Chap. IV. The HISTORY of the PURITANS. J59 which the ecclefiaftical commiifioners in king Edward VIth's time ad- jueen vifed the laying afide. Nor did they approve of mufical inftruments, as Elizabeth, trumpets, organs, &c. which were not in ufe in the church for above I200 years after Chrift. Ninthly, They templed conformity to certain ritesand ceremonies, which were enjoined by the, rubrick, or the queen's injunctions; as, i. To the fagn of the crofs inbaptifm, which is no part of the inftitution as recorded in fcripture ; and though it was ufual for chriftians, in the earlier ages, to crofs themfelves, or make a crofs in the air upon fome occafions, yet there is no exprefs mention of its being ufed in baptifm, . till about the sth century. Befides, it having been abufed to fuperfii- tion by the church of Rome, and been had in fuch reverence by fome proteflants, that baptifm itfelf has been thought imperfect without it, . they apprehend it ought to be laid afide. They alto difallowed of bap- tifm bymidwives, or other women, in cafes of ficknefs; and of the man- ner of churching women, which looked to them too much like thejewfh purification. 2. They excepted to the rfè ofgod-fathersandgod-mothers, to the exclufion of parents from beingftreties for the education of their own children. If parents were dead, or in a diftant country, they were as much for fpon- fors to undertake for the education of the child, as their adverfaries ; but when the education of children is by the laws of God and nature in- truded to parents, who are bound to form them to virtue and piety, they apprehended it very unjuftifiable to releafe them totally from that pro mile, and deliver up the child to a (ranger; as was then the confiant practice, and is fince injoined by the 29th canon, which fays, " No parent " fail be urged to beprefent, nor be admitted to anfäver as god-father to his own child." In giving names to children it was their opinion, that hen- thenifh names fhould be avoided, as not fo fit for chri/lians;:. and allo, the names of God and Chrift; and Angels, and the peculiar offices of the me- diator. They alto difiked the god-fathers anfweringg in the name of the child, and not in their own. 3. They difapproved the cuftom of confirming children, as foon as they could repeat the Lord's prayer and their catechifm, bywhich they had a, right to come to the facrament, without any other qualification ; this might be done by children of five or fix years old. They were alto dif- fatisfied with that part of the office, where the bifhop laying his hand upon the children, prays that God would by this fagn certify themof hisfavour and goodnefs,: which feems to impute a facramental efficacy to the impo fition of his hands.. 4. They excepted againft the injunction of kneeling at the fäcrament f the Lord'sflipper, which they apprehended not fo agreeable to the. example
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