the question, "whether the pope had or had not "an indirect power in temporals?"-They assert, that "the affirmative of the proposition is certain; "that the negative of it is false; but not contrary "to faith; and contrary only to the common opi- . "nion." That, "the thirteen priests had not, by "signing the declaration of allegiance, rendered "themselves ineligible to offices, or improper to "hold them :" that "the opinion expressed by "them was tolerated in France; that the pope had "conferred ecclesiastical dignities on some who "maintained it ;" and that "several fathers of the

society of Jesus, who had openly professed it, "had been recognized by the other fathers of their "order." The moderation of the censure showed the progress of reason.. It It gave offence to the advocates of the deposing doctrine. Father Leander addressed a letter to the university of Louvaine, objecting to the terms in which their censure was expressed he assures them, that the address of the thirteen priests had highly displeased his holiness; and was condemned by the benedictines and jesuits. He refers to certain terms of pacification, which had been imposed on them by the pope in 1608, by which they were enjoined to attend to the concerns of the mission, "and to avoid all

familiarity with those, who had taken, or had "exhorted others to take, the oath to the king of "England, which had been condemned by his "holiness;" among which, he intimates the address of the English priests to be virtually included.

Numerous instances show that the court of Rome is more wise and moderate than her officious partisans often show themselves: Dr. Champney's signing the address, did not prevent the cardinal protector from appointing him, with the approbation of the holy see, to the offices of vice-president of Douay college, and professor of theology in that college; nor did Mr. Bishop's signature of the address, or his activity in procuring signatures to it, prevent the see of Rome from appointing him, as we have already mentioned, her vicar-apostolic, with ordinary jurisdiction over the catholics in England and Scotland.

CHAP. XL.

DEATH OF QUEEN ELIZABETH.

1603.

We believe that we have stated all the principal events in this reign, which materially affected English catholics: the general result of the laws and proceedings of government against them during this long period, is thus described by a respectable writer from his own observation *.

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By colour and force of the statutes passed against the catholics, which, being penal, and altogether against the common law and justice

The History of the Reformation of England, 1685, 8vo. The author of it was Charles Eyston, esq. of Old Hendred, in Berkshire.

"of the realm, ought, de jure, to have been stricti

juris, and not upon any occasion rigorously and "extensively enforced, as many times they never"theless were, the statists*, according to the Vandal project aforesaid, obtained, by degrees, their long projected ends, touching the dividing of most of "the people's hearts from queen Mary of Scotland, "from her title, from her religion, and, (for her

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cause), from all communion in belief with the "catholic church: also, concerning the setting up "of a new and strange head of the church, or an 'antipope, and the abolishing of the power and "authority of the true vicar of Christ in spiritual

matters; even as they had done by the true and “lawful vicar in temporal matters, viz. queen Mary "of Scotland. The deposing of catholic and ca"nonical archbishops, bishops, prelates, and clergy"men, by an oath, and a trick of state; and, in "their places, of setting up of anticatholic, and patent or statute bishops, superintendents, and ministers. The offering of disputations, but uncivilly demeaning the same; the abrogation of "the apostolic forms of prayers, sacraments, and "sacrifices; and in place thereof, the authorizing "new inventions for forms of common prayers and "administration of sacraments; for refusing where"of the catholics were not only removed from their places of office, credit, and dignity; but, in process of time, were made incapable of office, credit, or charge of any place of reputation in the commonwealth, even of practising their profesi. e. Statesmen or politicians.

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"sions, though never so learned in divinity, canon, "common or civil law, physic, &c.; of presenting, "in their own rights, to benefices, prebends, or "ecclesiastical advancements; of being executors " or administrators; of being guardians, either of "such as by tenure held of them, or to such as by nature, nurture, or other civil right, was "due to them: of relieving their wives of succouring or educating their children of har'bouring their friends: of marrying, christening, "or burying of them, as occasion required: and finally, of any access to the royal majesty, upon

any grievance, either for righting their wrongs, "or for defending their rights. Yea, by statute "laws, the statists had variable ways, either of their pleasures to entrap all sorts of catholics, with a "præmunire, to the loss of their liberties and

estates, as well real as personal, or to endanger "their lives, upon new and unheard-of felonies "and treasons, even for the exercise of such mat"ters, as were, in all ages, held for virtues.

"Hereupon, out of every pulpit, press, or sta"tioner's shop, such invectives, slanders, infamies, "untruths, and lies were cast upon priests, as sedi"tious; and upon catholics, as impious and wicked,

as were without measure or remedy. For, no "tongue was so foresworn, but was of credit against "them; and none, but was reputed false, in their "defence. Their houses were daily searched and rifled: their altars, chalices, books, church stuff, beads, &c. were taken from them, and turned to "common uses. The name of catholic was denied

them; the common law making for them, was "inverted and turned against them: and, for the

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queen of Scots and their sakes, the name of Rome "was maliced: the pope vilified and liared: the "catholic emperors, kings, and princes, were tra"duced: and the catholics themselves became the trampling-stones of all pursuivants, informers, "promoters, and other hungry, needy, and merci"less people, for the covetousness of their goods, "for the confiscation of their lands, and for the begging of their estates, in such sort as was both 66 outrageous and insatiable. To conclude: the "catholics,-some of them from 5,000l. yearly, "some from 2,000l. and others from 1,000l. 500l. "100l. 50l. more or less yearly revenues, fell to "extreme misery, could no ways please the statists, "but in being miserable. Whereupon they en"dured such ravenings, pillagings, and pollings, "such exiles, imprisonments, and tortures, such en"slaving of their persons, and such effusion of their "innocent blood, as came not short of the Arian "persecution itself: even such as neither eye

has

seen, nor ear heard of, in christian common

"wealth."

any

The gloom and mental agony, which embittered the last days of her,-by whose ministers these persecutions of the catholics were devised,-have been recorded by almost all her historians, but accounted for satisfactorily by none. The story of the earl of Essex, the countess of Nottingham and the ring, have been elevated to history by the pen of Hume: the age of Elizabeth, for she was, at this time, in her seven