Five disputations of church-government and worship

CHAP. XIV. Reasons against the Imposing of our late Controverted Mystical Ceremonies, as Crossing, Surplice, &c.

CHAP. XIV. Reasons against the Imposing of our late Controverted Mysticall Ceremonies, as Crossing, Surplice, &c.

§. 1. HOW far Ceremonies are lawful or unlawful to the users, I have showed sufficiently already: and therefore may omit the fourteenth Proposition as discussed before: But so eager are the minds of men to be exalting themselves over the whole world▪ and putting yokes on their Brethren's necks, even in the matters of God, and setting up their own wills to be the Idols and Law-givers to all others, that I take it for the principal part of my task, to give in my Reasons against this distemper, and to try if it be possible to take men off from Imposing or desiring, the Imposition of unnecessary things. I durst not desire the Imposing of our Mystical Ceremonies, but had rather they were abolished, or left indifferent, for these followings Reasons.

§. 1. HOW far Ceremonies are lawfull or unlawfull to the users, I have shewed sufficiently already: and therefore may omit the fourteenth Proposition as discussed before: But so eager are the minds of men to be exalting themselves over the whole world▪ and puting yoaks on their Brethrens necks, even in the matters of God, and setting up their own wills to be the Idols and Law-givers to all others, that I take it for the principal part of my task, to give in my Reasons against this distemper, and to try if it be possible to take men off from Imposing or desiring, the Imposition of unnecessary things. I durst not desire the Imposing of our Mysticall Ceremonies, but had rather they were abolished, or left indifferent, for these followings Reasons.