in the year 1538. In this act was a ratification of several of the most important doctrines or articles of popery, and it continued in force to the end of this king's reign. In a very short time five hundred persons were imprisoned in consequence of it, among whom was the famous bishop Latimer.

In the life of Mr. Whiston we have a remarkable instance of the very little consequence which the Church of England, as it is generally understood, is of in deciding religious controversies. For when a convocation had sat upon his writings concerning the doctrine of the Trinity, and pronounced them to be heretical and dangerous, Queen Anne interposed, and not choosing to ratify their sentence, all the proceedings came to nothing. Thus, as was observed on the occasion, the voice of a woman, which the apostle Paul does not allow to be even heard in the church, had more weight than that of

England. Of this princess, whose decision that is as equivocal as her personal virtue. According church seems to regard as final, the Protestantism to her annalist Camden, Elizabeth appeared during the reign of Mary to sail by a trade-wind. He navigium ingruente tempestate, sese moderans, thus describes her policy: "Quum tamen illa, ut ad Romanæ religionis normam sacra audiret, et sæpius confiteretur, imo Cardinale Polo asperius interpellante, se Romano-Catholicam præ terrore mortis profiteretur." Hist. I. p. 21.

This king seems even to have claimed an infallibility, equal to that which had been arrogated by the popes, and to have acted in all respects as if he had the consciences and the faith of all his people at his absolute disposal. For in the thirty-second year of his reign, it was enacted "that all decrees and ordinances, which shall be made all the churchmen in a body. Can and ordained by the archbishops, bishops, and doctors, and shall be pub. lished with the king's advice and confirmation, by his letters patent, in and upon the matters of Christian faith, and lawful rites and ceremonies, shall be, in every point thereof, believed, obeyed, and performed, to all intents and purposes, upon the pains therein comprised, provided nothing be ordained contrary to the laws of the realm." And afterwards, when the articles of the Church of England were first compiled, which was under Edward VI., in 1551, they were drawn up by Cranmer and others, and received the sanction of the royal authority in council only, without being brought to parliament or convocations, though the title expresses as much. 3

In the first year of Queen Elizabeth the parliament alone established the queen's supremacy and the Common Prayer, in spite of great opposition by the bishops in the House of Lords; and the convocation then sitting was so far from having any hand in those acts of reformation, that the members of it presented to the parliament several propositions in favour of the tenets of Popery, directly contrary to the proceedings of parliament.

Neal's Hist. 1793, I. p. 27. 2 Ibid. 1793, I. pp. 33, 34. 3 Ibid. p. 50. (P.) 1793, p. 68.

4 It was in the second year of Elizabeth, that a Protestant religion was settled for the Church of

In her first year (1558) Elizabeth permitted "the epistles, gospels, and ten commandments to be read to the people, in the English tongue, howbeit without any exposition: also the Lord's suffered to be used in the vulgar tongue. But in Prayer, the Apostles' Creed and the Litany, she all other things they were to use the Romish should be concluded on by the authority of parrites and ceremonies, till a perfect form of religion liament. In the meantime she performed the obsequies of her sister Queen Mary, with solemn and sumptuous preparations, in the church of

Westminster."

"" In the second year of Elizabeth (1559) were enacted and established... the Liturgy, and Administration of the Sacraments, which was in use under Edward VI., some few things being changed, and a penalty inflicted upon the depravers thereof, or such as should use any other whatsoever. Of going to church upon Sundays and holidays, a mulct of twelve pence for every day's absence, being imposed upon those that should absent themselves, and the same bestowed upon the poor." Thus was "the Protestant religion now established by authority of Parlia ment," (with the dissent of nine out of fourteen bishops and two nobles,) nor did the Queen "ever suffer the least innovation therein." Sec

Camden's History, 1675, Ed. 3, pp. 9, 17, 19, 27,

31.

