Beveridge on Article XXXIV: Of the Traditions of the Church

in his worship, himself hath been pleased expressly to command in his word; so that nothing is to be looked upon as part of his worship but what himself hath commanded, and whatsoever himself hath commanded is necessarily to be ob- served as part of his worship. But there being many circum- stances required to the performance as well of religious as civil actions, and so to the worship of God as well as any thing else ; as, for example, the time when, the place where, the habit in which his public service shall be performed, and the like, it being impossible it should be performed without

. eel

Art. XXXIV. Of the Traditions of the Church. 527 these and the like circumstances; and seeing the all-wise God hath thought good not to determine these in his word, but to leave it to the discretion of the church to determine them as it shall see fit, only giving them this general rule to square all these their determinations by, Let all things be done decently and in order ; hence it is that every particular church hath

_ still thought fit to exercise this her power and authority, in determining these circumstances, according to that manner as seemeth to herself orderly and devout: so that there is no necessity that one church should determine them after the same manner that another doth; nay, it is often necessary that one church should not follow another in this case ; for it often so falls out that what is decent in one place is unseemly in another, and every church is bound to model circumstances according to that order which is the most seemly and decent in the place where it is settled. And hence we find how St. Paul, and after him Clemens Romanus, in “his epistle to the Corinthians, having shewn in general that all things should be done in all places decently and in order; hence, I say, we find how the primitive churches still much differed in this their determination of the particular circumstances of divine wor- ship, as, amongst many other things, we may see im particular in the time of the celebration of Easter; which being but a mere circumstance, every one followed the tradition and eustom of the church wherein he lived, in the celebration of it. Some churches celebrated it upon the fourteenth day of the first month, (as the Jews did the Passover,) let it fall

[…]

528 Of the Traditions of the Church. Arr.

upon what day of the week it would; © others only upon the Lord’s day on which he arose: and thus they differed in this ceremony, until at the length they agreed on all sides to celebrate it upon one and the same day ; of which more presently. But thus we see (not to instance in any more ceremonies, plenty whereof might easily be produced) how the churches of Christ that immediately succeeded the apostles themselves, did not think it necessary to observe one and the same time in the celebration of the feast, but every particular church followed still the tradition of their ancestors that lived in the same place, not minding whether it was agreeable to the traditions received by other churches or no.

I know, indeed, that the bishop of Rome (Victor by name) was a busybody, meddling with more than he should have done then, as well as now, and therefore must needs be ex- communicating all churches that did not follow his custom and tradition ; 4 but, as Eusebius relates it, his doings “did not please all the bishops :” and amongst others Irenzeus himself sent a reproving letter to him, telling him ©“ he should not cut off whole churches of God, for keeping a tradition of ancient custom.” As if he should have said, It is not so necessary that they should use the same tradition and cir- cumstance of time as we do; let them follow their tradition, and we ours. And for the conviction of the bishop of Rome of his error, he produceth two stories, both which make for our purpose ; the one is, how the presbyters that were before Victor in Rome, Anicetus, Pius, Hyginus, Telesphorus, and Sixtus, though they did not follow the Asian tradition in celebrating this feast on the fourteenth day of the month ; fyet notwithstanding they still agreed with the bishops of those churches wherein it was so observed when they came unto them; &“and that for the different manner of the

[…]

4 ANN ov maou dé Trois emiaKdrots

ravr jpéoKeto. Ibid. c. 24.

[…]

a oe ’ +

XXXIV. Of the Traditions of the Church. 529

observation of the feast none ever were cast out, but the presbyters before thee, that did not observe it so, yet sent the eucharist to those that did.” So that they did not think that one church should be tied to the observance of the same traditions that are in another, but that every church should in such things be left to their own liberty. The other story is that concernmg Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna, that followed the Asian tradition, and Anicetus, bishop of Rome, that followed the Roman : for these two being met, » “ and having diseoursed together about other things, were presently agreed, not falling out about this business.” And though Anicetus could not persuade Polyearp to follow the Roman, nor Poly- carp Anicetus to follow the Asian tradition, ‘yet for all that they communicated together, and parted from one another in peace, all churches having peace amongst themselves, whether they did or did not observe the Passover after the same manner or tradition: from whence we may gather, that in those purer times it was not looked upon as necessary that traditions and ceremonies should be one and the same in all places, but that every church might follow its own traditions. And truly, if we consider the nature of traditions and cere- monies, we must needs grant it is not necessary they should be one and the same in all places; for in that they are mere traditions and ceremonies, they are things of indifferency, which may be done or left undone, and still without sin ; and so in themselves there is no necessity of their being observed in any place or at any time whatsoever, for that would argue them to be more than mere ceremonies and traditions; and if it be not absolutely necessary they should be observed in any place, it cannot be necessary they should be one and the same in all places. What God hath commanded in his word is obligatory to all churches whatsoever, but what is not com-

manded in the scriptures (as

[…] A

[…]

m 2 tae

[…]

traditions and ceremonies, in

[…]

