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A39279 A defence of the Thirty nine articles of the Church of England written in Latin by J. Ellis ... now done into English ; to which are added the Lambeth Articles ; together with the judgment of Bishop Andrews, Dr. Overall, and other eminent and learned men upon them.; Articulorum XXXIX Ecclesiae Anglicanae defensio. English Ellis, John, 1599?-1665.; Andrewes, Lancelot, 1555-1626.; Overall, John, 1560-1619.; Church of England. Thirty-nine Articles. 1700 (1700) Wing E587; ESTC R1641 74,086 146

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the Acuteness of Punishment and to the Consummation of Torments both of Body and Soul ART V. Of the Holy Ghost THE Holy Ghost proceeding from the Father and the Son is of one Substance Majesty and Glory with the Father and the Son very and eternal God Obj. 1. Altho' the Spirit of Truth be said to proceed from the Father John 15. 16. yet it does not seem to proceed from the Son because it is no where said so in Scripture Answ. Although it be not said in the very Words that the Spirit proceeds from the Son yet 't is plainly called the Spirit of the Son Gal. 4. 6. And the Spirit of Christ Rom. 8. 9. And then Christ says John 15. 26. that he would send them the Spirit from the Father In which Words he seems to mean that it would proceed from him likewise Though speaking as a Man by way of Respect he attributes it to the Father There is no need to dispute too nicely about this Matter if it be but granted that the Holy Ghost has an eternal Dependance on the Son 't is to no purpose to strive about Words and Terms Obj. 2. The Holy Ghost was not from Eternity John 7. 39. Answ. This Place does not speak concerning the Being or Person but of the Gifts and Operations of the Holy Ghost Obj 3. The Holy Ghost is not every where because he changes place The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee says the Angel to Mary Luke 1. 35. And in the same place the Virtue of the most High shall over-shadow thee therefore neither is he the most High Answ. The Words come upon thee do not signifie any change of Place but a particular Manifestation in some certain Place And then the Holy Ghost is essentially the most High tho' not personally so if by the Name of most High the Father be understood Obj. 4. The Holy Ghost does not know all things because none knows the Father but the Son Mat. 11. 27. therefore he is not God Answ. The Word none excludes only Creatures and not the Holy Ghost who perfectly knows the Father 1 Cor. 2. 10. Obj. 5. All things are made by Christ and so is the Holy Ghost Therefore he is not God Joh. 1. 3. Answ. All things are said to be made by Christ which are made but then only Creatures are made Obj. 6. He that prays to God is not God but the Hooly Ghost supplicates God for us Answ. It is not said what the Holy Ghost acts immediately and of it self but what it stirs up and effects in us Obj. 7. He that is sent is inferiour to him that sends but the Holy Ghost is sent by the Father and then he is not of the same Mijesty and Glory Answ. Mission and Obedience do not always take away an Equality of Power for an Equal may sometimes be sent by his Equal ART VI. Of the Sufficiency of the Holy Scriptures for Salvation HOly Scripture contains all things necessary to Salvation so that whatsoever is not read therein nor may be proved thereby is not to be required of any Man that it should be believed as an Article of the Faith or be thought requisite or necessary to Salvation In the name of the Holy Scripture we do understand those Canonical Books of the Old and New Testament of whose Authority was never any doubt in the Church Of the Names and Number of the Canonical Books Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomium Jeshua Judges Ruth the First Book of Samuel the Second Book of Samuel the First Book of Kings the Second Book of Kings the First Book of Chronicles the Second Book of Chronicles the First Book of Esdras the Second Book of Esdras the Book of Hester the Book of Job the Psalms the Proverbs Ecclesiastes or Preacher Cantica or Songs of Solomon Four Prophets the greater Twelve Prophets the Less And the other Books as Hierom saith the Church doth read for Example of Life and Instruction of Manners But yet does it not apply them to establish any Doctrine such are these following The third Book of Esdras The fourth Book of Esdras The Book of Tobias The Book of Judith The rest of the Book of Hester The Book of Wisdom Jesus the Son of Sirach Baruch the Prophet The Song of the Three Children The Story of Susanna Of Bell and the Dragon The Prayer of Manasses The first Book of Maccabees The second Book of Maccabees All the Books of the New Testament as they are commonly received we do receive and account them Canonical It may be thought that the Scriptures do not contain all things necessary to Salvation for Obj. 1. It is necessary to Salvation that we should know what and how many Books are Canonical Answ. This is not so absolutely necessary for we only enforce it that the Faithful may be Baptized may Believe and Live well Obj. 2. It is likewise necessary to know that these Books came to us uncorrupted Answ. The Goodness of God is such that he would not suffer those Books to be corrupted which contain the business of Salvation There was a Promise made to Esay that his Prophetical Writings should remain for ever Esay 30. 