168 'he HISTORY of the PURITANS. Chap. V, r,eea But there-was another form gathering abroad, which threatened the Lifzzhech, reformation all over Europe; molt of. the .popifh princes having entered 1.568. . into a league to extirlitte it out of the world The principal confederates Popiiheonfe were the pope, the emperor, the kings of Spain, France, and Pcrtugal;. de'°L1' with the duke of Savoy and fome leffer princes: Their agreement was, to abroad, endeavour by force of arms to depofe all proteftant kings or potentates, and to place catholicks in their room ; and to difplace, banifh, and con - demn to death, all well -withers, and afiìfants of the clergy of Luther and Calvin, while the pope was to thunder out his anathemas againft the queen of England, to interdiêt the kingdom, and to abfolve her fubje&s from, their allegiance. In pròfecution of this league, war was already begun in France, Holland, and in feveral parts of Germany, with unheard of cru- elties againft the reformed. Under thefe difficulties, the proteftant prin- ces of Germany entered into a league, for their common defence, and invited the queen of England to accede to it. Her majefty Pent Sir Henry Killigrew, over to the ele&or Palatine with a handfome excufe; and at the fame time ordered her ambafl'ador in France, to offer her mediation between that king and his proteftant fubjefts : But the confederacy was not to be broken by treaties ; upon which her majefly, by way of felf- defence, and to ward off the form from her own kingdoms, aflifted the confederate proteftants of France and Holland, with men and money. This was the fecond time the queen had fupported them in their religious wars againft their natural kings. The foreign popifh princes reproached her for it ; and her majefty's minifers had much ado to reconcile it, with the court doEtrines of paflive obedience and non-refiftance. Their num- At home the papifs were in motion, having vat expectations from cer- ben tain prophecies, that the queen fhould not reign above twelve years; their numbers were formidable, and fuch was their latitude, that it was not eafy to bring them within the verge of the laws. In Lancafhire the Com- mon Prayer-book was laid afide, churches were Phut up, and the mats Strype r 11n- celebrated openly. The queen Pent down commiffioners of enquiry, but nail, P. 545. all they could do, was to bind Tome of the principal gentlemen to their good behaviour in recognizances. Two of the colleges of Oxford, (viz.) New College and Corpus Chri/ti, -were fo over-run with papifs, that the LfeofGrin- bifhop of Winchefier their vifitor, was forced to break open the gates of da], p. 133 the college, and fend for the ecclefrafical commiffion to reduce them to order. Great numbers of papifts harboured in the inns of court, and in feveral other places of publick refort, expelling with impatience the death of the queen, and the fucceffion of the prefumptive heir MARY, late queen of Scotland. Towards
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