I. proposed twelve subsidies; whereas, it was said, he had ex- CHARLES press orders to mention no more than six: this being looked on as an excessive demand, shocked the commons, and threw 792. May 5, them off their temper: and thus proceeding to some unaccept- A. D. 1640. able debates, the king, despairing of any good issue, by the advice of his council, dissolved the parliament. tion at St. Hamond. Hist. of rendon's &c. Hist. Coll. 1163. Append. To give some account of the convocation: this provincial 4 convocasynod met April the 14th, at the chapter-house of St. Paul's. Paul's. The sermon was preached by Dr. Turner, residentiary of that L'Estrange, church. His text was Matt. xvi. 16, Behold, I send you K. Charles. forth as sheep in the midst of wolves." In the close of Lord Clathe sermon, he took notice, that all the bishops did not Hist. of the hold the reins of discipline equally strait; that some of them Rebellion, were too remiss and indulging; that though, by this popular Rushworth's bias, they might gain the reputation of gentle governors, part 2. they disserved the rest of their order, and made them pass Synodus for men of rigour. He therefore exhorted them to act up Anglicana, to the rubric and canons, and insist upon a strict conformity. After sermon, Dr. Richard Stuart, clerk of the closet, and dean of Chichester, was presented prolocutor. When this They receive matter was settled, and the customary ceremonies over, the commis archbishop produced a commission, under the broad seal, ena- the broadseal for bling the two houses to consult and agree upon the explanation altering the or altering any canons then in force, or for the making such new ones as should be thought convenient for the government ones. of the Church. The commission was to remain in force during the present session of parliament, and no longer. By a remarkable clause in this instrument, nothing could be done without the archbishop's being a party at the consultation. 66 sion under canons, or making new Cyprian. The latitude of this commission was very acceptable to the p. 423. majority; and, by way of acknowledgment for the trust his Synod. Anglican. majesty had lodged with them, they granted him six subsidies, at the rate of four shillings in the pound, to be paid within six years. After this, the archbishop brought in a canon for suppressing the farther growth of popery." This was put into the hands of the prolocutor, with directions that the lower Some new house might enlarge and alter it as they thought proper. But afterwards, Laud, considering this canon proceeding wholly from himself might wipe off some aspersions and prove serviceable to his reputation, recalled the paper into his own hands, and, after a review, returned it to the lower house in ones made. LAUD, the same form it stands at present. While this matter was Abp. Cant. settling, a canon was drawn "for the better keeping the day of his majesty's inauguration." Another canon was levelled against the spreading the Socinian heresy. The next provision was a restraint of sectaries. By this canon it was decreed, that all those proceedings and penalties, mentioned in the canon against popish recusants, should, as far as they are applicable, stand in full force and vigour against all Anabaptists, Brownists, Separatists, Familists, or other sects whatsoever, who refuse repairing to their parish-churches for hearing divine service and receiving the holy communion. Synod. Anglican. Append. p. 33. May 14. Thus far the convocation had gone when the parliament was unfortunately dissolved; and possibly this ecclesiastical meeting had broken up the next day, according to customary practice, if one of the lower house had not acquainted the archbishop with a precedent of queen Elizabeth's time, to encourage them to continue their session. This precedent, entered upon the convocation-records, was an authority that the clergy might grant a subsidy, and levy it by the force of synodical acts, without a parliamentary confirmation. From this instance, the majority, inferring an independency of the convocation upon the parliament, adjourned themselves several times, with a design to enter upon business and enlarge the number of their canons. However, not a few of the members were surprised at this resolve, because their continuing the meeting was plainly crossing upon common usage; and, besides, the powers granted in the commission above-mentioned were to expire at the recess of the parliament. To remove these scruples, it was alleged, on the other side, that the writs for calling a parliament and convocation were couched in different forms, and no way depending upon each other; and -which reinforced the argument-the present convocationwrit, and the commission enabling them to make canons, were distinct instruments. From whence the inference is, that, though the commission determined with the dissolution of the parliament, yet, by virtue of the writ, they were to remain a convocation till dissolved by another writ. This reasoning had its effect upon several of the members. However, to give farther satisfaction, the king put the question to the most eminent lawyers then at court, who delivered their resolution in these words: "That the convocation, called by the king's writ, is to I. The lord convocation after the continue till it be dissolved by the king's writ, notwithstanding CHARLES the dissolution of the parliament." This opinion was signed by Finch, lord keeper; Manchester, lord privy seal; Littleton, keeper, sevechief justice of the Common Pleas; Banks, attorney-general; ral of the judges, &c. and Whitfield and Heath, two of his majesty's council, learned declare the in the law. To fortify this resolution, a new commission was may lawsent the two houses, to remain in force during the king's fully sit pleasure. Notwithstanding this encouragement, Dr. Brownrig, dissolution Dr. Hacket, Dr. Holdsworth, Mr. Warmistry, with others, to liament. the number of thirty-six, protested against the continuance of the convocation. But, in regard the session was warranted by Fuller's so many considerable persons of the long robe, these dissenting book 2. members neither withdrew from the house, nor entered their p. 168. protest in scriptis, or form of law. of the par Ch. Hist. Laud's And now the convocation, somewhat reassured, went