Anonymous on Article XX: Of the Authority of the Church

| A S the Church is à Society of Faithful Men, it must be under Government, and should keep up that Order, which may turn to the Edification of the Whole: And since Time and Place are necessary for all Worship, and the Administration of the Sacraments : She may appoint either, with all due Circumstances, and enjoin those in Communion with her, to observe them. And as she may thus provide for the Decency of her Service , she has Authority to declare and maintain the Faith of Christ, when any Controversy arises about it: For the Church of the Living God, is the Pillar and Gzound of the Truth.

Which gives us the Sense of the Twentieth Article of our Church, which says, The Church hath Power to decree Rites or Ceremonies, and Authority in Controversies of Faith: And yet & it is not lawful for the Church to ordain any Thing, that is con- trary to God’s Word; neither may it fo un He one Place of Scri- ce pture, that it be repugnant to another. Wherefore although the Church be a Witness, and Keeper of Holy Writ ; yet as it ought e not to decree any Thing against the same , so besides the same,

• ought it not to enforce any Thing to be believ’d for Necessity of “ Salvation ”. Here we see, |

I. The Church’s Power: The Church has Power to decree Rites or Ceremonies, and Authority in Controversies of Faith.

II. The Limitation of that Power: And yet it is not lawful for

the Church to ordain any Thing, that is contrary to God’s Word; neither may it explain one Place of Scripture, that it be repugnant to another.

III. The Consequence drawn from this: Wherefore although the Church be a Witness, and a Keeper of Holy Writ ; yet as it may not decree any Thing against the same ; fo besides the same ought it not to enforce any Thing to be believ’d for Ne- cessity of Salvation.

I. The Power of the Church: The Church has Power to decree

Ceremonies, and Authority in Controversies of Faith. 1. As to Ceremonies to be used in Divine Service, the Church hath, and ever had Power, to decree or ordain them : For as Cir- | 8 2 cum-

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132 Au EXPOSITION of the

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Article cumstances must be appointed and appropriated to the Worship of XX. God, ttis requisite that the Governors of the Church should set > forth and enjoin the Way and Method of proceeding in it; that the Fancies of private Men may be confin’d ; and that there may be no

Disorder and Confusion in their Attendance ; and that she should

sele& and command the Use of those Ceremonies, which may set forth and solemnize the Divine Worship with the greater Reverence and Decency. And accordingly in the Primitive Churches, there were some peculiar Customs and Rites, which were constantly made use of in their publick Assemblies, and scarce any Two Churches exactly agreed in them, it being left to the Liberty of every Church, to appoint what Ceremonies their different States and Emergencies : Cor. 14. 40. of Affairs requir’d, keeping to that Apostolical Rule, Let all things be done decently and in order. OY

2. As Controversies concerning the Christian Faith Will arise, the

Church hath Authority to concern herself in them; 7. e. she ought to publish and declare the true Faith, in Opposition to those Errors that obtain in the World : She must bear Witnels or give Testimony concerning that which was once delivered unto the Saints, and con-

vey’d down from the Apostles to us, and ought to recommend it

powerfully to the Acceptance of others. As the Truth was depo- sited in her Hands, to be kept and preserved entire for the Use of Posterity, she must employ her Spiritual Authority in exhorting to keep steddily to it, in rebuking those that depart from it; and if Re- - proofs make no Impression, in exercising her Discipline and Censures, as well to put a Stop to the Progress of Error, as to reclaim those that are seduc’d by it. Thus she has done in all Ages to this Day,

and thus she is bound to do, as Occasion requires, to the End of the World; let Men of Latitude oppose what they can: For if she is a

Society, of which Christ is the Head, she must have Authority

agreeable to her Constitution, and may and ought to apply it for her

St. J. and Preservation : Therein she follows the Exhortation of

St.

that ye should earnefily contend for the Faith, which was once deliver- ed unto the Saints. | |

Jude 3, rhe latter Part.

II. The Limitation of this Fewer is this, she may not dictate con- trary to God’s Word, or presume to set up Error by Scripture.

