"lieve (fays that Hiftorian) any Body ever question'd her being a true Proteftant." Her Letter to Henry IV. upon his turning Papift, is fo expreffive of an inward Conviction, and the great Regard fhe had for the Proteftant Religion, that, in Juftice to her injured Memory, it fhall be laid before the Reader; 'tis preferved in Camden and Rapin in the following Words.

IT is hardly poffible to express the extreme Grief and Diffatisfaction, which has feized me, upon Morley's Reprefentation of Things. Good God, what a miferable World do we live in! Could I ever have thought, Sir, that any fecular Confideration could have prevailed with you, to difcard a juft Senfe of God and his Fear? or, can you ever reasonably expect, that Providence will grant this Change of yours a happy fue? or, could you entertain a Fealousy, that the gracious Being, who had so long Supported and preferved you, would fail and abandon you, at last? it is, believe me, a dangerous •Experiment, to do Evil that Good may come. But I hope, you may be yet recovered to a better Inclination, even the Spirit of a found Mind. In the mean Time, I shall not ceafe to recommend

your

your Cafe to God, in my Daily Prayers, and earnestly to befeech him, that Efau's Hands may not pollute the Blef fing and Birth-right of Jacob. The Promife you made of a facred and friendly Alliance, I conceive myself to bave deferved, and even earned at a vaft Expence. But I had not mattered that, had you still kept your self the Son of the fame Father. From henceforth I cannot look on myself as your Sifter, in refpect to our common Father; for Imuft, and shall always, pay a much greater Regard to Nature than Choice, in that Relation: As I may appeal to God, whom I beseech to recover you into the Path of a fafer and founder Fudgment.

Your Sifter after the Old-fashioned Way, as for the New I have nothing to do with it,

ELIZABETH.

Upon the Whole, 'tis hardly poffible to conceive Circumftances more difcouraging to a Reformation, than those in which Providence, to give her Virtues the greater Luftre, placed this renowned Queen. Her very Sex, in a Cafe where there was fo much Difficulty

and

and Danger, feems no inconfiderable Difadvantage - An exceptionable and difputed Title, a powerful Rival, an empty Treasure, no Friend, no Alliance abroad to fupport her; at Home, the Clergy, the Magiftrates, the Populace, all against her in the Alteration. At the fame time, the inviting Allurements of Quiet and Security in a Throne, to engage her to continue Religion as The found it. Such a State of Affairs illustrates the Warmth and Sincerity of the Queen's Zeal for the Protestant Religion, and fhews the Neceffity of her using great Prudence and Caution in the Introduction and Establishment thereof. That the Queen proceeded with Zeal and Prudence, will appear upon a Survey of her Conduct. Tis a confiderable Argument in favour of her Measures, that they did, by the Bleffing of God, effectually establish the Protestant Religion against the moft violent and moft univerfal Oppofition that could poffibly be made to it. What would have been the Succefs of other Methods and other Schemes, 'tis no small Felicity we are not able to determine. However, let us take a general View of the Queen's Proceedings which were fo fuccessful.

"The

Ann. Eliz.

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"The Queen Jays Mr. Strype, was

Vol. I. p. 38.cc not backward, upon her first coming to the Crown, to fhew her merciful Nature (fo different therein from "her late Sifter) toward the afflicted Profeffors of the Gofpel in Bonds and Imprisonment; and for putting a Speedy Stop to the cruel Methods ufed before, for the detecting them in all Places, and taking them up by a kind of Spanish Inquifition; so as became a Prince that intended not to rule with Rigour, but Juftice and "Clemency. One of her earliest Actions was to releafe the Captives, and to refore Liberty to the Free-born. CC Therefore Orders from above were fent to the Keepers of the Prifons, wherefocver thefe honeft and pious People were detain'd, that they should fet them at Liberty, taking ૮ their own Bonds for their Appearance, whenfoever they fhould be "call'd to anfwer." Befides, setting these poor Prifoners at Liberty, and enquiring into the Execution of a Commiffion in the late Reign againft Lollards, and calling the Commiffioners to an Account for their Proceedings, the Queen publifhed a Proclamation, wherein fhe allow'd the Gofpel and Epiftle for the Day, the Ten Commandments, the

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the Litany, the Lord's Prayer and Camd. Ann. Creed in English, which he had began to ufe in her own Chapel, where the had forbid a Popish Bishop that officiated, to elevate the Hoft; and as a farther publick Profeffion of her Regard to the Holy Scripture, fhe received the Bible in English with great Marks of Regard at Cheapfide Conduit, in a Proceffion thro' the City. Confidering the Queen was in the Infancy of a difputed Government, and had not the Authority of Parliament to fupport her in thefe Proceedings, it fhew'd great Regard for true Religion, to venture fo far herself. Mr. N. fure was ignorant of all these Tranfactions, when

he fo positively afferted, "the only N's Hift. "Thing her Majefty did before the 123. "Meeting of the Parliament, was to prevent Pulpit Difputes.

But the grand Affair was the Efta blishment of Religion by the Authority of the whole Legiflature. This, confidering the State of the Nation, must proceed originally from the Queen, be conducted by the Wisdom of her Councils, encouraged and fupported by her Authority. The Temptations were ftrong on the Side of Popery. Powerful Sollicitations and important Propo fáls employ'd in its favour. But the

Piety