this course, which a wise statesmanship would surely have prescribed, appeared to Bacon to be prescribed by reason and religion as well. "A man that is of judgment and understanding shall sometimes hear ignorant men differ, and know well within himself that those which so differ mean one thing, and yet themselves would never agree. And if it come so to pass in that distance of judgment which is between man and man, shall we not think that God above, that knows the heart, doth not discern that frail men in some of their contradictions intend the same thing, and accepteth of both ?" To "accept of both," therefore, was the course which he would have recommended to the Church in cases where religious men, intending acceptable service, brought different gifts; and now was the time when such a course might be most happily inaugurated.

It was under these circumstances that (having received some gracious acknowledgment of his discourse touching the Union of the Kingdoms) he made bold to present the King, in a paper entitled "Certain considerations touching the better pacification and edification of the Church of England," with his opinion as to the best method of reconciling the prevailing dissensions.

This paper-a worthy sequel to the "Advertisement touching Church Controversies" written in 1589,-was presented to the King "at his first coming in:"2 and was not (I presume) meant to be published at that time. There exists however a printed copy with the date 1604-the same probably which Dr. Rawley mentions in his commonplace book as having been "called in." In 1641, when there was a great demand for all Bacon's political tracts, it was reprinted. And it was afterwards included in the Resuscitatio. But the copy which I have taken as the ground of my text is a manuscript in the Rolls House, which has the great merit of having been revised and corrected by Bacon himself. The printed copies (which are independent authorities and may possibly be later) I have collated, and the result of the collation is given in the footnotes: in which A means the first printed copy; B the seconds (apparently a reprint of the first, but without any date); R the copy in the Resuscitatio; MS. the manuscript at the Rolls.

1 Essay of Unity in Religion.

2 These words are inserted in the title of one of the manuscript copies. 3 Lambeth MSS. 1034: in a list of "Lo. St. Alban's works printed."

4 London: printed for Henrie Tomes. An. 1604. I have not met with or heard of any perfect copy of this edition; and it seems probable that the printing was stopped before it was completed: for the most perfect copy I have seen (bought 17 Aug. 1865, from Mr. Wilson, of Great Russell Street) has sheet E printed only on pages 1, 4, 5, and 8, (as if only one side had been completed :) the blank pages being supplied in MS.

Printed for Henry Tomes. (No place or date.)

CERTAIN CONSIDERATIONS TOUCHING THE BETTER PACIFICATION AND EDIFICATION OF THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND.1

Dedicated to his Most Excellent Majesty.

The unity of your Church, excellent Sovereign, is a thing no less precious than the union of your kingdoms; being both works wherein your happiness may contend with your worthiness. Having therefore presumed, not without your Majesty's gracious acceptation, to say somewhat of the one, I am the more encouraged not to be silent in the other, the rather because it is an argument that I have travelled in heretofore. But Salomon commendeth a word spoken in season; and as our Saviour, speaking of the discerning of seasons, saith, when you see a cloud rising in the west, you say it will be a shower, so your Majesty's rising to this monarchy in the west parts of the world doth promise a sweet and fruitful shower of many blessings upon this Church and commonwealth; a shower of that influence as the very first dews and drops thereof have already laid the storms and winds throughout Christendom, reducing the very face of Europe to a more peaceable and amiable countenance.

But to the purpose; it is very true that these ecclesiastical matters are things not properly appertaining to my profession, which I was not so inconsiderate but to object to myself. But finding that it is many times seen that a man that standeth off, and somewhat removed from a plot of ground, doth better survey it and discover it than those which are upon it, I thought it not impossible but that I, as a looker on, might cast mine eyes upon some things which the actors themselves (specially some being interessed, some led and addicted, some declared and engaged) did not or would not see; and that knowing in my own conscience, whereto God beareth witness, that the things which I shall speak spring out of no vein of popularity, ostentation, desire of novelty, partiality to either side, disposition to intermeddle, or any the like leaven, I may conceive hope that what I want in depth of judgment may be countervailed in simplicity and sincerity of affection. But of all things this did most animate me, that I found in these opinions of mine, which I have long held and embraced (as may appear by that which I have many years since written of them) according to the proportion nevertheless 2 in my conscience: A, B, R.

S. P. Dom. James I. vol. v. 51.

of my weakness, a consent and conformity with that which your Majesty hath published of your own most Christian most wise and moderate sense in these causes; wherein you have well expressed to the world, that there is infused in your sacred breast from God that high principle and position of government, That you ever hold the whole more dear than any part.

