Keimåelia 'ekklåesiastika, The historical and miscellaneous tracts of the Reverend and learned Peter Heylyn, D.D. now collected into one volume ... : and an account of the life of the author, never before published : with an exact table to the whole.

CHAP. VIII. Of the Preparatives to the Reformation, and the Doctrine of the Church in the present points.

• 1. The danger of ascribing too much to our ancient Martyrs, &c. exemplified in the parity of Ministers and popular elections unto Benefices, allowed by Mr. John Lambert.
• 2. Nothing ascribed to Calvins judgment by our first Reformers, but much to the Au∣gustine Confession, the writings of Me∣lancthon.
• 3. And to the Authority of Erasmus, his Pa∣raphrases being commanded to the use of the Church by King Edward VI. and the Reasons why.
• 4. The Bishops Book in order to a Reformation, called, The Institution of a Christian man, commanded by King Henry VIII. 1537. corrected afterwards with the Kings own hand, examined and allowed by Cran∣mer, approved by Parliament, and finally, published by the name of Necessary do∣ctrine, &c. An. 1543.
• 5. The Doctrine of the said two Books in the points disputed, agreeable unto that which after was established by King Edward the Sixth.
• 6. Of the two Liturgies made in the time of King Edward VI. and the manner of them; the testimony given unto the first, and the alterations in the second.
• 7. The first Book of Homilies, by whom made, approved by Bucer, and of the Argument that may be gathered from the method of it in the points disputed.
• 8. The quality and condition of those men who principally concurred to the Book of Articles, with the Harmony or consent in Judgment between Archbishop Cranmer, Bishop Rid∣ley, Bishop Hooper, &c.
• 9. The Doctrine delivered in the Book of Ar∣ticles, touching the five controverted points.
• 10. An answer to the Objection against these Articles, for the supposed want of Autho∣rity in the making of them.
• 11. An Objection against King Edwards Ca∣techism, mistaken for an Objection against the Articles, refelled, as that Catechism by John Philpot Martyr, and of the dele∣gating of some powers by that Convocation to a choice Committee.
• 12. The Articles not drawn up in compre∣hensive or ambiguous terms to please all par∣ties, but to be understood in the respective, literal, and Grammatical sense, and the Reasons why.

I Have the longer stood upon the answering of this Objection, to satisfie and prevent all others of the like condition, in case it should be found on a further search, that any of our godly Martyrs, or learned Writers, who either suffered death before the Reign of Edward VI. or had no hand in the carrying on of the Reformation, embraced any opinions in Doctrine or Discipline contrary to the established Rules of the Church of England: For otherwise, as we must admit all Tyndals Heterodoxies, and Friths high flying conceits of Predestination, which before we touch'd at, so must we also al∣low a Parity, or an Identity rather in Priests and Bishops, because John Lambert, (ano∣ther of our Godly Martyrs) did conceive so of it. In the primitive Church (saith he) there were no more Officers in the Church of God than Bishops and Deacons; that is to say, Mi∣nisters, as witnesseth, beside Scripture, S. Hierom in his Commentaries on the Epistles of S. Paul. Whereas (saith he) that those whom we now call Priests, were all one, and no other but Bishops, and the Bishops no other but Priests, men ancient both in age and learning, so near as could be chosen; nor were they instituted and chosen as they be now a days, the Bishop and his Officer only opposing them whether they can construe a Collect; but they were chosen also with the consent of the people, amongst whom they were to have their living, as sheweth S. Cyprian: But alack for pity, such elections are banished, and new fashions brought in. By which opinion (if it might have served or a Rule to the Reformation) our Bishops must have been reduced to the rank of Priests, and the right of Presentation put into the hands of the people, to the Destruction of all the Patrons in the Kingdom.