8. and Christ has promised Mat. 5. 18. That not one● Iota or Tittle should pass from the Law Obj. 3. We ought to know how many Articles of Faith are to be believed by every one under the hazard of forfeiting his Salvation but neither ●is revealed in the Sacred Writings Answ. We have a Creed that is collected from the Scriptures but yet it is not necessary to Salvation to have a distinct knowledge of the number of our Mysteries One thing is needful as Christ answered Martha Luke 10. 42. One thing is absolutely necessary namely that in comparison of Christ we should look upon all things as Loss I determined not to know any thing among you save Jesus Christ and him Crucified says St. Paul 1 Cor. 2. 2. Obj. 4. We no where meet with the Means that God made use of to purifie Females from Original Sin or Males that died before the Eighth day or indeed concerning the Gentiles how they were to be saved under the Old Testament Ans. By the circumcision of the Men the Females were consecrated the Married Women belong'd to their Husbands the Unmarried to their Parents The purging of Females from Sin was done chiefly by Faith they and the Children of Jews that died before the Eighth Day were saved by vertue of the Promise made to Abram I will be thy God and the God of thy Seed God was not bound to any external Sacrament even without that he could conferr his Grace So also the Gentiles were justified by Faith Gen. 12. 3. All the Families of the Earth shall be blessed in Abram Obj. 5. If the Scripture be perfect either the single Books of the Canon are perfect or the whole Canon It is granted that the single Books of it are not so And then the whole Canon is
not because many Books are lost as the Writings of Nathan and Gad with others 1 Chron. 29. 29. as also the Epistle of St. Paul to the Laodiceans Col. 4. 16. Answ. The single Books have an essential Perfection because they have the Matter and Form of the Word of God the whole Canon has a proportionate one The one has the perfection of the part the other of the whole But we have all the Books that are Canonical those Books that are lost were Historical Narrations and some others too that were not Canonical Obj. 6. All that Christ said and did are not comprehended in the Scriptures Answ. All that Christ did and said necessary for our Salvation are in the Scriptures Obj. 7. St. Paul bids us 2 Thess. 2 15. to hold or keep the Traditions Answ. Either the Apostle there speaks of those free and indifferent Constitutions that concern the Government of the Church or concerning the Doctrine which he himself in Person had preached to them and then even that was contained in his Writings and other Canonical Books for Tradition is wont to be taken in that Sense Now he had delivered nothing contrary to the Scriptures as some others had done Obj. 8. But besides Those Books which we call Apocrypha should seem to be truly Canonical because not only many Councils but many Fathers have called and accounted them Canonical Answ. We are to give credit to Councils as far as they follow the guidance of Scripture and no further and if at any time General Councils call these Books Canonical this is only in a comprehensive Sense and has no other meaning but that they were wont to be read in the Church for the ed●fication of the People not that they had the same assurance of them as of those that are truly Canonical because these were never received into the Hebrew Canon and from hence they were called Deutero-Canonici or Canonical in a second Form And then as to some of the Fathers that they called them Canonical that will not prove them such Neither is it very likely that the more Ingenuous of them would call them so unless in the foregoing Sense Obj. 9. The Church is wont to cite many things from thence Answ. The Apostles cited some things from the Writings of the Heathens but we must not gather from thence that their Writings are Canonical Obj. 10. There are many things in the Books of the Apocrypha which mig●ly encourage Faith and Piety There you have ●ittle Morals Oec●mics and P●liticks in short a Compendium of Scripture Answ. All the Books that contain good Precepts are not Canonical ART VII Of the Old Testament THE Old Testament is not contrary to the New for both in the Old and New Testament everlasting Life is offered to Mankind by Christ who is the only Mediator between God and Man being both God and Man Wherefore they are not to be heard which feign that the Old Fathers did look only for transitory Promises Altho' the Law given from God by Moses as touching Ceremonies and Rites do not bind Christian Men nor the Civil Precepts thereof ought of necessity to be received in any Commonwealth yet notwithstanding no Christian Man whatsoever is free from the Obedience of the Commandments which are called Moral Against the aforesaid Article it is Objected Obj. 1. That in the Old Testament things were obscure but in the New they are clear In the Old Christ was shadowed out under Ceremonies in the New himself is present from whence may be inferred an Opposition between the Two Testaments Answ. There may be inferred some difference between the Old and the New Testament in respect to the manner of Administration to the clearness and circumstances of Things but no contrariety in respect to the Substance Obj. 2. Christ as a Man had not yet suffered and for that reason Grace thro' him was not yet offered Answ. Grace was effectually offered thro' Christ that was to come Obj 3. The Mystery of the Incarnation was unknown to the Sons of Men Eph. 3. 