Council of Trent; and since that time no General Council has been assembled, and the Catholic Church has had no opportunity of officially declaring its sentiments. As then the long suspension of the sittings of the Convocation of our own Church has caused many things to remain unaltered in our Liturgy and Church Government and probably in our Articles, which would have been reformed ere now had the Church still possessed the means of expressing its collective sentiments, the very same thing may be fairly presumed with regard to the doctrines of the Council of Trent.

But we are not left to mere conjecture as to the possibility of a Church heartily disapproving its former official acts without having ever actually disavowed them. Is there any member of the Church of England now alive, who does not disclaim and condemn the provisions and orders which I have here extracted from the "Constitution and Canons Ecclesiastical, treated and agreed upon. by the two Archbishops of Canterbury and York, and the rest of the Bishops and Clergy of those Provinces, in their Synods begun at London and York, 1640, and published for the due observation of them by his Majesty's authority under the Great Seal of England." I quote these Canons the more gladly, because they are very little known; as it would be impossible for honest men so often to deny that the Church of England was officially and by its public acts a persecuting Church, if they had even suspected the existence of such Canons as the following.

They are to be found in "A Collection of Articles, Injunctions, Canons, Orders, &c., of the Church of England, published to vindicate the Church of England and to promote uniformity and peace in the same," by Sparrow, in 1671; a proof, by the way, that in spite of the non-confirmation of them by the statute 13 Charles II. the clergy were not yet inclined to disavow them.

FROM CANON I. CONCERNING THE REGAL POWER.

"For any person or persons to set up, maintain, or avow in any their (i. e. the realms or territories of Kings) said realms or territories respectively, under any pretence whatsoever, any independent coactive power, either papal or popular, (whether directly or indirectly,) is to undermine their great royal office, and cunningly to overthrow that most sacred ordinance which God himself hath established and so is treasonable against God, as well as against the king."

FROM CANON III. FOR THE SUPPRESSING OF THE GROWTH OF POPERY.

"But if neither conferring nor censures will prevail with such persons, (i. e. Roman Catholics,) the Church hath no way left but complaints to the secular power; and for them we straitly enjoin, that all Deans and Archdeacons, and all having inferior or exempt jurisdiction, shall every year, within six months after any Visitation by them holden, make certificate unto their several Bishops, or Archbishop, (if it be within his diocese,) under their seal of office, of all such persons who have been presented unto them as aforesaid, under pain of suspension from their said jurisdictions by the space of one whole year.

"And we in like manner enjoin all Archbishops and Bishops, that once every year at the least they certify under their Episcopal seal in parchment, unto the Justices of Assize of every county in the circuits and within their dioceses respectively, the names and surnames not only of those who have been presented unto them from the said Deans, Archdeacons, &c., but of those also who upon the oaths of churchwardens and other sworn-men at their Visitations, or upon the information of ministers employed in the said conferences, have been presented unto them,

that so the said intended proceedings may have the more speedy and the more general success.

"In particular, it shall be carefully inquired into at all Visitations, under the oaths of the churchwardens and other sworn-men, what recusants or Popish persons have been either married or buried, or have had their children baptized otherwise than according unto the rules and forms established in the Church of England; and the names of such delinquents (if they can learn them, or otherwise such names as for the time they carry) shall be as aforesaid given up to the Bishop, who shall present them to the Justices of Assize, to be punished according to the statutes.

"And for the education of recusants' children, since by Canon already established no man can teach school, (no, not in any private house,) except he be allowed by the Ordinary of the place, and withal have subscribed to the Articles of Religion established in the Church of England we therefore straitly enjoin, that forthwith at all Visitations there be diligent inquiry made by the churchwardens or other sworn ecclesiastical officers of each parish, under their oaths, who are employed as schoolmasters to the children of recusants; and that their several names be presented to the Bishop of the diocese, who, citing the said schoolmasters, shall make diligent search whether they have subscribed or no; and if they or any of them be found to refuse subscription, they shall be forbidden to teach hereafter, and censured for their former presumption; and withal the names of him or them that entertain such a schoolmaster, shall be certified to the Bishop of the diocese, who shall at the next Assize present them to the Judges to be proceeded against according to the statutes. And if they subscribe, inquiry shall be made what care they take for the instruction of the said children in the Catechism established in the Book of Common Prayer. And all Ordinaries shall censure those whom they find negligent in the said instruction;

and if it shall appear that the parents of the said children do forbid such schoolmasters to bring them up in the doctrine of the Church of England, they shall notwithstanding do their duty; and if thereupon the said parents shall take away their children, the said schoolmasters shall forthwith give up their names unto the Bishop of the diocese, who shall take care to return them to the Justices of Assize in manner and form aforesaid. And because some may cunningly elude this decree, by sending their children to be bred beyond the seas, therefore we ordain, that the churchwardens and other sworn ecclesiastical officers shall likewise make careful inquiry, and give in upon their oaths at all Visitations, the names of such recusants' children who are so sent beyond the seas to be bred there, or whom they probably suspect to be so sent: which names as aforesaid shall be given up to the Bishop, and from him returned to the Judges as aforesaid, that their parents, who so send them, may be punished according to law. Provided always, that this Canon shall not take away or derogate from any power or authority already given or established by any other Canon now in force.

"And all the said complaints or certificates shall be presented up to the Judges in their several circuits by the Bishop's Registrar, or some other of his deputies immediately after the publishing of his Majesty's commission, or at the end of the charge, which shall be then given by the Judge. And this upon pain of suspension for three months.

"This sacred Synod doth earnestly entreat the said Reverend Justices of Assize, to be careful in the execution of the said laws committed to their trust, as they will answer to God for the daily increase of this gross kind of superstition. And further, we do also exhort all Judges, whether ecclesiastical or temporal, upon the like account, that they would not admit in any of their courts any vexatious complaint, suit or suits, or presentments against any

minister, churchwardens, questmen, sidemen, or other church-officers for the making of any such presentments.

"And, lastly, we enjoin that every Bishop shall once in every year send into his Majesty's high court of Chancery, a significavit of the names and surnames of all such recusants who have stood excommunicated beyond the time limited by the law, and shall desire that the writ De excommunicato capiendo might be at once sent out against them all ex officio. And for the better execution of this decree, this present Synod doth most humbly beseech his most sacred Majesty, that the officers of the said high court of Chancery, whom it shall concern, may be commanded to send out the aforesaid writ from time to time as is desired, for that it would much exhaust the particular estates of the Ordinaries, to sue out several writs at their own charge. And that the like command also may be laid upon the Sheriffs and their deputies, for the due and faithful execution of the said writs, as often as they shall be brought unto them.

"And to the end that this Canon may take the better and speedier effect, and not to be deluded or delayed; we further decree and ordain, that no popish recusant, who shall persist in the said sentence of excommunication beyond the time prescribed by law, shall be absolved by virtue of any appeal in any ecclesiastical court, unless the said party shall first in his or her own person, and not by a proctor, take the usual oath, De parendo Juri, et stando mandatis Ecclesiæ."

FROM CANON V. AGAINST SECTARIES.

"Whereas there is a provision now made by a Canon for the suppressing of Popery, and the growth thereof, by subjecting all popish recusants to the greatest severity of ecclesiastical censures in that behalf: this present Synod well knowing that there are other sects which endeavour the subversion both of the doctrine and discipline of the