"please the queen and the priests. If any one "refused to conform to the least ceremony in

worship, he was cast into prison, where, for this offence, many of the most excellent men in the "land perished.

"Two protestants, of the anabaptist faith, this "accomplished queen burnt for heresy; and many "more of the same denomination she banished "for the same crime. She also put two heretics to

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death, who had adopted the faith of Brown, the "father of the independents; and, a little before "this, she butchered some papists for their ancient "heresy. The archbishops Parker and Whitgift << are damned to eternal fame,' for the brutal part they took in this cruel carnage. Indeed, the whole reign of Elizabeth, though distinguished by the political prosperity of England, as far as great fame and good fortune abroad can be called "prosperity, is nothing but a series of arbitrary " and flagitious conduct, pointing to the destruc"tion of all liberty, civil and religious, and full of "murder for religious opinions. Elizabeth herself "had no religion; but was openly profane, and "addicted to common cursing and swearing. "Without the weakness of Mary, she had Mary's "heart, thirsting for human blood.

"James the first succeeded Elizabeth on the "throne of England; and united the two kingdoms "of England and Scotland. Educated à presby

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terian, the friends of reformation expected, at " once, a cessation of persecution, and the protec❝tion and countenance of the young king. In

"both, they were grievously disappointed. The protestant churches of England and Scotland "had laid down persecution as a mark and evi"dence of a false church; but, if their mark were a just one, neither of them merited the honourable appellation of a true church. When James "ascended the throne, his first concern appears to "have been the maintenance of his prerogative, "and the extension of his power. He eagerly "looked around him for those who were best in"clined to secure him these advantages.-Expe"rience had taught him, that the rough manners "of the presbyterian clergy showed them to be "ill adapted to this purpose. They had too often "been to him the instruments of restraint; and "had shown too little disposition to flatter his vanity, or assert the omnipotence of his power. "In the English clergy, and especially the "bishops, he found men every way fitted for his purpose. Every tyrant is, in his turn, a syco

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phant; and every sycophant is, in his turn, a "tyrant,-is a maxim founded on experience; and "James perceived that those, whose pleasure was "the burning of others, would conform to any thing to please him, from whom they derived "their power. His standing maxim soon was, "no bishop, no king;' for, he found no other men, whose endeavours were equally to be depended upon, in securing unlimited obedience "in the people, and asserting unlimited authority "in the prince. To bribe their exertions in favour

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"of despotism, he published edicts, full of the old spirit of persecution.-Bancroft, the pious bishop,

pro

was at once his adviser and agent. The king published a proclamation, commanding all "testants to conform strictly, and without any exception, to all and singular the rites and cere"monies of the church of England; and granted indulgence to tender consciences to none, but "roman-catholics, of all his numerous subjects in England.

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"The spirit of this proclamation was directed by Bancroft to the heads of thousands of pro"testant non-conformists. Above five hundred "clergy were immediately silenced or deprived, "for not complying with some slight ceremonies. "Some were excommunicated, and some banished "the country. Every means was used to distress "dissenters. They were deprived, censured, fined "in the star-chamber, and used in the most violent "and arbitrary manner. Worn out with endless "vexations, and unceasing persecutions, many "retired to Holland, and from thence to America, seeking, amongst untutored savages and roaring "wild beasts, that mercy they were denied by pro"testant bishops and priests in their native land. "Amongst the most illustrious of these fugitives

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was Mr. Robinson, the father of the independents "in America.-James, dreading the consequence "of such numerous emigrations, prohibited them; "but without effect. It is witnessed, by a most judicious historian, that in this, and some follow

ing reigns, twenty-two thousand persons were "banished from England, by persecution, to "America.

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"To stifle the spirit of inquiry, hostile, at all "times, to arbitrary power, in church and state, "and to promote universal thoughtlessness and ignorance, James published the Book of Sports, "to be read in churches, which, on their refusing to comply with the requisition to read it, was the "means of depriving and silencing all the clergy " of honour and conscience in the nation.

"When Charles the first ascended the throne, "he early discovered very arbitrary principles of government; and, agreeably to the schemes of “such as have ever attempted to enslave mankind, "he flattered the priesthood, in their most daring "usurpations. It is an observation of the authors " of the Independent Whig, that where there are "no dissenters from the established worship, there "exists not a free man in the nation. This is an "observation, founded on the experience of ages, "that the power of the clergy is the death-warrant "of liberty.-Charles soon discovered his whole heart, by marrying a roman-catholic, and placing "the infamous Laud at the head of both state and "church. Laud was another Thomas-à-Becket; "and had powers equally formidable, being archbishop of Canterbury, and the first man in the "state. He, indeed, lived in times not quite so benighted; yet ignorance, bigotry, and super"stition, were even yet almost universal. A proof "of of this may be found in the conduct of the better

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"sort of priests in Ireland, in this reign. A number "of pious bishops, with the famous archbishop "Usher at their head, published a protest against "the toleration of roman-catholies, not on account "of their political principles being supposed dan“ gerous, but because they did not dare to concur "in the toleration of catholics, lest they (the pro"testant bishops), should be involved in the sin of 6.6 idolatry. Here are men, prepared to exterminate "the human race, because they do not adopt "their creed; and piously acknowledge their in"fallibility!-Laud pushed the great business of "persecution to its utmost bounds, and gave the "nation more exercise in this way, than it was "inclined to suffer. Numbers, torn to pieces by "this protestant bishop, in their families and pro (6 perty, fled to America, and founded the settlement " of Massachusetts Bay. They were the fathers of "the first asserters of liberty, in the last war..

"A. D. 1630, the learned Dr. Leighton wrote "a book against the hierarchy; and felt, to his "cost, that his good mother was inclined to chas"tise as much as to cherish her offspring; when

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they called in question her high authority.-He "was sentenced in the high commission, in a fine " of 10,000l. perpetual imprisonment, and whip"ping. 1st, He was whipped, and then placed in "the pillory. 2dly, One of his ears cut off. "3dly, One side of his nose slit. 4thly. Branded "on the cheek with a red hot iron, with the letters "S. S.: whipped, a second time, "the pillory; about a fortnight

and placed in afterwards, his