I.

for Hill, he had sometime before procured his pardon upon his CHARLES submission in the convocation. The other three were, by an order of the council-board, expelled the university: the proc- Wood, Hist. tors for receiving their appeals, contra formam statuti, were Univers. et Antiquit. sentenced to resign their office in the convocation-house; and Oxon. Dr. Prideaux, rector of Exeter-college, and Dr. Wilkison, King principal of Magdalen-hall, were reprimanded for abetting Reign. those preachers. Hodges afterward recanted publicly in St. Archbishop Mary's, but Ford refused to give that satisfaction.

Annals of

Charles 1.'s

Laud's

Diary.

Ireland.

This year, Usher, lord primate of Ireland, published his And in "History of Gotteschalcus." In this tract he undertook Vossius, in some measure upon the Pelagian controversy; and here his pen ran out a little in defence of the predestinarian scheme. Not long before, Downham, bishop of Derry, published a discourse concerning perseverance: in this performance there were some passages that clashed directly with the king's declaration. Usher's book being written in Latin, did less disservice; and besides, some regard was shewn to the eminence of his station. However, to make the primate sen- August 24. sible of the king's displeasure, he was commanded to call in Downham's book, but his majesty's letters not coming to Usher's hands till the middle of October, most of the copies were dispersed and out of reach. However, for preventing these prohibited sallies, Beadle, bishop of Kilmore, was ordered to overlook the press, and keep it inoffensive.

This year Laud set forward the repairing St. Paul's: some- The repair what had been done in the two late reigns to recover it from of St. Paul's.

the lamentable condition it was reduced to by the fire which happened in the beginning of queen Elizabeth's government. Laud had no difficulty to dispose the king for encouraging so pious a work in short, a commission was issued under the broad seal, to the archbishop of Canterbury, to the lord-keeper, to the bishops of London, Winchester, and Ely, to sir Robert Ducy, lord mayor of London, and several others. The purport was, that all monies brought in for the repair of this cathedral should be paid to the chamber of London. That a register should be kept of all subscriptions for contribution. That the judges of the prerogative court, and all bishops' officials in England and Wales, should be put in mind to remember this Church, and set aside some part of the goods of intestate persons, proper for pious uses. And, lastly, commissions

VOL. VIII.

E

751.

ABBOT, of the like nature were to be issued through the whole kingAbp. Cant.

A.D. 1632.

Cyprian. Anglic. p. 232.

dom.

To break a little into the order of time, and dispatch this matter at once. Before the year 1640, the contributions brought into the chamber of London amounted to 113,000. and upwards. By these large supplies of money (of which the king sent in more than 10,0007.), the whole body of the church was finished, and the steeple scaffolded to the top. The design was to take down the tower to the arches, and rebuild it to a more magnificent height. There was likewise a stately portico built at the west end of the church. It was supported with pillars of the Corinthian order, and embellished with the statues of king James and king Charles. But the rebuilding the spire, and finishing the projected decorations, miscarried by the misfortune of bishop Laud, and the breaking out of the rebellion1.

Upon the death of archbishop Harsnet, Neile was translated from Winchester to York; Curle was translated from Bath and Wells to Winchester; Pierce from Peterborough to Bath and Wells; and Dr. Austin Lyndsell, dean of Lichfield, was made bishop of Peterborough.

Mr. Francis Windebank, now secretary of state by Laud's interest, offered two proposals to the privy-council at the instance of this prelate. The one related to the state of religion in foreign factories and regiments; the other suggested a regulation of the Dutch and French Churches in London and elsewhere in England.

With reference to the first proposal, we are to observe, the English factory at Hamburgh, though allowed the privilege of their own Church constitution, deserted to the Geneva discipline and worship. They omitted reading the Common Prayer, and managed their Church affairs upon Calvin's plan of elders and deacons.

But most of those English who traded, or settled in Holland, fell short of the liberties at Hamburgh, and were obliged to conform to the religion of the State. To set this matter in a fuller light, I shall give the reader the petition of the

Inigo Jones was appointed to superintend the restoration of the old cathedral, and the repairs were carried on for many years; but the building was so ruinated by the great fire, 1666, that sir Christopher Wren found it necessary to begin the work de novo, in 1675.

English ministers of the Low Countries. It was presented to CHARLES The address stands thus :— the late king in the year 1624.

I.

