BOOK "did work faith in his heart. So when in preaching, the I. "holy scripture is so well handled, that it is both truly Anno 1584. " opened, and also applied fitly to the minds and under Want of preaching. 66 "standings of the hearers, then doth the Spirit of God "teach the hearts of the hearers to understand; and doth "work that faith in them by it: which is the understanding "of life and salvation. We must hear and understand, "before we receive and retain the seed of life, to bring "forth the fruits of it. Neither can we understand it, un"less we be rightly taught, both what it is, and how it is to "be understood of us. "So of this want of preaching we do complain. This penury of preaching breedeth in us a penury of faith; "which doth both greatly pinch us, and put us in danger. "It doth also constrain us at this time to make this our "humble complaint. "In tender consideration whereof, and for redress of "these griefs, and of some other things which do need re"formation, we do most humbly beseech your highness, our 227" most gracious sovereign lady and queen, your lordships, "our most honourable good lords of her majesty's privy"council, and your wisdoms, which are of the high court “of parliament, not only graciously to consider of the pre"mises, but also of these our humble petitions hereunto "annexed, and now following: which we do humbly pre"sent to your godly wisdoms; not as prescribers of that "which is to be done by you, but as most humble suitors, "most humbly beseeching you to be moved by your own "good consideration of the things which we do desire in "them, yourselves to think on; to devise and establish "some such remedy for our miseries, and the disorders "which do hinder godly order among us, as to your godly “wisdoms shall be thought good and necessary. And we "shall pray God, our heavenly Father, even in the name "of Jesus Christ, both to pardon all former faults and "negligences, and to work in your hearts the right and full understanding and care of true godliness, which is to be 66 "had. "We do confess, that when God did first call you to CHA P. "take the affairs of the church in hand, you did find in it 66 XVIII. main to be pe- done. 66 many ruins and great gaps. He hath directed you by Anno 1584. "his grace to do much good, to the repairing of the same; "we do humbly praise him for it. And even so we pray "him still to lead you by his principal Spirit to do all that "which remaineth, and is yet to be done in the business of "his holy Majesty that you may bestow yourselves, and "the power which he hath given to you, wholly in his ser"vice. And that both you may govern us, and we obey Which reyou, according to his blessed will, thoroughly." The titions that are said to follow are set in the Appendix. Numb. But as for the petition consisting of sixteen articles XXXIX. brought into the house of parliament, for reformation or alteration of the customs and practices of the church established, and sent up to the house of lords, they are set down Life of Archbishop elsewhere at large; with the answers to them by both the Whitgift, archbishops, and also by Cowper, bishop of Winton. But book iii. besides, I meet with another answer, at good length, to those sixteen petitions, given in by the bishops in general; and seem to have been done at their convocation: which having not as yet seen the light, I cannot omit to insert this manu-Answer of the bishops script, being an important matter of the history of our to the 16 church at that time, when there was such a joint endeavour articles. of many, eager for another discipline to be brought in, and the former, with the public prayers and offices, to be laid aside. First, the articles are set down, and then the answers of the bishops to each article distinctly follow. But this paper being somewhat large, I refer the reader to the Appendix, where I have exemplified it. ch. 10. No. XL. the clergy at St. Paul's. As the year before [viz. 1583] the bishop of London visited his clergy at St. Paul's, Dr. Walker preaching before A call of them, and then all the ministers subscribed anew to the two books; [that is, I suppose, the Book of Common Prayer, and the Thirty-nine Articles;] so now this year there was another call of the city clergy again, to elect clerks for the convocation. When also a general subscription was made to the queen's supremacy. And certain Scotch ministers, BOOK exiled out of Scotland, were forbidden to preach, except I. they had lawful licences thereunto. There was also then a Anno 1584. call to relieve a bishop's widow of Ireland, who was there 228 killed; and likewise to gather money, to redeem one Mr. Rogers, a captive in the duke of Parma's hands. This, I suppose, was Daniel Rogers, that transacted the queen's business in Flanders. A convoca tion. Articuli pro clero. A convocation. CHAP. XIX. Articuli pro clero. The archbishop's cares. Comforted by sir Christopher Hatton. James Diggs, ordinary servant to the archbishop. Dr. Drurie's advices to him about a Melius inquirendum. Dr. Howland made bishop of Peterborough. The bishop of Lincoln's Admonition. A book called The Abstract, for bringing in another discipline: answered. The Counterpoison. Dr. Copcot's sermon at Paul's