If then the question should be asked (as perhaps it may) On whom, [unspec II] or on whose judgment the hrst Reformers most relied in the weighty business? I answer nega∣tively: First, That they had no respect of Calvin, no more than to the judgement of Wicklef, Tyndal, Barns, or Frith, whose offered assistance they refused when they went about it; of which he sensibly complained unto some of his friends, as appears by one of his Epistles. I answer next affirmatively in the words of an Act of Parlia∣ment, 2. & 3. Edw. 6. where it is said, That they had an eye in the first place to the more pure and sincere Christian Religion taught in the Scriptures; and in the next place to the usages of the Primitive Church. Being satisfied in both which ways, they had thirdly a more particular respect to the Lutheran Plat-forms, the English Confession or Book of Ar∣ticles being taken in many places word for word out of that of Ausberg, and a confor∣mity maintained with the Lutheran Churches in Rites and Ceremonies; as namely, in kneeling at the Communion, the Cross in Baptism, the retaining of all the ancient Festivals, the reading of the Epistles and Gospels on Sundays and Holy-days, and gene∣rally in the whole Form of External Worship. Fourthy, in reference to the points dis∣puted, they ascribed much to the Authority of Melancthon (not undeservedly called the Phoenix of Germany) whose assistance they earnestly desired, whose coming over they expected, who was as graciously invited hither by King Edward the Sixth (Regiis li∣teris in Angliam vocari) as himself affirms in an Epistle to Camerarius: His coming laid aside upon the fall of the Duke of Sommerset, and therefore since they could not have his company, they made use of his writings for their direction in such points of Doctrine, in which they though it necessary for the Church to declare her judg∣ment.

I observe finally, [unspec III] That as they attributed much to the particulars, to the Authority of Melancthon, so they ascribe no less therein unto that of Erasmus, once Reader of the Greek Tongue in Cambridge, and afterwards one of the Professors of Divinity there; whose Paraphrases on the four Evangelists being translated into English, were ordered to be kept in Churches for the use of the People, and that they owned the Epistles to be studied by all such as had cure of souls: Concerning which it was commanded by the injunctions of King Edward VI. published by the advice of the Lord Protector Somerset and the Privy Council,* 1.1 in the first year of the said Kings Reign: 1. That they should see pro∣vided in some most convenient and open place of every Church, one great Bible in English, with the Paraphrase of Erasmus in English, that the People might reverently, without any let, read and hear the same at such time as they listed, and not to be inhibited therefrom by the Par∣son or Curate; but rather to be the more encouraged and provoked thereunto. And 2. That every Priest under the degree of a Batchellour of Divinity should have of his own, one New Testa∣ment in English and Latine, with the Paraphrases of Erasmus upon the same, and should di∣ligently read and study thereupon, and should collect and keep in memory all such comfortable places of the Scripture, as do set forth the Mercy, Benefits, and Goodness of Almighty God to∣wards all penitent and believing persons, that they might thereby comfort their flock in all dan∣ger of death, despair or trouble of Conscience; and that therefore every Bishop in their Institu∣tion should from time to time try and examine them how they have profited in their studies. A course and care not likely to have entred into the thoughts of the Lord Protector, or any of the Lords of the Council, if it had not been advised by some of the Bishops, who then began to have an eye on the Reformation, which soon after followed; and as un∣likely to be counselled and advised by them, had they intended to advance any other Doctrine than what was countenanced in the Writings of that Learned man. Where∣upon I conclude the Doctrine of the points disputed, to be the true and genuine Doctrine of the Church of England, which comes most near to the plain sense of holy Scripture, the general current of the Fathers in the Primitive times, the famous Augustane Con∣fession, the Writings of Melancthon, and the Works of Erasmus: To which Conclusion I shall stand till I find my self encountred by some stronger Argument to remove me from it.

