The Harmony Between the Old and Present Non-Conformists, Letters
The LETTERS.
BY an impartial peruſal of theſe following Letters, the Reader may eaſily perceive the difference there was between ſome great States men in Queen Elizabeth's time, and ſome of the Clergy, and that when the Clergy were for a ſevere perſecuting Proteſtant Diſſenters, the Councill, and in ſpecial the Lord Burleigh, that wonder of his age (though a Son of the Church of England) endeavour'd the relief of the Non-conformists.
Theſe Letters were firſt taken from Arch-Biſhop Whitgift's own Copy, as may appear from the Title prefix'd to the Letter, thus, My Lord Treaſurer's Letter unto me, and my anſwer to the Lord Treaſurer. There are ſome great perſons among the Clergy, who have ſeen 'em in Manuſcript.
Numb. 1.
THere is a Letter written to the Biſhop for the execution of her Majeſties Proclamation for the Ʋniformity ſet forth in the book, and other injunctions, pen'd (as is ſuppos'd) by Sir Thomas Smith; The which I'll not fully tranſcribe. There is one clauſe only that is for my purpoſe, which is concerning the meetings of the Clergy, which were firſt ordained to keep all Churches in the Dioceſs, in an Ʋniform and Godly Order, which now is commonly ſaid (the more is the pity) to be only uſed of you [i. e. the Biſhop and his Clergy,] and your Officers to get money, or for ſome other purpoſes; This paſſage ſhewes the corruption of the Clergy.
Numb. 2.
A Letter written by the Lord Treaſurer Cecil to Arch-biſhop Whitgift, in anſwer to one received from the Arch-biſhop.
MAY it pleaſe your Grace; I perceive that the Biſhop of Rocheſter through your perſwaſion is contented to be removed to Chicheſter, whereof I am glad, whereby the Dean of Weſtminſter may be plac'd, as your Grace may think fit, and I do deſire her Majeſty will new place all the Biſhops in the void room, whereof I am very mindfull and deſirous for the benefit of the Church, wiſhing that the Church may take that good thereby, that it hath need of, for ſurely your Grace muſt pardon me, I rather wiſh it, than look, or much hope for it; I ſee ſuch Worldlyneſs in many that were otherwiſe affected before they came to Cathedral Churches, that I fear the places alter the men, but herein I condemn not all: but few there be that do better, being Biſhops (in the void roomes whereof I am very mindfull,) than being Preachers they did; I am bold thus to utter my mind of Biſhops to an Arch biſhop, but I clear my ſelf, I mean nothing in any conceit to your Grace, for though of late I have varied in my poor opinion, in that by your order, poor ſimple men have rather been ſought for by inquiſition to be found Offenders, than upon their facts condemned, yet ſurely I do not for all this differ from your Grace in Amity and Love, but I do reverence your Learning and Integrity, and wiſh that the Spirit of gentleneſs may win, rather than ſeverity; But therefore enough of the miſbehaviour of Browning, towards the Maſter of Trinity Colledg; I am ſorry to hear as I do, eſteeming him meeter for Bethlehem than for that Colledg. The Queen's Majeſty asked me, what I thought of Travers to be the Miniſter of the Temple, whereunto I anſwered, that at the requeſt of Dr. Alney in his ſickneſs, and of a number of honeſt Gentlemen of the Temple, I had yeilded my Allowance of him to that place, ſo as he will ſhew himſelf Conformable to the order of the Church, whereunto I was inform'd, that he would ſo be; But her Majeſty told me that your Grace did not ſo allow of him, which I ſaid might be for ſomething ſuppos'd to be written by him, Tituled, de Diſciplina Eccleſiaſtica, whereupon her Majeſty commanded me to write to your Grace, to know your opinion, which I pray your Grace to ſignifie unto her, as God ſhall move ye, ſurely it were great pity, that any impediment ſhould be occaſion to the contrary, for he is well learn'd, very honeſt, and well lov'd, and allow'd of the generality of that houſe. Mr. Bond told me, that your Grace liked well of him, and ſo do I alſo, as of one well learn'd, and honeſt, but (as I told him) if he came not to the place with ſome applauſe of the Company, he ſhall be weary thereof, and I commended him to her Majeſty, if Travers ſhould not, but her Majesty thinketh him not fit for that place, becauſe of his infirmity. Thus I end, wiſhing your Grace Aſſiſtance of God's Spirit to govern your charge unblameably
Your Graces to command William Burleigh. From the Court at Oatlands, Sept. 17. 1584.
Numb. 3.
A part of a Letter ſent unto the Arch-biſhop of Canterbury, and Biſhop of London, from her Majeſties Councill about September 20. 1584.
