s. This law seemed to be meant for securing the property of the
church; but as an exception was left in favor of the crown, great abuses
still prevailed. It was usual for the courtiers, during this reign,
to make an agreement with a bishop or incumbent; and to procure a
fictitious alienation to the queen, who afterwards transferred the lands
to the person agreed on.[**] This method of pillaging the church was not
remedied till the beginning of James I. The present depression of the
clergy exposed them to all injuries; and the laity never stopped till
they had reduced the church to such poverty, that her plunder was no
longer a compensation for the odium incurred by it.

A solemn and public disputation was held during this session in presence
of Lord Keeper Bacon, between the divines of the Protestant and those of
the Catholic communion. The champions appointed to defend the religion
of the sovereign were, as in all former instances, entirely triumphant;
and the Popish disputants, being pronounced refractory and obstinate,
were even punished by imprisonment.[***]

* I Eliz. cap. 2.

** Strype, vol. i. p. 79.

*** Strype, vol. i. p. 95.

Emboldened by this victory, the Protestants ventured on the last
and most important step, and brought into parliament a bill[*] for
abolishing the mass and reestablishing the liturgy of King Edward.
Penalties were enacted, as well against those who departed from this
mode of worship, as against those who absented themselves from the
church and the sacraments. And thus in one session, without any
violence, tumult, or clamor, was the whole system of religion altered,
on the very commencement of a reign, and by the will of a young woman,
whose title to the crown was by many thought liable to objections; an
event which, though it may appear surprising to men in the present
age, was every where expected on the first intelligence of Elizabeth's
accession.

The commons also made a sacrifice to the queen, more difficult to
obtain than that of any articles of faith: they voted a subsidy of four
shillings in the pound on land, and two shillings and eightpence on
movables, together with two fifteenths.[**] [1] The house in no instance
departed from the most respectful deference and complaisance towards the
queen. Even the importune address which they made her on the conclusion
of the session, to fix her choice of a husband, could not, they
supposed, be very disagreeable to one