The ground thus laid, [unspec IV] I shall proceed unto the Reformation which was built upon it, first taking in my way some necessary preparations made unto it by H. 8. by whom it had been ordered in the year 1536. That the Creed, the Lords Prayer, and the Ten Commandments should be recited publickly by the Parish Priest in the English Tongue, and all the Sundays and other Holidays throughout the year: And that the people might the better understand the duties contained in them, it pleased him to assemble his Bishops and Clergy in the year next following, requiring them, &Vpon the diligent search and perusing of Holy Scripture, to set forth a plain and sincere Doctrine, con∣cerning

the whole sum of all those things which appertain unto the Profession of a Christian man. Which work being finished, with very great care and moderation, they published by the name of an Institution of a Christian man, containing the Exposition or Interpre∣tation of the common Creed, the seven Sacraments, the Ten Commandments,* 1.2 the Lords Prayer, &c. and dedicated to the Kings Majesty. Submitting to his most excellent Wisdom and exact Judgment, to be by him recognized, overseen, and corrected, if he found any word or sentence in it amiss, to be qualified, changed, or further expounded, in the plain setting forth of his most vertuous desire and purpose in that behalf. A Dedication publickly subscribed in the name of the rest, by all the Bishops then being, eight Archdeacons, and seventeen Doctors of chief note in their several faculties: Amongst which I find seven by name, who had a hand in drawing up the first Liturgy of King Edward VI. that is to say, Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury; Goodrich, Bishop of Ely; Hebeach, then Bishop of Rochester, and of Lincoln afterwards; Skip, then Archdeacon of Dorset, after Bishop of Hereford; Roberson, afterwards Dean of Durham, as Mayo was afterwards of S. Pauls, and Cox of Westminster: And I find many others amongst them also, who had a principal hand in making the first Book of Homilies, and passing the Articles of Religion in the Convocation of the year, 1552. and so it rested till the year, 1643. when the King making use of the submission of the Book which was tendred to him corrected it in many places with his own hand, as appeareth by the Book it self, re∣maining in the famous Library of Sir Robert Cotton: Which having done, he sends it so corrected to Archbishop Cranmer; who causing it to be reviewed by the Bishops and Clergy in Convocation, drew up some Annotations on it: And that he did for this intent (as I find exprest in one of his Letters bearing date, June 25. of this present year) because the Book being to be set forth by his Graces censure and judgment, he would have nothing therein that Momos himself could reprehend, referring notwithstanding all his Anno∣tations to his Majesties exacter judgment: Nor staid it here, but being committed by the King to both Houses of Parliament, and by them very well approved of, as appears by the Statutes of this year, Cap. 1. concerning the advancing of true Religion, and the abo∣lition of the contrary, it was published again by the Kings command, under the title of Necessary Doctrine and Erudition for any Christian man: And it was published with an Epistle of the Kings before it, directed to all his faithful and loving Subjects; wherein it is affirmed, To be a true Declaration of the true knowledge of God and his Word, with the principal Articles of Religion, whereby men may uniformly be led and taught the true under∣standing of that which is necessary for every Christian man to know, for the ordering of himself in this life, agreeable unto the will and pleasure of Almighty God. [unspec V]

Now from these Books the Doctrine of Predestination may be gathered into these particulars; which I desire the Reader to take notice of,* 1.3 that he may judge the bet∣ter of the Conformity which it hath with the established Doctrine of the Church of England.

1. That man by his own nature was born in sin, and in the indignation and dis∣pleasure of God, and was the very child of Wrath, condemned to everlasting death, subject and thrall to the power of the Devil and sin; having all the principal parts or portions of his soul, as reason and understanding, and free-will, and all other powers of his soul and body, not only so destituted and deprived of the gifts of God where∣with they were first endued, but also so blinded, corrupted and poysoned with errour, ignorance and carnal concupiscence, that neither his said powers could exercise the natural function and office for which they were ordained by God at the first Creation, nor could he by them do any thing which might be acceptable to God.

2. That Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God the Father, was eternally pre∣ordained and appointed by the Decree of the Holy Trinity, to be our Lord; that is to say, to be the only Redeemer and Saviour of Man-kind, and to reduce and bring the same from under the Dominion of the Devil and sin, unto his only Dominion, King∣dom, Lordship, and Governance.

