ARTICLE XXXIII. ARTICULUS XXXIII. De Excommunicatis vitandis. QUI per publicam Ecclesiæ denunciationem rite ab unitate Ecclesiæ præcisus est, et excommunicatus, is ab universa fidelium multitudine (donec per pœnitentiam publice reconciliatus fuerit arbitrio Judicis competentis) habendus est tanquam Ethnicus et publicanus. The Phraseology of this Article. ARTICLE XXXIII. Of Excommunicate Persons, how they are to be avoided. THAT person which by open denunciation of the Church is rightly cut off from the unity of the Church, and excommunicated, ought to be taken of the whole multitude of the faithful, as an Heathen and Publican, until he be openly reconciled by penance, and received into the Church by a Judge that hath authority thereto. 1. As compared with Article XXXII. of those of 1552. 2. When the Latin and English are compared with each other. De Excommunicatis vitandis Of excommunicate persons, how they are to be avoided. rightly. rite penance. that hath authority thereto. PROP. That Person, which by open denunciation of the Church is rightly cut off from the unity of the Church and excommunicated,' ought to be taken of the whole multitude of the faithful, as an heathen and publican, until he be openly reconciled by penance, and received into the Church by a Judge that hath authority thereto. 1. Divine Testimony. New Testament. 1 Cor. v. 3-5, "For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning Him that hath so done this deed, in the name of our LORD JESUS CHRIST, when ye are gathered together, and My spirit, with the power of our LORD JESUS CHRIST, to deliver such an one unto Satan, for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the LORD JESUS."-See also Matt. xvi. 11, 17. Rom. xvi. 17. 1 Cor. v. 11-13; xvi. 22. 2 Cor. ii. 6, 8, 10, 11. 2 Thess. iii. 6, 14. 1 Tim. i. 20. Tit. iii. 10, 11. 2 John 10. 2. Human Testimony. A. Fathers. Tertull. Apol. c. xxxix., "In these assemblies we exhort, reprove, and pass the divine censure of excommunication for the judgments in this place are delivered with all solemnity, and after the maturest deliberation imaginable, as being delivered by men who know that they are pronouncing GOD's sentence, and act with the same caution as if GOD stood visibly among them; and the sentences here pronounced are looked upon as an anticipation of the judgment to come, since any one who 1 Excommunicatio major,-suspension from the title and the privileges of Church membership. Greg. Neocæs. Epist. can. xI. p. 41, Par. 1621; Sozom. Hist. Eccles. lib. VII. c. xvi. Excommunicatio minor,-suspension from the sacrament of the LORD'S Supper. offends is thereby banished from all communion of prayer, and from our public assemblies, and from all religious intercourse.". See also Ignat. Epist. ad Smyrn. c. iv. Cyprian ad Pompon. et De Orat. Dominic. p. 192, Epist. LV. B. Councils. Antioch, vol. I. p. 593. 1 Toledi, Hard. vol. I. p. 991. C. Confessions. 2 Helvetic, c. xiv. 3 Carthage, can. LXXIII. Nice, can. v. Bohemia, c. v. Augs burg, Arts. xi. xvii. Westminster, c. xxix. §§ 2, 3, 4. ARTICLE XXXIV. ARTICULUS XXXIV. De Traditionibus' Ecclesiasticis. TRADITIONES atque cære monias easdem, non omnino necessarium est esse ubique, aut prorsus consimiles. Nam et variæ semper fuerunt, et mutari possunt pro Regionum, temporum, et morum diversitate, modo nihil contra verbum DEI instituatur. Traditiones, et cæremonias Ecclesiasticas quæ cum verbo DEI non pugnant, et sunt auctoritate publica institutæ, atque probatæ, quisquis privato consilio volens, et data opera, publice violaverit, is, ut qui peccat in publicum ordinem Ecclesiæ, quique lædit auctoritatem Magistratus, et qui infirmorum fratrum conscientias vulnerat, publice, ut cæteri timeant, arguendus est. Quæ libet Ecclesia particularis, sive Nationalis, auctoritatem habet instituendi, mutandi aut abrogandi cæremonias ARTICLE XXXIV. Of the Traditions of the Church. Ir is not necessary that Traditions and Ceremonies be in all places one, or utterly like; for at all times they have been divers, and may be changed according to the diversity 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 and national 1 See Bellarm. De Verbo Dei, lib. IV. c. ii. aut ritus Ecclesiasticos, humana tantum auctoritate institutos, modo omnia ad ædificationem fiant. The Phraseology of this Article. 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. 1. When compared with Article XXXIII. of those of 1552. countries and men's manners countries, times, and men's |