CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR

Of the Traditions of the Church.

 

It is not necessary that Traditions and Ceremonies be in all places one, and utterly like; for at all times they have been divers, and may be changed according to the diversities of countries, times, and men’s manners, so that nothing be or­dained against God’s Word. Whosoever through his private judgment, willingly and purposely, doth openly break the traditions and ceremonies of the Church, which be not repugnant to the Word of God, and be ordained and approved by common authority, ought to be rebuked openly, (that others may fear to do the like,) as he that offendeth against the common order of the Church, and hurteth the authority of the Magistrate, and woundeth the consciences of the weak brethren.

Every particular or national Church hath authority to ordain, change, and abolish, ceremonies or rites of the Church, ordained only by man’s authority, so that all things be done to edifying.

 

Ergo, as everything have been writing by the hands of men, and everything have been ordained by men, everything is invalid, therefore men are absolutely free to do as they please. The more so the Church being not the Body of Christ, but the Body of the Crown of England, every church can do and undo according to the will of the tyrant on office. Because the Church, as a Body, must, as every body does, to obey one rule, equal to all the parts of the body. However, once the Anglican Church was abolished as the Body of Christ, to expect anything but tyranny of the imperial will from that Anglican Church which abolished the Church as the Body of Christ, would be stupid to death.

Let’s move on to the next.