270 the HISTORY of the PURITANS. Chap. VII. Queen the infallible church of Rome. His grace's arguments for fubfcription to. Etizabeth, his articles, are no lets remarkable. (t.) If you do not fubfcribe to the 15.3. book of Common Prayer, you do in effect fay, there is no true fervice of L of Whit God, or adminiftration of facraments in the land. (2.) If you do not gift, P'12,5* fubfcribe the book of Ordination of Priefts, &c. then our calling muff be unlawful, and we have no true miniftry, nor church in England. (3.) If you do not fubfcribe the book of the thirty-nine .flrticles, you deny true doctrine to be eflablifhed among us, which is the main note of a true church. Could an honefl man, and a great fcholar be in earneft with this reafoning ? Might not the puritansdiflike fome things in the fervice book, without invalidating the whole ? Did not his grace know, that they offered to fubfcribe to the ufe of the fervice book, as far as they could apprehend it confonant to truth, though they could not give it under their hands, that there was nothing in it contrary to the wordof God, nor pro - mile to ufe the whole, without the leafs variation, in their publick miniftry? But according to the archbifhop's logick, the church muft be infallible, or no church at all. The liturgy muft be perfeel in every phrafe and fen- tence, or it is no true fervice of God ; and every article of the church mud be agreeable to fcripture, or they contain no true doctrine at all. He told the minifters, that all who did not fubfcribe his articles were fchifmaticks; that they had feparated themfelves from the church ; and declared peremp- torily, that they fhould be turned out of it. L. of Whit- Thisconduit: of the archbifhop wasexpofed in a pamphlet, entitled the gift, p. saz. Practice ofprelates ; which Pays, That none ever ufed good minifters fo feverely fence the reformation as he ; thát his fevere proceedings were againft the judgment of many of his brethren the bishops, and that the devil, the common enemy of mankind, had certainly a hand in it. For who of the minifters (lays this writer) have been tumultuous or unpeacea- blc? have they not ftriven for peace in their miniftry, in their writings, and by their example; and fought for their difcipline, only by lawful and dutiful means ? Why then fhould the archbifhop tyrannize over his fel- low minifters, and ftarve many thoufandfouls, by depriving all who refufe fubfcription ? Why fhould he lay fuch ftrefs upon popifh opinions, and upon an hierarchy that never obtained till the approach of Antichrift. Compagionate Loud were the cries of thefe poor fufferers and their diftrefíed families cafe of the to heaven for mercy, as well as to their/riper/orson earth ! Their tempta- non-fubfcrib .lions were ftrong, for as men they were moved with compafhon for their ers, wives and littleones ; and as faithful minifters of Chrifl, they were defirous to be ufeful, and to preferve the te/limony of a good confcience. Some through frailty, were overcome and fubmitted, but mote of them cafe themfelves and families upon the providence of God ; having wrote to the . queen, to the archbifhop, and to the lords of the council; and after force time
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