Scriptures and permitting them to bee read in the English Tongue THE second step towards the worke of Reformation and indeed one of the most especiall parts thereof was the Translation of the Bible into the English Tongue and the permitting all sorts of people to peruse the same as that which visibly did tend to the discovery of the errors and corruptions in the Church of Rome and the intolerable Pride and Tyranny of the Romane Prelates upon which grounds it had beene formerly translated into English by the hand of Wickliff and after on the spreading of Luther's Doctrine by the paines of Tyndall a stout and active man in king Henries daies but not so well befreinded as the worke deserved especially considering that it happened in such a time when many printed Pamphlets did disturbe the State and some of them of Tindals making which seemed to tend unto Sedition and the change of Government Which being remonstrated to the King he caused divers of his Bishops together with sundry of the learnedest and most eminent Divines of all the Kingdome to come before him whom he required freely and plainly to declare aswell what their opinion was of the foresaid Pamphlets as what they did thinke fit to be done concerning the Translation of the Bible into the English Tongue And they upon mature advise and deliberation unanimously condemned the aforesaid bookes of Heresie and Blasphemie no smaller crime Then for translating of the Scriptures into the English tongue they agreed all with one assent that it depended wholly on the Will and Pleasure of the Soveraign Prince who might doe therein as he conceived to be most agreeable to his occasions but that with reference to the present estate of things it was more expedient to explaine the Scripture to the people by the way of Sermons then to permit it to be read promiscuously by all sorts of men yet so that hopes were to be given unto the Laity that if they did renounce their errours and presently deliver to the hands of his Majesties Officers all such bookes and Bibles which they conceived to bee translated with great fraud and falshood as any of them had in keeping his Majesty would cause a true and catholick Translation of it to be published in convenient time for the use of his Subjects This was the summe and substance of the present Conference which you shall finde laid downe at large in the Registers of Archbishop Warham And according to this advice the King sets out a Proclamation not only prohibiting the buying reading or translating of any the aforesaid bookes but straitly charging all his Subjects which had any of the bookes of Scripture eyther of the old Testament or of the new in the English tongue to bring them in without delay But for the other part of giving hopes unto the people of a true Translation if they delivered in the false or that at least which was pretended to be false I finde no word at all in the Proclamation That was a worke reserved unto better times or left to be sollicited by the Bishops themselves and other learned men who had given the counsell by whom indeede the people were kept up in hope that all should bee accomplished unto their desires And so indeed it proved at last For in the Convocation of the yeare 1536. the authority of the Pope being abrogated and Cranmer fully setled in the See of Canterbury the Clergy did agree upon a forme of Petition to be presented to the King that he would graciously indulge unto his Subjects of the Laity the reading of the Bible in the English tongue and that a new Translation of it might be forth with made for that end and purpose According to which godly motion his Majesty did not only give order for a new Translation which afterwards he authorized to be read both in publique and private but in the interim he permitted Cromwell his Vicar-Generall to set out an Injunction for providing the whole Bible both in Latine and English after the translation then in use which was call'd commonly by the name of Matthew's Bible but was indeede no other than that of Tyndall somewhat altered to be kept in every parish Church throughout the kingdome for every one that would to repaire unto and caused this marke or character of authority to be set upon them in red Letters Set forth with the Kings most Gracious Licence which you may see in Fox his Acts Monum. p. 1248. 1363 Afterwards when the new Translation so often promised and so long expected was complete and finished printed at London by the Kings authority and countenanced by a grave and pious Preface of Archbishop Cranmer the King sets out a Proclamation dated May 6. An. 1541. Commanding all the Curates and Parishioners throughout the kingdome who were not already furnished with Bibles so authorized and translated as before is said to provide themselves before Alhallowtide next following and to cause the Bibles so provided to be placed conveniently in their severall and respective Churches straitly requiring all his Bishops and other Ordinaries to take speciall care to see his said Commands put in execution And therewithall came out Instructions from the King to be published by the Clergy in their severall parishes the better to possesse the people with the Kings good affection towards them in suffering them to have the benefit of such heavenly Treasure and to direct them in a course by which they might enjoy the same to their greater comfort the reformation of their lives and the peace and quiet of the Church Which Proclamation and Instructions are still preserved in that most admirable Treasury of Sir Robert Cotton And unto these Commands of so great a Prince both Bishops Priests and People did apply themselves with such cheerefull reverence that Bonner even that bloody butcher as he after proved caused sixe of them to be chayned in severall places of Saint Paul's Church in London for all that were so well inclined to resort unto for their edification and instruction the booke being very chargeable because very large and therefore called commonly for distinctions sake The Bible of the greater Volume Thus have we seene the Scriptures faithfully Translated into the English Tongue the Bible publickly set up in all parish-churches that ev'ry one wch would might peruse the same and leave permitted to all people to buy them for their private uses and reade them to themselves or before their families and all this brought about by no other meanes than by the Kings authority only grounded on the advice and judgement of the Convocation But long it was not I confesse before the Parliament put in for a share and claimed some interest in the worke but whether for the better or the worse I leave you to judge For in the yeare 1542 the King being then in agitation of a league with Charles the Emperour he caused a complaint to be made unto him in his Court of Parliament That
