'that the articles of the church of England which the clergy generally have subscribed, do contain the true doctrine of the church of England, agreeable to God's word, which 'we do therefore ratify and confirm, requiring all our loving subjects to continue in the uniform profession thereof, ' and prohibiting the least difference from the said articles. We take comfort in this, that all clergymen within 'our realm have always most willingly subscribed the ar'ticles, which is an argument that they all agree, in the true 'usual literal meaning of them; and that in those curious 'points, in which the present differences lie, men of all sorts take the articles to be for them, which is an argument again, that none of them intend any desertion of the arti'cles established: Wherefore we will, that all curious 'search into these things be laid aside, and these disputes be shut up in God's promises, as they be generally set 'forth to us in holy scriptures, and the general meaning of 'the articles according to them; and that no man hereafter 'preach or print to draw the article aside any way, but 'shall submit to it, in the plain and full manner thereof, ́and shall not put his own sense or comment to the mean'ing of the article, but shall take it in the literal and gram'matical sense: That if any public reader in the universi'ties, or any other person, shall affix any new sense to any 'article, or shall publicly read, or hold disputation on ei'ther side; or if any divine in the universities shall preach, 'or print any thing either way, they shall be liable to cen'sure in the ecclesiastical commission, and we will see there shall be due execution upon them."*

Surely there was never such a confused unintelligible declaration printed before; but the Calvinist divines under

Life

*This declaration, Dr. Harris observes, kas been produced and canvassed in the famous Bangorian and Trinitarian controversies, which engaged the attention of the public for a great number of years. of CHARLES I. p. 183-190. Dr. Blackburne has at large discussed the validity of it, and is disposed to consider James I. as the first publisher of it. He shews that it has been corrupted by the insertion of the word now; as, "we will not endure any varying, or departing in the least 'degree, from the doctrine and discipline of the church of England Now 'established;" a language, he justly observes, inconsistent with the principles of our present constitution. Confessional, p. 131-143, 3d edit. Ed.

stood the king's intention, and complained in a petition of "the restraints they were laid under by his majesty's forbidding them to preach the saving doctrines of God's free grace in election and predestination to eternal life, accord'ing to the seventeenth article of the church. That this had 'brought them under a very uncomfortable dilemma, either of falling under the divine displeasure, if they did not execute their commission, in declaring the whole counsel of "God, or of being censured for opposition to his majesty's "authority, in case they preached the received doctrines of "the church, and attacked the pelagian and Arminian heresies boldly published from pulpit and press, though 'censured by king James as arrogant and atheistical; and those who avow them to be agreeable to the church of England are called gross liars. Therefore they hum'bly intreat that his majesty would be pleased to take the 'forementioned evils and grievances into his princely con'sideration, and, as a wise physician, apply such speedy remedies as may both cure the present distemper, and 'preserve the church and state from those plagues with which their neighbors had not been a little distressed."But this address was stopt in its progress, and never reach. ed the king's ears.

In pursuance of his majesty's declaration, all books relating to the arminian controversy were called in by proclamation and suppressed, and among others Montague's and Manwaring's, which was only a feint to cover a more deadly blow to be reached at the puritans; for at the same time Montague and Manwaring received the royal pardon, and were preferred to some of the best livings in the kingdom, (as has been observed) while the answers to their books, by Dr. Featly, Dr. Goad, Mr. Burton, Ward, Yates, and Rouse, were not only suppressed, but the publishers questioned in the star-chamber.

The king put on the same thin disguise with regard to papists; a proclamation was issued out against priests and jesuits, and particularly against the bishop of Chalcedon; orders were also sent to the lord mayor of London, to make search after them, and commit them to prison, but at the same time his majesty appointed commissioners to com

pound with them for their recusancy; so that instead of being suppressed, they became a branch of the revenue, and Sir Richard Weston, a notorious papist, was created earl of Portland, and made lord high-treasurer of England. When the parliament met according to prorogation, January 20th, they began again with grievances of religion : Oliver Cromwell, Esq. being of the committee, reported to the house the countenance that was given by Dr. Neile bishop of Winchester, to divines who preached arminian and popish doctrine; he mentioned the favors that had been bestowed upon Montague and Manwaring, who had been censured the last sessions of parliament; and added, If this be the way to church-preferment, what may we expect? Upon debating the king's late declaration, the hoase voted, That the main end of that declaration was to suppress the puritan party, and to give liberty to the contrary side. Several warm and angry speeches were likewise made against the new ceremonies that began now to be introduced into the church, as images of saints and angels, crucifixes, altars, lighted candles, &c.

