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<DATE>2015-01-06</DATE>
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<NAME>Paul Schaffner</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
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<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P>XXXII PROPOSITIONS OR ARTICLES Sub&s;cribed By &s;everall Reformed Churches, and Concurred in by divers godly Mini&s;ters of the City of LONDON.</P>
<P>Drawn out of the very Fountaines of holy SCRIPTURE.</P>
<P>Whereby Not onely the cau&s;e of continuall vari|ance in the <HI>Dutch,</HI> and other Congregations of Chri&s;t in the City of <HI>London,</HI> may appeare: But al&s;o Which are very profitable, to be &s;et forth, e&s;pe|cially in the&s;e dayes, wherein new Congre|gations doe &s;pring up.</P>
<LICENSE LANG="lat" SUBTYPE="imprimatur">
<OPENER><DATELINE><DATE><HI>Novemb.</HI> 25. 1647.</DATE></DATELINE></OPENER>
<P>Imprimatur</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Ja. Cranford.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</LICENSE>
<P>Printed at <HI>London</HI> by <HI>Robert Ibbit&s;on,</HI> in Smithfield, neer the Queenes-head Tavern, 1647.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="to the reader">
<DIV2 LANG="eng" TYPE="version">
<PB REF="2">
<PB REF="2">
<HEAD>TO THE READER.</HEAD>
<P>_WHereas it is well knowne unto all men almo&s;t in all places, good Chri|&s;tian Reader, that there have been divers controver&s;ies, &s;tirred up in this our Congregation, gathered to|gether in <HI>London,</HI> called the <HI>Dutch-Church,</HI> concerning certain ceremonies, and externall po|licy of the Church, and namely touching the Wit|ne&s;&s;es or God-father in Bapti&s;me of infants, a ce|remony alwayes u&s;ed in this Church: which con|trover&s;ies afterwards brought forth great and long contention, not without great offence of the godly in every place: We the Mini&s;ters of the &s;aid Church, after we had u&s;ed divers meanes to this purpo&s;e, and divers con&s;ultations, both among&s;t
<PB REF="3"> our &s;elves, and with certaine godly mini&s;ters of other Churches, could find out, or know no bet|ter way to remedy this evill, then if we gathered to|gether out of the very fountaines of holy Scripture into certaine propo&s;itions and articles, the princi|pall grounds of our doctrine, (which we have al|wayes taught in handling the fore&s;aid controver|&s;ie: the ignorance whereof, hath beene the occa&s;i|on of all this &s;tirre betweene us and other men) which articles being &s;ent unto that notable congre|gation of <HI>Geneva,</HI> and other reformed Churches of God, that they might not onely approve them, as agreeable to the doctrine which they profe&s;&s;e at home, but al&s;o might by changing, adding, or detracting, correct them, and make them more plaine, according to their godly wi&s;domes. that by this meanes they might be unto us and our Church (which hitherto hath peaceably continued under our mini&s;tery) a publique te&s;timony, and that they might al&s;o &s;erve to all other Churches either of our nation and language, or to any other private men, which by any meanes are herein mi&s;liking with us, as a remedy to unite true and Chri&s;tian concord, to the common building up of Gods Church. And becau&s;e
<PB REF="3"> our fore&s;aid articles, now (according to our earne&s;t de&s;ire) are not onely approved, but al&s;o returned unto our hands very plainly, and clearely &s;et forth we would not bereave Gods Church (unto the which we owe our &s;elves and all our labours) of them, but according to our &s;uper-intendent the Re|verend Lord Bi&s;hop of <HI>London</HI> his councell, faithfully &s;et them forth in this manner, drawne out of the very coppies of the forenamed Church of <HI>Geneva.</HI> Wherefore we be&s;eech all mini&s;ters of Churches, e&s;pecially of our nation and tongue, and generally all manner of men who&s;oever they be, which by rea&s;on of our former di&s;cention, have found any lacke in us, that they would diligently reade over the&s;e articles, and advi&s;edly marke them: and maintaine and defend with us the doctrine in them contained (which we have here advouched by the publique &s;ub&s;criptions of certaine reformed Churches of God) to the common utility of the Church, and the advancing of our common &s;alva|tion. And in ca&s;e they have here any matter a|gain&s;t us; to wit (as we have often and openly of our owne accord profe&s;&s;ed before the whole congrega|tion) that in pro&s;ecuting this controver&s;ie, we
<PB REF="4"> have &s;hewed the imperfection of men, or in &s;ome place have pa&s;&s;ed the boundes of fore&s;ight, gentle|ne&s;&s;e, or patience, by any meanes they would here|in pardon us even for Chri&s;t his &s;ake. God the authour of all peace, direct all our hearts unto true and whole&s;ome peace in Chri&s;t Je&s;us; Amen.</P>
<CLOSER><DATELINE>Written at <HI>London</HI> in the Con&s;i&s;tory of the <HI>Dutch</HI> Church.</DATELINE>
<SIGNED>The Mini&s;ters and Elders of the Dutch-Church of Chri&s;t at LONDON.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 LANG="lat" TYPE="version">
<PB REF="2">
<P>Quum pa&s;&s;im om|nibus fere <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 word"> no|tum &s;it, pie lector, in Eccle&s;ia no&s;tra - Belgio germanica, Londini collecti, varias c&oacute;trover&s;ias excita<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">as fui&s;&s;e cir|ca ritus quo&s;dam &amp; externum Eccle&s;iae politiam, ac nomi|natim de te&s;tibus &s;eu concuratoribus ad paedobapti&s;mu~ ad&s;ci&s;cend<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">s, cere|monia in hac Ec|cle&s;ia &s;emper ob|&s;ervata. quae qui|dem controver&s;iae, po&s;tea grave &amp; di|utinum di&s;&s;idium cum maxima ubiq&abque; piorum offen&s;ione pepererunt: Nos dictae Eccle&s;iae mi|ni&s;tri po&s;t varia adhibita huc media &amp; varias interno
<PB REF="3"> nos ac cum non|nullis aliis piis Ec|cle&s;iarum mini&s;tris con&s;ultariones, nul|la alia cummodio|re ratione huic ma|lo occurrere potui|mus aut &s;civimus, quam&s;i no&s;trae do|ctrine (quam nos quidem in agenda dictae controver&s;iae cau&s;a perpetuo pro|po&s;uimus: cuiu&s;&abque; ignorantia univer|&s;am hanc inter nos &amp; alios difficulta|tem objeci&s;&s;e vi&s;a e&s;t) fundamenta ex &s;acrae &s;cripturae fontibus, certis the|&s;ibus &s;eu articulis conciperemus, quos ad eximam illam Geneven&s;em &amp; qua&s;dam alias re+formatores Dei Ec|cle&s;ias mi&s;&s;os, ip&s;ae non &s;olum, ut do|ctrinae, quam domi profitebantur, con|formes approba|rent, &s;ed &amp; juxta &s;uam piam pruden|tiam, cum mutando tum addendo, tum adimendo melius explicarent &amp; cor|rigerent: quo &s;ic nobis ac no&s;trae Ec|cle&s;iae (quae hacte|nus &s;e&s;e tranquille &s;ub no&s;tro mini&s;te|rio ge&s;&s;it) publico te&s;timonio e&s;&s;e, ac quibu&s;vis aliis &s;ive no&s;trae nationis &amp; linguae Eccle&s;iis, &s;ive privatis hominibus qui ulla hic ratione a nobis alienati e&s;&s;ent, verae ad Chri&s;tianae concordiae in communem Eccle&s;iae Dei aedificationem incundae remedio &s;ervire po&s;&s;ent.
