The same regulation had taken place in Guernsey, had not JAMES I. the rupture with Spain diverted the king to other affairs. This reign and the next growing embarrassed, some of the ministers made use of the juncture to return to their Nonconformity, particularly De la Place, above-mentioned, resenting his missing the deanery, retired into Guernsey, and made a bold opposition against the English liturgy.

Heylin's

As to Jersey, it was first parcel of the diocese of Dol, in Hist. Presb. Bretagne, and so continued from the time of St. Sampson till the coming of the Normans into Neustria. These strangers happening to contest with the Britons about their frontiers, withdrew these islands of Jersey, Guernsey, &c. from the obedience of their prelate, and annexed them to a see of their own, to Coutance, in Normandy.

A. D.

And now to come back to the order of time. One Bartho- March 18, lomew Legget was convented for Arianism before King, bishop 1611-12. of London. At his appearing he denied the authority of the Legget and Wightman court, and persisting in his obstinacy, was pronounced an in- burnt for corrigible heretic, and delivered over to the secular magistrate. Upon which a writ "de heretico comburendo" being directed April 11. to the sheriffs in London, he was burnt in Smithfield.

About a month afterward, Edward Wightman, of Burtonupon-Trent, convicted of heresy before Neile, bishop of Coventry and Lichfield, was burnt at Lichfield. This unhappy person was charged with the heresies of Simon Magus, Ebion, and Cerinthus, of Valentinian, Arian, and Macedonius, of Manes, Photinus, and the Anabaptists 1.

heresy.

Fuller's
Ch. Hist.

The next year, at a parliament held at Edinburgh, the con- book 10. clusions agreed in the late general assembly at Glasgow were confirmed, with some explanations. To mention something of this latter kind. In case the diocesan should refuse to admit a qualified minister proposed by the patron, it is lawful for the patron to enter upon the profits of the living, and keep them in his hand. And here either the patron, or the parish unpro- October, vided with a pastor, may complain to the archbishop, and in case the archbishop refuses to give due satisfaction, the lords of the privy council, upon the party's complaint, are empowered to direct letters of horning against the ordinary. But here it is provided, that if any archbishop, or bishop, shall perceive the person presented guilty of simony with the patron, in not

1 The martyrdom of these Arians was one of the most infamous proceedings of James's reign.

A.D. 1612.

ABBOT, reserving a sufficient maintenance for him and his successors; Abp. Cant. if this can be proved, either by the party's oath, or other evidence, in such cases the ordinary may lawfully refuse the person presented; it is likewise enacted, that when any controversy of this nature shall happen, it shall be decided by the lords of council and session. And to conclude, by this statute the act made in the year 1592, and all other resembling acts in favour of presbytery, and derogatory to the articles of the general assembly at Glasgow, are repealed.

James 6.

parl. 21. cap. 1.

The earl of
Essex and
the lady
Frances
Howard

divorced.

Annals of

K. James, &c. p. 1, &c.

Wadhamcollege founded.

The death of prince Henry, which happened in November, this year, was extremely regreted. He died in the nineteenth year of his age, and was a very promising prince. By this calamity at court, the marriage of the lady Elizabeth with the elector palatine of the Rhine was postponed till February following.

The

The divorce between the earl of Essex and the lady Frances Howard occurs next. A commission of delegacy to six bishops, to two privy counsellors learned in the law, and four civilians, was issued to try the cause. I shall wave relating the grounds for the divorce, or the circumstances of the evidence. reader, if he pleases, may see the whole detail in the Annals of king James. The judges who concurred in the sentence, were Bilson, bishop of Winchester; Andrews, bishop of Ely; Neile, bishop of Coventry and Lichfield; and Buckeridge, bishop of Rochester; sir Julius Cæsar, sir Thomas Parry, and sir Daniel Dun. Now though the men were unexceptionable, and the process regular, and managed in the forms of the law, the judgment did not escape uncensured. Two of the delegates, archbishop Abbot, and King, bishop of London, were ́against the divorce. The first wrote the reasons of his dissent, which were answered by his majesty.

To proceed: Nicholas Wadham, of Merryfield, in the county of Somerset, esq., bequeathed four hundred pounds per annum, and six thousand pounds in money, towards the building and endowing a college in Oxford; leaving his wife executrix, and some feoffees in trust, for the performance of his will. The revenue settled was for the maintenance of a warden, Wood, Hist. fifteen fellows, the same number of scholars, two chaplains, et Antiquit. Univers. two clerks, besides officers and servants.

Oxon. lib. 2.
The death

of Isaac

Some few years since the famous Isaac Casaubon was invited into England by the king, and made prebendary of CanterA.D. 1614. bury. He was born at Bourdeaux, a small town in Dauphiny.

Casaubon.

Joseph Scaliger commends him for the best Grecian of his JAMES I. time. He wrote several things. His last work was a critique upon "Baronius's Annals." These "Exercitations," as he calls them, were answered by Rosweidus, a Jesuit, and defended by Capellus, divinity professor at Sedan.

This year the king made a progress to Cambridge, where the comedy called "Ignoramus," was acted to entertain him. In this play, the barbarous Latin used by the common lawyers, is exposed with advantage enough. This satirical diversion was resented by the long robe, and, as it is said, occasioned Selden's writing his "History of Tithes," by way of revenge: but of this more afterwards.

