A fresh suit against human ceremonies in God's worship. Or a triplication unto. D.…A fresh suit against human ceremonies in God's vvorship. Or a triplication unto. D.…

4. An African Council condemned certain Feasts used in memory of Martyrs, because they were drawn from the errors of the Gentiles. This the Replier affirmed to make against our Ceremonies. The Rejoinder answereth 1. That this is not enough to defend the Abridgement, nor to oppose the Defendants answer. But if the Ceremonies be hereby condemned, it is all that the Abridgement sought for; and as much opposition to the Defend. as the Replier cared for. He answereth 2. That the Council doeth not condemn any Feasts used by Christians, ¹but only the very Feasts of the Heathens. But it seemeth otherwise, so far as I can construe these words of the Council: And this we are to seek of the Emperors, that such Feasts as are in many places contrary to Gods Word, and from the errors of the Gentiles, be forbidden. I remember not any such phrase of those times, wherein Gentiles are said to ⟨p. 432⟩draw from the errors of Gentiles. They did certainly traduce Feasts unto Christians, finding them too ready for to draw such things from them. They were not Heathens, that are spoken of, in the third Council of Toledo, cap. 22. The people that should attend divine Service, give themselves to unseemly dancings. ²Hospinian (de Orig. Fest.) after Beat. Rhenanus, in Ter•ul. de Coron mil. speaking of these, and such other Feasts, declareth the trueth in these words: The old Bishops were wont when they could not call men from the superstitions of the Heathens by the preaching of the Word, to seek at least to do it by observing their holy days, with their own worship. But this was to drive out one nail with another, no way to take off the Superstition. Albeit then the beginning of these Solemnities were tolerable at first, yet at last they grew to such a heap of superstitions, that they became the fountain and beginning of most horrible things. ³Yet suppose the meaning to be of Heathen Feasts, the reason notwithstanding (drawn from the errors of the Gentiles) pertaineth to Christians, except Christians may draw from the error of Gentiles, though Gentiles may not. In the 3. place the Rej. undertaketh to prove, that the Council did establish those Feasts of Martyrs: because the petition made for abolishing Heathen Feasts, was to provide for the due and free observation of the Martyrs Feasts.