penalties; so that the reformers, it appears, whatever scope they had
given to their own private judgment, in disputing the tenets of the
ancient religion, were resolved not to allow the same privilege to
others, and the practice, nay the very doctrine of toleration, was at
that time equally unknown to all sects and parties. To dissent from the
religion of the magistrate, was universally conceived to be as criminal
as to question his title, or rebel against his authority.

A law was enacted against usury; that is, against taking any interest
for money.[***] This act was the remains of ancient superstition; but
being found extremely iniquitous in itself, as well as prejudicial to
commerce, it was afterwards repealed in the twelfth of Elizabeth. The
common rate of interest, notwithstanding the law, was at this time
fourteen per cent.[****]

* Stowe, p. 608.

** 5 and 6 Edward VI. cap. 1

*** 5 and 6 Edward VI. cap. 20.

**** Hayward, p. 318.

A bill was introduced by the ministry into the house of lords, renewing
those rigorous statutes of treason which had been abrogated in the
beginning of this reign; and though the peers, by their high station,
stood most exposed to these tempests of state, yet had they so little
regard to public security, or even to their own true interest, that
they passed the bill with only one dissenting voice.[*] But the commons
rejected it, and prepared a new bill, that passed into a law, by which
it was enacted, that whoever should call the king, or any of his heirs
named in the statute of the thirty-fifth of the last reign, heretic,
schismatic, tyrant, infidel, or usurper of the crown, should forfeit,
for the first offence, their goods and chattels, and be imprisoned
during pleasure; for the second, should incur a "praemunire;" for the
third, should be attainted for treason. But if any should unadvisedly
utter such a slander in writing, printing, painting, carving, or
graving, he was, for the first offence, to be held a traitor.[**] It
may be worthy of notice, that the king and his next heir, the lady Mary,
were professedly of different religions; and religions which threw on
each other the imputation of heresy, schism, idolatry, profaneness,
blasphemy, wickedness, and all the opprobrious epithets that religious
zeal has invented. It was almost impossible, therefore, for the people,
if they spoke at all on these subjects, not to fall into the crime so
severely punish