he will of God. Neither is there further need of any ceremonies,
which by a secret virtue may instruct us: neither is it less evident that
order consisteth not in the institution or use of new things, but only in
the right placing of things which have been instituted before." "Decency
(saith Balduine)(827) is opposed to levity, and order to confusion."
_Spectat autem hic ordo potissimum ad ritus ecclesiae in officiis sacris
in quibus nullum debet esse scandalum, nulla confusio._

Then, in his judgment, order is not to the rites of the church a general
kind, but only a concomitant circumstance; neither are the rites of the
church comprehended under order as particulars under the general kind to
which they belong; but order belongeth to the rites of the church as an
adjunct to the subject. And, I pray, must not the rights of the church be
managed with decency and order? If so, then must our opposites either say
that order is managed with order, which is to speak nonsense, or else,
that the rights of the church are not comprehended under order. But if
not, then it followeth that the rites of the church are to be managed with
levity, confusion, and scandal; for every action that is not done in
decency and in order must needs be done scandalously and confusedly. 2.
Order and decency, whether taken _largo_ or _stricto sensu_, always
signify such a thing as ought to be in all human actions, as well civil as
sacred; for will any man say, that the civil actions of men are not to be
done decently and in order? The directions of order and decency(828) are
not (we see) _propria religionis_, but as Balduine showeth(829) out of
Gregory Nazianzen, order is in all other things as well as in the church.
Wherefore sacred significant ceremonies shall never be warranted by the
precept of order and decency, which have no less in civility than in
religion.

_Sect._ 4. Now to the particulars. And first, that which Christ did, Matt.
xix. 13, 15, cannot commend unto us the bishopping or confirmation of
children by prayer and imposition of hands; for as Maldonat saith
rightly,(830) _Hebreorum consuetudinem fuisse, ut qui majores erant et
aliqua polle bant divina gratia, manuum impositione inferioribus
benedicerent, constat ex_ Gen. xlviii. 14, 15, _hac ergo ratione adducti
parentes, infantes ad Christum afferebant, ut impositis manibus illis
benediceret_. And as touching this blessing of children and imposition of
hands upon them (saith Cartwrig