I.

first moved for the increase and enlarging of poor ministers' CHARLES livings. I showed how necessary it was to be done: how shameful it was that it had been so long neglected. This was also commended to the house by his majesty. There were then (as now) many accusations on foot against scandalous ministers. I was bold to tell the house, that there were scandalous livings too, which were much the cause of the other: livings of five marks and five pounds a-year; that men of worth and of good parts would not be muzzled up to such pittances; that there were some places in England, which were scarce in Christendom, where God was little better known than among the Indians. I exampled it in the uttermost parts of the North, where the prayers of the common people are more like spells and charms than devotions. The same blindness and ignorance is in divers parts of Wales, which many of that country do both know and lament.

"I declared also, that to plant good ministers in good livings was the strongest and surest means to establish true religion; that it would prevail more against papistry than the making of new laws, or executing of old: that it would counterwork court connivance and lukewarm accommodation; that, though the calling of ministers be never so glorious within, yet outward poverty will bring contempt upon them, especially among those who measure men by the acre, and weigh them by the pound, which indeed is the greatest part of men.

“Mr. Pym, I cannot but testify how-being in Germany— I was exceedingly scandalized to see the poor stipendiary ministers of the reformed Churches there despised and neglected by reason of their poverty, being otherwise very grave and learned men. I am afraid that is a part of the burden of Germany which ought to be a warning to us. I have heard many objections and difficulties, even to impossibilities, against this bill. To him that is unwilling to go, there is ever a bear or a lion in the way. First let us make ourselves willing, then will the way be easy and safe enough. I have observed that we are always very eager and fierce against papistry, against scandalous ministers, and against things which are not within our power. I shall be glad to see that we do delight, as well in rewarding as in punishing, and in undertaking matters within our reach, as this is absolutely within our power. Our own duty is next, and other men's is farther off.

ABBOT, Abp. Cant.

"I do not speak this that I do mislike the destroying and pulling down of that which is ill; but then let us be as earnest to plant and build up that which is good in the room of it :for why should we be desolate? The best and nearest way to dispel darkness, and the deeds thereof, is to let in light. We say that day breaks; but no man ever heard the voice of it. God comes in the 'still voice: let us quickly mend our candlesticks, and we cannot want light. I am afraid this backwardness of ours will give our adversaries occasion to say, that we choose our religion because it is the cheaper of the two; that we would willingly serve God with somewhat that should cost us nought.

"Believe me, Mr. Pym, he that thinks to save anything by his religion but his soul, will be a terrible loser in the end. We sow sparingly, that is the reason we reap so sparingly, and have no more fruit. Methinks, whoever hates papistry should by the same rule hate covetousness: for that is idolatry, too. I never like hot professions, and cold actions. Such a heat is rather the heat of distemper and disease, than of life and saving health.

"For scandalous ministers, there is no man shall be more sincerely forward to have them punished than I will be. When 'salt has lost its savour,' let it be cast out upon the unsavoury place, the dung-hill. But, sir, let us deal with them as God hath dealt with us. God, before he made man, he made the world, a handsome place for him to dwell in. So let us provide them competent livings, and then punish them in God's name; but, till then, scandalous livings cannot but have scandalous ministers. It shall ever be a rule to me, that, when the Church and commonwealth are both of one religion, it is comely and decent that the outward splendour of the Church should hold a proportion, and participate with the prosperity of the temporal estate for why should we dwell in houses of cedar, and ‘suffer 2 Sam. vii. 2. God to dwell in skins?"

744.

"It was a glorious and religious work of king James,-I speak it to his unspeakable honour, and to the praise of that nation, who, though their country be not so rich as ours, yet are they richer in their affections to religion,-within the space of one year, he caused churches to be planted through all Scotland and the borders, worth thirty pounds a-year a-piece, with a house and some glebe belonging to them: which thirty

I.

pounds a-year, considering the cheapness of the country and CHARLES the modest fashion of men's living there, is worth double as much as any where within an hundred miles of London. The printed act and commission, whereby it was executed, I have here in my hand, delivered unto me by a noble gentleman of that nation, and a worthy member of this house, sir Francis Steward.

"To conclude: although Christian religion be established generally through this kingdom, yet, until it be planted more particularly, I shall scarce think this a Christian commonwealth; and, seeing it hath been moved and stirred in parliament, it will be heavy upon parliaments till it be effected. Let us do something for God here of our own; and, no doubt, God will bless our proceedings in this place for ever after. And, for my own part, I will never give over soliciting this cause as long as parliaments and I shall live together."