<PB REF="3"> quoniam vero dictis no&s;tri articuli, nunc (prout &s;erio expe|tivimus) non &s;olum approbati, &s;ed &amp; admodum commo|de expliciti, atque illu&s;trati ad nos ve|nerunt, iis Ecele&s;i|am Dei (cui nos ip&s;os ac omnia no|&s;tra &s;tudia debe|mus) fraudare no|luimus, &s;ed eos jux|ta no&s;tri &s;uperin|tendentis reverendi D. Epi&s;copi Londi|ne~&s;is co~&s;ilium, fide|liter ex ip&s;ius dictae Eccle&s;iae Geneven|&s;is autographis de|&s;umptos, hic ratio|ne proponere volu|imus. Ac proinde oramus quo&s;vis Eccle&s;iarum mini|&s;tros, cum primis autem no&s;trae nati|onis &amp; linguae, ac in univer&s;um quo&s;|vis homines, qui|cun&abque; tandem &s;int, qui &s;uperioris apud nos di&s;&s;idij occa&s;i|one in nobis quic|quam de&s;iderant, ut eo&s;dem dictos arti|culos diligenter perlegant, &amp; &s;erio expendant: ac do|ctrinam in iis com|prehen&s;am (quam hic aliquot refor|matiorum Eccle&s;iarum Dei publicis &s;ub&s;criptionibus conte&s;tatam babemus) nobi&s;cum in com|munem Ecele&s;iae Dei utilitatem, &amp; communem no&s;tram &s;alutem pr<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">vehendam propugnent ac tucantur, Et &s;i quid hic adver&s;um nos dictos mini&s;tros habeant, quod videlicet (ut &amp; frequen|ter
<PB REF="4">publice coram univer&s;a no&s;tra Ec|cle&s;ia ultro profe&s;&s;i &s;umus) in pro&s;e|quenda hujus con|trover&s;iae cau&s;a quic+quam humani pa&s;|&s;i &s;imus, aut alicu|bi providentiae, le|nitatis aut longani|mitatis limites, ulla ratione exce&s;&s;eri|mus, id nobis ob Chri&s;ti nome~ con|donare velint.</P>
<CLOSER><SALUTE>De|us omnis pacis au|thor, dirigat no&s;tra omnium corda ad veram &amp; &s;alutatem pacem in Chri&s;to Je&s;u, Amen,</SALUTE>
<DATELINE>Da|tae Londini in Con&s;i&s;torio Eccle|&s;iae Belgio-germa|nica, <DATE>18. Septemb. 1568.</DATE></DATELINE></CLOSER>
</DIV2>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="table of contents">
<PB REF="4">
<HEAD>A Table of the pith or principall Mat|ters contained in this Book.</HEAD>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. <HI>WHat is the Chri&s;tian liberty.</HI> pag. 3</ITEM>
<ITEM>2 <HI>How this liberty is tran&s;gre&s;&s;ed.</HI> ibid.</ITEM>
<ITEM>3 <HI>Of private mens judgement in matters indifferent.</HI> pag. 4</ITEM>
<ITEM>4 <HI>Of Con&s;cience.</HI> ibid.</ITEM>
<ITEM>5 <HI>Things indifferent.</HI> ibid.</ITEM>
<ITEM>6 <HI>Things otherwi&s;e indifferent.</HI> pag. 5</ITEM>
<ITEM>7 <HI>Ceremoniall law.</HI> ibid.</ITEM>
<ITEM>8 <HI>The u&s;e of things indifferent in generall.</HI> ibid.</ITEM>
<ITEM>9 <HI>The u&s;e of things indifferent in &s;peciall.</HI> pag. 6</ITEM>
<ITEM>10 <HI>Circum&s;tances in things indifferent be divers.</HI> ibid.</ITEM>
<ITEM>11 <HI>To forbid or command things indifferent, except for three cau&s;es, doe offend, al&s;o they that ra&s;hly judge o|ther mens con&s;cience herein.</HI> pag. 7</ITEM>
<ITEM>12 <HI>Chri&s;tian Liberty is not to bee prejudiced generally, but by circum&s;tance.</HI> ibid.</ITEM>
<ITEM>13 <HI>They are to be reproved which wound weak can&s;ci|ences in things indifferent.</HI> pag. 8</ITEM>
<ITEM>14 <HI>Con&s;titutions, are &s;ome univer&s;all, and &s;ame particu|lar.</HI> ibid.</ITEM>
<ITEM>15 <HI>What the Church in, &s;ometime manife&s;t, &s;ometime ob&s;cure.</HI> pag. 9</ITEM>
<ITEM>16 <HI>Every man mu&s;t joyne him&s;elfe to &s;ome particular Church, being vi&s;ible.</HI> ibid,</ITEM>
<ITEM>17 <HI>No &s;uperiority in particular Churches.</HI> ibid.</ITEM>
<PB REF="5">
<ITEM>18 <HI>Synodes for to decide controver&s;ies.</HI> pag. 10</ITEM>
<ITEM>19 <HI>Schi&s;mes and apo&s;tacy from the Church is to bee a|voyed.</HI> pag. 11</ITEM>
<ITEM>20 <HI>The lawfull mini&s;ters and Elders repre&s;ent the Church.</HI> ibid.</ITEM>
<ITEM>21 <HI>Let no man trouble the congregation, but aske coun|cell of the Pa&s;tors. No law is to be made but according to the word profitable and nece&s;&s;ary.</HI> ibid.</ITEM>
<ITEM>22 <HI>Such as re&s;i&s;t godly lawes, and con&s;pire again&s;t Gods mini&s;ters are enemies to the Church.</HI> pag. 12</ITEM>
<ITEM>23 <HI>How far the authority and duty of the mini&s;ters and elders of Chri&s;t's Church is extended.</HI> ibid.</ITEM>
<ITEM>24 <HI>What excommunication is, and for whom of Chri&s;t ordained.</HI> pag. 13</ITEM>
<ITEM>25 <HI>All matters of injury ought to be pro&s;ecuted chari|tably and with mode&s;ty.</HI> ibid.</ITEM>
<ITEM>26 <HI>Excommunicate per&s;ons not to be received into the congregation before manife&s;t proofe of their unfained repentance.</HI> pag. 14</ITEM>
<ITEM>27 <HI>Civill magi&s;trates be of God, and to what end of him ordained</HI> ibid.</ITEM>
<ITEM>28 <HI>Civill ordinances made by civill magi&s;trates ought to be obeyed.</HI> ibid.</ITEM>
<ITEM>29 <HI>The godly magi&s;trate and al&s;o the wicked, be Gods in|&s;truments, the one a ble&s;sing, the other a &s;courage.</HI> ibid.</ITEM>
<ITEM>30 <HI>It belongeth to the civill magi&s;trates to defend the Church of Chri&s;t.</HI> pag. 15</ITEM>
<ITEM>31 <HI>Every man in his vocation ought to live as a &s;ub|ject.</HI> ibid.</ITEM>
<ITEM>32 <HI>Manife&s;t and notorious crimes (of the inferior Magi|&s;trate are onely to be puni&s;hed by the Prince: and here in all private men and other rather to &s;uffer wrong then to rebell.</HI> ibid.</ITEM>
</LIST>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="tract">
<DIV2 LANG="eng" TYPE="version">
<PB N="1" REF="5">
<OPENER><SALUTE>To The Godly Servants of CHRIST, the Pa&s;tours and Seniors of the <HI>Dutch</HI>-Church in <HI>LONDON,</HI> OUR <HI>Wor&s;hipfull Brethren and fellow Mini|&s;ters in the Lord, grace and peace from God the Father, through Je&s;us Chri&s;t our Lord,</HI> AMEN.</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>_AS it was grevious unto us, to under|&s;tand (wor&s;hipfull brethren) with what and how great di&s;cord the Church committed to your charge, is troubled, &s;o is it plea&s;ant unto us to heare, that you not onely doe your indeavour to e&s;tabli&s;h peace and concord, but take that advice to bring the &s;ame to pa&s;&s;e, which we judge mo&s;t pro|fitable and nece&s;&s;ary. For whereas the Church is in|gendered of the word of God, as it were of certaine &s;eede, and is not nouri&s;hed with any other nutriment
<PB N="2" REF="6"> than it, yee &s;eeme to have judged very well, that controver&s;ies already begun, mu&s;t be a&s;&s;waged, and &s;uch as perchance hereafter &s;hall ari&s;e, can be &s;topped by no other meanes, then by whol&s;ome doctrine once e&s;tabli&s;hed. Wherfore we gladly read over, and con|&s;ider your Propo&s;itions written concerning Chri&s;ti|an liberty, and certaine other que&s;tions annexed un|to it, as of the lawfull u&s;e of indifferent things, and finally of the bonds of Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall and civill juri&s;|diction. What our opinion is hereof, becau&s;e you &s;o earne&s;tly require it of us (who otherwi&s;e would ne|ver have entermedled our judgement herein) that you have thought good to &s;end certaine brethren unto us touching this matter, we could not but &s;atisfy your de|&s;ire and our own dutie herein. Wherefore we make you an&s;were, that generally we allow your doctrine com|pri&s;ed in them, as agreeable to the word of God, and to the writings of godly authors, &amp; for this your con|&s;ent with the holy Congregations, wee rejoyce with you in the Lord, wherein al&s;o we mo&s;t earne&s;tly be|&s;eech you, that ye con&s;tantly per&s;evere unto the end. Notwith&s;tanding thus much, according to that pre|rogative which ye grant unto us, we freely and &s;imp|ly confe&s;&s;e unto you, that we finde want of per&s;picu|itie in certaine points, which you know very well is e&s;pecially required in &s;uch Aphori&s;mes. There are al&s;o &s;ome things which &s;eem uttered &s;om what hardly, other too breifly, and &s;ome things not &s;et in their due
<PB N="3" REF="6"> place. And to be &s;hort, we had rather that &s;ome things had not been pretermitted, as we have thought good to declare particularly, that afterwards you might de|termine on the whole matter, as the &s;pirit of God &s;hall mini&s;ter unto you.</P>
<DIV3 N="1" TYPE="article">
<HEAD>1 <HI>What is the Chri&s;tian liberty.</HI></HEAD>
<P>CHri&s;tian liberty is not a wandering, and an un|ruly licence, by the which we may doe, or leave undone what&s;oever we li&s;t, at our plea&s;ure: but it is a free gift be&s;towed upon us, by Chri&s;t our Lord, by the which the children of God (that is all the faith|full) being delivered from the cur&s;e of the law, or e|ternall death, and from the heavy yoake of the ce|remoniall law, and being endowed with the holy gho&s;t, beginne willingly of their own accord to &s;erve God in holine&s;&s;e and righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="2" TYPE="article">
<HEAD>2 <HI>How this Liberty is tran&s;gre&s;&s;ed.</HI></HEAD>
