cafion to violate them, when they thwarted his intereft or inclination. To ferve purposes not the most laudable, he encouraged innovations in the doctrine of the church (00)

eftablished,

doome, p.

* in compiling this form, and that it was collected, and corrected by himself, though other bithops were joyned ⚫ in confultation with him (b).'-But this reply is not (b) Canto the purpose. Laud might, and it is plain from his terbury's diary that he did, collect and correct the form made use 476. of at the coronation. But thefe collections and corrections seem to have been wholly of the fuperftitious kind. The unction in the form of a cross, the placing the crucifix on the altar, the inferting the prieftly admonition, Stand and hold faft,' &c. which is in the Roman pontifical verbatim; thefe, I fuppofe, were the things collected and corrected by Laud, and were well worthy of his genius and difpofition. However, the reader has the evidence on both fides before him, and is at liberty to form his own judgment. Much has been said on this matter by many writers, though few have gone to the bottom of it. Perhaps, after all, I may be told, it did not deserve the pains.

(00) He encouraged innovations in the doctrine of the church, &c.] What the doctrine of the church of Eng land is, may be seen in the thirty-nine articles of religion, which all her minifters fubfcribe. The doctrines of original fin, predeftination, the neceffity of the grace of God, in order to render our good works acceptable unto him, and many other things, equally orthodox and edi fying, are contained therein. And as a feparation was but juft made from the Romish church when these articles were compiled, the is (as it was very natural) declared to have erred in matters of faith, and to have taught doctrines contrary to the truth. And that men might have a proper deteftation of her, in the homilies of our church, which we are taught contain godly and wholfome doctrine, fhe is denied to be a true church, and her worship is declared to be idolatrous. But this notwithstanding, Richard

N 2

established, and defended the innovators from

Richard Montague broached in his writings Arminianism, and fpoke more favourably of popery than a zealous proteftant could poffibly have done. The house of commons, who valued the proteftant religion, and really believed the doctrines contained in the articles of the church of England, were alarmed. They drew up articles against Montague, in which they declare him to have maintained and confirmed fome doctrine contrary to the articles agreed by the archbishops and bishops, and the whole clergy, in the year 1562; and by his fo doing, to have broke the laws and ftatutes of this 'realm.' But all the effect of this was, that the suppofed criminal was protected by Charles, and honoured by him with a mitre (i). Good encouragement this, to vilify the doctrines of a church, and applaud her adverfary! In like manner Roger Manwaring having, as the commons declared, preached two fermons contrary to the laws of this realm, in which he taught that the C king was not bound to keep and obferve them;' and being, on an impeachment, cenfured by the lords, fined, and declared to be incapable of having any ecclefiaftical dignity, or fecular office hereafter, was pardoned by his majefty, and advanced to the rank of a right reverend (k)-Robert Sibthorp, indeed, had not fo good luck. He preached the fame doctrine with Manwaring, and had his fermon licensed by Laud, after Abbot had refused the doing it, though required in his majeftie's name; but being a perfon of little learning and few parts, he only could obtain a chaplainfhip in ordinary to his majesty, ' prebendary of Peterborough, and rector of Burton Latimer in Northamptonshire."

6

The doctrines and promotions of these men, and others of a like stamp, produced, I am perfuaded, the following excellent obfervations. • When fuch men and fuch

doctrines prevail, it is eafy to guess what will follow. No man will care to give pernicious counsel, but where ⚫ he knows it will be pleafing; nor will a prince hear it, ⚫ unless he be inclinable to take it. He only, who has a • mind

from the ill effects of parliamentary cen-.

fures,

< mind to do what he ought not, will like to be told that he may; and the will of the prince is then preached up, when law and liberty are to be pulled down. • What means or avails the propagating of arbitrary maxims, but to juftify and introduce arbitrary proceedings? They are too odious to be fpread, where no great defign is to be ferved by doing it. Nor need any man defire a furer fign, that univerfal flavery is intended by the court, than when univerfal fubmiffion to it is inculcated upon the people.' This confideration alone leaves no excufe or apology to be made for thofe reigns, when fuch flavifh tenets were every where maintained, and the vile maintainers of these tenets countenanced, hired, and preferred: when from the public tribunals, and public pulpits, places facred to law and truth, it became fashionable, nay, became the only and fureft way of rifing there, to affert, that there was no law, fave in the wild will of one, who, though fworn to de-i fend law, might lawfully overturn it; to affert impious ⚫ falfhoods, manifeft to all men; to father fuch falfhoods upon the God of truth, under his holy name to fhelter outrageous oppreffions; to bind up the hands of the oppreffed; to maintain that the lives of men, which they held from God, their property, which was fecured to them by the conftitution, the conftitution itself contrived by the wisdom of men for their own prefervation, and defended through ages by their virtue and bravery, were all at the meer mercy and luft of him who was folemnly bound to protect all; but might, if he fo lifted, deftroy them all without oppofition; nay, ⚫ all oppofition was damnable. When all this was notorious, conftant, univerfal, the language of power, the ftyle of favourites, and the road to favour, what doubt could remain whither it all tended? To prevent all doubts, arbitrary measures were pursued, whilst ⚫ arbitrary measures were promoted. The perfons of 6 men were illegally imprifoned, illegal fines impofed, N 3 • estates

