Against their vaine childishnes, that thought it a goodly matter to be able
to speake (by miracle) strange languages in the Church,
✟
Much like to some fond Linguists of our time, who thinke themselues better then
a Doctour of Diuinitie that is not a Linguist.
preferring their languages before prophecying,
that is opening of mysteries: he declareth that this guift of languages is inferiour to the
guift of prophecy. 26. Giuing order also how both guifts are to be vsed; to wit, the Prophet to
submit himself to other Prophets: & the Speaker of languages not to publish his inspiration, vnles
there be an Interpreter. 34. Prouided alwaies, that women speake not at al in the Church.
1. FOLLOW Charitie, earnestly pursue spiritual things: but rather that you may prophecy.
2. For he that speaketh with tongues speaketh not to men, but to God: for no man
heareth. But in spirit he speaketh mysteries.
3. For he that propecieth, speaketh to men vnto edification, & exhortation, &
consolation.
4. He that speaketh with tongues, edifieth himself; but he that prophecieth, edifieth
the Church.
5. And I would haue you al to speake with tongues, but rather to prophecy. For
greater is he that prophecieth, then he that speaketh with tongues: vnlesse perhaps he interpret,
that the Church may take edification.
6. But now, Brethren; if I come to you speaking with tongues, what shal I profit
you, vnlesse I speake to you either in reuelation, or in knowledge, or in prophecie, or in
doctrine?
7. Yet the things without life that giue a sound, be it pipe of harpe, vnlesse they
giue a distinction of sounds, how shal that be knowen which is piped, or which is harped?
8. For if the trumpet giue an vncertaine voice, who shal prepare himself to battel?
9. So you also by a tongue vnlesse you vtter manifest speach, how shal that be knowen
that is said? for you shal be speaking into the aire.
10. There are (for example) so many kinds of tongues in this world, & none is without
voice.
11. If then I know not the vertue of the voice, I shal be to him to whom I speake,
barbarous; and he that speaketh barbarous to me.
12. So you also, because you be emulatours of spirits: seek to abound vnto the
edifying of the Church.
13. And therfore he that speaketh with the tongue, let him pray that he may interpret.
14. For if I pray with the tongue, my spirit praieth, but my vnderstanding is without
fruit.
15. What is it then? I wil pray in the spirit, I wil pray also in the vnderstanding:
I wil sing in the spirit, I wil sing also in the vnderstanding.
16. But if thou blesse in the spirit, he that supplieth the place
✟
idiotæ.
By this word are meant al rude vnlearned men, but specially the simple which were
yet vnchristned, as the Catachumens, which came in to those spiritual exercises, as
also infidels did at their pleasures.
of the vulgar how
shal he say, Amen, vpon thy blessing? because he knoweth not what thou saiest.
17. For thou indeed giuest thankes wel, but the other is not edified.
18. I giue my God thankes, that I speake
✟
'with tongues more then you al.'
with the tongue of you al.
19. But in the Church I wil speake fiue words with my vnderstanding that I may instruct
others also; rather then ten thousand words in a tongue.
20. Brethren, be not made children in sense, but in malice be children, and in sense
be perfect.
21. In the Law it is written:
*
Isai. 28,11.
That in other tongues and other lippes I wil speake
to this people: and neither so wil they heare me, saith our Lord.
22. Therfore languages are for a signe not to the faithful, but to infidels: but
prophecies, not to infidels, but to the faithful.
23. If therfore the whole Church come together in one, and al speake with tongues,
and there enter in vulgar persons or infidels, wil they not say that you be mad?
24. But if al prophecie, and there enter in any infidel or vulgar person, he is
conuinced of al, he is iudged of al.
25. the secrets of his hart are made manifest, and so falling on his face he wil
adore God, pronouncing that God is in you indeed.
26. What is it then, Brethren? when you come together, euery one of you hath a psalme,
hath a doctrine, hath a reuelation, hath a tongue, hath an interpretation: let al things be
done to edification.
27. Whether a man speake with tongue, by two, or at the most by three, and in
course, and let one interpret.
28. But if there be not an interpreter, let him hold his peace in the Church, and
speake to himself and to God.
29. And let Prophets speake two or three, and let the rest iudge.
30. But if it be reuealed to another sitting, let the first hold his peace.
31. For you may al prophecie one by one: that al may learne, and al may be exhorted:
32. and the spirits of prophets are subiect to prophets.
