A80635:78
Some treasure fetched out of rubbish
Some treasure fetched out of rubbish: or, Three short but seasonable treatises (found in an heap of scattered papers), which Providence hath reserved for their service who desire to be instructed, from the Word of God, concerning the imposition and use of significant ceremonies in the worship of God. viz. I. A discourse upon 1 Cor. 14.40. Let all things be done decently and in order. Tending to search out the truth in this question, viz. Whether it be lawful for church-governors to command indifferent decent things in the administration of God's worship? II. An enquiry, whether the church may not, in the celebration of the Sacrament, use other rites significative than those expressed in the Scripture, or add to them of her own authority? III. Three arguments, syllogistically propounded and prosecuted against the surplice: the Cross in Baptism: and kneeling in the act of receiving the Lord's Supper.Some treasure fetched out of rubbish: or, Three short but seasonable treatises (found in an heap of scattered papers), which Providence hath reserved for their service who desire to be instructed, from the Word of God, concerning the imposition and use of significant ceremonies in the worship of God. viz. I. A discourse upon 1 Cor. 14.40. Let all things be done decently and in order. Tending to search out the truth in this question, viz. Whether it be lawful for church-governours to command indifferent decent things in the administration of God's worship? II. An enquiry, whether the church may not, in the celebration of the Sacrament, use other rites significative than those expressed in the Scripture, or add to them of her own authority? III. Three arguments, syllogistically propounded and prosecuted against the surplice: the Cross in Baptism: and kneeling in the act of receiving the Lord's Supper.
London : s.n., printed in the year, 1660
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
2. As in matters of Faith, so in matters of Ceremonies significative pertaining to the Worship of God, an Argument doth hold from the Negative, to disallow what is not found in the Scriptures expressly, or by good consequence: As to say, such a thing is not expressed or revealed in the word; therefore it is no matter of Faith, nor such as a man is bound necessarily to believe: such a sign is not warranted by the Scripture, therefore it is not to be used in the Worship of God.1 Thus the Prophet Jeremiah reasoneth more than once against the idolatrous men of Judah, who burned their Sons and Daughters in the fire to Baal; The Lord did not command you, he spake no such thing, neither came it into his mind, Therefore this ye ought not to have done. The thing he reproved was not only not commanded, but forbidden, and that expressly; yet the Prophet chooseth rather to charge them with the fault of making a Law unto themselves,2 than the crime of transgressing a Law which God had made. For when the Lord himself had once precisely set down a form of executing that wherein we are to serve him; the fault appeareth greater to do that which we are not, than not to do that which we are commanded: In this we seem to charge the Law with hardness only, in that with foolishness: In this we show our selves to be weak and unapt to be Doers of his Will, in that we take upon us to be Controllers of his Wisdom: In this we fly to perform the thing which God seeth meet, convenient, and good, in that we presume ⟨p. 18⟩to see what is meeter and convenienter better than God himself: For these and such like Reasons, though the sin of Judah was directly prohibited; yet it pleased the Lord by his Prophet to reprehend it, for that he commanded them not so to do. From these places some Divines do prove the perfection of Scripture against the Papists;3 Others, that in the Point of God's Worship, the Argument holdeth from the Negative for the Substance of it: And by the same Reason we may conclude, that no Ceremony significant may be admitted in the Worship of God, which carry not the stamp of divine approbation; for the ground of the Prophet's Argument will bear all alike. The purpose of God was to teach his People, both unto whom they should offer Sacrifice, and what Sacrifice was to be sacrificed; therefore no Sacrifice is to be offered which God hath not commanded: