profess that she is And so much as

and with all Christian people they confess and happy, and they praise God for all these things. lieth in them, they do faithfully follow and imitate the holy life and good manners of that Virgin, and they do indeed execute that which she commandeth to them that ministered in the Marriage at Cana, John ii. 5. and do always desire to be in heaven with her. And all these things they do according to the meaning of the holy Scriptures.

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And, a little after. And thus do we teach that the saints are truly worshipped,* when the people, on certain days, at a time appointed, do come together to the service of God, and do call to mind and meditate upon the benefits of God, which he hath bestowed upon holy men, and through them upon his Church; and therewithal do admonish themselves concerning their calling, or place which they have held, their doctrine, faith, life, and exercises of godliness, and the last end of their life that they may be as it were built up in the same truth by the word of God, and may praise God, and give him thanks for those men, and in their name, and may sing profitable songs, and such as are free from superstition,† and may raise and stir up themselves to the like obedience, imitation of their faith, their works and deeds, their godliness, holiness, and honesty; and that they may call upon God, that he would vouchsafe to give unto them to enjoy their company and fellowship, as well here in the time of grace, as hereafter in eternal glory. All which things are in few words comprehended in the Epistle to the Hebrews, where it is said: "Remember them which have the oversight over you, which have declared unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering what hath been the end of their conversation." Heb. xiii. 7.

Chapter 18. Of Fasting.

Touching true and Christian fasting, we teach, that it is an outward work of faith, comprehending in it worship; which is done by exercising the body to abstinence, joining therewithal prayers, and giving of alms; and that it is due to God alone: Matt. vi. 18. and that among Christians, according as their strength will suffer, and their affairs and businesses require and permit, at what time soever

Here also, look to the first observation upon this Confession.

+ See the second observation upon this Confession; and the whole of the Second Section, wherein is intreated of the lawful honour of saints.

Now fasting doth

they use it, in any society, either general or particular, it must be done without hypocrisy or superstition, as the holy Scriptures do witness. And Paul, among other things, doth thus write of it: "Let us approve ourselves as the Ministers of God, by fasting," &c. 2 Cor. vi. 4, 5. And Christ saith, "Then they shall fast." Luke v. 35. And again, Paul saith, in another place, "That ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer." 1 Cor. vii. 5. not consist in the choice of meat which a man useth, but in the moderate use of meat, and in exercising, chastising, and bringing under the unruly flesh before God. And chiefly the matter consisteth in the spirit and in the heart: to wit, how, for what cause, with what intent and purpose, a man doth fast; and how, and by what mean, the godly may exercise a wholesome and acceptable fast unto God. And, on the other side, when they should not fast, but rather should take heed that they do not fast, it is expressed in the Prophet, Isa. lviii. 4. and manifestly taught of Christ himself. Matt. vi. 16.

What is to be thought of the choice and difference of meats, every man ought to learn out of the doctrine of Christ; that by this mean what doubt soever is on this point, it may be taken away, and decided. "Then Christ called the multitude unto him, and said, Hear, and understand. That which goeth into the mouth defileth not the man, but that which cometh out of the mouth, that defileth the man ;" Matt. xv. 10, 11; Mark vii. 14, 15. that is, maketh him guilty. Also, out of the doctrine of the Apostle, whose words are thus: "I am persuaded through the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean of itself; but unto him that judgeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean. But if thy brother be grieved for thy meat, now walkest not thou charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died. For the kingdom of God is not meat nor drink, but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." Rom. xiv. 14, 15; 17. Christians indeed are not tied to any law in this case; yet so, that they be not an offence to the weaker sort: therefore the Apostle addeth; "All things indeed are pure, but it is evil for the man which eateth with offence." Rom. xiv. 20. And in another place he writeth; "Meat doth not make men acceptable to God: for neither if we eat, are we the better; neither if we eat not, are we the worse." 1 Cor. viii. 8.

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IV. FROM THE CONFESSION OF FRANCE.

Art. 24. To conclude, we think that Purgatory is a feigned thing, coming out of the same shop, whence also monastical vows, pilgrimages, the forbidding of marriage, the use of meats, a ceremonial observation of certain days, auricular confession, indulgences, and such like things have proceeded: by which things certain men have thought that they do deserve favour and salvation. But we do not only reject all those things, for a false opinion of merit added thereunto, but also because they are the inventions of men, and a yoke laid upon the consciences of men, by men's authority.

V.-FROM THE CONFESSION OF ENGLAND.

Art. 14. towards the end. And as for the brags they are wont to make of their Purgatory, though we know it is not a thing so very lately risen amongst them, yet is it no better than a blockish* and old wives' device. Augustine indeed sometime saith, there is such a place' In Psalmum lxxxv. sometime he denieth not but there may be: In Enchiridio, cap. 67. sometime he doubteth: De Civitate Dei, lib. 21. cap. 26. sometime again he utterly denieth that there is any at all, and thinketh that men are therein deceived by a certain natural good-will they bear their friends departed. Contra Pelagianos, lib. Hypognost. 5. But yet of this one error hath there grown up such a harvest of mass-mongers, that, the masses being sold abroad commonly in every corner, the temples of God became shops, to get money; and silly souls were persuaded that nothing was more necessary to be bought: indeed there was nothing more gainful for these men to sell, &c.

