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PERSECUTION OF CATHOLICS. 27
in the game of human politics, what the craft of Rome, the power of Philip,
the genius of Farnese could achieve against the island-queen with her
Drakes and her Cecils—in that agony of the Protestant faith and English
name they stood the trial of their spirits without swerving from their allegiance. "They flew from every country to the standard of the Lord
Lieutenant; and the venerable Lord Montague brought a troop of horse to
the Queen at Tilbury, commanded by himself, his son and grandson." 1 But
neither uncomplaining submission, nor courage, nor patriotism that, superior to the " scavenger's daughter " and the dungeon, to insult and wanton
spoliation, had rushed to the shore when the terrible Armada came on, could
soften the cruelty that demanded their lives and the avarice that lusted for
their fortunes. There was not one generous pulse to stay the hand that'
crushed them; and the work of death and confiscation went on more mercilessly than before.
Archbishop Whitgift's Court of High Commission, clothed with almost
unlimited powers, studied to entrap the unwary dissenter, and employed
every artifice to hush forever the uncouth voice of liberty of conscience.
The cruelty of this tribunal must have been excessive, since Strype and
Burleigh, employing terms by which they meant to express the height of
fiendish malice, stamped it as worse than the Spanish Inquisition.2
As the oath of supremacy denied the spiritual power of the Pope,3 the
Catholic found that perjury or apostasy were conditions precedent to his
enjoyment of civil privileges. On the other hand, it was not until the Puritan became the Independent, that he refused to concede what the monarch
claimed in the oath. There was a wide difference between persecuting the
Catholic and persecuting the Independent. In the first case, it was unprovoked oppression; in the last partly defensive. The Catholic, as we have
seen, guilty of no political offence, could not expiate his sin by any political
virtue, i A deep-rooted antipathy to his faith sealed his doom, though his
behavior as a citizen was unquestioned^ But the Independent had long displayed that restless and determined opposition which ultimately triumphed
at Naseby. The Catholic suffered because he obeyed the Pope as the head
of the Church; the Independent because he was a political agitator.
The acts of Parliament and the State Trials mark this distinction.
Mayne was hanged with no charge against him but papistry; but it was
necessary to convict the Brownists under the statute against the spreading
of seditious writings.4 The statute5 was an expedient to bring the Independent within the pale of persecution; for the temper of the nation required
a political offence to justify severity to the Protestant dissenter. In the year
1581, we find the Commons condemning the castigation of Puritans, and in
the next breath declaring their willingness to assist in the extirpation of
1 Hallam, Const. Hist., i., p. 219. 31st Eliz., c. i.; Hallam, Const. Hist., p. 150, n. 1.
2 Bancroft, i., p. 289.; Hallam, Const. Hist. •» Hallam, Const. Hist., i., p. 296, 289.
of England, i., p. 220. 5 23d Eliz.
| Title | History of Maryland - 1 |
| Creator | Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas) |
| Publisher | J. B. Piet |
| Place of Publication | Baltimore |
| Date | 1879 |
| Language | eng |
| Type | Books/Pamphlets |
| Title | 00000052 |
| Type | Books/Pamphlets |
| Transcript | PERSECUTION OF CATHOLICS. 27 in the game of human politics, what the craft of Rome, the power of Philip, the genius of Farnese could achieve against the island-queen with her Drakes and her Cecils—in that agony of the Protestant faith and English name they stood the trial of their spirits without swerving from their allegiance. "They flew from every country to the standard of the Lord Lieutenant; and the venerable Lord Montague brought a troop of horse to the Queen at Tilbury, commanded by himself, his son and grandson." 1 But neither uncomplaining submission, nor courage, nor patriotism that, superior to the " scavenger's daughter " and the dungeon, to insult and wanton spoliation, had rushed to the shore when the terrible Armada came on, could soften the cruelty that demanded their lives and the avarice that lusted for their fortunes. There was not one generous pulse to stay the hand that' crushed them; and the work of death and confiscation went on more mercilessly than before. Archbishop Whitgift's Court of High Commission, clothed with almost unlimited powers, studied to entrap the unwary dissenter, and employed every artifice to hush forever the uncouth voice of liberty of conscience. The cruelty of this tribunal must have been excessive, since Strype and Burleigh, employing terms by which they meant to express the height of fiendish malice, stamped it as worse than the Spanish Inquisition.2 As the oath of supremacy denied the spiritual power of the Pope,3 the Catholic found that perjury or apostasy were conditions precedent to his enjoyment of civil privileges. On the other hand, it was not until the Puritan became the Independent, that he refused to concede what the monarch claimed in the oath. There was a wide difference between persecuting the Catholic and persecuting the Independent. In the first case, it was unprovoked oppression; in the last partly defensive. The Catholic, as we have seen, guilty of no political offence, could not expiate his sin by any political virtue, i A deep-rooted antipathy to his faith sealed his doom, though his behavior as a citizen was unquestioned^ But the Independent had long displayed that restless and determined opposition which ultimately triumphed at Naseby. The Catholic suffered because he obeyed the Pope as the head of the Church; the Independent because he was a political agitator. The acts of Parliament and the State Trials mark this distinction. Mayne was hanged with no charge against him but papistry; but it was necessary to convict the Brownists under the statute against the spreading of seditious writings.4 The statute5 was an expedient to bring the Independent within the pale of persecution; for the temper of the nation required a political offence to justify severity to the Protestant dissenter. In the year 1581, we find the Commons condemning the castigation of Puritans, and in the next breath declaring their willingness to assist in the extirpation of 1 Hallam, Const. Hist., i., p. 219. 31st Eliz., c. i.; Hallam, Const. Hist., p. 150, n. 1. 2 Bancroft, i., p. 289.; Hallam, Const. Hist. •» Hallam, Const. Hist., i., p. 296, 289. of England, i., p. 220. 5 23d Eliz. |
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