elapsed since the dissolution of the Council of Trent; and since that time no General Council has been assembled, and the Catholic Church has had no opportunity of officially declaring its sentiments. As then the long suspension of the sittings of the Convocation of our own Church has caused many things to remain unaltered in our Liturgy and Church Government and probably in our Articles, which would have been reformed ere now, had the Church still possessed the means of expressing its collective sentiments; the very same thing may be fairly presumed with regard to the doctrines of the Council of Trent.

But we are not left to mere conjecture as to the possibility of a Church heartily disapproving its former official Acts without having ever actually disavowed them. Is there any member of the Church of England now alive, who does not disclaim and condemn the provisions and orders which I have here extracted from the "Constitutions and Canons Ecclesiastical, treated and agreed upon by the two Archbishops of Canterbury and York, and the rest of the Bishops and Clergy of those

Provinces, in their Synods begun at London and York, 1640, and published for the due observation of them by his Majesty's authority under the Great Seal of England." I quote these Canons the more gladly, because they are very little known; as it would be impossible for honest men so often to deny that the Church of England was officially and by its public Acts a persecuting Church, if they had even suspected the existence of such Canons as the following.

From Canon I. Concerning the Regal power.

"For any person or persons to set up, maintain, or avow in any their (i. e. the realms or territories of kings) said realms or territories respectively,

a

They are to be found in "A Collection of Articles, Injunctions, Canons, Orders, &c. of the Church of England, published to vindicate the Church of England, and to promote uniformity and peace in the same," by Sparrow, in 1671; a proof, by the way, that in spite of the non-confirmation of them by the statute 13 Charles II. the clergy were not yet inclined to disavow them.

under any pretence whatsoever, any independent coactive power, either papal or popular, (whether directly or indirectly,) is to undermine their great royal office, and cunningly to overthrow that most sacred ordinance, which God himself hath established and so is treasonable against God,

:

as well as against the king."

From Canon III. For the suppressing of the growth of Popery.

"But if neither conferring nor censures will prevail with such persons, (i. e. Roman Catholics,) the Church hath no way left but complaints to the secular power; and for them we straitly enjoin, that all Deans and Archdeacons, and all having inferior or exempt jurisdiction, shall every year within six months after any Visitation by them holden, make certificate unto their several Bishops, or Archbishop, (if it be within his diocese,) under their seal of office, of all such persons who have been presented unto them as aforesaid, under pain

of suspension from their said jurisdictions by the space of one whole year.

"And we in like manner enjoin all Archbishops and Bishops, that once every year at the least they certify under their Episcopal seal in parchment, unto the Justices of Assize of every county in the circuits and within their dioceses respectively, the names and surnames not only of those who have been presented unto them from the said Deans, Archdeacons, &c. but of those also who upon the oaths of churchwardens and other swornmen at their Visitations, or upon the information of ministers employed in the said conferences, have been presented unto them, that so the said intended proceedings may have the more speedy and the more general success.

"In particular, it shall be carefully inquired into at all Visitations under the oaths of the churchwardens and other sworn-men, what recusants or Popish persons have been either married or buried, or have had their children baptized otherwise than

according unto the rules and forms established in the Church of England; and the names of such delinquents (if they can learn them, or otherwise such names as for the time they carry) shall be as aforesaid given up to the Bishop, who shall present them to the Justices of Assize, to be punished according to the statutes.

"And for the education of recusants' children, since by Canon already established no man can teach school, (no not in any private house,) except he be allowed by the Ordinary of the place, and withal have subscribed to the Articles of Religion established in the Church of England: we therefore straitly enjoin, that forthwith at all Visitations there be diligent inquiry made by the churchwardens or other sworn ecclesiastical officers of each parish, under their oaths, who are employed as schoolmasters to the children of recusants; and that their several names be presented to the Bishop of the diocese, who citing the said schoolmasters, shall make diligent search whether they have subscribed or no; and if they or any of them be found to refuse subscription, they shall be forbidden to