154 LIVES OF THE PURITANS. of God, nearly all the trash of popery, their candles, their torches, their banners, their oil in baptism, and nearly all other things pertaining to antichrist. B. Yes ; and why not, if it please the prince, seeing they are things in their own nature indifferent. A. I beseech you in the Lord, mind what you say. Shall we again bring tapers into the church of GOV, and oil into the sacrament of baptism ? B. Yes ; and why not ? Is not oil one of the sacraments in the church of God? Why do you speak so contemptu- ously of oil ? A. It is no contempt to exclude oil, milk, salt, or any such thing, from the sacrament. And why do you call oil a sacrament, seeing it is neither a sacrament, nor any sign of a sacrament ? B. Though it be no sacrament now, it was in the time of the apostles. A. To speak properly, it never was a sacrament, the nature and use of which is to remember and seal unto us the mercies of God in Christ Jesus. B. This is talk. You do not allege the scriptures. A. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils; and ye cannot partake of the table of the Lord, and the table of devils. Meats, drinks, and apparel, are all of the same nature ; therefore, being consecrated to idolatry, they are condemned. So it is said, 4, Ye shall also defile the covering of the graven images of silver, and the orna- ment of the molten image of gold : Thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloth ; thou shalt say unto it, get thee hence. Andwhether ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." But the surplice, and the wearing of it, is not for the glory of God, therefore not to be worn. B. The surplice is for the glory of God. A. That which promotes the glory of the papists, does not promote the glory of. God; but the wearing of the surplice promotes the glory and triumph of the papists, and, therefore, not to be worn. B. I deny your argument. A. It is a syllogism. B. You are full of your syllogisms. A. Our reason is the gift of God, and the right use of it is to find out the truth. B. But a syllogism may be false. Let us proceed to your second argument.
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