The HISTORY of KNOWLEDGE, LEARNING, and TASTE, in Great Britain, during the Reign of King CHARLES the First IN [From the New Annual Regifter for the Year 1795.] N the Hiftory of the Progrefs of Knowledge, Learning, and Tafte, with which our annual volume ufually commences, the first place has generally been affigned to theology. In no age indeed could fuch an arrangement have more propriety than in that of which we have now to treat it was a period in which reli gous controverfy engaged the minds of all, and mingled with almost every eccurrence in focial, or civil life. The adoption of the tenets of Arminius, by feveral of the most celebrated di vines in the reign of James, has been a'ready mentioned; and thefe prelates happening to be, from their fituation, teinper, or prejudices, fupporters of the prerogative of the crown, and attached to ecclefiaftical power and of tentatious ceremonies, were regarded by the greater part of the nation with jealoufy and diftruft, though, ftrictly Ipeaking, the tenets of their philofophy had no tendency to favour either civil or ecclefiaftical tyranny. They were, however, branded by the nation with the names of heretics and innovators; and the houfe of commons, in the third parliament of Charles, loudly inveighed against thefe pernicious and dangerous tenets, and ftigmatized their courtly and clerical protectors. nians,' who, in time, comprehended all the favourers of the church and monarchy. The house of commons, being chiefly composed of paritans, who, however differing in fome points, were united in their hatred to popery and arbitrary power, directed their attacks against the Arminians. By this, they hoped to injure thofe bishops who most ftrenuously fupported epifcopal go1 vernment, an attachment to fuperfti tious rites, and entire fubmiffion to monarchical authority. They were warmly oppofed by the king, who not only reverenced the hierarchy, but conceived it the moft folid bafis of his authority; and the oppofition of the monarch was heightened by the coun fels of archbishop Laud, whofe af cendency over the mind of Charles unhappily extended not only to eccle fiaftical, but civil affairs. Bigoted to the priesthood and prelacy, and child ihly attached to the ceremonials of religion, the unceafing zeal of Laud was exerted to fupport the one, and to extend the other. The eyes of the puritans were inceffantly fhocked by ceremonies fimilar to thofe in the church of Rome, fo much the object of their abhorrence; and their ran cour against them was further inflamed by the rigorous manner in which an obfervance of them was enforced. Innovations of this nature, and the fu perftitions of the fourth and fifth cen tury, were attempted to be forced upon men, by many of whom even the ancient ceremonies fanctioned by It is obferved by Mr. Hume, that at this time the appellation of puritan food for thee parties, which, though commonly united, were yet actuated by very different views and motives. There were the political puritans, who maintained the highest the first reformers were looked upon principles of civil liberty; the puritans in difcipline, who were averfe to the ceremonies and episcopal government of the church; and the doctrinal puritans, who rigidly defended the fpeculative fyftem of the firft reformers. In oppofition to thefe, was the court party, the hierarchy, and the Armi with difguft, and who could not but regard the afinity which they thought was taking place between the liturgy of the English church and that of the church of Rome, with deteftation and horror. Thefe fuperftitious practices being enforced by the arbitrary mandates of the high commiffion court, fuch of the clergy as refufed obedience, were fufpended and deprived of their benefices. The churchwardens were fworn to inform against fuch as acted contrary to the ecclefiaftical canons; and every meafure was taken, both at home and abroad, which could evince the attachment of the court to the introduction of fuperftition. The independence of the fpiritual upon the civil power, was loudly infifted upon. The right to private judgment in fpiritual matters was refufed to laymen. The bishops held ecclefiaftical courts in their own name; and Charles, if he did not encourage, at least made no attempt to reprefs thefe clerical encroachments; while thofe by whom they were oppofed, incurred the fevereft penalties of the law. The unfeeling fentences inflicted upon Prynne, a lawyer,Burton, a divine, Batwick, a phyfician, and Williams, bishop of Lincoln, for their fpirited oppofition to innovation, and the practices of the court and church, fufficiently record the arbitrary nature of the high commiffion court, and the object of the king and the archbishop. The innovations introduced by James and Charles had entirely altered