lics, together with many other things of a like nature. In fhort, the church of England affumed a new dress under this prince (Q), and feemed in the eyes of many too

much

fuperftition, which, once admitted, knows no bounds, and never fails to obfcure the glory, and fully the beauty of true religion.

6

<

(Q) The church of England affumed a new dress under this prince.] Here are my authorities. The clergy, ⚫ whofe dependence was meerly upon the king, were wholly taken up in admiration of his [Charles] happy government, which they never concealed from himfelf, as often as the pulpit gave them acceffe to his ear; and not only there but at all meetings, they difcourfed with joy upon that theam; affirming confidently, that no prince in Europe was fo 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 fo feverely punished the Palatinate, because their facriledge ⚫ had been fo great in taking away the endowments of bifhopricks. Queen Elizabeth herself, who had reformed religion, was but coldly praised, and all her virtues forgotten, when they remembred how she cut fhort the bishoprick of Ely. Henry VIII. was much • condemned by them, for feizing upon the abbies, and taking fo 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 fo much 6 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 feceffion of archbishop Abbot, a man of better temper and difcretion; which difcretion or virtue to conceale, would be an injury to that archbishop: he was a man who wholly followed the true intereft of England, and

2

• that

much to resemble the Romish one. Befides

this,

that of the reformed churches in Europe, fo farre, as ' that in his time the clergy was not much envied here in England, nor the government of epifcopacy much disfavoured by proteftants beyond the feas. Not only the pompe of ceremonies was daily increafed, 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 fearch may find in the books of bifhop Laud, Mountague, Heylin, Pocklington, and the reft; or in brief collected by a Scotish minifter, mafter Bayly. And as their friendship to • Rome increased, fo did their fcorne to the reformed churches beyond the feas; whom, inftead of lending that releife and fuccour to them, which God had enabled this rich ifland to do, they failed in their greatest extremities, and inftead of harbours, became rocks to fplit them (f).' I have the rather quoted this at (f) May's length, in order that I may give the reader a tafte of hiftory of Mr. May's manner of writing. Take him upon the whole, he will appear elegant, exact, and impartial, and deferving to be much better known than he is.-But to proceed. Mountague, before mentioned, maintained that

the parliament, p. 22.

the controverted points [between the Roman catholics • and the protestants] are of a leffer and inferiour nature, of which a man may be ignorant, without any danger • of his foul at all.' He moreover affirmed and maintained, that faints have not only a memory, but a more ⚫ peculiar charge of their friends; and that it may be admitted, that fome faints have a peculiar patronage, cuftody, protection, and power, as angels alfo have, over certain persons and countries, by fpecial deputation; and that it is no impiety fo to believe (g).' The (g) Rufhfame Mountague in print averred, That all priests, and worth, vol. none but priests, have power to forgive fins.

-Such

abfolution, faid he, is a part of that prieftly power ⚫ which could not be given by men or angels, but only • and immediately by Almighty God himfelf; a part of that paramount power which the God of glory hath

O 2

invefted

i.*

P. 210.

Canterbu

ry's doome, p. 189.

(i) Id. p. 192.

(k) Id. p.

202.

this, profeffed papifts were favoured and

careffed

(4) Prynne's invested mortal men withal (h).' This was at length become fo current a doctrine, that it was maintained in the pulpit as well as from the prefs. For one Mr. Adams, preaching publicly in St. Mary's church in Cambridge, declared, That a special confeffion unto a priest (actually where time and opportunity prefents itself, or otherwife in explicit intention and resolution) of all our fins committed after baptifm, fo farre forth as we doe remember, is neceffary unto falvation.'Yea, he moreover averred, That it was as neceffary to falvation as meat is to the body (i).' It was alfo become very fashionable, at this time, to talk of the real presence of Chrift on the altar, and the unbloody facrifice offered thereon (k). What these men meant is not very easy to know, though fome of these doctrines are ftill pretended to be held by many in this age. I fay, pretended; for it is hardly poffible to think that men of fense and learning can themselves believe what, for very good and profitable purposes, they seem to endeavour to palm on their ignorant credulous followersIt would be quite tedious to enumerate the particulars of the approaches which were made towards popery in this reign. Suffice it to fay, that ftanders-by, as well as perfons 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 fome general propofitions and overtures by the archbishop's agents, they affuring that his grace was very much difpofed 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 • fome 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 moft paffionately defire a re• conciliation with the church of Rome; that therefore the pope, on his part, ought to make fome fteps to

