Sidebilder
PDF
ePub

САМЕО XXIII.

[blocks in formation]

WHETHER we admire and venerate William Laud simply depends on this question: Is there a Church Catholic, instituted by Christ, with Church and fixed laws, or ought religion to be just what best pleases the nation? By

--

State.

this he stands or falls, so far as principle goes. As to the mode, he lived at a period when it was still felt as the office of the Sovereign to direct his people's religion. This was recognised all over Germany; and the Emperor had succeeded in effecting immense changes in his hereditary dominions. The English had veered about most obediently at the will of the Tudors, not a century ago, and made far more decisive changes than merely conforming to the precise ritual arranged by their own Reformers, and the stubbornness of the spirit of resistance that had grown up had not yet been realised.

No one could be less inclined to Romanism than Laud, but the Puritans, already inclined to believe everything not barely Calvinistic was Popish, were led to further distrust by the Queen's religion, the King's reluctance to persecute, and the lapses of some of the courtiers, who were perverted by her chaplains. Moreover, Laud, in trying to restore the Church to her full weight, and in his distrust of the profligate courtiers who had grown up under James I., thrust himself and other prelates into political life, in a manner most unfortunate in the temper of the nation, who had only to look across the Channel to see an ecclesiastic trampling on all the remaining liberties of the nation, and who were not likely to understand that, whereas Richelieu was a priest by accident as it were, and made the Church subservient to statesmanship, Laud only treated politics as a means of rendering the Church effective.

His manners too were against him. A small, eager-tempered man,

of the country tradesman class, could hardly acquire the grand and gracious manner suited to high position, making commands and exhortations palatable, and giving rebukes authority without a sting; and though the persons of all classes who knew him best, loved and honoured him, outsiders hated and derided him; while some historians have no better name for him than the Meddling Primate, or, Charles's evil genius, not understanding that what they term meddling arose from a resolution to see the worship of God made seemly and reverent, and to train the nation in doctrines too much forgotten. Whether this could have been done in a better fashion, causing less exasperation and prejudice, there is no knowing. Laud did train the clergy to his principles, but had not time to train the people, save by dying a martyr to his cause. The power of resorting to Government for assistance was a great temptation, and probably was what chiefly worked against him.

In August 1633 King Charles heard the tidings of the death of old Archbishop Abbot. When he next saw Laud he received him, smiling, with "My Lord of Canterbury, you are very welcome." It is a strange thing that at this very time a person, asserting that he was commissioned by authority, twice came to him secretly with the offer of a cardinal's hat, which he decidedly refused. He was so much disliked by the Roman Catholics that there is reason to think that the offer was simply an attempt of his enemies to bring him into disgrace.

Lady Eleanor Davies prophesied that the new primate would not survive the 5th of November. It was a mischievous prediction, for threatening notes were often sent to the Archbishop, and the fate of Doctor Lamb, and of Buckingham, were warnings that they might not be treated lightly. So the lady was called before the Star Chamber, where she defended her prophecy with the anagram of her name, “Reveal O Daniel," whereupon Doctor Lamb, Dean of the Court of Arches, put into her hand one which he had concocted from Dame Eleanor Davies, "Never so mad a ladie." It absolutely threw her into confusion, and her judges seem to have satisfied themselves that she was half mad.

Armed with the authority of a Primate, and favoured by the King, Laud proceeded in his work of raising the tone of his Church, chiefly by enforcing old rules. Under Bancroft, in 1603, it had been enacted that nobody should be admitted to Holy Orders without what is now called a title, namely, security of immediate employment and maintenance; but this was continually neglected, and led to the ordination of necessitous persons of irregular habits. A royal letter was therefore issued, commanding this to be carefully observed, and threatening proceedings in the High Commission Court against any Bishop who transgressed. The High Commission Court represented the supremacy of the King over the Church, established by Henry VIII., and was wielded as a powerful engine for putting down irregularities, such as lecturers omitting to read prayers before their sermon, preaching in

CAMEO

XXIII.

