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A04434 The svmme and svbstance of the conference which, it pleased his excellent Maiestie to haue with the lords, bishops, and other of his clergie, (at vvhich the most of the lordes of the councell were present) in his Maiesties priuy-chamber, at Hampton Court. Ianuary 14. 1603. / Contracted by VVilliam Barlovv, Doctor of Diuinity, and Deane of Chester. Whereunto are added, some copies, (scattered abroad,) vnsauory, and vntrue. Barlow, William, d. 1613. 1604 (1604) STC 1456.5; ESTC S100949 36,617 118

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sayeth his Maiestie was best but where it might not bee had godly prayers and exhortations did much good That that may be done let it and let the rest that cannot bee tollerated Somewhat was here spoken by the Lord Chancelor of liuinges rather wanting learned men then learned men liuinges Many in the Vniuersities pining Maisters Batchelors and vpwardes wishing therefore that some might haue single coates before other had dublets here his L. shewed the course that hee had euer taken in bestowing the Kinges Benefices My Lord of London commending his Honourable care that way withall excepted that a dublet was necessary in cold weather the L. Chancelor replied that he did it not for dislike of the libertie of our Church in granting one man 2. benefices but out of his owne priuate purpose and practise groūded vpō the foresaid reason The last motion by my L. of London was that Pulpits might not be made Pasquilles wherein euery humorous or discontented fellow might traduce his superiours Which the King very gratiously accepted exceedingly reprouing that as a lewde custome threatning that if hee should but heare of such a one in a Pulpit hee would make him an example concluding with a sage admonition to the Opponents that euery man shoulde solicite and drawe his friendes to make peace and if anything were amisse in the Church officers not to make the Pulpit the place of personall reproofe but to let his Maiestie heare of it yet by degrees First let Complaint be to the Ordinarie of the place from him to goe to the Archbishoppe from him to the Lordes of his Maiesties Councell and from them if in all these places no remedie is founde to his owne selfe Which Caueat his Maiestie put in for that the Bishop of London had tolde him that if hee left himselfe open to admit of all complaints neither his Maiestie should euer bee quiet nor his vnder Officers regarded seeing that now alreadie no fault can bee censured but presently the Delinquent threatneth a complaint to the King and for an instance he added how a Printer whome hee had taken faulty very lately answered him in that very kinde D. Reyn. commeth now to Subscription which concerneth the fourth generall heade as hee first propounded it namely The Communion booke taking occasion to leape into it here as making the vrging of it to be a great impeachment to a learned Ministery therefore intreated it might not be exacted as heretofore for which many good men were kept out other remoued many disquieted To subscribe according to the statutes of the Realme namely to the Articles of Religion and the Kinges Supremacy they were not vnwilling The reason of their backwardnesse to subscribe otherwise was first the bookes Apocryphall which the Common Praier booke enioyned to bee reade in the Church albeit there are in some of those Chapters appointed manifest errors directly repugnāt to the scriptures the particular instance which hee then inferred was Eccles. 48. 10. where hee charged the author of that booke to haue held the same opinion with the Iewes at this day namely that Elias in person was to come before Christ and therefore as yet Christ by that reason not come in the flesh and so consequently it implyed a denial of the chief Article of our redemption his reason of thus charging the Authour was because that Ecclus. vsed the very wordes of Elias in person which the Prophet Malachy Chap. 4. doth apply to an Elias in resemblance which both an angell Luke 1. 17. and our Sauiour Christ Math. 11. did interprete to be Iohn Baptist. The answere was as the obiection twofold First generall for Apocrypha bookes The Bishop of London shewing first for the antiquitie of them that the most of the obiections made against those bookes were the old Cauils of the Iewes renewed by S. Hierome in his time who was the first that gaue them the name of Apocrypha which opinion vpon Ruffinus his chalenge hee after a sort disclaimed the rather because a generall offence was taken at his speeches in that kinde First for the continuāce of them in the Church out of Kimidoncius and Chemnitius two moderne writers The Bishoppe of Winton remembred the distinction of Saint Ierome Canonici sunt ad informandos mores non ad confirmandam fidem which distinction hee saide must be held for the iustifying of sundry Councels His Maiestie in the ende saide hee would take an euen order betweene both affirming that hee woulde not wish all Canonicall bookes to be read in the Church vnlesse there were one to interprete nor any Apocrypha at all wherein there was any error but for the other which were cleare correspondent to