VII. "sake thee. If the outward enemy threatened or invaded, CHAP. "she should remember also how God preserved his servant "David, and enlarged his kingdom. If the inconstant mul- Anno 1559. ❝titude murmured against her, she should call to her mind "God's appointment, who had set her up to execute his ❝will, and not the fantasies of the ignorant multitude. For though infinite thousands pitched against her, yet she "ought not to fear, because God was on her side," &c. Dated from Geneva the 10th of February, 1559. [anno ineunte.] 66 don's poem I omit the Latin poem which Walter Haddon, LL. D. Dr. Hadthe great orator and poet in those times, made to the queen congratu upon her accession to the crown, (to whom he was after latory. master of the requests) beginning, Anglia, tolle caput, sævis jactata procellis, Exagitata malis, Anglia, tolle caput. Aurea virgo venit, roseo venerabilis ore, Plena Deo, princeps Elizabetha venit, &c. 112 at the court Paul's. That the queen stood not much affected to the divines in The first vogue in the former reign, appeared, that the public preach- preachers ers, at court or at St. Paul's, were such learned protestants and St. as were newly returned from exile, or that had privately concealed themselves at home. Two of the first public sermons were preached by Dr. Bill (who was the queen's almoner) and Dr. Cox; the former preached at St. Paul's the very next Sunday after the queen was proclaimed; and the latter at Westminster before her first parliament, at the opening of it. All preaching was soon prohibited for some time, (as hath been observed already ;) but when it was allowed, I find the preachers appointed to preach before the queen, and at St. Paul's, were generally the learned professors and confessors of the gospel; as hath been partly shewn before. tion about One important point of policy this first year of the queen Consulta was adjusted, tending much to the establishment of religion: receiving which was a consultation held at Greenwich, whether it the pope's were for the good of the commonwealth to grant, that the Cot. libr. M 3 nuncio Julius, F. 6. VII. CHAP. abbot of Martinego, [or Martinengo,] the pope's nuncio, should come into England, who, it seems, was now in election Anno 1559. to be sent hither by the pope. This matter, duly deliberated, came to this conclusion, that it was against the ancient and late laws of this realm, that any nuncio from the pope should enter into this realm. That in ancient time the nuncio could never enter but by licence, and by a solemn oath on the other side the sea, not to attempt any thing to the derogation of the king or the liberties of the realm. That he could not come without great peril to the realm, às the time stood, and that his coming would be a preparation to animate discontented minds in the cause of religion. Entrance into the realin de nied him. The pro testants falsely The next year notwithstanding, viz. 1560, or 1561, the said Martinengo came to Brussels, requesting licence to come into the realm; but it was denied him. CHAP. VIII. The protestants' declaration of their doctrine, in vindication of themselves against the slanders of papists. The Dutch strangers return to their church in London. Bishop Grindal their superintendent. Dutch anabaptists. THE papists at this time spared not to cast reproaches and defamations upon the professors and profession of the charged by gospel with all their might; and that, no doubt, openly in papists. parliament and many of these accused them to the queen, (before whom some of them had lately preached,) as men 113 that were inconsistent to themselves, and that they had no agreement of doctrines among them; as well as that more common charge, that their doctrine was nothing but heresy, and they a company of sectaries and schismatics, disturbers of commonwealths, and persuaders of rebellion. Therefore Dr. Sandys. Dr. Sandys, and the rest of the divines, concerned now about preparing of the Book of Common Prayer, and in the late conference at Westminster, among themselves, in the month of April, drew up a declaration of their faith, intending to publish it in their own vindication. Of this, Sandys, April ult. wrote to Dr. Parker, not yet come up from London, VIII. telling him," how they were forced through the vain CHAP. "bruits of the lying papists to give up a confession of their "faith, to shew forth the sum of that doctrine which they Anno 1559. professed, and to declare, that they dissented not among "themselves. That this labour they had then in hand on 66 purpose to publish, as soon as the parliament was ended; 66 wishing they had his hand to it, as it was subscribed by "the rest.” Meeting with this declaration among the said Parker's papers, I shall here set it down. A declaration of doctrine, offered and exhibited by the pro testants to the queen. claration of C. vol. en "As our ancient enemy Satan hath ever, and at all times, Their de"hated and persecuted the truth of God's word, with the their faith. "ministers and professors of the same; so in these our evil MSS. C.C. "and latter days, as one let loose for the trial of God's tit. Syno"elect, and subversion of unbelievers, he hath wonderfully dalia. Apoc. "raged, labouring by all possible power, like a subtile ser"pent, to deceive. And how much in these few years past, God