1/7. This Limitation of Authority was very requisite, that falling into some Hands it may not be abus’d and apply’d to ill Purposes : For she may not set up that to be believ’d and practis d, which the Scripture contradias. For as God is the Supreme Lawgiver and Governor of his Church, he commands that his Word shall be the Rule of Faith and Manners to the End of the World; notwith- standing any Claim or Challenge some may make to decree contrary

to it; for the Authority of God is greater, than the greatest Man

upon Earth, and will bind the Conscience, notwithstanding any Hu- mane Decree to the contrary. If therefore a famous Church decrees, That Images are to be worthipped, and curses those that deny it, we may not comply with it; because the Scripture says, * 1 55

„ shalt

ude ; It was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you,

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[= <« shalt not worship any graven Image, or the Likeness of any Article q „Thing“. Or if the same Church positively determines, that the XX. E: very Body and Blood of Christ is under the Accidents of Bread and - : | Wine in the Sacrament, and curses those that will not believe it ;

we may not credit her, because the Scripture saith, The Bread

« which we break, is it not the Communion ot the Body of

« Christ”? And so in any other Cases, whatever particular Church

abuses her Authority, and decrees that, which upon a fair Hearing,

and full Evidence, appears to be contrary to the Word of God,she may

not be trusted, her Decrees are void in themselves, and not to be re-

garded. For it is the Word of God, which is appointed to be our

Rule and Guide, and by which we mult stand, and shall be judged :

As it will be found in the Day when God shall judpe the Secrets of Rom. 2. 16.

Men by Fesus Christ, according to my Gospel.

2. As it is not lawful to decree any Thing contrary to Scripture,

so it is not lawful to set up Error under Pretence of it, or to expound

one Place of Scripture so as to be repugnant to another, or to pick

out some obscure Places, and to interpret them in Favour of known

Errors, as hath been the Custom of Deceivers in all Ages: For they have strictly examined the Scripture, and whatever Word or Sen-

tence could be turn’d to their Purpose, hath been mightily improv’d,

and set up in Defiance to many other Places to the contrary. Hence it is that all Parties pretend to Scripture, and the very worst of He-

resies endeavour to sweeten and sanctify their Opinions, with some

few Shreds of the Holy Text. Thus because it is said, that “ Christ

is the Light, and that he enlighteneth every Man that cometh

« into the World”: There are those that set up the Light within,

to be the Guide to Eternal Life. And because it 1s said, © to the

« Clean all Things are clean“; there are those that under the Dis-

evise of being Clean, are religiously vicious, sensual, and brutish.

But this is to cull out little Sentences to contradi& the whole Book :

When in all Reason the plainest Places are to clear up the Sense of

the obscure ; for the Word of God, as a Revelation of his Will 3 through Jesus Christ, is plain in all that is necessary to Salvation: 4 And the Design of it is clearly this, to lead us from Sin unto God; 3 and whatever difficult Passage is alledg’d to the contrary, must be |: mistaken. For this is the Will of God, even your Sandification, that I ye abstain from Fornication.

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III. The proper Consequence drawn from this, is, The Church, though a Keeper of Holy Writ, must not decree any Thing contrary to Scripture, or enforce it to be believ’d as necessary to Salvation.

1. Here is a Concession, that the Church is a Keeper of Holy Writ, or “ the Pillar and Ground of Truth”, as hath been found by Experience. For by what Providence and Care, under the Divine Blessing, is it, that we have the Bible in our own Language before us, but by the Church’s, which from our Saviour’s Days to ours, hath preserv’d that Sacred Book entire, and handed it down to us? She hath secur’d it in the Times of Persecution ; and when some gave it up, and were call’d Traditores, she preserw’d it with the 150 | mo

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124 An EXPOSITION of the

Article XX. ed

Rom. 3. 2.

Matt. I 8, d7-

most Care, and conceaPd it from those designing Enemies, who in- tended by destroying the Bible, to put an end to Christianity at once ; and deliver’d it as she receiv’d it, to succeeding Generations, as we find to our great Comfort : The Church is therefore doubtless a proper and competent Witness, and Keeper of the Holy Writ, and can best tell, which 1s the Sacred Canon, and dire& us how to value

and preserve it. For as the Old Testament was committed to the

Care of the Fews, both Old and New are now deposited in the Church’s Custody , to secure them from Innovation , Change , or Detriment. Much advantage have the Fews every way , chiefly be- cause unto them were committed the Oracles of God. FR

