Ellis on Article XXXIV: Of the Traditions of the Church
John Ellis, 1700
Commentaries on Article XXXIV: Rogers (1607)Ellis (1660)Burnet (1699)Beveridge (d. 1708)Welchman (1713)Practical Exposition (1716)Veneer (1725)Madan (1772)Hey (1796)Tomline (1799)Wilson (1821)Jones (1849)Trollope (1850)Browne (1850)Forbes (1867)Boultbee (1871)Maclear & Williams (1895)Green (1896)Gibson (1896)Jackson (1900)Bicknell (1919) · Article 34: text, context and Study
Article XXXIV. Of the Traditions of the Church
It is not necessary that Traditions and Ceremonies be in all places one, and utterly like; for at all times they have been divers, and may be changed according to the diversities of countries, times, and men's manners, so that nothing be ordained against God's Word. Whosoever through his private judgement, 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 or national Church hath authority to ordain, change, and abolish, ceremonies or rites of the Church ordained only by man's authority, so that all things be done to edifying.
Text: Book of Common Prayer (1662)
Cleaned OCR; [...] marks passages cut for illegibility. See the scan. Text: A Defense of the Thirty Nine Articles of the Church of England, written in Latin by J. Ellis, S.T.D. (Articulorum XXXIX Ecclesiae Anglicanae Defensio, first published 1660), now done into English (London, 1700). Cleaned OCR from the Internet Archive scan of the Early English Books copy; passages too garbled to recover are marked [...]. Public domain.
Obj. r. Christians ought to walk according to the same Rule, and to have the bighest Agree- ment amonglt themselves ; as may be gathered from Gal. 6.16. 1 Per. 3. 8. and therefore the Same Ceremonids are alike necesJary in all places.
Answ. The variety of Ceremonies does,
not destroy the Unity of the Church, provi-
ded the Fairhful do bur walk according to the |
same Rule of Doctrine-
Obj. 2. Christ has said, Reprove a Sinner
betwixt him and thy self alone, Mar. 18. 15. therefore he i not publickly to’be reproved by -nny
ne. Answ. This Place treats of the Dury of pri-
vate Men for private Offences: commitred-ras gainst private Persons ; and not of the Dury of Pastors in reproving scandalous and notori-
ous
Thirty Nine Articles. 77 ous Sins, publickly committed : Such as these must be publickly reproved.
Obj. 3. The Apostle advises Titus to avoid Strifes and Contentions, Chap. 3. 9. and there- fore they are not to be reproved, who oppose the” Traditions of the Church.
Answ. Unprofitable Disputariohs and noisy . Talk withour Edification, are to be avoided ; because such vain Contentions do not convert the Froward and Obstinare, bur rather confirm them in their Errors : In the mean time Mi- nisters may reprove Gainsayers with much Prudence, Patience, and Sobriery, and all this be done to the Good and Profit of others
Obj. 4. The same Apostles commanded the Thessalonians to hold the Traditions, 2 The. ‘2.15. And therefore that Church had not Au- thority to change vr disannul the Traditions of it.
Answ. The Traditions which the Apostle speaks of, were either DoCtrinal, and such as were already tier down m the Scriprures ; or if not, they were Instirured by the Apostle, who received from the Lord whar he delivered ro them, Bur the Article speaks of such Tra- ditions as were originally Inftirured by the sole and ordinary Authority of Men.
AR T. XXXV. Of Homilies.
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