was the most prominent. The company was an association of merchants in London and Plymouth; but the leading spirits were Gosnold the navigator, who had visited the American shores earlier, Edward Wingfield, a London merchant, Sir John Popham, an eminent English judge, Ferdinando Gorges, a naval officer, and the adventurer John Smith. The company was chartered in 1606, and on the following New Year's Day three ships carrying 105 men sailed out into the Jamestown. Atlantic to plant the British Empire in America,1 1607. as it had been planted six years before in India.

succession.

2

275. The Succession. As the years passed, England became more and more solicitous about the succession: the queen was approaching the edge of the grave; but no one knew who was to succeed her. The Tudor dynasty was not without its representatives; but none of them possessed The problem the dignity of station necessary to a candidate of the for the throne. Elizabeth's nearest relative in England was Lord Beauchamp, a nephew of Lady Jane Grey; and the queen probably had him in mind when she said that no rascal should sit on her throne. Whether she ever really designated James Stuart, "our cousin, of Scotland," as her successor is not known and is not important, as no will without parliamentary sanction could dispose of the crown. James, however, was the queen's nearest male kinsman, and, though ineligible so long as Henry's will was still law, he had a strong following among the English magnates, who hoped that his accession would secure the peaceful union of the two crowns and perpetual peace in Great Britain. There was much intriguing in favor of the Stuarts during the last years of Elizabeth's life, and it is said that many prominent Englishmen. had accepted Stuart gold. In March, 1603, the Accession of day after the great queen's death, the privy council proclaimed James I the king of England; the people of England gladly acquiesced; and a few weeks later the Scotch king mounted the throne without opposition.

1 Cheyney, No. 264.

2 Gardiner, 480.

James I.

church.

276. Achievements of the Tudor Dynasty. For a little more than a century the Tudors had ruled in England and during this period they had achieved much that has endured. The Anglican In the sixteenth century England came to hold an entirely new position in Europe. Papal control and influence were a thing of the past; and the English church had been rebuilt on a Protestant basis. English commerce had reached out to the new continents and an English ship had girdled the earth. Spain, whose immense power had overshadowed Europe, was crushed when the Armada was defeated, and England was left without a serious rival on the sea. All ambition to rule Continental territory was surrendered; but the English flag had been planted in Virginia and in India the British Empire was born in the reign of Queen Elizabeth. To the Stuart dynasty the Tudors passed on their policies and ambitions: plans for further commercial development; plans for the union of the Scotch and English crowns; plans for colonial expansion. These were in great measure realized during the earlier years of the new reign. But the Stuarts also inherited the strife that had arisen between Elizabeth and parliament and the problem of composing the difficulties that had arisen within the English church.1

Imperial ambitions.

REFERENCES

THE ELIZABETHAN SEAMEN. Cross, History of England, 391-393, 410-413; Fletcher, Introductory History of England, I, ii, 174-179; Innes, History of England, 332-336; Ober, Raleigh, c. i; Ransome, Advanced History of England, 466-467, 473-475; Tout, Advanced History of Great Britain, 392–397.

LITERATURE OF THE ELIZABETHAN AGE. Creighton, 208-226; Cross, 417-425; Innes, 378-382; Tout, 415-418.

THE ULSTER PLANTATION. - Lawless, Ireland, 222-225.

ENGLAND IN THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY. Cheyney, Short History of England, 367-381; Cross, cc. xxi, xxvi; Fletcher, I, ii, 190-205; Innes, 363-382; Walker, Essentials in English History, c. xx; Wrong, History of the British Nation, c. xiii.

1 Masterman, 96-102.

CHAPTER XIV

THE RISE OF THE PURITAN PARTY

Early dissatis

277. The Opponents of Anglicanism. The Anglican church had received its sanction from parliament. Its government rested on statutory acts; its worship was ordained by the legislature; even its creed was authorized by law. These various acts were to a large extent dictated by a spirit of compromise and consequently the establishment faction with Anglicanism. did not satisfy all classes; still, so long as the conflict with Rome was on, the quarrel over details was kept down. But with the final victory for Protestantism in the early years of Elizabeth's reign, the internal strife broke out in earnest. The dissatisfaction at first was chiefly with the ceremonies and worship of the church, which many felt were too nearly like those of Romanism. This feeling had existed in England since the beginning of the Protestant movement: John Hooper, who is sometimes called the first Puritan, refused to wear the scarlet robes of the episcopal office which the church required in the days of Edward VI; he was also unwilling to take the episcopal oath; he was "argued with learnedly, kindly, patiently, and when this did not answer was thrown into the The Marian Fleet.' The Marian exiles, who on the Continent exiles; Calvinism. had come into contact with the bald and simple worship of Calvinism, did much to spread and intensify this opposition to elaborate robes and ceremonies. In the matter of doctrine there was but little disagreement: the English Protestants were inclined to accept on disputed points the theology of John Calvin rather than that of the German reformers. Soon, however, a strong opposition also arose to the Anglican form of church government, which in time developed an intense bitterness.

278. Puritanism. The men who began to mutter opposition to the established order soon came to be known as Puritans, men who wished to purify the ceremonial of the church. The term Puritan is very inclusive, and is often used as a general term for all the various Protestant tendencies that were working

The Fleet was a prison of evil repute, used as a place of confinement for debtors, offenders against religion, victims of the Star Chamber, and other unfortunates. It was established in the twelfth century and abolished in 1843.

The Puritan

type of mind.

in united opposition to the established church. Any positive platform or series of Puritan principles is difficult to find or formulate: but there did exist a Puritan type of mind and a Puritan view of life that gave distinct color to the movement.

The characteristics of Puritanism were chiefly derived from a close and continued study of the Scriptures. In those days there were no newspapers or magazines; literature was not generally accessible; but the love for reading was strong; and

PRESBYTERIANISM: THOMAS CARTWRIGHT

311

this love the Bible helped to satisfy. The sacred book proved to be a comfort and a revelation to the serious- Characteristics minded reader and the result was a profound of Puritanism. modification of character in a direction that is, perhaps, best typified in the character of John Milton. The mind that was filled with the historic lore of the Old Testament, the sublime poetry of the Psalms, the eloquent passion of the Prophets, and the clear-cut principles of the Mosaic law could not fail to display its spiritual possessions; and so we have the Puritan Christian, strong in prayer, strict in conduct, quick to discern evil or the appearance of evil in others, eager to testify to the faith that was in him, and sure of his own position.

Disagreement among

Puritans.

The great strength of Puritanism was its emphasis on the right of every conscience to determine what is truth; but this was also its fundamental weakness; for all consciences have not the same light. It was inevitable, therefore, that factions should soon rise within the Puritan fold: on the need of the simplification of the Prayer Book there was general agreement; but on the subject of church government there were notable differences. It seemed evident to many that the episcopal system, under which each bishopric is a little monarchy, was evil. The restless agitators came into early conflict with the statutes that governed the Opposition to life of the church,1 especially with the Act of Uni- the episcopacy. formity. Naturally they looked on the enforcement of these laws as wicked persecution. As it was the peculiar duty of the bishops to enforce the regulations of the church, such persecution could usually be traced to their activities. Consequently, the dislike for episcopacy grew into a conviction that the bishop's office must be of evil origin.

279. Presbyterianism: Thomas Cartwright. The earliest distinct anti-episcopal party originated in the teachings of Thomas Cartwright, a professor at Cambridge, Thomas which was still the center of radicalism in Eng- Cartwright. land. Cartwright began to urge reforms in church government

1 Review sec. 249.