The reparation would be according to the possibility and number of the church. Every church must have doors, close windows of glass, thatch or slate able to withhold rain, a bell to convocate the people together, a pulpit, a basin for baptism, and tables for the ministration of the Lord's Supper. In greater churches, and where the congregation is great in number, provision must be made within the church for the quiet and commodious receiving of the people. The expenses shall be lifted partly from the people, and partly from the teinds, at the discretion of the ministry.
XVI. For Punishment of those that Profane the Sacraments and do contemn the Word of God, and dare presume to minister them, not being thereto lawfully called.
Satan hath never ceased from the beginning to draw mankind into one of two extremities. He hath sought that men should be so ravished with gazing upon the visible creatures that, forgetting why these were ordained, they should attribute unto them a virtue and power which God hath not granted unto them. Or else he hath sought that men should so contemn and despise God's blessed ordinance and holy institutions, as if neither in the right use of them were there any profit, nor yet in their profanation were there any danger. As, in this wise, Satan hath blinded the most part of mankind from the beginning; so we doubt not but that he will strive to continue in his malice even to the end. Our eyes have seen and presently do see the experience of the one and of the other. What was the opinion of the most part of men, of the Sacrament of Christ's body and blood, during the darkness of superstition, is not unknown; how it was gazed upon, kneeled unto, borne in procession, and finally worshipped and honoured as Christ Jesus Himself.
So long as Satan might retain man in that damnable idolatry, he was quiet, as one that possessed his kingdom of darkness peaceably. But since it hath pleased the mercies of God to reveal unto the unthankful world the light of His Word, and the right use and administration of His Sacraments, he essays man upon the contrary part. Where, not long ago, men stood in such admiration of that idol in the Mass that none durst presume to have said the Mass, but the foresworn shaven sort (the beasts marked men); some dare now be so bold as, without all convocation, to minister, as they suppose, the true Sacraments in open assemblies. Some idiots, also, yet more wickedly and more imprudently, dare counterfeit in their houses that which the true ministers do in the open congregation; they presume, we say, to do it in houses without reverence, without Word preached, and without minister, other than of companion to companion. This contempt proceedeth, no doubt, from the malice and craft of that serpent who first deceived man, of purpose to deface the glory of Christ's Evangel, and to bring His blessed Sacraments into a perpetual contempt.
Farther, your honours may clearly see how proudly and stubbornly the most part despise the Evangel of Christ Jesus offered unto you. Unless ye resist sharply and stoutly the manifest despiser as well as the profaner of the Sacraments, ye shall find them pernicious enemies before long. Therefore, in the name of the Eternal God and of His Son, Christ Jesus, we require of your honours that, without delay, strait laws be made against the one and the other.
We dare not prescribe unto you what penalties shall be required of such. But this we fear not to affirm, that the one and the other deserve death. If he which doth falsify the seal, subscription, or coinage of a king is adjudged worthy of death; what shall we think of him who plainly doth falsify the seals of Christ Jesus, Prince of the kings of the earth? If Darius pronounced upon the man that durst attempt to hinder the re-edification of the material temple, the sentence that a bauk[271] should be taken from his house, and he himself be hanged upon it; what shall we say of those that contemptuously blaspheme God and manifestly hinder the spiritual temple of God, the souls and bodies of the elect—from being purged, by the true preaching of Christ Jesus, from the superstition and damnable idolatry in which they have been of long plunged and holden captive? If ye, as God forbid, declare yourselves careless over the true religion, God will not suffer your negligence to go unpunished. Therefore, the more earnestly require we that strait laws may be made against the stubborn contemners of Christ Jesus, and against such as dare presume to administer His Sacraments, without orderly call to that office; lest, while there be none found to gainstand impiety, the wrath of God be kindled against the whole.
The papistical priests have neither power nor authority to administer the Sacraments of Christ Jesus; because in their mouth is not the sermon of exhortation. To them, therefore, must strait inhibition be made, notwithstanding any usurpation which they have had in that behalf in the time of blindness. It is neither the clipping of their crowns, the crossing of their fingers, the blowing of the dumb dogs, called the bishops, nor yet the laying on of their hands that maketh them the true ministers of Christ Jesus. The Spirit of God inwardly moving hearts to seek Christ's glory and the profit of His Church, and thereafter the nomination of the people, the examination of the learned, and public admission, as before we have said, makes men lawful ministers of the Word and Sacraments. We speak of an ordinary vocation, where Churches are reformed, or at least tend to reformation; and not of that which is extraordinary, when God by Himself, and by His only power, raiseth up to the ministry such as best please His wisdom.
The Conclusion.
Thus have we, in these few heads, offered unto your honours our judgments, according as we were commanded, touching the reformation of things which heretofore have altogether been abused in this cursed Papistry. We doubt not but some of our petitions shall appear strange unto you at the first sight. But if your wisdoms deeply consider that we must answer not only unto men, but also before the throne of the Eternal God and of His Son, Christ Jesus, for the counsel which we give in this so grave matter, your honours shall easily consider that it is much safer for us to fall into the displeasure of all men on earth, than to offend the Majesty of God, whose justice cannot sutler flatterers and deceitful counsellors to go unpunished.
That we require the Church to be set at such liberty, that she neither be compelled to feed idle bellies, nor to sustain the tyranny which heretofore by violence hath been maintained, we know will offend many. But if we should keep silence, we are most certain to offend the just and righteous God, who by the mouth of His Apostle hath pronounced this sentence: "He that laboureth not, let him not eat." If we, in this behalf or in any other, require to ask anything, other than by God's expressed commandment, by equity and by good conscience ye are bound to grant, let it be noted, and after repudiated; but if we require nothing which God requireth not also, let your honours take heed how ye gainstand the charge of Him whose hand and punishment ye cannot escape.