<P>Therefore, &s;ith that he which is the &s;onne of God, is ruled by the &s;pirit of God, and that the &s;ame &s;pi|rit commandeth us that we &s;hould obey all ordinances of man (that is, all politique order whereof the ma|gi&s;trate is the gardian) and all &s;uperiours which watch for the health of our &s;oules, yea, and that according to our vocation wee &s;hould diligently procure the &s;afe|gard of our neighbour: it followeth, that that man abu&s;eth the benefit of Chri&s;tian liberty, or rather is yet &s;old under &s;inne, who doth not willingly obey either his magi&s;trate, or &s;uperior in the Lord, nor doth not indeavour to edifie the con&s;cience of his brother.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="3" TYPE="article">
<PB N="4" REF="7">
<HEAD>3 <HI>Of private mens judgement in matters indifferent.</HI></HEAD>
<P>Moreover what is profitable to edifie, and what is not, is not to be determined by the judgement of the common people, or of &s;ome &s;imple man, nor yet by the i&s;&s;ue of mens actions: but rather &s;ometime by the nature of tho&s;e things, touching the doing or not doing whereof, que&s;tion is moved (as if they be either com|manded or forbidden by GOD, and be agreeable unto our calling, or not). And &s;ometimes (as if the matters were otherwi&s;e of their own natures, mean or indifferent) they are to bee con&s;idered by the cir|cum&s;tances of the times, places and per&s;ons, weyghed according to the ballance of Gods word.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="4" TYPE="article">
<HEAD>4 <HI>Of Con&s;cience.</HI></HEAD>
<P>Con&s;cience is the feeling of Gods judgement, whether that a man bee a&s;&s;ured out of the word of God of that judgement, or that he make it to him&s;elf ra&s;hly and &s;uper&s;titiou&s;ly. But whereas it is the duty of Chri&s;tians to ob&s;erve the Commandements of their Lord, that indeed is properly called a right and good con&s;cience, which is governed by the word of God: whereby it cometh to pa&s;&s;e, that every faith|full man, by that revealed word doth examine and waigh with him&s;elfe, both what hee doth, and al&s;o what he letteth undone, that hee may judge of them both, which is ju&s;t, and which is unju&s;t.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="5" TYPE="article">
<HEAD>5 <HI>Things Indifferent.</HI></HEAD>
<P>Indifferent things are called tho&s;e, which by them|&s;elves,
<PB N="5" REF="7"> being &s;imply con&s;idered in their owne nature, are neither good nor bad, as meate and drinke, and &s;uch like, in the which therefore it is &s;aid, that the Kingdome of God con&s;i&s;teth not, and that therefore a man may u&s;e them well or evill: whereof it fol|loweth, that they are marvelou&s;ly deceived, which &s;uppo&s;e they are called indifferent, as though with|out any exception we may omit them, or u&s;e them, as often as we li&s;t, without any &s;inne.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="6" TYPE="article">
<HEAD>6. <HI>Things otherwi&s;e indifferent.</HI></HEAD>
<P>Things otherwi&s;e indifferent of them&s;elves, af|ter a &s;ort change their nature, when by &s;ome com|mandement they are either commanded, or forbid|den, becau&s;e neither they can be omitted contrary to the commandement, if they are once commanded, neither omitted contrary to prohibition, if they bee prohibited, as it appeareth in the ceremoniall law.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="7" TYPE="article">
<HEAD>7 <HI>Ceremoniall Lawes.</HI></HEAD>
<P>Albeit the yoak of the ceremonial law be taken away by Chri&s;tian liberty, and that it is not lawfull for any mortall man to lay another yoke in the place thereof, yet notwith&s;tanding the confu&s;ed u&s;e of indifferent things, may bee lawfully repre&s;&s;ed, both generally and &s;pecially.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="8" TYPE="article">
<HEAD>8 <HI>The U&s;e of things indifferent in generall.</HI></HEAD>
<P>Generally the u&s;e of the&s;e indifferent things is re|&s;trained by the law of charity, which is univer&s;all, that is, belonging to all men, and plainly forbidding
<PB N="6" REF="8"> that nothing otherwi&s;e indifferent and lawfull be done, whereby thy neighbour is de&s;troyed, or that any thing be omitted, whereby he may be edified. But yet here are two things to be pre&s;uppo&s;ed: the one, that judgement be taken out of the word of God, what may or ought to be done, or not done: the o|ther, that every man have con&s;ideration of his calling. And &s;o we &s;ay the words of the Apo&s;tle are to be un|der&s;tood, <HI>I was made all things to all men.</HI></P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="9" TYPE="article">
<HEAD>9. <HI>The u&s;e of things indifferent in &s;peciall.</HI></HEAD>
<P>Specially the u&s;e of the&s;e things is forbidden by Ec|cle&s;ia&s;ticall, or civill decree. For although that on|ly God doth properly binde the con&s;cience of man, yet in re&s;pect that either the Magi&s;trate, who is Gods Mini&s;ter, doth thinke it profitable for the Common|wealth, that &s;ome thing, otherwi&s;e of it &s;elf lawfull, bee not done, or that the Church, having regard to order, comeline&s;&s;e, and al&s;o edifying, doe make &s;ome Laws concerning indifferent things, tho&s;e laws are al|together to be ob&s;erved of the godly, and doe &s;o farre forth binde the con&s;cience, that no man wittingly, and willingly, with a &s;tubborne minde, may without &s;in, either doe tho&s;e things which are forbidden, or omit tho&s;e things which are commanded.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="10" TYPE="article">
<HEAD>10. <HI>Circum&s;tances in things indifferent be divers.</HI></HEAD>
<P>And &s;ith the&s;e things are not ordained &s;imply for them&s;elves, but in re&s;pect of certain circum&s;tances, not as though the things them&s;elves were of their own nature unlawfull (for it belongeth onely to God to
<PB N="7" REF="8"> determine this) in ca&s;e tho&s;e circum&s;tances doe cea&s;e, and &s;o be, that offence be avoyded as neere as we can, and that there be no &s;tubborn will of re&s;i&s;ting, no man is to be reproved of &s;in, which &s;hall do otherwi&s;e than tho&s;e Ordinances, as it is plain by the example of <HI>Da|vid</HI> in a ca&s;e otherwi&s;e flatly forbidden, when he ate the &s;hew bread.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="11" TYPE="article">
<HEAD>11. <HI>To forbid, or to command things indifferent, except for three cau&s;es, doe offend: al&s;o they that ra&s;hly judge other mens con&s;cience herein.</HI></HEAD>
<P>They which for any other cau&s;e, either command, or forbid, at their plea&s;ure, the free u&s;e of indifferent things, than for one of the&s;e three, that is, neither for edifying, nor for policy, nor Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall Order: and e&s;pecially tho&s;e, which doe ra&s;hly judge other mens con&s;ciences in the&s;e matters, offend hainou&s;ly again&s;t God, and again&s;t their neighbour.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="12" TYPE="article">
<HEAD>12. <HI>Chri&s;tian Liberty is not to be prejudiced generally, but by circum&s;tance.</HI></HEAD>
<P>Tho&s;e which thus do, either by open wickedne&s;&s;e, or by wilfull ignorance, are not to be regarded. But tho&s;e, which being deceived by &s;imple ignorance, or by authority of ancient cu&s;tome, have erred in the&s;e things, are to be borne withall, as much as may be, and yet but &s;o farre as Chri&s;tian liberty be not generally prejudiced, which thing is to be di&s;cerned, by the cir|cum&s;tances, and by the &s;pirit of di&s;cretion: as it ap|peareth not onely by the doctrine, but al&s;o the doings of &s;aint <HI>Paul,</HI> who reprehended <HI>Peter,</HI> circumci&s;ed <HI>Ti|mothy,</HI>
<PB N="8" REF="9"> and againe would not circumci&s;e <HI>Titus.</HI> And therefore there is no cau&s;e why the Church &s;hould al|ter this or that, being well ordained, for feare of offen|ding &s;ome private men.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="13" TYPE="article">
<HEAD>13 <HI>They are to be reproved which wound weak con&s;ciences in things indifferent.</HI></HEAD>
<P>Even as they of whom I &s;pake a little before, do gree|viou&s;ly offend again&s;t God, and their neighbor, &s;o are they greatly to be blamed, who either by prepo&s;te|rous zeale, or by impatience, do quite overthrow the con&s;ciences which are weak, and not throughly in|&s;tructed in indifferent things, either to doe them, or to leave them undone, as likewi&s;e they offend on the o|ther &s;ide, which by their winking cherri&s;h and con|firme the weakne&s;&s;e of their brethren.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="14" TYPE="article">
<HEAD>14 <HI>Con&s;titutions are &s;ome univer&s;all, and &s;ome particular.</HI></HEAD>
<P>The&s;e Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall con&s;titutions being lawfully made in re&s;pect of certaine circum&s;tances (that is of order and for common utility, and not as though there were any wor&s;hiping of God placed in them) are not onely Catholique, that is, univer&s;all, but al&s;o &s;ome|times particular, for the manifold variety of the cir|cum&s;tances: and therefore both the&s;e men offend which doe ra&s;hly change them that are Catholique, and al&s;o tho&s;e which doe &s;tifly retaine the &s;ame, al|beit there be e&s;peciall nece&s;&s;ity to alter them: but cheif|ly tho&s;e which by wrong judgement thru&s;t particular ceremonies unto all men.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="15" TYPE="article">
<PB N="9" REF="9">
