whips
_Distringant aciem ingeniorem suorum: siratio eorum vera est, asseratur:
parati sumus audire, si doceant_--Let them draw out the sharpness of their
engines; if their reason be true let it be averred, we are ready to hear,
if they teach us. 3. If their aims were truly for the advancement of
religion, how comes it to pass, that whilst they make so much ado and move
every stone against us for our modest refusing of obedience to certain
ordinances of men, which in our consciences we are persuaded to be
unlawful, they manumiss and set free the simony, lying, swearing,
profanation of the Sabbath, drunkenness, whoredom, with other gross and
scandalous vices of some of their own side, by which God's own
commandments are most fearfully violated? This just recrimination we may
well use for our own most lawful defence. Neither do we hereby intend any
man's shame (God knows), but his reformation rather. We wish from our
hearts we had no reason to challenge our opposites of that superstition
taxed in the Pharisees, _Quod argubant &c._--that they accused the
disciples of little things, and themselves were guilty in great things,
saith Nicolaus Goranus.(19)

V. Do not account ceremonies to be matters of so small importance that we
need not stand much upon them, for, as Hooker(20) observeth, a ceremony,
through custom, worketh very much with people. Dr Burges allegeth(21) for
his writing about ceremonies, that the matter is important for the
consequence of it. Camero(22) thinketh so much of ceremonies, that he
holdeth our simplicity to notify that we have the true religion, and that
the religion of Papists is superstitious because of their ceremonies. To
say the truth, a church is in so far true or hypocritical as it mixeth or
not mixeth human inventions with God's holy worship, and hence the
Magdeburgians profess,(23) that they write of the ceremonies for making a
difference betwixt a true and a hypocritical church. _Vere enim ecclesia,
&c._--for a true church, as it retains pure doctrine, so also it keeps
simplicity of ceremonies, &c., but a hypocritical church, as it departs
from pure doctrine, so for the most part it changeth and augmenteth the
ceremonies instituted of God, and multiplieth its own traditions, &c. And
as touching our controverted ceremonies in particular, if you consider
what we have written against them, you shall easily perceive that they are
matters of no small, but very great consequence. Howbeit these be