Hume, the Crown might repress all heresies, might establish or repeal all eanons, might alter every point of discipline, and might ordain or abolish any religious rite or ceremony-In order to exercise this authority, the Queen, by a clause of the Act, was empowered to name commissioners, either laymen or clergymen, as she should think proper; and on this clause was afterwards founded the court of ecclesiastical commission: which assumed large discretionary, not to say arbitrary powers, totally incompatible with any exact boundaries in the constitution. Their proceedings indeed were only consistent with absolute monarchy; but were entirely suitable to the genius of the Aet on which they were established ; an Act that at once gave the Crown alone all the power which had formerly been claimed by the Popes." By a clause of this Act, all persons in any public employment, eivil or ecclesiastical, were required to take an oath in recognition of the Queen's supremacy as set forth in the statute. By virtue of the power thus conferred, the Queen named her commissioners for the cognizance of all ecclesiastical causes, which constituted the court of High Commission, from which proceeded the greater part of the sufferings of the Puritans in this and the two succeeding reigns.

Another important Act was passed by the first Parliament under Queen Elizabeth, commonly called the Act of Uniformity. The object of this act was to establish an uniformity in religion, in doctrine and ceremonies through the realm. By this statute, the Liturgy of King Edward, with a few alterations, was re-established, and all the respective rites, ceremonies, holidays, forms, and habits of the church were appointed and thus established by law. In the second year of the reign of King Edward, 1543, a Book of common prayer and modes of worship for the church was composed and established by authority. This was allowed, at the time, to be imperfect. In the last year of his reign, this Liturgy was revised, and considerably altered and improved, with an expectation of further improvements, according to the progress of public sentiment in the light of the Reformation. In the preface of one of the service books, it was observed, "that they had gone as far as they could in reforming the church, considering the times they lived in, and hoped they that came after would, as they might, do more." "King Edward in his diary laments, that he could not restore the primitive disci

* I choose to refer to the authority of Mr. Hume, when it can be done with convenience, in consideration of his high standing as an historian, and as it is well known that he had no partiality for the Puritans.

pline according to his heart's desire."* It appears, on good evidence, that the English reformers of king Edward's time, with the great Cranmer at their head, were not fully satisfied with the Liturgy, and the lengths of Reformation, generally to which they advanced; expecting to make still greater improvements. By the untimely death of that hopeful prince, Divine Providence cut off all their prospects. The primitive church used no Liturgies, nor is there any account of their introduction till late in the fourth century. Nor was there then, or ever after, any general uniformity of the Liturgies in use. it seems, many of the English Reformers contemplated the establishment of their church agreeably to the practices and sentiments of the primitive times. According to which, they supposed there were but two orders of the Clergy, that forms of prayer, though not essentially wrong, were unnecessary, that there should be no prescribed modes of divine service, or appointed habits for public ministrations.

In the revisal of the Liturgy, there were some alterations in the last Liturgy of King Edward, in favor of the one established in the second year of his reign. Some few things which were offensive to papists were expunged, but no alterations in favor of those who wished for further improvements could be obtained, The doctrines of faith, now reduced from forty-two Articles to thirty nine, about which there appears to have been no difference of sentiment, remained unaltered. "And thus the book was presented to the two houses and passed into a law, being hardly equal to that which was set out by King Edward, and confirmed by parliament in the fifth year of his reign. For whereas in that Liturgy all the garments were laid aside except the surplice, the Queen now returned to King Edward's book, wherein caps and other garments were ordered to be used." In reference to the Act of Uniformity, Mr. Hume observes, The protestants ventured on the last and most important step, and brought into parliament a bill for abolishing the mass and re-establishing the Liturgy of King Edward. Penalties were enacted, as well against those who departed from this mode of worship, as against those who absented themselves from the church and the sacraments." A few remarks of another writer, of great authority, may be here introduced. "When

it was proposed, under the reign of Edward VI. to give a fixed and stable form to the doctrine and discipline of the church, Geneva was acknowledged as a sister church; and the theological system there established by Calvin, was adopted, and *Neal's History of the Puritans.

rendered the public rule of faith in England. This, however was done without any change of the form of episcopal government, which had already taken place, and was entirely different from that of Geneva; nor was this step attended with any alteration of several religious rites, and ceremonies, which were looked upon as superstitious by the greatest part of the Reformed."* The act of Uniformity, rigorously enforced, was the fatal Rock on which the English church foundered, and was the cause of the lasting dissention between Conformists and Non-conformists.

