in hoc negotio sequamur piam in this respect let us follow the godD. Lutheri doctrinam, qui hunc ly teaching of Dr. Luther, who, in articulum in concione, Torge his discourse held at Torgan in the habita (Anno, etc. XXXIII.), year 1533, unfolded this article in pie admodum explicuit, omnes a most godly wise, cutting short all inutiles et curiosas quæstiones curious questions, and exhorting all præcidit, atque ad piam fidei Christians to the pious simplicity simplicitatem omnes Christianos of faith.

adhortatus est.

way

Satis enim nobis esse debet, si For it ought to be enough for sciamus, Christum ad inferos us to know that Christ descended descendisse, infernum omnibus into hell, that he destroyed hell for credentibus destruxisse, nosque all believers, and that we through per ipsum e potestate mortis et him have been snatched from the Satana, ab æterna damnatione, power of death and Satan, from atque adeo e faucibus inferni eternal damnation, and even from ereptos. Quo autem modo hæc the jaws of hell. But in what effecta fuerint, non curiose scru- these things have been brought to temur, sed hujus rei cognitionem pass let us not curiously inquire, alteri seculo reservemus, ubi non but let us reserve the knowledge of modo hoc mysterium, sed alia this thing to another world, where multa, in hac vita simpliciter a not only this mystery, but many nobis credita, revelabuntur, quae other things also which in this life captum cæca nostra rationis ex- have been simply believed by us, cedunt. shall be revealed, things which exceed the reach of our blind reason.

ART. X.

DE CEREMONIIS ECCLESIASTICIS, Quæ vulgo Adiaphora seu res media et indifferentes vocantur.

ART. X.

OF ECCLESIASTICAL CEREMONIES, Which are commonly called Adiaphora, or things indifferent.

There has also arisen among the

Orta est etiam inter theologos Augustana Confessionis contro- divines of the Augsburg Confession versia de ceremoniis seu riti- a controversy touching ecclesiastical bus Ecclesiasticis, qui in Verbo ceremonies or rites, which are neiDei neque præcepti sunt, neque ther enjoined nor forbidden in the

prohibiti, sed ordinis tantum et decori gratia in Ecclesiam sunt introducti.

STATUS CONTROVERSIÆ.

Quæsitum fuit, num persecu

Word of God, but have been introduced into the Church merely for the sake of order and seemliness.

STATEMENT OF THE CONTROVERSY.

It has been asked whether in time tionis tempore, et in casu con- of persecution and a case of confessionis (etiamsi adversarii no- fession (even though our adversabiscum in doctrina consentire ries will not agree with us in docnolint) nihilominus salva consci- trine), nevertheless with a safe conentia aliquæ abrogatæ ceremonia, science, certain ceremonies already que per se indifferentes, et a Deo abrogated, which are of themselves neque mandatæ neque prohibita indifferent, and neither commanded sint, postulantibus id et urgenti- nor forbidden by God, may, on the bus adversariis, iterum in usum urgent demand of our adversaries, revocari possint, et an hoc modo again be re-established in use, and cum Pontificiis in ejusmodi ce- whether we can in this way rightly remoniis et adiaphoris confor- conform with the Papists in ceremari recte queamus. Una pars monies and adiaphora of this sort. hoc fieri posse affirmavit, altera The one part has affirmed that vero negavit. this might be done, the other has denied it.

AFFIRMATIVA.

Sincera doctrina et confessio de hoc Articulo.

AFFIRMATIVE.

Article.

Sound doctrine and confession touching this

I. Ad hanc controversiam diri- I. For the better taking away of mendam unanimi consensu cre- this controversy we believe, teach, dimus, docemus, et confitemur, and confess, with unanimous conquod ceremonia sive ritus Eccle- sent, that ceremonies or ecclesiasticsiastici (qui Verbo Dei neque al rites (such as in the Word of God præcepti sunt, neque prohibiti, are neither commanded nor forbidsed tantum decori et ordinis den, but have only been instituted causa instituti) non sint per se for the sake of order and seemlicultus divinus, aut aliqua saltem ness) are of themselves neither dipars cultus divini. Scriptum vine worship, nor even any part of est enim (Matt. xv. 9): 'Frustra divine worship. For it is written

colunt me, docentes doctrinas, (Matt. xv. 9): 'In vain they do wormandata hominum.'

II. Credimus, docemus, et confitemur, Ecclesiæ Dei, ubivis terrarum, et quocunque tempore, licere, pro re nata, ceremonias tales mutare, juxta eam rationem, quæ Ecclesiæ Dei utilissima, et ad ædificationem ejusdem maxime accommodata judicatur.

ship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.'.

II. We believe, teach, and confess that it is permitted to the Church of God any where on earth, and at whatever time, agreeably to occasion, to change such ceremonies, in such manner as is judged most useful to the Church of God and most suited to her edification.

III. We judge, nevertheless, that

III. Ea tamen in re omnem levitatem fugiendam et offendicula in this matter all levity should be cavenda, in primis vero infirmo- avoided and matters of offense be rum in fide rationem habendam, guarded against, and that especially et iis parcendum esse censemus. account should be taken of the weak in the faith, and forbearance shown towards them (1 Cor. viii. 9; Rom. xiv. 13).

