t to that edification which divines require in things
prescribed by the church concerning order and decency, except of every
private and ordinary action, in the whole course of our conversation, we
either deny that it should be done unto edifying, or else affirm that it
is a sacred significant ceremony.

CHAPTER VI.

THAT THE LAWFULNESS OF THE CEREMONIES IS FALSELY GROUNDED UPON THE HOLY
SCRIPTURE; WHERE SUCH PLACES AS ARE ALLEGED BY OUR OPPOSITES, EITHER FOR
ALL THE CEREMONIES IN GENERAL, OR FOR ANY ONE OF THEM IN PARTICULAR, ARE
VINDICATED FROM THEM.

_Sect._ 1. It remaineth now to examine the warrants which our opposites
pretend for the lawfulness of the ceremonies. But I perceive they know not
well what ground to take hold on. For instance whereof, Hooker defendeth
the lawfulness of festival days by the law of nature.(816) Dr Downame
groundeth the lawfulness of them on the law of God,(817) making the
observation of the sabbaths of rest appointed by the church, such as the
feasts of Christ's nativity, passion, &c., to be a duty commanded in the
law of God, and the not observing of them to be a thing forbidden by the
same law. But Bishop Lindsey proveth the lawfulness of those holidays(818)
from the power of the church to make laws in such matters. "As for the
Lord's day (saith he) which has succeeded to the Jewish Sabbath, albeit
God hath commanded to sanctify it, yet neither is the whole public
worship, nor any part of it appropriated to that time; but lawfully the
same may be performed upon any other convenient day of the week, of the
month, or of the year, as the church shall think expedient. Upon this
ground Zanchius affirmed, _Ecclesiae Christi liberum esse quos velit praeter
dominicos dies sibi sanctificandos deligere_. And by this warrant did the
primitive church sanctify those five anniversary days of Christ's
nativity," &c.

Nay, let us observe how one of them wavereth from himself in seeking here
some ground to rest upon. Paybody groundeth the lawfulness of kneeling at
the sacrament on nature, part 2, cap. 4, sect. 1, on the act of
Parliament, part 3, cap. 1, sect. 31; on an ecclesiastical canon, part 3,
cap. 1, sect. 33, on the king's sovereign authority, part 3, cap. 1, sect.
36. Yet again he saith, that this kneeling is grounded upon the
commandment of God, part 3, cap. 3, sect. 11.

Well, I see our opposites sometimes warrant the lawfulness of the
ceremonies f