constituency or relative numbers, the Protestants
now carried all before them. In the free religious debate that
followed the death of Henry, the press teemed with satires and
pamphlets, mostly Protestant. From foreign parts flocked allies, while
the native stock of literary ammunition was reinforced by German and
Swiss books. In the reign of Edward there were three new translations
of Luther's books, five of Melanchthon's, two of Zwingli's, two of
Oecolampadius's, three of Bullinger's and four of Calvin's. Many
English religious leaders were in correspondence with Bullinger, many
with Calvin, and some with Melanchthon. Among the prominent European
Protestants called to England during this reign were Bucer and Fagius
of Germany, Peter Martyr and Bernardino Ochino of Italy, and the Pole
John Laski.

The purification of the churches began promptly. [Sidenote: 1547]
Images, roods and stained glass windows were destroyed, while the
buildings were whitewashed on the inside, properly to express the
austerity of the new cult. Evidence shows that these acts,
countenanced by the government, were popular in the towns but not in
the country districts.

[Sidenote: Book of Common Prayer, 1549]

Next came the preparation of an English liturgy. The first Book of
Common Prayer was the work of Cranmer. Many things in it, including
some of the most beautiful portions, were translations from the Roman
Breviary; but the high and solemn music of its language must be
credited to the genius of its translator. Just as the English Bible
popularized the Reformation, so the English Prayer Book strengthened
and broadened the hold of the Anglican church. Doctrinally, it was a
compromise between Romanism, Lutheranism and Calvinism. Its use was
enforced by the Act of Uniformity, [Sidenote: 1549] {313} the first and
mildest of the statutes that bore that name. Though it might be
celebrated in Greek, Latin or Hebrew as well as in English, priests
using any other service were punished with loss of benefices and
imprisonment.

At this time there must have been an unrecorded struggle in the Council
of Regency between the two religious parties, followed by the victory
of the innovators. [Sidenote: End of 1549] The pace of the
Reformation was at once increased; between 1550 and 1553 England gave
up most of what was left of distinctively medieval Catholicism. For
one thing, the marriage of priests was now legalized. [Sidenote:
Accelera