lowed, that whether the particular things complained of in the Liturgy were right or wrong; the imposition of a Liturgy or of ceremonials or articles of faith, by parliament, was in itself a heinous wrong-an act of despotism; and that all the laws to enforce that imposition were so many acts of outrage upon the dearest rights of man. If the prince and parliament may impose articles of faith, and forms and ceremonies of worship, then that right was as good in Queen Mary, as in King Edward or in Queen Elizabeth. Then, when the sovereigns are popish the people are bound in duty to God to be good papists. Then the people must be Lutherans in Saxony, good Greek Christians at Constantinople; and in old England, they must have no fixed faith or worship,-no, nor any conscience or principle in the matter, save meekly to change their religion with every change or caprice of the sovereign.

But if the civil authority has not that power, does it reside in the HIERARCHY? The inquiry was first with regard to the rightful power of the bishops; and secondly, with regard to their rightful existence. In the first case, it was discovered that if Queen Elizabeth's bishops have authority to alter, to change, and impose Liturgies and forms, then the same power resided in Gardiner and the Bloody Bonner; and the consequences were the same as in the case of the same authority in the sovereign. The inquiry on the second point resulted in the conviction that the very office and order of prelatical bishops was unknown both to the early Church and to the Word of God. Wickliffe had indeed taught this before. And John Knox, even before he became acquainted with Calvin, had refused the offer of a bishopric from King Edward VI. on this ground.*

For this, Beza, who has of late been represented as favorable to the English Hierarchy, bestows on Knox the highest eulogiums.

But if the Hierarchy of Prelates has not that power, may such impositions be made by the Church? The Church! These impositions are not made by the Church, in any capacity; but by the queen and parliament. True, they are as much the Church as the bishops are; but what right have prelatic bishops, whose very existence is questionable,-what right have these to make such impositions? The Church! What is the Church? How does she make known her decisions? May she impose Popery in one age or country, and Protestantism in another? and are we still bound to change with her, however she may chance to change? What

Here arose another great issue: What is the Church? is its organization? What is the reach and the limit of its * Bogue and Bennett-History of the Dissenters.

power? The inquiry convinced the Puritans that such a thing as either a Catholic authoritative unity, or a national or diocesan Church, with power to impose articles, creeds, liturgies or ceremonials upon individual congregations of Christians, was unknown to the New Testament and to the early ages of Christianity, and a sheer usurpation; equally destructive of purity of faith or worship; incompatible with religious liberty, and at war with the dearest rights of man.

In addition to this, their inquiries resulted in the conclusion, that a Church gathering whole parishes-the profane-the unbelieving the careless and the impious-indifferently, within its pale, was not only inconsistent with the ends, the character, and discipline of a Church as described in the New Testament; but necessarily destructive of those ends; and calculated to delude and deceive men to their eternal ruin.

These were the results to which they were gradually led, as longer discussion and suffering brought them more and more fully into the light. For a long time they were in doubt with. regard to the alleged sinfulness of SCHISM: they dared not,they wished not to separate. For a long time they continued to forbear and to suffer; till at length they were forced to the conviction that they could not worship God according to his requirements, and continue with a corrupt and persecuting Church. At length they saw that for congregations of Christians to use the freedom with which Christ has endowed them; to follow Christ where others depart from him; and to worship God according to his Word, IS NOT AND CANNOT BE SCHISMATICAL: and that if there be a separation or a schism, the sin is on those who DEPART FROM THE TRUTH AND SIMPLICITY OF CHRIST, not on those who FOLLOW IT; and on those who OBSTRUCT AND PERSECUTE THE LIBERTY WHEREWITH CHRIST HAS MADE FREE; NOT ON THOSE WHO EN

JOY IT.

The causes which led to these investigations and results, and the persecutions which awaited those who dared to stand for purity and freedom to worship God, will be further set forth in the following chapter.

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 Com. mission 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