<HEAD>15 <HI>What the Church is. Sometime manife&s;t: &s;ometime ob&s;cure.</HI></HEAD>
<P>The Church of Chri&s;t is a congregation of men profe&s;&s;ing Chri&s;ts Go&s;pell in the which the Go&s;pell is purely taught, and the Sacraments duly admini&s;tred out of the word of God, by mini&s;tres caled to the &s;ame purpo&s;e. The which congregation &s;ometime is &s;mall, and &s;ometime great, and &s;ometime is &s;eene of men (as when the mini&s;tery is publique) and &s;ometime hidden and as it were for a time overwhelmed, either by pub|lique corruption of all e&s;tates, or force of the enemy or by both the&s;e mi&s;cheifes, God excerci&s;ing his ju&s;t judgement again&s;t mans wickedne&s;&s;e, but never quite de&s;troying his congregation.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="16" TYPE="article">
<HEAD>16 <HI>Every man mu&s;t joyne him&s;elfe to &s;ome particular Church being vi&s;ible.</HI></HEAD>
<P>So often as God doth ordeine &s;uch vi&s;ible compa|nies, to make him&s;elfe knowne in them, to call his e|lect, and to di&s;pen&s;e the riches of his &s;pirit by the mi|ni&s;terie of his word and Sacraments, it is very mani|fe&s;t, that it is mo&s;t nece&s;&s;ary, that every man which will not teach God and his wi&s;dome, to his owne mo&s;t certaine de&s;truction) according as opportunity is offered, do joyne and &s;ubmit him&s;elfe to &s;ome parti|cular church, as it were to &s;ome certaine Pari&s;h, in this great and wide city of God.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="17" TYPE="article">
<HEAD>17 <HI>No &s;uperiority in particular Churches.</HI></HEAD>
<P>Now that the Catholique Church of God may continue in unity, it is not lawfull for any particular
<PB N="10" REF="10"> Church to u&s;urpe any &s;upremacie or &s;uperiority over an other, by authority to judge it, condemne it, or to &s;eperate her &s;elfe from it, e&s;pecially &s;ith it is manife&s;t that all the Churches of God are endowed with e|quall power.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="18" TYPE="article">
<HEAD>18 <HI>Sinods for to decide controver&s;ies.</HI></HEAD>
<P>Furthermore if any particular Church finde any fault in an other, whether it be in doctrine or in man|ners, and then by brotherly conference and godly ex|hortation prevaile nothing, the &s;ame mu&s;t, (avoyd|ing all curio&s;itie, which is able to &s;et congregations at varience, and ob&s;erving the hand of common friend|&s;hip) endeavour to refer the whole matter unto a Sy|node or councell, in the which the controver&s;ie may be tryed onely by the word of God. By the name of a Synod we under&s;tand not, neither an oecumenicall councell, as they terme it (for who &s;hall gather it to|gether?) neither any &s;uch meeting, whereunto it is ne|ce&s;&s;ary that certaine hundreds of Churches meet toge|ther, except the order of &s;ome region be &s;uch, but &s;uch an one unto the which, according to the place and time, other Churches, either neare at hand, or far off, may be joyned, which by the word of God may decide the controver&s;ie.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="19" TYPE="article">
<HEAD>19 <HI>Schi&s;mes and apo&s;tacy from the Church is to bee avoyded.</HI></HEAD>
<P>Wherefore to avoid the filthy and pe&s;tilent ren|ting and tearing a&s;under of the holy body of Chri&s;t, we thinke it is not lawfull for any man for any cau&s;e,
<PB N="11" REF="10"> to depart from Chri&s;ts Church, that is, from that Church in which at the lea&s;t-wi&s;e that doctrine is pre|&s;erved whole and &s;ound, wherein con&s;i&s;teth the &s;ound|ne&s;&s;e of Religion, and wherein the u&s;e of the Sacra|ments, which Chri&s;t hath in&s;tituted, is pre&s;erved. And therefore we affirme that not only heretiques, but al&s;o &s;chi&s;matiques, doe grievou&s;ly offend. To depart out of Chri&s;ts Church, is not &s;imply to goe from one company to another, but as though thou remaine in one place, to &s;eperate thy &s;elfe from the fellow&s;hip of the congregation, as though thou were no member thereof.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="20" TYPE="article">
<HEAD>20 <HI>The lawful Mini&s;ters and Elders repre&s;ent the church.</HI></HEAD>
<P>In the Church of Chri&s;t, that is to &s;ay, in the hou&s;e or city of the living God, the con&s;i&s;tory or fellow&s;hip of governours con&s;i&s;ting of the mini&s;ters of the&punc; word, and of Seniors lawfully called, &s;u&s;teineth the per&s;on of the univer&s;all Church in eccle&s;ia&s;ticall government, even as every magi&s;trate in his common wealth.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="21" TYPE="article">
<HEAD>21 <HI>Let no man trouble the congregation but aske coun&s;el of the Pa&s;tors. No law is to be made but according to the word profitable and nece&s;&s;ary.</HI></HEAD>
<P><CHOICE>
<SIC>In</SIC>
<CORR>If</CORR>
</CHOICE> any man, either private, or bearing publique office in the Church, doe not agree unto the Eccle&s;i|a&s;ticall con&s;titutions now made and received, e&s;peci|ally &s;uch as are catholique, he is bound to aske coun|cell modestly of the Pa&s;tors and Seniors, and to &s;tand to their arbitriment, at the lea&s;t thus far, that he trou|ble not the congregation, according to that &s;aying of the Apo&s;tle, <HI>If any man lu&s;t to be contentious, we have no &s;uch cu&s;tome, neither the Churches of God.</HI> But if
<PB N="12" REF="11"> there be any &s;tirre concerning the making of lawes, then mu&s;t nothing at al be ra&s;hly altered, no not by the con&s;i&s;tory it s;elfe: and before any law be e&s;tabli&s;hed, we mu&s;t not onely &s;ee whether it be agreeable to the word of God, but al&s;o whether it be profitable, and almo&s;t nece&s;&s;ary to bee brought up. But in ca&s;e there be but a lawfull &s;u&s;pition that &s;ome of the flocke will be offended, &amp; yet it is not meet the whole congrega|tion give voice therein, and that the helpe of a good Magi&s;trate doe want, the opinion of &s;uch men are to be asked and diligently weighed, that the&s;e which are weake may be in&s;tructed, and if any &s;hall be &s;tubborn they may in time be admoni&s;hed of their duty. Nei|ther &s;hall it grieve them, if the matter &s;o require; to &s;eeke councel of &s;uch Churches as are lea&s;t &s;u&s;pected or of &s;ome godly and learned men, &s;o that nothing be decreed in the Church of God, but with fruite and e|dification.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="22" TYPE="article">
<HEAD>22 <HI>Such as re&s;i&s;t godly lawes and con&s;pire again&s;t Gods mini&s;ters are enemies to the Church.</HI></HEAD>
<P>Tho&s;e which &s;hall factiou&s;ly &s;et them&s;elves again&s;t lawes made after this &s;ort, and will not be brought to their duty, and much rather tho&s;e which con&s;pire a|gain&s;t their mini&s;ters and &s;eniors, are worthy to bee handled as open enemies to the Church.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="23" TYPE="article">
<HEAD>23 <HI>How farre the authority and duty of the Mini&s;ters and Elders of Chri&s;ts Church is extended.</HI></HEAD>
<P>It belongeth onely to the con&s;i&s;tory, to be occupi|ed in making new lawes of di&s;cipiline, as we &s;tand in trembling and feare of the Lord, and in applying &s;uch as are already made to the pre&s;ent nece&s;&s;ity, and
<PB N="13" REF="11"> in admoni&s;hing, and al&s;o if the la&s;t remedy mu&s;t needs be u&s;ed, either in &s;u&s;pending from the &s;upper of our Lord, or in once excommunicating them which have offended, according as the circum&s;tances of the thing, the time, and per&s;ons &s;hall &s;eeme to require. For is it not written of the univer&s;al Church, nor of the whole congregation in any particular Church, but only of the fore&s;aid governours of the Church (whom Chri&s;t in&s;tituted in his Church according to the example of the former Church of the Jewes) <HI>Tell the Church, and if he refu&s;e to heare the Church, let him be unto thee as a heathen, and a publican.</HI></P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="24" TYPE="article">
<HEAD>24 <HI>What excommunication is, and for whom of Chri&s;t ordeined.</HI></HEAD>
<P>Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall excommunication, is the publique judgement of the &s;eniors of the Church, again&s;t a &s;ubject of the Church, having fallen, and being unre|pentant, after lawfull examination, and due ad|monition of his faults, pronounced in the name of Chri&s;t our Lord, and by the authority of his word, wherby it is declared, that the &s;ame man until he (re|pent) is ca&s;t out of the Church of God and communi|on of &s;aints, and given over unto &s;athan.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="25" TYPE="article">
<HEAD>25 <HI>All matters of injury ought to be pro&s;ecuted charitably and with mode&s;ty.</HI></HEAD>
<P>If any man complayn of injury done unto him, they &s;hall fir&s;t complayne to the con&s;i&s;tory, and that after a mode&s;t &s;ort, as it becommeth Chri&s;tians, rather con|fe&s;&s;ing their faults than excu&s;ing them, that if it might be, the matter might be determined &amp; ended at home. But in ca&s;e it cannot &s;o be, either they mu&s;t &s;eeke unto other Churches, or if neede be, they mu&s;t goe to the Chri&s;tian Magi&s;trate, or refer the matter unto a Sy|node.
