author of the Confeffional obferves, "that these sentiments obtained during the reign of Queen Elizabeth, and for fome part of the reign of King James the first, (which includes the period when our Articles were fettled as they still remain) is a fact in which our historical writers of all parties agree." None of thofe we have mentioned were themfelves Calvinists, but barely relate the matter, on their credit, as critics and hiftorians.

And what credit is not due to the venerable testimony of Davenants, Carleton, Hall, Ward", Ufher, Whitaker, and the whole clafs of writers of their defcription? These worthies lived when they had the best opportunity of knowing the truth on the fubject; their high ftations in the church rendered it their first duty carefully to attend to it; their undoubted piety would not suffer them either to neglect that duty, or to be guilty of mifreprefentation: Yet, they both held these fentiments themselves, and are unanimous in declaring, that they were the common fentiments of the Founders of our Church. The last mentioned of these most unimpeachable authorities fhall speak for the whole company, while the reft ftand by to fanction what is faid. "The Church of England," faith the eminent Whitaker, fpeaking of the Calvinistic opinion, "ever fince the gofpel was reftored, hath always held this opinion: This, Bucer in our University, and Peter Martyr at Oxford, profeffed; and most abundantly watered our Church with their ftreams, in the days of King Edward: This opinion their auditors in both our Univerfities, the Bishops, Deans, and other Divines, who upon the advancement of our famous

(r) Chap. 7. p. 270.

(s) see his "Animadverfions on Hoord," p. 5, 7, 8; His Letter to Dr. Ward, in Fuller's Ch. Hift. B. 11. p. 139. (t) See his examination of Montague, paffim. (v) See his Letter to Bishop Davenant, freeing himself from the charge of Arminianism. (w) See his Letter to Archbishop Ufher in Usher's Letters, n. 127. (x) See his Sermon before the King, June 27, 1627. (y) See his Cygnea Cantio, p. 15, &c. Camb. 1593.

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Queen Elizabeth to the Crown, returned either from exile, or were released from their prifons; thofe by whom our Church was reformed, our religion established, popery thrust out, and quite destroyed; (all of which we may remember, though few of this kind be yet living) this opinion, I say, they themselves have held, and commended unto us: In this faith have they lived, in this they died, in this they always wished that we should conftantly continue."

And what, we now afk, but the irrefiftible force of truth, could induce men of fuch oppofite principles, and in such oppofite fituations, Believers and Infidels, Churchmen and Diffenters, Natives and Foreigners, Calvinifts and Arminians, thus to unite in their teftimony on the point? Muft we not cease to expect any authentic information from hiftory, if, to a confiderable extent, credit is not due to fuch evidence as this?

And is there after all no just foundation for the idea? Is it a mere whim of a few modern Enthufiafts? Or did thefe fentiments only obtain at fome after period of our church with which our Reformers had no concern, and which confequently does not concern us? So fome perfons would have it believed!

2. The fact, however, is abundantly confirmed, by the WRITINGS OF THE REFORMERS THEMSELVES. Nearly all those to which we have already referred, tend directly to its establishment. The reft are in perfect confiftency with it. Nothing need be more decifive on the subject, than the declarations and confeffions of our Protestant Bishops and Martyrs in prifon. And thefe must be confidered the genuine fentiments of the first Founders of our church.The banished Exiles could not yet have imported with their return the foreign admixture. Innumerable other productions of the reigns of Edward, Elizabeth, James, and Charles the First, equally full to the purpose, might how

(z) Ibid.

ever be fpecified; but, to avoid unneceffary prolixity, I will only dwell a little on three of these publications.

One of them fhall be NowELL'S CATECHISM, already fo largely noticed. I felect this work on account of the honour put upon it, and the ufe made of it, by the learned Bifhop Cleaver. This Prelate has favoured the church with an edition of this Catechifm. He has extolled its excellence, and recognized its importance, by relating a confiderable part of its ordinary hiftory. He has moreover acknowledged its Calvinifm, which he has written notes to palliate. Yet, hence, however, his Lordship deduces an argument that Calvinifin was not intended to be established in our Articles. Read the venerable Dignitary's own words at large. Having a long time been laudably meditating a production which might tend to the increase of facred learning,

"Quod," he says, "in votis tantum diu habui, id tandem paucis abhinc annis defcriptum videbam ab eruditiffimo Præfule in Codice juris Ecclefiaftici Anglicani:' Catechifmum nempe illum, quem Edwardus Sextus Regia authoritate in fcholis doceri juffit, et quem Convocationem illam anno 1562 recenfuiffe, et cum emendationibus atque additamentis promulgaviffe exiftimavit Præful eruditiffimus; ut tractatus ifte, qui jam fummam Religionis Reformate complectebatur, Clero Juniori norma foret et regula, qua dirigerentur ftudia illorum Theologica..