the scriptures he would haue them read for else sayeth his Maiestie why were they printed and therein shewed the vse of the Bookes of Machabees very good to make vp the story of the persecution of the Iewes but not to teach a man either to sacrifice for the dead or to kill himselfe And here his Highnesse arose from his chaire withdrew himself into his inner chamber a little space in the meane time a great questioning was amōgst the Lords about that place of Eccles. with which as if it had beene their rest and vpshot they beganne afresh at his Maiesties returne Who seeing them so to vrge it and stand vpon it calling for a Bible first shewed the author of that booke who hee was then the cause why hee wrote that booke next analyzed the Chapter it selfe shewing the precedentes and consequentes thereof lastly so exactly and diuinelike vnfolded the summe of that place arguing and demonstrating that whatsoeuer Ben Sirach had saide there of Elias Elias had in his owne person while hee liued performed and accomplished so that the Susurrus at the first mention was not so great as the astonishment was now at the King his so sodaine and sound and indeede so admirable an interpretation concluding first with a serious checke to Doctor Reynaldes that it was not good to impose vpon a man that was dead a sense neuer meant by him secondly with a pleasant Apostrophe to the Lordes What trowe yee makes these men so angry with Ecclesiasticus by my soule I thinke hee was a Bishoppe or else they would neuer vse him so But for the generall it was appointed by his Maiestie that Doctor Reyn. should note those chapters in the Apocrypha bookes where those offensiue places were and should bring them vnto the Lord Archshop of Canterburie against VVednesday next and so he was willed to goe on The next scruple against Subscription was that olde Crambe bis posita that in the Common Prayer booke it is twise set downe Iesus saide to his Disciples when as by the text originall it is plaine that he spake to the Pharisies To which it was aunswered that for ought that coulde appeare by the places hee might speake aswell to his Disciples they beeing present as to the Pharisees But his
shewed but that it was an Institution Apostolicall and one of the particular pointes of the Apostles Catechisme set downe and named in expresse wordes Hebr. 6. 2. and so did M. Caluin expound that very place who wished earnestly the restitution thereof in those reformed Churches where it had beene abolished Vpon which place the Bishop of Carlell also insisted and vrged it both grauely and learnedly His Maiestie called for the Bible read the place of the Hebrewes and approued the exposition Something also the Bishop of Durham noted out of the Gospell of S. Mathew for the imposition of handes vppon children The conclusion was for the fuller explanation that wee make it not a Sacrament or a corroboration to a former Sacrament that it should bee considered of by their Lordshippes whether it might not without alteration whereof his Maiestie was still very wary bee intituled an Examination with a Confirmation Next in order was the point of Absolution which the Lord Archbishop cleared from all abuse or superstition as it is vsed in our Church of England reading vnto his Maiestie both the Confession in the beginning of the Communion book and the Absolution following it wherein saith he the Minister doth nothing else but pronounce an Absolution in generall His Highnesse perused them both in the booke it selfe liking and approuing them finding it to be very true which my Lord Archbishop said but the Bishop of London stepping forward added it becōmeth vs to deale plainely with your Maiestie there is also in the Communion booke another more particular and personall forme of Absolution prescribed to be vsed in the order for the Visitation of the sicke this the King required to see and whilest Maister Deane of the Chappell was turning to it the sayd Bishop aledged that not onely the confessions of Augustia Boheme Saxon which he there cited doe retaine and allow it but that Maister Caluin did also approue such a generall kinde of Confession and Absolution as the Church of England vseth and withall did very well like of those which are priuate for so hee termes them The sayd particular Absolution in the Common prayer booke beeing read his Maiestie exceedingly well approued it adding that it was Apostolicall and a very godly ordinance in that it was giuen in the name of Christ to one that desired it and vpon the clearing of his conscience The conclusion was that it should be consulted of by the Bishops whether vnto the Rubrike of the generall Absolution these wordes Remission of sinnes might not be added for explanation sake In the third place the Lord Archbishop proceeded to speake of Priuate Baptisme shewing his Maiestie that the administration of Baptisme by women and Lay-persons was not allowed in the practise of the Church but enquired of by Bishoppes in their Visitations and censured neither doe the wordes in the booke inferre any such meaning whereunto the King excepted vrging and pressing the wordes of the Booke that they could not but intend a permission and suffering of women and