Chap. IV.. The .HISTORY of the PURITANS. 155 for matters of no confequence to falvation. The mini/lers, on the other :2,ue en ch hand, thought it cruel ulàge to be turned out of the church for things ',66, which their.adverfaries acknowledged to be of meer indifference ; whereas they took it upon their confciences, and were ready to aver in the molt folemn manner, that they deemed them unlawful. They complied as far as they could with the eflablifhment, while they were within it, ufing as much of the liturgy as was not of enfive, and taking the oath of fupremacy ; they were as dutiful fubjefts to the queen as the bifhops, and declared themfelves ready to obey their fovereign in all things law- ful; and when they could not obey, patiently to fufler her difpleafure. After all this, to impute the behaviour of the nonconformijis to obflinacy and peevifhnefs, was very uncharitable. What could move them to part with their livings, or fupport them under the lofs, but the teflimony of a good coafcience? When they could not but be fenfible, their NONCONFOR tesrTY would be followed with poverty and difgrace, with the .lofs of their charaëters and ufefulnefs in the church, and with numberlefs unfore- -feen calamities to themfelves and families, unlefs it fhould pleafe God in his all -wife providence, to foften the queen's heart in their favour. In Scotland all things were in confufion. The young queen Mary, ,tjj;r; of after the death of her hufband Franeis H. returned into her own coun-Scotland. try, Augalt 2r,. r56r. upon ill terms with queen Elizabeth, whfl could not brook her affuming, the arms of England, and putting in her claim to the crown, on the pretence of her haftardy, which molt of the popifh powers maintained, becaufe fhe was born during the life of queen Ka- therine, whófe marriage had been declared valid by the pope. Elizabeth offered her a fate conduft, if fhe would ratify the treaty of Edinburgh; but fhe chofe rather to run all rifks than fubmit. MARY was a bi- gotted papi{t, and her juvenile amours and follies loon entangled her government, and loft her crown. As foon as the arrived in Scotland, fhe had the mortification to fee the whole nation turned proteftant, and the reformation eftablifhed by laws fo fectrre and ftrift, that only herfelf was allowed the liberty of mats in her own chapel, and that without pomp or oflentation. The proteftants of Scotland, by the preaching of Mr. Knox, and others, having imbibed the ftrongeft averfion to popery, were for removing at the greateft diftance from its fuperflitions. The general affembly petitioned her majefty, to ratify the ads of parliament for abc- lifhing the mats, and for obliging all her fubjefts to frequent the reformed worfhip. But the replied, That the law no impiety in the mais, and was determined not to quit the religion in which fhe was educated, being fatisfred it was founded on the word of God. To which the general affembly anfwered a little coarfely, That Turc/in flood upon as goodground as popery ; and then required her in the name of the eternal God, to in- X 2 form
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