VII.

THE CONFLICT OF PRINCIPLE.

Ultimate scope of Puritanic Principles. Means employed to exterminate them. Their rapid spread: nearly prevail in Convocation. The Puritans ask only liberty of Conscience. Not a struggle for political power. Remonstrances of the Puritans. The Separation begins. Persecutions. The nation roused.

THE Contest, thus basing itself upon the fundamental principles of purity and religious liberty, was likely to enlist not enthusiasts alone, whose zeal flames out hotly for a season and then expires, -but the sober, the deep thinking,-whatever men had penetration enough to perceive the mighty interests involved, and principle sufficient to forego every personal advantage, and to set themselves for the truth and for freedom, in defiance of the storm that was now preparing to rage. Such men there were; men deeply learned in the school of Christ, and in all human wisdom: men whose talents and influence the court would have been glad to purchase by placing them upon the bench of bishops, had they known how to barter truth and freedom for so tempting a prize. They had already learned how to endure adversity for Christ. They had witnessed the devastations of Popery. They had traced its abominations to their source,―to the very beginnings and principles of the impositions to which they were now required to yield.

It was a new thing for the people and their humble pastors to talk about RIGHTS. But this new idea,-fraught with such consequences to the human race, and destined ultimately to revolutionize all the theories of government that the world had entertained, now started up in the minds of the Puritans. Despotism and superstition were now to encounter a new enemy;— the consciousness of RIGHTS founded on a sense of RESPONSIBILITY TO GOD. The soul of freedom and the soul of religion were now to combine in rousing up the Puritans to a firmness and energy which no terrors could appal, and which no force of oppression and no violence could subdue. Here was the spring

of their lofty courage and of their patient endurance. Nothing was more certain than that the simplest forms of religious worship, and that republicanism, both in church and state, must eventually spring from these principles and this spirit.

The queen and her leading statesmen saw the ultimate scope of this contest of principle, and determined to crush the rising doctrine of popular rights. The "Judicious Hooker" saw that the controversy drew deep into great questions of doctrine and of right. "Let not any one imagine," said he, "that the bare and naked difference of a few ceremonies could either have kindled so much fire, or caused it to flame so long; but that the parties which herein have labored mightily for change, and (as they say) for reformation, had somewhat more than this mark whereat to aim." It was so indeed: the commencement of a momentous contest which will hereafter for ever mark an era in the history of the struggle between despotism and the rights of

man.

The queen now appointed her COURT OF HIGH COMMISSION, and directed a general visitation, to remove from the churches such papal furniture as it had been determined to dispense with, and to enforce the act of uniformity. That Court of High Commission figures largely in the future history of the Puritans. Its enormities were so indescribably oppressive and cruel, that at length its very name became as odious as that of the Inquisition; and the court was at last dissolved by act of parliament, with a clause that no such jurisdiction should be received for the future in any court whatever. As we shall have occasion so often to refer to the doings of that court, it is proper here to give a brief general account of its constitution and powers. Hume thus describes it" The queen appointed forty-four Commissioners, twelve of whom were ecclesiastics; three Commissioners made a quorum. The jurisdiction of the court extended over the whole kingdom, and over all orders of men; and every circumstance of its authority, and all its methods of proceedings, were contrary to the plainest principles of law and natural equity." "The Commissioners were empowered to visit and reform all errors, heresies, schisms,-in a word, to regulate all opinions, as well as to punish all breaches of uniformity in the exercise of public worship. They were directed to make inquiry, not only by the legal methods of juries and witnesses, but by all other means and ways which they could devise; that is, by the racks, by torture, by inquisition, by punishment."—" Where they found reason to suspect any person, they might administer to him an OATH called EX OFFICIO, by which he was bound to answer all questions, and might thereby be compelled to accuse himself, or his most intimate friend. The fines which they

levied were discretionary, and often occasioned the total ruin of the offender, contrary to the established laws of the kingdom. The imprisonment to which they condemned any delinquents, was limited by no rule but their own pleasure. They assumed a power of imposing on the clergy what new articles of subscription, and consequently of faith, they thought proper. Though all of the spiritual courts were subject, since the Reformation, to inhibitions from the supreme courts of law, the ecclesiastical commissioners were exempted from their control.”— "The punishments which they might inflict, were according to their wisdom, conscience, and discretion. In a word, this court was a real INQUISITION; attended with all the iniquities as well as cruelties inseparable from that tribunal." Such was the engine of persecution whose powers were so long exerted in the work of exterminating the Puritans.

