that now in use. It was in the beginning of November, 1548, that Edward, assembling his lords and commons, exhibited to them with delight an English "Book of Common-prayer and administration of the sacraments, and other rites and ceremonies of the church, after the use of the church of England." This event was celebrated by a general amnesty towards all who were then in confinement for contumacious opposition to the good work. The odious law of priestly celibacy was done away with, and all men left free with regard to marriage.

Now began Bonner to show his dislike of these proceed. ings; insomuch that his neglect of the king's order within his diocese called down a sharp rebuke from the council, with an injunction to confine himself to his own house. In Cornwall and Devonshire, the Romish priests, ever ready in all reigns and at all times to the congenial work of stirring subjects up to sedition and rebellion against their lawful rulers, had influence sufficient to excite great tumults, at the putting down of idolatry, and banishing those vain superstitions, those refuges of lies, to which the heart of man as naturally resorts, as it naturally turns from God and spiritual religion. Oxfordshire, Yorkshire, Norfolk and Suffolk, caught the infection, and after some ineffectual attempts at military operations, the rebels sent up a string of articles, wherein they required the restoration of their darling abuses. To this an admirable reply was returned, calmly and scripturally exposing the folly of their demands, as regarded religion: and then, in most kingly style, rebuking their treason. This was tempered by a free offer of mercy and life to such as should submit themselves. Nevertheless, the southern rebels took the field, bringing with them, to ensure success, the pix and consecrated wafer in a cart, with crucifixes, banners, candlesticks, holy bread and holy water. But all proved vain: the Lord asserted his own cause, giving victory to the king, who faithfully maintained it: and they were utterly routed; the ark of their confidence being also taken, and its contents scattered in the dust. The like result occurred in other places, wheresoever the insurgents gave battle to the king's troops: and France seeking to take advantage of these commotions, lost a thousand men, with many goodly vessels, in an engagement near the channel isles.

Peace restored, the young king and his council had now to deal with the refractory Bonner, who stoutly stood to his

contumacy. One commission after another was issued to examine him, which he met with a mixture of obstinacy, craft and insolence, sorely trying to Cranmer, and his fellow-commissioners. At length, his conduct showing him to be incorrigible, sentence of deprivation was passed, Ridley was appointed his successor in the see of London, and Bonner committed to prison, where he remained until the king's death.

The work of reformation still proceeded, but great blindness prevailed on the subject of the Lord's Supper; and the prayer-book of Edward VI. seems to have been rather defective there. Still was the communion-table regarded as an altar, and the service as a sacrifice. The elements instead of being simply taken in commemoration of Christ's death, and as an appointed means whereby we, being brought nigh unto Christ by faith, should receive supplies of divine grace, through a spiritual feeding on his atoning body and blood, even as the natural frame is strengthened by the natural food,—those elements were supposed to undergo some inexplicable transformation, which rendered them a meet offering to the Lord himself; to whom, in that character, they were presented, like the Jewish sacrifices of old, before being eaten of the people. Such was the view taken by many who had discarded the rest of Rome's "blasphemous fables;" while, in general, the gross doctrine of transubstantiation with all its idolatrous concomitants was fully held. In 1549, however, some eminent foreign divines, whom the king had encouraged to settle in England, put their hands to the work: the chief of these was Peter Martyr, who in a long and learned disputation upheld the pure scriptural doctrine of the sacrament. At Cambridge also, great arguments were held, in which Ridley, then bishop of Rochester, showed himself to possess a most clear and orthodox apprehension of the matter under dispute. The impugners of false doctrine embarrassed themselves by conceding to ancient writers, called the fathers, an authority little inferior to that belonging to inspired men: but, notwithstanding, they confuted triumphantly the vain sophistry of their opponents: and the issue was seen in a proclamation of the king for taking down the altars, and substituting a simple table. Much dissension ensued thereupon; but Ridley, now made bishop of London, by a judicious mixture of persuasion and authority, bore down the opposition in his own important and extensive diocese.

Fully aware that, in the sacrament of the Lord's Supper, there is none but a spiritual eating of his body, and that no sacrifice whatever is there contained or contemplated, save that of praise and thanksgiving unto Him for his most precious bloodshedding, and the benefits thereby accruing to his people, this truly apostolic bishop proceeded in the spirit of Josiah, to demolish all that appertained to idolatrous worship. He broke down the wall that stood beside the altar, in St. Paul's cathedral, removed that altar, and placed in its stead a decent table, fit for the scriptural celebration of the Lord's Supper.

Next followed a warm dispute between the princess Mary and the council, on the subject of alleged right to disobey the king's order, and to enforce in her own household the idolatrous practices of Rome. It appears that, at first, there was a strong disposition on the part of the council to wink at this proceeding, and that they deputed Cranmer and Ridley to procure Edward's sanction. The story of their interview with the pious young king is so beautifully told by Fox, that it must be given in his words.

"Charles the emperor made request to the king to permit Lady Mary, who afterwards succeeded to the crown, to have mass in her house, without prejudice of the law. And the council on a time, sitting upon matters of policy, having that in question, sent Cranmer, then archbishop of Canterbury, and Ridley, then bishop of London, to entreat the king for the same: who, coming to his grace, alleged their reasons and persuasions for the accomplishing thereof. So the king, hearing what they could say, replied his answer again out of the Scriptures, so groundedly, gravely, and full, that they were enforced to give place to his replication, and grant the same to be true. Then they, after long debating in this manner with his majesty, laboured politically in another sort; and alleged what dangers the denying thereof might bring to his grace, what breach of unity of the emperor's part, what troubles, what unkindness, and what occasions sundry ways it would enforce, &c. Unto whom the king answered, willing them to content themselves, for he would, he said, spend his life and all that he had, rather than agree to that he knew certainly to be against the truth. The which, when the bishops heard, notwithstanding they urged him still to grant, and would by no means have his nay. Then the king, seeing their importunate suits, that needs they would have his majesty