3. That when the time was come in the which it was before ordained and appointed by the Decree of the Holy Trinity, That Man-kind should be saved and redeemed,* 1.4 than the Son of God, the second Person in the Trinity, and very God, descended from Heaven into the world, to take upon him the very habit, form, and nature of man, and in the same nature of suffer his glorious Passion for the Redemption and Salvation of all Man-kind.

4. That by this Passion and Death of our Saviour Jesus Christ, not only Corporal death is so destroyed, that it shall never hurt us, but rather that it is made wholesome

and profitable unto us; but also, that all our sins, and the sins also of all them that do believe in him, and follow him, be mortified and dead, that is to say, all the guilt and offence thereof, as also the damnation and pains due for the same, is clearly extincted, abolished and washed away, so that the same shall never afterwards be imputed and inflicted on us.

5. That this Redemption and Justification of Man-kind could not have been wrought or brought to pass by any other means in the world, but by the means of this Jesus Christ, Gods only Son; and that never man could yet, nor never shall be able to come unto God the Father, or to believe in him, or to attain his favour, by his own wit and reason, or by his own science and learning, or by any of his own works, or by whatsoever may be named in Heaven or Earth, but by faith in the Name and Power of Jesus Christ, and by the gifts and graces of his Holy Spirit.

But to proceed, [unspec VI] the way to the ensuing Reformation being thus laid open: The first great work which was accomplished in pursuance of it, was, the compiling of that fa∣mous Liturgy of the year, 1549, commanded by King Edward VI. that is to say, the Lord Protector, and the rest of the Privy Council, acting in his Name, and by his Authority, performed by Archbishop Cranmer, and the other six before remembred, assisted by Thirdby, Bishop of Winchester; Day, Bishop of Chichester; Ridley, Bishop of Rochester; Taylor, (then Dean after) Bishop of Lincoln; Redman, then Master of Trinity Colledge in Cambridge; and Hains, Dean of Exeter; all men of great abilities in their several stations: and finally, confirmed by the King, the Lords Spiritual and Tem∣poral, and the Commons in Parliament Assembled, 23 Edw. VI. In which Confir∣matory act it is said expresly to have been done by the especial aid of the Holy Ghost; which testimony I find also of it in the Acts and Monuments, fol 1184. But being disliked by Calvin, who would needs be meddling in all matters which concerned Religion, and disliked it chiefly for no other reason (as appears in one of his Epistles to the Lord Protector) but because it savoured too much of the ancient Forms, it was brought un∣der a review, the cause of the reviewing of it being given out to be no other, than that there had risen divers doubts in the Exercise of the said Book, for the fashion and manner of the Ministration, though risen rather by the curiosity of the Ministers and Mistakers, than of any other cause, 5, 6 Edw. 6. cap. 1. The review made by those who had first compiled it, though Hobeach and Redman might be dead before the confirmation of it by Act of Parliament, some of the New Bishops added to the former number, and being review∣ed, was brought into the same form in which now it stands; save, that a clause was taken out of the Letany, and a sentence added to the distribution of the blessed Sacra∣ment, in the first year of Queen Elizabeth, and that some alteration was made in two or three of the Rubricks, with an addition of Thanksgiving in the end of the Le∣tany; as also of a Prayer for the Queen, and the Royal Issue in the first of King James.

At the same time, [unspec VII] and by the same hands which gave us the first Liturgy of King Edward VI. was the first Book of Homilles composed also; in which I have some cause to think that Bishop Latimer was made use of amongst the rest, as one who had sub∣scribed the first other two books before mentioned, as Bishop of Worcester, Ann. 1537. and ever since continued zealous for a Reformation, quitting in that respect such a wealthy Bishoprick, because he neither would nor could conform his judgment to the Doctrine of the six Articles Authorized by Parliament: For it will easily appear to any, who is conversant in Latimers writings, and will compare them carefully with the book of Homilies, that they do not only savour of the same spirit in point of Doctrine, but also of the same popular and familiar stile, which that godly Martyr followed in the course of his preachings; for though the making of these Homilies be commonly ascribed (and in particular by Mr. Fox) to Archbishop Cranmer, yet it is to be under∣stood no otherwise of him, thad than it was chiefly done by encouragement and di∣rection, not sparing his own hand to advance the work, as his great occasions did per∣mit. That they were made at the same time with King Edwards first Liturgy, will appear as clearly, first by the Rubrick in the same Liturgy it self, in which it is di∣rected,* 1.5 that after the Creed shall follow the Sermon or Homily, or some portion of one of them, as they shall be hereafter divided. It appears secondly by a Letter writ by Martin Bucer, inscribed To the holy Church of England, and the Ministers of the same, in the year 1549. in the very beginning whereof, he lets them know, That their Sermons or Ho∣milies were come to his hands, wherein they godlily and effectually exhort their people to the reading of Holy Scripture (that being the scope and substance of the first Homily, which

