397 certainly had the Parliament not been contented and refolved to have the New Translation fubfcrib'd in obedience to their New Statute, they muft and would have fignified, that whatever Subfcription was otherwife required, they infifted upon a Subfcription to the Old Tranflation, which was actually imprinted, long before the Parliament was fummon'd; and they would also have declared, that no other Subscription was an Act of Obedience to the New Statute. But the Parliament acted quite otherwife. The Words of the Statute admit the New as well as the Old Translation; and confequently these Confiderations manifeftly exclude the Old, and confine us to the New Tranflation. I muft add, that tho' there are feveral Editions of the Articles printed in this Year, as has been already fhewn; yet they differ in nothing that is at all material, except the Controverted Clause of the Twentieth Article. And therefore fince I have proved, that those Editions which have the Clause are genuin, and that those which want it are spurious; 'tis plain, that our Subfcription is by this Statute confined to an English Edition, or a true Copy of an English Edition, printed this Year with the Controverted Clause in it, CHA P. XXXI. The Practice of Subfcription fince the Paffing of the Thirteenth of Eliz. Chap. 12. WH HEN the aforefaid Statute was enacted, doubtless the Articles were accordingly fubcribed, I have feen a Copy of the Articles be Dd3 longing longing to the Dean and Chapter of York, with a great Number of Names fubfcribed to it; and I perceiv'd by another Paper then communicated to me, that the firft Subscriber was inftituted on May 12. 1577. and confequently, I prefume, he fubfcribed about that Time. This is the ancienteft Monument of this Nature that I have met with. But 'tis well known, that soon after Archbishop Whitgift came to the See of Canterbury, a very remarkable Controverfy was started by a Book intituled, A Learned Difcourfe of Ecclefiaftical Goverment, to which Bishop Bridges (then Dean of Sarum) replyed in a Book intituled, A Defence of the Ecclefiaftical Goverment, Lond. 1587. This occafioned a Swarm of Pamphlets against that Author. Now whoever looks into that Difpute, will find the Writers on both (a) fides agreed, that the Clergy were then obliged to fubfcribe, what we commonly call Whitgift's Articles, which ran thus ; The Articles whereunto all fuch as are admitted to preach, read, catechife, minifter the Sacraments, or execute any other Ecclefiaftical Function, do agree and confent, and teftifie the fame by the Subfcription of their Hands, viz. 1. That Her Majeftie under God hath, and ought to have the Soveraigntie and Rule over all manner of Perfons,within her Realms, Dominions, and Countries, of what State (either Ecclefiaftical or Temporal) foever they be: and that none other forraine Power, Prelate, State, or Potentate, bath or ought to have, any Furifdiction, Power, Superiority, Preeminence, or Authority Ecclefiaftical or Spiritual, within Her Majefties faid Realms, Dominions, or Countries. (a) See particularly Bifhop Bridges's Defense, p. 33. and the Defenfe of the Godly Minifters, &c. written against Bishop Bridges, Lond. 1587. p. 75, 76, 84. 2. That 2. That the Book of Common Prayer and of Ordering Bifhops,Priefts and Deacons,containes in it nothing contrary to the Word of God, and that the fame may lawfully be ufed. And that I my felf who do fubfcribe, will use the Form of the faid Book prefcribed in public Prayer, and Adminiftration of the Sacraments; and none other. 