Chap. V. the HISTORY of the PURITANS. a81 the local defcent of Chri/l into bell : or, Whether the bell ablions of men be- Elzbeth, fore their converfion have the nature of Sins ; or whether every thing in the three creeds, commonly called the Apoftles, the Nicene, and the Athanafian, may be proved by moll certain warrants ofholy fcripture, and are therefore Art. i3. to be believed and received. Wife and good men may have different fen- Art. 8. timents upon the doctrine of the decrees, which are a depth that no man can fathom. Thefe, and force other things, have galled the con- fciences of the clergy, and driven them to evafions deftru&tive of mo- rality, and the peace of their own minds. Some have fubfcribed them as articles of peace, contrary to -the very title, which fays, They are for for avoiding diverfity of opinions. Others have tortured the words to a meaning contrary to the known fenfe of the compilers. Some fab- fcribe them with a fecret referve, as far as they are agreeable to the word of God; and fo they may fubfcribe the council of Trent, or even .Mahomet's alcoran. Others fubfcribe them not as doctrines which they believe, but as doftrines that they will not openly contradict and op- pofe; and others, I am informed, put no fenfe upon the articles at all, but only fubfcribe them as a teft of their obedience to their fuperiors, who require this of them, as the legal way to preferment in the church. How hard muff it be for men of learning and probity to fubmit to thefe fhifts! when no kind of fubfcription can be a barrier againft igno- rant or difhoneft minds. Of what advantage is uniformity of profefiìon without an agreement in principles ? If the fundamental articles of our faith, were drawn up in the language of holy fcripture; or if thofe who are appointed to examine into the learning, and other qualifications of minifters, were to be judges of their orthodox confefiiions of faith, it would anfwer a better purpofe, than fubfcription to human creeds and articles. Though the commons were forbid to concern themfelves with theM. S. p.92; difcipline of the church, they ventured to prefent an addrefs to the ttddre[s f queen, complaining, " That for lack of true difcipline in the church, the commons, great numbers are admitted minifters that are infamous in their lives " and c 'erfationa; and among thafe that are of ability, their gifts- ' in many places are ufelefs, by reafon of pluralities and non-refidency, " whereby infinite numbers of your majefty's fubjefts are like to perijh " for lack of knowledge. By means of this, together with the common " blafpherning of the Lord's name, the molt wicked licentioufnefs of " life, the abufe of excommunication, the commutation of penance, the " great numbers of atheifts, fchifmaticks daily fpringing up, and the increafe of papifts, the proteftant religion is in imminent danger z " Wherefore in regard firft and principally to the glory of God,, and next " in difchargeof our bounden duty to your majefty; befides beingmoved " with
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