AFter our hearty commendations to both your Lordſhips, although we have heard of late times ſundry complaints out of divers countries of this Realm, of ſome proceedings againſt a great number of Eccleſiaſtical Perſons, ſome Parſons of Churches, ſome Vicars, ſome Curates, but all Preachers, whereby ſome were deprived of their livings, ſome ſuſpended from their Miniſtry, and preaching, yet we have forborn to enter into any particular examination of ſuch complaints, thinking, that howſoever inferior Officers, as Chancellors, Commiſſaries, Arch-Deacons, and ſuch like, whoſe Offices are of more value and profit by ſuch kind of proceedings, might in ſuch ſort proceed againſt the Miniſters of the Church, yet your Lordſhip the Arch-Biſhop of that Province of Canterbury, have beſide your general authority, ſome particular intereſt in the preſent juriſdiction of ſundry Biſhopricks vacant, and you alſo the Biſhop of London, both for your own authority in your Dioceſs, and as head Commiſſioner Eccleſiaſtical would have a Paſtoral regard over the particular Officers, to ſtay, and temperate them in their haſty proceedings againſt the Miniſters, and eſpecially againſt ſuch as do carneſtly profeſs, and inſtruct the people againſt the dangerous Sects of. Papiſtry; but yet of late, hearing of the lamentable eſtate of the Church in the County of Eſſex, that is, of a great number of zealous and learned Preachers, they are ſuſpended from their cures, the vacancy of the place for the moſt part without any Miniſtry or Preaching, Prayers and Sacraments, and in ſome places of certain appointed to thoſe void roomes, being perſons neither of learning, nor of good names, and in other places of that County, a great number of perſons occupying the cures, being notoriouſly unfit, moſt for lack of learning, many charg'd or chargable with great and enormions faults, as drunkenneſs, filthineſs of Life, Gameſters at Cardes, hunting of Alehouſes, and ſuch like, againſt whom we hear not of any proceedings, but that they are quietly ſuffered to the ſlander of the Church, to the offence of good people, yea to the famiſhing of them for lack of good teaching, and thereby dangerous to the ſubverting of many weaklins from their duties to God, and the Queens Majeſty, by ſecret Jeſuites, and counterfeit Papiſts, and having thus in a general ſort heard out of many partes of the like of this lamentable Eſtate of the Church, yet to the intent, we ſhould not be deceived in the generality of the reports we ſought to be informed, &c.
Numb. 4.
A Letter from the Lord Treaſurer to the Arch-biſhop. July 5. 1584.
IT may pleaſe your Grace, I am ſorry to trouble you ſo often as I do, but I am more troubled my ſelf, not only with many private Petitions of ſundry Miniſters, recommended for perſons of credit, for peaceable perſons in their Miniſtry, and yet by complaints to your Grace, and other your Collegues in commiſſion, greatly troubled, but alſo I am daily now charged by Councellors and publique perſons to neglect my duty in not ſtaying theſe your Graces proceedings, ſo vehement, and ſo general againſt Miniſters and Preachers, as the Papiſts thereby are greatly encouraged, all evil diſpoſed perſons and ſubjects animated, and thereby the Queen's Majeſties ſafety endangered; with theſe kinds of Arguments I am daily aſſailed, againſt which I anſwer, that I think your Grace doth nothing, but being duely examined, tendeth to the maintenance of the Religion now Eſtabliſhed, and to avoid Schiſm in the Church, I alſo have for example ſhewd your papers ſent to me, how fully the Church is furniſh'd with Preachers, and how ſmall a number there are that do contend for their ſingularity, but theſe occaſions do not ſatisfie all perſons, neither do I ſeek to ſatisfie all perſons, but with Reaſon and Truth. But now my good Lord, by chance I have come to the ſight of an Inſtrument of 24 Articles of great length and curioſity, formed in a Romiſh Stile, to examine all manner of Miniſters in this time without diſtinction of perſons, which Articles are Entituled apud Lambeth, May 1584 to be executed ex officio mero, &c. and upon this occaſion I have ſeen them. I did recommend unto your Graces favour two Miniſters Curates of Cambridge-ſhire to be favourably heard, and your Grace wrote to me, that they were contentious, ſeditious, and perſons vagrant, to maintain this controverſie, wherewith I charg'd them ſharply, and they both deny'd theſe charges, and requir'd to be tryed, and ſo to receive puniſhment, I anſwered, that your Grace would ſo charge them, and then I ſhould