16o The HISTORY of the PURITANS. Chap. IV, :Q,een of Chrift and his apoftles, who gave h to his difciples, rather in a pofture Ia zabeth, of fcafting than of adoration. Befides, it has no foundation in antiquity s5511 for many hundred years after Chri(t ;, and having fince been grofly abus'd by the papifts to idolatry, in their worfnipping the hoff, it ought, fay they, to be laid afide ; and if it fhould be allowed, that the po/lure was indifferent, yet it ought not to be impofed and made a neceffary term as communion; nor did they approve of either of the facraments being admi- niftered in private ; no not in cafes of danger. To bowing at the name of JEsus, grounded upon a falfe interpretation of that paffage of fcripture, At the name of JEsus every knee (hall bow; as if greater external reverence was required to that name, than to the perfon of our bleffed Savióur, under the titles of Lord, Saviour, .Chr, Immanuel, &c. and yet upon this mifrake was founded the injunétion of the queen, and the 18th canon, which fays, " When in time of divine .< fervice, the name of JESUS thall be mentioned, due and lowly reve- " rence fhall be done by all perlons prefent." But the puritans main- tained, that all the names of God and Chr, were to be had in equal reve- rence, and therefore it was befides all reafon to bow the knee, or unco- ver the head, only at the naine of 7efus. 6. To the ring in marriage. This they fometimes complied with, but withed it altered. It is derived from the papifts, who make marriage a facrament, and the ring a fort of facred fign, or fymbol. The words in the liturgy are, " Then fhall they again loofe their hands, and the " man thall give unto the woman a ring, laying the fame upon the book; " and the prieft taking the ring, thall deliver it to the man, to put it " on the fourth finger of the woman's left hand ; and the man holding " the ring there, and taught by the prieft, fhall fay, With this ring I " thee wed, with my body I thee worfhip, and with all my worldlygoods I " thee endow; in the name of the Father, anct of the Son, and of the. " Floly Ghoft." They alto difallowed the forbiddingof marriage at cer- tain times of the year, and then, " licenfing it for money, fay they, is " more intolerable. Nor is it lawful to grant licences, that foine may " marry without the knowledge of the congregation, who ought to be " ° acquainted with it, left there should be any fecret letts or hinde- " rances." 7. To the wearing of the furplice, and other ceremonies, to be z f d in divine fervice; concerning which the church lays, in the preface to her liturgy, that though they were devifëd by men, yet they are referved for de- cency, order, and edification. And again, They are apt to ¡tir up the dull mind of man, to the remembrance of his duty to God, by fozne notable and fpecial fzgnfeation, whereby he might be edified. But the puritans taw no decency in the veftments; nay; they thought them a difgrace to the reformation, and in the pretest circumftances abfolutely unlawful, becaufe
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