the whole fyftem of church government, not only in England but Scotland. Charles conciliated the affection of the higher orders of the church in that country, by railing the prelates to the chief dignities of the ftate; but he did not fucceed in influencing the inferior Scottish ecclefiaftics. The hatred against popery was, if poffible, ftill more rancorous in Scotland than in England, and the people revolted with horror from the moderate language of the prelates, which reprefented the catholic doctrines as lefs dangerous than they had appeared to their own inflamed imaginations. Every thing, they conceived, por tended returning popery, the object of their horror and abomination; and this fentiment animated them to defperation, when Charles affumed the authority of establishing difcipline upon a regular fyftem of canons, of affimilating the worship of the church in both kingdoms, and introducing a liturgy into the Scottish church, nearly refembling that of England, but still more strongly countenancing the doctrine of the real prefence. The most violent commotions fucceeded this attempt: but the monarch obftinately adhered to his intention, and issued a proclamation exhorting the people to a peaceable fubmiffion to the liturgy. This was anfwered by a public proteftation, and afterward by a renewal of the celebrated covenant, formerly figned by James, confifting of a solemn renunciation of popery, and a firm determination of union against all oppofition. In vain then were all the negotiations fet on foot by the monarch for quelling this rebellious fpirit,— vain even the conceffions he made. The hatred entertained by the Scotch against popery, their diflike to ecclefiaftical authority, and the enthusiasm which incorporated itself with their religion, flowly and gradually found its way even into England. The Scotch had recourse to arms, and, on their arrival, received every poffible mark of refpect and affection from the parliament. Their chaplains began openly to practife the prefbyterian form of worship, which was received with fuch avidity, that all ranks eagerly crowded to St. Antholin's church in Watling-street, which had been affigned to them, to hear their dif courfes. Prefbyterianifm was openly profeffed; and the prevalence of that fect foon difcovered itfelf in the parliament. Marfhall and Burgess,' fays Mr. Hume, two puritanical clergymen, were ordered to preach before them, and entertained them with difcourfes feven hours long. It being the cuftom of the house always. to take the facrament before they enter upon bufinefs, they ordered, as a neceflary preliminary, that the communion table fhould be removed from the eaft end of St. Margaret's into the middle of the area. The name of the fpiritual lords was commonly left out in acts of parliament, and the clerk, in reading bills, turned his back upon the bench of bishops; nor was his infelence ever taken notice cf. On a day appointed for a general faft, all the temporal peers, contrary to practice, took place of the fpiritual; and lord, Spencer remarked, that humiliation that day feemed confined alone to the prelates.' This palpable approbation of pref byterianifm was fucceeded by petitions against the church from different parts of the kingdom. An addrefs against episcopacy was prefented by twelve clergymen to the committee of religion; and a petition from the city for a total alteration of church government, which was figned by 15,000 perfons, and prefented by Pennington the city member. The lords, however, fteadily refused to fanction a bill for prohibiting all clergymen the exercife of any civil office, and confequently depriving the bifhops of their feats in the houfe of lords. Rigorous orders were issued by the commons for the demolition of images, crucifixes, and every fuperftitious figure; and a committee was elected to infpect the practices of the clergy, which, beginning with haraffing and moleftation, ended in fequeftrating and ejecting fuch as were convicted of what were deemed fuperftitious practices. Every poffible expreffion of opprobrium and abhorrence was inflicted upon fuch as were convicted, or even fufpected, of an attachment to the caufe of popery. So much indeed were the minds of the people inflamed upon this occafion, that confpiracy was thought to lurk in every corner, and a general alarm about the defigns of the papifts pervaded the nation. The dreadful maffacres which took place in Ireland, in which every act of cruelty the most abhorrent to the human mind was practifed under the name of religion, and that religion the catholic, afforded a melancholy reafon for this belief; and as the commons always joined the prelatical party with the papifts, their animofity a gainft the hierarchy became addition ally violent. The pulpits