the Church of England Of Homilies THE Second Book of Homilies the several Titles whereof we have joined under this Article doth contain a godly and wholesom Doctrine and necessary for these times as doth the former Book of Homilies which were set forth in the time of Edward the Sixth and therefore we judge to be read in Churches by the Ministers diligently and distinctly as they may be understood by the People Of the Names of the Homilies Of the right use of the Church Against peril of Idolatry c. The Presbyterians Do generally own the Truth of these Homilies nor do utterly disallow their being read in publick Assemblies provided it tend not to occasion Sloath and neglect of Gifts and the Divine assistance in Ministers nor hinder the greater Edification which the People might reap by the Word Preached unto them The Papists Do utterly Condemn a very great part of the Doctrine contained in these Homilies too tedious here to enumerate But the same will appear to any one that reads them and is at all acquainted with Popish Tenets The six and thirtieth Article of the Church of England Of Consecration of Bishops and Ministers THE Book of Consecration of Archbishops and Bishops and ordering of Priests aud 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 whoever are Consecrated or Ordered according to the Rites of that Book since the second year of the afore-named King Edward unto this time or hereafter shall be Consecrated or Ordered according to the same Rites we Decree all such to be rightly lawfully and orderly Consecrated and Ordered The Presbyterians Do not deny the Ordination of the Church of England to be in it self lawful so as to esteem all those so Ordained not to be lawful Ministers of Christ The Papists Whoever taketh upon him to Preach to Administer the Sacraments c. and is not ordered by a true Catholick Bishop to be a Curate of Souls Parson Bishop c. is a Thief and Murderer of Souls Rhem. Annot. on John 10. 1. 1. Protestant Ministers and Preachers have no due mission For all their mission from the beginning of their Reformation was either the Inspiration of a Spirit they know not what or the Commission of a Child Edward the Sixth whom they called Supream Head of the Church and from whose Kingly Power all Jurisdiction as well Ecclesiastical as Civil they affirm'd did flow See Fox Tom. 2. anno 1546 in King Edward the Sixth Or the Letters Patents of a Woman Queen Elizabeth to whom they were pleas'd to Attribute the like Superiority and Power See Statut. anno primo Elizab. cap. 1. or the Illicite and Invalid ordination or mission of or by one Story an Apostate Monk who Ordained their first Bishops at the Nags-head in Cheapside in Q. Eliz. time See Christopherus de Sacro Bosco if they have any better let them prove it in the mean time let them know we value not a Straw Masons old new Records produc'd in the year 1613 which was a matter of 50 years after the thing now mentioned was Sacrilegiously and Invalidly done and most disgracefully and shamefully cryed down but those could not give them any Spiritual Authority Power or right to Preach For according to that received Maxim of the Law no Man can give more Right than he himself hath Cook l. 1. Therefore c. 2. Moreover a Bishop is to be Ordained by two or three Bishops Counc Apostol Can. 1. And a Priest and likewise a Deacon and the rest of the Clergy by a Bishop Ibid. Can. 2. Conc. Trid. Sess 23. Can. 7. But this Apostolical and needful manner of ordination or mission they never yet had For they rejected it quite and brought in an Heretical fashion in its stead in Edward the Sixths time Neither if they were willing could they have For as I said before their Bishops from the beginning of their Reformation had no other Ordination Consecration or Mission than the Commission of the King or Queens Pleasure For the Sacrilegious Illicite and invalid Ordination of or by Story which was the first pretended Holy mission of Protestants in England and from whence they hitherto derive their orders it was not worth a straw witness the fore mentioned Canons of the Apostolica Council c. And consequently their pretended Holy Orders thence derived are not worth a Pins Head Therefore they are not true Preachers what are they then Forsooth Intruders Wolves and Murderers Sons of Belial false Prophets and Priests of Baal which is their Heresie Rebellion and Stubbornness against the Church Thus that railing Rabshekah but the falsity of all such clamours was long since demonstrated by the Learned Mason in his Treatise of the Ordination of Bishops and Priests in the Church of England The seven and thirtieth Article of the Church of England Of the Civil Magistrate THE Kings Majesty hath the chief Power in this Realm of England and other his Dominions unto whom the chief Government of all Estates of this Realm whether they be Civil or Ecclesiastical in all Causes doth appertain nor is not nor ought to be Subject to any Forreign Jurisdiction where we attribute to the Kings Majesty the chief Government by which Titles we understand the minds of some dangerous Folks to be offended He give not to our Princes the Ministring of Gods Word or of the Sacraments the which thing the In junctions also lately set forth by Eliz. our Queen