Jane had the Majority of Voices yet great endeavours were used to prefer the Dean whose Party having argued much for it but saw themselves overcome did at last yeild to the Election of Dr. Jane the Votes for him being double to the others The first thing that was done in the Convocation after the chusing the Prolocutor was Decemb. 4th when the Commission from the King was read there being present twelve Bishops the Commission was as follows WIlliam and Mary by the Grace of GOD King and Queen of England Scotland France and Ireland Defenders of the Faith c. To all to whom these Presents shall come Greeting Whereas in and by one Act of Parliament made at Westminster in the 25th Year of the Reign of King Henry the 8th Reciting That whereas the King 's Humble and Obedient Subjects the Clergy of this Realm of England had not only acknowledged according to the Truth that the Convocation of the same Clergy were always had been and ought to be Assembled only by the King 's Writ but also submitting themselves to the King's Majesty had promised in Verbo Sacerdotis that they would never from thenceforth presume to Attempt Alledge Claim or put in Ure or Enact Promulge or Execute any new Canons Constitutions Ordinances Provincial or others or by whatsoever other Name they should be called in the Convocation unless the said King's most Royal Assent and License might to them be had to Make Promulge and Execute the same and that the said King did give his Royal Assent and Authority in that behalf It was therefore Enacted by the Authority of the said Parliament according to the said Submission and Petition of the said Clergy among other things That they nor any of them from thenceforth should Enact Promulge or Execute any such Canons Constitutions or Ordinances Provincial by whatsoever Name they might be called in their Convocations in time coming which always should be Assembled by Authority of the King 's Writ unless the same Clergy might have the King 's most Royal Assent and License to Make Promulge and Execute such Canons Constitutions and Ordinances Provincial or Synodal upon Pain of every one of the said Clergy doing contrary to the said Act and being thereof Convict to suffer Imprisonment and make Fines at the King 's Will. And further by the said Act it is Provided That no Canons Constitutions or Ordinances should be Made or put in Execution within this Realm by Authority of the Convocations of the Clergy which should be contrariant or repugnant to the King's Prerogative Royal or the Customs Laws or Statutes of this Realm any thing contained in the said Act to the contrary thereof notwithstanding And lastly It is also Provided by the said Act That such Canons Constitutions Ordinances and Synodals Provincial which then were already made and which then were not contrariant or repugnant to the Laws Statutes and Customs of this Realm nor to the Damage or Hurt of the King's Prerogative Royal should then still be Used and Executed as they were before the making of the said Act until such time as they should be Viewed Searched or otherwise Ordered and Determin'd by the Persons mentioned in the said Act or the most part of them according to the Tenor Form and Effect of the said Act as by the said Act among divers other things more fully and at large it doth and may appear And whereas the particular Forms of Divine Worship and Rites and Ceremonies appointed to be used therein being Things of their own Nature Indifferent and Alterable and so acknowledged it is but reasonable that upon weighty and important Considerations according to the various Exigency 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 Reviewed and made more suitable to the State of the Church And whereas there are divers 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 Reformation 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 Know ye That We for divers urgent and weighty Causes and Considerations Us thereunto moving of Our especial Grace certain Knowledge and meer Motion have by Vertue of Our Prerogative Royal and Supream Authority in Causes Ecclesiastical Given and Granted and by these Presents do give and grant full free and lawful Liberty License Power and Authority into the Right Reverend Father in GOD Henry Lord Bishop of London President of this Present Convocation for the Province of Canterbury upon the Suspension of the Lord Arch-bishop of Canterbury during this present Parliament now Assembled and in his Absence to such other Bishops as shall be appointed President thereof and to the rest of the Bishops of the same Province and to all Deans of Cathedral Churches Arch-Deacons Chapters and Colledges and the whole Clergy of every several Diocess within the said Province That they the said Lord Bishop of London or other President of the said Convocation and the rest of the Bishops and other the said Clergy of this present Convocation within the said Province of Canterbury or the greatest number of them whereof the President of the said Convocation to be always one shall and may from time to time during this present Parliament Confer Treat Debate Consider Consult and Agree of and upon such Points Matters Causes and Things as We from time to time shall Propose or cause to be proposed by the said Lord Bishop of London or other President of the said