Primitive Church should draw and make one convenient and meet Order Rite and Fashion of Common and open Prayer and Administration of the Sacraments to be had and used in his Majesties Realm of England and in Wales the which at this time by the aid of the Holy Ghost with one uniform agreement is of them concluded set forth and delivered to his Highness to his great comfort and quietness of mind in a Book Intituled The Book of the common Prayer and Administration of the Sacraments and other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church after the use of the Church of England Wherefore the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and the Commons in this present Parliament Assembled considering as well the most Godly Travel of the Kings Highness of the Lord Protector and other of his Highness Council in gathering and collecting the said Arch Bishops Bishops and Learned Men together as the Godly Prayers Orders Rites and Ceremonies in the said Book mentioned and the considerations of altering those things which be altered and retaining those things which be retained in the said Book but also the honour of God and great quietness which by the Grace of God shall insue upon the one and uniform Rite and Order in such Common Prayer and Rites and Extern Ceremonies to be used throughout England and in Wales at Calice and the marches of the same go give to his Highness most hearty and lowly thanks for the same and humbly pray that it may be ordained and enacted by his Majesty with the Assent of the Lords and Commons in this present Parliament Assembled and by the Authority of the same c. The Compilers of the Book of Common Prayer An. 3 Edw. 6. Tho. Cranmer Arch-Bishop of Canterbury George Day Bishop of Chichester Dr. Goodrich Bishop of Ely. Dr. Skip Bishop of Hereford Henry Holbech Bishop of Lincoln Nicholas Ridley Bishop of Rochester Thomas Thurlby Bishop of Westminster Dr. May Dean of St. Pauls Dr. Taylor then Dean afterwards Bishop of Lincoln Dr. Haines Dean of Exeter Dr. Robertson Arch Deacon of Leicester afterwards Dean of Durham Dr. Redman Dean of Westminster Mr. of Trinity Colledge Cambridge Dr. Richard Cox then Almoner to the King afterwards Bishop of Ely. Fuller Church History l. 7. p. 386. Reviewers of the Common-Prayer 1558. Dr. Parker Cox May Bill Pilkington Smith Whitehead Grindal Compilers of the Articles of 1562. MS. D. W Matthaeus Parkerus Cantuariensis Edmundus Grindallus Londin Robertus Horne Wintoniens Richardus Cox Eliensis Nicolaus Bullingham Lincolniens Thomas Bentham Lichfeildens Joan. Jewellus Sarisburiens Gilbertus Barkley Bathoniensis Gulielmus Allen Exoniensis Joan. Parkhurst Norvicensis Edwinus Sandes Wigorniensis Joanes Scory Herefordensis Gulielmus Barlow Cicestrensis Edmundus Gwest Roffensis Richardus Cheyney Glocestrensis Edmondus Scambler Petriburgensis Rich. Davies Menevensis Antonius Kitchin Landavensis Rolandus Merick Bangorensis Thomas Young Eboracensis Jacobus Pilkington Dunelmens Joannes Best Carleolensis Gulielmus Downam Cestrensis By King James the First A Proclamation for the Authorizing an Uniformity of the Book of Common Prayer to be used throughout the Realm Some of those who misliked the state of Religion here Established held Assemblies without Authority whom we restrained by a former Proclamation in the Month of October last and gave Intimation of the Conference we intended to be had with as much speed as conveniently could be for the ordering of These things of the Church which accordingly follow'd in the Month of January last at Our Honour of Hampton Court where before Our Self and Our Privy Counsel were Assembled many of the gravest Bishops and Prelates of the Realm and many other Learned Men c. March 5. In the first Year of Our Reign of England c. 14. Carol. 2. WHereas in the first year of the late Queen Elizabeth there was one Uniform Order of Common Service and Prayer and of the Administration of Sacraments Rites and Ceremonies in the Church of England agreeable to the World of God and usage of the Primitive Church compiled by the Reverend Bishops and Clergy set forth in one book Entituled The book of Common Prayer and Administration of Sacraments and other Rites and Ceremonies in the Church of England and enjoyned to be used by Act of Parliament holden in the first year of the said late Queen Entituled An Act for the Vniformity of Common Prayer and Service in the Church and Administration of the Sacraments the Kings Majesty according to his Declaration of the five and twentieth of October One thousand six hundred