Paragraph 20.1

1. The church hath power to decree rites, or ceremonies.

2. The church may not ordaine what rites, or ceremonies shee will.

3. The church hath authoritie to iudge, and determine in controuersies of faith.

4. The church hath power to interpret, and expound the word of God.

5. The Analogie of faith must be respected in the exposition of the Scripture.

6. The church is the witnesse, and keeper of Gods written word.

7. The church may not enforce any thing to be beleeued, as necessarie vnto saluation, that is either contrarie, or besides the word of God.

The proofe from the word of God.

The churches authoritie to decree rites, or ceremonies is warranted in the word of God, first by the example of the Apostles, who did ordaine rites, and ceremonies: among other things that

In the church men should not be couered.^a

Women should keepe silence,^b and be couered.^c

A knowen tongue vnderstood of the common auditorie, should be vsed,^d with other things.^e Next, by the generall, and binding commandement of God himselfe, who at all times will haue euery thing in the church to be done vnto edifying,^f honestie, and by order,^g* as beeing not the author of confusion, but of peace.^h†

All churches protestant confesse the same.^‡

Errors, & adversaries vnto this truth.

This power being giuen by the Supreame authoritie vnto the Church, they doe greatly offend, which doe condemne either generally all, or particularly some rites, and ceremonies orderly, and lawfully established: of the former sort are.

1. The Familie of Loue, who say of themselues, how they are a free people,⁴ in bondage vnto no creature, nor to any created thing,⁵ they haue no seuerall distenting, or variable religions, either ceremonies.⁶

2. The Brownists: who teach that euery Christian is to ioyn himselfe vnto that people, among whome the Lords worship is free, and not bound, or withholden with any iurisdiction of this world.⁷

3. The Puritanes, whereof some would haue all matters of ceremonies to be left in christian libertie vnto euery man.⁸

Others would haue both temples to be left without seruice, Sermons and Sacraments: and Princes to be scared with the feare of vproares, and sedition, and all because they would be freed from the obedience vnto ceremonies, not impious of themseluees, imposed by the Church: the Father of these men was Illyricus, of whome Melancton writeth.⁹

Of the latter kinde, be

1. The Familie of Loue againe, who vtterly dislike our Churches, or Temples, also our Liturgies, & formes of seruing our God and finally our designed times of meeting together for the worshippe of God.

Our Churches there blasphemously tearme Common houses (and so we tearme Brothell houses or the stewes).¹⁰

Our Lyturgies, and manner of seruing of God, they call Foolishnes of taken on seruices,¹¹ false and seducing Gods seruices,¹² of no man to be ordained,¹³ nor to be obeied, or vsed, when they are established,¹⁴ with these ioyne the Barrowists, who doe write that, to haue Leiturgies, and formes of common praier, is to haue another Gospell, and another Testament.¹⁵

Our Sabboths they contemne, yea they condemne, for they say, There ought to be no Sabboth day,¹⁶ Our Sabbatarians goe not so farre, yet come they neere unto these Familists, when they divulge, that

The Church hath no authoritie, ordinarily, and perpetually, to sanctifie any day, but the seuenth day, which the Lord himselfe had sanctified.¹⁷

The church cannot take away this libertie of working sixe daies in the weeke.¹⁸ These assertions are against all holy daies lawfully established. Barrow yet goeth further then doe these men, for he saith how the obseruing of times, as it is in our church, is an error fundamentall.¹⁹

They also be alike culpable, who approouing some rites and ceremonies, do yet tie the church, or people of God to the obseruation of the ceremonies, either Mosaicall, as many haue donne, and doe,²⁰ or of the Romish Church, as doe the Papists,²¹ and the halfe papists, the Familie of Loue.²²

Finally they are out of the way which thinke that either one man, as the Pope: or any certaine calling of men, as the clergie, hath power to decree, and appoint rites, or ceremonies, though of themselues good, vnto the whole church of God, dipersed ouer the vniuersall world.

The proofe from Gods word.

As it is a cleere truth that the church may ordaine ceremonies: so true is it also that the church hath no power to appoint what rites, or ceremonies shee will. For shee must decree none which be

Either for their owe nature, impious, like the ordinances, manners, and Idols of our forefathers: teachers of vanitie,^j and of lies.^k

Or for vse, superstitious: like the brazen Serpent, which king Ezekiah brake in peices.^l

Or for their weight, ouer heauie, and greiuous to be borne; like the Iewish constitutions.^m24

Or for their worthines, in the eies of the ordainers, either of equall price, or of more account then the very ordinances of God, so as for the performance of them, the lawes of God must be left vndone; such were many of the Pharisaicall tires, and traditions.ⁿ²⁵

Or against the libertie of christians, and to the entangling of them againe with the yoake of seruile bondage.^o26

Or last of all, any way contrary to the commandements, word, and will of God.^p27

But the rites, ceremonies, and constitutions of the church they must make altogether, and tend both to the nourishing, and encrease of loue, friedship, and quietnes among christians, and also to the retaining of Gods people in the holy seruice, worship, and feare of God, according to the rule of the Apostle afore mentioned, let all things be done honestly, & by order.^q

All churches reformed consent hereunto.²⁸

Errors and Adversaries vnto this truth.

