In the latter part of Elizabeth's reign had appeared a series of anonymous pamphlets, printed on a secret press, and signed "Martin Marprelate." They were bitter and coarse attacks on the bishops, and, although published fifteen years before the beginning of James' reign, give a good idea of the feelings of the more extreme Puritans of his time. on the Right poysond, persecuting, and terrible priests: the theame 247. A Puriof mine Epistle unto your venerable masterdomes is of two tan attack parts. . . . Take heed brethren of your reverend and learned bishops brother Martin Marprelate. For he meaneth in these reasons following, I can tell you, to prove that you ought not to be maintained by the authorite of the Magistrate in any Christian commonwealth: Martin is a shrewd fellow and reasoneth thus. Those that are pettie popes and pettie Antichrists ought not to be maintained in anie Christian commonwealth. But everie Lord Bishop in England, as for ilsample John of Canterbury, John of London, John Excetor, John Rochester, Thomas of Winchester, the Bishops of Lincolne, of Worcester, of Peterborow, and to be briefe all the Bishops in England, Wales, and Ireland are pettie popes and pettie Antichristes. . . . London Well nowe to mine eloquence, for I can doe it I tell you. Against the Who made the porter of his gate a dumb minister? Dumbe bishop of John of London. Who abuseth her Maiestie's subjects in urging them to subscribe contrary to lawe? John of London (and Dr. Stanop too). Whoe bound an Essex minister in 200£. to weare the surplice on Easter day last? John London. Who hath cut downe the Elmes at Fulham? John London. Who is a carnall defender of the breache of the Sabbath in all the places of his abode? John London. Who forbiddeth men to humble themselves in fasting and prayer before the Lorde, and then can say unto the preachers, now you were best to tell the people that we forbid fastes? John London. Who goeth to bowles upon the Sabbath? Dumbe, dunsticall John of good London hath done all this. . . Against the bishop of But brother Winchester you of al other men are most wretched, for you openly in the audience of many hundreds Winchester at Saint Marie Overies church the last Lent, 1587, pro nounced that men might finde fault if they were disposed to quarrell as well with the Scripture as with the booke of Common praier. Who coulde heare this comparison without trembling? But lest you should thinke that he hath not as good a gift in speaking against his conscience as my lord of Canterbury is endoued with: you are to understand that both in that sermon of his and in another which he preached at the court the same Lent he protested before God and the congregation where he stood that there was not in the world at this day, nay there had not bin since the apostles time, such a flourishing estate of a Church as we have now in England. Is it any marvaile that we have so many swine, dumbe dogs, nonresidents, with their journeimen, the hedge priests; so many lewd livers, as theeves, murtherers, adulterers, drunkards, cormorants, raschals; so many ignorant atheistical dolts, so many covetous popish Bishops in our ministery: and so many and so monstrous corruptions in our Church and yet likely to have no redresse, seing our impudent shamelesse and wainscote-faced bishops, like beasts, contrary to the knowledge of all men, and against their own consciences, dare in the eares of her Majestie affirme all to be well where there is nothing but sores and blisters, yea where the grief is even deadly at the heart. . . . But you see my worshipfull priests of this crue to whom I write what a perilous fellow M. Mareprelate is: he understands of all your knaveries and it may be he keeps a register of them unlesse you amend they shall al come into the light one day. And you brethren bishops take this warning from me. If you doe not leave your persecuting of godly Christians and good subjects that seeke to live rightly in the feare of God and the obedience of her Majestie all your dealing shal be made knowen unto the world. And ise be sure to make you an example to all posterities. You see I have taken some paynes with you alreadie and I will owe you a better turn and pay it you with advantage at the least thirteene to the dozen, unles you observe these conditions of peace which I drawe betweene me and you. For I assure you I make not your doings known for anie mallice that I beare unto you but the hurt that you doe unto God's Churche. Leave you your wickednesse and ile leave the revealing of your knaveries. A more dignified and more definite statement of a number of the reforms desired by the Puritans is contained in the so-called Millenary Petition, presented to James soon after his accession. Although divers of us that sue for reformation have formerly 248. Extracts in respect to the times subscribed to the book [of Common from the Millenary Prayer], some upon protestation, some upon exposition given Petition them, some with condition, rather than the church should have been deprived of their labour and ministry; yet now we, to the number of more than a