ORIGIN OF THE PURITANS.

15

of Jesus. On the other hand, the Articles bore no less evident traces of the theology of Geneva, with which so large a body of the Reformers were then so deeply imbued.

Scarcely had the Church, as thus remoulded, become successfully established, and by the zeal and eloquence of its great 'leaders, such as Ridley, Latimer, Cranmer, and Hooper, made rapid progress in rooting out what yet remained in the public mind of lingering attachment to the old religion, than it was exposed, by the accession of Queen Mary, to the ordeal of a bloody persecution. Those prelates who remained and exposed themselves to its fury, were called upon to testify to their profession at the stake, and by their glorious deaths reflected a lustre upon the cause of the newly founded Church, and caused it to spread and take deep root in the affections of the English people. Many, however, sought refuge from the passing storm at Frankfort, Basle, Zurich, and Geneva, where they established Protestant congregations. In constant communion with the reformed sects in those places, not only did they become more attached to their simple austere ritual and to their democratic form of church government, but also in no small measure imbued, by contact with republican institutions, with a tendency to resist the encroachments of arbitrary power, no less in civil than in religious matters.

Upon the accession of Elizabeth, this body of exiles, active, zealous, and energetic, returned to England, bent upon the great design of extirpating from the constitution of the Church what they deemed the last degrading vestiges of popery, and remodelling it after the doctrines and practices of the continental reformers. Even when abroad, the new Book of Common Prayer, put forth by Edward VI., had been the subject of much acrimonious dispute. Those exiles who had retired to Frankfort contended for its authority, while those at Geneva were desirous of a model made in accordance with the practice of that church. On returning home, the first mentioned

16

SCHISM IN THE CHURCH.

party were installed in the chief places of the Church, as firmly bent upon maintaining the royal supremacy, and enforcing uniformity of belief and practice, as the others were determined upon effecting what they deemed a more sweeping reformation.

And now commenced a stern and unrelenting struggle, in which both parties, firm in their conscientious convictions, were ready, for what they deemed the truth's sake, alike to inflict or to endure the extremity of suffering, so that they could but silence, or if needful, even suppress their enemy. The High Church party, feeling themselves firmly entrenched in the height of power, in alliance with a monarchy almost absolute, and able to command the interference of the magistrate, resolved to admit no compromise with their opponents. The Puritans, on the other hand, exposed to the utmost rage of persecution, could only oppose to it an indomitable firmness and tenacity. But this relative position of the parties was merely accidental,—the principle that actuated them was alike in both. The doctrines of toleration were then unknown, and all sects would have considered themselves but lukewarm adherents to the cause of what they believed the truth, had they hesitated when in power to obtain its establishment by force. Both Prelatist and Puritan were in this respect alike, and when their position was at length reversed, and the latter party obtained the ascendency, they showed by the severity with which in England they avenged their sufferings upon the fallen Episcopalians, and in America by the rigour with which they put down all sects but their own, that they knew but too well how to copy the lesson taught to them by their persecutors. Indeed, Neal, their own historian, is compelled to admit that "both parties agreed too well in asserting the necessity of a uniformity of public worship, and of using the sword of the magistrate for the support and defence of their respective principles, which they made an ill use of in their turns, whenever they could grasp the power into their own hands."

In the first instance the Puritans had confined their complaints

SCHISM IN THE CHURCH.

17

to such trifling remains of the popish vestments as had been retained by Cranmer and the founders of the Church for the sake of decent solemnity. In these objections many of the bishops went along with them, and earnest protests were made to those in authority, that a conformity in this respect should not be insisted upon. But the Queen was so resolved to impose uniformity in discipline by her own prerogative, that she issued directions to Archbishop Parker to maintain the order required by law. This prelate needed no spur to carry out a measure congenial with his own wishes. The recusant clergy were summoned to subscribe an agreement to submit to the Queen's orders, and those who refused were forthwith ejected from their livings, and reduced to a state of destitution.

