say of the gestures and rites used in
the mass, "They are all frivolous and hypocritical, stealing away true
devotion from the heart, and making men to rest in the outward gestures of
the body." There is more sound religion among them who refuse, than among
them who receive the same, even our enemies themselves being judges, the
reason whereof let me give in the words of one of our opposites(16)
_Supervacua hoec occupatio circa traditiones humanas, gignit semper
ignorantiam et contemptum proeceptorum divinorum_--This needless business
about human traditions doth ever beget the ignorance and contempt of
divine commandments. 2. Where read we that the servants of God have at any
time sought to advance religion by such hideous courses of stern violence,
as are intended and assayed against us by those who press the ceremonies
upon us? The jirking and nibbling of their unformal huggermugger cometh
nearer to sycophancy than to sincerity, and is sibber to appeaching
hostility than fraternal charity, for just so they deal with us as the
Arians did with the catholics of old. _Sinceros_, &c.(17) "The sincere
teachers of the churches they delated and accused before magistrates, as
if they alone did continually perturb the church's peace and tranquillity,
and did only labour that the divided churches might never again piously
grow together, and by this calumny they persuaded politic and civil men
(who did not well enough understand this business), that the godly
teachers of the churches should be cast forth into exile, and the Arian
wolves should be sent into the sheepfolds of Christ." Now, forasmuch as
God hath said, "They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain,"
Isa. ix. 11, and will not have his flock to be ruled with force and with
cruelty, Ezek. xxxiv. 4. _Nec potest_ (saith Lactantius(18)) _aut veritas
cum vi, aut justitia cum crudelitate conjungi_--Neither can either truth be
conjoined with violence, or righteousness with cruelty therefore, if our
opposites would make it evident that they are in very deed led by
religious aims let them resile from their violent proceedings, and deal
with us in the spirit of meekness showing us from God's word and good
reason the equity of their cause, and iniquity of ours, wherein we require
no other thing of them, than that which Lactantius required of the
adversaries of his profession, even that they would debate the matter
_verbis pontius quam verberibus_--by words rather than by