R. JOHNSON. 177 ministry. This letter was dated from the lord keeper's hOuSe, Gorambury, near St. Albans, August 14, 1571. " Whereas July 4th," says he, " being before your lord- ships, to answer to your three articles, I did forbear to subscribe to the first, viz. ' That the Book of Common Prayer is agreeable to the word of God,' because it seemed to me to contain a license of administering baptism by women, a thing forbidden by the word of God. And being suspended and sequestered, I have abstainedfrompreaching and administering the sacrament, and thereby, my lord, and his family, have suffered the want of those most necessary and comfortable religious privileges. Therefore, my duty to his lordship's household, and to that part of the church from which I receive some maintenance, move me with all due humility and submission, to beseech you that I may be restored to my former liberty. " And concerning the articles, I trust this will suffice and i fully answer your ntention, that, by this my letter, sub- scribed with my own hand, I do promise and declare, that I did not mean to vary from the ordinary book of service, in my ministry. Neither to inveigh against it by public speech, wittingly, or maliciously ; but to move the auditory to hold the truth in matters of faith hod sound religious practice, and to live for ever in the fear of God. And I think that the contents of the service book, then expressly rnentioned, andaccording to the exposition then given to me, are not defective, nor expressly contrary to the word of God ; and that the imperfections thereof, may, for the sake of Unity and charity, be suffered, till God grant a more perfect reformation : for which, every man, according,to his particular vocation, ought diligently to labour. " As to the second article, That the apparel of ministers is not wicked, and directly against the word of God ; and being appointed by the prince only for the sake of policy, obedience, and order, it may be used ;' yet is it not generally expedient, nor edifying. " And as to the third, That the articles of religion, which only concern the confession of the true christian 'faith, and the doctrine of the sacrament, comprised 'in a book, entitled Articles agreed upon by the Archbishops and Bishops of both Provinces, and the whole Clergy, in the convocation holden in London, in the year of our Lord 1562,' and every of them, contain true and godly christian doctrine. " And because I perceived it to be offensiveto his grace VOL. I. N
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