and had not only shewed the heads of his Speech to the king, but received hints from him. "He began the debate with rough words. He called the Vote of the commons ' monstrum, horrendum, ingens' and ran on in a very high strain. He said all that could be said, with great heat, and many indecent expressions. When he had done, the earl of Shaftsbury, to the amazement of the whole house, said, He must differ from the lord who spoke Jast toto cœlo.* Ile said, while those matters were debated out of doors, he might think with others, that the Supremacy, asserted as it was by law, did warrant the Declaration. But now that such a house of commons, so loyal and affectionate to the king, were of another mind, he submitted his reason to them: they were the king's great council: they must both advise and support him: they had done it, and would do so still, if their laws and religion were secure to them."-The bishop adds: the king was all in fury to be thus forsaken by his chancellor, and told Clifford how well he was pleased with his speech, and how highly he was offended with the other. The debate went on; and upon a division, the court had the majority. But against that Vote about 30 of the most considerable of the house protested. So the court saw, they had gained nothing in carrying on a Vote that drew after it such a protestation. The issue of all was, that, the same day, they waited upon his majesty with the following Address:

"We the lords spiritual and temporal in parliament assembled, do unanimously present your sacred majesty our humble thanks, for having pleased to communicate unto us, what hath passed between your majesty and the h. of commons; whereby your maj. hath graciously offered the means of shewing our duty to your majesty, and of asserting the antient, just rights and privileges of the house of peers." Whereunto the King returned this Answer: "My lords; I take this Address of yours very kindly, and will always be affectionate to you; and I expect that you shall stand by me, as I will always by you.'

And now from this alliance offensive and defensive, between the king and lords, against the commons, what was not to be feared? No doubt, all who were acquainted with the proceedings of that day dreaded the next and yet, instead of a storm, which was gathering over

"While he was speaking, the duke of York, enraged at him, whispered the king, • What a rogue have you of a lord chancellor' | The king briskly replied, Cod's Fish; what a fool have you of a lord-treasurer? The debate ended in a ruffle, and the lord Clifford narrowly escaped being sent to the Tower; and finding himself thus given up by the king, like his new opponent, he declared, he would serve no prince in the world who had not courage to avow his principles and support his ministers in the execution of his demands." Echard.

night, it produced an unexpected calm, the lords voting, "That the king's Answer to the house of commons, in referring the points now controverted to a parliamentary way, by Bill, is good and gracious; that being a good and natural course for satisfaction therein."

"To account," says Mr. Ralph,* “ for this sudden and surprising reverse, we must have recourse again to bishop Burnet; for no other author pretends to be enough in the secret to say any thing to the purpose upon it. Lord Arlington possessed Colbert, the French ambassador here, with such an apprehension of the madness of violent councils; and that the least of the ill effects they might have would be, the leaving the war wholly upon the French king; and that it would be impossible to carry it on, if the king should run to such extremi ties, as some were driving him to at home; that he gained him both to press the king and his brother to comply with the parliament; and to send an express to his own master, representing the whole matter in the light in which lord Arlington had set it before him.In the afternoon of the day, in which the matter had been agreed in the house of lords, the earls of Shaftsbury and Arlington got all those members of the h. of commons on whom they had any influence (and who had money from the king and were his spies, but had leave to vote with the party against the court, for procuring them the more credit) to go privately to him, and to teil him, that, upon lord Clifford's Speech, the house was in such fury, that probably they would have gone to some high votes and impeachments: but the lord Shaftsbury, speaking on the other side, restrained them: they believed he spoke the king's sense, as the other did the duke's: this calmed them: so they made the king apprehend, that the lord Chancellor's Speech, with which he had been so much offended, was really a great service done him and they persuaded him farther, that he might now save himself, and obtain an indemnity for his ministers, if he would part with the Declaration, and pass the bill (for a Test). This was so dextrously managed by lord Arlington, who got a great number of the members, to go, one after another, to the king, who, by concert, spoke all the same language, that, before night, the king was quite changed, and said to his brother, That lord Clifford had undone himself, and spoilt their business, by his mad speech; and that though lord Shafts. bury had spoke like a rogue, yet that he had stopt a fury, which the indiscretion of the other had kindled to such a degree, that he could serve him no longer. He gave him leave to let him know all this. The duke was struck with all this; and imputed it wholly to lord Arlington's management. In the evening,

he told lord Clifford what the king said. The lord Clifford, who was naturally a vehement man, went upon that to the king, who scarce knew how to look him in the face.

* Vol. i. p. 226.