refounded with the dangers which threatened religion, and feveral fkirmishes took place in the streets between the Roundheads and Cavaliers, diftinctions by which the diferent factions began to be known. The English parliament enteredinto a nearer confederacy with the Scotch; which was effected chiefly by the addrefs and capacity of Vane, by whofe perfuafions a folemn league and covenant was entered into, in which the covenanters engaged to extirpate popery and prelacy, &c. During thefe negociations, the parliament convened an affembly at Weliminster, confifting of 121 divines and thirty laymen, celebrated for their piety and learning. By their advice, alterations took place in the thirty-nine articles; the liturgy was abolished, and a new directory for public' worship was appointed, in which full liberty was allowed to the public preachers; and the folemn league and covenant with the Scotch abolished epifcopacy as deftractive to all true piety. Charles was not very likely to fubmit readily to regulations which, by deftroying epifcopal jurifdiction, deprived him of that party in the ftate on whofe adherence he might the most firmly rely. He was bound to them equally by inclination and policy. He reluctantly consented to regulate and reftrain the facerdotal order, but could not be prevailed upon to abolish them entirely. The Independents, whofe rejection of every ecclefiaftical eftablishment. much exceeded that of the prefbyterians, inculcated, however, a degree of toleration unpractifed by that fect and by the catholics, and directed their religious attacks toward popery, and prelacy alone. The leaders of this fect were Oliver Cromwell, Nathaniel Fiennes, Oliver St. John, and the accomplished fir Henry Vane; and their efforts, united with thofe of their own party, finally prevailed in abolishing prelacy in the church, and introducing equality in the ftate. right. Williams is faid, during thể Previous to this, however, the parliament established the prefbyterian model of ecclefiaftical jurisdiction in all its forms of congregational, claffical, provincial, and national affemblies, but refufed, chiefly at the inftigation of the Independents, to admit the divine fight of prefbytery. The difagreements between the Prefbyterians and Independents increafed in proportion to the diminution of monarchical power; and in a fhort time the mo. derate party found it neceffary to arrange themselves under one of thefe banners, til that of the Independents firmly attained the whole power of the state. We have thus endeavoured to give a connected view of the ftate of ecclefiaftical difputes during the reign of Charles I, unbroken by an account of those who were the principal actors in these scenes. It will eafily be conceived, that, in these theological ftruggles, the prefs and the pulpit would be continually employed in promoting the views of the contending parties. These compofitions were indeed fres quently rude, and degraded by the fanatical cant which fo much prevailed; but in many inftances they were eloquent, and admirably calculated for affecting the paffions of an uneducated audience. conteils between the king and parlia ment, to have cautioned Charles againft the defigns of Cromwell, and was deeply affected by the death of the unfortunate monarch. He publithed, against the innovations of Laud, The Holy Table, Name, and Thing, more anciently, properly, and literally ufed under the New Teftament than that of Altar,' which lord Clarendon, who was not favourably dif pofed to this prelate, reprefentsas full of good learning, and that learn ing clofely and folidly applied.' The oppofition to the puritans, which marked fome of the earliest productions of the pen of Laud, continued during his life. In his exercise for the degree of B. D. at college, he maintained the neceflity of baptifm, and that no true church could fubfift without diocefan bishops. The agitation of the doctrines of predeftination and election, and of the regal claims to prerogative, which were fo ufual among the preachers of that period, being offenfive to the court, Laud was believed to have aflifted in compofing directions concerning preachers and preaching, which, as they were aimed at the puritans and lecturers, occafioned him much opprobrium. Whatever have been the charges made against him of affecting It cannot, however, be fuppofed, popery, in 1622, he held the cele that, in a contest which engaged every brated conferences with Fisher the rank, fome writers should not have jefuit, in order to confirm the marquis arifen uninfected with the barbarous of Buckingham and his mother in the jargon of the times. The innovations proteftant religion; an account of introduced in the worship of the church which was published in 1624. Nu were fpiritedly attacked by