i88 THE CECILS
preserved except by uniformity of worship. Holding such opinions, Salisbury supported the King in the severe measures adopted in order to impose conformity on the Puritans. By the Canons of 1604 the penalty of excommunication was inflicted on all who " should affirm any of the Thirty-nine Articles to be erroneous, or any- thing in the Prayer Book to be repugnant to Scripture, or any of the rites and ceremonies of the Church to be superstitious, or should maintain that government by bishops was contrary to the Word of God." Some three hundred of the clergy refused to conform and were ejected, and writing of them, Salisbury says:
" For the religion which they profess I reverence them and their calling ; but for their unconformity, I acknow- ledge myself in no way warranted to deal for them, because the course they take is no way safe in such a monarchy as this ; where his Majesty aimeth at no other end than where there is but one true faith and doctrine preached, there to establish one form, so as a perpetual peace may be settled in the Church of God ; where contrarywise these men, by this singularity of theirs in things approved to be indifferent by so many reverend fathers of the Church, by so great multitudes of their own brethren, yea many that have been formerly touched with the like weaknesses, do daily minister cause of scandal in the Church of England, and give impediment to that great and goodly work, towards which all honest men are bound to yield their best means, according to their several callings, namely to suppress idolatry and Romish super- stition in all his Majesty's dominions." l
1 Cranborne to some gentlemen of Leicestershire, April, 1605 (Hat- field MSS. Quoted by Gardiner, I. 201).
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