And as man can never be entitled to denude himself, or to suffer others to wrest from him his essential characteristics of a responsible and religious being, it had become a sacred duty to assert and defend his natural, national, and religious rights and responsibilities. Further, when Prelacy, at first avowedly a human invention, arrogated a divine right, it assumed an aspect that could no longer be endured. Men may, in certain circumstances, abstain from asserting their natural rights; but when an attempt is made to abolish these rights even in God's name, it becomes a duty which they owe to God himself, to prevent the perpetration of a grievous wrong, so wrought as to involve a violation of His glorious and holy character and attributes. It was, therefore, a holy deed, to resist that form of Prelatic tyranny; for it was a vindication of the King Eternal from a despotism usurped as if by His authority. And let it be well observed, that the awfully pernicious character here ascribed to the assumed divine right of Prelacy, cannot be charged against Presbytery, when it, too, claims to be of divine right. Because, while it asserts that Christ, the only Supreme Head and King of the Church, has appointed a government and office-bearers in His spiritual kingdom, it recognises equally the religious rights and responsibilities of the people, the free subjects of that kingdom, whose right to liberty of conscience is also a divine. right. Nor can it ever become a Popery, by usurping civil authority, and exercising a spiritual and civil despotism; because it owns and teaches the divine right of the civil magistrate in his own department as also and equally an ordinance of God. But upon this subject it is needless to dwell at present; it will come more fully before us as we proceed in tracing the discussions of the Westminster Assembly. CHAPTER II. MEETING OF THE WESTMINSTER ASSEMBLY. First Meeting of the Assembly of Divines at Westminster-List of Names -Regulations-Order of Procedure-A Fast-The Thirty-Nino Articles Revised-Commissioners sent to the Scottish Convention of Estates and General Assembly-Discussions concerning a Treaty between the Kingdoms-The SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT prepared and assented to-Taken in England and in ScotlandRemarks. THE Ordinance of the Parliament calling the Assembly of Divines to meet at Westminster, on the 1st day of July 1643, was issued, as has been stated, on the 12th of June in the same year. On the 22d of June, his Majesty, by a proclamation, forbade their meeting for the purposes mentioned in the Parliamentary Ordinance; declared that no acts done by them ought to be received by his subjects; and threatened, that if they should meet, he would proceed against them with the utmost severity of the law. This was so far unpropitious, even to his own cause, as it tended to prevent the greater part of the Episcopalian divines who had been summoned, from attending. The Scottish Convention of Estates met in June, but came to no definite resolution; and the public matters were postponed till it should be more clearly known what terms would be proposed by the King and the Parliament, the Covenanters being unwilling directly to interpose, if that could be avoided. The following is the list of names contained in the Ordinance by which the Assembly was called; amounting to one hundred and fifty-one in all, namely, ten Lords and twenty Commoners, as lay assessors, and one hundred and twenty-one Divines : Sir Henry Vane, senior. COMMONERS. Sir Benjamin Rudyard. John Pym, Esq. Sir John Clotworthy. John Glynn, Esq., Recorder of London. Sir Henry Vane, Junior. John Whyte, Esq. Bulstrode Whitelocke, Esq. Humphry Salloway, Esq. Oliver St John, Esq., Solicitor. William Pierpoint, Esq. DIVINES. Arrowsmith, John, B.D., of King's Baylie, Thomas, B.D., of Manningford- Bowles, Oliver, B.D., of Sutton, Bedford. Capell, Richard, M.A., Pitchcombe, Carrill, Joseph, M.A., Preacher at Lin Carter, -, M.A., of York or Camber well. Carter, William, of London. Chambers, Humphrey, B.D., of Claver- Cheynell or Channell, Francis, of Oxford, afterwards Master of St John's, D.D. Clerk, Peter, M.A., of Carnaby, after- Cleyton, Richard, M.A., of Shawell, Coke or Cooke, Francis, of Yoxhall, Coleman, Thomas, M.A., of Blyton, Lin- Conant, John, B.D.. of Lymington, Somerset, afterwards of St Stephen's, Walbrooke. Corbet, Edward, M.A., of Merton College, Oxford, and Rector of Chartham, Kent, succeeded Dr Hammond as University Orator and Canon of Christ's Church, Oxon. Crosse, Robt.,of Lincoln College, Oxford. De La March, John, of French