and sixty granted his Commission under the great Seal of England to several Bishops and other Divines to review the Book of Common Prayer and to prepare such Alterations and Additions as they thought fit to offer And AFTERWARDS the Convocations of both the Provinces of Canterbury and York being by His Majesty called and assembled and now sitting His Majesty hath been pleased to Authorize and require the Presidents of the said Convocations and other the Bishops and Clergy of the same to Review the said Book of Common Prayer c. The NAMES of the COMMISSIONERS A. D. 1689. Thomas Lamplugh Lord Arch-Bishop of York Henry Compton Lord Bishop of London Peter Mew Lord Bishop of Winchester William Lloyd Lord Bishop of St. Asaph Thomas Sprat Lord Bishop of Rochester Thomas Smith Lord Bishop of Carslile Jonathan Trelauny Lord Bishop of Exeter Gilbert Burnet Lord Bishop of Salisbury Humfrey Humfreys Lord Bishop of Bangor Nicholas Stratford Lord Bishop of Chester Edward Stillingfleet late Dean of St. Pauls London now Bishop of Worcester Simon Patrick late Dean of Peterborough now Bishop of Chichester John Tillotson D.D. Dean of Canterbury Richard Meggot D.D. Dean of Winchester John Sharp D.D. Dean of Norwich Richard Kidder D.D. Dean of Peterborough Henry Aldridge D.D. Dean of Christ-Church Oxford William Jane D.D. Regius Professor of Divinity in the University of Oxford John Hall D.D. Margaret Professor of Divinity in the University of Oxford Joseph Beaumont D.D. Regius Professor of Divinity in the University of Cambridge John Mountague D.D. and Mr. of Trinity Colledge in the University of Cambridge John Goodman D.D. Archdeacon of Middlesex William Beveridge D.D. Archdeacon of Colchester John Battely D.D. Archdeacon of Canterbury Charles Alston D.D. Archdeacon of Essex Thomas Tenison D.D. Archdeacon of London John Scott D.D. Prebendary of S. Pauls London Edward Fowler D.D. Prebendary of Glocester Robert Grove D.D. Prebendary of S. Pauls London John Williams D.D. Prebendary of S. Pauls London The END Books Lately Printed for Richard Chiswell Reflections upon the Opinions of some Modern Divines concerning the nature of Government in general and that of England in particular With an Appendix relating to this Matter containing 1. The Seventy fifth Canon of the Council of Toledo 2. The Original Articles in Latin out of which the Magna Charta of King John was framed 3. The true Magna Charta of King John in French By which the Magna Charta in Matth. Paris is cleared and justified and the Alterations in the Common Magna Charta discovered Of which see a more particular Account in the Advertisement before the Appendix All three Englished Jacobi Usserii Armachani Archiep. Historia dogmatica Controversiae inter Orthodoxos Pontificios de Scripturis Sacris Vernaculis nunc primum editae Accesserunt ejusdem dissertationes de Pseudo-Dionysii scriptis de Epistola ad Laodicenos ante hac ineditae Descripsit digessit notis atque Auctuario locupletavit Henricus Wharton A. M Reverendissimo Archiep. Cantuariensi a Sacris Domesticis A Discourse concerning the Unreasonableness of a New Seperation on Account of the Oaths With an Answer to the History of Passive Obedience so far as relates to them will be Published in few days a See the Names of the Compilers in p. 24. of the Appendix * Full. Ch. Hist. p. 386. b See part of the Act in Append. p. 22 23 24. c Cambd Eliz. p 23. An 1558. See the Names of the Reviewers in Append. p. 25. a Hist. of Ref. part 3 p. 405. b See the Names of the Compilers in Append. p. 25. c Full. Ch. Hist. b. 9. p. 72. Heylin Hist. Ref. p. 158. d See part of that Procl in Append. p. 26. a See part of the Act in Appendix p. 26 27. * A Letter to a Friend containing some Quaeries about the New Commission p. 4 5. a An 25 H. 8. Reviv'd 1 Eliz. See Append. p 21. See their Names in Appendix p. 27 c. a A Letter to a Friend containing some Quaeries about the New Commission p. 1 2 p. 4. (b) Quer. p. 4. (b) Quaer p. 4. †Ch. Hist. b. 7. p. 386. * H. of Ref. Coll. vol. 2. p. 330. * Quaer p. 5. (a) Arâ—ic 34 Every particular or National Church hath Authority to ordain change and abolish Ceremonies or Rites of the Church ordained only by mens Authority so that All things be done to edifying (a) Hist. of Ref. p. 393. L 3. An. 1559. Breviarium restitutum (a) Syst. Biblioth Coll. Par. Soc. Iesu. p. 17. Latina ante Correctionem Latina post Correctionem (b) Vid. Caus. Valesian p. 126 127 128. (d) Queries p. 1. (e) Quaeries p. 4. (f) P. 2. (g) Quaer p. 1. Qu. 2. Whether intended for the sake of the Church or for the satisfaction of Dissenters or to serve both these ends together (a) Quaer p. 3. (b) Quaer p. 6. Q. 2. (c) P. 3. Q. III. See. p. 5. See p. 2. See p. 2. See p. 2. Camb. Eliz. A. 1558 p. 23. See p. 3. In H. Lestranges Affin of div Lit. p. 6. See p. 3. See p. 4. See p. 7.
