Philip and Mary. Miracle, it was impoffible fhe fhould ever have The Parliament's any. This was a Handle which the Proteftant Writers of our English History, &c. took hold of, to ridicule the Queen and her Catholic Miniftry, for to fhameful an Impofition. One old Hiftorian (r), who lived in this Reign, is fo explicite in this Affair, as to relate how far the Parliament was deluded into this Belief; and to give us an Abstract out of the Act itself, to fhew the Credulity and Folly of a Popi Parliament. He begins with telling us, That amongst the Number of thofe Members, who carried Spanish Hearts in English Bodies, there was one Sir Richard Southwell; who being in the ParliamentHouse when the Members were bufy about fome Affairs of Importance, fuddenly rofe up, and cried, Tufh, my Mafters, why talk you of these Matters? I would have you take fome Order about our young Mafter, who is now coming into the World apace, left he find us unprovided, &c.' Which Words, fays our Authority, from a Courtier, with the Letters of the Privy Council about it, gave the Parliament fuch an Affurance of the Queen's being with quick Child, that they immediately drew up a Bill for its Maintenance, Support and Government; and, as it pafs'd into an Act, for greater Evidence he has given us the Subftance of it. It is fomewhat furprifing, that neither Dr Heylin, Bp Burnet, or any other Proteftant Writer of our Reformation, takes Notice of this Act, except in what is given before; but, as it is strictly Parliamentary, it must find a Place in these Inquiries (s). 6 A Lbeit we the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and the Commons in this prefent Parliament Acdrefs thereup-affembled, have firm Hope and Confidence in the Goodness of Almighty God, that like as he hath hitherto miraculously preferved the Queen's Majefty, from many great imminent Perils and Dangers; (r) Foxe's Alts and Monuments, Vol. II. p. 1345. Foxe. Dangers; even fo he will, of his infinite Good- Philip and Mary. nefs, give her Highness Strength, the rather by · our continual Prayers, to pass well the Danger of 'Deliverance of Child, wherewith it hath pleased him (to all our great Comforts) to blefs her: Yet ⚫ forafmuch as all Things of this World be uncer< tain, and having before our Eyes the dolorous Experience of this inconftant Government, dur· ing the Time of the Reign of the late King Ed'ward the Sixth, do plainly see the manifold In' conveniences, great Dangers and Perils, that may enfue in this whole Realm, if Forefight be not ufed to prevent all evil Chances, if they fhould happen: For the efchewing hereof, we the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and the Commons in "this prefent Parliament affembled, (for and in Con⚫fideration of a moft fpecial Truft and Confidence that we have and repofe in the King's Majefty, ' for and concerning the Politick Government, Order, and Administration of this Realm, in the Time of the young Years of the Iffue or Iffues of ⚫ her Majesty's Body to be born, if it should please God to call the Queen's Highness out of this prefent Life, during the tender Years of fuch Iffue or < Iffues, (which God forbid) according to fuch Order and Manner, as hereafter in this present "Act his Highness moft gracious Pleasure is, fhould ⚫ be declared and set forth,) have made our humble Suit, by the Affent of the Queen's Highness, that his Majefty would vouchfafe to accept and 'take upon him the Rule, Order, Education and Government, of the faid Iffue or Iffues to be born, as is aforefaid: Upon which our Suit, being of his faid Majefty moft gracioufly accepted, it hath pleafed his Highness not only to declare, That like as for the most part his Majefty verily trusteth, that Almighty God (who hath hitherto ⚫ preserved the Queen's Majefty, to give this Realm 'fo good an Hope of certain Succeffion in the Blood < Royal of the fame Realm) will affift her Highness ⚫ with his Graces and Benedictions, to fee the Fruit ⚫ of her Body well brought forth, live, and able to " govern, Philip and Mary. govern, (whereof neither all this Realm, nay all the World befides, fhould or could receive more • Comfort than his Majefty fhould and would) yet if fuch Chance fhould happen, his Majefty, at our humble Defires, is pleafed and contented, not only to accept and take upon him the Care and ⚫ Charge of the Education, Rule, Order, and • Government of fuch Iffues as of this most happy Marriage fhall be born between the Queen's Highness and him; but alfo, during the Time of ⚫ fuch Government, would by all Ways and Means study, travel, and employ himself to advance the Weal, both publick and private, of this Realm and Dominion thereunto belonging, according to the faid Truft in his Majefty repofed, with no lefs Goodwill and Affection, than if his Highness ⚫ had been naturally born amongst us. In Confide⚫ration whereof, be it enacted by the King and the Queen's most excellent Majefties, by the Affent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and the Commons in this