33. For God is not the God of dissension, but of peace: as also in al the Churches
of the Saints I teach.
34. Let
*
1. Tim. 2,12.
women hold their peace in the Churches: for it is not permitted them to
speake, but to be subiect, as also
*
Gene. 3,16.
the Law saith.
35. But if they learne any thing, let them aske their owne husbands at home. For
it is a foule thing for a woman to speake in the Church.
36. Or did the word of God proceed from you? came it vnto you only?
37. If any man seeme to be a Prophet, or spiritual, let him know the things that I
write to you, that they are the commandements of our Lord.
38. But if any man know not, he shal not be knowen.
39. Therfore, Brethren, be earnest to prophecie: and to speake with tongues prohibit
not.
40. But let al things be done honestly and according to order among you.
ANNOTATIONS.
Cʜᴀᴘ. XIIII.
1. Rather prophecie.)
A paraphrastical exposition of this Chapter concerning vnknowen tongues.
The guift of prophecying, that is, of expounding the hard points of our religion,
is better then the guift of strange tongues, though both be good.
2. Not to men.)
To talke in a strange language, vnknowen also to himself, profiteth not the hearers,
though in respect of God who vnderstandeth al tongues and things, and for the
mysteries which he vttereth in his spirit, and for his owne edification in spirit and
affection, there be no difference: but the Prophet or Expositour treating of the same
matters to the vnderstanding of the whole assemblie, edifieth not himself alone but al
his hearers.
6. If I come.)
That is, If I your Apostle, and Doctour should preach to you in an vnknowen tongue,
and neuer vse any kind of exposition, interpretation, or explication of my strange
words; what profit could you take thereby?
8. If the trumpet.)
As the Trumpeter can not giue warning to or from the fight, vnles he vse a distinct
& intelligible sound or stroke knowen to the souldiars: euen so the Preacher that
exhorteth to good life, or dehorteth from sinne, except he doe it in a speach which
his hearers vnderstand, can not attaine to his purpose, nor doe the people any good.
13. Let him pray that.)
He that hath only the guift of strange tongues, let him pray to God for the guift of
interpretation; that the one may be more profitable by the other. For, to exhort or
preach in a strange tongue was not vnlawful nor vnprofitable, but glorious to God, so
that the speach had been either by himself, or by another, afterward expounded.
14. My spirit praieth.
Also when a man praieth in a strange tongue which himself vnderstandeth not, it is
not so fruitful for instruction to him, as if he knew particularly what he praied.
Neuertheles the Apostle forbiddeth not such praying neither, confessing that his
spirit, hart, and affection praieth wel towards God, though his mind & vnderstanding
be not profited to instruction, as otherwise it might haue been if he vnderstood the
words. Neither yet doth he appoint such an one to get his strange praier translated
into his vulgar tongue, to obteine thereby the foresaid instruction. See the
Declaration following of this Chapter.
22. A signe.)
The extraordinarie guift of tongues was a miraculous signe in the primitiue Church,
to be vsed specially in the Nations of the Heathen for their conuersion.
23. Infidels.)
In the primitiue Church, when Infidels dwelt neer or among Christians, and
oftentimes came vnto their publike preaching & exercises or exhortation and
exposition of Scriptures and the like: it was both vnprofitable and ridiculous to
heare a number talking, teaching, singing Psalmes, & the like, one in this language,
& another in that, al at once like a black-saunts, and one often not vnderstood of
another; sometime not to themselues, and to strangers or the simple standers by,
not at al. Where otherwise if they had spoken either in knowen tongues, or had done it
in order, hauing an expositour or interpreter withal, the Infidels might haue been
conuinced.
26. A Psalme.)
Of what spiritual exercise the Apostle speaketh.
We see here that those spiritual exercises consisted specially, first in singing or
giuing forth new Psalmes or praiers and lauds: secondly, in Doctrine, teaching, or
reading lectures: thirdly, in Reuelation of secret things either present or to come:
fourthly, in speaking tongues of strange Nations: lastly, in translating or
interpreting that which was said, into some common knowen language, as into Greek,
Latin, &c. Al which guifts they had among them by miracle from the Holy Ghost.
27. In course.)
The disorders in the same.
