officers to the army, were fufficient evidence of this. Again, the fact of feveral English and Irish fees being kept for a long time vacant, especially that of York, supposed to be reserved for Father Petre, and other encroachments of the fame nature, were decifive proofs of the fixed purpose of James and his Council. Sancroft, therefore, at once set himself to draw up twelve articles of inftruction, or "Some Heads of things to be more fully infifted upon July 26. by the Bishops, in their addresses to the Clergy and People of their respective diocefes."* He exhorts the Clergy to be ftrict in all holy conversation, and set a good example to their flocks-to be constantly refident in their cures to catechize the children diligently-to perform the daily office publickly in all market and great towns, and even in villages, to bring the people to Publick Prayers as often as may be and to perfuade them to receive frequently the Holy Communion, - "That in their Sermons they teach and inform their people (four times a year at the leaft, as the firft Canon requires) that all Ufurp'd and Foreign Jurisdiction is for most just Causes taken away and abolished in this Realm, and no manner of Obedience or Subjection due to the fame, or to any that pretend to act by virtue of it: but that the King's Power being in his Dominions highest under God, they upon all occafions perfuade the People to Loyalty and Obedience to his Majefty in all things Lawful, and to patient fubmiffion in the reft; promoting (as far as in them lies) the publick Peace and Quiet of the World." ↑ * State Trials, vol. xii. p. 480. + Gutch's Collectanea Curiofa, vol. i. p. 387. "That they often exhort all those of our Communion, to continue stedfaft to the end in their moft Holy Faith, and conftant to their Profeffion; and to that end, to take heed of all Seducers, and especially of Popish Emiffaries, who are now in great Numbers gone forth amongst them, and more bufie and active than ever. And that they take all occafions to convince our own, that 'tis not enough for them to be Members of an Excellent Church, rightly and duly reformed, both in Faith and Worship, unless they do alfo reform and amend their own lives, and fo order their Converfation in all things. as becomes the Gofpel of Chrift." * “And forasmuch as those Romish Emiffaries, like the old Serpent, infidiantur Calcaneo, are wont to be most busie and troublesome to our People at the end of their lives, labouring to unfettle and perplex them in time of Sickness, and at the hour of Death; that therefore all who have the Cure of Souls, be more especially vigilant over them at that dangerous season; that they ftay not till they be sent for, but enquire out the fick in their refpective parishes, and visit them frequently that they examine them particularly concerning the ftate of their Souls, and inftruct them in their Duties, and fettle them in their Doubts, and comfort them in their Sorrows and Sufferings, and pray often with them and for them; and by all the methods which our Church prefcribes, prepare them for the due and worthy receiving of the Holy Eucharift, the pledge of their happy Refurrection: thus with their utmost Diligence watching over every Sheep within their Fold (especially in that critical moment) left those Evening Wolves devour them." "That they also walk in Wisdom towards those that are not of our Communion: and if there be in their Parishes any fuch, that they neglect not frequently to confer with them in the Spirit of Meekness, seeking by all good ways and means to gain and win them over to our Communion: More espe * Gutch's Collectanea Curiofa, vol. i. p. 389. cially that they have a very tender Regard to our Brethren the Proteftant Diffenters; that upon occafion offered, they visit them at their houses, and receive them kindly at their own, and treat them fairly wherever they meet them, difcourfing calmly and civilly with them; perswading them (if it may be) to a full Compliance with our Church, or at least, that whereto we have already attained, we may all walk by the fame Rule, and mind the fame thing.' And in order hereunto that they take all opportunities of affuring and convincing them, that the Bishops of this Church are really and fincerely irreconcileable Enemies to the Errors, Superftitions, Idolatries and Tyrannies of the Church of Rome; and that the very unkind Jealousies, which some have had of us to the contrary, were altogether groundless. "And in the laft place, that they warmly and most affectionately exhort them, to join with us in daily fervent Prayer to the God of Peace, for an univerfal bleffed Union of all Reformed Churches, both at home and abroad, against our common Enemies; that all they who do confefs the holy Name of our dear Lord, and do agree in the Truth of His holy word, may also meet in one holy Communion, and live in perfect Unity and godly Love." * Copies of these Articles were delivered to the Bishops who were in London, and fent in the Archbishop's name to those who had retired to their respective Dioceses. If they had been imprisoned for joining in a humble petition to the King to be excufed reading the Declaration of Indulgence, what punishment might they not now expect for publishing a document, which openly compared the Popish Emiffaries to "the Old Serpent," and "Evening Wolves," and the Romish Church, as "the common enemy," "full of errors, super * Gutch's Collectanea Curiofa, vol. i. p. 386. GG ftitions, idolatries, and tyrannies!" The Ecclefiaftical Commiffioners, with Jeffreys at their head, were still thundering forth their orders to have the Declaration read, and threatening with heavy penalties all who neglected to do so.* But whilft the Bishops claimed from their clergy a dutiful obedience to the King' in all things lawful, no Court of High Commiffion could filence their remonftrances against the ufurped authority, and public teaching of Rome. It was no fudden fervour, kindled by a recent triumph, which animated them to a bold defence. Sancroft's courageous fpirit is fairly represented in a letter of the period: the fignature is wanting; but it was probably from one of his Chaplains: «Sir, "London, July 27, 1688. Yesterday the Archbishop of Canterbury delivered the Articles which I send you enclosed, to those Bishops who are present in this place; and ordered copies of them to be likewife fent in his name to the absent Bishops. By the contents of them, you will fee that the storm in which he is, does not frighten him from doing his duty; but rather awakens him to do it with so much the more vigour and indeed, the zeal that he expreffes in these Articles, both against the corruptions of the Church of Rome on the one hand, and the unhappy differences that are among Proteftants on the other, are fuch Apoftolical things, that all good men rejoice to fee fo great a Prelate at the head of our Church, who in this critical time has had the courage to do his duty in fo fignal a manner. "Yours."+ "I am, Sir, * Ellis's Original Letters, 2nd Series, vol. iv. p. 117. The majority of the Bishops gave immediate effect to the orders of Sancroft. Ken circulated the Articles through his diocese, and prevented his Clergy from reading the Declaration of Indulgence. If lately, within the royal chapel, almoft within the King's hearing, he had, "with wonderful eloquence," "defcribed the blafphemies, perfidy, wresting of Scripture, fuperftition and legends of the Romish Priests, and their new Trent religion," he was now equally prompt to show by deeds, as well as words, his devotion to the Church of England. He joined Trelawney, of Briftol, in a remonstrance to Lampleugh, of Exeter, for ordering the King's Declaration to be published in his diocese. Trelawney gives the following account to the Archbishop; "Mr. Gilbert, the bearer, goeing for London, and being defirous of paying his duty to your Grace, I gave him this opportunity, as well to receive your bleffing, as to present you with the present ftate of the weft. He is the labourious minister of Plymouth, who by his courage, life, and doctrine hath done a greate deale of good in that town: I wish his Lord, the Bishop of Exeter, had as fixt and steady refolutions; but his Lordship, acting according to a settled maxim of his own, 'I will be safe,' had given order for the publishing the Declarations notwithstanding the Bishop of Bathe and Wells and my letters to him, and was at laft brought to recall them by the Deane's fending him word that, if he would betray the Church, he should not the Cathedral, for he would rather be hang'd at the doors of it, than the Declaration should Evelyn's Diary, vol. ii. p. 263. |