242 REVIEW.-Lawson's either life or property. In an opulent age the wealthy will not part with their pleasures; nor in an enlightened one, men of science and liberal education degrade their taste to the vulgarity of fanaticism; but, though modern fanatics have thus only a partial success, they are very troublesome, because they destroy discipline and subordination. "Religious enthusiasm (says Madame de Stael) enables men of inferior abilities to menace their superiors." We could mention an existing Bishop who was threatened by an enthusiastic clergyman with a pamphlet within a week, if his Lordship did not comply with an impracticable request; and also a learned and eminent divine, who, upon a frivolous occasion, was told by a tailor that he (the said tailor) felt it his duty to rebuke and reprimand him. The Plantagenets and Tudors knew that this religious enthusiasm was a very genial soil for the growth and culture of sedition* and rebellion, and they were vindicated by history and reason for forming this opinion. They had experienced it occasionally in Anselm and Becket, and perpetually in the Pope; nor did the eighth Henry foresee that in the Reformation and circulation of the Bible, he was begetting a dangerous plebeianism, arising from a conversion of that sacred book into a "Paine's Rights of Man;" nor did he reflect that the diabolical "holy Inquisition" was founded only because unanimity in religious matters is impossible; and that a predominant system could not be established without similar institutions. It was for better ages to know, that, as to religion, the people can justly demand certain rights; but we are not arguing the right and wrong of the question, only elucidating points of history. No man possessed of common sense will believe that Elizabeth would have suffered John Knox to have effected a revolution in England as he did in Scotland, under the distracted reign of Mary; and Robertson says that it was only the contempt and indifference of Leo X. for Luther, that enabled him to introduce the Reformation. These remarks are applicable to the times of Archbishop Laud, who was called into office to repress *When our present King went to Ascot races, certain fanatics published, in mild reprimand, that THEY drew a veil over the infirmities of the Sovereign. revolution, as physicians are to cure hydrophobia, that is, hopeless disease. Our opinions of all furious parties are, that nothing short of complete ascendancy will satisfy them, and that they struggle violently for power to obtain that ascendancy. In the course of so doing they rouse other parties, through fear and jealousy, to resist them; and between them all, such bustles and impediments to Government arise, that a military despotism becomes ultimately the only resource, and then they are summarily extinguished. We deduce our opinions from history, and we know from thence that nothing but the squabbles of sects introduced the curse of Mahometan. ism; and that not the theories and golden ages of fanatics, but the invariable operations of certain opinions and acts, are the proper subjects of consideration with philosophers, historians, and men of business. Summing up, therefore, the times of Laud, as exhibiting only the vaiu cism, and, knowing also, that the book struggles of Authority against Fanati before us, however instructive and good, in the illustration of such matters in detail, cannot be compressed into an abridgment, we shall only state that the unfortunate Laud, although Archbishop of Canterbury, was in naked reality only a magistrate sent to suppress a mob without a Riot Act and military to support him, and was knocked on the head for his well-meant zeal. The cunning Cromwell made soldiers of the same rabble, as did Napoleon of a similar set, and the end of them was, that, instead of lawless liberty, they got military subordination; a just fate, for, as Elian says of cockfighting, they did not combat for their country, ύπερ πατρώων θεων δε μεν ὑπερ προγονίμων ήρωων, but merely that one might not yield to the other. The puerile mischief, nay, absolute follies, of the Puritans, and the hard fate of Laud, "whose only crime was (as our author justly says, i. 401,) being an anti-Calvinist," are generally known from the histories of England, but not so a curious fact, which we shall extract, because it explains some matters recently brought up. In a work newly published, entitled "Letters on the Church,” and much lauded in certain newspapers, it is gravely stated, that it would be advan 1829.] REVIEW.