is fashion we leave to them who will have all their anomalies taken
for analogies. It becometh not the spouse of Christ, endued with the
spirit of meekness, to command anything imperiously, and without a reason
given.

_Ecclesioe enim est docere primum, tuin proescribere_, saith Camero.(890)
And again: _Non enim dominatur cleris, nec agit cum iis quos Christus
redemit, ac si non possent capere quod sit religiosum, quid minus._

Tertullian's testimony(891) is known: _Nulla lex_, &c. "No law (saith he)
owes to itself alone the conscience of its equity, but to those from whom
it expects obedience. Moreover, it is a suspected law which will not have
itself to be proved, but a wicked law, which not being proved, yet beareth
rule."

It is well said by our divines,(892) that in rites and ceremonies the
church hath no power "to destruction, but to edification;" and that the
observation of our ecclesiastical canons "must carry before them a
manifest utility."(893) _Piis vero fratribus durum est, subjicere se rebus
illis quas nec rectas esse nec utiles animadvertunt_.(894) If here it be
objected, that some things are convenient to be done, therefore, because
they are prescribed by the church, and for no other reason. For example,
in two things which are alike lawful and convenient in themselves, I am
bound to do the one and not the other, because of the church's
prescription. So that, in such cases, it seemeth there can be no other
reason given for the ordinance of the church but only her own power and
authority to put to order things of this nature.

I answer, that even in such a case as this, the conveniency of the thing
itself is anterior to the church's determination; anterior, I say, _de
congruo_, though not _de facto_, that is to say, before ever the church
prescribe it, it is such a thing as (when it falleth out to be done at
all) may be done conveniently, though it be not (before the church's
prescribing of it) such a thing as should and ought to be done as
convenient. Which being so, we do still hold that the conveniency of a
thing must always go before the church's prescribing of it; go before, I
mean, at least _de congruo_. Neither can the church prescribe anything
lawfully which she showeth not to have been convenient, even before her
determination.

_Sect._ 8. These things being permitted, I come to extract my projection,
and to make it evident that the lawfulness of the controverted ceremonies
cannot be warrant