CHAPTER IX. THE VISITATION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD. STATE OF RELIGION AT THE END OF THE YEAR 1647. SAD and deplorable was the condition of the university of Oxford when it fell into the hands of the parliament; the colleges and halls were gone to ruin, five of them perfectly deserted, and the rest in a very shattered condition. The public acts had been discontinued for some years, the schools were turned into magazines for the king's army, and the chambers filled with officers and soldiers, or let out to towns-men: there was little or no instruction for youth, nor hardly the face of a university; poverty, desolation, and plunder, the sad effects of war, were to be seen in every corner; the bursaries were emptied of the public money, the plate melted down for the king's service, and the colleges involved in debts which they were not able to satisfy; there were few heads of colleges or scholars remaining, except such as were strongly prejudiced against the parliament, having employed their wits, during the course of the war, in writing weekly mercuries, and satirical pamphlets, in which they aspersed the proceedings of the two houses, and treated their divines as the most infamous, ignorant, and hypocritical traitors; nor were their tempers in the least softened, though their lives and fortunes were in the hands of their adversaries. It was therefore thought necessary to put the education of youth into such hands as the parliament could confide in, a power being reserved for that purpose in the articles of surrender. But before they proceeded to extremes, the two houses, about the beginning of September 1646, appointed seven of their most popular divines to repair to Oxford, with authority to preach in any pulpits of the university for six months, in order to soften the spirits of the people *, and give them a better opinion of their cause, viz. the reverend Mr. Robert Harris, of Hanwell, Oxfordshire; Mr. Edward Reynolds, afterward bishop of Norwich; Mr. Henry Wilkinson, of Magdalen-college; Mr. Francis Cheynel, Mr. Edward Corbet, of Merton-college; Mr. Henry Cornish, of New-Inn, and Mr. Henry Langley, of Pembroke-college; men of reputation and character t, sober divines and popular preachers, though A. Wood, the Oxford historian, is pleased to say, "Their sermons were the contempt and scorn of the university, because * Suff. Cler. p. 125. + Dr. Grey would impeach the truth of this eulogium, and refers to Anthony Wood to support his invidious reflections on these men. The names and characters of Mr. Robert Harris, Dr. Reynolds, Mr. F. Cheynel, and Mr. Corbet, will again come before the reader in Mr. Neal's next volume: and we would refer him to Dr. Calamy, or Mr. Palmer's Nonconformist's Memorial, for biography. -ED. they were too long and had too little learning; because they prayed very coldly for the king, but were very earnest for a blessing upon the councils and arms of the parliament, and did not always conclude with the Lord's prayer; because they reflected on some of the heads of the university, calling them dumb dogs, having a form of religion without the power; and, because their manner of delivery was rather theatrical than serious: nevertheless, their auditories were crowded, though none of the heads of colleges or senior scholars attended." The ministers were very diligent in the discharge of their trust, preaching twice every Lord's day; and that they might gain the affections of the people, set up a weekly conference every Thursday, in which they proposed to solve such objections as should be raised against their new confession of faith and discipline, and to answer any other important cases in divinity: the question or case was to be propounded the week before, that it might be well considered; a moderator also was appointed to keep order, who began and concluded with a short prayer, and the whole was conducted with decency and gravity. But several of the scholars ridiculed their proceedings, and by way of contempt called their place of meeting, the scruple shop; however, it was frequented by great numbers of people, some of whom were prevailed with to renounce the Oxford oath; and others to take the solemn league and covenant. They met with some little disturbance from one Erbury, a turbulent Antinomian, and chaplain in the garrison; but upon the whole, when the ministers returned to London, they declared, the citizens shewed them a great deal of respect, although the university poured all the contempt upon them imaginable, so that they apprehended themselves to have the same lot as Saint Paul had at Athens, Acts xvii. 32. 34, mocked them, others slighted them, but certain clave to them, and believed t." "Some There being no prospect of reforming the university by these methods, the two houses resolved to proceed upon a visitation, which they apprehended they might undertake without the king, by virtue of the fourteenth article of their recapitulation, which says"that the chancellor, masters, and scholars, of the university, and all heads, governors, masters, fellows, and scholars, of the colleges, halls, bodies corporate, and societies, of the said university, and the public professors, readers, and orators, thereof, and all other persons belonging to the said university, shall and may, according to their statutes, charters, and customs, enjoy their ancient form of government, subordinate to the immediate authority and power of parliament, and that all the rights, privileges, franchises, lands, tenements, houses, rents, revenues, libraries, debts, goods, and chattels, &c. belonging to the said university, * Suff. Cler. p. 125. Minist. Account, p. 5. Vol. Pamph. no. 282. shall be enjoyed by them respectively as aforesaid, free from sequestrations, fines, taxes, and all other molestations whatsoever, under colour of any thing relating to the present war. And if any removal shall be made by the parliament of any head or other members of the university, that they shall enjoy their profits for six months after the surrendering of Oxon, and shall have convenient time allowed them for the removal of themselves and their goods; provided that this shall not extend to retard any reformation there intended by the parliament, or give them any liberty to intermeddle with the government." But the heads of colleges did not think themselves obliged by this capitulation, nor any thing contained in it, because they were not made parties, nor called upon to give their separate consent to the articles, though they took advantage of every thing that was stipulated in their favour +." May 1, 1647, an ordinance passed both houses for visiting the university, and nominating the following gentlemen, lawyers, and divines, for that service, viz.t Sir Nath Brent coln's-Inn, esq. Samuel Dunch, esq. William Draper, of Lin- John Cartwright, esq. Rev. Dr. John Wilkinson The ordinance empowers