Williams, merous as were the faults and mif afterward archbishop of York, who, takes into which Laud was betrayed, to a mind of more than usual strength, literature has confiderable obligations added uncommon application. In or- to his abilities and generofity. Ox der to convert the daughter of the earl ford, the place of his education, and of Rutland from popery, this prelate of which he was chancellor, was en compofed a small book of the elements riched and adorned at his expence. of true religion, of which he printed a St. John's college was enlarged by few copies with only the fignature of him, and prefented with feveral valuold prebend of Westminster.' His able MSS. and the convocation house, abilities for bufinefs elevated him to and Selden's library, were erected by the care of the feals; and after lofing him. At different times he prefented them, he promoted the petition of to the univerfity, an invaluable col an lection of 1300 volumes, which were procured for him at a prodigious expence. All this, together with a confiderable fhare of learning, were fo far from procuring popularity to this turbulent prelate, that his intolerance, his haughtiness, his attachment to Arminianifm, debafed indeed by fuperft tion, united against him a confiderable part of the nation, who faw him perih on the fcaffold at the advanced age of feventy-one, with little compaffion and regret; and his death, for which political caufes afforded the pretext, is more juftly afcribable to religious prejudices. Laud compofed feveral fermons, a Life of James I, and a Manual and Summary of Public and Private Devotion. If any doubt could be entertained of his fincere oppofition to popery, his letters to fir Kene!m Digby, and to the celebrated Chillingworth, who had embraced the communion of the church of Rome, would be a fufficient refutation of the charge. The latter was fo affected by the arguments of Laud, as to commence a fresh inquiry upon the subject, the refult of which was his return to, and zealous and able fupport of, proteftantifm. Chilling worth's Religion of Catholics a Safe Way to Salvation,' was printed at Oxford, in 1638, in folio, and at London, with fome improvements, the fame year; a remarkable instance of a theological work of this magnitude going through two editions in fo fhort a fpace of time. The catholics were further attacked by the learned Ufher, who alfo publifhed the Annales Veteris et Novi Teftamenti,' and by Bedell, the refpectable bishop of Kilmore, with a degree of perfuafive mildness, of which this turbulent period affords few examples. Hammond wrote against the Anabaptifts: but his reputation is better founded on his Paraphrafe and Annotations on the New Teftament.' The celebrated Selden ranged himself among the champions of prefbyterianifm. Independency was defended by Nye, and attacked by Edwards, who was com monly diftinguished by the appellation of young Luther; and his oppofition to royalifm and independency is remarkable for having taken place when each of them was in the zenith of their profperity. Heylin was a zealous fupporter of the authority of the church, in which he was oppofed by the modeft and learned Dr. John Prideaux. Among those who dignified this period by their religion, knowledge, and learning, and improved it by their example, a distinguifhed place is due to the ever memorable John Hales, whofe confcientious refufal to take the engagement, or oath to be faithful to the commonwealth, reduced him to fuch difficulties, that he parted with his valuable library, for his own fupport and that of his friends. His talents appear to have been general,-his principles moderate, yet incorruptible, his learning profound. A year or two after his death, his Golden Remains,' were published, confifting of fermons, mifcellanies, and letters. Hales refufed publishing during his life; but is a ftriking exception to the narrow bigoted spirit of the times, and to the greater part of the writers of this period, who eagerly defended the religious fentiments they had embraced and virulently attacked their adverfaries. Indeed, with few exceptions, these writings afford no very favourable specimen of the taste of the age; and the fermons of fix or seven hours in length, which were commonly delivered at that time, are frequently degraded by fanaticism, faction, vulgarity, and rant. 'The Whole Duty of Man,' which was probably written during the reign of Charles, is, however, one of feveral exceptions to this cenfure. This work has been afcribed to Chappel, bishop of Cork; but its author ftill remains unknown. A feries of arguments in favour of natural religion in oppofition to Revelation, was brought forward in the De Veritate,' of lord Herbert, of Cherbury; but later times have, furnished us with a very extraO. |