"cerning christian religion." From the number of the articles, and the severity with which the act was carried into execution, several writers have called it, the bloody Statute of the Six Articles.

.

The six articles are,

"1st. That in the sacrament of the altar, after “the consecration, there remains no substance of "bread and wine; but, under these forms, the "natural body and blood of Christ are present.

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2dly. That communion of both kinds is not necessary to salvation, to all persons, by the law "of God; but that both the body and flesh of “Christ are together in each of the kinds.

3dly. That priests may not marry by the law "of God."

"4thly. That vows of chastity ought to be ob"served by the law of God.

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5thly. That private masses ought to be continued, which, as they are agreeable to God's law, "so men receive great benefit from them.

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6thly. That auricular confession is expedient "and necessary, and ought to be retained in the "church."

It was, moreover, enacted, that if any person should preach or write against the first article, he should be judged an heretic, burned, without any abjuration, and forfeit his real and personal estate to the king. Those who preached, or disputed, against the other articles, were to suffer death, as felons, without benefit of clergy. And those, who, either in word or writing, declared against them,

were to be imprisoned, during the king's pleasure; to forfeit their goods and chattels, for the first offence; and suffer death, for the second.

XII. 4.

Persecutions of those who opposed the faith or doctrine of Henry.

IN a former page, a general mention has been made of fifty-nine persons, who received the sentence of death for denying the spiritual supremacy of Henry. The same severity was exercised on those, who denied the doctrine of transubstantiation.

On one occasion, the same cart conveyed three catholics, and three protestants, to execution ;—the former, for denying the king's supremacy; the latter for denying the doctrine of transubstantiation. The catholics were hanged, drawn, and quartered, the punishment of treason: The protestants were burned,-the punishment of heresy. They all, to the last, persisted in their opinions; and, with their dying breath, forgave their enemies. The execution of the protestants is remarkable, from this circumstance, that several of the council of state, who advised, or consented to the measure, were known to disbelieve the doctrine of transubstantiation; and, in the following reign, concurred in the same sanguinary measures against those who continued to believe it.

Of those, who suffered in the reign of Henry, for the disbelief of transubstantiation, the execution of

Lambert was the most remarkable. Being accused of heresy and brought before archbishop Cranmer, for denying the real presence, he appealed to the king, as supreme head of the church of England. The king accordingly ordered him to be tried before himself, in Westminster Hall; and caused letters to be sent to all the prelates, principal nobility, and commoners of England, to attend it. He appeared in great state on the occasion. He sat under a white canopy; arrayed in all the insignia of majesty, and clothed in white garments,-emblematic of the purity of faith. The spiritual peers were placed on his right hand; the temporal, on his left. The judges, and most eminent lawyers were placed behind the bishops: The officers of state, and the most distinguished courtiers, were ranged behind the temporal peers.

Lambert acknowledged his disbelief of the real presence of Christ in the sacrament; and, being called upon to defend his opinion, supported it with learning and acuteness. The king replied :---" It "was a wonder,"-Cromwell wrote to Sir Thomas Wyatt, his majesty's ambassador in Germany *, "to see, with how much excellent gravity, and " inestimable majesty, he exercised there, the very "office of supreme head of the church of England! "How benignly his grace essayed to convert the "miserable man! How strong, and manifest rea"sons his highness alleged against him! I wish "the princes and potentates of christendom to have

* Coll. Ecc. Hist. vol. ii. p. 152.

"had a meet place to have seen it. Undoubtedly,

they would have much marvelled at his majesty's "most high wisdom and judgment, and reputed "him no otherwise, after the same, than, in a "manner, the mirrour and light of all other kings "and princes in Christendom." Cranmer, and the other bishops, frequently came to the aid of his majesty: Lambert replied. The trial lasted five hours; at length, quite exhausted, Lambert stood silent: Cromwell, as vicar-general, pronounced sentence upon him, which was executed with uncommon circumstances of cruelty.

XII. 5.

The death of Henry the eighth:—Genealogical account of the descendants from Henry the seventh, till the accession of the Stuart dynasty

1547.

HENRY finished his reign on the 29th of January 1547. There seems some reason to suppose that, in his latter years, he wished to be reconciled to the see of Rome. By his will, he directed large sums of money to be distributed for prayers for his soul.

Without a clear view of the royal genealogy of England, from the time of the union of the houses of York and Lancaster, in the person of Henry the eighth, till the reign of James the first, it is impossible to obtain an accurate notion of the events, even in the ecclesiastical history of England, during

that period. We shall, therefore, present it to the reader in the form of a Table, simplifying it as much as its complex nature will admit.

The title of Henry the eighth to the crown was clear and undisputed. In his reign the succession was regulated by several legislative enactments.

1. By an act of the 25th year of his reign, the crown was entailed to his majesty, and to the heirs male of his body, failing these to the lady Elizabeth, who was declared to be the king's eldest issue female, and to the heirs of her body,-(in exclusion of the lady Mary on account of her supposed illegitimacy, in consequence of the divorce of Henry from her mother Katharine of Arragon),-and so on from issue female to issue female, by course of inheritance, according to their age; and failing these to the king's right heirs.

2. Upon the king's divorce from Anne Boleyn, the lady Elizabeth was bastardised, and the crown settled on the eldest children of the king by lady Jane Seymour, and his future wives; and failing these, to the persons to whom the king should limit the same by letters patent, or will.

3. But, by a statute of the 35th of his reign, the lady Mary, and lady Elizabeth were legitimated, and the crown limited to prince Edward by name, and the heirs of his body, failing these, to the lady Mary, and the heirs of her body; and failing these, to the lady Elizabeth, and the heirs of her body; and failing issue of both his daughters, te such persons as his majesty should appoint by letters patent, or his will.