was exhibited in the execution of Mill, (1558,) an old minister of above eighty years of age, served but to excite the feelings of men, who could not fail soon to learn their power, and tended to consolidate a force which was sure to triumph in the end. It is probable, however, that the arrival of Knox gave a new turn to the proceedings of the reformers; and the comparison which is here instituted will be imperfect, unless something is said of this person, who held so conspicuous a place in the subsequent transactions of Scotland.

were obtained from the government by mere force of arms. During the whole of this contest, Knox had much influence in the civil as well as ecclesiastical transactions, and his exertions and success could not fail to give a marked character to his own opinions, and to those which were adopted by the church. He learnt "to bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with links of iron;" and seems to have introduced among his followers the idea, not only of the independence, but of the superiority of the church, over the lay government of the country;-a superiority nominally confined indeed to spirituals, but which might easily extend itself to the temporal concerns of the kingdom." The Articles of the church of England say, “General councils may not be gathered together without the commandment and will of princes;" in the act of the general assembly of Scotland, August 27, 1647, approving of the Confession of Faith set forth by the assembly of divines, this point is distinctly denied; "It being also free to assemble together synodically, as well pro re nata, as at the ordinary times, upon delegation from the churches, by the intrinsical power received from Christ." Occasions may arise, when it may become the duty of the minister of Christ to do many things contrary to the general line of his ordinary proceedings; but these circumstances create an exception, not a law; and it will be difficult to draw a line to mark our duty, if the possibility of such circumstances is to frame a general rule for our guidance.

The natural impetuosity of his character, and the sufferings to which he had been exposed, prepared his mind for the great struggle in which he was soon to be engaged, but gave to his conduct the air of patriotic exertion in the cause of religious and civil freedom, rather than the appearance of Christian endurance in the defence of truth. The disturbances, and destruction of the monasteries, which took place at Perth, immediately after his preaching there, have cast an obloquy on the Scotish reformer, which he probably little deserves; but whatever portion of human policy there might have been in destroying the buildings in which the religious orders might again have assembled, and from whence there might subsequently have issued a fresh band of defenders of the church of Rome, this circumstance, and the consequences of it, gave the Reformation here, as well as in England, an appearance of destruction, which must be deplored by every friend of sober Christianity. The dishonesty of the regent prevented the possibility § 496. Of the sincerity and boldness of a quiet settlement of the question, and of Knox there can exist little doubt. after mutual successes, and a variety of But the Christian wisdom and prudence fortunes, the death of the queen dowager, of his method of proceeding may reaand the interference of Elizabeth, paved sonably be called in question; and the way for the settlement of the Protest- while we admire his virtues, we may ant religion in Scotland, by the parlia- avoid his faults, and examine the conment in 1560, and the publication of the sequences of them. His harshness Confession of Faith'. Whatever was never convinced Mary, and the conduct here established, was gained from the of his successors failed in reforming crown and the clergy by the armed James, while they certainly created in interference of the Protestants; and both these personages a great dislike to though the population was convinced by force of argument, the concessions

The Confession of Faith is printed in Calderwood's History of the Church of Scotland, p. 14; the Form of Church Policy, in Spotswood's His tory, p. 152.

the religious principles which were

2 It may be remarked, that in this particular the church of Scotland maintains a doctrine corresponding with that of the church of Rome. The position here taken from a document of a later date, was, I believe, always maintained by the church of Scotland.