The premises beeing, as they are, most true, most false then is it which the Papists doe publish, viz. that

The church hath power to change the Sacraments ordained euen by Christ himselfe.²⁹

Whatsoeuer the Apostles, and Rulers of the Church command, is to be kept, and obeyed.³⁰

The authoritie of the of the Church is greater then of the Sacred Scripture.³¹

The proofe from Gods word.

Authoritie is giuen to the Church and to euery member of sound iudgement in the same, to iudge in controuersies of faith; and so in their places, to embrance the truth, and to auoid, and improoue Antichristianitie, and errors; and this is not the priuate opinion of our Church, but both the straight commandement of God himselfe particularly vnto all Teachers,^r32 and hearers,^s33 of Gods word, and generally vnto the whole Church,^t34 and also the iudgement of our godly brethren in forraigne countries.³⁵

The Errors, and adversaries vnto this truth.

Vnsound therefore in iudgement are the Papists. For first they maintaine,

That the Pope of Rome hath the power to iudge all men, and matter, but may be iudged of no man,³⁶ to decree (without controlment) against the epistles of S. Paul;³⁷ to dispense euen against the new Testament;³⁸ and to giue the sense, and meaning of the holy Scripture, to which sense, or

Interpration of his all, and euery man without contradiction, must yeeld, and obey.³⁹

Next, they publish, & hold, that the power to iudge of religiō & points of doctrine is, either in Bishops onely, as some of thē doe thinke;⁴⁰ or in their Clergie onely, as other deeme;⁴¹ and in the Church of Rome onely, as all of them suppose.⁴²

The proofe from Gods word.

To interpret the word of God is a peculiar blessing, giuen by God onely to the Church, and companie of the faithfull, though not to all, and euery of them. For

No man knoweth the Sonne, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, but the Sonne, and he to whom the Sonne will reueale him.^u

It is giuen to you to know the secrets of heauen (saith our Sauiour vnto his disciples, but to them it is not giuen.^v

The manifestation of the Spirit is giuen to euery man to profit withall. For to one is giuen by the Spirit, the word of wisedome, &c. and to another, Prophecie.^w

If any thing be reuealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace, saith S. Paul vnto the Church at Corinth.^x

Yee haue an ointment from him that is holy, and yee haue knowen all things, &c. yee neede not that any man teach you, saith the Apostle Iohn.^y

Hereunto subscribe the Churches in Heluetia,⁴³ Wittemberg,⁴⁴ Boheme.⁴⁵

The errors, and Adversaries vnto this truth.

Many, & sundry are the adversaries vnto this truth, wherof.

Some thinke that to expound the word of God is so easie a matter, as any Student, endued with a good naturall wit, by diligence and industrie of his owne, may doe the same.

Some teach, how to interpret the Scriptures, is too hard a thing for any mortall man to attaine vnto; so did Iohannes de Wessalia,⁴⁶ and doe many Anabaptists.

Some, though they acknowledge that diuers haue the gift to open the sense of Gods word: yet that some, say they, are not the knowen Preachers, & writers in the reformed and Christian assemblies, whom the Familie of Loue in scorne doe tearme the scipture learned (For, saith the said Familie, It is meere lies, and vntruth, &c. whatsoeuer the Scripture learned, through their knowledge out of the Scriptures▪ institute, preach, and teach.⁴⁷ They preach the letre, &c. but not the wotd of liuing God.⁴⁸ but themselues onely haue that gift, neither euery one of the Familie, but the illuminate Elders. For to them it is giuen to knowe the truth,⁴⁹ & they are the Elders of the godly vnderstanding, and of the manly wisedome,⁵⁰ the Primats or principalls in the Light.⁵¹

Some doe suppose that to interpret the holy Scriptures, is not so much a speciall gift of God vpon some chosen persons, as an ordinary power annexed to the state, and calling of Popes, Bishops, and Clergie men.⁵²

Others be so farre from giuing the people of God, not being of the Clergie, power to expound, as they will not suffer them to read, nor so much as to haue the Scriptures by them in a vulgar tongue, except it be their owne most corrupt, and barbarous translation, which but of late yeares neither, and that in part too, is granted by the Papists; but in place thereof they thrust vpon the Laitie, their most idolatrous, and blasphemous Fustinals, Legendes, Rosaries, Horaries, and Psalteries of our Lady, as falsly they called her.

