power on the Common-prayer Book but it is not so there being a specification of the holy daies in the book it selfe with this direction These to be observed for holy daies and none other in which the Feasts of the Conversion of St. Paul and the Apostle Barnabas are omitted plainly and upon which specification the Stat. 5. 6. Ed. 6. cap. 3. which concerns the holy daies seemes most exprestly to be built And for the Offices on those daies in the Common-prayer Book you may please to know that every holy-day consisteth of two speciall parts that is to say Rest or cessation from bodily labour and celebration of Diuine or Religious duties and that the dayes before remembred are so far kept holy as to have still their proper and peculiar Offices which is observed in all the Cathedralls of this kingdome and the Chappels Royall where the service is read every day and in most Parish churches also as oft as eyther of them fals upon a Sunday though the people be not on those daies enjoyned to rest from bodily labour no more then on the Coronation day or the fifth of November which yet are reckoned by the people for a kind of holy daies Put all which hath been said together and the summe is this That the proceedings of this Church in the Reformation were not meerly Regall as it is objected by some Puritans much lesse that they were Parliamentarian in so great a work as the Papists falsely charge upon us the Parliaments for the most part doing little in it but that they were directed in a justifiable way the worke being done Synodically by the Clergie only according to the usage of the Primitive times the King concurring with them and corroborating what they had resolved on eyther by his own single Act in his Letters Patent Proclamations and Injunctions or by some publique Act of State as in times and by Acts of Parliament 5. Of the power of making Canons for the well ordering of the Clergy and the directing of the People in the publique duties of Religion WE are now come to the last part of this Designe unto the Power of making Canons in which the Parliament of England have had lesse to doe than in eyther of the other which are gone before Concerning which I must desire you to remember that the Clergy who had power before to make such Canons and Constitutions in their Convocations as to them seemed meet promised the King in verbo Sacerdotii not to Enact or Execute any new Canons but by his Majesties royall Assent and by his Authority first obteined in that behalfe Which is thus briefly touched upon in the Antiq. Britan. in the life of William Warham Archbishop of Canterbury Clerus in verbo Sacerdotii fidem Regi dedit ne ullas deinceps in Synodo ferrent Ecclesiasticas leges nisi Synodus authoritate Regiâ congregata Constitutiones in Synodis publicatae eadem authoritate ratae essent Upon which ground I doubt not but I might securely raise this proposition That whatsoever the Clergy did or might doe lawfully before the Act of Submission in their Convocation of their owne power without the Kings authority and consent concurring the same they can and may doe still since the said Act of their Submission the Kings authority and consent cooperating with them in their Counsailes and giving confirmation to their Constitutions Further it doth appeare by the aforesaid Act. 25. H. 8. c. 19. That all such Canons Constitutions Ordinances and Synodalls Provinciall as were made before the said Submission which be not contrariant nor repugnant to the Lawes Statutes and Customes of this Realm nor to the Damage or hurt of the Kings prerogative Royall were to be used and executed as in former times And by the Statute 26. H. 8. c. 1. Of the Kings Supremacy that according to the Recognition made in Convocation our said Soveraigne Lord his Heires and Successors Kings of this Realm shall have full power and authority from time to time to visit represse reform order correct c. all such errors heresies abuses offences contempts and enormities whatsoever they be c. as may be most to the pleasure of Almighty God the increase of virtue in Christs Religion and for the peace unity and tranquillity of this Realm and the confirmation of the same So that you see these severall waies of ordering matters for the publique weale and governance of the Church First by such ancient Canons and Constitutions as being made in former times are still in force Secondly By such new Canons as are or shall be made in Convocation with and by the Kings Consent And thirdly by the sole authority of the Soveraigne Prince according to the Precedents laid down in the book of God and the best ages of the Church Concerning which you must remember what was said before viz. that the Statutes which concern the Kings Supremacy are Declaratory of an old Power only not introductory of a new which said we shall the better see whether the Parliament have had any thing to doe either in making Canons or prescribing Orders for the regulating of Spirituall and Ecclesiasticall matters and unto whom the same doth of right belong according to the Lawes of the Realm of England And first King Henry being restored to his Head-ship or Supremacy call it which you will did not conceive himself so absolute in it though at first much enamor'd of it as not some times to take his Convocation with him but at all times to be advised by his Prelates when he had any thing to doe that concerned the Church for which there had been no provision made by the Ancient Canons grounding most times his Edicts and Injunctions Royall upon their advise and resolution For on this ground I mean the judgement and conclusions of his Convocation