Chap. IV. The HISTORY of the PURITANS. 151 All applications to the queen, and her commifíioters being ineffeaual, Queen the fufpended minifters thought it their duty to lay their cafe before the Elizabr66. eth, world; accordingly they publifhed a fmall treadle this year, in vindica- tion of their conduct, intituled, A declaration of the doings of thofe mi- gjtrats of "sifters of God's wordand facraments in the city of London, which have the fufpended refufd to wear the upper apparel, and miniflring garments of the Pope's minifleet rea- church. In this book they thew, " That neither the prophets in thefoms for non- Old Teftament, nor the apoftles in the New, were diftinguifhed conformitp their garments; that the linen garment was peculiar to the prieft- hood of Aaron, and had a fignification of fome thing to be fulfil- " led in Chrift and his church. That a diflinétion of garments in the chriftian church, did not generally obtain till long after the riling of anti-chrift ; for the whole clergy of Ravenna, writing to the. emperor " Carolus Calvus, in the year of our Lord 876, fay We are dißinguifh- " edfrom the laity, not by our cloaths, but by our dotirines ";- not by our " habits, but our converfation. That the furplice, or white linen " garment came from the 'Egyptians into the yewifh church ;, and that " pope Sylve/ler about the year 32cii was the firft that appointed the fa- " crament to be adminiflered in a white linen garment;. giving this reafon for it, Becaufe the body of Chrift was buried in a white linen cloth. They reprefent how all thofe garments had been abufed to " idolatry, forcery, and all kinds of conjurations; for (fay they) the popith priefls, can perform none of their pretended confecrations of holy water, tranfubftantiation of the body of Chrift, conjurations of the devil out of places or perlons pofieffed, without a furplice, or an "" albe, or fome hallowed fiole.----They argue againft the habits as an " offence to weak chritlians, an encouragement to ignorant and obflinate" " papifts, and as an affeétation to return to their communion. That: " at beft, they were but human appointments, and came within the " apoftle's reproof, Col.. ii. 20, 22. Why as though living in the world are " ye fubjee to ordinances, after the commandments. and doourines of Men? " Which all are to perifh with the ufang..:. Touch not; tafle not, handle " net. That fuppofing the garments were indifferent (which they. " did not grant) yet they ought not to be impofed, becaufe it was an. " infringement of the liberty wherewith Chrift had made them free. " La/ll They call in the fuffrages.of foreign divines, whoall condemned" " the habits, though they were not willing to hazard the reformation in " its infancy for them. Even bifhop Ridley, who contended fo zealoufly. 40' for the habits, when Dr.. Brooks at his degradation would have per- " fuaded him to put on the furplice with the reft of the mailing garments, abfolutely refufed,_ faying,. If youput the ftsrplïce upon me,' it. 'hall be agdiuk
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=