Chap. IV. The HISTORY of the PURITANS. 143 ' mandment of the king, let open his window towardsyeru/älent, left he u might feem to deny his profeffion, or content to the wicked : By the ;565. " example of St. Paul, who rebuked Peter fharply, becaufe he did by " his difiimulation difcourage the godly, that from among the heathen were o converted to Chrift, ar.d encourage the fuperftitious yews: And again, ,< by his do6lrine, 2 Cor. xiii. where he teacheth that minifters have power <, to edify, but not to de/lroy. It is farther evident, from the examples of the patriarchs and prophets, who in worfhipping God would not ufe " the rites and ceremonies of the Idolatrous : And to conclude, from the doctrine and example of Peter and foh», Ads iv. who refuting to obey " the commandment of the rulers, in ceafing to preach Chrift, laid, VJhe- + ther it be right in the fight of God to obey you rather than God, be ycu yourfelves judges. Thirdly, " For a further proof, we may bring the teftimony and prac- t0 tice of the ancient fathers. " Tertullian, in his book de Corona 114ilitis, compares thofe men to dumb 01 idols,' who wear any thing like the decking of the idols. Again, he " ° faith, Si in idolio recumbere alienum e/l a fide, quid in idoli habitu videri ? " If it be a matter of infidelity to fit at the idols feaffs, what is it to be feen in the habit or apparel of the idol ? " Sr. Auflin , in his 86th epiftle to Cafulanus, warneth him not to fait " ° on the Jame day, left thereby he might feem to confent with the wicked " Manichees. " The fourth council of Toletane, [Toledo] canon 5th, to avoid confect " with hereticks, decreed, That in baptifm the body of the baptized fhould t0 be but once dipped. " The great clerk Origen, as Epiphanies writeth, Tom. I. B. 2. Harty: 64, t0 becaufe he delivered palm, to thofe that offered to the image of Sera- " pis, although he openly faid, "Venite accipite nonfrondes fmulachrifed chri; Come and receive the boughs, not of the image but of Chi- ; " yet was he for this, and fuch like doings, excommunicated and call out of the church, by thofe martyrs and confeffors that were at Athens. " In the tripartite hiftory, B. 6. chap. 3o." It is faid, that the chriflian " foldiers that by the fubtlety of yulian were brought to offer incenfe to " the idol, when they perceived their fault, they ran forth into the ftreets, profeffiing the religion of Chrift, teftifying themfelves to be chriflians, " and confef ling that their hands had offended unadvifedly, but that now " they were ready togive their whole bodies, to the molt cruel torments and pains for Chrift. " Further, to prove that wearing the miniftring garments of the pope's " church, is to confirm the opinion of thenece /tyand holinef, of the fame, " and to thew confnt to idolatry, let it. be remembered that the firfl devi- " fers
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=