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contrivance; but that it afferted its own rights, and vindicated its own fanctity, by the influence of reafon on the public mind, will appear from the most careless retrospect; whatever invidious reprefentations may have been made to the contrary. Henry benefited the cause of truth chiefly by the steady countenance which he gave to the communication of the facred light; in other respects he promoted the Reformation, only where his paffions impelled him to defultory concurrence with its friends. Rejecting the fupremacy of the Roman fee, and spoiling the revenues of its inftitutions, he receded from its faith with hefitation and reluctance; and the Reformers, who had at first been gratified with fome declarations of fincere doctrine *, with re

*

gret

Henry has been injuriously reprefented to have relinquished no doctrines of the Romifh faith, except the fupremacy. See Du Pin, Bibliotheque des Auteurs Heretiques, p. i. ch. 4, &c. But it fhould be recollected, that the declaration of Convocation in 1536, which was corrected by the King, and the Inftitution of a Chriftian Man, approved by him in 1537, refuted many Popish opinions, and stated many points of faith in oppofition to the Romish perfuafions. Cranmer likewife. obtained, in 1546, permiffion to have prayers, proceffions, and liturgies, in the vulgar tongue; and might have, perhaps, availed himself farther of Gardiner's abfence, on his embassy to the Emperor, had not the vigilant favourers of fuperftition written over to inform the King, that if he proceeded any farther, the emperor would break off all intercourfe with him; a threat

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gret faw him afterwards feduced under the influence of the Romish party *; and obtained every farther conceffion with difficulty.

The fpeculative opinions of Henry wavered with the fluctuations of his temper: uncontrollable by the dictates of others, they changed with his fuppofed interefts, or in conformity to the views of thofe, who engaged his affections and flattered his vanity. Inflated with the idea of his own fuperior wifdom, he continued, however, at all times to be equally jealous of the orthodoxy of his faith; and, in the prerogative of an undefined fupremacy, determined that the sentiments of his fubjects fhould vary with his decisions. In the infancy of opinions the public mind certainly yields in accommodation to every decifion, more pliantly than when time has ftrengthened, and controverfy confirmed its bias. The impreffions which it had received in the days of Henry, in many important

which had much effect with Henry, who wished to profit by the influence of the Emperor, to prevent any interference of the Council of Trent, in the affairs of England. See Burnet,

&c.

* In the Neceffary Erudition of the Chriftian Man, published 1542, without confent of Convocation, but afterwards confirmed by parliament, the feven facraments were re-establifhed, and fome exceptionable principles, relating to tranfubftantiation and maffes, introduced.

points,

points, may be pronounced to have been still recent and timid; mingled with doubts, and liftening with deference to authority. The leaders of reform were, in fome particulars, as yet, under the influence of long-established notions; and where they were enlightened to difcover truth, they were often unwilling to rifk the conceffions which they had obtained, by any hazardous oppofition to their fovereign's opinions; which feem to have vibrated with alternate favour, between the fupporters of the corrupt, and the advocates of the reformed faith.

They exerted themfelves principally in confirming his difpofition to allow the Scriptures to the people, who read them with anxious attention; and in promoting the general use and improvement of them; while those who were interefted in ancient fuperftitions, ftrove with folicitude to withhold them, and not feldom prophanely to impeach their utility*. Hence, though the Reformers had

* Cranmer, in 1539, obtained permiffion for private perfons to read the Scriptures in their own houfes. Bibles had been fet up in the churches in 1536. Bonner, to gratify Henry, placed fix of the great Bibles in St. Paul's church in 1541. They were read with inconceivable avidity by crowds who affembled around them. Parents had their children inftructed in read

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had the mortification to fee the principles of the Romish faith renewed, and confirmed by penalties of unprecedented rigour*; and the mifts of returning error overfpread the concluding years of the King+; yet were they fatisfied that they had effectually fowed the feeds which must ripen in more aufpicious times; and could only labour to mitigate, by fubfequent qualification, the operation of those

ing, purposely to carry them to St. Paul's, and hear them read the Scriptures. The exclufive authority of the infpired writings was flowly vindicated. In Matthew's Bible, printed in 1537, and in the Great Bible, which appeared in 1539, the apocryphal books are ftyled, under an ancient, but inaccurate title, Hagiographa. Gardiner ventured one day, in the presence of the King, to challenge Cranmer to fhew any difference between the authority of Scripture, and that of the apoftolical canons : betraying indeed fuch weakness in the conteft with the modest and learned primate, that the King fharply told him, that Cranmer was an old and experienced captain, and not to be troubled by freshmen and novices.

*The fix articles which eftablished the doctrines of tranfubftantiation, communion in one kind, private maffes, auricular confeffion, the celibacy of the priests, and vows of chastity, were justly faid to be written and executed in blood; and gave a fanction to the decrees of religious perfecution, which both parties had long caufe to regret. They were ratified by a Parliament, which, with equal fervility, laid the civil privileges of the people at the foot of the throne, by fetting up the king's proclamation; and that of the counfellors of his fon, when under age, upon the fame footing with an act of parliament.

It is well known that Henry left 600l. per annum to St. George's chapel, Windfor, for ever, for two priefts to celebrate mafs at his tomb daily, and four yearly obits. The money was otherwife applied. Sanders affirms, that he had thoughts of being reconciled to Rome,

feverities

feverities of which they had vainly laboured to prevent the establishment *.

If the first break and earlier beams of the Reformation in its dawn indicated "the day

fpring" of revelation; the full and cheerful light which enlivened the entire fabric of the established Church, was derived from the fame fource. In contemplating the progress of the Reformation in the reign of Edward, we behold the lingering fhades of fuperftition at length depart; while a youthful fovereign, like Jofiah, turning to the Lord with all his "heart," proceeded, under the guidance of the venerable Primate of the Church †, to purify the fanctuary from its remaining pollutions ‡.

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* Cranmer ftrenuously oppofed the bill for three days, though requested by the King to withdraw. In 1542, he procured an act for the advancement of true religion, which lowered the fpirit of the former acts. See Burnet, and Fox, vol. ii. p. 10. 37. Some of the Reformers confcientiously relinquifhed a powerthat must have been employed to enforce the fix articles. Near five hundred perfons were imprifoned on account of them, but released by Cranmer's interceffion.

Cranmer was confiderably affifted by Dr. Cox and Mr. Cheek, the king's preceptors.

In the first year of the regency, in 1547, the protector Somerfet, availing himself of a power given to the royal procla mation in Henry's reign; after fufpending the jurifdiction of the bishops, appointed a general vifitation throughout England, by vifitors confifting of clergy and laity; who were appointed to correct the immoralities and irregularities of the clergy; to extirpate fuperftitions, and to re-eftablish further the difcipline

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