Veneer on Article XX: Of the Authority of the Church

[…]

The Exposition.

Y the Church, we are here to under stand, those that are vested with Ecclefiailical Authority. I do not intend to exclude iuch as have no- thing to do with the Government of the Church from being a Part of the Church ; for if the Governors of the Church be included in the Definition of the Church, as every body grants they are, then any Part of Ecclefiaftical Authority, which of Right isexercifed by thele Governors, may properly and confiftently be said to be veiled in the Church : And fnice ‘tis their Bufmefs to take care that e’very thing he done in the Church decently^ and in Qrder-^ E e 3 I Qou

Art. XX.

41 ^ ^n Expofitioti on the

• Faith be kept, as appears from 2l. iii. lo. y Jf;/ /-Z? is an Heretick after the fir ft andfecond Admonition reje. And i im. i. 3. 5 / Z fought thee to abide ft ill at Ephefus when I went into Macedonia, that thou mighteft charge [ome

he Church ’- ” ”’ Dorine : It follows, hath FoTver to they must have a Right to decree Rites and decree Rites a?7dC€YemonieSy without which nothing can be done Ceremonies, jj Publick AiTemblies that is decent and orderly ; and that they must have Authority in Contro- verfies of Faith, that the Peace of the Church be not disturbed by contentious Difputations, and that the Minds of the Faithful be not cor- rupted by the Sophiftry of Hereticks.

But to be more particular with relation to Rites and Ceremonies : The Christian Church hath certainly the lame Power to appoint them that the Je-iviJJj Church had. That the Jewijh Church did think themselves inverted with such a Power as we contend for, is plain from several Instances of their making uie of it. Thus, for Instance, we read Esther ix. 27, 28. that after it had pleased God to bafHe the Malice ofHajnan who had intended todeftroy them, they ordained and took upon them and upon their Seed and upon all such as joined themfel’ves unto them fa as it ftjoiild not fail that they would keep those two Days according to their Writings and according to their appointed itme e-very Tear : And that those Days fjjoiild he rememhered and kept throughout enjcry Generation every Family every Province and every City and that these Days of Purim JJoould not fail from among the Jews, nor the Memorial of them periJJo from their Seed. Aain, our Sa’iour and his A.poftles did ufe indifierent Things, which were not prescribed by God in

Divine

Thirty -Nine Articles. 4 3 9

Divine Worship. Thus he joined in the Syna- ^^t. xx.

[…]

(if the Place itfelfwere at all prcfcribed by God)

the Manner of that Service was not fo much as

hinted at. 1 hus he uled the Cup of Charity

in the PalTover, though it was not inftitutc^d by

God, Ltike xxii. 17. The Feast of Dedication

was an Human Institution, yet he vouchfafed to

be preient at it, John x 22, 23. Nay, he

complied with the Jews in the very Posture of

the Paflbver, which they changed to fitting,

though God had prcfcribed standing. 1 he

ApoiUes also observed the Hours of Prayers^

which were of Human Inftitution, A5lsm. i.

Now if the Jews prcfcribed indif rent Things, though their PwCligion was fb exaCt in prelcribing Ceremonies, and if Chrifl- and his Apostles complied with them therein, certainly we may both prescribe and uie indiiferent I’hings wnder the Golpel. Irenxus *, speaking of Churches that differed as to their Obicrvarion of Fasting-Days, and theFeaft oi Eaferhys that they had, notwithftandingthefe Differences, kept Peace with one another ; and that the differing about Failing had been a Means to confrjT” the Unity of Faith. And that they who d d not observe in the fame Manner that others did, and were against observing in that Manner, kept Peace among them when they came among them: And that no Person had at any time fallen away upon this Account. In a Word, what S. Augiiftine and his Mother received from S. Amhrofe is worthy to be recommended to all 3 that in ail Things, not contrary to Truth

,* Page 46/, 46(;, See I.u[eb, Mist. lib. j-. c. 24.

JE e 4 and

440 Jn Exposition on the

Art. XX. and good Manners, it becomes a good and

Kyy^^^ prudent Christian to praclife, according to the

Custom of the Church where he comes, if he

will not be a Scandal to them, nor have them

to be a Scandal to him. f

But whatever hath been, or may be (aid upon this Head, it is not lawful for the Church fi’lahno- i “y Thing that is contrary to God’s Thing MrJry Word written ; for otherwise, the Word of to the mrd of God wouid, in a little time, be made a Jeflof, and G- the Authority of the Church would fall to the

Ground, if it had no better Foundation to de- pend upon. Nor would our Saviour’s Charge to his Apostles, and their SuccefTors, be com- plied with, which was, that they fliould teach Men to chferve all things whatfoe^v^r he had commanded them^ Mat. xxviii. 50.

Avoid those corrupt Trees, faith St. Jg- ” natius which bring forth deadly Fruit, of ” which if a Man taste, he shall die thereby -, ’ for these are not planted by the Father. ” That we must by no means depart from the Commandments of the Gofpcl, faith S. Cyprian and that the Disciples are to do what their Master taught and did, the bleffcd Apostle doth more fully and Ptrenuoufly infift on in another Place, meaning Gal i. The Words which he refers to, are contained in the 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th Verses : / marvel that ye are fo foon removed from hm tha called you into the Grace.

■\ See Mflfm of the Authority of the Church. Hooker’s Ecclei; Pol Book TIL and VIIL Totter of Church Govern- rrienr, cap, y. §. 2, 7. Abridgment of the London Cast;s, cap. I.

• Efrf,, ad TrcJL

«j

Thirty ‘Wme Articles. 441

of Christ unto another Gospel , which is not m- ’- xx. other ; hut there he fome that trouble you and ””’ would per’vert\the Gospel of Christ. But though inje or an Angel from Heaven preach- any other Gospel unto you than that which we ha-ve preached unto you J let him he ac cur fed. And then he (S. Cyprian adds, neither are we to follow the Custom of MePj but the Truth of God *

Neither is it lawful for theChnich to Neither may h expound one Place of Scripture that it may be P""! ’. repugnant to another; for this would be ZtTtXn- making God Almighty contradid himself, infradicf amher, Oppolition to what S, Paul faith, Kom. ill. 4. Let God he true, and every Man a Lyar.

Wherefore, although the Church be a Witness, and a Keeper of Holy Writ; for to the Christians are com?nitted the Oracles of God^ as they were to the Jews in Old Time, as S. Paul observes, Kom. iii. 2. Yet it ought not to decree any Thing against the fame, which is farther confirmed by the Answer of Peter and John to the Jewiflo Rulers, A5is iv* 19. Whether it he right in the Sight of God., to hearken unto you more than unto God^ judge ye. Neither ought the Church to inforce any Thing besides to be believed for NecefTity of Salva- tion, which is likewile farther confirmed by what S. Paul faith, Gal. iii. 15. Brethren., I speak after the Manner of Men ; though it he hut a Mans Co’venant^ yet if it he confirmed, no Man difannulkth or addeth thereto. We may argue therefore, that much Ms may Men presume to take from, or add to the AVord of God f.

• -Epiji. 65.

i- See Artick VI.

An Expofitioii en the