of opinion that such marriage is ratified and valid, and ought not to be revoked. But the Romish Church, if a man has ever pledged his oath to the contrary, even though when impelled by passion he may riot, and contaminate himself in scenes of debauchery and profligate dissipation, still denies him the privilege of matrimony and if perchance he has taken a Wife, it denies the validity of the Marriage, and holds it to be more consistent with Holiness of Life to live in a state of open fornication with a Mistress,*

The number of idle Ceremonies.

The Ancient Father St. Augustin complained of the number of frivolous ceremonies, by which he saw the minds and consciences of men were burdened. Our adversaries, as if God cared for nothing else, have so multiplied them, that scarcely a vestige of any thing else remains in their Churches and De-. votions.

* In a former note I have discussed this subject at large, and refer my readers to the Defence of the Apology, and the Exposition of the Twenty-seven Popish Articles of Faith, which are so ably discussed by this learned Prelate.

The Order of The same Ancient Father* denies that

Monks.

a Monk can lawfully pass a life of indolent Ease ;† and under the specious appearance of sanctity subsist upon the labours and fortunes of others: and he who does so is, by Apollonius, another Patriarch, assimilated to a robber. Where the Popish Superstition prevails, there are, shall I say herds or flocks of, Monks who not only spend their whole existence in Indolence, but, far from assuming the appearance of sanctity, live and riot in luxuries furnished at the expense of other individuals. The Ancient Council of Rome decreed that no one should participate in the service performed by a Priest, who was known to keep a Mistress. The modern Papists let out Concubines to hire to their Priests, and

* De Opere Monachorum.

+ St. Jerome declares that it was a Law amongst the Monks in Egypt, That he who would not labour should not eat.

Hieoron. ad Rusticum, et in Vita Hilari.

And St. Augustin says, Nihil Dei servis pejus est otiositate, operentur ergo in nomini Domini. In the servants of God nothing is worse than idleness, let them labour therefore in the name of the Lord.

Augustin ad Fratres in Eremo. Sermo. i.

Canon iii.

forcibly compel men to attend their Sacrilegious Services.* The ancient Apostolic Canons ordain that the Bishop who combines the Civil and Ecclesiastical functions be degraded. Our adversaries will and actually do combine the two; or rather they neglect that which should be the object of their more peculiar solicitude: and still no one is found to enforce the removal. The ancient Council of Gangra ordered that no distinction be drawn between a married and unmarried Priest; as if the simple act of celibacy should be considered to confer a superior degree of sanctity. Our adversaries on the contrary have distinguished them in such a manner as to deem the Ministry of a married man, however pious and virtuous, a Profanation of their Sacred Rites.

* Quis sapiens judicabit eos esse Sacerdotes, qui nec a Fornicationibus abstinent?

Zacharias Papa. in Epist. ad Bonif. Facta Papæ excusantur, ut Adulterium Jacob.

Communiter dicitur, quod pro simplici Fornicatione quis deponi non debet, cum pauci sine illo vitio inveniantur.

Ideo licet notoria sit Fornicatio, tamen non est propter eam abstinendum ab officiis Presbyterorum. All these and many more are cited from the Popish writers, in The Defence of the Apologie, p. 511.

+ Canon viii.

Divine Service to be performed in an audible voice.

That the multitude might derive some advantage, the service was ordered by the ancient Emperor * Justinian to be performed with a clear, loud, and expressive tone of voice. To defeat this object our adversaries mutter every word not only with an indistinct and inaudible voice; but in a foreign and ‡ barbarous language,

The Canonical
Scriptures

alone to be read

in Churches.

§ The Ancient Council of Carthage

enjoins that nothing but the Canonical Scriptures be read in the Congregation:

* In Novellis. Const. cxxiii.

It was, says Bishop Jewell, the good Emperour's commandement, and meaninge, that al thinges shoulde be so uttered in the Congregation, distinctely, and plainely, with lowde and open voice, that the people might understande, and answeare Amen. The Defence of the Apologie, p. 516.

St. Paul considers every language Barbarous, that is unknown to the hearer. "Therefore if I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be unto him that speaketh a Barbarian ; and he that speaketh shall be a Barbarian unto me."

1 Corinthians xiv. 11.

§ Tertium Carth. cap. xlvii.

The words of the Council of Hippo, as the Third Council of Carthage is sometimes called, are Scripturæ Canonicæ in Ecclesia legendæ quæ sunt; et præter quas alia non legantur, The Canonical Scriptures, which are to be read in the Church, and they alone. Concil. Hippon. cap. xxxviii.

our adversaries read in their Churches that which they do not themselves hesitate to pronounce mere lies and trash. Now if any one considers these Injunctions of little importance, because they are merely the edicts of Emperors and certain inferior Bishops, and not the acts of full and general Councils; and is more fascinated with the splendour of Papal Authority; Pope

A similar Decree passed in the Council of Laodicea. "Sabbatis Evangelia cum aliis scripturis legenda esse censemus." We are of opinion that the Gospel and other Scriptures should be read on the Sabbath day; and shortly after, this more explicit statement is made, "Non oportet Libros, qui sunt extra Canonem, legere, nisi solos Canonicos veteris et Novi Testamenti." We onght not to read any Books without the Canon, but only the Canonical Books of the Old and New Testament.

Concil. Laodic. cap. xvi. et lix.

Erasmus, when discoursing on this head, says, "Apparet, non nisi Apostolicas Literas olim legi solitas in Templis, aut certe virorum Apostolicæ Authoritatis." It appears that formerly none but the Apostolical writings were accustomed to be read in Churches, or at least the writings of men of Apostolic authority.

Erasmus in annotation. in Hieron. De Ecclesias. Scriptoribus.

And Abbas Ansigisus, in his report of the Ecclesiastical Decrees of the French Kings Lewis and Charles, hath a similar observation, "In Templis tantum Canonici Libri, id est Sacræ Literæ legantur." Let the Canonical Books alone, that is, the Holy Scriptures, be read in the Church.

Ansigisus lib. i. cap. 9. Ed. Parisiis, Anno 1550.