n of the reformed. Foreseeing the persecutions which ensued,
he removed to England, and brought his congregation along with him. The
council, who regard them as industrious, useful people, and desired to
invite over others of the same character, not only gave them the church
of Augustine Friars for the exercise of their religion, but granted them
a charter, by which they were erected into a corporation, consisting
of a superintendent and four assisting ministers. This ecclesiastical
establishment was quite independent of the church of England, and
differed from it in some rites and ceremonies.[*]

These differences among the Protestants were matter of triumph to the
Catholics; who insisted, that the moment men departed from the authority
of the church, they lost all criterion of truth and falsehood in matters
of religion, and must be carried away by every wind of doctrine. The
continual variations of every sect of Protestants afforded them the same
topic of reasoning. The book of common prayer suffered in England a
new revisal, and some rites and ceremonies which had given offence were
omitted.[**] * Mem. Cranm. p. 234.

** Mem. Cieum. p, 289.

The speculative doctrines, or the metaphysics of religion, were also
reduced to forty-two articles. These were intended to obviate further
divisions and variations; and the compiling of them had been postponed
till the establishment of the liturgy, which was justly regarded as a
more material object to the people. The eternity of hell torments
is asserted in this confession of faith; and care is also taken to
inculcate, not only that no heathen, how virtuous soever, can escape an
endless state of the most exquisite misery, but also that every one who
presumes to maintain that any pagan can possibly be saved, is himself
exposed to the penalty of eternal perdition.[*]

* Article xviii.

The theological zeal of the council, though seemingly fervent, went not
so far as to make them neglect their own temporal concerns, which seem
to have ever been uppermost in their thoughts: they even found leisure
to attend to the public interest; nay, to the commerce of the nation,
which was at that time very little the object of general study or
attention. The trade of England had anciently been carried on
altogether by foreigners, chiefly the inhabitants of the Hanse Towns,
or Easterlings, as they were called; and in order to encourage these
merchants to settle in England, they had