5 Burnet, speaking of "the censure that was passed on Whiston's book," says, "all further proceedings against him were stopped, since the Queen did not confirm the step that we had made." It would be unjust to Burnet's memory to omit what immediately follows:-"This was not unacceptable to some of us, and to myself in particular. I was gone into my diocese when

these things be agreeable to the con- had not been restrained by Oliver stitution of the gospel? Both the Cromwell, at the head of the Indepenclergy and the queen were interfering dents." These being the smaller in a business in which they had no number, would certainly have been right to meddle; and it is sometimes suppressed by any act of uniformity; pleasant to see one usurper checking and it is not improbable that, in conthe violence of another. sequence of being in this situation, they might sooner than any other sect in this country hit upon the true Christian principle of religious liberty, which entirely excludes the civil magistrate from interfering with it. At the Restoration, the same church establishment, with the same powers in the king and in the parliament, was resumed; and everything reverted into the same channel, or nearly the same, in which they had been in the reign of Queen Elizabeth.

It is remarkable that this clause in the articles, by which it is ordained that the church, and not the king (who, however, is acknowledged to be the supreme head of the church) should have authority in controversies of faith, was not in the first articles compiled by Cranmer, and which were forty-two in number, but was introduced into them when they were revised and new-modelled, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth. But nobody can tell why or wherefore that clause came to be inserted, it being manifestly inconsistent with other acts of the legislature, and with the conduct of our princes according to those acts.1

To these remarks I shall add, that several of the most important acts of spiritual jurisdiction, relating to the revenues and discipline of the Church of England, are performed by laymen. For the chancellors, officials and surrogates, who pass censures and excommunicate, frequently are, and by express law always may be, laymen; and the bishops have no power to control the proceedings of the courts which go by their name.

The House of Commons, which took up arms against Charles I., assumed the same authority in matters of religion that had been usurped by the preceding kings. And the Presbyterians, of which sect they chiefly consisted, would have enacted some persecuting and sanguinary laws, if they

that censure was passed; and I have ever thought that the true interest of the Christian religion was best consulted, when nice disputing about mysteries was laid aside and forgotten." Burnet, O. T. An. 1712, Fol. II. 603. See also Whiston's Mem. Ed. 2, pp. 156, 188, 189. Towgood's Letters, No. 1, 1779, p. 27.

1 Neal's Hist. I. p. 50. (P.) 1793, p. 69 See "An Historical and Critical Essay on the Thirtynine Articles," by Anthony Collins, 1724, passim.

It is something remarkable, that this glaring impropriety, of merely civil magistrates deciding concerning articles of Christian faith, which must necessarily be undertaken by all civil governors who presume to make any establishment of Christianity (that is, of what they take to be Christianity) in any country, should not strike more than it generally does; and that on this ground only all civil establish

"XXXVI. That to the publique profession held forth, none shall be compelled by penalties or otherwise, but that endeavours be used to win them by sound doctrine, and the example of good conversation.

a

by Jesus Christ (though differing in judgment "XXXVII. That such as profess faith in God from the doctrine, worship or discipline publiquely held forth), shall not be restrained from,

but shall be protected in, the profession of the faith and exercise of their religion; so that they abuse not this liberty, to the civil injury of others, and to the actual disturbance of the publique peace on their parts. Provided this liberty be not extended to Popery or Prelacy, nor to such as, under the profession of Christ, hold forth and practise licentiousness." The Government of the Commonwealth, &c. "As it was publickly declared at Westminster, the 16th day of December, 1653.-Published by his Highness the Lord Protector's special commandment." MDC LIII. pp. 42, 48.

ments of Christianity should not be exploded, since all Christians profess to acknowledge no Father besides God, and no Master besides Christ, and to stand fast in the liberty with which he has made us free. If there be any meaning in this, it must be that no human authority should be permitted to make that necessary to Christian communion which Christ has not made necessary, but left undetermined, and consequently indifferent. There are instances, however, of this absurdity having been noticed in several periods of our history, besides that which I have mentioned, when the claim of Henry VIII. to be the supreme head of the church was first started.

religion and a parliamentary God.2 Such, however, in fact, is the established religion of this country. It is such a religion as the king, lords, and commons of this realm have thought proper to make for themselves, and to impose upon the people; who certainly ought to judge for themselves, in a matter which so nearly concerns them as individuals, and of which they are as competent judges as their superiors. Such an usurped authority as this ought to be opposed, especially when it is considered that the power by which this mode of religion is enforced, is precisely the same with that of the popes; having been transferred from them to our princes.