For who seeth not that many are affected and give opinion in these matters, as if they had not so much a desire to purge the evil from the good, as to countenance and protect the evil by the good? Others speak as if their scope were only to set forth what is good, and not to seek forth what is possible; which is to wish, and not to propound. Others proceed as if they had rather a mind of removing than of reforming. But howsoever either side as men, though excellent men, shall run into extremities, yet your Majesty, as a most wise equal and Christian moderator, is disposed to find out the golden mediocrity, in the establishment of that which is sound, and in the reparation of that which is corrupt and decayed. To your princely judgment then I do in all humbleness submit whatsoever I shall propound, offering the same but as a mite into the treasury of your wisdom. For as the astronomers do well observe, that when three of the superior lights do meet in conjunction it bringeth forth some admirable effects, so there being joined in your Majesty the light of nature, the light of learning, and above all the light of God's holy spirit, it cannot be but your government must be as a happy constellation over the states of your kingdoms. Neither is there wanting to your Majesty that fourth light, which though it be but a borrowed light, yet is of singular efficacy and moment added to the rest, which is the light of a most wise and well compounded counsel; to whose honourable and grave wisdoms I do likewise submit whatsoever I shall say2; hoping that I shall not need to make protestation of my mind and opinion, that until your Majesty doth otherwise determine and order, all actual and full obedience is to be given to ecclesiastical jurisdiction as it now stands; and when your Majesty hath determined and ordered, that every good subject ought to rest satisfied, and apply his obedience to your Majesty's laws, ordinances, and royal commandments; nor of the dislike I have of all immodest bitterness, peremptory presumption, popular handling, and other courses 1forth, om. R. 2 speak: R.

tending rather to rumour and impression in the vulgar sort, than to likelihood of effect joined with observation of duty.

But before I enter into the points controverted, I think good to remove (if it may be) two opinions, which do directly confront and oppone to reformation, the one bringing it to a nullity, and the other to an impossibility. The first is, that it is against good policy to innovate anything in Church matters; the other, that all reformation must be after one platform.

For the first of these, it is excellently said by the prophet, State super vias antiquas, et videte quænam sit via recta et vera, et ambulate in ea; so as he doth not say, State super vias antiquas, et ambulate in eis; for it is true that with all wise and moderate persons custom and usage obtaineth that reverence, as it is sufficient matter to move them to make a stand and to discover and take a view; but it is no warrant to guide or1 conduct them; a just ground I say it is of deliberation, but not of direction. But on the other side, who knoweth not that time is truly compared to a stream, that carrieth down fresh and pure waters into that salt sea of corruption which environeth all human actions? And therefore if man shall not by his industry, virtue, and policy, as it were with the oar row against the stream and inclination of time, all institutions and ordinances, be they never so pure, will corrupt and degenerate. But not to handle this matter common-place-like, I would only ask why the civil state should be purged and restored by good and wholesome laws made every third or fourth year in parliaments assembled, devising remedies as fast as time breedeth mischiefs, and contrariwise the ecclesiastical state should still continue upon the dregs of time, and receive no alteration now for these five and forty years and more? If any man shall object that if the like intermission had been used in civil causes also, the error had not been great; surely the wisdom of the kingdom hath been otherwise in experience for three hundred years' space at the least. But if it be said to me that there is a difference between civil causes and ecclesiastical, they may as well tell me that churches and chapels need no reparations though houses and castles do: whereas commonly, to speak truth, dilapidations of the inward and spiritual edification of the Church of God are in all times as great as the outward and material. Sure I am that the very word and stile edifications: : A, B, R.

1 and R.

:

2

of reformation used by our Saviour, ab initio non fuit ita,' was applied to Church matters, and those of the highest nature, concerning the law moral. Nevertheless, he were both unthankful and unwise, that would deny but that the Church of England, during the time of Queen Elizabeth of famous memory, did flourish. If I should compare it with foreign churches, I would rather the comparison should be in the virtues, than (as some make it) in the defects; rather I say as between the vine and the olive, which should be most fruitful, and not as between the briar and the thistle, which should be most unprofitable; for that reverence should be used to the Church, which the good sons of Noah used to their father's nakedness, that is, as it were to go backwards, and to help the defects thereof, and yet to dissemble them. And it is to be acknowledged that scarcely any Church, since the primitive Church, yielded in like number of years and latitude of country a greater number of excellent preachers, famous writers, and grave governors. But for the discipline and orders of the Church, as many and the chiefest of them are very holy and good, so yet if St. John were to indite an epistle to the Church of England, as he did to them of Asia, it would sure have the clause, habeo adversus te pauca. And no more for this point; saving that as an appendix thereunto, it is not amiss to touch that objection which is made to the time, and not to the matter, pretending that if reformation were necessary, yet it were not now seasonable at your Majesty's first entrance. Yet Hippocrates saith, Si quid moves, a principio move. And the wisdom of all examples doth1 shew that the wisest princes, as they have ever been the most sparing in removing or alteration of servants and officers upon their coming in, so for removing of abuses and enormities, and for reforming of laws and the policy of their states, they have chiefly sought to ennoble and commend their beginnings therewith; knowing that the first impression with people continueth long, and when men's minds are most in expectation and suspense then are they best wrought and managed. And therefore it seemeth to me that as the spring of nature, I mean the spring of the year, is the best time for purging and medicining the natural body, so the spring of kingdoms is the most proper season for the purging and rectifying of politic bodies.

1 sic: R.

2

very, om. R.

3 adversum: MS.

4 do: R.