ARTICLE XX.

Of the Authority of the Church.

The Church hath Power to deczee Rites or Ceremonies, and Authority in Matters of Faith. And per it is not lawful for the Church to ordain any thing that is contrary to God's Word wzitten; neither map it so expound one place of Scriptuze, that it be repugnant to anothez, Wherefore although the Church be a Witness and Keeper of Holp Writ, pet as it ought not to derzee aup thing against the fame, fo belides the fame ought it not to enforce anp thing to be believed for necellity of Salvation.

TH

XX.

HIS Article confifts of two parts; the firft afferts a ART. power in in the Church both to decree rites and ceremonies, and to judge in matters of faith: the fecond limits this power over matters of faith to the Scriptures: fo that it muft neither contradict them, nor add any articles as neceffary to falvation to those contained in them. This is fuitable to fome words that were once in the Fifth Article, but were afterwards left out; inftead of which the firft words of this Article were put in this place, according to the printed editions; though they are not in the original of the Article figned by both Houfes of Convocation, that are yet extant.

As to the first part of the Article, concerning the power of the Church, either with relation to ceremonies or points of faith, the difpute lies only with thofe who deny all Church power, and think that Churches ought to be in all things limited by the rules fet in Scripture; and that where the Scriptures are filent, there ought to be no rules made, but that all men fhould be left to their liberty; and in particular, that the appointing new ceremonies, looks like a reproaching of the Apoftles, as if their conftitutions had been fo defective, that thofe defects must be supplied by the inventions of men: which they oppofe fo much the more, because they think that all the corruptions of Popery began at fome rites which feemed at firft not only innocent, but pious; but were afterwards abufed to fuperftition and idolatry, and fwelled up to that bulk as to opprefs and ftifle true religion with their number and weight.. A great

ART.

19.

XX.

I Cor. xiv. 40.

A great part of this is in fome refpect true; yet that we may examine the matter methodically, we fhall firft confider, what power the Church has in those matters; and then, what rules the ought to govern herfelf by in the use of that power. It is very visible, that in the Gospels and Epiftles there are but few rules laid down as to ritual matters: in the Epiftles there are fome general rules given, that must take in Rom. xiv. a great many cafes; fuch as, Let all things be done to edification, to order, and to peace: and in the Epiftles to Timothy and Titus, many rules are given in fuch general words, as, Lay hands fuddenly on no man, that in order to the guiding of particular cafes by them, many diftinctions and fpecialities were to be interpofed to the making them practicable and useful. In matters that are merely ritual, the state of mankind in different climates and ages is apt to vary; and the fame things that in one fcene of human nature may look grave, and feem fit for any fociety, may in another age look light, and diffipate men's thoughts. It is alfo evident that there is not a fyftem of rules given in the New Teftament about all thefe; and yet a due method in them is neceflary to maintain the order and decency that become divine things. This feems to be a part of the Gospel liberty, that it is not a law of oriv. 9. dinances; these things being left to be varied according to the -v. 1. diversities of mankind.

Gal. ii. 4.

1

The Jewish religion was delivered to one nation, and the main parts of it were to be performed in one place; they were alfo to be limited in rituals, left they might have taken some practices from their neighbours round about them, and fo by the ufe of their rites have rendered idolatrous practices more familiar and acceptable to them: and yet they had many rites among them in our Saviour's time, which are not mentioned in any part of the Old Teftament; fuch was the whole conftitution of their fynagogues, with all the fervice and officers that belonged to them: they had a Baptifm among them, befides feveral rites added to the Pafchal service. Our Saviour reproved them for none of thefe; he hallowed fome of them to be the foederal rites of his new difpenfation; he went to their fynagogues; and though he reproved them for overvaluing their rites, for preferring them to the laws of God, and making thefe void by their traditions, yet he does not condemn them for the ufe of them. And while of the Matt. xxii. greater precepts he fays, Thefe things ye ought to have done; he adds concerning their rites and leffer matters, and not to have left the other undone.

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If then fuch a liberty was allowed in fo limited a religion, it feems highly fuitable to the fublimer ftate of the Chriftian liberty, that there fhould be room left for fuch appointments

or

XX.

Matt. xii. 7.

or alterations as the different ftate of times and places fhould ART. require. In hotter countries, for inftance, there is no danger in dipping; but if it is otherwife in colder climates, then fince mercy is better than even facrifice, a more fparing ufe may be Hof. vi. 6. made of water; afperfion may anfwer the true end of baptifm. A ftricter or gentler difcipline of offenders must be also proportioned to what the times will bear, and what men can be brought to fubmit to. The dividing of Chriftians into fuch diftricts, that they may have the beft conveniencies to affemble themselves together for worship, and for keeping up of order: the appointing the times as. well as the places of worship, are certainly to be fixed with the best regard to prefent circumstances that may be. The bringing Christian affemblies into order and method, is neceflary for their folem. nity, and for preventing that diffipation of thought that a diverfity of behaviour might occafion. And though a kiss of peace, and an order of deaconeffes, were the practices of the apoftolical time; yet when the one gave occafion to raillery, and the other to fcandal, all the world was, and ftill is, fatisfied with the reasons of letting both fall.

