to conform by the sufferings of others. They saw their bishops imprisoned, and all those of their own rank, who had refused the oath of supremacy, turned out of their livings, and reduced to beggary. So that they had no other choice left, but either to conform or starve; having nothing but their benefices to depend upon for a livelihood. A terrible temptation to those, who are not armed with virtue strong enough to undergo a lingering martyrdom!

But the greatest part were prevailed upon by the powerful charms of liberty and ease; For besides the liberty they were sure to enjoy of gratifying their incontinence, as the effect soon shewed, the queen had by the plenitude of her ecclesiastical power contrived such a commodious reformation for them, that if they would but conform, they should keep their benefices, and at the same time be eased of the most painful part of the duties annexed to them. This is manifest to all mankind, in the remarkable difference there is between the fatiguing duties incumbent on the pastors of the Catholic church, and the easy lives, comparatively, of Protestant ministers.

Protestant ministers have neither mass nor office to say, nor confessions to hear, nor any functions to break his night's rest: nor scarce any of our holy days to interrupt their more agreeable amusements. So that they are not in danger of being overburdened with pastoral cares; and a good living serves to maintain a female companion in a very comfortable way.

Compare this easy way of serving the church

with the labours of Catholic pastors, and the difference will appear as great, as there is between the broad and narrow way mentioned in the gospel. For if we but consider the indispensable obligation Catholic pastors are under, of a daily long office besides their masses, attended with prayers before and after, and frequent public services for the dead, we may say without exaggeration, that taking one day with another, their daily task of public and private prayers is greater, than a Protestant minister is bound by his functions to perform in several days. Add to this the irksome burden of the confessional, where those especially, who have a numerous flock under their charge are sometimes kept for several hours in hearing; and none but they, who have had the experience of it can be sensible how heavy a burden this is. But there flows from it another painful obligation of being ready at all hours, and in all seasons to administer the sacraments of penance and extreme unction, and the viaticum to the sick, and it would be highly scandalous amongst us, if either the darkness of a rainy and tempestuous night, or the rigour of the season, or finally the danger of contagious distempers, though ever so mortal, should hinder a Catholic pastor, when called upon, from performing this duty with all cheerfulness, even to the meanest of his flock.

Now since it is manifest, that queen Elizabeth's good-natured reformation, by abolishing the mass, together with the sacraments of penance and extreme unction, and prayer for the

dead, and the other commodious changes made by her, eased all those of the clergy, that would conform, from the painful part of their functions, I think it is not to be wondered (considering men's natural proneness to liberty and ease) that great numbers of them should by this alluring bait be drawn into a compliance, which secured them in the quiet possession of their ecclesiastical livings, and at the same time delivered them in a trice from the Popish yoke of those laborious duties, which till then had been inseparably annexed to their livings.

It is a good saying of Mr. Dryden, that a downhill Reformation rolls apace. And truly queen Elizabeth took care to model her Reformation according to this agreeable platform, by suiting it to the natural inclinations of all degrees and conditions of men. The laity, whether rich or poor, found their account in it by being delivered by it from a great number of troublesome fasts and Popish holy days; but above all, from the ungrateful task of confessing their sins; which subjected them to the importune remonstrances and reprimands of their ghostly fathers, besides the performance of the penances enjoined them. The clergy, as you have already seen, were over and above eased by it of the most painful part of their ministerial functions, got wives into the bargain, and not only kept their former livings to maintain them, but lived in hopes of improving their fortunes by stepping into richer benefi ces, by the removal of those who should refuse to conform.

The queen herself had the greatest interest upon earth to determine her to discard the pope; which, as I have already observed, was the fundamental article of the intended reformation. Let us hear Dr. Heylin's judgment of the religious motive that induced her to it:She knew very well, (says he) that her legitimacy and the pope's supremacy could not stand together, page 275. Very right: For if she had acknowledged the pope's supremacy, she must have stood to his verdict relating to the invalidity of king Henry's marriage with her mother, Anne Bolen; which would have been to own herself a bastard, and render her title to the crown at least doubtful. A reformation was therefore necessary, both to save her honor and secure her title: and these were two convincing proofs, that the pope was no longer supreme head of the church of England, though he had a prescription of 900 years to support his title to it.

But she had other motives full as pure and disinterested as this to carry on that godly reformation. For though the great harvest accruing from the plunder of the church had been reaped in the two reigns of Henry VIII. and Edward VI. yet there were no contemptible gleanings remaining by the death of queen Mary, to invite her to follow the footsteps of her two reforming royal predecessors. Let us hear Dr. Heylen speak once more:

"Her first parliament (says he) restored to the crown the tenths and first fruits, first settled thereon in the time of Henry VIII, and

afterwards given back by queen Mary. They also passed an act of Dissolution of all such monasteries, convents, and religious orders as had been founded by the queen deceased. By virtue of which act the queen was re-possessed of all those lands, which had been ganted by her sister to the monks of Westminster and Sheen, the knights hospitallers, the nuns of Sion, with the mansion-house re-edified for the observants of Greenwich, and the Blackfriars in Smithfield." · p. 280.

If Dr. Heylin may be believed (and he relates nothing but plain fact) she found ways and means, by the help of her good parliament, to manage the revenues of vacant bishopricks so discreetly, that her zeal for episcopacy did not any ways hinder a very considerable part of the church's patrimony from being safely conveyed into her coffers."

"It was enacted (says Dr. Heylen) by her first parliament, that in the vacancy of any archbishoprick, or bishoprick, it should be lawful for the queen to issue out a commission under the great seal; for taking a survey of all castles, manors, lands, tenements and all other hereditaments to the said episcopal sees belonging, or appertaining, and to take into her hands any of the said castles, manors, lands, tenements, hereditaments, &c. as to her seemed good; giving to the said archbishops and bishops as much annual rents, to be raised upon impropriations, tithes, and portions of tithes, as they did amount to, p. 292.

"Of this such advantages were made, as