The king's treating Arminius with hard language, in his declaration against Vorstius, was somewhat misconstrued by the Puritans. They thought his majesty much farther in their sentiments than he really was. Upon this mispersuasion they held up their tenets, and pushed the points of Calvinism with more freedom than formerly. For instance, Calvin had published a hideous notion concerning our Saviour's passion; and maintained, that he suffered the torments of hell, even to the horrors of despair: this scandalous opinion happening to be animadverted on by one Corbet, in a Good-Friday sermon, at Oxford, the preacher was smartly reprimanded by the repetitioner, for taking this freedom. To give another instance, Dr. John Houson, canon of Christ-church, a worthy person, and formerly vice-chancellor, was ordered a recantation, for speaking to the disadvantage of the "Geneva Annotations;" which was somewhat strange, considering these Annotations had been censured for seditious doctrines by his majesty at the Hampton-court conference: and, lastly, Dr. William Laud, then president of St. John's College, for declaring himself against Calvinism, was charged with popery, in a public sermon preached upon Easter-day, by Dr. Robert Abbot, then vicechancellor and divinity professor. This over enterprising temper in the Puritanical party, it is thought, occasioned his majesty's publishing some directions for the universities; in which, among other things, it is enjoined, "That young students The king's in divinity should be directed to study such books as were most agreeable in doctrine and discipline to the Church of England; reference to and be excited to bestow their time in the Fathers and coun- the study of divinity. cils, schoolmen, histories, and controversies, and not to insist

708.

directions to the univer

sity with

ABBOT, too long upon Compendiums and Abbreviators, making them Abp. Cant. the grounds of those sacred studies."-This was the first remarkable check given to Calvinism in this reign.

And now to take a short view of the condition of religion in Ireland. The Puritan persuasion had for some time gotten great footing in this kingdom; the late reign having proved but unfortunate to that Church. Here the lay-managers, to enrich themselves, struck in with the Nonconformists against the hierarchy. The revenues of the prelates and cathedrals were set to sale; and the ravage was carried on to so great a calamity, that some sees had nothing towards a competency left to maintain a bishop. For which reason several dioceses were thrown together to make a tolerable subsistence. Thus the bishoprics of Ardagh and Kilmore, Ossory and Kilkenny, Down and Connor, Waterford and Lismore, Cork and Ross, &c. were united.

This poverty reached the inferior orders. For the parish tithes being mostly appropriated to religious houses, fell to the crown at the dissolution; afterwards king Henry VIII., and his successors, conveyed them to their favourites: and thus they were now alienated from the Church, and turned to layfees. The vicarages were generally sunk to a lamentable provision: insomuch, that in the province of Connaught, the common allowance to the vicar amounted but to forty shillings per annum, and sometimes but to sixteen. Thus the Church revenues being seized, the authority of the bishops and clergy declined of course, and the people followed their own fancy in the choice of religion: and in this despicable condition the Church of Ireland was left at the death of queen Elizabeth.

At the Hampton-court conference the king proposed the sending preachers into Ireland, complaining he was but half a monarch in that kingdom; that nothing but their bodies were subject to his authority; for their consciences were under the pope's command. However, it does not appear any expedient was tried to bring the Irish farther into the Reformation till after the year 1607: about which time the earl of Ter-Owen, Ter-Connel, sir John Odhagharty, and other noblemen of the north, quitted the island with their families, and left their estates to the king's disposal. Upon this the plantation of Ulster was undertaken by the city of London: these adventurers fortified Coleraine, built Londonderry, and purchased a

great tract of land in the adjacent parts. But the planting this JAMES I. province was more vigorously pursued by some of the Scots, who transported numerous colonies. These planters improved the country, and brought preachers into the churches where they settled. But being of the Presbyterian persuasion, they formed the church upon their own scheme; and as for episcopal government, and the English Common-prayer, nothing was more despised and neglected.

ence between

and Irish

And thus Calvinism advancing by degrees, both in discipline The differand doctrine, the latter was at last received as the public be- the English lief of the Irish Church. Thus the Articles of the Church of Articles. England not passing the test, the divines there went so far in their singularities, as to bring in a confession of their own. The draught was referred to the conduct of Dr. James Usher, then provost of Dublin-college, and afterwards lord primate. By this gentleman's management, the Lambeth Articles, rejected at the Hampton-court conference, were taken into the Confession. Secondly, An article was framed to justify the morality of the Sunday Sabbath, and requiring the spending it wholly in religious exercises. Thirdly, Something of Calvin's notion concerning our Saviour's agony and descent into hell is maintained. Fourthly, Forbearing flesh upon certain days of abstinence, is declared not to be done upon the score of mortification, but for politic considerations. Fifthly, All clergymen are supposed lawfully called, who have their business assigned them by those who have authority in the Church: but that these authorized persons are none but bishops, is not asserted. Sixthly, The power of the keys is said to be only declarative, which expounds away one main branch of the sacerdotal commission, and makes the apostolic privilege of binding and loosing signify nothing. The pope is made antichrist, pursu- A. d. 1615. ant to the doctrine of the Calvinistic synod at Gappe, in Dauphiny. And, lastly, The consecration of archbishops and bishops, is passed over in silence; as if it was done on purpose to avoid asserting the distinction between this order and that of priests. Thus Usher's private opinions were thrown into the articles for the Church of Ireland, passed in the convention there this year, and were ratified by the lord deputy Chichester in the king's name.

As to his majesty's sentiment, it was plainly different from many of these decisions: how then came it about that the