monks concerning perfection; and testifies that in his time this was a new saying that the monastic life is a state of perfection.

So many wicked opinions cling to the vows; as, that they justify, that they constitute Christian perfection, that they keep the counsels and commandments, that they have works of supererogation. All these things being false and vain, they also make the vows invalid.

ARTICLE XXVIII.

OF ECCLESIASTICAL POWER.

There have been great controversies touching the power of the bishops; in which some have in an unseemly manner mingled together the ecclesiastical power, and the power of the sword. And out of this confusion there have sprung very great wars and tumults, while the pontiffs, trusting in the power of the keys, have not only instituted new kinds of service, and burdened men's consciences by reserving of cases, and by violent excom munications; but have also endeavored to transfer worldly kingdoms from one to another, and to despoil emperors of their power and authority. These faults godly and learned men in the church have long since reprehend d; and for that cause ours were compelled, for the comforting of men's consciences, to show the difference between the ecclesiastical power and the power of the sword. And they have taught that both of them, because of God's command, are dutifully to be reverenced and honored, as the chief blessings of God upon earth.

Now, their judgment is this: that the power of the keys, or the power of the bishops, according to the gospel, is a power, or command from God, of preaching the gospel, of remitting or retaining sins, and of administering the sacraments. For Christ sends His Apostles forth with this charge: "As my Father hath sent me, even so I send you. Reccive ye the Holy Ghot: whoseɛocver sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whosesoever sins ye retain, they are retained." John 20: 21-23. "Go, and preach the gospel to every creature," &c. Mark 16: 15.

This power is exercised only by teaching or preaching the gospel, and administering the sacraments, either to many, or to single individuals, in accordance with their call. For thereby not corporeal, but eternal things are granted; as an eternal righteousness, the Holy Ghost, life everlasting. These things cannot be obtained but by the ministry of the word and the sacraments; as Paul says, "The gospel is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth." Rom. 1: 16. Seeing, then, that the ecclesiastical power bestows things cternal, and is exercised only by the ministry of the word, it does not hinder the civil government any more than the art of singing hinders civil government. For the civil administration is occupied about other matters, than is the gospel. The magistracy does not deferd the souls, but the bodies, and bodily things, against manifest injuries; and cocrees men by the sword and corporal punishments, that it may uphold civil justice and peace.

Wherefore the ccclesiastical and the civil power are not to be confounded. The ccclesiastical power has its own command, to preach the gospel and to administer the sacraments. Let it not

by force enter into the office of another; let it not transfer worldly kingdoms; let it not abrogate the magistrates' laws; let it not withdraw from them lawful obedience; let it not hinder judgments touching any civil ordinances or contracts; let it not prescribe laws to the magistrate touching the form of the state; as Christ says, "My kingdom is not of this world." John 18, 36. Again, "Who made me a judge or a divider over you?" Luke 12, 14. And Paul says, "Our conversation is in heaven." Phil. 3, 20. "The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God, to the pulling down of strongholds; casting down imaginations," &c., 2 Cor. 10, 4. 5.

In this way ours distinguish between the duties of each power, one from the other, and admonish all men to honor both powers, and to acknowledge both to be the gifts and blessings of God.

If the bishops have any power of the sword, they have it not as bishops by the command of the gospel, but by human law given unto them by kings and emperors, for the civil government of their goods. This, however, is another function than the ministry of the gospel.

When, therefore, the question is concerning the jurisdiction of bishops, civil government must be distinguished from ccclesiastical jurisdiction. Again, according to the gospel, or, as they term it, by Divine right, bishops, as bishops, that is, those who have the administration of the word and sacraments committed to them, have no other jurisdiction at all, but only to remit sin, also to inquire into doctrine, and to reject doctrine inconsistent with the gospel, and to exclude from the communion of the church wicked men, whose wickedness is manifest, without human force, but by the word. And herein of necessity the churches ought by Divine right to render obedience unto them; according to the saying of Christ: "He that heareth you, heareth me,' Luke 10, 16. But when they teach or determine anything contrary to the gospel, then the churches have a command of God which forbids obedience to them: "Beware of false prophets," Matth. 7, 15. "Though an angel from heaven preach any other gospel, let him be accursed," Gal. 1, 8. "We can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth," 2 Cor. 13, 8. Also, "This power the Lord hath given me to edification, and not to destruction," 2 Cor. 13, 10. So also the canons command; ii, quest. 7, chap. SACERDOTES, and chap. OVES. And Augustine, in his treatise against Petilian's epistle, says: "Neither must we give assent to catholic bishops, if they chance to err, or entertain any opinion contrary to the Divine canonical Scriptures."

