Of the Names of the Homilies: 1. Of the right Use of the Church. 3. Of repairing and keeping clean of Churches. 5. Against Gluttony and Drunkenness. 7. Of Prayer. 8. Of the Place and Time of Prayer. 9. That common Prayers and Sacraments ought to be miniftred in a known Tongue. 10. Of the reverent Estimation of God's Word. 12. Of the Nativity of Christ. 14. Of the Resurrection of Christ. 15. Of the worthy Receiving of the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ. 16. Of the Gifts of the Holy Ghost. 17. For the Rogation Days. 18. Of the State of Matrimony. 19. Of Repentance. 20. Against Idleness. 21. Against Rebellion. This is a Matter of Fact, obvious to all who read the Homilies, and compare the Doctrines therein laid down with the Doctrines of the Holy Scriptures. It is furely as lawful to read Homilies or Sermons, which were compofed and fet forth by public Authority, as those which are compofed and fet forth by private Minifters; the Lawfulness, as well as the Expediency of either, muft wholly depend on their Agreement with, and right Interpretation of, the Word of GOD. Of DE Confecration of Bishops and Minifters. HE Book of Confecration of Archbishops, and Bifhops, and ordering of Priests and Deacons lately fet forth in the Time of Edward the Sixth, and confirmed at the fame Time by Authority of Parliament, doth contain all Things neceffary to fuch Confecration and Ordering; neither hath it any Thing that of itself is fuperftitious and ungodly. And therefore whofoever are confecrated or ordered according to the Rites of that Book, fince the second Year of the forenamed King Edward, unto this Time, or hereafter fhall be confecrated or ordered according to the fame Rites, we decree all fuch to be rightly, orderly, and lawfully confecrated and ordered. Three Things feem neceffarily to concur in the right ordering of Minifters. Firft, That they be called or moved inwardly of GOD to take upon them the Office. Heb. v. 4. No Man taketh this Honour to himself but he that is called of GOD, as was Aaron. See Art. XXIII. Note I. Secondly, That they be outwardly called and fent forth by Men having Authority thereunto. See Art. XXIII, Note 2. Thirdly, That they be publicly ordained by Prayer and Impofition of Hands. Acts vi. 6. Whom they fet before the Apofiles, and when they had prayed they laid their Hands en them. See Art. XXIII. Note 2. As the Book referred to in this Article proceeds on this fcriptural Plan, fo the Conclufion, that "whosoever "are confecrated and ordered according to the fame are rightly ordered," is certainly true. ARTICLE XXXVII. Df the Civil Magißrates. HE Queen's Majefty hath the chief Power T in this Realm of England, and other her Dominions, unto whom the chief Government of all Estates of this Realm, whether they be Ecclefiaftical or Civil, in all Caufes doth appertain, and is not, nor ought to be, fubject to any foreign Jurifdiction. Whereas we attribute to the Queen's Majefty the chief Government, by which Titles we understand the Minds of fome flanderous Folks to be offended. We give not to our Princes the Miniftring either of God's Word, or of the Sacraments, the which Thing the Injunctions allo lately fet forth by Elizabeth our Queen, do most plainly teftify: But that only Prerogative which we fee to have been given always to all godly Princes in holy Scriptures by God himself; that is, that they fhould rule all Eftates and Degrees committed to their Charge by God, whether they be ecclefiaftical or temporal, and reftrain with the civil Sword the Stubborn and Evil-Doers. 3 The Bishop of Rome hath no Jurifdiction in this Realm of England. The Laws of the Realm may punish Christian Men with Death for heinous and grievous Offences. It is lawful for Chriftian Men, at the Commandment of the Magiftrate, to wear Weapons, and ferve in the Wars. I 1 Pet. ii. 13. Submit yourfelves-to the King as fupreme. 22 Kings xii. 4, &c. And Jehoah (the King) faid to the Priefts, All the Money of the dedicated Things that is brought into the Houfe of the Lord, &c. let the Priests take it to them, every Man of his Acquaintance, and let them repair the Breaches of the Houfe, &c. Then King Jeboab called for Jeboida the Prieft, and the other Priefts, and faid unto them, Why repair ye not the Breaches of the Houfe? Now therefore receive no more Money of your Acquaintance, but deliver it for the Breaches of the Houfe. 2 Kings xx. 3. And it came to pafs in the eighteenth Year of King Jofiah, that the King fent Shaphan, the Son of Azaliah, the Son of Mefbullam the Scribe, to the Houfe of the Lord, faying, Ver. 4. Go up to Hilkiah the High Prieft, that he may fum the Silver which is in the House of the Lord, which the Keepers of the Door have gathered of the People. Ver. 5. And let them deliver it into the Hands of the Doers of the Work, &c. 1 Kings ii. 26, 27. And unto Abiathar the Priest faid the King, Get thee to Anathoth_unto thine own Fields, for thou art worthy of Death: But I will not at this Time put thee to Death, because thou bearest the Ark of the Lord GOD, before David my Father, and because thou haft been afflicted in all wherein my Father was afflicted. So Solomon thruft out Abiathar from being Prieft unto the Lord. 2 Chron. xxxi. 2. Hezekiah appointed the Courfes of the Priests, and Levites. after their Courses, every Man according to his Service, &c. 3 As the pretended Jurifdiction of the Pope over this Realm hath no Foundation in Scripture, fo it hath been justly renounced and banished by many Kings and Parliaments. + Rom. xiii. 4. He is the Minister of God to thee for Good: But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for be beareth not the Sword in vain, for he is the Minister of GOD, a Revenger to execute Wrath upon him that doeth Evil. See alfo 1 Pet. ii. 13, 14. 5 Luke iii. 14. The Soldiers likewife demanded of Him, faying, And what shall we do? And he faid unto them, Do Violence to no Man, neither accufe any falfely, and be content with your Wages. Acts x. 1. There was a certain Man in Cæfarea called Cornelius, a Centurion of the Band called the Italian Band, a devout Man, and one that feared GOD, with all his Houfe, &c. ARTICLE XXXVIII. DE Chriftian Men's Goods which are not common. THE HE Riches and Goods of Chriftians are not common, as touching the ' Right, Title, and Poffeffion of the fame, as certain Anabaptifts do falfely boaft. Notwithstanding every Man ought, of fuch Things as he poffeffeth, liberally to give Alms to the Poor, according to his Ability. 2 Als v. 3, 4. Peter faid, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine Heart to lie to the holy Ghoft, and to keep back Part of the Price of the Land? Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was fold, was it not in thine own Power? 2 Luke xi. 41. Give Alms of fuch Things as ye have. 1 Tim. vi. 17, 18. Charge them that are rich in this World, that they be not high-minded, nor truft in uncertain Riches, but in the living GOD, who giveth us richly all. Things to enjoy. That they do good, that they be rich in good Works, ready to diftribute, willing to communicate, laying up in Store for themselves a good Foundation against the Time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal Life. ARTICLE XXXIX. DE a Chriftian Man's Dath. 1 I S we confess that vain and rash Swearing is forbidden Chriftian Men by our Lord Jefus Christ, and James his Apoftle: So we judge that the Chriftian Religion doth not prohibit, but that a Man may fwear when the Magiftrate requireth, in 2 |