important sees had lately become vacant, that of York, that of
Chester, and that of Oxford. The Bishopric of Oxford was given to
Samuel Parker, a parasite, whose religion, if he had any
religion, was that of Rome, and who called himself a Protestant
only because he was encumbered with a wife. "I wished," the King
said to Adda, "to appoint an avowed Catholic: but the time is not
come. Parker is well inclined to us; he is one of us in feeling;
and by degrees he will bring round his clergy."92 The Bishopric
of Chester, vacant by the death of John Pearson, a great name
both in philology and in divinity, was bestowed on Thomas
Cartwright, a still viler sycophant than Parker. The
Archbishopric of York remained several years vacant. As no good
reason could be found for leaving so important a place unfilled,
men suspected that the nomination was delayed only till the King
could venture to place the mitre on the head of an avowed Papist.
It is indeed highly probable that the Church of England was saved
from this outrage by the good sense and good feeling of the Pope.
Without a special dispensation from Rome no Jesuit could be a
Bishop; and Innocent could not be induced to grant such a
dispensation to Petre.

James did not even make any secret of his intention to exert
vigorously and systematically for the destruction of the
Established Church all the powers which he possessed as her head.
He plainly said that, by a wise dispensation of Providence, the
Act of Supremacy would be the means of healing the fatal breach
which it had caused. Henry and Elizabeth had usurped a dominion
which rightfully belonged to the Holy See. That dominion had, in
the course of succession, descended to an orthodox prince, and
would be held by him in trust for the Holy See. He was authorised