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…

Now to be free of contempt, will not satisfy our formalists, except we obey and do that same very thing which we are commanded to do. ^eCornelius Jansenius commenting upon these words; In vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men, saith that the commandments of men there, forbidden & condemned, are those which command nothing divine, but things merely humane. And therefore he pleadeth for the constitutions of the Church about feasts, choice of meats, festivities, &c. and for obedience to the same upon no other ground then this, because pius quisque facile videt quam habeant ex scripturis originem & quomodo eis consonant, eo quod faciant, ad carnis castigationem & temperantiam, aut ad fidelium unionem & aedificationem. I know it to be false which this Papist affirmeth: yet in that he thus pleadeth for those constitutions of the Church, from scripture and reason, forsaking the ground of humane Authority, he is a great deal more modest and less superstitious, then those our opposites, who avouch the Ceremonies as necessary, and will have us bound to the practise of them, upon no other ground, then the bare will and authority of Superiors, who have enjoined them, as hath been showed in the first part of this Dispute. Yea some of them place a certain and constant necessity in the Ceremonies themselves, even beside and without the Churches constitution (which is more then Papists have said of their Ceremonies.) ^fDr. Forbesse calleth the Articles of Perth, pauca necessaria, &c. a few things necessary for Gods glory, and the promoving of piety in our Church, for order, peace, unity, and charity, and particularly he teacheth, that a minister may not lawfully omit to administer the sacraments in private places, and without the presence of the congregation, to such as through sickn esse can not come to the public assemblies; which he calleth eis necessaria ministrare. To say the trueth, the ministration of the Sacraments in private places, importeth a necessity in the matter it self, for which cause, the ^gDivines of Geneva resolved that in Ecclesiis publice institutis, baptism might not be administrat in private places, but only publicly in the congregation of the faithful▪ partim ne sacramenta, &c.