IV. We believe, teach, and confess that in times of persecution,

to yield to the enemies of the Gospel in things indifferent. For thus speaks the Apostle (Gal. v. 1): 'Stand fast, therefore, in the liberty where

IV. Credimus, docemus, et confitemur, quod temporibus persecutionum, quando perspicua et when a clear and steadfast confesconstans confessio a nobis exigi- sion is required of us, we ought not tur, hostibus Evangelii in rebus adiaphoris non sit cedendum. Sic enim Apostolus inquit (Gal. v. 1): Qua libertate Christus nos liberavit, in ea state, et nolite ite- with Christ hath made us free, and rum jugo servitutis subjici. Et be not entangled again with the alibi (2 Cor. vi. 14): 'Nolite ju- yoke of bondage.' And elsewhere gum ducere cum infidelibus, etc. (2 Cor. vi. 14): 'Be not unequally 'Quæ enim est societas luci ad yoked together with unbelievers,' tenebras?' etc. Item (Gal. ii. 5): etc. For what concord hath light Quibus neque ad horam cessi- with darkness? Also (Gal. ii. 5): mus subjectione, ut veritas Evan-To whom we gave place by subgelii permaneret apud vos. Injection, no, not for an hour; that

tali enim rerum statu non agitur the truth of the Gospel might rejam amplius de adiaphoris, sed main with you.' For in such a de veritate Evangelii, et de li- state of things it is no longer a bertate Christiana sarta tectaque question of adiaphora, but of the conservanda, et quomodo caven- restoration and maintenance of the dum sit, ne manifeste idolola- truth of the Gospel and of Christian tria confirmetur, et infirmi in liberty, and of how care may be fide offendantur. In hujusmodi taken lest idolatry be manifestly rebus nostrum certe non est, ali- strengthened and the weak in the quid adversariis largiri: sed faith be caused to stumble. In officium nostrum requirit, ut matters of this sort it is certainly piam et ingenuam confessionem not our part to concede any thing edamus, et ea patienter feramus, to our adversaries, but our duty reque Dominus nobis ferenda im- quires that we should show forth a posuerit, et hostibus Verbi Dei godly and frank confession, and in nos permiserit.

patiently bear those things which the Lord may have laid upon us to bear, and may have suffered our enemies to do against us.

V. We believe, teach, and confess that one Church ought not to condemn another because it observes

V. Credimus, docemus, et confitemur, quod Ecclesia alia aliam damnare non debeat, propterea, quod hæc vel illa plus minusve more or less of external ceremonies, externarum ceremoniarum, quas which the Lord has not instituted, Dominus non instituit, observet; si modo in doctrina ejusque articulis omnibus, et in vero Sacramentorum usu sit inter eas consensus. Hoc enim vetus et verum dictum est: Dissonantia jejunii non dissolvit consonantiam fidei.

NEGATIVA.

False doctrina de hoc Articulo rejectio.

Repudiamus atque damnamus hæc falsa et Verbo Dei contraria dogmata:

provided only there be consent between them in doctrine and all the articles thereof, and in the true use of the sacraments. For so runneth the old and true saying: 'Dissimilarity of fasting does not destroy similarity of faith.'

NEGATIVE. Rejection of false doctrine touching this Article. We repudiate and condemn the following false dogmas as repugnant to the Word of God:

I. Quod humanæ traditiones et I. That human traditions and constitutiones, in Ecclesiasticis re- constitutions in things ecclesiastical bus, per se, pro cultu Dei, aut are of themselves to be accounted certe pro parte divini cultus sint as divine worship, or at least as a habendæ. part of divine worship.

II. When ceremonies and constitutions of this kind are by a sort of

II. Quando ejusmodi ceremoniæ et constitutiones Ecclesiæ Dei coactione quadam tanquam ne- coercion obtruded upon the Church cessaria obtruduntur, et quidem as necessary, and that contrary to contra libertatem Christianam, the Christian liberty which the quam Ecclesia Christi in rebus Church of Christ has in external ejusmodi externis habet. matters of this sort.

III. Cum asseritur, quod temIII. When it is asserted that in pore persecutionis, quando clara time of persecution, when a clear confessio requiritur, hostibus confession is required, it is permitEvangelii in observatione ejus- ted to gratify the enemies of the modi rerum adiaphorarum gra- Gospel in the observation of adiatificari, et cum ipsis pacisci et phora of this sort, and to covenant consentire liceat: quæ res cum and agree with them, which thing detrimento veritatis cœlestis con- is attended with detriment of the juncta est.

heavenly truth.

IV. Cum externæ ceremonia, IV. When external ceremonies, quæ indifferentes sunt, ea opin- which are indifferent, are abrogated ione abrogantur, quasi Ecclesia under the opinion that it is not free Dei liberum non sit, pro re nata, to the Church of God, as occasion ut judicaverit ad ædificationem demands, to use this or that cereutile esse, hanc vel illam ceremo-mony by the privilege of its Chrisniam, ratione libertatis Chri- tian liberty as it shall judge to be stianæ, usurpare. useful to edification.