Catholics, and brought them into a subjection from which they have never been able to rise.

The assembly of divines pulled down episcopacy without preparing any thing as a substitute; and the door being wide open, the country was inundated with a great variety of religious sects. In 1549, parliament declared presbyterianism the established religion of the country; but they passed an ordinance abolishing all penal statutes for religion, and permitting every one to think and act as he pleased on the subject of religion. The presbyterians became very lordly under their triumph, and would have established a system of religious tyranny, if they could. For the principles of correct religious toleration were understood by none in that age Every party insisted upon uniformity of worship, and upon the propriety of calling in the sword to support and enforce its own forms. They were therefore exceedingly grieved with this ordinance of parliament; and still more by finding that Cromwell and the parliament, who had grown jealous of them, now took under their patronage the independents, and brought them up to be a large and important class of Christians.

The episcopal clergy, as might be expected, felt the heavy hand of oppression. The bishops were not only deprived of their dignities, but were, in many cases, most shamefully abused: 7000 clergymen were ejected from their livings, but one fifth of the living was reserved for the use of their suffering wives and children. Such as continued to officiate, conformed to the new establishment, but used as far as they could, the old forms of prayer, though they might not read the liturgy under severe penalties. Every thing peculiar to the old establishment, was broken down by the rude hand of violence. A rage for uniformity prevailed among the presbyterians, as much as it had in the old establishment. and painted windows, cathedral carvings, statues, organs, monuments, all, all were swept away by the besom of destruction.

As the revolution was professedly religious, every thing was done under the garb of religion. The most ambitious spirits, who could wade through seas of blood to obtain wealth and power, were found using the language of the children of God, and professing to wield the sword of Jehovah. But if these were hypocrites, and the others fanatics, there was never so much genuine piety in the kingdom, as at that period. Among all ranks was an unusual portion of religious knowledge. Prayer was the regular business of most families. The Lord's day was sacredly observed. The leading divines, Owen, Bax

ter, Manton, Goodwin, Howe, Poole, Bates, Flaval, have, perhaps, never been surpassed in solid learning, theological acumen, and popular eloquence. They were men who understood the Gospel, and who preached it with power. Under their preaching, thousands were convinced of sin, and converted to God. The general attention given to religion, may be learned from the fact, that the army under Cromwell, which went to subdue the Catholics in Ireland, observed before their embarcation, a day of fasting and prayer. After three ministers had prayed, Cromwell and his colonels expounded Scripture to the troops. Not an oath was to be heard throughout the whole camp; the soldiers spending their leisure hours in reading their Bibles, or singing psalms, and religious conferences. Many, unquestionably, were held under restraint against their wills, but it was the spirit of the age that restrained them. The chaplains of the protector, were some of the most able and faithful ministers of Jesus Christ. For his own personal religion, he stands or falls in the judgment, like the rest of men. What appears in him fanatical expressions, were the language of the day, common to him before he touched the sword of state. No man was more hated by the papists, or did more toward breaking down the spirit of superstition, in England. He made provision of 10,000 pounds a year, to be used in the conversion of the heathen.

The triumph of the puritans was short. When Cromwell, their master-spirit was no more, every thing ran into confusion. The nation had become republican in feeling, but the officers of the army wrested the sceptre, and in 1660, placed Charles II. upon the throne.

The tide now set as strong against the puritans, as it had before against the episcopalians. They had hoped for better things, especially the presbyterians, who had been active in recalling Charles, and who, in fact, were never much concerned in bringing his father to the block. But even their expectation perished. All the lavish promises of Charles toward them, were soon forgotten. Episcopacy was fully re-established, and an observance of all its forms, was most rigorously required. On St. Bartholomew's day, August 24, 1662, the act of uniformity was passed. It required every clergyman to take the following oath on penalty of losing his cure, living or preferment.

"I, A. B. do hereby declare my unfeigned assent and consent, to all and every thing contained and prescribed in and by the book entitled the book of common prayer and administration.

of the sacraments, and other rites and ceremonies of the church of England, together with the psalter or psalms of David, appointed as they are to be sung or said in churches, and the form and manner of making, ordaining, and consecrating bishops, priests and deacons." Charles likewise decreed, that the ordination of all presbyterians, should be null and void; and that they should obtain episcopal orders, before taking the above oath 2000 puritan ministers, some of them the ablest and best which ever adorned the Church of Christ, were thus at once ejected from their pulpits, and not only deprived of their ordinary support, but of the past year's remuneration, which became due shortly after.

They were, moreover, required to promise on oath, that they would not take arms against the king, or endeavour to effect any alteration in the church or state. If they refused, they were for ever forbid coming within five miles of any city or borough where they had preached. An act called the conventicle act, was also passed, forbidding any dissenters above five in number, assembling for any other exercise of religion, than that prescribed in the liturgy of the church of England, on penalty of fine, imprisonment or banishment.

