ABBOT, "But the Church never submitted to any other judge, neiAbp. Cant. ther can she, though she would: and we humbly desire your grace to consider, and then to move his most gracious majesty (if you shall think fit), what dangerous consequences may follow upon it. 66 For, first, if any other judge be allowed in matter of doctrine, we shall depart from the ordinance of Christ, and the continual course and practice of the Church. "2. Secondly, If the Church be once brought down beneath herself, we cannot but fear what may be next struck at. “3. Thirdly, It will some way touch the honour of his majesty's dear father, and our most dread sovereign of glorious and ever blessed memory, king James, who saw and approved all the opinions in this book; and he in his rare wisdom and judgment would never have allowed them if they had crossed with truth and the Church of England. "4. Fourthly, We must be bold to say, that we cannot conceive what use there can be of civil government in the commonwealth, or of preaching and external ministry in the Church, if such fatal opinions as some which are opposite and contrary to these delivered by Mr. Montague, are, and shall be, publicly taught and maintained. "5. Fifthly, We are certain that all or most of the contrary opinions were treated of at Lambeth, and ready to be published; but then, queen Elizabeth, of famous memory, upon notice given, how little they agreed with the practice of piety and obedience to all government, caused them to be suppressed, and so they have continued ever since, till of late some of them have received countenance at the synod of Dort. Now this was a synod of that nation, and can be of no authority in any other national church, till it be received there by public authority. And our hope is, that the Church of England will be well advised, and more than once over, before she admit a foreign synod, especially of such a church as condemneth her discipline and manner of government, to say no more. "And farther, we are bold to commend to your grace's wisdom this one particular. His majesty (as we have been informed) hath already taken this business into his own care, and most worthily referred it in a right course to Church consideration. And we well hoped, that without further trouble I. to the state, or breach of unity in the Church, it might so CHARLES have been well and orderly composed, as we still pray it may. These things considered, we have little to say for Mr. Montague's person, only thus much we know; he is a very good scholar, and a right honest man: a man every way able to do God, his majesty, and the Church of England great service. We fear he may receive great discouragement, and, which is far worse, we have some cause to doubt this may breed a great backwardness in able men to write in the defence of the Church of England against either home or foreign adversaries, if they shall see him sink in fortunes, reputation, or health, upon his book's occasion. "And this we most humbly submit to your grace's judgment, and care of the Church's peace and welfare. So recommending your grace to the protection of Almighty God, "We shall ever rest at your grace's service, 735. Cabbala, p. 105. "2d Aug. 1625." "Jo. ROFFENS. GUIL. MENEVEN. A. How far this letter engaged the duke of Buckingham, or what regard it met with from the commons, is uncertain: however, Mr. Montague had no more trouble given him this August 12, session, which was but short: for the plague being in London, 4.D. 1625. the parliament was adjourned to Oxford, and dissolved in ment disAugust following. The reason which disposed the king to part with them, was, because he found the commons began to reflect upon some of the ministry, and were resolved against granting supplies till their grievances were first redressed. solved. The lord keeper Williams, who was now in his declension at court, endeavoured to recover himself, but without effect. He had disobliged the duke of Buckingham at the parliament at Oxford. For when this nobleman expostulated with him for breach of friendship, he frankly replied, he was engaged with William earl of Pembroke, to endeavour a redress of grievances; and that he was resolved to stand upon his own legs: The broad"If that is your resolution," says the duke, "take care you stand from the firm;" and so they parted. Soon after this clash, the bishop lord-keeper was discharged attending at court; and on the 30th of October Rushworth's following the broad seal was given to sir Thomas Coventry. seal taken Williams. Collect. P. 198. ABBOT, Abp. Cant. Dec. 16. Bib. Regia. Cyprian. Anglic. p 141. The king's coronation. The king, to satisfy the late remonstrance in parliament against the growth of popery, wrote to the two archbishops to perform their part for discovering and apprehension of Jesuits, and seminary priests, requiring them to proceed against popish recusants by excommunication, and other censures of the Church but withal, the letter takes notice of another sort of people, no less dangerous than the Papists, to the established religion: that to prevent mischief from this quarter, the two archbishops are commanded to send directions to the rest of the clergy. That all of them might be particularly careful in their respective stations, for the suppressing those disaffected to the national Church: that none of these religious mal-contents might have any countenance or shelter from any ecclesiastics in authority: but that all proper endeavours might be used to pull off the fucus, and expose the false reasoning of those, who pretend to refine upon the Church establishment : and that his majesty could have no good opinion of those prelates, who either encouraged their singularities, or so much as connived at them. Upon the receiving the king's