Al these things they did without order, of pride and contention, they preached, they
prophecied, they praied, they blessed, without any seemly respect one of another, or
obseruing of turnes and entercourse of vttering their guifts. Yea women without couer
or veile, and without regard of their sexe or the Angels, or Priests or their owne
husbands, malapertly spake tongues, taught or prophecied with the rest. This was then
the disorder among the Corinthians, which the Apostle in this whole chapter
reprehendeth and sought to redresse, by forbidding women vtterly that publike
exercise, and teaching men, in what order and course as wel for speaking in tongues,
as interpreting and prophecying it should be kept.
A MORE AMPLE DECLARATION OF THE
sense of this 14. Chapter.
That S. Paul's place maketh nothing against the seruice in the latin tongue.
This then being the scope and direct drift of the Apostle, as is most cleere by his
whole discource, & by the record of al antiquitie: let the godly, graue, & discret
Reader take a tast in this one point, of the Protestants deceitful dealing, abusing
the simplicitie of the popular, by peruerse application of God's holy word, vpon
some smal similitude & equiuocation of certaine termes against the approued godly vse
& truth of the vniuersal Church, for the seruice in the Latin or Greek tongue: which
they ignorantly, or rather wilfully, pretend to be against this discourse of S. Paul
touching strange tongues.
By strange tongues the Apostle meaneth not the Latin Greek or Hebrew.
Know therfore, first, that here his no word written or meant of any other tongues but
such as men spake in the Primitiue Church by miracle: & that nothing is meant of
those tongues which were the common languages of the world or of the Faithful,
vnderstood of the learned & ciuil people in euery great citie, & in which the
Scriptures of the Old or new Testament were written, as, the Hebrew, Greek, and Latin.
For though these also, might be giuen by miracle & without study, yet being knowen to
the Iewes, Romans, or Greek, in euery place, they be not counted among the differences
of barbarous & strange tongues here spoken of, which could not be interpreted
commonly, but by the miraculous guift also of interpretation. And therfore this
Apostle (as the Euangelists also and others did their books) wrote his Epistles in
Greek to the Romans & to al other Churches. Which when he wrote, though he penned them
not in the vulgar language peculiar to euery people, yet he wrote them not in Tongue,
that is, in any strange tongue not intelligible without the guift of interpretation,
wherof he speaketh here: but in a notable, knowen, & learned speach, interpretable of
thousands in euery countrie.
S. Augustine our Apostle brought in the Seruice in the Latin tongue.
No more did S. Augustin our Apostle speaking in Latin, & bringing in the Scripture &
Seruice in Latin, preach & pray in Tongues according to the Apostles meaning here. For
the Latin was not, nor is not, in any part of the West, either miraculous or strange,
though it be not the National tongue of any one countrie this day. And therfore S.
Bede saith, (li. 1. hist. Aug. c. 1.) that being then foure diuers vulgar
languages in our countrie, the Latin was made common to them al.
The Latin seruice one and the same in al countries and strange to none.
And indeed of the two (though in truth neither sort be forbidden by this passage of S.
Paul) the barbarous languages of euery seueral prouince in respect of the whole Church
of Christ, are rather the strange tongues here spoken of, then the common Latin tongue,
which is vniuersally of al the West Church more or lesse learned, and pertaineth
much more to vnitie and orderly coniunction of al Nations in one faith, Seruice, and
worship of God, then if it were in the sundry barbarous speaches of euery Prouince.
The seruice in vulgar tongues strange & barbarous to euery stranger.
Wherin al Christians that trauel about this part of the world or the Indes either,
where soeuer come, shal find the self-same Masse, Mattins, & Seruice, as they had at
home. Where now if we goe to Germanie, or the Germans or Geneuians come to vs, each
others Seruice shal be thought strange and barbarous. Yea and the Seruice of our owne
language within a few hundreth yeares (or rather euery Age) shal wholy become
barbarous and vnknowen to ourselues; out tongue (as al vulgar) doth so often change.
Whether the seruice in vulgar tongues doe more edifie.
And for edification, that is, for increase of faith, true knowledge, and good life,
the experience of a few yeares hath giuen al the world a ful demonstration whether
our Forefathers were not as wise, as faithful, as deuout, as fearful to breake God's
lawes, & as likely to be saued, as we are in al our tongues, translations, & English
praiers. Much vanitie, curiositie, contempt of Superiours, disputes, emulations,
contentions, Schismes, horrible errours, profanation & diuulgation of the secret
Mysteries of the dreadful Sacraments, *which of purpose were hidden from the vulgar
(as S. Denys Eccl. Hiero. c. 1. and S. Basil. de Sp. Sanct. c. 27.
testifie) are fallen by the same; but vertue or sound knowledge none at al.