did he set out the Injunctions of the yeare 1536. for the abolishing of superstitious and superfluous holy daies the exterminating of the Popes authority the publishing of the book of Articles which before we spake of num 8. by all Parsons Vicars and Curats for preaching down the use of Images Reliques Pilgrimages and superstitious Miracles for rehearsing openly in the Church in the English tongue the Creed the Pater-noster and the ten Commandements for the due and reverent ministring of the Sacraments and Sacramentals for providing English Bibles to be set up in every Church for the use of the people for the regular and sober life of Clergy men and the releefe of the poore And on the other side the King proceeded some times only by the advice of his Prelates as in the Injunctions of the yeare 1538. for quarterly Sermons in each Parish for admitting none to preach but men sufficiently Licensed for keeping a Register book of Christnings Weddings and Burialls for the due paying of Tythes as had been accustomed for the abolishing of the commemoration of St. Tho. Becket for singing Parce nobis
Parliaments Power In Lawes for RELIGION OR AN ANSVVERE To that old and groundles Calumny of the Papists nick-naming the Religion of the Church of England by the name of a Parliamentary RELIGION Sent to a freind who was troubled at it and earnestly desired satisfaction in it OXFORD Printed by HENRY HALL Printer to the UNIVERSITIE 1645. The Preface SYR AT my being with you last you seemed to bee much scandalized for the Church of England You told me you were well assured that her Doctrine was most true and orthodox her Government conform to the word of God and the best Ages of the Church her Liturgy an Extract of the Primitive Formes Nothing in all the whole composure but what did tend to edification and increase of Piety But that you were not satisfied in the waies and meanes by which this Church proceeded in her Reformation That you had heard it oft objected by some Partisans of the Church of Rome that our Religion was meere Parliamentarian or as Doctor Harding said long since That we had a Parliament-Religion a Parliament-Faith and a Parliament-Gospell to which Sanders and some others added That we had none but Parliament Bishops and a Parliament-Clergy That you were apt enough to think the Papists made not all this noise without some ground for it in regard you see the Parliaments in these latter times so bent to catch at all occasions whereby to manifest their power in Ecclesiasticall matters And finally that you were heartily ashamed that being so often choaked with these objections you neither knew how to traverse the Inditement or plead not guilty to the Bill This was the sum of your Discourse and upon this you did desire me to be think my selfe of some fit plaister for this sore to satisfie you if I could of your doubts and jealousies assuring me that your desires proceeded not from curiositie or an itch of knowledg or out of any disaffection to the high Court of Parliament but meerly from an honest zeale to the Church of England whose credit and renown you did far prefer before your life or whatsoever else could be deere unto you adding withall That if I would take paines for your satisfaction and help you out of those perplexities which you were involved in I should not only doe good service to the Church it selfe but to many a wavering Member of it whom these objections mainly stagger in their Resolution In fine that you desired to be informed how far the Parliaments of England have been interessed in the former times in matters which concern Religion and God's publique worship what ground there is for all this clamour of the Papists and whether the two Houses or eyther of them have exercised of old any such authority in things of Ecclesiasticall and Spirituall nature as they now pretend to VVhich though it be a dangerous and invidious Subject as the times now are yet for your sake and for the truths and for the honour also of Parliaments which seeme to suffer much in the accusation I shall undertake it Premising first that I intend not to say any thing to the point of Right whether or not the Parliament may lawfully meddle in such matters as concern Religion but shall apply my selfe only unto matters of fact as they relate unto the Reformation here by Lawe established And for my method in this businesse I will begin with the Ejection of the Pope and his authority descending next to the Translation of the Scriptures into the English tongue and the Reformation of the Church in Doctrinals and Formes of Worship and so proceed unto the power of making Canons for the well ordering of the Clergy and the direction of the people in all such particulars as doe concern them in the exercise of their Religion And in the canvasing of these points I shall make it good that till these busie and unfortunate dayes in which every man intrudeth on the Preistly function the Parliaments did not any thing at all either in matters Doctrinal or in making Canons or in translating of the Scriptures and that concerning Formes of Worship they did nothing neyther but strengthen and establish what was done before in the Clergy-way by adding the Secular authority to the Constitutions of the Church according to the usage of the best and happiest times of Christianity PARLIAMENTS POWER in Lawes for Religion 1. Of the Ejection of the Pope AND first beginning with the Ejection of the Pope and his authority that led the way unto the Reformation of Religion which did after follow It was first voted and decreed in the Convocation before ever it became the subject of an Act of Parliament For in the yeare 1530. 