in those countries, and to certify the names of such as refused. It is a remarkable fact, that the elector Palatine, who happened then to be at the Hague, voluntarily subscribed the covenant; and afterwards, when he went to England, condescended to take his seat in the Assembly of Divines.

In December 20, 1643, it was ordered by the Lords and Commons, that no person should be capable of being elected a common council-man of the city of London, or so much as have a voice in such elections, who had not taken the covenant.

On the 29th of January, 1644, it was ordered by the House of Commons, that the covenant should be publicly read on every day of fasting and humiliation, in every church in the kingdom; and it was enjoined on every congregation to have a copy fairly printed, in a large character, and framed so as to be fitted to be hung up in a public place of the church, so that it might be read by the people. All young ministers at their ordination, were required to take the covenant; and none of the laity were continued in office, whether civil or military, who refused it; and all knights, gentlemen, and officers, who came over from the king's party, were received only on condition of subscribing the covenant.

As soon as the king was made acquainted with these proceedings, he issued the following proclamation, prohibiting all his loyal subjects to take the cove

nant:-

"By the King.

"Whereas there is a printed paper, entitled, A solemn league and covenant, for reformation and defence of religion, &c., pretended to be printed by order of the House of Commons, September 21, which covenant, though it seems to make specious expressions of piety and religion, is in truth nothing else but a traitorous and seditious combination against us and the established religion and laws of this kingdom, in pursuance of a traitorous design and endeavour to bring in foreign force to invade this kingdom; we do therefore straitly charge and command all our loving

46

WESTMINSTER ASSEMBLY.

subjects, of what degree or quality soever, upon allegiance, that they presume not to take the sai ditious and traitorous covenant. And we do wise hereby further inhibit and forbid all our jects to impose, administer, or tender, the said c nant, as they, and every one of them, will ans the contrary at their utmost and extremest perils

This proclamation he sent also into Scotland which the states of that kingdom paid no further gard than to send him the reasons of their cond with their advice to his majesty to take the cover himself.

The imposition of this test operated with un severity on the clergy, who were, in some instan ejected from their livings for refusing the coven but commonly, there were other grounds alleged turning ministers out of their places. In some w counties, very little regard was paid to the order Parliament on this subject. This was the fact Worcester county, where Mr. Baxter resided, v not only refused the covenant himself, but used influence so effectually, that very few took the co nant there; except in the city of Worcester, wh his influence was less.

CHAPTER V.

Episcopalians mostly decline attending-The members divided three parties-Their respective opinions-Distinguished leaders THE ministers who composed the Assembly of 1 vines, were selected by the Parliament, from eve part of the kingdom; and as the original design w not to overthrow the hierarchy of the English chur but only to reform and improve it, there does not a pear to have been any motive for making choice men unfriendly to the existing establishment. I deed, the whole of them had been episcopally ordai ed; except the Scottish commissioners and Fren

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ministers. They appear to have been impartially and judiciously selected, without its being known what were their peculiar sentiments. Men of learning and piety were sought for, and of such, in general did this Assembly consist. That the Assembly was not convened with the design of subverting the hierarchy, is evident from the fact, that among those named in the ordinance, calling the Assembly, were a number of strong Episcopalians; these however, either did not attend, or soon departed. The one who remained longest was Dr. Daniel Featly, who, while he remained, was treated with great respect and attention, and indulged, in all his earnest arguments, in favour of Episcopacy. But, finally, he was expelled from the Assembly for holding correspondence with archbishop Usher, at Oxford, and for revealing their proceedings, in violation of the express words of the ordinance, which forbade them to divulge by printing, writing, or otherwise, any of the proceedings of the Assembly, or any communications made to them, by either house of Parliament. Lord Clarendon, however, says, that the King sent Dr. Featly a letter forbidding him to stay any longer, but that he excused his remaining in a letter to Usher, which being intercepted, he was committed to prison, as a spy, and archbishop Usher, who had been nominated a member, but never attended, was now declared incapable of sitting in the Assembly, as well as Dr. Featly.

The Episcopal divines who were summoned to attend this Assembly, sent in reasons for not taking their seats; the substance of which was, 1. "That the king, by royal proclamation, had prohibited the Assembly. 2. That the members were not chosen by the clergy, and therefore, could not be considered as their representatives. 3. They objected to the mixture of laity with the clergy; and that the divines selected were, for the most part, of a Puritanical stamp, and enemies to the hierarchy.

There was, therefore, no Episcopal party in the Assembly, after the departure of Dr. Featly; the other

48

WESTMINSTER ASSEMBLY.

members, as appeared in the progress of debate, divided into three parties, as it related to chu polity; the PRESBYTERIANS, INDEPENDENTS, ERASTIANS. Those of the first class, were by far most numerous; but they were not at first oppose every form of Episcopacy; but wished and inten to reduce it to the standard of the first and sec ages of Christianity. These views were, howe greatly changed after the arrival of the Scottish c missioners; for after a full discussion, they not laid aside the office of bishop, but advanced so fa to maintain the jus divinum of presbytery.

The Independents were few in number, but t were men of eminent learning and abilities, and o pied a large portion of the time of the Assembly, w their debates. Their leading men were, Thor Goodwin, Sydrach Simpson, Philip Nye, Jerem Burroughs, and William Bridge.

TH

The Erastians were so called from a German div and physician of the sixteenth century, who mainta ed, that the pastoral office was merely persuasive, a that no power of the keys was attached to it. Am ister might dehort the profane from coming to sacraments, but he had no right to forbid them, mu less to use force to prevent their attendance; nor he the power to inflict any kind of censure. referred the punishment of all offences, civil or ec siastical, to the civil magistrate. The great bene which they promised themselves from their syst was, the avoiding all collision between Church a State, by the erection of an imperium in imperio; a to cut up by the roots all kinds of priestly tyrani over the consciences of men. The chief patrons this scheme, in the Assembly, were Selden, Lig foot, Colman, and Whittack; all eminent for their p found acquaintance with rabbinical learning. Th denied that any particular form of church governme was set down in the Scriptures, but maintained th it belonged to the civil magistrate to establish su form as might be judged most expedient. Th alleged that Cranmer. Redmaver. Cox. and White

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entertained the same opinions; and cited from the controversy of the latter with Cartwright, the following words, "I deny that the Scripture has set down any one certain form of church-government to be perpetual."-Again, "It is well known, that the manner and form of government expressed in the Scriptures neither is now, nor can, nor ought to be observed, either touching persons or functions."— "The charge of this is left to the magistrate, so that nothing be contrary to the word of God. The government of the church must be according to the form of government in the commonwealth."

The views entertained by the Independents, as expressed in their "Apologetic Narrative," were, in regard to the Church of England, as follows: "As to the Church of England, we profess before God and the world, that we apprehend a great deal of defilement in their way of worship, and a great deal of unwarranted power exercised by their church governors; yet we allow many of their parochial churches to be true churches, and their ministers, true ministers."

Their scheme did not go to the length to which the Brownists extended their principles of Independency. They professed to steer a middle course between this system and presbytery, and held, "That every particular congregation of Christians has an entire and complete power of jurisdiction over its members to be exercised by the elders thereof within itself.”—“ Not that they claim an entire independency with regard to other churches, for they agree that in all cases of offence, the offending church is to submit to an open examination, by other neighbouring churches, and on their persisting in their error, or miscarriage, they then are to renounce all Christian communion with them till they repent, which is all the authority or ecclesiastical power that one church may exercise over another; unless they call in the civil magistrate; for which they find no authority in Scripture."

"Their mode of worship in Holland was the same as other Protestants. They read the Scriptures of the

4