A DISCOURSE Concerning the Ecclesiastical Commission 1689. LICENSED October 29. 1689. A DISCOURSE CONCERNING THE Ecclesiastical Commission OPEN'D IN THE JERUSALEM CHAMBER October the 10 th 1689. LONDON Printed for Ric. Chiswell at the Rose and Crown in St. Paul's Church-Yard MDCLXXXIX A DISCOURSE Concerning the Ecclesiastical Commission c. THough I never entertain'd a good Opinion of the late Commission for Ecclesiastical Affairs yet concerning This which is of a very differing Nature and has differing Ends I stand thus persuaded I. It is agreeable to the Laws of the Land. II. It is not prejudicial but useful to the Convocation III. It tendeth to the well-being of the Church IV. This is a fit Iuncture for the putting the design of it into execution I. This Commission is agreeable to the Laws of the Realm It is founded upon a Legal bottom for it is undoubtedly a Right of the King to call any number of his Subjects together to advise concerning such things as He shall think fit to propose to Them. And here is no Acting required by this Commission but only the Giving of Advice It is further justified by several Presidents since the Reformation It was by a Commission that the common-prayer-Common-Prayer-book was Compiled in the third year of King Edward VI. the Commissioners meeting at his Castle of Windsor And both the Parliament and Convocation readily approv'd of it as is manifest by the Preamble of the Act It was by Queen Elizabeth's Order that the Second Book of King Edward which had passed in Parliament in the fifth and sixth years of his Reign and been repealed in the days of Queen Mary was Review'd in the first year of Hers Which Review being made and upon it some Emendation the Book was again authoris'd by Act of Parliament In the Year 1559 it being resolv'd that the Doctrine of the Church should be set out as it had been done in King Edward's time the Articles of it began to be prepared After much deliberation they were compiled by Dr. Matthew Parker Archbishop of Canterbury in conjunction with Two and twenty Bishops This being done they pass'd in Convocation in the Year 1562. and were confirm'd by Parliament in the Year 1571. Mr. Fuller believ'd they were compos'd in Convocation but Dr. Heylin did not In the Proclamation of King James the First entituled A Proclamation for the Authorising an Uniformity of the Book of Common-Prayer to be used throughout the Realm there is mention of a former Proclamation giving notice of the Conference at Hampton-Court about Religion betwixt Conformists and Dissenters I will not insist on this or on the Translating of the Bible and sundry other Ecclesiastical Matters done without a Convocation in that King's Reign My purpose not being to dispute nicely about the Authority of All Things that have been done but only to shew that greater Things have without offence and without prejudice to the Church been formerly done either by private Order or by publick Commission or Proclamation than giving MEER ADVICE concerning such things as are fit and proper to be laid before a Convocation which is the present Case At the Return of King Charles the Second the Liturgy was reviewed by His Commissioners who sate at the Savoy Reference is had to that Commission in the last Act of Uniformity and it is by that Act approved Since that time no Law has been made derogatory to that Power by which the King has granted this Commission II. Neither is A Commission nor THIS Commission prejudicial to a Convocation but useful to it A Commission before a Convocation meets is not prejudicial to it For besides that it has been hitherto found beneficial by experience the very Nature of it shews its Usefulness That which Commissioners do is only by way of preparation which saveth Time and Labour and provideth something ready for the Convocation to go upon In all Assemblies that which is not to be compleated without the Major part of them is begun by a few It is certain that the Methods of the Two Houses of Parliament are not exactly the same with those of the Convocation which by using its own does not as a late Quaerist does seem to insinuate presume to prescribe to Them. But though the Two Houses have not that Method by a Commission yet no Member of Parliament who either by Himself or by the Advice of private