priuate persons to baptize Here the Bishoppe of Worcester said that indeed the wordes were doubtfull and might bee pressed to that meaning but yet it seemed by the contrarie practise of our Church censuring women in this case that the compilers of the Booke did not so intend them and yet propounded them ambiguously because otherwise perhaps the Booke would not haue then passed in the Parliament and for this coniecture as I remember he cited the testimony of my Lord Archbishoppe of Yorke whereunto the Bishop of London replyed that those learned and reuerend men who framed the Booke of Common Prayer entended not by ambiguous termes to deceiue any but did indeede by those wordes entend a permission of priuate persons to baptize in case of necessitie whereof their letters were witnesses some partes whereof hee then read and withall declared that the same was agreeable to the practise of the auncient Church vrging to that purpose both Actes 2. where 3000. were baptized in one day which for the Apostles alone to doe was impossible at least improbable and besides the Apostles there were then no Bishoppes or Priestes And also thee authoritie of Tertullian and Saint Ambrose in the fourth to the Ephesians plaine in that point laying also open the absurdities and impieties of their opinion who thinke there is no necessitie of Baptisme which word Necessitie he so pressed not as if God without Baptisme could not saue the child but the case put that the state of the Infant dying vnbaptized being vncertaine and to God only known but if it dye baptized there is an euident assurance that it is saued who is hee that hauing any Religion in him would not speedily by any meanes procure his Child to be baptized and rather ground his action vpon Christs promise then his omission thereof vppon Gods secret iudgement His Maiestie replied first to that place of the Actes that it was an Acte extraordinary neither is it sound reasoning from thinges done before a Church bee setled and grounded vnto those which are to be performed in a Church stablished and flourishing That hee also maintained the necessitie of Baptisme and alwayes thought that the place of Saint Iohn Nisi quis renatus fuerit ex aqua c. was ment of the Sacrament of Baptisme and that hee had so defenced it against some Ministers in Scotland and it may seeme strange to you my Lords saith his Maiestie that I who now think you in England giue too much to Baptism did 14. moneths ago in Scotland argue with my Diuines there for ascribing too litle to that holy Sacrament In somuch that a pert Minister asked me if I thought Baptism so necessary that if it were omitted the child should be damned I answered him no but if you being called to baptize the child though priuately should refuse to come I think you shall be damned But this necessitie of Baptisme his Maiestie so expounded that it was necessarie to be had where it might be lawfully had id est ministred by lawfull Ministers by whom alone by no priuate person hee thought it might not in any case be administred and yet vtterly disliked all rebaptization although either women or Laikes had baptized Heere the Bishop of VVinchester spake very learnedly and earnestly in that point affirming that the denying of priuate persons in cases of necessitie to baptize were to crosse all antiquitie seeing that it had bene the ancient and common practize of the Church When Ministers at such times could not be got and that it was also a rule agreed vpon among Diuines that the Minister is not of the Essence of the Sacrament His Maiestie answered though hee be not of the Essence of the Sacrament yet is he of the Essence of the right and lawfull ministrie of the Sacrament taking for his ground the commission of Christ to his Disciples Mat. 28. 20. Go preach and baptize The issue was a consultation whether into the
whosoeuer though before iustified did commit any grieuous sin as adultery murther treason or the like did become ipso facto subiect to Gods wrath and guilty of damnation or were in state of damnation quoad praesentem statum vntill they did repent adding hereunto that those which were called and iustified according to the purpose of Gods election hovvsoeuer they might and did sometime fall into grieuous sins and thereby into the present state of wrath and damnation yet did neuer fall either totally from all the graces of God to be vtterly destitute of all the partes and seede thereof nor finally from iustification but were in time renued by Gods spirit vnto a liuely faith and repentance and so iustified from those sinnes and the wrath curse and guilt annexed thereunto whereinto they were fallen and wherein they lay so long as they were without true repentance for the same Against which doctrine hee saide that some had opposed teaching that all such persons as were once truely instified though after they fel into neuer so grieuous sinnes yet remained still iust or in the state of iustification before they actually repented of those sinnes yea and though they neuer repented of them through forgetfulnesse or sudden death yet they should bee iustified and saued without repentance In vtter dislike of this Doctrine his Maiestie entred into a longer