886 1 Review of the principal ¡aSh ob¡e&ed to the wifdom (hall find a proper opportunity to deliver them from there three hardfhips under which they labour. Firfl, from the incapacity of ferv- ing their king and country in civil offices, without taking the facrament according to the ufage of the church of England. Secondly, from the profecutions of thefpiritual courts, for teaching their children at fchool more than the englifh language. Thirdly, from the hard(hip of being chofen into offices, which they cannot in confcience qualify themfelves for, nor yet be admitted to fine ; but mull lie open to the pains and pe- nalties of apremunire ; which is the cafe of the fherifs ofcounties. Our authorconcludes his performance with an impeded quotation from P. 291. Mr. Rapin, " the prefbyterians (lays Rapin) think they have reafon to " complain of the Ilatute in this reign, which debarred them of liberty of " confcience thoughproteftants. But I (hall not, adds he, take upon me to " determine, whether they had reafon to complain of this rigor -- -" Here our author Hops ; it follows, " I (hall content myfelf with fay- " ing, that in my opinion, they [the puritans] were a little too obftinate, " and their adverfaries a little to uncharitable." And Mr. N. is very much of the fame mind. I have now made all the remarks which are neceffary upon this performance, and leave the reader to judge, whether Mr. N. has afperfed the character of queen ELIZABETH, or the doctrine, government, and worfhip of the church of England eflablifhed in her reign. I think it has appeared that her majefty had a greater tendernefs for the papifts than the puritans, and enclined more to the pomp ofRome than the fimplicity of Geneva ; having no where Paid, that her heart was entirelypopifh ; this is our author's peculiar thought. King EDWARD VI. was more pro- perly the FOUNDER of the doëtrine, government, and worfhip, of the church of England, than the great queen ELIZABETH, but his imma- ture death prevented his bringing it to perfection ; the queen was for re- ducing things to her brother's ftandard, but her heart was fo let upon Irate and magnificence in religion, that inftead of returning to king ED- WARD'S laft reformed liturgy, in the fifth year of his reign, fhe reftored . the firft, and would never afterwards through 'a long courfe of forty four years feign, reförnled the difcipline 'of the church, which was fo much defired, and which her brother molt certainly intended. It can therefore be no injury to the memory of this renowned princefs to fay, that her reformation hardly came up to her brother's ftandard. But no hiftorian that I have met with before this writer, has been fo hardy as to . affirm, that there were no penal lanes made againft meer non -conforms in her time, nor anyperfecution forconfeiencefahe ; when almoll all the fines, imprifonments, confifcation of goods, banifhments, &c. which the puri- tains underwent in this and the two next reigns, to the beginning of the civil. The conch,. fon.
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