ARTICLE XX.

Of the Authority of the Church.

The Church hath power to decree Rites or Ceremonies, and authority in Controversies of Faith: And yet it is not lawful for the Church to ordain anything that is contrary to God's Word written, neither may it so expound one place of Scripture, that it be repugnant to another. Wherefore, although the Church be a witness and a keeper of Holy Writ, yet, as it ought not to decree anything against the same, so besides the same ought it not to enforce anything to be believed for necessity of Salvation.

Notes.-Rites or Ceremonies: clearly distinguished here from doctrines. For whereas it is said that the Church may decree rites or ceremonies, it is not said that the Church may decree doctrines, but only decide authoritatively what are and what are not the ancient doctrines. This distinction runs through the limitations which follow. Holy Scripture is to limit the decreeing of rites and ceremonies, and Holy Scripture is to limit the determination of doctrine; but in different ways:-Rites and ceremonies are to be not contrary to Scripture, but they need not have the authority of Scripture; whereas for the determination of a doctrine it is not enough that it be not contrary to Scripture, it must directly rest on the authority of Scripture. This last requirement, that for doctrine the Church must have the positive authority of Scripture, is further guarded. It is not enough to find in Scrip

ture some text or texts which support it; the Church is responsible also for seeing that it is consistent with the whole teaching of Scripture. She is forbidden to interpret one passage in a sense that would make it repugnant to another passage. For instance, the passage, "My Father is greater than I” (John xiv. 28), taken alone, might be interpreted so as to support Arian doctrine. But this Article forbids the Church to interpret that passage in any sense that shall make it repugnant to that other passage, “I and My Father are one” (x. 30). Hence the Church is bound to interpret the former as spoken of Christ in His temporary humiliation, so bringing it into harmony with that other passage which speaks of His eternal nature.

Although the whole body of the Reformers approved of the latter part of this Article, imposing these limitations on the authority of the Church, yet a large portion of them—the Puritan party-objected strongly to the first clause of it, conceding to the Church the power of decreeing rites and ceremonies. They wanted to forbid all ritual which had not the direct authority of Scripture (such as the surplice, the cross in Baptism, etc.). The framers of the Articles of 1552, and of the first draft in 1562, desiring to conciliate this party, omitted the clause. But wiser counsels prevailed, and in the Articles of 1571 (approved by Convocation, ratified by the Crown, and enforced by Parliament), the clause was inserted, giving to the National Church the power of decreeing its own rites and ceremonies, so long as they are "not contrary to" Holy Scripture.

LESSON IX.

OF THE CHURCH-CONTINUED.

G

ARTICLE XXI.

Of the Authority of General Councils.

ENERAL Councils may not be gathered together without the commandment and will of Princes. And when they be gathered together, (forasmuch as they be an assembly of men, whereof all be not governed with the Spirit and Word of God,) they may err, and sometimes have erred, even in things pertaining unto God. Wherefore things ordained by them as necessary to salvation have neither strength nor authority, unless it may be declared that they be taken out of Holy Scripture.

Notes.-General Councils. Councils professing to represent the whole Church, as opposed to Provincial Councils, in which a part only of the Church Catholic was represented. During the first three centuries there were no General Councils, nor indeed could there be the Roman Emperors being hostile to Christianity, any such large gathering of Bishops would have only provoked persecution. In the fourth century, just

when a General Council was most needed to define the Church's Creed, God's Providence so ordered it that the difficulty was removed. Constantine, the first Christian Emperor, eagerly approved the design of calling together an Ecumenical, that is, a world-wide, Council; and at Nicæa (A.D. 325) 318 Bishops, besides priests and deacons, were assembled from all parts of Christendom. At this Council Arianism was condemned.

In 381, the Emperor Theodosius summoned a second General Council at Constantinople, at which Macedonius was condemned, and the doctrine of the Holy Ghost declared, completing the Nicene Creed.

In 431, under the younger Theodosius, the Council of Ephesus condemned Nestorius, and determined the doctrine of the Incarnation.

In 451, Marcianus called the Council of Chalcedon, which-notwithstanding the bitterness and animosities which disgraced it-did good service in condemning Eutyches, and further defining the twofold Nature of Christ, as set forth in the Athanasian Creed.

These four Councils were recognized as authoritative by a clause in the Act of Supremacy of 1558, which (though since repealed) may be taken as expressing the mind of the Reformers. General Councils are not inspired, and are not infallible; the authority of these four Councils rests simply on the fact that their decrees have met with universal acceptance, and have been admitted by the whole body of Christians to interpret correctly the teaching of Holy Scripture. To set forth the teaching of Scripture was, indeed, the only purpose which they proposed to accomplish. Thus, as Bishop Harold Browne puts it, "these General Synods have received an authority which they had not in themselves."

There were two other General Councils (in 553 and 680) called by Emperors, and truly Ecumenical, but they merely confirmed the decrees of the preceding Councils.

First, the breaking up of the Roman Empire (making centralized action difficult), then the great schism between the Eastern and Western Churches (A.D. 1053), and lastly, the great separation of the sixteenth century, have made a General Council wellnigh impossible: in the Council of Trent (miscalled "general") neither the Greek nor the Reformed Churches were represented.

ARTICLE XXII.

Of Purgatory.

The Romish Doctrine concerning Purgatory, Pardons, Worshipping and Adoration, as well of Images as of Reliques, and also invocation of Saints, is a fond thing vainly invented, and grounded upon no warranty of Scripture, but rather repugnant to the Word of God.

Notes.-The Romish doctrine. Called Romish because the doctrines condemned in this Article were being decreed, at the very time when this Article was written, at the Council of Trent, in which the Romish Church only was represented. Of the unscriptúral doctrines affirmed by this Council, four are condemned in this Article, namely:

1. Purgatory. This error may be traced to a misinterpretation of 1 Cor. iii. 11-15. In that passage St. Paul is speaking of the work of Christian ministers in building up the Church; and he says "the Day" shall