at every celebration of the Eucharist: and maintain that this sacrifice of Christ will be the means of shortening the pains of purgatory, and of reconciling God to those who shall procure such masses to be said whether they be living or dead. No words can be more direct against this doctrine of masses than the proofs subjoined.

а

ARTICLE XXXII.

Of the Marriage of Priests.

a BISHOPS, priests, and deacons, are not commanded by God's law either to vow the estate of single life, or to abstain from marriage: Therefore it is lawful for them, as for all other Christian men, to marry at their own discretion, as they shall judge the same to serve better to godliness.

a Heb. xiii. 4. Marriage is honourable in all.-1 Cor. ix. 5. Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as the other apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?-1 Tim. iii. 2. A bishop must be blameless, the husband of one wife.-Ver. 10, 11, 12.

There was scarcely any point more canvassed at the time of the Reformation than the right of the clergy to marry. The celibacy of the Romish clergy was with reason considered

to be a principal cause of their irregular lives; and the wisest of the reformers were exceedingly anxious to abolish a practice, which had been injurious to the interests of religion by its tendency to corrupt the morals of those who ought to be examples to the rest of mankind.

a

ARTICLE XXXIII.

Of Excommunicate Persons how they are to be avoided.

THAT person 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 publican, until he be openly recon

с

a 1 Cor. v. 4, 5. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, to deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of our Lord Jesus.

b Matt. xviii. 17. If he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church; but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican. -1 Cor. v. 11. 2 John, ver. 10.

c 2 Cor. ii. 6, 7. Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many. So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such an one should be swallowed up of over-much sorrow.

ciled by penance, and received into the church by a judge that hath authority

thereunto.

Excommunication was practised in the early times of the Church for certain offences, and excommunicated persons were upon repentance again restored to communion. There were two kinds of excommunication, the less and the greater: by the former men were excluded from partaking of the Eucharist, but they were allowed to attend the other parts of divine service; by the latter they were entirely expelled from the Church: the former was temporary, but the latter was perpetual, unless the delinquent gave full proof of his repentance.

a

ARTICLE XXXIV.

Of the Traditions of the Church.

"IT is not necessary 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 diversities of countries, times, men's manners, and so that nothing be ordained

a Heb. xiii. 17. Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves.

against God's word. Whosoever, through his private judgment, willingly and purposely doth openly break the traditions and ceremonies of the Church, which be not repugnant to the word of God, and be ordained and approved of 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 consciences of weak brethren.

f

b

d

e

Every particular and national church hath authority to ordain, change, and

b 1 Tim. v. 20. Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear.-1 Thess. v. 14. Warn them that are unruly, [marg. disorderly.]

c Col. ii. 5. For though I be absent in the fiesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order.2 Thess. iii. 6. Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother which walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which ye received of us.

d 1 Pet. ii. 13. Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man, for the Lord's sake, &c.

e 1 Cor. viii. 12. When ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak consciences, ye sin against Christ. f Rom. xiv. 19. Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.

I

abolish ceremonies or rites of the Church, ordained only by man's authority, so that all things be done to edifying.

The word traditions is not here used in the same sense as in the commentary on the sixth Article. It there signified unwritten Articles of faith, asserted to be derived from Christ and his Apostles: in this Article it means customs or practices, relative to the external worship of God, which have been delivered down from former times: in the sixth Article traditions meant traditional doctrines of pretended divine authority, and in this it means traditional practices acknowledged to be of human institution.

The second branch of this Article is against the unalterableness of laws, made in matters indifferent, and it asserts the right of every national Church to take care of itself.

ARTICLE XXXV.
Of Homilies.

THE second book of Homilies, the several titles whereof we have joined under this Article, doth contain a godly and wholesome doctrine, and necessary for these times, as doth the former book of