A. D. 1628.

To proceed the commons, by their speaker, demanded June 13, judgment of the lords against Dr. Manwaring upon which, the upper house gave the following sentence :

"First. That Roger Manwaring, doctor in divinity, shall be imprisoned during the pleasure of the house.

66

Secondly. He is fined a thousand pounds to the king. "Thirdly. He is to make such submission and acknowledgment of his offences as shall be set down by a committee, in writing, both at the bar and in the house of Commons.

Fourthly. He shall be suspended for the term of three years from the exercise of the ministry; and, in the mean time, a sufficient preaching-minister shall be provided, out of his livings, to serve the cure. This suspension and provision to be done by the ecclesiastical jurisdiction.

66

Fifthly. He shall be hereafter disabled to have any ecclesiastical dignity or secular office.

66

66

Sixthly. He shall be for ever disabled to preach at the court. Seventhly. His said book is worthy to be burnt; and that, for the better effecting of this, his majesty may be moved to grant a proclamation to call in the said books, that they may all be burnt accordingly, in London and both the universities, and for the inhibiting the printing thereof upon a great Id. p. 605. penalty."

ABBOT, Abp. Cant.

Dr. Manwaring's submission

the house of

As for Dr. Manwaring's submission, it was prescribed by a committee of the commons, and made by him in these words:

May it please this honourable house, I do here, in all sorrow of heart and true repentance, acknowledge the many errors at the bar of and indiscretions which I have committed, in preaching and Commons. publishing those two sermons of mine, which I called 'Religion and Allegiance,' and my great fault in falling upon this theme again, and handling the same rashly and unadvisedly in my own parish-church of St. Giles's-in-the-Fields, the 4th of May last past. I do humbly acknowledge those three sermons to have been full of many dangerous passages, inferences, and scandalous aspersions, in most part of the same; and I do humbly acknowledge the justice of this honourable house in the judgment and sentence passed upon me for my great offence; and I do, from the bottom of my heart, crave pardon of God, the king, and this honourable house, and the Church, and this commonwealth in general, and those worthy persons adjudged to be reflected upon by me in particular, for these great errors and offences.

The Commons' remonstrance with reference to religion.

"ROGER MANWARING."

About this time the commons addressed the king with a remonstrance. They begin with thanks to his majesty for his satisfactory answer to their "Petition of Right." After this they suggest "a general apprehension of a secret design concerted for introducing a change in religion; that these jealousies were grounded upon matter of fact; it was the visible increase of popery, and the particular countenance those of that persuasion received at court, which occasioned this jealousy; that the minds of his subjects were further alarmed by his majesty's letters for stopping legal proceedings against Papists, and by commissions under the great seal granted and executed for composition to be made with these recusants, with inhibitions both to the ecclesiastical and temporal courts in their favour all which, in their opinion, amounts to little less than a toleration." They proceed to complain, "that the hearts of his good subjects are no less perplexed by the daily growth and spreading of the Arminian faction; that this, as his majesty well knows, is but a more covert practice for the

I.

bringing in popery; that those who profess these opinions are CHARLES no better than incendiaries and common nuisances, both in Church and State, being Protestants without-side, but Jesuits within; that, notwithstanding his majesty's public dislike of those persons and their opinions in his proclamation, they are remarkably cherished and advanced to posts of honour and trust; and, to give some instances, Neile, bishop of Winchester, and Laud, bishop of Bath and Wells, are justly suspected of unsound opinions this way; that Arminianism being now looked on as the most thriving persuasion, and the road to preferment, many scholars are tempted to declare themselves of that party; that the books which maintain such singularities are suffered to be printed, and those written against them suppressed.

"That the fears of the commons are further increased by some endeavours which have been used for removing the most powerful means to strengthen the Protestant religion,—that is, the instruction of the people has been discouraged by misrepresenting and laying uncreditable imputations upon pious, painful, and orthodox preachers.

"From hence they proceed to report the miserable condition of Ireland, where, as they say, the popish religion is openly professed; where monasteries and other superstitious houses are newly erected, furnished with religious of both sexes, and plentifully maintained at Dublin, and many other great towns in that kingdom."

The rest of the remonstrance relating to the State shall be omitted.

745.

Rushworth's

Collect.

vol. 1.

p. 620.

This address, being presented with the subsidy-bill, was not well received by his majesty, who thought it an unsuitable return for his granting their "Petition of Right." However, June 26. the commons went on to draw another remonstrance against tonnage and poundage. Upon which his majesty prorogued them to the 20th of October, and from thence to the 20th of January. And thus the presenting the second remonstrance was prevented.

As to the first, the king published an answer to it. It was drawn up by Laud, and so much of it as relates to religion is to this purpose :—

The king's

“First. The king takes notice the remonstrance begins with answer.