We are as confident that Surplices, and Copes are undecent, and kneeling at the Lords Table is disorderly, as you are of the contrary: And yet if the Magistrate would be advised by us (supposing himself addicted against you) we would advise him to be more charitable to you, than you here advise him to be to us: We would have him, if your Conscience require it, to forbear you in this undecent and disorderly way; But to speak more distinctly. 1. There are some things decent and orderly, when the opposite species is not undecent or disorderly. 2. There are some things undecent, and disorderly, in a small and tolerable degree: And some things in a degree intolerable. 1. When things decent are commanded, whose opposites would not be at all undecent, their Charity and Peace, and Edification, may command a Relaxation, or rather should at first restrain from too severe Impositions: As it is decent to wear either a Cloak or a Gown, a Cassock buttoned, or unbuttoned, with a Girdle or without; to sit, stand, or kneel in singing of a Psalm; to sit or stand in hearing the Word read or preached, &c. 2. When a Circumstance is undecent or disorderly, but in a tolerable degree, to an Inconvenience; Obedience, or Charity, or Edification, may command us to do it, and make it not only lawful, but a duty pro hic & nunc, while the preponderating Accident prevaileth. Christs instances go at least as far as this, about the Priests in the Temple breaking the Sabbath blamelessly, and David's eating the Show-bread, which was lawful for none to eat ordinarily, but the Priests: And the Disciples ⟨p. 75⟩rubbing the ears of Corn: [I will have mercy and not Sacrifice] is a lesson that he sets us to learn, when two duties comes together, to preserve the greater, if we would escape sin; And sure to keep an able Preacher in the Church, or a private Christian in Communion, is a greater duty, caeteris paribus, than to use a Ceremony, which we conceive to be decent; It is more orderly to use the better translation of the Scripture, than the worse, as the Common-prayer-book doth; and yet we would have no man cast out for using the worse: It is more orderly, decent, and edifying for the Minister to read all the Psalms, than for the people to read each second verse;
We are as confident that Surplices, and Copes are undecent, and kneeling at the Lords Table is disorderly, as you are of the contrary: And yet if the Magistrate would be advised by us (supposing himself addicted against you) we would advise him to be more charitable to you, than you here advise him to be to us: We would have him, if your Conscience require it, to forbear you in this undecent and disorderly way; But to speak more distinctly. 1. There are some things decent and orderly, when the opposite species is not undecent or disorderly. 2. There are some things undecent, and disorderly, in a small and tollerable degree: And some things in a degree intollerable. 1. VVhen things decent are commanded, whose opposites would not be at all undecent, their Charity and Peace, and Edification, may command a Relaxation, or rather should at first restrain from too severe Impositions: As it is decent to wear either a Cloak or a Gown, a Cassock buttoned, or unbuttoned, with a Girdle or without; to sit, stand, or kneel in singing of a Psalm; to sit or stand in hearing the Word read or preached, &c. 2. VVhen a Circumstance is undecent or disorderly, but in a tolerable degree, to an Inconvenience; Obedience, or Charity, or Edification, may commaud us to do it, and make it not only lawful, but a duty pro hic & nunc, while the preponderating Accident prevaileth. Christs instances goe at least as far as this, about the Priests in the Temple breaking the Sabbath blamelesly, and David's eating the Shew-bread, which was lawful for none to eat ordinarily, but the Priests: And the Disciples ⟨p. 75⟩rubbing the ears of Corne: [I will have mercy and not Sacrifice] is a lesson that he sets us to learn, when two duties comes together, to preserve the greater, if we would escape sin; And sure to keep an able Preacher in the Church, or a private Christian in Communion, is a greater duty, caeteris paribus, than to use a Ceremony, which we conceive to be decent; It is more orderly to use the better translation of the Scripture, than the worse, as the Common-prayer-book doth; and yet we would have no man cast out for using the worse: It is more orderly, decent, and edifying for the Minister to read all the Psalms, than for the people to read each second verse;