do most plainly testifie But that only Prerogative which we les to have been goven always to all Godly Princes in Holy Scriptures 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 hath no Jurisdiction in this Realm of England The Laws of the Realm may punish Christian Men with Death for hainous and grievous Offences It is lawful for Christian Men at the Commandement of the Magistrate to wear Weapons and serve in the Wars The Presbyterians God the Supream Lord and King of all the World hath Ordained Civil Magistrates to be under him over the People for his own Glory and the publick good and to this end hath armed them with the power of the Sword for the defence and incouragement of them that are good and for the punishment of Evil doers The Civil Magistrate may not assume to himself the Administration of the Word and Sacraments or the power of the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven yet he hath Authority and it is his duty to take order that Unity and Peace be preserv'd in the Church and that the Truth of God be kept pure and intire that all Blasphemies and
Heresies be suppressed all Corruptions and Abuses in Worship and Discipline prevented or reformed and all the Ordinances of God duly settled administred and observed For the better effecting whereof he hath Power to call Synods to be present at them and to provide that whatsoever is transacted in them be according to the mind of God It is the duty of People to pray for Magistrates to honour their Persons to pay them Tribute and other dues to obey their Lawful Commands and to be subject to their Authority for Conscience sake Infidelity or Indifference in Religion doth not make void the Magistrates Just and Legal Authority nor free the People from their due Obedience to him from which Ecclesiastical Persons are not exempted much less hath the Pope any Power or Jurisdiction over them in their Dominions or over any of their People and least of all to deprive them of their Dominions or Lives if he shall judge them to be Hereticks or upon any other pretence whatsoever If we look into the Word of God it enjoins us not only to be Subject to those Princes who rule Righteonsly and as they ought do discharge their Office towards us But also to all those in whom the Supream Power is vested Though they perform nothing less than that which truly is their Duty For as God has Establisht Magistracy as a principal gift of his Beneficence for the Commodity of Mankind and prescribes to Rulers their Duties so like wise he declares That whatsoever they are they still have their Dominion from him making those who Rule for the publick good true Examples of his Goodness and those who exercise their Authority unjustly and wickedly his Instruments to punish the Iniquities of his People but both of them still endowed with that Majesty wherewith he hath armed all Authority on which score it is that if the publick Power happen to fall into the hands of a Wicked Man and one that in himself appears altogether unworthy of Honour yet we must acknowledge the same Eminent and Divine Power to reside in him which the Lord hath conferr'd by his Word on the Ministers of his Justice and the same Reverence and Honour is to be paid him by his Subjects as to outward Obedience as they ought to pay to the best of Kings If they were so happy as to enjoy him And having proved this by several Instances from Holy Writ especially from that of Jeremy 27. He Concludes thus Let us therefore never entertain such Seditious Thoughts as these that a King ought to be treated according to his Personal Merits or Demerits or that we need not be obedient Subjects to a King that does not again justly discharge his Office towards us Wherefore if by a cruel Prince we are grievously afflicted if by a Covetous or luxurious one we are fleec'd to the Skin and abused If by a slothful voluptuous one the grand Interests of the publick be neglected Nay more if meerly for Righteousness sake by an Ungodly Sacrilegious Tyrant we are persecuted and slaughtered it ought first to put us in mind of our Sins which by such scourges of God are undoubtedly punished In the next place let Humility restrain our Impatience And in the last place Let us consider that it is not our part to Redress these Evils all that we can do is to implore the help of God in whose hands are the Hearts of Kings and the Revolutions of Empires Thus far Calvin And we appeal to Envy it self whether the Doctrine of Loyalty and Obedience can be more expresly or fully delivered by any The Papists Exempt all Clergy-Men from obeying the Laws or submitting to the Jndgments of Temporal Magistrates or to pay them Tribute The Canon Law hath utterly exempted them from it saith Bellarmine de Cler. cap. 1. That the Civil Magistrate hath no Cognizance over the Clergy is Decreed by several Councils as Conc. Later 3. cap. 14. and Conc. Later 2. Can. 15. Because some Lay-Men constrain Ecclesiasticks yea and Bishops themselves to appear before them and to stand to their Judgments Those that henceforth shall presume to do so we Decree That they shall be Excommunicated Pope Gregory the 7th in a Synod at Rome made this Decree We observing the Decrees of our Holy Predecessors by our Aposlolical Authority do Absolve these from their Oath who are bound by their Fealty and Oath to persons Excommunicated and we forbid them by all means That they yield them Obedience The Jurisdiction of the Pope is Vniversal even over the whole World Rhem. Annot. Him upon pain of Damnation all Christians are to obey Bonif. 