The proofe from Gods word.

Forasmuch as no prophecie is of any priuate motion,^z and whatsoeuer interpretation man giueth, if it agree not to the analogie of faith, which S. Paul gaue in commandement to be obserued,^aa is a priuate interpretation, speciall heede is to be had that one place of Scripture be so expounded, as it agree with another; and al to the proportion of faith.

The Churches reformed approoue this assertiō by their subscriptions.⁵³

Errors & Adversaries to this truth.

Of another iudgement are many. For

Some doe thinke the Scriptures may be expounded in what sense, and to what purpose men list, as the Pharisies,⁵⁴ the Seuerians,⁵⁵ and Papists, among whome there be which from this opinion doe tearme the most holy word & Scriptures of God most reprochfully, A shipmans hoase, a Leaden rule, a Nose of waxe⁵⁶

Some doe mislike all interpretations, and written Commentaries vpon the Scriptures, as vnnecessary, and vaine, such were Seruetus, Valdesius, Coranus with others of late yeares,⁵⁷ and are the Libertines, Scwenkfeldians,⁵⁸ and Familie of Loue.⁵⁹

Some depend wholly vpon visions, & revelations, as did the Enthusiasts,⁶⁰ Nicholaus Storch,

Thomas Monetarius, the Anabaptists,⁶¹ and our late English reformer Hacket.⁶²

Some dislike of the literall, and preferre the Allegoricall sense of the Scriptures; and thereby deuise what them list, most monstrously from the word of God; as did the Originists, and doe the Libertines,⁶³ and Familie of Loue hence teaching on the other, that the spirituall vnderstanding is the worde of God, and that to embrace the literall sense, is to commit Idolatrie.⁶⁴

Some of euery place of Scripture will haue an exposition both Analogicall, Allegoricall, historicall, and morall, as the curious Thomists, and Monckes.

Some are addicted to an interpretation which they cal mysticall, and propheticall, as Brocardus, Morelius, and others.

Some are of minde that the Gospell, or Euangelicall word cannot be committed to letters, and wrighting, saith Lindanus.⁶⁵

Some doe thinke (as afore also hath bin shewen) how that is the olde, and onely true sense of the Scriptures which is made, and giuen by the Church,⁶⁶ and Pope of Rome.⁶⁷

Some doe maintaine, that as the Church in time doth alter: so the interpretation of the Scripture also therwithal doth vary, wherby that which in the Apostles time was a truth, in these daies shallbe a falsehood. In which error was Cardinall Cusanus.⁶⁸

The proofe from Gods word.

Though the Church hath authority to heare, and determine in controversies of faith: yet hath the Church power neither to iudge the word of God, nor to iudge otherwise then Gods word doth iudge. For it is saide to the Church, and people of God.

I beseech you brethren marke them diligently which cause diuisions, and offenses, contrarie to the Doctrine which you haue learned, and auoid them.^bb

Here him.^cc To him giue all the Prophets witnesse.^dd

Search the Scriptures:^ee whosoeuer trangresseth, and abideth not in the the doctrine of Christ, hath not God.^ff

yee are, &c. built vpon the foundation of the Apostles, and Prophets.^gg

And of the holy Scriptures.

Thy word is the the truth.^hh They haue Moses and the Prophets, let them heare them,ⁱⁱ saith our S. Christ.

Wee haue also a sure word of the Prophets, saith Saint Peter.^jj

And S. Paul. The whole Scripture is profitable to teach, &c..^kk69

If any man teach otherwise, and consenteth not to the wholsome wordes of our L. Iesus Christ, he is puft vp, and knoweth nothing &c.^ll

And so with vs doe other Churches conceiue both of the Scriptures, and Church.⁷⁰ yet all of vs do grant, that the Church as a faithfull witnesse may, yea of necessitie must testifie to the world, what hath bin the doctrine of God his people from time to time, and as a trustie Recorder is to keepe, & make knowne what the word of God, which it hath receiued, is, which truly hath bin perfomed afore the word was written by the Patriarchs, and after the same was committed to writing, before Christ his incarnation, by the Iewes, in Christ his life time,^mm in the primitiue Church,ⁿⁿ From the Apostles time, by the godly Christians thoroughout the world.

Errors, & adversaries vnto this truth.

