an inspired person, had not dominion over the faith of the churches, how came the Roman emperor, or other Christian princes, by such a jurisdiction, which has no foundation in the law of nature or in the New Testament? His lordship goes on, "It is not to be imagined how any changes in religion can be made by sovereign princes, unless an authority be lodged with them of giving the sanction of a law to the sounder, though the lesser part of a church; for as princes and lawgivers are not tied to an implicit obedience to clergymen, but are left to the freedom of their own discerning, so they must have a power to choose what side to be of, where things are much inquired into." And why have not the clergy and the common people the same power? Why must they be tied to an implicit faith in their princes and lawgivers? Is there any promise in the word of God, that princes and lawgivers shall be infallible, and always judge right which is the sounder, though the lesser part of a church?" If (as his lordship adds) the major part of sy nods cannot be supposed to be in matters of faith so assisted from heaven, that the lesser part must necessarily acquiesce in their decrees; or that the civil powers must always make laws according to their votes, especially when interest does visibly turn the scale;" how can the prince or civil magistrate depend upon such assistance? Can we be sure that interest or prejudice will never turn the scale with him; or that he has a better acquaintance with the truths of the gospel than his clergy or people? It is highly reasonable that the prince should choose for himself what side he will be of, when things are much inquired into; but then let the clergy and people have the same liberty, and neither the major nor minor part impose upon the other, as long as they entertain no principles inconsistent with the safety ofthe government.— "When the Christian belief had not the support of law, every bishop taught his own flock the best he could, and gave his neighbours such an account of his faith, at or soon after his consecration, as satisfied them; and so (says his lordship) they maintained the unity of the church."-And why might it not be so still? Is not this better, upon all accounts, than to force people to profess what they cannot believe, or to propagate religion with the sword, as was too much the case with our reformers? If the penal laws had been taken away, and the points in controversy between Protestants and Papists had been left to a free and open debate, while the civil magistrate had stood by, and only kept the peace, the Reformation would certainly have taken place in due time, and proceeded in a much more unexceptionable manner than it did. To return to the history. King Edward VI. came to the crown at the age of nine years and four months; a prince, for learning and piety, for acquaintance with the world, and application to business, the very wonder of his age. His father, by his last will and testament, named sixteen persons executors of his will, and regents of the kingdom, till his son should be eighteen years of age: out of these the earl of Hertford, the king's uncle, was chosen protector of the king's realms, and governor of his person. Besides these, twelve were added as a privy council, to be assisting to them. Among the regents some were for the old religion, and others for the new; but it soon appeared that the reformers had the ascendant, the young king having been educated in their principles by his tutor Dr. Cox, and the new protector his uncle being on the same side. The majority of the bishops and inferior clergy were on the side of Popery, but the government was in the hands of the reformers, who began immediately to relax the rigours of the late reign.* The persecution upon the six articles was stopped; the prison doors were set open; and several who had been forced to quit the kingdom for their religion returned home, as, Miles Coverdale, afterward bishop of Exeter; John Hooper, afterward bishop of Gloucester; John Rogers, the protomartyr; and many others, who were preferred to considerable benefices in the church. The reforming divines, being delivered from their too awful subjection to the late king, began to open against the abuses of Popery. Dr. Ridley and others preached vehemently against images in churches, and inflamed the people, so that in many places they outran the law, and pulled them down without authority. Some preached against the lawfulness of soul-masses and obits; though the * The heads of the two parties were these: For the Reformation-King Edward, duke of Somerset, protector; Dr. Cranmer, archbishop of Canterbury; Dr. Holgate, archbishop of York; sir W. Paget, secretary of state; lord viscount Lisle, lordadmiral; Dr. Holbeach, bishop of Lincoln; Dr. Goodrick, bishop of Ely; Dr. Latimer, bishop of Worcester; Dr. Ridley, elect of Rochester. For the old religion -Princess Mary; Wriothesley, earl of Southampton, lord-chancellor; Dr. Tonstal, bishop of Durham; Dr. Gardiner, bishop of Winchester; Dr. Bonner, bishop of London. late king, by his last will and testament, had left a large sum, of money to have them continued at Windsor, where he was buried, and for a frequent distribution of alms for the repose of his soul, and its deliverance out of purgatory; but this. charity was soon after converted to other uses. The Popish clergy were alarmed at these things, and insisted strongly, that till the king their supreme head was of age, religion, should continue in the state in which king Henry left it. But the reformers averred, that the king's authority was the same while he was a minor, as when he was of age; and that they had heard the late king declare his resolution to turn the mass into a communion if he had lived a little longer, upon which they thought it their duty to proceed. After, the solemnity of the king's coronation, the regents appointed a royal visitation, and commanded the clergy to. preach no where but in their parish churches without licence, till the visitation was oyer, The kingdom was divided into six circuits; two gentlemen, a civilian, a divine, and a regis trer, being appointed for each. The divines were by their preaching to instruct the people in the doctrines of the Reformation, and to bring them off from their old superstitions. The visitation began in the month of August; six of the gravest divines, and most popular preachers, attended it: their names were, Dr. Ridley, Dr. Madew, Mr. Briggs, Cottisford, Joseph, and Farrar. A book of homilies* or sermons, upon the chief points of the Christian faith,† drawn up chiefly by archbishop Cranmer, was printed, and ordered : to be left with every parish priest, to supply the defect of preaching, which few of the clergy of that time, were capable of performing. Cranmer communicated it to Gardiner, and would fain haye gained his approbation of it; but he was so inflamed at being left out of the king's will, that he constantly opposed all innovation till the king should be of age. With these homilies the visitors were to deliver sundry injunctions from the king, to the number of thirty-six.