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though aware of the inutility of its decrees, would publish them, with the view of acquiring a chi"merical title. The heretics took advantage of "them, and the catholics suffered much by them, "as occasion was taken from them to persecute "them, not as catholics, but as public enemies,"as men, ever disposed, when the pope should "order, to revolt against the king.

"Let catholic divines, to the utmost of "their power, excuse the popes, as we have done "or endeavoured to do: but if they are compelled "to blame some, who, in other respects, have "laboured with success for the clergy and the advantage of the church, but who unfortunately

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have, though with good intentions, engaged in "affairs, that did not regard them,-let them not "believe that, in allowing them faults, they dis"honour the holy see; let them believe, that all "this turns to the glory of the church, and of "God who protects her."

XXVIII. 3.

Final division of opinion on the Oath.

Still, at the period to which the present pages relate, the discussion of the oath was continued. By several, both of the clergy and of the laity, it was taken. "Some priests, and some of the reli"gious," says cardinal Bentivoglio, in the extract already cited, from the answer to the Memoirs of Panzani," admitted the oath; and, deviating still

"more from the right path, endeavoured to maintain, that it was not repugnant to the catholic "faith. But, the number of these priests is very "small; and besides, they are the least zealous, " and the least valued for learning and virtue. All the rest of the clergy have shown the greatest "steadiness in opposing the oath; and the same must be said of all the regulars in general. Many "of each description, contemning a thousand dangers, and even death itself, have publicly con"futed it, with great strength of learning, and intrepidity of mind; and have thereby acquired singular merit with the whole church, and the highest veneration among the catholics of that kingdom." But, it should not be unobserved, that cardinal Bentivoglio saw, with very ultramontane eyes; and would, therefore, be disposed to think unfavourably of all, who rejected the papal pretension to temporal power.

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A letter writen, in 1681, by the chapter of the English catholic clergy to cardinal Howard, stated that, "more of the nobility, gentry and common

alty had actually taken it, or seemed resolved to "take it :" and desired his eminence to oppose an attempt, then supposed to be making at Rome, to procure a censure of those who took it. His opposition succeeded, and no such censure found its way to England.

XXVIII. 4.

Complete rejection, (now adopted by the universal catholic church),-of the pope's deposing power, in the declaration of the Gallican church, in 1682.

Magna est veritas,—et prævalebit.

SEVENTY-FIVE years after the date of the last of the briefs of Paul V, the assembly of the Gallican clergy, in 1682, subscribed their celebrated declaration respecting the civil, and temporal powers.It consisted of four articles :

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By the first, they resolved, that "the power "which Jesus Christ had given to St. Peter, and "his successors, related only to spiritual things; "and to those, which concern salvation, and not "to things civil, and temporal; so that, in temporals, kings and princes, are not subject to the "ecclesiastical power; and cannot directly, or in66 directly, be deposed by the power of the keys, or "their subjects discharged by it, from the obedi"ence which they owe to their sovereign; or from "their oaths of allegiance."

The three other articles are contested by some catholic divines: but, from the first, there is not now, either among the laity, or the clergy,—with the slight exception of a few, a very few aulici vaticani, a single dissentient voice. Even the present pope, in his negotiation with Napoleon, expressed his willingness to acquiesce in the subscription of it, by the clergy of France.-How

much then, is it to be lamented, that this better spirit did not animate the pontiffs, Paul III, Pius V, Gregory XIII, Sixtus V, Clement VIII, Paul V, Urban VIII, and, (as we shall afterwards see),Innocent X, when they published those unhappy, and evil-bearing briefs, bulls, and decrees, mentioned in the series of these pages!

We have now brought the subject of them to the end of the reign of James I. *

It has been said, that the severity, with which the penal laws were executed against the romancatholics, in the reign of James, will, for ever, prove his intolerance:"-It would have been more accurate to have said,—that they will for ever prove the cowardliness of his mind. From principle, James was tolerant; but he frequently sacrificed his principles to the clamour of the populace; and to the real, or affected fears of the parliamentary leaders. From an early part of his reign, may be dated the commencement of those political manœuvres, which persuaded the populace to believe, that the sovereign was a favourer of popery; and which left him, as he often too readily believed, no means of repelling the charge, except that of causing the existing laws to be executed with new rigour; or even of enacting others, still more severe and sanguinary. In the reign of James, as well as in the reigns of the two succeeding princes,

* It is observable that James II., when he was duke of York, took the oath, and intimated a resolution to enforce it, when he should be king.

this stratagem was often practised;-and it is melancholy to add,—that it was always practised successfully.

CHAP. XXIX.

THE PURITANS.

WHILE the government of England was thus employed in devising and executing the severities, which have been related, against the catholics, a new denomination of christians had arisen in the bosom of the establishment, had derived strength from opposition, and, at the time, of which we are now speaking, was rapidly advancing to that power, which enabled them, at no very distant period, to triumph over their parent church, and even to overthrow the monarchy. The subject of these pages makes some mention of these necessary. A succinct account of their vicissitudes of fortune will connect, in some measure, the three histories-of the protestants of the established church,—of the protestant dissenters, and of the roman-catholics of England. We shall, therefore, present the reader with a succinct account, I. Of the origin of the puritans: II. Of the points of discipline, in which there was a difference between them and the established church: III. Of their division into presbyterians,independents,--and baptists: IV. Of the act of