his ministers, who zealously pursued this darling

• inclofed in a letter of my own. This meeting thus • broke off, there were fome hot fpirits, fons of thunder, amongst them, who moved that they fhould petition me for a free fynod; but, in fine, they could not agree amongst themfelves who fhould put the bell about the 'cat's neck, and fo this likewife vanished. It is very true, that, for all the primate's filence, it was not pof• fible but he knew how near they were to have brought

6

6

in all those articles of Ireland, to the infinite disturb< ance and scandal of the church, as I conceive; and certainly would have been content I had been surprised. • But he is fo learned a prelate, and fo good a man, as I do befeech your grace it may never be imputed unto him. The primate accordingly framed a canon, a 6 copy whereof you have here, which I not fo well approving, drew up one myself, more after the words of the canon in England, which I held best for me to keep as close to as I could, and then fent it to my lord. His grace came instantly to me, and told me, he feared the canon would never pass in fuch form as I had made it; but he was hopeful, as he had drawn it, it might; be< fought me therefore to think a little better of it. But I confefs, having taken a little jealoufy that his proceedings were not open and free to thofe ends I had my eye upon, it was too late now either to perfwade or affright me. I told his lordship I was refolved to put it to them • in those very words, and was moft confident there were not fix in the houses that would refuse them, telling him, by the fequel, we fhould fee whether his lordship < or myself better understood their minds in that point, and by that I would be content to be judged. Only for order fake, I defired his lordfhip would vote this 6 canon first in the upper house of convocation; and fo voted, then to pass the question beneath also, without any delay. Then I writ a letter to dean Leifly (the copy whereof I likewife fend), with the canon inclofed, which accordingly that afternoon was unanimously voted, first with the bishops, and then by the reft of

• the

darling plan in England; and even in Ire

land,

forde's let

278.

the clergy, excepting one man (b). His majesty and (6) StrafLaud approved of the courfe held in this affair (c). ters and difI think it is father Paul who relates, that it used to be patches, vol. faid that the Holy Ghoft was fent from Rome to Trent i. p. 343. in a cloke-bag.' It had not here so long a journey: it (c) Id. p. refided in the caftle with the deputy, and was ready to over-rule and influence all the debates and refolution of the holy Irish fynod. Great deference, no doubt, then ought to be paid to its determinations, and abfolute submiffion to its decrees. The honefty, courage, and perfeverance of the members demand our admiration, as well as the meeknefs, humility, and modefty of the lorddeputy. Surely an uniformity brought about by fuch methods must be most desirable! I have in the text obferved, that the establishing uniformity in modes and forms is prejudicial to truth, honefty, and the public welfare. To truth it evidently is hurtful, as it hinders the impartial fearch after it; to honefty, as it frequently causes men to act as the Irish convocation here did, that is, against their own sense of things; and to the public welfare, by driving away many useful members of fociety into foreign countries, where liberty is given of profeffing their fentiments, and acting conformable to them.The political advantages of toleration are very well defcribed by Puffendorf, who had feen the world, and been converfant with government. Toleration, fays he, is found by experience to produce a great increase of ⚫ people in a state; because a multitude of strangers will < put themfelves in there, for the fake of that defired liberty, which they could not elfe where enjoy. And in fuch places it is more neceffary that the minifters of the church be well ftudied in divinity, and very exemplary in their life and manners, that they may maintain their esteem and reputation, and be free from the reproaches of the adverfe party, than where they have none to emulate them, in which cafe they are liable to fall into floth and ill-manners. And in fuch places too it commonly comes to pafs, that they are wont • with

P 4

land, where true policy would have taught them to have formed the ftrongeft oppofition to popery, by encouraging proteftants of every kind, they were not wanting to promote it.

High founding titles were now bestowed on Laud (UU), who was thought willing to

be

with more application and endeavour to inftruct and confirm their people in their religion, as accounting it their difparagement to have them drawn away to an• other fect. But that which greatly concerns the prince of fuch a people, where different religions are tolerated, is, that he do take care that the liberty granted to all be strictly maintained, and that it be not either openly violated, or by any indire& methods abridged. And he must not fuffer that any one party, where the ⚫ toleration is univerfal, and much rather where all have the liberty of religion in their own right, do, by factions or fecret artifices, put by thofe who differ from them in religion from bearing offices, or with-hold them from any of the common benefits of subjects, or • be any otherwife troublefome. For indeed the prince, if he does with equity and prudence manage this matter, will find, that thofe of the fubjects who profefs a different religion from his own, will be more refpectful and officious to him, than thofe of his own religion; because they will hold it a fpecial demonftration of his goodnefs and favour, if they find themfelves not the lefs efteemed and regarded by him for their different opinion when as they who profefs the fame religion with him, will think all things their right and due that he does for them, and hardly hold themselves at all obliged (d) Puffen- • to him for it (d).'

