremonies, which are the mischievous means, both of the strife and of all the evil which ariseth out of it?