-Lawson's Life of Abp. Laud. tageous to the Church, if its connection with the State was dissolved, and the Bishops deprived of their seats in Parliament. The conscientious and venerable Earl of Eldon has too justly observed in the House of Lords, that one of his objections to Catholic Emanciation was the barefaced avowal of attempting the above infringements upon the Constitution. Now it is noticeable that this very idea was acted upon in the days of Laud, by the Puritans, who were, although disciples of Calvin, yet in this and other respects the tools of the Romanists, whom they so abhorred, but who despised and duped them most egregiously. In a letter to Archbishop Laud, dated June 10, 1640, Sir William Boswell, the resident at the Hague, writes as follows: "Be you assured, the Romish clergy have gulled the misled party of our English nation, and that under a Puritanical dress: for which the several fraternities of that church have lately received indulgence from the See of Rome and Council of Cardinals, to educate some of the young fry of the Church of Rome, who be natives of his Majesty's realms and dominions, and instruct them in all manner of principles and tenets contrary to the episcopacy of the Church of England. There be in the town of the Hague, to my certain knowledge, two dangerous impostors, who have large indulgences granted to them, and known to be of the Church of Rome, although they seem to be Puritans. The main drift of their intention is to pull down the English episcopacy; for which purpose above sixty Romish clergymen are gone within these two years, out of the monasteries of the French King's dominions, to preach up the Scots' Covenant, and Mr. Knox's prescriptions and rules, within that Kirk, and to spread the same about the northern coasts of England. There be great preparations making already against the Liturgy and ceremonies of the Church of England, and all evil contrivances, here and in France, and in the other Protestant holdings, to make your Grace and the Episcopacy odious to the Reformed Protestants abroad. It has wrought so much on divers of the foreign ministers of the Protestants, that they esteem our Clergy little better than Popish. The main things that they hit in our teeth are our Bishops to be called Lords, the service of the Church, the cross in baptism, confirmation, bowing at the name of Jesus, the communion-table placed altar-ways, our manner of consecrations." "The same facts are further corroborated at a subsequent period by Bishop Bramhall, in 1646, who, when in exile from 243 his See of Derry, in Ireland, informed Archbishop Usher that, by an order from Rome, above an hundred of the Popish Clergy were sent into England, consisting of English, Scots, and Irish, who had been educated in the Popish continental kingdoms, and who were prepared to assume any disof the Church of England, by pretending to guise, which would tend to the overthrow advocate Presbytery, Independency, Anabaptism, Atheism,' or any thing, in short, which would be advanced by the Sectarians. The same prelate also substantiates the fact, that it was universally understood by these incendiaries, that there was no better design to confound the Church of England, than by pretending liberty of conscience, and that it was lawful for Roman Catholics to work changes in Governments (this is actually the policy of the doctors of the Sorbonne), for mother church's advancement, and chiefly in an heretical kingdom, and so lawfully may make away with the King." Pp. 416-418. Concerning the advancement of Ecclesiastics to the administration of civil affairs, it has been said, that it is not reasonable and decent; that it is incompatible with their spiritual office, and contrary to the injunctions of the Divine Author of Christianity. In vindication, our judicious author says, "While I admit that there is some reason in these exceptions, it does not appear that they universally hold. For it is evident that Christianity is an inherent part of the Constitution, that all treaties are conducted on its broad and solid basis; and he who has made its doctrines and duties the study of his life, connected with natural talent and capacity for affairs, is by no means ill qualified to superintend, with the same facility as a layman, a Government, the public acts of which have, or ought to have in a civilized country, one great and ultimate end in view the advancement of religion, and consequently of the national happiness. Nor am I sure that the civil administration by an Ecclesiastic, is altogether incompatible with his spiritual office, if it be found that his superintendence conduces to the public good, for such a man is as much a civil member of society, and as much concerned in the public acts of Government, as the man who has not the ordination of the Church. As it is the duty of the public minister to propose those measures which tend to the stability of Government, and the welfare of his fellow-subjects, these are clearly objects which are not in themselves at a variance with his station as an ecclesiastic, but are rather strictly imperative on him as a spiritual pastor. And, as to the injunctions concerning Church and State, which some pretend to find in the Christian Scriptures, no analogy can be traced between the days of the Apostles, when Judaism 244 REVIEW.