If they have any other power or jurisdiction, in hearing and judging certain cases, as, namely, of matrimony, and of tithes, &c., they hold it by human right. But when the Ordinaries fail, the princes are constrained, even against their wish, to dispense justice to their subjects for the maintaining of peace.

Moreover, there is a controversy whether bishops or pastors have the right to establish ceremonies in the church, and to make laws concerning meats, holydays, degrees, or orders of ministers, &c. They that ascribe this right, to the bishops, allege this testimony for it: "I have yet many things to say unto you, but yo cannot bear them now; but when the Spirit of truth is come, He shall guide you into all truth." John 16, 12. 13. They allege also

the example of the apostles, who commanded to abstain from blood, and that which was strangled. Acts 15, 20. They allege the change of the sabbath into the Lord's day, contrary, as it seems, to the decalogue; and there is no example more in their mouths than the change of the sabbath. Great indeed, they declare, must be the power of the church, since it has dispensed with a precept of the decalogue.

But of this question ours teach thus: that the bishops have no power to ordain anything contrary to the gospel, as was shown before. The same also do the canons teach, DISTINCT. 9. Moreover, it is against the Scripture to ordain or require the observance of any traditions, to the end that we may make satisfaction for sins, or merit grace and righteousness by such an observance. For the glory of Christ's merit is dishonored, when we seek by such observances to merit justification. But it is apparent, that through this persuasion traditions grew to an infinite number in the church, while in the meantime the doctrine concerning faith, and the righteousness of faith, was quite suppressed; for from time to time new holydays were made, new fasts appointed, new ceremonies, new worships for saints, instituted; because the authors of such things supposed that by these works they should merit grace. Thus formerly the number of penitential canons increased, whereof we still see some traces in the Satisfactions.

Likewise the authors of traditions act contrary to the command of God, when they make sin to consist in certain foods, in days, and like things, and burden the church with the servitude of the law, as if there ought to be among Christians, in order to merit justification, a service like the Levitical, the ordaining of which God should have committed to the apostles and the bishops. For this some of them write, and the popes in some measure seem to have been misled by the example of the law of Moses. Hence are those burdens, that it is a mortal sin, even if no offence is given to others, to do manual labor on the festivals; that it is a mortal sin to omit the canonical hours; that certain foods defile the conscience; that fastings are works which appease God; that sin, in a reserved case, cannot be forgiven except by the authority of him that reserved it; whereas the canons themselves speak only of the reserving of the ecclesiastical penalty, and not of the reserving of the guilt.

Whence have the bishops the authority of imposing these traditions upon the churches, for the ensnaring of men's consciences, while Peter forbids (Acts 15, 10) "to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples," and St. Paul says (2 Cor. 13, 10) that the power given him was to edification, not to destruction? Why, therefore, do they increase sins by these traditions?

But there are divers clear testimonies which prohibit the making of such traditions to merit grace, or as things necessary to salvation. Paul says to the Colossians, "Let no man judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days." Col. 2, 16. Again, "if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, Touch not, taste not, handle not; which all are to perish with the using, after the commandments and doctrines of men? Which things indeed have a show of wisdom." Col 2, 20-23. And in the epistle to

Titus he plainly forbids traditions; for he says, "Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth.' Tit. 1, 14.

And Christ says of them that urge traditions, "Let them alone; they are blind leaders of the blind." Matt. 15, 14. And He rejects such services: "Every plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up." Ver. 13.

If the bishops have authority to burden the churches with innumerable traditions, and to ensnare men's consciences, why does the Scripture so often forbid to make and to listen to traditions? Why does it call them the doctrines of devils? 1 Tim. 4, 1. Has the Holy Ghost warned us of them to no purpose?

