II. of triers Cromwell, now seated in his protector's chair, summoned a CHARLES pretended parliament, where Lenthall was speaker. These members passed an act for settling a committee of triers, for 4 committee the approbation of public preachers. Those who were admitted settled. to any benefice or lecture, were obliged to pass the test of this committee, and receive an instrument equivalent to letters of institution or induction. It is true, the majority of these triers were ministers; but since eight of them were laymen, and any five enabled to execute the powers of the act, it might some- March 20, times happen that none but secular men might act in this post, and determine upon the qualifications of those who were to preach and administer the sacraments. This act was confirmed Scobell's in the next pretended parliament, held in the year 1656. A.D. 1653-4. Collect. &c. fol. 279. part of the Their next statute provides for removing scandalous and insufficient ministers and school-masters; that is, those who had continued firm to the Church and Crown. For this purpose a considerable number of secular commissioners are nominated for each county. There is likewise a list of ministers, A. D. 1654. throughout the same divisions of the kingdom, appointed for this purpose. By the act, the lay-commissioners could determine nothing without the approbation of the ministers, who were joined in commission with them. It must be said, these usurpers did not plunder and persecute without some resemblance of compassion; for by the act a fifth part of the The fifth profits of the benefice is allowed to the wives and children of profits and the ejected ministers. And here likewise the ordinance for allowed the benefices due payment of the tithes and other duties, made in the year ejected clergy. 1647, is confirmed; and so was this act afterwards in the year Id. fol. 335. 1656. It must not be forgotten, that, by a clause of this act, none was permitted to teach a school in the parish whence he had been ejected. And to make the pulpits more inoffensive, by an act passed soon after, no clergymen ejected for delinquency were to be re-admitted by the triers, without express order from his highness, as they called him, and his council. This pretended parliament, grasping at the administration, Jan. 22, and endeavouring to recover their former sway, were in the latter end of this year dissolved by Cromwell. Id. fol. 366. A.D. 1654-5. Usher's In February, the next year, James Usher, archbishop of Primate Armagh, departed this life. This most learned prelate was death and born at Dublin, in the year 1580. He was extracted from an character. ancient and considerable family of the surname of Nevil. In the reign of king John, one of his ancestors, who was gentle 868. Smith's Vit. Jacob. man-usher to that prince, changed his name to that of his office. His father, Arnold Usher, was a lawyer of character, and one of the six clerks of Chancery. His mother's father, James Stanyhurst, esq., was recorder of Dublin, one of the masters of Chancery, and speaker of the house of commons in three parliaments. The archbishop made an early progress in learning, and gave extraordinary proof of his capacity and improvement at eighteen years of age. His inclination leading him to the study of divinity, he entered into orders, and made a very considerable figure in that profession. In his younger time he adhered to the Calvinian side of the predestinarian controversy. However, he afterwards drew the union canon between the Churches of England and Ireland. But the warmth of his affection to the Protestant interest in general, and his zeal for a close correspondence between all the reformed Churches, made him depart a little from the primitive government, give too great an allowance to the Presbyterian scheme, and qualify the episcopal jurisdiction too much in favour of the schismatics. And it is supposed the relaxations made upon the head of episcopacy by the late king, in the Isle of Wight, were suggested by Usher. When the rebellion broke out, this archbishop was nominated by the parliament in the list of the assembly divines: but being dissatisfied with the convening authority, and foreseeing the fatal consequences of that meeting, he refused to appear. When the king made Oxford his head quarters, the archbishop retired thither, declared strongly against the rebellion, and both by his sermons, other discourses, and letters, confirmed several who were wavering, and recovered some from an open revolt. When Cromwell took the title of lord protector, he treated Usher with particular marks of esteem, sent for him to his court, and pretended to suggest a scheme for promoting the Protestant interest both at home and abroad. A regard for the Protestant religion was then a plausible cover to keep the usurpation out of view. For at this time of day Cromwell had not quite pulled off the mask, but by his discourses to Usher, seemed tolerably reconciled to the Church of England and episcopacy. But this year Cromwell finding himself strong enough to explain his malevolence, published a declaration, by virtue of which, those of the loyal clergy who either managed private schools, or officiated in noblemen's families, were II. Life of ordered to be imprisoned. When a new storm threatened CHARLES those who had lost their fortunes before, some of the ejected divines desired Usher to use his interest with Cromwell, and try to prevail for some abatements of rigour. The archbishop addressing the usurper, requested the episcopal clergy might have a share in the common indulgence, and use the liturgy without disturbance from the soldiers. Cromwell promised to recall the declaration, or at least to prevent its being executed, provided the clergy were inoffensive in their discourses, and stood clear from meddling with matters of State. But when Usher made him a second visit to get this promise signed, the usurper told him, "that having advised with his council, and farther considered the matter, himself and the rest were of opinion that it was not safe for him to grant a liberty of conscience to those men who were declared enemies to his government." Id. et Parr's To proceed the primate had a slender opinion of the Sep- Usher. tuagint. For he would allow that nothing but the Pentateuch was at first translated. And thus far Aristæus, Josephus, and St. Jerom agree with him. That this first translation, lodged in Ptolemy's library at Alexandria, was destroyed by the accident of a fire. That