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 Worship THIS rub removed we now proceed unto a view of such formes of Worship as have beene setled in this Church since the first dawning of the day of Reformation in which our Parliaments have indeed done somewhat though it be not much The first point which was altered in the publique Liturgies was that the Creed the Pater-noster and the ten Commandements were ordered to be said in the English tongue to the intent the people might be perfect in them and learn them without book as our phrase is The next the setting forth and using of the English Letanie on such daies and times in which it was accustomably to be read as a part of the Service But neither of these two was done by Parliament nay to say truth the Parliament did nothing in them All which was done in eyther of them was only by the Kings authority by virtue of the Head ship or Supremacy which was vested in him eyther cooperating and concurring with his Convocation or else directed and assisted by such learned Prelates with whom he did advise in matters which concern'd the Church and did relate to Reformation By virtue of which Head-ship or Supremacy he ordained the first and to that end caused certain Articles or Injunctions to be published by the Lord Cromwell then his Vicar-Generall An. 1536. And by the same did he give order for the second I meane for the saying of the Letany in the English tongue by his own royall Proclamation An. 1545. for which consult the Acts Mon. fol. 1248. 1312. But these were only preparations to a greater worke which was reserved unto the times of King Ed. 6. In the beginning of whose Reigne there passed a Statute for the administring the Sacrament in both kindes to any person that should devoutly and humbly desire the same 1 Ed. 6. cap. 1. In which it is to be observed that though the Statute doe declare that the ministring of the same in both kinds to the people was more agreeable to the first Institution of the said Sacrament and to the common usage of the primitive times Yet Mr. Fox assures us and we may take his word that they did build that Declaration and consequently the Act which was raised upon it upon the Iudgement and opinion of the best learned men whose resolution and advise they followed in it fol. 1489. And for the Forme by which the said most Blessed Sacrament was to be so delivered to the Common people it was commended to the care of the most grave and learned Bishops and others assembled by the King at his Castle of Windsor who upon long wise learned and deliberate advice did finally agree saith Fox upon one Godly and uniform Order for receiving the same according to the right rule of Scriptures and the first use of the primitive Church fol. 1491. which Order as it was set forth in print An. 1548. with a Proclamation in the name of the King to give authority thereunto amongst the people so was it recommended by especiall Letters writ unto every Bishop severally from the Lords of the Counsell to see the same put in execution A copy of which Letters you may find in Fox fol. 1491. as afore is said Hitherto nothing done by Parliament in the Formes of Worship but in the following yeare there was For the Protector and the rest of the Kings Counsell being fully bent for a Reformation thought it expedient that one uniform quiet and godly Order should be had throughout the Realm for Officiating God's Divine Service And to that end I use the very words of the Act it selfe appointed the Archbishop of Canterbury and certain of the most learned and discreet Bishops and other learned men of the Realm to meet together requiring them that having as well eye and respect to the most pure and sincere christian Religion taught in Scriptures as to the usages in the primitive Church they should draw and make one convenient and meet Order Rite and Fashion of Common Prayer and Administration of Sacraments to be had and used in this his Majesties Realm of England Well what did they being thus assembled that the Statute tells us where it is said that by the ayd of the holy Ghost I pray you marke this well and with one uniform agreement they did conclude upon and set forth an Order which they delivered to the Kings Highnesse in a book entituled The Booke of Common-Prayer and Administration of the Sacraments and other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church after the use of the Church of England All this was done before the Parliament did any thing But what was done by them at last Why first considering the most godly travaile of the Kings Highnesse and the Lord Protector and others of his Highnesse Counsell in gathering together the said Bishops and learned men Secondly the godly prayers Orders Rites and Ceremonies in the said book mentioned Thirdly the motives and inducements which inclined the aforesaid learned men to alter those things which were altered and to reteine those which were reteined and finally taking into consideration the honour of God and the great quietnesse which by the grace of God would ensue upon it they gave his Majesty most hearty and lowely thanks for the same and most humbly prayed him that it might be ordeined by his Majesty with the assent of the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament and by authority of the same that the said Form of Common-prayer and none other after the Feast of Pentecost next following should be used in all this Majesties Dominions with severall penalties to such as either should deprave or neglect the same 2. 3. Ed. 6. cap. 1. So far the very words of the Act it selfe By which it evidently appeareth that the two Houses of Parliament did nothing in the present businesse but impose that Form upon the people which by the learned and religious Clergie men whom the King appointed thereunto was agreed upon and made it penall unto such as eyther should deprave the same or neglect to use it And thus doth Poulton no meane Lawyer understand the Statute who therfore gives no other Title to it in his Abridgement published in the yeare 1612 than this The Penalty for not using uniformity of Service and Ministration of the Sacraments So then the making of one uniform Order of celebrating Divine Service was the worke of the Clergy the making of the Penalties was the worke of the Parliament And so much for the first Liturgy of King Edwards Reigne in which you see how little was done by the authority or power of Parliament so little that if it had beene lesse it had been just nothing But some exceptions being taken against the Liturgy by some of the preciser sort at home and by Calvin abroad the book was brought under a review and though it had been framed at first if the Parliament which said so erred not by the ayd of the holy Ghost himself yet to comply
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