occurs in that book) and therein expounded the sense of the faith whereby we hold our Chri∣stianity and Justification, whereupon all our help censisteth, and other most holy principles of our Religion, with most godly zeal. And as it is reported of the Earl of Gondomar, Am∣bassador to King James from the King of Spain, that having seen the elegant dispo∣sition of the Rooms and Offices in Burleigh House, not far from Stanford erected by Sir William Cecil, principal Secretary of State, and Lord Treasurer to Queen Elizabeth, he very pleasantly affirmed, That he was able to discern the excellent judgment of the great Statesman, by the neat contrivance of his house: So we may say of those who composed this book, in reference to the points disputed, A man may easily discern of what judgment they were in the Doctrine of Predestination, by the method which they have observed in the course of these Homilies: Beginning first with a discourse of the misery of man in the state of nature; proceeding next to that of the salvation of man-kind by Christ our Saviour only, from sin and death everlasting; from thence, to a Declaration of a true, lively, and Christian saith, and after that of good works annexed unto faith, by which our Justification and Salvation are to be obtained; and in the end descending unto the Homily bearing this inscription, How dangerous a thing it is to fall from God: Which Homilies in the same form and order in which they stand, were first authorized by King Edward VI. afterwards tacitly approved in the Rubrick of the first Liturgy be∣fore remembred, by Act of Parliament, and finally, confirmed and ratified in the book of Articles, agreed upon by the Bishops and Clergy of the Convocation, Anno 1552. and legally confirmed by the said King Edward.

Such were the hands, [unspec VIII] and such the helps which co-operated to the making of the two Liturgies, and this book of Homilies; but to the making of the Articles of Re∣ligion, there was necessary the concurrence of the Bishops and Clergy Assembled in Convocation, in due form of Law; amongst which there were many of those which had subscribed to the Bishops book, Anno 1537. and most of those who had been for∣merly advised with in the reviewing of the book, by the Commandment of King Henry VIII. 1543. To which were added, amongst others. Dr. John Point, Bishop of Winchester, an excellent Grecian, well studied with the ancient Fathers, and one of the ablest Mathematicians which those times produced: Dr. Miles Coverdale, Bishop of Exon, who had spent much of his time in the Lutheran Churches, amongst whom he received the degree of Doctor: Mr. John Story, Bishop of Rochester (Ridley being then preferred to the See of London) from thence removed to Chichester, and in the end by Queen Elizabeth to the Church of Hereford; Mr. Rob. Farran, Bishop of St. Davids, and Martyr, a man much favoured by the Lord Protector Sommerset, in the time of his great∣ness; and finally (not to descend to those of the lower Clergy) Mr. John Hooker, Bishop of Gloucester, and Martyr; of whose Exposition of the Ten Commandments, and his short Paraphrase on Romans 13. we shall make frequent use hereafter; a man whose works were well approved of by Bishop Ridley (the most learned and judicious of all the Prelates) who notwithstanding they differed in some points of Ceremony, professeth an agreement with him in all points of Doctrine; as appears by a Letter writ∣ten to him when they were both Prisoners for the truth, and ready to give up their lives (as they after did) in defence thereof: Now the words of the Letter are as fol∣loweth, But now my dear Brother, forasmuch as I understand by your works, which I have but superficially seen, that we throughly agree, and wholly consent together in those things which are the grounds and substantial points of our Religion,* 1.6 against the which the world now so rageth in these our days: Howsoever in times past, in certain by-matters and circumstances of Religion your wisdom and my simplicity and ignorance have jarred, each of us following the abundance of his own sense and judgment: Now I say, be you assured, that even with my whole heart, God is the witness, in the bowels of Christ, I love you in truth, and for the truths sake that abideth in us, and I am persuaded, by the grace of God, shall abide in us for ever∣more. The like agreement there was also between Ridley and Cranmer, Cranmer ascribing very much to the judgment and opinion of the learned Prelate, as himself was not ashamed to confess at his Examination; for which see Fox in the Acts and Monu∣ments, fol. 1702.