letter, the archbishop of Canterbury transmited copies to his respective suffragans. But here the king's order was partially executed by Abbot; the Roman Catholics were struck at, and the Puritans overlooked. The king, having summoned another parliament to meet on the 6th of February, resolved to proceed to his coronation before the session: the purification of the blessed virgin was fixed on for this solemnity. And for the better adjusting every part of the ceremony to the service and orders of the Church of England, the king issued a commission to the archbishop of Canterbury, and some other bishops, Laud being one of the number, to settle the form. This committee having compared the ceremonial used in the late reign with the public An altera- rituals, it was agreed to make some alterations and additions in the ceremony, and the prayers. For instance, the unction was to be made in the figure of a cross, which was accordingly done by archbishop Abbot. The supplemental part in the form consisted chiefly in a prayer for the king, and a request to him, in behalf of the clergy: the first sounds extremely high for the regale; and might serve very well at the consecration of a patriarch. It stands thus: tion in some of the prayers. : I. "Let him obtain favour for the people like Aaron in the CHARLES tabernacle, Elisha in the waters, Zacharias in the temple; give him Peter's key of discipline, and Paul's doctrine." In the request made to him, these prelates were by some thought to remember their character too far, and take too much upon them it follows the unction in these words: "Stand, and hold fast from henceforth the place to which you have been heir by the succession of your forefathers, being now delivered to you by the authority of Almighty God, and by the hands of us, and all the bishops, and servants of God: and as you see the clergy to come nearer to the altar than others, so remember that in place convenient you give them greater honour; that the mediator of God and man may establish you in the kingly throne, to be the mediator between the clergy and the laity, that you may reign for ever with Jesus Christ, the King of kings, and Lord of lords, who with the Father and the Holy Ghost, liveth and reigneth for ever. Amen." And here the oath taken by the king being part of the solemnity, it may not be improper to lay it before the reader. tion outh, "Sir (says the archbishop), will you grant, keep, and by The coronayour oath confirm to your people of England, all laws and customs to them granted by the kings of England, your lawful and religious predecessors; and, namely, the laws, customs, and franchises granted to the clergy, by the glorious king St. Edward your predecessor, according to the laws of God, the true profession of the gospel established in this kingdom, and agreeable to the prerogative of the kings thereof, and the ancient customs of this land?" The king answers, "I grant and promise to keep them.” Archbishop. "Sir, will you keep peace and godly agreement entirely (according to your power) both to God, the holy Church, the clergy, and the people ?” Rex. "I will keep it." Archbishop. "Sir, will you, (to your power) cause justice, law, and discretion in mercy and truth, to be executed in all your judgments?" Archbishop. "Sir, will you grant to hold, and grant to keep, the laws and rightful customs which the commonalty of this ABBOT, your kingdom have? And will you defend and uphold them to Abp. Cant. the honour of God, so much as in you lieth?" 736. The oath not Rex. "I grant and promise so to do.” Then one of the bishops reads this admonition to the king before the people with a loud voice. "Our lord and king, we beseech you to pardon, and to grant, and to preserve unto us, and the churches committed to our charge, all canonical privileges, and due law and justice; and that you would protect and defend us, as every good king in his kingdom ought to be a protector and defender of the bishops, and the churches under their government ?" The king answereth, "With a willing and devout heart I promise and grant my pardon, and that I will preserve and maintain to you, and the churches committed to your charge, all canonical privileges, and due law and justice; and that I will be your protector and defender to my power, by the assistance of God, as every good king ought in his kingdom, in right to protect and defend the bishops and churches under their government." The king ariseth, and is led to the communion-table, where he makes a solemn oath, in sight of all the people, to observe the premises; and, laying his hand upon the book, saith, "The things which I have before promised, I shall perform Husband's and keep, so help me God, and the contents of this book." Collections. I have the rather transcribed this oath, because both the king and Laud were afterwards charged with altering it to the disadvantage of the subject. But this calumny was effectually silenced by his majesty's referring the objectors to the records in the exchequer; where they might see his coronation oath was the same with that which had been customarily taken by his predecessors'. altered by bishop Laud or the king. Idem. In the other solemnities of the coronation, the abbots formerly, and after them the deans of Westminster, had a considerable share. They had the custody of the old regalia,that is, the crown, the sword, the sceptre, the spurs, &c., of king Edward the Confessor. These royal curiosities are never made use of excepting at a king's coronation, or his going to parliament. Williams, the late lord-keeper, was now dean; 1 This coronation service, illustrates the fact frequently noticed in the course of this work, that the king combines in his own person the ecclesiastical with the laical characteristics. |