Church, London. De La Place, Samuel, of French Church, London. Downing, Calibute, LL.D., of Hackney, Middlesex. Hildersham, Sanuel, B.D., of West Felton, Shropshire. Hodges, Thomas, B.D., of Kensington, afterwards Dean of Hereford. Holdsworth or Oldsworth, Richard, D.D., Master of Emmanuel College, Cambridge. Hoyle, Joshua, D.D., of Dublin, afterwards of Stepney and Oxford. Hutton, Henry, M.A., of Caldbeck, Cumberland, and Prebendary of Carlisle. Jackson, John, M.A., of Marske, Yorkshire, also preacher at Gray's Inn. Lance, William, of Harrow, Middlesex. Langley, John, M.A., of West Tuderley, or Tytherley, Hampshire. Dunning, William, M.A. of Cold-Aston, Erie, John, D.D., of Bishopton, Wilts, afterwards Bishop of Worcester, then of Salisbury. Featley, Daniel, D.D., of Lambeth, third and last Provost of Chelsea College. Foxcroft, John, M.A., of Gotham. Notts. Gammon, Hannibal, M.A., of Mawgan, Cornwall. Gattaker, Thomas, B.D., of Rotherhithe, Surrey. Gibbon or Guibon, John, M.A., of Wa'tham. Gibbs or Gippes, George, of Ayleston, Leicester. Gibson, Samuel, of Burleigh. Rutland. Goodwin, Thomas, B.D., of London. Gouge, William, D.D., of Blackfriars, London, Assessor after Palmer. Gower, Stanley, of Brampton Bryan, Hereford. Green, John, of Pencombe, Hereford, Greenhill, William, M.A., Evening Star" of Stepney. Hacket, John, D.D., of St Andrews, Holborn, afterwards Bishop of Lichfield. Hall, Henry, B.D., of Norwich. Hammond, Henry, D.D., of Penshurst, Kent, and Canon of Christ's Church. Harris, John, D.D., Warden of Winchester College, "took Covenant and other oaths." Harris, Robert, B.D., of Hanwell, Ox- Lightfoot, John, M.A., of Ashley, Staffordshire, afterwards Master of Catherine Hall, Cambridge, and D.D. Love, Richard, D.D., of Ekington, and of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. Lyford, William, B.D., of Sherborne, Dorset. Marshall, Stephen, B.D., of Finchingfleld, Essex. Mew, William, B.D., of Estington or Eastington, Gloucester. Micklethwaite, Thomas, M.A., of Cherryburton, Yorkshire. Moreton, William, of Newcastle. Morley, George, D.D., of Mildenhall, Wilts, afterwards Bishop of Winches ter. Newcomen, Matthew, M.A., of Dedham, Essex. Nicholson, William, M.A., Archdeacon of Brecknock. Nye, Henry, of Clapham. Nye, Philip, M. A., of Kimbolton, Hunts. Assessor after White, and Master of Peale, Edward, of Compton, Dorset. Perne, Andreas, M.A., of Wilby, Northampton. Philips, John, of Wrentham, Suffolk, monton. Pyne, John, of Bereferrers, Devon. Raynor, William, B.D., of Egham, Surrey, afterwards of St John Baptist, London. Reynolds, Edward, M.A., of Braunston, Sallaway or Salway, Arthur, M.A., of Sedgewick, Obadiah, B.D., of Cogges- Smith, Brocket, or Peter, D.D., of Barkway, Herts. Spurstow, William, D.D., of Hampden, Taylor Francis, B.D., of Yalding, Kent. Thoroughgood, Thomas, of Massingham, Norfolk. Tisdale or Tesdale, Christopher, M.A., of Uphurstborne, or Hurstborne-Tarrant, Hampshire. Tozer, Henry, B.D., Fellow of Exeter College, Oxford. Tackney, Antony, B.D., of Boston, afterwards Master successively of Em manuel and St John's, Cambridge, and Professor of Divinity after Arrowsmith. Twisse, William, D.D., of Newbury, Berks, Prolocutor. Ussher, James, Archbishop of Armagh. Valentine, Thomas, B.D., of Chalfont, St Giles, Bucks, afterwards of London. Vines, Richard, M. A., of Calcot or Weddington, War., Master of Pembroke Hall, Cambridge, and a Minister in London. Walker, George, B.D., of St John's, Watling Street, London, Ward, Samuel, D.D., Master of Sidney, Sussex College, Cambridge. Weldy or Weiby, James, of Selattyn, Shropshire. Westfield, Thomas, D.D., of St Bartholomew the Great, Bishop of Bristol, attended at least the first Meeting. Whidden. Francis, M.A., of Moreton, Hampstead, Devon. Whincop, John, D.D., of St Martin's, ia the Fields, and Clothall, Herts. Whitaker, Jeremiah, M.A., of Stretton, Rutland, afterwards of Bermondsey. White, John, M.A., of Dorchester, As sessor. Wilkinson, Henry, sen., B.D., of Waddesdon, Bucks. Wilkinson, Henry, jun., B.D., afterwards D.D., and Principal of Magdalen Hall, Oxford. Wilson, Thomas, M.A., of Otham. Kent. Wincop, Thomas, D.D., of Ellesworth, Cambridge. Young, Thomas, M.A., St And, of Stowmarket, Suffolk, afterwards D.D., and Master of Jesus College, Cambridge. SCRIBES OR CLERKS Henry Roborough, of St Leonard's, | Assistant-John Wallis, M.A., after Eastcheap, London. Adoniram Byfield, M.A., afterwards of Fulham. wards D.D., Savilian Professor of Geometry, Oxford. Admitted to sit and hear in October 1644, the Prince Elector Palatine, and, on one occasion, permitted to speak. |