530 Of the Traditions of the Church. Arr.

that they are traditions and ceremonies, are not) is left to the prudential disposition of particular churches to enjom or not enjoin them: and when they do enjoin them, they cannot enjoin them as things in themselves necessary, but only as necessarily to be observed in reference to the more orderly government of the church, as to the place and time then being. But though it be only lawful, not necessary, that any particular ceremonies should be enjoined, yet, when once enjoined, it is not only lawful, but necessary they should be observed, not because the ceremonies that are enjoined in themselves are necessarily to be observed, but because the power that doth enjoin them is necessarily to be obeyed. It is true the ceremonies and traditions are but traditions and ceremonies after as well as before they were enjoined, and so in themselves still indifferent, so that they may be done or not done without sin, as to any obligatory power seated in their own nature. But when once enjoined there comes an extrinsical obligation to them, binding all within the church that doth enjoin them to the faithful observation of them ; so that though as ceremonies and traditions they are still indif- ferent in themselves, yet, being enjoined by lawful authority, they are not indifferent as to our use and practice, but we are bound to use them, not because ceremonies, but because en- joined, and because of him who hath commanded us to submit to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, 1 Pet. 11.13: though it be not ordained by God, and therefore indifferent in itself, yet if it be ordained by men it is necessary as to our use, who are bound to submit to every ordinance of man, even as for the Lord’s sake, and to be subject to the higher powers, Rom. xiii. 1 ; and therefore we must needs acknowledge, that 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, (as if mere tra- ditions and ceremonies they are not,) and be ordained and approved by common authority, ought to be rebuked openly, that others may fear to do the like: and that for these three rea- sons : first, because he offendeth against the common order of the church: God hath commanded that all things in his church should be done decently and in order, but such a

XXXIV. Of the Traditions of the Church. 531

person breaks this the order of the church, and. therefore ought certainly to be reproved. Secondly, he hurteth the authority of the magistrate, whom God hath commanded us to obey; and in what things are we to obey him in, if not in things of indifferency, as ceremonies and traditions all are ? Lastly, he wounds the consciences also of the weak brethren, and so causeth schisms and divisions and offences in the church ; and all that do so the apostle commands us to avoid, Rom. xvi. 17.

And certainly, if we consult the Fathers, they will tell us it is every one’s duty not to break but observe the several traditions and ceremonies, which, being not repugnant to the word of God, are enjoined by common authority in the church he lives in. * “The question therefore,” saith St. Basil to Amphilochius, “ concerning the Cathari hath before been spoken to, and thou well mindedst and admonishedst, that the custom of every region is to be observed.” And St. Au- gustine excellently: !“ But other things, which are changed according to the several places and regions of the earth, as for example, that some fast upon the sabbath day, others do not, &c., and the like such kind of things, have a free obser- vation ; neither is there any better discipline in these things to a grave and prudent Christian, than to do so as he sees the church to do unto which he shall chance to come; for what- soever is enjoined, neither contrary to faith nor good manners, is indifferently to be accounted of, and to be observed and kept for their society amongst whom he lives.” And _pre- sently he brings us an excellent passage which he had from St. Ambrose when discoursing with him: ™‘* When I come

[…]

melior gravi prudentique Christiano, quam ut eo modo agat, quo agere viderit ecclesiam ad quamcunque forte devenerit. Quod enim neque contra fidem, neque contra bonos mores injungitur, indifferenter est habendum, et pro eorum inter quos vivitur societate servandum est. Aug, epist. [54. 2. vol. II.] ad Januarium. v. et Isidor, Hispal. de eccles. offic. TakyC130%

m Cum Romam venio jejuno sab- bato; cum hic non jejuno; sic

mMm2

532 Of the Traditions of the Church. Art.

to Rome,” saith St. Ambrose, “I fast upon the sabbath day ; when I am here, I do not fast; and so thou, whatsoever church thou shalt chance to come to, keep and observe her way and manners in such things, if thou wouldest not be a scandal to others, nor have any one else to be so to thee.” And then he (St. Augustine) adds, ” “ But I, thinking of this sentence again and again, esteemed it as if I had received it from a heavenly oracle.” And afterwards, ° “ Let therefore every one do what he finds in the church to which he comes.” And the same Father elsewhere, P “ For in these things, con- cerning which the holy scripture hath determined nothing certain, the custom of the people of God and the institutions of our ancestors or betters are to be taken for a law.” |

