CHAP.
XV.

In the critical situation of her early government Elizabeth found it advisable to intermix protestants and papists in her council *; but the tendency of her religious opinions it was needless as well as impossible to conceal. While under the power of her sister, she outwardly conformed to the religion of the Romish church; but this conformity was the effect of terror. It is not to be interpreted to the prejudice of Elizabeth's sincerity; more than the written renunciation of the pope's supremacy which Mary gave to her father, but which on her accession to power she immediately falsified. Elizabeth, unlike Mary, gave no pledge to her subjects, which she was predetermined to forfeit. Her education had inclined her to the protestant faith, and she had the same motive with her sister Mary, to strengthen her attachment to the faith in which she had been educated; it was the religion of her mother. In the daughter of Anne Boleyn, the reformers might expect to find a protector and a friend.

These early prepossessions of Elizabeth were visible in the selection of her confidential ministers; for soon after her accession, she called to her administration sir William Cecil and sir Nicholas

* The Roman catholic part were Heath, archbishop of York, the marquis of Winchester, the earl of Arundel, the earl of Shrewsbury, the earl of Derby, the earl of Pembroke, lord Clinton, lord Howard of Effingham, sir Thomas Cheyney, sir William Petre, sir John Mason, sir Richard Sackville, and Dr. Nicholas Wotton, dean of Canterbury. The protestants were the marquis of Northampton, the earl of Bedford, sir Thomas Parr, sir Edward Rogers, sir Ambrose Cave, sir Francis Knolles, sir William Cecil, and sir Nicholas Bacon. Camden's Elizabeth, p. 18.

A. D. 1559.

Bacon. To the former of these statesmen the church of England is more deeply indebted than to any other laic. The plan of its legal establish- Elizabeth. ment was formed under his immediate inspection, and he laid the basis of its future polity, rendering the regal supremacy in ecclesiastical affairs compatible with the divine institution of a Christian priesthood.

One of the first acts of Elizabeth after her accession was, like that of Mary, an act of grace: she set at liberty all who had been imprisoned in the late reign on account of religion. Having been pleasantly told that there were some prisoners not included in this act of grace, and that they were no others than the four evangelists, whom the people earnestly wished to be set at liberty; she replied, in the same strain of pleasantry, that she would first communicate with the prisoners themselves, and see whether they desired such a release.

The principle on which she acted throughout her whole reign actuated her at its commencement, and this was a conciliation between the papists and the protestants; what she thus did from policy was in conformity with her own religious opinions. Though a determined foe of papal jurisdiction, she was attached to the ancient ritual. She thought that a too great deference had been shown to foreign reformers, in regard of discipline; and that through their suggestion divine worship had been divested of many of its decencies. If possible, she would have exploded the names of heretic and papist; but as this was scarcely to be expected, she endeavoured to mitigate personal

CHAP. hostility where she could not reconcile difference of opinion.

XV.

Little could Elizabeth adventure to do before the meeting of parliament; but that little she was not slow to perform. Some of those who had been imprisoned on account of religion, being now released, and others in exile being permitted to return, had already made use of the service book of king Edward, presuming on the countenance of Dec. 27. government. This imprudent precipitance occasioned a proclamation, directed equally against the papists and the reformers; for both parties had seized the opportunity of declaring their religious sentiments from the pulpit*. All preaching therefore was prohibited, unless by a licence under the great seal; and no other doctrine was allowed than that of reading, without any exposition, the epistles, gospels, and the ten commandments. These might be read in English, with the addition of the Lord's prayer, the litany, and the creed. The other part of the service was to be regulated by the rubric of the missals and breviaries, till the queen and parliament had deliberated, whether a reformation in the service should take place. In her own chapel, she permitted the altar to remain with its appropriate ornaments; but she forbad the elevation of the host.

Before the meeting of parliament, Heath was removed from his office of lord chancellor, and sir Nicholas Bacon was appointed to that high station; and previously to the meeting of parliament the

Strype's Annals, vol. i.

1559.

Elizabeth.

Jan. 13.

ceremony of the coronation was performed. On A. D. the day preceding this solemnity, she proceeded from the Tower to Westminster with great state. As she ascended her chariot, she raised her eyes to heaven, and blessed God who had preserved her to see that joyful day. She acknowledged that her deliverance proceeded only from that Divine Being to whom she ascribed the praise. No part of her behaviour was more gratifying than in a circumstance which occurred as she passed under one of the triumphal arches. A Bible was let down before her, by a female child representing Truth; with the greatest reverence, and with the most impressive demonstrations of gratitude, it was received by Elizabeth: she laid it next her heart, professing that she valued the sacred gift more than all the magnificent presents, which had been offered to her on that day.

The coronation was performed at Westminster Abbey by Oglethorp, bishop of Carlisle, according to the forms of the Romish pontifical. No other bishop could be persuaded to perform the ceremonial; for although two of the protestant prelates* made by king Edward were still alive, yet Elizabeth preferred to be crowned by a bishop actually in office, and according to the old ritual †. A few days after the coronation, the parliament Jan. 27. was opened by a speech from the lord chancellor; his discourse was divided into three parts, of which the first concerned religion. In this part, which, as it related to the honour of Almighty God, was

* Barlow and Scory.

+ Collier's Ecclesiastical History, vol. ii. b. vi.

XV.

CHAP. the queen's principal concern, he exhorted the two houses to consider its distracted state, and to enter into its discussion without heat or partiality. The queen recommended them to avoid the two extremes of idolatry and superstition on the one hand, and of profaneness and irreligion on the other. She trusted that they would pursue their examination without sophistical niceties or subtle speculations, and endeavour to adjust difficult questions, so as to bring the people to an uniformity and cordial agreement.

One of the first questions which came under the consideration of the house of commons was, whether the want of the title of supreme head of the church, which the queen had not yet assumed, was a good reason for nullifying the acts concerning religion, which had been passed in former parliaments, or which were intended to be passed in the parliament now assembled? After a long discussion, it was determined that the omission did not nullify or vitiate such enactments.

The first bill introduced into the house of lords on the subject of religion was for the restitution of the tenths and first fruits of ecclesiastical benefices to the crown. Though it was unanimously passed by the temporal peers, yet it met the dissent and protestation of all the prelates who were present; but it was easily passed by the commons, and received the royal assent*. By this act, not only the tenths and first fruits were restored to the crown, but also the impropriated benefices which had been surrendered by queen Mary.

*Stat. 1 Elizabeth, c. 4.