XXX. Heterogeneous Nature of the Dissenters.→→→→ XXXI. Price's Sermon, and Burke's Reflections. XXXII. Paine's Rights of Man.-XXXIII. Riots in Birmingham: Expatriation of Dr. Priestley. XXXIV. Attempts of the Unitarians. XXXV. London Corresponding Society, and Second Part of the Rights of Man.-XXXVI. French Einigrants.- XXXVII. Paine's Age of Reason, and Bishop of Llandaff's Apology.-XXXVIII. Infidel Societies. -XXXIX. David Williams, and Theophilanthro- pism.-XL. Bishop of London's Lectures: Hannah HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH CHURCH AND SECTS. CHAPTER XIII. Contents. 1. Restoration of Charles II-II. Character of the Times.—III. Restoration of Episcopacy.-IV. Con- ference with the Presbyterians, and the King's mode- rate Declaration.-V. Conference at the Savoy, for new-modelling the Liturgy.-VI. Parliament. Burn- ing of the Covenant.-VII. Corporation Act.-VIII. Convocation. Alterations in the Liturgy.—IX. Act of Uniformity: Remarks on the ejected Ministers.- X. Declaration in favour of Liberty of Conscience.- XI. Sheldon, Archbishop.-XII. The Clergy relin- quish the Power of taxing themselves in Convocation.- XIII. Conventicle and similar Acts.-XIV. Plot attributed to the Catholics, and consequent Acts of Par- formists. XVI. Declaration in favour of granting Liberty towards the Dissenters, opposed by Parliament. -XVII. Test Act.-XVIII. Sancroft, Archbishop. -XIX. Duke of York sent beyond seas. XX. Deaths of Russell and Sydney.-XXI. Death of Charles: and Character.-XXII. History of the Liturgy.-XXIII. Acts of Parliament.-XXIV. Learned Divines.-XXV. Miscellaneous Matters.-XXVI. Presbyterians: their History; and Examination of their Tenets. I. RICHARD Cromwell was found deficient in those talents which might qualify him for holding the reins of government as Protector. Indolence, irresolution, and general incapacity, debased his constitutional good nature: and as the spark of ambition had not been transmitted from sire to son, he was well content to withdraw into a private station. At this juncture the restoration of Charles the Second needs only to be mentioned, for the sake of connecting the narrative. Monk, in effecting this measure, cajoled the Presbyterian parliament and party: whom a vain imagination, that the treaty of the Isle of Wight would be adhered to, persuaded to sanction it with their concurrence. These were at this time possessed of full power, in the church, the university, and the army; and were in vain warned by the Independents, now divided and broken by the ambition of Fleetwood, against trusting their new allies *. II. Beams of cheerfulness now burst through those clouds of austerity which had so long overshadowed the realm: but with the sunshine returned the wantonness of pleasure :-enthusiasm gave way to debauchery: and the English people were transformed, from severe religionists, or canting fanatics, into a nation of livers without God in the world. In this general profligacy, the royalists took the lead. Abhorring the morose deportment and scripture-quoting * The whole Presbyterian body, however, were not the dupes of this deception. We have already stated that their leaders held a correspondence with the Protestant clergy in France, by which the way was opened for the monarch's accession to the throne. A letter of Baxter's has been preserved by his biographer, commenting on the sentiments of these foreign ministers; and the following extract will serve to show at once his prophetic sagacity, and highly commendable disinterestedness: "These divines knew nothing of the state of things in England. They pray for the success of my labours, while they are persuading me to put an end to these labours, by setting up the prelates who will silence me, and many hundreds more. They persuade me to that which will separate me from my flock; and then pray that I may be a blessing to them yet I am for restoring the King, that when we are silenced, and our ministry is at an end, and some of us lie in prisons, we may there, and in that condition, have peace of conscience in the discharge of our duty, and the exercise of faith, patience, and charity in our sufferings." Life, p. 2, p. 216. |