unto us. Of
things that pertain to faith and manners, he saith, that they are most
constant and certain, and such as can admit no change; but as for things
conducing to faith and manners, he saith, that they depend upon the
circumstances of persons, place, and time, which being almost infinite,
there could not be particular precepts delivered unto us concerning such
things. Only this is from God commended unto the church, that whatsoever
is done publicly be done with order, and what privately be decent.

These things he so applieth to his purpose, that he determineth, in
neither of these kinds the church hath power to make laws, because in
things pertaining to faith and manners the law of our Lord Jesus Christ is
plainly expressed; and in those things, wherein neither faith nor manners
are placed, but which conduce to faith and manners, we have indeed a
general law, not having further any particular law, for that reason
alleged, namely, because this depends upon the circumstances.

Thereafter he addeth, _Quid sit fides, quid sit pietas, quid sit charitas,
verbo Dei demonstratur. Quid ad haec conducat, seu reputando rem in
universum, seu reputando rem quatenus singulis competit, pendet ex
cognitione circumstantiarum. Jam id definire Deus voluit esse penes
ecclesiam, hae tamen lege, ut quod definit ecclesia, conveniat generali
definitioni Dei._

The matter he illustrates with this one example: God's word doth define in
the general that we are to fast, and that publicly; but, in the
particular, we could not have the definition of the word, because there
are infinite occasions of a public fast, as it is said in the schools,
_individua esse infinita_; so that it is the church's part to look to the
occasion, and this depends upon the consideration of the circumstances.
This discourse of his cannot satisfy the attentive reader, but deserveth
certain animadversions.

_Sect_. 4. First, then, it is to be observed how he is drawn into a
manifest contradiction; for whereas he saith, that God's word doth
_exserte_ and _diserte_ commend unto us _generatim_, such things as
conduce to faith and manners, and that concerning things of this nature we
have a general law in Scripture, how can this stand with that which he
addeth, namely, that it is in the church's power to define what things
conduce to faith, piety, and charity, even _reputando rem in universum_?

2. Whereas he saith that the church hath no power to make laws, neither i