442 The HISTORY of the PURITANS. Chap. Y. icingJames l. This being the point of difference, the puritans offered a publick difpu_ 6°5. tation upon the lawfulnefs of impofing ceremonies in general; and in parti_ ticular upon the furplice, the crofs in baptifm, and kneeling at the commu. nion ; but were refufed. Upon which the Lincoln/hire minifters drew up an apology fir thole minißers who are troubled for refuting offubfcrip- tien and conformity, and prefented it to the kingDecember Ift, 1604. the 1brielgmert ABRIDGMENT is now before me, and begins with a declaration of their of the Line. readinefs to fubfcribe the firft of the three articles required by the 36th miniers canon, concerning the king's fupremacy; but to the other two, fay they, reafon, for /ubfr,h we cannot fubfcribe, becaufe we are perfuaded, that both the book of ing. common prayer, and the other book [of articles] to be fubfcribed by this canon (which, yet in Tome refpe&s, we reverently efteem) con- tain in them fundry things which are not agreeable, but contrary to the word of God. They object to the book of common-prayer in general, that it appoints that order for reading the holyfcriptures, which in many refpets is contrary to the wordof God. As, Their argu- i. " The greateft part of the canonical fcripture is left out in the publick men,, again/, « reading; whereas allfcripture is given by infpiration, and is profitable, &c. fabfcribing " and fundry chapters that are, in their opinion, more edifying than fome the hook of Common- " others that are read, are omitted. grayer. 2. " It does too much honour to the apocryphal writings, commanding " many of them to be read for firft leffons, and under the name of holy " fcripture, and in as great a proportion; for of the canonical chapters of " the old teftament (being in all feven hundred feventy-nine) are read " only five hundred ninety-two, and of the apocryphal books (being one " hundred feventy-two chapters) are read one hundred and four. This " they apprehend to be contrary to the word of God, forafmuch as the " apocryphal books contain fundry and manifeft errors, diversof which are " here produced. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. " The book of common- prayer appoints fuch a tranfla- " tion of the holy fcriptures to he read in the churches as in force places is " abfurd, and in others, takes from, perverts, obfcures and falfifies the " word ofGod ; examples of whichare produced, with the authorities of " the moll confiderable reformers." Their next general objection againft fubfcribing the book of common- prayer is, becaufe it enjoins the ufe offuch ceremonies as they apprehend . contrary to the wordof God. To make good this afïiertion they fay, " It is contrary to the word of P. 17 " God to ufe (much more to command the ufe of) fuch ceremonies in the worfhip of God, as man bath devifed, if they be notorioufly known " to be abufed to idolatry and fuperftition by the papifts, and are of no, neceffary=
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=