But you would make us, by our present Subscription, say much more than we mean, and mean much more than we say, for instance, you would contend that we declare by Subscription, “that every word of the _Homilies_, is _agreeable_ to the word of God,” the laity, you say “_feel_ not what it is to subscribe _literally_ to _every word_ of the _Homilies_, Rites, and Ceremonies,” {39a} and again, “if a Subscription to _the Liturgy_ as _agreeable_ to the word of God is still maintained to be indispensable,” {39b} and further, the petition states, that the Clergy are “commonly understood to be _bound_ to the observance of _all the Canons_.” {39c} Now, I cannot think that you give quite a correct view of Subscription. Amongst your illustrations, you say, “our Subscription _literally_ taken calls upon a person to declare that the delivery of a marriage ring and the Apostles’ Creed are equally _agreeable_ to scripture!” {40} But the very _letter_ of our Subscription is opposed to this view of it.—We know of nothing in scripture agreeable to or agreeing with any part of our marriage ceremony, unless it be a supper; neither have we any “scripture warrant” for our custom of kneeling when receiving the sacrament, none for signing with the sign of the cross, no _direct_ warrant baptizing infants, in short, _literally_ we do _not_ subscribe to _the Liturgy_ as being _agreeable_ to the word of God, but containing nothing _contrary_ to it. Neither do we “subscribe _literally_ and to every word of the Homilies” as being agreeable to the word of God. I could produce you many a quaint passage from their exhortations, to which we should be puzzled to find anything agreeable in scripture, though nothing perhaps contrary to the spirit of them. And as to the Canons, so far from feeling ourselves _bound_ to a _voluntary_ observance of them all, I have no recollection of pledging myself by any Subscription at my ordination to the observance of any of them. “As to the Canons,” says _Archdeacon Sharpe_, “to which we are _not bound by any formal promise_, but only by virtue of their own authority. I believe no one will say that we are bound to pay obedience to them all, according to the letter of them.” Say then, that there are amongst them some, which as the petitioners allege “could not in these days be acted upon,” if so, they are the less likely to cause them any grievance. And as to the alleged inexpediency of acting upon others, let us leave that to be judged of by our superiors, whom we are bound to obey, at least so I understood my ordination vows. But our objection to a revision of our Laws Ecclesiastical arises from no over-weaning affection for these inoperative canons, but from a desire rather to “ . . . bear the ills we have Than fly to others, that we know not of.”