<PB N="14" REF="12"> That order (to be &s;hort) &s;hall be ob&s;erved which is u&s;ed in that country where any &s;uch thing &s;hall hap|pen. In the meane &s;ea&s;on, who&s;oever &s;hall factiou&s;|ly pro&s;ecute the matter, &amp; not rather peaceably folow the cau&s;e, he declareth him&s;elfe therein worthy, who even for that &s;hould be removed out of the Church.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="26" TYPE="article">
<HEAD>26. <HI>Excommunicate per&s;ons not to be received into the congregation before manife&s;t proofe of unfained repentance.</HI></HEAD>
<P>Tho&s;e which be lawfully excommunicated, or have unlawfully departed from the Church with offence, in &s;o much as they are bani&s;hed from the Kingdome of Chri&s;t and from &s;alvation, they can in no wi&s;e be ad|mitted unto any publick function in the Church, or to the u&s;e of the Sacraments, untill &s;uch time as they have ju&s;tly &s;atisfied the congregation, neither can there bee any company joyned, or kept with them, except it be &s;uch as may make to their amendment, or at the lea&s;t|wi&s;e be politick and moderate, and after a civil maner.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="27" TYPE="article">
<HEAD>27. <HI>Civill Magi&s;trates be of God, and to what end of him ordained.</HI></HEAD>
<P>The civill Magi&s;trate is an ordinance from God, by the which through the help of the nobility, good men being protected, and wicked men corrected, godline&s;&s;e, hone&s;ty, and peace are pre&s;erved among&s;t men.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="28" TYPE="article">
<HEAD>28. <HI>Civill ordinances made by civill Magi&s;trates, ought to be obeyed</HI></HEAD>
<P>Who&s;oever will not re&s;i&s;t the ordinance of God, mu&s;t without any exception of per&s;ons, be al&s;o &s;ubject unto the Magi&s;trate, and obey his commandement, &s;o that it be not repugnant to the word of God.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="29" TYPE="article">
<HEAD>29. <HI>The godly Magi&s;trate, and al&s;o the wicked, be Gods in&s;tru|ments, the one a ble&s;&s;ing, the other a &s;courge.</HI></HEAD>
<P>As the godly and faithfull Magi&s;trate is an ine&s;ti|mable ble&s;&s;ing of the Lord: even &s;o a wicked, unfaith|full,
<PB N="15" REF="12"> fooli&s;h, and tyrannicall Magi&s;trate, is &s;tirred up of God in his anger, to be a &s;courge and cha&s;ti&s;ement, to puni&s;h the &s;in and wickedne&s;&s;e of his &s;ubjects.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="30" TYPE="article">
<HEAD>30. <HI>It belongeth to the civill Magi&s;trates to defend the Church of Chri&s;t.</HI></HEAD>
<P>As it the duty of the Magi&s;trate to maintaine and defend the Church of God with the &s;word, even &s;o is it the duty of the Mini&s;ters of the Church in the be|half of the &s;ame, to crave his help again&s;t rebells, he|reticks, and tyrants, as often as they think need &s;hall require.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="31" TYPE="article">
<HEAD>31. <HI>Every man in his vocation ought to live as a &s;ubject.</HI></HEAD>
<P>If any man again&s;t the lawes and priviledges of his country, advanc't him&s;elfe as a lord or magi&s;trate: or if he who is confirmed in the office of a magi&s;trate, doe wrongfully &s;poyl his &s;ubjects of their priviledges, and liberty which he hath &s;worn unto them, or by open tyranny oppre&s;&s;e them, then ought the inferiour magi|&s;trates to &s;et them&s;elves again&s;t him, who according to God and their duty ought to defend the &s;ubjects as well again&s;t the dome&s;ticall as forrain tyrants, <HI>In this article (as our wor&s;hipfull brethren of Geneva did al&s;o admoni&s;h us) our mind is not to have any window laid open to any rebellion or inju&s;tice.</HI></P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="32" TYPE="article">
<HEAD>31. <HI>Manife&s;t and notorious crimes (of the inferior Magi&s;trate) are to be only puni&s;hed by the Prince: and herein all private men and other rather to &s;uffer wrong, than to rebell.</HI></HEAD>
<P>But if there be &s;ome fault in his per&s;on, who accor|ding to the laws and rites of the country, is lord and ruler either by clo&s;e or open con&s;ent, to wit, that he is ungodly, or covetous, or ambitious, or cruell, or a fornicator, or uncha&s;te, &amp;c. it belongeth only to the
<PB N="16" REF="13"> &s;uperior Magi&s;trate and e&s;tates of the country to cor|rect it but it is the duty of al private men, &amp; al&s;o of al inferior Magi&s;trates, that herein rendring due obedi|ence, they rather chu&s;e to &s;uffer wrong, than that lea|ving their vocation wherein every man ought alwaies to continue him&s;elfe) to &s;et force again&s;t force to deale unju&s;tly.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="conclusion">
<P>And the&s;e are tho&s;e things, brethren, which, &s;ith yee &s;o required, we thought good to write unto you &s;in|cerely and franckly, concerning this bu&s;ine&s;&s;e. The Lord our God the author of all peace and concord, grant, that as we herein purpo&s;ed with our &s;elves, &s;o &s;ome fruit may redound to the edifying of your Church by this our &s;mall labour, unto who&s;e good prayers we commend us all.</P>
</DIV3>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 LANG="lat" TYPE="version">
<PB N="1" REF="5">
<OPENER><SALUTE>Piis Je&s;u Chri&s;ti &s;ervis Eccle&s;iae Bel|gio-Germanicae Londinen&s;is Pa&s;to|ribus ac Senioribus, Fratribus ac &s;ym|my&s;tis in Domino plurimum ob&s;er|vandis: Gratiam &amp; pacem a Deo Patre per Je&s;um Chri&s;t|um Dominum no|&s;trum, Amen.</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>Qu&agrave;m grave nobis fuit intelligere (ob|&s;ervandi fratres) quibus quanti&s;que, di&s;&s;idiis Eccle&s;ia vobis commi&s;&s;a ja|ctetur, tam nobis jucundum e&s;t intel|ligere, vos non tan|tum de in&s;tauranda pace &amp; concordia cogitare; verumeti|am ejus rei perfi|ciendae cau&s;a, id poti&s;&s;imum con&s;i|lium capere, quod in primis utile &amp; nece&s;&s;arium e&s;&s;e arbitramur. Qu&ugrave;m enim &s;it Eccle&s;ia ex Dei verbo tanquam ex &s;emine quodam ingenita, nec alio etiam alimento adole&s;cat,
<PB N="2" REF="6"> recte omnino vide|mini cogita&s;&s;e, non alia ratione, quam &s;ana &s;emel con&s;ti|tuta doctrina, tum jam exortas contro|ver&s;ias componi, tum alias for&s;an ex|orituras impediri po&s;&s;e. Lubenter ita&abque; legimus &amp; expen|dimus the&s;es a vo|bis per&s;criptas de Chri&s;tiana libertate &amp; aliis aliquot ad|haerentibus quae&s;ti|onibus, nimirum de legitimo rerum in|differentiu~ u&s;u, de|nique de juri&s;dicti|onis tum Eccle&s;ia|&s;ticae tum civilis fi|nibus Quid autem nobis de iis videa|tur, quoniam a no|bis (nunquam alio|qui no&s;trum judici|um interpo&s;ituris) tam enixe flagitatis, ut fratres etiam hac de re ad nos mit|tendos cen&s;ueritis, non potuimus ne&abque; de&s;iderio ve&s;tro, ne|que officio no&s;tro dee&s;&s;e. Re&s;ponde|mus igitur vobis, in genere probari do|ctrinam in iis comprehen&s;am ut verbo Dei &amp; piorum authorum &s;criptis con&s;en<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">aneam, &amp; hunc <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 word"> cum &s;anctis Eccle&s;iis con&s;en&s;um vobis in Domino gratulamur, in quo etiam rogamus, ut magis ac magis ad extremum u&s;que con&s;tanter per&s;everetis. Sed hoc tamen pro eo jure, quod ip|&s;i nobis tribui&s;tis, ingenue &amp; &s;yncer&egrave; apud vos fatemur, de&s;iderari a nobis in quibu&s;dam per&s;picui autem, quam &s;atis intelligitis in eju&s;modi aphori&s;mis praecipue requiri. Non de&s;unt etia~ nonnulla, quae d<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="2 letters">iu&s;cule, alia quae nimium conci&s;e, quaedam quae non &s;uo loco dicta nobis quidem vide<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="3 letters">.