supposed to sanction such conduct. I on the ground of the ultimate necessity There may be occasions when the of it, reasons on principles which can preacher may be called on to animad- hardly be denied: but before he can vert on the conduct of his hearers in apply his doctrine to any particular personal allusions; but men of that case, it will be incumbent on him to period must have differed much from prove that the evil in question admitted the rest of their fellow-creatures, if they of no remedy short of the dereliction of were likely to be reformed by such a positive law of God. He must show addresses; and the clergy who adopted that the patient sufferings of Cranmer, such a freedom must have been pos- and our other English reformers, did sessed of most extraordinary humility not as certainly produce the Reforma and self-command, if there were not tion in England, as Knox and his great danger of their misusing such a friends were the authors of that blessed license. Granting that Knox always event to their native country. He must kept in view "that he might gain the show that the one line of conduct was sinner to the Lord," we may well ques- as much according to the will of God tion the wisdom of the means which he as the other. To plead the necessity adopted for doing so. To institute a of doing evil that good may come, is to comparison between Cranmer and Knox destroy a belief in the providence of would be an invidious as well as a diffi- God: and it would probably prove cult task; but while we thank God for much sounder historical reasoning, as the Reformation which they each pro- well as sounder theology, if we were to duced, we may remember that the attempt to discover how men who obey meekness of the one was as effectual as the spirit of the gospel triumph in their the sternness of the other; that an un-meekness, rather than to endeavour to yielding stoicism is as much a worldly demonstrate, that circumstances change temper as a compliant facility; and that the nature of God's laws: how Knox the character of a firm yet mild gentle- might have produced the Reformation man is much nearer to that of a Chris- in Scotland by imitating Ridley or tian patriot than the world will gene- Hooper, rather than by joining in direct rally allow.

§ 497. In examining the Reformation in Scotland as a whole, it is impossible to overlook its political tendencies. The changes which took place in England were moderate, because they were guided by the government. All that could be preserved in the constitution of the church remained, because the highest members of the clergy were employed in carrying on the alterations. In Scotland, the bishops were hostile to the Reformation; and the Reformation which triumphed over the temporal authority of the country, and conquered by the sword of the flesh as well as by that of the spirit, threw down bishops, from nearly the same reasons as destroyed episcopacy in the reign of Charles I. The principle which supported the Reformation in Scotland was a spirit of resistance to civil as much as religious tyranny; and though our gratitude is due to the great Disposer of events when he produces good out of evil, yet, under whatever name we may conceal it, rebellion is rebellion. He who argues in favour of resistance

opposition to his sovereign: how in later days the covenanters and parliament might have brought Charles I. to reason, rather than have dethroned and murdered him. No one would wish to question the readiness of God to pardon those who err in their zeal for his service, or to doubt his mercy in producing good effects from the worst passions of mankind; but he permits those things which he does not approve, and he may prosper that in which the individual instruments are not working according to those laws which he has laid down.

§ 498. If these views of the question be correct, it follows that the temper with which the Reformation in England was carried on was likely to lead to a more satisfactory settlement of religion than that in Scotland: that the instruments, being governed by more Christian principles, were more likely, humanly speaking, to frame a moderate and more Christian constitution of a church in our own country than in that of our northern neighbours: that too great a deference to the temporal power was more likely to form a sound Chris

tian community than that opposition | bably this predisposition to control the to the government which marked the power of the crown by force, which was events of Scotland. And I believe that engendered by the Reformation in Scota quiet examination of the real state of land, contributed in a great degree to things at the accession of James would stamp its features on the events with lead us to this conclusion. With the which we shall presently be engaged; evils which have since grown up in but it is only at the day of judgment England and Scotland we have nothing that we shall learn how far these forcinow to do; but with this view of the ble exertions of Christians are approved subject we can hardly help concluding, by Him from whom the blessings of that the alteration in the church which civil government are primarily derived. had taken place in England was, with It is the office of the ministers of God all its imperfections, a reformation; to teach their brethren what God will while that in Scotland bore a nearer approve, not what he may pardon; and resemblance to a revolution in the it is the office of the historian to point church. The temper of mind created out how God brings good out of evil, by the one or the other in the breasts and to show mankind how the evil of the individual members of society might have been avoided, without remust in some degree depend on the linquishing the prospect of good to tendency of the change itself; and pro- which our earthly hopes are directed.

CHAPTER XII.

THE REIGN OF JAMES I., FROM 1603 TO 1625.