8th in Extrav The eight and thirtieth Article of the Church of England Of Christian Mens Goods which are not Common THE Riches and Goods of Christians are not Common as touching the Right Title and Profession of the same as certain Anabaptists do falsly boast Notwithstanding every Man ought of such as he possesseth liberally to give Alms to the Poor according to his Ability The Presbyterians The Communion which Christians have one with another as Saints doth not take away or infringe the Title or Propreity which each Man hath in his Goods and Possessions The Papists Do not deny this Article yet conceit their Monasticks who have all things in Common to be in a State of greater perfection than other Christians The nine and thirtieth Article of the Church of England Of a Christian Mans Oath AS we confess That vain and rash swearing is forbidden Christian Men by our Lord Jesus Christ and James his Apostle so we Judge that Christian Religion doth not prohibite but that a man may swear when the Magistrate requireth in a cause of Faith and Charity so it be done according to the Prophets teaching in Justice Judgment and Truth The Presbyterians A Lawful Oaths is a part of Religious Worship wherein upon just occasion the Person swearing solemnly calleth God to Witness what he asserteth or promiseth and to judge him according to the Truth or Falshood of what he sweareth The name of God only is that by which Men ought to swear and therein is to be used with all Holy Fear and Reverence Therefore to swear vainly and rashly by that glorious and dreadful Name or by any other thing is sinful and to be abhorred Yet as in matters of weight and Moment an Oath is Warranted by the Word of God under the New Testament as well as under the Old so that a Lawful Oath being imposed by Lawful Authority in such matters ought to be taken Whosoever taketh an Oath ought duly to consider the weightiness of so solemn an Act and therein to avouch nothing but what he is fully perswaded is Truth Neither may any Man bind himself by Oath to any thing but what is good and Just and what he believeth so to be and what he is able and resolved to perform yet it is a Sin to refuse an Oath touching any thing that is Good and Just being impos'd
Body should be in a Mouses Belly or in a Privy But most of their Followers count them too precise And Vasques in 3. q. 77. a. 8. disp 195. cap. 5. concludes Vera Constans opinio sit c. The true and constant Opinion is That Christ is so long under the Species in any place whatsoever though never so base and filthy as the outward forms would conserve the nature of Bread if it were there Nor matters it saith he that by this means we must grant that Christs Body may descend into a filthy and unclean place nor ought Godly Catholicks thereat be scandalized Now since Christs Sacred Body may be in the Body of any Beast or Vermine and that it is to be Worshipped and Adored with no less than divine Honour wherever it be a Question ariseth Whether he be to be Worshipped for Example in the Belly of a Sow pardon Christian Reader the Instance for 't is the Papists own For Biel on the Canon of the Mass lect 84. starting the same question returns this Answer Ubicunque five in ventre SUIS sive in ore viri vel mulieris ibi esse venerandum adorandum intus in Anima licet non exterius in opere Wherever he is believed to be either in the Belly of a SOW or in the Mouth of a Man or Woman there he is to be Worshipped inwardly in the Soul though not externally in Work Another scruple likewise they have since the outward forms may happen especially by the Sick to be Vomited up again what must be done in the Case To which Albertus in his Compend Theol. verit l. 6. cap. 19. answers Si Infirmus Corpus domini Rejiciat suscipiatur c. If the Sick Spew up Christs Body he must take it again as well as he can or if he be not able himself the Priest must do it for him or some discreet or cleanly Boy And Biel in the place late cited gives this Counsel Si Ejiciatur per Vomitum c. If Christs Body be cast up by Vomit so that you can but yet discern the outward signs and appearance of Bread from the other Garbage and your Stomach will serve you to do it without loathsomness and danger of re-spuing you must take it again but if the Party be nauseous then it must be laid up honourably with the other Reliques But others say it must be burnt and the Ashes reverently laid up by the Altar And Paladanus in 4. d. 9. q. 1. a. 3. moving the Question what was to be done if a Beast should eat the Sacrament says he 't was to be killed and the Host to be taken out of the Maw and if a Man had so much zeal as to endure to eat it he were much to be commended provided he do it fasting And thereupon tells a Story out of Hugo Cluniacensis how one Goderane took a parcel of the Eucharist which had been vomitted up by a Leper The same Author advises That the Sacrament be not given to those that have a Scowring or the Flux lest the