<PB N="3" REF="6"> Nonnulla denique mallemus non prae|termi&s;&s;a, &s;icut &s;igil|latim vobis decla|randum arbitrari &s;u|mus, ut de re tota po&s;tea, quicquid vo|bis Dei Spirit&abus; &s;ug|ge&s;&s;erit, &s;tatuatis.</P>
<DIV3 N="1" TYPE="article">
<P>Chri&s;tiana libertas non e&s;t vaga &amp; ef|fraenis licentia, qua quicquid lubet, pro no&s;tro arbitrio aga|mus aut omittamus &s;ed e&s;t gratuitum do|num per Chri&s;tum Dominum no&s;trum in nos collatum, per quod filii Dei (id e&s;t credentes omnes) a maledictione legis, &s;ive a morte aeterni, itemque a legalium ceremoniarum jugo liberati, &s;imulque &s;ancto Spiritu do|nati, incipiunt ultro &amp; &s;ponte in &s;ancti|tate &amp; ju&s;titia Deo &s;ervire.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="2" TYPE="article">
<P>Itaque quum, qui fi|lius Dei e&s;t, Spiritu Dei regatur, jubeat autem etiam Dei Spiritus, ut &amp; omni humanae ordinatio|ni (id e&s;t, ordini po|litice, cujus cu&s;tos e&s;t Magi&s;tratus) &amp; praepo&s;itis pro ani|marum no&s;trarum &s;alute vigilantibus obediamus, adeoque pro no&s;trae vocationis ratione, proximorum &s;alutem &s;edulo procurimus: con|&s;equitur cum abu&s;i Chri&s;tianae libertatis <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 span"> vel potius adhuc e&s;&s;e <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 chunk">datam sub peccato qui vel &s;uis magi&s;tratibus, vel praepo&s;itis <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 span"> in Domino, nec con&s;cientiam fra|trum aedificare &s;tudet.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="3" TYPE="article">
<PB N="4" REF="7">
<HEAD>3</HEAD>
<P>Quid porro ad edificationem faci|at, quid minus, non e&s;t ex vulgi aut de|ni&abque; &s;implicis cuju&s;|quam hominis ju|dicio, neque eti|am ex actionum eventu ae&s;timan|dum, &s;ed interdum quidem ex rerum ip&s;arum natura, de quibus agendis vel omittendis quaeri|tur, (puta &s;i a deo vel praeceptae vel inhi|bitae &s;int, &amp; no&s;trae vocationi con&s;en|tanae vel minus). Interdum <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 word"> vero nempe &s;i res alio|qui &s;uapte natura mediae &amp; indiffe|rentes fuerint) ex temporum, loco|rum &amp; per&s;onarum circum&s;tantiis ad verbi Dei trutinam expen&s;is.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="4" TYPE="article">
<P>Con&s;cientia qui|dem e&s;t &s;en&s;us di|vini iudicii, &s;ive quia &s;it ex verbo Dei de illo iudicio eductus, &s;ive illud &s;ibi temere aut &s;u|per&s;titio&s;e fabricet. Verum quum Chri|&s;tianis opporteat tenent Domini &s;ui mandata, ea demum proprie vocatur re|cta &amp; bona con&s;ci|entia, quae verbo Dei regitur: quo fit, ut qui&s;que fidelis &amp; quod agit &amp; quod omittit ad illud revelatum verbum eximinet pen&s;iculetque, ut de utroque, num ju&s;tum vel inju&s;tum &s;it, &s;tatuat.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="5" TYPE="article">
<P>Res mediae di|cuntur, quae per &s;e,
<PB N="5" REF="7"> &s;ive ex &s;ui natura &s;impliciter ae&s;tima|tae, nec bonae nec malae &s;unt, ut e&s;ca &amp; potus, &amp; &s;imilia, in quibus propre rea dicitur non e&s;&s;e po|&s;itum regnum Dei, ac proinde quibus aliquis vel bene vel male uti, aut non uti po&s;&s;it: ex quo efficitur, vehemen|ter errare, qui indif|ferentes vocari pu|tant, qua&s;i &s;ine ulla exceptione, quoties libet, eas vel omit|tere vel u&s;utpare li|ceat absque pecca|to.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="6" TYPE="article">
<P>Res alioqui per &s;e mediae, mutant quodammodo na|turam, quum ali|quo legitimo man|dato vel praecipiun|tur, vel prohiben|tur, quia neque contra praeceptum omitti po&s;&s;unt &s;i praecipiantur&punc; neque contra interdictum fieri, &s;i prohiben|tur, &s;icut in lege ceremoniali appa|ret.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="7" TYPE="article">
<P>Et&s;i jugum legis ceremonalis &s;u&s;tu|lit Chri&s;tiana li|bertis, &amp; in <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 word"> locum non licet cuiquam mortali aliud jugum im|ponere, tamen rerum mediarum u&s;us nimium premi&s;cu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">s legitime coercetur, tum in genere tum in &s;pecie.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="8" TYPE="article">
<P> In genere coercetur rerum i&s;tarum mediarum u&s;us per legem charitatis, quae uni|ver&s;alis e&s;t, id e&s;t, ad omnes, &amp; ad omnia &s;pectans, ac di&s;erte ca<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ens, ne quid,
<PB N="6" REF="8"> etiam alioqui me|dium ac licitum fiat, quo preximus de&s;truatur, vel o|mittatur, quo aedi|ficetur. Sed duo ta|men hic in pri|mis prae&s;upponen|da &s;unt: Unum, ut quid fieri vel omit|ti po&s;&s;it ac debeat, Iemper ex Dei ver|bo judicetur: alterum, ut unu&s;qui&s;que habeat vocatio|nis &s;uae <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">ationem. Et ita intelligen|dum dicimus illud apo&s;toli. Factus &s;um omnibus omnia.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="9" TYPE="article">
<P>In &s;pecie vero co|ercetur earum re|rum u&s;us ex con&s;ti|tutione vel politi|ca vel Eccle&s;ia&s;tica. Et&s;i enim con&s;cien|tias proprie &s;olus Deus ligat, tamen quatenus vel Mag|&s;tratus, qui Dei mi|ni&s;ter e&s;t, judicat intere&s;&s;e Reipub ut quicquam alioqui per &s;e licitum non fiat: vel Eccle&s;ia ordinis &amp; decori, adeoque aedificati|onis rationem ha|bens, leges aliquas de rebus mediis rite condit, eiu&s;modi leges piis omnino &s;unt ob&s;ervandae, &amp; catenus con&s;cien|tias ligant, ut nemo &s;ciens &amp; prudens, rebellandi animo, po&s;&s;it ab&s;que peccato, vel facere quae ita prohibentur, vel omittere quae &s;ic praecipiuntur.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="10" TYPE="article">
<P>Quum autem i&s;ta non per &s;e, &s;ed ob certis demum circum&s;tantiis ordinentur, non qua&s;i res ip&s;ae &s;ua pie natura &s;int illicitae (hoc enim con&s;ti|tuere
<PB N="7" REF="8"> &s;olius Dei e&s;t) ce&s;&s;antibus i&s;tiu&s;|modi circum&s;tan|tiis, &amp; modo pro <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 word"> offen|diculum, ab&s;itque improba rebellandi voluntas, nemo peccati arguendus e&s;t, qui praeter illas ordinationes fece|rit, &s;icut ex ip&s;o Davidis exemplo liquet, in re alio|qui expre&s;&s;e inhi|ta, ut qui panes pro|po&s;itionis ederit.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="11" TYPE="article">
<P>Qui propter aliam rationem quam il|lam triplicem, id e&s;t, nec propter aedificationem, nec propter politicam aut Eccle&s;ia&s;ticam con&s;titutionem, li|berum rerum me|diarum u&s;um pro|hibito vel praecipi|unt, vel <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 span"> qui alienas con&s;cienti|as temere in his re|bus judicant, gravi|ter &amp; in Deum et in proximum pec|cant.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="12" TYPE="article">
