LAUD, Abp. Cant. The Non But notwithstanding this order was generally received in the four great divisions of the world, New England was someconformists what of an exception. The Dissenters, who transported themselves thither, established their own fancy, and formed a Church erect a Cal- this Calvin's model. in New England vinistic Church. num. 111. year upon As for the French and Dutch churches in England, they See Records, struggled for a spiritual independency; but at last finding the discipline and worship of the Church pressed strongly upon them, they seemed to acquiesce; and complied so far as to publish the archbishop's injunction (already mentioned) in their assemblies, through this whole province. Neile, archbishop of York, held them to stricter terms, allowed no indulgence to those of the first descent, and denied them the use of any jurisdiction of their own establishment. Cyprian. Anglic. p. 280. Wood's Antiq. Uni This year Thomas Cooke, bachelor of divinity, fellow of Brazen Nose in Oxford, had, in a Latin sermon, exceeded the bounds prescribed in the king's injunctions, and run out upon the Quinquarticular controversy: for this misbehaviour he made a public recantation: and notwithstanding his discourse was bending toward the Puritan side of the question, he afterwards stood clear of that bias, and died a very orthodox member of the Church of England. From the archbishop's report of the affairs of his province vers. Oxon. this year, I shall only observe his acquainting the king, that in all the dioceses he had visited, the lamentable subsistence of the poor vicars was a general grievance and which was a harder circumstance in this calamity, the vicars in great market towns, where the congregations were very numerous, had commonly the slenderest provision. By the rest of this annual account, it appears, the province stood much in the same condition it was in the last year, and therefore I shall A.D. 1634-5. omit the recital: only thus much may be observed, that conformity came forward, and the Church gained ground upon the Hist. of the Puritan party. Jan. 2, Troubles, &c. of Abp. Laud. To proceed, the metropolitical visitation was continued from year to year, till the whole province was gone through. The vicar-general Brent having given the charge, and allowed the church-wardens time for returning their certificates, left the further management to their respective bishops. And here the placing the communion-table at the east end of the chancel was not every where understood; particularly, this visitation 1. usages re the cathedral article was not carried without contest in the dioceses of CHARLES Lichfield and London: Pierce, bishop of Bath and Wells, had better success. To make this alteration pass smoothly, he endeavoured to convince his people of the reasonableness of it. He suggested "it was ordered by queen Elizabeth's injunc- A.D. 1635. tions, that the communion table should stand in the place of the altar; that there ought to be some difference between Ancient placing the Lord's table in the church, and that of a common trieved in table for eating in our own houses: that it was not decent the churches, people should sit above God's table, or above his minister the and elsepriest, when he consecrates: that by this situation of the communion table at the east end, the chancel would be enlarged, and more room left for the communicants. That the priest officiating upon an ascent would be seen and heard to more advantage, than if the table stood upon a level in the middle: that it was highly proper the parochial churches should conform to the custom of their respective cathedrals. And lastly, that being fenced with a rail in this situation, would be the only way to secure it from profanation and common business." And thus by convincing their understandings, before he commanded their practice, he reconciled a great part of his diocese to this commendable usage. where. The archbishop went on to the regulation of cathedrals, for a precedent to the rest. And here in one half of the sees, want of force and full direction in the statutes occasioned confusion. Of the twenty-six sees in England and Wales, thirteen are founded in secular canons; and of these I have given a recital in the former part of this work. These Churches of the old foundation, as they are called, were well furnished with statutes, and excepting Hereford, wanted no assistance this way: the other moiety standing originally on Different regulations monastic orders, being dissolved by king Henry VIII., were in the cathenew founded with a dean and chapter of secular priests. drals of old Under this last division, the churches of Canterbury, Win- foundations. chester, Ely, Worcester, Rochester, Norwich, and the four new bishoprics of Oxford, Peterborough, Gloucester, and Bristol, together with those of Durham, Carlisle, and Chester, in the other province, are to be reckoned. For each of these cathedrals of the new foundation, a body of statutes was drawn, but neither carried to a full length, nor confirmed in the forms of law. The measures of conduct lying thus un VOL. VIII. H and new LAUD, certain, occasioned frequent clashes between the dean and Abp. Cant. prebendaries; the deans pretending to a more arbitrary government than the chapters were willing to acknowledge. The perfecting these regulations, and bringing the cathedrals to a better harmony, was projected by the archbishop: and in all likelihood he had gone through with this worthy undertaking, had he not been disabled by the public disturbances. 