Death of

Abbot.

1633.

CAMEO
XXIII.

The
Sabbatarian
Question

cloaks instead of gowns, the administration of the Cup to a seated congregation, and the like. Fines could be imposed by it, and were so with much severity; and it was equally hated and dreaded with the Star Chamber, which just at this time fined one Mr. Edward Sherfield 500l., for dashing his stick through an ancient stained glass window in Salisbury Cathedral which he considered idolatrous.

The Sabbatarian controversy was at the same time revived. At the Somersetshire Assize some offences were shown to have been committed at village feasts, whereupon the two Judges, Richardson and Denham, issued an order against all such entertainments, commanding it to be read in church every year on the first Sunday in February and the two Sundays after Easter. This was greatly exceeding the authority of a Judge, and the Bishop of Bath and Wells was commissioned to inquire into the matter. Seventy of the clergy of the diocese were assembled, and most were in favour of the wakes, saying that the services were most fully attended on those Sundays, and that they were opportunities for friends to meet, and the poor to enjoy themselves. Chief Justice Richardson was sent for to the Council. He justified himself by saying that he had been requested by the Justices of the Peace to issue the order; but in fact there was a strong party on each side, one half the gentlemen favouring the feasts, the other wishing to put them down. It may be believed that, though there was church-going, the day often ended in riot, and that each side might find good reasons for their views; but it was still certain that Richardson had greatly exceeded his powers; and he received so sharp a rebuke, that he left the Council Chamber in tears, and afterwards said, "I have been almost choked by a pair of lawn sleeves."

Meantime, Charles republished his father's Book of Sports, and proclamation about it, with a special supplement in favour of dedication feasts, with commands that, though disorders should be repressed, manlike and lawful exercises might be used on Sunday; the duty to God having been first done; and this extended till after evensong.

The Puritans regarded these orders as a horrible scandal, and many of the clergy refused to read them in their churches, but no one was summoned before the High Commission Court for disregarding them, except when there were other offences to answer for. About the same time a very sharp rebuke was sent to the Archbishop of Glasgow, for permitting a Sunday to be kept as a fast.`

Laud proceeded to hold a Metropolitical Visitation, instituting inquiries into the state and furniture of the churches, and the administration of the Sacraments. Moreover, he found that the position of the Communion Table led to serious evils. It had been brought down from the chancel into the nave, and there stood lengthwise. All reverence had been lost. It was the place where people put their hats, vestry meetings assembled, churchwardens' accounts were transacted, and children's writing lessons were given, and it was a favourite seat for

persons who came to church only in time for the sermon. At Taplow a dog came in, and ran away with a loaf that was provided for the Holy Sacrament, and as no other white bread was to be had in the parish there could be no Communion.

In royal Chapels and Cathedrals the Altar stood at the east end, and there was an injunction of Queen Elizabeth to that effect, which seems to have been generally disregarded. Laud now issued directions as Primate that in every church the Holy Table should be removed to the east end of the choir, stand on a step, and be railed in, explaining and arguing out his reasons, and showing that there could be no Popery in treating the Lord's Table differently from a man's own board. Nothing that he did, however, raised a greater storm than did these orders. Prynne was in the field again with all his abuse, Bishop Williams of Lincoln wrote against the change, and also resisted the right of Visitation, on the ground of certain Papal Bulls exempting his diocese. The Attorney-General decided against him, but he took his own way by railing in the Tables where they stood in the chancel. Bishop Matthew Wren, of Norwich, and the Bishops of Winchester, Salisbury, and Bath and Wells, gladly carried out the orders, and in many churche there was great improvement; but in London there was much resistance, and, in fact, the position of the Communion Table was regarded as a badge of party. The Puritans everywhere withstood the change, and it rankled in their minds where it was effected.

