Thus have I given a sample (and it is but a sample) of those authentic attestations, which our martyrs bore, to the doctrines of the church of England. And, even from these instances, it is manifest, that those of our present clergy and laity, who have fallen in with Arminianism, have palpably revolted from those grand truths for which our martyrs bled, and which our church still continues to assert in her liturgy, articles, and homilies.

Nor was the belief of the Calvinistic principles confined to our bishops, clergymen, and martyrs only. It was common to the main body of protestants: i. e. to all who were not open, professed dissenters from the church. The Norfolk and Suffolk supplication, addressed to queen Mary's commissioners, may serve for one instance. In it, the protestants of those counties term the late king Edward "A most noble, virtuous, and innocent king; a very saint of God;" adding, that "The religion, set forth by him, is such, as every Christian man is bound to confess to be the truth of God." Again: "We certainly know, that the whole religion, set out by our late most dear king, is Christ's true religion, written in the holy scripture of God, and by Christ and his apostles taught to his church.O merciful God have pity upon us! we may well lament our miserable estate, to receive such a commandment, to reject, and cast out of our churches all these most godly prayers, [meaning the English liturgy], instructions, admonitions, and doctrines [meaning the homilies and articles] (s)." This religious remonstrance, though it produced no good effect on the popish queen and her commissioners; yet tends to show, how tenaciously the members of our church embraced and held fast her excellent principles.

An anonymous letter, sent to Bonner, shows, that the writer of it was (and, at that time, what church

(s) Fox, vol. iii. p. 579, and sequ.

of Englandman was not?) a Calvinist. After dissuading that inhuman prelate from persisting to imbrue his hands in the blood of the saints, it follows: "I say not this, for that I think thou canst shorten any of God's elect children's lives before the time that God hath appointed by his divine will and pleasure but because I would fain see some equity, &c. (t)."

I cannot better conclude the forgoing extracts from our martyrs, than by inserting part of that admirable prayer, which seems to have been generally used by those who poured out their souls in defence of the gospel. It is intitled, "A Prayer, to be said at the stake, of all them that God shall account worthy to suffer for his sake." In it are these words: "I most humbly pray thee, that thou wouldst aid, help, and assist me with thy heavenly grace that with Christ thy Son, I may find comfort; with Stephen, I may see thy presence and gracious power; with Paul, and all others who for thy name's sake have suffered affliction and death, I may find so present with me thy gracious consolations; that I may by my death glorify thy holy name, confirm thy church in thy verity, convert some that are to be converted, and so depart forth of this miserable world, where I do nothing but daily heap sin upon sin. Dear Father, whose I am, and always have been, even from my mother's womb; yea, even before the world was made (u).”

(t) Strype, u. s. append. p. 163.

(u) Fox, u. s. p. 498. Let it be observed, that, of those who were imprisoned for the faith, all were not crowned with martyrdom: some were, by the good providence of God, reserved to see better

times.

Among these, was Mr. John Lithall: whose examination, before the bishop of London's chancellor, is related by Mr. Fox." You boast much, every one of you," said the chancellor to this holy prisoner, "of your faith and belief. Let me hear, therefore, how you believe." I believe,' answered Lithall, to be justified really by Christ Jesus, without either deeds or works, or any thing

SECTION XVIII.

The Re-establishment of the Church of England, by Queen Elizabeth.

QUEEN UEEN Mary's death, in November, 1558, quite changed the face of religious affairs in England. The princess Elizabeth, during the reign of her half-sister, was so obnoxious to the latter, both on a domestic and à religious account, that her life had been in perpetual danger. Mary, whose politics were as contemptible, as her cruelty and superstition were detestable; would, more than once, have very willingly dispatched Elizabeth to the other world. But this design was constantly overruled by king Philip. That prince is supposed, by some, to have screened Elizabeth, from an hope of marrying her himself, in case of Mary's death, whose state of health grew continually worse and

that may be invented by man.” The chancellor replied, "Faith cannot save, without works.' - That,' rejoined Lithall, is contrary

to the doctrine of the apostles.'

6

The reverend Mr. John Melvin was also of the number, who, I believe, by some means or other, escaped burning. He was however, a prisoner in Newgate: and dated, from that prison, a very valuable letter to his Christian, friends; in which he expressed himself as follows. "Most certain it is, dearly beloved, that Christ's elect be but few, in comparison of that great number which go, in the broad way, into everlasting perdition.- -Most certain it is also, that our Saviour Jesus Christ hath and knoweth his own, whose names are written in the book of life: redeemed with the most precious blood of our Saviour Jesus Christ. So that the eternal Father knoweth them that be his.- -Our Saviour loseth none of all them

whom the eternal Father hath given him.- [He died] the death of the cross, for the ransom and sins of God's elect," See Fox, iii. 763. 845.

