relates his pretended Facts in fuch a manner, as im plies,that he himself believes them true. Whether he does, or no, let the Reader now judge. If the Doctor thinks, that he does not deferve what I have written of him, I do hereby heartily invite him (and as far as good Manners would permit me, I have don my utmost to provoke him) to do himself Juftice upon me. I can't but add, that a Man who is able to coin the most flagrant Untruths in this plentiful manner, is certainly qualified, the beft of any Perfon living, to record the Excellencies and Sufferings of the Diffenting Teachers. CHAP. XXIX. Of the Beginning, Progrefs, and Paffing of the Act of the Thirteenth of Elizabeth, Chap. 12. L ET us now confider the famous Act of the Thirteenth of Elizabeth Chap. 12. which put the Subscription to the Articles upon a different Foot. Sir Simonds D'Ewes gives us a fummary View of the Proceedings of the Parliament of this Year touching Religious Matters, in the following (a) Words. Because the great Matter touching Religion and Church Goverment (of which the Paffing the aforefaid Bill is the laft Paffage mentioned in the Original Journal-Book of the House of Commons) was fo religiously begun by the said (a) Journal of the Houfe of Commons in the Thirteenth of Queen Elizabeth, p. 184, 185. House House in the former Seffions of Parliament, in An. 8. Regin. Eliz. and fo zealously profecuted in this prefent Parliament de An. 13. Regin. Eliz. therefore it shall not be amifs here to fet down at large, once for all, the whole Proceeding of the fame, altho' all in the Iffue was dafhed by her Majefty, perfuaded unto it (as it should feem) by fome finifter Counsel. The first Step therefore unto this Bufinefs, was upon Thursday the fifth Day of December in the faid former Seffion of Parliament in the faid eighth Year of her Majefty, when the Bill with the Articles printed 1562. for found Chriftian Religion had its first Reading; which in the Original Journal-Bock of the House of Commons in this prefent Parliament is always called the Bill A, and in the Margent of the faid Journal in An. 8. the faid Letter A is expreffed over against the Title of the faid Bill. A fecond Step then followed in this their intended Reformation upon Friday the fixth Day of December in the faid Seffion de An. 8. Regin. Eliz when all thefe Bills following bad each of them their first Reading, being there inferted in Manner and Form following, the Words only (the firft Reading) being added inftead of the Figure or Number (1.) fet down in the Margent. B. The Bill for the Order of Ministers, the firft Reading. E. The Bill for Leafes of Benefices, the firft Reading. All which feveral Bills are no otherwife ftiled in the Original Journal-Book of the House of Commons in this prefent Parliament, than the Bill B, the Bill C, &c, and therefore without Recourfe to the aforefaid Journal of the fame Houfe in An. ifto prædicto 8 Regin, Eliz, it could not bave been poffibly herein understood, what had been intend Chap. XXIX. ed thereby. Which laft mentioned five Bills had no further Progrefs in the faid Seffion of Parliament, by reafon that it was diffolved foon after, on Thurfday the fecond Day of January, but only the first beforecited Bill called the Bill A, bad its fecond Reading on Tuesday the tenth Day, and its third and laft Reading on Friday the thirteenth Day of December in the fame Seffion. After which the Said Bills fo refted until the beginning of this present Parliament in An. 13 Regin. Eliz. when upon Friday the fixth Day of April foregoing these fix Bills foregoing were again prefented to the House, and a feventh Bill also, as is very probable, which was not at all read in the aforefaid laft Seffion in An. 8 Regin. Eliz. which was the Bill read the third time this prefent Day, touching the Commutations of Penance by the Ecclefiaftical Judge, and is always ftyled in the Original Fournal-Book of the Houfe of Commons the Bill G. And thereupon all the faid feven Bills touching Religion were referred to Committees to confider of them. And on the Day following, being Saturday, and the feventh Day of the fame Month, the faid Bills were read. The first Bill of them, ftiled the Bill A, was delivered to the forefaid Committees, or Commiffioners, and the Refidue appointed to remain in the Houfe, and that to stand for no Reading of any of them. Which great Caution doubtless the House of Commons did the rather obferve in their