Mr. Rouse stood up and said, “I desire it may be 'considered, what new paintings have been laid upon the 'old face of the whore of Babylon, to make her shew more lovely. I desire it may be considered, how the see of 'Rome doth eat into our religion, and fret into the very 'banks and walls of it, the laws and statutes of this realm. 'I desire we may consider the increase of arminianism, an error that makes the grace of God lackey after the will 'of man. I desire we may look into the belly and bowels 'of this Trojan horse, to see if there be not men in it ready 'to open the gates to Romish tyranny, for an arminian is 'the spawn of a papist; and if the warmth of favor come 'upon him, you shall see him turn into one of those frogs 'that rose out of the bottomless pit; these men having kin'dled a fire in our neighbor country, are now endeavoring 'to set this kingdom in a flame."*.

Mr. Pym said, "That by the articles set forth 1562, by the catechism set forth in king Edward VIth's days, by the writings of Martin Bucer, and Peter Martyr ; by the

* Rushworth, p. 657-69.

constant professions sealed with the blood of many martyrs, as Cranmer, Ridley, and others; by the thirty-six articles of Queen Elizabeth, and by the articles agreed upon at Lambeth as the doctrine of the church of England, 'which King James sent to Dort, and to Ireland, it appears 'evidently what is the established religion of the realm. Let us therefore shew wherein these late opinions differ 'from those truths; and what men have been since prefer'red, who have professed the contrary heresies; what par dons they have had for false doctrine; what prohibiting of books and writings against their doctrine, and permit'ting of such books as have been for them. Let us enquire 'after the abettors, and after the pardons granted to them 'that preach the contrary truth before his majesty. It be. 'longs to parliaments to establish true religion, and to pu'nish false. We must know what parliaments have done 'formerly in religion. Our parliaments have confirmed 'general councils. In the time of King Henry VIII. the earl of Essex was condemned [by parliament] for coun'tenancing books of heresy. The convocation is but a "provincial synod of Canterbury, and cannot bind the whole kingdom. As for York it is distant, and cannot bind us or the laws; and as for the high commission, it is derived from parliament

Sir John Elliot said, "If there be any difference in 'opinion concerning the interpretation of the thirty-nine 'articles, it is said, the bishops and clergy in convocation have power to dispute it, and to order which way they please. A slight thing, that the power of religion should be left to these men! I honor their profession; there are "among our bishops such as are fit to be made examples 'for all ages, who shine in virtue, and are firm for religion; but the contrary faction I like not. I remember a char'acter I have seen in a diary of King Edward VI. where "he says of the bishops, that some for age, some for igno rance, some for luxury, and some for popery, were unfit 'for discipline and government. We see there are some among our bishops that are not orthodox, nor sound in religion as they should be, witness the two bishops com 'plained of the last meeting of this parliament; should we * Rushwerth, vol. i. p. 59.

be in their power, I fear our religion would be over'thrown. Some of these are masters of ceremonies, and labour to introduce new ceremonies into the church.'Let us go to the ground of our religion, and lay down a 'rule on which all others may rest, and then enquire after ❝ offenders.""*

Mr. Secretary Cook said, "That the fathers of the 'church were asleep; but a little to awaken their zeal, it is fit (says he) that they take notice of that hierarchy 'that is already established, in competition with their lord'ships, for they [the papists] have a bishop consecrated by the pope; this bishop has his subaltern officers of all 'kinds, as vicars-general, archdeacons, rural deans, appa'ritors, &c. neither are these nominal or titular officers only, but they all execute their jurisdictions, and make their 'ordinary visitations throughout the kingdom, keep courts, and determine ecclesiastical causes; and, which is an argument of more consequence, they keep ordinary intelligence by their agents in Rome, and hold correspondence with the nuncios and cardinals both at Brussels and France, Neither are the seculars alone grown to this 'height, but the regulars are more active and dangerous. "Even at this time they intend to hold a concurrent assembly with this parliament." After some other speeches of this kind, the house of commons entered into the following vow.

"WE the commons in parliament assembled, do claim, 'protest and avow for truth, the sense of the articles of religion which were established by parliament in the thir'teenth year of our late Queen Elizabeth, which by the 'public act of the church of England, and by the general and current exposition of the writers of our church have "been delivered unto us. And we reject the sense of the jesuits and arminians, and all others that differ from us."+ * Rushworth, vol. i. p. 660-61.

"This protestation," Dr. Blackburne remarks," is equivalent at least to any other resolution of the House. It is found amongst the • most authentic records of parliament. And whatever force or operation it had the moment it was published, the same it has to this hour; being never revoked or repealed in any succeeding parliament, nor 'containing any one particular, which is not in perfect agreement with "every part of our present constitution, civil and religious." Confessional, p. 142.