<P>Qui hoc faciunt vel manife&s;ta improbitate, vel affect<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="3 letters"> ignorantia, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 word"> non &s;unt. Qui vero ignorantia simplici vel vetu&s;ti <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 word"> u&s;us authoritate <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 word"> in his rebus aberrant, tolerandi &s;unt, quoad eius fieri pote&s;t, eo u&s;que tamen, ut ip&s;i Chri&s;tianae li|bertati in communi praeiudicium non <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 word">, id quod ex circum&s;tantiis &amp; &s;piritu di&s;cretionis de iudi|candum e&s;t &s;icut ex Pauli non tantum doctrina, &s;ed etiam ex factis liquet, Petrum quidem rereh|endentis,
<PB N="8" REF="9"> Timo|heum vero circum|cidentis, &amp; rur&s;us Titum non cir|cumcidentis: Ac proinde cau&s;a non e&s;t, cur ob privato|rum quorundam offen&s;iones Eccle|&s;ia hoc vel illud re|cte con&s;titutum immutet.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="13" TYPE="article">
<P>Sicut &s;i de quibus paulo ante diximus graviter in Deum &amp; in proximum peccant, ita &s;unt magnopere repre|hendendi, qui in|firmas, &amp;, in rebus indifferentibus vel faciendis vel non faciendis, non|dum &s;atis cruditas con&s;cientias, vel praepo&s;tero zelo vel impatientis, penitus &s;ubveriunt: &s;icut &amp; illi in con|trarium peccant qui &s;ua conniventia infirmitatem fra|t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">um &s;ovent &amp; confirmant.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="14" TYPE="article">
<P>Con&s;titutiones i&s;tae eccle&s;ia&s;ticae ob certas circum&s;tan|tiis legitime factae (ordinis videlicet re publicae utilitatis <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 word">, non autem qua&s;i &s;it in iis cul|tus Dei po&s;itus) non tantum &s;unt Catholicae, id e&s;t univer&s;ales, verum etiam particulares interdum, propter multipli|cem circum&s;tantiarum varietatem; ac proinde peccant, tum qui Catholicas temere immutant, tum qui ea&s;dem, etiam&s;i certa mutationis nece&s;&s;itas incumbat, pertiniciter potius quam con&s;tanter <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">tinent: tum vero maxime, qui &s;ini&s;tro judicio particulares quibu&s;vis obtrudunt.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="15" TYPE="article">
<PB N="9" REF="9">
<P>Eccle&s;ia Chri&s;ti e&s;t coetus hominum Evangelium Chri|&s;ti profitentium, in quo per mini&s;tros ad hoc vocatos E|vangelii doctrina pure traditur, &amp; Sacramenta ex Dei verbo admini&s;tran|tur, qui coetus ali|quando rarus e&s;t, a|liquando numero|&s;us: &amp; interdum hominibus con&s;pi|cuus (con&s;tante vi|delicet publico mi|ni&s;terio) interdum delite&s;cens, &amp; ad tempus veluti ob|rutus, aut publicis omnium ordinum corruptelis, aut vi ho&s;tili, aut utroque illo malo, exercen|te Domino ju&s;ta &s;ua judicia in ho|minum perfidiam, &s;ed nunquam ta|men Eccle&s;iam &s;u|am penitus delente</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="16" TYPE="article">
<P>Quoties Deus tales vi&s;ibiles hominum coetus in&s;tituit, ut &s;e in iis patefaciat, &s;u|os electos vocet, ac &s;piritus &s;ui divitias per verbi &s;ui &amp; Sa|cramentorum mi|ni&s;terium di&s;pen&s;et, evidens fit, pror&s;us nece&s;&s;arium e&s;&s;e, ut (qui&s;quis in &s;uum certi&s;&s;imum exiti|um Deo eju&s;que &s;apientiae prae&s;cri|bere nolit) pro oblata oportunitate &s;e alicui particulari Eccle&s;iae (tanquam cuidam certae in va&s;ta ha<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> Dei civitate parcaciae) conjungat &s;ubjiciatque.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="17" TYPE="article">
<P>Ut vero Catholicae Eccle&s;iae Dei &s;ua con&s;tet unitas
<PB N="10" REF="10"> non licet particula|ri Eccle&s;iae u&s;urpare in aliam primatum aut &s;uperioritatem, ut eam &s;ua autho|ritate judicet, con|demuet, ab eaque &s;ece&s;&s;ionem faciat, prae&s;ertim quum manife&s;tum &s;it, om|nes Dei Eccle&s;ias aequali pote&s;tate a Chri&s;to donatas e&s;&s;e.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="18" TYPE="article">
<P>Porro &s;i particularis aliqua Eccle&s;ia quidpiam in alia de&s;ideret, &s;ive id ad doctrinam &s;ive ad mores &s;pectet, ac fraterne pie&abque; con|ferendo &amp; monen|do nihil proficiat, curabit vitata omni <GAP DESC="foreign"> quae po&s;&s;it Eccle&s;ias inter &s;e comminere, &amp; &s;ervato commu|nis concordiae vin|culo, rem totam ad Synodum referri, in quo ex uno Dei verbo de controver|&s;ia dijudicetur. Sy|nodi autem nomine non intelligimus neque oecumeni|cum, quod vocant Concilium, (quis enim illud coget?) neque coetum ad quem nece&s;&s;e &s;it a|liquot centenas Ec|cle&s;ias convenire, ni&s;i forte ali<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">ju<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> regionis ordo ita &s;erat, &s;ed cui pro ratione loci &amp; temporis, adhibeantur aliae, &s;eu vicinae &s;eu longinquae Eccle&s;iae, quae ex verbo Dei controver&s;iam dirimant.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="19" TYPE="article">
<P>Itaque ad evitandam foe|dam &amp; pernicio&s;am membrorum in &s;acro Chri&s;ti corpore lacerationem &amp; divul&s;ionem, arbitramur
<PB N="11" REF="10"> nulli licere ulla de cau&s;e di&s;ce&s;&s;ionem facere a Chri&s;ti Ec|cle&s;ia, id e&s;t, in qua &s;altem ea &s;alva &amp; illibata doctrina re|tineatur, qua con|&s;tat incolumitas pietatis, &amp; Sacra|mentorum u&s;us a domino in&s;titutus cu&s;todiatur. Ideo|que non tantum Haereticos, &s;ed eti|am &s;chi&s;maticos omnes graviter pec|care dicimus. Di&s;|cedere autem a Chri&s;ti Eccle&s;ia, non e&s;t &s;impliciter mi|grare ex uno coetu in alium, &s;ed etiam &s;i in eodem loco maneas, &s;e jungere &s;e&s;e a communi Eccle&s;iae coetu, tan|quam non &s;is ejus membrum.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="20" TYPE="article">
<P>In Eccle&s;ia Chri&s;ti, id e&s;t in domo &s;ive civitate Dei viventis, con&s;i&s;torium &s;ive gubernatorum coetus ex mini&s;tris verbi &amp; &s;enioribus legitime vocatis con&s;tans, per&s;onam &s;u&s;tinet univer&s;ae Eccle&s;ias in Ec|cle&s;ia&s;tico mune|re, quemadmod<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters"> qui&s;que Magi&s;tra|tus in &s;ua Repub.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="21" TYPE="article">
<P>Si qui&s; &s;ive privatu &s;ive publico munere fungens in Eccle&s;ia, jam conditis ac receptis Eccle&s;ia&s;ti|cis con&s;titutionibus prae&s;ertim Catholicis, non acquie&s;cit, mode&s;te con&s;ulere pa&s;tores &amp; Seniores tenetur, &amp; eorum judicio &s;tare, hactenus &s;altem, ut Eccle&s;iam non turbet, juxta illud Apo&s;toli dictum. Si quis vult contentio&s;us e&s;&s;e, nos talem con&s;uetudinem non habemus, ne&abque; eccle&s;ia Dei.
