me hoped would obtain papal sanction, and ignorant of the
changes made in translation from the Latin ritual, the uneducated did
not trouble themselves {329} about abstruse questions of dogma or even
about more obvious matters such as the supremacy of the pope and the
marriage of the clergy. Moreover, there were strong positive forces
attracting them to the Anglican communion. They soon learned to love
the English prayer-book, and the Bible became so necessary that the
Catholics were obliged to produce a version of their own. English
insularity and patriotism drew them powerfully to the bosom of their
own peculiar communion.

[Sidenote: Elizabeth's policy]

Though we can now see that the forces drawing England to the
Reformation were decisive, the policy of Elizabeth was at first
cautious. The old services went on until Parliament had spoken. As
with Henry VIII, so with this daughter of his, scrupulous legality of
form marked the most revolutionary acts. Elizabeth had been proclaimed
"Queen of England, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith &c," this
"&c" being chosen to stand in place of the old title "Supreme Head of
the Church," thus dodging the question of its assumption or omission.
Parliament, however, very soon passed supremacy and uniformity acts to
supply the needed sanction. The former repealed Philip and Mary's
Heresy Act and Repealing Statute, revived ten acts of Henry VIII and
one of Edward VI, but confirmed the repeal of six acts of Henry VIII.
Next, Parliament proceeded to seize the episcopal lands. Its spirit
was just as secular as that of Henry's Parliaments, only there was less
ecclesiastical property left to grab.

The Book of Common Prayer was revised by introducing into the recension
of 1552 a few passages from the first edition of 1549, previously
rejected as too Catholic. Three of the Forty-two Articles of Religion
of Edward were dropped, [Sidenote: The Thirty-nine Articles 1563] thus
making the Thirty-nine Articles that have ever since been the
authoritative {330} statement of Anglican doctrine. Thus it is true to
some extent that the Elizabethan settlement was a compromise. It took
special heed of various parties, and tried to avoid offence to
Lutherans, Zwinglians, and even to Roman Catholics. But far more than
a compromise, it was a case of special development. As it is usually
compared with the English Dissenting sects, the church of England is
often said to be the most cons