Chap. XII. The HI 8T 0 R Y of the PuRiTANS. 807 .cruelly ever fince? Whoever perufes the dreadful fufferings of the kirk King in the reign of Charles the fecond, will judge how far they had reafon to Wi!Jiam . I and queen replace them in the faddle, and deliver the rei ns m tot 1eir hands. Mary. But the difaffect ion of the high church clergy, il:opt not ihort of the 168g. king himfelf, who was mad e uneafy by their malignant fpirit, and reil:lefs ~ endeavours .to clog the whee~sof his govern me~ t; infomuch that his ma- u:;f,_;;~ :b, jelly fometimes declared, wtth more than ordt nary vehemence, that he tories. would not il:ay in England and hold an empty name ; that it was not eafy Burner, P• to determine which was beil:, a commonwealth, or kingly government; Q.ut 35• 39· he was fu re the worft of all governments was, a king without treqfitre, and without power. He once refolved to return to 1-Io!!and, and leave the government in the queen's hands , imagining they would treat her better ; and he communicated his deiign to the marquis of Carmarthen, the earl of Sbre·wsbury, and others, who befought him with tears, to change his refolution, and at !aft prev.1iled: But had his majefty declared this from the throne, the nation was in a temper to have done him jllft ice on the in– cendiaries; for notwithlla nding their clamours, they knew their defperate fi tuation, if the king ihould defert them, having renounced their allegiance to ki ng 'james, and gone fuch lengths as he could never forg ive. But ki ng Wi!/iam,havi nga generous mind, imagined they might be gained by gen tlenefs an d kind nefs, and therefore took up with a motley minijlry, which diftrelfed him to the !aft. Thus the tories and high church clergy enjoyed the advan tages of this GLoRrou s REVOLuTION, while they acted a moft ungratefu l part towards their D E L I V E R E R, and a moft unkind and ungenerous one to their dijfenting brethren. Nor have thele gentlemen ceafed to difcover their enmi ty to the!d:ffen- Their con– fers, fince that time, as oft as the power has been in their hands. It was dufl to the impoffi ble to injure them while king WrLL JAM lived, bu t no fooner wasjidijjent~rs mce toe re– quee n ANN E advanced to the throne, than they endeavoured to cramp volution. the toleration, by the bill againft occajional coJiformity, which was brought into the houfe one feffions after another, till at length they obtained the royal aflent, the latter end of the year r 71 r, under the fpecio us title of, an aCl to pre{erve the proteftant religion, and to confirm the tole- O ccafional r·ation, andfurther to fecure the protellant fucceffion. It makes fome few conformity conceffions in fupport of the toleration, but then it enacts, " that if any bdl. " perfons in office, who by the laws are obliged to qualify themfelves by " receiving the Jacrament, or tejl, lhall ever refort to a conventicle or " meeting of dilfenters for religious worlhip, during the time of their " continuance in fuch <?ffice, they lhall forfeit twenty pounds for every " fuch offence, and be difqualified for any office for the future, till they " have made oath, that they have entirely conformed to the church, and " not been at any conventicle for the fpace C)f a whole year~': So that no
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=