ſee afterwards, what they ſhould deſerve, and advis'd them to reſort to your Grace, comforting them that they ſhould find favourable proceedings, and ſo I hoped upon my former commendations the rather. What may be ſaid to them I know not, nor whether they have been ſo faulty as your Grace have been inform'd, neither do I mean to treat for to favour ſuch men, for pardon, I may ſpeak upon their amendment; but now they coming to me, I asked how your Grace proceeded with them, they ſay, they are commanded to be examined by the Regiſter of London, and I asked them whereof, they ſaid of a great number of Articles, but they could have no copies of them, I anſwer'd, that they might anſwer to the truth, they ſaid, that they were ſo many in number, and ſo diverſe, that they were afraid to anſwer to them, for fear of captious interpretation, upon this I ſent for the Regiſter, who brought me the Articles, which I have read, and find ſo curiouſly penn'd, ſo full of branches and circumſtances, and I think, the Inquiſitors of Spain uſe not ſo many queſtions to comprehend, and to trap their preyes. I know your Canoniſts, can defend theſe with all their particles, but ſurely under your Graces correction, this Juridical and Canonical ſifting of poor Miniſters is not to edifie and reform, and in charity I think they ought not to anſwer to all theſe nice points, except they were very notorious Offenders in Papiſtry or Hereſie. Now good my Lord, bear with my ſcribling, I write with the Teſtimony of a good Conſcience; I deſire the peace of the Church, I deſire concord and unity in the exerciſe of our Religion, I fear no ſenſual wilfull recuſant, but I conclude that according to my ſimple judgment, this kind of proceeding is too much ſavouring the Romiſh Inquiſition, and is rather a device to ſeek for Oſſenders, than to reform any; This was not that charitable instruction that I thought was intended. If theſe poor Miniſters ſhould in ſome few points have any ſcrupulous conceptions meet to be removed, this is not a charitable way to ſend them to anſwer to your common Regiſter upon ſo many Articles at one inſtant, without commodity of inſtruction by your Regiſter, whoſe office is only to receive their anſwers, by which the parties are first ſubject to condemnation, before they be taught their errors; It may be that I ſay that Canoniſts may maintain this proceeding by Rules of their Lawes, but though omnia lice…t, omnia non expediunt. I pray your Grace bear this (one, perchance a fault) that I have willed them not to anſwer theſe Articles, except their Conſciences may ſuffer them. And yet I have ſharply admoniſhed them, that if they be diſturbers in their Churches, they muſt be corrected, and yet upon your Graces anſwer to me, ne ſutor ultra erepidam, neither will I put falcem in alterius meſſem. My paper teaches me to make an end.
Your Graces at command William Burleigh.
Poſtſcript.
Your Grace muſt pardon my haſty ſcribling, for I have done this raptim, and without correction.
Numb. 5.
The Treaſurer's reply to an anſwer of the Arch-biſhop's unto the former Letter. July 17. 1584.
I Have received your Graces loving Letter, anſwering Speeches (as I think) delivered by your Chaplain Dr. Coſſins, and I perceive you are ſharply mov'd to blame me, and clear your ſelf, I know I have many faults, but I hope I have not given ſuch cauſe of offence, as your Letter expreſſeth, I deny nothing that your Grace thinketh meet to proceed in with theſe whom you call factious, and therefore there is no controverſie betwixt you and me expreſſed in your Letter. The controverſie is paſſ'd in your Grace's Letter in ſilence, and ſo I do reſt ſatisfied, your Grace promiſed me to deal (I ſay,) only with ſuch as violate order, and to charge them therewith, which I allow well thereof; But your Grace not charging men with ſuch faults, ſeeketh by examination to urge them to accuſe themſelves, and then I think you'l puniſh them. I think your Graces proceedings is, (I will not ſay rigorous nor captious) but I think it is ſcarce charitable. I have no leiſure to write more, and therefore I will end, for writing will but encreaſe offence, and I mean not to offend your Grace. I am content that your Grace, and my Lord of London where I hear Brown is, uſe him as your Wiſdomes ſhall think meet. If I had known his faults, I might be blam'd for writeing for him, but when by examination only it is to ſift him with 24 Articles I have cauſe to pity the poor man.
Your Graces as Friendly as any, William Burleigh.
Numb. 6.
The Arch-Biſhop's Anſwer to the Lord Treaſurer.
