religion, I die in the Holy Catholic and Apostolick Faith, profess'd by the whole Church before the disunion of East and West: more particularly I die in the communion of the Church of England, as it stands distinguished from all Papal and Puritan innovations, and as it adheres to the doctrine of the cross."[1]
A work entitled The Royal Sufferer has sometimes been attributed to Ken: but I can scarcely conceive that he was the author. At all events the authorship is doubtful. It is, however, a curious volume. The writer expresses a wish that King James were a Protestant; but still he declares his allegiance to his Majesty. He ventures to assert, that as a member of the Church of England he would be in the safer course. "If I am regenerated by the Holy Spirit, and made a Christian by true baptism, believing the Scriptures: can it be supposed that I shall suffer damnation for not equally believing traditions? If I make conscience to serve and worship God, can it be thought I shall perish for not worshipping images? If I pray to God, as our blessed Saviour hath taught me, who can think I should incur the sentence of damnation for not invocating saints and angels?" After an expression of humility, in urging such topics, he adds: "if through the divine blessing they should be made efficacious to cause your Majesty to return to and embrace the religion professed by your royal Father, it would be the joy and rejoicing of all your people: and would open a door of hope to 'em even in this Valley of Achor."
In the Meditation on Affliction, the writer freely censures the measures of the King, commencing with
- ↑ Hawkins, 26, 27.