2. As the Church ought not to decree any Thing against the Scripture, 1t may not enforce a new Faith upon the Consciences of Men, or any Thing new to be believ’d of Necessity to Salvation: It is too much to decree any Thing in Opposition to Scripture, but intolerable Presumption to force Men to believe that as coming from God, which is but the Invention of Man: For this in effect equals the Decrees of the Church to the Word of God ; nay, as such con- tradi& the Mind of Christ, it exalts and sets them above it; and were such Power admitted, it might invent another Faith, warrant a new Religion, and by Degrees not only endanger the Christian Faith, but the Bible too. So much Reason hath our Church to stand up for the Authority of the Scriptures , and to oppose any Claims or Pretences , which in Time might abate of their Credit,

and undermine Christianity it self. The Advice which our Saviour gives to private Christians, when they offend one ano-

ther, 1s applicable to Churches also, when some of them presume too much, stretch their Authority too far, decree against the Scriptures, and employ the Secular Powers to enforce the Belief of that, which they constitute as necessary to Salvation. And if be shall negle& to hear them, tell it unto the Church (the Catholick Church) ; 2 if be neglect to hear the Church, let him be to thee as an heathen Man and 2 Publican. | 8 1 | 5 From hence I must take an Occasion to free the first Part of the Article from the Scandal of Forgery ; to shew, That though the Dif- {enters refuse to subscribe that Part, they challenge and use the same Authority more or less in their Churches: To assure you, that our Church is as much for Liberty of Conscience, as can be desir’d; and

that it 1s our Safety to be in her Communion, when we live as di- rected by her. . = |

1. I must free the first Part of the Article from the Scandal of Forgery. For it is pretended that these Words, which the Dissen- ters are excus’d by the Act of Toleration from owning, vis. The Church hath Power to decree Rites or Ceremonies, and Au- e thority in Controversies of Faith ”, are not to be found in the Records of the Convocation ; and that for that Reason, they were clandestinely put in by Priest-Craft, and are the Addition of some private Men, who design’d to advance the Power of the Church far- ther than the Convocation agreed. This, if true, is a heavy Charge,

and

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and reflects upon the Body of the Clergy in those Days. But if we consider the latter Part of the Article, it directs, in my Apprehension, to the beginning of it now mention d]; for if it is not law ful to decree any Thing, that is contrary to God’s Word , then the Church hath a Power to ordain something. And what can that be, but that which the Word of God hath not commanded ? What but Rites and Ceremonies, which God hath left to the Discretion of the Go- vernors of it, to appoint for Decency and Order? And therefore 1

cannot but think, that the Prohibition to ordain any Thing against.

God’s Word, presupposes that the Church hath Power to declare Rites and Ceremonies ; and that the Beginning of the Article was the same, when the Article came from the Convocation, that it is now; especially considering, that an Omission in some Records is no very good Argument against the Reality of it: For I have by me a Copy of these Articles, printed in the Year 1585, dedicated to the

Bishop of Norwich, and Sir Christopher Hatton Lord Chancellor, al-

low’d by Authority; which contains the same Words; and the Ra- tification of them by Queen Elizabeth was in the Year 1571: So

that there is but Fourteen Years difference between my Copy and the | Royal Assent. Now can it be imagin’d,that in Fourteen Years Time,

this Addition could creep in, and not be observ’d ; that it could be own’d and warranted as Part of the Article; that it could be allow’d of by Authority, and supported by the great Names of a Bishop and Lord Chancellor in its Reputation, commented upon and receiv’d as the Sense of the Church, and yet be a Forgery > Would the Autho- rity of the Nation suffer such a Cheat to go unpunithed ? Or the Publisher of it to escape ? Or did the Queen and Council connive at such a publick Abuse, and permit it to gain Credit, when they knew it was not in the Original? We must either think that all about the

Queen were asleep , or worse, if they did not know that this was

Part of the Article, or knowing it to be false, did not timely dis- cover it. But in all likelihood the first Part of it is as Authentick as the last. For Charles the Martyr, in the Year 1630, caus’d the Articles to be Reprinted with his Declaration, and this Part of the Article is the same that I have explain’d ; and he was so far from thinking it surreptitious or forg’d , that he declares that no Man hereafter shall either print or preach, to draw the Articles aside any way ; but shall submit to them, in the plain and full Meaning of them. We may therefore without Danger or Suspicion receive the Article as it stands amongst the rest ; for in Reason there can be no

Forgery in it.