501. Impression in favour of James. 502. Millenary petition; objections of the puritans. 503. Proclamation for the conference at Hampton Court. 504. First day; Prayer Book. 505. Second day; Articles. 506. Confirmation; Articles. 507. Catechism; lessons from the Apocrypha. 508. Cross; surplice; ring; prophesyings. 509. Third day; conclusion of it. 510. Barlow's account of the conference. 511. Other accounts. 512. Convocation; new canons. 513. Parliament; state of parties. 514. Powder-plot. 515. Statutes against Roman Catholics. 516. Oath of allegiance; treatment of Roman Catholics. 517. College at Chelsea. 518. Heretics; persecution. 519. Book of Sports. 520. Synod of Dort. 521. James's letter about preaching. 522. Necessity of examining politics. 523. Character of James; tolerably wise, but very weak. 524. His high notions of prerogative in church and state. 525. The light of the Reformation opened men's eyes about politics. 526. James could not tolerate this in either church or state. 527. Tolerant towards Roman Catholics; the question of toleration ill understood.

§ 501. THE tranquil manner in which it was established by Queen Elizabeth, James succeeded to the throne enabled together with the anxiety which he exthe most active politicians to turn their hibited to be informed on ecclesiastical full attention to ecclesiastical matters. subjects, and concerning the present All men recognised the justice of his state of the church, contributed to cretitle, and hailed the prospect of his suc- ate in the minds of those who were cession, although the general temper interested in his future proceedings a of the country, and the circumstance of strong impression in his favour. the king's having been bred up in a church differing much from that of England, prevented the friends of the establishment from being entirely free from doubts, as to the result of his coming to the crown.

Dr. Neville, dean of Canterbury, was commissioned in the name of the archbishop and bishops to present their congratulations to his majesty in Scotland. The answer returned by James, that he would uphold the church of England as

§ 502. The circumstances which had tended to alarm the friends of episcopacy gave life to the exertions of the opposite party, and applications of various descriptions were made at court, to induce the king to examine and remove whatever offended the scruples of the weak or the prejudices of the wilful.

With a view of advocating this cause, many petitions were prepared, and among the rest, one which, from the supposed number of ministers who

subscribed it, was called the Millenary, was to reform such corruptions as had although the names never actually been introduced by time, as well as to amounted to above seven hundred and furnish himself with information, in fifty. This document is chiefly valua- order that he might be able to judge ble in presenting to us the most import- of the enormities which were objected ant points complained of by the puritan against the ecclesiastical government party. The topics on which it treats and the services. Much too is freare, 1. Objections to the church ser- quently said of the alarm experienced vice. 2. Pluralities, non-residence, and by the hierarchy at this period; but unpreaching ministers. 3. The better though they could not fail to be anxious maintenance of the parochial clergy, at such a moment, they neither seem to which might be effected by restoring to have entertained any very violent fears, them the greater part of ecclesiastical nor to have had any grounds for them. impropriations, and a sixth or seventh Whitgift, as he was bound, made every of all lay ones. 4. The redress of preparation for the approaching conferchurch discipline. The three last of ence, and particularly consulted Hutthese were points on which the govern- ton, archbishop of York, on several ors of the church were equally eager, important points. His answers were though their views, perhaps, did not partially quoted at the conference, and coincide exactly with those of the re- it is not improbable that application was forming party, since they perceived made to other divines for their assistdifficulties which were not taken into ance in the same manner. due consideration in the sweeping complaints of the others. The king himself was fully alive to them, and it was by his direction that Whitgift (June 30th) addressed a letter to his suffragans, enjoining them to make all due inquiries into the condition of their dioceses, with regard to the number of recusants, the state of the incumbents, and the value of the preferments. James wished for information, too, with respect to the Common Prayer, and though obviously favourable to the church of England, he was anxious to arrive at the truth, by hearing whatever might be advanced against it.

§ 503. It was with this view that he summoned certain divines to a conference at Hampton Court. He is accused by Rapin' of insincerity in holding out the prospect of a free discussion, on the points at issue between the church and nonconformists, which he never meant to realize but if we are to judge by the public documents, no charge can be less founded. In the proclamation under which this assembly was held, he twice declares his own perfect approbation of the doctrine and discipline as by law established, and his conviction that it was agreeable to the word of God and the forms of the primitive church; and that the object which he had in view

§ 504. The establishment was represented by Whitgift, archbishop of Canterbury, Bancroft, bishop of London, T. Matthew of Durham, Bilson of Winchester, with five other bishops, together with ten divines, who were chiefly deans. The other party consisted of Reynolds, president of Corpus Christi college, and Dr. Sparks from Oxford, and Knewstubbs and Chaderton from Cambridge.

