Page:The Church of England, its catholicity and continuity.djvu/151

 in a Holy Place); warranted for a holy act, tending to the advancement of a holy religion, and by holy persons called by a most holy name, the name of Jesus. That these holy, religious persons, even the chief of all religious persons (the Jesuits), gave not only absolution, but resolution, that all this was well done: that it was by them justified as lawful, sanctified as meritorious, and should have been glorified (but it wants glorifying because the event failed; that is, the grief, if it had not glorified) long ere this and canonized, as a very good and holy act, and we had had orations out of the conclave in commendation of it—[this is the pitch of all]—this shrining it such an abomination, setting it in the Holy Place, so ugly and odious; making such a treason as this, a religious, missal, sacramental treason, hallowing it with orison, oath and Eucharist; this passeth all the rest."

As I said before, Andrewes was in his element in the seclusion of the study. He preferred that to taking an active part in the political troubles of his days. And he has influenced for good through the study far more people than he did in his political work. He is chiefly known for his sermons on the Incarnation, delivered in successive years before King James, and for his profound works on meditation and his soul-stirring prayers. Churchmen of succeeding years have thanked him for these benefits. By such publications he has helped to build up the spiritual life of hundreds of his successors.

He took but little part, I say, in active political movements of his time. We hear that he accompanied James and Laud to Scotland when the idea was first conceived to impose the Prayer Book on that nation, but we do not hear whether he