Page:The Church of England, its catholicity and continuity.djvu/100

 the stake. Many of them bear household names. Cranmer, Ridley, Latimer, Rogers, Taylor, Hooper. These persecutions were carried on all over England, and no mercy was shown by Gardiner and his allies. Mary was not responsible for all the evil of that time. She was led by other men. She died, however, a most miserable and discontented woman. The people were as glad to hear of her death as they were to see her accession. It was a fortunate thing for England that her reign lasted only five years.

Now we are to notice Elizabeth's work for the Church of England. The final settlement of the Reformation is due to her. Before she ascended the throne no one could tell what her religious position would be, and the public mind was much exercised over this important question. But Elizabeth, as a matter of fact, cared very little for religion at all. She did not take the interest which her father and sister did in theological matters, and she was not a partisan, like Edward. When she came to the throne she continued the services in her private Chapel just as Mary had left it. Elizabeth insisted on one thing, her own supremacy and no reverence for Bishops did she show if they dared to oppose her will. However, she had a very difficult position to fill, and, on the whole, she acted wisely.

Soon after her accession scores of men came back from the Continent who had left our country during the Marian persecutions. They brought over with them increased love for the Reformers' doctrines. Elizabeth saw the prospect of great division and discord in her kingdom. But, apart from her political troubles, she had as much as she could do to settle the religious difficulties of her age. Her one desire