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24 THE HISTORY OF HERESIES,
iv.
THE REIGN OF ELIZABETH.
23.-Elizabeth proclaimed Queen; the Pope is dissatisfied, and she declares
herself a Protestant. 24.-She gains over the Parliament, through the
influence of three of the Nobility, and is proclaimed head of the Church.
25.-She establishes the form of Church Government, and, though her
belief is Calvinistic, she retains Episcopacy, &e. 26.-Appropriates
Church Property, abolishes the Mass ; the Oath of Allegiance ; persecution
of the Catholics. 27.-Death of Edmund Campion for the Faith. 28._The
Pope s Bull against Elizabeth. 29.-She dies out of Communion with the
Church. 30.-Her successors on the Throne of England ; deplorable state
of the English Church. 31.-The English Reformation refutes itself.
23. Mary died on the 13th of January, 1559, and Eliza
beth, daughter of Anna Boleyn, was proclaimed Queen, according
to the iniquitous will of Henry VIII. I call it iniquitous, for the
crown, by right, appertained to Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots,
for Elizabeth s birth was spurious, as she was born during the
lifetime of Henry s first Queen and lawful wife, Catherine, and
when Clement VIII. and Paul III. had already declared his
marriage with Anna Boleyn null and void (1). Elizabeth was
then twenty-five years of age, and highly accomplished, and
learned both in science and languages. She spoke French,
Italian, and Latin. She had, besides, all the natural qualities
requisite for a great Queen, but obscured by the Lutheran
heresy, of which she was a follower in private. During the
lifetime of Mary, she pretended to be a Catholic, and, perhaps,
would have continued to do so when she came to the throne, or
have become a Catholic in reality, if the Pope would recognize
her as Queen, for in the beginning she allowed freedom of
religion to all, and even took the old Coronation Oath to defend
the Catholic Faith, and preserve the liberties of the Church (2).
She commanded Sir Edward Cairne, the Ambassador in Rome
(1) Gotti, c. 114, s. 3, n. 2; Varillas, (2) Nat. Alex. t. 19, c. 13; Berti,
t. 2, /. 22. p. 284 His. sec. 16.