thousand of your Majesty's subjects and ministers, all groaning as under a common burthen of human rites and ceremonies, do with one joint consent humble ourselves at your Majesty's feet, to be eased and relieved in this behalf. Our humble suit then unto your Majesty is that of these offenses following some may be removed, some amended, some qualified. In the church service, that the cross in baptism, interrogatories ministered to infants, and confirmation, as superfluous, may be taken away. Baptism not to be ministered by women, and so explained. The cap and the surplice not urged. That examination may go before the communion. That it be ministered with a sermon. That divers terms of "priests," and "absolution," and some others used, with the ring in marriage, and other such like in the book, may be corrected. The longsomeness of service abridged. Church songs and music moderated to better edification. That the Lord's day be not profaned; the rest upon holydays not so strictly urged. That there be an uniformity of doctrine prescribed. No popish opinion to be any more taught or defended: no ministers charged to teach their people to bow at the name of Jesus. That the canonical scriptures only be read in the church. . . 249. A speech of James I to parliament (1610) So much of the history of this period turns upon the conflicting opinions concerning the powers of king and parliament held by the king and those who agreed with him, on the one hand, and the leaders in parliament and those that agreed with them, on the other, that it may be well to group some contemporary statements of these opinions here. The state of monarchy is the supremest thing upon earth, for kings are not only God's lieutenants upon earth and sit upon God's throne, but even by God himself they are called gods. There be three principal similitudes that illustrate the state of monarchy: one taken out of the word of God, and the two others out of the grounds of policy and philosophy. In the scriptures kings are called gods, and so their power after a certain relation compared to the divine power. Kings are also compared to fathers of families, for a king is truly parens patriae, the politic father of his people. And lastly, kings are compared to the head of this microcosm of the body of man. I conclude then this point touching the power of kings with this axiom of divinity, That as to dispute what God may do is blasphemy, . . . so is it sedition in subjects to dispute what a king may do in the height of his power. But just kings will ever be willing to declare what they will do, if they will not incur the curse of God. I will not be content that my power be disputed upon; but I shall ever be willing to make the reason appear of all my doings, and rule my actions according to my laws. . . . I would wish you to be careful . . . that you do not meddle with the main points of government; that is my craft. . . . It is an undutiful part in subjects to press their king wherein they know beforehand he will refuse them. Now having spoken of your office in general, I am next to come to the limits wherein you are to bound yourjudges (1616) selves, which likewise are three. First, encroach not upon the prerogative of the crown: if there falls out a question that concerns my prerogative or mystery of state, deal not with it, 250. A speech of James I to the till you consult with the king or his council, or both, for they Secondly, that you keep yourselves within your own benches, not to invade other jurisdictions, which is unfit and an unlawful thing. . . . Keep you therefore all in your own bounds, and, for my part, I desire you to give me no more right, in my private prerogative, than you give to any subject, and therein I will be acquiescent: as for the absolute prerogative of the crown, that is no subject for the tongue of a lawyer, nor is lawful to be disputed. It is atheism and blasphemy to dispute what God can do: good Christians content themselves with his will revealed in his word; so it is presumption and high contempt in a subject to dispute what a king can do, or say that a king cannot do this or that; but rest in that which is the king's revealed will in his law. These opinions were not peculiar to the king, as appears in the following extract from a contemporary sermon. Among all the powers that be ordained of God the regal is most high, strong, and large. . . No power in the world or in the hierarchy of the church can lay restraint upon these supremes. . . . Now to this high, large, and most restraining power of kings, not only nature, but even God himself gives from heaven most full and ample testimony, and that this power is not merely human but superhuman and indeed no less than a power divine. . . . That sublime power, therefore, which resides in earthly potentates is not a derivation or collection of human power scattered among many and gathered into one head, but a participation of God's own omnipotency, which he never did communicate to any multitudes of men in the world, but only and immediately to his own vicegerents. 251. A sermon by Rev. Roger Mainwaring (1627) |