fures, and moreover took care to reward them

eftates violently feized, and the public confidently (1) Gordon's robbed (1).' ·

difcourfes upon Tacitus, vol. v. P. 99.

Athenæ

Oxonienfes, vol. ii. c.

275.

To return.-If we may believe Andrew Marvel, Manwaring and Sibthorp were not over-worthy of the countenance and encouragement they received from Charles: for, fays he, they were exceeding pragmatical, fo intolerably ambitious, and fo defperately proud, that fcarce any gentleman might come near the tail of their (m) Wood's mules (m). The elevation of thefe gentlemen, we may be fure, was not very acceptable to the body of the nation. For nothing was more deteftable to them, at that time, than Arminianism and Popery, than lawless rule, and power uncontrolable. With regard to the new doctrines vended under the patronage of Charles, we may observe that they were not only cenfured by the parliament, but fo difagreeable to the clergy, that Laud himself, by the advice of Andrews, would not trust their being handled in a convocation. The truth in those opinions not being fo generally entertained (fays Heylin) amongst the clergy, nor the archbishop [Abbot] and the greater part of the prelates fo inclinable to them, as to venture the determining of those points to a convocation (n). But that,' continues the fame writer, which was not thought fit in that prefent conjuncture for a convocation, his majefty was pleafed to take order in by his royal edict.' And therefore, on the 14th of June, 1626, by the advice of his court-bifhops, he iffued forth a proclamation, in which he declared his • full and constant refolution, that neither in matters of doctrine, nor difcipline of the church, nor in the government of the ftate, he will admit of the leaft innovation. His majefty thereupon commands all his fubjects (the clergy moft efpecially), both in England and Ireland, that from thenceforth they fhould carry themselves fo wifely, warily, and confcionably, that neither by writing, preaching, printing, conferences, or otherwife, they raife any doubts, or publifh or maintain any new inventions or opinions concerning reli

(n) Life of Laud, P. 153.

.

them with honours and preferments. In his

· gion, than fuch as are clearly grounded and warranted by the doctrine and difcipline of the church of England, heretofore published and happily established by authority.'

This proclamation feemed, in words, to favour the eftablished doctrines of the church; but, in fact, was made use of to undermine and deftroy them. For the book of Mountague, abovementioned, having had a variety of answers, which were difpleafing to Laud, who was fupreme in all matters ecclefiaftical, he, under colour of this order, took care to fupprefs them, as we may learn from the following paffages.

There appeared fo many in the lift against him [Mountague], viz. Goad, Featly, Ward, Wotton, Prynne, • and Burton, that the encounter seemed to be between a whole army and a fingle perfon. Laud, and fome of those bishops on the other fide, encouraged by his ma jeftie's proclamation, endeavoured to fupprefs those books, which feemed to have been published in de• fiance of it; fome of them being called in, fome stopped at the prefs; fome printers queftioned for printing, as the authors were for writing fuch prohibited pamphlets. Burton and Prynne, amongst the reft, were called into the high commiffion, and at the point to have been cenfured, when a prohibition comes from • Westminster-hall to stay the proceedings in that court, contrary to his majeftie's will and pleasure, exprefled fo clearly and diftinctly in the faid proclamation: ⚫ which prohibition they tendered to the court in fo rude

a manner, that Laud was like to have laid them by ⚫ the heels for their labour (o).' A ftrange fort of leger- (0) Life of demain this! The proclamation was against innovations; Laud, p. but by the flight of these prelates, countenanced by his 155. majefty, it was turned against those who stood up in defence of the doctrine happily established by authority.

However, it must be acknowledged, that tho' Mountague, as a reward for his labours, had a bishoprick conferred upon him; yet his book was called in by procla

N 4

mation.