This severity produced the natural result, of widening the breach between the Puritans and their persecutors. Driven from their pulpits and their homes, they now began to travel the country and disseminate their views by preaching and issuing pamphlets, in defiance of fine and imprisonment; and finally they began to break off from the Establishment in large numbers, and set up separate places of worship in accordance with their own views. This attempt to evade the rigour of ecclesiastical discipline was only met with more stringent severities. Under the act compelling attendance upon public worship, great numbers of the separatists were brought before the Commissioners, and punished with fine and imprisonment. The publications of the suffering and exasperated sectaries now became more fierce and scurrilous, and a warm controversy was kept up between their leaders and those of the Episcopalians. The latter, stimulated by the Queen, and finding that they could not silence their opponents by argument, resolved to crush them by still heavier penalties. Among the first sufferers was John Udal, who, for refusing to swear to answer any questions inculpatory of himself or others, was, though he had taken the oath of allegiance, sentenced to death as a felon, and only escaped

18

ACCESSION OF JAMES.

execution by dying in prison. And such continued to be the condition of the Puritans during the remainder of Elizabeth's reign.

Upon the accession of James their spirits rose, but only, after a short interval, to give way to the most bitter disappointment. They flattered themselves that as the new monarch had been educated in Presbyterianism, and even written in defence of its doctrines, they might expect no less than toleration, and possibly attain ascendency. The truth, however, was that James hated both Presbyterians and Puritans with a perfect hatred. He could never forget that the former body had been largely concerned in the sufferings of his unhappy mother, how they had browbeaten and hedged him in during his stay in Scotland, and in a manner compelled him to write in favour of a system which it is evident his heart abhorred. These vexations, moreover, had abundantly demonstrated to him that the spirit which animated the disciples of Knox and Calvin tended as naturally towards republicanism, as that which animated the bishops was firmly allied to monarchy.

The Puritans lost no time in presenting to the King a petition, signed by eight hundred and twenty-five ministers, praying for the removal of superstitious usages and other abuses which deformed the Church; to which the University of Oxford speedily issued a reply. This attitude of the rival parties opened a welcome opportunity for James to display those profound theological attainments, and that skill in managing a controversy, upon which he above all things prided himself; it furnished besides a no less propitious occasion to humble and confound the Puritans. He, therefore, in reply to the petition, proclaimed a conference between both parties, to discuss the disputed points, he himself taking the lion's share in argument, and also acting as umpire, no less qualified, as he flattered himself, for the office by his skill in polemic warfare, than authorized by his position of supreme head of the Church.

This conference was held at Hampton Court Palace. The

HAMPTON COURT CONFERENCE.

19

Puritans were represented by Dr. Rainolds and only three divines; while on the other side was an array of nearly twenty bishops, besides the lords of the privy council and their adherents, all eager to applaud to the echo the effusions of the royal wisdom. The Conference, it is needless to say, was a mere mockery. The complaint of the Puritans was too evidently well founded,—that the king sent for their divines, not to have their scruples satisfied, but his pleasure propounded; not that he might know what they could say, but they, what he would do in the matter. After they had opened the conference by enumerating their objections, and had been answered by the bishops, James himself took up the cudgels in favour of the latter. He overwhelmed the unfortunate Puritans, who dared not venture to reply, with a stupendous display of pedantry, encouraged by the sycophantic smiles of the prelates and courtiers, and browbeat and ridiculed them in the coarsest manner. One reason of his dislike, suggested no doubt by his Scottish experiences, he plainly avowed, was the tendency of Puritanism to oppose itself to arbitrary power both in Church and State. And it must be confessed that his aphorism, "No bishop, no king," was fully verified by the experience of his successor. "If," he said to them, "you aim at a Scottish Presbytery, it agrees as well with monarchy as God with the devil. I will none of that. I will have one doctrine and one discipline, one religion in substance and in ceremony." Finally, after venting sundry bitter sarcasms against his indignant yet trembling adversaries, he turned to Dr. Rainolds, and triumphantly inquired, "Well, Doctor, have you anything more to say?" The poor doctor, of course, could only bow in silence. Then telling them that had they argued thus vilely at college, they would hardly have escaped whipping, he broke up the pretended conference, and as he rose from his chair exclaimed, "If this be all that they have to say, I shall make them conform themselves, or I will harry them out of the land, or yet do worse." During this scene the