-Nichols's Autographs. or Paganism was established, and the present times, when Christianity is the Law of the Land; and therefore no precedents or arguments for independency can be thence adduced. In truth, there are no injunctions delivered on this subject in the New Testament; but the future events of Government were left to their natural course, except what is contained in that remarkable declaration of prophecy, that, in the last days Kings should be nursing fathers, and Queens nursing mothers to the Church. If Christianity be a public good, it cannot be wrong to establish it; if it involves man's happiness, its establishment is imperative; if its ministers are to promote this in every respect, their duties are at once understood; so that, although I admit that the objections are not wholly gratuitous, I maintain that those ecclesiastics who may be called to administer in civil as well as spiritual matters, do not perform duties inconsistent with their situation, or act contrary to the doctrines of Christianity." P. 486. If men have temporal interests, they must mingle in temporal concerns, and any party or persons who wish to remove them from such commixture, must have an unfair motive for such wishes. It is undoubtedly true, that there ought to be such an abstraction of worldly character in Ecclesiastics, as to make such interference with temporals a matter of necessity rather than of inclination; but there are temporal as well as spiritual duties, inevitable duties; nor is there in History, since the Reformation, an instance of Bishops in Parliament having done any other than important good. Moreover, if the theology of the State always influences the Legislation, as it undoubtedly does, it is as useful for the Bishops to sit in Parliament as the Judges; and it should be recollected, that exclusion of them proceeds upon the supposition that Christianity in this nation is merely an affair of rituals, which is false history, it being impossible to discard from legislation religious impressions, whether they be good or bad. (To be continued.) NICHOLS's Autographs. (Continued from vol. xcvi. ii. 542.) WE have before said, that it is not only in the curiosity and interest attached to the Autographs of such eminent persons as those here mentioned, but the excellent delineations of their characters, for which we value [March, this work. We shall give some of these characters, because, from the historical eminence of the parties, every one will see how faithful is the mirror in which the portraits are beheld. ROBERT EARL OF ESSEX (Queen Elizabeth's favourite) "more from the partiality of his Royal mistress, than his own desires. His violent passions, republican predilections, and thirst for popularity, occasioned many a threatening crisis, until at last, urged on by the inveterate malice of his enemies, he commenced his fatal insurrection; but the Queen only survived him two years, and after his decapitation never recovered her former self-possession." BISHOP GARDINER, t. Mar. "A learned scholar and profound politician, but double dealing and unprincipled." HENRY STAFFORD, DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM, beheaded by Richard III. "A palpable imitator of Warwick, the King-maker.' LORD CHANCELLOR BACON. "A man of gigantic learning and talents, but utterly unprincipled. The badness of his hollow heart was evinced by his activity in the prosecution of his benefactor Essex, for which he was universally execrated. The ministers of Elizabeth were obliged to avoid him; but the succeeding mouarch found, in the talented lawyer and philosopher, many qualities which were exceedingly suited to his taste-He was learned, pliant, and a flatterer." HUGH PETERS, the mountebank divine and regicide, exiled from college for irregular behaviour. "He betook himself to the and buffoonery he afterwards practised in stage, and there acquired that gesticulation the pulpit. Having obtained ordination, he became lecturer of St. Sepulchre's, in London; but, being prosecuted for adultery, fled to Rotterdam. He was for some time pastor of the English Church there, and afterwards spent seven years in America. Having returned to England, he was foremost among the political firebrands. Sir Philip Warwick says, he was truly and really the King's gaoler,' and he was one of the persons suspected to have performed the part of the executioner of the unfortunate Monarch. He himself suffered after the Restoration, glorying in his presumed martyrdom." DAVID LESLIE, afterwards first LORD NEWARK. "In 1650 his cool and vigilant sagacity baffled the impetuosity of Cromwell, and so hemmed him up at Dunbar, that the ruin of the English appeared inevitable. But the Committee of Church and State controlled his operations, and by their crooked policy turned the balance against him and themselves." Here was a man, who from sheer talent out-generalled Cromwell, and 1929.] REVIEW.