speech of predestination and reprobation then before and of the necessary conioyning repentance and holinesse of life with true faith concluding that it was hypocrisie and not true iustifying fayth which was seuered from them for although predestination and election dependeth not vpon any qualities actiōs or works of man which be mutable but vpon God his eternall and immutable decree and purpose yet such is the necessitie of repentance after knowne sinnes committed as that without it there could not be either reconciliation with God or remission of those sinnes Next to this Doctor Reynalds complained that the Catechisme in the Common prayer booke was too briefe for which one by Maister Nowell late Deane of Paules was added and that too long for young nouices to learne by heart requested therefore that one vniforme Catechisme might bee made which and none other might be generally receiued it was asked of him whether if to the short Catechisme in the Communion Booke something were added for the doctrine of the Sacraments it would not serue His Maiestie thought the Doctors request very reasonable but yet so that hee would haue a Catechisme in the fewest and plainest affirmatiue termes that may bee taxing withall the number of ignorant Catechismes set out in Scotland by euerie one that was the Sonne of a Good man insomuch as that which was Catechisme doctrine in one congregation was in another scarsely accepted as sound and Orthodox wished therefore one to bee made and agreed vppon adding this excellent gnomicall and Canon-like Conclusion that in the reforming of a Church he wold haue two rules obserued first that old curious deepe and intricate questions might be auoided in the fundamentall instruction of a people Secondly that there should not be any such departure from the Papistes in all thinges as that because we in some pointes agree with them therefore wee should bee accounted to bee in errour To the former D. Reynoldes added the prophanation of the Sabboth day and contempt of his Maiesties Proclamation made for the reforming of that abuse of which hee earnestly desired a straighter course for reformation thereof and to this he found a general and vnanimous assent After that he moued his Maiestie that there might bee a newe translation of the Bible because those which were allowed in the raignes of Henrie the eight and Edward the sixt were corrupt and not aunswerable to the truth of the Originall For example first Galathians 4. 25. the Greeke worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not well translated as nowe it is Bordreth neither expressing the force of the worde nor the Apostles sense nor the situation of the place Secondly Psalme 105. 28. they were not obedient The Originall beeing They were not disobedient Thirdly Psalme 106. verse 30. Then stood vp Phinees and prayed the Hebrew hath Executed iudgement To which motion there was at the present no gainsaying the obiections beeing triuiall and old and alreadie in print often aunswered onely my Lord of London well added that if euery mans humour should be followed there would be no ende of translating VVhereupon his Highnesse wished that some especiall paines should be taken in that behalfe for one vniforme translation professing that hee could neuer yet see a Bible well translated in English but the worst of all his Maiestie thought the Geneua to bee and this to bee done by the best learned in both the Vniuersities after them to bee reuiewed by the Bishops and the chiefe learned of the Church from them to bee presented to the Priuie-Councell and lastly to bee ratified by his Royall authoritie and so this whole Church to be bound vnto it and none other Marry withall hee gaue this caueat vpon a word cast out by my Lord of London that no marginall notes should be added hauing found in them which are annexed to the Geneua translation which he sawe in a Bible giuen him by an English Lady some notes very partiall vntrue seditious and sauouring too much of daungerous and trayterous conceites As for example Exod. 1. 19. where the marginall note alloweth disobedience to Kings And 2. Chron. 15. 16. the note taxeth Asa for deposing his mother onely and not killing her And so concludeth this point as all the rest with a graue and iudicious aduise First that errours in matters of faith might bee rectified and amended Secondly that matters indifferent might rather be interrupted and a glosse added alleaging from Burtolus de regno that as better a King with some weakenesse then still a chaunge so rather a Church with some faultes then an Innouation And sure ly sayth his Maiestie if these bee the greatest matters you be grieued with I neede not haue beene troubled with such importunities and complaintes as haue beene made vnto me some other more priuate course might haue bene taken for your satisfaction and withall looking vppon the Lords he shooke his head smiling The last point noted by D. Reyn. in this first head for doctrine was that vnlawfull and seditious bookes might bee suppressed at least restrained and imparted to a few for by the libertie of publishing such bookes so commonly many young Schollers and vnsetled mindes in both Vniuersities and through the whole Realme were corrupted and peruerted naming for one instance that Booke intituled De iure Magistratus in Subditos published of late by Ficlerus a Papist and applied against the Queenes Maiestie that last was for the Pope The Bishop of London supposing as it seemed himselfe to bee principally aymed at aunswered first to the generall that there vvas no such licentious divulging of those bookes as he imagined or
