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He had a vehement defire to be thought learned, and mafter of the controverfies then on foot, which made him expose himfelf much in the conference at HamptonCourt (NN), between the epifcopalians and

the

«ters hired for that purpose. The proper employment "of a prince is that of improving his own mind, and "governing his people, in order to acquire more know"ledge, and confequently be able to accommodate his

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government to their intereft. It must not be omitted, "that to be a great general, there is no need of being "a hunter. Guftavus Adolphus, marfhal Turenne, the "duke of Marlborough, and prince Eugene, whose "characters as able generals and illuftrious men, will "not be questioned, were not hunters; nor do we read "of the huntings of Alexander, Cafar, or Scipio."I conclude therefore, that it is excufable in a prince "to go a hunting, if it is but feldom, and to refresh

him after his ferious and often melancholy employ❝ments. I fay once more, I object to no honeft plea"fure; but the care of rendering a state flourishing and "happy, and of protecting and encouraging arts and "fciences, is unquestionably a much fuperior pleasure, "and much fitter employment for a prince; and whoever betakes himself to any other, neither confults "his pleasure nor his intereft (a)."

(a) AntiMachiavel, P.155--164. (NN) Which made him expofe himself much in the 8vo. Lond. conference at Hampton Court, &c.] This conference 1741• was begun Jan. 14, 1603. in purfuance of a proclamation for that purpose, dated Oct. 24, of the fame year. The profeffed design of it was to examine into the objections of the puritans, against the doctrine, government, and difcipline of the established church, and rectify abuses crept into it. But the king had little of this at heart; his defign was to fhew his learning, and mortify the puritans, which he did as well as he could.

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the puritans, where he fet up for a difpu

Hampton-
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He talked therefore of the name and use of confirmation, and the occafion of its being firft brought in; of absolution, private baptifm, and excommunication; points well worthy the ftudy of a king, and coming with great propriety from his mouth. "Abfolution, "he declared, was apoftolical, and a very good ordinance, in that it was given in the name of Chrift to "one that defired it, and upon the clearing of his con(a) Barlow',“ science (a)." He maintained "the neceffity of bap"tifm, where it might be lawfully had, id eft, mithe confeniftred by lawful minifters, by whom alone, and by "no private perfon, he thought it might not in any "cafe be adminiftred. After which he learnedly ob"ferved, that though the minifter be not of the efP. 145. 8vo. "fence of the facrament [of baptifm] yet he is of the Lond. 1707. " effence of the right and lawful miniftry of the facra"ment (b)." Thefe difcourfes paffed between the king and bishops alone on the firft day, greatly, I dare fay, to their rejoicing. On the fecond day, the minifters who were to propofe the demands of the puritans being called in, viz. Reynolds, Sparks, Knewftubbs, and Chadderton, together with Patrick Galloway, fometime minifter of Perth in Scotland; and their objections being all reduced into four heads, the king took on him to difpute the matters contained in them, with the minifters. It would be endless to relate all he said, for he loved speaking, and was in his element whilft difputing. Two or three inftances of his oftentatious pedantry shall therefore fuffice. "His majesty taxed St. Jerom for his "affertion, that a bishop was not divina ordinationis ; "which opinion he much diftafted, approving their "calling and use in the church, and closed it up with "this fhort aphorism, no bishop, no king (c).”

(b) Id. p.

347.

(c) Id. p.

153.

"Dr. Reynolds having made it an objection against "the Apocrypha (ordered by the Common Prayer to "be read) that the author of the book of Ecclefiafti

cus, chap. xlviii. 10. held the fame opinion with the

"Jews

tant, and behaved with a great and visible partiality.

66 Jews at this day, namely, that Elias in perfon was "to come before Chrift; and therefore as yet Christ, "by that reason, not come in the flesh: I fay Dr. Rey"nolds having made this objection, his majefty calling "for a bible, firft fhewed the author of that book; "who he was, then the cause why he wrote that book; "next analized the chapter itself, fhewing the prece"dents and confequences thereof; laftly, unfolded the "fum of that place, arguing and demonftrating that "whatsoever Ben Sirach had faid there of Elias, Elias shad, in his own perfon while he lived, performed " and accomplished (d)." He moreover declared, “ that (d) Id. p. " he had never seen a bible well translated into English;162, 163. "that the translation of Geneva was the worst of all ; "that pains should be taken about an uniform transla"tion of it, under certain restrictions, and more espe❝cially that no marginal notes should be added, hav"ing found, faid he, in them which are annexed to "the Geneva tranflation, fome notes very partial, un"true, feditious, and favouring too much of dangerous ❝ and traiterous conceits (e)." Thus James fhewed his learning in the midft of the lords of the council, and 157. the bishops and deans who attended. I doubt not, tho' Reynolds was awed by the presence, and made not the figure he was capable of, that he heartily despised the prince who could talk after this rate, and dictate in matters out of his province.———Let us now see how his majesty endeavoured to mortify the puritans.