the other version, made not long after, comprehending all the books of the Old Testament, and used by the Hellenist Jews and primitive Christians, was made after the fourth year of Ptolemy Philometer. That it was the performance of an obscure Jew, who was very unequal to the undertaking. That this man had taken an unaccountable liberty with the text, and made a great many omissions and interpolations: and that the difference between the Hebrew original and the Greek, is owing to this foul dealing. That the Jewish priests and Levites who officiated in Onias' temple at Heliopolis in Egypt, were imposed on by negligence and sloth, and took this version upon content. These are some of Usher's singularities upon this subject, for which he was called to account by the learned Valesius. Annot. Calce. Vid. Prefat. Gra bil. in edit. vers. 70. Usher, as has been remarked, was a strict Calvinian, and Hist. Eccles. held the predestinarian controversy in the sense of the Lam- Euseb. in beth articles. But sometime before his death he changed his opinion touching the "five points," came over to the other side, and was reconciled to bishop Overal's sentiment. That this is matter of fact, appears by the signed testimonies of Dr. Bryan Walton, Mr. Peter Gunning, and Mr. Herbert Thorn- Vit Jacob. dike. Smith's Usseri. This learned prelate, as has been observed, seemed to have an overbalance of affection for the foreign Protestant Churches. This put him upon some strain to vindicate their orders, and make their ministrations valid. For this purpose he revived the novelty of some of the schoolmen, and made no scruple to affirm that the office of bishop and priest was the same as to substance, and only different degrees of the same order. Davenant's Bishop Davenant was likewise of Usher's opinion in this point. Determinat. But with all reasonable deference to this most learned primate, Q. 42. Dum texit Imaona Halasus, Arcadio infelix telo dat pectus inermum. Virg. Æn. x. 425. there appears more charity than caution in this latitude. This straining of courtesy for the Protestants abroad, seems to throw us off our guard, and weaken the English Reformation. It is the safest way to keep close to the earliest ages. These were times of light and truth, of zeal and union, of disinterestedness and courage. It is dangerous to cross upon the judgment of the first five centuries, and desert the practice of the primitive Church. As for the modern distinctions of Christianity, it may, in my humble opinion, be most advisable to stand aloof, and wish them well; to leave them to their own recollection and God's mercy; to pray their prejudices may be no longer too strong for them; that they may disengage from their novelties, and govern themselves by the ancient standard. As to the archbishop's opinion upon this question, it is somewhat remarkable, considering his publishing "St. Ignatius's A.D. 1655. Epistles:" for in the genuine writings of this martyr, the distinction between bishop and priest is plainly marked; the prerogative of the former set very high, and the supreme direction of ecclesiastical affairs lodged with him'. Smith's But notwithstanding this charitable bias, Usher made no difficulty to censure the practice of the English and Scotch Presbyterians. He would neither allow their orders, nor communicate with them. He charged them with downright perjury and revolt from the bishops; to whom they had engaged their faith, and sworn canonical obedience; that their ministrations were sacrilegious invasions of the episcopal privilege, and that they had no colour for their schism. And here it must be observed, that this archbishop, notwithstanding his relaxations already mentioned, maintained that bishops had a peculiar extent of spiritual authority. That this superiority Usher's views are somewhat more orthodox than Collier would seem to infer, and in those views may yet be discovered a method of reconciling many ecclesiastical differ ences. II. 869. was no concession of councils, no privilege of after ages, but CHARLES settled by the apostles themselves. To conclude the archbishop's character; he was a great genius, a person of indefatigable industry, and in his life altogether regular and Id. unblemished. And as to his attainments, to omit other instances of his proficiency, he was a great master in ecclesiastical learning and chronology. The learned works, either April, written or published by him, are too long to mention. He A.D. 1656. was buried in Westminster-abbey, Cromwell allowing two hundred pounds for the expense of the funeral. Whitlock's Memorials, This year, James Naylor, and some others imprisoned at &c. p. 632. Bristol, being charged with blasphemy, the house ordered a committee to send for them, and examine the witnesses. Naylor was accordingly brought to the bar of the house, and, upon hearing the cause, they resolved him a grand impostor, and guilty of horrid blasphemy. The sentence pronounced against this criminal was, to stand in the pillory two hours at Westminster, to be whipped from thence by the executioner to the Old Exchange, and there to have his punishment in the pillory repeated; his tongue was likewise to be bored through with a hot iron, and his forehead stigmatized with the letter "B., with some other circumstances of correction'. Id. 643, 644. reviewing translation 1656-7. It was ordered, at the grand committee for religion, that a 4 committee sub-committee should advise with Dr. Walton, Mr. Hughes, ing divines for consultMr. Castle, Mr. Clerk, Mr. Poulk, Dr. Cudworth, and such touching the others as they thought proper, to consider of the translations the English of the Bible, and to offer their opinions to the committee; of the Bible. and, to speak in the language of those times, the care of this Feb. A.D. business was recommended to the lord-commissioner Whitlock. This committeee met frequently at Whitlock's house, consulted several of the most celebrated men for the oriental tongues, furnished themselves with learned observations upon this subject, pretended to discover some mistakes in the last English translation, which yet they agreed was the best extant. But this design, as Whitlock reports, miscarried by the dissolution of the parliament. Id. About the latter end of this year, Dr. Walton published the The PolyPolyglot Bible. The Anabaptists, disappointed by Cromwell's ambition, and harassed with his arbitrary excesses, applied to the king. In This Naylor was a Quaker of great notoriety. glot Bible published. |