The visitors of the High Commission now set about the work of removing from the churches the utensils and implements of popish idolatry. Though the parishes were filled with popish priests, the people were generally eager for the Reformation. "Having been provoked with the cruelties of the late times, they attended the Commissioners in great numbers, and brought into Cheapside, St. Paul's Churchyard, and Smithfield, the roods and crucifixes that were taken down; and in some places the vestments of the priests, copes, surplices, altar cloths, books, banners; and burnt them to ashes, as it were," says Neale, "to make atonement for the blood of the martyrs which had been shed there." "They broke the painted windows, rased out ancient inscriptions, and spoiled the monuments of the dead that had any ensigns of Popery on them." Though few of the popish priests left their parishes, yet such were the terms of conformity that it was not possible to find Protestants of a tolerable capacity to supply the vacancies. There were, indeed, educated, true and tried men enough, but because they could not comply with the queen's injunctions they were shut out. Many places were long left vacant; others were filled with ignorant mechanics. The Bishop of Bangor wrote that he had only two preachers in his diocese. And Bishop Parker found the major part of his beneficed clergy "either mechanics or Mass-Priests, in disguise; many churches were shut up, and in some of those that were open, not a sermon was to be heard in some counties within the compass of twenty miles." So many country towns and villages were vacant, that in some places there was no preaching, nor so much as reading a homily for many months together. In sundry parishes it was hard to find clerical persons to bury the dead. In the meantime multitudes of able and learned preachers who had proved their faith in times of persecu

tion, were shut out of the churches because they could not conform to the habits and ceremonies without violence to their conscience. Among these was Miles Coverdale, one of the first translators of the Bible, a bishop under King Edward VI., and an exile (barely escaping martyrdom) under Queen Mary. When Queen Elizabeth wanted Parker to be consecrated archbishop, she could use Coverdale to serve the turn; but when this was done he might not preach the Gospel even as a parish minister. Grindal, who had been his fellow sufferer in distress and exile, at length ventured to give him a small living; but he was persecuted thence and soon after died in penury at the age of eighty-one. "The act of Uniformity brought down his reve rend hairs with sorrow to the grave." Vast crowds of people testified their affection by attending his funeral John Fox, the martyrologist, whose writings gave a severer blow to Popery in England, than any other human work, was for a long time left in distressing poverty, "till at last, by the intercession of a great friend, he obtained a prebend in the church of Sarum, which, with some disturbance, he held till death."

Though the Puritan preachers were shut out of the churches, their principles had taken strong hold on, probably, the largest share of the Protestant clergy in the land.

In the year A. D. 1562, the convocation of the clergy met, with the queen's license, to review the doctrine and discipline of the Church. A petition was introduced by Bishop Sandys and others, for doing away a long list of ceremonies and other things deemed abuses or superstitions. Among other things, the cross in baptism was to be dispensed with; kneeling at the communion was not to be required; copes and surplices were to be taken away; saints' days, festivals and holy-days bearing the names of a creature, were to be abrogated; or at least, after service on such days men were to be allowed to go to their work. A motion was made embodying most of the things desired in these petitions; and after an earnest debate, the vote being taken, upon a division, a majority of those present approved the motion for alteration; the vote standing forty-three to thirty-five. But on counting the votes of absentees, given by proxy, the scale was turned by ONE VOICE! So near were the clergy of England to approving the chief demands of the Puritans, the first time they were allowed to express their sentiments on the subject.

It has been common for the advocates of Prelacy to ascribe the rise of Puritanism to the influence of Geneva. But to say nothing of the Puritanism of Wickliffe, or the Puritan Churches meeting in secret under the reign of the Bloody Mary, here is a singular refutation of the charge, in this vote of the English

convocation; from which all avowed Puritans were shut out. In that vote is found the name of only one who had been of the English Church at Geneva. Seventeen had been of the exiles of Strasburg, and of the Second Church at Frankfort, who had all strenuously contended with their brethren for the use of King Edward's Liturgy. On the other side were two deacons and two archdeacons, who had complied with the popish religion under Queen Mary, and who, after the accession of Queen Elizabeth, adhered to Popery till they were compelled to abandon it or lose their places.

Many of the parochial clergy had a strong aversion to the "habits." "They wore them sometimes in obedience to the laws, but more frequently administered without them;" for which some were cited into the spiritual courts and admonished; the Bishops not as yet proceeding to the extremity of deprivation. "The laity were more averse to the habits than the clergy. As their hatred of Popery increased, so did their aversion to the garments." There was a strong party in the court against them; among whom were the Earl of Leicester, Walsingham and Burleigh. "The Protestant populace throughout the nation were so inflamed, that nothing but an awful subjection to authority could have kept them within bounds. Great numbers refused to frequent the places of worship where service was ministered in that dress. They would not salute such ministers in the streets, nor keep them company." "Nay," as Neale goes on to say, "if we may believe Dr. Whitgift, they spit in their faces, reviled them as they went along, and showed such like behavior because they took them for Papists in disguise, for time-servers, and half-faced Protestants, that would be content with the return of that religion whose badge they wore. There was indeed a warm spirit in the people against everything which came from that pretended Church, whose garments had been so lately dyed with the blood of their friends and relations."

The admonitions of the bishops failing to check the growing non-conformity, the queen was greatly displeased, and issued peremptory orders to the archbishops to enforce the strictest uniformity. And now the storm was coming. Many of the bishops earnestly begged that they might not be compelled to be made the instruments of oppression against those who could not in conscience conform. Pilkington, Bishop of Durham, urged "That compulsion ought not to be used in things of liberty :""that all the reformed countries had cast away the popish apparel, and yet we contend to keep it as a holy relic;" "That many ministers would rather leave their livings than comply, while the realm had a great scarcity of teachers, many places being desti