2. Though the Dissenters are excus’d from subscribing this Part, yet they challenge and use more or less of this Authority in their

Churches: For they have their Rites and Ceremonies, their diffe-

rent Methods and Ways, by which they distinguish themselves from others. And ‘tis by the Power they challenge, as inherent in the Church, that they appoint the Circumstances of Worship; that some appoint one Method of receiving Members, others another Way of constituting a Church. But if they challenge this Authority, and

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exercise it among themselves ; we can’t with greater Reason main- tain it, as belonging to us; and though they are not oblig’d to sub- scribe it, yet since they more or less use it, they have the less Rea- son to complain against us, or to cry up the Unreasonableness of it; unless they think that only their own Church hath this Power to

decree Rites and Ceremonies, and that no other is invested with it.;

or that none can or shall deprive them of the Liberty of decreein for themselves. But after all, there is no doubt , but those that ute this Power, could, if they pleased, subscribe the Article, let their Con- science be what it will ; for no Man can with Reason refuse to own a Power, which his own Church exercises every Day. And indeed

unless a Church hath such a Power latent in it, to be us’d as Time

and Place may require, I cannot see how the Order of it can be pre- serv’d, or the Christian Faith secur’d. And therefore St. Paul’s Rule may warrant our Church in the Use of this Power: For God is not the Author of Confusion, but of Peace, as in all Churches of the Saints, (that are truly such), ’ _ IE

3. I must assure you from a View of this Article, that our Church

1s as much for Liberty of Conscience as any can desire : For she would have no new Articles of Faith made, nothing as necessary de- creed, which the Scripture hath not made necessary. Nor does she think fit that any Force should be us’d, to obtrude such Inno- vations upon the Consciences of Men. So that where Liberty

is necessary and proper, she approves of it, and recommends it. She

would have the Scriptures freed from Enclosure, that they may be

seen, read, examin’d, and understood by all : And she allows Con- science to be free, to inform it self, and to believe for it self ; and de-

fires not that any Untruth should be thrust upon it, to choak or in-

Jure it, under the Reputation of an Article of Faith. For ‘tis her declared Sense, that as she ought not to decree any Thing against the Word, so she must not and ought not to enforce any Thing to be believ’d for Necessity of Salvation, which is not to be found in the Word ; which is as much as the most Conscientious can in Rea- son desire. I must therefore desire you to observe, that this very Ar- tide displays to view the Moderation of our Church, her Care of Souls, and the Liberty she allows to every one, to consider without Restraint, what the Word of God proposes ; to believe without Force, what is necessary to Eternal Life; and to practise with all

Care, what must be done, as we expect to be happy. And as much

as some have accus’d her of Persecution, she hath us’d Moderation in the true Sense of the word, in an exemplary Manner; for pro- vided Men will judge of the Word, and her Discipline with upright Hearts, they will find that she neither imposes upon their Under- standings nor Wills, neither forces them along to believe any Thing, nor constrains them to submit to unreasonable Demands ; but leaves them to consider as Men of Understanding, to chuse as Men of per- fe& Liberty, to be as good and vertuous as God hath commanded,

and offers them all imaginable Encouragements to go forward in Well-

doing, © to add to their Faith Vertue”, and to become as good and excellent, as tis possible for them to be upon Earth, that they may e

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be the better qualified to go to Heaven; and whilst she allows of Article

this Liberty, proposes Truths, exhorts Men to become Holy and

XX,

without Rebuke ; what Hurt can there be in that Authority, or the GW

Exercise of it, which decrees our Rites and Ceremonies, appoints the Decency of our publick Worship, and consults the Honour of God, and the Promotion of Religion in all her Publick Offices and Administrations? If the Members of those Churches that difiene from us, can without Murmuring, yield and submit to their Rites, why must the Murmuring lye at our Door? Why cannot we sub— mit more heartily to be govern’d by our Church, and oblerve with greater Strictness her Rules and Methods, that we may be train’d up for Heaven in her way, and may be improv’d by her Advice and Counsels ? Is there not Reason, that we who are undoubtedly Part of the Catholick Church, should give more Heed to her Commands, and yield a more chearful Obedience to her, than those who are di- vided from us do, or can to their pretended Fraternities 2 Could we be but persuaded to live in her Communion, as she hath appointed, we should consult both our Safety here, and our Happiness hereaf- ter ; and what by joining in her Devotions, and following of her Advice, might get ready to be join’d to that Church above, which 1s without Blemish or Spot. Let me therefore prevail with you to put

in Practice what she teaches, to conform to her Rules, to be as dili- gent as she exhorts ; that ye may be found to her Praise in the Great

Day, as your Lord designs: That he might present it to himself a Erler 3.

3 Church, not having « pot, nor wrinkle, or any such thing; ut that tt. should be Holy, and wit bout Blemish, | a

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An EXPOSITION of the