complained of and that none except it vvere such as D. Reyn. who were supposed would confute them had libertie by authoritie to buy them Againe such books came into the Realme by many secret conueyances so that there could not bee a perfect notice had of their importation Secondly to the particular instaunce of Ficlerus hee saide that the author De iure c. was a great Disciplinarian whereby it did appeare what aduantage that sorte gaue vnto the Papistes who mutatis personis could apply their owne argumentes against Princes of the Religion but for his owne parte hee saide hee detested both the Author and the Applyer alike My Lord Cecill here taxing also the vnlimited libertie of the dispersing and diuulging these Popish and seditious Pamphletes both in Powles Churchyeard the Vniuersities instanced one lately set forth published namely Speculū Tragicum which both his M tie the L. Henry Howard now Earle of Northampton termed a daungerous booke both for matter intention the Lord Chauncellor also diuiding all such bookes into Latine and English concluded that these last dispersed did most harme yet the Lord Secretarie affirmed that my Lord of London had done therein what might bee for the suppressing of them and that he knewe no man else had done any thing in that kinde but he At length it pleased his excellent Maiestie to tell D. Reyn. that hee was a better Colledge man then a Statesman for if his meaning were to taxe the Bishop of London for suffering those bookes betwixt the Secular Priestes and Iesuites lately published so freely to passe abroad His Maiestie would haue him and his Associates to know and willed them also to acquaint their adherents and friendes abroad therewith that the saide Bishoppe was much iniured and slaundered in that behalfe who did nothing therein but by warrant from the Lordes of the Councell whereby both a Schisme betwixt them was nourished also his Maiesties owne cause and Title handled the Lord Cecill affirming thereunto that therefore they were tolerated because in them was the Title of Spaine confuted The L. Treasurer added that D. Reyn. might haue obserued another vse of those Bookes viz. that now by the testimony of the Priestes themselues her late Maiestie and the State were cleared of that imputation of putting Papistes to death for their consciences onely and for their Religion seeing in those books they themselues confesse that they were executed for treason D. Reyn. excused himselfe expounding his cōplaint not meant of such bookes as had beene printed in England but such as came from beyond the Seas as Commentaries both in Philosophy and diuinitie And these were the partes of the first head concerning puritie of Doctrine Touching Pastors Resident Learned To the second generall point concerning the planting of Ministers learned in euery Parish it pleased his Maiestie to aunswere that hee had consulted with his Bishops about that whome hee found willing and readie to second him in it inueighing herein against the negligence and carelesnesse which hee heard of many in this land but as Subita euacuatio was periculosa so subita mutatio Therefore this matter was not for a present resolution because to appoint to euery Parrish a sufficient Minister were impossible the Vniuersities would not afford them Again he had fouud alreadie that hee had more learned men in this Realme then hee had sufficient maintenance for so that maintenance must first bee prouided and then the other to bee required In the meane time ignorant Ministers if young to be remoued if there were no hope of their amendment if olde their death must bee expected that the next course may bee better supplyed and so concluded this point with a most religious and zealous protestation of doing something dayly in this case because Ierusalem could not be built vp in a day The Bishoppe of Winchester made knowne to the King that this insufficiency of the Cleargie bee it as it is comes not by the Bishops defaultes but partly by Lay Patrones who present very meane men to their Cures wherof in himselfe hee shewed an Instance how that since his being Bishop of Winchester very fewe Maisters of Artes were presented to good Benefices partly by the law of the land which admitteth of very meane and tollerable sufficiēcy in any Clearks so that if the Bishop should not admit them then presently a Quare impedit is sent out against him Here my Lord of London kneeling humbly desired his Maiestie because hee saw as hee saide it was a time of mouing Petitions that hee might haue leaue to make two or three First that there might be amongst vs a Praying Ministerie another while for whereas there are in the Ministerie many excellent duties to be performed as the absoluing of the Penitent Praying for and blessing of the people