A Weighing and Considering of the Interim, Part 1 – Part 9
OF THE CHVRCHE and Busshops.
FROM the leuenth leafe vntyll the eightenth is saide, what ye Churche of God is, & of the order and power of the Bushops, & there be many pointes patched in, which wyll and rightfully maye be spokē against and withstanded of godly and learned men.
But in as moche as these sayeinges, almoste to the ende of the article, be general, moche contaynyng, doubtfull and hastie sayinges, we wyll not counsell yt our most gracyous *Unde… stande, b… cause y• la… mē can n… so well a… swer to these ma… ters of B… shops powers whi… be craftel set out in boke: He must be b… ter learne thē y• lord… cōmenly … y• shall sto… theyr mo… thes.Prynce meddle moche in this Article. It is truthe that the churche is a congregacion or company gatherd together of the right beleuing, and that no man shal deuide and disseuer him selfe from the Churche. But than is this the question, which be those right beleuing?
And because the disseueryng and parting from the church is made an heuy and highe faute (to our dispise and shame, be ye suer) is this our answere for neade theragaynst, which the boke it self acknowledgeth, that the teachers muste fynde faute with false learning, and false Godsseruyces. Nowe yf the withstanders of ye trueth wyll not geue place, and yt so discorde and debate folowe therevppon, so be the pesecuters of the trueth, & specially in needy weighty matters, fauty before God, and not the poare Godly people that preach or receyue the trueth. This is plain, and the saying of S. Paul is knowen to many. If an Aungell in heauen preache any other ghospell, holde hym accursed. But that there be many great erroures and mysvses defended of the Rome bushop and his, nowe at this tyme, that is playne: And the boke it selfe hath foūde fawte at some erroures, whiche yet the Counsels holden at Trident and Bono…y hauehave strengthened.
Let this be ynoughe for the excuse of our churches at this tyme
We beseche also our moste graciouse Prynce and his prayse worthy lande, that yf the Byshoppes wil hauehave vsus to be obedient to them, that that maye be done with thys condycyon and after this facion, that they persecute not the trueth, and sette not vp agayne vngodly ceremonyes in the lande.
Furthermore, thys muste also be shewed, neede dryuyng vsus therto: Although we wyll charge no manne to take in hande all these dispuracions whiche stycke in this Artycle, for they be not all a lyke nedefull, and some thynges there be whereto the suer and stedfaste wytnesses of the olde churche be neadefull, whiche eueryevery man can not seake out, and we kepe this laboure for our self & some other: ye eueryevery mā make his owne christen & profitabe acknowledgyng & declaraciō for himself vpōhis owne ieoꝑdy as touchīg these & other matters: for that yt the boke saith in this point of the Councels and de potestate Interpretationis, that is, of the power to expound ye Scripture, there are many thynges to be spoken of.
God hath gracyously opened hys mynde and wil, those must we heare and receiue, and not, as in worldly kyngdomes, geue one certen person power to make exposicions at hys pleasure.
Of the sacramentes.
OF Chrystenyng there is no strife, and our churches hauehave christenly and with profet striuen as touchyng the chrystenyng of chyldren, and other articles belongyng thereto: and shewed good and sure ground agaynst many errours of the Anabaptistes or Againechristeners or twisechristeners, & this our labour hath profitably holpen to the declaring of manye Artycles.
Of Confirmacion and anoyn▪ tyng.
OF these thynges I councell also that we stryue not, but so muche as belongeth to the callyng vpō or praying vntounto saintes, wherof we will hereafter speake. And although it displease vsus that men so praise both these workes, Confirmaciō, & anoynting, that they make them like thother Sacramentes, & bynde the working of ye holy ghost therto, wheras it is yet plaine, that thei be so paīted out but for a shew: yet wyl we not at this time dispute therof, and commyt it also to eueryevery mans owne acknowledgyng.
But we cannot agree vntounto this blasphemyng of God, yt mē should charge our priestes to receaue and reache out suche Anoyntinges and vngodly consecraciōs, wherof they falsly crake and boast in Póntificalibꝭ & Agenden, ye the holy ghost, forgeuenes of sinnes, & other giftes of god and defence agaynst the deuell, is geuen therby, and that they should serue for the helthe of bodye and soule. &c.
Of Repentaunce.
ALL menne of vnderstandyng knowe that before these our dayes the Monkes & Freers learning in this Article of Repētaunce was full of great errours & blyndnesse. They could shew no sure coū forth, yee they taught rather theragaynst, that we shoulde alwayes abyde in doubte of the forgeuenes of synnes. They hauehave also loaded the conscyences with thunpossible tellyng of our synnes, and afterwarde with the erroures of Satisfaccions, with pardons and manye supersticions and misbelefes.
These selfe same erroures and mysuses did first raise this strife of the learnyng. For Godly preachers which were men of vnderstanding muste nedes finde faute at suche erroures and blaspheinyes of God.
And the learnyng of Repentaunce is through goddes grace so well and surely declared, that all men of vnderstandyng, acknoweledge that the same christen declaraciō taught in our churches is right true and coūfortable, and also profitable to the righte praying and callyng vntounto god, and to the knowledge of the gospell.
OF CONFESSION.
COnfession is also diligentlye kept in our Churches with a good exposicion therof, that the absolucion shall be sought therin, for we iudge that the priuy absolucion is nedefull to be kept, for great and weyghtye causes, in asmuche as it is a witnesse, that there is forgeuenes of sinnes in the Churche, and that they that be fallen after theyr Christenyng maye be agayne receaued. It is also very good that ther be some certeyne acknowledgyng and pullyng downe or lowlines of the herte, so that they that desyre absolucion shewe themselues repentaunt and sorowful, and acknowledge that they be synners and trespacers before God.
But yet we wyl not loade the conscyences with this perlouse and vnneadful burthen, that they should thynke it were nedefull to tell all and eueryevery of the synnes that they hauehave done.
And forasmuche as this Article belongeth to al mennes cōsciences, we counsell not that all men agre to this poynt.
OF satisfaccion.
OF Satisfaccionis muche easlyer and Jentlyer spoken in the boke, then before tymes in the learnyng of the Monckes and Freers. But the sayinges contayne many thinges in them whiche hauehave neade of much declaryng. Therfore we also comit this Artycle to eueryevery mans owne declaracyon and acknowledgyng.
OF THE SACRAment of christes body and bloudde.
In this matter are not oure Churches agaynste the boke: But yf ther be any further declaracyon demaūded of any man as touching this Article, him we suffer to speake thereof through his owne confessyon and acknowledgyng.
OF makyng or annoynting of prystes.
It displeaseth not vsus, that this is reckened in the noumbre of the Sacramentes, if it be ryghte and Chrystenly kepte and holden: And we wyshe that it might be so kepte in all maner of landes & countreyes with great dylygence that it were not onelyonly a ceremonye or a dysguysyng & playe, but that they that be ordeyned be well heard and instruct or taught, and that there were an erneste commaundement geuen with ye ceremony, and also that there wer afterwarde diligent heede taken to the learnyng and to the maners of the priestes.
OF MARIAGE.
This Artycle is neadfull, that in the dyuorcyng of the fautelesse person, the second maryage be graunted.
Therefore is that poynt in the boke as touchyng this matter, that there maye no further dyuorcemente be made then from bedde and bourde, not to be agreed vntounto.