So unanimous were the protestant church of Englandmen (those who were burned, and those who escaped), in believing, professing, and holding fast, the precious Calvinistic doctrines of the bible and of the church.

VOL. II.

H

worse. This might possibly be one motive, to the protection which he gave the princess: for, after the decease of queen Mary, Elizabeth was hardly seated on the throne, before Philip actually solicited her hand. But, probably, what operated most strongly in Elizabeth's behalf, was, the close connection that subsisted between France and Scotland. So far back as the beginning of Edward VI's reign, the plan seems to have been laid, for the dauphin's marriage to Mary queen of Scots: which projected marriage took effect in 1558. Philip knew, that, on the demise of his own queen, none (x) stood, between Mary of Scots and the crown of England, but Elizabeth. It was necessary, therefore, to preserve Elizabeth alive; lest France, in right of the dauphiness, should be aggrandized by the addition of England and Ireland: which would have been throwing too much weight into the French scale.-It was, probably, owing to a similar consideration of policy, that in the succeeding century, Charles I. when prince of Wales, was suffered to return hither from Spain. In all likelihood, Philip Philip IV. would have made the prince pay very dear for his romantic ramble to that court, if the king of Bohemia had not, in right of his consort, been next heir to the crown of England. Thus does the secret, but efficacious direction of divine providence, make even the political wisdom of this world instrumental to the accomplishment of the divine decrees!

When Elizabeth mounted the throne, the church of England, with all its doctrinal Calvinism, became, once more, the pure religion of this nation. The proofs are so numerous, that I must only abstract a few.

I. The liturgy, the XXXIX articles, and the supplementary homilies added to those of king

(x) The duchess of Suffolk's descent is no exception to this remark as her mother was but the younger daughter of Henry VII.

Edward; are such glaring evidences on the side of (y) Calvinism, as might well supply the place of

(y) If it be possible for any reasonable being seriously to question, whether those ecclesiastical standards are truly and thoroughly Calvinistic; let him only peruse, with more attention, the standards themselves. I shall here make no extracts from them: having already done it, partly, in my Caveat against Unsound Doctrines; and, more largely, in my Vindication of the Church from Arminianism. However, as I am now on the subject, let the remarks of Dr. Peter Heylyn (than whom a more outrageous Arminian never existed) stand, as a striking monument of that irresistible force, with which truth is sometimes found, during certain intervals of sober reflection, to irradiate and compel even the most perverse and profligate minds. The remarks, which I here subjoin, consist of inferences, deduced from the seventeenth article, which treats of predestination and election. If such a writer, as Heylyn, should be found to acknowledge, that the said seventeenth article speaks the undoubted language of Calvin; our wonder will be, not that the article should speak that language (for, of this, no considerate person can sincerely doubt), but that so virulent a party-man, as Peter, should, by any transient gleam of regard to veracity, publicly avow some of his real convictions, and transmit that avowal to posterity.

"Predestination to life," says he, "is defined, in the XVIIth article, to be the everlasting purpose of God, whereby before the foundations of the world were laid, he hath constantly decreed, by his counsel, secret to us, to deliver from damnation those whom he hath chosen in Christ out of mankind, and to bring them by Christ to everlasting salvation [as vessels made to honour.] In which definition," adds Heylyn," there are these things to be observed: 1. That predestination doth presuppose a curse, or state of damnation, in which all mankind was presented to the sight of God. 2. That it [viz. predestination to life, or the decree of election] is an act of his from everlasting: because, from everlasting, he foresaw that misery into which wretched man would fall. 3. That he founded it, and resolved for it, in the man and mediator Christ Jesus, both for the purpose and performance. 4. That it was of some special ones alone; elect, called forth, and reserved in Christ, and not generally extended unto all mankind. 5. That, being thus elected in Christ, they shall be brought by Christ to everlasting salvation. And, 6. That this counsel is secret to us: for though there be revealed to us some hopeful signs of our election and predestination to life, yet the certainty thereof is a secret hidden in God, &c."-Life of Laud, Introd. p. 29.

Though the above concessions are not entirely without their flaws, (or, at least a few small Arminian cracks); yet it is amazing, that