"All must hold the Apostles' Creed first of all," said Kate, "and must
set his name to a paper declaring the Pope to be antichrist, with other
truths upon it."
Isabel was puzzled; for it seemed now as if Private Judgment were not
supreme among its professors; but she did not care to question further.
It began to dawn upon her presently, however, why the Queen was so fierce
against Prophesyings; for she saw that they exercised that spirit of
exclusiveness, the property of Papist and Puritan alike; which, since it
was the antithesis of the tolerant comprehensiveness of the Church of
England, was also the enemy of the theological peace that Elizabeth was
seeking to impose upon the country; and that it was for that reason that
Papist and Puritan, sundered so far in theology, were united in suffering
for conscience' sake.
On the Sunday morning Isabel went with Mrs. Carrington and the two girls
to the round Templars' Church of Saint Sepulchre, for the Morning Prayer
at eight o'clock, and then on to St. Peter's for the sermon. It was the
latter function that was important in Puritan eyes; for the word preached
was considered to have an almost sacramental force in the application of
truth and grace to the soul; and crowds of people, with downcast eyes and
in sombre dress, were pouring down the narrow streets from all the
churches round, while the great bell beat out its summons from the Norman
tower. The church was filled from end to end as they came in, meeting Dr.
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