• meet

careffed by the court, advanced therein to employ

meet them, and the court of Rome remit fomething of its rigour in doctrine, otherwife no accord could be. • And in very deed, the univerfities, bishops, and divines of this realm, doe daily embrace catholike opinions, though they profeffe not fo much with open mouth, for fear of the puritans. For example, they hold that ⚫ the church of Rome is a true church; that the pope is • fuperior to all bishops; that to him it appertains to call • general councils; that it is lawful to pray for the foul

of the departed; that altars ought to be erected of • ftone. In fumme, that they believe all that is taught by the church, but not by the court of Rome. There ⚫ was likewise an English doctor that told Panzanie's [the • pope's nuntio] friend, that the king did approve of au• ricular confeffion, and was willing to introduce it; • and would use force to make it received, were it not •for fear of fedition among the people (1).' The following paffage from Heylin, will fully fhew the popes nunappearance the church of England made in thofe times. • If

(1) The

tios, p. 10, 4to. Lond.

you will take her character, fays he, from the pen 1643. of a jefuit, you fhall find him speaking, amongst many falfhoods, these undoubted truths, viz. That the profeffors of it, they especially of the greateft worth, learning, and authority, love temper and moderation; that the doctrines are altered in many things; as, for • example, the pope not Anti-chrift, pictures, free-will, predeftination, univerfal grace, inherent righteousness, ⚫ the preferring of charity before knowledge, the merit C (or reward rather) of good works; the thirty-nine

articles seeming patient, if not ambitious also, of fome ⚫ catholick sense; that their churches begin to look with • a new face, their walls to speak a new language, and • fome of their divines to teach, that the church hath ⚫ authority in determining controverfies of faith, and interpreting the scriptures; that men in talk and writing, ufe willingly the once fearful names of priests and altars, and are now put in mind, that, for expofition of fcripture, they are by canon bound to follow the

'fathers.

Laud, P.

employments of great trust and profit (RR),

and

fathers. So far the jefuit may be thought to speak (m) Life of nothing but truth (m). How far this new face and new language was acceptable to the nation, will hereaf ter at large appear. In the mean while I fhall only remark, that it feems not over-honourable to refemble a harlot, as the church of Rome is ftiled in the Homilies.

252.

(n) Rushworth, vol. i. p. 18.

(RR) Profeffed papists were advanced to employments of great truft and profit, &c.] Great complaints were made in parliament of the growth of popery, and the favour which was fhewn to the profeffors of it. In the first year of this reign a petition was delivered to his majesty on this fubject, and he was defired to order the laws to be put in execution against recufants, and to remove from places of authority and government all popish recufants, which he promised to do (n).' But yet, notwithstanding this promife, we find feveral letters of grace, protection, and warrants of discharge, granted by his majesty to notorious popifh recufants, priefts and jefuits, to exempt them from all prosecutions and penal (0) Prynne's laws against them, figned with the king's own hand (•).' popish royal Had this been all, fetting afide the breach of his word, favorite, p. the king, I think, would not have been much to blame; Lond. 1643. it feeming not fo very equitable to punish men, meerly for not worshipping the eternal and all-seeing Mind in a way and manner their confciences approve not of. But Charles went much farther than this. Windebank, a notorious Roman catholic, by the procurement of Laud (p), was made fecretary of state; Wefton, lord-treasurer, was univerfally believed by the proteftants to be of the fame profeffion (q); Cottington, chancellor of the exchequer, had been reconciled in Spain to the Romish church (tho he joined in all parts of worship according to the church of England), and died in her communion, in the fame (r) Id. vol. Country (r). Sir Kenelm Digby, fir Toby Matthews, Walvi. p. 380.

I, 4to.

(p) Laud's

diary, by Wharton, P. 47.

(9) Clarendon, vol. i.

p. 50.

*

* See alfo Strafforde's letters and difpatches, vol. i. p. 381, where Mr. Garrard, relating the circumstances of his death, fays, it is whispered and believed that he died a Roman catholick, and had all the ceremonies of that church performed to him at his death.

ter