Chap. vr. 7be HIs T 0 R y of tbe PuRITANS. 6os but through want of order, frequent interruptions, and perfonal reflec- C King . . rr. d . I . b f d' . . t harles II. tions, the difpute wue m not 1mg; a num er o young !Vllles m er166 r. rupting the preibyterian minifiers and l_at.Jghing them t~ fcorn. At length ~,· bifhop Cojins produced a paper, c?~tammg an. e_xpe~Je?t to lhorten the K; Chr. P· debate, which was, to put the muuiters on dJfimgmfhmg between tbqjeS 4· things ~vhich they charged as SINFUL, and thofe which were only INEXPimrENT. The three difpt!tants on the minifl:ers fide, were defired to draw up an anfwer to this paper, which they did, and charged the rubric and injunCtions of the church with eight things ftatlyjiiful, and contrary to the word of God. I. That no minifl:er be admitted to baptize without ufing the jign q{Baxter's the crqfs. Life, part IT. 2. That no miniil:er be admitted to officiate without wearing a fur- I'· 341 • plice. 3· That none be admitted to the Lord's fupper witout he receive it kneeling. 4· That minifiers be obliged to pronounce all baptized perfons re– generated by the Holy Ghqjt, whether they be the children of chriil:ians or not. 5· That miniil:ers be obliged to deliver the facrament of the body and blood of Chri£1: to the u1ifit both in health andjic!mifs, and that, by per– fonal application, putting it into their hands, even thofe who are forced to receive it againfl: their wills, through confcioufnefs of their impeni:. tency. 6. That miniil:ers are obliged to abfolve the urifit, and that in abfolute expreffions. 7· That miniil:ers are forced to give thanks for all whom they bury, as. brethren ~vhom God has taken to bimfe![.. 'l' "" 8. That none may be preJchers who do not fubfcribe, that tbere is no• thing in the common-prayer book, book qf ordination, and the tbirty-ni1re · articles, contrary to the word if God. After a great deal of loofe difcourfe, it was agreed to debate the third 'Thtf!tbjtt'f if :1rticle, if denying the communion to foch as could not kneel. The mini;: tbedijpute. ters proved their affertion thus, that it was denying the facrament to fuch whom the _Holy C?hoil: co~mand~d us to receive; Rom. xiv. 1, z, 3· Hzm that zs weak 111 the jazth recezve )'e, but not to doubijul dijputations: Gm believes he may eat all things; another that is weak, oteth herbs:· Let not him that eateth, difpije him that eateth not ; and let not him that eateth not, judge him that eateth, for God has received him. The e,rifco~al. div!nes would not u~deril:and this of the communion. They a,fo diil:mgut~ed between thmgs lawful in themfelves, and things . both lawful m themfelv~s an~ required by lawful authority; In the former cafe they admit a hberty, but the latter being enjoined by
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