(e) Id. p.

After expounding the chapter of Ecclefiafticus juft mentioned, he addreffed himself to the lords, and faid, "what, trow ye, make these men fo angry with Ec"clefiafticus? by my foul I think he was a bifhop, or "elfe they would never ufe him fo (f)."—In anfwer (ƒ) Id. p. to a question started how far an ordinance of the church 163. was to bind, without impeaching chriftian liberty? James faid," he would not argue that point, but an "fwer therein as kings are wont to do in parliament,

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6 le

(g) Ic. p.

166.

partiality. Indeed, his conduct in this affair

was

le roy s'avifera; adding withal, that it finelled very "rankly of anabaptifm, comparing it to the ufage of "a beardlefs boy (one Mr. John Black) who the laft "conference his majefty had with the minifters of "Scotland, in Dec. 1602, told him, that he would "hold conformity with his majesty's ordinances for "matters of doctrine; but for matters of ceremony, "they were to be left in christian liberty to every man, "as he received more and more light from the illumi"nation of God's fpirit, even till they go mad, quoth "the king, with their own light. But I will none of

that, I will have one doctrine, and one difcipline, "one religion in fubftance and in ceremony; and "therefore I charge you never to speak more to that "point (how far you are bound to obey) when the "church hath ordained it (g)." Afterwards fpeaking to the lords and bifhops, he faid, "I will tell you, I "have lived among this fort of men ever fince I was "ten years old; but I may fay of myself, as Chrift "faid of himself, though I lived among them, yet, fince (5) Compare I had ability to judge, I was never of them (b)."notes (M) Thinking by fomewhat Dr. Reynolds faid, that the puritans aimed at a Scotch prefbytery, the king obferved, "that it agreed with a monarchy, as God and the de"vil. Then Jack and Tom, and Will and Dick shall "meet, added he, and at their pleafure cenfure me and "my council, and all our proceedings. Then Will "fhall ftand up and fay, it must be thus; then Dick "fhall reply, and fay, nay, marry, but we will have "it thus ()." Afterwards afking if they had any thing further to object? and being answered no, he faid, "if

this withthe

and (s)

(i) Id. p.

169.

(k) Id. p.

170.

3

this was all, he would make them conform, or would "hurry them out of the land, or else do worse (k)."

This was the behaviour of Fames in this celebrated conference; a behaviour contemptible and ridiculous, and fuch as muft expofe him to ftanders-by. What then must we think of archbishop Whitgift, who

was fuch, as has been feverely cenfured on almost all hands (oo), as it well deferved.

In

faid "that undoubtedly his majefty fpake by the fpecial "affiftance of God's fpirit?" What of bishop Bancroft, who on his knee protested" that his heart melted "with joy, and made hafte to acknowledge unto al"mighty God, the fingular mercy in giving them fuch 66 a king, as, fince Chrift's time, the like had not "been (1)." Or what of the temporal lords, who (2) Id. p. could applaud his majesty's speeches as " proceeding 174. from the fpirit of God, and from an understanding

hift. book 10. cent. 17.

<< heart (m)." May we not May we not say, that they knew well (m) Id. p. how to diffemble, and to maintain the character of good 170. courtiers better than of honest inen?—— Barlow thought he had done a great piece of fervice to James, by publishing this conference; but a worfe office, in reality, could not have been done him. Pofterity, by his account, fee James's pedantry; and to see it, is to defpife it. The puritans, therefore, needed not to have complained so much as they have done of Barlow (n). (n) See FulIf he has not represented their arguments in as just a ler's church light, nor related what was done by the minifters as advantageously as truth required, he has abundantly p. 21 Lond. made it up to them by fhewing, that the bifhops, their 1655. Folio. adverfaries, were grofs flatterers, and had no regard to their facred characters; and that their mortal foe James had but a low understanding, and was undeferving of the rank he aflumed in the republic of learning. This he has done effectually, and therefore, whatever was his intention, the puritans fhould have applauded his performance, and appealed to it for proof of the infufficiency of him who fet himfelf up as a decider of their controverfies.

(00) His conduct was fuch, as has been feverely cenfured, &c.] I fay nothing of the puritans; they were too much parties to be looked on as impartial judges; and James's conduct towards them was fuch,

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