22o H. 8. the Clergy being caught in a Premunire were willing to redeeme their danger by a summe of money and to that end the Clergy of the Province of Canterbury bestowed upon the king the summe of 100000 pounds to be paid by equall portions in the five yeares following But the king would not so be satisfied unlesse they would acknowledge him for the supreme head on Earth of the Church of England which though it was hard meate and would not easily downe amongst them yet it passed at last For being throughly debated in a Synodicall way both in the upper and lower houses of Convocation they did in fine agree upon this expression Cujus Ecclesiae sc. Anglicanae singularem Protectorem unicum et supremum Dominum et quantum per Christi leges licet supremum Caput ipsius Majestatem recognoscimus To this they all assented and subscribed their hands and afterwards incorporated it into the publique Act or Instrument which was presented to the King in the name of his Clergy for the redeeming of their error and the graunt of their money which as it doth at large appeare in the Records and Acts of the Convocation so is it touched upon in an Historicall way in the Antiq. Britan Mason de Minist. Anglic. and some other Authors by whom it also doth appeare that what was thus concluded on by the Clergy of the Province of Canterbury was also ratified and confirmed by the Convocation for the Province of Yorke according to the usuall custom save that they did not buy their Pardon at so deare a rate This was the leading Card to the game which followed For on this ground were built the Statutes prohibiting all Appeales to Rome and for determining all Ecclesiasticall suites and controversies within the Kingdome 24. H. 8. c. 12. That for the manner of Electing and Consecrating of Archbishops and Bishops 25. H. 8. c. 20. and the prohibiting the payment of all impositions to the Court of Rome and for obtayning all such Dispensations from the See of Canterbury which formerly were procured from the Popes of Rome 25. H. 8. c 21. which last is built expresly upon this foundation That the King is the only supreme Head of the Church of England and was so recognized by the Prelates
Domine instead of Ora pro nobis and the like to these And of this sort were the Injunctions which came out in some yeares succeeding for the taking away of Images and Reliques with all the Ornaments of the same and all the Monuments and writings of fained Miracles and for restraint of offering or setting up lights in any Church but only to the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar in which he was directed chiefly by Archbishop Cranmer as also those for eating of white-meates in the time of Lent the abolishing the fast on St. Marks day and the ridiculous but superstitious sports accustomably used on the dayes of Saint Clement St. Catherine and St. Nicholas All which and more was done in the said Kings Reigne without help of Parliament For which I shall refer you to the Acts Mon. fol. 1385. 1425. 1441. The like may also be affirmed of the Injunctions published in the name of K. Ed. 6. An. 1547. and printed also then for the use of the Subjects and of the severall Letters missive which went forth in his name prohibiting the bearing of Candles on Candlemas day of Ashes in Lent and of Palmes on Palm-Sunday for the taking down of all the Images throughout the kingdom for administring the Communion in both kinds dated March 13. 1548. for abrogating of private Masses Iun. 24. 1549. for bringing in all Missals Graduals Processionals Legends and Ordinals about the latter end of December of the same yeare for taking down of Altars and setting up Tables instead thereof An. 1550. and the like to these All which particulars you have in Foxes book of Acts Mon. in King Edwards life which whether they were done of the Kings meer motion or by advice of his Counsell or by consultation with his Bishops for there is little left upon Record of the Convocations of that time more than the Articles of the yeare 1552 certain I am that there was nothing done nor yet pretended to be done in all these particulars by the authority of Parliament Thus also in Q. Elizabeths time before the new Bishops were well setled and the Queen assured of the affections of her Clergy she went that way to work in the Reformation which not only her two Predecessors but all the godly Kings and Princes in the Iewish State and many of the Christian Emperours in the Primitive times had done before her in the well ordering of the Church and People committed to their care and government by Almighty God And to that end she published her Injunctions An. 1559. A book of Orders An. 1561. Another of Advertisements An. 1562. all tending unto Reformation unto the building up of the new Ierusalem with the advise no doubt of some godly Prelates as were then about her But past all doubt without the least concurrence of her Court of Parliament But when the times were better setled and the first difficulties of her Reigne passed over she left Church-work to the disposing of Church-men who by their place and calling were most proper for it And they being met in Convocation and thereto authorized as the Lawe required did make and publish severall books of Canons as viz. 1571. An. 1584. An. 1597. Which being confirmed by the Queene under the broad Seale of England were in force of Lawes to all intents and purposes which they were first made but being confirmed without those formall words Her Heires and Successors are not binding now but expired together with the Queene No Act of