ECCLESIASTICA.

CHAPTER I.

THE CHURCH FROM THE REFORMATION TO THE REVOLUTION.

THE CHURCH OF ROME at the OPENING OF THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY-ITS DECLINE. THE REFORMATION UNDER EDWARD VI. PERSECUTIONS OF THE PROTESTANTS UNDER MARY.-ELIZABETH'S CAUTION.-CONTROVERSIES. THE PURITANS, ROMANISTS, AND JAMES 1.-THE MILLENARY PETITION AND ITS RESULTS.-SUCCESS OF THE PURITANS, AND OVERTHROW OF THE CHURCH.-ITS PRINCIPLES DESTROYED UNDER THE PROTECTORATE.-COMMISSION OF TRYERS.-ACCESSION OF CHARLES II., AND RE-ESTABLISHMENT OF THE HIERARCHY.-CONFERENCE BETWEEN THE EPISCOPALIANS AND THE PRESBYTERIANS-ITS RESULTS.-SAVOY CONFERENCE.-ACT FOR UNIFORMITY-FIVE MILE ACT.-JAMES II. AND POPERY SUCCESSFULLY RESISTED BY THE CLERGY.-THE ECCLESIASTICAL COMMISSION-ITS PROSECUTION OF COMPTON.-ATTACK ON THE UNIVERSITIES.-COMMITTAL OF THE BISHOPS THEIR TRIAL. THE REVOLUTION.

THE Church of Rome was never more powerful in this country than at the commencement of the sixteenth century. It exercised a separate and extensive jurisdiction: its clergy enjoyed privileges and liberties unknown to the laity-had interests distinct from, and opposed to, every other class of the community, and possessed power to intimidate the people and coerce the sovereign. This power, interfering with his will, and opposing itself to the gratification of his passions, Henry VIII. resolved to terminate; and for this purpose he joined himself with such of his sub

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jects as had embraced the reformed doctrines, and displayed a common interest with them in subverting a hierarchy equally oppressive to them both. The Reformation acquired an immense accession of strength from the political character which it now assumed: the conflict was no longer personal between Henry and the Pope; it threatened to abolish, in this country long considered amongst the brightest jewels in the papal crown, not only the jurisdiction but likewise the rites, ceremonies, and doctrines of the Romish church.

Many other powerful causes conspired to bring about this revolution. The treasures of antiquity had been reopened; schools had been formed whence men of great acquirements and vigorous intellects daily issued; various new philosophical and religious opinions had been promulgated; a spirit of activity had arisen;-in short, a struggle had commenced to enfranchise the human mind. This spirit of improvement diffused itself rapidly amongst all classes; and to it we are indebted for those principles which accomplished the overthrow of civil and ecclesiastical tyranny in this country. Henry, though eager to subvert the papal power, did not encourage in his dominions the doctrines of the Reformation. We look in vain for any thing condemnatory of the creed or ritual of the Romish church in those statutes wherein he most inveighs against the jurisdiction of the Pope; and, whilst we see him taking the most effectual measures, in destroying the monastic orders, to overthrow the hierarchy, we behold him displaying his attachment to the ancient faith of his country. It was not till the reign of Edward VI., his son and successor, that the doctrines as well as the government of the Church of Rome were put an end to in England. That prince, of a more placid and gentle disposition than his father, was endowed with equal capacity and love of learning; and if he possessed not his

energy and decision, neither did he inherit his vices or infirmities.

In this reign the clergy were enjoined, in the king's name, to dissuade the people from pilgrimages and the use of images. Private masses were forbidden; the old communion service was abolished, and in its stead, another was introduced similar, in all essential points to the one now in use; and an act was likewise passed, allowing the priests to marry. These changes met with the strongest opposition from several of the prelates and clergy. The firmness, energy, and talents of Somerset, guided by the experience of Cranmer, surmounted, however, every difficulty. Some of the prelates who, at first, refused to conform to these new regulations, were induced, after a time, to acquiesce in them, whilst the more obstinate were deposed; and the fall of the Howards, the most powerful friends of the ancient faith, facilitated, in no slight degree, the success of these measures. Thus, the government of Edward effected not only the overthrow of the popish hierarchy, but likewise abolished its rites, ceremonies, and doctrines, and substituted the discipline and creed of the present established church, without having recourse to those sanguinary proceedings which so deeply stain the annals of Mary's reign. The few who were executed during Edward's government were condemned, not for refusing to conform to the new regulations, but for denouncing altogether the truth of Christianity. Doubtless, the want of able men in this reign unduly retarded the Reformation; for the clergy, at this period, were so steeped in ignorance and licentiousness, that it was difficult to find amongst them men of sufficient ability and piety to propound the doctrines of the great reformers. It was this consideration that induced Cranmer to draw up a book of homilies, which was ordered to be read in all the churches

throughout the kingdom; and several other books of a similar nature were likewise published, in which the errors of Romanism were temperately but fully displayed, and the understandings of men were for the first time appealed to.

No sooner had Mary ascended the throne than she set at defiance all the laws enacted during her brother's reign for the establishment of the reformed church. At her coronation, which ceremony was performed by Bishop Gardiner, assisted by ten other prelates, in the abbey of Westminster, -she sufficiently indicated her design to bring back the Roman worship by causing high-mass to be celebrated; and soon afterwards it was enacted that no other service should be allowed than that in use at the death of King Henry. The bishops who had been deposed in the last reign were restored; and such of the clergy, whose doctrines were in accordance with the reformed faith, were refused licences to preach. But these measures being found insufficient to accomplish the restoration of Roman Catholicism, the most terrible persecutions were commenced against those who adhered to their religious principles; and the annals of those times are filled with disgusting details of inhuman murders.

Such exhibitions but animated the friends of those who suffered, to maintain the struggle in defence of their religion, without inspiring in the partisans of the papacy a confidence in the doctrines which required such means to uphold them. These persecutions may be then considered to have operated favourably for the Protestants. That their numbers considerably increased during this reign is evidenced by the fact of Elizabeth's accession being so peaceable; and by the concurrence of the great body of her subjects in the measures which she took for the re-establishment of Protestantism. One of her first acts, on coming to the throne, was to release all prisoners confined for religious opinion.

This clemency instilled the greatest hopes into the reformers; and they became eager to subvert a system under which they had so grievously suffered. But the means by which Elizabeth and her council sought to bring about this desired end, were not to be hastily resolved on; neither was their success to be hazarded by a too hasty execution of them. They had to guard against the evil consequences that might arise, both at home and abroad, from too precipitately hurrying on measures which were opposed to the worst prejudices, passions, and interests of so many thousands of their countrymen. They, therefore, contented themselves at first with merely doing away with all persecution on account of religion; whilst Romanism was still permitted to continue the established faith. When, however, her parliament had assembled, she manifested a more decided course of policy. All Edward's laws relating to religion were re-enacted, by which supremacy in ecclesiastical affairs was restored to the "And thus," says Mr. Hallam, "the English church, so long contended for as a prize by the two religions, was lost for ever to that of Rome."

crown.

Numerous controversies were carried on by various sects of reformers during almost the entire of this reign; and these led the Romanists to hope that the establishment being so divided, its speedy fall would necessarily take place. This spirit of dissension baffled all the plans of Elizabeth's government for its suppression. The compulsory measures to which she had recourse, to attain this end, worked contrary to her expectations and experience, and taught her that persecution of dissenters can never produce uniformity of religion. Nor can the severity which she exercised against the Catholics be justified. It may be urged, as a palliative, that the conspiracies set on foot against her by the Pope and the Catholic princes on the Continent, rendered