By these men, [unspec IX] and the rest of the Convocation, the Articles of Religion (being in number 41) were agreed upon, ratified by the Kings Authority, and published both in Latine and English, with these following Titles, viz. Articuli de quibus in Synodo Londinens. A.D. 1552. ad tollendam opinionum dissentionem, & consensum verae Religionis firmandum, inter Episcopos & alios eruditos viros, convenerat, Regia authoritate Londin. editi; that is to say, Articles agreed upon by the Bishops and other learned men assembled in

the Synod at London, Anno 1552. and published by the Kings Authority, for the avoiding of diversities of opinions, and for the establishing of consent, touching true Religion. Amongst which Articles (countenanced in Convocation by Queen Elizabeth, Ann. 1562.) the Doctrine of the Church in the five controverted points is thus delivered, according to the form and order which we have observed in the rest before.

1. Of Divine Predestination.

Predestination to life is the everlasting purpose of God, whereby (before the foundations of the World were laid) he hath constantly ordered by his Council,* 1.7 secret unto us, to deliver from curse and damnation those whom be hath chosen in Christ out of man-kind, and to bring them by Christ to everlasting salvation, as vessels made to honour.

Furthermore, we must receive Gods promises in such wise at they be generally set forth to us in holy Scripture, and in our doing the will of God that is to be followed, which we have ex∣presly declared to us in the Word of God.

2. Of the Redemption of the World by the faith of Christ.

The Son, which is the Word begotten of the Father, begotten from everlasting of the Fa∣ther, &c. and being very God, and very Man, did truly suffer, was Crucified, Dead and Buried,* 1.8 to reconcile his Father to us, and be a Sacrifice not only for Original guilt, but also for the actual sins of men.

The Offering of Christ once made,* 1.9 is this perfect Redemption, Propitiation and Satisfaction to all the sins of the whole world, both Original and Actual.

3. Of mans will in the state of depraved nature:* 1.10 Man by Original sin is so far gone from Original righteousness, that of his own nature be is inclined to evil, so that the flesh lusteth al∣ways contrary to the Spirit; and therefore

Works done before the grace of Christ,* 1.11 and the inspiration of his Spirit, are not pleasant to God, forasmuch as they spring not of faith in Jesus Christ, neither do they make men meet to receive grace, or (as the School Authors say) deserve grace of Congruity.

4. Of the manner of Conversion.

The condition of man after the fall of Adam is such, that he cannot turn and prepare him∣self by his own natural strength and good works,* 1.12 to faith and calling upon God; wherefore we have no power to do good works pleasant and acceptable to God, without the grace of God by Christ preventing us, that we may have a good will, and working with us, when we have that good will.

5. Of the uncertainty of Perseverance.

The Grace of Repentance is not to be denied to such as fall into sin after Baptism, in regard that after we have received the Holy Ghost,* 1.13 we may depart from grace given, and fall into sin; and by the grace of God (we may) arise again and amend our lives; and therefore they are to be condemned which say they can no more sin as long as they live here, or deny the place of Repen∣tance to such as truly repent.

