T XXII. Of Purgatory. HE Romih doctrine concerning purgatory, pardons, worshipping, and adoration, as well of images, as of reliques, and allo invocation of Saints, is a fond thing vainly invented, and grounded upon no warranty of Scripture, but rather repugnant to the word of God. IT XXIII. Of miniftering in the Congregation. T is not lawful for any man to take upon him the office of public preaching, or miniftering the Sacraments in the congregation, before he be lawfully called and fent, to execute the fame. And those we ought to judge lawfully called and fent, which be chofen and called to this work by men who have public authority given unto them in the congregation, to call and fend Minifters into the Lord's vineyard. XXIV. Of Speaking in the Congregation in fuch a Tongue as the People underflandeth. T is a thing plainly repugnant to the Word of God, and the cuftom of the primitive Church, to have public Prayer in the Church, or to minifter the Sacraments, in a tongue not understanded of the people. SA XXV. Of the Sacraments. ACRAMENTS ordained of Christ be not only badges or tokens of Chriftian men's profeffion; but rather they be certain fure witneffes, and effectual figns of grace, and God's good will towards us, by the which he doth work invifibly in us, and doth not only quicken, but also ftrengthen and confirm our faith in him. There are two Sacraments ordained of Chrift our Lord in the Gospel, that is to say, Baptism, and the Supper of the Lord. Those five commonly called Sacraments, that is to fay, Confirmation, Penance, Orders, Matrimony, and extreme Unction, are not to be counted for Sacraments of the Gofpel, being fuch as have grown, partly of the corrupt following of the Apoftles, partly are fates of life allowed in the Scriptures; but yet have not like nature of Sacraments with Baptism and the Lord's Supper, for that they have not any vifible fign or ceremony ordained of God. · The Sacraments were not ordained of Chrift to be gazed upon, or to be carried about; but that we thould duly ufe them. And in fuch only as worthily receive the fame, they have a wholefome effect or operation; but they they that receive them unworthily purchase to themselves damnation, as St. Paul faith. XXVI. Of the Unworthiness of the Minifters, which binders not the effect of the Sacraments. ALTHOUGH in the visible Church the evil be ever mingled with the good, and fometimes the evil have chief authority in the miniftration of the Word and Sacraments; yet forafmuch as they do not the fame in their own name, but in Chrift's, and do minifter by his commiflion and authority, we may ufe their miniftry, both in hearing the Word of God, and in the receiving of the Sacraments. Neither is the effect of Chrift's ordinance taken away by their wickedness, nor the grace of God's gifts diminished from fuch, as by faith and rightly do receive the Sacraments miniftered unto them; which be effectual, because of Chrift's inftitution and promise, although they be miniftered by evil men. Neverthelefs, it appertaineth to the difcipline of the Church, that enquiry be made of evil Minifters, and that they be accufed by thofe that have knowledge of their offences; and finally being found guilty, by juft judgment be depofed. XXVII. Of Baptifm. BAPTISM is not only a fign of profeffion, and mark of difference, whereby Chriftian men are difcerned from others that be not chriftened; but it is alfo a fign of regeneration or new birth, whereby, as by an inftrument, they that receive Baptifm rightly are grafted into the Church: the promises of forgivenefs of fin, and of our adoption to be the fons of God by the Holy Ghoft, are visibly figned and fealed: faith is confirmed, and grace increased by virtue of prayer unto God. The Baptifm of young children is in any wife to be retained in the Church, as most agreeable with the inftitution of Christ. XXVIII. Of the Lord's Supper. THE Supper of the Lord is not only a fign of the love that Chriftians ought to have among themselves one to another; but rather is a Sacrament of our redemption by Christ's death: infomuch that to fuch as rightly, worthily, and with faith receive the fame, the bread which we break is a partaking of the body of Chrift; and likewife the cup of bleffing is a partaking of the blood of Chrift. Tranfub Tranfubftantiation (or the change of the fubftance of bread and wine) in the Supper of the Lord, cannot be proved by holy Writ; but is repugnant to the plain words of Scripture, overthroweth the nature of a Sacrament, and hath given occafion to many fuperftitions. The body of Chrift is given, taken, and eaten in the Supper, only after an heavenly and fpiritual manner. And the mean, whereby the body of Chrift is received and eaten. in the Supper, is Faith. The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper was not by Chrift's ordinance referved, carried about, lifted up, or worshipped. XXIX. Of the Wicked, which cat not the Body of Chrift, in the ufe of the Lord's Supper. THE HE wicked, and fuch as be void of a