<PB N="12" REF="11"> Sin vero de con|dendis agitur, tune nihil pror&s;us, ne ip&s;i quidem &s;yne|drio temere no|vandum e&s;t: &amp; an|tequam lex ulla lanciatur, non tan|tum videndum, an verbo Dei con&s;en|tanea &s;it, verum e|tiam an utile &s;it ac pene nece&s;&s;arium illam eo ip&s;o intro|duci. Quod &s;i vel le|vi&s;&s;ima &s;it &s;u&s;picio, aliquem ex grege offen&s;um iri, nec tamen totum coe|tum in &s;uffragium mittere expediat, &amp; pii Magi&s;tratus &s;ub&s;idium de&s;it, percontandae &amp; ex|pendendae &s;unt e|ju&s;modi hominum &s;ententiae, at erudi|antur infirmi, &amp; &s;i|qui pervicaces fu|turi videantur, tem|pe&s;tive officii ad|moneantur. Nec pigebit etiam, &s;i res ita po&s;tulas, aut Ec|cle&s;ias aliquas mi|nime omnium &s;u&s;|pectas, aut pios &amp; eruditos homines con&s;ulere, ut nihil ni&s;i cum fructu &amp; aedificatione in Ec|cle&s;ia Dei &s;tatuatur</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="22" TYPE="article">
<P>Hac ratione p<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">rl<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">|t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters"> legibus, qui &s;e factio&s;e opponunt, nec &s;e ad officium revocari patiuntur, ac multo magis qui in &s;uos mini&s;tros aut Seniores conjurant, digni &s;unt; qui ut publici Eccle&s;iae ho&s;tes tractentur.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="23" TYPE="article">
<P>Uni<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">s e&s;t Con&s;i&s;torii de condendis di&s;ciplinae novis legibus, ita, uti diximus, in timore, &amp; trerrore Domini cogitare, conditas autem ad prae&s;entem nece&s;&s;itatem accommodare,
<PB N="13" REF="11"> tum admonendis, tum etiam, &s;i ultimo remedio &s;it opus, vel a coena domini &s;u&s;pendendis, vel &s;emel excommuni|candis, qui pecca|verint, prout rei, temporis &amp; per&s;o|narum rationes po|&s;tulare videbuntur. Nam nec de Catho|lica Eccle&s;ia, nec etiam de totius multitudinis in par|ticulari aliqua Ec|cle&s;ia coetu, &s;ed de dictis Eccle&s;iae gu|bernatoribus (quos Chri&s;tus ad exem|plum &s;uperioris Judaicae in &s;uam Eccle&s;iam intro|duxit) &s;criptum e&s;t, Dic Eccle&s;iae Quod &s;i Eccle&s;iam audire <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">eglexerit, &s;it tibi velut quiv<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">s Ethni|cus &amp; publicinus.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="24" TYPE="article">
<P>Eccle&s;ia&s;tica ex|communicatio, e&s;t publicum Seniorum Eccle&s;iae judicium, in lap&s;um, &amp; im|poenitentem Eccle|&s;iae &s;ubditum, po&s;t in&s;titutam debitam &amp; legitimam de pec|catis ejus cognitio|nem &amp; admonitio|nem in Chr<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;ti Do|mini nomine <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">c ip|&s;ius verbi authori|tate pronunciatum, quo declaratur, eundem (donec re&s;ipi&s;cat) ex Eccle&s;ia Dei &amp; &s;anctorum communione ejectum, ac Satanae traditum e&s;&s;e.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="25" TYPE="article">
<P>Si qui factum &s;ibi injuriam querentur, apad ip&s;um &s;ynedrium primum con|querentur, idque mode&s;te, &amp;, ut Chri&s;tianos decet, peccata &s;ua confiten<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">es, potius quam exe<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;in|tes, ut domi, &s;i fieri po&s;&s;it, tota controver&s;ia dijudicetur &amp; co<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ponatu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">. Sin vero id fieri non po<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="3 letters">|erit,
<PB N="14" REF="12"> vel erunt con|&s;ulendae aliae Ecele|&s;iae, vel adeundus, &s;i &s;it opus, Chri&s;tia|nus Magi&s;tratus, vel res ad Synodum re|feratur. Is ordo de|nique &s;ervabitur, qui fuerit in ea re|gione, in qua eju&s;|modi quippiam in|cidet, con&s;titutus. Interea vero, qui&s;|quis cau&s;am &s;uam factio&s;e per&s;equitur, ac non potius quie|te cau&s;am &s;uam a|get, dignum &s;e e&s;&s;e prodit, qui ab Ec|cle&s;ia, vel ob hoc ip|&s;um &s;ummoveatur.</P>
</DIV3><!-- stopped -->
<DIV3 N="26" TYPE="article">
<P>Qui legitime ex|communicati &s;unt, aut qui illegitime ac cum offen&s;ione ab aliqua Eccle&s;ia de&s;civerint, quan|doquidem a Chri&s;ti regno &amp; &s;alute ex|ulant, ad nulla pu|blica Eccle&s;iae mi|ni&s;teria obeunda, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ut Sacramentorum u&s;um in ulla Eccle|&s;ia admitti po&s;&s;unt, donec Eccle&s;iae le|gitime &s;atis fece|rint, nec ulla cum <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">is con&s;uetudo, ni&s;i quae ad corum e|mendationem fa|cere po&s;&s;it, aut dun|taxat &s;it politica, eaque moderata &amp; politico more contrahi, aut haberi pote&s;t.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="27" TYPE="article">
<P>Politicus Magi&s;tratus e&s;t ordinatio divina, qua procerum opera defen&s;is bonis, coercitis autem malis, pietas, hone&s;tas &amp; pax inter ho|mines con&s;ervantur.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="28" TYPE="article">
<P>Debent &s;ine ulla per&s;onarum exceptione, quot quot Dei ordinationi adver&s;ari <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">olunt, etiam magi&s;tratus &s;ubjici, eju&s;que mandatis, modo Dei verbo non adver&s;entur, p<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">r<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">re.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="29" TYPE="article">
<P>Quem|admodum
<PB N="15" REF="12"> pius &amp; fidelis magi&s;tratus incomparabilis Do|mini benedictio e&s;t: ita impius, in|fidelis, iners au: ty|rannicus magi&s;tra|tus, ut &s;it flagellum &amp; animadver&s;io, ad ca&s;tiganda, &s;ubdi|torum peccata &amp; malitiam, ab irato Deo excitatur.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="30" TYPE="article">
<P>Ut officium Magi|&s;tratus e&s;t Eccle&s;i|am Dei gladio tueri ac con&s;ervare: ita itidem Eccle&s;iae mi|ni&s;trorum e&s;t, illius pro Eccle&s;ia implo|rare auxilium ad|ver&s;us rebelles, hae|reticos &amp; tyrannos, quotie cunque opus e&s;&s;e duxerint.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="31" TYPE="article">
<P>Si qui&s;quam repug|nantibus legibus <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters"> pat<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">iae privilegiis &s;e&s;e Dominum <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="3 letters"> Ma|gi&s;tratum con&s;titu|it: aut &s;i is, qui in Magi&s;tratu confir|matus e&s;t, &s;ubditos privilegiis &amp; liber|tate, quae iis adju|ravit, inju&s;te &s;poliat aut eo&s;dem mani|fe&s;ta tyrannide op|primit: tum huic &s;e&s;e opponere de|bent ordinari Ma|gi&s;tratus qui &s;ecun|dum Deum &amp; pro officio, &s;ubditos &s;uos defendere d<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">b<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">n ta<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> aduer&s;us dome&s;ticum <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters"> a~ externum num tyrannum. In hoc articulo (quemadmodum &amp; ob&s;ervandi fratres Geneven&s;es admonuerunt) nulla~ volumus ulli rebel|lioni aut inju&s;titiae &s;eni&s;tram aperir.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="32" TYPE="article">
<P> Quod &s;i viti<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters"> aliquod &s;it in per&s;ona ejus, qui juxta leges &amp; pa|triae iura, aut per tacitu~, aut apertum a&s;&s;en&s;um dominus e&s;t, nempe quod &s;it, vel impius, vel avarus, vel
<PB N="16" REF="13"> ambitio&s;us, vel cru|delis, vel &s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ortat<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">, impudicus &amp;c. hoc corrigere &s;olus e&s;t &s;uperioris pote&s;ta|tis ac patriae ordi|num: quorumvis autem privatorum hominum ac etiam ip&s;orum inferio|rum magi&s;tratuum e&s;t, ut prae&s;tita hic debita obedientia, juxta Chri&s;ti do|ctrinam &s;imul &amp; exemplum, magis elegant injuriam pati, quam de&s;erta vocatione (in qua qui&s;que perpetuo &s;e continere debet) vim vi opponere, ac &s;ic inju&s;te facere velle.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="conclusion">
<P>Et haec quidem &s;unt fratres, quae de hoc negotio vobis, quandoquidem it a po&s;tula&s;tis, candide &amp; in|genue &s;cribenda putavimus. Faxit Dominus Deus no&s;ter omnis &s;anctae pacis &amp; concordiae author, ut quod unum hic nobis propo&s;uimus, aliquis ex hac no&s;tra opella fructus ad Eccle&s;iae ve&s;trae aedifi|cationem redeat, cujus precibus nos totos commendamus, </P>
</DIV3>
</DIV2>
<CLOSER><DATELINE LANG="lat">Genevae. <DATE>25. Junii, 1568.</DATE> in commu|ni fratrum ex urbe &amp; agro collectorum coetu.</DATELINE>
<SIGNED LANG="lat">Sub&s;criptum.
<LIST>
<ITEM>Theodore Beza,</ITEM>
<ITEM>Remondus Calvetus,</ITEM>
<ITEM>Nicolaus Colladonius,</ITEM>
<ITEM>Johannes Tremulaeus,</ITEM>
<ITEM>Johannes Pinaldus,</ITEM>
<ITEM>Ga&s;parus Favergius,</ITEM>
<ITEM>Car. Perrotus.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Egidius Chau&s;&s;aeus,</ITEM>
<ITEM>Cornelius Bertrandus,</ITEM>
<ITEM>Franci&s;cus Protus,</ITEM>
<ITEM>Petrus Carpenterius,</ITEM>
<ITEM>Johannes de Pl<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">utr<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">,</ITEM>
<ITEM>Johannes Perrilus,</ITEM>
<ITEM>Ludovicus Henericus,</ITEM>
<ITEM>Johannes Serranus,</ITEM>
<ITEM>Anthonius Calvus,</ITEM>
<ITEM>Simon Gelartius,</ITEM>
<ITEM>Johannes Jacomotus,</ITEM>
<ITEM>Abednago Duplaeus.</ITEM>
</LIST></SIGNED> Hereunto al&s;o &s;ub&s;cribed
<SIGNED LANG="eng">the Churches of <HI>Berna, Lau&s;ann<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="2 letters">, Tigurine,</HI> and <HI>Heydelbergine.</HI></SIGNED></CLOSER>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