administring of the Sacraments and the like it is come to that passe now that some sort of men thought it the onely dutie required of a Minister to spend the time in speaking out of a Pulpit sometimes God wot very vndiscreetly and vnlearnedly and this with so great iniury and preiudice to the celebratiō of Diuine seruice that some Ministers would be content to walk in the Churchyeard till Sermon time rather then to be present at publke Prayer He confessed that in a Church new to be planted preaching was most necessarie but among vs now long established in the faith he thought it not the onely necessary dutie to bee performed and the other to be so profanely neglected and contemned VVhich motion his Maiestie liked exceeding well very acutely taxing the hypocrisie of our times which placeth all Religion in the eare through which there is an easy passage but Prayer which expresseth the heartes affection and is the true deuotion of the mindes as a matter putting vs to ouer-much trouble wherin there concurre if prayer be as it ought an vnpartiall consideration of our owne estates a due examination to whome we pray an humble cōfession of our sinnes with an harty sorrow for them and repentance not seuered from faith is accounted and vsed as the least part of Religion The second was that till such time as learned and sufficient men might bee planted in euery Congregation that godly Homilies might be read and the number of thē encreased and that the Opponents would labour to bring them into credite againe as formerly they brought them into contempt Euery man saith hee that can pronounce well cannot indite well The Kinges Maiestie approued this motion especially where the liuing is not sufficient for maintenance of a learned Preacher as also in places where plenty of Sermons are as in the Citie and great Townes In the Countrey villages where Preachers are not neare together hee could wish preaching but where there are a multitude of Sermons there he would haue Homilies to bee read diuerse times and therein hee asked the assent of the Plaintiffes and they confesse it A preaching Ministery
one M. Iohn Black who the last Conference his Maiestie had with the Ministers in Scotland in December 1602. tolde him that hee woulde holde conformitie with his Maiesties ordinances for matters of doctrine but for matters of Ceremonie they were to bee left in Christian Libertie vnto euery man as hee receiued more and more light from the illumination of Gods spirit euen till they goe mad quoth the King with their owne light but I will none of that I will haue one Doctrine and one discipline one Religion in substance and in ceremonie and therefore I charge you neuer speake more to that point how farre you are bound to obey when the Church hath ordained it And so asked them again if they had anything else to say D. Reynaldes obiected the example of the Brasen Serpent demolished stampt to powder by Ezechias because the people abused it to Idolatry wishing that in like sort the Crosse should bee abandoned because in the time of Popery it had beene superstitiously abused Whereunto the Kings Maiesty answered diuerse waies First quoth hee though I bee sufficiently perswaded of the Crosse in Baptisme and the commendable vse thereof in the Church so long yet if there were nothing else to moue mee this verie argument were an inducement to mee for the retaining of it as it is now by order established For inasmuch as it was abused so you say to superstition in time of popery it doth plainely imply that is was well vsed before Popery I will tell you I haue liued among this sorte of men speaking to the Lords and Bishops euer since I was tenne yeares olde but I may say of my selfe as Christ did of himselfe Though I liued amongst them yet since I had abilitye to iudge I was neuer of them neither did any thing make mee more to condemne and detest their courses then that they did so peremptorily disallow of all thinges which at all had beene vsed in Popery For my part I knowe not how to answere the obiection of the Papistes when they charge vs with nouelties but truely to tel them that their abuses are newe but the thinges which they abused wee retaine in their primitiue vse and forsake onely the nouell corruption By this argument wee might renounce the Trinity and all that is holie because it was abused in Poperie and speaking to Doctor Reyn. merily they vsed to weare hose shooes in Popery therefore you shall now go barefoote Secondly quoth his Maiestie what resemblance is there betweene the Brasen Serpent a materiall visible thing and the signe of the Crosse made in the ayre Thirdly I am giuen to vnderstande by the Bishops and I finde it true that the Papistes themselues did neuer ascribe any power or spirituall grace to the Signe of the Crosse in baptisme Fourthly you see that the materiall Crosses which in time of Popery were made for men to fall downe before them as they passed by them to worship them as the Idolatrous Iewes did the Brasen Serpent are demolished as you desire The next thing which was obiected was the wearing of the Surplis a kinde of garment which the Priestes of Isis vsed to weare Surely saith his Maiestie till of late I did not thinke that