Proceeding with thefe Bills touching the Reformation of Matters of Religion and Church Goverment, because they defir'd her Majefty might the more graciously interpret their Endevors, and give way to the paffing of the faid Bills. To which purpose alfo the Houle appointed two of their Members before their rifing that very Day, to have their Furtherance alfo for the fame; who return'd their Anfwer on Thurfday the 10th Day of the fame Month, and advised the Houfe of Commons to pray a Conference with the Lords for that purpose; which was accordingly bad in the Afternoon of the fame Day. And And that Day alfo the fecond of the faid feven Bills, ftiled the Bill B, had its first reading, and was read the fecond time on Saturday the 28th Day of April, and the third time on Monday the 30th Day of the fame Month. On the morrow after the forefaid tenth Day of April, being the eleventh Day of the fame Month, and Wednesday, the Bill D had its firft Reading, being the fourth of the aforefaid feven Bills touching Religion: And on Wednefday the ninth Day of May its fecond Reading. And on Saturday the twelfth Day of May the Bill C, being the third of the faid feven Bills, had its firft Reading, and it's fecond Reading on Monday the fourteenth Day, and its third Reading on Wednesday the fixteenth Day of the fame Month. The Bill E alfo, being the fifth of the faid Seven Bills, had its first Reading on Friday the thirteenth Day of April, its fecond on Wednesday the fecond Day, and its third on Monday the feventh Day of May. For the Bill F, it appears not by the Original Fournal-Book of the House of Commons, that it was at all read, altho' it concern'd Penfions out of Benefices, and Leafes of Benefices. For the Bill G laftly, which was the feventh of the aforefaid Bills touching Religion, it had its firft Reading on Thursday the tenth Day of May; its fecond on Tuefday the fifteenth, and the third on this inftant Thursday, being the feventeenth Day of the fame Month, as is before jet down. Altho' it is to be obferv'd, that fome of the Readings of the aforefaid Bills are omitted upon fome of the faid Days as Matters of no great Moment. Of which Bills alfo there was fome treating on Wednesday the twenty fifth Day, and on Saturday the twenty eighth Day of April foregoing. But her Majesty on Thursday the first Day of May, by the Lords of the Upper House, declared unto the Committees of the House of Commons, who afterwards declared it to the House it felf, that she approved their good Endevors, but would not fuffer these things to be order'd by Parliament. Notwithstanding which Meffage, as Chap. XXIX. as appears by the Reading of fome of the faid feven Bills afterwards, the House of Commons ftill proceeded, and having pass'd two of the faid Bills, viz. the Bills B and C, on Wednesday the fixteenth Day of May foregoing, and the Bill G this prefent Thurfday, as is aforefaid, they fent them up to the Lords by Mr. Comptroller and others, as foon as the faid Bill G had paffed the Houfe. That the Bill A, which was the Bill for found Religion, with the Articles printed 1562; is the Twelfth Chapter of the 13th of Q. Eliz. which injoins Subfcription; I believe, no body doubts. However, if any Perfon fhould chance to question it, I defire him to remember, that the Twelfth Chapter of the 13th of Eliz. was certainly paffed this Parliament; and that there is no Footstep of any other Act, which does or can bear that Name, that paffed at that time. I confefs, the Title in Sir S. D'Ewes's Journal is different from that in the Statute Book. But that is no Objection, as any Man will perceive, who is in any measure acquainted with that Journal. The learned Baronet denominates this A& from the Purport of it, which is, as the printed Preamble teftifies, that the Churches might be ferv'd with Paftors of found Religion. Nor can it be pleaded, that Sir Simonds faies in the Paffage above, that all in the Issue was dash'd by the Queen, and confequently the faid Act for found Religion was not paffed. For then we must fuppofe, that tho' this Act was not paffed, yet an A&t to the very fame Purport did pafs in that very Parliament, altho' there is not the leaft Shadow of it any where extant; which is grofly unreafonable and abfurd. When therefore he faies, that all in the Ifue was dafh'd by the Queen, and again, fpeaking of the fame matter, all in the Iffue came to nothing, p. 155. we must conclude, either that the Author |