FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95  
96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   >>   >|  
better what to do. Until that, it is very necessary, as you have already seen, to keep the folks quiet, and not to suffer any contradiction of his Grace's rights. Do you understand me, Mr. Torridon?" Cromwell laid the pen clown and leaned back in his chair, with his fingers together. "I understand, sir," said Ralph, in a perfectly even tone. "Well, that is all that I have to say," ended his master, still watching him. "I need not tell you how necessary secrecy is in the matter." Ralph was considerably startled as he went home, and realized better what it was that he had heard. While prudent persons were already trembling at the King's effrontery and daring in the past, Henry was meditating a yet further step. He began to see now that the instinct of the country was, as always, sharper than that of the individual, and that these uneasy strivings everywhere rose from a very definite perception of danger. The idea of the King's supremacy, as represented by Cromwell, would not seem to be a very startling departure; similar protests of freedom had been made in previous reigns, but now, following as it did upon overt acts of disobedience to the Sovereign Pontiff, and of disregard of his authority in matters of church-law and even of the status of Religious houses, it seemed to have a significance that previous protests had lacked. And behind it all was the King's conscience! This was a new thought to Ralph, but the more he considered it the more it convinced him. It was a curious conscience, but a mighty one, and it was backed by an indomitable will. For the first time there opened out to Ralph's mind a glimpse of the possibility that he had scarcely dreamed of hitherto--of a Nationalism in Church affairs that was a reality rather than a theory--in which the Bishop of Rome while yet the foremost bishop of Christendom and endowed with special prerogatives, yet should have no finger in national affairs, which should be settled by the home authorities without reference to him. No doubt, he told himself, a readjustment was needed--visions and fancies had encrusted themselves so quickly round the religion credible by a practical man that a scouring was called for. How if this should be the method by which not only such accretions should be done away, but yet more practical matters should be arranged, and steps taken to amend the unwarranted interferences and pecuniary demands of this foreign bishop? He had had more th
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95  
96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

practical

 

protests

 

affairs

 
bishop
 
Cromwell
 

understand

 
conscience
 

matters

 

previous

 

hitherto


lacked
 

Nationalism

 

dreamed

 

possibility

 

scarcely

 
houses
 

Religious

 

theory

 

reality

 
Church

significance

 
backed
 

considered

 

indomitable

 

convinced

 

Bishop

 

mighty

 
thought
 

opened

 

curious


glimpse

 

reference

 

method

 

called

 

religion

 

credible

 

scouring

 

accretions

 

pecuniary

 

interferences


demands

 

foreign

 

unwarranted

 

arranged

 

quickly

 

finger

 
national
 

settled

 

authorities

 

prerogatives