Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 9.djvu/239

 1570.] EXCOMMUNICATION OF ELIZABETH. 225 religion ; or to change any rite or ceremony before re- ceived and observed in the Catholic Church. The royal supremacy in matters spiritual meant no more than this, that she being by lawful succession Queen of England, all persons born in the realm were subjects to her and to no other earthly ruler. She was bound in duty to provide that her people should live in the faith, obedi- ence, and observance of the Christian religion ; that consequently there should be a Church orderly governed and established; and that the ecclesiastical ministers should be supported by the civil power, that her sub- jects might live in the fear of God to the salvation of their souls. In this Christian princes differed from. Pagan princes, who, when they did best, took but a worldly care of their subjects' bodies and .earthly lives. 'And yet/ she said, 'to answer further to some malicious untruths, she never had any meaning or intent that any of her subjects should be troubled or molested by examinations or inquisitions in any matter of their faith, as long as they should not gainsay the authority of the Holy Scriptures, or deny the articles of faith contained in any of the Creeds received and used in the Church : they might retain their own opinions in any rites or ceremonies appertaining to religion, as long as they should in their outward conversations show them- selves quiet and conformable, and not manifestly re- pugnant to the laws for resorting to their ordinary churches.' ' So far and no farther the Crown of England claimed authority over the Church ; and if any Potentate in VOL. IX. 15