When the act of Uniformity was Exclusive of everything contained passed, in the beginning of the reign in the religion of the Church of Engof Elizabeth, in 1559, "Heath, arch- land, it is chiefly the authority by bishop of York, made an elegant speech which it is enjoined that Dissenters against it;" observing that it "ought object to in it. Things in their own to have had the consent of the clergy nature ever so indifferent, are no in convocation, before it passed into a longer so, when the authority by which law. Not only the orthodox but even they are enforced is improper and the Arian emperors,' says he, 'ordered boundless. It is upon the same just that points of faith should be examined maxim that we always profess to act in councils; and Gallio, by the light in things of a civil nature. A tax of of nature, knew that a civil judge a penny is what no man would value, ought not to meddle with matters of of itself; but it would be a justifiable religion.' But he was over-ruled, the cause of a civil war, if our kings only, act of supremacy, which passed the without the concurrence of parliament, house the very next day, having vested should presume to enforce that tax: this in the crown." power because a tax that begins with a When that law was made, in the penny might end in a pound, or exreign of William and Mary, which tend to a man's whole property. In makes it blasphemy, punishable with like manner, a power that alters a confiscation of goods and imprison- single article of faith, or imposes one ment for life, if persisted in, to deny rite, might change the whole system. the doctrine of the Trinity, Lord It was, therefore, so far from being the Feversham, who had no objection to mark of a weak mind, that it was an the doctrine which was to be guarded evidence of great, just, and enlarged by that law, expressed his dislike of the civil magistrate interfering to guard it, in very strong terms. He said that he acknowledged the houses of parliament might lay upon the subject what taxes they pleased, and might even make a king; but he did not like the idea of a parliamentary

1 Strype, Ann. Ref. I. p. 73. Ap. No. 6. D'Ew's Journal, p. 29, in Neal's Hist. Ed. 1793, p. 130.

views, in the Puritans, to resist, as they did, the imposition of things in their own nature indifferent. To have submitted, would have been to ac

2 See this expression, assigned to the Earl of Peterborough [Rutt's Priestley], Vol. II. p. xvii. note. The Earl added, "that if the House were for such an one, he would go to Rome and endeavour to be chosen cardinal; for he had rather sit in the Conclave, than with their lordships, upon those terms." Tindal's Hist. IV. p. 647, in Towgood's Letters, III. Sect. xiii,

knowledge another supreme power in the church besides that of Christ.

This is the true and solid ground of a dissent from the Church of England. It is declaring (and it is the only proper and effectual mode of declaring) that we will acknowledge no human authority in matters of religion; but that we will judge for ourselves in a business which so nearly concerns us, and not suffer others to judge for and that, in the worship of God, and what respects our happiness in a future world, we will only obey him whose power extends to that world, that is, God, and not man.

us;

sciences of men, similar to that of the Church of Rome, ought to be a declared Dissenter, and separate from the established church, whatever ridicule or persecution of any kind he may expose himself to on that account.

If the primitive Christians, or the first reformers from Popery, could have been contented with keeping their opinions to themselves, while they conformed to the religion of their country, they might have avoided all the inconveniences to which the public profession of their principles exposed them; and in this they would have followed the example of all the heathen It is, moreover, evidently agreeable philosophers, whose maxim it was, to to the maxims of the gospel, that think with the wise and act with the every Christian make an open declara- vulgar, and who ridicule the Christians tion, both by his words and by his for not doing the same. For all the conduct, of what he believes concerning philosophers held the popular superit. This is most expressly declared to stitions in the same contempt with the be obligatory upon us with respect to Christians themselves. But no true Christianity in general. And for the Christian or Protestant will venture to same reason, it ought to be extended sacrifice so much to his worldly ease to every important distinction in the and safety. And were not many of profession of Christianity, and espe- the present members of the Church of cially what relates to the seat of power, England either grossly ignorant of or authority in the church of Christ. the nature of religion, inattentive to Our Lord hath said, Whosoever shall be ashamed of me, and of my words, of him shall the Son of Man be ashamed, when he cometh in his own glory, and the glory of his Father.