Body of Christ should pass away through his Belly into the Draught c. I have recited these Horrid Blasphemies in their own Words That my Countreymen may detest a Religion Compos'd of such impious Phrensies and I beg the Readers excuse for ossending his Ears with such stuff For Popish impudence has this advantage they write such things as Christian Doctrine which a modest Man can scarce endure to Rehearse The thirtieth Article of the Church of England Of both kinds THE Cup of the Lord is not to be denied to the Lay-people For both the parts of the Lords Sacrament by Christs Ordinance and Commandment ought to be Ministred to all Christian men alike The Presbyterians They speaking of the Papists have stoln or snatcht away one half of the Lords Supper from the greater part of the People of God and only allow the Cup to a small parcel of shaveling Priests The Ministers are to take and Break the Bread to take the Cup and to give both to the Communicants Private Masses or receiving this Sacrament by a Priest or any other alone as likewise the denial of the Cup to the People are contrary to the Nature of this Sacrament and to the Institution of Christ The Papists This Holy Synod Declares and Teacheth That Laicks and Clerks not Consecrated are by no Divine precept bound to receive the Sacrament under both kinds and that it may in no sort be doubted without prejudice to Faith but that the Communion of one kind is sufficient to Salvation If any one shall say That by Gods Command all the Faithful of Christ ought to receive in both kinds or shall deny That the Church was moved with just Causes and Reasons to order the Laity to Communicate but in one kind or shall say she erred therein Let him be Accursed The one and thirtieth Article of the Church of England Of the one Oblation of Christ finished upon the Cross THE Offering of Christ once made is that perfect Redemption Propitiation and Satisfaction for all the Sins of the whole World both Original and Actual and there is none other Satisfaction for Sin but that alone Wherefore the Sacrifices of Masses in the which it was commonly said that the Priest did offer Christ for the Quick and the Dead to have Remission of pain or guilt were Blasphemous Fables dangerous Deceits The Presbyterians In this Sacrament Christ is not offered up to his Father nor any real Sacrifice made at all for Remission of the Sins of the Quick or Dead but only a Commemoration of that one offering up of himself by himself upon the Cross once for all and a Spiritual Oblation of all possible Praise unto God for the same So that the Popish Sacrifice of the Mass as they call it is most abominably injurious to Christs one only Sacrifice the alone Propitiation for all the Sins of the Elect. The Papists In this Divine Sacrifice of the Mass the same Christ is contained and unbloodily Sacrificed who once offered himself bloodily on the Altar of the Cross This Holy Synod therefore Teacheth That this Sacrifice is truly Propitiatory And that thereby if with a true Heart and right Faith in Fear and Reverence we being contrite come to God we do obtain Mercy and find Grace in a seasonable help For by the oblation hereof God being pacified granting the Grace and Gift of Pennance does forgive Crimes and Sins even the greatest and most heinous It is one and the same Host Christ who then offered himself on the Cross now offering the same by the Ministry of the Priests the manner of offering being only different The Fruits of which Oblation viz. The Bloody one are most plentifully received and conveyed by this so far is That from being any ways derogated from by This for which reason it is offered not only for the Sins Punnishments Satisfactions and other Necessities of
so full of Terror The four and thirtieth Article of the Church of England Of the Traditions of the Church IT is not necessary that Traditions and Ceremonies be in all places one or utterly like for at all times they have been diverse and may be changed according to the Diversity of Countries times and Mens manners so that nothing be ordained against Gods Word Whosoever through his private Judgment willingly and purposely doth openly break the Traditions and Ceremonies of the Church which be not repugnant to the Word of God and be ordained and approved by common Authority ought to be Rebuked openly that others may fear to do the like as he that offendeth against the common order of the Church and hurteth the Authority of the Magistrate and woundeth the Consciences of the weak Brethren Every particular and National Church hath Authority to Ordain Change and Abolish Ceremonies or Rites of the Church ordained only by Mans Authority so that all things be done to edifying The sense of this Article is explain'd by the Learned and Painful Mr. Rogers in his Comment on his 39 Articles Publisht in King James time and Attested in the Title-page to have been perused and by the Lawful Authority of the Church of England allowed to be Publick pag. 198. in the Words following Of Ceremonies and Traditions repugnant to the Word of God there be two sorts whereof some are of things meerly Impious and Wicked such was the Israelites Calf and Nebuchadnezzars Idol and be the Papistical Images Reliques Agnus Dei's and Crosses