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"that time, in force, he engaged her to issue a new one, more arbitrary than any of the former; and conveying more unlimited authority. She appointed forty-four commissioners, twelve of whom "were ecclesiastics; three commissioners made a quorum; the jurisdiction of the court extended "over the whole kingdom, and over all orders of ἐσ men; and every circumstance of its authority, "and all its methods of proceeding, were contrary "to the clearest principles of law, and natural

equity. The commissioners were empowered to "visit, and reform, all errors, heresies, schisms, in "a word to regulate all opinions, as well as to punish all breach of uniformity in the exercise of public worship. They were directed to make inquiry, not only by the legal method of juries, and witnesses, but by all other means and ways, "which they could devise; that is, by the rack, by torture, by inquisition, by imprisonment. Where they found reason to suspect any person, they

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might administer to him an oath, called ex officio; "by which he was bound to answer all questions, "and might thereby be obliged to accuse himself,

or his most intimate friend. The fines, which they levied, were discretionary, and often occa❝sioned the total ruin of the offender, contrary to "the established laws of the kingdom. The imprisonment, to which they condemned any de66 linquent, was limited by no rule, but their own pleasure. They assumed a power of imposing on the clergy, what new articles of subscription, "and consequently of faith, they thought proper.

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Though all other spiritual courts were subject, "since the reformation, to inhibitions from the supreme courts of law, the ecclesiastical commis"sioners were exempted from that legal jurisdic66 tion, and were liable to no control. And the "more to enlarge their authority, they were empowered to punish all incests, adulteries, fornications; all outrages, misbehaviours, and disorders "in marriage and the punishments, which they might inflict, were according to their wisdom, "conscience, and discretion. In a word, this court was a real inquisition; attended with all the iniquities, as well as cruelties, inseparable from that tribunal. And, as the jurisdiction of the "ecclesiastical court was destructive of all law, so "its erection was deemed by many a mere usurpa"tion of this imperious princess; and had no other "foundation than a clause of a statute, restoring

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the supremacy to the crown, and empowering the "sovereign to appoint commissioners for exercising "that prerogative. But, prerogative in general, "especially the supremacy, was supposed, in that age, to involve powers, which no law, precedent, 66 or reason, could limit, and determine."

XXIX. 6.

The Conference at Hampton Court.

DURING the whole of the reign of Elizabeth, the contest between the established church and the puritans, was on the increase; and many wholesome severities, to use the language of persecution,

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were inflicted on the puritans. At first, they seemed to be favoured by her successor. He expressed a laudable desire to accommodate matters between the contending parties. With this view, he appointed the conference at Hampton Court. It was attended by nine bishops, and as many dignitaries, on the one side; and by four puritans, on the other. James himself took a great part in it: and had the satisfaction to hear from Whitgift, the archbishop of Canterbury, that, "undoubtedly his majesty spoke by the special assistance of God's "spirit ;" and, from Bancroft, the bishop of London, that "the Almighty, of his singular mercy, "had given such a king, as from Christ's time, "there had not been.' 66 Whereupon," says Strype*, "the lords, with one voice, yielded a very affectionate acclamation." His majesty was highly delighted with his own display of talent, at this extraordinary exhibition. In a letter preserved by Strype, (N. XLVI), the royal theologian writes to one of his friends, that "he had kept a revel "with the puritans, for two days, the like of which "was never seen; and that he had peppered them, "as he, (to whom he was writing,) had done the papists and that he was forced to say, at last, "that, if any of them had been in a college, dis

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puting with other scholars, and that any of their "disciples had answered them, in that sort, they "themselves would have snatched him up, in place "of a reply, with a rod."

* Life and Acts of Archbishop Whitgift, book iv. cxxxi.

XXIX. 7.

The legal establishment of the Puritans by the long Parliament.

THIS event is shortly related by Mosheim, in the following terms: "After the death of Laud, "the dissentions, that had reigned for a long time, "between the king and parliament, grew still "more violent; and arose, at length, to so great a height, that they could not be extinguished, but

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by the blood of that excellent prince. The great "council of the nation, heated by the violent suggestions of the puritans and independents, abolished episcopal government; and abrogated every thing in the ecclesiastical establishment, "that was contrary to the doctrine, worship, and "discipline, of the church of Geneva; turned the "vehemence of the opposition against the king himself; and, having brought him into their power by the fate of arms, accused him of treason against the majesty of the nation; and, in 1648, "while the eyes of Europe were fixed on the strange spectacle, caused his head to be struck off, on a public scaffold."

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While the long parliament continued, the presbyterians maintained the ascendency. In a great measure, they lost it, when Cromwell usurped the government. Under him, all denominations of christians, except the catholics and episcopalians,

* Cent. xvii. sect. ii, part ii. 20.

enjoyed full, and unbounded, liberty of conscience; and professed publicly, their religious doctrines. The presbyterians, and independents, were the favoured communions; and, at first, had equal favour shown them. But, the protector's jealousy of the influence of the former, procured, by degrees, for the latter, a preponderance in his regard.

XXIX. 8.

The Act of Conformity.

No sooner, to adopt generally the language of Mosheim, on this subject,--was Charles the second, re-established on the throne of his ancestors, than the antient forms of ecclesiastical government, and public worship, were re-established with him. The church of England was completely restored to her former honours. The puritans had hoped, that they should be allowed to share some part of the revenues of the church; but, contrary to their hopes, and to the monarch's solemn declarations at Breda, they were miserably disappointed. In 1662, the act of conformity was passed. In consequence of it, the validity of presbyterian ordination was denounced; the terms of conformity were raised higher, and rendered more difficult, than they were, before the civil war; and the non-conforming ministers were deprived of their livings. It is observable that, in the reign of Elizabeth, the deprived ministers were allowed one-fifth of their benefices; but, the statute of Charles made no provision for them..