MY ſingular good Lord; God knoweth how deſirous I have been from time to time to ſatisfie your Lordſhip in all things, and to have my doings approved to you, for which cauſe, ſince my coming to this place, I have done nothing of importance without your advice, I have riſen early, and ſat up late, to write unto you ſuch objections and anſwers as on either ſide were uſed, I have not done the like to any man, and ſhall I now ſay that I have loſt my labour, or ſhall my juſt dealing with two of the moſt diſorder'd Miniſters in a whole Dioceſs (the obſtinacy and contempt of whom, eſpecially of one of them your ſelf would not bear in any ſubjected to your Authority) cauſe you ſo to think and ſpeak of my doings, yea and of my ſelf, no man living ſhould have made me beleive it. Solomon ſaith, an old friend is better than a new, and I truſt your Lordſhip will not ſo lightly caſt off your old friend, for any of thoſe new fangled factious Sectaries, whoſe fruits are to make diviſions, whereſoever they come, and to ſeparate old and aſſured friends. Your Lordſhip ſeemeth to charge me with breach of promiſe, touching my manner of proceeding, whereof I am no way guilty, but I have alter'd my firſt courſe of depriving them for not ſubſcribing, only juſtifiable by law and common practice, both in the time of King Edward, and from the beginning of her Majeſties Reign. Your Lordſhip alſo objecteth that I took this courſe for the better maintenance of my book, &c. mine enemies ſaid ſo indeed, but I truſt my friends have a better opinion in me; Why ſhould I ſeek for any confirmation of my book after years, or what ſhould I get thereby more than already? And yet if ſubſcription may confirm it; it is confirm'd long ago, by the ſubſcription of all the Clergy almoſt in England before my time, even of Branie alſo who ſeemeth now to be ſo wilful. Mine enemies and tongues of this ſlanderous and uncharitable Sect report, that I am revolted, become a Papiſt, and I know not what; But it proceedeth from their lewdneſs, not from any deſert of mine, and I diſdain to anſwer to ſuch notorious untruths, which the beſt of them dare not avouch to my face. Your Lordſhip ſeemeth further to burden me with wilfulneſs, I am ſure, that you are not ſo perſwaded of me, I will appeal to your own Conſcience, there is difference between wilfulneſs and conſtancy, I have taken upon me the defence of the Religion, and Rights of this Church of England, to appeaſe the Sects of Schiſmes therein, to reduce all the Miniſters thereof to Ʋniformity and due obedience, herein I intend to be conſtant, and not to waver with every wind, the which alſo my place, my perſon, my duty, the law, her Majeſty, and the goodneſs of the cauſe doth require of me, and wherein your Lordſhip and others all things conſidered, ought in duty to aſſiſt and countenance me. It is ſtrange that a man in my place dealing with ſo good warranties as I do, ſhould be ſo encounter'd, and for not yielding ſhould be accounted wilful, but I muſt be contented, vincit, qui patitur, and if my friends herein forſake me, I truſt God will not, neithe law, her Majeſty, who hath laid the charge on me, and are able to protect me; But of all other things it moſt greiveth me, that your Lordſhip ſhould ſay, that the two Miniſters fare the worſe becauſe your Lordſhip ſent them; Hath your Lordſhip ever had any cauſe ſo to think of me, it is needleſs for me to proteſt my heart and affections towards you above all other men, the world knoweth it, and I am aſſured that your Lordſhip nothing doubeth thereof, I have rather cauſe to complain to your Lordſhip of your ſelf, that upon ſo ſmall occaſion, and in the behalf of two ſuch, you will ſo hardly conceive of me, yea and as it were countenance perſons, ſo meanly qualified in ſo evil a cauſe againſt me your Lordſhip's ſo long tryed friend, and their ordinary, that hath not ſo been in times paſt, now it ſhould leaſt of all be, I may not ſuffer the notorious contempt of any of them, eſpecially unleſs I will become Aeſop's block, well, becauſe I would be loath to omit any thing whereby your Lordſhip might be ſatisfied, I have ſent unto you certain reaſons to juſtifie the manner of my proceeding which I marvel ſhould be ſo much miſliked in this cauſe, having been ſo long practis'd in the like, yea in the ſame, and never before this time found fault with, truly my Lord, I must proceed this way, or not at all, the reaſons I have ſet down in this paper, and I heartily pray your Lordſhip not to be carryed away either from the cauſe, or from my ſelf upon unjuſt ſurmiſes or clamours, leaſt you be ſome occaſion of that confuſion, which hereafter you would be ſorry for: For mine own part, I deſire no farther defence in theſe occaſions of your Lordſhip, nor any other than juſtice and law will yield unto me. In my private affairs I know I ſtand in need of friends, eſpecially of your Lordſhip, of whom I have made alwayes an aſſured account, but in theſe publick actions I ſee no cauſe why I ſhould ſeek for friends, ſeeing they to whom the care of the common weal is committed, ought out of duty therein to joyn with me, to conclude, I am your Lordſhips aſſured, neither will I ever be perſwaded, but that you bear an hearty good will towards me.
So far Whitgift. If Dr. Burnet would undertake the carrying on the Hiſtory of Eccleſiaſtical Affairs all the time Q. Eliz. liv'd, and in order thereunto, might he be ſo happy as to obtain a ſight of all thoſe great things were then on the ſtage, the world would ſee how little they are owing unto Heylin for his Hiſtory, and alſo underſtand how unjuſtly the Old Proteſtants call'd Puritanès, have been repreſented as factious. &c.
FINIS.
End of the text · Stephen Lobb, The Harmony Between the Old and Present Non-Conformists (1682)