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The fyrst Article.
First, that the booke commonly called the booke of common prarers for the church of England, aucthori∣sed by Parliament, and all & euery the contents therin be such as are not repugnant to the worde of God.
Albe••t, righte honorable & dearly beloued, we haue at all times borne wt that, which we could not amende in this boke, and haue vsed the same in our ministerie, so farre sorth as we might: reuerencing those times & those persons, in which and by whom it was first au∣thorised, being studious of peace, and of the building vp of Christes churche, yet nowe being compelled by subscription to allowe the same, & to confesse it, not to be against the word of God in any poynt but tollera∣ble: We must nedes say as foloweth, that this boke is an vnperfect boke, culled & picked out of that popishe dunghil, the Portuise and Masse boke ful of all abho∣minations. For s••me, & many of the contentes therin, be suche as are againste the worde of God, as by his grace shalbe proued vnto you. And by the way, we cā¦not but much maruel at the crafty wilines of those mē whose partes had bene fyrst to haue proued eche and euery cōtent therin, to be agreable to the word of god, seing that they enforce men by subscription to consent vnto it, or els send them packing from theyr callings.
1 They shuld fyrst proue by the word, that a reading seruice going before, and with the administration of the sacraments, is according to the word of God, that priuate Communion, priuate baptisme, baptisme mi∣nistred by women, holydayes ascribed to saincts, pre∣script seruices for them, kneeling at communiō, wafer cakes for theyr breade when they minister it, surplesse and coape to do it in: churching of women, comming in vailes, which is not commaunded by lawe, but yet the abuse is great, by reson that superstition is grown therby in the hartes of many, and others are iudged y• vse it not, abusing the Psalme to her, I haue lifted vp mine eyes vnto the hilles, &c. and suche other fool she