Be it farre therefore from vs to thinke, which the Papists do not stick to write, and say, namely that

The Church is to iudge the Scriptures, and not the Scriptures the Church.⁷¹

The Scripture is not of the essence of the Church: Because without it a Church may be, though not very well. So said Card. Cusan..⁷²

The Scripture, because (in their opinion) it is vnperfect, cannot: obscure, may not: ambiguous, ought not be the iudge. So Lindan,⁷³ Latomus,⁷⁴ Petrus a Soto,⁷⁵ Pighius,⁷⁶ Coster,⁷⁷ &c.

He is an heretike that cleaueth to the Scriptures. So said Iacobus Hocstratus.

Againe the carefull keeping of the holy Scriptures by Gods people from age to age, and time to time, declareth first, how the mother Church of Rome, is not the onely keeper of the holy writ; and next that cursedly they doe offend, which either as greatly esteeme the Ethickes of Aristostle, as the commandements of god, the Odes of Pindar, as the Psalmes of Dauid,⁷⁸ the workes, and bookes of men, as the writings of God, which the Councell of Trent doth:⁷⁹ or before, and aboue the scripture prefer vnwritten Traditions. Hence Petrus a Soto:

Tradition (saith hee) is both more auncient, and more effectuall then the holy Scripture,⁸⁰ and Lindan, The scriptures would be of no validitie, neither had continued till this day but for traditions.⁸¹

The proofe from the word of God.

Yee shall put nothing vnto the word which I command you, neither shall yee take ought there from^oo

Put nothing vnto his words, least hee reprooue thee and thou be found a liar.^pp

Though it be but a mans couenant, when it is confirmed, (yet) no man doth abrogate it, or addeth any thing thereto.^qq

If any man shall adde vnto these things, God shall ad vnto him the plauges that are written in this booke. And if any man shal diminish of the words of the booke of this prophecy, god shall take away his part out of the booke of life, and out of the holy cittie, and from those things which are written in this booke.^rr

And so witnesse with vs the Churches reformed.⁸²

Whatsoeuer also is grounded vpon Gods written word, though not by our common, and vulgar tearmes to be redde therein, wee doe reuerendly embrace, which maketh vs for doctrine to embrace the Consubstantiality of our Sauiour with the Father, and the holy Ghost, which the Arrians would not: a Trinitie of persons in the Godhead, which the Sabellians would neuer doe; the iustification by faith Onely, which the Papists will not; the baptisme of Infants, and young children, which the Anabaptists dare not: and for discipline not to refuse of Church officers, the names Archbishops, Patriarches, Primates, Metropolitanes, Suffragans, Parsons, Vicars, &c. of ecclesiasticall censures the tearmes, Suspension, Excommunication; of Ceremonies, none at all which tend either vnto order, comelines, or edification.

But from the heart wee abhor in matters both of doctrine, and disciple, whatsoeuer either agreeth not with the canon of the Scripture, or is not grounded thereupon.

The Errors and adversaries vnto this truth.

Hence detest wee both all the old heretikes, and their fancies, with the newe prophets of Basilides: the Manifestation of Marciō; the mysteries of the Manichies; the Iobolia of the Sathiās; the Symbonia of the Archōtikes, the Cabala of the Iewes: the Alcaron of the Turkes: and also all newe heretikes, and Schismatikes with all their cursed opinions, as first the Anabaptists, and namely the Libertines, the Dauigeorgians, and Familie of Loue, and all the codeified Elders thereof, as Henry, Nicholas, Eliad, Fidelitas, Christopher Vitell, Theophilus, the Exile, and the rest.

Next the Papists whereof.

Some haue commanded that all the Popes decrees should be taken, as confirmed by the mouth of God himselfe; so did Pope Agatho the first.⁸³

Some write (as Busgradus) that if the Pope beleeue there is no life to come (as some Popes haue done) wee must beleeue it, as an article of our faith.

Some say, if the Pope carrie innumerable soules with him vnto hell, yet he may not be iudged, so did Pope Boniface the 8..⁸⁴

Some, as Bellarmine, conclude that it is a point of faith to hold that the Bishop of Rome hath succeeded Peter in the vniuersall regiment of the Church.⁸⁵

Others, as the Iesuites, perswade their Catholikes, that the king of Spain, and their Catholike faith are so linked together as it is become a point of necessitie in the Catholike faith to put all Europe into the handes of the said King otherwise the Catholike religion will be vtterly extingvished, and perish.⁸⁶

Others of them haue published a new Gospell called Euangelium aeternum, & Spiritus sancti, which they say doth so farre excell the Gospell of Christ, as the Cernell surpasseth the shell, the Sunne, the Moone, & light, darkenes. The author whereof was one Cyrellus a Carmelite,

And lastly the Puritanes, and all the speculations of Brown, Barrow, Greene, Penrie, Marprelate, T.C.E.G.R.H. A.C. I.B. with the newe Sabbatarians, and their fancies.