approbation of the proceedings of the legate, but complained of the detention of the ecclesiastical property, and intimated his right to the antient render of Peter-pence. "He himself," he said, "had, “when he was young, been employed in collecting "it, and even had been edified by the alacrity with "which it was paid."

It is observable, that, before Henry the eighth, the kings of England styled themselves only lords of Ireland. That monarch, in the twenty-third year of his reign, assumed the title of king of Ireland, and, two years afterwards, it was recognised by parliament. This the pope considered an invasion of the right, assumed by the holy see, to be the sovereign, and ultimate feudal lord of that kingdom.

Το prevent any controversy on this head, Mary accompanied the letter presented to the pope by the ambassadors, with one, in which she solicited him to confer on her the title of queen of Ireland. With this request, by a bull, (transcribed by Bzovius, ad ann. 1555), the pope complied; the bull was dated on the 7th of June, several days before the presentation of the ambassadors,—and thus, the difficulty, which might otherwise have arisen, was dexterously, but dishonourably, eluded.

XV. 2.

Persecution of the Protestants for Heresy.

THERE is reason to believe that, when Mary ascended the throne her dispositions towards those,

who should continue to differ from her in religious opinions, were just, moderate, and wise. Doctor Heylin admits, that before the end of the second year of her reign she practised no violence. The first volume of Dodd's Church History contains the faculties, and instructions, which the pope gave for reconciling the kingdom to the holy see. They are written in the language of moderation, and do not contain a single expression which suggests measures of violence. The lenity of cardinal Pole, her principal adviser, seems to be universally admitted. So much is this the case, that Hume*, in a debate which he supposes to have taken place in Mary's reign, on the subject of religious persetion, makes Pole the advocate of toleration.

In 1555, all the bishops, and several of the leading clergy, attended cardinal Pole, to receive his instructions. They were truly pastoral and humane; he bad them treat their flocks with tenderness, and make converts rather by example and instruction than by rigour. The councils, which induced Mary to adopt a system of intolerance, were generally attributed to Gardiner, the bishop of Winchester,but he soon ceased to take an active part in them. By Rogers, the first of those who suffered for religion in the reign of Mary, the bishop was asked," whether he had not preached against the

pope, during the best part of twenty years?" "Yes," said Gardiner, "but I was forced to it by "cruelty."" And will you then," said Rogers, "use to others that cruelty, of which you now

* Ch. xxxvii.

complain?" Gardiner made no answer.- When he first recommended persecution, he thought a few striking examples would cause a general recantation; but, when he found his error, he left the weight of cruelty on the willing shoulders of Bonner. Gardiner died in great sentiments of repentance. "I "have sinned," he said, "with Peter, but I have

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not wept with Peter." Bonner was bishop of London; if his conduct has not been greatly exaggerated, he was a perfect monster of cruelty.

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It must also be admitted, that Mary met with many provocations. Northumberland's treasons were quickly followed by Wyatt's. For some time, a person was encouraged to personate king Edward, and to dispute Mary's title. Repeated indignities were offered to her religion," Her preacher," says Mr. Phillips, in his Life of Cardinal Pole*, "was shot at, whilst he was preaching in the pulpit of St. Paul's, and her chaplains were mobbed "and pelted in the streets. When public prayers "were ordered, on a supposition of her pregnancy, a reformed preacher made use of the form, that "it would please God either to turn her heart from "idolatry, or to shorten her days.' A dog's head "was shaved, in contempt of the clerical tonsure; "and by an impiety, which" says Mr. Phillips, "I have difficulty to repeat, a wafer was put into

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a dead cat's paws, in derision of the holy sacra"ment, and hung up at Cheapside. Pretended "revelations, and the forgery of the spirit on "the wall, were employed to disturb the govern

* Sect, 10.

"ment, and discredit mass and confession. These "and the like impieties were followed by divers "acts of rebellion, of which an attempt to rob the "treasury, the insurrection in the north, and the "seizure of Scarborough Castle, in favour of the "French invasion, are instances."

XV. 3.

Archbishop Cranmer.

THE number of those, who suffered death for heresy, in the reign of queen Mary, has been computed, probably with some exaggeration, at 277. Of these, none certainly was so distinguished as Dr. Thomas Cranmer, archbishop of Canterbury. That, for some of his actions he is entitled to praise, that, for others, his conduct should be strongly reprobated, every candid person must allow.

f

His protection of the princess Mary from the fury of her father, his endeavours to save sir Thomas More, bishop Fisher, and Cromwell, his resistance to the passing of the sanguinary enactment of the six articles, and his encouragement of letters and learned men, are entitled to praise. But, when we find, that, though he adopted the Lutheran principles so early as his residence in Germany on the business of the divorce, he yet continued, during the fifteen subsequent years of Henry's reign, in the most public profession of the catholic religion, the article of the supremacy of the pope alone excepted:-That, though, when he was consecrated archbishop of Canterbury, he took the customary

oath of obedience to the see of Rome, he yet, just before he took it, retired into a private room and protested against it :--And that, though he subscribed and caused his clergy to subscribe the six articles, the third and fourth of which enjoined celibacy to the clergy, and the observance of the vows of chastity, he yet, though a priest, was married, and continued to cohabit with his wife ;-we must pronounce him guilty of dissimulation.-When we find, that, though he knew Anne Boleyn was under no pre-contract of marriage, he yet, to use bishop Burnet's expression *, extorted from her, standing as she did, on the very verge of eternity, a confession of the existence of such contract;-we must pronounce him guilty of subserviency to his master's cruelties. When we see how instrumental he was in bringing Lambert, Anne Askew, Jane Bocken, Van Parr, and others, both catholics and anabaptists, to the stake; and particularly, when we read his successful exertions to induce the young prince to sign the sentence for Jane Bocken's condemnation,— we must pronounce him guilty, both of the theory and practice of religious persecution.--When we find that previously to Henry's marriage with Anne of Cleves, he declared that the negotiations for her marriage with a prince of the house of Lorraine were not a lawful impediment to her marriage with Henry,―he yet, within six months after it, declared that they had created such an impediment, and solemnized the monarch's adulterous marriage with

* Vol. I. p. 203.