sumpserunt corpus Domini. Sic and deacons did receive the body. enim sonant verba Canonis Ni- of the Lord. For so the words of ceni: Accipiant diaconi secun- the Nicene Canon do sound: 'Let dum ordinem post presbyteros the deacons in their order, after ab episcopo vel a presbytero the elders, receive the holy Comsacram communionem. Et Pau- munion of a bishop, or of an elder.' lus (1 Cor. xi. 33) de communione And Paul, concerning the Commujubet, ut alii alios expectent, ut nion, commandeth, 'that one tarry fiat communis participatio. for another' (1 Cor. xi. 33), that so there may be a common participation.

Postquam igitur Missa apud

Seeing, therefore, that the Mass

nos habet exemplum Ecclesiæ, ex amongst us hath the example of Scriptura et Patribus, confidi- the Church, out of the Scripture, mus improbari cam non posse, and the Fathers, we trust that it can maxime cum publicæ ceremoniæ not be disapproved; especially since magna ex parte similes usitatis our public ceremonies are kept, the serventur; tantum numerus Mis- most part, like unto the usual ceresarum est dissimilis, quem pro- monies; only the number of Masses pter maximos et manifestos abu- is not alike, the which, by reason of sus certe moderari prodesset. very great and manifest abuses, it Nam olim etiam in ecclesiis were certainly far better to be modfrequentissimis non fiebat quo- erated. For in times past also, in tidie Missa, ut testatur Histo- the churches whereunto was greatria Tripartita Lib. IX. Cap. est resort, it was not the use to have 38: Rursus autem in Alexan- Mass said every day, as the Tripardria quarta et sexta feria Scri- tite History, lib. ix. cap. 38, doth witpturæ leguntur, easque Doctores ness. Again,' saith it, 'in Alexaninterpretantur, et omnia fiunt dria, every fourth and sixth day of præter solennem oblationis mo- the week, the Scriptures are read,

rem.

and the doctors do interpret them; and all other things are done also, except only the celebration of the Eucharist.'

VOL. III.-D

ART. IV.-De Confessione.

Confessio in ecclesiis apud

ART. IV.-Of Confession. Confession is not abolished in

nos non est abolita, non enim our churches. For it is not usual solet porrigi corpus Domini, to communicate the body of our nisi antea exploratis et absolu- Lord, except to those who have been tis. Et docetur populus dili- previously examined and absolved. gentissime de fide absolutionis, And the people are taught most de qua ante hæc tempora ma- carefully concerning the faith regnum erat silentium. Docentur quired to absolution, about which homines, ut absolutionem pluri- before these times there has been a mi faciant, quia sit vox Dei et mandato Dei pronuncietur.

deep silence. Men are taught that they should highly regard absolution, inasmuch as it is God's voice, and pronounced by God's command. Ornatur potestas clavium, et The power of the keys is honored, commemoratur, quantam consola- and mention is made how great contionem afferat perterrefactis con- solation it brings to terrified conscientiis, et quod requirat Deus sciences, and that God requires fidem, ut illi absolutioni tan- faith that we believe that absolution quam voci de cælo sonanti cre- as a voice sounding from heaven, damus, et quod illa fides in and that this faith in Christ truly Christum vere consequatur et ac- obtains and receives remission of cipiat remissionem peccatorum. sins.

Antea immodice extollebantur Aforetime satisfactions were imsatisfactiones; fidei et meriti moderately extolled; of faith, and Christi ac justitiæ fidei nulla the merit of Christ, and justificafiebat mentio; quare in hac tion by faith, no mention was made. parte minime sunt culpanda Wherefore on this point our churchecclesiæ nostræ. Nam hoc etiam es are by no means to be blamed. adversarii tribuere nobis co- For this even our adversaries are guntur, quod doctrina de pani- compelled to concede in regard to tentia diligentissime a nostris us, that the doctrine of repentance tractata ac patefacta sit. is most diligently treated and laid open by us.

Sed de confessione docent, quod enumeratio delictorum non

But of Confession our churches teach that the enumeration of sins

sit necessaria, nec sint oneran- | is not necessary, nor are consciences dæ conscientiæ cura enumerandi to be burdened with the care of enuomnia delicta, quia impossibile merating all sins, inasmuch as it is est omnia delicta recitare, ut impossible to recount all sins, as the testatur Psalmus (xix. 13): 'De- Psalm (xix. 12) testifies: 'Who can licta quis intelligit? Item Jere- understand his errors?' So also mias (xvii. 9): 'Pravum est cor Jeremiah (xvii. 9): The heart is hominis et inscrutabile. Quod deceitful above all things, and dessi nulla peccata nisi recitata perately wicked. Who can know remitterentur, nunquam adquie- it? But if no sins were remitted scere conscientiæ possent, quia except what were recounted, conplurima peccata neque vident, sciences could never find peace, neque meminisse possunt. because very many sins they neither see nor can remember. The ancient writers also testify

