It. JOHNSON. 181 food : you say, you are our doctor, we desire to be taught.' This is the best way to win us, and the best for you to use. The laws and authority of men, should not set aside the laws and authority of God. The popish logic of slander and imprisonmentwill not prevail at last. The Fleet, the Gate- house, the White-lion, the King's-bench, and Newgate, are weak arguments to convince the conscience.". Upon the 2Oth day of the same month, Mr. Johnson was brought to trial before his judges, and examined at Westminster-hall, in the presence of the queen's commis- sioners, the bishop of London, the dean of Westminster,the lord chiefjustice, and others. He was accused of marrying without the ring, and of baptizing without the cross, which he did for a time; but upon complaint against him, he begun again to use them. He was accused, also, of a misdemeanour, as it is called ; because when he was once administering the sacrament, the wine falling short, he sent for more, but did not consecrate it afresh, accounting the former consecration sufficient for what was applied to the same use, at the same time. The examinationwhich he underwent at his trial, was as follows : Johnson. If it please your honours, may I not submit myself, and declare the truth of things as they were done ? Lord Chief Justice. Yes, you may. J. I stand here indicted for three points. The first is, that I have not repeated the words of the institution ; or, as they commonly call it, I did not consecrate thewine, when I delivered it to the communicants,-Secondly, that I have not niarried with the ring.--Thirdly, that I have not used the cross in the administration of baptism, and have left out the whole sentence for that purpose.-r-Unto these charges, I answer, that respecting the contempt, as expressed in the indictment, I plead, not guilty. And as to the first of those charges, I answer under my protestation, that at no time, in celebrating the communion, have I omitted any prayer or words of the institution, which the book pre- seribeth, but have used them in as full and ample a manner * Parteof a Register, p. 101-105. -I In Mr. Johnson's indictment, he was charged with having solemnized matrimony, between one Leonard Morris and Agnes Miles, without using the ring. And having baptized a male child that he did not kn.,w, he did not make the sign of the cross on its forehead, nor use the following words: " We receive this child into the congregation of Christ's Rock, and do sign " himwith the sign of the cross," as contained in the Book of Common Prayer: "And that he did the same voluntarily, and in contempt of the queen midher laws, and against the peace of the realm."-MS. Registsr, p.19Q.
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