Page images
PDF
EPUB

the sake of policy, but expressly forbad their imitation of 'them, and commanded them to destroy all the appurtenances of idolatry and superstition. And, in the time of the gospel, our Lord did not think it good policy, either to wear the pharisaical robes himself, or to suffer any of his disciples to do it; but condemned it as altogether superstitious. When I consider that Jereboam maintained his calves in Dan and Bethel, under the plausible name of policy, it makes me tremble to see the popish ornaments set forth under the same pretence. For if policy may serve as a cloak to superstition and papistry, then crowns and crosses, oil and cream, images and candles, palms and beads, with most of the other branches of antichrist, may again be introduced.

"It is well known, that when Hezekiah, Josiah, and other famous princes, promoted the reformation of religion according to the word of God, they compelled not the ministers of God to wear the apparel of Baal's priests, but utterly destroyed all their vestments. Hezekiah commanded all the appendages of superstition and idolatry, to be carried out of the Temple, and to be cast into Kedron. Josiah burnt all the vestments and other things belonging to Baal and his priests, not in Jerusalem, but out of the city. All this was done according to the word of the Lord, who commanded that not only the idols, but all things pertaining to them, should be abhorred and rejected. And if we compel the servants of Christ, to conform unto the papists, I greatly fear we shall return again to popery.

"Our case, my lord, will be deplorable, if such compulsion should be used against us, while so much lenity is used towards the papists. How many papists enjoy their liberty and livings, who have neither sworn obedience to the queen's majesty, nor discharged their duty to their miserable flocks! These men laugh and triumph to see us treated thus, and are not ashamed of boasting, that they hope the rest of popery will soon return. My noble lord, pity the disconsolate churches. Hear the cries and groans of many thousands of God's poor children, hungering and thirsting after spiritual food. I need not appeal to the word of God, to the history of the primitive church, to the just judgments of God poured out upon the nations for lack of true reformation. Judge ye betwixt us and our enemies. And if we seek the glory of God alone, the enjoyment of true christian liberty, the overthrow of all idolatry and superstition, and

to win souls to Christ; I beseech your honour to pity our case, and use your utmost endeavours to secure unto us our liberty."

What effect this generous letter produced, we are not able to learn. Mr. Whittingham was a man of an excellent character and admirable abilities. This was well known at court. Therefore, some time after his settlement at Durham, Secretary Cecil being made lord treasurer, he was nominated to the secretary's place; and, says Wood, it he had sought after this office, and made interest with his noble friend, the Earl of Leicester, he might have obtained

[ocr errors]

་་

66

*Bishop Pilkington of Durham wrote a letter, at the same time, to the same noble person; in which he addressed him as follows:-" Consider, I "beseech your honour, how that all countries, which have reformed "religion, have cast away the popish apparel with the pope; and yet we, "who would be taken for the best, contend to keep it as a holy relic. "Mark, also, how many ministers there be here in all countries, who are 66 so zealous, not only to forsake the wicked doctrine of popery, but ready "to leave the ministry and their livings, rather than be like the popish "teachers of such superstitions, either in apparel or behaviour. This "realm has such scarcity of teachers, that if so many worthy men should "be cast out of the ministry, for such small matters, many places would be "destitute of preachers; and it would give an incurable offence to all the "favourers of God's truth, in other countries. Shall we make that so "precious, which other reformed churches esteem as vile? God forbid. "If we forsake popery as wicked, how shall we say their apparel "becomes saints and professors of true holiness? St. Paul bids us refrain "from all outward shew of evil; but, surely, in keeping this popish apparel, we forbear not an outward shew of much evil, if popery be "judged evil. How christian peace shall be kept in this church, when so many, for such small things, shall be thrust from their ministry and "livings, it passes my simple wit to conceive. We must not so subtilly dispute what christian liberty would suffer us to do, but what is most "meet and edifying for christian charity, and promoting true religion. But, surely, how popish apparel should edify, or set forth the gospel "of Jesus Christ, cannot be seen of the multitude. How much it rejoices "the adversaries, when they see what we borrow of them, and contend for, as things necessary. The bishops wearing their white rockets began first "by Sisinius, an heretic bishop of the Novatians; and these other have the "like foundation. They have so long continued and pleased popery, "which is beggarly patched up of all sorts of ceremonies, that they could 66 never be rooted out since, even from many professors of the truth. "Though things may be borne with for christian liberty's sake for a time, in hope to win the weak; yet, when liberty is turned to necessity, it is "evil, and no longer liberty; and that which was for winning the weak, is "become the confirming of the froward, Paul used circumcision for a "time as of liberty; but when it was urged of necessity, he would not "bend unto it. Bucer, when he was asked why he did not wear the "square cap, made answer, because my head is not square. God be mer“ciful to us, and grant us uprightly to seek his honour with all simplicity "and earnestness. ,, This prelate, who had been an exile in the days of Queen Mary, was a man of great learning, piety, and moderation, and a constant friend to the persecuted puritans. Strype's Parker, Appen. p. 40, 41.