Now if Churches may lay afide apoftolical practices in matters that are ritual, it is certainly much easier to justify their making new rules for fuch things; fince it is a higher attempt to alter what was fettled by the Apostles themselves, than to set up new rules in matters which they left untouched. Habits and poftures are the neceflary circumftances of all publick meetings the times of fafting and of prayer, the days of thanksgiving and communions are all of the fame. nature. The publick confeffion of fins by fcandalous perfons; the time and manner of doing it; the previous fteps that fome Churches have made for the trial of those who were to be received into holy orders, that fo by a longer inspection into their behaviour, while in lower orders, they might discover how fit they were to be admitted into the facred ones; and chiefly the prefcribing ftated forms for the feveral acts of religious worship, and not leaving that to the capacities or humours, to the inventions, and often to the extravagancies of those who are to officiate all these things, I fay, fall within thofe general rules given by the Apoftles to the Churches in their time: where we find that the Apostles had their customs, as well as the Churches of God; which were then opposed to the innovating and the contentious humours of fome factious men. And fuch a pattern have the Apoftles fet us of complying with those things that are regularly fettled, wherefoever we are, that we find they became all things to all men: to the Jews they became Jews; though that was a religion then extinguished in its obligation, by the promulgation of the Gospel; and was

1 Cor. xii.

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I Cor. ix.

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then

ART. then fallen under great corruption: yet, in order to the gaining XX. of fome of them, fuch was the fpirit of charity and edifi'cation with which the Apoftles were acted, that while they were among them, they complied in the practice of those abrogated rites; though they aflerted both the liberty of the Gentiles, and even their own, in that matter: it was only a compliance, and not a fubmiflion to their opinions, that made them bferve days, and diftinguifh meats, while among them. If then fuch rites, and the rites of fuch a Church, were ftill complied with by infpired men, this is an infallible pattern to us; and lets us fee, upon how much stronger reasons, we, who are under those obligations to unity and charity with all Chriftians, ought to maintain the unity of the body, and the decency and order that is neceflary for peace, and mutual edification.

Therefore fince there is not any one thing that Christ has enjoined more folemnly and more frequently than love and charity, union and agreement amongst his difciples; fince we are alfo required to affemble ourselves together, to conftitute ourHeb.x. 25. felves in a body, both for worshipping God jointly, and for maintaining of order and love among the fociety of Christians, we ought to acquiefce in fuch rules as have been agreed on by common confent, and which are recommended to us by long practice, and that are established by thofe who have the lawful authority over us. Nor can we affign any other bounds to our fubmiflion in this cafe, than thofe that the Gofpel has limited. Acts v. 29. We must obey God, rather than man; and we must in the first Matt.xxii. place render to God the things that are God's, and then give to Cæfar the things that are Cafar's. So that if either Church or State have power to make rules and laws in such matters, they must have this extent given them, that till they break in upon the laws of God and the Gospel, we must be bound to obey them. A mean cannot be put here; either they have no power at all, or they have a power that must go to every thing that is not forbid by any law of God. This is the only meafure that can be given in this matter.

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But a great difference is here to be made between those rules that both Church and State ought to fet to themselves in their enacting of fuch matters, and the measures of the obedience of fubjects: the only question in the point of obe dience, must be lawful or unlawful. For expedient or inexpedient ought never to be brought into question, as to the point of obedience; fince no inexpediency whatsoever can balance the breaking of order, and the diffolving the conftitution and fociety. This is a confideration that arifes out of a man's apprehenfions of the fitness or usefulness of things; in which though he might be in the right as to the antecedent fitnefs of them, and yet even there he may be in the wrong, and in

common

common modefty every man ought to think that it is more. likely that he fhould be in the wrong, than the governors and rulers of the fociety; yet, I fay, allowing all this, it is certain that order and obedience are, both in their own nature, and in their confequences, to be preferred to all the particular confiderations of expediency or inexpediency. Yet ftill those in whofe hands the making of thofe rules is put, ought to carry their thoughts much further: they ought to confider well the genius of the Chriftian religion, and therefore they are to avoid every thing that may lead to idolatry or feed fuperftition; every thing that is apt to be abused to give falfe ideas of God, or to make the world think that fuch inftituted practices may balance the violation of the laws of God. They ought not to overcharge the worship of God with too great a number of them the rites ought to be grave, fimple, and naturally expreffive of that which is intended by them. Vain pomp and indecent levity ought to be guarded against; and next to the honour of God and religion, the peace and edification of the fociety ought to be chiefly confidered. Due regard ought to be had to what men can bear, and what may be moft fuitable to the prefent ftate of the whole; and finally, a great respect is due to ancient and establified practices. Antiquity does generally beget veneration; and the very changing of what has been long in ufe, does naturally ftartle many, and difcompofe a great part of the body. So all changes, unless the expediency of making them is upon other accounts very visible, labour under a great prejudice with the more ftaid fort of men; for this very reafon, becaufe they are changes. But in this matter, no certain or mathematical rules can be given: every one of thefe that has been named, is capable of that variety, by the diverfity of times and other circumftances; that fince prudence and difcretion muft rule the ufe that is to be made of them, that must be left to the confcience and prudence of every perfon who may be concerned in the management of this authority. He must act as he will anfwer it to God and to the Church; for he must be at liberty in applying thofe general rules to particular times and cafes. And a temper must be obferved: we must avoid a fullen adhering to things because they were once fettled, as if points of honour were to be maintained here; and that it looked like a reproaching a conftitution, or the wisdom of a former age, to alter what they did; fince it is certain that what was wifely ordered in one time, may be as wifely changed in another: as, on the other hand, all men ought to avoid the imputations of a defultory levity; as if they loved changes for changes fake. This might give occafion to our adverfaries to triumph over us, and might alfo fill the minds of the weaker among ourselves with apprehenfions and fcruples.

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