they could; and 2. those of our own fugitives, who made the case much worse than they themselves thought it, that they might obtain the more pity, and consequently the better relief and provision abroad, which is wont to be afforded to all those that fly for religion, amongst those of the same faith; 3. And also suspecting the fidelity of the relations made by our ministers in foreign courts; 4. And of all our travellers who stuck to, and imbraced the religion established by law.

But then what can be said for those Roman Catholicks (as they will needs be called) who living at home here in England, and consequently having better means of informing themselves concerning the truth of things, cannot pretend to excuse themselves by those topicks strangers may? It was -both their duty and interest to inform themselves of the affairs of their own country, and to submit to the laws and customs of it, whilest strangers that are not under those obligations, may excuse themselves if they do not make so diligent an inquiry into things, or happen at last to be mistaken in them. Besides in the settlement under Queen Elizabeth, all the care imaginable was taken to unite the whole Nation in one Religion, if it were possible; and whatever was in the former Liturgy that might exasperate or offend them, was taken out, by which complyances, (they are the words of the learned Dr. Heylyn+) and the expunging of the passages before remembred, the book was made so passable amongst the Papists, that for ten years they generally repaired to their Parish Churches, without doubt or scruple, as is affirmed not only by Sir Edward Coke in his speech against Garnet,

Dr. Heylyn.] [Hist. of the Reformation. p. 283,] or part 2d. p. 111. (2d. edition.)

and

and his charge given at the assizes held at Norwich, but also by the Queen her self in a letter to Sir Francis Walsingham, then being her resident or Leiger Ambassador in the Court of France: The same is confessed by Sanders also in his Book de Schismate. And there is a report recorded by Camden, that the Pope offered by his Envoy Parapalia to the Queen, Liturgiam Anglicam sua Authoritate confirmaturum, et usum Sacramenti sub utraque specie Anglis permissurum, dummodo illa Romanæ Ecclesiæ se aggregaret, Romanæque Cathedræ primatum agnosceret, &c. That he wouitl confirm the English Liturgy by his authority, and grant the English the use of the Sacrament under both kinds, provided the Queen would unite her self to the Church of Rome, and acknowledge the primacy of the Roman See. Since that time nothing has been added that might in the least offend them. Why then do, they act contrary to their ancestors? Why do they pretend more conscience than either their fore-fathers or the Pope? Ten years was a sufficient time for them to have found out the Heresie in, if there had been any in the establishment. And we all know their separation was not upon any scruple of conscience they had, but in obedience to the Popes Bull. The Pope

in

$ Recorded by Camden.] Compare also Fuller's Church History. p. 68, 69.

In obedience to the Pope's Bull.] A. D. 1569. 13. Eliz.. C. 2. "This year (1570) Pius V. caused a bull (more privately sent about 1569) to be publickly set up in London against the Queen; which was daringly done by one Felton, upon the Bishop of London's Palace Gates. In which Bull the Pope deprived her of all title to her kingdoms, and absolved her subjects from their oath of allegiance, and charged them not to obey her upon pain of his curse and excommunication." Strype's Annals. Vol. I. p. 610. This Bull was ar

the

in the mean time did what he did purely out of worldly interest and policy, to advance his own

the time thoroughly examined and confuted by Bishop Jewel, and by Henry Bullinger: aud afterwards by Barlow Bishop of Lincoln in his Brutum Fulmen. Jewel's " View, &c." opens in the following manner.

"Whiles I opened unto you the words of the Apostle, That day shall not come, except there come a departing first, and that man of sinne be disclosed, even the son of perdition, &c. (2. Thess. C. 2.), there came to my hands a copy of a Bull lately sent into this realme by the Bishop of Rome. I read it, and weighed it thorowly, and found it to be a matter of great blasphemy against God, and a practise to work much unquietnesse, sedition and treason against our blessed and prosperous government. For it deposeth the Queenes Majesty, (whom God long preserve) from her royall seat, and teareth the crown from her head: it dischargeth all us her naturall subjects from all due obedience: it armeth one side of us against another it emboldeneth us to burne, to spoile, to rob, to kill, and to cut one another's throat: it is much like that box which Pandora sent to Epimetheus, full of hurtful and unholesome evils. Are you desirous to heare it? It greeveth me to disclose, and your godly eares will hardly abide his unseemly speeches." And then he proceeds to expose the malice and falshoods of which the Bull is composed, running through the whole in a very animated and masterly strain of indignant eloquence.

