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…

Secondly, our Opposites answer us, that beside the purging of things and Rites abused by Idolaters, from their Idolatrous pollution, and the restoring of them to a right use, preaching and teaching against the superstition, and abuse which hath followed upon them, is another means to avoid that harm, which we fear to ensue upon the retaining of them. Ans. 1. This is upon as good ground pretended for the keeping of images in Churches. At inquiunt statim docemus has imagines non esse adorandas. Quasi vero saith ^sZanchius, non idem olim fecerit diligentius Deus, per Mosen & Prophetas, quam nos faciamus. Cur igitur etiam volebat tolli imagines omnes? quia non satis est verbo docere non esse faciendum malum: sed tollenda etiam sunt malorum offendicula, irritamenta, causae, occasions. It is not enough with the Scribes and Pharisees to teach out of Moses Chair, what the people should do, but all occasions, yea appearances of evil, are to be taken out of their sight. Efficacius enim & plus movent, quae in oculos quam quae in aures incidunt. Potuerat & Hezekias populum monere, ne Serpentem adorarent, sed maluit confringere & penitus è conspectu auferre, & rectius fecit faith ^tone well to this purpose. 2. Experience hath taught, to how little purpose such admonitions do serve. ^uCalvin writing to the Lord Protector of England, of some Popish Ceremonies which did still remain in that Church, after th• Reformation of the same, desireth, that they may be abolished, because of their former abuse, in time of Popery. Quid enim (saith h) illae Ceremoniae aliud fuerunt, quam totidem lenocinia quae miseras animas ad malum perducerent, &c. But because he saw, that some might answer, that which our Formalists answer now to us, and say, it were enough to warn and teach men ⟨p. 26⟩that they abuse not these Ceremonies, and that the abolishing of the Ceremonies themselves were not necessary. Therefore immediately he subjoineth these words. Jam si decautione agitur, monebuntur homines scilicet, ne ad illas nunc impingant, &c. Quis tamen non videt obdurari ipsos nihilominus, nihil ut infaelici illa cautione obtineri possit. Whereupon he concludes, that if such Ceremonies were suffered to remain, this should be a mean to nourish a greater hardness and obfirmation in evil, and a veil drawn, so that the sincere doctrine which is propounded, should not be admitted as it ought to be.