MS. and in the receiving of the Sacraments. Pr. and rightly do receive the Sacraments. Art. 27. MS. from others that be not christned, but is also a sign. Pr. from others that be not christned, but it is also a sign. MS. forgiveness of sin, and of our adoption. Pr. forgiveness of sin, of our adoption. Art. 28. MS. to have amongst themselves. Pr. to have among themselves. partaking MS. the bread which we break is a communion of the body of Christ. Pr. the bread which we break is a partaking of the body of Christ. partaking MS. and likewise the cup of blessing is a communion of the blood of Christ. Pr. and likewise the cup of blessing is a partaking of the blood of Christ. MS. or the change of the substance of bread and wine into the substance of Christ's body and blood cannot be proved by holy writ, but is repugnant. Pr. or the change of the substance of bread and wine in the supper of the Lord cannot be proved by holy writ, but it is repugnant. MS. but the mean whereby the body of Christ is received. Pr. and the mean whereby the body of Christ is re- MS. lifted up or worshipped. Art. 31. MS. is the perfect redemption. Pr. is that perfect redemption. MS. to have remission of pain or guilt were forged fables. Pr. to have remission of pain and guilt were blasphemous fables. Art. 33. MS. that hath authority thereto. Pr. that hath authority thereunto. Art. 34. MS. diversity of countries, times, and men's man ners. Pr. diversity of countries and men's manners. MS. and be ordained and appointed by common authority. Pr. and be ordained and approved by common au Art. 35. MS. of homilies, the titles whereof we have joined under this article, do contain. Pr. of homilies, the several titles whereof we have joined under this article, doth contain. MS. wholesome doctrine, and necessary for this time, as doth the former book which was set forth. Pr. wholesome doctrine, necessary for these times, as doth the former book of homilies which were set forth. MS. and therefore are to be read in our churches by the ministers, diligently, plainly, and distinctly, that they may be understanded of the people. Pr. and therefore we judge them to be read in churches by the ministers, diligently and distinctly, that they may be understood of the people. MS. ministred in a tongue known. Pr. ministred in a known tongue. Art. De Libro Precationum, &c. non est in MS. Art. 36. MS. in the time of the most noble K. Edward the Sixth. Pr. in the time of Edward the Sixth. MS. superstitious or ungodly, Pr. superstitious and ungodly. Art. 37. MS. whether they be ecclesiastical or not. Pr. whether they be ecclesiastical or civil. MS. the minds of some slanderous folks to be offended. Pr. The minds of some dangerous folks to be of fended. MS. we give not to our princes. Pr. we give not our princes. MS. or of sacraments. Pr. or of the sacraments. MS. the injunctions also lately set forth. Pr. the injunctions also set forth. MS. and serve in the wars. Pr. and serve in lawful wars. Art. 38. MS. every man oughteth of such things. Art. 39. Edw. VI. et qui sequuntur, non sunt in MS. We th' archbishops and bishops of either province of this realm of England, lawfully gathered together in this provincial synod holden at London, with continuations and prorogations of the C same, do receive, profess and acknowledge the xxxviii Articles before written in xix pages going before, to contain true and sound doctrine, and do approve and ratify the same by the subscription of our hands the xith day of May in the year of our Lord 1571, and in the year of the reign of our sovereign lady Elizabeth by the grace of God of England, France, and Ireland, queen, defender of the faith, &c. the thirteenth. Matthue Cantuar. Jo. Heref. Richarde Ely. Nic. Wigorn. Edm. Roffen. N. Bangor. Ri. Cicestren. From these diversities a great difficulty will naturally arise about this whole matter. The manuscripts of Corpus Christi are without doubt originals. The hands of the subscribers are well known; they belonged to archbishop Parker, and were left by him to that college, and they are signed with a particular care; for at the end of them there is not only a sum of the number of the pages, but of the lines in every page. And though this was the work only of the convocation of the province of Canterbury; yet the archbishop of York, with the bishops of Duresme and Chester, subscribed them likewise, and they were also subscribed by the whole lower house. But we are not sure that the like care was used in the convocation, anno 1571; for the Articles are only subscribed by the archbishop of Canterbury, and ten bishops of his province; nor does the subscription of the lower house appear. These Articles were first printed in the year 1563, conform to the present impressions which are still in use among us. So the alterations were then made while the thing was fresh and well known, therefore no fraud nor artifice is to be suspected, since some objections would have been then made, especially by the great party of the complying papists, who then continued in the church: they would not have failed to have made much use of this, and to have taken great advantages from it, if there had been any occasion or colour for it; and yet nothing of this kind was then