286 LIVES OF THE PURITANS. or sher some cause why I refuse, I will shew your lordship three seasons: As, I. There are some things in the Book of Common Prayer against the word of God, and, there- fore, repugnant to the word of God.-2. My next reason- B. Nay, stop ; let us talk of the first. E. 1 like your order well. And to prove what I have said, I referyou to the words of the rubric, before the office of confirmation, where it is said, That no man shall think any detriment will come to children by deferring their confirmation ; he shall know for truth, that it is certain by God's word, that children being baptizedhave all things necessary to salvation, and be undoubtedly saved." R You must not take it as the words import. E. No, my lord T. Is it not your pleasure that we should subscribe to the things in the book ? Or, is it yourpleasure that we should subscribe to your interpretation of those things ? B. You must subscribe' to the sense ofwhat is contained in the book. E. If we must subscribe to the sense, then must you amendyour article. For your article, to which you require us to subscribe, saith, that there is nothing in the Bookof CommonPrayer repugnant to the word of God. B. Ifyou were to subscribe to the gospel, would you sub- scribe to the words, or the sense ? E. I would subscribe to the words-. B. You lie. E. My lord, Ibeseech you let ushave good words. I say again, we must subscribe both to the words and to the sense. B. But I say nay. For where Christ saith, " I am the door," will you subscribe to the words ? E. My lord, mistake me not. I say we must subscribe to the sense and the words; and where the words are figurative, we must subscribe to the sense. But when the words and sense are the same, and'without any figure, then we must subscribe to both. B. What think you of the words of Christ, " My father is the husbandman," and "the wordwas made flesh ??' E. If you compare Gen. i. with the-words going before those you have mentioned, you will see that we mustsub- scribe to the sense of the words. Here, as Mr. Edwin attempted to proceed, his grace suddenly and passionately interrupted him.
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