prefent Parliament aflembled, ⚫ and by the Authority of the fame, &c.' To proceed. It is now that our Proteftant Hiftorians give us a whole Series of Heretical Burnings, the bare Recital whereof are fufficiently fhocking without Aggravation (t). But herein the Ministry were out in their Politicks; fince the bloody Proceedings of this Time proved the greatest Support of the Proteftant Caufe: And Foxe's Book of Martyrs being, in the fucceeding Reign, placed in every Church, and almost in every Gentleman's Houfe in England, has made more Converts from the Roman Faith than the Bible. But at the fame Time, it is no more than common Juftice to obferve, that in the terrible Executions this poor Bigotted Queen was guilty of, her Parliaments had an equal Share with herself. To give a strong Inftance how little the Proteftant Caufe was regarded, or the Complaints thofe Sufferers (t) In Strype's Ecclef. Memor. Vol. III. is an Account of such as were burned for Religion in this Reign, which amounts to 288, befides those that died of Famine in fundry Prisons. In Append. p. 293. ferers made to Parliament taken Notice of, we Philip and Mary. fhall fubjoin the Subftance of two Petitions, to both Houfes, in this laft Parliament, from the imprison ed Preachers, in Defence of the Reformation. teftant Preach ers. In the firft Place, They intreat them to recol- Petitions fromthe lect their Severities against the Religion eftablifh'd imprifon'd Proin the two late Reigns. They put them in • Mind that the Points had been settled with great Deliberation: That the Two Universities, and the moft confiderable Perfons for Learning in ⚫ other Parts of the Kingdom had been confulted. That to undo what was thus unanimoufly agreed, < was unferviceable to the Memories of the two • Princes King Henry and King Edward, and a Blemish upon the Honour of the whole Nation: That great Uneafinefs of Confcience, and Judgments from Heaven, muft follow fuch Measures ⚫ of Course. That fince the discharging the true Religion, throwing out the Reform'd Offices, ⚫ and bringing Superftition and Idolatry into their Place, all the Orthodox Preachers have been remov'd, have been harafs'd and rob'd, with fuch Cruelty and Injuftice, as exceeds the Barbarity of Turks and Infidels. They conjure their Majesties and the Parliament, by every Thing facred and valuable; to confider the lamentable State of Religion, and how much the Nation is likely to fuffer in their eternal Intereft. They earnestly defire, there'fore, the Church may be retriev'd from this deplorable Condition. As for themselves, they re· queft they may be brought before the Council, or Parliament; and if they fail either in maintaining the Homilies and Service fet forth in the late Reign, or in proving the Unlawfulness of the Liturgick Forms ufed at prefent, if they fail in making good either of thefe Points, and that by Catholick Principles and Authorities, they are willing to be burnt at the Stake, or fubmit to any other Death of Ignominy or Torture, which their Majefties fhall appoint them.' Ꮓ VOL. III. Not Philip and Mary. Not long after they made another Addrefs to their Majefties and the Parliament, of refembling Contents: They complain,They have been thrown • out of their Eftates, their Goods feiz'd, and their ⚫ Books taken from them: That they have been mifreported to their Majefties, reproach'd for Hereticks, closely confin'd for fifteen or fixteen Months, and not allow'd the Liberty to justify themselves against the Calumnies thrown upon them. They defire they may be brought publickly to their Antwer, either before the Parlia· ment, or fuch indifferent Judges as their Maje⚫fties fhall appoint. 6 • Under fuch an Allowance they don't queftion their being able to throw off the Imputation of Herely; to defend the Reformation from Point to Point, and fhew the Excommunications publifh'd against them of no Force; and that the Names of Difadvantage and Infamy belong rather to their Adverfaries: To their Adverfaries, who with refpect to their Majefties, may rather be be faid to ftand in the Place of the Egyptian Magicians to Pharaoh; of Zedekiah and his Party of Prophets, to Ahab King of Ifrael; and of Barjefu to the Pro-Conful Sergius Paulus. And laftly, they offer to justify the Doctrine and Worthip eftablifh'd in the late Reign, by Scripture and Antiquity, under the highest Penalties.' Whether the Freedom of thefe Addreflès gave Difguft; or the Misbehaviour of fome of thefe People had fower'd the Humour of the Court against them, it is not known; however the Preachers. met with no Encouragement, from any of the three Eftates, at that Time. Mr Collier and other Writers, have given feveral Inftances of the Reformers openly ridiculing, both in Words and Actions, the Popish Ceremonies and Worship. But there is one Thing, however, greatly commendable in the Government of Queen Mary, which was, reviving the ancient Conftitution of annual Parliaments. And, accordingly in the next Year, we find that another was called to meet at Westmin |