-Nichols's Autographs. would have succeeded, had it not been for the interference of a public body; and public bodies, says Robertson, can never conduct warlike affairs. JAMES THE FIRST, KING OF ENGLAND. "The character of James was as strangely compounded, as any recorded in history. He was learned as a scholar, but ignorant as a politician; proud of his station, but not dignified in his behaviour; fond of command, but too weak to enforce obedience. He entered his new kingdom with an idea that its revenues were inexhaustible; and his profuseness soon reduced him to distress. By granting away the Crown lands, he made himself continually more dependent on that Parliament which was every Session becoming less inclined to submit implicitly to the desires of their Sovereign. Aaxious to maintain and enlarge their liberties, the Commons found in James, and the son he had too well impressed with his extravagant notions, such a violent pertinacity for enforcing their royal prerogative, that resistance was deemed necessary, and a disastrous civil war was the ruinous consequence. In his foreign policy this monarch was not more successful. By an obstinate determination to maintain peace at all hazards, he degraded the reputation of the country; while, by neglecting the cause of his daughter, and the Protestants of Germany, he caused the sincerity both of his religion and his parental affection, to be brought into doubt. This, however, was not just. His conduct entirely originated from ill-judged affection; for his prime object was a splendid alliance for his son, and whilst for many years he, with that view, continued his negociations with Spain (in which he was constantly overreached), he vainly hoped to secure his daughter's establishment as a supplementary arrangement. In religion, though his earnest desire to accomplish the Spanish match might have led him to make unworthy compromises, he was sincerely, but without bigotry, a Protestant. Such, however, was his conceited opinion of his own learning and wisdom, such his pride in the name of Solomon, with which his flatterers were accustomed to greet him, that, relying on that Kingcraft' of which with so little reason he boasted, he was sometimes tempted to esteem himself as the arbitrator of a universal standard of doctrine. At home, where this busy spirit of interference could be more readily gratified, it was continually manifested. On the subject of religion, he had, soon after his accession, a solemn conference at Hampton Court, at which for three days he presided. Of his assuming the office of Judge, there are several instances; he sent directions in his own handwriting for the regulation of the University of Cambridge; and he was for a time his 245 own Secretary of State. Indeed, his chief pleasure in public affairs seems to have been that of exhibiting his own abilities, and acting in the character which he delighted to appropriate that of a vicegerent of the Almighty. He had no good minister but Salisbury, after whose death, his favourites, Somerset and Buckingham, directed the helm of the State. In the mean time, the King was glad to retreat from business to diversion; and being passionately fond of sylvan sports, would spend his whole day in their pursuit. In another recreation he stands in a more honourable light; Buchanan had made him a learned man; and much of his leisure was spent in learned studies and composition. Nor, though pedantry is the most prominent charge of the vulgar abuse of James, is there, in truth, any just reason for stigmatizing him with a fault, which he merely shared with all other scholars of his age. The Literary Character of King James the First,' has, however, been amply vindicated by Mr. D'Israeli. Granger gives him credit for scholarship, whilst he adds a tribute really due to the King's well-meaning benevolence, and which may be here appended. He was eminently learned, especially in Divinity; and was better qualified to fill a Professor's chair, than a throne. His speculative notions of regal power were as absolute as those of an eastern monarch; but he wanted that vigour and firmness of mind, which is necessary to reduce them to practice. His consciousness of his own weakness in the exertion of his prerogative, drew from him this confession, that though a King in abstracto had all power, a King in concreto was bound to observe the laws of the country which he governed. But if all restraints had been taken off, and he could have been in reality that abstracted King which he had formed in his imagination, James possessed too much good nature to have been a tyrant'.' " Henry the Eighth was a Bluebeard in the natural form of the Devil; Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, was another Bluebeard in the form of the Serpent which seduced Eve. The former decapitated, the latter poisoned. We are led to this remark by seeing here the autograph of the fond and devoted Amy Robsart, the first wife of the diabolized adder alluded to. Every body knows the delightful romance of Kenilworth,-a Tragedy, of which the Dramatis Personæ are the parties themselves, called up from their graves by the Novelist magician. Students who attend St. Mary's Church, Oxford, still look out for the flat stone which covers the dust and bones of poor Amy, and could any sculptured effigies sup 246 REVIEW.