re both ancient and lawful, and agreeable
to God's word, were notwithstanding of necessity to be abolished, because
of their superstition and wicked abuse.

_Sect._ 12. Secondly, Our opposites answer us, that beside the purging of
things and rites abused by idolaters from the idolatrous pollution, and
the restoring of them to a right use, preaching and teaching against the
superstition and abuse which hath followed upon them, is another means to
avoid that harm which we fear to ensue upon the retaining of them. _Ans._
1. This is upon as good ground pretended for the keeping of images in
churches: _At inquiunt statim, docemus has imagines non esse adorandas.
Quasi vero_, saith Zanchius,(544) _non idem olim fecerit diligentius Deus,
per Mosen et prophetas, quam nos faciamus. Cur igitur etiam volebat tolli
imagines omnes? quia non satis est verbo docere non esse faciendum malum;
sed tollenda etiam sunt malorum offendicula, irritamenta, causoe,
occasiones._ It is not enough, with the scribes and Pharisees, to teach
out of Moses' chair what the people should do, but all occasions, yea,
appearances of evil, are to be taken out of their sight. _Efficacious enim
et plus movent, quae in oculos quam quae in aures incidunt. Potuerat et
Hezekias populum monere, ne serpentem adorarent, sed muluit confringere et
penitus e conspectu auferre; et rectius fecit,_ saith one well to this
purpose.(545) 2. Experience hath taught to how little purpose such
admonitions do serve. Calvin,(546) writing to the Lord Protector of
England of some popish ceremonies which did still remain in that church
after the reformation of the same, desireth that they may be abolished,
because of their former abuse, in time of Popery. _Quid enim_, saith he,
_illae ceremoniae aliud fuerunt, quam totidem lenocinia quae miseras
animas ad malum perducerent?_ &c. But because he saw that some might
answer that which our Formalists answer now to us, and say, it were enough
to warn and teach men that they abuse not these ceremonies, and that the
abolishing of these ceremonies themselves were not necessary; therefore
immediately he subjoineth these words: _Jam si de cautione agitur,
monebuntur homines scilicet, ne ad illas nunc impingant, &c. Quis tamen
non videt obdurari ipsos nihilominus, nihil ut infelici illa cautione
obtineri possit._ Whereupon he concludes, that if such ceremonies were
suffered to remain, this should be a means to nourish a greater hardness
and confir