Chap. V. The HIS T 0 R Y of the PuRITANS.' 579 5 . « Conl:rmation !ball be rightly and folemnly performed, by the in-' King . fl'' . I h r f h . . (l f h I h Charles !I• .« formatiOn, and wit 1 t e coment o t e mmt er o t e pace, w o 1660 •• !ball admit none to the Lord's fuppllr, till they have made a credible ~· •• profeffion of their faith, and promifed ~bedience to t~~ will of God, ,, according to the rubric before the cateclnfm; and all diligence !ball be •• ufed for the inil:ruetion and reformation of fcandalous offenders, whom •• the miniil:er !ball not fulfer to partake of the Lord's fupper till they •• have openly declared their repentance, and refolutions of amendment; •• provided there be place for appeals to fuperior powers. Every rural •• dean (to be nominated by the bia1op as heretofore), with three or four •• minilters of that deanry chofen by the major part of all the miniil:ers «. within the fame, {hall meet once a month, to receive complaints from H the miniil:ers or church-wardens of pari1bes, and to compofe fuch dif. " ferences as !ball be referred to them for arbitration, and to reform fuch " things as are amifs, by their pail:oral reproofs and admonitions, and " what they cannot reform are to be prefented to the biiliop. More- " over, the rural dean and his ailifl:ants are to take care of the cate- « chizing children and youth, and that they can give a good ac- •• count of their faith, before they are brought to the bi!bop to be con- « firmed. 6. "No bi!bop !ball exercife any arbitrary power, or impofe any •• thing upon his clergy- or people, but according to the law of the "land. 7· "We will appoint an equal number of divines of both perfuafions, to c< review the liturgy of the church of England, and to make fuch altera– •• tions as fhall be thought neceffary, and fome additional forms in the « fcripture phrafe, as near as may be, fuited to the nature of the feve– « ral parts of woriliip; and that it be left to the minifl:ers choice to ufe one " or the other at his difcretion. In the mean time, we defire that the mi– •• nifl:ers in their feveral churches will not wholly lay aGde the ufe of the ~.common-prayer, but will read thofe parts of it againfl: which they ~. have no exception; yet our will and pleafure is, that none be punifh– •• ed or troubled for not ufing it, till it be reviewed and elfecrually re– •• formed. 8. Lajlly, cc Concerning ceremonies, if any are pracrifed contrary to cc law the fume !ball ceafe. Every national church has a power to ap– cc point ceremonies for its members, which though before they were in– « different, yet ceafe to be fo when efiabli!bed by law. We are therefore •• content to indulge tender confciences, fo far as to difpenfe with their •• ufing fuch ceremonies as are an offence to them; but not to abolifh «them. We declare therefore, that none !ball be compelled to receive (< the facrament kneeling, nor to ufe the crojs in baptijin, nor to bow at 4 E z the
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