King Charles II. r66z. ~ Of the king and court. Burnet, The HIS T 0 R Y of the PuRITANs. Vot, II. The king was a concealed'romm1 catholic, and had fwarms of that perfuafion about his perfon and court, who had fought for his father in the wars, or been civil to him in his exile; their defign was to introduce .a toleration of their religion, by the royal indulgence, in common with other di!fenters from the efiabliihment ; and the king was fo far in their meafures, that he declared openly, he would give liberty to all or none. The court was therefore content that the aB: of uniformity fhould pafs in the fevereft terms, on purpofe to make the number rf dijjenters more con– jiderable; and when this was objeB:ed, it was replied, the more dijjenters the better, becaufe it will make a toleration more needful, in which the papifts will be included. The papifts had two maxims fi·om which they never departed; one was, to keep themjelves united, and promote a general toleration, or a general prrfecution. The other, to divide the proteflants as much as poj}ible among themftlves. For this reafon the fword was put into the hands of fuch magifirates as would inflame the differences, and ex– afperate their fpirits one againfl: the other. Nor were there wanting fome hot-headed young clergymen, who run greedily into the fi1are, and became the tools of popery and arbitrary power, till the protefl:ant reli– gion was expiring, and mufl: inevitably have been loft, had it not been revived almofl: by a miracle. With a like view the laws againft pro– phanenefs and immorality were relaxed, . mens morals were negleCl:ed, interludes, mafquerades, promifcuous dancing, prophane fwearing, drun– kennefs, and an univerfal di!folution of manners, were connived at, and the very name of godlinefs became a reproach. Of the parThe parliament being made up of a fet of penlioners and mercenaries, liament. went into all the court meafures, and enacted more penal laws for reli– gion, than it may be, all the parliaments put together fince the refor– mation. They pre!fed the aB: of uniformity with inflexible rigour, and enforced it with fo many other penal laws, that under their wing popery grew to fuch a height, as to threaten the e~tirpation of the northern he– refj. At length many of the members bemg dead, and others grown fat with the fpoils of the public, they would have retrieved their errors, and difiinguiihed between protejlant non-conjormijls and popijb recufantr, but it was too late; and the king having found ways and means to fob– fill: without parliaments, refolved to adhere to hi:; il:anding maxim, to give eqfe to all di!Jenters or to no11e. . . Ofthe dtrgy. 'Tis impoffile hto excufe t~e clefrgy 6 f 6 rom .thehJr _{hare_ 111 thfe throu 1 ?Ies of this reign. If t e convocatiOn o 1 2, In t e1r review o t e Jturgy, had made any amendments for the fatisfaB:ion of the pre!byterians, they would undoubtedly have paffed both houfes of parliament, and healed in fame meafure the divifions of the church ; but they were actuated by a fpit'it of revenge, and not only promoted fuch laws as might deprive the
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=