The vertue of the Sacraments & Seruice consisteth not in the peoples
vnderstanding.
Wherin this also is a grosse illusion and vntruth, that the force and efficacie of the
Sacraments, Sacrifice, and common praier, dependeth vpon the peoples vnderstanding,
hearing, or knowledge: the principal efficacie of such things & of the whole ministerie
of the Church, consisting specially of the very vertue of the worke, & the publike
office of the Priests, who be appointed in Christes behalfe to dispose the Mysteries to
our most good: the infant, innocent, idiote & vnlearned, taking no lesse fruit of
Baptisme & al other diuine offices, meet for euery ones condition, then the learnedst
Clerke in the Realme: and more, if they be more humble, charitable, deuout, and
obedient, then the other, hauing lesse of these qualities and more learning.
The people is to be taught the meaning of Sacraments and ceremonies, and are
taught in al Catholike countries.
Which we say not as though it were inconuenient for the people to be wel instructed in
the meaning of the Sacraments and holy ceremonies and seruice of the Church (for that
to their comfort and necessarie knowledge, both by preaching, Catechizing, and
reading of good Catholike books, Christian people doe learne in al Nations, much more
in those countries where the Seruice is in Latin then in our Nation, God knoweth:)
But we say that there be other waies to instruct them, & the same lesse subiect to
danger & disorder, then to turne it into vulgar tongues. We say, the simple people
and many one that thinke themselues some body, vnderstand as litle of the sense of
diuers Psalmes, Lessons, & Oraisons in the vulgar tongue, as if they were in Latin,
yea & often take them in a wrong, peruerse, & pernicious sense, which lightly they
could not haue done in Latin. We say, that such as would learne in deuotion and
humilitie, may, and must rather with diligence learne the tongue that such Diuine
things be written in, or vse other diligence in he in hearing sermons & instructions,
then for a few mens not necessarie knowledge, the holy vniuersal order of God's
Church should be altered. For if in the Kingdom of England only it be not conuenient,
necessarie, nor almost possible, to accomodate their Seruice book to euery prouince
& people of diuers tongues: how much lesse should the whole Church so doe consisting
of so many differences? Neither doth the Apostle in al this Chapter appoint any such
thing to be done, but admonisheth them to pray and labour for the grace of
vnderstanding and interpretation, or to get others to interpret or expound vnto them.
Catholike people in euery countrie vnderstandeth euery ceremonie, and can behaue
themselues accordingly.
And that much more may we doe concerning the Seruice in Latin, which is no strange
nor miraculously gotten or vnderstood tongue, but common to the most & cheefe
Churches of the world, and hath been, since the Apostles time, daily with al
diligence throughout al those parts of Christendom, expounded in euery house, schoole,
church, and pulpit: and is so wel knowen for euery necessarie part of the diuine
Seruice, that by the diligence of parents, Maisters, and Curates, euery Catholike of
age almost, can tel the sense of euery ceremonie of the Masse, what to answer, when
to say Amen at the Priests benediction, when to confesse, when to adore, when
to stand, when to kneel, when to receiue, what to receiue, when to come, when to
depart, and al other dueties of praying and seruing, sufficient to saluation. And thus
is it euident that S. Paul speaketh not of the common tongues, of the Churches
Seruice.
That he speaketh not of the Churches seruice, is proued by inuincible arguments.
Secondly, it is as certaine, that he meaneth not nor writeth any word in this place of
the Churches publike Seruice, praier, or ministration of the holy Sacrament, wherin
the office of the Church specially consisteth: but only of a certaine exercise of
mutual conference, wherin one did open to another and to the assemblie, miraculous
guifts and graces of the Holy Ghost, and such Canticles, Psalmes, secret Mysteries,
sorts of languages, and other Reuelations, as it pleased God to giue vnto certaine
both men and women in that first beginning of his Church. In doing of this, the
Corinthians committed many disorders, turning Gods guifts to pride and vanitie, and
namely that guift of tongues: which being indeed the least of al guifts, yet most
puffed vp the hauers, and now also doth commonly puffe vp the Professours of such
knowledge, according as **S. Augustin writeth therof. This exercise and the disorder
therof was not in the Church (for any thing we can read in antiquitie) these fourteen
hundreth yeares: and therfore neither the vse nor abuse, nor S. Paules reprehension
or redressing therof, can concerne any whit the Seruice of the Church. Furthermore
this is euident, that the Corinthians had their Seruice in Greek at this same time,
and it was not done in these miraculous tongues. Nothing is meant then of the Church
Seruice. Againe the publike Seruice had but one language: in this exercise they spake
in many tongues. In the publike Seruice euery man had not his owne special tongue,
his special Interpretation, special Reuelation, proper Psalmes: but in this they had.
