o not concern us; for, as we may see plainly by the fourteenth
canon of the first Council of Nice (as those canons are collected by
Ruffinus), the sixty-ninth canon of the Council of Eleberis, and the sixth
canon of the Council of Ancyra, the communion was only permitted to be
given in private houses to the _paenitentes_, who were _abstenti_ and
debarred from the sacrament, some for three years, some for five, some for
seven, some for ten, some for thirteen, some longer, and who should
happily be overtaken with some dangerous and deadly sickness before the
set time of abstention was expired. As for the judgment of our own
divines, _Calviniani_, saith Balduine,(440) _morem illum quo eucharastia
ad aegrotos tanquam viaticum defertur improbant, eamque non nisi in
coetibus publicis usurpendam censent_. For this he allegeth Beza, Aretius,
and Musculus. It was a better ordinance than that of Perth, which said,
_non oportet in domibus oblationes ab episcopis sive presbyteris
fieri_.(441) But to return.

_Sect._ 4. 3d. The ceremonies are proved to be superstitious, by this
reason, if there were no more, they have no necessary nor profitable use
in the church (as hath been proved), which kind of things cannot be used
without superstition. It was according to this rule that the
Waldenses(442) and Albigenses taught that the exorcisms, breathings,
crossings, salt, spittle, unction, chrism, &c. used by the church of Rome
in baptism, being neither necessary nor requisite in the administration of
the same, did occasion error and superstition, rather than edification to
salvation,

4th. They are yet more superstitious, for that they are not only used in
God's worship unnecessary and unprofitably, but likewise they hinder other
necessary duties. They who, though they serve the true God, "yet with
needless offices, and defraud him of duties necessary," are superstitious
in Hooker's judgment.(443) I wish he had said as well to him as from him.
What offices more unnecessary than those Roman rituals? yet what more
necessary duties than to worship God in a spiritual and lively manner,--to
press the power of godliness upon the consciences of professors,--to
maintain and keep faithful and well qualified ministers in the church,--to
bear the bowels of mercy and meekness,--not to offend the weak, nor to
confirm Papists in Popery,--to have all things in God's worship disposed
according to the word, and not according to the will of man,--not to
e