THE ARTICLES OF THE CHURCH OF IRELAND OF THE ARTICLES OF THE GHURGH OF IRELAND OF 1615 Thesis Submitted to The University of Edinburgh as partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy Raymond Leslie Wallace iil PREFACE The present study is an attempt to shed more light on the relatively obscure Articles which were adopted in the year 1615 by the Church of Ireland meet­ ing in Convocation in Dublin. There are two main parts to the work; part I deals with the history of the Arti­ cles, and part II with their sources and contents. The introduction gives their historical background; and the conclusion shows their influence on later symbolism in Great Britain. The aim of part II is not intended to be crit­ ical, but rather expository. A few critical points, how­ ever, have been noted. In this section, the Irish Arti­ cles with their sources have been given in parallel columns. Where no distinct source has been found, the Irish article has been listed by itself. Important dif­ ferences which exist between the Articles and their sources, if those sources be earlier English formularies, have been underlined. The Articles are commonly known to be Calvin- istic in doctrine. To determine whether they present true A / \ Calvinistic doctrine has (one/one of the aims of this study. Because of this, full quotation from Calvin's iv writings, especially from his systematic theology, the "Institutes", has been necessary. A word should be said with reference to the order of the chapters in part II. It has been thought best to follow the order of subjects as found in Calvin's "Institutes", since the Articles naturally fall into this outline with the exception of four of the nineteen subjects. These four have been taken out of their chrono­ logical order in the Articles, and fitted into the outline for purposes of convenience. There was no uniformity of spelling in the era in which these Articles were composed. The old spelling has been retained in the Articles and their sources in part II, but not elsewhere. Thus, such words as, "Sea of Rome", "Catholike", and "publlke" are not to be regarded as misspelled. The text of the Articles in part II is taken from the original edition of 1615, as appended to Dr. Elrington 1 s Life of James Ussher (Whole Works of Ussher, Vol. I, Appendix IV.), and reprinted in Hardwick*s History of the Articles, Appendix VI. Where italics occur in the original of the Articles, they have been replaced by capitals, as the best means of representing the former. Also, in quota­ tions, capitals, so lavishly used a few centuries ago, have been retained. There have been several abbreviations used, which should here be noted: "Works", for "The Whole Works of the Most Rev. James Ussher"; "Instit.", for "Institutes of the Christian Religion", by John Calvin; "Schaff", for his "Creeds of Christendom"; and finally, "Hardwick", for "A History of the Articles of Religion", by Charles Hardwick. CONTENTS page Preface .... iii-v INTRODUCTION CHAPTER I POLITICAL AND ECCLESIASTICAL BACKGROUND . 1-15 Reformation in England, 1. Influence of Swiss Reformation in England, 2. Rise of Puritanism, 4. Predestinarian controversy, 6. Lambeth Articles, 7- Hampton Court Conference, 7» Early history of Irish Church, 8. Origina­ tion of Irish Parliament, 9. Reforma­ tion not well received in Ireland, 11. Puritans persecuted in Ireland, 13 Ireland under James I, 13. PART I THE HISTORY OF THE ARTICLES CHAPTER II THE FORMATION OF THE ARTICLES . 17-39 The Parliament of 1613, 17. Convoca­ tion of 1615, 18. Author of Articles, 20. Reasons for drafting of Articles, 28. Effect of the Articles, 31. Sanc­ tioned by the Crown, 32« Composition of the Articles, 33. Sources of the Articles, 37. CHAPTER III page THE AUTHORITY OF THE ARTIQLE3 40-69 1. Authority during period 1615-1634 Decree of Convocation of 1615, 40. Sub­ scription to Articles, 42. Status of Articles uncertain, 43. Authorisation by King James, 44. Articles not sanc­ tioned by Parliament, 46. 2. Proceedings of Convocation of 1634 Meeting of Parliament and Convocation, 48. Strafford, Laud, and Bramhall, 48. Policy of Strafford, 49. Progress of Arminianism, 50. Influence of Bramhall, 51. Opposition of Ussher to Strafford, 52. Irregular action of Lower House, 55. Action taken by Strafford, 56. Proceed­ ings in Upper House, 60. Consistency of English and Irish Articles, 63- 3. Authority subsequent to 1634 Ussher's view, 64. Subscription by some bishops, 66. All authority lost after Rebellion of 1641, 68. PART II THE SOURCES AND CONTENTS OF THE ARTICLES CHAPTER IV ON THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE CREATOR 71-98 1. Of the Holy Scripture and the three Creeds. Articles 1-7 71 2. Of faith in the Holy Trinity. Articles 8-10 87 3. Of the creation and government of all things. Articles 18-21 94 CHAPTER V page ON THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE REDEEMER . 