The support also of our collection he omitteth: to acknowledge any other means of teaching and admonishing us of our duty, then such as Christ hath appointed, is to receive another teacher into the Church, beside him, and to confess some imperfection in the means by him ordained. Yet in the middest of this shuffling, and cutting, he telleth us, that our collection is absurd. His reason is not by manifesting the fault of our consequence, but only by objecting some instances, and those also nothing to purpose. Then (saith he) it should not be lawful to use any help of Art Memorative, nor to set up a gibbet, ⟨p. 212⟩or a traitors head on a pole, to give men warning against murder, or treason. Had he so soon forgotten, that the question is of Ceremonies, appropriated to Gods service, teaching by ordination, or ínstitution? If he had not, what did he mean, to instance in things that were never called Ceremonies (before this Rejoinder made all things in the world, in some respect, Ceremonies, by his wild definition of a Ceremony,) things that have no use in Gods service, much less appropriated thereto, things not teaching by virtue of any ordination, or institution, but only by their natural relation, nay things not teaching at all any spiritual duty directly, and immediately? Characters and such like helps of memory, do no otherwise teach truth, then error, and heresies no more spiritual duties, then carnal lusts, as experience doeth teach. One of the ancients, and learnedest Schoolmen of our Country (Alex. Alensis, p. 4. q. 1. m. 1.) teacheth us,1 that Letters that signify sacred sentences do not signify them as they are sacred, but as they are things. And if it be lawful to institute significant Ceremonies, for all things, that we may note in characters, for memory sake then certainly our Convocation may institute Ceremonies properly Sacramental, even such as do signify and seal the Covenant of grace. For there is no doubt, but that we may note in characters or writing all that belong to that Covenant. Gibbets, & traitors heads (besides the former exception out of Alex. Hales) are remembrances of death inflicted upon such malefactors:
The support also of our collection he omitteth: to acknowlege any other meanes of teaching and admonishing us of our dutie, then suche as Christ hath appointed, is to receyve another teacher into the Churche, beside him, and to confesse some imperfection in the meanes by him ordeyned. Yet in the middest of this shufling, and cutting, he telleth us, that our collection is absurd. His reason is not by manifesting the fault of our consequence, but onely by objecting some instances, and those also nothing to purpose. Then (sayth he) it should not be lawfull to use any helpe of Art Memorative, nor to set up a gybbett, ⟨p. 212⟩or a traytors head on a pole, to give men warning against murder, or treason. Had he so soon forgotten, that the question is of Ceremonies, appropriated to Gods service, teaching by ordination, or ínstitution? If he had not, what did he mean, to instance in thinges that were never called Ceremonies (before this Rejoynder made all things in the world, in some respect, Ceremonies, by his wilde definition of a Ceremonie,) thinges that have no use in Gods service, muche lesse appropriated therto, thinges not teaching by vertue of any ordination, or institution, but onely by their naturall relation, nay things not teaching at all any spirituall dutie directly, and immediatly? Characters and suche like helps of memorie, doe no otherwise teache trueh, then error, and haeresies no more spirituall duties, then carnall lusts, as experice doeth teache. One of the ancientes, and learnedest Schoolmē of our Countrie (Alex. Alēsis, p. 4. q. 1. m. 1.) teacheth us,1 that Letters that signifie sacred sentences do not signifie them as they are sacred, but as they are things. And if it be lawfull to institute significant Ceremonies, for all things, that we may note in characters, for memorie sake thē certainly our Convocation may instituteCeremonies properly Sacramentall, even suche as doe signifie and seale the Covenant of grace. For ther is no doubt, but that we may note in characters or writing all that belonge to that Covenant. Gibbets, & traytors heads (besides the former exception out of Alex. Hales) are remembrances of death inflicted upon suche malefactors:
- 1Literae significantes sacras sententias, non significant eas in quantum sacra sunt, sed in quantum su• tres.