lively faith, although they do carnally and visibly prefs with their teeth, as St. Auguftine faith, the Sacrament of the body and blood of Chrift, yet in no wife are they partakers of Chrift, but rather to their condemnation do eat and drink the fign or Sacrament of fo great a thing. XXX. Of both Kinds. THE Cup of the Lord is not to be denied to the Laypeople: for both the parts of the Lord's Sacrament, by Chrift's ordinance and commandment, ought to be ministered to all Chriftian men alike. XXXI. Of the one Oblation of Chrift finished upon the Crofs. THE offering of Chrift once made, is that perfect re demption, propitiation, and fatisfaction for all the fins of the whole world, both original and actual; and there is none other fatisfaction for fin, but that alone. Wherefore the facrifices of Maffes, in the which it was commonly faid, that the Prieft did offer Chrift for the quick and the dead, to have remiffion of pain or guilt, were blafphemous fables, and dangerous deceits. XXXII. Of the Marriage of Priefis. BISHOPS, Priefts, and Deacons, are not commanded by God's Law, either to vow the eftate of fingle life, or to abstain from marriage: therefore it is lawful for them, as for all other Chriftian men, to marry at their own difcretion, as they fhall judge the fame to ferve better to god linefs. XXXIII. XXXIII. Of excommunicate Perfons, how they are to be avoided. THAT HAT perfon, which, by open denunciation of the Church, is rightly cut off from the unity of the Church, and excommunicated, ought to be taken of the whole multitude of the faithful, as an Heathen and Publican, until he be openly reconciled by penance, and received into the Church by a judge that hath authority thereunto. IT XXXIV. Of the Traditions of the Church. T is not neceffary that traditions and ceremonies be in all places one, or utterly like; for at all times they have been diverfe, and may be changed according to the diverfity of countries, times, and men's manners, fo that nothing be ordained against God's Word. Whofoever, through his private judgment, willingly and purpofely doth openly break the traditions and ceremonics 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 other may fear to do the like) as he that offendeth against the common order of the Church, and hurteth the authority of the Magiftrate, and woundeth the confciences of the weak brethren. Every particular or national Church hath authority to ordain, change, and abolith ceremonies or rites of the Church, ordained only by man's authority, fo that all things be done to edifying. THE XXXV. Of the Homilies. HE fecond Book of Homilies, the feveral titles whereof we have joined under this Article, doth contain a godly and wholefome doctrine, and neceffary for thefe times, as doth the former book of Homilies, which were fet forth in the time of Edward the Sixth; and therefore we judge them to be read in Churches by the Minifters, diligently and diftinctly, that they may be underftanded of the people. Of the Names of the Homilies. 1. Of the Right Ufe of the Church. 2. Againfi Peril of Idolatry. 3. Of repairing and keeping clean of Churches. 4. Of good Works; firfl, of Fafling. 5. Against 5. Against Gluttony and Drunkenn fs. 8. Of the Place and Time of Prayer. 9. That Common Prayers and Sacraments ought to be minifered in a known tongue. 10. Of the reverend Eftimation of God's Word. 11. Of Alms-doing. 12. Of the Nativity of Chrifl. 13. Of the Paffion of Christ. 14. Of the Resurrection of Christ. 15. Of the worthy receiving of the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ. 16. Of the Gifts of the Holy Ghol. 17. For Ragation-days. 18. Of the State of Matrimony. 19. Of Repentance. 20. Against Idlenefs. 21. Against Rebellion. XXXVI. Of Confecration of Bishops and Ministers. THE Book of Confecration of Archbishops and Bishops, and Ordering of Priests and Deacons, lately fet forth in the time of Edward the Sixth, and confirmed at the fame time by authority of Parliament, doth contain all things neceffary to fuch confecration and ordering: neither hath it any thing that of itfelf is fuperftitious and ungodly. And therefore whofoever are confecrated or ordered according to the rites of that book, fince the fecond year of the forenamed King Edward, unto this time, or hereafter fhall be confecrated or ordered according to the fame rites, we decree all fuch to be rightly, orderly, and lawfully confecrated and ordered. XXXVII. Of the Civil Magiftrates. THE King's Majefty hath the chief power in this realm of England, and other his dominions, unto whom the chief government of all eftates of this realm, whether they be ecclefiaftical or civil, in all caufes doth appertain, and is not, nor ought to be, fubject to any foreign jurifdiction. Where we attribute to the King's Majefty the chief government, by which titles we understand the minds of fome flanderous folks to be offended, we give not to our Princes the miniftering either of God's Word, or of the Sacraments, the which thing the Injunctions alfo lately fet |