XXXIV. This explains the notion of scandal, as it is ufed in the AR t. Epiftles for there being several doubts raised at that time, concerning the lawfulness or obligation of obferving the Mofaical Law, and concerning the lawfulnefs of eating meats offered to idols, no general decifion was made, that went through that matter; the Apoftles having only decreed, that the Mofaical Law was not to be impofed on the Gentiles; but not having condemned fuch as might of their own accord have observed fome parts of that Law, fcruples arofe about this; and fo here they gave great caution against the laying a stumbling-block in the Ver. 13. way of their brethren. But it is vifible from this, that the fear of giving scandal, does only take place where matters are free, and may be done or not done. But when laws are made, and an order is fettled, the fear of giving scandal, lies all on the fide of obedience: for a man of weight and authority, when he does not obey, gives fcruples and jealousies to others, who will be apt to collect from his practice, that the thing is unlawful he who does not conform himself to fettled orders, gives occafion to others who fee and obferve him, to imitate him in it; and thus he lays a fcandal or ftumbling-block in their way; and all the fins which they commit through their exceffive refpect to him, and imitation of him, are in a very high degree to be put to his account, who gave them such oc cafion of falling. The fecond branch of this Article is against the unalterablenefs of laws made in matters indifferent; and it afferts the right of every national Church to take care of itself. That the laws of any one age of the Church cannot bind another, is very evident from this, that all legislature is ftill entire in the hands of those who have it. The laws of God do bind all men at all times; but the laws of the Church, as well as the laws of every state, are only provifions made upon the present ftate of things, from the fitness or unfitness that appears to be in them, for the great ends of religion, or for the good of mankind. All these things are fubject to alteration, therefore the power of the Church is in every age entire, and is as great as it was in any one age fince the days in which fhe was under the conduct of men immediately infpired. So there can be no unalterable laws in matters indifferent. In this there neither is nor can be any controversy. An obftinate adhering to things, only because they are ancient, when all the ends for which they were at first introduced, do ceafe, is the limiting the Church in a point in which the ought ftill to preferve her liberty: fhe ought ftill to pursue those great rules in all her orders, of doing all things to edification, with decency, and for peace. The only question that can be made in this matter, is, whether fuch general laws as have been made AR T. made by greater bodies, by General Councils for inftance, or XXXIV. by thofe Synods whofe canons were received into the body of the canons of the Catholick Church; whether thefe, I fay, may be altered by National Churches: or whether the body of Christians is fo to be reckoned one body, that all the parts of it are bound to fubmit, in matters indifferent, to the decrees of the body in general? It is certain, that all the parts of the Ca. tholick Church ought to hold a communion one with another, and mutual commerce and correfpondence together: but this difference is to be observed between the Chriftian and the Jewish religion, that the one was tied to one nation, and to one place, whereas the Chriftian religion is universal, to be spread to all nations, among people of different climates and languages, and of different customs and tempers; and therefore, fince the power in indifferent matters is given the Church only in order to edification, every nation must be the proper judge of that within itself. The Roman empire, though a great body, yet was all under one government; and therefore all the councils that were held while that empire ftood, are to be considered only as national fynods, under one civil policy. The Chriftians of Perfia, India, or Ethiopia, were not subject to the canons made by them, but were at full liberty to make rules and canons for themselves. And in the primitive times we see a vast diversity in their rules and rituals. They were so far from impofing general rules on all, that they left the Churches at full liberty even the Council of Nice made very few rules: that of Conftantinople and Ephefus made fewer and though the abuses that were growing in the fifth century, gave occafion to the Council of Chalcedon to make more canons, yet the number of thefe is but fmall; fo that the tyranny of fubjecting particular Churches to laws that might be inconvenient for them, was not then brought into the Church. The corruptions that did afterwards overspread the Church, together with the papal ufurpations, and the new Canon Law that the Popes brought in, which was totally different from the old one, had worn out the remembrance of all the ancient canons; so it is not to be wondered at, if they were not much regarded at the Reformation. They were quite out of practice, and were then scarce known. And as for the fubordination of Churches and Sees, together with the privileges and exemptions of them, thefe did all flow from the divifions of the Roman empire into dioceses and provinces, out of which the dignity and the dependencies of their cities did arife. But now that the Roman empire is gone, and that all the laws which they made are at an end, with the authority that made them; it is a vain thing to pretend to keep up the ancient dignities of Sees; fince the foundation upon which that was built, is funk and gone. Every empire, kingdom, or ftate, AR T. is an entire body within itself. The magiftrate has that au- XXXIV. thority over all his fubjects, that he may keep them all at home, . and hinder them from entering into any confultations or combinations, but fuch as fhall be under his direction: he may require the pastors of the Church under him to confult together about the best methods for carrying on the ends of religion; but neither he nor they can be bound to stay for the concurrence of other Churches. In the way of managing this, every body of