Chap. VII. The HISTORY of-the PURITANS. 269 of England, and to the analogy of faith; and that it did not extend to gueen any thing not exprjd in thePaid books. Of all which the archbifhop al- E175831b lowed them an authentick copy in writing, dated December the bth, 1583, and ordered his chancellor to fend letters to Chichßer, that the reft of the L. 4f Whit fufpendedminiders in that county, might be indulged the fame favour. gfy p. ¡29, Many good and pious men drained their confciences on this occafion ; Their hard- fome fubcribed -the articles with this proteftation in open court, as far as%t"ps they are agreeable to the wordof God; and others.dempto fecundo, that is, taking away the fecond. Many upon better confederation, repented their fubfcribing in this manner, and would have rafed out their names, but it was not permitted. Some who were allured to fubfcribé, with the Fenr.er'sanf- promifes of favour and better preferment, were neglected and forgotten, wee to Dr. and troubled in the comm?cries court as much as before. The court took rrg,s 2ó no notice of their proteftations or referves; they wanted nothing but their hands, and when they had got them, they were all lifted under the fame colours, and pubiifhed to the world as abfolute fub/cribers. The bodyof the inferior clergy, wifhed and prayed for forrme amendments Motives for in the fervice book, to make their brethren eafy. " I am Pure (lays a amendments " o learned divine of thefe times) that this good would come of it.rn book. the fervice " (t:) It would pleafe almighty God. (2.) The learned miniders would " be more firmly united againft the papille. (3.) The good miniders " and good fubjer`.ts, whereof many are now at Weeping-Crofs would be " cheared; and many able fludents encouraged to take upon them the mi- " nidry. And, (4.) Hereby the Papfts, and morecarelels fort of profeffors,. " would be more eafily won to religion. If any objeht, that excellent men " were publishers of the book of PRAYER, and that it would be Tome dif- " grace to the church to alter it. I anfwer, (t.) That though worthy men .r are to be accounted of, yet their overfights in matters ofreligion are not to " be honoured by fubfcriptions. (2.) The reformation of the férvice-book " can be no difgrace to us nor them, for mens fecond thoughts are " wifer than their firft ; and the papids in the late times of Pius V. " reformed our lady's - gaiter. To conclude, ifamendments to the book MS, p. r56. " be inconvenient, it mud be either in regard of protedants or papids ; " it cannot be in regard ofprote/tants, for very great numbers of them " pray heartily to God for it. And if it be in regard of the papids, we. " are not to mind them ; for they whofe captains fay, that we have neither church, nor facramehts, nor miniders, nor queen in England, " are not greatly tobe regarded of us." But Whitgift was to be influenced by no fuch arguments ; he was Archbiilhop't againft all alterations in the liturgy, for this general reafon, left the church reafons,for fhouldbe thought to have maintained an error: Which is furprizing to cornefubfcripaoA. from the mouth of a proteltant bifhop, who had fo lately feparated from the
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