so permitting, and our sins so deserving, he "hath prevailed, the world can bear witness. What old 66 heresy hath he not revived? What strange and new doc"trine hath he not invented? What idolatry and supersti❝tion hath he not planted? What ignorance and blindness "hath he not brought in? What truth hath he not ob"structed and darkened? Not only abusing the power of "princes by all means to persecute Christ in his members, 66 20. and by unlawful laws to stop the free course and passage "of the gospel; but also using practices of his false prophets, in whose mouth he hath ever been a lying spirit, "by all subtile persuasions to bring into hatred, and to "slander for heresy, the infallible truth of God's written 2 Kings "word; falsely defaming, slandering, and misreporting the "ministers of the same, as a ready way to deface their doc "trine. Of this practice all ages can report, as may easily 66 appear to all such as have travelled in ancient writers and "histories. "Yet at no time hath the subtile serpent been more xxii. VIII. CHAP. "strong in his wicked members and deceitful workers, to "deface the doctrine of the gospel, and to slander the setters Anno 1559. " forth of the same, than he hath shewed himself at this "time; and namely, against us who have of late preached "before the queen's majesty, as against our brethren, teach"ers of the same truth: most untruly reporting of us, that "our doctrine is detestable heresy; that we are fallen from 114" the doctrine of Christ's catholic church; that we be sub"tile sectaries; that we dissent among ourselves; and that 66 every man nourisheth and maintaineth his peculiar opi"nion; and that we be the teachers of carnal liberty, con"demning fasting, praying, alms, and like godly exercises; "that we be disordered persons, disturbers of the commonwealth, persuaders of rebellion, and teachers of disobe"dience, against magistrates, and what not. "But it is no marvel if [these] children be like unto their "father, who hath been a liar from the beginning, and the "author thereof. Neither can it be strange to the teachers "of God's truth to be untruly reported. Elias the prophet "was burdened with false doctrine, and to be a disturber "of the commonwealth of Israel. And the Son of God, "the author of truth, was not only charged to work by the "power of Beelzebub, to seduce the people, and leave "them to carnal liberty; but also to be a transgressor of "the laws, a glutton, a drunkard, and a companion with "publicans and sinners. The apostles of Christ were re"ported to be sectaries, and teachers of new doctrine, dis"ordered men, and stirrers up of sedition and tumults. "The learned and godly of the primitive church were slan"dered with horrible incest, and the unnatural eating of "man's flesh. The good bishop of Jerusalem, Narcissus, 66 was untruly defamed of incontinency. The learned and "godly bishop of Alexandria, Athanasius, was most falsely "accused, not only of incontinency, but also of murder. "And who hath lived so purely, or taught so sincerely, "which hath not either been charged with evil life, error, 66 or heresy? And although a clear conscience can easily "bear this burden, neither ought the servant to grudge, if "he be used like his master: and, as St. Paul saith, we CHAP. 66 VIII. ought to behave ourselves in all things as the ministers of "God, so confirmed in true piety and sincere doctrine, Anno 1559. "that we can patiently bear all manner of reports, and "constantly go forward in the office of our vocation, whe"ther we be defamed or well spoken of; as hitherto, through the grace of God, (his name be praised,) we have gladly and joyfully done; contemning, for the truth's “sake, the slanderous reports of the wicked world. 66 66 66 "Yet notwithstanding, lest we should seem utterly to neg"lect our good name, and through silence in this behalf not only suffer the truth to be slandered, and our innocency "defamed, but also false reports to be credited for true, to "the great hinderance of the gospel, and abusing of the simple; we have thought it good and necessary to pub"lish and set forth to the world a brief sum and confession "of that our faith and doctrine, which we have heretofore professed and taught; which presently we do profess, "and, as time shall serve, intend to teach; purposing, through the grace of God, and assistance of the Holy "Spirit, constantly to remain in the self-same until our "life's end: that thereby it may appear how untruly we "have been charged, and how falsely we have been slan❝dered. 66 "And although, in our last protestation made before the "honourable auditory at Westminster, we sufficiently set "forth in few words the sum of our faith, whereunto we all "fully consent, yet, to confound all lying lips, and to stop "all such vain rumours as are bruited abroad, we shall "more at large set forth the chief and most necessary 115 "articles of the doctrine which we believe and teach, as "hereafter shall follow: most humbly beseeching the Al 66 mighty God for his mercy sake, and for the merits of his "Son Christ, to pardon and forgive our persecutors and "evil reporters, to turn the hearts of the wicked, to illu"minate the ignorant with the knowledge of his truth, and "to give us all the grace, that we may consent together in "the unity of the uniform truth, and live in brotherly love |