Convocation comercing Alterations and Amendments of the Liturgy and Canons and Orders Ordinances and Constitutions for the Reformation of Ecclesiastical Courts for the Removing of Scandalous Ministers for the Reformation of Manners either in Ministers or People and for the Examination of such Persons as desire to be admitted into Holy Orders and all such other Points Causes and Matters as We shall think Necessary and Expedient for advancing the Honour and Service of Almighty GOD the Good and Quiet of the Church and the better Government thereof And we do also by these Presents Give and Grant unto the said Lord Bishop of London or other President of the said Covocation and to the rest of the Bishops of the said Province of Canterbury and unto all Deans of Cathedral Churches Arch-Deacons Chapters and Colledges and the whole Clergy of every several Diocess within the said Province full free and lawful Liberty License Power and Authority That they the said Lord Bishop of London or other President of the said Convocation and the rest of the said Bishops and other the Clergy of the same
VOX CLERI OR THE Sense of the Clergy Concerning the Making of ALTERATIONS IN THE ESTABLISHED LITVRGY WITH REMARKS on the Discourse concerning the Ecclesiastical COMMISSION and several Letters for ALTERATIONS To which is Added An Historical ACCOUNT OF THE Whole PROCEEDINGS OF THE Present Convocation My Son fear thou the LORD and the King and meddle not with them that are given to Change Prov. xxiv xxi Ipsa mutatio consuetudinis etiam quae adjuvat utilitate novitate perturbat August ad Januarium Epist 118. Cap. 5. Licensed and Entred according to Order London Printed and are to be sold by R. Taylor near Stationers-hall 1690. THE AUTHOR'S PROTESTATION TO cure the Prejudices with which too many are already prepossessed and to prevent the growth and mischievous effects which they may produce I have thought it necessary for the security of my self and Brethren to declare what our Perswasions are as to the Present Government both in Church and State And first we have by our Oaths promised to bear Faith and true Allegiance to the King and Queens Majesties And the whole Clergy have renewed their Allegiance to their Majesties and their adherence to the Church as Established in their late Address of Thanks c. in these words Whereby we doubt not but the Interest of the Protestant Religion in all other Protestant Churches which is dear to us will be better secured c. So that whoever do represent them as enemies either to the Church or State or any Protestant Churches do falsly and maliciously reproach them or interpret that to be their sin which is their bounden duty and care and if these be our faults I hope there is no sort of people who joyn with us in living in obedience to the Laws of the Land and in the Communion of the Church will entertain those Prejudices and hard thoughts of us which some that are enemies to both have from the Press and from their Pulpits scandalously suggested against us to draw an Odium on the Consultations of the whole Clergy in Convocation and to incense the people against them as enemies to peace and reconciliation I only crave this kindness from those that are influenced with these reports 1. To consider what our Adversaries report of us And 2ly what may be the reason of such reports The Author of the second Letter reflected on in the following Discourse relating to the Convocation hath these expressions concerning such as are not for Alterations Pag. 6. I expect no less than that they become abhorred of the whole Nation and as the common enemies of its peace be treated accordingly in every Parish where we live among them P. 5. That we have maintained Trifles with unreasonable Rigor And P. 6. we have already lost our reputation with the people by insisting too rigorously on those things P. 9. That there is an obligation upon us of coming to a change not to be resisted without guilt P. 20. That we are a base and false sort of men that can promise in adversity and forget all when that is over P. 22. That we shall lose the people of the Land and give our Adversaries advantage over us to our utter ruin P. 15. That the People are overthrown by Excommunications for a penny or two-penny cause That we shall totally extinguish all Convocations for the future and therefore he desires them to consider whether the Church of England is now met together only to be Felo's de se and not to mention all his vile insinuations that in P. 25. contains as much spite and venom as he could hold without breaking such saith he as are most perversely bent against reason and conscience to do all the wickedness they can to gratifie a peevish humour With these things he asperseth the whole Clergy in general cloathing them as the Persecutors of old did the Christians in Bears and Lions Skins and so exposed them to be devoured by such creatures But this Author comes to Particulars And P. 25. says of the suspended Bishops whom he acknowledgeth as their greatest enemies must that they are excellent men yet says if they should not consent to Alterations The resentment of the State will be heavy on them as enemies to them and us so as they will be immediately crush'd and fall to nothing And more particularly he thus reflects on our worthy Prolocutor as a