z6 The HISTORY of the PURITANS. Chap. I. King " be added faith in the mercy of God, that he will juftify and pardon Hen. VIII. " us, not for the worthinefs of any merit or work done by us, but for 't si ^ " the only merits of the blood and pafl'ion of Jefus Chrift ; neverthe Hilt. Ref. " lefs, that confeffion to a prieft was neceffary if it might be had ; and p. 214. " that the abfolution of a prieft was the fame as if it were fpoken by God " himfelf, according to our Saviour's words. That auricular confeffion " was of ufe for the comfort of mens confciences. And though we are juftified only by the fatisfa&ion of Chrift, yet the people were to be " inftruded in the neceffityof good works. 4. " That in the facrament of the altar, under the form of bread and wine, there was truly and fubftantially, the fame body of Chrift that was born of the Virgin. 5. " That juflification fignified the remifiion of fins, and a perfett " renovation of nature in Chrift. 6. " Concerning images.---That the ufe of them was warranted in (c fcripture; that they ferved to ftir up devotion; and that it was meet they fhould ftand in churches : But the people were to be taught, " that in kneeling or worfhipping before them they were not to do it to the image, but to God. 7. " Concerning honouring of faints, they were to be inftruded not " to expel± thofe favours from them which are to be obtained only from God, but they were to honour them, to praife God for them, and " to imitate their virtues. 8. " For praying to faints That it was good to pray to them " to pray for us and with us. q. " Of ceremonies. The people were to be taught that they were " good and lawful, having myftical fignifications in them; fuch were " the vßments in the worfhip of God, fprinkling holy water to put us " in mind of our baptifm and the'blood of Chrift ; giving holy bread " in fign of our union to Chrift ; bearing candles on Candlemas day in " remembrance of Chrift the fpiritual light; giving afhes on AA-Wed- " ne/day to put us in mind of penance and our mortality ; bearingpalms " on Palm-Sunday to thew our defire to receive Chrift into our hearts " as he enter'd into 7erufalem ; creeping to the crofs on Good -Friday, " and kung it in memory of his death ; with the fetting up of the fe- " pulchre on that day, the hallowing thefont, and other exorcifms and be- " nedil±ions. Lajily. " As to purgatory, they were to declare it good and charitable " to pray for fouls departed ; but lince the place they were in, and the " pains they fuffered, were uncertain by fcripture, they ought to remit " them to-God's mercy. Therefore all abufes of this doftrine were to be " put away, and the people difengaged from believing that the pope's par- " dons
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