Parliament required to confirm them then nor never required ever since on the like occasion A fuller evidence whereof we cannot have then in the Canons of the yeare 1603. being the first yeare of King Iames made by the Clergy only in the Convocation and confirmed only by the King For though the old Canons were in force which had been made before the Submission of the Clergy as before I shewed you which served in all these wavering and unsetled times for the perpetuall standing rule of the Churches Government yet many new emergent Cases did require new Rules and whilest there is a possibility of mali mores there will be a necessity of bonae Leges Now in the Confirmation of these Canons we shall find it thus That the Clergy being met in their Convocation according to the Tenour and effect of his Majesties Writ his Majesty was pleased by virtue of his Prerogative Royall and Supreme authority in Causes Ecclesiasticall to give and grant unto them by his Letters Patents dated Apr. 12. Iun. 25. full free and lawfull liberty licence power and authority to confer treate debate consider consult and agree upon such Canons Orders Ordinances and Constitutions as they should think necessary fit and convenient for the honour and service of Almighty God the good and quiet of the Church and the better Government thereof from time to time c. to be kept by all persons within this Realm as far as lawfully being members of the Church it may concern them which being agreed on by the Clergy and by them presented to the King humbly requiring him to give his Royall assent unto them according to the Statute made in the 25. of K. H. 8. and by his Majesties Prerogative and Supreme authority in Ecclesiasticall Causes to ratifie and confirm the same his Majesty was graciously pleased to confirm and ratifie them by his Letters Patents for Himselfe his Heires and lawfull Successours straitly commanding and requiring all his loving Subjects diligently to observe execute and keep the same in all points wherein they doe or may concern all or any of them No running to the Parliament to confirm these Canons nor any question made till this present by temperate and knowing men that there wanted any Act for their confirmation which the Lawe could give them But against this and all which hath been said before it will be objected That being the Bishops of the Church are fully and wholly Parliamentarian and have no more authority and jurisdiction nisi a Parliamentis derivatam but that which is conferred upon them by the power of Parliaments as both Sanders and Schultingius doe expresly say whatsoever they shall doe or conclude upon either in Convocation or in private Conferences may be called Parliamentarian also And this last calumny they build on the severall Statutes 24. H. 8. c. 12. touching the manner of electing and Consecrating Archbishops and Bishops that of the 1. Ed. 6. c. 2. appointing how they shall be chosen and what Seales they shall use those of the 3 4 Ed. 6. c. 12. and 5 6 Ed. 6. for authorising of the book of Ordination But chiefly that of the 8 Eliz. c. 1. for making good all Acts since 1 Eliz. in consecrating any Archbishop or Bishop within this Realm To give a generall answer to each severall cavill you may please to know that the Bishops as they now stand in the Church of England derive their Calling together with their Authority and
the liberty granted to the people in having in their hands the bookes of the old and new Testament had beene much abused by many false glosses and interpretations which were made upon them tending to the seducing of the people especially of the younger sort and the raysing of sedition within the Realme And thereupon it was enacted by the authority of the Parliament on whom he was content to cast the envy of an Act so contrary to his former gracious Proclamations that all manner of bookes of the old and new Testament of the crafty false and untrue Translation of Tyndall be forthwith abolished and forbidden to be used and kept As also that all other Bibles not being of Tyndalls translation in which were found any Preambles or Annotations other than the quotations or Summaries of the Chapters should be purged of the said Preambles and Annotations eyther by cutting them out or blotting them in such wise that they might not be perceived or read And finally that the Bible be not read openly in any Church but by the leave of the King or of the Ordinary of the place nor privately by any Women Artificers Prentices Iourneymen Husbandmen Labourers or by any of the servants of Yeomen or under with severall paines to those who should doe the contrary This is the substance of the Statute of the 34. 35. H. 8. cap. 1. which though it shewes that there was somewhat done in Parliament in a matter which concern'd Religion which howsoever if you marke it was rather the adding of the penalties than giving any resolution or decision of the points in Question yet I presume the Papists will not use this for an Argument that we have eyther a Parliament-Religion or a Parliament-Gospell or that we stand indebted to the Parliament for the use of the Scriptures in the English Tongue which is so principall a part of the Reformation Nor did the Parliament speede so prosperously in the undertakiug which the wise King permitted them to have an hand in for the foresaid ends or found so generall an obedience in it from the common people as would have beene expected in these times on the like occasion but that the King was faine to quicken and give life to the Acts thereof by his Proclamatiom An. 1546. which you shall find in Fox his booke fol. 1427. To drive this nayle a little farther The terror of this Statute dying with H. 8. or being repealed by that of K. E. 6. 