And Christ himself
promises that he will be with the church alway unto the end
of the world. They are praised also, in that they do not
regard variety of rites as separating unity of faith, if they
speak of special rites. For to this effect Jerome says:
"Every province abounds in its own sense" (of propriety). But
if they extend this part of the Confession to universal
Church rites, tis also must be utterly rejected, and we
must say with St. Paul: "We have no such custom," 1 Cor.
11:16. "For by all believers universal rites must be
observed," St. Augustine, whose testimony they also use, well
taught of Januarius; for we must presume that such rites were
transmitted from the apostles.
To Article VIII.
The eighth article of the Confession, concerning wicked
ministers of the Church and hypocrites - viz. that their
wickedness does not injure the sacraments and the Word - is
accepted with the Holy Roman Church, and the princes commend
it, condemning on this topic the Donatists and the ancient
Origenists, who maintained that it was unlawful to use the
ministry of the wicked in the Church - a heresy which the
Waldenses and Poor of Lyons revived. Afterwards John Wicliff
in England and John Huss in Bohemia adopted this.
To Article IX.
The ninth article, concerning Baptism - viz. that it is
necessary to salvation, and that children ought to be
baptized - is approved and accepted, and they are right in
condemning the Anabaptists, a most seditious class of men
that ought to be banished far from the boundaries of the
Roman Empire in order that illustrious Germany may not suffer
again such a destructive and sanguinary commotion as she
experienced five tears ago in the slaughter of so many
thousands.
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