Friends prepares an useful Bill is by either of the Houses reprehended when he asks leave to bring it in For the Convocation the first beginning of any thing that is to be done there cannot be made by a Committee appointed by it self For though the Members can meet by virtue of the King 's WRIT yet since the Act concerning the Submission of the Clergy without the King 's WARRANT they cannot legally deliberate upon any one Ecclesiastical Matter It is therefore by some Spring without the Houses by which the King moves both with respect to the granting a WARRANT and to the Matters which are debated upon the Authority of it And if the King who might have proceeded upon His own Judgment or upon very private Advice in this Affair is pleased to do it by so publick and solemn an Act as That is of issuing forth an Ecclesiastical Commission the Preparation is the more likely to be well made And this being but Preparation the Convocation is not prejudg'd or limited by it It is the subsequent WARRANT that limits or enlarges their Powers as it pleaseth a King and not the Commission it self The Things which by virtue of it are prepar'd are Proposals only not Impositions And as a Commission in general is not a just Grievance to a Convocation so neither is This present Commission to be so esteemed Either with respect to the Power given or to the Persons named in it The Power given in this Commission is no more than that above-mentioned of Deliberation Preparation and Proposal expressed in these words So that the Things by you so considered and prepar'd may be in a readiness to be Offer'd to the Convocation at their next meeting and when Approv'd by them may be presented to Us and our Two Houses of Parliament that if it shall be judged fit they may be established in due Form of Law. The Persons employ'd in it are not such as may probably injure either Church or Convocation whether we consider Their Office and Rank in the Church Their Personal Qualifications Or Their Number By Office they are all Church-men and so the more likely to be skill'd in the Matters of their own Profession By Place they are for much the greater part such men as will sit in Convocation whensoever it meets they being Bishops Deans and Archdeacons Their Personal Qualifications are such that I may presume to say indifferent Judges will not think them incompetent for this Affair It is true they have been publickly traduc'd in a late Paper of
Quaeries as ASSUMING men as men who will think themselves BOUNDIN HONOUR to defend what they shall have done as men who have Tenderness and Moderation enough to part with any thing but their Church = Preferments As Men who have a Latitude to conform to a Church de Facto which has Power on its side These are very hard words whosoever gave them and proceed from a Temper ASSUMING enough to say no worse of it There is a great deal of Spite in them but not a grain either of Truth Justice or Charity So far are they from Assuming that I have ground to say They have declared among themselves That notwithstanding the offer of their present Opinions they would not conclude themselves but reserve a liberty of changing their minds if in Convocation any cogent Reasons which they had not yet thought of were brought before them If they were such as that Paper represents them yet why is it a Point of Honour to defend mere Proposals And then I would know by what Instances it appears that they are truly such as they are there represented MEN who conceal their own inclinations till it is time to show them MEN likely to do the Church of England a good turn when opportunity serves and which perhaps they imagine now they have Men ready to sacrifice their Consciences to their HONOURS and PREFERMENTS They must needs have a great defect in their Memories who have forgotten the time when these very Men with true Christian Courage hazarded all that was dear to them in this world in order to the support of this Church and the true Religion professed in it by refusing to read a Declaration which was I believe on purpose framed for the overthrow of our Establishment As to the LATITUDE with which they are charg'd they did not show it when they were tri'd and now God be thank'd they have no Temptation to it and I fear there may be in those who are without cause their Enemies a sort of NARROWNESS that is not more commendable They have indeed this LATITUDE in them That provided Good be done to the Church they would rejoice in it though even those who are their Adversaries should happen to have the doing of it For their