VI. But let that which they do hereby intend be granted them; let it once stand as consonant to reason, that because we are forbidden to add to the law of God any thing, or to take aught from it, therefore we may not for matters of the Church make any law more than is already set down in Scripture: who seeth not what sentence it shall enforce us to give against all Churches in the world, inasmuch as there is not one, but hath had many things established in it, which though the Scripture did never command, yet for us to condemn were rashness? Let the Church of God even in the time of our Saviour Christ serve for example unto all the rest. In their domestical celebration of the passover, which supper they divided (as it were) into two courses; what Scripture did give commandment that between the first and the second he that was chief should put off the residue of his garments, and keeping on his feast-robe1 only wash the feet of them that were with him? What Scripture did command them never to lift up their hands unwashed in prayer unto God? which custom Aristeas (be the credit of the author more or less) sheweth wherefore they did so religiously observe2. What Scripture did command the Jews every festival-day to fast till the sixth hour? the custom both mentioned by Josephus in the history of his own life3, and by the words of Peter signified4. Tedious it were to rip up all such things as were in that church established, yea by Christ himself and by his Apostle observed, though not commanded any where in Scripture.
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Footnotes
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John xiii. Cœnatorium: de quo Matt. xxii. 12. Ibi de Cœnatorio nuptiali. ↩
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[De LXX. Interpretibus, ad calc. Josephi, Colon. 1691, p. 33, ἐπερώτησαν δὲ καὶ του̑το· τίνος χάριν ἀπονιζόμενοι τὰς χει̑ρας, τὸ τηνικαυ̑τα εὔχονται; διεσάϕουν δὲ, ὅτι μαρτύριόν ἐστι του̑ μηδὲν εἰργάσθαι κακόν· πα̑σα γὰρ ἐνέργεια διὰ τω̑ν χειρω̑ν γίνεται.] ↩
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[c. 54. τὴν σύνοδον διέλυσεν ἐπελθου̑σα ἕκτη ὥρα, καθ’ ἣν τοι̑ς σάββασιν ἀριστοποιει̑σθαι νόμιμόν ἐστιν ἡμι̑ν. Cf. Acts x. 9.] ↩
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[Acts ii. 15.] ↩