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AN.REG.5, out leave of the Dean for the time then being; and therefore 1562-3. that he could not consent to the holding of a Convocation in

that place, without some declaration to be made by the Archbishops and Bishops, that their holding the Convocation in the same should not be taken or intended for any violation of the rights and privileges that belonged unto it; which was accordingly performed'.

4. It was on the 19th day of January that these formalities were transacted; at what time the Archbishops and Bishops, having first had some secret communication amongst themselves about the Articles of Religion established in King Edward's time, required the Prolocutor and six others of the lower house of Convocation to repair unto them; by whom it was signified unto their Lordships, that some of the Clergy had prepared certain bills containing a specification of such matters as were conceived to be amiss in the state of the Church, and that the Articles of Religion agreed upon in the reign of King The Thirty Edward the Sixth had been delivered unto others to be consiof Religion dered of, corrected, and accommodated, as they found it neces

nine Articles

approved.

sary. Being encouraged in the last, and furthered by the
diligence of some of the Bishops who were employed in the
same work, the Articles were agreed upon, publicly read before
the Bishops in the Chapter-house of Saint Paul, on the 29th
of the same month, and by all of them subscribed with great
unanimity 2. The Prelates had observed some deviation from
the doctrine of King Edward's reign which had been made by
the Calvinian or Zuinglian gospellers, in the articles of Pre-
destination, Grace, Free-will, and final Perseverance: nor could
they but take notice with how little reverence the Sacrament of
the Lord's Supper was administered, and the authority of the
Church despised, by too many of the same party also; which
they were willing to impute to the want of some known rule
amongst them, by which they were to regulate their judgments
and conform their actions. To which end it was thought ex-
pedient, that the Book of Articles agreed upon in Convocation, 1
anno 1552, should be revised and accommodated to the use of 331
the Church, the Queen's leave being first obtained for their
warrant in it. In the managing of which great business, I

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1 Comp. Cyp. Ang. p. 423, ed. 1668. The form is still observed.
2 See Lamb's Hist. of the Articles, 15, seqq.

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know not whether I should more admire their moderation or AN. REG.5, their wisdom-their wisdom eminent, in not suffering any outlandish divine who might drive on a different interess from that of the Church, either to vote amongst them, or carry any stroke in their consultations; their moderation no less visible, in declining all unnecessary determinations, which rather tended to the multiplying of controversies and engendering strifes than either unto edification or increase of piety. So that they seemed to have proceeded by those very rules which King James so much approved of in the conference at Hampton Court :-first, in not separating further from the Church of Rome, in points of discipline or doctrine, than that Church had separated from what she was in her purest times1; secondly, in not stuffing the Book of Articles with all conclusions theological, in which a latitude of judgment was to be allowed, as far as it might be consistent with peace and charity; and thirdly, in not thrusting into it every opinion or position negative, which might have made it somewhat like Mr Craige's confession in the Kirk of Scotland, "who with his I renounce, and I abhor, his detestations and abrenunciations, did so amaze the simple people" (as the King observeth) "that [they], not being able to conceive or understand all those points, utterly gave over all, and fell back to Popery, or else remained in their former ignorance3." Upon which grounds, as they omitted many whole articles, and qualified the expressions of some others in King Edward's Book; so were they generally very sparing in defining any thing which was merely matter of modulity, or de modo only as namely, touching the manner of Christ's presence in the holy Eucharist, the manner of effecting grace by the blessed Sacraments, or of the operation of God's grace in a man's conversion. Which rules being carefully observed by all the Bishops, on whose authority and consent the greatest part of the whole work did seem to rest, and all particulars agreed upon amongst themselves, it was no wonder if they passed their votes without contradiction.

5. But in taking the subscriptions of the Lower House there appeared more difficulty. For, though they all testified their

1 Barlow's account of the Hampton Court Conference, in Cardwell Conferences, 200. 2 Ibid. 187. 4 Qu. "modality?"

3 Ibid. 185.

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AN. REG.5, consent unto them, on the said 29th of January, either by words express or by saying nothing to the contrary, which came all to one,-yet when subscription was required, many of the Calvinians or Zuinglian gospellers, possibly some also which inclined rather to their old religion, and who found themselves unsatisfied in some particulars, had demurred upon it. With this demur their Lordships are acquainted by the Prolocutor, on the 5th of February1. By whom their Lordships were desired, in the name of that house, that such who had hitherto subscribed the Articles might be ordered to subscribe in their own proper house, or in the presence of their Lordships. Which request being easily granted, drew on the subscription of some others, but so that many still remained in their first unwillingness. An order thereupon is made by their Lordships, on the 10th then following, that the Prolocutor should return the names of all such persons who refused subscription, to the end that such further course might be taken with them as to their Lordships should seem most fit. After which we hear no news of the like complaints and informations; which makes it probable (if not concluded) that they all subscribed. And being thus subscribed by all, they were soon after published both in English and Latin, with this following title, that is to say, "Articles agreed upon by the Archbishops and Bishops of both Provinces and the whole Clergy, in the Convocation holden at London in the year 1562, for the avoiding of diversities of opinions, and establishing consent touching true religion." But what they were, and wherein they agreed or differed with or from those established by King Edward the Sixth, shall be referred (for the avoiding of all interruptions in the course of this History) to a place more proper2. Nothing else brought to a conclusion by them, but the Bill of Subsidy, 160 which, having passed that house, was confirmed in Parliament. 33 6. Nothing else brought unto3 conclusion, though many things were had in deliberation. On Friday, the 5th of February, the Bishops of Salisbury, Exon, St David's and Litchfield were appointed by the rest of the Prelates to examine a Catechism which it seems was presented to them. But being by them remitted to the consideration of the Lower House, they were advertised by Day and Sampson, on the 3rd of March, 1 See Lamb, 19, seqq. * See the Appendix. 3 Edd. 1, 2, "into.

