established, and defended the innovators from the ill effects of parliamentary cen

orthodox and edifying, are contained therein. And as a separation was but just made from the Romish church when these articles were compiled, she is (as it was very natural) declared to have erred in matters of faith, and to have taught doctrines contrary to the truth. And that men might have a proper detestation of her, in the homilies of our church, which we are taught contain godly and wholesome doctrine, she is denied to be a true church, and her worship is declared to be idolatrous. But this notwithstanding, Richard Montague broached in his writings Arminianism, and spoke more favourably of popery than a zealous protestant could possibly have done. The house of commons, who valued the protestant religion, and really believed the doctrines contained in the articles of the church of England, were alarmed. They drew up articles against Montague, in which they declare him to have "maintained and confirmed some doctrine contrary to the articles agreed by the archbishops and bishops, and the whole clergy, in the year 1562; and by his so doing, to have broke the laws and statutes of this realm." But all the effect of this was, that the supposed criminal was protected by Charles, and honoured by him with a mitre. Good encouragement this, to vilify the doctrines of a church, and applaud her adversary! In like manner Roger Manwaring having, as the commons declared, "preached two sermons contrary to the laws of this realm, in which he taught that the king was not bound to keep and observe them;" and being, on an impeachment, censured by the lords, fined, and declared to be incapable of having any ecclesiastical dignity, or secular office hereafter,

a Rushworth, vol. 1. p. 199, 634.

sures, and moreover took care to reward

was pardoned by his majesty, and advanced to the rank of a right reverend.-Robert Sibthorp, indeed, had not so good luck. He preached the same doctrine with Manwaring, and had his sermon licensed by Laud, after Abbot had refused the doing it, though required in his majesty's name; but being "a person of little learning and few parts, he only could obtain a chaplainship in ordinary to his majesty, prebendary of Peterborough, and rector of Burton Latimer in Northamptonshire."

The doctrines and promotions of these men, and others of a like stamp, produced, I am persuaded, the following excellent observations. "When such men and such doctrines prevail, it is easy to guess what will follow. No man will care to give pernicious counsel but where he knows it will be pleasing; nor will a prince hear it, unless he be inclinable to take it. He only, who has a mind to do what he ought not, will like to be told that he may; and the will of the prince is then preached up, when law and liberty are to be pulled down. What means or avails the propagating of arbitrary maxims, but to justify and introduce arbitrary proceedings? They are too odious to be spread, where no great design is to be served by doing it. Nor need any man desire a surer sign, that universal slavery is intended by the court, than when universal submission to it is inculcated upon the people. This consideration alone leaves no excuse or apology to be made for those reigns, when such slavish tenets were every where maintained, and the vile maintainers of these tenets countenanced, hired, and preferred: when from the public tribunals, and public pulpits, places sacred to law and truth, it became fashionable, nay,

them with honours and preferments. In

became the only and surest way of rising there, to assert, that there was no law, save in the wild will of one, who, though sworn to defend law, might lawfully overturn it; to assert impious falshoods, manifest to all men; to father such falshoods upon the God of truth, under his holy name to shelter outrageous oppressions; to bind up the hands of the oppressed; to maintain that the lives of men, which they held from God, their property, which was secured to them by the constit tion, the constitution itself contrived by the wisdom of men for their own preservation, and defended through ages by their virtue and bravery, were all at the meer mercy and lust of him who was solemnly bound to protect all; but might, if he so listed, destroy them all without opposition; nay, all opposition was damnable. When all this was notorious, constant, universal, the language of power, the style of favourites, and the road to favour, what doubt could remain whether it all tended? To prevent all doubts, arbitrary measures were pursued, whilst arbitrary measures were promoted. The persons of men were illegally imprisoned, illegal fines imposed, estates violently seized, and the public confidently robbed "."

To return. If we may believe Andrew Marvel, Manwaring and Sibthorp were not over worthy of the countenance and encouragement they received from Charles for, says he, "they were exceeding pragmatical, so intolerably ambitious, and so desperately proud, that scarce any gentleman might come near the tail of their mules "." The elevation of these gentlemen, we may be sure, was not very acceptable to the body of the nation. For nothing was more detestable

a Gordon's Discourses upon Tacitus, vol. V. p. 99. Athens Oxonienses, vol. II. c. 275.

b Wood's

his time it was that Mountague, Manwaring,

to them, at that time, than Arminianism and Popery, than lawless rule, and power uncontrolable. With regard to the new doctrines vended under the patronage of Charles, we may observe that they were not only censured by the parliament, but so disagreeable to the clergy, that Laud himself, by the advice of Andrews, would not trust their being handled in a convocation. "The truth in those opinions not being so generally entertained (says Heylin) amongst the clergy, nor the archbishop [Abbot] and the greater part of the prelates so inclinable to them, as to venture the determining of those points to a convocation. But that," continues the same writer, "which was not thought fit in that present conjuncture for a convocation, his majesty was pleased to take order in by his royal edict." And therefore, on the 14th of June, 1626, by the advice of his court-bishops, he issued forth a proclamation, in which he declared "his full and constant resolution, that neither in matters of doctrine, nor discipline of the church, nor in the government of the state, he will admit of the least innovation.-His majesty thereupon commands all his subjects (the clergy most especially), both in England and Ireland, that from thenceforth they should carry themselves so wisely, warily, and conscionably, that neither by writing, preaching, printing, conferences, or otherwise, they raise any doubts, or publish or maintain any new inventions or opinions concerning religion, than such as are clearly grounded and warranted by the doctrine and discipline of the church of England, heretofore published and happily established by authority."

This proclamation seemed, in words, to favour the established doctrines of the church; but, in fact, was

a Life of Laud, p. 153.

and Sibthorp, those noted ecclesiastics,

made use of to undermine and destroy them. For the book of Mountague, above mentioned, having had a variety of answers, which were displeasing to Laud, who was supreme in all matters ecclesiastical, he, under colour of this order, took care to suppress them, as we may learn from the following passages.

"There appeared so many in the list against him [Mountague], viz. Goad, Featly, Ward, Wotton, Prynne, and Burton, that the encounter seemed to be between a whole army and a single person. Laud, and some of those bishops on the other side, encouraged by his majesty's proclamation, endeavoured to suppress those books, which seemed to have been published in defiance of it; some of them being called in, some stopped at the press; some printers questioned for printing, as the authors were for writing such prohibited pamphlets. Burton and Prynne, amongst the rest, were called into the high commission, and at the point to have been censured, when a prohibition comes from Westminsterhall to stay the proceedings in that court, contrary to his majesty's will and pleasure, expressed so clearly and distinctly in the said proclamation: which prohibition they tendered to the court in so rude a manner, that Laud was like to have laid them by the heels for their labour." A strange sort of legerdemain this! The proclamation was against innovations; but by the slight of these prelates, countenanced by his majesty, it was turned against those who stood up in defence of the doctrine happily established by authority.

However, it must be acknowledged, that though Mountague, as a reward for his labours, had a bishoprick conferred upon him; yet his book was called in by proclamation. "But ere this proclamation was pub

a Life of Laud, p. 155.