H. Zanchius his confession of Christian religion Which novve at length being 70. yeares of age, he caused to bee published in the name of himselfe & his family. Englished in sense agreeable, and in words as answerable to his ovvne latine copie, as in so graue a mans worke is requisite: for the profite of all the vnlearneder sort, of English christians, that desire to know his iudgement in matters of faith.

XXX. VVhat manner of tēples or churches christians ought to haue; what language to vse therin: what habitt & apparell: what holie dayes to bee kept: to whome they must praye: and lastly that the ceremonies which were not prescribed by Christ and the Apo∣stles ought to be free.

And sith it is none of the least causes, why faithfull people, so farre forth as may bee, are wont and ought to dwel together in the same cities, townes and villages, that they might not onely priuately among themselues, dayly nourish a cōmon faith by godlie conferences, & practise mutuall charitie by christiā duties, but also that they might meete together in certaine places, & at certaine knowne times, publikely to praise, & pray vnto God, to heare his worde, to receiue the sacraments, to per∣forme publicke workes of charitie towardes the poore: which thinges indeede cannot be done without language, without rites & ce∣remonies: therefore concerning thē also, what our opinion is, we will briesty declare. Seing it is beyond all controuersie, that all thinges in the church ought to be done to edification, & all shew of superstition ought to be auoided, we iudge, that true pietie, and the churches edification requireth, [unspec 1] first, concerning places, that, if they may vse the olde and prophaned temples, the same must be cleane purged of all idolls, and all reliques and monuments of i∣dolatrie and superstition. For vvhat agreement hath the temple of God with idolls? [unspec 2] Moreouer no lāguage is to be vsed, but that which is known to the whole congregation. For what edifica∣tion can come to the church by an vnknowne language? the Apostle surely commaundeth thē to keep silence in the church which speak languages, if there be no interpreter. Thirdlie

all pride and vanitie of garmentes are to bee shunned, and all those ornaments, [unspec 3] which doe rather beseeme the prophane theaters of the Gentiles, then the sacred temples of christiās: and which rather tend to delight the flesh, thē to edifie the spirit: but all things must be done in the churches with most high reuerence and modestie, as in the verie sight of God and his Angells. And albeit concerning the fashion of garments, which ministers ought publikly to weare, either in their ministerie, or out of it, we doe not thinke it a matter to bee so stood vpō, that for it, the peace of the church ought to be troubled: yet where they come neerest to the simplicitie of the Apostles, there wee iudge the church rather to bee approued. [unspec 4] Fourthly, that vpon euerie Lords day the cō∣gregation should come together, and make an holie assemblie: sith we see, that euer since the Apostles time that day hath beene religi∣ouslie consecrated and dedicated to that ho∣lie businesse. Next vnto the Lords day we can not but allow of the hallowing of those daies likewise, wherein we keep the memorie, and the auncient church did celebrate, the natiui∣tie of our Lord Iesus Christ, of his circumcisi∣on, his passion, his resurrection, his ascension into heauen, his sending downe the holy ghost vpon the Apostles. Vpon other daies, euen as each church shall thinke to be conuenient: so also let them call an holie assemblie, to the word, to the sacramēts, to prayers, or collects.

But euermore let all superstitious obseruati∣on of dayes be farre from them. [unspec 5] Fiftlie, that prayers may be made to God onely, and to Ie∣sus Christ, without inuocation of Angells or any Saints that are dead: euen as the Prophets and Apostles did, and the whole auncient church, as it is manifest to bee seene in the old collectes, (to say nothing of Gods owne com∣maundement) who will haue this sacrifice of praise and of the mouth to be offered vpp to him onely. [unspec 6] Sixtly, concerning rites and cere∣monies to be kept in the church, the same pie∣tie and edification of the church doth require, that they should not so bitterly and sharply bee controuerted, as though the contention were vppon life and death: but should be left to euerie congregation in free choise, as wee read in Socrates and other ecclesiasticall wri∣ters, it was in the olde church: concerning which matters in generall wee allow and im∣brace both the epistles of Augustine to lanua∣rius. For these tend to the churches edificatiō.

Notes

• of churches and cere∣monies.
• Temples or churches.
• 1 Cor. 6.16
• Language.
• 1 Cor. 14 28
• Garments
• Holie-daies
• Col. 2.16
• Praiers.
• Heb. 13.56
• Ceremo∣nies.
• Tom. 2. ep. 118 & 119