Those who first brought the Gospel to England, St.
Patrick in Ireland, and' St. Columba in Scotland, walked
in the truth. If the Protestant is asked, "Where was
your religion before the Eeformation ? " the countryman's
retort stands good, " Where was your face this morning
before it was washed ? " The Pearl of great price was
hidden with trash and filth, and our Eeformers removed
only what obscured it. The Church was known to be
the Spouse of Christ by her first features and complexion,
though she cast off the new Italian dress. Christianity
was obscured like the sun under the cloud, but still the
sun was the same, and at length conquered the mists.
" Tis a fine question to ask where the sun was before
noonday ? " So says the Charge of Novelty* ending with,
" he that will prefer an old disease before a new cure, let
him be ever sick. Where did your Church lark, in what
cave of the earth slept she after so many hundreds of
years together, before the birth of Martin Luther ? The
reply is that she lurked beneath the folds of that garment
of many colours which the hand of superstition had woven
and embellished for her, and wherewith she was fantasti-
cally encumbered and disguised. She slept in that cavern
of enchantment where costly odours and intoxicating
fumes were floating around to overpower her sense, and
to suspend her faculties ; till at last a voice was heard to
cry, SleeiJ no more. And then she started up, like a

* London, 1683.
204




TITLE-PAGE OF THE GREAT BIBLE, 1539.