762*. of statutes the Church at Canter bury. However, he made something of an essay, and lost no time while the season lasted and to recommend his method, he A new body began his reformation with his own cathedral at Canterbury; provided for and here he found things in a tolerable order: the table was placed at the east end of the choir, and bowing used towards it, by the appointment of the dean and chapter. This decency and devotion being thus far settled, he advanced another step, and ordered new ornaments of plate and hangings for the furniture of the altar; and to keep things from relapsing into negligence and disuse, he drew a new body of statutes for the cathedral, and got them confirmed under the broad seal. By one article in these statutes, the deans, prebendaries, and officers, were obliged by oath to worship God, by bowing towards the altar at their coming in, and going out of the choir. Resembling regulations were made this year by the vicar-general, at Winchester and Chichester; where directions were given to provide four copes, to rail in the communion table, to place it in the altar situation, to bow towards it, and contantly read the epistles and gospels at it. The statutes of Hereford being imperfect, he threw them into a new form, and sent them down fortified with the broad seal. "By this regulation the prebendaries were bound to officiate on Sundays and holy-days in their copes: to stand up at the creeds, gospel, and doxologies: to bow at the name of Jesus, and towards the altar, and not suffer any person to be covered in the church; and that the prayer before their sermons should be made pursuant to the fifty-fifth canon." By these appointments we may collect how far this cathedral had warped towards Puritanism, and gone off from the rules of the Church. This reformation was carried through other dioceses: and thus by degrees, religion appeared more venerable, and the cathedrals were recovered to their ancient splendour and solemnity. After all, the archbishop was not singular in placing the communion-table, and worshipping towards the altar: for Da I. Davenant of the arch two in venant of Salisbury, and Morton of Durham, two bishops CHARLES altogether unsuspected of any bias towards popery, were of the same sentiment. For instance, there happening a dispute between the parson and churchwardens, in Wiltshire, about The bishops placing the communion-table, the business was referred to and Morton bishop Davenant, who determined in favour of the incumbent : bishop's and, by a decree under his episcopal seal, ordered the table opinion in should stand in the place of the altar. In this decree there are stances. two remarkable passages: "First, That by the injunctions of queen Elizabeth, and by the thirty-second canon under king James, the communion tables should ordinarily be set, and stand with the side to the east wall of the chancel. And, Secondly, That it is ignorance to think that the standing of the table in that place does relish of popery." Archbishop's June 16, 1637. Further, for adoration towards the table, bishop Morton's Speech, testimony is a sufficient purgation. This prelate, in a tract against the sacrifice of the mass, founded upon the belief of transubstantiation, has these words: "The like difference," says he, “ may be discerned between their manner of reverence in bowing towards the altar for adoration of the eucharist only, and ours in bowing, as well when there is no eucharist on the table, as when there is, which is not to the table of the Lord, but to the Lord of the table, to testify the communion of all faithful communicants therewith, even as the people of God. did in adoring him before the ark, his footstool," Psalm xcix. To take off some hard imputations upon the king's declaration, concerning lawful sports, two books were published against the Calvinian party: one of them was written by White, bishop of Ely, a learned prelate, who had signalized himself against the Papists in defence of the Reformation: his book, going on the argumentative and scholastic part, was entituled, "A Treatise of the Sabbath-day, containing a Defence of the Orthodoxal Doctrine of the Church of England against Sabbatarian Novelty." The other tract, called "The History of the Sabbath," was written by Dr. Heylin, prebendary of Westminster: the design is to show the practice of the Church through all ages. In his first part he takes his rise from the creation of the world, and reports matter of fact, to the destruction of the temple: his second part begins with the history of our Saviour and his Apostles, and comes down to the year one thousand six hundred and thirty-three, when LAUD, the reading the king's declaration was enjoined the clergy. Abp. Cant. This book must be confessed a learned performance, but that the author has not pushed the controversy towards an extreme and encouraged too great a liberty, is more than I dare determine. A book of canons for About this time the Scotch bishops were employed in drawthe Scotch ing a book of canons, and forming a library for the use of Church pub- that Church. The canons being finished in the first place, his majesty was pleased to give these reasons, in his large declaration, for setting them forth: lished. Bibl. Reg. sec. 2. "First, He thought it necessary some book, comprising the rules of ecclesiastical government, should be published: that by this means there might be a fixed measure for stating the power of the clergy, and the practice of the laity. "Secondly, That the acts of their assemblies being only in manuscript, would not reach the generality: besides, these records were so bulky and voluminous, that transcribing them was almost impracticable: and thus few, even of the presbyters, could pronounce upon the authority of the copies, and distinguish between genuine and interpolated passages; besides the removing of them from one custody to another, and lodging them so uncertainly, they scarcely knew where to apply for information. "Thirdly, That by reducing these regulations to a lesser compass, and laying them open to public view, nobody could miscarry through ignorance, or complain of being overcharged. And, Lastly, That not one in that kingdom governed his practice by the acts of those general assemblies." 66 The canons being drawn upon this view, and presented to his majesty, he signed a warrant to the archbishop of Canterbury, requiring him and Juxon, bishop of London, to examine this draught; to alter and reform at discretion, and bring it as near as might be to a conformity with the English canons. These two bishops having executed the king's orders, and pared a book for the press, the king confirmed it under the These letters- great seal. The instrument sets forth, that "his majesty, by his prerogative royal, and supreme authority in causes ecclesiGreenwich, astical, ratifies and confirms the said canons, orders, and conMay 23, 1635. stitutions, and all and every thing in them contained, and num. 9. patent are dated at pre |