Abp. Cant. PARKER, ples, he was sent to the Lollard's Tower, from thence brought into the consistory at St. Paul's, and interrogated by the bishop. And when the sentence of heresy was ready to pass upon him, he promised to renounce his persuasion, and submit to the penance of the court. But when the test was farther put, and the conditions required, he refused to make good his engagement. Upon this he was sent to the Tower, where he beat out one of the warder's brains with a billet. For this murder he was tried and condemned. His right hand was cut off, and nailed to the gallows; he struggled against the execution, and died without the least sign of repentance. Stow's Cambden, Eliz. Jan. 26. 1572-3. James 6. parl. 3. cap. 45. The latter end of the last year, the earl of Morton was, by queen Elizabeth's interest, elected regent of Scotland: and soon after sir Henry Killegrew was sent ambassador thither. His instructions were to settle the regent, and crush the queen of Scots' party. He prevailed with the duke of Chatelherault and earl of Huntley to prolong the cessation of arms then on foot and over and above this concession, they agreed to send commissioners to Perth, to treat with the regent in order to a full accommodation. The laird of Grange, governor of Edinburgh castle, the lord Hume, the bishop of Dunkeld, Lethington, and some other persons of quality in the garrison, stood firm to their queen, and refused having any share in that treaty. In the mean time the parliament was held at Edinburgh. Amongst other things, it was enacted, "that Papists, or suspected Papists, who refused to receive the sacrament with the reformed, were to be admonished to recant their errors, to communicate with the Kirk, and submit to the discipline established." The first penalty for non-compliance was excommunication and in case of obstinacy or relapse, they were to be reputed infamous: that is, they were disabled from having any office, pursuing any action, or being admitted as witnesses in any court of justice. By another statute, all ecclesiastical persons were obliged to subscribe the confession of faith, under the penalty of deprivation. And for this purpose all archbishops, bishops, and superintendents, were to appear before the general assembly. By the last act I shall mention, all persons who refuse to own the king's (that is the regent's) authority, are to be Jam. 6. admonished by the ministers of the Kirk to acknowledge their parl. 3. caps. 46, 47. offence, and change their practice. And that none shall be reputed good subjects, but such as profess the reformed religion, as by law established: and that those who own the confession of faith, and yet fail in their duty to the government, shall be excommunicated. ELIZA BETH. dation at Scots de At the recess of the parliament, commissioners from the The accomoregent, and those who stood for the queen, met at Perth. Perth. And here, after some days' debate, the latter agreed to disen- The queen of gage from the cause, to submit to the regent, and to acknow-serted. ledge, that whatever they had done by virtue of the queen's commission, since her son's coronation, was void, and against law. And thus, after a great deal of handsome struggle, and appearance of loyalty, they signed themselves rebels. The rest of the articles, some of which were not very favourable, p. 268. shall be omitted. Spotswood. p. 546. And now the regent solicited the English ambassador to The castle of Edinburgh move his mistress for troops to reduce Edinburgh Castle. surrendered. Queen Elizabeth, who had all along encouraged the regencies, granted the request, and sent a body of 1500 men under the command of sir William Drury. In short, by this reinforcement, the castle was obliged to surrender upon hard terms: the quality in the garrison were made prisoners, and the governor executed. This was the finishing stroke to the queen of Scots: thus her interest was entirely broken, and she was ousted of all her dominions. To return to England: the setting up a presbytery at Wandsworth, Cartwright's "Reply to Whitgift's Answer to the Admonition," and other pamphlets dispersed by the party, kept up the contest, and made an unserviceable impression. The queen, therefore, to give check to the delusion, ordered the lord-treasurer Burleigh to make a speech in the Starchamber upon this subject, and press the execution of the laws. It seems some persons in the ecclesiastical commission were suspected to countenance the Puritans underhand, or at least to manage with too much remissness. treasurer's The treasurer acquainted the lords of the Star-chamber, The lord"Her majesty was informed, that through the negligence of the speech in the bishops and governing clergy, several persons underqualified Star-chamber for in age, and unfurnished with learning and discretion, have pressing conbeen admitted to the cure of souls, and trusted with the desk formity. and pulpit. That these men, for want of ballast and maturity, have struck out into singularities, governed themselves by their Nov. 28, 1573. PARKER, Own fancies, set the rubric aside, and made alterations in the Abp. Cant. offices of the Church. And thus, neither the prayers are read nor the sacraments administered according to public order. Thus, by the mischief of precept and example, they have misled their audience, brought them to dislike and censure the ecclesiastical government, and made them believe they cannot comply with the ceremonies established, without disserving their conscience. That this latitude must be destructive to government; and that her majesty cannot discharge the trust lodged with her by God Almighty, without providing a remedy for this evil. "For this purpose her majesty, in