BOOK III. ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY.

1.

[Charles II's Declaration of Indulgence or "The Worcester House Declaration was published on 25 October, 1660. Its leading provisions had been revised by Baxter and other Presbyterians and had received the reluctant assent of the Chancellor. "Parl. Hist.," iv. 131.]

In our letter to the Speaker of the House of Commons from Breda, we declared how much we desired the advancement . . . of the Protestant Religion. . . . And. . . we published in our Declaration from Breda a liberty to tender consciences; and that no man should be called

in question for differences of opinion in matter of religion which do not disturb the peace of the kingdom, and that we shall be ready to consent to such an act of parliament as, upon mature deliberation, shall be offered to us for the full granting of that indulgence. . . .

1. We do in the first place declare our purpose and resolution is and shall be to promote the power of godliness. [Consequently provision is made for the service of the Church by Bishops, Deans and Chapters.]

7. We are very glad to find that all with whom we have conferred, do . . . approve a Liturgy to be lawful which

for the preservation of unity and uniformity we conceive to be very necessary. And though we do esteem the Liturgy of the Church of England contained in the Book of Common Prayer to be the best we have seen yet since we find some exceptions made to against several things therein we will appoint an equal number of divines

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of both persuasions to review the same and to make such alterations as shall be thought most necessary. . . . In the meantime we do heartily wish that the ministers

would not totally lay aside the Book of Common Prayer yet . . . our will and pleasure is that none be punished or troubled for not using it, until it be reviewed and effectually reformed as aforesaid.

2.

[The following sentence describes the conflict between the Bishops and the Presbyterians at the Savoy Conference (25 March to 25 July, 1661). H.M.C.R., Duke of Sutherland MSS., v. p. 173.] The fire between the Presbytery and the Episcopacy is not yet extinguished for Jack the Levite labours to confound Aaron the de jure priest, but God holds the balance and will do justice.

3.

[The Corporation Act. This act was aimed principally at the Presbyterians whose headquarters were in the towns; the act did not prevent the corporations from continuing to be Nonconformist strongholds, and thus in 1682 many lost their charters by writs of quo warranto. S.R., 13 Car. II, c. 1 (1661).]

Whereas questions are likely to arise concerning the validity of elections of Magistrates and other officers and members in Corporation. . . . Bee it enacted by the kings most excellent Majestie, by and with the Advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporall and Commons Assembled in Parliament. . . . That Commissioners shall before the twentieth day of February next be issued forth under the Great Seale of England unto such persons as His Majesty shall appoint for the executing the Powers and Authorities hereinafter expressed. And that all and every the persons to be named commissioners . . . shall by virtue of this Act be Commissioners respectively

within the several Cities Corporations and Burroughs [etc.].

III. And be it further enacted . . . that all persons who upon [December 24th 1661] shall be Majors, Aldermen Recorders Bailiffes Towne-Clerkes Common Councelmen and other persons then bearing any Office or Offices of Magistracy or Places or Trusts or other Imployment relating to or concerning the Government of the said respective Cities Corporations and Burroughes [etc.] shall at any time before [March 25 1663] when they shall be required by the said Commissioners . take the Oathes of Allegiance and Supremacy and this Oath following:-I A. B. do declare and believe that it is not lawfull upon any pretence whatsoever to take Arms against the king. . . . So helpe me God. And also . . this following Declaration . . . I A. B. do declare that I hold that there lyes no obligation upon me or any other person from the oath commonly called the Solemn League and Covenant and that the same was an unlawfull Oath.

4.

["An Act for the Uniformity of Public Prayers and Administration of Sacraments and other Rites and Ceremonies and for Establishing the Form of Making, Ordaining and Consecrating Bishops, Priests and Deacons in the Church of England." S.R., 14 Car. II, c. 4 (1662). Under this Act of Uniformity 1,800 ministers were suspended from their livings.]

Bee it enacted by the king's most Excellent Majestie, By and with the Advice and consent of the Lords Spirituall and Temporall and of the Commons in this present Parliament Assembled, and by the Authority of the same, That all and singular Ministers in any Cathedrall, Collegiate or Parish Church or Chappell or other place of publique worship within this Realme of England Dominion of Wales or Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, shall be bound

to say and use the Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer celebracōn and administracōn of both the sacraments and all other the Publique and Common Prayer in such order and forme as is mencōned in the Said Booke annexed and joined to this Present Act and entituled the Booke of Comōn Prayer1 and Administration of the Sacraments and other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church according to the use of the Church of England together with the Psalter or Psalmes of David . . . and forme. of making ordaining and consecrating of Bishops, Preists and Deacons. [Morning and Evening Prayer to be read every "Lords day."]

III. And that all and every person who shall neglect or refuse to doe the same within the time aforesaid [i.e. before St Bartholomew's Day 1662] shall be deprived of all his Spiritual Promotions.

5.

[In December, 1662, Charles II issued a Declaration of Indulgence ; Parliament, however, held too rigid a code to allow religious toleration to be extended to Nonconformists and petitioned the King to issue a Royal Proclamation against Papists. "Pepys' Diary," iii. 52-3.]

February 1662-3.

24th. Among other things my Lord tells me that he hears the Commons will not agree to the King's late Declaration, nor will yield that the Papists have any ground given them to raise themselves up again in England.

25th. The Commons in Parliament, I hear, are very high to stand to the Act of Uniformity and will not indulge the Papists (which is endeavoured by the Court) nor the Presbyters.

26th. Sir W. Batten and I by water to the Parliament

1 This Book of Common Prayer was the Book revised by Convocation in 1661, and accepted by Parliament 16 April, 1662.

House. . . . All the news is the great odds in the votes between them that are for the Indulgence to the Papists and Presbyters, and those that are against it, which did carry it by 200 against 30. And pretty it is to consider how the king would appear to be a Stiff Protestant and Son of the Church and yet willing to give liberty to these people because of his promise at Breda, and yet all the world do believe the King would not have the liberty given them at all.

6.

[The First Conventicle Act (1664) stands out as the culmination of the repressive religious policy of Clarendon, Sheldon and other members of the Restoration Parliament; it extended to the laity the persecutions hitherto endured only by the ministers. "An Act to prevent and suppresse seditious Conventicles." S.R., 16 Car. II, c. 4.]

Bee it enacted by the King's Most Excellent Majesty by and with the Advice and Consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporall and Commons in this present Parliament assembled, and by the Authoritie of the same, That if any person of the age of sixteen yeares or upwards being a subject of this Realme at any time after the first day of July which shall be in the yeare of our Lord one thousand six hundred and sixty and fower shall be present at any Assembly Conventicle or Meeting under Colour or pretence of any exercise of religion in other manner then is allowed by the Liturgy or practise of the Church of England in any place within the Kingdome of England, Dominion of Wales or Towne of Berwicke upon Tweede, at which Conventicle Meeting or Assembly there shall be five persons or more assembled together over and above those of the same Household, then it shall and may be lawfull to and for any two Justices of the Peace of the County Limit Division or Liberty wherein the aforesaid offence shall be committed . . . to make a Record of every