fame end, to be continued in the Church, fo long as the cause thereof, that is the perfecutions of the heathen Gentiles continued. And befides thefe, we read of no other Ceremonies or Rites, which the Apoftles greatly regarded, but left fuch things free, to the Liberty of Christians, every man to use therein his own difcretion, for the ufing, or not using thereof, Whereupon, as concerning all the ceremonial obfervations of days, times, places, meats, drinks, vestures, and fuch others, of all these things, neither was the diverfity among men, greatly noted, nor any Uniformity greatly required. Thus Chriftian Liberty prevailed in the Church, and Chriftian men did not much ftruggle about indifferent things, till the Afians and Romans, began to dif-agree about Eafter-day: to compofe which controverfy, Polycarpus, a godly Martyr, went to Rome (anno. 157. and in the reign of Antoninus Pius) to Anicetus, then Bishop there and though these two, to wit, Polycarpus and Anicetus, differed in their judgments and Opinions in this matter, yet they ftill retained Chriftian communion, and avoided all breach of peace. Afterwards, in the reign of Commodus, the Chriftians enjoying fome respite from perfecution, began to contend again among themselves, about the ceremony of Eafter; and neither yet did the difference prevail fo far, as to break the bond of love and communion of brotherly life: though they of the West, pretending the tradition of Paul and Peter (which yet indeed was the tradition of Hermes and Piu, and not theirs) kept one day; and they of Afia, pretending the tradition of John, kept another. After this, Victor, Bishop of Rome, rofe up a great tickler in the controversy of Eafter, and would needs have excommunicated the Churches of Afia for not yielding to his judgment; to whom Iraneus writing,

T 3

touching

Iræn. & Me

Nibilo ta

men minus

omnes illi,

runt, re

tin mus

jjunii

touching the diversity of outward things, used by the Primitive Chriftians, hath thefe words, "Notwithstanding the variety of ceremonies a"mong the former Chriftians, they all kept Facem inter" peace among themfelves; and we (faith he) Se retinueftill retain it; and the difference of our fafting, "commends the unity of our faith. And thus etiamnum; the Doctrine of Chriftian liberty remained found difo antia, and entire, till this Victors time, which was fidei concoranno. 200. And he earneftly endeavoured to mendat. draw, or rather inforce, the Churches of Afia to his opinion. And then began the Uniformity of keeping that Feaft to be firft required, as a thing neceflary; and all they to be accounted as Hereticks and Schifmaticks, who diffented from the judgment of the Bishop of Rome.

diam com

€. 25.

Now against this judgment of Victor, Polycrates and many other Bishops and brethren of Afia declared; and the matter had burst out into a great flame, had not fome godly men of thofe times, brought forth the word of God to quench it. Among whom haneus, as Eufebius relates, fpeaks Eufeb. 1. 5. to this effect, "That the variety and difference "of ceremonies, is no ftrange matter in the Church "of Chrift, when as this variety is not only in the "day of Eafter, but also in the manner of fafting, and in divers other ufages among the Chriftians. For fome faft one, fome two days, fome more; "and others counting 40 hours both day and night, reckon that for their full fast day. And "this fo divers fashion of fafting in the Church, "began not in our time, but in theirs who lived "before us. And yet notwithstanding they with "all this diverfity, were in unity amongst them"felves; and fo be we: Neither doth this diffe"rence of ceremonies any thing hinder, but ra "ther commend the agreement of our faith.

And

And he bringeth forth the examples of the Fathers, of Telefphorus, Pius, Anicetus, Soter, Eleutherius, and fuch others, who neither obferved the fame ufage themfelves, nor prescribed it to others; and yet notwithstanding, kept Chriftian charity with fuch as came to communicate with them, though not obferving the fame form of things, which they obferved; as well appeared by Polycarpus and Anicetus; who although they agreed not in one uniform custom of rites, Communionem tamen inter fe habuerunt, yet had communion with one another. And thus Iraneus, in his practice anfwering his name, perfwaded the peace of the Church, notwithstanding diverfity of forms and rites: And fo Chriftian liberty was ftill preferved Socrat. 1. 5. in the Church, against the tyranny of Uniformity, Perfpicuum

"

