No. X.—Vol. II., p. 88.
Lord Macaulay mentions in his History of England, a broadside which he had seen, and which is printed in Somers’ Tracts. The author, as he says, was a Roman Catholic, having access to good sources of information, and although no name but one is given at length, the initials are intelligible except in a single instance. The Duke of York is said to have been reminded of his duty to his brother by P. M. A. C. F., which mysterious letters puzzled his Lordship as they had done Sir Walter Scott, who edited Somers’ Collection. Plausible conjectures as to their meaning occurred at the same time to Macaulay and others, and though the conviction continued in his mind, that the true solution had not been suggested, he was inclined to read the initials thus: “Père Mansuete, a Cordelier Friar.” A Cordelier of that name was James’ Confessor.
After all, the shrewd conjecture was correct. The following paper, mentioned in my Preface, settles the question. It is substantially the same as the paper printed in Somers (Scott’s Edition, viii. 428), but the verbal differences are considerable, and the P. M. A. C. F. is identified as Père Mansuete, a Cordelier Friar, Confessor to the Duke.
I print the MS. at length, as it will be interesting for the historical student to compare it with the broad sheet reprinted by Somers:—
“On Munday 2d of February Candlemas day the King rose early, said he had not slept well. About 7 a clock comeing from his private devotions out of his Closett, fell downe so that he was dead for foure hours in an Apoplecticke fitt: with losse of 16 ounces of blood and other applications came to his sences againe: Great hopes of his recovery till Thursday one a clocke. But at 5 the Doctors being come before the Councill declared he was in great danger. On Friday a quarter before 12 he departed. God have mercy upon his soule. P. M. a C. ffryar C to the Duke upon the Doctors first telling him of the State of the K. told him that now was the time to take care of his soule and that it was his duty to tell him so. The D. with this admonition went unto the King and told it, The K. answered O Brother how long have I wished but now help me: He said he would have Father Hudd:[617] who preserved him in the tree, and now hoped he would preserve his soule; H was sent for to bring all necessaries for a dying man: not having the B: S. by him, H mett one of the Qs P,[618] told him the occasion, desiring his assistance to procure it and bring it to the back staires. The King having notice that Mr. Hudd: waited desired to be in private with his Brother. All the Bpps and Nobles goeing out, the D latching the dore, the Lde P. B. and F.[619] were goeing out also, the D told them they might stay, the Kg seeing Father cryed out: Almighty God what good planet governes me that all my life is wonders and miracles when I O Lord consider my infancy, my exile, my escape at Wor’ster my preservation in the tree by this good Father and now to have him againe to be the Preserver of my Soule, O’ Lord my wonderfull Restauration, the great danger of the late Conspiracy and last of all to be raised from death and to have my soule preserved by the assistance of this good Father whom I see that thou O Lord hast created for my good: the D and Es,[620] withdrew into the Closett, they were private for some time, after which the D and Es entred againe, the Father remaining comforting and praying with him, He said, if I am worthy of it, Pray lett me have it, the Father said he exspected it and offered to proceed with the extreeme unction, The King said, with all my heart: the D and the Lds assisting at the time Mr. Hudd: being called to the doore received the B: S: he desired the Kg to compose himselfe to receive. the King would rise, he was perswaded to the Contrary, Let me meet my heavenly father in a better posture then lying thus, being overruled they pray, amongst other the Father repeated an Act of Contrition, the King desired him to repeate it againe, saying it word by word after him, Received with the greatest expressions of devotion imaginable: This being ended they proceeded in the Prayer de Recommendacöne animæ, that being done, the King desired a repetition of the Act of Contrition once more, Lord Good God when my Lips faile let my heart speake these words eternally.
“The Bishops and Lords entred againe and perswaded the King to remember his last end and to endeavour to make a good end. He said he had thought on it and made his peace with God. Asking him whether he would receive, he said he would not, he persisting in extolling the Queene and Duke said he was not sorry to leave the world leaving so good a brother to rule behind him.”
No. XI.—Vol. II., p. 148.
Macaulay, speaking of the disobedience of the London clergy to the Royal order, says:—“Samuel Wesley, the father of John and Charles Wesley, a curate in London, took for his text that day the noble answer of the three Jews to the Chaldean tyrant, ‘Be it known unto thee, O King, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.’” The historian quotes as his authority Southey’s Life of Wesley. The story has been repeated again and again. Unfortunately, in reference to Wesley, it cannot be true. He was ordained in deacon’s orders the 17th of August, 1688, about three months after the issuing of the order: and the only foundation for the story seems to be a poem by the younger Wesley, written “upon a clergyman lately deceased,” the Rev. John Berry, the poet’s father-in-law, and published four years before Samuel Wesley’s death.—See The Mother of the Wesleys, by the Rev. John Kirk, p. 58.
No. XII.—Vol. II., chap. xiv.
Anglican Views on the Relations of Church and State.
In the review of Anglican opinions in the 14th chapter I have scarcely entered upon what is understood by the Church and State question. I am not able to supply, from the works of Bull, Pearson, Cosin, Heylyn, Barrow, and others, any satisfactory catena of passages bearing on this point, or to report any definite theory, or any sustained arguments of theirs in relation to it. Their theological writings treat of other themes. Thorndike, indeed, has a good deal to say of the State, as well as of the Church, and speaks, on the one hand, of the State being in subjection to the Church, of the State being bound to protect the Church, and of the State being justified in inflicting penalties for religion when the latter interferes with civil peace. On the other hand, he speaks of kings being justified in reforming the Church, even against the ecclesiastical order. (Reference to these passages will be found in the index to the Oxford Edition of Thorndike.) Yet I can find in Thorndike no precise theory of Church and State relations. Jeremy Taylor treats of ecclesiastical laws and power; he insists on the concurrence in them of the civil authorities, and that kings are bound to keep the Church’s laws; yet he denies that Christian princes can be lawfully excommunicated. (Works, xiii. 583–616.) Bramhall alludes to the Royal nomination and investiture of bishops in England as approved by ancient canons and constitutions (part iv. dis. 6); and Sanderson goes so far as to declare, that the king hath power, if he shall see cause, to suspend any bishop from the execution of his office, and to deprive him utterly of his dignity. (Episcopacy not prejudicial, s. iii. 33.) Morley’s extravagant views of the Royal prerogative have been noticed. On the whole it appears that after the Restoration, High Churchmanship manifested itself more in theological doctrine, than in either ritualism or in ecclesiastical supremacy. Looking at the whole history of the period between the Restoration and the Revolution, we see in the ascendant that which is commonly meant by the word Erastianism. Indications of this are afforded by the manner in which the Act of Uniformity was carried; by the utter inactivity of Convocation after the year 1664,—for it did scarcely more than formally assemble from time to time,—and by the notions of the Royal supremacy so generally maintained, and so plainly expressed, not only by Bishop Morley but by the two Universities.