Other

Proceedings of the Convocation.

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that the said house unanimously had approved thereof. And AN.REG. 5, there it rested for that time, and for ever after, nothing being done in confirmation of it as a public doctrine, (by whomsoever it was written), nor any further speech made of it in the time succeeding'. Which fortune also happened to a Book of Discipline, projected amongst some of the Clergy, and tendered to the Bishops by the Prolocutor and ten others of that house, on the 26th of February. To which some additionals being made by the first contrivers, it was a second time tendered to them by the Prolocutor, in the name of the Lower House of Convocation, by whom it had been generally and unanimously recommended to them. But the Bishops let this sleep also as they did the other. More was it to the profit of the Clergy generally, to make inquiry into certain Articles, which by the Archbishop, with the consent of all the rest of the Prelates, were delivered in writings. The tenor of which Articles was, 1. "Whether if the writ of Melius inquirendum be sent forth, there be any likelihood that it will return to the Queen's profit? 2. Whether some benefices ratable1 be not less than they be already valued? 3. That they inquire of the manner of dilapidations and other spoliations that they can remember to have passed upon their livings, and by whom. 4. To signify how they have been used for the levying of the arrearages of tenths and subsidies, and for how many years past. 5. As also how many benefices they find that are charged with pensions newly imposed to discharge the pensions of religious persons. 6. And lastly, to certify how many benefices are vacant in every Diocese." But what return was made upon these inquiries, I find as little in the Acts of this Convocation, as either in allowance of the Catechism or the Book of Discipline.

7.

Religion and the State being thus fortified and secured Affairs of

1 The Catechism in question was that of Dean Nowell. The records of the Upper House, as Heylyn states, do not contain any notice of its having been ratified by that house. It was, however, published in 1570, and by the Canons of 1571 was sanctioned for exclusive use in schools,to be learned in Latin or in English, according to the capacity of the scholar. Collier, vi. 388. Cardwell, Synod. 128, 522.

2 Wilkins, iv. 240; Collier, vi. 371.

* Wilkins, iv. 238. Cardwell, Synod. 518.

• Edd. "ratably.❞

The words "newly imposed" do not appear in Wilkins, Cardwell,

or Collier. See i. 34; ii. 357.

Scotland.

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AN. REG. 5, in England, it will not be amiss to see what they do in Scotland; where the young Queen was graciously inclined to forget all injuries, and grant more liberty to her subjects, in the free exercising and enjoying of their own persuasions, than she could gain unto herself. For in a Parliament held in May, within few months after the end of that in England, the Act for oblivion, formerly condescended to in the treaty at Edenborough, was confirmed and ratified; but without reference to that treaty, the results whereof the Queen by no means would acknowledge to be good and valid'. And thereupon it was advised that the Lords should supplicate on their knees in the house of Parliament for the passing of it; which was accordingly performed by them, and vouchsafed by her2. There also passed some other Acts of great advantage to the Church, as affairs then stood; that is to say, an Act for the repairing and upholding of parish-churches, and the church-yards of the same, for burial of the dead. Another, against letting parsonages, glebes, or houses, into long leases or fee. But this came somewhat of the latest,—a great part of the tithes, houses, and possessions which belonged to the Church having been formerly aliened or demised for a very long term by the popish Clergy, when they perceived they were not likely to enjoy them longer for themselves. But on the other side, no safety or protection could be found for her own religion; no, not so much as in the chapel-royal, or the regal city. In contempt whereof, a force was violently committed in the month of August, in the chapel of the palace of Holy Rood House, (the Whitehal of Edenborough), where certain of the Queen's servants were assembled for their own devotions; the doors broke open, some of the company haled to the next prison, and the rest dispersed,—the priest escaping with much difficulty by a private passage. The 161 Queen was then absent in the North, but questioned Knox at 333 her return as the cause of the uproar. By which expostulation she got nothing from that fiery spirit but neglect and scorn3. 8. Return we back again to France, where we find some alternations of affairs between the French King and the Reingrave on the one side, the English and confederate Princes

Affairs of
France.

1 Sup. p. 378.

2

Spottiswoode, 188.

3 Ibid.

4 For this war, see Stow, 651, seqq. Holinsh. iv. 205, seqq.

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