the visitors, or any five of them, "to hear and determine all crimes, offences, abuses, and disorders, which by the laws and statutes of this realm, or by the customs and statutes, rightly established, of that university, or by the several statutes of the respective colleges or halls, may lawfully be inquired of, heard, or determined, in the course and way of visitation of the university, or of the colleges, halls, masters, scholars, fellows, members, and officers, or any of them, respectively. They are more particularly to inquire by oath concerning those that neglect to take the solemn league and covenant, and the negative oath, being tendered to them by such as are authorised by parliament; and concerning those who oppose the execution of the ordinance of parliament, concerning the discipline and directory; and those who shall teach or write against any point of doctrine, the ignorance whereof doth exclude from the Lord's supper. They are likewise to inquire upon oath, concerning all such who have taken up arms against the parliament. And they are to certify to a committee of the house of lords and commons mentioned in the ordinance, what masters, scholars, fellows, Fuller's Appeal, p. 70. Scobel's Collect. part 1. p. 116. Suff. Cler. p. 126. Rushworth, p. 283. members, or officers, have committed any of the offences above mentioned, and the quality and condition of the offenders, that such farther proceedings may be had thereupon as the committee of lords and commons shall think fit. The visitors are farther empowered to examine and consider all such oaths as are enjoined by the statutes of the university, or any of the halls and colleges, as are not fit to be taken, and present their opinion to the committee above mentioned; provided always, that if any of the masters, scholars, fellows, &c. shall find themselves aggrieved by any sentence given by the visitors, it shall be lawful for them to appeal to the committee of lords and commons, who are authorised finally to hear and determine every such case brought before them." Before the visitation could take place the vice-chancellor, Dr. Fell, summoned a convocation [June 1], wherein it was agreed not to submit to the parliament-visitors. A paper of reasons against the covenant*, the negative oath, and the directory, drawn.up chiefly by Dr. Sanderson, was also consented to, and ordered to be published to the world both in Latin and English, against the time the visitors were to come down, under the title of "Reasons of the present judgment of the university of Oxford, concerning the solemn league and covenant, the negative oath, and the ordinances concerning discipline and worship, approved by general consent in a full convocation, June 1, 1647;" an abstract of which I shall now set before the reader †. TO THE PREFACE OF THE COVENANT [transcribed under the year 1643]. They declare, "We cannot say the rage, power, and presumption, of the enemies of God (in the sense there intended) are increased. Nor that we have consented to any supplication or remonstrance to the purposes therein expressed. We do not think the taking the covenant to be a lawful and probable means to preserve ourselves and our religion from ruin; nor do we believe it to be according to the commendable practice of these kingdoms, or the example of God's people in other nations." TO THE COVENANT IN GENERAL. "We are of opinion, that a covenant ought to be a voluntary contract, and not imposed. Now we cannot voluntarily consent to this covenant without betraying our liberties, one of which is, not to be obliged to take any oath but what is established by act * Dr. Sanderson methodized and put into form this paper, or manifesto; and added what referred to reason and conscience. The law part was drawn up by Dr. Zouch, a civilian. But, on the whole, twenty delegates, by the appointment of the university, were concerned in this composition. Amongst whom were, Dr. Sheldon, afterward archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Hammond, Dr. Sanderson, and Dr. Morley, afterward bishop of Winchester. Walton's Life of Sanderson, 1678. p. 78, 79.-ED. + Bp. Sanderson's Life, Appendix, p. 169. of parliament; and without acknowledging in the imposers a greater power than has been challenged in former time, or can subsist with our former protestation. But if the covenant were not imposed, but only recommended, we apprehend the taking it to be inconsistent with our loyalty to the king, especially since he has by proclamation forbid it." OBJECTIONS TO THE SEVERAL ARTICLES OF THE COVENANT. To the first Article. "We cannot swear to preserve the religion of another kingdom (Scotland), whereof we have very little understanding, which, as far as we are acquainted with it, is much worse than our own in worship, discipline, and government, and in doctrine not at all better; wherein there are some things so far tending to superstition and schism, that it seems reasonable to us that we should call upon them to reform, rather than we should be bound to preserve it entire. "Neither are we satisfied in the present reformation of religion, in our own kingdom, in doctrine, worship, and discipline, because, (1.) It gives a manifest scandal to the Papist and separatist, by giving up the cause for which the martyrs and bishops have contended since the Reformation; by justifying the Papists in their recusancy, who reproach us, by saying, we know not what religion we are of; nor where to stop, since we have left them; and, that ours is a parliamentary religion. Besides, this would be a tacit acknowledgment, that there has been something in the church of England not agreeable to the word of God, and so justify the separation, and condemn all the penal laws that have been made to oblige people to conform *. (2.) By the intended reformation we should wrong ourselves, by swearing to reform that which we have formerly by our subscriptions approved, and which we do still believe to be more agreeable to the word of God than that which by this covenant we must swear to preserve; and to which, by the laws still in being, every clerk, at his admission to a benefice, is bound to give his consent. (3.) Besides, we would be in danger of perjury, because it is contrary to our former protestation, which obliges us to maintain the doctrine of the church of England, which may take in the whole establishment; and it is contrary to the oath of supremacy, which gives the sole power to the king in matters ecclesiastical." Objections to the second Article. "We are very much grieved to see the prelacy of the church of England ranked with Popery, superstition, heresy, schism, and prf aneness, with an intimation, that it is contrary to sound doctrine, or the power of godliness +. Nor can we swear to the extirpation of it, because, (1.) We believe it to be of apostolical * Bishop Sanderson's Life, Appendix, p. 179. + Ibid. p. 184. |