The divine right of church-government and excommunication

Ans. 1. Our distinction of matters of substance and circumstance rightly taken, will serve the turn: But the mistake is, in that 1. Many things are but circumstances of worship, such as are Positives and Religious significant Ceremonies to Formalists, that are not so to us, for to wear a surplice in sacrificing to Jupiter, were to make the Act of wearing that Religious habit, an act of Religious honouring of Jupiter, but to wear Surplice and to sacrifice in that habit to Jupiter at eight of clock in the morning, rather then at ten, in this place Physical, rather then this, is no worshipping of Jupiter, but a mere Physical circumstance, neither up, nor down to the worship, and time and place Physical, are neither worship, nor Religious means of worship: 2. Time, and Place, Name, Country, Form, Figure, Habit or Garments, to hold off injuries of Sun and Heaven as such •re never commanded, never forbidden of God, and therefore the change of these circumstances can be no change of a Commandment of God: We never advanced circumstances, as such to the orb and sphere of Morals; Formalists do so advance their Ceremonies, and therefore if God command Surplice, though by the intervening authority of his Church, such cannot be altered, except God command to alter the Religious signification of white linen, but we know not where God hath commanded the alteration of any Ceremonies, except that, the Lords coming in the flesh, as a thing to come, must alter all Ceremonies which shadow forth Christ to come, when the body Christ is come already: Let us know such a ground for alteration of corner Cap, Altar, Surplice, except to drive such Oxen out of the Temple. 3. We hold that the Lords commanding such a thing in the Gospel, is a reason why it should be necessarily permanent for ever, except the Lord hath commanded it should be for a time only, as he commanded Moses's Ceremonies, and so Gods Authority of commanding a thing to be unchangeably in his worship, is a reason why it should be unchangeably in his worship; and his commanding any thing to be for a time only, and alterably in his worship, is a reason why it should be for a ⟨p. 64⟩time only, & alterably in his worship; so to us Gods Commandment is a reason, why his own Ceremonies and Sacraments of the New Testament should be in the Church, because the Law-giver hath in scripture commanded them to be:

Ans. 1. Our distinction of matters of substance and circumstance rightly taken, will serve the turn: But the mistake is, in that 1. Many things are but circumstances of worship, such as are Positives and Religious significant Ceremonies to Formalists, that are not so to us, for to wear a surplice in sacrificing to Jupiter, were to make the Act of wearing that Religious habit, an act of Religious honouring of Jupiter, but to wear Surplice and to sacrifice in that habit to Iupiter at eight of clock in the morning, rather then at ten, in this place Physicall, rather then this, is no worshipping of Iupiter, but a meer Physicall circumstance, neither up, nor down to the worship, and time and place Physicall, are neither worship, nor Religious means of worship: 2. Time, and Place, Name, Country, Form, Figure, Habit or Garments, to hold off injuries of Sun and Heaven as such re never commanded, never forbidden of God, and therefore the change of these circumstances can be no change of a Commandment of God: We never advanced circumstances, as such to the orbe and spheare of Morals; Formalists do so advance their Ceremonies, and therefore if God command Surplice, though by the intervening authority of his Church, such cannot be altered, except God command to alter the Religious signification of white linnen, but we know not where God hath commanded the alteration of any Ceremonies, except that, the Lords coming in the flesh, as a thing to come, must alter all Ceremonies which shadow forth Christ to come, when the body Christ is come already: Let us know such a ground for alteration of corner Cap, Altar, Surplice, except to drive such Oxen out of the Temple. 3. We hold that the Lords commanding such a thing in the Gospel, is a reason why it should be necessarily permanent for ever, except the Lord hath commanded it should be for a time only, as he commanded Moses's Ceremonies, and so Gods Authority of commanding a thing to be unchangeably in his worship, is a reason why it should be unchangeably in his worship; and his commanding any thing to be for a time only, and alterably in his worship, is a reason why it should be for a