Page images
PDF
EPUB

was fufficient. And fo Archbishop Cranmer declared about that time, as appears from his Anfwer to the Question before cited. All Chriftian Princes, fays he, have committed into them imme→ diately of God the whole Cure of all their Subjects, as well concerning the Administration of God's Word, for the Cure of Souls, as concerning the Miniftration of Things Folitical, and Civil Governance: And in both thefe Mi nftrations, they must have fundry Min fters under them to fupply that, which is appointed to their feveral Of fues. The Civil Minifters under the King's Majesty, in this Realm of England, be those whom it shall please his Highness for the Time to put in Authority under him : As for Example, The Lord Chancellor, Lord Treafurers Lord Great Mafter, Lord Privy Seal, Lord Admiral, Mayors, Sheriffs, &c. The Minifters of God's Word, under his Majefty, be the Bishops, Parfons, Vicars, and fuch other Priests, as be appointed by his Highness to that Miniftration: As for Example, The Bishop of Canterbury, the Bishop of Durefme, the Bishop of Winchester, the Parfon of Winwick, &c. ALL the faid Officers and Minifters, as well of that fort as the other, be appointed, affigned, and elected, and in every Place by the Laws and Orders of Kings and Princes. In the Admission of many of thefe Officers, be divers comely Ceremonies and Solemnities ufed, which be not of Necef-, fity, but only for a good Order and feemly Fashion; for, if fuch Offices and Miniftrations were committed without fuch Solemnity, they were nevertheless truly committed: And there is no more Promife of God, that Grace is given in the Committing of the Ecclefiaftical Office, than it is in the Committing the Civil Office. Now, this Doctrine; deliver'd by this Archbishop, is a very natural plain Confequence of making a King or other Civil Magiftrate Supreme Head of the Church: For if he be fo, all Spiritual Power as well as Temporal must be deriv'd from him, and he may commit it to whom he pleases, and in what Manner he pleafes. But then, as it is agreeable

agreeable to that Supreme Headship, which was at that time fuppofed to be veed in the Christian Prince by Act of Parliament, it is plainly oppofite to the Holy Scriptures, which give no fuch Authority to Kings and Princes, but declare Chrift alone to be the Supreme Head of his Church, and teach us that he committed no Part of this Authority to any Civil Magiftrate, but to his Apostles only, and to their Succeffors whom he fent, as he was fent of the Father, as has been already proved. And whereas Archbishop Cranmer fays, there is no more Promife of God, that Grace is given in the Committing of the Ecclefiaftical Office, than it is in the Committing of the Civil Office, that is alfo contrary to plain Scri pture. For when Chrift committed the Ecclefiaftical Office to his Apoftles, and fent them forth to preach and baptize, he promised them (r) to be with them alway, even unto the End of the World. Which is as clear a Promife as he could make, that his Grace and Holy Spirit fhould accompany the Miniftrations then committed to them, not for their Lives only, but throughout all Generations; which must neceffarily imply the like Grace to be continu'd to the Ministrations of those who fhould fucceed them. But we find no fuch Promife of Grace made to the Civil Magiftrate, or to any commiffioned by him.

SXI. However, King Henry VIII. having taken upon him the Title of Supreme Head of the Church, thought it proper to exercise it in its full Extent (s) And accordingly made the Bishops take out d Strange Commiffion (as Bishop Burnet himself styles it) which might give juft Occafion to call them the King's

(r) Matth. xxviii. 20.

(s) Burnet's Hift. of Refor. 4th Edition, p. 255. Collier's Hift. Vol. II. p. 169. Col. 2.

Bishops

Bishops. The Subftance of it was, That fince all Jurifdition, both Civil and Ecclefiaftical, flowed from the King as Supreme Head, and he was the Fountain of all Power; it became those who exercised it only (precariò) at the King's Courtesy, gratefully to acknowledge, that they had it only of his Bounty; and to declare that they would deliver it up again, when it should please him to call for it. And fince the King had conftituted the Lord Cromwell his Vicegerent in Ecclefiaftical Affairs; yet because he could not look into all thofe Matters, therefore the King, upon Bonner's Petition, did empower him, in his own Stead, to ordain fuch as he found worthy, to prefent and give Inftitution, with all the other Parts of the Epifcopal Authority, for which he is duly commiffionated; and this to laft during the King's Pleasure only. And all the Parts of the Epifcopal Function being reckon'd up, it concluded with a strict Charge to the Bishop to ordain none but fuch of whofe Integrity, good Life, and Learning, he had very good Affurance. Bishop Burnet pretends, that only Bonner took fuch a Commiffion; but Anthony Harmer has fhewn, that Cranmer and many others, and probably all the Bishops of that Time did the fame.