Lord

pect from you a bill for my Supply, so, I assure you, I shall as willingly receive and pass any other you shall offer me, that may tend to the giving you satisfaction in all your just grievances."

The King's Answer to the Address.] March 8. The lord chancellor reported, That both houses waited upon the king yesterday, and presented him with the Address against the Growth of Popery; and his maj. hath been pleased to return this Auswer:

"My lords and gentlemen; I do heartily agree with you in your Address, and shall give speedy order to have it put in execution: there is one part to which I believe it is not your intention that it should extend; for I can scarce say those are in my pay that are presently to be employed abroad; but as for all the other parts, I shall take care it shall be done as you desire."

The King cancels the Declaration of Indulgence.] "There was another particular," the lord chancellor said, "he thought fit to acquaint them with; which, though it was by his majesty's leave, yet it was not by his command: however, he thought it his duty to acquaint the house with it (Mr. Secretary Coventry intending to acquaint the h. of commons with the same): That his maj. had the last night, in pursuance of what he then intended, and declared this morning, concerning the Suspension of Penal Laws not being for the future drawn either into consequence or example, caused the original Declaration under the great seal to be cancelled in his presence; whereof himself and several other lords of the council were witnesses."

All this was so satisfactory to the parliament, that both houses joined in the following vote, Resolved nem. con. That the humble and hearty Thanks of these houses be returned to his majesty, for his gracious full and satisfactory Answer this day given to their humble Petitions and Addresses. This was declared to the king in the Banquetting-House, by the mouth of the lord chancellor at the head of both houses to which his majesty made this Answer, "My lords and gentlemen, I hope there never will be any difference amongst us; I assure you there shall never be any occasion on my part."

Debate on the Bill to prevent the Growth of Popery; commonly called the Test Act.] March 12. A Bill to prevent the growth of Popery was read a third time in the house of commons.

Mr. Harwood tendered a Proviso for renouncing the doctrine of Transubstantiation, for a farther Test to persons bearing office.

Mr. Secretary Coventry. After Consubstantiation, now Transubstantion. Will you not have God there? Will you exclude him?

Sir John Birkenhead. In queen Mary's time, persons were never put to swear it. Though there are distinctions of 'realiter, et verè et corporaliter,' would not have a scholastical oath: we say God is there, and the difference is de modo: great charge on the Synod of VOL. IV.

Dort, who would impose swearing controversial points: as the words are now penned, people are put to swear they know not what; and for the dangerousness thereof, would lay it aside.

Mr. Harwood has discoursed this point with able men. Doubts not, but they must make more of the bread and wine in the Sacrament, than bread and wine; what by faith is one thing, and this tends no farther.

Col. Titus thinks the thing of dangerous consequence. If this proviso is to make a Test, you have your end. They hold, that, after Consecration, the elements are turned into the body and blood of Jesus Christ; but we hold, that, after Consecration, nothing remains but bread and wine; and he would have the Proviso no more.

Sir Tho. Higgins. If you intend it as a Test, no Papist, after taking the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy, but will swallow this. Why do not you put renouncing all the rest of the Romish points?

Sir Wm. Coventry. Higgins says, 'the Test is unnecessary, because evaded.'' Has studied controversy little: if he errs in the matter, asks pardon: thinks a farther Test requisite. The Sacrament they will take, and the Oath of Allegiance, but not that of Supremacy; certain bulls forbidding them, and the Pope may dispense with his own bulls. This doctrine of Transubstantiation is part of their faith, aud the Pope cannot dispense with it; therefore there is need of a farther Test, and this the Pope cannot take away: it would be ill resented abroad to refuse a better and farther Test than the Oath of Allegiance and Supremacy, and he would have this received.

Mr. Vaughan. The Church of England holds, that our Saviour spoke the words, This is my Body,' figuratively: no remembrance but of things absent: the church of Rome says, we hold Christ is mystically there; they, that Christ is as much present then, as when crucified. Cannot but hold, that Christ was but once crucified-[He reads the passage in the Common Prayer Book, of no corporal presence.]

Sir Tho. Clarges is afraid of this proviso: swearing doctrinal points will give offence to the Lutherans: the Papists say, Christ is really there after consecration; and therefore adoration. The Lutherans believe Transubstantiation, but only at the instant when delivered, and communicated: you are told, 'It is matter of faith, and the Pope cannot dispense.' If the Pope can dispense with one thing, he may do it with another. He never heard the Oath of Supremacy dispensed with in the troops, some few years since here, few soldiers would take the Oaths of Supremacy; they would rather lose their places: in the late times there was an Oath like this Test, which many that now go to mass would take.