man worthy of the death of the greatest Criminal For thus he saith of him We have no reason to thank him for his Speech or his Motto the last of which I suppose pleased him best because it carried a double stab with it the one against the Church the other against his greatest Benefactor to promote him in it Tantum Religio potuit suadere malorum But 2ly What is the cause of all this bitter zeal and inveterate malice it is only because he fancieth they will not consent to such Alterations as shall be proposed to them but first it may well be supposed that neither he nor they do yet know what Alterations will be for none have been as yet proposed to them and therefore to hang and draw before any crime be alledged against them is a most barbarous practice especially for one that is of the same Communion with them and upon those whom he acknowledgeth to be such excellent men his Fathers and his Brethren But thus did his Predecessors heretofore destroy the Church by such malicious insinuations from groundless fears and jealousies as the Jews did Crucifie our Saviour Venient Romani They will bring in Popery But when the Church hath defeated that Engine and made it wholly useless by rooting up the very foundations of Popery such men must have recourse to other inventions And the noise of Persecution is raised against them that they have been and would be again if they had power as great Persecutors as the Heathen Emperors were but this clamor the present Bishop of Salisbury with some others have silenced proving undeniably that the Church of England had neither the temper nor the power to be of a Persecuting spirit And now the Cry is That she is of a peevish and obstinate humour that against Reason and Conscience hinders peace and reconciliation and in sum saith our Author That she is afraid of losing her Church power and Church-promotions though all the Nation knows with what general unanimity and Christian resolution the Clergy hazarded all their Promotions by refusing to publish the late Kings Declaration for Liberty of Conscience and suspending the Penal Laws which now their enemies plead for in compliance with the present juncture of Affairs and is as evident as any matter of fact can be and little less evident is it who they are that gape for the Preferments which other men have signally deserved and are legally possessed of if this be not enough wholly to cure the prejudices which have been insinuated into the Minds of over-credulous and inconsiderate Men yet I hope that which follows
is inferiour to many of our Country-Ministers as will evidently appear by his handling the particulars which deserves any remark He begins with what he understands will be first offered to the Convocation to wit The Reformation of the Kalender where he would have the Apocryphal Lessons exchanged for as many taken out of the Canon of Scripture as by the Bishops and other Divines Assembled to consider of that matter 1641 He doth not say was agreed for I find in an Answer to a Petition presented to the King's Majesty by above a Thousand Ministers as it was there said that there was no such concession made for pag. 14. the Answer to the Objection says That they are grosly ignorant if they know it not or wilfully malicious and turbulent if knowing it to be lawful they yet oppugne the Reading of the Apocryphal Writings in the Church Non ad confirmationem fidei sed ad reformationem morum As the Ancient Fathers speak and approve for which they quote Hier. Preface in Pro. Cyprian in Symb. in whose days it seems they were so read And they add That the Articles of Convocation and the Preface before the Apocryphal Books in the English Bibles do directly shew adding that they give light to the Divine History And in the Account given of the Proceedings of the Commissioners Printed 1661 where the same Objection was made p. 55. and the reason given for it Because the Scriptures contain all things necessary either in Doctrine to be believed or in Duty to be practised They answer That such a Reason would exclude all Sermons as well as Apocrypha And why then so many Sermons if notwithstanding the sufficiency of Scripture Sermons be necessary There is no reason why these Apocryphal Lessons should not be useful most of them containing excellent Discourses and Rules of Morality It is heartily to be wished that Sermons were as good and to leave them out were to cross the Practice of the Church in former Ages And the Reply of the Dissenters at that time is observable We asked not say they that no Apocryphal Chapter may be read in the Church but that none may be read as Lessons If you cite the Apocrypha as you do other Humane Writings or read them as Homilies we speak not against it and of this neither those Dissenters nor any ordinary Country-Minister could be ignorant the Church having declared That they are not of equal Authority with the Scriptures which is known to their own People who therefore will not have them bound with their Bibles besides no part of the Apocrypha is read on Sundays but on the Week-days when there are too few to hear them and those few better instructed than to think them Canonical But though this may satisfie all sober persons yet I do here protest That were it not that the Dissenters have given us an assurance that tho' these and