dorf's divine

feudal law,

6

(UU) High founding titles were beftowed on Laud, &c.] P. 13, Svo. The university of Oxford addrefled him by the titles of Lond. 1703. fan&titas tua, fpiritu fanéto effufiffimè plenus, fummus pontifex, archangelus, ut ne quid nimis. Laud owns this,

and

be here, what his holinefs was at Rome:

and

tryal, p.285.

and fays, the meaneft of these titles is multum nimis, far too much, applied to my person and unworthiness: yet a great fign it is, that I deferved very well of that univerfity, in the place I then bare (the chancellor'fhip); or else they would never have beftowed such titles upon me; and if they did offend, in giving fuch an unworthy man fuch high language, why are they not called in queftion for their own fault (e)? We (e) Laud's fee here the pride of the man under the guife of humi- troubles and lity! Had not the univerfity known his temper, had they not found him fond of flattery, they never had bestowed it on him in fo fulfome a manner. But they had found their account in it, and therefore practifed it. Befides thefe titles, he had the following alfo given unto him: Optimus maximufque in terris; ille quo rectior non flat regula, quo prior eft corrigenda religio (f). He moreover is (f) Canfaid to have took on him to be the patriarch of this terbury's doome, p. other world (g).' On the laft of these titles, fir Ed- 441. ward Dering, in a fpeech to the whole houfe, in a com- (g) Laud's mittee for religion, Nov. 23, 1640, obferves as follows: troubles, p. • One parallel more I have, and that is this: among 286. papifts there is one acknowledged fupream pope, fupream in honour, in order, and in power; from whose judgment there is no appeal.-I confefs, Mr. fpeaker, I cannot altogether match a pope with a pope; (yet one of the antient titles of our English primate was alterius orbis papa.) But thus far I can go, ex ore fuo. It is in print. He pleads fair for a patriarchate: and for fuch an one, whofe judgment he (beforehand) pro⚫feffeth ought to be final: and then (I am fure) it ought to be unerring. Put thefe together, and you fhall find that the final determination of a patriarch will want very little of a pope,-and then we may fay,

6 -Mutato nomine dete

• Fabula narratur.

the

He pleads popeship under the name of a patriarch; and I much fear left the end and top of his patriarchal plea may be as that of cardinal Pole (his predeceffor),

• who

$4.

6

and churchmen were exalted to fome of

the

who would have two heads, one caput regale, another 'caput facerdotale: a proud parallel, to fet up the mitre < as high as the crowne. But herein I fhall be free and cleare: if one there must be (be it a pope, be it a patriarch), this I refolve upon, for my own choice (procul a fove procul a fulmine), I had rather ferve one as far off as Tyber, than to have him come fo neere as the Thames. A pope at Rome will doe me lefs hurt than a (b) Dering's patriarch may doe at Lambeth (h). Whether Laud in fpeeches, P. his book pleads for a patriarchate, I cannot say, having no opportunity to confult it. But what he fays in answer to this charge, I fhall give in his own words. Let any man look into that place of my book, and he fhall find that I make ufe of that paffage only to prove, that the pope could not be appealed unto out of England, according to their own doctrine; which I hope is no blafphemy. As for St. Anfelme, howfoever he was swayed with the corruptions of his time, yet was he in other things worthy the teftimony which the authors by me cited give him. And if any man be angry that the ⚫ archbishop of Canterbury is called the patriarch of this other world, he may be pleased to remember, that St. Ferom gives St. Auguftine, who was bishop of Hippo, and no archbishop, a greater title than that: for he writes, beatiffimo papa Auguftino, more than once and (i) Laud's againe (i).' It does not feem by this that he was roubles, P. charged wrongfully. This appealing to the fathers, and juftifying names and things by them, would pass well enough in Laud's time. But foon after, Daille affaulted their authority with vigour, and amongst proteftants it continually loft ground. At prefent it feems little regarded amongst men of fenfe, who have perused the writings of Barbeyrac and Middleton, Le Clerc and Fortin. May it never more be revered! But may the New Teftament alone have authority in matters of religion; and then we need not fear of hearing of popes or patriarchs in England, or feeing them affume the pomp and garb, the power and cruelty, for which the wretches adorned

286.