have leave to depart the kingdom with his wife and children; but to no purpose: he and the other, both anabaptifts, were burnt alive in Smithfield; and my author adds, fuffered death with great terror and deep groans'.

THO' king James I was educated a prefbyterian, and when in Scotland, " bleffed "God for honouring him to be king over "fuch a kirk, the fincereft kirk in the "world;" yet upon his acceffion to the throne of England he perfecuted those of that very kirk, and indeed all who diffented from the epifcopal church. Some of his bishops flattered his vanity most egregiously; and in return he let them loose on the people, many of whom, and feveral of them excellent perfons, were ufed with great cruelty.

HIS fon and fucceffor, Charles I, followed the example of his father. Laud, who was a most haughty, turbulent, and merciless prelate, would fuffer no oppofition to the fuperftitious and popith rites and ceremonies which he was fo fond of; and used many worthy and learned proteftant gentlemen and divines with the utmost indignity and barbarity for not complying with his will

and

1 Abrid. of Brandt's Hiftory of the Reformation, Vol. I. p. 168.

and pleasure. But this violent man drove on fo furiously, that he brought himself to the block, and was a great cause of overturning both church and ftate; by which means the fectaries obtained the government, and established their religion. When these people, who had been fo lately perfecuted themselves, had gained their point, with how much lenity, moderation, and chriftian charity did they behave? With just as much as all other churches and fects do when armed with fufficient power:-they perfecuted all who differed from them. But their reign was cut short by the restoration of king Charles II.

THIS prince had little or no religion himself, nevertheless he fuffered his bishops and priests to harrafs and worry his subjects in a moft outrageous manner. Instead of foothing and comforting the people, when distressed by a conflagration which destroyed moft part of this capital city, and by a plague that swept away multitudes, he greatly aggravated their mifery by fines, fequeftrations, deprivations of thousands of learned, eminent, and pious men, banishments, imprifonments, &c. And here it may be worthy of notice, that the very persons who were, on account of their religion, banished to New England, in which country they ob

tained the government, there perfecuted, even to death, the poor quakers, who are certainly one of the most innocent, harmless, and primitive-like fects among chriftians.

KING James II, in the beginning of his reign, by continuing perfecution, followed the footsteps of his brother, and acted agreeably to his own inclination and the precepts of his religion. However, not long after his acceffion to the throne, he published a declaration for a general liberty of conscience. This was artfully done, merely to introduce the open and undisturbed profeffion of popery, which he was determined, at all adventures, to establish in these kingdoms: and if he had fucceeded, what must have been expected from a prince naturally cruel, and a bigotted, popifh, fiery zealot? This fine country would foon have become a neft of unclean birds, a prey to priests, and a field of blood: but the happy revolution averted these impending mischiefs, and saved the nation from utter deftruction.

DURING the reign of king William III, who was no bigot, but as has been faid of his ancestor William I, prince of Orange", approved all virtuous men, whatever re"ligion they were of," and who was placed

on

m Abrid. of Brandt's Hiftory of the Reformation, Vol. I, p. 169.

on the British throne by the consent and affiftance of all denominations of proteftants amongst us; during his government perfecution lay dormant: but in the latter part of the following reign, a church firebrand having fet the nation in a flame, proteftant perfecution began to growl, and fhew her horrid fangs and claws; but the death of that princess put an end to the defigns of the then governing party, and buried those wicked projects and perfecution in the same grave, from whence may they never rife again to plague and torment this happy country.

RELIGIOUS cruelties have not, we fee, been confined to those of the Roman Catho lic perfuafion; but tho' Perfecution, that infernal goddefs, has fojourned with, been entertained, and more or lefs obeyed and worshipped by all the different churches or fects of chriftians who have had it in their power to execute her will and commands;, yet it must be acknowledged, that in the church of Rome the has taken up her conftant abode, erected and established her merciless throne, weilded her iron fceptre, brandifhed with the greatest execution her flaughtering fword, and been cloathed with all her terrors.

ESSAY

4

220

ESSAY IV.

AN

INQUIRY

INTO THE

CA U S SE $

WHY

ROMISH ECCLESIASTICS are more cruel, and have been guilty of more horrid barbarities, than other persons of a civilized and learned education,

F we take a view of the enormous cru

elties exercised by these churchmẹn without the leaft provocation, and many times upon fome of the most innocent, virtuous, and pious of mankind, and for no reason but because they worship God according to the dictates of their confciences, it will evidently appear, that no other perfons of a civilized

and