on with their business, though, it must be said, the prospect was dark, and the juncture very discouraging: for five hundred of May 11. the mob had lately made a midnight march to Lambeth, and attacked the archbishop's palace two hours; but, being disap- Archbishop pointed in their malice, and forced to retire, they resolved to Diary. assault the convocation. The king, being informed of the danger, ordered them a guard, consisting of some companies of the trained bands of Middlesex, commanded by Endymion Porter, groom of the bedchamber, a loyal and well-affected gentleman. The canons passed in this convocation being in Sparrow's collection, and easily met with, I shall neither transcribe nor abstract them. It may be sufficient to add the titles of those already unmentioned. The second, third, fourth, and fifth have been already related. The first is entitled, "Concerning the Regal Power." This canon carries the regale to a remarkable height, and declares strongly for passive obedience. The title of the sixth stands thus: "An Oath enjoined for the Preventing of all Innovations in Doctrine and Government." And because this oath was so loudly declaimed against, and so much battered in the next parliament, I shall insert it at Rushworth's length. It stands thus :-- Hist. Coll. part. 2. p. 1337. 793. The oath so “I, A. B., do swear, that I do approve the doctrine and discipline, or government, established in the Church of Eng- much exland, as containing all things necessary to salvation: and that against. cepted LAUD, I will not endeavour by myself, or any other, directly or indiAbp. Cant. rectly, to bring in any popish doctrine contrary to that which is so established: nor will I ever give my consent to alter the government of this Church, by archbishops, bishops, deans, and archdeacons, &c. as it stands now established, and as by right it ought to stand; nor yet ever to subject it to the usurpations and superstitions of the see of Rome. And all these things I do plainly and sincerely acknowledge and swear, according to the plain and common sense and understanding of the same words, without any equivocation, or mental evasion, or secret reservation whatsoever. And this I do heartily, willingly, and truly, upon the faith of a Christian. So help me God in Jesus Christ." Synod. Anglican. To go on with the titles of the canons. The 7th is entitled, "A Declaration concerning some Rites and Ceremonies. 8. Of Preaching for Conformity. 9. One Book of Articles of Enquiry, to be used at all Parochial Visitations. 10. Concerning the Conversation of the Clergy. 11. Chancellors' Patents. 12. Chancellors alone not to Censure the Clergy in sundry Cases. 13. Excommunication and Absolution not to be pronounced but by a Priest. 14. Concerning Commutations, and the disposing of them. 15. Touching concurrent Jurisdiction. 16. Concerning Licenses to Marry. 17. Against vexatious Citations." Besides these canons, which were all unanimously subscribed by the convocation (the bishop of Gloucester excepted), there were some other things proposed, which either fell in the debate, or miscarried by the distraction of the times. For instance, one Griffith, a member for one of the Welch dioceses, moved for a new edition of the Welch Church Bible: the Bible had been about sixty years since translated into that language by the assistance of bishop Morgan; but this performance suffered considerably in the press. For instance, verse twenty-three, of the 12th of Exodus, where the angel is said to "pass over the door sprinkled with blood," is omitted, which maims the sense of the chapter. And in Habakkuk, the second and the fifth, the words "he is a proud man," are left out. Further, there was a design to draw an English pontifical, and get it passed by the convocation: this pontifical was to take in the form of king Charles's coronation, and serve as a prece : dent for future solemnities of this kind. A form for consecrat- CHARLES ing churches, churchyards, and chapels, was likewise to be inserted to these an office was to be added, for reconciling such as had either done open penance, or apostatized to Mahometanism. These three forms, together with the Office of Confirmation, and the Ordinal now in force, were to make the whole book; but the public discontents growing higher, it was thought advisable to postpone this matter till the times were better settled: many of the members excepted against tying up preachers to use the prayer before the sermon prescribed by the fifty-fifth canon. To relieve them under this grievance, as some counted it, a short prayer, comprehending the matter of the canon, was drawn up: this form, it was said, would have been well received by those who scrupled the direction of the canon. But the archbishop thought it better to keep close to the old rule, than run the risk of a new experiment: and thus the motion was dropped without going further. The canons council and Before the canons were offered to the houses for their sub- May 29. scription, they were read before the king and privy-council; approved the judges and other eminent persons of the long robe being by the privypresent. And here they were approved by the whole audience, judges. the king giving the archbishop thanks for bringing things to so good an issue. After this solemn approbation, they were subscribed in the upper house by the bishops and the rest of the clergy; none refusing to put their hand but the bishop of Gloucester. This prelate's firmness to the Reformation had been formerly questioned, which suspicion was increased by this refusal; for it was thought the strictness of the third canon, for suppressing the growth of popery, was the only reason which made him stand off. He was first argued with, and then required to acquiesce, by his metropolitan; and these methods proving ineffectual, he was suspended ab officio et beneficio by both houses. This sentence being put into form, signed by the archbishop, and publicly pronounced, the king ordered his commitment. But this durance was but short; for on the 10th of July he acknowledged his misbehaviour before the lords of the council, and took the oath enjoined by the sixth canon. Upon this compliance he recovered his liberty. But whether this submission was not made with some reserved latitude, is not altogether so clear; for in his last |