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Dei et verus cultus Dei, cum | God, and the true worship of God, audiunt homines, solos mona are obscured when men hear that chos esse in statu perfectionis, monks alone are in that state of quia perfectio Christiana est se- perfection; because that Christian rio timere Deum, et rursus con- perfection is this, to fear God sincipere magnam fidem, et confi- cerely, and again, to conceive great dere propter Christum, quod faith, and to trust assuredly that habeamus Deum placatum, pe- God is pacified towards us, for tere a Deo, et certo expectare Christ's sake; to ask, and certainly auxilium in omnibus rebus ge- to look for, help from God in all rendis, juxta vocationem; inte- our affairs, according to our calling; rim foris diligenter facere bona and outwardly to do good works opera, et servire vocationi. In diligently, and to attend to our vohis rebus est vera perfectio et cation. In these things doth true verus cultus Dei, non est in cœ- perfection and the true worship of libatu, aut mendicitate, aut veste sordida.

God consist: it doth not consist in singleness of life, in beggary, or in vile apparel.

Verum populus concipit mul- The people doth also conceive tas perniciosas opiniones ex illis many pernicious opinions from falsis preconiis vitæ monastica. these false commendations of the Audit sine modo laudari cœli- monastic life. They hear celibacy batum: ideo cum offensione con- praised above measure; therefore scientiæ versatur in conjugio. with offense of conscience they live Audit solos mendicos esse per- in marriage. They hear that menfectos: ideo cum offensione con- dicants only are perfect; therefore scientiæ retinet possessiones, nego- with offense of conscience they keep tiatur. Audit consilium Evan- their possessions, and buy and sell. gelicum esse de non vindican- They hear that the Gospel only do: ideo alii in privata vita giveth counsel not to take revenge; non verentur ulcisci, audiunt therefore some in private life are enim consilium esse, non præ- not afraid to avenge themselves; ceptum. Alii omnes magistra- for they hear that it is a counsel, not tus et civilia officia judicant in- a commandment. Others do think digna esse Christianis.

that all magistracy and civil offices

are unworthy Christian men.

Leguntur exempla hominum, We read examples of men who, qui deserto conjugio, deserta rei- forsaking wedlock, and leaving the publicæ administratione, abdide- government of the commonwealth, runt se in monasteria. Id vo- have hid themselves in monasteries. cabant fugere ex mundo, et quæ- This they called flying out of the rere vitæ genus, quod Deo magis world, and seeking a kind of life placeret, nec videbant, Deo ser- which is more acceptable to God: viendum esse in illis mandatis, neither did they see that God is to quæ ipse tradidit, non in man- be served in those commandments datis, quæ sunt excogitata ab which he himself hath delivered, hominibus. Bonum et perfec- not in the commandments which tum vitæ genus est, quod habet are devised by men. That is a good mandatum Dei. De his rebus and perfect kind of life which hath necesse est admonere homines. the commandment of God for it. Et ante hæc tempora reprehen- It is necessary to admonish men of dit Gerson errorem monachorum these things. And before these de perfectione, et testatur, suis times Gerson did reprehend this temporibus novam vocem fuisse, quod vita monastica sit status perfectionis.

error of the monks concerning perfection; and witnesseth, that in his time this was a new saying, that the monastical life is a state of perfection.

Tam multæ impia opiniones Thus many wicked opinions do hærent in votis, quod justificent, cleave fast unto vows: as that they quod sint perfectio Christiana, merit remission of sins and justifiquod servent consilia et præ- cation, that they are Christian percepta, quod habeant opera super- fection, that they do keep the counerogationis. Hæc omnia cum sels and commandments, that they sint falsa et inania, faciunt vota have works of supererogation. All irrita.

ART. VII.-De Potestate Ecclesiastica.

Magna disputationes fuerunt

these things (seeing they be false and vain) do make vows to be of none effect.

ART. VII.-Of Ecclesiastical Power.
There have been great controver-

de potestate Episcoporum, in sies touching the power of Bishops;

quibus nonnulli incommode com- in which many have incommodimiscuerunt potestatem Ecclesias- ously mingled together the Eccleticam et potestatem gladii. siastical power and the power of the sword.

Et ex hac confusione maxima And out of this confusion there bella, maximi motus extiterunt, have sprung very great wars and dum Pontifices, freti potestate tumults, while that the Pontiffs, clavium, non solum novos cultus trusting in the power of the keys, instituerunt reservatione casu- have not only appointed new kinds um, violentis excommunicationi- of service, and burdened men's conbus conscientias oneraverunt, sed sciences by reserving of cases, and etiam regna mundi transferre et by violent excommunications; but imperatoribus adimere imperium have also endeavored to transfer conati sunt.

worldly kingdoms from one to another, and to despoil emperors of their power and authority.

Hæc vitia multo ante repre- These faults did godly and learnhenderunt in Ecclesia homines ed men long since reprehend in pii et eruditi. Itaque nostri ad the Church; and for that cause consolandas conscientias coacti our teachers were compelled, for sunt ostendere discrimen ecclesi- the comfort of men's consciences, astic potestatis et potestatis gla- to show the difference between the dii, et docuerunt utramque pro- ecclesiastical power and the powpter mandatum Dei religiose er of the sword. And they have venerandam et honore afficien- taught that both of them, because dam esse, tanquam summa Dei of God's commandment, are dutibeneficia in terris.

fully to be reverenced and honored, as the chiefest blessings of God upon earth.