Several denominations were at this time existing in the kingdom. Sixteen are mentioned by cotemporary writers. The baptists and quakers, were most numerous next to the presbyterians and independents. All these were classed together under the general name of nonconformists, and the name of puritan was dropped. All felt the arm of oppression. The business of informers was made very lucrative. The prisons were quickly filled. The nonconformists were afraid to pray in their families, or ask a blessing on their meals, if five strangers were present. Their hardships were greater than those of the papists at the reformation, or the loyalists in the time of the civil wars. Such as could, fled to America. About 8000 died in prison. And not less than 60,000, found in various ways, an untimely grave. Property was wrung from them to the amount of two millions sterling. In 1665, the English nation, which was daily exhibiting scenes of profligacy and oppression, was visited with the most tremendous judg ments. A distressing drought, caused a murrain among the cattle. Infection was communicated to the city of London, and 100,000 people were swept off by the plague. Soon after the city was burned to the ground. During the pestilence, the wealthy and independent inhabitants fled; the pulpits were deserted. Many, however, of the ejected ministers, occupied

them, and visited and comforted the distressed, and were permitted to exercise their ministry without opposition. In 1672, the king granted a general declaration of indulgence, suspending the penal laws against dissenters; but the presbyterians and independents, would have preferred further suffering, to having the papists so greatly favoured. About the same time, also was passed the test act, making the episcopal sacrament a qualification for civil offices and employments. That remains to this day.

The churches were, at the restoration, filled with their former incumbents. But the high church party were not popular with Charles, and men filled the high stations, who did not look upon episcopacy as a divine institution, and absolutely essential, though they praised it as the best form of government and worship, and who viewed the points of controversy between Calvinists and Arminians, as of an indifferent nature, which, with certain explanations, might be held, or be entirely cast away, without any spiritual detriment.

With a voluptuous monarch on the throne, and a latitudinarian clergy in the desk, vital piety rapidly declined. All who had before been unwillingly restrained by the powerful preaching of the nonconformists, now ran to the excess of wickedness, and delighted in nothing so much as reviling what they called the canting hypocrisy and fanaticism of the commonwealth. The nobles of England, exchanged their sober, serious character, for one of frivolity and sin. A host of infidels, led by Hobbs, Toland, and the lords Herbert, Rochester and Shaftesbury, made a bold attack, by ridicule and sophistry, upon Christianity. But the great luminaries of the age, Newton, Locke, Boyle, Tillotson and Cudworth, threw all their influence into the opposite scale, and made them appear weak and contemptible, in the eyes of all discerning men. The excellent Robert Boyle, instituted an annual course of lectures, in which the Gospel was, for a long time, most ably defended from the base and insidious attacks of these subtle enemies.

Religion continued in a state of astonishing fluctuation, and the nation soon found itself on the very point of subjection to the Roman see. Charles had been, from his exile, at heart, a papist, and would have betrayed the protestant cause, had he dared to do it. He terminated his dissolute life, by the receiving the sacrament from the hands of a popish priest, in 1684, and was succeeded by his brother, James II., a bigotted catholic.

The catholics had been closely watched in England, from

the discovery of the powder plot, but they were very numerous and powerful. In Ireland they formed the great bulk of the population. With a monarch of their own on the throne, they now felt their former dominion secured. James was not want

ing in efforts to advance the cause. He filled vacant places with papists and others on whom he could rely for support. He new modelled the high commission court, made the infamous Jeffries one of its judges, and gave it unlimited power for searching out and punishing ecclesiastical offences. The dissenters suffered severely. The quarters of several hundred persons were seen hung up over the country. Finding opposition arise in the church, James hoped to gain the assistance of the dissenters, and courted them, and that they might be pleased, and the papists favoured, he published a declaration suspending all penal laws on religion, abolishing all tests, and declaring all his subjects equally capable of employment in his service.

This

he required all the clergy to read from their pulpits. The episcopalians refused. A general meeting of bishops and clergy was held in London, and a petition was framed beseeching the King not to insist upon it. It was signed by seven bishops who were soon committed to the Tower. After a long trial at Westminster for rebellion, they were acquitted. Only four in London read the declaration. and but about 200 in the kingdom. All the protestants now once more united, combined together, boldly dethroned their monarch, and forever excluded the papists from succession to the crown. William, prince of Orange, son-in-law to James, was invited to take the throne. James saw his danger, and endeavoured to quiet his disaffected subjects, but it was too late. William was received

with open arms, and James fled to France.

This great event which happened A. D. one thousand six bundred and eighty-eight, is called in the English History, THE REVOLUTION. It firmly secured the liberty of the protestants. The catholics were by a bill in parliament, forever excluded from holding any office in the nation. Episcopacy was estab lished as the religion of the state. Free toleration was granted to all protestant dissenters from the church of England, excepting Socinians. This is hailed by English protestants as the most glorious epoch in their history.

From this event to the present time, the church of England has moved on with considerable uniformity, without any material alterations in her government and discipline.

Some trouble she early received from a few leading bishops, who were willing William should govern, but who refused to