It follows then, that since ordinances, constituted as necessary, or with the opinion of meriting grace, are repugnant to the gospel, it is not lawful for the bishops to institute or exact such services. For it is necessary that the doctrine of Christian liberty should be maintained in the churches, that the bondage of the law is not necessary unto justification; as it is written to the Galatians, “Be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage." Gal. 5, 1. It is necessary that the chief article of the gospel should be maintained, that we obtain grace freely by faith in Christ, not because of certain observances, or of services devised by men. What is then to be thought of the Lord's day, and of like church rites? To this ours answer, that bishops or pastors are allowed to make ordinances, so that things may be done orderly in the church; not that by them we may merit grace, or satisfy for sins, or that men's consciences should be bound to esteem them as necessary services, and think that they sin when they violate them without offending others. So Paul ordains that women should cover their heads in the congregation, 1 Cor. 11, 6; that the interpreters of Scripture should be heard in order, in the church, 1 Cor. 14, 27. 30. Such ordinances it behooves the churches, for the sake of charity and peace, to keep, to this extent that one do not offend another, that all things may be done in order and without tumult in the church, 1 Cor. 14, 40, comp. Phil. 2, 14; but so that the consciences be not burdened, so as to deem them things necessary to salvation, and think they sin when they violate them, without offending others: as no one will say that a woman sins, if she goes in public with her head uncovered, provided no one is offended. Such is the observance of the Lord's day, of Easter, of Pentecost, and like holydays and rites. For they err greatly that think that by the authority of the church the observance of the Lord's day has been instituted instead of the sabbath, as necessary. The Scripture has abrogated the sabbath, and teaches that all Mosaical ceremonies may be omitted, after the gospel is revealed. And yet, because it was necessary to appoint a certain day, in order that the people might know when they ought to come together, it appears that the church for that purpose appointed the Lord's day: which for this cause also seems to have been preferred, that men might have an example of Christian liberty, and might know that the observance neither of the sabbath nor of another

day is necessary. There are certain marvelous disputations touching the changing of the law, and the ceremonies of the new law, and the change of the sabbath: which all arose from a false persuasion, that there ought to be a service in the church similar to the Levitical, and that Christ committed to the apostles and

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the bishops the devising of new ceremonies which should be necessary to salvation. These eriors crept into the church when the righteousness of faith was not plainly enough taught. Some dispute that the observance of the Lord's day is not indeed of Divine right, but almost of Divine right; and touching holydays, they prescribe how far it is permitted to work on them. What else are such disputations but snares for men's consciences? For though they seek to mitigate the traditions, yet the equity of them can never be perceived, so long as the opinion of their necessity remains; which must needs remain, where the righteousness of faith and Christian liberty are not known.

The apostles commanded to abstain from blood. Acts 15, 20. Who observes that nowadays? And yet they do not sin that do not now observe it; for neither the apostles themselves wished to burden men's consciences with such servitude; but they forbade it for a time, to avoid offence. For in a decree, the aim of the gospel is always to be considered.

Scarcely any canons are kept with exactness; and many grow out of use daily, yea, even among them that most eagerly defend traditions. Neither can there be sufficient care had of men's consciences, except this equity be observed, that we should know that such rites are to be observed without being deemed necessary, and that men's consciences are not hurt, though the traditions grow out of use.

The bishops might easily retain the lawful obedience due to them, if they would not urge men to observe such traditions as cannot be kept with a good conscience. Now they command celibacy; and they admit none to the ministry, except they swear not to teach the pure doctrine of the gospel. The churches do not ask of the bishops that they should procure concord with the loss of their own dignity, however it would be proper for good pastors so to do. They only ask that they would remit the unjust burdens, which are both new, and received contrary to the custom of the universal Christian Church. At first, some of these ordinances may have had probable reasons, but they are not adapted to later times. It is also evident, that some were received from false notions. Wherefore it were a matter for the pontifical clemency to mitigate them now; for such a change does not overthrow the unity of the church. For many human traditions have been changed in the course of time, as the canons themselves show. But if it cannot be obtained that those observances may be relaxed which cannot be kept without sin, then must we follow the apostles' rule, which commands us to obey God rather than men. Acts 5, 29.

Peter forbids the bishops to be lords, and to rule over the churches. 1 Pet. 5, 3. Now it is not our purpose to have the bishops deprived of their power: but this one thing only is requested, that they would suffer the gospel to be purely taught, and that they would relax a few observances which cannot be held without sin. But if they will remit nothing, let them look to it, how they will give account to God for this, that by their obstinacy they afford cause of schism.