many other Alterations should be made it would give them no satisfaction nor bring them into our Communion I would use all the Interest I have for such Alterations and for that end also part with many of the Ceremonies but of this there is a deep silence or rather a loud dissent The Letter adds If those Apocryphal Chapters were anciently read so were Hermes Pastor and Clemens Rom. and the Argument holds for reading these Answ The Church have anciently disused them but if they were now read or the Epistles of Ignatius and Polycarp or some select Chapters out of King Charles the Martyr's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 instead of the Sermons on the Week-days Lectures in which many greater Absurdities tending to Schism and Sedition are injected into the minds of the People I believe it would be much more for the Edification of them Object If they i. e. the Apocryphal Lectures were read then we know what Mischief ensued from it c. Answ We know too what Mischief accidentally arose from Reading the Scriptures must they therefore be laid aside But the Church of Rome hath made them Canonical Answ The People do believe that many of those false Doctrines many Falshoods and dangerous Opinions which are held forth to them in their Conventicles are as true as the Gospel and why are not they laid aside when we know what Mischiefs some Sermons Preached in 41 and 42 produced Bell and the Dragon with Tobit and his Dog could not have done such dismal feats The next thing insisted on p. 6. is The Revising of the Psalter added to the Liturgy which seems not so defensible there being a more Correct Copy in our Hands and an inconsistancy between the two Translations being observed by the Vulgar Answ Though there be Variations in the two Translations yet they do not contradict one the other but rather explain and give light to each other as the divers Commentaries of Learned Men do 2. The Translation of the Liturgy-Psalter is taken mostly from the Septuagint or Greek Copies which that Church still observes and it is observable that our Saviour and the Apostles when they quote the Scripture of the Old Testament to confirm their Doctrine do frequently make use of this Translation though the Hebrew was as well known to them as the Greek 3. There are Variae Lectiones even in the Hebrew Copies which the want of Points hath occasioned concerning which there are yet great Disputes among the Learned Criticks 4. The best Translations have many Defects and Inconsistancies occasioned by the various Significations of the Hebrew words as the word Barach signifies both to Bless and to Curse So that though the one should be granted to be more correct than the other yet because the one serves as a short Paraphrase to explain the other and the People have the Use of both this Exception is a meer Cavil And there is some weight in what the Letter observes That the People have many of them learnt the Psalms as they are daily read Memoritur which if disused they would soon forget And for this cause our Saviour made use of the Septuagint Translation because it was best known to that Generation And if the Septuagint Translation needs a Review so doth the other which is not so Correct but it may be amended in many places and so will the best to the end of the World That the Author of the Letter may let nothing pass he omits not the Use of the Ring in Marriage tho' he says It is agreed to be but a Civil Right And therefore I leave him to be civilly treated by the Women Page 8. The Letter comes to treat of our Ceremonies concerning which he says There is a difficulty to proceed in our Dissentions for without quitting or altering the Dissenting Party is not to be brought into the Church and without retaining them many of our own will hardly be kept in it And he considers That the one may occasion a Schism from the Church the other a Schism in it Now a Schism in the Church will
very shame the Convocation thought it necessary to make them But our Author finding all his arguings to be lost as in p 28. he betakes himself to a sham-plot against those that are not for Alterations as if because they said or rather he for them That they were not seasonable they had said the Parliament was illegal the Government precarious and the Laws no Laws it becomes not a Country-Minister to be a Minister of Satan in falsly accusing his Brethren who have all owned the present Authority and Laws and he that blames the want of Connexion in our Collects should have been more cautious then first to raise an Objection of his own and then infer from it such impertinent conclusions as may be mischievous to others But what think you says he if this Government sink I think our causless dissentions will be one of the greatest causes Who sunk the Government under the Royal Martyr Who had well nigh sunk it a second time under the late King to whom such multitude of Dissenters addressed Thanks for Suspending the Laws and promised to obey him without reserve we have had experience enough who they were that could after all their Pleas for Liberty part with their Consciences to save their Lives though with the loss of their Religion Laws and Liberty so as their Brethren might perish a little before them When therefore he would perswade us that we may have a new Law for the intended