done. One alteration of more importance was made in the year 1571. Those words of the 20th Article, The church hath power to decree rites or ceremonies, and authority in controversies of faith, were left out both in the manuscripts, and in the printed editions, but were afterwards restored according to the Articles printed anno 1563. I cannot find out in what year they were again put in the printed copies. They appear in two several impressions in queen Elizabeth's time, which are in my hands; it passes commonly that it was done by archbishop Laud; and I. his enemies laid this upon him among other things, that he ART. had corrupted the doctrine of this church by this addition; but he cleared himself of that, as well he might, and, in a speech in the star-chamber, appealed to the original, and affirmed these words were in it. The true account of this difficulty is this. When the Articles were first settled, they were subscribed by both houses upon paper; but, that being done, they were afterward ingrossed in parchment, and made up in form to remain as records. Now, in all such bodies, many alterations are often made after a minute or first draught is agreed on, before the matter is brought to full perfection; so these alterations, as most of them are small and inconsiderable, were made between the time that they were first subscribed, and the last voting of them. But the original records, which, if extant, would have cleared the whole matter, having been burnt in the fire of London, it is not possible to appeal to them; yet what has been proposed may serve, I hope, fully to clear the difficulty. I now go to consider the Articles themselves. ARTICLE I. Of Faith in the Holy Trinity. There is but one living and true God, everlasting, without bodie, parts or passions, of infinite power, wisdom, and goodness, the maker and preserver of all things both visible and invisible; and in the unity of this Godhead there be three Persons of one substance, power, and eternity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. But THE natural order of things required, that the first of all There are six heads to be treated of, in order to the full opening of all that is contained in this Article. 1. That there is a God. 2. That there is but one God. 3. Negatively, That this God hath neither body, parts, nor passions. ART. I. 4. Positively, That he is of infinite power, wisdom, and goodness. 5. That he at first created, and does still preserve all things, not only what is material and visible, but also what is spiritual and invisible. 6. The Trinity is here asserted. These being all points of the highest consequence, it is very necessary to state them as clearly, and to prove them as fully, be. as may The first is, That there is a God. This is a proposition, which in all ages has been so universally received and believed, some very few instances being only assigned of such as either have denied or doubted of it, that the very consent of so many ages and nations, of such different tempers and languages, so vastly remote from one another, has been long esteemed a good argument, to prove that either there is somewhat in the nature of man, that by a secret sort of instinct does dictate this to him: or that all mankind has descended from one common stock, and that this belief has passed down from the first man to all his posterity. If the more polite nations had only received this, some might suggest, that wise men had introduced it as a mean to govern human society, and to keep it in order: or, if only the more barbarous had received this, it might be thought to be the effect of their fear, and their ignorance: but, since all sorts, as well as all ages, of men have received it, this alone goes a great way to assure us of the being of a God. To this two things are objected, first, That some nations, such as Soldania, Formosa, and some in America, have been discovered in these last ages, that seem to acknowledge no Deity. But to this, two things are to be opposed: 1st, That those who first discovered these countries, and have given that account of them, did not know them enough, nor understand their language so perfectly as was necessary to enable them to comprehend all their opinions: and this is the more probable, because others, that have writ after them, assure us that they are not without all sense of religion, which the first discoverers had too hastily affirmed: some prints of religion begin to be observed among those of Soldania, though it is certainly one of the most degenerated of all nations. But a second answer to this is, That those nations, of whom these reports are given out, are so extremely sunk from all that is wise or regular, great and good in human nature, so rude and untractable, and so incapable of arts and discipline, that if the reports concerning them are to be believed, and if that weakens the argument from the common consent of mankind of the one hand, it strengthens it on another; while it appears that human nature, when it wants this impression, it wants with it all that is great or orderly in it, and shews a brutality almost as low and base as is that of beasts. Some men are born without some of their senses, and others without the use of reason and memory; ... |