5. Answ. It was unknown to the Gentiles before their Conversion Or This Mystery was unknown to the Fathers i. e. It was not so plainly and distinctly known as now it is as you have it in that Text. Obj. 4. The ancient Church was in its Infancy and its Knowledge was accordingly Gal. 4. 3 So in bodily things it could not discern Spiritual ones Answ. The ancient Church is called childish not because it knew nothing of Christ but because its Knowledge was very weak in respect of the Church of the New Testament which saw those things brought to pass which were before prophesied of Obj. 5. Christ was the Mediator of a better Covenant because it was established by better Promises Heb. 8. 6. Answ. Christ is the Mediator of a better Covenant than that of Moses for that promised only Blessing upon condition they kept the Law But the ancient Covenant that was freely made with the Patriarchs has the same Promises with the New Testament in which Life is promised by Faith Obj. 6. Circumcision is called an everlasting Covenant Gen. 17. 13. The Passover is called an everlasting Worship and the whole Levitical Service is called an eternal Precept a perpetual Ordinance and therefore it does bind all Christians Exod. 12. 14. Answ. The Levitical Ordinances are called everlasting i. e. so long as the Old Law should last so that such a duration is spoken of as the nature of the thing will bear And the Word Olam in the Original signifies an Age or long time but does not always denote an absolute Eternity Obj. 7. The Law of not cating Blood does bind Christians Acts 15. 29. Answ. The eating of Blood was forbidden to the Gentiles not for ever but for a time to avoid giving Offence to the weak Jews who were not yet fully confirmed in the Faith of Christ and did still believe that this Ordinance was not quite abolished But then you 'll say that abstaining from Blood and Fornication are both joyned together in the Apostle's Edict Acts 15. 29. therefore by the same necessity that Christians are obliged to abstain from Fornication by the same likewise are they bound as to the eating of Blood I answer that the eating of Blood and Fornication were joyned together by the Apostles not that they really were but only were accounted equal For by most Heathens Fornication was accounted no Sin and Christians began to be wondred at by the Gentiles that they were so much in love with Chastity Neither is it any new thing in the Law of Moses to have moral judicial and ceremonial Precepts mix'd together Obj. 8. None can make wiser Laws than God Now the civil Precepts of the Law Of not defrauding the Hirelings of care for the Poor and several others do highly oblige every Christian. Answ. 'T is true no body makes Laws wiser than God but among the Laws which He has made some are only proper for the
not so to do it from the Copy and Direction of the Church And it is not unworthy of a Minister to do some things that Children can do viz. to read Prayers or Chapters within Book Obj. 3. No body can execute the Office of an Advocate or a Physician by repeating any prescribed Forms Now a Minister is a Spiritual Advocate and Physician who ought to apply his Doctrine according to the different Circumstances of Time and Persons which is not to be done nor can be done 〈◊〉 the prescribed Words of a Homily composed by other Men are read to the People Answ. If a Physician or an Advocate repeat any thing out of their Books the hearer may procure Health and receive whol●ome Advice for himself or for others So it is in Divine Things likewise Notwithstanding the Ministry of those may be more effectual who know how to apply the Word of God according to the variety of Circumstances Besides those things that are contained in the Homilies for the most part are suited to all times And some things may be so applied to any time that there is almost no body but may easily understand them when they are read So that Readers may be of great use where better instructed Ministers are not to be had ART XXXVI Of Consecration of Bishops and Ministers THE Book of Consecration of Archbishops and Bishops and ordering of Priests and Deacons lately set forth in the time of Edward the Sixth and confirmed at the same time by Authority of Parliament doth contain all things necessary to such Consecration and Ordering Neither hath it any thing that of it self is Superstitious and Ungodly And therefore