Now in these Articles, [unspec X] as in all others of the book, there are these two things to be observed. 1. What Authority they carried in respect of the making. And 2. How we are to understand them in respect of the meaning. And first for their Authority; it was as good in all regards as the Laws could give them, being first treated and agreed upon by the Bishops and Clergy in their Convocation, and afterwards confirmed by the Letters Patents of Edw. VI. under the Great Seal of England. But against this it is objected, That the Records of this Convocation are but a degree above blanks; that the Bishops and Clergy then assembled, had no Commission from the King to meddle in Church business; that the King durst not trust the Clergy of that time in so great a matter, on a just jealousie which he had of the ill affections of the major part; and therefore the trust of this great business was committed unto some few Confidents, cordial to the cause of Religion, and not unto the body of a Convocation. To which it hath been already answered, That the Objector is here guilty of a greater crime than that of Scandalum magnatum, making King Edward VI. of pious memory, no better than

an impious and lewd Impostor, in fathering those children on the Convocation, which had not been of their begetting: For first, the Title to the Articles runneth thus at large, Articuli de quibus, &c. as before we had it; which Title none durst adventure to set before them, had they not really been the products of the Convocation. Se∣condly, the King had no reason to have any such jealousie at that time of the major part of the Clergy, but that he might trust them with a power to meddle with matters of Religion; this Convocation being holden the sixth year of his Reign, when Gardi∣ner, B••nner, Day and Tunstall, and others of the stiffest Romanists, were put out of their places; most of the Episcopal Sees and Parochial Churches being filled with men according unto his desires, and generally conformable to the Forms of Worship here by Law established. Thirdly, the Church of England for the first five years of Queen Elizabeth, retained these Articles, and no other, as the publick tendries of the Church in point of Doctrine; which certainly she had not done, had it been recommended to her by a less Authority than a Convocation lawfully assembled and confirmed. And fourthly, that it is true, that the Records of Convocation during this King, and the first years of Queen Mary are very defective and imperfect, most of them lost; amongst others, those of this present year: And yet one may conclude as strong∣ly, that my Mother died Childless, because my Christening is not to be found in the Parish Register; as that the Convocation of this year was barren, because the Acts and Articles of it were not entred in the Journal Book.

To salve this sore, it is conceived by the Objector, [unspec XI] that the Bishops and Clergy had passed over their power to some select Divines appointed by the Kings; in which sense they may be said to have made these Articles themselves, by their delegates, to whom they had deputed their Authority, the case not being so clear,* 1.14 but that it occasioned a Cavil at the next Convocation the first of Queen Mary, when the Papists therein assembled, renounced the legality of any such former transactions. And unto this it shall be answer∣ed, That no such defect of legality as was here pretended, was charged against the book of Articles it self, but only against a Catechism which was bound up with it, countenanced by the Kings Letters Patents prefix'd before it, approved by many Bishops and learned men, and generally voiced to be another of the products of this Convocation: And therefore for so much as concerns this Catechism, it was replyed by Mr. John Philpot Archdeacon of Winchester, who had been a member in the former, and was now a member of the Convocation in the first of Queen Mary. That he thought they were deceived in the Title of it,* 1.15 in that it owned the Title of the last Synod of London, many which were then present, not being made privy to the making or publishing of it. He added. That the said former Convocation, had granted the Authority of making excellent Laws, unto certain persons to be ap∣pointed by the Kings Majesty; so as whatsoever Ecclesiastical Laws they, or the most part of them did set forth (according to a Statute in that behalf provided) might be well said to be done in the Synod of London, though such as were of the house, had no notice thereof before the promulgation: And thereupon he did infer, That the setters forth of the Catechism did not slander the House, as they went about to per∣suade the World, since they had the Authority of the Synod unto them committed, to make such Spiritual Laws as they thought convenient and necessary for the good of the Church. In which Discourse we may observe, that there was not one word which reflects on the Book of Articles, all of it being made in reference to the Ca∣techism before remembred; though if the Objection had been made (as indeed it was not) against the Articles themselves, the defence of that learned man, and godly Martyr, would have served as fully for the one, as it did for the other. But whatsoe∣ver may be said in derogation to the Authority of the Book of Articles, as it was published in the time of King Edward the sixth, Anno Dom. 1552. certain I am, that nothing can be said unto ••••e contrary, but that they were received, and the far greater part of them agreed upon in full Convocation, Anno 1562. And therefore for avoiding of all Disputes, I am resolved to take them in this last capacity, as they were ratified by Queen Elizabeth, Anno 1563. confirmed by King James, An. 1604. and finally established by the late King Charles, with his Majesties Royal Declara∣tion prefixt before them, Anno 1628.

