But what alone is fufficient to deftroy the great veneration for Cranmer, is the treatment fome Anabaptifts met with in the fucceeding reign. As that young prince Edward VI. was entirely under the direction of proteftant bishops, we might expect to fee religion put on a much more amiable face, when its chief reformers were now no longer obftructed by that great restraint and fubmiffion, to which they were fubjected, by the imperious will of the late king. We might expect to fee the clergy recommending the protestant religion by the reasonablenefs of its doctrines, by gentlenefs, moderation, and difintereftedness in its teachers, and by the reverfe of a behaviour fo much complained of in the popish church. But alas! we shall foon find ourselves mistaken in thofe pleafing hopes. The fword of perfecution had only changed hands, and, an im plicit compliance with the prefent clergy, was likely to be as much claimed, as ever it had been by the church of Rome. The young king, in whofe difpofition good-nature was as prevalent as his good fenfe, was shocked at this unexpected behaviour in the protestant clergy; and being preffed to fign a warrant for the burning a poor frantic Anabaptist woman, could not at firft be prevailed with to do * do it," but thought it a cruelty too like that હૃદ they had condemned in papifts, to burn any for their confciences." And when at laft, by the fophiftical arguments of good bishop Cranmer, he was rather filenced in his objections, than fatisfied in his compliance," he "fet his hand to the warrant with tears in "his eyes, faying to Cranmer, that if he "did wrong, fince it was in fubmiffion to "his authority, he fhould answer for it "before God." It is plain from hence, that perfecution for opinions in religion was never disliked by our clergy, and we might probably have feen it at as great a height in this, as in the fucceeding reign, had it not been extremely impolitic to furnish the vast number of enemies the reformation then had in the kingdom, with the power of retorting the fame objection against the proteftant religion, that had been fo fuccessfully urged against popery. Indeed it is pretty extraordinary, their policy fhould fuffer the clergy to give thofe open proofs of their difpofition which they then did but it is at the fame time a very powerful argument of that difpofition, fince neither policy, which generally much governs ecclefiaftics, nor the * Hift. of the refor. vol. 2. p. 112. con confideration of what they themselves had fo lately felt, could prevail on them entirely to fupprefs it, even in thofe carly days of their power. And though the legislature has wifely thought fit to pare their talons fince; yet in fome later reigns, when any of our princes have through weaknefs or ill defigns countenanced their ufurped power, we find it employed with no less severity than formerly against all, that feemed to difapprove of it; and though they could not extend it against the lives of fuch, yet they have done it to the greatest degree against the liberty of their perfons, their characters, and fortunes. The fucceeding reign of queen Mary, in which the church of Rome was again uppermoft, is an inftance of the miseries of a state governed by a woman, over whofe paffions bigotry, and a falfe zeal for religion, had the whole afcendant. She delivered herself up to her confeffor," and was as much addicted "to the humours and interefts of the clergy, "as they could wish." The intereft of the ftate was entirely neglected, Calais, which had been for ages maintained, and was the laft monument of our former victories in France, acquired at the expence of fo much * Burnet. blood blood and treasure, was now loft: and as this properly may be confidered as a reign of priests, we never find one more mean and contemptible. The reformation, which was re established under queen Elizabeth, met with the fame oppofition from the majority of the clergy, that it had formerly. It would be foreign to the defign of thefe few fheets, to enter into an account of the particular steps taken in that affair; but it was obfervable, the clergy for the moft part made it a maxim to give what oppofition they could to the reformation: but as foon as any steps towards it were fettled by parliamentary authority, they chose to reconcile them to their confciences, notwithstanding the difapprobation they had expreffed, rather than quit their preferments. But though the reformed religion may from this reign be faid to be perfectly fettled in the kingdom, we shall be very much deceived, if we expect to find any great amendment in its clergy. We shall foon perceive much of the old leaven ftill remaining. The fame purfuit of wealth, power, and independency was ftill refolved upon but as all changes in government produce the fame in politics, fo their schemes. Hift. of the refor for for the accomplishment of their defigns were to be a little altered; and this like fubtle po liticians they did not fail to do. It now became more neceffary than formerly for the clergy to pay their court to temporal princes. In order thereto, we fhall find them devifing new doctrines pernicious to the happiness and liberty of mankind, and from being the janizaries of the papacy, as they are aptly filed by a great author, become thofe of arbitrary power, as we fhall fully fee them in the following reign. And the event has proved the prophecy, in a letter imputed to the famous Machiavel, but too true, where fpeaking of the miferies brought upon mankind, and the corruption of religion by the ecclefiaftics, which called for a thorough reformation, we find these words: "I would not be underflood "to diffuade any from honouring true apofto "lical teachers, when they fhall be eftablished "amongst us, and from allowing them (even "of right, and not of alms or courtefy) fuch "emoluments, as may enable them chearful"ly to perform the duties of their charge, to "provide for their children, and even to use hofpitality, as they are commanded by St. "Paul. But this I will prophefy, that if Mac's. English tran. p. 541. " princes |