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ART. authority of the magiftrate, and to the obligations of the XXXIV. paftoral 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 such 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 same caufe 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 arifes out of a long and general difute

of them.

ARTICLE

ARTICLE XXXV.

Of Homilies.

The Second Book of Homilies, the feveral Titles whereof we have joined undez this Azticle, doth contain a godly and wholesome Doarine, and necellazp for these Times; as doth the formez Book of Homilies, which were set forth in the Time of Edward the Sirth; and therefoze we judge them to be read in Churches by the Ministers, diligently and difkinaIp, that they may be understanded of the People.

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T the time of the Reformation, as there could not be found at firft a fufficient number of preachers to inftruct the whole nation; fo those that did comply with the changes which were then made, were not all wellaffected to them; fo that it was not fafe 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 first was published in King Edward's time; the fecond was not finifhed till about the time of his death; fo it was not published before Queen Elizabeth's time. The defign of them was to mix fpeculative points with practical matters; fome explain the doctrine, and others enforce the rules of

ART life and manners. These are plain and fhort difcourfes,

XXXV.

chiefly calculated to poffefs the nation with a fenfe of the purity of the Gofpel, in oppofition to the corruptions of Popery; and to reform it from those crying fins that had been fo much connived at under Popery, while men knew the price of them, how to compenfate for them, and to redeem themselves from the guilt of them, by mafles and facraments, by indulgences and abfolutions."

In thefe 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 wholefome doctrine. This rather relates to the main importance and defign of them, than to every paffage in them. Though this may be faid concerning them, that confidering the age they were written in, the imperfection of our language, and fome leffer 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 fubjects 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 muft 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 topics, 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 wholefome doctrine, and necefJary 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 authorifing of an accufation

again ft

against a Church, which they think is ill grounded, and is ART. by confequence both unjuft and uncharitable.

By neceffary for thefe times, is not to be meant, that this was a book fit to ferve a turn; but only that this book was neceffary at that time to inftruct the nation aright, and fo was of great ufe then: but though the doctrine in it, if once true, muft be always true, yet it will not be always of the fame neceffity to the people. As for inftance; there are many difcourfes in the Epittles of the Apoftles, that relate to the controverfies then on foot with the Judaizers, to the engagements the Chriftians then lived in with the Heathens, and to thofe corrupters of Chriftianity that were in those days. Thofe doctrines were neceffary for that time; but though they are now as true as they were then, yet, fince we have no commerce either with Jews or Gentiles, we cannot fay that it is as necessary for the present time to dwell much on those matters, as it was for that time to explain them once well. If the nation should come to be quite out of the danger of falling back into Popery, it would not be fo neceffary to infift upon many of the fubjects of the Homilies, as it was when they were first prepared.

XXXV.

ARTICLE

ARTICLE XXXVI.

Of Confecration of Bishops and Minifters.

The Book of Confecration of Archbishops and Bishops, and ordering of Prieks and Deacons, lately fet forth in the Time of Edward the Sixth, and confizmed at the fame time by Authority of Parliament, doth contain all Things necellary to fuch Confecration and Ordering; neither hath it any Thing that of itself is fuperftitious and ungodly. And therefore whosoever are Confecrated and Ordered accozding to the Rites of that Book ünce the Second Year of the aforenamed King Edward unto this time, or hereafte? thall be Confecrated or Drdered according to the fame Rites, we deczee all fuch to be rightly, order= Ip, and lawfully Confecrated and Drdezed.

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S to the most effential parts of this Article, they were already examined, when the pretended Sacrament of Orders was explained; where it was proved, that prayer and impofition of hands was all that was neceffary to the giving of orders; and that the forms added in the Roman Pontifical are new, and cannot be held to be neceffary, fince the Church had fubfifted for many ages before those were thought on. So that either our ordinations without thofe additions are good, or the Church of God was for many ages without true orders. There feems to be here infinuated a ratification of orders that were given before this Article was made; which being done (as the Lawyers phrase it) ex poft facto, it seems thefe orders were unlawful, when given, and that error was intended to be corrected by this Article. The opening a part of the hiftory of that time will clear this matter.

There was a new form of ordinations agreed on by the Bifhops in the third year of King Edward; and when the Book of Common-Prayer, with the laft corrections of it, was authorised by act of parliament in the fifth year of that reign, the new Book of Ordinations was alfo enacted, and was appointed to be a part of the Common-PrayerBook. In Queen Mary's time thefe acts were repealed, and those books were condemned by name. When Queen Elizabeth came to the crown, King Edward's CommonPrayer-Book was of new enacted, and Queen Mary's act

was

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