Againe the publike Seruice had in it the ministration of the Holy Sacrament
principally: which was not done in this time of conference. For into this exercise
were admitted Cathechumens, and Infidels, & whosoeuer would: in this women before S.
Paules order, did speake and prophecie: so did they neuer in the Ministration of the
Sacrament: With many other plaine differences; that by no meanes the Apostles words
can be rightly & truely applied to the Corinthians Seruice then, or ours now.
Therfore it is either great ignorance of the Protestants, or great guilfulnes, so
vntruely and peruersly to apply them.
The Apostle speaketh not of the peoples priuate praiers in latin, as vpon primars,
beades, or otherwise.
Neither is here any thing meant of the priuate praiers which deuout persons of al
sorts & sexes haue euer vsed, specially in Latin, as wel vpon their primars as Beads
For, the priuate praiers here spoken of, were psalmes or hymns and sonnets newly
inspired to them by God, & in this conference or prophecying, vtrered to anothers
comfort, or to themselues and God only. But the praiers, psalmes, and holy words of
the Christian people vsed priuately, are not composed by them, nor diuersly inspired
to themselues, nor now to be approued or examined in the assemblies: but they are such
as were giuen and written by the Holy Ghost, and prescribed by Christ and his Church
for the faithful to vse, namely the Pater noster, the Aue Maria, and the
Creed, our Ladies Mattins, the Litanies, & the like. Therfore the
Apostle prescribeth nothing here therof, condemneth nothing therin, toucheth the same
nothing at al. But the deuout people in their ancient right may and ought stil vse
their Latin primars, beades, and praiers, as euer before.
Latin praiers translated, or the people taught the contents therof.
Which the wisedom of the Church for great causes hath better liked and allowed of then
that they should be in vulgar tongues, though she wholy forbiddeth not, but sometimes
granteth to haue them translated; and would gladly haue al faithful people in order
and humilitie learne, as they may, the contents of their praiers: and hath
commanded also in some Councels, that such as can not learne distinctly in Latin
(specially the Pater noster and the Creed) should be taught them in the
vulgar tongue. And therfore as we doubt not but it is acceptable to God, and auailable
in al necessities, and more agreable to the vse of al Christian people euer since
their conuersion, to pray in Latin, then in the vulgar, though euery one in
particular, vnderstand not what he saith: so it is plaine the such pray with as
great consolation of spirit, with as litle tediousnes, with as great deuotion and
affection, and oftentimes more, then the other: and alwaies more then any Schismatike
or Heretike in his knowen language.
The peoples deuotion nothing the lesse for praying in Latin.
Such holy Oraisons be in manner consecrated & sancitfied in and by the Holy Ghost
that first inspired them; and there is a reuerence & Maiestie in the Churches tongue
dedicated in our Sauiours Crosse, & giueth more force & valure to them said in the
Churches obedience, then to others. The children cried ***Hosanna to our
Sauiour, and were allowed, though they knew not what they said.
The seruice alwaies in Latin throughout the west Church.
It is wel neer a thousand yeares that aour people which could nothing els but
barbarum frendere, did sing Alleluya, & not, Praise ye the Lord;
& longer agoe since the poore husband-men sang the same at the plough in other
countries. Hiero. to. 1 ep. 5. And Sursum corda, and Kyrie
eleison, and the Psalmes of Dauid sung in Latin in the Seruice of the Primitiue
Church, haue the ancient & flat testimonies of S. Cyprian, S. Augustin, S. Hierom and
other Fathers. Grego. li. 7. ep. 63. Cyp. exp. orat. do. nu. 13. Aug. c. 13. de
bono perseuer. & de bono vid. c. 16. And ep. 178. Hiero. præfat. in Psal.
ad Sophron. Aug. de Catechiz. rud. c. 9. de Doct. Chr. li. 2. c. 13. See
ep. 10. August. of S. Hieroms Latin translation read in the Churches of
Africa. Praiers are not made to teach, make learned, or increase knowledge, though by
occasion they sometimes instruct vs: but their special vse is, to offer our harts,
desires, and wants to God, and to shew that we hang of him in al things: and this
euery Catholike doth for his condition, whether he vnderstand the words of his praier
or not. The simple sort can not vnderstand al Psalmes, nor scarse the learned, no
though they be be translated or read in knowen tongues: men must not cease to vse them
for al that, when they are knowen to containe God's holy praises.