In the first day's conference (Jan. 14th) the church party alone were admitted, and the object to which the attention of the meeting seems to have been directed was to furnish his majesty with information on certain points connected with the question.

In the Prayer Book, it was pointed out that confirmation, as used in the church of England, affected not the fulness of the sacrament of baptism, which had been before administered; and was established on the authority of the apostles and the custom of the primitive church. That the absolution was merely a declaration of God's pardon through Christ, pronounced by an authorized minister, and addressed, in its most general forms, to the whole congregation; but in the Visitation of the Sick, (where the expressions are applicable to an individual, and seem to presume a greater authority on the part of the minister,) that it was used in the

"Strype's Whitgift, iii. 392, No. 44.

Unfortunately, during this part of the discussion, Bancroft suffered himself to be carried away by the violence of his temper, and attempted to put a stop to the whole proceeding; but the king reproved him with much dignity and propriety, and the argument was resumed.

case of those only who desired such derly handled, lest, on the one side, consolation for the clearing and quieting God's omnipotency be questioned by of their conscience. That the use of impeaching the doctrine of his eternal private baptism' by women and laics predestination, or, on the other side, a was never admitted except in cases of desperate presumption arreared by innecessity, according to the use of the ferring the necessary certainty of perprimitive church; and that the words sisting in grace." of the rubric were left general, as to this particular, in order that the sacrament might not be omitted on occasions where no minister was present. In each of these cases the decision of the meeting was, that it should be left to the discretion of the bishops, whether such words should not be inserted in the several rubrics as would leave these points no longer doubtful; and it was agreed on all hands that some other coercion might be used to enforce ordinary ecclesiastical discipline, without having constant recourse to the severity

of excommunication.

§ 506. When the question of confirmation was brought forward, and the texts (Heb. vi. 2, Acts viii.) had been quoted, it was soon reduced into a more narrow compass by the concessions of the complainants, who objected not to the institution, but wished that the administering of the rite might no longer § 505. (Jan. 16.) The proceedings of be confined to the bishops alone, since the second day become infinitely more their extensive dioceses rendered them interesting, inasmuch as they may be totally unable to examine the whole of presumed to contain all the objections the candidates properly. As no period to the details of the church of England, could be assigned at which such a cusin which a moderate conconformist tom had been admitted in the church, would then have desired alteration. Dr. Reynolds arranged what he had to bring forward under four heads: 1st, of doctrinal points; 2d, of such things as pertained to the appointment of ministers; 3d, to the remodelling of the Common Prayer; 4th, and to church government.

the proposal was laid aside, and it was left to be subsequently decided, whether the words, "an examination," should be introduced into the rubric before confirmation."

Again it was objected, that the XXIIId article allowed a layman to preach out of the congregation, because it asserted The particulars objected to in the only that it was not lawful for him to Articles were, that the doctrine of final preach "in the congregation," unless perseverance ought to be stated in a he were duly called. That the XXVth manner more consistently with that of article called confirmation a corrupt folpredestination than it was in the XVIth lowing of the apostles. That in the and XVIIth articles; and it was argued, XXXVIIth article, it was not enough that this would be effected by inserting to say "that the bishop of Rome had no in the XVIth article, immediately fol- authority in this land," unless it were lowing the words "after we have re-added, "that he ought not to have any." ceived the Holy Ghost we may depart from grace," the qualification of this expression in some such terms as these, "yet not totally or finally ;" and it was proposed that the Lambeth Articles should be introduced into the text of the Thirty-nine. These proposed alterations were not received with any favour, and the king, in conclusion, remarked, "Mean time I wish that the See Bingham's Antiquities, vol. iv. p. 385, doctrine of predestination may be ten-xii. ii. 3, who gives a considerable account of the custom of the early church on this particular, corresponding with the present practice of the church of England.

See $424,1.

22 See $ 464.

But it was of course utterly useless to attempt to answer such unimportant cavils. When Dr. Reynolds wished that it might be inserted in the Articles, "that the intention of the minister is not of the essence of the sacrament," the king objected, as about the Lambeth Articles, to the introduction of any

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