Cross. A brotherly and friendly counsel to the ministers for peace and concord. A CONVOCATION now sat, November 24: of which synods and meetings of the bishops and clergy there was a great use under queen Elizabeth; both for the maintaining of themselves and their privileges, and providing for religion and regulating abuses, and offering good bills to the parliament; as they used to be full of business in various and sundry such like matters. In this convocation the articuli pro clero were framed by the archbishop, bishops, and the rest of the clergy of the province of Canterbury, and established by the queen, and approved and confirmed by royal authority. These articles, in Latin, may be found in the Collection of articles, injunctions, canons, &c. collected by bishop Sparrow. Which articles were digested under these heads. I. That fit men be admitted to holy orders and ecclesiastical benefices. II. For the moderating the solemn commutation of penance. III. Concerning moderating certain indulgences for the celebra XIX. tion of matrimony, without thrice denouncing the banns. CHAP, IV. Concerning restraining or reforming some excesses about excommunication. V. Concerning the pluralities of Anno 1584. benefices. VI. Of fees due to ecclesiastical officers, and their servants. Lastly, Concerning inquiries to be made by bishops. The making of which articles were no doubt occasioned by the bills put up this parliament for the reformation of many ecclesiastical abuses complained of. lect. p. 194. 229 The original of these articles I have seen among the lord treasurer Burghley's papers. Out of which I must note some lines, which are not in the printed articles, as we have them in bishop Sparrow's Collection; where, immediately Sparr. Colafter line the 10th, this paragraph follows: Quod si patronus quispiam clericum aliquem ad beneficium aliquod præsentaverit, qui prædictis qualitatibus non fuerit imbutus, licebit etiam episcopo ejusmodi præsentatum rejicere; nec brevi illo de Quare impedit, nec ulla alia ratione cogetur eundem instituere, aut eadem causa ullum legis periculum subire. But this indeed had a x set against it. But I find also the same period in the same book of articles in English without any there. bishop's for the Whitgift, archbishop of Canterbury, was aware of these The archbills and petitions that were preparing by the innovators, cares and and their outcries against the state of the clergy, and against concerns non-residences, pluralities, &c. Nor was his diligence want-clergy. ing to provide answers, where complaints were ungrounded, and redress where need was. And in this weighty business he had the encouragement and cordial friendship of sir Christopher Hatton, vice-chamberlain to the queen, and one of her privy-council; who had' sent to the archbishop a paper of notes containing, as it seems, the sum of those petitions for reformation that were to be brought into the parliament house, now ere long to sit; that so the archbishop might the better understand the import of them, and get replies ready upon occasion. The archbishop made use of Mr. Bancroft, his faithful chaplain, as his messenger to sir Christopher. From whom he repaired back with his advice and comfort; which was seasonable to the archbishop I. BOOK in this troublesome interval. And that the said knight might be certified hereof, he forthwith gave some instrucAnno 1584. tions to the said Bancroft to signify as much to him; which he accordingly did by his letter, viz. Bancroft's "That he had been with his grace, as his [Mr. Vice"chamberlain's] pleasure was, and had returned his notes letter. P. 224. according to his commandment." And then proceeding in these words, concerning the archbishop; "Your most ho"nourable friendship, (as I was willed to signify,) by me in your name imparted, is and shall be his grace's continual "comfort: I am persuaded he never received message more "to his good liking. 66 My lord's grace commanded me to make thus bold "with your honour by a postscript. He certifieth you, "that he is very glad the notes do prove so frivolous. And 66 touching the other which were moved the last parliament, "your honour shall have the answers unto them, with their "inconveniences, before the beginning of the parliament "next. They had been sent now, but that they could not "be written out so speedily. And thus by my hearty 66 prayer unto the Lord for your honour, committing to his "most sacred protection, in all humility I take my leave. "From Lambeth, the 6th of November, 1584. "Your honour's most bounden and dutiful chaplain, This Bancroft was he who was afterwards bishop of London, and succeeded Whitgift in the archbishopric; and recommended this year by the archbishop for the deanery of 230 Gloucester, now void. He wrote a book, called, A survey of the pretended holy discipline, and other books against the puritans. And how cordial a friend sir Christopher Hatton was to the archbishop, and the cause of the church in this parliamentary controversy, may be seen in that archbishop's Life, printed anno 1718. And there is a notable speech of his in parliament concerning this affair, preserved in D'Ewes' Journal. These particulars, before set down in this and the former |