taking from it, whether invented and taken up of ourselves, or received
by tradition from others, though under the title of antiquity, custom,
devotion, good intent, or any other pretence whatsoever." Hence, he
expressed himself in these words--"I excommunicate and debar from this
holy table of the Lord, all devisers, commanders, users, or approvers of
any religious worship not instituted by God in his Word, all tolerators
and countenancers thereof; and by consequence I debar and excommunicate
from this holy table of the Lord, Queen and Parliament, and all under
them, who spread and propagate or tolerate a false superstitious
worship, ay and until they repent," And in relation to the opposing of
the covenants and work of reformation, he had these words--"I
excommunicate and debar all who are opposers of our covenants and
covenanted Reformation, and all that have taken oaths contrary to our
covenants, and such particularly as are takers of the Oath of
Abjuration, whether Ministers or others, until they repent."

That this was no presumptuous and rebellious arrogance is evident,
because the sins for which he debarred Queen and Parliament, and all
others guilty of them, are proven from Scripture to be gross breaches of
God's law, and every violation thereof persisted in without repentance,
is a sufficient cause (in the opinion of Protestant Divines) to debar
and exclude from the Lord's table. Now, it is certain that even those
ministers of the established church who make such obloquy against the
work for this particular, do the same thing in effect every time that
they administrate this ordinance, for (as can be proved if they please
to require it, or do deny it,) they excommunicate from the table all
guilty of such sins as are forbidden in the second commandment,
according as they are specified in the forsaid Catechism; and so, by an
infallible consequence, they excommunicate the Queen and Parliament, who
are grossly guilty of the most of them, only they have not the courage