It is not necessarie to vnderstand our praiers.
The simple people when they desire any thing specially at Gods hand, are not bound to
know, neither can they tel, to what petition or part of the Pater noster their
demand pertaineth, though it be in English neuer so much. They can not tel no more
what is, Thy kingdom come, then Adueniat regnum tuum; nor whether their
petition for their sicke chidren or any other necessitie pertaine to this part or to
Fiat voluntas tua, or Ne nos inducas, or to what other part els. It is
enough that they can tel, this holy Oraison to be appointed to vs, to cal vpon God
in al our desires: more then this, is not necessarie. And the translation of such
holy things often breedeth manifold danger and irreuerence in the vulgar (as to
thinke God is authour of sinne, when they read Lead vs not into tentation)
and seldom any edification at al.
How farre is sufficient for the people to vnderstand.
For though when the praiers be turned and read in English, the people knoweth the
words, yet they are not edified to the instruction of their mind and vnderstanding,
except they knew the sense of the words also & meaning of the Holy Ghost.
How the mind or vnderstanding is edified.
For if any man thinke that S. Paul speaking of edification of man's mind or
vnderstanding, meaneth the vnderstanding of the words only, he is fouly deceiued.
For, what is a child of fiue or sixe yeares old edified or increased in knowledge
by his Pater noster in English? It is the sense therfore, which euery man can
not haue, neither in English nor Latin, the knowledge wherof properly and rightly
edifieth to instruction: and the knowledge of the words only, often edifieth
neuer a whit, and sometimes buildeth to errour and destruction: as it is plaine in al
Heretikes and many curious persons besides. Finally both the one and the other without
charitie and humilitie maketh the Heretikes and Schismatikes with al their English
and what other tongues and intelligence soeuer, to be bæs sonans & cymbalum
tinniens, sounding brasse and a tinkling cymbal.
To conclude, for praying either publikly or priuately in Latin which is the common
sacred tongue of the greatest part of the Christian world, this is thought by the
wisest & godliest to be most expedient, and is certainely seen to be nothing
repugnant to S. Paul.
A notable rule of S. Augustin.
If any yet wil be contentious in the matter, we must answer
them with this same Apostle: cThe Church of God hath no such
custome; and with this notable saying of S. Augustin, ep. 118. c. 5. Any thing
that the whole Church doth practise and obserue throughout the world, to dispute
therof as thuogh it were not to be done, is most insolent madnesse.
*See Annot. 1. Cor. 10,15.
**Aug. doct. Chr. li. 2. c. 13.
***Mat. 24.
aGregr. li.. 27. Moral. c. 6.
b1. Cor. 13.
c1. Cor. 11,16.
34. Let women hold their peace.)
Women may haue any temporal Soueraigntie, but no Ecclesiastical function.
There be, or were, certaine Heretikes in our Countrie (for such euer take the
Scriptures diuersly for the aduantage of time) that denied women to hold lawfully any
kingdom or temporal Soueraignty: but that is false and against both reason and the
Scriptures. This only in that sexe is true, that it is not capable of holy orders,
spiritual Regiment or Cure of soules: and therfore can not doe any function proper
to Priests and Bishops: not speake in the Church, and so not preach, nor dispute,
not haue or giue voice deliberatiue or definitiue in Councels and publike Assemblies,
concerning matters of Religion, nor make Ecclesiastical lawes concerning the same, nor
bind, nor loose, nor excommunicate, nor suspend, nor degrade, nor absolue, nor minister
Sacraments, other then Baptisme in the case of mere necessitie, when neither Priest nor
other man can be had: much lesse prescribe any thing to the Clergie, how to minister
them, or giue any man right to rule, preach, or execute any spiritual function as
vnder her & by her authoritie: no creature being able to impart that wherof itself is
incapable both by nature & Scriptures. This Regiment is expresly giuen to the Apostles,
Bishops, and Prelates: they only haue authoritie to bind and loose, Mat. 18:
they only are set by the Holy Ghost to gouerne the Church, Act. 20.: they only
haue cure of our soules directly, and must make account to God for the same, Hebr.
13.