the highest civil dignities (ww), though not very with these titles have been, for the moft part, in all ages diftinguished. drews, vol. Lond. 1742 (ww) Churchmen were exalted to fome of the highest civil dignities, &c.] There have been fome who pretended to understand the fcripture literally, and who would make mankind believe the poverty and low eftate, which was recommended to the church in its infancy, and was only temporary doctrine adapted to her under perfecution, was to be preferved in her flourifhing and established ftate. The principles of Toland, Woolfton, and all the free-thinkers, in the opinion of parfon Barnabas, are not calculated to do half the • mischief as those profeffed by these sort of men (k).' (k) See Jo Whether Charles was himself, by ratiocination, convinced feph Anof the neceffity of beftowing wealth, dignity, and power i. p. 119, on men who profeffed themselves to be the more imme- 12mo. diate minifters of him, who declared his kingdom was not of this world; or whether he was taught the expediency and neceffity of fo doing, by thofe who love to harrangue on mortification, felf-denyal, contempt of the world, patience, and fubmiffion to God's will, and the meanness and worthleffness of all things here below, in comparison of that happiness which the good are taught to believe and expect in a future ftate. I fay, which foever of these was the cause, certain it is Charles was a friend to churchmen, as far as conferring on them this world's goods could make him fo. In the beginning of his reign, he fent for all the bifhops to come to him at ⚫ four o'clock in the afternoon. We waited upon him, ⚫ fourteen in number. Then his majesty chid us, that in this time of parliament we were filent in the cause of the church, and did not make known to him what ⚫ might be useful, or was prejudicial to the church, profeffing himself ready to promote the cause of the church (). Nor were thefe barely words. Laud, in (1) Laud's 1634, was named one of the commiffioners for the ex- diary, by chequer, and was called into the foreign committee by the king (m). These preferments Dr. Grey was igno- (m) Id. p. Wharton, P. 32. rant 51. (") Exami nation of Neale's 2d vol. p. 82. () Vol. i. p. 98, &c. P. very well qualified for them.-But this was not rant of (n); and for his information, as well as to do juftice to the fubject in hand, I mention them. How ill qualified he was for the business of the exchequer, and how rigorous and fevere he was in his speech and behaviour, thofe who have a mind may fee in lord Clarendon (o). About a year afterwards, William Juxon, lord bifhop of London, was made lord high treafurer of England. No churchman, adds Laud, had it fince Henry VIIth's time. I pray God bless him to carry it fo, that the church may have honor*, and the king and the ftate fervice and contentment by it. And now, if the 'church will not hold up themselves under God, I can (p) Laud's do no more (p).' The archbishop feemed to imagine, diary, P. 33, we fee, that Jefus Chrift was not fo well skilled as himfelf in the means of making the church hold up themselves, under God. But he was miftaken. For this promotion of Juxon's inflamed more men than were angry before, and no doubt did not only fharpen the edge of envy and malice against the archbishop (who was the known architect of this new fabrick), but most unjuftly indifpofed many towards the church itself; which they looked upon as the gulph ready to swallow all the great offices, there being others in view, of that robe, who were ambitious enough to expect the reft (q).' The fame noble author speaks with grief of fome clergymen's bold and unwarrantable oppofing (at this time) and protefting against prohibitions, and other proceed (9) Clarendon, vol. i. P. 99. The following lines in Dryden's character of a good parfon, are worthy the confideration of the reader, who thinks the church may receive honor by ftate-trappings. The prelate for his holy life he priz'd, Thefe marks of church and churchmen he defign'd, } ⚫ings not all.---Great hardships were fuffered by all . · P. 305. ings at law, on the behalf of ecclefiaftical courts; and the procuring fome orders and priviledges from the king, on the behalf of the civil law, even with an exclufion of the other: as the archbishop of Canterbury, fays he, prevailed with the king to direct, that half the mafters of the chancery fhould be always civil lawyers; and to declare that no others, of what condition foever, fhould ferve him as mafters of request (r).' (r) ClarenAnd to what a pitch of pride the prelates were arrived, don, vol. ii. we may learn from Mr. Whitlock. In the cenfure of Baftwick, fays he, all the bishops then prefent denied openly that they held their jurifdiction, as bishops, from the king, for which perhaps they might have been cenfured themselves in the times of Hen. II. or Ed. III. But they affirmed, that they had their jurifdiction from God only, which denyal of the fupreamacy of the king, under God, Hen. VIII. would have taken ill, ⚫ and it may be would have confuted them by his kingly < arguments, and regia manu; but these bishops publicly • difavowed their dependance on the king (s).' (s) Whit And in Michaelmas term, in the year 1631, certain lock, p.22. queftions were propounded to the judges, touching the clergy. 