plain authorities from Scripture, fupporting that which ART. feems to be founded on the light of nature, we need go XXIV. no further to prove that which is mainly defigned by this Article. The custom of the primitive Church is no less clear in this point. As the Chriftian religion was fpread to different nations, fo they all worshipped God in their own tongue. The Syriac, the Greek, and the Latin, were indeed of that extent, that we have no particular history of any Churches that lay beyond the compafs of those languages; but there was the fame reason for putting the worship of God in other languages, that there was for thefe: that which is drawn from the three languages, in which the title on our Saviour's cross was written, is too trifling a thing to deserve an anfwer; as if a humour of Pilate's were to be confidered as a prophetical warrant, what he did being only defigned to make that title to be understood by all who were then at Jerufalem. There Cont. Celare very large paffages both in Origen and St. Bafil, fum, 1. 8. which mention every tongue's praifing of God; and that 402. Ep. 63. ad the Gospel being fpread to many nations, he was in every Neocef. nation praised in the language of that nation. This continued fo long to be the practice even of the Latin Church, that in the ninth century, when the Slavons were converted, it was confidered at Rome by Pope John VIII. in Johan. 8. what language they should be allowed to worship God. Ep. 247. And, as it is pretended, a voice was heard, Let every tongue confefs to God; upon which that Pope wrote both to the Prince, and to the Bishop of the Slavons, allowing_them to have their public fervice in their own tongue. But in the other parts of the Western Church, the Latin tongue continued to be fo univerfally understood by almost all forts of people, till the tenth or eleventh century, that there was no occafion for changing it; and by that time the Clergy were affecting to keep the people in ignorance, and in a blind dependance upon themfelves; and fo were willing to make them think that the whole business of reconciling the people to God lay upon them, and that they were to do it for them. A great part of the service of the mafs was faid fo low, that even they who underftood fome Latin could not be the better for it, in an age in which there was no printing, and fo few copies were to be had of the public offices. The Scriptures were likewise kept from the people, and the fervice of God was filled with many rites, in all which the Clergy feemed to defign to make the people believe that these were facred charms, of which they only had the fecret. So that all the edification да Concil. tom. 9. ART. edification which was to be had in the public worship was XXIV. turned to pomp and fhow, for the diverfion and entertainment of the fpectators. Con. Trid. In defence of this worship in an unknown tongue, the main argument that is brought is the authority and infallibility of the Church, which has appointed it; and fince the ought to be fuppofed not to have erred, therefore this must be believed to be lawful. We are not much moved with this, especially with the authority of the later ages; fo the other arguments must be confidered, which indeed can fcarce be called arguments. The modern tongues change fo faft, that they fay, if the worship were in them, it must either be often changed, or the phrases would grow old, and found harfhly. A few alterations once in an age will fet this matter right; befides, that the use of fuch forms does fix a language, at least as to those phrases that are used in it, which grow to be fo familiar to our ears by conftant ufe, that they do not fo eafily wear out. It is above eighty years fince the present tranflation of the Bible was made, and above one hundred and forty fince our Liturgy was compiled, and yet we perceive no uncouthnefs in the phrafes. The fimplicity, in which fuch forms must be drawn, makes them not fo fubject to alteration as other composures, of rhetoric or poetry; but can it be thought any inconveniency now and then to alter a little the words or phrases of our service? Much lefs can that be thought of weight enough to balance the vafter prejudice of keeping whole nations in ignorance, and of extinguishing devotion by entertaining it with a form of worship that is not understood. Nor can this be avoided by faying, that the people are furnished with forms in their own language, into which the greatest part of the public offices are tranflated; for as this is not done but fince the Reformation began, and in thofe nations only where the fcandal that is given by an unknown language might have, as they apprehend, ill effects; fo it is only an artifice to keep thofe ftill in their communion, whom fuch a grofs practice, if not thus difguifed, might otherwife drive from them. But ftill the public worship has no edification in it; nor can those who do not understand it fay Amen, according to St. Paul. Finally, they urge the communion of Saints, in order to which they think it is neceffary that Priests, wherefoever