whosoever are consecrated and ordered according to the Rites of that Book since the the second Year of the asorenamed King Edward unto this time or hereafter shall be consecrated and ordered according to the same Rites we decree all such to be rightly orderly and lawfully consecrated and ordered Obj. 1 We do not any where in Scripture read of 〈◊〉 Answ. An Archbishop is no other than the highest of the Bishops who is as a Head set over other Bishops And although we do not meet with this Word in the Scriptures yet it agrees thereunto for the preserving of Order in the Church that 't is prudent and useful to constitute Degrees in the Church of different Dignity and Authority In the Old Testament there was a High Priest and Priests of a second and Inferiour Order In the New there were Apostles Prophets Evangelis●s Pastors and Teachers And it is not contrary to the Word of God that One should be above Another in the Church for Government 's sake Obj. 2. It is an impious thing that the Bishop should say to every one of those that are Ordained Receive the Holy Ghost as if he had the Power of conferring the Holy Ghost which is peculiar to Christ himself and was the miralous Token of his Divine Power But no mortal Man can assume this to himself or ought to imitate it Answ. The Bishop does not mean when he says Receive the Holy Ghost as if he could bestow upon them the inward Gifts of the Holy Ghost in an extraordinary manner but he says it because he confers upon them the external and ordinary Ministry whereof the Holy Ghost is the Author In which Sense also he says Receive thou Authority to preach the Gospel c. Obj. 3. Those first Bishops and Ministers after the Reformation were not rightly ordained because they were not Ordained by such other Bishops who had a continued Succession from preceding Bishops lawfully called and because in the Solemnity of Consecration and Ordination the accustomed Rites and Ceremonies were wanting Answ. Our first Bishops were Ordained by Romish Priests who although they had not amongst them a Purity of Doctrine yet they lost not the Power of Ordination It is agreed that those who are baptized by Hereticks are truly baptized And there is the same Reason for those who are Ordained by them The Pharisees sat in 〈◊〉 's Chair and Judas executed his Apostolick Office And why not since a wholsome and good Effect does not depend upon the Sincerity of him that administers but upon the Authority of the Institution The Ceremonies and Rites were likewise agreeable to the Holy Scriptures as may be easily made to appear from the Records and Writings of our own Countrymen If any one should now say that the R●mish Priests were not lawfully called and therefore Ours could not be rightly Ordained by them we have this to say That their Vo●ion as o●he very Being and Essence of it was Legi●mate because even they were call'd to teach the Truth although the Accidents were Illegitimate Neither could they deprive our Bishops of their Vocation though they did not teach according to the Taste and Reli● of the Church of Rome We ought to obey God rather than Men. There are some too that make answer That a Magistrate and a faithful People may constitute and choose Bishops and Pastors especially in a Case of necessity Moreover a Succession from the Apostles is indeed required but this ought to be rather a Doctrinal than a Personal Succession ART XXXVII Of the Civil Magistrates THE Queen's Majesty hath the chief Power in this Realm of England and other her Dominions unto whom the chief Government of all Estates of this Realm whether they be Ecclesiastical or Civil in all Causes doth appertain and is not nor ought to be subject to any Foreign Jurisdiction Where we attribute to the Queen's Majesty the chief Government By which Titles we understand the Minds of some slanderous Folks to be offended we give Pr●nces to our Princes the Ministring either of God's Word or of the Sacraments The which hing the Injunctions also la●ely set forth by Elizabeth our Queen do most plainly testifie but that only Prerogative which we see to have been given always to all Godly Princes in Holy Scripture by God himself that is that they should rule all Estates and Degrees committed to their Charge by God whether they be Ecclesiastical or Temporal and restrain with the Civil Sword the Stubborn and Evil-doers The Bishop of Rome has no Jurisdiction in this Realm of England The Laws of the Realm may punish Christian Men with Death for heinous and grievous Offences It is lawful for Christian Men at the Commandment of the Magistrate to wear Weapons and serve in the Wars Obj. 1. King 〈◊〉 ingenuously conf●ed that the Priests and not he ●ad the chief Power in the Church 2 Chron. 19. 11. A●arian the C●ef Priest is over you in all Matters of the Lord. Answ. In interpreting and administring of Divine Things the High-Priest was chief and principal but as to the Temporal Government he was subject to the King Obj. 2. The Holy Scriptures inform us that the Government of the Church is in the Hands of the Bishops and Priests Act. 20. 28. 1 Tim. 5. 17. Heb. 13. 17. Answ. The Government