many other things of a like nature. In short, the church of England assumed a

of Oxford's chaplaine [M. Fulham], being the examiner (for bishops now doe scorne to doe bishops work: it belongs to himselfe), he propoundeth four questions to M. Wilkinson, not taken out of the depth of divinity, but fitly chosen to discover how affections doe stand to be novelized by the mutability of the present times. "The questions were these:

T

1." Whether hath the church authority in matters of faith?

2. "May the king's book of sports, (so some impious bishops have abused our pious king, to call their contrivance his majestie's booke) may this be read in the church without offence?

3. "Is bowing to or before the altar lawful? 4." Is bowing at the name of Jesus lawful?

"As soon as M. Wilkinson heard these questions, lupum auribus, he had a wolfe by the ears; and because unto these captious interrogatories he could not make a peremptory answer, M. Fulham would not present him to the bishop for ordination"." These were rare questions to be proposed on such an occasion! and the man, who could not answer them in the affirmative, must be very unworthy of the episcopal approbation!

"In defence of superstition, it is usually asked by ignorant devotees,-what harm is there in it ?—If we have a mind to turn towards the east, why may we not turn that way as well as any other? That God is equally in all places, is a fundamental maxim; and which way ever we happen to face in our addresses to him, it is a thing in its own nature perfectly indifferent: but then we should consider it only as such, act accordingly, and not make a formal stated ceremony

Dering's Collection of Speeches, p. 43.

7

new dress under this prince", and seemed in the eyes of many too much to re

of it; for he must be but a sorry casuist who does not know, that things by nature indifferent, may by law be made otherwise: and as the constitution of our church has left no ceremony indifferent, but all are either commanded or forbidden; and this turning towards the east is no where ordered, whenever we make a ceremony of it (pardon me the expression), it is a turn too much.-But some one perhaps will say, -what would I have men do, for instance, when they say their Creed? Would I have them turn no way, but stand just as they did before? My answer is, why not? What occasion for all this shuffling backwards and forwards, when the time is come for us to say what religion we are of? If we desire to let the world know that we are Christians, why do we not declare it in the face of the world? As to the making the declaration before God, he is every where; why then should we turn, to be never the nearer? For once to assume myself the air of a profound rationalist; when we profess our faith, what more proper than to stand our ground?" This is very just. All I shall add is, that we ought to be on our guard against superstition, which, once admitted, knows no bounds, and never fails to obscure the glory, and sully the beauty of true religion.

40 The church of England assumed a new dress under this prince.] Here are my authorities. "The clergy, whose dependence was merely upon the king, were wholly taken up in admiration of his [Charles] happy government, which they never concealed from himself, as often as the pulpit gave them accesse to his ear; and not only there but at all meetings, they

Asplin's Alkibla, part II. p. 124. 8vo. Lond. 1730.

semble the Romish one.

Besides this,

discoursed with joy upon that theam; affirming confidently, that no prince in Europe was so great a friend to the church as king Charles; that religion flourished no where but in England; and no reformed church retained the face and dignity of a church but that. Many of them used to deliver their opinion, that God had therefore so severely punished the Palatinate, because their sacriledge had been so great in taking away the endowments of bishopricks. Queen Elizabeth herself, who had reformed religion, was but coldly praised, and all her virtues forgotten, when they remembered how she cut short the bishoprick of Ely. Henry VIII. was much condemned by them, for seizing upon the abbies, and taking so much out of the several bishopricks, as he did in the 37th year of his reigne. To maintaine therefore that splendour of a church, which so much pleased them, was become their highest endeavour; especially after they had gotten, in the year 1633, an archbishop after their own heart, Dr. Laud; who had before, for divers years, ruled the clergy in the secession of archbishop Abbot, a man of better temper and discretion; which discretion or virtue to conceale, would be an injury to that archbishop: he was a man who wholly followed the true interest of England, and that of the reformed churches in Europe, so farre, as that in his time the clergy was not much envied here in England, nor the government of episcopacy much disfavoured by protestants beyond the seas. Not only the pompe of ceremonies was daily increased, and innovations of great scandal brought into the church; but in point of doctrine, many faire approaches made towards Rome; as he that pleaseth to search may find in the books of bishop Laud, Mountague, Heylin, Pocklington and the rest; or in brief collected by a Scotish minister,

VOL. II.

professed papists were

favoured and

master Bayly. And as their friendship to Rome increased, so did their scorne to the reformed churches beyond the seas; whom, instead of lending that reliefe and succour to them, which God had enabled this rich island to do, they failed in their greatest extremities, and instead of harbours, became rocks to split them." I have the rather quoted this at length, in order that I may give the reader a taste of Mr. May's manner of writing. Take him upon the whole, he will appear elegant, exact, and impartial, and deserving to be much better known than he is.-But to proceed. Mountague, before mentioned, maintained that "the controverted points [between the Roman catholics and the protestants] are of a lesser and inferiour nature, of which a man may be ignorant, without any danger of his soul at all." He moreover affirmed and maintained, "that saints have not only a memory, but a more peculiar charge of their friends; and that it may be admitted, that some saints have a peculiar patronage, custody, protection, and power, as angels also have, over certain persons and countries, by special deputation; and that it is no impiety so to believe." The same Mountague in print averred, "That all priests, and none but priests, have power to forgive sins. Such absolution," said he, " is a part of that priestly power which could not be given by men or angels, but only and immediately by Almighty God himself; a part of that paramount power which the God of glory hath invested mortal men withal." This was at length become so current a doctrine, that it was maintained in the pulpit as well as from the press. For one Mr. Adams, preaching publicly in St. Mary's

May's History of the Parliament, p. 22.

b Rushworth, vol. I. Prynne's Canterbury's Doome, p. 189.

caressed by the court, advanced there

church in Cambridge, declared, "That a special confession unto a priest (actually where time and opportunity presents itself, or otherwise in explicit intention and resolution) of all our sins committed after baptism, so farre forth as we doe remember, is necessary unto salvation."Yea, he moreover averred, "That it was as necessary to salvation as meat is to the body "." It was also become very fashionable, at this time, to talk of the real presence of Christ on the altar, and the unbloody sacrifice offered thereon. What these men meant is not very easy to know, though some of these doctrines are still pretended to be held by many in this age. I say, pretended; for it is hardly possible to think that men of sense and learning can themselves believe what, for very good and profitable purposes, they seem to endeavour to palm on their ignorant credulous followers. It would be quite tedious to enumerate the particulars of the approaches which were made towards popery in this reign. Suffice it to say, that standers by, as well as persons concerned, saw and acknowledged them. Let us hear a foreign nobleman, who wrote on the spot. "As to a reconciliation between the churches of England and Rome, there were made some general propositions and overtures by the archbishop's agents, they assuring that his grace was very much disposed thereunto; and that, if it was not accomplished in his life-time, it would prove a work of more difficulty after his death; that in very truth, for the last three years, the archbishop had introduced some innovations, approaching the rites and forms of Rome. The bishop of Chichester, a great confident of his grace, and the lord-treasurer, and eight other bishops of his grace's partie, did most

a

Prynne's Canterbury's Doome, p. 192.

b

• Įd. p. 202.

1