then living, who prefented themselves before her on their knees, in teftimony of their loyalty and affection. She received them with every mark of civility and attention, and gave them the most flattering afsurances, that religion fhould remain upon the fame bafis on which it was left by the late queen. But no fooner was the veil, which covered the duplicity of her heart, withdrawn, than this fair prospect, like a meteor, in a moment disappeared. The advancement of the reformation was a question which began early to be agitated; and the queen determined to forward the work with the greatest vigour. The oath of supremacy was drawn up and tendered to the bishops; who upon their refusal to take it, were immediately deprived of their fees, and the inferior clergy of their benefices. The penalty for refusing to take the oath for the first time, was deprivation: the second, a premunire, or forfeiture of goods and chattels, and imprisonment during the king's pleafùre: the third was high treafon. This oath was refused by all the bishops, excepting Kitchen of Landaff, and the recufants suffered various penalties according to the direction of the court. Now, can any thing be conceived more oppreffive, more infulting, than thus to tyrannize, by the most rigorous laws, over the confciences of the chief part of her subjects, in a matter of such immense importance? Yet there does not appear to have been any difpofition in the nation to refift her

claims, and the new laws which were enacted against their religion, by any violent proceedings. If there had existed any fuch inclination, they held the means of redress in their own hands. Their party was infinitely the strongest and most numerous they possessed men of great talents and popularity; befides, the measures of the court were unpopular; and particularly, the cruelty exercised upon the bishops and clergy, excited almost univerfal indignation. But notwithstanding all these favourable circumftances, which must have rendered the profpect of fuccefs extremely probable, scarcely a fword was drawn upon that occafion. They preferved the fame laudable fubordination for which they had been fo confpicuous in the preceding reigns they had been taught both by the example and the exhortations of their pastors, that religion is not to be defended by the fword.

The first person who gave any disturbance to Elizabeth, was Percy, Earl of Northumberland. This nobleman, highly incensed against the court, on account of fome copper mines belonging to him, which had been feized in the name of the queen, flew to arms in defence of his property. That some of his adherents were catholics, I do not deny; and it would have been furprizing indeed, if a nobleman of his immenfe fortune, had not been able to prevail upon his dependants, and fome of the country gentlemen, to embark in his cause.

He en

deavoured, under the mask of religion, to induce other catholics in different parts of the kingdom, to espouse his interests; but they rejected his overtures with becoming contempt, and pofitively refused to engage in his enterprize. The rebels,' fays Mr Echard, in his history of England, wrote letters to the papists throughout the kingdom, requiring them to come to their affiftance. But they were fo far from joining with them, that many fent both the letters and bearers of them to the queen; every one freely offering his purse and his person against them.' This testimony is, I conceive, fufficient to exculpate the catholics, from the imputation of any treasonable practices in this rebellion.

Babington's plot is another great crime laid to our charge: the ftory of which is in fhort this. Mary Queen of Scots having been most unjustly confined a close prisoner by Elizabeth, a few private gentlemen, moved to pity by her misfortunes, formed a plan to free her from her confinement. This enterprize being discovered before it was ripe for execution, they all fuffered death in punishment of their offence. But to charge this transaction, with which none but they who fuffered had the smallest connexion, upon all of their communion in the kingdom, is pitifully ridiculous. But fuppofing that event to have taken place exactly in the manner in which it is fometimes represented, yet confidering the cafe with all its circumstances, there are, I believe, at the present day,

few proteftants who would think it any disgrace to their families, that fome of their ancestors had been engaged in an enterprize, to liberate that innocent captive queen, from the hands of a cruel perfecutor.

In the grand expedition of Spain to invade England in the year 1588, the English catholics had no concern; nor was even one English prieft either embarked, or found on board the fleet after the engagement and yet from the manner in which it has been described by fome of our historians, one would be inclined to suppose, that it was half compofed of the facerdotal character. The King of Spain appears to have been much better acquainted with the true state of the question. In the following year, when the English fleet made an attempt upon Lisbon, and invaded some parts of Portugal, he was fo well convinced of their love and attachment to their fovereign and country, that he cast all the English, both clergy and laity, into clofe confinement, left they fhould join with their countrymen against him. Now the King of Spain could certainly never have conceived these apprehensions, if the clergy in the preceding year had shewn any attachment to him, or difaffection to their own government. This I think an argument paramount to demonstration, that all the reproaches caft upon us by our enemies, relative to that memorable event, are mere impofitions and inventions.

The

queen being alarmed, or appearing to be fo,

by the daily cry of treason which was trumpeted about the nation by the men in power, who were all profeffed enemies to the catholics, procured the most fanguinary laws to be enacted against them, but more particularly, against the clergy. Now if these reports had any foundation in truth, why were not the authors of the confpiracies brought to trial? And how did it happen, that not one of these plots was ever attempted to be carried into execution? This, it must be confeffed, is difficult to conceive. However, the clamours which were raised against them, gave occafion to the following authentic declaration of their principles, which was presented to the queen. First, we utterly deny that the Pope hath power to command, or give power to any man to confent unto mortal fin. Secondly, whatsoever perfon he be who maintaineth fuch opinion, we renounce him and his opinion, as devilish and abominable. Thirdly, we protest before God, that all priests who ever conversed with us, have acknowledged your majesty their lawful queen, as well of right, as for your actual poffeffion of the crown; that they pray for you, and exhort your fubjects to obey you. Fourthly and lastly, they profess, that it is herefy and contrary to the catholic faith to think, that any man may lift up his hand against God's anointed.' The English divines of Rheims

Collier in his Church History,

particularly,' fays

published a short