1 E. 6. c. 12. the Bible was againe made publique and not only suffered to be read by particular persons either privately or in the Church but ordered to be read over yearely in the Congregation as a part of the Liturgy or divine Service which how farre it relates to the Court of Parliament we shall see anon But for the publishing thereof in print for the use of the people for the comfort and edification of private persons that was done only by the King at least in his name and by his authority And so it also stood in Q. Elizabeths time the Translation of the Bible being againe reviewed by some of the most learned Bishops appointed thereunto by the Queenes Commission from whence it had the name of the Bishops-Bible and upon that Review reprinted by her sole Commandement and by her sole authority left free and open to the use of her well affected and Religious Subjects Nor did the Parliament doe any thing in all her Reigne with reference to the Scriptures in the English tongue otherwise than as the reading of them in that tongue in the Congregation is to be reckoned for a part of the English Liturgy whereof more hereafter In the translation of them into Welch or British somewhat indeed was done which doth looke this way It being ordered in the Parliament 5. Eliz. c. 28. That the B. B. of Hereford St. Davids Bangor Landaffe and St. Asaph Should take care amongst them for translating the whole Bible with the booke of Common Prayer into the Welch or British tongue on paine of forfeiting 40 a peece in default hereof And to encourage them thereunto it was enacted that one booke of either sort being so translated and imprinted should be provided and bought for every Cathedrall Church as also for all parish Churches and Chappells of ease where the said tongue is commonly used the Ministers to pay the one halfe of the price and the parishioners the other But then you must observe withall that it had beene before determined in the Convocation of the selfe same yeare An. 1562. That the Common-prayer of the Church ought to be celebrated in a tongue which was understood by the people as you may see in the booke of Articles of Religion Art 24. which came out that yeare and consequently as well in the Welch or British as in any other And for the new Translation of K. Iames his time to shew that the Translation of Scripture is no worke of Parliament as it was principally occasioned by some passages in the Conference at Hampton Court without recourse unto the Parliament so was it done only by such men as the King appointed and by his authority alone imprinted published and imposed care being taken by the Canon of the yeare 1603. That one of them should be provided for each severall Church at the charge of the Parish No flying in this case to an Act of Parliament either to authorize the doing of it or to impose it being done 3. Of the Reformation of Religion in points of Doctrine NExt let us look upon the method used in former times in the reforming of the Church whether in points of Doctrine or in formes of Worship and we shall find it still the same The Clergy did the worke as to them seemed best never advising with the Parliament but upon the post fact and in most cases not at all And first for Doctrinals there was but little done in king Henries time but that which was acted by the Clergie only in their Convocations and so commended to the people by the Kings sole authority the matter never being brought within the cognizance of the two Houses of Parliament For in the yeare 1536 being the yeare in which the Popes authoritie was for ever banished there were some Articles agreed on in the Convocation and represented to the King under the hands of all the Bishops Abbats Priors and inferiour Clergy usually called unto those meetings the Originall whereof being in Sir Robert Cottons Library I have often seene which being approved of by the King were forthwith published under the Title of Articles devised by the Kings Highnesse to stable Christian quietnesse and unity amongst the people In which it is to be observed first that those Articles make mention of 3 Sacraments only that is to say of Baptisme Penance and the Sacrament of the Altar And secondly that in the declaration of the Doctrine of Iustification Images honouring of the Saints departed as also concerning many
of the usuall Ceremonies and the fire of Purgatory they differ'd very much from those opinions which had beene formerly received in the Church of Rome as you may partly see by that extract of them which occurres in Fox his Acts and Monuments vol. 2. fol. 1246. For the confirming of which booke and recommending it to the use of the people his Majesty was pleased in the Injunctions of the yeare 1536. to give command To all Deanes Parsons Vicars and Curats so to open and declare in their Sermons and other Collations the said Articles unto them which be under their Cure that they might plainly know and discerne which of them be necessary to be beleeved and observed for their salvation and which doe only concerne the Decent and politique Order of the Church And this he did upon this ground that the said Articles had beene concluded and condiscended upon by the Prelates and Clergy of the Realme in their Convocation as appeareth in the very words of the Injunction for which see Fox his Acts and Monuments fol. 1247. I finde not any thing in Parliament which relates to this either to countenance the worke or to require obedience and conformity from the hands of the