The facts of the conformity of the generality of the Roman Catholics who then remained in England, till the era of the publication of this Bull, and that from thenceforth they began to cease to repair to their Parish Churches, are admitted on all hands. But perhaps there were other causes which contributed to this unwelcome event, besides the thunders of the Vatican; the declension for example, of that zeal among the Protestants which blazed out on the re-establishment of their religion at the accession of Elizabeth; the lamentable divisions amongst themselves, occasioned by the Puritanical controversy, which now began to turn aside the heads and hearts of so great a portion of the best men of the nation, from real and unfeigned religion, to the agitation of the merest trifles, in which the folly and the deceitfulness, of man's heart ever led him to be zealously engaged; and the uncharitable and unreasonable intolerance in which the Puritans indulged themselves against every thing which bore any relation to the Romish religion,

grandure

grandure and wealth at their cost and trouble. If he could have secured this, the Liturgy and doctrine of the Church of England should have been owned for Catholick, and have been confirmed by his Holinesses authority. But what is this to them? Are they bound to promote his temporal interest with their ruine, and the disquiet of their country? Or how come they to be more obliged to separate from the Church, than to rebel against the Crown, seeing the same Pope commanded both, and for the same ends, and is as infallible in the one as in the other?

We

But this is not our only calamity. About the same time another sort of men separated too upon direct contrary pretences. Why, 'tis our antiquity, our decency, our too great resemblance to the Church of Rome that offends them. are not sufficiently purged for these pure men to joyn with: we have too little of the Primitive Church cryes the one, too much says the other; too few ceremonies, too much simplicity say the Papists; too many of the first, too little of the latter cry the Dissenters. Thus was truth ever persecuted on both sides, Christ crucified betwixt two Thieves, the Primitive Church persecuted by the Pagans on one side, and the Jews on the other. I venerate thy truth and moderation, O dear and Holy Mother, who dost so exactly resemble thy God and Saviour, and the Primitive Church both in thy truth and piety, and in thy sufferings too, which are thy glory!

But what shall I say for our Dissenters, who have run into such horrible crimes as schism and rebellion, only on pretence to avoid that Popery, that superstition that was only in their own fancies and prejudices? How can one and the same Church be persecuted justly for being too much

and

and too little reformed? Why have you separated from her Liturgy and rites, who pretend to imbrace her doctrines? Or if you must needs separate, why yet should you imbrue your hands in the blood of your soveraign and fellow subjects on that account? Supposing you were in the right, this would not justifie you. Christ never propagated his Church by blood and treason, but by sufferings and obedience.

The truth is, this Church hath been persecuted because she alone of all the Churches in Europe, has had the blessing and singular favour of God to reform with prudence, moderation, and an exact and regular conduct, after great and wise deliberations, by the consent of our Bishops, convocations, states, and Princes, without tumults or hasty counsels; and accordingly here was nothing changed but upon good advice, after the most irresistible conviction that it was contrary to the Word of God, the sentiments of the Holy Fathers and councils, and the practice of the truly Primitive and Apostolical Church. So that the Papists themselves do even envy our primitive doctrine, government, and discipline; and both fear and hate us more than any other of the Reformed Churches. I could be contented (said a great man of that perswasion) there were no Priests (i. e. Popish Priests) in England, so there were no Bishops there. This, and our excellent Liturgy, our decent ceremonies, and our excellent order moves their envy. They are the same things that have raised the spleens and animosities of the other side, with whom whatever is older than Zuinglius and Calvin, is presently Popery and must be destroyed. Tell them that episcopacy was settled in all Churches in the days of the very Apostles, and by them; and they reply the mystery of iniquity began then

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