Sic autem sentiunt, potesta- Now their judgment is this: that tem clavium seu potestatem Epi- the power of the keys, or the power scoporum, juxta Evangelium, po- of the Bishops, by the rule of the testatem esse seu mandatum Dei, Gospel, is a power or commandprædicandi Evangelii, remittendi ment from God, of preaching the et retinendi peccata, et admini- Gospel, of remitting or retaining strandi Sacramenta. Nam cum sins, and of administering the Sac

Sanctum:

hoc mandato Christus mittit raments. For Christ doth send his Apostolos (John xx. 21 sqq.): 'Si- Apostles with this charge: As the cut misit me Pater, ita et ego Father hath sent me, even so send I mitto vos. Accipite Spiritum you. Receive ye the Holy Ghost: quorum remiseritis whosesoever sins ye remit, they are peccata, remittuntur eis, et quo- remitted unto them; and whoserum retinueritis peccata, retenta soever sins ye retain, they are resunt.' Mark xvi. 15: Ite, præ-tained' (John xx. 21-23). 'Go, and dicate Evangelium omni crea- preach the Gospel to every creature,' turæ, etc. etc. (Mark xvi. 15).

Hæc potestas tantum exercetur This power is put in execution docendo seu prædicando verbum, only by teaching or preaching the et porrigendo Sacramenta, vel Word and administering the Sacmultis vel singulis juxta voca- raments, either to many or to sintionem, quia conceduntur non gle individuals, in accordance with res corporales, sed res æternæ, their call. For thereby not corpojustitia æterna, Spiritus Sanc- ral things, but eternal, are granted; tus, vita æterna. Hæc non pos- as an eternal righteousness, the sunt contingere nisi per ministe- Holy Ghost, life everlasting. These rium verbi et Sacramentorum; things can not be got but by the sicut Paulus dicit (Rom. i. 16): ministry of the Word and of the 'Evangelium est potentia Dei ad Sacraments, as Paul saith, 'The salutem omni credenti. Gospel is the power of God to salvation to every one that believeth' (Rom. i. 16).

Itaque cum potestas ecclesia- Seeing, then, that the ecclesiasstica concedat res æternas, et tan- tical power concerneth things etertum exerceatur per ministerium nal, and is exercised only by the verbi: non impedit politicam ministry of the Word, it hindereth administrationem; sicut ars ca- not the political government any nendi nihil impedit politicam more than the art of singing hinadministrationem. Nam poli- ders political government. For the tica administratio versatur circa political administration is occupied alias res, quam Evangelium: about other matters than is the magistratus defendit non mentes, Gospel. The magistracy defends sed corpora et res corporales not the minds, but the bodies, and

adversus manifestas injurias, et bodily things, against manifest injucoërcet homines gladio et corporalibus pœnis, ut justitiam civilem et pacem retineat.

et

habet

ries; and coerces men by the sword and corporal punishments, that it may uphold civil justice and peace.

Wherefore the ecclesiastical and civil powers are not to be confound

Non igitur commiscendæ sunt potestates ecclesiastica et civilis: ecclesiastica suum manda- ed. The ecclesiastical power hath tum habet Evangelii docendi its own commandment to preach administrandi Sacramenta. the Gospel and administer the SacNon irrumpat in alienum offi- raments. Let it not by force enter cium, non transferat regna mun- into the office of another; let it not di, non abroget leges magistra transfer worldly kingdoms; let it tuum, non tollat legitimam obe- not abrogate the magistrates' laws; dientiam, non impediat judicia let it not withdraw from them lawde ullis civilibus ordinationibus ful obedience; let it not hinder aut contractibus, non præscribat judgments touching any civil orleges magistratibus de forma dinances or contracts; let it not rei publice; sicut dicit Chri- prescribe laws to the magistrate stus (John xviii. 36): Regnum touching the form of the republic; meum non est de hoc mundo.' as Christ saith, 'My kingdom is not Item (Luke xii. 14): Quis con- of this world' (John xviii. 36). stituit me judicem aut diviso- Again, 'Who made me a judge or rem super vos?' Et Paulus a divider over you?' (Luke xii. 14). ait (Phil. iii. 20): 'Nostra poli- And Paul saith, 'Our conversation tia in cælis est. 2 Cor. x. 4: [citizenship] is in heaven' (Phil. iii. 'Arma militiæ nostræ non sunt 20). The weapons of our warfare carnalia, sed potentia Dei, ad are not carnal, but mighty through destruendas cogitationes,' etc. God, casting down imaginations,' Ad hunc modum discernunt no- etc. (2 Cor. x. 4). In this way do stri utriusque potestatis officia, our teachers distinguish between et jubent utramque honore affi- the duties of each power one from cere et agnoscere, utramque Dei the other, and do warn all men to donum et beneficium esse.

Si quam habent Episcopi po

honor both powers, and to acknowledge both to be the [highest] gift and blessing of God.

If so be that the Bishops have

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