3. That I allow the Book of Articles of Religion agreed upon by the Archbishops and Bishops of both Provinces, and the whole Clergy, in the Convocation bolden at London in the Year of our Lord God 1562, and fet forth by Her Majefties Authority: and do believe all the Articles therein contained to be agreeable to the Word of God. In witness whereof I bave fubfcribed my Name. I prefume, this Form of Subfcription was conftantly used till the Year 1603; when 'twas, with a very fmall Alteration, injoined by the 36th Canon, and continues to this very Day. But then, it must be remembred, that there was. another Subfcription practifed at the fame time. A late (b) Author faies, I have now by me four feveral Subfcriptions to the Articles, made by virtue of this Act in the Years 1582,1584,and 1590,upon two printed Copies of the Articles of the Years 1581, and 1586 (both with the Contested Claufe in them, to observe that by the way) which Subfcriptions plainly include all the Articles, two of thems in this Form, Ego his Articulis libenter fubfcripfi, the third more fully thus, Ego--------fubfcribo abfolute his Articulis, &c. contentis iifdem, and the last most of all in thefe Words, Ego--------hifce Articulis, omnibufque & fingulis contentis in eifdem abfolute fubfcribo. And I have feen a Copy of the Articles (now in the Poffeffion of the Revd. Mr. Lapthorn) bound up with a Quantity of Paper, containing (b) Vindication of the Church of England, &c. in answer to Prieftcraft in Perfection, Pref. p. 22. Dd4 the the Subscriptions of the Clergy of the Diocese of Canterbury (the ever memorable Mr. Rich. Hooker is one of them) beginning on Apr. 10 1592, and ending in 1599. So that, it feems, the Clergy were then required to fubfcribe the Articles twice, once as comprized in the third of Archbishop Whitgift's Articles, and once more to a printed Copy of them. The Reason for requiring this double Subfcription I can't affign; but I think the Fact is plain. I must add, that feveral Perfons in the later part of Q. Elizabeth's Reign fubfcribed, either the Ar ticles of Religion alone, or Archbishop Whitgift's Articles, the third of which comprized the Articles of Religion, with fuch Limitations, Declarations, &. as either wholly excluded, or elfe eluded the Force of, fome one, or more, or even the whole Number of them. Smith's (c) Case is a notorious Inftance of this. Others may be found in the (d) Controverfial Writers about Subscription in Q. Elizabeth's Time. To prevent this Mischief for the future, the Convocation of 1603 injoins, Can. 36. that whofoever will fubfcribe to the three Articles there recited, and which are almoft Word for Word the fame with thofe of Archbishop Whitgift, the third of which includes the Thirty nine Articles of Religion, he fhall for the avoiding of all Ambiguities, fubfcribe in this Order and Form of Words, fetting down both his Christian and Sirname, vix. IN. N. do willingly and ex animo fubfcribe to these three Articles above mentioned, and to all things that are con tained in them. By this Means thofe Articles of Archbishop Whitgift, which were originally found (c) Dyer 23. Eliz. 377. b. Coke's Inftitut. 4. 324. ed ed upon the Authority of the High Commission Court, were receiv'd in Effect into the Canon, and confirmed by the broad Seal; and for the future Subscription was made in a Form prescrib'd, not by the High Commiffion, but the Convocation; and no Subfcription to a printed Copy of the Articles was for the future infifted on, that I know of. CHAP. XXXII. That the Thirteenth of Eliz. Chap. 12. obliges the Clergy to fubfcribe all the Thirty nine Articles of Religion. UT it has been queftion'd, both formerly and lately, whether the Statute of the Thirteenth of Eliz. obliges us to fubfcribe all the Thirty nine Articles, or only a Part of them. To ftate this Matter right, the firft Paragraph of the Act muft be recited. That the Churches of the Queens Majefties Dominions may be ferved with Paftors of found Religion: Be it enacted by the Authority of this prefent Parliament, that every Perfon under the Degree of a Bishop, which doth, or fhall pretend to be a Prieft or Minifter of God's Holy Word and Sacraments, by reason of any other Form of Inftitution, Confecration, or Ordering, than the Form fet forth by Parliament in the time of the late King of most worthy Memory, King Edward the Sixth, or now used in the Reign of our most Gracious Sovereign Lady, before the Feast of the Nativity of Chrift next following, fhall in the Prefence of the Bishop or Guardian of the Spiritualties of fome one Diocefs, where he bath or shall have Ecclefiaftical Living, declare his Affent, and subscribe to all the Articles of Religion, which only concern the Confeffion of the true Chrifti |