532 The HISTORY of the PURITANS. Chap. III. K. Charles T. Mr. fecretary Cook laid, " That the fathers of the church were afleep ; x6 " but a little to awaken their zeal, it is fit (lays he) that they take notice of Al,. °''of that hierarch) that is 'already eftablilhed, in competition with their Sec. Coke. " lordlhips, for they [the papifls] have a bifhop confecrated by the pope ; " this bifhop has his fubaltern officersof all kinds, as vicars-general, arch. " deacons, rural deans, apparitors, &c. neither are thefe nominal or Situ- ".Iar officers only, but they all execute their jurildiftions, andmake their " ordinary vilitations throughout the kingdom, keep courts, and determine " ecclefiallical caufes ; and which is an argument of more confequence they keep ordinary intelligence by their agents in Rome, and hold corre- " fpondence with the nuncioes and cardinals both at Bruftels and France. " neither are the feculars alone grown to this height, but the regulars are more attive and dangerous. Even at this time they intend to hold a concurrent afrembly with this parliament " After fome other 1peeches . of this kind thehoufe of commons entered into the following vow. Prateftatian ". TI/E the commons in parliament afembled do claim, proteß, and avow tftheacom. ,< YY for truth, thefence ofthe articles of religionwhichwere eflablifhed by mops again/i parliament in the thirteenthyear of our late queen Elizabeth, which by rminianifm. p ,i' f Q }' " thepublick ati of the church of England, and by the general and current expfitionof the writers ofour church have beendelivered unto us. Andwe " refed the fenfe of the jefuitsand arminians, and all others that aier " from us." Remarks Rifhop Laud in his anfwer to this proteftation, has feverai remarks. upon aud' an, Is there by this at? (Jays his lordfhip) any interpretation of the articles or fiver. " not ? ifnone, to what end is the aél ? If afinfe or interpretation be de- " Glared," what authority have laymen to make it? for interpretation ofan " article belongs to them only that have power to make it." To which it might be anfwered', that the commons made no new interpretationof the articles, but avowed for truth the current fenfe of expofitors before that time, in oppofition to the modern interpretation ofjefuits and arminians. But what authority have LAYMEN to make it? Anfwer, the fame that they had in the i 3th. of Elizabeth to eftablifh them, as the dottrine of the church. of England ; unlefs we will fay with Mr. Collyer, that neither the fenfe of the articles, nor the articles themfelves, wereeflablilhed in that parlia- ment or in any other ; if fo, they are no part of the legal conflitution, Ec. H ;a, and men may fubfcribe the words without putting any fenfe upon them at P. 747. all: an admirable way to prevent diverfity of opinions in matters of faith I But his lordfhipadds, " Vat it is againß the king's declaration., which fays,, Prynne " we muß take the GENERALMEANINGof them, and not draw them aide Cant. Dam uy p. i6¢.
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