ne this in truth,
and taken away that figure, yea the whole yoke of the law of Moses; which
point he taught the Gentiles also. Wherefore, although your church do keep
the Jewish rites with another meaning than God ordained them for the Jews,
&c., yet this of Peter showeth that the thing is Jewish, and you to
Judaise who keep them." By the very same reasons prove we that Formalists
do Romanise by keeping the popish ceremonies, though with another meaning,
and to another use, than the Romanists do. The very external use,
therefore, of any sacred ceremony of human institution, is not to be
suffered in the matter of worship, when in respect of this external use we
are sorted with idolaters. 3. If conformity with idolaters in the external
use of their ceremonies be lawful, if so be there be a difference in the
substance of the worship and object whereunto they are applied, then why
were Christians forbidden of old (as we have heard before) to keep the
calends of January, and the first day of every month, forasmuch as the
pagans used so? Why was trin-immersion in baptism, and fasting upon the
Lord's day forbidden, for that the heretics did so? Why did the Nicene
fathers inhibit the keeping of Easter upon the fourteenth day of the
month,(638) so much the rather because the Jews kept it on that day? The
Bishop must say there was no need of shunning conformity with pagans,
Jews, heretics, in the external use of their rites and customs, and that a
difference ought to have been made only in the object and use whereunto
the same was applied. Nay, why did God forbid Israel to cut their hair as
the Gentiles did? Had it not been enough not to apply this rite to a
superstitious use, as Aquinas showeth(639) the Gentiles did? Why was the
very external use of it forbidden?

_Sect._ 14. There is yet another piece brought against us, but we will
abide the proof of it, as of the rest. Nobis saith,(640) _Saravia, satis
est, modestis et piis Christianis satisfacere, qui ita recesserunt a
superstitionibus et idololatriae Romanae ecclesiae, ut probatos ab
orthodoxis patribus mores, non rejiciant._ So have some thought to escape
by this postern, that they use the ceremonies, not for conformity with
Papists, but for conformity with the ancient fathers. _Ans._ 1. When
Rainold speaketh of the abolishing of popish ceremonies,(641) he answereth
this subtlety: "But if you say, therefore, that we be against the ancient
fathers in religion, because we plu