adultery. Both the Parliament and the Convocation servilely confirmed the sentence of the new Solomon, and the former commended Queen Jane for her suitable age, her great beauty, and pureness of flesh and blood. Her children were to inherit the crown, and, in case of her death without issue, the King might decide according to his pleasure with respect to the succession. He was likewise em

powered to annul all the decisions of Parliament which had passed before he had completed his twenty-fourth year!

The Catholics pronounced the fall of Anne to be a visitation of Heaven for having supplanted Queen Catharine, and endeavoured more and more to gain over the King, who, in general, agreed in their dogmatic views. Thus, in the controversy, whether a new translation of the Bible should be made, and placed in the hands of the people, the Protestants dwelt upon the folly of concealing the sacred book, they shewed the danger of the mischievous inroads of human doctrine which would then take place, and intimated to the King that, by authorising the translation, he might obtain almost general approbation for his conduct towards the Pope. The Catholics, on the other hand, maintained that the people were incapable of judging for themselves, and needed a rigorous guardianship. (3) From the false wisdom with which they would regard and interpret the Bible, innovations, errors, heresies, and rebellion

must ensue. Besides which, Gardiner declared that at least a hundred of the most important Latin and Greek words could not be translated. (32) However, chiefly through the interest of Cranmer, the wishes of the Protestants prevailed: the printing of a correct translation was begun at Paris in 1538, and when the part which had been printed was seized at the instigation of the Clergy there, it was finished in London. Soon afterwards the King, on the proposal of Cromwell, permitted every person to read the Bible.

In other respects, a great variety of opinions manifested itself: some, for instance, were in favour of the Catholic doctrine, but opposed to the Con. stitution of the Catholic Church. Others again were of precisely the contrary opinion; some aimed at a total reformation, others recommended a more moderate middle course. Agreeing with the latter, Cranmer took measures for the improvement of the instruction given from the pulpit, and the correction of some of the leading doctrines, such as absolution, purgatory, &c. But as his adversaries clearly perceived whither all this tended, and therefore zealously opposed it, the result of new discussions, demands, and concessions, was an almost arbitrary mixture of the old and new. Thus the Catholics decided that the Scriptures approved the use of images; the Protestants, on their side, warned against idolatry; the former maintained the

utility of prayers addressed to the saints, the latter rejected the special protection of particular saints for certain trades and professions, &c. (33) The reformers triumphed, in having the Scriptures, and the Apostles', the Nicean, and Athanasian Creeds acknowledged as the standard of faith; the Catholics prevailed to have their doctrine of auricular confession and of transubstantiation recognized as true. The King, as a proof of his orthodoxy, abided firmly by the last point, and when one Lambert had expressed different opinions on the subject, and appealed to him, he opened a great disputation. Lambert defended his opinion with much ability and courage against Cranmer and nine other Bishops, and the King himself; but, on his refusing to recant, the conclusion of this apparently so mild proceeding, was, that he and some other Baptists were burnt, on the 20th of November, 1538. He suffered dreadfully, for the fire consumed the body only in part, and abated before it killed him; upon which two sheriffs' officers compassionately pierced his mutilated body with their halberds, raised him out of the chains in which he hung above the fire, and threw him into it, while he exclaimed, "None but Christ!"

Although these cruelties were ostensibly committed for the maintenance of the Catholic doctrines, yet in the face of great innovations they could not lead to a reconciliation with the Papal See; on the contrary, Paul IV. had, so far back as August,

1535, again pronounced the excommunication against Henry VIII., but deferred the execution of it. Now, in December, 1538, the sentence was ratified in still stronger terms, and the King was declared to have forfeited his kingdom, which led to the punishment of some individuals, and especially the relations of Cardinal Pole, (34) but had no other consequences of importance.

The King, however, took a new step to prove his orthodoxy. When a committee of the Protestant and Catholic members of the Lower House, assembled in May, 1540, were unable to agree on any of the disputed doctrines, the King submitted to the Parliament and the Convocation six articles for their examination. The substance was, that for the sake of the unity which is so desirable, everybody shall believe in transubstantiation; the communion in one kind, or with bread only; the perpetual obligation of vows of chastity; (3) the utility of private masses; the necessity of the celibacy of the Clergy, and of auricular confession. The least punishment for denying, doubting, contradicting, or transgressing, is loss of property, imprisonment during the King's pleasure, and in case of relapse, death. Nay, the violation of the first article, (the real presence,) is to be punished by death at the stake, without permission to recant. Cranmer and others, who entertained Protestant sentiments, opposed the law in Parliament and in

the Convocation, and proved, by irrefragable arguments, that it was contrary to justice, truth, and reason. (6) The King, however, came in person to the House, (which had already conceded to him all legislation in ecclesiastical affairs,) and positively declared his will. On the 7th of June, 1540, a few days after all the Convents and Foundations had been assigned to him, this Bill, which was introduced by the Lord Chancellor, was read for the first time, on the 8th for the second, on the 9th for the third, in the Upper House, and on the 16th it had already passed through both houses, and on the 28th received the Royal assent. Persons were appointed in every county, to enquire into actions, writings, expressions in reference to the six articles; and which ended in a dreadful inquisition which extended to other things. Within a fortnight, five hundred persons were arrested in London alone. The testimony of two witnesses was sufficient to lead the accused to death, though he might have the justest objections to the witnesses, or declare that his belief was wholly conformable to the demands of the law. Protestants and Catholics indiscriminately were beheaded, hanged, and quartered, on the same day. Nay, even boys only fifteen years old were burnt, because they expressed themselves, with respect to the Communion, differently from what had been prescribed by the tyrannical King and the base