NUMBER it is again said falsly and absurdly as well as spitefully That as it may happen our Church may be chang'd and alter'd and transformed by NINE men That number of the Quorum does by one exceed that of the intire Body of those who by Order review'd the second Book of King Edward the Sixth in the first of Queen Elizabeth for as Cambden where above-cited does assure us there were joined with Dr. Parker no more than seven Persons but six saith Mr. Fuller forgetting Dr. Bill though after consultation with these the consent of others was to be desired Neither is it at all probable that the Nine of the Quorum should at any two Meetings be but just Nine and those the very same Men. But supposing the Commissioners to be Men of ill Design yet neither have the Quorum of NINE nor yet the whole Thirty together Power given Them to Change Alter or Transform any thing but only to offer what in their present Opinion is fit to be offered to the Convocation to be there debated and after such debate to be approved or rejected I confess there are some Great and Excellent Men who are not named in this Commission Neither have we such Hopes as we most earnestly wish we could have had of their appearing in Convocation But whatsoever the Cause of that may be for it becomes not me to judge Them and whatsoever the Suggestions of the Quaerist are the Commissioners design nothing so unreasonable as to fear it would not pass in a Free Convocation if Those Reverend and Iudicious Prelates were present For those Reverend Fathers of the Church have declared Their Opinions in Conversation That Great Improvements might be made both in our Offices and our Discipline and ought in due time to be so and particularly towards Dissenters They solemnly told King James That they wanted no due Tenderness towards Them but were willing to come to such a Temper as should be thought fit when that Matter should be Considered and Settled in Parliament and Convocation And I am confident They All sincerely meant the same thing they so publickly declared In the Commission it self III there is no unreasonable Thing design'd neither is it at all probable that the Commissioners should pervert the good Ends of It. But by both the Support and Improvement and Well-being of the Church is directly aim'd at The Design of the Commission is set forth in these Words in the Body of It. Whereas the particular Forms of Divine Worship and the Rites and Ceremonies appointed to be us'd therein being Things in their own Nature Indifferent and Alterable and so acknowledg'd It is but reasonable that upon weighty and important Considerations according to the various Exigences of Times and Occasions such Changes and Alterations should be made therein as to those that are in Place and Authority should from time to time seem either necessary or expedient And Whereas the Book of Canons is fit to be review'd and made more sutable to the State of the Church and Whereas there are Defects and Abuses in the Ecclesiastical Courts and Jurisdictions and particularly there is not sufficient Provision made for the Removing of Scandalous Ministers and for the Reforming of Manners either in Ministers or People and Whereas it is most fit that there should be a strict Method prescribed for the Examination of such Persons as desire to be admitted into Holy Orders both as to their Learning and Manners We therefore out of Our Pious and Princely Care for the Good Order and Edification and Unity of the Church of England committed to Our Charge and Care And for the Reconciling as much as is possible of all Differences among Our Good Subjects and to take away all Occasions of the like for the future have thought fit to authorize and empower you c. and any Nine of you whereof Three to be Bishops to meet from time to time as often as shall be needful and to prepare such Alterations of the Liturgie and Canons and such Proposals for the Reformation of Ecclesiastical Courts and to consider of such other Matters as in your Judgments may most conduce to the Ends above-mentioned In pursuance of the Sense of these Expressions it may be shewn That All Churches in process of time though as well constituted at first as the Case would bear may admit of Alterations and Improvements That our Constitution was Review'd in Lxi. and yet notwithstanding that Review is capable of this which is now intended That what is now design'd is for its Support and Advantage with respect both to Conformists and Dissenters 1. All Churches in Process of Time though at first as well constituted as the Age and