people And to say truth neither the King nor Clergy did account it necessary but thought their owne authority sufficient to goe through with it though certainly it was more necessary at that time then in any since the power and reputation of the Clergy being under foot the King scarce setled in the Supremacy so lately recognized unto him and therfore the authority of the Parliament of more use than afterward in times well ballanced and established 'T is true that in some other yeares of that Princes Reigne we finde some use and mention of an Act of Parliament in matters which concern'd Religion but in was only in such times when the hopes of Reformation were in the wane and the worke went retrograde For in the yeare 1539. being the 31 H. 8. When the Lord Cromwel's power began to decline and the King was in a necessitie of compliance with his neighbouring Princes there passed an Act of Parliament commonly called the Statute of the six Articles or the whip with six stringes In which it was enacted That whosoever by word or writing should preach teach or publish that in the blessed Sacrament of the Altar under forme of bread and wine there is not really the naturall Body and Blood of our Saviour Jesus Christ conceived of the virgin Mary or affirme otherwise thereof then was maintained and taught in the Church of Rome should be adjudged an Heretick and suffer death by burning and forfeit all his Lands and Goods as in case of high Treason Secondly that Whosoever should teach or preach that the Communion of the blessed Sacrament in both kindes is necessary for the health of mans Soule and ought so to be ministred Thirdly or that any man after the Order of Priest-hood received might marry or contract matrimony Fourthly or that any woman which had vowed and professed chastity might contract marriage Fifthly or that private Masse were not lawfull and laudable and agreeable to the word of God Or sixthly that Auricular Confession was not necessary and expedient to be used in the Church of God should suffer death and forfeit Lands and Goods as a felon 31 of H. 8. c 14. The rigour of which terrible Statute was shortly after mitigated in the said Kings Reigne 32. H. 8. c 10. and 35. of H. 8. c. 5. and the whole Statute absolutely repealed by Act of Parliament 1. Ed. 6. c. 12. But then it is to be observed first that this Parliament of King Henry the Eighth did not determine any thing in those six points of Doctrine which are therein recited but only tooke upon them to devise a course for the suppressing of the contrary opinions by adding by the secular Power the punishment of Death and forfeiture of Lands and Goods unto the censures of the Church which were grown weake if not invalid and consequently by degrees became neglected ever since the said King Henry tooke the Headship on him and exercised the same by a Lay Vicar-Generall And secondly you must observe that it appeareth evidently by the Act it selfe that at the same time the King had called a Synod and Convocation of all the Archbishoppes Bishoppes and other learned men of the Clergy that the Articles were first deliberately and advisedly debated argued and reasoned by the said Archbishops Bishops and other learned men of the Clergy and their opinions in the same declared and made knowne before the matter came in Parliament and finally that being brought into the Parliament there was not any thing declared and passed as doctrinall but by the assent of the Lords spirituall and other learned men of the Convocation as by the Act it selfe doth at large appeare Finally whatsoever may be drawne from hence can be only this That King Henry did make use of his Court of Parliament for the establishing and confirming of some points of Popery which seemed to be in danger of a Reformation And this compared with the Statute of the 34. 35. prohibiting the reading of the Bible by most sorts of people doth clearely shew that the Parliaments of those times did rather hinder and retard the worke of Reformation in some especiall parts thereof than give any furtherance to the same But to proceede There was another point of Reformation begunne in the Lord Cromwel's time but not produced nor brought unto perfection till after his decease and then too not without the midwifery of an Act of Parliament For in the yeare 1537. the Bishops and others of the Clergy of the Convocation had composed a booke entituled the Institution of a Christian man which being subscribed by all their hands was by them presented to the King by his most excellent judgement to be allowed of or condemned This booke conteyning the cheife heads of Christian Religion was forth with printed and exposed to publique view But some things not being clearely explicated or otherwise subject to exception he caused it to be reviewed and to that end as Supreme Head on Earth of the Church of England I speake the very words of the Act of Parliament 32. H. 8 c. 26. appointed the Archbishops and Bishops of both Provinces and also a great number of the best learned honestest and most virtuous sort of the Doctors in Divinity men of discretion judgement and good disposition to be called together to the intent that according to the very Gospell and Law of God without any partiall respect or affection to the Papisticall sort or any other Sect or Sects whatsoever they should declare by writing and publish as well the principall Articles and Points of our Faith and Beleife with the Declaration true understanding and observation of such other expedient points as by them with his Grace's advise Counsaile and Consent shall be thought needfull and expedient As