he has given his unfeigned assent and consent. Besides, how can a man declare his assent and consent to the Book of Common Prayer, and the Thirty-nine Articles, if he cannot read these Books? The man, who subscribes the Articles and the Prayer Book, without intending to read only such lessons as the Church appoints, is obnoxious to the charge of dishonesty.
But the parties, who object to these Books on the ground of their want of Canonicity, though they have promised to read them, might, with quite as much reason, object to a sermon of their own, which is quite as destitute of Canonicity. Yet the objectors are usually persons who make their own Sermons a matter of great importance, though in every one of their productions there are necessarily sentiments and expressions, which could not be justified, and which, in many cases, are much further from the truth than any thing in the Apocrypha.[1]
It is remarkable, too, that such objectors are generally the persons who are guilty of other irregularities,
- ↑ The Answer of the Bishops to the exceptions of the Presbyterians, previous to the last review of the Book of Common Prayer, is so admirably suited to the present times, that it ought to be quoted. The Presbyterians objected, the Bishops replied as follows. "As they would have no saints' days observed, so no Apocryphal chapter read in the Church, but upon such a reason as would exclude all sermons as well as Apocrypha: viz. because the Holy Scriptures contain in them all things necessary either in doctrine to be believed, or in duty to be practised. If so, why so many unnecessary sermons? Why any more but reading of scriptures? If their fear be, that by this means those Books may come to be of equal esteem with the canon, they maybe secured against that by the title which the Church hath put upon them, calling them Apocryphal." History of Nonconformity, 8vo. 1704. pp. 235, 236.