To this purpose also saith the council of Florence, 9 “ That every one should observe the rites or customs of his own church, which it is not lawful for any one to change by his private author- ity.” And long before this, the famous council at Nice decreed, that ’“‘ancient customs should prevail, or be observed.” So that the customs and ceremonies which we have received by tradition from our forefathers, not being repugnant to the word of God, are still to be followed and observed by us, especially when approved and ordained by lawful authority. And therefore the fourth council at Orleans determined it, saying, *‘‘ Whatsoever this holy synod by the help of God hath appointed, we decree that that holy definition be ob- etiam tu ad quam forte ecclesiam

autoritate mutare non licet. Concil.

veneris, ejus morem serva, sl cui- quam non vis esse scandalo, nec quemquam tibi. Aug. ibid. [3. ]

n Ego vero de hac sententia etiam atque etiam cogitans ita semper ha- bul tanquam eam ceelesti oraculo susceperim. Ibid.

© Faciat ergo quisquam quod in ea ecclesia in quam venit invenerit. Ibid. [6.]

P In his enim rebus de qui- bus nihil certi statuit scriptura divina, mos populi Dei vel insti- tuta majorum pro lege tenenda sunt. Id. epist. (36. 2. vol. II.] ad Casulan.

[…]

Florent.

[…]

XXXIV. Of the Traditions of the Church. 533

served by all the brethren.” But if any one shall be found to transgress unseemly these wholesome institutions, let him know that he will be faulty towards God and the whole brotherhood, because it is just that by the unity of the go- vernors ecclesiastical discipline should flourish, and that the constitutions of the priests should remain unshaken.” But the council of Carthage was sharper; for having ordained several ceremonies, traditions, and ecclesiastical constitutions, adds, *** But if any one by transgressing them shall violate or corrupt these statutes or constitutions, or shall think they are to be accounted of as nothing, if he be a layman, let him be deprived of his communion, if a clergyman, of his honour :” so severe was the primitive church against all such as violated the traditions or ceremonies commanded and ordained by lawful authority. And therefore we do but follow their steps in saying they ought openly to be rebuked.

Every particular or national church hath authority to ordain, change, and abolish ceremonies or rites of the church ordained only by man’s authority, so that alt things be done to edifying.

That the church in general hath power to decree rites and ceremonies, we have before proved, Art. XX.; that the same power is granted to every national church in particular, we have here asserted: and truly if the church in general as a church be acknowledged to have such a power, every par- ticular church, in that it is a church also, cannot be denied it. So that as the universal church, gathered together in an cecumenical council, may ordain and decree rites and ceremonies to be observed, not only by particular, but by the universal church, so have all provincial or particular churches power to decree rites and ceremonies for themselves, though not for the universal church, nor yet for other particular churches. And therefore did our reformers of ever blessed memory, giving the reasons why they abolished

[…]

bead Se vw ad te SE ‘ :

5384 Of the Traditions of the Church. Art.

some ceremonies and retained others, profess, saying, ” “In these our doings we condemn no other nations, nor prescribe any thing but to our own people only.” But though any particular or provincial church cannot prescribe ceremonies for other churches, yet it may for itself; and if it may decree and ordain some, it must needs follow that it may also change and abolish others ; and indeed it is often necessary it should do so, as in particular before our reformation, when as our reformers, in the place before cited, observe, ‘‘ ceremonies were so far abused, partly by the superstitious blindness of the rude and unlearned, and partly by the unsatiable avarice of such as sought more their own lucre than the glory of God, that the abuses could not well be taken away, the thing still remaining.” So that it is often necessary, when ceremonies are abused, not only to take off the abuses, but to abolish the ceremonies. I say it is often, yet not always so necessary ; for in some ceremonies the abuses may be so taken off as the ceremonies may still be retained without the abuses. And in such cases, though it may seem better to abolish them, yet in St. Augustine’s judgment it is better to retain them rather than to bring in new ones which at the first may seem to be preferred before them; and the reason he gives is, *“ Because the change of a custom, though it may help by its utility, yet it hurts by its novelty.” And this was the reason why in our reformation some were still retained as well as others abolished.