S XII. It appears by this Commiffion, that the King looked upon himself to have full Authority, by vertue of his Supreme Headship, to ordain Bishops, Priests, or Deacons; for he plainly authorizes the Bishops, to whom he gave this Commiffion, to do this in his own Stead, which neceffarily implies that he might have done it himself, if he had pleased: Nay, that the Lord Cromwell his Vicegerent might have done it; for it seems,it was only because he was not at Leifure to look into thefe Matters, that the King was induced to grant these Commiffions to the feveral Bishops. And yet after all, it appears from this very Commiffion, that King Henry VIII. himfelf was not fatisfy'd that he really had all that Power

C

which

which he here pretended to, or that the Bishop had no manner of Power or Authority but what he receiv'd from him, and therefore found it neceffary to throw these Words into the Commission, (as Mr. Collier obferves) Præter & ultra ea que tibi ex facris literis Divinitus commiffa effe dignofcuntur: Over and above thofe Things which are known from the Holy Scriptures to have been committed to you by God. Which Words do effectually overthrow that boundlefs Supremacy pretended to in the other Parts of the Commillion. For,if the Bishops and Paftors of the Church have any thing immediately committed to them by God, independent on the Civil Magiftrate, as this Claufe affirms, then all Spiritual Power is not deriv'd from the King, as is pretended in the other Parts of this Commission; confequently, King Henry was not fuch a Supreme Head as he was defirous to be thought, and by this very Claufe declares the Scriptures to be against that pretended Headfhip."

S XIII. Alfo, though in this Commiffion he declares all Epifcopal Power to be deriv'd from himfelf, and that Cromwell, his Vicegerent, was vested with the Authority of all the Bishops in England; yet, when he made his Act of Parliament (which was about the fame time thefe Commiffions were granted) for the Election and Confecration of Archbishops and Bishops, he did not pretend to make Bishops otherwife than they had been made before. For though he carry'd his Right of Patronage, or of Recommending or Nominating the Perfon to be made a Bishop, to its full Height, beyond the Example of former Ages, and decreed, (t) that if the Dean and Chapter deferr or delay their Election abové twelve Days next after the Licence and Letters Miffive

[merged small][ocr errors]

are to them delivered, that then for every fuch Default, the King's Highness, his Heirs and Succeffors, at their Liberty and Pleasure, fhall nominate and prefent, by their Letters Patents under their Great Seal, fuch a Perfon to the faid Office and Dignity, as they shall think able and convenient for the fame. But then, if the Archbishops or Bifhops fhall refufe or neglect to confecrate him, the Statute does not fay, that he shall be taken or reputed for a Bifhop notwithstanding. It lays indeed fuch Archbishop or Bifhops refufing under the Penalty of a Premunire; but if they had Courage and Conftancy to bear that Penalty, even this Su preme Head of the Church did not think himself capable of making a Bishop without them, notwithItanding Archbishop Cranmer's Opinion, that thefe Ceremonies of Confecration or Impofition of Epifcopal Hands were not necessary.

S XIV. This Title of Supreme Head of the Church continu'd the remaining Part of King Henry VIII's Reign, and throughout that of his Son King Edw. VI. but was repealed (u) by Queen Mary, and never fince revived. For Queen Elizabeth never was, nor would be called Supreme Head of the Church, but contented herself with the Title of Supreme Governor of this Realm, and of all other her Highness's Realms, Dominions and Countries, as well in all Spiritual or Ecclefiaftical Things or Caufes, as Temporal: And allowed alfo, that it fhould be declared in (m) the Articles publish'd by her Authority, that where we attribute to the Queen's Majesty the chief Government, by which Titles we understand the Minds of fome flanderous Folks to be offended: We give not to our Princes the Miniftring either of God's Word, or of the Sacraments, the which Thing the Injunctions alfo lately fet forth by Elizabeth

(u)2 Phil. & Mar. Cap VIII.

C 2

(w) Art. 37.

8

« PreviousContinue »