it had bene borrowed from the Heathen because it is commonly termed aragge of Poperie in scorne but were it so yet neither did wee now border vpon Heathenish nations neither are any of them conuersant with vs or commorant among vs who thereby might take occasion to bee strengthened or confirmed in Paganisme for then there were iust cause to suppresse the wearing of it but seeing it appeared out of antiquitie that in the celebration of diuine seruice a different habite appertained to the ministerie and principally of white Linnen hee sawe no reason but that in this Church as it had beene for comelinesse and for order sake it might be still continued This being his constant resolute opinion that no Church ought further to separate it selfe from the Church of Rome either in Doctrine or Ceremony then shee had departed from her selfe when shee was in her florishing and best estate and from Christ her Lord head And heere againe he asked what more they had to say D. Reyn. tooke exceptions at those wordes in the Common Prayer Booke of Matrimonie VVith my bodie I thee worship His Maiestie looking vpon the place I was made beleeue saith hee that the Phrase did import no lesse then Diuine worship and adoration but by examination I finde that it is an vsuall English terme as a Gentleman of Worshippe c. and the sense agreeable to Scriptures giuing honour to the wife c. But turning to Doctor Reyn. with smiling saith his Maiestie Many a man speakes of Robin Hood who neuer shot in his bowe if you had a good wife your selfe you would thinke all the honour and Worshippe you could doe her were well bestowed The Deane of Sarum mentioned the Ring in marriage which Doctor Reyn approued and the King confessed that hee was married withall and added that hee thought they woulde proue to bee scarse well maried who are not maried with a Ring He likewise spake of the Churching of women by the name of Purification which being read out of the Booke his Maiestie very well allowed it and pleasantly saide that women were loath enough of themselues to come to Church and therefore he would haue this or any other occasion to drawe them thither And this was the substance and summe of that third generall point At which pause it growing toward night his Maiestie asked againe if they had any more to say if they had because it was late they should haue another day but Doctor Reyn. told him they had but one pointe more which was the last generall heade but it pleased his Maiestie first to aske what they could say to the Cornerd Cap they all approued it well then saith his Maiestie turning himselfe to the Bishops you may now safely weare your Caps but I shall tell you if you should walke in one streete in Scotland with such a Cap on your head if I were not with you you shoulde bee stoned to death with your Cap. In the fourth generall heade touching Discipline D. Reyn. first tooke exception to the committing of Ecclesiasticall censures vnto Lay-Chancelors his reason was that in the Statute made in King Henrie his time for their authoritie that way was abrogated in Queene Maries time and not reuiued in the late Queenes daies and abridged by Bishops themselues 1571. ordering that the said LayChācelors should not excommunicate in matters of correction and Anno 1584. and 1589 not in matters of Instance but to bee done only by them who had power of the Keyes His Maiestie answered that hee had already conferred with his Bishoppes about that point and that such order should be taken therein as was conuenient willing him in the meane time to goe to some other matter if hee had
againe in the same paragraph for those vvords Then they minister it it should be The Curate or lawfull Minister present shall doe it on this fashion Concluding very grauely that in this Conference he aimed at three thinges principally 1. The setting downe of wordes fit and conuenient 2. Contriuing howe thinges might be best done without apparance of alteration 3. Practise that each man may doe his dutie in his place After this his Maiestie fell into discourse about the High Commission wherin hee sayd that hee vnderstood howe the parties named therein were too many too meane that the matters they dealt in were base and such as Ordinaries at home in their Courts might censure that the braunches graunted out to the Bishops in their seuerall Diocesses were too frequent and large To which my Lords Grace aunswered seuerally 1. for the number it was requisite it should bee great for otherwise he must bee forced as oft times now it fell out to sit alone because that albeit all the Lordes of the Priuy Councell were in all the Bishoppes many of the Iudges at law some of the Clearkes of the Councell yet very few or none of thē sitting with him at ordinary times some of meaner place as Deanes and Doctors of Diuinity and Law must needes bee put in whose attendance his Grace might with more authoritie commaund and expect 2. For the matters handled therein he sayd that he often times had complained thereof but sawe that it could not bee remedied because that the fault may be of that nature as that the ordinary iurisdiction might censure it but eftsoones it fals out that the party delinquent is too great and