explanation of her proceedings which would clear her in the
eyes of her employers. Nicholas Clere, like many other people of
prejudiced minds and fixed opinions, had a mind totally unfixed in the
one matter of religion. His religion was whatever he found it to his
worldly advantage to be. During King Edward's reign, it was polite and
fashionable to be a Protestant; now, under Queen Mary, the only way to
make a man's fortune was to be a Roman Catholic. And though Nicholas
did not say even to himself that it was better to have plenty of money
than to go to Heaven when he died, yet he lived exactly as if he thought
so. During the last few years, therefore, Nicholas had gradually been
growing more and more of a Papist, and especially during the last few
weeks. First, he left off attending the Protestant meetings at the
King's Head; then he dropped family prayer. Papists, whether they be
the genuine article or only the imitation, always dislike family prayer.
They say that a church is the proper place to pray in, though our
Lord's bidding is, "When thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when
thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret." The
third step which Nicholas took was to go to mass, and command all his
household to follow him. This had Elizabeth hitherto, but quite
respectfully, declined to do. She was ready to obey all orders of her
earthly master which did not interfere with her higher duty to God
Almighty. But His holy Word--not her fancy, nor the traditions of men--
forbade her to bow down to graven images; or to give His glory to any
person or thing but Himself.

And Elizabeth knew that she could not attend mass without doing that. A
piece of consecrated bread would be held up, and she would be required
to worship it as God. And it was not God: it could neither see, nor
hear, nor speak; it was not even as like God as a man is. To worship a
bit of bread because Christ likened His body to bread, would be as silly
as to worship a stone because the Bible says, "That _Rock_ was Christ."
It was evident that He was speaking figuratively, just as He spoke when
He said, "I am the door of the sheep," and "I am the Morning Star." Who
in his senses would suppose that Christ meant to say that He was a
wooden door? It is important that we should have true ideas about this,
because there are just now plenty of foolish people who will try to
persuade us to believe that that poor, powerless pie