1. Whether clergymen were bound to find watch and ward, day or night? To this the answer was deferred. 2. Whether clergymen might be compelled to take apprentices, by the ftatute 43 Eliz. of the poor. The judges answered, that no man was out of the statute; and gave their reasons. This cafe, fays the author, I have reported, because it fheweth somewhat of the expectation and temper of the clergy in that time (t). I will conclude this note with the words of May.Archbishop Laud, who was grown into great favour with the king, made ufe of it especially to advance the pompe and temporal honour of the clergy, procuring the lord treafurer's place for Dr. Juxon, bishop of London; and endeavouring, as the general report went, (t) Id. p.17. (z) Parlia mentary hiftory, P. 23. all those who refused to submit to the ecclefiaftical yoke, now attempted to be put on the necks of Englishmen, and very fevere punishments were inflicted (xx) on those who to fix the greatest temporal preferments upon others of that coat; infomuch as the people merrily, when they faw the treasurer with the other bishops riding to Weftminster, called the Church Triumphant. Doctors and parfons of parishes were made every where justices of peace, to the great grievance of the country in civil affairs, and depriving them of their spiritual edification. The archbishop, by the fame means which he ' used to preserve his clergy from contempt, exposed them to envy; and, as the wifeft could then prophecy, to more than probability of lofing all (μ).' (xx) Severe punishments were inflicted, &c.] Nothing is more amazing than that there fhould have been men of fense and reason, who have countenanced perfecution in all its kinds and degrees. But it is aftonishing there fhould have been any, who pretended to be followers of the meek and merciful Jefus, who dared to practise it: of Jefus, who -held it more humane, more heav'nly first Milton. But too true it is, there have been many who profeffed themselves Chriftians, who have acted directly contrary hereunto; and who have feeined to imagine that they had a right to beat their fellow-fervants, for not fubmitting to their ufurped fway. Of this fort were the ruling part of Charles's clergy, who were permitted by him to wreak their malice and revenge on those who oppofed them. The hardships of the non-conformifts in this had courage enough publicly to oppose them. reign are well known. They were fufpended, deprived, excommunicated, and by means thereof forced to leave their habitations, and feek fhelter in wildernesses in a foreign land, where they found that protection which their country refused them, became rich and powerful, and are now one great fource of our trade and com merce. To enter into a detail of the hardships which the puritans fuffered will be needlefs, as the reader may fee them in one view in a late Effay towards attaining a true Idea of this Reign, written by a very ingenious gentleman. I will only give the following fpecimen of the ecclefiaftical proceedings in this time, from fir Edward Dering, who, in a speech to the house, Nov. 10, 1640, has the following words. Mr. fpeaker, I will prefent ' unto you the petition of a poor oppreffed minifter in the county of Kent: a man orthodox in his doctrine, 'conformable in his life, laborious in the minifterie, as any we have, or I do know. He is now a fufferer (as all good men are) under the general obloquy of a 'puritan. The purfuivant watches his doore, and divides him and his cure afunder, to both their greifs. -About a week fince I went over to Lambeth, to 'move that great bishop (too great indeed) to take this danger off from this minifter, and to recall the purfuivant. And withal I did undertake for Mr. Wilfon (for fo your petitioner is called), that he should answer his accufers in any of the king's courts at Westminster. The bishop made me answer (as well as I can remember), in hæc verba, "I am fure that he will not be "abfent from his cure a twelvemonth together, and then " (I doubt not) but once in a year he fhall have him." This was all I could obtain; but I hope (by the help of this houfe), before this year of threats run round, • his grace will either have more grace, or no grace at all. For our manifold griefs doe fill a mighty and vaft • circumference, yet fo that from every part our lines of • forrow doe lead unto him, and point at him, the center • from |