Had Christianity been a system of speculative opinions only, and had not required a conformity in our practice, and such as is visible to the world, every degree of persecution might be avoided. But this we know was not the case in the primitive times. All true Christians then thought themselves obliged not to make the least concealment of their opinions, whatever they might suffer in consequence of their profession. In like manner, every Protestant ought to be a declared Protestant, and not deny his principles by communicating with the idolatrous Church of Rome. And for the very same reason, every man who thinks that the Church of England usurps an undue authority over the con

what belongs to it, or governed by the heathenish maxim above mentioned, they would not dare to countenance by their concurrence, what they may easily know to be gross corruptions of Christianity, and especially an usurpation of the rights of God and of Christ.

There is another state in Europe, in which the prince assumes an ecclesiastical power independent of the Pope. For the kings of Sicily pretend to be by birth legates a latere to the holy see, and to have a power of absolving, punishing, and excommunicating all persons, even cardinals themselves, who reside in their kingdom. They also preside in provincial councils, and act in all respects independently of the court of Rome. Their style is, beatisimo et santisimo padre, and they attribute to themselves in Sicily the same power that the popes have with respect to the rest of the church. The Sicilians claim this right from a bull

of Urban II., granted in 1097 to Roger, kings of Sicily exercise that jurisdicthe Norman king of Sicily, and to his tion, and are in fact popes within their successors. But the advocates for the own territories. On this account F. court of Rome say that this bull was Simon says there are three popes in forged, during the long time that the Christendom, viz. at Rome, in Sicily, island had no communication with the and in England; the two last, however, holy see for it continued ninety years deriving their power from the first, the under an interdict, beginning in 1282. kings of Sicily by voluntary conces Hence, however, have arisen violent sion, and the kings of England by disputes between the kings of Sicily force.' and the popes. But to this day the

1 Simon on Church Revenues, pp. 116, 121. Mosheim, II. p. 231. (P.) Cent. xi. Pt. i. Ch. i. Sect. iii.

"Henry's reformation altered the form of Popery, but did not remove the grand principle of it, human authority in matters of religion; the act of supremacy lodged the same power in the crown, that had been vested in the Pope. In virtue of this power the king exercised ecclesiastical legislation and jurisdiction, appointed by commission articles of religious doctrine and practice for the nation, and supported them by penal sanctions.

"The reformers in the reign of Edward VI. retained the doctrine of royal supremacy; they availed themselves of his minority and youth, put out two service-books, intended a third, and might have put out a thousand on the same principles; they sacrificed the rights of all the nation to a fancied prerogative of a boy.

"Queen Elizabeth's reigning passion was love of despotism; her means of attaining it were full of duplicity, treachery and cruelty: she made religion an engine of government, and framed

the English episcopal corporation so as to serve her arbitrary plan of governing. She obtained an absolute supremacy; her bishops acted under it; she imposed articles, ceremonies, oaths, penalties, &c." R. Robinson's "Plan of Lectures on the Principles of Nonconformity," 1781, pp. 5, 6.

Camden having quoted the conciliatory letter from Pius IV. to Elizabeth, dated 15 May, 1560, adds: The report goeth, that the Pope gave his faith, that he would disannul the sentence against her mother's marriage, as unjust, confirm the English liturgy by his authority, and grant the use of the sacraments to the English, under both kinds, so as she would join herself to the Romish Church, and acknowledge the primacy of the chair of Rome; yea, and that certain thousand crowns were promised to those that should procure the same.' Elizabeth, though little solicitous about the Protestant faith, was too fond of her supremacy to become a Papist. Her annalist adds, that she "still persisted, like herself, semper eadem." See Camden, Hist. p. 47. Also supra, p. 269, Note 4.

APPENDIX III.

ΤΟ

PARTS X. AND XI.

OF THE AUTHORITY OF TRADITION, AND OF THE
SCRIPTURES, ETC.

We have seen the pretensions of the as carefully as we can, the channels by popes, of councils, and also of civil which these divine communications magistrates, to decide controversies of have been conveyed to us; and these faith. It may not be improper, in the can be no other than oral tradition or conclusion of this subject, to consider writing; and of these the latter is certwo other authorities, viz. those of tra- tainly preferable, whenever it can be dition and of the Scriptures. As the had, provided we have sufficient eviJewish and Christian religions are of dence that we have the genuine writings divine origin, it behoves us to examine, of the inspired prophets themselves,

T