in a similar strain, using language of the grossest kind, so gross indeed, and vile, that I should be ashamed to repeat it. In short, with one accord they did not hesitate to affirm that the Queen of England, because she was a Catholic, ought to be deposed and put to death.

Here are some specimens of the language in which they put out their detestable doctrines-specimens, that is, of such language as may be fitly quoted, for much that they wrote is, as I have said, too foul to be repeated. Goodman, who was mentioned in the former Tract as approving Wyatt's rebellion, and mourning over his defeat, thus expresses himself: "By giving authority to an idolatrous woman, ye have banished Christ and His Gospel, and in His place restored Antichrist with all his infections, wherein your own consciences condemn you of evil. Then in taking again the same authority from her, you shall restore Christ and His word, and do well. In obeying her ye have displeased God. Then in disobeying her ye shall please God. Because you have given place to her and her counsels, you are all become idolatrous hypocrites, and also traitors to your own country. By resisting her and her wicked decrees, you must be made true worshippers of God, and faithful Englishmen." In another place, after reminding his readers how God commanded Moses to hang up all the captains and heads of the people, for that by their example they made the people idolaters," he goes on to say, "which judgment, though it was done at God's commandment first, and after at Moses', yet were the people executors of the same, and all did understand that it was just; and not for that time only, but to be a perpetual example for ever, and a sure admonition of their duty in the like defection from God, to hang up such rulers as should draw them from Him."

He describes the empire and government of a woman,' as "that monster in nature and disorder among men;" and calls Mary "that most impotent and unbri, dled woman," "that wicked woman, whom you untruly make your queen. O vain and miserable men," he exclaims, "to what vileness are you brought, and yet, as men blind, see not! Because you would not have God to reign over you, and His word to be a light unto your footsteps, be

hold He hath not given an hypocrite only to reign over you (as He promised), but an idolatress also; not a man, according to His appointment, but a woman, which His law forbiddeth and nature abhorreth; whose reign was never counted lawful by the word of God, but an express sign of God's wrath, and notable plague for the sins of the people; as was the reign of cruel Jezabel and ungodly Athalia, especial instruments of Satan . . . . So that now, both by God's laws and man's, she ought to be punished with death." Knox also warns his readers "how abominable before God is the empire and rule of a wicked woman. . . . Horrible is the vengeance which is prepared for the promoters and for the persons promoted, except they speedily repent. . . . . Wherefore let men that receive of women authority, honour, or office, be most assuredly persuaded that, in so maintaining that usurped power, they declare themselves enemies to God. . . . . They must refuse to be her officers, because she is a traitress and rebel against God. And finally, they must study to repress her inordinate pride and tyranny to the uttermost of their power. . . . First, they ought to remove from honour and authority that monster in nature (so I call a woman clad in the habit of a man, yea, a woman against nature reigning above man). Secondarily, if any presume to defend that impiety, they ought not to fear, first to pronounce, and then after to execute against them, the sentence of death." Poinet, Protestant Bishop of Winchester, who had fled the country on the failure of Wyatt's rebellion, used similar language, inciting the people of England to dethrone their Queen and put her to death.

They also denounced the judgments of God against the whole kingdom on account of the restoration of the old religion, and endeavoured, by a fearful picture of all the woes that were hanging over them, to work upon the fears of the people, and irritate them against the Queen and the government. They even appealed to the price of victuals— a kind of argument which was sure to tell with the multitude as a sign of the anger of Heaven against them for their delay in dethroning "this wicked Jezabel," "this ungodly serpent Mary, the chief instrument of all this present

misery in England;" and, with the most impudent audacity, declared that the poverty and wretchedness caused by the destruction of the monasteries in King Henry's time were owing to the toleration of what they called the "idolatry," and the "filthy abomination," which the Queen had introduced into the kingdom. It was not that they gave utterance to words of earnest and even stern remonstrance, solemn warning, or righteous indignation, like pious and God-fearing men, who really desired to testify to the truth; but they indulged in the coarsest invectives, "the most scurrilous railing" and "loathsome ribaldry," using language "fierce, truculent, and abusive," and at the same time gross and obscene; and "recklessly imputed the worst motives and the most odious vices to their opponents," as though they had been possessed with some unclean and savage spirit of hell.