VI. FROM THE CONFESSION OF AUGSBURG.

Of Abuses that be taken away, Article 4.- Of Difference between Meats, and such like Popish Traditions.

In this corporal life, we have need of traditions, that is, of the distinctions of times and places,' that all things may be done orderly in the Church, as Paul willeth : Let all things be done in order, and so as is meet and decent." 1 Cor. xiv. 40. Therefore the Church hath her traditions; that is, she appointeth at what times, and where, the Church shall come together. Unto this civil end

Blockish; that is, foolish: such as might be expected from a blockhead.—

EDITOR.

it is lawful to make traditions. But men that are not acquainted with the doctrine of Christ, are not content with this end; but they join superstitious opinions unto traditions, and by superstition multiply traditions out of measure. Of this there hath been complaint made in the Church not only by late writers, as Gerson and others, but also by Augustine. Wherefore it is needful to admonish the people, what to think of the traditions which are brought into the Church by man's authority. For it is not without cause, that Christ and Paul do so often speak of traditions, and admonish the Church to judge wisely of traditions.

There was a general opinion, not of the common sort alone, but also of the teachers in the Church, that the difference of meats, and such like works, which the Ecclesiastical traditions do command, are services of God, which deserve remission of sins: also, that such kinds of worship are Christian righteousness, and as necessary as the Levitical ceremonies in the Old Testament ever were; and that they cannot be omitted without sin, no, not then, when they might be omitted without danger of giving offence.

These persuasions have brought forth many discommodities. First, the doctrine of the Gospel is hereby obscured, which teacheth that sins are forgiven freely by Christ. This benefit of Christ is transferred unto the work of man. And by reason of this opinion, traditions were especially increased, because that these works were supposed to deserve remission of sins; to be satisfactions, to be Christian righteousness. Moreover, for this cause especially doth St. Paul so often and so earnestly give us warning, "to beware of traditions;" Col. ii. 8. lest that Christ's benefit should be transferred to traditions, lest the glory of Christ should be obscured, lest true and sound comfort should be withheld from men's consciences, and, in a word, lest faith (that is, trust in the mercy of Christ) should be quite smothered. These dangers St. Paul would have avoided: for it is greatly needful that the pure doctrine of the benefit of Christ, of the righteousness of faith, and of the comfort of consciences, should be continued in the Church.

Secondly, these traditions have obscured the commandments of God. For this kind of schooling was thought to be spiritual, and the righteousness of a Christian man. Yea, the traditions of men were set aloft, above the commandments of God. All Christianity was placed in the observation of certain festival-days, rites, fasts, and form of apparel. These beggarly rudiments carried goodly titles; namely, that they were the spiritual life, and the perfection of

a Christian. In the mean while, the commandments of God, touching every calling, were of small estimation: that the father brought up his children, that the mother bare them, that the Prince governed the commonwealth, these works were little set by; they were not taken to be any service of God. The minds of many stood in a continual mammering,* whether marriage, magistracy, and such like functions of a civil life, did please God or no. And this doubtfulness did trouble many very much. Many, forsaking their callings, leaving the commonwealth, did shut up themselves in Monasteries, that they might seek that kind of life, which they thought did more please God; yea, which they supposed to merit remission of sins.

Thirdly, the opinion of necessity did much vex and disquiet men's consciences. Traditions were thought necessary and yet no man, though never so diligent, did ever observe them all, especially for that the number of them was infinite. Gerson writeth, That many fell into desperation, some murdered themselves, because they perceived well that they could not observe the traditions.' And all this, while they never heard one comfortable word of grace, and of the righteousness of faith.

We see that the Summists and divines gather together the traditions, and seek out qualifications of them, for the unburdening of men's consciences but even they cannot satisfy themselves, nor disentangle themselves outright; and sometimes also their very interpretations themselves do snare men's consciences. The schools also and pulpits were so busied in numbering up the traditions, that they had no leisure to handle the Scripture, or to search out more profitable doctrine of faith, of the cross, of hope, of the excellency of civil affairs, or of the comfort of men's consciences in sore temptations. Wherefore many good men have oft complained, that they were so hindered by these contentions about traditions, that they could not be freely occupied in a better kind of doctrine. Whenas, therefore, such superstitious opinions did cleave fast unto the traditions, it was necessary to admonish the Churches, what they were to judge of

Mammering; more properly, mandering, or maundering: a state of suspense and hesitation.-EDITOR.

All this matter of ceremonies and traditions in general doth properly belong to the Seventeenth Section next following: but forasmuch as here is intreated of holy-days, meats, and fasts, it was requisite that those things should be brought into this Section, because the generals could not well be severed from the particulars.