There were two principal causes which, finally produced the separation of the Puritans from the established church. One was, the Queen being tenacious of the supremacy, was also peculiarly fond of the pomp and splendor of the Popish service. The ceremonies of the Romish worship, their decorations, their vestments," glaring in gems and gay in woven gold," were not less grateful to her feelings, than many of the civil and religious sentiments of the Catholics were congenial to her own. Thus, notwithstanding the whole body of the papists were her determined enemies during the whole of her reign, she even treated them with uncommon lenity, and inclined to lessen rather than widen the breach between the English and the Catholic churches. The Puritans viewed the Romish church as Antichrist, and felt themselves called in the providence of God, to come out of her, entirely, and to be not partakers of her sins. "The Queen's commissioners ventured to assert, that the church of Rome was a true church, This was a point which the English bishops thought it absolutely necessary to maintain. But the Puritans entertained very different notions of this matter; they considered the Romish hierarchy as a system of political and spiritual tyranny, that had justly forfeited the title and privileges of a true church; they looked upon its pontiff as Antichrist, and its discipline as vain, superstitious, idolatrous, and diametrically opposite to the injunctions of the gospel." The other cause of the separation was, the enforcing by the arm of authority such things, consisting principally in modes and forms, as were confessed by one party to be unessential, and by the other believed to be, at least in their effects, unscriptural and wrong.

The first Primate of England, appointed by Queen Elizabeth, was Archbishop Parker. The Archbishop of Canterbury was always at the head of the court of High Commissjon. Archbishop Parker was a man of violent principles, a zealous advocate of prerogative, and a great stickler for uni* Mosheim's Ecclesiastical History, Cent, xvi. chap. II. † Mosheim.

formity. Naturally averse to the sentiments and manners of the Puritans, he was a proper instrument for the execution of the laws and the royal mandates that were made against them. The difference of sentiments, already noticed between the Queen and the Puritans, must necessarily produce a degree of dissatisfaction towards them in the mind of their Sovereign. Under these circumstances, it is easy to perceive that the court of High-Commission, under the presidency of Archbishop Parker would be sufficiently ready to execute the laws against Non-conformists, and would experience no want of countenance from the Crown. It was soon found that many of the stricter characters in the church, who now began to be denominated Puritans, neglected a compliance with the act of Uniformity, in several particulars. Several were summoned before the High-Commission, and there questioned, reproved, threatened, and commanded to comply with the ceremonies appointed by law. The Puritans uniformly pleaded a conscientious refusal, they declared their sincerest belief that a compliance would be a violation of their duty to God, and begged to be left unmolested, while they did not disturb the public peace. The ecclesiastical court would make no concession, nor give any allowance to Non-conformists. Accordingly a large number of ministers, many of whom were among the most learned, pious, and popular preachers in the nation, were suspended from their ministerial functions, and subjected to such penalties as the court thought fit to impose. Informers were encouraged to make presentments, and very few that were presented escaped punishment. The severities of the High-Commission, abetted by the Crown, constantly increased. And though there was a very great want of preachers, in most parts of the country, and many of those who were admitted to orders were in all respects unqualified for the sacred office, many pious and laborious ministers were suspended and deprived, every year, for not conforming to the prescribed ceremonies. Many were subjected to fines and costs which reduced them to poverty. Many were separated from their families and endured long confinements in the common prisons. Many others were compelled to fly to Scotland, and to foreign countries, where they might enjoy the privilege of preaching the gospel of Christ, and by that means, obtain their bread. Many of the deprived ministers, being excluded from the churches, preached in their own houses, or in any convenient place that might be found, where they might assemble unmolested, with those who hungered for the bread of life. The venerable Coverdale, one of the worthiest divines in the nation, who with the

celebrated martyr, John Rogers, and William Tyndal, made the first translation of the whole bible into English, had been indulged a place in a small parish in London, though he did not use the habits which were prescribed for ministers. Being removed from this place for non-conformity, the people "were obliged to send to his house on Saturdays, to know where they might hear him the next day. The government. took umbrage at this, insomuch that the good old man was obliged to tell his friends, that he durst not inform them any more of his preaching for fear of offending his superiors."* A little after this, at the age of eighty-one, he was removed from his afflictions, and rested with the people of God. John Fox, the well known historian of the English martyrdoms, as he scrupled to comply with the clerical habits, could obtain no preferment in the church, though, on account of his eminent services, no divine in England was in higher esteem, but was obliged to subsist on a small living at Sarum; and even this, he held not without considerable molestation.That he might make thorough work with the non-conforming clergy, Archbishop Parker called in all licences within his Archiepiscopal district, and directed all preachers to take out new licences, which, of course, were given to none who neglected to comply with the prescribed ceremonies.

* Neal.

[To be continued.]

SOME REFLECTIONS ON THE MORAL CAUSES OF NATIONAL

JUDGMENTS.

(Concluded from page 57.)

THERE is another sin of general imputation, which the writer feels himself under imperious obligations to notice.It is a national neglect to acknowledge the true God.

Wicked families and nations must expect to be punished, although every individual in them is not personally guilty of the sins by which God is provoked. This is eminently the case in national wars, which have been the principal scourge of mankind from the beginning. As nations can exist in that capacity, only in this world, for the glory of his holiness, and to show that he is Lord of the whole earth, God punishes them here. When nations are punished by the Lord it is for one of two reasons; either the abounding of such vices as public authority ought to suppress; or for neglecting a national acknowledgment that he is God, and there is none beside him. To place this subject in its true importance be