And thus we find Hezekiah long ago did. He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brasen serpent that Moses made, 2 Reg. xviii. 4; and thus he abolished many of those things which the people abused. But did he abolish them all? No; The high places which were before Jerusalem, which were on the right hand of the mount of corruption, which Solomon the king of Israel had builded for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Zidonians, and for Chemosh the abomination of the Moabites, and for Milcom the

“In the preface to our public tudinis etiam que adjuvat utilitate, liturgy, Of ceremonies, why some novitate perturbat. Aug. epist. [54s be abolished and some retained. 6. vol. II.] ad Januarium.

x Ipsa quippe mutatio consue-

XXXIV.

Of the Traditions of the Church. 585

abomination of the children of Ammon, the altar at Bethel, and the high places which Jeroboam had made, these he did not abolish, for we find them in Josiah’s reign, 2 Reg. xxiii. 13, 14, who began to reign fifty-seven years after Hezekiah died. These things it seems he hoped to have taken off. the abuses from, and to have put them to good uses, and therefore he: retains them, though he abolished the others of which he had no such hopes.

And that every church hath such a power to ordain, alter, and abolish what ceremonies she pleaseth, that are but mere ceremonies, neither commanded nor forbidden in the word of God, is either supposed or granted in the words of the apostle to the Corinthians, Let all things be done to edifying, 1 Cor. xiv. 26; and, Let all things be done decently and in order, v. 40. For the church of Corinth, to which he sends these orders, was but a provincial or particular church, and yet he sends to them to see that things should be done decently and in order ;. which either supposeth that before he sent unto them they had power to determine and ordain what was thus edifying and orderly, or if they had no such power before, yet these words must needs invest them with it. And if the church of Co- rinth had this power, there is no reason that other particular churches should be denied it.

And if we take a view of the customs of the primitive churches, we shall find that they still looked upon themselves as endowed with such authority, otherwise they would never have exercised it so often as they did. For we can scarce ever find any of the primitive churches gathered together in council, but still they ordain or change or abolish, or both ordain, change, and abolish some, if not several ceremonies ; yea, and the first provincial councils that ever met together, as we read of since the apostles’ time, assembled upon no other account than to determine and ordain a ceremony, even when the feast of Easter should be celebrated; “ For this cause,” saith Eusebius, y“ councils and assemblies of bishops

[…]

536 Of the Traditions of the Church. — | Arr.

were gathered together, and all of them with one consent signified by their letters to all bishops every where their ecclesiastical constitution, to wit, that the mystery of the resurrection of the Lord be not celebrated upon any other than the Lord’s day, and that upon that day only the fasts which were kept about the Passover should be ended.” For this cause the provincial churches of Palestina, of Rome, of Pontus, of France, of Osroena, all met together in several provincial councils, and as the same author relates it, 2“*many others, which being all of one opinion and judgment, ordained the same thing, even that the feast should be kept upon the Lord’s day.” In the mean while there was another council in Asia, over which Polycrates (not pope Victor, nor his legates) was president, which decreed that it should be kept upon the fourteenth day of the month, be it what day it would. Neither was the controversy ever ended till all the provincial churches met together in the general council of Nice, and there decided it, that it should be kept only upon the Lord’s day. But thus we see how the five first provincial churches we ever read of, that met together after the apo- stles’ times, exercised this power and authority of decreeing ceremonies and traditions.

And if we should descend down to after councils, we shall find there was scarce ever a provincial church met together in council since our Saviour’s time, but did ordain some ceremonies or other to be observed by her children. It * would be an endless thing to reckon up all the ceremonies that were ordained or altered by provincial churches; or indeed all the provincial churches that ordained_or altered ceremonies in the primitive times. I shall therefore instance only in such ceremonies as our church hath thought good still to retain, that so we may see both how provincial churches have still looked upon themselves in all ages to have power to ordain ceremonies, and also, that the cere-

[…]

XXXIV.

Of the Traditions of the Church. 537

monies retained and ordained by our church are no new- fangled ceremonies nor popish superstitions, but that most of them were ordained and used in the primitive church before the pope had forged his superstitions.

