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in the Days of Henry the Eighth; he went fo far as to throw out the Pope, though at the fame Time he zealously maintained Popery. The first Breach happened upon the Point of the King's Divorce; and though the Court of Rome treated it as a Matter of Law and Confcience, and fent it about to their Canonifts and Divines, yet were they in Truth guided by mere politic Views: the Queen was nearly related to the Emperor; and Germany was then in fuch a State, many of its Princes having received the Reformation, that Cafar's Power was never more wanted, nor more courted by Rome. In this Difficulty the Pope chose rather to hazard lofing the King, than the Emperor: and the King, impatient of the ill Ufage and artificial Delays of Rome, took a shorter Way to his Divorce, and threw off all Subjection to the Pope. Yet in his Days he maintained himself and Kingdoms in tolerable Peace and Quiet: the Court of Rome had Reafon not to drive to the utmoft Extremity; Popery ftill remained in its most effential Parts; a fair Inlet fome Time or other to a Return of the Papal Power. It was doubtful also what Iffue the new Queen might have; and the next in Appearance

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was tied not only to Popery, but to the Pope alfo, upon the Plenitude of whofe Power her own Legitimacy depended. When the King had a Son born, yet still there were the Casualties of Childhood to fupport their Hopes, and a Profpect of an Infancy in the Throne, which could not but afford Opportunities of practising on the Kingdom for their own Advantage. In the young King's Time the Reformation was pushed with Vigour; but alas, his Days were few, and Rome had all his Time the Profpect of a Popish Succeffor, which did not only fupport her Hopes, but in fome Measure abate her Fury. When Queen Mary came to the Throne, then was the Time to fee with what Spirit Popery is to be restored in these Kingdoms: the Flames of Perfecution were kindled in all Parts; the Bishops, the Clergy, and the People fell promifcuously a Sacrifice to the enraged Deity of Rome: nay, fo far did the Fury of these Barbarians extend, that the helpless Infant, forced from the Mother's Womb by the Extremity of her Torture, was thrown into the Flames again, as guilty of the Parent's Herefy, and under the Sentence of the Holy Court, which had condemned the Mother without excepting

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excepting her Womb. It would be endless to relate to you the fiery Trials of that Time, when no Age, no Sex found Mercy; but old and young, Men and Women were led in Triumph to the Stake, and were forced to feal the Confeffion of their Faith with their deareft Blood; and yet at that Time there was a Woman in the Throne, in herself not cruel, and by the Tenderness of her Sex inclined to Compaffion; the was alfo obliged to her Country, which rescued her from a Rebellion, formed in the very Beginning of her Reign, and placed her on the Throne of her Ancestors in Spite of Oppofition but neither the Tenderness of her Sex, nor her natural Compaffion, nor the Senfe of Gratitude, could prevail against a Popish Confeffor, who first misguided her Confcience, and then by her Conscience over-ruled all the Sentiments of Nature and Humanity. If a Woman could do all this; if one obliged by her Country could be fo unnatural in her Returns to it, what have we to expect from one, who, if ever he comes, will come with Anger and Resentment against his Country; who must be fet on the Throne by the Treasure and Power of Rome, which must be repaid in

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the Blood of Hereticks; that is, in the Blood of the People of England? But to proceed.

The main Policy of this Reign was to fecure fuch a Succeffion of Princes as might for ever dath the Hopes of the Reformation in England: and for this Purpose the wifeft Step was taken, that human Policy could contrive: Spain was the only Kingdom of Europe not tainted with Herefy (as the Reformation is called); its King was young, and bigotted to the Superftition of Rome, and therefore chofen out as a proper Match for the Queen of England; and had that Marriage produced Heirs according to the Hopes of our Enemies, England, it is probable, had been at this Time as deeply plunged in the Darkness of Popery, as Spain itfelf; where Superstition and Idolatry appear in more ghaftly Forms, than they do even at Rome, where the Court of Inquifition fits in the fullest Triumph, and fcatters Death and Deftruction throughout the Realm. But the Hope of Iffue failing, together with the Queen's Life, the glorious Princess Elizabeth afcended the Throne, and the Reformation began once more to breathe in England. In the Beginning of her Reign, Hopes were

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conceived by the Popish Faction, that she might match with a Prince of their Communion, and their darling Philip was prevailed on to offer himself. But the Queen was too wife to match with a Prince, where the Legitimacy of the Marriage must have proved the Illegitimacy of her Birth; fince she could have had her Sifter's Husband only in Virtue of that Power by which her Father had his Brother's Wife. After Philip, feveral others were propofed; but these Hopes failing, the Roman Catholicks, who had hitherto been permitted to join with the established Church, to keep the Way open to an easier Reconcilement, were by the Power of the Pope entirely feparated. In the Queen's old Age, when the Thoughts of her marrying were laid afide, and the Hopes of a Popish Succeffor in great Meafure defeated by the Fate of the Queen of Scots, there was an Attempt from the fame Quarter to fet up a Spanish Prince for Succeffor, that they might obtain by Birthright what they could not obtain by Marriage; and a Book full of Learning was published by Parfons the Jefuit, to make out the Infanta's Title to thefe Crowns; fo well did they understand, that nothing less than

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