but upon the interceffion of the Earl of Warwick, and the King's letter to defpense with those ceremonies he was at last confecrated Bishop of Gloucester. This great man was one of those whom Queen Mary filenced in the flames.

The beft tranfaction of Edward's reign was the great progress made in the Reformation, by the zeal of Archbishop Cranmer, though he was much oppofed by Gardner Bishop of Winchester, and Bonner Bishop of London; for which they were both (with others) committed to the Tower, and deprived of their bifhopricks. The Protector and his brother were both beheaded in this reign. And this pious and promising young Prince died in the feventh year of his reign and the seventeenth of his age.

CHAP.

CHA P. VIII.

From the Acceffion of Queen Mary, to the Acceffion of Queen Elizabeth, including about 5 Years.

Q

UEEN Mary I. Henry VIII's Daughter

by Catharine of Spain, fucceeded her brother Edward in 1553: for her cruelty and Oppreffion called the "bloody Queen Mary" being a bigotted Papift. She persecuted the Proteftants with all the violence of enthusiastick fury.

In her reign no less than 300 persons perifhed in defence of their religion, (fome fay 800 were burned and 60 died in prison) among whom were Archbishop Cranmer, Bishops Hooper, Farrar, Ridley, and Latimer. In a word neither age, fex, nor quality, prevented these unhappy victims from being brought to the ftake. In the large folio Hiftorical Dictionary it is faid, that in eigh

teen

teen months fhe restored Popery with a vengeance; so that for fome years the Kingdom blazed every where with burnt facrifi

ees.

The great promoters of thefe Antichristian violences, were the two popish Bishops committed in the former Reign, Gardener whom the Queen made lord Chancellor, and Bonner Bishop of London, both of a revengful Spirit, cruelly imbitter against the Reformation. But ftill they wanted to be rid of their eye-fore the Lady Elizabeth, whom they used to call the hope of Heretick, and on a flight pretence of treafon they confined her above twelve months before her innocence could procure her li berty.

In this reign many fled into Germany where the reformation flourished; and ma

ny who remained at home were burnt. The proteftants were not only perfecuted in England but in Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. And there are but few nations in

the

the World that has not put to death some of the true followers of Chrift.

"While popish errors mount on reafon's throne,
And war with all opinions but their own;
Then common sense, and charity and truth,
Without regard to fex, to age or youth,
Are facrific'd at prejudice's fhrine,
While pamper'd priests on cruelties refine :
What inftruments by bigot zeal are us'd!
How grofsly human nature is abus'd;
The Rack, exhaufted patience to control,
Th'enfanguin'd Dagger, and the poifon'd Bowl;
The bloody Sword, beftain'd with pious gore,
The Ax, with martyrs crimson cover'd o'er ;
The boiling Cauldron, where the just expir'd,
The flaming Pile by popifh malice fir'd ;
The bended Gibbet, innocence to bear ;
The red-hot Pincers, harmless flesh to tear;
The Precipice, from whence the victims thrown ;
The famin'd Death, immur'd in walls of ftone;
Fierce Bulls to tofs, the object in the air,

Sharp Dogs to worry, and wild beast to tear ;
The dreadful Pits, where dang'rous Serpents lurk,
To finish inhumanity's great work';

The

The melted draughts of Lead, the thorny Crown,
The Stones to brufe. the rapid Stream to drown;
The Slings to dislocate, the bloody Knife,
That by incifion drains the fap of life;
Slow Fires to broil. and dry Pans to destroy,
With other arts that popifh fiends imploy;
́All, all the romifh bigotry disclose,

And bid you fuch a bloody faith oppose;
A faith vindictive, holding endless ftrife,
With liberty, compaffion, truth, and life.

Bishop Hooper, was a north country man he used to preach every day, but he was not permitted to speak when he went to be burned at Gloucester.

Before Mr. Marfh was burnt he said that the glory of the church of Christ standeth not in the harmonious found of bells and organs, nor yet in the glitering of Mitres and Copes, neither in the fhining of gilt images and lights (as the blind Papists, do judge,) but in continual labour and daily affliction for his name fake.

George