The provincial church or council of Gerundia therefore ordained, >“That every church should use one order in divine service.” The provincial church at Narbonne decreed, °“ That in the orders of singing, at the end of every psalm, glory be given to the Almighty God, (viz. ‘Glory be to the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,’) but in greater psalms, ac- cording to their length, shall be made several pauses, and at every pause the glory of the Trinity be sung to the Lord.” And the third council at Toledo, 4“ Whosoever doth not say, ‘Glory be to the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,’ let him be anathema:” and this is the hymn of glorification or doxology, ¢‘* which,” St. Basil saith, “ they received in his time by tradition from their ancestors, who also followed the scriptures in it.” But the fourth council at Toledo made some alteration in this tradition, ordaining, f‘“ That in the end of psalms it should not be said, ‘Glory be to the Father,’ but ‘ Glory and honour to the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,’ the prophet David saying, Give to the Lord glory and honour, &ec. This observation therefore,” say they, “we give to all ecclesiastical persons, which whosoever shall neglect shall be excommunicated.” And as for what is said still after the doxology, (viz. ‘As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever

[…]

¢ Ut in Psallendi ordinibus per quemque psalmum gloria dicatur omnipotenti Deo: per majores vero psalmos, prout fuerint prolixius, pausationes fiant, et per quamque pausationem gloria Trinitatis Domino decantetur. Concil. Narbon. can. 2.

[…]

e “Omep edeyov Toivuy of marépes Huey Kai nueis Aéyouer Gre y OdEa

[…]

f In fine psalmorum, non sicut a quibusdam hucusque, Gloria Patri, sed Gloria et honor Patri dicatur, David propheta dicente Afferte Domino gloriam et honorem, &c. Universis ergo ecclesiasticis hanc observantiam damus; quam quis- quis preterierit communionis jac- turam habebit. Concil. Tolet. 4. c. [15. p. 584. vol. III.)

538 Of the Traditions of the Church. Art.

shall be,”) the Vasionian council doth not only ordain it should be then said, but gives the reason of it: 8“ Because,” say they, “not only in the apostolical seat, but also through all the east, and all Africa and Italy, by reason of the cunning of the heretics, whereby they blasphemously used to say, that ‘the Son of God was not always with the Father, but began to be in time,’ for this reason, after ‘Glory be to the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,’ was said, ‘ As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end,’ we also have decreed that it shall be so said in all our churches.” And the’ same provincial church also ordained, that 5“ Kyrie eleeson, or ‘ Lord have mercy upon us,’ should be often re- peated in their divine service.”

The provincial council at Bracarum ordained, ‘ “that bishops should not salute the people one way and presbyters another, but both one and the same way, saying, The Lord be with you, asit is read in the book of Ruth, and that the people should answer, ‘ And with thy spirit,’ as all the eastern church also retain it, as delivered by tradition from the apo- stles themselves, and not as the Priscillian pravity hath changed it.”” And the third council at Toledo, that * * Ac- cording to the form of the oriental churches, the Constantino- politan creed should still be repeated and published before

& Quia non solum in sede apo- stolica, sed et per totum orientem et totam Africam vel Italiam, propter hereticorum -astutiam, qua Dei Filium non semper cum Patre fuisse sed in tempore coepisse blasphemant, in omnibus clausulis post Gloria Patri, &c. sicut erat in principio, &c. dicatur, etiam et nos universis ecclesiis nostris ita dicendum esse decernimus.. Concil. Vasens. [ii.] can. 5. [p. 1106. vol. II.}

h Kt quia tam in sede apostolica quam per totas orientis atque Italia. provincias dulcis et nimis salubris consuetudo intromissa est, ut Kyrie eleison frequentius cum grandi af- fectu ac compunctione dicatur, pla- cuit etiam et nobis, ut in omnibus ecclesiis nostris ita consuetudo sancta et ad matutinum et ad missas et ad vesperam Deo propitiante intromit-

tatur. Ibid. can. 3.

i Ut non aliter episcopi, aliter presbyteri populum, sed uno modo salutent, dicentes, Dominus sit vo- biscum ; sicut in libro Ruth legitur ; et ut respondeatur a populo, Et cum spiritu tuo; sicut et ab ipsis apo- stolis traditum omnis retinet oriens, et non sicut Priscilliana pravitas per- mutavit. Concil. Bracar. 1. cap. 3. [p. 350. vol. III.]

[…]

_—

XXXIV. Of the Traditions of the Church. 539

the Lord’s Prayer be said, that the true faith may be made manifest and acknowledged.”

