Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 9.djvu/358

 344 REIGN OF ELIZABETH. [CH. 55. of the church, at the far end of the middle aisle ; ' and while the people were communicating ' a minister in the pulpit read to them comfortable scriptures of the Passion/ From these arrangements it is clear that the Ge- nevan element preponderated, but there follows a re- markable proof that even Calvinism, when left to itself, did not necessarily imply ecclesiastical despotism. The congregation of Northampton, i as a confession of faith/ 'accepted Holy Scripture as the Word of God, to be read alike by all, learned and unlearned ; ' but ' they did condemn as a tyrannous yoke whatever men had set up of their own invention to make articles of faith or bind men's consciences to their laws and statutes ; they contented themselves with the simplicity of the pure Word of God and doctrine thereof, a summary abridgment of which they acknowledged to be contained in that Confession of Faith used by all Christians, com- monly called the Creed of the Apostles.' 1 The fury of the times unhappily forbad the main- tenance of this wise and prudent spirit. As the powers of evil gathered to destroy the Church of England, a fiercer temper was required to combat with them, and Protestantism became impatient, like David, of the uniform in which it was sent to the battle. It would have fared ill with England had there been no hotter blood there than filtered in the sluggish veins of the officials of the Establishment. There needed an enthu- 1 Order of the services in the Church of Northampton, June 5, 1571 : MSS. Domestic, Rolls House.