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phraseology, which had characterized the republican party, they threw off all restraints of decency, and set at nought even rational religion. Charles himself, restored without limitation or control, and arriving from a licentious country, became the votary and patron of dissipation and as a poisoned fountain transmits the bitterness of its waters to every stream and rivulet which it supplies, his example communicated its pernicious influence successively to the nobility, gentry, and common people. The character of the court is the character of the country at large: highly then does it ever behove a monarch, the arbiter of fashion, to keep in fashion pure religion and sound morality *!

III. The ordinances of the Long Parliament being all of them deemed utterly null for want of the royal confirmation, episcopacy was held to be still the established religion, and the Common Prayer Book the rule of worship sanctioned by the legislature. For this reason, without any formal act or proclamation, religious matters at once glided silently into their wonted channel.

* Although we cannot, with Neale, deem it a subject of high boasting, that a play had not been acted in England for twenty years, we will heartily join in deploring that profligacy which introduced obscene comedies, and a state of morals in which intoxicated clergymen were every week taken into custody by the watch.

The Liturgy, which, with high-strained, liberal panegyric, Mr. Hume terms "a decent service, and not without beauty," was restored in the chapel royal and other places; the ejected clergy once more took possession of their benefices; though, wherever the regular ex-incumbent was dead, the Presbyterian occupant was confirmed in his possession: the heads and fellows of colleges were in like manner reinstated: and thus was prepared the way for supplying the vacant dignities in cathedrals. As only nine bishops. were remaining at the Restoration, an apprehension was entertained that the body might become extinct; and measures were therefore hastened for supplying the vacancies, though a difficulty in form presented itself, through the abolition of deans and chapters. Seven bishops were consecrated in Westminster Abbey, in December 1660; and four more in the January following: four or five sees being still kept open, for the chief Presbyterian divines, in encouragement and expectation of their conformity*.

IV. When the leading Presbyterians, Calamy,

* Juxon, now superannuated, was removed to Canterbury, Frewen to York, and Duppa to Winchester. The new consecrations were those of Sheldon, Henchman, and Morley, to London, Sarum, and Worcester.

In Scotland, likewise, Charles sought to abolish Presbyterianism; which, he used to observe, was not a religion fit for a gentleman.

Reynolds, Spurstow, Hall, Manton, and Case, had waited upon the King at Breda, and solicited indulgence in matters which they deemed unlawful or indifferent, he signified a desire of conceding various points, but referred them finally to the Parliament. And on being entreated to expunge some portions of the Liturgy from the devotions of his private chapel, he replied, that since he sought not the abridgment of their LIBERTY, he begged he might hear no more of their interference with his*. Neither would he lend an ear to their remonstrance against the use of the surplice. But while he thus prudently avoided making promises which he could not perform, we cannot pass uncensured that act of odious hypocrisy, with which he attempted to deceive his visitors, When he knew them to be within hearing, hẹ prayed aloud to heaven, rendering thanks that he was a covenanted king. The stratagem, it seems, succeeded; for Case lifted up his hands, and blessed God that they had a praying sovereign.

These men, excepting Hall, immediately on the restoration, were enrolled in the list of royal chaplains: a vain distinction, though intended to show a tolerant spirit: for, not more than four of them, and these only once, were permitted to preach at court. In the mean

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*Neale, vol. ii. p. 552.

time, the Presbyterian leaders were not unanimous. Calamy, Reynolds, Ashe, Bates, and Manton, felt inclined to proceed still further in unison with the court: but Seaman, Jenkins, and others, thought that too many concessions had been made; and urged the propriety of retracting. Charles wished that indulgences should be extended to the Nonconformists, partly because they had been serviceable in restoring him to the throne, but principally because he hoped to protect and favour the Roman Catholics, under the shelter of a general toleration. That body having offered him £100,000, if he would abolish the penal statutes against them; he evinced his disposition to espouse their interests, by a clause in the declaration of Breda, wherein liberty was promised to tender consciences, and a general pardon offered, subject only to exceptions to be afterwards made in the Parliament*. But even the most enlightened and moderate Presbyterians were, on this head, influenced by illiberal sentiments; and have mainly to thank their own narrow policy for the subsequent withdrawing of the King's good-will towards their body. When Baxter deprecated, in the royal presence, the toleration of Papists and Socinians, Charles replied angrily, that the

* Kennet's Chron. p. 252.

Presbyterians were a monopolizing party, whose only aim was to set up themselves. This incipient disgust was encouraged by the bench of bishops, who deemed a church without unity in externals to be a solecism; while they regarded diocesan episcopacy as of vital importance, and preferred an open separation to an internal schism. A conference, however, was held at Sion College, with Calamy, Reynolds, and five other Presbyterian leaders, with a view to discover to what extent they would yield, or rather, to keep them in play for the present: and a declaration, drawn up by the episcopal, and amended by the Presbyterian party, was published in the name of the King as supreme head of the church, In this instrument a variety of wise regulations were proposed, for securing a learned and zealous body of ministers; for the appointment of suffragans in extensive dioceses; for the due administration of confirmation and the Lord's Supper; and for the correction of scandalous offences by representations of churchwardens, to be made to the rural deans: but as it was likewise projected that the Liturgy should be new-modelled by divines of both persuasions; that kneeling at the Sacrament, the cross in baptism, the ring in marriage, the surplice in the reading-desk, the oath of canonical obedience, and subscription to the Thirty-nine Articles, were all to be considered as optional,

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