the beginning of this term, published a proclamation for the strict keeping the Uniformity Statute. And to give more vigour to the constitution, she had appointed certain commissioners, of which the archbishops and bishops are the principal, to take cognizance of offences of this nature. She had likewise ordered the lordkeeper to signify her pleasure upon this head, and suggest the great benefits in enforcing the execution of the laws, and the mischiefs of a languid management. That notwithstanding all this precaution, her majesty is informed that error and presumption come rather forward, and gain ground upon the Church and State. "That her majesty cannot satisfy her conscience, without prosecuting these disorders, and doing her utmost to bring practice and law together: neither does she think those subjects worthy of favour and protection, that abet these innovations; and, either directly or indirectly, countenance the alteration of anything settled in the Church. "Her majesty commanded him farther to acquaint the lords of the Star-chamber, that being empowered by act of parliament, she had at several times, by the advice of the clergy, published injunctions and orders for the uniform government of the Church; and given the execution of these orders in charge to the bishops, and other ecclesiastical commissioners and ministers of justice. "That her majesty is apprehensive the long connivance at these pernicious doctrines, the countenance and commendation given them by some persons in public stations, both of the clergy and laity, may probably have made way for propagating the mistake upon some persons of figure in the country; and BETH. it may be, some nominated in the commissions, are not alto- ELIZA- "He observes, therefore, that nothing is more obvious to those who have any idea of government, any taste for conduct, than that contempt of order must pull all in pieces, and prove fatal in the issue. If a man has but a family to manage, or a vessel to steer, there is no good to be done without submission to the person at the helm. For if the subordination is once broken, if orders are disputed, if he that is to govern commands one thing, and those under his charge quarrel with the directions, and demur in their obedience; if they set up new schemes of their own, what can follow but jarring and confusion? and if, as it sometimes happens, they disagree among themselves, contend for their own singularities, and run into farther sub-divisions, the mischief must increase and grow more troublesome. When the union is thus broken, when authority is lost, and all the respects of public and private confounded, what a condition must any society be in? which way can either the head or the body be preserved upon such wild measures? Can the governor maintain his post, and continue his situation, without being obeyed? or can the subject subsist in a government where every one runs counter to the public rule, and sets up a different direction? And if this liberty looks ill in language and description, how lamentable it must be when brought into life, and reduced to practice? By this clashing between the father and the children, between the master and the servants, between the captain and the crew, many rich ships go to the bottom, many estates are spent, and families brought to nothing. And thus, by a private image, VOL. VI. N N Abp. Cant. PARKER, and by comparing small things with great, they might collect the calamity of a nation, when the harmony was disturbed, and the government disregarded. And if disorder and squabbling about temporal matters may destroy the public interest to so remarkable a degree, what may be expected where conscience is concerned, where religion lies at stake, and the other world is brought into the quarrel1?" 547. The treasurer goes on to give an instance suggested by her majesty at the council board; but what it was is uncertain, Cotton Lib. for here the paper breaks off. Titus, B. 2. Life of To this speech it may not be improper to subjoin some proArchbishop posals laid before the council for keeping the Puritans more in Parker. order. Proposals The paper, in the first place, observes, that a defect in the laid before the council, statute of Uniformity encouraged the Puritans in their obstichecking the growth of nacy and misbehaviour: that the act giving the whole forfeitPuritanism. ure to her majesty, made the provision less serviceable: that because the subject has no reward for informing, the prosecution sleeps, and no suit is commenced against any of the offenders. By this impunity, the Dissenters grow bold in the schism, and contemn the Church constitutions. these innovations, it is proposed to the board :First, That no bishop should suffer any to preach, but such as have good testimonials for their learning, morals, and conformity. To check Secondly, That all ministers and preachers throughout the kingdom should give her majesty a bond of two hundred pounds to conform in every particular to the Common Prayer, pursuant to an act for uniformity, made in the first year of her reign and farther, that they would observe and keep all such constitutions and orders now made, or hereafter to be made, and set forth by public authority: and that they should procure two sufficient men to be bound with them for performance of conditions. This bond, the projector suggests, would frighten them more than all laws and constitutions imaginable: for both themselves, and those who engage for them, will be afraid of incurring the forfeiture, and being returned into the exchequer by the bishops. Thirdly, If any person shall obstinately refuse to enter into A speech most worthy of the political wisdom of Cecil, and his manly and lucid eloquence. |