Series 5 > Religious Controversy in Scotland 1625-1639

RELIGIOUS CONTROVERSY IN SCOTLAND
practised, they cannot scandalize culpablie. For that were a great wrong laid upon
God and providence if such a case could be where men now under an inivitable
necessity, by way of contradiction, to scandalize and so to murther some, whither
they practise things indifferent, or practise them not. 2) Therfor seing our rulers
are persuaded of the indifference, they can no more be scandalized by us then
Paul can be scandalized. It is certain, ignorance is the nearest cause of scandall,
and therfor, where there is perfyte knowledge of our liber tie there is no danger
of scandall. 3) Howbeit ceremonies be indifferent, yet to practise them by your
grounds is obedience to the fifth comand, and not to practise them as a sinfull
dxssxxd dissobedience to God. Now, to obey or not to obey God is not indiffer¬
ent. The former is necessary, the latter is evill, and therfor we scandalize not in
things indifferent. [332] 4.We possiblie displease authoritie,but we doe not scan-
dalize but edifie authoritie. For the non-practice of ceremonies to us is non-
scandalizing and non-murthering, and so obedience to the sixth comandement,
and therfor in not practising we obey God, and so cannot scandalize man, how¬
beit our obedience to God displease man, and therfor we doe not culpablie
scandalize, either papists or the Reformed churches.
Answer
I would know what intrinsicall evill ye think to be in our ceremonies, and so
in kneiling in the act of receaving the Lord’s supper.
Opponent
This argument troubled! me much.Whatever worshipe wanteth scripture’s
tight and nature’s tight is will worshipe; but kneeling in the instant of receaving
and sacramental! eating wanteth warrant from scripture’s tight, and nature’s tight.
Ergo etc.
Answer
I deny your assumption, for kneiting hath a warrant in nature’s tight, it being
most convenient and natural! to worship God kneeling.
Opponent
If ye mean kneeling that is natural! to this worship sacramentall, you doe
simptie deny what is in question without giving a reason. If ye mean kneiting is
naturall to all worship in generall, then hear what I oppon: what is natural to
worship in generall, is alike naturall to all the species of worship, as logick will say
undenyablie. For attributs naturall will agrieeth naturallie to the generall and to
all the particulars; but knieling agrieth not in the alyke [333] naturally to all the
spaces of worship. Ergo kneiting agreith not alike naturally to all the spaces of