Less doubt there is concerning the intent of this Convocation in drawing up the Articles in so loose a manner, [unspec XII] that men of different judgments might accommodate them to their own Opinions, which I find both observed and commended in them by the former Author; by whom we are informed, that the Articles of the English

Protestant Church,* 1.16 in the infancy thereof, were drawn up in general terms, foresee∣ing that posterity would grow up to fill the same; meaning, that these holy men did prudently discover that differences in judgment would unavoidably happen in the Church, and were loth to unchurch any, and drive them off from any Ecclesia∣stical communion for petty differences, which made them pen the Articles in com∣prehensive words, to take in all, who differing in the branches, meet in the root of the same Religion: This hath been formerly observed to have been the artifice of those who had the managing of the Council of Trent, and is affirmed to have been used by such men also as had the drawing up of the Canons at the Synod of Dort: But the Composers of the Articles of the Church of England had not so little in them of the Dove, or so much of the Serpent, as to make the Articles of the Church like an upright shoe, which may be worn on either foot; or like to Theramenes shoe, as the Adage hath it, fit for the foot of every man that was pleased to wear it; and therefore we may say of our first Reformers, in reference to the present Book of Articles, as was affirmed of them by Dr. Brancroft then Bishop of London, in relation to the Ru∣brick in private Baptism; that is to say, that those reverend and learned men in∣tended not to deceive any by ambiguous terms; for which, see Conf. at Hampton Court,* 1.17 p. 15. And to this supposition or imagination it is also answered, That the first Reformers did not so compose the Articles, as to leave any liberty to diffenting judgments, as the said Author would fain have it in some words preceding, but did not bind men to the literal and Grammatical sense; they had not otherwise attain∣ed to the end they aimed at, which was ad tollendam Opiniorum Dissentionem, & con∣sensum in vera Religione firmandum; that is to say, to take away diversity of Opinions, and to establish an agreement in the true Religion. Which end could never be ef∣fected, if men were left unto the liberty of dissenting, or might have leave to put their own sense upon the Articles, as they list themselves: For where there is a pur∣pose of permitting men to their own Opinions, there is no need of definitions and determinations in a National Church, no more than is of making Laws to bind the Subjects in an unsetled Commonwealth, with an intent to leave them in their for∣mer liberty, either of keeping or not keeping them, as themselves best pleased. Which said, we shall enquire into the meaning of the Articles, as before laid down, whether they speak in favour of the Melancthonian or Calvinian way, so far forth as the meaning of them can be gathered from the publick Liturgy and book of Homilies, or from the Writings of those men, who either had a hand in the making of them, or died in the Religion here by Law established.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Acts and Mon. fol. 1181.
• * 1.2

  Epls. Dedit.
• * 1.3

  Institut. of a Christian.
• * 1.4

  Necessary pray∣er.
• * 1.5

  Let. of Mr. Bu∣cer to the Church of Eng∣land.
• * 1.6

  Acts and Mon. fol. 1366.
• * 1.7

  Artic. 17.
• * 1.8

  Artic. 2.
• * 1.9

  Artic. 31.
• * 1.10

  Artic. 9.
• * 1.11

  Artic. 13.
• * 1.12

  Artic. 10.
• * 1.13

  Artic. 16.
• * 1.14

  Id. Ib.
• * 1.15

  Acts and Mo∣num. fo. 1282.
• * 1.16

  Chur. Hist. lib. 9. fol. 72.
• * 1.17

  Confer.