50 The HISTORY of the PURITANS. Chap. II. King framed 42 articles upon the chief points of the chriflian dentine; copies Edward VI. of which were fent to the other bifhops and learned divines, for their cor- Ic redions and amendments ; after which the archbifhop reviewed them a fe- cond time, and having given them his laft hand, prefented them to the Rift. Refer. council, where they received the royal fandion. This was another highat Vol. III of the fupremacy ; the articles noj beingbrought into parliament, or agreed P. alo. upon in convocation, as they ought to have been, and as the title feems to exprefs: When this was afterwards objeEted to Cranmer in the next reign as a fraud, he owned the charge, but faid, he was ignorant of the title, and complained of it to the council, who told him, the book was fo enti- tled, becaufe it was publifhed in the time of the convocation; which was no better than a mean evafion. It is entitled, Articles agreed upon by the bithops, and other learned men in the convocation held at London in the year 15.52. for the avoiding diverfty of opinions, and ßablifhing content touching true religion. Publi/h'd by the king's authority. Thefe articles are for fub- Rance the fame with thofe now in ufe, being reduced to the number of thirty nine, in the beginning of the reign of queen Elizabeth, where the reader will meet with the correftions and alterations. The controverted claufe of the twentieth article, that The church has power to decree rites and ceremonies, and authority in controverfies offaith, is not in king Edward's Remarks. articles; nor does it appear how it came into queen Elizabeth's. 'Tis evi- ,dent by the title of the articles, that they were defign'd as articles of truth, and not of peace, as fome of them have pretended, who fubfcribed them rather as a compromife, not to teach any doçtrine contrary to them, than as a declaration that they believed according to them. This was a notion Hift. Refer. the impofers never thought of nor does there appear any reafon for the Vol. II. conceit. So that (fays bifhop Burnet) thofe who fubfcribed, did either be- p,169 21o1,lII. lieve them to be true, or elfe they did grotty prevaricate. With the book of articles was printed a fhort catechifm, with a preface p 4 prefix'd in the king's name. 'Tis fuppofed to be drawn up by bithopPoy- net, but revifed by the red of the bithops and other learned amen. 'Tis dated May 7th, about (even weeks before the king's death. Common The next work the reformers were employ'd in, was a fecond correêtion Prayer Book of the common prayer. Some things they added, and others that had been send retained through the necefiìt of the times, were ftruck out. The molt send time, Y s a. confiderable amendments were thefe. The daily fervice opened with a fhort confeflion of fins, and of abfolution to fuch as fhould repent. The communion began with a rehearfal of the ten commandments, the congre- gation being on their knees; and a paufe was made between the rehearfal of every commandment, for the peoples devotions. A rubrick was alfo ad- ded, concerning the pofture of kneeling, which declares that there was no adoration intended thereby to the bread and wine, which was grofs idolatry ; nor
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