so the Ordinary dare not proceed against him or so mightie in his state or so wilfull in his contumacy that hee will not obey the summons or censure and so the Ordinary is forced to craue helpe at the high Cōmission To the third his Grace saide that it concerned not him to make aunswere thereunto for such Commissions haue beene graunted against his will oftentimes and without his knowledge for the most part My Lord Chancelor therefore offered it to his Maiesties wisedome to consider if such Commissions should not be granted to any Bishop but such as haue the largest Diocesses which his Maiesty well approued added withall and those Bishops who haue in their Diocesses the most troublesome and refractary persons either Papistes or Puritanes but of this as also of the other things found fault with therein hee willed those to consult to whom should bee appointed the reuiew of the Commission And here that point had ended but that one of the Lordes I thinke verily rather vppon misinformation then set purpose pleased to say that the proceeding thereby was like vnto the Spanish Inquisition wherein mē were vrged to subscribe more then law required that by the oath ex officio they were inforced to accuse themselues that they were examined vppon 20. or 24. Articles vpon the sodaine without deliberation and for the most part against themselues for the euidence thereof a letter was shewed of an ancient Honourable Councelor written to the Lord Archbishop Anno 1584. of two ministers in Cambridgeshire then or there aboutes examined vpon many Articles and in the end depriued The Lord Archbishop aunswered 1. to the matter that in the manner of proceeding and examining his Lordship was deceiued for if any Article did touch the party any way either for life liberty or scandall he might refuse to aunswere neither was hee vrged thereunto 2. to the letter being in a cause twenty yeares since determined he could not aunswere the particulars but if his aunswere to that letter were found out he doubted not but as it did satisfie that Honourable Councelour when hee liued so it would also sufficiently cleare this complaint before his Maiestie My Lord of London for the matter of Subscription shewed his Highnes the 3. Articles which the Church-men of England are to approue by subscribing namely the Kinges Supremacy the Articles of Religion and the Booke of Common Prayer Al which it pleased his Maiestie himself to read and after a little glaunce giuen that the mention of the Oath ex officio came in before his due time he dilated 1. how necessary Subscription was in euery well gouerned Church that it was to bee vrged for the keeping of Peace for as laws to preuent killing did prouide there should bee no quareling so to preuent greater tumults in the Church Subscription was requisite 2. because the Bishop is to aunswere for euery minister whome he admitteth into his Diocesse it were fittest for him to know the affection of the party before his admittance the best way to know him and to preuēt future factions was to vrge his Subscription at his first entrance for Turpius eiicitur quā non admittitur hospes 3 as Subscription was a good meanes to discerne the affection of persons vvhether quiet or turbulent withal it was the principall way to auoid confusion concluding that if any after things were well ordered would not be quiet and shew his obedience the Church were better without him hee were worthy to be hanged Praestat vt pereat vnus quam vnitas Touching the Oath Ex officio the L. Chancelor and after him the L. Treasurer spake both for the necessity and vse therof in diuerse Courtes and cases But his excellent Maiestie preuenting that olde allegation Nemo cogitur detegere suā turpitudinem saide that the Ciuil proceedings onely punished factes but in Courts Ecclesiasticall it vvas requisite that Fame Scandales should be looked vnto That here was necessary the Oath Compurgatorie the Oath ex officio too yet great moderation should be vsed 1. in grauioribus criminibus and 2. in such whereof there is a publike fame 3. in distinguishing of publike Fame either caused by the inordinate demeanor of the offendor or raised by the vndiscreet proceeding in triall of the fact as namely in Scotland where the lying with a wench though done priuately and knowne or scarse suspected by two or three persons before was made openly knowne to the King to the Queene to the Prince to many hundreds in the Court by bringing the parties to the stoole of Repentance and yet perhaps be but a suspition onely And here his Maiestie so soundly described the Oath ex officio First for the ground thereof Secondly the Wisedome of the Lawe therein Thirdly the manner of proceeding thereby and the necessary and profitable effect thereof in such a compendious but absolute order that all the Lords and the rest of the present Auditors stood amazed at it the Archbishop of Canterbury said that vndoubtedly his Maiestie spake by the speciall assistance of Gods spirite The Bishop of London vpon his knee protested that his heart melted within him and so he doubted not did the heartes of the whole Company with ioy and made hast to acknowledge vnto almighty God the singular mercy wee haue receiued