to which they give Divine Adoration These and such like be all flatly forbidden Others are of things by God in his Word neicommanded nor forbidden as of eating and not eating Flesh of wearing and not wearing some Apparel of keeping and not keeping some days Holy by abstinence from Bodily labour c. The which are not to be observed of any Christian when for sound Doctrine it is delivered that such Works do either merit Remission of Sins or be the acceptable Service of God or do more please than the observation of the Laws prescribed by God himself or necessarily to be done insomuch as they are damn'd who do them not We must therefore have always in mind that we are bought with a price and therefore may not be the Servants of Men and that no humane Constitution in the Church doth bind any Man to break the least Commandement of God The Presbyterians Use has obtain'd that those things be call'd Humane Traditions which are Establisht by Men for the Worship of God not grounded on any Warrant from his Word against these it is that we contend and not against Holy and Useful Constitutions of the Church which tend to preserve either Discipline or Honesty or Peace Our Lord has so faithfully comprehended and so plainly told the whole sum of true Righteousness and all the parts of his Worship that in those things he alone is to be heard but because he would not particularly prescribe every thing that we are to observe in external Discipline and Ceremonies since he foresaw the same would depend upon the condition of times nor did judge that one form would agree with all Ages we therefore ought to have recourse to the General Rules by him laid down that by the same all things which the necessity of the Church should require be exacted and therefore herein he did not expresly deliver any thing both because neither are those things necessary to Salvation and that they may variously be accommodated according to the manner of Nation and Age for the edification of the Church and as the profit of the Church requires We may as well change and abrogate those that have been used and institute new ones though we ought not frequently and on slight Causes recur to Innovation but what is prejudicial what is tending to Edification Charity will best judge which if in such Cases we suffer to be Moderatrix all will be safe And whatsoever things shall be instituted according to this Rule it is the Duty of Christian people with a Conscience still free and without superstition but yet with a pious and ready inclination to Obedience and Peace to observe not to contemn or with supine negligence omit much less ought they with Pride and Obstinacy openly to violate them Thus Calvin whose whole 10 Chapters on this Subject in the 4th Book of his Institutes whence these few sentences are briefly drawn is well worthy perusual and I conceive enough to satisfie any unprejudiced Reader That he intirely agrees with the true sense of the Church of England in this Article God alone is Lord of the Conscience and hath left it free from the Doctrines and Commandements of Men which are in any thing contrary to his Word or beside it in matters of Faith and Worship so that to believe such Doctrines or to obey such Commands out of Conscience is to betray true liberty of Conscience and the requiring of an implicite Faith and an absolute and blind obedience is to destroy Liberty of Conscience and Reason also They who upon pretence of Christian Liberty do practice any Sin or cherish any Lust do thereby destroy the end of Christian Liberty which is that being delivered out of the hands of our Enemies we may serve the Lord without Fear in Holiness and Righteousness before him all the days of our Life And because the Power which God hath Ordained and the Liberty which Christ hath purchased are not intended by God to destroy but mutually to uphold and preserve one another They who upon pretence of Christian Liberty shall oppose any Lawful Power or the Lawful exercise of it whether it be Civil or Ecclesiastical resist the Ordinance of God and for their publishing such practices as are contrary to the light of Nature or to the known Principles of Christianity whether concerning Faith Worship or Conversation or to the power of Godliness or such erroneous Opinions or Practices as either in their own Nature or in the manner of publishing or maintaining them are destructive to the external Peace and Order which Christ hath Established in the Church they may lawfully be called to account and proceeded against by the Censures of the Church and by the Power of the Civil Magistrate The Papists If any one shall say That the received and approved Rites of the Church Catholick may be contemned or at pleasure omitted by the Ministers without Sin or that they may by any Pastour of Churches be chang'd into any new ones Let him be Accursed Now that the Church of Rome prescribes and observes a vast multitude of Rites and Ceremonies too tedious here to be specified not only besides but contrary to Gods Word and without any real profit to the Church of Christ is notorious yet Durandus Rationale Liber Ceremoniarum and such like Popish Authors expresly obtrude their Trumpery as both necessary and unalterable The five and thirtieth Article of