HE Variations exhibited in the foregoing Collation may be reduced to Five Heads.

T

1. Different ways of Spelling the very fame Words; for Inftance, impofterum or in pofterum; quamquam or quanquam; Chrift, Chrifte or Chryft; Juch or fuche; thinges, thynges or things. To which may be added Chriftian or Chriften; state or eftate; compted or accompted; the authority or thauthority.

2. Difference of Pointing; as a Colon for a Comma, or the like.

3. Manifeft Mistakes of the Prefs or Pen. First, of the Pen; for Inftance, in the Latin Copies, Art. 2. Numb. 20. ex quibus et unus for ex quibus eft unus; uterentur in Art. 25. Numb. 39. for uteremur; the Use of the fingle e for a Diphthong, as que for quæ, ecclefie for ecclefiæ. Secondly, of the Prefs; for InM 2

stance,

i

Chap. f. ftance, in the Latin Copies, patim for partim ; expiari for expiare; efficatia for efficacia; præsbiteris for presbyteris; elevebatur for elevabatur; pertinent for pertinet; and in the English Copies, in the Title of the Ninth Article, birth or finne for or birth finne the Twenty third Article, Numb. 19. for those we ought to judge lawfully called and fent, whiche be chofen and called to this worke by men, &c. the Copy L reads, thofe we ought to judge lawfully called and which be fent, called and cho fen to this woorke by men, &c.

4. Different Placing of the very fame Words. Of this Sort there are few Inftances. In the Latin Copies, in the Sixth Article, Firft, in Numb. 3. Wolf reads funt ad falutem neceffaria, but the MS. and Day reads ad falutem funt neceffaria; Secondly, in Numb. 5. Wolf reads ad neceffitatem falutis, but the MS. and Day read ad falutis neceffitatem; Thirdly, in Numb. 39. Wolf reads libros omnes, but the MS. and Day read omnes libros. In the English Copies, in the Third Article, A and B place for us, not after died, but after buried; in the Sixteenth Article, A and B place the Word not, not at the beginning, but before the Word finne ; in the Thirty fifth Article, in the Title of the Ninth Homily, A and B place the Word knowen after tongue; and the fame Copies place the Title of the Nineteenth Homily before that of the Twentieth.

5. Difference in the Words themselves, by Alteration, Addition, or Substraction. Inftances of this Sort are numerous.

What ufe may be made of, and what Confequences drawn from, thefe Variations, the following Papers will difcover.

CHA P. II,

Of the Transcript from the Records produced by Archbishop Laud in the Starchamber; of the Register of the Upper Houfe of the Convocation in 1562, publifh'd by Dr. Gibfon in his Synodus Anglicana; of the MS, Copy of that dus Angli of Dr. Heylyn's MS. Abftract of fome Records of Convocation.

EFORE I proceed any farther, 'tis neceffary

B for me to oberve,

for me to obferve, that the Original Registers of that Convocation, which paffed the Articles in 1562, are not extant. For they were confumed in the dreadful Fire of London. However God's good Providence has preferved to us diverfe Papers, which afford great Light, and do in a good Measure fupply the Lofs of the Original Registers. For,

First, 'twas objected against the Prelates in the Reign of King Charles the Firft, that they had falfify'd the Articles of our Church, by foifting in that which is now commonly called the Controverted Clause of the Twentieth Article. This Accufation, amongst diverfe others, Archbishop Laud undertakes to answer in his famous Speech in the Starchamber. I fhall have occafion to confider his other Pleas hereafter. At prefent I take notice only of his Appeal to the Records then extant in the Regiftry of his See, a Tranfcript from which, attefted by a public Notary, he then produc'd in open Court. Obferve that Great Man's Words.

6

But, my Lords, I fhall make it plainer yet: for 'tis not fit, concerning an Article of Religion, and an Article of

Ma

Luck

Such confequence for the Order, Truth, and Peace of this Church, you should rely upon my Copies, be they never fo many, or never fo ancient. Therefore I fent to the Public Records in my Office; and here under my Officer's band, who is a public Notary, is returned me the Twentieth Article with this affirmative Claufe in it. And there is alfo the whole Body of the Articles to be feen. Remains, Vol. 2. p. 83.

Now that very Paper, which the Archbishop then produc'd, and which was attefted by a public Notary, is ftill extant. The Copy I follow, was tranfcrib'd from the Original, and communicated to me, by the Reverend Mr. G. Harbin, Chaplain to the Right Honorable Thomas Lord Viscount Weymouth. And the prefent Proprietor of the Original, is Coll. Gabriel Hale of Cottells in Wiltshire, who is the Grandfon of that Excellent Perfon Sir Matt. Hale, fometime Lord Chief Juftice of England, and one of the Executors of the great Mr. Selden, who probably obtained this Curiofity of Mr. Prynne, who took from the Archbishop, by virtue of an Order of Parliament, no less than one and twenty Bundles of Papers, which he had prepared for his Defence; and of which, notwithstanding his folemn Promife, Mr. Prynne never returned him more than three,

The aforefaid Paper is thus endorfed by the Archbishop's own Hand

June 12. 1637. A Transcript out of my Registry concerning the Twentieth Article of thofe that were made 1562.

The Paper it felf runs thus,

Extract,