- Christianity, Protestantism, and Popery. [March, ply the place of the whole historical picture, then imagined in the mind's eye? More than once attracted by the old ballad, we have, when undergraduates, walked to the lonely towers of Cumnor Hall," fancied that we saw her struggle, and heard her screams, when she was thrown over the staircase (the traditional mode of her assassination), and wondered how any man could have the heart to murder a simple lovesick pretty girl. Even now, in sorrow and in sadness, we give our author's account: "The unfortunate AMYE DUDDLEY (for so she subscribes herself in the Harleian Manuscript, 4712), the first wife of Lord Robert Dudley, Queen Elizabeth's favourite, and after Amy's death Earl of Leicester, was daughter of Sir John Robsart. Her marriage took place June 4, 1550, the day following that on which her Lord's eldest brother had been united to a daughter of the Duke of Somerset, and the event is thus recorded by King Edward in his Diary: 4. S. Robert dudeley, third sonne to th' erle of warwic, maried S. John Robsartes daughter; after wich mariage ther were certain gentlemen that did strive who shuld first take away a gose's heade wich was hanged alive on tow crose postes.' Soon after the accession of Elizabeth, when Dudley's ambitious views of a royal alliance had opened upon him, his Countess mysteriously died at the retired mansion of Cumnor near Abingdon†, Sept. 8, 1560; and, although the mode of her death is imperfectly ascertained (her body was thrown down stairs, as a blind), there appears far greater foundation for supposing the Earl guilty of her murder, than usually belongs to such rumours, all her other attendants being absent at Abingdon fair, except Sir Richard Verney and his man. The circumstances, distorted by gross anachronisms, have been weaved into the delightful Romance of Ke nilworth'." Of the Goose and Posts, we can suggest no better explanation than that the Goose was intended for poor Amy, and the cross posts for the Protector Somerset, and his rival Dudley Duke of Northumberland, both of whom were bred to the devil's trade, Ambition. Others may be possessed of more successful elucidation. At all events, it is plain that the people had a very suspicious opinion of Leicester, amounting to this, that he was a great rascal, who played a deep game, and We believe, in Evans's collection. It is only three miles from Oxford, and six or seven from Abingdon. REV. Christianity, Protestantism, and Popery, compared and contrasted; in which is shown the whole doctrine of the Romish Church, as taught at the present day; also the Origin of every Invention of that Church, which Popery has introduced, and the means employed at the Reformation to establish the Protestant Religion on the firm basis of Primitive Christianity. 8vo, pp. 254. white in the present day is, by winning THE modes by which black is made over factionists who are glad of an accession to their party, and feeing newspapers, which are conducted upon principles of advocacy. It is wellknown that obstinacy and perseverance carry more questions with the public than truth or reason; that the readers of these journals exceed those of elaborate works, in the proportion of a thousand to one; and that eight hundred out of that thousand readers are not worth a shilling, nor connected with those who have one; and therefore have no interest in the State, but nevertheless can disseminate error and mischief, with zeal and industry, not to be expected from persons who have landed or monied property. It is plain that Popery has no nearer assimilation, in externals, to Christianity, than a monkey has to a man, nor, in the internals, than a devil to an angel. All these dissimilarities are, however, now concealed undera plaister cast, moulded according to the beau ideal of party, which often carries on a successful trade in counterfeits. The subject, however, is so exhausted, that we cannot do the justice it deserves to the valuable work before us. We shall therefore touch only upon one particular. That the boys of Elizabeth's days used to parade the Devil and the Pope, and burn both together in a bonfire, is now deemed a barbarism unde His general mode of murder was by poison; and it is said, that he so perished himself. |