Again, they uttered the most insulting threats against the King and his countrymen, and tried every means to render them odious to the nation. They pretended that he was biding his time to bring in a great army "to overrun and destroy the realm," and give up to the Spaniards the rights and liberties of the whole nation; that he would lay heavy taxes upon the people to maintain his own countrymen; nay, that he would carry them away by ship-loads to his own territories, and " tie them in chains, and force them to row in the galleys, and to dig in the mines, and to pick up the gold in the hot sand." All these predictions they knew to be false; but they hoped the credulous would believe them, however absurd and monstrous they might be. And as a matter of fact, on the strength of these falsehoods, a rebellion was subsequently attempted by one of the exiles, Thomas son of Lord Stafford, who proclaimed that he was come to deliver his countrymen from the tyranny of "vile Spaniards," and "to defeat the most devilish devices of Mary, unrightful and unworthy queen, who had forfeited the crown by her marriage with a stranger;" who was "continually sending over to Spaniards the treasure, gold, and silver of the realm;" and was seeking earnestly, by all possible means, to deliver the twelve strong fortresses of the kingdom to 12,000 Spaniards,

whom she had brought into the realm, "that they might burn and destroy the country three or four times yearly, till Englishmen were contented to obey all their vile customs and detestable doings." Now, so far from this being the case, so far from there being this number of Spaniards in the country when Philip arrived from Spain, 4000 Spaniards, who accompanied him as a train of honour, were not allowed to land, because the presence of so large a body had been forbidden in the Queen's marriage articles; and only 400 or 500 persons, among whom were a number of court-jesters, attached to grandees of high rank, were permitted to come on shore. This was the only Spanish force in the country. Even Philip's household servants had been sent back. Again, so far from carrying money out of the country, Philip had, on different occasions, brought an immense mass of treasure into the kingdom. On one occasion, twenty-seven chests of bullion, each about a yard long, were conveyed to the Tower in twenty carts; on another, ninety-nine horses and two carts were employed for a similar purpose. Philip had defrayed all the expenses of the fleet which escorted him to England, and of the festivities in honour of the marriage. He had distributed a large amount in presents; and the remainder, amounting to 50,000l., was still lodged in the royal exchequer.

Now just stop a moment and reflect what sort of feelings these writings and these proceedings must have aroused in the breasts, not only of Mary and Philip, but of the then government of England, and of all good and loyal subjects in the land. Only just imagine what would be the effect of such writings and proceedings at the present day. Suppose Catholics to be the aggressors, and the Queen and the Prince-consort the objects of these ferocious attacks. What would be the feeling of the country? What view would Protestant Peers and Members of Parliament and country gentlemen take of the matter? What sort of language would be heard in townhalls and at county meetings? What would your commercial men and your respectable tradesmen think and say? And as the excitement spread among the people at large, what sort of cries would be heard in the streets, and what sort of treatment would

Catholics here in England receive, while their brethren over the water were breathing out rage and threatenings against the court and the government? Above all, how would the government itself be affected towards the Catholic population? What would they do? What pains and penalties would they enact against all who abetted these treasonable designs? They would not relight the fires of Smithfield, because such modes of punishment have long since been abolished; but, methinks, they would take some very strong measures under the circumstances; and who could blame them?

But to proceed: what was the Protestant party at home doing meanwhile? Did any of its leaders and " grave divines" disown and condemn the immoral and scandalous doctrines put forth by their brethren abroad? Did they protest against the ferocious and indecent language in which they indulged? There is no proof that they did. It is true that the reformers in prison warned men against sedition and rebellion, and exhorted them to obey the Queen in all matters which were not contrary to the obedience due to God; but they had held a different language while they were at large; nor did their brethren, to whom their admonitions were addressed, relax in their treasonable efforts or in other demonstrations of their intemperate zeal. A few facts will shew the spirit that was abroad.

A clerk of the council in the former reign, and one of Wyatt's followers, conspired to assassinate the Queen, and was found guilty and executed. On the scaffold he justified his treason, and said he died for his country. An impostor was suborned to personate Edward VI., as if he were not really dead. On occasion of public prayers being ordered for the Queen, several of the reformed congregations prayed for her death. So notorious was this practice, that an act had been passed declaring it to be treason; and so little did the leaders of the Reformation feel its enormity, that when thirty of these zealots, with their preacher, were imprisoned for the offence, Bishop Hooper sent a letter to comfort them, as suffering saints. Again, one of the Queen's preachers was shot at in the pulpit at Paul's Cross, the bullet passing very near him; and two of her