frfi I"olteme of the Hitory of the Puritans. civil wars, were grounded upon the unlimited power of the crown, the court of high commifiion, the ad of the 35thELzzABCTH, and the articles and injun Lions of the bithops. After the reflorationofking Charles II. the penal laws of queenELIZABETH were revived, and for- tified with others, againft the pretended (editions conventicles of proteftant diffenters, whereby numberlefs fines were levied upon the unhappy fuffer- ers, to the ruin of them and theirfamilies ; many non-conformilt minif- ters were feparated from their friends by thefive mile alt ; fome perifhed a7 Car. II. in prifon, and others were forced to remove into the plantations. P. 2. Nor is this any refleâion upon the prefent church of England, or her bitltops and clergy ; who have, in a great meafure, renounced the perfe- cuting principles of thofe times nor upon the legiflature, which has re- pealed feveral of thofe laws. The at of toleration mentions exprefly the ad of the 35th ELIZABETH, and exempts the proteftant diffenters from the penalties of it ; which it would not have done, if it had not been defigned againft meer non- conformifls. 'Tis alto declared, in the preamble of the bill to prevent occafional conformity, " that perfecution « for confcience only, is direêtly contrary to the profefíion of the chrif. " tian religion, and particularly to thedoltrine of the church of England ; and that the aét of toleration ought to be inviolably preferved." After all that can be faid, in extenuation or excufe of the proceedings of queen ELIZABETH, it mof (I think) be allowed, that the puritans had very hardmeafure inher time, and that great numbers ofthemfufered for meer non-conformity. They made feveral vigorous attempts for a refor- mation of the hierarchy ; and when it appeared after twenty or thirty years, that her majefty was inflexible and their caute defperate, fome few of the moft zealous of them gave vent to their paflìons, and expofed the bifhops and their fpiritual courts in a rude and unmannerly way, by pafguils andfatyrical pamphlets ; but this was far from being the aft of the bodyof non-fubfcribingpuritans; no, they difallowed and condemned it nor did any number ofthem plot againft thequeen or ftate,ordefert the government in the time of the northern rebellion, or of the fpani/h inva/on. No confiderable number of their clergy feparated from the eftablithed church, but held communion with it as far as their confciences would allow. When they were fufpendedby their ordinary, they lived in filence, till by length of time, or the intereft of friends, they were reftored; when fuch as were lecturers only, were driven out of one diocefe, they retired into another, where they might have an opportunity of preach- ing the gofpel. In a word, the puritahs were a pious, zealous, and well meaning people, found proteftants, and faithful fubjelts to the queen and fiate, though of narrow and miftaken principles in fome things. There were among them reftlefs, fierce, and ungovernable fpirits, whom s 5 X 2 opprefion 887
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