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1542.

introducing a confusion and contradiction into the CHAP. laws, he became more master of every one's life and XXXII. property. And as the ancient independence of the church still gave him jealousy, he was well pleased, under cover of such a clause, to introduce appeals from the spiritual to the civil courts. It was for a like reason that he would never promulgate a body of canon law; and he encouraged the judges on all occasions to interpose in ecclesiastical causes, wherever they thought the law of royal prerogative concerned. A happy innovation; though at first invented for arbitrary purposes !

A

THE king, armed by the authority of parliament, or rather by their acknowledgment of that spiritual which he believed inherent in him, emsupremacy ployed his commissioners to select a system of tenets for the assent and belief of the nation. small volume was soon after published, called the Institution of a Christian Man, which was received by the convocation, and voted to be the standard of orthodoxy. All the delicate points of justification, faith, free-will, good works, and grace, are there defined with a leaning towards the opinion of the reformers: The sacraments, which a few years before were only allowed to be three, were now increased to the number of seven, conformably to the sentiments of the catholics. The king's caprice is discernible throughout the whole; and the book is in reality to be regarded as his composition. For Henry while he made his opinion a rule for the nation, would tie his own hands by no canon or authority, not even by any which he himself had formerly established.

THE people had occasion soon after, to see a farther instance of the king's inconstancy. He was not long satisfied with his institution of a Christian Man: He ordered a new book to be composed, called the Erudition of a Christian Man; and without asking the assent of the convocation, he pub

lished,

CHAP. lished by his own authority, and that of the parliaXXXII. ment, this new model of orthodoxy. It differs 1542. from the Institution; but the king was no less positive in his new creed than he had been in the old; and he required the belief of the nation to veer about at his signal. In both these compositions he was particularly careful to inculcate the doctrine of passive obedience; and he was equally careful to retain the nation in the practice.

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WHILE the king was spreading his own books among the people, he seems to have been extremely perplexed, as were also the clergy, what course to take with the scriptures. A review had been made by the synod, of the new translation of the Bible; and Gardiner had proposed, that instead of employing English expressions throughout, several Latin words should still be preserved; because they contained, as he pretended, such peculiar energy and significance, that they had no correspondent terms in the vulgar tongue. Among these, were, ecclesia, pænitentia, pontifex, contritus, holocausta, sacramentum, elementa, ceremonia, mysterium, presbyter, sacrificium, humilitas, satisfactio, peccatum, gratia, hostia, charitas, &c. But as this mixture would have appeared extremely barbarous, and was plainly calculated for no other purpose than to retain the people in their ancient ignorance, the proposal was rejected. The knowledge of the people, however, at least their disputative turn, seemed to be an inconvenience still more dangerous; and the king and parliament, soon after the publication of the scriptures, retracted the concession which they had formerly made; and prohibited all but gentlemen and merchants from perusing them. Even that liberty

k

Burnet, vol. i. P. 315.

Collier, vol. ii. p. 190.

i

Which met on the 22d of January 1543.

was

* 33 Hen. VIII. c. i. The reading of the Bible, however, could

not at that time have much effect in England, where so few persons

had

XXXII.

was not granted without an apparent hesitation, CHA P. and a dread of the consequences: These persons were allowed to read, so it be done quietly and with 1542. good order. And the preamble to the act sets forth,

66

That many seditious and ignorant persons had "abused the liberty granted them of reading the "Bible, and that great diversity of opinion, ani"mosities, tumults, and schisms, had been occa"sioned by perverting the sense of the scriptures." It seemed very difficult to reconcile the king's model for uniformity with the permission of free enquiry.

THE mass-book also passed under the king's revisal; and little alteration was as yet made in it: Some doubtful or fictitious saints only were struck out; and the name of the pope was erazed. This latter precaution was likewise used with regard to every new book that was printed, or even old book that was sold. The word Pope was carefully omitted or blotted out;' as if that precaution could abolish the term from the language, or as if such a persecution of it did not rather imprint it more strongly in the memory of the people.

THE king took care about this time to clear the churches from another abuse which had crept into them. Plays, interludes, and farces, were there often acted in derision of the former superstitions; and the reverence of the multitude for ancient principles and modes of worship was thereby gradually effaced." We do not hear that the ca tholics attempted to retaliate, by employing this powerful engine against their adversaries, or endeavoured

1

had learned to read. There were but 500 copies printed of this first authorised edition of the Bible; a book of which there are now several millions of copies in the kingdom.

'Parliamentary History, vol. iii. p. 113.

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CHAP. deavoured by like arts to expose that fanatical XXXII. spirit by which it appears the reformers were fre1549. quently actuated. Perhaps the people were not disposed to relish a jest on that side: Perhaps the greater simplicity and the more spiritual abstract worship of the protestants, gave less hold to ridicule, which is commonly founded on sensible representations. It was, therefore, a very agreeable concession which the king made to the catholic party, to suppress entirely these religious comedies.

THUS Henry laboured incessantly, by arguments, creeds, and penal statutes, to bring his subjects to an uniformity in their religious sentiments: But as he entered himself with the greatest earnestness into all those scholastic disputes, he encouraged the people, by his example, to apply themselves to the study of theology; and it was in vain afterwards to expect, however present fear might restrain their tongues or pens, that they would cordially agree in any set of tenets or opinions prescribed to them.

CHAP. XXXIII.

War with Scotland-Victory at Solway-Death of
James V.-Treaty with Scotland-New rupture
-Rupture with France-A parliament--Affairs
of Scotland-A parliament-Campaign in France
-A parliament-Peace with France and Scotland
-Persecutions-Execution of the earl of Surrey
-Attainder of the duke of Norfolk-Death of the
king-His character-Miscellaneous transactions.

HENRY, being determined to avenge himself CHAP

1542. War with

on the king of Scots for slighting the advances which he had made him, would gladly have obtained a supply from parliament, in order to Scotland. prosecute that enterprise; but as he did not think it prudent to discover his intentions, that assembly, conformably to their frugal maxims, would understand no hints; and the king was disappointed in his expectations. He continued, however, to make preparations for war; and as soon as he thought himself in a condition to invade Scotland, he published a manifesto, by which he endeavoured to justify hostilities. He complained of James's breach of word, in declining the promised interview; which was the real ground of the quarrel :" But in order to give a more specious colouring to the enterprise, he mentioned other injuries; namely, that his nephew had granted protection to some English rebels and fugitives, and had detained some territory, which Henry pretended belonged Buchanan, lib. 14. Drummond in James the Fifth.

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