66

[ocr errors]

it; but he was not in the least anxious for court preferment. During the severities inflicted upon the nonconformists, in the former part of Queen Elizabeth's reign, when good men were obliged to conform, or be deprived of their livings and ministry, it is said that Mr. Whittingham at first refused, but afterwards subscribed.+ And in the year 1571, by the instigation of Archbishop Parker, he was cited before Grindal, archbishop of York; but the particular cause of his citation, or what prosecution he underwent, at least at that time, does not appear.‡

While Grindal lived, who, towards the close of life, connived at the nonconformists, Mr. Whittingham and his brethren in the province of York, were not much interrupted; but Dr. Sandys was no sooner made archbishop, than he was brought into troubles, from which the stroke of death alone could deliver him. In the year 1577, the new archbishop resolved to visit the whole of his province, and to begin with Durham, where Dean Whittingham had obtained a distinguished reputation, but had been ordained only according to the reformed church at Geneva, and not according to the English service book. The accusations brought against him contained thirty-five articles, and fortynine interrogatories; but the principal charge was his Geneva ordination. Mr. Whittingham refused to answer the charge, but stood by the rites of the church of Durham, and denied the archbishop's power of visitation in that church, upon which his grace was pleased to excommunicate him. Mr. Whittingham then appealed to the queen, who directed a commission to the archbishop, Henry Earl of Huntington, lord president of the north, and Dr. Hutton, dean of York, to hear and determine the validity of his ordination, and to inquire into the other misdemeanours contained in the articles. The president was a zealous favourer of the puritans, and Dr. Hutton was of Whittingham's principles, and boldly declared, "That Mr. Whittingham was ordained in a better sort than even the archbishop himself.” The commission, therefore, came to nothing.

Sandys being sorely vexed at this disappointment, as well as Whittingham's calling in question his right of visitation, obtained another commission directed to himself, the Bishop

* Wood's Athenæ Oxon. vol. i. p. 153.
+ Strype's Grindal, p. 98.

Ibid. p. 170.-Strype's Parker, p. 326.
Strype's Annals, vol. ii. p. 481, 519-521.

of Durham, the Lord President, the Chancellor of the Diocese, and some others in whom he could confide, to visit the church of Durham. The chief design of this was to deprive Mr. Whittingham, as a mere layman. Upon his appearance before the commissioners, he produced a certificate under the hands of eight persons, signifying the manner of his ordination, in these words :-" It pleased God, by the "suffrages of the whole congregation (at Geneva) orderly "to choose to Mr. W. Whittingham, unto the office of "preaching the word of God and ministering the sacra"ments; and he was admitted minister, and so published, "with such other ceremonies as are there used and accus"tomed." It was then objected, that there was no mention made of bishops or superintendants, nor of any external solemnities, nor even of imposition of hands. Mr. Whittingham replied, that the testimonial specified in general the ceremonies of that church, and that he was able to prove his vocation to be the same as all other ministers of Geneva. Upon this the lord president said, "I cannot in conscience agree to deprive him for that cause alone. This," he added, "would be ill taken by all the godly and learned, both at home and abroad, that we allow of popish massing priests in our ministry, and disallow of ministers made in a reformed church." The commission was, therefore, adjourned, and never renewed.+

The archbishop's proceedings against Mr. Whittingham, were evidently invidious; and they greatly sunk his reputation, both in town and country. His calling Whittingham's ordination in question was expressly contrary to the statute of 13 Eliz. by which, says Mr. Strype, "The ordination of foreign reformed churches was made valid; and those who had no other orders, were made of like capacity with others, to enjoy any place of ministry in England."‡ Indeed, the Oxford historian says, Mr. Whittingham did good service to his country, not only against the popish rebels in the north, but in repelling the Archbishop of York, from visiting the church of Durham. Yet he denominates him a lukewarm conformist, an enemy to the habits and ceremonies, and an active promoter of the Geneva doctrine and discipline; and he brings many severe charges against him, styling them works of impiety. He caused several stone coffins, belonging to the príors, and laid in the cathedral of Durham, to be taken up, and appointed them

* Strype's Annals, vol. ii. p. 523.

+ Ibid. P. 524.

+ Ibid.

to be used as troughs for horses and swine, and their covers to pave his own house. He defaced all the brazen pictures and imagery work, and used the stones to build a washinghouse for himself. The two holy water stones of fine marble, very artificially engraven, with hollow bosses very curiously wrought, he took away, and employed them to steep beef and salt fish in. He caused the image of St. Cuthbert, and other ancient monuments, to be defaced. And the truth is, he could not endure any thing that appertained to a monastic life. How far Mr. Whittingham was concerned in these works of impiety, it is not in our power to ascertain; and how far he is censurable for these things, is left with the reader to determine.

With an evident design to reproach his memory, Dr. Bancroft says, that Mr. Whittingham, with the rest of his Geneva accomplices, urged all states to take arms, and reform religion themselves by force, rather than suffer such idolatry and superstition to remain in the land.+ And a late writer, with the same ill design, observes, " that when he returned from exile, he imported with him, much of the leaven of Geneva."‡

He was, however, a truly pious man, opposed to all superstition, an excellent preacher, and an ornament to religion and learning. He died while the cause of his deprivation, for not being ordained according to the rites of the English church, was depending, June 10, 1579, in the sixty-fifth year of his age. Wood informs us, though without the smallest evidence, that he unwillingly submitted to the stroke of death. His remains were interred in the cathedral at Durham.

This learned divine wrote prefaces to the works of several learned men; as, Mr. Goodman's book, entitled "How superior powers ought to be obeyed," &c. He published the translations of several learned works, and he turned part of the Psalms of David into metre. These are still used in the church of England. Those which he did, have W. W. prefixed to them, among which is Psalm cxix.; as may be seen in the Common Prayer Book.||

* Wood's Athenæ Oxon. vol. i. p. 154.

+ Bancroft's Dangerous Positions, p. 62. Edit. 1640. Churton's Life of Nowell, p. 114.

§ Athenæ, p. 155.

The other persons concerned in turning the Psalms into metre, were Messrs. Thomas Sternhold, John Hopkins, and Thomas Norton, all eminent in their day, and zealous in promoting the reformation of the church. The parts which they performed have the initials of their names prefixed to them, as may be seen in the Common Prayer Book.-Wood's Athenæ, vol. i. p. 62, 63, 153.

« EelmineJätka »