"Nec profecto aut fruftra, aut injucunde quærenti mihi ceffit res, quamvis enim catechifmum illum Edwardi Sexti alii tribuunt Johanni Poynet, primum Epifcopo Roffenfi, et poftea Wintonienfi, alii Nowello, hunc tamen, quem a Convocatione anno 1562 recenfitum effe atque cum emendationibus promulgatum exiftimavit Præful doctiffimus, plane mihi compertum eft hortatu fummi illius Viri Gulielmi Cecil, tunc temporis e Secretis Regina Elizabethæ, a Nowello fcriptum fuiffe, atque juffu aut unanimi faltem approbatione domus inferioris Convocationis, Pròlocutor cujus ipfe tum fuit anno 1562, feffione 22da ad fuperiorem domum

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ab ipfo prolatum. Conftat tamen domum fuperiorem nihil deinde in hac re feciffe: nec ante annum poft octavum Catechifmus hic publici juris factus fuit, quando, efflagitantibus Archiepifcopis, typis mandabatur patrocinio etiam omnium Epifcoporum cohoneftatus.

"Et fane eum effe hunc Catechifmum, qui univerfam Ecclefiæ laudem meruit, facile agnofcent ii omnes, quibus probe cognita fuerit Vera Catholicæ et incorruptæ fidei doctrina. De eo verba magni Præfulis Archiepifcopi Whitgift digniffima funt, quæ recitentur: Neminem profecto

adeo doctum effe fcio, quem non deceat legere et perlegere eruditum illum, et neceffarium librum.' Quibus liceat fubjungere illa Thomæ Cooper, Epifcopi tunc temporis Lincolnienfis. Qui Catechifmum quærunt, eos remitto ad illum, quem fcripfit pius ille et eruditus Vir, Magifter Nowell, ab Ecclefia Anglicana receptum ac approbatum, verbo Dei fundatum atque confirmatum; in quo videre eft omnes religionis partes ftabilitas, difficultates enucleatas, veritatem vindicatam, et corrupta Ecclefiæ Romanæ commenta abjudicata c." "

Who then would not fuppofe that the doctrines of this Catechism were confidered perfectly agreeable to the doctrines of our articies? His Lordship however immediately proceeds, "Porro non parum lucis in explicandis 39 Fidei et Religionis Articulis præbiturus eft hic Catechifmus, quum ex hoc plane conftare poffit Convocationem Anglicanam nolle Calvinianas Scripturarum interpretationes, quicquid de iis tunc temporis fenferint non pauci, iidemque magni nominis Viri, lege fancire. Quod ut lectori manifeftum fiat, velim cum hoc Catechifmo conferat Articulos prædictos, atque iftos fpeciatim, in quibus de Peccato Originis et de Pradeftinatione tractatum eft. Tunc fcilicet conftabit, quam caute agitur in iftis Articulis a Clero fubfcribendis, dum Nowellus nofter clare et libere fententiam fuam, eandemque Epifcoporum confenfu munitam eloquitur.

(c) Preface, p. 4, 5.

Qua de caufa præcipue annotationes hic illic addendas volui, ne articulorum ifti interpretationi patrocinari viderer, quam avide adeo captant hodierni quidam, quafi eam, eamque folam fubfcribendam voluerit Convocatio ifta, cui forfan debetur, quod hodie puram adeo fidem ac difciplinam præftet Ecclefia noftra, nemini temere religionis communionem denegaturad."

The moderation and wisdom of this celebrated Synod are abundantly confpicuous. But how a confeffedly Calviniftic Catechifi, circumftanced even as his Lordship represents this to have been, can afford an argument against the Calviniftic intention and interpretation of our Articles, fome perfons will not eafily be convinced: How a Catechifm, which, according to Mr. Strype, was reviewed, corrected, "approved, allowed, and paffed," by both houses of the fame Convocation which reviewed and paffed our prefent Articles, can be fuppofed to contain any other doctrine than that intended in thefe Articles, fuch perfons do not conceive.-Admitting however that this Work was underítood to be more Calvinistic than the Articles, and that this was the reason why it was not established by law for the fubfcription of the Clergy, it proves beyond all room for queftion, according to Bishop C.'s account of it, our present pofition, namely, that the prevailing private fentiments of our leading Reformers were Calviniftic.-And thus does this Catechism show, not only that we ought not to descend below the plain and full meaning of the Words of the Articles, for which we before appealed to it; but also, how generally fentiments obtained at the time of the Reformation, still further diftant from thofe of many modern Divines.

A fimilar reafon may determine our choice of the next Inftance, which fhall be, the CONFESSION OF LORD BACON. This Mr. Haggit confiders a "moft orthodox confeffion of faith," and a proof that "this great man" was not "lefs વ

(d) Ibid. p. 6.

(e) See above, p. 61.