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decree any thing against the fame, so befides the fame ought it not to enforce any thing to be believed for neceffity of falvation.

XXI. Of the Authority of Gentral Councils.

GENERAL

ENERAL Councils may not be gathered together without the commandment and will of princes. And when they be gathered together, (forafmuch as they be an affembly of men, whereof all be not governed with the Spirit and Word of God) they may err, and fometimes have erred, even in things pertaining unto God. Wherefore things ordained by them as neceffary to falvation, have neither strength nor authority, unless it may be declared that they be taken out of holy Scripture.

XXII. Of Purgatory.

HE Romish doctrine concerning Purgatory, pardons, worshipping, and adoration, as well of images as of reliques, and alfo invocation of faints, is a ford thing, vainly invented, and grounded upon no warranty of Scripture, but rather repugnant to the Word of God.

XXIII. Of Ministering in the Congregation.

T is not lawful for any man to take upon him the

or miniftering the Sacra

ments 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 Ministers into the Lord's vineyard.

XXIV. Of Speaking in the Congregation in fuch a tongue. as the People understandeth.

IT

is a thing plainly repugnant to the Word of God, and the custom of the primitive Church, to have public prayer in the Church, or to minifter the Sacraments, in a tongue not understanded of the people. XXV. Of the Sacraments.

ACRAMENTS ordained of Chrift, 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 will towards us; by the which he doth work invifibly in us, and doth not only quicken, but alfo ftrengthen and confirm, our faith in him.

There are two facraments ordained of Christ our Lord in the Gospel; that is to fay, Baptifm, and the Supper

of the Lord.

Thofe five, commonly called Sacraments, that is to fay, Confirmation, Penance, Orders, Matrimony, and Extreme Unction, are not to be counted for Sacraments of the Gospel; being fuch as have grown partly of the corrupt following of the Apostles, partly are ftates of life allowed in the Scriptores: But yet have not like nature of Sacraments with Baptifm, and the Lord's Supper, for that they have not any visible fign or ceremony ordained of God.

The Sacraments were not ordained of Christ to be gazed upon, or to be carried about; but that we should duly use them. And in fuch only as worthily receive the fame, they have a wholesome effect or operation: But they that receive them unworthily, purchase to themfelves damnation, as St Paul faith.

XXVI. Of the Unworthiness of the Minifters, which binders not the effect of the Sacrament.

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LTHOUGH in the vifible Church the evil be ever mingled with the good, and sometimes 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 ministry, both in hearing the word of God, and in receiving of the facraments. Neither is the effect of Chrift's ordi. nance 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, becaufe of Christ's inftitution and promise, although they be ministered by evil men.

Nevertheless, it appertaineth to the difcipline of the Church, that enquiry be made of evil ministers, and that

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they be accufed by thofe that have knowledge of their offences; and finally, being found guilty, by just judg ment be depofed.

XXVII. Of Baptifm.

APTISM is not only a sign of profession, and mark

of difference, whereby Christian 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 the forgivenefs of fin, and of our adoption to be the fons of God by the Holy Ghost, are vifibly figned and fealed; faith is confirmed, and grace increafed by virtue of prayer unto God. Baptifm of young children is in any wife to be retained in the Church, as most agreeable with the inftitution of Christ.

THE

XXVIII. Of the Lord's Supper.

The

HE Supper of the Lord is not only a fign of the love that Chriftians ought to have among themfelves one to another, but rather is Sacrament of our Redemption by Chrift'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 Christ.

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 fcripture, overthroweth the nature of a facrament, and hath given occafion to many fuperftitions.

The body of Christ 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 fupper is faith.

The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper was not by Christ's ordinance referved, carried about, lifted up, or worshipped.

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XXIX. Of the Wicked, which eat not the Body of Chrift in the ufe of the Lord's Supper.

HE wicked, and fuch as be void of a lively faith,

TH

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 Christ, but rather to their condemnation do eat and drink the fign or facrament of fo great a thing.

THE

XXX. Of both Kinds.

HE 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 Christ finished upon

THE

the cross.

HE Offering of Christ once made, is that perfect Redemption, Propițiation, and Satisfaction for all all the fins of the whole world, both original and actual; and there is none other fatisfaction for fin, but that alone. Wherefore the facrifice 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 Priests.

BISHOPS, Priefts, and Deacons are not commanded

by God's law, either to vow the estate 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 godliness.

XXXIII. Of excommunicate Perfons, how they are to be avoided.

THA

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 Pub

lican, until he be openly reconciled by penance, and received into the Church by a judge that hath authority thereunto.

I'

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 divers, and may be changed according to the diverfities of countries, times, and men's manners, fo that nothing be ordained against God's word. Whofoever, through his private judgment, willingly and parpofely doth openly break the traditions and ceremonies 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 magistrate, and woundeth the confciences of the weak brethren.

Every particular or national Church hath authority to ordain, change, and abolish 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 con tain a godly and wholesome 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 diftin&tly, that they may be underftanded of the people.

Of the Names of the Homilies.

1. Of the right Use of the
Church.

2. Against Peril of Idolatry.
3. Of repairing and keeping
clean of Churches.
4. Of good Works: Firft of
Fafting.

5. Against Gluttony and Drunkennefs.

6. Against Excefs of Appa

rel. 7. Of Prayer. 8. Of the Place and Time of Prayer.

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