they go, may be able to officiate, which they cannot do if every nation worships God in its own language. And this was indeed very neceffary in those ages in which the See of Rome did by provifions, and the other other inventions of the Canonifts, difpofe of the best be- ART. nefices to their own creatures and fervants. That trade XXIV. would have been spoiled, if strangers might not have been admitted till they had learned the language of the country; and thus, inftead of taking care of the people that ought to be edified by the public worship, provifion was made at their coft for fuch vagrant Priefts as have been in all ages the fcandals of the Church, and the reproaches of Religion. ARTICLE XXV. Of the Sacraments. Sacraments ordained of Chrift be not only Badges or Tokens of Chriftian Yen's Profellion, but rather they be certain fure Witneffes, and effeaual Signs of Grace, and God's Will towards us, by the which he doth work invisibly in us, and doth not only quicken, but also frengthen and confirm oug Faith in him. There are Two Saczaments ozdained of Chzifk ouz Lord in the Gospel; that is to fap, Baptifm, and the Supper of the Lord. Those ave commonly called Saczaments, that is to fap, Confirmation, Penance, Drders, Patrimony, and extzeme Unaion, are not to be counted for Saczaments of the Cofpel; being fuch as have grown partly of the cozupt following of the Apoffles, partly aze States of Life allowed in the Scriptuzes, but pet have not like Nature of Sacraments with Baptism, and the Lord's Supper; for that they have not any vilible Sign or Ceremony ozdained of God. The Sacraments were not ozdained of Chrift to be gazed upon, or to be carried about, but that we fhould duly use them. And in fuch only as worthilp receive the fame thep have a wholesome Effect or Operation; but thep that receive them unworthilp, purchase to themselves Damnation, as St. Paul faith, THE HERE is a great diverfity between the form of this Article, as it is now fettled, and that published by King Edward, which begun in thefe words: Our Lord Jefus Chrift gathered his people into a fociety by Sacraments, very few in number, moft eafly to be kept, and of most excellent fignification; that is to fay, Baptifm, and the Supper of the Lord. There is nothing in that edition inftead of the paragraph concerning the other five pretended Sacraments. Next comes the paragraph which is here the last, only with the addition of thefe words after operation: Not as fome fay, ex opere operato, which terms, as they are firange Strange and utterly unknown to the Holy Scripture, fo do ART. they yield a fenfe which favoureth of little piety, but of XXV. much fuperftition: and in conclufion, the paragraph comes with which the Article does now begin; fo that in all this diverfity there is no real difference: for the virtue of the Sacraments being put in the worthy receiving, excludes the doctrine of opus operatum, as formally as if it had exprefsly been condemned; and the naming the two Sacraments inftituted by Chrift, is upon the matter the rejecting of all the rest. It was most natural to begin this Article with a defcription of Sacraments in general. This difference is to be put between Sacraments and other ritual actions; that whereas other rites are badges and diftinctions by which the Chriftians are known, a Sacrament is more than a bare matter of form; and as in the Old Teftament, circumcifion and propitiatory facrifices were things of a different nature and order from all the other ritual precepts concerning the cleanfings, the diftinctions of days, places, and meats. These were indeed precepts given them of God, but they were not federal acts of renewing the covenant, or reconciling themselves to God. By circumcifion they received the feal of the covenant, and were brought under the obligation of the whole law: they were by it made debtors to it; and when by their fins they had provoked God's wrath, they were reconciled to him by their facrifices, with which atonement was made, and fo their fins were forgiven them. The nature and end of those was to be federal acts, in the offering of which the Jews kept to their part of the covenant, and in the accepting of which God maintained it on his part; fo we fee a plain difference between these and a mere rite, which, though commanded, yet muft pass only for the badge of a profeffion, as the doing of it is an act of obedience to a divine law. Now, in the New Difpenfation, though our Saviour has eafed us of that law of ordinances, that grievous yoke, and those beggarly elements which were laid upon the Jews; yet, fince we are ftill in the body, fubject to our fenfes, and to fenfible things, he has appointed fome federal actions, to be both the vifible ftipulations and profeffions of our Chriftianity, and the conveyances to us of the bleffings of the Gospel. There are two extremes to be avoided in this matter. The one is of the Church of Rome, that teaches, that as fome Sacraments imprint a character upon the foul,. which they define to be a phyfical quality, that is, fuper |