Paper-office.

of the Eng

ters in the

"MAY IT PLEASE YOUR EXCELLENT MAJESTY, "We, your highness's humble subjects, the preachers of the The petition holy Gospel residing in the United Provinces, having to our lish minisunspeakable comfort and joy tasted of your royal favour and Low Coungrace above three years since, in the princely approbation of tries. the present remedy then tendered, for redress of all enormities amongst us; as also having observed and felt the blessed and admirable fruit ensuing upon the same, to the displacing divers scandalous persons, and settling men more worthy in; and in an uniform and prosperous proceeding in all Christian consent with the Churches with whom we live; and due contentment to those higher powers under whom we here administer all that we undertake. And being now lately reassembled to the same happy ends and purposes, notice being given of your majesty's pleasure by your majesty's ambassador, either to set over us a moderator of your majesty' choosing, to be inspector in the ordering our affairs, or presently to surcease all further proceedings; we fell to deliberate how to discharge ourselves in this particular, so as we might be free from offence to God, disloyalty to your majesty, and undutifulness to our present governors. And perceiving (to our utmost apprehension) two things only, to offer themselves unto us in your majesty's order, viz., either obedience to your majesty's motion for nomination of a moderator, or else surceasing all further synodal proceedings. And withal, finding the difficulty of the first, we have done our best to satisfy your majesty's will in the second, till we may understand your majesty's further pleasure; which good pleasure of your majesty, that it may be happy to us, and our after proceedings in this respect, according to our hopes and humble desires, we have thought it our duty, by information to your majesty of the inconvenience of both these, and of the worthy benefit and advantage of our former course, both to our persons and to the cause, most humbly to entreat your majesty's favour for the continuance and approbation of the same; it being (in our judgments) the only safe way to give satisfaction both to God and your majesty, and to the state wherein we live.

"The first being such as neither admits safely to attempt, nor

ABBOT, possibility to attain the same; because our primary and fundaAbp. Cant. mental liberty of erecting this ecclesiastical form of govern

752.

ment was limited expressly unto us both in the supplication of the deputies of the synod of South Holland, who petitioned it, and in the act of the illustrious lords, who granted it only with condition of plenary and entire conformity to the Churches of these provinces, according to the example of the Walloon Churches, strangers as we are; which said liberty we having also embraced and subscribed accordingly, cannot without disloyalty, or breach of fidelity, revoke or alter during our abode and residence in these parts. As also because the ministry of the Churches, who rejoiced in our unanimity with them before, were greatly grieved at the first hearing of this command; as importing such mutation as carries with it insupportable miseries and mischief in this state; as by lamentable experience they have too lately found, that cannot yet be forgotten. So that the said ministers do judge it more expedient for the safety of their Churches, to suffer both ourselves and our Churches wholly to dissolve and annihilate, than that a course so strange to them should arise and take place amongst them. Which dissolution, how easily and quickly they may effect with the lords of the States, is evident to all who please to know that every English and Scottish Church in these parts (two only excepted) have their whole dependence, maintenance, and being in all respects upon the said lords, the States, their favour and supportation. And farther, because the suspicion and fear of some such thing as now appeareth hath withholden from us (and that by the consent, countenance, and support of some principal assemblies) some of our reverend and beloved brethren, and hath caused others to stagger, whose communion, as we much desire, so we nothing doubt of, if it may please your majesty to relieve us in this particular; for otherwise, if the fear thereof could be so forcible to work in them this disaffection towards us, what great evil may we justly fear the acceptation thereof will produce, being such as is aforesaid.

"The second, to wit, our total dissolution, is such as cannot fall either without apparent and undeniable attaint of ourselves in the point of ingratitude and disregard, both of your majesty's favour in approving, and the States in yielding us our liberties thus far enjoyed; or of an inexcusable imputation of impiety against God in the neglect of his Church under our oversight.

I.

Seeing thereupon a ruin of former order, and the confusions CHARLES (now in a good measure removed) will assuredly re-enter. And further, it cannot be without the neglect and contempt of your majesty's subjects, both ministers and people, in these provinces, whose honour and estimation began to grow great and firm by this blessed band of union unto them, and communion with them in these ecclesiastical orders (the chief, both colonels and other officers amongst your majesty's subjects in these parts concurring in our meetings by their personal presence, and by their deputies; and so receiving from and giving countenance to our course interchangeably); which must now needs fade and consume in our disunion from them. And therefore we have thought best, humbly to present to your majesty that which (in our judgments) can only subsist, being such as we take to be most free from all offence, and most fit to give content to all sides; both because it is well known to be most acceptable to this State, and most profitable for their Churches. And also because by ourselves it is the more comfortably embraced, in respect it is wholly harmless to the Churches in your majesty's dominions, because of our public declaration, and irrevocable protestation in the accepting thereof, of our integrity towards them, acknowledging in our souls and consciences that we have, and shall (by God's grace) ever esteem them as the true Churches of Christ, precious in his sight, with ourselves resolving still to hold communion with them, notwithstanding any difference of external order. This different practice being undertaken by us without any disrespect, censure, prejudice, separation, or condemnation of the said Churches: reserving to them all due reverence, and perpetually praying for and procuring (to our uttermost) their happiness and welfare with our own.

"And farther; we have found our poor essays and beginnings in this course to be seconded from heaven, with a rich and happy success in these few sessions we have holden, that the rooting which it hath taken cannot be torn up again without danger of the spoil of this work of reformation which the Lord has begun here in the Churches amongst us. Which causes, most gracious sovereign, besides a multitude more of unavoidable inconveniences ensuing upon the least alteration in our settled proceedings, we most humbly make tender of that to your majesty, which Almighty God (we doubt not) hath put into our hearts, viz., that it would please your high