66 discipline is no small offence before God. "Let all things be done among you,' "saith St. Paul, in a seemly and due or"der;' the appointment of which order pertaineth not to private men'. 66 The same language occurs in the Article of the traditions of the Church, which evidently refers to the forms which have been handed down from primitive antiquity: "It is not necessary that traditions and ceremonies be in all places one and ut 66 66 terly like; for at all times they have "been diverse, and may be changed ac 66 66 66 cording to the diversities of countries, times, and men's manners; so that no thing be ordained against God's word. "Whosoever through his private judg"ment willingly and purposely doth 66 openly break the traditions and cere"monies of the Church which be not re"pugnant to the word of God, and be or"dained and approved by common authority, ought to be rebuked openly, 66 "Of Ceremonies, why some be abolished and others "retained." Compare the last Rubrics at the end of the Offices of the Communion and the Baptism of Infants. "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 wound"eth the consciences of the weak brethren. Every particular or national Church hath "authority to ordain, change, and abolish "ceremonies or rites of the Church, or"dained only by man's authority, so that "all things be done to edifying "." 66 Let it not be thought that we have insisted too long upon the authority of the Church, knowing that her Articles on this subject have unjustly excited much offence, that in the formation of them she adheres implicitly and scrupulously to the authority of the Scriptures, and that she contemplates the revision of her ritual in compliance with the same authority. 2. There is another act of ecclesiastical power, in which the doctrine of our Church is justified by the clearest precept and practice of Scripture'. "That per s Art. XXXIV. Matt. xviii. 17. 1 Cor. v. 5. 1 Tim. i. 20. Titus iii. 10, "son which, by open denunciation of the "Church, is rightly cut off from the unity "of the Church, and excommunicated, 66 ought to be taken of the whole multi"tude of the faithful as an heathen and publican, until he be openly reconciled "" by penance, and received into the Church 66 by a judge that hath authority there"unto". 66 66 3. In the judgment of our Church, “ it ❝ is evident unto all men diligently reading "the holy Scripture and ancient authors, "that from the Apostles' time there have "been these orders of ministers in Christ's Church; Bishops, Priests, and Deacons." Instructed also by the word of God, that no man can preach "except he be sent"," or take upon himself the priesthood, without being "called of God"," our Church maintains, that "it is not lawful for any "man to take upon himself the office of 65 public preaching, or ministering the sacra u Art. XXXIII. * Preface to the Form or Manner of making, ordaining, and consecrating of Bishops, Priests, and Deacons, &c. y Rom. x. 14. z Heb. v. 4. 66 "ments in the congregation, before he be lawfully called, and sent to execute the પ same. And those we ought to judge "lawfully called and sent, which be chosen "and called to this work by men who "have public authority given unto them "in the congregation, to call and send "ministers into the Lord's vineyard. "The Book of Consecration of Archbi 66 a " shops and Bishops, and Ordering of "Priests and Deacons... doth contain all things necessary to such consecration " and ordering; neither hath it any thing "that of itself is superstitious and ungodly. "And therefore, whosoever are conse"crated or ordered according to the rites "of that book ... we decree all such to be rightly, orderly, and lawfully consecrated " and ordered"." 66 This division of the ministerial order is certainly agreeable to the form of the Christian Church, both before our Lord's ascension, when there were with himself the Apostles and the Seventy in the subor a Art. XXIII. b Art. XXXVI. dinate offices; and after his ascension, when the Apostles were elevated above the Presbyters or the Seventy, and the Deacons, whom they ordained. The form of ordination, after previous trial and examination, by the imposition of the hands of the Bishop and the Presbyters, may be traced to various examples and authorities recorded in the Scriptures. These " Bishops, Priests, and Deacons, "are not commanded by God's law, either "to vow the estate of single life, or to ab"stain from marriage," which is one of the signs of the great apostasy: and it is "a thing plainly repugnant to the word of "God and the custom of the primitive "Church, to have public prayer in the 66 Church, or to minister the Sacraments "in a tongue not understanded of the people.' "Although in the visible “Church, the evil be ever mingled with the good," as was represented in the para 66 ble, "and sometimes the evil have chief c Acts vi. 6. xiv. 23. 1 Tim. iv. 14. v. 22. 2 Tim. i. 6. ii. 2. Titus iii. 1. d Art. XXXII. © Art. XXIV. |