commerce, and the affairs of Ireland.

Fanaticism, with all its levelling principles, had now overspread the land. Even those leaders of the commons who had assumed a puritanical severity in their words and actions, to work the more effectually on the minds of the populace, were gradually infected with that enthusiasm which at first they had only feigned: many became real religionists, while others imbibed a large portion of puritanism, without laying aside their hypocrisy. The members were generally bent upon an alteration in the government. A few moderate men sought only to ascertain the liberties of the nation: others resolved to humble and diminish the royal prerogative; and there was a more violent party, that extended their views to an utter extirpation of the hierarchy and monarchical government; but these at first carefully concealed their designs under the profession of rigid Presbyterians, and were afterwards known by the name of Independents. Religion was become a universal fashion. The most eloquent speakers in the house introduced a kind of holy cant and jargon into their speeches, and all their allusions being scriptural, stamped them with an air of prophecy or inspiration."* Vol. vii. p. 169. London edition. 1759.

* The reader, by bearing in his mind that Hume was a Tory in politics, and an infidel in religion, will know how

A distinguished female writer, of sound constitutional principles and of heart-felt piety, Mrs. Lucy Hutchinson, gives the following account of the state of the nation at this period:"The king had upon his heart the dealings both in England and Scotland with his mother, and harboured a secret desire of revenge upon the godly in both nations, yet had not courage enough to assert his resentment like a prince, but employed a wicked cunning he was master of, and called king-craft, to undermine what he durst not openly oppose-the true religion: this was fenced with the liberty of the people, and so linked together, that 'twas impossible to make them slaves, till they were brought to be idolators of royalty and glorious lust, and as impossible to make them adore these gods, while they continued loyall to the government of Jesus Christ. The payment of civill obedience to the king and the laws of the land satisfied not; if any durst dispute his impositions in the worship of God, he was presently reckon'd among the seditious and disturbers of the public peace, and accordingly persecuted; if any were grieved at the dishonour of the kingdom, or the griping of the poore, or the unjust oppressions to appreciate this description, so far as it relates to the Puritans he seems to have totally forgotten that it is not the prerogative of any man to search the hearts of other men.

E

of the subiect, by a thousand ways, invented to maintain the riotts of the courtier and the swarms - of needy Scots the king had brought in to devoure like locusts the plenty of this land, he was a Puritane: if any, out of mere morallity and civill honesty, discountenanced the abominations of those days, he was a Puritane, however he conformed to their superstitious worship: if any showed favour to any godly, honest person, kept them company, relieved them in want, or protected them against violent or uniust oppression, he was a Puritane: if any gentleman in his country maintained the good laws of the land, or stood up for any public interest, for good order or government, he was a Puritane: in short, all that crost the viewes of the needie courtiers, the proud, encroaching priests, the theevish proiectors, the lewd nobillity and gentrie, whoever was zealous for God's glory or worship, could not endure blasphemous oaths, ribbald conversation, prophane scoffs, sabbath-breach, derision of the word of God, and the like; whoever could endure a sermon, modest habitt, or conversation, or something good, all these were Puritanes; and if Puritanes, then enemies to the king and his government, seditious factions, hypocrites, ambitious disturbers of the public peace, and finally, the pest of the kingdom. Such false logick did the children of darkness use, to argue with against the hated children of

light, whom they branded besides as an illiterate, morose, discontented, melancholly, crazed sort of men, not fit for humane conversation: as such, they not only made them the sport of the pulpitt, which was become but a more solemn sort of stage; but every stage, and every table, and every pupett-play, belcht forth profane scoffs upon them; the drunkards made them their songs; all fidlers and mimicks learned to abuse them, as finding it a most gamefull way of fooling. Thus the two factions in those dayes grew up to great heigths and enmities, one against the other; whilst the Papist wanted not industry and subtility to blow the coals betweene them, and was so successeful, that unless the mercy of God confounde them by their own imaginations, we may iustly feare they will at last obtane their full wish.”*

In order to give the reader a view of the condition of the Prelates at this period, it must be stated, that on the 15th of December, 1640, a petition was presented to the House of Commons against the Popish ceremonies in the Church; and on the 22nd, the House resolved:-"That the Clergy, in a synod or convocation, hath no power to make laws, canons, or constitutions,† to bind either

* Memoirs of Colonel Hutchinson, written by his widow, Lucy, vol. i. p. 121-124.

+ From one of these condemned Canons, (No. 5,) I extract

Laity or Clergy, without the Parliament; and that the canons, made by the late convocation, are against the fundamental laws of this realm, the King's prerogative, propriety of the subject, the rights of Parliament, and do tend to faction and sedition."* (Clarendon and Whitlocke compared, p. 57.)

the following:-" That all those proceedings and penalties, which are mentioned in the aforesaid Canon against Popish miscreants, as far as they shall be applicable, shall stand in full force and vigor against all Anabaptists, Brownists, Separatists, Familists, or other sect or sects, person and persons, whatsoever, who do, or shall either obstinately refuse, or ordinarily, not having a lawful impediment, (that is, for the space of a month,) neglect to repair to their Parish Churches or Chapels, where they inhabit, for the purpose of hearing divine service established, and receiving of the holy communion, according to law, &c. &c. &c." The penalty, excommunication for the first offence. The 7th Article, entitled "A Declaration concerning some Rites and Ceremonies," is, in so far as it relates to the Communion Table, &c. &c. the grossest popery. See Constitutions and Canons, agreed to by the King, 1640, p. 21, 22, Sparrow's Collections.

*The Dissenters from the Established Church had for many years had separate congregations, or churches, in London, though doubtless as private as possible. The first was a General or Arminian Baptist Church, in 1611. The Independents had founded a church in 1616. The Presbyterians had had separate congregations, from 1572, though their ministers still kept their parishes. But now that the parliament had put an end to the persecuting power of the bishops, the sects made no attempt to hide themselves, but met publicly at various places. The honest Thomas Fuller, in his Church His