Chap. VIL The HISTORY of the PURITANS. 267 or difpenfe with By the r3th. Eliz. chap. I2. the fubfcription of the .Treen . tlergy is limited to thofe articles of the church, which relate to the Eliza8beth, dobirines of faith, and admini/iration of the fàcraments ONLY ; whereas the bifhop enjoined them to fubfcribe the whole thirty-nine. And by the preamble of the fame ftatute, all ordinations in the times of popery, or after the manner of foreign reformed churches, are admitted to be valid, fo that fuch may enjoy any ecclefiaftical preferment in the church : But the archbifhop fays [Artie. 4th.] That none (hall be admitted to preach, unlefe he be ordained according to the manner of the church of England. Upon thefe accounts, if the queen had fallen out with him, he might have incurred the guilt of a prremunire. To thefe arguments it was replied by his grace's lawyers. t. That by the canon law, the archbifhop has power to make laws for the wellgovernment of the church, f far as they do not encounter the peace of the church, and quietn f of the realm. To which it was anfwered, this might be true in times of popery, but the cafe was very much altered fince the reformation, becaufe now the archbifhops and bifhops.authority is derived from the perfon of the queen only; for the late queen Mary, having furrendered back all ecclefiaflical jurifdifion into the hands of the pope, the prefent queen upon her ácceffion, had no jurifdiftion refident in her perfon, till the (lattice of recognition Eliz. the ift. by which the archbifhops and bithops of this realm, being exempted from the jurif- diftion of the pope, are made fubjed to the queen, to govern her people in ecclefiaflical caufes, as her other fubjeds govern the fame (according M.S. p. 66r. to their places) in civil caufes ; fo that the clergy are no more to be called the archbifhops or b/hops children, but the queen's liege people, and are to be governed by them, according to the laws, which laws are fuels canons, con/litutions, and fynodals provincial, as were in force before 25 Hen. VIII. and are not contrary, or repugnant to the laws and cuftoms of the realm, nor derogatory to her majefty's prerogative royal ; and therefore all canons made before 25 Hen. VIII. giving to the archbifhops or bithops an un- limited power over the clergy, as derived from the fee of Rome, are ut- terly void, filch canons being direélly again& the laws and cuftoms of the realm, which do not admit of any fubje/I executing a law but by autho- rity from the prince ; and they are derogatory toher majefty's prerogative royal, becaufe hereby Tome of her fubjelts might claim an unlimited power over her other fubjefls, independent of the crown, and by their privateau- thority command or forbid what they pleafe. Since then the archbithop's articles were framed by his own private authority, they cannot be juftified by any of the canons now in force. And asfor thepeace of the churchand quiet of the realm, they were fo far from promoting them, that they were like to throw both into confufion. Mn; 2 2.It
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