Mr. Solicitor North would have no swearing: he was for the Covenant Test, as a seditious

* Afterwards successively attorney general, 20

thing; but as this is no way tending to it, but only as to doctrinal points, is against such an oath.

Mr. Waller. The word, merely bread and wine,' in the proviso, he excepts against: believes the doctrine of the Sacraments well expressed in the 39 Articles: the thing is of great consequence, and no Clergy here present; we believe the very body, and therefore the word 'merely' is not reconcileable: would have the subscription in the very words of the Articles, which will take off the objection of swearing scholastically.

Sir Rob. Holt. Pope Pius V. offered a dispensation to the emperor Maximilian, as well as to queen Eliz.; you are to renounce all the Articles of the Council of Trent, as well as this thinks the thing secure enough by the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy, but if you will go farther, would have the bishops consulted with.

Earl of Ancram. The Lutherans opinion, as Clarges said, is not Transubstantiation; the Papists say, one body goeth, and another cometh in the place: consubstantiation, which the Lutherans hold, is grammatically with it,' and not changed into it.'

Sir Rd. Temple. If we so scruple the wording it here, it will be much more scrupled in the nation in Henry viii th's time, the five Articles were to be subscribed, under the penalty of treason: knows not that the Pope ever gave indulgence for taking the Oath of Supremacy, but believes he grants absolution after the thing is done: besides this Test, would make subscribing the 39 Articles, but pray leave these Oaths of Abjuration in matters so mystical.

Sir Eliab Harvey observes one thing in this Ease we have been told, we have no Test upon the Papists; if there be none for the Papists, this is none for the Protestants, in the bill of Ease.

Sir John Duncombe fears it will have this effect, that some will let religion and all go, if preferment lies in the way, and so it will make men Atheists.

Sir John Birkenhead. Did ever any Church impose swearing doctrinal points? No Church, either Greek or Latin, ever did it; never was such an oath before.

Col. Strangways. Though great disputes are between us and the Papists, yet all Protestants hold against it: if once we deny our senses, we lose our senses; for every new shift of the Pope, would have another shift from us you are now making distinction betwixt Protestant and Papist: a criterion you must have; the Pope will never dispense with doc

trinal points; with human laws of the Church he can thinks that this Test will puzzle all Priests and Jesuits.

The Bill with the Amendments passed; the title was, "An Act for preventing dangers that may happen by Popish Recusants."

The Earl of Bristol's Speech in favour of the Test-Act.] March 15. When the Bill came to be debated in the house of peers, in the presence of the king himself, the earl of Bristol, though a professed Roman Catholic, unexpectedly stood up for the Bill in general, and spoke remarkably upon it; of which some account shall be given to shew the temper of the times, as well as the ingenuity of the speaker.

Towards the beginning of his speech he declared himself a Catholic of the Church of Rome, not a Catholic of the Court of Rome; a distinction he thought worthy of memory and reflection, whenever any severe proceedings against those they called Papists should come in question, since those of the court of Rome did only deserve that name.' Therefore be insisted, That they should not speak here as Roman Catholics, but as faithful members of a Protestant parliament.' Coming to the Bill itself he proceeded thus: "In the first place, my lords, I beseech you to consider, that this bill

"The Popish party had rendered themselves formidable by their obtaining many places of honour, profit, and trust; but now a Bill was depending that would certainly throw them out of all, and secure all places to those of the Church of England alone. This was called the Test-Act, which was particularly promoted, if not invented by the earl of Shaftsbary, who resolved to strike directly at the duke of York and his friends; though the act reached all sorts of Dissenters. This bill gave a great alarm to many persons, who used all means to oppose it; but it soon passed the house of commons, whose appreliensions of Popery daily increased. By this Act, it was provided, That all persons bearing any office, or place of trust, or profit, should take the Oaths of Supremacy and Allegiance in public and open Court, and should also receive the Sacrament of the Lord's-Supper, according to the usage of the Church of England, in some parish church, on some lord's day immediately after divine service and sermon, and deliver a certificate of having so received the Sacrament, under the hands of the respective minister and church-wardens, proved by two credible witnesses upon oath, and put upon record in court: and that all persons taking the said Oaths of Supremacy and Allegiance, should likewise make and subscribe this following Declaration: I, A. B. do declare, that I do be

the Sacrament of the Lord's-Supper, at, or ' after the Consecration thereof, by any person 'whatsoever.' This Act, and Test therein prescribed, has been generally accounted a great Bulwark to the Established Church of England." Echard.