Establishment I think no Man will be perswaded to run such a risque for having many good Laws already for our Established Worship we may conclude that as to certainty the old are better Having thus treated the Members of the Convocation he takes his Farewel of them leaving them to their Couch and Consideration intimating that they are all become mighty Politicians or Tools for them that are so Who have been made and used as Tools by the late unhappy Politicians is as evident as any matter of fact can be and I wish I could leave this Country-Minister well in his Wits to consider whether he be not used as a Tool to destroy the Established Church by some who think themselves mighty Politicians Some REMARKS on a LETTER from a Member of the Convocation NO sooner had I finished my Remarks on the Letter of the Country Minister to a Member of the Convocation but I were encounter'd with another from a Member of the Convocation to his Friend in which I feared my Opinion would have been oppugned not only by a greater Authority but by sharper Arguments than any I had yet met with But having viewed his Weapons I found that they were flourished and glittered with a Rhetorical style yet they wanted that Logical strength that might enforce them This encouraged me to take my Pen in hand again and to enter the List against this Master of the Assembly for I considered that though his Weapons were keen yet the Arm that wielded them was but weak and it was no great danger to wrest them out of his hands and imploy them against himself His great flourish was A Necessity an absolute Necessity of yielding to many Alterations in our Established Worship This I thought might prove durum telum for Necessity hath no Law especially when it is Absolute then like the Absolute power it bears down all before it This lookt somewhat formidably for I considered that Necessity had destroyed many great and good Men. It was said of that great Hero the Earl of Strafford Illum non tulit Lex verum necessitas non habens Legem And of a greater than he we have a Law viz. of the Jews making and by that Law Oportet mori to dye and dye he did because it was expedient also for the People But that there was an Absolute necessity that Judas should betray his Master I can no more believe than that there is a Necessity That he who is a Member of the Church of Christ and hath familiarly eaten of her Bread and born the Bag too should lift up his heels and kick at her I considered therefore what kind of Necessity this might be for our Opponent grants there is no necessity in respect of the Church her self that she should make Alterations Because saith he p. 1. nothing is more dangerous to Religion than frequently to make Alterations 2. Because an unsteadiness though in Circumstantials only which are always alterable may become an Argument against the whole the Multitude not being able to judge what is Circumstantial and what is Essential in our Worship what is in the Power of the Church to alter and what is not and are apt to call every Alteration though in things indifferent and by variation of times made totally insignificant to be a change of Religion it self and so concluding that we have no firm bottom become Apostates from us to Popery or Atheism And therefore he thinks the Church of England may be justified that it hath not been forward on every demand of the Dissenters to unhinge those of her Communion but hath to the utmost resisted all Alterations hoping by other less dangerous Methods to heal the Divisions that are among us By this I perceived the Absolute necessity would not much affect the Church yet I considered farther whether there were an Absolute necessity from any Precept that did oblige the Church to make Alterations in the external Parts or Rites of Worship and I found she had a Power by Precept to see that all things be done decently and according to her Order and Appointment and another Precept That the People should Obey those that had the Rule over them And accordingly the most Primitive Church of which we read Acts 2.45 Continued daily with one accord in the Temple and in the Apostle's Doctrine and Fellowship and in breaking of Bread and in Prayer Nor would St. Paul endure any Contention about Circumstantials contrary to the Custom of the Church 1 Cor. 11.16 Nor can I see this Absolute necessity in the things that are to be altered because they are confessed to be in their own nature indifferent and when they fall under a Precept of those whose proper work it is to injoyn them we cannot without Disobedience to our lawful Governors reject them Neither can this Necessity affect the Persons for whose sake the Alterations are desired because if there be nothing sinful in our Communion it is sinful to separate from it besides the Dissenters would take it ill of any Man that should say they cannot be saved in that way of Worship which they have chosen for themselves and then there is no Absolute necessity for the Church to alter her Constitutions to gain them to her Communion In a Church where Salvation is to be had we ought to abide notwithstanding some inconvenient circumstances whose Amendment is desirable Though there were great Disputes in the Primitive Church about the Place of Worship Circumcision and Meats and Days yet was there no Separation And