200 LIVES OF THE PURITANS. is but a trifle, the more loath I am to subscribe, that it is according 'to the word of God.--In one of the prayers, we say, ' Grant us that, which, for our unworthiness, we dare not ask: These words cannot be excused. They fight directly against our faith. We must come boldly to the: throne of grace, and doubt not of obtaining mercy,. in: whatever God has promised. These and such other things, thus standing in the prayer book, make many fearful of subscribing, that every part of it is according to the word: of God." " I. That, as the public preaching of the word, in the church of England, is sound and sincere; so the public order, in the ministration of the sacraments, is consonant to the word of God." Upon this he observes, " How can I tell, that all preach-, ing in England is sound and sincere, when 'I hear not all preachers ? And sometimes those whom I do hear, preach neither soundly, nor sincerely : but this is the fault of man. -And that the public order, in the ministration of the sacraments, is according to God's word, I cannot simply confess. There is an order how women may baptize. All reformed churches have condemned this, and how can I allow it ? All learned men write against the questions and crossings in baptism; and why should I, with my hand, condemn all their doings ? The wafer cake in many churches, is thought intolerable ; and our own act of parliament for avoiding superstition, hath appointed other bread : what then if I should dislike it ? "Another reason why I cannot subscribe both to this article and the first, is the one contradicting the other. In the first I must subscribe to all the homilies : in, this, to all the ceremonies; and yet our homilies condemn many of our ceremonies. In the homilies it is said, c. That the costly and manifold furniture of vestments lately used in the church, is Jewish, and maketh us the more willingly, in such apparel to become Jewish.' If I subscribeto this, how can I subscribe to the ceremonies used in cathedral churches, where the priests, deacon, and subdeacon, are in copes and vestments ? In the homilies, it is said, That piping, singing, chanting, playing on organs, &c. greatly displease God, and filthily defile his holy temple.' If I must sub- scribe to th is, then I must not subscribe to the contrary, even that all our ceremonies are good, and acording to the word of God. How can I say, that our doctrine, our sacraments, our prayers, our ceremonies, our orders, even that all is
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