A discourse concerning liturgies, and their imposition

Yet when some of their Fellow servants came, I know not how, to apprehend themselves enabled to impose arbitrarily their Appointments, for reason seeming good to their wisdom, they might have been counted moderate, if they had not given above ten Commandments, for his one. Bellarmine tells us indeed, that the Laws and Institutions of the Church that absolutely bind all Christians, so that they sin if they omit their ⟨p. 11⟩Observation, are upon the matter but four; namely, to observe the Fasts of Lent and Ember-weeks, to keep the Holy days, Confession once a year, and to Communicate at Easter: De Rom. Pon••f. lib. 4. cap. 18. But whereas they double the number of the sacred Ceremonies instituted by Christ, and have every one of them a great number of subservient Observations attending on them; so he must be a stranger to their Councils, Cannon-laws, and practises that can believe his insinuation.

Yet when some of their Fellow servants came, I know not how, to apprehend themselves enabled to impose arbitrarily their Appointments, for reason seeming good to their wisdom, they might have been counted moderate, if they had not given above ten Commandments, for his one. Bellarmine tells us indeed, that the Laws and Institutions of the Church that absolutely bind all Christians, so that they sin if they omit their ⟨p. 11⟩Observation, are upon the matter but four; namely, to observe the Fasts of Lent and Ember-weeks, to keep the Holy dayes, Confession once a year, and to Communicate at Easter: De Rom. Pon••f. lib. 4. cap. 18. But whereas they double the number of the sacred Ceremonies instituted by Christ, and have every one of them a great number of subservient Observations attending on them; so he must be a stranger to their Councels, Cannon-laws, and practises that can believe his insinuation.

Again, as the Institutions and Ordinances of Christ in the outward Worship of God, whose sole foundation was in his will and pleasure, were few and easy to be observed, being brought into a relation of Worship unto God by virtue of his institution and command, without which no one thing in their kind can do so more then another; so they were for the matter of them such as he knew had an aptness to be serviceable unto the significancy whereunto they were appointed by him, which nothing but infinite wisdom can judge of. And this eternally severs them from all things of mens inventions, either to the same purpose, or in the same way to be used. For as whatever they shall appoint in the Worship of God, can have no significancy at all as unto any spiritual end, for want of a Christ-like Authority in their Institution, which alone can add that significancy to them, which in themselves without such an appointment they have not; so they themselves want wisdom to choose the things which have any fitness or aptitude to be used for that end, if the Authority were sufficient to introduce with them, such a significancy. There is nothing they can in this kind fix upon, but as good reason as any they are able to tender for the proof of their Expedience unto the end proposed to them, will be produced to prove them meet for a quite other signification and purpose, and the contrary unto them, as least things diverse to them, be asserted with as fair pretences, as meet to be used in their place and room.