Page:The Church of England, its catholicity and continuity.djvu/145

 in opposition to the Genevan rule of Church government. They opposed, and rightly opposed the teaching of Calvinism, because it was foreign to the Church of England and subversive of Apostolic teaching.

Now the Father of this movement against Calvinism was Lancelot Andrewes. William Laud, his personal friend, who had come under Andrewes' influence, continued the work he had begun and persevered in it till it cost him his head.

To-night I will briefly speak about the lives of these two men with the object of showing what they tried to do for the preservation of the Church of England. Remember that they lived at the time when the Puritans were trying to do the work of which we spoke last week: when the Puritans were trying to undermine the Church of England. I say, we will consider the work of these two men for our Church, for, believe me when I say it, that both Andrewes and Laud were faithful sons of the Church, and they had no other desire at heart than the Church's welfare, although you have often heard them described as Papists or Romanists. Sectarian historians say that Laud certainly was a Roman Catholic, and that he taught papal doctrines, that he would have handed England over to Rome. We shall see the truth of this this evening.

At the outset we should consider that these men lived in very troublesome days, and in days when men used means differing from our own to enforce their most conscientious convictions. Passions were stronger then than now. Bigotry was looked upon almost as a virtue. But to say these men were Papists is nothing short of calumny. They