yourselves wholly in things of this nature to us, the Bishops? To which Mr Wentworth warmly replied: No, by the faith I bear to God, we will pafs nothing before we understand what it is, for that were to make you Popes: make you Popes who lift, we will make you none. So the articles with regard to difcipline, were waved, and an act was paffed, confirming all the doctrinal articles agreed upon, in the fynod of one thousand five hundred and fixty-two.

This act is intitled, an act for the reformation of diforders in the minifters of the church; and enjoins all that have any ecclefiaftical livings, to declare their affent before the Bishop of the diocese, to all the articles of religion, which only concern the true faith, and the doctrines of the facraments, comprised in the book imprinted and intitled, Articles: whereupon it was agreed by the Archbishops and Bifhops, &c. and the whole clergy, in the convocation of one thoufand five hundred and fixty-two, for avoiding diverfity of opinions, and for the establishing confent, touching true religion, and to fubfcribe them, which were to be teftified by the Bishop of the diocefe, under his feal; which teftimonial, he was to read publickly wh the faid articles, as the confeffion of his faith, in his church on a Sunday, in the time of divine fervice, or elfe to be deprived. If any clergyman maintained any doctrine, repugnant to the faid articles, the Bishop might deprive him. None were to be admitted to any benefice with the cure, except he was a Deacon, of

the

the age of twenty-three years, and would fubfcribe and declare his unfeigned affent to the articles above-mentioned. Nor might any adminifter the facraments, under twenty-four years of age.

This law, tho' it was difagreeable to the Bifhops, was at the fame time no ways friendly to christian liberty; for no minifter could enjoy a living in the church, except he would conform to this law : and there is no great difference, whether the parliament or convocation be lords over the faith of chriftians. The principles of the chriftian religion teach us, that every chriftian has a right to enquire into the evidence of all truths offered to his affent; and that no man ought to fuffer lofs, on account of what he believes on proper conviction. It is therefore highly abfurd for any human legislature, to pretend to direct the judgments and rule the confciencies of fuch as have a right to judge for themselves,

There was a claufe in this act of parliament, which allowed ordination by presbyters without a Bishop, which was afterwards difallowed by the Bishops in this reign. The English Bishops and clergy, confidered it a neceffary part of their church policy, to reordain all thofe minifters who had not been ordained by a Bishop. Such as had been ordained in foreign churches, when they returned home, were obliged to fubmit to reordination, or be refused the privilege of preaching as a paftor in the church of England. To confirm this practife, a statute was made,

R 2

which en

acted

.

acted that every perfon under the degree of a Bishop, that doth or fhall pretend to be a priest or minister of God's word and facraments, by reafon of any other form of inftitution, confecration, or ordering, than the form fet forth in parliament, in the time of the late King Edward the fixth, or now used in the reign of our most fovereign Lady, Queen Elizabeth, fhall before Christmas next declare his affent, and fubfcribe the articles aforefaid. The meaning of which claufe, fays Mr Stripe, is undoubtedly to comprehend papifts, and likewife, fuch as receive their orders in fome of the foreign reformed churches, when they were in exile under Queen Mary.

Several hiftorians have with great warmness difputed the meaning of the claufe in this act, which refpects church government; fome affirming, that it was contained in the articles of one thoufand five hundred and fixty-two; others afferting, that it was not the one party affirming that it is not inferted in that copy, which was found amongst Archbishop Parker's papers, in Bennet College library; the other alledging that that copy was not a true one of thefe articles, and for that reafon, concludes, that it bears no weight in the argument. But whatever has been alledged on both fides, it is highly probable, that if Archbishop Parker, had had the leaft reafon to have inferted it, it would not have been wanting in his copy. It is indeed alledged, that this difputed claufe is to be found in three different editions of the articles, before one thoufand five hundred and feventy-one;

but

but as the greatest part of hiftorians never faw any of these printed copies, there is reafon to conclude that they never exifted.

The friends of fuperftition, and the lovers of rites and ceremonies in religious worship, plead refolutely for this contefted claufe; but it is of fmall moment to christianity, whether ever it had been in the articles or not. The doctrinal arti

cles of the church, have been reckoned by many wife men burdenfome enough, as it is next to an impoffibility for any number of fallible men, to frame thirty-nine articles in any human words, that the clergy of any one church can agree to: and there was no occafion for a load of rites and ceremonies to add to the burden. The chief intention of articles of religion, was to guard against diverfity of opinions; but unless they were fo calculated as to fuit the capacity of every individual, it is impoffible that ever they can answer that end they were never commanded by God under the New Teftament, nor is there any promife in revelation to fecure their influence upon the human heart. Those who have agreed in establishing human articles, have differed as much among themselves in practice, as those who have denied their utility; which is not only an argument of their infufficiency, but a reafon why they ought to be laid afide.

:

Altho' the commons were forbidden to interfere with matters concerning church discipline, they yet proceeded to addrefs the Queen concerning the want of it. In this addrefs they affirm," that

"for

"for lack of true difcipline in the church, great "numbers are admitted minifters, that are infa

"

mous in their lives and converfations; and a66 mong thofe that are of ability, their gifts in many places are useless by reason of pluralities "and non-residency, whereby infinite numbers of

your Majefty's fubjects are like to perish for "lack of knowledge. By means of this, together "with the common blafpheming of the Lord's "Name, the most wicked licentiousness of life, "the abuse of excommunication, the communica"tion of penance, the great numbers of atheists, "schifmatics, daily fpring up, and the increase of "papists, the proteftant religion is in imminent

danger; wherefore in regard firft and princi"pally to the glory of God, and next in dif"charge of our bounden duty to your Majesty; "besides being moved with pity towards fo many "thousands of your Majesty's fubjects, daily in danger of being loft for want of the food of "the word, and true difcipline, we the com"mons in this prefent parliament affembled, are "humbly bold to open the griefs, and to feek "the falving of the fores of our country, and to " befeech your Majefty, feeing the fame is of "fo great importance, if the parliament at this "time may not be fo long continued, as that by "good and godly laws, provifion may be made "for fupply and reformation of these great and "grievous wants and abuses that, yet by fuch "other means, as to your Majefty's wisdom fhall "feem meet, a perfect redrefs of the fame may

" be