men has somewhat peculiar to itself; and the paftors of that body are the propereft judges in that matter. We know that the feveral Churches, even while under one empire, had great varieties in their forms, as appears in the different practices of the Eaftern and Western Churches: and as soon as the Roman empire was broken, we fee this variety did increase. The Gallican Churches had their miffals different from the Roman: and fome Churches of Italy followed the Ambrofian. But Charles the Great, in compliance with the defires of the Pope, got the Gallican Churches to depart from their own miffals, and to receive the Roman; which he might the rather do, intending to have raised a new empire; to which a conformity of rites might have been a great step. Even in this Church there was a great variety of ufages, which perhaps were begun under the Heptarchy, when the nation was fubdivided into feveral kingdoms. It is therefore fuitable to the nature of things, to the authority of the magiftrate, and to the obligations of the pastoral care, that every Church fhould act within herself as an entire and independent body. The Churches owe not only a friendly and brotherly correfpondence to one another; but they owe to their own body, government and direction, and fuch provifions and methods as are most likely to promote the great ends of religion, and to preserve the peace of the fociety both in Church and State. Therefore we are no other way bound by ancient canons, but as the fame reason ftill fubfifting, we may fee the fame cause to continue them, that there was at first to make them. Of all the bodies of the world, the Church of Rome has the worst grace to reproach us for departing in some particulars from the ancient canons, fince it was her ill conduct that had brought them all into defuetude and it is not easy to revive again antiquated rules, even though there may be good reafon for it, when they fall under that tacit abrogation, which arises out of a long and general difuse of them. ARTICLE ART. ARTICLE XXXV. Of Homilies. The Second Book of Homilies, the feveral Titles whereof we have joined under this Article, doth contain a godly and wholelome Doarine, and necellazy for these Times; as doth the former Books of Ho. milies, which were set forth in the Time of Edward the birth; and therefore we judge them to be read in Churches by the Ministers, diligently and diffinaly, that they may be underßkanded of the People. The Names of the Homilies. 1. Of the right Ufe of the Church. 5. Against Gluttony and Drunk- 6. Against Excefs of Apparel. 8. Of the Place and Time 11. Of Alms-doing. 12. Of the Nativity of Chrift. of 17. For the Ragation-Days. 20. Against Idleness. 21. Against Rebellion. 9. That Common Prayers and 19. Of Repentance. A T the time of the Reformation, as there could not be found at first a sufficient number of preachers to instruct the whole nation; fo thofe that did comply with the changes which were then made, were not all well-affected to them; fo that it was not safe to trust this matter to the capacity of the one fide, and to the integrity of others; therefore to fupply the defects of fome, and to oblige the reft to teach according to the form of found doctrine, there were two books of Homilies prepared; the firft was published in King Edward's time; the fecond was not finished till about the time of his death; so it was not published before Queen Elizabeth's time. The de XXXV. fign of them was to mix fpeculative points with practical mat- AR T ters; fome explain the doctrine, and others enforce the rules of life and manners. These are plain and fhort difcourfes, chiefly calculated to poffefs the nation with a fenfe of the purity of the Gospel, in oppofition to the corruptions of Popery; and to reform it from those crying fins that had been so much connived at under Popery, while men knew the price of them, how to compensate for them, and to redeem themselves from the guilt of them, by maffes and facraments, by indulgences and abfolutions. In these Homilies the Scriptures are often applied as they were then understood; not fo critically as they have been explained fince that time. But by this approbation of the two books of Homilies, it is not meant that every paffage of Scripture, or argument that is made ufe of in them, is always convincing, or that every expreffion is fo feverely worded, that it may not need a little correction or explanation: all that we profefs about them, is only that they contain a godly and wholjome doctrine. This rather relates to the main importance and defign of them, than to every paffage in thein. Though this may be faid concerning them, that confidering the age they were written in, the imperfection of our language, and fome lefler defects, they are two very extraordinary books. Some of them are better writ than others, and are equal to any thing that has been writ upon those subjects fince that time. Upon the whole matter, every one who fubfcribes the Articles, ought to read them, otherwise he fubfcribes a blank; he approves a book implicitly, and binds himself to read it, as he may be required, without knowing any thing concerning it. This approbation is not to be ftretched fo far, as to carry in it a special affent to every particular in that whole volume; but a man must be perfuaded of the main of the doctrine that is taught in them. To inftance this in one particular; fince there are fo many of the Homilies that charge the Church of Rome with idolatry, and that from fo many different topicks, no man who thinks that Church is not guilty of idolatry, can with a good confcience fubfcribe this Article, that the Homilies contain a good and wholfome doctrine, and neceffary for thefe times; for according to his fenfe they contain a falfe and an uncharitable charge of idolatry against a Church that they think is not guilty of it; and he will be apt to think that this was done to heighten the averfion of the nation to it: therefore any who have fuch favourable thoughts of the Church of Rome, are bound, by the force of that perfuafion of theirs, not to fign this Article, but to declare against it, as the authorizing of an accufation against a Church, which they think is ill grounded, and is by confequence both unjuft and uncharitable. By |