C. 19.

eft, Apofio

los liberam

cujufque

ut quifque

пес песен

bonum fit

till the Nicene Councel. And farther, Socrates, the Writer of the Eccle- poteftatem fiaftical Hiftory, who lived after the days of Theo-in eadem, defius, fpeaking of the fafting before Eafter, faith, menti "The Chriftians that dwell at Rome, falt three arbitrio "weeks continually before Eafter, befides the Sab-e "bath, and the Sunday: but thofe that dwell in nec metu, "Illyria, and all Greece, and Alexandria, faft fix tate induweeks before Eafter. And fpeaking of the fe- aus, quad veral forts of fafting in feveral Churches, faith, ageret. "And because none can bring forth any Com mandment written of this matter, it is plain, "that the Apoftles left this faft free to every verumomnes mans mind and will, that no man might be Ecclefiarum "compelled by fear and neceflity, to do that which "is good. And in the fame Chapter, he relates many fe ufurpantur, veral forms and ufages in feveral Chriftian Churches, fcriptisman and concludes that matter, thus; "But, faith he, de faborio"to commit to writing all the rites of Churches fum eft, ita "that are used in each City and Country, as it ixant e "would be very troublefome, fo hardly could it fieri pote&. "be done. T 4

And

fingulis urbibus regio nibufque

dare, ut val

vix quidem

And yet further; I find that Austin, who was fent into England by Pope Gregory, Anno, 598. among other Questions to the Pope, propounds this as one : "That seeing there is but one "Faith, how it fhould happen, that the Customs "and Ceremonies of Churches fhould be fo "divers?

And Gregory returns this Anfwer, "The Cu"stom of the Church of Rome, what it is, you "know; wherein you have been brought up "from your youth; but rather it pleaseth me "better, that whether it be in the Church of "Rome, or in any French Church, where ye find

any thing that feemeth better, to the Service "and pleafing of God, that ye chufe the fame, "and fo infer and bring into the English Church

(which is yet new in the Faith) the best and "pickedst things, chofen out of many Churches. "For things are not to be beloved for the Place "fake, but the Place is to be beloved for the "things that be good. Wherefore fuch things "as be Good, Godly, and Religious, those chufe ແ out of all Churches, and induce to your People, "that they may take root in the minds of Eng"lib-men.

So that you fee, the Church was not enflaved by any enforced Uniformity, but kept its own Chriftian freedom, till Antichrift grew up to more heighth, and got the Secular power of Princes, to do what he lifted in the Church; and then, he, and his Clergy, made Laws of all that feemed good in their own eyes, and enforced men to them, against their wills. And thus he reigned for many hundred years together, till the deter, minate time of the Apoftacy began to be fulfilled; and then God poured forth his Spirit upon fome chofen Servants of his, to oppofe Antichrift, as in other parts, of the mystery of Iniquity, fa in

this alfo of Uniformity.

Among others, who

against Uni

after the General falling away, oppofed this Uniformity, was John Gerfon, Chancellor of Paris, John Gerfon who lived about an 100 years before Luther,and in formity. many things received much clear light from God: He, in his Sermon before the King of France, in the Name of the University of Paris, pro pace & unione Græcorum, in his Seventh Confideration, speaks thus:

66

Homines now

generaliter

rum, ad te

unum eun

bernandi

refpiciunt,

noftræ veri

"Men ought not generally to be bound by the pofi "tive determination of Popes (and it will as well aftringi de"hold of all others, who arrogate to themselves determina"an Ecclefiaftical Supremacy, whether they be tiones poftivas Papa"Councels or Affemblies) to hold and believe one and the fame manner of Government, in things nendum "that do not immediately concern the truth of our credendum, "Faith, or of the Evangelical Law. And he faith, demque gu "this Confideration well taken and understood, in "would be the principal Key, to open a door of rebus quæ peace, between the Greeks and Latines, who non proxime "differ in many outward Forms and Rules: As vel fine mein Baptifm; the Latine Church faith, I Raptize dio, fidei thee, the Greek, Baptizetur fervus Chrifti; Let tatem, vel "this Servant of Chrift be Baptized. And in legis Evan "the Supper, the Latine Church used unleavened, "the Greek, leavened Bread, c. And herein "he fpake as a Chriftian, that faid, Qualibet pra"vincia abundet fenfu fuo; Let every Province "abound in its own fenfe. Note alfo (faith he) "that a good Prince, permits divers Laws and "Customs of divers of his Subjects, fo they be "not evidently against the Law of Nature: And "not to do fo, would often be the destruction "of the Commonwealth. As the Lord of Arras, "a City of Picardy, was wont to fay, that Flan"ders would be Governed otherwife than France, or Burgundy. And this Confideration (faith he) rightly understood (to wit, not to prefs

he)

Uniformity

gelica.