99-12? 1. Of the Fall of Man, original sin, and the state of Man before Justification Articles 22-28 99 2. Of the state of the Old and New Testament. Articles 81-84 114 3. Of Christ, the Mediator of the Second Cov­ enant. Articles 29-30 120 CHAPTER VI ON THE MANNER OF RECEIVING THE GRACE OF CHRIST, THE BENEFITS WHICH WE DERIVE FROM IT, AND THE EFFECTS WHICH FOLLOW IT . 128-194 1. Of the communicating of the grace of Christ. Articles 31-33 128 2. Of Justification and Faith. Articles 34-38 134 3. Of Sanctification and G-ood Works. Articles 39-45 149 4. Of the service of God. Articles 46-56 156 5- Of our duty towards our Neighbours. Articles 63-67 169 6. Of God's Eternal Decree, and Predestination. Articles 11-1? 1?4 7. Of the state of the souls of men, after they be departed out of this life: together with the general resurrection, and the last things. Articles 101-104 191 CHAPTER VII page ON THE EXTERNAL MEANS BY WHICH GOD CALLS US INTO COMMUNION WITH CHRIST. AND RETAINS US IN IT 195-242 1. Of the Church and outward ministry of the Gospel. Articles 68-74 195 2. Of the authority of the Church, General Councils, and Bishop of Rome. Articles 75-80 210 3. Of the Sacraments of the New Testament. Articles 85-88 217 4. Of Baptism. Articles 89-91 221 5. Of the Lord's Supper. Articles 92-100 225 6. Of the Civil Magistrate. Articles 57-62 236 CONCLUSION CHAPTER VIII THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE ARTICLES . 244-278 Meeting of Westminster Assembly, 244. Revision of XXXIX Articles, 245. Com­ parison of XXXIX Articles as revised with Irish Articles, 246. Committee ap­ pointed for the purpose of preparing a new Confession of Faith, 248. Subjects assigned to sub-committees, transition from Irish Articles to Westminster Con­ fession, 249. Irish Articles source of Westminster Confession, 250. Comparison of Irish Articles with Westminster Con­ fession, 252. Bibliography . 279-285 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION: POLITICAL AND ECCLESIASTICAL BACKGROUND. 1 The Reformation in England under Henry VIII was, as in other countries, political, religious, and social, all of which were closely interwoven. But perhaps the greatest factor in the movement for reformation was a strong feeling of anti-clericalism, which was occasioned by the corrupt lives of the clergy. Added to this was the hostility among the clergy themselves, for the bishops and parish priests had only contempt for the friars and monks. There was also a strong feeling against the Papal authority which had long exploited the Church in England, and wnlch was not lessened by the actions of Wolsey, the 1 Books consulted: Fisher, The Reformation. Lindsay, History of the Reformation, Vol. II. Collier, Ecclesiastical History of Great Britain, Vol. VII. Fuller, Church History of Britain, Vol. III. Trevelyan, History of the Stuarts. ii Social History of England. Bagwell, Ireland under the Tudors, 3 Vols. i Ireland under the Stuarts, Vol. I. Killen, Ecclesiastical History of Ireland, Vol. I. Mant, History of the Church of Ireland, Vol. I. Reld, Hist, of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, Vol. Hardwlck, History of the Articles. Schaff, History of the Greeds of Christendom. Papal Legate, who overrode episcopal authority and the freedom of the clergy; so that of the King and the Pope, the former was regarded as the better choice for Convocation to make. But while the English Church repudiated Papal au­ thority, and was undergoing reformation in general, Lutheran- ism found very little support, except at Cambridge, where the German Reformer's influence was felt by Cranmer, Rldley, Tyndale, and others. Genevan doctrines began to spread in England during the reign of Edward VI. Calvin's writings were pro­ hibited by Henry VIII, but he carried on a correspondence with King Edward and Archbishop Cranmer, urging upon them o "a more thorough reformation of doctrine and discipline"; and Cranmer, in turn, requested Calvin to write often to King Edward. During the persecution under Mary, the English exiles became intimate with the Swiss Reformers, and im­ bibed their theology; and upon their return to their own country under the regime of Elizabeth, they became the leaders in the Reformed Church of England. Bishop Jewel, the final reviser of the Thirty-nine Articles, wrote to Peter Martyr at Zurich in 1562: "As to matters of doctrine, we have pared everything away to the very quick, and we do not differ from you by a nail's breadth."^ And Bishop Horn, writing to Bullinger (13 Dec. 1563, after the Queen's 2 Schaff, I, 602. 3 Zurich Letters, I, 100; quoted in Schaff, I, 603.