The English nonconformity as under King Charles II and King James II truly stated…

For, 1. It were an ignorant reproach of the Church of England, to say that they have put any thing in their Liturgy which is of no use. This will Include every syllable. They themselves tell you in their Prefaces, what use the very Calendar, and every other part are of. The use of the Articles of Faith and Doctrines is our understanding, assent and belief of them in order to Love and Practice. The use of the orders in the Rubric is to oblige us to obedient practice, and so of all the rest. And to Assent, approve and Consent to every thing contained and prescribed practically, even to the use of them, is more than a bare speculative assent.

For, 1. It were an ignorant reproach of the Church of England, to say that they have put any thing in their Liturgy which is of no use. This will Include every syllable. They themselves tell you in their Prefaces, what use the very Calender, and every other part are of. The use of the Articles of Faith and Doctrines is our understanding, assent and belief of them in order to Love and Practice. The use of the orders in the Rubrick is to oblige us to obedient practice, and so of all the rest. And to Assent, approve and Consent to every thing contained and prescribed practically, even to the use of them, is more than a bare speculative assent.

L. Wherein lieth the sin of such a Declaration?

L. Wherein lyeth the sin of such a Declaration?

M. 1. In general it is incredible, as I said before, in consideration ⟨p. 46⟩of the matter, and the Authors together: The Book of Articles, Liturgy and Ordination are a big Volume, and contain great variety of matter, and that high and mysterious; The Authors were every one of them men of imperfection, that had ignorance, error and sin: And operation exceedeth not power. Who dare say that any Sermon, or Prayer that ever he maketh, hath nothing in it but what he may assent and consent to: Much less so great a Book. 2. The Articles which must be subscribed as faultless, say Art. 15. [Christ alone is without sin—But all we the rest (though baptized and born again in Christ) yet offend in many things, and if we say that we have no sin, we deceive our selves, and the truth is not in us] And Art. 21. [General Councils. For as much they be an Assembly of men whereof all be not governed with the Spirit and Word of God, they may err, and sometimes have erred, even in things pertaining to God]. And are our Convocation more infallible than General Councils? The Church must be exemplary in humility; and is it humility to say, we Bishops and Priests having written three Books; he shall not preach Christ's Gospel that will not declare that there is not a word in them that is faulty, or repugnant to God's word, and will not assent and consent to all therein. 3. The Papists hereby scandalized, do scorn us, and say, The question is not now of an Infallibility, or a Judge that all must assent to. It is but who this Infallible Judge is: whether it be the Pope and a General Council, or the English Convocation, which is liker to be of greater authority and infallibility; we require no greater assent and consent of you to the Canons of the Universal Church, than the State and Church of England require to their Books. 4. This seemeth to us to let the Articles, Liturgy and Ordination Book above the Bible. 1. God himself hath not made the assent and consent to every thing contained and prescribed in the Bible necessary to Salvation, or to the Ministry. 1. There are divers Books in our Bibles whose Divine authority, many have questioned, who yet were not for that degraded. The Apocryphal books are yet controverted by men tolerated on both sides. There are hundreds of various Readings, where no one is necessitated to determine for this or that.