‡› *Burnel's Hist. Ref. vol. 2. p. 27. + The book consisted of twelve discourses on the following arguments:-1. Concerning the use of the Scriptures. 2. Of the misery of mankind by sin. 3. Of their salvation by Christ. 4. Of a true and lively faith. 5. Of good works. 6 Of Christian love and charity. 7. Against swearing and perjury. 8. Against apostacy. 9. Against the fear of death. 10. An exhortation to obedience. 11. Against whoredom and adultery. 12. Against strife and contention about matters of religion. These titles of the homilies are taken verbatim from bishop Burnct.-Neal's Review. The chief were, The bishops were enjoined to see the articles put in execution, and to preach themselves four times a year, unless they had a reasonable excuse. They were to give orders to none but such as were able to preach and to recal their licences from others. The injunctions were to be observed under the pains of excommunication, sequestration, or deprivation. In bidding of their prayers they were to remember the king their supreme head, the queen-dowager, the king's two sisters, the lord-protector, and the council; the nobility, the clergy, and the commons, of this realm. The custom of bidding prayer, which is still in use in the church, is a relic of Popery. Bishop Burnet has preserved the form, as it was in use before the Reformation, which was this: After the preacher had named and opened his text, he called on the people to go to their prayers, telling them what they' 1. “That all ecclesiastical persons observe the laws relating to the king's supremacy. 2. "That they preach once a quarter against pilgrimages and praying to images, and exhort to works of faith and charity. 3. "That images abused with pilgrimages and offerings be taken down; that no wax candles or tapers be burnt before them; but only two lights upon the high altar before the sacrament shall remain still, to signify that Christ is the light of the world. The limitation in this article giving occasion to great heals among the people, some affirming their images had been so abused, and others not, the council sent orders to see them all taken down. 4. "That when there is no sermon, the Paternoster, the Creed, and ten commandments, shall be recited out of the pulpit to the parishioners. ་་ 5. That within three months every church he provided with a Bible; and within twelve months, with Erasinus's Paraphrase on the New Testament. 9. " That they examine such Paternoster, Creed, and ten complan come to confession, whether they can recite the in before they receive the sa crament of the altar, else they ought not to come to God's board. 21. That in time of high epistle and gospel shall be read in English and that one chapter in the Nestament be read at matins, and one in the Old at even song! rely before high signs shall be used about churches or churchyards; but immedi mass of bells (save one) utterly forborne. said or sung in English; and all ringing beginning godly instituted and ordained, be word of God read and taught; in private and offences to God, and promising amendment; communion, visiting the labour upon holy and festival in reconciling themselves ghbours, r sick, &c. Only it days, in order to save that thing which God hath sent; and that scrupulosity to ab on stain from work days does grievously offend God.... 28. That away all shrines, coverings of shrines, tables, candlesticks, trindills, or rolls of wax, pictures, paintings, and other monuments of feigned mira cles, sn no to do the like memory of them remain in walls or windows; exhorting the people in their several houses." The rest of the articles related to the advancement of learning, to the encouragement of preaching, and correcting some very gross abuses. * Hist. Ref. vol. 2. p. 30. and Collection of Records, b. 1. No. 8. were to pray for. "Ye shall pray (says he) for the king, for the pope, for the holy catholic church," &c. After which all the people said their beads in a general silence, and the minister kneeled down likewise and said his : they were to say a Paternoster, Ave Maria, Deus misereatur nostri, Domine salvum fac regem, Gloria Patri, &c. and then the sermon proceeded. How sadly this bidding of prayer has been abused of late, by some divines, to the entire omission of the duty itself, is too well known to need a remark! Most of the bishops complied with the injunctions, except Bonner of London, and Gardiner of Winchester. Bonner offered a reserve, but that not being accepted, he made an absolute submission; nevertheless, he was sent for some time to the Fleet for contempt. Gardiner having protested against the injunctions and homilies as contrary to the law of God, was sent also to the Fleet, where he continued till after the parliament was over, and was then released by a general act of grace. The parliament that met November the 9th, made several alterations in favour of the Reformation. They repealed all laws that made any thing treason but what was specified in the act of 25 Edward III.; and two of the statutes against Lollardies. They repealed the statute of the six articles, with the acts that followed in explanation of it; all laws in the late reign, declaring any thing felony that was not so declared before; together with the act that made the king's proclamation of equal authority with an act of parliament. Besides the repeal of these laws, sundry new ones were enacted, * as, "that the sacrament of the Lord's supper should be administered in both kinds," agreeably to Christ's first institution, and the practice of the church for five hundred years; and that all private masses should be put down: an act concerning the admission of bishops into their sees; which sets forth, that the manner of choosing bishops by a congé d'elire, being but the shadow of an election, all bishops hereafter shall be appointed by the king's letters patent only, and shall continue the exercise of their jurisdiction, during their natural life, if they behave well. One of the first patents with this clause is that of Dr. Barlow, bishop of Bath and Wells,‡ bearing date Feb. 3, in the second year of the king's reign; 1 Edw. VI. cap. 1, + 1 Edw. VI. cap. 2, Buruet's Hist. Ref. vol. 2. p. 218. |