The [fourth] council at Carthage decreed, ’!“ that the deacon should be clothed with white only in the time of offering and reading.” And the third council at Tours or- dained, that ™ “laymen, if they did no oftener, at the least three times a year they should communicate, unless any one be by chance hindered by some greater crimes.” And the council at Agde names the same three times of the year — when every one is to communicate, which our liturgy hath appointed, decreeing, that = “ Secular persons or laymen, that do not communicate at Christmas, Easter, and.Whitsuntide, let them not be believed to be catholic or orthodox person§, nor reckoned among such as are catholic.” And so did the Elibertine or Eliberitane council too, as cited by Gratian : © « Neither is any one numbered among the orthodox who at these three times, viz. Christmas, Easter, and Whitsuntide, doth not communicate.”

The second synod at Cabilone decreed, that p ‘confirmation should not be repeated, nor baptism ;” and so the council at Tarraco in Spain, 4“ We hear say that some of the common people are confirmed by the same bishops twice or thrice, or oftener, the bishops themselves knowing nothing of it; where- fore it seemeth good to us, that neither confirmation nor baptism ought to be repeated at all.” So that our church is not the first that hath decreed any thing about confirma- tion. The council at Laodicea decreed, * that “ neither wed- dings nor birthdays should be kept or celebrated in Lent.”

[…]

n Seculares qui in natali Domini, pascha, et pentecoste non communi- caverint catholici non credantur, nec inter catholicos habeantur. Concil. Agath. c. 18. [p. tooo. vol. IT.]

© Nec inter catholicos connume-

ratur qui in istis viz. temporibus, pascha, pentecoste et natali Domini non communicayerit. Concil. Ehb. apud Grat. de consecr. dist. 2. c. Omnis homo, [ p. 1881. Decret. Grat. ]

[…]

Laodic. can. 52. [p. 789. vol. I.]

540 Of the Traditions of the Church. Ant. XXXIV.

And an ancient council here in England, kept under Theo- dorus, ordained, that * “ Easter should be kept in common by all upon the Sunday after the fourteenth moon of the first month.” And another at Oxford decreed, t‘ That every bishop shall require an oath from him which shall be pre- sented to him, that for that presentation he hath neither promised nor given any thing to him that presented him, nor hath entered any contract for it;” and the same council, u« That due honour may be given to divine duties, we com- mand, that they that minister at the altar have their sur- - plices on,” as the third council at Carthage before did. The fourth council at Toledo decreed, x‘‘ That the Song of the three children should be constantly sung in divine service.”

And thus we see how many even of the very rites and ceremonies, which are still in use amongst us, were long ago ordained by provincial churches met together in council ; many more I might heap up to the same purpose, but these may be enough to shew how the provincial or national churches of Christ, in ‘all ages since his incarnation, have still exercised this power in ordaining, altering, and abolish- ing ceremonies, which certainly they would never have done, if they had not believed they had power to do it.

[…]

t Preesenti quoque statuto defini- mus, ut episcopus ab eo qui sibi presentatus fuerit recipiat juramen- tum, quod propter preesentationem illam non promiserit nec dederit ali- quid preesentanti, nec aliquod prop- ter hoc pactum inierit. Concil. Oxon. c.[17. p. 119. vol. VII. Conc. Hard. |

u Ut honor debitus divinis officiis impendatur, precipimus ut qui al- tari ministrant suppeliciis induantur.

Ibid. c. [10. p. 118.]

x Hymnum quoque trium puero- rum, in quo universa cceli terraeque creatura Deum collaudat. et quem ecclesia catholica per totum orbem diffusa celebrat, quidam sacerdotes im missa dominicorum dierum, et in solennitatibus martyrum canere negligunt. Proinde sanctum con- cilium instituit, ut per omnes His- panize ecclesias vel Gallicia in om- nium missarum solennitate idem in publico decantetur, communionem amissurl qui antiquam hujus hymni consuetudinem nostramque defini- tionem excesserint. Concil. Tolet. 4. e. [14. p. 584. vol. ITT.]

Notes

• Alia vero que per loca terrarum regionesque variantur, sicuti est _ quod alii jejunant sabbatho, alii vero non, &c. Et si quid aliud hujus- modi animadverti potest, totum hoc genus rerum liberas habet observa- tlones, nec disciplina ulla est in his
• Quapropter auxiliante Domino que synodus sancta constituit, de- cernimus, ut a cunctis fratribus hee definitio sancta conservetur. Quod Si quisque salubriter perspicit insti- tuta indecenter transgredi quacun- que occasione tentaverit, noverit se Deo et cunctz fraternitati culpabi- lem esse futurum, quia justum est per unitatem antistitum ut eccle- siastica fulgeat disciplina et incon- vulsa maneat constitutio sacerdotum. Concil. Aurel. 4. can. [38. p. 1441. vol. II. Conc. Hard.]