Another difficulty was respecting the Dutch and French refugees who had settled in England, and had chapels of their own. Many of these had come to the second or third generation, and could understand English perfectly well, and their privileged chapels were towers of strength to the Nonconformists. It was decreed that all the children born on English soil should go to the parish church, and that the foreigners should use the Anglican Liturgy translated into French or Dutch. On this the Duke of Soubise presented a petition, declaring that any harshness to the refugees would lead to a worse persecution of the Huguenots in France, and the rule was relaxed with regard to the French congregations in Kent. In Norwich, however, Bishop Wren carried out the regulation strictly, and some Dutch families left the country in consequence. It was said that thousands went; and, in truth, the Puritans were more and more migrating to America, there to set up a State fashioned according to their own ideas. Yet Laud had a letter from the Dutch and French congregations of Norwich, thanking him for his consideration towards them. He also insisted that regular chaplains should be appointed, and services performed in English factories abroad, and among English soldiers serving in Germany. His view was, that these things being done by authority the people would be educated by them, and opposition would die away, especially as the clergy brought up in the Colleges he was influencing, at Oxford and Cambridge, would take the place of the elder and more Calvinistically inclined. The lectures were discouraged as much as

CAMEO XXIII.

Position of the Altar.

CAMEO
XXIII.

possible, and absolute edicts issued against meddling with the Arminian controversy. As Archbishop, Laud was also censor of the press, and Censorship kept a strict hand over the books that went forth, endeavouring to of the Fress. prohibit Calvinistic and seditious books. Among those he endeavoured to suppress was Fox's Book of Martyrs, a great favourite with the Puritans, but which was well-known among educated persons to be extremely incorrect as to facts. The Archbishop's dislike to it was naturally attributed by its many admirers to love of Popery. If Laud had lived two generations sooner, his authoritative reforms would probably have been submissively accepted, but coming as they did when the country was in a ferment on political accounts, they produced strong enmity and hatred.

It told further against him, that, much against his will, he was made Lord Treasurer, chiefly because, among the secular courtiers at hand, the King could find no one whose honesty he could completely trust against the traditional perquisites and temptations. Laud kept the office only long enough to see its temptations, and to resolve to recommend, as his successor in it, only a man who was not only of perfect integrity, but who had neither wife nor family to tempt him by solicitations, and this person he found in William Juxon, his successor in the See of London, who fulfilled the office excellently. But, unfortunately, the joining State offices with ecclesiastical ones had a very bad effect in adding to the popular dislike and dread of the Episcopacy. Nobles and lawyers who expected offices, were angered at their being conferred on prelates. Moreover, Laud sharply censured crime in the high nobility, who had grown up in dissolute habits during the evil days of the end of the reign of James I. King Charles himself was of blameless life, and there were many gentlemen of great worth and excellence at his Court, highly cultivated, and of graceful manners; but the Queen was frivolous and pleasure-loving, and there was a good deal of dissipation among those who went the further out of contempt for Puritan strictness. Laud spared no ecclesiastical censures where they were incurred, and his one failure in duty, when he had wedded the Earl of Devon to Penelope Devereux, made his strictures be the more resented.

Much was also in hand for the improvement of the Irish Church. Lord Falkland was the Lord Deputy till 1629, a good but stern man, who cast off his eldest son, Lucius Cary, for a marriage which displeased him. The struggles under him were chiefly religious ones. The cavern called St. Patrick's purgatory, in an island of Lough Deargh, a great place of pilgrimage, was dug up and destroyed by the Lords Justices, and, on the other hand, the Carmelites in Cork raised up a great tumult, and insulted the Mayor and Archbishop of Dublin. The Protestant clergy were of a low stamp, and it was said of them that the King's priests were as bad as the Pope's priests.

James Usher, a good and learned man, but a strong Calvinist, was Archbishop of Armagh, and in 1629 a most excellent appointment

« ForrigeFortsett »