Testantur et veteres scriptores enumerationem non esse ne- that the enumeration is not necescessariam. Nam in Decretis sary. For in the Decrees Chrysoscitatur Chrysostomus, qui sic tom is cited, who speaks thus: 'I ait: 'Non tibi dico, ut te pro- do not say to thee that thou shouldst das in publicum, neque apud discover thyself in public, or accuse alios te accuses, sed obedire te thyself before others, but I would volo prophetæ dicenti: "Revela have thee obey the prophet when ante Deum viam tuam." Ergo he says: "Reveal thy way unto the tua confitere peccata apud De- Lord." Therefore with prayer conum, verum judicem, cum ora- fess thy sins before God the true tione. Delicta tua pronuncia Judge. Pronounce thine errors, non lingua, sed conscientiæ tuæ not with the tongue, but with the memoria, etc. Et Glosa (De Pa- memory of thy conscience.' And nitentia, Dist. V. Cap. Consideret), the Gloss (Of Repentance, Dist. fatetur humani juris esse confes- V., Chap. Consideret), admits that sionem [dass die Beicht nicht Confession is of human right only durch die Schrift geboten, son- [is not commanded in Scripture, dern durch die Kirche einge- but has been instituted by the setzt sei].

Verum confessio, cum propter

Church].

Nevertheless, on account of the maximum absolutionis beneficium, very great benefit of absolution,

tum propter alias conscientia- as well as for other uses to the rum utilitates apud nos retine- conscience, Confession is retained

tur.

ART. V.-De Discrimine Ciborum.

among us.

ART. V. Of the Distinction of Meats, and of Traditions.

Publica persuasio fuit non It hath been a general opinion, tantum vulgi, sed etiam docen- not of the people alone, but also of tium in ecclesiis, quod discrimi- such as are teachers in the churchna ciborum et similes traditio- es, that the differences of meats, nes humanæ sint opera utilia and such like human traditions, ad promerendam gratiam et sa- are works available to merit grace, tisfactoria pro peccatis. Et and are satisfactions for sins. And quod sic senserit mundus, ap- that the world thus thought is apparet ex eo, quia quotidie insti- parent by this-that daily new ceretuebantur novæ ceremonia, novi monies, new orders, new holidays, ordines, novæ feria, nova jeju- new fasts, were appointed; and the nia, et Doctores in templis exi- teachers in the churches did exact gebant hæc opera tanquam neces- these works as a service necessary sarium cultum ad promerendam to deserve grace; and they did gratiam, et vehementer terrebant greatly terrify men's consciences, conscientias, si quid omitterent. if aught were omitted.

Ex hac persuasione de tradi- Of this persuasion concerning trationibus multa incommoda in ditions many disadvantages have Ecclesia secuta sunt. Primo, followed in the Church. For first obscurata est doctrina de gratia the doctrine of grace is obscured et justitia fidei, quæ est præci- by it, and also the righteousness of pua pars Evangelii, et quam faith, which is the principal part of maxime oportet, extare et emi- the Gospel, and which it behooveth nere in Ecclesia, ut meritum most of all to stand forth and to have Christi bene cognoscatur, et fides, the pre-eminence in the Church, quæ credit remitti peccata pro- that the merit of Christ may be well pter Christum, longe supra ope- known, and faith, which believeth ra collocetur. Quare et Paulus that sins are remitted for Christ's in hunc locum maxime incum- sake, may be exalted far above bit, legem et traditiones humanas works. For which cause also Paul

removet, ut ostendat justitiam lays much stress on this point: he Christianam aliud quiddam esse, removeth the law and human traquam hujusmodi opera, videlicet ditions, that he may show that the fidem, quæ credit peccata gratis righteousness of Christ is a far othremitti propter Christum. At er thing than such works as these hac doctrina Pauli pene tota be, namely, a faith, which believeth oppressa est per traditiones, quæ that sins are freely remitted for pepererunt opinionem, quod per Christ's sake. But this doctrine of discrimina ciborum et similes Paul is almost wholly smothered by cultus oporteat mereri gratiam traditions, which have bred an opinet justitiam. In pœnitentia nul- ion, that, by making difference in la mentio fiebat de fide, tantum meats, and such like services, a man hæc opera satisfactoria proponebantur, in his videbatur pænitentia tota consistere.

should merit grace and justification. In their doctrine of repentance there was no mention of faith; only these works of satisfaction were spoken of repentance seemed to consist wholly in these.

Secundo, ha traditiones obscu- Secondly, these traditions obraverunt præcepta Dei, quia scured the commandments of God, traditiones longe præferebantur because traditions were preferred præceptis Dei. Christianismus far above the commandments of totus putabatur esse observatio God. All Christianity was thought certarum feriarum, rituum, je- to be an observation of certain holijuniorum, vestitus. Ha obser- days, rites, fasts, and attire. These vationes erant in possessione observations were in possession of a honestissimi tituli, quod essent most goodly title, that they were the vita spiritualis et vita perfecta. spiritual life and the perfect life. Interim mandata Dei juxta vo- In the mean time God's commandcationem nullam laudem habe- ments, touching every man's callbant, quod paterfamilias educa-ing, were of small estimation: that bat sobolem, quod mater parie- the father brought up his children, bat, quod princeps regebat rem that the mother nurtured them, that publicam, hæc putabantur esse the prince governed the commonopera mundana et imperfecta et wealth. These were reputed worldlonge deteriora illis splendidis ly affairs, and imperfect, and far