uneasiness that had been prevailing.  ‘The world,’ writes one anonymous author in 1682, ’is filled with discourses about the Protestant religion and the professors of it; and not without cause.’[319] ‘Who,’ says another, ’can hold his peace when the Church, our mother, hath the Popish knife just at her throat!’[320] But the reverses of the Reformed faith abroad greatly increased the ferment, and began to kindle Protestant feeling into a state of enthusiastic fervour.  When at last, in the next reign, war was proclaimed with Louis XIV., it was everywhere recognised as a great religious struggle, in which England had assumed her place as the champion of the Protestant interest.

From the very beginning of the Reformation it had been a vexed question how far the cause of the Reformed Church of England could be identified with that of other communions which had cast off the yoke of Rome.  In dealing with this problem, a broad distinction had generally been made between Nonconformists at home and Protestant communities abroad.  The relation of the English Church to Nonconformity may accordingly be considered separately.  So long as it was a question of communion, more or less intimate, with foreign Churches, the intercourse was at all events not embarrassed with any difficulties about schism.  The preface to the Book of Common Prayer had expressly declared that ’In these our doings we condemn no other nations, nor prescribe anything but to our own people only.  For we think it convenient that every country should use such ceremonies as they shall think best to the setting forth of God’s honour and glory.’  It was therefore acknowledged with very tolerable unanimity that friendly relationship with Protestant Churches on the Continent was by no means inconsistent with very considerable differences of custom and opinion.  Men of all parties in the Church of England were ever inclined to allow great weight to the voice of constituted authority in matters which did not seem to them to touch the very life and substance of religion.  Without taking this into consideration, it is impossible to form a right view of the comparative tenderness with which Churchmen passed over what they considered to be defects in reformed systems abroad which they condemned with much severity among Nonconformists at home.

The relations, however, of England with foreign Protestant bodies, though not exactly unfriendly, have been characterised by a good deal of reserve.  The kinship has been acknowledged, and the right of difference allowed; but belief in the great superiority of English uses, Nonconformist difficulties, and a certain amount of jealousy and intolerance, had always checked the advances which were sometimes made to a more cordial intimacy.  In Henry VIII.’s time, in 1533, and again in 1535, overtures were made for a Foedus Evangelicum, a league of the great reforming nations.[321] The differences between the German and the English Protestants were at that time very great, not only in details of